Steve's Obscure Super Famicom Games Thread

Hi all! I accidently stumbled upon this forum, because I was looking for some reviews of... yes, obscure SFC games. ^^ This is really a great threat! I'm staying in Japan right now for 6 months, so I gotta make the most of it. This is really helpfull in deciding which games to pick up and which to let get dusty a little bit more.

Btw, what is it with Japanese people and horse racing/pachinko/wrestling/soccer games? There I was thinking soccer games were popular in the Netherlands... If you find SFC games here 75% is a game belonging to one of these genres. Shame.

One particular soccer game is really great though, called Dolucky's A-League Soccer. It's kinda like World Cup for the NES, or Mario Strikers for Gamecube if you like. Frantic battle with cute animals, gotta love it! I found it last week in some used gameshop. ^^

Anyways, keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to your next review with much anticipation! Oh, and ASSEMbler, thanks for activating my account!

 

Wow, Astro Go! Go!
I love F-Zero and I remember a german magazine here back in the days reviewed it, I want it since then but nearly forgot about it. I should look for it

 

started playing the sequell Jelly Boy 2 some days ago was pretty intresting game

 

CHAIN GANG

Hey thanks for the comments and whatnot everyone. A part of me would like to have a website, but I'm not very savvy in those realms, maybe 1 day I'll sit down proper and have a look/go at it. If not, this thread'll just have to do. Cheers

-------

SUPER TEKKYU FIGHT!


I discovered this game during the summer and it took me several months to hunt down. I think it's a safe bet this game is somewhat scarce. Not too long ago we looked at BATTLE RACERS featuring those four SD wonders. And now they're back at it yet again -- in their 42nd SNES game (Not really but it must be damn close)




One look and you're thinking "Oh no (or yes), another Bomberman wanna-be." Actually, this one has a slightly different feel from SPARK WORLD and OTOBOKE, for example. Instead of dropping bombs of one variety or the other, you simply bash the others to oblivion with your chain ball

You begin with a short chain. Some power-ups include:

Longer Chain


Double Chain Balls (now we're talking!)


The Almighty Gold Chain Ball
(rips through consecutive blocks in 1 hit)


THE SUPER DESTROYER!!!! (4-way Chain!)


Get that baby there and you're sure to rule the match. As you can also see from the pic above, players can nullify each other's attacks with the chain ball. Note that the GOLD chain ball does 2 health bars damage when up-close


NO BOMBS, OK, WHAT ELSE IS DIFFERENT?

Each player has 8 health bars. So battles in STF! tend to be lengthier than your regular Bomberman match. When hit, you're invulnerable for a few seconds, eliminating cheap consecutive hits. "A" makes you jump. If you jump on their head, it stuns 'em for a few seconds. "Y" sees your guy flip the tiles, stunning anyone caught in its path. In this sense, it's a bit like OTOBOKE. Though there, you HAD to stun em in order to kill em. HERE -- it's optional and certainly makes your life easier, but not mandatory

Ultraman flips...


Roah is caught and stunned....


... easy as 1-2-3


When hit, you'll lose the last powerup you had -- the icon goes flying back on the field waiting to be claimed by anyone. This is great since it prevents a potential "ah crap he got Boardwalk and now we're all screwed" type of thing (the above pic shows Roah losing his powerup card)


THAT IS KINDA DIFFERENT...

You betcha and beware where you jump! Each player can jump past 1 square. Each stage has plenty of holes to be weary of. In the heat of the battle it's very easy to misplace a jump and plummet to the bloody rocks down below. However it doesn't ALWAYS spell instant doom. The price is 4 precious health bars


Gun.... DAMN!

And don't you hate when you're alone playing 3 CPU's and you die first and have to sit there waiting 2 minutes for the CPU's to kill each other? The programmers have sympathetized with our plight as STF! employs a system where anytime you die, the tiles fall off one by one until 1 CPU is standing. BLOODY SWEET. Give those chaps at METRO a hand *golf clap*


Ace scenery eh?


HOW'S THE 1 PLAYER STORY MODE?

If you must know. 6 worlds, with 8 levels each, the 8th being the boss. You're free to pick from any of the 6 worlds. It's not bad. It sorta reminds me of an updated version of TRAMPOLINE TERROR

Enemies from each of the four protagonists' world appear, which is very cool


Ice to see you har har


Awesome wavy effect in this world

The bosses are huge and pretty damn difficult. Exclusive to the Story mode (1 or 2P by the way) are bombs (hidden in blocks). If you don't have at least 1 for the bosses, life is sure going to be messy

Here are four of the six:







And this demon fellow here is my personal favorite. Look how bad-ass he is. Resting 1 hand on his cheek he uses the other to pound the tiles all while emitting laser beams from his demonic eyes. When he is defeated, you're awarded with a satisfying animation of him cracking up... as you get the final laugh!







SHOW ME THE MONEY!

But of course. The money of these games are the 4 player battles. STF! has 8 zones


#1

Standard 1st stage except for the arrows which can effect the direction of tile flipping. Enjoy the friendly jumping lay-out here while you can...


#2

The silver blocks are unbreakable. Jumping on blocks will break 'em, but it takes two leaps. Make sure you have a space to land back on!


#3

Arrows act as they do in stage 1


#4

The middle part sends you sliding across


#5

More arrows in a sort of X-shaped field


#6

Forces each player to jump from the get-go... who will be on the attack, who on the defensive?


#7

Lots of solid ground in the middle, and the many blocks are home to numerous power-up's


#8

Ice... with arrows. Note the slippery sections


CLOSING THOUGHTS

The battle zones appear a bit samey to me. They lack the "personality" of some others of this genre. But, the main thing is, the battle system is different; with the jumping, pitfalls, 8 hits... it doesn't really play like Bomberman. Some will like it, others will go crawling back to BM.

I was originally disappointed but the more I played the more it grew on me. And if you ask me to rank where I prefer STF!, Spark World and Otoboke I couldn't tell you. Any three is a fine alternative, with Tekkyu Fight! being the most different.

Yes, the acronym is coming...

It's a nice 4-player battle game but.... NAGA Bomberman


Super Tekkyu Fight! (1:07)

 

Classy, classy thread, Steve! Great job!
I've actually played some of these imports back when they were new, but most are new to me. There are alot that I'm gonna have to check out now.

 

BOMBS AWAY

Some nice BM clones, but let's get back to the king. This next game I wanted to play badly back in the day, but never did


SUPER BOMBERMAN PANIC BOMBER WORLD


Bomberman + Puzzle = This Game

3 Bomberman heads drop at a time, and you match 3 in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal). There are two codes you can enter to change the pieces:

SD Bombermen (4622)


Balloons (5656)


Why? Why not. Little touches like these are always welcomed in my book. In addition to the Bomberman pieces you have 3 others:

-The unlit bomb

-The lit bomb (put these babies on the unlit ones for a blast!)
--->

Note: this blast will not rid the Bomberman pieces -- it ignites the unlit bombs, taking them off your field. And finally... once you've filled up your power bar... the MEGA BOMB. It can take out almost every piece on the field, depending on block positioning

--->

The Mega Bomb is the most visually impressive "clear-all-ish" piece I've seen in a puzzler. Panic Bomber actually uses a special chip. The mega bomb definitely gets the treatment as it pulsates with flames and makes a huge boom when dropped. It's sheer, raw, unadulterated POWER at its finest. Thank you, Mr. Special Chip Thingie

Of course, while the goal is to keep your playing field from filling up, the best way to beat the opposition is by crafting chain reactions. The 3-falling pieces instead of 2 format will take some getting used to for many of us, but once you do the combo's flow. Here's a basic 2 hitter





And, what Bomberman game would be one without a 4-player mode? Yes -- even in a puzzle game!



Simply brilliant... brilliantly simple. The smallness of it all might be a bit off-setting initially, but you'll quickly adjust. Besides, a tiny amount of the occasional squinting is more than worth it for a chance to duke it out with 3 buddies

And like any classic BM title, Hudson has made it very user-friendly -- 2, 3 or 4 players can play, with 1-5 matches to win the trophy. "B" allows you to go back to the previous screen. These are little things that you wish every single game was as customizable as these

Check out this 3-hit chain on the 1P side. The most I've done so far? 5 -- which, literally, is a killer


Drop the green on green...


... they vanish, dropping the blue piece...


... which diagonally connects...


... dropping a stack with a green...


... to complete the 3-hit chain



To create huge chain reactions you have to set yourself up proper. Here's another 3-hit combo of mine -- this time much easier to see. Notice I've stocked up on red and green. Not to mention some white....

Green connects horizontally...


... and diagonally! 6 piece combo

Dropping the stack of 3 reds...

Oh MY. Let's see, I see horizontal...

... vertical... AND diagonal connections!

Major poppage happens...

The white pieces fall down...

WHO'S YOUR DADDY!

Your simple run-of-the-mill 3-chain 19-piece combo


CLOSING THOUGHTS

OK, at its core it's just another puzzle game. But the Bomberman characters, coupled with the 4 player mode, make it pretty damn cool. Perfect for puzzle and Bomberman fans

 

BOMBS AWAY (cont.)

BOMBERMAN B-DAMAN




Packaged with a cool toy, the game inside isn't half-shabby either. This entry in the Bomberman universe is certainly different, to say the least. And speaking of that classic Hudson customization power, B-Daman even allows you to edit your own Bomberman

The 1 player mode has 100 levels. Several bombs float along the screen and you have only 1 bomb to blow them all up. The first 10 are easy. After that they go from tricky to damn crazy

This mode can also be played with 2 players, as each player waits their turn through the same 10 stages, to see who scores better (10 stages per bracket... 10 total brackets for 100 levels... 3 slots are available to the battery backup for player history) You get a maximum of 2 tries on each stage before it moves to the next

And don't worry, before it begins there's a preview of the bombs' formation

--->

A look at some stages...









Later more obstacles are added...



Others you must rely on, like this bumper-slash-skateboarder bit








Pretty cool eh

This shark stage is one of my faves














BUT OF COURSE... THIS BEING BOMBERMAN AND ALL....



B-Daman is no exception. Here the 1st player is on the bottom. "X" sends a bomb north, "Y" west and "A" east. Just like Super Smash TV

You can't die. Instead the goal is to score as many hits as you can. Anytime you're hit, you lose 1 point (if you have any). You can pick from 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds. I like 60 myself. You can imagine how tense it can get if you have three points and the other 3 human players have 0! (Obviously, they'll gang up on you if they know what's best for 'em)

Let's observe a quick 30-second match:


As blue sends one to the black...

... I try to sneak one in

He dodged it, the swine

If at first you don't succeed...

HIT! 1 point for me, with 15 seconds to go

Hey that red guy's been quiet...

Something to wake him up then...


2-nothing!

9 seconds to hold 'em off

Blue looks for revenge...

... but I aim back proper...

... nullifying his efforts

And winning as the clock strikes zero


CLOSING THOUGHTS

B-Daman was never meant to compete with the other (more proper) Bomberman titles. And if you want to compare it to those, it ends up feeling very lightweight. The 4-player mode isn't terribly exciting though it does have its moments, like when 3 players form a temporary union to gang up on the leading scorer

Bottom line: it won't be the 1st multi-player game you pull off the shelf, but it's enjoyable in its own unique bizarre way. Some may think of it as the 'black sheep' of the family, yet still B-Daman manages to provide a decent diversion


Panic VS CPU (1:31)
Panic 4 Player (2:56)
B-Daman's 1st 7 stages (2:29)
B-Daman 4 Player (0:50)

 

Yeah baby! I found a complete copy of Go Go Ackman for 300 Yen... maybe I should pick up a cheap SFC so I can play it while still in Japan. ^^

 

"SHE'S A KEEPER"

1 week ago today was one for the history books for moi

November 10th I received my last package of "teh uber hard-to-find" video games. It took a month of collaborating but finally my mercenary in Japan finished the job, and what a job he did. With this score, I'm pretty much set

But I had no time to revel in its magnificence. I was on my way to a wedding banquet with my best friend. Who got hitched? Our old high school friend Christina; my best friend's old flame... and despite his efforts in coaxing me otherwise, I knew he still had feelings for her

She's the one he let get away, folks... and man she's a keeper



By the time we got off the freeway it was dark and pouring. We were stopped at a train track. As the heavy rain drops pelted the roof of his car, with the loud rumbling of the train roaring past us, it happened




JESSIE'S GIRL blared on the radio. Its cheesy yet classic 80s pop rock, not to be outdone by the tumultuous train, sliced through the cold night air with fierce vengeance

I expected him to change the station, but he never did

As the train roared on for what seemed like an eternity, we sat there in silence, taking in the ambience. I feared the lyrics would drive him over the edge....


[flashback]


Jessie is a friend
Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine,
But lately something's changed; it ain't hard to define
Jessie's got himself a girl and I wanna make her mine

Y'know I feel so dirty when they start talkin' cute,
I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is prob'ly moot

And I'm looking in the mirror all the time
Wondering what she don't see in me,
I've been funny I've been cool with the lines;
Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?

I WISH THAT I HAD JESSIE'S GIRL!
Tell me, where can I find a woman LIKE THAT?


[/flashback]


I dunno if it was the tranquility of that moment or some epiphany he later reached while parallel parking, but, the night was full of fun and frivolity. He showed no signs of lamenting her. That night he finally put the past behind him

Capping the night off, I arrived home tired but with enough energy left to eagerly open the big box. These games took me forever to find. And this next game is one of 'em





KEEPER


Slated to be released in the States as CYBER SLIDER, the furry little guy was replaced by a robot devoid of any charm or personality. It was canned. Thankfully this version is available in all its original glory. The title character is a likable fuzzball, who awakens when you press start

--->

*cough* Gizmo (GREMLINS)




IT LOOKS LIKE EITHER A PLATFORMER OR A PUZZLER

But of course. In this case, puzzler


SO HOW DOES IT PLAY?

You move Keeper around a five-by-five grid arranging stones. Your goal is to match 3 (or more) like-colors or like-shapes, vertically or horizontally

--->
Like-shapes work...

--->
... as does like-colors. Keeper goes HURRAH!


In addition, players have the option of changing the character into a girl or boy. The stone designs, the default being sea related things, can also be switched to letters of the alphabet or fruits. It doesn't change the gameplay but it's always nice to have choices

--->
Typical nice-looking clean-cut princess.... as for the boy... er, best not to ask, si?


WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE LITTLE BASTARD?

I'll pretend I didn't hear that one... at any rate...

You can move around the borders of the 5x5 grid




Keeper can push blocks using the D-Pad. "Y" pulls, "B" jumps. And that's all you need


Poor little guy!


Players can jump ON stones and move around ON them to strategically push another stone elsewhere, provided there's room

--->


WHAT MODES OF PLAY ARE AVAILABLE?

Four:

-1P regular
Grid starts out empty, every 3 seconds 1 stone appears, once the grid fills up it's game over

-1P puzzle
You're given pre-placed stones and must clear them all

-2P regular
You and a friend play on the same 5x5 grid, helping each other out

-2P VS
1st one to clear a set amount of stones win (customizable from 1 to 99, default being 30). There's also an option for "attack mode" which allows one player to stun the other for a few seconds if they can push a block over 'em


1st to clear 30 here wins


The 1 Player Puzzle mode has 60 pre-designed stages to tackle. A password is granted after each completed level. Those who enjoy contemplatively staring at the screen until inspiration breaks with a resolute "A-HA!" will especially love this

A look at the first couple, then


#1

SO easy even Keeper enjoys a quick nap!

Just don't connect 3 on accident

#2

5 reds and 2 blues...

Think like-colors, young jedi


Excellent, now think like-...


Ah, you're catching on

#3

5 yellows, 5 blues...

Just a matter of separating 'em...


1 down...


That was simple eh

#4

That funky thing acts as a wild-card

Since there's only 2 blues...

Bingo

1 set down, 2 to go

Now there's only 4 reds and yellows

Whichever color 1st is fine


Hurrah!


CLOSING THOUGHTS

Fun, charming and potentially addicting. KEEPER is simply, er, a keeper
Took me ages to find, but it was well worth the hunt



"What, tough guy?"


Puzzle Mode (2:05)
Regular Mode (2:41)


Jessie's Girl related content
-----
VH1 names it the 20th best song of the 80's (2:02)
Original music video by Rick Springfield (3:15)
Remake MV by FRICKIN A (3:23)

The cameo's by Springfield in the remake are clever. Even better, the lady in green at 27 seconds in is SMOKIN'

 

SUNDAY DRIVER!

There's obscure... and then there's obscure. Some games you love because they're great... others aren't exactly great but you love anyway because of their perks

For me the latter in those sentences ring true for this next one

SUPER MAD CHAMP is a motorcycle racer with a dash of ROAD RASH, and then some. It's unfortunate the game is mostly an unknown, considering how many me-too titles call Super Nintendo home. SUPER MAD CHAMP on the other hand managed to distinguish itself as a noteworthy and truly unique effort, and its moment in the spotlight has been long overdue


THE RIDERS



1. Typical "good looking" hero boy
2. Token chick (complete with bouncy chest)
3. The "cool" rebel
4. The punk
5. The wily if not gruffly veteran

The more you win races, knock opponents off their bikes and whatnot the more money you earn. You can buy new bikes; of which there are 12. You can tune 'em up as well


ARCADE ANTICS OR SIMULATION SHENANIGANS?

Don't be fooled by the ability to buy and tune cars that Super Mad Champ is seep with sim roots and spirit. It's an arcade-like racer all the way


GAME MODES? 2 PLAYERS? TRACK COUNT? PIC?

Two modes. Sadly it's 1-Player only

1. Grand Prix (3 cups... password is available)

2. Time Attack

Total of 18 tracks




ANY TRICKS I CAN PULL?

Press down to pop a wheelie



Whenever you jump, make sure to execute one, or else when you land you'll lose the momentum you had

Sometimes there's a dip in the road...

... other times things like this

CPU players are smart...

They ALWAYS pop one during a take-off


DASH OF ROAD RASH

Fend off the comp. with a well placed kick
"L" for left side, "R" for right


Two hits knocks 'em off; KA-CHING!


SCROLL-PLAYING GAMES

Scrolling is what (usually) makes or breaks a game of this nature. Coming from a lesser-name company I feared the worst. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by how well it scrolls. The lack of slowdown is a major plus as well. Not a bad job here, where many others have failed. The little details are pretty ace as well


Such as these grass cuts


TRACK VARIETY

Pretty solid -- covers most the cliches and all looks pretty damn nice. Take a look for yourself


Punk swings his chain instead of kicking


Lotsa dips in this SUPER CROSS-esque track


Things get slippery here in a hurry

--->
"Is this Heaven?" "No... it's Iowa." Cookie if you know what classic film this is from


Airstrike!


OK, IT'S GOT SOME ROAD RASH I'LL GRANT YOU THAT

Sure

BUT IT *IS* ONLY ONE PLAYER

Ya

SO FAR I DON'T SEE HOW IT STANDS OUT, REALLY

I've saved the best for last...







YEAH, SO? THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME

That's what I thought at first too...



WHAT THE HELL!

My thoughts exactly!



When you manually get off your bike, or you're knocked off, this guy appears ready to fight. Both players have an energy bar and can block. It's no Street Fighter II... you can only punch and jump kick, but this basic style works

Actually, there IS one more thing you can do...



"Quit running and fight, ya bum!"


"OH S---"


OOF!

--->
"And now I'll jack your ride, hey great workin' wit ya... let's do lunch sometime yeah?"


Throwing bikes around -- you can't beat it. They too have an energy bar. The lower a motorcycle's energy bar, the less velocity it can travel at. This happens if the energy bar is zero:




FIGHT CLUB

Looking for an easy way to upgrade your bike? Just stop, get off and wait...



Then give 'im a good slacking and make off with HIS bike




ROADKILL

This can happen to the reckless...


Ran over while standing...


... or lying... OUCH


And you thought YOU were having a bad day!

You can even knock off passing riders if you time it right




STREET FIGHTER II ROOTS

No SF II... but wait-a-sec...


Hmmmmm...

--->
Somewhere right now Guile's rollin' round in his grave!

No fancy Hadoken motions here. Those moves above merely cap off punch combo's (rapidly hitting "Y")


IT'S LIKE "BISHIN DENSETSU ZOKU" EH?

Zoku is a SFC-only racing-fighting hybrid, but Super Mad Champ really isn't like it. Fighting is optional in SMC whereas in Zoku you had no choice after the driving bit is done with. Zoku came off very meh to me. Proceed with that title at your own caution


FIGHT OR FLIGHT?

When you're off your bike you have two options: fight or flight. You have to weigh your pro's and con's. Fight too long and you'll never get back in the race. If you don't finish #1 or #2 (out of 5) you have to repeat the course. So, it's advisable, even if the CPU has an energy bar, to fight temptation and should you engage in the scuffle, make it quick and go

But if you just want to fool around? It's great fun to finish 'em off


THIS GAME IS KUNIO KUN AT HEART? SAY WHAT?

The only other piece of info on the web I could find on this game is a quick post that states the following, how accurate it is I do not know although I think his info is legit

----

For those who are fans of the Kunio-kun series like I am, might be aware that at some point Technos planned on releasing Kunio Bike Racing game using the same engine from Kunio-tachi no Banka. What few people may know however, was that Kunio-tachi no Banka was actually developed by outside company called Almanic. Almanic was comprised of former Technos staff members, including Kunio-kun and Double Dragon director and producer, Yoshihisa Kishimoto. Almanic did a bunch of other stuff, but their best known work was Wonder Project J and it's N64 sequel.

Anyway, Almanic was contracted by Technos to do Kunio-tachi no Banka (the true sequel to the very first Kunio-kun game) , in addition to the bike racing game. While Technos ditched the bike racing, Almanic decided to released it anyway through another company and thus, it became Super Mad Champ (without Kunio's presense in the game).

Mad Champ, as mentioned earlier, was developed on the Kunio-tachi no Banka-engine, meaning that both games, share a similar look. As a matter of fact, you can even get off your bike and fight agaisnt a rival biker (and steal his bike while you're at it). The rest of the game plays like a typical bike racing simulator, in which you race in three different types of grand prix and customize your bike (and buy a new one when you can). It's quite a fun little game.

credit: "Johnny Undaunted" 3/26/04

---

Take of that as you will! After reading that and looking at the game again... it is easy to spot the Kunio influences...


CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Mad Champ (gotta love its campy title) was part of the package, with Keeper, and it too eluded me for ages. I was a bit apprehensive dropping a nice bill on it, fearing that it might be obscure because it sucks. Nothing could be further from the truth! The racing, being the meat of the game, is plenty solid and the extracurricular activities make it that much more fun and memorable




The actual racing (1:47)
FIGHT FIGHT! (0:43)

 

SWEET SIXTEEN

Today, November 21, 2006, marks the 16th Birthday of the SUPER FAMICOM and SUPER MARIO WORLD. In my humble opinion, on this day 16 years ago the best game system of all time was born



I've been playing a spot or two of SUPER MARIO WORLD the past couple days. It's amazing how 16 years later a large majority of games still cannot touch its playability/greatness



So it's fitting, then, to look at two Super Famicom-exclusives featuring that ole Mario chum

(Note that at intermission I'll touch base on a character who has more in common with the SNES than you may think...)


MARIO & WARIO



An action puzzler in the vain of LEMMINGS or TRODDLERS. You must guide either Mario, Yoshi or the Princess to safety through courses strewn with hazards



You control a fairy named Wanda. The game uses the SNES mouse



To help me today is former SUPER PLAY editor James Leach (issue 13, Nov '93)

---

What's Mario & Wario like to play? Well, the graphics aren't incredible. They're not meant to be. The game's strength lies in its playability. It starts off really easy. All you do is click on some outlined squares in order. These fill in as you do so, allowing Mario (who's had a bucket placed over his head) to walk over them, instead of plummeting to his death. As you progress, the blocks you need to click on start to fragment, so you can't get too far ahead of Mario, else he'll still fall. It involves timing, a bit of planning and accurate use of the mouse.



Yet further into the game, there's a neat twist. Before Mario starts his lonely, bucket-headed walk, you can scroll around the playing area (which is about four screens in size). You must memorize the positions of the platforms and spikey bits, and, once the timer starts, you've got to use your memory to aim Mario off bits of the screen and onto the correct (out-of-view) platforms. It's tricky and requires concentration.



I've been saying Mario, but you can also play Daisy and Yoshi, who equate to easy and hard (Mario is medium), in your fight against the unspeakable Wario. And your mouse pointer is actually a fairy called Wanda. It's her helpful magic you're invoking as you slide around your mouse.

Once it gets going, this game's tough. And having used Macs for years, you can't tell me I don't know my way around a mouse. It's got a great panic element when Mario teeters on the edge, and for much of the game there're no random elements, so when you cock up, you've only yourself to blame.



So what about it, then? It's fun, it's simple to understand, but it gets tough and it's all a bit samey. Not a classic.

Graphics: 68%
Sound: 64%
Gameplay: 88%
Gamelife: 74%

Overall Score: 70%

---

Bear in mind when it came to rating games Super Play was notoriously hard. They factored in how expensive these games were, knowing the average gamer only buys 2 to 3 games a year. What most games receive a 70% in Super Play, GameFan, for example, has given 80-85%

So by Super Play standards 70% is considered a respectable score, whereas for the much more friendly GameFan, a 70 is a low-ish mark based on their generosity

I agree with SPlay too. It's fun, but not a classic. You're not missing anything earth-shattering if you've never played it, but it's certainly worth a go if this strikes your fancy

And if you buy Mario & Wario CIB, check if it includes the little mouse card




-------


INTERMISSION


When you think about the SNES, which characters come to mind?

Mario?
Ryu
Ken
Link
Lester the Unlikely?

.... on second thought, that last one's unlikely I reckon [Oh dear -Ed.]

How about...

MARK CALLOWAY?

Possibly unbeknownst to most of us, Mr. Calloway actually has more in common with the SNES than one might initially think....

Better known to wrestling fans worldwide as THE UNDERTAKER, Mark made his WWF debut with a big splash at the 4th Annual Survivor Series pay-per-view on November 22, 1990, just one day after the Super Famicom made its own big debut in Tokyo


And a legend was born...

Billed at a towering 6 foot 10, and seemingly impervious to pain, fans quickly took notice of his unparalled combination of size, power and agility



The Undertaker dominated the WWF, going undefeated for over a year in his meteroic rise to the top. Just one year removed from his debut, he made history when he pinned The "IMMORTAL" Hulk Hogan and became the new Heavyweight Champion at Survivor Series 1991



The Super Nintendo was released in the States August of that year, and as The Undertaker cemented his place in wrestling history in '91, so too did the SNES (in gaming history, mind) by beginning its worldwide march toward market domination

The Undertaker appeared in no less than six SNES games, possibly more. That's more than Ryu and Ken, and almost as much as Mario himself!





WWF Raw
WWF Royal Rumble
WWF Super Wrestlemania
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This Sunday Mark returns to the pay-per-view where he made his debut 16 years ago, taking on the young cocky rising star Mr. Kennedy in a First Blood Match at Survivor Series '06




The Undertaker and the Super Nintendo are both phenoms in their respective business. Both are celebrating 16 years of a undying legacy. And both will undoubtedly be fondly remembered for another 16 years, and, indeed, likely forever


-------


WRECKING CREW '98


Yes, released in 1998!

An update to the '85 Nintendo game, it's Mario and gang in a more traditional puzzler (at least for the '98 version). Even then, it's not your average puzzle game. For good measure, Nintendo has also thrown in the original version as a bonus


Choose between this or the '98 update

The '98 version is actually vastly different. In it you battle a CPU or 2nd player. Wielding a mallet, you navigate through your playing field smashing blocks trying to create enough trouble for the other player whereby his field is cluttered senseless



What I thought to be a real stroke of genius: once a block touches "the line of death" at the top, that player's screen will flash like crazy, accompanied by the appropriate heart-attack-inducing sound effect. Once this happens you have 3 seconds to bring it down or you lose. It adds a great deal to the anxiety level of the game.

You connect 3 (or more) like colors in a row to eliminate the blocks. However, it is only with 4 (or more) that'll send varying obstacles over to the other player. These obstacles depend on what color you've rid of. Chain reactions also will do the trick. And when your field is lacking blocks, just hit "X" to rain down a new row


Watch out for those green guys
Of which the 2nd player just sent over
If touched you'll be temporarily stunned


Players can climb and jump to higher floors via the girders. On the corner are handles. These can be used to slide the adjacent row, dropping unblocked pieces below to create potential matches

The computer is DAMN tough. I've yet to beat 'em. Matches can go 3, 4 minutes long. 8 characters are selectable (most have to be unlocked). 1P Story mode, 2P mode (or vs. CPU) and an option screen with multiple "how-to-play" samples



Honestly I was a bit disappointed; it's certainly not the 1st puzzler I'd reach for, but it's still a nice little package of an old classic coupled with a version for the 90's. Copies of Wrecking Crew '98 are rather hard to find and expensive; mine ran $38 and was too good to pass up on. Mario & Wario is much more common and cheap -- a measly $6 in contrast though I probably got a bit lucky with that one as well




Have a great Thanksgiving

 

PAINT THE TOWN RED

SUTTE HAKKUN



There are games you hear about, and instantly know it's right up your alley. But sometimes it all seems too good to be true, and you find the game's been cancelled, never made available on physical cartridge or whatever. Sutte Hakkun was that to me -- a game I thought was an exclusive BS-X game (a type of Super Famicom downloading service in Japan)

Fact is: Nintendo did put out copies in June '98 and upon discovering this revelation I knew I had to get my hands on one. My mercenary came through


IT LIVES!!!

Sutte Hakkun is a platform-puzzler. Taking command of a translucent creature who resembles a dipping bird, your goal is to reach the rainbow orb(s) in each level. Sounds simple, right? Right...




Some levels have 2 orbs

The buttons are very simple. "B" jumps and "Y" pecks. By pecking, you can absorb helpers (i.e. blocks) and move them to new positions to help you reach the exit. There are also jars which contain red, yellow or blue paint. By pecking, you can suck the color out of a jar and transfer the paint to blocks, causing the block to move in a set pattern, depending on the color you've injected



Red goes up and down, yellow diagonally and blue horizontally. Of course they do not travel the full length of the screen... there would be zero strategy in that case. They go a short distance back and forth


LOOK WHAT I CAN DO

Absorb blocks through your proboscis [Beak! BEAK! -Ed.]


You are what you, er, absorb

Placing blocks in new positions (only after you absorb 'em)



Suck paint



Sutte Hakkun translates to "Suck and Blow" I've read. [We're all mature enough here right? -Ed.] And that's exactly what you'll be doing a lot of. In this game, I mean. At least in this game. [Oi -Ed.] You'll spend quite a lot of time sucking paint and transferring them into the translucent blocks

Of course you can freeze a block's movement by sucking the paint out of 'em, and it's this method that allows you to change a block's height to better suit your goal

Pictures to make life easier:


Red causes that block to move vertically


Jump on, then jump off


Suck out the red and then put it back in


Now the block travels higher based on where you injected it


Easy huh!


You can actually solve the levels in more than just one way. And if you want to dump a color harmlessly, simply press down




LEVEL 2 AT A GLANCE


Hop on


Suck it, then put it back in


Hop on the "new and improved" block


1 down, 1 to go
The last orb is easy as you can see


There are many stages, 10 levels in each. The further you advance the crazier they get. Trust me, the later ones are INSANE. Just be grateful there's no time limit

--->


Coming from Nintendo, you know there are bound to be nice little details. Look no further than the smiling stone that frowns the moment you hop on its head

--->

Press "R" to scan the level -- later stages have a bigger layout and this feature comes in handy



And of course, different slots are available to save high scores and whatnot


CLOSING THOUGHTS

A fine action puzzler that will last ages on account of the later stages being damn tough. I dare call it a must-have for every SNES owner who enjoys staring contemplatively at the screen until inspiration breaks through with the resolute "A-HA!"


1st four stages (2:10)

 

hahaha, I remember those shots well. They're from Super Play when then were slagging crappy PAL format games. What a magazine that was. Best Super Famicom / SNES mag ever and it was British :dance: Best multi platform mag (for pictures at least) had to be the US made Gamfan.

Steve, I think you should use http://www.imageshack.us/ to host your pictures because Photobucket takes too long to load them. Waiting for this page to load every time I view it is a pain in the arse.

Yakumo

 

Agreed, Superplay was the magazine of champions. It also covered a nice amount of Anime, for those that have never read it and the front cover was always hand drawn.

A lot of the writers moved onto Edge.

 

What a coincidence. The word sutte in Danish means "suck" too. Even when you are doing the sucking of something that isn´t NWS. Yeah I know I go a little off topic, but this thread is a great thread and I am not going to explain the Danish language. "to suck" = at sutte.

 

Hi Steve, nice that you reviewed sutte hakkun. Actually, as far as I know the Super Famicom version was released first, to be followed up by the Satellaview version that same year. I actually bought the Satellaview version a few weeks ago, so I would like to compare it to your SFC version. I've read that the Satellaview version is an expansion, so it should contain different levels I think. Only problem is that I'm living in Japan until this May and I just send the game to The Netherlands, my country of origin. I also didn't have a SFC at hand, so I'm afraid I haven't played it yet.

edit:
According to this website there were three versions of sutte hakkun released on the Satellaview:

Sutte Hakkun Event Version 5th June 1997 Nintendo
Sutte Hakkun BS Version 2 8th October 1997 Nintendo
Sutte Hakkun '98: Winter Event Version 5th June 1998 Nintendo

I bought the first one, the Event Version. If I'd known that you would post this review a few weeks ago I would've waited a bit longer to send it back to the Netherlands.

 

"NO PLAY FOR MR. GRAY"

--->

Hmmmm, ohhhh-kay. Definitely would not get past NoA...



Hey there, lass. Ah, a fugly car then approaches [HEY! -Ed.]

--->

The driver, obviously, is asking her to make him some coffee [NO! He's asking her to join him for coffee ya git -Ed.] Oh. Well, either way she's clearly hesitant. No sooner then does a ride that's more "fly" as they say, pull up

--->

The new guy also requests her company. Stuck in the middle, with offers from both gentlemen, oh what's a modern lady to do?! I can't take this drama...


Oooh! Ouch

As they say in the commercial, "No play... for Mr. Gray!"

--->

The rejected guy, cursing his lot in life, contemplates how a better set of wheels would right all wrongs...

What do you expect this sad bloke to do now? Will he

A. Take out his anger by vanquishing bad guys in a beat em up?
B. Jump on cutesy animal baddies in a platformer?
C. Work his way up the financial ladder in a sim?
D. Push boxes around in an empty warehouse?
E. Learn the art of ass kicking and throw fireballs in a 2D fighter?

...
...
...


If you picked "D"...


Bob, tell him what he's won!


SUPER SOUKOBAN


GameBoy users may be familiar with this game as "Boxxle" (1989)



It's a mind-taxing logic game; the goal is to push boxes to cover the purple dots. You can't pull, you can only push and you can only move one box at a time. You can imagine the mess you'd create if you push a box in an ill-advised position. Thankfully, besides the option to restart a level at any point, pressing "L" rewinds the action and allow the player to go back as far as he wishes. Likewise, "R" is fast forward, in case you rewinded too far back. This is a God-send and very smart of the programmers. Kudos

There's no time limit however there is a step limit

Stage 1


The solution to this stage?



Get each box in that position there, where the guy is in front of

Stage 2


Can you figure out the "hot spot" here? OK, here's the final hint:



Stage 3 (see below) introduces the "darkened box;" this indicates the box is already resting on a purple dot. Later stages may have multiple darkened boxes so you really have to be careful with them...



Stage 4


Stage 5


Stage 6



OH PLEASE, EVEN A FOUR-YEAR-OLD CAN SOLVE THESE...

OK wiseguy. There are a total of 300 (!) warehouses to tackle, with the option of jumping to any one at any time, and a password is given each time you clear a level. Of course, the first handful eases you in, before becoming gradually harder til DAMN! Notice as the puzzles get more complex, everything is properly reduced in size...

A look at some of the later stages then...

Stage 47


Stage 88


Stage 147


Stage 188

GOOD GRIEF!!!


Stage 234


Stage 277



GOD DAMN!!!

See! They become absolute conundrums in no time. In fact, rumor has it launch day buyers TO THIS DAY are still stuck on level 289!! [Oh? Where did you hear that? -Ed.] Er, moving on...

To cap it off, there's also an Level Edit option and a radical 2-player mode to see who finishes first. There's EVEN a choice of 10 characters to select from




CLOSING THOUGHTS

Sokoban (note the missing "u") loosely translates to "warehouse keeper" I'm told, and has been around since the early 80's, pioneered by one, Hiroyuki Imabayashi. Its easy-to-play-but-difficult-to-solve gameplay is about as pure as it gets. It's a brilliant game that any one, even non-gamers, can really enjoy. The 2 player mode is nice, but it's really the 300 puzzles that will last players a lifetime

To borrow a phrase I used to describe Keeper and Sutte Hakkun, Super Soukoban is really a can't-miss for those who enjoy staring contemplatively at the screen until inspiration breaks through with a resolute A-HA!

This is, sadly, a underrated SFC gem. It's freaking ace


Awesome Sokoban Site
1st Four Stages (2:22)
Stages 5 and 6 (0:47)

 

POWER UP!

Can't get enough Soukoban on your Super Famicom? Never fear, Nintendo is here. On New Years 1999 (yes, '99) they released an update to that ole classic...


POWER SOUKOBAN


Taking control of a devil, you go through a series of mazes with the same goal in mind as SUPER SOUKOBAN, pushing boxes (this time stones) to cover purple dots (this time pits). The modern twist? But of course, STAYING ALIVE. Staying alive? Yes, for from the excavation comes forth HELL'S ARMY!



OK, in all honesty, more like Hell's Rejects, no, Purgatory's Rejects

Baddies are more of a nuisance than legitimate threats. Two ways to dispose of 'em:

1. Pushing a stone over 'em
or
2. Zap 'em

Another modern twist is the ability to throw fireballs. You can also charge to create a powershot a la Megaman. And there's a "run" button as well

So then, this update is an action-puzzler with sort of a Zelda-y feel/atmosphere, very slightly, BUT it's certainly there, as anyone who has played it would surely attest to...


Rocks can also be pushed via the powershot


Whereas SUPER SOUKOBAN was straight-to-the-point, POWER features multiple paths, multi-tier puzzles, and there are even friends to guide you along with hints (in Japanese, mind, but nothing you can't do without)



Speaking of friends, here's the cast:



The game opens with that screen up there. The iron gate's locked so you must find an alternate route.... hey, what's that little crack in the wall...


BINGO! Only your powershot can break it


And off you go. There are many rooms and you can run to the next without solving the current one, but it's advisable you take care of each one as you go along


YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

Multi-tiered puzzles adds new dimension to the ole formula

--->
Watch out for the statues up top; they'll come alive! No, not really


As you advance, more pits means more enemies. As long as the pits remain open, they will keep spawning. But again, they're really a non-factor... but at least they're there, eh? Plus, when defeated some drop a power-up to aid your quest

--->
Some of the enemies look to me like rejects from Super Bomberman 5...


I said earlier it'd be wise to finish each puzzle as you confront 'em; however, for some the solution is not immediately available. Only by advancing do you later arrive at a point where you can then solve a previously impossible puzzle. Confused? You needn't be

Observe:



See, here you enter this room on the lower floors. Blasted stones... how can you push them to cover the slots from this vantage point? The answer is you can't, and remember you can't pull



A-ha! Later transversing to higher ground, you'll find a room leading downstairs, now you can use your powershot to shove 'em where they belong


DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

SS was going from one warehouse to the next, PS is not like that. [What are you saying about the Sega Saturn and Playstation eh? -Ed.]. Oi, anyway... POWER doesn't have "levels," per se. Rather it's interconnected like (Super) Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night


SOME MORE SHOTS


More multi-tier madness


Use your Powershot to break those dirt clumps


The occult-ish statues add nicely to this dungeon underworld's atmosphere


"Quick, snap a shot of me!"


Complete this while avoiding the circulating ring of fire


BE YOUR OWN BOSS

Another major diff in this modern update: you'll fight BOSSES! These include more traditional American-looking fiends such as Medusa and Frankenstein to name a few. These end-of-stage bosses are entirely combat-based


AUTOMATIC, NOT MANUAL

Something to take note of if you buy this game CIB: the game's manual is a fold-out map, with instructions on the back side. So don't fret when you don't find a "regular" manual inside the box




CLOSING THOUGHTS

Which do I prefer? I love the update. But there's something pure about the original I can't deny. These two are must-own's if you love these type of games, and they complement each other well. POWER SOUKOBAN is one hell of a nice update, but I prefer SUPER SOUKOBAN by a hair


Jan '93 vs. Jan '99! Both are well worth owning


Power Soukoban (2:19)

 

Steve: what´s up next ? Boulderdash ? or some clone of it ? (I don´t think there has been a Boulderdash to SNES) but there has been lots of Dashes on other platforms, and there are tons of clones to PC, and so forth today.

Damn, this is very enjoyable

Steve, I hope I am not the biggest interruption in this thread, since I am enjoying this thread alot.

Steve by the way Soccer is football in most of the world, apart from USA where it is called soccer. I read that thing at one of your neogeo postings, by the way.
So I am just correcting you, without being a jerk.
Anyway what a smashing great thread

 

Ah no problem. I don't recall posting about soccer/football at NG though I could well be wrong... I've been posting there since March 2001 so there's a good chance it was toss in there somewhere =P

I'm glad you're enjoying this topic. And the next post should send us to a new page, which is nice because this one already has a ton of pics to load as it is, heh heh