What is your most RECENT import? Post often! [Archive]

drwily008

04-24-2005, 01:55 AM

I think this would be a great way to share with your fellow importers on what is hot & what is not. We could post our most recent imports and what we thought of them to the DP gaming community. This will be a good way to help each other save a little cash when considering your next import!

I think the way below (quick paragraph summary and a score for certain categories) would be the best way to do this, but feel free to make suggestions! If this takes off I think it would be a great way to help newcomers into the import scene as well.

Here I go to start it off:

RADIANT SILVERGUN (Sega Saturn)

I recently remembered playing this with a friend about 5 years ago. I haven't seen him in a few years so I decided to give him a call. I ended up paying $150 for Radiant Silvergun (minty-mint-mint), Panzer Dragoon Saga (U.S. release), and Albert Odyssey (U.S.).

I really love the feel of this shoot-em-up, it has a total anime flavor and the challenge is definately there. The integration of 2-D & 3-D graphics works perfectly and the soundtrack (with japanese voice overs) is awesome. Control isn't as tight as I've grown used to over the years, but I works for this type of shooter. I would highly recommend this shooter to anyone who loves a good shoot-em-up (and had a large chunk of cash to spend).

On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (perfect):

GAMEPLAY: 9.5
GRAPHICS: 9.5
SOUND: 10
ENGLISH FRIENDLY: 10
OVERALL: 9.5

Crush Crawfish

04-24-2005, 11:55 AM

Good idea! :) I'll give it a shot.

Hammerin' Harry (Super Famicom)

It's a 2D platformer from Irem. You play as Harry, a carpenter wielding a huge mallet. It doesn't do anything revolutionary, but it's just a very well-made game. The graphics are very good, with detailed backgrounds, and large well-animated sprites. It's also very english-friendly. Overall, I highly suggest picking it up if you like platformers.

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
English Friendly: 9
Overall: 8.5

howdoin

04-24-2005, 12:13 PM

Ai Go for the PSP - as the title say it is a Go game. It seems good so far but I wish I could read japanese because there is what seems to be a "tutorial" part where you can learn many things about the moves and trategies but it is all in japanese (oviously).

Graphics : 7 (good but it's only a board game so...)
Sounds : 7
Gameplay : 9 (not much to do here)
English Friendly : --- it depends: if you only want to play go then it's easy just start the game and you are in but if you want to benefit from all the submenus and tutorial optons and so on... then you will need knowledge of japanese (extensive).
Overall : 7 (entertaining board game).

InsaneDavid

04-24-2005, 05:51 PM

The Super Dimension Fortress MACROSS: Scrambled Valkyrie (Super Famicom)

Based upon arguably the most influential anime series of all time, (Macross, AKA - the first 1/3rd of Robotech in the US) Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie is a side scrolling shooter with amazing graphics, great play control and an excellent soundtrack. It basically follows the plot line of "Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love?" from start to finish and you have three different valkyrie fighters to choose from, (Hikaru (VF1SOL-S), Max (VF1SOL-A), or Millia (VF1SOL-J)) each with different weapon systems. Each valkyrie has three modes (fighter, gerwalk, and battroid) which change how the weapon systems operate - which in turn can also be beefed up by collecting powerups. You also have a special weapon in the form of the Minmei Cannon which allows you to convert enemy ships into option wingmen - like in G-Darius.

The amount of detail is incredible! From the signature Macross missile swarms, to huge Zentran battleships defolding in the background of debris-cluttered asteroid fields, to your fighter kicking up a spray when flying close to water. How many shooters of this era have realisting weather effects such as rain? The bosses are HUGE, we're talking R-Type size huge, and are incredibly detailed. One mission has you blasting through the inside of the SDF-Macross while concert videos of Minmei play on the internal ship displays. It's a fairly challenging game as well, which is a nice surprise given how quickly these anime games were usually slapped together. Additionally the entire game is in English.. well, "Engrish" I guess you could say.

On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (perfect):

GAMEPLAY: 9.0
GRAPHICS: 10
SOUND: 9.5
ENGLISH FRIENDLY: 10
OVERALL: 9.5

If you have a Super Famicom, sliced the tabs out of your SNES, or are a Macross or shooter fan - you should already have this. It's a shame that the Robotech game on the GBA was that newly constructed train wreck instead of just porting this over and changing the names to the Americanized versions.

Lemmy Kilmister

04-24-2005, 10:44 PM

Sort of been on a quest for all the import Konami "Deluxe Pack" games as of late, so I decided to pick up Detana!! Twin Bee Yahoo! Deluxe Pack for the Saturn next on my list.

Much like Mario Allstars or the recent Megaman Anniversary Collection, Detana!! Twin Bee Yahoo! Deluxe Pack is basically a combination of two classic titles in this somewhat weird and colorful shooting series. In this case it happens to be Deta Na!! Twin Bee which I believe was an early SFC title, and Twin Bee Yahoo! which was a japanese arcade exclusive around 1995 or so. As far as game play goes, both titles play rather similar in the fact you only use two buttons for the controls (one to shoot and the other to drop bombs on grounded opponents) and that you must collect bells for power ups, points, ect. However, it sould be noted that after have playing Twin Bee Yahoo! with its colorful graphics and upbeat music it's kind of hard to go back to the somewhat primitive feeling Deta Na!! and it's over all weaker feel without be somewhat underwhelmed.

That being said I think the game deserves a score of..

GAMEPLAY: 7
GRAPHICS: 8
SOUND: 8
ENGLISH FRIENDLY: 10
OVERALL: 8

they are both excellent games and quite worth the 15 to 20 US dollars you would most likely end up paying for them. Give it a shot next time you're looking for a cheap, good import shooter.

GaijinPunch

04-24-2005, 11:06 PM

Touch! Kirby

GAMEPLAY: 10
GRAPHICS: 9
SOUND: 8
ENGLISH FRIENDLY: 8
OVERALL: 9.5

Fantastic game. Beatiful 2D sprites. A touch-pad only game, much like Catch! Touch! Yoshi! but way better. Much more to do.

It's basically a platformer, and you keep Kirby out of trouble, so to speak. Find medals along the way and "buy" options. Sometimes it's old Kirby songs, sometimes it's something in gameplay, like changing the design of the lines you draw with the stylus (default is rainbow, but I just bought Zebra-skinned).

There's also mini-games between stages, and also time-attack (where you try to get through the stage in the shortest amount of time) and "line" attack (where you try to finish the stage drawing as few lines as possible). Both modes offer medals so you can buy extra stuff.

It comes out in the states in June, but you should really buy the imoprt now. This is the most into a new game I've been in months.

Trevor Belmont

04-25-2005, 01:04 PM

Great idea for a post, Wily. I can't get enough reviews about import games, so hopefully, this thread will become an invaluable resource for those looking to get more involved with the import scene (like me).

I've imported two games recently, Iga Ninden Gaiou and Download II, both for the PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo. I'll give a brief description of each (I've only played them briefly) and my first impressions of each one.

Ida Ninden Gaiou
Pretty interesting game thus far. Started off with a very cool cinematic cutscene (this seems to be standard for a lot of PC Engine Duo games!) which was entirely in Japanese. Didn't have a clue as to what they were saying obviously, but it was nice to watch. The game itself is your standard side-scrolling action game so far with decent graphics and music. The gameplay is straightforward and the game is challenging so far. While it can't compare to Dracula X (then again, what game can?) it's still solid thus far.

Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 7 in game, 9 cutscenes
Sound: 7
English Friendly: 8 (the game is entirely in Japanese, but it's an action game, so the story might not be as integral as an RPG)
Overall: 7.6

Download II
Wow, this game is amazing. That's the first thing that ran in my head when the opening cinematics played out on screen. Very nicely animated. Then the game itself kicked in. Precise controls, good challenge, and some very nice, detailed graphics. And the music ... wow. Very catchy and thrashy during the first boss fight, which was so cool. I usually have a tougher time getting into shooters, since I tend to suck badly at them, but this one kept me coming back. An excellent game overall. This is a game shooter fans shouldn't be without, especially given its affordable price tag.

Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9 in game, 9 cutscenes
Sound: 9.5
English Friendly: 8 (the game is obviously in Japanese, and the story does seem neat ... but the shining gameplay overshadows this a bit)
Overall: 8.9

Both of these games were purchased in the $20-30 range, which are very affordable for PC Engine Duo games. I'd recommend both thus far, especially for the price.

davidbrit2

04-25-2005, 01:30 PM

Beatmania IIDX 9th Style

If you've played the series, you pretty much know what to expect here. The music this time around is up to the usual quality. Though the game feels a lot tougher overall than previous releases. It's also the first home version of Beatmania to use the hi-res interlaced mode of the PS2. But it doesn't support progressive scan like the arcade version, for whatever reason.

The series is generally pretty English friendly. You'll only be missing out on reading a couple song titles here and there, and the instruction text in Beginner mode (which isn't all that necessary anyway).

Overall, if you like Beatmania, you'll like this one as well. If you've never played the series, I'd suggest starting out with an easier one, though, perhaps IIDX 3rd Style for PS2, or even some of the older PS1 Beatmania games.

dj898

04-25-2005, 10:14 PM

...[ok these are gone now]
both complete with spin card and SS SA w/ the sticker too...

and this one for my kid...
... [and this one too]

and my impression will coming up once I managed to find time to play them...
:D

Lemmy Kilmister

04-25-2005, 11:07 PM

A bunch of sexy imports

Damn dude, nice lot! How much did Cotton for MD run you though?

dj898

04-25-2005, 11:13 PM

close to 20000 yen inc. o'cha cup...
sadly the cup's with my daughter now - just hope she doesn't beak it... :(

InsaneDavid

04-26-2005, 02:32 AM

http://img257.echo.cx/img257/9600/p10504382xc.jpg
http://img257.echo.cx/img257/7114/p10504395ws.jpg
http://img241.echo.cx/img241/6157/p10504425eu.jpg
http://img128.echo.cx/img128/1415/dsc001565dn.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)http://img128.echo.cx/img128/634/dsc001575vb.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img128.echo.cx/img128/4978/dsc001581eq.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)http://img128.echo.cx/img128/9071/dsc001593lf.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img128.echo.cx/img128/1865/dsc001605zn.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img121.echo.cx/img121/8030/dsc001623eh.jpg
both complete with spin card and SS SA w/ the sticker too...

and this one for my kid...
http://img83.echo.cx/img83/9895/dsc001614bu.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

and my impression will coming up once I managed to find time to play them...
:D

Those are some great imports, but I think the thread DrWily008 was going for would be brief reviews of the most recent game you imported at the time...

I think this would be a great way to share with your fellow importers on what is hot & what is not. We could post our most recent imports and what we thought of them to the DP gaming community. This will be a good way to help each other save a little cash when considering your next import!

I think the way below (quick paragraph summary and a score for certain categories) would be the best way to do this, but feel free to make suggestions! If this takes off I think it would be a great way to help newcomers into the import scene as well.

I don't think he was looking to turn this into an import finds thread - just slows down the loading for something it wasn't intended to be anyway.

Dimitri

04-26-2005, 04:06 AM

Most recent import: Kujaku Ou 2 (Megadrive) a.k.a. Mystic Defender.

A daft little game with very nice cover art. And boobies! :P

dj898

04-26-2005, 06:00 AM

some more of recent arrivals...
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/5416/dsc001650ol.jpg

and since my Wondermega is stored away and I'm still waiting for MagicKey III I can't play MD carts till then...

I will give Xbox/PS2/GC/SS/DC titles a spin when my kid is gone to bed...

p.s. and don't tell me this picture will slow down the loading since it's just lousy 640x400 picture... :p

Trevor Belmont

05-16-2005, 09:26 PM

Bringing this thread back in hopes that it catches on again ... I thought it was a great idea for a thread and hopefully it will introduce import games to a whole new audience.

Anyway, I received the very rare side-scrolling action game Kaze Kiri today in the mail for the PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo. My thoughts on the game follow below.

Kaze Kiri

This game caught my attention right off the bat with a unique introduction. There is actually no speech during the animated introduction. There are sound effects and neat sounding Japanese drums that serve as background "music," but that's mainly it. There's also no text. The entire story is told through the anime visuals, which I thought was a unique touch.

Then the game starts. Let me start by saying the graphics are very well animated and detailed. The sound effects are great as well. Every clang of the sword and reflection of throwing knives when blocked by an enemy sounds exactly like you think it would. Music is great as well, as with a lot of Duo games.

The controls bothered me a bit. Everything moves smoothly and Kaze flips and jumps around just like a ninja - on foot, however, is another matter entirely. I was surprised that Kaze moved so slowly when walking with him. I would often find myself forward flipping or jumping through the level instead of walking on foot, which would've likely taken me twice as long. Kaze can perform a throw manuever when up close. He can also utilize his ninja sword, but only when in close combat. Throwing knives are used when further away, and, interestingly, each knife thrown takes away a bar from Kaze's life meter. This might sound problematic, but sort of like the Ys series, Kaze can regain his energy when standing still.

The most interesting aspect of this title so far is that instead of making it from point A to point B throughout a level - you actually have to kill a certain amount of enemies before you can progress, which is indicated by a meter at the top right hand portion of the screen. This might sound strange, but it's actually pretty well done.

I'm a bit torn about this game. The graphics and cutscenes are truly extraordinary; same with the music and FX. Some aspects of the controls (flipping, fighting) are satisfying and a blast to use; for example, it's fun tossing a bunch of throwing knives at an enemy, only to have him block all of your throws, forcing you to change your strategy and get in close for the kill with your sword. On the other hand, walking just seemed very slow to me. It might be a small problem to some, but I found it ironic that a ninja would move like he's walking in quicksand.

Recommended if found at a good price. I'm very glad I bought it and am proud to own such a unique and ultimately enjoyable action game. Get it if you can!

Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 9 in game, 9 cutscene
Sound: 9
English Friendly: 9.5
Overall Average: 8.7

PS1Expert

05-16-2005, 09:44 PM

Most recent import is Gunpey Puzzle something for PS1. How it plays: dunno. It'll take a year before I actually remove it from the case. However, with luck, some more imports PS1 titles will be coming soon! Muahahaha. One of them you guys should be surprised at.

Fuyukaze

05-17-2005, 02:38 AM

For the past 3-4 weeks I have been giving Iron D a run for his money on Saturn import colecting. I will stick to the most recent purchases, or to be more specific, those that have arived. Today that would be Desire, Daytona USA, and Find Love 2.

Desire is a game, that realy isnt much of a game. From the hour I have spent playing it, its very text heavy and features plenty of conversation selection. For the average american gamer, and even for some hard core gamers, this is a serious turn off. I myself find it an interesting change of pace as it lets the player get up and leave for breaks while playing it. Though I cant help but wonder what can of worms I opened when I bought it as I have no decent understanding of the Japanese language, and honestly it looks a bit adult in nature. Perhaps playing it in front of the family is a bad idea? To rate it honestly, is beyond my means as my lack of language skills would prevent me from ever understanding the story. I would definitly recomend it to people who have a great understanding of the language and enjoy story driven games as the charcter designs are incredable and the voice acting is well done.

Find Love 2
I must admit, even after an hour of game play, I am still lost as to what I am doing, why I am doing it, and what the entire point of the game. I believe my best hint lies somewheres in the name as it appears you are dating 3 girls at the same time. The charcters look nice, and the voice work sounds good as well, but I have even less of a clue over this then I do with Desire. Help would actualy be apreciated.

Daytona USA
When this game got a NA release, I passed on it as I hated the Saturn at the time. When it got a DC release, I still passed on it as I felt there were better out on the DC. Now that I have it, years later after any form of review for it is a moot point, I consider it a decent if not great game. The selection in cars leaves much to be desired, but the controls are very well done. The graphics look dated compared to most racing games on curent systems, but on whole, I would recomend it to anyone looking for a fun racing game where they just wanted to have fun and not worry about the fine tuning of their engine.

Next Post(s) will cover the following....
Giga Wing (DC)
Saturn Bomber Man (Saturn)
Galactic attack (Saturn)
Tokimeki Memorial (Super Famicon)

joshnickerson

05-20-2005, 10:58 PM

Bonk's Adventure for the Cube.

I borrowed a friend's TG-16 last year and I fell in love with Bonk's Adventure, so I decided to import the Cube remake. And you know what? I love the Cube version better than the original. Hudson tweaked stuff just enough to iron out any wrinkles and really give you a condensed, fun experience.

8 out of 10.

drwily008

05-21-2005, 12:46 AM

Courtesy of a deal I got from GaijinPunch (thanks man :D ):

Popful Mail Demo for PC Engine

This is the original verison of the "anime styled" action RPG. I think this version is great and while the full version of the game is quite expensive, I totally think it is worth getting.

First thing you will notice about this game if you ever played the Sega CD version, is they are alot different. The gameplay mechanics are tradition FALCOM style. Mail (main characters name) plays like a side-scolling Adol (of the Y's series). She doesn't swing her sword just runs into them strategically. I like the controls quite a bit, but if you didn't dig on Y's stay away.

Second the game is overly easy. I'm not so good at games but I blew through the bosses with style. People I had a tough time in the Sega CD version I would DESTROY on my first try in the PC Engine version.

Third graphics are different, not worse mind you, just smaller sprites. Anime cut scenes were in almost full screen and very fluid.

Overall a very worthy cause if you can afford it (the full version). I'm not sure but I think this demo is the full version. I played a long ways in but never saw any signs of an end. Possibly this "demo" is an in store display disc for the kiosks and their Duo's shut off after a certain time?

Gameplay: 9 (if you like Y's and I sure as hell do ;) )
Graphics: 7.5 in game 8 cutscenes
Sound: 6
English Friendly: 9
Overall Average: 8.5

klausien

05-21-2005, 11:37 PM

Well I finally treated myself to Gradius Gaiden (was waiting for a first print to show up on eBay for a while) and it was worth the wait.

Ed Oscuro

05-22-2005, 04:41 PM

Popful Mail Demo for PC Engine

This is the original verison of the "anime styled" action RPG.
You sure that wasn't the NEC PC-9801 version?

Oh yeah, my most recent was a minty nice copy of Iga Ninden Gaoh, also a PC-Engine CD-ROM game. Very smooth soundtrack, not too stunning but listenable, yes. For some reason Magic Engine doesn't want to play the sound (I've got ForceASPI installed, wonder if that did it?), so I'll have to mess around with it.

drwily008

05-23-2005, 01:16 AM

Popful Mail Demo for PC Engine

This is the original verison of the "anime styled" action RPG.
You sure that wasn't the NEC PC-9801 version?

I don't know why I didn't clarify...it is for the PC Engine DUO, not just the PC Engine. If there was an earlier version I didn't know about it.

Lord Contaminous

06-06-2005, 10:18 AM

Akumajou Dracula XX/Castlevania Dracula Xj (Super Famicom)

I finally got it!!!!

After 11 failed attempts at it on ebay.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/Youkai525/SuperFami60405.jpg

Right in the middle. Before, I made a "Reserved for ADXX" sign and put it in the middle. But now I got the void filled.

drwily008

06-06-2005, 11:30 AM

Lemmy Kilmister

06-06-2005, 08:56 PM

I was surprised that Kaze moved so slowly when walking with him. I would often find myself forward flipping or jumping through the level instead of walking on foot, which would've likely taken me twice as long.

You can make Kaze run by holding diagonally up and left/right depending what diretion you want him to run in. Though it's kind of too late for that info now, isn't it. ;)

Lord Contaminous

06-07-2005, 01:45 PM

Akumajou Dracula XX/Castlevania Dracula Xj (Super Famicom)

I finally got it!!!!

After 11 failed attempts at it on ebay.

Right in the middle. Before, I made a "Reserved for ADXX" sign and put it in the middle. But now I got the void filled.

Nice haul! Was that all in one buy or period of time?

Please let us know how they are after you've gotten a chance to play them! Post it here.

No, I've had most of the SFC games over the past few years. Got the Super Famicom system 2 or 3 months ago. Just that ADXX was my most recent addition.

Also got a PC Engine Duo-R system in yesterday. It's "D-Litized". Hucard region barriers broken. Lemme tell ya, it's great to be back in the PC Engine/Turbo scene. I mean now that I have Dracula X Rondo of Blood, I can shift my interest toward Japanese Hucards.

OK back to the subject at hand, here's some small comments on my most recent SFC game.

Akumajou Dracula XX. While this Castlevania gets alot of bum raps especially by people who experienced Rondo of Blood, I still love this game. I know Richter moves slower and the frames of his walking animation are a little too fast. But I did notice that when you do more jumping, it moves at Rondo speed.

For the fact that 95% of the game's music came from Rondo of Blood, I personally think the tunes sound pretty good for being on cartridge. As long as it's note for note.

Aussie2B

06-07-2005, 04:16 PM

Well, it's been a couple months since I got it, but my most recently acquired import is Radiata Stories for PS2.

The story revolves around the hero Jack, a young boy who gets wrapped up in a war taking place in a world in which the humans and the non-humans are enemies. Everything gets more complicated with the addition of dragon spirits protecting each race. The overall plot is kind of simplistic, but the main characters are really endearing, and considering there's a cast of 177 recruitable characters it's amazing that so many of them are actually very likable.

The graphics are in an absolutely beautiful storybook style, and the characters are slightly chibi. It's seriously one of the prettiest games I've played.

The music is by Noriyuki Iwadare, and in addition to being wonderfully composed, it's also some of the most fitting music I have ever heard in a game. It just matches the light-hearted, humorous feel of the game so well. A lot of people don't like it because they were expecting more Motoi Sakuraba progressive rock in this tri-Ace title, but I'm glad they tried something new and fresh.

The battles somewhat resemble those in Star Ocean 3, since they're real-time and the other characters are controlled by AI, but it's more simplistic. You only directly control Jack, and there isn't tons of different special moves (8 different normal attacks you can choose and combine in different orders for each weapon type, 1 special move for each weapon type, and 1 super move for each weapon type). What's really nice is that you can give specific directions on the fly to your other party members.

Whether or not you like it comes down to what you expect from it. If you're looking for an RPG that focuses on the story or the battles, you're better off looking elsewhere, but if you want an immersing "real" world with a large population of characters to interact with, each going through their time-based day-to-day routines, it's great. If you enjoyed the worlds in Shenmue and Majora's Mask and their time systems, you should enjoy Radiata Stories. If those games didn't appeal to you, this likely won't either.

Overall, Radiata Stories isn't my favorite tri-Ace game, but it's still extremely good. I'd give it a 10 out of 10 because it seriously has become one of my very favorite games. I normally play tri-Ace games for the innovative, challenging battle systems, but in this game, I fell in love with the creative methods of character interaction and recruitment. It truly feels like a real, fleshed-out world.

It's not very English-friendly obviously, but it's not too hard to figure out what to do compared to most RPGs since the map often marks where you need to go. With knowledge of katakana and a little trial and error, it's easily beatable and enjoyable. Or you can just wait for the US release later this year. :P

tritium

06-22-2005, 11:49 AM

Dreamcast
Black Matrix A/D [JP]

Its pretty interesting for a strategy rpg. I didnt' have to read much to understand more or less what was going on in the beginning.

Does NOT work with boot disc, I had to buy a JP dc to play it, since I burned out my mod chip. Same as Sakura Taisen 3, needs JP or mod chip system.

dj898

06-22-2005, 08:52 PM

PS2 Tetsujin 28 from play-asia when they were selling it at discount price... and my copy of PC Engine Crazy Hospital should be on its way...

mb7241

06-23-2005, 02:13 AM

Fuyukaze

06-23-2005, 02:32 AM

Well, now that I have the time its time for reviews part 2!

Saturn Bomber Man (Saturn) PAL
Its a bomberman game. That should say it all, yet somehow I never knew bomberman could be so fun again. For the most part I tend to ignore most of the games in this series as so often they all play the same. Lay a bomb, run like hell. For some reason this game is rather adictive.

Tokimeki Memorial (Super Famicon)
This game has left me rather puzzled. For a series I want to like so much, I still have no idea what I'm doing or why I am trying to do it. Even with an extremly basic understanding of the language I will still strive to play it. Maybe one day I'll know what I'm doing.

Ranma 1/2 Kakuren Bodesu Match(Gameboy)
While its rather simple for a gameboy game, its actualy nice for one based on an anime series. The inbetween stage are gppd while the ingame graphics are bland for most of the game so far that I can see. The biggest problem I have with the game is that each stage basicly feels the same. Sure, the graphics may differ between some items, but its the same game in any of the 5 stages. Push blocks, break boxs, blah blah, repeat again. Also each stage is broken into an unknown number of levels. I say unknown as I have reached the 9th of most and yet to finish them. It's a game with great potential but fails to do anything beyond a decent anime themed game. As a game its weak. As an anime themed game, its probly as good as I can expect on the GB. The best thing about it is that the music. While no masterpiece I found it to be much like background music in the anime series.

Ranma 1/2 Netsuretsu Kakutouhen (Gameboy)
While its another Ranma 1/2 game, it differes greatly from the above by being an action sidescrolling game. Great graphics, but the language barrier left me playing nearly half an hour before I stumbled on how to get hot water. Finding the first person to fight (as well as the second who I suspect is Ryoga) took a long time as well. I suspect the game has a save feature but I have yet to be able to use it.

Tron 2.0

07-02-2005, 02:55 PM

PCE
:D Sapphire :D

Been waiting to play this for a long time.

Lemmy Kilmister

07-02-2005, 03:43 PM

Just got complete copies of Grandia II and Grandia II Special Package (both for the Japanese Dreamcast) in the mail today as part of a trade. Not too bad, really... The trade was those two plus Lunar: The Silver Star (Sega CD; 7th disc art) for my Intelligent Qube (PS1) and Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy (NES).

Glad you're happy with 'um. :D

PCE
Big Smile Sapphire Big Smile

Been waiting to play this for a long time.

OH SHIT!! @_@ Too sweet, man.

E Nice

07-02-2005, 06:28 PM

I just got DreamMix TV World Fighters for Gamecube not to long ago. Haven't pkayed it much. Japanese heavy menu text. I'm a bit dissapointed with the background graphics. Looks pretty average and was expecting a bit more. Mostly got it because Simon Belmont is a charatcer in it, not to mention you can also play as Optimus Prime, with Megatron as an unlockable. One of the backgrounds has Devestator in it but he's yellow, not green. :hmm:

Lord Contaminous

07-02-2005, 06:34 PM

Double Dragon II (PC Engine Super CD ROM 2). Port of the arcade game rather than the NES.

howdoin

07-03-2005, 11:11 AM

Intelligent License for PSP

Entertaining "IQ test"/Game : basically just some puzzle where you have to push boxes and avoid guards to make it out safely outside of a room under a certain time. Fail to do so and you get negaive point (once the timer as reached 0 that's it no retry).
At the end of the game you get a score based on how quick you solved the puzzles and how many times you had to try.
You can then post your score online to see how "intelligent" you are compared to the rest of the world.

(so far the Japanese, French and Swiss are on top).

Decent graphics, forgetable music, good controls - weird camera.

Still a good experience on average. The game was more involving than I thought and I was surpised to see that I ranked over 5hours when I turned it off.

7/10

Leroy

07-05-2005, 08:19 AM

I've also got a Sapphire on the way!

I need to get an Arcade Card before I can play it! ARGH!

dj898

07-05-2005, 08:47 AM

haven't updated for a while now...
so here are some of my latest pick ups...
well three (Hi-Leg Fantasy, Crazy Hospital and Aikagi) but I've to take the whole lot to update my collection page so...
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6618/p10504717se.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10504717se.jpg)http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/7881/p10504725tw.th.jpg (http://img234.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10504725tw.jpg)http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/2282/p10504736ka.th.jpg (http://img234.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10504736ka.jpg)

Lemmy Kilmister

07-05-2005, 02:15 PM

dj898

07-05-2005, 07:02 PM

Lemmy Kilmister

07-05-2005, 11:08 PM

here's rather good review...

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/turbocd/review/R46797.html

still I wouldn't score it 10/10 - imho no game can be good enough to be 10/10... :p

make sure you have either PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo or PC Engine+SuperCD-ROM module...

Damn.. 150 to 300 bucks for the game? I knew it was semi rare but not THAT pricey. How much did you end up paying for it?

Lord Contaminous

07-05-2005, 11:19 PM

I wanna see some screens of Hi-Leg Fantasy.

dj898

07-05-2005, 11:31 PM

$294 for complete mint copy inc. card, obi and etc. Shiawaseusagi series though took me almost six years to track them down though didn't cost that much - $100 each. I'm still short of two from the series from what I heard.

it's not as expensive as some other PC Engine titles...
some goes for $500+ for factory sealed copy

for screen shots go to this site...

http://www.pcecp.com/

dj898

07-05-2005, 11:33 PM

double post :(

Lord Contaminous

07-06-2005, 11:56 AM

ehhh maybe a battle screen would be nice, but as long as I saw something.

rhiohki

07-07-2005, 09:17 AM

Just bought this off DA Bay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8202790050&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

Been wanting a complete copy of this game for a while. Can't way to play this thing and see what the hype is all about.

MarHel78

07-08-2005, 05:22 AM

My latest import is Philosoma, US NTSC, for Playstation. Got it off ebay for 1 Euro, because it was listed in the electronics category. :D

Lord Contaminous

07-09-2005, 01:58 PM

Guilty Gear XX #Reload (PC)

Just got a new laptop yesterday and it plays so much better on my LT than the DT. Video card stuff I guess.

DTJAAAAMJSLM

07-09-2005, 11:35 PM

Wonder Project J and Skweek.

Aussie2B

07-10-2005, 12:50 AM

Wonder Project J and Skweek.

Wonder Project J is an absolutely wonderful game. :) I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, you should look into the N64 sequel Wonder Project J2, which I think is even better than the original.

LiquidPolicenaut

07-10-2005, 08:58 AM

I just received Lunar Magic School for the Saturn and Panzer Bandit for the PSOne this week :)

Yamazaki

07-10-2005, 09:06 AM

Abut 20 new PC Engine Games. Among them: Kaze Kiri, LindaCube and Hi-Leg Fantasy.

Since I'm living atm in Japan you cant really call them imports.

IcewynG

07-10-2005, 05:43 PM

Last one I got was Racing Lagoon for the PSX. A nice game, but current-gen consoles have tons of those types of racers now...

bargora

07-15-2005, 01:37 PM

My Sin and Punishment arrived in the mail yesterday. Unfortunately, I only noticed it on the doorstep as I was going to bed, and I still need to hack out my N64's region lockout tabs, so I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Trevor Belmont

07-22-2005, 08:19 PM

Received Nekketsu Oyako today in the mail for the Sega Saturn. I was able to play through the first few stages so I could give some initial impressions. Here goes:

Wow, this is one weird game. It's a beat-'em-up through and through, with some weird foes tossed in. So far I've fought water blobs, octopus', and little girls who run onto the screen and throw bombs at me. The first stage seemed normal enough ... then the second stage comes along. I found myself fighting inside of a whale. Yes, that's right. Side-scrolling from left to right, beating up bad guys in a whale's mouth/stomach. Eventually water shoots through the whale and deposits you through its blowhole, where you then fight on top of the whale. Crazy stuff, like I said.

Graphically this game isn't too impressive. That being said, everything runs decently until a lot of action is on the screen, then some slowdown occurs. Other than that the graphics are solid, but look like they could be done on a SNES (with some exceptions).

I really liked the music. It's tough to describe, but I found myself humming along. Good stuff here, IMO.

Gameplay wise was solid, too. There's your standard special move, rush attack, combos, and, with the character I was, I was able to jump kick one guy, bounce off of his head, and kick another guy behind me, which was a cool little move. With this character I was also able to perform a combo move with my rush attack, another nice bonus.

Along the way you pick up a variety of crazy power ups: from Sega Saturn systems, to uzis, to beer, (although my character wasn't allowed, since he was underage; whenever I would try to pick the beer up, it'd say "adults only.") which I thought was amusing.

Overall I'd recommend this game to beat-'em-up fans. You really can't go wrong, as this game is completely off-the-wall, but has all of the beat-'em-up sensibilities any fan would enjoy. Casual fans of the genre might not appreciate this as much, but I thought it was a nice change of pace from the serious beat-'em-up. I was able to get it for almost $40 shipped, so it won't break the bank either, as I'm sure better deals can be found.

Overall:
GAMEPLAY: 8 (Solid beat'-em-up mechanics)
GRAPHICS: 7 (Colorful sprites, little else)
SOUND: 9 (I liked the music a lot)
ENGLISH FRIENDLY: N/A (No real story to be found; Japanese not a necessity)
OVERALL: 8

Yamazaki

07-24-2005, 04:16 PM

PCE:

Bodyconquest 2
Tennokoe Bank
Moonlight Lady
Seiya Monogatari
Bazaru de Gozaru
Shinsetsu Shiawase Usagi 2 OVP!!
Sexy Idol Majong
Private Eyedol
Solid Force (Argh! habs bereits, hab das aber vergessen!!)
Sol Monarge
The Manhole
Fausette Amour
Gunhed special version

PC-FX:
Can Can Bunny Extra DX
Battel Heat

Dreamcast:
Virtua Striker 2 2000
Proyakyuu Team tsukurou!
Marionette Handler
Pro Soccer Club tsukurou!

Metal Slug 1st NGP

dj898

07-24-2005, 07:36 PM

PCE:

Shinsetsu Shiawase Usagi 2 OVP!!

Wow!
another one with this one. :p
I have five titles from the series so far...
how many do you have mate?

also got Crazy Hospital or Hi-Leg Fantasy yet? he he

Yamazaki

07-25-2005, 10:55 AM

Is the only part I have. Don't think though I will find any other sealed ones.

Have also Hi-Leg Fantasy. After seeing the pics in my PCE-Database I decided I want SSU!!

StealthLurker

07-26-2005, 01:32 AM

Is the only part I have. Don't think though I will find any other sealed ones.

Have also Hi-Leg Fantasy. After seeing the pics in my PCE-Database I decided I want SSU!!

Oh you guys you.... lol. I'm sorry but cartoons just don't do it for me, if ya know what I mean. LOL

.

dj898

07-26-2005, 01:49 AM

yea but those are three figure titles and really for the collection than playing coz they suck play wise... :p

MuppetMaster

07-29-2005, 06:28 AM

I came home from work to find a package or two waiting for me.Heres what i got!

Cyberbots SS-this game rocks
DOA SS
Grandia SS
LastBronx SS

dj898

07-29-2005, 06:39 AM

these just turned up... :D
sadly though I won't have time to do with any of these since I will be on holiday next week... :(

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3442/p10504890xv.th.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10504890xv.jpg)
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8096/p10504905lf.th.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10504905lf.jpg)

StealthLurker

07-29-2005, 12:00 PM

My recent arrivals....

http://s9.invisionfree.com/Sega_Spetsnaz/index.php?showtopic=686
http://s9.invisionfree.com/Sega_Spetsnaz/index.php?showtopic=702

.

tuxedojoe

07-29-2005, 10:06 PM

I just received these two little gems today:

http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=att&disp=attd&attid=0.1&th=1056570ebe72c05d
Puyo Puyo Sun (a puzzler... how can you call yourself a real gamer if you haven't played some Puyo Puyo)
Detana Twinbee Deluxe Pack (a cutesy vertical SHMUP)

I apologize for the poor image quality; it was taken with my camera phone. I can't seem to locate my regular digital camera right now (as we are in the midst of a move).

By the by, I really recommend them both. They're AMAZING games![/url]

MattyXB

07-31-2005, 08:11 PM

The last one for me was Willow (NES NTSC Prototype).
Its Import for me, because I life in germany. The Game is from USA. And I have buy it from Switzerland. LOL

MrSmiley381

08-02-2005, 09:03 PM

I recently got Devil Summoner for the Saturn. You know, it's actually quite easy to pick up, especially for an RPG. It's the same MegaTen gameplay; first-person dungeons, with a bit more smooth scrolling. Demons can be convinced to join you, as per usual. Using special moves looks badass as well. And, as for the FMV, it's implemented into scenes perfectly. Back to the fact that it's an RPG, you can usually figure out what items do what very easily. The only problem is converting demons - not knowing Japanese here is what screws you up. I have the guide, too. That's in Japanese, but is actually quite good to use!

GAMEPLAY: 9.5
GRAPHICS: 9.5
SOUND: 8.5
ENGLISH FRIENDLY: 8.0
OVERALL: 9.0

MarHel78

08-04-2005, 09:31 AM

It turned out that 2 games I got on a flea market last weekend are imports, although nothing special:

Al Unser Jr. Racing, NES, US
Journey to Silius, NES, Italy

Therefore, I took apart my NES last night and modded it for imports.

Drexel923

08-04-2005, 01:07 PM

Just got another Japanese Saturn game in the mail today from Ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=8207831687&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

The much acclaimed Bulk Slash (well at least on this site). And after playing a bit, I can definitely say it was a wise purchase. What a great game...there is a good bit of variety here and all of it is done well. That and the bosses are cool 8-) LOL

:D :D

TurboGenesis

08-07-2005, 05:43 PM

Picked up a used Thunder Force gold pack 1 (Sega Saturn) for $14.00. Got home and found the registration and spine card inside the manual!

Also just ordered Twinkle Star Sprites for PS2. Hope to have it by next weekend.

Drexel923

08-08-2005, 06:53 PM

Picked up my first GBC import, which is also my first ever PAL game:

Elevator Action EX

This game is great, even so for me since I love Elevator Action. It's basically a bridge between EA on the GB and EA Returns on the Saturn. The game looks like its B&W counterpart, but has 3 playable characters, tons of levels, and new weapons and enemies (these lean towards the Saturn version). If your looking for one of the handheld versions, this is the one you should get.

Picked mine up for $25 shipped and I'm glad I did :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=8207801546&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

Now the reason why I linked the ebay auction above. I just want to say that these guys I bought the game from rock. This was my first time ordering from the UK and I'll definitely be ordering again from them. They answered my question quickly and nicely (which is important), but the packing really impressed me. Since its a GBC game I expected it to be shipped in a padded envelope. I decided not to pay for insured mail as it would have been almost as much as the game itself, and was a little worried that the game may come crushed. When I opened the package I was quite relieved...they surrounded the game with stiff cardboard, which protected the game amazingly and prevented it from being bent. The game is flawless. As you can see I'm very impressed. ;) So, why did I type all that...buy from these guys and you won't be dissapointed (unless they fuck up your order or something :P LOL)

ubersaurus

08-08-2005, 07:04 PM

Last one for me was Trizeal for Dreamcast, back in June.

dj898

08-11-2005, 04:53 AM

just came in today...
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8781/p81100182et.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81100182et.jpg)http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/1741/p81100170og.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81100170og.jpg)

*2nd picture is Dreamcast memo pad that I gave to missus - well rather when she saw it she took it and unwrapped it for use... :(

roushimsx

08-11-2005, 06:08 PM

My most recent imports are:

Gigawing Generations
Minna Daisuki Katamari Damacy
Mushihimesama Limited Edition
Simple 2000 Vol 81: The Chikyuu Boueigun Vol 2
Taito Memories Joukan

Going to lay off the importing for a month or two since this one hit the wallet pretty hard. Next order will probably be Raiden III, Oz, Taito Memories Gekan, and whatever else looks good at the time.

dj898

08-12-2005, 05:49 AM

some more stuff shown up when I got back from work... :D

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/8421/p81200213go.th.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81200213go.jpg)http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6884/p81200222xa.th.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81200222xa.jpg)http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6234/p81200234jc.th.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81200234jc.jpg)
circuit board is SFC protoboard. No idea what's on it though...

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4861/p81200251lt.th.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81200251lt.jpg)http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2395/p81200265xj.th.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p81200265xj.jpg)
Hanshin Hello Kitty toy is for my kid... :D

OT:
and Master Grade (1/100 scale) Gundam kit that I finished after starting eons ago - actually before I got married... Had to put aside for a year and half before picking up again few months back... been busy working at night for 10-20 minutes after missus gone to bed... :D (also along the way had to repaint in Max style though not quite happy with the result... after all it was my first attempt anyway) Also did bit of customization - ditching the shield and putting extra nozzle where the beam sabers are used to be... and slightly different colour scheme...

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/8334/rx783gundam7ca.th.jpg (http://img293.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rx783gundam7ca.jpg)

dj898

08-12-2005, 05:49 AM