Recommended
Recommended games and hardware - our favourites from the last couple of weeks.
Super Famicom
RPG
The friendly village folk are well represented in the detailed houses of the town. Its a shame they don’t offer more weaponry for free seeing as it is your good self that has to enter the dark dungeon and plough through the creatures and critters that stand in your way. Still free enterprise does bring a good range of merchandise to squander your hard earned currency on.
Switch
Action
Classic Famicom material of gameplay over graphics, now given the graphics to match the gameplay thanks to this Switch conversion. Collect the money whilst avoiding ninjas made far more appealing by Sunsoft’s imagination: daikon and lantern power ups as well as the appearance of a rather rough looking geisha of questionable gender.
Wonderswan
Puzzle
An unusual puzzle game for the WS in which players have to prove themselves worthy to their father by negotiating the maze levels that feature five hazards trying to get you. The hazards vary but the best we can mention are being attacked by armpit hair or by mucus from a dripping nose. Charmingly fun.
Playstation
RPG
Konami’s cult Mirumo world looking mighty fine on the Playstation with four adventure quests to savour full of brightly drawn fairies, luscious green backdrops and plinky plonky chip tunes matched and blended perfectly to the in quest action.
Super Famicom
Platform
Lovely artwork, low Japanese sales and the popularity of the GameCube versions has made Super Metroid quite a collectable. Yet it wouldn’t be right to leave this on the shelf with such carefully crafted gameplay. A truly expansive gaming area full of hidden pockets only accessible when suitably powered up, but the map keeps you right. Atmospherics other titles can only dream about. A true Nintendo classic.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
Plenty of foxy female protagonists going tete a tete in the Pretty Fighter 2D mould each trying to be the champ (with a side bet on the highest hemline.) Popular enough to be found on the PC Engine and Saturn as well with PSX updates.
NEO GEO CD
One on One Beat Em Up
A patriotic American wrestler called Eagle, an overweight policeman called Gordon and a gymnast called Carol who tosses medicine balls at you from out of her hair – it could only be Savage Reign. Interactive backgrounds including a go kart that’ll knock you down if you lurk in the rear too long. The Genki fave has to be the Chinese Chun Li tribute stage, though we doubt Capcom enjoyed it as much.
Sega Hardware
Controller
Spacious and well laid out with turbo feature bringing you closer to Sonic Team and AM2 than ever before.
Playstation
Shooter
Light gun compatible gun game that comes with a two player mode to recreate the trigger pumping action of the arcade coin-op. This will keep those with a twitchy finger occupied with four areas to each of the atmospheric six stages based on ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology. Known in the West as Crypt Killers.
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.
🏆Sizzler
Nintendo DS
RPG
Anything that the hand of Studio Ghibli touches screams animated gold and this emotive RPG is no exception. Right from the start Oliver sheds a tear wishing his mother would return and its the emotional investment in this exquisitely animated adventure that makes it so worthwhile. The accompanying Magic Book contains simple drawings that can be copied onscreen to unleash powerful attacks in the Final Fantasy style battle sequences. Miyazaki’s characters seem to almost transcend language and speak from the heart. Unless of course we are just trying to gloss over this being Japanese language… Yet should this fail to make a translation, to miss out on it would surely be the more heinous crime…
GameBoy Color
Sports
Gives the sport a more exciting translation to the handheld as it doesn’t try to be too realistic and can be easily picked up and played, such is Nintendo’s way.
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.
Animal Crossing Figures
Figure
Looking very dapper in top and tails, Jack’s deadpan expression reveals his character. Fine tribute to a wonderful series.
XBOX
Action
Samurai slasher less cerebral than the ‘Biohazard’ series, but the beautifully realised feudal Japanese world draws you in.
Super Famicom
RPG
Sadly not the 776 release which attracts pension funds, such is its year on year value inflation. But true gamers will cherish this standard version of the Nintendo RPG just as much. As ever, Nintendo’s standards set the bar which others must attain and this fine piece of programming could only be called a flop in terms of the Fosbury Flop, such as it raises the bar. A beautiful gaming world and a moving gaming experience.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
Shoot Em Up
Seven levels in all in this verticle blaster with a well crafted organic feel in contrast to the usual space stations. The sea level is also worthy of a mention for squeezing every drop out of the Engine hardware so well. Some cracking power ups but they are drip fed to you in game to make sure they are fully appreciated. The ship is capable of bulking up to looking more like a mechanical cicada insect. A very tidy, if little known, shooter underlining Telenet’s cult popularity.
Dreamcast
One on One Beat Em Up
Welcomed sequel to the atmospheric samurai slasher set during the Meiji restoration in Japan’s modernisation. Includes new fatality moves subtly executed with the series distinct style. And with it being samurai based there are lethal weapons to utilise. Adds deflect moves to the equation: rather than blocking outright, players can deflect an attack leaving their opponent wide open to a counter. Fine attention to detail in the backgrounds with even the puddles making splashes as the fighters square up to each other. The lavishly illustrated manual looks like it was drawn by Hokusai and similar high art can be found in the games gallery.
Dreamcast
One on One Beat Em Up
Until released it never was truly believed that such an otaku’s dream of Ryu vs Terry Bogart battles would actually become a reality. Two of the giants of the 2D one on one combat world locking horns has never been such fun.
Dreamcast
One on One Beat Em Up
Genki would love to diverge more details if only the plot of Hirohiko Araki’s suitably named manga made sense… Recommended to fans with Capcom’s solid fighting engine and JoJo’s insane animation skilfully blended together. The special moves are the cocoa dust on top to fans of the series.