Games in Toyland: A GOTD Christmas Countdown [Archive]

celerystalker

12-01-2016, 11:21 AM

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a multi-media empire that hit kids in the late '80s like a ton of bricks. I recall the first time I saw this arcade game in a Wal-Mart vestibule back in 1989. It was a rare thing for me to get to play an arcade game during that time outside of special occasions, but my dad made zero effort to deny me a chance to play the game based around my favorite cartoon, toy, and everything of the time. I went to the red controls to play as my then-favorite, Raph, and what followed would be burned into my memory for the rest of my life. The cartoon theme song, the vibrant graphics... I didn't clear the first stage. It was electric, and I wanted more.

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As a beat 'em up, TMNT is good. Its mechanics have since been outshone by many of Capcom's works among others, and there is little variety among enemies to pummel... but sweet lord, did it hammer down the aesthetics of its theme with authority. Using a bit of the cartoon theme song and opening in the attract mode was ingenious. Bebop and Rocksteady look just like their action figures. Everything is so vibrant and colorful, and four player co-op just brought it all home to the point where it truly felt like an extension of everything I loved about the turtles. It's a game whose actual play is quality, but is just window dressing for getting sucked into the world of TMNT.

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I played this cabinet anytime I had a chance... a church group at Showbiz Pizza, Rock & Roll Arena (a skating rink), on vacation in Branson at White Water... and while I never personally completed it back then, just seeing it felt special. The character sprites really look outstanding, and the animations such as hurling a foot soldier against a wall or being launched across the room by a punch ftom Bebop really add personality beyond the simple jumping and attacking. The soundtrack deftly intertwines the licensed music with new compositions that maintain the tone of both the source material and what is happening on-screen with ease. A fan of the toys or show was helpless against a draw like that.

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TMNT was the last toy line that I really fell in with as a kid, but it's stay was surely lengthened by this game. For many years, I clung tightly to its really great NES port, and Turtles in Time on SNES helped as well. I still have most of my old Turtles, though the years of play and later abuse by my nieces and nephews has left them far worse for wear. Still, this arcade game has always remained magical in my memories, and when I finally got TMNT: Battle Nexus to play it again... it was neutered. I would later spring for a pcb to play in my Sunset Riders cabinet, and while I thought playing on Battle Nexus was close enough, hearing the licensed music again damn near brought a tear to my eye.

I love this game. Any good memories of it or the toys, especially around Christmas?

Niku-Sama

12-02-2016, 04:37 AM

The only thing i can remember about turtles around x mas is that one year as a kid i got an animation still from production of Donatello with dive sort of autograph on it. Can't remember who it was. I still have it some where.

You know probably one of those things i should find...

celerystalker

12-02-2016, 10:52 AM

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Zillion is pretty popular among Master System fans, and it is often compared to Metroid (in spite of being almost EXACTLY like Impossible Mission...) as a great non-linear action game for Sega's box. So, why include it as a toy-related game, and futhermore, why use its generally looked-down-upon sequel? Welp, as many folks here probably know, Zillion is based on Sega's laser tag toy from the early '80s, called, um, Zillion! The sequel I feel better captures the action-packed spirit of the toy, so I figured it was time to run and gun a bit.

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So, the path here is an odd one. Sega creates the Zillion Laser Tag set for Japan (Photon is better, just sayin'), which they partner up with Tec Toy to release in Brazil, and I believe... Matchbox (?) in the UK. It uses the same gun mold they would eventually re-purpose for the Master System's Light Phaser, in effort to draw in loyal players. The toy inspires a manga and eventual anime adaptation, which in turn is the basis for two Master System games... neither of which use the damn gun peripheral that started it all!

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Zillion II is now a level-based run 'n gun in which the player fights on foot and on a powerful transforming bike. With proper power-ups and in the right areas, the bike can become a flying robot and obliterate its foes. In other areas, you fight on foot in stages that feel like a rudimentary Contra, blasting through metallic corridors and blowing up robots. You rescue your missing teammates, fight the odd boss, and try to work your way through the trying stages. It's pretty straight forward stuff, and is enjoyable in its simplicity, though the lack of a proper continue function makes it a tough nut to crack.

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I'm a big fan of the look of the game, even if the enemies and backgrounds are a tad repetitive. It's a bit similar in that regard to a favorite of mine, Quartet, and really represents Sega's style at the time. Not using the Light Phaser feels like a huge miss, and probably would have ruled given Sega's light gun output history. Still, Zillion II offers up some of the faster action on the Master System, and its challenge, while tough, keeps me coming back for more. Color me a fan.

Any Christmas memories here? Anyone actually have the toys? Have sweet VHS tapes like mine? Read the comics?

Dire 51

12-02-2016, 12:11 PM

Still, Zillion II offers up some of the faster action on the Master System, and its challenge, while tough, keeps me coming back for more. Color me a fan.
Finally! Someone else that actually likes Zillion II! I don't like the original, mainly because I never cared for Impossible Mission, but I've always liked II. I hate that it gets trashed because it's not like the original. I understand that the original is a celebrated game among MS fans, and that the shift in genres pissed a lot of them off, but it is what it is.

Any Christmas memories here? Anyone actually have the toys? Have sweet VHS tapes like mine? Read the comics?
I owned the first couple of VHS tapes for some time. Never did see any of the episodes past those, but I always wanted to know how the series ended.

FieryReign

12-02-2016, 02:11 PM

I don't get why people even like the first Zillion. Crawling on the ground shooting lazers. Reversed jump and shoot controls. Searching trashcans for symbols. Using those symbols to put together passcodes. One of which makes you commit suicide. Don't remember that in Metroid.

It's nothing like Metroid and I wonder what Sega fans are smoking when they compare the 2.

celerystalker

12-03-2016, 11:39 AM

Yeah, I definitely prefer Zillion II. The original is even slower than Impossible Mission with its codes, but the second comes out guns blazing. Totally underappreciated.

celerystalker

12-03-2016, 12:13 PM

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In my younger days, fantastic toy lines were everywhere, and I enjoyed many of them. However, above all other toys and cartoons of the era, GI Joe stands alone as my first love. The first two toys I recall being given by my dad were a Hot Wheels fire truck and a Destro action figure, and yes, that original Destro is the one in the picture. My dad giving it to me just before I was three was such a defining, magical moment that I recall it clearly over many more likely important memories. It was a rare occasion where just the two of us were at K-Mart, and he shared his cherry Icee with me and bought me that action figure, and I will never forget it. Not to mention, that MASS Device mini-series that launched the cartoon and the Marvel comics were freaking dynamite!

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I could wax poetic at length about how well those original episodes hold up (and they do, damn it!), but we're here to talk video games. Taxan's take on GI Joe follows the logical path of fast action and using different characters that made the property great to begin with and creates a run 'n gun platformer with selectable on the fly characters, not unlike Konami's first TMNT game, but with a faster pace and a clear stage by stage structure. It's pretty straight forward... run, jump, duck, and attack, but which character you've selected has different ranged and mel�e attacks and jump/speed attributes to highlight their differences. You can bring along a group of three to any mission, and each mission allows a new selection with a mandatory leader (but you suck if you didn't choose Snake Eyes and Rock 'n Roll), such as Duke in the Jungle or Blizzard in Antarctica. It's a well-designed way to portray each character as unique aside from sprites, and adds a layer of depth as well.

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Each stage concludes with a boss battle, often with a recognizable Cobra operative or vehicle. These actually offer up a nice variety of patterns and attack points, making for some enjoyable fights that don't get too frustrating. Each mission cleared offers up a password for later continue, which is beneficial for keeping the game brisk and fun if you don't have time to sit through it all at once. The graphics are sharp, with each character easily realized and the bosses can get pretty big as well. As far as the game's pace goes, it's fairly brisk, but given the verticality and time limit components of each level, it's not quite as speedy and direct as, say, Contra, but is a bit less labyrinthine than a Turrican. Altogether, it's a sharply designed gunner that plays to the strengths of its source material without compromising on presenting a quality video game.

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Very few toy lines are as iconic or impactful as GI Joe, and it has produced several fine games, like Konami's outstanding cursor gallery shooter that I'm searching for a pcb for... but I digress. Many of my early Christmas gifts have pleasant GI Joe tie-ins, like the year I got Ace in the F14 Tomcat or the year my mom's parents, who always gave socks or a belt or something, actually got me a Leatherneck action figure. It's a property near and dear to my childhood, and you can pry my Destro out of my cold dead hands... besides, he's basically the most competent cartoon villain ever.

Any fans of this NES game? Some good GI Joe memories?

celerystalker

12-04-2016, 03:16 PM

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One toy line that I always thought looked cool but never really owned as a kid was Masters of the Universe, which showcased the battle of He-Man against the evil Skeletor and Hordak for the fate of Eternia. With figures and play sets roughly the size of ninja turtles, they brought an exciting swords and sorcery element to play time. Oddly enough, I now own the vast majority of figures and play sets thanks to my toy collecting grandma, so I can manufacture a thousand deaths for Orko at my whim, but my only taste of the toys in my childhood came from playing at friends' houses. The Intellivision game relates a daring strike by He-Man into the heart of Skeletor's castle to drive him away from Castle Greyskull.

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There are two main phases in Masters of the Universe. In the first, He-Man approaches Skeletor's lair in his hovercraft, the Wind Raider, dodging flying fireballs and dropping bombs on Skeletor, who runs back and forth below. Points are scored by shooting the fireballs and hitting Skeletor, and a bonus is given once the castle is reached. This plays out in a horizontally-scrolling shooter stage, and as loops progress, the fireballs take more hits to destroy and move in more difficult patterns. In the second phase, He-Man must survive an onslaught of magical attacks from his nemesis, crossing through a hell of projectiles across the screen in order to reach the monster for a sword duel. This fight plays out automatically, and Skeletor inevitably retreats, initiating the next loop. There is no ending, and the only reward comes from a high score... but as there never really is peace in Eternia, perhaps the endless struggle truly represents Prince Adam's plight well.

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Graphically, Masters of the Universe employs good-looking sprites for the time, and is able to sustain quite a few on screen simultaneously, making the game feel more action packed than it likely is. It looks really solid in motion, and for an early game actually hits its aesthetics pretty well. The sound is a little more generic, though it does get the job done well enough, so it's not really a detractor so much as it just isn't a strength. The packaging, though, especially the overlays, look really awesome, and help drive home that you're playing a He-Man game.

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While there have been a handful of games based on Masters of the Universe, it's a license that has never truly seen its potential fully realized in video game form. This Intellivision release is perhaps one of if not the best adaptation the property has seen, and it is actually pretty fun to sit and play for awhile. I'dve loved to have seen a TMNT-style brawler at some point, but as is, this is a pretty good way to go for a He-Man fan, and it's still pretty inexpensive. Any Masters of the Universe memories out there?

FieryReign

12-05-2016, 01:35 AM

celerystalker

12-05-2016, 02:08 AM

Had a some of those He-man figures and watched the cartoon. Most of the toys were like all made from the same mold. Stocky and muscular dudes with veins protruding. Even Skeletor was cock-swiesel. Guess that's how the show was. Don't remember much about the film but I do remember leaving the theater like "what was that?"

Yeah, there's a ton of figures in that line that have the exact same body parts, just painted differently. It's like a Boris Vallejo painting reproduced by a ten year old, which is both terrible and amazing at the same time.

celerystalker

12-05-2016, 02:04 PM

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Sometimes, a video game is based on a toy or board game. Other times, a board game is based on a video game. In the case of Genpei Toumaden: Computer Board Game, it somehow manages to be both at the same time. Originally a Namco arcade game called Genpei Toumaden, this Famicom game is an actual board game based on it, but uses a famicom game to play out interactive segments in one of the most intriguing hybrid games I've played to date. Containing both a single player quest and an up to four player multi-player game, there's a lot of fun to be had here!

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Following the same story as the second Genpei Toumaden PC Engine game (Samurai Ghost on Turbografx-16), deceased samurai Kagekiyo is brought back from the land of the dead by the Emperor to wage war against the evil shogun Yoritomo. Players move Kagekiyo from province to province, defeating warlords and reclaiming territory in the name of the Emperor. The object of the game is to defeat Yoritomo before he takes over the country while recovering the three sacred Imperial treasures in single player mode. In multi-player, the winner is determined by who claims the most land by the end of the game.

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In each turn, players enter their current province for a brief RPG stage. This plays out on the Famicom, and the active player begins exploring, finding temple gates, statues, treasures, and castles. Meanwhile, a monster portal flies about, and can release a set number of ghouls to attack Kagekiyo in menu-based encounters a la Dragon Warrior. Kagekiyo can use the spoils from these to level up his attributes at shrines, refill hit points at statues, or pay for warps through the big shrine gates. Upon reaching the castle, players can bribe or fight the warlord to take control of the region, which refills the life meter, offers money and treasures, and allows selection of which adjacent territory to move into next. In multi-player, another human controls the monster portal, chasing the active player, selecting the type of monster to release, and even controlling monster actions in battle. It's a clever way to keep all players engaged during the modestly lengthly turns.

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I'll be doing a more detailed write up on the game mechanics in Import Mania as I continue translating the manual with my brother. However, the single player game is pretty straight forward, as it doesn't require the board, cards, and tokens to be played, tracking everything in-game. In multi-player, the cart doesn't track your spells and the like, as you play cards and select the appropriate menu response regulated only by the other players. Basically, single player plays like a simple RPG with board game mechanics, whereas multi-player plays out more like a board game with light RPG elements, requiring the cards, board, and tokens to be played properly. It's pretty clever game all around, and one of the more interesting Famicom exclusives out there. I dig it!

celerystalker

12-06-2016, 07:38 AM

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Oh, Star Wars... few franchises have had the ups and downs across so many forms of media. There are not just loads of books, movies, specials, comics, curtains, blankets... you get the idea, but there have been several successful toy lines as well. From the iconic Kenner classic line to Rogue One toys in stores now, Star Wars action figures have been around for decades. With a huge library of games to choose from, I'm going with Super Return of the Jedi for the SNES to represent Star Wars toys. Why? It came out at arguably a peak time for Star Wars fans, as the special edition theatrical releases were happening, the wildly popular CCG was raking in money, and the Power of the Force action figure line was in stores with Shadows of the Empire on the horizon and the books gaining traction. People were into Star Wars in growing numbers, and the Super Star Wars games were a big deal. Why Jedi? Because I got it for Christmas!

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Building on the progression of the first two SNES games, Super Return of the Jedi continued their action/platforming tradition with the odd Mode 7 vehicle stage. Jedi still had several playable characters and pretty decently followed the film, but placed a much heavier emphasis on Luke Skywalker using his lightsaber. Not only did Luke continue to use his force powers, but actual dueling and deflecting lasers really became a big part of the game's presentation. The new speeder bike segments were a bit different than the vehicle stages in the prior games, and for whatever reason we needed to play as Wicket the ewok. The control has continued its refinement, and ends up feeling the most responsive of the trilogy. It all boils down to a quality platformer with a more cinematic feel thanks to the breaks provided by the vehicles and that sweeping music.

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Graphics and sound are really the highlights of all of the Super Star Wars games, and Super Return of the Jedi looks pretty great. The feel of the films comes across very well, as the color palette matches up nicely, the stages generally represent the progression of the film, and the music, while plagued with some reverb, still is reproduced very well by the Super Nintendo hardware. In a licensed property like this, hitting the aesthetics is every bit as important as nailing the gameplay, and they got it right here. The control, while continually improved throughout the series, is still more slippery than the tightest games on the system. It remains very playable, and even fun, but there are moments where the focus on animation trumps stopping when you should.

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Super Return of the Jedi is a great time for a fan, and represents to me that last era where I just loved all things Star Wars unquestioningly. Today, I spend more energy trying to convince myself that I can still enjoy those classic films and the like the way I used to than enjoying new Star Wars media. In the mid-late '90s, though, there was still a mythology that I welcomed into my imagination, ready to absorb its legends and secrets. On my Super Nintendo, though, I still loved Star Wars, and that hasn't changed so much over the years.

FieryReign

12-06-2016, 08:21 AM

celerystalker

12-06-2016, 08:35 AM

Never played Super Jedi. Did they fix the issues of the first 2 games? Where dozens of enemies and hazards would just respawn out of thin air and bombard you from every angle?

Not really a Star Wars fan but I plan on seeing the new one. Just because of Donnie Yen. Hope they don't waste his talents again, like Hollywood did before.

There are still too many respawns, but not as badly as in the other two. The worst part in this one is that the bosses soak up crazy amounts of damage. The second boss is a bitch if you aren't Chewbacca, and some others are really dependant on which character you chose.

celerystalker

12-07-2016, 09:05 AM

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I know that the trend and running joke is that everything becomes cool again a couple of decades after it was initially popular, but those crummy, goofy-looking troll dolls didn't seem like the sort of thing to get a second run in the mainstream. Still, we're staring down the barrel of an all new Troll movie and toy line, and I'm just as excited as I get every time a celebrity launches a new perfume line (read: it's pretty pointless). Whether it's Taylor Swift's new Rectal Fantasies Body Spray or little girls braiding coifs of colorful hair puffed above a goofy-ass face, it's safe to say I'm not in the target audience. Still, these little abominations were at a time insanely popular and are trying to get back, so I figured I'd go with one of the surprisingly many Troll games. Fortunately, Super Nintendo's Stone Protectors is kind of awesome.

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Appearing as if Jem and the Holograms got drunk and banged a bunch of Troll dolls, the Stone Protectors were an attempt at marketing Trolls to boys so damn tubular that it would have been social suicide to have them on the cover of your school folder. The idea is that punk rocker trolls bond with fragmented crystals that they must protect by beating the shit out of all comers. These things got a cartoon, action figures, the works... and promptly failed. In this SNES offering, things play out as a belt-scrolling beat 'em up that, while flawed, gets more right than wrong. For better or worse, it is true to the source material, with all of the colorful nonsense encompassed therein, which makes for a brightly tinted brawler with a pretty distinct look. Actually, the sprites look pretty great, and the music, while hokey, at least supports the radical tone that was intended. There is a decent amount of cool scrolling and transparency effects in the backgrounds, and the stages are nicely varied. The animation can feel a tad choppy at times, especially in two-player, but overall, I feel like they actually got the game that they really intended to make to come across, and I can commend that, dubious of a proposition as this abomination of a license is.

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Gameplay wise, you get a pretty straight forward beat 'em up with a surprisingly robust move set, complete with charge attacks and Street Fighter-style specials. The timing takes a bit of getting used to, but the Stone Protectors have more moves than the likes of Rushing Beat or Final Fight. The important two player co-op is present that all beat 'em ups should have, and the challenge is actually pretty well balanced either way. Collecting one of each colored gem in each stage awards an extra life, so cooperative play benefits both players, leading to a pretty pleasant multi-player experience, and you can turn off player on player violence. Realistically, aside from the campy theme and slightly choppy frame rate in co-op, Stone Protectors isn't half bad... it's actually pretty fun!

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Stone Protectors is a game that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It came out when beat 'em ups were losing steam in the public eye, and was hamstrung by a license that I'm not sure would have worked un-ironically in any era. Still, if you have a taste for the cheesy and want to mess around with a colorful brawler with a uniquely goofy presentation, you could do a LOT worse than Stone Protectors. It's a legitimately fun game, and far superior to Super Troll Islands, which I refuse to do a write up for, or even use proper grammar in said denial. Or, if you're that one person who seriously loved Stone Protectors... well, have fun!

Any Troll Christmas memories (about the toys, not trolling me about Christmas)?

celerystalker

12-08-2016, 10:55 AM

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Monopoly has cross-pollinated in so many other brands that making it its own video game must've been an absolute no brainer. One of the most popular board games in existence, it has gone on to influence other board and video games as well. It has seen ports across loads of consoles and computers, making it nearly as successful as a video game license as a board game. So, the real question is, why play Monopoly as a video game instead of a board game?

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In my case, I chose the Master System edition due to a personal history with my copy. I'd owned it for years from a bulk purchase, but had never bothered to really play it. I was renting a house with a good friend at the time, and had started dating the girl who is now my wife. In this house, my room was the master on the main floor, my buddy's was a big basement room, and another main floor bedroom was the "Neo Geo Room," home of a futon, two huge media shelves chock full of anime, a Sony Trinitron monitor, and my Neo Geo AES... and a small TV in the closet hooked up in case I wanted to listen to a ball game when playing Neo Geo or we had a house guest. My future wife and I were trying to decide what to do one day when she asked if I had Monopoly. My board game was at my parents'... but I had a video game version if we wanted to try that. I plugged in my Genesis 1 with Power Base Converter, as it used the same composite cable as the AES, and we were off! It became a somewhat regular thing for us to curl up in the Neo Geo room and play Monopoly on Master System. It's long since been replaced by Fortune Street, Top Shop, and Culdcept, but Master System Monopoly was a great little time for us.

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That may explain why I enjoy video Monopoly, but why would anyone else? Well, there are a few reasons. One, no setup. No unboxing, no doling out cash, no one has to be the banker... you just choose how many players and whether you want a time limit, and you're off. Two, no one can cheat. If you grew up with my sister, this is actually very helpful, as no one inexplicably has stacks of $500s that nobody saw coming. Three, you can save. Monopoly can be a long, grueling game, and being able to come back later without having to preserve a board setup is rather nice. Lastly, there is drop in/out play if someone needs to leave or take a break and everyone else wants to keep playing. One player who sours on the game pisses all over it, so being able to convert it to a CPU player is fantastic. So, if you play a lot of Monopoly, playing on a console can actually alleviate several minor issues in a convenient package.

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There are many versions of Monopoly, and some add new modes, like Monopoly Party on Gamecube allowing simultaneous turns for faster play. I personally prefer the Master System edition, Mono Poly as it is misprinted, as not only do I have memories tied to it, but it's also a very straight forward, simple, pure game of Monopoly with a brisk pace and classic rules. It's a great way to enjoy a classic... and, hey... it ended up as a gateway drug for my wife, who now plays the shit out of some Culdcept!

celerystalker

12-09-2016, 11:38 AM

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There were a lot of great toy lines in the '80s and early '90s, and one of my favorites is Hasbro's classic WWF action figure line. Just about every wrestler anyone wanted got a great little figure here, complete with stubby legs, exaggerated features, and some sort of spring-loaded attack to use on unsuspecting Ninja Turtles. My buddy Tim had the ring and a healthy selection of figures, so my dream matches like Earthquake destroying the Ultimate Warrior and Demolition crushing, well, everyone, could come true. There's more story there involving McDonald's Playland balls, but that's for another day. The fact was, these were my favorite line of wrestling toys, followed closelyby LJN's Wrestling Superstars line, and while not a direct tie-in, WWF Wrestlefest was basically an arcade game starring Hasbro's rendition of the stars of the day.

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As wrestling arcade games go, Wrestlefest goes for elegant simplicity. Minimizing the button mashing that plagued the genre in those times, it used a combination of strikes and grapples that became progressively stronger as matches continued. Some small measure of mashing exists, but the grapple will resolve quickly based more on your wrestler's condition and timing. Mechanically, this makes for a simple to learn game that's less about complex controls and more about ring positioning and well-placed attacks over jamming buttons and hoping. It's good that they opted for this route, as in many ways this is all simply an excuse for massive fan service.

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Theatrical entrances, colorful wrestlers that instantly recall Hasbro's plastic renditions, cutscenes of the Legion of Doom towering over Mean Gene and threatening the beating if a lifetime... not to mention modes based on the popular events of the Royal Rumble and Saturday Night Main Event, Wrestlefest's attract mode and its wanton display of its roster's finishers was a siren song WWF fans found irresistable. Main Event is basically a re-hash of the previous WWF Superstars cabinet, as a tag team title hunt mode, whereas the Rumble is a no-holds-barred free-for-all in which literally every character would get involved. This time, up to four players can play at once, making for a raucous wrestling experience for the right crowd (i.e. current or reformed Hulkamaniacs). Finishers are so ridiculously easy to perform that you always get a chance to see them, making for an all around fan service monster that truly embodies the WWF in the early '90s.

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With a great roster, two modes, and aesthetics that make you feel the same as when buying Hasbro figures, WWF Wrestlefest is an iconic game of my youth. Sure, it's not particularly deep or intense, but it is a nostalgia trip for the ages. Plus, with icing so delicious, who really cares if the cupcake is only okay? Now, somebody please get me a god damned Slim Jim so I can snap into it. Please.

celerystalker

12-10-2016, 12:30 PM

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The Thunderbirds property originates from the flying boss from The Adventures of Link giving those Team America guys a lift. The end.

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This guy disagrees. He's a nerd.

Based on a UK TV program using advanced marionette techniques, it relayed the stories of the Thunderbirds, who were apparently less of Pontiac enthusiasts and more protectors of the planet. Utilizing future technology and top notch intelligence, the Thunderbirds would fly off from their mountain base into danger, bravely fending off the menace of the day. The show was wildly popular, and spawned a toy line so powerful that it reportedly outsold Star Wars toys for a good while. Action figures, playsets, vehicles... it was all a rather big deal, and even has had reboots and re-launches as recently as this year. A handful of video games followed suit, including this NES release.

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Taking these high-flying adventures to their logical format, the game plays out as a mission-based shooter. You select a stage from a map of Earth, launch forth, and tackle said objective. Successfully clearing a short stage can yield power-ups and open up both new stages and new paths through existing stages. These new paths often employ different vehicles from the Thunderbirds' garage, each of which has unique features and weapons. In a few ways, it really reminds me of a PS1 favorite of mine, Meta-Ph-List, which uses a similar mission structure to progress. It's a pretty novel approach for the era, and while lacking flashy boss encounters, bombs, and other modern shooter tropes, its unique style is pretty endearing.

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The control in Thunderbirds is spot on, although without a turbo controller, prepare to jam the shit out of that A button. B is for repositioning your options, and many of your mission spoils are the ability to place your option in different positions. Weapons can be powered up three times, and two options can be snagged to beef you up for battle. Each vehicle moves at different speeds, has unique firing patterns, and different challenges, such as being low to the ground and having to fire through barriers or dodge walls. This variety, coupled with the brief missions, keep the game fresh. There is also a password function, allowing you to continue protecting the blue planet at your leisure. It's unique among NES shooters, and is all the more fun for it.

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While never as popular in the US, Thunderbirds certainly still has its fans. Any good memories of this game, the show, or toys?

celerystalker

12-11-2016, 09:07 PM

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When I first learned about Skylanders, I was irritated. It sounded like a bunch of on-disc DLC that had to be unlocked by buying trinkets, and that just seemed like an enormous scam. Then, I sat back and pondered... if I were a ten-year-old reading about it, how would I feel? If I were to be honest with myself, I'd have gone ape shit for that stuff. Action figures that can be used in a video game? Holy hell, I'dve paid every penny I could scrape off of a parking lot and then some for that sort of thing. Then I thought, hey, I've got a bunch of nieces and nephews who could never afford such nonsense, and was planning on having kids of my own... so I bought it all. Every basic figure from the original set, the extra stages... I made up my mind that for that one game, I was buying in. I picked up the Wii and 3DS versions, and ya know... they're actually pretty fun. I'll be talking about the 3DS offering today, though.

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While all of the big console editions are top-down hack 'n slash adventures, Skylanders on the 3DS is more a traditional 3D platformer in which characters can be swapped out in order to use their unique talents to access various parts of each stage to find all of the secrets and reach the end. Unlike the big brother ports, there's far more differences than just speed and attacks, as jumping prowess and hovering also play a role in what can be reached. Leveling and experience still transfer between all versions, so a powered up Wii figure will retain its advanced abilities and continue its progression in spite of being played in a completely different style of game, which is a neat unifying feature. The toys end up acting like their own memory cards, working in all versions of the game, which is an excellent design feature for such a cash grab.

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The platforming unique to the portable edition is actually really solid. Stages are of a good length for portable play, featuring a nice balance of attacking, jumping, and puzzle solving in order to both progress and find treasures, which can also transfer between versions with your figures. Being a single-player game on handheld, you select two skylanders by placing them on the portal between stages in the hub world. Sometimes, it can be beneficial to re-enter a cleared stage with a new pairing, using new abilities and elemental affinities to gain entrance to different areas or elemental gates. Fortunately, this sort of replayability is targeted at growing characters and finding tangible rewards such as treasure that offer stat bonuses as opposed to the collectathons that dominated the 32/64 bit era. It ends up feeling like a nice, brisk pace that fits nicely into portable chunks, yet still feels like an adventure.

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Honestly, I really prefer Skylanders in this format, although both are fun. I feel like the promise of the toy end of the equation was finally reached a couple of years ago when they released some actual toy playsets for use purely out of game, truly blurring the line between video games and toys. If you're able to put aside that feeling that you're being fleeced, Skylanders is a pretty nifty experience, and a fine little platformer on the 3DS that I enjoyed far more than I'dve anticipated.

Anyone else been dumb enough to get into this one?

celerystalker

12-12-2016, 10:45 PM

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In 1987, somebody had an idea to create the ultimate synthesis of toy, video game, and television: Captain Power. Instead of the typical merchandising of creating a show, then making video games and toys as tie-ins, Captain Power was designed to be all of these things at once in a remarkably forward-thinking creative step. While it never really took off the way they'dve liked and the execution was flawed, the concepts at play for this franchise were really pretty awesome.

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So, for starters, we have GI Joe-sized action figures and vehicles. Every bit functional as figurines, the vehicles had pistol grip handles and triggers. These can be fired at one another much like laser tag, and scoring hits will cause the opposing pilot to be ejected, which is pretty neat... but that's just the beginning. These vehicles also interact with the animated scenes on the VHS casettes and even the TV show, scoring hits by shooting flashing objects and taking hits from projectiles. There were two full seasons of the TV show, which had live action scenes along with animated battles, intended to be serious enough sci-fi to entertain adults while offering interaction for kids. In a perfect world, Captain Power conceptually represented a unified entertainment enterprise that had the potential to dominate retail and advertisement in one amazing push.

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What went wrong to keep it from reaching those heights? The toys were actually pretty high quality, with sleek vehicle designs and futuristic armored characters. They even worked pretty well, being activated by the TV signal and using a pretty accurate beam. The TV show, while campy, at least kept a straight face, and had a novel approach with its interwoven live action drama and animated fights, and was, depending on your perspective, either way ahead of its time or a goofy trainwreck. Really, it's the video game interaction that is the weakest point. Unlike laser disc games, the VHS tapes and live broadcasts couldn't offer the kind of on-screen representation of player interaction needed in order to win players over. Sure, getting shot down sends your action figures flying, but the fact that the on-screen footage is the same regardless undermines the interactivity, leaving score to be the only reason to replay anything, and the score keeper is sold separately unless you want to manually track it, as the toys can't count past 25. This sadly removes much of the satisfaction of playing a game past the initial novelty.

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Captain Power pushed hard against the future of entertainment, only to be held back by the limitations of making such a product cost effective in 1987. It has a unique look to its programming, good-looking toys, and a concept to die for. If only it would be getting a modern reboot... wait a minute...?!

Any fans of this one? Remember the ads all over late '80s comics? Looking forward to the pending reboot?

12-13-2016, 12:43 AM

Wrestlefest

Around '98-'99 arcade cabs had completely evacuated the small town I lived in. We never had a proper arcade but growing up several small businesses and department stores always had them. WWF Wrestlefest and MKII, both of which were old anyway, were the last proper arcade games around before the current batch of deer hunting and toy crane redemption games moved in and never seemed to leave. Wrestlefest was in a 24/7 gas station and was a mandatory in the "last stop before you go home" sobering-up ritual. Big fat chunky characters that all walk around like they've got the shits. STOMP!

WWF Superstars is on one of these multi-game arcade boards I bought some time ago. I put a little time on it over the past few months, last time I played it was when it was current in the arcades and even then I didn't play it much. Not a bad game, just a humongous step down from Wrestlefest, and it wears its Double Dragon lineage squarely on its sleeve. It almost looks and plays just like the original Double Dragon with some additional grappling mechanics thrown in.

FieryReign

12-13-2016, 03:35 AM

What went wrong to keep it from reaching those heights?

Probably because nobody's ever heard of it. Not a single commercial or anything. Still don't know exactly what it is. I was knee-deep in NES and Transformers.

Did they ever make any kind of game for Bionic Six? I remember the cartoon being ok and the toys were excellent die-cast metal.

celerystalker

12-13-2016, 08:08 AM

Probably because nobody's ever heard of it. Not a single commercial or anything. Still don't know exactly what it is. I was knee-deep in NES and Transformers.

Did they ever make any kind of game for Bionic Six? I remember the cartoon being ok and the toys were excellent die-cast metal.

Oh, man, I remember seeing Captain Power commercials all over Saturday mornings back then, and I swear they had a fullpage ad in tons of Marvel comics, especially in GI Joe. It was a toy line that looked amazing to me, but I didn't actually own any until I bought them as an adult many years later. Bionic Six I remember having bitchin' toys, but I barely remember the show unfortunately. No console games exist that I know of.

Az-WWF Superstars is great! Matter of fact, if you go out of the ring toward the left guard rail, Billy Lee is in the audience. Both awesome, but I chose Wrestlefest because it's the one I have a pcb for. I should get a Superstars board. They aren't too pricey. I also do like the four player play in Wrestlefest... a good Rumble match is priceless!

Love that memory about the gas station!

celerystalker

12-13-2016, 10:26 AM

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Lego building was a big part of my childhood play. Building sets by the directions, tearing them down a few days later, then creating all new buildings, fortresses, and vehicles was a great way to while away the time and strectch your creativity, and my brother and I did a lot of it. It was only a matter of time before Lego video games would show up, and wow, did they ever... but it wasn't until the Lego Star Wars games that the combination of Lego and video games would really come across in a meaningful way that captured imaginations. Collecting bricks, building solutions to complete puzzles, and comical cutscenes both paid loving homage to the bricks and the license, but lampooned their obvious ridiculousness simultaneously. In the years that followed, games like Minecraft and Terraria have even better re-created the true spirit if creativity of building, but the Lego licensed games have remained a fun, family friendly experience that showcases the fun of playing with completed builds.

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In my personal opinion, Lego games never got any better after the original Lego Star Wars, which laid the blueprint for the pile of clone games that would follow. Cooperative drop-in, drop-out play, simple, elegant stage design with a focus on exploration and fun over consequences are the hallmarks of these games, and the first one highlighted character differences better than most that followed. The DS version of the sequel, based on the original Star Wars trilogy seemed like a good one to discuss due to its having completely unique stage designs from its big brother counterparts, making for a intriguing portable companion piece to series fans.

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In order to play to the strengths of a portable, Lego Star Wars II employs a closer, more zoomed-in view in order to keep things from appearing too small. Such a change dictated different stage designs, using camera angles to obscure secrets more, and increasing the focus on platform hopping over large, open spaces to explore. Preserved are hunting down bricks and unlocking areas and characters, but the stages are shorter and more claustrophobic in order to accomodate the close view and facilitate portable play in shorter bursts. While this shift does take away from the scope and feel of the console originals, it succeeds in presenting a unique experience that still offers that Lego flavor.

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Being on the DS, there is a definitive graphical downgrade, appearing much like a PS1 re-imagining of the series. The camera leaves a bit to be desired, and there is a ton of polygon pop up. Still, everything is easily enough defined, and simple enough to play. I have to say, it's actually far easier to play on 3DS than it was when it was new, as the thumb pad is far superior to the D-pad for 3D movement, making the game more enjoyable now than when it was first released. If you enjoy Lego games, Lego Star Wars II is an amusing footnote, and offers a completely unique set of stages and unlockables to enjoy. These games are a little played out to me these days, but as my son gets older, I imagine I'll find myself returning to them sooner than later.

Any good Lego Christmas memories? Have a favorite Lego game? Tried this DS game?

Emperor Megas

12-13-2016, 02:00 PM

I owned the first couple of VHS tapes for some time. Never did see any of the episodes past those, but I always wanted to know how the series ended.I'm a huge Zillion fan. I own the original VHS releases, bootleg releases, the Burning Night one off VHS, both games, of course, the Eternity comic releases, and a Japanese poster of Apple and Opa-Opa. I'd like to own all of the vinyl albums as well some day as well. The toys are ridiculous expenses though, and I don't have much of an interest in them anyway so uber fans can have them.

celerystalker

12-14-2016, 01:15 AM

I'm a huge Zillion fan. I own the original VHS releases, bootleg releases, the Burning Night one off VHS, both games, of course, the Eternity comic releases, and a Japanese poster of Apple and Opa-Opa. I'd like to own all of the vinyl albums as well some day as well. The toys are ridiculous expenses though, and I don't have much of an interest in them anyway so uber fans can have them.

Oh, man... I've never seen the Burning Night or vinyl albums! Any good?

Edmond Dantes

12-14-2016, 07:43 AM

While there have been a handful of games based on Masters of the Universe, it's a license that has never truly seen its potential fully realized in video game form.

And that sucks, because honestly He-Man seems like it would make an excellent RPG.

Granted, there were two games on the Commodore 64--"The Illearth Stone" and a text-adventure one--that seemed rather interesting. The former has an awesome as all hell Sid-chip recreation of the iconic theme music.

Here's something weird from a personal perspective... I actually kind of associate He-Man and She-Ra with the SNES, since while I had seen them as kids, it was around the time I was into RPGs (1994-1996) that I also got hardcore into eighties cartoons. And because of that, I also kinda felt like the SNES could've used a Final Fantasy VI-style RPG but set on Eternia (and I was so disappointed that Tales of Eternia had nothing to do with He-Man)

Actually, on that note, I've always noticed that elements from He-Man and other Filmation cartoons tend to pop up in Square games... which is weird as most of Filmation's 80s output never came out in Japan.

For example, Spoony made fun of the villain of Final Fantasy X-2 having a weapon controlled by pipe organ. Where else have I seen that? Prime Evil, from Filmation's Ghostbusters.

But more specifically:

He-Man and She-Ra, Secret of the Sword: Adora was kidnapped as a baby by the evil horde. Despite that you'd think they could just raise her to be evil in that case, they still need to control her via mind control magic. When she's freed and joins the rebels, she finds out she has a superpowered transformation.

Final Fantasy VI: Terra was kidnapped as a baby by the evil empire. Despite that you'd think they could just raise her to be evil in that case, they still need to control her via a mind-control tiara. When she's freed and joins the rebels, she finds out that she has a superpowered transformation.

(Though actually, Terra's esper-form always seemed kinda pointless, whereas She-Ra clearly kicked all kinds of ass).

It's very likely just a coincidence but I always thought it was awesome.

I'dve loved to have seen a TMNT-style brawler at some point

I've got good news for you:

http://gamejolt.com/games/he-man/19434

And for some reason Lion-O from Thundercats is a playable character.

celerystalker

12-14-2016, 08:16 AM

Interesting parallels there. A He-Man RPG could have been tremendous, too. So many characters in a pretty well-defined universe seems like it should've been a no-brainer.

Checked out that gamejolt game. Not bad looking for a free game. I can only imagine what might've been if Konami, Capcom, or Sega had gotten ahold of it back in its heyday... or if Masaya picked it up for a strategy RPG with Adon and Samson from Choaniki as hidden characters.

celerystalker

12-14-2016, 10:38 AM

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If you'dve asked me what my favorite board games were as a child, I'd have quickly said chess and Solarquest. Solarquest... that's something for another thread. Chess, though, was a game I learned to play as a little kid at maybe 8 years old or so, because my sister was in an advanced program in school called "Challenge," where kids were pulled from class a few hours a week for more intellectually stimulating activities. I'd find out a couple of years later when I got put in that program that this mostly consisted of logic puzzles and board games such as Scrabble and Chess. The teacher fancied herself a good player, and spent quite a bit of time beating kids, usually offering a wager of a soda from the cafeteria vending machine. I've had a lifetime of not caring about applying myself before and since, but I swear, I never lost a chess game to that woman. I didn't get a lot of soda back then, so for the chance for freebies during school hours, I had no intention of losing, and I never lost a board game to her.

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Sometime later, my buddy down the street had an old computer that we played SimCity on, and he kept telling me about Battle Chess. The concept really struck a chord with my young self: pieces colliding play out battle cutscenes in which the pieces behave as their namesakes, battling it out with medieval weaponry and ending in a violent death. I was captivated by the idea, and couldn't wait to get a little time with it. I lost.

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I learned as a youngster that playing the computer was no fun for me. The part of chess I had always enjoyed was the psychological component, confusing and confounding opponents with bluffs and gambits that were odd or disruptive, often aggressively trading pieces to ruin their strategies, confident that I would be better at improvisation amidst chaos. Against a computer, I had to completely alter the way I played to pure classical strategy, and it was no fun to me. Setting traps and disrupting the thought processes of others was my preferred game. What I got with Battle Chess was pure going through the motions, and felt so totally uncreative in comparison to the fantastic imagery it presented, and to top it off, it was slow. Really slow. Like, turning off its whole selling point just to speed things up kind of slow. My love I'd built up in my head faded nearly instantly.

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Years later, I got the 3DO disc thrown in for free when I bought it from someone I knew, so for old time's sake I gave it a spin... and it still was just slow. Too slow. So, I did what I had to do. I invited some friends over to play a few rounds. I spent the day beating my friends, and the slothful cutscenes started to become their own manner of obnoxious taunts, forcing players to sit and watch helplessly as their soldiers futilly scrambled for life, inevitably dying pathetically. Therein lies the joy of Battle Chess. If you just want to play a computer at chess, play some Sargon or Chessmaster. If you want to needlessly humiliate someone, play Battle Chess. Some one who loses isn't likely to want to give it another go... but winning against someone who deserves a comeuppance is grossly entertaining. Battle Chess really exists to frustrate the loser instead of providing a whimsical chess experience. If you want a more creative board/video game of the ilk, play Archon. If you've got a friend who gets cocky and needs to be taken down a peg, play Battle Chess. Just... I don't know, maybe offer them a snack afterward before offering to call their mom to pick them up.

celerystalker

12-15-2016, 11:09 AM

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This is a weird one for me. I never liked Biker Mice from Mars. Not the toys, not the cartoon... nothing. It felt to me like the cheapest kind of attempt to cash in on a craze ushered in by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it just felt like a crummy knock off to me. This likely wasn't helped by my starting to feel too old for a lot of the newer cartoons at the time... like I was no longer who was being marketed toward. I have no wide-eyed memories to recall on this property at all. No, what got me was many years after the fact when I was re-reading an old Nintendo Power on the toilet. I turned to their feature on Biker Mice from Mars, which kinda looked like a souped up take on one of my good friend's favorites, Rock & Roll Racing. As classic era Nintendo Power rarely did a big spread on a crap game, I decided I'd track it down.

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Well, for starters, this was from Konami in the days that they made the shit out of some licensed games, and this keeps to that excellent pedigree. They gave what I'd always considered a hack license the full treatment, making an isometric, weapons-based racer with all of the gameplay of Rock & Roll Racing, but a slick arcade polish. Bright, colorful racers and tracks, loud, booming music, and both random and character-specific attacks made for a fearsome little racer! Not only does it look and sound great, though... it features smooth animation, tight controls, an upgrade system that feels palpable during play... I was stunned at how much I liked it. I called my buddy who loved Rock & Roll and told him to come over. He was dubious at first, but in seconds understood that we'd been giving a miss to a game that was way better than it had any right to be.

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After playing for awhile, a few things came to light. For one, like in Rock & Roll, the upgrade system favors the winner so heavily that after a couple of races, nobody else stands a chance. This is all fine and good for one player, but in multi-player story mode, it creates a lopsided scenario in which player two just plods along behind picking up sloppy seconds. Also, two of the characters are so far and away superior to the rest that you won't likely pick anyone else, as Modo's special works like free nitros, and Limburger's hovercraft, whose speed and ability to turn on a dime make him tough to follow. Still, the game remains a blast to play, and the split-screen multi-player looks great in action.

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Biker Mice from Mars is a game that, to me, exceeds it license, becoming one of the better isometric racers I've played. While it didn't make me a fan of the toys or show, it most certainly made me a fan of the game... remember when Konami was so great?

Any fans of the game, show, or toys?

celerystalker

12-16-2016, 11:16 AM

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Othello was a board game that I didn't really play as a very young child, but rather stumbled onto it as a young teenager onthe Atari 2600. My grandma was big on garage sales back then, mostly as a toy collector. Heck, when my grandpa died, she had their garage finished and raised, converting it into a massive showroom for her doll collection, which is full of antiques and more than 1000 Barbie dolls. Anyhow, she got really into collecting and playing Atari VCS games, which meant that at long last, there were video games to play at her house! She had a healthy selection of games, but one that my brother and I gravitated toward was Othello.

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Even though we were completely new to the game, the concept of Othello is classically simple to learn, yet difficult to master. In case somebody doesn't know, a 64 square board, much like a checker board, has 2 black and 2 white reversible tokens placed alternating in a square at the center of the board. Players take turns playing one token at a time, and that token must be a bookend to surround one or more consecutive opposing pieces. For example, if in a horizontal row there are tokens laid out B, W, W, W, the black player could place a token after the last white one. This would cause all three W pieces to be flipped over to black, making that row now look like B, B, B, B, B. You can only play as long as you can flip one or more tokens in this manner, and the rows can be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical.

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The basics of Othello are simple enough, but the real fun comes from playing a human opponent. Goading your foe into a foolish placement can allow for devastating chain reactions, so jockeying for position becomes a psychological and tactical war. Getting corner squares can be especially powerful, as a piece in a corner will never be flipped, and as such can be the starting point for some big moves, but you can't let yourself get boxed in by single-mindedly pursuing those. The game can be a great mental exercise, falling somewhere in between chess and checkers for the level of strategy required.

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Othello became a quiet thing that my brother and I would do at my grandma's, and every once in awhile we still play. Playinv a video adaptation can be nice as a method for testing out new strategies against variable-level cpu opponents, and makes for a quick play when ready with no setup or clean up.

Honestly, of the many video board game adaptations, Othello may offer the least in terms of advantage over the real board game. Still, those days at my grandma's were all the more fun for its existence, and having a cart set to high difficulty can definitely sharpen your approach. For someone who enjoys Othello, the VCS and NES versions are both rock solid, and a fun way to play a quick game or practice. If you've never played, it's not gonna cost squat, so consider giving it a try. If you like chess, I find it to be a nice alternative, as checkers always felt a little too simple.

Emperor Megas

12-17-2016, 05:16 PM

Oh, man... I've never seen the Burning Night or vinyl albums! Any good?Burning Night is the shit. It's a one shot story about the White Kights/Nuts performing as a nightclub pop act after the Marisian war. Apple is kidnapped by a group of men dressed as Nosa warriors between sets while performing on stage, and the rest of the gang, having failed to thwart the kidnapping hatch a plan to rescue her. They don't have the original Zillion guns anymore, but rather weapons that work using conventional ammunition, which for some bizarre reason that they probably explained but I don't recall anymore is in short supply.

There were several vinyl albums released with music from the series, and I imagine origin tracks as well, but I don't own and haven't heard any of them yet.

Here's a link to the Streamline Pictures Burning Night dub intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIg_c_LcwVA

Edmond Dantes

12-17-2016, 06:41 PM

Oh froggybottoms, I have that Othello NES game.

Not sure if I EVER beat the computer. Othello is one of those games that is easy for a computer to win at due to its ability to quickly look at all possibilities and choose the best one. It always frustrated me that I could never beat the computer at it.

There's a variation of Othello with 7-Up characters called Spot: the Video Game (which I think is based on some Commodore game Virgin made) and for some reason, I kicked ass at that, routinely beating both friends and the comp (and yes, I'm one of the lucky few who ever managed to defeat the Microscope puzzle in the 7th Guest, which is base on Spot--it was nowhere near as easy tho). But straight Othello? Never on NES, and I now have a version on PSP (via a collection called the Ultimate Board Games or something like that) which, being on a more powerful CPU, is even more impossible.

Go was, for a long time, the one board game that computers couldn't crack... but that changed in 2015 apparently, when a Google AI called DeepMind managed to beat a 9-dan Korean champion in a best-of-five-games competition. Good thing most game consoles aren't as powerful as DeepMind...

EDIT: Also, thanks, all this talk about Zillion has that "Push! I never stop going all the way!" song stuck in my head now.

celerystalker

12-18-2016, 12:05 AM

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Another franchise that spawned many a popular toy line is Star Trek. From the classic series Megos to the various Next Generation lines of the early '90s to the DS9 and Voyager runs and movies, countless figures and playsets have been produced in honor of the heroes of the Federation. Likewise, many video games exist bearing the Trek branding, and one of my favorites is Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Edition for the NES. Based on the original series, this hybrid action RPG/point and click adventure chronicles the exploits of the crew of the Enterprise after a tragic violation of the Prime Directive, stranded outside of Federation space. You must find a way to right this wrong, all while trying not to completely wreck Romulan peace. Oh, and you're Kirk, so there has to be a green chick to throw down with...

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Game play is an interesting blend of various styles in this one. The majority of the game plays out as an overhead action adventure, where your away team explores various M class planets in search of answers to what caused the disaster on Iotia, and also trying to limp by on enough dilithium to get back home. You bring a team of three crew members to the surface of each planet, each offering his or her own unique abilities. You run about talking to people, fighting all manner of enemies, and collecting items to solve puzzles in the best point and click tradition. Each planet has a unique setting and cast of NPCs, ranging from primitive to futuristic. Along the way, you gather intel and resources, fight off the odd big encounter, and then return to the Enterprise in order to move on.

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The other parts of the game occur on the Enterprise itself, and include plotting course, talking amongst the crew, and engaging in occasional ship to ship diplomacy or combat. Combat is controlled in real time, as you use phasers and proton topedoes at your enemies from a cockpit view. There are only a few of these battles scattered throughout the game, so it ends up feelig like more of a mini-game in a lot of ways, but does add more of a complete Star Trek experience to the proceedings.

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Really, that's what Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Edition is all about; creating an adventure that feels like its source material, and on that front it's a real success. The on-board segments of the game have big animated portraits of the cast, close ups of the tech, and conversations that at least mostly capture the personae of the characters. There's a lot of good aesthetic fan service here, and it really comes through as intended, which is a real treat for fans. Altogether, there's a nice little adventure here that plays out like a multi-part episode, with solid graphics and a good plot. If you like Star Trek, it's a real winner.

celerystalker

12-18-2016, 09:37 PM

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RC de Go! was one of the earliest GOTD games way back in January, back before I was convinced to start adding screenshots and was just basically saying, "Hey, this is a game!" Given that it really focuses on remote control cars and their parts and not just as window dressing for a racer, I figure it's as good a game as any to represent the many RC cars that many of us received for Christmas over the years. When I was a young 'un, one year my brother and I both got matching big RC race cars that we both adored, yet rarely had enough C cell batteries to enjoy. Still, every time it was an option, you'd find us building ramps and race courses before degenerating into a demolition derby... and we'd run those batteries dead every single time. They were brief moments of glory, but what times we had were awesome.

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There are tons of games centered around RC racing, and I'd wager that most folks would gravitate toward RC Pro Am and its sequels. RC de Go!, though, is my favorite game governing the subject for several reasons. For one, it's not a weapons-based racer. The racing here feels more like you're controlling an RC car. Secondly, the look of this game speaks to me... it's like an overhead Sega Rally Championship in how it appears, and while I'm not a big racing guy, I love the shit out of Sega Rally. Lastly, it has fantastic track designs that really are designed to test your skill, featuring both paved and off road tracks. These are tracks that lack whimsy in favor of being a pure RC experience (aside from goofy crash physics). What this means all together is that you get the look of a Sega arcade racer with the concept of RC Pro Am minus the weapons and increased tweaking your parts... which means it's really good.

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Like many games of its type, advancement is achieved through a combination of racing skill and buying better parts in order to win races. You'll gain at least some money, win or lose, so buying better parts while balancing your car's attributes to keep it handling right are the keys. With both off road and paved races, you'll need to own some parallel parts in order to be successful, and you can interchange parts between races. There is a significant difference in how your car handles on different surfaces, so it pays to be careful in what order you take different tracks, as you won't have to replay as many losses if you don't get too far ahead of yourself in one or the other, leaving yourself unprepared for the competition or surface. There is also a quick race mode, which is basically arcade mode, removing all of the customization, which ends up feeling a bit like Neo Drift Out... but, hey.... Neo Drift Out is awesome.

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There have been a few times that a buddy of mine and I have just taken a day alternating turns to beat this one. It's unfortunately only for one player, but since I tend to be better at the street tracks while he's better off road, we have fun alternating races and taking it down in tandem. The difficulty progresses very evenly, which really does a great job of forcing you to hone your skills in order to clear some tracks that require damn near perfect steering. If you have any affection for games like Pro Am or Sega Rally, I really recommend trying this later release out. It really does its inspiration justice, and I can say it's definitely my personal favorite racer on the system.

Any fans? Good Christmas RC car memories?

Edmond Dantes

12-18-2016, 11:58 PM

I would've expected someone to mention Re-Volt when the subject of RC cars came up...

celerystalker

12-19-2016, 03:53 AM

I would've expected someone to mention Re-Volt when the subject of RC cars came up...

Yeah, that was pretty big in its day, too... I just figured that the average poster here is likely older, and more drawn to the NES/Genesis games. RC de Go! beats 'em all in my book either way. :)

FieryReign

12-19-2016, 05:33 AM

I remember RC de Go getting pretty good reviews in a mag but forgot which one. Gonna download the bin next time I'm at a free wifi spot.

Edmond Dantes

12-19-2016, 07:16 AM

I will say one thing for Re-Volt... I absolutely love the storyline the manual gives: that a bunch of toy cars came to life and just... decided to race. Because why not.

That's one thing that attracts me to not only Re-Volt, but also Crazy Taxi and Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast (for that matter, most of the Outrun games)... the sheer "who gives a flip" vibe those games give out, the feeling that no matter what happens, its all good, so just go on living and don't stop just because you hit a minor roadblock.

Its too bad there aren't more games like that. We need more games where your girlfriend can see ghosts and UFOs and her reaction is to tell you to run 'em over for points.

celerystalker

12-19-2016, 08:35 AM

bb_hood

12-19-2016, 10:26 AM

bb_hood here filling in for celerystalker today. He deserves a day off because hes been doing such a great job.
Anyway..

#19: Where's Waldo & The Great Waldo Search

If you've ever picked up a Where's Waldo book you know the objective: locate Waldo in a crowd of people. A very simple premise that can be surprisingly enjoyable. I recently played through the two Waldo games for NES and I found one of the games to a fun challenge while the other game is a piece of crap.

Ok, Ill start with the good game. Where's Waldo was released in 1991. The game for the most part plays just like the book: locate Waldo in a crowd of people. There are 5 levels like this (where you have to locate Waldo in a crowd of people) and 3 other stages that play differently.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/wal1_zps9dn2suyo.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/wal1_zps9dn2suyo.jpg.html) Locate Waldo before the time runs out.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/wal2_zpstuy0kn2l.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/wal2_zpstuy0kn2l.jpg.html)

The premise of the game is that Waldo is on his way to the moon, and you have to help him get to the launch pad. Waldo keeps getting lost so you have to find him before the clock runs out. There are 3 difficulty levels (easy, medium, and hard) and easy and medium are fairly simple. When you play on medium or hard difficulty, after the first stage Waldo is not always wearing white & red. Sometimes they change the color of Waldo to match the background, making him very hard to find. This happens alot in the second stage, he blends right into the background. If you do not read the manual before hand you wont know this, and you won't get very far. Also it should be noted that the sprite for Waldo is very specific and there are about 6 variations, and yet there are many other random people who look alot like Waldo...but they aren't Waldo!! Lots of random guys wearing red & white striped shirts. You will get stumpted multiple times the first few times you play this game.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/wal3_zpslgpeafxf.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/wal3_zpslgpeafxf.jpg.html) Second Stage / Forest

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/wal4_zpsyaf5l3eg.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/wal4_zpsyaf5l3eg.jpg.html) Waldo is here somewhere...

So both easy and medium difficulties are very easy. I was determined to beat this game on Hard difficulty and it was quite a challange for only one reason: the Subway stage. The Subway Stage is both rediculous and annoyingly difficult. Basically what happened was Waldo flushed his glasses down the toilet, and he needs to go into the sewer to retrieve them. He can afford a vaction to the moon but can't afford a second pair of glasses... go figure. Anyway.. so this stage is like a big grid of octagons with different paths though them. For some reason you have to guide a bullet (not Waldo) though these octogons, rotating them when necessary. You have to collect the glasses icon, then exit on the right side of the stage. So its like you have to shoot Waldo in the face with the bullet then leave the subway..makes sense. There is also an evil wizard in the subway which will drain all your remaining time if he touches you (the bullet). He will end your game like 90% of the time. I hate this guy. What makes this game challenging is that you have to complete 5 stages before the subway stage and you will lose almost every time in the subway. So frustrating! This level pissed me off multiple times. Its the worst part of the game, and is just plain stupid.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/waldo%20sub_zps8gafdhwq.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/waldo%20sub_zps8gafdhwq.jpg.html) Subway Stage will drive u insane

So the final stage is the launch pad. Its just a slot machine where you line up 3 Waldo heads. Typical NASA security measures. So then you blast Waldo to the moon and you win. So yeah, if you can deal with the frustration of the subway level then you will probably find this to be a releatively good game.

The Great Waldo Search was released 9 months after the first game. The Great Waldo Search has fancier, larger graphics than the previous Waldo game, however it seems to lack the charm that the first game has. This game has 5 levels, in each level you have to locate Waldo and a scroll. There is a also really annoying mini game where you are a dog on a flying carpet collecting points. Kinda cute, but also annoying because you only collect worthless points . This game is just much too easy and boring for me to consider it a good game.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/waldo55_zps5mbwje6o.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/waldo55_zps5mbwje6o.jpg.html) what is going on here?

So.. yeah, not much more I can say about this title. 5 levels where you search for Waldo and a scroll. Its a boring and simple game, but its pretty much what you'd expect from a younger kids game.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/waldo60_zpsrc5pj7kd.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/waldo60_zpsrc5pj7kd.jpg.html)

So those are the two Waldo games in a nutshell. Merry Christmas everybody!

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad77/ren_hoek2/waldo59_zpshdllsmi9.jpg (http://s923.photobucket.com/user/ren_hoek2/media/waldo59_zpshdllsmi9.jpg.html) Kewl Beans

celerystalker

12-19-2016, 08:05 PM

Thanks for this write up! My wife and I actually enjoyed the first one quite a bit, and used to play it as a fun time waster before going out to dinner when we first got married and were living in a condo with only a couple of systems hooked up. We eventually bought the Wii game as well, but the NES game with its shoddy graphics is the one we had fun with. I swear, much like Choose Your Own Adventure books, these books were as good as toys in their day, and I think everyone I knew read/played with them at least a little. We had this one knock-off book where you had to find Elvis instead of Waldo, and dumb as it was, my family did that thing to death. I bet I have it in my basement somewhere...

celerystalker

12-20-2016, 09:26 AM

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One of the most popular toy lines I can recall from my younger days was M.U.S.C.L.E., a series of tiny rubber figurines from an intergalactic wrestling federation. Based on the Japanese Kinnikuman franchise, these little guys were tiny pinkish terrors, replete with amusingly strange designs, insane faces, and, naturally, piles of muscles. You could buy theseguys by the bucket if you wanted to, and there was even a tiny ring in which to duke it out with little levers, the goal being to knock your opponent loose. As toys go, these were cheap and collectible, which made them pretty darn successful. There have been quite a few video games based on Kinnikuman, the best of which were probably on Gamecube. However, I chose the NES game, as it was out when these guys were current, and carries the same M.U.S.C.L.E. branding.

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As the property would dictate, we're looking at a wrestling game here, and like many wrestling games of the time, its focus is on tag team wrestling. You select two characters, each with his own unique look and finisher, and head out to face a computer controlled pair or a human opponent. The move set is extremely limited, leaving you with only punches, jumps/jump kicks, irish whips, lariats, back drops, suplexes, and finishers. This may at first sound diverse, but given that the animation of these is shared among all wrestlers save the finishers, it is repetitive at best. Compared to other games on the system like Pro Wrestling or Tecmo World Wrestling, this is just so ridiculously simple that it barely qualifies as a wrestling game. In fact, you don't even pin your opponent... matches are decided by KO in the best of three falls.

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Perhaps further alienating the experience from traditional wrestling is how you perform specials. Balls will slowly drift in from outside of the ring, and whoever grabs them gets massive speed and strength boosts, and can now perform his finisher. These are game-breakingly powerful, making everything else basically jockeying for position until one appears, removing much of the game's strategy. The one real positive here is that the specials are ridiculous, sending characters flying far into the air, typically to be dropped on their heads in one hilariously unceremonious manner or another. Basically, you're just fending off your foes until you can grab a ball, then pummeling the shit out of them in seconds... or receiving said beating. There is some variety in rings, with icy floors and electrified ropes there to go along with the standard squared circle.

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The fun in M.U.S.C.L.E. comes ftom playing two player games, as the game does move frantically quickly, making for hyperactive little brawls with players flying off of the ropes and hopping all over creation. With the goofy, squat charicatures bouncing about like Gummi Bears (here and there and everywhere) and the needlessly simple controls, a versus match among friends who share affection for the tiny rubberized heroes of their youth is actually pretty fun. Single player, however, can be rather tedious, as the computer ftom match two onward hops around like mad making it a chore to play. M.U.S.C.L.E. is hardly a secret masterpiece on the Nintendo, but as a cheap diversion among friends to be coupled with the anime and toys, there is a bit of fun to be had... the toys and their little ring are arguably more fun, though?

M.U.S.C.L.E. memories? See what I did there?

Edmond Dantes

12-20-2016, 10:07 AM

Yeah, I do miss the days when games were less story and more gameplay. It was a lot of fun to read some brief, absurd two paragraph premise that was just there tacked on because they made a cool game that really didn't need to be justified.

I was talking more about liking the premise itself, though I do like how ignorable/optional lots of older game plotlines were... even if one of my hobbies is overthinking them.

celerystalker

12-20-2016, 10:10 AM

I was talking more about liking the premise itself, though I do like how ignorable/optional lots of older game plotlines were... even if one of my hobbies is overthinking them.

Ah, gotcha. I can repect that. Ridiculous premises can be the most fun.

celerystalker

12-21-2016, 12:11 PM

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Godzilla, king of the monsters... few creatures have reached the level of awareness as Tokyo's greatest defender and worst nightmare. Boasting all of the rage and fury of nature itself, the might of King Ghidora, Megalon, Mothra, Battra, Mecha-Godzilla, Rodan, and even the horror of Biollante have fallen to the indomitable power of Godzilla. How many of us have memories of giant plastic monsters, well-worn VHS tapes, and disappointing video games? While Japan was blessed with a few truly stellar games based on the megalithic monstrosity, we arguably didn't get a game that felt like a worthy one until the Gamecube's Destroy All Monsters.

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For years, most folks had to live out Godzilla's battles by making him eat our GI Joes in the living room. At long last, a game arrived that focused on what made those movies so enthralling to begin with: wanton destruction. Destroy All Monsters Melee is all about picking some monsters to pound the shit out of one another in one giant pile of collateral damage. Gone were the days of tactical strategy to fend off monsters. Now, it was time to just thrash about, firing beams, tossing buildings, and swiping tails. While the action isn't particularly speedy, which wouldn't have fit kaiju battling anyhow, but what is there makes sense. You can punch, kick, swing your tail, block, duck, run, jump, and fire your beam as base attacks. You can also pick up objects and foes to toss. It's one thing to toss a boulder, but grabbing an enemy opens up an array of moves and throws that make you feel like a champ as they helplessly kick their legs. The moves are satisfying and impactful, and suit their perpetrators nicely.

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Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters may have a solid concept and execution, but its kaiju fantasy booking is where it shines. Up to four players/monsters can fight at the same time, making for some truly destructive action. It becomes almost like a slow Power Stone, with the huge, open arenas filled with destructible objects. There are power-ups that can restore some health, fill the meter for your beam, or power you up with rage for improved speed and strength. This adds to the chaos, and a four player session is a glorious mess of chaos and carnage. Aside from being pure fan service by nature, the rosterincludes not only many of the greatest beasts from franchise history, but also different era variants of the titular character. Prefer the '90s Godzilla? Go that route. Wanna be black and white original Godzilla? It's there, and even has a playable black and white arena. It's all meant to give series fans a great time, and it works.

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Godzilla on the Gamecube may be a little rough around the edges, but in this case, perfection can take a back seat to giant monster destruction. It's a good time to just bash the bejeesus out of your friends and talk shit, which is what this one is all about. If you're a fan, this game is a cheap, fun brawl that in many ways feels like the spiritual successor to SNK's King of the Monsters with proper licensing. Add in a bunch of modes, unlockables, and extras, and this one's a winner. It's sloppy... but what did you expect from a rubber suit? At least there's no Ferris Bueller fucking this one up...

bb_hood

12-21-2016, 04:51 PM

I played this cabinet anytime I had a chance... a church group at Showbiz Pizza, Rock & Roll Arena (a skating rink), on vacation in Branson at White Water... and while I never personally completed it back then, just seeing it felt special. The character sprites really look outstanding, and the animations such as hurling a foot soldier against a wall or being launched across the room by a punch ftom Bebop really add personality beyond the simple jumping and attacking. The soundtrack deftly intertwines the licensed music with new compositions that maintain the tone of both the source material and what is happening on-screen with ease. A fan of the toys or show was helpless against a draw like that.

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TMNT was the last toy line that I really fell in with as a kid, but it's stay was surely lengthened by this game. For many years, I clung tightly to its really great NES port, and Turtles in Time on SNES helped as well. I still have most of my old Turtles, though the years of play and later abuse by my nieces and nephews has left them far worse for wear. Still, this arcade game has always remained magical in my memories, and when I finally got TMNT: Battle Nexus to play it again... it was neutered. I would later spring for a pcb to play in my Sunset Riders cabinet, and while I thought playing on Battle Nexus was close enough, hearing the licensed music again damn near brought a tear to my eye.

I love this game. Any good memories of it or the toys, especially around Christmas?

Wow, cant believe you mentioned Showbiz Pizza. I was obsessed with that place as a little kid. It was just so awesome, they had loads of GOOD arcade games, skee ball, ball pit, and the animatronic band. I moved to Rhode Island when I was 9 and havent seen a showbiz pizza place since. I think the chain might have been taken over by Chucky Cheese.. I dont know. But that place was awesome.

Yeah the arcade game really was impressive back in the day. I got the nes version for my birthday a few months after it came out. I also had alot of the toys as a kid, they were always soo cool.

celerystalker

12-22-2016, 10:19 AM

Wow, cant believe you mentioned Showbiz Pizza. I was obsessed with that place as a little kid. It was just so awesome, they had loads of GOOD arcade games, skee ball, ball pit, and the animatronic band. I moved to Rhode Island when I was 9 and havent seen a showbiz pizza place since. I think the chain might have been taken over by Chucky Cheese.. I dont know. But that place was awesome.

Yeah the arcade game really was impressive back in the day. I got the nes version for my birthday a few months after it came out. I also had alot of the toys as a kid, they were always soo cool.

I had a bunch of the toys as well. Oddly, my first wasn't a turtle, but Usagi Yojimbo. I hadn't evdn read that comic at the time to know about the character...

Showbiz I believe was basically re-branded as Chuck-E-Cheese, but it seemed to lose something in translation to me. There are still Chuck-E-Cheese restaurants around here, but I can't imagine they're still full of awesome arcade games. For ten year old me, Showbiz was amazing.

celerystalker

12-22-2016, 12:02 PM

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Ghostbusters was, at it's peak, truly a mega-hit as a franchise. Everyone knew the tune and the, "Who ya gonna call?" This of course led to the sort of merchandising that would make the great and powerful Yogurt proud, spawning costumes, party supplies, a cartoon, clothing, and, of course toys and video games. Most Ghostbusters toys were centered around the cartoon, which greatly amplified its rogues gallery for action figures and fleshed out the tech for role play toys. Kids a couple of years younger than me all seemed to have that shit everywhere. Given the resurgeance of video games, it was only natural that games must be made. Now, I already covered the really good Genesis platformer for Halloween, and the modern release feels too far removed to me from the heyday of those toys... so Activision's notorious bugger it is!

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Ghostbusters was ported to just about anything that had a GPU, but I'd dare say that the iconic version is on the NES. However, other versions used its template to achieve different results, my personal favorite being Sega's Master System. It took the unique structure of that game, but improved on many of its mechanics to create a far more approachable game that required considerably less patience. You still move your icon on the map, select a destination, and drive there in an overhead driving sequence. Once there, you shop at the shop, recharge your weapons/shower off slime, and empty traps at HQ, and you bust some damned ghosts at red buildings if you get there in time. Save up at least $10,000 before the city is destroyed, and you can travel to the edge of Zuul up the apartment building and take on Gozer. These things are true for basically all versions. However...

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In the Master System version, you begin by outfitting your team with a budget. There are more items at play, though, like a ghost vacuum for the driving sequences, and you can select from four different cars with different speeds and capacities. The need to refuel has been omitted, taking away one of the major costly distractions of the NES game. This makes the game way easier and accessible, removing busy work, but breaking the game's economy a bit. Much bigger here, though, is vastly improved controls for the building ascent. You no longer have to destroy your controller just to move, and you can defend yourself by firing a weapon! Given that the toughest part of the NES game revolved around helplessly mashing buttons to try and evade spooks, this welcome change makes for more of an adventure and less broken controllers. Also, despite what the AVGN video says, you can in fact shoot straight forward and at an angle. Add in some nice graphical changes with bigger sprites, and you get a polished, if a bit too easy, version of the original Gostbusters game.

Ghostbusters is a game that has annoyed and frustrated many a player over the years. If you're in the camp that likes the concept but doesn't care for the building ascent, try out the Master System version. It's perhaps too easy, but can be a satisfying companion piece if you want a break between movies.

Ever own a ghost trap?

Aussie2B

12-22-2016, 05:40 PM

celerystalker

12-23-2016, 12:03 PM

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As we get down to the last couple of games in this video game advent calendar, I have to stop and think. Of all of the great presents a kid could get... GI Joes, Masters of the Universe, Star Wars toys, Ninja Turtles, board games... my favorite presents to give and receive have always been video games. I love to give someone a game they've never played that I enjoy, with that chance of sharing a fun experience later in conversation, and it's always fun to get a new game to play! I have loads of Christmas gaming stories that run the gamut in gaming, like the year I got an Xbox from my dad because he wanted to play Steel Battalion... Retro Game Challenge was never a gift for me, but it perfectly encapsulates the way my buddy Tim and my brother and I used to play games together, which makes this game about playing games perhaps the most relevant of all... or at least top two!

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If you don't know, Retro Game Challenge is a port based on Game Center C-X. If you don't know what that is, YouTube will happily educate you. Anyhow, as young Master Arino and his buddy, you sit in your living room to play video games! There are quite a few games here, and on the off chance that someone hasn't played this yet, I feel it's best to leave at least a couple of surprises. Each game is intended to look and feel like a game from a console like the MSX or Famicom, and has been carefully designed to capture the appropriate feel, and each even has a complete instruction manual designed to give a feel for the times. Shooters, racing games, platformers... even RPGs are represented here, and each game has a series of challenges to complete, much like NES Remix if that game were actually well thought out, and completing those challenges unlocks new games to progress the story. Clearing all of the challenges will save Master Arino and... yeah.

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Anyhow, unlike NES Remix, this game contains completely original games, and your characters are literally shown playing them on the bottom screen, enthusiastically cheering and talking. These games are complete little experiences, and can even be played freely just as individual games. You also gradually acquire a small library of magazines, which share not only amusing little articles and strategies, but even cheat codes that work in the games! It's a wonderfully clever addition that adds to the feel for those of us who grew up with magazines as our information lifeline. The games gradually accumulate and embrace new tech, and it's fascinating to watch as one particular franchise slowly morphs much like an NES series would between launch and its last days. The challenges are rarely tough, but playing the games and soaking in all of the little love letters to the '80s makes it feel like a slice of life from that era.

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Anybody who grew up in the '80s will likely feel some commonality with Retro Game Challenge, as it does exactly what it means to do. Its first sequel, Game Center C-X2 is equally good, and it's greatly amusing to see some familiar faces move into 16 bits... I may even like its games better. No matter what, though, Retro Game Challenge is one of my very favorites on any system, and its style fits so perfectly for a portable it's insane. If you haven't played it, you probably should. If you have... did it make you misty-eyed for those afternoons on the living room floor?

celerystalker

12-25-2016, 12:27 AM

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If Retro Game Challenge celebrated playing with games, Toy Commander is the ultimate representation of a kid playing with his toys. The entire game takes place from the perspective of a child's imagination while playing with his toys. This isn't simply the idea of getting a new toy and playing with it, though... Toy Commander is what you get when a little boy has a pile of accumulated toys of all kinds and starts playing with them in new and creative ways. From combining damaged toys to having generic dinos eat Lego men to pretending a die-cast plane is flying through the kitchen, this is a great snapshot of those innocent days when a kid is bored on a cold day and has to entertain himself with a hodge podge of toy cars and army men stored in a bucket in the basement. Almost as if it were intended as a love letter to the generic toys of our youth, Toy Commander truly captures what sort of nonsense little kids are up to when they're forced to entertain themselves.

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The game typically plays out in a room-by-room level structure, with each room of the house containing a set of mission objectives to complete. This could mean something as mundane as putting eggs in a pot to boil or as dramatic as stopping a dino in a bunny costume from destroying a Lego city. You are offered a selection of a handful of toy vehicles for each objective, each controlling uniquely. It reminds me a bit of Return Fire in a way, how you may control a jeep to try a ground-based approach or an airplane for a skyward take, and as such offers considerable freedom in how to approach missions. There is a ton of variety here, as the hazards and rewards of each approach are unique, and it's plausible and even recommended to take a hybrid approach, clearing enemies from one perspective to make another more accessible. Missions are well-designed, and the layouts and enemy placement are truly reminiscent of how a kid might set up his toys, with plastic army men firing from under the table and ramps made of books.

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As an early Dreamcast game, it does have a nice high resolution look, though the textures can lack a bit of detail. The aesthetic comes across strongly, though, and there's an excellent sense of scale at play. Toy Commander really leaves you feeling like you're in a house playing with toys. Adding more is the boss battle to clear each room. Once all objectives are clear, these must be beaten to enter the next part of the house, and they offer a nice bit of variety in how they should be approached, providing a nice bookend in between areas. Add to this quality single-player campaign an excelllent multi-player split-screen competitive mode for up to four players, and you get a game with a lot of legs and replay value.

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Toy Commander is a great celebration of all things toy-related, and has a nifty Christmas tie-in to boot. On Official Dreamcast Magazine demo disc for January 2001 had a neat bonus in the form of Toy Commander: Holiday Mission, which, like Christmas Nights before it, has Christmas-themed bonus missions to play, and you get to control a tiny jet pack-wearing Santa. There is also a racing spinoff exclusive to Europe, but I don't own that one to talk about sufficiently. Either way, Toy Commander is a wonderful little game to play every few years, as the variety in vehicles and approaches keeps the game feeling fresh.

That'll do it for the Christmas countdown. I hope it was fun for anyone who read it, and I'd sure love to hear any of your memories of any of these games. Feel free to post about any toy-related games you think would add to the fun as well! Anyhow, Merry Christmas to everyone here at DP! Hug your families and have fun!