Shop
Here we have all the games in the Shop Section.
PS2
Action
A bedazzling, breathtaking but above all believable yarn spun by Sony that brings you in to the delightful Ico world in a way that’ll surely see it be entered on the tapestry of the PS2’s legacy. A simple must have masterpiece bursting with emotive gameplay.
Switch
Simulation
Stunning tribute to the saucy Saturn title with four adventure games making up the bumper limited edition pack. This cos-play inspired dating simulator came with a yellow label warning on the Saturn. Hats off to City Connection: its great to see these memories being revived.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Run and gun action from the past masters SNK as players can almost feel the grenade pin gripped between their teeth. Being from the day when games were a challenge rather than a steady progression, the action is tough and the onslaughts relentless. Thankfully tanks and helicopters can be commandeered in order to progress.
Gamecube
Shoot Em Up
Tweaks the successful Dreamcast incarnation to add a few extras but the core play mechanics remain as pure as ever and the tate mode remains intact. As do the Arcade and Challenge modes, but the GameCube mode is most welcomed with a demo of the level section that can then be played in slow or normal speeds. The main catch to this full on blast is the selection of vessel weapon colour: be it black or white. Enemy ships are either one colour or the other and the score is doubled for taking them out with the opposite coloured projectile. Further score incentive is offered in the multiplier that increases for shooting ships of the same colour in sequence. Yet your own vessel is invincible to bullets of the same colour making for some tactical thought. In fact taking on bullets of the same colour is required to charge the only power up in the vessel’s supergun. Its quite unusual in that respect but there are no other power ups in a bold and refreshing move. Two player mode gives some welcomed respite and high scores can be clocked up with some well worked teamwork. Five chapters may not sound like many, but only the dedicated shmup fan will see the credits roll.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Figures
Figure
Nobody does it better than Kotobukiya and this tribute to Treasure’s fabulous Ikaruga shooter captures the fine form of the players ship. The stand really shows off its fine design. 1/144 scale. 15.5cm.
Famicom Cart
Action
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 to be avoided at all costs. Classic Famicom material of gameplay over graphics.
Famicom Cart
Action
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 to be avoided at all costs. Classic Famicom material of gameplay over graphics.
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.
PS2
Action
Drawing on the warring period of Japans history, Ikusagami sees players sweeping away the army of ten thousand when ploughing through the battlefield crammed with opponents. Some serious specials are needed and the PS2 handles them admirably as huge armies get swiped away in a circle of the huge sword. And with over 60,000 enemies on screen at one time, that is quite some sizeable sword… Known as Demon Chaos in the West.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
Highly unusual graphical style with psychedelic characters and brash colours make this feel like a manga dream gone awry. Full of vibrant fun and originality from first credit to game over.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
Truly crazy psychedelic shoot ’em up – think Jet Set Radio meets Shibuya street style with some seriously colourful colour schemes thrown in for good measure as Mebius throws a full roster of projectiles at players. A real cult following since its Wii days and well worth a look for those looking for a shooting blast off the usual scale.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Truly crazy psychedelic shoot ’em up – think Jet Set Radio meets Shibuya street style with some seriously colourful colour schemes thrown in for good measure as Mebius throws a full roster of projectiles at players. A real cult following since its Wii days and well worth a look for those looking for a shooting blast off the usual scale.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Very tough conversion of the arcade vertically scrolling shooter recommended only to grizzled gaming veterans with hardened skin on their thumbs! Beautiful organic backgrounds and well atoned chip tunes to the on-screen tension which is cranked high during the imaginative boss battles.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Very tough conversion of the arcade vertically scrolling shooter recommended only to grizzled gaming veterans with hardened skin on their thumbs! Beautiful organic backgrounds and well atoned chip tunes to the on-screen tension which is cranked high during the imaginative boss battles.
Sony Hardware
Controller
A clever Playstation controller from Imagineer that sits snuggly and allows players to program in special moves and the like in an old school twist to help gain advantage in fight fests.
Dreamcast
Simulation
Casts the pilot straight into the action, though Genki had a moral dilemma trying to down a Spitfire, virtual world or not. The clips use black and white projector style cut scenes as of the War era alongside testing the polygon capacity of the modern day machine to set the scene. It taks a little mastery, but victory is all the sweeter for it with a real sense of achievement.
Dreamcast
Shoot Em Up
Claustrophobic 3D shooter from Scouse software house Rage Software which was one of the first Dreamcast releases. Genki gets motion sickness everytime.
Switch
Puzzle
Funky, colourful and vibrant graphics bring the indie band and love quest elements of this devilishly simple puzzle game to life.
Switch
RPG
Plenty of platform action in this RPG with combat sequences that are very reminiscent of Guardian Heroes in appearance with big, bold and brash protagonists. Very colourful and fast-paced.
XBOX 360
Shooter
A very North American feel to the first person shooting action as players use flash manoeuvres to get through the levels and let rip at the opposition. Hiding behind preferably bullet proof columns and utilising stealth helps, but the rock soundtrack encourages a trigger happy approach. Nice to see the scope being used on the gun, harking back to Goldeneye on the 64.
Playstation
Sports
Night time street racing bringing the mange to life. The dark tracks are realistically only illuminated by the cars headlights keeping the players one the edge of their (tiger effect covered) seats as it makes it hard to know what lies ahead. Also cleverly reduces the CPU workload making it whiz along on the PSX hardware.
Merchandise
Figure
Sega Toys fine Insect Land plushes take inspiration from many invertebrate with the praying mantis the inspiration behind this fine creature.
Merchandise
Figure
The Japanese Rhinoceros beetle is a popular insect and Sega have this plush tribute that reminds Genki of the special Saturn game Nights.
Dreamcast
Simulation
Stunning visual dating novel that takes place in urban Japan with careful choices in replies is required not to find out why the saying ‘A woman’s heart is like the autumn sky.’ Exists.
Super Famicom
Sports
Comforting nineties feel to the tennis with the simplistic graphical set up making in far more playable that representations of the sport that swoop around more than the hawk scaring off seagulls at Wimbledon.
Playstation
RPG
From the anime series comes this spin off adventure with original story and plenty of stunningly realised scenes.
Wonderswan
RPG
The Inuyasha world brought to life on the small colour screen and looking lavish. Enjoyable adventure romp with impressive combat sequences.
Wonderswan
RPG
From the anime series comes this spin off adventure with original story and plenty of stunningly realised scenes.
Playstation
RPG
From the anime series comes this spin off adventure with original story and plenty of stunningly realised scenes.
Playstation
Simulation
Developed by Marvelous Entertainment, this anime take makes good use of the license and the artistic merit is worthy of its prime time slot it enjoyed since disposing Sakura Wars of the honour. Known in Japan as Muteki Oh Trizenon. The Tri of the title comes from the three mysterious objects that arrived in Japan from deep space in ancient times. Fearing their powers, the locals buried them deep below but now powerful robot Zenon has awakened! Not wishing to sound like the back of a box too much, the game involves plenty of anime streamed straight from the series alongside fun mini games of fishing and dancing to enjoy.