Japanese adventure with plenty of unusual supernatural occurrences that seem quite bizarre looking from the occident. Actually, they will undoubtedly seem pretty bizarre looking from the orient.
Sprightly puzzle game where tiles must be rotated to clear the screen: much easier in practise than words. Adopts various styles to the game view be it the dynastic classical Chinese mahjong tiles, fantasy role playing medieval style or playing cards on the beach setting.
Highly impressive dog fight game which convinces of depth very well as you lead your squadron into the screen. The cloud formation and perspective combine very cleverly and give a real sense of motion. A beady eye must also be kept on the sea in order to drop a skimming bomb into enemy vessels to give them a few problems to deal with rather than taking pop shots at your fighter plane.
Happy memories of plugging the cart into the back of the C64 come flooding back. (You couldn’t beat a game that was guaranteed to work on the Commodore 64.) Plenty of spit and polish being a Nintendo title with nice attention to detail such as the cheerleaders. Misty eyed Famicom nostalgia.
Straight from the arcades comes this forced scrolling shooter featuring the Journey to the West Legend and starring Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka. Well Monkey and Pigsy at least as the others have been kidnapped. The pacing is good and the characters nicely realised. And with Monkey in it.
Sharp reflexes and a knowledge of when to fire in a fist of fury or a flat kung fu slipper sole are requisites to meet the bad boss Mr X. Ducking kicks and throwing stars in the classic arcade mould. Known as Kung Fu Master in the West.
Cracking platform action in the old skool style of the Spectrum titles such as Jet Set Willy or Manic Miner (or early Western platformers, if those references are too UK-centric.) Full of innovation and plenty of on screen room to manoeuvre.
Lovely, old school platformer which has some very vibrant colours and scaling making for plenty of on screen action. The gaming is varied too with much thought and planning appearing to have gone into level design. Well recommended.
Players outwit their opponent spy using traps and various fun items in the game that introduced 80’s Britain to the fun of improper gameplay along with Skool Daze. A fine concept, beautifully executed.
Fast and frantic shooting action as the submarine drops bombs and launches torpedoes to try and keep on top of things. The speed the Famicom shifts the non screen action around impresses and the sprite based simplicity keeps the gameplay uncluttered and adds a visual charm. Plus the distinctive underwater locales keep this feeling as fresh as the school of angler fish awaiting.
Join Tom, Jim, Amy and best buddy Huck for an all American adventure, at least as seen from the eyes of the game’s developers Square. Illustrated by Katsutoshi Fujioka with some fine box art and solid cartoony sprites in game.
Classic old school shooter from the kings of the Famicom era Hudson that ruled the roost with fast paced, arcade shooting action, to paraphrase from the era. Superb box art and good, wholesome gameplay.
Classic old school shooter from the kings of the Famicom era Hudson that ruled the roost with fast paced, arcade shooting action, to paraphrase from the era. Superb box art and good, wholesome gameplay.
The Famicom’s answer to Star Wars as pilots take a cockpit view of this shooter to take down a suspiciously familiar looking man-made star. A simple cursor approach with a radar, but due to a lack of license, you’ll have to hum your own theme tune as you take down the enemy hordes.
Highly collectable original Famicom version. The graphical limitations made programmers work hard on gameplay where Star Soldier excels. The robotic brain pays a visit at the end of level mutating into a bigger, badder boss as you progress. The whole epic series started here.
Stirring chip tunes with that famous film anthem sounding great as Luke negotiates tricky platform sections in a variety of sand and snow based lands, not made easier by dissolving platforms. Taking to the X Wing to take down Tie Fighters (nearly incurred the wrath of the Empire then by getting that mixed up!) Looks impressive in 3D before the vertically scrolling section take on the Death Star tunnels.
Cheery chip-tunes accompany the slick, on-ice action with sound puck physics as it glides across the screen. The players are a good dimension to be able to enjoy a good game and try and avoid a dust up.
Genki has a penchant for ninjas and has no issues with kunoichi (or female ninjas) either. So its great to lap up the quick paced action in this fine example of a femme fatale action platformer. Full of Eastern mysticism and great gameplay to boot.
Players bop opponents utilising their martial skills in this ancient Chinese themed action title to try and clear the screen. Plenty of cliches in the hatchet men who attack and backgrounds, but it has its own style as such. Fun bonus levels too.
Draws on ancient history as players do battle with oni style adversaries. Think of the Monkey series and those trying to lead them astray on their quest. The combat works well and its clear to see why it is a cherished with the rose-tinted retro glasses on.
This version has more going for it that didn’t make the cut for the English language release. Jammed full of Chinese cultural references, or at least Chinese culture from a Japanese perspective, it can be pretty zany at times.
This version has more going for it that didn’t make the cut for the English language release. Jammed full of Chinese cultural references, or at least Chinese culture from a Japanese perspective, it can be pretty zany at times.
The pinnacle of platform entertainment with a sublime blend of power ups and powerful adversaries. Yet the real dazzling gem in this treasure chest is the sheer limitless imagination that Miyamoto san and his crew have poured in, the child-like wonderment that can be copied, but never surpassed.
Genki lacks the will power to resist a retro game that comes with gaming mat and plastic mallet to bash to moles that appear on screen on the corresponding spot on the game mat. Great fun and a wonderful kitsch release. Title translates as Super Mole Bashing.
That famous tune belts out on the chip set and stirs Superman into platform based action. Power ups are used to add to the hero’s special powers. But progress is hard when turned into the weaker Clark Kent, looking very much a salaryman.
Basic commands such as talk, take, search and move help our beloved seal Goma and his faithful companion skilfully travel to Nepal with one or two scrapes along the way.
Takahashi is the star of the Adventure Island series and fans of that and Wonderboy will be right at home. The fairy character tosses projectiles out to help clear a parth through the colourful levels from an innocent age of gameplay. Plenty of opportunities to savour the Break Out style bonus levels. Proper title: Takahashi Meijin no Bug tte Honey.
Set in a Japanese flavoured hell like world, Tarosuke must try and find his way past spooky, limbless ghouls and angry devils to meet King Enma with nothing more for sustenance than hell rice bowls and steamed buns.
Classic Capcom gampelay with its traditional coin op slickness. Players use a sword to block aerial attacks from kite floating bombers and less subtly dispatched numbers from building block windows. Platform lifts, great pacing an even an armadillo armoured boss who rolls up to avoid attacks – its all in there. Known as Trojan in the West.
Turtles on platform this time avoiding blokes with chain saws – usually a good policy in Genki’s humble experience. Makes good use of the turtles nature and taking to underwater sections. April’s always on hand to offer support.