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But if not, don’t sleep on Namco Museum Remix; it’s a great example of Namco paying tribute to some of its lesser-known games — and an even better example of the Wii playing host to a number of experiences you simply can’t get anywhere else!
While the Famicom isn’t particularly known or well-regarded for its lineup of fighting games — it was really the 16-bit console era where it really started to shine — Nekketsu Fighting Legend is an example of how an 8-bit fighting game can work well. It doesn’t overcomplicate things, it makes use of mechanics and conventions that will be familiar to those who grew up with the beat ’em up genre, and, like the other Kunio-kun games, is absolutely packed with personality and good humour.
So, do I recommend even if TEMPEST? Absolutely; just consider its weaknesses with its false choices in its gameplay mechanics, its slightly underbaked romances and its relatively short playtime — but know that its highs in its quality, writing, heroine and story more than make up for these shortcomings, making this a must-play otome.
Like I say, don’t come into Spacewing War expecting spectacular screen-filling bosses, super-slick parallax scrolling and thumping beats that will be stuck in your head for the next 30 years — rather, expect a loving homage to games on the classic Game Boy by people who clearly understand what it was that made that platform in particular so beloved by so many.
So long as you’re on board with the fanservice angle — and make no mistake, this is one of Compile Heart’s most fanservicey games of all time — then Seven Pirates H will keep you entertained for a good period. There’s plenty to do, but it doesn’t outstay its welcome, either — just the thing we all need for a palate-cleanser between more weighty fare!
Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers is a very good game and an excellent stand-alone sequel to the original. It features a solid cast of characters and plenty of pizza bagel-related facts mixed in, but the thing that I found most exciting was the way the writing had evolved since the first one. This is an ambitious game, with a narrative design that takes risks at almost every corner. Once again, I find myself excited by both the world and the story on offer from the developers at Fiction Factory Games.
These nitpicks aside, Pretty Girls Speed is a solid addition to the Pretty Girls series, and further evidence that Zoo Corporation and eastasiasoft are keen to develop and evolve this series in increasingly inventive and enjoyable directions. It makes sense; when announcing the physical release of the Pretty Girls Game Collection 4-in-1 bundle, eastasiasoft’s project lead Joshua Michael French noted that the Pretty Girls series are among the company’s most popular titles, and thus it stands to reason they’d want to keep bringing these characters back in new contexts — as well as develop spin-offs, such as the excellent Otoko Cross.
Grab some friends, though, and this is a raucously silly fun time that you’ll all have an absolute blast with. Follow up with some of the other Kunio-kun sports games and you’ve got an evening of quality group entertainment ahead of you. If you’re all on your tod, though, maybe stick to stuff designed specifically to be played solo like Downtown Nekketsu Story and Downtown Special Kunio-kun’s Historical Period Drama!
In short, Drainus is an absolute triumph for Team Ladybug, and should be considered an essential in any shoot ’em up fan’s library. Here’s hoping it gets a console release so those of us who enjoy collecting games like this can have it on our shelves one day…
In this standalone sequel, the character arcs are better written, the art style is even more pleasing on the eye, and the whole underdog premise makes it even more entertaining; it’s nice to see the energy and drive of the player character here in contrast to the rather troubled main character from the original game.
This aside, though, Nekketsu Hockey Club is a fun game that it’s worth spending some time with if you’re interested in enjoying the complete Kunio-kun saga. It’s definitely worth a pop if you’ve got some friends willing to give it a go, as like most of the other Kunio-kun sports games, Nekketsu Hockey Club is very much designed to be a fun video game rather than an accurate simulation of a real-life sport. Just how I’ve always liked it.
But I digress. Touken Ranbu Warriors is not a bad game. Those who are up for a more quick-hit, easy to play, jump in and enjoy sort of Warriors will likely enjoy it a great deal, particularly if you have a thing for Sengoku-era history; those seeking something with a bit more depth and variety — particularly in narrative terms — will likely be better served by one of the more well-established Warriors subseries. I particularly recommend Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate; that game could keep one person busy for a lifetime and more besides.
I’m very happy with how enjoyable Deathsmiles II ended up being. It seemed to be held in considerably less reverence than its illustrious predecessor, but I suspect a fair amount of that is down to the fact that for quite some time it was considerably less accessible for many players, especially in Europe. That all changes now, though — I’m here to tell you that Deathsmiles II is an excellent addition to any shoot ’em up collection, and that regardless of your feelings on any variety of end-year snow-covered holiday season, it’s reason for celebration in and of itself!
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness is a weird game and I wouldn’t fault anyone for bouncing off it for being so peculiar, obtuse and, at times, unforgiving. But, returning to it in 2022 with the eyes of someone who has played a lot of RPGs over the years, I can’t help but like its admirable expression of unbridled creativity. While one can see the elements that later RPGs would pull from this first Ultima game clearly, it’s just as interesting to look at the aspects the genre as a whole chose to leave behind in the long term. Because those are the things that make this game really stand out.
Ultimately, the more blindly you go into Ib, the more you’ll enjoy it, and I’ve kept this piece as spoiler-free as possible as a result. If you’re yet to play it, you should do so sooner rather than later — and now’s a prime time to do so. It’s a touching and reflective experience, and remains a treasured experience for everyone who originally experienced it first time around.
On the whole, Otoko Cross: Pretty Boys Mahjong Solitaire is a solid release from eastasiasoft. In some respects, it’s a bit of a shame that this new IP kicked off with something as “safe” as a mahjong solitaire game rather than something more ambitious — but the intention is clearly there for Otoko Cross to grow into something much greater as time goes on.
Deathsmiles is not the simplest or the most straightforward shoot ’em up out there, but it’s still one I recommend without hesitation to both shoot ’em up veterans and relative newcomers. It has a broad scope of difficulty options to make it both accessible and challenging to a wide range of ability levels, and the exciting audio-visual presentation makes it a game that is simply satisfying and enjoyable to engage with. And all this is true whether you manage to score a copy of the original Xbox 360 release or one of the more recent ports — I can happily confirm from first-hand experience that the Nintendo Switch version is thoroughly lovely, and comes highly recommended.
To say too much more about Gun Gun Pixies would be to spoil the experience, but suffice to say that as long as you go into this with the appropriate mindset — which is to treat this more as a “story game” than a fast-action third-person blastathon — there’s an absolutely delightful experience to be had, filled with both cheeky, naughty humour and a heartfelt, beautiful message: the fact that it’s okay to ask for help, and that you don’t need to face your own problems alone, however trivial you worry others might think they are.
Is it better than Downtown Nekketsu Story? Debatable — but if you enjoyed that game, you should absolutely give Downtown Special Kunio-kun’s Historical Period Drama! a go, at least!
We’ll talk more about the story and the deeper aspects of the mechanics in a subsequent part of this feature — but suffice to say for now that it’s wonderful for ZHP to be back, and I’m very much looking forward to indulging in that age-old pastime of watching numbers in Nippon Ichi games go up, and up, and up…