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

[pragmatic insanester]

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

[Iron Draggon]

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

[Steven]

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

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

"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.




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.


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.




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.


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.



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!


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.



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.


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!





Level 4 Guardian








This is Super Nintendo!?!
RUN 'N GUN!

[Steven]

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.


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)



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


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.



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



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



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

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



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



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



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)



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!









INTRO
Ryuhi vs. Suzaku gameplay sample

[Steven]

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.



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

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!


The parasitic creature traps you at a dead end but fortunately, or so you think, the ground collapses sending you deep into...

The Sewers

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

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


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.


Get by these monsters and face...

Harpy

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.



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



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....


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


Hmmm... SkyBlazer anyone.....

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


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...


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.


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.


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.



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

[Steven]

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.



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).



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.

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!


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



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



Beware of exploding containers. The breakable glass is a nice touch


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


Things start to get trickier as stage 3 introduces backdrafts, new enemies and collapsing floors



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


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
Boss 1
Boss 2

[Neo Rasa]

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]

The Firemen was also released in Europe, IIRC.

[Steven]

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

[Xexyz]

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]

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]

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


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.



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.



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


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.



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


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.




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

MISC
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-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...

vs.
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...


Rik Smits sends the Pacer crowd home happy

3-on-3 gameplay

[Steven]

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.)



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.



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.


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.



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.



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.


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



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)

vs.

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.



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.


Touchdown

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



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.



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.


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.



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.


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
Miracle Girls Level 1
Miracle Girls Water Tag Mini-Game


Mikage says "until next time... GOOD NIGHT"

[Steven]

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.



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




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

Basic plain classic stage where pure skills reigns supreme

BATTLE ZONE 2

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

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

I thought my SNES broke when I first played this zone. You are moved automatically! Challenging zone indeed

BATTLE ZONE 5

When the sides are bombed, the doors on the floor opens up. Fall through and you're a goner

BATTLE ZONE 6

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

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

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:


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.


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
Battle Zone 2
TERROR TRAIN boss


GOOD GRIEF blue car!