Thursday 27 October 2011

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): Mighty Bomb Jack

Year: 1987
Genre: Action
Players: 1
Our Rating: 7/10

Mini Review

Mighty Bomb Jack for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an enjoyable retro game for all. Those that remember the 80s as well as younger players should all enjoy the combination of skill an d speed needed to progress through the game. The aim of the game is to collect all of the bombs on the screen to advance to the next level. The controls are relatively simple with jumping and floating all being on the same button. To add a further sense of control you can float in mid-air by repeatedly hitting the jump button. This will allow you to float effortlessly to extend your flight time and collect bombs in the more tricky locations.

My tip here would be to use the auto-fire function on your pad if you have one. It saves a lot of aching fingers if you intend to play the game for a while. On each level there are a wide range of enemies that will try to stop you collecting the bombs. It’s a case of one-hit and you’re dead (although you do have multiple lives). The enemies appear to move in a random order although some will move slightly slower and more predictable than others. Bomb Jack has been around in many forms for many years. The arcade version is un-missable as is Bomb Jack on the Commodore Amiga. The NES version benefits from the series in the way that all versions of the game relatively low on graphic power. You aren’t missing out on alternate high resolution competitors. I do like the NES version of Mighty Bomb Jack although some of the level designs are less than inspiring. Overall though this is a well made game and a solid title for the NES games library.




Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): Arkanoid

Year: 1986
Genre: Action
Players: 2 (alternating)
Our Rating: 7/10

Mini Review

Arkanoid for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is one of the retro classics of the ‘80s. There are many versions of the first Arkanoid, each varying slightly in graphic detail. The NES version is a more than adequate rendition of the game though. The basic premise of Arkanoid is to advance to the next level by destroying coloured blocks. You control the pad/bat at the bottom of the screen, your movement options are limited to simple left or right. You must serve a white ball and keep it bouncing against the coloured tiles at the top of the screen. These tiles will be destroyed on impact although some will require multiple impacts.

From time to time a coloured tile will fall to the bottom of the screen. These falling tiles allow a power up bonus to the bat. Some of the power ups include; multi ball, extended bat and an ability to fire bullets. Arkanoid is one of those games that you can’t really go wrong with. It’s simple yet very addictive. Arkanoid was an important retro game for many reasons, it had major appeal for both genders and crosses the age gap of gamers very well. It’s one of the true universal games. As a result it has been copied time and time again. In fact the first “Arkanoid” game I ever played was actually a title called “Amegas” for the Amiga 500 which took the essence of Arkanoid and upgraded the graphics and sound for a new audience. There is a theory though that the original is always the best. I’m inclined to agree that the original releases do have a real lasting retro game charm.





Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): Bubble Bobble

Year: 1990
Genre: Platformer
Players: 2
Our Rating: 8/10

Mini Review

Bubble Bobble for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was a huge retro gaming success. The game started its life in the arcade back in 1986 but had been ported to the NES (and other home consoles) by 1990. The aim of the game is to capture a range of colourful enemies in bubbles. You play one of the two lovable lizard-like creatures, in some editions these are named Bub and Bob but some editions leave the names absent. Your character must jump around the platform levels shooting at the enemies to collect them in a bubble. After the enemy is trapped, jumping on the bubble will pop the enemy and turn them in to bonus fruit.

After some time if the enemies are not captured they will become red and angry, at this point they will run at high speed around the level increasing the difficulty of capturing them in a bubble. The game is a true retro classic and creates lasting game play with it’s many secret bonuses and bubble upgrades. Firing a certain number of bubbles or collecting certain items will allow essential level warps. Most can only realistically be achieved with the help of a second player. Taito has a real hit with Bubble Bobble and had various sequels and spins offs just as successful such as Puzzle Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars. Bubble Bobble is an essential retro game for your collection. I still tip my hat to the arcade version as still the best. However there are many retro game packages including this game and also re-makes on consoles such as the Nintendo DS. The cute characters, learning curve and classic sweeter than sweet theme tune make this game an essential part of any retro gamers collection.





Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): Contra

Year: 1988
Genre: Run and Gun
Players: 2
Our Rating: 8/10


Mini Review

Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is one of the best know and most playable of the NES library. The game is essentially a run and gun. It is executed with some great style and really benefits from a well thought out control system. Aiming in multiple directions, firing whilst jumping, dropping up and down platforms are all exceedingly smooth in Contra. The game begins in a jungle stage and it isn’t long before army men of all descriptions mass to attack you. Luckily you will find a range of power ups along the route to help you, the machine gun upgrade is particularly useful combined with the auto fire button.

The 1 player game begins to get very challenging not far in to the game, it’s simply a case of too many bullets to avoid. However, the 2 player option really evens up the odds against your enemies. Your friend can cover your back whilst you take out some of those more troublesome turrets or enemies requiring multiple hits. In between the side scrolling missions are third person perspective levels, these add a nice variety to the game. My general experience of the NES is that it doesn’t cope with multiple sprites very well. Similar to the Sega Master System, once you approach the sprite limit there becomes issues with flickering or partial sprites. Contra seems surprisingly good at handling this issue and considering the amount of on screen action the NES does a marvellous job of keeping the game action packed. Contra is a real retro game experience. Whether you were there in the ‘80s or have just heard of the game through reputation, this is a game well worth a play through. I can highly recommend this game for some real Nintendo retro nostalgia.






Nintendo Entertanment System (NES): Gauntlet

Year: 1985
Genre: Hack ‘em up
Players: 2
Our Rating: 7/10

Mini Review

Gauntlet on the Nintendo NES is one of the more basic versions of the game due to the 8-Bit limitations of processing and the limited digitised speech capabilities. However, it really is still such a classic retro game. Gauntlet had releases on many consoles and arcade and was popular in both. Inspired by the dungeons and dragons role playing era you will be given the option of four heroes:

Thor the Warrior
Merlin the Wizard
Thyra the Valkyrie
Questor the Elf
With each there’s a pay off between strength, armour and damage.

I personally favour either the wizard for power or the elf for his running away abilities. The NES version of the game is surprisingly playable; the elf character even seems faster than in other versions of the game. The basic aim is to hack and slash your way through numerous dungeons of hordes of ghosts, demons and other fantasy villains. I can highly recommend this retro classic. Gauntlet remains an influential stepping stone in the dungeon exploration game era.






Sega Mega Drive: Hellfire

Year: 1990
Genre: Shooter
Players: 1
Our Rating: 9/10

Mini Review

Hellfire for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis is one of the great shooters of the 90’s and potentially all time. The game comes from an impressive stock of games from Toplan, if you love Fireshark and Truxton be prepared to be blown away by Hellfire. The games story line is very basic in that an evil robotic dictator known as “Super Mech” has started to enslave the galaxy. You and you alone (never quite sure why it’s only ever just you) have to play as Captain Lancer and take on the hordes of enemies. The enemies in this game will come thick and fast, you know that it’s going to be difficult when they add an autofire option in then menu. So you fire up the cartridge and silence. Have a look in the options… there’s more silence. You press the 1P start option and a world of sound explodes. Is this really the Mega Drive making this sound? A console ridiculed by critics and fans alike for its limited sound chip. However, Sega did a phenomenal job in recreating the original arcade music in to the home version. Every level you are treated to some of the most fitting music to any game ever. The music and game are so fast and frantic you will feel the adrenaline pumping.

For the videos I add to the page I like to complete the first level as best I can but really wanted to get through with loosing no lives as a matter of gaming pride. The tension was incredible as I was attacked from all sides, bullets flying and some near misses along the way. There had previously been some angry joypad throwing tantrums the day before as I was picked off by a near invisible bullet near the end of the level. “So what’s so special about another spaced based horizontal shooter?” You may ask. Well, not only are the graphics spot on, the music fantastic and the gameplay exceptional but the mechanics of the game force you to use strategy. Your ship is armed with four shooting modes. Forward, backward, up/down and diagonal. At some point or another you will have to switch to each of these modes to destroy the enemy (especially for boss fights). 

The game puts you in constant peril and you have to focus on your shooting style whilst avoiding the oncoming armada. As you would expect from a Toplan shooter there’s the obligatory powerup collectables to increase you fire power and also collectable super charges to unleash on the larger bosses. Speaking of bosses, Hellfire goes for the two for the price of one deal. Half way through each level you will meet a mini boss, these are fun and challenging. At the end of each level you will face an even larger more technically difficult boss. The presentation of the action works well for me here.
I’m giving Hellfire a near perfect score. I’m not quite sure what it could add to get the perfect ten considering this was 1990, perhaps a more clear plot and cut scenes might have been nice (although I do enjoy the Engrish). However, this is a near faultless game. I know that most will be crying out “How does it compare to games like Xenon 2, R-Type, Menace, Blood Money and the Thunderforce series?”. Well I can tell you all in good faith that Hellfire has won me over. Hellfire makes Xennon 2 seem slow, it makes the Thunderforce series look too polished and Hollywoodesque and it even manages to be at least as good as R-Type (in my opinion). If you haven’t played Hellfire and you are a fan of shooters prepare to loose hours and hours of your life. You’ve just found a new best friend!






Sega Mega Drive: Samurai Showdown (サムライスピリッツ)

Year: 1994
Genre: Fighting
Players: 1
Our Rating: 7/10

Mini Review

Samurai Shodown for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis is one of a great number of successful SNK arcade hits to make it to the home consoles. The premise is a very simple fighting affair. What sets Samurai Shodown apart from some of its rival games is the quality of the gameplay. The game encourages the use of combos and there is also a bonus reward at the end of each round for a higher percentage of hits landed on your opponent. The game is beautifully Japanese in that the animation is fluid and that the characters are varied, colorful and vibrant. The closest games that Samurai Shodown could be compared to at the time would be the Fatal Fury game that preceded it and then the King of Fighters games which succeeded it.

However, neither of these other SNK titles focused on the weaponry aspect of the gameplay. One of the most satisfying elements of Samurai Shodown is the sound of metal on metal as you block and parry your opponent’s weapon. Almost all of the home ports of Samurai Shodown are criticized for the technical limitations of the home machines. The arcade version is still king with its zooming in on the action feature as well as subtle other changes made to cope with the 16-bit consoles. The closest version to the arcade is obviously the Neo Geo home system although the cost of the machine would have put most off from playing this title at the time. Overall Samurai Shodown is a solid scoring title. If you enjoy an element of button bashing but with the option to refine your skills in to becoming a tactical fighting master this could very well be the perfect game for you.






Wednesday 26 October 2011

Sega Mega Drive: Best of the Best

Year: 1992
Genre: Fighting
Players: 1
Our Rating: 7/10

Mini Review

Best of the Best for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis is in many was a forgotten gem of the 16-bit era. Whilst big hitters such as Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct were wowing gamers there was an entirely different subculture of fighting games in the background. Loriciel published Best of the Best back in 1992 making it a prime target for the generation of new 16-bit consoles. The game is essentially a kick-boxing simulator (despite being self-described as karate). Other than the options screen you will only ever see one other, the ring. This is where the magic happens though. The first time you play this one you may be wondering what all the fuss is about, the graphics are nice, the sound is functional but no immediate wow factor. It’s only when you next look at the clock to realize you’ve already been playing for half an hour. You see the thing about Best of the Best is the gameplay.

It’s all the subtle nuances’ of when to going in for the big blow or when to hold back and defend that makes this game what it is. Button bashing won’t save you here (at least not past round 3). The game slowly trains you to read the opponents moves and develop your own winning strategy. There’s even a nice little addition in the options to customize your moves list. Whilst Best of the Best won’t offer you hyper-combos, outrageous colourful characters or a stunning soundtrack, it will offer you a really well-crafted fighting experience. I can think of few games that pull off fighting strategy as well as this game. It’s certainly rewarding when you outfox your opponents in the later rounds. Based on the fact that you don’t see many fighting games executed as well as this I’m willing to recommend it for anyone interested in seeing something a little bit different from the wave of mainstream fighting titles of the 90’s.






Sega Mega Drive: The Second Samurai

Year: 1994
Genre: Platform
Players: 2
Our Rating: 9/10

Mini Review

The Second Samurai for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis is potentially a candidate for one of my top ten games on the system. This game has everything, an evil demon master, revenge, samurais, dinosaur chases and you even get to throw monkeys in to cavemen! What more could you want? As soon as you see the purple “Psygnosis” logo you know that the game is going to be of high caliber. The back story is a little contrived but then again there’s very few video games backstories that aren’t. You have to seek out the demon master that has been on his usual soul enslaving deeds. Along the way you the aim is to kick blue soul pots to free the souls inside, these also act as way points should your character die at the hands of a vast cast of enemies. The game is a nice blend of button bashing mixed with slightly technical skills such as throwing blades and rocks to progress.

The Second Samurai is a game that will keep you guessing too. One minute you’re throwing rocks on three dragon heads and the next you are racing dinosaurs or floating through a volcano on a flaming rock platform. Graphically it’s about as good as you will see from the 16bit era. It’s fast, colourful and very dynamic, the action just never stops for a second on some levels. This combined with a set of well thought out bosses makes for a very classic experience of 90’s gaming. I would recommend this on to any gamer of any age. It’s a timeless classic and I wish we could have seen even more from the series. I seem to remember reading a review of the game in Mean Machines, Sega Power, Sega Magazine or one of those other magazines back in the day and wondering why the score was so high. Sure enough I ran out and bought it. It’s now nearly two decades on and the game still looks as fresh as when I first saw it. This is a retro gaming essential.






Sega Mega Drive: Super Hang-On

Year: 1989
Genre: Racing
Players: 1
Our Rating: 8/10

Mini Review

Super Hang-On for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Oh my, now we’re taking a trip down memory lane. This is a game that makes it in to the Sega Hall of Fame. It was in an era where Sega literally owned the arcade gaming industry. For those of you that are a little young to remember let me describe the scene if you walked in to an arcade in the early 90’s. To your left was Golden Axe (next to the Outrun machine), to your right was a 4 player Gauntlet machine with teenagers shouting “Green Elf shot the food!” whilst simultaneously drnking blue Slush Puppy, in front of you were people marveling at Space Harrier 2 and Afterburner. Then, you hadn’t quite seen it at first as it was behind the air hockey table, there in the corner would be a full sized Super Hang-On machine.

This was it, for 20p (as was the price back in the good old days) you could sit on your very own motorbike and travel at high speed all in the comfort of knowing that you weren’t causing any exhaust fume damaged to the ozone layer or causing global cooling (yes these really were the two issues that scientists told us that were going to die from back then). In terms of game play what is there to say about Super Hang-On? It’s exactly what you would expect. It’s fast and challenging. Whilst the arcade version is insanely difficulty even on the easy setting the game was tamed down slightly for the Mega Dive release. Having said that it is still very challenging. The game retained its high speed feel even in the home version and things get even faster once you hit 280Km/h. At this speed you can hold down the nitro if you’re brave enough and power all the way up to 324km/h. Chances are that you can do this for a few seconds only. The feeling of controlling the bike at this speed is breathtaking and possibly one of the great feelings that only video gaming can give you (without being a dare devil motor cyclist in real life).

The soundtrack is also fairly reasonable for an older game, you can choose between four tunes at the start of each race. I favor the “Winning Run” track, it’s just screams Motorolla 6800 chip to me. So the glory days of Sega ended, the arcades closed, the Gauntlet machines fell to the Dance Dance Revolution, Outrun got remade but it was never the same. The thing is though is that the “arcade” isn’t just a noun, it’s not just a place that used to exist, it evolved in to both a genre and a feeling. Fire up Super Hang-On for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and your right back in there in that time when Sega ruled the arcade.






Sega Mega Drive: Castlevania: The New Generation

Year: 1994
Genre: Platform
Players: 1
Our Rating: 8/10

Mini Review

”Castlevania: The New Generation” for the Sega Mega Drive is a joy to play. The Castlevania series is now one which spirals out of control with dozens of titles on multiple platforms. I personally feel that Castlevania: The New Generation was still in the period where the series had already peaked in terms of popularity and game play with titles such as ”Super Castlevania IV”. I will possibly make exceptions for later titles such as ”Symphony of the Night”, ”Dracula X” and even ”Dawn of Sorrow”.

However, there have been launches such as ”Castlevania 64” which really are just out of step with the quality of the rest of the series. ”Castlevania: The New Generation” will be near the top of my list for the series though. The game takes place in 1917 with two vampire hunters setting about stopping Elizabeth Bartley from ressurectring her uncle Dracula. The plot line here is pretty thin but it’s really all you need. The main event is the action itself. You will find yourself taking on all varieties of undead nightmares from zombies to skeletons to vampires. There’s the usual weapon upgrades along the way, the power whip is particularly satisfying. One of the stand out features of the game I found were the mini bosses. From time to time you will be tested against super demons such as zombie wolves, requiring a little extra skill and also a nice distraction from the sometimes repetative nature of the game. As you would expect from a Castlevania game the graphics and sound are great. Classic theme music has been reworked in to the soundtrack which sets the tone nicely for those that have enjoyed playing through the games predecessors. Overall this is an outstanding game and well worth trying for the seasoned Castlevania fan or the curious new comer. This is a good example of how horror, story-telling and good game development can create a long lasting franchise.







Sega Mega Drive: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Year: 1994
Genre: Platform
Players: 1
Our Rating: 6/10

Mini Review

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis is really more of a Jekyll and Hyde of a game. Parts of the game are executed so well I wondered if I really was playing a 16-bit game, at other times I thought I was back on the Atari 2600 when it came to frustratingly difficult game mechanics. As you might have guessed Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is based on the classic novel. As a classic horror reader and movie viewer I was in a good mood to play this one. The opening credits are fantastic; you get a condensed storyline animation which is enough to set the story up. The music and animation here are enough to make you think that Halloween has come early.

Then the game begins. You are armed with a stick and basic lightning. The character looks great. He’s not the Boris Karloff style Frankenstein’s monster but more of a suffering mass of rotting skin and much more faithful to the novel. The character even moves with a limp. It soon becomes apparent that you must escape the villagers armed with the customary pitch-forks, as is the style of monster chasing. The animation is fluid and exciting as you run to escape the village. There’s some nice touches such as being able to light the stich to use it as a torch. My criticism comes from the level design. Although it looks great I just can’t help getting lost and retracing my steps. This is possibly entirely my own fault but it does get frustrating to see the same villager over and over again. Overall this is a game to check out. It appeals to the horror loving retro gamer that can look past some of the more frustrating battles in the game.





Sega Mega Drive: Aladdin

Year: 1993
Genre: Platform
Players: 1
Our Rating: 7/10

Mini Review

Disney has an interesting relationship with the games industries. Whenever a movie is made in to a game my usual reaction is; was this done for the money or to make a great game? Undoubtedly Disney wanted to cash in on their major release of 1993 which is understandable. So how did it turn out? Well, not so bad. As much as I want to not like an obvious cash camel when I see one, I did end up concluding that Aladdin really is not at all a bad game. It is aimed at the younger player so don’t expect too much in the way of challenge but there is a nice feel to the way the levels require you to pay attention to certain jumps or ropes to climb.

This being a Disney game I was looking for great animation and I’m pleased to say it’s here. Aladdin looks bright and the animation fluid. The supporting cast of stereotypical bad guys also retain the look of the film. The games sound is also great. We all know about the Sega Mega Drives relatively basic sound processor but I feel that the renditions of songs were recognizable and about the limit of what you could expect of the hardware. The game itself is very much based on the film. The setting, characters etc. all make up the story. There seems to be a lot of apple stealing as well as slashing bad guys. It’s repetitive but it does look nice. I can recommend this one on the basis of a movie/game tie in that works well. In terms of retro quality the platforming is certainly there. It’s just not a patch on Sonic the Hedgehog though.