Cobra Traingle Review (Switch/NES)

As far as we can tell there is very little in the way of plot that surrounds Cobra Triangle. For some reason there is a bloke in a boat who shoots things, but this is the NES, a more simple time when it was all about gameplay.

Developed by Rare, the game is set across a number of levels, each of which is different from the last. One level may have you simply racing to the finish, whilst another could involve removing mines, saving drowning people, jumping waterfalls, going through an assault course or even taking on a huge sea monster in a titanic life or death battle. Variety is definitely the name of the game and it's this that helps to excel the Cobra Triangle to greatness.

Graphically, this certainly isn't the prettiest of games. The boat is a triangle shape coloured in with two colours, the backgrounds fair little better, mainly consisting of blue for the water and green for the land. It's animated well with the boat tipping up at the back depending how fast you are going and boss monsters being suitably large and imposing.

Importantly though, everything moves along at a high rate and slowdown never once appears to ruin the gameplay. The biggest problem is flickering, which is apparent a little more than it should be, this is mainly because in certain areas there is so much on screen and it moves very quickly. Flickering aside, the game holds up pretty well.

The game may look a touch drab but the boat is superbly controllable and allows you to make near handbrake turns and other manoeuvres with ease. This is essential to the gameplay as the pace never lets up from start to finish. Furthermore, every level really feels like something fresh - meaning you never get bored of just doing the same thing over and over again and you look forward to seeing what the next level will bring. This element helps make it highly addictive.

Overall, Cobra Triangle is a stunning game. Graphically, it's certainly not amazing, but they do the job and it allows the gameplay to really shine. Upon release it was mostly ignored by the gaming public, mainly due to poor coverage from magazines - this is probably why it was never remade for the new consoles. In years to come it would be great to see a remake as this has all the style, and a lot more originality than most retro franchises. It stands as another example of why Rare were the hottest property around back in the gaming golden age.

9/10

Lords of Exile Review (Switch)

 

There have been a lot of indie games over the years that have used Castlevania for their inspiration. However, most of these have taken the Metroidvania route rather than the more linear level-based approach. Set over eight stages, Lords of Exile is very much in the platform hack and slash category and is clearly influenced by the 8-bit Castlevania games and other titles of the time such as Ninja Gaiden.

In terms of how the game looks everything is absolutely spot on. This could easily fit in with the NES Castlevania games in terms of style and even the music fits the part. Luckily it plays a bit more fluidly though with you character feeling a whole lot better than an 8-bit Belmont. The only issue with controls we had was the double jump which seemed a bit temperamental and inconsistent to get working at times which led to a few unexpected deaths.

Of course, when you are taking influence from some of the toughest games to have ever existed the game you make is also going to be on the difficult side. For the most part Lords of Exile walks the line between difficulty and frustration well. Levels are tough but they aren’t impossible. That is until you reach the final stage. Here things tip over too far into the impossible side of things. One section in particular with instant death spikes on the ceiling was simply not fun. Everything else though is pitched really well, with the checkpoint system keeping frustrations at a minimum.

Each of the eight stages is varied visually and you’ll take in all manner of swamps and cursed places on your quest. After each stage is completed, you’ll take on a new ability of some kind. Some of these are simply buffs such as adding more throwing objects or damage while overs offer new abilities like the double jump or adding in a shadow creature to summon. Adding in the new elements keeps things fresh as you know you’ll have something new to play around with when you get to the next stage. These abilities don’t open new areas though as progression through stages is completely linear.

Each stage also ends with a suitably epic boss fight. Initially daunting, once you work out the pattern these can normally be downed with some suitable button mashing and appropriate use of throwing objects. But they prove to be interesting obstacles to overcome and some of their design is quite clever.

Overall, Lords of Exile is a solid homage to the Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden games of old. As with all these sorts of games this is aimed at a particular niche audience, but it does everything it can to make sure that it hits the mark. Seven of the eight stages are excellent with only the final one being unbalanced in terms of the fairness to death ratio. With a little bit more polish this would be really excellent. As it is it’s still very good and well worth checking out if you are busy working your way through the better 8-bit inspired games out there.

Overall 8/10

Witch n' Wiz Review (NES)

For some the retro style simply isn’t enough and this has led to a resurgence in games coded for original systems. We’ve covered some of these before such as Micro Mages and Alwa’s Awakening, both of which proved to be excellent. They also both ended up heading to the Evercade system as well, something Witch and Wiz is also about to do.

The story is simple, a young boy has been kidnapped by a dark sorcerer and now his witch friend must try and rescue him. Once rescued, the boy wizard becomes part of the many dynamics the game plays around with. Your character handles really well and everything is responsive and free from the flicker and other such quirks of NES games so it may have been designed with 8-bit in mind, but it runs as well as modern ‘retro’ inspired games running on more powerful systems.

Witch and Wiz is a puzzle platform game that is built around single screen levels. Players complete each stage by collecting all the creatures that are within it. This is of course, trickier than it sounds as you can’t jump and need to get around by pushing blocks. It’s easy to lock yourself out of being able to complete the levels but you can reset or rewind your moves which makes it possible to quickly get back on track.

As well as the rewind a new gimmick is added in each new chapter. This could be something such as flipping gravity or adding a second character to control but it means each of worlds stays fresh and original while still focusing on the same core theme. It’s not the longest game either and will likely last you around an hour to complete. But then NES games never have been that lengthy and we would rather have a short, fun, and inventive game than one that outstays its welcome.

The main encouragement for replaying is beating the levels in the quickest time possible. The game keeps track of your best time as you progress so it’s certainly one for the speed runners out there. That said, the nature of the genre does restrict replayability a bit. Each puzzle only really seems to have one solution so once you’ve worked it out there isn’t that much else to do aside from enjoy the simple story.

Overall, Witch and Wiz is another excellent indie game developed for retro hardware. Often in these situations the limitations of the hardware mean developers must get creative and this is yet another example of it. It’s certainly easier than a lot of NES games and aside from speed runners there will be little for many to go back in for, but while it lasts it’s creative, fun and always throwing something new at you. It’ll certainly be perfect for handheld consoles such as the Evercade and Switch and well worth checking out.

Overall 8/10

Micro Mages Review (NES)

The indie revival has moved forward somewhat in recent years. For a long time, we have been reviewing games made to look like titles on classic systems. In the last few years though more and more indie titles are making the full jump and simply being developed and released on the original hardware. Micro Mages for the NES is one of the most high profile of these.

Micro Mages is a platformer where up to four players can help each other ascend a tower before existing the door at the top. Don’t worry though because it is perfectly playable on your own. Your little dude can jump and shoot and they also stick to walls. Some of the later levels require a few more advanced techniques such as a power jump (caused by fire a charged shot down while jumping), but it’s basically your starting skill set all the way through.

It can be tough as well as one hit kills and you aren’t exactly brimming with lives. More can be picked up along the way of course and you can also pick up a few items which protect against instant death. There are four worlds in total with a stand off against a large boss creature at the end of each. Once completed you unlock an advanced mode which remixes the levels enough to make it worth while playing through again so it will keep you occupied for a decent amount of time.

The biggest criticism is that your character and enemies are quite small on screen. It’s not such an issue on original hardware but if you are playing the rom on a handheld or the Evercade version it can be difficult to see what’s going on. That said, you are never in a position where things become impossible. 

The controls are wonderfully responsive as well and allow players to leap around the levels with the confidence that your character is going to respond in the way you think. This is handy as the game runs at an excellent pace and suffers none of the characteristic slow down or flicker often associated with NES games. 

Overall, Micro Mages is a welcome addition to the ‘original hardware’ indie scene. It’s one of the few games in this category that would have happily sat alongside the original systems releases. This new focus on simple but effective gameplay and the creativity that working with reduced memory is breeding is something we can get behind with Micro Mages being among the very best examples. If you’ve never tried any of these sorts of titles before this is certainly one to start with.

Overall 8/10

Alwa's Awakening Review (NES)

So here we are in 2022 and a new NES game has just been released. Truly it is a time of wonder. Alwa’s Awakening has been around for a fair while now and we’ve covered the Switch version of the sequel Alwa’s Legacy, which we really enjoyed. When it was announced that the first game was getting the NES ‘demake’ treatment it had us interested. What we weren’t expecting was the NES version of the game would actually be bigger than the original and end up being the definitive way to play it.

Alwa’s Awakening is basically a 2D Metroidvania adventure spread over a single interconnecting world. Our hero, Zoe, explores the region picking up spells and other magical objects which in turn then let’s her have access to more areas to explore. Zoe must enter dungeons, defeat boss monsters and then, of course, take on the big bad to save the land. You know how it goes.

It’s helpful then that the game is incredibly vibrant, imaginative and designed beautifully. We came away thinking we had never really had an adventure quite like this and if you go back to the NES days there would indeed be very little to compare it to. Battle for Olympus, Faxanda possibly or the 2D Zelda but this is undoubtedly better than both of those games.

Each region and area are easily identified and different looking and how the game has managed to be squeezed down into the limitations of a NES cartridge is absolutely astounding. Even walls of bricks or different woodland areas are distinctive from one another which really helps to keep the player engaged - and also works as a handy navigational aid.

All this would mean nothing though if the game didn’t handle well and we are happy to say that it plays like a dream. Zoe, is perfect to control. There’s no sluggishness or lose feeling that some NES games have. There is also a distinct lack of all those NES tropes such as slowdown and flickering, and Alwa can get pretty busy at times. It’s remarkable.

Zoe has a handful of things to help her along the way which act as puzzle solving tools and weapons. As well as her standard staff which she can use to just bash things with there are three spells available which can be upgraded as you go. The first one you will find is the magic block which you can conjure to use to activate switches or give yourself a boost for jumping. Later you can also make it waterproof so that it can be used to travel across rivers.

Next is the bubble which allows Zoe to float upwards for a while and can later be upgraded to last for much longer. Last is the lighting bolt which is a more offensive based spell but can also be used to open certain doors. There are other objects as well such as your handy map and upgrades to your magic but for the most part it’s using the three core spells that will progress you through the game and some of the puzzle rooms require all three to be used in quick succession.

We found progress to be fairly steady as well. There are plenty of save points and the general difficult is challenging without be completely hardcore. There were certainly a few bottle neck points where we kept dying repeatedly but overall there shouldn’t be much here that overly frustrates you – especially if you are used to NES games. Obviously, if you are playing digitally you also have the save state option and the game holds up well enough if you are playing this way to still be challenging and enjoyable.

Overall, Alwa’s Awakening is both a wonderful game and a wonderful achievement. It fits perfectly on the NES while also being modern and forward thinking in its design and play mechanics. There’s little doubt that if this had been released in the days of Nintendo’s flagship system then it would be sitting easily in the all the top 10 NES games lists across the internet. But it’s not just living off a nostalgic kick either as it can also go toe to toe with the many other Metroidvania titles out there and stand above most of them. It could turn out that turning Alwa’s Awakening into a NES game is the best thing that ever happened to it as it really seems to have found its home now. But no matter what format you can find it on you should be playing it as it’s pretty much flawless.

Overall 10/10

We were lucky enough to play the game both on the original NES cartridge as well as digitally thanks to Elden Pixels and Retro Bit.  

Piko Interactive Collection 2 Review (Evercade)

 

The first Piko Interactive collection was an oddball pick and mix of titles covering a wide range of genres. As a result there was really something for everyone to discover and enjoy. The second collection takes a more focused approach and contains a host of sports based titles. Retro based sports games can be hit and miss though so we weren’t sure what to initially make of the fourteen game line up.

Though there are undoubtedly highlights here we’ll get through the filler first – and unfortunately there is a sizable chunk of it. Winter and Summer Challenge for instance were never that great on first release and now the cramped screen space, confusing controls and unresponsive inputs really have not improved. While it may offer some fun in multiplayer there is very little to draw you back past the initial curious nostalgia.

The two football games here are also disappointing. World Trophy Soccer is slow and cumbersome and just made us wish International Superstar Soccer was an option. Considering we have Sensible Soccer coming it is easily forgettable. Football Madness’ only real claim to fame here is that it’s the first Playstation game to make one of the collections. It’s ok in multiplayer but really it’s a painfully average game despite the power ups and more arcade style of play.

Speaking of painfully average the two Shut Up and Jam games are also included. Once again we found ourselves thinking about much better games set in the genre. NBA Jam this isn’t, and both games feel lose with players having little weight to them and the game seeming too random to really get players to invest the time to develop skills. Again, as a multiplayer option it works much better.

While we are in the realm of American sport it’s fair to say Power Football certainly isn’t up there with the John Madden games either with the whole thing lacking the pace and intensity of the best video game depictions of American Football.  Beast Ball however is a great fun take on the sport with vikings, lizards and other creatures battering each other senseless. It lacks in terms of depth but it’s great for quick sessions. The only real issue with it is that this Mega Drive version of the game isn’t quite as good as the original Amiga version but it does capture the feel of the game well and should keep players returning to it.

Another often overlooked game is Eliminator Boat Duel on the NES which really finds a new lease of life here. In the original game you only have single life with which to complete the championship meaning you have to win every race first time or start again from the beginning. Here though the save state option has made the experience a lot more enjoyable and now players can really take in the mad cap races as you switch from top down to 3D racing views while avoiding obstacles and edging ahead of your opponent. It’s not the only racing game included here either with the painfully average Full Throttle All-American Racing another game that just sort of makes up the numbers.

Of much higher quality is the first GBA game to make its way to the Evercade in Racing Fever. The view may be way too zoomed in but it’s a fun top down racer with a decent selection of cars to choose from and has you racing against three opponents over a decent array of tracks.

The star of the show in this genre though is undoubtedly Top Racer 2 (Top gear 2), which will be a reason for many to pick up the cart. Reasonably pricey to get hold of now it’s an excellent racing game which builds on the solid foundation of the original in the best ways. The campaign is lengthy, the handling is decent and there’s a host of upgrades and things to play around with as you make your way through the races. It comes highly recommended and makes a lot of the less spectacular games included more palatable.

The other main reason to pick up this collection is of course Soccer Kid. Yet another of the Amiga platformers that has jumped to console the little dude certainly has something of a cult following and it’s easy to see why. The faults of many an Amiga platformer are still here such as the loose feeling controls but the main gimmick helps to keep it above its peers. We are of course talking about the football that Soccer Kid uses as his main way of dispatching enemies. Control of it can be a little tricky to begin with but once you’ve worked out how the momentum of it works it’s a satisfying experience belting it at the many caricatured people that inhabit the levels. The level design is also decent throughout and though it does fall into the trap of many an Amiga platformer and descends into frustration in later levels the save states are always there if you need them to help you out.

Overall, the second collection of games from Piko Interactive is hit and miss. Some of these will work much better when the VS makes multiplayer a real option but on the whole there’s a lot of games here living off nostalgia and very little else. That said the cart is still worth picking up due to the inclusion of Soccer Kid and Top Racer 2. Racing Fever, Beast Ball and Eliminator Boat Duel also help to sweeten the package as all are fun and competent games. With this in mind we would still recommend it to Evercade owners – just don’t expect everything on here to be world beating once the nostalgia wears off.

 

Overall -

Beast Ball                                                             3/5

Eliminator Boat Duel                                       4/5

Football Madness                                            2/5

Full Throttle All-American Racing               2/5

Hoops Shut Up And Jam                                2/5

Hoops Shut Up And Jam 2                             3/5

Power Football                                                  2/5

Racing Fever                                                      3/5

Soccer Kid                                                           4/5

Summer Challenge                                          2/5

Top Racer 2                                                         5/5

Winter Challenge                                             2/5

World Trophy Soccer                                      2/5

Mega Cat Studios Collection 1 (Evercade Review)

So far, the majority of the releases for the Evercade have been retro games for consoles such as the NES, SNES and Mega Drive. The Megs Cat Studios cartridge takes a different approach as while the games have still been developed for those systems they are new releases trying to encapsulate the feeling that the older classics have.

There are ten games in total and they vary in terms of genre and quality. Almost Hero is a forgettable and basic side scrolling fighting that we just couldn’t get on with, Justice Duel is an attempt to update the classic Joust which falls flat and Coffee Crisis is either not running very well on the Evercade or simply not very responsive. But these three are the only games that really miss the mark.

Creepy Brawlers is a solid if unspectacular take on Punch-Out! But with monsters and Log Jammers tries to imitate Windjammers and does so to a fairly decent degree. However, while the games are solid in themselves all they really did was send us back to the superior titles that have influenced them.

Multidude is a great little game where you have to use a selection of little bots to solve puzzles in a single screened room. The only real issue with it is that it’s very short (especially for those using the save states). Super Painter also suffers from its brevity but aside from this is an enjoyable single screen platformer (with a slightly dodgy jumping mechanic), based on the numerous ‘paint all the blocks’ games of years gone by.

Things really pick up with Little Medusa. Here you have to turn enemies to stone and then kick them to make platforms in order to pick up stars. Once all the stars are collected you move onto the next single screened level. It’s a top down puzzle/adventure game in the style of something like Kickle Cubicle, only this time set in ancient Greece. It works really well and has a ton of stages to get through.

Deadly Towers is another excellent game and takes the form of an insane puzzle platformer. Here you have to zoom your character around a tower picking up all the objects before making it to the exit door. Your character will shoot quickly in a straight line in whichever direction you choose until they hit the next surface. It’s great and some of the levels are very tricky to work out. The only issue here is that it’s a little short (if using save states), but what’s here is great.

The absolute highlight of this pack though is the incredible Tanzer. Mixing elements from Strider, Altered Beast and a host of 16-bit platformers this really is something special. It runs at a break neck speed and the action is unrelenting and frantic. Enemies are varied and locations are distinguished with big and colourful graphics and perfectly capture the feel of the best 16-bit platformers of the age. It’s also a solid length and offers multiple routes through the games for those returning to it. In all honesty it’s worth getting the cartridge just for Tanzer. In fact, it may well be worth getting an Evercade just for Tanzer – it’s that good.

Overall, It was always going to be a harder sell to get gamers to invest in new IP’s that weren’t going to trigger nostalgic memories. However, Mega Cat Studios have included some real gems here that shouldn’t be overlooked. Little Medusa and Old Towers are really good games that players will spend a fair amount of time with and they are backed up by a couple of fun but brief experiences in Super Painter and Multidude. Then there’s Tanzer. Glorious, magnificent and wonderful Tanzer. It’s not just the best game on the cart, it might be the best game on the Evercade and an absolutely essential purchase.

Game Ratings

 Almost Hero                      2/5

Creepy Brawlers               3/5

Coffee Crisis                       2/5

Justice Duel                        2/5

Log Jammers                      3/5

Little Medusa                    4/5

Multidude                           3/5

Old Towers                         4/5

Super Painter                     3/5

Tanzer                                  5/5

Interplay Collection 2 (Evercade Review)

The first interplay collection featured only six games but there was more than enough to keep us interested thanks to the inclusion of a couple of iconic titles in Earthworm Jim and Boogerman. This second collection also contains six games with five coming from the Super Nintendo and one lone NES game in Rad Gravity.

Despite the limited number of games we are happy to report that this is definitely a case of quality over quantity. Clay Fighter 2: Judgement Clay, is the only SNES game out of the five that is really disappointing as is seems to have lost much of the charm and fun present in the first game. The style of it is far too dark and the action average at best and it’s likely you’ll be moving on from it very quickly.

The Adventures of Rad Gravity is an often underappreciated NES game and one that is well worth putting some time into. It’s certainly not perfect as the controls are frustrating at times but the game has always had charm in spades and the use of the save states will certainly help progression. It’s also quite inventive at times with gravity inverting on certain planets and an absolute ton of objects and gadgets to find and use.

The lone puzzle game on the system is The Brainies. It involves moving little creatures around a maze before time runs out and placing them on specific spots. It’s kind of a mix of the labyrinth board game and a tile slider. It suffers from cumbersome input due to the SNES pad being used when clearly a mouse would work better, but it is quite engaging once you get into it.

The remaining three games are all platformers. The inclusion of Earthworm Jim 2 will already be enough for many people to pick up the cart and it’s nice to see that it retains the wacky humour and twisted nature of the first game. It’s excellent and carries on the franchise well. A few new elements have been added (such as using Snot as a grappling hook), and there are a host of new weapons to play with that keeps things fresh throughout. The changing theme of each level seen in the first game also returns here.

Claymates, continues Interplays mini obsession with the clay-style look of some of their games. Here you play a blob who can take on the form of various animals as you progress through the levels. These animals all have different abilities (of course), such as a cat being able to climb up trees or the mouse being able to get into small spaces. It’s a fun game that was cruelly overlooked on first release and will hopefully find a much deserved second life on the Evercade.

Rounding out the cartridge is Prehistorik Man which was flavour of the month back during the 16-bit age. It soon disappeared in a massively crowded market but is another game that really does deserve to find a new audience. It’s colourful and detailed and has a strong personality to it. The environments look great and it handles pretty well also. It should come as a nice surprise to players experiencing it for the first time.

Overall, the second Interplay collection is just as strong as the first. There’s a great selection of overlooked titles and more Earthworm Jim is always welcome. There is perhaps an argument that the games from both could have been curated into one collection but it certainly feels like there is good value for money here. The titles may be a little more obscure but the collection itself is one of the strongest released so far for the Evercade.

Game Ratings

Earthworm Jim 2                                4/5

Rad Gravity                                        4/5

Claymates                                           4/5

Prehistorik Man                                  4/5

The Brainies                                       3/5

Clay Fighter 2: Judgment Clay     2/5

Technos Collection (Evercade Review)

Now owned by Arc Systems, Technos is most famous for Double Dragon and the Kunio-kun series of games. Basically, anything that involves bashing people with weapons and things that happen to be lying around in the street. It’s a back catalogue that seems like a smart fit of the Evercade and this first collection from the company certainly has some highlights.

There are eight games here in total with seven of them coming from the companies NES back catalogue and Super Double Dragon being the lone Super Nintendo offering. As SNES games go though it’s certainly not a bad one to include. The original cart is very expensive now and this is the first time it has appeared on a system since its initial launch all those years ago.

The game itself is pretty solid as well. It’s quite a technical brawler with different types of kicks and punches available and a parry and counter system also in play. The only real downside with it is the fact it moves along quite slowly and there is a lot of repetition in terms of the enemies that you face. That said, it is well worth playing and it looks absolutely gorgeous with the detail of the levels and sprites rivalling the best the system had to offer.

The other Double Dragon representation comes in the form of the original two NES games. The first game is quite different from the arcade with added maze sections and some different levels. Players also have to level up their character in order to pull off more moves. It’s an odd but fun game that is severely helped by the save state system.

Double Dragon II remains the highlight of the NES trilogy and seems to hold up just as strongly as it did back when first released. It’s up there with the best the NES had to offer in terms of brawlers with varied levels, decent graphics and a solid move set. It’s Well worth seeking out for fans of the series.

Renegade and the highly regarded River City Ransom also make this first collection. Using a less refined version of the system used in Double Dragon II, Renegade is fairly entertaining but is really showing its age in terms of how basic and unforgiving it is and is one for the hard core and history loving fans only. River City Ransom is yet another highlight though with the mix of brawling and light RPG elements still able to create an engaging and interesting take on the genre. It does require some grinding but is packed full of charm and small touches that newcomers and old fans alike will be drawn to.

The rest of the package is rounded out with oddball sports games. Street Challenge is a kind of urban version of track and field which is never quite as fun as the concept suggests, while Super Dodge Ball is hounded by flickering sprites and slowdown that can make an otherwise entertaining game a real chore to play. Once you get used to the controls, Super Spike V’Ball has a decent amount of fun on offer though the later pairings are almost psychic in how they anticipate your moves. Also, this is one game that would really benefit from a two player option to get the most out of it.

Overall, the Technos collection is a solid addition to the growing Evercade line up. Most of the games are solid and the inclusion of the SNES version of Double Dragon will catch the eye of collectors. There’s three really good games on here and the others fill out the package well. It’s a worthy addition for brawler fans – even if it is a bit odd to have a Double Dragon collection without Double Dragon 3 and actual Arcade based version of the game on it. Now, I wonder who has the rights to Battle Toads and Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team?

 

Game Ratings

Double Dragon                                                                    3/5

Double Dragon II: The Revenge                                        4/5

Crash ‘N’ The Boys: Street Challenge                              2/5

River City Ransom                                                            4/5

Super Dodge Ball                                                              3/5

Super Spike V’ball                                                            3/5

Super Double Dragon                                                       4/5

Renegade                                                                          3/5

Data East Collection 1 (Evercade Review)

A mainstay of the arcade, 8 and 16-bit generations Data East have an absolute wealth of games to draw upon for a system like the Evercade. It was only a matter of time before a collection was collated and what we have ended up with is a fairly varied mix of ten arcade to home conversions across the NES, SNES and Mega Drive.

The NES games take in some of the publisher’s best known work. Burger time is a solid version of the arcade platformer where you need to avoid enemies and drop ingredients to the bottom of the screen by walking over it. Karate Champ is one of the first games to put forward the one on one fighting concepts also seen in IK+ and Way of the Exploding Fist and If we’re honest both those games do it better.

Bad Dudes Vs. The Dragon Ninja puts forward a passable imitation of its arcade counterpart but the graphics are much smaller and it runs a fair bit slower as well. That said, this holds a fair about of nostalgic appeal for us as it arrived with our NES one Christmas morning. It has a different rhythm but when you get used to it there is a fair amount of fun to be had.

The final NES game is the excellent Burnin’ Rubber or Bump and Jump as it is otherwise known. Here you drive a car ever upwards while collecting fuel and avoiding other cars. The gimmick comes that you need to jump your car over obstacles and on to the enemy vehicles for points. It’s great fun and holds up really well. It stands as proof of how the clear execution of a core gameplay dynamic stands the test of time when implemented properly.

Two Crude Dudes and Midnight Resistance make up the Mega Drive elements of the collection and both are fun versions of their arcade counterparts. Two Crude Dudes was always a bit of a slocky brawler in the first place but is a decent version of the original and if you have fond memories of that you’ll find much to enjoy here. The main gimmick of picking up objects and enemies and lobbing them around is as much silly fun as it always was.

Midnight Resistance remains a bit of a cult action classic with a slightly iffy control scheme. It also has some serious flickering going on at times but remains on the right side of fun with intense action and a host of chunky power ups and toys to play with. If anything its arcade origins let it down a bit as you can race through the thing in just over 20 minutes. It’s the sort of game you’ll likely return to though and we are pleased it made the cut.

The SNES selection is somewhat varied. The fighting game genre is represented by the highly forgettable, but solid, Fighters History. Puzzle games get a shout with Magical Drop 2 and the action platformer Jo and Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics (actually Jo and Mac 3) is also here. Pool simulator Side Pocket is the last game to make it.

Magical Drop is a charming colour based match three game (which even way back here has the sense to add symbols for colour blind players), where players grab coloured balls from the top of the screen before throwing them back up onto other matching colours. It has a wealth of modes and the only real criticism we can lay at it is that the story mode is insanely tough towards the end and that it’s not Magical Drop 3 which is where the series peaked.

Jo and Mac 2 is a fun action platformer much in the same vein as the first game where your cavemen run around bashing dinosaurs on the head. While undoubtedly good fun, it’s not as strong as the first game and also quite short. It seems strange the original wasn’t included here, perhaps the plan is to release the arcade version further down the line? That said, Jo and Mac 2 can be hard to get hold of so from a collectors point of view it’s very welcome.

Side Pocket is the wild card of the collection. An excellent arcade Pool game it has a number of modes – including a trick shot section which acts like a puzzle game. The main single player component has players beating set scores on each table with a limited number of shots before moving on to the next location. You start with sixteen shots and every time a ball isn’t potted you lose one. You keep the amount of shots for the whole game so being careful early on is key to success.

Overall, the first Data East collection is a good mix of games that are all of a solid standard. Each one has something to offer and the variety of the titles on show means there will be something here that everyone can get into. It lacks any one stand out title, instead having a host of fun and solid games likely to trigger nostalgia in a way a lot of the other carts probably won’t. It may not reach ‘system seller’ status but it certainly is a worthy addition to the Evercade line up and one of the most well rounded of the collections on offer.

Game Ratings

Burger Time                                                      3/5

Bad Dudes                                                         3/5

Burnin’ Rubber (Bump & Jump)                      4/5

Karate Champ                                                   3/5

Fighter's History                                               3/5

Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics                     4/5

Side Pocket                                                       4/5

Magical Drop 2                                                4/5

Two Crude Dudes                                            3/5

Midnight Resistance                                        3/5

Rad Gravity (Evercade Review)

Rad Gravity is a promising space cadet with Elvis hair and a chin the size of a small continent and he has to foil an evil guy stopping three planets communicating with each other. He has also buried some computers named Compuminds on planets around the galaxy, and it is up to you to go and find them and restore peace to the universe.

Set across a number of planets and other space orientated levels, ‘Rad Gravity’ is a sort of comic book style platform adventure game. You have to transport down to planets where Rad must explore and find clues and information on where the compuminds are being held. While most of this takes place in standard platform territory there are a number of nice touches. Occasionally gravity goes mad and you find the level turned upside down meaning you have to stand on your head or turn the television over to get to grips with what's going on. A section in the asteroid belt where you need to use your gun to propel you in different directions is also a lot of fun.

Graphically, the game is nothing special, areas look a little plain and enemies are not overly detailed or colourful. Rad on the other hand is presented as a guy with a small body and a huge head, which seems to suite him somehow. Though the graphics are not great they are good enough, meaning you don't lose enemies in the background or get confused where platforms are. Unfortunately, there is a lot of slowdown present and flickering is also a problem, meaning it can be a touch frustrating at times, though this has improved a touch on the Evercade.

In terms of gameplay, you get a lot of different gadgets to play around with and certain levels are a lot of fun, but Rad himself can be a bit awkward to control especially when jumping. Though the controls are a touch unpolished the game is in no way a bad one. The level design is great with each of the planets being distinctly different from one another and containing its own unique set of obstacles and enemies.

Overall, there is a lot to like about ‘Rad Gravity’, with the lead character being extremely charming and some clever level design apparent. If you can look past the faults, of which there are many, what remains is a charming, funny game that given a little bit more polish would have been an excellent one. As long as you are of a forgiving nature you should get along just fine with the large chinned Rad.

Overall 7/10

The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy (Evercade Review)

The story goes that once upon a time the evil wizard Zaks kidnapped Dizzy’s girlfriend Daisy, and took her to his castle in the clouds. Dizzy must now find the castle and rescue her solving puzzles along the way and engaging in some all-round platform action. For the uninitiated, Dizzy is an egg who had a great deal of success on the 8-bit computers before facing his biggest adventure in this game on consoles. They simply don’t make games like Dizzy anymore, the action is basic, but brilliant, and to finish an entire adventure is a challenge.

The idea of the game is to solve puzzles by picking up items and taking them to a place where they can be used, thus allowing you to continue on. This may sound easy but Dizzy can only carry three items at once - meaning if you miss judge what you need to take, then progression will be extremely difficult. On top of this all manner of hazards and traps will need to avoided along the way.

Graphically, Dizzy is presented in a cartoon style, big and colourful with simple, charmingly drawn characters set against decent enough backgrounds. Everything is very clear on screen with slowdown and flickering rarely occurring, even when the screen is packed. The landscapes in the game vary from woods and towns to underground caves and sunken pirate ships - each represented in its own way and looking different from the last.

Gameplay, is both very simple and very difficult. Initially the game seems daunting, as puzzles can be obscure and it's easy to get lost if you're not careful. However, after a couple of tries you soon realise the necessary approach needed to solve puzzles and progress. Dizzy can be a difficult to control, but (like the puzzles), once you work out how far he can jump and what distance he can fall from, everything comes together. Producing a well-executed title that offers large doses of quirky platform fun.

As well as the basic platforming action there are several mini-games present such as going down a river in a barrel throwing apples at enemies. However, the most enjoyable section is where Dizzy is shooting people with a crossbow taken from a first person perspective and reminiscent of the arcade Shinobi bonus level.

Overall, Dizzy is a magical title, and while you cannot argue that it feels a little dated, it is a fine example of how great games used to be. Functional graphics, challenging puzzles and enjoyable mini-games mean that this a great slice of retro action and a strong addition to the Evercade line-up.

Overall 9/10

Interplay Collection 1 (Evercade Review)

Interplay are a company whose golden age came during the 16 bit era where innovative, fun and iconic games seemed to be spilling out of the company one after the other. The first Evercade collection from the company brings two of their most well-known characters together along with four other games in a small but interesting group.

The filler on this cartridge comes in the form of Titan and Battel Chess. Titan is a potentially interesting but slow and clunky puzzle game where you have to deflect a ball around room removing blocks. It’s a bit like Arkanoid with the twist that the reflector can be moved anywhere and the only way that you can lose a ball is if it hits one of the dangerous spots around the room. Battle Chess is a really poor rendition of chess. The whole thing moves so slowly that it becomes tiresome after only a few moves. The sequences are nothing special either and most players will leave it to gather dust very quickly.

The inclusion of Incantation is interesting as it was one of the last games released on the SNES and as such commands a crazy price to get hold of a legitimate cartridge. Unfortunately, the game itself is really quite poor with it being a very basic and simplistic platformer. That said, it’s still nice to experience something so highly sought after and offering these types of hard to get titles is a good route for the Evercade to go down in the future.

The highlight of the package is unquestionably Earthworm Jim. The character is so iconic that it spawned its own cartoon series and toy line and still remains firmly imbedded in every retro gamers mind. Apart from the severe difficult the action platformer remains a joy to play and the innovation and humour still shine through to show just why so many people fell in love with it in the first place. This is the Mega Drive version as well which means all the levels are included (as the SNES version strangely lost one).

Jim is backed up by another fairly well known oddity from the 16 bit age in Boogerman. Another game that is a touch pricey, it has our hero jumping through a snot and toilet inspired world taking out enemies by flicking boogers, belching and breaking wind. If that all sound disgusting, don’t worry it’s meant to be. The game handles a little loose compared to Earthworm Jim but there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had and like it’s slightly more iconic stable mate it just does things that little bit differently from your everyday platformer.

The package is rounded out with Clayfighter which is a 2d Street Fighter clone that takes the unusual approach of having the look of a clay made stop motion animation. At its core the action is quite generic but the look and characters help to add some charm and replay value which will probably see you dip into it every now and again.

Overall, the first Interplay collection is an easy recommendation. Earthworm Jim is a classic, Boogerman is very enjoyable and Clayfighter is a nice distraction. The novelty of Incantation is welcome as well and in terms of value you can’t get much better than this for £14.99. Getting the games on their original system would set you back an awful lot more than that. In our view it’s worth it for Earthworm Jim alone with everything else as a glorious bonus. A great collection.

Game Ratings

Earthworm Jim 5/5

Boogerman 4/5

Clay Fighter 3/5

Incantation 2/5

Titan 3/5

Battle Chess 2/5

Star Wars Review (NES)

A candidate for one of the best 8-bit Star Wars games, the title received warm reviews at the time of its release. The main drawback of the cartridge was its amazing retail price of fifty pounds, something that severely limited its appeal. A few years on now, we reflect and asks was it worth the money?

Licensed games were extremely popular and like so many releases of this period Star Wars was a platform-based title. However, it managed to avoid the shortcomings of rival releases by including a few tricks up its sleeve. Apart from platforming action Star Wars featured flying segments and speeder sections (from a top down perspective), that added some much needed variety. Furthermore, three characters were available for selection: Luke, Han Solo and the Princess. Also tagging along were Obi Wan and R2 D2, making the basis of the game sound.

Starting off you must search Luke's home planet for caves to explore, in doing so you will find shields for the Millennium Falcon, Extra lives, your Light Sabre, R2 D2 (who has been captured by the Jowas), and Obi Wan himself. Once all these things have been gathered it is off to find Han Solo and to head off into space. After a mild Asteroid storm the Death Star traps you. Here more platform sections come in where you can use R2 to download a map and generally shoot and jump around a lot. Once you eventually find your way out of the space station (rescuing the princess on the way), all that is left is the Death Star trench run and then it's all over.

Graphically, the game is small but almost perfectly formed and it is to the developers credit that characters are easily distinguishable as their film counterparts. Enemies are varied on the whole with Storm Troopers, Sand People, Jowas and even Bobo Fete making an appearance. Each area is lavishly coloured and the backgrounds harness a surprising level of detail at times. Furthermore, the twin curse of the NES (slowdown and flickering) never dare rear their ugly faces - making it all the more enjoyable.

As for gameplay this mainly platform title is polished and playable. As expected from the 8-bit era, precision jumping is high on the agenda and this is the only frustrating aspect of the game. Towards the end there is an unhealthy reliance on pixel perfect jumps in order to proceed. The three characters offer enough variety amongst them to make it each worthwhile. Luke is a good all-round character who has a decent gun and can call upon the light sabre to dish out large amounts of damage. Han carries a very powerful blaster and the lovely Princess can for some reason jump great distances.

Each character is well suited to exclusive sections of the game and if you do not utilise all three (on an ongoing basis) then you will not be able to progress through certain areas. Meanwhile the game itself plays exceptionally well, with characters able to turn in mid air and being highly responsive - allowing you to run, jump and twist in the air before landing in a ducking position to fire at the guy you just leaped over.

Star Wars is still an enjoyable game and in its time it was one of the best video games based on a films in an era of mindless platform licensed rubbish. Decent graphics, excellent controls and a well-judged learning curve delivered a fun adventure with only the occasional hint of frustration. Even then, the difficult sections made you all the more determined to succeed. So in conclusion a rewarding title (for those who could afford it at the time) and a worthwhile addition to any retro collection, but a must have purchase for all Star Wars fans.

Overall 8/10

Low G Man Review (NES)

You are low gravity man! The instruction book shouts at you as if it was a statement of fact. What a way to promote a game we thought, and what is a low gravity man anyway? Well, that’s something that’s never really explained, but this is the NES after all and epic plot driven stories did not come into fashion until the sixteen bit generation.

The story, and we use the term loosely, consists of having to capture a robot producing planet from evil aliens. Normally used for exploration, these aliens are trying to reprogram all the robots so that they will hunt down and destroy the whole human race.

Graphically, the game is nothing special, on screen characters are very small and made out of a limited range of colours. Backgrounds fare a little better with at least five different colours at one point. What exists though is clearly defined and moves smoothly with slowdown hardly ever occurring.

What is impressive for a game developed early on in the days of the NES is that it manages to scroll not only left to right, but up and down as well, Indeed as the back of the box says ‘Jump one and three quarter screens high’. What makes the game stand out though is the amount of invention to be found in the gameplay. Instead of just shooting enemies in the tried and tested fashion the player must first freeze the enemies with an ice gun, then jump at them stabbing them with a lance.

On top of this you have the usual power ups for the ice gun that create multiple and stronger bullets as well as four collectible weapons, boomerang, mine, shock wave and a fireball making it all add up to being an incredibly enjoyable experience. There are also a host of different vehicles you can use, one of which allows you to climb up walls like a giant spider, Innovation all the way and an enjoyable game because of it.

Controlling little Low G Man is an absolute joy. Jumping is easy to control, meaning you can shoot, turn in mid air and spear something all in one go, pretty essential to the enjoyment of the game with the monsters you have to defeat not giving an inch. The game is split into four worlds made out of three parts with a boss that must be defeated at the end of each. Most bosses are the standard fair and offer nothing new. One or two though require you to scale about two screens in height, climbing up their gigantic bodies until you reach a part that you can happily hack away at kind if like a 2D shadow of the Collosus.

Overall Low G Man offers eight bit platform gaming at its finest. Apart from the Mario games it's hard to find anything that plays as well as this on the NES. You'll find yourself coming back to the game again and again as it's incredible addictive and so much fun to play. Gaming gold, cheap and not that hard to find, snap it up quick.

Overall 8/10

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Review (NES)

Once upon a time an evil sorcerer cast a magic spell on a beautiful princess called Zelda, and thus she drifted into an endless sleep. The only way to revive her is for the hero Link to collect six shards of a magic crystal from the depths of Hyrule. When these have been gathered together they can be used to remove the magic that protects the gate of the ‘Great Palace’ where the evil sorcerer has fled. Link can then save the day and get the girl once again. 

The Adventure of Link is presented in a completely different format to the previous Link release. Instead of the top down approach taken before, this Zelda title utilised a  side on view - much in the same way as Mario or Metroid. The game is split into two different styles. On the map screen Link walks around in a vastly scaled top down view and when a monster attacks or you enter an area of interest it changes to the side on view thus marking a huge departure for the series.

A number of additional touches have also been included, as now Link gains experience and can grow stronger by levelling up in much the same way as the Final Fantasy releases. Magic is also brought into play much more. 

Graphically, the game is both good and bad, while the map screen is void of detail and incredibly small (when in the two dimensional perspective) everything is well defined and animated with a decent range of colours being used to show the land of Hyrule. Different locations are varied enough to keep you interested despite the caves being almost identical and much the same can be said about the towns. 

In terms of  how Zelda II: The Adventure of Link plays, it both impresses and disappoints with equal measure as well. It is clear that the game has developed and moved forward since the previous incumbent, with the more stat based approach and emphasis placed on a more platform arena rather than the map wandering of the prequel. However, you have to wonder why the game engine was altered. The first Zelda game was a magical affair, if a little basic at times. Moving the series into the realms of a platform game only serves to strip it of the character displayed in the original. Arguably, right from the start the magic is sadly lacking. If you want platform game then there is Mario or countless others, but the Zelda series really did not need to go down the same road. 

What we are left with is a game that looks a lot better than the original but lacks in how it plays. Having the dungeons set in a two dimension perspective means you never get a sense of where you are or what needs to be done. The puzzle potential is also greatly reduced meaning most obstacles are simply a case of finding keys and taking them to locked doors. The Adventure of Link is not a bad release nevertheless and it does possess some nice touches, but there was no need to change the style - something the developers soon realised as the perspective was set back to the traditional Zelda approach for the Super Nintendo version.

Overall 6/10 

 

Battletoads and Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team Review (NES)

After the mighty Toads defeated the Dark Queen on Ragnarok's world she fled to the far reaches of the galaxy threatening revenge. A few months later a huge city sized space craft comes smashing out of the moon and heads directly towards earth. This time the Queen really means business and to ensure her evil plan bears fruit she has teamed up with the shady shadow boss to help with her evil schemes. 

Hugely outnumbered the Toads turn to brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, known as the Double Dragons to even the score. Together, in the Battlecopter they set out to the ship to engage the troublesome evil villains. 

Containing a healthy mix of different playing styles, the game none the less is a beat’em up at heart and this is a very good thing. Selecting from five different characters you must make your way across the top of the battleship beating up just about everyone that gets in your way. Apart from general fighting there are the inventive touches associated with the Battletoads franchise such as the speeder bike and abseiling sections both making a return and being as excellently done as ever.

The game mechanics are closer to a Battletoads game than a Double Dragon one and in this instance it is a good thing they are. With the different styles of level in the game the Double Dragon fight system simply would not be flexible enough to allow you do what you have to.

Fighting is restricted to one button, producing a few hits followed by a big finishing shot and that is all that is needed as everything moves so quickly it would be hard to implement a huge array of different moves. With five characters to choose from you won't be hard pressed not to find your perfect fight partner. Though the characters are not massively different, there are enough differences to easily distinguish one characters strengths from another. 

Favoured combinations soon develop as Rash and Zitz are stronger than Billy and Jimmy, with Rash being slightly Faster and Zitz being a bit stronger. Billy and Jimmy are faster than all the toads, again with Billy being a touch stronger than Jimmy and Jimmy being a bit faster. Pimple on the other hand is very big, very strong and very slow. 

Graphically, things are a little plain and functional but still help to create the humorous and charming appeal started with the first Battletoads game. The first time you hammer someone through the floor like a nail or kick someone with a huge foot you will understand the attraction. There is a problem with flickering on the screen, but having the odd bit of flicker is better than having slowdown so with the limitations of the NES we should be grateful.

Something else that adds to the appeal is the sound, with both the music and FX being of a great quality. The sound in this title is the very definition of retro cool, everything being completely over the top and not taking its self seriously, a brilliant aspect that adds a lot of fun to the proceedings. 

Make your way past the third level and you jump into the little battleship and try and destroy the Queens craft from the outside in a sort of take on asteroids. After the initial homage to the game you have to destroy flying saucers before having a final showdown with the huge rat like space ship. The level excellently breaks up the unrelenting fighting of previous stages and comes as such a surprise that you cannot help but to smile. 

Overall, Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is a great game with the emphasis set on fun throughout and it has a much better learning curve than the previous Battletoads game - you find yourself getting a little bit further every time you play. This acts as another example of what Rare can do if they want to, retro cool at its most glorious. 

Overall 8/10

Battletoads Review (NES)

The story goes that one day while the biggest and toughest Battletoad (Pimple), was taking Princess Angelica out for a spin in the toadster the evil Dark Queen ambushes them and takes them to Ragnarok’s world - the Queens home planet. 

The remaining toads, Rash and Zitz have to beat everything up that stands in their way and rescue their friends. Far from being the dull side scrolling fighter that this game could so easily have turned into, Rare and Tradewest have made sure that it is something different and fresh.

While the first level keeps the classic side scrolling fighter format, from then on each level offers something new. Level two has our heroic toads being lowered down a tunnel having to jump from side to side to avoid obstacles and enemies while Level three has you jumping chasms on speeder bikes, and the next level (if you make it), is a more standard platform affair, each level offering a different twist taking the game away from constant repetitive button bashing. 

Graphically superb, everything is well animated and presented extremely well. The toads themselves offer different facial expressions from time to time, for instance having their jaws drop to the floor and eyes pop out when a huge monster arrives on the scene. Enemies differ from level to level but are repetitive in their respective worlds with only a handful of different creatures per stage. But this slight lack of variety is more than made up for by the shear quality the game overall. 

The Game plays well, although there are areas in the game when the limitations of your toad become far too apparent. During fights you could not ask for better controls, and while they simply consist of hitting one button continuously the attacks vary from level to level - in one the toad may hit the enemy with a huge fist while another will see him knocking him into the ground before kicking the enemy away like a living football. What lets the game down is when you are required to perform precision jumps, with the game being set in a multi-levelled playing field it is hard to judge the depth of the field often meaning a fall to an untimely death. 

Another problem with the game is the insane difficulty level, unusual for Rare games the difficulty curve for Battletoads is extremely unforgiving and in fact if you manage to get past the third level without using a warp then I would be very surprised. But strangely, the difficulty of the game adds to the overall charm and though you will die over and over again you will find yourself returning for one more go. 

Battletoads is a charming and fun filled game, which for a moment in time kept the mighty toads at the top of the gaming pile. Alas, along with many other characters from the creative minds of Rare the Toads never made it past the sixteen bit generation. Although we doubt a new version would have the same sort of charm it would still make a unique experience for the modern gamer. Until the day the Toads rule again this serves as a good reminder that it was not all Mario and Sonic back in the good old days.

Overall 8/10