Recommended
Recommended games and hardware - our favourites from the last couple of weeks.
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
Where as the passing system isn’t perfect, this arcade classic still can set the heart a flutter with some very special goals. The first to introduce a very clever crossing system and the potential for wing wizardry.
GameBoy Advance
Puzzle
Devilishly addictive gameplay and perfectly suited to the GBAs dimensions. Colourful graphics with cute sprites mask a real tough bruiser at its core, but failing to make the grade is always the players fault and never the gaming engine. Good eggs.
Complete with registration card. Couple of light box dents.
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.
Gamecube
Simulation
The game that allows players to create their own customised Kaiju monster with the initial appearance based on a few choice questions players get asked. The monsters can gain experience, but the overall aim is to keep the peace on the island and protect it from attacks from Godzilla wannabes. Title translates as Monster Island. Subtitled Amazing Island. Features a GBA link up for an added dimension to play.
Gamecube
Action
Nintendo gets edgy with its Silicon Knight in shining armour producing a psychological thriller complete with sanity meter that causes the player to freak out if exposed to too much tension. Eerie events aplenty as the Kyoto giant veers to the dark side.
🏆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
RPG
An epic RPG looking like Zelda with plenty of hidden locales to investigate. In a fantasy style, the battle sequences feature stunning effects for the hardware and good, solid battle mechanics. Known as Elemental Tale Jack’s Adventure in Japan. (Not sure why Jack became Brian?)
GameBoy Color
Shooter
Colourful gun and run as the player must jump platform style obstacles whilst keeping the crosshair with enemies firmly in the sights. Subtitled White Woods.
GameBoy Color
Puzzle
The Columns brand gets a Tezuka Osamu san make over and it is a real treat to see Atom and co feature. Genki is a big fan of Black Jack, so great to see he made the cut.
GameBoy Color
RPG
Clever sprite world with emotive chip tunes and a beautifully woven plot to match the Bayeux Tapestry. A real gem in the crown of GB gaming and the use of colour palette adds much to work of art version.
GameBoy Color
RPG
The infamous Shin Megami series gets deep down on the GameBoy Color into dank dungeons possessed by ghostly apparitions making the stain glass and sunshine above ground a real breath of fresh air. Soothing musical score with lots of tension cranked up during the battles.
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.
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.
Brilliant Merchandise
Merchandise
Classic Famicom coloured designed bag, officially licensed coming with the piece de resistance of the controller side pocket.
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.
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.