Opinions on poorly documented imports

[celerystalker]

Strider for PS3 is not an import exclusive, but what is exclusive about it is that in Japan it had a physical release on a disc. I as a rule don't pay for download-only games, so I was excited to get the opportunity to pick up and play this one. Given that it's widely available on PSN in the US, I won't spend much time on gameplay and just focus on the packaging and extra perks so as to help anyone interested decide if they want to go this route.

As far as the game itself goes, it's fast like Strider as a 2D side-scroller, but borrows heavily from Metroid in its open world, power-up driven advancement, and map design. It's a little linear in that it kind of holds your hand with objectives, but so far I really like it a ton. The areas are big and loaded with unlockables like bonus training missions and concept art to discover. The Japanese disc is still all in English, and I don't see much of anything in the way of in-game extras.

For the packaging, it's a standard PS3 case with nice if a bit dark cover art. The disc itself has a rather plain label that is nothing particularly special. On the back side of the cover slip is some art to view through the transparent case and a PSN code for a free download of Strider 1 and 2 from the Playstation Network, but it has to be used in the Japanese PSN Store, so if you don't have access to that itvs not much of a perk. The instructions aren't so much in a manual as a small fold-out pamphlet, and while it's in full color, it's underwhelming.

So, is it worth it? Well, for me, yes, because I like physical copies of my games. It's loaded with English text and speech, and the game itself is really cool. As far as bonuses go, the PSN codes for Strider 1 and 2 seem a little odd to me, as people paying for a physical copy of a game they could just download cheaper probably would prefer that content to be included on-disc, but that's more of a personal stance. The packaging is nothing special overall, so I would only recommend importing this if you're a Strider collector or, like me, you just really prefer your games to be in your hands. Either way, though, if you like Strider or Metroid, I'd give it a look, whether it's on PSN or you import a disc, as it's just a neat game overall.

[celerystalker]

The PS2 is a wonderland of arcade compilations, many of which run brilliantly with few if any notable variances from their arcade originals. Others, like SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1, are lousy with slowdown and glitches not in the originals. ADK Tamashii is a collection of 5 mostly expensive Neo Geo games, some of which haven't appeared elsewhere on console, and all of which run like a champ! The only real difference is the sharpness and color of an RGB monitor, which is to be expected in these compilations. There are no online functions unlike many of the other Japanese Neo Geo ports, and has very little (read: pretty much nothing) in the way of extras. So, why would a small, 5 game compilation be worth it? Mainly because this is by far the cheapest way to play most of these games. So, I'll talk about each game so anyone interested can decide for themselves. As a side note, I own or have played each of these extensively on Neo Geo AES or MVS, and I'm really impressed by how much better these play than most of the other Neo Geo ports on the PS2

First off, Gan Gan, also known as Aggressors of Dark Combat, is a one on one fighter that plays mostly like a belt scroller. The character sprites are huge, and the animation is okay, but the overall gameplay feels a bit slow and clunky to me. I like the inclusion of Fuuma from World Heroes as a neat little crossover as SNK/ADK so often did, but as a fighter the freedom of movement this game offers actually limits technique to me. It reminds me more of an arcade wrestler like Slam Masters or Fire Suplex than a 2D fighter. It's not terrible, but it isn't engaging to me. On the plus side, it's like somebody decided to remake Pit Fighter as a playable game, if you'd prefer a more glass-half-full approach.

Next, Ninja Combat is a belt-scrolling beat-'em-up that sets out to redefine the term "quarter muncher." Your main characters are shuriken-slinging ninjas who can also dive about and charge up to release magic attacks at the cost of a significant portion of your health. It starts out easy, but the difficulty quickly ramps up to ridiculous porportions. There are powerups for your shuriken and weapons you can pick up, but they're slow and mostly useless. The shuriken are way more useful. In the first few levels, you'll beat mid-bosses who become selectable at the next stage. Personally, I found Joe and Hayabusa, the default ninjas, to be superior due to their range and versatility. The unlockable characters can't use the extra weapons, though their default attacks are stronger. The main issue with this game is that it is a bad combination of absurd difficulty and length. It's a long quarter muncher with unlimited continues. It's not deep or fun enough to keep me interested in developing any technique, and it's so repetitive that I lose interest long before the end. I've played through it on both Neo Geo and PS2, and it's only one I can stomach every so often. My nieces and nephews even get bored with it. The first few minutes are fun, and then it falls flat.

Ninja Masters is the missing link between Samurai Shodown and Last Blade. It's a solid 2D fighter that perhaps misses a little in personality. Its tone is darker, like Samurai Shodown III, but it can be played more aggressively than either of those other series, which I actually really appreciate. I get sick of Samurai Shodown's defensive, pick-your-spot counter-based gameplay, but I love its aesthetic. Ninja Masters gives me that with a faster, more aggressive pace. I dig it, but it's nothing incredible. It's good fun, but super pricey on real hardware, especially in Europe on AES.

Ninja Commando is a mighty little overhead run 'n gun starring Joe from Ninja Combat in what is basically Mercs with Ninjas. The reviews on this are a mixed bag, but I love it. You dodge maneuver is accompanied by a reverse-direction attack, which is useful, and the weapon gains power by rapidly pressing fire. This isn't so bad on PS2, but it kills your hands on Neo Geo. The game is of a reasonable length, has loads of varied enemies, and big, bad bosses. Of note, on an English language Neo Geo, you get some hilariously translated blurbs by your status bar reminiscent of River City Ransom, but this version is only in Japanese. I personally rate it up there with Shock Troopers 1 and 2 as phenomenal run & guns on the Neo, and this port does it justice.

Lastly, we have the wonderful Twinkle Star Sprites. This is also on Saturn, Dreamcast, and if I remember correctly it's unlockable on its sequel, The Petite Princess on PS2. If you haven't played this game with friends, you're missing out. It's a competitive vertical shooter where destroying chains of enemies unleashes fireballs on your opponent. These can be shot back even faster, and shooting them a second time when they're returned sends a character-specific special attack at your foe. It'd a split-screen affair not unlike a puzzle game, and the action gets frantic fast. You have bombs, a charge shot, and a meter for said charge shot filled by killing enemies that when filled, send a boss their way. There's a little more to it, but really, 2 player competitive games rarely reach these heights. Twinkle Star Sprites is fantastic. Ask anyone.

This collection of games is small, but would cost a small fortune to get complete on AES. Heck, even the ports on other systems or Neo CD don't come cheap. If you are interested in any of these games, this is as cost-effective as it gets on a physical disc or cart. I highly recommend it to Neo Geo fans who want an alternative to taking out a second mortgage.

[celerystalker]

When I first finished Keith Courage in Alpha Zones on the Turbografx-16 years ago, it told me it would see me in the next Keith Courage adventure. I truly enjoyed (and still enjoy) Keith Courage, so I was always disappointed that there was no follow-up. Many years later, I learned that Keith Courage was the localized name of a licensed game in Japan based on the manga/anime Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru. This immediately got me thinking... maybe that sequel was in fact out there, but I just didn't know what to call it. Thanks to the internet, I was able to secure not just one, but four other games from the franchise. This, though, was the first, and it also had Hudson's involvement... and Westone. Wonderboy Westone? It was time to track down some games.

These days, I own all of the Wataru games, and Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru Gaiden on the Famicom was the first sequel, having come out only a couple of years after the PC Engine original, albeit on older hardware. This game is a little more action RPG than the first, and if pressed to make a comparison I'd liken it to Zelda 2 or War of the Dead, in that you traverse an overhead map, and random encounters take place on horizontal action screens where you fight in real time. Actually, it's super close to War of the Dead, as you traverse dungeons in an overhead perspective as well as the overworld. You travel from town to town, save at inns, buy weapons and items, then fight your way into new areas. You gain money and experience, allowing level-ups for progression, and killing a boss will usually get you whatever story item you need to keep things moving. The action scenes all take place in your robot, or the Nova Suit as I willingly choose to believe even though I know better now.

The overhead graphics are extremely similar to the NES Final Fantasy games in overall look. Your single-tile character (let's incorrectly call him 'Keith') walks around with his blue hair (huh?), little legs taking way too many steps per tile. It's pleasing enough to look at, and the backgrounds look great with a reasonable amount of detail and nice colors. The music is only okay, and the tracks are so short that they loop too quickly. In battle, you character is quite a bit larger, as are the enemy sprites. Really, many of the enemies would be at home in a Wonderboy or Mega Man game. There's again nice detail, but everything is a bit small.

Control-wise, the overhead scenes are fine if sluggish, but not Dragon Warrior slow. In battle, control speeds up nicely, and hit detection is great. You don't have long range at first, but it is consistent and reasonable enough to be played with skill. Bosses are fairly large and fun to fight, but with a little leveling the game gets easy.

I haven't finished this one yet, but I will. I hear there's a translation patch out there, but I'm playing on the Famicom cart. The weaknesses I've seen are the short, looping music, a rather small inventory to manage, and slow walking speed. Otherwise, it's a neat little action RPG that has a little bit of that Westone/Hudson charm of the era that I just love. There's a lot to like here, and for a Wataru fan, it's a nifty sequel, and way more playable with no Japanese skills than, say, the two Game Boy games I'll go on about later...

[celerystalker]

Meta-Ph-List for the original Playstation is a real sleeper that very few people seem to talk about. It's a vertical shooter that gets all but ignored by the shooter crowd and import crowd, and it's tough to say why. Maybe because it came out at the same time as Final Fantasy VII. Maybe it's because it didn't come from some developer like Treasure or Toaplan that gets fans of the genre riled up. It's tough to find anything more than the odd forum post regarding this game, and the general consensus seems to be that it's firmly mediocre. I want to say that I love Meta-Ph-List, one of the few games that really changed my mind about what it is after my initial impression.

Initially, the game feels a bit "eh," as it has some blocky sprites and polygons, generic looking enemies, and decent if plain orchestral music make the game open with a resounding whimper. It doesn't seem like anything special as you select your level from a map of the galaxy. You swoop in, kill some enemies, fight a boss... but if you stick with it, and you get into the systems, there's a shooter that breaks away from genre conventions and becomes, in my opinion, something special.

For starters, the game is a hybrid shooter/RPG, where you can select and replay levels in just about any order, more becoming available as you clear bosses. You have three weapons, a vulcan shot, lasers, and missiles, which you can scroll through at the press of a button. As you kill enemies with each type, you gain experience, and at every 10,000 that weapon will level up, becoming more powerful and expanding its array. Lasers penetrate through enemies to hit others, shot is slightly more powerful but stops on impact, and missiles... they lock on like your laser in the RayForce series, hitting enemies on upper or lower planes. Each weapon is situationally useful, and there's no throwaway. You can occassionally nab a powerup for one of them, which for a brief time powers it way up, causing your shots to become enormous, screen-filling waves of doom. Speaking of waves of doom, you also start with 3 bombs, or as they're called in the manual, "Go2Hell" attacks, which lay waste to the enemies on screen beautifully.

All of this may sound a little like a poor man's Radiant Silvergun, so onto another change: you rotate a cursor around your ship with the L1 and R1 buttons, allowing you to focus your fire in any direction, much like Zero Gunner 2. It apparently can also be controlled by mouse, but I didn't test this method. So, between dodging, positioning your ship, and switching weapons situationally, there's always a lot happening to keep you engaged.

The enemies and backgrounds seem to suck at first, seeming like generic shapes and backgrounds that might be comfortable in Xevious. However, upon returning to stages, you'll find wildly varied backgrounds and more enemies that will make you feel like you're assaulting different parts of the planet or fleet... because you are. See, each mission selected is treated like an individual skirmish, which you can win, lose, or draw, depending on the conditions you meet, which brings me to your HUD.

In the top-left corner, you have two important meters. On top is your shields. Lose them by being hit too often and you die, time to start the whole thing again, so don't let that happen. Below that is your shot power, which depletes as you hold down fire. If it runs out, your shot becomes slightly slower and less potent, but letting off for a second or so will allow it to refill. In the top right, you have a Hit Meter, which goes up and down based on the amount of enemies you've shot down or let escape. Based on the mission, you have higher or lower thresholds for success. In the blue, you win, in the orange, you draw, and in the red, you lose the skirmish. Winning skirmishes allows you to open new areas or find data logs, which advance the story with new cutscenes. Below that is a boss damage meter, which should be obvious.

There are 2 discs of war to play through, and the difficulty ramps up at a comfortable pace. Continuing to replay old planets will allow you to build up your levels to allow you to move on at your own pace. The story scenes and opening are subtitled in Japanese, but the entirety of the voice acting is in english along with the menus, making the game more than accessible to Americans like me. I wish you could save between missions, but it seems you only can after clearing the galaxy. There's also an expert mode I have yet to try.

Meta-Ph-List takes a lot of ideas from a lot of places and pieces together something unique and fun. Its production values aren't super strong, but the control, difficulty curve, and scope set it apart. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who just discovered shooters. I'd recommend it to anyone who has played just about everything out there, and is looking for something familiar, but different enough to defy direct comparison. It's inexpensive, english-friendly, and plays well. If you want something off the beaten path, try Meta-Ph-List.

[celerystalker]

Like a lot of people out there, I love Makaimura (the Ghosts 'n Goblins franchise) games. Ghouls and Ghosts, Super Ghouls and Ghosts, Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins... love to play them. I'm also a long time fan of The Incredible Machine on 3DO (there are a bunch of other versions, but that's the one I've had since I was a teenager). So, when I discovered that there was a fully licensed Incredible Machine set in the Makaimura universe, I had to try it out!

Nazomakaimura: Incredible Toons is available on the PS1 and Saturn, and I own it on PS1, so that's the version I'm talking about here. If you aren't familiar with the concept behind The Incredible Machine, the objective is to complete Rube Goldberg machines using the materials alotted in order to solve a puzzle. In this case, you are given an objective to complete, but your chain reactions will be set up using characters, enemies, and settings from the GnG universe in order to eventually rescue Prin-Prin from the evil Astaroth.

Graphically, the game looks like someone took Makaimura and scaled it down to about Lemmings-size, and it looks pretty good. Little deformed Red Arremers and the like are cute and are used in roles that suit their attacks from the parent franchise. The puzzles are largely single screen affairs, and everything is well-animated with an appropriate level of detail. Arthur will wait impatiently and stomp his feet or polish his armor when you mess up, and the death animations are very cartoony. It definitely translates the GnG world into The Incredible Machine gracefully, which gives a fun, Halloween-like atmosphere to the game.

The music is an appropriately bizarre set of remixes of familiar Makaimura themes that series fans will love or hate. If you've ever wondered what Ghosts 'n Goblins would sound like as reggae or smooth jazz, you're in for a treat. Personally I was amused, as I find it very relevant to the experience of putting a notoriously difficult platformer into a wildly different puzzle framework. In my mind, it truly fits like a glove, though, I'll never enjoy it as much as the original scores.

Difficulty is hard to generalize in this case. Figuring out what your objectives are, even in Japanese, is rarely difficult, but those unfamiliar with The Incredible Machine games may experience some disadvantages in understanding how things are likely to interact or what the typical goals might be, so if you think it sounds neat but lack prior experience with that series, you may do well to familiarize yourself with one of the entries or knock-offs, such ad Mechanic Master on the Nintendo DS. In my case, I found it fairly intuitive, and had a lot of fun figuring out what new characters would do to make their wrinkle in the puzzle.

If you're really into either franchise, Nazomakaimura is likely to make you a happy player with its combination of fun puzzles and fan service. Because of the nature of the game, it retains more of the GnG feel than say Sakura Taisen Columns or Kirby's Avalanche, and doesn't feel exactly like the other Incredible Machine/Toons games. The goofy objectives, funky music, and silly cutscenes really make this stand out amongst licensed puzzle games. It does lack some of the extra modes like a puzzle editor, but there's still a full-size game to play here, and since you can save after each level, it never gets too frustrating. I like it a lot, and much like Mario & Wario, it's a Japanese exclusive spinoff of a major franchise that gets oddly ignored. Fun game, but don't bite on the $60+ buy it nows out there. It can be had fir $30 or less still on either system with a little patience.

[celerystalker]

Super Dimension Fortress Macross for the Sega Saturn is one of the 4 billion Macross games to have come out on every system from the Famicom through the PS3 and everything in between. Buying anime-licensed games can be a mixed bag without doing your diligence with research, as they can vary in genre from digital novels to strategy to shooters, and Macross games run the gamut. This two disc set is a (usually) horizontally-scrolling shooter based on the original TV series, and it's an interesting one.

The game opens with some excellent quality animation straight from the show, and it's a good portent for what's to come. Super Dimension Fortress Macross is filled to the brim with animation from the anime, and it's what really fills up the discs, so don't expect a lengthly campaign just because there's a second disc. What it does is set the tone for a very accurate re-telling of the Macross story and provide in-the-moment context for each stage, which replicates a Valkyrie skirmish from the program beginning with the escape from Macross Island and on into space to battle the Zentraedi. Essentially, you get to relive the story you know by playing the battles in context.

So, how are the actual gameplay segments? Fun, but brief. You control your Valkyrie in battle, swooping, firing, and transforming. You have machine guns, a few bombs, and the trademark Macross missile trails scorching the skies. The missiles work like a simplified Galactic Attack or Panzer Dragoon, where you hold down the button to lock on and release to fire, the difference being that the lock on is automatic with no cursor to run over your foes. So, you'll always be holding down the button until your missile meter fills and unleashing fury. Enemies appear on multiple planes, so your missiles will be your primary damage dealer. The result is the chaos of war unfolding in hectic fashion, yet the overall challenge being quite low.

Your ship is large, but has shields, and it's quite easy to stay alive. You can transform into all three forms in you Valkyrie Fighter, but some stages restrict you to specific forms. Hybrid form allows varying firing angles and more missiles, but gravity will pull at you if you're not in space. Battloid form can only fly in space, but can fire in the most directions and launch the most missiles. There are cool moments like where the fortress transforms, and your screen orientation switches direction to vertical and diagonal scrolling while you try to fend off Zentraedi invaders, or an enemy boss moving into the background while the view sweeps behind your back for a head-on firefight. The action keeps a great pace, but it rarely taxes the player with any real threat.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is brief but fun, and sort of reminds me of the Ranma 1/2 PC Engine platformer with its staying true to its source material while being heavily imbalanced with more cutscene than gameplay. There is more substance here, but it's still more show than game. What game there is, though, is quite fun if a little pixelated. The production values saturate the game with atmosphere, but I feel like there are a few missed opportunities to mix things up... maybe a platforming segment when stranded with Minmay in the bowels of the fortress or something might have given some interactive flavor to the proceedings. Still, this Saturn edition is a great send up for fans of the show or people who enjoy shooters but find many of them to be too tough. I should also mention that with 2 discs, you'll need a modded or Japanese Saturn to play the second disc instead of just a cartridge. I like it a lot, especially for the inexpensive price tag.

[celerystalker]

Ok, time to get weird. Shi Kin Jyo for the Famicom is a puzzle game of sorts from the animation studio Toei. Like most people who get into imports, I occasionally pick up small lots. Typically, there may be one or two games I really want surrounded by a few others I either don't know about or already have (in which case I give the doubles away to friends and family who love games, but don't often have a lot of cash to blow on silly imports), and in this case I was picking up a copy of Konami's renowned Getsu Fuuma-Den, and this odd green cart was just in the mix with a couple of future giveaways for my brother. The whole lot was cheaper than just Getsu Fuuma-Den, so there was no risk involved... but I didn't realize I was in for a real treat!

At its core, Shi Kin Jyo is a Sokobon-style block pusher, but with super duper heavy Japanese overtones. You play as a Kyonshi (a hopping asian vampire who sucks chi) trapped in a temple full of giant mahjong tiles. In each room, you must solve the puzzle and escape to the next room, Lolo-style, but without enemies. Typically, this involves pushing 2 or more matching tiles together to clear them, though clearing all tiles is far from a pre-requisite for completing a level; you simply must clear a path to the exit and walk through it.

Things are rarely simple, though, as there are wrinkles beyond tile matching. Some tiles cannot be moved, and any tile that comes into contact with one turns into one as well, making these your biggest threat for having to restart a level. Also, there are invisible mazes and invisible teleporters on occasios to throw you for a loop, making you rethink your prospective route strategy. These are rarely frustrating, though, as the first option in the pause menu allows a quick restart. These elements all come together in a cohesive picture that presents a reasonable challenge for those up to the task.

Presentation-wise, the music is a little repetitive, but the one tune you hear over and over isn't particularly grating. The graphics are quite simplistic, but effective enough, and the giant mahjong tiles are reasonably ornate. The game does quite well in presenting an extremely folksy-Japanese atmosphere that helps set this game apart.

Overall, I was thrilled to death with Shi Kin Jyo. I sat and played more than 60 levels when I tried it for the first time, as it is quite engaging. The menus are not English friendly, but are navigable enough, and the actual gameplay transcends language, making it a breeze to pick up and play. If you like overhead room-based puzzlers like Lolo or Sokobon, I whole-heartedly recommend this for the all but nothing it costs. What a nice little surprise it turned out to be!