email311025
Here we have all the games in the email311025 Section.
Famicom Cart
Simulation
That early twinkle in Lucasart’s eye can be seen here in the walking tentacles of Maniac Mansion. Fun touches throughout the game as players explore the bizarre mansion keeping a keen eye out for clues and unusual items to aid progression.
Dreamcast
Shoot Em Up
Developed by Takumi who produced Gigawing, Mars Matrix encourages you to build up piles of cash to upgrade to new weapons. Collecting in succession has a multiplier effect encouraging paint scorching near-misses. Only grizzled shmup veterans need apply, but the shield option does provide some respite – especially when it fires back enemy projectiles or even doubles as a smart bomb; not without a price of course. And its due to this recharge period that the shield must be tactically used. Lovely Battle Garegga proportion attention to detail with molten shrapnel wizzing past.
Dreamcast
RPG
Beautiful action RPG – think a 3D Princess Crown with an elliptical world, with fine attention to detail and platform action sections with tight jumps and steady nerves a prerequisite. Subtitled ‘Arsia in Day Dream.’
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Famicom Cart
Platform
The Nyankies instead of Yankees comes from the sound a cat makes in Japanese. Captures a cheesy Eighties feel with ease as the cat heroes swing through downtown Manhattan. The game is full of innovative touches such as hoover feet and being able to grab on to platforms, Bionic Commando style. Known as Rockin Kats in the West and also abbreviated to NY Nyankies.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Nicely done conversion of the arcade smash, unfortunately missing the Uzi controller. Uses a cross hair marker instead of light gun in a similar vein to the Neo Geo classic Nam 75. The gun toting hero is hard as nails.
Famicom Cart
RPG
Rescue the Tomato Princess and receive the praise of the Broccoli King to become a fine, upstanding cucumber. Possibly the strangest way to encourage salad consumption, but a wonderfully crafted adventure and in friendly Hiragana for those budding students of Japanese: be in language or culture. Known in Japan as Salad no Kuni no Tomato Hime.
Famicom Cart
Platform
The game has nice, solid sprites and slick anime cut scenes to reward the gamer for the tricky platform sections.
Dreamcast
Rhythm
Pop a couple of maracas in the hands of a non-gamer and sit back and enjoy the show. Mould breaking, pure distilled fun from the Sonic Team.
Dreamcast
Sports
Masses of Japanese, American and European cars to choose from each with unique handling as Sega steers away from its arcade rally races and gets realistic in this Gran Turismo style racing game. Good graphical attention to detail seen for example in the whirl of red light left behind when a car jams on the anchors at night.
Dreamcast
Sports
Sega Rally really captured the reason why fans spend their Sunday mornings avoiding careering vehicles in off-the-beaten-track forests: power sliding round hairpin bends with wheels spinning to kick out on the home straight. Sublime.
Famicom Cart
Action
Players ride on bikes like the speeders from Return of the Jedi and try to knock opponents into the on screen traps, such as laser beams. The speeder also has a gun to shoot itself as the screen forces the battle onwards.
Dreamcast
A Bit Special
Ryo continues on his quest for revenge to Hong Kong and the mountains of China. Incredible cinematic experience that incredulously never received a North American release: such craft deserved the widest possible audience.
Dreamcast
Shooter
All the frills of the arcade on this home version. Alas a giant snipers rifle may not have proved the most practical so is sadly missing. But other than that, this is a fine light gun game that works a treat on the standard controller as the sight is zoomed around the screen before zooming in for a better look. That is a better look when the power has not just been shot out in the claustrophobic, near darkness levels. The tactical element is grand too with adversaries being taken down through hotel windows within the time limit to preserve the peace. And some fine Bond like tunes.
Dreamcast
Rhythm
Gyrate to the beat with the sexy Space Channel reporter Ulala. Just don’t ask about the story! Unique feel to graphics, full of futuristic frolics. A Dreamcast must have.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
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.
Famicom Cart
Action
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.
Dreamcast
One on One Beat Em Up
Cheaper alternative to the Sega Direct Matching Service release only missing the online versus battle option. Update of the Saturn title with masses of fighters with some funky costumes including the cos play inspired Mika.
Famicom Cart
RPG
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.
Famicom Cart
Action
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.
Famicom Cart
Platform
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.
Dreamcast
One on One Beat Em Up
Smashing conversion tailoring the game to the DC’s hardware and adding in a plethora of unlockable extras. Intelligent use of the ‘striker’ character is essential to progress and there are plenty of potential candidates who rush on launching a scathing attack, then disappear after a bit of taunting. With thirty five slickly animated playable characters to choose from matched by the same number of strikers there’s plenty to get your teeth (and fists) into.
Dreamcast
One on One Beat Em Up
Hi-res, mean and moody gritty urban look to proceedings as Playmore gets tough after SNK’s demise. Includes tidy puzzle mode where you can send a special move out to devastate your opponents play field. Love it or loathe it: you have to admire the bold graphical shift to reflect darker street fashion.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Genki Gurus will be more than aware of our unhealthy penchant for ninjas. Still at least it doesn’t result in donning ninja suit and heading for the local park to test our skills. Yet few would be able to turn down Kage’s charms as or hero runs through the snow laden forests taking down opponents as you may clearing a path through the bamboo. Indoor levels show off some beautiful screens and more varied adversaries donning big bowled hats of a pilgrim. Yet rescuing the kimono clad princess makes it all worth while.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Vertically scrolling helicopter based blaster. Think 1941 with copters for planes. Taito once again showing its expertise in crafting very competent shooters. Also known as Kyukyoku Tiger.
Dreamcast
A Bit Special
A treasure hunt title known as Yukawa Otakara Sagashi in Japan that was a promotional disk, but could also be bought. Players at the time were lucky enough to be able to win ten thousand Yen to allow them to order the likes of Border Down or Space Channel 5.
Famicom Cart
Action
A beautiful taster of what was to come in Parodius et al. The Penguin hero of the title piles on the pounds with each hit and therefore gets less likely to make the time limit controlled end of level. Full of colourful, Konami fun and humour and a real gem of a Famicom game.