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Thread: Thoughts on various obscure Saturn imports as they come

  1. #81
    ServBot (Level 11) Lemmy Kilmister's Avatar
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    You wouldn't happen to know anything about the Saturn shooter Bokan To Ippatsu! Doronboo Kanpekiban, would you Steve? I recently saw a picture of its sequal and started getting curious about it. Have you ever played it?

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    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    testament, Bokan arrived 3 days ago... impressions will shortly follow

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    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    oops

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    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    oops

  5. #85
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    KONAMI ANTIQUES MSX COLLECTION

    This pack includes 30 games, yes, 30! For that alone, it's quite a great value. But how do the games stand up?

    BOXING- Got KO'ed in 2 minutes, haha. Not exactly Punch-Out!!...

    PING PONG- I actually got quite a kick outta this. Very playable and quite addicting. You only see the hands and the ping pong racket or whatever. It's like the Hand from Adams Family, lol. I was crushed 21-2 and 21-3 but it's fun...

    HYPER SPORTS 2- Skeet shooting, archery, and weight lifting... couldn't get past skeet shooting

    MOPIRANGER- Hamburger Helper! Maze game with enemies. Kinda meh

    ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE- Cute game, like Space Harrier in view. Holes in ice and other obstacles to avoid. Speed button from 1-10... how many stages can you beat?

    YIE AR KUNG FU- 1st Street Fighter ever??111? 1st guy was named Wang and he carried a big stick... HEY NOW. 2nd guy was Tao and he breathed fire Sagat-style (high and low) There was a bonus stage even! Cool game

    ROAD FIGHTER- Cool overhead racer. Reminded me of Spy Hunter on NES. Good times eh? Be careful not to crash into the sides -- it can get pretty narrow here and there! Good old school fun

    SKY JAGUAR- 1942's grandpa? Meh to be honest

    GRADIUS- no comments needed

    AMBITION OF GOFER- shooter a la Gradius. Didn't get very far in it but it seems good

    GOLF- Simple fun! I got an eagle on one set... felt hella sweet. But mostly I got boogie's =P

    BILLIARDS- Simple fun once again! I dunno why but I really loved Konami Billiards... love the feeling of scoring a "2 for 1."

    HYPER SPORTS 3- Damn these HS games are tough. Couldn't get past Cycling

    ATHLETIC LAND- A very cool series of "scenes" when you guide a bloke along and avoid obstacles. Cool little game

    YIE AR KUNG FU 2- It's baaaack! This time there are action sequences before the fighters... ouch.

    KNIGHTMARE- Cool! Control a knight in a vertical based scrolling game where you shoot down baddies and collect various weapons and upgrades, like spread and boomerang. Reminded me of Ikari Warriors... plays like a SHMUP

    SUPER COBRA- Horizontal shooter that reminds me of an old orange-colored PC helicopter game I used to play on my 1980s PC called a "Casper."

    TWIN BEE- You know the deal

    GRADIUS 2- Ditto

    TENNIS- Wow, way cool and way playable... perhaps my favorite in the pack... serious! You can get into some serious back and forth cut throat matches... good stuff... doubles mode included!

    SOCCER- Unfortunately, this game isn't as cool as Tennis, Golf and the rest were. Very meh and very boring

    KONAMI RALLY- A favorite among many, I found it just to be MEH

    COMIC BAKERY- Bingo was his name-O! That's seriously the music for this game... weird action game

    PIPPOLS- Decent vertically scrolling game with bushes as barriers as you attack baddies and such.

    KING's VALLEY- Extremely cool Lode Runner-like maze game where you go through many levels collecting skull keys and avoiding/killing mummies... very cool

    PENGUIN ADVENTURE- Like ANTARTIC ADVENTURE but somehow not as fun

    TIME PILOT- Shooter kinda like ThunderForce II -- in other words, MEH

    PARODIUS- No comments needed

    SALAMANDER- Ditto

    Well here's SSM's preview on KMSXC in their 2nd to last issue, # 36 October 1998

    ----

    European Saturn owners have every justification in feeling paranoid. I mean, why is it that such fantastic games as X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Dead or Alive and Grandia are destined to remain import-only? Why is it that multi-format games always end up being crap on the Saturn, despite talented developers proving beyond all doubt the true potential of the machine? And why is it that Konami releases top titles such as Castlevania X and Suikoden in Japan, but gives us European Saturn owners Crypt Killer and Whizz? Odd that.

    But for those of you with switched Saturns, the situation isn't quite so dire. As we've mentioned innumerable times before, there's a glut of top Japanese games available to ensure that your Saturn doesn't end up collecting dust as a door-stopper. The latest of these to arrive poste-haste from our man in Japan is the awesome Konami Antiques MSX Collection, one of the best retro compilations to emerge on the Saturn to date.

    In terms of sheer size and value for money, Konami's retro pack just can't be beaten. Comprising a staggering 30 classic games from yesteryear, Konami has opened our eyes to the vastly inferior retro compilations from such arcade giants as Atari, Namco and Williams. Rather than releasing several retro volumes, each comprising six games and retailing at a costly thirty quid a pop, Konami has taken advantage of the vast storage capabilities offered by the compact disc format and crammed the best of its MSX games onto just one disc. More power to them for doing so.

    And when we say the best MSX games, we really mean it. Unlike comparative retro packs which invariably offer a couple of 'classics' with a handful of dodgy decade-old stinkers to pad out the package, each and every one of Konami's MSX titles are classics in their own right. There's classic 2D beat 'em up action in Yir Ar KUNG-FU and its sequel, arcade shoot 'em up fun in the awesome Gradius, rampantly playable sports sims such as Konami's Golf, Tennis, Boxing and even Billiards. Not to mention the classic Hyper Sports series. You will quite literally be spoiled for choice.

    The only real downer is that this excellent retro compilation will not receive an official UK release, given that Konami turned its back on the European Saturn market a considerable time ago. Not that it stopped them from releasing Whizz, mind you. Anyway, that means the only place you're likely to find a copy of Konami Antiques MSX Collection is at your friendly local import shop. But if you're into your retro games and have a bit of spare cash floating around, it's well worth tracking down

    ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE
    This cracking little racer attracted a veritable gaggle of onlookers when we first played it, not least because AA bares an uncanny resemblance to the Dreamcast launch title, Pen Pen Trilcelon. The aim of the game is to simply get your penguin over the finish line before the time limit expires, avoiding the hazards contained within each of the Antarctic levels. It's not quite up there with Konami's more serious racers, Konami Rally and Road Fighter for example, but definitely worth a look

    HYPER SPORTS 2
    Basically a conversion of the classic Konami Hyper Sports arcade game, but due to the memory constraints of the MSX cartridge, only three of the events actually made it into Hyper Sports 2 (the rest can be found on the equally brilliant Hyper Sports 3). Button bashers are well catered for with the weight lifting event, whereas archery and skeet shooting (clay pigeon shooting to you and me) requires a greater level of skill and timing. Definitely one of the best games on the entire Konami MSX pack.

    KONAMI RALLY
    Undoubtedly one of the highlights of Konami's MSX Antiques Collection is the fantastic Konami Rally. This superb little racer has been in our Saturn more than any other game this month, despite the allure of the more contemporary DEEP FEAR and ASTRA SUPERSTARS. The basic idea is similar to that of SEGA RALLY -- progress from one stage to the next, overtaking as many cars as possible to qualify in a decent position for the next race. Alright, so the graphics might look a bit crap and dated a decade on from its original MSX release, but in terms of sheer playability, Konami Rally is an absolute classic.

    ----

    There ya have it. It took me a while to secure a copy of this game... I dunno... it's an oddity in that it seems to be on and off... mostly off in terms of availability, and the price ranges anywhere from 20-40... *shrugs*... I just remember being after this since 2001 or so, and having a strict limit of $15 max on it... well, I never found that bargain. Anyhoo, my favorite is definitely Konami Tennis, and overall I think it's a solid comp pack, but you have to like these retro type games to enjoy this. Otherwise, stick to Deep Fear and Astra Superstars. =P

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    Key (Level 9) fishsandwich's Avatar
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    Yet another long and very insightful review! I don't knwo how you crank these out so often with such skill and excellent writing ability.

    I was disappointed with the MSX collection, to be honest. I wish we'd seen a collection of the originals, not the originals ported to the underpowered (compared to the arcade originals) MSX hardware, THEN ported to the Saturn.

    Arcade-perfect Time Pilot and Super Cobra would have been nice. Didn't someone port Sky Jaguar to the Colecovision a while back? I do believe the MSX hardware is amazingly similar to that of the Colecovision.

    Again, an amazing job. I want more. Now.
    Thanks for indulging my gaming habit when I was young, Dad. You were the best. I miss you. ~David Barnes 1926-2007~

  7. #87
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    Before we begin lemme just share my joy with all of you... today at 9:35 in the morning I just received a Godly package of 8 SEGA Saturn obscure gems (or so I hope!) that some I have hunted for for over THREE YEARS! Some that I have never ever even seen on eBay ONCE! NEVER! Yes I'm psyched as hell, and you know just where to read up on these games in the near future... now on with the show!


    SUIKOENBU FUUNSAIKI




    Being a big fan of Fighter's History Dynamite, in December 2001 I bought my last Saturn game physically in a game shop when I purchased Data East fighter Dark Legend. Dark Legend was a 1995 ST-V fighter ported onto Saturn. It's also known as "Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty." It's decent, but weighed down by heavy loading and that X-Factor. A year or so later I discovered there was an "upgrade" to Dark Legend only available on Saturn via the JP market, a title known as "Suikoenbu Fuunsaiki." One of my Saturn buds was raving about it at the time, and you know me and Data East fighters, I was all over this one. To my delight, Fuunsaiki brought over two FHD characters, Mizoguchi and Yung-Mie, into the fray of the original 12 DL fighters for a total of 14 selectable characters.

    My friend told me Suikoenbu Fuunsaiki means Dark Legend Reborn but I haven't confirmed that.



    While I am slightly disappointed Data East didn't throw in ALL the FH fighters -- it would have been like Fighters Megamix Data East style, I can see why they didn't. They were undoubtedly going for that Dark Legend storyline theme... a battle of warriors in the 11th Century. Somehow I get the feeling a clown or a punk rocker wouldn't quite fit in!

    So how to describe SF? Heh, I just noticed its initials are the same as Street Fighter's. And that is perfect, as it plays like a mix of Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown, only with a Chinese 11th-12th century theme. There is scaling like SS, weapons like SS, and it plays like SF in command and such. How does SF improve over DL? Little touches, but IMO it added up to make this a sturdy game.

    Combos here are insane. See the back cover? Yeah, they give you a 9 hit combo you can do with Wu Song. In the original DL you could do a bit of juggling... here in SF Data East takes it to the extreme with a very cool juggle system -- we're talking jumping in combos that can accumulate for 15 hits, then you can send them launching into the air where thereby you can time and hit them another 10 to 20 times. There's nothing more satisfying than just beating and juggling the tar outta your opponent... kicking him to the edge of the screen and combo-ing his ass. In a way, it kind of feels like a VS game as well!

    Mizoguchi and Yung-Mie are the two weaponless characters, as well as the boss. For the rest, there is a weapon bar that when reaches maximum capacity he or she will lose their weapon for the rest of the match. You can press B+Y to drop your weapon... here your character may have an ENTIRELY new moveset! Very nice. Just press B+Y over your fallen weapon to reclaim it. Press C+Z to toss your weapon at your enemy, if it connects it's an automatic dizzy. However, your weapon is lost forever, so use this wisely!

    Each Character has a desperation move or two they can pull off when their energy is about 15% or so left. Some characters even have desperation moves specifically for when they are weaponless -- nice!

    Characters
    -----

    SHI JIN
    The Ryu/Haohmaru of the gang. Front-runner on the cover, a martial artist with a dragon tattoo on his back and carries a sword. How appropro. Launches a dragon headed fireball that burns when using the Fierce button, and a nice multi-air hit Flaming Dragon Sword Uppercut. Without the sword he has a burning knuckle type attack.

    DM: Rising Dragon
    A cool whirlwind effect that sucks the enemy into a Flaming Uppercut Dragon Punch... you see a flaming dragon flying up the screen... downgraded in strength from Dark Legend, here in SF only inflicts 20% damage.

    LIN CHONG
    A master of stick fighting, he has one of the coolest throws in the game -- chucks his enemy in the air to land on his knife end of the stick -- wicked sound effect on this one. Has a nice looking big blue wavy circular projectile that on Fierce hits very hard, knocking down the opponent.

    DM: Spaz Attack
    A 13-hit rushing combo where each hit produces a large on-screen red kanji. 25% damage

    HU SAN NIANG
    A master duel sword female fighter, she is quick, agile and deadly. Throws a ground-based water projectile, and has a nice Dragon Punch that in mid-air you can throw in two kicks for good measure.

    DM: Vacuum Jasmine Wave
    Jumps in the air, launches a stunning projectile... followed by a wicked wave. 35% damage




    DAI ZONG
    A ninja with teleporting skills and the power to produce a fireball from the palm of his hands that sends you flying to the wall. Check out his stage, it's quite atmospheric and cool.

    DM with: Super Ki Beam
    Spends a 4-hit death blast across the screen. 35% damage

    DM without: Shadow Charge
    Runs across the screen (a la MK's Kabal for his web spin) leaving a green trail that sends the opponent flying in the air... weak, but great for combos!

    LI KUI
    One of my favorite fighters as he's sorta the offbeat giant of the group. Weilds two axes, has a cool chopping throw, breathes fire, and has a 5-hit run slice and dice special move. Also possesses the ability to conjure spiky rocks outta the ground by smashing the ground with his axes.

    DM with: Mandarin Death Chop
    13-hit combo where he chops you up before roasting you -- ouch! 30% damage

    DM without: Atomic Earth Splitter
    Launches a huge fire blast... extremely powerful! 40% damage

    LU ZHI SHEN
    I like this fool too, as he's the other big offbeat guy in the cast. It's great to get this giant and Li Kui on screen together... nice stuff. He carries a big sword-ish weapon, has some cool specials and when you drop his giant weapon he can throw icy projectiles! Yes, they will freeze the opponent and the ice effect looks AWESOME. Especially on a giant like Li Kui, and the camera is zoomed up close... it looks spectacular. He can throw the ice high or low... and as many as two at one time (remember this kinda plays like a crazy wild VS game) nice sound effect, and it's sweet to throw them high and low, slow and fast, to confuse and bewilder the opponent. Also can conjure a fireball from the heavens.

    DM without: Super Earth Scorcher
    Only fighter to have only a DM without weapon, this devestating DM has the big baldie tossing three fire blasts from the heavens... scoring an impressive 45% damage

    GONG SHUN SHENG
    Old man who fights with a HUGE demon spirit. Demon tosses old man about. It's really pretty cool, the old man has Blanka-like flying attacks, arching, low and middle. They have a neat throw where the demon holds you and the oldie launches himself at you.

    DM: Pinball Bounce
    Old man bounces round the screen like a damn pinball, win with this DM and get a special win pose.




    WU SONG
    A muscular warrior weilding two sticks, has plenty of throws. His stage may be the most impressive and memorable in the game

    DM: Tiger Drill
    Grabs you, slides you across the ground causing an explosion. Ouch

    RUAN XIAO ER
    Weird looking fighter who is the oldest of the 3 RUAN brothers. Has a water blob buddy.

    DM with: Tsunami Strike
    9 hit attack, 30% damage

    DM without: Phoenix Rush
    3 huge eagles flying at you horizontally

    RUAN XIAO WU
    The deformed mutant of the group, this weird freakshow can throw fish, crabs and frogs!

    DM with: Brilliant Storm Drop
    You can control his flight of attack, pretty neat

    DM without: Phoenix Rush
    Similar to his older brother, only the eagles come outta the ground

    RUAN XIAO QI
    The youngest bro, he uses nun chucks, he has the same special moves as his older brother, only based in the electrocution arts. Rapid punch produces a nin chuck frenzy.

    DM with: Thunderstorm Arc
    Produces a ball of Thunder around him

    DM without: Phoneix Rush
    3 Eagles... one horizontally, one vertically and one diagonally

    CHAO GAI
    The boss of the game... after he loses one round he can change into his demon form by holding all 3 punch buttons down. In his "human" form (that in itself is highly questionable as he was shot in the face by a poison arrow during a battle to the death... legend has it he has returned from the grave...) he can breathe fire, produce minature clones of himself and possesses one mean dashing kick. In his demon form he shoots out four anti-air arrows with a cool sound effect.

    DM (only during demon form): Dark Ki Beam
    Launches a blast across entire screen. 35% damage




    MIZOGUCHI
    Master of the Tiger Bazooka... he has air fireballs and an air hurricane kick. You can do up to five fireballs in the air (shooting out horizontally or/and a downward arch) before landing back down. Can launch a Super Tiger Bazooka, and has a rising multi hit Dragon Punch.

    DM: Naw... I won't spoil the surprise...

    YUNG MIE
    All I gotta say is HOLY HECK! She has the most impressive DM in the game, taking off 70% damage (!!)... a 16-hit barrage that when all said and done, gives you the chance to juggle the opponent further! I'm sure there is a 100% combo with her involving her DM... easily...

    Well there are the 14 (whew) characters. Overall this game feels a lot more polished and solid. It's no Capcom or SNK fighter but I think for under $20 is well worth it. The graphics are slightly improved, backgrounds got added in new touches, and there are even two new stages (for the two brothers, in DL one stage was shared by all 3 brothers and that just screamed laziness)

    The game comes in a double case because of the nicely illustrated 37 page manual, but don't worry there's no 2nd disc so you're not missing anything. I just really dig the juggling combos you can pull off, and the awesome Chinese Techno Rock soundtrack. I also love the cheesey "kung fu air" sound effects in this game just like in them old karate movies where a punch produces exaggerated sound effects. What can I say but... cool game.

    What does the Japanese think of Fuunsaiki you ask? Well I'm glad you asked.

    The Readers' Score of DC Magazine scored it an 8.9142

    On the Saturn Game Rankings List that the Japanese gamers ran, Fuunsaiki ranked as the 105th best Saturn game, according to consensus.

    To give you a perspective of the Japanese's taste...

    ThunderForce V ranked #6
    Vampire Savior #22
    NiGHTS #47
    Radiant Silvergun #49
    Christmas NiGHTS #97
    Fuunsaiki #105
    Street Fighter Collection #176
    Metal Slug #185
    Guardian Heroes #197
    Puzzle Fighter #323

    Yeah, they thought pretty highly of Fuunsaiki all right! Til next time! *laughs like a madman* Now time to rip open this Godly package....

  8. #88
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    so far, from the recommendations listed in this thread, I have bought Steamgear Mash, and Bulk Slash <- this game is awsome!

    Thanks again Steve

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    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    Here is the first game of that package I received... a game introduced to me by my good internet buddy Pat, whose impressions on this game summer of 2003 was my first exposure to said game and resulted in a 2 year hunt. It's pretty hard to find, but a copy will pop up on eBay from time to time... problem is.. it's a JP seller who has a $66 buy it now on it or so.

    Nonetheless, all I needed to know about it was "Did you enjoy Shinobi Legions? If so, you may like this one."

    I'm guilty, I enjoy Shin Shinobi Den (its JP namesake). From its cheesy videos to its graphics, there's something about it that I dug. And knowing this next game was like it, I had to get it.

    Oh, and one more thing before we begin, the following pictures are courtesy of my dear friend Pat and his digital camera, and my cool buddy Grizzly King (of NG and Sega Spetsnaz fame) is hosting these pictures through Sega Spetsnaz... many thanks to GK for his help! This game is right up your ninja alley, haha.

    Without further ado... I bring you...

    HISSATSU!



    Right off the bat, this game reminds me a bit of Psychic Assassin Taromaru what with its dark gloomy stages and characters, but it also reminds me of Kemco's old SuperNES game "The First Samurai" if any of you guys recall that.

    I'll copy some of Pat's words as he put it in a very eloquent matter I can only admire:

    "Hissatsu! is based on a Japanese TV drama series from the 1970's, about four men who are tradesmen by day but assassins by night with a code of honor and good intentions, and of course, all the contradictions that would imply for suitably dramatic and campy plot devices. Think spaghetti western crossed with samurai tales against a soundtrack consisting of one mournful trumpet accompanied by an equally morose yet heroic acoustic guitar like in old Zorro movies, and that's the feel of Hissatsu!"

    Hissatsu! opens up with a pretty nice intro, and as Pat stated, the one mournful trumpet playing throughout, lol. There's a surreal still graphic hand-drawn artstyle to the whole intro, with surreal colors and lighting. Pretty cool stuff.

    Here are the four characters. The unique thing is, you get to select two of them before each new stage. Once all two characters' energy bars are depleted, it's game over. You get seven oil lamps as max health. One character is in play at a time, and to switch simply press R or L on the fly... pretty cool huh? It adds some strategy, definitely. Unfortunately it's only 1 player, however.

    Controls are as follows:

    A = Attack
    B = Light attack followed by block
    C = Jump

    Basic stuff. The block button will come in handy as you will find out, and to change things up a little bit Bandai makes the character do a weak attack right before going into the block animation. This is kinda cool, but at times a detriment as that split second can cost you an oil lamp. Generally, control is OK but there are some tight spots where you go "But I hit the B button right after I landed from the jump and nothing came out!" But, it's generally OK. I just think Bandai could have tighten the controls a wee bit more.

    MONDO NAKAMURA
    A detective by day and wielder of traditional katana by night, Mondo's sword slash is useful as close range it's very deadly and strikes fast. His double swipe is useful to taking out enemies left and right immediate of him as well. For his weak attack it's a quick upper slice. Just two of these will kill the enemy.

    TETSU THE NENBUTSU
    Possessing one WICKED right hand and the power to throw fireballs, this character is useful because his fireball will go through enemies so the potential to kill more than just one bird with one stone is present with this bad ass. His punch also packs a wallop as just two punches will kill an enemy.

    YUJI
    A samisen (Japanese string instrument) maker by day, he also wields the lethal extending samisen string capable of spearing his victims. His main attack is a bit "useless" as the more advanced enemies tend to duck them, leaving poor Yuji open for an attack. His weak attack however hits middle and generally is unduckable (if thats a word lol) but is weak and takes THREE (not two like Tetsu or Mondo) hits to kill.

    HIDE
    A metal worker who sharpens metal pieces into throwing daggers for his evening escapees, he is a very useful character as he tosses his daggers for long ranged kills. For his weak attacks, he stabs close-ranged, but is weak and needs 3 hits to kill. Up-close, he is basically a very weak fighter. Get surrounded and it's all over...

    Something unique about Hissatsu! I should mention now is that each character has a blue bar. When a main attack is used, the bar will drain, if fully drained, all you can then use is your weak/2nd attack. You will have to wait til the bar replenishes itself. This is where you may want to tag in and out to keep bars fresh and whatnot.

    I am not sure how many stages this game has, but let me state this now: Momma boys need not apply. This is old school old fashioned die hard gaming. Now don't get me wrong. It's no masterpiece, and the gameplay's not a 9 or 10, but it gets NAILS tough later on. The first stage is so laugh out easy, lulling you to a deadly trap. Each stage has 2 zones. Heck, the first level boss.. he does nothing! 2nd stage you are in a 3 story house with stairs to trek -- pretty neat. Here the guy you are looking to kill is guarded by a boss... you will need a long range guy to kill him preferably.

    The 3rd stage, taking place inside a dark dingy cave with eerie deity statues, will tax you. It took me forever to beat.

    The 4th stage zone 1 is currently where I'm stuck, a very long level with loads of enemies, and their AI and difficulty ramp up ten fold. Be prepared to take small steps so you can handle a few enemies at a time, rather than walking fast and end up dealing with 5 (instant way to die). Be ready to block a lot as well, and it will require some trial and error. I'm still working on it.

    The enemies are OK -- nothing really to write home about... ninjas and samurais... you will quickly hate the fast knife chucking "snake men" as I like to call them, and the annoying ninja who produces 2 clones of himself. You will also battles giant snakes and crows and bats, etc. The boss fights are a little too easy though, and not much bang.

    But the platforming and regular enemies... they will tax you. This is old school gameplay all the way.

    OK, time for some pictures!


    the night begins....



    easy to see why a long-ranged based character comes in handy...



    slicing the dirty foot soldier! Pretty creepy 1st stage...



    "HADOKEN!!"



    His eyes are about to REALLY hurt in a milli second...



    What a way to go out -- guitar string death! Oh yeah, this game has blood



    OUCH!



    the tough 3rd stage... (hint: Mondo or Tetsu MUST be used here)


    Overall, this game is for the fans of the genre only. My friend Pat doesn't particularly like it however, giving it only a 5/10. I, on the other hand, kinda dig it and might go as far as rating it a 7/10. It's not a great game, but I feel it's a good game that has a pretty cool atmosphere (you gotta play it at night, since all the stages are night-based) and it's got some nice old school things going for it. It looks and plays like a tough SuperNES platformer, the only thing is... are you willing to plunk down the 60 to 70 bucks a copy will go for?

    Don't expect a great game, but I think it's something a fan of the genre will decently enjoy, and although it's no Super Metroid, it's a keeper for me. I will beat stage 4 one day if it's the last thing I do!! You won't be beating this game overnight. Overall I'm satisfied with it. I wish the Saturn had more games like this...

  10. #90
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    OK, this next game, I have NEVER EVER once seen on eBay or for sell ANYWHERE on the net, period. I have looked like since 2002, maybe 2001 it's been so long I forgot. Geez, this game must be pretty hard to come by...

    So what game is it, and did it turn out to be dud or stud?

    Let's examine...

    it's...


    TENNIS ARENA


    *gasp* it's a tennis game, but with a touch of "extreme"... there are 10 total characters, 5 male 5 female, 2 of which are hidden. There are 6 courts based around outlandish locations, 1 court is hidden. You have your regular tennis players, then some bizarre players like a sumo wearing a 5 pound heavy chainset... and the courts... they're all pretty cool, from a wooden court on an ocean cruise (my favorite, it actually slightly tilts too! SWEET!) to a clay court suspended in an ancient coliseum akin to the Greek period.




    Yeah... Ubi Soft kinda tried to dub this "Tennis with Attitude" and in some ways, it is. It still plays like regular tennis however, so don't expect an EA-style "TENNIS STREET" game, but it does have some cool "out-there" characters and court locations, not to mention a power shot that scorches the ball across the court at a blistering rate, only rallied back by the most anticipated and readied players. This special shot is really cool and adds to the fun of the game.

    My first match ever was one of those "wow, that's one for the books" types. So that put TA on my good side immediately, heh heh. I selected Pierre Seguin and faced off against African American Dave Woodward. Dave was crushing me 4 to 1... then I came roaring back, winning 3 straight to tie it 4 to 4!

    Dave won the next set, making 5 to 4, if he won one more he'd win it all.

    But I tied it 5 to 5.... and then won the next two sets to win 7-5! It was a great comeback and filled with drama all around... good stuff.

    Yup, Tennis Arena is the best tennis title on Saturn by a LONG SHOT, but it doesn't have much competition since Breakpoint was mediocre and meh, and Virtual Open Tennis, which is flat out terrible, especially playing it after Tennis Arena.

    I love the volleys you can get into. For example, I was on the upper court, and the CPU started hitting the ball just barely over the reach of the net, so I had to come charging in to hit it back, this quickly went back and forth for several plays -- he eventually got me on the far left... I hit the ball to him and IMMEDIATELY pushed "right" on the d-pad... sensing he would send the ball to the right. Sure enough, not only DID he, but it was his special POWER shot... the ball came screaming toward the right end of the upper court, but thanks in due part to my anticipation I was able to get there in the nick of time and responded with a POWER shot of my own, scorching the ball over his reach and far in the backcourt for the victory... man that was so sweet!

    I set up the Action Replay feature and just sat there in awe of the beauty of it all... the back and forth up close volleys, followed by two straight power shots that saw me get the best of him... with the sweet sound effects of the power shot and the glow trail it leaves behind... what a thing of beauty! And keep in mind this game has no slowdown or really, any control flaws, so it was utterly satisfying to watch and control. DAMN.

    Speaking of the upper court, in most tennis games I absolutely HATE being in the upper court, as it's hard to see and judge properly. Here in Tennis Arena, Ubi Soft did a hell of a job evening the playing field... I don't mind being upper court so much as in other tennis games. This amazed me and definitely added to my enjoyment of the game immensely.

    Controls -- responsive and pretty damn good... what more could you want.

    So I was playing this and my brother walked in and made his comments, as usual. I was playing on the ocean cruise stage. He said "Hey the playing field is tilting!" I grinned and said "hell yeah, it's on an ocean cruise" and he was like "cool" lol.

    EGM was right in issue #101 calling "Tennis Arena a souped up modification of PONG"... back and forth til one cracks. It's so simple and addicting... anyone can pick it up. Oh yeah, and before I forget to mention, there's an 8 player mode (8 player tournament!), and a 4 player simultaneous option -- obviously found in DOUBLES mode. Simply ace! I love it. 1, 3 or 5 sets, you can play a quick game if you want, or just waste a couple hours with this game if you're playing with like-minded buds. I just dig simple, fun multiplayer easy-to-pick-up-hard-to-put-down games.




    Oh sure, you could easily pick up the PS1 version, but the whole point is to have a playable tennis game on Saturn. But then you could be saying "It's still not better than Virtua Tennis on Dreamcast, why bother with the search and an inferior tennis game?" Well that's a good point, why bother? Bother coz you want a tennis game on Saturn you can proudly bust out and have fun with, Dreamcast notwithstanding... that's why.

    SSM thought "fairly decently" of Tennis Arena themselves. Here's their review in issue #34

    ---

    Not exactly known for its amazing sport sims, Ubi Soft ventures into the world of nets, rackets and strawberries and cream with Tennis Arena. Receiving a glowing recommendation from none other than Lee Nutter himself last issue, the game arrives in import shops just in time for this Summer's lawn-based event and proves to be a solid sports title.

    With a wealth of options and playability, Tennis Arena looks to be a surprise Saturn hit during the hot and sticky few months ahead. Players have access to a handful of polygon-constructed tennis pros and detailed courts before play commences, each of which affects the outcome of forthcoming matches. Pick indoor and outdoor courts and even play on the deck of a ship! Gameplay is as you'd expect spot-on, being both an accurate representation of the sport and fun for lengthy bouts of ball-bashing. With 'Super Shots' that blast their way across the court, Tennis Arena proves itself to be a real winner in our eyes.

    GRAPHICS - 81%
    SOUND - 83%
    PLAYABILITY - 89%
    LASTABILITY - 86%

    OVERALL - 86%

    There are hardly a wealth of quality bat 'n' ball titles on the Saturn and as such Tennis Arena is a smashing sports sim


    ---

    SSM pretty much summed it up. Recommended? Oh hell yeah. I'm surprised at how playable this game is... in fact, it's jump into my top 10 favorite Saturn games list, quite frankly. I paid only $12 for my copy, but gladly would have plunked down 50 with no regret, seeing as how I'll be playing this one a lot. Oh yeah, it's practically in 100% english, including the funky character profiles at the selection screen. And here's the code to crack the 2 hidden characters and extra court:

    at the Smart Dog logo screen press Up, Down, Left, Right, Start. There ya go!

    With multiple viewpoints to select from (I recommend TV) and a cool replay system to boot, Tennis Arena is ACE!

    for front and back shots go here:

    http://vgrebirth.org/games/game.asp?id=17261

  11. #91
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    Two for one tonight...

    HAKAIDER




    The full title is actually "Mechanical Violator Hakaider." Doesn't that sound lovely? :P This is a SEGA light gun game... yeah I know, from the sound of that alone, it's enough to make anyone excited. But lemme kill the suspense now by saying it's light on the light gun action, and unfortunately heavy on a lot of odd first person "walking around" and JP text. In a light gun game? WHY?? Loading times are quite hefty.

    The game's graphics aren't great, they remind me of Lethal Enforcers -- that FMV style. You have multiple weapons at your disposal as you control Hakaider -- the Kamen Rider-like warrior. He's a pretty cool badass by the way. Shotgun, bazooka, rapid-fire gun, etc. Up to six weapons. You shoot down a lot of white drones, and later face some tougher 'bots that are pretty difficult to kill and they're not even bosses.

    But... honestly the game's not worth wasting your time with much. The light gun sections are short, then for some reason you do first person FMV exploring where there are NO enemies... and yeah, this part is very boring to me and took any fun from the light gun sections away for me. Just meh. I quickly found myself thinking "I much rather be playing game x". Not a good sign.

    If you loved the tv show or/and can find it super cheap, then get it, but it seems to go in the 20s, and at that price I say don't do it unless you got crazy cash to toss away. Otherwise, stay away and stick to the king Virtua Cop 2. Hakaider opens with a great intro however. Sadly, it's the only thing about the game I can deem "great." Don't let those cool screenshots fool ya...


    CLEOPATRA FORTUNE




    A puzzler that is a true oddity as it's the only Saturn puzzler to command over $50. In fact, over the years I've seen one, MAYBE TWO auctions of Cleopatra Fortune... one ended at around $50 in 2002. It is very hard to find, and may truly fit the description of "rare" unlike games like US Dragon Force and Burning Rangers which often get that label.

    I've wanted CF for a long time -- 3 plus years easily. Sure, I coulda gotten the PSX or DC version, but you know me. Of course, CF is also now on PS2 Taito Collection, so there's another outlet to try this game out. I'm not sure how much the DC version goes for, but I've seen the US PS1 version for $5 at an EBGames bin many times at the mall. I coulda saved a whole lotta money, but had to have it on Saturn. I'm just that kind of sicko :P

    Well, the engine is a bit odd to describe. Blocks fall down, most of the times they're attached to a gem or two. Your goal is to cover up the gem(s) with the blocks (no openings) which will burst the gems and drop the blocks down... if the blocks make a straight horizontal line, they also disappear. Sound a bit odd? Well it is in gameplay, so far I still haven't gotten fully attached to the gameplay system but apparently a lot of people love it and I can see why... but I get the nagging feeling that I rather play Tetris, Puzzle Fighter, Puyo Puyo, Magical Drop or Bust-A-Move. Very bare bones game, with an arcade mode (which is basically stand alone... made me miss the vs. CPU modes found in most other puzzlers) and a mystery mode which is basically a "beat puzzle after puzzle" type mode. There is a 2P mode option after you select "arcade mode."

    DEFINITELY a game where you need a human companion to play with to enjoy. Standalone and Puzzle mode can only interest you for so long.

    Great sound effects though... I guess the main reason it goes in the neighborhood of some odd 70 to 80 bucks is coz of how rare it is... musta been a very low print run.

    Gotta love those chain reactions though... my best so far was 4, and the game's sound system was going off crazy like I had just won the Jackpot, lol. That was pretty dope.

    Can't say I recommend the SATURN VERSION, but the game... yeah it's worth a play for puzzle fanatics... but I say go for the PS1 or PS2 Taito Collection version... coz they're so much easier to find and a lot cheaper. Overall I found both Hakaider and Cleo to be disappointing, with MVH being very disappointing, and Cleo only slightly. I was playing Cleo tonight for the 2nd time, before switching off to Tennis Arena not before long...

  12. #92
    ServBot (Level 11) Iron Draggon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven
    WOLF FANG





    Well, you did it, you talked me into buying that copy of Wolf Fang that I've had my eyes on for months now!

    This is definitely a 16BIT-looking game, but I doubt that the SNES or the Genesis could handle it as beautifully as the Saturn does. I could see it turning out fairly well on the Sega CD, but it would still pale in camparison to the Saturn version. It's not the most eye-catching game that you'll ever play on your Saturn, but it's still alot of fun to play.

    I breezed through it easily enough in a short amount of time, thanks to the unlimited continues, but if it weren't for that, I'd be cursing this game and calling it much harder than ASL2! I think I'd enjoy it alot better if there was at least an option to turn the automatic scrolling off though. It's pretty cool the way it is, because you can't just stop and concentrate on killing a certain enemy, but it would be so much better and last much longer with manual scrolling.

    Oh well, I guess they figured that with 64 different mechs to play through it with, they'd better keep it as short as possible and keep the action moving so you could actually play through it with all the different mechs more feasibly.

    I got cheated out of seeing my first ending on it though. Apparently my Saturn locked up on the loading screen, and the ending never played after I finished off the final boss! I sure hope it doesn't do that the next time that I play it. I don't think it's a problem with my disc, because I bought it factory sealed of course, so there's no scratches on it. I've had similar problems with other games at times too, so I'm pretty sure it's just my trusty old Saturn showing its age.

    Anyhow, I'm enjoying it, but I dunno if it was really worth the $100 that I paid for a new copy. I enjoyed ASL2 alot more, and I only paid $50 for a new copy of it. So I guess I'm still as crazy as I ever was, paying such prices for such old games, but I don't really mind the money that much.

    I wouldn't recommend this game for anyone who doesn't have a hardcore appreciation for old school shmupping though. This is definitely no ASL2. It's more like ASL1 with a much easier difficulty and slightly improved graphics.

    So, I give it a thumbs up for the old school crowd, but a thumbs down for everyone else. It's just too much of a kiddie game for anyone who cares about fancy graphics and ultra challenging gameplay. But for most of us old schoolers, it should be satisfying enough to be enjoyable.

    P.S.: When are you gonna give us some new obscurities to read about? I keep looking for more being posted, ya know!
    You can't run with the big dogs if you pee like a puppy!

    Get BIT!

  13. #93
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    To answer your question Iron, first of all where have you been? I think I didn't see you for like 2 months there back in August and September, or was it July and August. Anywho...

    It will be a while til the next write-up, if ever, to be honest. Ever since September hit, my life has taken on new priorities and such. Hell, tonight's visit to DP is my first visit in over a month.

    Double hell, I haven't even touched my Saturn in over a month now. One day I'll get back into the swing of playing it but right now other things have taken over.

    For example this past month I was in my University's school play, and rehearsal for that was just so time-consuming... that's pretty much when I had no more time to play and review (obscure) games. Then... I just never came back.... yet.

    I'm in another school play coming up and yeah... don't expect anything til December if at all to be honest.

    But I think this thread is good enough as it is, and helpful enough to y'all. I am 99.9% done buying Saturn games or video games period, and am now just enjoying other things in life. I'm still a Saturn fan, but the passion I have for it is tucked away for the moment.

    Take care all.

  14. #94
    Key (Level 9) fishsandwich's Avatar
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    Good luck with your play. We'll miss your write-ups.
    Thanks for indulging my gaming habit when I was young, Dad. You were the best. I miss you. ~David Barnes 1926-2007~

  15. #95
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    i like jappines in the real world but im new here so i don't know what about it they do with it here
    i like video games

  16. #96
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    It's been about 3 months since this thread has laid dormant, now I'm resurrecting it a little bit. I hope to get some more obscure impressions going, but in the meantime I would like to express the joy the Saturn gave me this past Thanksgiving. Thursday afternoon my two cousins came over, whom I hadn't seen in a LONG time, and whom I love dearly.

    We caught up and all that jazz, then we decided to fire up a little PUZZLE FIGHTER and the good times were rolling.




    After that, we wanted something where all 3 of us could play at the same time, so what better choice than... SATURN BOMBERMAN!

    We had a blast, pardon the pun, laughing, yelling and crafting plots and ploys. It was us 3 vs. 3 CPU opponents... then... in the mother of all battles, we stepped up to the big leagues and battled it out 3 vs. 7!

    Lemme just say, my sides are still hurting from all the laughing that was had. At one point it was my poor cousin all by herself against all 7 computer opponents. We were just yelling at her to stay alive and get the DRAW! decision to live to fight (bomb?) another day, lol.

    Then we had dinner.

    After dinner was over, and we watched a movie, we went straight back to Bomberman.



    It reinforced to me why SB is my favorite Saturn game of all time...

    finally, for the nightcapper, we went out with NBA JAM TE

    It was me and David versus his sister and a computer controlled opponent. It was wild! She was leading 90-82 with 10 seconds to go!

    David drops me the ball and I rush to the basket with Karl Malone. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, an EIGHT POINT HOTSPOT appears right above the free throw line.

    I stopped on a dime, shot it, and prayed. NOTHING BUT NET!!!

    90-90 with 2.2 seconds to go!

    She missed the ensuing buzzer beater, but went on to kill us in Overtime by a score of 116-105.



    So yeah, this was my first real real time playing Saturn in a LONG while. And it turned out to be one of my fonder memories with the system. Next time they come, we'll try out some SB Fight!!, Keriotosse and Hansha De Spark! Death Tank too! And Worms. MERC II.

    Damn. What a system.

    So yeah, I'll be back hopefully sometime in December with more writeup's, but for now just had to revive this thread and share with you all my Thanksgiving Saturn experience. It was awesome

  17. #97
    Key (Level 9) fishsandwich's Avatar
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    Incredible.
    Thanks for indulging my gaming habit when I was young, Dad. You were the best. I miss you. ~David Barnes 1926-2007~

  18. #98
    ServBot (Level 11) Iron Draggon's Avatar
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    I just got Suikoenbu Fuunsaiki, but I'm a little disappointed with it. All the backgrounds are exactly the same as the ones in Dark Legend, and you fight through the enemies in the exact same order. The changes in this game make it a little more challenging to play, but it's more like Suikoenbu 1&1/2 than Suikoenbu 2. Definitely an upgrade and not a true sequel. So I can see why it was never brought out of Japan, it's just not different enough from Dark Legend to really be worth it, even if the changes do make it better. It's not a bad game at all, but it could've been alot better if they had at least made some new backgrounds for it too. They made new cut scenes, so why not new backgrounds?
    You can't run with the big dogs if you pee like a puppy!

    Get BIT!

  19. #99
    Pac-Man (Level 10) PDorr3's Avatar
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    wow what an awsome topic! I will be sure to use this when I get into import collecting for the saturn.

    Visit my YouTube page: Pete's Game Room

  20. #100
    ServBot (Level 11) Steven's Avatar
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    Hey guys, with my recent discovery of Youtube, I would like to introduce you all to my newest dedication... bringing Saturn games to life for free for everyone! With the aided power of youtube I can now show you ACTUAL moving clips of gameplay, in the flesh! Some games in the past I know I couldn't provide any scans or pictures, but now games like Keriotosse, Hansha De Spark, etc. will get the youtube treatment!

    I do still have a handful of obscure games left to review in this thread, so check back for reviews AND videos!

    Speaking of Keriotosse! here is the first video of 8 -- the first stage "Playground."

    http://www.youtube.com/?v=DUlKVAH_IT4

    more to come later...

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