Steve's Obscure Super Famicom Games Thread

**Steve** · 10-11-2006

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 TRAIN

The 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 1

Basic plain classic stage where pure skills reigns supreme

BATTLE ZONE 2

At 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 go

BATTLE ZONE 3

When 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 traps

BATTLE ZONE 4

I thought my SNES broke when I first played this zone. You are moved automatically! Challenging zone indeed

BATTLE ZONE 5

When the sides are bombed, the doors on the floor opens up. Fall through and you're a goner

BATTLE ZONE 6

Ahh 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 well

BATTLE ZONE 7

I 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 crushed

BATTLE ZONE 8

Ahhh the classic conveyor belt stage. I also love the look here. Good stuff

You 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... lol

CLOSING THOUGHTS

A 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 1
Battle Zone 2
TERROR TRAIN boss

GOOD GRIEF blue car!

**Steve** · 10-15-2006

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 periods

You 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...
no not really but you know....

Battle Master (that arm attack is ridiculously powerful!)
Super Back to the Future II

**Yakumo** · 10-15-2006

Super Back to the Future was a real classic. True the slowdown was a pain in the arse but still, it was a good little platformer. Quite like Battle Masters as well. Pretty well presented for a Toshiba EMI game.

Yakumo

**Baseley09** · 10-15-2006

True those reviews of Back to the Future were horsehit, i have that issue even.....the game is decent and least, and looks cool.

There are worse BTTF games out there.....tho i like the MSX one where you have to get George & ~Lorain to the dance or something roffle.

**Steve** · 10-18-2006

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 ACKMAN

The 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 headache

Boss 5 is the epitome of the game: very offbeat 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 vanquish

NO NO ACKMAN!!

Right out of an Indiana Jones movie, run bitch run

Boss 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 2

I 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 3

GGA 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 there

Bear in mind this trilogy can be very off-beat. Look no further than this major freakish cutscene...

Mode 7 zooming in his mouth... how delightful

The 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

**Steve** · 10-21-2006

BAKUTO! DOCHERS

Bomberman, 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 STAR

Although 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 Patriot

And 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 moves

that'll re-arrange his furniture

C.O.D -- Concussion on Delivery

OK. 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 would

---

SHIN 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 MASTERS

Let 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 too

Gorilla: 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 again

Gorilla: The irresistible force is meeting the immovable object
Bobby: So much for that theory

Gorilla: 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 too

Gorilla: 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! Dochers
Pro Yakyuu Star
Zen Nippon (BABA vs. Patriot)
Shin Nippon 1 Vader crushes Lyger
Shin Nippon FATAL FOUR WAY

**Yakumo** · 10-21-2006

How about covering King Record's Astral bout series? I thought all of them were crap. The third had some catch presentation mind you.

Yakumo

**Steve** · 10-21-2006

Originally Posted by Yakumo

How about covering King Record's Astral bout series? I thought all of them were crap

LOL I know what you mean. I hated the 3 Astral Bout games. The 3rd one had nice graphics, but the gameplay was simply unenjoyable for all three AB games.

**Steve** · 10-23-2006

I remember Ranma ½ Hard Battle on SNES fondly. It was a big guilty pleasure. Earlier this year I learned a sequel was released in Japan only.

RANMA ½: CHOUGI RANBU HEN is pretty cool. The crazy combo video is a riot. It was because of this video that I found out about the game. I'll let the video do the talking!

------

RANMA ½: OUGI JAANKEN is not your average run-of-the-mill puzzler. Featuring a rock paper scissor (RPS) theme, you can pick from six Ranma characters; each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

3 pieces, aligned horizontally, descend (you can only switch them horizontally) and to dispense with a piece, you must place its proper destroyer on top. For example, if you have five scissor pieces stacked on top of each other, a rock will dispose of them one by one, dropping each time. The more pieces you clear in one move, the more debris you send over (which come in the form of colored blocks)

Side to side connection has no effect by the way.

In addition to RPS pieces dropping, you get the garbage ones mixed in as well. They obviously work differently from RPS. You rid of these garbage blocks by clearing adjacent RPS pieces, or lining them in a straight line of the same color.

By pressing "Y" you'll send down the water bucket. This not only takes out whatever piece and its army you decide to drop it on -- but it also "curses" your opponent, making their attacks not as strong as status quo during this temporary state. Each player starts with 1 to use at their own discretion, and may gain another by filling the bar with cleared pieces. Multiple can be stored.

wash bucket on top of purple block

The game takes some getting used to -- I came in expecting 2 pieces to fall at a time, a la Puzzle Fighter. The horizontal restriction of the pieces and vertical restriction of the elimination system perplexed me initially, but the more I play it the more I like it. Fun little puzzler. Don't overlook it. The chains you can create are astonishing!

you're looking at a 15-hit chain, minimum

Shoot... I never seen Ranma, read Ranma, or cared for Ranma. Yet I can't help but love these silly games. OUGI has colorful graphics that's easy-going on the eyes as a bonus. Good stuff all-around

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MAGICAL TARURUUTO-KUN

This early 1992 platformer is simple. For me at least, that's part of the charm. Sporting bright cheerful graphics, you control a little dude who loves to gobble up blocks. When he isn't doing that he uses his long tongue to bat away enemies.

the pipes remind me of another platformer, hmm

I can't shake this deja vu feeling...

The main screen is a map. Along the way you play mini games such as a card game SPEED as we old kids used to call it.

have we met before?

This game definitely has the SNES look/style down pat

he doesn't actually eat them, don't worry

Plus... you can't beat "The Three C's"

Cheap
Common
Competent

All which apply to this delightfully basic platformer

----

MAGICAL POP'N was one of three SFC games I credit for really intriguing me to start importing. (Godzilla Dai Kessen I knew for years so I don't count it) The other two were DoReMi Fantasy and Majyuuou. They are actually quite well known in SFC circles, especially Majyuuou and Magical Pop'n. I've heard the immense praise for Magical Pop'n, and was very thrilled the day the game arrived in the mail.

It's a platformer with traits that are more or less reminiscent of timeless classics such as Metroid, Zelda, Castlevania, Megaman etc. You attack with a sword but have subweapons, each requiring a certain amount of stars (your 1st one eats up two)

Here's a look at the game's first two levels...

Sensing something foul in Denmark, your quest begins one dark rainy night atop a roof

A stroke of lightning reveals in the distance endless and ominous-looking hills

You fall through a chimney where danger aplenty still lurks

A healthy boost sends you sky high to the next floor

As you navigate the mansion you uncover creepy dungeons

Your 1st mid-boss encounter comes with this occult heathen

I bet he has no problems moving *rimshot* *crickets*

Eventually you head back up, with this dirty little goblin trying to impede your expedition

Prepare for battle with level 1's end guardian

Level 2's setting is the woods... on the surface at least... literally

Not before long our heroine must enter a dank cave filled with critters of all shapes and sizes

Where have I seen those before...

You must cross this to meet the mid-boss of the cave and claim your next sub-weapon

It's not quite as tricky as it may appear

Here she is. First blow her limbs off, then be careful as she spazzes like a crackhead

Now you may claim your Bionic Commando-like extension grappler

NOW WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE?!?!

Swing with the greatest of ease

it has unlimited use, but is used strictly for swinging purposes

Magical Pop'n has six stages and no password/save feature. Therefore you must beat it in one sitting. It gets pretty damn tough later on. I know it may sound weird but the underground section reminds me slightly of the recent horror movie THE DESCENT. I kept expecting to find a pile of bones. But seriously, it does have some strange creatures underground...

Honestly, I couldn't help but come in expecting a masterpiece gem... a 9 plus out of 10 video game. I was a little disappointed but don't get me wrong, it's a fine game. I know those who absolutely LOVE it. Some prefer it over DoReMi. Here's my personal ranking of "the big three"

1. DoReMi Fantasy
2. Magical Pop'n
3. Majyuuou

For me DoReMi was just... almost as good (and charming) as a platformer can get. Magical Pop'n has some nifty things working in its favor, and I like it. But in my book, it's not in DoReMi's class. Since these three games for me are "linked together" for eternity, I can't help but compare them just a little bit.

Having said that, all serious SNES owners should have Magical Pop'n in their collection. It's slightly hard to find from what I understand but doesn't fetch as high a figure as DoReMi

BEST COMBO VID EVER
Ranma Puzzle How-To-Play
Ranma Puzzle sample
Magical Taruruuto Kun 1-1
Magical Pop'n gameplay

**Yakumo** · 10-24-2006

You do know that there are 3 Ranma fighting games on the SFC don't you ? The first runing in High Resolution made by NCS Misaya (BEST ONE which Irem Fucked up big time for a US release under the name Street Combat) then the follow up by Rumik Soft (Messed about with for the western release) and the final 3rd one again by Rumik Soft (No western release). I'm sure there's a RPG as well as that Junken game you featured.

Magical Popun is indeed a classic game. I loved playing that about 10 years or so ago. Never though much of the SFC version of Magical Troll. Looks bloody awful like a kiddy game especially when you put it right next to the wonderful Mega Drive version.

Keep the classics comming. Brings back many memories from when I was the man about SFC.

Yakumo

**Steve** · 10-24-2006

Originally Posted by Yakumo

You do know that there are 3 Ranma fighting games on the SFC don't you ? The first runing in High Resolution made by NCS Misaya (BEST ONE which Irem Fucked up big time for a US release under the name Street Combat)

Yup I knew about the 1st one. I still remember renting Street Combat when it came out, and to this day I still remember the black guy, Tyrone... pressing "A" releases a fireball. Wow. Talk about a mess.

That's interesting to hear the JP original is the best... I've yet to play it but guess I'll pick it up sometime. Thanks for the tip!

**Yakumo** · 10-24-2006

Yeah, the original Ranma is very pretty unlike the really ugly shite that Irem released. Funny thing is that Irem kept one or two of the original backgrounds from the Japanese version. Needless to say that they completely messed with the music and cool intro from the original.

Yakumo

**ccovell** · 10-24-2006

Street Combat is definitely one of the most famous examples of terrible Americanization. I dare anyone to look at both Ranma and then Street Combat and show me a worse massacre on any system.

The Taruru-to Kun game is good, a helluva lot better than the two completely awful games on the Famicom. The MegaDrive version is so good because it was developed by GameFreak (creators of Pokemon, Jerry Boy (now THERE are two great SFC games!), and Pulseman), IIRC.

**WolverineDK** · 10-24-2006

Steve: I really enjoy this thread. And since you made a Hamlet hint, then I can say this to you. Hamlets "real" name (I am going into the folklore by the way now) wasn´t Hamlet, but Amled/Amlet and he wasn´t a prince of Denmark. And no he wasn´t at Kronborg, in Elsinore (Helsingør is the Danish name for the city). Sorry for being a little bit sidetracked. But Amlet/Amled is buried in Jutland. At a spot, I can´t remember the name of. But anyway, you can read more about the legend here in English.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_%28legend%29

Saxo Grammaticus is really the person who wrote about him, the first time. And Saxo Grammaticus has written Gesta Danorum.

Anyway, sorry for being sidetracked, but it was just intriguing :)

**Steve** · 10-27-2006

Wolverine, cool thanks for the info. Nice to know!

---

Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse was one of the SNES titles that received much fanfare for its smooth gameplay, graphics and polished feel during the system's infancy. It was yet another Capcom smash. In '94 Capcom released the sequel The Great Circus Mystery which added a 2-player mode with Minnie. The next year Japan gamers were graced by the last in the trilogy: MICKEY & DONALD: MAGICAL ADVENTURE 3

Today we examine the game that sadly never was in the US (though Capcom ported the trilogy to GBA in 2005)

If you liked the first two you'll like this too. You still get suits with different abilities as you advance through the game, it still employs the "snatch-a-block-out-of-the-air-and-toss-it-at-the-baddie" system, and it's still all quite easy. A password system is included to make your life even easier. Animation, as always, is top-notch.

You won't find anything new here, but perhaps, that's just as well.

The game opens up with Mickey visiting Donald. Huey, Duey and Luey, being bored, decided to venture upstairs to the attic. They find an ancient book and, well, curiosity killed the cat, er, duck? (Ed. What am I paying you again?)

Lights emanating from book: usually a bad thing

Oh shoot, I reckon that not be too good a thing either

And so you're off with the choice of Mickey or Donald in the 1P game, or 2P game if you can conjure a friend to play along. Mickey and Donald have different suits which is a plus. There are 7 stages, with multiple levels in each. Here's a quick peek

Stage 1

1st mid-boss

1st boss

Stage 2

Donald displays the power of this particular garment

the poor chap hasn't grown into it quite yet

Stage 3

Mid-boss is "dying" to meet you (Ed. Oh dear)

Stage 4

This costume packs a mean wallop!

Stage 5

The wavy blocks here are a nice touch. Those bubbles act as breathing points

Stage 6

Sheesh, talk about getting cold feet

And you wonder why he carries such a big hammer...

Stage 7

This is just the opening, and already things are heating up...

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It's Mickey. It's Capcom. It's Mickey BY Capcom. It's good.

Donald: 1, 2, 3!

----

Sadly I missed out on going to DisneyLand as a youth. I didn't get to experience the "Happiest Place on Earth" (haha, sure, tell that to the Pink Poodle..) until my Senior year in high school where we celebrated our SENIOR GRAD NIGHT. We had the park closed off to the Class of 2001 from Midnight to 6 AM -- it was ours to run... and ours to rule. *maniacal laughter*

My friends and I immediately hitched on the first ride we could... the pirate water thing... I still recall going under the cave for the 1st time, with that WHOOSH sound echoing throughout the cool crisp night air as darkness devoured us. Awesome

I remember the park being lit up... the dance room bumping with carefree to-be-high-school graduates.. the free food... all the rides you could go on. By 4:30 AM you could see numerous couples passed out on the benches. But not us... no, we were wide awake and determined to squeeze the park for all it was worth.

This next game definitely brings back memories of that night.

MICKEY NO TOKYO DISNEYLAND DAIBOUKEN

Not by Capcom, but TOMY. Despite less-than-stellar control which makes the game harder in spots than it should be... this is a very nice platformer. And indeed, a pleasant surprise as I had never heard of it before, yet found in it a very enjoyable game featuring a timeless household icon.

Mickey must rescue his friends, entrapped by the evil Pete, and to do so he must conquer each section of the park. He faces Pete at the end of the worlds, and in between there's all manner of traps and minions to thwart your progress.

Mickey attacks with water balloons. Yes, water balloons. The standard kind is flicked horizontally and may be charged to be of a bigger variety. The other kind is heaved upward, or, if held down will send Mickey in the air. A decreasing meter shows you how long til the balloon pops.

While in mid-air you may press forward and Mickey will be shot in said direction. In certain areas this is a must. You can even do a diagonal downward/upward dive.

Another nifty ability of Mickey's... hold Y and kneel down. Mickey will set a water balloon on the ground which he can then jump on to really catch some air, or sometimes this method must be used to create a weight.

Or it could be used to pick off enemies below! Ace!

The game has a total of 18 levels, 6 sections of the park with 3 levels each. Like Mickey & Donald 3 passwords are given to make life easier. Here's a quick look at the 6 stages

Stage 1

surfs up dude

This next part is absolutely gorgeous. But before you can enjoy it for too long the treasure chests (all but one) come alive

oooh

mandatory platforming fire section

the infamous dripping part

don't feed the pigeons -- oy

This bastard tosses food in the water to attract the biting fish

when underwater you'll need to come up to breathe, here's a nice little section meant just for that

the Japanese sure love their night scenes and stars don't they?

Level 1's boss... just jump over the barrels he flicks and spray him

He doesn't go down without a dirty fight though, here Pete shows off his best Final Fight boss 1 impression

Whew, and that's just stage 1! Enjoy it, because it only gets harder from here on out

Stage 2

Usually brown is a bland color in games but TOMY made it look exceptional here

Stage 3

oh shit

Stage 4

Stage 4 is a vertical level that starts off showing bottom to top, top to bottom. Remember the old shooter IN THE HUNT where that giant stone creature constantly stalks you up the screen? There ya go

notice the change here from the previous pic

Stage 5

Stage 6

this creepy ghost face appears 1st thing in stage 6... it's an easy sitting target though with no attacks of it own

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Like Mickey & Donald Magical Adventure 3 this game is not a 1-hit wonder. On easy you have 8 health bars (in the form of balloons), medium 5 and hard 3. As mentioned, the control may cramp your style but it can be worked around, and if you're looking for a Mickey game that actually is CHALLENGING for a change, this one does the job nicely. Mickey Tokyo is a sweet game to kill a couple hours with on those dark rainy Sunday afternoons. It's not in the class of Capcom's SNES Mickey Trilogy, but TOMY did a commendable job of not disgracing the proud name.

Mickey & Donald 3: Level 1
Mickey Disneyland: Level 1

**ccovell** · 10-27-2006

Yeah, I have good memories of visiting Disneyland, and they are brought back whenever I play Adventures in the Magic Kingdom on the NES. The Tokyo Disneyland game is pretty fun too, especially with all the strategic balloon use.

Originally Posted by Steve

...They find an ancient book and, well, curiosity killed the cat, er, duck? (Ed. What am I paying you again?)
Mid-boss is "dying" to meet you (Ed. Oh dear)
It's Mickey. It's Capcom. It's Mickey BY Capcom. It's good.

Oh dear. I think you've been reading too much Super Play recently.

**Steve** · 10-27-2006

Originally Posted by ccovell

Oh dear. I think you've been reading too much Super Play recently.

I knew you'd catch it :icon_bigg

**devilredeemed** · 10-27-2006

from the vids the Tomy game actually looks far better graphically. back in the day the Capcom itterations looked wonderful to me - but as I say Tokyo Mikey looks better from the vids - the paralax scrolling for one looks great as do the spot effects.

**Steve** · 10-27-2006

Originally Posted by devilredeemed

from the vids the Tomy game actually looks far better graphically. back in the day the Capcom itterations looked wonderful to me - but as I say Tokyo Mikey looks better from the vids - the paralax scrolling for one looks great as do the spot effects.

Yeah the TOMY game looks very good. I'm not sure if I prefer its graphics over Magical Adventure 3 but the thing is, Capcom had done that style 3 times already, so it lost some of its appeal while the Tomy one is "fresh" to speak.

**Steve** · 10-29-2006

I'll never forget the day I saw Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It was the best movie going experience I've had in some time -- the capacity filled theatre was just so vociferous and, to boot, the film was actually worth cheering for.

I remember that day fondly for another reason. My spring semester just ended and I wanted a summer job. I scoured the mall looking for an open position an hour before show time.

I walked past a store that I initially couldn't give two flying you know what about... but then I stopped.... NOW HIRING eh? To quote my friend, the best three words a guy could ever hear from a hot chick: What the Hell

A cute girl about 19 years old was working. The store was empty.

"I'd like an application."

She looked at me as if I were kiddng. Then she gave me one.

I completed it on the bench outside.

5 minutes later I placed the application on the counter.

Cat got her tongue for a second.

"Steve, there hasn't been a male employee here in five years...."

I grinned, and then in a surreptitiously confident manner, uttered the rhetoric words that I knew won me the job then and there.

"I guess the odds are against me then"

The reaction on her face was priceless. I walked out on that note, leaving her hanging.

Two days later, I was called in for an interview. I nailed it and was hired on the spot. My first shift the mall was packed like a sardine can, and they assigned me to take care of the "Wheel Game" where I ask customers to pay two dollars to spin for a mystery prize. 3 (most common and cheapest prizes), 2, 1 and Grand Prize were marked on the wheel, so everyone wins something.

Before I went to it one of the girl employees came over and told me to limit the Grand Prize winners. But if they land on it, how can I change that fact? Then she showed me a little knob on the back of the contraption. When twisted, you could get JUST enough on it to move the arrow indicator 1 or 2 spots over.

That afternoon a couple people did land on the Grand Prize, and I never once manipulated the knob. This one's for the little guys -- LITERALLY (they were 6-year-old girls using their allowance, I'll be damned if I robbed them of that)

Anyway, for the next 7 months I was a salesclerk there. On the weekends I took charge of the Wheel game because the boss said I made more $$$ on it than the girls ever did. Being the only male had it ups and downs, of course, and I could go on and on (don't -Ed.) but I won't (good -Ed.). All in all, it was a nice experience.

Why the HELL am I talking about this, anyway? (You have 3 seconds to explain yourself.... -Ed.)

SANRIO WORLD SMASH BALL!

Think Windjammers (Neo Geo)... only, with Sanrio characters. For those not in the know, Windjammers is basically an air hockey type game, some may call it a "Pong for the 90's" where two player are stationed on opposite ends and the key is to smack the disc into their goal line in a best 3 out of 5 format. Blocks and other obstacles stand in the way. Windjammers was horizontal however, whereas Sanrio Smash is vertical.

Weighing in at a WHOPPIN' TWO MEGS, it's tied with Mr. Do! and Space Invaders as the smallest game on Super Nintendo. Tales of Phantasia -- the biggest game on SNES (48 megs) is a preposterously TWENTY-FOUR times bigger than Sanrio Smash! But as you can see, the graphics here are serviceable enough.

Super Turrican was 4 megs! It fooled many, this one could too, I suppose, a bit

It's a simple and fun 2 player game. I know the cutesy nature may be a turnoff to some but don't let that fool you. Sanrio Smash plays a mean addictive competitive game with many different layouts. There are also power-ups inside blocks... one for example will instantly eliminate all blocks protecting the opposition's goal line... making him ripe for the pickings.

Some stages have X marks, and these serve as a restriction line. There are some stages though that allow you the ability to go where you please.

As you progress the design gets crazier
Here's one of my faves void of those annoying X marks
The seesaw continuously rotates, affecting both players' strategy on the fly

Aside from your standard left and right swats you have the super shot. By holding a button you will charge up a power bar. When full, pressing "X" enables your powershot, sending the disc flying straight ahead at 250 miles per hour. Your guy will swing his arms twice in a circular motion, so it's possible to hit the disc twice in succession if it bounces off a block and right back to you. The bar will only fill up when you're standing still and holding a button. It can be re-filled as many times as you wish.

Bar's full, my guy's flashing, and I'm gearing up.....

Using my super shot, the first hit connects and breaks a block
It immediately ricochets back to me in time before my super shot animation expires
And this time, he has no answer

The game has some unique stage designs. It features a 1P mode, password option and 2P mode. In 2P mode you have 20 stages to pick from, and 4 Sanrio characters. Some of the stage gimmicks are really cool.

this pinball-like stage is ace

Fans shoot the disc in unpredictable directions

As the disc shatters the blocks, you'd be wise to power up... watch

Now powered up, my possessed-looking friend is free to advance upward, ready to unleash hell

With the boy cornered and a kink in the armor, 1 power shot is all that's left...

The game has no music whatsoever during the gameplay (hey, it's 2 megs after all...) It's just the sound effects of the disc being hit back and forth. Just pop in your favorite CD and you're good to go.

I've yet to meet anyone who has played Sanrio Smash and didn't like it. I suspect you'll enjoy it too, if you can look past its license.

-------

POP'N SMASH

Famed for her Bud Light commercial Super Bowl '87

Based on the canine Bow (who resembles Spuds MacKenzie), star of a popular manga and anime series, Takara gives us, well, a Sanrio Smash clone. The full and proper title is "Heisei Inu Monogatari: Bow Pop'n Smash." It controls and plays just like Sanrio Smash, right down to the charging bar-power shot (which can also hit the ball twice in succession under the right circumstances). Talk about shameless!

So, what are the differences? Well, Pop'n Smash features more options. In Sanrio 2P mode you have a choice of four characters and 20 stages. Here you have six characters and 30 stages. Not only that but you can even select from 9 different tools, ranging from mallets to baseball bats to brooms to even, a branch! I haven't, however, been able to discern if these various tools have pluses and minuses... or if they merely serve as cosmetics, but nonetheless variety is the spice of life.

The 1-Player version is limited to a choice of 4
Here Bow opts for the twig over the tennis racket... wise choice my friend

The powerups also are very similar. i.e. One eliminates all blocks protecting opposition's goal line, another instantly gives you full power. There is at least one icon that's different though: a bomb rovering around the screen -- if it touches you you're frozen in place for a good 4, 5 seconds. Pretty cool.

Bomb just released at the top there

You can also dive to make amazing last second saves and stops. By pressing "Y" and the proper D-Pad command you can dive north, south, east or west. Good stuff I say.

In the 1P mode you go through each character, with the vs. screen showing the password on bottom much like Sanrio. Hmmmm

vs.

Another big difference is in Pop'n Smash you have more freedom to roam as you wish. Many of its stages have no restrictive X marks as Sanrio did.... though there are some stages with restriction points, but most allow each player to go up and down the field as they wish. I only wish you could beat up the opposing player as well, what great fun that would be, sort of a Pong-slash-beat-em-up but alas I digress...

Oh c'mon you wish you could press-slam her too...
Or at least smack her upside the head with the mallet

There's also a "catch-as-many-butterflies-as-you-can-in-40-seconds" mini-game in the 1P mode.

Sayaka displays the powershot, unforunately for her it is most ill-timed
The ball will ricochet off the barrier and into her own goal line

Certain objects are breakable however, such as these flower pots

Bow dives to perserve his blocks

Sayaka's helpless expression as the ball goes past her is too cute

So, which is better? WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

This was hard a little bit... I did really enjoy the little touches in Pop'n Smash and the additional options that give it perhaps a stronger lifespan than Sanrio... but Sanrio feels a little more "solid" in gameplay. I'd place Pop'n Smash a close second. Both are worth owning and even if Pop'n ripped off Sanrio tremendously, as similar as they are, at the same time they play a bit differently too, if you can fathom that.

-------

Some folks will dismiss Sanrio and Pop'n Smash in favor of a game that's more... "mature."

More violent.

More masculine.

More bl -- (Enough -Ed.)

At the end of the day, gameplay will always reign supreme, no matter the look. Take, for example, Kemco's G2 (Genocide 2)

G2 was scheduled to be released in the States but never did. Play it and you'll no longer wonder why. I recall seeing a preview in EGM and always thought it looked very cool. In fact, earlier this year I made the grave offense of confusing G2 and R2 (Rendering Ranger) for being one and the same... oh boy... are they ever different.

G2 is a ho-hum action scroller. There are 15 levels. I beat G2 on my first try in 40 minutes. You go through short levels, killing everything (hence the full name GENOCIDE 2... on a side note the US release was called Generations 2... typical Nintendo) but it's just oh so DULL. There's no variety to it, the controls are cumbersome and the graphics and sound very bland. If you ever seen the GAMERA monster films of Japan, the sound effects of enemies in G2 dying sound exactly like the screams belonging to the villain GYAOS

sure it looks "cool" but don't let that fool ya

Furthermore, the bosses don't even exhibit an ounce of imagination. The levels are just as "production line" (a term to describe a job done without care or love). You simply go right, hack and hack (the special weapons aren't worth mentioning much either) and proceed to next level and repeat. It's more shallow than a slip-and-slide. OK, that was a little harsh..

I know I've been (exceptionally) hard on G2 thus far, but it's not total crap. It's better than a lot of junk out there. But what's worse than an average game besides the obvious? An average game that, by all admissions, should have been very good. I give G2 a pedestrian 5.5 out of 10, maybe 6 on a good day. It shoulda been leagues better, LEAGUES. Proceed with caution.

Maybe you'll like it but I didn't much.