Shinobi Series - Part 6

The Cyber Shinobi (1990)
By: Sega Genre: Platform/Fighting Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Sega Master System
Also Available For: Nothing

Pretty much all the Shinobi games have been big news at the times they were released but almost certainly the least well-known and least appreciated of them all must be Cyber Shinobi. It was released only for the Master System which didn't really open it to the biggest audience, but it was intended as a direct sequel to the superb (if not entirely accurate) MS conversion of the original Shinobi which meant it could also be superb. In theory at least, but it didn't meet with a huge amount of praise from the press of its day so I've always been a bit wary of it to be honest. Now, however, I am forced by this sometimes-splendid blog to dip into these seldom-tested waters with the hope that time has been kind. The story sounds interesting enough - nothing too original or ground-breaking I'll grant you, but more of the same if fine by me if the 'same' is Shinobi!

So Much To Do, So Little Time...

Oh hello there, how's stuff 'n' junk? Things have been rather busy here in RKS Land, as some of the regular visitors among you may have noticed from the notably less-frequent posts here at Red Parsley. The main reason for this for the last couple of months or so has been my work. As much as I'd love to do this blog or something similar for a living, it is still sadly very much a part-time venture, undertaken purely for the nostalgic love of and continuing passion for video games, specifically those of older origins or created in a similarly splendid spirit.

The World Cup rules but it takes up a lot of time!

But yes, unfortunately I do have a need for a 'day job' and it's always ultra-busy at this time of the year which rarely leaves me in the best frame of mind for blogging when I get home, and I often haven't had time to take lunch breaks either, which is time usually spent playing games for reviews here. It's been this rather than a lack of interest or inspiration that has caused the reduction in new posts here and it's likely to continue for at least another month or so. My work is gradually easing up but now I have two new problems of sorts: firstly, the FIFA World Cup is here which is awesome, but it also means many of my evenings for the next few weeks will be spent on the sofa (or in the pub) with a few beers, watching some fine football; and secondly, my wife and I have some family visiting from Brazil for the next two-and-a-half weeks or so which inevitably means lots of taking them around to see places, meals out, and even five days in the ever-impressive Paris!

Random Game I've Never Heard Of #10

Bakuryu a.k.a. Wild Rapids (2000)
By: Fujimic Inc. Genre: Racing Players: 1-2 Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Featured Version: Sony PlayStation
Also Available For: Nothing

One of the great things about the really successful consoles such as the PlayStation is that amongst its millions of releases are lots of obscure, niche titles that cover all sorts of ground left untouched by releases on other systems. One great example is this game which I discovered just this past week, having never previously even heard of it. It must've received a release somewhere in the West judging by its alternate title but it was the Japanese version I happened upon and was surprised but pleased to find a racing game, albeit one featuring kayaks in place of cars! Aside from the rowing event in Daley Thompson's Decathlon on the Speccy I don't think I've ever been in command of an engine-less boat in a video game before so I was immediately intrigued by this largely unknown game.

Film Review #65

Django Unchained (2012)
Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Walter Goggins

Certificate: 18 Running Time: 165 Minutes

Tagline: "The "D" is Silent. Payback Won't Be."

As most movie fans know, Tarantino is a bit of a nerd. Ever since he's been making his own films they've been filled with various tributes to his many favourite films, characters, and other bits and pieces, and pretty much all of the films themselves have been homages to his preferred genres too. This latest example from his infrequently-enlarged filmography is no different, having been inspired and heavily influenced by the many Spaghetti Westerns he watched in his earlier years. Unsurprisingly then, it's set the Old West and Deep South just a couple of years before the start of the American Civil War and as such contains many depictions of slavery - a delicate subject at the best of times, so I was very interested to see how the hugely-unsubtle QT approached the subject.

Arcade Shmups #21

Dr. Toppel's Adventure a.k.a. Dr. Toppel Tankentai (1987)
By: Taito Genre: Shooting Players: 1 Difficulty: Hard
Featured Version: Arcade First Day Score: 55,750
Also Available For: Nothing

In my experience you can quite often tell something about a game just from its name, or at least what genre it probably falls into, so accordingly, when this title first caught my eye I thought I was in store for some sort of amusing, leapy platformer. To my surprise, however, it soon became apparent that Dr. Toppel's Adventure is actually a shoot 'em up, and a rather peculiar one at that, too! It's unclear what kind of doctorate the titular character possesses but he takes the form of a strange green quadrupedal creature with rocket boosters for legs, and it's by making use of these that he flies through seven vertically scrolling rounds with the aim of preserving the beautiful nature of the Kerol River.