Random Screenshot 37: Persona

Revelations Persona (Playstation) Atlus 1996

The Persona series has become a well known RPG franchise in the US. However, the series was obscure and super hardcore in it's first installment, Revelations Persona. The game follows a group of high school classmates as they enter the demon world to save one of their friends from an evil corporation and her own insanity. The game was brought to the US with some substantial changes from the Japanese version. First, one of the main characters Mark (pictured above) was changed into an African American. This didn't sit well with many folks as Mark seemed more like a mix of negative racial stereotypes than an actual character. Aside from this goof, Atlus also cut an entire second storyline in the game. It was called the Snow Queen quest and followed the students as they adventured around a frozen school to save their homeroom teacher from an evil mask. The game has a reputation for high encounter rates, long dungeons, and strange conversations in battle. Underneath these flaws, it is a descent RPG with a very cool storyline and fantastic music. Atlus released a PSP port last year, which returns Mark to being a White guy and includes the Snow Queen quest. Sadly, the old soundtrack was axed and replaced with a J-pop flavored one. The new music is unfitting and really takes away from the game's weird atmosphere. Although the Playstation version is far from perfect, it is still superior to the PSP port. If you can read Japanese, do yourself a favor and find the original version with all of the cut content perfectly intact.

Random Screenshot 36: Bioshock

 

Bioshock (Xbox 360) 2K Boston 2007

Bioshock comes from the old PC series, System Shock. For the evolution of the series, the game was changed into a first person shooter. The story involves an undersea city called Rapture. Rapture is free of the artistic and scientific confines of the surface world. This element plays greatly into the overall morality of the Bioshock world. Since science can make anyone into a mutant demi-god, why settle for being a normal human? Thus the occupants of Rapture became obsessed with genetic alteration and kill for the means to obtain their splicer fix. You take control of a mysterious man who washes up inside Rapture. As the story unravels, you learn that fate led him to the city and he can become it's savior or a monster hellbent on mutant modifications...it is the player's call. Aside from choosing your moral path, the graphics are beautiful and the overall world design is amazingly detailed. The city truly looks like a 1950 resort vista, if it were submerged and overran by psychotic freaks. The main enemies in the game, Big Daddies, are formidable and their weird anguished sounds echo through the dark chambers they inhabit. Bioshock has an amazing atmosphere and the story is uniquely dark. The game is pretty cheap to own these days, so give it a shot even if you hate FPS titles. The elemental power up system is so cool that is worth the price of admission alone. You will never feel the same about the phrase "Would you kindly."

Random Screenshot 35: Akumajou Dracula X Gekka no Yasoukyoku

 

Akumajou Dracula X Gekka no Yasoukyoku (Saturn) Konami Nagoya 1998

The Saturn was a 2-D powerhouse, so it made sense to port Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which was arguably the PSX's best looking 2-D game, to the system. However, Konami farmed the work out to their less talented Nagoya branch and the results were a mixed bag. On the surface it looks and sounds like the PSX version, but that is where the similarities end. There is heavy slowdown through out the game which makes some boss fights very annoying. If multiple enemies surround your character there is heavier slowdown which can cause cheap deaths and frustration. Sound effects are also muffled for some odd reason. On the upside, Maria and Richter are immediately selectable. Maria plays like a mix of Richter and a fighting game character with command inputs for her magic attacks. She is an absolute tank that makes the game far too easy, but she still plays better than the version of her selectable in the PSP port. New levels and enemies were added, but both are lackluster and forgettable, as is the addition of some badly done remixes from classic Casltevania titles such as a version of Bloody Tears that sounds like it being played on a kid's Casio keyboard. If you love the PSX version, give the Saturn version a look. It is not a superior version of the classic game in any shape or form, but some of the wacky new additions are worth checking out if you are a hardcore fan or Castlevania guru.

Random Screenshot 34: Queen's Gate Spiral Chaos

Queen's Gate: Spiral Chaos (PSP) Namco Bandai 2011

Do you like Super Robot Wars? Do you like scantily clad women? Do you have a PSP? If you answered yes to at least two of these questions then consider importing Queen's Gate: Spiral Chaos. The game plays like SRW, but uses the characters from the Queen's Blade universe and various fighting game heroines instead. Notable guests include Mai from Fatal Fury, Cham Cham from Samurai Showdown, and Noelle Vermillion from Blazblue. The game could be written off as mere fan service since the goal in most fights is to shred the opponent's clothing, but there is some heavy strategy involved in the battle system as well. Sure reward videos do play of the girls frolicking in a lake and there is the all important hot springs scene...um...well okay the game is pretty pervy. However, that doesn't mean Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos is a lame game, with all of the cool crossover cameos and plenty of story routes, this is a strategy RPG for otaku and SRW nerds alike.

Random Screenshot 33: Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) Nintendo 1990

Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the best games ever made. The title screen above speaks volumes about the quality of this sequel. Nintendo gave players a colorful and comical introduction to their much anticipated game by demonstrating a new leaf power-up and giving Mario some personality (noted in his impatient face as he waits for the leaf to drop in the screenshot.) This is the Mario game that showcased what the old Nintendo was truly capable of, and introduced flying, secret levels, and the Koopa Kids. If you are interested, the movie, The Wizard, is like a two hour commercial for Super Mario Bros. 3 starring Fred Savage, who went on to do pretty much nothing with his life.

Random Screenshot 32: Metal Slug 3

Metal Slug 3 (Neo Geo) SNK 2000

Metal Slug 3 was one of the final games made by SNK before they sold out to Playmore and Eolith. This final effort represents the finest Metal Slug game in the series. Vehicles are aplenty, boss battles are very original, and the difficulty is hardcore. The screenshot above highlights the final boss to one of the longest stages in an arcade style run n' gun game. You literally go through a jungle pursuit, into space, onto the alien mothership, into a cloning facility, and finally a dissent into Earth's atmosphere to battle the ugly behemoth shown above. This battle has excellent heroic sounding music, and simply feels really cool as you battle a huge alien in the sky. Honestly this incredible fight should have been the closing for a great series. However new Metal Slug titles continue to be released, yet every post-SNK Metal Slug game has ranged from merely forgetful to completely horrid.

Random Screenshot 31: Zero Wing

Zero Wing (Mega Drive) Toaplan 1991

An old internet meme, made this screenshot famous for it's horrible yet comical mistranslation. Zero Wing was originally an arcade game, but it was later ported to the Mega Drive and PC Engine. For the Mega Drive port, a nonsensical intro was added to give the game a plot. However, when the game was released in Europe (it never saw a US release) the game's intro was hilariously mistranslated into total Engrish. Much later, around 1999, people started to talk about Zero Wing's intro, and suddenly every geek worth their salt knew, " All Your Base Are Belong To Us." Aside from the crappy intro, Zero Wing is a mediocre shooter with nice music. The later PC Engine port did not use this intro for obvious reasons.

Random Screenshot 30: Total Recall

Total Recall (NES) Interplay 1990

The movie, Total Recall, is generally considered to be a descent sci-fi action flick starring Schwarzenegger. However, the NES game is generally considered to be one of the worst NES games ever made. What went wrong? Pretty much everything. This screenshot highlights one of the recurring enemies that you may not remember from the film: purple jumpsuit wearing midgets. These little bastards run away kicking Arnold in the nuts and are just one of the annoying enemies that makes this game a nightmare. Bad music, nonsensical driving sections, and trash can midget ninjas (WTF!) mean you need to avoid this turd and pretty much any licensed game from the NES era. Rare "un-fucked" the licensed game genre with Golden Eye quite sometime later, but that's a screenshot for another day.

Random Screenshot 29: Eschatos

Eschatos (Xbox 360) Qute 2011

Eschatos is a region-free shmup that walks the fine line between bullet hell and old-school shooter. While the action never gets as intense as something like Deathsmiles or Guwange, it does manage to get really difficult at certain junctures, especially the bullet patterns in the final stages. This game is a semi-sequel to the awesome Wonderswan shooter, Judgement Silversword. Eschatos shares similar enemies, attacks, and short stages with it's handheld brother; but it is also has some unique features such as a new power-up system and a different scoring system. The game's graphics are sort of simplistic, and the game can be beaten pretty easily with some practice. Of special note, the music is really great, as it sounds like something straight out of the glory days of the 16-bit era. Eschatos comes with two bonus games, Judgement Silversword and Cardinal Sins. Those two games really sweeten the deal, and make Eschatos a game worth importing.

Random Screenshot 28: Hajime no Ippo - The Fighting!

Hajime No Ippo - The Fighting! (GBA) Treasure 2002

Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit) is a long running manga and anime series in Japan. As you can guess, it is about boxing, but there also plenty of male soap opera theatrics about the essence of being manly that makes the series "over the top" in a goofy, yet endearing way. The Gameboy Advance title follows the story of young boxer, Ippo, on his road to be becoming a champion. The action plays from a first person perspective sort of like Punch Out, but you never see Ippo in the ring, only his fists. The graphics, as seen above, are amazing for a Gameboy Advance game. This can be contributed to the fact that Treasure (Gunstar Heroes, Sin and Punishment) developed this game. The matches are very fun and fairly challenging, with each defeated fighter becoming unlocked for the tournament mode as you go.  This awesome fighting game was never released outside Japan, which is really too bad as it is clearly one of the best boxing sims around. If you don't mind emulation, the game looks and plays great on the PSP. An English translation patch is also available, so there is no reason to dismiss discovering what this hidden gem has to offer.

Random Screenshot 27: Cannon Spike

Cannon Spike (Sega Dreamcast) Capcom/Psikyo 2000

Capcom was a huge supporter of the Dreamcast. One of the coolest and most original games to come from that era was Cannon Spike. The game is a top down shooter that features characters like Cammy, Arthur, Mega Man, and BB Hood. It is a pretty hardcore game that you can run through in an twenty minutes by credit feeding or actually learn the systems and try to get through on one credit like a true gamer. Cannon Spike was developed by Psikyo, makers of Gunbird, yet this game plays more like a 3-D version of Smash TV than one of their crazy bullet hell shooters. Of special note, the endings are really fun for each character. I miss the Dreamcast.

Random Screenshot 26: Tetris

Tetris (Game Boy) Nintendo 1989

Tetris has an interesting history. It was originally developed by Alexey Pajitov in the USSR during 1984. As with anything developed in Communist Russia, the game and concept were the property of the "people" aka the Soviet government. Over time the concept for Tetris spread outside the USSR and into Europe. After various companies attempted to make their own Tetris clones, the game's right were sold to Atari for an arcade version, and Nintendo for console and portable versions around 1988. Nintendo outsourced Tetris to another company called Bullet Proof Software. Bullet Proof Software created the Game Boy version that most people are familiar with, and enjoyed. The game was a massive success, and it led to many sequels and unofficial versions by a company known as Tengen. On the Game Boy version's title screen, Soviet style buildings are depicted, giving some small credit to the game's Russian origins. Too bad most players assume Tetris is Japanese, when it is was only licensed to Nintendo.

Random Screenshot 25: Sentimental Shooting

Sentimental Shooting (Windows 95/98) While 2001

Sentimental Shooting is a vertical scrolling shmup where the objective is to not only dodge enemy fire and destroy bosses, but to also shoot off the girl's clothing in the background. I'm not sure of the exact origins of this game, but it looks like a late 90s doujin effort. The main draw in this game is the ability to shoot off a girl's clothing revealing nudity and unlocking her pic for the CG gallery, the catch...the levels are very hard. Just because this is a hentai game, doesn't mean the enemies take it easy on you, in fact this is one of the hardest doujin shooters I have ever played. Many times even if you manage to beat the level and defeat the boss, you will not unlock the girl's CG simply because of the overwhelming amount of enemy fire on screen that distracts the player from shredding the clothing. Sentimental Shooting is a fun and sorta perverted way to waste a few hours on your PC. If you like modern danmakus from Cave and G Rev or weird games, then you can't go wrong tracking this one down.

Random Screenshot 24: Pocket Fighter

Pocket Fighter (PSX) Capcom 1998

From their success with Super Puzzle Fighter II, Capcom launched Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix. This cute little fighting game took various fighters from the Capcom universe and squished them down into bite size proportions. Iconic characters like Ryu and Chun Li make the obvious appearance, but players also get more obscure characters like Tessa from the arcade only, Red Earth. Each fighter can transform into other characters during combos, in the picture Chun Li turns into a cheerleader before turning into Jill from Resident Evil to finish the attack sequence. Another noteworthy addition is the huge number of cameos in stage backgrounds, in the screen shot, you can see the veggie guy from Breath of Fire 3( I loved that guy.) The game is goofy and comical, but the fighting system works just as well as any Street Fighter title, but the simple button layout makes this one friendly for rookies and children as well. When Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix left Japan, it was retitled Pocket Fighter. It never received a sequel, but a few years ago, the game was re-released as a part of the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology. If you love chibi characters or Capcom fighters, then you need to track this game down.

Random Screenshot 23: Persona 4

Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4 (PS2) Atlus 2008

Persona 4 is an interesting mix of high school simulation, dating simulation, RPG, and dungeon crawler all rolled into one funky package. As one of the last great RPGs released for the PS2, the game pushes the old system to it's limits. The graphics look really cool and unique, while the music makes for one of the best game soundtracks in gaming history. The real kicker here is the story. The protagonist moves from the city to the sleepy country side to stay with his uncle, who just happens to be a cop. As the game begins, a murder takes place that frightens the locals with it's mysterious and horrific circumstances. Suddenly a new TV channel appears that reveals the next victim for the serial killer and it is up to a group of students to stop the murderer before he kills them by entering a portal to the "Midnight Channel". Inside this bizarre world, people gain the power of the persona, or die as part of the killer's sick game. Another interesting note is each character's personal story told inside the dungeons, such as one character fighting his own homosexual behavior and another that fighting her anger with the celebrity scene, these sections are very well told and make your party members seem like real people. You can also make relationships with your classmates and even find a girlfriend, which is strange, but fun. The game ships with the soundtrack inside as a special bonus. Pick this one up before it becomes rare, like most of Atlus' games tend to do. Did I mention you get a talking teddy bear in your party?

Random Screenshot 22: Valkyria Chronicles

Valkyria Chronicles (PS3) Sega 2008

In 2008, Sega released one of their finest games in years, Valkyria Chronicles. The story follows the exploits of a young militia commander and his rag tag squad entering a hopeless war. However, with some brilliant tactics, the war starts turning in their favor which brings out the enemy generals in full force. The game is tactical warfare with an anime flavor. The player orders his soldiers through the battlefield deploying tanks, snipers, and other common military types to win each scenario. The battles flow nicely, and can last for a few hours as some battle maps are huge. The graphics are absolutely amazing, sometimes its seems more like you are watching a movie than playing a video game. The music is also top notch, with awesome symphonic tunes that draw the player into each battle. Valkyria Chronicle was very popular in Japan where it spawned an anime series, manga, and two drama CDs. Two sequels have been made for the PSP as well. For the best experience with this series play the first game, it is one of the best tactical RPGs of this generation.

Random Screenshot 21: Melty Blood Actress Again

Melty Blood Actress Again (PS2) Sega (developed by Type Moon and French Bread) 2009

Few doujin titles ever get the mainstream spotlight. Tsukihime, an erotic doujin (fan-made) PC title about rival vampires, became such a big hit that it spawned an anime TV series and a fighting game, Melty Blood. The fighting game was originally a doujin PC game but it became wildly popular so the title was ported to Japanese arcades using the Naomi board and later to the Playstation 2. Eventually two sequels were produced. Melty Blood Actress Again is the most recent and up to date game in the series. The graphics look pretty ancient, and the animation is lacking, but the fights run very fast. The fighting engine is very well made, playing almost as well as the big games from Capcom and Sammy. The roster has plenty of clones in it, but wild characters like Nrvnqsr Chaos, a demon composed of several different monsters, will surely keep any player entertained for awhile. The game is available as a Japanese import only, and fairly expensive to acquire these days. You can find the previous games for PC more easily and at a cheaper cost. Melty Blood titles have become a regular at the top ranked fighting game competition in Japan, the Tougeki Super Battle Opera, and the EVO tournament in Las Vegas. This fact alone speaks to the level of quality of this fan-made series.

Random Screenshot 20: Cyberbots

Cyberbots (Arcade, Saturn, PSX) Capcom 1995

Capcom made a ton of fighting games in the 90s. Many of their games were huge successes like Street Fighter 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom, but a few fell into the realms of obscurity. Cyberbots is one of those hidden gems that did poorly in arcades. The game features giant Gundam like robots battling it out across the Earth and in outer space. The graphics were quite stunning for the time, and the human pilots are interesting characters in the story mode (Princess Devilotte is hilarious.) Capcom released a barebones port to PSX, and a Saturn port that utilized the 1 Meg Cart to enhance the animation. The ports got a bonus character, Zero Gouki, a giant robot version of Akuma from the Street Fighter series. The ports are very basic in features without a training or survival mode. The game still holds up pretty well for the modern day if you have a second player, and works great on MAME if you don't like importing old titles. Cyberbots drowned in the wake of bigger fighting games during it's initial release, but it is well worth tracking down if you love 2-D games, Capcom, or giant robot anime.

Random Screenshot 19: Famicom Detective Club 2

Famicom Detective Club Part II: The Girl Who Stands Behind (SFC) Nintendo 1995

Text adventure games thrived on Macs and PCs in the 1980s and early 90s. The genre never really caught on with consoles, but Nintendo tried to establish text adventures on the Famicom Disk System. The system was never released outside Japan, and was notorious for breaking because of poor design involving a crucial internal component. Even with it's glaring flaws, numerous great series started on the FDS, and one of those series was the Famicom Detective Club. These text adventures star a young protagonist piecing together a mystery using on screen commands like the infamous Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom. The second game in the series, The Girl Who Stands Behind, was really popular in Japan. It was so popular that it was later ported to the Super Famicom. The plot has the young detective searching for clues surrounding a murder case set in a Japanese high school and an old ghost story that is somehow connected to the event. The graphics are sharp, and the music is really amazing, which totally caught me off-guard. The story feels very adult, and there are even sexual jokes in the game, which is pretty rare for Nintendo in any era especially 1995. The rom was translated by the same guys who worked on the Mother 3 translation, meaning it is very well done. Track this game down if you liked Radical Dreamers or Princess Tomato. It is super obscure and retro...in a good way. 

Random Screenshot 18: Astro Boy The Omega Factor

Astro Boy: The Omega Factor (GBA) 2004 Sega (developed by Hitmaker and Treasure)

Astro Boy comes from the "god of manga", Osamu Tezuka. The story is about a boy robot that fights crime. In 2004, two great developers collaborated on Astro Boy: The Omega Factor for the Gameboy Advance. The game uses characters from the entire Astro Boy canon and creates an all new storyline in his universe. The game is divided into two parts. The first part covers Astro Boy's mission to stop a villain hellbent on conquering Earth. In the end, the enemy succeeds, but then Astro Boy is granted a new power; the ability to move through time.  In the second half of the game, Astro Boy's new ability allows him to stop the would-be conqueror and save the world. The graphics are fantastic with cool scaling effects and eye-popping colors. The music is vey fitting, with some parts being catchy and memorable. Astro Boy has beat'em up levels and shooters levels, which benefit from the awesome design that Treasure is known for in their other games. Overall, Astro Boy is one of the best games on the Gameboy Advance. You don't have to like the anime or manga to enjoy this game, but fans will be delighted by the sheer number of cameos that make an appearance. This is the best Treasure game on the system, beating out both the Gunstar Heroes and Guardian Heroes sequels for the top spot on the GBA.