The Great Gaymathon Review #10: Rakugaki Showtime (PlayStation)

Game: Rakugaki Showtime

Genre: Fighting

System: PlayStation

Developer: Treasure

Publisher: Enix

Release date: 1999

On the one hand, I find this Treasure-developed (and Enix-published) title's graphics and premise delicious. On the other, I don't find its Poy Poy-esque gameplay nearly as appetizing. That's not to suggest that this extremely pricey game is bad, but it can be a bit boring--especially if it's played solo. (I've heard the multiplayer experience is much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, I've yet to play it that way.) Still, I can't help but boot it up now and then just so I can gaze at its charmingly rendered graphics--which resemble doodles that have been torn, rather haphazardly, from a child's scrapbook. That's hardly enough to earn it a hearty recommendation, though, is it--especially when you consider that used copies of this game commonly carry price tags of over $100? Given that, I'd only recommend picking it up if you're a total Treasure nut or if you're one of those freaks--or should I say lucky ducks--who regularly throws stacks of $100 bills into your fireplace to keep warm at night.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Five gaming-related items I'd buy if money weren't an issue

I know this probably seems like a silly and even stupid waste of time, but when has that stopped me in the past?

Anyway, as the header above implies, this post is all about the five gaming-related items I'd buy if money weren't an issue.

1) A Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong or Ms. Pac-Man (below) arcade cabinet--No explanation needed, right?

2) Copies of Coryoon, Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire and Madou Monogatari--The first is an expensive PC Engine HuCard game, while the second and third are expensive (PC Engine) Arcade CD-ROM games.

3) A Japanese Mega Drive and a copy of Panorama Cotton--The latter is an extremely rare Mega Drive cart that, unlike other entries in the Cotton series (well, except this one--but it doesn't count because it supposedly sucks), is a 3D shoot 'em up à la Sega's Space Harrier.

4) A PC Engine LT--Only the coolest handheld system ever. I mean, it has a four-inch screen and looks like a little laptop--who wouldn't want something like that?

5) A copy of Punch-Out!! Special--5,000 of these gold-colored carts were awarded to high-scoring participants of a Nintendo Famicom Golf competition, while another 5,000 were given away during a pair of raffles.

Honorable mention: A copy of Rakugaki Showtime--The obscure "arena combat" game created for the original PlayStation by the geniuses at Treasure. Sadly, I owned a copy of this game for quite some time before (stupidly) selling it a few years ago.

Which games or gaming-related items would you buy if money weren't an issue?