My Favourite Films - Part 6

It has been a long since I did one of these - some 12 years, no less - and that made me think recently... How many films released since I posted my favourites here would now make the list? I don't really watch many new films these days, so I struggled to think of five films released in the last 12 years that I would consider favourites. I did eventually think of more than five, actually, so I might make a follow-up post to this one, but for now, here are the five newest additions to my favourites list:

John Wick (2014)

I heard a lot of people raving about this one around the time it came out but I didn't really know a great deal about it. Based mainly on the Keanu rebirth it supposedly featured, however, I bought it on Blu Ray and hoped for the best. What followed was one of the most eye-opening first watches I'd ever seen! I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone reading this the story, not that there is much of one, I guess, but it was immediately obvious why Mr. Reeves was garnering such plaudits in the titular role of retired mob hitman. His efficient, no-nonsense approach is fantastically satisfying as well as entertaining and Reeves has clearly undergone even more training since showcasing his impressive fighting skills in The Matrix. There is some excellent work from the rest of the cast too, including Michael Nyqvist, Ian McShane, the late Lance Reddick, and it's great to see Daniel Bernhardt (Bloodsport 2) not only in a more high-profile role but also as the only goon to really pose a threat to Wick, whose first film definitely remains his best and most rewatchable for me. On top of the fantastic, enigmatic performance by Reeves, the world-building is interesting, the epic fight/action scenes are superbly choreographed, and it's about as stylish an action film as you'll find.

Splendid Arcade Music #4

BlaZeon (1992)

As is likely evident from their prevalence on this blog, I'm rather fond of shoot 'em ups. Specifically, retro or modern-but-retro-flavoured 2D shoot 'em ups (as opposed to modern 3D games such as FPS's that fans insist on using the same term to describe). Despite this fondness, however, I certainly haven't played all of them.

Something else I'm fond of is retro game music. I have around 65,000 MP3s in my music folder and over half of these are from game soundtracks, with many coming from games I've merely heard of and not yet played. Accordingly, today, while I was working, a tune started playing that I didn't recognise. This happens often - who has that many songs memorised? - but it was one of those 'new to me' songs that I immediately liked. It was obviously a game tune, and I had a feeling it was from a shmup too, so I did a quick check of my archives and found that it's from BlaZeon, a game I'd heard of but never encountered in real life. Further investigation (via YouTube) revealed that the game had an R-Type-style 'giant battleship' stage, and it was to this stage the tune that had impressed me so was set.

I will now play the game in question at some point as it looks pretty decent, but until then, behold this stonking choon (composed by Tsukasa Masuko, apparently) and see if you find it as pleasing as I did!



Special Note: I didn't record this great tune myself, I'm just an admirer, so all credit goes to the original composer

First Look MSX #2

Dragon Slayer by Nihon Falcom (1984) - MSX

The other day I was nosing through some stuff online and encountered a pretty cool looking game called Legacy of the Wizard which I then decided I wanted to play. Naturally, it turned out to be part of a long-running series and, being me, I had to play (and hopefully review) the first entry, and indeed all other previous games in the series before I could play the one that caught my eye to begin with. That first entry, as it turned out, was an important game that I didn't know too much about - Dragon Slayer - which was, according to many, the first ever action RPG, and that means it directly influenced The Legend of Zelda among many others! It was originally developed by Nihon Falcom and released in 1984 for NEC's PC-88 before being ported to several other Japanese home micros, but due to the difficulty in emulating those well (in my experience), I've been looking into the game via its MSX version, and like many firsts, it's fascinating.

Sega Super Scaler Games #7

Super Hang-On (1987)
By: Sega AM2 Genre: Racing Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Featured Version: Arcade First Day Score: 9,950,140
Also Available For: Mega Drive, X68000, Nintendo 3DS, Game Boy Advance, Amiga, Atari ST, PC, Apple Mac, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum

Just thinking of the great names of the other 'Super Scaler' games automatically reminds me of giant hydraulic machines with excited crowds around them in bustling amusement arcades, but that's not the case with Super Hang-On. I had it on my Speccy and later I also had it on my mighty Mega Drive, but I was never fortunate enough to encounter the original in any arcades I visited, so I guess I've always associated it with those two systems. I suppose the Speccy more than the MD, though the version for Sega's own console was obviously far more accurate. The Speccy version was good too, though. As far as I recall, anyway, though I haven't played it for many moons. It may even be among the best racing games on the little home micro. Not that that's saying much, I know. But regardless of all this, I'm way overdue in checking out the super-scaling original, so let's go!

Top Five Helicopters

Helicopters are pretty cool, I don't think too many would dispute that. I doubt many people have actually been in one unless you're in the police or military, or perhaps if you're unlucky enough to have had an accident in a remote location or been attacked by a bear or escaped convict or something. Or maybe if you work for a tour company, or perhaps if you're a reporter in a big city. Or maybe if you're really rich and use one as your general runabout. But even if one of these scenarios is true, you've probably still only been in a boring chopper. Which examples are the least boring, I hear you ask? Well, here are five pretty stonking twirlers I thought of:

5. Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion

This is the only entry on this list I hadn't heard of prior to looking into the subject, but I was immediately intrigued by its unusual appearance and large size. The latter is down to the fact that it was designed as a heavy lift helicopter, and in that capacity it is unmatched, at least in the US military. The most powerful version - the King Stallion - can lift over 16 tonnes! There are loads of versions of it but I think the mean-looking example pictured (which is actually a German one) is the best looking one. Not that that should really be a defining factor in this type of 'best' list but there you are. Unlike all the other helos on this list, the Sea Stallion hasn't been featured too heavily in movies - not surprising really since it's a cargo/troop carrier rather than an attack chopper - but it was featured in The Jackal and one of those crap Transformers movies. That's unlikely to change now, too, since it was retired just over a decade ago, but this workhouse certainly left its mark in the real world.

Puzzle Games #24

Skweek a.k.a. Slider (1988)
By: Loriceils Genre: Puzzle Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Featured Version: Atari ST First Day Score: 40,710
Also Available For: PC Engine, Game Gear, Amiga, Amstrad CPC

I'm not sure why but I've long been intrigued by gonks. I've had many fine examples adorn my shelves or desks over the years, but I think when I played this game at my good friend Luke's house so many years ago it was the first time I had actually controlled the actions of one of the fuzzballs. The gonk in question fittingly stars in a puzzle game. I'm not sure why it's fitting, it just seems right. This rightness also extends to his name. I'm not sure I could've come up with a better name for a yellow gonk who waddles around tiled stages in a puzzle game if I tried. He's actually an alien, you may not be surprised to hear, from a place called Skweezland which has apparently been overrun by the minions of some flange called Pitark who has, for some reason, turned the lush pink countryside of Skweezland blue.

Film Round-Up #41

I don't think any regular readers here need reminding of my fondness for things of the 80s. Admittedly, my main focus in that area is normally games, but we must never forget the wonder that was 80s cinema. I saw many fine examples at the time, I've seen some others long after that glorious decade ended, and there are even some well known titles I've never seen. In the first of what will probably be several posts on the subject, here's a look at five (hopefully) great examples:

WarGames (1983)

I only seem to recall watching this one with my dad when I was pretty young but I thought I remembered it. It turns out that was only partly true but one thing's for sure - it must've been one of the first films based around computery stuff. Matthew Broderick stars as nerdy Seattle student David Lightman who hacks into what he believes is a videogame company only to set in motion a 'war game' simulation by accident. This wouldn't be so bad but the simulation is being run by WOPR, the NORAD computer which was actually the one David hacked into, and it makes the US military think the Soviets are really attacking! I thought I remembered there being more time spent in front of computer screens with David and the WOPR contraption trying to outwit each other but he spends most of his time sneaking around NORAD or running around with Jennifer (Ally Sheedy) trying to save the day. My poor memory doesn't make it a bad film though, and despite the obviously-outdated technology, perhaps even because of it, I really enjoyed seeing this one again... 8/10

Better Late Than Never #1

Shinobi by Sega (1987) - Master System

Oh hey, what's going down? Welcome to another new (kind of) feature here at Red Parsley! As I've no doubt mentioned before, despite my enthusiasm for and love of video games, especially ones of the 80s and 90s, I've never been particularly good at them. Some I could complete, but there were many I could not. There were some games that have stuck in mind all these years as being ones I played a lot and got quite a long way into a lot, but never managed to finish. This feature, whilst otherwise very similar to my existing Game Gallery posts, will showcase my (probably save state-assisted) journey to finally completing some of the offending games. First up is one of my very favourite games for one of my very favourite consoles:

Click here for the full review of this fine game.

Indie Nuggets #8

Sapphire Yours (2017)
By: Bence Sipka Genre: Puzzle / Action Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: PC
Also Available For: Android, iOS

There were a number of classics I missed out on in my youth. Among them was Boulder Dash, the much-loved jewel-grabbing, debris-avoiding mazey action/puzzler. I'm still not quite sure how I managed to miss it since it was released on every format under the sun but I have of course now remedied my oversight. Just in case anyone else missed it, or perhaps wasn't even around in its heyday at all, it was brought back to grace our screens once again much more recently! Okay, it's not officially part of the series but it may as well be. The first version dates back to 2001 and was created by an Austrian (I think) developer called Reinhard Grafl while the version I've looked at here comes to us courtesy of Bence Sipka, a Hungarian (I think) indie developer who is presumably a fan of both First Star Software's iconic game as well as Mr. Grafl's unofficial follow-up, and whose own game is available to play for free. How generous of him!

TV Shows #35

Flipping Bangers (2017-22)
Developed By: Just Might TV
Starring: Gus Gregory, Will Trickett

Certificate: PG Running Time: 43-50 Minutes per Episode (approx)

I'm not sure why but sometimes when I'm not feeling great, I end up watching something totally different to the kind of thing I would normally watch. As you might have guessed, just such an occasion befell me recently. I hadn't been feeling too good all day but I went downstairs at my normal time to pour a nice drink (usually bourbon and cola) and continue whichever streaming show I was in the middle of at the time. When I got there, however, I just... didn't feel like it. I toyed with the idea of just going to bed when I noticed a show being spammed on my Firestick's menu, so... I just clicked it. As it happened, it turned out to be a reality show - a genre I typically avoid like the plague - but it was one featuring cars which are of interest to me, so I gave it a try. And wouldn't you know it, it turned out to be pretty corking! I even continued watching it after I felt better again, and there were three seasons of it for me to get through. Naturally, when I finished, I figured I might as well burble on about it here!

Action RPG's #3

StarTropics (1990)
By: Nintendo R&D3 Genre: Action RPG Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Nintendo NES
Also Available For: Nothing

This game is unusual in that it was an NES game made by Nintendo themselves but only released in the US and Europe, with poor Japanese players having to do without. This has probably happened with certain types of sports games or tie-ins to things only popular in the west but this was an action RPG - a genre more popular in Japan than maybe any other! It's also, oddly, a game I never heard about in its day from magazines or other gamers, only learning of it later from collectors. It has, however, intrigued me since then, mainly due to its name and the images it conjured in my head - something to do with spacey, sun-bathed alien worlds overflowing with lush vegetation and glowing sands, punctuated by curious creatures and hiding some sort of magical adventure. The other day I was oafing around in my garden and decided it was time to see what the actual game was like, and if it bore any relation to the version I have been having visions of for many moons. Join me as I venture forth, into the mysterious tropics...

Cover Art: Mega Drive - Part 2

For many of us oldies, the world of Japanese gaming first became apparent as a Mega Drive owner. Virtually all the games we had available were released there as well (usually first) and they generally had different (better?) cover artwork too. It might have taken me a good while (three years!) to get around to comparing some more fine examples accordingly, but feast your eyes on this selection!

Arrow Flash (1990)

This is not one of the MD's more fondly-remembered shooters these days and it's not one of my favourites either, if I'm honest. But it does have some pretty interesting cover artwork. Both actually have similar designs depicting a brave female mecha pilot apparently floating, one in orbit, the other over a cityscape, but both in front of their big mecha ship thing, though the Japanese one seems to be partly faded out. Both use the same logo/font too, but the art styles are very different as you might imagine, with the European cover using a Western comicbook style while the Japanese example unsurprisingly uses an anime style. Which is best? I suppose that depends on which style you prefer. I think I like the European one more, mainly because it shows the mecha properly, and the planet with presumably-hostile aliens in the distance is cool/foreboding, but both are pretty good. There is actually a third cover for the US version which is decent too. (full review here)

Wifey's Watches #2

Gentleman Jack (2019 - 2022)

A while back, my wife had one of her old friends staying with us for a while. This friend is a lesbian, so naturally, everything we watched while she was with us had to be lesbian-themed or have a lesbian character too. Occupying much of this TV time was Gentleman Jack which is another 'dramatisation' of the life of Anne Lister, a landowner and industrialist in 19th century England who has since come to be known as the 'first modern lesbian' thanks largely to the extensive diaries she wrote which detail all aspects of her life, including her romances and love affairs, all with other women. While we see a couple of old flames here and there, the focus in that regard is on shy but wealthy heiress Ann Walker (the magic-boobed Sophie Rundle) who Lister (Suranne Jones) meets upon returning home to her Yorkshire estate brokenhearted after her lover leaves her for a pesky man.

Computer Platform Games #9

Bomb Jack II (1987)
By: Elite Genre: Platform Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: ZX Spectrum First Day Score: 10,400
Also Available For: Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64

I was a big fan of Tehkan's classic bomb-collecting platformer, Bomb Jack, and as detailed in a previous post, I spent a great many happy afternoons playing the excellent CPC version at a friend's house on the way home from school. As you might imagine, I was therefore keen to acquire the game for my Speccy too, but I never saw it in the shops for some reason. I did see Bomb Jack II though, and soon bought it hoping it would be more or less the same as the game I had been enjoying so much. Sadly, I quickly learned that aside from using the same name and main character, it bore little resemblance to the original. Okay, it was also a single-screen platformer and there were still small platforms dotted around the screen and you still had to collect stuffs and there were still enemies to avoid. But it still didn't play much like the mighty Bomb Jack (no, not Mighty Bomb Jack). But was it enjoyable in its own right?

PS4 Purchases #15

Aggelos by Storybird Games / PQube / Look At My Game (2018)

Not only have I actually owned this game for several years now - that's normal for me with these posts as it takes me ages to get around to posting about them - but I've even played it quite extensively which is less normal for me! I can't really remember how I first discovered it now. I think I might've just been browsing Amazon one day and the pixelly graphics on its cover caught my eye, but however it happened, I'm sure glad it did as it turned out to be exactly the kind of game I hoped it would be. Namely, a Wonder Boy III clone. The story is the usual fare - you play as a brave warrior who must gather 'the elements' in order to defeat some flange called Valion who wants to destroy the kingdom. Or something. What matters is that it's a vast adventure set over many different areas filled with monsters and tons of stuff to collect including many different swords, armour, and magic rings and scrolls.