700 what, though? Why, reviews, of course! The SuperPhillip Central Summer of 700 celebrates not only the arrival of the 700th all-time review on the site (we're nearly 20 away now), but it also rings in the eight year anniversary of the site as well on June 5th!
Expect some interesting games to be reviewed leading up to the big 7-0-0 which I hope will also be an entertaining review as well. There might even be some surprises thrown in that aren't just review-related either!
For a look at all of SuperPhillip Central's reviews, check out the Review Archive.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Rockin’ Kats Review (NES) - SuperPhillip Central Patron Post
If you've been following SuperPhillip Central lately, then you probably remember me posting about my new Patreon initiative to help to continue covering recently releases in a timely fashion. One of the benefits and rewards of being a backer of my Patreon is the ability to write monthly guest posts on a topic of your choosing.
The first of these posts is from a recent Patreon contributor, lunar4lyfe. The following is his review of an overlooked NES game called Rockin' Kats. Once you check out his review, I'm sure you'll gain some interest in trying it out.
Check out the original review here.
Rockin’ Kats is an action/platform game released by Atlus in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It’s a great little side-scrolling action game that never reached the popularity of SMB 3. It’s too bad, because it’s a charming and fun platformer with a funky backstory(more on that in a minute). Because of it’s cartoony box art, Rockin’ Kats was most likely dismissed by gamers back in the day as just another kids’ game, though the cat vs dog theme could have been an awesome cartoon back in the 90’s (who didn’t like Tom & Jerry?).
Storyline and Level Design
Willy is a cool jazz cat with a punch gun that shoots out a punching glove. How cool is that?? His girlfriend Jill is kidnapped by the dog crime boss of New York, Mugsy. And now Willy needs to rescue Jill so they can be together. Ah, the storylines of 8-bit era games, so simple yet classic. Fun Fact: The Japanese version of Rockin’ Kats is called NY Nyankies, yes, it’s a play on words (New York Yankees, if you didn’t catch it). Now on to the levels, each level is a “channel”, you can play channel 1-4 in order you like. The final level, channel 5 only appears after you have finished all the other levels. Willy can also buy upgrades to his punch gun, like bombs and spike ball. Once you have purchased the upgrade from the store, you can switch between them on the fly and use the new upgrades as you see fit. There are situations in the game where a specific upgrade would be the perfect solution and makes it much easier to pass. For example, there is a level with long jumps and if you fall into the river, you lose a life. But if you have the rocket skates, then it makes the platform jumping much easier. This small strategic element might not seem much, but it increases the replay value after your initial play through of the game. Levels will play differently depending on what upgrades you get after the first level.
Controls and Gameplay
Rockin’ Kats isn’t particularly difficult, especially if you have enough money after the first level to buy all the upgrades. There is a “secret” level, that is somewhat more difficult, but overall, it’s of low to medium difficulty. The whole game can be beaten within a few hours. The control is solid, with just a jump button and an action button, but is very responsive. I hate NES games with “muddy” controls. To make the platforming more interesting, Willy’s punch gun can be used to propel and bounce off of walls, ground, and even enemies. That makes it possible, to an extent, to “climb” walls or bounce off of enemies to reach a new height. If you hold the action button, Willy’s punch gun will hold out its glove and you can pick up certain items and throw them at the enemy. The bounce is pretty satisfying, after a while I find myself bouncing across levels instead of just “walking”. Willy can also grapple on to ledges and swing himself to higher ground or cross a large chasm. I am pretty amazed at the level of interaction developers have put into the design. For example, the best weapon in the game (Spike Ball Glove) can punch away almost anything including bullets and other projectiles, and is also stronger than the regular punch glove obviously. There are also small nuances that only after playing for a bit can you “get it”. For example, if you jump and punch the ground diagonally, Willy will propel in the direction opposite of the punch and if you touch an enemy while propelling, it is considered a hit. It becomes more natural how that works once you have done it.
Value and Rarity
While not as expensive as some of the other similar games, Rockin’ Kats is still somewhat “rare” at around $70. You will have no trouble finding a good condition, cart only copy of the game on eBay for around that price. Though a complete CIB copy could run you around $200ish. A recent CIB excellent copy was sold at $170 range. It’s becoming harder to collect CIB copies of NES games as good copies most likely already found its way into a collector’s shelf. There are listings on eBay currently that is selling just the box for $100! Which is pretty ridiculous as the game is only $70. It’s been happening with alot of games, that the box and manual have become more scarce because people used to discard boxes because they take up room and offer no real “entertainment” value. Nowadays, with retro collecting more prevalent, people are hopefully starting to keep boxes and cases of their games.
Summary
Rockin’ Kats is a charming action/platform game that is still fun in today’s gaming world. While graphics, level design and storyline are somewhat mediocre, the varied gameplay mechanics and the funky music are excellent. Hardcore retro gamers will probably find the game a bit too easy, but I still enjoyed my recent playthrough. It’s become a cult classic that is causing its value to steadily increase. NES collectors playing it for the first time will not be disappointed, and sitting at around $70 for a cart only copy, it is still very easily collectible. Get it now while it’s still relatively unknown, I have a feeling that it will continue to increase in value for years to come.
Once again, thanks to lunar4lyfe for this interesting read and for contributing to SuperPhillip Central in an immeasurable way.
The first of these posts is from a recent Patreon contributor, lunar4lyfe. The following is his review of an overlooked NES game called Rockin' Kats. Once you check out his review, I'm sure you'll gain some interest in trying it out.
Check out the original review here.
===
Storyline and Level Design
Willy is a cool jazz cat with a punch gun that shoots out a punching glove. How cool is that?? His girlfriend Jill is kidnapped by the dog crime boss of New York, Mugsy. And now Willy needs to rescue Jill so they can be together. Ah, the storylines of 8-bit era games, so simple yet classic. Fun Fact: The Japanese version of Rockin’ Kats is called NY Nyankies, yes, it’s a play on words (New York Yankees, if you didn’t catch it). Now on to the levels, each level is a “channel”, you can play channel 1-4 in order you like. The final level, channel 5 only appears after you have finished all the other levels. Willy can also buy upgrades to his punch gun, like bombs and spike ball. Once you have purchased the upgrade from the store, you can switch between them on the fly and use the new upgrades as you see fit. There are situations in the game where a specific upgrade would be the perfect solution and makes it much easier to pass. For example, there is a level with long jumps and if you fall into the river, you lose a life. But if you have the rocket skates, then it makes the platform jumping much easier. This small strategic element might not seem much, but it increases the replay value after your initial play through of the game. Levels will play differently depending on what upgrades you get after the first level.
Controls and Gameplay
Rockin’ Kats isn’t particularly difficult, especially if you have enough money after the first level to buy all the upgrades. There is a “secret” level, that is somewhat more difficult, but overall, it’s of low to medium difficulty. The whole game can be beaten within a few hours. The control is solid, with just a jump button and an action button, but is very responsive. I hate NES games with “muddy” controls. To make the platforming more interesting, Willy’s punch gun can be used to propel and bounce off of walls, ground, and even enemies. That makes it possible, to an extent, to “climb” walls or bounce off of enemies to reach a new height. If you hold the action button, Willy’s punch gun will hold out its glove and you can pick up certain items and throw them at the enemy. The bounce is pretty satisfying, after a while I find myself bouncing across levels instead of just “walking”. Willy can also grapple on to ledges and swing himself to higher ground or cross a large chasm. I am pretty amazed at the level of interaction developers have put into the design. For example, the best weapon in the game (Spike Ball Glove) can punch away almost anything including bullets and other projectiles, and is also stronger than the regular punch glove obviously. There are also small nuances that only after playing for a bit can you “get it”. For example, if you jump and punch the ground diagonally, Willy will propel in the direction opposite of the punch and if you touch an enemy while propelling, it is considered a hit. It becomes more natural how that works once you have done it.
Value and Rarity
Summary
Rockin’ Kats is a charming action/platform game that is still fun in today’s gaming world. While graphics, level design and storyline are somewhat mediocre, the varied gameplay mechanics and the funky music are excellent. Hardcore retro gamers will probably find the game a bit too easy, but I still enjoyed my recent playthrough. It’s become a cult classic that is causing its value to steadily increase. NES collectors playing it for the first time will not be disappointed, and sitting at around $70 for a cart only copy, it is still very easily collectible. Get it now while it’s still relatively unknown, I have a feeling that it will continue to increase in value for years to come.
===
Once again, thanks to lunar4lyfe for this interesting read and for contributing to SuperPhillip Central in an immeasurable way.
Dragon Quest Builders (PS4, Vita) Announcement Trailer
Out in Japan for months now, the Minecraft-inspired Dragon Quest Builders is officially launching in North American and Europe this October! While the PlayStation 4 version will be released in physical and digital formats, understandably the PlayStation Vita version will release in digital form only. As a lover of the series, I cannot wait to create my own kingdom in Dragon Quest Builders.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Pokemon Rumble World (3DS) Review
Time for another Nintendo 3DS review in this totally Nintendo 3DS month here at SuperPhillip Central. Pokemon Rumble World is the fourth installment in the Pokemon Rumble spin-off series of Pokemon games. It originally released in free-to-start fashion last year. Last month it received a physical retail version. Here's my in-depth review.
I'm a Pokemon Boy. In a Pokemon World.
Last year, Pokemon Rumble World released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop with a free-to-start version. It offered the full game, but many things were dependent on earning Poke Diamonds, the main currency of the game. You were limited in what you could do per day because you lacked this important currency. Now, a year later, Pokemon Rumble World has entered retail form, eschewing the mobile-style business model that stymied players. While that's all well and fine, is Pokemon Rumble World worth the $30 asking price?
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| After every 10 new Pokemon species you befriend, you reach a new Adventurer Rank. |
The hub world of Pokemon Rumble World is known as Castle Town. This area houses the Balloon Stop, where you can visit the game's levels, the Castle, where you can take on one of the king's requests to further the story (however, annoyingly, you only get one new request each day, and the Shop, where you can spend money and Poke Diamonds on an exhaustive amount of goods. These goods range from new hot air balloons to take you to new areas featuring brand-new Pokemon, clothes for your Mii, stat boosts in the form of trees, and special goodies like a Diamond Miner that grants you 40 Poke Diamonds per day.
Speaking of which, the big difference between the free-to-start version of Pokemon Rumble World and this retail version is that at the beginning of the game you can visit a special section of the Shop to automatically receive 3,000 Poke Diamonds from the king's exhaustive supply. With these you can purchase new hot air balloons as stated earlier, but also use these to re-inflate used balloons. Once you use a hot air balloon, generally you have to wait a specified cool-down period until the balloon re-inflates, ready to be used once again. However, with so many Poke Diamonds available to you, you can just spend one Poke Diamond to restore a given hot air balloon to its inflated glory.
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| The roulette wheel is as annoying in the beginning of the game as it was in the free-to-start version. |
Each hot air balloon houses multiple stages in Pokemon Rumble World, featuring different Pokemon to uncover and collect. However, for a good while in the game, what stage you play is totally dependent on a roulette wheel. It's basically based on luck regarding which stage you play. Later in the game you can purchase the ability to stop the roulette wheel wherever you want, and you can even get a special hot air balloon that takes you to a series of stages featuring Pokemon you haven't yet collected, making the other hot air balloons almost worthless.
Regardless, the actual stages of Pokemon Rumble World feature one of over a dozen locale types: from beaches to forests, grasslands to deserts, and so on. These stages are extremely linear, rarely ever offering a multiple path to take. Each stage is devised up of three to four short areas, and they all end with a boss battle. These boss battles put you against a large version of a rarer Pokemon in an arena style battlefield. Defeating the boss Pokemon, while dodging the attacks of a plethora of smaller Pokemon, brings the exit to the level, a hot air balloon piloted by your Mii, into play.
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| A big time boss awaits your Pokemon at the end of each stage. |
Overall, stages play out well for the handheld formula, only taking upwards of three minutes to complete, and that might be overestimating still. While it's nice that stages are linear enough that you'll never ever get lost, especially with the game pointing out where the portal to the next area is at all times, this results in some boring level design. I would have loved to see more labyrinthine dungeon-like areas, perhaps with some hidden treasure inside. That said, for the purposes of simplicity, what's here in Pokemon Rumble World works well enough.
You can use the StreetPass and SpotPass features of the Nintendo 3DS to call up other Miis into your game. From Castle Town, you can invite other Adventurers into the hub. Every five Miis entered into Castle Town gives you one Poke Diamond. Meanwhile, these new found Miis will also randomly be in Pokemon Rumble World's stages. Once you rescue them from assaulting enemy Pokemon, they will follow you for as long as their HP gauge has some life in it, occasionally tossing to your Pokemon helpful items like Potions and stat-boosting items like X-Speed and X-Defense.
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| Thank you, Andy. There will be an extra bonus in your paycheck this week. |
For a greater probability of having a defeated Pokemon join your side, you can defeat them while they are in a wobbled state. This temporary state is the result of both luck and a powerful attack. The Pokemon will then stand in a confused and bewildered state, and if you can empty their HP gauge while they're in this state, you are 100% guaranteed to be able to have them join your side. Purchasing something called a Wobble Tree from the in-game shop helps to affect how often Pokemon will enter this dazed state. There are multiple levels of trees in Pokemon Rumble World to buy, and these trees can affect everything from how much money you earn from fallen Pokemon to boosting every Pokemon in your possession's attack, defense, and speed.
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| Surrounded but not surrendering. |
No two captured Pokemon are the same, or at least it's incredibly unlikely (exponentially so) to ever capture two exactly alike Pokemon. This is because each Pokemon not only has a power level that shows how strong and how much HP a particular Pokemon has, but each Pokemon also possesses at most two different moves, usually relating to its type, whether it be fire, water, grass, and so forth. Like the mainline Pokemon games, what type of Pokemon your controlled pocket monster is means that attacks used on it that are super effective on it will result in huge HP losses. Fortunately, using a super effective move (such as Fire Spin on an Ice type Pokemon) will result in a quick beatdown of your opponent.
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| These Water type Pokemon are going to regret dealing with the Electric type Pikachu. |
The combat in Pokemon Rumble World is simple, perhaps too simple for most players. However, for me the basic two button attack system, one button for one move, one for the other, worked for me. It resulted in a relaxing battle system, albeit quite mindless, save for the boss battles. Even then, those fights mostly result in attacking a boss from behind and moving out of its way when it charges up for an attack.
There are over 700 Pokemon to collect in Pokemon Rumble World, and that task alone will take you some time to do. It's quite enjoyable and exciting to befriend a Pokemon that you've been hunting for a long time, as since the chance for befriending a Pokemon increases as your Adventurer Rank rises, you won't find yourself grinding as much for new Pokemon as you were at beginning of the game. Also as your rank rises, you can purchase new goods from the Castle Town Shop. Finally, there is a massive abundance of titles to earn, achieved by completing in-game tasks, such as collecting all of a certain type of Pokemon. Some of these are just for show while others unlock new outfits for your Mii, as well as backgrounds and frames for your Mii's profile picture.
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| From cemeteries to the treetops, there are plenty of locales to "explore" in Pokemon Rumble World. |
Pokemon Rumble World is a basic brawler with even more basic level design. If you can find enjoyment from amassing an army of toy Pokemon, ever befriending new, stronger Pokemon to your cause, then you'll have a lot of fun with this game. If you've already invested money in the free-to-start version, then it's a bit challenging to recommend you purchase this $30 retail version. Though through buying the retail version you need not worry about waiting times for hot air balloons to inflate, being short on Poke Diamonds so you can't buy a certain goodie from the Shop, or some other way that the free-to-start version limits your enjoyment of the game. Overall, Pokemon Rumble World is simple fun, and I emphasize the fun part.
[SPC Says: B-]
Monster Hunter Stories (3DS) Promotional Video 3
Monster Hunter Stories has been given a Japanese release date, October 8th, 2016, and a new trailer to excite fans of the series both in Japan and on the other side of the Pacific. Watch the impressive footage of the game, really hammering home that this is a new and quite intriguing take on Capcom's famous and best selling Monster Hunter franchise.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Sega 3D Classics Collection (3DS) Review
A delayed review is eventually good. A bad review is bad forever. Or something like that that excuses my tardiness for this review. Regardless, the extra time for this review on Sega 3D Classics Collection has allowed me some greater insight on this retro compilation. Check out SuperPhillip Central's verdict on the package with my review of Sega 3D Classics Collection for the Nintendo 3DS.
Growing up in the late 1980's and early 1990's, you were either a Sega kid or a Nintendo kid. If you had the massive amount of wealth (or what kids of that day perceived to be a massive amount of wealth), you had both, but that was rarer than finding someone with a Virtual Boy. It seems just incredible that a decade or two after Nintendo and Sega were sworn rivals that the two would get along so well these days.
With Nintendo's 3DS, Sega put the Japanese M2 team to the task of recreating various classic Sega games, but this time in stereoscopic 3D to great and seriously impressive effect. Several titles, under the banner of "Sega 3D Classics", released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop as individual downloads. Now, North Americans have the chance to pick up nine of these such classics in one retail package with the Sega 3D Classics Collection.
As stated, Sega 3D Classics Collection is a compendium of nine 3D Classics games from Sega's illustrious repertoire of retro games. Some of these have seen more ports in the past than Madonna has had hair styles. I'm referring to games like Sonic the Hedgehog, which still plays brilliantly to this day, and Altered Beast, which originally was packed in with early Sega Genesis systems back in the day. Unlike Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast hasn't aged as well. To be fair, though, to many, Altered Beast wasn't worth buying the individual Sega 3D Classics eShop download for, as it's quite a quick game to beat with little to no replay value. Now, as part of this retail collection, it's like an added bonus-- one that you need not feel guilty for buying with the rest of the games included in the Sega 3D Classics Collection package.
While games like Altered Beast and Sonic the Hedgehog have seen multiple appearances on classic Sega compilations in the past, the other games in the package have either only been seen one or two times or sometimes never before at all.
Power Drift may not be Out Run, but it is a stupendous racer regardless. Its 25+ tracks feature many twists, turns, curves, and vertical slopes and changes in elevation, really hammering home the 3D effect. If you want the feeling of racing up and down a roller coaster, then you'll get it with Power Drift, one of the early kart racers of gaming history. Just make sure you remember to switch gears well enough so you don't go careening off the track.
What Puyo Puyo 2 lacks in English text for the most part, the game more than makes up for in puzzling action goodness. The game features competition against the AI, mixing and matching balls of different-colored jelly to score points, get big combos, and doing so all the while throwing trash onto your opponent's side. Be weary, though, as your opponent can do the same to you. Despite its overload of cuteness, Puyo Puyo 2 is quite the challenging game.
Another big game added to this collection is the tremendous Fantasy Zone II W, a sequel to the Sega Master System's original Fantasy Zone. This shoot-em-up, or dare I say, "cute-em-up", features the Opa Opa ship, which can be customized by visiting shops in-game to purchase new upgrades and weapons for the swift flyer. The goal of each of the game's many levels is to take out all ten enemy spawning ships, and then take out the large, real estate-taking boss that appears once this first task is completed. You can beat each level either in the light world or a special dark world that is arrived at upon entering a portal that occasionally spawns after an enemy battleship is destroyed.
Two of my favorite games in this Sega-fied compilation are Thunder Blade and Galaxy Force II. Both play in a perspective that is mostly behind-the-vehicle you're piloting. However, Thunder Blade also contains some overhead gameplay mixed in with its four levels. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for high score gameplay and the 3D effect of Thunder Blade, as there really isn't too much in the way of variety to keep players invested for a long period of time.
Meanwhile, Galaxy Force II plays like a much more impressive Star Fox. Pretty cool considering it's several years older than Nintendo's Super FX-featured game. Galaxy Force II is comprised of six levels, each taking place in a different planet. One features waves of fire launching from the fiery planet surface while another is a planet totally devised up of machinery. You're not just limited to a narrow field of space in Galaxy Force II like you are in Star Fox. In outdoor sections, you can fly to the left and right while flying forward, opening up the possibilities for scoring potential exponentially. Then, the indoor corridor sections are a blast, having you pilot your craft through narrow sections, making sharp turns to the left and right, and moving up and down along changes of elevations.
Rounding out the list of nine titles in the collection are two games found in the Extras menu, Maze Walker and the original version of Fantasy Zone II. While the vanilla version of Fantasy Zone II is pretty much self-explanatory, while Maze Walker was a Sega Master System game that utilized the system's 3D glasses peripheral. The game itself is a slow paced overhead action game that has players moving through labyrinthine levels, searching for a key to unlock the exit portal. This is while defeating enemies that come close to the player. It's an impressive use of 3D, especially when you use the jumping ability, but it's more of a technical demonstration of the 3D effect rather than a stellar game.
Nonetheless, if you're of the mind that Sega just decided to unload several ROMs onto a game card and called it a day, you couldn't be any more mistaken. The nine games in the Sega 3D Classics Collection aren't straight emulated ports. Instead, they're greatly recreated, adding a superb stereoscopic 3D effect while keeping the frame-rate of each game rock solid. New features like save states, the ability to customize the controls, play each game in cropped view or widescreen, change the difficulty and amount of lives you begin with, wireless local multiplayer in the case of Altered Beast and Puyo Puyo 2, and more are all included to give players the option to fit each game to their liking. Even something that has been added to collections like this to death like Sonic the Hedgehog adds the co-creator of the series, Yuji Naka, approved spin dash from Sonic 2 and on into the fold.
This is actually the second retail collection of Sega 3D Classics released in Japan. The first, featuring such games like Out Run, Ecco the Dolphin, and Streets of Rage, released back in late 2014 in Japan only. Hopefully the West will see a second collection with these titles as well to continue the streak of retro Sega excellence. Though I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't stink that such games weren't included in this collection for the West.
Regardless, while not every game in the Sega 3D Classics Collection retail package is a winner, the amount of variety in the genres represented in the collection, the quality of the games and new additions to old classics, and the inclusion of rarities like the never-before-localized 3D Power Drift make this particular retro package a must-own for fans of the classics. From 3D Sonic the Hedgehog's "blast processing" to 3D Maze Walker's 3D without the need for glasses this time around gameplay, Sega 3D Classics Collection delivers old school charm in new school fashion.
[SPC Says: B]
Nintendon't miss out on what Segadoes with this collection.
Growing up in the late 1980's and early 1990's, you were either a Sega kid or a Nintendo kid. If you had the massive amount of wealth (or what kids of that day perceived to be a massive amount of wealth), you had both, but that was rarer than finding someone with a Virtual Boy. It seems just incredible that a decade or two after Nintendo and Sega were sworn rivals that the two would get along so well these days.
With Nintendo's 3DS, Sega put the Japanese M2 team to the task of recreating various classic Sega games, but this time in stereoscopic 3D to great and seriously impressive effect. Several titles, under the banner of "Sega 3D Classics", released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop as individual downloads. Now, North Americans have the chance to pick up nine of these such classics in one retail package with the Sega 3D Classics Collection.
 |
| I've done it countless times in my years, but speeding through Green Hill Zone still gives me pleasure to this day. |
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| Rise from my grave and into my bed. Altered Beast still bores me to sleep even in stereoscopic 3D form. |
Power Drift may not be Out Run, but it is a stupendous racer regardless. Its 25+ tracks feature many twists, turns, curves, and vertical slopes and changes in elevation, really hammering home the 3D effect. If you want the feeling of racing up and down a roller coaster, then you'll get it with Power Drift, one of the early kart racers of gaming history. Just make sure you remember to switch gears well enough so you don't go careening off the track.
 |
| Speed up and down, left and right, and every which way in Power Drift. |
Another big game added to this collection is the tremendous Fantasy Zone II W, a sequel to the Sega Master System's original Fantasy Zone. This shoot-em-up, or dare I say, "cute-em-up", features the Opa Opa ship, which can be customized by visiting shops in-game to purchase new upgrades and weapons for the swift flyer. The goal of each of the game's many levels is to take out all ten enemy spawning ships, and then take out the large, real estate-taking boss that appears once this first task is completed. You can beat each level either in the light world or a special dark world that is arrived at upon entering a portal that occasionally spawns after an enemy battleship is destroyed.
Two of my favorite games in this Sega-fied compilation are Thunder Blade and Galaxy Force II. Both play in a perspective that is mostly behind-the-vehicle you're piloting. However, Thunder Blade also contains some overhead gameplay mixed in with its four levels. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for high score gameplay and the 3D effect of Thunder Blade, as there really isn't too much in the way of variety to keep players invested for a long period of time.
 |
| Thunder Blade takes place split between a behind-the-back and an overhead perspective. |
 |
| The 3D effect of Galaxy Force II makes an already awesome game even more awesome. |
Nonetheless, if you're of the mind that Sega just decided to unload several ROMs onto a game card and called it a day, you couldn't be any more mistaken. The nine games in the Sega 3D Classics Collection aren't straight emulated ports. Instead, they're greatly recreated, adding a superb stereoscopic 3D effect while keeping the frame-rate of each game rock solid. New features like save states, the ability to customize the controls, play each game in cropped view or widescreen, change the difficulty and amount of lives you begin with, wireless local multiplayer in the case of Altered Beast and Puyo Puyo 2, and more are all included to give players the option to fit each game to their liking. Even something that has been added to collections like this to death like Sonic the Hedgehog adds the co-creator of the series, Yuji Naka, approved spin dash from Sonic 2 and on into the fold.
This is actually the second retail collection of Sega 3D Classics released in Japan. The first, featuring such games like Out Run, Ecco the Dolphin, and Streets of Rage, released back in late 2014 in Japan only. Hopefully the West will see a second collection with these titles as well to continue the streak of retro Sega excellence. Though I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't stink that such games weren't included in this collection for the West.
Regardless, while not every game in the Sega 3D Classics Collection retail package is a winner, the amount of variety in the genres represented in the collection, the quality of the games and new additions to old classics, and the inclusion of rarities like the never-before-localized 3D Power Drift make this particular retro package a must-own for fans of the classics. From 3D Sonic the Hedgehog's "blast processing" to 3D Maze Walker's 3D without the need for glasses this time around gameplay, Sega 3D Classics Collection delivers old school charm in new school fashion.
[SPC Says: B]
Monday, May 23, 2016
SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - GreatNES Awaits Edition
I'm feeling retro this week, and guess what-- so is SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs! I'm taking you guys and gals old school with a special NES edition of the Favorite VGMs. We've got everything from Super Mario Bros. 2 to Disney delights like Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and Duck Tales 2. You can't have an NES special edition without some Contra, so I'm throwing that in as well. How about some Batman to finish this edition off? Okay! You got it!
For past VGM volumes featured in previous editions of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, look no further than the VGM Database!
v1146. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - Character Select
We start this special NES edition with a jaunty little ditty from Super Mario Bros. 2. No, not The Lost Levels, as it's known on the side of the Pacific. I'm referring to the Doki Doki Panic version of Super Mario Bros. 2, complete with playable Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. Choose your character wisely, as each has their own unique play style to put you ahead of or behind the proverbial 8-ball!
v1147. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (NES) - Zone A
Ch-ch-ch-Chip 'n Dale! Rescue Rangers! Back in the late 80's and early 90's, Capcom and Disney paired together for some absolutely incredible 2D platformers and games. Two of these on the NES featured the dynamic duo of Chip and Dale. This favorite VGM of mine comes from the very first level of the first game. It makes me want to hook up my NES and enjoy the box-chucking mayhem of the game.
v1148. Duck Tales 2 (NES) - Niagara Falls
With sadness I share this VGM volume. Alan Young of Mister Ed and more recently Scrooge McDuck voice actor fame passed away last week. He was a great performer, and he even reprised his role as Scrooge McDuck for Capcom's Duck Tales remake several years ago. Duck Tales 2 followed the same structure of the original, allowing players to choose their destination and explore nonlinear levels.
v1149. Contra (NES) - Jungle
Are you one of the skilled gamers that can beat the original Contra without the famous Konami code? Not me! That's for sure! As a kid, I was lucky to get passed the first level, this action-packed jungle. I must have played that level so many times that every note of this jungle theme is etched in my memory. It's still good to this day!
v1150. Batman (NES) - Stage 1
My favorite actor who played Batman is none other than Michael Keaton. He played the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman with tremendous ability, showing a slightly unhinged man overall. The game that features his likeliness, modeled after the movie, released on the NES, and it's one of the better old school Batman games. Its soundtrack is classic retro goodness, really pushing that NES sound card to great use.
For past VGM volumes featured in previous editions of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, look no further than the VGM Database!
v1146. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - Character Select
We start this special NES edition with a jaunty little ditty from Super Mario Bros. 2. No, not The Lost Levels, as it's known on the side of the Pacific. I'm referring to the Doki Doki Panic version of Super Mario Bros. 2, complete with playable Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. Choose your character wisely, as each has their own unique play style to put you ahead of or behind the proverbial 8-ball!
v1147. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (NES) - Zone A
Ch-ch-ch-Chip 'n Dale! Rescue Rangers! Back in the late 80's and early 90's, Capcom and Disney paired together for some absolutely incredible 2D platformers and games. Two of these on the NES featured the dynamic duo of Chip and Dale. This favorite VGM of mine comes from the very first level of the first game. It makes me want to hook up my NES and enjoy the box-chucking mayhem of the game.
v1148. Duck Tales 2 (NES) - Niagara Falls
With sadness I share this VGM volume. Alan Young of Mister Ed and more recently Scrooge McDuck voice actor fame passed away last week. He was a great performer, and he even reprised his role as Scrooge McDuck for Capcom's Duck Tales remake several years ago. Duck Tales 2 followed the same structure of the original, allowing players to choose their destination and explore nonlinear levels.
v1149. Contra (NES) - Jungle
Are you one of the skilled gamers that can beat the original Contra without the famous Konami code? Not me! That's for sure! As a kid, I was lucky to get passed the first level, this action-packed jungle. I must have played that level so many times that every note of this jungle theme is etched in my memory. It's still good to this day!
v1150. Batman (NES) - Stage 1
My favorite actor who played Batman is none other than Michael Keaton. He played the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman with tremendous ability, showing a slightly unhinged man overall. The game that features his likeliness, modeled after the movie, released on the NES, and it's one of the better old school Batman games. Its soundtrack is classic retro goodness, really pushing that NES sound card to great use.
Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS) 'Kirby Kicks Bot' Game Trailer
The newest Kirby game, Kirby: Planet Robobot, releases on the Nintendo 3DS on June 10th in North America. The game's biggest new gameplay element is the ability to leap inside a killer mech and start messin' the joint up. Kirby Triple Deluxe was a great 2D platformer, and Kirby: Planet Robobot looks like it will also be worthy of the Kirby name.