Lost Gems – House of the Dead 2&3 Return (Nintendo Wii)

Hello, after a brief break Lost Gems is back, the series where I cover classic games that are no longer available in an official capacity. This week kicks off Halloween month for the feature, where I will be covering a pair of classic rail shooter from SEGA, originally released for the arcades and then ported to the Nintendo Wii. So it is time to take a look at the House of the Dead 2&3 Return, the light gun double pack that was released worldwide in 2008.

Disclaimer: while the game discussed here is no longer officially on sale, there are ways to obtain the game. This can be either through the second hand market or through unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the game being covered.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the title.

About the Game

House of the Dead 2&3 Return is a special double pack of games, offering players the ability to play the two classic light gun shooters. The games are played using the Wii Remote, or if they have it the Zapper attachment, which allows for the Nunchuk to be used. This is the way to work around the inability to use traditional Light Gun peripherals, due to modern flat screen televisions being incompatible with the controllers.

The player will be able to access both of the games, directly from the main menu, with the ability to play the home versions of House of the Dead 2 and 3. House of the Dead 2 takes place 2 years after the events of the first game, with an incident occurring in Venice Italy. During this incident, AMS agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart are deployed. On their mission, the AMS agents encounter deadly creatures and uncover the truth of the outbreak.

In this title, players can take on the Arcade mode, where the player works through six stages as they would in the arcades. The standard gameplay involves the player blasting away waves of enemies, while moving through the stage. During play, the players have 6 shots in their gun, moving the crosshair off screen to reload. When shooting enemies, if enough damage is dealt the creature will die, with a universal weak point of the head for all zombies.

During the stages, there will be civilians that need to be rescued by the AMS agents. By shooting the zombies that are attacking them, players can rescue the people under attack from the undead. Some of the rescues as well as specific set pieces will lead to alternate paths, leading to different encounters and locations in the stages. At the end of each stage, the player will encounter a challenging and deadly boss monster.

In each of the boss battles, the player will need to shoot the weak point that is shown on screen. Doing so will cause the boss to take damage, interrupt attacks and prevent them from hurting the player. These battles have their own phases, attack patterns and unique gimmicks, making them a challenge for players to defeat. When the boss is defeated, the results screen for the stage appears and if enough survivors have been saved, bonus lives are awarded.

The player can have up to 5 lives, which are lost when damage is taken by an attack or the player shoots a civilian by mistake. If all lives are lost, a credit is needed to continue playing. If the player runs out of credits, the game will be over and they will see the route they had taken before death. The number of credits, lives and difficulty of the game can be adjusted in the settings. Blood color can also be adjusted, with the option for red or green.

Away from the Arcade mode, there is the Original Mode, a special version of the main game, where power-ups can be collected and used. These include bullet damage increases, extra lives, extra credits and unusual items like fishing lures and even UFOs. These items are collected by shooting the environment, saving civilians and in a mini game when starting the game for the first time. Up to 2 items can be taken into play in solo, or 1 item each in co-op.

Then we have the Training Mode, which is a special mini game challenge mode, where players take on 10 challenges with multiple difficulty settings. These challenges include saving all of the civilians, taking down a series of zombies with limited shots and beating the first boss with rapid fire only. Last is Boss Mode, where players can try to beat each of the bosses from the game as fast as possible, with the fastest time for each level being added to the rankings.

Moving on, we have House of the Dead 3, which takes place in 2019, 21 years after the 1998 Curien Mansion incident. In a now ruined world, the events of the zombie outbreaks have caused civilization to collapse. AMS secret agents raid the EFI facility, related to the Curien group but contact is lost. Two weeks later, Lisa, the Daughter of Thomas Rogan, accompanied by his former partner G go to the facility to find out what happened to her father.

Like the previous entry, the main game mode for this release is Arcade mode, where the player must battle the hordes of the undead. This time, the player is armed with a shotgun that holds 6 shots and has a slower reload animation. To make up for this, the blast radius of the weapon is larger, being able to hit multiple enemies at once. Knocking a zombie down, allows the player to hit them again to deal additional damage to kill them faster.

There are 6 stages like the previous game, however, this one has a unique gimmick to how the stages are approached. The first and second stage, follow the traditional linear gameplay loop, playing out in sequence with the second stage having a branching path at the beginning. After clearing these two stages, the player will use the elevator to select which stage they challenge next. This system allows players to approach the game differently each time.

In this title, there are no civilians being attacked, but there are still rescue events. This time the player will need to save their partner, who is in danger from the zombies. If the player is able to save the partner, they will gain an extra life. Thankfully, failure only results in no bonus being awarded. These rescue events occur frequently during the game, with the person in danger changing depending on the number of players actively in use.

Boss battles have also changed during this release, with their appearance tied to the stage itself. For some of the stages, the boss will appear during the stage itself, chasing the player throughout the stage. There is also a boss that appears around half way through the stage, appearing at the center of the location. The other bosses appear at the end of the stage, being used as the climax for their section of the game. This makes each stage feel distinct and unique.

The way that bosses take damage is also changed, with the battle broken up into phases. Each time the boss attacks the player, a second meter will appear below their life meter. This is the break gauge, which will interrupt the boss attack when it is depleted. To empty the meter, the player needs to hit the designated weak point as quickly as possible. Each time it is emptied, the boss will be interrupted and take damage.

After defeating the boss and getting to the end of the stage, the player will get the results screen for the chapter. Based on the performance of the player, their score and the time they clear the stage, a letter ranking will be awarded. If the player gets a ranking of B-E, there will be no bonus awarded, but if the player gets an A rank an extra life is earned, with 2 being awarded for an S rank. These rankings encourage replaying the game, to get the fabled SS ranking.

Just like the companion game, this title allows players to modify the number of lives and credits, alongside the blood color and level of gore on screen. The maximum starting lives that players can set in this game is 5, but if the player can collect extra lives during play, the in game cap is 9. Unlike the previous title, players have the ability to unlock freeplay in this release, with the maximum number of credits with the chance to fail being 9.  

In addition to the Arcade mode in House of the Dead 3, players can also challenge two extra single player modes. The first is Time Attack, which replaces the lives and credits for the game with a timer in the middle of the screen. This will count down over time, with players earning time by quickly killing the creatures, gaining more time based on their performance. Damage taken will give time penalties, taking away a fair chunk of remaining time.

The last mode is Extreme Mode, which ramps up the challenge further. All of the enemies are stronger and the blast radius is reduced, but to give players a fighting chance a melee attack is introduced. By using the melee button, the player can clear the screen of attacks, dodge boss strikes and hit multiple enemies at close range. This however uses up the players ammo, requiring the gun to reload after each use, making it a risk/reward mechanic.

There are video tutorials included for the games in this pack, which will show the player the basics of how to play. These will explain the mechanics of the game, allowing players to get a quick refresher on the mechanics, as well as teaching new players the game. They aren’t the best, but are good enough for the basics of play, as the original arcade attract screens appear to have been removed. But the original opening movies are still retained for both games.

Personal thoughts

I grew up playing the House of the Dead series, with the first game on the SEGA Saturn, the second on Dreamcast and the third on the original Xbox. There are many happy memories that I have tied to this series, from playing it with my dad and getting my first ever arcade clear. I have a deep love for this series, especially the second game which is my favourite. The story, characters and voice work are all that classic B-Movie cheese that makes it so endearing.

The series was released during a golden age for light gun games, where every home had a TV that could support the guns. But sadly that time passed, as televisions became more advanced, with flat screen displays the age of the lightgun faded away. However, with the Nintendo Wii and their use of IR sensor technology, the genre got to shine once again as players could use Wii remotes in place of guns. So there was a brief resurgence for the genre in the home.

I am a big fan of light gun games, which made House of the Dead 2&3 Return an instant sell for me, especially since it has my favourite game in it. The gameplay is almost perfect, with a couple of unfortunate hiccups when it comes to slowdown. However, this doesn’t affect the gameplay too bad, as they are few and far between and don’t occur during boss fights. These are really good ports, which are the best way to play the game without dedicated hardware.

There is a tremendous amount of content for players, with the arcade modes, the extra challenge modes and 2 player co-op in both games. I have returned to these games repeatedly over the years, putting a lot of time into them across various platforms. My love with the games has led to memorising the scripts, learning the secrets and beating all of the challenges. I have even been able to one credit clear House of the Dead 2, which I’m pretty proud of.

The Wii Zapper and various gun peripherals are available, which gives a fairly authentic experience. The most comfortable is the Zapper, which allows for twin grip when playing for extra stability and control, while also being the best for other shooters. The game can be played with the Wii remote by itself, but it doesn’t feel the same as you need that shape to feel right. You can pick up new Zapper and gun shells online for pretty low prices.

House of the Dead has a cult fanbase, with fans wanting these games to be as widely available as possible. There have been some ports of games on other platforms, like standalone versions of House of the Dead 3 and 4 for the PlayStation 3. There is also House of the Dead Overkill, alongside remakes of the first two games, which receive mixed reviews from fans. The recent remakes especially are unfortunately poor in my personal opinion.

These games were released during a special time, where the series really found its identity as a cheesy gory horror themed shooter. House of the Dead 2 was the breakout hit for the franchise, being bundled with the Dreamcast light gun. The wonky voice acting, unintentionally hilarious script and over the top action really made it stand out. I even set the blood to green every time I play, as that was the only setting that was available for the Dreamcast version.

This game is easily attainable on the secondary market, being widely available across both physical and virtual marketplaces. I picked the game up myself from a local store, with the disc in fairly good condition for right money. If you don’t have access to a Nintendo Wii or a Wii U, you can run the game via emulation, with mouse control or aftermarket lightguns like the Aimtrak. You can also connect Wii remotes via Bluetooth, with USB IR sensors.

I would like to see these versions of the game come back to modern platforms, as they are the best games in the genre, but it appears that this is not possible. The remakes do exist, but they don’t feel anything like the games they are based on. There is something special about the originals, with the charm and distinct wonk of the dodgy b-movie voice acting. That cheesy feel isn’t there in remakes, as they are from a point in time that has long passed.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.

King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX – Review

Overview – developed by Suspicious Jam and published by Eastasiasoft, King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX is an arcade style table tennis battle game, where players battle it out with an eclectic mix of opponents. Take on the 5 masters in arcade mode, or go for the number one spot in the world through the championship series. This title is available for all console platforms, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Kink of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. There is no real plot for the game, so I will be going straight into discussing the gameplay for this release.

Gameplay – This title is an arcade style boss rush battle game, where the player faces table tennis warriors from across the globe. This is the ultimate table tennis tournament, where battles are fierce and test the boundaries of what the sport really is. The battles mostly follow the traditional rules of table tennis, volley the ball to try and get it past your opponent. But there is a twist, the only way to get the ball past the opponent, is to exhaust their stamina.

These battles consist of multiple rounds, where the player must drain the stamina of their opponent, exhausting them and being able to score. At the table, the player can move between the left, right and center of the table. In these positions, the player can send the ball in the same three directions, sending the ball back to the opponent. Each volley drains the on screen stamina for both players, with well-timed shots increasing the enemy stamina drain.

As the opponent returns the ball, if they are waiting in the position where the ball is sent, they will Punish the player, increasing the damage taken. If the player runs out of stamina, they will be able to continue the rally, but at a significantly reduced speed. This increases the pressure and chances of losing a point, requiring extremely tight timing to survive the round. Thankfully, when the opponent is exhausted, they will be unable to continue.

During the volley of a round, both the player and the opponent will gain power, charging a bar below the stamina. When this meter is filled, the player will be able to unleash a power attack, draining a massive amount of energy from the enemy. However, the opponents have their own powers, which significantly ramp up the challenge in later matches. These include ultra-fast punishes, disappearing balls and even creating multiple ball clones.

When the player scores enough points in a match, the opponent will become enraged, making them stronger and further ramping up the difficulty. This secondary phase of a match can be the most frustrating part of a battle, due to the rapid increase in speed and difficulty. This can lead to being defeated quickly, due to the high speed and increase to the aggression of the opponent. Once five points have been scored the match will be over.

There are two game modes for this release, Arcade and Championship mode. The Arcade mode is the most approachable mode and the only one available when starting, needing to be cleared to unlock the Championship mode. Within the Arcade mode, the player takes on the 5 world table tennis champions, one after another in sequence during the Arcade tournament. If the player fails, they can retry as many times as they like.

When an opponent has been defeated in Arcade mode, the player will be able to retry the battle. This can be done to practice and improve the rankings that have been obtained, with the maximum letter grade being an S rank. When Arcade has been cleared for the first time, the player can challenge the championship mode. In this mode, there are 5 championships of increasing difficulty, where the player has one chance to beat all of the opponents in order.

During the championship mode, the 5 opponents will have all of their power increased, with more brutal punishes, faster returns and higher difficulty. This increased challenge mode will have enhanced special power, rage sooner and stamina works differently between rounds. In this mode the player gets one shot to beat all challengers, if they lose one match, they will get kicked back to the start. This makes it a brutal and unforgiving challenge at the highest level.

Away from the gameplay itself, there are special gallery images and content that can be unlocked, with promotional art, concept images and more. Then there are the paddle unlocks, which will alter the look of the paddle the player uses. There are several designs to be unlocked, including pixel art style, a mirror design and even a solid gold paddle. These give an extra amount of replay value for the general gameplay experience, giving something to earn.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – there is a relatively easy to pick up control scheme for this game, with three set swing types and simple movement inputs. There is a pretty easy to understand tutorial that explains the gameplay, with all of the buttons on screen for quick reference. There is one unfortunate flaw with these controls, which is what feels like some input lag during play. It feels like there are inconsistent responses to inputs, with some swings just whiffing entirely.

Difficulty – this game has severe spikes in difficulty, where the gameplay challenge really ramps up, with the speed of the game getting much faster. Towards the end of the arcade mode, the opponents really become punishing, with frantic action and power attacks that leave little time to react. This is significantly more punishing during championship mode, with some brutal spikes. In Arcade mode, there is an assist feature that can help players greatly.

Presentation – visually, the game looks good, with character designs that have their own unique quirks and distinct look. There is a good use of effects on screen, without an over reliance on flash to keep the player engaged. The 2D art also looks pretty good, further adding to the identity of the experience. The sound for the game is decent, with music and effects that fit the game, as well as minimal voice work for the announcer.

Final Thoughts – I usually enjoy these types of game, which made me really want to check the game out, but sadly my excitement was misplaced. During the opening stages of play, the challenge and action was easy to manage, with a few attempts to get past the first two opponents. However, the difficulty spikes, character gimmicks and unfortunate timing issues killed this momentum, leading to a not very fun grind to get through the game.

The issues I faced made it a very frustrating and infuriating experience, which kills any excitement and enjoyment to have with the game. There was a lot of potential for this release, but unfortunately the troubles with gameplay, input lag and general jank put me off from returning to the game. If you are looking for a cheap table tennis battle game, this may be for you, but I am unable to recommend it with my experience.

In the end, I give King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX a final score of 2.5/5. This is a solid arcade style table tennis battle game, offering a unique experience and gameplay system, but sadly it is marred by timing issues, unbalanced difficulty and lack of true refinement. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Link to Xbox version (HERE)

Demon Turf Queens Edition – Steam Review

Overview – developed by Fabraz and published by Playtonic Friends, Demon Turf: Queens Edition is the ultimate version of the 3D platformer with a charming comedic attitude. Play Through three adventures starring Beebz, a demon who wants to claim all of the turf, take down the rulers of the realms and become the Demon Queen. This version of the game is exclusive to the Steam platform, with a link to get it at the bottom of the review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Playtonic Friends for providing the copy of Demon Turf: Queens Edition that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. As this is a collection of games, I will be discussing the general plot, gameplay and experience of each part of the set, then cover the overall package.

Demon Turf

The Demon World is made up of different realms, inhabited by a variety of nasty beasts that are split into gangs, battling for territory and led by their own overlord. However, even these powerful beings are no match for the Demon King. One night, Beebz, a hot headed demon girl has her dreams invaded by the Demon King. After this she vows to take down the Demon King, by defeating each territories leader and claiming their turf, aiming to become the Demon King.

This adventure is a unique platforming adventure, combining flat 2D sprites and vibrant 3D environments. As Beebz, the player is tasked with clearing the stages of the four worlds, called Turfs, split into challenging platform focused stages. The main objective for all levels is to reach the goal, stealing the batter for that stage. In order to make it to the goal, the player needs to avoid deadly traps, enemies and hazards.

While travelling through the area on the way to the goal gate, the player can use a variety of skills. The basic moves include a jump, double jump and a hover spin, which can be combined to create spectacular acrobatic manoeuvres. One of the unique actions that can be performed is the Super Jump, which will launch Beebz forward a significant distance. As the player progresses, they will unlock new moves and skills to their repertoire.

As well as the platforming challenges, there will be additional sub-objectives. These include combat challenges, where enemies have to be defeated by Beebz a projectile power. Then there are race challenges, where set checkpoints much be reached within a time limit, or else they will fail and need to try again. last are the puzzle challenges, where the player needs to perform actions to open gates, which include hitting switches and using weights.

Many of these challenges will require the player to use Beebz demon power, the most basic of these skills are her demon blast projectiles. These are split into light and heavy blasts, with the light shots achieved by tapping the button, whereas the heavy attacks require charging. When holding down the button, the player will be able Beebz will concentrate her power, glowing when fully charged. This will unleash a large hand shaped blast.

In many of the areas, there will be buildings that Beebz can enter, with many of them being needed to get further into the stages. Some of these buildings will have locked doors, needing to be unlocked to progress to the next area. There will also be underwater zones, where Beebz will turn into an octopus. While underwater, Beebz will be able to swim freely and use Rocket Dash, travelling quickly through the water and navigate underwater dangers.

There are many hazards and death traps that will harm Beebz, including spikes, lava and bottomless pits. If Beebz suffers damage, she will be sent back to a checkpoint. In each of the stages, there will be a single designated checkpoint, which will be the starting point of the stage. However, the player will be able to set their own checkpoints by planting flags. These additional flags are limited, so placing them must be strategic and planned.

For those looking to explore and take on the trickier challenges, there will be sweets for players to collect in each stage. These treats are Beebz favourite cake, with three pieces to find in each of the stages. Some of the sweets will be in fairly easy to reach places, whereas others will require the player to go off the beaten path. To help players find the hidden desserts, Beebz has a special power, showing an arrow to the closest piece of cake.

Upon completing the stage, the player will be given a results screen, showing the time taken to beat the stage and a target clear time. If the player is able to beat the target time, they will be awarded a trophy for that stage. The player will also be shown the number of deaths, how many jumps used and the number of enemy knock outs. There are also leaderboards, where players can compete for the best time, adding further replay value to stages.

When all of the batteries for a stage have been collected, the boss stage will open up. These stages will have unique multi-phase challenges, where the player must overcome the unique gimmick for that boss. These stages will also introduce new mechanics, like the grappling hook, which will allow the players to glide through the air and hook objects. With the addition of these new skills, the player will be able to explore stages in more interesting ways.

Upon defeating the boss, the turf will be claimed and transform with fire and brimstone. This gives the player a whole new challenge, with new stages and batteries to claim. With this there is double the action in each of the turfs. The first version of a stage is called the First Trip, the second time through is called the Return Trip. When the Beebz makes a Return Trip, the cake is replaced with lollipops, with 50 of them to collect in these alternate zones.

Outside of the stages the player will be able to explore a mini hub world for each of the turfs, letting players challenge stages in any order they wish. This gives flexibility to the approach that players want to take. The turfs that Beebz must conquer are connected to Forktown, which is Beebz home and the largest of the spaces to explore. Within her home town, there are several facilities and challenges that can be accessed within this area.

While in the town, the player will be able to access the special shops. There are two shops that can be visited, with the first being the color shop, where Beebz can buy hair and outfit colors for Lollipops. Then there are the special mods enhancing Beebz powers, like speed increases, additional double jumps and more. These cost Cake pieces and must be equipped, with different upgrades having different points, so only a few can be equipped at once.

Alongside the shops, there are challenges that players can take on, including special trial stages, a coliseum for combat stages and even a photography challenge. As the player progresses, there will be more challenges, missions and areas to explore within Forktown. There is even an Arcade, where players can find special cartridges, which contain unique challenges inspired by other games. So there is plenty of content to explore away from the main stages.

Demon Turf: Neon Splash

This is a standalone adventure, following on from the events of Demon Turf, Beebz and her friends are pulled into a surreal painted world. Within this colorful world, they are trapped and must find a way to escape this bright neon prison. In this adventure, the player is tasked with clearing 10 stages filled with precise and challenging platforming. As this is a mini sequel to the first adventure, there are adjustments to the general gameplay experience.

Within this adventure, there are no combat challenges, with the focus being purely on platforming and reaching the goal of each stage. In order to clear these challenges, Beebz has a preset move list that can be used. These consist of powers that are carried over from the first game, with the standard jump and double jump, hover glide and the super jump. But she also has a special dash glide and snake boost skill, which are available from the start.

These skills will all be needed, as the player will face tough challenges, hazards and deadly pitfalls across the neon soaked world. The objective for each stage is simple, get to the goal as fast as possible. During the stages, players will need to maintain their momentum, jumping from ledges, moving platforms and more as they try to get to the end. There will be three target times for players to get, with gold, silver and bronze challenge times to meet.

Players will also be able to collect lollipops, which are scattered through each of the stages, adding further depth to the challenges. These Lollipops are important as they are used to purchase mods, with 6 special mods to select from. Unlocking the modifications will give Beebz more skills and options in stages, offering players more ways to play through the stages. These alter Beebz look when equipped, changing her hair and outfit depending on the item.

There are 10 stages in total, offering various challenges. But there are also special bonus stages that can be unlocked, with vinyl records that are hidden in the main stages. When these are collected, players will be able to challenge the Remix stages, which are significantly harder. These will really push the player to the limits of their skills, with even more devilish platforming to challenge. Thankfully, in all stages, players can place checkpoints frequently.  

For those who want to have some fun and experiment between stages, or to refresh themselves on the controls, players will be able to access the playground. A special sandbox world with platforms and features designed to just have fun with, exploring and experimenting with the skill set. This can be very hand for getting back to the game, or to test the limitations and combinations of skills that can be used. So take full advantage of this feature.

Demon Turf Tower

The final part of the Demon Turf trilogy of adventures, with Beebz enjoying a peaceful time at home, when she is suddenly interrupted by the Jester. This menace suddenly steals all of Beebz powers, leaving her unable to use her special abilities. So she sets off to reclaim her powers and defeat the Jester, heading to his tower. On her way, she meets an unusual being who is imprisoned in a well, offering to help Beebz in her quest.

This adventure is unique from the other experiences in the pack, offering a challenge that players must clear in a single run. The objective for this entry is to get to the top of the Jesters tower, climbing the 50 floors of tower. Sadly Beebz has been hexed, leading to her powers being sealed, preventing her from using anything other than her basic jump skills. However, she is able to regain her powers with a little help from the man in the well.

As Beebz reaches milestone heights on her journey, she will be able to obtain new powers. These include her double jump, spin and even a single use checkpoint flag. These new skills will be incredibly important as this tower can be treacherous, with one mistake leading to significant loss of progress. The player has a single life, so if Beebz is killed, she will be returned to the start. Players can also fall, losing a progress as they plummet to the floors below.

There is a loadout system that the game uses, which will allow the player to modify their skills. There are two variants for each skill that can be used, with a heart and spade version of the ability. The two skill variants will have their own unique functions, which change the way that they are used. By effectively planning out the approach to each floor, players will be able to work through the tower. If they die, their progress is recorded in the post run screen.

The player must make it to the top of the tower to succeed, but it will be a tough challenge. Luckily all of the floor layouts are preset, meaning that they can be learned with enough practice and patience. As the player unlocks skills, there will be shortcuts, tricks and more that can be used to reach the top faster. But until that point, there will be many failures, with each one starting right back at the bottom.

For those who have been able to conquer the tower, they will have their times recorded in the global leaderboards. This allows players to challenge others from across the world, letting them compete for the top spot. As new strategies are found, new skills are unlocked and players discover shortcuts, they will be able to shave more and more time off their run. But not everyone may be able to climb to the top of the tower.

Now with the gameplay details covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – for all of the games in this release, they use twin stick 3D movement, being able to control Beebz and the camera independently. There is a camera input, which will switch between automatic and manual camera movement. The platforming and skills are easy to use, spread between the face buttons and triggers/shoulders. For Demon Turf and Neon Splash, there are move lists that players can use to reference their skills and abilities.   

There will also be prompts on screen for quick reference. Throughout the games, there will be special tutorials that will show the player how to use mechanics. These are very handy, as there are a lot of skills that players need to learn. The recommended way to play the game is with a controller, but it is possible to play through the game using a keyboard. All of the inputs can be remapped to fit each play style and input method of choice.

Difficulty – when it comes to challenge, Demon Turf and Neon Splash are approachable and a lot of fun to play. Offering a balanced and approachable challenge that everyone can play, with stages that may take some time to overcome but don’t feel punishing. This cannot be said about Demon Turf Tower, as the challenge is brutally tough. It is possible that some players may not even be able to beat it, but it is worth a shot to see what happens.

Presentation – all of the games use the same visual style, which is a charming mix of Flat 2D sprites that move within a 3D space. This gives the game a unique appeal, which lets it stand out from the other games in the platforming genre. The different worlds and environments make great use of color, creating a unique identity that is capped off with a great soundtrack. There is also some voice acting, which further builds on the quirky charm of the games.

Final Thoughts – I am a fan of platformers, the 2D, the 3D and all of the weird and wacky combos inbetween, so this was an interesting experience. The games in this pack are fun and distinct experiences, with the large scale adventure of Demon Turf, the simplicity of Neon Splash and the brutal challenge of Tower. There is a lot on offer in this pack of games, with plenty of fun to be had. But it does have a couple of awkward flaws.

Being 3D platformers, there are some issues with depth perception at times, leading to mistakes being made when trying to be precise. Then there is the unfortunate slippy movement, which is most prevalent in Demon Turf Tower, leading to falls and even death. These issues can be adjusted to, but are frustrating at times. These games are fun and well made, with references to other classics, and I can happily recommend this to all platforming fans.

In the end, I give Demon Turf Queens Edition a final score of 4.5/5. This is a solid and fun triple pack of adventures, offering a lot of fun and a brutal challenge for those who seek it. The games in this pack are oozing with charm, and the characters are quirky and entertaining. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to it will be available below.

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Lost Gems – WCW/nWo Revenge (Nintendo 64)

Hello and welcome to Lost Gems, the feature where I cover games that have been abandoned, forgotten or simply lost to time. This week, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the debut of WCW Monday Nitro, I will be covering WCW/nWo Revenge for Nintendo 64. Developed by AKI Corporation and Asmik Ace Entertainment, it is considered one of the best in the genre, thanks to the large roster and dedicated AKI grappling system.

Disclaimer: while the game discussed here is no longer officially on sale, there are ways to obtain the game. This can either be through the second hand market, or via unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the game being covered.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the title.

About the game

WCW/nWo Revenge is a pro wrestling game, which was released during the boom period of pro wrestling, when WCW and the then WWF were locked in the Monday Night War. Revenge is the sequel to World Tour, which released the year before. This iteration of the game had several improvements over the first, with a larger roster of wrestlers, improved graphics and real world arenas, based on the TV and Pay Per View events.

There are several gameplay modes, with Exhibition matches, with single and tag team matches, allowing for one on one/two on two fights. This is alongside the special matches, with handicap two on one matches and battle royal, which are elimination matches with up to 40 wrestlers in the match. All of the matches can have their settings modified, changing the win condition, time limit and more giving it a decent amount of customisation.

The biggest addition for this title is the Championship mode, where players can challenge for one of five championship titles. There are three available from the start, with United States, Cruiserweight and Tag Team, with Television and World Heavyweight unlocked later. Championship mode functions like arcade mode, with a series of matches to reach the champion. By defeating them, they are unlocked for play and replaced by the player wrestler.

Within a match itself, the player can perform a variety of moves to defeat their opponent. The most basic is the strikes, where the player can use punches and kicks to damage their foe. By tapping the button, the attacks will be light and holding the button down makes them heavy. The player can also press a button to run, allowing them to perform running attacks. If the opponent is downed, ground strikes can be used on them for further damage.

Then we get to the grappling, which is where the real action comes from. By tapping the grapple button, the player will be able to perform a set of light moves. If the player holds the button down, they will be able to perform a heavy grapple. All characters have six light and heavy grapples in the front, with four additional moves that can be used by switching to the back. Various grapples can also be performed on a grounded opponent.

The grapple moves are made up of strikes, holds and slams. Performing these moves will wear down their opponent, reducing their spirit in battle and causing body damage over time. This shows up with a change in the pose of the wrestler, holding their head or gut after taking enough damage. The spirit meter has colors for the status, with green in the middle, red for positive and blue for negative, with danger as the very lowest.

If a wrestler does well, they will be able to enter the SPECIAL state, where the meter flashes while it is red. To activate this super state, the wrestler must perform a taunt which will cause SPECIAL to appear over the bar. During this time, the finishing move for the wrestler can be used and if a button combo is pressed, they can even steal the opponents finisher. These special moves can be devastating, doing significant damage on the way to victory.

To win the match, the player must try to pin, submit or knock their opponent out. In a standard singles or tag match, a pinfall or submission will be cancelled if it is attempted by the ring ropes, causing a rope break. The best way to guarantee an attempt is not interrupted, the player must keep their opponent close to the center of the ring. When a wrestler is in the danger state, they will be more susceptible to being defeated.

In a match, there are other ways for it to end, as a win, loss or even a draw. If there is a time limit, when it expires the match will be ruled a draw game. Then if the wrestlers are out of the ring, the wrestler will start to count if ring out is activated. These can be 10 or 20 counts, and if there is one or both wrestlers outside the ring when the count expires, the match will be over. It will be a draw if both are out, but if one is in they will win the match.

The last thing to discuss for matches is the extra modifiers. There are settings that can change how the match works, with no DQ that allows falls to count anywhere, lumberjack that prevents leaving the ring and more. There can also be interference, where a random wrestler will run to the ring and help the opponent, hanging out for a while. Weapons can also be used, with the ability to pull them from the crowd and some wrestlers start a match with them.

There is a lot of depth to the game, with the modifiers, match types that can be put together and over 60 wrestling superstars to play as. There are no entrance themes, using generic themes and music that plays during matches as a replacement for commentary. The menu theme has a variation of the WCW Monday Nitro theme. There is also a score system with rankings, as well as a simple costume customisation system, adding more replay value.

Personal Thoughts

It has been 30 years since the debut of WCW Monday Nitro, which kicked off the 6 year long rise, peak and fall of WCW. I grew up during the Monday Night War between WCW and the WWF, watching what I could on British TV and getting the occasional VHS tape. This extended to playing the games on the Mega Drive, Super Nintendo and Game Boy. However, my main interest during the time was with WCW with wrestlers like Sting and Goldberg being my favourite.

I first got the WWF Warzone game, which I liked but felt awkward and stiff. So when I was gifted a copy of WCW/nWo Revenge, I was completely blown away, as it was so easy to play and pull off cool moves. The copy I received was pre-owned, so it had all of the characters unlocked, which meant I didn’t know there was characters to unlock. I did discover this later, resetting the cartridge and unlocking all of the wrestlers and clearing the championships.

This is a special game for me, as I wasn’t able to watch all of the shows and events, due to both cost and general availability of content. So being able to play this game, allowed me to see matches like Hollywood Hogan VS Roddy Piper using CPU wrestlers. While this wasn’t a true alternative, being able to play out dream matches was a lot of fun. I also had a lot of fun messing with the settings, having specialty matches with the adjustable settings.

In the years that followed, I returned to the game regularly, playing through the different championship ladders as well as general play. I was also able to watch the 6 year run of WCW, where they reached their peak with the New World Order, as well as their decline and death in 2001. This brought everything full circle, allowing me to fully appreciate the amount of detail with the roster, arenas and general game experience.

The action flows in a way that feels right, with the grappling and striking that can be done with few buttons, which gave a good sense of impact for the time. Then there is the instant replay feature, which will activate in singles matches, showing big impactful moves again. They also have a post-match replay feature, which will show the move that finished the match, offering multiple angles that were rare for wrestling games of the time.

There were games that came after it, with WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy, using the AKI engine, as well as the less good WCW games. However, they don’t feel the same as this, with the simple yet deep gameplay keeping me coming back for more. It is one of those games I can pull out any time, going back to that time when I was a kid. That comfort and warm sense of nostalgia is something that the other games simply don’t have.  

This title is perfect for fans of WCW and those who enjoy wrestling games, with the price on the second hand market being pretty low. This makes it very accessible to players, as the pricing for the N64 consoles are accessible, as well as the ability to get clone systems. Due to the wide spread availability of the game, this can be found pretty easily across various markets. So it is one of those that would fit a collection for game nights with ease.

Sadly, this is one of those games that will likely never be re-released, due to licensing as WCW was bought out, with all of the rights and licenses going with it. Then there is the original publisher THQ, who went under and the developers have changed since. A modern release of this game will likely never happen, as the WWE who own WCW are focused on the 2K series. Which is disappointing as it is a snapshot of a magical time, which should be experienced.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.

Fallen City Brawl – Steam Review

Overview – developed by Fallen City Studio and published by Eastasiasoft, Fallen City Brawl is a throwback to the arcade brawlers of the yester year, with action packed beat ‘em up chaos. Take on the gangs of the criminal underworld, who are waging war for control of Fallen City in the year 1989. This title is currently available for Steam and GOG, with console version coming in the future. Links to the available versions will be at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Fallen City Brawl that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be only discussing the single player experience, as I was unable to play the game with another for this review. The story details have been taken from the game itself.

Story – In 1989, a brutal battle for control of Fallen City’s criminal underworld rages, a once peaceful city descends into chaos. A former balck-ops mercenary known only as ‘Ignition Gear’ seizes control. Ignition Gear’s six deadly lieutenants grip each area of the city, hope is almost lost. Only four stand against them. Joined by a fearsome wolf, together they will decide tonight in Fallen City. Who will live and who will fall.

Gameplay – Fallen City Brawl is a classic side scrolling brawler, inspired by the classics of the genre. Players must fight their way across 7 distinct locations, either alone or with a partner, taking down the criminal thugs and their leaders in battle. There is a singular mode in this game, with the standard arcade mode. But there is a solid tutorial that allows players to learn the ropes, while also giving players a chance to try out the different characters.

The roster of fighters for this release is fairly distinct, each with their own unique style, special attacks and unique weaponry. The team consists of SGT Clay, an ex-swat member framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He fights to clear his name and clean up the FCPD, armed with his standard issue pump shotgun. Ricco, a special forces operative who’s unit was destroyed by Ignition Gear. He fights to bring him to justice, with his side arm in tow.

Then we have Natasha, a mechanic fighting to find her sister, with the goal to convince her to leave Ignition Gear’s side. She takes the fight to the enemy with her trusty wrench. Last is Iron Jackson, a former lieutenant of the gang who was betrayed by Ignition Gear. He fights for revenge, wearing a heavy iron chain and using Molotov cocktails to incinerate his foes. All of the characters fit different archetypes, like grappler and street fighter.

All of the characters have the same basic move set, with a standard four hit combo that will knock enemies down to the ground. This can be augmented with variants that will launch enemies across the screen, alongside attacks that will juggle foes to extend combos. When beating down enemy goons, the player will build up a combo counter, which will last for a limited time before resetting. This can be extended with additional skills and attacks.

The player is able to grapple enemies, dealing extra damage before sending them across the screen. players can also further damage downed enemies with a special input, initiating ground and pound against them. All of the characters have special attacks, which have increased damage but at the cost of some health, making them a double edged sword. The most unique skills for each fighter are their ranged weapons, which are limited but ammo can be collected.

By beating down the hordes of enemies, they will drop items for players to collect. The most common will be gems, which will fill up the RIOT meter below the characters health bar. Gems are dropped when combos are hit, making it important to continue chaining attacks against enemies. As the bar fills up, the player will be able to access their ultimate attacks, with increased damage and special effects depending on the level they are activated.

If the player fully fills up the RIOT meter, they will be able to activate the final CHAOS power, which will summon two shadow enemies. These enemies will attack the player, but if they are defeated they will yield great rewards. As the player makes their way through a stage, they will find weapons that can be used against enemies. These include swords, hammers and even enemy motorcycles, the weapons have limited durability when being used.

Defeating enemies will cause money and coins to drop. The money will provide points that build the players score, these are simply to get the best possible score for the rankings. Coins will drop when the RIOT meter is filled fully or when the super meter is activated. These replace gems, with coins dropping with every 10 hits like gems would. During the RIOT state, these are changed to red coins, giving a higher yield. Collecting 100 coins, gives an extra life.

At the end of a stage, the player will encounter a powerful boss. These deadly foes include gang leaders armed with heavy weapons, martial arts masters and even cyborgs with explosives. Within these battles, the challenge will be increased as these bosses are tougher, hit harder and have unique attack patterns. Some of the bosses will also wait to attack, only jumping into the fight when the henchmen are defeated.

At the end of a stage after landing the last hit on the boss, the player will get a score screen, where bonus score rewards will be awarded. The bonuses are based on the remaining time for the stage, the number of gems collected and the total coins picked up. By racking up a big score, the player will be able to secure their place on the Steam rankings. But this can be pretty tough, as the players score will be reset if all lives are lost and the player is defeated.

The player will start off with three lives and three credits, which can be enough to make it to the end of the game. However, if the player is unable to make it to the finale, there is a failsafe for the game. In the event that the player gets a game over, they will be able to continue from the start of the stage they were defeated on. When doing this, players can select a new character with a fresh set of live and credits, making it easier to reach the end.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – for this game, there is a pretty simple and easy to use control scheme, using 5 inputs for all of the in game actions. There is a snappy and responsive feel to the inputs, with the action flowing pretty smoothly. This title is recommended to be played with a controller for the best experience, with all controllers supported via Steam Input. But there is keyboard support, as well as fully customizable controls for any input choice.

Difficulty – in general this is a pretty challenging and mostly fair arcade style brawler, but there are some minor issues when it comes to game balance. During play, there will be some issues with difficulty spikes, which is most common during segments with vehicles and boss fights. This is due to what feels like awkward hitboxes, leading to unfair damage from bosses and some enemies. When this happens it can be frustrating, due to the risk of unfair defeat.

Presentation – from a visual perspective, this game has that arcade style which works well. The spritework and animations have a feel that sits between 16 and 32 bit, with bold sprites and fairly detailed environments. Then there are the visual effects, with camera zooms, explosions and flames that aid the action on screen. This is all complimented by a pretty good soundtrack, with compositions that have the essence of the time period throughout.

Final Thoughts – I do love a good arcade brawler, as I have many a fond memory of the genre. So when I was given the opportunity to play Fallen City Brawl, I was excited to dive into it and give it a shot. My experience was generally positive, with some fun and engaging action, action packed brawling and interesting characters. I did a few runs as a solo player, trying out all the characters with some mixed results during play.

There are some flaws to the game, with awkward hitboxes that lead to unfair damage, as bosses can hit the player while being hit in a combo. I also had a few crashes during play, which caused the game to just close. These issues were very frustrating, sadly tarnishing what is a pretty fun and deep beat ‘em up. I can recommend this game, but I have to add the caveat that the game does need a little polish, as it has the potential to be truly great.

In the end, I give Fallen city Brawl a final score of 3.5/5. This is an enjoyable beat ‘em up, which has its inspirations on full show, with responsive brawling, interesting gameplay mechanics and a solid roster of playable characters. It is unfortunately let down by some rough edges to the experience. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Link to GOG version (HERE)

Retro Revival – Elevator Action Returns S-Tribute (Various)

Hello and welcome to the latest entry in the Retro Revival series, covering classic games that have been given a second chance to be appreciated by a new audience. Here I discuss HD remasters, emulated ports and compilations, in part or as a whole. This week, I will be covering a classic action game that was in arcades, as well as the SEGA Saturn. Elevator Action Returns, which has been brought to new platforms under the S-Tribute Banner.

Disclaimer: the games discussed in this feature have been purchased by me, so the opinions given within are all my own. There has been no sponsorship of the content in this feature, with links to the different version of the game at the bottom where possible.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general gameplay experience, alongside some background details and then my personal thoughts on the title.

About the game

Elevator Action Returns is an action arcade game, being a full sequel to the original game, expanding on it significantly. The original game featured a spy collecting documents, with this one having a whole new scenario. This time a paramilitary trio the DEF is sent on missions, fighting against a mysterious terrorist organisation. These three agents, set out to take down the criminal group, stopping their plan for global domination and a new world order.

The gameplay for this release is similar to other run and gun titles, completing several missions in a variety of settings. When starting the game, the player must select the character they want to use from a roster of three agents. These are Kart Bradfield, Edie Burret and Jad the Taff, who each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Kart is the most agile, Edie can fire her weapon the fastest and Jad is the most resilient of the team.

Stages are made up of buildings that are split into floors, going both vertically and horizontally. These areas include an apartment building, airport terminal and even an underground train station, with stages that can move in all directions. To navigate the different buildings, the player must navigate elevators and lifts to get through each layer. These move on their own, but when the player gets onto them, they can control them freely.

In each of the missions, the player must defuse bombs planted in the target location, which are hidden behind specific doors. But players must stay on their toes, as there will be an endless number of enemy henchmen that will appear. To dispatch these foes, the player can use their base weapon, which has unlimited ammunition. However, they are also provided with a limited number of bombs, as well as an up close melee attack.

The bombs can be thrown between two distances, when standing and when crouched. These explosives can be handy in a pinch, being able to take out several enemies at once. If the player runs out, they will be able to collect more by accessing blue doors and breaking boxes. The player can also collect grenades from enemies, while getting bonus points from various sources to boost the players current score.

Many of the enemies that appear can be taken down with a single shot, but as the player gets further into the missions, they will get stronger. The enemies will also evolve from basic thugs, to mercenaries with flight and even robots. In order to even the playing field, players can also get stronger by collecting weapon upgrades. Each of the characters has two weapon upgrades they can use, an automatic weapon and an explosive launcher.

Using these weapons can quickly thin out the herd, with the ability to hit several at once. The automatic weapon does the same damage as the default, but is faster and goes further. Then there is the explosive launcher, which will turn whatever it touches to ash and leaving trail of destruction behind. These weapons have limited munitions, lasting until the player has used all of the shots up, reverting back to the default handgun weapon.

During a mission, the player can use the environment to their advantage, with broken walls, barriers and even oil drums. If the player shoots a barrel, it will fall over and roll, shooting again will cause it to burst into flames and incinerate the enemies nearby. There will also be sections where explosives will be dropped from environmental points. These will cover the entire floor in flames for a short time, helping the player take down enemies.

During some of the missions, there will be intense battles against large groups of enemies. These enemy hordes will attack the player from all sides, with some of them appearing above and below the player. The horde battles are the closest thing to a boss fight, as this game doesn’t follow the traditional rules of run and gun games. Once all of the bombs have been defused, the player must head to the extraction point to escape.

The player has a limited amount of health and lives, taking damage from enemy fire that will drain energy. If the health bar runs out, the player will fall and lose a life. But players can also lose a life by falling from ledges or being crushed by an elevator. There is also a hidden time limit, which will run down as the player makes their way through each of the missions. A warning will appear when this happens, with the timer resetting when a bomb is disarmed.

During a run of the game, there are limited credits and lives to make it through the missions. The player can have a maximum of four lives, with three credits to get through the game as standard. However, as this is a special emulated release, there have been new features added, including the ability to toggle infinite credits and even level select. This makes it possible for players to make it through the entire game, easing the challenge for some.

There is a two player co-op mode that is available for this release, with players selecting their hero and working together. This is a good use for the infinite credit feature as there are only three credits, which will be shared between the two active players. There is also a special version of the original arcade game, Elevator Action, which can be accessed from the main menu. This is a fairly accurate version of the first game and a nice addition.

For this release, as well as others in the S-Tribute series, there is a selection of special visual settings that players can apply. This includes altering the size of the image, adding scanlines and more to the look of the game. There is also a rewind feature, letting players fix mistakes that have been made, alongside a quick save and load feature. These additions and the special features let any player enjoy the game, providing the best experience for all.

Personal Thoughts

Elevator Action Returns is an interesting and unique game, which was originally released only in Japan. This makes the S-Tribute version of the game very special, as it is the first time the game has been officially released in the west. There was also a significant gap between the first two games, with 11 years between them. After this there were additional games that popped up over the years, including updates to the original and even a light gun release.

I had originally played an import of the first game on the SEGA Saturn, having positive memories of the game. This made the revival of the game through the ZEBRA Engine an exciting one, being able to experience the game again after many years. The S-Tribute series is a great thing for players, as they are significantly less expensive than original hardware and software. It also allows the games to be saved from being lost to time.

The elevator action series is one of those that maintained a unique identity, with some games trying to emulate them, yet not reaching the same levels of quality. There hasn’t been much from the franchise, aside from a re-release of the first game as part of the Arcade Archives series. This is available in the Taito Milestones collection, allowing players to play the first game. The gameplay is identical between the ACA release and as a bonus in this title.

The general experience of the game, with the quality of life improvements, visual modifiers and accessibility make this the definitive version of Elevator Action Returns. It is perfect for people looking for something to challenge solo, or with another, being perfect for game nights. There are many games available on the S-Tribute label, with the ZEBRA Engine providing the only official way to experience these games.

This is a fantastic title, offering fun and unique run and gun gameplay, which is currently available across all platforms. If you have any of the current generation and even previous generation of systems, I highly recommend checking this out. Especially on the Nintendo Switch and even the Steam Deck, as it is one of those games perfect for handheld play. it may not be the longest experience, but it sure packs an action filled punch.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then take a look at the other content available and see what catches your eye. There are reviews, sometimes news and features that cover a variety of games. There is the lost gems series, special Gaming Oddities and more coming in the future. So stick around for a while and check out the other content.

Link to Nintendo Switch Version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Link to Xbox version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Idea factory, Compile Heart and STING, with Publishing handled by Idea Factory International, the legendary Mado Monogatari dungeon crawling RPG series is back. The young aspiring mage Fia sets off on an adventure at the Ancient Magic Academy, with her goal to be the next Great Mage. This title is available on PlayStation 4/5 and Nintendo Switch, with links to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Idea Factory International for providing Mado Mongatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be covering the core gameplay mechanics of this game, as to prevent spoiling any of the surprises and secrets that the adventure holds. I will also be referring to the game as simply Mado Monogatari, for the sake of brevity.

Story – The Ancient Magic Academy, a school that formally teaches the Magic Artes and nurtures the ambitions of student. Fia, a young girl who aspires to be a Great Mage, leaves her hometown and arrives at the Wondrous Academy to study Magic Artes like grandmother. Surrounded by strict yet humorous professors, alongside chaotic and delightful classmates, Fia will learn Magic Artes, attend classes and grow in order to become a Great Mage.

Gameplay – Mado Monogatari is a mix of dungeon crawling RPG and school adventure, where the player takes the role of Fia, a young girl who aspires to be the next Great Mage. The gameplay is split into two gameplay segments, dungeon exploration and life at the academy. In order to progress the game, the player will need to attend classes and complete assignments. While attending classes, Fia will learn various skills and Magic Artes.

Before the game starts proper, the player will select a role, which will affect the general statistics and proficiency for Fia. The classes are based on traditional RPG archetypes, with the power focused Magic Knight, magic focused Wizard and support focused Witch Thief. There is also the Hermit Hunter, which is a balanced in both combat and magic. The player is able to switch their role, allowing for experimentation during the adventure.

During the early stages of the game, the player will have assignments that will teach the player the basics of the game. These include introductions to the combat system, levelling and general dungeon exploration. Assignments will be separated into required and optional, the required classes will push the narrative forward. There will also be additional objectives that aren’t tied to assignments, like locating and speaking to characters.

When taking on an assignment, the player will often need to enter a dungeon to complete it. This is where the dungeon crawling gameplay comes into play. In the areas surrounding the Academy, there are dungeons that the player will be able to explore. This starts out as with the Mage’s Tower, which is where the player learns the basics of dungeon crawling. The floors of the dungeons are randomised, giving the player a new experience each time.

Alongside the dungeon excursion assignments, there will be additional objectives for the classes to be completed. Some of them will be answering questions, some will be combat exercises and others will be only narrative sections. Once an assignment has been completed, the player will be able to turn it in to the homeroom teacher Rivan. It is recommended for players to complete the side assignments before the main quests.  

During the exploration of a dungeon, the player will control Fia directly, guiding her around the floor of the current location. She will be accompanied by a party, consisting of up to 5 characters, with 3 active including Fia and two reserves. The party will expand as the player gets further into the game, with characters changing as the narrative develops. Active and reserve characters can be switched freely, inside and out of the dungeons.

Dungeon exploration can be a tiring endeavour, which is where VT comes into play. VT also known as Vitality, is the energy that the player needs to travel the dungeon and protect themselves. This is gradually depleted by entering combat, moving between floors or by hitting the dangerous traps that can appear. If the green VT bar runs out, the player will start taking damage on a red bar, if both of them run out the expedition will be a failure.

When exploring, there will be destructible objects on the floors of the dungeon. These consist of boxes, barrels and environmental elements like crystals and grass. The player can break these items by attacking them with their weapon, yielding items, resources and recovery items. Recover items can restore lost Health, magic power used for spells and VT. The other way to restore VT is to consume Curry, which can be a reward or even crafted.

Once the assignment has been completed in the dungeon, the player will be able to leave immediately. Upon departing from the dungeon, the number of defeated enemies will be recorded, the items that have been found and the max floor reached. The highest number for each of these will be recorded as a high score. The scores recorded will be tied to each of the many dungeons, giving players targets to try and beat when exploring.

As the player wanders the labyrinths, there will be enemies that appear consisting of various monsters. The most common of these are the Puyo Slimes, the recognisable multi-color slime creatures that had their own series spin off from Mado Monogatari. The player will see the enemies on the dungeon field, randomly placed in the different rooms and areas of the floor. There are two ways that enemies can be engaged in battle.

If the player runs into an enemy, or if they strike first a battle will begin. This is where the real meat of the game takes place. When in combat, there is a mix of real time and turn based battle mechanics. The player will directly control Fia and the active party will move around autonomously, making decisions based on orders they have been given. To take down enemies, the player will be able to employ basic attacks and special skills.

At the top of the screen, there will be timeline that shows all of the active combatants in battle. The icons for the characters and enemies will move along the line, stopping when they reach the end of the timeline. When this happens, all combatants will be able to unleash skills, magic attacks and use items, resetting them to the other end of the timeline. Fia can use her weapon for a standard attack, but this will slow down her icon delaying access to skills.

As the player and party use their skills, Elemental Orbs will be dropped based on the attack used. Up to five of these different orbs can be collected, appearing in the bottom right corner of the screen. These elemental orbs serve two purposes, by collecting four or more of the same type, the player will enter a fever state for a limited time. In this special state, the player will be do increased damage with the attribute that activated fever.

The most important use for the orbs is to activate the Great Magic Artes, a selection of powerful magical powers that can be unleashed upon enemies. These special skills can be used any time the player has the correct orbs to use it, immediately activating the powerful attack. All enemies in the battle will take significant damage, which can be very useful in a pinch. Different skills require specific elements, so some experimentation is needed.

In battle, there will be status effects that can occur, including sleep and poison that deal damage over time. These are dangerous as they can cause Fia or a party member to be severely hurt, potentially leading to disaster. If a party member is defeated, they will be unable to continue unless they are revived or the dungeon is left. In the event that Fia is taken down, the exploration will end, going back to the Academy at the cost of 50% of money.

When a battle is over, the player will gain experience, money and even items based on the challenge of the enemies. The experience earned will be provided to all party members that aren’t incapacitated, levelling up the characters when set milestones are met. As characters level up, they will get stronger, increasing their skills, abilities and unlocking new upgrades. When Fia levels up, she will also gain LP points, which are used to progress her skills.

For Fia to increase her skills and abilities, the Grimoire she carries needs to be imbued with power. Inside the Grimoire, there are powers that need to be unlocked by paying LP earned during play. To be able to learn the new skills and features, the player will need to complete classes and meet the requirements in the Grimoire. By learning the skills in the large nodes, the player will gain credits and when enough are earned, a promotion exam can be challenged.

The promotion exam will increase the classification of Fia as a Mage, starting at Apprentice and increasing to Bachelor Mage, Beginner Mage and further. If the player can pass the exam, they will unlock the next section of the Grioire, with improved skills and powers that can be unlocked. By progressing the Grimoire and the skills inside it, there will be new mechanics and features that players can unlock inside and out of the Academy.

While at the school grounds, there will be the ability to farm and cultivate foods. These are fruits on trees that need to be fertilized, seeds that need to be planted and a pool for catching fish. By collecting these food resources, the player will be able to cook various curries. These curries have different recipes and ingredients, which are obtained through play. By consuming these curries, special effects can be imbued into the player.

There will also be planting areas, trees and cooking stations within the dungeons. The cultivation areas are connected within the dungeons, with progress being carried over. All cultivation will occur during dungeon excursions, with plants growing at the academy while exploring and fighting monsters. Inside the school grounds, the player will be able to plant and cook with items from storage, but not while in dungeons.

The player can also visit the shop, where they can buy and sell items, store items and even synthesize new items by combining materials collected. This feature lets player create new items and make the most of their supply, create new items to sell for money and strengthen the party. Equipment that has been collected and crafted can be equipped to the party, strengthening them for the adventures that they face together.

In the Library, there will be a mail box that Fia can use to receive letters from different characters, containing items and humorous dialogue. There is also a special Help Wanted Box, which will provide players with requests from the academy, as well as the area around it. The special requests are an extra side quests, which players can take on for additional rewards, bonuses and more. Once a request is complete, take it back to the Box to get the reward.

The last thing to discuss is the special events. During the course of the adventure, there will be a school festival, where the characters will dress in cute and silly costumes. Then there are the other events, like the fishing contest and the cooking competition. These special events can be a nice break, adding a little bit of levity to the more dramatic moments of the adventure. There are also special interactions with characters that players can discover.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – Mado Monogatari has a control system that feels a little awkward, especially when getting started with the game. Fia and the camera are controlled with the thumbsticks, while the inputs for actions are shown on the bottom of the screen. It is comfortable to play, with easy to navigate menu systems, as well as shortcuts for skills and effects. It takes a little while to adapt to combat inputs, but after some practice it all falls into place.

Difficulty – there are three difficulty settings for this release, offering an Easy, Normal and Hard option for players. The Easy setting is designed for newer players, with a relaxed challenge. Then there is Normal, which is the recommended and balanced setting, with Hard being the toughest challenge, pushing the limits of the player. In general, these are balanced and offer an experience for everyone to play and enjoy.

Presentation – from a visual perspective, Mado Monogatari is a vibrant and pleasing game, with a colorful world and characters that feel vibrant. The Live2D character portraits for scene dialogue are beautiful, giving the characters expressive and lively appearances. This is accompanied by cute Chibi style models, which are animated extremely well. There are also full screen CG arts, which appear during events in the narrative, enhancing the moments they are used.

The environments are distinct from each other and have a good amount of variety to them, with great use of color and music to build the desired atmosphere. Then we get to the sound, which further adds to the whole charm of the experience. The soundtrack is excellent, with an opening theme that sets up the whimsical and fun adventure. All of the dialogue is in Japanese, with character voices that fit each of the roles very well.

Final Thoughts – I had been aware of the adventures of Mado Monogatari, but under the name of Sorcery Saga. But I had never been able to play them before, until this point as my first experience. That being said, I had a wonderful time with this game, as it is a fun and challenging RPG adventure. The characters, story and world of Mado Monogatari have a charm that is carried throughout, which kept me invested for my entire time with the game.

There were some minor hiccups, with the slightly awkward controls in combat, but these didn’t sour my experience. It does take a little time to get used to the game, but it is worth it as there is a lot of fun and depth in the gameplay. This is a unique adventure, with progression that makes it stand out from others in the genre. I can happily recommend this game, if you are a fan of the series, or if you just enjoy dungeon crawlers, then this is for you.

In the end, I give Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy a final score of 4.75/5. This is a charming and whimsical RPG adventure, with characters, gameplay and a world that is tremendous fun. All wrapped in a colorful and vibrant presentation, music and distinct style that makes it feel unique. if you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Spy Bros. (Pipi &Bibi’s DX) – Steam Review

Overview – developed and published by RAWRLAB Games, in collaboration with Tatsujin Co, Spy Bros. (Pipi &Bibi’s DX) is a remake of the classic arcade game by Toaplan. Experience the classic arcade puzzle game about two spies, who must infiltrate buildings and plant bombs on their terminals to destroy confidential information. This title is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank RAWRLAB Games for providing the copy of Spy Bros. (Pipi &Bibi’s DX) that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer Service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. This game is relatively light on plot, so I will be adding the relevant story details to the gameplay segment. Also for the sake of brevity, I will simply be referring to the game as Spy Bros.

Gameplay – Spy Bros is a single screen action arcade game, where the objective is to plant bombs on confidential terminals in each stage. In order to complete the objective for each stage, the player will need to dodge the goons that roam the stage. For players to make their way through the stages, they will need to travel between the different levels of the stage. Half of the stages use stairs and elevators, with the other half using trampolines to get around.

The main game is made of 6 worlds, with 4 stages each. Each batch of stages has their own unique theming to them, with gimmicks that are tied to them. They include the standard office building with gangsters and scientists, the circus with clowns and the raceway, with cars and grid girls. These stages increase with difficulty, getting progressively harder as the player progresses. The gimmicks and themes make each area feel distinct from each other.

The player is not the only one that can travel around the stage, as there will be enemies that wander the stages. These foes will spawn from the doors that are scattered through the screen, appearing whenever an enemy is defeated. As the Spy Bros, the player will be able to use a powerful laser, which will stun enemies when contact is made. If the player holds the laser on a downed enemy, they can be pushed from the level falling down the screen.

If the enemy is pushed all the way off the bottom of the stage, they will be defeated and provide the player with a big point bonus. This can also happen when an enemy is hit on an elevator, or even while on a trampoline. If there is a solid floor below the elevator or trampoline, they will just stop when they hit there. The Laser can also keep elevator doors open, letting the player rush to the door before it lowers, sliding in there at the last second.

When planting bombs, if the player is hit, they will lose a life and immediately spawn at the start point. In the even all lives are lost, the player will need to continue to keep going. After the final bomb has been planted a countdown timer will start, during this the player must rush to the exit. If they are able to reach the exit, the stage will be cleared. However, if they are hit by an enemy or fail to escape in time, the stage will start from the beginning.

After requirements are met, a special H coin will appear in each stage for the player to collect. This coin will not last for long, disappearing if it is left alone for too long. If the player can collect all four coins for a world, they will be able to take on a special bonus stage, giving the player the chance of earning extra lives. Once all 6 worlds have been cleared as the Spy Bros, the second part of the game will begin, as the Pipi and Bibi will be captured.

This second half of the game is called Spy Sis, where the player will be able to select from Mimi and Gigi, the partners of Pibi and Bibi. As this pair of sisters, the player will challenge the same set of stages, but there is a big change to the gameplay. All of the stages for the second run through are mirrored, playing the game in reverse across the all six worlds. This adds a new wrinkle in the gameplay, as new strategies must be employed.

Another significant change for the Spy Sis mode is that the girls don’t have the laser gun, being unable to attack enemies from a distance. However, they do have the ability to sprint and slide, with the slide allowing players to hit enemies. This is only temporary, with enemies getting up if they are hit on the stage. But if the player can hit an enemy on an elevator or on a trampoline, they will fall and only stop if they hit the ground.

Once all 6 worlds have been cleared as the sisters, the player will rescue their partner. But all is not as it seems, as there is a final opponent that must be overcome in a climactic final battle. In this boss fight, the player must switch between their chosen spy sister and her partner spy bro. The two characters must be used to knock the boss down, leaving them open to being damaged. When the boss is defeated, both characters must escape to beat the game.

This is a remake of the original arcade game, with the additional Spy Sis game mode, adjustable settings and extra gameplay modes. There is also the inclusion of special cheats and codes that can change elements of the game. All of these special secrets are well hidden, but with some searching they can be discovered. By playing through the game, there will be some things that will be unlocked naturally, but others are more cryptic.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – Spy Bros has a pretty simple control scheme, with only a few buttons needed to play the game. It is recommended to use a controller for this release, with the ability to use Steam input to enable various controllers. The gameplay for the game modes is comfortable, with responsive and lag free inputs that work well. There is a little inconsistency with some controllers, causing missed inputs at times, but this is not the fault of the game.

Difficulty – there is an escalating difficulty curve for the first half of the game, with the hardest parts of the game being the last stretch. This is due to the increased enemy spawns and gimmicks, like the race cars and trampolines, which can be frustrating. The second half is a bit of a mixed bag, as the trampoline stages are significantly easier, due to being able to attack when bouncing. Thankfully the player can push through with infinite credits.

Presentation – Spy Bros looks good with crisp sprite work and new assets, which have been designed from the ground up. There are additional filters, which smooth out the sprites, add CRT effects and generally smooth things out. But I did not like this as much, but it may work for others. I did like the new assets as they fit the game well. The sound is solid too, offering a soundtrack that sounds very close to the original arcade release.

Final Thoughts – I know all about Toaplan and the games they made, so I was aware of Spy Bros, under the original name of Pipi and Bibi’s/Whoopee! The original version was an adult game, with NSFW content as the reward images. This was changed and this was a good choice, so players of all ages can enjoy the game, as it is a fun and challenging arcade game. But for those who want those assets, there are guides that can be used to re-add them.

This is a real tough game, with a lot of challenges that can really be rough to get through. This can lead to some frustrations in the end stretch of the game, as the challenge is much harder in worlds 5 and 6 on both loops. I very much enjoyed the expanded content, with the second game loop being available after clearing the first, I just wish I knew how to switch between them. Overall, I do think this is worth recommending to fans of classic arcade games.

In the end, I give Spy Bros. (Pipi &Bibi’s DX) a final score of 4.5/5. This is a fun arcade game which has been revived and expanded, with new gameplay content, additional modes and quality of life changes, while retaining the spirit of the original. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Victory Heat Rally – Steam Review

Overview – developed by Skydevilpalm and published by Playtonic Friends, Victory Heat Rally is an arcade style racing game, inspired by classics of the genre like Power Drift. Take on the twists, turns and jumps of tracks across the Victory Heat Rally championship, battling it out with racers and rivals to be the VHRC champion. This title is available on Steam and the Nintendo Switch, with links to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Playtonic Friends for providing the copy of Victory Heat Rally used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, the game is light on plot so I will be adding those details to the gameplay segment.

Gameplay – Victory Heat Rally is an arcade style racer, where players can power slide at breakneck speeds, across the tracks of the Victory Heat Rally Championship. As one of 12 drivers, take on the tracks of 12 distinct locations, from the Baytona Speedway, to Waku Park and Lavendel Forest. Take on perilous tracks across the world, hitting the track with the action of the VHRC, broadcast by VHN and the roaming reporter Sally McRally.

As this is an arcade style racer, the focus is on breakneck speeds, tight drifting and risky open jumps. When on the track, the player must make use of the drift mechanic, hitting corners and turns while hitting the drift button. This allows racers to build up the drift boost, which has three levels of power, going from green to orange and then purple at max power. Using pure driving skill, pass all the other racers and secure first place.

When starting the game, the player will need to select from 5 saves, allowing multiple profiles to play the game. From the main menu, there are several options that players can select, with the most important being the Championship mode. In this gameplay mode, the player will make their way through the Victory Heat Rally Championship. The championship itself is split into nine tours, featuring circuits from across the VHR world.

The progression for the championship is separated into groups, with the first group that can be accessed being Group Alpha. Each of the groups contains three tours, with each of them having a theme that will test the skills of the player. When selecting a tour, the player will enter an overworld map for that section. While inside the overworld, the player will encounter single races, special challenges and the final grand prix of the tour.

Before the player can get into the action of the races, they will need to select their driver. At the beginning of the championship, there will only be three drivers to select from. When selecting the driver, the player will be able to select the type of suspension and tyres they use, affecting the car stats. The player can also select a color, with one at the start but more are unlocked as the player progressed through the game.

The events that occur in a tour consist of circuit races, where the player must get the top spot within a set number of laps. The total number of laps will vary, with longer tracks having less laps to clear. Then there are the rally races, where players need to reach the finish line within a set amount of time. The last single event are the Joker challenges, which will test the driving skills of the player, with drift challenges, passing contests and slalom style races.

Each of the events have three medals attached to them, with gold, silver and bronze to earn based on their performance. The circuit races will provide medals based on placement, with rewards for getting first, second or third place. This is followed by the rally trials, where the player has three target times to meet if players want to earn a medal. The Joker challenges have varied events based on the difficulty and event.

When all of the single race events have been cleared, the player will be able to challenge the tour grand prix. This will put the player into a contest that consists of four heats, using all of the tracks featured in the tour itself. This plays out like the standard races, but with one key difference, a rival racer will be introduced to challenge the player. The rival will be much tougher than the others, staying hot on the heels of the player.

At the end of a grand prix, the player will get a trophy for finishing in first place. There is also silver and bronze available for second/third place. After the player clears the tour, they will have the ability to challenge their rival in a head to head race. These races have one simple objective, get in front of the opponent and maintain it to delete their bar. But if the opponent gets ahead, the player will have their bar run down.

If the player is able to best the rival, they wll be unlocked and added to the playable roster of racers. To access the rival races, the player will need to have enough Victory Points, shortened to VP. These are earned by getting medals in the events, with three for gold, two for silver and one for bronze. The VP that players earn are carried throughout the championship mode, meaning if a player doesn’t have enough to battle a rival, they can come back later.

Away from the championship, players can also access Arcade GP, which lets players freely challenge the tour grand prix for the available groups. This mode is more focused on general arcade gameplay, where the player competes for the top time on the rankings. To enter the rankings, the player must set new time records for the chosen GP. The rankings for each Arcade GP is available from the selection menu before starting.

There is also the time attack, where players can play each of the unlocked race tracks, pushing to get the fastest time possible. There is Ghost trial, solo trial and free run, where players will be able to practice their lines on each track. The fastest time set for each track will be recorded as a replay, so players can review their performance and improve. This expands the replay value, further adding to the depth of the game for players to enjoy.

The last thing to discuss is the Versus mode, which allows up to four players to battle it out in fast paced head to head competition. This mode has the option for single race or grand prix, with customisation options for CPU drivers and number of GP races. The tracks and racers in this mode need to be unlocked in the championship. However, there is enough content for players to jump straight in, with both single race and VS GP.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – from a control perspective, this game is very comfortable to play with a controller, which is the preferred way to play. This offers players an easy to pick up gameplay experience that uses few buttons. The accelerator and brake are on the face buttons, with the important drift button being on the left trigger. There are keyboard controls, but these felt awkward to play, requiring them to be modified to be more playable.

Difficulty – There is a mostly fair difficulty curve to this game, but there are some areas where the difficulty spikes. This is due to the tight turns and big jumps, which can catch the player off guard and lead to crashing off the track. These troubles can be overcome with a few attempts, as the stages can be learned fairly quickly. The toughest challenges are the Joker events, but these can be passed after a few attempts, or returned to at a later time.

Presentation – Victory Heat Rally is a real love letter to arcade racers, with a 2.5D visual style that really pops off the screen. This works perfectly, as the cars and many of the stage assets are sprites, with the world and tracks itself using big chunky polygons. This gives the game a real nostalgic feel, which is further emphasised by the use of a pixel filter, which gives the game a pseudo 32-bit look. This filter looks good, but can affect visibility for some.

The character assets for the characters like Sally McRally are gorgeous, with a distinct style and charm that makes them feel unique. There are deliberate stylistic choices, making it feel like it was plucked out of the 90s. Then we have the sound, which really ties everything together, with music that ramps up the action on the track, which is reminiscent of classic arcade games. There is some limited voice work, but what is present sounds good.

Final Thoughts – I am a fan of arcade style racers, playing games like Daytona USA, Ridge Racer and the SEGA classic Power Drift over the years. So when I was given the opportunity to play Victory Heat Rally, I took it as it has that old school look that really appeals to me. The style of the characters, the race tracks and general look is stunning. This compliments the gameplay itself, which has that sense of speed that some other games miss.

There were a few hiccups when I started, but after a few tries it clicked and everything felt right. All of the elements come together well, making an experience that feels familiar, yet fresh and exciting. I very much enjoyed the soundtrack, with music that really got me excited to dive in and floor it. I cannot recommend this game enough, it is perfect for those looking to get into this style of game, as it has that pick up and play feel that makes is very accessible.

In the end, I give Victory Heat Rally a final score of 4.75/5. This is an excellent arcade style racer, with a charming and colorful cast of characters, environments that are vibrant and a banging soundtrack, which is all wrapped up into a super fun pick up and play racer. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Lost Gems – Baku Baku Animal (SEGA Saturn/Various)

Hello there! It is time once again for Lost Gems, the retro feature where I talk about games that have been forgotten, abandoned and removed from sale. This week, I am going to be discussing a game released on several platforms, with the most prevalent being the SEGA Saturn and Windows. So let us take a look at Baku Baku Animal, a fun and vibrant battle puzzle developed by SEGA, released across 1995/96 for various platforms.

Disclaimer: while the game discussed here is no longer officially on sale, there are ways to obtain the game. This can be either through the second hand market, or via unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the game being covered.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the title.

About the game

Baku Baku Animal is a puzzle game, where the player engages in one-on-one falling block battles. The story focuses on a competition, where the king of a faraway kingdom wants to find a royal zoo keeper, to care for the numerous pets of the princess. The player characters of Polly and Gon, fight their way through the other competitors in order to earn the position. The game can be played in single player or a two player competitive mode.

There are two main game modes for players to enjoy, with the classic Arcade Mode and a Ranking Mode. In Arcade Mode, players can select from 1 Player, 2 Player VS and the settings so they can adjust the game. In the standard single player mode, there are three challenges that players can select, split into Beginner, Normal and Expert. These settings will affect the general gameplay experience for the player.

If the player selects Beginner, they will only play through 3 stages, whereas in the Normal and Expert modes, there will be 9 stages to play through. As the player makes their way through each of the stages, the opponents will become more challenging and test the skills of the player. In the Japanese version of the game, there will be a dialogue exchange the player and opponent. Sadly, this is not present in several of the translated versions.

During each of the stages the objective is simple, line up tiles that fall from the top of the screen so they don’t reach the top. There are two types of tile, the Food and Animal tiles. By dropping multiple food tiles that touch, they will be connected to each other, which is where the Animal tiles come into play. When an animal tile is dropped onto a matching food tile, all connecting tiles will be consumed. The more tiles that are eaten, the more points scored.

After the animal reaches the last tile, they will attack the opponent by dropping randomised tiles on their field. The more tiles that have been consumed, the larger the attack will be. If the player is able to link multiple animal actions together, a chain will occur providing greater attack drops. The battle will end when one side is unable to place tiles, with all of the space filled up. If the player is victorious they will move onto the next stage.

If the player is able to clear all of the stages in Beginner, they will be told to try again on normal. However, if all of the stages in Normal or Expert are cleared, the player will see a special end cinematic declaring them the winner. The challenges of this mode can be a little unbalanced at times, as the speed increases and the random nature of the gameplay. Thankfully, there is infinite continues for players to push through to the end.

Then there is the 2 Player VS mode, where both players will battle it out in sets of play. The action plays out the same as the standard Arcade Mode, with players fighting it out to fill their opponents field. This can be played as much as players want, with the ability to customise the settings, including the number of animals that appear. Some of these settings also apply to the single player game, allowing players to alter the challenge and experience.

Moving on is the Ranking Mode, where players will be able to take on a challenge to get the best score possible. The player will challenge opponents until they are defeated, with the end score relating to the rankings. The points are gained for the number of attacks made, the chain reactions and the time taken to clear the stage. Players will be given a trophy based on their rank, with gold silver and bronze ratings that will be earned.

Personal thoughts

I first played Baku Baku Animal through the SEGA Flash Demo, which was a lot of fun but severely limited. As a kid, I played the demo a lot and wanted the full version, but it was long after that I was able to play the retail release. I also had the chance to play the Windows version, as well as the SEGA Game Gear release, owning a full complete boxed copy of that version. I very much enjoy this puzzle game, as it is one of those experimental puzzlers.

The game is tough and can be unfair, due to the random nature of it, which can lead to sudden and repeated failures. But with enough time taken, it is possible to learn the tricks that will make the battles a lot easier. It is especially fun to play with another person, due to the back and forth nature of the action. This makes it perfect for play during game nights, as there are adjustable options and ways to make the game more fun and silly.

It was also released in the arcades using the SEGA Titan Video system, known as the ST-V arcade board. I haven’t seen this out in the wild, but the ST-V was based on the Saturn architecture, between the Model 2 and Model 3 arcade machines. The home version was based on the arcade version, with little if any difference between the two. There are mild difficulty spikes, but this is likely due to the arcade origins where they take as many coins as possible.

Although the game is simple, there is a tremendous amount of depth to it, giving players plenty of content in a relatively basic package. There is also a special mode that exists only in Japanese, called League Mode, which is hidden in the localised versions of the game. This can be accessed with a code, but remains in the native Japanese due to being a hidden mode. I am unsure how this mode is played as there are no official translations.

I have a lot of love for this game as it is one of those weird and wacky games, which has stuck with me for the longest time. I have picked it up from time to time, getting that puzzle fix in a way that not many are able to hit. The unique gameplay mechanics, style and general experience are something that isn’t seen in modern puzzles. I wish that Baku Baku Animal would get a sequel, or even a re-release, but it doesn’t seem like that will happen.

The game has had some popularity over the years, but is fairly common on the resale market. The SEGA Saturn version is the cheapest option out there, with many of them being complete in box. But for those looking for the Game Gear and Windows versions, the price can be pretty steep, with loose cartridges for the SEGA handheld being very high. The PC version is considered abandonware, so the game has been archived across the internet.

I do wish this game would receive a modern port or even a reboot, so players can experience the whimsical madness that SEGA are able to create. However, I don’t think this will be possible, as they have a pretty poor track record with old game series. Many of the titles that they have developed over the years, like Clockwork Knight, Virtua Cop and Altered Beast have all been forgotten. This is another game that has suffered that same fate.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.