Seven of the twenty included games fall into the realm of platformers.
8 Eyes is a relatively poor NES game much in the vein of the original
Castlevania titles and Radical Rex and Dorke and Yimp are fairly lose in terms
of their controls and are more frustrating than fun. Jim Powers is a SNES game
which has been completed by Piko Interactive and must be among the most
difficult games ever made. But, there
are some hidden gems here. Power Pigs is colourful and fairly solid but for us
the two standouts are Tinhead and Switchblade.
Tinhead is a very Amigary platformer (think lose controls),
but it’s inventive and the save states help alleviate the ‘memory test’ elements
that many games of the time where known for. It’s certainly a game we have been
going back to often and well worth playing. Switchblade takes a bit of getting
used to but once you work out its single button combat system (another game with
home computer roots), it’s an engaging and addictive adventure platformer where
you explore one huge level looking for pieces of a magic sword.
Aside from platformers there are also a host of games which
involve punching people in the face. Power Punch is a truly awful Punch Out
clone and Way of the Exploding Fist is the NES version of the game which Piko
Interactive has again taken the time to complete from its prototype. It’s
fairly solid but does lack some of the character (and the bonus stage), from
the other versions.
The Water Margin on the other hand is an excellent side
scrolling beat’em up. This really is the definition of a hidden gem and it has
been localised here for a Western audience. It’s big and bold with great
special moves and is a must play. Also well worth playing is Iron Commando.
Another really solid side scroller it has bags of character and is only let
down a touch by the fact it’s a bit unbalanced in terms of the difficulty.
For those that want to go adventuring the cartridge also has
you well catered for. There are two traditional RPG’s (officially translated
for the first time) with Canon: legends of the New Gods taking the Fire Emblem
like approach and Brave Battle Saga the more Breath of Fire/Dragon Quest route.
Canon is incredibly tough due to players not having access to information such
as how far enemies can move. But it’s pretty solid throughout and fans of the
genre should get on with it well. Brave Battle Saga is excellent and if you are
into your traditional JRPG games then this will keep you busy of around forty
hours which makes this cart very impressive in terms of value for money.
3D adventuring is also well covered here with Drakken and its
sequel Dragon View included. Make no mistake, both games are tough as nails but
also great fun to explore. Drakken uses the more traditional four player party
system whereas Dragon View changes to a side on action game once destinations
are reached. Just make sure you’ve got a guide nearby unless you want to become
truly lost in the wilderness.
Isometric adventure fans aren’t left out either with cult
Mega Drive game The Immortal also here. It’s clunky and slow but there’s still
very little like it out there and is a massively ambitious game for the system.
Again, the save states are very handy here for alleviating any mounting
frustration. If you have some patience with it you should be rewarded with
another solid quest.
Four unique games round out the package. Top Racer (Top
Gear), is a solid SNES racing game, but the far superior sequel is included in
the second Piko cartridge. Even though, it’s still good fun and has the added
depth of being able to upgrade your car.
Magic Girl is a short but sweet vertically scrolling shooter
that’s good for a quick blast and The Humans is a unique take on the Lemmings
format. Again, its natural home is on a computer system with a mouse but
despite the slow pace it certainly has a charm to it. Yet again the save states
are here to save the day as well.
The final game on the cart is Nightshade which is an ambitious
NES game that’s part point and click adventure and part action. It has a great
atmosphere and look to it but the NES was never the natural home of this type
of game so again, some patience is required to get the most out of it. It is
worth sticking with though.
Overall, the first Piko Interactive Collection is a weird
and wacky selection of games from all sorts of sources. There is bound be
something that you gravitate towards here and equally games you will never
touch again. The good stuff far outweighs the bad though and the inclusion of
real heavy hitters such as Brave Battle Saga and The Water Margin backed up
with cult classics and solid games such as Drakken and Tinhead means it
deserves a place in any Evercade owners collection.
Overall -
Brave Battle Saga 4/5
Cannon – Legends of the New Gods 3/5
Water Margin 4/5
Iron Commando 3/5
Way of the Exploding Fist 3/5
Power Punch II 1/5
Tinhead 4/5
Radical Rex 2/5
Jim Powers – The Lost Dimension 2/5
8 Eyes 2/5
Power Pigs of the Dark Age 3/5
Dorke and Yimp 2/5
Switchblade 4/5
Dragon view 3/5
Drakken 3/5
The Immortal 3/5
Magic Girl 3/5
Nightshade 3/5
Top Racer 3/5
Humans 3/5
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