Playable WonderSwan Titles

Another query we are asked here at Genki is: "What games are playable on the WonderSwan?" Here is a list of the games which are playable without any knowledge of Japanese.

Guilty Gear Petit

Japan Pro Wrestling
Densha de Go
Final Lap

Ghouls and Ghosts
Gunpei

Magical Drop

Mr Driller
Pocket Fighter

Rhyme Rider Kerorican
Senno Millenium
Side Pocket
Soccer Challenge the World

Space Invaders
Tane wo Maku Tori
Turntabilist DJ Battle
Wasabi Street Dancer
Wonder Classic

C'est tout!

Mega Drive Recommendations

Genki has to confess to not knowing the Mega Drive as well as the Super Famicom, but through the delight of discovery after having missed out first time round, we have discovered there are still some very tasty titles to enjoy...

There are of course the shooters with the ThunderForce series coming to prominence, Crying has plenty of devotees, Daisenpu a good bargain, Gynoug never stays in stock for long, HellFire is a very slick schmup...

Some nice platformers too considering the Super Famicom's supposed dominance in the genre: DJ Boy with its distinct 16Bit flavour, retro tinged Alex Kidd, Awesome Possum brings the fun back to gaming, El Viento is a belter but a bit bigger budget, Ghouls and Ghosts is a fine conversion as is Outrun and ditto Strider...

Gunstar Heroes shows why Treasure is held in such high esteem, Mickey Mouse has plenty of crisp and cuddly platform escapades on the format, Slime World is a bargain and held in very high esteem on the Lynx, Warnder no Mori Special is little known, but worthy of greater acknowledgement...

Battletoads show's Rare's eye for a trick or two, Bad Dudes is another fine scrap fest, Devil Crash is a fine pinball sim, GhostBusters brings back the nostalgia in a nice cheesy way, Kageki is an unusual fight fest, Kujaku Ou is an little known gem, Mamono Hunter Yoko is another hidden city of Atlantis, Rent a Hero is great fun but may need a bit of help from a FAQ, SD Valis is a worthy holder of the Valis mantle and the series crescendo...

So again: not narrowed down much, but older systems did far more than just FPS, so there is plenty to get involved with. Happy MD gaming from the Ogenki Clinic (best not put a link to that name...!)

PC Engine CD Recommendations

Another machine we get friendly queries about is the PC Engine. It is a nice machine for us in the West as it never had many releases designed with a global appeal in mind. Which is very refreshing as the gaming market homogenises. So it can be great fun eh? Personal faves here at Genki include Dynastic Hero, Bonanza Bros, Fray and Iganinden Gaou. Genki has always had trouble resisting good ninja games.

Kiaidan, Image Fight II, Pop N Magic and Horror Story are also very worthy titles. The sort of humour on offer in Horror Story really floats our boat and is sadly lacking in many games of late. Besides its hard for anyone who has seen Mr Vampire to resist the charge of an undead zombie bunny hopping towards you. 

 

You can't really go wrong: Choaniki, Ai Choaniki, Valis II, Star Parodia, Winds of Thunder, Spriggan Mark 2, Shubibiman 3 and God Panic. The madness of God Panic adds much to the action where one is never too sure what will come next: be it a figure from Japanese mythology, Ebismaru look alikes from Goemon or semi clad wrestlers.

Well hope this helps even if it doesn't narrow it down much!

Final Fight and Ladies of the Night

Genki loves a bit of Final Fight. Though we have to confess to missing out on a few of the fine looking 2D side scrolling scrappers in the arcades over the years, it is up there with Turtles as our favourite fight fest. Superb pacing, great use of weaponry and power ups, attention to detail in the environs and cracking characterisation that reeks of the inner city urban decay of the Eighties. Perhaps this is a look too deeply into said characterisation, but Genki has always been troubled by those leggy ladies and rumours it all ain't quite cricket. A good five minutes internet research has proved inconclusive, but taught us the term New Half from Japanese. Perhaps its time to delete the history on this terminal...? Anyway hats off to Rocky and Poison. Either way you add plenty of colour to this fine series and make it pretty tough to get past those legs, whether they used to be hairy or not under those fishnets.

Super Famicom Faves

From time to time our gaming customers ask for the odd recommendation. And having first owned a Super Famicom on a veritable family tree of import consoles, Genki certainly has a soft spot for its orangey red power light.
Personal favourites include the timeless Super Mario World (and the equally renowned Yoshi's Island and Zelda.)
More needy of a recommendation though is a charming platformer called Xandras Big Adventure. Heart breaking intro of the lovely little jelly baby style child poorly motivates Xandra to take no nonsense with a pitchfork and get out there amongst it. The disappearing rainbow platform level inspired by the Tanabata legend as a grand finale will live long in the memory of any gamer with perseverance.

Violinist of Hamelin is another fine platformer taking some inspiration from the Pied Piper and coming late in the product cycle, Nosferatu is a nice gothic platformer like Prince of Persia meets Castlevania with Another World graphics. It has a feel of Murnau's German original film, unless Genki has been a little sleep deprived of late.

Actraiser is a bit special especially for an early title, Assault Suits Valken is a belting shooter which was the first Genki can recall making fine use of avatars to build the plot in game. Speaking of shooters, Cotton 100% and Kikikaikai are off the higher echelons.
Goemon is great on the system, but we'll resists the urge to go off 'on one' about Ebismaru et al.
The Final Fantasy games do well, like the Front Mission and Romancing Saga series and Mother 2 is good fun with superb tongue in cheek humour.

Magical Taruruto Kun sells very well on the MD and has a snazzy Super Famicom version, Septentrion is a highly original title (but unfortunately also highly sort after,) Starfox and Metroid are two real classics requiring little introduction with Wild Trax being a late release deserving more attention.
Syo the Seal is a cutsey platformer with the World Soccer series showing why the Winning Eleven saga became so successful.

So hats off to the Super Famicom. Just remember not to ask for recommendations, unless you've got a good half an hour...

Club Nintendo 3DS Card Case 18

Genki doesn't get involved in cuisine, but if it did sell hot cakes we'd probably go for Okonomiyaki buns with sweetcorn and Kewpie mayonnaise. The gaming equivalent of hot cakes of late (as we are often asked) has been these very tidy DS and 3DS cart holders exclusively from Club Nintendo. For a mighty one hundred and fifty points gamers in Japan can enjoy this holder that holds eighteen carts in total. The dimensions are the same as one DS case making it great for gaming on the go and also for preserving the condition of the other game boxes and manuals. Internal design of the holder make use of the fine Nintendo artwork. We recently discovered three covers supplied in total with each cart holder. One for everyday of the bank holiday weekend.

Animal Crossing 3DS Preorder Gifts

In Japan it is quite common for gamers to be rewarded for their loyalty to a series by receiving a gift for pre-ordering the game. Genki sometimes wonders where these pre-order gifts on the market comes from, yet is neither one to look a gift horse in the mouth. As such we are pleased to offer the finest compilation of stickers since the Italia 90 Pannini album and a pencil case to rival the finest WH Smiths can offer. The stickers were a gift for those preordering the 3DS LL handheld through Seven Eleven shops in Japan. And a very nice sheet of stickers to jazz up a handheld or as you see fit.

The Pen Case boasts a splendid design for this gift that was given to gamers preordering the 3DS version of Doubutsu no Mori. Very nice collectable and bound to generate a few admiring glances.
Customised preorder gifts. Bravo. Just try not to lose too many months to Doubutsu no Mori (or NYE parties hanging around the Christmas Tree...)

Club Nintendo Super Mario Characters Figure

 Having initially resisted the charms of this fine 9.5cm figure, Genki give in to its charms that will no doubt show future generations how much gamers cherished our hobby. Requiring a hefty 900 points in Japan, the dome like case encapsulates Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Kinopio, Koopa and Bowser (or Kuribo to give him his Japanese name...) Would look superb with a cheeky spotlight on it. Resistance is futile.

GamesMaster

Alongside Digitiser on Teletext, GamesMaster brings back plenty of fond memories to the Genki team. Not quite as loved as Games World with the Games Mistress looking particularly hot in her cat suit and the cracking humour of David Walliams getting in his groove; GamesMaster never the less showed gaming on the big screen. Tailored more for the masses (or at least the masses as Channel Four imagined gamers to be with plenty of shouting from Dexter and a futuristic look for the GamesMasters appearances), GamesMaster's thrill was to see new games moving along rather than just screen shots and the odd cheeky cheat and perhaps Easter egg in the days before the net. And on balance, Big Boy Barry from Games World seems to have slipped to the deeper recesses of the Genki team's memories... 

Genki Update

Just a little update of what has been popping up on our website of late. And not wishing to send Star Trek fans of a certain vintage running to the hills, but the Borg is here at last. Bandai's robotic critter WonderBorg would give Sony's Aibo the run around.

Nintendo's badge collection allows gamers to show their faith in the Kyoto company: be it with a full roster or a subtle, one-off lapel badge for a bit of vintage chic.

The Club Nintendo theme continues with the top selling Card Case which can be used for DS games too.Very useful when gaming on the go.

Solid sounds reverberate courtesy of the Pilotwings, Mario Kart and Starfox soundtrack CDs no doubt getting the dance floor rocking at the Nintendisco nights. 

Baito Hell is Sony's answer to Wario Ware, but in a more street savvy, Sony way. That and Sapphire make the PSP cooler than an Elvis impersonator in Ueno Park.

 
Finally the Virtual Boy starter pack seems to burgeon each time for those lucky enough to own one of Yokoi san's finest. Happy Genki Gaming.

Neo Geo Pad USB

Genki has been to the depth's of Neo Geo addiction and recovered to tell the tale, thankfully without bankruptcy. But a good wedge of cash was blown on SNK's baby making the Sega Saturn assisted rehab a cheap experience. From time to time temptation returns however and this PS3 joypad gets the old fingers twitching once more. Based on the popular Neo Geo Pad 2, this pad has a USB port making it suitable for both PS3 and PC use for thew doujin fight fans. Comes with a special Playstation button. For SNK fans who just can't get enough of the Neo Geo CD 'clicky' pad for use with fighting games. Makes executing special moves a far more exact science with the shoulder buttons on the pad: exactly where you'd want them.