Garou Densetsu 2 (Fatal Fury 2)

~ FATAL FURY 2 ~

SNK / Hudson Soft

Arcade CD-ROM

1994

It must be said right away that this fighter has some awfully nice graphics.

Its music also has some quality moments, with the catchy tune in Terry Bogard's stage being a highlight. And while I'd heard a lot about how horrible the load times are, I don't find them particularly annoying except for when the occasional brief hiccup occurs on the CONQER THE WORLD match-up screen.

Unfortunately, as far as the actual fighting goes, FF2 is just okay. It's more challenging than most PCE fighters, but the higher level of difficulty is due more to the game not playing as smoothly as its alluded-to peers (titles such as Street Fighter II' CE and Kabuki Ittouryoudan) than to the ferociousness of the opposition.

And there isn't really anything all that interesting about the action except that the fighters can fight on two separate planes in each area (which is pretty stupid and inconsequential if you ask me).

The characters are a so-so lot overall, with famous folks like Terry and Mai Shiranui flanked by forgettable also-rans.

I'm by no means a fighting-game connoisseur, so my comments here might be even "more worthless" than usual. But as far as SF2 knock-offs go, I'd rather play something with its own distinct flavor, like the aforementioned Kabuki title.

Sotsugyou Shashin * Miki

~ SOTSUGYOU SHASHIN * MIKI ~

Coconuts Japan / GX-Media

Super CD-ROM

1994

I bought this game only because my scholarly cousin Zigfriedonsky told me it's "historical."

"The Duo's answer to Roommate Asami!" he exclaimed.

I don't know what that means, but there are two digital comics on the SS*M disc, each a love story that can be played through in fifteen minutes or so.

One focuses on high school students getting ready for a big bash; the other, on some bums in a backwater village where the peasants are raucous.

Sotsugyou Shashin, with its endearing tale of young nerd love, is actually quite likable. It's very corny and mushy and sweet, and its music is nice. I played through it a number of times to view all its different scenes.

Miki, on the other hand, is rather dull; its music, irritating at times; and it has a "Game Over spot" to dread near its conclusion.

Street Fighter II' Champion Edition

~ STREET FIGHTER II' CE ~

Capcom / NEC Home Electronics

HuCard

1993

I was never a Street Fighter II fanatic or anything, but I spent my fair share of quarters on it in the arcade just like every other normal high-school male back when it was new, and I enjoyed it enough to purchase the SNES renditions of the original title and the Turbo followup. I don't like fighting games in general, but SF2 plays absolutely wonderfully and features remarkably memorable moves, tunes, and cast members. Experiencing the PCE version of Champion Edition (which, of course, allows players to use the four boss characters who were originally unselectable) just a short time after giving ACD Fatal Fury 2 a go reminded me of just how soundly SF2 thrashed all the wannabes and pretenders of its time.

(If, by chance, you have yet to become acquainted with Street Fighter II and are wondering what exactly makes it so significant and enjoyable, I highly recommend that you check out the brilliant piece written by longtime Duomazov ally Masters Marmeladov on the original arcade game.)

Graphically, I couldn't have asked for a better performance from a HuCard. I'm not one to count the elephants in Dhalsim's stage or compare the various console versions' respective sky shades, but I do know how very impressed I was when I powered up this chip for the first time and saw the game in action.

But the music... I've gotta believe the PCE is capable of producing audio superior to what's on offer here. It was kind of interesting to hear these subdued takes on the classic SF2 tunes, but before long, I was really yearning for the stronger SNES arrangements. And I wish we had gotten Turbo, with its high-speed play modes, rather than plain old CE. Regardless, this is a very impressive port, as I'm sure most people by now know.

Bakushou Yoshimoto no Shinkigeki

~ YOSHIMOTO COMEDY ~

Hudson Soft / Red

Super CD-ROM

1994

I wasn't expecting Mario World here, but I was still surprised by the straightforwardness (to put it euphemistically) of Yoshimoto's platforming parts. The game is laden with mini-games and comedic sketches that the design team clearly put a lot of effort into, but the actual stage proceedings are about as vanilla as run-and-jump-and-bounce sequences can be. Variety in the environments is commendable, with cities, jungles, deserts, and snow lands all on the itinerary, and some levels do present moving platforms and the simple like to give off the impression that attention was indeed devoted to their construction, with one strip "even" featuring a raft ride. But it all feels very basic and unexciting.

Yoshimoto puts all its eggs in two baskets, both of which it drops. A few of its mini-games are moderately enjoyable (Wild West showdowns, snowball shoot-outs) or somewhat interesting ("totem robo" fighting), but most are dull (bamboo slicing) or all too typical (janken, whack-a-mole).

By paying so little attention to gameplay elements and presenting but a mixed bag with the mini-games, the Yoshimoto brain trust left comedy as the effort's only hope for really making a mark. Sadly, most of the "skits" fall flat.

Fans of the game likely would declare that belaboring its inadequacies would be to miss the point. For the five dollars it typically costs, Yoshimoto does provide a reasonable amount of entertainment. But when a platformer foregoes attention to action in the name of placing its focus on mini-games and comedy, the mini-games had better be as memorable as It Came from the Desert's antdroid shooting sequences, and the antics had better be as hilarious as a Viking Warlord Odin bashing. Yoshimoto doesn't come close in either respect and ends up feeling like a grand waste of time.

Cosmic Fantasy 4 Chapter 2

~ COSMIC FANTASY 4 CHAPTER 2 ~

Telenet

Super CD-ROM

1994

CF4C2 plays a lot like the chapter that precedes it. Its battle system is more refined, however, and it asks that you utilize more strategy when equipping your characters. And that's where the comparison will end, as there simply is no comparison between the atrocious Chapter 1 and this very good followup. CF4C2 redeems the series.

It can easily be viewed as a direct sequel to Cosmic Fantasy 2, as it focuses on Van and Rim and a few of their old pals. You'll visit plenty of familiar places and encounter friends and foes of yore as Van deals with everything that happened to him in CF2 while trying to fight the good fight against a new threat. The story is a very emotional one, and it's told via plenty of excellent cinemas.

It doesn't get bogged down in emotions, though; unlike Chapter 1, this game retains the hilarity that made previous Cosmic Fantasy episodes so charming.

Outside of the cinematic sequences, CF4C2 succeeds thanks to enormous dungeons that are chock-full of secret passages and treasure chests. These labyrinths were designed extremely well and aren't plagued by the nonsense that made the mazes in Chapter 1 so tedious. I must administer a warning, however: the first third or so of the adventure is composed of a series of simple fetch quests. Get past that early stretch and you'll start experiencing the awesome cinemas and dungeons I've been lauding.

If you like Cosmic Fantasy 2's story and characters, you'd do well to pick up this fantastic game. Hell, skip CF4 Chapter 1. But get this.