|
Post by steven on Sept 15, 2016 1:09:04 GMT -5
The list so far: 50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin #45: SUPER BACK TO THE FUTURE II Yesterday's game, Violinist of Hamelin, was developed by Daft. Their very first game was, coincidentally, Super Back to the Future II. This Super Famicom exclusive exploded in popularity after the Angry Video Game Nerd published a video of it December of 2011. That video, to date, has 4.5 million views. Guide Marty McFly (almost a Super Deformed version) on his hoverboard throughout the various levels. The game boasts a rich, colorful look. The classic BTTF overture has been replicated perfectly, and anytime I listen to it, I still get the chills. That alone makes this game a must for any diehard BTTF fanatic. The game is far from perfect. The control takes some getting used to, there is a bit of slowdown at certain sections and there are some cheap moments where you can't seem to avoid being hit. But you know what, there's just something about this game that I enjoy popping in and kicking back with for 20-30 minutes. A simple four character password system allows you to revisit favorite levels or continue where you last left off. I remember playing this game 10 years ago and being quite impressed by it. 10 years later, the novelty has worn off, but the music is still awesome. And bloody hell, I still enjoy playing it quite a bit, warts and all.
|
|
|
Post by 8 Bit Dreams on Sept 15, 2016 12:23:46 GMT -5
Back to the future's sprite work is fantastic. I love looking at it.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 16, 2016 0:21:39 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II #44: NANGOKU SHOUNEN PAPUWA-KUN Capcom, Konami, Square. Undeniably 3 of Super Nintendo's most respected and beloved 3rd party developers. But when you talk about underrated companies, you'll hear names like Natsume and Hudson Soft. Hey, why not add DAFT to that list? Sure, they only made 3 SNES games, but I found all 3 to be rather entertaining. And coincidentally, tonight we're completing the Daft SNES trilogy. Their 3 SNES games were Violinist of Hamelin, Super Back to the Future II, and this, our next game in the countdown, Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun. Based off the manga, it appears at first glance to be ye standard ole platformer. The biggest difference? Nangoku features a level up system like you would find in an action RPG. There are 8 kooky worlds to navigate, with odd enemies to battle along the way such as a one-legged umbrella (!) mid-boss. There's even a character that looks an awful lot like Link, hmmm. Nangoku, along with Violinist of Hamelin, has long been erroneously credited by various gamers as being developed by Enix (including yours truly 10 years ago, my apologies to Daft). Enix published them only. It should be noted too that there is a slight bit of dialogue in this game (as was the case with Violinist of Hamelin), but it won't hinder a non-Japanese reading gamer from progressing. However, there is a fan translation floating out there if you want to get the full Nangoku experience. So if you're looking for a fun platformer that stands out from the 16-bit crowd, then check out Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun. It’ll likely put a smile on your face. Everyone I’ve talked with who has ever played Nangoku liked it quite a bit as well. Odds are, you will, too.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 17, 2016 0:20:33 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun November 10, 2006, was a day for the ages. It was the day I received my last package of "ultra rare" Super Famicom games. It took a month of collaborating but finally my mercenary over in Japan finished the job, and what a job he did. With that score, I was pretty much set. But I had no time to revel in its magnificence. For it was also the day I was on my way to a wedding banquet with my good friend, Eddie. Who got hitched? Our old high school friend Christina, Eddie's old flame. And despite his efforts in coaxing me otherwise, I knew he still had feelings for her. She's the one he let get away, folks… and man… she's a keeper. By the time we got off the freeway it was dark and pouring. We were forced to stop at a train track. As the heavy rain drops pelted the roof of Eddie's car, with the loud rumbling of the train roaring past us, it happened. Oh God no. Please say it ain't so. Don't do this to my friend!JESSIE'S GIRL blared on the radio. Its cheesy yet classic 80s pop rock, not to be outdone by the tumultuous train, sliced through the cold night air with fierce vengeance. I expected him to change the station, but he never did. As the train roared on for what felt like an eternity, we sat there in silence, taking in the ambiance. I feared the lyrics would drive him over the edge… Jessie is a friend Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine, But lately something's changed; it ain't hard to define Jessie's got himself a girl and I wanna make her mine
Y'know I feel so dirty when they start talkin' cute, I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is prob'ly mootAnd I'm looking in the mirror all the time Wondering what she don't see in me, I've been funny I've been cool with the lines; Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?I WISH THAT I HAD JESSIE'S GIRL! Tell me, where can I find a woman LIKE THAT?I don't know if it was the tranquility of that moment or some epiphany he later reached while parallel parking, but the night was full of fun and frivolity. He showed no signs of lamenting her. That night he finally put the past behind him. A good time was had by all. Capping the night off, I arrived home tired but with enough energy left to eagerly open the big box. These games took me forever to find. Christina was a keeper, and so is this game. Literally. #43: KEEPER Keeper is a puzzle action game jam packed with charm and a healthy dose of brain-bending conundrums. Players control an adorable Gizmo-like creature. Your goal is to clear the 5x5 grid of all the stones. Match 3 or more stones. You can get rid of stones via same colors or by same shapes. I love that they gave you two options here. There are four modes of play, including a fun co-op and 2-player versus mode. The 2-player options give Keeper the edge over the somewhat similar Little Magic. Keeper doesn't have the level variety as Little Magic has, but at the end of the day there's something about Keeper's gameplay that pulls me in a little deeper than Little Magic's. But make no mistake about it, both games are definite must haves if you love your single screen action puzzle games. Those games where even just conquering one level after staring at the screen for 20-30 minutes is enough to satisfy. Interestingly enough, EGM previewed this game back in the day as Cyber Slider. It was slated to come out to American soil, but never saw the light of day. Thankfully, we got Keeper. And judging strictly on the outer appearance of the dull looking generic robot compared to the too-cute-for-words Gizmo knockoff, I'm glad we got Keeper instead of Cyber Slider. Although, there is an option to change the Gizmo creature into either a human boy or a human girl. Why? Oh just because. Because, reasons! You can't knock a game for providing more options to choose from. You know I can't help but say it -- you bet your ass Keeper is a keeper.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 18, 2016 0:30:28 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper #42: GHOST SWEEPER MIKAMI Based off the anime/manga by Takashi Shiina, Ghost Sweeper Mikami is an old school action platformer. It's pretty straight forward and what you see is what you get. It reminds me of the dozens and dozens of action platformers we saw on the 8-bit NES back in the day. If you're into that sort of thing, then definitely check out Ghost Sweeper Mikami. It's got a nice atmosphere -- it's slightly goofy yet somewhat spooky. Perfect to play during Halloween season with the lights out on a cold, stormy night. Evil spirits, zombies and all assorted manner of monsters have popped up all over town. It's up to you, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, to sweep the streets and clear out the demons and demented. Armed with her trusty magic baton and athletic agility, Mikami can upgrade her baton to shoot projectiles. It's a fun little game. Nothing earth shattering here -- just a good old fashioned solid action game akin to the kind we saw in the late '80s-early '90s. Good job, Natsume.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 18, 2016 17:34:23 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper 42: Ghost Sweeper Mikami #41: GO GO ACKMAN Based off the manga by Akira Toriyama, Go Go Ackman is a traditional action platformer. Well, starring a very non-traditional anti-hero. And therein lies part of the fun/charm of playing through this game. As Ackman, you fend off enemies by way of swordplay, boomerangs and even some gun slinging. The game is on the shorter side of things and is not challenging much, but damnit, sometimes a game is just bloody fun to play through. And that this is. BTW, I'm not a fan of the sequel (also on Super Famicom). The third game goes back to basics and is pretty good, but I prefer the original. In many ways I find Go Go Ackman somewhat similar to yesterday's entry, Ghost Sweeper Mikami. The reason I prefer Go Go Ackman slightly is because its gameplay is just a little bit more polished and refined. That and I prefer the smaller sprite of Ackman over Mikami's rather large sprite size. Plus Ackman has a wider variety of attacks which makes taking out the enemies a whole lot more fun. Go Go Ackman also has that "doesn't take itself seriously at all" charm to it. Things can get rather bizarre, and fast. If you've yet to give this game a try, I recommend doing so. It won't set your world on fire, but it's another example of a quality game on a quality 16-bit machine. Besides, there's a real sense of black humor when you're shooting cute little angels right between the eyes. No way in hell that would ever fly in America. God bless you, Japan, you crazy old bastards you.
|
|
|
Post by The Great Klaid on Sept 19, 2016 22:20:35 GMT -5
Oh hell yeah I love Go Go Ackman. I always wondered if it was from some Toriyama stuff. Because Ackman is very Trunks.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 20, 2016 1:05:21 GMT -5
Klaid, have you played Go Go Ackman 2 and 3 as well? Which one of the trilogy was your favorite? For me it was the original, hands down. The sequel was meh, and part 3 was a nice return to basics, but I still prefer the original. 50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper 42: Ghost Sweeper Mikami 41: Go Go Ackman #40: POKO NYAN! Poko Nyan! is a platformer based off the 170-episode anime show that ran from 1993-1996. Poko Nyan is also known as Rocky Rackat (a cross between a raccoon and a cat). This game is clearly geared toward kids, with its super colorful visuals and extremely easy gameplay. Hell, you CAN'T even die. So why is this ranked #40 on my countdown? Because it's damn fun. It's got a charming protagonist that can transform into various other critters at anytime. This ranges from a kangeroo who can jump super high to a bird with unlimited flight to a hedgehog that can do a spin attack (hmmm). It's a perfect game for kids or anyone who is still, deep down, a kid at heart. The scrolling is a bit herky jerky at times, though, especially when changing directions on a dime. It's not a deal breaker for me, however. There are only 15 levels and if you rush for the exit, the game can be beaten in about 40 minutes without breaking a sweat. Where this game excels -- the set pieces. Just take a look at some of them. They're gorgeously drawn, and best of all, they usually have multi-tiers to them. Meaning, there are a ton of ledges to jump on and jump off of. You can kill enemies by simply dropping off a ledge and bouncing off their heads. This is deceptively satisfying. I love all the many set pieces and the ability to interact with them. Poko Nyan! is just a fun, relaxing and whimsical platformer. Yeah I wish it were harder but gaming is ultimately about having fun. And I enjoyed playing this one tremendously. Oddly satisfying. There's something innately charming and innocent about this game that takes one right back to their early childhood years. Poko Nyan! is perhaps the poster child for a "kiddie game" but damnit if it ain't bloody fun.
|
|
|
Post by The Great Klaid on Sept 20, 2016 14:14:53 GMT -5
I've gotta actually finish the first game. The power went out and I was really just kind of pissed off. I think I'm gonna have to go play it again.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 21, 2016 0:24:59 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper 42: Ghost Sweeper Mikami 41: Go Go Ackman 40: Poko Nyan! #39: ARAIGUMA RASCALWith Poko featured yesterday and Rascal today, it confirms what we've felt all along: raccoons are freaking awesome. There are lots of cute games out there, but there might not be one that will induce more heartfelt "awwws" than Araiguma Rascal (AKA Raccoon Rascal). This action puzzle game is based off Rascal the Raccoon, which was a Japanese anime series based on the 1963 autobiographical novel "Rascal, A Memoir of a Better Era" by Sterling North. If nothing else, no other SNES game can claim it was loosely based off a 1963 classic American memoir. Thankfully, the game is noteworthy for more than just that. It puts a unique spin on your typical falling piece puzzler. Players control Rascal, an adorable raccoon whose sole job is to discard of the various jars coming his way. Match 3 or more like jars to make them disappear. Rather than simply moving the D-Pad left and right and rotating pieces, as Rascal you must grab one jar at a time and maneuver your way through the field. This includes jumping and requires some heavy forethought. There is a bit of a learning curve as it's not your typical puzzle game. Therein lies the charm and fun of it all. It's something just different enough that catches your fancy and leaves something of an indelible mark. The game features 3 different entertaining 2 player modes to boot. In 2 player mode one controls Rascal and the other player controls Sterling -- the author of the 1963 memoir "Rascal." The graphics are unique. Yes they're colorful but they really invoke the spirit of Wisconsin (the setting of the memoir). There's an old school "throwback" feel to the visuals... almost vintage in style. Just take a look at the screenshots here and you can see the care that the developers put into this game. It all adds up to one extremely adorable and appealing package. BTW, Super Play Magazine (a UK Super Nintendo-dedicated publication) gave it a decent score back in the day: Love the detail of the squirrel pushing the jars!
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 22, 2016 1:10:24 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper 42: Ghost Sweeper Mikami 41: Go Go Ackman 40: Poko Nyan! 39: Araiguma Rascal #38: SUPER TEKKYU FIGHT! At a cursory glance, Super Tekkyu Fight! appears to be a Bomberman clone. However, play it for a few minutes and you'll quickly notice it's quite different. For starters, players can take up to 8 hits (therefore battles last much longer than your average Bomberman match). You can also jump around the field. In addition, there are lots of gaping holes where if you fall through you will lose four health bars. Instead of bombing your foes, you attack them with a spiky ball. You can flip tiles and stun your opponent. Naturally, power-ups can sway the tide of war. There's also the 1-2P mode where you go through 6 worlds with 8 levels each (the 8th featuring a big nasty boss). It's not a shabby little mode, thanks to the awesome looking bosses, but the meat is definitely the four player mode. On the downside, the 8 battle arenas aren't incredibly diverse. They're not as varied as most Bomberman games. Nonetheless, this is a blast to play with 3 like-minded friends. If you're lucky enough to still occasionally host the random 4-player gaming night here and there, I definitely recommend picking this one up. And even if you're more of the "One Player" type, you can always set the 3 players to be computer controlled and still have a good time. It's no Super Bomberman, but Super Tekkyu Fight! is certainly a solid alternative when you're in the mood for something Bomberman-esque while also being a little different.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 23, 2016 0:45:01 GMT -5
50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper 42: Ghost Sweeper Mikami 41: Go Go Ackman 40: Poko Nyan! 39: Araiguma Rascal 38: Super Tekkyu Fight! #37: GANBARE DAIKU NO GENSAN Ganbare Daiku no Gensan is the one and only SNES appearance for Irem's Hammerin' Harry. You might remember Harry from the arcade scene of the early '90s as well as his 8-bit Nintendo adventure (unfortunately PAL release only). Well, once again Harry gets the American shaft, as "Super Hammerin' Harry" never left Japan. Thankfully, SNES players can still experience it in all its glory (well, there's a small bit of Japanese text but nothing you can't overcome). Run around the various levels using an almost Super Deformed Harry, crushing everything in sight with his trusty hammer. There are fun upgrades available as well as special attacks that Harry can do. It's also Japanese bonkers. It never takes itself too seriously, or at all, really. From fighting a man dressed in a cat suit (WTF) to knocking the hell out of octogenarians (!), Ganbare Daiku no Gensan promises a wacky experience that while short, is certainly enjoyable while it lasts. Nothing too fancy here, folks. What you see is what you get. It's nowhere near the level of the elite SNES platformers, but it's one of those quirky little action games that could easily entertain ya for an hour or two on a lazy Friday night. And damnit if it ain't fun smashing a monkey upside the head with a giant mallet. Gallagher would surely be proud.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 27, 2016 1:28:24 GMT -5
My apologies for the delay in continuing this countdown. Life's gotten busier than normal and so I will just post these entries whenever I can. Was aiming for an entry a day but that's just not feasible with work picking up. In the meantime, here's an awesome Super Famicom game that probably not many have played. Or at least, it's certainly had less exposure than the mainstream usual suspects, and I believe it's just as damn good as some of those classics. It's not on my top 50 countdown because it has a lot of Japanese text and I do consider it an action RPG (I purposely excluded Japanese RPGs and action RPGs off this list). But if I were to include this game it would easily be in my top 10. I like it THAT much. What game am I talking about? GUNMAN'S PROOF Released late in the SNES lifespan (1997), Gunman's Proof can best be summarized as a mix of EarthBound, Link to the Past and the wild, wild west. Sounds like an enticing combination? It sure is, and thankfully, the game plays extremely well. Unlike other action RPGs where you strike with a short ranged weapon, here you get to fire off a variety of guns. It gives it a slight Zombies Ate My Neighbors feel as well. Good stuff, indeed. In addition, you can punch enemies even pull off Dragon Punches. The graphics have a pleasant cheery look to them, and you gotta love the game's setting and overall aesthetics. Go around the island and talk to some interesting NPCs. Interestingly enough, the relationship between the father and son is unlike any other on the SNES. Rather than being loving and supportive, the dad is downright abusive and vicious. It gives the game a different feel. But it's all handled in a very amusing manner. All that's to say... the game's dialogue is a real treat. You'll want to talk to every NPC. Its sense of humor reminds me a lot of EarthBound. The battle sections are a blast. It's refreshing to shoot at enemies from far away. With 8 directions to aim, and a strafe/lock option, it's handled beautifully (did you hear that, Zombies Ate My Neighbors?). The puzzles are much lighter than Link to the Past, but it's still a ton of fun. The main character can also duck and crawl to avoid bullets. The dungeons are not as complex as Link to the Past and they never get (too) overwhelming. It's definitely an easy game, but I say better "easy and fun" than "impossible and cheap" any day of the week. All in all, you can't go far wrong with Gunman's Proof. Its main negative is that it's way too damn short. The game can be beaten in about 4 measly hours, but what fun those 4 short hours will be. Thankfully, it's been fan translated, and I can't recommend this game enough. If you love Link to the Past or action RPGs in general, Gunman's Proof is a must-play. Full review here.
|
|
|
Post by toei on Sept 29, 2016 15:20:06 GMT -5
Yeah, Gunman's Proof is cool. I think I got my hopes up a little too high back then because of the Earthbound parallel plus the fact that it's like Zelda with a gun, but it's still good. The dialogue is great, but there's not enough of it; with more towns and story, and dungeons a little less in the mold of the first Zelda, it could have been a true classic. The same developers made another RPG that has been fan-translated called Magna Braban, which features a similar sense of humor.
|
|
|
Post by steven on Sept 30, 2016 0:38:40 GMT -5
Yeah, Gunman's Proof is cool. I think I got my hopes up a little too high back then because of the Earthbound parallel plus the fact that it's like Zelda with a gun, but it's still good. The dialogue is great, but there's not enough of it; with more towns and story, and dungeons a little less in the mold of the first Zelda, it could have been a true classic. The same developers made another RPG that has been fan-translated called Magna Braban, which features a similar sense of humor. Ah, good info. Thanks for sharing that! Yeah, similar to Spike McFang, if Gunman's Proof were a 15-hour adventure rather than a 3-5 hour one, it truly could have been VERY special. As is though, I still think it's a damn blast 50: Battle Cross 49: Mickey Tokyo Disneyland 48: Little Magic 47: Rendering Ranger: R2 46: Violinist of Hamelin 45: Super Back to the Future II 44: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 43: Keeper 42: Ghost Sweeper Mikami 41: Go Go Ackman 40: Poko Nyan! 39: Araiguma Rascal 38: Super Tekkyu Fight! 37: Ganbare Daiku no Gensan #36: POWER SOUKOBAN Published by NINTENDO on New Year's Day 1999 (yes, you read that correct, 19-freaking-99), Power Soukoban add an action-oriented "modern" twist to the old classic Soukoban puzzle action format. This time the puzzles aren't as crazy because the emphasis is moreso on the action end. Here you'll have to fend off enemies. Open pits will spawn evil creatures. Only by closing off the pits do you eradicate the little demons. The enemies don't really pose much of a threat, but it's fun nonetheless to shoot them down. Speaking of which, your little demon protagonist doesn't just push stones -- he can also fire projectiles. These long ranged shots can take out enemies as well as move stones. It's pretty cool and definitely not your brother's Soukoban. There are even bosses to contend with, such as Frankenstein and Medusa to name but a few. There aren't traditional stages per se; the whole thing has inter-connected screens similar to Super Metroid. I also like that this game features multi-tier puzzles. For example, entering a room from a certain entrance may yield zero results. However, enter that same room later on from a different entrance reveals the path to clearing that particular puzzle for that particular room. There's even a cast of NPCs you can interact with, and the game even features a very light RPG-esque element to it. Too bad the dialogue is in Japanese, but it's not anything that would impede your progress if you don't read the language. Power Soukoban can get a tad repetitive and the puzzles aren't very complex at all, but it's a fun action puzzle game and an oddly fascinating footnote in SNES history. Seeing as how it was released in 1999, it really just might be the last great game to ever grace Nintendo's 16-bit wonder.
|
|