Nathan vs His Game Collection: Day 7 - Bionic Baby Moses

We round off the first week of this experiment by finishing my first shelf of NES games! See that one in the upper right in the header picture? Yeah, the one up there? That's it! We're done! Hooray!
Only seven more shelves to go of NES games! Hope you're all in it for the long haul.

Continuing the tradition of dropping youtube music references, this rendition of Frog's theme from Chrono Trigger is pretty great.

On with the reviews!

The Battle of Olympus

A little background

Is it weird that whenever I see a Borderbund logo on something I immediately think of Myst? Must be my PC days catching up to me. 

Long before God of War mined Greek Mythology for its setting, we have The Battle of Olympus in 

December of 1989. Playing as Orpheus (a musician/poet in real Greek mythology, and your starting Persona in Persona 3 because that's totally relevant to this review), you find out that your girlfriend was killed by Hades to be his bride. So off you go to kick some butt across many Greek worlds. Sounds like God of War NES to me!

First impressions last forever

This game is very much a knock off of Zelda II. The side-scrolling looks the same, when you get hit it looks the same, and you have a life bar that is also similar. The game looks quite good and the controls are solid, but it also has the Zelda II problem of not knowing where the crap to go. 

But as I played further...

Despite the lack of direction, I love The Battle of Olympus. Despite wholesale ripping off Zelda II, there's still a good number of differences. The game is less of an action RPG and more of just an action game. You gain lots of cool gear like new weapons and abilities, and battle lots of creatures from Greek mythology. Again, God of War-esque, only without the rage and bad character development.

The music is phenomenal, as are the sound effects. Again, the only real knock is the issue where you can get lost or confused easily, even though the NPCs are much better translated than in Zelda II. I feel this game works best with Gamefaqs on speed-dial. 

So what's the conclusion? 

I'd go so far as to say The Battle of Olympus is a hidden gem. While it isn't quite as polished or refined as Zelda II, for a knock-off it does more than its fair share of carving its own path. While the initial while may be frustrating and turn off some players; don't let it. Use a guide if you have to, but still experience the game. It's good looking, good sounding, and offers a fun, meaty adventure for those willing to dive in.
Copies are usually under $10.

Bible Adventures

A little background

Oh boy, here we go.

Most people have heard of this game, but for those unenlightened, here's a little background.

Back in the NES days, Nintendo kept all its games on lockdown. That "Seal of Quality" on their carts actually meant something, because Nintendo had to hand-approve all games that were released on its console. That is, until Tengen showed up and started making their own carts without Nintendo's approval. Several other companies followed suite, the most infamous of them being Wisdom Tree and Color Dreams. We won't talk about Color Dreams, but Wisdom Tree was responsible for making many unlicensed christian religious games across multiple systems, though most remember them for Bible Adventures and Super Noah's Ark 3D. 

On a personal note, I actually played this game a lot growing up. The cart came in two versions: the black which I own now, and the baby blue my friend had and we played on. I still don't know why we played it so much as kids (both my friend and I were raised christian, so I guess that might have contributed), but I think we really just liked throwing baby Moses around. 

The game came out in 1990 and actually has three games on it. To be fair, the idea of making a game based off of the Old Testament is pretty badass. Lots of crazy stuff and wars happened then that could be easily exploited (how about a game where Elijah slaughters the 450 priests of Baal, Dynasty Warriors style?). So...did they make it good?

First impressions last forever

Three games in one! You get Noah's Ark, David and Goliath, and Baby Moses. You know, your classic Bible stories that could totally work as video games. Without digging into each one individually (yet), I'll say they all share the same awful "soundtrack," which is more like random beeps and blips popping out of my NES. 

Also, this cart is more of a pain to put in and out than the Tengen ones, and it's also the pickiest game I own in terms of trying to get it to run. That isn't really related to an actual review, but I needed to vent somewhere. 

But as I played further...

These games all follow a similar pattern: pick stuff up and toss it where it needs to go. 

Noah's Ark it's obviously animals you're picking up, as Noah. First you have to find them on the map, and then haul them all to the ark. The crazy thing is he can pick up more than one at a time, leading to some awesome stacks like in the screenshot. It's kind of hilarious, in a weird way. 

Different animals have some tricks to them. Monkeys you have to stun before they pick up, and oxen are heavy and are dropped when you jump. To be fair, this isn't a bad game I guess, but it's certainly tedious. 

David and Goliath is the same thing but with freaking sheep. Because David took care of the sheep before smashing Goliath's face in, I guess. After getting them all you get to sling some Philistines, which I'm pretty sure wasn't in the Bible. Didn't he just kill Goliath first before being made king? Because the Philistines were like "We don't want to have bloodshed, so we'll just have two people fight?" Maybe I'm reading too deep into this; it's been a while. 

But to be honest, the highlight of this package is Baby Moses. You play as Moses' mom who, rather than just putting Moses in the river like she actually did in the Bible, decided to use him as a projectile weapon to attack Egyptians! And throwing Moses in the water makes you lose. Wait, what?

All that aside, this is probably the funnest game, if only because it starts out with actual enemies. You can ditch baby Moses from the beginning and the Egyptians just ignore him for some reason (even though he is the one they want, not the mom) but you can't beat the level without the little tyke. You pick up stuff and beam it at Egyptians, while trying to figure out where the crap you left Baby Moses. This is the one we played most as a kid, because the idea of lobbing the future liberator of the Israelites at Egyptians like some sort of bomb (or Mario 2 turnip) is still hilarious. I don't know if they intended this to be sacrilegious, but it's certainly how they designed it.

All the games look mediocre but not too awful. The controls are tolerable but nothing to write home about. The main problem is the tedium in all but Baby Moses, and it's really just a one-note joke anyway. 

So what's the conclusion? 

 I think everybody should have this game in their collection, but you probably won't ever play it. It's not a good game (though I honestly don't think it's as bad as people have made it out to be) but it certainly can provide a bit of entertainment. Considering how christian mythology seems only reserved for Castlevania games (and even games like Asura's Wrath manage to sneak a lot of Buddhism into it), it's kind of charming to see this game attempt to mix religion with an NES game. Charming, but not great.
If anything, being able to toss baby Moses around is worth the price of admission, which is usually $10.

Bionic Commando

A little background

Many people might not know this, but Bionic Commando is actually a spin-off of the Arcade/NES game Commando. Yeah, you didn't see that until right now, huh? I just blew your mind. 

Anyway, Super Joe is the main dude in Commando, and he's been captured in Bionic Commando, so they send Nathan "Rad" Spencer off with his bionic arm (that's also his wife...oh wait, that's the other Bionic Commando game) to kick some not-Nazi trash and rescue the guy. Sounds awesome already!

Showing up in December of 1988, this game is probably most remembered for it's "Rearmed" version released on XBLA and PSN, as well as the somewhat mediocre-but-it-still-had-some-good-ideas reboot on modern consoles. It also has a super catchy theme song. 

First impressions last forever

This is a great looking and sounding game, with really cool twists to its mechanics. Unlike 99% of other action platformers, Nathan (hey, that's my name!) actually can't jump, probably because his bionic arm weighs eighty trillion tons. Instead, you control the reach and grapple of the arm, which can fire in multiple directions (including diagonal). This makes even the first box a tutorial on how to use the arm, because you can't just jump over it.

Also, I like how it lets you pick your stages with the chopper, and man the music is sweet. 

But as I played further...

Bionic Commando is still solid, even to this day. Is it tough? Yeah, especially since you have to learn a whole new control scheme with jumping removed and the bionic arm the only option. Is it punishing? Well, you start with a limited number of lives and one bullet takes you down...so I'd say yes. Even the enemies can take multiple hits. But is it fun? You bet it is!

With tons of stages to explore and master your bionic abilities, Bionic Commando's unique spin on the platformer is still fresh, even after all the remakes. The levels are designed to be taken slow and carefully, like how a real commando under enemy lines would act. While the game has a lack of bosses, it makes up for it with challenging regular enemies, and tons of crazy secrets. 

I suck at this game, but I still love playing it. I've only ever beaten it once, and that was after a lot of deaths. 

So what's the conclusion? 

Bionic Commando is another one of those "necessary" games for any NES collector. It's got great music, sound, and completely unique gameplay. It's hard-as-nails but still feels fair, and with every level you beat you feel more and more like a badass. While the "Reloaded" game does improve on this original in nearly every way, there's still something to be said for the classic, 8-bit stylins of Nathan "Rad" Spencer.
Copies are usually under $10.

Nathan vs His Game Collection Day 6: Bart Beats Batman Battletoads

I have a killer migraine today, but the reviews must go on!
I probably have a migraine because I had to play Bart vs the Space Mutants, but we'll save that for the forthcoming review.
In other news, if you aren't listening to this guy yet, you should be. Right now. I'll wait.

(The Simpsons) Bart vs the Space Mutants

A little background

I'll be open and admit this upfront: I haven't watched much of The Simpsons. It's not that I don't enjoy it or anything, I just...never got around to it. I've seen maybe two seasons and a few random episodes, but I'm certainly not well versed like most people I know (who quote it and then get offended when I don't know what they're talking about. Shut up, you!)

Anyway, released in February of 1991, Bart vs the Space Mutants holds the title of being the first Simpsons game ever created. As the 90s were heading off and Bart was pretty much what every kid wanted to be, it made sense it would star him. Acclaim and Ocean published, while Imagineering made it. Imagineering would go on to create other classics like Family Feud on the NES and ports of Ikari Warriors on the Atari. Basically, they never made anything good. 

First impressions last forever

The intro is actually not bad. I'm familiar enough with The Simpsons to recognize the theme song, and while they look a bit...off while sitting on the famous couch, it's close enough. Bart says "Eat My Shorts" whenever you die, which I guess is kind of funny. It is annoying that you have to watch the whole intro every time you boot up the cart, and the aliens look...well, like NES aliens would, but it's in a sharp contract with the usually cartoony nature of The Simpsons. 

But as I played further...

This game is atrocious, and might be the worst game I've played so far in my collection. Graphical style (as mentioned before with the aliens) is so inconsistant it almost makes you not notice the graphics are just bad overall. Almost. Anything that isn't a traditional Simpsons character looks like they stole it from another NES game and just tacked it in here. Ick. 

The goal of the game is to get rid of all purple objects in any way possible. Spray paint them, drop cloths from a clothesline to cover them, all sorts of weird ideas. It is kind of like Hitman in that you have multiple ways you have to look at a situation only...Hitman is good. This isn't.

The controls are...tolerable, but the game feels broken. Bart can only take two hits and he's gone, starting the whole level over (and dying completely requires you to rewatch the opening movie). It's mostly just a slow, imprecise trudge forward, with cheap hits and deaths. 

But the worst part is the platforms, as in you never know what can or can't be jumped on. Even in the first level, there's a windowsill I can jump on, and an identical one right next to it that I can't. Why is this? 

So what's the conclusion? 

Bart vs the Space Mutants is a horrendous game. While I suppose it isn't "broken" per say, it is completely bereft of anything resembling fun, and the bad graphics and sound don't help. I guess some people might have nostalgia for the game (it was apparently a best seller), but if you see it in the store I suggest you give it a pass.

Copies usually are around $10. 

Batman (The Video Game)

A little background

Batman was a movie tie-in with the Tim Burton movie of the same name, and was made and published by Sunsoft in February of 1990. Most people who collect retro games have at least heard of Sunsoft, mostly because they made Baster Master. They're pretty famous for having completely inconsistant game quality, but usually they have two constants: great music, and are really hard. 

First impressions last forever

This is a good looking game, and also it sounds good too. The opening cutscene with the batmobile is straight up kickass, with the music being a sinister tone that matches the films. 

I like that Batman has subweapons, but the default punch is just called "Batman." I'll Batman the hell out of you...with my fists!

But as I played further...

Batman is a fantastic NES game. It's like a hybrid between Ninja Gaiden and other action platformers on the NES (Shatterhand, etc.). Batman collects ammo for his various bat-gear, with the ammo being universal but the amount used depending on which weapon you prefer. There's even a "bat gun" (though the batarang is still the best). 

Batman's other tricks include wall jumping ala Ninja Gaiden, which at first is just used for shortcuts but later becomes very tricky and necessary. The controls are rock solid and the wide collection of weapons never makes you feel underarmed. The game also looks great.

My only complaint is the game is quite a challenge. While the first set of levels (and boss) might not be too hard, after that the challenge bat-punches you in the face. Beating the Joker is a true sign of gamer prowess. 

So what's the conclusion? 

Batman is one of my favorite action platformers on the NES, easily edging out the unfair Ninja Gaiden games. The music rocks, the graphics are fantastic, it has killer atmosphere and the game has a good mix of challenge and control. While I will admit it does get unfair near the end, it's still an extremely solid NES game and if you like action platformers, it should be in your library. 

Plus, it's freaking Batman, so there's reason enough. Copies are pretty plentiful, and usually around $5-10. 

Battletoads 

A little background

Everybody knows Rareware (or just "Rare" now). They're a fan favorite for many people, and they dabbled in just about every single genre known to man over their career. While one might debate the quality of their games (they're usually technologically competent  have good music, and have extremely mediocre game design), there's no denying they have a solid place in everyone's collective nostalgia's. 

Battletoads popped out in June of 1991, after Snake Rattle N' Roll. It's become sort of a running gag that a "new Battletoads game" is in development, resulting in prank calls to Gamestops and fake mock-ups of the game all over the place. I guess, if anything, that's this game's legacy: fake threats of rebooting.

First impressions last forever

The game looks quite good, with an excellent opening cutscene and smooth animation. The controls are a little loose but I don't mind; I like that the toads move fast rather than the sluggish walk of traditional beat-em-ups like Double Dragon. One of my favorite parts is when you land a combo, the finish move transforms the final strike into a massive punch or giant boot kick. It's pretty amusing! 

But as I played further...

Battletoads feels...off. The first level is fine, but once you hit level two and have to try to descend down into the pit, the game gets a bit unfair. And don't even get me started on the hover-cycle level; infamously stuck in everyone's mind as one of the most trial-and-error, level memorization messes in NES history.

Playing the game co-op also has its own slew of problems. Not only can you hit each other, but if one person dies then both have to continue, and the player who didn't die doesn't get his life restored. 

But the worst part is, if in co-op, there's a game breaking bug in one of the later levels that renders the game completely unbeatable. In a time before patches, this means it's never been fixed. Lovely. 

So what's the conclusion? 

Battletoads...isn't very good. Even while games like Double Dragon are simple and short, at least they're beatable and still fun with friends. Battletoads has a great first level, but after that the bad design really kills the deal. It's too bad; this game does a lot of things right (great graphics, music, and level variety to name a few), but on the fundamentals it cut a few corners, and the game hurts because of it. While you may have good nostalgia for it, this isn't really a game worth replaying, especially considering the number of better beat-em-ups on the system.

It's usually around $10-15, as people seem to think it's worth something. 

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+.