Steven's Obscure Super Famicom Impressions Thread (Top 50 countdown + closing remarks) [Archive]

Steven

09-08-2006, 11:26 PM

You ever been curious about a game for 12 years?

I have.

This is my game.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/e2dbc09e.png

No clue still? Read on...

I still remember that bright sunny day in May '94 when the latest EGM issue arrived in the mail # 60 June 1994. You know, back when EGM was in its prime there was nothing compared to finding that brand new EGM issue sitting in your mailbox. It was like Christmas morning to me, it was THAT good.

Mortal Kombat II coming out on the home systems was the big thing at the time, and summer was mere weeks away. It was a hell of a time to be a ten year old kid :)

January 2006. It was the Winter Break before my final college semester as an undergrad. I suddenly longed to get back into the Super Nintendo scene. Had a lot of fun collecting old favorites and gems I missed out back in the day and all that. Then, at some point I remembered that one day in May of 1994...

And I recall that May day like it was only last week....

Flipping excitedly through the magazine, there it was on page 76.

The game that would laugh at me for a dozen years...

http://photos.friendster.com/photos/99/54/25954599/3404583923658l.jpg
BLAM!

I loved Godzilla, I loved fighting games. It was a match made in Heaven.

Only one problem. Of course.

I was raking in a grand total of 2 dollars a week, and the game, being an enchanted import, seemed simply unattainable. Nowadays "import" is just another version of a game, but back then it held a certain mystique. You drooled at the cool ads and previews and knew if anyone owned those games, in those times, that they were truly, unequivocably HARDCORE.

So how does GODZILLA: KAIJUU DAI KESSEN stack up?

The answer: pretty damn good, indeed.

You're not going to find many combos or a whole lot of finesse, but considering the material it's fitting since these are giant monsters, not life-long train-around-the-clock karate masters. The game relies on special moves a lot.

X=Weak Attack
Y=Strong Attack
B=Hold (grapple then press varying D-Pad combinations i.e. D, F to toss or bite)
A=Dash

There are two bars to keep your eyes on. The Stun Meter and the WRATH SPIRIT.
When hit, your stun meter below your energy bar increases. When full, you will be out cold on the ground temporarily. At the bottom of the screen is an icon of your chosen monster. Anytime you get hit, it fills up. When full your monster will flash red and remain so until:

1. You get stun

or

2. You execute your WRATH move

WRATH is basically "Desperation Move," which became very common place in fighting games post-1993. Like many other fighting games, WRATH moves can inflict INCREDIBLY wicked damage, and instantly change the tide of a match.

Also, when your monster is flashing red, attack damage (whether regular or special moves) nearly double. So there is some basic strategy of whether you want to go for your WRATH move right away or take some time to use the extra power to your advantage. Nothing is worse than going for your WRATH move at an ill-advised time only to have the enemy cancel it causing you to lose your WRATH and extra power. That there may well decide the outcome of a match: who is able to handle their WRATH status properly.

There are 8 fighters selectable in the 1P mode. 9 in VS with two unlockable characters. Without further ado let's meet the monsters

GODZILLA
Like Ryu (except without a Hurricane Kick or Dragon Punch) Godzilla is the main character of the cast and a solid all-around choice. He is ideal for beginners or experts.
WRATH: Hyper Atomic Ray (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvp-7j2gvLg)
Damage: 46% (55% if up close, this also will stun the opponent)
Godzilla's body surges orange hues as he unleashes his devastating death blow. You'd have bad breath too if you slept for years!

KING GHIDORAH
This huge 3-headed menace is an absolutely overpowering brute and a strong choice for beginning players. He has some really neat stuff he can dish out, for example, his laser beam can go LOW (right head), MIDDLE (middle head) OR HIGH (left head). D, DF, F, attack... as he revs up, hold down for low, nothing for middle, and up for high. Tap attack rapidly and Ghidorah's 3 heads will pound the opponent silly.
WRATH: Gravity Storm (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqGHWBMhqsc)
Damage: 60% (68% if full-on)
One of the game's most damaging WRATH attacks, Ghidorah unleashes Death From Above. Get caught in this and kiss it good-bye.

ANGUIRUS
Staying true to source material, the spiked-wonder has no projectiles and is the only monster in the game with none. Known for his fighting spirit and catapulting his spiked shell at monsters, it will take an experienced player to use him effectively.
WRATH: Rolling Thunder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvLkJBlwkCk)
Damage: 45%
Not the strongest WRATH move and quite easy to see coming... poor guy.

BIOLLANTE
What a hulking mass... a very impressive sprite. Bio holds the unique quality in that it cannot jump, just like in the 1989 movie. I found it difficult to control a bit; definitely for experts like Anguirus.
WRATH: Acidic Shower (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TFMjJ3AHR8)
Damage: 55%
Very cool looking, does considerable damage and the two vines go out around 3/4 the screen.

GIGAN
His laser eye beam exists! (G-Fans will get that). The most combo-friendly monster of them all, and the only one with a Dragon Punch (it's actually more of a Flash Kick). A fun easy fighter with many multiple attacks.
WRATH: Buzzsaw Blitz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weoHnZwOSSc)
Damage: 53%
Gigan charges up to 1/2 the screen and unloads a blitzkrieg. Unblockable.

MEGALON
Like Gigan and Godzilla, an all-around easy-to-control monster. Has a torpedo-like attack that can also be done in the air. When you hold on Strong Attack, Megalon's driller-like hands will spin and can score you about 4 solid hits.
WRATH: Armageddon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7w3qkjAt1s)
Damage: 64% (88% recorded on Biollante!!!)
Perhaps the strongest move in the game, it's a blessing it's also real easy to avoid! I was stunned that on Biollante it caused 88% damage! Holy smokes (no pun intended). In the link there Bio goes for his WRATH move as well, but check out how Megalon's bombs will RIP Bio's vines to shreds... beautiful. Armageddon best saved for when you have your opponent down and stunned!

MOTHRA
I never liked Mothra back in the day, or today. Just never got into her. But she's fun to use here. The only monster to constantly fly, she is also unique because she can't defend herself. She is also the other character (other than the 2nd-to-last boss) to have two WRATH moves. Mothra has a unique magic powder dust special move that prevents projectiles and if you're next to the cloud and throw a projectile -- you'll be damaged by your own projectile! Check out the Dark Echo WRATH move to see an old friend.....
WRATH: Cosmic Seal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_sLEUHiF_4)
Damage: 44%
Weak but really easy to implement. Trade-off.
WRATH: Dark Echo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrrmXbn0kDo)
Damage: 69%
Very powerful and very satisfying if you can connect when they have low health, as the "aftershock effect" is just so sweet. Check out the cameo here... good stuff.

MECHAGODZILLA
Force field, missiles, laser eye beams, chest beam, flight -- all the powers you saw in the 1974 and 1975 movies are here. Many G-Fans to this day prefer this pot belly version over its 1993 contemporary. Myself included.
WRATH: Violence Party (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8ft2pS9L6I)
Damage: 55% + stuns opponent (that is, if everything hits)
Poor Anguirus. MechaGodzilla unloads his arsenal. Check out the missiles hitting Angy on the way down. That's gotta suck.

BOSSES

There are three bosses, the last two you can only fight in EXPERT mode. The 1st boss is immediately selectable in 2P. The other 2 are unlockable with codes.

MECHAGODZILLA II
The 1993 contemporary, a machine built by humans to counteract Godzilla's ever present threat to Japan. This sleeker model has an impressive array of techni-color moves and fireworks.
WRATH: Blitzkrieg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ee6Rt-hnuo)
Damage: 40%
The weakest WRATH in the game. Like Gigan, charges about 1/2 the screen and is unblockable. MG II shows off his agile attacks in this 12-hit non-projectile barrage.

SUPER MECHAGODZILLA
Essentially MG II but equipped with the Garuda ship for added extra firepower (as if he needed any help to begin with!) He's the other fighter to have two WRATH moves but one is the same ole Blitzkrieg. The other is done when he has the Garuda on his shoulder, and is sheer hell in a handbasket.
WRATH: Godzilla Crusher (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDlo9VvOEa0)
Damage: 70%
Unblockable, rushes you. Pray he doesn't catch you. Super MechaGodzilla lights up the night sky with some impressive fireworks.

GUOTEN
The final boss. Disappointing choice for me, personally. The Guoten originally appeared in Toho's Atragon. In 2005 it was renamed the Atragon and appeared in the final Godzilla movie.... Godzilla: Final Wars.
Can King Ghidorah overcome the pesky Guoten? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEixk3gZ75w)

misc notes
-----
This fighter, hands down, has the bloody best looking "projectile nullifying" of them all
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/b20b72df.png

random pics
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/14dca98d.png
he's "red with envy" he doesn't have one... har har

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/e62d1df2.png
That settles the controversy

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/0f5b4e15.png
That just ain't right

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/bfe23441.png
Look ma! No strings! Megalon quickly evades a dangerous WRATH attack

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/90cf2209.png
too bad for Godzilla he can't say the same

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/fe099466.png
Love the lightning. When these two hook up with no slowdown, it's mighty impressive.

-Speaking of which, no slowdown in this game whatsoever

-1P mode has 3 difficulty levels: practice, hard or expert. No real endings. On Expert you battle Super Mech instead of Mech II, then you battle Guoten. Even on practice, the challenge is pretty decent. You might get slaughtered for a bit though, til you get the hang of it.

-2P mode has options of 1-5 handicap, time limit on/off and stage select.

-Want an awesome FAQ for this game? All you'll ever need: Movelist and more (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/game/581809.html)

-JP language required? None. Game menu's all in English, no victory quotes because, er, well, these monsters can't talk (forget about that Godzilla vs. Gigan dub for a second...) Only JP really is the characters' short bio and stage select

-In 1P mode, you face the 7 other monsters and have the choice of selecting who where. This is a pretty cool feature most fighters do not have

-However, once you pick a monster in 1P mode, no matter what you're stuck with that monster until you Game Over (continues are infinite)

-All the monsters (sans Biollante/Mothra) when jumping give you the option of holding down + attack to aim downward. (i.e. Megalon jumps and drills the air, or with down+attack Megalon will attack with his feet)

-This is like the sequel to the Duo version, which suffered from having only two buttons -- one of which was used to jump. Thankfully jumping is simply pressing up here. This game doesn't have a huge moveset, but it's far more than the limited Duo version

-Only Dragon Punch command in the game belongs to Gigan's Flash Kick

-Godzilla, Megalon, Mech, King Ghidorah and Gigan can all perform their projectiles in mid-air

-The longer you hold down attack, the longer the projectile will be, but also the longer it will take for it to come out

-The moves are straight out of the movie, with some re-imagined (i.e. Gigan's Flash Kick). I'm glad Toho did not give Godzilla an uppercut just because of fighting game main character status quo-disease. They look great, animate well and it's like they jumped straight out of their movies -- this easily could have been a half-assed game so I give the guys major props for doing the name justice

-Holds are a bit tough to get down, but worth the effort

-Some stages have destroyable buildings and such (that magically repair for round 2 as well)

-MechaGodzilla II's Plasma Cannon in the '93 movie, is in the game, and again, a great nod from Toho to G-Fans... this game is as authentic as can be! Check the vid at the bottom to see MG II's Plasma Cannon in action

----

If you're a G-Fan you will love this game. If you only like fighters but don't particularly care for the Big Guy and his cast and crew, then I can't recommend this to you. On its own it's a decent if somewhat unimpressive fighting engine. With the characters, their trademark moves and roars suddenly it all comes into place. Great graphics and awesome sound. I only wish there were more monsters to use and a speed setting.

The 12 year wait was worth it

Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 7.5
Replay: 8.5
Overall: 8.5

MechaGodzilla II's energy-asborbing Plasma Cannon -- a true nod to fans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQsJLSI0mzs)
Godzilla vs. Mothra (love the Mothra remix!) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpqX4a72ApU)
Mothra's Revenge (love the Godzilla theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cfieD3K8_0)
Godzilla takes on his mechanical counterpart (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDQj1XuT_g)
The Main Event: King Ghidorah vs. Big Guy Mount Fuji (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20iJZTp3p3s)

I'll have a new writeup Sunday or Monday.

DigitalSpace

09-09-2006, 03:34 AM

Nice thread!

You'll have to excuse me; you see, every time I see "obscure" and SNES, I get this uncontrollable urge to bring up Spanky's Quest.

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2231/spankysquest1a1yr.jpg
Spanky's Quest - First off, the game is about a monkey named Spanky. I wouldn't have been surprised to a character with that name in Conker's Bad Fur Day, but not here. Whoever came up with that couldn't have been so naive, right? LOL
Anyways, the game is somewhat similar to Bubble Bobble. One day, Spanky was walking out in the woods when all of a sudden, bricks started falling all around him. He discovers that he is trapped in a giant tower. The tower has five floors, and each floor has 11 rooms (not counting the hidden bonus rooms). In each room, you have to get the number of keys required to open the door for the next room, and you'll usually have to fight off various fruit enemies. You do this by launching a bubble and balancing it on your head. When you're ready, you pop the bubble to launch the attack. The more you balance the bubble, the bigger it gets, allowing you to do a more devastating attack.
You can also use the bubble to reach out of the way items and power-ups. There are also various hats you can wear that vary from allowing you to float to giving you more footspeed. Highly recommended

pseudonym

09-09-2006, 05:06 AM

Nice topic, Steven. It makes me want to go and find this game now.

*looks on the net for ROMs*

Steven

09-09-2006, 06:11 AM

Digital Space don't worry about it :)
It's funny you mention Spanky's Quest because when I think of obscure and SNES it's also one of many titles that springs to mind, along with B.O.B, Rocky Rodent, etc. Anyway, I have yet to play it but from all pictures and reviews I've skimmed through, it looks like a game I'd really enjoy. Magazines, however, slammed SQ, IIRC. But on the net it seems to have a fair smattering of gamers who appreciate it.

Steven

09-10-2006, 07:43 AM

Ganbare Daiku no Gensan is the sequel to the Hammerin' Harry games found in the Arcade and NES. While scouring the net for information on this SFC title it shocked me there wasn't much to be found -- all things considered. Maybe part of it is because it's called Ganbare Daiku no Gensan instead of Hammerin' Harry? I don't know, but while it's no Super Mario World, it definitely deserves a moment in the spotlight.

As far as I can tell the story goes something like this...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0023.png
One day the evil corporation blows up this lovely house here. Well, they picked the wrong house. Harry's out to put an end to this evil empire, and along the way, they snatch his sweetheart just because, well... they're evil.

The story unfolds in a storybook-like fashion.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0016.png

You go through 4 stages, each with 2 zones. After all this you face the final boss. Harry will transverse towns, woods and even a booby trap-infested factory zone. The game has a nice urban Japanese feel to it, and probably one reason why it never saw a Western release.

Harry attacks with his trusty hammer. The standard-issue hammer you start with is serviceable but you definitely want to find an upgrade ASAP. You can swing hammers left, right, down and up. Harry can also chuck his hammer across the screen, a move that is a MUST if you want to beat the later stages and bosses. (U, UF, F + attack... why couldn't they have just made it D, DF, F?) If you didn't have the manual you'd be screwed later on not to know this key command which is so obscure.

There are two hammer upgrades, unfortunately, they all have short attack range so you will take some cheap hits more likely than not throughout the game. Thankfully Ganbare Daiku no Gensan is not a 1-hit-wonder. You have an energy bar at the bottom of the screen.

Swinger- As it suggests, this hammer swings 360 degrees and can be quite useful
Mr. Big- A huge black-ish hammer that when pounded on the ground releases shockwaves going left and right.

Harry also has two powerups he can use. Throughout the stages are muscle icons hidden inside crates and barrels which you can break open. When you have 1 or more muscle icons you can press X to unleash two special moves that should be reserved for the bosses.

1. Harry releases the hammer in the air causing a wave of stars to cascade downward
2. (jump and then hit X) Harry pounds the ground going down causing an unavoidable sphere of destruction

Special move #2 is much more effective and useful. And since they both use up only one icon, there's no reason ever to use special move #1.

note: boss names are strictly made up by me, not the official names. Alliteration freaks will appreciate it...

1-1
Your journey begins in this easy stage that allows you to get the feel of the game. Smash the SD Zangief-wanna-be clones and watch out for cranky female street sweepers and stray cats. You can jump on roofs and on shingles Harry will gradually slide down. Good stuff there.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0000.png
BOSS 1: CAT-MAN
A man in a giant cat suit. Something is wrong with that picture. At any rate, a SUPER easy boss with a pattern that's laugh-out-loud simple. BTW, all bosses have twice your health. When you get him down to about 25%, he sheds his cat mask...

1-2
This stage opens as a "racing section;" enemies on bikes riding by trying to pelt him with rocks. Either close in and hammer them, or ricochet their rocks back at 'em. There are two racing sections in the game, helping to add some variety to the proceedings. After this section you go into regular platforming business.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0002.png
BOSS 2: CHUCK THE CHUCKER
The boss cakewalks might be over here, but he's not really hard. True to his name (that I've given him, mind you) he chucks bottles and other debris at our hero.

2-1
Here we begin the foray into the forest. Mad red-faced chimps run wildly around as the crazy cranks sweep the forest floor. (why? Those crazy Japanese) Harry can climb on tree trunks to make his way to the top of their limbs to break open crates. Beware of the poison powerdown that does damage to our SD hero.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0007.png
BOSS 3: BOOMERANG BILLY
This wild mad-cap Tarzan wannabe swings on vines and when he's on solid ground will toss boomerangs your way. Simple pattern. Show him who's King of the Jungle.

2-2
Some nice little features in this stage. Wooden sticks pop out of the ground and you have to figure out which ones to hit to cause the other sticks to come out on higher ground, so that you can jump on those and make your way out of the pit. Midway through this stage you will come across a cool little construction zone. They're trying to destroy everything these mad men! You can't take my woods YA HEAR ME?! *shakes fist* [cue Groundskeeper Willie] YA CAN'T HAVE MAH WOOOOODS! *ahem*
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0004.png
BOSS 4: CHARLENE THE CHAINSAW CRUSHER
Ah those crazy Japanese. She has a simple but fun pattern. When she chases you on the ground sparks fly like wild from her chainsaw. Leatherface she is not but I don't care: anyone chasing you with a chainsaw is no fun. Watch out for those falling rocks and remember to jump quickly!

3-1
The 2nd and final racing section. After this you go through platforming business per usual. Very short until you run into a crazy scruffy ole bloke.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0008.png
BOSS 5: SCOTT "THE SCRUFFY SUICIDAL" SKATEBOARDIN' SAVAGE (oh you like that huh)
I love how this game is so Japanese-y and along comes this bloke, heh. Easy pattern you just have to time it well. Send Scruffy packin'!

3-2
My favorite stage. You make your way across a nice little waterfall, with falling blocks after you touch 'em. Standard classic platforming from the beginning of civilization (or the 80's..) The coolest part of this stage though is when late afternoon suddenly rolls into to beautiful and peaceful evening, with the stars out in full force... it's really a nice little atmospheric change.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0010.png
BOSS 6: DYNAMITE DAN
This guy can be a true pain in the neck. Not only does he bounce from wall to wall like freaking Spider-Man but he throws sticks of dynamite at you as well as other means of destruction. At the same time the ground will heat up so there are many ways for you to lose energy. Having 4, 5 muscle icons really help here. And a God who loves you. Just kidding. But you knew that. OK. Yeah. *pause* This is awkward. Moving on.

4-1
Almost there! 2 more stages to go after this! Harry's travels take him to the factory zone where booby traps and foot soldiers litter the place. There are old scientists in tiny cramped up corners madly controlling crushing machinery -- the only way to get through these parts is, as mentioned earlier in the review, to employ the highly obscure U, UF, F + attack command. This sees Harry tossing his hammer across the screen and back like a boomerang. 4 hits will kill the old scientists and the crushing machinery will stop. Just hit them with your hammer to destroy them then.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0020.png
BOSS 7: DOCTOR DEATH
What an intimidating sight for sore eyes. Ole crazy Doc here mans this heap of machinery in hopes to thwart Harry's efforts. What can I say but... look for the certain shots that are richochet-able... and have many muscle icons on ya....

After you beat Doctor Death he escapes and kidnaps your girlfriend in the process. Well, I won't spoil the rest. You have 4-2 and 5-1 to figure out on your own. I will say this: 4-2 boss is very annoying but it's all a matter of figuring out their patterns and weaknesses. Ah the beauty of video games. Final boss is easy. This battle stretches 3 screens wide!

Misc. Notes
-----
-It's not a hard game at all. 1st time I played it I beat it. Took me 105 minutes, but I lost to some bosses quite a bit. It's funny, I seriously killed like 6 of the 9 bosses with 10% health left. Nothing is better than beating a boss by the skin of your teeth

-The game is short. No passwords b/c not needed. 9 stages total, if you were to play it after beating it once, I'd say maybe 60-75 minutes?

-If you like this game, check out ROCKY RODENT on SNES. It's also by Irem and has much of a Hammerin' Harry feel to it. Rocky Rodent is definitely underrated. Much harder too
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/rockyrodent.jpg

-No options, which kind of suck. Wish I could raise the difficulty level

-The storybook sequences and ending is obviously in Japanese, so you're just missing out on the story. Other than that, it's extremely import-friendly

-No slowdown whatsoever

Graphically I think the game has a cute, nice look to it. Things are "alive" and the SD characters definitely add charm. My brother walked by as I was playing and he laughed at the big heads.
Sound-wise I didn't like it too much. Some of the music gets annoying after a while, and a big no-no was that each character's "death cry" was the same! From the burly axe-weilding Zangief lookalikes to the female sweepers! Even the monkeys! Lazy bastards.
Gameplay wise it does nothing extraordinary but is a competent addition to the genre. You climb, jump, smash, little racer sections, etc. Note however, the game only goes right. When you advance a little bit, the screen scrolls right and you can't go back left. That kind of sucks because it ruins the chance to explore backwards if you wish. Thankfully though, you advance on your own instead of the screen automatically scrolling forward. So it becomes a matter of taking your time and knowing the level layouts.
And replay value... I see myself coming back to this once in an odd moon since it's a simple arcadey little platformer that won't overly frustrate or eat up a ton of time. You can pick it up, beat it in an hour and be on your way.

Worth hunting down? If you can find it, and at a decent price, yeah. It's not a serious platformer by any means. Just look at the screenshots and you can tell it's erring on the goofy side. It doesn't take itself seriously and doesn't do anything bad. Not a stand-out title, but nonetheless a nice game to have in the ole library.

Be back Tuesday with my 3rd write-up. 9/11 I'm off...

Graphics: 8
Sound: 6
Gameplay: 8
Replay: 6

Overall: 7.5

Steven

09-10-2006, 07:44 AM

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0015.png
Now that's what I call getting teh 0WN3D!1 (hey, he looks like BONK there)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0005.png
Someone cut the cheese?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0003.png
Sweeping the forest floor? Oi, best to rid her of her misery!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0012.png
"Hey buddy, I love the size of yer hammer! Let's do lunch sometime!"

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0009.png
You gotta love night scenes in video games

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0013.png
Hammerin' Harry gets some air

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0014.png
This shot reminds me of Megaman...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0018.png
Things start to get real hairy for Harry, har har

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0019.png
Show the old man who's the boss by tossing your load at him... er, wait, no...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ganbare%20Daiku%20no%20Gensan/GanbareDaikunoGensan0017.png
"This is nuts. I can always find another girlfriend. I'm outta this ****hole, have a nice life Yumi"

A brief look at 1-1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_Zx9RgD5-A)
Very brief look at 2-1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh5-KcOHJkQ)

Drexel923

09-10-2006, 10:57 AM

Awesome thread...I really enjoyed your Saturn one and it helped me find alot of great imports that I would have missed. I've been looking for some good games to start my SFC collection, so this thread will be perfect. Keep up the good work :)

Ed Oscuro

09-11-2006, 06:57 PM

A Hammerin' Harry game on the SFC??? I MUST BUY

Steven

09-12-2006, 09:32 PM

In the early-mid 90's few games matched the fun that Bomberman and Mario Kart provided.

Ever wonder if you could take them both and kinda... smush 'em together?

Imagineer of Japan did.

BATTLE CROSS is a 6-player fixed screen racer and does a good job of cramming bits of Bomberman and Mario Kart in a blender. The airbike is easy to control and once you get in the zone, you'll be screaming past tight corners, taking out racers left and right and scorching toward the finish line.

Like Mario Kart, there are weapons and powerups. They're randomly strewn across the course at any given time. There's nothing better than dropping a land mine under a hidden overpass... *evil grin*

Here are the weapons and powerup's

1. Laser (press R to shoot)
Unlimited usage. You could be on one side of the track and hit someone on the other. It's weak though; only stuns the opponent for a split second (but enough to piss the tar outta 'em)

2. Speed Up (automatic)
Increases your speed for that entire race. Collect a couple of these and you'll leave the competition in the dust.

3. Matchless (automatic, like the Star from SMK)
You zip around the track flashing at break-neck speed, and anyone you touch will flip out. Very cheap, but all's fair in love and Battle Cross.

4. Land Mine (Y)
My favorite. The more land mine icons you collect the more you can lay at one time. If you can collect 3 or 4 as I once did, you will OWN that race.

5. Missile �
A 1-shot deal, when released, flies around the track until it finds someone or burns out.

6. Nitro (X)
Speed burst. If you're on one of the stages with steep hills, activate it at the bottom of one and watch your guy FLY!

7. Weight �
Like the missile, a 1-shot deal that when released sends a blue skeleton disc zipping around the track til it finds someone or passes out. This will slow down the infected driver.

8. Turn Over �
Evil in its purest form. Sends a yellow skeleton disc zipping around the track. Will reverse their controls for a while. On basic stages the transition is A-OK. On the stages with lots of turns, it's a TRUE BITCH. Luckily, when infected, a fairy (!!) will appear randomly carrying a first-aid kit, touch her and be cured.

The reason for different buttons is because the game allows you to drop a land mine WHILE shooting your lasers. As NBA Hall-of-Famer turned commentator BILL WALTON would say... "Now HOW cool is THAT?"

There are 3 game modes. Battle, Grand Prix and Practice.

In Battle you pick from 1-30 races to win a course. 15 is the default; I like playing on 10 laps just to keep things fresh and moving. 1-5 match wins to win it all. The great thing is, you can pick a new stage after a course is over. In Bomberman you are restricted to the SAME field until one player can win the designated amount. Battle Cross doesn't do that. It made me wish the BM games operated the same way.

Up to 5 human players can play, with a total of 6 maximum racers. You can pick a 1-on-1 race, or have 4 instead of 6. You can race 7 laps or 27. You can change the AI from 1 to 5. It's very customable.

The Grand Prix follows a storyline, but like Bomberman the meat of Battle Cross is playing the Battle mode.

There are 9 initial courses available, with 1 unlockable. (to see the courses in action, just click on the course links for footage)

Course #1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvvlfitQrgk)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0001.png
Just your basic 1st stage that helps you ease into things. The course itself has no special features. A volcano rests peacefully in the middle and a friendly chap in the ocean enjoys fishing while observing the race. Oh and UM... a Godzilla-like creature plays in the sand pit there... wacky Japanese at it again...

Course #2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFqk2tL9KBo)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0005.png
A couple puddles atop and a grumpy pirate who doesn't like you trespassing fires cannonballs across the screen every 15 or so. If you find yourself in the line of fire like I did (red racer), JUMP! (press L)

Course #3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsGedPda_ls)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0007.png
The orange arrows give you a quick speed burst. Also the first stage to use high and low drops. I really like the curve there before the finish line -- it allows you to smoothly turn the corner and accelerate through. Lovely grass too, just lovely

Course #4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58qyHOlFTEU)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0010.png
This course rocks. Leap over the wooden spikes there and watch out for the rocket that comes screaming out of the hole. A little gate next to the totem pole will open periodically to allow for a sweet advantageous short cut. But if you go for it and the gate closes, you can do nothing but watch in grief as the competition zooms far ahead. The bottom left hand corner shrubbery obstructs the playing view. Watch out for racers who will lay mines there. Overall this stage has a good deal of strategy which is why it's one of my faves

Course #5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIdz-FjBDPQ)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0012.png
Check out the wolf peering over the cliff. That is ACE! It's the little things that makes video games so awesome I've always said, and that's definitely a good example. Here the slopes get very steep and if you got Nitro use it at that bottom hill there -- you will rocket on past the finish line with your momentum!

Course #6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOwANqIfIj4)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0014.png
Twice the hidden overpasses, twice the destruction of land mines. This course isn't one of my faves but I do love that corner there where my red racing guy is at -- making that smooth turn and having that long raceway to steam forward

Course #7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLkr2CNmxpQ)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0016.png
Love this devious little stage. It's wide open... til you get to the two red pillars that move randomly. It's a short stage but very fun because of the chaos the red pillars cause. Blue and yellow there did OK -- green and purple is a different story, haha. As for me, red, oh you know.. you know... uh... overlapping them. *cough* Nothing is better than screaming straight pass those red pillars! Not only will you probably be in the lead but you'll look real cool too oh yeah

Course #8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bsKHzh29lc)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0020.png
Nothing more to say than WTF at that huge white bunny...

Course #9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppvfl3-Nl0k)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleCross0024.png
Pinball-mania. Madness I tells ya. The 3 yellow things move and are hard to avoid. Hit the bumpers as I did here, and you'll be bouncing back and forth for a few. He here who minimizes mistakes, will win

misc. notes
----
-I have an extra loose copy that I will auction off in the next week or so

-Graphics are nothing to write home about but as you can see are quite serviceable and for this type of game works

-Sound is OK, but I love the catchy course tunes

-Like Bomberman, it's still fun to play alone, but the real treat is getting 4 other people to play... one of those games that's perfect to play after a night out drinking. Come home a bit buzzed and turn the game on for kicks

-Even your little brother or sister can play -- there's an option in BATTLE mode for "human-CPU" mode. Think of it like.... auto-defense in baseball video games

-You won't need to understand JP to enjoy this game, though the storyline in Grand Prix will fly over your head... but no biggie

-Never a hint of slowdown

-The back cover of the manual has the best Engrish I've seen in some time:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/IMG_1907.jpg

----

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Battle Cross is a fun party racer that I'd recommend to gamers who are fans of multi-player games. The game possesses a unique charm. As mentioned, little things like the wolf and the open-and-close gate make the game even cooler. The more I played the more I liked it. Give it a shot, especially if you have like-minded gaming friends. (I bet if my old gaming group knew about this back in '94... it would have been right up there with NBA Jam/Bomberman)

Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 8.5
Replay: 9

Overall: 8.5

Steven

09-14-2006, 07:18 AM

Super Bomberman 3, 4 and 5 enjoyed releases in Japan where the series continued to prosper long after part 2 was released in America. Starting with number 3, the player limit jumped from 4 to 5. They also added dinosaurs and the infamous "mad bomber" option. I don't remember those features being in either 1 or 2

I would rank the SFC-only SBM games in this order:

1. 4
2. 5
3. 3

Here are six of my favorite stages from 3-5... last shot is from 5, clearly the version with the sweetest graphics

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperBomberman30002.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperBomberman30004.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperBomberman30011.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperBomberman40003.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperBomberman40007.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperBomberman50002.png

These games have new characters (say bye bye to multi-color samey Bombermen) and on the whole 3-5 has a tremendous Japanese feel to them. I guess that was one reason why these manic sequels never touched American soil. It certainly wasn't due to a lack of carrying the high Bomberman tradition that's for sure. Bottom line, Bomberman with 4 friends is like pizza -- there's no such thing as a bad slice or game.

HYPER IRIA

Based off the anime, Hyper Iria is a stylish action scroller that will tax the best of gamers. Free to select from any one of four initial stages, you run and gun various locales like alien-infested ghost towns to maze-like chambers and death factories.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/HyperIria0001.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/HyperIria0012.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/HyperIria0004.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/HyperIria0009.png

The enemies are the highlight of the game. They stir the imagination. Some of them can be cheap though, hence the difficulty. It's not the greatest game but it has a certain "cool" aura about it, with pretty graphics and bizarre enemies at every turn. You run, double jump, slide, shoot, kick, punch, etc. You also have bombs and an assortment of other subweapons you can collect (a la Castlevania).

A pretty solid game... if you can look past the cheap difficulty. Anyone ever come close to beating it? Let me know! Never saw the anime myself, but after playing the game I'm curious...

HYPER IRIA gameplay footage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCam_e0Uo6M)

PS- my extra's (Battle Cross, SBM 4 and 5, Hyper Iria) are now on eBay for 1 cent no reserve... links to be provided in the proper forum, thank you.

Steven

09-19-2006, 09:25 PM

Ever see a picture of a game and INSTANTLY knew you had to play it?

DO RE MI FANTASY: MILON NO DOKIDOKI *breathes* DAIBOUKEN (Hudson, '96) was the one for me. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it. I was buying SNES games left and right, but this title looked SO good it single-handedly inspired me to shift the focus from SNES to SFC. It stars Milon the little fella from Milon's Secret Castle.

Do Re Mi Fantasy is a side-scrolling platformer, and a very well polished one I might add. There are 7 worlds each with their own theme (the classics, you know, woods, ice, fire, etc.). In each world there are at least 6 levels and then you face a boss. An overhead map allows you to backtrack. The levels aren't particularly long, but they possess plenty of detail, quirky enemies, excellent backdrops and set pieces and satisfying gameplay moments that make you say "This game freakin' rules" every 5 minutes.

Milon is a great character, full of charm and animated brilliantly. The graphics are OUTSTANDING. The game has a real sense of LIFE to it... you really have to see it in motion to fully appreciate it. Milon can take 3 hits (green suit then blue, red, dead). The little fella can jump on baddies but this will only stun them. To kill enemies, blow a bubble which will encase them, allowing you a few seconds to approach and pop 'em.

(DRMF reminded me of Mizubaku Adventure AKA Liquid Kids, 1990 Taito)

From world 2 on -- each level has a Musical Star you must find and grab (usually not that hard, but later on can become tricky) Therefore you're forced to explore the beautiful layouts (if you finish a stage w/o getting the star, you will not be able to fight the boss)

Here are the 7 worlds:

1. WOODS
Basic world to get you acquainted to the game. You may feel a bit uninspired here, but it gets much better later. Highlights include a log ride, falling leaves over a pit which you must time and leap from one to the next, and a SWEET haunted log cabin that is home to some gret set pieces (i.e. the Pinocchio-like dolls with their noses extending out acting as platforms -- ace!)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaiboke.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-2.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-3.png
there's even a mini-game you can play that is Dunk Hunt-esque!

Boss: A Tree-Man that climbs the trunks in the foreground. Very easy.

2. FOOD
Yes, food. The night levels with the ASTONISHING constellation in the background are flat out amazing. Hudson worked it! A great set-piece is the large pyramid composed by empty wine glasses. Slowly, they fill up... and Milon even reacts to the flowing wine if you leave him standing there. This world also introduces the "forced scroller" level, where the screen scrolls forward and you have to jump from platform to platform.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-6.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-5.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-8.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-7.png
Remember kids, Milons says... protection is mandatory

Boss: Iron Chef... presents an actual challenge unlike boss 1 but he's still as easy to crack as a day-old fortune cookie.

3. CHURCH
Some creepy odd music in this world. Highlights include a fun bell-hopping stage and a unique level where on/off switches litter the floors (touch any off switch and darkness devours the scene except for the color of the switches and Milon's white pupils)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-9.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-10.png
ay sure bar-hopping's fun... but 'cha really gotta try bell-hopping some day, and I don't mean going from Taco Bell to Taco Bell to death....

Boss: Magician-like creature who floats across the screen above ground... here the boss difficulty starts to really pile on. Battle takes place in front of a theatre stage.

4. WATER
Much of it is on land though, but there are plenty of underwater sequences. When underwater you'll come to quickly hate the spear-throwing frogmen.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-11.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-12.png
Catch some waves dude

Boss: A giant princess whose weak spot is her face -- as you hit the face it slowly degrades to that of a nasty ole frog.

5. ICE
Ah, I love this world. It has some of the game's best graphics and stages and is incredibly fun to play through. 5-3 is a sled stage that absolutely kicks ass. And the sight alone of THE NORTHERN LIGHTS is super ace. oooooh, ahhhhhhhh.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-13.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-14.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-15.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-20.png
Those Northern Lights man... are a sight to behold...

Boss: Gi-normous snowman.... really the first boss to give me big time fits.

6. FIRE
Oh c'mon you knew this was coming. Another fun world to go through. Two separate force-scrolling stages here.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-16.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-17.png
the force-scrollers can be be double tough...

Boss: A sun that transforms into a moon and vice versa. When fighting the sun it will be daytime. Moon night time. Nice touch. Sun is easy and your meal ticket. Moon is the one you gotta watch out for.

7A. TOYLAND 7B. HAUNTED HOUSE
7A.
The toy stages are absolutely stunning in the richness of color they use. The boss of Toy Land is a giant Christmas present, with an ugly head popping out. He fires a barrage of orange fireballs that are very tough to dodge... took me many tries to beat him.
7B.
The Haunted House can be tricky indeed, with traps and spirits lurking about... not to mention a strange Yoda-like leaping nuisance. I guarantee you will be the victim of Sir Bouncy more than once.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-18.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-19.png

Boss: It's back to back fights. First it's a giant green farting (I kid you not) creature. Luckily, he's super easy and perfectable 100% of the time once you learn his simple pattern. Thank God, because you'll need all 3 hits to come close to beating the final boss. If you can beat her, you get much props. I tried for 90 minutes, and finally gave up.

misc notes
----
-Slowdown does occur but it's not often nor does it affect gameplay really

-When you lose to a boss or level, you start with 1 hit (red suit). So you will find yourself backtracking often to restore your health to 3 hits (green suit) before re-facing the boss. Hey it's hard love...

-Infinite continues

-Password system (too bad it wasn't battery-backed). It will start you on the 1st stage of that world, so you have to do all the work again if you quit, say, after losing to a boss and turning the system off. Thankfully the passwords are 4 characters and all numbers, none of this "20 characters, er is that a S or 5" crap

-Hold attack until Milon flashes to unleash an "ultimate attack"

-Different powerups are available and hidden inside breakable items. Powerups include floating shoes, double bubble, bubble gum (if you fall to a bottomless pit Milon automatically blows the gum to lift him to solid ground), etc.

-There is a storyline that unfolds in pictures and text, but thankfully the pictures are self-explanatory when it comes to the game introducing new gameplay elements in each world

-Milon is selectable as a bomber in Saturn Bomberman (Hudson, '97)

IN CONCLUSION...

Do Re Mi Fantasy is an excellent platformer that every serious SNES owner should own. Forget playing it on a keyboard; the game is to be enjoyed on the SNES control pad trust me. It's too bad it didn't receive a domestic release. EGM and GameFan would have whored the game to no ends, I'm sure. And really, Do Re Mi Fantasy doesn't have a tremendous "Japanese" feel, so it's a double shame it was never released here in the States.

Oh well, thanks to a pair of pliers though, any of us can get in on the act. That is... if you can find a copy (I believe they are quite rare) and at a decent price. (I believe they're quite expensive, too)

A terrific gem, period.

---

1-1 Woods (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-QelsGa_kk)
2-3 Love the Constellation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jU4j0GHkc)
3-2 Bell Hoppin' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCgLJOxQvCI)
4-1 Take a Swim... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4i3OCzA2gI)
5-1 Northern Lights! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65cPTK_liA)
6-1 Hot or Cold Milon Does It All (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrdGt7FDYpA)
7-1 Toy Madness (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu9f_IMukH8)

MegaDrive20XX

09-20-2006, 01:42 AM

That's what I love about Hudson Soft, they are so loyal to their characters no matter how minor they were. Bonk, Milon, and Bomberman made great cameos. I.E. Saturn Bomberman comes to mind.

prismra

09-20-2006, 03:57 PM

May I be so bold as to ask: Where can I get a converter for my US SNES?

NickmasterX

09-20-2006, 04:30 PM

I just ripped off the tabs from my snes to play imports, but I guess thats a benefit of owning two snes's.
Check Lik-Sang or Play-Asia.com they should have converters, or ebay.

InsaneDavid

09-20-2006, 05:21 PM

May I be so bold as to ask: Where can I get a converter for my US SNES?

Just answered this a bit ago in another thread... :)

Just modify your SNES to accept SFC cartridges, it's EASY. Take a look at my site (click the www button), go to David's Video Game Insanity and look under "Events / Features" you'll find a walkthrough there.

NE146

09-20-2006, 06:14 PM

What I used to do back in the day is I'd just take a screwdriver and manually scraped bits out of my cartridges so they'd fit LOL

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/b2stoys/109-0997_img.jpg

MegaDrive20XX

09-20-2006, 10:02 PM

Oh man, I remember someone on Ebay sold me Yoshi's Island with a cart like that....*cringes* What abuse..I admit I am super high-strung when it comes to keeping carts neat and perfect...but that is nails on a chalk board to me lol

Ed Oscuro

09-20-2006, 11:36 PM

What I used to do back in the day is I'd just take a screwdriver and manually scraped bits out of my cartridges so they'd fit LOL

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/b2stoys/109-0997_img.jpg
Suddenly your avatar makes sense.

Ed Oscuro

09-20-2006, 11:38 PM

May I be so bold as to ask: Where can I get a converter for my US SNES?
What I've done is I took a Game Genie, took the PCB out of its case, fit it into my nice Model 2 SNES, and then put Contra Spirits on top of that.

Works like a charm, although I have to press Start to skip the Genie screen. Not a problem since I usually like to see manufacturer intros, and turn on the console before the TV.

pragmatic insanester

09-21-2006, 12:42 PM

wtf. i could have sworn i posted in this thread and talked about about 10 SFC games in great details.

Iron Draggon

09-22-2006, 06:33 AM

WTF? There's no Rodan in that Godzilla game? SACRELIGE!

Steven

09-22-2006, 07:08 AM

WTF? There's no Rodan in that Godzilla game? SACRELIGE!

LOL

ticked me too. I mean, GvsMechaG '93 had already came out, and (Fire) Rodan made a critical appearance in that. Baragon, Hedorah, Titano, etc. If only the roster had been 16 instead of 10, I would give it a 10...

Iron Draggon

09-22-2006, 09:37 AM

If only they'd make a Godzilla game with the entire G-universe in it... something like a tactical SRPG with a fight mode included that lets all the monsters fight it out arena style... it could be an awesome MMORPG too... but no, they keep making games that just have a few kaiju in them... oh well... if I ever find a decent copy of the SNES fighter, I'll get it, but I've yet to find a complete copy of it anywhere...

prismra

09-22-2006, 01:57 PM

Thanks for the replies on how to mid the old SNES.

Where can we get SFC imports at a reasonable price? I looked for Do Re Mi Fantasy on the old 'bay and it was up for $85. It can't be THAT rare..

Cauterize

09-22-2006, 03:54 PM

Thanks for the replies on how to mid the old SNES.

Where can we get SFC imports at a reasonable price? I looked for Do Re Mi Fantasy on the old 'bay and it was up for $85. It can't be THAT rare..

I was looking for it too after reading this and playing a ROM of it... I was very much impressed, so a big Kudos to Steven!

And yeah i saw that auction too.. the complete copy.
It was released in 1996 though, and the next gen consoles after the SNES had been released by then.
It is an obscure game somewhat and not gonna be too popular in 1996 if you ask me. Hence why its not as common as we hoped!
Just an opinion some what :P

bottom line... I WANT THIS GAME! Steven, if you own this get in touch with me :P (Thats if you want rid!)

InsaneDavid

09-22-2006, 04:06 PM

Thanks for the replies on how to mid the old SNES.

Where can we get SFC imports at a reasonable price? I looked for Do Re Mi Fantasy on the old 'bay and it was up for $85. It can't be THAT rare..

No problem at all. The thing I've noticed about SFC games and eBay is if there's a title you want, eventually a cheap copy of it will slip by eventually. Usually if a game like this is being sold by a seller with very little feedback people will shy away from bidding and you can grab a deal.

pragmatic insanester

09-22-2006, 07:09 PM

protip: buy sfc from the uninformed on ebay. people who are like "yeah, 5 carts with squiggly stuff on them. take the entire lot for $30". you have to learn to recognize the cart labels on sight, so you can snatch up the good deals. also, find common language errors in search results. people in english speaking countries often have a common mispronunciation of game titles and vice versa. i used to just type "unknown super famicom jap jpn japanese snes sfc" into ebay and pick through the 20 pages of results. time consuming but money-saving.

Steven

09-24-2006, 08:51 PM

"Alright where are the violent games with explosions, guns and killer robots huh?"

Perhaps this will satisfy your inner Bubba

This game went nearly THREE years in the making.
Not only did it go through cosmetic changes but was reworked mid-way through.
It received a very limited release (word has it, in the few thousands)
EDGE Magazine labeled it "the rarest and most expensive SNES game ever released."
The game goes for well over $100 every time, even hitting 200 and beyond.
Madness!

You know what I'm talking about. To those scratching their heads, wonder no more.

Rendering Ranger: R2

Developed by Turrican creator Manfred Trenz, R2 originally started out as a pure horizontal space shooter. Some time during development they worked in run 'n gun stages due to the popularity of this genre and felt a pure space shooter wouldn't have sold well. R2 is a mixture of Contra/R-Type.

So,
(A.) is it any good
(B.) is it worth the high price tag and
(C.) are the Oakland Raiders winning an NFL game any time soon?

Yes, depends and no.

A. It's definitely a nice game. Not excellent, but it's more than "a collector's piece." Graphically, it will blow you away. "This is the Super Nintendo?!" is the common reaction. I thought several times "You could fool me by passing this as a Sega Saturn title." Even when a whole army of sprites swarm the screen there's no slowdown whatsoever.

B. Do you have spare cash to throw around? Do you like these genres? Are you a fanatic of this system? If the answers are all yes, get it. For everyone else, forget it.
I paid $90 shipped, loose. It had a Buy It Now of $86. I made $147 off my Taromaru auction and used the balance on R2. I was shocked to see the "low" BIN.

C. no... no

Stage 1 (run 'n gun)
Lots of planes and debris zipping by in the background. Mid-way through a huge plane crashes in classic SNES Mode 7 fashion, destroying half the tracks. The Boss is a giant green chopper with 4 turrets and 2 flame throwers. Bombs will make quick work of him.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R22.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R24.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R23.png

Stage 2 (run 'n gun)
A quick run outside, before entering the enemy base. A tricky situation presents itself when you are taken down a lift. As you descend, flames come shooting out the walls, as well as drillers. Make your way deeper in the base and blow apart falling doors. Uncover stationary machines hanging off ceilings and blast 'em to bits, but beware their deadly flame throwers. This is the only level with no boss. When you reach the end, your guy hops into a space ship.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R26.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R25.png
the doors remind me of the classic HANGAR stage in NES Contra

Stage 3 (shooter)
Check out the hot intro. Enter the giant asteroid field and mow 'em down. Be careful as they segment in 4 smaller rocks. The mid-boss doesn't mind showing off his Doctor Octopus-like grapplers. Claustrophobic freaks need not apply. The end-boss has two forms.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R27.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R29.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R28.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R222.png

Stage 4 (shooter)
Trekking deeper in the outer reaches of space, there's no turning back now. Some really awesome graphics here. The boss is a hulking gold machine of destruction.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R211.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R212.png
Blasphemy... or maybe not... this stage reminds me of RADIANT SILVERGUN

Stage 5 (run 'n gun)
Back on foot, but things don't get any easier for our brave hero as he's greeted with giant falling doors, plenty of enemy turrets and not 1 or 2 but THREE bosses. Plus a mid-boss for good measure! Level 5 is VERY long. Just be thankful the bosses here can be easily defeated.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R213.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R214.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R215.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R216.png
the green shot works particularly well here as it sprays itself off the close interior

Stage 6 (shooter)
Back to the "friendly" skies. Take out several fortresses by blasting 'em down section by section. The boss is the biggest monster head you'll ever see. It has 6, 7 sub-sections to destroy... it's stunning that this is the little ole 16-bit SNES!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R217.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2Monster.png
this stage is reminiscent of SENGOKU BLADE, especially with the look of the boss

Stage 7 (shooter)
Best stage intro ever. An ominous swirly almost mirage-like image of a gargantuan red demon skull flashes before you -- foreshadowing? Hell if I know. The dip from outer space to the metropolitan city at night is worth 90 dollars alone! "This is the Super Nintendo!?" rings through my head for the umpteenth time. Boss is a golden fleet which retreats following a brief joust... ah shit you know he'll be back later.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R219.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R220.png

Stage 8 (shooter)
This is where the game decides to knock you down, kick you, then point and laugh. An evil descent sends you through a lengthy force-scrolling section with tight turns and small openings. IT SCROLLS REALLY FAST. Good luck. Even the most clairvoyant gamer will be finding himself at the Game Over screen not before long.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R224.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R225.png
to make matters worse are the stones here -- if you have weak guns fudgetabudit

misc notes
---
-Our hero, whether on foot or in the air, can take 5 hits before losing a life (3, 5 or 7)

-The game does provide passwords (8 characters)

-You have 3 bars which allow you to use 3 bombs. The bars are regenerative and slowly refill accordingly

-Each gun has its own unique bomb (i.e. wave, sphere, etc) Some are more effective than others

-Various container units can be shot to reveal powerup goodies, including energy refills

-There's not a lick of Japanese, though there may be in the ending

-Not really difficult, that is, until stage 8

-When you lose a life, the gun you were last holding will be downgraded. So if you have a weak level 1 weapon, make sure you switch to it before you die

-Did I mention the graphics are really amazing?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The first stage is kind of dull, but it really picks up after that. It's not a masterpiece (sans graphically of course) but it's very playable and the bosses are great fun to dismantle bit by bit. The password feature is nice since the levels are REALLY long. Mostly thanks to the fact that some of the bosses take FOREVER to kill. R2 may well be the classic love or hate game. I know those who love it and those who didn't care for it much.

If you got the means, go nuts. I certainly don't regret it at all. If you ever see it under $100, do not hesitate.

---

additional media:

Intimidating Level 6 Boss that spans 3 screens!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2crown.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2head.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2lower.png

Level 4 Guardian

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2Goldie.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2Goldie2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2Goldie3.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2Goldie4.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/R2boom.png

This is Super Nintendo!?! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5a0VobeXLM)
RUN 'N GUN! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX-2I5v1Tg4)

Steven

09-28-2006, 09:49 PM

Not all 12-year waits are worth it.

The Godzilla brawler proved to be a winner, but I've played plenty of games I been wanting to for a long time, only to find out they stink. There was another fighting game I was curious about for 12 years... and recently not only discovered that it truly existed, but I also was disappointed by the end results.... but more on that in a moment.

In '94, EGM started previewing a fighting game set to come out later in the year for the US Super Nintendo.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDGFEGM.jpg
issue #55, Feb 94, NEXT WAVE

It grabbed me instantly. I had never seen SD characters before and that stood out. I'm also a sucker for off-beat characters in fighting games, and this one sure had 'em.

Several months later, in issue #62 September '94 they ran this (note the name change)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GDEGM.jpg

Earlier this year I searched for Galactic Defenders, thinking it came out in 95, right around the time I sorta fell out of gaming. I discovered it was canned. Bummer

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GDbox.jpg
sadly never quite made it

Once I got into importing, I started wondering if this game received a Japanese-only release.

Nothing turned up under Galactic Defender.

And nutthin' turned up under SD Golden Fighter.

Discouraged, I gave up hope it existed.

Then one night I discovered it DOES exist and goes under the title of

SD HIRYU NO KEN !!

The day it arrived I couldn't WAIT to rip into it. I was going to solve a conundrum that had haunted me for a dozen years.

Popped it in.

And from elation and excitement to, quickly, disappointment and despair.

Initial impression: woooooow (not in the good way)

MAN THIS GAME BLOWS?!? HOW COULD THEY **** THIS **** UP??

Animation: choppy
Frames: lacking
Jumping: clunky
Sound: below average
Graphics: disappointing
Controls: (semi)unresponsive

24 hours later, I gave it a 2nd chance. Lowered my expectations, accepted it for what it is, and when I did that, I came away liking the game a lot better. So, in the end, it's not ALL bad, but it came nowhere near its potential. In a lot of ways it feels rushed and half-completed. Yet despite all these flaws, it did grow on me a bit and is a classic guilty pleasure-type.

There are things about this game I still like. I still like the 15 character roster, in a time where 10 or 12 was the norm. The character design is pretty decent, with a nice assortment of karate masters, bad-ass types, muscle men and monsters.

Let us now meet them

RYUHI
Main guy. Dragon-shaped fireball that only goes across a quarter the screen. No Dragon Punch per se but has an anti-air twirling kick special move. I like the statue in his stage

SUZAKU
Ryuhi's rival from what I can gather. Throws a small diamond-shaped projectile in mid-air as well as on foot, and has a cool anti-air special where his body is engulfed by the spirit of a fiery phoenix.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD1.png

HAYATO
A cool-looking ninja-like warrior with a fireball that arches upward late. Has a Dragon Punch and a nice rolling flame kick that blazes his opponent not red, but blue, a la M. Bison's PSYCHO CRUSHER

A. ROSEMAN
An experienced brawler with nice combo's consisting of stinging rights and lefts. Even has a fireball for good measure. His stage is home to London and Big Ben

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD2.png

DADDY
A lion-like beast that spits fireballs and can turn into a flaming rocket from above. His friend Jennifer aids him in certain special attacks. His Sky Palace stage is reminiscent of Karnov's from FIGHTER'S HISTORY DYNAMITE

MAINOHANA
A short sumo with ... surprise surprise... hand/belly attacks as well as a short range projectile. His stage is the edge of a forest overlooking a peaceful ocean

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD3.png

TETSUO
Like Kurosawa from LAST BRONX Tetsuo is the resident bad-ass with the big stick. Any fighter who spits before a battle is top-of-the-line certified. Pounds the ground with his stick unleashing a ground-based projectile. When defeated yells ****! 3 times. Check out the footage here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUCPK7_bWs0)

E. QUAKER
A huge serpentine creature with a staff that can turn into a scythe. OUCH! Emits a laser from his eye. Spins his staff high as an anti-air attack

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD4.png

WILER
A big man with throws and charging attacks. Gotta love his South East Asian Jungle with the falling rain

RAIMA
A machine warrior that attacks with a sword and ninja stars. Can really "shock" the competition

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD5.png

MIN-MIN
Female whose stage is arguably the game's best. She has a dragon-shaped fireball like Ryuhi, but hers go the full length

URUKA
Here's a guy who will challenge Darwin's theory... or maybe prove it! A total savage. Throws a wheel with lots of anger backing it

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD6.png

SYORYU
A young kid who is unbelievably fast. Ground fireball and flying charging attack that's very annoying

YUUKA
Tougher than a 2 dollar steak, she can manipulate air currents to send you sky high, helplessly twirling in mid-air.

R. POWERS
No relation to MUSCLE POWER and CERTAINLY none to SCREECH POWERS. The CWF Champ loves nothing more than pounding his competition in front of his wild fans. Looks quite like the old WWF wrestler of late 80's/early 90's fame THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR (so did that Level 2 boss in Streets of Rage)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD7.png

There are 4 game modes:

1. Story mode
Pick any 1 of the 15 and go through the entire roster, with a brief storyline in Japanese

2. VS mode
1P vs. 2P, 1P vs. COM, or even COM vs. COM. You can pick your stage, your handicap AND by pressing L or R, change colors on each character up to 8 times. Every fighter should do that.

3. Tournament
Up to 8 players can compete to see who's number 1 in a single elimination tourney

4. Practice
Practice, man. 4 different modes

Options you can set the timer, pick 1 or 3 rounds, CPU difficulty 1-8, Speed of 0, 1 or 2, change buttons, etc. Weak/strong punch and kick, L to taunt and R to side-step. R is unique because you can avoid projectiles/attacks without blocking. Also, if you're close to your opponent, by pressing forward + R you'll 360 around them. If you're quick you can score a cheap hit or throw before they can react

The game does play on the choppy side, but if you play on speed 2 it becomes less noticeable. I'd say you *HAVE TO* play it on speed 2 to get any enjoyment out of it, which was what I did on my 2nd try.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I've heard the game is extremely rare, whether that is true I cannot confirm. I can't recommend it unless you're a diehard fighting freak, or if you have some sort of sick fetish for Culture Brain's Hiryu no Ken games (The US name was Ultimate Fighter, I know the N64 had a JP 3D SD Hiryu no Ken version).

Despite its flaws and unrealized potential, the SD look makes it unique and the characters have decent charm. Those are the main selling points. The controls could have used more polish as sometimes it's hard to pull off simple special moves. But again, take it for what it is, and you may have a decent time. Just remember to crank it up to the highest speed!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD8.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD9.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD10.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD11.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD12.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SD13.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDHiryunoKenJ0026.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDHiryunoKenJ0016.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDHiryunoKenJ0035.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDHiryunoKenJ0031.png

INTRO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2RJ_hU1SU4)
Ryuhi vs. Suzaku gameplay sample (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iSLq8Z2POA)

Steven

10-01-2006, 09:31 AM

We all know the Super Nintendo lacks dark-toned games, with many being "cutesy" with bright vibrant colors. When you're 8 years old you don't mind, but like many gamers as we get older we start to enjoy the "more mature" titles. Recommended on Super Nintendo, just to name a few, are Nosferatu, Blackthorne and Demon's Crest. Well, add this sucker to the batch, and it's only for the Super Famicom.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/kingofdemons.jpg

MAJYUUOU (AKA King of Demons) was one of a couple SFC titles that convinced me to start importing (DoReMi was another). It could be described as "Castlevania with a gun" or "Resident Evil meets Castlevania." But more than throw out lingo's, let's delve a little deeper into this morbid action scroller.

You are Abel, and your wife, Maria, and daughter Iria have been captured by your former friend Bayer who sold his soul to the devil. With them he intends to revive the KING OF DEMONS. You're willing to do anything to save your family, even taking various forms of a demon yourself.

Your weapon in human form is a 9mm gun. Abel can roll, do a downward kick in mid-air, double jump and a super shot can be unleashed when attack is held until the power bar flashes. Your journey starts on the bridge to Hell where you battle Bayer. He is easy here and will eventually retreat. The door opens on the far right end and your foray into the darkness begins...

The Caves
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD1.png
Things start out not so bad. Low-entry winged demons are one and done. A fairy helper acts much like an "option" in shooters. Just when you say "This is TOO easy" the ground rumbles and the ugliest and biggest worm you've ever seen is quickly slithering your way!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD2.png
The parasitic creature traps you at a dead end but fortunately, or so you think, the ground collapses sending you deep into...

The Sewers
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD3.png
Mutant frogs, gun-toting she-devil's and hordes of zombies greet you with open decaying arms. 1 shot takes zonmbies' heads off and 2 seals the deal. Out of the corner of your eye you can see victims pinned up like grand prizes but there's no time for sentimentality as you know you could well be next. You arrive at a decrepit elevator and with hell's army on your tail, you have no choice but to enter the dank rotting interior...

Tarantula Tangle
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD4.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD5.png
Don't just stand there quaking or you'll soon join the festive tapestry on the ceiling... or worse! Luckily, your trip to Japan last summer paid major dividends when Ryu taught you the art of HADOKEN

Coming out of the elevator you are greeted by an old friend

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD6.png
could those veins be any more gross...

You can barely stand to look at it but you are "willing and Abel." (har har) Thankfully it is an easy kill despite its intimidating sprite. March forward and meet the Barons of Hell. These big bastards are tough requiring 12 gun shots to finish off.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD7.png
Get by these monsters and face...

Harpy
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD8.png
Beware the long purple tongue of this malpractice creature. It'd like nothing more than to add your SKULL to its precious collection. Kill it, grab the orb and begin your 1st inhuman transformation.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD9.png

WHEW! That's only stage 1. It's all very short though, but you gotta love the mini-bosses and devilish enemies at every turn.

Stage 2 is a plant-themed world with buildings in ruin. A very unique aspect here are the green pods which release little red fairies. Kill 'em and you can eat their fallen carcasses to regain health. Demonic, and you know you love it too

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD10.png

Everything's going smoothly in stage 2 until you cross an old abandoned building. You hear a trembling and know it's not JUST the racing of your heart, but something BIG and BAD is moving toward you fast....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD11.png
If it catches you in its teeth it will literally drag you up and down the screen like a rag doll, inflicting major damage. Defeat this mini-boss and find yourself eye to eye (no pun intended) with this bad boy

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD12.png
Hmmm... SkyBlazer anyone.....

What, there's one more after Cyclops? #@%&!!!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD13.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD14.png
the mutant's super shot will make quick work of Mrs. Bushroot

The Plant Queen has several attacks but is easy. Defeat this empress and enter stage 3 which guarantees to be the "ride of your life." Stage 3 has you on a speeding train rolling past a cemetery. Something afoul is in the air...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD15.png
that's one ominous skyline

Within 10 seconds this mini-boss appears. It only has 1 attack: throwing its two scythe's at you, which will spin in place for a few seconds. Just leave some room on the left and you'll be OK. Battle the rest of the minions on the train and soon you'll meet a pair of twins unlike any you've met before.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD16.png
You are helpless as they kill this innocent lass. The scream as she perishes is quite eerie. After these two you immediately face the end boss of stage 3.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD17.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD18.png
Its weak spot is apparent -- that sick pulsating brain mass in the center of its back, ugh. Just dodge the purple barrage of bullets and you'll be fine.

Once the disgusting bubbly mass is blown to bits, the Ghost Train is rendered helpless and sent crashing through the castle walls.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KOD19.png

Level 4 begins and from here on out, I'll let you discover what horrors await. Will you be able to stop Bayer? Will the King of Demons arise? Can Abel save his family?

MISC
------

-There are 3 different demons you can become, with stronger versions of each. Each has a unique regular/super shot and one can flip, another teleports, etc. Find out which form works best for which stages

-Yes, you are human only for stage 1, unless you opt to not touch an orb after the end level bosses, which would make the game more challenging (his puny slow gun shot is no match compared to the mutant's rapid crescent blades)

-The beginning plot is in Japanese, but throughout the levels there is no text. Not a biggie

-Unfortunately there is no Options screen, a few bonus modes would have been nice as well

-The helper is very useful, if you die it will revive you for a 2nd go and you won't waste a life. Some levels you will spot a green aura -- touch her and you're set

-There are health refills here and there, stand over and press down

-Your health bar will increase as your point total increases. You can continue forever, but you will start at level 1 health and for later levels kiss it good-bye

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Initially, the small sprites were disappointing and in general I felt graphically it was a bit of a letdown. The game is fairly short and not too difficult. It wasn't the 9+ out of 10 masterpiece a part of me was expecting to be honest (mostly due to hype and word of mouth from a few who had played it and raved about it), but it's well worth owning. I love the strange and gruesome creatures you encounter throughout, the mini-bosses are a hoot and it kind of me reminds me of Taromaru a little bit I have to say! It had that Japanese demonic tone down pat. The gameplay is reminiscent of an old 8-bit game for some reason and the different demons you can become is quite Altered Beast-esque. I like it.

MAJYUUOU is a good ole fashion blast that goes down on the small list of dark action games (worth playing) on the Super NES.

Majyuuou gameplay sample (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ndk1_7Xq_g)

Steven

10-04-2006, 09:26 PM

If you've ever seen the old 1974 flick THE TOWERING INFERNO (Fred Astaire, OJ Simpson yes THAT OJ Simpson) then you will know exactly what to expect from this next game.

12 years ago EGM ran a spiffy 2-page feature on THE FIREMEN, and ever since I've been curious about it. Made by HUMAN, perhaps most well-known for their Fire Pro Wrestling franchise, The Firemen is a 1-player top-down action game where you navigate a top high-rise fire fighter through the burning Metrotech building. With your water hose you extinguish fires, dispatch mechanical objects gone haywire and of course face intimidating end-level bosses.

Like Godzilla, this 12-year-mystery lived up to the hype. THE FIREMEN is a stellar game. It's graphically pleasant with well-shaded characters adding a perception of depth, plays really well and the theme is unique all culminating in a game that has that "cool" factor. There is some in-game JP text communication between Danny and Pete the firefighters, but it's nothing you can't do without. Oddly, the game intro is in English.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FMplot.png

It's 6 PM on Christmas and a small fire in the Metrotech kitchen left unattended has spread throughout the complex. With the building burning to a crisp and injured people stuck inside, it's your job to get in and neutralize the situation. There are six floors in all. Thanks to the whole theme and atmosphere, it reminds me of Die Hard the movie, except replace the terrorists with deadly flames. (and the guns with a water hose)

Your partner carries an axe and helps in eradicating fires and other enemies, including bosses. He'll carry out the victims as well. Finding and rescuing victims are not necessary, per se, but finding more means a better score and each time you save someone your health will be restored by roughly 60% (if necessary).

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FMrescue.png

The buttons are simple.

Y = straight ahead spray
B = downward spray
X = extinguishing bomb (limited)
A = crawl
L/R = locks position and strafes (you can shoot in 8 directions)

Predominantly, you'll be using the straight spray but the downward spray is the only way to eliminate small fires. There are two main fire types: small and large. The small flames you can touch without getting hurt. Crawl is very useful because there are backdrafts and much like Burning Rangers you'll hear a quick whiz before all hell breaks loose. Crawling will help you avoid damage from backdrafts and fireballs.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FMcrawl.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FMbackdraft.png
crawl to avoid the annoying fireballs

You'll also crawl under high flames, desks and even a vent!

The bomb is your ultimate weapon and up to 3 can be carried. Save them for the bosses!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FMbomb.png

If you are carrying 3 already, and find another bomb, pick it up and your guy transforms into a super fire fighter with bigger and stronger spray. There is also a separate icon for this rare powerup.

Here's a look at the game's first 3 stages and bosses

Level 1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM3.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM4.png
Just stay diagonal of this 1st boss because it shoots 4 flames (north, south, east and west) and then scurries around the screen

Level 2

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM5.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM6.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM7.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM8.png
Beware of exploding containers. The breakable glass is a nice touch

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM9.png
This sorching flame ball boss can only be attacked with the downward spray. Keep in mind with the downward spray you move exceptionally slower. Be careful or it will char you to a burning crisp

Level 3

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM10.png
Things start to get trickier as stage 3 introduces backdrafts, new enemies and collapsing floors

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM11.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM12.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM13.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FM14.png
Easy boss in its first couple forms but the last one as shown here can be a bit of a bitch as it surrounds you in no time

Does this game have any flaws? Of course, it's not perfect. A 2-player option would have been welcomed. There is also no option screen, so much like Majyuuou there's no way to crank up the difficulty. THE FIREMEN isn't hard, in fact I beat it on my 3rd try. It takes about 75 minutes. Each level you have 10 minutes (sometimes more) to complete. You have 3 continues.

On the upside, at the end you are given a detailed account of your gameplaying; everything from class to level completion times to total play time to % of rescued people and a total point score out of 100, so that's something to shoot for. But the replay value is only average at best.

Unlike Burning Rangers the flames are not randomly generated in THE FIREMEN. So once you play through it once, you know where everything is. The number of victims to save is also on the low side. And the text that is played at the bottom of the screen is rather slow with no speed-up button.

The Strafe button (L and R) -- one of them should have been "spin in place" or at least a 180 turn.

Other than that THE FIREMEN is a true winner.

And keep in mind it's not to be confused with Fire Fighting which is known in the US as Ignition Factor by Jaleco -- similar yet not as good, but solid and playable in its own right

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/IgnitionFactor.png
The list of quality SNES games is mind-blowing

Anyway, THE FIREMEN is top-notch top-down action. Sorry but I have to say it:

This game is on fire

Gameplay sample (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQJk3gQLj-A)
Boss 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWmD10mIUS4)
Boss 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxZQ-W2u9so)

Neo Rasa

10-04-2006, 11:10 PM

Aaah Danny and Pete: The Firemen. Great game. There's a sequel on the PSX also from Human called The Firemen 2: Danny and Pete. It's pretty bad though (even compared to the original). I think it was going to be on the Super Famicom and then at the last second they just dumped it onto the Playstation instead.

So I sampled Rendering Ranger via emulation and pretty much desire to own the real deal now if I come across it. Fantastic game. Despite its late release date I'm really shocked it didn't at least get a mail order US release given its graphical qualities alone.

badinsults

10-05-2006, 12:26 AM

The Firemen was also released in Europe, IIRC.

Steven

10-05-2006, 05:20 AM

Rasa yeah you're not the 1st to say the PSX version is a bit of a stinker. Everyone I've ran across says the same thing. And I believe you're right, they did intend to release it on SNES but it was all but dying by then, so they put it on the new PSX instead. At least that's the story I've read.

And glad you liked R2. It is certainly a like-or-I-don't-get-it type of game IMHO.

The Firemen was also released in Europe, IIRC.

You sir are correct

http://i22.ebayimg.com/01/i/08/7f/f6/c5_1.JPG

Xexyz

10-05-2006, 11:39 PM

Man, that bites...

The U.S. got Ignition Factor, which I agree is a good game, but that other game, The Firemen... just wow. After watching the gameplay vids, Ignition Factor doesn't even compare to it...

Xexyz

10-05-2006, 11:39 PM

Man, that bites.

The U.S. got Ignition Factor, which I agree is a good game, but that other game, The Firemen... just wow. After watching the gameplay vids, Ignition Factor doesn't even compare to it.

Steven

10-08-2006, 12:45 AM

Sunday May 28, 1995 was a day I'll never forget

It was Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals pitting the young uprising Orlando Magic vs. the Indiana Pacers. I was at the local mall and walking past Radio Shack when I saw they had the game on ten TV screens. There were 3 people standing there, watching in angst and talking in-between plays. I made it a crowd of 4. The game was in its final 3 minutes, and as the drama unfolded, the crowd grew from 4 to 8 to 12. Even the employees stopped what they were doing and huddled around.

These are the moments you live for as a sports fan, and to boot it was one of the greatest finishes in NBA playoff history.

With under 15 seconds to go, this improbable sequence took place:

-Brian Shaw's 3 pointer gave the Magic the 1 point lead
-Reggie Miller answered with one of his own, putting the Pacers back up by 2 causing the Indiana crowd to erupt in a frenzy
-Mere seconds later the player many then believed would carry Jordan's torch and the NBA into the new millenium, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway nailed a heart breaking 3, giving the Magic a 1 point lead with 1.3 seconds and left the sold out capacity crowd in stunned silence

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/penny.jpg
Penny

As the game went to its final commercial break there was a deafening buzz within those small confines of Radio Shack. I was right in the middle of it and the adrenaline was indescribable. I felt like I was at the game myself! That day I developed a much deeper appreciation for basketball in general.

Speaking of basketball....

In October '94 EGM previewed a Super Famicom-only basketball game. The unique street ball look instantly intrigued me.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/oct94egm.jpg

Like others before it, I was recently able to play this game, effectively ending the 12-year curiosity streak.

There are 16 "non-official" teams to select from, plus a "Japan" team.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Teams.png

Though, oddly, if you look in the EGM preview you'll see SPURS and BULLS. So I looked at the teams closer. The subtle "not-so-hidden" parallels are definitely there. For example check out the Wizards (keep in mind in 94 today's Wizards were known as the Washington Bullets). Their court is the same color as the Orlando Magic, and they got a starting center with incredible stats who wears # 32 (Shaquille O'Neal) Besides... Magic... Wizards... hmmmm

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Shaq_stats.png
I see you Shrek (Shaq's 93 stats: 23.4 ppg, 13.9 rpg, 56% FG, 59% FT)

I guess you can say there are real players in this game. Just like the classic Ken Griffey Junior Presents Major League Baseball on SNES, the jersey numbers are the same as well as their stats (or very close anyhow, as seen with the Diesel). They just have different names. Sneaky.

The 3-on-3 halfcourt mode is good fun. Here 3 point shots count as 2, and 2 point shots as 1, just like streetball rules. You can pick from 3, 6, 9 or 12 minutes and any 3 of 12 players from the team you selected.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/3on3.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Slam.png

There is a different court you can choose for the 3-on-3 mode, as well as 4 different basketballs, some of them being quite outlandish

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/beach.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/beach2.png
I'm not going there...

You can play exhibition or Round Robin. In RR you're given a password after each victory. At the end, you will face your clones and then the USA Dream Team.

The 5-on-5 mode is highly reminiscent of Konami's Run N Gun and plays faster than the SNES game NBA Give N Go. The CPU here can be cheap on Normal difficulty, and on easy is too easy. But with 2 players, it's loads of fun. You can play exhibition or Tournament, also with passwords provided. Sadly there is no season mode but that is fine, as it only adds to the whole YMCA/street-ball feel/atmosphere of the game.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Knicks.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Magic.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sonics.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/5on5.png

I've played a lot of basketball games, but none has mastered the beauty of making a simple 18 foot jump shot as Dream Basketball: Dunk and Hoop. In a lot of games making a jump shot is easy but here you really have to earn it. You must release the ball at the VERY peak of your jump. Any slight miscalculation and you'll miss the shot. What else do you expect from Human, the Fire Pro makers who are notorious for testing the timing of a gamer?

At first it may frustrate as you shoot 3 for 18 in practice mode. But pretty soon you get the timing down and there's no sweeter looking jump shot in town. Nor one that is as satisfying to make, because you truly have to earn it in this game. Other basketball titles even if you're not at your peak, you still have a 25% or so chance of making the shot. Not so here.

Click here to see the sweetest jump shot in town (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqO3w-1V49Y)

MISC
-----

-I'm a sucker for the players' ratings as well, so it definitely gets bonus points here. Reminds me of the ole '91 Marvel trading card series. Ahhh those were the days...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/marvel.jpgvs.http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Shaq2.png
Spider-Man head-to-head with SHAQ

-The players' stats are imperative to look carefully over so you know players' strengths and weaknesses. A player with a high shot rating will have better success making shots than a player with a low shot rating, no matter HOW perfect you time it

-The 3 on 3 mode is good for quick arcade thrills, but the full-court 5 on 5 mode brings about more strategy as you have a bench to go to. Players are rated fresh, OK or tired. You'll have to do some managing throughout the 4 quarters to keep legs fresh

-My personal favorite team is the Photons. In the 3 on 3 mode I call upon Rogers, Davidson and Feguso

-I love playing the sport in real life too. My freshman year in college I took 2 basketball courses and brought my own ball every Tuesday and Thursdays, regularly hitting the campus gym to play pickup games and worked on my conditioning/left-handed dribble. Although 9/11/01 was a tragic day indeed, my college basketball coach taught me something that day important, as he forced us to play ball without him once bringing up the tragic events that took place ONLY HOURS BEFORE. Yet as confused and distraught we were then, we realized by period's end the method to his madness: basketball can be therapeutic and that's good for the human soul

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If you like basketball and their video games, you'll probably get a good kick out of this. To a non-fan, this is meh. To a fanatic like me, this is freaking sweet. The different modes and 2 to 5 player options make it a great multiplayer affair.

And if you're wondering what happened in the final 1.3 seconds of that Pacers-Magic game...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SmitsGWS.jpg
Rik Smits sends the Pacer crowd home happy

3-on-3 gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfjEy2dOQ-o)

Steven

10-09-2006, 08:26 PM

Before TAKARA became well known in the US for releasing Neo Geo ports to the Super NES, they had two kiddie platformers on the Super Famicom. Though not must-have's, if you're looking to add to the ole library you certainly can do a lot worse than these two

SYONEN ASHIBE
A cute platformer where you guide Syo the seal through many levels with classic themes such as forest, cave, haunted house, etc. Syo cannot hurt enemies. Jumping over is the only defense. Enemies range from little brat boys and girls to animals like bats and polar/teddy bears to name a few.

Your goal is to locate 8 items in each level. The item is connected to the level theme (i.e. stars for ice world, squids for water etc.)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoStars.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoSquids.png

Once 8 are collected, head for the exit. If you're hit, one apple (or whatever it may be) squirts away, waiting to be reclaimed. Syo also whimpers Eeeek! The only way to lose is to be squeezed into submission by one of the bratty kids or if the clock reaches 0. The animals cannot make you game over, even if you have zero items when they touch you.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoBrat1.png

Some items are hidden, other times, in the wide open. Syo can head-smash walls to reveal potential items. Jump and head-smash are the only two buttons. The gameplay is very basic, as intended for 6-year-olds, but done rather well for what it had to work with.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoBrat2.png
head-smashing may reveal an item, or a brat

There are some cool set-pieces, like the giant hippo machine that releases basketballs from high above which Syo must head-butt into the hippo's mouth. Doing this is easier than it looks, especially if the timer is running down and the pressure builds. Each good basket grants you an apple. The hippo machines hold 4 apples; the other 4 are scattered throughout the level.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoBBall.png

An overhead map is your main screen where you move Syo and his friend around to pick levels. You can backtrack as you wish and along the way folks provide you with info, 16-character passwords and some even challenge Syo to mini-games. The boy is never actually used.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoMap.png

The game has some nice details but nothing we haven't seen before. Re-appearing blocks, moving platforms, lightning outside the windows for the haunted house theme, etc. There's definitely a me-too feeling throughout the game but hey, if you can't get enough you'll be right at home. Though, the seal can cling on edges which is a nice touch, admittedly.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoHaunted.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoCling.png
gotta love the lightning

My favorite theme was Ice. I'm not sure I've ever played a game where the ice levels were more slippery than Syonen Ashibe's. The poor fella just slides around if you pick up any sort of momentum

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoFall2.png

It's awesome that this game also features the vaunted Northern Lights. I'm a sucker for great little details... though DoReMi's version looked better. (Syo came out late '92, DoReMi early '96)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SyoNL.png vs. http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/DoremiFantasyMilonnoDokiDokiDaib-15.png

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Not shabby, surprisingly solid even, yet nothing worth writing home. The graphics are nice, simple, big and pleasant. The music isn't bad though gets sugary sweet in spots. The game is way too cute though, and prolonged play may cause insanity.

**************

MIRACLE GIRLS
Based on the famous Japanese TV anime, you pick Tomomi or Mikage (twin girls with supernatural powers) and transverse platforming stages with mini-games thrown in for good measure. You start with 3 hearts and up to 5 can be stored by collecting fruit. The levels are so colorful you just may go blind.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MG1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MG5.png

Like Syo there's only 2 buttons: jump and throw candy. Likewise you won't find any killings here. Instead you toss candies around, and while they're occupied chowing you can advance to go and collect 200. They chew for approximately 5 seconds and cannot harm you in this altered state. Otherwise any other contact robs you of 1 heart.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MG2.png
Touchdown

You can stand on their heads during this time to collect otherwise unreachable items and powerup's.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MG3.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MG4.png

There are also mini-games during the story mode and a mini-game mode on its own so you can practice, as well as a 2 player mode for the mini-games. After level 1 you play Water Tag with a bubblebee. It's a classic look -- overhead action similar to Bomberman. My advice here is to hit him ONCE and then RUN LIKE HELL. You can shoot (which will need to recharge before you can fire again) and there's an umbrella cover defense that lasts for half a second.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MGTag.png

Halfway through, bubbles begin to roam. Anyone it touches that person will lose 1 point off their score. It prevents a certain level of "babysitting" as the term we old kids used to use.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MGTag2.png
at the end whoever has more points win

One thing that did stand out besides the uber-bright colorful graphics was the aid of the twin. Before a danger spot there's an icon which allows the twin to magically appear on screen.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MGIcon.png

She'll aid you through the next perilous section. Her speech is in Japanese but thankfully there's only two voices: one indicating orange, the other white. Before long you will learn two Japanese words! Whatever color she yaps is the flower color you'll want to hop on, for the other will drop sending you to an early grave.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MGAid.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MGAid2.png
level 1 and 2.. in 2 an air current lifts you up

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Like Syo it's solid, way too cute and a title to get once the big-hitters are procured. Muscially, it's pretty damn good too. Not bad, TAKARA. Too many games of this nature are a disgrace to the world of video games, so I give the big T much props for making two competent ones.

Syonen Ashibe Gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNBx-rPNuUc)
Miracle Girls Level 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIxtzEWrkzs)
Miracle Girls Water Tag Mini-Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0enFplvjNns)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MGSleepy.png
Mikage says "until next time... GOOD NIGHT"

Steven

10-10-2006, 07:22 PM

It amazes me that this next game has zero exposure on the net. And it's a good game. Is it really THAT unknown? I'm not sure but its name has never been brought up in the many SFC discussion I've searched. That's a shame too, so tonight let's shine the spotlight on this little gem, even if it's highly unoriginal.

BATTLE CROSS was sort of like Mario Kart meets Bomberman. What about the opposite eh....

SPARK WORLD is essentially that. It's a 4 player Bomberman clone featuring cars that are reminiscent of the snazzy CHEVRON mascots.

It's a distant world where intelligent cars rule, a shady casino operator who is actually a drug dealer casts his shadow over the alleys and streets. Two young cop cars, Beat and Barts decide to take matters into their own hands (so to speak) when they learn that the police department is riddled with corruption by the syndicate Boss. The intrepid pair must set off to points around the globe and blow up enemies by denotating fuel barrels. If you're not in the mood for saving the world you can always play against 3 friends (or CPU's in the battle mode)

That's the story line, apparently.

The Story mode allows you to select any 1 of 9 stages, each with 3 zones with the 4th being the boss. After each boss is vanquished a 4-character password is given.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWstageselect.png

The classic themes are represented: jungle, river, ice, desert, etc.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWcity.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWriver.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWjungle.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWice.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWdesert.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWtrainboss.png
City 1's boss is the TERROR TRAIN

The meat of the game like Bomberman is the battle mode with 12 selectable stages. Any combination of 2-4 players can play, and CPU AI is selectable from 1-9. You could set CPU 1 AI level nine, CPU 2 AI five and CPU 3 AI one if you so choose. Talk about user-friendly.

And of course, by blowing blocks sky-high, you reveal items that can either help or hinder. Longer sparks, more bombs dropped at 1 time, "jelly bombs" (I told you this game was highly unoriginal...), a boxing glove (though instead of punching bombs it allows you to punch the OPPONENTS... very cool) etc.

There are also ? marks but they're a HUGE gamble. If you get the bad side of it, a grim reaper appears over your head with a 30 second countdown. When it reaches 0 you die. Luckily, you can pass this evil icon to anyone you touch, and it can be passed back infinite until it reaches 0. It's a hoot to transfer this death card to someone with 3 seconds left *evil laughter*

There are no dinosaurs or animals, but it takes TWO hits to die.

BATTLE ZONE 1
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW1-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW1-2.png
Basic plain classic stage where pure skills reigns supreme

BATTLE ZONE 2
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW2-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW2-2.png
At 1st glance one may assume the arrows indicate where bombs go, but rather than COMPLETELY ripping off Bomberman, the arrows actually indicate where YOU can go

BATTLE ZONE 3
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW3-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW3-2.png
When the button is red you can't pass. When blue you're good. The colors switch occasionally and shrewd timing is the key to surviving and creating traps

BATTLE ZONE 4
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW4-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW4-2.png
I thought my SNES broke when I first played this zone. You are moved automatically! Challenging zone indeed

BATTLE ZONE 5
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW5-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW5-2.png
When the sides are bombed, the doors on the floor opens up. Fall through and you're a goner

BATTLE ZONE 6
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW6-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW6-2.png
Ahh the classic stage with 4 exit points. I especially like the look of this stage. Unfortunately the sparks will NOT go through the exit points, unlike Bomberman. Shame, but oh well

BATTLE ZONE 7
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW7-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW7-2.png
I like the box look of this stage, very pleasant. The gimmick here is once the boulder is released, it will roll around the stage. Sparks influence its direction as well. If it touches you consider yourself crushed

BATTLE ZONE 8
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW8-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SW8-2.png
Ahhh the classic conveyor belt stage. I also love the look here. Good stuff

You can set match victory to 1-5 matches much like Bomberman. The victory screen is a hoot:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWtypo.png
oops!

While Spark World is a rip-off almost through and through, it does have a sweet feature that draws the battle lines in the sand emphatically. At the end of a round the game lets you know who your "Rival" is.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWrivals.png
Yellow car is screwed for round 2... lol

CLOSING THOUGHTS

A solid fun Bomberman clone. If you love these games as much as I do, this is a must-own. Not as good as Bomberman, no, but very competent and nicely copied. The 4 stages I did not highlight all have crazy gimmicks (i.e. Gun placed in the middle, mega bombs etc) but use the same stage design.

I'm "shocked" (pardon the pun) that this never comes up in SFC discussions. Hopefully now it has received the exposure it deserves. You probably won't be playing this in favor of Bomberman, but it's a nice alternative, for sure. The sparks can get really long and I love how the color of the sparks are respective to who dropped it.

A nice little gem

Battle Zone 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkwBv8eRSyU)
Battle Zone 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOrpEDcg3Y)
TERROR TRAIN boss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HS_fgA_2l0)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SWsparks.png
GOOD GRIEF blue car!

Steven

10-15-2006, 01:07 AM

I can never get enough of the early-mid 90s fighting games. The pre-Super Special moves era where fighters only had 3 to 5 special moves each -- there's just something beautiful about that, and I thought BATTLE MASTER would fit right in. Shame the controls aren't responsive, the animation choppy and frames lacking. It leads to a disappointing fighter for me. Oddly, the fight in the video is pretty cool, go figure.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleMaster.png

Toshiba EMI's other SFC game, SUPER BACK TO THE FUTURE II, is thankfully much more playable and enjoyable. It's no masterpiece but it's a fun little diversion. I was surprised at how decent it actually is. GAMEFAN magazine ABSOLUTELY slammed it.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GFbashing.jpg

They're right that the game does suffer from bouts of slowdown, but nothing severe nor anything that hinders the overall outcome of the game. Also, SBTTF II is liked by many SFC players on the net, so what does that tell you? Super Back to the Future II deserves a 12% about as much as (Saturn) Skeleton Warriors deserved a 98% !

So whats the deal with the game?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/storyline.png
Doc tells you some jibberish about righting the time periods

You control Marty McFly on his hoverboard, pouncing on all sorts of bizarre enemies as you travel through time. The game has a very pleasant SD look and the classic BTTF overture was ported over flawlessly. The game provides 4-character password.

Let's look at some of the levels...

1-1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTF1-2.png

BOSS - GRIFF (1-2)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Griff-1.png

Really simple boss. To hurt him just touch the buttons which sends the TV's flying at him

2-1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTF2-1.png

BOSS - GRIFF 2 (2-2)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Griff-2.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Griff-3.png

Very familiar scene for those of you who watched the movie. Touch the buttons to splash the water.

3-1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTF32.png

Love this night stage, and I told ya the enemies are bizarre. Look at that slobbering weirdo!

3-2

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTF-322.png

I just dig this stage... great soft yellow backdrop and the BTTF overture from stage 1-1 returns

BOSS: JAZZMAN (3-3)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jazzman.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jazzman2.png

Break open the suspended makeshift floor so the balls can slip through the cracks, crushing Jazzman's skull

3-4

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTF3-42.png

Somewhat tricky travels here as you'll be lifted up with plenty of obstacles waiting for you. Thankfully, if hit you'll be flashing and invincible for JUST long enough to go up again and safely make it to the next section. This stage stumped me for a while but ya just gotta gut it through

BOSS: HAMMERMAN AND RINGMASTER (3-5)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Hammerman.png

So incredibly easy you might not believe it yourself

4-1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFcandle.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFcyclists.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFhills.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFjump.png

Ooh, spooky. Check out the thunder clouds and creepy looking trees splattered across this ghoulish graveyard level. Be on your toes for the Sunday drivers

4-2

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFrain.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFflip.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFperil2.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFperil.png

The rain is a nice touch. A very tricky stage as seen in the last 2 pics. This is another one of those repeat-and-gut-it-through levels. Took me several attempts to beat it.

4-3

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBTTFsurprise.png

This foor is littered with knife-wielding goons. Be particularly weary of doors as these foot soldiers love to surprise ya

BOSS: 1985 BIFF (4-4)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FutureBiff.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/FutureBiff-2.png

Gotta love the cool backdrop here. 4 buttons when pressed releases sparks. Only the lower buttons will the spark hurt Biff. The upper two can only harm you. Like all boss fights up to this point, it's another cakewalk.

Well the game has several more levels but I won't spoil the rest. It's a fun little platformer that all Back to the Future fans should enjoy.

Lastly, the password screen allow for some pathetic sophomoric jokes, luckily I'm just not that kind of guy....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/orly.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/tsktsk.png

*cue ALAN SILVESTRI overture*

TO BE
CONCLUDED...
no not really but you know....

Battle Master (that arm attack is ridiculously powerful!) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj-mDyP6yqs)
Super Back to the Future II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRxYRnvt4_Y)

Steven

10-17-2006, 09:03 PM

Ah halfway to Halloween. Today we look at a platforming trilogy by the folks at Banpresto. Based on the 1993 manga by Akira Toriyama, the GO GO ACKMAN games definitely have some good things going for them. You control Ackman, supposedly Satan's lackey, and as you slay enemies your winged companion captures their souls in a little jar (100 granting you an extra life). It's all quite bizarre; from the sense of humor to the bosses, Go Go Ackman does nothing new but does it well.

GO GO ACKMAN

The original is my favorite of the 3. One of those I liked so much I kept playing until I finished it. That's when you know a game is A) short and B) good. You punch, kick, run, jump, slide, climb, even have bombs -- all the quintessential platforming features. What's really nice is Ackman can jump on an angel's head and send it sliding across the screen taking out others caught in the path of destruction. (a la the koopa shells)

And of course what hero, or in this case, anti-hero, would be complete without the powerup shot?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGApowershot.png

Making the game extra fun is the ability to pick up three weapons along the journey: sword
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAsword.png

boomerang
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboomerang.png

and my favorite, the gun
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAgun.png

The weapon will be forfeited upon 1st hit, but on the upside a health bar is not deducted, only the weapon is. (the sequels you start with a sword, and weapons collected will not be wiped out after receiving damage)

Level 1 is your standard easy plain-ish stage, but I really like its look and early on I could tell this was a nice little game
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA1-1.png

The 2nd level introduces a darker brown tone with lots of hills to jump from, and plenty of instant death pitfalls
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA2-1.png

Like DoReMi there's even the force-scroller thrown in for good measure. This one being a car ride. Of course, Ackman has his own advertising splashed on the vehicle.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAcar.png

Boss 1 is really simple. Just a big fancy suit-and-tie corporate fiend
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss1.png

Boss 2 -- my what big teeth you have...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss2.png

On to Stage 2 we move toward a more tropical setting. As my man Flavor Flav once said, "PEACE IN BELIZE!"
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAisland1.png

Keep an eye out for 'hidden' passages that may appear on first glance to be a pitfall, but actually leads to a plethora of goodness
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAisland2.png

Boss 3 is a karate bully on steroids
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss3.png

The next level sends Ackman on another force-scroller, this time he hits the high seas
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAraft.png

Boss 4 has bombs of his own but no worries; like the others he's a piece of cake
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss4.png

The next level has sections of water with sharks and other nasties.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAwater.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAmermaid.png
the mermaids can give Ackman one big ole headache

Boss 5 is the epitome of the game: very offbeat and goofy. You gotta dig the goggles
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss5.png

And that's stage 2. Onto 3, which is a pyramid-sand theme. Here the game takes on an extra graphical punch, with scrolls that stretch on... pretty amazing in a simple kind of way
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAsand.png
don't stand on the quickstand too long, sonny!

The 1st mid-boss of this world (boss 6 for those keeping count at home) is ridiculously easy. And way bizarre-o
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss6.png

Next you enter a pyramid and new obstacles stand in your way... including...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAfrankie.png
this big son-of-a-gun takes 2 hits to vanquish

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAwhoa.png
NO NO ACKMAN!!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAindy.png
Right out of an Indiana Jones movie, run bitch run

Boss 7 burrows a lot
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss7.png

And this one... perhaps the 1st boss that'll give you some fits, thanks in part to the quicksand. He reminds me ever so slightly of MUMM-RA from THUNDERCATS fame
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGAboss8.png

While the levels are short as well as the boss battles in comparison with others of this genre, the game is a blast while it lasts. More levels await but I'll let you discover the rest. Now let's look at the sequels. Worthy... or no?

GO GO ACKMAN 2

I couldn't get into it. After enjoying, pardon the pun, the hell out of the original, the sequel did disappoint as it felt like a cheap cash-in. It didn't have the sweet feel or look of the original, and although old faces return (like some of the mid-bosses) the game just never came together for me. It is however the hardest of the trilogy by far. Maybe you'll like it, I didn't. Not to say it's a bad game, it just doesn't compare to the original.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGApart2.png

GO GO ACKMAN 3

GGA 3 to me is the classic "Oh wow we really messed up the last sequel didn't we let's make another and get back to basics" kind of sequel. Playing this you really feel like it's part 1 in terms of spirit. It had some ace layouts like the booby trap-filled prison. New features like shops within levels. Heck the game even has a nice prelude battle where you duke it out with your infamous angel rival... and his incompetence offsets the end boss so much, he has banished the angel on your side. Thus, in certain levels you play as the angel. With his propensity for flight it only further enhances the game playing experience.

Here's a quick glance at some of the happenings:

Immediately when you play level 1 you just feel right
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3level1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGApart3.png

The 1st boss is (again) a return of old faces from the original. You joust with the trio in succession and the time lapse between each is handled brilliantly.

Take a look:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3boss1-1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3boss1-2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3boss1-3.png

Now that's good stuff

After you knock these re-tread bozo's off their high horses, you have the choice of any 1 of their vehicles -- the next section is a shooter or action racer... pretty dope

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3copter.png

The 2nd boss packs a mean punch, and you know I love good ole school boss flashing when they take a hit. GGA 3 takes "boss flashing" to a whole new spectacular level. Check it out
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3boss2-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3boss2-2.png
My favorite boss-flash of all time? Rocksteady from NES TMNT 2, but this one is up there

Bear in mind this trilogy can be very off-beat. Look no further than this major freakish cutscene...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3wtf.png
Mode 7 zooming in his mouth... how delightful

The next level is one of my favorite of the entire series. I just love the different booby traps and riding in elevators to eventually reach the top floor. The backdrops where you can see far into the background is an EXCELLENT touch.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GGA3booby.png

Well there ya have it.

Some folks I'm sure prefer part 3 to 1 and 2. In my opinion, if you want to try Ackman, go with 1 first and then 3. If you only try one game however, play the 1st one. The 1st one is the best, the second iffy and the third solid.

Finally, there's a smattering of JP dialogue after each level in all 3 games; it doesn't really affect your enjoyment, but I hear the text is quite amusing for those who can follow it.

I give kudos to Banpresto for making a good enough trilogy worth checking out.... since they butchered what could have been a great sleeper in HYPER IRIA (Iria is still alright but it could have been great). Hey, at least they got this one right, right?

Hmmm, I wonder if my local Halloween store has an Ackman costume in storage...

GGA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJGCs-SSBH8)
GGA car ride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQB5lc4_4i0)
GGA 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUaEDpXpmbo)
GGA 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Kx1hVghVc)

Lord_Magus

10-18-2006, 06:30 AM

Got nothing really to contribute here, but I needed to jump in and say that this thread kicks incomparable amounts of ass. Keep up the great work Steven! :)

Cauterize

10-18-2006, 07:01 AM

Steven, keep up this amazing work!
Youre introducing me to some absolute classics :)

From the looks of it, we have quite similar game taste, so all your recommendations ive loved!
I so so want DO RE MI FANTASY: MILON NO DOKIDOKI DAIBOUKEN badly....
Shame its quite scarce and pricey, i want a hard copy :)

Once again, keep up the awesome work!!!!

Simply Dave

10-18-2006, 06:37 PM

Got nothing really to contribute here, but I needed to jump in and say that this thread kicks incomparable amounts of ass. Keep up the great work Steven! :)

Yeah, I agree. This is one hell of a great topic. Keep it going bro, I love reading about all of these games! :-P

Steven

10-20-2006, 07:05 PM

^ Thanks. I appreciate it. Donations will not be denied (just kidding... well, sorta ;) )

---

BAKUTO! DOCHERS

Bomberman, meet Dodgeball. Dodgeball, Bomberman. You have a choice of 8 animals to select from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. There's a 1P mode and a battle mode where up to 4 human players can duke it out. You throw a ball with limited range, and along the way there are bumpers that when bounced off of, redirects your ball, some may even deflect. You have 3 hits to make do with, and by destroying blocks power up's (or down's) can be unveiled.

This game reminds me heavily of Hansha de Spark! (Sega Saturn)

There are 5 different worlds to pick as your battle ground, with each world consisting of 4 different stages, making a total of 20 maps. Even in the battle mode, there are baddies on the playing field

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Dochers3.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Dochers2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Dochers-1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Dochers4.png

I'm sad to say this one just didn't stack up. It feels a bit clunky and some times, battles can end in 20 seconds, even though everyone needs THREE hits to die. It's not a horrible game, but it could have used some fine tuning. Something's just missing with the game(play). I play it and leave feeling "That's it?"

An acquired taste.

-------

I've always enjoyed a quality 2D baseball game. Had a blast with Bad News Baseball, Basewars, the Baseball Star games and of course, the best one ever -- the original Ken Griffey Jr. on Super Nintendo. With the Fall Classic approaching us in about 24 hours, let's check in with Culture Brain's 1997 title PRO YAKYUU STAR

Although there are only 12 teams and 6 stadiums, it doesn't matter because it does well where many fail: the gameplay. Unlike far too many baseball games, outfielders don't move like turtles. Throws from the outfield don't skip a ridiculous 4 times to home plate. You can swipe bags with the speedier players. Home runs don't happen 5 times in one game. etc.

It's similar in looks to Konami's Jikkyou series, but plays so much better. Baseball fans be sure to check this out.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/ProYakyuuStar.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/ProYakyuuStar2.png

----

Growing up in the late 80s, a kid only needed two things really: Nintendo and Hulk Hogan. I still remember how my uncle, before father time got the best of him, would watch Saturday Night's Main Event with me and my brother. How he took us to the mall to get autographs from visiting WWF superstars.

Like baseball, I've always got a kick out of a quality wrestling game. Sure Fire Pro games exist on SNES, but forget that the Saturn/PSX versions were the best. Well, there were two other series on Super Famicom that doesn't get the hype Fire Pro does... and one at least, is very very good.

ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING (July '93) is an excellent wrestling game. In '94 Natsume released a similar version in the States and called it Natsume Championship Wrestling. My brother and I loved NCW; we played the tag team mode to death for a couple years.

The grapple system relies on timing, not speed. You have weak, medium and power attacks during grapple. The energy bar is maybe my favorite thing about these games. (The "whiplash rope" trick is pretty damn cool too...)

Your energy bar starts out BLUE.

The bar decreases as damage is taken, revealing these colors in sequence:

GREEN
YELLOW
RED
DARK RED
BLACK

Like Capcom's stellar 2D fighter Vampire Savior health is recoverable. In a tag match when you're not in you recover. In a singles match, when you take a move, you lose the proper amount of health, but it immediately recovers at a decent pace. However, the more damage you take, the slower your energy heals. Ace concept.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PatriotBABA.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PatriotBABA2.png
Japanese wrestling legend Giant BABA in the house. But he's no match for the younger and quicker Patriot

And of course I can't dismiss the ability to knock the opponent's tag team partner off the apron with a well-placed clothesline. If the chap attempts a tag, you can also clobber him silly. Good good stuff

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/clothesline.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/clothesline2.png

There's just too many cool little things about the gameplay that make this so good. I could go on and on. SOLID game

ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING DASH (Dec '93) was released only five months after the 1st one. So you know it's not a "full-blown" sequel. Again you have 16 wrestlers to pick from, some minor roster changes... so what's new? Game focuses more on tag team play, though the 1st had tag team modes as well. The difference here? Tag team moves

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/doubleboot.png
that'll re-arrange his furniture

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/doubleDDT.png
C.O.D -- Concussion on Delivery

OK. Tag team combo moves. BIG DEAL! Tell me about it. That's why, to save Dash from being simply a hack cash-in, they included...

The Fatal 4-Way Battle Royale!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/ZenBattleRoyal.png

This mode is a wild free-for-all and provides great multiplayer action. There are no energy bars cluttering the screen, and the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. Over-the-top-rope doesn't matter here -- hell take the battle outside if you wish!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/outsideZenBR.png

These games are really great wrestling titles. Fire Pro gets all the hoop-la and deservedly so, but don't overlook these gems.

MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT WRESTLING SERIES NOW....

SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING: CHOUSENSHI IN TOKYO DOME is the first of Varie's SFC wrestling trilogy. It features impressive big sprites and has famous wrestlers like LYGER and big Van VADER (10 in all). The grapple system also relies on timing. I bought this in hopes it would be a slick playing game much like the Natsume/Zen series. Unfortunately I think Varie spent too much time on graphics, because the frame rate for this 1993 brawler is a huge letdown. It's not as smooth as it should have been.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Vader1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/vader2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Vader3.png
late great Gorilla Monsoon: "It's reasons like this I'm glad I'm retired"

Never fear SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING '94: BATTLEFIELD IN TOKYO DOME is here. Would it improve on the original which failed to meet its potential? The sprites have been downsized and as a result the frame rate is better. The roster doubled from 10 to 20 (including the Legion of Doom and a very young Chris Benoit) but it still doesn't come together. Nice effort however.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/LODHawk.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/HawkvsAnimal.png
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan: Boy, I wish I could do that to my partner...
Gorilla Monsoon: Enough already
Bobby Heenan: I got carried away
Gorilla Monsoon: I wish you would

SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING KOUNIN '95: TOKYO DOME BATTLE 7 completes the trilogy. Some roster changes were made though 20 remains the count. Say good-bye to the Great Muta and hello to the Great Sasuke. The frame rate is the best of the 3 and the graphics were not sacrificed either. Weapons are introduced. But what really MAKES this game is the new FATAL FOUR WAY BATTLE ROYALE mode. It's good fun and reminiscent of the cult arcade multiplayer WWF WrestleFest and Capcom's SATURAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS

Let me hand it over now to my two all-time favorite commentators from the late 80s/early 90s: the late great Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan... they'll call the action

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Panel-of-experts.jpg
L to R: Roddy Piper, Gorilla, Vince McMahon, Heenan and the late great Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect

Tonight's main event is a FATAL FOUR-WAY!

*music plays*

Introducing... The Great Sasuke! Scott Steiner! (they come out at the same time to save money on pyro you know)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Scott-Sasuke.png

Their opponents... Jushin "Thunder" Lyger! Rick Steiner!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Lyger-Rick.png

Bobby: You know Monsoon, the Steiner's are brothers
Gorilla: Give me a break
Bobby: I hate all four of these guys. I hope they all cripple each other
Gorilla: Will you stop! How do you sleep at night?
Bobby: Oh, on my side, usually...
Gorilla: [ignoring the Brain] Ladies and gentlemen history will be made here tonight. Capacity crowd, jammed packed to the rafters, the electricity is so thick you can cut it with a knife
Bobby: I have to give the edge here to Lyger, much as I can't stand his guts Monsoon. He's the quickest of them all
Gorilla: Rick Steiner might be at a distinct disadvantage here because he's the most lethargic of the four
Bobby: And he's slow too
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle1.png

Gorilla: WHAT A PEARL HARBOR JOB!
Bobby: I told you Monsoon! Sasuke was my guy all along!
Gorilla: Will you be serious? The guys with the white coat and the net are going to be looking for you
Bobby: I rather not see your family again
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle2.png

Gorilla: The irresistible force is meeting the immovable object
Bobby: So much for that theory
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle3.png

Gorilla: Sasuke is really stretching out those lateral colateral ligaments in the knee
Bobby: IN ENGLISH PLEASE!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle4.png

Gorilla: Ouch! That's excedrin headache number 2,182. Makes me glad I retired
Bobby: [Mocking Gorilla] There's one to the cervial dervial part of the neck!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle5.png

Gorilla: Sasuke just pinned and eliminated Rick Steiner! We now have a triple threat match! Pandemonium has broken out!
Bobby: I told you Monsoon, he was just too slow for this type of match
Gorilla: [Mockingly] And lethargic too, right?
Bobby: Yeah, that too
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle6.png

Gorilla: Good night nurse!
Bobby: Not if she spent it with you!
Gorilla: Grow up, Brain
Bobby: Hey Monsoon, you know why the Great Sasuke wears a mask?
Gorilla: No, why?
Bobby: Have you looked in the mirror lately?
Gorilla: Will you please!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle7.png

Gorilla: Sasuke has taken over this match! The arena is deafening!
Bobby: Get that Benjamin ready for me Monsoon!
Gorilla: Will you stop! What type of broadcast journalist are you?
Bobby: The type that takes cash only!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Battle8.png

You can see this match in its entirety and who comes out victorious a bit below. Tokyo Battle Dome 7 isn't a shabby wrestling title. It's not as good as the Zen games, but TDB 7's Battle Royale mode is a bit more chaotic than Dash's, it definitely gets the edge there in my opinion. I say if you're a wrestling fan, set your sights on TDB 7 and Zen Dash; especially the latter. They're the best in their respective series, rendering the other games a bit useless unless you're a collector or uber diehard wrestling fan who must see the 'evolution' of these series. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have bought them all. But now, hey might as well keep 'em all =p

The Zen games are far more common. The first Varie one is easy to find as well. '94 and '95 I believe are somewhat hard to find. '94 is not worth the effort. '95... yeah it's worth hunting down just for the crazy 4 player battle royale.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SFC-wrestling-games.jpg
Top L to R: Zen, Zen Dash, Natsume Championship Wrestling
Bottom L to R: Shin Nippon 1, SN 2, SN 3

Bakuto! Dochers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-1iIrlhVI)
Pro Yakyuu Star (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOgQYdkM7mU)
Zen Nippon (BABA vs. Patriot) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HanZa7mk6_c)
Shin Nippon 1 Vader crushes Lyger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN7RQJti3_g)
Shin Nippon FATAL FOUR WAY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHsebP8PKKY)

Steven

10-23-2006, 08:51 PM

I remember Ranma � Hard Battle on SNES fondly. It was a big guilty pleasure. Earlier this year I learned a sequel was released in Japan only.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ranma1.png

RANMA �: CHOUGI RANBU HEN is pretty cool. The crazy combo video is a riot. It was because of this video that I found out about the game. I'll let the video do the talking!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Ranma2.png

------

RANMA �: OUGI JAANKEN is not your average run-of-the-mill puzzler. Featuring a rock paper scissor (RPS) theme, you can pick from six Ranma characters; each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RanmaPuzzle1.png

3 pieces, aligned horizontally, descend (you can only switch them horizontally) and to dispense with a piece, you must place its proper destroyer on top. For example, if you have five scissor pieces stacked on top of each other, a rock will dispose of them one by one, dropping each time. The more pieces you clear in one move, the more debris you send over (which come in the form of colored blocks)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RPuzzleTutorial.png

Side to side connection has no effect by the way.

In addition to RPS pieces dropping, you get the garbage ones mixed in as well. They obviously work differently from RPS. You rid of these garbage blocks by clearing adjacent RPS pieces, or lining them in a straight line of the same color.

By pressing "Y" you'll send down the water bucket. This not only takes out whatever piece and its army you decide to drop it on -- but it also "curses" your opponent, making their attacks not as strong as status quo during this temporary state. Each player starts with 1 to use at their own discretion, and may gain another by filling the bar with cleared pieces. Multiple can be stored.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RanmaPuzzle2.png
wash bucket on top of purple block

The game takes some getting used to -- I came in expecting 2 pieces to fall at a time, a la Puzzle Fighter. The horizontal restriction of the pieces and vertical restriction of the elimination system perplexed me initially, but the more I play it the more I like it. Fun little puzzler. Don't overlook it. The chains you can create are astonishing!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RPuzzleTutorial2.png
you're looking at a 15-hit chain, minimum

Shoot... I never seen Ranma, read Ranma, or cared for Ranma. Yet I can't help but love these silly games. OUGI has colorful graphics that's easy-going on the eyes as a bonus. Good stuff all-around

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RanmaPuzzle3.png

------

MAGICAL TARURUUTO-KUN

This early 1992 platformer is simple. For me at least, that's part of the charm. Sporting bright cheerful graphics, you control a little dude who loves to gobble up blocks. When he isn't doing that he uses his long tongue to bat away enemies.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTK1.png
the pipes remind me of another platformer, hmm

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTK2.png
I can't shake this deja vu feeling...

The main screen is a map. Along the way you play mini games such as a card game SPEED (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmf90DH2_5A ) as we old kids used to call it.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTKmap.png
have we met before?

This game definitely has the SNES look/style down pat
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTK3.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTK4.png
he doesn't actually eat them, don't worry

Plus... you can't beat "The Three C's"

Cheap
Common
Competent

All which apply to this delightfully basic platformer

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTK5.png

----

MAGICAL POP'N was one of three SFC games I credit for really intriguing me to start importing. (Godzilla Dai Kessen I knew for years so I don't count it) The other two were DoReMi Fantasy and Majyuuou. They are actually quite well known in SFC circles, especially Majyuuou and Magical Pop'n. I've heard the immense praise for Magical Pop'n, and was very thrilled the day the game arrived in the mail.

It's a platformer with traits that are more or less reminiscent of timeless classics such as Metroid, Zelda, Castlevania, Megaman etc. You attack with a sword but have subweapons, each requiring a certain amount of stars (your 1st one eats up two)

Here's a look at the game's first two levels...

Sensing something foul in Denmark, your quest begins one dark rainy night atop a roof
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopn2.png

A stroke of lightning reveals in the distance endless and ominous-looking hills
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopn1.png

You fall through a chimney where danger aplenty still lurks
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopn3.png

A healthy boost sends you sky high to the next floor
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopn5.png

As you navigate the mansion you uncover creepy dungeons
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopn4.png

Your 1st mid-boss encounter comes with this occult heathen
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopinboss1.png
I bet he has no problems moving *rimshot* *crickets*

Eventually you head back up, with this dirty little goblin trying to impede your expedition
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopin7.png

Prepare for battle with level 1's end guardian
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopinboss2.png

Level 2's setting is the woods... on the surface at least... literally
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopin8.png

Not before long our heroine must enter a dank cave filled with critters of all shapes and sizes
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopin11.png
Where have I seen those before...

You must cross this to meet the mid-boss of the cave and claim your next sub-weapon
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopin9.png

It's not quite as tricky as it may appear
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPopin10.png

Here she is. First blow her limbs off, then be careful as she spazzes like a crackhead
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/plantboss1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/plantboss2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/plantboss3.png

Now you may claim your Bionic Commando-like extension grappler
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/ItsZelda.png
NOW WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE?!?! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA9OmsX8Kmo)

Swing with the greatest of ease
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MPswinging.png
it has unlimited use, but is used strictly for swinging purposes

Magical Pop'n has six stages and no password/save feature. Therefore you must beat it in one sitting. It gets pretty damn tough later on. I know it may sound weird but the underground section reminds me slightly of the recent horror movie THE DESCENT. I kept expecting to find a pile of bones. But seriously, it does have some strange creatures underground...

Honestly, I couldn't help but come in expecting a masterpiece gem... a 9 plus out of 10 video game. I was a little disappointed but don't get me wrong, it's a fine game. I know those who absolutely LOVE it. Some prefer it over DoReMi. Here's my personal ranking of "the big three"

1. DoReMi Fantasy
2. Magical Pop'n
3. Majyuuou

For me DoReMi was just... almost as good (and charming) as a platformer can get. Magical Pop'n has some nifty things working in its favor, and I like it. But in my book, it's not in DoReMi's class. Since these three games for me are "linked together" for eternity, I can't help but compare them just a little bit.

Having said that, all serious SNES owners should have Magical Pop'n in their collection. It's slightly hard to find from what I understand but doesn't fetch as high a figure as DoReMi

BEST COMBO VID EVER (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsv7pdPh2SI)
Ranma Puzzle How-To-Play (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsfV9L5FYYM)
Ranma Puzzle sample (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcnvjA8MWZo)
Magical Taruruuto Kun 1-1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X44RnqqWUs)
Magical Pop'n gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=968a5S7yTQ0)

dairugger

10-23-2006, 11:48 PM

isnt MAGICAL TARURUUTO-KUN's character the same one from magical troll for the mega drive??

Steven

10-24-2006, 07:31 AM

isnt MAGICAL TARURUUTO-KUN's character the same one from magical troll for the mega drive??

yup... there was also a Game Gear version

dairugger

10-24-2006, 09:28 PM

cool! a series i didnt know about!

Steven

10-26-2006, 06:44 PM

Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse was one of the SNES titles that received much fanfare for its smooth gameplay, graphics and polished feel during the system's infancy. It was yet another Capcom smash. In '94 Capcom released the sequel The Great Circus Mystery which added a 2-player mode with Minnie. The next year Japan gamers were graced by the last in the trilogy: MICKEY & DONALD: MAGICAL ADVENTURE 3

Today we examine the game that sadly never was in the US (though Capcom ported the trilogy to GBA in 2005)

If you liked the first two you'll like this too. You still get suits with different abilities as you advance through the game, it still employs the "snatch-a-block-out-of-the-air-and-toss-it-at-the-baddie" system, and it's still all quite easy. A password system is included to make your life even easier. Animation, as always, is top-notch.

You won't find anything new here, but perhaps, that's just as well.

The game opens up with Mickey visiting Donald. Huey, Duey and Luey, being bored, decided to venture upstairs to the attic. They find an ancient book and, well, curiosity killed the cat, er, duck? (Ed. What am I paying you again?)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3intro.png
Lights emanating from book: usually a bad thing

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3intro2.png
Oh shoot, I reckon that not be too good a thing either

And so you're off with the choice of Mickey or Donald in the 1P game, or 2P game if you can conjure a friend to play along. Mickey and Donald have different suits which is a plus. There are 7 stages, with multiple levels in each. Here's a quick peek

Stage 1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3level1.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3turkey.png
1st mid-boss

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3boss1.png
1st boss

Stage 2

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3level2.png
Donald displays the power of this particular garment

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3toobig.png
the poor chap hasn't grown into it quite yet

Stage 3

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3bonesboss.png
Mid-boss is "dying" to meet you (Ed. Oh dear)

Stage 4

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3level4.png
This costume packs a mean wallop!

Stage 5

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3level5.png
The wavy blocks here are a nice touch. Those bubbles act as breathing points

Stage 6

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3level6.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3bigfoot.png
Sheesh, talk about getting cold feet

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3malfunction.png
And you wonder why he carries such a big hammer...

Stage 7

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3level7.png
This is just the opening, and already things are heating up...

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It's Mickey. It's Capcom. It's Mickey BY Capcom. It's good.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MD3argue.png
Donald: 1, 2, 3!

----

Sadly I missed out on going to DisneyLand as a youth. I didn't get to experience the "Happiest Place on Earth" (haha, sure, tell that to the Pink Poodle..) until my Senior year in high school where we celebrated our SENIOR GRAD NIGHT. We had the park closed off to the Class of 2001 from Midnight to 6 AM -- it was ours to run... and ours to rule. *maniacal laughter*

My friends and I immediately hitched on the first ride we could... the pirate water thing... I still recall going under the cave for the 1st time, with that WHOOSH sound echoing throughout the cool crisp night air as darkness devoured us. Awesome

I remember the park being lit up... the dance room bumping with carefree to-be-high-school graduates.. the free food... all the rides you could go on. By 4:30 AM you could see numerous couples passed out on the benches. But not us... no, we were wide awake and determined to squeeze the park for all it was worth.

This next game definitely brings back memories of that night.

MICKEY NO TOKYO DISNEYLAND DAIBOUKEN

Not by Capcom, but TOMY. Despite less-than-stellar control which makes the game harder in spots than it should be... this is a very nice platformer. And indeed, a pleasant surprise as I had never heard of it before, yet found in it a very enjoyable game featuring a timeless household icon.

Mickey must rescue his friends, entrapped by the evil Pete, and to do so he must conquer each section of the park. He faces Pete at the end of the worlds, and in between there's all manner of traps and minions to thwart your progress.

Mickey attacks with water balloons. Yes, water balloons. The standard kind is flicked horizontally and may be charged to be of a bigger variety. The other kind is heaved upward, or, if held down will send Mickey in the air. A decreasing meter shows you how long til the balloon pops.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoflyup.png

While in mid-air you may press forward and Mickey will be shot in said direction. In certain areas this is a must. You can even do a diagonal downward/upward dive.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoflyacross.png

Another nifty ability of Mickey's... hold Y and kneel down. Mickey will set a water balloon on the ground which he can then jump on to really catch some air, or sometimes this method must be used to create a weight.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyowaterdown1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyowaterdown2.png

Or it could be used to pick off enemies below! Ace!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyolevel3.png

The game has a total of 18 levels, 6 sections of the park with 3 levels each. Like Mickey & Donald 3 passwords are given to make life easier. Here's a quick look at the 6 stages

Stage 1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyolevel1.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoduck.png
surfs up dude

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyotreasurecove.png

This next part is absolutely gorgeous. But before you can enjoy it for too long the treasure chests (all but one) come alive

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyooooh.png
oooh

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyofire1.png
mandatory platforming fire section

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyofire2.png
the infamous dripping part

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyonofeed.png
don't feed the pigeons -- oy

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyofeedingfrenzy.png
This bastard tosses food in the water to attract the biting fish

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyobreathe.png
when underwater you'll need to come up to breathe, here's a nice little section meant just for that

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyostars.png
the Japanese sure love their night scenes and stars don't they?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoPete1.png
Level 1's boss... just jump over the barrels he flicks and spray him

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoPete2.png
He doesn't go down without a dirty fight though, here Pete shows off his best Final Fight boss 1 impression

Whew, and that's just stage 1! Enjoy it, because it only gets harder from here on out

Stage 2

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyolevel2.png
Usually brown is a bland color in games but TOMY made it look exceptional here

Stage 3

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoboulder.png
oh shit

Stage 4

Stage 4 is a vertical level that starts off showing bottom to top, top to bottom. Remember the old shooter IN THE HUNT where that giant stone creature constantly stalks you up the screen? There ya go

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyo3ghosts.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyolongface.png
notice the change here from the previous pic

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyobigghost.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoghostchase.png

Stage 5

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyomonks.png

Stage 6

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MTokyoghostface.png
this creepy ghost face appears 1st thing in stage 6... it's an easy sitting target though with no attacks of it own

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Like Mickey & Donald Magical Adventure 3 this game is not a 1-hit wonder. On easy you have 8 health bars (in the form of balloons), medium 5 and hard 3. As mentioned, the control may cramp your style but it can be worked around, and if you're looking for a Mickey game that actually is CHALLENGING for a change, this one does the job nicely. Mickey Tokyo is a sweet game to kill a couple hours with on those dark rainy Sunday afternoons. It's not in the class of Capcom's SNES Mickey Trilogy, but TOMY did a commendable job of not disgracing the proud name.

Mickey & Donald 3: Level 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQxQCBE7Ovw)
Mickey Disneyland: Level 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djCeUl7mLaw)

MrRoboto19XX

10-27-2006, 12:46 AM

Steven, Id just like to tell you that I continually look forward to your next instalments, your reviews so to speak are well worded and informative.

Great thread!

badinsults

10-28-2006, 11:09 PM

In a somewhat related note, I have written an article on BS F-zero Grand Prix 2, released on the Broadcast Satellaview.

http://snescentral.edgeemu.com/review.php?id=0811&num=0&fancy=yes

I am going to try harder to put the reviews up on Snes Central for prosperity Steve, but it takes a while to do it.

Steven

10-28-2006, 11:32 PM

I am going to try harder to put the reviews up on Snes Central for prosperity Steve, but it takes a while to do it.

I understand... no rush. BTW, it seems I can't post on my topic at your site for the moment being, as I've maxed out the word limit -- looks like I'll need someone to reply to my topic over there so I can start a new post, based on your format. When I tried to post the Mickey stuff, I got mumble jumble.

Steven

10-29-2006, 05:03 PM

I'll never forget the day I saw Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It was the best movie going experience I've had in some time -- the capacity filled theatre was just so vociferous and, to boot, the film was actually worth cheering for.

I remember that day fondly for another reason. My spring semester just ended and I wanted a summer job. I scoured the mall looking for an open position an hour before show time.

I walked past a store that I initially couldn't give two flying you know what about... but then I stopped.... NOW HIRING eh? To quote my friend, the best three words a guy could ever hear from a hot chick: What the Hell

A cute girl about 19 years old was working. The store was empty.

"I'd like an application."

She looked at me as if I were kiddng. Then she gave me one.

I completed it on the bench outside.

5 minutes later I placed the application on the counter.

Cat got her tongue for a second.

"Steve, there hasn't been a male employee here in five years...."

I grinned, and then in a surreptitiously confident manner, uttered the rhetoric words that I knew won me the job then and there.

"I guess the odds are against me then"

The reaction on her face was priceless. I walked out on that note, leaving her hanging.

Two days later, I was called in for an interview. I nailed it and was hired on the spot. My first shift the mall was packed like a sardine can, and they assigned me to take care of the "Wheel Game" where I ask customers to pay two dollars to spin for a mystery prize. 3 (most common and cheapest prizes), 2, 1 and Grand Prize were marked on the wheel, so everyone wins something.

Before I went to it one of the girl employees came over and told me to limit the Grand Prize winners. But if they land on it, how can I change that fact? Then she showed me a little knob on the back of the contraption. When twisted, you could get JUST enough on it to move the arrow indicator 1 or 2 spots over.

That afternoon a couple people did land on the Grand Prize, and I never once manipulated the knob. This one's for the little guys -- LITERALLY (they were 6-year-old girls using their allowance, I'll be damned if I robbed them of that)

Anyway, for the next 7 months I was a salesclerk there. On the weekends I took charge of the Wheel game because the boss said I made more $$$ on it than the girls ever did. Being the only male had it ups and downs, of course, and I could go on and on (don't -Ed.) but I won't (good -Ed.). All in all, it was a nice experience.

Why the HELL am I talking about this, anyway? (You have 3 seconds to explain yourself.... -Ed.)

SANRIO WORLD SMASH BALL!

Think Windjammers (Neo Geo)... only, with Sanrio characters. For those not in the know, Windjammers is basically an air hockey type game, some may call it a "Pong for the 90's" where two player are stationed on opposite ends and the key is to smack the disc into their goal line in a best 3 out of 5 format. Blocks and other obstacles stand in the way. Windjammers was horizontal however, whereas Sanrio Smash is vertical.

Weighing in at a WHOPPIN' TWO MEGS, it's tied with Mr. Do! and Space Invaders as the smallest game on Super Nintendo. Tales of Phantasia -- the biggest game on SNES (48 megs) is a preposterously TWENTY-FOUR times bigger than Sanrio Smash! But as you can see, the graphics here are serviceable enough.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio4.png
Super Turrican was 4 megs! It fooled many, this one could too, I suppose, a bit

It's a simple and fun 2 player game. I know the cutesy nature may be a turnoff to some but don't let that fool you. Sanrio Smash plays a mean addictive competitive game with many different layouts. There are also power-ups inside blocks... one for example will instantly eliminate all blocks protecting the opposition's goal line... making him ripe for the pickings.

Some stages have X marks, and these serve as a restriction line. There are some stages though that allow you the ability to go where you please.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrioseesaw.png
As you progress the design gets crazier
Here's one of my faves void of those annoying X marks
The seesaw continuously rotates, affecting both players' strategy on the fly

Aside from your standard left and right swats you have the super shot. By holding a button you will charge up a power bar. When full, pressing "X" enables your powershot, sending the disc flying straight ahead at 250 miles per hour. Your guy will swing his arms twice in a circular motion, so it's possible to hit the disc twice in succession if it bounces off a block and right back to you. The bar will only fill up when you're standing still and holding a button. It can be re-filled as many times as you wish.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio1.png
Bar's full, my guy's flashing, and I'm gearing up.....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio2.png
Using my super shot, the first hit connects and breaks a block
It immediately ricochets back to me in time before my super shot animation expires
And this time, he has no answer

The game has some unique stage designs. It features a 1P mode, password option and 2P mode. In 2P mode you have 20 stages to pick from, and 4 Sanrio characters. Some of the stage gimmicks are really cool.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SanrioPinball.png
this pinball-like stage is ace

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio3.png
Fans shoot the disc in unpredictable directions

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio5.png
As the disc shatters the blocks, you'd be wise to power up... watch

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio6.png
Now powered up, my possessed-looking friend is free to advance upward, ready to unleash hell

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sanrio7.png
With the boy cornered and a kink in the armor, 1 power shot is all that's left...

The game has no music whatsoever during the gameplay (hey, it's 2 megs after all...) It's just the sound effects of the disc being hit back and forth. Just pop in your favorite CD and you're good to go.

I've yet to meet anyone who has played Sanrio Smash and didn't like it. I suspect you'll enjoy it too, if you can look past its license.

-------

POP'N SMASH

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Spuds_mackenzie.jpghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashBow.png
Famed for her Bud Light commercial Super Bowl '87

Based on the canine Bow (who resembles Spuds MacKenzie), star of a popular manga and anime series, Takara gives us, well, a Sanrio Smash clone. The full and proper title is "Heisei Inu Monogatari: Bow Pop'n Smash." It controls and plays just like Sanrio Smash, right down to the charging bar-power shot (which can also hit the ball twice in succession under the right circumstances). Talk about shameless!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmash4.png

So, what are the differences? Well, Pop'n Smash features more options. In Sanrio 2P mode you have a choice of four characters and 20 stages. Here you have six characters and 30 stages. Not only that but you can even select from 9 different tools, ranging from mallets to baseball bats to brooms to even, a branch! I haven't, however, been able to discern if these various tools have pluses and minuses... or if they merely serve as cosmetics, but nonetheless variety is the spice of life.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashScreen.png
The 1-Player version is limited to a choice of 4
Here Bow opts for the twig over the tennis racket... wise choice my friend

The powerups also are very similar. i.e. One eliminates all blocks protecting opposition's goal line, another instantly gives you full power. There is at least one icon that's different though: a bomb rovering around the screen -- if it touches you you're frozen in place for a good 4, 5 seconds. Pretty cool.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashBomb.png
Bomb just released at the top there

You can also dive to make amazing last second saves and stops. By pressing "Y" and the proper D-Pad command you can dive north, south, east or west. Good stuff I say.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmash1.png

In the 1P mode you go through each character, with the vs. screen showing the password on bottom much like Sanrio. Hmmmm

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SanrioVS.png vs. http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashVS.png

Another big difference is in Pop'n Smash you have more freedom to roam as you wish. Many of its stages have no restrictive X marks as Sanrio did.... though there are some stages with restriction points, but most allow each player to go up and down the field as they wish. I only wish you could beat up the opposing player as well, what great fun that would be, sort of a Pong-slash-beat-em-up but alas I digress...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashPinball.png
Oh c'mon you wish you could press-slam her too...
Or at least smack her upside the head with the mallet

There's also a "catch-as-many-butterflies-as-you-can-in-40-seconds" mini-game in the 1P mode.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashButterflies.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashOops.png
Sayaka displays the powershot, unforunately for her it is most ill-timed
The ball will ricochet off the barrier and into her own goal line

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmash2.png
Certain objects are breakable however, such as these flower pots

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmash3.png
Bow dives to perserve his blocks

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PopnSmashWater.png
Sayaka's helpless expression as the ball goes past her is too cute

So, which is better? WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

This was hard a little bit... I did really enjoy the little touches in Pop'n Smash and the additional options that give it perhaps a stronger lifespan than Sanrio... but Sanrio feels a little more "solid" in gameplay. I'd place Pop'n Smash a close second. Both are worth owning and even if Pop'n ripped off Sanrio tremendously, as similar as they are, at the same time they play a bit differently too, if you can fathom that.

-------

Some folks will dismiss Sanrio and Pop'n Smash in favor of a game that's more... "mature."

More violent.

More masculine.

More bl -- (Enough -Ed.)

At the end of the day, gameplay will always reign supreme, no matter the look. Take, for example, Kemco's G2 (Genocide 2)

G2 was scheduled to be released in the States but never did. Play it and you'll no longer wonder why. I recall seeing a preview in EGM and always thought it looked very cool. In fact, earlier this year I made the grave offense of confusing G2 and R2 (Rendering Ranger) for being one and the same... oh boy... are they ever different.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/G2-1.png

G2 is a ho-hum action scroller. There are 15 levels. I beat G2 on my first try in 40 minutes. You go through short levels, killing everything (hence the full name GENOCIDE 2... on a side note the US release was called Generations 2... typical Nintendo) but it's just oh so DULL. There's no variety to it, the controls are cumbersome and the graphics and sound very bland. If you ever seen the GAMERA monster films of Japan, the sound effects of enemies in G2 dying sound exactly like the screams belonging to the villain GYAOS

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/G2-2.png
sure it looks "cool" but don't let that fool ya

Furthermore, the bosses don't even exhibit an ounce of imagination. The levels are just as "production line" (a term to describe a job done without care or love). You simply go right, hack and hack (the special weapons aren't worth mentioning much either) and proceed to next level and repeat. It's more shallow than a slip-and-slide. OK, that was a little harsh..

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/G2-3.png

I know I've been (exceptionally) hard on G2 thus far, but it's not total crap. It's better than a lot of junk out there. But what's worse than an average game besides the obvious? An average game that, by all admissions, should have been very good. I give G2 a pedestrian 5.5 out of 10, maybe 6 on a good day. It shoulda been leagues better, LEAGUES. Proceed with caution.

Maybe you'll like it but I didn't much.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/G2-4.png
such wasted potential

Sanrio Smash
-----
Domination (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC4mJhK9-jI)
Down to the wire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR9bHQnZaW4)
No Mercy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh-ZsZyyD1g)

Pop'n Smash
-----
Sanrio Smash beater? What do you think? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7rQWHDsY0E)

G2: Genocide 2
-----
My friend's vid of G2, up to level 2-3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79A8UgSkm2A)

pragmatic insanester

10-30-2006, 09:20 PM

i own Genocide 2 and i thought it was pretty nifty. different strokes i guess.

Steven

10-31-2006, 04:37 PM

For the kid in me this will always be my favorite day of the calender year. Darkening days, falling leaves, that cold crisp October night air... it's hard to beat.

Appropriately, here are 3 "ghostly" SFC games...

Have a great Halloween

GEGEGE NO KITAROU (AKA "GHOST OF KITARO")

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro7.png

This game is very very strange! It's a scrolling shoot em up platformer -- best way to describe it. Based off the manga/anime you control a bloke who sprays bullets out of his hair. Doing the firing? The organism which takes shelter in Kitaro's do, of course. Bizarre? You betcha.

Unfortunately these bullets don't go full-screen. Kitarou has a shield to block projectiles with, and 3 special weapons he can call upon, but can only use once he's killed a ghost creature and captured its soul. The more souls you've swiped, the more specials you can use.

1 special is a short cane like whip that I find utterly useless. Another is a sandal-type thing that goes across the bottom of the screen and back. The third is the BFG of the game. Multiple electric blasts are emitted from Kitarou's body. Best saved for bosses.

There are 19 levels but each stage is VERY short. You deal with a few regular baddies (some can be rather tough) and then you tackle the guardian boss. Some levels have as little as 2 enemies before the boss encounter! What the hell!

The game reminds me a bit of a SNES Contra clone REALM in this regard: both games are highly imaginative with some truly bizarre monsterous creations, but the damn thing's just so hard, making it tough to enjoy.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Realm.png
blasted difficult-to-high-heavens REALM

Luckily there are two handy codes (one for level select, the other for unlimited specials) and with the latter I was able to "electro shock" my way through the game. What a shame it's so hard, because like Realm some of the later levels are really something else. Alas, even jedi game players probably won't ever see 'em without the aid of cheats.

Some bosses include: Frankenstein, a witch who can change you into small random objects, a vampire in the form of a giant bat along with his many tiny bat friends, a dark cave set against a waterfall where you square off with ten dragon heads, one at a time etc.

The game, even though Kitarou and friends are kiddy looking and no blood is featured, isn't exactly rated G. One boss, after you kill her, splits in half! Another impales an innocent bystander through the heart with her makeshift razor-hand!

Here's an example of how unfair the gameplay is. On certain levels there are very small platforms to jump on, but with spirits on you like bees on honey, it's so hard to avoid them. If hit, you'll fall to your death, thanks to the ridiculously small platforms. Another case-in-point: there are leaps of faith to be made where you can't even see the platform on the right until you jump, forcing the screen to stroll forward. In a game as hard as this, that's just wrong.

On the upside, the monsters as I mentioned are something else. Level 1's boss is something you might see in Hayao Miyazaki's work (Spirited Away specifically) The graphics are real cartoony and excellent. And the music? Solid. Oriental flare and gets rather creepy-ish at the right moments.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro6.png

Another major plus: what is a super-hard 1 player game becomes an absolutely BRILLIANT not-so-rock-hard 2-player affair. The 2nd player controls a character who has a full screen fireball similar to Sagat's. With Kitarou blocking and the 2nd player firing away, the game takes on new life. It's been a while since I seen a game where 2 players made SUCH a drastic difference over the 1 player mode.

After each level there are pictures and JP text to advance the story.

GeGeGe no Kitarou is the kind of game that you want to like so badly because of all its quirks, but the difficulty/cheapness ruins it. Can't recommend it whole-heartedly, but as a $5-$10 buy (provided you have a sibling or friend into these old games) you won't regret it.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Treehouse.png
"Chip? Monterey? Gadget? Zipper?!"
"Hey bud wrong tree house wrong show!"
"Oh, er... love what you done with the place"

Here's a look at LEVEL 1

This 1st baddie takes several hits to kill and zips around like no tomorrow

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro1.png

Then this chick pops from out behind the tree. Don't be seduced...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro2.png

For her true colors are soon revealed

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro3.png

Thinking he was friendly I approached the lard asking for a breath mint, preferably grape

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro4.png

That's the last time I go to the ****ing woods

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Kitaro5.png

----

GHOST CHASER DENSEI

Where are the ghosts, I've always wondered. It's a beat em up. 3 choices: all around guy, quick girl, or heavy duty robot. There are 6 or 7 different types of baddies, and each "race" has 2 or 3 spinoffs but uses the same sprite. These include the usual: bottom tier bums, the big boys, the fat boys, the annoying females, even large monsters (some of which are named "Monster" or "Creature" -- and who said creativity's dead in video games?)

2 Player mode is where it's at as you can perform awesome tag team moves with your power meter. You know how beat em ups have special attacks that take away your own energy a little bit? Here, you have a separate meter for those things, so doing 360 whirly kicks or flaming Dragon Punches doesn't sap you of health, ace. There is an amazing array of different special's at your disposal. The game's moveset is larger than your average beat em up, which makes it stand out.

Not much more I need to say except it's a good one. Again I'm not sure where the "spirits" are, as I don't see any ghosts here... except in the title and maybe one, and I wouldn't want to spoil that for ya.

Beat em up fans will like it.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GhostChaser.jpg

-------

GHOST SWEEPER MIKAMI

One chases, the other sweeps. The world we live in. This game is what you might get if Splatterhouse, Castlevania, Ghostbusters and Sailor Moon all jumped into a melting pot. Sorta...

You control Mikami, a rather sexy-dressing lass, who must rid the levels of spirits with her trusty wand-ish stick. Along the way pots can be broken to reveal powerups such as food or weapon upgrades (projectiles)

But is it any good?

Let's go to the tale of the tape shall we...

LEVEL 1

Mikami starts at the local mall. Reminiscent of DAWN OF THE DEAD

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami1.png

Nothing creeps like crummy ole mannequins at night... except for window-crashing zombies

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami2.png

Once that's sorted you go train-hopping. It scrolls splendidly

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami3.png
very Ghostbuster-esque wouldn't you say?
Don't get any ideas here, Samuel L...

The little details are what make games so fun. Here's a creepy visit with a passenger... (the paper can come alive!)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami4.png
"Are you done with the funnies yet?"

Doors must be blasted down. And quickly! Watch out for them nasty hand thingies

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami5.png

Mikami can hang and swing herself up to reach new heights. Very cool

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami6.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami7.png
that Flash Kick will take out baddies too

Zombies? Check. Possessed duffel bags? Check. Boogeymen? Check

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami8.png

Finally we arrive at boss numero uno. His long arm attack reminds me of the ole cheap sticky long arm things you could buy at supermarkets for 25 cents back in the day

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami9.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami10.png

LEVEL 2

Watery bit level

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami11.png

A rock and some bats [You're fired -Ed.]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami12.png

Oh, it's the house-at-the-end-of-the-woods bit. They're never good things, ar'they?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami13.png

Maybe this is the exception... aw isn't she adorable? WHOA WHAT THE [snip -Ed.]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami14.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami15.png

Attack her hands and bat away the spirits

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami16.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami17.png

WHO'S BAD!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami18.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami19.png

I know it's deja vu but grab it and go!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami20.png

LEVEL 3

Here you get shrunk down to size...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami21.png

All sorts of evils come your way

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami22.png

And everyday things we don't think twice of

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami23.png
you will jump...

And duck

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami24.png

This mid-boss packs a deadly punch (or at least, a poison dart)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mikami25.png
game over

I enjoyed Ghost Sweeper. It's old school platforming fun, controls well and the atmosphere is ace. Based off the manga/anime... no surprise as so many SFC games were based off some sort of manga or anime. At least this one wasn't hastily put together.

A worthy addition to your Super Famicom collection.

Kitarou Level 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ygup6_usE)
Ghost Sweeper Boss 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r42ntzZo0a0)

Steven

11-03-2006, 03:55 PM

double post

Steven

11-03-2006, 03:56 PM

Whenever a successful formula is found, like Street Fighter II, rival companies clamor to clone it. Ever wonder why Mario Kart didn't have more imitators? Actually, there were quite a few clones... but most of them never made it past Japan. Today we look at five of 'em and see how they fare

ASTRO GO! GO!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo7.png

More of an F-Zero clone, this game is simply nuts. If you're suspectible to motion sickness you may want to pass. Astro Go Go moves so fast your eyes feel like exploding due to the rapid processing of multi-technic colors and scrolling scenery. The graphics themselves aren't particularly impressive, but the speed makes everything look better than what they really are.

You have a choice of 5 racers, each having their own unique vehicle. SUPER PLAY shows you the way....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SPAstroGoGo.jpg

Unfortunately it's only 1-Player, and one look it's easy to see why. The SNES trying to handle this game, split-screen, without severe detail being stripped and lack of slowdown? Shyeah, right. Thus, lifespan is shorter. There is a Grand Prix mode where you race the other 4 drivers, and a time trial mode that saves your best lap and overall times. And... that's it.

The trickiest part may be the controls. You see, you can move the vehicle 360 degrees. That means, then, that most of us will spin out accidentally a lot until we get the hang of this. Why the 360 degrees control? In certain parts your guy will go left or right... or even INTO THE SCREEN! Observe the various directions, and keep in mind this all happens at an insane velocity:

The Great Leap Forward... and I'm not talking Mao Zedong

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo1.png

Landing on some lovely tiles you're warned to turn right

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo2.png

Diagonal bit (see the 871 KM!)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo3.png

Flying left (891 KM! *falls over and twitches*)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo5.png

Screaming DOWNWARD (at 896 KM!! *croaks*)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo4.png

So, is it worth getting? Tricky, this. See, I can understand how one might dig this, but for me I never viewed it as a "real" game. It's more of a show-y off-y gimmick racer, that while is cool and fun in 15 minute spurts, doesn't offer much more. The controls get better as you work it out and memorize the layouts of the courses, but it's far too lightweight to be considered a "great racing title."

On a side note, this was scheduled a US release under the HORRIBLE name Freeway Flyboys

Oh and if you're wondering, Super Play slagged it with a 51% mark summarizing it as "Engagingly off-beat, but only for a matter of seconds. Then its true color as a lazy attempt to copy F-Zero will shine through, driving you to despair."

NEXT!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/AstroGoGo6.png

------

BATTLE RACERS

Ah, did Banpresto milk these fella's or what? One in a long line of "Battle" SFC games, these titles all feature the same four blokes, namely, Ultraman the Great, Radar RX 'The Masked Rider,' Battle Knight Gundam F-91 and Earth Fighter Roah. They've done dodgeball, they've done soccer, now they're slugging it out in a charge-to-the-finish-line duel.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleRacers.png

As you can see, since these are super bad robots they need no stinkin' go-karts or the like. Standard Grand Prix mode, Time Trial (which saves your best lap and overall times of course) and 2P mode. 2 players can battle it out in the Grand Prix mode, or a battle game where the objective is to capture a ball and enter 10 zones, deactivating them, one by one. Meanwhile, your opponent tries his damndest to knock the ball out of your clutches and begin his own 10 zone spree. There are (surprise surprise) four different specific battle courses.

Power sliding feels just great here. There's nothing like turning the corner without slowing down and brushing past a group of pillars -- speeding your way to the finish line

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleRacers4.png
this provides a great rush of adrenaline

In the Grand Prix mode, there are 6 racers. Points are handed out much like Mario Kart

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleRacers1.png
shameless huh

Capsules are strewn about the courses. They change colors every few seconds and range from health refills to projectile-based attacks (yes, you have an energy bar). 5 laps per course... some of which are very short -- 11 to 15 second laps are not uncommon! 4 cups are available, with the 4th having to be unlocked. Four courses 1st cup, five 2nd and six 3rd. (total of 15 initial tracks for the mathematically impaired)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleRacers2.png
Standard pits and water hazards are present

The game is fun and feels 'right.' I thought coming in, it was going to be a poor clone. It's a lot better than I expected. In fact, in the end I came away liking it a lot. Give it a shot

NEXT!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BattleRacers3.png
this sunlight effect is "greatness personified"

------

KAT'S RUN

Ugh. What a disappointment. An all-girl racer released in summer '95 by ATLUS. 10 females to select from, and 10 cars. Sounds plenty promising, but ends up being just a dull me-too racer.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KatsRun1.png

Standard 1 and 2 player modes. Courses work oddly here... the screen blacks out as you continue to race, then it lights up and you begin the next course. This means no little breaks in-between, and with the lame CPU AI you find yourself alone driving along the bland scenery. My victory was marked after 18 minutes of non-stop racing. I almost fell asleep.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KatsRun.png
Looks cool in'it? The real in-game graphics aren't this good nor the tracks, trust me

It's not worthless... but save your money. NEXT!

-----

RIDER'S SPIRITS
(Bike Daisuki: Hashiriya Damashii)

Here's another blatant Mario Kart clone. Yet, like Battle Racers, it's quite enjoyable and worth getting. You have 8 drivers to select from, each with pros and cons. GP, Time Trial, 2P. If you time it right after the 3, 2, 1 bit you can even get a speed burst.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RiderSpirits.png

The 2 Player mode is awesome. Two can play in GP mode, or race against one another just the two of you. You can also opt to include just two extra CPU opponent (total of four for those counting at home). Now that's the kind of customizable power that I love. But what about a 2P battle mode, a la Mario Kart? And Battle Racers?

It's a little different here, and it's pretty damn cool. Ever heard of a game called CHICKEN? Well, allow someone who has played it to explain it to you. This Will Smith bit here explains it all (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8dy2sRJceI) (with a cameo from Robin -- the black lady on the Howard Stern show). Rider's Spirits' Chicken Race mode is like that... closest biker to the edge wins. If you go over, you lose, however, unlike the bloke in the footage who claims he won though he went over... yet he didn't really win, did he? [Stop confusing the masses -Ed.]

Just let it be known, this mode though lasts 5 seconds, is a great little brake-at-the-last-possible-moment bit and works brill.

Here's EGM's take

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/EGMRiders.jpg

Well done... NEXT!

----

SD F-1 GRAND PRIX

You may remember the regular F-1 Grand Prix games on Super Famicom. Here's their Mario Kart clone version. Pick from 10 different animals each with their own stats

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1select.png
CHUCK E. CHEESE'S rejects...

There are many different camera angles to pick from. The default is Mario Kart style. But one allows you to make SD F-1 look just like their earlier F-1 games, from a bird-eye's view point

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1small.png

1P games include:

-GP Mode: first you race around bare track for 2 laps to be awarded a starting position (1-10). Then you start the race at your designated spot against the 9 rivals. Icons litter the course, collect enough to fill a bar and you can give yourself a temporary speed burst

-Crash Mode: None of this 2 laps positioning nonsense. Start out #10 and instead of speed-bar-filling-up icons you get regular weapon icons (projectiles, etc.) I much preferred this traditional Mario Kart mode over GP

-Time Trial: Duh. Keeps track of best lap and overall times

2P game (besides obvious GP and whatnot):

-Dog Fight: Pick one of (surprise surprise) four specific battle arenas, and it's a dog fight to the death. Goal is to zap other driver's energy to zero by blasting them with any means necessary. Groovy

Like Battle Racers, your guy has a health bar that is reduced any time he falls in a pit, rams into barriers or gets fried by the opposition. Unlike Battle Racers though, instead of finding health refills in capsules, SD F-1 has a healing section along the beginning of each track much like F-Zero

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1heal.png
Mario Kart meets F-Zero?! Sure looks guilty...

And now, let us gawk at a flurry of pics

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-1.png
OK they TOOK Mario Kart & replaced it with furry animals

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-2.png
some tracks contain helpful arrows

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-3.png
lovely beach level... with a super jump bit

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-4.png
Northern Lights! Nice detail on the ice as well

Lava track is arguably the best in terms of oooh-factor

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-5.png
prepare for the super jump

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-6.png
over... blue tiles?! Hey, it looks pretty OK?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-7.png
love how you can see it twist in the distance

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-8.png
avoid the muddy spots

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SDF1-9.png
lovely parquet flooring a la old Boston Celtics forum [That's stone -Ed.]

OK, TO SUM IT UP, WHAT'S GOOD?

I really like SD F-1, Rider's Spirits and Battle Racers. These games, as far as I'm concerned, are must-haves if you *love* Super Mario Kart (as I do)

Here's my ranking of today's games:

5. Kat's Run (quite meh, really)
4. Astro Go Go (not bad for what it is, but limited lifespan)
Tie. Rider's Spirits/Battle Racers (love these two)
1. SD F-1 Grand Prix (by a hair)

Of course, these clones are NAGA (not as good as) Mario Kart. But as alternatives, I'm sure you'll find at least one here you'll take a bit of a liking to. I know I did (three, in fact)

MOTION SICKNESS CITY -AKA- Astro Go Go (0:39) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu0NymKpqfI)
Battle Racers (1:15) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFGGOJp0Ef0)
SD F-1 Grand Prix (0:30) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROKIwdc-jkg)

Steven

11-03-2006, 04:01 PM

nevermind

Ackman

11-05-2006, 08:00 AM

Go Steve, Go Steve it's your birthday!? It's your birthday... erm really nice posts btw 3000 messeta for you. :D

Steven

11-06-2006, 02:28 PM

Thanks good sir

---

Welcome once again to another edition. Yes, there is a game beneath all this mess, and what an odd little game it is. If there was ever a BORAT character in the Super Nintendo world, this bloke would certainly qualify. But first, a topic near and dear...

Sunday, March 19, 2006

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/GameFanSet.jpg

It was on this day that I made a 40 minute trek to reclaim bits and pieces from my childhood. If there was one thing I enjoyed more than playing with my gaming group in the early-mid 90's, it was reading the latest EGM-slash-GameFan.

I found a collector online who lives 40 minutes away and had a crap load of doubles. He invited me to stop by some day, pick out my favorite issues and buy.

And so it was on that warm idyllic Sunday afternoon that I began my odyssey. Nice house, nice neighborhood. We greeted at his front door and then he guided me to his garage, which had been transformed into a gaming dungeon. Arcade machines adorned the walls proudly and of course, a ton of boxes home to countless doubles.

I stifled through 'em looking solely for EGM and GameFan. Finally, I gathered 22 EGM's and 13 GameFans. I already had EGM '94, so I was looking for '92 and '93 (the 16-bit era) and luck be my day, he had doubles of Jan '92 through Dec '93, with only two issues missing inbetween

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/EGM.jpg

We layed it out and now it was pricing time. I feared the worst as he flicked through the issues. Bear in mind -- I only had $68 on me. 35 vintage hard-to-find issues in very good condition, not to mention highly sought after, especially the GameFans

Yeah, I was expecting the worst

"So," He started. "How much do you think would be fair for all this?"

Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out what I had.

"I got sixty-eight dollars."

I paused and anticipated his disappointment, or laughter.

... Maybe both

"Sounds good to me," He said, with a smile.

WOW. I almost did a double-take outta astonishment!

That made my entire week! $1.94 per issue it came out. You won't find a deal this good online, ever

I'm sure he knew he could have made double or triple what I paid. But, some people just want to see these things go to a good home. And I was lucky he was one of 'em

He helped carry the magazines to my car and then invited me to check out his game room upstairs. There he had his personal "untouchables" (fitting term for a man who just gave me a Gandhi-sized deal eh?) magazine collection, and they ranged from ELECTRONIC GAMES to VIDEO GAMES AND COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT. I mentioned I was looking for SUPER PLAY -- a UK Super Nintendo magazine held in high reverence within diehard SNES circles. He didn't have that one.

His game collection was equally stunning. A Dreamcast setup in arcade-like fashion was brilliantly displayed. He showed me his "Gamer of 2005" (or the like) plaque that he won at some gaming convention. This guy was TRULY hardcore.

While driving home on the freeway, I took a couple glances at the treasure that rested gently on my passenger seat... still in disbelief.

And now it's led to (pardon the pun) an issue I had planned to address from the very beginning of this topic:

EGM vs GAMEFAN

Which is better? Here's my 2 cents...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/EGM1.jpg
FACT: EGM covered way more SFC games than GameFan did

I hear all too often that GameFan was and is the best ever. Now don't get me wrong, I *LOVED* GameFan to death as a kid. I remember drooling at screenshots of SNES World Heroes 2. But after reading them some odd 12 years later... the memories proved better than the actual product.

EGM deserves more cred for their import coverage, which was, quite frankly, superior to GameFan's. Each month INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK highlighted numerous Super Famicom games lying in the wings, even the really obscure ones.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/EGMFireMen2.jpg

Godzilla: Kaijuu Dai Kessen, you recall, was the 1st game I highlighted in this topic, and it was thanks to EGM that I discovered this game way back in '94. Others include:

Bakuto Dochers
Basketball Dream: Dunk and Hoop
Battle Cross
Battle Master
Battle Racers
Firemen
G2
Ghost Chaser Densei
Go Go Ackman
Mickey Tokyo Disneyland
Miracle Girls
Pop'n Smash
Rider's Spirits
SD Hiryu no Ken
Spark World
Super Back to the Future II
Zen Nippon Wrestling Dash
etc.

Note that all these games have been highlighted somewhere in this topic. And I got EGM to thank for it. Any time I see someone pimp GameFan for its amazing import coverage, I grin because EGM did it even more, and never seems to be credited for such.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/EGMBattleCross.jpg

GameFan had ace screen grabs but their writing left a lot to be desired at times. They were often too "cute," though ironically that was why I loved them back in '93. They wrote like... well, like an enthusiastic 10-year-old, which was perfect when you were ten; it felt like it was your very own writing that went into the magazine.

Two examples:

Volume 1, Issue 8 page 69

Another option is picking from two games, Turbo Hyper fighting and um ... I can't remember. I'm sorry sometimes I forget... Oh wait! I remember now, it's Champion Edition! Oh yea baby! Capcom is awesome

Volume 2, Issue 2 Editorial

Welcome to the Editorial Zone. A place where I, a person crazy enough to make a video game magazine, gets to write whatever I want. So, this month let's talk about the three toed Wallaby, a lovable little mate from down unda... uh, hold on. What was that you guys? I'm a what? OK, OK, I gotcha.

Enthusiasm? Sense of Humor? No doubt. Professional? Not always. No question that helped made them so "hip" and refreshing, but it's a double-edged sword. I find GameFan has aged not-so-well -- EGM on the other hand is like a fine fine wine. Those legendary 300-plus page holiday issues are still as enchanting as they were twelve years ago

Don't mistaken me for ripping GameFan though, I like 'em dearly to this day.

Speaking of quality gaming mags, as some of you know I received 45 issues of SUPER PLAY a few weeks ago. I'm making my rounds with it as we speak -- I truly love the whole archive-ness of these great old magazines. It was quite an era.... quite an era...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SP-WH2.jpg

It's a great kick to turn a page and run into an obscure SFC game... a few days ago I saw SANRIO SMASH and was delightfully thrilled. Super Play rated it 82% calling it "a surprise gem"

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SP-Sanrio.jpg

EGM... GameFan... Super Play... you gotta freakin' love it. Gaming mags in the US in my book have gone down the toilet since late 1997. I miss the days where you couldn't wait for them to come in the mail. They really do serve as a time vessel to much simpler and more innocent times...

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SP-FH.jpg

-------

JUNGLE NO OUJA TARZAN is one of those SFC games you'll come across and be quite perplexed by its distinct look. Once you see it, you never forget it, even if you want to.

It's a platformer that doesn't do anything you haven't seen done better before, but its overall unique quirky-ness warrants a look. Tarzan does struggle from Kid Icarus-itis... namely, after landing on small ledges he's quite prone to slip, the git.

I mentioned earlier Tarzan would be the Borat of the SNES realm. Like Borat, he starts out in his (jungle-y) home at the beginning, but then takes his exploits to such locations as China, Las Vegas and even a haunted castle to name a few. Only instead of greeting the local folk with double cheek kisses and asking for sexy time he's greeting 'em with the good ole universal pop-to-the-jaw.

One big grip I have with the game is his plodding nature. Stopping and going with him feels clunky, and he doesn't jump a terribly long distance.

The music is worth noting as it is just as offbeat as the game itself. Very funky

And now, the mandatory screen shots

---

Ah it's a good day for a run

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle.png

And branch-hopping

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle1.png

And swinging

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle2.png

Peace doesn't last long though... wouldn't be much of a game if it did eh

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle4.png
cool how the baddie's right foot is hidden behind that shrub

Angry his jungle's been invaded, Tarzan unleashes his might

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle5.png

This monkey acts as a spring

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle3.png

Hit the rock which causes it to slide taking out the villain

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle6.png

Some amusing animations abound

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle7.png

Even the baddies die in like-fashion

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle8.png

Uh-oh... wild life running opposite you is never a good thing

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle9.png

Don't you hate being right? Boss 1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle10.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle11.png

And that's level 1. Next Tarzan heads to China it would seem. Here he is greeted by Hadoken-tossing monks. Just stand still and the fireball goes past you harmlessly.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle12.png
you do a lot of this in the game, Tarzan's no Carl Lewis

These blocks are breakable, but beware of the occasional spike pit below (press L/R to scroll up/down to see potential hazards)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle13.png

Advance slowly, stopping whenever he fires one, and then jump kick DAT ASS!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle14.png

So much for homeland security eh

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle15.png

These cramped areas spell a little bit more trouble for Tarzan as it eliminates the jump kick

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle16.png

Beware the parts that are not breakable, as you'll see here

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Junglekick.png

ow! Damn just missed it by an inch too

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/JungleOW.png

The tiger punch can be aimed downward, straight ahead or vertically

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle17.png

Tarzan does the Running Man to keep warm, the damn fool

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle18.png

I love how a rope is conveniently placed there by the baddies, haha

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Jungle19.png

CLOSING THOUGHTS

A decent platformer made more interesting thanks to its strange character. Expect nothing more, nothing less. Playable, if unremarkable. Below the likes of Go Go Ackman and Ghost Sweeper and those, mind, are below DoReMi. If you're a numbers person, this would fall somewhere in that 6.5 out of 10 range (slightly above average but not quite "solid")

The epitome of a guilty pleasure, this one. Yes, indeed. In a similar vain to Super Back to the Future II

Jungle no Ouja Tarzan level 1 (1:00) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA4u73WZyKE)

Steven

11-07-2006, 08:09 PM

The raccoon serves as a good luck symbol to the Japanese (though Resident Evil folk may beg to differ). They love 'em some tanuki (raccoon)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/tanuki.jpg

So it's no surprise, then, to see this furry creature popping up in their video games. Pocky & Rocky comes to mind immediately as does the Ganbare Goemon games (Mystical Ninja in the west)

RACCOON RASCAL
(Araiguma Rascal: Raccoon Rascal)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal3.png
4-hits are always sweet

A puzzler with a unique twist. Rather than being another Puyo Puyo/Tetris rip-off, you control a raccoon who must match 3 (or more) like-jars by way of arrangement. Keep in mind it's not like Tetris Attack. Here you're restricted by obvious obstacles whereas in TA you're free to move the cursor where you wish. It'll take you a few minutes to get the hang of it, but then the good times roll

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal.png

The little squirrels pushing the jars down add a nice touch. As you can see, Rascal just connected 3 green glasses. Getting chains is quite tricky so it's double gratifying when you pull one off.

Rascal is an endearing little guy. When carrying a jar, he marches along erect holding the jar high above his head with his diminutive arms. And when he's not carrying one and moving, true to raccoon form, Rascal scampers low to the ground.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal1.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal4.png

When Rascal has a jar he has the option of dropping it beneath him, or throwing it one column over. He can also jump and swipe jars high above his head; as well as pushing jars provided they're out in the open.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal5.png
Leap and grab, now match 'em

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal6.png
atta boy

If a jar is dropped on Rascal's head, it results in this amusing animation

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal8.png

The 1 player mode is fine and dandy but like any puzzle game worth its weight (sans Tetris of course), the all-important two-player mode(s). Raccoon Rascal has three unique 2 player modes

The 1st is a side scrolling platform-y race-to-the-exit-as-fast-as-you-can split-screen affair, where jars are placed strategically to impede players' progress. This mode is a thrilling race-against-your-opponent-while-you-rack-out-your-brains kind of rush.

The 2nd is the full-screen cooperative mode. If you're not in a competitive mood this mode serves its purpose well

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RascalVS2.png
the other modes are fun but here's where it's at

The 3rd final option is the classic head-to-head split-screen mode. The 2nd player controls a boy named Sterling who bears more than a passing resemblance to Oliver Twist

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Oliver-Twist.jpg

We all know the story don't we. Boy meets raccoon. Raccoon bites boy. Boy challenges raccoon to life-or-death puzzle duel

Movie Trailer voice guy
It was a time of pain and destruction
It drove boy and raccoon to the brink of madness
NOW, their final battle commences

This is the story of the hard-working raccoon vs the lazy nappin' boy. Let's see how this new classic tale for future generations plays out...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RascalVS.png
Now Jimmy see here, the raccoon busts his nuts while the git naps
Now observe what happens and why hard work pays off

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/RascalVS1.png
OK, so video games should not be used to teach life lessons...
Even Sterling has no clue how he won!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SP-RR.jpg

SUPER PLAY, who was extremely tough on game scores, rated this one pretty highly, given their strict standards:

Graphics: 80%
Sound: 68%
Gameplay: 81%
Gamelife: 79%
Overall: 79%

saying "The cute shell hides a rock hard interior. The learning curve is not set perfectly, but when the going gets tough, it's tough with a capital T. I've probably played this as much as any other game this month and I am still only half-way through the levels. Extensive play reveals Puyo Puyo-like tactics which allows for many chain reactions; and the two-player modes are the icing on an already appetizing cake"

---

A puzzler that gets more awesome as you delve into its tactics and techniques. Somewhat meh at first but quickly becomes highly charming and effective

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Rascal7.png
"TO THE STRIP BAR!"

Raccoon Rascal (2:49) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuB_-dwbCiE)

Mark III

11-08-2006, 09:40 PM

I really need to stop reading this thread, my SFC want list always expands whenever I poke my head in here. Nice job you're doing here Steven. 8-)

Steven

11-09-2006, 08:51 AM

Tanuki's accurate translation is "raccoon dog." And according to Japanese folklore, they have shape-shifting powers. That certainly describes this next game perfectly.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SPtanuki.jpg

POKO NYAN! HENPOKORIN ADVENTURE

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/pokonyan.jpg

This sucker had me chasing for some time. A friend told me last month Poko Nyan is even harder to find than Rendering Ranger (!). Dunno how accurate that claim is, but I trust his word. About a week later I found one CIB for just $50, a collector I know paid $150 for his not too long ago!

Gleaning from the box art, you probably could guess the genre... yes, platformer, thank you, you in the back.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/EGMpoko.jpg
Been curious since I saw this in EGM #66 Jan. 95

EGM wasn't kidding -- how very easy this game is. You can't die! The timer running out doesn't end gameplay, nor does any amount of hits from the bad guys. Being a popular anime with young children this game was created with them in mind. A four-year-old could beat this! The game has 15 levels and can be finished in 40 minutes, even sooner if you rush straight for the exit.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko.png
Doing his best Sonic impersonation

Not sounding good eh?

But wait -- what's this? The game's a RIOT?! Yes it is. Poko (I think that's his name) is such a likable chap, much like Rascal. The stages are beautiful, some ace set-pieces and even the enemies themselves are cute. Just take one look at the wild boar who, before charging, has a silly exclamation mark bubble pop over his head.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko3.png

The set-pieces are awesome not just because of how they look but also how they come into play. Some have several platforms Poko can hop on, or hop down from. Down + jump makes Poko drop to the platform below. This becomes oddly fascinating in and of itself, as it's fun to knock off baddies from above. May not sound all that great, but you'd be surprised.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko2.png

Some other cool ones:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko5.png
Reminiscent of SNES Lion King

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko6.png
Looking a little sick there buddy

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko7.png
Looks like he's giving the finger...

These little things add a lot to the game's charm.

True to Japanese folklore, this tanuki has plenty of shape-shifting prowess!

(All forms can double jump, including Poko)

By pressing R, Poko changes into a high-jumping kangaroo.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko4.png

Up + R? This bird-y thing with unlimited flight!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PokoBird.png

Down + R? This little runt!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PokoRunt.png

He can do this (on the lesser baddies, mind)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/PokoRunt1.png

You can switch to any form at any time, no limits. You can switch back to Poko by pressing R again, or whenever a baddie hits you. Adds a lot of extra life to the game.

The 15 levels are spread over 5 different "worlds" each guarded by one of the nasty foxes. These boss battles, like the rest of the game, are a cinch. The later ones have some cool powers though.

While the game is short, the key is to explore the levels rather than rushing to the end. There is also a point score where bouncing off consecutive baddies allots major points, so at least there's a point system.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko8.png
That sends Poko soaring through the grapes

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko9.png
Groovy roller coaster multi-tier stage

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko10.png
Love the whale in the background

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko11.png
Platforming rule #162: must have water stage

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko12.png
Rule #163: ice too

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko13.png
More Northern Lights in SFC games

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko14.png
BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko15.png
The stages, however short, are fantastic

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko16.png
A deceptively fun game

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Poko Nyan won't light any gamer's world on fire, but it's very charming and enjoyable. Scrolling is a bit herky-jerky at times, but not bothersome enough to really deduct the game for. Perfect for kids, and great for anyone whose still a kid-at-heart

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Poko1.png
Good stuff

Poko Nyan (0:43) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhBW11SIawA)

MarioKartMonk

11-11-2006, 11:32 AM

Keep up the good works guys. The SNES and SFC have a huge combined game library, and there are many gems that don't get played because they are obscure, not because they aren't fun games to play.

Steven

11-12-2006, 01:45 PM

"Chain" can be hard, and INTEC didn't stray far away from a much tried-and-true formula.

OTOBOKE NINJA COLOSSEUM is what you'd get if you cross female ninja's and Bomberman.

So, is it any good?

HOW TO PLAY

Instead of bombs you drop spiked capsules

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePlay.png

2 seconds later, the capsule shatters, releasing 4 shurikens; North-South-West-East (if not blocked). OK, so it's pretty much like Bomberman's bombs right? Not so fast....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePlay1.png

If a shuriken connects, it stuns the player for 2 seconds, but they're not yet eliminated

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePlay2.png

ONLY during a stunned state can the chain attack finish 'em off

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePlay3.png
"Y" for chain, "B" for laying spikes

So it's a little different, not much, but it is. Gone are the sad "dangit I accidentally killed myself in the 1st three seconds" syndrome. Plus, the chain attack is ace. It can be manipulated to curve around corners and, when prolonged, is quite an amazing sight not to mention really fun to control. More on this later...

PLAYING BY YOURSELF IS NO FUN...

The 1st world was very ho-hum and left a rather negative taste in my mouth. It was just so... bland.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke1P.png

I forced myself through, hoping things would pick up a bit. And it did at the 1st boss.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeBoss.png

Shurikens hitting it does no damage. You have to first connect with the shuriken(s) and THEN send the chain ball at it. For regular enemies, shuriken is enough. For the tougher regulars, the ole shuriken-chain combo is called for

.... YES IT IS... SORTA

World 2 was a lot more interesting with more puzzles to solve instead of just laying spike capsules and high-tailing it. They're not yet mind-bending but it's still early. Here is the first "puzzle" you'll encounter:

To beat a stage you must clear every bad guy. Here, 3 unbreakable blocks halt your progress

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePuzzle.png

Using your chain, pull 'em out 1 at a time

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePuzzle1.png

And again....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePuzzle2.png

Now with 1 block left, you're able to push through it and unleash ARMAGEDDON

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokePuzzle3.png

Like I said, not taxing but a lot more satisfying than the wide open. Later on, with teleports coming into play, they get rather perplexing

SPREAD OUT!

The next snow stage is very nice. I love little things like that creepy possessed-looking volcano face that rests in the middle of the screen launching fireballs without mercy... awesome. Watch the shadows of these on-coming flame balls and ski-daddle!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeSnow.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeSnow1.png

By the way, the 'cano mug reminds me of GAROKK from X-Men fame... in his rocky prison form

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/garokk.jpg
Garokk

THE BIGGER THEY ARE...

... the harder you fall! The haunted theme is the best. Contend with bats, vampires, ghoulish skeletons and super quick wolf-men. Check out this 2 by 2 screen level!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeHaunted2.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeHaunted1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeHaunted3.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeHaunted.png

FOUR-PLAY

Feeling quite satisfied with the 1-player mode now, which went from meh to hey that's not-so-bad, the 4-player battle mode is the meat of any Bomberman clone. The 1-player mode was never anything more than a bonus, a frill, a silk hankerchief in the breastpocket of the game's velvet regalia

POWER HOUR

Power-up's are always important to these games. Otoboke has some of the coolest you'll find anywhere. A list of some:

-Drop more spiked capsules at one time
-Spiked capsules invisible when dropped
-Spiked capsules exploding after 1 second rather than 2
-Chain can break blocks, not just your shurikens
-Chain can PUSH spiked capsules around (very very evil powerup!)
-Speed up
-Speed down
etc.

Everyone starts with a full-screen chain and full-screen-travelling shurikens, not to mention the ability to drop two spiked capsules right off the bat. This makes it a bit more chaotic then, than Bomberman from the get-go

THE COLOSSEUMS

The powerup's are important but the battle zones make or break a game of this nature. So let's get right to it

#1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke.png

Your standard 1st stage. The snowmen are unbreakable and can be used defensively as shurikens cut through them not. The snowmen are pushable and your chain can pull far-away ones toward you. All but two battle zones have these movable barriers in some shape or form

#2

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke1.png

Each player has their own island waiting to be raided. The cool thing here is, unless you use the bridge points, chains cannot stretch across islands, eliminating "cheap kills." The Super Famicom barriers are a nice touch as well

#3

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke2.png

What would it be without a roof/tunnel-y stage? Can you locate the green player? Not here you can. This stage is full of Japanese culture -- from the roofing style to the TANUKI statues

#4

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke3.png

What else more could make it complete? Of course, the stage with multiple exit points. The green player enjoys a nice little blend-in advantage (see far right)

#5

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke4.png

The green bars restrict certain movement

#6

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke5.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke5A.png
notice the return of Tanuki

The green pool is aesthetically pleasing in a mystical, mythical fashion. All spike capsules are invisible!

#7

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke6.png

It's the super power war zone. Each player begins with 5 spikes! (don't worry, you can't fall through)

#8

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke7.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Otoboke7A.png

On 1st glance you wouldn't know the gimmick here. Play for a bit and arrows are soon revealed. Directs where shurikens travel? Nope. Directs where your CHAIN can go. A nice variation on top of a nice variation. The SFC barriers return

TAKE A SPIKE, PAL

When the clock runs down to 30 seconds, spikes crop up which if touched will stun you a la shurikens. Also, if you fall through the holes you'll lose

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeSpikes.png

THE TIMES.... THEY'RE A'CHAINING....

Some of the cool things you can do with that ole chain ball...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeChain3.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeChain.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeChain1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/OtobokeChain2.png

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

Nothing is quite as sweet as lurking about the screen, waiting for others to do the dirty work. And when you find a stunned opponent, sending the chain ball twisting and curving some safe twenty feet away... makes for great enemies and Ooooh-I'll-get-you-next-round! battles!

The feeling of surviving by the skin of your teeth as the chain comes your way JUST as you recover from your slumber is a great high, and on the flipside, morally deflating

CAN I GET FRIES WITH THAT?

Otoboke lacks the finishing touches and is not nearly as customizable as the Bombermen games. There's no option for CPU AI -- the default is quite laughably horrible. There's no tag team option. Thankfully the rest is status quo -- pick between 2-4 players (from a character choice of four females), 1-5 wins and one of the any eight colosseums

WAITER, THIS SODA'S A LITTLE FLAT

Some negative marks:

Graphically weaker than the SNES Bomberman games, which were no visual tour-de-force's themselves. The music can get annoying at times. Control is a bit "stickier" than the BM games (due to, well, see below)

And my biggest grip: you can't readjust your position when "waiting." You know how you drop a bomb in BM, go hide in a safe corner and can face NSWE to ready yourself for your next movement? Here if you go in facing east, you can't turn west without moving out of your safe position. Maybe hard to understand in text, but you'll see what I mean if you play it. This forces you to have greater wherewithall to compensate for a flaw that shouldn't be there in the 1st place

CLOSING THOUGHTS

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Colosseum.jpg
Colosseum at night

I like SPARK WORLD quite a bit, but it was a blatantly shameless clone. At least Otoboke tried to be a little different, and as such, is a more commendable effort. Despite the bad marks listed above, I like Otoboke Ninja Colosseum very much. Obviously NAGA (not as good as) Bomberman, but hey -- what is?

Otoboke Ninja Colosseum (1:15) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQy5OSZtwg)

Steven

11-13-2006, 06:04 PM

SUPER TEKKYU FIGHT!

I discovered this game during the summer and it took me several months to hunt down. I think it's a safe bet this game is somewhat scarce. Not too long ago we looked at BATTLE RACERS featuring those four SD wonders. And now they're back at it yet again -- in their 42nd SNES game (Not really but it must be damn close)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFKamen.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFUltra.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFGundam.pnghttp://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFRoah.png

One look and you're thinking "Oh no (or yes), another Bomberman wanna-be." Actually, this one has a slightly different feel from SPARK WORLD and OTOBOKE, for example. Instead of dropping bombs of one variety or the other, you simply bash the others to oblivion with your chain ball

You begin with a short chain. Some power-ups include:

Longer Chain
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFLong.png

Double Chain Balls (now we're talking!)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFDouble.png

The Almighty Gold Chain Ball
(rips through consecutive blocks in 1 hit)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFGoldChain.png

THE SUPER DESTROYER!!!! (4-way Chain!)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF4way.png

Get that baby there and you're sure to rule the match. As you can also see from the pic above, players can nullify each other's attacks with the chain ball. Note that the GOLD chain ball does 2 health bars damage when up-close

NO BOMBS, OK, WHAT ELSE IS DIFFERENT?

Each player has 8 health bars. So battles in STF! tend to be lengthier than your regular Bomberman match. When hit, you're invulnerable for a few seconds, eliminating cheap consecutive hits. "A" makes you jump. If you jump on their head, it stuns 'em for a few seconds. "Y" sees your guy flip the tiles, stunning anyone caught in its path. In this sense, it's a bit like OTOBOKE. Though there, you HAD to stun em in order to kill em. HERE -- it's optional and certainly makes your life easier, but not mandatory

Ultraman flips...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF-flip.png

Roah is caught and stunned....
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF-stun.png

... easy as 1-2-3
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF-attack.png

When hit, you'll lose the last powerup you had -- the icon goes flying back on the field waiting to be claimed by anyone. This is great since it prevents a potential "ah crap he got Boardwalk and now we're all screwed" type of thing (the above pic shows Roah losing his powerup card)

THAT IS KINDA DIFFERENT...

You betcha and beware where you jump! Each player can jump past 1 square. Each stage has plenty of holes to be weary of. In the heat of the battle it's very easy to misplace a jump and plummet to the bloody rocks down below. However it doesn't ALWAYS spell instant doom. The price is 4 precious health bars

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFSlip.png
Gun.... DAMN!

And don't you hate when you're alone playing 3 CPU's and you die first and have to sit there waiting 2 minutes for the CPU's to kill each other? The programmers have sympathetized with our plight as STF! employs a system where anytime you die, the tiles fall off one by one until 1 CPU is standing. BLOODY SWEET. Give those chaps at METRO a hand *golf clap*

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFExpire.png
Ace scenery eh?

HOW'S THE 1 PLAYER STORY MODE?

If you must know. 6 worlds, with 8 levels each, the 8th being the boss. You're free to pick from any of the 6 worlds. It's not bad. It sorta reminds me of an updated version of TRAMPOLINE TERROR

Enemies from each of the four protagonists' world appear, which is very cool

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF1P.png
Ice to see you har har

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF1P-2.png
Awesome wavy effect in this world

The bosses are huge and pretty damn difficult. Exclusive to the Story mode (1 or 2P by the way) are bombs (hidden in blocks). If you don't have at least 1 for the bosses, life is sure going to be messy

Here are four of the six:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFBug.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFBoss2.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFRock.png

And this demon fellow here is my personal favorite. Look how bad-ass he is. Resting 1 hand on his cheek he uses the other to pound the tiles all while emitting laser beams from his demonic eyes. When he is defeated, you're awarded with a satisfying animation of him cracking up... as you get the final laugh!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFDemon.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFDemon1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFDemon2.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STFDemon3.png

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

But of course. The money of these games are the 4 player battles. STF! has 8 zones

#1
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF1.png
Standard 1st stage except for the arrows which can effect the direction of tile flipping. Enjoy the friendly jumping lay-out here while you can...

#2
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF2.png
The silver blocks are unbreakable. Jumping on blocks will break 'em, but it takes two leaps. Make sure you have a space to land back on!

#3
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF3.png
Arrows act as they do in stage 1

#4
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF4.png
The middle part sends you sliding across

#5
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF5.png
More arrows in a sort of X-shaped field

#6
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF6.png
Forces each player to jump from the get-go... who will be on the attack, who on the defensive?

#7
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF7.png
Lots of solid ground in the middle, and the many blocks are home to numerous power-up's

#8
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/STF8.png
Ice... with arrows. Note the slippery sections

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The battle zones appear a bit samey to me. They lack the "personality" of some others of this genre. But, the main thing is, the battle system is different; with the jumping, pitfalls, 8 hits... it doesn't really play like Bomberman. Some will like it, others will go crawling back to BM.

I was originally disappointed but the more I played the more it grew on me. And if you ask me to rank where I prefer STF!, Spark World and Otoboke I couldn't tell you. Any three is a fine alternative, with Tekkyu Fight! being the most different.

Yes, the acronym is coming...

It's a nice 4-player battle game but.... NAGA Bomberman

Super Tekkyu Fight! (1:07) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv4i8aW5djo)

Steven

11-15-2006, 05:52 PM

Some nice BM clones, but let's get back to the king. This next game I wanted to play badly back in the day, but never did

SUPER BOMBERMAN PANIC BOMBER WORLD

Bomberman + Puzzle = This Game

3 Bomberman heads drop at a time, and you match 3 in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal). There are two codes you can enter to change the pieces:

SD Bombermen (4622)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBP-ppl.png

Balloons (5656)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBP-balloon.png

Why? Why not. Little touches like these are always welcomed in my book. In addition to the Bomberman pieces you have 3 others:

-The unlit bomb

-The lit bomb (put these babies on the unlit ones for a blast!)
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPbomb.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPexplode.png

Note: this blast will not rid the Bomberman pieces -- it ignites the unlit bombs, taking them off your field. And finally... once you've filled up your power bar... the MEGA BOMB. It can take out almost every piece on the field, depending on block positioning

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPmega.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPmega2.png

The Mega Bomb is the most visually impressive "clear-all-ish" piece I've seen in a puzzler. Panic Bomber actually uses a special chip. The mega bomb definitely gets the treatment as it pulsates with flames and makes a huge boom when dropped. It's sheer, raw, unadulterated POWER at its finest. Thank you, Mr. Special Chip Thingie

Of course, while the goal is to keep your playing field from filling up, the best way to beat the opposition is by crafting chain reactions. The 3-falling pieces instead of 2 format will take some getting used to for many of us, but once you do the combo's flow. Here's a basic 2 hitter

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPcombo.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPcombo1.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPcombo2.png

And, what Bomberman game would be one without a 4-player mode? Yes -- even in a puzzle game!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBP4.png

Simply brilliant... brilliantly simple. The smallness of it all might be a bit off-setting initially, but you'll quickly adjust. Besides, a tiny amount of the occasional squinting is more than worth it for a chance to duke it out with 3 buddies

And like any classic BM title, Hudson has made it very user-friendly -- 2, 3 or 4 players can play, with 1-5 matches to win the trophy. "B" allows you to go back to the previous screen. These are little things that you wish every single game was as customizable as these

Check out this 3-hit chain on the 1P side. The most I've done so far? 5 -- which, literally, is a killer

Drop the green on green...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPchain.png

... they vanish, dropping the blue piece...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPchain2.png

... which diagonally connects...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPchain3.png

... dropping a stack with a green...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPchain4.png

... to complete the 3-hit chain
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPchain5.png

To create huge chain reactions you have to set yourself up proper. Here's another 3-hit combo of mine -- this time much easier to see. Notice I've stocked up on red and green. Not to mention some white....

Green connects horizontally...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPanic.png

... and diagonally! 6 piece combo
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPanic1.png
Dropping the stack of 3 reds...

Oh MY. Let's see, I see horizontal...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPanic2.png
... vertical... AND diagonal connections!

Major poppage happens...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPanic3.png
The white pieces fall down...

WHO'S YOUR DADDY!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SBPanic4.png
Your simple run-of-the-mill 3-chain 19-piece combo

CLOSING THOUGHTS

OK, at its core it's just another puzzle game. But the Bomberman characters, coupled with the 4 player mode, make it pretty damn cool. Perfect for puzzle and Bomberman fans.

-------

BOMBERMAN B-DAMAN

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/B-Daman-Toy.jpg

Packaged with a cool toy, the game inside isn't half-shabby either. This entry in the Bomberman universe is certainly different, to say the least. And speaking of that classic Hudson customization power, B-Daman even allows you to edit your own Bomberman

The 1 player mode has 100 levels. Several bombs float along the screen and you have only 1 bomb to blow them all up. The first 10 are easy. After that they go from tricky to damn crazy

This mode can also be played with 2 players, as each player waits their turn through the same 10 stages, to see who scores better (10 stages per bracket... 10 total brackets for 100 levels... 3 slots are available to the battery backup for player history) You get a maximum of 2 tries on each stage before it moves to the next

And don't worry, before it begins there's a preview of the bombs' formation

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/preview1.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Preview2.png

A look at some stages...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman1.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman2.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4.png

Later more obstacles are added...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman5.png

Others you must rely on, like this bumper-slash-skateboarder bit

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman6.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman7.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman8.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman9.png
Pretty cool eh

This shark stage is one of my faves

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sharks.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sharks1.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sharks2.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sharks3.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sharks4.png

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Sharks5.png

BUT OF COURSE... THIS BEING BOMBERMAN AND ALL....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-1.png

B-Daman is no exception. Here the 1st player is on the bottom. "X" sends a bomb north, "Y" west and "A" east. Just like Super Smash TV

You can't die. Instead the goal is to score as many hits as you can. Anytime you're hit, you lose 1 point (if you have any). You can pick from 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds. I like 60 myself. You can imagine how tense it can get if you have three points and the other 3 human players have 0! (Obviously, they'll gang up on you if they know what's best for 'em)

Let's observe a quick 30-second match:

As blue sends one to the black...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-2.png
... I try to sneak one in

He dodged it, the swine
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-3.png
If at first you don't succeed...

HIT! 1 point for me, with 15 seconds to go
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-4.png
Hey that red guy's been quiet...

Something to wake him up then...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-5.png

2-nothing!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-6.png
9 seconds to hold 'em off

Blue looks for revenge...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-7.png
... but I aim back proper...

... nullifying his efforts
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/BDaman4-8.png
And winning as the clock strikes zero

CLOSING THOUGHTS

B-Daman was never meant to compete with the other (more proper) Bomberman titles. And if you want to compare it to those, it ends up feeling very lightweight. The 4-player mode isn't terribly exciting though it does have its moments, like when 3 players form a temporary union to gang up on the leading scorer

Bottom line: it won't be the 1st multi-player game you pull off the shelf, but it's enjoyable in its own unique bizarre way. Some may think of it as the 'black sheep' of the family, yet still B-Daman manages to provide a decent diversion

Panic VS CPU (1:31) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbt7OXliJy4)
Panic 4 Player (2:56) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMkVn2OaWJs)
B-Daman's 1st 7 stages (2:29) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUFV2ZXN5Oo)
B-Daman 4 Player (0:50) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxiBoOHn860)

Steven

12-03-2006, 04:55 PM

With DP being down, several entries were made since mid November. 4 image count has been bumped to 10, so I'll continue this topic here

originally posted Friday 11/17/06

---

1 week ago today was one for the history books for moi

November 10th I received my last package of "teh uber hard-to-find" video games. It took a month of collaborating but finally my mercenary in Japan finished the job, and what a job he did. With this score, I'm pretty much set

But I had no time to revel in its magnificence. I was on my way to a wedding banquet with my best friend. Who got hitched? Our old high school friend Christina; my best friend's old flame... and despite his efforts in coaxing me otherwise, I knew he still had feelings for her

She's the one he let get away, folks... and man she's a keeper

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SPlay-Art.jpg

By the time we got off the freeway it was dark and pouring. We were stopped at a train track. As the heavy rain drops pelted the roof of his car, with the loud rumbling of the train roaring past us, it happened

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/TrainTracks.jpg

JESSIE'S GIRL blared on the radio. Its cheesy yet classic 80s pop rock, not to be outdone by the tumultuous train, sliced through the cold night air with fierce vengeance

I expected him to change the station, but he never did

As the train roared on for what seemed like an eternity, we sat there in silence, taking in the ambience. I feared the lyrics would drive him over the edge....

Jessie is a friend
Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine,
But lately something's changed; it ain't hard to define
Jessie's got himself a girl and I wanna make her mine
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/JessiesGirl.jpg
Y'know I feel so dirty when they start talkin' cute,
I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is prob'ly moot
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/JessiesGirl2.jpg
And I'm looking in the mirror all the time
Wondering what she don't see in me,
I've been funny I've been cool with the lines;
Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/JessiesGirl3.jpg
I WISH THAT I HAD JESSIE'S GIRL!
Tell me, where can I find a woman LIKE THAT?

I dunno if it was the tranquility of that moment or some epiphany he later reached while parallel parking, but, the night was full of fun and frivolity. He showed no signs of lamenting her. That night he finally put the past behind him

Capping the night off, I arrived home tired but with enough energy left to eagerly open the big box. These games took me forever to find. And this next game is one of 'em

KEEPER

Slated to be released in the States as CYBER SLIDER, the furry little guy was replaced by a robot devoid of any charm or personality. It was canned. Thankfully this version is available in all its original glory. The title character is a likable fuzzball, who awakens when you press start

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperIntro.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperIntro2.png

*cough* Gizmo (GREMLINS)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/gizmo.jpg

IT LOOKS LIKE EITHER A PLATFORMER OR A PUZZLER

But of course. In this case, puzzler

SO HOW DOES IT PLAY?

You move Keeper around a five-by-five grid arranging stones. Your goal is to match 3 (or more) like-colors or like-shapes, vertically or horizontally

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Keeper2.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Keeper3.png
Like-shapes work...

Steven

12-03-2006, 04:56 PM

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Keeper.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Keeper1.png
... as does like-colors. Keeper goes HURRAH!

In addition, players have the option of changing the character into a girl or boy. The stone designs, the default being sea related things, can also be switched to letters of the alphabet or fruits. It doesn't change the gameplay but it's always nice to have choices

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperGirl.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperGuy.png
Typical nice-looking clean-cut princess.... as for the boy... er, best not to ask, si?

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE LITTLE BASTARD?

I'll pretend I didn't hear that one... at any rate...

You can move around the borders of the 5x5 grid

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperBounds.png

Keeper can push blocks using the D-Pad. "Y" pulls, "B" jumps. And that's all you need

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperPull.png
Poor little guy!

Players can jump ON stones and move around ON them to strategically push another stone elsewhere, provided there's room

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperJump.png ---> http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperJump1.png

WHAT MODES OF PLAY ARE AVAILABLE?

Four:

-1P regular
Grid starts out empty, every 3 seconds 1 stone appears, once the grid fills up it's game over

-1P puzzle
You're given pre-placed stones and must clear them all

-2P regular
You and a friend play on the same 5x5 grid, helping each other out

-2P VS
1st one to clear a set amount of stones win (customizable from 1 to 99, default being 30). There's also an option for "attack mode" which allows one player to stun the other for a few seconds if they can push a block over 'em

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Keeper2P.png
1st to clear 30 here wins

The 1 Player Puzzle mode has 60 pre-designed stages to tackle. A password is granted after each completed level. Those who enjoy contemplatively staring at the screen until inspiration breaks with a resolute "A-HA!" will especially love this

A look at the first couple, then

#1

SO easy even Keeper enjoys a quick nap!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP.png
Just don't connect 3 on accident

Steven

12-03-2006, 04:57 PM

#2

5 reds and 2 blues...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP1.png
Think like-colors, young jedi

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP2.png
Excellent, now think like-...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP3.png
Ah, you're catching on

#3

5 yellows, 5 blues...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP4.png
Just a matter of separating 'em...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP5.png
1 down...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP6.png
That was simple eh

#4

That funky thing acts as a wild-card
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP7.png
Since there's only 2 blues...

Bingo
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP8.png
1 set down, 2 to go

Now there's only 4 reds and yellows
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP9.png
Whichever color 1st is fine

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/KeeperP10.png
Hurrah!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Fun, charming and potentially addicting. KEEPER is simply, er, a keeper
Took me ages to find, but it was well worth the hunt

Puzzle Mode (2:05) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOtAODeCJA8)
Regular Mode (2:41) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjHcWVNWL5w)

Jessie's Girl related content
-----
VH1 names it the 20th best song of the 80's (2:02) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf58tGsovI4)
Original music video by Rick Springfield (3:15) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUZm3ZVvhS8)
Remake MV by FRICKIN A (3:23) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT0ST--iZo0)

The cameo's by Springfield in the remake are clever. Even better, the lady in green at 27 seconds in is SMOKIN'

Steven

12-04-2006, 02:53 AM

There's obscure... and then there's obscure. Some games you love because they're great... others aren't exactly great but you love anyway because of their perks

For me the latter in those sentences ring true for this next one

SUPER MAD CHAMP is a motorcycle racer with a dash of ROAD RASH, and then some. It's unfortunate the game is mostly an unknown, considering how many me-too titles call Super Nintendo home. SUPER MAD CHAMP on the other hand managed to distinguish itself as a noteworthy and truly unique effort, and its moment in the spotlight has been long overdue

THE RIDERS

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadSelect.png

1. Typical "good looking" hero boy
2. Token chick (complete with bouncy chest)
3. The "cool" rebel
4. The punk
5. The wily if not gruffly veteran

The more you win races, knock opponents off their bikes and whatnot the more money you earn. You can buy new bikes; of which there are 12. You can tune 'em up as well

ARCADE ANTICS OR SIMULATION SHENANIGANS?

Don't be fooled by the ability to buy and tune cars that Super Mad Champ is seep with sim roots and spirit. It's an arcade-like racer all the way

GAME MODES? 2 PLAYERS? TRACK COUNT? PIC?

Two modes. Sadly it's 1-Player only

1. Grand Prix (3 cups... password is available)

2. Time Attack

Total of 18 tracks

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/SuperMadChamp.png

ANY TRICKS I CAN PULL?

Press down to pop a wheelie

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadWheelie.png

Whenever you jump, make sure to execute one, or else when you land you'll lose the momentum you had

Sometimes there's a dip in the road...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadJumper.png
... other times things like this

CPU players are smart...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Mad-Jump.png
They ALWAYS pop one during a take-off

DASH OF ROAD RASH

Fend off the comp. with a well placed kick
"L" for left side, "R" for right

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/Madbattle.png
Two hits knocks 'em off; KA-CHING!

SCROLL-PLAYING GAMES

Scrolling is what (usually) makes or breaks a game of this nature. Coming from a lesser-name company I feared the worst. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by how well it scrolls. The lack of slowdown is a major plus as well. Not a bad job here, where many others have failed. The little details are pretty ace as well

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadGrassCuts.png
Such as these grass cuts

TRACK VARIETY

Pretty solid -- covers most the cliches and all looks pretty damn nice. Take a look for yourself

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadCobble.png
Punk swings his chain instead of kicking

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadDirt.png
Lotsa dips in this SUPER CROSS-esque track

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/SFC_Gamer/MadIce.png
Things get slippery here in a hurry