Crazy Deals on Some Cool Gaming Stuff: Pickups for mid-August 2014

The latest pickup video, full of crazy good deals I found in the past few weeks. I got great deals one a few Wii Remote +'s, a Wii U Pro Controller, a few new games, and lots of classic era games. One I was particularly happy with was the Virtual Boy game pickup, as I now have pretty much all of the more common VB games that were released here. There are also plenty of NES games in the video, a Master System game, some Genesis and Saturn, a PS2 game, a few GameBoy games and a GBA game that I wound up getting for free. Check it out!

Crazy Fun Time Video Game Pickups

Video Game Pickups: Last Half of July 2014

The lastest game pickups to round out the month of July. Some pretty cool stuff, but not much in volume. The video ends with a game that I've wanted for years(see previous blog entry). And I may have actually left out a few games from the video: Boom Blox and Wii Music for Wii, and Mega Man X7 for PS2. So here she blows....
Video Game Pickups: Last Half of July 2014

Many Unexpected Things: When Fantasy Becomes Surreality

Castlevania: Dracula X, a game that has long eluded me. For years I waited for the inevitable “good deal” or “fair price” that I was bound to find. I knew it was extremely unlikely that I would find the game in the wild, and even if I did it would probably be over-priced in a retail store. But there is always craigslist, ebay, and other online avenues to take. I’ve probably never sought a game as hard as I have Dracula X. Some games come and go and come and go cyclically through my “gotta find it” mindset, but Dracula X has been at the forefront for years now. I never lost focus on it, never gave up. A few times I almost pulled the trigger on ebay, but I have a hard time paying $100+ for any game. To this day, I’ve yet to spend anything close to that. I kept kicking myself for not pouncing on Dracula X back in December 2012 when the game inexplicably dropped down to the $90 range. It was dropping in price after all these years…it’s bound to keep dropping, right. Fast forward to present day and it’s never been so expensive, consistently averaging above $150 for copies in halfway decent shape. So what’s a Castlevania nut(who doesn’t emulate) to do?

For some time now I have been reading about all the great games that were released in Japan, but never made it to North America. The NES, SNES, N64, Saturn, DreamCast, among various others, all had some killer looking games that never made it stateside. So I began to explore importing, looking into what systems were region-free, what it took to mode N.A. consoles, and so on. Since I am not at all handy or knowledgeable with electronics, region-free or options like the Action Replay for Saturn seemed the best route for me.

Then I read something about the good ol’ SNES, a system that, despite having an amazing library had an even deeper roster of games in Japan. The SNES can be “modded” by removing two plastic tabs inside the cartridge port. That’s it!?! That’s the region lockout? That’s so simple…I could do it. And that’s exactly what I did. Now here’s the rub: many Super Famicom games are significantly cheaper than their SNES versions!

Even though I’ve only dipped my toe into the Super Famicom pool, each time has been well worth the effort. First up was Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie. A Japan-only shmup that may just be my favorite shmup of all time. It really blew me away that much. I’ve written a text review of it here, on Gamefaqs, and  made it the subject of my very first video review on Youtube. Next up was R-Type III, a game that has gotten progressively more expensive the last few years in North America. A little patience and shopping around on ebay and I got the Super Famicom version for

roughly half the price that the North American version goes for. It was is a really awesome game and was worth every penny. Then there was Dracula X. It’s still rather expensive to get the Super Famicom version, but after scouting a few listings on ebay for a while I finally found it at the right price. I ended up paying about 40% of the standard cost of the SNES version. How bout them apples?

So did it live up to the hype? Well, first of all the hype was just in my head and I knew that. I’ve read plenty about it through the years and knew it didn’t meet the excellence of others in the series, particularly my personal favorite: Super Castlevania IV. But I’m not one of those people that thinks every sequel HAS to be better than the last game. A good game is a good game and good games are what I like. So in that sense, yes it did live up to the hype. I was able to finish it within a few hours and enjoyed the heck out of it.

It’s always a somewhat surreal experience when you finally get to play a game you’ve waited years to play. We all have experienced that at some point, especially with modern games that we often have to wait a good 2 years to see release after it is first revealed. But there is something different when you play a really old game for the first time, one that you’ve wanted for years. When this is the case, you won’t be playing a game that is pushing the envelope with it’s tech. Nor will you be playing a game that is using all of the latest trends, aping motion pictures, and is turning itself inside out in order to be “cool” or “edgy” or, heaven forbid, “gritty”. Not that older games were immune to that sort of silliness, but they certainly didn’t seem hell-bent on proving just how damn cool they are and everyone, by gum, is gonna know it. Often, they are just games. Simpler, less self-aware, and existing only as a gaming experience.

So it was actually pretty strange to play Dracula X. It felt great seeing the game boot up. It felt exciting to press start, see the mini-intro, and think “here it comes”. Then the actual playing began. At first, I began to familiarize myself with the controls, then the feeling set it: “I’m actually playing it”. It’s that weird feeling you get when something you have visualized and fantasized about so many times for so long finally goes from being a thought in your mind to a reality you are experiencing. Not that they are the same thing, or even totally relatable, but it’s somewhat like when you actually have your first kiss, or take your first step on that vacation you’ve been waiting all year for. You’re almost outside yourself, watching yourself like some out of body experience. How strange. It really reminds me of being a kid again, back before your imagination was blunted and watered down to nothingness. Do you remember that? When playing could excite your mind and senses so much, it’s like you were in another world? I remember that feeling so well. And to wrap up this aimless, stream of consciousness, here is a quote from the one man who has probably gifted me with that feeling more than anyone else.

“What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it is really a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things.”

-Shigeru Miyamoto

Macross: Do You Remember Love (Sega Saturn) - Video Review

So here is my next video review. I kinda enjoyed the first one and wanted to do another, so I chose Macross: Do You Remember Love for the Saturn. I think it's a pretty good game and I had recently played it and uploaded a playthrough of it, so it seemed like the right choice. It's a pretty cheap import, so check it out of you're interested.

Macross: Do You Remember Love for Sega Saturn

Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie (SFC) Video Review

So here is my first attempt at a video review. Even though it's a rather low-tech affair, I'm a pretty tech-limited guy. I hope to do more in the future, but I was kind of torn as to what game to make my first video review on. I really wanted to do Scrambled Valkyrie, as it's became an absolute favorite of mine. I'm also aware that if I do continue making video reviews, that in a year or more, when I look back at my first video review, it's likely that I will be very unhappy with it. But you gotta start somewhere. So here is my VIDEO review of the classic Super Famicom shmup, Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie.

Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie Video Review

Latest game....and pinball machine?!?! Pickups

Well here is my latest video of my gaming pickups for the last of June. The previous weekend was somewhat fruitful, but this past weekend was a bust until I ran across a nice little yard sale. I got some common NES games there, but also a pinball machine. That was very unexpected. Even though it's not a great or noteworthy table and it's not in the best of shape, it's still pretty cool to actually find one in the wild like that. And without further ado, here she blows...

Games, games, and pinball!

Moi latest video game pickups!

Picked up some pretty cool games last week. I didn't get a lot of games, but each one counts and are ones I definitely wanted to play. I picked most of them up while on a trip, and I may be taking another mini-trip this weekend, so I've had to keep the spending down a bit. But enough jibber jabber, check it out...

1st half of June Video game pickups

Check out my Video Game Pickups for the final week of May!

Here is my vid for all of my game pickups in the last week of May. Not shown, but briefly mentioned is the excellent Mario Kart 8 for WiiU. The bulk of my pickups were from the Toys R Us clearance sale that has been going on for a while; I found some really nice games at stupid low prices. Also, MLB Power Pros for Wii and 3 Sega Master System games. Check it out...

Moi game pickups!!!

Castlevania Bloodlines (GEN) text review

Bloodlines, published by Konami in 1994, is one of the Castlevania games that can easily fly under your gaming radar if you're not careful. Though Castlevania games had been released on non-Nintendo systems before, Bloodlines was released on the Sega Genesis at a time when Castlevania was pretty much synonymous with Nintendo. That being the case, many Castlevania fans might have never had the chance to play Bloodlines when it was originally released(myself included). To make matters worse, as of this writing in 2012, there is no other legal way to play Bloodlines other than on the Genesis. But Bloodlines was worth tracking down for me, and it's worth checking out for anyone who is interested in classic-style Castlevania games.

Taking a cue from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Bloodlines eschewed the tradition of having a singular character in the lead. Right from the start you can choose from one of two characters with which to tackle the game, each with their own unique style. John Morris, a descendant of Quincy Morris from the Bram Stoker novel, wields the Vampire Killer whip and plays quite similar to Simon Belmont in Castlevania. The other choice is Eric Lecarde, a pikeman whose weapon of choice is the Alcarde Spear, which can also be used to fling himself high into the air.

Set in 1917, the basic storyline is that Elizabeth Bartley is planning to resurrect her uncle, Dracula, from the dead. It's your job, as either John or Eric, to put an end to this. Bloodlines continues to differentiate itself from previous entries in the series by taking place in various locations, though the first level does take place in Dracula's Romanian castle. During the course of the game your travels will also take you to Greece, Italy, England, Germany, and France. This change of scenery helps to keep things interesting, as well as giving a sense of breadth to your adventure.

The gameplay holds true to the traditional style of the classic Castlevania games. You have your basic attack with your primary weapon, as well as the ability to use sub-weapons such as the axe or holy water. Also present in Bloodlines is the Item Crash, which is a powerful sub-weapon attack that drains more of your "ammo" than a standard attack with your sub-weapon. Throughout the adventure you will find yourself performing the usual platform-hopping that Castlevania is(or was) known for; the controls for this are simple, precise, and well done. Thankfully, you won't find yourself suffering many "cheap deaths" due to stiff jumping mechanics in Bloodlines. Most of the platforming is laid out very well and flows rather smoothly. That is not to say that the platforming elements are not challenging, as you will no doubt have to do plenty of difficult hacking and slashing as you hop from platform to platform throughout the game. The two characters' weapons will also come into play as you have to use their unique features to progress at certain points: John using his whip to swing across chasms and Eric propelling himself up with his spear to reach out of the way platforms. Though each unique characteristic of the weapons will take their respective hero along a different path, for the most part John and Eric will follow the same route to the final confrontation.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Ye heroes.

As you progress through the game, you will find that Bloodlines is faithful to Castlevania's heritage of beautiful(and gloomy) visuals. Players will be treated to plenty of alluring, yet creepy locales. Aged buildings, eery paintings, decrepit gardens, and a smorgasbord of nocturnal creatures await you in glorious 16-bit style. There are also some nice effects on display in the game, such as some Mode 7-ish rotating structures, mind and eye-bending glass distortions, and some neat water reflection tricks. Some of the bosses are truly gigantic and will nearly fill up an entire side of the playing field. That's not to say that everything is perfect on the visual front, as the colors are a bit muted and are not as vibrant or as lively as those found in Super Castlevania IV on the SNES. Despite that minor setback, the game is very easy on the eyes and a pleasure to behold.

The sound department is usually where every Castlevania really shines and Bloodlines is no different. In addition to the satisfying sound of whips snapping, lances piercing the air, and creaking gates and doors, there is some really great music in the game. As you would expect in a Castlevania game, the tunes are at times eery and foreboding, and at other times bold and driven. Holding true to Castlevania's pedigree of memorable music, Michiru Yamane's soundtrack is excellent throughout.

Each stage also has a mini-boss midway through, and, of course, the true boss awaits at the end. The mini-bosses, main bosses, as well as the levels in general get progressively more difficult as you go deeper into the game. Although you do get passwords as you complete each level, these passwords will also keep track of how many continues you have in reserve as you finish each level. So you might find yourself with a password to a later level that doesn't have those precious continues that you may need. Regardless, the game is challenging, but not at all overly difficult. If you have ever finished Castlevania or Castlevania III, you should have an easy time finishing Bloodlines, which I would say is in the neighborhood of Super Castlevania IV as far as difficulty goes.

Overall, I'd say that Castlevania: Bloodlines is an excellent entry in the Castlevania series. It is also the last of the "classic"-style Castlevania console games that focused on do-or-die platforming with distinct levels and dedicated weapons. So it is a must-play for any fan of the NES/SNES Castlevania games, as well as anyone who enjoys classic games of this nature.

Craigslist super duper pickup!

An unexpected Craigslist find! Got a killer deal on some Pokemon and one of Nintendo's most (in)famous systems....

Well blow me down!

Video Game Pickups...It's been a good week!

Here is my video game pickup video for mid-May. I found some really cool games this past week and scored a pretty nice haul at the flea market today. Of particular note are the Saturn and Dreamcast games. 1) It's hard to find Saturn games around here that aren't sports or total crap games. 2) It's hard to find DreamCast games around here that aren't sports, total crap games, or the same good/decent games that always pop up(like Sonic Adventure). Here's to hoping for a fruitful game hunting summer!

mid-May Video Game Pickup crazyness!

Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie (Super Famicom) text review

Just an ordinary song that was popular in an alien city tens of thousands of years ago

Press start and let the awesome begin!

Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Winky Soft and released in Japan in 1993. It is based on the Macross franchise, better known in the west as Robotech. Seeing as how Macross is a hugely successful franchise in Japan, while Robotech was one of the pioneers of anime in the west, it’s not hard to understand why this game never saw a release outside of Japan. That’s really a shame, as Scrambled Valkyrie is one hell of a game and is very import-friendly. You don’t need to know any Japanese to play the game, as what little text that’s in the game is in English, or more accurately, Engrish. So with all of that out of the way, let’s take a look at the game itself.

Scrambled Valkyrie takes place in the Macross: Do You Remember Love setting and makes excellent use of the Macross license. I won’t go into much detail regarding the story, as it doesn’t really play a huge part of the game. Actually, the story is hardly mentioned in the game, but it certainly does add something to the experience if you are familiar with the movie or even the show. For those unfamiliar, the Zentradi alien race has waged war on Earth and has humanity on it’s heels. Ever resilient, mankind seeks to defend itself and the pilots of their military fleet are the stars of the game.

As the player, you have a choice of three pilots: the love-torn Hikaru(Rick in Robotech), the ace pilot Max, and the Zentradi Millia. Each pilot has their own entirely unique weapon load-out for their VF-1 Valkyrie fighter. The VF-1 Vakyries are aircraft that resemble a fighter place, but can swap between three distinct forms: fighter(jet fighter), GERWALK(half fighter, half robot), and Battroid(robot). Each form for each pilot has a single, unique weapon, so swapping between forms becomes a huge part of the strategy in the game. When in fighter mode, the Valkyrie has a smaller profile and moves swiftly, GERWALK has a slightly larger profile and moves at a moderate pace, while the Battroid has the largest profile and moves the slowest. As you might imagine, the weapon used in fighter mode is, for the most part, a quick, forward-firing weapon. The GERWALK and Battroid weapons are where you will find your heavy hitters and directional-based weaponry. Also, each pilot has one weapon that can travel through walls and barriers. When and how you use each weapon is crucial to success in Scrambled Valkyrie. Part of what makes the game so much fun is that each weapon for each pilot is actually useful and not a throwaway just added in for variety. Each of the three weapons you have at your disposal starts at level 1 and can be powered up to level three by collecting power-ups dropped by destroyed enemies. Getting hit will damage your health meter as well as powering down your currently equipped weapon by 1 level.

Crazy cool Macross art!

 One of the more unique and interesting features of the game is the “Minmay cannon”. If you remain motionless for approximately 1 second, your Valkyrie will become engulfed in a golden aura. Certain enemies will swap sides and join you in battle if they come in contact with the aura. As far as I was able to tell, once they become your ally they are invincible and do not receive damage. You can only have one ally at a time and they will fight alongside you as long as you do not die or recruit another enemy. Some of the enemies you recruit aren’t very powerful, but some of the more advanced enemies later in the game can really bring the pain. This is especially helpful in the last level where the difficulty really steps up, but more on that later. 
Click here to see my No-Death run with Hikaru

There are 7 levels to battle your way through in Scrambled Valkyrie, each progressively more difficult than the last. The levels are varied and beautiful, with an ever-changing variety of enemies scattered throughout. Some levels take place in space, some on land, and one even takes place inside the SDF(Super Dimension Fortress). The SDF level is probably my favorite, as it is gorgeous and really stands out from the rest of the levels. There is even one point in the level where you pass by the concert hall, with it’s laser-light show in full effect, and a Minmay song begins to play. It’s obvious that the developers were Macross fans and took the time to add in such a nice touch. All in all, with it’s excellent use of parallax scrolling, vibrant colors, and pixel-perfect rendering of the Macross universe, Scrambled Valkyrie is a 16-bit visual extravaganza. I would easily count it among the best looking games that I have ever played from the 16-bit era.

The gameplay in Scrambled Valkyrie is smooth and precise. The actual controls of the game are very simple, making use of 2 face buttons and, of course, the D-pad for movement. The B button is used to fire your weapon; thankfully the game uses an “auto-fire” mechanic, rather than having you repeatedly tapping the button until your thumb falls off. The Y button is used to swap between the modes of your Valkyrie. The pacing of each level has a nice, steady flow, as you battle through waves of enemies and navigate over mountains, between space debris, and around giant spaceships. I made mention of your Valkyrie having a health meter earlier, which might lead you to believe the game to be a bit on the easy side. Don’t let the health meter or simple controls fool you; Scrambled Valkyrie is a tough game. As is the case with most shmups, you will die plenty of times in your quest to make it to the end. Memorizing levels, enemy tactics, and knowing which weapon, or even which pilot to use, all play a part in finding your way deeper into the game. Thankfully, the game controls very well and the hitbox for your Valkyrie feels just right. You won’t find yourself being hit by an object that seemingly passed by your ship or anything like that. While it is a rather challenging game, the difficulty is balanced enough that you always seem to be making a little more progress with each life. Speaking of which, you only have 1 life and then it’s game over. You have a limited number of continues, but the game is rather generous in this regard. Also, in each level there is a hidden continue(Macross icon) to be found. So don’t fret too much about that. There is also a simple level-select cheat that can be entered at the title screen if you choose to go that route.

My very own copy!

 The sound effects are nothing extraordinary, just your typical space-battle kind of fare that fits rather well with the feel of the game. But it’s the music that really shines in Scrambled Valkyrie. If you’re a fan, you will probably recognize a few tunes from the Macross world. I don’t have enough knowledge about music to really expound on the matter, but each track seems to fit the level and general atmosphere of the game. My personal favorite is “Ai Oboete Imasu ka”, which eerily plays as you approach the epic, final battle of the game.

It’s really hard to find anything negative to say about the game. It looks beautiful, has great music, controls wonderfully, has a nice variety of weapons, offers a stiff, but rewarding challenge, and shows a lot of small touches and care that the developers put into it. There is very little slowdown in the game, which is a pleasant surprise for a SNES, or in this case, Super Famicom shmup. Perhaps the only real downside, if you can even call it that, is the Engrish used in the transition screens between levels and at the end of the game. However, the game was never localized for an English-speaking audience and, to me, the Engrish just adds to the overall charm of the game.

If it isn’t obvious by now, I cannot recommend this game enough. I went into the game expecting some Macross and shmup goodness, but was blown away by just how awesome the game is on all fronts. Nothing about the game would caution me in recommending it, unless you simply don’t like a good challenge. I don’t often replay games once I have finished them, but I’ve gone back and completed Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie multiple times in the last few weeks. It really is a pleasure on every level you could want it to be and is simply a blissfully awesome experience. It easily stands as one of the most technically superior and well-crafted SNES/Super Famicom games and shmups that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. They sure don’t make em like they used to.

Of course it was a love song

Pickups from the last week, including an import Super Famicom game

I made a few nice pickups here in the last week. Not much in the way of volume, but the quality of the games is nice...and that's what counts anyways. So, on with the show.

First up, ToeJam & Earl in Panic in Funkotron. I've played a little bit of the first TJ & E game, but not

this one. Interestingly enough, the original ToeJam & Earl was one of the very few Genesis games that I actually wanted to play back in the 16 bit era. I had made the (wise) decision to go SNES, but there were a few Genesis games that I really wanted. Fast forward 20 years later and I still have not played much of the first TJ & E, even though I downloaded it on the Wii's Virtual Console years ago. Anyway, Funkotron is not a game that pops up very often in my neck of the woods, so when I saw it I knew I had to have it!

Next is Shadow of the Ninja for the NES. I've heard a lot of good things about this one the last few years, so it's been on my radar for a while. It also seems that the price is rising on this bad boy, so now was the time to get it before things just get nuts price-wise. I noticed it's a two-player game, so assuming it's co-op maybe I can check that out when my brother stops by next time. It's getting to the point now that I have most of the basic NES games that I really want. There are a few more expensive and/or somewhat uncommon ones left that I want, like River City Ransom and Metal Storm, but I pretty much have the basics covered. In the future I'll start getting more and more not so must-have games, which is kind of a relief(both mentally and on the pocketbook).
 

How about Illusion of Gaia? Never played it. Sounds like a winner from all I've heard. I remember reading about the game in Nintendo Power ages ago and thinking it looked cool. On top of that, I found it complete in box and what a box it is. At first I thought it was a reproduction box it looked so pristine. On closer inspection, there are a few minor blemishes on the front-right edge of the box, but other than that it's flawless. Very happy to have it join the collection.

 Last, but certainly not least, Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie for the Super Famicom! I've still been on something of a shmup tear as of late, but also on a Robotech/Macross tear as well. I saw ClassicGameRoom's review of this game a while back and it really got me fired up for the game. I pulled the trigger a few weeks back when I saw the game for a decent price on ebay and it arrived a few days ago. The only problem was that I don't have a Super
Famicom. So I either had to get a Super Famicom or modify my SNES. I'm not a handy guy by any means, so I was kind of nervous
about opening up my only SNES(a model 2), even though it's a relatively simple operation(removing the two plastic tabs inside the cartridge port). Well, having the game in my possession motivated me enough to try it last night. Not having the proper screw bit to open up the SNES, I had to use the Bic pen and lighter method(thanks interwebz). Everything worked out great and last night I finally got to play the game for the first time. It's really an impressive game and well worth the money I spent on it. The gameplay is on the money, the music is sweet, and the graphics are top-notch. I couldn't be happier with it. I'll definitely do a review of it if I'm ever able to beat it. I got to the 6th stage on Easy before I had to step away and can't wait to see the rest. The Minmay concert level was just gorgeous. I kind of wish I'd sprung for a complete copy though. Check out the hot boxart to the right.

So that's all for now. I'm not sure I'll be getting a lot of games in the near future, as I have some household projects to fund, as well as needing to beef up the ol' nestegg and get ready for the birth of my daughter. I won't stop collecting, that's for sure. It's just that for the time being it will be small-scale purchases like this last week. However, since I can play Super Famicom games now I might bite the bullet and get a big lot of Super Famicom games since they are so affordable. I guess we'll see. Yokoi!

Sinistron (TurboGrafx 16) text review

Sinistron is a horizontal scrolling shooter, shmup, similar in style and theme to games like

Gradius and R-Type. In many ways it is as simple as they come; you jump right into the game and start blasting away at enemies. There is the obligatory plot of a menace taking over the world, in this case the Sinstron, and it’s up to you to put a stop to it. While enjoyable enough and competent where it counts, the game does have a few points that make it stand out from the crowd...some of which is good, and some that is not so good.

As mentioned above, like so many classic shmups the game scrolls horizontally to the right. Your job is to blast your way through the enemies, get to the level’s boss, then proceed to the next level. That sounds so simple, and mechanically speaking, it really is. Sinistron is not very complicated. In a lot of ways it feels pretty bare bones. No hidden stages or bosses. No secrets to unlock. There really isn’t any nifty hidden tricks that I am aware of or could find on the web. Simple. Except that challenge-wise Sinistron is very much not a simple game. Personally, I would describe the difficulty as brutal. I’m far from an expert player, and I’m definitely not a shmup god, but I’ve made my way through a number of very challenging games through the years. Amazingly enough, I was able to finish Sinistron and would probably include it among the top 10 most challenging games that I’ve ever completed. I might even say it is the most difficult game that I’ve completed. The only reason this is possible is because the game gives you infinite continues.

So how is Sinistron so difficult? Initially the game lulls you to sleep a bit. The first three stages are a breeze. Things seem pretty simple. Then the difficulty ramps up significantly through the final three stages. You might think that this is the new difficulty plateau for the game and find yourself saying “Ok, this is how it’s gonna be from here on out”. Not so, as the game gets increasingly difficult until the end. Enemies get harder to kill and you will find yourself getting swarmed, surrounded, and boxed in rather quickly.

One of the other saving graces of the game, besides the infinite continues, is that each level has a checkpoint that you can continue from. This works really well and is one of the truly exceptional aspects of the game. On some levels you may find yourself relieved to have reached that checkpoint and can then battle your way through to the end. However, this is not always the case. If you have played R-Type before, you know that those checkpoints can be a hindrance more than a blessing. Where Sinistron really gets it right is that once you have reached the checkpoint and die, you can then choose to continue at the checkpoint or start over at the beginning of the level. There were a few times that I found myself using this gracious option, as some levels are best tackled from beginning to end with all of those luscious power-ups that you gain throughout. This doesn’t really make the game less challenging, as it is a true challenge, but it gives you options and doesn’t force you into a corner.

Now about those power-ups. The weapons upgrades are your usual fare, waves, fire, homing, as well as speed and satellite pods that surround your ship. But wait, there’s more! This is another area where Sinistron sets itself apart from the rest of the crowd. Your ship starts out with common pea shooter and what looks like a lance or spear-like formation on it’s nose. This

The spear/jaw thingy, pic courtesy of TMola@gamefaqs

“spear” can absorb common shots from enemies and also be used to damage enemies, as long as they don’t reach the body of your ship. Now the neat part: collect a weapon power-up and you can open the “spear” and your shots will then spread out. The drawback is that the front of your ship is then exposed and can be damaged if a shot or enemies makes it’s way between the open “spear”, which is more like an open beak or jaw. If you collect another power-up, you can then open the front of the ship further, which gives you a wider spread of blaster shots. And yes, you guessed it, this will also further expose the front of your ship to damage. With this you can cycle through the three stages of the ship’s nose configuration: closed to a fine point, slightly open, or wide open. It’s this mechanic of opening and closing of the nose of your ship that really becomes the key to success in Sinistron. You will find yourself strategically spreading out the nose, slightly or wide-open, at some points to not only spread your fire, but also to angle the defensive wall about the front of your ship. Sometimes you will opt to close the nose to fortify your ship from frontal attacks and to reach out and touch enemies with it in addition to concentrating your fire. It’s really a simple, but cool, useful, and unique gameplay mechanic that plays a crucial part in finding success in the game. There is also a “charge” shot that sends out a circular blast around your ship. As you can tell, a balance of offense and defense is the name of the game in Sinistron.

The graphics in the game are nice enough. In this regard the game is pretty much in the middle of the pack. You might even classify the looks as a bit generic. That’s not too much of a drawback, as it can be pretty hard to mess up on the tried and true space shmup look. Sinistron just doesn’t really do anything exceptional in this department, nor does it ever try to. The enemies don’t stand out much and are pretty much just canon fodder to blast your way through. As you might expect, they do have some of that H.R. Giger-esque quality that so many shmups borrowed from the classic Alien film franchise. This has been done to death in shmups of the era, but I’ve never minded it one bit. It’s just that Sinistron does the Giger and standard space enemy routine in a pretty bland and by the numbers fashion, whereas a game like R-Type invests itself into that look and feel and draws you in by the variety and creativity the developers put into it. In the audio department things are equally as vanilla. Nothing too bad, but there is a nice enough music track here and there.

If you’ve read to this point of the review, you might not know if you should play the game or not. This is a game that definitely has it’s ups and down. In my opinion the highs do outweigh the lows, as the lows are not really that low…just a bit generic and uninspired. Gameplay and controls are always the make or break deal on a shmup, and this is where Sinistron really does it’s best. The control of the ship feels spot-on and the nose-mechanic of the ship is interesting and of great strategic value. The look and feel of the game just feel a bit dialed-in by comparison. This run of the mill look and feel doesn’t lend itself to repeated play sessions of the game. We have all played any number of games through the years that we will go back to just to relive the experience and atmosphere of the game again; Sinsitron probably won’t be calling out to you in that way. However, the difficulty is definitely where the game will either draw you in or smother your interest. As I said, the infinite continues and optional mid-level checkpoints will help you navigate through the brutal difficulty, but Sinistron is truly brutal. If it’s a stiff challenge you are looking for, you will most definitely find it in Sinistron’s increasingly difficult six stages. Give it a try if you have the chance. Enjoy the tight controls and nifty gameplay mechanics…but don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you keep a swear-jar around the house, it might be best to dispense with the practice while you’re clawing your way through Sinistron.

Streets of Rage (GEN) playthrough

Streets of Rage, the classic beat-em-up by Sega for their most successful console. I'm more of a Final Fight guy, but Streets of Rage is no doubt among the greats. Not only is the gameplay tried and true, but this game has some of the best music, courtesy of Yuzo Koshiro. Yuzo Koshiro is one of the most revered of all game music composers. He has worked on the Streets of Rage series, Ys, Revenge of Shinobi, and one of my favorites, ActRaiser. Here is my playthrough of Streets of Rage. All went pretty well until the final boss, where I had to burn through a few continues. Enjoy!

Moi playing Biometal (SNES) through to the end

Here is a playthrough I did of Biometal on Super Nintendo. At first the game seems like a real back-breaker, but with a little patience it is quite doable...even by a schmoe like me. I made it to the 6th and final level before having to burn through a few continues(I edited out the continues). Overall it's a really fun little game. Getting adept with the "GAM", which is basically "options" that rotate around your ship, is key to survival and is a must; particularly the ability of "boomeranging" the GAM, which flings it across the screen before it returns back to orbit your ship, is vital. It's a pretty beat gimmick that really sets it apart from most shmup's that I've played. The review I read on shmups.com complained about the graphics being a bit drab, but I think the graphics are actually quite nice for the most part. The music on the other hand...oy vey!

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (GEN) text review: Don't Stop til You Get Enough

The game & movie have beautiful artwork

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker is a bit of an oddity in video game history. The Genesis version is just one of the many versions of the game released on Sega platforms, in the arcades, and for home computers in 1989 and 1990. The game is inspired by the "Smooth Criminal" segment of the the strange, but fun, Moonwalker movie starring Michael Jackson and Joe Pesci. The game itself is quite simple, unique, odd, and...well, bizarre(a great thing).

Mr. Big(Pesci) and his organization have kidnapped a bunch of children and Michael is out to put an end to his dastardly plans. Hmm, simple enough. There really isn't a lot of plot or exposition in the game itself, though in the movie it is very clear what Mr. Big's ultimate goal is: to get the world addicted to drugs, starting with the children. The player will begin the game in a side-view 2D stage and begin to locate all of the kidnapped children in that stage. Throughout each level you have to deal with a limited selection of enemies, such as gangsters, zombies, dogs, and spiders. Once all of the children(who all look like Katie from the movie) in the stage are rescued, you have to find the section of the stage that triggers the boss fight for that level. Rinse and repeat. The idea behind the adventure, as well as what you are required to do, is simple and straightforward. This is part of what makes many games of this era so fun: just jump in and experience the game.

The AI of the enemies is nothing to write home about, as their attacks usually consist of their running straight into you or pausing noticeably before firing bullets at you. What your enemies lack in skill and cunning, they make up for in their numbers. As you progress through the game you will begin to find yourself overwhelmed by their constant attacks if you're not careful, as the difficulty slowly ratchets up through each of the levels. Taking care of the enemies is accomplished normally by a few simple attacks, namely Michael's trademark kick, and a very Michael-esque hand strike, both of which shoots some sort of stardust looking material a short distance forward. If you find yourself surround by too many enemies, you can trigger a special attack. While holding the button for the special Michael will do his famous spin maneuver, making him invincible and damaging the enemies he comes into contact with. When you release the button he will fling his fedora around to do additional damage. If you decide to continue to hold the special attack button(without releasing for the fedora throw), the music will change and Michael will begin to dance, which will force most of the enemies you encounter in the game to dance along with him(even the dogs!). Once the dance number is finished, all of the low level enemies in the playfield will be wiped out. How fun is that? It's a very cool way to wipe out a screenful of enemies with style and, like any special should, feels quite satisfying.

The final level is where the game developers decided to mix things up a bit. In this level you are an outerspace battle with Mr Big: he in his spaceship and the player with a cockpit view inside "Michael's Battle Plane". The interior of "Michael's Battle Plane" and the H.U.D. look pretty neat and

Image courtesy of shenmuer2001@gamefaqs

80's futuristic, if you know what I mean. Things are not so simple though, as you have to deal with multiple enemy spacecraft while assaulting Mr. Big's spaceship. As you do battle, you will be treated to seeing images of Mr. Big on a small monitor as he talks trash to you! This boss battle, while rather short, is hands-down the most challenging section of the game. There is a very simple way to CHEESE your way to victory, but that will not be covered here. This change of pace, scenery, and gameplay is a welcome one that gives the final battle a feeling of scope and importance.



Though Moonwalker is no masterpiece, there is a lot of fun to be had with the game. Occasionally you may see a shooting star(as in the movie) dart across the screen. Touching the shooting star will cause Michael to momentarily transform into the robo-Michael(kind of like in the movie). Although this looks pretty cool, and Michael can fire laser beams from his eyes and launch heat-seeking missiles, it's a bit useless as you cannot rescue any of the kidnapped children while in robo-mode. Still, it's worth grabbing the star just for the show and the havoc you can wreak. It's the details like this that are the most enjoyable part of the game, such as having Michael do some of his aforementioned famous moves while destroying enemies in the process. In addition to moves like the standard trademark kick, you can also slide down banisters, strike a famous Michael pose, and even do the Moonwalk, which doesn't really accomplish anything besides looking really cool. Another weird, and totally cool, aspect of the game is when Michael rescues all of the Katie's in the stage, Bubbles the chimp will appear and hop on Michael's shoulder, pointing the way to the spot where the boss fight will commence. Bubbles' directions aren't really much help at all, but it's just one of those quirky things that often put a smile on my face while playing.

And then there is the music! Not many games can boast of a soundtrack such as Moonwalker's. Each level plays nice, digital music from some of Michael's most well-known songs, including Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Another Part of Me, Billie Jean, and Bad. Apparently some early copies of the game include the Thriller song, rather than Another Part of Me, though later iterations had the song removed(probably due to Michael not writing the Thriller song). So, as you might expect, the music is one of the highlights of the game. Michael Jackson tunes ran through a 16 bit filter should be quite a treat for anyone who is a fan of the era. Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing along to the music, emphasizing certain lyrics as you kick another gangster into oblivion.

Though I found the game to be quite enjoyable, there are some bothersome flaws that do drag things down a bit. Michael looks great, both in human and robo form, yet the graphics can be rather bland at times. The stages don't really have any variation to them individually, so you will basically be looking at the same background and foreground from the beginning of one level until you reach the next. For instance, when you are battling the zombies in the graveyard, you are seeing the same ground, tombstones, and dark sky throughout. The only level that really looks interesting is the first level inside the old nightclub, while the other 2D levels are generic, by-the-numbers efforts(parking garage, graveyard, etc). Another hit to the aesthetics of the game is that in lieu of having a variety of enemies in each stage, you are usually dealing with a couple of palette-swapped enemies. It's too bad that this bit of blandness didn't stop with just the visuals, as some of that spills over into how the game plays out as well.

Thankfully, the controls function precisely and responsively, though the basic actions you perform do not always come together fluidly. Additionally, the layout of the stages are rather uninspired and simple. There really isn't any feeling of "flowing" through the levels: you move Michael when it's time to move him, attack when it's time to attack, and jump when you need to. The running and jumping can feel more like disconnected inputs, rather than the actual movements of the character. During the game you will be tasked with a fair amount of jumping, and often these jumps are of little consequence. There are not many sections of the game where a mis-timed jump will cause you to fall to your death. So you will often find yourself semi-awkwardly jumping onto a pool table or a rock just so you can move forward. You just don't get that feeling that you are navigating the terrain and picking apart enemies as you go. While this is unfortunate, it's certainly not a deal-breaker.

Another bother is that the game doesn't really give you any direction, and sometimes you will find yourself wandering around the level trying to find a well-hidden Katie. It's not exactly a thrill to sometimes retread an entire level, checking behind every door or tombstone to find her. Even after you have rescued all the Katies in a level, you may find yourself having to do yet more wandering around until you find the spot in the stage that triggers the boss fight. As mentioned before, Bubbles the chimp will come and point to the direction of the boss area, but I sometimes found his directions more confusing than helpful.

Regardles of the obvious flaws in the game, the positives really do outweigh the negatives. It's simply a blast to wipe out a legion of mobsters using Michael's famous dance moves to the beat of his catchy music. I had a lot of fun chaining together dance moves and poses(which do nothing besides look sweet) just for the heck of it, even after finishing the game. The sheer lunacy of the entire game make it an experience you won't soon forget. The excellent music really sets the stage in what is a very unique mashup of two supremely awesome things: Michael Jackson and 16 bit gaming. Your enjoyment of the game may hinge entirely on whether or not you are a MJ fan, as the nuts and bolts of the game itself are a bit bland. Then again, if you can appreciate quirky and crazy in your games, Moonwalker has them in spades. Give Moonwalker a whirl, and don't stop 'til you get enough!

Phalanx (SNES) text review

Oh hell yeah

Phalanx is a surprisingly quality shoot em up, brought to us lovingly by ZOOM Inc and Kemco. Released early in the SNES’s lifespan, Phalanx seems to have been overshadowed by shmup heavyweights like Super R-Type, Gradius III, and Axelay. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by Phalanx when I first played it not long after it’s initial release. I realized it was a nice shmup, but it did not seem to have the pizazz of a something like Super R-Type. So here we are, over 20 years later and I decide to go back and give Phalanx another shot(since I had been on a shmup binge).

The story is pretty typical of most shmups: bad guys have showed up, go out and shoot them until they explode. Fair enough. The controls are spot on and very responsive, which is always important with precision games like shmups. Also important to shmups is the hitbox of your ship, which I am happy to say, makes sense and doesn’t require you to adjust how you perceive the mass of your ship. In other words, if an enemy or shot looks like it hit your ship, it did. If it looks like it missed your ship, it did. Phalanx nails this. How do some games totally screw this up?

I was particularly impressed with the weapons and power-ups at your disposal in Phalanx. For your secondary powerups, there are 3 different missiles you can obtain. Of the 3 missile power-ups, one is a homing missile, another shoots directly across the screen and explodes on impact, the other also shoots across the screen, but flies through any enemies damaging all that it passes through. You also have access to 5 or so main weapon power-ups that you run across throughout the adventure. You will have the usual assortment of shmup weapon upgrades, such as laser, homing, and ricochet among others. What’s really neat is that you can store 3 of the power-ups at once and swap between them on the fly. Also, when you die you only lose the weapon power-up that you currently have equipped and get to keep the other two. To further the variety and strategy allowed to the player, you can sacrifice a power-up in order to unleash a screen-clearing bomb. Topping it all off, the button layout is completely customizable!

The graphics are pretty subdued, with a lot of earthy tones and enemies that are mixtures of bio/geo/mechanical sorts of things. Each mission starts out with a simple shot of your pilot(a very cool anime-looking fella) and the name of the level. My two favorites are level 1 which starts out above the clouds/smog, then descends to above a very dreary, industrial, Coruscant-looking city; the other favorite is level 6, named Advertise, which surely enough is set in an outer-space asteroid field with neon signs all over the place. The music is a nice touch as well. It has that sort of generic, late 80s/early 90s game music that really takes me back.

Phalanx is a fairly stiff challenge. It felt a bit overwhelming initially. It’s very manageable on the easiest difficulty level, which familiarizes you well with the levels in preparation for the higher difficulty settings. That being said, Phalanx is not overly difficult and doesn’t really step into any sort of absurd difficulty. The bosses in the game are suitable and the final boss is fairly interesting and engages you in a different manner than previous bosses in the game. Be warned, you do have a limited amount of continues. Don’t let the challenge or limited continues dissuade you; Phalanx is a very beatable game if you give it a little time and are of at least average skill.

I really cannot recommend Phalanx enough. It’s not that it’s spectacular by any means, but it’s a really solid shmup. It’s fairly common, very affordable, and is also available for legal download at this time. If you’ve never played Phalanx, but are aware of the game, it’s probably because of the infamous cover art: the banjo-strumming hillbilly in outer-space with the Phalanx fighter flying through the background. Don’t let the ridiculous(and totally radical) cover art fool you into thinking Phalanx is some third-rate game. Give Phalanx a try if you’re into shmups, just don’t go in expecting a masterpiece. With your expectations properly adjusted, Phalanx will deliver a smooth(and nearly slow-down free) challenge that is a joy after all these years.

slow sailing, and then...

February was turning out to be a pretty slow month until I ran across a nice little lot. But before I get to that, I'll cover a few other tidbits first. I've been playing a lot of shmups lately. I've finished almost every shmup that I have in my collection. The only ones left in my collection that I have not finished are one that I kinda doubt I can actually beat. So lately I've been looking for shmups locally, but the pickins are pretty slim. However, I did pick up Air Fortress, Zanac, and Xevious for the NES a few weeks ago. I've never played Air Fortress or Zanac, but I am familiar with Xevious. Also, I recently ebay'd R-Type Command for the PSP. It's not a shmup, but it is an R-Type game, so maybe that will help quench my thirst somewhat. The problem is that I own most of the affordable and common shmups for the SNES and Genesis that are available in the area. Now I'm pretty much at the point of having to spend $$$ on the few around here that I don't have, or go online and shell out $$$ to get them. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes.

Now for the find that actually inspired me to make a new blog post in the first place. It is a system that I didn't own and didn't think I would be owning any time soon. It just so happened that a local store had the system, along with 7 games at a good price. So I had to...

Buried beneath those massive and gaudy controllers is an Atari Jaguar! Yes, the fabled Jaguar. Perhaps one of the most ill-conceived consoles of all time. Perhaps the weakest library of games in the history of consoles. Perhaps the console with the most obtuse controllers of all time. Yes, the console that effectively killed what was left of the once great Atari. Nonetheless, I didn't have one and I wanted one. Why? To experience the Jaguar and it's unique, though weak, library of games. Of particular interest to me are the remakes/sequels to many classic/Atari games. Tempest 2000 is reportedly a really great game.

But anyways, the Jaguar I bought came with the proper hookups to get it up and running. It also came with 2 controllers, which is all I should ever need. The 7 games I got in the lot: Flip Out, Zoop, Checkered Flag, Iron Soldier, Cybermorph, Evolution: Dino Dudes, and Alien vs Predator. Alien vs Predator is supposed to be one of the better games for the system, so that really helped in my decision to spring for this lot.

I'm really looking forward getting my hands on a few other games for the system. Mainly Tempest 2000, Raiden, and Rayman. That's it for now. Until next time...

The Motherload

It’s been a while, but I finally have something worth an update. Last week and earlier this week I picked up a few games, but nothing exactly newsworthy. However, Thursday a friend of mine hooked me up with some of his old SNES games. That’s the real deal of the week, but first I’ll show the two other games I had added to the family earlier.

Skyblazer for the SNES. This looks like a fun game with an interesting graphical style. I’ve read it’s similar to Hook on the SNES, but more polished. It’s also a Sony Imagesoft game, which always stings a bit when I see that. Just think, at one time Sony knew their place and made games on video game companies’ game consoles. A few precious years later, they bought their way into the industry and forever wrecked it. But that’s a tirade for another day. As far the condition of the cart, it’s in pretty darn good shape. The label is nice and shiny with no major defects. On the back are some hideous rental stickers, but those, along with the marker….marks on the front bottom of the cart, can be taken off rather easily.

Then there was Sidearms for the TG16. This is complete! With the actual box, along with the jewel case and manual. You don’t see that too often. The game looks really fun. As I’m easing into TG16 klectin, I really would like to focus on shmups like Sidearms, since that is where the system really shines. Gunpei Yokoi willing, I hope to be picking up some more TG16 games in the near future.

And now the main event, the buttload of SNES games my friend hooked me up with. And when I say “hooked me up with”, I mean it. I got these games at a very fair price. Most of them are CIB, though a few lack a manual or are missing  page or two from the manual. It has been a long time since I've gotten such a good deal, and since I've gotten such a big haul. Let’s take a look…

I’m most excited about Final Fantasy II, which I’ve been wanting to get for the longest time, Oh-oh-ohhhh, for the longest time. The box is in pretty good shape to boot. Aaaaand it has the manual/guide too! Sweet! Also, Ultima: False Prophet is of particular interest to me. I have wanted to play an Ultima game since the late 80s, but for some reason just have never gotten around to doing it. I do have an Ultima game on the NES, but I’ve got a feeling that this one will be the first one that I play.

Also, it was really nice to get Super Ghouls n Ghost and U.N. Squadron with their respective boxes. Unless it is hiding in my collection somewhere, I realized after I bought this lot that I did not own Super GnG beforehand! Wow, and here I thought I already had the game for years. And U.N. Squadron, such an awesome game. I already own the game, but not with the box. I don’t have many boxed/complete SNES games, so I was very happy to get some quality boxed games in this bunch. Also notice TMNT IV, Earthworm Jim, and Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems in the flock.

Star Trek and Scooby Doo?

Since I don't like Mortal Kombat, I'll just leave this pic upside down!

UN Squadron, you're so cool

Ok, that’s it for now. Hopefully the next update will come soon-ish, as I plan to step up my game a little bit here in the near future. Until then, big hands I know you’re the one.