A Bit Special
Here we have all the games in the A Bit Special Section.
Playstation
A Bit Special
A compilation of Namcos highly treasured back catalogue with four titles in their original form and updated 3D incarnations. The four titles are: Babel, a tower adventure, Star Luster, an Elite style space blaster not quite as cerebral as the BBC Micros masterpiece, Wrestle Ball, a video game take on the cult film RollerBall meets the BitMap Bros Speedball and finally Haou no Tairiku, a strategic intervention into Dynastic China.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Once again hats off to Namco: Adventure of Valkyrie, Pac Attack, King of Kings and Namco Classic II. Valkyrie is an absolute treat with its Kikikaikai style free roaming shooting gameplay and pixel perfect realisation of the fantasy styled world. Pac Attack throws the infamous ghosts into a Tetris style puzzle game and the odd Pac drops down from the heavens too to gobble them up. Namco Classics is a golf game with Neo Geo style kawaii caddy and King of Kings is a little known war sim.
GameBoy Original
A Bit Special
A fine compilation of Mappy, Galaga, Namco Classic and Battle City. The platforming delights of Mappy, shooting action of Galaga and golfing exertions of Namco Classic are well known and summaries are on the site. Perhaps the lesser known element in the package is Battle City which involves the players tank defending a position against a whole armoury of opponents tanks with cool calculated shots a requirement to progress.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Features Pac Man, multi-directional shooter Bosconian, Galaga, Rally X, Rally X New, arcade puzzler Toypop and Pole Position. Galga is most fondly remembered for the tractor beam that can capture your ship and for the frantic bonus stages that put the pride back into high scores. Rally X has solid, old school gameplay behind the simplistic graphics which sees you picking up flags using smoke screens to distract the opposition. Complete with scans of the original arcade posters and photo’s of the motherboards. Games can also be played vertically as initially intended.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Very well rounded compilation from the original masters of back catalogue categorising containing Cutie Q, Gaplus, Xevious, Grobda, Mappy and Dragon Buster. Bomb Bee is hidden in there somewhere too. The titles are all a very pleasant swim in the retro paddling pool with presentation that is proof of the time and effort put into this series.
Playstation
A Bit Special
A delve into coin ops of old with Galaxian, Pole Position II, Ms. Pac Man, Dig Dug, Phozon and Tower of Druaga. Phozon is a bit of a bizarre and unknown action puzzler where shapes must be attached to you ship in the correct pattern whilst avoiding a big bunch of balloons.
NEO GEO CD
A Bit Special
A multi media disk containing, amongst other goodies, playable demo’s of King of Fighters 95, Fatal Fury 3, Samurai Spirits 2, Art of Fighting 2, Super Sidekicks 3 and Top Hunter. Also allows you to view info on other hit releases and to listen to various sound clips from SNK’s back catalogue.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Contains three arcade classics on the one disk: Moon Cresta, Crazy Climber and Frisky Tom. So we have a pre-Galga shooter with the steady hand eye co-ordination required for the docking levels, a climbing game where opening windows, flying plant pots and bird droppings conspire to hinder your progress to the top of the building and finally a puzzler where the water pipe must be repaired to help the fair lady get her shower. Quite a mixed bunch then. The extra capacity of the CD is used to have alternate, updated versions of the games in SF-X, Crazy Climber 95 and Toms Strike Back.
Wii
A Bit Special
Bound to bring a tear of joy to the eye of Saturn loving gamers containing both the Saturn original and a brushed up version for the Wii. This version has a wealth of extras plus there are beautiful cut scenes to celebrate Nights twelfth anniversary. And the rumours persist the game can be changed into Christmas Nights somehow.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Enjoy the company of a dog and cat in the garden by feeding them, playing ball or even sending out a remote control car for them to chase round and round.
Wii
A Bit Special
The genius of the Made in Wario games reaches new echelons with the Wii controller adding a new dimension to the already innovative gameplay. The mini games remain as refreshing as ever to the very soul of jaded gamers: be it stir frying the wok, doing squats with the remote on your head, driving, balancing, sawing… There are too many highlights to fully recall including controlling an elephants trunk to move fruit, saving a damsel in distress from plumetting to her doom – even the nose picking level makes a welcome return. All nicely wrapped up in the series street wise characters with smooth intoductions and cinematic sequences. Welcome to Wii.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Another fine escapade that captures the relentless action and humour of the anime series including plenty of slapstick and deadpan jokes. The introduction seamlessly leads the player into the crux of the game with some click anime showing Bandai’s high value placed on its series.
Playstation
A Bit Special
A unique, refreshing experience in gaming: play as a chef in a variety of restaurants from Chinese to fast food having to prepare dishes correctly to keep the customers happy. Drunken salarymen and cockroaches provide the hazards.
Nintendo DS
A Bit Special
Namco does a heroic job of reinventing its yellow pill muncher making use of the DS to innovate and originate. Play begins by drafting a quick sketch of our little yellow friend who then trots off to the bottom screen. Pacman is then controlled by the stylus on the upper screen with appropriate flicks taking him where required. Skills honed in early stages are soon called on in full as the action heats up, such as being able to draw arrows or bombs. Boss encounters provide an opportunity to demonstrate a bit of lateral thinking adding much to the overall experience. As an extra there is a sketch book to enjoy seeing what happens when a few creative doodles are produced. Pure gameplay, highly original and exactly the kind of title Nintendo preached the DS stylus would deliver.
Nintendo DS
A Bit Special
Namco does a heroic job of reinventing its yellow pill muncher making use of the DS to innovate and originate. Play begins by drafting a quick sketch of our little yellow friend who then trots off to the bottom screen. Pacman is then controlled by the stylus on the upper screen with appropriate flicks taking him where required. Skills honed in early stages are soon called on in full as the action heats up, such as being able to draw arrows or bombs. Boss encounters provide an opportunity to demonstrate a bit of lateral thinking adding much to the overall experience. As an extra there is a sketch book to enjoy seeing what happens when a few creative doodles are produced. Pure gameplay, highly original and exactly the kind of title Nintendo preached the DS stylus would deliver.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
A Bit Special
Given away with PC Engine Magazine in Japan with some fabulous demos though along with the Hyper Catalogue: Winds of Thunder, Crest of Wolf, Fushigi no Umi Nadia, Burai II and Dragon Slayer.
Miscellaneous Games
A Bit Special
A game to help Japanese children learn English. Colour in the parts of the picture marked with the nominated letters, copy the letters on screen and play the letter games in matching up upper and lower case letters.
Super Famicom
A Bit Special
A Super Famicom classic, no mistake. 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 air. Tough, but any mistakes are always your own fault. Some great bonus levels too. Packed full of ideas – a breath of fresh air to the games industry.
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 hangglider to get a better photo of a whale. Packed full of ideas – a breath of fresh air to the games industry.
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 hangglider to get a better photo of a whale. Packed full of ideas – a breath of fresh air to the games industry.
PSP
A Bit Special
Masses of monkey themed mini games as players collect the many cards on offer with a few bananas changing hands, but not before a quick game of ‘paper, scissors, stone’ to determine which mini game is played. Progress round the map and eventually a boss challenge will become available. Beat the boss and not only will a new area of the map become accessible, you’ll also get their very own card. Its also possible to unlock a bit of monkey magic in the form of costumes – the Santa and Terminator monkeys are real corkers. The sequel has vastly improved over the initial primate prequel Also known as Ape Escape Academy. Subtitled ‘Aiai Saruge Janken Battle’.
Playstation
A Bit Special
Plenty to warm the cockles in this winter feast of PSX gaming with demos of SF Zero 3, Ehrgeiz, Tales of Phantasia, Bomberman and Crash Bandicoot 3 amongst ten others.
GameBoy Color
A Bit Special
Tour the Pokemon card clubs to challenge the members and hopefully get a shot at beating the leader. Quick thinking is required to try and gain all eight master cards and become the mythical Pokemon card master. Its possible for players to create their own custom deck with the real fun being trying to complete the full album. Nice overhead perspective to the exploration with cute sprites suiting the GameBoy Color’s screen drawing players in once again to that Pokemon world. Also known as Pokemon Card Trading Game.
GameBoy Color
A Bit Special
Tour the Pokemon card clubs to challenge the members and hopefully get a shot at beating the leader. Quick thinking is required to try and gain all eight master cards and become the mythical Pokemon card master. Its possible for players to create their own custom deck with the real fun being trying to complete the full album. Nice overhead persepective to the exploration with cute sprites suiting the GameBoy Color’s screen drawing players in once again to that Pokemon world. Also known as Pokemon Card Trading Game.
PS2
A Bit Special
Music clip game from the smash anime series with mini games and plenty of original scenes unavailable elsewhere including the characters singing.
PS2
A Bit Special
Music clip game from the smash anime series with mini games and plenty of original scenes unavailable elsewhere including the characters singing.
Playstation
A Bit Special
The mini Puru Puru disk has Jumping Flash, AIV, Tekken 2, Arc the Lad 2, Tokyo Insect Zoo, Tokimeki Memorial and even the Ridge Rcaer Devil Car. The Demo Demo Disk Ultimate Parodius, Raiden Project and Philsoma of interest to fans of what the Japanese call the STG genre along with plenty of other samples.
PS2
A Bit Special
3D platformer allowing you to draw your own characters to play with in game. Improved visuals in an innocent and colourful theme with some light RPG elements and card collecting. Also known as Graffiti Kingdom, sequel to Magic Pengel.
Sega Saturn
A Bit Special
A real curiosity in that its a game with no graphics having been released after Warp’s president Kenji Eno san received letters from blind gamers requesting some of his D inspired magic. A love story set in Tokyo.
Sega Saturn
A Bit Special
Demo version of a real curiosity in that it’s a game with no graphics having been released after Warp’s president Kenji Eno san received letters from blind gamers requesting some of his D inspired magic. A love story set in Tokyo.