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~ JANTEI 2 KANKETSU HEN ~
Atlus
CD-ROM
1992
Kanketsu Hen has you pick up right where you left off in Shutsudou Hen. A gargantuan head of stone and his malevolent henchwomen must be stopped in their imperialistic tracks, and the one way you can put an end to their evil antics is by beating the lot of 'em at mahjong. Once again, points that can be spent on techniques to turn a hand in your favor accrue as you tally victories.
You'll find your mahjong-match opponents here to be keener and tougher than the minor-leaguers you encountered in Shutsudou Hen. Particularly talented is the aforementioned hard-head of terror.
There's a good bit of work to do before you can square off with that ill-mannered fellow, though. Shutsudou Hen fans will begin play with a sense of anticipation, as it's clear from the start that the major villains introduced in Jantei 2's opening half will finally have to be confronted and dealt with.
Indeed, emphasis is placed on action right from the get-go; there isn't any "be a good guy and help some whiny kids" prologue-type fodder to sit through this time. Kanketsu Hen is the game's battle-heavy chapter--villains make their moves, and the hero responds by stepping up and... getting his ass kicked repeatedly.
There isn't much you can do to aid the luckless lad during the pre-mahjong-match scenes of battery. While options as to actions to be taken are occasionally offered in Shutsudou Hen, Kanketsu asks that you simply sit back and enjoy the show. As the choices players make in Shutsudou are largely inconsequential, this is actually a case of improvement via omission.
For-the-better changes were also made in the department of visuals. The borders housing animated sequences are not as austere this time around, and there aren't quite as many awkward-looking motions and sketches to cringe at--though there are still bits of graphical goofiness to be observed.
Aside from the punching-bag-of-a-protagonist, the game's graceless good guys don't receive as much on-air time as they do in Shutsudou. Kanketsu's cameraman concentrates instead on providing as many naughty looks at the evil girls as he can. Shots of panties and bare skin abound, though in relative dirty-PCE-game terms things never become all that visually perverse.
Things never become dull or irritating either, as Kanketsu Hen resolves the Jantei 2 story in satisfying fashion. Most PCE mahjong games are quite similar to one another mechanically; it's typically context that separates the good from the unappealing. Jantei 2's action, drama, and interesting characters enable it to claim a spot among the worthwhile ones.
~ JANTEI 2 SHUTSUDOU HEN ~
Atlus
CD-ROM
1992
I knew that there would be girls, and I knew that there would be mahjong matches. But those are the only things I knew to expect when I started playing Jantei 2. Whether or not the game is any good was a matter very much in question. I'd already experienced both the first episode in the series and the third, and while I found the former to be a terribly dull detective story, I rather enjoyed the time I spent with the crazy, cartoony stars of the latter. It seemed reasonable enough to expect the second game to be a mere middle-of-the-road sort of product, so I wasn't anticipating my inevitable sessions with it. What I was anticipating, though, was having a good deal more adventuring to do than I'd had in its forebear and followup; after all, it's split up into two separately released chapters, with Shutsudou Hen constituting the opening half.
Indeed, there's an adventure to experience here, and the adventurer who experiences it is a well-meaning if awkward lad who somehow manages to transform himself into a robotic soldier when circumstances demand such drastic action. He regularly utilizes his unique ability to aid distressed acquaintances and teary-eyed civilians.
The do-gooder's adversaries are an alien head of stone and a flock of odd-looking, strangely attired females.
This story of Rock Head vs. Robot Boy plays out via animated sequences that are housed within horribly large, strictly utilitarian borders. There are options to choose from here and there, but selections are nothing but formalities, mere exercises in clicking, and the interface is unnecessarily clunky.
Thankfully, not a whole lot of time is wasted on menu-driven sequences, and once the show gets rolling, it's anything but uneventful. An evil cat-girl administering breast-exposing whip lashes to a bound-and-vulnerable heroine might actually fall into the "going too far" category, but I'm hardly opposed to lightsaber-wielding robo-warriors having it out.
Of course, whips and lightsabers and whatnot are tossed aside once the time comes for disputes to be settled for good. Mahjong tiles are the characters' weapons of choice for all-or-nothing showdowns.
And Jantei 2's mahjong matches play out well--which basically means that they aren't overly difficult and don't require a great deal of time. Points awarded for victories can be used to acquire hand-altering abilities and make the contests even easier and less time consuming.
Decent music lends to the dramatic effect of particular events, though the excitement generated by the soundtrack is frequently nullified by the goofy facial expressions and awkward gesticulating of the clumsy characters.
Still, the part of Jantei 2 presented here remained interesting enough for me to want to proceed to the next slice as soon as I was done with it. If anything, it ended far too quickly. Shutsudou Hen really does feel like half a game--but at least it's half of a pretty good one.
~ HORROR STORY ~
Toaplan / NEC Avenue
Super CD-ROM
1993
As a fan of this horror-themed, dash-and-blast platformer, I typically wave off word of its reputation for mediocrity, reasoning that its detractors are likely the sorts who are unwilling to take up a good challenge or unable to figure out that a double-jump is at their disposal. But even I must concede that the title does itself no favors with its visuals, as it employs sprites that are frequently too goofy to be appealing even in a kitschy sense and has a fuzzy, all-too-simplistic look about it in general.
And while I was able to become accustomed to the feel of the action fairly quickly, I cannot claim that the game plays wonderfully. The aforementioned double-jump is executed in an odd manner, and turning on a dime is out of the question for your stiff, often-surrounded-and-always-outnumbered avatar.
Players are forced to subscribe to a "die repeatedly and learn from your errors" philosophy, as enemy patterns are often too aberrant and level layouts too trap laden to advance in any other way, but some missteps reveal little except the immediately obvious fact that the controls are far from perfect.
As Horror Story is a platformer of the forced-scrolling sort, those who brave it may proceed only at a pace dictated by the title itself. It's unfortunate for the unskilled and easily discouraged, then, that the game never seems to be in any hurry to get anywhere. Strips are revealed bit by minuscule bit as speedy enemies soar through the air, scurry along the turf, and even emerge from the backdrops.
Thankfully, HS does provide tools and techniques that can enable dedicated players to overcome the challenges presented by their foes and surroundings. Missiles, lasers, bombs, and three-way shots are among the monster-massacring long-range attack-types at your disposal. Many enemies can also be demolished in Super Mario-esque bop-on-the-cranium fashion, and a shield can be acquired to give the hero a fighting chance at survival.
Those who put in the time to get a handle on the available offensive options will live long enough and proceed far enough to notice and appreciate the cleverness that consistently marks the game's level designs. Forks in the road of the "low-or-high" variety provide opportunities for experimentation, while tricky platforming segments demand both keen thought and sharp reflexes. Even the means by which you can advance from one point to the next are occasionally atypical, with successions of wafting balloons, drifting boats, and reaper-heisted coffins acting here and there as de facto bridges to level ends.
And while they don't call for extreme contemplation, most of the boss battles do ask that you devise clever methods for getting through them. The final fight in particular is enjoyable, as it demands that you make quick, timely leaps while you take to the offensive.
A lively soundtrack adds a little spirit to the affair, which can prove very rewarding if you're willing to forgive the title its often-unappealing visuals and far-from-superlative gameplay.
