Famous Faces: Super Sidekicks 2

There was always something very exciting about recognising a famous face in a game. Or perhaps Genki is just a train spotting Norris? But there was great in trepidation the first time the Ruud Gullit look a like was spotted in Super Sidekicks 2. Perhaps it was the way SNK had gone the full monty and animated his dreads aswell as the deft flicks. The game itself plays as arcade football gameplay at its most refined. Simple to pick up and play but takes time to master. Adds the distance shot to the equation requiring lightning reflexes. Also features cards and injuries, so protecting your star player is a must. Few flashes of the Euro 88 magic from Ruud and you'll be well on your way to the final complete with the over the top celebrations. Not quite matching Gazza's dentist chair of Euro 96. Call me biased, but the English do the best dentist chair impressions on the football pitch...

Goikenmuyo Anarchy in the Nippon

Programmed by ex-members of the Virtua Fighter team, Goikenmuyo has a yankee style, biker gang feel to it a la Crows with characters varying from high school students to a house wife via a wrestling-loving English teacher. But its the business card collecting salaryman who is the real star of the show with his sneak through your legs and perform the 'kancho' special move. Also has a character edit mode for you to design your own fighter. Some good backgrounds such as on top of a building with lots of kanji advertising hoardings or down by the river. The title means 'your opinion is worthless'. Fair enough in Genki's case.

Famicom Mukashi Hanashi Series

We recently came across the Famicom Mukashi Hanashi Series (or Famicom tales of old times Series) for the little known Famicom Disk System. Some beautiful sound and graphics give plenty of encouragement to scholars of Japanese to persure them further with the simpler Hiragana script. Being big Monkey men we couldn't resist Saiyuki. Based on the Chinese classic A Journey to the West, here we join Monkey on his first five chapters travelling to India. The usual suspects of the priest, Pigsy and Sandy all pop up and both text and graphics are used to depict the action as players use basic commands to progress such as talk, take or look. Learning a little each day (and its often a little in the case of Pigsy and Monkey.) Lovingly drawn with soothing chip tunes.
Here is the fine advert for it that aired in Japan:



We excitedly await the next installment in the series in Shin Onigashima arriving. Only twenty odd years too late....

Otomedius X for Excellent

Since the Dreamcast is resting happily in retirement (for now at least...!) The XBox 360 has taken on its mantle of retina ruining, bullet-hell shooters. Konami has a real flair for such shooters with its tongue in cheek visual gags and gaggle of girls that given Otomedius X a Doujin feel in terms of characterisation, but with triple A production values. Its hard to think of anything else but gorgeous, not the prequel, but just down to the beautifully coloured 3D backgrounds and warming lighting effects. Simultaneous three player blasting is a real hoot. Kudos to Microsoft for flashing its hardcore tattoos and making a machine for the masses alongside the arcade posse with a pocket full of hundred Yen coins.

Undiscovered Gems: Xandras Big Adventure (Whirlo The Bubble Boy)

The Super Famicom has more platformers than commuters on the Yamanote Line first thing but Xandras Big Adventure true classic platformer stands head and shoulders above the rest like an NBA player on the same train. Xandra is on a mission through the mystical land of Valkyrie to get medicine for his sick son. The main character looks like a green jelly baby but some of the gameplay is so ingenious and fresh, even after so many platform releases on the SFC. Tragically overlooked in the West. Xandra carries a tiger fork with which to attack enemies, but remains vulnerable if it gets stuck in the ground causing frantic panic to unwedge it. The star level is particularly remarkable as the platforms appear and disappear from view in a Tanabata inspired journey through the stars. This is the pure essence of gameplay that endeared fans to the format and many still wander the gaming scene in search of a return to such heady days. Bravo Namcot.

Where Anime meets Gaming: Hajime no Ippo

Japanese gaming and animation have cross pollinated for decades, but as hardware has caught up many games play like an anime episode with speed lines and super human powers done justice on both the big and small scenes through cut scenes. In Hajime no Ippo Treasure tred the tightrope between the two media with all the panache you'd expect keeping the balance firmly on action and giving players the power in their fingertips to be the champ. The gym in which to train is the ring: always challenging as its always fair - knock downs are always because you just didn't keep your guard up well enough. Action is viewed by two boxing gloves giving an unrestricted view of your hard knock opponent. Deserving of a wider Western audience with such glorious gameplay. Wonderful interpretation of the boxing world which holds your gloved hand to get you trained up ready for the big bruisers. Treasure: we wear your badge with pride.

Made in Japan: Kikikaikai

Few will forget their first blast on Kikikaikai. The initial barrier was to be able to pronounce it to the local importer in the pre-internet days. And despite being just the early nineties, few gamers were sufficiently cross-pollinated with games of its ilk to understand the ensuing chaos. Not that it requires understanding with fast paced shooting fury the order of the day. Yet a randy raccoon tanuki friend that can deflect shots with his tail did raise a few eyebrows. The Shinto inspired Japanese blaster draws on mythology as necks extend inexplicably and one eyed umbrella ghosts hop past. Cultural references aplenty all in a luscious sprite based world driving gamers on to see more. Unrelenting pace as you the priestess battle against all the evil of underworld armed with nothing more than a purification branch. A Super Famicom classic.