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Post by steven on Oct 9, 2006 18:20:21 GMT -5
Before TAKARA became well known in the US for releasing Neo Geo ports to the Super NES, they had two kiddie platformers on the Super Famicom. Though not must-have's, if you're looking to add to the ole library you certainly can do a lot worse than these two SYONEN ASHIBEA cute platformer where you guide Syo the seal through many levels with classic themes such as forest, cave, haunted house, etc. Syo cannot hurt enemies. Jumping over is the only defense. Enemies range from little brat boys and girls to animals like bats and polar/teddy bears to name a few. Your goal is to locate 8 items in each level. The item is connected to the level theme (i.e. stars for ice world, squids for water etc.) Once 8 are collected, head for the exit. If you're hit, one apple (or whatever it may be) squirts away, waiting to be reclaimed. Syo also whimpers Eeeek! The only way to lose is to be squeezed into submission by one of the bratty kids or if the clock reaches 0. The animals cannot make you game over, even if you have zero items when they touch you. Some items are hidden, other times, in the wide open. Syo can head-smash walls to reveal potential items. Jump and head-smash are the only two buttons. The gameplay is very basic, as intended for 6-year-olds, but done rather well for what it had to work with. head-smashing may reveal an item, or a bratThere are some cool set-pieces, like the giant hippo machine that releases basketballs from high above which Syo must head-butt into the hippo's mouth. Doing this is easier than it looks, especially if the timer is running down and the pressure builds. Each good basket grants you an apple. The hippo machines hold 4 apples; the other 4 are scattered throughout the level. An overhead map is your main screen where you move Syo and his friend around to pick levels. You can backtrack as you wish and along the way folks provide you with info, 16-character passwords and some even challenge Syo to mini-games. The boy is never actually used. The game has some nice details but nothing we haven't seen before. Re-appearing blocks, moving platforms, lightning outside the windows for the haunted house theme, etc. There's definitely a me-too feeling throughout the game but hey, if you can't get enough you'll be right at home. Though, the seal can cling on edges which is a nice touch, admittedly. gotta love the lightningMy favorite theme was Ice. I'm not sure I've ever played a game where the ice levels were more slippery than Syonen Ashibe's. The poor fella just slides around if you pick up any sort of momentum It's awesome that this game also features the vaunted Northern Lights. I'm a sucker for great little details... though DoReMi's version looked better. (Syo came out late '92, DoReMi early '96) vs. CLOSING THOUGHTSNot shabby, surprisingly solid even, yet nothing worth writing home. The graphics are nice, simple, big and pleasant. The music isn't bad though gets sugary sweet in spots. The game is way too cute though, and prolonged play may cause insanity. MIRACLE GIRLSBased on the famous Japanese TV anime, you pick Tomomi or Mikage (twin girls with supernatural powers) and transverse platforming stages with mini-games thrown in for good measure. You start with 3 hearts and up to 5 can be stored by collecting fruit. The levels are so colorful you just may go blind. Like Syo there's only 2 buttons: jump and throw candy. Likewise you won't find any killings here. Instead you toss candies around, and while they're occupied chowing you can advance to go and collect 200. They chew for approximately 5 seconds and cannot harm you in this altered state. Otherwise any other contact robs you of 1 heart. TouchdownYou can stand on their heads during this time to collect otherwise unreachable items and powerup's. There are also mini-games during the story mode and a mini-game mode on its own so you can practice, as well as a 2 player mode for the mini-games. After level 1 you play Water Tag with a bubblebee. It's a classic look -- overhead action similar to Bomberman. My advice here is to hit him ONCE and then RUN LIKE HELL. You can shoot (which will need to recharge before you can fire again) and there's an umbrella cover defense that lasts for half a second. Halfway through, bubbles begin to roam. Anyone it touches that person will lose 1 point off their score. It prevents a certain level of "babysitting" as the term we old kids used to use.at the end whoever has more points winOne thing that did stand out besides the uber-bright colorful graphics was the aid of the twin. Before a danger spot there's an icon which allows the twin to magically appear on screen. She'll aid you through the next perilous section. Her speech is in Japanese but thankfully there's only two voices: one indicating red, the other white. Before long you will learn two Japanese words! Whatever color she yaps is the flower color you'll want to hop on, for the other will drop sending you to an early grave. level 1 and 2.. in 2 an air current lifts you upCLOSING THOUGHTSLike Syo it's solid, way too cute and a title to get once the big-hitters are procured. Muscially, it's pretty damn good too. Not bad, TAKARA. Too many games of this nature are a disgrace to the world of video games, so I give the big T much props for making two competent ones. Syonen Ashibe GameplayMiracle Girls Level 1Miracle Girls Water Tag Mini-GameMikage says "until next time, GOOD NIGHT"
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Post by steven on Oct 10, 2006 18:27:09 GMT -5
It amazes me that this next game has zero exposure on the net. And it's a good game. Is it really THAT unknown? I'm not sure but its name has never been brought up in the many SFC discussions I've searched. That's a shame too, so tonight let's shine the spotlight on this little gem, even if it's highly unoriginal. BATTLE CROSS was sort of like Mario Kart meets Bomberman. What about the opposite eh.... SPARK WORLD is essentially that. It's a 4 player Bomberman clone featuring cars that are reminiscent of the snazzy CHEVRON mascots. It's a distant world where intelligent cars rule, a shady casino operator who is actually a drug dealer casts his shadow over the alleys and streets. Two young cop cars, Beat and Barts decide to take matters into their own hands (so to speak) when they learn that the police department is riddled with corruption by the syndicate Boss. The intrepid pair must set off to points around the globe and blow up enemies by denotating fuel barrels. If you're not in the mood for saving the world you can always play against 3 friends (or CPU's in the battle mode) That's the story line, apparently. The Story mode allows you to select any 1 of 9 stages, each with 3 zones with the 4th being the boss. After each boss is vanquished a 4-character password is given. The classic themes are represented: jungle, river, ice, desert, etc. City 1's boss is the TERROR TRAINThe meat of the game like Bomberman is the battle mode with 12 selectable stages. Any combination of 2-4 players can play, and CPU AI is selectable from 1-9. You could set CPU 1 AI level nine, CPU 2 AI five and CPU 3 AI one if you so choose. Talk about user-friendly. And of course, by blowing blocks sky-high, you reveal items that can either help or hinder. Longer sparks, more bombs dropped at 1 time, "jelly bombs" (I told you this game was highly unoriginal...), a boxing glove (though instead of punching bombs it allows you to punch the OPPONENTS... very cool) etc. There are also ? marks but they're a HUGE gamble. If you get the bad side of it, a grim reaper appears over your head with a 30 second countdown. When it reaches 0 you die. Luckily, you can pass this evil icon to anyone you touch, and it can be passed back infinite until it reaches 0. It's a hoot to transfer this death card to someone with 3 seconds left *evil laughter* There are no dinosaurs or animals, but it takes TWO hits to die. BATTLE ZONE 1Basic plain classic stage where pure skills reigns supremeBATTLE ZONE 2At 1st glance one may assume the arrows indicate where bombs go, but rather than COMPLETELY ripping off Bomberman, the arrows actually indicate where YOU can goBATTLE ZONE 3When the button is red you can't pass. When blue you're good. The colors switch occasionally and shrewd timing is the key to surviving and creating trapsBATTLE ZONE 4I thought my SNES broke when I first played this zone. You are moved automatically! Challenging zone indeedBATTLE ZONE 5When the sides are bombed, the doors on the floor opens up. Fall through and you're a gonerBATTLE ZONE 6Ahh the classic stage with 4 exit points. I especially like the look of this stage. Unfortunately the sparks will NOT go through the exit points, unlike Bomberman. Shame, but oh wellBATTLE ZONE 7I like the box look of this stage, very pleasant. The gimmick here is once the boulder is released, it will roll around the stage. Sparks influence its direction as well. If it touches you consider yourself crushedBATTLE ZONE 8Ahhh the classic conveyor belt stage. I also love the look here. Good stuffYou can set match victory to 1-5 matches much like Bomberman. The victory screen is a hoot: oops!While Spark World is a rip-off almost through and through, it does have a sweet feature that draws the battle lines in the sand emphatically. At the end of a round the game lets you know who your "Rival" is. Yellow car is screwed for round 2... lolCLOSING THOUGHTSA solid fun Bomberman clone. If you love these games as much as I do, this is a must-own. Not as good as Bomberman, no, but very competent and nicely copied. The 4 stages I did not highlight all have crazy gimmicks (i.e. Gun placed in the middle, mega bombs etc) but use the same stage design. I'm "shocked" (pardon the pun) that this never comes up in SFC discussions. Hopefully now it has received the exposure it deserves. You probably won't be playing this in favor of Bomberman, but it's a nice alternative, for sure. The sparks can get really long and I love how the color of the sparks are respective to who dropped it. A nice little gem Battle Zone 1Battle Zone 2TERROR TRAIN bossGOOD GRIEF blue car!
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Post by MRSKELETON on Oct 10, 2006 18:47:43 GMT -5
SPeaking of games with cars, (I've played that game before) I don't exactly know what system it was for it was either PS2, Dreamcast or Saturn (Or possibly CD but i doubt it) You played as an orange taxi cab looking car who looked like a chevron mascot and it was a platformer
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Post by steven on Oct 10, 2006 18:49:56 GMT -5
Pretty sure it's Tryrush Deppy for Saturn... not a bad game.
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Post by mainpatr on Oct 11, 2006 1:45:58 GMT -5
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Post by steven on Oct 15, 2006 0:12:37 GMT -5
I can never get enough of the early-mid 90s fighting games. The pre-Super Special moves era where fighters only had 3 to 5 special moves each -- there's just something beautiful about that, and I thought BATTLE MASTER would fit right in. Shame the controls aren't responsive, the animation choppy and frames lacking. It leads to a disappointing fighter for me. Oddly, the fight in the video is pretty cool, go figure. Toshiba EMI's other SFC game, SUPER BACK TO THE FUTURE II, is thankfully much more playable and enjoyable. It's no masterpiece but it's a fun little diversion. I was surprised at how decent it actually is. GAMEFAN magazine ABSOLUTELY slammed it. They're right that the game does suffer from bouts of slowdown, but nothing severe nor anything that hinders the overall outcome of the game. Also, SBTTF II is liked by many SFC players on the net, so what does that tell you? Super Back to the Future II deserved a 12% about as much as (Saturn) Skeleton Warriors deserved a 98% ! So whats the deal with the game? Doc tells you some jibberish about righting the time periodsYou control Marty McFly on his hoverboard, pouncing on all sorts of bizarre enemies as you travel through time. The game has a very pleasant SD look and the classic BTTF overture was ported over flawlessly. The game provides 4-character password. Let's look at some of the levels... 1-1 BOSS - GRIFF (1-2) Really simple boss. To hurt him just touch the buttons which sends the TV's flying at him 2-1 BOSS - GRIFF 2 (2-2) Very familiar scene for those of you who watched the movie. Touch the buttons to splash the water. 3-1 Love this night stage, and I told ya the enemies are bizarre. Look at that slobbering weirdo! 3-2 I just dig this stage... great soft yellow backdrop and the BTTF overture from stage 1-1 returns BOSS: JAZZMAN (3-3) Break open the suspended makeshift floor so the balls can slip through the cracks, crushing Jazzman's skull 3-4 Somewhat tricky travels here as you'll be lifted up with plenty of obstacles waiting for you. Thankfully, if hit you'll be flashing and invincible for JUST long enough to go up again and safely make it to the next section. This stage stumped me for a while but ya just gotta gut it through BOSS: HAMMERMAN AND RINGMASTER (3-5) So incredibly easy you might not believe it yourself 4-1 Ooh, spooky. Check out the thunder clouds and creepy looking trees splattered across this ghoulish graveyard level. Be on your toes for the Sunday drivers 4-2 The rain is a nice touch. A very tricky stage as seen in the last 2 pics. This is another one of those repeat-and-gut-it-through levels. Took me several attempts to beat it. 4-3 This foor is littered with knife-wielding goons. Be particularly weary of doors as these foot soldiers love to surprise ya BOSS: 1985 BIFF (4-4) Gotta love the cool backdrop here. 4 buttons when pressed releases sparks. Only the lower buttons will the spark hurt Biff. The upper two can only harm you. Like all boss fights up to this point, it's another cakewalk. Well the game has several more levels but I won't spoil the rest. It's a fun little platformer that all Back to the Future fans should enjoy. Lastly, the password screen allow for some pathetic sophomoric jokes, luckily I'm just not that kind of guy.... *cue ALAN SILVESTRI overture*TO BE CONCLUDED...[/b] no not really but you know.... Battle Master (that arm attack is ridiculously powerful!)Super Back to the Future II
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2006 5:57:15 GMT -5
*ahem*
FUCK GAMEFAN!!!
*ahhhhhem*
Sorry, but Super Back to the Future II is, without a doubt, THE best use of the BttF license to ever exist. Did those cockmonkeys even play the horrible failures of the BttF games for the NES?!? I FEEL LIKE SOME DISEMBOWELING!!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2006 16:06:15 GMT -5
Sorry, but Super Back to the Future II is, without a doubt, THE best use of the BttF license to ever exist. Did those cockmonkeys even play the horrible failures of the BttF games for the NES?!? Are you sure it's actually THE best BttF license game? Have you played/tried them all? Just asking. I know there's bunch of different games made from the BttF movies.
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Post by megatronbison on Oct 15, 2006 18:26:01 GMT -5
Sorry, but Super Back to the Future II is, without a doubt, THE best use of the BttF license to ever exist. Did those cockmonkeys even play the horrible failures of the BttF games for the NES?!? Are you sure it's actually THE best BttF license game? Have you played/tried them all? Just asking. I know there's bunch of different games made from the BttF movies. Well, I can confirm that the Spectrum games totally sucked balls, pardon my language
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Post by Dais on Oct 15, 2006 20:47:37 GMT -5
Coming into this topic late to reply to two old posts..... sadly never quite made it Whaaaaaaa? All this time, I've thought that was a cancelled version of Super Chinese World 2 (aka, Super Ninja Boy 2). Instead, it was some crappy fighting game? That's both depressing and a relief at the same time.... RE: Hyper Iria I really like this game (and it's catchy music), but some of the levels - the last one in particular - are near unplayable maze-like. The aforementioned cheapness of most enemies and bosses is another huge dent against it. It just feels like one of those games that could've been so much more...I mean, it's easy to say "if this game were five or ten times better, it would be awesome!"......but in this particular case, it's really true, you know? I *still* have to go through it again sometime in order to make a proper SPC set... And play the PSX beat-em-up ( Zeiram Zone) for myself, even though I've heard only bad things about it...
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Post by steven on Oct 17, 2006 20:00:31 GMT -5
Ah halfway to Halloween. Today we look at a platforming trilogy by the folks at Banpresto. Based on the 1993 manga by Akira Toriyama, the GO GO ACKMAN games definitely have some good things going for them. You control Ackman, supposedly Satan's lackey, and as you slay enemies your winged companion captures their souls in a little jar (100 granting you an extra life). It's all quite bizarre; from the sense of humor to the bosses, Go Go Ackman does nothing new but does it well. GO GO ACKMANThe original is my favorite of the 3. One of those I liked so much I kept playing until I finished it. That's when you know a game is A) short and B) good. You punch, kick, run, jump, slide, climb, even have bombs -- all the quintessential platforming features. What's really nice is Ackman can jump on an angel's head and send it sliding across the screen taking out others caught in the path of destruction. (a la the koopa shells) And of course what hero, or in this case, anti-hero, would be complete without the powerup shot? Making the game extra fun is the ability to pick up three weapons along the journey: sword boomerang and my favorite, the gun The weapon will be forfeited upon 1st hit, but on the upside a health bar is not deducted, only the weapon is. (the sequels you start with a sword, and weapons collected will not be wiped out after receiving damage) Level 1 is your standard easy plain-ish stage, but I really like its look and early on I could tell this was a nice little game The 2nd level introduces a darker brown tone with lots of hills to jump from, and plenty of instant death pitfalls Like DoReMi there's even the force-scroller thrown in for good measure. This one being a car ride. Of course, Ackman has his own advertising splashed on the vehicle. Boss 1 is really simple. Just a big fancy suit-and-tie corporate fiend Boss 2 -- my what big teeth you have... On to Stage 2 we move toward a more tropical setting. As my man Flavor Flav once said, "PEACE IN BELIZE!"Keep an eye out for 'hidden' passages that may appear on first glance to be a pitfall, but actually leads to a plethora of goodness Boss 3 is a karate bully on steroids The next level sends Ackman on another force-scroller, this time he hits the high seas Boss 4 has bombs of his own but no worries; like the others he's a piece of cake The next level has sections of water with sharks and other nasties. the mermaids can give Ackman one big ole headacheBoss 5 is sorta the epitome of the game: petering on the grosteque side yet very silly and goofy. You gotta dig the goggles And that's stage 2. Onto 3, which is a pyramid-sand theme. Here the game takes on an extra graphical punch, with scrolls that stretch on... pretty amazing in a simple kind of way don't stand on the quickstand too long, sonny!The 1st mid-boss of this world (boss 6 for those keeping count at home) is ridiculously easy. And way bizarre-o Next you enter a pyramid and new obstacles stand in your way... including... this big son-of-a-gun takes 2 hits to vanquishNO NO ACKMAN!!Right out of an Indiana Jones movie, run bitch runBoss 7 burrows a lot And this one... perhaps the 1st boss that'll give you some fits, thanks in part to the quicksand. He reminds me ever so slightly of MUMM-RA from THUNDERCATS fame While the levels are short as well as the boss battles in comparison with others of this genre, the game is a blast while it lasts. More levels await but I'll let you discover the rest. Now let's look at the sequels. Worthy... or no? GO GO ACKMAN 2I couldn't get into it. After enjoying, pardon the pun, the hell out of the original, the sequel did disappoint as it felt like a cheap cash-in. It didn't have the sweet feel or look of the original, and although old faces return (like some of the mid-bosses) the game just never came together for me. It is however the hardest of the trilogy by far. Maybe you'll like it, I didn't. Not to say it's a bad game, it just doesn't compare to the original. GO GO ACKMAN 3GGA 3 to me is the classic "Oh wow we really messed up the last sequel didn't we let's make another and get back to basics" kind of sequel. Playing this you really feel like it's part 1 in terms of spirit. It had some ace layouts like the booby trap-filled prison. New features like shops within levels. Heck the game even has a nice prelude battle where you duke it out with your infamous angel rival... and his incompetence offsets the end boss so much, he has banished the angel on your side. Thus, in certain levels you play as the angel. With his propensity for flight it only further enhances the game playing experience. Here's a quick glance at some of the happenings: Immediately when you play level 1 you just feel right The 1st boss is (again) a return of old faces from the original. You joust with the trio in succession and the time lapse between each is handled brilliantly. Take a look: Now that's good stuff After you knock these re-tread bozo's off their high horses, you have the choice of any 1 of their vehicles -- the next section is a shooter or action racer... pretty dope The 2nd boss packs a mean punch, and you know I love good ole school boss flashing when they take a hit. GGA 3 takes "boss flashing" to a whole new spectacular level. Check it out My favorite boss-flash of all time? Rocksteady from NES TMNT 2, but this one is up thereBear in mind this trilogy can be very off-beat. Look no further than this major freakish cutscene... Mode 7 zooming in his mouth... how delightfulThe next level is one of my favorite of the entire series. I just love the different booby traps and riding in elevators to eventually reach the top floor. The backdrops where you can see far into the background is an EXCELLENT touch. Well there ya have it. Some folks I'm sure prefer part 3 to 1 and 2. In my opinion, if you want to try Ackman, go with 1 first and then 3. If you only try one game however, play the 1st one. The 1st one is the best, the second iffy and the third solid. Finally, there's a smattering of JP dialogue after each level in all 3 games; it doesn't really affect your enjoyment, but I hear the text is quite amusing for those who can follow it. I give kudos to Banpresto for making a good enough trilogy worth checking out.... since they butchered what could have been a great sleeper in HYPER IRIA (Iria is still alright but it could have been great). Hey, at least they got this one right, right? Hmmm, I wonder if my local Halloween store has an Ackman costume in storage... GGA GGA car ride GGA 2 GGA 3
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Post by steven on Oct 20, 2006 17:43:18 GMT -5
BAKUTO! DOCHERSBomberman, meet Dodgeball. Dodgeball, Bomberman. You have a choice of 8 animals to select from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. There's a 1P mode and a battle mode where up to 4 human players can duke it out. You throw a ball with limited range, and along the way there are bumpers that when bounced off of, redirects your ball, some may even deflect. You have 3 hits to make do with, and by destroying blocks power up's (or down's) can be unveiled. This game reminds me heavily of Hansha de Spark! (Sega Saturn) There are 5 different worlds to pick as your battle ground, with each world consisting of 4 different stages, making a total of 20 maps. Even in the battle mode, there are baddies on the playing field I'm sad to say this one just didn't stack up. It feels a bit clunky and some times, battles can end in 20 seconds, even though everyone needs THREE hits to die. It's not a horrible game, but it could have used some fine tuning. Something's just missing with the game(play). I play it and leave feeling "That's it?" An acquired taste. ------- I've always enjoyed a quality 2D baseball game. Had a blast with Bad News Baseball, Basewars, the Baseball Star games and of course, the best one ever -- the original Ken Griffey Jr. on Super Nintendo. With the Fall Classic approaching us in about 24 hours, let's check in with Culture Brain's 1997 title PRO YAKYUU STARAlthough there are only 12 teams and 6 stadiums, it doesn't matter because it does well where many fail: the gameplay. Unlike far too many baseball games, outfielders don't move like turtles. Throws from the outfield don't skip a ridiculous 4 times to home plate. You can swipe bags with the speedier players. Home runs don't happen 5 times in one game. etc. It's similar in looks to Konami's Jikkyou series, but plays so much better. Baseball fans be sure to check this out. ---- Growing up in the late 80s, a kid only needed two things really: Nintendo and Hulk Hogan. I still remember how my uncle, before father time got the best of him, would watch Saturday Night's Main Event with me and my brother. How he took us to the mall to get autographs from visiting WWF superstars. Like baseball, I've always got a kick out of a quality wrestling game. Sure Fire Pro games exist on SNES, but forget that the Saturn/PSX versions were the best. Well, there were two other series on Super Famicom that doesn't get the hype Fire Pro does... and one at least, is very very good. ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING (July '93) is an excellent wrestling game. In '94 Natsume released a similar version in the States and called it Natsume Championship Wrestling. My brother and I loved NCW; we played the tag team mode to death for a couple years. The grapple system relies on timing, not speed. You have weak, medium and power attacks during grapple. The energy bar is maybe my favorite thing about these games. (The "whiplash rope" trick is pretty damn cool too...) Your energy bar starts out BLUE. The bar decreases as damage is taken, revealing these colors in sequence: GREEN YELLOW RED DARK RED BLACK Like Capcom's stellar 2D fighter Vampire Savior health is recoverable. In a tag match when you're not in you recover. In a singles match, when you take a move, you lose the proper amount of health, but it immediately recovers at a decent pace. However, the more damage you take, the slower your energy heals. Ace concept. Japanese wrestling legend Giant BABA in the house. But he's no match for the younger and quicker PatriotAnd of course I can't dismiss the ability to knock the opponent's tag team partner off the apron with a well-placed clothesline. If the chap attempts a tag, you can also clobber him silly. Good good stuff There's just too many cool little things about the gameplay that make this so good. I could go on and on. SOLID game ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING DASH (Dec '93) was released only five months after the 1st one. So you know it's not a "full-blown" sequel. Again you have 16 wrestlers to pick from, some minor roster changes... so what's new? Game focuses more on tag team play, though the 1st had tag team modes as well. The difference here? Tag team movesthat'll re-arrange his furnitureC.O.D -- Concussion on DeliveryOK. Tag team combo moves. BIG DEAL! Tell me about it. That's why, to save Dash from being simply a hack cash-in, they included... The Fatal 4-Way Battle Royale!This mode is a wild free-for-all and provides great multiplayer action. There are no energy bars cluttering the screen, and the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. Over-the-top-rope doesn't matter here -- hell take the battle outside if you wish! These games are really great wrestling titles. Fire Pro gets all the hoop-la and deservedly so, but don't overlook these gems. MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT WRESTLING SERIES NOW....SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING: CHOUSENSHI IN TOKYO DOME is the first of Varie's SFC wrestling trilogy. It features impressive big sprites and has famous wrestlers like LYGER and big Van VADER (10 in all). The grapple system also relies on timing. I bought this in hopes it would be a slick playing game much like the Natsume/Zen series. Unfortunately I think Varie spent too much time on graphics, because the frame rate for this 1993 brawler is a huge letdown. It's not as smooth as it should have been. late great Gorilla Monsoon: "It's reasons like this I'm glad I'm retired"Never fear SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING '94: BATTLEFIELD IN TOKYO DOME is here. Would it improve on the original which failed to meet its potential? The sprites have been downsized and as a result the frame rate is better. The roster doubled from 10 to 20 (including the Legion of Doom and a very young Chris Benoit) but it still doesn't come together. Nice effort however. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan: Boy, I wish I could do that to my partner... Gorilla Monsoon: Enough already Bobby Heenan: I got carried away Gorilla Monsoon: I wish you wouldSHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING KOUNIN '95: TOKYO DOME BATTLE 7 completes the trilogy. Some roster changes were made though 20 remains the count. Say good-bye to the Great Muta and hello to the Great Sasuke. The frame rate is the best of the 3 and the graphics were not sacrificed either. Weapons are introduced. But what really MAKES this game is the new FATAL FOUR WAY BATTLE ROYALE mode. It's good fun and reminiscent of the cult arcade multiplayer WWF WrestleFest and Capcom's SATURAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERSLet me hand it over now to my two all-time favorite commentators from the late 80s/early 90s: the late great Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan... they'll call the action L to R: Roddy Piper, Gorilla, Vince McMahon, Heenan and the late great Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect Tonight's main event is a FATAL FOUR-WAY!*music plays* Introducing... The Great Sasuke! Scott Steiner! (they come out at the same time to save money on pyro you know) Their opponents... Jushin "Thunder" Lyger! Rick Steiner!Bobby: You know Monsoon, the Steiner's are brothers Gorilla: Give me a break Bobby: I hate all four of these guys. I hope they all cripple each other Gorilla: Will you stop! How do you sleep at night? Bobby: Oh, on my side, usually... Gorilla: [ignoring the Brain] Ladies and gentlemen history will be made here tonight. Capacity crowd, jammed packed to the rafters, the electricity is so thick you can cut it with a knife Bobby: I have to give the edge here to Lyger, much as I can't stand his guts Monsoon. He's the quickest of them all Gorilla: Rick Steiner might be at a distinct disadvantage here because he's the most lethargic of the four Bobby: And he's slow tooGorilla: WHAT A PEARL HARBOR JOB! Bobby: I told you Monsoon! Sasuke was my guy all along! Gorilla: Will you be serious? The guys with the white coat and the net are going to be looking for you Bobby: I rather not see your family againGorilla: The irresistible force is meeting the immovable object Bobby: So much for that theoryGorilla: Sasuke is really stretching out those lateral colateral ligaments in the knee Bobby: IN ENGLISH PLEASE!Gorilla: Ouch! That's excedrin headache number 2,182. Makes me glad I retired Bobby: [Mocking Gorilla] There's one to the cervial dervial part of the neck!Gorilla: Sasuke just pinned and eliminated Rick Steiner! We now have a triple threat match! Pandemonium has broken out! Bobby: I told you Monsoon, he was just too slow for this type of match Gorilla: [Mockingly] And lethargic too, right? Bobby: Yeah, that tooGorilla: Good night nurse! Bobby: Not if she spent it with you! Gorilla: Grow up, Brain Bobby: Hey Monsoon, you know why the Great Sasuke wears a mask? Gorilla: No, why? Bobby: Have you looked in the mirror lately? Gorilla: Will you please!Gorilla: Sasuke has taken over this match! The arena is deafening! Bobby: Get that Benjamin ready for me Monsoon! Gorilla: Will you stop! What type of broadcast journalist are you? Bobby: The type that takes cash only!You can see this match in its entirety and who comes out victorious a bit below. Tokyo Battle Dome 7 isn't a shabby wrestling title. It's not as good as the Zen games, but TDB 7's Battle Royale mode is a bit more chaotic than Dash's, it definitely gets the edge there in my opinion. I say if you're a wrestling fan, set your sights on TDB 7 and Zen Dash; especially the latter. They're the best in their respective series, rendering the other games a bit useless unless you're a collector or uber diehard wrestling fan who must see the 'evolution' of these series. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have bought them all. But now, hey might as well keep 'em all =p The Zen games are far more common. The first Varie one is easy to find as well. '94 and '95 I believe are somewhat hard to find. '94 is not worth the effort. '95... yeah it's worth hunting down just for the crazy 4 player battle royale. Top L to R: Zen, Zen Dash, Natsume Championship Wrestling Bottom L to R: Shin Nippon 1, SN 2, SN 3 Bakuto! DochersPro Yakyuu StarZen Nippon (BABA vs. Patriot)Shin Nippon 1 Vader crushes LygerShin Nippon FATAL FOUR WAY
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Post by zzz on Oct 21, 2006 2:24:59 GMT -5
I can not believe that you did not like Bakuto! Dochers. I consider that a excellent game. Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling is a ok series. I believe you neglected to mention a game in that series though? Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling was also a ok series, but I believe you might have also neglected to mention a game from that series?
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Post by steven on Oct 21, 2006 3:08:02 GMT -5
There is at least 1 more Zen Nippon game (maybe two) but the two I highlighted are pure wrestling games. I think the other(s) had strange gimmicks (they certainly used a whole new graphic slate). Regarding Shin Nippon, I'm pretty sure those 3 are it, though if you want to get technical Varie also released an all-female version called STARDUST SUPLEX. I played it and it was "eh." As for Dochers, I wanted to like it, but it was simply average at best, to me. I highly recommend you try Hansha de Spark! for Saturn since you love Dochers -- HDS! is very similar IMO Hansha de Spark thoughts here
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ed
Full Member
Posts: 230
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Post by ed on Oct 22, 2006 3:33:19 GMT -5
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