Sunset Riders

The Short


Pros


- Fast paced arcade shooting action across eight stages
- Colorful, comical graphics that carry over nicely into the SNES version
- Four players in arcade, two on the SNES make this a blast co-op
- SNES has a difficulty scale and up to 25 lives that makes it much more tolerable when you die
- Fun mix between on foot vs horseback stages

Cons
- Genesis version is garbage
- Having 25 lives is nice, but why not unlimited lives, SNES?
- Was supposed to come to Xbox's Game Room as the arcade version with four player support, but never showed up. Come on, re-release this game already!
- Some of the final bosses/stages can get pretty ridiculous with the number of bullets on the screen
- Bosses are borderline racist, but I guess it fits the western genre

Time for an arcade classic. 

The Long

Sunset Riders comes with a story. Way back when I was a Boy Scout, my brother and I would frequently go with our troop to a favorite campout by a hot springs. In the area leading into the hotsprings itself, they had a few arcade games (a trackball bowling game and a copy of Gradius III, if I remember correctly) but the standout was the bright and colorful, four-player Sunset Riders. Despite begging my father every time we went for quarters, I'm pretty sure we only played the game maybe four times over the multiple visits to this particular campout, and while other arcade machines came and went the Sunset Riders machine persevered.

Then we found out it had been ported to the SNES so all our troubles were over. So the point is that for this review I'll be writing as someone who played a ton of the SNES port, a decent amount of the arcade game, and as much of the Genesis version I could tolerate before quitting (read: the first stage).

I want these to be my final words, too.

Sunset Riders is an arcade shooter with a western theme. It's pretty basic: run from left to right while blasting everything in sight and not getting shot yourself. Your bullets are fast and explosive while all the enemies are stuck in the Matrix and shoot obscenely slow-moving projectiles. They'll also come at you with dynamite, burning lanterns, and other nasties later on, but for the most part you'll be gunning down hapless, woefully underequipped cowboys.

What sets this game apart is its colorful visuals, hilarious scenarios and bosses, and sense of style. For example, most levels have two planes of fighting (upper and lower), but whenever you jump to the higher balcony your guy doesn't just jump, he does this badass flip thing that sends his hair flying (if you are playing Bob, who is the best character because his horse is pink and has green hair). Your character always has a classy smirk on his face while he's making mad cash gunning down everybody, and the death animations are goofy and earn a smile. One downside of the SNES version is they got rid of a lot of these animations (flattening, burning, etc.) and replaced it with the enemy just falling over to the generic "Aaugh!" sound that you'll get sick of very quickly. But listen: there's a part where you run on the backs of cows during a stampede. And this is the first level. How awesome is that?!

The arcade version also had an awesome opening movie, that didn't make it to the SNES version

There are four characters, though really only two playstyles. You can play as either a cowboy with revolvers who shoots in a wider arch but with less projectiles, or a character with shotguns who shoots tons of bullets directly ahead but without the wide spread. There are two forms of powerups as well: double guns (which doubles the bullets) and a "gold badge," which basically just acts as if you had a turbo button on your controller. Death makes you lose these powerups, which sucks, but on the on-foot levels they are plentiful so long as you share with your co-op buddy.

Speaking of co-op, that's where this game shines. The arcade version had up to four players at once, which is absolutely awesome, while the SNES only supported two. That being said, while the game is loads of arcade-blasting fun single player, it's in multiplayer that it really shines. While you do have to share the powerups, the game is considerably easier with two players if only because there are so many projectiles being fired, and working together to take out the bosses and their henchmen is easier and funner with a friend. It also has the benefit of the SNES version of letting you continue exactly where you left off, where if you lose all your lives in single player and continue you have to start the whole stage over, which sucks.

This game's presentation of Native American's isn't exactly PC, but whatever...

The great part about the SNES game is that it's an almost exact port from the arcade, with a few exceptions. Aside from only supporting two instead of four players, the graphics are a little more pixelated but still look fine (except the dynamite explosions, which look absolutely horrible with massive pixels on the SNES). All the stages are ported over exactly the same and with all the bosses from the arcades, and the addition of a difficulty scale is appreciated.

One really annoying change, however, is the removal of the "questionable" content. Often in the game you can go into bars and taverns to get powerups, resulting in a fun scene. My favorite is the first bar, where your cowboy takes a long drink of whiskey and then breaks the bottle over his head (or hat). In the SNES version this was apparently bad, so your guy just runs in, and then runs out pumping his arms in the air. Ok?

The other thing they changed was the women. In other taverns you'd go in then pop out with a bar wench (as is standard for Westerns) wrapped around you. She'd give you a kiss and a powerup and off you'd go. Apparently this was too "edgy" for the SNES, so they replaced the "immodestly" dressed barmaids with what could only be described as good puritan women, who show less skin than a nun. That's not how westerns work!

The last addition is the grenade-throwers in the arcade were women (the only women enemies in the game) but they have been replaced by red-headed guys (racism!). I guess shooting the women is out, too.

But saving them is ok. 

I'll give a brief blurb for the Genesis game: rather than actually port the arcade version, the Genesis game was essentially remade for the system. It only has two of the four cowboys, the stages are completely different (the first one doesn't even have a boss), the music sounds way worse, it has half the number of stages, and looks...pretty awful. I know a lot of people prefer it because it was the one they played growing up, but I can't fathom how you'd look back now after playing both versions and not see how incredibly inferior it was. However, I suppose I have to admit that they probably shouldn't be compared too heavily since the Genesis version is so completely different from the Arcade and SNES versions, but I didn't enjoy the time I spent with it so I'd suggest skipping that version.

But it did keep the hookers. Genesis does what Nintendon't. 

Sunset Riders (Arcade and SNES versions) is awesome. It's one of my favorite arcade games, and the excellent SNES port makes it easy to play it at home. There is only one big issue: this game has never been re-released past that. Despite being promised in Xbox's now-defunct "Game Room" program, it never saw the light of day. So currently the only way to play the original Sunset Riders is either finding it in an arcade somewhere or grabbing the SNES cart. It's a relatively rare SNES game, so it'll run you around $40-55 over eBay (I was lucky enough to find a cart at a local game store for only $30) but I'd say it's worth the cost. If you have a friend who loves arcade shooters and want to have a great time blasting cowboys and running atop a stampede, you could do a lot worse than Sunset Riders.

Four out of five stars. (SNES version. Genesis version would get two out of five stars)

RUN, YOU FOOL, RUN!

Marble Madness

The Short


Pros
- Crazy isometric marble rolling madness
- Play one or two player and race to the end of tricky stages
- Controls are smooth and work well to drive your marble over tricky platforms
- Music is...pretty good

Cons
- Difficulty jumps up pretty quick
- Only six stages
- Some jumps/falls don't seem far but still result in instant deaths
- Wonky physics at time

Pictured: MADNESS!

The Long

Marble Madness was originally a short mega-hit arcade game. By "short" I mean it only was on top of the world a few weeks before it was forgotten (which the creators attributed to its low number of stages). But it was popular enough to get ports on both the NES and Genesis/MegaDrive (I've only played the NES version, but the games are identical) so that fans could play through the identical six stages in the comfort of their own homes.

Despite my cynical start to this review, I actually really love Marble Madness. Despite being short, a bit easy, and with a few minor issues it is still a fun time diversion even to this day, and is a must for any NES collector to grab for their system.

I don't know if I can handle all this madness. 

The game is extremely simple in concept. Your goal is to guide the marble down a long hill of slopes (with the exception of stage five, where you go up) while avoiding obstacles and dealing with tricky ledges and platforms. You don't have lives, but instead have a constant timer. Time carries over between stages (with a few seconds added between each stage) so if you do really well on the first stages you'll have more time on the trickier ones. It's a neat trick but also means there are no continues, so if you screw up hard on one stage you are starting the whole game over. Good thing it's short.

Every day I'm MADNESSing. 

That's actually the whole game: direct the marble and don't let it fall, get eaten, etc. Luckily, despite the limited number of stages, each (aside from maybe the first two) offers a unique experience and keeps on adding stuff to ramp up the difficulty. You'll go from smooth sailing to jumping worms that eat the marble, pools of acid that melt it, vacuums that suck it up, and moving floor pieces. The final three stages are extremely tricky (dare I say maddening?!) so it'll probably take a few tries before you figure out exactly how to best beat them. Most of the later stages also have split paths, allowing for an alternate route. It's a nice touch that makes replays a little different, though I wish there were more of them.

I'm blue, da bo de da bo MADNESS.

Another fun feature is two-player "competitive," which results in the crappier player getting frustrated. Since it doesn't split screen it'll follow the marble that is farthest ahead, and if you ditch your buddy they get re-deposited near you with a hefty time penalty. It's fun and makes enemies out of friends like all good competitive co-op games should, though the game is much easier playing by ones-self.

Milton Bradley made this game? Like the toy company? MADNESS. 

The only real complaint I have for Marble Madness is the one original arcade players had: it's too short. With only six stages (and half of them being cakewalks) it's pretty easy to brute force your way through the game in an afternoon, and once you've beaten it there isn't much to go back for. Still, despite having crushed this game long ago I still boot it up from time to time and try to see how far I can get on a single playthrough. It's a fun, quirky puzzle/platformer/skill-based/something game, and still provides a good deal of fun today despite its setbacks.

And they were apparently going to make a sequel that never happened, which sucks. It's never too late! Gritty Marble Madness reboot: "The Marble Madness," on next-gen! Make it happen!

Either way, considering you can grab the NES copy for around $3-$5, I'd say pick it up. Whether you have nostalgia for it or not, it's still a blast to play. 

Four out of five stars. 

Protip: The lower path is easier. Also, MADNESS.

Mega Man 2

The Short


Pros
- Takes the original Mega Man formula and polishes it to perfection
- The best level design in the series
- Incredible music and graphics
- Getting power-ups and figuring out boss weaknesses is still fun
- Still can be reasonably difficult while still being fair
- Password system isn't awful like 90% of other NES games
- That box art is awesome

Cons
- If you've played the game a few times before it's practically a cakewalk
- Getting Metal Man's power first makes the game kind of stupid easy
- Levels are a bit shorter than its excellent sequel, Mega Man 3

No hat? You knew this game was serious business. 

The Long

Not going to beat around the bush here: Mega Man 2 might be my favorite NES game ever. I actually only elevated it to this status recently, after acquiring an NES and burning through all the awesome games I hadn't played in years. Some didn't hold up very well (Bad Dudes), others ended up being better than I remembered (Castlevania) but Mega Man 2 absolutely floored me. Yeah, I'd played it frequently on emulators and even the in-law's NES since originally booting it up over a decade ago, but the game still remains an incredible example of stellar level design, awesome power-ups, and just straight up fun. Assuming you do Heat Man's stage with Weapon 2, that is. 

Best game intro of all time? MAYBE. 

The game is basically the same as it's predecessor, if with more meat on its bones. You still have to go around blasting robot masters (eight this time) and stealing their powers before unlocking Dr. Wily's multi-part stage and fighting your way to him. It's a satisfying experience, with the game letting you choose the order you kill the robot masters, and with that Mega Man staple where some bosses are weak to other bosses' powers. Though you really should just start with Metal Man every time. Eight way directional fire with nearly unlimited ammo? Yes, please.

The faces of crime. 

Mega Man 2 does well in its stage design in that each stage is unique, employs different mechanics, and has a specific feel about it. Air Man's stage is a lot of tricky jumps to platforms that only just appear when you jump to them. Heat Man uses a lot of shifting invisible platforms (man that stage drives me nuts) that requires memorization. Bubble Man is underwater with lots of spikes on the ceiling, requiring precision jumps. And the infamous Quick Man stage requires you to react extremely quickly while falling least you face insta-death.

And there's this fish, who is an awesome robot fish. 

Why it works, though, is that if you are persistent and clever you can find easier ways through these tricky stages. Heat Man's extremely annoying platform section can be passed by with Weapon 2 (essentially a limited-use hoverboard), for example. Energy tanks and extra lives are also in tricky-to-reach places, some of which require you to have done the stages in a specific order to reach (encouraging multiple playthroughs). Stages are short but this is a good thing; they never feel grueling, and there is little to no dead time. Failing on the obnoxious Quick Man stage isn't as frustrating as it might have been, as the stage isn't too long to make someone mad, but long enough to provide an endurance test. The game also seems to drop health power-ups at a more frequent rate than any other original NES Mega Man games, which also helps soften the difficulty blow.

This is also the last Mega Man game before the enemy designs kind of fell off the deep end. 

But what it boils down to is Mega Man 2 is just...fun. Sure for a master it'll be really easy, but even for a newcomer the difficulty is padded by the fact that if you suck and fail at a stage, you have seven others to try instead. Maybe you are really good at jumping underwater, or falling and avoiding insta-death laser beams. Once you get one power, you start feeling confident, and before you know it it's the middle of the night and you are still going because Wily has to go down. It isn't as hard as Castlevania, but it isn't as easy as Mario. It's a strong balance of challenge and accessibility, and because of that feels extremely refined.

I hate you so much, Quick Man. 

The graphics are also excellent, with strong color themes for each stage giving each a unique look. Enemy designs are delightful, from the big fish pictured earlier on in the review to the rabbits, dragon, and all sorts of other memorable characters. The art design certainly sells it, with fun enemies in vibrant color palettes.

But what you'll really remember (aside from the awesome gameplay) is the insane music. Mega Man 2 has some straight up incredible songs. Stages range from intimidating to funky, but every song is catchy and memorable. I really can't praise this game's soundtrack enough, so I'll stop here. Just know it's awesome. 

So very, very good. 

Mega Man 2 is transcendental. Despite being almost a decade and a half old, it still is an extremely solid and  playable platforming experience. Not just playable, but still one of the best games ever made. Boot this sucker up on your NES or Wii or whatever this thing has come out for and prepare for some awesomeness. Helmetless Mega Man compels you.

Five out of five stars. 

But your disappearing platforms still suck, Heat Man. 

Castlevania

The Short

Pros

- Beautiful NES graphics with a strong art design

- Killer soundtrack

- Near-perfect level design that accommodates (intentional) control limitation

- Holds up extremely well, even to this day

Cons

- Can be incredibly difficult

- Stairs. Screw stairs. 

- Losing your cross sub-weapon for a knife PISSES ME OFF

We're revisiting a classic. 

The Long

Castlevania is easily one of my favorite NES games. Since spawning a massive franchise (that has "rebooted" with the recent Lords of Shadow) and even invented it's own genre with Symphony of the Night (Metroid-vania or Castle-troid, depending on who you ask) the series has gone a long way since it's humble arcade and NES roots. But looking back, is Castlevania still as awesome as it was in 1987? 

Actually, yes. Unlike many NES games, Castlevania has passed the test of time and still is an exceptionally fun play today, even without the rose-tinted glasses.

The intro is just as compelling, fifteen years later.

The reason Castlevania still works is its nearly flawless gameplay mechanics, as well as crafting levels around these mechanics. While you feel powerful and strong whipping guys as Simon Belmont, there are plenty of things that you have to learn that differentiate Castlevania from other platformers. Unlike Mario, Simon can't change direction mid-jump (as Egoraptor put it, you have to "buy a f***ing engagement ring" for every jump) so you'd better know exactly where you are going. Attacking with the whip isn't immediate; there's a slight "wind up" delay meaning if an enemy is right next to you you can't hit them in time; you have to prepare.

That's actually a major theme of the game and why it still works so well: preparation is key. Unlike many platformers where you can just blitz through the game, Castlevania has to be taken slow, even if you have the levels memorized. As every hit has the potential to knock you back and down a pit (instant death), or one miss-timed jump could send you falling, or mis-timing a whip swing can leave you exposed, you absolutely have to be careful. Each inch is earned, and especially in the later levels one minor mistake can mean starting a stage over. 

The game uses color contrasts extremely well with the limited NES pallet.

These control hindrances would be a massive problem if Konami didn't design the entire game around them. If you are careful and plan ahead, the minor control niggles actually fit in perfectly with what the game is making you do. I'm still amazed that, all the way back when these types of games were essentially being invented, that Konami proved its mastery on the first try. The blend of mechanics and levels here is absolutely unrivaled, even in subsequent games.

In addition to the good design is a solid difficulty curve. Now, I'm not saying Castlevania is easy (except maybe the first two stages) because...it isn't. Even though it has six stages and can essentially be beaten in 45 minutes without tricks, Castlevania is a tough game. This mostly boils down to what I mentioned before: working around the controls, the enemy placement, and the levels until you've mastered the art of patience and precise attacks and jumps. It actually is probably the best balanced of any of these linear style Castlevania games (Castlevania 3 is considerably more difficult, Super Castlevania IV was too easy, and while Rondo of Blood was a moderate difficulty it had an impossible final boss, and Bloodlines on the Genesis pounded you into the ground) with a mix of satisfaction and frustration. It's still fun to this day, which says a lot about the original programmers.

The game's soundtrack is a standout. Also, 5:07. 

In addition to the rock-solid gameplay, you have some gorgeous graphics. The first time you walk forward and into the castle you'll be stunned at how good everything looks. From enemies to backgrounds, the game is sharp and beautiful. This is mostly due to a strong use of contrasting colors: oranges with blues (and some grays) make Simon and the enemies "pop" in a clever use of the limited color choices. It's memorable and still looks good today.

The music is also absolutely incredible. It's easily one of my favorite NES soundtracks, with memorable tunes that combine a gothic sound with kickin bass beats (a tradition that would continue all the way up to the Lords of Shadow reboot). I love getting to new stages if only to see the dramatic scenery shift and music changes, which is also a motivator to move forward. 

Each stage has a unique color theme that makes it memorable. 

As it stands, Castlevania is a game that you should play, even today. Is it hard to the point of frustrating? Yes. Will you die a lot on the first two stages until you figure them out? Probably. But this concept of game mastery while still being "difficult but fair" is something games (and especially this series) have lost over the years. Available on both a GBA re-release (where I honestly spent most of my time with it) as well as on the Wiishop for a cheap sum of $5, Castlevania is a game begging to be played. Whether on the original NES cart (which is how I roll these days) or on some form of re-release, check Castlevania out. It's a classic for the reason, and easily one of the highlights of the decade-spanning series.

Five out of five stars.

Plus it's crazy some of this stuff made it on the NES.