You know what I've been daydreaming about for the last few weeks? Someday having a small, cozy den with a with a rather modest TV and an original Famicom system set up in its far corner.
Oh, and within reach of that TV and Famicom would be a small selection of pick-up-and-play Famicom games, of course. Like Flying Hero, Meikyūjima (aka Kickle Cubicle) and Pooyan.
Thanks to those daydreams, I spent a good number of minutes and even hours playing the above-mentioned games--along with a few others, like Jaleco's Racket Attack--this past weekend. Here are some thoughts on them, in case anyone's interested.
Flying Hero--I chat about this game here and on Twitter on a regular basis, I know. The fact is, though, that it's really great title for when you've only got time--or energy--for a couple of minutes of gaming. I've got to warn you, though: if you're anything like me, you'll very likely put more than a couple of minutes into this Arkanoid-esque cart whenever you stick it into your trusty Famicom (or, you know, boot up its ROM on your PC). Me, I usually dump at least 30 minutes into it during each attempt--and even then I have to pull myself away from it. What's the draw here? I guess I just like bat-and-ball games with an interesting twist. (See my ages-old review of Wizorb for additional evidence.) Plus, I really like all of the little details that are packed into Flying Hero; namely, a wealth of different settings, NPCs and power-up items.
Ghosts 'n Goblins--Here's another game I've long ignored. In this case, though, I know why I've given it the cold shoulder: it's hard as hell. To the point that previous experiences with it usually caused me to want to slam my controller into the nearest wall. Still, I felt like playing it last weekend so that's just what I did. And you know what? I mostly enjoyed it. I've always been a big fan of this game's graphics, and I like its controls quite a bit, too. And then there's the soundtrack, which creates the perfect atmosphere for all of the monster bashing that's to come. OK, so I suck at this spooky side-scroller--known as Makaimura in its country of origin--and I'm not going to see its end credits (or even its third stage, if I'm to be honest) anytime soon, but I think I'll still get a kick out of playing it every now and then.
Kickle Cubicle--I'm honestly bamboozled by the fact that I've barely spent any time with this Irem-made action-puzzler over the years. It seems right up my alley, after all. Not only does it have a cute-as-buttons protagonist, but its enemies (if you can call them that) are adorable, too. And then there's the fact that it features tons of collectible fruit and vegetables and other food items--and that's always been something that piqued my interest. On top of all of that, this cartridge's gameplay is addicting as can be. It actually reminds me of other great titles from the same period--like Adventures of Lolo and Bubble Bobble. They're not all of the same genre, naturally, but they all come from the same "just one more level" mold. Speaking of which, I kind of want to get back to it now.
Pooyan--Although Pooyan was released for the Famicom just over two years after Nintendo's console first hit the streets of Japan, it began life in 1982 as an arcade game. That makes a lot of sense when you sit down and play this late-to-the-party home port. Pooyan's a fairly straightforward and basic quarter-muncher with few bells and whistles. You control a pig who has to defend her forest home from a seemingly endless swarm of balloon-carrying wolves. Oh, and you do this by firing arrows--some of which strangely contain chunks of meat--at said canids. Don't worry, it's less weird while you're actually playing it. It's also a lot of fun--if fairly limited from a gameplay perspective. Still, I get the urge to play it on a regular basis, so obviously it does something right despite being more than a little archaic.
Son Son--This Capcom title is in the same boat as Pooyan, actually. It, too, is an old arcade game (first released in 1984) that earned a Famicom port a couple of years later. Also, Son Son doesn't offer players a whole lot of variety when it comes to gameplay. Basically, you're put into the shoes of a chibi version of the "Monkey King" and tasked with, well, I'm not exactly sure. Regardless, from the moment the game starts, you're on the move--this is an auto-scrolling platformer, if you weren't aware--and forced to jump between six platforms, shoot oncoming baddies and collect pieces of food. Although the look of the platforms changes (from grass, to brick, to stone and more), as do the approaching enemies, you see all you're going to see from Son Son shortly after you hit your Famicom's "Start" button. Some may consider that a negative, but not me. I like that this is a streamlined experience. Don't expect more than that when you sit down to play it and you'll have a good time, too.
See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts
Showing posts with label Arkanoid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arkanoid. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Friday, November 11, 2011
A somewhat gay review of Wizorb (PC and XBLIG)
Game: Wizorb
Genre: Brick-breaker
Developer: Tribute Games
Publisher: Tribute Games
System(s): PC, Xbox 360
Release date: 2011
In pretty much every post I've published about Wizorb thus far, I've described it as "Breakout with a smidge of an RPG." After spending some quality time with this downloadable title over the last week or so, though, I've come to the conclusion that I should have been calling it a Legend of Zelda-inspired brick-breaker instead.
Why? Because while the bulk of Wizorb's gameplay brings to mind titles like the aforementioned Atari release, its graphics, setting--named, ahem, "Kingdom of Gorudo"--and soundtrack bring to mind the game that's known in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy: Zeruda no Densetsu. Wizorb's main town/hub area, the decimated Tarot Village--which the player can help rebuild by donating gathered gold--also recalls that Nintendo classic. (Said village is the only location players are able to explore freely, by the way. The game's five other locations, each of which houses 13 block-busting stages, are accessed via a board-game-esque world map.)
At the end of the day, though, this basically is a gussied-up Arkanoid clone, so how does its bat-and-ball action stand up to its predecessors-cum-competitors in that particular genre? Pretty darn well. Although Wizorb features a par-for-the-course paddle--although here it's supposed to be a wizard's magic wand--and ball, players can do more with the former than they can in most such games. For example: clicking the left mouse button (while enjoying the PC version, obviously) launches a fireball into the play area, while clicking the right one produces a gust of wind that blows the ball in the direction of the wand. Also, though most destroyed blocks drop coins, gems and potions that refill your magic gauge, some drop curses that shrink your wand or slow it to a crawl.
Another of Wizorb's inventive additions to the brick-breaker oeuvre: many of its stages include bonus rooms and shops that more often than not prove to be life-savers. All in all, Tribute Games' maiden release is refreshing, remarkably polished and well worth the price of admission (a measly $3) whether or not you're bonkers for Breakout and its ilk.
See also: Previous 'somewhat gay' reviews and previous Wizorb posts
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Monday, November 07, 2011
PC version of Wizorb available now
OK, class. Raise your hands if you didn't buy Tribute Game's fantastic, Breakout-with-a-smidge-of-an-RPG XBLIG title, Wizorb, because you don't have an Xbox 360.
Great. Now, keep your hands up if you would have bought the game if it had been released for Windows-based PCs, too.
Well, I have good news for you guys and gals: A PC version of Wizorb is, as of today, available for purchase via GamersGate.com.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMQhnq4LiOEtkWw54Sxfa8-ioDYHcwy2-0lNQYXHJY6uROhLiQChZXA0zYtHPrUcnDZ48eyNSsMepKPjamLwS__z7KwgowcR-GSsQcnJa8VuprQuALh5O-DRW6VHP2FibOlbs/s400/screenshot-02.png)
Those of you who didn't keep your hands up dropped them because you're waiting for Linux and Mac versions to be released, right?
Ah, I have good news for you, too! The guys at Tribute Games expect to release Linux and Mac versions of Wizorb in the next two or three weeks.
Don't worry, class, I'll let you know when they're available. Also, expect to receive a special homework assignment from me soon (as in, hopefully by the end of the week)--one that involves reading my long-time-in-comin review of this wonderfully retro game.
See also: Previous Wizorb posts
Great. Now, keep your hands up if you would have bought the game if it had been released for Windows-based PCs, too.
Well, I have good news for you guys and gals: A PC version of Wizorb is, as of today, available for purchase via GamersGate.com.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMQhnq4LiOEtkWw54Sxfa8-ioDYHcwy2-0lNQYXHJY6uROhLiQChZXA0zYtHPrUcnDZ48eyNSsMepKPjamLwS__z7KwgowcR-GSsQcnJa8VuprQuALh5O-DRW6VHP2FibOlbs/s400/screenshot-02.png)
Those of you who didn't keep your hands up dropped them because you're waiting for Linux and Mac versions to be released, right?
Ah, I have good news for you, too! The guys at Tribute Games expect to release Linux and Mac versions of Wizorb in the next two or three weeks.
Don't worry, class, I'll let you know when they're available. Also, expect to receive a special homework assignment from me soon (as in, hopefully by the end of the week)--one that involves reading my long-time-in-comin review of this wonderfully retro game.
See also: Previous Wizorb posts
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Friday, October 07, 2011
The Great Gaymathon Review #38: Flying Hero (Famicom)
Game: Flying Hero
Genre: Arcade
Developer: Aicom
Publisher: Epic/Sony Records
System: Famicom
Release date: 1989
Before you ask: no, this isn't an 8-bit predecessor of the Super Famicom shoot 'em up (made by Sofel and released in 1992) with the same name. Instead, it's more akin to Arkanoid--although even that isn't the most apt or accurate of comparisons. Hopefully this brief description will help clarify things: you control a trio of firefighters who have been tasked with saving the inhabitants of several burning buildings. Two of said firemen hold a trampoline and, with your help, race back and forth along the base of each domicile. The third ricochets between the trampoline and that particular building's windows (some ablaze, some not), Breakout-style, in an attempt to rescue all remaining dwellers. Still confused? Check out this video. Anyway, it's all pretty fun--in a play-it-for-a-few-minutes-and-then-play-something-else-instead kind of way. It's also, well, pretty, if a bit archaic and simple. Each structure (a castle, a cemetery and, er, a space ship among them) is unique and well realized, for example, and each structure's inhabitants are rather charmingly crafted and animated. Speaking of the game's structures, most are single-screen affairs, but a select few take up two screens. That's worth noting mainly because these "tall" stages kind of suck due to the fact that the transition between the screens is both janky and jarring. Even then, though, Flying Hero is an enjoyably eccentric addition to the Famicom catalog and is well worth picking up (or playing via emulation) if you're into old-school oddities.
See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts
Labels:
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Thursday, September 29, 2011
All you really need to know about Wizorb (XBLIG): Breakout (gameplay) + Genesis (graphics) + The Legend of Zelda (music)
Oh, and it costs just 240 Microsoft Points ($3) and is available now on the the Xbox Live Indies Game service.
Not only is Wizorb--which was made by Justin Cyr, Jonathan Lavigne and Jean-François Major (who recently joined forces to form Tribute Games)--look, sound and play like a dream, but it's backed by a silly story, too.
Here's the gist of it, in case you're curious: The once-peaceful Kingdom of Gorudo is threatened by an evil presence. The only hope for salvation is Cyrus, a wizard versed in a secret magic art called Wizorb!
Wizorb is more than a Breakout clone covered with a cute, somewhat-clichéd, RPG-ish coat of paint, by the way. For starters, there are boss battles. Also, Cyrus' can call on magic spells that affect his "magic wand" (aka his Arkanoid-ish paddle) and/or the stage that surrounds it. Finally, keys can be collected and then used to unlock doors--which lead to bonus items and even Zelda-esque shops--that are located at the back of certain levels.
As cool as I'm guessing that sounds in theory, I can guarantee--after spending a good amount of time with the game last night--that it's even cooler in practice. Honestly, if this were a boxed-and-available-at-retail Genesis/Mega Drive title, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat regardless of the price tag affixed to it. It's that beautiful, charming and fun.
See also: 'Get your Xboxes ready, Breakout fans: Wizorb hits XBLIG on Thursday' and 'Wizorb has awesome box art'
Not only is Wizorb--which was made by Justin Cyr, Jonathan Lavigne and Jean-François Major (who recently joined forces to form Tribute Games)--look, sound and play like a dream, but it's backed by a silly story, too.
Here's the gist of it, in case you're curious: The once-peaceful Kingdom of Gorudo is threatened by an evil presence. The only hope for salvation is Cyrus, a wizard versed in a secret magic art called Wizorb!
Wizorb is more than a Breakout clone covered with a cute, somewhat-clichéd, RPG-ish coat of paint, by the way. For starters, there are boss battles. Also, Cyrus' can call on magic spells that affect his "magic wand" (aka his Arkanoid-ish paddle) and/or the stage that surrounds it. Finally, keys can be collected and then used to unlock doors--which lead to bonus items and even Zelda-esque shops--that are located at the back of certain levels.
As cool as I'm guessing that sounds in theory, I can guarantee--after spending a good amount of time with the game last night--that it's even cooler in practice. Honestly, if this were a boxed-and-available-at-retail Genesis/Mega Drive title, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat regardless of the price tag affixed to it. It's that beautiful, charming and fun.
See also: 'Get your Xboxes ready, Breakout fans: Wizorb hits XBLIG on Thursday' and 'Wizorb has awesome box art'
Monday, September 26, 2011
Get your Xboxes ready, Breakout fans: Wizorb hits XBLIG on Thursday
What's Wizorb, you ask? Why, it's the Breakout-clone-slash-RPG that Justin Cyr, Jonathan Lavigne--of Ninja Senki and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game fame--and Jean-François Major have been working on for the past six months.
For those of you who haven't seen it already, here's the game's "debut trailer," which Lavigne shared with the world (via his blog, pixeltao.ca) a few months ago:
As the headline above suggests, the Xbox Live Indie Games version of Wizorb will be released this Thursday via Tribute Games. (A PC version is in the works, too, although its release date has yet to be announced.)
Here's hoping I can either secure a review copy of the game shortly after it's released or scrounge up enough dough to pay for it. Otherwise, it'll probably have to wait until my birthday (which is two months away).
See also: Wizorb has awesome box art
For those of you who haven't seen it already, here's the game's "debut trailer," which Lavigne shared with the world (via his blog, pixeltao.ca) a few months ago:
As the headline above suggests, the Xbox Live Indie Games version of Wizorb will be released this Thursday via Tribute Games. (A PC version is in the works, too, although its release date has yet to be announced.)
Here's hoping I can either secure a review copy of the game shortly after it's released or scrounge up enough dough to pay for it. Otherwise, it'll probably have to wait until my birthday (which is two months away).
See also: Wizorb has awesome box art
Labels:
Arkanoid,
Breakout,
Jean-François Major,
Jonathan Lavigne,
Justin Cyr,
PC,
Tribute Games,
Wizorb,
XBLIG,
Xbox 360
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