Recommended
Recommended games and hardware - our favourites from the last couple of weeks.
Nintendo Hardware
Console
Allows you to play Japanese Famicom titles bringing back some heady memories. However it is not compatible with every game released for the Famicom system, there are some that won’t run on it.
PC Engine Hardware
Accessory
PC Engine GT owners felt the future was now when this attachment landed allowing them to tune in to analogue TV Signals and watch through their handheld GT. Can be used by those with the willing to link up other devices through its AV cable headphone jack style input.
PSP
A Bit Special
Super gal Haruhi once again stars with a voice to melt the Cadbury’s Caramel bunny in this love adventure where players also get to make their own game. Superb high standards to the figure that comes as part of the package too matching the voice acting.
Super Famicom
Shoot Em Up
R Type 3’s gameplay has a tactical nature with the ability to use three different orbs. Ginormous bosses and the Super Famicom worked to near meltdown, especially the mode 7 capacity. Not for the weak willed, R-Type has old school difficulty to match its gameplay. A Super Famicom exclusive. Subtitled The Third Lightning.
Super R Type is a conversion of the arcade monolith based on part two with an extra intro level. Tough and unforgiving, but the true shmup fan wouldn’t have it any other way. Never has Genki been so grateful for slowdown to get out of the many tight fixes that must come with trying to contain the expansion of the Bydo Empire in R-Type.
Nintendo Hardware
Handheld
Mini PocketStation style Pocket Sakura to add to the in game experience when used in conjunction with the Sakura Wars GB GameBoy Color title, displaying mini graphics of Asakusa, the Sakura characters and rickshaws.
Famicom Cart
Platform
A superb platform game in the Castlevania mould resurrected by Retro Bit to bring it to the West as it was only a Japan exclusive, until now. A true labour of love, but well-worth the effort and the dedication shines through like sunlight through a stained glass window.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Very popular and classy basketball based anime series which captures the raw emotion of the game and gives the GameBoy a good work out with very slickly animated characters from the much-cherished anime series.
Sega Saturn
Simulation
An interactive novel that had a huge budget to cover the multiple scenarios and was really at the cutting edge of the coal face with such innovative approaches to gaming. A real polished diamond with a vast cast and a cult following. Machi is also known as The Town.
Gamecube
Platform
The popular Crash series runs and runs right onto the GameCube and its not too common a title in Japan coming later in the series which was already a well established Playstation fixture. As such the programmers show a fine grasp of the GameCube architecture with impressive reflections and draw distances in the biplane sections. But Crash has always been about pure fun and this forth installment doesn’t disappoint.
Mega Drive
Sports
A very ambitious project with the original being entirely polygon based on a platform requiring programmer imagination to squeeze good 3D out of the hardware. Plenty of nostalgia for fans of the series and Atari with rogue developer Tengen on programming duties.
Famicom Cart
Action
Tactical positioning of battlements a must in order to repel enemy invasions and keep in charge of the battle. The best compliment Genki could pay is to say Rampart produces a feel of a full scale battle without ever feeling too simy due to its fine interface. Some great military beats too.
Nintendo 64
Platform
Beautiful 3D platform game with Kirby coming into his own and very much the star of the show wielding flaming swords, tossing bombs into enemy territory and even turning into a rather mean looking rock clad Kirby. A classic series given a fitting tribute on the 64 with some stunning touches such as the flame effects and gorgeous backgrounds.
Nintendo 64
One on One Beat Em Up
Plenty of all-star combatants from the Nintendo range, taking each other on in innovative arenas with plenty of little touches, such as dust clouds on impact, that relay that Nintendo magic. Yet beneath the pretty candy coloured characters lies a pretty brutal fight engine.
Nintendo 64
A Bit Special
Amazingly recreates the feel of flying through the sky be it on the rocket belt or gyrocopter flying through hoops or chasing the thermals to stay up in the hang glider to get a better photo of a whale. Packed full of ideas – a breath of fresh air to the games industry.
Nintendo 64
Sports
Developed by Camelot with plenty of hidden secrets like the mystery match up that lets you unlock the hidden characters – if you beat them. Gives the sport a more exciting translation to the console as it doesn’t try to be too realistic and can be easily picked up and played. And the ghost course is a real treat.
Dreamcast
A Bit Special
A Japan exclusive that was only on sale between the 16th and 24th of December 1999 and could only be used between that period to send a message to a love one at Christmas.
Sega Saturn
Sports
A tasty piece of programming making the PlayStation eat humble pie. Crisp graphics running a a high frame rate truly brought the arcade experience home. But gameplay is what counts – the developer’s extensive rally car physics research oozes from every powerslide.
Gamecube
Sports
Genki feared the worse when the news leaked of a GC debut sequel of the delightful Wave Race. Nintendo well and truly delivered the goods keeping the originals relentless, arm pit tingling gameplay and improving the water transparencies beyond anything seen before. Truly miraculous effects that remain cutting edge even today.
Dreamcast
Sports
The progress of Humans prodigal son involves subtle gameplay tweaks, new characters and updated moves. Whilst the graphics are very tidy and well animated, the developers have eschewed polygon models for spritely well animated wrestlers adding bucket loads of playability to the process so wrestlers can almost feel the perspiration. And kudos is due for promoting gameplay over graphics.
Nintendo 64
Sports
Plenty of twists, turns, snow drifts, flips and fun in this fine take on snowboarding that captures some of its carefree attitude to careering down the slopes at break neck speeds. Nice take on the genre and looking nice on the Nintendo roku jyu yon.
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.