Platform
Here we have all the games in the Platform Section.
Famicom Cart
Platform
A time travelling money should come as no surprise as plenty of moneys have been dispatched into space ships over the years. This one is handy with a boomerang to clock a few choice dinosaurs or sharks. Its possible to transform into a mech style monkey (being a Bandai title) and also to traverse levels in a shoot em up style in the ship that delivers the player to the different time zones.
Famicom Cart
Platform
A varied platform action title in the style of the colourful Toei animation with the feline hero taking to air balloons, sailing ships and submarines to tackle the platform shooting levels, besides using those famous boots to scale the heights of some levels.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Puzzle of Atlantis is a definite Super Mario tribute complete with warps and all, but the developers have also taken note of the talent behind the level design in Mario and playtested the levels to hone the playing field to a well balanced challenge.
Famicom Cart
Platform
The gritty Eighties law enforcement film gets a Famicom outing with the cyborg punching lads that look like they should be delivering in Paperboy (and avoiding the Alsatian dogs that also come in for a fist of titanium justice.) A fine film tie in.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Destroying Nuke and arresting perps is all in a days work for Robocop. This leaves the urban decay of the prequel and uses a few more gaming tricks of lifts and conveyor belts in the giant factories. Some ominous robot adversaries lie in wait for our slickly animated law enforcer.
Famicom Cart
Platform
The game has nice, solid sprites and slick anime cut scenes to reward the gamer for the tricky platform sections.
Famicom Cart
Platform
The game has nice, solid sprites and slick anime cut scenes to reward the gamer for the tricky platform sections.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Fine Famicom version which is very playable title in it’s own right. Detachable arm power ups rock!
Super Famicom
Platform
Rockman is certainly aptly named with a difficulty level to make those used to more modern difficulty curves run for the hills. Yet like a good kung fu master Rockman 7 offers tough loving and, thanks to Capcom dedication to style, it leaves players only blaming their gaming technique rather than any flaws in the coding. Rockman has been awarded a faithful friend in the shape of a robotic dog here and boy does he need him. Underwater levels change the dynamics of the jumps, just as when players think they have a good grasp of the feel of the fair physics of his jumps. And a precise understanding of his abilities is a must to make it through the crumbling city scapes and disappearing platforms. Tough, but always fair. A Capcom cracker. Knuckle down and show a bit of old fashioned vim and vigour.
Gamecube
Platform
Akira’s involvement helps give Rockman a timely boost on his fifteenth anniversary with very smooth cel shaded graphics bringing the mega franchise up to modern expectations. But its ultimately a return to the old school roots of the series that make the platforming sections a real joy. Includes the broadcast quality anime intro which is from the Japanese TV series.
GameBoy Original
Platform
The name Rockman seems to more aptly convey the old school challenge the series presents and this version squeezes scintillating performance out of the GB. Yet it is more likely hardware restrictions such as found on the Famicom that led to the series gripping gameplay and tight play mechanics that launched a solid franchise. The gamers choice.
Super Famicom
Platform
Rockman represents a pre-Beckham era when gamers were gamers and men were men. And Rockman is a real man: despite his diminutive appearance the level of obstacles in his way put him up there with Arthur in Ghouls and Ghosts in terms of tough nuts. Sprinting along collapsing platforms and getting stuck into the latest despot to block his path without so much as a sigh. Rockman, we salute you.
Super Famicom
Platform
Rockman has always faced improbable platform situations with little fear and players will need to squeeze every iota out of his dash charge and Bionic Commando style grabber arm to reach the boss section. Even the platforms themselves can fall away giving the impression all is against our Capcom Hero. But with such colourful graphics and always fair gameplay, the fault only lies with a lack of practise.
Playstation
Platform
Rockman gets suited and booted to look more like a star of Battle of the Planets. His extra abilities allow for some real speed clocking in at a few Machs as he zooms through the platforms and flies across the rest of the level. Emotive use of cut scenes help encourage players to endeavour. Top drawer platform action.
Playstation
Platform
Genki may be going soft, but we miss the day when you could find a safe spot on the screen and simply blast away until the boss destructs. With a slight pang towards a greater challenge, these bad boys demand not only full attention to weak spots, but also to keeping an eye on the platforms to avoid tumbling to boss rush purgatory. Rats!
Playstation
Platform
Genki may be going soft, but we miss the day when you could find a safe spot on the screen and simply blast away until the boss destructs. With a slight pang towards a greater challenge, these bad boys demand not only full attention to weak spots, but also to keeping an eye on the platforms to avoid tumbling to boss rush purgatory. Rats!
Playstation
Platform
Genki may be going soft, but we miss the day when you could find a safe spot on the screen and simply blast away until the boss destructs. With a slight pang towards a greater challenge, these bad boys demand not only full attention to weak spots, but also to keeping an eye on the platforms to avoid tumbling to boss rush purgatory. Rats!
PS2
Platform
Drags Mega Man kicking and screaming into the 3D world in this first release on the PS2 and sends the 2D purists into a bit of a tizzy. Despite the smooth 3D sections the core gamplay is essentially 2D however with the camera switching to an isometric perspective. Coupled to that you have lavish anime sequences and lush cel shaded graphics to whet the palette. Stomping around in a 3D mecha sequence is certainly great fun.
GameBoy Advance
Platform
Mega Man proves he can survive in modern 3D gaming world with some serious weaponry, slick animation and SFC style Mode 7 effects and some grand designs of bosses. And the Japanese name remains as appropriate as ever with the old school, rock hard difficulty making for a real feel of achievement and not just joining the gaming dots.
GameBoy Advance
Platform
Mega Man suits his role on this handheld platform almost as well as his dashing suit. And it does give him special powers to zip across the screen unleashing a blast at some fine foes from the depths of Capcom’s collective conscience. Plenty of dramatic big boss showdowns, no need for fancy cinematics here. Top drawer entertainment from a fine developer.
GameBoy Advance
Platform
In Genki’s humble opinion the GBA architecture feels like a souped up version of the Super Famicom. Maybe that’s why we feel so at home with its graphical style and the ability of programmers to squeeze every iota of performance out of the hardware is none more evident than this game. A superb gaming journey full of innovative turns in both gameplay and graphical terms. Rockman is a more appropriate name than Mega Man, due to the rock hard nature of the gameplay. Yet gamers of a certain vintage will recall when progress in a game was due to putting in the hard yards on its fast platform levels and learning the attack patterns and discovering the weaknesses of the bosses.
Nintendo 3DS
Platform
With heavy respect to the prestige the original Playstation and Super Famicom versions are held in comes the 3DS update from the original team. Ms. Kawase is joined by fellow platform protegees Emiko and Ms. Nokoyama offering differing abilities. The core remains the use of a line to swing between platforms all looking very smart in 3D with the players characters themselves looking like a character from the Wii Animal Crossing. Lets just hope it isn’t sayonara yet.
PS Vita
Platform
Great to see the series get back to its roots in this tribute to the highly collectable Super Famicom version. The visuals are spot on – the Vita hardware has added much to the visual impact. But Genki are grateful the gameplay has been left as it always was. Unlike most platformers super hero style jumps aren’t possible here – instead a trusty fishing rod is used to latch onto platforms and guide our schoolgirl heroine around. It is also used to catch fish adversaries in an imaginative twist that can then be stashed in her backpack if so desired. Fresh gameplay even today that you soon get into the swing of.
PC Engine HU Card
Platform
Three basic style: park, city or factory levels to be negotiated at day or night with a sword that powers up to release fireballs to help to defeat the robot or dragon boss. Reassuringly familiar gameplay for those who feel like there’s a disturbance in the force with today’s mass market fodder.
Super Famicom
Platform
Just like buses, another delightful looking Super Famicom game comes along and gamers of a certain vintage feel their fingertips feeling a lot less arthritic. Kaizou Chounin Shubibinman has fine heritage on the PC Engine and is known as Shockman in the West. This SFC re-release is a very exciting development that will hopefully be well supported and keep the trend going.
Super Famicom
Platform
A great twist on the platform theme as the football mad soccer kid runs from platform to platform with his football never too far from his possession. The ball can be used to jump on to reach higher levels, or volleyed into adversaries to take the wind out of their sails. Bright, breezy platforming fun.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Straight from the arcades comes this forced scrolling shooter featuring the Journey to the West Legend and starring Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka. Well Monkey and Pigsy at least as the others have been kidnapped. The pacing is good and the characters nicely realised. And with Monkey in it.
PC Engine HU Card
Platform
Take control of Monkey with his extendable staff and do battle all manner of evil monsters on your quest to find the holy Buddhist scriptures. Bail out Pigsy and Sandy for womanising countless times too. Genki recommended.
PS2
Platform
The hardware is capable of keeping up with Sonic’s speed and the game works as well in the third dimension as it does in 2D back on the Mega Drive. Fine blend of speed and action, masterfully mixed by the Sonic Team.
Gamecube
Platform
A compilation package of monstrous proportions containing parts one, two and three of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and Knuckles plus Sonic Pinball. This compendium on the life of the spikey one also contains versions of Sonic 3D Blast and Dr. Eggman’s Mean Bean Machine specially tailored for the Japanese release. Despite their age this package offers hours of high velocity gameplay and is a great way to savour a trip down memory lane Sega style. To be this good indeed takes ages.