Nathan vs His Game Collection: Day 5 - National Pastime

For anyone who has been retro game shopping, you know that sports games aren't just the bane of the modern console era. No, they've been doing this for a while. Though EA technically didn't annualize their various series until the SNES and Genesis days, that didn't stop people from putting out tons of sports games on the NES. Probably the most prolific was baseball themed games, maybe because of Japan's fascination with the sport. I'd probably say golf games were number two, but I refuse to buy most of them. At least stuff actually happens in baseball.

Here's all my "B" titled baseball games in one massive gaming blitz. In my defense, my local game store started selling all retro sports games three for a dollar, which is a good way to buff up your collection with useless garbage. If only I could say no...

On an unrelated note, the header graphic will be changing to something less horrible and unreadable soon, once my copy of Photoshop finally arrives. So be eagerly anticipating that. 

Base Wars

A little background

The first (and last) game in Konami/Ultra's "Cyber Stadium Series," Base Wars came out in June of 1991, pretty late in the NES's lifecycle. The plot to this game is fantastic: future baseball team owners realize that, instead of paying exuberant amounts of money to actual players, they could instead use that money to buy armies of cyborgs to play baseball for them. Personally, I foresee the future of sports totally going this way. I mean, some day somebody is going to wake up and realize we pay these guys millions of dollars a year to just toss a little ball around, and it would be way cooler if we just had robots doing it. I'm behind you all the way here, Base Wars.

First impressions last forever

This is a fast, arcade-style experience from the get go. First thing I noticed? The pitcher shoots the ball. Yeah, Mega Man style out of an arm cannon. Freaking sold.

It was a bit difficult at first to figure out which player I'm controlling when the CPU knocks a ball into the outfield, mostly because the camera doesn't pan far enough back. It's also weird to figure out how exactly to toss the ball where I want, but I got the hang of it.

And man: those robots move quick. 

But as I played further...

This game is a riot, and even more fun with a second player. Essentially there's many different types of robots, from cyborgs to tanks to fast moving hover-bots. As you might guess, each as their own strengths, speeds and weaknesses. 

But where the game really gets good is if there's a conflict as to whether or not a runner is "Safe." In true Blades of Steel fashion, rather than asking a ref for their call, the gloves come off and you're in a fight to the robo-death with your opponent. Sweet! Some robots (like the Tanks) are specifically designed for fighting, making them ideal for playing shortstop when you need to blast a an obnoxious runner with a laser beam to the face. 

It looks and sounds great, though I will say the CPU is a little tough. Again, better with friends. 

So what's the conclusion? 

This is one of the best baseball games on the NES, and certainly the best robot baseball game on the NES (though I'll admit the competition wasn't exactly steep). It's a good looking game, the baseball is fast and not overly complex, the fighting is funny and watching hover-bots go up to bat still cracks me up. Konami/Ultra were well known for releasing quality sports games (Blades of Steel, Kings of the Beach, and Skate or Die! to name a few), and Base Wars knocks it out of the park.

Get it? See what I did there? "Knocks it out of the park?" Like baseball? Don't worry, it'll only get worse. 

Copies can be tricky to find but they usually aren't pricy, usually around $5-10. 

Baseball

A little background

Just pretend that obnoxious, glaring light in the photo is a dramatic, CGI lens-flare. Did you do that? Yes? Ok, good. Let's move on.

Baseball was another black box NES launch title back in October of 1985. I could probably preface this by using a box quote nobody would ever use: "From the makers of 10-Yard Fight," and that would sum up my opinions on this game. Being a launch game, it's got the honor of being the first NES baseball game (of many). They also re-released it on both the Wii and 3DS, though I have no idea why anybody even bothered. 

First impressions last forever

The game doesn't look half bad, but the sound effects and music (or lack of music, ala 10-Yard Fight) is a pretty big crime. The game zooms waaaaaaaay out when you get a hit, which is both nice because you can see the field, and stupid because it's so far back you can hardly see your players. The batting and pitching is simple, at least, which is something I appreciate in these two-button NES games. 

But as I played further...

This game is tedious. Like 10-Yard Fight (I'm going to say that a lot in this review, I take it), the game is a slow, bare-basics approach to sports emulation. Again, like 10-Yard Fight, after playing it for a while I started to get in a bit of a "groove," but then I remembered I'd just played the awesome Base Wars and realized I was wasting my time and retired mid-season. 

So what's the conclusion? 

It's a bare-bones baseball game, on a system infamous for having a trillion baseball games. There's worse ones than this, sure, but that doesn't mean you should settle for mediocrity. If you collect these black box/label games then you'll need to snag a copy, but if you don't then...don't. 

They're plentiful usually are around $3.

Baseball Stars

A little background

Getting back to people who make good Nintendo games, SNK really brought their a-game to the system in many instances. Baseball Stars is a July 1989 port of an amazing arcade game of the same name, that focused on super-goofy, arcade baseball action. 

This is the first baseball game to have a battery backup (Base Wars also saves your progress) which allows you to play through multiple seasons and save and continue on the same cartridge. Pretty snazzy. It also was the first NES sports game to have a "create-a-player" feature, something that would carry over into this generation of sports titles. It's also the first game to have an all-girl team, though they wear pink and all suck. 1989 was a different time. 

First impressions last forever

This game is so good. The sound, graphics, and overall design feel very solid from the get-go. The game has an actual career mode that can save, where as you win games you get more money to either upgrade current players or buy special ones. Giving a baseball game an actual point besides...you know...baseball was enough to get me interested. 

But as I played further...

Game keeps being fun, even through the games. Rather than focus on complex pitches, bats, and plays, the game just keeps it simple. Swing and hit the ball, run, score, win. Easy enough. The graphics look good, the fielding is well done, batting and pitching is simple and a blast, and the game's learning curve is near perfect. Yeah, it's a bit simple compared to other baseball games, but I honestly prefer it that way. Cut the crap, get to the action. This is what Baseball Stars delivers. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I'll go out and say it: I think this is the best baseball game on the NES. Even it's sequel, Baseball Stars II, doesn't quite capture the magic that this first game has. The gameplay in the field is fun, upgrading your teams adds a unique RPG-esque feel to it, and the sound and graphic design is among the best. SNK really took it home with this one, rounding all the bases of gameplay and...uh...I don't know where this awful analogy was going so I'll just leave it here.

I got a copy for $2, which still boggles my brain. It's usually under $5. Get it!

Bases Loaded

A little background

Oh great, here we go. 

In July of 1988, Jaleco (who I still love) decided the world needed more baseball games, so over the next few years they pumped out four of these things, each with minor changes to the original formula. 

Yeah, not as bad an annualizing 'em, but they got pretty close. 

Bases Loaded was the first of this series, and actually used real MLB players and teams. It sold quite well, and is widely considered one of the best baseball games on the NES. OR IS IT?!

First impressions last forever

The game is a bit complex when it comes to its pitching and batting, but I do like that it lets you pick who you set as pitcher/batter based on their scores. The sound and music design is excellent, and while the characters look a little...fuzzy, they work fine. The game also controls very well when in the field. 

But as I played further...

This is a fun game! I wish it had the longevity of the Baseball Stars franchise, but we can't have everything in one game I guess. You can play either a series or a single match (which can be played two-player) which lets you decide exactly how much time you want to waste playing baseball. Pitching is a little complicated but not too difficult (I keep throwing "Balls" on accident) and the hitting takes a while to figure out but, again, not too complicated.

The catcher is infamous for having a disembodied catcher's mit that sort of just floats around him to indicate the pitch. So I guess that's...unique. GHOST PITCHER. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I don't play many sports games unless they have a certain arcade flare to them (or move really quickly. Hence why I'll actually play hockey games), but even though Bases Loaded isn't really my walk in the (ball)park, I had a good time with it. It's very solid, the game feels and looks great, and all-in-all it's a good baseball game. If you want something a little more complex than Baseball Stars and actually has humans instead of robots, you could go a lot worse than Bases Loaded.

Though I'm still mad it says "Jaleco" on the side label instead of the actual title of the game. Arrogant much, game developers?

Copies are everywhere; usually under $5. 

Bases Loaded II: Second Season

A little background

Since the first game sold like crazy, Jaleco pumped out another one of these a year and a half later in January of 1990. It has a few minor changes, the biggest being you could actually set your whole line-up in single player mode, but aside from that is widely considered an inferior sequel. 

Also, it is the only Bases Loaded sequel to use roman numerals instead of numbers, and also to have a subtitle. Weird. 

First impressions last forever

It still feels the same as Bases Loaded, but with some minor twists. Picking my lineup is great, but there's a few camera changes that are...obnoxious. When a ball gets hit it either pans over to first base (?) or third base (?!) depending on if home or away is at the bat (?!?). Considering most baseball games put the camera behind home after a hit (because that's, I don't know, smart?) I don't get this cinematic approach. 

But as I played further...

Yeah, for all it's new improvements (like a "dive" move for trying to catch fly balls), Bases Loaded II flops. Your fielder's look bad and move super-choppy, and the controls feel less intuitive than the first game. But what made me want to pull my hair out was the looping theme song that would never stop. Some of the animations are better, but overall it just feels like they took the first game and made it worse. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I won't say it's a "bad" baseball game, but...yeah, it's not good. While not as boring as, say, Baseball, Bases Loaded II: The Second Season: Revenge of the Fallen falls into the trap of forgetting what made the first game great in leu of "improvements" that really are unnecessary. Stick to the others rather than this one. 

Copies are even more plentiful and don't go for more than $5. 

Bases Loaded 3: The Revenge

A little background

First off: that box art is super goofy. That ball looks so obviously photoshopped (or whatever the September 1991 equivalent is) into that picture it's just silly, and having a dude aim straight at the camera with his arm out is...odd. 

What's weird is that, even though that is Ryne Sandberg on the cover, this is the first game in the series to not use official teams. I honestly don't care because I wouldn't know an official team from a hole in the ground, but I guess that pissed some people in 1991 off? Whatever. 

First impressions last forever

Where's career mode? Why is the only mode "Exhibition," which is just one game? Isn't that, I dunno, kind of a staple of baseball games? I mean, I bagged on Baseball in my official review because it only let you play a single game. And now this one, years later, cuts it from its series? Why? 

I do like the improved graphics, though, and the fact you can see the diamond from pitching in the HUD. It also shows stats when pitching/batting, which might feel a bit cluttered but I kind of like it.

But as I played further...

The stupid camera is now behind second base instead of first or third, and guess what? Yeah, that still sucks. This means the diamond is upside-down when compared to any other baseball game in existence (except Bases Loaded II: Baseball Harder I guess) which is confusing as all hell. 

Batting seems a bit off, with swing controls a little laggy. You'll adapt, but it's weird they'd change it after two games of it working just fine.

Something I did like is after you beat the exhibition match, the game ranks you on multiple categories of play. It's a cool idea that lets people feel like they did good (or bad) based on various stats. I just wish it wasn't limited to a single-game mode. 

And oh yeah, music is still bad. So thanks for that. 

So what's the conclusion? 

People consider Bases Loaded 3 to be better than the second one, but I'm not sure. While it does play a bit better, the lack of real teams and the still-bad camera (even if it isn't as bad) really hurts the deal. Not to mention the lack of a career mode really kills anyone who goes into these games wanting extended play.

Same as before: stick to the original, ignore the sequels. I don't own Bases Loaded 4 (thank goodness; I couldn't take any more baseball games today), but I've heard it still isn't as good as the original.

Bases Loaded 3 is a little tricker to find, usually priced at around $3-10. 

Project Leadership & Management in Free, Open Source Games

Both 0 A.D. and Unknown Horizons experience a change in leadership!

For 0 A.D., Erik Johansson steps down from project leadership and Michael D. Hafer assumes that role.

In Unknown Horizons, Nightraven steps back and Kilian fills the project management role.

Leadership in free and open source game projects is an exciting topic with much opinion about which style will lead to a successful game - whatever the subject's definition of "success" is - and too few examples to make objective statements about it.

Are you following any specific projects and their leadership structures an want to comment on these? I must admit that I am out of the loop with many, many projects, although I am pretty sure that for example Flare, NAEV and Valyria Tear have (successful) Benevolent Dictator for Life style leadership.

On related note: FIFE (the isometric 2d engine used by Unknown Horizons) moved to GitHub.

Nathan vs His Game Collection: Day 4 - Dude Chess

If there's any chess I like, it's chess with dudes. Wait.

This is also the calm before the storm of baseball games that plagues my NES library like a parasite. So if you just want to tune out tomorrow's episode, I won't blame ya.

Archon

A little background

Archon was originally developed for the Atari 8-bit computer way back in 1983, but later saw a port to the NES in December of 1989. It was made by three people, which is pretty crazy once you think about it, and is one of those games that everybody seems to have played or seen somebody play but can never remember the name. Weird, I know. 

First impressions last forever

The game looks a lot like chess, but it's actually quite different. I grew up with Battle Chess on the PC, which was one of my all time favorites, but Archon's battles aren't just for flashy show. You've got units that can fly, units that can cast spells (and even resurrect dead units), units with crazy abilities, and more. The game looks bare-bones, but considering it's a board game I'll deal I guess. Music's catchy. 

But as I played further...

Archon is a really, really cool game, even if it has a bit of a learning curve. Despite looking like chess it, again, isn't actually chess. Basically you have a large number of units, and when they clash they actually battle on a different screen. Playing two-player means you're battling it out with your actual opponent, which is intense. Weaker units tend to have short melee range attacks and less damage and health, while the more powerful units have range, flight, spells, etc. The Phoenix in particular has as fire-transformation move that renders it both invincible and does damage, while the Shapeshifter copies whomever he's fighting. 

While it most often is the better unit that wins anyway, it does allow for some crazy comebacks if you're good at the battle system. While the game does feel bit unbalanced in favor of the dark side, only really skilled players will be able to abuse that. 

So what's the conclusion? 

Archon is a good game, but best with two players willing to learn its complexities. The idea of a "Battle Chess" where you actually control the fighting pieces is awesome but, obviously, wouldn't work for real chess. The game they made to fit that system (ie this game I'm reviewing called Archon) does very well at creating a fast and fun game that is a hybrid of board and video games. 

Fun fact: you can get a version of this game off Steam from an indie developer. Glad to see it's still around!

Copies usually run for around $5-10. 

Astyanax

A little background

Jaleco is one of my favorite "off-brand" NES publishers. Without spoiling future reviews, these guys published Power Blade and Shatterhand (the latter being one of the best action platformers ever made. Yes, really) as well as a bunch of other NES games. They're also responsible for the eighty trillion Bases Loaded games I have to play to review tomorrow, so I guess it's not all sunshine and roses, but when I see that little blue wavey thing that is supposed to be a logo, I know I'm in for something unique at the very least

Astyanax is a port of The Astyanax (why they cut the "the" is beyond me) arcade game, and was put on the NES in March of 1990. For some reason, everybody local to me must have owned this game, because there's always at least 5-6 copies at my nearby vintage game stores. Aicom developed it, and for the life of me I can't think of anything else they've ever made that is worth noting. 

First impressions last forever

This is a damned good looking game, with a long but well-rendered opening cutscene. I like how our hero (named Astyanax) starts off by saying "My name's Greek...I guess." Seriously, dude? If my parents named me Astyanax I'd at least figure out where it came from. And then petition to legally change it.

Anyway, it's another action platformer, but this one has massive sprites and a really bright color pallet. I really can't get over how good this game looks. 

It also plays fun right off the bat, but damn is it tricky. Since you're so huge you get hit a lot, and the infinitely spawning Metroid enemies on the first stage might turn most people away.

But as I played further...

It's a pity there's so many unsold copies at my local game store, because I really like Astyanax. As you progress the levels get better and better, and as you master the controls and magic you get in a sort of NES retro groove where you start really feelin' it and cruise through levels. Then you get to the freaking swap level and want to quit, but luckily it has infinite continues. 

The story isn't anything to write home about: Astyanax gets sucked to another world by a fairy called Cutie (yeah, really) to save a girl he's been dreaming about. Somehow this sixteen-year-old punk becomes a badass warrior, but whatever. The cutscenes between chapters are, again, really well drawn and engaging. This game really had a lot of production values going for it.

It does get frustrating, and selecting/using magic isn't intuitive at all, but the bosses are huge and grotesque, the stages are pretty, and the game overall is solid. I had problems quitting this one to write the review. 

So what's the conclusion? 

If you hadn't already guessed, I'm pretty fond of Astyanax. It's big an clunky but still a lot of fun. I somehow forgot to mention the music, which is phenomenal as well. While it isn't as tight and polished as some NES action platforms like the Mega Man games or the aforementioned Shatterhand, I'd still say Astyanax deserves a place in your NES collector's library.

And if you want a copy, my local game stores have them and in spades, usually around $3-7. 

Bad Dudes

A little background

You've heard of Bad Dudes. Even if you don't think you have, you've heard of it. Because you've at some point seen that meme:

"The president has been kidnapped by ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?"

and that, ladies and gentleman, is Bad Dudes' legacy. Immortalized in meme form. It also has the infamous ending where the president says "Thanks, dudes. Let's go for a burger. Ha ha ha!" Pretty much golden lines throughout.

The original arcade game was called Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja, while in Japan they cut off the first part and called it DragonNinja, and in the US NES release they cut off the end part and called it Bad Dudes. 

It was published by Data East in July 1990, who I swear are the kings of porting over mediocre games to the NES and SNES. Usually one of their stamps on a game is a warning. The games usually aren't broken like LJN, but they tend to be subpar. But hey, bias. 

First impressions last forever

Aside from the bombastic title screen and that famous intro, Bad Dudes looks...well, bad. The screen flicker on this one is absolutely insane, and it's basically a twitch-reaction action platformer, except with no platforming. At least I kick the crap out of a lot of ninjas. Also the truck on the first level says "Dudes" on the side, which is pretty boss. 

But as I played further...

Yeah, Bad Dudes is still bad. Despite the fact that the grainy, awful "I'm Bad!" line that they shout after beating a boss might be my favorite NES sound ever, that isn't enough to redeem it. The 2D fighting is boring, weapons are lame, the game looks like crap and the bosses are hard. It is two player which helps tone down the difficulty, but then the slowdown and flickering sprites just get all the more worse.

To be fair, the arcade game wasn't exactly golden material, but it was a good deal better than this port. Many ninjas have undodgeable attacks, and again the bosses are more of a war of attrition rather than skill. 

I always called this game the "Reverse Ninja Gaiden," because unlike that game's intense, skill-based action this game is completely lacking in any form of skill. Also in Ninja Gaiden you're a ninja killing tons of people, while in Bad Dudes you're a dude killing a bunch of ninjas. I'm so clever. 

So what's the conclusion? 

"I'm Bad!"

Everybody already owns this game, even though it's crap, because of that intro. So go buy it anyway and then never play it past the intro like everybody in the world. If you pay more than $5 for it you're getting ripped off. 

Nathan vs His Game Collection: Day 3 - Biohick Infinite

On today's edition, we've got hicks, cities in the sky, and aliens to shoot. Pretty much the plot of Bioshock Infinite, which I happened to beat yesterday. In an alternate timeline, 8 Eyes is good! Ok, maybe that'll never happen. Anyway, on with the review.

The Adventures of Bayou Billy

A little background

The Adventures of Bayou Billy was a June 1989 joint from Konami, who would go on to create some of the most memorable games of the NES era, either under their own label or their monicker "Ultra Games." Bayou Billy's box art still scares me to this day, with his head being so far down on his body he looks like a hunchback or something. 

This game is interesting because it was the only NES game that I know of to combine both controller and light gun segments. The game had two segments devoted to controller play, and then a shooter stage where you used a light gun. You could still use a controller on that part, but would you really want to considering how few light gun games there are?

Weirdly enough, this game was called Mad City in Japan, though it still retained the hick-like character of Billy, making the American title a bit more accurate in my opinion. It also couldn't use the Zapper to zap dudes (controller only), but it was significantly easier. 

First impressions last forever

Despite the hideous box art, this game looks really good on first boot. There's actual voice-over that sounds half decent that reads the game's title, and the opening cutscene is sharp and has some awesomely hilarious dialogue (the "OH MY GOD!" text bubble still makes me laugh).

Unfortunately, actually playing the game is rather frustrating. The first stage is a Double Dragon-esque beat-em-up, only with poor controls combined with enemies that don't seem to flinch, ever. I usually die pretty quick unless I'm lucky and somebody drops a weapon or some health. The in-game graphics also look pretty hideous, but I did enjoy the music. 

But as I played further...

The frustration continues. The Double Dragon stage goes on for far too long, and dying completely sends you back to the beginning. You really have to be either lucky or just better at games than I, because it took me a good while to finally figure out enemy patterns (or lack thereof) in order to proceed. Plus, you get to a part where 'gators pop up out of the water, and I thought you were supposed to dodge 'em. Nope, beam them in the head with a club! Billy don't take no crap!

Luckily, you can play the other modes in "Practice" if you don't want to push too far ahead in the single player. The driving stage is like a bad Rad Racer or Outrun, though you do get to shoot down cars and planes, though one mess-up and you're done. The light gun stage is the best one, and even it's just generic shooting. It actually plays fine on a controller, but with a tube TV and actual Zapper it plays best. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I've actually played Mad City on an emulator, and the game is considerably more fun. I heard that on the NES version all enemies have 3x as much life and do more damage, which explains the raw tedium that sets in during the beat-em-up stages. Part of me wants to applaud Bayou Billy for trying to fuse a lot of gameplay elements together, as well as different game controls (aka the Zapper) on the NES. The other part of me realizes I didn't really have any fun with the game except in Practice mode, and so it's hard for me to side with Billy's tobacco-stained smile.
If you have a Zapper you're probably hurting for games, so you might want to pick it up for just that. But, while Mad City felt like it struck a fair balance between challenge and fun, Bayou Billy can be frustrating until you figure it out. Not awful, certainly interesting, but just be aware before you go in that you'll probably not spend much time with it.
Copies run around $3-5. And I somehow made it through this without making a Crocodile Dundee reference.

Air Fortress

A little background

Is it just me, or does my hand look like I have jaundice in this picture? Why is it all yellow? Weird.

Anyway, Air Fortress is another 1989 game, this time released in June by HAL. You've probably heard that name before: they are the inventors of Kirby and now are being whored out to make more Super Smash Bros. games. But many people might not know that before becoming a big Nintendo staple, they released a lot of strange, obscure games on the NES. More of those to come later, but now it's time for "another damn NES shmup," Air Fortress. 

First impressions last forever

This game looks ok I guess, but my ship looks like a huge blob of...dare I say flesh? Why is it all orange and lumpy? 

Everything in the presentation department can be summed up as "just ok." Graphics are generic and a bit dull, and the music isn't offensive but nothing catchy, as are the sound effects.

I like that it lays out exactly how many fortresses you are going to blow up at the start of the game. But why are they air fortresses if they're in space? There's no air in space, HAL. 

I'm overthinking this. 

But as I played further...

Oh, that bulge on top was a guy! Who gets off the spaceship to infiltrate the base after I fly in with a jetpack to blow up the core!

That's...pretty cool.

Also very Blaster Master-esque, which came out a year before this game, but still: pretty neat idea. And I can actually beat Air Fortress, unlike Blaster Master, which is absurdly difficult.

This game is actually loads of fun, and does a lot to differentiate itself from being "another damn NES shmup." During the shooting segments you get powerups in the forms of energy and bombs, which you can't use while in ship-form. When you detach from your space-skiff and enter the bowels of the titular air fortress, your energy is essentially your max life, which is temporarily used when you move and shoot, and recharges when you stand still. Every hit drops the max down, rendering you less and less mobile until you either die or blow up the ship. Neat idea.

While some of the graphics are blotchy and the enemies are kind of dull (ok, they're very dull), this was a fun time. Not too hard, but not too easy either, and the two styles blend well together. Good on ya, HAL.

So what's the conclusion? 

It's not revolutionary, but Air Fortress is a lot of fun. While I'll admit the shmup stages aren't anything special (they're actually kind of droll), putting them in conjuncture with the jetpack stages was a smart move. The jetpack also doesn't have any actual momentum or lift: it's just direct 1:1 directional control, so don't expect Moon Lander or Asteroids controls here. The inside of the fortresses have a Metroid quality to them, and they get more non-linear as the game progresses. It's a fun little excursion.
If you somehow don't have a boatload of NES shmups already, I don't believe you. But if you still want another one, Air Fortress is alright in my book. Nothing exceptional, but still fun.
Also, the main character's name is Hal. Nice plug, guys.
Copies are usually around $5-10.

Alien Syndrome

A little background

Oh hey, our first Tengen game! These unlicensed NES carts made by Tengen (who is actually Atari in disguise) are well known for their weird shape, black color, and bad design that makes them almost impossible to pull out of a regular Nintendo. Seriously, try pinching that with fat fingers, with only one grip on the whole cart. Not cool. 

Anyway, Alien Syndrome, a 1988...uh, we'll say "interpretation" of an arcade game of the same name. These games were very obviously inspired by the Alien movies, with space marines out to blast all the aliens, pick up power-ups, and rescue the survivors, Smash TV style. Only without two sticks. The game was ported to everything (and even had a modern reboot of sorts that wasn't very good), and may consider the Genesis version the best port at the time. 

First impressions last forever

Minus the fact I hate Tengen carts (and mine is super faulty and took around five minutes before it finally loaded), Alien Syndrome is...very brown. But still controls excellently. It doesn't have two sticks, so the direction you go is also the direction you shoot, but the aliens aren't that aggressive in the first few levels and the shooting is fun. Rescuing survivors can be tedious as everything looks the same and I never know if I'm backtracking, but eh. No biggie. I can shoot them and they don't die. Yay?

But as I played further...

This game starts out pretty slow, with early levels being a cakewalk, but it does ramp up the difficulty. The bosses are big and pretty cool as well as a large difficulty jump (exactly how bosses should be), but not impossible. After every stage a self-destruct sequence begins, making me wonder if these are all different ships or if I'm just systematically blowing up certain rooms because I don't like them. Whoops, there goes the kitchen! I self-destructed the rec room! Unfortunately, Alien Syndrome never answers these important plot points. 

So what's the conclusion? 

This game's ok. It does support two-player, which is considerably more fun than playing alone, so if you have a buddy or significant other be sure to rope them into the adventure. It looks good enough, with the alien designs being eye-catching, the shooting is solid, the power-ups are fun, and the bosses are hard. Overall, it's a solid experience if you are into these types of games. It isn't as faithful or good as the arcade port, but it's still a blast. I also personally think it's better than the Genesis version in terms of gameplay, though the Genesis' music just slaughters the NES on this one.
Copies can usually be found for $10+.

SuperTuxKart accepted in GSoC2013!

Google's Summer of Code, is an annual sponsorship of programmers to improve selected open-source programs (or games :D ).
This year, quite a few interesting FOSS game projects got accepted (again) and one being our very own friends of the SuperTuxKart project.

Read more about their role as a mentoring organization here. So how about applying as a participant yourself and helping out this great FOSS game?

You can also browse other accepted mentoring projects here, if SuperTuxKart isn't your thing. Other notable FOSS game (engine) projects accepted are:

• Battle for Wesnoth
• WorldForge (Hosting also Ryzom Core & CEGUI)
• Crystal Space
• OGRE3D
• Blender 3D

Nice summer of coding ahead :)

Nathan vs His Game Collection: Day 2 - ADVENTURE

Day 2 is all about adventure. Adventure. FREAKING ADVENTURE!!!
So let's cut to the chase and get on with the...adventure. 

Abadox: The Deadly Inner War

A little background

Abadox was released by Milton Bradley in March of 1990, but was designed by Natsume, who is on my mind since I recently bought a copy of Lufia 2. It's "another damn NES shmup," but with the twist being its grotesque visuals and hard-as-balls gameplay. A fun fact: the music was written by Kiyohiro Sada, who also wrote the music for Contra and Rush'n Attack. 

Also, is it just me, or is the whole "Deadly Inner War" subtitle for the cover only? It doesn't show up on the title screen. 

First impressions last forever

I died in like the first couple of seconds in this game and it starts you completely over. Not cool.

But what really struck me is how awesomely gross this game looks. From the pulsating red ground beneath that looks like twisting intestines to the creepy mouth-biting enemies (that I swear Super Meat Boy took inspiration from) and the fact that the second half of the first level has you flying over a giant slobbering tongue, Abadox makes it clear that it's going to be as gross as possible. It's like Lifeforce, only instead of weirdness it's parts of the body. It's easily the "goriest" NES game I've played. 

But damn! It's hard! I made it to the first boss barely and couldn't beat him and had to run a continue. Hard!

But as I played further...

I found out that through memorization you can actually get some pretty cool power-ups, including a spread shot, laser shot, and orbiting bullet deflectors. Get three of these, and the game becomes pretty cake...at least for the first level.

Level two mixes it up with it being vertical instead of horizontal, except you are going down. That's new, right? Unfortunately, it's also absurdly tough, and when I died just once by touching a wall I lost all my power-ups and was back to the pea-shooter. I managed to make it to the second half of the second stage before my lack of firepower (and an insane number of homing wall-turret-pustules combined with skinny passageways) caused me to rage quit. Also, slowdown. Slowdown everywhere. 

Also, I have an NES four-score, so you bet your butt I turned on turbo for that. It isn't as helpful as you'd think, but at least then I didn't have to mash the button. 

So what's the conclusion? 

Abadox isn't bad, but it isn't great either. It's just...really, unfairly hard. It lures you into thinking you can beat it on its first level, giving you confidence as you memorize power-up locations, enemy spawns, and precise timing of tiny, almost invisible projectiles. Then it tosses you into level two and beats the everloving balls out of you. People weren't kidding: this game is hella hard.
I still think it's a decent enough game for "another damn NES shmup," but hardly a definitive one like Lifeforce or Gradius. This one I'd advise only if you are really into these types of NES games, or can get it for cheap. I do think the visuals make this game an experience that is worth it, but you'll need to have either mad skills, tons of patience, or a Game Genie to see the entire game. Copies are pretty plentiful, and usually run between $5-10.

(Hudson's) Adventure Island

A little background

Hudson Soft (may they rest in peace) had already made a name for themselves with the now-sensational Bomberman game before charting off into Mario's territory with Adventure Island in September of 1988. Starring a caveman-on-the-box, vacationer-in-flip-flops older man named Master Higgens (which is an awesome name), the game ended up spawning a franchise that made it all the way up to the SNES days before dropping off the face of the planet. 

First impressions last forever

This game looks dated. You know those old NES games, like Kid Niki, where everything looks weirdly flat because people hadn't learned how to shade or use black-outlines yet? Adventure Island's all over that. The graphics are still super charming though, with the bright island visuals being very appealing, and the enemies (usually a bunch of unique animal types like snails, bouncing octopi, and tiny obnoxious frogs) are actually kind of cute. Also the music is awesome. 

The game has pretty tough, though. I died once from hunger, and a single touch of an enemy will kill you. That first snake is so obnoxious; he fires a projectile just as you are about to hit him, which your axe bounces off of and you die instantly.

But hey, skateboarding on clouds. 

But as I played further...

There's one rather massive problem with this game that prevents me from enjoying it: no continues. There technically is a way to continue if you find the secret Hudson Bee that shows up only once in the game, and then enter a combo password on the title screen, but who would have known that in 1988? NOBODY. 

So without the continue option (if you miss the bee or just don't know the secret), you're looking at a rather long game with only three lives, one hit deaths, and that's it. Sorry, but as much as I think this game is charming, beating the first boss took way too many rounds of intense level memorization, and after that I died on the first world and had to start all over. No thanks. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I really hate to diss this game, but it really is another one where its punishing game development really hurts the overall product. You thought Demon's Souls was bad? At least that game lets you continue! Try beating Adventure Island without continuing or Game Genie. Not possible. Unless you're all those guys on YouTube who did it. I hate you guys!
Anyway, the point is that while Adventure Island really makes me want to love it (so much so I gave it a positive review on the ol' main blog), unless you're a big fan of looking up how to continue, don't even bother. Like "another damn NES shmup," there's a truckload of platformers on the NES, and most of them (including this game's sequels), completely outclass this dated game. Sorry, Adventure Island, but your admittance into my library was for nostalgia only.
Copies usually roll around $8-15, though I've seen them go for less.

Adventure Island II

A little background

First off: nice shadow in the picture, Nathan. You'd think you could just re-take it since you used your phone anyway. But, to show my commitment to quality, I didn't. So there you go. Awesome.

There's a three year gap between the first Adventure Island and this sequel, which showed up in the US in February of 1991. Mario 2 had come out but not Mario 3 yet, so I'd imagine people were getting a but hungry for a true Mario sequel. Instead, you get Adventure Island II here, where Higgens is back and hungry as ever. 

First impressions last forever

Ok, first off? This game looks loads better than the first one. Sprites have black outlines, the backgrounds look phenomenal, and and...is that a world map? Before Mario 3? It doesn't have the paths like in Mario 3 (making it look like Higgens is just wandering around these islands without rhyme or reason), but hey...it gives context and that sense of progression, right? Damn right!

Second off: DINOSAURS. Yes, in addition to the skateboard, Higgens now rides freaking awesome dinosaurs. And, if you want, you can store power-ups you keep to the end of the level in eggs for future use, which is also frikken sweet.

But the best first impression difference? That big "Continue" on the title screen, now next to "New Game." Thank you, Hudson Soft. Thank you so much. 

But as I played further...

...I loved the game more and more. The levels are very short, but I actually like that because it kept the flow of the game moving forward quickly. There's a lot of secrets to find, including more food, power-ups, and even warps to later islands. There's a wide variety of dinosaurs to ride from fire-breathing ones, one that slaps rocks with its tail, and even a swimming one for the underwater levels. Higgens still is armed with his trusty axes (and still dies in one hit), but the enemies aren't nearly as cheap and the ample number of dinosaurs around gives him one extra hit. It's a pretty good indication I enjoyed a game when I had problems quitting playing to come write this review. 

So what's the conclusion? 

It makes me wish I owned Adventure Island III, which is a bit out of my price range. Adventure Island II is everything Adventure Island wishes it was. It retains the island motif and the cute visuals, but combines it with a lot of new features and some genuinely fun platforming. While one could argue the level design isn't exactly inspired, I will repeat myself and say I like that the levels are short and quick, with some being quite challenging. Everything from the great graphics, music, and design just feels solid, with that wonky "Higgens Momentum" still going on in full force. It's not Mario, but it's still pretty dang good.
Copies are a little harder to find compared to the first game, usually rolling in at around $15-20.

(Disney's) Adventures in The Magic Kingdom

A little background

Ah, Capcom Disney games. Truly a legacy. With the recent announcement of the DuckTales reboot, I think it's safe to say people are nostalgia tripping over good times during that golden era of Disney NES  games(and SNES games; those Capcom versions of Aladdin and Goof Troop are phenomenal). Adventures in The Magic Kingdom (heretofor called AMK) came out four days before the famous DuckTales, and was technically the first Capcom developed Disney game in the US (they published Mickey Mousecapades, but that was made by Hudson, who also made Adventure Island). 

AMK promised all the magic and adventure of visiting Disneyland...or maybe World? Pretty sure Land...I grew up in Cali and it follows that park layout pretty close. Anyway, it doesn't matter. It was hoping to both captivate kids into experiencing Disneyland at  home and also get them to scream at their parents until they took them to the actual park. Not such a bad marketing idea; I gotta hand it to 'em. 

First impressions last forever

The game looks good, like most Capcom games, with sharp looking graphics and decent enough music. I dont' know why my main character is wearing a massive fedora (shouldn't they have had him wearing those Mickey ear hats? You know, for further advertisement?) and the park is pretty much empty except for one other person, but it gets the general gist. It was then I discovered this isn't an actual full game, per say, but a collection of five mini-games and a quiz. What are the odds that one of them is "another damn NES shmup?"

But as I played further...

No shmups; instead just a bunch of really dumpy minigames. Two are platformers (Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion) and aren't that awful, even though in Pirates you don't get a weapon. The issue is you only have three hits and one try or else the game starts completely over. Jumping and moving feels solid enough (again, it's a Capcom joint) and the music and graphics are actually pretty great. It's just punishing and, honestly, not all that fun when compared to all the other NES platforms.

Space Mountain is the birth of all QTE games, beating Asura's Wrath to the punch by over two decades. All it does is put button prompts in your "navigator" and you press them until getting far enough to beat the level. The graphics look pretty cool, like you're driving through space, and I wish the real Space Mountain ride were this long (wait in line for two hours for a minute and a half of fun. Yay!), but screw up three times and you start the whole thing over.

Autotopia is a racing game, sort of. You are supposed to be trying to pass guys, but they really just spawn as obstacles, not opponents (ala Rad Racer). Certain situations require you to take precise jumps, and if you fall out of the track or get pushed off an edge you start all over. Again, there's better versions of this same idea out there (Spy Hunter comes to mind).

But the absolute worst is Big Thunder Mountain. One of my absolute favorite rides, ruined. You're basically careening down the mountain trying to get to the end without hitting a dead-end or crashing three times. The problem is, every intersection is too far back to actually see what is ahead, so you'll make split-second decisions without actually knowing which decision is right. You can brake for some things like toll booths and rocks, but in the end it's dumb luck. I made it all the way to the end of the track, but at the last second chose one exit over another. Guess what? It was the wrong exit, even though I couldn't see it until after I'd made my choice. Burn in hell, Big Thunder Mountain. 

Oh yeah, the last "game" is just answering old Disney trivia and walking around the park. Wee!

So what's the conclusion? 

Don't be tricked like me by the Capcom logo on this game and the Disney tie-ins: this is a bad game. While I'll admit there's a charm to the platforming levels (I really do think the Haunted Mansion had something good going for it) and the game doesn't look or sound bad, it's not up to the quality of many other Capcom releases. If you're a nut and want all the Disney games on the NES, I guess you have to buy it, but compared to all the rest this one is a total stinker.
You can get it for around $5-10.

Nathan vs His Game Collection: Day 1 - The Saga Begins

For the first day, I'm burning through all my NES games that start with numbers. So let's cut the chatter and get it on!

10-Yard Fight

A little background

Released in October of 1985, 10-Yard Fight is one of many "Black Box" NES games, the original North American release lineup for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Weirdly enough, it's actually a port/remaining of an arcade game of the same name. It's the first American football games for the system, and copies are pretty easy to come by ($2-$5). 

First impressions last forever

Ugh, this game does not impress upon first boot. Same boring title screen as most early NES games (just text on a black background), and the game has no music and very limited sound effects. The field of play is vertical instead of horizontal, which is a decent idea, but when you run the ball there's no sense of speed; it feels like they're just inching along. Not to mention it takes forever for your receiver to run down the line. I usually just hiked immediately to save time. 

But as I played further...

I've already reviewed this game, but I will admit after replaying it for a while I started to get in the "groove" of 10-Yard Fight. It was still super tedious and, frankly, a really dull experience overall, but once I figured out how to best pass, run, and tackle (using a silly "Superman" pounce that covers like five yards in a single jump), the game started to feel a bit better. Not a lot better, but I did finish one full game at least, even if it took twenty minutes. 

So what's the conclusion? 

There are so many sports games on the NES, you have plenty of option when it comes down to them. And since everybody knows about Tecmo Bowl and Tecmo Super Bowl, there's no reason to ever pick up 10-Yard Fight if you want football on your NES. While people who want to own all the black box NES games (like me) will probably snag a copy, if you're a casual collector you can pass on it. It's just too dated and dull to be a good time these days, not to mention the awful graphics and sound effects. 

1943 - The Battle of Midway

A little background

1943 came out in October 1988, a sequel to 1942 (which I don't own). It dumped multiplayer for a single player aspect, and was meant to emulate the arcade games of the same name. I'll admit, my experience with this series started with 19XX in arcades, and it began an obsession with shmups that continues to this day. I still suck at shmups, too. 

First impressions last forever

This game is a bit confusing at first. Unlike most other shmups, you actually have a "life bar," or set of numbers, that is your Energy. Using special attacks, getting hit, or just flying slowly drains it. Once you run out, you die. 

The game looks ok, but what impressed me most was the fact there is no slowdown or sprite flicker at all. Plus it controls very well. 

But as I played further...

1943 has like a trillion levels to it, and they all look the same. This isn't a bad thing (I mean, it's the battle for Midway, which was over the Pacific ocean), but it does get a level of "samey" after you play the fifteenth level. The bosses are cool and difficult, the shooting is fun, and considering there's a bajillion shmups on the NES, this one is a good one! Shooting your powerups to change which ones you want is also cool, and the secret "level up" areas that can permanently give you a power boost to your ship is also really neat. 

But that "your energy is low!" looping music cue? It can die. Seriously, if you thought the "beeping siren" sound when your health was low in Zelda was bad, this is like putting sandpaper to your ears.

So what's the conclusion? 

1943 is a very solid NES shooter, though it does seem to lack the personality presented in other shooters (Abadox, Lifeforce, etc.). If you want a game that's solid but not too flashy, it's certainly one of the better shmups on the NES. It won't ever reach the level of the arcade games, but it's still a fun game. And again, it has a trillion levels, and the password system is really short (so thankful for that), so if that sounds like your thing, get on it!

Just be aware it is only single player. I didn't realize this and my wife was put out that she couldn't play. Copies usually run between $5-10. 

3-D World Runner

A little background

Released in September of 1987 (just one month before Rad Racer, which was built on the same engine), 3-D World Runner was one of Square's early games, and also one of the first with a soundtrack penned by the now world-famous Nobuo Uematsu. It was published by Akklaim, and I'd imagine didn't sell all that well, because Square was in a financial rut until they ripped off Dragon Warrior in May of 1990 and Final Fantasy came out. You can play it in actual 3D if you own red/blue glasses!

First impressions last forever

It's well known that I love this game, but I still remember first playing it at a fellow dorm-dweller's place freshman year of college. I was surprised at how good the visuals were, and how difficult the game could be until you mastered the timing on jumps. The music is unbelievably catchy from the second you boot it up, and the whole package just looks good. 

But as I played further...

Despite my love for 3D World Runner, I'm willing to admit fault. The game is pretty much just the same thing over and over with some very minor changes (read: new obstacles), but it doesn't really do anything that you haven't seen in the first level. The game also has a crazy difficulty curve, with Level 3 being notorious at destroying casual attempters. The checkpoints sometimes are so far between each other that dying becomes massively obnoxious (though I must commend the game for having checkpoints; this is the NES era, remember). And how to get power ups? Ram into poles. Seriously, you think they're just obstacles, but no: you have to slam your body into them and then the reward pops out. Not to mention the most useless invincibility powerup in any game over; it only lasts long enough for you to get up to speed then ends. 

Still, this game puts its hooks into you. Just replaying it for this review I sunk a hefty amount of time in the game, the "one more try at that jump!" mentality grabbing me fast. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I love this game. It's one of my favorite NES games. While it is simple and doesn't really do much with its ideas (not to mention is an obvious ripoff of Space Harrier), that simplicity is kind of the joy of it. It's easy to pick up but hard to master, with jumps getting tricker as the game goes along, and while few people will ever beat it, just know you're pretty good if you can beat level 3. 

I'd consider this game an overlooked gem, and if you see it at a game store you should certainly consider picking it up! Copies are usually around $3-5, making it an easy impulse buy. It probably costs more to get 3D glasses than this game itself. 

8 Eyes

A little background

8 Eyes (or 8 Eye's if the title screen is to be believed), is a Taxan joint (and I have no idea what else they made) released in January of 1990. It's important to note that this is after Castlevania and Castlevania 2 came out. It has box art that looks exactly like Shining Force on the Genesis, if that's a claim to fame. It also supports two players, where one person plays as the pet bird while the other guy plays the warrior. If you don't play two players, you have to try to control the bird with one controller. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work very well. 

First impressions last forever

I really like the cover art for this, and my copy's label looks sweet. It did take a while to boot up though, despite being clean, so it loses points for that. 

This game looks a lot like Castlevania 2, even from the get go. Dark, with thick black outlines on everything, and every level starting with you opening a door and walking in it (much like Simon walking into the castle at the beginning of Castlevania). The stairs? Straight outta Castlevania. Sub-weapons? That's a Castlevania joint. I swear the axe knights are even ripped wholesale. 

It also has a stage select that is very Mega Man esque. But hey, mixing two of my favorite NES franchises can't go wrong, right? 

But as I played further...

This game is unfairly difficult and poorly balanced and will cause immense frustration for anyone who plays it. I'm usually one for a challenge (NES Castlevania 3 is one of my favorite games), but 8 Eyes just doesn't give you the tools to beat it. Your sword's range is shorter than any enemy's attack (including the melee characters) so you'll always get hit when attacking, turning every battle into a war of attrition. Subweapons are handy but the game never gives you enough magic to use them, and when you do get enough magic, certain subweapons only work on certain enemies. How do you find that out? By trial and error with your limited magic supply, of course! Brilliant.

While you can pick your stages, you have to play them in order or else you'll never beat the game, because bosses are only weak to other boss's weapons (except the first boss, in Spain). The power-ups you get from the bosses (again, Mega Man-esque) are useless except against other bosses, which makes them pretty much a moot point. 

I still like the graphics and the sound, and the idea of a two-player Castlevania is an enticing one, but strip aside all the good ideas (most of which done badly) and all that's left is an exercise in elevating my blood pressure. 

So what's the conclusion? 

8 Eyes really wants to be Castlevania. Castlevania graphics, Castlevania stairs, Castlevania health bar and power ups...the list goes on. But it isn't Castlevania. It's crappy.

While some may have nostalgia for it (and I still like the box art) and it does have a decent first impression, the game is too flawed to recommend to anybody. If you're a fan of Castlevania, play that instead. There's a reason those games are so revered: they have strong level design and the limitations placed on your character are there to challenge you, not frustrate you. I'd rather play Simon's Quest than 8 Eyes, and that's saying something. At least I can beat Simon's Quest. 

8 Eyes usually rolls for around $8-10, but you shouldn't be getting it anyway.