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Post by steven on Oct 1, 2016 15:45:41 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 36: Power Soukoban #35: THE FIREMEN The Firemen is one of those Super Famicom titles I remember long being curious about ever since I saw it featured in the pages of EGM back in good ole 1994. Developed by HUMAN, best known for their Fire Pro Wrestling franchise, The Firemen is like DieHard if the terrorists were replaced with fire and the firearms replaced with a water hose. Heck, even the intro is oddly in English, and more than vaguely reminds one of the plot from DieHard! However, the in-game text is all in Japanese. It's not necessary to understand if you don't read Japanese, but you're given tips to help you out. Still, no biggie as the game is completely playable without this knowledge. I was very impressed when I played this game initially in 2006, and although my feelings for it have "cooled down" (har har) since then, it's still a quality game worthy of this list. Shoot in any one of 8 directions, and you can strafe and lock yourself into any one of these 8 positions. I like the little details such as the glass shattering when you fire at them. Part of me almost expects Stone Cold Steve Austin to come running in outta nowhere to open a can of whup ass. There are two spray attacks. One straight ahead and one that sprays downward. You also get bombs and a computer-controlled ally that helps you out on occasion. It's a shame there isn't a two-player option, though. The graphics are sharp and clean with a nice depth backing them. There are also innocent people to save throughout the levels. Doing so will restore your health by roughly 60%. The bosses fights are simple and satisfying. The Firemen is solid fun and it's a shame it never saw the light of day in America (although it did receive a European PAL release). If you haven't played The Firemen yet, you really should. It's a better example of the fire fighting sub-genre than Jaleco's The Ignition Factor. --- Announcement time. I hope this is OK, but given my years of service contributing to the gaming community, I hope that it is. So, as some of you know, for the past decade-plus I've been waving the SNES banner. In that time I've been beating SNES games and keeping detailed notes. Seeing as how today marks the first day of October, I figure now is a fitting time to make this announcement. Coming in one year's time will be my very own SNES book. It will be released privately via PDF. There will be a very small fee for my effort (I'm thinking around $3 is more than fair). The PDF will include: -My top 200 favorite SNES games* -Various SNES stories of mine from 1991-current day -Exclusive interviews that I've conducted with various SNES programmers over the years *The top 200 list will be done in a very similar fashion as this Top 50 Super Famicom list. So if you're enjoying this countdown, you'll definitely enjoy my Top 200 countdown as well. This list will feature US and Japanese games (including Japanese RPGs such as Seiken Densetsu 3 AKA Secret of Mana 2, Dragon Quest V, Final Fantasy V, and so forth). Keep in mind this is a list I've been working on and tweaking ever since 2006. So it's not something I'm piecing together hastily overnight or a few weeks or even a few months. This has been a decade-plus project of mine that I can't wait to finally share! I hope my work over the past decade has entertained you to some degree, and I hope you'll support this project come this time next year. It will be roughly 300 pages long, with up to 1,000 full color pictures. And for the record, there will be no Kickstarter. No delays. No stretch goals. No BS. More details to follow as we get closer to the date. It comes online October 2017.
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Post by steven on Oct 2, 2016 17:09:27 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen #34: SUPER GENJIN 2 Growing up in the early '90s, I was lucky enough to own the NES, Genesis and Super Nintendo. That meant Saturday afternoons perusing any of those 3 libraries at the local rental store. I had my choice of the litter, and life was good. However, there was at least one franchise that eluded me that I had always been madly curious about. That, of course, was BONK on the Turbo Grafx 16. Back in those olden days, the Turbo Grafx 16 was sort of a "Neo Geo Junior" in the sense that very few stores carried it and you hardly knew anyone who owned it. It was something of a semi-mythical "beast" that you really only saw in the pages of EGM, GamePro and GameFan Magazine. I was instantly captivated the first time I saw screenshots of the Bonk games. I've always had a thing for caveman platformers. Then in 1994, GameFan ran a preview for Super Bonk for the Super Nintendo. It blew my young mind. It was like seeing Ronald McDonald featured in a Burger King commercial, or seeing "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon in a WCW ring (er wait, that one really did happen, sorta anyhow). It was a WTF moment for its time. Unfortunately, the SNES effort in my opinion was only decent at best. And at worst, it was borderline disappointing. Enter its Super Famicom-exclusive sequel, Super Genjin 2. Super Genjin 2 is everything Super Bonk should have been. The sprites are smaller, which works in its favor as the gameplay is less clunky and easier to maneuver Bonk around the playing field. He's got new tricks up his sleeve, such as a sliding ability and some transformations that were not seen in Super Bonk but seen in the TG-16 series, such as the thief (who can throw the smiley faces as projectiles). The worlds are colorful and the visuals are rather striking -- both a major improvement over Super Bonk. The power ups are what makes the game fun but it's also simply experiencing the various quirky levels. In one level you're struck by lightning in the beginning and you're forced to spend the entire level trying to refill your health in order to regain consciousness by level's end. Another level sees Bonk spinning himself around on a rotor as he navigates the not-so-friendly spike-filled skies. It's not a long game, but there's even a password code given after each world is beaten (another thing that Super Bonk lacked). There is a small bit of Japanese text but it's nothing major. For those who wish to experience it in full, however, there is an English translation available. All in all, Super Genjin 2 isn't perfect but it's a fine example of the genre, does the Bonk name proud and is certainly one of the better Super Famicom-exclusive platformers out there.
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Post by steven on Oct 6, 2016 1:44:02 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 #33: SUPER BOMBERMAN PANIC BOMBER WORLD More than just a cheap cash-in or a lame gimmick in order to milk the good name of a proven franchise, Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World is an admirable foray into the puzzle genre for those good Bombermen. The goal is to connect 3 or more like-color pieces. You can connect them horizontally, vertically or even diagonally. I like the inclusion of the diagonal factor as it leads to more combo possibilities and adds to the strategy. In addition, you get unlit and lit bombs because Bomberman. Once you fill up your power bar, you get a mega bomb that will cause all kinds of havoc. It's pretty simple and straightforward. It's also a whole lot of fun. The chains and combos you can pull off are pretty insane. Instead of 2 pieces falling at a time as in most puzzle games, it's 3 pieces here. That just gives you more pieces to play with as you work to craft crushing combos. Speaking of noteworthy, the game cartridge actually uses a special chip believe it or not. And of course, being a Bomberman title, there's even a 4 player mode for you and 3 friends (or 3 computer opponents) to do battle in. The classic Bomberman battle tune is even replicated nicely here, and fits the urgency of the falling piece action to a tee. While Panic Bomber may never replace your Super Bomberman or Saturn Bomberman game nights, it does make for a damn fine entertaining diversion. There really isn't much else to say here except it's a shame not more people are aware of this game. It's more than worthy of a spot in anyone's Super Nintendo collection.
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Post by steven on Oct 9, 2016 16:06:58 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World #32: BS SHOCKMAN BS Shockman, or technically BS Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero, is a unique title in this top 50 countdown. Why? Unlike the other games on this list so far, this one was never officially released on cartridge. It was slated for a Super Famicom release back in 1994, but was instead relegated to the Satellaview device (a downloading service in Japan in the '90s). But of course, you can find a way to play it today and you probably should. While nothing earth shattering, it's simply a fun little 2-player action romp. Of course, the Shockman franchise began on the PC-Engine, so similar to Bonk, it was shocking (har har) to see it being associated with the SNES back in 1994. It blends aspects from Mega Man, Mario, Street Fighter and there's even a small hint of Castlevania thrown in for good measure. Its 2 player mode is the best thing about it, as players can combine to unleash super special tag team attacks they could not otherwise do on their own. Each of the characters, Raita and Azuki, also have special moves they can execute on their own. This includes a Dragon Punch and Hadoken-like blast. Featuring only 8 stages, the game is rather short (45 minutes or so) and is unfortunately a cake walk. That's pretty much its most glaring flaw. Other than that, what you have here is a very fun game that feels like something of a mix between a traditional platformer and a beat 'em up. Nail enemies with the Hadoken blast and watch them fly backwards in slow motion (done on purpose for dramatic effect). The whole thing never takes itself seriously but yet it also doesn't feel like a parody or a spoof, which I very much appreciate. It somehow manages to ride that fine line between semi-serious and silly. All in all, if you ever wanted to experience a game that spliced Mario with Mega Man, you could do far worse than BS Shockman. Er, BS Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero. Call it whatever you want -- I call it a quality 2-player action game more than deserving of its place on this list.
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Post by steven on Oct 12, 2016 2:39:29 GMT -5
Earlier tonight (technically last night by the time I post this), I caught the opening night showing of SHIN GODZILLA here in the US. It's a limited showing from October 11-18 only. I grew up a huge Godzilla fan. In fact, when I started this topic back in September 2006, I opened by reviewing Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen. If you told me then that TEN years and a month later there would be a Japanese Godzilla film showing in an American theatre, I would never believe it. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and recommend catching it in theatres while you still can. There is a ton of dialogue and political commentary, moreso than any other Godzilla film. But I found it refreshing -- Shin Godzilla felt like an 'adult' take on Godzilla. It takes you on a wild ride that depicts what it might feel like if you're a high ranking governmental official trying to navigate a Godzilla crisis. It won't resonate with everyone, but I enjoyed this reboot of Godzilla. I liked it more than the 2014 American version. Welcome back the king of monsters50: 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 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman #31: MAJYUUOU It's October, which means a month full of horror movies and horror-themed video games for us Halloween geeks. I recently tried to watch Rob Zombie's 31, but couldn't get through it even halfway. Speaking of 31, it's appropriate for this next game to be #31. The SNES isn't known for having very many dark and mature titles in its library. However, Majyuuou definitely qualifies as such and is perfect to pick up and play during this month of October. AKA King of Demons, at first glance it appears to be something of a cross between Castlevania and Resident Evil. While it never quite lives up to such an enticing combination, it is a rather fun and sordid romp through hell. The imagery is unlike anything else you'll find on the SNES. You start out in human form armed with a gun and a giant Hadoken-like blast. The interesting part comes at the end of each level where an orb allows you to transform into a savage beast. In all, there are four forms (coincidentally enough there are four forms of Godzilla in the new Shin Godzilla film). To get the good ending, you must use all 3 forms at some point before the final level. At which point you will then unlock the fourth and final, ultimate transformation. Each form, naturally, has its own strengths and weaknesses. Your main character's sprite is a little too small for my liking, which is a little disappointing, but the game does feature a good amount of details to make up for this. It does an excellent job of sucking you into its decaying, macabre and decrepit underbelly of a seedy universe. The control could have been a little bit smoother, admittedly, but it still plays relatively well enough (don't expect anything near Super Mario World brilliance). Like I said, don't expect this to be an epic gem and you'll probably enjoy it, especially during this time of the year. While it never quite lives up to the hype I created for it in my own imagination, I'm happy we even got this game to begin with. There simply aren't enough games like this on the Super Nintendo so when one comes along this bizarre, hellish and competently developed, you gladly take it with no questions asked.
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Post by steven on Oct 13, 2016 21:02:07 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou #30: MICKEY & DONALD: MAGICAL ADVENTURE 3 The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse brings back a lot of fond memories for many of us. One of the earlier "classics" on the Super Nintendo, Capcom continued to flex its 16-bit muscles with a game that played as well as it looked. I, for one, have warm memories of Magical Quest that winter of 1992. Remember that extra thick Nintendo Power holiday issue featuring Magical Quest on its cover? And who could forget those classic Nintendo Power square tile layouts? Ah, the memories. It's too bad kids today will never experience the feeling of picking up a gaming magazine from their local store (or from their mailbox). Nothing rivals the excitement of seeing a brand new issue, filled with the latest and greatest video games, and reading that sucker from cover to cover for hours on end. Those were certainly some, pardon the pun, MAGICAL times. A few years later Capcom released the sequel The Great Circus Mystery. While it was viewed by many as solid and competent, many also felt the original was superior (despite the sequel offering a 2-player co-op mode). The Great Circus Mystery was just missing the magic of the original. In December 1995, 3 years following the release of The Magical Quest, Capcom released the final game in the trilogy. It never made its way to American shores as the SNES was dying a quick and quiet death by late '95/early '96. It was Minnie Mouse out and Donald Duck in. The classic costume system returns but this time the suit powers differ for Mickey and Donald, making it worthwhile to sample both characters. Of course, that classic refined Mickey gameplay you've come to love returns (including the lovely snatch-a-block-out-of-the-air-and-heave-it-at-the-bad-guys format), but now it also features the best visuals of the series. It's gorgeous; some of the animations (particularly from Donald) are simply priceless. Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 is easily one of the better Super Famicom-exclusive platformers ever released. And a perfect companion piece to The Magical Quest. Capcom could do almost no wrong back in the mid '90s, and this is simply another shining example of such.
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Post by steven on Oct 15, 2016 0:30:30 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 #29: GHOST CHASER DENSEI The best Super Famicom beat 'em up to never leave Japan? Not Iron Commando. Sorry, Undercover Cops. From where I sit, hands down it's Ghost Chaser Densei. Sure it's got many of the beat 'em up tropes. Three characters to pick from. One is well-balanced, one is strong and one is the token weak but quick female. Charging fat bad guys. You name it, you'll probably find it here. But what makes this games stand out from the crowd? A couple things. 1. You can block. 2. You kip-up whenever you get back up from being knocked down. This actually damages bad guys within reach. Sick. 3. In 2-player co-op mode you can pull off special tag team moves (similar to BS Shockman which was featured earlier on this list). 4. Know how most beat 'em ups allow you to use special moves at the cost of a little health? Not the case here! Instead, there is a separate meter specifically for your special moves. And yes, that's plural. Rather than having one special move, each of the 3 protagonists have a couple. Best yet, the power bar regenerates slowly, meaning you can pull off special moves intermittently without compromising your health meter. Brilliant. While it's no Turtles in Time, hell, what on Super Nintendo is? Ghost Chaser Densei is a top-notch beat 'em up that takes one back the halcyon days when side-scrolling beat 'em ups ruled the arcade scene. That's because it originated as an arcade game only in Japan. Released in 1994, Denjin Makai was later ported to the Super Famicom in 1995. The arcade game had 6 characters to choose from but the SFC port cut out 3, turning them into boss characters. It's also missing a level. Despite these cuts, Ghost Chaser Densei still shines. Hey, at least it kept its excellent 2-player co-op mode (I'm looking at you, Undercover Cops). I just looked on eBay and am "shocked not shocked" that a cartridge only copy commands over $125. Whew. It's tough to recommend it at THAT price, but sadly that's just the nature of the beast these days. BTW, there was a Japan only arcade sequel, Denjin Makai II AKA Guardians. Check it out on YouTube. Makes you kind of miss the good old days when side-scrolling beat 'em ups were king. Hell, they're still kings to me, damnit.
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Post by steven on Oct 15, 2016 21:12:49 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei #28: MAGICAL POP'N One of the more well known "obscure" Super Famicom-exclusive games, Magical Pop'n is an action platformer that conjures memories of more than one classic gaming franchise. If Zelda were ever made into a platformer, I imagine it would look something like Magical Pop'n. You attack enemies with a short-ranged sword, but can gain powers as you go along. The first power-up to acquire is a projectile, but it comes at the cost of 2 stars. Stars are scattered throughout the game's six stages. Collect as many as you can to increase your sub weapon ammunition. It's similar to Castlevania with its sub weapons and heart system. These sub weapons expand the game and allow you to perform some fancy tricks. For example, there is a grappler that turns the game into a slight Bionic Commando affair. The grappler can be employed an unlimited amount of times as it costs zero stars to use, but is strictly for swinging purposes only. As you can imagine, the more potent the sub weapon, the more hearts it will cost to use. The game presents a fairly decent challenge. Unfortunately there is no password or save system. But thankfully, there is a handy cheat code that opens up a debug menu. Pause the game and press Up, Down, X, Y, Left, Right, A, B, Up, Up. This allows you to tweak with things such as lives, hearts, a God mode and even a super useful level select cheat. That way you don't need to beat the game in one sitting. It also allows you to revisit any favorite level on a whim. To me these codes are simply the best kind because they go a long way to enhance my enjoyment of a game as well as increase longevity. Magical Pop'n isn't as epic as I was hoping -- I'm not crazy about the protagonist's speech samples and the platforming isn't super SUPER crisp -- but it's still a damn fine game, really. There are way more positives than negatives, for sure. It does command an arm and leg today which makes recommend buying a copy hard-pressed to do, but you should certainly find a way to experience it somehow. Not bad at all for obscure little developer Polestar who has only four titles to its name. This was their very first game and while it isn't perfect, Magical Pop'n certainly makes a splash in the vast ocean of Super Famicom goodness.
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Post by steven on Oct 16, 2016 3:25:08 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n #27: POP'N TWINBEE RAINBOW BELL ADVENTURES For something zany and slightly different (not to mention insanely colorful), try this next entry. Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures (I dare you to say that fast 5 times) is an action platformer with a twist. Its main strength is its versatility. Pick from 3 varied characters. There's a punch meter where when charged allows you to unleash a mega shot capable of destroying barriers, revealing new sections of the level. The jump meter when charged allows you to fly around like a maniac. It's very Rocket Knight/Sparkster-esque. TwinBee is the well-balanced one. WinBee: shorter jump meter, longer punch meter. GwinBee: shorter punch meter, longer jump meter. There's a character for everyone's preferred playing style. Each of the "Bees" has their own special weapon (mallet, lasso, rattle). Slain enemies will drop a bell. These bells come in varied colors and as you might guess, each color serves a purpose. A blue bell grants you a gun. Another color grants you temporary invincibility. One color gives you your special weapon. You lose all power-ups if you're damaged, but you can kill more enemies to recollect your said power-ups. Speaking of killing the bad guys, check out how versatile this game is. Eliminate baddies by: 1. hop and bop 2. flying fist (during flight) 3. special weapon 4. mega shot 5. gun 6. punch (your default attack before acquiring your special weapon) 7. making contact while invincible. This versatility goes a long way to making the game feel different from the crowd, as well as minimizing repetitiveness while playing it. In addition, there are two 2-player modes. The first is a 2-player co-op mode, although admittedly this isn't the best 2-player game around. Simply because when one player decides to take flight it leaves the other player off screen and causes for some awkward moments. It kind of takes away the joy of flying which arguably makes up a good chunk of the game's appeal in the first place. Still, it's nice Konami gave us the option of playing co-op with a friend. The second 2-player mode is a battle mode. You and your friend are dumped into a split screen war zone where you have 3 minutes to defeat your rival. It's interesting to say the least, and off the top of my head I can't think of another SNES 2-player game that offers a split screen versus mode. If you know of one, sound off! To top things off, there's a password system for the six worlds so that you don't have to beat the whole thing in one sitting. Rainbow Bell Adventures is definitely one of Konami's most underrated gems from the 16-bit era.
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Post by steven on Oct 18, 2016 1:14:14 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n 27: Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures #26: POP'N SMASH(Yes, that's three straight POP'N titles. The Japanese must love that word...) One thing about the SNES that never ceases to amaze me is how deep and diverse its library is. There are so many beloved classics, but what I really enjoy are the lesser known games that are just plain fun to play. Obscure gems that rarely get the spotlight they so richly deserve. Pop'n Smash is one such example. Heisei Inu Monogatari Bow: Pop’n Smash, to give it its full proper name, is a game you rarely ever hear about or see on SNES recommendation lists. And that's a shame. Imagine a mix between Pong and Breakout, then add in typical Japanese wackiness and shenanigans... and you get Pop'n Smash. If that isn't enough to sell you on this title, then I don't know what will. Pop'n Smash is centered around canine Bow, a dog character from a famous Japanese manga and anime back in the '90s. "Bow Wow" was a Japanese manga created by Terry Yamamoto. It enjoyed a lengthy run from 1992 to 1999. There was also a 40 episode anime series (1993-1994). Bow has more than a passing resemblance to Spuds MacKenzie, the star of a Super Bowl commercial that aired way back in 1987. The objective is to bat the ball into your opponent's goal zone. Along the way there are obstacles such as breakable blocks, pots and even bombs to add a little extra spice to it all. Choose from several different characters and stages. Players can make dramatic diving saves as well as cross over into the opponent's playing area. I enjoy the freedom this game affords. It's also got a great little sense of humor. You can select different tools to bat the ball. This ranges from a tennis racket to a mallet to even a twig. Yes, a freaking twig. It's completely silly and tons of fun. It's one of those games that anyone can pick up and play, and enjoy. Even non-gamers. Pop'n Smash is a smashing good time (sorry). And easily one of the many unsung obscure gems of the Super Famicom library.
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Post by steven on Oct 19, 2016 1:20:05 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n 27: Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures 26: Pop'n Smash #25: SANRIO WORLD SMASH BALL! Licensed video games back in the mid '90s were hit and miss. Probably more miss than hit. But this next game, not surprisingly (as it is #25), is thankfully a hit. Remember those Sanrio "Hello Kitty" stores? There was actually a Super Famicom game based around Sanrio released in the summer of 1993. At first glance one is inclined to think it's a clone of Windjammers, but Windjammers actually came out 7 months later (February 1994). Instead, think of Sanrio Smash as a fun little mix of Pong and Breakout. It's very similar to the previous game, Pop'n Smash, but it plays *slightly* better. It's a little more smooth and polished. Choose from 4 Sanrio character and 20 different level layouts. There is a 1-player mode complete with passwords, but it's the 2-player game where Sanrio Smash shines. It's cutthroat, competitive and awesome fun. Similar to Pop'n Smash, it's got that pick up and play charm to it. It's also got a high level of replayability. Hell, I've owned it 10+ years now, and still find myself firing it up on occasion. It just sort of hits a sweet spot for me. And it's a game I can pop in and enjoy for 15 minutes. There are power-ups to sway the tide of battle one way or the other. For example, one power-up causes all the blocks protecting your rival's goal line to disappear. There is also a super shot that players can unleash once they've charged up their meter. This is done by standing still and holding the proper button. The super shot causes your little guy to smack the ball 250 miles per hour. The animation is such that it can get up to 2 hits depending on circumstances (i.e. the disc bouncing off a block right back to you). So some strategy is involved as you dance through the level, picking your spots to power up your special meter. The worst thing is getting caught snoozing and letting the ball past your line of defense as you try to fill up your power bar. On an interesting side note, there is no music whatsoever during play. It's just the sound of the disc bouncing around. Also, weighing in at a HEFTY two megs (yes, TWO), it's the smallest SNES game along with Mr. Do! and Space Invaders. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean, the Super Nintendo's biggest games at 48 megs each, are a whopping 24 times bigger than Sanrio Smash. But as we all know, never judge a 16-bit game by its meg count. Sanrio World Smash Ball! is a smash. Sorry. I mean, a ball. Damnit. Look, it's pretty damn good, OK? So get it if you can, or something. Super Play Magazine speaking its mind back in the day...
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Post by steven on Oct 21, 2016 2:59:08 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n 27: Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures 26: Pop'n Smash 25: Sanrio World Smash Ball! #24: SPARK WORLD We go from Sanrio World to Spark World. This game is, as you can clearly see, a most blatant Super Bomberman clone. There is a 1-2 player mode where you must go through several different themes (i.e. city, desert, jungle, etc.) There are 9 themes in all, with each theme having 3 stages and the 4th one being that theme's boss. But of course, the meat and potatoes is the 4-player battle mode. Similar to Bomberman the options are extremely adjustable, right down to the ability to select varying difficulty levels for EACH computer controlled opponent (if you're playing by yourself). Each player is able to sustain two hits, which makes for nice, lengthy battles and a chance at redemption if you accidentally mess up say in the first half minute of a match. There are some slight twists though that go a long way to making the game more fun. The boxing glove power-up icon allows you to punch your OPPONENT(S) rather than the fuel barrel (bomb). Now that's sick. There are also "?" icons that can grant you amazing offensive capabilities, or the complete opposite. One such example is a 30 second countdown may appear over your head. You can transfer this curse to anyone else and whoever has it when it reaches 0 dies. As you can imagine, this leads to some frenetic and chaotic moments as you either race desperately around the field trying to pass it on (in "It Follows" fashion) or you're madly running away trying to avoid it at all costs. I also like how the color of the sparks match your car's color. But perhaps best of all, there is a "rival" screen that shows you who killed you and who your "rival" should be for the following round. When one car kills the other 3, it leads to some good laughs as the 3 killed may very well decide to team up on the rival for the next round. There is a very subtle sense of black humor with this screen. I mean, you usually know who kills you, but just seeing it visually spelled out for you does go a long way in drawing the battle lines in the sand rather emphatically. If you enjoy Bomberman in the least and like having a slew of 4-player party games on hand just because you never know when your pals might drop by, then I strongly recommend adding Spark World to your party mix. It's definitely not as great as the Super Bomberman titles, but as far as alternatives go, it gets the job done. And it deserves some rightful recognition. So here it is, 24th on the list. Well done, Bombercar, er, I mean, Spark World. Well freakin' done.
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Post by steven on Oct 22, 2016 20:22:52 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n 27: Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures 26: Pop'n Smash 25: Sanrio World Smash Ball! 24: Spark World #23: SUPER BOMBERMAN 5 Move out of the way, Spark World, here comes the original. Quick, think of the SNES franchise (excluding sports) that saw the most sequels? Super Bomberman. Gamers in the US got parts 1 and 2. But 3, 4 and 5 were released in Japan (3 also saw a release in Europe). These games are perhaps most notable for adding a 5th bomber to the mix, but they also feature a whole new slew of bombs and gimmicks. Really, you could put 3, 4 or 5 in this slot, but I chose 5 because I do feel it's the best of the non-US Super Bomberman titles. Not only does it feature some stages from the four previous Bomberman titles (thus making it feel slightly like a "remix") but it has a better overall battle zone selection than 3 or 4. This is aided by the 3 bonus battle zones (making for a total of 13) which is noteworthy because the code only works on a specific controller. That being Hudson's very own Super Joy Card. Well, it's either get the pad (roughly $20 these days) or plop down the $400 or so for Super Bomberman 5 GOLD edition cartridge. Yeah, I went with the controller route, and if you want the 3 bonus stages, you should too. Not only is there a controller-specific code, but this game also features a mad bomber option with the ability to kill someone and switch places. It brings a whole new intensity to the mad bomber option. There are also codes that will change the layout of each battle zone. There are actually four different layouts for each battle zone, which adds to the map variation and expands replay value even further than what it already would have been. (Super Bomberman 3 and 4 also has these cheat codes). There's also a hidden bomber to unlock, the Golden Bomber. Overall, you can't go wrong with either Super Bomberman 3, 4 or 5. Definitely get at least one of those sequels because it's nice having that 5th extra bomber. It's nice to have in case you ever have four friends visiting instead of three. I still have a soft spot for the original Super Bomberman, but 5 isn't too far behind. After that, 2, 3 and 4 are somewhat interchangeable. Upper left: Default Upper right: 4622 Bottom left: 0413 Bottom right: 0926
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Post by steven on Oct 23, 2016 1:16:39 GMT -5
Being Halloween season and all, I replayed Super Castlevania IV the other night and man... it never fails to satisfy. I'd like to share a re-telling of the game plot with the help of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers... hope you enjoy it and get a little Halloween/Castlevania kick outta it "COME ON old-timer! Let's go!" "HUR-RY UP! HUR-RY UP!"*cough**HONK HONK*"Get in here old man! .... I AIN'T GOT 'TIL JUDGMENT DAY!""Thank you." "Anything for a fellow pilgrim. We're all on a quest. Sometimes we need help getting where we want to be.""HA-CHOO!""Reverend Jackson P. Sayer of Dumont County, pleased to make your acquaintance.""How far you going, Mr. Sayer?""God's country... Promise Land. Where are you heading, Mr. uh?" "... Loomis. Haddonfield.""Car trouble?""... Sort of...""... You're hunting it ain't ya?""GOD DAMN YOU MICHAEL DIE DAMN YOU!""YEAH you're hunting it all right. JUST LIKE ME.""What are you hunting Mr. Sayer?""Apocalypse, End of the World, Armageddon. It's always got a face and a name.I've been hunting the bastard for 30 years, give or take. Come close a time or two.TOO DAAAMN CLOSE.You can't kill Damnation, mister. IT DON'T DIE LIKE A MAN DIES." "I know that Mr. Sayer.""OH you're a pilgrim all right! Yeah, I saw it on your face back there in the dust. I saw it clear as breasts and blue suede shoes." "You're sharp, Reverend." "Speaking of which, let me tell you a story about a fellow pilgrim of ours; one that my great grandfather used to tell me....
... his name was Simon Belmont...NOTE: CLICK on the Castlevania theme below! And read the text below. It fits perfectly to the images and text. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sX3fjpkFwk Those fools should have never revived the dark demon! But they did JUST THAT on one foul and malicious night.... the night HE CAME HOME!It doesn't matter where you go, Mr. Loomis. It can be Dumont County or Haddonfield; evil's all the same -- always got a face and a name. In Transylvania, a small peaceful country out in medieval Europe, there lies a legend that says once every 100 years, when the power of Christ wanes, the forces of evil revive through the prayers of those with wicked hearts. That corrupted evil manifests itself in the form of the one and only, Count DRACULAAnd with each revival, his dark power grows stronger. His goal is to turn all humanity into creatures of darkness, to be ruled under his iron fist. He has appeared in this world many times, and there are many people who fear that in his next appearance, he may well be unstoppableThere is one group that has always been around to see that Dracula is defeated: the Belmont family. For generations the Belmonts have passed along the secrets and skills of vampire-hunting to the eldest child of the family. While many of the Belmonts have lived peaceful lives without encountering the Duke of Darkness, they remain ever vigilant. There are occasional skirmishes with lesser monsters, but the Belmont clan always manages to emerge victorious100 years have passed since the last battle between Dracula and the Belmonts. Tensions mount as Transylvanians reported mysterious sightings of odd creatures appearing under the cover of darkness. Some folks believed it was an omen while many others were convinced it was nothing more than a mere bout of paranoia. Despite the divided ties, the good citizens remained united and a curfew was invoked for precautionary reasons. Children were encouraged to stay out no later than 5 PMWith the curfew in full effect, weeks passed without incidence. Then, tragedy struck when a farmer slept walked into town at the witching hour. The next morning, shrill screams of horror echoed across the land when only the farmer's entrails were found lying on the cobbled road by the clock tower. But rather than fleeing, the people banded together in this time of great need. On the night of Easter, a grand carnival was held in town to celebrate the resurrection of ChristMeanwhile, on the outskirts of town inside an old abbey, a heathenistic group held a ceremony attempting to revive the Duke of Darkness. As they carried out their ritual, dark thunderclouds descended over the countryside. The sinister group stirred itself into a frenzy of mysterious chanting and pagan dancing when a single thunderbolt struck the abbey. The ground shook violently under their feet as the abbey walls shattered. Once more, the almighty Dracula LIVES!The time has come for the young successor Simon Belmont to call forth the powers of good to aid him in his battle. Armed with his mystical whip, his courage and the centuries-old knowledge of Belmont family training, he sets forth on his mission... the mist clears... but the battle before Simon Belmont is only BUT beginning..."
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Post by steven on Oct 23, 2016 17:26:13 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 36: Power Soukoban 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n 27: Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures 26: Pop'n Smash 25: Sanrio World Smash Ball! 24: Spark World 23: Super Bomberman 5 #22: SD F-1 GRAND PRIX Super Mario Kart meets a cast of Chuck E. Cheeses rejects. That's the best way to describe SD F-1 Grand Prix. If you were sad back in the mid '90s that there was never a Super Mario Kart 2 on the SNES, then well, this next game ain't quite that but it certainly stands as a solid alternative and an adequate companion piece to Super Mario Kart. Visually, being released 3 years later in 1995, SD F-1 Grand Prix has a leg up on Super Mario Kart. Of course it doesn't play as smoothly, but that's not a huge surprise coming from a little company such as Video System. Choose from one of 10 different cutesy animal drivers, and compete all around the world in a variety of interesting and cool looking race tracks. The game looks great and the diverse looking tracks help bring it to life. As expected, there is a two player mode where you can select 1 of (surprise, surprise) 4 battle courses to duke it out to the death. There's also a straight laced 10 player mode (sorry, only up to 2 humans can play) where it's pure as pure can get. Not interested in such a cut and dry Grand Prix mode? Then select Crash Mode, which also pits 10 racers on a track but now there are icons littered throughout that include projectiles and the like, with the devious ability to hamper and hinder the opposition. It's Super Mario Kart 1.5 if you will. Overall, it's not as great as Super Mario Kart but as far as SNES alternatives go, this is the cream of the crop. If you enjoy kart racing games then I highly recommend SD F-1 Grand Prix. Yet another fun Super Famicom exclusive that sadly never saw the light of day in the good ol' US of A. Boy, there sure has been a lot of those on this list, eh? :{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 35: The Firemen 34: Super Genjin 2 33: Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World 32: BS Shockman 31: Majyuuou 30: Mickey and Donald: Magical Adventure 3 29: Ghost Chaser Densei 28: Magical Pop'n 27: Pop'n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures 26: Pop'n Smash 25: Sanrio World Smash Ball! 24: Spark World 23: Super Bomberman 5 #22: SD F-1 GRAND PRIX Super Mario Kart meets a cast of Chuck E. Cheeses rejects. That's the best way to describe SD F-1 Grand Prix. If you were sad back in the mid '90s that there was never a Super Mario Kart 2 on the SNES, then well, this next game ain't quite that but it certainly stands as a solid alternative and an adequate companion piece to Super Mario Kart. Visually, being released 3 years later in 1995, SD F-1 Grand Prix has a leg up on Super Mario Kart. Of course it doesn't play as smoothly, but that's not a huge surprise coming from a little company such as Video System. Choose from one of 10 different cutesy animal drivers, and compete all around the world in a variety of interesting and cool looking race tracks. The game looks great and the diverse looking tracks help bring it to life. As expected, there is a two player mode where you can select 1 of (surprise, surprise) 4 battle courses to duke it out to the death. There's also a straight laced 10 player mode (sorry, only up to 2 humans can play) where it's pure as pure can get. Not interested in such a cut and dry Grand Prix mode? Then select Crash Mode, which also pits 10 racers on a track but now there are icons littered throughout that include projectiles and the like, with the devious ability to hamper and hinder the opposition. It's Super Mario Kart 1.5 if you will. Overall, it's not as great as Super Mario Kart but as far as SNES alternatives go, this is the cream of the crop. If you enjoy kart racing games then I highly recommend SD F-1 Grand Prix. Yet another fun Super Famicom exclusive that sadly never saw the light of day in the good ol' US of A. Boy, there sure has been a lot of those on this list, eh?
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