This is an odd little platformer that is interesting mainly because half the fucking screen is taken up by your status bar. Literally half. It shows a little map that sort of gives you an idea of where you are in the level, but basically only by telling you how far you are away from the end since its just a crude drawing of the level. The control is decent, and it does everything ok in a 1988 sort of way, but the game as a whole is just archaic and not any fun. First of all you only get one fucking life, and that's IT, no continues or anything (at least not that I could find). You can buy stuff from an old lady in a store, but only health power ups and some status enhancers like new shoes that make you jump *slightly* higher, and other things nearly as worthless. Plus the collision detection is a little odd, it's one of those games where the edge of platforms and enemies isn't precisely defined (like donkey kong country compared to mario bros), so it can be ultimate frustrating. The boss fights are kind of cool though, your character prays at a shrine and his spirit comes out and you get to control it as it flies around and fires projectiles off, all the while your little guy is praying super hard.
Overall the game isn't exactly horrible but it's close enough that they share the same personal space. The few frustrations will over ride any fun you might possibly have; like when you have to stop at a shop (they aren't optional) and the screen takes 10 unbelievably-long seconds to change, you only get one life and no continues, and there are various extremely cheap parts that rival The Addams Family for frustration. I will say, though, it's leagues better than fucking JJ and Jeff or Impossamole, but what game isn't (besides Blodia)?
Genesis game that is better than this game rating- Wardner, by at least 7 Phantasy Star lengths.
GAME REVIEWS
Friday, February 13, 2009
Vanilla Syndrome
~ VANILLA SYNDROME ~
Nichibutsu
CD-ROM / Super CD-ROM
1991
When I think of Nichibutsu, I think of those F1 Circus games that a few folks adore and most of us despise. Having mastered the art of crafting polarizing racing games, the company decided to try their hand at the very similar genre of anime-girl mahjong. Vanilla Syndrome, the product of their experimental endeavor, has you play a goober who struts around in a pink vest. He's on his way to meet his girlfriend at an amusement park when he opens up a random door and gets sucked into another dimension where strange women want to play mahjong with him. Let's see what we've got here...
Well, we've got shops run by bunny girls. You pay with carrots, of course. I've never needed to purchase anything.
I won. "Cherry" seems angry about that.
The map parts suck. Basically, you can move the cursor around and click on every single spot hoping to set off an event, or you can make life easy for yourself by using a walkthrough that tells you exactly where to click and use items. This one is good: http://whss.biz/~mrx/game/pce-cd/vanillas/vanichart.html.That's about all there is to the game. Mahjong is mahjong, and the map parts are painless if you use the guide. VS hopes to hook you with its weird girls; if you're looking forward to the next bizarre encounter, you'll keep on playing. Some of the artwork is subpar, and some of the character designs are goofy/unimpressive, but here are a few of the finer portraits:
Ah, a rare moment of peace amidst the mahjong wars... Thursday, February 12, 2009
Dungeon Master Theron's Quest
TTI - USA - 1993
Super CD
What a travesty. In some ways this version is superior to the original, but in the important areas it's a complete train wreck. The good points; the graphics are very nice-- the cinemas aren't technically the greatest but they at least add a halfway interesting story to give you some motivation to continue-- and the music is alright. Now for the bad! The first and most annoying thing about this version is that you have to beat every dungeon in one sitting. That's not a big deal on the first couple, but on the last 5 if you don't have at least 2-3 hours to set aside for gaming, don't even bother playing. This wouldn't be SO bad if the game was more straight-forward and revolved mostly around fighting, but Dungeon Master is 50/50 fighting and puzzle solving. So what happens if you get stuck on some stupid pressure plate puzzle and need to take a break? Tough shit! Turn your Duo off and you have to start completely from scratch in that dungeon. No midpoint saves, no exiting the dungeons and saving, nothing.
The second thing that is ultra annoying is that you don't get to keep anything you find in the dungeons. In this sense it's almost like a rogue game in that you start from square one in each dungeon, even having to re-pick your companions from the measly amount they give you to choose from (I think it's around 7, but I can't remember exactly). It completely ruins the fun. I mean what's the point of spending an hour on a puzzle and finding that SWEET piece of armor if you're just going to lose it when you beat the dungeon?
The last thing that sucks (that I will bother listing, not the last thing that sucks about the game) is how after you find the artifact you need you have to find your way back out of the dungeon-- an example of artificial lengthening at its finest! No new puzzles or anything, just a boring trek back through places you've already been with maybe a couple monsters to harass you.
Genesis game that is better than this game rating- Might & Magic Gates to Another World
Super CD
What a travesty. In some ways this version is superior to the original, but in the important areas it's a complete train wreck. The good points; the graphics are very nice-- the cinemas aren't technically the greatest but they at least add a halfway interesting story to give you some motivation to continue-- and the music is alright. Now for the bad! The first and most annoying thing about this version is that you have to beat every dungeon in one sitting. That's not a big deal on the first couple, but on the last 5 if you don't have at least 2-3 hours to set aside for gaming, don't even bother playing. This wouldn't be SO bad if the game was more straight-forward and revolved mostly around fighting, but Dungeon Master is 50/50 fighting and puzzle solving. So what happens if you get stuck on some stupid pressure plate puzzle and need to take a break? Tough shit! Turn your Duo off and you have to start completely from scratch in that dungeon. No midpoint saves, no exiting the dungeons and saving, nothing.
The second thing that is ultra annoying is that you don't get to keep anything you find in the dungeons. In this sense it's almost like a rogue game in that you start from square one in each dungeon, even having to re-pick your companions from the measly amount they give you to choose from (I think it's around 7, but I can't remember exactly). It completely ruins the fun. I mean what's the point of spending an hour on a puzzle and finding that SWEET piece of armor if you're just going to lose it when you beat the dungeon?
The last thing that sucks (that I will bother listing, not the last thing that sucks about the game) is how after you find the artifact you need you have to find your way back out of the dungeon-- an example of artificial lengthening at its finest! No new puzzles or anything, just a boring trek back through places you've already been with maybe a couple monsters to harass you.
Genesis game that is better than this game rating- Might & Magic Gates to Another World
Deep Blue
PACK-IN-VIDEO - 1989 - U.S.A.
An underwater shooter that has a bad reputation, probably because it is too hard for most players. Speaking as someone who has cleared the game-- it's not bad. It is difficult, but don't fault the game if your playing isn't up to snuff. Deep Blue actually sports some really nice underwater visuals, especially for a 1989 release. The scenery has different layers of scrolling that while technically is pretty simple is used well to create a real feeling of depth, and some stages (especially 2 and 4) are just beautiful. One area Deep Blue really shines is the enemy design; the screens shown here don't even scratch the surface of the plethora of different foe you will encounter.
Deep Blue is especially tough because it is extremely hard to avoid getting hit most of the time, and when you do, your weapon downgrades one level. You can pick up powerups for different weapons, but the arsenal is limited. The swirl cutter weapon is the best, especially if you power it up a couple levels. You only have one life, but you have a life meter that slowly depletes as you get hit. If you avoid getting hit, it will gradually replenish itself. I like this, it's a fresh change from the tired traditions of most other shooters. The music is hit and miss. Every stage starts with a unique theme song but then when you reach the middle of a stage instead of a mid-boss, the music changes to a frantic number and you find yourself in a frenzy of oncoming foe. This frantic tune can be a little grating but most of the actual level themes are pretty pleasant and atmospheric. Overall, not a perfect game by any means, but a fun one nonetheless that doesn't deserve it's bad reputation. A must-try for hardcore shooter fanatics.
HuCard
An underwater shooter that has a bad reputation, probably because it is too hard for most players. Speaking as someone who has cleared the game-- it's not bad. It is difficult, but don't fault the game if your playing isn't up to snuff. Deep Blue actually sports some really nice underwater visuals, especially for a 1989 release. The scenery has different layers of scrolling that while technically is pretty simple is used well to create a real feeling of depth, and some stages (especially 2 and 4) are just beautiful. One area Deep Blue really shines is the enemy design; the screens shown here don't even scratch the surface of the plethora of different foe you will encounter.
Deep Blue is especially tough because it is extremely hard to avoid getting hit most of the time, and when you do, your weapon downgrades one level. You can pick up powerups for different weapons, but the arsenal is limited. The swirl cutter weapon is the best, especially if you power it up a couple levels. You only have one life, but you have a life meter that slowly depletes as you get hit. If you avoid getting hit, it will gradually replenish itself. I like this, it's a fresh change from the tired traditions of most other shooters. The music is hit and miss. Every stage starts with a unique theme song but then when you reach the middle of a stage instead of a mid-boss, the music changes to a frantic number and you find yourself in a frenzy of oncoming foe. This frantic tune can be a little grating but most of the actual level themes are pretty pleasant and atmospheric. Overall, not a perfect game by any means, but a fun one nonetheless that doesn't deserve it's bad reputation. A must-try for hardcore shooter fanatics.
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