Action
Here we have all the games in the Action Section.
Famicom Cart
Action
The nyan of the title refers to the meow noise a cat makes and our feline friend plays up to dog stereotypes by trapping hapless dogs in manholes that they walk right into round the town.
Playstation
Action
Genki had to face the death sequence scene a few too many times, but it is a case of trial and error at times as players tackle the puzzles. But at the end you end up kicking yourself at the solution that was staring them in the face all along. The challenge if more forgetting the death sequence scream.
Playstation
Action
Overblood’s missions involve platform hopping, key locating and a few run and gun ins along the way. It’s the variety of the power ups items that make this stand out: a grappling hook to reach new heights, heat resistant clothing to wade through the fire, a variety of TNT to blast through to previously inaccessible areas, crystals to freeze over or evaporate away water… The levels often seem to have more than one solution to getting through them adding to this game’s unusual charm.
Switch
Action
Plays like a souped up King of Monsters with giant kaijyu tossing opponents into skyscrapers that they dwarf. As with all gaming, its great to be able to enjoy a bit of improper action in tossing around the various items in the city arenas.
Famicom Cart
Action
The ghost AI remains as fierce some as ever. One to show your grandchildren as to why your reflexes have been shot through.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Gamecube
Action
A request from Shigeru Miyamoto lead to the orginal creator of Pac Man producing this update where in a novel twist the player can control the ghosts. Available only as a demo disk from Club Nintendo, Pac Man is reinvented by controlling the ghosts making for amazing multiplayer matches. The way it works is to have Pacman play via the GameBoy Advance link up so that the ghosts cannot see Pac’s position, only that of the 3D maze on the television screen.
Famicom Cart
Action
Battle against various other animals such as rats, bats and cows to knock each other out by rolling balls along the tabletop. Each character has their own unique characteristics making them difficult to beat.
GameBoy Original
Action
Hardware appropriate graphical achievements and gameplay to match as the players penguin pecks platforms to negotiate a safe passage for the egg through the screens laden with traps and adversaries. A real gem in Sega’s crown that shows why it enjoyed the fine times ahead.
PS4
Action
The Persona world is rich with characters and it sits smoothly (toe tapping away) in this rhythm action game with those able to keep the buttons in the right order able to unleash some devastating dancefloor combos.
Wii
Action
Think of an air based Micro Machines and you’ll hopefully be on the way to imagining Petit Copters world. Yet instead of racing players must manoeuvre objects around the oversized gaming interior of a house using suction cups and from time to time unleash the odd missile to complete the challenging tasks. Very fresh and well thought out.
Playstation
Action
Madcap, multiplayer mayhem as up to four players battle it out in varied arenas from deserts to neon cityscapes. Players chuck rocks at each other avoid the non-player adversary, be it a UFO or the rock that is actually a curled-up T Rex. Real, pure gaming fun. Known as Poy Poy in the West.
Nintendo 64
Action
Take on a wealth of weird and wonderful Pokemon Monsters from what looks like a GB Pocket Camera, a heap of sludge or a koi carp out of water. Players battle it out choosing their hand carefully to avoid ineffectual attacks within varied and imaginative arenas.
Famicom Cart
Action
The Konami cracker gets a Famicom work out as Hudson bring home the bacon big time. Players take on the role of a pig on a winch lift and move up and down to fire arrows at the wolves descending on balloons. Popping their balloons makes them fall to the ground, but if they float down they start to gather near the poor piggies lift. A simple premise, badly explained and playing extremely well.
Nintendo 64
Action
The essence of pure four player competitive action taking full advantage of the 64’s generous ports. Match up balloons of the same colour to clear your screen. So simple, yet so fiendishly compulsive. Essential after hours entertainment.
Famicom Cart
Action
Quick thinking is a requisite as the floor shifts into different tiles meaning new, jelly baby like enemies warping in or players sliding helplessly across the level. Thankfully sonic booms style attacks can ward of the interest of the on screen adversaries, at least for a temporary respite, in the quest to clear the screen. Known as Mendel Palace in the West.
PS2
Action
Sony shows its understanding of the 3D action genre with simple lines in its space theme and good character sizing and camera angles to be able to judge jumps, rather than rely on leaps of faith. The Iron Man mecha level is great fun as players don the Tetsujin 28 suit to wrestle the Ninja Robot.
Famicom Cart
Action
John Rambo gets to take his shirt off making him easy to distinguish from the uniformed officers and grunts in hot pursuit. The familiar sound of shopper blades is all it takes to make John go off the edge in this platform adventure with strong military overtones.
Mega Drive
Action
The title refers to the services of a super hero who can be hired to grapple against Godzilla and Mothra look a likes wherever they may be causing havoc in this gaming equivalent of a B movie. Also has some RPG elements in the setting up of battles between our super hero and the varing kaiju. Except to be truthful our man hasn’t quite obtained super hero nirvana: he is just doing these odd jobs to pay for his lycra suit such as opening a bank account. Followed up on the Dreamcast and Xbox.
PS3
Action
Western developed first person shooter set in an alternate universe in fifties Britain where WWII never took place. Instead the brainwashing Chimera have seen to the destruction of most the world and their powers over humanity can only be resisted by the few – thats the players cue. In setting the game as such Insomniac cleverly utilises the popular World War II theme but scripts for a few extras that wouldn’t look out of place in War of the Worlds. If War of the Worlds was remade once again utilising the astounding graphical prowess of the PS3. Also features multiplayer mode where you must breach your opponents reactor leading to a few sweaty palms as you leave your core reactor unguarded. But its the co-operative two player mode that really gets the gamers going.
PS3
Action
Gorgeous graphics as the immense dragons swoop down from the skies to attack the hapless foot soldiers. Add to that exquisite audio that shows the degree of Sonys expertise in making the PS3 sound like a mythical sirens call and at last the legend of Panzer Dragoon has some worthy homage.
Playstation
Action
Megaman takes the leap into 3D platforming and Capcom have applied plenty of polish to avoid the lure of a third dimension lacking in gameplay. Plenty of sub quests and so polished it positively sparkles like an avatars smile.
Playstation
Action
Rockman revels in the 3D world with the action RPG elements working a treat alongside the fine combat that let our hero, also known as Megaman, seems to find a blast.
Famicom Cart
Action
Players race round the maze courses to grab the power ups or chequered flag before opponent cars whilst avoiding prangs and keeping an eye on the fuel gauge.
PS2
Action
The spiritual successor to Shenmue started here amongst the flotsam on the streets of Tokyo. The neon looks the same, but there is a gritty side to the streets and our hero is never too far from getting his tattoos out and more than a generous amount of fisticuffs.
PS3
Action
Genki’s lack of moral fibre again comes to the fore in visiting the Cat Fight Club, ten pin bowling, or down the Sega Arcade enjoying Outrun, Fantasy Zone, Hang-On, Space Harrier and Beluga; rather than being out on the streets sorting out yakuza with more tattoos and scars than there are RPGs on the Super Famicom. Superbly executed, as stylish as ever. Shades, shadier folk, getting attacked in the urinals, tattoos, bad boy bosses – who would begrudge Genki a wee dram in the local snack later on in the day? The spiritual successor to Shenmue continues to go from strength to strength.Shades, shadier folk, getting attacked in the urinals, tattoos, bad boy bosses – who would begrudge Genki a wee dram in the local snack later on in the day? The spiritual successor to Shenmue continues to go from strength to strength. #spiritofshenmue
PS2
Action
Mean, moody underworld of the Yakuza that sees you scurrying around neon cities carrying out quests, meeting informants and sometimes even night club hostesses. The complex web builds up slowly and the police, or a certain police lady, soon get involved. Its never certain to say if they will be friend or foe, loyalty is a prized asset in this underworld. Plenty of fisticuffs with the odds stacked against our man, but fortune favours the just.
PS3
Action
Smoking cigarettes like Kojak pops in lollipops and looking like a Snatcher detective, but our hero walks a thin line between law and the yakuza. Mini games of button tapping karaoke, golf, bowling, darts, shoot em up, even oil massages from models are on offer to distract Shenmue style from the main quest. But lapping these up like a salaryman forgetting the daily grind will soon lead to a queue of street flotsam awaiting to make your acquaintance. An epic quest, Shenmue III if you like, for the strong nerved and willed.
PS3
Action
Cracking series with plenty of the spirit of Shenmue in there alongside some runs ins with street scum and build up to big boss battles which have huge artistic input into their choreography. Plenty of side line off shoot scrapes: popping into the shop for a helpful rice ball boost, but best to avoid popping to the karaoke or snack bar too much. It may be a bit gaming by numbers, but in Genkis humble opinion it is worthy of far greater accolades.
PS3
Action
Tattooed veterans of the series will know what to expect from this instalment: explosions, briefcases of Yen, scarred faces and tattooed torsos and plenty of fisticuffs. Add into the mull a beautiful J Pop star, ramen shops and baseball and I think its fair to say it covers all bases and in fine fettle.
PS4
Action
Return to traditional Japanese feudal roots with plenty of sword fighting along with the odd bit of fishing and farming. Dramatic, cinematic tension with plenty of fun sub-quests in this spiritual successor to Shenmue.