Well, I can't talk about Genesis platformers and 16-bit animal mascots without mentioning Bubsy. As much as I've heard about this game -- both good and bad -- I've never actually played it, so after suffering through Aero's horrendous circus music, I decided to give Bubsy the bobcat a shot. (The game has the charming subtitle of "The Claws Encounter of the Furred Kind.") After pressing start, Bubsy says "What could possibly go wrong?" I hope he's right.
After a few minutes of playing, it becomes apparent that you have to know what you're doing: one hit and you're gone. This makes the game a lot more difficult than you'd expect, and even though the levels aren't too hard at first, they get more involved as the game progresses, and that's not a great combination with Bubsy's huge weakness. Unlike Aero or Sonic, he doesn't have any kind of cool signature attack; instead, he's essentially a bobcat version of Mario. Again, the fact that he lacks another move does not help with his measly defenses.
In spite of that, though, the game is largely pretty fun to play. It tries a little too hard to be wacky sometimes (the first level, for example, is "Cheese Wheels of Doom"), but for the most part, the humor actually works. Bubsy has a bunch of silly dying animations, and the enemies -- "Woolies" who have stolen his yarn -- are really goofy. The graphics do a great job with establishing a cartoony atmosphere, and they give you the impression that you're playing through a Looney Tunes episode. The music is jazzy and catchy too, which was a relief to hear after Aero's grating circus soundtrack.
Even though Bubsy isn't a complete abomination, I can understand why it's become fairly obscure over the years (as well as heavily mocked). It is fun to play, but generally speaking, it's just not innovative enough to set itself apart from Mario and the other platformer mascots of the day. Somehow, though, it still spawned all kinds of sequels.
Nothing says 'tude like a shirt with an exclamation mark on it.
Gotta get that yarn.
I forgot to mention that water -- yes, water -- is an insta-kill. Thankfully that waterfall happens to be in the background.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Aero the Acrobat (GEN)
When I mentioned this game in class way back at the beginning of the year, no one really knew what I was talking about. With that in mind, I figured I'd give poor Aero some exposure. I'd call his game a lost classic of the Genesis, but while it is lost, it's not that much of a classic. It's not completely terrible though, and it is pretty cute and surprisingly fun at times, especially for something you'll find for $1.99.
Our first introduction to Aero is on the Sunsoft logo. He puts on some shades and then moonwalks across the letters, which is pretty awesome. (He also does this routine after you finish a level.) As the title may or may not imply, Aero is a red bat with attitude and wears a circus suit that looks like a super hero costume. It helps that I love bats, but I still think Aero is cool in his own little way.
Like a lot of Genesis platformers, Aero does scream "Sonic clone!" every now and then, but there's also a surprising amount of originality. The A button lets you throw stars at enemies (which you can collect throughout a level), the B button lets you do a little torpedo attack (which also works in mid-air), and C lets you hover. The levels are somewhat like missions, except the missions in this case are to perform tricks, like jumping through a certain number of hoops or on platforms. Sometimes this is actually pretty demanding, and also seems irrelevant depending on how difficult a level is otherwise.
The level design in Aero reminds me a lot of the casino zones in various Sonic games. Because he's a performer, one world is a circus setting, and another is an amusement park. There are other areas too, like a forest and a dungeon, but they still have a wacky feel. The music, however, can be absolutely grating, particularly with the circus stages. Think of the most annoying, repetitive, and stereotypical circus music there is (aka merry go round kind of stuff), and transform that into sound for the Genesis, which isn't that great to begin with.
Even though Aero isn't exactly one of those obscure gems, it's still a fun little platformer that's at least worth a look, especially since game stores will practically give it to you for free.
Title screen. How can you say no to that face?
Totally ugly EGM cover. I'm actually surprised he got an EGM cover.
Apparently there's a sequel.
Our first introduction to Aero is on the Sunsoft logo. He puts on some shades and then moonwalks across the letters, which is pretty awesome. (He also does this routine after you finish a level.) As the title may or may not imply, Aero is a red bat with attitude and wears a circus suit that looks like a super hero costume. It helps that I love bats, but I still think Aero is cool in his own little way.
Like a lot of Genesis platformers, Aero does scream "Sonic clone!" every now and then, but there's also a surprising amount of originality. The A button lets you throw stars at enemies (which you can collect throughout a level), the B button lets you do a little torpedo attack (which also works in mid-air), and C lets you hover. The levels are somewhat like missions, except the missions in this case are to perform tricks, like jumping through a certain number of hoops or on platforms. Sometimes this is actually pretty demanding, and also seems irrelevant depending on how difficult a level is otherwise.
The level design in Aero reminds me a lot of the casino zones in various Sonic games. Because he's a performer, one world is a circus setting, and another is an amusement park. There are other areas too, like a forest and a dungeon, but they still have a wacky feel. The music, however, can be absolutely grating, particularly with the circus stages. Think of the most annoying, repetitive, and stereotypical circus music there is (aka merry go round kind of stuff), and transform that into sound for the Genesis, which isn't that great to begin with.
Even though Aero isn't exactly one of those obscure gems, it's still a fun little platformer that's at least worth a look, especially since game stores will practically give it to you for free.
Title screen. How can you say no to that face?
Totally ugly EGM cover. I'm actually surprised he got an EGM cover.
Apparently there's a sequel.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Battle of Olympus (NES)
While I'm talking about obscure classics, I might as well mention The Battle of Olympus. Like Ristar, this wasn't actually a game I played back in the day, but after finally getting a NES, I spent a lot of time searching for hidden gems. I came across the title when browsing through some ROMs, and since I'm a bit of a mythology buff, I was instantly interested.
If you know anything about Greek mythology, you'll know a lot about this game. It follows the basic save-your-princess formula, but it has a classical flavor. All the characters are gods, goddesses, and other figures from Greek myths such as Aphrodite, Poseidon, and of course, Zeus and Hera. You're just an average hero armed with a small sword and shield, but you'll upgrade your weapons along your quest if you can please the gods. Each of these upgrades is directly related to the god's specialty: a sword from Hephaestos, special sandals from Hermes, and so on. Of course, the way to curry favor with these gods is by battling through an area (all are cities in ancient Greece) and defeating a boss at the end.
Battle of Olympus is an action RPG, and its basic gameplay has been compared to Zelda II. That alone might instantly turn some people off, but I happen to like Zelda II, and I'm a big fan of action RPGs in general (see my Gargoyle's Quest entry). Collecting items, talking to oracles, and growing more powerful is just so much more fun when you also have side-scrolling action in the mix. Battle of Olympus has its fair share of cryptic villagers, and sometimes the enemies come at you a little too fast. Figuring out what exactly you're supposed to be doing isn't always an easy task, and neither is fending off little teddy bears with spears (that's what they look like, at least). But hey, this is the NES we're talking about.
Battle of Olympus has pretty good graphics for its time, although sometimes the scenery (particularly the architecture) looks like a weird mix of Zelda and Castlevania styles. The music is great and sounds appropriately epic and heroic, too. The difficulty can be punishing at times, but overall I think The Battle of Olympus is rightly deserving of its classic status.
Give me those sandals, you idiot.
In hell, people walk on the ceiling.
He even kinda looks like a Greek Link.
If you know anything about Greek mythology, you'll know a lot about this game. It follows the basic save-your-princess formula, but it has a classical flavor. All the characters are gods, goddesses, and other figures from Greek myths such as Aphrodite, Poseidon, and of course, Zeus and Hera. You're just an average hero armed with a small sword and shield, but you'll upgrade your weapons along your quest if you can please the gods. Each of these upgrades is directly related to the god's specialty: a sword from Hephaestos, special sandals from Hermes, and so on. Of course, the way to curry favor with these gods is by battling through an area (all are cities in ancient Greece) and defeating a boss at the end.
Battle of Olympus is an action RPG, and its basic gameplay has been compared to Zelda II. That alone might instantly turn some people off, but I happen to like Zelda II, and I'm a big fan of action RPGs in general (see my Gargoyle's Quest entry). Collecting items, talking to oracles, and growing more powerful is just so much more fun when you also have side-scrolling action in the mix. Battle of Olympus has its fair share of cryptic villagers, and sometimes the enemies come at you a little too fast. Figuring out what exactly you're supposed to be doing isn't always an easy task, and neither is fending off little teddy bears with spears (that's what they look like, at least). But hey, this is the NES we're talking about.
Battle of Olympus has pretty good graphics for its time, although sometimes the scenery (particularly the architecture) looks like a weird mix of Zelda and Castlevania styles. The music is great and sounds appropriately epic and heroic, too. The difficulty can be punishing at times, but overall I think The Battle of Olympus is rightly deserving of its classic status.
Give me those sandals, you idiot.
In hell, people walk on the ceiling.
He even kinda looks like a Greek Link.
Ristar (GEN)
Ristar is described by many as a little-known classic of the Genesis, and I have to agree that it's pretty obscure. Since I was strictly a Nintendo fan growing up, I didn't know much about Sega's franchises until I got older and was interested in expanding my horizons. I bought a Genesis a few years back, and as I was searching for the best games I could play that didn't start with "Sonic," Ristar was suggested. And when I found it for $3.99, I couldn't resist.
Turns out that buying Ristar is one of the best gaming decisions I've made, and certainly for my Genesis. Every last thing about it is absolutely enchanting; it's almost impossible to describe the sheer sense of wonder that it encapsulates. It might be somewhat of a Sonic clone, and those roots are obvious at times, but Ristar still stands by itself as an amazing game and work of art.
Basically, you're an adorable anthropomorphic star, and while you do have a spiffy pair of tennis shoes, they don't let you run really fast. Instead, you make grabby hands at everything as your main "attack." Grabbing enemies lets you headbutt them into submission, and you also use your hands to grab onto vines, tree branches, switches, and other things to propel yourself along through the levels, which are brilliantly designed. They're much like Sonic zones in that there are multiple paths you can take to reach the goal, but Ristar has a pleasantly slow pace that allows you to slow down and explore things more.
The graphics are definitely some of the best I've ever seen on the Genesis, which is understandable since Ristar was released at the end of its life. They're brightly colored, immensely detailed, and entirely charming pieces of the universe. The music really adds to the whimsical nature of the game as well, although it is reminiscent of Sonic soundtracks.
In short, Ristar is an incredible, high quality platformer that takes place in a very memorable world, and it deserves every bit of praise it gets. It's a shining example of what video games should always aspire to be.
Title screen with Ristar doing a very familiar finger wag.
A scene from the first level.
Evil kitty boss hurting Ristar.
Turns out that buying Ristar is one of the best gaming decisions I've made, and certainly for my Genesis. Every last thing about it is absolutely enchanting; it's almost impossible to describe the sheer sense of wonder that it encapsulates. It might be somewhat of a Sonic clone, and those roots are obvious at times, but Ristar still stands by itself as an amazing game and work of art.
Basically, you're an adorable anthropomorphic star, and while you do have a spiffy pair of tennis shoes, they don't let you run really fast. Instead, you make grabby hands at everything as your main "attack." Grabbing enemies lets you headbutt them into submission, and you also use your hands to grab onto vines, tree branches, switches, and other things to propel yourself along through the levels, which are brilliantly designed. They're much like Sonic zones in that there are multiple paths you can take to reach the goal, but Ristar has a pleasantly slow pace that allows you to slow down and explore things more.
The graphics are definitely some of the best I've ever seen on the Genesis, which is understandable since Ristar was released at the end of its life. They're brightly colored, immensely detailed, and entirely charming pieces of the universe. The music really adds to the whimsical nature of the game as well, although it is reminiscent of Sonic soundtracks.
In short, Ristar is an incredible, high quality platformer that takes place in a very memorable world, and it deserves every bit of praise it gets. It's a shining example of what video games should always aspire to be.
Title screen with Ristar doing a very familiar finger wag.
A scene from the first level.
Evil kitty boss hurting Ristar.
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (ARC)
Another Mega Man game that I haven't played, I first stumbled across Power Fighters when I was browsing for some arcade ROMs. My first thought was, Why does Japan get all the cool stuff? And then I saw that there was actually a US version. Much like the Sailor Moon game, it's a tragedy I missed this while it was in arcades, but at least it's a bonus feature on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection.
Anyway, this game labels itself as a fighter, but it isn't really -- not in the traditional sense, at least. It's essentially just a long string of Robot Master battles that are slightly different from the ones in the original Mega Man games. Characters do have special moves (charging + up), but aside from that, it's the same basic mechanics: jump, shoot, and slide. The cool thing is that each of the playable characters (Mega Man, Bass, Proto Man, and Duo) have summoning/assist moves too, like Rush for Mega Man and Treble for Bass.
After you choose a character, you then select which mission you'd like to undertake: recovering stolen parts, finding Dr. Wily, or rescuing Roll, Mega Man's sister. Each mission has six Robot Masters that can be fought in any order, although their standard weaknesses apply (after you beat a Robot Master, you gain their weapon). Once you clear a mission and also the standard Wily robot, you can then fight Dr. Wily himself. One little caveat is that your energy doesn't refill after beating a boss: you have to collect energy capsules that fall out of Robot Masters when you damage them to keep your strength up.
Not all Robot Masters make an appearance in this game, but an incredibly random selection of them does. In one mission, for example, you have to take on Centaur Man, Shadow Man, Bubble Man, Heat Man, Gyro Man, and Plant Man. While it was odd seeing these Robot Masters from different games grouped together, it was awesome to see them in the game's gorgeous graphics (which were strongly influenced by Mega Man 7). I also give them props for including Robot Masters from Mega Man 6, which is bashed by many fans. I don't care what anyone says though, Centaur Man is a bad ass.
For a total Mega Man nerd like me, this game was awesome. Non-Mega fans probably wouldn't get as much out of it, especially since it isn't a true fighting game. But I still think it's a lot of fun regardless, and I'll be spending a lot more time with it in the future, if only to see those classic NES baddies in awesome arcade graphics.
Shadow Man is a bad ass too, and he has a fire-breathing frog to prove it.
Plant Man is kind of lame, but I have a soft spot for him anyway. Go Mega Man 6!
Dive Man getting his butt kicked.
Anyway, this game labels itself as a fighter, but it isn't really -- not in the traditional sense, at least. It's essentially just a long string of Robot Master battles that are slightly different from the ones in the original Mega Man games. Characters do have special moves (charging + up), but aside from that, it's the same basic mechanics: jump, shoot, and slide. The cool thing is that each of the playable characters (Mega Man, Bass, Proto Man, and Duo) have summoning/assist moves too, like Rush for Mega Man and Treble for Bass.
After you choose a character, you then select which mission you'd like to undertake: recovering stolen parts, finding Dr. Wily, or rescuing Roll, Mega Man's sister. Each mission has six Robot Masters that can be fought in any order, although their standard weaknesses apply (after you beat a Robot Master, you gain their weapon). Once you clear a mission and also the standard Wily robot, you can then fight Dr. Wily himself. One little caveat is that your energy doesn't refill after beating a boss: you have to collect energy capsules that fall out of Robot Masters when you damage them to keep your strength up.
Not all Robot Masters make an appearance in this game, but an incredibly random selection of them does. In one mission, for example, you have to take on Centaur Man, Shadow Man, Bubble Man, Heat Man, Gyro Man, and Plant Man. While it was odd seeing these Robot Masters from different games grouped together, it was awesome to see them in the game's gorgeous graphics (which were strongly influenced by Mega Man 7). I also give them props for including Robot Masters from Mega Man 6, which is bashed by many fans. I don't care what anyone says though, Centaur Man is a bad ass.
For a total Mega Man nerd like me, this game was awesome. Non-Mega fans probably wouldn't get as much out of it, especially since it isn't a true fighting game. But I still think it's a lot of fun regardless, and I'll be spending a lot more time with it in the future, if only to see those classic NES baddies in awesome arcade graphics.
Shadow Man is a bad ass too, and he has a fire-breathing frog to prove it.
Plant Man is kind of lame, but I have a soft spot for him anyway. Go Mega Man 6!
Dive Man getting his butt kicked.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sokonuke Taisen Game (ARC)
I'll preface this by saying that I have no idea what "Sokonuke Taisen" means. In fact, I can't even remember how or why I found this game. All I know is that it's a feat of brilliance, and really deserves some more credit for being an awesomely bizarre Japanese arcade game.
Sokonuke Taisen features cute puffy rabbit things in their endless quest to destroy each other. It's a lot of fun to play with a friend, but it's still a trip even if you're playing against the computer. You have to not only battle against your foe, but also keep tabs on a comrade and make sure they're not about to kick the bucket. So in one stage, for example, you're trying to get an egg to drop on your opponent and crush them, but you also have to keep your rabbit buddy hoisted above a fire (he's attached to a rope and pulley system which gradually lowers during the match). Other stages involve things such as razor blades, buzz saws, and sledgehammers.
Other than that, the game basically defies description. The stages are based on difficulty, which ranges from Easy to Expert, and all feature hilarious death contraptions. The best part of the game is probably the graphics: typical brightly-colored anime fare, except the rabbits make all kinds of awesome (and adorable) facial expressions and poses. When you win, sometimes you'll inflate into a big macho muscle rabbit, and your opponent will turn around and smugly slap his ass when you're getting beat. Some things also happen for what seems to be no rhyme or reason, such as morphing into a four-headed bunnydragon that breathes different types of fire.
In sum, Sokonuke Taisen is the ultimate party game: it's fun to play with friends, it's addicting, and it's also unpredictably bizarre and hilarious. It makes absolutely no sense, but that's part of the charm, and you'll be humming the music long after you've played it.
...I'd write more, but my mind is numb from the sheer cuteness, and besides which, you really just have to play it for yourself. Sokonuke Taisen is best when experienced in all its insane Japanese glory.
Title screen. The bunny thing looks a lot more like a kitty there, but still cute.
The egg stage I was talking about. You have to jump up and hit the platform to nudge the egg along and off the end. Easier said than done, especially when you have to keep your partner from getting fried.
Sokonuke Taisen features cute puffy rabbit things in their endless quest to destroy each other. It's a lot of fun to play with a friend, but it's still a trip even if you're playing against the computer. You have to not only battle against your foe, but also keep tabs on a comrade and make sure they're not about to kick the bucket. So in one stage, for example, you're trying to get an egg to drop on your opponent and crush them, but you also have to keep your rabbit buddy hoisted above a fire (he's attached to a rope and pulley system which gradually lowers during the match). Other stages involve things such as razor blades, buzz saws, and sledgehammers.
Other than that, the game basically defies description. The stages are based on difficulty, which ranges from Easy to Expert, and all feature hilarious death contraptions. The best part of the game is probably the graphics: typical brightly-colored anime fare, except the rabbits make all kinds of awesome (and adorable) facial expressions and poses. When you win, sometimes you'll inflate into a big macho muscle rabbit, and your opponent will turn around and smugly slap his ass when you're getting beat. Some things also happen for what seems to be no rhyme or reason, such as morphing into a four-headed bunnydragon that breathes different types of fire.
In sum, Sokonuke Taisen is the ultimate party game: it's fun to play with friends, it's addicting, and it's also unpredictably bizarre and hilarious. It makes absolutely no sense, but that's part of the charm, and you'll be humming the music long after you've played it.
...I'd write more, but my mind is numb from the sheer cuteness, and besides which, you really just have to play it for yourself. Sokonuke Taisen is best when experienced in all its insane Japanese glory.
Title screen. The bunny thing looks a lot more like a kitty there, but still cute.
The egg stage I was talking about. You have to jump up and hit the platform to nudge the egg along and off the end. Easier said than done, especially when you have to keep your partner from getting fried.
Mega Man Soccer (SNES)
Yes, believe it or not, there are some Mega Man games out there I haven't played, and Mega Man Soccer is one of them. I love Mega Man and I like soccer, but I wasn't really sure how well the two would mesh together. Generally, I'm not into sports games either, but hey, it's Mega Man. That fact alone makes it cooler, and I figured it'd be similar to a Mario sports game.
Upon starting, the game lets you select what formation you want your team to be in. Following that, you can choose from a selection of Robot Masters and other characters for teammates. Each character has different stats, so it's actually a pretty well-balanced game, and it adds an element of strategy. After setting up your team, you are then taken to a field select, where you can choose from home fields for all the characters. While this is really cool, it's a shame that certain elements aren't incorporated into actual play on the field (like fire on Fire Man's, ice on Ice Man's, and so forth). I'd love to see a sequel with sheer mayhem like Mario Strikers.
Once I started playing, I found the action hectic and difficult to keep up with at first. Since I don't play sports games much, it took me a few minutes to get used to the fact that I controlled multiple characters at once, although the controls themselves were pretty simple and intuitive. Aside from dribbling the ball and kicking, you can slide tackle, jump up to headbutt, and you can also take a power shot on goal. Unfortunately, like many Capcom games, the difficulty can be fairly steep, even when you don't consider the fact that I don't play sports games much. It's practically impossible to score.
Aside from that, the game is absolutely gorgeous. Capcom obviously poured a lot of effort into making it look great, and it shows. It's absolutely adorable watching Mega Man and friends scurry around with soccer balls, and the fields themselves look sharp too. The music has a distinct Mega Man flavor, yet also manages to be jazzy and fitting for sports at the same time. I expected something bizarre from this game, but I was seriously impressed and I'm sad there are no other Mega Man sports games. I think this is one cart I'll definitely have to track down and add to my collection.
Awesome promo art.
Woodman vs. Mega Man.
Mega Man vs. Mega Man.
Upon starting, the game lets you select what formation you want your team to be in. Following that, you can choose from a selection of Robot Masters and other characters for teammates. Each character has different stats, so it's actually a pretty well-balanced game, and it adds an element of strategy. After setting up your team, you are then taken to a field select, where you can choose from home fields for all the characters. While this is really cool, it's a shame that certain elements aren't incorporated into actual play on the field (like fire on Fire Man's, ice on Ice Man's, and so forth). I'd love to see a sequel with sheer mayhem like Mario Strikers.
Once I started playing, I found the action hectic and difficult to keep up with at first. Since I don't play sports games much, it took me a few minutes to get used to the fact that I controlled multiple characters at once, although the controls themselves were pretty simple and intuitive. Aside from dribbling the ball and kicking, you can slide tackle, jump up to headbutt, and you can also take a power shot on goal. Unfortunately, like many Capcom games, the difficulty can be fairly steep, even when you don't consider the fact that I don't play sports games much. It's practically impossible to score.
Aside from that, the game is absolutely gorgeous. Capcom obviously poured a lot of effort into making it look great, and it shows. It's absolutely adorable watching Mega Man and friends scurry around with soccer balls, and the fields themselves look sharp too. The music has a distinct Mega Man flavor, yet also manages to be jazzy and fitting for sports at the same time. I expected something bizarre from this game, but I was seriously impressed and I'm sad there are no other Mega Man sports games. I think this is one cart I'll definitely have to track down and add to my collection.
Awesome promo art.
Woodman vs. Mega Man.
Mega Man vs. Mega Man.
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