PC Engine/Famicom/Super Famicom reviews & manuals

[lkermel]

Here are two new updates, the first one is for Mashin Eiyūden Wataru (aka Keith Courage in Alpha Zones) which also includes the scan of the American comic book, and I went into the deep end of Lady Sword and brought back some goodies, such as the impressive bestiary of this unique unlicensed game by Game Express.

Mashin Eiyūden Wataru - PC Engine
Lady Sword - PC Engine

@goatse
Ah ah! Don't worry, my site is entirely backed up, the master version is actually always on my computer (and backed up multiple times). About the scans, I still have hundreds to upload (I have something like 60G of scans already done, waiting for me to have more free time )

[PrimordialHelios]

If I were to find a manual you didn't have (even though I probably won't ), would you want me to email a scan to you?

[lkermel]

I finally found some time to write a new review! Here is a page for the excellent Majō Densetsu II Daimashikyō Galious for the Famicom!

Majō Densetsu II Daimashikyō Galious - Famicom

I have also added TONS of scans to the site, including flyers, phonecards, ads and other goodies from my collection. The highlights are definitively the ultra rare Gradius Archimendes Hen (Famicom), Exed Exes Silver Member (Famicom), a not-for-sale promotional phonecard for Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire (PC Engine) and a very uncommon four pages leaflet for Super Star Soldier (PCE). Enjoy!

@PrimordialHelios
Ah ah! Thanks a lot mate! I do actually have all the manuals for all the games reviewed on the site (and they are all already scanned), plus hundred of other games not listed there - my only problem has always been free time... blaaaarf... But I really appreciate your offer and will let you know if I would need help in the future

[lkermel]

New update and manuals:

Legend of Hero Tonma - PC Engine
Saint Dragon - PC Engine

For anyone interested, the Legend of Hero Tonma is particularly interesting because I included pics from the unreleased Famicom version which was canceled for some obscure reasons...

[delafro]

For anyone interested,

Well, I am interested, actually! Thanks for the updates, always check out your site when I see a new game that I don't know much about.

[lkermel]

New update and manual:

Mad Stalker - PC Engine

@delafro
Thanks mate! I really appreciate your message! I don't receive much feedback about the site but I keep at it because it is a deep passion of mine. This is why I really appreciate your feedback, thanks!!!

[celerystalker]

New update and manual:

Mad Stalker - PC Engine

@delafro
Thanks mate! I really appreciate your message! I don't receive much feedback about the site but I keep at it because it is a deep passion of mine. This is why I really appreciate your feedback, thanks!!!

Your site is excellent. I've used a combination of it and thebrothersduomazov a bunch over the years when looking for inspiration on PC Engine stuff. I try to identify a game or two I want to try, then find it in a lot with a bunch of stuff I've never heard of and see what happens. You do great stuff, and turned me on to one of my favorite Famicom games... Space Hunter.

[lkermel]

Your site is excellent. I've used a combination of it and thebrothersduomazov a bunch over the years when looking for inspiration on PC Engine stuff. I try to identify a game or two I want to try, then find it in a lot with a bunch of stuff I've never heard of and see what happens. You do great stuff, and turned me on to one of my favorite Famicom games... Space Hunter.

Thanks again mate, and I'm so pleased to hear that VGDen helped you find hidden gems! I also love Space Hunter, I have a bunch of Famicom games I still occasionally play, and SH is definitely among them. I'm about to publish a review for Ai Senshi Nicol for the Famicom Disk System - if you liked SH then you should really check it out. Again thank you for your awesome feedback - I initially started Video Game Den to share my favorite games with others, and also because I couldn't find any information about them at the time (it is crazy, but neither Wikipedia nor Youtube were around when I started writing my first reviews!). I'm very glad VGDen helped you find games you never heard about, and I literally have hundreds of games in my collection that would deserve to be reviewed and added to the site, so I still have a verrrry long road ahead of me

[SparTonberry]

I tried playing Maze of Galious for the Famicom, seemed pretty good but had a few flaws. First, having to retype the password every time you Game Over.
Also it seems with the boss rooms, you have to enter the code without pausing the game. If you pause the game (Select) and then enter the code, you pretty much soft-lock the game (the code will be registered as entered, but the boss won't spawn, leaving you trapped).

I do recall several years a prototype cartridge SHELL of Hero Tonma for the Famicom turned up on yahoo! Japan auctions. (just the empty plastic with prototype label art)
Not sure if I saved it though.

[lkermel]

New review and manual:

Ai Senshi Nicol - Famicom Disk

@SparTonberry
You're totally right! I had the password issue listed in my notes but I totally forgot to add it to my review (I played mostly with the invincibility cheat once I got bored entering the password each time I died, this is maybe why I forgot about it). But I will definitively mention it, good catch! I also didn't know about the boss glitch... thanks for the info. About Hero Tonma, I've heard about the proto cartridge shell and I've since been dying to see a picture of it! It would be so awesome if you (or someone here) had a picture of the auction, that'd be so cool! I didn't mention it in my review because I usually want to verify any information I list there... and there are so many retro-urban-legends out there, if you see what I mean

[lkermel]

Uploaded manuals for:

Akumajō Dracula (FDS):
http://www.videogameden.com/fds.htm?adr

Arumana no Kiseki (FDS):
http://www.videogameden.com/fds.htm?aru

Falsion (FDS)
http://www.videogameden.com/fds.htm?fal

Moero Twinbee (FDS)
http://www.videogameden.com/fds.htm?mot

I would like to take one minute of silence in honors of all the Famicom Disk system manuals that had to die in order to be saved for eternity. Scanning a FDS manual literally kills it - so these are now in video game history heaven.

[SparTonberry]

AT FIRST THERE WAS DARK DRAGON, FALCHION, AND... Oh, that's the wrong game.

But anyways, no, Castlevania's Easy Mode was only in the Famicom cartridge version.

The only other US releases of Twinbee games that I know of are download-only: Detana!! Twinbee PCE released on Wii Virtual Console and the "3D Classic Twinbee" (based on the Famicom version of the first game) released on 3DS eShop.
Six stages to Moero Twinbee? I was so close to "beating" it then (is like the first game which just loops, I think?) It's like get the lasers and mulit-ship and you are a destruction machine, until one tiny little enemy bullet (which could even be obscured by the background on that last stage, as I recall) slips through.

[lkermel]

AT FIRST THERE WAS DARK DRAGON, FALCHION, AND... Oh, that's the wrong game.

But anyways, no, Castlevania's Easy Mode was only in the Famicom cartridge version.

The only other US releases of Twinbee games that I know of are download-only: Detana!! Twinbee PCE released on Wii Virtual Console and the "3D Classic Twinbee" (based on the Famicom version of the first game) released on 3DS eShop.
Six stages to Moero Twinbee? I was so close to "beating" it then (is like the first game which just loops, I think?) It's like get the lasers and mulit-ship and you are a destruction machine, until one tiny little enemy bullet (which could even be obscured by the background on that last stage, as I recall) slips through.

Arg! Of course!! You're right about Castlevania, I have no idea why I said so in the review! Just fixed it, thanks mate!!

About Moero, I checked my notes and screenshots and I did a mistake there as well, there're actually seven stages... my bad... damn, I'm getting old. The game doesn't actually loop at the end, and there is an end sequence (nothing groundbreaking though) and staff roll. You're right, Moero becomes really challenging, especially when you die and lose all your power-ups... Gradius style... utterly painful. About the digital downloads, I never really include them in my reviews, but you make a good point as the 3DS version is not really a straight port if I remember well - you get to shoot more bullets at once right? I'm not sure what it is but the game felt 'busier' and 'smoother' than the original game, but I played it only once... I'll look into it.

Thanks again for pointing out these mistakes, I really appreciate it!!!

[Bratwurst]

lkermel this is a sweet website, I've been referring to it lately since I'm mostly unfamiliar with the FDS beyond the obvious Kid Icarus, Metroid, Mario 2, etc.

[lkermel]

Yo!

New review and manual:

Meikyū Jiin Dababa - Famicom Disk

This review has been ready for a while and it was time to post it! If anyone knows about the elusive 6th Konami Card for Meikyū Jiin Dababa, please contact me! I've been looking for it for years without success... I don't think it exists, but let's hope I'm wrong

@Bratwurst
Thank you! I'm so happy that you like the site and that it's been helping you find interesting FDS games Here is a new game for you! I wish I had more free time to write additional FDS reviews, I still have dozens of FDS games in my collection that would need some love and be added to the site. Oh well, one at the time is still better that none