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Count_Zero

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  1. Count_Zero
    It’s been almost a month since my last Where I Read, so to make up for it here’s my Where I Read for Nintendo Power issue #52 for September of 1993. This issue’s cover game is Super Mario All Stars, with Mario jumping and hitting a block. However, the inside includes guides for Final Fight 2, Rock & Roll Racing, and Enix’s RPG The 7th Saga. Let’s read on, shall we?
    Normally I don’t discuss the ads in the issues, because they’re generally for the magazine they’re in. However, I’m making an exception here, as we have an ad in this issue for the new model of the NES. For those unfamiliar with the NES’ redesign, it took the front-loading VCR-inspired model of the original NES and turned it into a top-loader like the SNES and the original Famicom. This actually solved some of the mechanical difficulties of the original NES, such as the contacts at the back of the cartridge slot getting bent, and similar problems with not getting a good contact when you pressed the cartridge down after inserting it. The fact that the contemporaries of the NES used top-loading designs, as do the NES clones like the Retro Duo and the Retron 3.
    Letters
    Anyway, a couple issues back they asked readers to come up with video game licensed merch we’d like to see. Now, aside from some the usual silly stuff (Ganon on Tax forms) we do get some good suggestions, like Mario Kart RC cars and licensed bubble gum. Also, I found myself noticing the game’s envelope art here, which is completely dominated by Street Fighter II art, particularly of Guile and Chun-Li. They’re next challenge contest is to find out if you’re tough enough to reach World 9 in the Lost Levels.
    Final Fight 2 Guide
    The fight, much like the fantasy, is not final. (See what I did there?) While the game lacks Cody and Guy, it does finally introduce multiplayer to the SNES Final Fight games, along with Maki and Carlos who don’t appear in any subsequent incarnations of the series (and who feel like knockoffs or homages to Blaze and Axel from Streets of Rage). Anyway, we get a run down of the enemies, and health and bonus point items, as well as maps ane enemy breakdowns for the first 6 stages.
    Super Mario All-Stars
    We get side-by-side graphical comparisons between the originals & the new versions. We also get a little picture of a Famicom Disk System disk here, when discussing the Japanese release of the lost levels. For those who haven’t seen them before, imagine a 3.5? floppy, except the size of a 5.25? floppy.
    We also get a mini-guide to the Lost Levels, which warns the player of the infamous poison mushrooms, along with a breakdown of the number of power-ups per level of the game, along with info on how to get to World 9, so you aren’t going into the challenge blind. If you’re wondering how ? just don’t use warp zones. If you use warp zones then you’re done. Now earlier levels grant you unlimited continues, but once you hit world 9, you’re stuck on skill alone. I may attempt the World 9 challenge, possibly for my Quality Control pick.
    Anyway, if you accomplish this feat, you get a patch from Nintendo. Not if you’re the first, just doing it and sending in proof gets you the patch. You know, if I could get patches of select achievements, if I earned them, for Xbox 360 games from Microsoft that would be pretty cool.
    The 7th Saga
    Enix has a new RPG franchise with this game, developed by Produce, who also developed the Super Bomberman games. The game has 7 different characters that you can play as, and that the story may be altered depending on who you choose to play as. We get a a rundown of each of them: Kamil the human knight, Esuna the sorceress, Valsa Saizer the human monk, Olvan Juess the (presumably) Dwarven fighter, Lux Tizer the robot man, Lejes Rimul the evil monster man and @ Wilme Pelin the alien. We also get a map of the over-world and some general advice about getting through the game.
    Rock ‘n Roll Racing
    Presenting Blizzard’s next big game. We get a run down of the various drivers from the game, as well as highlights for most of the tracks in the game, and a poster for the SNES edition of Mortal Kombat (now with a 100% less fatalities!)
    The Sports Scene
    We have enough sports games coming out now that they’re getting their own section of the magazine. Electro Brain has the boxing game Legends of The Ring (endorsed by The Ring magazine). Tradewest has a port of Super Baseball 2020 (the original game having been developed by SNK). Konami has NFL Football, which Konami has their own challenge for ? beat the unlockable Konami Pro Team with the weakest team in the game ? the Seattle Seahawks. Succeed in this challenge and you can be entered in a trip to Hawaii to see the Pro Bowl. You know, I’ve never, ever watched the Pro Bowl.
    Anyway, Tradewest also has another Super Off-Road game, this one covering the Baja 500, which means that they’re changing the game up from a lap race to a rally race. Finally, Atlus has a motorcycle racing game with GP-1, and Ubisoft has Super Pole Position.
    Family Feud
    If there’s one thing that will never go away, it’s game show games licensed from TV shows. If there’s also one thing that will never age well, it’s game show games licensed from TV shows. The game supports carrying high scores from one game to another through a password system, but I can’t think of any real reason for that. You’d only be able to rack up your high score further through single player, because if you’re playing with your friends and used your password score, they’d likely punch you in the junk.
    Classified Information
    Our cheats include a quit-to-title screen cheat for several games (which is better then resetting the console how?), and a way to skip to the credits in Kool World. There is also a way to go through the character profile pages in Street Fighter II. Finally, we get a bunch of cheats for The Combattribes, along with the Game Boy version of Turrican.
    Starfox Comic
    Well, the arrival of Fox’s dad is something of a tease. We don’t see him and he doesn’t play much of a role in the plot. Anyway, Andross has another giant monster and Fox blows it up.
    Final Fantasy Legend III
    The Game Boy has another SaGa ? er ? Final Fantasy Legend game. The guide introduces the game’s new mechanic of the sliding scale of Monster to Beast to Human to Cyborg and finally Robot. You turn into robots by installing parts dropped by monsters, and turn into beasts and monster by eating meat ?dropped? by defeated monsters. That’s actually kind of macabre.
    Anyway, the game has a expansive setting, with three levels of the setting, split between 3 time periods. We get maps for some of the earlier areas in the game.
    Felix the Cat
    Remember Felix? No? Well his NES game has gotten ported to the Game Boy in a sightly shorter version. We get a run-down of Felix’s power ups, along with highlights of the first 5 levels.
    Pinball Dreams
    We get pictures of of several tables from the game, including Ignition, Steel Wheel, and Graveyard.
    Counselor’s Corner
    We get tips for Super Ninja boy, Shadowrun, Battletoads in Ragnarok’s World, and Battletoads and Double Dragon. We also get maps of parts of Chapters 2 and 3 from Starfox.
    Behind the Scenes of Super Empire Strikes Back
    We get something of a look at how this game was made. Now, this isn’t a proper Gamasutra postmortem (which, by the way, is something I’d love to read). Anyway, the article is still fairly in-depth, and gets how into some of the technological obstacles are overcome, like how the scaling for the asteroids in the asteroid belt sequence was done. Though, they were kind of helped by having access to the complete Lucasfilm Archive.
    Top 20
    Street Fighter II has finally been bumped by the Top 2 by two first-party titles ? Star Fox and Legend of Zelda on the NES. Super Mario Land 2 and Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening hold the top 2 spots on the Game Boy. Meanwhile, on the NES, the original Legend of Zelda holds on to the top spot for its fifth year now, with Mario 3 taking up the #2 spot.
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    Ubisoft (not Lucasarts) has their own Indiana Jones game adapting The Last Crusade on the NES. We get maps for stages 1, 3, and 4, plus notes for Stage 2 (the required train level).
    Tiny Toon Adventures ? Cartoon Workshop
    Basically, this is like an 8-bit Mario Paint with the Tiny Toon Adventures characters.
    Now Playing
    In addition to the games covered in this issue, the SNES is getting Terminator 2 and Wing Commander: The Secret Missions, along with the Super Scope game Yoshi’s Safari. Virgin Games has Super Sloap shot, and Irem has the Mascot platformer Rocky Rodent. Seta also has a Wizard of Oz platformer.
    The lineup of titles for the NES is getting slimmer and slimmer, and the Game Boy still has a sparse selection of titles as well. The NES has a Wayne’s World licensed game from THQ, and the Game Boy has Jurassic Park and the 4-in-1 Fun Pack (read: shovelware).
    Pak Watch
    For upcoming titles we have Cool Spot from Virgin Games, which I’ve heard good things about and may be a future Quality Control whenever that issue comes around. Storm has the Lawnmower Man game, and Sunsoft has a port of World Heroes. LJN (ugh) has a licensed Incredible Crash Dummies game. Remember them? Neither do I. Enix is working on Actraiser 2, and we get screen shots from Hudson their upcoming Inspector Gadget game. Nintendo is starting their Minis franchise with Mario & Wario.
    On the NES, Taito has an adventure-platformer with Flintstones II, and on the Game Boy FCI has Ultima II: Runes of Virtue, plus a port of Lemmings from Ocean. Acclaim has a boatload of other stuff coming out.
    Finally, next issue we have Mortal Kombat. For this issue however, I’m picking Rock N’ Roll Racing as my Quality Control pick. I may also give the World 9 challenge a try as well later.
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: Electro Brain, Nintendo Power, Super Baseball 2020, Super Mario All Stars, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
    Source
  2. Count_Zero
    I’m starting off my character write-ups for the NWCW with two stars from NJPW, and currently one of their top tag teams – Apollo 55: Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi. As a note, as this is a write-up for their status within my fictitious promotion, as opposed to actually being in New Japan, their stats will be slightly different than what their stats would be within New Japan.
    Prince Devitt
    Height: 5′ 11″
    Weight: 178 lbs
    Weight Modifier: +0
    Attitude: Face
    Level: 11
    Athleticism: +5
    Brawn: +0
    Flair: +4
    Instinct: +3
    Power: -3
    Skills
    Athletics +6
    Knowledge (Athletics Maneuvers) +10
    Knowledge (Technical Maneuvers) +10
    Knowledge (Tag Team) +10
    Language (Japanese)
    Performance +5
    Perception +6
    Gimmick Enhancements
    Ring Sense
    Desperate Save (4)
    Close Call
    Maneuver Training (+11)
    Maneuver Familiarity: Athletic
    Maneuver Familiarity: Instinct
    Maneuver Familiarity: Brawling
    Mastery: Athletic Maneuvers
    Mastery: Brawling Maneuvers
    Mastery: Technical Maneuvers
    Reckless Abandon
    Training Background
    Moveset
    Signature Move: Diving Double Foot Stomp
    Finisher: Bloody Sunday
    Tag Finisher: Apollo 55
    Tag Finisher: Black Hole Vacation
    Flaws
    Showboat
    Moveset
    Airplane Spin: Power/Technical, 2d6 (-3), exertion 2 (+1), lifting (+1), stunning (-2), moveset (+1); total modifier: -2.
    Overhead Kick: Rough/Technical, 1d6 (-1), knockdown (-1), moveset (+1); total modifier: -1
    Somersault Suicide Senton: Athletic, 1d10 (-3), stunning (-2), stun on self (+2), knockdown (-1), add weight mod to damage (-1), moveset (+1); total modifier: -4
    Signature Moves
    Diving Double Foot Stomp: 2d6 (-3), add weight mod (-1), prone target (+1), signature move (+2); total modifier: -1.
    Finishing Moves
    “Bloody Sunday” (Lifting Single Underhook DDT): Technical, 2d8 (-2), finisher (+1), requires lifting (+1); total modifier: +0.
    “Apollo 55” (Tag, Powerbomb/Double Knee Backbreaker Combo): Brawling/Technical, 5d6 (-7), finisher (+1), lifting (+1), exertion 4 (+2); total modifier: -3.
    “Blackhole Vacation” (Tag, Double Elevated Chickenwing into a Double Knee Gutbuster): 3d6 (-3), exertion 2 (+1), lifting (+1), finisher (+1); total modifier: +0
    Ryusuke Tagachi
    Height: 5′ 11″
    Weight: 200 lbs
    Weight Modifier: +0
    Attitude: Face
    Level: 10
    Athleticism: +5
    Brawn: +1
    Flair: +2
    Instinct: +2
    Power: -3
    Skills
    Athletics +5
    Knowledge (Athletic Maneuvers) +10
    Knowledge (Technical Maneuvers) +10
    Knowledge (Tag Teams) +10
    Performance +5
    Perception +4
    Gimmick Enhancement
    Maneuver Training +10
    Training Background
    Maneuver Familiarity: Athletic
    Maneuver Familiarity: Instinct
    Maneuver Familiarity: Brawling
    Reckless Abandon
    Mastery: Athletic Maneuvers
    Mastery: Technical Maneuvers
    Mastery: Brawling Maneuvers
    Ring Sense – Athletics (1)
    Close Call
    Desperate Save (1)
    Moveset (2)
    Signature Move – “Dodon“
    Finisher – “Milano-saku Dodon’s Throne“
    Tag Finisher – “Apollo 55“
    Tag Finisher – “Black Hole Vacation“
    Flaws
    Cocky
    Showboat
    Moveset
    Front Dropkick: Athletic, 1d6 (-1), knockdown (-1), exertion 2 (+1), prone self (+1), stunning self if missed (+1), moveset (+1); total modifier: +2
    Slingshot Cross-body: Athletic, 1d6 (-1), weight mod (-1), immediate pin attempt (-1), exertion 2 (+1), prone self (+1), lifting (+1), stunning self if missed (+1), moveset (+1); total modifier: +2
    Bridging German Suplex: Power/Technical, 1d6 (-1), immediate pin attempt (-1), requires lifting (+1), moveset (+1); total modifier: +0.
    Snap Suplex: Power/Technical, 1d6 (-1), prone self (+1), requires lifting (+1), moveset (+1); total modifier: +2.
    Fisherman Suplex: Technical, 1d6 (-1), immediate pin attempt (-1), prone self (+1), requires lifting (+1), moveset (+1); total modifier: +1.
    X-Plex: Power/Technical, 1d6 (-1), stunning (-2), requires lifting (+1), moveset (+1); total modifier: -1.
    Signature Moves
    “Dodon” (Chickenwing Facebuster): Power/Technical, 2d6 (-3), stunning (-2), requires lifting (+1), signature move (+2); total modifier: -2.
    “Enban Chuudoku” (Moonsault): Athletic, 2d6 (?3), add weight mod (-1), immediate pin attempt (-1), knockdown (?1), exertion 2 (+1), prone self (+1), stunning self if missed (+1), signature move (+2); total modifier: -1
    Finishers
    “Milano-Saku’s Dodon Throne” (Double Elevated Chickenwing into a Double Knee Gutbuster): 3d6 (-3), exertion 2 (+1), lifting (+1), finisher (+1); total modifier: +0
    “Apollo 55” (Tag, Powerbomb/Double Knee Backbreaker Combo): Brawling/Technical, 5d6 (-7), finisher (+1), lifting (+1), exertion 4 (+2); total modifier: -3.
    “Blackhole Vacation” (Tag, Double Elevated Chickenwing into a Double Knee Gutbuster): 3d6 (-3), exertion 2 (+1), lifting (+1), finisher (+1); total modifier: +0
    Filed under: Role Playing Games, Wrestling Tagged: New Japan Pro Wrestling, Role Playing Games, RPGs, Ryusuke Taguchi, Wild World of Wrestling
    Source
  3. Count_Zero
    Get "Shawn Michaels: From the Vault" from Amazon.com
    Now, once again I have another wrestling DVD review this week, though this one takes a different tack from my other reviews, because I’m not doing a match-by-match recap this time. Why? Well, the review will explain.
    The Premise:
    The DVDs recap some of Shawn Michaels’ wrestling career, from his tag career, to the beginnings of his solo run, to his return to the WWE.
    The Good:
    Most of the matches on here are classics. Shawn Michaels’ ladder match against Razor Ramon. The Iron Man match against Bret Hart. His match against Mankind at Mind Games. The first Hell In A Cell match. The list goes on and I can honestly say there isn’t a bad match on the set.
    The Bad:
    Michaels’ tag career is represented with one match from the AWA, which is good, but I wouldn’t consider a good choice – the team was two-time AWA Tag Champions, and while the match they picked was for the AWA Tag Titles, it wasn’t one of their wins. I would have picked a win or a successful title defense myself. Also, the Rockers run in the WWF isn’t represented here either, including the infamous Barbershop segment.
    The Ugly:
    All those classic, famous matches are on other DVDs. The ladder match is on the Ladder Match collection and in the Wrestlemania boxed sets. The Iron Man match is also on Bret Hart’s DVD set and in the Wrestlemania collection. The Hell in a Cell match is in the Hell In A Cell set and on the Undertaker’s DVD set. The match with Mankind is on the Mankind set.  All of those matches make up about 3/4ths of the matches on the DVD.
    The Verdict:
    If you already own any of the DVDs listed under “The Ugly”, then you don’t need to bother about buying this DVD – just rent it. Hopefully the upcoming Shawn Michaels DVD set will have more material that hasn’t been collected in any other sets.
    Filed under: Wrestling, WWF Tagged: DVD, review, Wrestling, WWF
    Source
  4. Count_Zero
    <p>The Nintendo Power Retrospective rolls on with Nintendo Power #3 – featuring the first port from a PC that I’ve reviewed thus far.<span id="more-2545"></span></p>
    <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/h6Vcg46abQA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>
    <p>Main Title: ‘Jazz Plumber Trio’ – Remixed by DJPretzel – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00055/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00055/</a></p>
    <p>Closing Credits: ‘Trollbash’ – Remixed by Subliminal Labs – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00044/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00044/</a></p>
    <p>Spoony’s review of Ultima III can be found here: <a href="http://spoonyexperiment.com/2010/07/20/ultima-3-exodus/" rel="nofollow">http://spoonyexperiment.com/2010/07/20/ultima-3-exodus/</a></p>
    <p>Games Reviewed:<br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Track+%26+Field+II+NES&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Track & Field II</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Track+%26+Field+II+NES&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /><br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Mickey+Mousecapade&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Mickey Mousecapade</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Mickey+Mousecapade&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /><br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Ultima%3A+Exodus+NES&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Ultima: Exodus</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Ultima%3A+Exodus+NES&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /><br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Legacy+of+the+Wizard&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Legacy of the Wizard</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Legacy+of+the+Wizard&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /><br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Blades+of+Steel+NES&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Blades of Steel</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Blades+of+Steel+NES&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /><br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Cobra+Command&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Cobra Command</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Cobra+Command&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /><br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=Racket+Attack&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=1249&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Racket Attack</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=Racket+Attack&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /></p>
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    <li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/last-issue-of-nintendo-power-available-now-founders-look-back/" target="_blank">Last issue of Nintendo Power available now, founders look back</a> (joystiq.com)</li>
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    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/blades-of-steel/'>Blades of Steel</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/cobra-command/'>Cobra Command</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/data-east/'>Data East</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dragon-slayer/'>Dragon Slayer</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/jaleco/'>Jaleco</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/konami/'>Konami</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/legacy-of-the-wizard/'>Legacy of the Wizard</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mickey-mousecapade/'>Mickey Mousecapade</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/pc-to-console-ports/'>PC-to-Console Ports</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/pony-canyon/'>Pony Canyon</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/racket-attack/'>Racket Attack</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/retro-gaming/'>Retro Gaming</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/track-field-ii/'>Track & Field II</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ultima/'>Ultima</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ultima-exodus/'>Ultima: Exodus</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2545/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2545/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2545&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  5. Count_Zero
    Buy this from eBay
    The Legend of the Mystical Ninja series is a game series I’ve heard a fair amount about in the past. I’ve heard that it’s a good game series, and I’ve heard it’s got a tongue in cheek atmosphere. Despite all this, I’ve never taken the time to try any of the games in the series. Maybe it’s because many of the more lighthearted 16-bit games I’ve played haven’t been that good. Maybe it’s because of a certain degree of cognitive dissonance – for me the definitive ninja game series is the Ninja Gaiden series, and that definitely takes itself seriously. So, this last issue of Nintendo Power finally got me to knuckle down and try out the first Legend of the Mystical Ninja game.
    The Premise
    You are Master Ninja thief Goemon (Kid Yang in the English version – I’m not sure why). After Princess Yuki is kidnapped by the mysterious Otafu army, Goemon and his perverted companion Ebisumaru set out to rescue her. How do I know Ebisumaru is a pervert? Well, he’s got a bandanna tied around his head the same way Happosai does when he’s going on a panty raid, so I figure it’s safe to assume that that particular bit of character design is visual shorthand for “pervert”.
    The Good
    So, one of my favorite NES games is River City Ransom. Part of this is because the game is an excellent combination of your Double Dragon-style side-scrolling beat-em-up and your semi-non-linear RPG. While Legend of the Mystical Ninja has a more linear structure to it, it does bring some of the RPG upgrade structure to the table.
    The Bad
    No save system, instead you have to write down a password made up of not only letters & numbers, but also some punctuation marks and symbols. Look, just because there are hearts in the ASCII character list doesn’t mean you have to use them. Look, I do understand why you didn’t include a battery save option (cost), but there has to be a better way.
    The Ugly
    The password system in and of itself isn’t ugly – it’s just an annoyance, which is why it’s under “The Bad”. What is ugly though, is how you get your password – you have to go to a specific building in each level to get your password. The building isn’t labeled. It also isn’t at the beginning of the level – you have to look for it. If you can’t find it and aren’t playing on an emulator with save states, then you’re in trouble.
    Additionally, each level has a time limit. It’s a generous one, 999 seconds, but as near as I can tell, the only reason it’s there is to keep you from just grinding repeatedly for cash until you hit the max. That’s not particularly a good enough reason. It’s better to take the River City Ransom route and not give a time limit at all.
    The Verdict
    I really had fun playing this game. While I said at the beginning that I’d heard a lot of good things about this game series, basically where I heard all this was from retro gaming sites and retro gaming magazines. Most people I’ve run into in the “real world” haven’t heard of it, or aren’t big “fans” of the series – not the same way River City Ransom has built up a following. I’d definitely recommend this game, especially for someone who liked River City Ransom, but thought it needed more direction. 9 out of 10.
    Filed under: Quality Control, Video games Tagged: Nintendo Power, Quality Control, SNES, Video games
    Source
  6. Count_Zero
    <p>This episode we get one step closer to the end of Nintendo Power’s 3rd year, featuring the Metal Storm, and the Nominees for the 3rd Annual Nester Awards!<span id="more-2740"></span></p>
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/a-boy-his-blob-2/'>A Boy & His Blob 2</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/david-crane/'>David Crane</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/g-i-joe/'>G. I. Joe</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hudson/'>Hudson</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/irem/'>Irem</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/konami/'>Konami</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/metal-storm/'>Metal Storm</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/operation-c/'>Operation C</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/princess-tomato-in-the-salad-kingdom/'>Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/startropics/'>StarTropics</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/taxan/'>Taxan</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2740/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2740/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2740&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  7. Count_Zero
    <p>This week we continue with Nintendo Power #2, and a few games that are somewhat controversial – including the first Castlevania game I’ve reviewed thus far.<span id="more-2527"></span></p>
    <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/h6Vcg424WwA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>
    <p>Main Title: ‘Jazz Plumber Trio’ – Remixed by DJPretzel – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00055/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00055/</a></p>
    <p>Closing Credits: ‘The Accursed Seal’ – Remixed by Sixto Sounds – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01904/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01904/</a></p>
    <p><strong>Games Covered:</strong><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVNL/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVNL&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Bionic Commando</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVNL" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A4T1U6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000A4T1U6&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Castlevania II</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000A4T1U6" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVV8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVV8&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Super Mario Bros. 2</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVV8" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVRO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVRO&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Life Force</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVRO" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VUSZHY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VUSZHY&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">R.C. Pro-Am</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000VUSZHY" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B4133I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000B4133I&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Renegade</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000B4133I" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVQ5/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVQ5&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Golgo 13</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVQ5" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7BS8M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000E7BS8M&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Blaster Master</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000E7BS8M" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/bionic-commando/'>Bionic Commando</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/blaster-master/'>Blaster Master</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/castlevania-ii/'>Castlevania II</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/golgo-13/'>Golgo 13</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/konami/'>Konami</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/life-force/'>Life Force</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendopower/'>NintendoPower</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/rc-pro-am/'>RC Pro Am</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/renegade/'>Renegade</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/sunsoft/'>Sunsoft</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/super-mario-bros-2/'>Super Mario Bros 2</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/vic-tokai/'>Vic Tokai</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-game/'>video game</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2527/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2527/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2527&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  8. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’m continuing to review Ben Aaronovich’s Police Constable Peter Grant series of Urban Fantasy Mysteries with “Moon Over Soho”<span id="more-2735"></span></p>
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/books/'>Books</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ben-aaronovich/'>Ben Aaronovich</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/book-review/'>book review</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/moon-over-soho/'>Moon Over Soho</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mystery-novels/'>Mystery novels</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/peter-grant/'>Peter Grant</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/peter-grant-fictional-character/'>Peter Grant (Fictional Character)</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/urban-fantasy/'>Urban fantasy</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2735/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2735/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2735&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/book-review-moon-over-soho/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  9. Count_Zero
    We continue on with Electronic Gaming Monthly #98 for September of 1997. No, I still don’t have issue number #100 – I wish I did. Our cover story for this issue is Tomb Raider 2, and they’re playing up the game’s sex appeal pretty heavily. Right inside the cover we have a gorgeous two-page spread advertisement for Final Fantasy VII, of the big cutscene with Sephiroth removing the Jenova statue. While the graphics haven’t aged incredibly well, I still think it looks nice. It’s also one of the few two-page advertisements to heavily and prominently feature an actual screen-shot at that large of a scale.
    Our editorial column this issue relates to the fairly heavy coverage that EGM has had of the Tomb Raider games. People are writing to complain because they think they’re, well, under-sexed. However, what Editorial Director Joe Funk brings up is that Lara Croft is one of the first really major video game franchise to feature a female protagonist. Yes, there was Final Fantasy VI – but to be frank that was more of an ensemble piece. I also wouldn’t consider the Valis series for this either, as it’s not a major franchise – as much as I wish it was.
    Probably the most impressive print ad for Final Fantasy VII
    Press Start
    EGM has put out their report card for the Nintendo 64, and they’re not too impressed. Their main places where they’re falling down is third party support (due to the cost of manufacturing N64 cartridges). There are also some complaints about Nintendo’s media relations, due to a lack of transparency that borders on complete opacity. Both Nintendo and Sony are working on force feedback support, with Nintendo planning on an add-on pack for their controller, and Sony just working on a new controller. However, they’re both running into patent problems with some former Atari employees who apparently patented such technology in 1991.
    Meanwhile, Sega is working hard on the Dreamcast, which is currently code-named Black Belt. A third party is also working on an add-on pack for the N64 that incorporates an LCD screen, with the idea being that if you’re playing a sports game, you could select your plays without opponents knowing what play you were picking.
    Gaming Gossip
    Nintendo didn’t show the N64DD at E3. No surprise there. Reportedly, Sega had the Dural/Black Belt/Dreamcast at E3, but did not intend to show it unless another major competitor was showing something major at the show. That kind of makes sense. You don’t want to reduce consumer and retailer confidence in the Saturn if you don’t have to (since said confidence is now in the septic tank), and currently nobody has anything quite ready to show yet. Additionally, the competition doesn’t know what your next big thing is, they can’t respond to it.
    Speaking of which, Sony is rumored to be showing off the PlayStation 2 at Tokyo Game Show. Except it’s not the PlayStation 2 that we know of. It’s actually an upgrade for the existing PlayStation. The real PlayStation 2 is known as the “PlayStation 64â€. Confused yet? Good.
    Previews
    We get a first peek at Rare’s new 3D platforming games, Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Quest. The first eventually is released. The second is not and instead we get Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Interplay is working on the sequel to Rock & Roll Racing, titled Red Asphalt and slated for release on the PlayStation. Speaking of racing games, Sega’s working on the semi-cart racing game Sonic R for the Saturn. As a considerably bigger deal, Konami is showing off Metal Gear Solid, and Midway has the arcade version of Mortal Kombat 4.
    Namco’s working on the 2-1/2d platformer Klonoa. By the way, this issue of EGM has the first time to my knowledge where a game played in a two-dimensional fashion with three-dimensional environments to provide depth of field has been referred to as two-and-a-half-dimensional (or 2-1/2D or 2.5D). They’re also working on the first game in the Point Blank series of light-gun games. SECA is also working on the English language release of PaRappa The Rapper, which is shockingly not on PlayStation Network yet. If anyone from Sony is reading this, that needs to be rectified. Speaking of games on PlayStation Network, Final Fantasy Tactics is in the midst of translation and localization. THQ is also still working on the Ghost in the Shell game.
    Review Crew
    The Crew is still Shawn, Dan “Shoe†Hsu, Crispin and Sushi.

    Warcraft II (Electronic Arts, Saturn): Yes, Blizzard wrote and created Warcraft II, but EA published the port. Shoe was a big fan of the PC version of the game, and he’s got his problems with the Console port. For the first part, the graphics are a step down (the game doesn’t support SVGA), and second the controls aren’t very good. However, this version does have the core game and the Beyond the Dark Portal expansion. Additionally you can set buildings to auto-upgrade or auto-produce troops, plus you can select more than 9 units at a time. However, you can’t hot-key, the AI isn’t great, and there’s no multi-player in any form. Still, what they get is still good enough for Shoe to give it an 8.5. The rest of the Crew also gives the game 8.5s. Overall: 34/40, plus it receives the Editor’s Choice Silver Award and is Game of the Month. Tetrisphere (Nintendo, N64): Basically, it’s Tetris, but on a sphere. The problem is that with the camera angle (looking down at the surface) setting up combos and all the other stuff you do when you’re playing Tetris doesn’t work very well, because the Camera angle actually provides you less information. Nonetheless, Dan had enough fun with this to give it a 7. Everyone else is considerably more impressed with this, with Shawn & Crispin giving 8.5s and Sushi giving a 9. Overall: 33/40 and it receives the Editor’s Choice Silver Award. Sky Target (Sega, Saturn): This is a sort of After Burner style jet-fighter-rail-shooter. Sushi isn’t impressed with this game at all, finding it monotonous and boring, and gives it a 4. Dan also gives a 4, adding that the game can’t even get by on looks. Crispin finds the game somewhat generic, except for the bosses and gives the game a 5. Shawn finds the game kind of fun, and that some creativity went into it and gives it a 6. Overall: 19/40. Albert Odyssey (Working Designs, Saturn): This is a sprite-based RPG, without a lot of fancy 3D graphics, and the crew is fine with that. The game is generally rock solid, though they do have complaints with the game having too much combat, though the combat isn’t too difficult. Crispin, Dan and Sushi give the game 8s, while Shawn gives the game a 9. Overall: 33/40 and it receives the Editor’s Choice Silver Award. Clock Tower (ASCII, PlayStation): This is a sort of survival horror game, but with mixed with a slasher movie. Sushi finds the game incredibly easy to beat and gives the game a 6. The rest of the crew enjoyed the game a bit more, and thinks that it does a really good job at building tension, with Shawn giving it an 8.5, and Dan & Crispin giving the game 8s. Overall: 30.5/40. Disney’s Hercules (Virgin, PlayStation): Licensed game based on the movie. Be warned that the game has spoilers, if you really care about that sort of thing (and to be honest, do you really care about spoilers for most Disney movies). Anyway, while they found some of the levels to be pretty difficult with some cheap hits slipping through and the controls are kind of mediocre. However, they still liked the game, with Shawn giving it a 7.5, Dan giving it an 8, Crispin an 8.5, and Sushi a 9. Overall: 33/40 and it receives an Editor’s Choice Silver Award. Darklight Conflict (Electronic Arts, PlayStation): It’s a mix between Wing Commander and an on-rails turret shooter. While Shawn thinks they pull off the game pretty well, giving it a 7.5. Everyone else finds that the ease of difficulty negatively effects the game experience, with Crispin giving it a 6 and and Dan & Sushi giving it 5.5s. Overall: 24.5/40. Ogre Battle (Atlus, PlayStation): Port of the SNES game for the PlayStation. Crispin isn’t too impressed and gives the game a 6.5. Sushi was a bit more pleasantly surprised with the quality of the port and gives it a 7.5, and Dan and Shawn give it 8s, with the two being incredibly impressed by the game’s depth. Oh, and by the way, I’d consider this our first big slip that the person behind Sushi-X has changed over time. Overall: 30/40. Felony 11-79 (ASCII, PlayStation): Vehicular race combat game. It also only has 3 tracks. The Crew enjoys the game, but they the problem with enjoying a game that’s too short is you end up getting disappointed. Shawn gives it a 7, Dan and Crispin give it 6.5s, and Sushi gives it a 6. Overall: 26/40. Syndicate Wars (Electronic Arts, PlayStation): Up to this point this is the last game in the Syndicate series. It’s also an RTS, and it also hasn’t been adapted well. Crispin gives it a 6.5, Shawn gives it a 5, Dan gives it a 4.5, and Sushi gives it a 5.5. Overall: 21/40.
    E3 Coverage
    Another year another E3. The worst in show for this year is Virgin’s fighting game “Slaughter & Mutilation†which I don’t think sees the light of day. Working Designs announced that they were no longer exclusive for Sega, which means they jump ship to Sony. The Expo also had Tekken 3 and Street Fighter III tournaments. We also have interviews with Shigeru Miyamoto & Howard Lincoln. Shigeru discusses game design, and Lincoln discusses Nintendo’s upcoming plans. I’d prefer the master of the Bow Tie himself, Howard Phillips. There are also interviews with Ken Kutaragi (discussing RPGs) and Bernie Stolar (discussing Sega’s future plans).
    Tomb Raider 2 Feature
    The article discusses, briefly, the game’s plot, as well as some of the game design changes, including fighting more human enemies. The game engine also now allows for dynamic lighting, which leads to the inclusion of flares in the game. We also get an interview with Andrew Thompson at Core Design about the design process of the game.
    Next Wave
    Do you have this shirt? It might be worth something.
    We have our first look at Goldeneye 007 for the N64. There’s also a peek at the arcadey flight sim Aero Fighters Assault. Sega’s working on the fighting game Last Bronx (which also features in-game ads). The Saturn is getting a new Bomberman game with 10-player multi-player. We also get more info on Final Fantasy VII. There’s also a peek at Crash Bandicoot II. As an advertising aside, apparently Sears offered an exclusive Final Fantasy VII T-Shirt. It’s not particularly fancy, but it might be worth some money now. We get more information on the (ugh) Dragon Ball GT game. Tecmo has the falling gems-style puzzle game Tecmo Stackers. Psygnosis has the sci-fi combat flight sim G Police.
    Letters
    We get a question about whether we’ll see a PlayStation version of Lunar. Yes, yes we will. Apparently also issue #96 had multiple covers – one for Fighting Force, one for Gex 2, one for Apocalypse. All of them probably didn’t deserve to get covers. There are also some letters bemoaning the lack of quality in Street Fighter III. Wait until the Double Impact and Third Strike versions come out – they’re much improved. The Letter of the Month for this issue is a response to a letter from #96… which I haven’t read yet, so I can’t really judge the argument in the letter. Maybe after the hole that #96 is occupied is filled in my archive, I’ll be able to judge this letter’s argument a little better.
    There’s also a question about whether games have actually gotten more fun or not. Frankly, I’d say that they haven’t become more fun – they’re still at the same level of “fun†but for different reasons. Game design has certainly improved though. We also get several letters complaining about them printing the address for the Nude Raider page. The response from the editorial staff is, essentially, 1) It’s just pixels, and 2) they didn’t display any of the site’s content, nor did they explicitly condone the site. If you chose to visit it, it’s your own decision – the site was listed because it was notable.
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: EGM, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
    Source
  10. Count_Zero
    <p>This episode I’m moving on to Nintendo Power Issue #21, for February of 1991.</p>
    <p><span id="more-2737"></span></p>
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/eurosoft/'>Eurosoft</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/gremlins-2-video-game/'>Gremlins 2 (Video Game)</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hal-labs/'>HAL Labs</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/kabuki-quantum-fighter-video-game/'>Kabuki Quantum Fighter (Video Game)</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/konami/'>Konami</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/magician-video-game/'>Magician (Video Game)</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/sunsoft/'>Sunsoft</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-2/'>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2737/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2737/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2737&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/nintendo-power-retrospectives-part-31/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  11. Count_Zero
    I’m sorry, but I have to admit that I wasn’t able to get past the first level of this one. The game sends a never-ending string of enemies at you in the first level, and I wasn’t particularly able to figure out a pattern for the first boss, so I wasn’t able to get past it – at least not within my self assigned deadline. This is not a game I would have been happy to spend money on. Pass on this game unless you don’t have any problems regularly running into a brick wall.
    No, seriously – if you’re looking for a run-and-gun (as that’s all this game really is), hunt down a SNK or Metal Slug collection instead. If you want a Star Wars game, pick up one of the Jedi Knight games, or Republic Commando, or Knights of the Old Republic. There are much better Star Wars games out there.
    Filed under: Quality Control, Video games Tagged: Quality Control, review, SNES, Video games
    Source
  12. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’m taking a look at Nintendo Power Issue #20.<span id="more-2733"></span></p>
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/burai-fighter-deluxe/'>Burai Fighter Deluxe</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/capcom/'>Capcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/csg-imagesoft/'>CSG Imagesoft</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/deja-vu/'>Deja Vu</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dragons-lair-the-legend/'>Dragon's Lair: The Legend</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/electronic-arts/'>Electronic Arts</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/f-1-race/'>F-1 Race</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/game-boy/'>Game Boy</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/gametek/'>GameTek</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/gremlins-2/'>Gremlins 2</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mega-man-iii/'>Mega Man III</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/meldac/'>Meldac</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mercenary-force/'>Mercenary Force</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/sunsoft/'>Sunsoft</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/taxan/'>Taxan</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/the-immortal/'>The Immortal</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2733/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2733/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2733&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/nintendo-power-retrospectives-part-30/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  13. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’m vlogging on one of this year’s Hugo Award Nominees for Best Novel – Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I’m also putting my brief thoughts in on the BBC miniseries “The Hollow Crown”, which adapts William Shakespeare’s plays Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, and Henry V.<span id="more-2731"></span></p>
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ancillary-justice/'>Ancillary Justice</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/book-review/'>book review</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hugo-awards/'>Hugo Awards</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hugo-awards-2014/'>Hugo Awards 2014</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hugo-nominees/'>Hugo Nominees</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/the-hollow-crown/'>The Hollow Crown</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2731/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2731/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2731&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/07/09/vlog-ancillary-justice-the-hollow-crown/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  14. Count_Zero
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/uncategorized/'>Uncategorized</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ccp/'>CCP</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/rpgs/'>RPGs</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tabletop-rpgs/'>Tabletop RPGs</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/vlog/'>vlog</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/white-wolf/'>White Wolf</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/world-of-darkness/'>World of Darkness</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2721/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2721/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2721&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/vlog-ccp-and-the-closing-of-white-wolf/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  15. Count_Zero
    <p>After a long absence, the Nintendo Power Retrospectives are *back*. This time I’m covering issue 18 for November, 1990.<span id="more-2725"></span></p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/capcom/'>Capcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/castlevania-iii/'>Castlevania III</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dr-mario/'>Dr. Mario</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/duck-tales/'>Duck Tales</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/game-boy/'>Game Boy</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/konami/'>Konami</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-entertainment-system/'>Nintendo Entertainment System</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/play-action-football/'>Play Action Football</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/robocop/'>Robocop</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tradewest/'>Tradewest</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2725/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2725/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2725&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/nintendo-power-retrospectives-part-28/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  16. Count_Zero
    For this review of Raging Fighter for the Game Boy, I have to admit that I didn’t get into the game as much as I’d like. By “get into the game” I don’t mean get interested in the game, as much as I mean make progress in the game.
    For those unfamiliar with the title, and there probably are a lot of you, this game is a fighting game for the Game Boy, published by Konami. In the game you play one of several martial artists, who beat each other up in a martial arts tournament. I can’t really put a premise to this game, because, even though this game has a “Story Mode” on the menu, there’s no story to speak of in the game. The story mode can best be described as a 3-on-3 endurance match. You play as the three good guys, and your opponent has the three bad guys. You fight the bad guys, and as you beat one, your exact health amount you have at the end of that round carries over to the next round, where you fight the next member of their team. Now, if the fighting was good, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem. However, the fighting isn’t good.
    Now, I’m a fan of fighting games. I’m not great at them, and I’ll certainly never be able to play them at the tournament level. Still, I enjoy them nonetheless. So, while I’m not necessarily capable of doing high level play, I’m not exactly a button masher, and I can usually figure out some sort of technique, even if I can’t work a character’s special moves. The problem is, even at its easiest difficulty, Raging Fighter isn’t particularly friendly. There are special moves, but it’s not clear how to use them, as there’s no move list in the game (which isn’t surprising), nor is there any sort of move list online, or even, for that matter, in the Nintendo Power article I discussed in the magazine’s last issue.
    The character design is fairly generic. Aside from the token woman, and the token fat guy, everyone else pretty much looks like “generic character from Fist of the North Star“. It doesn’t help that the characters all seem to control the same – sluggishly and not very responsively. Except, of course, for the computer, which has no problem pulling off multiple slide kicks in a row or deftly jumping over the one projectile attack I was able to pull off (which, while it used the standard Fireball motion, was also sluggish enough that it shouldn’t have been difficult to jump over – unless, of course, you were the player).
    If you see this, you're screwed.
    It doesn’t help that there isn’t particularly any sort of concept of “interrupts” in this game. If you’re unfamiliar with fighting game theory, and “Interrupt” in the context of a fighting game it’s when your move interrupts their move animation. For example, in Mortal Kombat 1, the move animation for Raiden’s torpedo move could be interrupted by a carefully timed uppercut. There’s a lot more to this, related to character’s hitboxes and other things, but that’s a matter for a dedicated fighting game forum. The point of the matter is, though, you cannot interrupt opposing characters moves. In Street Fighter, you can break a hurricane kick attack with a dragon punch, a fireball, or even just a well-timed regular attack, if you know what you’re doing. In Raging Fighter, all you can do is turtle.
    Other than this, if you find someone else who has this game, and you still have your Game Boy system Link Cable, you could, in theory, get in a two-player match. There’s also a single player tournament mode, and by tournament mode I mean it’s a ladder ala Mortal Kombat. However, I made very little progress there as well, and I really didn’t find it very interesting.
    Ultimately, I cannot consider this game as being worth the hype. If you’re looking for a fighting game, there are better fighting games available for current or even earlier gen handheld systems. And, to be absolutely honest, did you seriously think a two-button fighting game could turn out well?
    Filed under: Quality Control, Video games Tagged: Game Boy, Nintendo Power, Quality Control, Video games
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  17. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’m giving my thoughts on New Super Mario Bros. for the DS – which I couldn’t capture gameplay footage of, so I’m not making this a standard review.</p>
    <p>Please support my Patreon at <a href="href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/new-super-mario-bros/'>New Super Mario Bros.</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-ds/'>Nintendo DS</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2727/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2727/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2727&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/vlog-new-super-mario-bros-ds-review/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  18. Count_Zero
    <p>This week we’re coming to Nintendo Power’s final strategy guide issue, featuring a collection of games that support multi-tap.</p>
    <p><span id="more-2729"></span></p>
    <p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/gauntlet-ii/'>Gauntlet II</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes-four-score/'>NES Four Score</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes-satellite/'>NES Satellite</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-world-cup/'>Nintendo World Cup</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/swords-serpents/'>Swords & Serpents</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2729/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2729/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2729&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/nintendo-power-retrospectives-part-29/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  19. Count_Zero
    Keep on the Borderlands is a lot of people’s first experience with a pre-written D&D adventure. While it isn’t the first published D&D adventure, or even the first 1st Level D&D Adventure, it’s one of the first ones with a drawn out map and wilderness environment combined, and many people’s first D&D adventure – including mine. Since the first time I’ve played the adventure, I’ve played many more RPGs in a multitude of systems, and had an opportunity to GM a couple times. So, I’m revisiting the adventure.
    As far as adventure plots go, the plot for The Keep on the Borderlands is pretty straightforward – the player characters have come to the titular keep in order to seek their fortunes, and are basically directed to the nearby Caves of Chaos in order to take out the monsters within.
    The Caves of Chaos interestingly structured, as far as dungeons go. The caves are a series of monster lairs, built into caves around a U-shaped cliff-face. Each lair is relatively self-contained, and the lairs – on their own – make sense from a dungeon agricultural standpoint. Each lair has an entrance way, with decorations and warnings to intruders, social area with a selection of warriors, living quarters with any children and female monsters, and the chamber of the chieftain. This has the semi-unfortunate side effect of making the Caves of Chaos come across like Monster Condominiums.
    The adventure advises the DM to encourage their players to pit the various factions against each other, stating that the Goblins and Orcs don’t get along, with the Kobolds trying to stay under the radar and the Bugbears picking over the spoils of the conflicts. Considering the low survivability of low level D&D characters, this makes sense, but it only serves to call attention to the artificiality of the larger dungeon structure.
    I spent some time thinking about this, and I put together a few thoughts of how to slightly re-structure the adventure, from a narrative standpoint, to make the setup work from a dungeon ecology standpoint, without requiring a more dramatic re-write.
    The lynchpin of all of this is the Cult of Evil Chaos within the dungeon. I would recommend putting this in whatever setting you use, on the border between a more evil aligned country and a good aligned one.
    A group of priests of a Chaotic Evil God seek to take this fort, but they cannot bring the forces together for a direct assault (nor the follow-up that would come with starting a larger war), so they have a cunning plan – to starve the fortress out by ambushing the merchant caravans. Their larger goal depends on where you’re putting this. Maybe it’s to expand the reach of an Evil Empire. Maybe it’s to use the keep as a larger base for their cult. If you’re planning on feeding this into the Temple of Elemental Evil, this could be a lead in to that – to introduce the Cult of Elemental Evil.
    Now, the monsters the priests have gathered do not get along well, and consequently even if the Priests did want to attempt a more overt action against the fort, at present they do not have the strength of will or charisma to hold such a force together for a major battle. Thus, minor infighting has ensued among the major factions and should the PCs choose to take advantage of this, they can make their job easier by playing the factions off against each other to bring about open conflict. This also gives the PCs a possible route to do this – by posing as the priests.
    There are a few issues with the nuts and bolts of the adventure as well. The Minotaur’s lair exists under the influence of a spell which doesn’t particularly operate under any of the other rules of D&D, with only the party’s designated mapmaker being able to make a save, and saving only on a 19-20. I’d change this to using a more standard Save vs. Spell (or a Wisdom save if you’re using retro clones modeled after D&D 3e or 5th edition)
    The booze in the Gnoll’s treasure room should require a save vs. poison or a CON save before someone is intoxicated – Dwarves are immune to this poison.
    Before becoming possessive of the vessels in the Shrine of Chaos, characters should make a Save vs. Spell/Wisdom save. Paladins and characters under the influence of a Protection from Evil spell are immune to this effect. The vessels – in addition to being bloodstained – will show a slight magical aura if examined under a Detect Magic spell, but not a big enough one to say that the item is itself actually magic.
    For the medusa, the text says that the medusa was captured by the undead minions of the cultists. To provide more of a hint to the characters what the medusa is, if the PCs eavesdrop on the cultists before killing them, have a couple of them complain about the medusa and argue about what to do about it (including the logistics of sacrificing a medusa), without actually saying that it’s a medusa. It rewards players who are more willing to be cautious by not only giving them warning about an existing fight (the cultists) but also warning them about an upcoming one (the medusa).
    Aside from those tweaks, the adventure is very well crafted, and serves as a great introduction to players to the concepts of cautious dungeon delving, along with giving a rough introduction to dungeon ecology for new Dungeon Masters.

    Filed under: Role Playing Games Tagged: Dungeons & Dragons, Role Playing Games

  20. Count_Zero
    So, I’m continuing on with the Nintendo Power Recaps with issue #46, for March of 1993. I’m also posting this issue of my recap on GiantBomb.com. Hello to you all! Anyway, this issue’s cover game is Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose. All things considered, the cover art for this issue is a little better then some of their earlier cover art for licensed properties (as opposed to licensed photographs).
    Our letters column actually has stuff that’s worth mentioning this time. We have a letter asking about a code to play as the bosses in Street Fighter II (code? No. hack using a Game Genie or Pro Action Replay that they can’t talk about? Yes!) There’s also a letter about the trading cards that they have at the back of each issue that I haven’t been talking about (because it doesn’t really matter), and a letter about how you can get a job as a game counselor ? live in Seattle, be over 16, have great skills at video games, and have better skills at communicating what you’re doing.
    The Nintendo Power editors also give a little shout-out to a Canadian video game TV show called ?Video and Arcade Top 10?. On the one hand, I’m tempted to hunt down some video of this out of historical curiosity. On the other hand, being that this is the early 90s, there are likely to be some crimes against good taste on display.
    Starfox Guide
    I cannot, for the life of me, understand why Tiny Toons is on the cover and not this. Starfox is the first game to take advantage of new technology for the SNES, it’s first party, and for the time it looked awesome. For modern audiences it probably looks pretty crappy, but you win some and you lose some.
    We get a run down of the interface, and the two gameplay modes, as well as a look at our characters and their ship. While this game is an on-rails shooter, you have a decent range of motion on the track ? a 3×3 screen square in which you can move. Mind you, the Arwing takes up a lot of space on screen, so that’s not as dramatic as it might be on modern console. We also get a run down of some of the stages you’ll go through, and we get an isometric map of the first stage, which is rather nice. Apparently next issue there will be more maps of later stages in the game.
    Super Strike Eagle Guide
    Micropose’s PC combat flight sim has come to the SNES, where they probably still had to heavily simplify the controls. We get a look at the four perspectives ? cockpit view for dogfighting, an odd above-the-plane view for bombing runs, satellite view for when you’re going from point A to Point B, and a semi-isometric view for landing and takeoff. We also get a run down of the interface for each of these perspectives, as the interface changes between them
    Super Conflict Guide
    This is a hex-based modern military strategy game from Vic Tokai, with a Gulf War style setup. However, while the scenario’s vary, the objective of each mission is the same ? capture the enemy’s flag, before he captures yours. While I like strategy games, you can only play Stratego so many times. Anyway, we get notes on the effects of different types of terrain, and different types of vehicles.
    Wayne’s World Guide
    Licensed game, based on the film, developed by Radical Entertainment, and published by THQ. This is, essentially, a platformer, with Wayne attacking enemies by playing guitar chords at them, and with Wayne having a digitized head of Michael Meyers on his shoulders. Anyway, we get detailed maps of the first stage, and some notes on later stages. We also get some really dorky fake dialog between Wayne and Garth to pad out the article.
    Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Breaks Loose Guide
    And here’s our featured ?review?. We have notes on power-ups, notes on bonus stages, as well as maps for every stage in the game. Not a bad preview, in my opinion.
    Nester’s Adventures
    This issue, Nester is playing Wing Commander, leaves his wingman and ends up a POW. To be frank, Nester’s comics have just kept going downhill after Howard left.
    King Arthur’s World Guide
    This looks like some sort of side-scrolling strategy game. It’s like Lemmings meets Worms. We get notes for the training levels and maps of 4 of the other levels in the game.
    Starfox Comic
    Fox and his team steal the fighters while spouting lame one-liners and making terrible puns nearly non-stop.
    Adventure Island II Guide
    This is the second outing of Master Higgins on the Game Boy. Like the sequels to Adventure Island, this game takes a multiple path route, like Super Mario Bros. 3. Master Higgins has a few more dinosaur friends in this outing, and he can go back to past levels and grind for useful items. We don’t have maps for levels here, but we have basic notes for each area in the game.
    Milon’s Secret Castle Guide
    This is the Game Boy version of the NES game that ended up on the Angry Video Game Nerd’s show. That’s not a good pedigree by any stretch of the imagination. We get gameplay notes and not much more.
    Krusty’s Funhouse Guide
    We get some general tips to progressing in this reverse Lemmings clone.
    Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Guide
    We get a look at this port of the NES ?Empire Strikes Back? game. They don’t go into too much detail, but they already did a very in depth guide for the NES version earlier, so in theory you could hunt down that back issue ? if you weren’t new to the magazine. In all seriousness, it wouldn’t hurt to say, ?This game is similar to the NES version, but it’s portable? and then wrap up the guide with ?See issue $issuenumber? to wrap it up.
    Alien3 Guide
    They have not forgotten the NES with this sort-of Metroid clone, only scaled down from the 16-bit versions. We get maps of the first 4 stages, with notes on where all the prisoners are and what order in which to rescue them, as well as strategies for the first boss fight.
    Dragon Warrior IV Guide
    This game has been re-released for the DS with the subtitle, Chapters of the Chosen. We get notes for the first 5 chapters. We don’t particularly get a lot of stat information, related to the characters weapons and abilities, but we do get a few useful pieces of information, such as learning that when you get 8 slimes on screen after they call for reinforcements, they form a King Slime, which grants more XP and cash, as well as useful information about times of day. As with prior issues of Nintendo Power related to the Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest series, they eschew the Akira Toriyama art from the Japanese games in favor of art more in the style of Frank Frazetta.
    Mickey’s Safari in Letterland Guide
    An edutainment platformer. Mickey must collect form words.
    Widget Guide
    A two page little guide for the game based on the TV series. It’s a relatively short game, only 5 stages long, and we get notes on each stage, as well as information on the various forms Widget can switch between to get past various puzzles.
    Publisher Profile ? Capcom
    So, Nintendo Power’s staff would like to take a moment and tell you how awesome Capcom is. How awesome are they? So awesome. The article focuses mostly on Capcom USA, and only covers games that were released on Nintendo systems and arcades, so no games that got microcomputer releases are mentioned. They also give brief profiles on the Street Fighter, Mega Man, Final Fight and Disney games.
    The Nester Awards
    So, another year, another set of Nester Awards. I’ll post the pages and then give my picks among the nominees.

    Graphics and Sound SNES: Legend of Zelda ? A Link to the Past ? First Party Games tend to do well. Game Boy: Super Mario Land II ? See the NES Pick. NES: Mega Man IV ? Around this time, the Mega Man games were pretty popular, and popularity tends to carry votes over little played-but-good games. [*]Theme and Fun
    SNES: Street Fighter II ? The game ultimately brought a whole genre into popularity, which makes it more likely that the game will do well on the poll. Game Boy: Kirby’s Dream Land ? Kirby is still one of Nintendo’s most popular characters. NES: Mega Man IV ? See my earlier remarks about the blue Bomber [*]Challenge
    SNES: Super Smash TV ? While Zelda is nominated, I think Smash TV is more challenging than Zelda, due to the fact it’s an arcade port. Game Boy: Double Dragon ? I have to admit that I’m just guessing here. NES: Prince of Persia ? For those who haven’t played the original Prince of Persia, this Prince of Persia game had a time limit for the whole game, which upped the challenge. [*]Play Control
    SNES: Contra III ? This was a tough one, and I found myself split between Contra and Street Fighter. However, I feel that the control for the Street Ffighter games was more refined in later installments. Game Boy: Kirby’s Dream Land ? Part of the reason why the Kirby series lasted so long was because of its good control. NES: Mega Man IV: The Mega Man games were always well known for their very precise control, as opposed to, say, Mario’s floaty jumps and skidding stops. [*]Best Hero: Link, though I’m shocked Ryu or Ken didn’t make the list ? and I suspect he would have won, were they nominated, due to them being the first characters that everyone learned to play in Street Fighter.[*]Best Villain: M. Bison[*]Most Innovative: Mario Paint, since, as YouTube demonstrates, people are still getting a lot out of this software package.[*]Best Sports Game: I’m going to pass here, as sports games have never really been my thing.[*]Best Overall Game:
    SNES: Between Legend of Zelda and Street Fighter II, I’m going to say, for now, that Street Fighter II is the stronger contender. Game Boy: Kirby’s Dreamland is the most likely winner here. NES: I’m just going to be an RPG fan and say Dragon Warrior IV, though it probably doesn’t stand a chance.

    Top 20
    Street Fighter II, Super Mario Land II and Tecmo Super Bowl still hold the top spots for the SNES, Game Boy, and NES respectively.
    Now Playing
    Of note in the lists of new releases is Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego, published by Hi-Tech, the aptly titled brawler Brawl Brothers published by Jaleco, Culture Brain has the fighter Ultimate Fighter ? in no way related with the MMA promotion. They also are appropriately critical of the Terminator licensed game from Mindscape for the NES.
    Pac Watch
    The upcoming titles of note are Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, Railroad Tycoon (which I didn’t know got a console port), Super Bomberman, and a Mad Max inspired action game from Mindscape called Outlander. I wonder if it’s licenced from the series of post-apocalyptic novels? Anyway, from their CES coverage, we get mention of the upcoming Link’s Awakening game and Final Fantasy III. We also get a brief picture of the goombas from the upcoming Mario Bros movie, and if that isn’t a warning, then I don’t know what is.
    Finally, it’s time for my Quality Control pick of this issue. For those new to my columns, this is where I pick one game among all the games profiled in this issue, and choose to review that game. This is partially to keep them ?honest? by indicating a game that was featured prominently that may not have been as good they portrayed it as being. It’s also meant to hidden gems that might not have gotten the attention that they deserved. For this issue, I’m picking the cover game ? Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Breaks Loose. For those reading this on Giant Bomb, the Quality Control review will be posted as a review. For those reading on my blog, it will be posted as a blog entry, like normal.
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: Nintendo Power, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
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  21. Count_Zero

    Anime Review ? Area 88

    By Count_Zero,

    Get Area 88 from Amazon.com
    In the anime portions of Gainax‘s OVA series Otaku No Video, there’s a sequence where the main character is being shown the various types of Otaku that the members of his friend’s club are part of. There’s the vehicle and mecha otaku, who is a geek about engines and how things work, and so on. One of the members of the club is an animation otaku, and he demonstrates his affinity for animation by pointing out the detail in an animated sequence (taken from the
    video). I, personally, haven’t had many moments in animation where I felt compelled to freeze frame a video and stop to appreciate it ? until I saw the OVA Area 88.The main character of the series is Shin Kazama. Shin has just graduated from flight school in Paris, and has a job already awaiting him at Yamato Airlines, and he and the daughter of the president of the company are sweet on each other. Together he and his best friend from the orphanage where they were raised, Satoru Kanzaki, go on a bar crawl to celebrate their graduation. That’s where Shin’s life goes horribly wrong. Kanzaki tricks Shin into up for the air force of the Foreign Legion of the nation of Aslan, which is currently in the midst of a civil war. Before Shin had even had a chance to sober up, he’s in Aslan, and ends up at the air base in Area 88, fighting for his life. There are only 3 ways out ? survive for 3 years, earn $1.5 million dollars, or desert ? which is certain death.
    Shin and the rest of the pilots at the base are well realized. All of them joke around, and have their moments of humor, but they also all have their personal demons tormenting them. Many of the pilots are veterans of the Vietnam War, who after the war were unable to reintegrate into society. So, they fled their problems by going into combat. Consequently, the base’s description of hell is apt. Everyone there has their problems that they can’t escape, they’re stuck there until their contract is up, and even if they survive their contract they’re unable to adjust to society and find themselves being drawn back. Shin is the odd man out, he has no combat background, and desperately wants to leave. However, as he drives himself to become a better pilot to earn the money to buy out his contract, he risks falling into the same abyss the men around him have already gone into.
    This story would be nothing though, if it doesn’t look good. The dogfights in the series, particularly the epic air battles that take up most the second and third installments of the OVA are gorgeous. Everything is rendered with loving detail ? planes simply don’t explode when destroyed, but they are blown part. A dual-engined fighter jet will have its engines fly off in different direction. A plane gets blown in half, and we see the moving parts within the engine before the rest of it is consumed in flames. Often, planes shot down with machine guns will have the bullets rip through the cockpit, perforating the pilot. This is not the ?clean? combat of Gundam or Robotech. This is air combat that is truly brutal.
    The series’ main problem is the ending. At the time the OVA was released the manga was practically over. However, because they didn’t have the time to give the OVA the ending of the manga, they rushed things and created a new ending that doesn’t quite work. In particular, Shin makes a decision at the ending of the series that doesn’t seem to work with his character in earlier installments. They make an attempt to justify it that almost works, but doesn’t quite. The final ending of the series is also very abrupt, with no denouement to it.
    It’s still a well produced series, and definitely worth ones time. Since the show is available for free instant streaming from AnimeNewsNetwork.com, you’re not going to be out any money if you watch this, and the earlier DVD releases from ADV and Central Park Media were so bare-bones that you’re not missing out on anything by going the streaming route. It’s definitely a series that’s worth your time, and may have you mashing the freeze-frame button in awe of some of the film’s detail.
    Filed under: Anime Tagged: ADV, Anime, DVD, review, Studio Madhouse
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  22. Count_Zero
    This week I start with the retro video gaming, as I make my way through Nintendo Power, one issue (or so) at a time, starting with the first issue of the Nintendo Fun Club News, and a little background about how Nintendo Power came to be.
    Wil Wheaton’s Blog Entry about the tournament
    Pick of the Episode: Super Mario Bros.
    Filed under: Video games, videos Tagged: NES, Nintendo, Nintendo Power, video game, video game magazines, Wil Wheaton
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  24. Count_Zero
    We’re moving on to Nintendo Power’s 6th year, with our cover story for this issue being Mickey’s Magical Quest from Capcom. There’s letters about Mario Paint, but not much of note. Also, from the Table of Contents, we have a significant note – the SNES games have been moved to the front of the magazine, with the NES games being moved to the back. It’s doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a really big shift.
    The Magical Quest Guide
    Pete has kidnapped Pluto, and Mickey must save him! We get notes on the special items in the game, as well as an overworld map. We get maps of all 6 as well as strategies for all the bosses.
    Shanghai II: Dragon’s Eye Guide
    It’s a Mahjong game. What more do I really need to tell you about this?
    Sonic Blast Man Guide
    We get notes on the move list, information for some of the levels, and notes on beating each of the bosses for all 5 levels in the game.
    Equinox Guide
    This is the sequel to Solstice. We get maps for some of the areas in the game, and where you need to go in the first 3 areas.
    Sports Games
    We get a good long look at Madden for the SNES, and various other sports games. Really, it’s just a dedicated section for sports games on the SNES.
    Firepower 2000 Guide
    This is a tank and helicopter shump for the SNES, with some anime cutscenes. We get notes for all the levels and all the bosses. I like the look of this game. This could be a tough issues for me to make a Quality Control pick.
    Mario vs. Wario Comic
    New Mario comic. The comic kind of sets up that Mario was kind of unintentionally a dick to Wario when they were kids, and now Wario is seeking revenge. It’s a one-shot comic, and the artist isn’t credited, which is unfortunate.
    Before there were achivements...
    Power Players
    I’ve been ignoring the Power Players pages, because there isn’t of much of interest to me here. However, now Power Players has adjusted their format – rather than just tracking high scores, they’re now assigning challenges which you need to complete. Basically, it’s proto-achivements. Here’s the list of challenges.
    Incredible Crash Dummies Guide
    Game Boy game based on the toy line. This is essentially an obstacle course game, and we get maps of the first 3 courses.
    Battleship Guide
    This isn’t the standard Battleship game – there are power-ups you can unlock to make your fleet more capable – but your opponents will get power-ups as well.
    The Humans Guide
    This is something of a Lemmings variant for the Game Boy. We get some notes on how to properly use the Spear.
    Mega Man III Guide
    We get notes on only a couple of the Robot Masters from this. The majority of this article is spent on user submitted potential robot masters. A few have potential, while a lot are kind of corny. This in turn leads to…
    Mega Man V Guide
    A new Mega Man game on the NES! So, the Robot Master stages we get mapped, in order, Gravity Man, Wave Man, Stone Man, Charge Man, Star Man, Napalm Man, Gyro Man, Crystal Man, (Fake) Protoman, and notes for Dr. Wily’s Castle.
    RC Pro-Am II Guide
    We get notes on some of the special events in the game, and a few track notes.
    Jetsons: Cogswell’s Caper Guide
    Cogswell’s up to no good again, and only George Jetson can save the day. Is it just me or is George Jetson way more heroic in video games than he is in the cartoon show? Anyway, we get maps of the first 4 stages. We also get notes for the next 8 stages.
    Nester’s Adventures Comic
    We get a shift in art style as Nester is playing Desert Strike. The advice here is to try and pick up 4 POWs before you start shooting, and to head back to base when you’re damaged. The second hint is pretty obvious, but the first is nice to know.
    Mario Paint Special
    Being that Mario Paint is more of an app suite than a standard game, we’ve got a special article showing all the awesome things you can do with Mario Paint – or you can just go on YouTube now and look for Mario Paint, to show what you can do.
    1992 In Review
    A new year means the obligatory retrospective. We get a run down of the top 10 games for Nintendo’s 3 systems. They are:
    SNES:

    Street Fighter II Legend of Zelda Contra III Super Star Wars Mario Paint Super Mario Kart TMNT IV Out of this World NCAA Basketball. Death Valley Rally Game Boy:

    Super Mario Land II Mega Man II Bionic Commando Tiny Toon Adventures Gradius Batman: Return of the Joker Track & Field Kirby’s Dream Land Looney Tunes Yoshi NES:

    Mega Man IV Darkwing Duck Lemmings TMNT III Rampart Star Trek Little Samson Captain America and the Avengers Gargoyle’s Quest II Felix the Cat
    Preview of the Super FX
    The SNES is getting Polygonal 3D graphics, and with this we get our first look at Starfox, as well as a detailed look at how the Super FX chip works – though I already went into this on the issue of EGM that had a similar article. Instead, we’ll get to the fun part – making an Papercraft Ar-Wing. I’m just going to post the instructions and all the parts for this one at the bottom of the article.

    The full Evaluation form
    How to Be a Game Evaluator
    This is not about game testing. It’s about basically being in a focus group. We also, finally, get information about how the rating syste
    m in the magazine works. It’s a nice change to the pretty obscure numbers that we had before. Apparently they have a pretty scientific criteria for deciding how the ratings are handed out. We even get a copy of the evaluation form.
    Top 20
    Here we go. Street Fighter II is still on top on the SNES. Mario 3 is still on top for the NES, but on the Game Boy, Mario has lost the top spot to Kirby.

    Now Playing
    I’m just going to stick with the also-rans that caught my attention, which consists of Spectrum Holobyte’s WordTris, the latest game from Alexei Pajitnov.
    Pak Watch
    Interplay is releasing this game from a little developer named Blizzard called The Lost Vikings. FCI’s bringing out Ultima VI, and the Game Boy is getting a Zelda game.
    My Quality Control pick for this issue is going to be The Magical Quest. I feel like giving another Capcom/Disney team-up a try.
    By the way, imagine if the Capcom/Disney partnership never fell through, or perhaps was restored with the Marvel/Disney games – Capcom vs. Disney. Tron Bonne and her Serv-Bots vs. Magician Mickey & his brooms!
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: Nintendo Power, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
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  25. Count_Zero
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='620' height='379' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/LpDCfz__I38?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p>This week I’m covering two issues of <a class="zem_slink" title="Nintendo Power" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Power" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Nintendo Fun Club News</a> – Issues #4 & #5</p>
    <p>Games Reviewed (for the NES):<br /><a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&icep_uq=RC+Pro-Am&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=139973&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">RC Pro-Am</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" alt="" src="http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5574835011&toolid=10001&campid=5336345451&customid=&uq=RC+Pro-Am&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]" /> (Pick of the Week)<br />Ice Hockey<br />The Goonies II</p>
    <p> </p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/chronogaming/'>Chronogaming</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/goonies-ii/'>Goonies II</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ice-hockey/'>Ice hockey</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-entertainment-system/'>Nintendo Entertainment System</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/r-c-pro-am/'>R.C. Pro-Am</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/retro-gaming/'>Retro Gaming</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2477/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2477/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2477&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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