Tatsu no Ko Fighter

~ TATSU NO KO FIGHTER ~

Tonkin House / Tokyo Shoseki

HuCard

1989

Tatsu no Ko Fighter is a dreadful action-platformer, a primitive disaster bearing disgraceful visuals. Its nature was immediately apparent to me from afar, but since conquering it is often alleged to be a nigh-impossible task, and since I'm always up for nigh-impossible tasks, I decided to give it a try. I discovered that it is indeed tough, but its challenge is of the "hard for all the wrong reasons" variety. We get a weak hero, wretched jumping controls, and abysmal collision detection in a world of countless bottomless pits; thin platforms; deadly booby traps; blind leaps; spiked floors; and really fast, really strong enemies.

And now I hear my friend Nectarsis (Turbo Master of the Great Midwest) asking, "Aren't there ANY redeeming features?" Well, a couple of the tunes aren't too bad--and are obviously wasted here.

These two cloud-riding guys are helpful in destroying enemies who would normally laugh off your regular attacks and maul you. They can't keep your feeble, clumsy avatar from falling off those thin columns, though...

...nor will they reveal the many traps the enemy has set for you.

I like the skeletons, who lob their own heads at the hero.

But there isn't much to like about the bosses, who are stupidly easy to beat. Just before stomping on them, the inspired farmer-boy protagonist undergoes a laughable transformation into a "muscleman." Look at that mighty weapon he wields; how could his foes have ever stood a chance?

During your travels, you pass through crudely drawn villages where you can rest, upgrade your weapon, and speak with some incredibly ugly townspeople.

Yep, there are towns and transformation scenes... and there's even a little bit of romance. Tatsu no Ko Fighter truly is a complete package.

It's good to know that the goofballs involved in the mayhem end up being friends.

Bomberman '94

~ BOMBERMAN '94 ~

Hudson Soft

HuCard

1993

The impressive leap in quality the Bomberman series made in going from the "paper classic" original to the legitimately enjoyable '93 followup probably left Hudson feeling that subsequent chapters would be running on fumes if a little tinkering weren't performed on the fundamental formula. One notices immediately that '94 features the best graphics of the PCE episodes...

...but the gameplay additions and adjustments end up the determiners of the degree of success this title attains. Kangaroo and mine cart rides make for neat alternatives to the usual Bomberman waddle, and limited visibility makes exploring a haunted house a suitably uneasy experience. I could've done without the threat of cheap annihilation via falling magma chunks in the volcanic region, however.

I also wasn't pleased to discover that '94 is shorter, easier, and ultimately less rewarding than '93. Gone is the required slaying of every enemy in a given board; here, you're simply asked to destroy a few crystals to open the way to your objective. Stages can be conquered without much grief until perhaps the final area, where stout foes appear in tight corridors. Prior to that difficult stretch, the only real challenge comes from the bosses, who are proficient fighters despite their unimpressive appearances. Especially tough is the string of battles that the adventure concludes with.

'94 is certainly a lot better than the old, crusty original; and I respect Hudson for trying to change things up rather than adhering to Bomberman tradition. But '93 is a better overall product; and unfortunately, for all the effort that went into doing something new with '94, it ultimately represents a sharp decline in entertainment value for the franchise.

Bomberman '93

~ BOMBERMAN '93 ~

Hudson Soft

HuCard

1993

I don't like the original Bomberman at all. I despise its dull premise and its strange-looking hero, and I cringe whenever it appears on a "recommended Turbo games" list (which happens all too frequently). I expected little from its purportedly much-improved sequel, and indeed, '93 initially seemed just as lackluster as its predecessor, but with nicer-looking environments acting as battle boards.

But aesthetic advancement can also be perceived in the chip's high-quality soundtrack, and improvement isn't confined to the realm of the superficial. Teleporters scattered about many of the play areas make the elementary "set a bomb and blast up blocks and bums" action a bit trickier and more interesting; indeed, some of the later levels are actually quite difficult and rewarding. And the bosses here are much cooler than the big goofs in the first game. There are some particularly cunning foes to confront towards the end of the adventure.

I still don't find the basic Bomberman gameplay all that thrilling; and like its forebear, '93 has the irritating tendency to plop you down in unfair starting spots late in the quest. But the positives make a huge difference when it comes time to assess the card, and the flaws it shares with the original aren't quite as damaging to it as they are to its ascendant. This is a good, fun game, certainly my favorite of the PC Engine Bomberman titles.

Super Momotarou Dentetsu II

~ SUPER MOMOTAROU DENTETSU II ~

Hudson Soft / Summer Project

HuCard

1991

Basically the same crap as the first one. Avoid both.

Super Momotarou Dentetsu

~ SUPER MOMOTAROU DENTETSU ~

Hudson Soft

HuCard

1989

Roll a die and move a train around a board. Wonderful.

Timeball (Blodia)

~ BLODIA ~

Hudson Soft / Manuel Constantinidis / Broderbund Japan

HuCard

1990

Unless this sort of thing is really, really up your alley, you'll probably find that the underlying concept grows tiresome really, really quickly. And by "this sort of thing," I certainly don't mean puzzle games in general. I like a number of PCE puzzlers, from well-fillers like Puyo Puyo to block-shovers like Tricky Kick. But this one is part of a separate breed, the Pipe Dream type that most players are able to sit with for only a short period and don't ever feel like returning to once that period has passed.

Each of Blodia's puzzles consists of tiles depicting a maze of pipes. Traveling through these pipes is a tiny crystal ball that takes all the time in the world as it dilly-dallies along from point A to point B. Meddle with the tiles--switch them around, slide them over, do whatever it takes to ensure that our slow-moving sphere never runs out of corridor to traverse. Once every inch of a stage's tubing has been graced by the sacred orb, the level concludes and a new trial commences.

Some boards contain vast stretches of open space, indicating that only the slightest bit of pipe tinkering is in order. Other setups present tortuous tube segments that wind their way about the playfield and converge in intricate bunches. While some problematic areas can be fixed up long before the ball even heads their way, many require that you repair them as the sphere is in their very midsts. These on-the-fly jobs demand quick thought and finger work and constitute Blodia's most “intense” moments.

The game is fairly inoffensive at first. Both of its selectable tunes are listenable; and eliminating the final bit of pipe in a given stage always evokes a little surge of pride, as this is one of those puzzlers that make the player feel extraordinarily clever whenever a board is cleared.

But there came a point when I just couldn't stand it anymore, even though I tend to tolerate intolerable concepts for a lot longer than most other players do. Some superior puzzlers like Tetris and Adventures of Lolo are immeasurably clever in concept and design, and the challenges they present are exciting and intense. Blodia doesn’t come off as the masterwork of a genius, nor does it ever really get my blood pumping, even during its “close calls.” Countless twisty pipe segments, monochrome game boards, and an indifferent little ball are not going to hold the attention of most folks who have Gate of Thunder resting on their shelves.

Maybe if the designers had found some way to incorporate the bottom-of-the-board artwork themes into the action, the overall product would've held more appeal.

Probably not.

Sweet.