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Post by Sturat on Nov 26, 2016 8:33:12 GMT -5
In college, one of my roommates tried to impress me by telling me about Rockman & Forte. He said, "Did you know there's a Mega Man 9?" (An idea that was ludicrous at the time) and I said "What? No there isn't. Are you talking about Rockman & Forte? Here, I've got that." and then I pulled the game out of a drawer in our room.
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Post by steven on Nov 26, 2016 22:10:33 GMT -5
In college, one of my roommates tried to impress me by telling me about Rockman & Forte. He said, "Did you know there's a Mega Man 9?" (An idea that was ludicrous at the time) and I said "What? No there isn't. Are you talking about Rockman & Forte? Here, I've got that." and then I pulled the game out of a drawer in our room. Nice, what are your thoughts on Rockman & Forte? 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte #11: SUPER SOUKOBAN Way back at entry #36, I shared about a game named Power Soukoban. As much as I like that one, I like Super Soukoban that much more. Its classic, no frills gameplay is as simple (yet complex) and pure as it gets. You're in a cluttered warehouse and it's your job to move boxes into their designated position. There is no timer, however, there is a step limit. By pressing the shoulder buttons you can rewind or fast forward previous steps. This way if you mess up you don't have to restart the level completely. This also encourages experimentation -- knowing that you can always backtrack and erase your error is huge. The early levels start out very basic but soon give way to some mind tingling terrors. I love seeing the transition from level to level and how it may go from large to very small. It's quite a daunting transition! Later on there are even boxes already darkened, which means it's already resting on a purple dot. You can still move these darkened boxes in many cases, but you have to figure out if you're meant to or not. There are 300 levels in all. Rumor has it, launch day buyers are still stuck on level 289 to this very day! What I really like about this game is that it's perfect to pop in and play for 15-20 minutes after a long hard day at work. Sometimes when you have that 9:30-10 PM window open for a little gaming, solving even just one level (which can take 15-20 minutes with all the trial and error and rewinding) is enough to satisfy your gaming itch. Then you jot down the password and go on your merry way. It's the ultimate single-screen brain teaser. I love this genre and feel Super Soukoban beats out Little Magic, Keeper, Sutte Hakkun and the like. To boot, there is a level edit option and a 2-player mode with 10 different playable characters to select from. It will have you flexing those brain muscles. It's the kind of game that you can show to an intellectual non-gaming friend, and they're likely to be intrigued. One of the best things is solving a really tough puzzle with literally one step remaining, or even zero. It's a huge rush! On the flipside, the agony of having one more box to move, but running out of steps right before you can push it to its final purple dot. That's when you rewind and work out a way to trace your steps more efficiently. I've done this a few times myself and it's an absolute fist-in-the-air worthy moment when you pull it off. What's really neat too is after stepping away from the game for a few weeks or months you completely forget how to solve the puzzles, so it becomes like a brand new experience once again. A highly underrated Super Famicom game, I can't recommend Super Soukoban enough.
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Post by steven on Nov 27, 2016 15:55:02 GMT -5
Down to the final ten! And appropriately enough, today's entry is sponsored by Tye Dillinger. 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban #10: SUPER FIRE PRO WRESTLING X PREMIUM Last Sunday, WCW icon Bill Goldberg returned to the squared circle for the first time in 12 years at the 30th Annual Survivor Series. He squared off against Brock Lesnar in a hugely hyped rematch from WrestleMania 20 (2004). Shockwaves were sent throughout the wrestling world as Goldberg squashed the beast in under 90 seconds. Two devastating spears and a vintage Jackhammer later, it was all over but the shouting. I loved wrestling back in the day and still keep up with it these days. I admire the storytelling, the athleticism, and the sacrifices these athletes make on a day in, day out basis. Because I grew up with them and they still occasionally show up on TV (i.e. Goldberg, Sting, Undertaker, Ric Flair, etc.) it's almost like seeing a distant uncle whenever they reappear. I'm a bit jaded and cynical as a fan admittedly, however, but never saw last Sunday's outcome in my wildest dreams. THEY GOT ME. They got everybody, and whether fans loved or hated the booking, it got everyone buzzing. Goldberg will return at the Royal Rumble match itself, and odds are pointing toward the final chapter in the Lesnar-Goldberg trilogy at WrestleMania 33. Things don't always come full circle in real life, but in wrestling, they often somehow do. It makes me feel like a kid again. And THAT, my friends, that's the magic of pro wrestling. Speaking of which, by now most everyone is aware of Human's great Fire Pro series. It began its life on the PC-Engine in 1989. Today's entry, released March 1996, was the final Super Famicom Fire Pro game, and is considered by many as the greatest 16-bit wrestling title of all time. It was absolutely revolutionary for its time thanks to its Create A Wrestler (CAW) mode. Nowadays it's common to see CAW modes (i.e. WWE 2K) but back in early '96 this was unheard of. You could create and save up to 80 wrestlers. The amount of moves and body types available were equally mind blowing. With some time and devotion you could easily recreate the glory days of late '80s/early '90s WWF, the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression Era, ECW, WCW -- hell, recreate the Monday Night War! The grapple system was based on timing rather than button mashing, and players had to work their way up the "move chain." Light, medium and strong attack buttons allow for a natural progression. If you start the match out trying to go for a power or even a medium move, expect it to be automatically countered. So similar to real life, you can't be dishing out power bombs from the opening bell. It made for naturally progressive matches that flowed. Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium has long since been surpassed by superior sequels. Later entries would fix minor annoyances such as overpowered submission moves and falling out of the ring awkwardly whenever you're near the apron. These later Fire Pro entries would also add in cage matches, tables, fluorescent light bulbs, barb wire, etc. Still, 20 years later Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium stands the test of time. Besides, it's pretty cool being able to rock out as Bobo Brazil on your Super Nintendo.
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Post by schtolteheim on Nov 29, 2016 0:27:57 GMT -5
I'm surprised that you value Super Soukoban higher than its kin. Soukoban games are okay, mechanics are primitive and simplistic, but still okay and clever enough. What really is a problem though, is that most often when you have disentangled the one key crate all the remaining ones are repetitive busy work. That is terribly inelegant. Games like Eggerland or Little Magic are evolutions of Soukoban, more diverse and rounded.
Sutte Hakkun ranks highest in my book. Did you know that it got a cameo (not the characters but rather the mechanics) in Super Mario Sunshine? I don't want to spoil it outright, it is somewhat obscure since it is never explained in-game. You have to utilize these mechanics only once to obtain a shine, so it feels like a fleshed out easter egg.
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Post by steven on Dec 2, 2016 3:40:14 GMT -5
I'm surprised that you value Super Soukoban higher than its kin. Soukoban games are okay, mechanics are primitive and simplistic, but still okay and clever enough. What really is a problem though, is that most often when you have disentangled the one key crate all the remaining ones are repetitive busy work. That is terribly inelegant. Games like Eggerland or Little Magic are evolutions of Soukoban, more diverse and rounded. Sutte Hakkun ranks highest in my book. Did you know that it got a cameo (not the characters but rather the mechanics) in Super Mario Sunshine? I don't want to spoil it outright, it is somewhat obscure since it is never explained in-game. You have to utilize these mechanics only once to obtain a shine, so it feels like a fleshed out easter egg. I didn't know that, thanks for sharing! I think Super Soukoban just hits a sweet spot for me. Technically, I do think Sutte Hakkun is the better overall game but this is a list of personal favorites. I love Sutte Hakkun but there's something about Super Soukoban that just does it for me, personally. --- 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban 10: Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium #9: GODZILLA: KAIJUU DAIKESSEN I've been a Godzilla fan since I can remember. I grew up with the Big Guy. Whether he was terrorizing trains and ravaging cities, or pummeling fellow rubber suited monsters and saving the planet, Godzilla has a special spot in my heart even to this day. He's simply timeless, having endured 62 years, 30+ films and counting. This past summer Toho released Shin Godzilla, the first Japanese Godzilla film in 12 years after the 2014 American version was a commercial success. I watched Shin Godzilla twice in theatres and absolutely loved it. It brings an interesting slant on the whole Godzilla universe, and I have a good feeling Toho will be back with another G-Film in the near future. Godzilla also has an anime movie set to come out in 2017, Godzilla 2 (the sequel to Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla) coming out March 2019, and the much awaited rematch between King Kong and Godzilla in 2020 (after Kong gets his own solo film in 2017). Legendary is building its own cinematic universe, similar to Marvel. As a monster lover, I'm all for it! So growing up you can imagine I was dying for a good Godzilla game to play. I have bittersweet memories of the first Godzilla game on NES. On one hand, I rented it often and I remember the music creeping me out. It was a very flawed game, but it wasn't unplayable. But even as a kid I knew it wasn't good. The sequel was even worse. So when I saw EGM running a preview on a Godzilla Street Fighter II-esque game, I was ecstatic. A North American release was planned (Nintendo Power even reviewed a copy) but sadly it was canned. After my SNES resurrection in early 2006, I hunted down a copy of this Japanese title. I was pleasantly surprised it not only turned out to be good, but as a massive G-Fan I dare call it great. No, you won't find smooth crazy combos here, but considering the source material (these are giant monsters after all) it's hard to hold that against the game. The main thing is the whole presentation of the game. Roars sound exactly like they did in the movies. The sprite work is off the charts, the stages are plucked right out of the movies and the monsters are very accurate in terms of powers. Of course some things were added or re-imagined. Godzilla never shot his atomic breath in mid-air in the films, but it certainly makes for good times in this game. The fighting engine itself is nothing remarkable, but it's solid and gets the job done. When you add in the visuals, the sound and the overall feeling of "monster mayhem" that they perfectly replicated, it's a blast for any Godzilla fan. I only wish there were a few more monsters to select from (i.e. Hedorah, Rodan, Titanosaurus, hell, give me Baragon and Jet Jaguar while we're at it). Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen does the Godzilla name proud. Super Godzilla on SNES was pretty crappy, so thank God(zilla) that this one delivers. At least SNES owners can lay claim to having one solid Godzilla game!
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Post by steven on Dec 3, 2016 2:55:48 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban 10: Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium 9: Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen #8: OTOBOKE NINJA COLOSSEUM Of all the Bomberman clones on the SNES, Otoboke Ninja Colosseum is by far my favorite. Of course there's the typical 1 player "regular game" mode, but it's the 4 player battle mode that is the game's main selling point. It plays enough like Bomberman to provide one with that sense of comforting familiarity, but throws in enough quirks to make it seem at least somewhat different. Different enough that I don't find myself thinking, "I'd just rather play Bomberman." Players drop spiked capsules. These capsules explode after two seconds sending shurikens flying north, south, west and east the full length of the screen. Now here is where the twist comes into play. Unlike the explosions in Bomberman, the shurikens won't kill you. Instead, you're stunned for about two seconds if you're hit. If you're stunned and hit with an opponent's chain ball, you're eliminated from the match. The chain ball stretches the full length of the screen so it's quite possible to sit back in a corner waiting for the opportune moment to strike! Send your chain ball twisting and curving some 20 feet away to kill one of your rivals. It's super satisfying and adds a devious, vulture-like aspect to the game that doesn't exist quite as much in Bomberman. Needless to say, such shenanigans lead to many "Ooooh I'll get you next round!" battle cries and pandemonium. Nothing also beats the rush of recovering JUST in time right before the chain ball can hit you! Talk about getting a second lease on life. It makes for some good trash talking and the eight various colossems each have a unique gimmick all their own. There's the roof stage where the playing view is slightly obscured. Another stage has arrows which determine where your chain can go (as opposed to the shurikens). One stage has the classic multiple exit points. They're all pretty fun. Of course, the game is not without its flaws. The music isn't anything to write home about and the CPU AI is pretty bad. But Otoboke Ninja Colosseum is still loads of fun, especially if you can round up three friends to play it with. I love Bomberman games and this particular clone does enough to differentiate itself, yet it has enough of that classic Bomberman feel that always hits a sweet spot for me. And how can you not appreciate a game that features mini Super Famicom icons?
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Post by steven on Dec 4, 2016 3:31:06 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban 10: Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium 9: Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen 8: Otoboke Ninja Colosseum #7: DOREMI FANTASY 10 years ago this game was once considered obscure. But thanks to positive word of mouth over the years and a 2008 Wii Virtual Console release, DoReMi Fantasy now tops many "hidden gem" and "obscure recommendation" lists. Its reputation is well earned, too. Featuring insanely awesome visuals, haunting sound and ultra smooth gameplay, DoReMi Fantasy is one of the finest SNES platformers you could ever play. Milon from Milon's Secret Castle (NES) is back and better than ever. There are 8 worlds each with their own theme. These worlds range from the Northern Lights (gorgeous levels!) to a madcap toy infested universe. In each world there's a minimum of 6 levels followed by a boss. An overhead map allows you to backtrack. The levels aren't particularly long but they possess plenty of detail, quirky enemies, excellent backdrops and some stellar set pieces. The game's sound is also noteworthy -- it occasionally foregoes music for ambient sound effects instead. It all helps to create a unique world well worth exploring and spending a weekend or two with. Milon can take up to 3 hits. His suit starts out green, then turns blue when hit and finally red. Jumping on an enemy's head will only stun them. To kill them, you have to first encase them in a bubble and then pop them. It's a slight twist on the ole hop 'n bop routine that works extremely well. Although it's nothing groundbreaking by any means, this slight deviation from the norm is somewhat refreshing. DoReMi Fantasy is an excellent platformer every serious SNES fan should own. Er, well, due to its price point these days I'll rephrase that from "own" to "play." It's a shame it didn't receive a domestic release back in the day but seeing as how it came out March 1996 (the SNES was practically dead in the US by then), it's hard to harp on that much. Personally, I think DoReMi Fantasy ranks right up there as one of Super Nintendo's finest platformers. It's terrific from top to bottom. Milon's silly antics and whimsical adventure is sure to sweep you away to a land of awe and wonder. As a friend of mine once put it perfectly ages ago: "DoReMi Fantasy is about as charming as a video game can be." I couldn't agree more.
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Post by steven on Dec 5, 2016 1:41:35 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban 10: Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium 9: Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen 8: Otoboke Ninja Colosseum 7: DoReMi Fantasy #6: ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING 2:3-4 BUDOKAN People often cite Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium as the best wrestling game on the Super Nintendo. I probably agree with that assessment, but as far as personal favorites go, I have to give the edge slightly to Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2:3-4 Budokan. The third and final game of the trilogy, the Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling series was Natsume's response to Human's Fire Pro franchise. It features bigger, brighter visuals and almost a "chibi" presentation. Not quite 100% chibi but just enough to give its visuals a semi-striking style. It's simplistic yet vibrant. The ring is viewed dead on as opposed to Fire Pro's 3/4 perspective. This makes for a better "running" system which allows you to lay back and pick your spots with running strikes. You can do running attacks in Fire Pro, but due to its more practical playing view Zen Nippon mastered the devious art of "being a vulture." It makes for some riotous Fatal Fourway matches! Budokan is the best in the trilogy as it features the most wrestlers (19) and the most moves. While there's no blood to be found here, Budokan possesses a subtle and barbaric sense of black humor. Look no further than being able to bounce opponents viciously off the cable ropes (OUCH) or attacking your defeated victim even after the conclusion of a match. Hell, Budokan even features the infamous FLAIR FLOP! Nice. Similar to the Fire Pro games, winning a grapple is based on timing rather than button mashing. While you can't create wrestlers like you can in Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium, the 19 on hand vary in style. You got your high flyers, technicians and bruisers. These 19 wrestlers are actual wrestlers from All Japan Pro Wrestling. Giant Baba, Kobashi, Misawa, Stan Hansen, etc. Their trademark moves are nicely replicated. By the way, if this game looks vaguely familiar to you it's because Natsume took the first Zen Nippon game and converted it for North American audiences during the summer of '94 under the banner of "Natsume Championship Wrestling." My brother and I bought NCW on clearance for $19.99 in 1995 at a Toys R Us. I remember that day vividly still. We managed to get the last slip, too! Remember those classic Toys R Us game slips that you took to the game center to claim your game? Ah, good times. We played Natsume Championship Wrestling to death for a good two years. I always used Asteroid and my brother's go-to guy was mutha effin' M. Roach. As good as NCW is though, it lacks the Fatal Fourway option of Budokan. If you consider yourself a wrestling fan and you like the Fire Pro games, then I highly recommend Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2: 3-4 Budokan. Weird name, awesome game.
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Post by Weasel on Dec 5, 2016 21:56:33 GMT -5
Hm, no love for Gekitou Burning Pro Wrestling? Fond memories of playing as the referee and spending the whole match shoving one of the wrestlers over and yelling "HEY!" for no reason.
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Post by alphex on Dec 8, 2016 19:44:19 GMT -5
Hm, not a big fan of Rockman & Forte, tbh. The platforming was made for Bass/Forte, and King #2 (the level, not his phase) is absolutely ridiculous, especially as Mega Man. The only officially released version in the West was also on the GBA, which made matters worse. I really like the general artstyle (recycled assets aside) and some of the music (opening stage, Ground Man), but it's easily one of the worst of the classic series. It's quite a curious release, though, which is always nice - certainly not a "more of the same" title.
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Post by steven on Dec 10, 2016 2:40:04 GMT -5
Alphex, at least we can agree that Mega Man 7 is underrated (or at least was 6 years ago or so... seems like in the past half decade many more people came out backing that entry) Hm, no love for Gekitou Burning Pro Wrestling? Fond memories of playing as the referee and spending the whole match shoving one of the wrestlers over and yelling "HEY!" for no reason. I actually have yet to play that one. But I will certainly have to. It does look interesting! Thanks for the recommendation. --- Down to the final five! 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban 10: Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium 9: Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen 8: Otoboke Ninja Colosseum 7: DoReMi Fantasy 6: Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2: 3-4 Budokan #5: TSUYOSHI SHIKKARI SHINASAI TAISEN PUZZLE-DAMA In the early 2000s I bought a rare Saturn puzzle game by the name of Chibi Maruko Chan No Taisen Pazurudama. It became one of my instant favorites. The bright colors, the whimsical atmosphere and the charming characters really brought that puzzle game to life for me. So when I found out in 2006 that Konami made its "prequel" for the Super Famicom, I knew I had to see if the first game had the magic touch as well. I dare call Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama Konami's best kept SNES secret. It plays like an early beta version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. Select from one of 10 characters, each with their own block patterns, and duel it out to the death. The combos can get rather insane. It's not uncommon to pull off (near) double digit chain reactions. Match 3 (or more) like color faces to make a connection. Think Puyo Puyo but much more forgiving since it's 3 to match rather than 4. It's also made more forgiving because debris come in the form of imprisoned pieces. When you make a match next to an imprisoned block, it releases whatever piece is inside. You can thereby imagine the insane domino effect this may achieve. Sure, some may say it's way too easy to fall into big combos rather than skillfully and masterfully crafting them, but it also makes the battles a bit unpredictable. Skill still wins out (most of the time) but there's a certain luck and timing factor that plays a role too, and I like that actually. Unlike many of the other games on this countdown, Tsuyoshi is going for peanuts even in 2016. Literally. I see two copies selling on eBay for a BIN price of $2 as of this writing. Two freaking bucks! It's definitely worth that and more. However, the game isn't without a few blemishes. One, it's a bit weak in the graphical department. Now I know puzzle games aren't known for their impressive visuals generally speaking, but the somewhat drab looking green background seen here isn't all that appealing. Thankfully though, the character animations in the background help to negate this negative somewhat. You feel their emotions when they're celebrating a big combo as well as when they're wincing in pain and anguish. Secondly, the pieces aren't as operational as in other puzzle games. You know how when you have two pieces going down a narrow column you can usually switch them, right? But in this game, once you go down a column where you're sandwiched in-between blocks on either side there is no more switching allowed. This may annoy puzzle fans who are used to a little more operational freedom with their blocks. However, it's not a deal breaker for me (obviously since I have it ranked this high). It's still an awesome puzzle game despite these two small blemishes. And in my book it's one of the best SNES puzzle games ever made. It's probably not a stretch to suggest that this is arguably the best Konami SNES game hardly anyone ever talks about. The even superior "sequel" on the Sega Saturn
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Post by steven on Dec 11, 2016 3:48:08 GMT -5
FINAL FOUR! I'll list the top 3 later this week -- either Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday. 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 21: Dossun! Ganseki Battle 20: Puzzle'n Desu! 19: Sutte Hakkun 18: Gundam Wing: Endless Duel 17: Pro Yakyuu Star 16: BS Zelda 15: Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban 14: Umihara Kawase 13: Clock Tower 12: Rockman & Forte 11: Super Soukoban 10: Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium 9: Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen 8: Otoboke Ninja Colosseum 7: DoReMi Fantasy 6: Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2: 3-4 Budokan 5: Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama #4: TETRIS BATTLE GAIDEN Released on Christmas Eve of 1993, Tetris Battle Gaiden is the best Super Famicom puzzle game never to hit North American shores. If it did back in 1994, there's no doubt in my mind this game today would have been more fondly remembered and heralded as one of the system's finest two player games. It's Tetris with a quirky twist. Choose from one of eight characters. Each one has four different skills and abilities. These skills are activated when you acquire points and decide to "cash in." To acquire said points, you must clear a line containing a crystal. Some blocks contain a flashing crystal. Each cleared crystal grants you one point, and up to four can be held at any one time. The skills and powers range from defensive measures to offensive attacks. Another interesting feature: players share pieces from one queue rather than two. That means you can "steal" a piece your opponent may desperately need. This makes paying attention 3-4 moves in advance all the more critical. Few things are as satisfying as "blockblocking" your opponent. To snatch that long tetris piece right before they can is a true thing of beauty. Well, maybe that's second only to sabotaging the competition with one of your special attacks! To top the package off, there are two other modes available: classic Tetris with none of that crystal business (for the purists out there who prefer their Tetris sans gimmick) and Rensa. Rensa is where gravity is taken into account and pieces fall if suspended in mid-air (except crystal pieces). This can produce some nice chain reactions. These three game modes are unique enough to make it feel like three games in one. Throw in the eight characters and a total of 32 skills and powers... and what you have is an amazing game bursting with insane replay value. To further enhance the overall appeal of the game, the visuals are impressive for a puzzle game. Bright, bold and rich colors along with some amazing art work makes it one slick looking puzzler. The music is pretty catchy as well and there are a few tunes I'm particularly fond of. How do you make Tetris, a proven classic formula, even better? Bullet Proof Software showed us how. Give us the original Tetris mode but then throw in two drastically different modes, toss in eight playable characters with their own unique special skills and of course round everything off with a dash of that impeccable Japanese charm. While I love me some classic Tetris, the "Battlis" mode here really makes for some entertaining contests that breathes new life into the Tetris brand. If you for whatever reason have yet to play this and you enjoy Tetris in the least, it's a no brainer to try. I can't guarantee you'll like it as much as I do -- I know a few folks who just couldn't connect with either the Battlis or Rensa modes. But hey, there's always the classic Tetris mode if you're more into a no frills kind of Tetris. Myself, I love the added crazy gimmicks of Battlis/Rensa. And it's nice to know I'll always have the original mode in my back pocket for those days I'm feeling super old school. Tetris Battle Gaiden, as far as puzzle games on the Super Famicom go, is the cream of the crop and in a class all its own. Super Play loved it, ranking it #24 on their Top 100 SNES games list
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Post by Weasel on Dec 11, 2016 13:19:41 GMT -5
Tetris Battle Gaiden, better known between me and my brother as "Tetris Asshole Gaiden" - seriously, some of the powers in this game are absolutely ruthless, from causing one player's controller to control both players' pieces at once, to faxing the opponent a copy of your pit (or faxing you a copy of theirs). Add to that, the fact that using a power kills both of the pieces in play, you can not only totally screw your opponent with a harmful effect, you can also deny them the opportunity to score that vital Tetris. Basically, it's a masterpiece of a duel game for players that absolutely hate each other...and if they don't already, they will after a few rounds, heh.
[edit] Seriously, the fax machine is my favorite power in the game.
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Post by steven on Dec 11, 2016 14:06:00 GMT -5
Tetris Battle Gaiden, better known between me and my brother as "Tetris Asshole Gaiden" - seriously, some of the powers in this game are absolutely ruthless, from causing one player's controller to control both players' pieces at once, to faxing the opponent a copy of your pit (or faxing you a copy of theirs). Add to that, the fact that using a power kills both of the pieces in play, you can not only totally screw your opponent with a harmful effect, you can also deny them the opportunity to score that vital Tetris. Basically, it's a masterpiece of a duel game for players that absolutely hate each other...and if they don't already, they will after a few rounds, heh. [edit] Seriously, the fax machine is my favorite power in the game. Lol, thanks for sharing that video! I forgot to mention how you can kill both pieces in play when using a power up. Total denial city! You're correct, some of the powers teeter on the unfair side and the game is sure to get you angry at your friend more than most other two player games. The level of sabotaging is insane. Not exactly what I would call a pure skill puzzler but it's simply fun if you can adapt to the gimmick and get into the spirit of sabotage while knowing sabotaging goes both ways!
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Post by Sturat on Dec 11, 2016 22:37:05 GMT -5
Tetris Battle Gaiden is indeed a very good game. My brother who lives in Japan brought his girlfriend home last summer for our other brother's wedding. It turns out she and I are about equally skilled at Puyo Puyo and the matches got surprisingly heated. I'll need to remember to get out Tetris Battle Gaiden the next time she visits...
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