Second Chances: Tennis (NES)

A couple of years ago, I published a "Second Chances" post about another NES tennis game, Jaleco's Racket Attack. (Read it here.)

In that write-up, I regaled the four or five people who actually read it with the trials and tribulations I had to endure during my most recent experience with that 1988 release.

Basically, Racket Attack is a hot mess. It's slow, slippery, and frustratingly difficult. Well, guess what? Some of those same words could be used to describe Nintendo's Tennis from 1985.

OK, so Tennis isn't exactly slow. Or at least the player sprites don't move slowly. No one is going to accuse the ball of racing through the air, though.

Tennis' speed is the last thing you'll need to worry about should you ever play it, however. No, far more worrisome and irksome are the following:

* When it comes to player-controlled characters, you've got just one option--a white guy with dark hair.

* As for opponents, there are just five in the entire game. They're also caucasian men.

* Your repertoire of moves consists of two serves (a fast one and a slow one), a "flat" forehand, a similarly struck backhand, a lob, and a volley.

* Every match you play in Tennis takes place on the same "hard" (concrete) court. Look elsewhere if you care about carpet, clay, or grass surfaces.

* Speaking of which, the game lacks a tournament mode, a "world tour" mode, or even a rankings ladder. Your only choice is to play one-on-one matches against the five opponents mentioned earlier. (Each one represents a different difficulty level.)

This tennis title would be annoying enough if that were the extent of its "cons." Unfortunately, it isn't.  In fact, the game's final noteworthy negative is the one that impacts gameplay the most.

What is it? It's that positioning your character sprite in Tennis is an overly finicky exercise. If you're not in the right spot, you'll totally miss the ball. Or you'll hit it but send it many feet wide of the sidelines.

Given all of the above, why am I even writing about about this ancient cart? Or what prompted me to give it a "second chance" it seemingly didn't deserve?

It all started when I subscribed to the just-launched Nintendo Switch Online service and downloaded the complementary NES app.

After playing a few rounds of Balloon Fight's "Balloon Trip" mode (as you do), not to mention a couple of go-throughs of Donkey Kong, I clicked on Tennis without giving it much thought.

It looked and sounded and felt just as antiquated as I remembered, of course, but for some reason I didn't exit out of it after a handful of games.

In fact, I kept on playing until the end of the match, which I lost by the rather humiliating score of 6-0, 6-3. (Although in my defense, I came back from 5-1 down in the second set and even saved a bunch of match points along the way.)

Time for me to sashay away from the game once and for all, right? Wrong. I'm actually kind of pumped to play it again.

I can't guarantee I'll give it the time of day after I defeat even one of its handful of opponents, mind you, but until that happens, I'll probably return to it now and then to see if I can make any headway against the competition.

Have any of you played Tennis? If so, what do you think about it?

Second Chances: Bubble Bobble 2 (Famicom)

Given my love of the original Bubble Bobble, you might assume I've adored this pseudo-sequel since the first time I played it. (Don't let its name fool you; Rainbow Islands is the real follow-up to the aforementioned classic.)

In reality, I've attempted to play--and enjoy--Bubble Bobble 2 a number of times since its release 24 years ago. Sadly, each attempt (made via emulation, I have to add; I haven't yet gotten up the nerve to drop a few hundred dollars on a game I've long struggled to like) ended with me shaking my head in disbelief, wondering how the masters at Taito could've screwed up so badly.

What do I mean by "screwed up"? Consider Bubble Bobble 2's graphics. Anyone who tries to tell you they even approach the kaleidoscopic adorableness of Bub's and Bob's first foray into the "cave of monsters" is someone you shouldn't trust, in my humble opinion.

Heck, I'd go so far as to say I prefer the aesthetics of the Rainbow Islands Famicom port to those of the game discussed here, and that particular home version of the official Bubble Bobble successor isn't exactly known for being a looker (especially when compared to its quarter-munching counterpart).

Another visual aspect of Bubble Bobble 2, aka Bubble Bobble Part 2 outside of Japan, that's kept me from warming up to it as much as I thought I would when I first became aware of it: its sprites. They're all out of whack in terms of size. Specifically, Bub and Bob appear to have gained a few pounds since their initial go-round, while their well-known adversaries seem to have been zapped by some sort of futuristic shrinking ray.

That's not the end of the world, admittedly, and if you're like me you'll get over the questionable art direction in time, but even then it remains one of the ugliest Bubble Bobble games around.

The worst offender when it comes to Bubble Bobble 2's looks, though, is its lazy backdrops. Although a couple of them are nice enough, they stick around for so long they become boring. This is especially true of the yawn-inducing, column-filled environment that opens the game. It barely changes while you progress through the first 10 levels, and when you finally make it to the 11th, the sky color switches from blue to coral and that's it.

Later stages offer backgrounds that are far more interesting, thankfully, but even they tend to overstay their welcome.

The good news amidst this deluge of negativity: all the complaints I've leveled at Bubble Bobble 2 so far are merely cosmetic. (That's not to say I can't think of a few others, such as its lackluster soundtrack and its abundance of flicker.) Even better, they irk you less and less the more you play the game--or at least that's been the case for me. As an example, I currently consider the Bub (or Bob) sprite to be kind of cute, which is worlds away from my initial, horrified response to it.

Also, Bubble Bobble 2 is an enjoyable enough single-screen platformer even though it's far from the most attractive one around. That's largely because of how bizarre it eventually shows itself to be.

A case in point: after nearly putting you to sleep with 19 straight stages populated by a few stray clouds, columns and bushes (as well as a bunch of baddies, of course), the game whisks you away to what looks like a brick-lined dungeon to battle what I can only describe as a xenomorph riding a motorcycle. (See screenshot above for evidence.)

How this fits into Bubble Bobble 2's overall story, I cannot say. I can say, however, that it served as a turning point in my relationship with this odd duck of the Bubble Bobble series.

After encountering that Alien-esque boss--as well as the enemy that looks like a mashup of a Star Wars AT-ST and a Zen-chan as well as the one that seems to be made up of a skeletal head, a chain-link body and bony little legs (again, see screenshot above)--I developed an appreciation for Bobble Bobble 2's unapologetic wackiness.

I'd still rather play the original Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands or Parasol Stars, mind you, but I think it's safe to say I'll toss this 1993 release into the mix now and then thanks to my most recent--and mostly positive--experience with it.

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts about the Famicom ports of Chack'n Pop, Don Doko Don and Rainbow Islands, as well as Bubble Bobble Junior for the GameBoy

Second Chances: Racket Attack (NES)

I've played tennis since I was about seven years old. That's when my dad started teaching me the sport at the public courts not too far from our suburban Wisconsin home.

I didn't consider myself a tennis fan, though, until I turned 12 or 13. That's when I remember watching Wimbledon on TV for the first time. Or at least that's the first time I remember laying eyes on the player (Steffi Graf) who single-handedly caused me to tune into many more Wimbledons--not to mention Australian Opens, French Opens, US Opens and other, smaller tournaments--in the years and even decades to come.

I say all of this because it should help explain this next comment: as a teen, I played a whole lot of Jaleco's Racket Attack (Moero!! Pro Tennis in Japan). I couldn't tell you how many hours I devoted to it, of course, but I can tell you it wasn't just a passing fancy.

That may shock those of you who have even the slightest amount of experience with this TOSE-developed NES cartridge, as the game isn't exactly considered a classic.

Still, when I was younger, I was fairly obsessed with it--at least for a time. I'm not sure if I ever "beat" it (hell, I'm not even sure its "beatable"). Regardless, I got to know Racket Attack really well at that time in my life.

Unfortunately, none of that seemed to matter whenever I've returned to the game in the last few years. Each time, I walked away from it in disgust after failing to come to grips with its frustratingly awkward controls.

Why did I give it another chance this past weekend? Honestly, I haven't a clue. I guess I was just curious to see if I still thought it sucked. Or maybe I just wanted to play a tennis video game and couldn't think of a better option. At any rate, I booted it up and took a deep breath. Here's a rundown of what happened next:

* Through the first three games of my match (I played as "Gray," while my opponent was "Juana"), I won a single point.

* In the fourth game, I not only won a few points, I won an entire game--on my opponent's serve, no less. This was accomplished by rushing the net like Martina Navratilova in her prime.

* Sadly, that was the only game I won during that first set against the similarly baseline-phobic Juana. I should've won a few more, but I always found a way to screw up those chances. Oh, well.

* Shockingly, I won the first game of the second set. I also started to feel at one with the "down the T" serve at this point. (I pretty much always faulted on it before.) Not that it did me much good, mind you, as I dropped the very next game.

* Although I gave Jauna a tougher time in our match's second set, she eventually ran out to a 5-3 lead. Somehow, I broke her--saving two match points along the way--and got back to 5-5. I lost the next two games and the match (6-1, 7-5), naturally.

Given the above, you may assume I once again walked away from Racket Attack wondering how I could've enjoyed it so much as a teen. In reality, I walked away from it with a grin on my face and the expectation that I'd play it again soon.

This is despite the controls being horribly slippery and every point--every movement, really--feeling as though the game is stuck in slow motion. Plus, even hitting a routine groundstroke is a challenge at the outset.

And then there's the fact that my hour-long match left me shaking (due to nerves) and with clammy palms and sore forearms (from clutching my controller as though my life depended on it).

On the flip side, my latest run-in with Racket Attack also prompted me to laugh more than I have in some time while playing a game. And there's no denying it looks and sounds rather nice. Player sprites are large, if not exactly well animated. Courts are spacious, colorful, and appropriately detailed. The backing tune is surprisingly catchy, too.

Does that mean I'd recommend it to others? Not really. It's a frustrating game to play and even folks who usually enjoy tennis titles are sure to turn it off in disgust.

For me, though, it's just playable enough for me to return to it now and then--although I have a feeling it'll be some time before I'm able to win a set against, let alone defeat, an opponent.

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Valkyrie no Densetsu (PC Engine)

You'd think I would've learned long ago not to judge a PC Engine game by static screenshots.

After all, though I originally turned up my nose at titles like Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen, Mr. Heli no Daibōken and Obocchama Kun due to what I considered to be their far-from-catwalk-ready looks, I changed my tune on each of those HuCards (as well as a number of others) after sinking a bit of time into them.

The thing is, I didn't much like Valkyrie no Densetsu--Legend of Valkyrie in English--even after a few go-rounds with it. I guess I didn't find its gameplay all that appealing during those initial forays. Or maybe I just couldn't get past its rough-hewn graphics.

Granted, calling Valkyrie no Densetsu's graphics rough-hewn seems downright generous at first glance. Its enemy sprites in particular are nightmare fodder thanks to their surprisingly crude designs that stand in stark contrast to those of the game's adorable protagonist and most of its backdrops.

I say "most" here because, well, some aspects of this Namcot-made title's environmental graphics also aren't what I'd call pretty. A case in point: a lot of the trees you saunter by during the adventure at hand look as though they could've been tended to for a few more hours (if not days) before earning the company's seal of approval.

All that said, if you're anything like me, a surprising number of the components singled out for complaint so far will grow on you--at least a bit--over time.

Seriously, at the moment, when one or more of the game's imp or ogre baddies skitters into view, I now look at them with more than a smidge of admiration rather than the tight-lipped frown of disgust that used to greet their appearance.

Is that because Valkyrie no Densetsu's a blast to play? Honestly, I don't know. I mean, the game is pretty fun--it basically feels like an antiquated precursor to The Legend of Zelda, even though it was released three years later--but I'm not sure I'd say it's such a blast it would cause me to forget about eye-searing graphics.

No, I think the only acceptable explanation here is that I've somehow come around to Valkyrie no Densetsu's awkward aesthetics.

Which is a very good thing, as Martha Stewart might say (if she enjoyed video games). There's a lot to like in this 1990 release. Although its adventure is stubbornly straightforward--no real exploring or even backtracking is allowed, although forks in the road pop up now and then that let you switch paths--the scenery changes frequently enough that you're unlikely to become bored.

Also, new enemies, obstacles and situations--like rescuing a captive child, or stumbling upon a hidden shop--are introduced at a fairly nice clip, and that helps liven up the proceedings as well.

Valkyrie no Densetsu's controls deserve a positive nod, too. Some may describe Miss Valkyrie as a tad sluggish, especially when she has to make a leap, but I disagree. Or I'd disagree if those same folks implied her somewhat languorous movement holds back the game in any meaningful way.

In fact, the single knock I can aim at this surprisingly adept arcade port is that the boss monsters you encounter every once in a while aren't the most interesting of adversaries. That's basically the only complaint I have at the moment, though, which I guess goes to show how much it can help to give games that don't click with you at first a second chance.

Have any of you played Valkyrie no Densetsu? If so, let me and others know what you think of it in the comments section that follows.

Note: photos via thebrothersduomazov.com and videogameden.com

Seven ways you can celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's release

In a perfect world, this post would include 27 ways to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's Japanese launch day, which occurred on Oct. 30, 1987. Instead, it includes just seven.

Still, that should be more than enough to allow all who are interested in honoring the release of what I consider to be the coolest-looking console ever to see the light of day to do their thing.

1. Play one of the two games that launched alongside the diminutive system in Japan--That would mean playing either Bikkuriman World or Shanghai. Personally, I'd go for the former, which is an ancient, but still immensely fun, side-scrolling platformer.



2. Pick up one of the handful of PC Engine titles that can be found on the PlayStation Store--My suggestions, especially for folks who have little experience with this console and its catalog of games: Bomberman '94, Galaga '88 or PC Genjin 2 (Bonk's Revenge in North America).

3. Buy one of the PC Engine games that are available on the Wii eShop--The previously Japan-only Battle Lode Runner is my top choice here, although Akumajou Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is a worthwhile option, too.



4. Ogle some photos of the original system and its packaging--A good number of them can be found on my Flickr photostream. (Sadly, I no longer own the white PC Engine that is showcased throughout.)

5. Read a couple of the "Second Chances" posts I've written about PC Engine games--If you're not sure where to start, I'd recommend the ones devoted to Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen, Hana Tāka Daka!? and Jigoku Meguri.



6. Virtually flip through a few of the instruction manuals made for its games--My personal favorites: Don Doko Don, Mizubaku Daibouken, The New Zealand Story and PC Genjin 2.

7. Watch one of these wacky Japanese TV commercials--This one, for PC Genjin 2, probably is the best of the bunch, although this one (for Kato-chan & Ken-chan) and this one (for The Kung Fu) also are a lot of fun.

See also: 'Five TurboGrafx-16 memories in honor of the system's 25th anniversary'

Second Chances: Magical Chase (PC Engine)

To be completely honest, this cute--and absurdly costly--PC Engine shoot 'em up wasn't even on my radar when I first considered which games to play as part of this month's #Shmuptember festivities.

After fellow blogger Retro King Simon (of Red Parsley fame) mentioned it in the comments section of this recent post, though, I decided I should give it a second chance.

You may be wondering why I needed to give it a second chance. After all, it's a fairly well-liked shmup among PC Engine fans--again, despite the astronomical price tags that tend to be attached to copies of it.

While that may be true, I've never really been a part of that camp--the one full of folks who fall over themselves to talk about what a top-shelf cute 'em up it is, I mean. (Admittedly, I have a feeling it's a small camp.)

Don't get me wrong, I've long thought of Magical Chase as being a "competent enough" smhup, but I've also long preferred playing similar games--like Parodius Da! and Coryoon and Air Zonk--to it.

Have I had a change of heart as a result of my most recent experience with the game? Actually, I have. I wouldn't say I now consider it to be worth its asking price (although even that could change in the coming months and years, especially given my history with such things), but I definitely find it a lot more appealing than I used to.

One of the main reasons for that is HuCard's art style seems a lot more cohesive than I remember it to be. In the past, I thought the design of the adorable, broom-riding protagonist (she is a witch, after all) didn't quite "fit" with those of the game's enemies or backdrops, if that makes sense.

Another is that I'm now pretty enamored with the "zippiness" of this colorful shoot 'em up's controls. In fact, I'd say Magical Chase compares favorably to both Coryoon and PC Denjin (Air Zonk) in that regard, and possibly even feels a bit smoother than those aforementioned contemporaries.

Now that I've come around to Magical Chase's considerable charms, though, I'm feeling kind of miffed. I mean, for the same amount of money it would cost me to acquire the Japanese version of this game, I could pick up copies of both R-Type titles, Parodius Da! and Hana Taka Daka!? instead--and still have a good chunk of change left over for a couple of cheaper chip-based titles.

The latter option seems far more desirable to me than the former at the moment, but who knows what will happen once I've filled out my PC Engine shmup collection a bit more?

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts about Bubble Bobble Junior (GameBoy), Don Doko Don (Famicom) and Hana Taka Daka!? (PC Engine)

Second Chances: Don Doko Don (Famicom)

To those of you who are a bit confused as to why I'm devoting a "Second Chances" post to a game I've previously--and frequently--praised, both here and on Twitter, here's the deal: the version of Don Doko Don that I've so often celebrated was the PC Engine conversion released in 1990.

On the other hand, the Famicom port of this Taito-made single-screen platformer--which is a lot like Bubble Bobble, but with hammer-weilding garden gnomes instead of bubble-blowing dinosaurs--has long left me feeling a little cold, and mainly because, at first glance, it's a lot less easy on the eyes (and the ears, too) than either the aforementioned PC Engine release or the arcade original.

I've warmed up to it in recent days, though, although I'm not entirely sure why. Actually, that's not completely accurate. What I mean is that I know why I've come around to it--I now rather like its aesthetic, with the possible exception of the protagonist sprites--but I'm not sure why I currently find something appealing that I used to consider fairly disappointing.

Maybe I just opened my heart to its minimalist charms, or maybe I realized that the PC Engine version isn't as grand (in terms of its appearance) as I earlier considered it to be--or maybe it's a bit of both?

One complaint I will level against this iteration of Don Doko Don: a handful of its enemy sprites are larger than, say, their PC Engine equivalents, which wouldn't bother me normally, but in this case the increase in size seems to throw off the balance on some of its stages. For example, baddies who, in other versions of the game, eventually would work their way toward the bottom of the screen tend to get stuck near the top in the Famicom port, and the resulting mass often causes the player to put him- or herself into more perilous positions than would otherwise be required.

This isn't even close to a deal-breaker, of course, but it is a minor source of aggravation--or it has proven to be one for me--and, as such, I thought I should mention it here.

Despite the above-mentioned quibble, I now consider myself to be a pretty big fan of the Famicom conversion of this great single-screen platformer--to the point that I'm planning to pick up a copy of it once I have the funds.

Here's hoping that once I get my grubby little hands on one, its instruction manual is at least as nice--and full of adorable illustrations--as its PC Engine counterpart, if not a bit nicer.

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Rainbow Islands (Famicom)

Every previous entry in this series has followed a pretty similar path: after returning to a game I previously didn't enjoy all that much, I discovered it really wasn't so bad after all!

This one is going to be different. Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to declare at its end that I still dislike the Famicom port of Rainbow Islands even after giving it a second chance, but it also doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to say that I'm now madly in love with it.

In reality, my current opinion of this 8-bit conversion of Taito's classic arcade game, the only official sequel to the company's Bubble Bobble, is that it's a hit-and-miss affair. On the one hand, for instance, its protagonist and enemy sprites are pretty darn nice, especially when you consider the Famicom surely pales in comparison, power-wise, to the arcade PCB.

Also, this port's controls and overall "feel" are close enough to those of the arcade original to not be off-putting--for the most part--and the soundtrack holds its own, too. (Note that the Famicom version of Rainbow Islands retains the arcade's "Over the Rainbow"-inspired theme, while its NES counterpart features a different and unique tune.)

As for what's keeping me from enjoying this installment as much as I enjoy, say, the pretty-much-arcade-perfect PC Engine one: a particularly noteworthy example, I think, is the limited color palette that's used here. Although the game's sprites look great, its backdrops often appear drab or washed out.

A few other reasons this Rainbow Islands port doesn't exactly stack up to its arcade or PC Engine brethren: the ever-present and action-obscuring flicker, the subtly altered gameplay (protags Bubby and Bobby can only shoot a maximum of two rainbows here, as opposed to the three that can be spawned in other iterations) and the screwed-up stage layouts.

That last negative is the most damning, if you ask me, as some of the level-design choices that were made during the production of this port are head-scratchers. Case in point: a number of stages now have spike-lined platforms that aren't, as far as I'm aware, present in other versions and that make progressing through some of the levels in this one to be an annoyingly difficult chore.

Even when stages aren't hampered by spike-lined platforms, though, they're often hamstrung by other obstacles--all of which conspire to kill the flow that I consider to be a hallmark of the arcade and PC Engine versions. As such, while playing the Famicom cart it's nearly impossible to get into the same kind of grin-inducing "zone" that makes those other iterations so enjoyable, and that's a shame.

Once all of the above is taken into consideration, I'd be hard-pressed to call this release anything other than disappointing. It's not terrible, nor is it a Famicom cartridge that should be avoided at all costs, but it's also not what I would consider to be the go-to conversion of this classic platformer. (For most folks, that would be the arcade original, which can be found on the Taito Legends compilation that was released for PC, PS2 and Xbox, although the PC Engine installment's worth picking up, too, if that's an option.)

To those of you who've also spent some time with Rainbow Islands' Famicom (or even NES) outing: what are your thoughts on it?

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Bubble Bobble Junior (GameBoy)

First things first: I am a longtime fan of Taito's Bubble Bobble series, the first entry in particular. That love didn't develop slowly over time as is usually the case; no, I fell head over heels for the title that started it all the second I laid eyes on its adorably decorated cabinet while perusing the arcade room of the local bowling alley as a skinny, bright-eyed, game-obsessed boy.

Despite my love for the series in general and the initial game in particular, I've never much cared for Bubble Bobble's portable iterations--namely, the non-port that's (still) known as Bubble Bobble (expect a post devoted to this one soon, by the way) and its sequel, called Bubble Bobble Junior in Japan and Bubble Bobble Part 2 in North America.

Although I've always considered the latter effort to be leagues better than the former (despite its completely fabulous Japanese box art), it's still not a game that's prompted me to think, I really enjoying playing that one--until fairly recently, I mean.

At first, I passed on it due to what I considered to be its wonky-looking protagonist. I also wasn't all that fond of the fact that its stages are larger than the GameBoy's diminutive screen and, as such, scrolling is required to see them in their entirety. And then there's the little fact that, as most (if not all) of you've probably figured by now, this game is a black-and-white--or black-and-green, I guess--rather than a rainbow-colored affair, unlike nearly all of the other Bubble Bobble games in existence.

So, what caused me to give Bubble Bobble Junior a second chance? Truth be told, I only decided to give it another shot after falling in love with its box art while writing this recent blog post. Maybe if I can find a way to at least somewhat enjoy its gameplay, I thought to myself, I can justify picking up a copy of it sometime soon. 

And what do you know? Shortly thereafter I started having fun--if not "a blast"--with this portable platformer. Now, I still don't love the fact that the levels scroll, and I can't help but wish Bub's and Bob's leaps were a smidge less "floaty," but other than those two aspects--OK, so maybe the game's not-horrible-but-also-hardly-amazing soundtrack could be thrown into the mix, too--Bubble Bobble Junior's actually pretty solid.

The enemy sprites are surprisingly well drawn, for starters. Also, similarly nice-looking bosses--like the one showcased above--pop up every 10 (or is it 20?) stages, and all of the ones I've battled so far have been a blast.

Other than that, there isn't a whole lot more to say, as this is a pretty standard Bubble Bobble outing--which of course is a very good thing, or at least it is in my opinion.

Unfortunately, should you want to own an actual, physical copy of this "pretty standard Bubble Bobble outing," you're more than likely going to have to pay dearly for it, as prices--for complete copies, especially--on eBay and elsewhere tend to be sky high. At least that nabs you some pretty packaging to ogle when you're not busy playing its contents, though, right?

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Hana Tāka Daka!? (PC Engine)

It sometimes amazes me how many PC Engine games I initially ignored due to what I considered sub-par graphics. Jigoku Meguri is one such title. Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen is another, as is Obocchama-kun.

The funny thing is, all of the above-mentioned games have since become favorites.

Some of you may be shocked to hear that I include Taito's Hana Tāka Daka!? from 1991 in this bunch. After all, this horizontal shoot 'em up could hardly be called ugly. Its does take a while to get used to its unique visual stylings, though--or at least that was the case for me.

That's mainly due to the game's rather unappealing protagonist. What can I say, his big eyes, long nose and dangling, geta-hooved feet just don't do it for me--and on top of that, he's positively huge (compared to his surroundings) when it comes to this particular genre.

Speaking of this game's surroundings, I used to find them pretty unappealing, too--mainly due to their chunkiness, for lack of a better word, as well as their garish use of color.

How did I get over these supposed shortcomings? It finally dawned on me that Taito was a top-notch game developer and that maybe I should give some of their less appealing (at first blush, at least) efforts--like this one--a second or even third chance before deciding they weren't worth my time.

Once that was out of the way, I basically fell in love with Hana Tāka Daka!? and its charmingly weird cast of characters, setting and even gameplay (although the latter definitely is the least captivating aspect of this now-pricey HuCard, thanks to its rather pedestrian--although by no means boring or bad--mechanics).

I say "basically" because a few sticking points remain for me, with the most newsworthy being that the game puts up a pretty stiff challenge despite its candy-coated visuals.

That's rarely completely kept me from enjoying a game in the past, though, so I'm not about to let it keep me from enjoying this one. Just don't expect me to publish a post about "beating" Hana Tāka Daka!? anytime soon.

I'm also not the biggest fan of the way the game forces players to choose between having inadequate firepower and a small hitbox (i.e., a tiny protagonist-slash-"ship") and having ample firepower and a gigantic hitbox. This wouldn't be much of a problem if Hana Tāka Daka!? were a pushover, of course, but it's not, so a lack of firepower is sure to be an issue for those who aren't shmup gods or goddesses.

Aside from this colorful side-scroller's handful of negatives, there are a good number of positives associated with it too, such as its pleasantly discordant soundtrack and its surprisingly complex level design.

To those of you who've also spent a bit of time with this title: do you agree with the above, or do you have a different opinion Taito's effort here?

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Magical Taruruuto-kun (Sega Game Gear)

When I first discovered that someone had released a Magical Taruruuto-kun title for the Game Gear, I was thrilled. After all, I've long loved the Game Freak-developed, Sega-published Mega Drive game based on this anime and manga franchise, so surely I'd also get a kick out of a portable iteration, right?

You'd think so, but my first impressions of Tsukuda Ideal's Game Gear title were far from favorable. It didn't help matters, of course, that this game isn't a platformer like its Mega Drive-based cousin is; instead, it's a shmup in the vein of Gradius (Parodius may be a better point of comparison). That's rarely an issue for me, though, so what prompted my less-than-thrilled initial reaction to this one?

For starters, when you first boot up Magical Taruruuto-kun, it gives the impression that it's akin to My First Shmup. You see, your ship--actually a flying version of the series' protagonist--is overly large, as are most of the enemies that hurtle (OK, usually they simply meander) toward it, which makes the first stage, especially, seem both boring and a bit too easy.

That's where my first attempted playthrough ended, to tell you the truth. Then, a few weeks ago, I came across a copy of the game while perusing eBay, liked the cover art (what a surprise, right?) and decided to give it a second chance.

This time around, I forced myself past that opening level ... and discovered that, while it's still far from amazing, it's actually a nicely made little shmup.

One of the main reasons I say that is Magical Taruruuto-kun's sprites are surprisingly well crafted considering they were produced by a company (Tsukuda Ideal) I'd never heard of before a few days ago. For example, in the first level, which is set in a school, rulers, staplers and fire extinguishers--all adorably adorned with cartoon eyes and mouths--serve to liven up the otherwise pedestrian surroundings.

The game's bosses--which include an anthropomorphic piano (see above), a haunted pirate ship and a giant tree--are similarly full of character, although the battles against them disappointingly take place against a plain white backdrop.

I'd still be hard-pressed to describe Magical Taruruuto-kun's soundtrack or gameplay as anything approaching thrilling, but they're also far from tragic. As such, I have no regrets about picking up the complete-in-box copy I mentioned above shortly after I came across it. (Rest assured I'll share a few photos of its packaging as soon as it arrives on our doorstep.)

See also: previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen

I've never liked the looks of this PC Engine shoot 'em up, which is based on the legend of the Monkey King. That's because I've always considered it to be the two-dimensional shmup equivalent of too many of today's three-dimensional FPS titles: Brown, dark and drab.

It's almost like Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen's developers decided, "There are too many cheerful and colorful PC Engine shooters. Let's make one that's the complete opposite!"

(It should be noted, by the way, that I also find many of this title's character, or maybe I should say "creature," designs to be the definition of dreadful.)

So, I ignored this HuCard like a pixelated plague. Until I came to the realization that Taito released a ton of surprisingly great games for NEC's adorable little system--such as Don Doko Don, Hana Taka Daka!?, Jigoku Meguri, Mizubaku Daibouken, The New Zealand Story and Parasol Stars--back in the day.

Giving Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen a second chance with that in mind helped a great deal. For starters, once I looked past this game's gloomy graphics (don't be fooled by the screenshot below) and focused instead on its gameplay, I found that it's a pretty great shoot 'em up. More specifically, I discovered that it's both tight (in terms of controls) and tough--two things a shmup needs to offer for me to fall in love with it.

I also discovered that it has some awesome boss fights, which I believe rival those found in Coryoon and PC Denjin (aka Air Zonk) when it comes to beauty and brilliance (thanks in large part to the many layers of parallax scrolling they contain).

Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen's soundtrack is nice, too. Sadly, it's often drowned out by the game's overly loud "pew pew" effects that accompany each and every shot.

That lone misstep--well, if you don't count the dreary aesthetics--isn't nearly enough to get me to continue to ignore this 1992 release, of course. On the contrary, I now regularly find myself playing and enjoying it regularly due to the aspects mentioned above.

Do I still consider it to be a rather unattractive title? Yes, I do. But it no longer means more to me than the rest of what it has to offer any gamer interested in playing a retro shoot 'em up that isn't a total pushover.

See also: Previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Kirby's Adventure

No joke: Despite my avowed adoration of adorable games, I avoided playing Kirby's Adventure, which was released all the way back in 1993, until I downloaded it via the Wii Virtual Console five years ago.

What kept me from giving this precious platformer a go? I honestly don't remember, although I'm guessing it had something to do with the fact that I, like many gamers, already had moved on to the SNES by the time it hit the shelves of my local ShopKo.

Anyway, for some reason I also can't recall, I finally picked up Kirby's Adventure in 2007 ... and promptly found myself bored by it. Oh, it looked nice enough, and it sounded nice enough, too, but the early levels were so easy that I couldn't help but wonder if I'd wasted my hard-earned money on the gaming equivalent of a lemon.

Rather than hanging in there to find out if later stages were less of a calk walk, I pretty much gave up on ol' Kirby and moved on to other pursuits.

After playing and thoroughly enjoying both Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land, though, I decided to give this cudly character's first console release a second chance. I'm glad I did, because I now consider Kirby's Adventure to be wonderfully captivating experience.

Don't get me wrong, I still think it's easy. That said, I'm pretty sure that's the point. It's not supposed to be difficult; it's supposed to be fun. Not only that, but players are simply supposed to enjoy hopping and bopping through each of the game's colorfully charming stages--or at least I'm guessing that's what players are supposed to get out of the game.

Now that I understand that, I happily, leisurely and regularly play this HAL Laboratory-developed NES title as I believe its makers intended it to be played: Smiling and swaying my head to its lilting soundtrack as I stroll through and take in, with no small amount of awe, its lovely, almost dream-like landscapes.

(Note: All of the images above were taken from theflatness.com, a great little blog that sadly hasn't been updated since early 2010.)

Second Chances: Pop'n Magic

Just in case you didn't receive the memo: I'm a card-carrying member of the "Single-Screen Platformer Fan Club." (As I'm sure you can imagine, it's a fairly small club.)

The game that's chiefly responsible for me joining this club is Bubble Bobble, of course. (That game's second sequel, Parasol Stars, prompted me to sign up for a life-long membership.)

Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for good single-screen platformer in the Bubble Bobble mold as a result. Some of the ones I come across, like Don Doko Don and Rod Land, quickly become favorites, while others, like Snow Bros., are played a few times and then all but forgotten.

I used to include Pop'n Magic, made by Riot/Telenet and released for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 in 1992, in the latter category. I'm not entirely sure why, to tell you the truth, although I think it had something to do with the game's slightly generic (although wonderfully colorful) graphics, stilted animation and stiff controls.

After re-reading The Brothers Duomazov's write-up of the game last week, though, I decided to give it another chance. And you know what? I'm now really digging it.

Don't get me wrong: I still think the game's art style is a bit generic, but I find it kind of charming, too. (I especially like the blue blobs that appear throughout the first world and the surprisingly cute zombies that appear throughout the second.) Also, I still think the animation's a bit stilted and the controls are kind of stiff, but neither aspect is so off-putting that the game seems unplayable or unenjoyable.

Re-playing Pop'n Magic has helped me recognize and appreciate some of its other aspects, too--such as its backgrounds, all of which seem to feature some amount animation, and the strategic nature of its gameplay. (As in Bubble Bobble, the protagonist in this game encases enemies in bubbles. What sets Pop'n Magic apart, though, is that every enemy turns into a bubble of a different color, and to rid a stage of them you have to throw bubbles of different colors against each other.)

I also can't help but like how, when you throw one bubble against a number of others (as opposed to just one other bubble), candies and fruits and other power-ups pour from the broken bubbles like treats from a piñata.

Do I now hold Pop'n Magic in higher esteem than, say, Parasol Stars and Bubble Bobble? Not quite. I do consider it to be a top-shelf single-screen platformer, though, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the genre.

See also: Previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Jigoku Meguri

Unlike the previous games that have been written about in these "Second Chances" posts, I can't seem to remember when I first played Jigoku Meguri, a Taito-made platformer that was released for the PC Engine in 1990, or why that first experience with the title was such a turn-off.

All I recall is that it didn't impress me. I think it had something to do with its odd protagonist--a bald and somewhat paunchy monk who defeats foes by tossing what appears to be giant prayer beads at them.

Regardless, I played Jigoku Meguri--also known as Bonze Adventure in some regions and Hell Explorer in others--once or twice via emulation and then turned my back on (and turned my nose up at) it for good.

Or at least that's what I did until a few months ago. What caused me to give it a second (possibly third) chance? While considering which games I should include in this Halloween-themed post, I remembered that Jigoku Meguri was set in hell and thought it might make a good fit.

Not wanting to recommend a game I couldn't stand, I gave it another shot--and found myself enjoying it quite a bit. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't believe I'd ever deemed it unworthy of my time and attention (not to mention affections).

As for why I enjoyed it so much: Simply put, barraging this game's baddies with giant prayer beads is a blast. It reminds me of the frenzied fulfillment I feel while playing Bubble Bobble--and barraging that game's baddies with bubbles--to tell you truth.

In fact, launching huge green, purple and red beads across the screen is so addictive that I usually find myself hitting my PC Engine controller's action button at warp speed even when no enemies are nearby.

There are other reasons to like Jigoku Meguri, of course--its graphics are colorful and expressive, for instance, and it's difficult enough that most folks won't be able to beat it on the game on their first (or, likely, second or third) try--but for me its main draw is and always will be the aforementioned, addictive-as-crack bead-throwing mechanism.

See also: Previous 'Second Chances' posts

Second Chances: Chack'n Pop

Until a few months ago, I didn't know a game called Chack'n Pop existed. Actually, I'd still be ignorant of this Taito-made quarter-muncher (released in 1983) today if I hadn't decided to write yet another post about Bubble Bobble however many weeks ago. How so? Well, while writing that post I discovered (via Wikipedia) that Chack'n Pop is considered an ancestor to the aforementioned, Fukio Mitsuji-designed classic.

I don't know if you're aware, but there are times I love Bubble Bobble more than life itself. (On other days, I love it just a bit less than that.) So, it shouldn't be all that surprising to hear that after learning of Chack'n Pop's pedigree, I ran to my computer, downloaded a ROM of the Famicom version of the game and then proceeded to play it ... for about five minutes.

I stopped after such a short time because, honestly, I thought the game stunk more than my cat's litter box after a weekend getaway. It looked boring and, worse, it felt boring--thanks in large part to the plodding pace of its protagonist. Also, it was hard as hell. I'm pretty sure I failed to make it through Chack'n Pop's first stage during that initial, perfunctory playthrough.

After that execrable experience, I deleted the ROM from my computer--hey, why keep it around if I'm never going to play it again?--and decided to erase the game's existence from my memory, too.

How'd the game weasel its way back into my brain and earn another shot at my affections (this is a "Second Chances" post, after all)? Late last week, Simon Lethbridge published a rather positive review of arcade version of Chack'n Pop on his blog, Red Parsley, which, in turn, caused me to re-consider my previously snarky stance on this single-screen platformer.

Surprisingly, my second go-around with the game went pretty well. Actually, it went very well. (For proof, take a look at the "Now Playing" box on the right side of this blog.) In fact, it went so well that I made it to the fourth stage. Granted, it took me about 10 tries to conquer the first stage, but now that I've got the hang of things--as much as is possible in this challenging and often clunky game--I regularly get to the third and even fourth stage before losing all of my lives.

As for what prompted my "Chack'n Pop change of heart": Well, I guess you could say that, thanks to Lethbridge's prodding, I finally was able to look past the title's somewhat boring facade and see the quirky gameplay--like the protagonist's ability to stick to the ceiling and his ability to surprise (and blow up) the seemingly brain-dead Monstas by rolling bombs down stairways--that lies beneath.

See also: Previous 'Second Chances' posts