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If you play Super Nintendo games you know what to expect. A Link to the Past, Secret of Mana, and Final Fantasy III are fantastic games, which many of us hold close to our hearts. Perhaps these were games you played as a kid or during your teens, but you at least have the satisfaction of knowing that you've experienced these essential pieces of gaming history. What we played in North America is only the tip of the iceberg though. There are so many great role playing games that we never got to see because they never left Japan. Here are five games that, thanks to translators and/or repro developers, we can finally add to our backlogs.
Continue reading Stuck in Japan: Five RPGs We Never Got to Play
October has come and gone, but Halloween continues to haunt my mind.
I've previously mentioned I've spent a good portion of the past month reading up on the history of Sega, as well as putting my body to the test by running in two marathons. Yet, I've remained silent on my acquisitions for October, with the final one being held up in the postal system, thanks to a certain cyclonic storm system.
After three months, it should be no surprise by now that I collect Dreamcast stuff, so here's the photo roll:
Imports
Continue reading Dreamcast Mania! October 2012 ed.
[img width=512 height=288]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm64/tragedy623/reviewed%20games/002.jpg[/img]
Game: Dokuro
Developer: Game Arts
Publisher: Gungho Online Entertainment
Release Date: July 5, 2012 (Japan) - Oct 16, 2012 (North American PSN)
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle
System: Sony Playstation Vita
Dokuro (which means "skull" in Japanese) is a cute fantasy puzzle platformer game for the Playstation Vita. Developed by the same house which gave us the Lunar series, the Grandia series, Ragnarok Odyssey, among many others, Dokuro is a departure from Game Arts' usual offerings. This review is for the Japanese physical release. Dokuro is planned to be released in other regions as well, but only in digital form via the PlayStation Network Store.
The game starts off by introducing Dokuro as a very lowly servant to a demon-type character who is called the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord has captured a princess and imprisoned her (with plans for marriage) in a holding cell located high in the Dark Castle. Dokuro, who seems to be in charge of guarding the princess, falls in love with her at first sight . Little Dokuro has a slight dilemma: free the beautiful princess, or be loyal to the Dark Lord. Like any man would, he chooses the princess and frees her from her cell. Upon being freed, the princess does not thank Dokuro or even acknowledge his kindness. He should have thrown her back in her cell...I would have! Anyway, the path out of the dark castle is riddled with traps, puzzles, obstacles, among other things, and the princess is completely helpless. Lucky for her Dokuro is a sucker for a beauty in need, unlucky for Dokuro she will never appreciate his efforts in assisting her with her escape. You can't help but feel sorry for poor little Dokuro who tries his best to help the princess. Any skeleton with a backbone would have left this cold, shallow, ungrateful princess where he found her, but little Dokuro tries his best to please a woman who may never notice or care about him.
[img width=500 height=283]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm64/tragedy623/reviewed%20games/L_g0021071381.jpg[/img]
Dokuro has basic controls. Jump, attack, and an 'action' button which pushes and pulls objects. In the first cutscene we are shown a special potion which turns whoever drinks it into a warrior. Dokuro gets a hold of this potion early on in the game and with it he can transform into a handsome prince with a sword which the princess does notice. Players are to use Dokuro's true form to jump to hard-to-reach places as he can jump higher and is more nimble. Dokuro's prince form is strong so it is best used for attacking enemies and carrying the princess over obstacles. Unfortunately for Dokuro he can only remain in prince form for about 20 seconds at a time. When he transforms back into the lowly skeleton the princess pays less attention to him. With the default control settings you must use the front touchscreen and rear touchpanel to change shape, which can be bothersome for those, like myself, who don't like touch controls.
Touch controls cannot be completely avoided. During the course of the game, you obtain different colored pieces of chalk each serving a specific purpose. The white chalk acts as a rope, the red chalk acts as a dynamite fuse, and the blue chalk creates pools of water. Your fingers acts as the chalk as you draw your way out of certain obstacles. I don't think it's too intrusive to the gameplay and although I don't really like taking my hands off of the controls, the chalk aspect of the game fits nicely.
[img width=450 height=253]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm64/tragedy623/reviewed%20games/20120614-00000018-famitsu-000-0-view.jpg[/img]
The game's 16 stages are comprised of different areas of the entire castle. Each area has a theme; from a banquet hall to a garden, from a kitchen to an elevator shaft. Each stage is broken up into 10 different puzzles, or 9 puzzles with a boss fight. Each puzzle is timed so that players can measure their performance and improve upon it accordingly. There is no time limit, so you can take as long as you like, but one of the challenges of the game is to finish as quickly as possible. Other than solving the puzzle of each section, there are also platforming elements such as pitfalls and enemies which must be defeated in order to complete the puzzle. Each section contains a gold coin which seems thrown in just to give Dokuro an additional objective aside from assisting the princess. In the overworld map you can choose to retry older stages if you want to better your time or collect a gold coin you may have missed. The end of each section is marked by a radiant flower which the princess is highly fond of. Dokuro has just risked life and limb to protect her and all she cares for is a flower. Every other stage or so does have a boss fight and this is another area where the game shines. The boss fights are fun and are challenging, but not to a point where the fight becomes a chore. For the veteran gamers, they may seem a bit easy. I thought they were just right. Classic game strategy, memorize their patterns then attack accordingly.
The game's art direction is something out of a Tim Burton film. Everything looks so crisp and beautiful on the Vita's OLED screen. The music blends well with the atmosphere which, but some may not like the music's 'French' sound. The game does not have many vibrant colors as mostly everything is dark and monochrome with some color here and there. When Dokuro transforms into the hero, the backgrounds light up with color and so does Dokuro himself. I think this is a great effect. Dokuro is only noticeable when he is attractive. Art imitating life!
[img width=500 height=283]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm64/tragedy623/reviewed%20games/c8bed3aeed1599c0573e-LL.jpg[/img]
Praises:
The game is very well-designed and quite lengthy so it will keep you busy for hours. I think 10 to 12 stages would have been enough, but at 16 stages you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. Some stages will frustrate you, others will be a breeze. They're all mixed up so you never know what you're getting next. Also, the game is very accessible. People who like to play games imported from Japan are often faced with the same dilemma: not understanding Japanese. Fret not, this game can be played in English. It doesn't stop there. The language options, other than Japanese and English, include French, German, Italian, Korean, and Spanish. The boss fights are very fun and creatively designed. The game is beautiful to look at and fun to play. Nothing I can really say here that I haven't mentioned already. This is a fun game and perfect for a portable system as it is fully enjoyable even in short bursts.
Grievances:
The touch control motion needed to transform was a clumsy add-on. As mentioned previously, it can be redirected to the "R" button which is where it should have been in the first place. The game could have used more audio tracks as the music is recycled throughout the game. The music isn't annoying, but I think given the length of the game, the developers could have taken the opportunity to create some really great atmospheric music to go with Dokuro's gothic/whimsical theme.
The Verdict:
Some might say this game is just a two-dimensional ICO. While that does hold some truth to it, it is barely a rip-off. It is unique in its own right. This game is profound, funny, cute, challenging, and addictive. Trying to best your own clear times creates great replay value. I highly recommend it to any fan of the platforming and puzzle genres. Dokuro is a whimsical, tragic story about a boy stuck in the bowels of unrequited love who would do anything to win over the woman who would never give him the time of day. Maybe.
[img width=449 height=227]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm64/tragedy623/reviewed%20games/3b5739e2.jpg[/img]
If you like the art and music, here are free downloads from the publisher.
http://dokuro.gungho.jp/wallpaper_bgm/
No backups, pirates, or emulation. Reviewed copy:
[img width=700 height=938]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm64/tragedy623/hashiriya1imports12/427CDF06-A288-4D33-90FD-046DEE3D9D1E-2150-0000020378F5B7AB.jpg[/img]
Wow. September started off strong. I picked up a second batch of games from the same Japanese seller I was buying in August. Sorted not in alpha or kana order, but by manliness. Games with IMPACT are on the left, and the ones with hurt feelings to the right.
Question:
What's better than having a Dreamcast hooked up to your TV?
Continue reading Dreamcast Mania! September 2012 ed.
I know many collectors (like me) are careful or picky with what they buy, but sometimes you end up getting the most unusual forms of damage or spoiling of a games condition. For example, I went to a car boot sale on a Sunday morning (as I do) and I bought a complete in box copy of Dynablasters, to replace my unboxed copy. This is what it looks like:
[img width=500 height=375]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4631360371_95a41669a6.jpg[/img][img width=500 height=375]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4631360607_9508913bbb.jpg[/img]
Incase you can't see it well, someone created stab holes, damaging the box, manual and inner case. My question: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED AND WHY?!
Did some kid see the game, get a pair of scissors and go *insert famous stabber's name here* on it? I can't even grasp the image of some idiot kid with a sharp object maniacally stabbing a game, going so far to pierce the inner casing and the other end of the box!
So what items have people bought in a strange/stranger condition?
[img width=439 height=499]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4276707595_4e76429752.jpg[/img] [img width=500 height=435]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4277453412_16e094a53a.jpg[/img] Below: Sonic CD Sample 806
Above: Formula One Beyond the Limit (US version)
Continue reading First Game Sample!
I just got into thinking, on gamesniped, nicola made a post about what he would put as museum pieces for a gaming museum. I was just wondering if there was a proper permanent Video Game Museum or Gallery, what would be in it?
Continue reading A real Video Game Museum or Gallery?
Happy/Merry Christmas/Hanukha/Quanza/Holidays everyone! It's Christmas Eve and like the tradition goes, me, my sister and my parents get presents from eachother, then get pressies from the rest of my family on Christmas Day! So today I got money, a poster, the Guinness World Records Book and DJ HERO!!!
Not only that but a parcel arrived at my door, Cyborg 009!
[img width=500 height=349]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4210735561_9610955fd1.jpg[/img]
I may open this sealed game because I heard it's quite good and I might want to play it. I paid 4.28 for it. Well all I can say is now everyone have a great and fun time!!
Total cost:
577.53
NOTE: Futher checking from last time, I now have 51 Games is you count Cobra Command/Sol-Feace as one game, because they were bundled together in Europe. Therefore if you don't I actually have 52 so sorry for jumping the gun ^^'
Yesterday I recieved Eternal Champions: Challenge of the Darkside, originally it was on Buy It Now for 16.99 (lower than I usually find it), but out of luck, the guy accepted an offer I made of 15, and now it's here!
[img width=372 height=375]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/4197409945_c9629fc739.jpg[/img]
So now I've achieved 50 games!! As far as I know, there are a little over 210 official unique game releases, this means I'm less than 1/4 of my collection complete!
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Never thought this day would come after a year and three months of collecting. Sure it's got a bit of damage on the seal but this is sealed and I only paid 18!
Yes, remember them? They were once the greatest game publishers in the cult-phenomenom demographic, getting the rights to popular Japanese titles for small systems (Sega CD and Turbograpfx CD mainly, but the Playstation was small when they started publishing games for it) and giving them the red-carpet treatment to America, great voice acting and glossy front covers. Then the 2000s came and...yeah...
But now that I've got your attention, I've got my first Working Designs game! Read on to see!
Continue reading Working Designs
Hey everyone! I'm not feeling well and I've been exhausted from both Sixth Form and working cleaning job...good god I'm tired...
ANYWAY!!!! Got a new game today! Hooray!! That game is...
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Ecco the Dolphin, it may be the same game as the Megadrive version but as an art form this game is epic, the newly animated intro and the soundtrack are just immense. I also got the spine card and let me say that this is the most mint spine card I've ever seen, no creases, no tears, no stains, it just looked like it was just taken out of a sealed copy.
Well I hope I get better, soon. Got another day ahead (a half day at school, go me)
Amount paid:
12.99
Total cost: 485.64
Hey Everyone! I have gotten 3 sealed games in the post today! [img width=243 height=500]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/3926456900_cf3a540665.jpg[/img]Please read the full blog to continue.
Continue reading Starting School
Went to Gamestation in town, looked round store, looked at cabinet next to counter, and what did I find?
I found the bottom of the cabinet filled with Neo-Geo Pocket games, N64 games, Dreamcast games, a Sega Saturn copy of Guardian Heroes, Sonic 3 and two copies of Sonic CD and Batman Returns for the Mega CD EACH! Apparently the store's basement had a huge stock of retro titles that needed to be gone, so part of them were on display. I got Batman Returns CIB (if I wasn't paying attention I would've gotten one without a manual) for 6.99 and Sonic 3 with Box (no manual) for 9.99.
Continue reading...
Continue reading Sudden update
If you look up rare European titles for the Mega CD, or at least European exclusives for the Mega CD, one company comes to mind in both: Domark. Or to be more accurate, D0MARK. This was for 3 reasons:
- Two of the games were planned for a US release but cancelled
- All four of their games were released between late 1994 and 1995
- They were all shovelware titles
Especially the last point, all of the games were ports of Amiga or Megadrive games with music and in some cases FMV cutscenes being the only improvement/addition.
So as you can tell, I have one of them. Continue reading to see what it is.
Continue reading New Treasure has arrived!
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