Recommended
Recommended games and hardware - our favourites from the last couple of weeks.
🏆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.
GameBoy Advance
RPG
Nintendo demonstrates its lighter side in this Japanese tongue in cheek take off of the RPG obsession amongst gamers. Set in America with unique, cartoon-like graphics reminiscent of Charlie Brown and his chums. Known as Earthbound in the West.
Dreamcast
Shooter
Sega does Bond with some fine tongue in cheek humour as you choose from two sleek spies to take out the bad guys in a flurry of trigger finger action in classic light gun style. Has a few moments to interrupt the trigger happy action though, such as a chance to shoot a key or bunging up a toxic gas leak which keep you on your toes and alter the games course. Not too many gun games on the DC making this one to really savour especially in two player mode.
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.
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 Super Famicom
Shoot Em Up
Graphically pleasing with liberal use of colour as you guide Willow on her broomstick quest for wish-granting sweets accompanied by her fairy friend Silk. Success is rewarded with an appropriately off kilter end of level tea break. Intriguingly Willow gets to select her favourite weaponry before the offset and in game Silk can be used to attack along with the fire dragon, star frenzy or lightning assaults depending on which crystals have been collected.
PS2
Sports
Puritans will head straight for the Arcade mode with its accurate and unforgiving top down conversion of the vintage coin op. Those less familiar with the original will find much fun and frolics wading around in the Grand Prix mode which features the ability to power up to a massive mobile, or to increase jump potential. Ambulances smash their way through the drivers to get to stricken drivers and there are more on screen calamities than Wacky Races. A fine claret that has matured to near arcade perfection.
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.
Virtual Boy
Shoot Em Up
Assume control of the Rangnarok ship in the battle to regain control of a rogue space colony. 2D vertically scrolling blast fest given a 3D element by the ability to shift between different planes. Relatively short, but the usual shields, weapon and pod power ups and detailed backgrounds make this a blast worthy of the Hudson Soft brand.
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.
Nintendo 3DS
RPG
Bowser comes to the fore as Mario & Luigi negotiate through his body whilst Bowser himself happily romps around terra firma. Colourful, clear graphics help eagle eyed players spot the key to progress. Lashing of the Big N, triple-A polish.
Nintendo DS
A Bit Special
A Club Nintendo title that could only be obtained in Japan by those holding sufficient points which should no doubt add to its collectability in years to come. Transforms your DS into a Game & Watch machine in which Nintendo first cut its handheld teeth complete with clock. Two titles are included this time: Octopus and Parachute to help while away any waiting lounge.
Famicom Cart
Action
Plenty of tributes to its mighty back catalogue in game for the discerning gamer. Taking out tanks that appear in the maze means keeping a keen eye out for where they will appear, if in control of the skirmish. Otherwise it means grabbing those freeze power ups or blasting a whole in the maze to sit in, perhaps even behind camouflage.
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.
Famicom Cart
RPG
Combines the first two adventures on the series on one rather large cart. Also includes a fold out map with the layout of the two worlds along with a paperback guide book/instruction manual in full colour with plenty of screenshots and illustrations. Highly collectable.
GameBoy Color
Simulation
Off-shoot of the mega series with authentic avatars and card-based combat as players explore the Shin Megami world and meet its mystery inhabitants.
GameBoy Advance
RPG
Nintendo unleash their fine and healthy imagination in Ketchup World in this tomato themed action RPG really looking the colourful part. Surely a classic of the future and deserving of a wider audience.
Famicom Cart
Platform
The Battletoad games are very collectable and its easy to see why in this Rare crafted version. Cliched some of the locations may be, but when the execution is of such high standard its easy to see why they become much imitated and rarely bettered. Fun, wholesome action that squeezes every iota out of the hardware.
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.
GameBoy Advance
A Bit Special
Possibly the cutest game we have ever seen, even by Japanese standards. The kawaii animal club tour town to complete mini games to progress. Subtitled Tama chan Monogatari
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
A fine blast in the Fantasy Zone style as players pilot their vessel (looking very much like an Opa Opa) in the horizontally scrolling shooting levels. Unusually the ship has stats like in a good RPG and the levels can be boosted by handing over some hard earned currency to the friendly shopkeeper who seems more than willing to assist.