Shop
Here we have all the games in the Shop Section.
PS2
Shoot Em Up
High production values with fine attention to detail in the landscapes all interlaced with top draw GCI cut scenes adds up to a superlative sapping experience. A strategical element is added to the frantic, frenetic shooter action in that wing weapons must be selected in accordance with the level awaiting. Half way through the level the mother ship will drop in though for a well needed health boost and a opportunity to reconfigure for the intelligent bosses that vary their assaults. As is the way with modern shooters, dicing with death is actively encouraged as the multiplier spirals out of control by shooting the ships when they are really too close for comfort.
Super Famicom
RPG
Fantasy style RPG tribute to the Final fantasy series with cute sprite based town roaming cut with detailed monster stand offs. An emotive story and that classic Super Famicom look make for a fine role playing game.
Super Famicom
Simulation
Bullfrogs baby blending an accessible interface with incredible attention to detail. Genki struggles to consider the complexity of the algorithms that must be going on as every little tweak such as to the transport system seems to have a knock on effect. The appearance of Sonic ensures it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Sega Saturn
Simulation
The Sim series reached a crescendo here with Bullfrogs baby blending an accessible interface with incredible attention to detail. Genki struggles to consider the complexity of the algorithms that must be going on as every little tweak such as to the transport system seems to have a knock on effect. The appearance of Sonic ensures it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Sega Saturn
Simulation
Just as the name says: being in charge of designing the zoo and ensuring the animals are well looked after. An original title in the Bullfrog mould with some nice animal footage to get zoo keepers in the mood without any foul smells. Just ensure the dangerous animals and reptiles are well secured.
Famicom Cart
Shoot Em Up
Highly impressive dog fight game which convinces of depth very well as you lead your squadron into the screen. The cloud formation and perspective combine very cleverly and give a real sense of motion. A beady eye must also be kept on the sea in order to drop a skimming bomb into enemy vessels to give them a few problems to deal with rather than taking pop shots at your fighter plane.
Super Famicom
Shooter
Dog fighting shooter game with pilots having to hunt down opponents as well as having to drop bombs on ground targets. Namcot sets the historic dog fight setting well and implements mode 7 to great effect.
PS2
Sports
Sky diving on a snowboard to pull off tricks through sheer joypad dexterity. Sub game is a Pilot Wings style ‘Beat Balloon.’
PS2
Action
Sky diving on a snowboard to pull off tricks through sheer joypad dexterity. Sub game is a Pilot Wings style ‘Beat Balloon.’
Playstation
Simulation
On the same lines as the Densha De Go series, but with classic steam trains and two off the beaten track routes. Plenty of machinery and scenery to admire as you let off steam in the Japanese countryside.
Super Famicom
RPG
A fine RPG with plenty of game references in the Super Famicom controller which appears in one of the many locales and in game characters called Akihabara. Its hard not to see the 16 Bit era as one of the golden ones for RPGs, especially on the Super Famicom. And Enix use all their experience to cut loose and add some humour to their fine RPG engine.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Action
Cult developer Beep turn their fine hand to a 2D slash ’em up with a real nod to the fine retro heritage that exists in this genre whilst clever use of pseudo 3D to keep the player perspiring and their adrenalin flowing. Gamers of a certain vintage will lap this up and be left positively purring.
Switch
Action
Cult developer Beep turn their fine hand to a 2D slash ’em up with a real nod to the fine retro heritage that exists in this genre whilst clever use of pseudo 3D to keep the player perspiring and their adrenalin flowing. Gamers of a certain vintage will lap this up and be left positively purring.
Sega Saturn
RPG
Point and click isometric battles souped up by buxom anime babes in this role player based on the popular anime series.
Sega Saturn
RPG
Buxom belles make up the cast for this point and click adventure with 3D battle scenes that captures the fun of the original anime series. The characters are well modelled and as an anime release the cut scenes are sumptuous. The full voice cast does wonders for the entertainment value too.
PS2
Simulation
Slot machine simulator based on the emotional, epic anime full of hard love known as Kyojin no Hoshi (or Star of the Giants.) The story of the anime features young Hoshi as he battles through gruelling training and beatings from his strict father to become a pitcher for the Tokyo Giants. Its unlikely father would have approved of the fruit machine gambling exploits, but a top baseball player must squander their cash on something.
Gamecube
One on One Beat Em Up
The joy of ending the debate: who would win between Falcon from F-Zero and Ness from Mother? Yet beneath the pretty candy-coloured characters lies a pretty brutal fight engine.
Playstation
Sports
Tennis games have never needed over eloborate graphics as the cartoony, highly playable Smash Court remonstrates with panache. Some highly imaginative courts including inside a stately home, an ornamental garden complete with arcade machine and a beach!
Playstation
Sports
Delightful tennis from Namco given a neo Tokyo, super fly make over, but the zany courts are an ever present – be in the Great Barrier Reef, the Houses of Parliament or the Theme Park complete with Splatterhouse attraction. In fact the game is full of self references – Namco certainly appreciate their rich heritage. Plays like a dream without the need for flash polygons.
Playstation
Sports
Tennis games have never needed over eloborate graphics as the cartoony, highly playable Smash Court remonstrates with panache. Full of extras in the form of mini games for a bit of light relief if the four player rallies get too much.
PS2
Sports
Namco felt the need to ditch the adorable sprites of earlier versions of the series to adjust the series for the PS2 crew. As such the official players of the era and the proper stadiums have been used. Yet the gameplay thankfully remains very familiar and as such it plays like a dream. Henman for champ then.
Famicom Disk System
Sports
Cracking Nintendo take on table tennis with only animated hands and bats representing the player making for a fast flowing game. The crown lap up the action with plenty of applause on the corresponding side to the players and a certain cheeky monkey appearing in the crowd.
Super Famicom
Action
Arcade smash converted very suavely to the Super Famicom losing none of the all action gameplay with swarms of enemy assailants nor lacking any of the over the top ‘Running Man’ presentation that sees competent play rewarded with prizes. The two stick control method of the arcade is replicated well with the direction pad for movement and the buttons for firing and it soon becomes second nature once practised a little. A right royal romp in two player mode.
Super Famicom
Action
Arcade smash converted very suavely to the Super Famicom losing none of the all action gameplay with swarms of enemy assailants nor lacking any of the over the top ‘Running Man’ presentation that sees competent play rewarded with prizes. The two stick control method of the arcade is replicated well with the direction pad for movement and the buttons for firing and it soon becomes second nature once practised a little. A right royal romp in two player mode.
Sega Saturn
RPG
Futuristic, self-proclaimed cyber punk adventure. Very slick Blade Runner style gameplay. One of Konami’s finest moments.
Soundtracks
Soundtrack
Metal Slug X and Metal Slug 3 inspire this addition to the fab collection with Kiss in the Dark and Metamorphosis the stand out tracks.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Merchandise
Merchandise
Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting star in these tribute artworks that sit perfectly on desktops. The pull back design shows the artwork in motion adding to the effect. Neo Geo devotees will lap this up.
Nintendo 64
Sports
A rare title being a ski game as opposed to a more common snowboard sim. Players face cave off routes, cheeky short cuts with rope bridges, hazardous sheet ice and helicopters in a title reminiscent of a certain arcade game. Opponents spray powder in players faces in the ultimate insult giving greater determination to beat them down the slope.
Famicom Cart
Sports
Happy memories of plugging the cart into the back of the C64 come flooding back. (You couldn’t beat a game that was guaranteed to work on the Commodore 64.) Plenty of spit and polish being a Nintendo title with nice attention to detail such as the cheerleaders. Misty eyed Famicom nostalgia.
GameBoy Original
Sports
A three quarter perspective version of football with nice touches such as the teams bowing to each other (and the ref) before the game. The play mechanics are smooth and the world teams look good.