Recommended
Recommended games and hardware - our favourites from the last couple of weeks.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Battle mode where you can take on anyone or Story mode full of scene setting cinematics where you play as Yuka chan. Very tasty graphics improving over the Super Famicom prequel. Also includes special moves that can only be utilised when on your last legs, evening up one sided bouts.
Super Famicom
Simulation
A nice Mario collectable with picture related puzzles and animated pictures all created with the ease of a Nintendo user friendly interface. The naughty Wario pops up adding a bit of mischief to the arty mix.
PS2
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.
GameBoy Advance
Sports
Compilation of two Kunio Kun games: dodgeball and basketball. Dodgeball is similar to ‘kingy’ in the UK: throw a ball at your opponents. Hit them and they take damage until turning into an angel and floating up to heaven. Unfortunately each team has a big bruiser far from being an angel, complete with powerful super move. Kunio and his motley crew add a great deal of fun to an otherwise limited genre. Starting under the gaze of Mount Fuji and the cherry blossom, a victory brings a trip to Naxat International for a flight (on Naxat Airlines) to London complete with Beatles style chip music. Next: a trip to Iceland complete with penguins. The basketball is set at a US Military base and being able to kick and punch somewhat changes the flow of the games a crucial times. And with multiple baskets, being able to score in your own net and teams with teleport powers, theres never a dull moment. Feels like a title made by gamers for gamers though.
Mega Drive
Simulation
Players build up their civilisation encouraging them to construct dwellings and mine resources, before raising an army to battle other countries. Known as Tyrants in the US.
Mega Drive
A Bit Special
Twenty party games all of a rather bizarre nature in this sequel to Tanto R. The mini games involve jumping over frogs, spotting the differences, catching rice balls as they fall on a kebab stick even a recall test where the silhouette of the young wife appeared last in the apartment window… A popular Sega title in Japan.
Mega Drive
Puzzle
Puyo Puyo is Japanese onomatopoeia for something soft to touch, such as the jelly like balls that fall from the sky to be aligned with similar colours in this saccharine soaked, kawaii puzzler.
Mega Drive
Action
A fun action game in which our funky rappers Toe Jam and Earl scour the three quarter perspective isometric landscape in search of their missing space ship parts. Thankfully the street feel of the game is well crafted – without a politicians in baseball cap feel to it. And the appeal of the main protagonists adds greatly to the enjoyableness of the clever gameplay. A real cracker complete with hip hop soundtrack.
PC Engine HU Card
Action
Any title combining ninja’s, kunoichi (female ninja’s), shadowmen, snipers and fire ninja’s can’t be bad. Ninja Warriors is a fine conversion of Taito’s late eighties coin-op smash with the only feature lacking being the Darius style three sectioned screen.
PC Engine HU Card
A Bit Special
Paperboy style action in that you run around town on a bicycle or moped delivering items to the good folk, but freer than Paperboy as there is no forced scrolling. The bike needs pedalling via the joypad and is slower, but it doesn’t require fuel stops like the moped. As expected, its not a simple task of getting from A to B: the police, the obligatory oil slicks, traffic and obasan’s on mopeds conceive to hinder your progress. Known in Japan as Kattobi Takuhai Kun.
Famicom Cart
Sports
Genki doesn’t do tattoos, but if we did our first would no doubt be in the shape of the Famicom style of Mario, here seen in unusually relaxed position of umpires chair. Simple is the best: the full court is visible in screen and good use of shadowing and ball sizing creates a clever perspective with very playable gameplay.
PC Engine HU Card
Action
Packed with cultural references in the form of geta wearing devils, machine gun wielding octupuses and Chinese lions. Play as the phallus shaped Honey. Hopefully the designers had the ancient Japanese clay ‘Haniwa’ images in mind when designing this action title which uses a clever pseudo-3D. Well ahead of its era.
GameBoy Original
Platform
Chirpy, cheery chip tunes and a suitably sized up Mario sprite make for a fine outing for Nintendo’s loveable mascot on the GameBoy. Using wings to gain extra distance on jumps, underwater sections, pipes – its all here and the wee man is in fine fettle.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Early GB golf title with that unique Nintendo magic in terms of both characterisation, presentation and gameplay. American and Japanese courses.
GameBoy Advance
Platform
Mega Man proves he can survive in modern 3D gaming world with some serious weaponry, slick animation and SFC style Mode 7 effects and some grand designs of bosses. And the Japanese name remains as appropriate as ever with the old school, rock hard difficulty making for a real feel of achievement and not just joining the gaming dots.
Super Famicom
Sports
A clever cross between a golf and bowling game where Kirby bashes into adversaries eventually the defeated boss turning into a hole. The control is very simple yet in true Nintendo tradition, the gameplay excels. Superb stuff.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
Sports
Pretty difficult to track down as the games star and biker gang look-a-like Kunio Kun has a strong following. Various track & field events spiced up by the ability to throw punches, bottles and even bowling balls during your rivals attempts.
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.
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.
Mega Drive
Platform
A Taito tribute to the expert gameplay on offer in Super Metroid, but if ever there was a game to try and capture its core essence, surely Metroid was it. Saint Sword enjoys the same cavernous environments to explore and the lead character can utilise Pegasus and fish like transformations to gain ground as well as powering up the mighty sword after completing a level. The gameplay on offer is also multi directional and overall makes for a fitting tribute, even though it doesnft quite eclipse Metroids leading lady.
Mega Drive
Action
Captures the prohibition era feel of the gangster flick well as Mr Tracy goes after the mob. The levels scroll along and the tommy gun and old knuckle sandwich are used to progress. But an eye must be kept on underground activity in the background as gangsters take pot shots at our main man. The machine gun is used to take up an into the screen perspective to dish out some rough justice to these shady background scene shifters. Enjoyable bonus levels ensue where the quick witted private eye must distinguish between good and bad in a split second and dispatch one of them using the A, B or C buttons depending on their position. A nice film tie-in.