Devil's Crush

~ DEVIL'S CRUSH ~

Naxat Soft / Red / NEC

HuCard

1990

Most people will tell you that Devil's Crush wipes the floor with its awesome predecessor, Alien Crush. After all, DC boasts faster gameplay, more bonus rounds, a larger main playfield, and a higher level of challenge. Unlike AC, which requires players to put in marathon sessions to earn extremely high scores, DC allows for the saving of play data. Its main musical track is much longer and more intricate than any of AC's numbers. It stars charismatic creatures--including a fire-breathing dragon, a grinning skull with a creepy roving eyeball, and a monstrous face-shifting lizard woman--who certainly outdo AC's critters, brains, and mutants. There's just a lot more to be aware of, a lot more going on at any given moment, in DC. In fact, in comparison, AC's playfields seem vacuous, and its monsters, static.

All of that being said, I'm a bigger fan of AC, myself. My allegiance to DC's older, simpler sibling is no doubt buoyed by nostalgia and a personal preference for its tunes. But the scrolling playfield that so many players laud DC for is an "improvement" I could have lived without, as I like AC's "blinking" system for the simple fact that it allows me to see my flippers at all times. Of course, regardless of which Crush brother you end up devoting your loyalty and game time to, you'll likely consider both to be excellent pinball titles. I myself consider them TG-16 must-buys.

Demons, sorcerers, and other strange beings are constantly hustling and bustling about the playfield.

Witness the famous Lady Lizard transformation sequence.

Just a few of Devil's many bonus rounds.

Ys Book I & II

~ YS BOOK I & II ~

Falcom / Hudson Soft / NEC

CD-ROM

1990

Ys Book I & II, a thrilling two-chapter action-RPG featuring fast-paced bump-and-run combat, is by far the most captivating, awe-inspiring, involving video game I have ever played. And since the title is so special to me, I decided to do something different with this piece: I've noted the aspects of the adventure that have proven to be indelible elements of my recollections of it. Some of them are goofy little happenings, while others are unquestionably among the most dramatic scenes in Turbo history. So here we have IvaNEC's list of the most memorable moments from the greatest game available for the system:

I must start off with the duo of opening cinemas. The first one lays intriguing groundwork for the proceedings and is accompanied by enthralling audio that segues perfectly into the brilliant title-screen number. The second impresses to an extreme with its rockin' rendition of Adol's stirring theme and the stylish way it augments awesome imagery with cast-member names, making the affair seem like a grand production right off the bat. I always tell people to return to this cinema after they've completed the game so that they can connect names and plot points with the artwork. I particularly love the image of Lair playing her harmonica in the rain.

Engaging atmosphere is established within the Book I shrine thanks to an enchanting yet somewhat chilling tune that eerily incorporates the sounds of falling water droplets into its rhythms and concludes with beautiful piano lines. The game effectively switches gears by replacing that number with another cool (and more upbeat) tune when you delve deeper into the structure.

The mine boss gave me problems when I was a kid. I had no trouble figuring out the correct approach to utilize for the fight, but I hadn't reached an adequate level by the time I encountered the creature, so I had to stumble around the tunnels and power up for a bit. It seems like a lot of other folks find themselves in the same predicament.

I dig the spot in Darm Tower where the statues surrounding a chest come to life and charge at you as you attempt to nab the treasure, if for no other reason than the previously (and subsequently) worthless Timer Ring actually comes in handy.

While pretty Feena whines about headaches and the frightfulness of the shrine she was imprisoned in, cool, cunning Lair actually goes ahead and gets herself captured on purpose to gain entry to Darm Tower and aid Adol in his endeavors. Lair's VA had a very appropriate voice for the part and did a wonderful job.

One of the greatest scenes in video-game history is Adol's encounter with Dark Fact. The villain's cool voice, awesome speech, and chilling violin theme make the confrontation absolutely unforgettable.

The cinematic intermission that follows the Fact fight is nothing short of stunning. The cool exchange between Darm and Dalles and Adol's fiery trip to Ys (which is accompanied by one hell of a rockin' number) make for a dynamic and amazingly dramatic beginning to Book II. The first time I viewed this sequence (from the meeting with Fact through the subsequent cinema) was when I truly began to feel I was experiencing something special.

Want to hear some fantastic music that isn't of the red book sort? Take a moment to stroll around Rance Village and listen to the tune that accompanies your jaunt. It's incredibly beautiful and has a very soft and melodic hook.

The worst sentries ever have to be the two immobile dudes guarding a chest in the Ruins. You can alternate between hitting them and healing up until the path to the treasure is clear. It's such a goofy sequence, and I like goofy stuff, so of course this ridiculously obscure moment has stuck with me through the ages.

Adol's trek through the Divine Area is one of the game's most memorable stretches. You get to listen to a rockin' guitar-driven track while you're navigating the corridors (the first few bars in particular are incredible), and a majestic, ethereal tune inside the priests' chambers. The latter is so enchanting that it makes you feel like you really are uncovering the hidden secrets of a lost land. The events it accompanies seem extremely significant because of it.

Jira's basement, where loads of monsters come bursting through a wall, is quite simply the neatest "leveling-up spot" in any RPG.

One of the coolest things about the game is that you can actually talk to any beast you want once you possess the capability to transform yourself into a monster. During my very first playthrough, I spent ages simply going around and conversing with my enemies. Some of them are quite the comedians!

Keith is probably my favorite Ys good guy. A cool-looking friendly green monster--what better ally could one ask for? Quite memorable are his famous "Adol, this way!" line and his bashful costume dropping during the end credits.

My favorite puzzle in the game concerns Adol's attempt to eavesdrop on a monster meeting in Solomon Shrine. He must not only put on special earrings to hear what's being said but also turn himself into a beast to understand the language being used. Awesome stuff. When I was a kid, I felt so cool upon figuring it all out. ^_^

Dark Fact and Darm are the "household names," but Dalles is the villain who actually wreaks the most havoc. One of his coolest acts is changing Adol into a monster (who's topped by a little tuft of red hair, of course).

The boss guarding the Belfry, whom you have to fight by nailing his projectiles with fire magic, gave me fits back in the day.

The Belfry sequence was crazily intense the first time I experienced it. Adol must charge up the steeple with urgent music cranked, bells ringing ominously, and the threat of an ally's death looming large. Awaiting him at the top is the despicable Dalles. The whole sequence is extremely exciting and suspenseful.

The entire last stretch (from the glowing red tunnels on) might be my favorite part of all, with the "goddesses in flames" scene providing more excitement for me than any sequence in any other game I can think of. Darm's speeches, Feena and Lair's revelation (even though we all knew it was coming), Goban's "YOU ANIMAL!" outburst, the playing of the silver harmonica, Adol's sword beginning to glow as the music rocks more than it ever had before, the bridge to the core of the structure being struck by lightning and collapsing, Darm's promise to "crush and consume"... nope, I can't think of a more amazing string of events. I was wide eyed all the way through it the first time I beat the game.

It all culminates with the greatest Turbo ending. Cute stuff involving Lilia and Adol is followed by the most entertaining credit roll I've ever witnessed, and the music rules right through to the end.

Yawara

~ YAWARA! ~

SOFIX / Hudson Soft

Super CD-ROM

1992

This is a terribly bland digital comic in which you play a goofy journalist who hunts for scoops and scandals with his clumsy sidekick (a chubby cameraman) and takes an interest in the eponymous judo girl. The premise is uninspiring, and the plot is largely uneventful. Long stretches are spent on chatter-sessions, with the myriad newsroom meetings leaving me dozing every time.

Events intended to liven up the proceedings, including the many judo bouts, typically fall flat.

It doesn't help that the characters aren't particularly likable. The protagonist has wide owl eyes that make him look rather freaky, and he regularly finds himself on the receiving end of drubbings. Now, the hero in the far-superior 3x3 Eyes also gets tossed around like a rag doll, but that guy has to deal with frightfully fucked-up situations involving formidably fucked-up adversaries. The bum here suffers his defeats at the hands of other nerds, some of whom revel in hurling him off buses and into garbage cans.

But he's certainly not alone among the game's "stars" when it comes to making an unfavorable impression. Even Yawara herself isn't particularly cute or interesting.

While the plot and cast leave a lot to be desired, not every aspect of the comic comes off poorly. The graphics aren't very colorful, but the shades that are utilized are nice and bright, making the game easy on the eyes. The music also isn't completely awful. But these somewhat-decent aesthetic elements aren't enough to make up for the boring story and repulsive characters.

The game is very accessible, however. There are no Game Overs, no quizzes, and no first-person maze sequences. You typically don't even have a choice as to what course of action the protagonist will take; you simply click the given commands and proceed through the scripted events. This accessibility would seem to make the game ideal for those who are new to digital comics, but I'm afraid that Yawara! is so uninteresting that it'll turn newcomers off from the genre for good.

Champions Forever Boxing

~ CHAMPIONS FOREVER BOXING ~

Distinctive Software / NEC

HuCard

1991

My early impressions of this one weren't at all positive. The famous/infamous "hip hop" title-screen music disappointed me, as I found its "beats" technically unimpressive and the accompanying Fighting Street-quality voices unamusing. And then there was the horrid in-fight animation. Isn't boxing supposed to be the "sweet science"? There's nothing graceful about these plodders, and their blows seem extremely weak.

But once I got going in the career mode, I started to appreciate Champions for its gameplay style. It ain't about button mashing (though two-player battles can degenerate into back-and-forth bludgeon fests). It's about taking your time; utilizing your jab during a match's early stages to whittle away your opponent's stamina while powering up your blows of choice; and breaking out your power punches later on, when your foe has been sufficiently bloodied up. Most boxing games, especially older ones, take after the brief, action-packed slugfests of Rocky III, but Champions embraces the epic, go-the-distance style of the first Rocky.

It's a nice departure from the boxing-game button-smashing norm, but it's very methodical, and it won't make for nearly as good a test of your hand-eye coordination as Mike Tyson's Punch-out would. In fact, it's ridiculously easy unless you play foolishly. I didn't lose a single round in the fifteen-match career mode, let alone a whole fight.

And if anything, Champions is too averse to the unpredictable. I wish that it allowed for the possibility of solid, well-placed hits wiping out a fighter's vitality in the blink of an eye--the sort of random killer blows that are occasionally delivered in Andre Panza Kick Boxing. Devastating, tide-turning shots do happen in real-life boxing, after all. Champions' matches are very long and very easy; even the slightest chance that the computerized opposition could turn the tables on me with one huge punch would at least keep me on my toes and make things a bit more interesting. As it is, knockdowns are the results of systematic pummeling, which gets boring after a while.

Also problematic is the limited roster of fighters. Sure, it's nice that "real legends" are included, but I get sick of fighting the same five dudes over and over again in career mode, and it doesn't help that every match unfolds in pretty much the same way regardless of who your opponent is. Not once have I needed to alter my approach. The lack of variety makes me yearn for the good old days of Soda Popinski, King Hippo, and Mr. Sandman.