tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54550827715434335482024-03-18T21:29:23.822+00:00Red ParsleyFor all things retro gaming... and more besides!RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.comBlogger1307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-36797251401381698242024-03-08T21:52:00.005+00:002024-03-12T19:20:39.010+00:00Top Five Master System Budget GamesI've done a lot of Top Fives here over the years. Most are nonsense, of course, some even embarrass me now, but some I was and remain quite pleased with. Examples of the latter were often the most difficult to compile too, insofar as it being difficult to narrow it down to five and/or determine the order, but I'm not sure I had as much trouble with any of them as I have this one.<br />
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For those not in the know, if you were lucky enough to own Sega's wonderful Master System, here in the UK at least (but probably elsewhere too), Sega were apparently well aware that mere school kids couldn't often afford £24.99 for new games, so they had a range of cheaper games that cost, as I recall, from £9.99 to £14.99.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PY68tIFFM-6gYUrSXvFHdlyjM6EwsfXJI5Y-rW4T55Ua9fD1UlLKSg-p4dMDTXHbs7YefSAwgAtD8MEKh8I_q7tbv_7mzZG3xViJ2up1Aek71L2AGkQui1iTCGLuoFyNfMB2x2zzHmPL6uCw3mZsDVkbsCZLtBhe8SwNANANkC1oAceQtpA2xbD95EmI/s500/MS_Budget_Games_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PY68tIFFM-6gYUrSXvFHdlyjM6EwsfXJI5Y-rW4T55Ua9fD1UlLKSg-p4dMDTXHbs7YefSAwgAtD8MEKh8I_q7tbv_7mzZG3xViJ2up1Aek71L2AGkQui1iTCGLuoFyNfMB2x2zzHmPL6uCw3mZsDVkbsCZLtBhe8SwNANANkC1oAceQtpA2xbD95EmI/s16000/MS_Budget_Games_01.png" /></a></div><br />
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Some of these stank of rhino manure but some were great, and were a valuable lifeline for cash-strapped MS owners such as myself. I had several at the time and have acquired others in the intervening years, but when the idea for this Top Five entered my brain, I immediately thought of 8 or 9 candidates and just couldn't decide which ones to leave out.<br />
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I've been back and forth on several of my choices already, and will probably do so again after I click 'publish', but it will be too late then. Behold, then, the current version of this list showcasing the best of Sega's helpful budget range:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Special Note:</b> The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed there are six selections for this list rather than the more customary number found in a Top Five here. That's because I can't remember if Fantasy Zone was a budget game or not, and I haven't really been able to find out. Therefore, if it is, knock #6 off; if it isn't, knock #2 off :)</i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Teddy Boy</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1985)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9Mb3RTeVpZyfcPXunp0hGDkcV29FB40P2dh31KNy10Fs_KgumZnJ3DjHq7JE77aAf-1CtjB_RY94kii4Fyx1vTCJwPd1WdTWnszlJOtrW2yG8Mq304zQmPmP2GPE3UeeaH3_wMyjcrCine6nPn1TTOcUaixWuSmPQRviEEcC0GPyIyCSj0VJucp_TIzw/s618/MS_Budget_Teddy_Boy.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9Mb3RTeVpZyfcPXunp0hGDkcV29FB40P2dh31KNy10Fs_KgumZnJ3DjHq7JE77aAf-1CtjB_RY94kii4Fyx1vTCJwPd1WdTWnszlJOtrW2yG8Mq304zQmPmP2GPE3UeeaH3_wMyjcrCine6nPn1TTOcUaixWuSmPQRviEEcC0GPyIyCSj0VJucp_TIzw/s320/MS_Budget_Teddy_Boy.png" width="320" /></a></div>I always used to think this one had an appealing look from screenshots even though I didn't have much of an idea of what it involved, but I never got around to playing it until much later for some reason. It was pretty clear it was a platformer but what else? Well, as you might well expect from a budget title, it's a pretty simple game. There are 50 distinct stages (though they repeat forever), each of which features a jumbly arrangement of platforms with dice on them. Scary monsters emerge from the dice which you shoot to shrink down, then collect. Repeat through each looping (and timed) stage until all creatures have been vanquished and collected to progress to the next. That's it. Except there is also a bonus round now and then. It's not a complicated one but the bright, colourful graphics and catchy music help make it a mighty appealing one, and the jumpy-shooty action is addictive and fun. Often overlooked but well worth some time.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Pit-Pot</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1985)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkYxonI1cHHP3xS-57iKvelvZTa25qZYGq_EXg8yTFnisX6UoEwgyaPKJgivNqPluolz8oV0Iab9YfTzjBoGKQeHQ7Mlqkdo5PSMnruVaYF4PktGYJoDM7A0AMRkG3QzqftdhKYQfV13bCamXl3yNxgGs8ZmCROpzdOSyOuyuFR_q-01P7GBf0NelAkh-/s618/MS_Budget_Pit_Pot.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkYxonI1cHHP3xS-57iKvelvZTa25qZYGq_EXg8yTFnisX6UoEwgyaPKJgivNqPluolz8oV0Iab9YfTzjBoGKQeHQ7Mlqkdo5PSMnruVaYF4PktGYJoDM7A0AMRkG3QzqftdhKYQfV13bCamXl3yNxgGs8ZmCROpzdOSyOuyuFR_q-01P7GBf0NelAkh-/s320/MS_Budget_Pit_Pot.png" width="320" /></a></div>This is one I never played, or even saw on sale for that matter, in its day, but I do own it now and enjoy playing it way more than I thought I would. It has some 'kidnapped princess' type story but the game is a flick-screen, overhead-viewed maze/puzzle game consisting of over a hundred screens. The idiotic princess lies therein somewhere, as do many items you'll need to reach her, as well as many evil enemies, naturally. It's a pretty basic game in terms of the graphics and sound - not surprisingly since it's both a budget release and an early title - but despite not even playing it until more than 20 years after its release, I still had a lot of fun with it. There are four difficulty levels to choose from and even on the easiest it will take a good while to see everything on offer. Great value in its day, especially when bundled with Astro Warrior (which is how it was most commonly found), and still enjoyable in its own right.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Action Fighter</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdOga8XbGRlZFwd5fM_dmxKAzdAiETC9b8QiA6HBHl1iSZ7eMIvvbGbR3Hn4zft8MX7aOX8mOdNwnsE8rwo6DKLYTnXMWvj1GfwVorE3oMY3koUQfvnBPe0yF1ZTXw_ucmpAia-kfm8MjgXOnzJhDxcoYaRdlNe_mPcdzmoO74cqcCKOai1uAcbtb3caF/s618/MS_Budget_Action_Fighter.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdOga8XbGRlZFwd5fM_dmxKAzdAiETC9b8QiA6HBHl1iSZ7eMIvvbGbR3Hn4zft8MX7aOX8mOdNwnsE8rwo6DKLYTnXMWvj1GfwVorE3oMY3koUQfvnBPe0yF1ZTXw_ucmpAia-kfm8MjgXOnzJhDxcoYaRdlNe_mPcdzmoO74cqcCKOai1uAcbtb3caF/s320/MS_Budget_Action_Fighter.png" width="320" /></a></div>Bally Midway's overhead racer Spy Hunter was a popular game and ported to many systems, but the MS was not among them. Sega's answer? A not-particularly-subtle rip-off which saw an MS release the same year the arcade original was launched. Much like the game that 'inspired' it, the action sees you racing directly up the screen at the speed of your choosing while you dodge or shoot the many fellow road-users, all of whom are 'the enemy', apparently. You do get specific mission targets though, and there are several vehicles you can use (car, jet-ski, helicopter, in addition to the motorbike you start with) to take them down, as well as various power-ups too. The graphics are colourful and the action is fast and, while it can be tough going, especially to start with, it's hard to imagine any MS owner not having a blast playing this.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Enduro Racer</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1987)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RwpqyoSQ25ja_HIZRghvo3sel7KglCptk8Em0IcwS6G-7tWUITDJqSF3kAOaNXIP-kpcvbIzjL61arL7OwOcahGLT2yPYbC8CftaWw0Yj_Y18XTliz-CHdperaX8a6nJwUrv3S5nHpFUUKZKzn1d7TKq7rKVetOWgFk6WEaetIV5TCWTIa11fsFX8Hgu/s618/MS_Budget_Enduro_Racer.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RwpqyoSQ25ja_HIZRghvo3sel7KglCptk8Em0IcwS6G-7tWUITDJqSF3kAOaNXIP-kpcvbIzjL61arL7OwOcahGLT2yPYbC8CftaWw0Yj_Y18XTliz-CHdperaX8a6nJwUrv3S5nHpFUUKZKzn1d7TKq7rKVetOWgFk6WEaetIV5TCWTIa11fsFX8Hgu/s320/MS_Budget_Enduro_Racer.png" width="320" /></a></div>I don't really know what prompted Sega's decision to change their into-the-screen arcade racer for its MS conversion - technical issues, I suppose - but I think it has turned out to be a great decision. Hardly anyone talks about the arcade version or any of its more accurate ports these days, only this version with its 3D isometric viewpoint. It only offers straight, flat courses with few other racers on them, but it's somehow still great fun and proves to be pretty addictive too. The object is simply to reach the end of each course before the time expires but you get a point for each other racer you pass which can be spent beefing up your bike. The graphics are neat and colourful and the variety between courses is great. If you play via emulation, however, make sure you go for the Japanese version which has double the number of unique courses.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Fantasy Zone</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKmrZxJMg7KHYalUA38JgCPXTH9s3wsOSlDSKStsbt56WoOIoV34uYcdd_0UHldtJytJ5SDqpGGUehG-acJ6iOcpc1iOJWMT4vmx94up3zB8d98KdzvqTUutcMAvEE0k-IIfaoZjgSZydFOEB1zjQ3tESN1KHFdor-E4UuQXyafMTxVXfkcjfqejm7Qo1/s618/MS_Budget_Fantasy_Zone.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKmrZxJMg7KHYalUA38JgCPXTH9s3wsOSlDSKStsbt56WoOIoV34uYcdd_0UHldtJytJ5SDqpGGUehG-acJ6iOcpc1iOJWMT4vmx94up3zB8d98KdzvqTUutcMAvEE0k-IIfaoZjgSZydFOEB1zjQ3tESN1KHFdor-E4UuQXyafMTxVXfkcjfqejm7Qo1/s320/MS_Budget_Fantasy_Zone.png" width="320" /></a></div>As mentioned earlier, I'm still not totally sure this wonderful game was even part of Sega's MS budget range, but if it was it <i>has</i> to be one of the very best examples. Regular visitors here will know of my long held appreciation of the FZ series in any case, and this original is still great fun, albeit in a 'concentrate or you will die every ten seconds' kind of way. Indeed, the infinite, often tiny enemies can make the going tough for some, but the eight looping stages are highly appealing all the same, and it's among the most colourful games on the MS too, garishly so, some might say. It also features tons of cute, memorable sprites and spiffy choons I still remember well, and I remain a fan of the gameplay style that few have even tried to replicate elsewhere. A unique and addictive shooter then; very nearly the best such game on the MS, and even more very nearly the best budget game too. If it was one, naturally.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. The Ninja</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRb44vS9L_TY00Mf3l26JRObkG14if19sFdsG4sZxYT3GAvb3t7sVTBorYfw6hUqcisuJ2TY555FZhtzAG3A4b3Utxy1NO-EEE-cy8w9iuPcqK_bak6f_yRoIBln7_G8wmxuEyTrqEWySNJWOaZqhUiAPwP5fEjlWZP7HlesgFl-ZKrCDhUb-1wnfbTV6/s618/MS_Budget_Ninja.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRb44vS9L_TY00Mf3l26JRObkG14if19sFdsG4sZxYT3GAvb3t7sVTBorYfw6hUqcisuJ2TY555FZhtzAG3A4b3Utxy1NO-EEE-cy8w9iuPcqK_bak6f_yRoIBln7_G8wmxuEyTrqEWySNJWOaZqhUiAPwP5fEjlWZP7HlesgFl-ZKrCDhUb-1wnfbTV6/s320/MS_Budget_Ninja.png" width="320" /></a></div>There are many MS fans today who still consider The Ninja to be one of the best games on the MS, never mind just best budget game, and it's difficult to argue. The arcade original, known as Sega Princess, featured a brave female ninja as the protagonist but this MS version changes her to a male. Aside from that, they are very similar and take the form of an overhead run 'n' gunner set in feudal Japan in which you're tasked with taking out some terrible warlord or something. All I know is, there are thirteen varied and enjoyable stages, lots of sneaky enemies to shuriken away, some nice crisp graphics and catchy music, and fantastic controls which makes every life lost a result of your own failing. The result would've been a corker if it was a full price game, but for £10? There have been few games that were better value for money on <i>any</i> system.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Honourable Mentions:</b> Astro Warrior (short but enjoyable shooter), Ghost House (tough but fun platformer), Hang-On (addictive racer), Secret Command (decent overhead run 'n' gunner), Spy vs Spy (ace fun for two-players, less so for one), Transbot (fun little score-attack shooter)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Also in budget range:</b> Bank Panic, F16 Fighter, Global Defence, My Hero, Rescue Mission, Super Tennis</i></span><br />
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RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-55620017171524281572024-03-04T18:23:00.000+00:002024-03-04T18:23:57.053+00:00Film Review #123<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QMcxISJ6rN6RTEWdCgSe4QXLn8VKWITFGd0CsjVGySRiuKajU7v3tWdRoIuRc4tBxPjzBDrc0ZvwlqwYsnSTT8ZyLLAsvgdLU7TW1qcYMg0-M28WCAUWziJqGwkruQIsx_oSjKs2aJhyqqf0cjrzjmUc-f5lHBJiHN99l_jZeVO73FijRJcJ9p116SWN/s800/Freelance_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QMcxISJ6rN6RTEWdCgSe4QXLn8VKWITFGd0CsjVGySRiuKajU7v3tWdRoIuRc4tBxPjzBDrc0ZvwlqwYsnSTT8ZyLLAsvgdLU7TW1qcYMg0-M28WCAUWziJqGwkruQIsx_oSjKs2aJhyqqf0cjrzjmUc-f5lHBJiHN99l_jZeVO73FijRJcJ9p116SWN/s320/Freelance_01.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Freelance </b></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(2023)<br />
<b>Director: </b>Pierre Morel<b> Starring: </b>John Cena, Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba, Christian Slater, Alice Eve<br />
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<b>Certificate: </b>15 <b>Running Time: </b>109 Minutes<br />
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<b>Tagline:</b> "Retirement didn't suit him."</span><br />
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Historically, wrestlers trying to act has rarely gone too well, but in recent years that appears to have changed. Cena is just the latest one to swap the squared circle for the silver screen, and as quickly as Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista, he's found himself headlining big-budget films. Obviously, like the other two, he's something of a man-mountain and is accordingly more than competent in action scenarios, but it's actually his comedic delivery that made me something of a fan of his - something I never really was in his WWE guise, in fact. This is his latest 'vehicle' where he is once again a military dude, or more accurately Mason Pettits, an <i>ex</i>-military dude this time, who was forced to retire from the US Special Forces after his final mission to assassinate 'Paldonian' dictator Juan Venegas (Raba) was ambushed and he was injured. Since recovery, he has been working unhappily as a lawyer and is in an increasingly unhappy marriage to Jenny (Eve)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlBXy5J7DixuFl7h4BDTP93PKpJhQ8zw1Z30aKyigEFOY7TwxoT-G3QuAQTSoII0cgk8plCSm7LmBvLZcQDCZOZlQWcrbBxjrPZ7824PhGC02nIk9MPGOVNXY__7WtDT8v-1nSr1wJzDVcEdPD4XLKkcnm16aYpYVBwVNHSn8ww8tyMZv1coa-LGm9s4_/s1200/Freelance_05.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlBXy5J7DixuFl7h4BDTP93PKpJhQ8zw1Z30aKyigEFOY7TwxoT-G3QuAQTSoII0cgk8plCSm7LmBvLZcQDCZOZlQWcrbBxjrPZ7824PhGC02nIk9MPGOVNXY__7WtDT8v-1nSr1wJzDVcEdPD4XLKkcnm16aYpYVBwVNHSn8ww8tyMZv1coa-LGm9s4_/s320/Freelance_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As if in answer to his prayers, he is offered a lucrative job by Sebastian Earle (Slater), his old CO who now runs a private security company. The bad news? The job in question is to protect disgraced journalist, Claire Wellington (Brie), who has been granted a career-saving exclusive interview with Venegas who's still in power, and who Mason still holds responsible for his injury and the death of his friends in the bungled military op. Astonishingly, almost as soon as they arrive in Paldonia (couldn't risk offending a real country, huh?), they are caught in a military coup when their convoy, also containing Venegas who met them at the airport, is caught in a shooty, explodey ambush. With their cars all fiery and with treacherous soldiers on their tail, it's up to Mason to guide them through the 'Paldonian' jungle to safety.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fHed1bIOdr4_NV4MsNuHoScqNvxuGne2jtUGy8TUljFR8oGNs2Wz4xxEQ3qrkRI5r42IXcQtCW2YrImWnYZkoaeWEVav_MlLqCIX0dzlYAuMqNISxAKvYWFslAt-9hCSZRGsOmaLeKcvAUziNz_LRG65zm5sokGbFAMoavhptI92YFcxlWdtuFCO2TnW/s1200/Freelance_03.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fHed1bIOdr4_NV4MsNuHoScqNvxuGne2jtUGy8TUljFR8oGNs2Wz4xxEQ3qrkRI5r42IXcQtCW2YrImWnYZkoaeWEVav_MlLqCIX0dzlYAuMqNISxAKvYWFslAt-9hCSZRGsOmaLeKcvAUziNz_LRG65zm5sokGbFAMoavhptI92YFcxlWdtuFCO2TnW/s320/Freelance_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Naturally, he isn't very enthusiastic about this prospect - he'd rather kill Venegas than protect him - but he still needs to bungle Claire back out of the country, and she and Venegas kind of come as a package deal for the most part. While there are heinous mercenaries hunting them, at least. I believe they are only after Venegas but... you can't leave any loose ends, right? Sadly for them, they apparently didn't bank on Mason who, though still injured, is far from a slouch when it comes to fighty, shooty stuff, and it's these parts of film that are most entertaining. I always enjoy a good sneaky hunter/huntee scenario, especially in woods/jungles, and there are some decent scenes of this nature here (Mason vs Chopper? Yesss!). It's certainly no First Blood but I still found myself wishing there were more of these scenes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcefg2f_IT5NODhmyvRwx42zeGk9EL9rZHZOxhjs3oKApnrONaPNF1viJKCRDSTuMNT4qiFFqmCdxAjPCYKI-YSefcmjSVus5bvWUe8DIQ7Rdyc83f1IeMcSrptHpvQ0GQxmeoxdB_FGI2wI693KdLvGXJ1LNnNsdj9tZ15dUWPdLL40sXogo1nqz1sszW/s1200/Freelance_06.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcefg2f_IT5NODhmyvRwx42zeGk9EL9rZHZOxhjs3oKApnrONaPNF1viJKCRDSTuMNT4qiFFqmCdxAjPCYKI-YSefcmjSVus5bvWUe8DIQ7Rdyc83f1IeMcSrptHpvQ0GQxmeoxdB_FGI2wI693KdLvGXJ1LNnNsdj9tZ15dUWPdLL40sXogo1nqz1sszW/s320/Freelance_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I doubt many would go into a film like this expecting a serious action-drama either, but there is far less humour than I was expecting, and that was, as mentioned, my main reason for watching it. Much of the humour is 'banter' between the three leads but it seems like the producers are also trying to sneak in a few 'messages' here and there too (which doesn't really work when it's a fictional country), and we also have a lengthy pit-stop in a charming rural village. As a result, the tone of the film is all over the place which, combined with iffy chemistry between the talented stars, makes Freelance a bit of a chore to get through. There are a few nice scenes and some explodey action for those who enjoy such things, but the charms of Cena and Brie are mostly wasted in this disappointing outing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 4/10</b></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kiON2PCrESY?si=00QDktfU-BiK28Sp" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-23637706404984251912024-02-28T22:02:00.000+00:002024-02-28T22:02:05.578+00:00Random Game I've Never Heard Of #15<b><span style="font-size: large;">Banana</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>Victor Musical Industries </i><b>Genre:</b> <i>Puzzle </i><b>Players:</b> <i>1 </i><b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Medium</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>Nintendo NES </i> <b>First Day Score: </b><i>2,170 (yes, I'm crap at puzzle games)</i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Nothing</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWe7Qt87vCvOyOe8gVm_smGhe5SGgBaBoqIQXHyTzjZHcflACULg2jy7A5vGwiWPD0sMFrqkPquJFrz4HslB4F0qtUjSW0VjJ6TK_8UdVp8MnUZkKu30sR6jBfnTFkgdkyz1ari-qJ5BoonKWpEr5fTaDlBuhyphenhyphenjtY8H-Jhc_qEAGTM4cGou8m3bQk39L2/s512/Banana_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWe7Qt87vCvOyOe8gVm_smGhe5SGgBaBoqIQXHyTzjZHcflACULg2jy7A5vGwiWPD0sMFrqkPquJFrz4HslB4F0qtUjSW0VjJ6TK_8UdVp8MnUZkKu30sR6jBfnTFkgdkyz1ari-qJ5BoonKWpEr5fTaDlBuhyphenhyphenjtY8H-Jhc_qEAGTM4cGou8m3bQk39L2/s320/Banana_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>Selecting the next game to review for this series of posts isn't usually a very complicated matter - just look at lists and see if any names stand out! For some reason, I've always enjoyed games that feature fruits and vegetables. They usually take the form of collectibles for bonus points but here was a game that was actually named after a fruit! The reason for this is unclear but it made it stand out to me in any case. A quick perusal revealed that it was a pretty early release for Nintendo's sprightly Famicom and never made it out of Japan for some reason, which goes some way to explaining why I hadn't heard of it. I also soon learned that it was a puzzle game starring a nameless mole, who for review purposes we'll call Gronk, and it's his job to rescue a nameless female mole, who we'll call Fleeple. She must be a bit of an airhead too, as she apparently gets re-kidnapped (or lost, or whatever is going on) prior to every single stage of the game! C'mon Gronk, sooner or later you've just got to accept that anyone who takes such bad care of themselves perhaps doesn't deserve to get repeatedly rescued.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmlfPnRf-qYZQsSSacAiHyBGOcenUN9a-r_OiTTvrI0q29YiyixJeM4gCPwFcfEOeoqF40Zf4uld4Fc1cgK4Ol0GSS9UhEw2j6fuJUYHKVKQFEqEK0ZUBbxGiateWRehzP4sQo95jH_YAAyS5jkznM0jv9k0Z0FeHQQ2HGC1pgAckDE27IskpO0GNzpTd/s512/Banana_02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="512" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmlfPnRf-qYZQsSSacAiHyBGOcenUN9a-r_OiTTvrI0q29YiyixJeM4gCPwFcfEOeoqF40Zf4uld4Fc1cgK4Ol0GSS9UhEw2j6fuJUYHKVKQFEqEK0ZUBbxGiateWRehzP4sQo95jH_YAAyS5jkznM0jv9k0Z0FeHQQ2HGC1pgAckDE27IskpO0GNzpTd/s320/Banana_02.png" width="320" /></a></div>Maybe she doesn't even <i>want</i> to be rescued, but that is nonetheless an objective of the game, the other being to collect all the fruits that appear on each stage. These are rarely bananas which lends further confusion to the relevance of title. There are a startlingly numerous 105 stages in total and at first it seems as though they will all be a single screen in size, though from stage 46 onwards they are a little wider. Regardless of their size, they are all more or less the same in style and can be a lot trickier than you might at first imagine. Each of them will feature: dirt, boulders, fruits, an exit door, and of course Fleeple who is extra-recognisable as she appears to be wearing a red dress and has blue hair for some reason. Virtually all of them will also feature ladders, and many will have some areas of open space too. All of these things are the size of a single tile and are arranged in varying numbers and in very specific ways to make each stage which consist of grids of either 14x11 or 20x11 tiles each.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYnBnHWR4kmGFNy5uRwDR0lo7edGM7jdqiV7b3y-ZI1vU8iKMjjqhQ8MfbkM5AjYmz9WYzC_IH9X-r8RofHIcAOZ2wHLrhOMZoNAb7N_HjpGlkX2qAuvtDXvZvBj8YWyWO9NgTnrHNKzcHIvPOYc8bg32aJgfYgDM6crXx67bAtZG7IdZmVGewvrAY8K4/s512/Banana_04.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="512" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYnBnHWR4kmGFNy5uRwDR0lo7edGM7jdqiV7b3y-ZI1vU8iKMjjqhQ8MfbkM5AjYmz9WYzC_IH9X-r8RofHIcAOZ2wHLrhOMZoNAb7N_HjpGlkX2qAuvtDXvZvBj8YWyWO9NgTnrHNKzcHIvPOYc8bg32aJgfYgDM6crXx67bAtZG7IdZmVGewvrAY8K4/s320/Banana_04.png" width="320" /></a></div>The trickiness I mentioned earlier is mainly down to two things: first, as Gronk moves around he is able to dig through the dirt (which is green for some reason) left, right or down one tile at a time, but he can't move up; second, when he digs directly underneath a boulder it falls down, Boulder Dash-stylee. Surprisingly however, unlike First Star Software's classic, these falling boulders will not kill Gronk or Fleeple, but they can trap him or them in an inescapable position, as can empty space which he will fall into if he digs directly above it. This obviously means stages need to be scrutinised and planned out before making any moves. Fortunately, there is no time limit, and even if there was, you can just pause the game and plan away. Mistakes will still be common though, and even if you don't trap Gronk, you still might leave yourself unable to reach one or several fruits. Luckily, if such a scenario unfolds, you can suicide (start over at the cost of a life) by pressing the A and B buttons together, which is also likely to be the only times you use the buttons since Gronk can't jump or shoot anything.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdVMV3BJ-9rBzjbfujy-AuhQDhP4UGscDAfKQNgi7ORsBx9M0SxLSYoWxP2vQ5J5wleWxAcjeRB5F4A7aEbE5EOab6U0UN8EsF7OaX_n1oQAMZxz2rIeQCM4Cb0jdxdZ3yrjaVdaQYYex3wuSs8BwosaBNAwMMjJ-BuynePkSwLk5FsLL-uSNGhu0xL_d/s512/Banana_05.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="512" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdVMV3BJ-9rBzjbfujy-AuhQDhP4UGscDAfKQNgi7ORsBx9M0SxLSYoWxP2vQ5J5wleWxAcjeRB5F4A7aEbE5EOab6U0UN8EsF7OaX_n1oQAMZxz2rIeQCM4Cb0jdxdZ3yrjaVdaQYYex3wuSs8BwosaBNAwMMjJ-BuynePkSwLk5FsLL-uSNGhu0xL_d/s320/Banana_05.png" width="320" /></a></div>The only potential lifeline for Gronk and Fleeple (who is apparently his daughter-in-law for some reason) are those titular bananas which do, as it turns out, have a function here. Most stages features only one type of fruit to collect (which aren't always fruits, as can be seen from the hamburgers, above), but now and then a solitary banana can be found which bestows upon Gronk either a bomb, a ladder segment, a rope, or a rock, which can all be stockpiled and used as and when needed by pressing select. If you find yourself stuck, see if one of these handy items can rescue your life before it is squandered by committing the most grievous of acts. That's about all there is to the game though. There are no collectibles besides the mandatory food items, no enemies, no bosses, no bonus rounds; just stage after stage of differently-positioned rocks and ladders and stuff with fruits sprinkled around them. Placing the emphasis solely on the puzzliness of the stages isn't necessarily a bad thing though, is it?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEpL5u1AJjv4TqYnWGQsT86xTEM6mGrLaXKrvHYO9bZ1GO-zwYesEnHdYsC1KzE93LcvphlHl2YH9FAjMWIygYklDvPIDAZlRVzKdbiT3pd5JwkEiQGdjsrtoy58CXaznmnwTkLbbR_QxUgPHxdVRjtk-ow4sbH4l-pNXncg7dZ-HTwGIK7m_RB0hlDNp/s512/Banana_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="512" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEpL5u1AJjv4TqYnWGQsT86xTEM6mGrLaXKrvHYO9bZ1GO-zwYesEnHdYsC1KzE93LcvphlHl2YH9FAjMWIygYklDvPIDAZlRVzKdbiT3pd5JwkEiQGdjsrtoy58CXaznmnwTkLbbR_QxUgPHxdVRjtk-ow4sbH4l-pNXncg7dZ-HTwGIK7m_RB0hlDNp/s320/Banana_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>I suppose that depends on how you feel about puzzle games, but if you like them, the stages here will be most enjoyable. There is usually a set route you'll need to work out which includes doing some 'prep' work such as digging beneath boulders to open a passage you'll need later or something, and some stages can take a lot of thought as well as trial and error to figure out. There are no passwords or game save but you can select any stage (in increments of five) from the title screen so if you get stuck you can get straight back to the same point next time (roughly). There is even a level designer/editor in case you get through all the existing stages. It's a great little game overall. The graphics are simple and repetitive but work well and have some cute animations, and the music is also simple, with only one tune which is accompanied by 'walking music' like Dig Dug. It's the stage design that will keep you coming back though - there are a lot of them, they're challenging, and it's always satisfying to solve one. It's far from the Famicom's flashiest game but you'd be bananas (chortle!) to dismiss it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 8/10</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at Nenriki Gaming Channel (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@NenrikiGaming">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J3P2QykaYtU?si=H5w19DLxvEzL6som" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-5973108720577404432024-01-31T22:02:00.000+00:002024-01-31T22:02:16.020+00:00The Best of X68000 Cover-Art - Part 1The X68000 has long been a system that has interested me. As well as looking cool, it hosts some great games including some famously-awesome arcade conversions. I would like to cover it more here but, like most Japanese home micros, it's a pain in the arse to emulate and it's certainly not a realistic system to buy. Due to the high cost of the actual system as well as most games for it, and no doubt for numerous other reasons, it's not one that's popular with collectors, at least in this hemisphere. It doesn't seem to get mentioned much at all really, from what I've seen. As a result of all this, not only have I not played many games for it, but I haven't even seen many of the physical games, even online, so I found myself wondering what the cover-art was like for them. After a little effort, I have found some cover scans and have taken it upon myself to choose the most eye-catching ones! Here is the first of what will probably be four posts on the subject...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiF1x5b4J7PHJJvT4Vj4uI_5L1xgiCuxD3mLiMAhuzAGCM_E5mC55nChaVftRuKd6cSMMaLN10W7I0BieMAZvIErzrsYW1z1mtKqObMa4EO-QJSN8AWvkYwbQl7XkvQdydiqkagQzZleOcNRwWCGIBt0r_Y8apUB_QkhRk1EqvFuLeLfMUP9Uq1envt2r/s600/38%20Man%20Kilo%20No%20Kokuu%20(1989).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiF1x5b4J7PHJJvT4Vj4uI_5L1xgiCuxD3mLiMAhuzAGCM_E5mC55nChaVftRuKd6cSMMaLN10W7I0BieMAZvIErzrsYW1z1mtKqObMa4EO-QJSN8AWvkYwbQl7XkvQdydiqkagQzZleOcNRwWCGIBt0r_Y8apUB_QkhRk1EqvFuLeLfMUP9Uq1envt2r/s320/38%20Man%20Kilo%20No%20Kokuu%20(1989).png" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">38 Man Kilo No Kokuu...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy8-kJBOCB2q2WREFtKNs5s1I5e5q6RmqtFd4gLEUd5q1o35Rve-8cNXlZlnJDnd9s2nmX1vNaheqraLyHwAmBQerxT050XJszPiqKO_pxVW3QNHH9zlkIC2Pv4DKP_g-RTKM2V8hkGyWeVjdkJv6ul0vm2Udc6hFXZLzzFUXSC9qOY3Wr5PC9l3oh9f8/s600/Air%20Combat%20II%20Yuugekiou%20II%20(1990).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy8-kJBOCB2q2WREFtKNs5s1I5e5q6RmqtFd4gLEUd5q1o35Rve-8cNXlZlnJDnd9s2nmX1vNaheqraLyHwAmBQerxT050XJszPiqKO_pxVW3QNHH9zlkIC2Pv4DKP_g-RTKM2V8hkGyWeVjdkJv6ul0vm2Udc6hFXZLzzFUXSC9qOY3Wr5PC9l3oh9f8/s320/Air%20Combat%20II%20Yuugekiou%20II%20(1990).png" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Combat...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a name='more'></a>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc4dPOiHR_S2niLnzr_lx68lNaY2s2d5EmM7-IwSHiyycknil6MkOf7T55G4dTWXH_nUwZa7xZXVEPxCQVSfVOfjUfNO1G-50Rcs0MolTWwQzm4S69B9fvDx5RJtY3k10vSu9VqPPgNqeM7lAVCrufAb8FTYVpf8V7XU0gBdAQMEuH7qcWwzXOUCQJUFL/s600/Akumajou%20Dracula%20(1993).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc4dPOiHR_S2niLnzr_lx68lNaY2s2d5EmM7-IwSHiyycknil6MkOf7T55G4dTWXH_nUwZa7xZXVEPxCQVSfVOfjUfNO1G-50Rcs0MolTWwQzm4S69B9fvDx5RJtY3k10vSu9VqPPgNqeM7lAVCrufAb8FTYVpf8V7XU0gBdAQMEuH7qcWwzXOUCQJUFL/s320/Akumajou%20Dracula%20(1993).png" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Akumajou Dracula... </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrdGrffM9OIo6kazLZP5xq5Gz9T8VPq2fSNffBuq6K3VDWPGQkEm2mRwMovVoYEouuls1C7o7RlVWSVhrPRkSXPaxy1RZENIJmYHy7cb1CPqoHTqkYLEfaUHK2K-BIoL1X9HLLTe0sPgn71kX_x_0I_nflILcqGxnmK-pHh5c9UfnnRD7Po-4sXwYsHKE/s600/Alice%20No%20Yakata%20(19xx).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrdGrffM9OIo6kazLZP5xq5Gz9T8VPq2fSNffBuq6K3VDWPGQkEm2mRwMovVoYEouuls1C7o7RlVWSVhrPRkSXPaxy1RZENIJmYHy7cb1CPqoHTqkYLEfaUHK2K-BIoL1X9HLLTe0sPgn71kX_x_0I_nflILcqGxnmK-pHh5c9UfnnRD7Po-4sXwYsHKE/s320/Alice%20No%20Yakata%20(19xx).png" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice No Yakata... </td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ztLeW33FyAYTX9hXTVYX3xbD-mSnxKiTGWuitbFmVF1Iw_g3r9GV_bNCSfVCRBC6YKJZvHItWF4BmzPniCrZUS7okPseuL-O486cvWskXUeDgjt-hDN9Th4NDL0FaGkU9Hc9BHGq9vC90NB6vNc5pgYYM1AeRtnBvXpj0LDuoUt4rFah8G5fWop7ei5L/s600/Alshark%20(1991).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ztLeW33FyAYTX9hXTVYX3xbD-mSnxKiTGWuitbFmVF1Iw_g3r9GV_bNCSfVCRBC6YKJZvHItWF4BmzPniCrZUS7okPseuL-O486cvWskXUeDgjt-hDN9Th4NDL0FaGkU9Hc9BHGq9vC90NB6vNc5pgYYM1AeRtnBvXpj0LDuoUt4rFah8G5fWop7ei5L/s320/Alshark%20(1991).png" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alshark...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVd56lpA4Ybdr3LZQWb36PHK_tiV58ujuqGywW7AylW0S9GrXKh7G2hapXgyEgQ71_yVT8pUGXQSQierKCmhwpJCyaPsiup6KwebKOeHsFv1v9tNAbhMIfAs6dVAAnDAsKPC-qmyYGoW1VbWtUNfrNPW_Hr6JNQf34OsbGoEeDSvRLLjrK33AI6I-QV7Sa/s600/Ambivalenz%20(1994).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVd56lpA4Ybdr3LZQWb36PHK_tiV58ujuqGywW7AylW0S9GrXKh7G2hapXgyEgQ71_yVT8pUGXQSQierKCmhwpJCyaPsiup6KwebKOeHsFv1v9tNAbhMIfAs6dVAAnDAsKPC-qmyYGoW1VbWtUNfrNPW_Hr6JNQf34OsbGoEeDSvRLLjrK33AI6I-QV7Sa/s320/Ambivalenz%20(1994).png" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambivalenz...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxM_Bhcfrus6Y8hFbkFEs_HXDGTEDNoil2h9oXKQe0c6pQ-Tm4TubS98rH_Zuir7cQ8_7Rzkjr4eSUEBaZhWZW2fUQqgSx13il_7UK7RrLtJyUukPQRW-BhSEyDioNm2rNaAww-Ql7natmpOHljCjThzLhOGKfo-_YtqASX0AESqFgZuH5KtMxvhPc38P/s600/Aquales%20(1991).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxM_Bhcfrus6Y8hFbkFEs_HXDGTEDNoil2h9oXKQe0c6pQ-Tm4TubS98rH_Zuir7cQ8_7Rzkjr4eSUEBaZhWZW2fUQqgSx13il_7UK7RrLtJyUukPQRW-BhSEyDioNm2rNaAww-Ql7natmpOHljCjThzLhOGKfo-_YtqASX0AESqFgZuH5KtMxvhPc38P/s320/Aquales%20(1991).png" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aquales...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Xi13reg7agSAqRrOLDTXSCHnmglxrPszKxXRET5QxwtFwkJR4pLRHsj6rmcpb7yICWKR5M8iUQzQ2g6UlJl1UjBwR3mFOZiRaQX1m53ebmXBlZp82ohHekTv6d6QLiU-ww5Zfm7IVOntRJpmxIFOIxWkPVnNlXR9BwbC8yOSHx-jnceBN5qrQ7W83JBs/s600/Arcus%20Odyssey%20(1991).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="431" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Xi13reg7agSAqRrOLDTXSCHnmglxrPszKxXRET5QxwtFwkJR4pLRHsj6rmcpb7yICWKR5M8iUQzQ2g6UlJl1UjBwR3mFOZiRaQX1m53ebmXBlZp82ohHekTv6d6QLiU-ww5Zfm7IVOntRJpmxIFOIxWkPVnNlXR9BwbC8yOSHx-jnceBN5qrQ7W83JBs/s320/Arcus%20Odyssey%20(1991).png" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arcus Odyssey...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yYtppZmfXMDCEAtAqpdOYlAC7P2ojzAKXSa5QuwBtK-V66SSjs6oWCWr7CYc3YHf6nB1tDV-2Gx8NjhDL1aQSVGtQubnVWFdWAhpbjFmk2VOuwSIZ6hblhc9NU6MYqzBhwfTfXQuSrXk0qsoxcJVXVg5Bj1TODlC3DZd6_IRC5WboxBFP78V_eqKCTym/s600/Armored%20Trooper%20Votoms%20Dead%20Ash%20(1991).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yYtppZmfXMDCEAtAqpdOYlAC7P2ojzAKXSa5QuwBtK-V66SSjs6oWCWr7CYc3YHf6nB1tDV-2Gx8NjhDL1aQSVGtQubnVWFdWAhpbjFmk2VOuwSIZ6hblhc9NU6MYqzBhwfTfXQuSrXk0qsoxcJVXVg5Bj1TODlC3DZd6_IRC5WboxBFP78V_eqKCTym/s320/Armored%20Trooper%20Votoms%20Dead%20Ash%20(1991).png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Armored Trooper Votoms: Dead Ash... </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcpKrMDTpjcKFOXE9eELVI28mgA3vTcH4GaC3kKjrlEcqM23juCD2MTE-iQUPAbIxl4JRuIP0gOkd9rVUQoAosNM4RIayFgAi51ODjso2c0TGvw19KYLdevUVg1TD51uCIeJ22nSzfHkmxw-eUZwOGAmBEOVEhbQV1Gsddd6CazO5j9yXPoZROug3DoLt/s600/Asuka%20120%20Percent%20Burning%20Fest%20(1994).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcpKrMDTpjcKFOXE9eELVI28mgA3vTcH4GaC3kKjrlEcqM23juCD2MTE-iQUPAbIxl4JRuIP0gOkd9rVUQoAosNM4RIayFgAi51ODjso2c0TGvw19KYLdevUVg1TD51uCIeJ22nSzfHkmxw-eUZwOGAmBEOVEhbQV1Gsddd6CazO5j9yXPoZROug3DoLt/s320/Asuka%20120%20Percent%20Burning%20Fest%20(1994).png" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asuka 120% Percent BURNING Fest... </td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRO5v2jOGMSpmWO3DTmaGr1-7Ypa9HCqrO77lgZRscnz7JMSgM69etBDw3S_RpvUAfT278ywin4L3UZdWklFUMQ8s6-_jT0FOBlDXEI1eA2CKfypPstDmfZXFir3qG7N4SpjLVAP8g9L3NWt_nlG4OEIhd-_m8wD864aMVk0y60h9h1R_yZ18zWal-nzF/s600/Atomic%20Robo-Kid%20(1990).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRO5v2jOGMSpmWO3DTmaGr1-7Ypa9HCqrO77lgZRscnz7JMSgM69etBDw3S_RpvUAfT278ywin4L3UZdWklFUMQ8s6-_jT0FOBlDXEI1eA2CKfypPstDmfZXFir3qG7N4SpjLVAP8g9L3NWt_nlG4OEIhd-_m8wD864aMVk0y60h9h1R_yZ18zWal-nzF/s320/Atomic%20Robo-Kid%20(1990).png" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atomic Robokid...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfbO-n3OUaQmy_2C_cgDe8E_mqFrRv6YXI6w_a4VazU1Tu4zK0AdClU7omMNsyecPDEemhrRJvMUsoLC5rb8XkS7MRitP7a1Um7RNljElUQQN1R28d1U2b6T3Vhm1UwHUVAfMrFOIgCxBZ3ikiaC8TNOT4VHADYNL3bAyV2RUue7wIqMVsJXvHX27nzxf/s600/Baruusa%20No%20Fukushuu%20(1991).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfbO-n3OUaQmy_2C_cgDe8E_mqFrRv6YXI6w_a4VazU1Tu4zK0AdClU7omMNsyecPDEemhrRJvMUsoLC5rb8XkS7MRitP7a1Um7RNljElUQQN1R28d1U2b6T3Vhm1UwHUVAfMrFOIgCxBZ3ikiaC8TNOT4VHADYNL3bAyV2RUue7wIqMVsJXvHX27nzxf/s320/Baruusa%20No%20Fukushuu%20(1991).png" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baruusa No Fukushuu...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7fB3_1uAhwi0OeFH_Q947lT0DAjDqQmZ7qORh2qyMT2rMLeskBt4tVsw_EmJMInrSW20ZXGDVGXs5gGyPW-TmVOlMVdBQv_E3eqoMKnDH0dipndp15YQaaWjkWORY3KUD_YkV-RKjIayhtz7sQ1Z8svqCrYiFwwBhb7T9S4UQjsrEAoFqeUw94Yb95Sd/s600/Battle%20Chess%20(1989).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7fB3_1uAhwi0OeFH_Q947lT0DAjDqQmZ7qORh2qyMT2rMLeskBt4tVsw_EmJMInrSW20ZXGDVGXs5gGyPW-TmVOlMVdBQv_E3eqoMKnDH0dipndp15YQaaWjkWORY3KUD_YkV-RKjIayhtz7sQ1Z8svqCrYiFwwBhb7T9S4UQjsrEAoFqeUw94Yb95Sd/s320/Battle%20Chess%20(1989).png" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle Chess...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwnL3-HOwMum0hUHIl5qa72-RnMQyA2YN85oRKFPHDWmWPmAQDRh4FbLkshdvamB5N9Aw8o4LWZ92z577Wzy9G31JVTnxRNwvdxp07_lMbZwS8BgZuGtA6jfMPVL6IkTc4Qzdx5ip6eBwdFb5zEmKf143GfxGLFz9njwqVOwRhlIfdwJ1yF_k1_D-YW6I/s600/Be%20Rain.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwnL3-HOwMum0hUHIl5qa72-RnMQyA2YN85oRKFPHDWmWPmAQDRh4FbLkshdvamB5N9Aw8o4LWZ92z577Wzy9G31JVTnxRNwvdxp07_lMbZwS8BgZuGtA6jfMPVL6IkTc4Qzdx5ip6eBwdFb5zEmKf143GfxGLFz9njwqVOwRhlIfdwJ1yF_k1_D-YW6I/s320/Be%20Rain.png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Rain...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cl-0LYIbuXoF_1nqjJ3fKtYLVe8ZHJubBXAZFogmn6uDvb7MTDG-v9boNvAfOnMXTYNtfOiRz4GlP56E8JNwegQ-AXgGSBNFz1YbmrmTcTeMCGadyCGxLO1LNNA8skD9OJAvE6u6Dy1sQBVF5wDwyJYcuIVgXOHtOJPb_ZUrCns6V9ZWKRsKlvQ8Uwbd/s600/Bomber%20Man%20(1990).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cl-0LYIbuXoF_1nqjJ3fKtYLVe8ZHJubBXAZFogmn6uDvb7MTDG-v9boNvAfOnMXTYNtfOiRz4GlP56E8JNwegQ-AXgGSBNFz1YbmrmTcTeMCGadyCGxLO1LNNA8skD9OJAvE6u6Dy1sQBVF5wDwyJYcuIVgXOHtOJPb_ZUrCns6V9ZWKRsKlvQ8Uwbd/s320/Bomber%20Man%20(1990).png" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bomberman...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_voBKTRuYzUrMjRGz6To0nyjHd6GadJBD4qc2EvYvTjRv-l-mdPCZWCqal8GAyWit9Gvi34YokQLrKGWK2prN3KKQNthXNmFI3MmOvZj7WZS7E-PcG2aOtaYOAeCAqLmrRRH1TBoCc668VeWQhPYWx1BUi4K2SgS5B_2mdFcoF49ZADatdK6K5d1060X/s600/Branmarker%20(1991).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_voBKTRuYzUrMjRGz6To0nyjHd6GadJBD4qc2EvYvTjRv-l-mdPCZWCqal8GAyWit9Gvi34YokQLrKGWK2prN3KKQNthXNmFI3MmOvZj7WZS7E-PcG2aOtaYOAeCAqLmrRRH1TBoCc668VeWQhPYWx1BUi4K2SgS5B_2mdFcoF49ZADatdK6K5d1060X/s320/Branmarker%20(1991).png" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Branmarker...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpce_PjF2gZGc1MICiOlC7-LI5gxfYFYlqnGXzqp_eUNTDD0wZLSEtMNickHjIwUUnC71GyObHn5uiS7y8afhAXIY51a3Mf9bkH-j13hGScd21M8a8FzQJzmVKsMGbU67reVf7aOeAejasVX8_x5_pD649X5bib7y9WQ1PpHiXQhXLfC6pg16H9L6c35P/s600/Cal%202%20(1991).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpce_PjF2gZGc1MICiOlC7-LI5gxfYFYlqnGXzqp_eUNTDD0wZLSEtMNickHjIwUUnC71GyObHn5uiS7y8afhAXIY51a3Mf9bkH-j13hGScd21M8a8FzQJzmVKsMGbU67reVf7aOeAejasVX8_x5_pD649X5bib7y9WQ1PpHiXQhXLfC6pg16H9L6c35P/s320/Cal%202%20(1991).png" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cal II...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4CkIWLi9vS-0L1IeLJfsQ-rw8vO82mmAbzk0lMmCNTsWTkW7QAjPu6pt_uIYVIkc3na4GO0060lPZboyN6d6qlw1Ohm_b8wSGqsNB7GjQNhlmM9X4IneeAojJlF9nymIj8V3Zr2QG79nDJpdEUhwrkxNifl9VC9GPIV5AQQovGb_IgOy-qUQnHE3QH7v/s600/Can%20Can%20Bunny%20Extra%20(1993).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4CkIWLi9vS-0L1IeLJfsQ-rw8vO82mmAbzk0lMmCNTsWTkW7QAjPu6pt_uIYVIkc3na4GO0060lPZboyN6d6qlw1Ohm_b8wSGqsNB7GjQNhlmM9X4IneeAojJlF9nymIj8V3Zr2QG79nDJpdEUhwrkxNifl9VC9GPIV5AQQovGb_IgOy-qUQnHE3QH7v/s320/Can%20Can%20Bunny%20Extra%20(1993).png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can Can Bunny Extra...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQS4FfSK9WIFaWIRTGt71JcWMPmUtsNieAsZ5yswJ8LcXjAfXQYmnwVmMcXY_7pzfkqbzK_sa82xr-2x_RIQOuwT5WzAm6t5mpZTNcTJlZhz4Dncbj6lDNMAfSBt2Mfqay5d_0_WZUd8eyZybGo81WYKb9rLVkl9tJpfqwSBDPe-RSkB6cPC-xuIWVi5pA/s600/Carat%20(1992).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQS4FfSK9WIFaWIRTGt71JcWMPmUtsNieAsZ5yswJ8LcXjAfXQYmnwVmMcXY_7pzfkqbzK_sa82xr-2x_RIQOuwT5WzAm6t5mpZTNcTJlZhz4Dncbj6lDNMAfSBt2Mfqay5d_0_WZUd8eyZybGo81WYKb9rLVkl9tJpfqwSBDPe-RSkB6cPC-xuIWVi5pA/s320/Carat%20(1992).png" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carat...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZHB_DKiqy8GSByCpCE8NYSNDdxFvPNK09GfMKWyIGUSpapkVYnXzx6IwWTq_92HAtBYFbzce-r5rmctn9ArZyGFmqm-kFyvp62itksN233Rx6FxDBt7B4jfdIOEPxkJgVOVt5KcFgmHpSb1skWumIDVnwONEInjHbbRVLQiQFR9Su_brXXM52TLjWcm_/s600/Cat's%20Part-1%20(1993).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZHB_DKiqy8GSByCpCE8NYSNDdxFvPNK09GfMKWyIGUSpapkVYnXzx6IwWTq_92HAtBYFbzce-r5rmctn9ArZyGFmqm-kFyvp62itksN233Rx6FxDBt7B4jfdIOEPxkJgVOVt5KcFgmHpSb1skWumIDVnwONEInjHbbRVLQiQFR9Su_brXXM52TLjWcm_/s320/Cat's%20Part-1%20(1993).png" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat's Part 1...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggInO1bwc-E-I5walS-IBrN95U-oJJ7iDMICWgRAUNG39gpVFibFzzTb3cYbkhPOr-JpMJILOynJfeiBKB0AE67xvgGvfUJ_qJip4k-PhhQLHMYs8-UBX-eQwygCkss6zkcu_fwxrOY8wgJ-K7rLy3uD7fXENb32UYPAsoWd0OV6uX725VKqd4EnZqORPR/s600/Chaos%20Strikes%20Back%20(1990).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggInO1bwc-E-I5walS-IBrN95U-oJJ7iDMICWgRAUNG39gpVFibFzzTb3cYbkhPOr-JpMJILOynJfeiBKB0AE67xvgGvfUJ_qJip4k-PhhQLHMYs8-UBX-eQwygCkss6zkcu_fwxrOY8wgJ-K7rLy3uD7fXENb32UYPAsoWd0OV6uX725VKqd4EnZqORPR/s320/Chaos%20Strikes%20Back%20(1990).png" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaos Strikes Back...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HJQB5CevqXPI2LlrmDPlMMsqgE8dGoIZ03lP1XNq_uZgkjtBC9V8Te_hi-Ak0S0QgR0uZ5Hh4cxPwfdSLsxZRw2GraaPZtDSRF0K_gWoM0KTuljNCB8NQ1PcLd7kuSNPDmLKMI-vV-n0wGCMoXoYJFRM_bdjzHBQxwQSPHFLSj_a8YoqTYvsu1QRADtg/s600/Chourensha%2068K%20v1.01%20(1995).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HJQB5CevqXPI2LlrmDPlMMsqgE8dGoIZ03lP1XNq_uZgkjtBC9V8Te_hi-Ak0S0QgR0uZ5Hh4cxPwfdSLsxZRw2GraaPZtDSRF0K_gWoM0KTuljNCB8NQ1PcLd7kuSNPDmLKMI-vV-n0wGCMoXoYJFRM_bdjzHBQxwQSPHFLSj_a8YoqTYvsu1QRADtg/s320/Chourensha%2068K%20v1.01%20(1995).png" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chourensha 68k...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfm0lOx7gVSUG5JjpG5dMM4FIJMuLCJrtmeP663WIhsoARK8QHta1DE2n6sdwG-vgnDRxhnAoiSx3VBmGtpUsupbIDihGFviAMxBTXgpbewFQXmRg-81jSFd_KQT4DLN8h4kYZ58-O1-aO_AZzHXCoHYkSsDCuIRq7WhDF2qFcA6Cx3UiaQ8FZJ11Q3Wv/s600/Code-Zero%20(1991).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfm0lOx7gVSUG5JjpG5dMM4FIJMuLCJrtmeP663WIhsoARK8QHta1DE2n6sdwG-vgnDRxhnAoiSx3VBmGtpUsupbIDihGFviAMxBTXgpbewFQXmRg-81jSFd_KQT4DLN8h4kYZ58-O1-aO_AZzHXCoHYkSsDCuIRq7WhDF2qFcA6Cx3UiaQ8FZJ11Q3Wv/s320/Code-Zero%20(1991).png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Code-Zero...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaqBRxrv8VIRSRMHee8TAJXidafluzgZiK4yvono-9huzzmroKpPzL1Ke0TJEYSF5HGRtvDR1tU6xC-h3HfjtCvaeWnPHNgMR9S2r52qp5ZXHwMfxgbQBalH9BhT9uKnvyBy9oJywlI615KPPAvl4r7L68pVe-ekd_xGyvhaG_HaEInkKmxIwriJpHLc-/s600/Columns%20(1991).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaqBRxrv8VIRSRMHee8TAJXidafluzgZiK4yvono-9huzzmroKpPzL1Ke0TJEYSF5HGRtvDR1tU6xC-h3HfjtCvaeWnPHNgMR9S2r52qp5ZXHwMfxgbQBalH9BhT9uKnvyBy9oJywlI615KPPAvl4r7L68pVe-ekd_xGyvhaG_HaEInkKmxIwriJpHLc-/s320/Columns%20(1991).png" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columns...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZm_tFO4_bha4WFncBxyM7P8n_Uaq_Dj1EI1qoZ_1oxohV6tRB8qRR2UgElYcjKthWXQFSQWip78YDr9eR4Quo18AB00CMB1W0ybMwsGVM4Jmh_Lgz1o9FMZWG4gpYYKxVksJA_LuOrq58n83sqelhmVLhdwyjGuZcOLWpK6Kx_5KMnthmVWOB_X0JQNnQ/s600/Cotton%20Fantastic%20Night%20Dreams%20(1993).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZm_tFO4_bha4WFncBxyM7P8n_Uaq_Dj1EI1qoZ_1oxohV6tRB8qRR2UgElYcjKthWXQFSQWip78YDr9eR4Quo18AB00CMB1W0ybMwsGVM4Jmh_Lgz1o9FMZWG4gpYYKxVksJA_LuOrq58n83sqelhmVLhdwyjGuZcOLWpK6Kx_5KMnthmVWOB_X0JQNnQ/s320/Cotton%20Fantastic%20Night%20Dreams%20(1993).png" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoX_ehANWM2jtMgsh3A1HQoD-DY65e7YURkhFMHrsXZcjOH1LloXOlBn8utnzitKPnWdsFY4EDW4L61pRfCySXM5PcLTWYrXHD-TNjlEjxpW17JMwafAGyDuZiwyVjsCSH1gD1P8VQQk17E_xwtODw-jXrseixA3ENWxWEzKwUXceWbFFwv9aSA46Disp/s600/Cyberblock%20Metal%20Orange%20EX%20(1993).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoX_ehANWM2jtMgsh3A1HQoD-DY65e7YURkhFMHrsXZcjOH1LloXOlBn8utnzitKPnWdsFY4EDW4L61pRfCySXM5PcLTWYrXHD-TNjlEjxpW17JMwafAGyDuZiwyVjsCSH1gD1P8VQQk17E_xwtODw-jXrseixA3ENWxWEzKwUXceWbFFwv9aSA46Disp/s320/Cyberblock%20Metal%20Orange%20EX%20(1993).png" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyberblock Metal Orange EX...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa-S2hne_-tSA28VIvQWSOm_86Js1PBKoFoh0pFDwIRJRMyoWjQDBpK4h6mb7PSZ9XPfvLNR_Sbzt1rNTipn2QdrxEb1BH15eAIayTGatD1gHg7U8kNK9qy-obQpxsuBTPhmfYsUwv_XGQ557MTHau1BohvN4rl4hIKY_7s5pxuu_3OHOPFp4RVAkjk5Z/s600/Daimakaimura%20(1994).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa-S2hne_-tSA28VIvQWSOm_86Js1PBKoFoh0pFDwIRJRMyoWjQDBpK4h6mb7PSZ9XPfvLNR_Sbzt1rNTipn2QdrxEb1BH15eAIayTGatD1gHg7U8kNK9qy-obQpxsuBTPhmfYsUwv_XGQ557MTHau1BohvN4rl4hIKY_7s5pxuu_3OHOPFp4RVAkjk5Z/s320/Daimakaimura%20(1994).png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daimakaimura (Ghouls'n Ghosts)...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfE8PD3Quqw56AF9MT5AlsgbSV8dyPx1VAmeuGfw66_5p2o6c19Bw5STZutbPyCfw1z5kROfVP_GP6sXp9UzCkmzy2oV_FEOaJ-tmhjw1DgkFaBmZLEcOk6LLzAIDk-w0VoVv4Vm5FSZWtuTDYN4zSGlAcKd05fMnWMlfXxlynRyzDsgRHGEXoJBepjIq/s600/Death%20Brade%20(1992).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfE8PD3Quqw56AF9MT5AlsgbSV8dyPx1VAmeuGfw66_5p2o6c19Bw5STZutbPyCfw1z5kROfVP_GP6sXp9UzCkmzy2oV_FEOaJ-tmhjw1DgkFaBmZLEcOk6LLzAIDk-w0VoVv4Vm5FSZWtuTDYN4zSGlAcKd05fMnWMlfXxlynRyzDsgRHGEXoJBepjIq/s320/Death%20Brade%20(1992).png" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death Blade...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ_VtAJAFKlG4qWD-1cmwh-XzNcoqkVhSyYEjrwkIey7cqi1OGhx-U3ZHO1-0mLqaHiFQ4n_7CwkYyxcoka62OCOI8dmcJv_wJrfuNrrxrrDMz3dAUwxvuH7HV4gsMfk6YQBq499LkijTi7yBgD3LXPuyABL5wF1UoGAvOouRXSeFrGOUgV65VKAPWTFI/s600/Death%20Bringer%20(1989).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ_VtAJAFKlG4qWD-1cmwh-XzNcoqkVhSyYEjrwkIey7cqi1OGhx-U3ZHO1-0mLqaHiFQ4n_7CwkYyxcoka62OCOI8dmcJv_wJrfuNrrxrrDMz3dAUwxvuH7HV4gsMfk6YQBq499LkijTi7yBgD3LXPuyABL5wF1UoGAvOouRXSeFrGOUgV65VKAPWTFI/s320/Death%20Bringer%20(1989).png" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death Bringer...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1mrc94Sek6WjukJjQznrAvTO_zuJOMwkRv8Ha-U_SYFgxxeBCoGPzAG6cDxmoe59asEVE7KCxutWrmzOL19gSAM2aTijKpMnLREIrEDLoJr4R_Zb5Fhok8NzZgSn7KPZT5lTEej6vKmVnAcBMp52We7Rz8-ECYRalGtc8QRsKzbmCKRneWZbAl_Dieeo/s600/Detana!%20Twin%20Bee%20(1991).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="391" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1mrc94Sek6WjukJjQznrAvTO_zuJOMwkRv8Ha-U_SYFgxxeBCoGPzAG6cDxmoe59asEVE7KCxutWrmzOL19gSAM2aTijKpMnLREIrEDLoJr4R_Zb5Fhok8NzZgSn7KPZT5lTEej6vKmVnAcBMp52We7Rz8-ECYRalGtc8QRsKzbmCKRneWZbAl_Dieeo/s320/Detana!%20Twin%20Bee%20(1991).png" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detana! Twin Bee...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdrdvT6lFJ5tz3qqzF9-miJxXYrJwB55tvFisSuMccqzLF97xPIk8Q0TVevDR_rLEj2v-VHBdWUFv5tuw2tKAEv7dM7lBYbXtqh9zCur41vVP9kI7jzugrcAj_qehpJAmxBq6SXJCY4I4NkJ3IFqIXBB8Xd_MvCSWNQR8uYr8aDrMlAe_Y939vuVhMJzV/s600/Die%20Bahnwelt%20(1992).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdrdvT6lFJ5tz3qqzF9-miJxXYrJwB55tvFisSuMccqzLF97xPIk8Q0TVevDR_rLEj2v-VHBdWUFv5tuw2tKAEv7dM7lBYbXtqh9zCur41vVP9kI7jzugrcAj_qehpJAmxBq6SXJCY4I4NkJ3IFqIXBB8Xd_MvCSWNQR8uYr8aDrMlAe_Y939vuVhMJzV/s320/Die%20Bahnwelt%20(1992).png" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Die Bahnwelt...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1h6upOrc7VXQJLcTAiwOZi3XZCn1nQZc9EjLWNvdNamgxpzh02K1u_10Hofrxyy0GT4qN1o4h16_jEpM4ioR0-8v44cWDxti3PxvN1A0b4LdOB2gXn3sE327aFnKeaPJCjXc0eQ6DUacKvmAA9rUtsJeLOfmN7u2x8uHE7AI8y0uOunUVRafC_yRF6ee/s600/Dino%20Land%20(1991).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1h6upOrc7VXQJLcTAiwOZi3XZCn1nQZc9EjLWNvdNamgxpzh02K1u_10Hofrxyy0GT4qN1o4h16_jEpM4ioR0-8v44cWDxti3PxvN1A0b4LdOB2gXn3sE327aFnKeaPJCjXc0eQ6DUacKvmAA9rUtsJeLOfmN7u2x8uHE7AI8y0uOunUVRafC_yRF6ee/s320/Dino%20Land%20(1991).png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dino Land...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8WTaSacQXw4zjBoPvozKYX30jzz0qXT7zZ1Xwwhxhy9vVtsXnT8ANvAMxrX4tw5-ns1GPFreAENYioCgFD9Zj6NVPTbgShGRwvvQ4P1BK8o9TFCBhvvGOaMChfrx0L1wESNWcuJAVX14jFlHwJaZwIYto6N_EatMyXl5fFw29wx7UWC8Dy4X1OjlGVLG/s320/Dor%20(1992).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8WTaSacQXw4zjBoPvozKYX30jzz0qXT7zZ1Xwwhxhy9vVtsXnT8ANvAMxrX4tw5-ns1GPFreAENYioCgFD9Zj6NVPTbgShGRwvvQ4P1BK8o9TFCBhvvGOaMChfrx0L1wESNWcuJAVX14jFlHwJaZwIYto6N_EatMyXl5fFw29wx7UWC8Dy4X1OjlGVLG/s320/Dor%20(1992).png" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dor...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3OWkILiTkx_hRcFFbcEoB7eFupdtJqBVJfuhZAhJg1YDyrKERo6O1yJbKS0xJmK6lOTodoTEaossvgoyS6GKYl0i4Q-N2UCPTywKPXhLFvotsP3Y74gD3tYM_RqIRkmNJfjAOqVYc4tzXgFfDh4Nr6MukPuB0rl9qrxM4wfSLF0560FX1LJAwBxDqIWQ/s600/Dragon%20Knight%20(1989).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3OWkILiTkx_hRcFFbcEoB7eFupdtJqBVJfuhZAhJg1YDyrKERo6O1yJbKS0xJmK6lOTodoTEaossvgoyS6GKYl0i4Q-N2UCPTywKPXhLFvotsP3Y74gD3tYM_RqIRkmNJfjAOqVYc4tzXgFfDh4Nr6MukPuB0rl9qrxM4wfSLF0560FX1LJAwBxDqIWQ/s600/Dragon%20Knight%20(1989).png" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon Knight...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp4MXD3P5wIgUOXfr0Aqfy4X72EjUyBjp9t2dxY_d5SUZS9fIebJrIZEfFZQs07k5RId81hh6mr5UIiQefhlMpNz44G6aBoGqO-oG2y0jf4YhTWvalZkeFpMi7V3hG6e32sjdszC4eXabYKh6T-Np-8tcmm0mbHOugBcq_uRtr63VQs0sNWsQ13qbbjAc/s600/Dragon%20Knight%202%20(1991).png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp4MXD3P5wIgUOXfr0Aqfy4X72EjUyBjp9t2dxY_d5SUZS9fIebJrIZEfFZQs07k5RId81hh6mr5UIiQefhlMpNz44G6aBoGqO-oG2y0jf4YhTWvalZkeFpMi7V3hG6e32sjdszC4eXabYKh6T-Np-8tcmm0mbHOugBcq_uRtr63VQs0sNWsQ13qbbjAc/s600/Dragon%20Knight%202%20(1991).png" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon Knight II...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-24771403903455665732024-01-18T11:56:00.001+00:002024-01-19T19:50:56.420+00:00Game Boy Games #5<b><span style="font-size: large;">Choplifter II: </span>Rescue and Survive</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1991)<br />
<b>By: </b><i>Beam Software</i><b> Genre: </b><i>Shooting </i><b>Players: </b><i>1 </i><b>Difficulty: </b><i>Medium</i><br />
<b>Featured Version: </b><i>Nintendo Game Boy </i><b>First Day Score: </b><i>???,???</i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Nothing</i><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvWKHuJXRxE3sae534kdTzeJLqcXcWxPoHeEsWrQ6H39ATvg2ou2Zj1xIn5i2uAAHdiH4HtFcp6ijyxxTt_CReXBdtZ-Es18sVCti4Wzzc2YYTYYLVvgKTjylKUMqomJFk30gywdWbecgc9YobXLRQZ6KFkecw8qQ9j2aAfWl2T1Kn0qEooeqHpeH6fYW/s640/Choplifter_II_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvWKHuJXRxE3sae534kdTzeJLqcXcWxPoHeEsWrQ6H39ATvg2ou2Zj1xIn5i2uAAHdiH4HtFcp6ijyxxTt_CReXBdtZ-Es18sVCti4Wzzc2YYTYYLVvgKTjylKUMqomJFk30gywdWbecgc9YobXLRQZ6KFkecw8qQ9j2aAfWl2T1Kn0qEooeqHpeH6fYW/s320/Choplifter_II_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>I've never really been a handheld gamer for some weird reason - it was always the home consoles that interested me - so when I saw that Choplifter III had been released on the SNES I was mildly startled. I had long enjoyed the original game on my delightful Master System, and here, apparently, was the third game, but what in the blue blazes had happened to the second game? The answer wouldn't find my eyes until many moons later but it turned out that Choplifter II was a Game Boy exclusive of all things. Crikey, I exclaimed! Once I got over the shock of this unexpected news and considered the game for a moment, I was immediately sceptical that such a game would work on the small, blurry screen. The view of the action would have to be much more zoomed-in so you could actually see stuff for one thing, and that would open you up to being killed by something when it scrolled onto the screen right next to you. I suppose I should play the game before condemning it for my imagined slights (to partly quote Thor from The Avengers) though, huh?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTufTUfZh7cXfUdXXNYQ7KfC1tEWMFic5fWYbLpbUjlb-RRUgoQWEtcbMkhJQChfQqESGdIJ52t95MIwCS0krUrZPZ5SLe-n9MSxuBGWayCsuYHiJ23TKPo9-QoeqqhFntZKVHgah9Aos9tqOvI6_ybrk5zbNcAL5ygC9H_OG30c_pBcctvaOMn1l7tCjQ/s640/Choplifter_II_02.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTufTUfZh7cXfUdXXNYQ7KfC1tEWMFic5fWYbLpbUjlb-RRUgoQWEtcbMkhJQChfQqESGdIJ52t95MIwCS0krUrZPZ5SLe-n9MSxuBGWayCsuYHiJ23TKPo9-QoeqqhFntZKVHgah9Aos9tqOvI6_ybrk5zbNcAL5ygC9H_OG30c_pBcctvaOMn1l7tCjQ/s640/Choplifter_II_02.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rescue the hostages before the tank shoots them!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>First things first: the game logo on the title screen flickers (I assume deliberately) which is why it looks weird here. This is irritating and needed to be mentioned. Once I started the actual game, however, things were much less irritating. To begin with at least, the game looks and plays very much like what is probably the best known version of the first game, not to mention my favourite version, found on the aforementioned MS. There are way more levels to get through here though - fifteen in fact, spread evenly over five themed 'sectors' named: Ground Battle, Cave Battle, Sea Battle, Jungle Battle and City Battle. Something tells me a battle awaits in those locations! The side-scrolling levels feature lots of hostages running around near buildings which also tend to have enemy forces patrolling nearby. Your job is to rescue a minimum quota of these hostages before you can advance to the next level or sector. The hostages can be killed by the idiotic enemy forces though, so either take them out first or be quick!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYZPY2Np_wK-jWrQX0anPsLwIFjjje-VvWkqfc9wYTo1cjXN43FxWbz7Pt3-_zCr04ZUEyA0ZDCEsfwm06BiM3deidwqK74XVM9-QEvLpyzIvXAK0aEkIV5xG_7hc_cocGJwd1yFv-kX9FPNLA0jSPXiQ-8whJtbAGpfU37UU-bSLmYHm7bt_Gmr5RZst/s640/Choplifter_II_04.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYZPY2Np_wK-jWrQX0anPsLwIFjjje-VvWkqfc9wYTo1cjXN43FxWbz7Pt3-_zCr04ZUEyA0ZDCEsfwm06BiM3deidwqK74XVM9-QEvLpyzIvXAK0aEkIV5xG_7hc_cocGJwd1yFv-kX9FPNLA0jSPXiQ-8whJtbAGpfU37UU-bSLmYHm7bt_Gmr5RZst/s640/Choplifter_II_04.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The between-level map of the first sector...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>As with the first game, you can fly left or right across each level's landscape (or indeed seascape), and your chopper can be turned to face left, right or directly at the screen. The latter can be used for ascending or descending in tighter spaces but mainly for dropping bombs straight down onto enemy vehicles beneath you, rather than them firing left or right across the screen when you're facing those directions. Since many enemies are between obstructions (buildings, trees, etc), this is often the only way you can take them out. Your main weapons are described as bombs too, even though they shoot across the screen like large bullets or small rockets. There are pick-ups to look out for though, either left behind by destroyed enemies or just laying around already. These include larger bombs, missiles, a flamethrower, shield, extra life, stealth (makes you invisible) or rope (needed in some areas to rescue hostages). Unlike your main weapon, these are all very limited in number, but very handy nonetheless.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVGB1PZpjI7xHutBZOCGqw6DrHCAZRXLrgra7V5OPqt2uAgaFiCEOQGBSNiG5YYPfzg1Z_97L6Tiw7J09pbgsJ3En920dpeY6HEfhRBbV8ctHUN43WsEug6VaNQ7BSyYWiT4NjWsTMuy1WLh4JMxLTcpKrhdEwrugQko9Gnx-uN2LzMJ1_MJM2dQOj-JA/s640/Choplifter_II_05.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVGB1PZpjI7xHutBZOCGqw6DrHCAZRXLrgra7V5OPqt2uAgaFiCEOQGBSNiG5YYPfzg1Z_97L6Tiw7J09pbgsJ3En920dpeY6HEfhRBbV8ctHUN43WsEug6VaNQ7BSyYWiT4NjWsTMuy1WLh4JMxLTcpKrhdEwrugQko9Gnx-uN2LzMJ1_MJM2dQOj-JA/s640/Choplifter_II_05.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>See if you can guess which sector this is!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was surprised to see you get an energy meter here too, rather than the one-hit deaths of the original. It's pretty easy to take damage though - obviously enemies and their projectiles do a number on it, as does flying into walls, scenery, buildings, trees, or pretty much anything you can see, even if you are barely moving. Luckily, some downed enemies drop stars which replenish it, but if your chopper goes down with any hostages on board, they will also be lost. Worse still, if you go down with enough hostages on board that there are no longer enough left pootling about the stage to meet the level's minimum quota, it's an instant game over rather than just costing you a life, so it's always a good idea to unload any passengers as soon as possible, and certainly before you tackle a tricky-looking section. The enemies mainly consist of various types of tanks and ground-based guns, and smaller scenery or building-mounted guns, but later stages see occasional tougher enemies show up such as jets and choppers, and even a submarine that launches an ICBM on the watery sector!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4U1KSrd3mR0eoCkU5_y9AiTvqTOKwKrvh3vR2rjCN-EvZPuWyAlS7SA18AukFXcKLraMGmcREtS-nfcW5caZ-bi321E64ZPrK8OOUVu6vMzww2-QAiYsCrgdDJItJtS5vcFiW7jX87ze9LEYxvyaFL_L7xOddoW2luWTm_CvJ3CbxwLpIzjV7yYUPqoQ/s640/Choplifter_II_06.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4U1KSrd3mR0eoCkU5_y9AiTvqTOKwKrvh3vR2rjCN-EvZPuWyAlS7SA18AukFXcKLraMGmcREtS-nfcW5caZ-bi321E64ZPrK8OOUVu6vMzww2-QAiYsCrgdDJItJtS5vcFiW7jX87ze9LEYxvyaFL_L7xOddoW2luWTm_CvJ3CbxwLpIzjV7yYUPqoQ/s640/Choplifter_II_06.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crikey, that's a scary game over screen!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The stages themselves present the odd hazard or two as well, such as falling rocks, watery spouts, etc, and even the weather is against you since rainy/thundery clouds will cause you damage too! These things can only be avoided but most enemies are destroyed easily enough with the basic bombs in terms of how many hits they take, but they are often positioned so that you might take damage trying to reach them. It probably sounds like a super tough game but it's really not all that bad if you take things carefully (i.e. slowly), and mercifully enough, there is no time limit. The only bummer really, is that some enemies respawn, but for the most part they only need to be taken out to reach hostages running around near them, so they can usually just be avoided after respawns. Fortunately, there are more hostages on each level than you need so you can afford to lose a few here and there, but you do get a substantial bonus as well as an extra life if you manage to rescue all of them.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhcaFDCuIMuUHTpXD5LI8RMs-R5VOjC43Z0LRX-ACYAdEsu-_IyeEbTBhqs-D0a2hNlI8DMClUNFmK4Q4o0hfQEgki6ubF5pAfZwlMYJP5CPS-xJtWb45G2GiW1m_oX-S9kWP3A55F5kSAE24TByQYlwJ8OvLXrl4-lL5xHE1nEopLn7XliiugpwFC1j8/s640/Choplifter_II_03.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhcaFDCuIMuUHTpXD5LI8RMs-R5VOjC43Z0LRX-ACYAdEsu-_IyeEbTBhqs-D0a2hNlI8DMClUNFmK4Q4o0hfQEgki6ubF5pAfZwlMYJP5CPS-xJtWb45G2GiW1m_oX-S9kWP3A55F5kSAE24TByQYlwJ8OvLXrl4-lL5xHE1nEopLn7XliiugpwFC1j8/s640/Choplifter_II_03.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>There are lots of tight sections in the cave sector...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Suffice to say, there is quite a bit more to the game than the simple-but-addictive original which got too hard too quickly for my tastes. The graphics here are in the same style but a little more zoomed-in and they do the job superbly aside from some ropey scrolling. Everything is crisp and clear, and there are some really nice presentation screens as well as the cool little map between levels/sectors. The music is a little loud and blaring but it's pleasant enough and there are a decent number of choons. The only issue I had with the game really, was the controls. They're fine for the most part but turning around (tap left or right rather than hold) is sufficiently fiddly that it can cause problems when trying to manoeuvre in tight spaces. It's not <i>too</i> bad when you get used to it though, and everything else about the game is great. There's even a password system which is ultra-handy. As you may have gathered then, my initial concerns have not been realised. Instead, I'm pleasantly surprised to find a fantastic, addictive game which not only works perfectly on the GB but may be my new favourite game on it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 9/10</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at World of Longplays (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cubex55">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ZdKF8PKYJM?si=11Wwc5pYmGbU3Wyc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-71120430786738344352024-01-15T12:18:00.002+00:002024-01-27T20:39:45.056+00:00Top Five John Hughes FilmsIf you asked someone old enough to name the best films of the 80s, you would very likely hear names like Ghostbusters and Back to the Future, but I'm confident a majority of the John Hughes filmography would be mentioned too. When I say that, I'm only counting the films he actually directed as well as wrote, rather than the far greater number for which he has only a writing credit. That only leaves eight films, but nonetheless, for many, his films <i>define</i> 80s cinema, especially if you grew up in that decade as I did. Here are my pics for his finest efforts:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Sixteen Candles</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1984)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ52QV5hL_BoHVUlVFCBWFw_Yi6FMY5A6rlNQmkYvi82wOTvA-qVsNlLq62rZxrrSs_Z6HDpaEaPeaY6oufj-TCbk2e6sMrPe1LUM3KEcEhjlfc566iv4-BMiMsPAsb0OR3Se6E_KITpZ/s1600/80%2527s_Sixteen_Candles.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ52QV5hL_BoHVUlVFCBWFw_Yi6FMY5A6rlNQmkYvi82wOTvA-qVsNlLq62rZxrrSs_Z6HDpaEaPeaY6oufj-TCbk2e6sMrPe1LUM3KEcEhjlfc566iv4-BMiMsPAsb0OR3Se6E_KITpZ/s320/80%2527s_Sixteen_Candles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I suspect many had a bit of a thing for teen hottie Molly Ringwald in the 80s and this was the first of her 'big three' releases in successive years, but I was only seeing it for the first time here. She stars as Sam Baker who is hoping for big things following her imminent 16th birthday, only to find her family all forgot about it! They <i>are</i> a little preoccupied with her older sister's wedding the day after but even so! Aside from that there isn't too much of a story though. She goes to school as normal where she gossips with her friend, crushes on senior Jake (Michael Schoeffling), gets chased around by geek Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), goes to a school dance, etc. There isn't much more to it really, it's kind of a 'slice of life' 80s high school comedy that happens to take place on and just after the main character's birthday. It's possibly most famous these days for Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe), a foreign exchange student whose racially-stereotyped scenes are, frankly, not very funny, but I enjoyed most of the rest of it. Ringwald and Hall are great and share some nice scenes, and the general 80s-ness is wonderful too. Not sure Sam should've given up her panties so readily though - lord only knows what ends up being done to/with them...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Uncle Buck</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1989)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MtPxRgClYNmC33F7Ax2MLm0hPmw3Y5Zl-cH5TuM3YEHMXMusZiKYanGZkVLKkixgIshd04pgL97-FcDn1yg4riKGPyD7RzwX613XFiEMrxKDSlA23l4w8FoejboZvKkeCEjarOpne2gY/s1200/John_Hughes_Uncle_Buck.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MtPxRgClYNmC33F7Ax2MLm0hPmw3Y5Zl-cH5TuM3YEHMXMusZiKYanGZkVLKkixgIshd04pgL97-FcDn1yg4riKGPyD7RzwX613XFiEMrxKDSlA23l4w8FoejboZvKkeCEjarOpne2gY/s320/John_Hughes_Uncle_Buck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The most recent film in this list is remembered very fondly today as one of the great John Candy's best, and how could it not be? When Bob and Cindy Russell have to rush to Indianapolis due to a family issue, their only option for taking care of their three children is Bob's brother Buck, which Cindy isn't keen on as she considers Buck unreliable and a bad influence, and when we first meet him, it seems her concerns may be justified too, as he's a heavy drinker and smoker, and a bit of a lazy, irresponsible slob. The younger kids take to him though, leaving only bratty teen Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly) to be the pain in Buck's ass, but his unorthodox (often intrusive) methods seem to do the trick anyway, as well as making us all laugh. It's a role that plays to Candy's strengths and there are a lot of funny and memorable scenes, perhaps none more so than the one in the still right here! I don't think many would consider it the <i>best</i> Hughes film, and it <i>is</i> stylistically a little different to his other efforts, but it's definitely a funny, heartwarming and rewatchable offering.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yKwLaoEeCeoy7OIx1pKC3a1shbJqP0upz9D7Y47xu3YJ8EeAO13er2cYjZTUNr3bgloLRYq08pfjXbyBNSJEtKvJajwI7ys4ZBq2J77ks3SIhwfgYds-467jpXZQftNTfucZs0icR9ua/s1200/John_Hughes_Ferris_Bueller%2527s_Day_Off.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yKwLaoEeCeoy7OIx1pKC3a1shbJqP0upz9D7Y47xu3YJ8EeAO13er2cYjZTUNr3bgloLRYq08pfjXbyBNSJEtKvJajwI7ys4ZBq2J77ks3SIhwfgYds-467jpXZQftNTfucZs0icR9ua/s320/John_Hughes_Ferris_Bueller%2527s_Day_Off.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Even though my dad and sister had both been fans of this iconic film since its release, I didn't even see it until I bought it on DVD many years later for some reason. As I soon learnt, the titular day off was an unauthorised one off school for Ferris (Matthew Broderick), his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and his best bud Cameron (Alan Ruck). It's Mr. Bueller the school dean, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), takes the most interest in, having grown weary of his tomfoolery, and decides to irresponsibly neglect his educational duties in favour of trying to catch his nemesis who, along with Sloane and Cameron, is swanning around Chicago in Cameron's dad's priceless Ferrari wasting their precious day off at baseball games, art galleries, and parades. Their amusing/idiotic escapades are all good fun when you're a young scallywag, but as an adult I can't help but feel bad for Cameron's dad! Watching the film for the first time as an old codger does mean it may have lost a little of its impact on me accordingly though, of course, but it was still easy to see why it was so popular - the characters are all appealing and there are some great sequences. Top drawer 80s-ness.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1987)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBxmgXYZX4Kh9zuNTkcjXT6-WlrchEBbniZ1SCsjxpys3IINTm8M7GOrqUc4f-7Hb3Gm4572U-W8muIiyH4sWeGNB1r6LezkDPBzRgLLvq42PgzXYz_ZzR7Y5j30YXUxtYHryLhnWZaqR/s1200/John_Hughes_Planes_Trains_Automobiles.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBxmgXYZX4Kh9zuNTkcjXT6-WlrchEBbniZ1SCsjxpys3IINTm8M7GOrqUc4f-7Hb3Gm4572U-W8muIiyH4sWeGNB1r6LezkDPBzRgLLvq42PgzXYz_ZzR7Y5j30YXUxtYHryLhnWZaqR/s320/John_Hughes_Planes_Trains_Automobiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I believe many would consider this apparent 'Thanksgiving film' both Steve Martin <i>and</i> John Candy's best as well as one of the best roadtrip movies, and it's very nearly John Hughes' best film as well. It had such a simple premise too - take one uptight businessman in a rush to get from New York to his home in Chicago for Thanksgiving, add a blizzard that diverts his flight to Kansas, and combine the whole trip with a good-hearted but very annoying oaf who makes the shared, chaotic trip back to Chicago unbearable. Simple it may be but it required the two perfect actors for the respective roles and Hughes struck gold with Martin and Candy who have possibly never been better, and probably also haven't been in such an enjoyable, funny and touching film as this one which is also, I believe, the only Hughes film to not feature at least one teenager in a starring role! I'm not American so I don't give a crap about Thanksgiving, but luckily I don't need a special day to watch this corking film.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. The Breakfast Club</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1985)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tspLoQ0E5Gtm-mHWQVGsKILzzfTy3AKYqNCWGMzSYC-C9ZWeLt_o7In5kJfXYGGwG6mbF4Hm_HnWulX58mZw1U6dvdFS6ndfG2ojDz3Gwb3TRL08CjAys9lBEvT8nysNlEqOIK8Z9m_r/s1600/80%2527s_Breakfast_Club.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tspLoQ0E5Gtm-mHWQVGsKILzzfTy3AKYqNCWGMzSYC-C9ZWeLt_o7In5kJfXYGGwG6mbF4Hm_HnWulX58mZw1U6dvdFS6ndfG2ojDz3Gwb3TRL08CjAys9lBEvT8nysNlEqOIK8Z9m_r/s320/80%2527s_Breakfast_Club.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm confident in saying this was the <i>first</i> Hughes film I ever saw and I've seen it many more times over the years. I can't imagine there are many people around my age or older who didn't see it at the time, and it has of course gone on to become as genuine an '80s Classic' as any other film from that magical decade. I'd imagine it has served as inspiration for many aspiring filmmakers over the years too - it's an even simpler concept than the previous film on this list, not to mention a far more inexpensive one - five very different kids (athlete, criminal, princess, weirdo, nerd) spending their Saturday in detention. That's it! Most of it is filmed in one room and, besides the teacher and janitor, features only the five kids themselves. It should be a boring, quickly-forgotten film but it turned out to be about as far from that as possible thanks to perfect casting, a great soundtrack (especially over the memorable final shot and closing credits), and a wonderful screenplay which has humour, heart, and gives viewers of any age plenty to digest. An immersive and timeless film which is not only Hughes' best but also one of the best of the decade, perhaps even all-time.<br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-27731421715819497272023-12-31T21:39:00.002+00:002024-01-05T22:23:57.105+00:00Run 'n' Gun Games #10<b><span style="font-size: large;">Psycho-Nics Oscar</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> (1987)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>Data East</i> <b>Genre:</b> <i>Run 'n' Gun </i><b>Players:</b> <i>1</i> <b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Medium-Hard</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>Arcade</i> <b>First Day Score:</b> <i>93,900</i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Nothing</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw2Uyawp_Ab0BbQwjuLiK49MhJq-QBLtKuoo96vp9SJKOwMesnsW9YKebwAaD1oimxTuSy2PqZ_eUZ2VnDul6uSzcn9521y0rozZJnojIRsEjex0wIHDWQnMjFeh4ghbY8NJAbqh4qssOUcdlA5ou7CR4S_UGnKzfyZ2vGYOBVxGeAy9LyEEIqaHu4Hc2/s512/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw2Uyawp_Ab0BbQwjuLiK49MhJq-QBLtKuoo96vp9SJKOwMesnsW9YKebwAaD1oimxTuSy2PqZ_eUZ2VnDul6uSzcn9521y0rozZJnojIRsEjex0wIHDWQnMjFeh4ghbY8NJAbqh4qssOUcdlA5ou7CR4S_UGnKzfyZ2vGYOBVxGeAy9LyEEIqaHu4Hc2/s320/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>I'll be the first one to admit that my coverage of the Commodore 64 has been pretty woeful here. The reasons why could be the subject for another post, but I <i>have</i> been meaning to review Turrican here for a long time. I decided to finally do so recently, only to find it was apparently 'inspired' by an earlier game, and an arcade game no less. Accordingly, my OCD will not allow me to review Turrican first, so here is a look at the curiously-named Psycho-Nics Oscar, released in 1987 by Data East. This puts it in their RoboCop/Dragon Ninja phase which was, in my opinion, their best period as an arcade developer. It doesn't seem to have much in the way of a backstory though. As far as I can tell, the player takes on the role of Oscar, but I'm not sure if he/it is a robot or a guy controlling a mecha. Hmm, anyway, whatever Oscar is, your simple-yet-difficult job is to liberate Ordio City. I am again unsure if this is a city on a future Earth or if it's on an alien planet, but who needs an excuse to neutralise alien (probably) filth?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeH1axu0IS5EQT79Fg1GJ8Ijy-TJaTxofgGrX47xtRbbIr8YKVW5UHGnnhzl1QJf7D8nUv_Y_6K3g4zLTAt4RpI7cWR1X0zb6AGQkjBIaRHZ85DK5XoM2Paogt70tktsgVf4ro6pXv9tf34NMufyDQBCTcLGn77W0gTnm8hw6MQWFkI2gv14OwVOxBXHd/s512/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeH1axu0IS5EQT79Fg1GJ8Ijy-TJaTxofgGrX47xtRbbIr8YKVW5UHGnnhzl1QJf7D8nUv_Y_6K3g4zLTAt4RpI7cWR1X0zb6AGQkjBIaRHZ85DK5XoM2Paogt70tktsgVf4ro6pXv9tf34NMufyDQBCTcLGn77W0gTnm8hw6MQWFkI2gv14OwVOxBXHd/s320/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>We will assume for review purposes that Oscar is a clanker since the start screen on each stage tells you how many Oscars you have left, and it's rarely too many. His quest, despite being labelled a run 'n' gunner in all the places I've seen it mentioned, actually takes the form of a side-scrolling platform-shooter (if you ask me) and gives you eight stages to clamber through shooting stuff. To that end, Oscar can walk and jump around modestly, and is equipped with a pretty cool-looking laser gun thingy. It has a short range though (about a quarter the width of the screen), so luckily it can be upgraded. The game uses a Gradius-style power-up system, as you can see from the selector thing at the bottom of the screenshots here. Jump increases the height of Oscar's jump, Grenade and Missile equip him accordingly (in addition to his gun), with the former being lobbed a short distance and the latter travelling along the floor, even up vertical bits. The PCU power-up is a bit weird as it gives you three options, two of which are grenades and missiles, while the third is an orbiting drone thing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHwa_px69_c6DYnetygVD1oQKdJTQV6j8jebhgTXRZ883zxfj2Nclv068BY4-YnibOMsme693947pDCx60HaiIzCbezK6zukclBjnUHRO6MImEPw7oLPBI2SoRQBECLS3r7Sbh3trixjkucFs81N5ZWLXumKu7qO2CknvtIWAUGALhoUsb_GoH3uArA5V/s512/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_05.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHwa_px69_c6DYnetygVD1oQKdJTQV6j8jebhgTXRZ883zxfj2Nclv068BY4-YnibOMsme693947pDCx60HaiIzCbezK6zukclBjnUHRO6MImEPw7oLPBI2SoRQBECLS3r7Sbh3trixjkucFs81N5ZWLXumKu7qO2CknvtIWAUGALhoUsb_GoH3uArA5V/s320/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_05.png" width="320" /></a></div>The fifth option is the one most will aim for right away, however - Gun. Your sidearm can be powered-up twice and turns your clanker into a formidable attacker, especially if combined with other power-ups. In addition, cycling right through the power-up options changes Gun to Armor, which allows you to take more hits, and cycling through twice reveals a Quick rapid fire option. The selector for the power-up bar is advanced by grabbing 'N' icons which many downed enemies leave behind. They are surprisingly plentiful, actually, but this at least means the game isn't impossible when you lose a life and all your power-ups in the process. Luckily, it's not a 'one hit death' game either. Oscar has three energy blobs which aren't replenished after a stage, but they can be topped-up by collecting 'E' capsules, and the energy-meter has five spaces which is handy. Other pick-ups you can find include 'K' (collect twenty of these for an extra life), 'B' for bonus points, or 'T' for extra time (for yes, sadly there is a time limit involved). There is also a '-T' icon for some reason, which decreases your time. Thanks for that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94ipbe4CydE29OVq-j5CEAUcm54_aR6H9Y76zHAeg9UID3Rk_szAGdCe5gLlyqRk6-dVf4QjFwP2lVHYtHyuC-RgXZuvX8CY3oV0FNs6esyAY2vpphdBCJHlFrIZqGbviWAawcQ6qnYb0gSX4TDn0tp9QrFCyXszUFX33YuCGPZ1nTslweoRbOTKbps2g/s512/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_06.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94ipbe4CydE29OVq-j5CEAUcm54_aR6H9Y76zHAeg9UID3Rk_szAGdCe5gLlyqRk6-dVf4QjFwP2lVHYtHyuC-RgXZuvX8CY3oV0FNs6esyAY2vpphdBCJHlFrIZqGbviWAawcQ6qnYb0gSX4TDn0tp9QrFCyXszUFX33YuCGPZ1nTslweoRbOTKbps2g/s320/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_06.png" width="320" /></a></div>In the finest spirit of run 'n' gunner games, the enemies are numerous; pretty much endless as far as I can tell, if you stand around, so it's a good idea to keep moving and keep shooting, especially since there is not only a time limit but also an objective, as vague as it may be. The enemies mostly consist of what appear to be robotic soldiers much like Oscar. There are many normal ones as well as some special examples such as ones carrying big shields, and there are also flying attackers, some of which will keep coming until you take out their launch bay thing. Different types of enemies have varying armaments and attack patterns and some are larger. There are some pretty mean battle droids, in fact, even as standard enemies, and there are obviously ever larger bosses guarding each stage's exit. It's pretty standard stuff for the most part but first impressions of the game are good. Oscar looks pretty cool, his lasery gun is pretty cool, and the shooty action is good fun, but it does get rather tough rather quickly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW8Zl7YKm3tLKLD3C2Jwy8DHPfQ11nuYofotz8jG20ngDnOXA3MLbg8u7X85wKZvxJWwaX5ZNVE8jFqYIlCDuJU-Z96VbwndqPA4TqOxIktiE8CD7OZfYt8OPxy3ROvRaR4ywohHbhuZKCy7ylT3O828H10lrfa1Hr-oHck8WGDLFNosBvxx9p8_LDKmh/s512/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_08.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW8Zl7YKm3tLKLD3C2Jwy8DHPfQ11nuYofotz8jG20ngDnOXA3MLbg8u7X85wKZvxJWwaX5ZNVE8jFqYIlCDuJU-Z96VbwndqPA4TqOxIktiE8CD7OZfYt8OPxy3ROvRaR4ywohHbhuZKCy7ylT3O828H10lrfa1Hr-oHck8WGDLFNosBvxx9p8_LDKmh/s320/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_08.png" width="320" /></a></div>The main reason for this, I think, is simply the number of enemies and their projectiles. The more you dawdle, the more of them there are, but if you instead run and leap across the landscapes as quick as possible, as was intended, the more likely you are to accidentally run or jump into one of the stupid automatons. Either way, it's not uncommon to lose all your energy to a single enemy. Once you've played it a few times though, you'll know to unleash all of Oscar's fury on tougher enemies the instant they clank onto the screen, and it's not a super unfair game in this scenario. Plus, I <i>am</i> aware that it's an arcade game anyway, and the difficulty may have been toned down a bit for home conversions (if it had received any, which it didn't for some reason - I'd have thought something like the MSX or X68000 would get a version). It's not a particularly long game either, so I guess it has to be at least fairly tough going. Those talented fellows on YouTube (see below) can get through it in 20-25 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2VrHGRTr0vNsI20dK35xs-Ugcmn0wCTKjG17AEmKwVHK8Q6AxAi3NIOJhl-Pd_XaFi-Mrh3rjoOhhyphenhyphenEUA043pglz0-AsVfGuLuLp28JkzAmobojreajpT141HXbMsD7n6Am2Lwk9AQrHadOeLZJqgvnoqdpJ2_7HpgtAHu5cCDtfKAMJ8ET4CPX6HzA6/s512/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_09.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2VrHGRTr0vNsI20dK35xs-Ugcmn0wCTKjG17AEmKwVHK8Q6AxAi3NIOJhl-Pd_XaFi-Mrh3rjoOhhyphenhyphenEUA043pglz0-AsVfGuLuLp28JkzAmobojreajpT141HXbMsD7n6Am2Lwk9AQrHadOeLZJqgvnoqdpJ2_7HpgtAHu5cCDtfKAMJ8ET4CPX6HzA6/s320/Psycho_Nics_Oscar_09.png" width="320" /></a></div>I suppose all this is pretty typical of run 'n' gun games, especially ones in arcades, but I'm still not sure it <i>is</i> one - some of the later stages are more like a maze game than a run 'n' gunner, but whatever the genre(s), it's pretty good. It's not the best game of its time from an audio/visual standpoint though. The music is decent enough but the first seven stages only have two tunes between them (or three if you count the boss music) while the graphics include some great sprites but less-inspiring stage graphics and backgrounds for the most part. The design of the stages is better though, and despite some slightly clunky controls, as well as the aforementioned difficulty and sometimes-dull graphics, I still rather enjoyed playing this one. Oscar is a pretty cool character to play as, the power-up system is satisfying and fair, and it's just plain good fun blasting the varied enemy clankers coming at you from all sides. I'm not sure how similar Turrican ended up being, and I doubt I'd ever be skilled enough to play all the way through it, but it's worth repeated (albeit brief) plays if you ask me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 7/10</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at World of Longplays (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cubex55">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QcZqkbqe_I8?si=H4yT1VmpDY1atg29" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-66071972352661978682023-12-13T22:13:00.000+00:002023-12-13T22:13:13.577+00:00First Look Mega Drive #1<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mega R-Type </span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">by TheRoboZ (2024?) - <b>MegaDrive</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhe-XUY56fscz0PGeGJw1PyScvQaK0EZn5yU_t0To4bSO0XGx4QeIYxbH5EhGjB4XkJrSCJLzMIxj2jxjPaW1R5-h3Otqa5ILh_0oDvuZ8QS23-HWhcE6w3I91JzF2WsSzexko4X3_-Up0ufU9YsvU42McqE7qfe5V2j8BltQ8VXcnhILHfC6Nv_QCP6pe/s639/Mega_R-Type_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="639" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhe-XUY56fscz0PGeGJw1PyScvQaK0EZn5yU_t0To4bSO0XGx4QeIYxbH5EhGjB4XkJrSCJLzMIxj2jxjPaW1R5-h3Otqa5ILh_0oDvuZ8QS23-HWhcE6w3I91JzF2WsSzexko4X3_-Up0ufU9YsvU42McqE7qfe5V2j8BltQ8VXcnhILHfC6Nv_QCP6pe/s320/Mega_R-Type_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>As regular visitors here might have noticed, there has once again been a period of neglect here at this blog. There are reasons for this, of course, but recently my good friend Luke texted me regarding a game I had long imagined: R-Type on the Mega Drive! If that's not something to get me burbling away here like I used to, what is?! Indeed, for I often spend time wondering what non-existent arcade ports might've been like, and one that has always mystified me is R-Type on the MD. Or lack thereof, obviously. I know it had already been wowwing shooter fans for a while by the time the MD launched but it still would've made for a top-tier release for Sega's 16-bit powerhouse, surely? Oh well, it never happened for one reason or another, but it seems I'm not the only one who wished it had.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx6AVQOAb8Zy2aj3RxpXAsVkA0Lu4BJXQ3ZscW-P89gLoKDoCm_EGky6a3sR8GS9Z5hrmRl2KRrkklIvENBCbxX42_k0mSSj5MDWJS2ukzO9iddcgJZCC3Dg7B-Yx5CZz-2YTdaUrwCggL0aLs2OuKFGv0217hMGVVwwgSS_Bds5j9nDewP8EJgrT3HO5/s639/Mega_R-Type_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="639" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx6AVQOAb8Zy2aj3RxpXAsVkA0Lu4BJXQ3ZscW-P89gLoKDoCm_EGky6a3sR8GS9Z5hrmRl2KRrkklIvENBCbxX42_k0mSSj5MDWJS2ukzO9iddcgJZCC3Dg7B-Yx5CZz-2YTdaUrwCggL0aLs2OuKFGv0217hMGVVwwgSS_Bds5j9nDewP8EJgrT3HO5/s320/Mega_R-Type_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>Andrea Baldiraghi, who's an 'Italian living in China for the past fifteen years' has been working on Mega R-Type for some time now, and recently released a playable three-stage demo. The stages in question are not the first three, however, so there's no giant warship to take down yet. You get the first and last stages, and another that is shown as stage 5 but is actually the secret stage from the excellent Master System version. Whether it will replace the normal stage 5 I can't say yet as I believe Andrea, known online as TheRoboZ, is still working on the game. The demo includes a choice of ships though (the original R-9A or Leo Prototype), a choice of soundtrack (original or remix), and there a few other options to twiddle, but I suspect most will be more interested in how accurate the graphics are.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf760m2jQ4CDcANFCpwVm0ghGN4LiHUGKYUGm1WH9rCtpKvUVywLG6TzBrO93h2WAiEtNQ76N1luXg8fGYij74m9qS0pE3ztcdbxmV7Hcrz5botvGVRwRwBwvBB9qFa3MbZHnQ5egQA3MgUhXkXc15FhGh284lcc_51VJWkB9CYVshCLNJehK5rDOg-kVS/s639/Mega_R-Type_04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="639" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf760m2jQ4CDcANFCpwVm0ghGN4LiHUGKYUGm1WH9rCtpKvUVywLG6TzBrO93h2WAiEtNQ76N1luXg8fGYij74m9qS0pE3ztcdbxmV7Hcrz5botvGVRwRwBwvBB9qFa3MbZHnQ5egQA3MgUhXkXc15FhGh284lcc_51VJWkB9CYVshCLNJehK5rDOg-kVS/s320/Mega_R-Type_04.png" width="320" /></a></div>The answer to that is very. I guess its main rivals for 'finest R-Type conversion' are the PC Engine and X68000 versions and it certainly matches those based on the stages on offer here. It's close to arcade perfect, in fact. As is often the case with MD games, the colours are a bit brighter here, but it looks great and moves great too. Controls are fine and collision-detection seems spot-on too. It's basically a mega-skill version of a mega-skill game on a system that really should have had a version for decades. Or so it seems from this demo. Will the rest of the game be up to the same standard? There's no reason to think not, and I certainly look forward to finding out when TheRoboZ wraps up his project and puts the full game on sale. I can only hope there will be a physical version in original-style packaging too!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 4/5</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Special Note: </b>If you fancy picking up a copy of this iconic shooter, or at least the playable demo of it, there's a link to buy it <a href="https://theroboz.itch.io/mega-r-type">here</a> on a 'name your own price' type deal, which is jolly nice of Mr. Baldiraghi. Be sure to give him a respectable amount if you like the look of the game! :)</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4HFuxim9kt4?si=Ja4GGpBSLMq2WNwq" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-23348793585356723022023-11-25T16:56:00.005+00:002024-03-11T20:28:24.796+00:00TV Shows #31 - Part 1<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvw0qGXAgyWuARZQLwQUh0UTnEW1GJ0FkkCDzbilHaIYjqvP-nTxcLWliG6sEYA0Sv0jOs4ePflA11vZAbb1iDQTDZSI3MlLwAFsrwhbwJB1pQtnJFiIBd2uw18kRoVFVJSw4ONdOefrxoiN0Qau5vdFFQFvasFcEdZCXgSXtpjJ0HMDoO6yugQrJr2BXQ/s800/Halo_S1_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvw0qGXAgyWuARZQLwQUh0UTnEW1GJ0FkkCDzbilHaIYjqvP-nTxcLWliG6sEYA0Sv0jOs4ePflA11vZAbb1iDQTDZSI3MlLwAFsrwhbwJB1pQtnJFiIBd2uw18kRoVFVJSw4ONdOefrxoiN0Qau5vdFFQFvasFcEdZCXgSXtpjJ0HMDoO6yugQrJr2BXQ/s320/Halo_S1_01.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Halo</b></span> Season One <span style="font-size: x-small;">(2022)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <b>Developed By: </b>Kyle Killen & Steven Kane<br />
<b>Starring: </b>Pablo Schreiber, Natascha McElhone, Yerin Ha, Kate Kennedy, Olive Gray, Shabana Azmi, Natasha Culzac, Bentley Kalu, Charlie Murphy, Danny Sapani, Jen Taylor, Bokeem Woodbine<br />
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<b>Certificate:</b> NR <b>Running Time:</b> 40-59 Minutes per Episode (approx), 9 Episodes</span><br />
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There are some films/shows that I follow the development of and eagerly await right from them getting greenlit all the way up to their release, especially examples of the sci-fi genre. Halo was not one of these. I ultra-know about the games, of course - I've even played one of them a little (the first one for the original Xbox, as detailed <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2014/07/exploring-xbox.html">here</a>) - but the show? I didn't even know there was one until it had already been out for a while, and when I did find out, I wasn't super excited since videogame adaptations generally suck donkey balls anyway, and any residual excitement I might have had for the show was quickly tempered by the almost-unanimously negative reactions it had earned online. These things happen often I suppose, especially to things with existing 'fandoms', but it still wasn't a good sign.<br />
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When I more recently looked into <i>why</i> it had prompted such fury, however, I found that most of it was down to deviations from the 'lore' of the game series (and some novels too, apparently). Since I know bugger all about the series and its lore other than it featuring a guy in cool armour called 'Master Chief' who shoots a lot of people and/or things, these deviations will mean nothing to me and will have no effect on my enjoyment of the show, or indeed possible lack thereof. So... I'll watch it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgjlWs95Y5c1e4TJZ-oiwOcDNsZZY65khiW-15cGVuWwOT5d0GWKQv4IoMfHyrCpV78r88jZcfOzLtBeF4562rBx3H-AlOMZl_uLWhK_I3FqvG5DC3lj5Raw5dD_eYWw5GUCeTgLVxE_LLs0b6RFymNGeo39ooIiqZ8dtBjtAK7yduOF2tPcrTZoKFTkW/s1200/Halo_S1_19.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgjlWs95Y5c1e4TJZ-oiwOcDNsZZY65khiW-15cGVuWwOT5d0GWKQv4IoMfHyrCpV78r88jZcfOzLtBeF4562rBx3H-AlOMZl_uLWhK_I3FqvG5DC3lj5Raw5dD_eYWw5GUCeTgLVxE_LLs0b6RFymNGeo39ooIiqZ8dtBjtAK7yduOF2tPcrTZoKFTkW/s1200/Halo_S1_19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>John and Kwan arrive at the Rubble...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Accordingly, this ridiculous review will be from the perspective of a Halo-newbie. Happily, I found the show is reasonably accessible for my kind. It is set in 2552 by which time Humankind is a spacefaring race but at war with a monstrous adversary known as the Covenant. Things begin at an insurrectionist outpost on the planet Madrigal which is soon attacked by a group of elite Covenant soldiers who massacre the feeble, ill-equipped settlers, leaving only one survivor - fearless teen girl Kwan (Ha). Arriving mid-massacre are the Spartans, an equally elite force sent by the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) and led by the aforementioned 'Master Chief', more formally known as Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 (Schreiber), a genetically-engineered supersoldier who, along with his fellow Spartans, is able to make light work of the idiotic Covenant nincompoops.<br />
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The other Spartans are Kai-125 (Kennedy), Vannak-134 (Kalu) and Riz-028 (Culzac), and like all Spartans they were recruited as children, given extensive and invasive physical augmentations giving them increased strength and durability and all that Captain America stuff (probably), and have also been implanted with capsules that suppress their hormones and emotions as well as their memories of their lives before they were Spartans. They numbers are few but they are humanity's best hope.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho618nwzOSMKltbWkndf-yBO9ZzmfF7iFW1DXLmWoEUkNrqKsBm0c-wP5q30EOhXFzB1lQIlbuRKlHP7ZjF-e7c3qobboFnRj2-8tHBlJmDW6SAQ7LedjbcVegyIjPZlvWwHWygfbz-d7mcGcKpJK4KSdbyI4QjjkO2r_v83idnyVdrynsHavix3ts7Xl9/s1200/Halo_S1_21.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho618nwzOSMKltbWkndf-yBO9ZzmfF7iFW1DXLmWoEUkNrqKsBm0c-wP5q30EOhXFzB1lQIlbuRKlHP7ZjF-e7c3qobboFnRj2-8tHBlJmDW6SAQ7LedjbcVegyIjPZlvWwHWygfbz-d7mcGcKpJK4KSdbyI4QjjkO2r_v83idnyVdrynsHavix3ts7Xl9/s1200/Halo_S1_21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cortana (left) and her creator, Dr Halsey...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Spartans were the brainchild of Dr. Catherine Halsey (McElhone) who still looks after them, and she is also keen to get her Cortana AI project off the ground but is denied by the UNSC, particularly Admiral Parangosky (Azmi) with whom she has an adversarial relationship. She is close to the Master Chief though, and helps him when he discovers what those Covenant abominations were actually on Madrigal for - an ancient artifact called the Keystone which, when combined with a larger (and as-yet undiscovered) artifact, reveals the location of a sacred ring-shaped world known as the Halo *dramatic incidental music*. Only a very few 'chosen ones' are capable of activating the Keystone, and as luck would have it, John/Master Chief is one of them. One other is a human living with the hideous enemy creatures, however.<br />
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This human, known as Makee (Murphy), was captured by Covenant forces when she was a child specifically for her special abilities and she has lived with them ever since as the 'Blessed One', to be utilised in the event their longtime search for either Keystone component is successful. Unfortunately, they soon learn that the Spartans found the Keystone thingy on Madrigal and resolve to recover it at any cost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvofPbBU2JqOanuI66QNsskID1ksdS5g8bF8dLwuG26Kuy3p5CrbR-RKtmu1lsROj_mGYoPoKBIfs5Kx7jinBg2_gquJPCGa-TdI9w2vKCV7ERqOOx8HWicte1ldjkzeupiyTPHJzqtL9AmpCkki2YlTA4qGgFpYSaf8JvrCxIlV3auQRuHZbuzGRBzovd/s1200/Halo_S1_02.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvofPbBU2JqOanuI66QNsskID1ksdS5g8bF8dLwuG26Kuy3p5CrbR-RKtmu1lsROj_mGYoPoKBIfs5Kx7jinBg2_gquJPCGa-TdI9w2vKCV7ERqOOx8HWicte1ldjkzeupiyTPHJzqtL9AmpCkki2YlTA4qGgFpYSaf8JvrCxIlV3auQRuHZbuzGRBzovd/s1200/Halo_S1_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Spartans... Assemble!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are a few subplots here and there too, so there's enough going on to keep viewers occupied. The part I was most interested in was what sort of 'universe' the Halo one is. There have been a few cringey attempts in recent years but this one seems pretty interesting from what is shown of it here. I have always enjoyed mysteries of long-gone ancient races in sci-fi; Star Trek does this in the odd episode, Babylon 5 has several of them in the First Ones, and even my favourite videogame of all time, <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/search/label/Series%20-%20Star%20Control">Star Control 2</a>, has the Precursors, and that's what we have here too. The Covenant think they are superior to other races and need only access to the Halo array to prove this. It's odd they feel that way when, as far as they or we are aware, only two beings are able to 'activate' the Keystones and they are both humans. Oh well, we may be inferior filth but it appears we still have our uses!<br />
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The Covenant monstrosities live inside a giant space mushroom called High Charity while us humans live in various colonies around the galaxy. I believe Earth exists in this universe but most of the time with our species is spent on a colony world called Reach (which is apparently located in the Epsilon Eridani system which, yes, that's right, is the same system in which the Babylon 5 station is located!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrP9QD9kAdWAOG-G0sVvkFwK4g8V3zQBIRb-H4tpD8R-rDCxRoPPw4Dr0cA0PBEWpSdY1MZ_ofJQm-LkCyzCE-CbViS9DXLLn8U2ORX5uFz47TSO722ablcEjFtJY_Yb8K5tjn9W9SYD-YetZSkGfFhmg4YyZeDtQrhLom7RxndY9uwrsHqy_6H1oerM8/s1200/Halo_S1_16.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrP9QD9kAdWAOG-G0sVvkFwK4g8V3zQBIRb-H4tpD8R-rDCxRoPPw4Dr0cA0PBEWpSdY1MZ_ofJQm-LkCyzCE-CbViS9DXLLn8U2ORX5uFz47TSO722ablcEjFtJY_Yb8K5tjn9W9SYD-YetZSkGfFhmg4YyZeDtQrhLom7RxndY9uwrsHqy_6H1oerM8/s1200/Halo_S1_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can John trust the idiotic Makee?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hmm, anyway, I'm burbling away even more than normal now, but as you may have gathered, I liked this show much more than the 'loud minority' who have been trashing it online. The casting seems to have been handled pretty well, for a start. No one will exactly blow your socks off but I enjoyed Sapani as Captain Keyes (John's commanding officer), Woodbine as Soren-066, a former Spartan who deserted and now lives in the Rubble (an asteroid field) as an Insurrectionist leader, and it's always good to see more of McElhone who suits her sciencey role here well. I'm still undecided on Ha's character (also Ha) who makes some silly decisions, but the fiery girl does share some great scenes with both John and Soren. The Spartans themselves are the main focus though, of course, and while Riz and Vannak get surprisingly little screen time, all four of them more than look the part.<br />
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They are all over six foot and look more than formidable in their very cool-looking armour which, to my inexperienced eyes, seems to be reasonably game-accurate. Speaking of the game, some of the action sequences involving the Spartans here include first-person views of the carnage, which was a nice touch. The action sequences are pretty good too, although some of the CGI isn't great, especially the Covenant oafs who look very CGI-ish. I mean, I know the show is based on games, but it's still a live-action 'original' show on a prime streaming service, and it had a non-tiny budget of $10 million per episode too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm99pclAs2booDVoy4dYqHUw49hiLyvVrA7iUXiAgi_EKwIcyoBhKplsaqY2IStamdejjqi2BeTILD8tVpa6r5MBX5tR36G1S6oW4JbHZlG1NsfqZd3fO3h2TTKdPwG5BD2exKXJoo5uXgsuHpDZ5y55tikW6TmF_A52UjQF9-b3Xlg9WqxnMyWQ9WILO/s1200/Halo_S1_07.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm99pclAs2booDVoy4dYqHUw49hiLyvVrA7iUXiAgi_EKwIcyoBhKplsaqY2IStamdejjqi2BeTILD8tVpa6r5MBX5tR36G1S6oW4JbHZlG1NsfqZd3fO3h2TTKdPwG5BD2exKXJoo5uXgsuHpDZ5y55tikW6TmF_A52UjQF9-b3Xlg9WqxnMyWQ9WILO/s1200/Halo_S1_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the ridiculous Covenant 'Hierarchs'...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I suppose, even without knowing much about the games, I can see why most of the existing fans didn't like this adaptation. Perhaps the producers were hoping to emulate the success Disney has had with The Mandalorian, and like Mando, Master Chief is apparently known in the games for never removing his helmet. He spends most of the show without it, however. There is also a greater focus on human drama than combat scenes which is also a source of irritation for fans. On the other hand, however, if the show was a military combat, action-based show, people would be complaining about a lack of story and time spent fleshing out characters. We do at least get story and character development here, though I've no idea how it ties in to the stories and characters of the games and/or novels.<br />
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For better or worse, though, I enjoyed Halo much more than I thought I would. There are episodes that are a bit boring, others that are exciting and left me unable to wait for the next. There are definitely aspects that could be improved - perhaps they will be for the forthcoming second season - but there's a decent enough mix of drama and action for my tastes, an intriguing story, and lots of potential for further stories and seasons, and I'd certainly recommend any sci-fi fans who are <i>not</i> hardcore Halo game/book fans to give it a go. If you <i>are</i> a hardcore Halo fan, perhaps you could consider this an exploration of an alternate timeline or something. Either that or continue crying about its inaccuracies on social media while I continue to enjoy it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 7/10</b></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5KZ3MKraNKY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-91059549545747456402023-11-20T13:30:00.000+00:002023-11-20T13:30:31.986+00:00Arcade Adventures #7<b><span style="font-size: large;">Lord of the Sword </span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1988)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>Sega </i> <b>Genre:</b> <i>Arcade Adventure </i> <b>Players:</b> <i>1 </i> <b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Hard</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>Sega Master System </i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Nothing</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKT94Q9knzXXQ7v0DrnTuGOQf_GAuaMokJTBKQg_yOLXQhN43m_aQZWasYx8gkbV3mq9jmgnyL8XpN_TcayfoDMFgRUT2wYSe-hmjqYDUVunBC-UHmZgO4wwQ1ATVivV2vHO8kGgiJB_4lneIk_jcNU0UywQU4yP_81adkx6_sLN-x75AYGtiRSZIZ2upw/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKT94Q9knzXXQ7v0DrnTuGOQf_GAuaMokJTBKQg_yOLXQhN43m_aQZWasYx8gkbV3mq9jmgnyL8XpN_TcayfoDMFgRUT2wYSe-hmjqYDUVunBC-UHmZgO4wwQ1ATVivV2vHO8kGgiJB_4lneIk_jcNU0UywQU4yP_81adkx6_sLN-x75AYGtiRSZIZ2upw/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>For the second review in a row I've found myself in the not-unstartling position of apparently having had a game's genre wrong for 35-odd years! Last time was <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2023/07/arcade-adventures-6.html">It Came From the Desert</a> and now it's this MS exclusive from Sega. It got rather mediocre reviews in its day so I've never shown a huge amount of interest in it, but from screenshots I always assumed it was a <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2014/07/hack-n-slash-games-2.html">Rastan</a> or <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2022/11/hack-n-slash-games-4.html">Legendary Axe</a> type deal. It kind of is I suppose, but it's a more adventurey kind of game than those two. We'll come to that later though. You play through the game as a fellow known as Landau. I assume this isn't meant to be classic actor Martin Landau, star of Mission: Impossible and Space: 1999 amongst many others, probably including even more examples with colons. No, this Landau is just some guy with long hair.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwFnw5FxokN7Kalzv6ksijW0VEetNvDFBvelsMP2rFW8i3CHRABnb6B4GqK4Hi9h2jHlWcqWmAN9CivFBdDym2DVXFPln5jIUK3vjGpVPeaoxLUrtx96885qG43g1Dj8WX49K2hEOm-DsO-gJqH3qEtKNOa9Da-q3_My8NUmJd3zTrp0W16F2bNWYXq0a/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwFnw5FxokN7Kalzv6ksijW0VEetNvDFBvelsMP2rFW8i3CHRABnb6B4GqK4Hi9h2jHlWcqWmAN9CivFBdDym2DVXFPln5jIUK3vjGpVPeaoxLUrtx96885qG43g1Dj8WX49K2hEOm-DsO-gJqH3qEtKNOa9Da-q3_My8NUmJd3zTrp0W16F2bNWYXq0a/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_02.png" width="320" /></a></div>I'm not sure he's even a lord which makes the accuracy of the game's title debatable. He's described in its short, texty intro as simply a 'brave lad' who has resolved to challenge the evil that now threatens to take over the land of Baljinya in which he resides. The evil in question is some flange known as 'Demon Lord Ra Goan' whose followers seek to restore him after he was defeated thousands of years ago. To restore order, Landau must perform three tasks: find the Tree of Marill, subdue the goblin of Balala Valley, and destroy the Statue of Evil (why hadn't something with a name like that been destroyed already?). To do this he must wander around Baljinya, and that's the part of the game that isn't as straightforward as I had been expecting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvosgei4-T2CBGMzjjThLZyAZK8Lui0QbtiieNsrnMNbv9TaxXCKqVBBLQwpq6FzNk9-XqkfcX1GTMKLmVCrUP1vLe7eKuXEOPWSOVkgSRwJXpH39mC3RVTpzrwYRlVB-lqfaQ2L5yjlc7eDvClNYumdm1_iFS5s76VAysW0tO351jBbQFSVbxl-NZjCl0/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvosgei4-T2CBGMzjjThLZyAZK8Lui0QbtiieNsrnMNbv9TaxXCKqVBBLQwpq6FzNk9-XqkfcX1GTMKLmVCrUP1vLe7eKuXEOPWSOVkgSRwJXpH39mC3RVTpzrwYRlVB-lqfaQ2L5yjlc7eDvClNYumdm1_iFS5s76VAysW0tO351jBbQFSVbxl-NZjCl0/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>It's not exactly one of those tactical warfare games with 400-odd page strategy guides, admittedly, but it <i>is</i> what people these days like to call a Metroidvania. If I'd had it in its day, it would've been the first such game I'd played, in fact, and probably would've seemed pretty innovative. The adventureyness mostly, however, relates to the stage structure; namely, that there are several towns linked by stages filled with enemies, and you sometimes get a choice of which way you want to go. The towns usually feature an NPC in a hut and you need to speak to them all, often more than once, to get the required information, and you'll need to have been to a particular place, performed a particular action or obtained a particular item before you can do certain things or go certain places such as the castles, as I discovered the first two times I met a boss creature, and the first time I found a castle.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpbjOjYyN3mVP3x-7y09uKkPTxh3THjPPj2LGBila4DJsXn1_DuiZ7kaUBfUyQEblnssOnPEHZj1EG7f4OUN_y12R_aI3GabsANYM9ZKp8k15xETidVeQa5JzI7icFTc-e1-5S8EDxMOEhc8HrOskieRGbJSjpQNacWwJRZ7tkEGieTDaLKds91xT5MY_/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_05.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpbjOjYyN3mVP3x-7y09uKkPTxh3THjPPj2LGBila4DJsXn1_DuiZ7kaUBfUyQEblnssOnPEHZj1EG7f4OUN_y12R_aI3GabsANYM9ZKp8k15xETidVeQa5JzI7icFTc-e1-5S8EDxMOEhc8HrOskieRGbJSjpQNacWwJRZ7tkEGieTDaLKds91xT5MY_/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_05.png" width="320" /></a></div>There are only two of these mighty fortresses but there are many other towns and locations to visit. It can be rather confusing at first knowing which way to go (or not). You need to repeat some sections anyway but you might end up wandering backwards and forwards through the same sections over and over as you try to find where you should go (or at least until you have made a map/diagram, as would have been the case at the time), and some of them are much tougher in one direction than the other due to enemy placement, but many are just tough anyway. This is partly due to the respawning occupants. It's not just a case of them being there again if you go through the same section/stage again; that would be understandable. No, here, an enemy respawns the moment its point of origin scrolls off screen. This is irritating enough but there are also a couple of problems with Landau himself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_mfa6NPMyhzj9hE79qI2CXBcBAuG4rX_GSJYDVQ0RYn1QL5jRFbI1dtj11Mel-EUqk3E_G_En-38JC5RBwsnRHGxymm6ALpe75oFBQsv9KKF-0qoy06blT-FsJAHvkD6oy89A6vmcByswE575BfuTDnTvEHFmSBPH8rM0F27FcKmW3cFHKNG2rQN3agt/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_04.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_mfa6NPMyhzj9hE79qI2CXBcBAuG4rX_GSJYDVQ0RYn1QL5jRFbI1dtj11Mel-EUqk3E_G_En-38JC5RBwsnRHGxymm6ALpe75oFBQsv9KKF-0qoy06blT-FsJAHvkD6oy89A6vmcByswE575BfuTDnTvEHFmSBPH8rM0F27FcKmW3cFHKNG2rQN3agt/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_04.png" width="320" /></a></div>He may be a 'young lad' but control of him is a bit clunky. He has two methods of attack (sword and bow & arrows) so you have to use 'up' to jump for one thing. This isn't ideal in the best of circumstances but his weapons aren't great either. His sword is rather on the small side (hey, size matters) - it's more like a knife really (which I guess means the game should've been called Lad of the Knife) and your 'thrusts' (snigger!) with it need to be well-timed. The bow, on the other hand, is okay now and then but takes too long to fire. The pesky enemies mostly consist of larger (roughly Landau-sized) warriors, monsters and creatures, and there are also smaller, flying enemies, some of which zip around faster. I'm not sure which of the weapons to recommend either. You'll have to wait until enemies get close to use the sword, and mistiming it results in energy loss, but if you try to use the bow/arrows, the enemy might've reached you before the arrow is fired!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQwtsFlsmbc9ISaYA6Un__IW5p3kECIEfOguZ5PjstqN52tTgYA0pOgCmGknQVa9IvK5y5ev_S2glGSg5EG-1h1O33ZLrJFQq15P6Qfr0Nn5sjZSoEO5dnMWS98Z2V2RRzof0N9t4LsZtY8IPFxhtvNFFZFRlDcTqN1GWZDQUaaq0EcqOuAZNC7F3x3qE/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_06.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQwtsFlsmbc9ISaYA6Un__IW5p3kECIEfOguZ5PjstqN52tTgYA0pOgCmGknQVa9IvK5y5ev_S2glGSg5EG-1h1O33ZLrJFQq15P6Qfr0Nn5sjZSoEO5dnMWS98Z2V2RRzof0N9t4LsZtY8IPFxhtvNFFZFRlDcTqN1GWZDQUaaq0EcqOuAZNC7F3x3qE/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_06.png" width="320" /></a></div>In addition to this, you only have a single energy-meter of life, and there is no save feature or even a password system either. This isn't great news for a game that will take most players a good while to get to grips with. If you knew exactly where to go and what to do, and you were skilled enough to not get killed doing it, you could finish the game in under two hours, but it will take awful lot longer to reach that level of skill with no saves. There are a few continues but even so, it's a mighty tough game, at least at first. The big question I've been asking myself since starting this review is whether it's worth the trouble. As if often the case with Master System games, there aren't many other examples on the system quite like this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEyKhEpBWAa36SgWp8u0xeuuXhuiCqrKVd2C_7v5gCZACQ4gqeuu8BoVdDxs0e2vdvVdfK7r9wMfrTOwPLDf8sheFwoJ0d49gjjy-Vc4JD0zBw83eNVPOeWhvGeG-AoLw8QWsPpVLI6dyyVitMQ1tX2kesl38IoAKFH-hoJxNDEfZLXGXdwnDEmEdlWAA/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_07.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEyKhEpBWAa36SgWp8u0xeuuXhuiCqrKVd2C_7v5gCZACQ4gqeuu8BoVdDxs0e2vdvVdfK7r9wMfrTOwPLDf8sheFwoJ0d49gjjy-Vc4JD0zBw83eNVPOeWhvGeG-AoLw8QWsPpVLI6dyyVitMQ1tX2kesl38IoAKFH-hoJxNDEfZLXGXdwnDEmEdlWAA/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_07.png" width="320" /></a></div>It plays a bit like a less-structured Spellcaster, and <i>that</i> is certainly a stonking game, but is that alone enough to make Lad of the Knife enjoyable? The audio/visuals don't do too much to beckon you if I'm honest. Actually, the music is quite pleasant, even if there are only a handful of tunes, but the graphics are no better than average. The sprites are reasonable but not well animated, and there is even some glitching where an enemy disappears right in front of you, then reappears falling from the air behind you (unless they are teleporting wizards or something). There are only three different backgrounds/locales too (not counting the towns and castles), and they aren't particularly pretty. On the plus side though, as mentioned earlier, it was quite an innovative game for its time and it <i>does</i> provide a good challenge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfftAL_K9NhH75QigfbJqt0-D9IpuL10i0NNtil8ZeCigjhB83Jq8QxlkwS9sYVc497eX4H-jpxQjUz4KlNzK4cZoYeWsIgIhrpARRMXiZY8mDGneiynRryo1tnkk0ZJGo83puFGiuEDp20IWltkQIr3FRIYzpceqNnlUZwy1FHDrrUo7khm7OldyKL_bO/s619/Lord_of_the_Sword_08.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="619" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfftAL_K9NhH75QigfbJqt0-D9IpuL10i0NNtil8ZeCigjhB83Jq8QxlkwS9sYVc497eX4H-jpxQjUz4KlNzK4cZoYeWsIgIhrpARRMXiZY8mDGneiynRryo1tnkk0ZJGo83puFGiuEDp20IWltkQIr3FRIYzpceqNnlUZwy1FHDrrUo7khm7OldyKL_bO/s320/Lord_of_the_Sword_08.png" width="320" /></a></div>I think I can sum it up by saying: if you received this game as a gift for Christmas when you were young and you had precious few other games to play, you would've spent many hours battling through it, making notes and maps, becoming as good as the guys who do the speed-runs online today, and you would almost certainly have fond memories of doing so and be championing it as one of the best adventures on the MS accordingly. It hasn't aged too well though, and if, like me, it's a game you hadn't played until recently, you may not have the patience to persevere, even with the benefit of save states and the like, when there are many better examples on almost every system in the universe. It has some value to collectors as it's an MS exclusive, and as a game there are some good ideas and nice touches, but it's too frustrating for traditional play nowadays.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 5/10</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at World of Longplays (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cubex55">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LIacuCv8Ym4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-45144357345775104962023-07-25T21:15:00.001+01:002023-07-25T21:15:58.134+01:00Memorable Bosses #4<b><span style="font-size: large;">Big Core MK I</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Game:</b> <i>Gradius & some sequels</i></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjib2NH0ysRm05eCkA1l-C85GptYE9gzXKa4kKfoYq9LoyGBF3GUF3SgOeMGbqq2eybfxAjrsRkS2iL_W2CeQM1Z55hikhO0bl2tt-irlJD6YBEKwryi51Sf4Dey1WYKZzVFIsypleuyZPIIP60Erc4lDQ4hyR8LxyDnxTt_gY6Fqt7bKPS7thLL35gPw/s512/Bosses_Big_Core_MKI_01.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjib2NH0ysRm05eCkA1l-C85GptYE9gzXKa4kKfoYq9LoyGBF3GUF3SgOeMGbqq2eybfxAjrsRkS2iL_W2CeQM1Z55hikhO0bl2tt-irlJD6YBEKwryi51Sf4Dey1WYKZzVFIsypleuyZPIIP60Erc4lDQ4hyR8LxyDnxTt_gY6Fqt7bKPS7thLL35gPw/s512/Bosses_Big_Core_MKI_01.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Big Core's first appearance on the PC Engine...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of all the bosses found in the many shmups we've seen over the years, this fairly unremarkable craft is not one that leaps into your mind when thinking of memorable examples, I suspect. But there are two reasons why it <i>does</i> leap into mine. First of all, it was, to my knowledge, the first ever proper boss in the genre that soon came to be known as shoot 'em ups, so it has historical relevance. Secondly, its imminent arrival is heralded by one of my favourite game choons of all time! One might argue it's not really an appropriate composition for a boss battle of <i>any</i> kind, never mind such an important one. It's a short and simple track, as you might well expect from the era, and it sounds rather too jolly and upbeat to really suit the on-screen confrontation. You hear it almost every stage too, since the mighty Big Core is the boss on most of the stages (chortle!), but I don't care about any of that. It holds nostalgic value for me, particularly the excellent PC Engine version which is by far the one I've spent most time playing, but it is also genuinely a memorable boss regardless. The fact that it has reappeared in later Gradius games is testament to that. There have been far more impressive bosses over the years but Big Core Mk I still holds a special place in my gaming affections.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> I don't often do this, mainly because I'm a bit crap at most games, but here is a video of me playing the first stage of Gradius! I was going to just show Big Core itself but I figured I might as well show the whole first stage. Marvel at my skills thus:</i></span><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3fZUwVMyrzg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-26690732030656840352023-07-12T22:08:00.000+01:002023-07-12T22:08:34.124+01:00Arcade Adventures #6<b><span style="font-size: large;">It Came from the Desert </span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1989)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>Cinemaware </i> <b>Genre:</b> <i>Adventure </i> <b>Players:</b> <i>1 </i> <b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Medium</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>Amiga </i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>PC, PC Engine</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QjSDF4QQ8X2wTA_ZbhfesgkMw79K-crNoHpYQe8p_ioTyKCFjZyQb62aveseexcGnI2yEM-nhNRVAxdNaO-GKLlr3Obi9_9cKolUkfL__bFrHlBQkH4Fye6qzEXqq0AqGPdjXu2PmebLEwBnL6BVBaTy0LgCVDM3vRvV3CoEQd9_2n3wU9_q9xww9w/s639/It_Came_From_The_Desert_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QjSDF4QQ8X2wTA_ZbhfesgkMw79K-crNoHpYQe8p_ioTyKCFjZyQb62aveseexcGnI2yEM-nhNRVAxdNaO-GKLlr3Obi9_9cKolUkfL__bFrHlBQkH4Fye6qzEXqq0AqGPdjXu2PmebLEwBnL6BVBaTy0LgCVDM3vRvV3CoEQd9_2n3wU9_q9xww9w/s320/It_Came_From_The_Desert_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>I mention the old games magazines I used to read in my younger years quite often here at Red Parsley, and indeed they continue to provide me with many warm memories. One game I always remember seeing was the scarily-titled It Came From the Desert - scary, perhaps, more due of the giant ants that featured in screenshots of the game and adorned promotional material than the name itself. I remember seeing reviews in several magazines such as C&VG and Ace and I wanted to play it despite not owning anything that could play it, and not even really knowing what kind of game it was since neither system I owned (Spectrum and Master System) featured anything like it to my knowledge. By the time I actually had an Amiga, I guess I had forgotten about this distinctive game, and it has remained unplayed by me for all these long years since. That is... until now!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp2xN1Vh9696btswp9JeezPkt4M1aXs1bqs3Z7BecEZUIVT4jnYiek4RdBdLrsEnFlawF_A2Ykyo4D7XrqRxvDZTFewBBBT5pmJQ2hysuYsqKiLZqr-R9_gw0fzPYevD-gKuQVX5CSe6QTg0GOHtsA4ESMwlN6wBow9orpsY9dhjNLNVr-m01VZGcybTm/s639/It_Came_From_The_Desert_02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp2xN1Vh9696btswp9JeezPkt4M1aXs1bqs3Z7BecEZUIVT4jnYiek4RdBdLrsEnFlawF_A2Ykyo4D7XrqRxvDZTFewBBBT5pmJQ2hysuYsqKiLZqr-R9_gw0fzPYevD-gKuQVX5CSe6QTg0GOHtsA4ESMwlN6wBow9orpsY9dhjNLNVr-m01VZGcybTm/s320/It_Came_From_The_Desert_02.png" width="320" /></a></div>I had actually assumed for all these years that it was a point 'n' click game and my decision to review it was partly motivated by my desire to feature more games of this type. Only after playing it did I realise that it, in fact, is <i>not</i> a point 'n' click game at all. In my (admittedly peculiar) mind, calling it an RPG kind of makes sense but I suppose a vague 'adventure' tag is the most appropriate one. It's a game that is very blatantly inspired by the 50s B-movies that often featured terrifying monsters of some description (particularly 'Them!' from 1954), from the game cover and promo artwork to story, content and style of the game itself which casts you as a geologist called Dr. Greg Bradley who arrives at a remote Californian town called Lizard Breath to investigate a meteor impact site just outside the dusty little town.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_bo680D0cmqRVQk9mgXW33FwUumpMLo0o_BETDQHWeTUa805dWeR2yaWv98eqdcQCjQsmKJEmwlOYtGrvKhAUHpYvy0Ol0Y17ONTbO-U9s4tYER6viKjy-tBFRKBxYizPEjXG9J1HOUnF4fDewoU_PEFXxWaWQxVzeWmnhVDNliTL6f3jBCtBwsGGoRy/s639/It_Came_From_The_Desert_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_bo680D0cmqRVQk9mgXW33FwUumpMLo0o_BETDQHWeTUa805dWeR2yaWv98eqdcQCjQsmKJEmwlOYtGrvKhAUHpYvy0Ol0Y17ONTbO-U9s4tYER6viKjy-tBFRKBxYizPEjXG9J1HOUnF4fDewoU_PEFXxWaWQxVzeWmnhVDNliTL6f3jBCtBwsGGoRy/s320/It_Came_From_The_Desert_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>I guess it's not much of a spoiler to reveal that the meteor turned out to be radioactive, and it also landed near an ant colony. I don't think you need me to detail the results of this combination, even if you know nothing of the game, but suffice to say - eeek! Your job as 'Doc' (as most townsfolk call him) is to study the incident and gather sufficient evidence of the resultant giant ant mutations to convince the locals and authorities of the threat before the pesky insects multiply to such an extent that the world is doomed. Oh nooo! Do we leave Earth to its fate? Do we let them stand alone? This means that there's a time limit to finish the game too, as indicated by an in-game calendar/clock that starts on 1st June 1951 and runs in accelerated form as you play. If the ants remain at large on 15th June, it's game over (man).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogRv2d8uugDWt3RwI_1be5QbLOpZ9OYiNyMRbOW9S-54AUIIItajJWNR_KqourXK18lRhmFHCmYkv61Aud4dHuGLKFCHeHs3tiuyTcwGgRG9_7KviCivINKpxEs9exS-ex54oGEjj6pn4MqaMX6z-yt101g0lujrPRbVNjLyZbpyu7MQPONImDOTWtHSh/s639/It_Came_From_The_Desert_04.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogRv2d8uugDWt3RwI_1be5QbLOpZ9OYiNyMRbOW9S-54AUIIItajJWNR_KqourXK18lRhmFHCmYkv61Aud4dHuGLKFCHeHs3tiuyTcwGgRG9_7KviCivINKpxEs9exS-ex54oGEjj6pn4MqaMX6z-yt101g0lujrPRbVNjLyZbpyu7MQPONImDOTWtHSh/s320/It_Came_From_The_Desert_04.png" width="320" /></a></div>Much of this time is spent moving between locations on the town map and talking to people. There are lots of places to go sniffing around too, including a police station, bar, farm, hospital (complete with the inappropriately-dressed Nurse Judy, above), university lab, mines, quarry and many others. Most are only accessible at certain times of day but they will all, at some time or another, feature either a person with whom you can talk, find clues or listen to rumours, or terrifying ants which you must battle. These are one of a handful of different 'action' sequences in which you can (and in some cases must) partake. The ant battles take the form of a single-screen FPS where you have to shoot the ridiculous creepy-crawly in vulnerable spots in order to kill it, but some of the others are a bit stranger.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheF8sdLCe-1tpDPniQ4r3rufF3D6glARTd0U7NtfxsKXswodIrIiSaa452_frukVO6OrFr9DfZ1L0Sx-AkyP3ey0lxa6RONeum5MNovYuOMose6HOP5UX6ihuVNiFGoNaXMrwvXY54S4He_eSobV8_NVpKCJHkp67lkyNAjg1ffNy2RprUpiCffrNT63AS/s639/It_Came_From_The_Desert_06.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheF8sdLCe-1tpDPniQ4r3rufF3D6glARTd0U7NtfxsKXswodIrIiSaa452_frukVO6OrFr9DfZ1L0Sx-AkyP3ey0lxa6RONeum5MNovYuOMose6HOP5UX6ihuVNiFGoNaXMrwvXY54S4He_eSobV8_NVpKCJHkp67lkyNAjg1ffNy2RprUpiCffrNT63AS/s320/It_Came_From_The_Desert_06.png" width="320" /></a></div>One of them involves driving a car head-on at another for no obvious reason, another tasks you with spraying water to put out a fire, and there's even one that sees you trying to escape from the hospital, assuming you end up there for one reason or another. Some are a bit weird/pointless but they do break up the map-based tomfoolery a bit which can seem... directionless at times. At first, anyway, but it's your job to work out what to do and where to go and all that. It's the kind of game that someone could do a speedrun through in less than 30 minutes, but for first-timers like me, there's hours of investigating and actioning to keep you occupied. It's obviously a game that has aged somewhat now - the lack of FMV and voice-acting, for example (although the PC Engine CD version rectified that a couple of years later) - but it still has a fantastic atmosphere indicative of the movies and era that inspired it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg53-JqvTaB9NCHn2tHaFblrqeZGJtCv4PBagk6ICGWi1KsvYpMxXJ9XfnYfwWG7Z0oCCu8y4CIsy9xZFTY3Jl9bw89TF2rT-vB8R3_9HRw-KtR5fdFzu9d_pALo5_Lhhr9qQ4TvIxj2ebjNUSkukj5CkAEIPGtuHDHvdyk7AXEVL9quSCBaVatb8lrYnT/s639/It_Came_From_The_Desert_05.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg53-JqvTaB9NCHn2tHaFblrqeZGJtCv4PBagk6ICGWi1KsvYpMxXJ9XfnYfwWG7Z0oCCu8y4CIsy9xZFTY3Jl9bw89TF2rT-vB8R3_9HRw-KtR5fdFzu9d_pALo5_Lhhr9qQ4TvIxj2ebjNUSkukj5CkAEIPGtuHDHvdyk7AXEVL9quSCBaVatb8lrYnT/s320/It_Came_From_The_Desert_05.png" width="320" /></a></div>It's probably the best thing about the game, actually. There isn't too much in the way of movement or animation but the locations and characters are nicely drawn and their dialogue is pretty decent too. Even better is the excellent audio which includes a little speech, good effects, and superb music which sets a suitably spooky, mysterious atmosphere throughout. Some locations are spookier at certain times of day too, thanks to the day/night cycle. It's certainly a unique game in most ways and is unlike any I've played before (including point 'n' clickers - chortle!). It even has some replay value which I hadn't expected, thanks to a few subplots here and there. There have been more immersive adventures in the years since but this one is engaging and stylish enough that it's still well worth some time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 8/10</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at World of Longplays (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cubex55">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KTWd_eyAmgQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-58808675205515383382023-06-30T18:27:00.000+01:002023-06-30T18:27:02.564+01:00TV Shows #19 - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpI-d-izReHqHvxhabqeBMcj2VVxr41I-mzVVC8lcmE-O4o1m4OsGH4gPo4sp_iqL6SZroBWq4RcbTCQghNfTcvrVgB13Bb5R9eeynZgZe7CDMXF4iRnSRQq_8mLDN3Stq7lRS-EiVQVjaBNGdjo6lKp9-TS1cSBH7CoUOiKJ9WYq28-KXXryVFDBaw/s800/Hanna_S2_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpI-d-izReHqHvxhabqeBMcj2VVxr41I-mzVVC8lcmE-O4o1m4OsGH4gPo4sp_iqL6SZroBWq4RcbTCQghNfTcvrVgB13Bb5R9eeynZgZe7CDMXF4iRnSRQq_8mLDN3Stq7lRS-EiVQVjaBNGdjo6lKp9-TS1cSBH7CoUOiKJ9WYq28-KXXryVFDBaw/s320/Hanna_S2_01.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hanna</b></span> Season Two<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (2020)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <b>Developed By: </b>David Farr <b>Starring: </b>Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, Yasmin Monet Prince, Dermot Mulroney, Áine Rose Daly, Anthony Welsh, Cherrelle Skeete, Gianna Kiehl, Katie Clarkson Hill, Emma D'Arcy<br />
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<b>Certificate:</b> 15 <b>Running Time:</b> 47-53 Minutes per Episode, 8 Episodes</span><br />
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I had been very enthusiastic about watching the <a href="https://redparsley.blogspot.com/2019/05/tv-shows-19.html">first season</a> of Hanna since I liked and still like the <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2011/06/film-review-28.html">film original</a> very much. My wife and I watched the series adaptation with interest pretty much as soon as it was available, and while it probably had too much filler, we both enjoyed it nonetheless. Happily, season two was soon given the greenlight too, which would surely take us into wholly uncharted territory since the events of the film were covered in the first season (albeit slightly differently). It has taken me a long time to get around to watching it - so long, in fact, that I decided to first rewatch the whole of season one to refresh my memory, and doing so made me think I was a <i>little</i> harsh on it in my review. I think part of it is that I've warmed up to Esme Creed-Miles in the main role. Whatever the reason, I was very much up for season two. My wife didn't join me this time (waiting for her is part of the reason it took me so long to watch!), but I was nonetheless eager to see where Mr. Farr took the story.<br />
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It resumes very soon after the end of the first. Erik (Joel Kinnaman) has died, Hanna (Creed-Miles) has escaped the Utrax facility with Clara (Prince) after receiving some unexpected help from Marissa (Enos), and the pair of them are now living off the land in the vast forest that surrounds the now-destroyed facility while evading attempts to capture them, and the remaining trainees are not euthanised as I had expected, but are instead on their way to a new facility for the next phase of their training.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHdBtsQtrUSAg2SFwHngTY46vYrgQALtW23-Cg3R2lHskltyWnBtWNKV8xdeMOPFR1vB26tJCV_sd4gEUqMegfOEupR_d_38vYg5JP6eli1WwA2Fv7WAGjuiW5ZXPT03CWZVd1H7Es-vQ018Yx_r0aGgiF3_V3TWIjSyxq16jiF7PxwP327VCbpCd11Ml/s1200/Hanna_S2_02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHdBtsQtrUSAg2SFwHngTY46vYrgQALtW23-Cg3R2lHskltyWnBtWNKV8xdeMOPFR1vB26tJCV_sd4gEUqMegfOEupR_d_38vYg5JP6eli1WwA2Fv7WAGjuiW5ZXPT03CWZVd1H7Es-vQ018Yx_r0aGgiF3_V3TWIjSyxq16jiF7PxwP327VCbpCd11Ml/s320/Hanna_S2_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This facility is called The Meadows and is an old English manor/estate somewhere up north. Here the girls are each given rooms more akin to college/university students than the prison cells they had back in Romania. They are also all given a 'welcome pack' of sorts which tells them their new name and identity including details of their friends and family, and even assigns them interests and passions, with their rooms decorated accordingly. They are afforded much more freedom too, as they learn about the world they are soon to enter as 'agents' (i.e. assassins). Somewhat startlingly, the girls seem to embrace this newfound freedom, shedding their cold, robotic demeanour and developing distinct personalities almost immediately (unless there was some sort of time jump that wasn't made obvious).<br />
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In charge of The Meadows is John Carmichael (Mulroney), Marissa's former boss, with Leo (Welsh) assisting him and Terri (Skeete) who is in charge of the fake social media network the girls are all registered with. It's a bit strange how easily some of the girls accept all this actually. A few of them, particularly Sandy (Daly), formerly 'trainee 242', act as though the 'family' they were given (doctored) photos of themselves with and with whom they chat via social media (actually Terri) are real, and it's a bit weird. Then again, how messed up might someone be if they were born and raised in a cross between a lab and a prison for the first eighteen-odd years of their lives?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOeWHKvCmKbZSBylc0GnkpGTGgzLKcwoy4TxdQtBPVvBuzI1j7ixwkWN6oKXpLaXIrmoHFnPsOIUE-cUddcgFuUjDD0uJVrQfacFlHvlm-NJrJIKAeQpSwX3pKk-eVNsRHo90ZvMW8VFLBaGY6O6OEtACA9DpVrvVonXHhE7GhOl5CuG-MKyNMxua0iu9/s1200/Hanna_S2_05.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOeWHKvCmKbZSBylc0GnkpGTGgzLKcwoy4TxdQtBPVvBuzI1j7ixwkWN6oKXpLaXIrmoHFnPsOIUE-cUddcgFuUjDD0uJVrQfacFlHvlm-NJrJIKAeQpSwX3pKk-eVNsRHo90ZvMW8VFLBaGY6O6OEtACA9DpVrvVonXHhE7GhOl5CuG-MKyNMxua0iu9/s320/Hanna_S2_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>While the seemingly-innocent girls there are being trained for a darker purpose, Hanna and Clara are still in Romania, hiding in the forest. Unfortunately, the flanges in charge at the Meadows are seeking them, and Clara naively responds to a message from her 'mother', only to find herself captured and hauled back to rejoin the group of trainees she was once part of. Hanna, who has grown close to Clara, resolves to find and free her, and Marissa, who has tracked Hanna down, wants to help her do that despite still officially being part of the evil group of CIA oafs running the Utrax programme (who - very minor spoiler alert - we later find out are called the Pioneer Group). Can they trust each other enough to get the job done?<br />
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As you may have gathered from this extremely excellent synopsis, this second season is quite a bit more action-orientated than the first, mainly since there's no need to set up the characters or premise, or indeed show Hanna fannying around with other teenagers and partying and all that bullcrap. It does definitely help the pacing of the show too, which was one of the main issues with the first season.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYmfzxD7a2pv8vmuzHcCVu9sZ3PKCwwV59usIWkpxfPouUBtjE636l53ZIndFfCV-LpOiWNFKjUu6CtW5etztp-RM1oJyc20GYWWBynl54MCNFUdjlF5bgHAYwE9bhPqkBiCj4Z170J5CXoILoWUQ71Y2fFFjb_yDm1Vo9FXj6xfJN0xup8QUagllfSGF/s1200/Hanna_S2_11.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYmfzxD7a2pv8vmuzHcCVu9sZ3PKCwwV59usIWkpxfPouUBtjE636l53ZIndFfCV-LpOiWNFKjUu6CtW5etztp-RM1oJyc20GYWWBynl54MCNFUdjlF5bgHAYwE9bhPqkBiCj4Z170J5CXoILoWUQ71Y2fFFjb_yDm1Vo9FXj6xfJN0xup8QUagllfSGF/s320/Hanna_S2_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>That said, it's not an all-out action-fest this time around either. Much of the season is spent with the suddenly-transformed 'trainees' at The Meadows but some of them do get a mission - their first, in fact - toward the end of the season, and it did kind of make me wonder why they (Pioneer) have put so much effort into creating these young assassins. I won't spoil it with specifics but, judging by this first mission, the girls aren't needed for anything more than an existing hitman or even a sniper could easily have achieved without the massively-expensive scientific research and many years of medical treatments and training. Yes, a teenage girl seems like an unlikelier assassin than a shifty military-looking guy, but if they are going to blatantly shoot people in front of tons of witnesses, what was all the effort for?<br />
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Oh well, questions over Pioneer's methods aside, it's still for me a more entertaining season than the first. I like Esme Creed-Miles in the role more than I did before (even in the first season when I re-watched it). Her Hanna is unsurprisingly now more sure of herself and her talents/training and she looks more believable while employing them too, and she is also more independent since she no longer has her father or any chavvy teenage girls to look out for her. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EPd2CtnaLs2UxxkWk2qh2TgyPPxbAOfbVqwnIegluHuMs3pABDDNBWRjUe6fpk-2mnd_6T5tENQ7O4ArexyiYd0Q_TjS7k_Ya1KOOArZZJaS3p-Dt-7S4Dsz431XnD7HJFB9E0mja6z2-LzLeHzr3zIwFrkMcSRNoq7nAUH45kzXPxs4Ock7DBULqdiG/s1200/Hanna_S2_04.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EPd2CtnaLs2UxxkWk2qh2TgyPPxbAOfbVqwnIegluHuMs3pABDDNBWRjUe6fpk-2mnd_6T5tENQ7O4ArexyiYd0Q_TjS7k_Ya1KOOArZZJaS3p-Dt-7S4Dsz431XnD7HJFB9E0mja6z2-LzLeHzr3zIwFrkMcSRNoq7nAUH45kzXPxs4Ock7DBULqdiG/s320/Hanna_S2_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Enos is a standout again too. You're never quite sure where Marissa's loyalties lie and she looks like she has been in a war by the end of it! The same goes for Carmichael to a lesser extent and it's interesting to see Mulroney play a bad guy for once. One of the standouts of the season for me, though, is Daly as Sandy, the trainee who gets the most focus at the Meadows. She's a bit loopy if you ask me, but if the convoluted Utrax programme was ever going to work, it would be down to 'soldiers' like Sandy who can be your happy best friend giving you a pep talk one minute and a cold, committed killer the next. Most of the new characters work well though, even if they aren't all likeable, and along with the returning characters (i.e. pretty much just Hanna, Marissa and Clara) make for an engaging season.<br />
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For any faults it might have, and there aren't many (the aforementioned pointlessness of the Utrax programme and the odd strange decision by Hanna are my only issues really), it remains intriguing and exciting in more-or-less equal measure throughout, leaning more towards the latter as it builds towards its climax. It improves on most aspects of the first season and adds a few interesting dynamics (such as the Hanna/Marissa relationship) and gives us a decent mix of action, drama and plenty of twists and turns. More of the same for the third and (sadly) final season please!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 8/10</span></b><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Rm3twwVy1s" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-49137642270202867482023-06-21T14:01:00.000+01:002023-06-21T14:01:55.034+01:00Splendid PlayStation Music #3I've been collecting game music for a good few years now. It started thanks to a combination of emulators and their splendid 'sound test' features along with recording programs such as Audacity, and I also used to download some examples using P2P file sharing thingies like Kazaa. For many moons I had a song called Moon Over the Castle which I acquired using the P2P method. It was excellent but I didn't know which game it was from. Admittedly, I didn't put too much effort into finding out and instead just assumed it was from a Castlevania game owing to its name and style. <br />
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I can't remember how, but I found out many years later where this great song came from, and it wasn't a Castlevania game at all - it was (and still is) actually the main theme to the Gran Turismo series! Judging by the musical style, a racing game would have been the last type I would've guessed, even one so mighty as Gran Turismo! It was written by Masahiro Andoh of T-Square and was, as far as I can tell, only used in the Japanese versions of the games until the fourth instalment which goes some way to explaining how I didn't know it was the theme to a game I'd played extensively! Anyway, however I might've encountered it, and wherever I thought it was from, it's a fantastic piece of music and I encourage you to embrace it accordingly!<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AeSBghd3KI4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Special Note:</b> I didn't record this great tune myself, I'm just an admirer, so all credit goes to the original composer</span><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-48034274063079445622023-06-19T20:07:00.001+01:002023-06-20T21:30:40.219+01:00Awesome Nature #24<b><span style="font-size: large;">Kiwi</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Type:</b> <i>Bird</i> <b>Lives In:</b> <i>New Zealand</i> <b>Conservation Status:</b> <i>Vulnerable</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G1nokroiPLj0xjX0ZjlNKSx3E-xmhKh3Qw9U6mbhbGytaNUeEB6AA3-NqD4dRKCsE0jPhBRcCBjcB7ldX4Anp9MCBOP0F2i8TAv2Hkz4s77YrswmGXRcrDVJXpDBzj5MalfO8bie9iUB_QDJRz-7ErDmlqK8VXlucUGs1MBD-R_MFw1nkl9G-ao8Ig/s1200/Kiwi_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G1nokroiPLj0xjX0ZjlNKSx3E-xmhKh3Qw9U6mbhbGytaNUeEB6AA3-NqD4dRKCsE0jPhBRcCBjcB7ldX4Anp9MCBOP0F2i8TAv2Hkz4s77YrswmGXRcrDVJXpDBzj5MalfO8bie9iUB_QDJRz-7ErDmlqK8VXlucUGs1MBD-R_MFw1nkl9G-ao8Ig/s320/Kiwi_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There are many awesome animals in the world but the kiwi is one I keept forgetting about, then when I'm reminded of it I wonder why. They do of course only live in New Zealand which could be one reason why, but there are, surprisingly, five distinct species of them there. They look pretty similar of course, and they are a bit bigger than I'd realised (similar in size to chickens) but are still far smaller than most other members of their family (ratites) such as ostriches, emus and rheas. In fact, their closest relative is the now-extinct Elephant Bird. They are cute little fuzzballs in any case, who spend mostly-nighttimes scrummaging around forest floors looking for seeds, insects, worms and fruits to eat, and they have a remarkable nose located at the end of their long, slightly curved beaks with which to find these things. They have several other rather strange characteristics too, most likely due to how isolated they were for much of their existence. I'm not sure my behind could handle the amazingly-long flight needed to catch sight of one of these flightless flappers in person but I sure would like to bear witness to one. I wonder if they would let me pick them up? Very reluctantly, I'd say, judging by the end of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPc25pbM95c">this</a> short National Geographic video I saw!<br />
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<b>Why It Is Awesome:</b> It's a fuzzy brown sphere with a beak!<br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-72829432762110779562023-06-11T16:15:00.001+01:002023-06-11T16:50:13.882+01:00Indie Nuggets #7<b><span style="font-size: large;">Adventures of a Radish </span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(2016)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>Sorceress Game Lab </i> <b>Genre:</b> <i>Platform </i> <b>Players:</b> <i>1 </i><b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Easy-Medium</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>PC </i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Nothing</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUQceQGV1R_QA8NiMO2Z8MCmgFA_iP5h3gl575bSxFW-_ZgaM81KbJG--WhDjy1xuw8WlcoblJtUW6f1GtWjS00_Tk2skNdkoEADqM8WWV06EFBtmTJ5yBsScwHb4ysWDQQ8dfyE3zSbSDnHLNmN-sa3ZZ3ifbSzhS6JYzxFSog_pKrd8kuFnn6WUzA/s1200/Adventures_Of_A_Radish_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUQceQGV1R_QA8NiMO2Z8MCmgFA_iP5h3gl575bSxFW-_ZgaM81KbJG--WhDjy1xuw8WlcoblJtUW6f1GtWjS00_Tk2skNdkoEADqM8WWV06EFBtmTJ5yBsScwHb4ysWDQQ8dfyE3zSbSDnHLNmN-sa3ZZ3ifbSzhS6JYzxFSog_pKrd8kuFnn6WUzA/s320/Adventures_Of_A_Radish_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>I'm always liked seeing fruits and vegetables in games. Usually they are just pick-ups for bonus points or a power-up of some sort, but how many games actually let you play <i>as</i> a fruit or vegetable? I can't think of too many but Adventures of a Radish is definitely one such game! I can't remember how I first discovered it now but it's another one that has lain dormant in my 'games to review' folder for many years of men. Actually, that's not strictly true - I <i>have</i> played it on and off but the review has clearly not been forthcoming. Upon returning to it for this post I realised it doesn't seem to have a backstory, so I guess you're just... a sentient radish. I'm not complaining, of course - there are undoubtedly worse things to be - but some games require stories or objectives to provide motivation to play them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4beNJEc0Eza3F6J3d1uIOswnWAlY6dT4gey-M2hrWqkhm5Rwydv1M7lTU0syxPu6iSDrBW_n1KBQLkjwzR-sC3xIpr9WUARvW8dq8JDdCNr3es3WzYeDr5loYPc15ECXF9x3rhCniQIxB7zXlOJL-9P58XgcblgXPIV8ooBXY-yRf7FI6WAKIBesnA/s1200/Adventures_Of_A_Radish_04.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4beNJEc0Eza3F6J3d1uIOswnWAlY6dT4gey-M2hrWqkhm5Rwydv1M7lTU0syxPu6iSDrBW_n1KBQLkjwzR-sC3xIpr9WUARvW8dq8JDdCNr3es3WzYeDr5loYPc15ECXF9x3rhCniQIxB7zXlOJL-9P58XgcblgXPIV8ooBXY-yRf7FI6WAKIBesnA/s320/Adventures_Of_A_Radish_04.png" width="320" /></a></div>But nope, it appears you are just a radish, travelling presumably by choice through a world which takes the form of a scrolling platformy one made up of seven worlds - The Forest, The Icy Lands, The Desert, The Beach, The Jungle, Candy Land, and Cloud World which are each divided into three stages and a boss fight. Aside from the change in each world's theme, though, all the normal stages play pretty much identically. In the absence of that story, the only objective is seemingly to move from left to right until you reach the end of the stage. There is a half-way marker (see screenshot above) but they aren't all that long anyway, and play in what most would probably call a Super Mario style. Which means, if you weren't able to guess, lots of floaty and/or twirly platforms, gaps to jump, stuff to collect (fruits instead of coins), and the only means of dispatching an enemy is by jumping on it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdyBp1EBLeYPuVq-BCQNgm4XEXetKC9mq0y4fiCffco6APdN0seAh-wWTGU1S-tQ3AbFK9dMadIzramfJOGMvHDswRFvthIXUwIUgpGRfgL7c5rhzIk8Y7Buh3uIG9xSreABY_Pm0syadeMboy4stS6DUXNgIcZ8K1c9UR9czv_9FQuglr92vCIJ5og/s1200/Adventures_Of_A_Radish_02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdyBp1EBLeYPuVq-BCQNgm4XEXetKC9mq0y4fiCffco6APdN0seAh-wWTGU1S-tQ3AbFK9dMadIzramfJOGMvHDswRFvthIXUwIUgpGRfgL7c5rhzIk8Y7Buh3uIG9xSreABY_Pm0syadeMboy4stS6DUXNgIcZ8K1c9UR9czv_9FQuglr92vCIJ5og/s320/Adventures_Of_A_Radish_02.png" width="320" /></a></div>It's not especially original then, but it's a tried and trusted approach for sure, and I suppose a fairly easy one to implement too. It was made using good old Unity and is a pretty simple example in most ways. The graphics are small, basic, and there isn't much animation, nor much in the way of backgrounds, but the sprites are cute, the stages look appealing, and the whole thing is mostly bright and colourful. The music is nice too, and the controls are responsive (including a handy double-jump). It's a pretty easy game but it's still enjoyable to play through. I had a lot of fun hopping around its stages, making pixel-perfect jumps and landing on an enemy's head from the other side of the screen! I'm not sure how often you'd return to it once you'd finished it, but for the price (which is anything you want), it's a great little game. It loses a point for its ease but regains it for casting you a radish!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 7/10</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Special Note: </b>If you fancy grabbing a copy of this pleasant platformer, there's a link to buy it <a href="https://sorceressgamelab.itch.io/adventures-of-a-radishfull">here</a> on a 'name your own price' type deal, which is jolly nice of Ms. Sorceress. Be sure to give her a respectable amount if you like the look of the game! :)</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ytbi5HUIprM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-17096737727452020192023-05-30T20:00:00.000+01:002023-05-30T20:00:16.622+01:00Cover Art Face-Off #2Oh hey, what's going down? If you've visited this ridiculous page recently you might recall a post I made featuring the various famous Sega IPs that, for one odd reason or another, appeared on their own console's rival, the NES. They were mostly of reasonable quality, though of course inferior to the versions found on the mighty Master System, but it was interesting to take a look at them. While on the subject, however, I also looked into the cover artwork for the NES releases since they were unlikely to be using the MS's white grid covers, and indeed they were not. So I figured I might as well make a follow-up post about those too! Therefore, behold:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">After Burner</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1987/89)</span><br />
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This was one of the first ever games I had in my possession and therefore one of the first game covers to dwell on my shelf so it holds some nostalgic value for me, but let's face it - it looks like something a low-level factory worker doodled in his/her lunch break! The NES offering was for the US market and features a much more impressive-looking F-14 fighter front and centre. I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable about US military hardware to know how accurate it is, but it sure looks cool here, especially surrounded by tracer fire and explosions. It even has the title in its correct font! Though it pains me slightly to say it, there can only be one winner here...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3un7NGqRA8NJ75zOS8YsW_dePG1sm0h7AiYlqNcLyT0vwwEj6r4s-zo3PEg9ok1c8HhFCMHzFIjrOe5vcgCM3XLc6XavqUxy01g5ShTD4MNeebqBEBLmbXx6ErOkwRKBfCCsd1QGr9mdb8wfESN7c9zG87-QbtDdjRJfmIbXCZXiE21pJKMoyKz_BA/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Afte_Burner.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3un7NGqRA8NJ75zOS8YsW_dePG1sm0h7AiYlqNcLyT0vwwEj6r4s-zo3PEg9ok1c8HhFCMHzFIjrOe5vcgCM3XLc6XavqUxy01g5ShTD4MNeebqBEBLmbXx6ErOkwRKBfCCsd1QGr9mdb8wfESN7c9zG87-QbtDdjRJfmIbXCZXiE21pJKMoyKz_BA/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Afte_Burner.jpg" width="224" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-F53jIJkkR-MRQ90hAuo4yvXG5-17G-61MfLUxvN-p7FT_in0be7MssCTor8VB5jzkgIlPBSsjebR8p5tRM_pmDvsw5eZHFROkZ4J3-lq4tfuJ-lVJTSmFCEbOimOJ7tnY1HVRSGGs-lUnKZHOHyTOK9FqHSrWkdmhaLFFHZqY9DaZS7cBeMcsR6FQ/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_After_Burner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="569" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-F53jIJkkR-MRQ90hAuo4yvXG5-17G-61MfLUxvN-p7FT_in0be7MssCTor8VB5jzkgIlPBSsjebR8p5tRM_pmDvsw5eZHFROkZ4J3-lq4tfuJ-lVJTSmFCEbOimOJ7tnY1HVRSGGs-lUnKZHOHyTOK9FqHSrWkdmhaLFFHZqY9DaZS7cBeMcsR6FQ/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_After_Burner.jpg" width="228" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Alien Syndrome</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1987/88)</span><br />
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Aside from being another white grid cover generally, this game holds less nostalgic value for me as I didn't own it until many years after its release. The MS cover is certainly more striking than After Burner's, featuring what looks like an actual xenomorph from an Alien film taking a blast in the bread basket. Since the game does feature aliens that look a bit like that (on one stage), it's not an inappropriate cover, even if the artwork isn't first class. The NES cover, again a US one, features both player characters since, unlike the poor old MS version, it supports simultaneous two-player action, but not much in the way of scary alien scum. The quality of the artwork is again much higher though, and it's a more than decent effort overall. I guess that's another win for Nintendo's ghastly console then. Harumph!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH9j-A9k6J5rXJqCHYlaya1le4buiJpyOcM0tuIAxedlG4dtQZFMNNQbWA0Rmw52lPcg9Cs2Jc9gQPyQb1NcsJ2jUxTHIHnKfBM0phJ6D_AGamWPQtTx1o7mKatqhwsIFH1b91qwwVDQGu4kWSYdqmbX5v8RNnxZDSUbEqiv5e2lwIVHkis9qUU7-JQ/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Alien_Syndrome.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH9j-A9k6J5rXJqCHYlaya1le4buiJpyOcM0tuIAxedlG4dtQZFMNNQbWA0Rmw52lPcg9Cs2Jc9gQPyQb1NcsJ2jUxTHIHnKfBM0phJ6D_AGamWPQtTx1o7mKatqhwsIFH1b91qwwVDQGu4kWSYdqmbX5v8RNnxZDSUbEqiv5e2lwIVHkis9qUU7-JQ/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Alien_Syndrome.jpg" width="224" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0aZdqAVxILu37X1KtvIHTwAjGUcue3UPdfRmV-6ek4DQNzMF0tSjtx_dRPpUo-2YeB4BmyWw4vnefQYwmsJKCSMHIkrJYzQhZ1opMOBC8MwHFl1kZaOLZdPkzkyl27pjGF6kzmvtBQnwBxMqQJxxNAbbYDqrtchflwzBhv6tWtnKnf_Vd36K_ul23Q/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_Alien_Syndrome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0aZdqAVxILu37X1KtvIHTwAjGUcue3UPdfRmV-6ek4DQNzMF0tSjtx_dRPpUo-2YeB4BmyWw4vnefQYwmsJKCSMHIkrJYzQhZ1opMOBC8MwHFl1kZaOLZdPkzkyl27pjGF6kzmvtBQnwBxMqQJxxNAbbYDqrtchflwzBhv6tWtnKnf_Vd36K_ul23Q/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_Alien_Syndrome.jpg" width="226" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Altered Beast</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1989/90)</span><br />
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Along with After Burner, this was one of my first three games ever, but nostalgia or not, I rather like the cover art anyway. It shows the title in its correct font and the artwork depicts Dave's transformation process in a nice style. The NES, or should I say Famicom version was only released in Japan which would normally mean I would compare it to the Sega Mark III cover accordingly, but there is no such version to my knowledge. Quite why Sega wouldn't release a conversion of their own arcade game in home territory, only they can say. But anyway, the Famicom one is an interesting one too. The title is also in the correct font and the artwork shows the various 'beasts' that you can play as (including the new ones exclusive to this version). The actual standard of the artwork is probably lower but it's a cover that holds a certain charm if you ask me; certainly more than this version of the hideous game itself! I think this win has to go to the MS though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OkgzVNGpL1LjNiSWGYShLNBiGicrEuqWo1JSCdGzzj6m2UYvRUbhBlu9QJ5oelOb0n93TCZZl92TjeHMbLhSl_6ybePh_PS0cKNuGqolbCX-dVbdGVdkbefJtXPML5Tr37VB4DdlbWzzWNKSFMK1yrGIO6DWysdkkmAtvuQkjX6rx-_mbcerZi_S6A/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Altered_Beast.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OkgzVNGpL1LjNiSWGYShLNBiGicrEuqWo1JSCdGzzj6m2UYvRUbhBlu9QJ5oelOb0n93TCZZl92TjeHMbLhSl_6ybePh_PS0cKNuGqolbCX-dVbdGVdkbefJtXPML5Tr37VB4DdlbWzzWNKSFMK1yrGIO6DWysdkkmAtvuQkjX6rx-_mbcerZi_S6A/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Altered_Beast.jpg" width="233" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBqLSZNrrgK7H9Gn2Cx-aEA370z9eeW4NrOnUkpjmuuS7oSUxmLqbR037ksGOfh5X4ocWbJ8i9YM4tdu4-sPLxM8RcHwPY6GITIgHbRthasLiwJmIsZDmzaueLvaIO5s0tNlqa5r1Fq3BpGlVAoLosx10E3jpi6wKwboIWDiGEpGSpNn18QYSkTT11g/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_Altered_Beast.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="553" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBqLSZNrrgK7H9Gn2Cx-aEA370z9eeW4NrOnUkpjmuuS7oSUxmLqbR037ksGOfh5X4ocWbJ8i9YM4tdu4-sPLxM8RcHwPY6GITIgHbRthasLiwJmIsZDmzaueLvaIO5s0tNlqa5r1Fq3BpGlVAoLosx10E3jpi6wKwboIWDiGEpGSpNn18QYSkTT11g/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_Altered_Beast.jpg" width="221" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fantasy Zone</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986/87/89)</span><br />
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Yeay, another minimalistic white grid design, and it's another one I'm mighty fond of, probably even more so this time! Maybe that's because of how wonderful the game is, I don't care, but it shows Opa Opa and one of the amusing bosses from the game. It looks like Opa Opa is about to crash into it actually! They missed the opportunity to showcase some of the game's garish colours and backgrounds but never mind. I'm not sure <i>what's</i> going on with that NES cover though. The background is passable I guess, and the enemies are okay, but what the frickin' frack is going on with that ship? That's not Opa Opa! It's nothing like him! Why? I'm so traumatised by that abomination I'm awarding this round to the MS without hesitation!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRz_JOdnGO3D9JIKjREflhlNhq8ijdq6RQkLjZrAx3vLNY2iKsvnz9ObE7YfV1LiSgFO-CfAzF5rjzU6QC_GzpwL8azWeg8NS2tWv007vwuzscLlMthRKadfu8A8SHOpfjGKHUi5HFjNEXk23AM9nT10YFwOdiwhwqYMAn4xhjBgu45qU2OqgYMRkq1g/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Fantasy_Zone.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRz_JOdnGO3D9JIKjREflhlNhq8ijdq6RQkLjZrAx3vLNY2iKsvnz9ObE7YfV1LiSgFO-CfAzF5rjzU6QC_GzpwL8azWeg8NS2tWv007vwuzscLlMthRKadfu8A8SHOpfjGKHUi5HFjNEXk23AM9nT10YFwOdiwhwqYMAn4xhjBgu45qU2OqgYMRkq1g/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Fantasy_Zone.jpg" width="227" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVbygsI-9O22WaE3Ksjk4wROcLiWpqiPpXDQN94UrSrlJcQc_PRC3C81eLEZDk8wlIdcgI370u21aUVufdebL-41KabpJ7OB7ZpYaI8JtroM83mAkA6HdyLhsjEINpFNyhy16V3tjCvxxwTQYffD7savN6c7XiaGdrJLES1jfJOYrrpnfa_EmLjr8iA/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_Fantasy_Zone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVbygsI-9O22WaE3Ksjk4wROcLiWpqiPpXDQN94UrSrlJcQc_PRC3C81eLEZDk8wlIdcgI370u21aUVufdebL-41KabpJ7OB7ZpYaI8JtroM83mAkA6HdyLhsjEINpFNyhy16V3tjCvxxwTQYffD7savN6c7XiaGdrJLES1jfJOYrrpnfa_EmLjr8iA/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_Fantasy_Zone.jpg" width="234" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fantasy Zone II</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1987/88)</span><br />
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As mentioned above, since the NES/Famicom version of this splendid sequel was only released in Japan, I'll be using the Sega Mark III cover for comparison with this one and... they are pretty similar actually. Except, like many Famicom games, the artwork is in landscape format. Both show Opa Opa correctly, both give a good impression of the kind of colourful worlds you'll find yourself in and the crazy enemies you'll be (hopefully) shooting. The Famicom cover shows the game's title correctly but I think I'll still give this one to the MS/Mark III since it's the right way around - tee hee!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOUEh6ZyZyFeOh6Xxc6a1Nn-uEwbvVVg0arE-ZmpRzTh5yj7OTXopK8X0Mw2sOV6v5S03bNitNgSbKSNQmgpYGl9-4JToz1VN2dN-XUbxTs-NE9A9uZ9ewlSAGS38wKXOBNxcTp9GM5v2r4eipCKyInu8a-frHGqTnQfP_VVnGPFr05uMtyeCNCah4w/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Fantasy_Zone_II.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="573" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOUEh6ZyZyFeOh6Xxc6a1Nn-uEwbvVVg0arE-ZmpRzTh5yj7OTXopK8X0Mw2sOV6v5S03bNitNgSbKSNQmgpYGl9-4JToz1VN2dN-XUbxTs-NE9A9uZ9ewlSAGS38wKXOBNxcTp9GM5v2r4eipCKyInu8a-frHGqTnQfP_VVnGPFr05uMtyeCNCah4w/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Fantasy_Zone_II.jpg" width="229" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR-LeMw1AZhvG76Je1Ph7iF4pmTz5mYXrIe86aUEj78R1BXFM27wSdT-dyeXFJFaiuf-UE6S2zIcoiHcRK15VTo2a1C4VUm6CM8Cdpinr8UYgSELbtgyLDraNKGLdWGH57Mn0tP-CEohEvwsU7ETeN5sQvvQqUCqa32dFXnQOFAoId8VwMW2QFhohcg/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_Fantasy_Zone_II.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="557" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR-LeMw1AZhvG76Je1Ph7iF4pmTz5mYXrIe86aUEj78R1BXFM27wSdT-dyeXFJFaiuf-UE6S2zIcoiHcRK15VTo2a1C4VUm6CM8Cdpinr8UYgSELbtgyLDraNKGLdWGH57Mn0tP-CEohEvwsU7ETeN5sQvvQqUCqa32dFXnQOFAoId8VwMW2QFhohcg/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_Fantasy_Zone_II.jpg" width="223" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shinobi</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1988)</span><br />
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Of all the games here, I think this one is the hardest to choose a winnner for since, to be honest, neither cover is very good! The MS game is one of my favourites and therefore, once again, has nostalgic value, but the more I actually look at it, the worse it seems. I mean, it doesn't really look like Joe is even wearing a proper ninja outfit (called a ninja-yoroi, I believe) - it just looks like he's in black spandex. Plus, he looks like a white guy. Not that white guys can't do ninjery stuff but the game is Japanese, the character's name is Japanese so... you know. He's surrounded by apparently-floating shurikens too. Okay, it <i>does</i> give you an idea of what the game's going to be like, which is it's job, but artistically it's pretty poor. The American NES one, on the other hand, is just a photo of a real guy dressed as a ninja. It's a pretty cool pose/move, admittedly, but I've never really liked actual photos as game covers. Hmm, I think I'll give this one to the MS for old time's sake but neither is brilliant...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJvpP3emENVTPhNzDmBHvkIBqYUkxjaIZVBFjN7nfgF5i57N4WUuMATCJ8Gbln-6WCzm68_tPblMhxvvZ3Q_1IqyK5OIWLLwPxBFjvk4VSzDmzVhkIgdRQmzpgJ8i5ucEf0n8y04EkUZdAVdcGbeZlN8wfDiVm7OTLptQ6J7nDvlpYZvqpGt_AezhvQ/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Shinobi.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="569" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJvpP3emENVTPhNzDmBHvkIBqYUkxjaIZVBFjN7nfgF5i57N4WUuMATCJ8Gbln-6WCzm68_tPblMhxvvZ3Q_1IqyK5OIWLLwPxBFjvk4VSzDmzVhkIgdRQmzpgJ8i5ucEf0n8y04EkUZdAVdcGbeZlN8wfDiVm7OTLptQ6J7nDvlpYZvqpGt_AezhvQ/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Shinobi.jpg" width="228" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QejAfjaqmJ9MTK1-ySvk2Z5HPCsOLZQz7RqLfdJBZpiAvvpm9wRrfZCjRtOtCqrr2aaq2wBC7m7iY8QouMYxfArrYS7Lg8dviiGdD4dheDLNKGKwJhpUyPwoGRlPHOORkoko3I2yVOdm83b8Ga2-dAy82gvBG1fxoJwHj-HmK96go5XV8hsqcm2CIw/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_Shinobi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QejAfjaqmJ9MTK1-ySvk2Z5HPCsOLZQz7RqLfdJBZpiAvvpm9wRrfZCjRtOtCqrr2aaq2wBC7m7iY8QouMYxfArrYS7Lg8dviiGdD4dheDLNKGKwJhpUyPwoGRlPHOORkoko3I2yVOdm83b8Ga2-dAy82gvBG1fxoJwHj-HmK96go5XV8hsqcm2CIw/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_Shinobi.jpg" width="236" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Space Harrier</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986/88)</span><br />
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Good gracious me, what's this?! Both versions have the same cover - jeepers! It <i>is</i> a pretty good cover for sure, and the non-Japanese MS cover is a pretty poor one, but these two Japanese examples are colourful and depict the 3D, monster-filled world through which your floaty guy shoots them all very well. Not much to separate them then, but I think the MS/Mark III takes it for me since the Famicom one cuts the top and bottom off. I guess the MS one cuts a couple of corners too, but never mind...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdi1OK0_VdIBObW3V08FYrDG3AZJKI3q0bGtOXCcCJ_Y3xtrnJmcogsOWUX67RgtJgubtzBbtOb3_J0hBthmjk_uVk_J5wHDO2FYM-3x4B3A76CfiXRkUnRp_DpYugGoX_vITNiC4dC8ELL1okQ0iiobEJdt0Nz8Q_bqE0IXO-T8PuQQozWgN5Az8MQ/s800/Sega_MS_Covers_Space_Harrier.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="573" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdi1OK0_VdIBObW3V08FYrDG3AZJKI3q0bGtOXCcCJ_Y3xtrnJmcogsOWUX67RgtJgubtzBbtOb3_J0hBthmjk_uVk_J5wHDO2FYM-3x4B3A76CfiXRkUnRp_DpYugGoX_vITNiC4dC8ELL1okQ0iiobEJdt0Nz8Q_bqE0IXO-T8PuQQozWgN5Az8MQ/s320/Sega_MS_Covers_Space_Harrier.jpg" width="229" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXylu0bjkOX_dlqdEcwM6f6mipK5aCRMyx_WvJo4Z7nvdiAf5zjcwb3R9Qd7Acp1dv83BT-oywLIf-YmNW2uoXClhekAh3gPEvtgaHPNxYuHhEbHv22TNT8g-YWfabAAU26oWggzqu0J1YoiNaO1SH7LqxoO6D1KYQp5Yw6EYQrNe-2dLl3nmzyuE4wg/s800/Sega_NES_Covers_Space_Harrier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXylu0bjkOX_dlqdEcwM6f6mipK5aCRMyx_WvJo4Z7nvdiAf5zjcwb3R9Qd7Acp1dv83BT-oywLIf-YmNW2uoXClhekAh3gPEvtgaHPNxYuHhEbHv22TNT8g-YWfabAAU26oWggzqu0J1YoiNaO1SH7LqxoO6D1KYQp5Yw6EYQrNe-2dLl3nmzyuE4wg/s320/Sega_NES_Covers_Space_Harrier.jpg" width="220" /></a><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-51018272821442336652023-05-28T17:42:00.001+01:002024-03-11T20:28:43.305+00:00TV Shows #30 - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MztGq8rdgRIDe01uiwx22TJcL4lyfqgPlYhT-RYbTK-RGGPAeLLxzGEbhTq0hsoKtX1PYIGScbxP9mnt2obPNmJXANypt-Hjeb6z6idt5ff9pqOZNOAZ60UcBr57VvEAzI1FXVKhaUCJIYjQN6KvcERxZGP6Z0Vbett82K-8-u9I8UzvXE4Kb6PoCA/s800/Reacher_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MztGq8rdgRIDe01uiwx22TJcL4lyfqgPlYhT-RYbTK-RGGPAeLLxzGEbhTq0hsoKtX1PYIGScbxP9mnt2obPNmJXANypt-Hjeb6z6idt5ff9pqOZNOAZ60UcBr57VvEAzI1FXVKhaUCJIYjQN6KvcERxZGP6Z0Vbett82K-8-u9I8UzvXE4Kb6PoCA/s320/Reacher_01.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reacher</b></span> Season One <span style="font-size: x-small;">(2022)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <b>Developed By: </b>Nick Santora<br />
<b>Starring: </b>Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Chris Webster, Bruce McGill, Maria Sten, Currie Graham, Kristin Kreuk, Harvey Guillén<br />
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<b>Certificate:</b> 15 <b>Running Time:</b> 42-54 Minutes per Episode, 8 Episodes</span><br />
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Usually I find it somewhat irritating when people complain about a book adaptation straying from the source material. After all, if the screen version is different enough, it just means you potentially have two things to enjoy rather than two different forms of the same thing! One recent(ish) example I remember was <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2017/03/film-review-97.html">Jack Reacher</a>, released just over ten years ago starring Tom Cruise as the titular character. I personally didn't even know there <i>were</i> Jack Reacher books at the time but it turned out there were many, they were very successful, and their many fans were incensed at the casting choice to play their beloved hero. Moviegoers seem to have a bit of a love/hate view of Cruise at the best of times but here he was playing a character who, in the books at least, is 6ft5 and 250lbs. I've always been a fan of Cruise, at least as far as his movies are concerned, but for all his talents and abilities, being 6ft5 and 250lbs is not among them! The film did okay but most Reacher fans stayed away.<br />
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In fact, it did well enough to get a <a href="https://redparsley.blogspot.com/2018/01/film-review-103.html">sequel</a>, but that was it for Lee Child's popular anti-hero. But then, a couple of years later, whispers grew of new attempt to do justice to the character and his many stories. A series this time, announced by Amazon, and due to premiere a couple of years later on their Prime Video service. Would the fans be happy this time? Would Amazon even care about making them happy?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmhuFECxdlABgx1_Lp1d81uQJRChcA2EcTcfvrbuYnbySY1KGOB_7Yzv6GkYC4tBEInphDR_IiuGXItTVWNrvV7CHYRTQVmAwQgV_QGw7Nr3ShaGDdh0kDHcQ6k0_NT9RaYY39JQU8olf7q59ZfQ5zdzO4ak5WJKCUvmYGkn0SP8zgM6MnqclutnRsA/s1200/Reacher_06.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmhuFECxdlABgx1_Lp1d81uQJRChcA2EcTcfvrbuYnbySY1KGOB_7Yzv6GkYC4tBEInphDR_IiuGXItTVWNrvV7CHYRTQVmAwQgV_QGw7Nr3ShaGDdh0kDHcQ6k0_NT9RaYY39JQU8olf7q59ZfQ5zdzO4ak5WJKCUvmYGkn0SP8zgM6MnqclutnRsA/s1200/Reacher_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to Margrave, lummox!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The answer to the second of those questions was apparently yes. The first season of the show was based on Killing Floor, the first Reacher novel, and it was supposedly going to be very faithful to it. What about that elephant in Amazon's writers room though - who on earth could they find to play Reacher himself? Their choice was Alan Ritchson who I had only seen as Hank Hall/Hawk in the Titans show beforehand. He <i>is</i> a big guy but would he be big enough to make the fans happy? And could he meet the other requirements of playing the character? We'll come back to that point later. First, the story which, for the benefit of those who have not read the book, takes place in a small (and fictional) town in Georgia called Margrave, formerly one of the US's many dying towns until it was revitalised by Kliner Industries.<br />
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Reacher arrives there one day by bus in search of information about depression-era blues musician Blind Blake, who supposedly spent some time and died in Margrave many moons previously. Within about half a picosecond of arriving, however, he finds himself arrested for murder! Being a former U.S. Army military policeman, and a very skilled one at that, he is soon able to extricate himself from this situation, and then finds himself assisting Margrave PD, particularly Officer Roscoe Conklin (Fitzgerald) and Chief Detective Oscar Finlay (Goodwin) in their murder investigation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotbC3eGLwslKQyDp6mL7EtQZc0Au2PoIOMilb4Eu657GGJ07BuSnAI6l-tv-JIuBUZpKlO7en1NtU9Ha288RdeAK_pvn1fYVmuekLDf2CeK2wmVqoyOW6nDpwMzLf3IweKSgDaUQE8KF7HVAMcI0aZ09a8gBFSKsPLuteD1GuZN_j60eLEN9IJu1K0g/s1200/Reacher_07.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotbC3eGLwslKQyDp6mL7EtQZc0Au2PoIOMilb4Eu657GGJ07BuSnAI6l-tv-JIuBUZpKlO7en1NtU9Ha288RdeAK_pvn1fYVmuekLDf2CeK2wmVqoyOW6nDpwMzLf3IweKSgDaUQE8KF7HVAMcI0aZ09a8gBFSKsPLuteD1GuZN_j60eLEN9IJu1K0g/s1200/Reacher_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Officer Conklin is immediately horny for Reacher...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sadly for Reacher, the victim, shot from behind in the countryside just outside Margrave, turns out to be his younger brother Joe who was working for the Secret Service and was in the midst of an investigation when he was killed. Unsurprisingly, Reacher resolves to finish what his brother started as well as find out who was responsible for his death. Working with Finlay and Roscoe, he soon uncovers evidence of a wider conspiracy, perhaps involving the town's revered hero and saviour, Mr. Kliner himself (Graham). Before too much longer there are more murders, particularly brutal ones in fact, South American heavies start showing up, and there's animal feed. Lots of animal feed. For the most part though, it's a fairly standard mystery/investigation-type crime show. What makes it stand out is Reacher himself.<br />
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You might think an investigator - a detective, basically - would need to blend in to a crowd somewhat, so being a hulking great brute would probably be a hindrance, but it seems to work well enough for this particular investigator. Granted, being a self-proclaimed hobo means he's not usually looking to solve any mystery or conspiracy until he finds himself in the middle of one by just happening to be there, and huge or not, he invariably proves far more skilled and effective at conducting investigations than the actual authorities! Being huge can have certain advantages as well though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlcEmXejdlg37GyK8OskKDZLNekUGx_KFRkfXxHnILQPjjpGUz70OO-ED3eVSXSNbBgwMxToFjiT29-Oh5offckW96zge366jJGIecICM8ldaKkZlaG337X--xHzAEPyo0RTRoFxY0-azYjzqQ6iuD0KbyfHNTF2cIajfmITutpeA1UMiXNWf3b5eoA/s1200/Reacher_08.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlcEmXejdlg37GyK8OskKDZLNekUGx_KFRkfXxHnILQPjjpGUz70OO-ED3eVSXSNbBgwMxToFjiT29-Oh5offckW96zge366jJGIecICM8ldaKkZlaG337X--xHzAEPyo0RTRoFxY0-azYjzqQ6iuD0KbyfHNTF2cIajfmITutpeA1UMiXNWf3b5eoA/s1200/Reacher_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Finlay contemplates stuff...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I pretty much had a smile on my face for the whole first episode, in fact. Imagine being so imposing that you can turn an aggressive, sweary guy into a meek, snivelling weasel, just by staring at him! That's exactly what happens in one of the show's first scenes, and soon afterwards Reacher finds himself in prison (for the aforementioned murder) and quickly takes out all the heavies single-handedly in two fantastic (and brutal) fight scenes! He's not all brute force though. Again, as we see in the opening minutes of the first episode, in little more than one conversation with Finlay he's able to rule himself out of the murder, give a profile of the perps, and make some personal observations regarding Finlay himself, which of course turn out to be (mostly) true. Not bad for a jobless lunkhead passing through town!<br />
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Despite being centre frame from the start of the first episode, we don't even hear him speak until a good few minutes in. Indeed, he's a man of few words, generally. In the books he rarely speaks. Here, we don't have the advantage of being able to read his thoughts/inner monologue so he does speak more, but still only if he actually has something to say. The show is well named then; Reacher is the main man from the first minute to the last, and he's a character well worthy of such prominence, but no show can thrive on the strengths of one person.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9cU85Hw6XBH4LbBWvpD1Smcnk3oFFNMAS1G2sN3qfYb2I_r69Qzcv59FLmHuBcjuMiMEdKh9cWVXFaNt3MtkSUbbXJN0HZUz6-DKNg0iYUsR-fXgDMmciJ3ZS7m-z2HQaZoHStHgww7TtAzQvDUCNH6o5lGEk3bdu1dz3Sr_HQi7FkGCtzzyOsdsrA/s1200/Reacher_10.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9cU85Hw6XBH4LbBWvpD1Smcnk3oFFNMAS1G2sN3qfYb2I_r69Qzcv59FLmHuBcjuMiMEdKh9cWVXFaNt3MtkSUbbXJN0HZUz6-DKNg0iYUsR-fXgDMmciJ3ZS7m-z2HQaZoHStHgww7TtAzQvDUCNH6o5lGEk3bdu1dz3Sr_HQi7FkGCtzzyOsdsrA/s1200/Reacher_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reacher, Finlay and Conklin do some investigating...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>For yes, in case you had started to wonder if any other actors are even in the show, the answer is: yes, and they are mostly excellent too! As you might have noticed to the right here, Reacher is joined in his investigation/obsession by the no-nonsense Roscoe and perpetually uptight Finlay, and the three of them make an effective as well as appealing team. I'm not sure I've seen Goodwin in anything else (or at least not whilst knowing it was him), and I've only seen Fitzgerald in one film (in which her character was ghastly), but they are both excellent here. They, along with Reacher, occupy the bulk of the screentime but they have some good support too, most notably from the always-welcome Bruce McGill as Grover Teale, Margrave's mayor, and Maria Sten as Neagley, a member of Reacher's old military police unit and basically a female version of him who now works private security.<br />
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They are close (in a platonic way) though, and she is always ready to help him when needed, as she was here. She is actually about the only change I know of from the book on which the season is based too. She <i>is</i> in some of the books, just not that one. Her premature presence here is welcome nonetheless and she <i>may</i> be the only character besides Reacher himself we see in future seasons too, due to his hobo-ish ways and all that. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to some of the others returning though, for it's the excellent cast that make the show so enjoyable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8yPVOs-HejBmvcxSKXmYx1BvI_V3QLoYywJqSwEAoCNZiBh1nHGKDgOlcJMcQyoYRqDWjJPU7sZWH74tt7TvrAPY5JAa3BogBQW95TODugIdkL5G8GfKxsNZQQBY8dCt813F0iGIsHQyhZX8YrnkZbft4wx1bbovJeiLE8SjPtdkovHFxjyZ6oEj-w/s1200/Reacher_11.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8yPVOs-HejBmvcxSKXmYx1BvI_V3QLoYywJqSwEAoCNZiBh1nHGKDgOlcJMcQyoYRqDWjJPU7sZWH74tt7TvrAPY5JAa3BogBQW95TODugIdkL5G8GfKxsNZQQBY8dCt813F0iGIsHQyhZX8YrnkZbft4wx1bbovJeiLE8SjPtdkovHFxjyZ6oEj-w/s1200/Reacher_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That's Neagley behind the sight of the rifle...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The main plot is engaging and well-paced but there are tons of shows with corrupt oafs conspiring on some nefarious scheme, often while redirecting suspicion toward some innocent party - we've seen it a million times - but what sets this example apart are the nuanced characters and the sheer presence and attitude of the titular man-mountain himself. His early scenes showcase his imposing nature and brutal physicality superbly and are a lot of fun, and as the plot unfolds his intelligence and intuition comes to the fore as well. He really is a captivating character, especially for those who haven't seen/read him before, and yes, to answer the question asked earlier, Ritchson was a perfect choice to play him and makes him an immensely watchable character too. I'm pretty sure even the existing fans of the books who so scoffed at the Cruise films must be happy with this casting choice, so the rest of us who either didn't care or didn't know about him will certainly be happy too.<br />
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It's actually quite impressive just how watchable and enjoyable this show has ended up. You know Reacher won't die as there are many more books set later than this that feature him; you know he'll save the day and take down the ghastly bad guys with the help of the new friends he has picked up along the way; and yet virtually every minute is fantastic. Time spent in 'small town USA' is usually nice anyway, and the fictional one depicted here (and built from the ground up in Canada for the show!) is another pleasant one and proves a welcome host. It's a shame we won't see it or its residents again but at least Reacher (and possibly Neagley) will be back on our screens stomping arse again soon(ish). Whether you're a fan of the books or not, this fantastic show <i>and</i> fantastic character come highly recommended, especially if you like seeing unpleasant people get what's coming to them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 9/10</b></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GSycMV-_Csw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-73063383112301174162023-05-13T20:39:00.002+01:002023-05-13T20:43:08.694+01:00NES Shmups #5<b><span style="font-size: large;">Burai Fighter</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1990)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>KID / Taxan </i><b>Genre:</b> <i>Shooting </i><b>Players:</b> <i>1 </i><b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Hard</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>Nintendo NES </i> <b>First Day Score:</b> <i>121,120</i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Game Boy</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDR0IPOGGaqcunAANBGjgYdcRLSCBNb1QGvfxkYWp1xmrsrYH0hgQThgDe5xGw20e3XKzkxhOocER3Do2aqhExT6Q-JL49IZI_HdwxAXoJkX1zZFST0G9WunndZdehwsTfmvqP_SjU7zlKcx4OTBHAisChCUVVaIh5-Bt0Y9XIxJdlJ4kWhFJ8f-Mafw/s512/Burai_Fighter_01.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDR0IPOGGaqcunAANBGjgYdcRLSCBNb1QGvfxkYWp1xmrsrYH0hgQThgDe5xGw20e3XKzkxhOocER3Do2aqhExT6Q-JL49IZI_HdwxAXoJkX1zZFST0G9WunndZdehwsTfmvqP_SjU7zlKcx4OTBHAisChCUVVaIh5-Bt0Y9XIxJdlJ4kWhFJ8f-Mafw/s320/Burai_Fighter_01.png" width="320" /></a></div>There are an absolute ton of NES games that I've heard of but know bugger all about. This is due to a combination of buying multi-format games mags back in the day such as Mean Machines, and not having an NES and therefore paying little attention to reviews of said games. One of them, you may be shocked to hear, is Burai Fighter. I've known of the name for over 30 years but I wasn't even sure what genre it was until my interest in it was recently piqued by its soundtrack - its most derided aspect, I've subsequently discovered (not sure why though). It turned out to be a (mostly) horizontal shooter in the same vein of Side Arms and Forgotten Worlds, and that's no bad thing since both are at least decent games. It's also a game that, much like the recently-reviewed <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2023/03/scrolling-fighting-games-17.html">Dragon Ninja</a>, is named after its bad guys rather than the hero. Indeed, the Burai are apparently a 'race of super-brains' who, for thousands of years, have used their intellectual gifts to conquer the universe. Can't accuse them of lacking ambition, I guess!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7J9a0Tc6CRI5ZmrYs8kwKYHhIKWSjhT1VApkA2ukDNgxXqHYXeFwqM4BInDs5e9YfvhvXWlbMzaoJ5Xx9oJlR6PNbWDGAdknYIjzUfizMOXcBFx_LjVaLIOFtkxkht2Bg4i1QlVE4sp4PfENvsmE_hM-HlCUmegcUmAzshpA4uDxg999Wy1QFeTzRQ/s512/Burai_Fighter_02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="512" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7J9a0Tc6CRI5ZmrYs8kwKYHhIKWSjhT1VApkA2ukDNgxXqHYXeFwqM4BInDs5e9YfvhvXWlbMzaoJ5Xx9oJlR6PNbWDGAdknYIjzUfizMOXcBFx_LjVaLIOFtkxkht2Bg4i1QlVE4sp4PfENvsmE_hM-HlCUmegcUmAzshpA4uDxg999Wy1QFeTzRQ/s320/Burai_Fighter_02.png" width="320" /></a></div>Being 'super-brains', they are of course too smart to get their hands (or membranes?) dirty themselves, so they have created an army of 'robo-mutants' to take care of that inconvenient conquering for them. But wait... what's this? A saviour? Emerging dramatically from some conveniently-spooky mist is a hero, about whom nothing is seemingly revealed, not even a gender or name. For review purposes, we'll assume this courageous soul is a Scandinavian female called Helga, and she has been charged with crippling the Burai by destroying their 'seven manufacturing bases producing thousands of robo-mutants each day'. Seven bases doesn't seem like many considering how big the universe is but never mind, I'm sure Helga will do us proud anyway, for she brings with her a 'proton pack' (no, not like the Ghostbusters one) and a laser cannon! I assume the 'pack' is either part or all of the metallic suit she is wearing which allows her to fly around, but it sounds pretty cool in any case.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6BtrZovLxAXbiLNBC1D8sHUPu15n3gQdS-37HR9avZRivnXAtFL613skG_BS8VN1BYyMjchRqLXz7OH7dxDpHlFy8Ws0LM94s3UCdBOLXOQkqWuhGtkp5VfKHwXIhcs2r0-Sf_ScMqiyHNTHNGjlYAu3dMVmglp_nPeRp4X4oB0n2xQ78nsgVQ0Blg/s512/Burai_Fighter_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="512" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6BtrZovLxAXbiLNBC1D8sHUPu15n3gQdS-37HR9avZRivnXAtFL613skG_BS8VN1BYyMjchRqLXz7OH7dxDpHlFy8Ws0LM94s3UCdBOLXOQkqWuhGtkp5VfKHwXIhcs2r0-Sf_ScMqiyHNTHNGjlYAu3dMVmglp_nPeRp4X4oB0n2xQ78nsgVQ0Blg/s320/Burai_Fighter_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>As any particularly gifted among you may have realised, the seven bases means seven stages. Oddly, the third and sixth examples are overhead, multi-directional affairs where you simply have to find the large base somewhere on the stage and destroy it, somewhat akin to the odd-numbered stages of MD classic, Thunder Force 2. Besides those two, however, the stages are <i>almost</i> completely side-scrolling ones. I say 'almost' as there are some parts that move diagonally or vertically for short periods but it's still a horizontal-scroller (except stages three and six, of course!). Helga flies though them facing whichever direction you press on the d-pad which means she can move and shoot in all eight directions, though the game continues to auto-scroll regardless of which way you're facing. This is handy as most parts of most normal stages are filled with lots of scenery/obstacles around which you must fly. Enemy craft can fly through this stuff but Helga can't, so she needs to be able to shoot forward, backwards, up, down or diagonally at a moment's notice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MUyjbL6ITwAzzvNQSWvb1aGLquOAkH0BSvhqROo7wP6nmVCbM4HaC1dzk7A6sTmqo22jpWGViWfRXQ9kzcEkDmHxiXL2u1bdg3zmgS-J6Gxq75LLDPVJQaUD5RaBAzPClSh-PP8OY_8PI7hEFVbaWe-7GsFfdbvn1josv-5RjkYTu-zKOFCxI8oTyw/s512/Burai_Fighter_04.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="512" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MUyjbL6ITwAzzvNQSWvb1aGLquOAkH0BSvhqROo7wP6nmVCbM4HaC1dzk7A6sTmqo22jpWGViWfRXQ9kzcEkDmHxiXL2u1bdg3zmgS-J6Gxq75LLDPVJQaUD5RaBAzPClSh-PP8OY_8PI7hEFVbaWe-7GsFfdbvn1josv-5RjkYTu-zKOFCxI8oTyw/s320/Burai_Fighter_04.png" width="320" /></a></div>There are quite a few flying enemy craft buzzing around but even more guns dotted around the stages, and it's more for these you'll need to be able to shoot at all angles as they are nestled in all the nooks and crannies. Luckily, there's more than just her laser cannon available for Helga to use. Look out for 'S' icons which are speed-ups, but more numerous are 'M', 'L', or 'R' icons which offer missiles, lasers or ring shots respectively. You can only have one at a time but they are in addition to the basic pea-shooter, and they can all be powered-up too. As you can see on the stats panel in the screenshots (no, it wasn't me who cut the bottom off - the game does that), each time you collect an icon, the number increases up to a maximum of ten. Upon reaching level five, the weapon will power-up once giving you two-way fire (front and rear), and if you reach level ten, it will power-up again giving you four-way fire. If you lose a life (which is very easy), you'll go back down to level zero!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKu931njquIFBODRIe0qe-HnUgdN-5NiLQBKU6Ho0k5uaJrmKHhdoprh5JP_CaPjKdkM4_yPUvgIMKEHZr2XZo0YHlBBf2JAu6923j9Dt7P8Dn_KSYNAC6POKqvBqxWFGTC6WoXIKuytQnbUNbQGA6DG6BXyX7JKB4ZUIHecOvQQqX3d_C2cd3L_zdA/s512/Burai_Fighter_05.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="512" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKu931njquIFBODRIe0qe-HnUgdN-5NiLQBKU6Ho0k5uaJrmKHhdoprh5JP_CaPjKdkM4_yPUvgIMKEHZr2XZo0YHlBBf2JAu6923j9Dt7P8Dn_KSYNAC6POKqvBqxWFGTC6WoXIKuytQnbUNbQGA6DG6BXyX7JKB4ZUIHecOvQQqX3d_C2cd3L_zdA/s320/Burai_Fighter_05.png" width="320" /></a></div>But only with the weapon you were using when you died which is a good way of making a very tough game a little fairer. There are two more gadgets that will make your life a bit easier too - a Defence Pod (circling drone thing) which can take out enemies (collect additional icons to increase its orbital speed) and Cobalt Bombs which are smart bombs. To acquire these, you need to collect the 'cobalt fragments' that are often dropped by downed enemies craft or guns. Collect four fragments and you'll have a bomb available, and you can have up to seven at once. If you already have a full bomb bay, collecting four fragments gives you an extra life, although you'll lose your bomb stockpile too, so it might not be an acceptable trade-off for some (each bomb can potentially save a life by itself, after all) and, as I said, it's a <i>very</i> tough game, or I thought so at any rate. I don't think it <i>is</i> just me though, since KID (the developer) saw fit to give each stage a password which isn't something I've seen in a shooter often (or maybe at all - my memory isn't great these days).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlI8D30FugHzZB_J2vIP7XQIoVbu6ib-35Eq-ilBpo-L3WglMHU-k6zbP9fgKps8HAelfj-7xCuajBQj-M4EGcpfF3L-8BoO-JsoJ1ORQKrTarhlwO7RRpTYhXtN7EffgnN7pf8vkxe6ZbaUuquOwpzuLzEb51cP5_LnDhJunoX-bPSYL0ZTUznvGxA/s512/Burai_Fighter_06.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="512" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlI8D30FugHzZB_J2vIP7XQIoVbu6ib-35Eq-ilBpo-L3WglMHU-k6zbP9fgKps8HAelfj-7xCuajBQj-M4EGcpfF3L-8BoO-JsoJ1ORQKrTarhlwO7RRpTYhXtN7EffgnN7pf8vkxe6ZbaUuquOwpzuLzEb51cP5_LnDhJunoX-bPSYL0ZTUznvGxA/s320/Burai_Fighter_06.png" width="320" /></a></div>There are several reasons for this toughness too. First is the control method. Forgotten Worlds did the whole 'eight-directional fire' thing well - left button rotates your guy left, middle button fires, right button rotates your guy right. The NES only has two buttons though, which here are used for shots and bombs, with the d-pad determining which direction you fire. You can 'lock' a direction by holding down the fire button which helps, but I still found this a bit awkward due to the often-tight spaces in which you are required to manoeuvre Helga. Trying to change your direction of fire in a narrow corridor or something, for example, can result in you hitting the wall by accident. Even if you are careful to avoid this, faffing around with your direction of fire can still distract you from enemies, guns or bullets which are plentiful. I often use 'save states' while playing games for reviews (so I can let enemies build up for more interesting shots, etc) and I don't think I've ever used more save states in such a short space of time than I did with this game!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaCo4dUtxnRWng4iNdi2uesgwYkE2IuWZk3lYDr3sHrLJCIiLXr4IpPh1O0nCkprolbkIkjP23RPe60od3mNngnlBlX_rCYR5XGpLlFTR6KWLg7-TqM7dgBcCzWugpM9HtqeuLlMI5fd9gZN_VIwmorf3R9uxhAIdtj552lxgUV2mZttLS3IlqYv_1g/s512/Burai_Fighter_09.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="512" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaCo4dUtxnRWng4iNdi2uesgwYkE2IuWZk3lYDr3sHrLJCIiLXr4IpPh1O0nCkprolbkIkjP23RPe60od3mNngnlBlX_rCYR5XGpLlFTR6KWLg7-TqM7dgBcCzWugpM9HtqeuLlMI5fd9gZN_VIwmorf3R9uxhAIdtj552lxgUV2mZttLS3IlqYv_1g/s320/Burai_Fighter_09.png" width="320" /></a></div>Something else that doesn't help is the aforementioned ability of the enemies to fly through the scenery. Since Helga does not share this ability, if you are in a tight space, enemies can pass through a wall right in front of you! One way to alleviate this problem is to use the 'ring' weapon which is the only one that can shoot through walls. It's also, typically, the weakest of the three weapons, however. There are a few other smaller things that make the game tough such as the height of the Helga sprite making it easy to get hit and some slightly inconsistent collision-detection, and also that stage design. I've always liked shooters that give you actual landscape or obstructions to steer around, but it does of course mean you have less space to avoid enemy craft and bullets, and you can get trapped behind scenery too, which is an easy way to lose a life. It can also mean there can be situations where it's impossible to avoid oncoming bullets. I guess that's what Cobalt Bombs are for though! Despite all this, it's still definitely the kind of game where you'll get further each time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ76pE1b_SIx5HINVgGbL6nMOMGYhWG0OyhYAWyZSGiHSMc3ZRPFCsG4z3hUD8ZauvikdAlMGeDJemUUOjDyXNTH1XJt-rWpHrUxxORRGFahZyW9oAeuvg_Btl-Mo8LUnBqGedw6JQxz3GZWr_1A9JNgxYIhmjcHWFewSd3GmOjRuMKL8AJ9zEl-m8jQ/s512/Burai_Fighter_07.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="512" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ76pE1b_SIx5HINVgGbL6nMOMGYhWG0OyhYAWyZSGiHSMc3ZRPFCsG4z3hUD8ZauvikdAlMGeDJemUUOjDyXNTH1XJt-rWpHrUxxORRGFahZyW9oAeuvg_Btl-Mo8LUnBqGedw6JQxz3GZWr_1A9JNgxYIhmjcHWFewSd3GmOjRuMKL8AJ9zEl-m8jQ/s320/Burai_Fighter_07.png" width="320" /></a></div>When you come to learn where the most troublesome enemies and/or clusters of guns are, you can grab the best weapon beforehand, for example. Ironically the bosses, who have ultra-excellent names like Giganticrab, Jawsipede, Fangskull, and Slimedragon, aren't all that difficult compared to the stages that lead up to them. Those stages are definitely the game's strongest point too - their design can almost be maze-like at times and always keeps you on the move. They are all distinctive in both layout and appearance as well, with some nice colours used and some decent, if mostly small sprites. The scrolling is nice and smooth too, and the audio is also good; I don't really get why it received so much criticism. It includes some nice arcadey effects and several catchy choons which is good enough for me! I'm not really the biggest fan of the NES's audio/visual styles but my eyes and ears appreciated the sights and sounds on offer here. Or most of them, at least.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHbVHNYfi1dcPDX7hNs0IM3EwpEH8Mv83MN05USUQIZqxmqSAnL_3nYeFnE3r49TprJeoDOejThPfVyoc6EeGY_D9BvdbgsFj30rYTMXIFgnG_MBntv9V43Var22xv9wm0UrX-0YW_g_4-R_jNgZBEjQj5lT7M18VRpJD0YoKx3oq63ZidX3HCJoZow/s512/Burai_Fighter_08.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="512" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHbVHNYfi1dcPDX7hNs0IM3EwpEH8Mv83MN05USUQIZqxmqSAnL_3nYeFnE3r49TprJeoDOejThPfVyoc6EeGY_D9BvdbgsFj30rYTMXIFgnG_MBntv9V43Var22xv9wm0UrX-0YW_g_4-R_jNgZBEjQj5lT7M18VRpJD0YoKx3oq63ZidX3HCJoZow/s320/Burai_Fighter_08.png" width="320" /></a></div>I guess the big question, though, is how enjoyable the game is to play. There are three difficulty levels and I played on the middle one for this review (you can also unlock an even harder fourth one), so there <i>is</i> an easier option, but I <i>did</i> find it a considerable challenge. It's not even a long game - it takes around 20 minutes if you are good enough to play straight through - but it will seem like a marathon to mortals! But despite all the issues I've mentioned, I was surprised to find I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I like the heavily landscape/obstruction-strewn style of the stages, even if it can cause some problems, and I liked the variety too, and even after my struggles, I kept going, and I persevered all the way to the end as I was enjoying it and I wanted to see what else the game would throw at me. It was a blow to find you don't get the proper ending unless you play on hard difficulty though! Not sure that's a nut I'll ever be able to crack, even with the ultra-handy passwords and infinite continues, but this is still a rare case of a tough game that I like, music and all.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 7/10</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at World of Longplays (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cubex55">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mCC1_pEPf14" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-2346149781234824282023-05-06T17:28:00.000+01:002023-05-06T17:28:41.713+01:00Top Five MegaDrive Overhead RacersAs mighty as the MegaDrive is, it's not a system I would associate with overhead (or 'top down' if you prefer) racing games - I suppose there aren't <i>any</i> systems that one might specifically associate with them now that I think about it - but Sega's legendary machine does play host to a surprising number of them. I actually had the idea for this post a good few years ago and did some preliminary 'research' accordingly, only to find my enthusiasm dampened by the general quality of the titles available. I recall not really finding <i>one</i> that I really liked, never mind five! That opinion was mostly confirmed when I returned to this post recently - most examples are interesting and have good points, but also some apect that ruined my enjoyment somewhat too. Since I haven't been too prolific with the Top Fives lately, however, I figured I'd go ahead with the post anyway. So, feast your eyes on what could be more accurately described as the Five Least Annoying MegaDrive Overhead Racers...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Combat Cars</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7kwkEde_8yNpLskq7Bz9WF1rGJ7vEB_DrC9ef55QC-Lz_QUETzIRDZSyyb4c0wBItkMwzMxcuzYfHW1CF4_eWKr4UzUF8mSHbcS_21U21qJLHWllgSIZE2dtuVlPzuuzN80h5jiAlcd4nF7RzaMq0CWggHbL-iLJAfj3A9SQSa7bw-UM5lhJD3s0Ng/s640/MD_Overhead_Combat_Cars.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7kwkEde_8yNpLskq7Bz9WF1rGJ7vEB_DrC9ef55QC-Lz_QUETzIRDZSyyb4c0wBItkMwzMxcuzYfHW1CF4_eWKr4UzUF8mSHbcS_21U21qJLHWllgSIZE2dtuVlPzuuzN80h5jiAlcd4nF7RzaMq0CWggHbL-iLJAfj3A9SQSa7bw-UM5lhJD3s0Ng/s320/MD_Overhead_Combat_Cars.png" width="320" /></a></div>I don't remember seeing anything about this one in its day but it got a European release as well as a US one. Oh well, wherever it was back then, I 've spent a fair bit of time playing it for this post and... well, it's a good example of what I was talking about above. I kind of get the impression it's set in a post-apocalyptic world but it's hard to be sure since there doesn't seem to be a backstory. Nonetheless, you can choose from eight characters, each of whom has their own car with it's own special ability (speed boost, weapon, smoke, etc), and it initially looked as though it could be a contender for the top spot here. The slidy-but-grippy car handling is superb and there are a decent number of courses (24) over which to race against the other characters, and there are of course multi-player modes too (just two players but better than nothing), with team or head-to-head options on offer. The graphics aren't bad either and the music is great. The thing that ruins it a bit for me is that it just gets too hard too quickly - you basically have to race nearly perfectly within two or three races or you won't have a chance. I was getting lapped! It's a good game for skilled and/or dedicated players but I'm not sure I'd ever get through it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Super Skidmarks</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvz_Ncm6C6eJXjSQv6m3j3EKStEP_pIfJnnR2pOjQTDTcx4XmAkGzFchg-BQ1MssDilTIUW9WI9unx9cObcBX8UFEopocC1uazDIfM6OcmfVwoO-p5hFltXnV5QdwUpgoi7bkb4ETvKTidT2mkwaQsPujiBvRICCPHaIxyijGYWZf3LQwuu5q8fdLOA/s640/MD_Overhead_Super_Skidmarks.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvz_Ncm6C6eJXjSQv6m3j3EKStEP_pIfJnnR2pOjQTDTcx4XmAkGzFchg-BQ1MssDilTIUW9WI9unx9cObcBX8UFEopocC1uazDIfM6OcmfVwoO-p5hFltXnV5QdwUpgoi7bkb4ETvKTidT2mkwaQsPujiBvRICCPHaIxyijGYWZf3LQwuu5q8fdLOA/s320/MD_Overhead_Super_Skidmarks.png" width="320" /></a></div>I first encountered this one as the Amiga's run was coming to an end, and I recall it being met with both sniggers (because of its name) and excitement (because of the game itself) by magazines of the time. It was probably most notable on the MD for the 'J Cart' it came on which featured two addition joypad ports. This, along with Sega's multi-tap, meant... six-player races! Not too many of us owned six controllers I guess, but it was still pretty cool. The game itself features some 48 tracks spread over 4 progressively harder leagues, and there are several different vehicles to race with too, from Minis right up to F1 cars. And cows, for some reason. The audio/visuals certainly don't push the MD's limits but, while there is no in-game music, the crisp Amiga-ish graphics are pleasant enough. Races are viewed from an isometric, slightly zoomed-in perspective, and there are lots of jumps, crossroads, banked corners, and all that kind of thing. As the title suggests, there is lots of skidding too. This means there is lots of bumping off the side of the course which slows you down, and the courses are tight/fast enough that you'll be bumping around them a lot, especially to start with. This can often make it quite irritating to play (or do well at) but it can often be great fun too. Obviously, it's a game that was made to be played with friends, and it's much better this way, but it's not too bad for the solo player either.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Micro Machines</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRfEqonoQ2L0CWT0tjgsInxTdRJpj-drI3UK8yvDvhMt83GZsZqzUx_-hGU_WB5VA9wovD9QJaIfCce4U6FobahWOweRguk4AWbWLjnOBw3PPuU5Lpa-9OGTgaef6T1BcdveqmGVt19-7ZAmwhwXTSqyzwr-fE9ouhxCuZ13WOLZDmwAgRa6Za9ts9w/s640/MD_Overhead_Micro_Machines.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRfEqonoQ2L0CWT0tjgsInxTdRJpj-drI3UK8yvDvhMt83GZsZqzUx_-hGU_WB5VA9wovD9QJaIfCce4U6FobahWOweRguk4AWbWLjnOBw3PPuU5Lpa-9OGTgaef6T1BcdveqmGVt19-7ZAmwhwXTSqyzwr-fE9ouhxCuZ13WOLZDmwAgRa6Za9ts9w/s320/MD_Overhead_Micro_Machines.png" width="320" /></a></div>I have no doubt that the first game most people would think of when seeing the title of this post would be one of the Micro Machines titles released for Sega's 16-bit machine but, if I'm honest, I've never been the biggest fan of the series. The premise (racing teeny cars around ordinary household locations) is ultra-brilliant, the range of vehicles (boats, race cars, monster trucks, choppers, F1 cars, etc) is second-to-none, the presentation, graphics and audio are appealing, and they are a riot in multi-player, but what about for just one player? Most of us (including me) spend the majority of our retro-gaming time by ourselves after all, and the MM games are, in my opinion, much less appealing when played alone. It's so easy to fall off an edge or get stuck behind one of the many household objects and it ruins any chance you might have of advancing, and only the top two (out of four) racers do that. This is probably part of the fun when racing with friends but it drives (hee hee!) me crazy when playing solo. They are very popular games, obviously, so I had to include one of them here, and it's the original one that enrages me the least, but I couldn't in good conscious put it higher than this. At its best it's one of the funnest games ever made, but at its worst it makes me want throw my fracking controller at the TV.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Super Off Road</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ002XjSxBKPcrRjTEhhkueL1OjdixZWQjvUHikDLnT6d2BN0EuNI6a8RdtBRCA_PNiZ7E0D6JzCghQ8r4W_8EYFJw2P06nA0tHYutvqHk0FcGE_iZWk1ntQc7RHSkQzfZIlv3clG3zcPk9-x_c9leB3i9nP-Ui6tQb-ihugnWz0IvR-6fRocT5yK-_g/s640/MD_Overhead_Super_Off_Road.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ002XjSxBKPcrRjTEhhkueL1OjdixZWQjvUHikDLnT6d2BN0EuNI6a8RdtBRCA_PNiZ7E0D6JzCghQ8r4W_8EYFJw2P06nA0tHYutvqHk0FcGE_iZWk1ntQc7RHSkQzfZIlv3clG3zcPk9-x_c9leB3i9nP-Ui6tQb-ihugnWz0IvR-6fRocT5yK-_g/s320/MD_Overhead_Super_Off_Road.png" width="320" /></a></div>This arcade classic has been ported to even more systems than Micro Machines over the years. This isn't the strongest version, admittedly, and it isn't the most technically impressive game on the MD either, but it's still a lot of fun to play if you ask me, even for one player. It's basically an off-road version of Super Sprint - i.e. lots of bumps, jumps, banked turns, watery bits, crossroads, etc, rather than just straight asphalt. The lumpy bumpy gameplay works well in this format too, and although there is just the one basic truck on offer, it can be upgraded by using prize money or collecting cash while racing. Like everything else about the game, this aspect of it is simple (top speed, acceleration, tyres and shocks can each be upgraded six times), but it gives you something to aim for and it suits the game well. You can collect/buy nitros too, which are helpful. It's the oldest game on this list, there's nothing fancy about it really, and it only supports two-players, but it's not super-hard, and I still enjoy blasting around its 16 courses a lot. Software Creations have also seen fit to increase the size of the bikini-trophy girls' knockers too, for some reason!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Rock n' Roll Racing</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCu8VkCBgF3sSE0P56dbGK3y9N6ogbULkGwUq8vBl1VEuUyfH5fgP4Q7f4nFAyk6rFnDKSKWzxm4clmbstwApqPS-w-KZ7W1a2dV14EA4BMjh_jL-4AAfqDmRBszZqZO_G_234B3xH8Xm2wb0HduJbInQdLptx1kxTNRWD0-qCdtXQgalfEftsVfkBTg/s640/MD_Overhead_Rock_n_Roll_Racing.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCu8VkCBgF3sSE0P56dbGK3y9N6ogbULkGwUq8vBl1VEuUyfH5fgP4Q7f4nFAyk6rFnDKSKWzxm4clmbstwApqPS-w-KZ7W1a2dV14EA4BMjh_jL-4AAfqDmRBszZqZO_G_234B3xH8Xm2wb0HduJbInQdLptx1kxTNRWD0-qCdtXQgalfEftsVfkBTg/s320/MD_Overhead_Rock_n_Roll_Racing.png" width="320" /></a></div>This one is probably better known as a SNES game than an MD one, and even then it was known more for its use of classic rock and metal tunes than anything else, so my expectations weren't sky-high, but it's actually very good. At least part of the reason for this is that, unlike some other games played for this feature, it's pretty easy at first and has a good difficulty curve from there, and... well, winning now and then always feels good, right? The races are enjoyable too, thanks to the shooty, explodey action, loud, enthusiastic announcer, and that famous rockin' music, and you can upgrade your car and add weapons as you choose. On the downside, the style of the graphics isn't too appealing (to me, anyway) and they only vary from world to world. There are six of these, each featuring quite a few races (8, 10, 12, 14, 14 and 14 respectively), although many courses are repeated on each world. Some of them, especially earlier ones, aren't particularly interesting in design but I still enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would. It's far less frustrating than some other games featured here too, which went a long way to securing its unexpected victory here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Honourable Mentions:</b> In my first expanded version of the usual 'honourable mentions' section, I've included a bit of info about the games here too.<br />
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Championship Pro-Am - Port of the popular NES game R.C. Pro-Am; good fun in short bursts but not enough to it. Looks and sounds like an NES game too.<br />
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Double Clutch - Nice Amiga-ish graphics, decent courses, choose from several human characters, but very difficult - car takes damage, make a mistake like hitting an oil patch or getting stuck on trees, it's basically impossible to catch up.<br />
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F1 Circus MD - Very similar to the PC Engine original - tricky to get to grips with, progress is slow, but plenty to do. Still not proper circuits you're racing on though.<br />
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F1 Grand Prix - Similar to F1 Circus except it's around actual circuits so you aren't always driving up the screen; graphics also more zoomed-in so look nicer and more detailed. Again, lots to do, but only released in Japan so very difficult to navigate menus. Would've been a Top Five contender otherwise.<br />
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F1 Super License - Very similar to F1 Grand Prix - racing on proper circuits, lots to do, but Japanese-only. With more zoomed-out graphics like F1 Circus.<br />
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Power Drive - Late release and only available on Sega Channel so hard to justify inclusion in main top five. Not bad though. Drift Out-style game featuring rally circuit courses against only one opponent. Controls take some getting used to and there are no sound effects, just music (which is very good).<br />
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Metal Fangs - Seems to be some sort of overhead racing team management sim where you don't actually race but take charge of four racers. Japanese-only so difficult to work out.<br /></i></span><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-4508617891872677172023-04-23T15:57:00.004+01:002023-04-26T16:04:20.717+01:00Film vs Book #1I have long been one of those people who loves books, has many books, buys new books often, but doesn't actually get around to reading them that often. The Japanese even have a term for people like me: tsundoku. Short attention span, hand aches from holding book, easily distracted - these are all reasons/excuses for my idiotic behaviour, but I have been improving of late. I also realised I have a lot of books that were adapted into films or were inspired by or related to films, so I've concentrated on these in order to make a few posts here. In pretty much all cases I will have seen the film before reading the book so the emphasis will be on the former. First up is the book that accompanies one of my favourite films, and it had an unusual start.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Contact</b></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1985 - book, 1997 - film)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYWtSHrn9itOEicYqaq70KN8BNo79xQOOAhA70Syg6yrYTMwLhrMxKQTeqwmU7NQtv_KOdzgsSazizZeGz1sJX_HtVkCXH7igsOzEGrxZ-kKiCMrKzywaMpQHI4Wqxgx4NvdkAD-SRIheR81edtMraL-3N7yLGpbB_jJWaO1dAWL22SwxBQswntZoQg/s800/Film_vs_Book_01_02.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="538" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYWtSHrn9itOEicYqaq70KN8BNo79xQOOAhA70Syg6yrYTMwLhrMxKQTeqwmU7NQtv_KOdzgsSazizZeGz1sJX_HtVkCXH7igsOzEGrxZ-kKiCMrKzywaMpQHI4Wqxgx4NvdkAD-SRIheR81edtMraL-3N7yLGpbB_jJWaO1dAWL22SwxBQswntZoQg/s320/Film_vs_Book_01_02.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Book By:</b> Carl Sagan <b>Film Directed By: </b>Robert Zemeckis<b> Starring: </b>Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Angela Bassett<br />
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<b>Certificate: </b>PG <b>Length: </b>144 Minutes / 429 pages<br />
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<b>Tagline:</b> "A message from deep space. Who will be the first to go? A journey to the heart of the universe" (film) "We are not alone" (book)</span><br />
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I'm usually slow to adopt new technologies - I fear change, I guess, to paraphrase Garth from Wayne's World - but one notable exception was DVDs. I forget the year now. It must've been 1997 or 1998, but whenever it was, I was almost immediately taken by the new movie format and spent a fortune (credit card, of course) on what was probably the best player available at the time, the Sony DVP-S715. At the time there were only about 20 films available on the format and not too many interested me, but the shop where I bought the player had three titles that looked acceptable - Face/Off, Assassins and... yes, that's right, Contact! I didn't know much about it prior to buying it, I just wanted a few new films to play on my shiny new player and a sci-fi selection is usually a safe bet for me. Plus, you can rarely go wrong with Jodie Foster, right?<br />
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Despite already being a bit of a fan of Carl Sagan due to my astronomical interests, however, it wasn't until later I discovered that this fine film was not only based on a book, but a Carl Sagan book, and that's where the aforementioned floopiness comes into it. I believe the short version of the story is along the lines of: Sagan originally had the idea in 1979 and wrote it, along with his wife, Ann Druyan, as a film.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHCcFTMA4dLXV2i1Ea7jn4tAMVoYHz4uENNgYYOWPweCFbWE60mtn4dRexIBpD9kuyxbsiZKbboqEBkYvZWTQhiZN9aa_EGPlGN5QHbbwHF7QpSG16lCYRt3J9KH9_1OMixNDukFx4FbHeALdeFek6Jpx4MQ_225541ikcJhZ_YjYMV4krZOkuk9Y2Q/s1200/Book_vs_Film_01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHCcFTMA4dLXV2i1Ea7jn4tAMVoYHz4uENNgYYOWPweCFbWE60mtn4dRexIBpD9kuyxbsiZKbboqEBkYvZWTQhiZN9aa_EGPlGN5QHbbwHF7QpSG16lCYRt3J9KH9_1OMixNDukFx4FbHeALdeFek6Jpx4MQ_225541ikcJhZ_YjYMV4krZOkuk9Y2Q/s320/Book_vs_Film_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unfortunately, those involved with the production of the film spent so long faffing around that he got fed up waiting and wrote it as a novel. Then, when the film producers finally got their arses in gear, they based the film on Sagan's book! Sadly, this faffing around came at a price - Sagan passed away before filming was complete so he never got to see it on screen. Sad smiley. One would expect him to have been pleased with the results though, as the usual changes between page and screen were not so overwhelming that his story was lost along the way, as is sometimes the case with so-called 'adaptations'. That's not to say there weren't any changes though, of course. But what were they? First, a reminder of that story as it was told in Robert Zemeckis' superb film adaptation which, as mentioned earlier will be the focus of this post since I've seen it about a billion times but only read the book once.<br />
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<b>The Film (with spoilers):</b><br />
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Ellie Arroway (Foster) shows an interest in academia, particularly astronomy as a child. Her father (Morse), a single parent, encourages these interests until he passes away, leaving her an orphan. She nonetheless excels academically and grows up to become an astrophysicist focusing on SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) work. It's a field that many of her contemporaries don't take seriously and she is warned by Dr. David Drumlin (Skerritt), the President's science advisor, that she risks becoming a laughing stock. She remains committed, however, and when Drumlin cuts the funding for her SETI work at the Arecibo Observatory, she sets about securing funding to continue her work at the VLA facility in New Mexico.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rj6TIYCqO9knHhaX5nIfUA9J0nT2YmHAGpEOTv9e13Qb1Sz3mnM8PlMhjEi3_RuiJNGGkQejMyIr_gzF02T8g_I11BW4fExKhvl-6UHmHysOz5BUHYeB3t9Bi_D_tURpXNjMzy6Wi6z_XPAIPLoKASwHxXDLc0FAEm6bQteIaPLdkW3putSYZmOaqQ/s1200/Film_vs_Book_01_03.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rj6TIYCqO9knHhaX5nIfUA9J0nT2YmHAGpEOTv9e13Qb1Sz3mnM8PlMhjEi3_RuiJNGGkQejMyIr_gzF02T8g_I11BW4fExKhvl-6UHmHysOz5BUHYeB3t9Bi_D_tURpXNjMzy6Wi6z_XPAIPLoKASwHxXDLc0FAEm6bQteIaPLdkW3putSYZmOaqQ/s320/Film_vs_Book_01_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Naturally, she's having no luck until at the last minute she receives the necessary funds from S.R. Hadden (Hurt), a reclusive billionaire who has taken an interest in her. Four years later and she's still there but Drumlin again arranges for her and her team to be kicked out. BUT THEN!! She discovers a signal of extra-solar origin consisting of a sequence of prime numbers which confirms that an intelligence was responsible for sending it. Of course, Dumlin then tries to take over the suddenly-chaotic scene which has seen a government and military presence descend on the VLA complex, not to mention a startling number of UFO enthusiasts and religious nut-jobs. It is soon discovered that the message includes over 63,000 pages of encoded data which, after some help from good old S.R. Hadden again in decoding them, end up being diagrams and blueprints for a machine of some sort.<br />
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Before long the 'International Machine Consortium' has been created with the aim of building the machine which is designed to house one occupant. To what end? Neither they nor we know. The selection process to determine 'who will go', to use the film's tagline, includes Ellie, but naturally that pesky Drumlin is ultimately selected. With the machine finally built, Drumlin is personally overseeing a full systems test when... it's blown up by a crazy-eyed religious zealot (Jake Busey)!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlKC-Lj1BglPWZ_IXQJDV2DZ0X9TgqO66-lBv4tHr2oILbRlR2Ke6obKLxOvBF0tuVyU7WemVg65iLHn5lfFbOD2yHwlrVKPXigsrtCIQ9DnJfCRWpQFl-nO5DNB3nJZ6i_jRtyukChLo9QeDhy27_gmQ5dYtF8Dp-NzNmGFWUvSpOboEo-_LCKLEhg/s1200/Film_vs_Book_01_06.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlKC-Lj1BglPWZ_IXQJDV2DZ0X9TgqO66-lBv4tHr2oILbRlR2Ke6obKLxOvBF0tuVyU7WemVg65iLHn5lfFbOD2yHwlrVKPXigsrtCIQ9DnJfCRWpQFl-nO5DNB3nJZ6i_jRtyukChLo9QeDhy27_gmQ5dYtF8Dp-NzNmGFWUvSpOboEo-_LCKLEhg/s320/Film_vs_Book_01_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Startlingly, however, it transpires that a second machine was built in secret in Japan and this time Ellie is selected to go. Upon activation, it seems the machine generates a wormhole, or indeed a succession of them, which carry the small one-person pod to... who can say? To another place for sure, perhaps another time. It's a spectacular journey for sure. The eventual stop is an approximation of a beach in Pensacola, Florida which Ellie drew as a child, and she is soon joined by what appears to be her father. Of course, as Ellie soon realises, it's not really her father but an alien in the form of her father to 'make things more comfortable' for her. You could call it a cop out to save them from having to design an alien, but it works well enough. After what seems like a short chinwag, she is sent back home where, to everyone else, only seconds have passed as her pod just fell straight through the machine.<br />
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Next comes what amounts to her debriefing where she details what she experienced. Naturally, after the time, effort and unimaginable expense of the 'Machine Project', not to mention the rigorous process to select the best occupant, no one believes her and, upon being grilled by a Congressional Committee spearheaded by Michael Kitz (Woods) who has been a pain in the arse for the whole film, she is deemed to have been the victim of an elaborate hoax. The only person who seems to believe her is the deeply spiritual Palmer Joss (McConnaughey), her on/off love interest through the film who has served as the counterpoint to its science vs creationism theme - a theme which eventually puts her in the position of those she normally argues against. She had a profound, life-changing experience which she believes with complete certainly, and yet she cannot prove it to anyone who views her claims, essentially her beliefs, with scepticism. A private conversation between Kitz and White House official Rachel Constantine (Bassett) after the hearing suggests there is at least a hint of evidence, but it also seems clear they intend to bury it. Poor old Ellie...<br />
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<b>The Book (with spoilers):</b><br />
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Considering how much I love the film, it's strange that it took me so long to read the novel on which it is based - over 20 years, in fact. The basic plot is the same so I won't go through it all again, but there are unsurprisingly a good few differences which I started noticing right from the start. Firstly, Ellie is not an orphan as she was in the film. Here, her father is indeed still dead but her mother isn't and has remarried, with Ellie not getting on particularly well with either of them. The first difference I noticed with the adult Ellie is that she is not scratching around for funding to buy telescope time here. She is actually the director of Project Argus - a fictional radio telescope facility, substantially larger than the VLA where she discovers the message in the film. Argus consists of 131 linked telescopes (compared to the VLA's 28) which automatically sweep the sky looking for signals.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaUJ8-dzbtQbTugDhX7lO79-P_gBBl6G97YCmafuAHsuaxzj3eyZbDOg7O-p2B9O_x9d5OeDukuCnojNbFo9aJgbtnlpGtp4tSYtRqc85nSrjcylfsqkzo_WSI5097qtfJhP-jQvrsnfh6r2J0JnSBwdfkqaEczvuhXHG5W6FRsBGheRO3rjddxf9IQ/s1200/Film_vs_Book_01_09.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaUJ8-dzbtQbTugDhX7lO79-P_gBBl6G97YCmafuAHsuaxzj3eyZbDOg7O-p2B9O_x9d5OeDukuCnojNbFo9aJgbtnlpGtp4tSYtRqc85nSrjcylfsqkzo_WSI5097qtfJhP-jQvrsnfh6r2J0JnSBwdfkqaEczvuhXHG5W6FRsBGheRO3rjddxf9IQ/s320/Film_vs_Book_01_09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The facility isn't only used for SETI work (a mere 75%, in fact) but she still faces regular opposition from Drumlin who still thinks she and Argus could be put to much better use. It's at Argus that the message is discovered, but aside from this different-but-similar setting, events here proceed more or less as they do in the film; just with several more characters including Kenneth Der Heer, the recently-appointed science adviser. He is among the throng of people who descend upon the facility on discovery of the message, and it is with him that Ellie starts a relationship rather than Palmer Joss who <i>is</i> in the book, but as a lesser character who is a full-on preacher who, along with the more belligerent Reverend Billy Jo Rankin, form the book's main religious contingent. Another small difference with the book is down to the time at which it was written - while the Cold War was still going on.<br />
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Accordingly, the Soviets decide to build their own Machine which, inevitably, suffers many technical issues (chortle!), but the US one (or the World Machine Consortium one, which is located in the US) is still sabotaged, Drumlin still dies, and there is still a secret third machine in Japan which is the one Ellie is selected to take Drumlin's place in. That brings us to what is probably the biggest change between book and film. With the latter, the Machine, or rather the manned capsule of the Machine, is designed for a single occupant. Here, it is designed to transport <i>five</i> people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwbPdDpC7E44jEvhgPb48IPUzykxr7NtJxowP2pNswDzxTLscNjlPlWwAxySM8g-gymGS5l5gilhP0C9UfE3CuwTJ0fr72SkmEYJ6NRdAyV7b17lBSpcChTysgqCdWzmGMGabU8X18cwP-jJ6yLlYj5yE5gbO-OqpbqFIPNn4FCRhxaKYctrjm_6hng/s1200/Film_vs_Book_01_08.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwbPdDpC7E44jEvhgPb48IPUzykxr7NtJxowP2pNswDzxTLscNjlPlWwAxySM8g-gymGS5l5gilhP0C9UfE3CuwTJ0fr72SkmEYJ6NRdAyV7b17lBSpcChTysgqCdWzmGMGabU8X18cwP-jJ6yLlYj5yE5gbO-OqpbqFIPNn4FCRhxaKYctrjm_6hng/s320/Film_vs_Book_01_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Naturally there is competition for places and the final choices are representative of both genders and numerous ethnicities. Once the 'trip' has begun, which they all accept could be one-way, each of them ends up having an experience similar to Ellie's. The narrative only follows her encounter but there is a great deal more conversation between her and the spooky alien representative which was excellent and definitely my favourite thing about the book. It helps give some background to explain their methods and gives a great deal more scale to their 'work' in the galaxy, and also answers a few questions I and I'm sure others had after watching the film (such as - if no one believe Ellie, why not just send someone else?). Despite all five 'travellers' sharing similar stories, however, they all face the same sort of incredulity faced by Ellie whose grilling is at least private here, but still conducted by Kitz.
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<b>But Which is Best?</b><br />
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Now that I think about it, astronomy must have been one of my earliest interests, predating my first experiences with videogame and movies alike, so it's no surprise that sci-fi has always been my favourite genre. Since I first encountered Contact in the late 90s, it became and has remained one of my favourite film examples which I've now watched more times than I can count.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPg4nWQLoLDVv25RcFzWhQzwxDsz1AOrmQyE7gz64cJWBVaeuuEpaaWZZ5unrI-LfHf9u29a61f2zumCWsNijXD3VQC2PJzxolaI3FRopi1pvjcLljYRHv5RMKDxmETjE7en3hAEpIfF6ZCIcq7ACkTVDauANS9WoV77RIJi9t7ynaeLmBDm30q9BS4g/s1200/Film_vs_Book_01_05.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPg4nWQLoLDVv25RcFzWhQzwxDsz1AOrmQyE7gz64cJWBVaeuuEpaaWZZ5unrI-LfHf9u29a61f2zumCWsNijXD3VQC2PJzxolaI3FRopi1pvjcLljYRHv5RMKDxmETjE7en3hAEpIfF6ZCIcq7ACkTVDauANS9WoV77RIJi9t7ynaeLmBDm30q9BS4g/s320/Film_vs_Book_01_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>From my perspective at least, it's a truly wonderful story that's just as relevant today as ever, and it never gets old for me. It's told by a top director and skilled crew, a superb screenplay, great special effects, and outstanding actors, each of whom was perfectly cast. Even to this day, when I see Jodie Foster in something, my mind immediately connects her with Ellie Arroway, and for all the nonsense it predicts if such a signal <i>were</i> ever detected (attempted militarisation, mass hysteria amongst the general public, crazed religious cults, sabotage), all of which seems worrying believable, it continues to inspire hope that we might actually <i>not</i> destroy ourselves, and wonder that perhaps one day we may become part of a larger, intelligent and (crucially) <i>peaceful</i> community. It's safe to say that I like the film then, but having two versions of the story to enjoy can only be a good thing too, right?<br />
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I was looking forward to reading the book once I finally had the idea to buy it (no idea why it didn't occur to me earlier) and, while it did take me a fair while to get through (I usually only read a handful of pages per day), I did enjoy it. However, I must admit to being a <i>little</i> disappointed with it overall. The story is still fantastic, and the main difference between the book and film - five Machine occupants rather than one - isn't one that lessens enjoyment of the book; quite the opposite, in fact - there is some great dialogue between them that you obviously don't get in the film. It's more that there doesn't seem to be such a sense of enthusiasm about the events that occur, especially when it comes to the message itself. It just seems like another day at work when it's discovered. I suppose the writing is just a bit dry at times.<br />
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That's not to say the book isn't good or not worth reading. It's still Carl Sagan at the very least, but that's far from the only positive. The additional background and longer timescale do add to the overall story and, as mentioned, the encounter between Ellie and the alien were the highlight. So, in what I suspect will be a familiar theme with these posts, I <i>do</i> still prefer the film. Both book and film are fascinating, thought-provoking, and cover issues and themes that are as relevant today as they were then, but the advantage of having visual effects and talented actors makes the film so much more moving, and having read the book now also gives me additional insight when watching it on future occasions. I will of course continue to do that too, since... well, it's great in so many ways, and still inspires as much as it ever did.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q399v-pMG30" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-58326904049030598352023-04-19T18:27:00.002+01:002023-04-19T18:29:30.056+01:00First Look PC #8<b><span style="font-size: large;">Victory Heat Rally </span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">by Skydevilpalm (202?) - <b>PC</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWD82goGWAjtdHLJn0JTuPm2RK0ykXR8OPC71ecx_Yvh5sdjJWWo7RfrRgLcZtzAvzqIWhaA2wlGo54hHBmlGdbvdKsku-17f9_P4JqM6pfefDnUfmrmGQdokXiYrQ_bVfceDjdUgyyPRgwCLMaKlo4gJix1vkcpU5gnlBGuvjzhF5B00gLbzm8O-Tg/s1024/Victory_Heat_Rally_02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWD82goGWAjtdHLJn0JTuPm2RK0ykXR8OPC71ecx_Yvh5sdjJWWo7RfrRgLcZtzAvzqIWhaA2wlGo54hHBmlGdbvdKsku-17f9_P4JqM6pfefDnUfmrmGQdokXiYrQ_bVfceDjdUgyyPRgwCLMaKlo4gJix1vkcpU5gnlBGuvjzhF5B00gLbzm8O-Tg/s320/Victory_Heat_Rally_02.png" width="320" /></a></div>As someone for whom retro games hold great value, one of the best things about the indie scene for a good few years now is the number of 'homages', or games inspired by other famous old games. There are tons and more turn up seemingly on a weekly basis. This one caught my eye quite a while ago (I believe it has been in my 'games to review' folder for about two years now) as it initially looked to be a Mario Kart-inspired racer. Upon playing it, however, I soon realised it has much more in common with Power Drift and even Out Run 2! There is only a demo so far in which you can choose between two racers and then race over three courses, and it's these that remind me so much of Sega's buggy racer as they are twisty-turny with sharp turns and elevated sections, just like AM2's classic!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ13VaooHKXd39WAVuSALje6R9wd6stzfVg_WbJR7x1c0dBdUaEMHS4xbAZqM290-c7AOk89XAhyxAFbhd0ej0rWXw2gz9iKcteKnqwlTRmAE6vq6xWlWAfQd7eqpCHJ-I2SosSAz3EomSNqfbDBFka2aIWYbtRXP2Dqq_IMwhUj2Ozw1gs-leLVe-YQ/s1024/Victory_Heat_Rally_03.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ13VaooHKXd39WAVuSALje6R9wd6stzfVg_WbJR7x1c0dBdUaEMHS4xbAZqM290-c7AOk89XAhyxAFbhd0ej0rWXw2gz9iKcteKnqwlTRmAE6vq6xWlWAfQd7eqpCHJ-I2SosSAz3EomSNqfbDBFka2aIWYbtRXP2Dqq_IMwhUj2Ozw1gs-leLVe-YQ/s320/Victory_Heat_Rally_03.png" width="320" /></a></div>That's just the courses though. The actual racing and control over your car and all that stuff is where the Out Run 2 influence comes from thanks to the mandatory drifting. Indeed, pretty much every corner must be drifted around (in the dramatic fashion shown to the right here), and the end of each drift is met with a brief boost, with the duration depending on the length of the drift. Luckily, much like Out Run 2, drifting is easy to perform and control so you can concentrate on catching and overtaking the other racers (you start at the back, obviously). It's quite a challenge to win a race but the action is fact, exciting, and great fun, so I'm looking forward to playing the full game. The question is: when will we see it? Even though I downloaded this demo so long ago that I forgot about it, the game <i>still</i> hasn't been released. Any time you're ready, Skydevilpalm...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 4/5</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Here's a trailer for this tough little racer. If you like the look of it, find out more at the developers website <a href="https://www.skydevilpalm.com/victory-heat-rally">here</a>, or you can wishlist it at Steam <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1594060/Victory_Heat_Rally/">here</a>. The demo can be downloaded from either site.</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DOAQglNuu30" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-77100999832791797872023-04-16T22:07:00.000+01:002023-04-16T22:07:53.683+01:00MSX Games #3<b><span style="font-size: large;">Knightmare</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)<br />
<b>By:</b> <i>Konami </i><b>Genre:</b> <i>Shooting </i> <b>Players:</b> <i>1</i> <b>Difficulty:</b> <i>Medium-Hard</i><br />
<b>Featured Version:</b> <i>MSX </i> <b>First Day Score: </b><i>???,???</i><br />
<b>Also Available For:</b> <i>Nothing</i></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKjjomfOvn1YkAJCSMNANadNn7Fr8wAu8NXLQpVA_J125wVEQPv7PmGnAoRSlKYTxVzpwkFcM5EvShd8CCFWS8ibTRgTWUm9J4XV3vkJxRr5p-PcI3y-geXdoRd9S5guCFHYcmln50iboyyVW38b59TSWKoFpaAMs0mdXS7CNmcXBweuoAevrZw8-sA/s511/Knightmare_01.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKjjomfOvn1YkAJCSMNANadNn7Fr8wAu8NXLQpVA_J125wVEQPv7PmGnAoRSlKYTxVzpwkFcM5EvShd8CCFWS8ibTRgTWUm9J4XV3vkJxRr5p-PcI3y-geXdoRd9S5guCFHYcmln50iboyyVW38b59TSWKoFpaAMs0mdXS7CNmcXBweuoAevrZw8-sA/s320/Knightmare_01.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not the most exciting title screen...</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Back in the 80s which, as everyone knows, was the undisputed king of decades, there was a children's adventure game show here in the UK called Knightmare. Episodes featured a team of four youths, one of whom would don the vision-obscuring 'Helmet of Justice' and is then placed into a fantasy medieval environment while the other three attempted to guide him or her through obstacle and puzzle-filled dungeons. It was rather ahead of it time too, featuring some CGI and even some virtual reality bits and was pretty cool. More recently, word reached me of an MSX game called Knightmare too. What was a game based on a British adventure game show doing on a Japanese home micro? As it turned out, it wasn't. It appears to have nothing to do with it, in fact. Naturally, this both confused and intrigued me considerably so I immediately (i.e. a few years later) sought to find out what the devil it actually was.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGtVJxMAgYgRO-KFrj9dlSpLkzsG3vklwBed1OAJ-RNYqc0Cdg6Iue0wZ32tTdp_uI-wD1RqTJEQ04g7dZJ-jkzHQ1teidqn04UYfMB0XVeIN89vgLlMVlRX9qSdK6Dc3lweGDvTHZ8yjxDngpIANBKPuniIqO1McT-vEaTHMTYPRBYnN5GYGvHzKXg/s511/Knightmare_02.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGtVJxMAgYgRO-KFrj9dlSpLkzsG3vklwBed1OAJ-RNYqc0Cdg6Iue0wZ32tTdp_uI-wD1RqTJEQ04g7dZJ-jkzHQ1teidqn04UYfMB0XVeIN89vgLlMVlRX9qSdK6Dc3lweGDvTHZ8yjxDngpIANBKPuniIqO1McT-vEaTHMTYPRBYnN5GYGvHzKXg/s320/Knightmare_02.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Enemies can walk across the water while you cannot...</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As you might expect for something with 'knight' in its name, it's set in the days of yore. The players role in this fantastical era is that of the excellently-named Popolon who, whether acting on orders or of his own volition, ventures forth into dangerous realms to rescue the fair princess Aphrodite from the evil clutches of a priest named Hudnos. Standing between Popolon and, one would hope, an enthusiastic show of gratitude from Aphrodite, are eight vertically-scrolling stages. I say 'scrolling' but Popolon apparently must undertake his quest on foot and the stages move so slowly and jerkily that it's hard to describe it as scrolling. That's okay though, it doesn't affect the gameplay which, along with most other aspects of the game, is pretty basic: simply move the armour-clad Popolon around the flat terrain, shooting his trusty bow and arrow up the screen at enemies advancing down from the top.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVtLkzGGoMBbj44NSORQ5JBhCQ9ug3j-XdMrN2ad0P3RPbkrDnhiXXz-d15Xy7GSx7XQ2OKlscf2APlYUYo9vQMIfrzextLDzkj0nP4YumrKkLw5ewoFDyklnZVLZmLipDbGB2v2bqGu7jIQZZNo17lyUCouDAV2KFTakfsJD3j332xgpQSG32iy7Rg/s511/Knightmare_03.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVtLkzGGoMBbj44NSORQ5JBhCQ9ug3j-XdMrN2ad0P3RPbkrDnhiXXz-d15Xy7GSx7XQ2OKlscf2APlYUYo9vQMIfrzextLDzkj0nP4YumrKkLw5ewoFDyklnZVLZmLipDbGB2v2bqGu7jIQZZNo17lyUCouDAV2KFTakfsJD3j332xgpQSG32iy7Rg/s320/Knightmare_03.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These pesky skeletons are a pain in the arse...</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The enemies start off super-basic too. The first type you encounter are merely black spheres. Or flat black circles from our vantage point I guess. These are swiftly followed by swooping formations of bats though, and more formidable foes begin showing up soon thereafter, such as fellow knights (evil ones, presumably), skeletons, goblins, and other spooky creatures which look like trolls, minotaurs, grim reapers, and stuff of that nature (or should that be unnature?). The stages also feature some stuff to help Popolon overcome these terrible abominations as well though. Dotted seemingly randomly through the stages are blocks featuring question marks. Shooting these enough times will reveal a bonus, most commonly just points, but you might find a barrier, an enemy-freezer, a smart bomb, or even an extra life.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2WCGoq4RGfMMw3Gf30WaBzuAjXCxfSyBDcMBRqNjntz1kPZwsXgV7vqD4065Dj_BOFXFz0tMFKXG5X-dCT9UqrUXDM5D8hxXtlzxLrbmYjBSO2WKOiajOfrawIg0JjF-30gWI-UaJ01AQzrBru47_F-uvmNpf1DcLbLlyWDVkVIpdXWll5XM3OQPkg/s511/Knightmare_06.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2WCGoq4RGfMMw3Gf30WaBzuAjXCxfSyBDcMBRqNjntz1kPZwsXgV7vqD4065Dj_BOFXFz0tMFKXG5X-dCT9UqrUXDM5D8hxXtlzxLrbmYjBSO2WKOiajOfrawIg0JjF-30gWI-UaJ01AQzrBru47_F-uvmNpf1DcLbLlyWDVkVIpdXWll5XM3OQPkg/s320/Knightmare_06.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ghosts and grim reapers launch a combined assault...</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>You will also find 'P' symbols which cycle through five colours when you shoot them. These either give you more points or offer defensive power-ups such as a front shield, invisibility, or invulnerability (for 45 seconds each for the latter two). As far as weapons are concerned, you start with single arrows but will find weapon icons about as often as 'P' icons. Again, shooting them cycles through the weapons on offer. The selection is the same from the first time you find one until the last, and includes double arrows, swords, fire arrows, fireballs, or boomerangs. The last two are a bit whiffy by my reckoning, even with them being the only options that don't just fire directly forward (the fireballs are a three-way shot and the boomerangs wibble all over the place). It's always one of the other three you'll find me using though, usually swords. I just wish the many pick-ups included a speed-up as Popolon take a while to lumber around!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgxf4SIpcXKo7p7w4Bjh9Mk0Jaf1Eqw18FiriI0wZYmlBAjtGJqQU8uCVBT3fwl7yTUzjNazgDOaulcHY-zalIkIB_gPFqxyr8RC32zMwNHvFOXxGboYlGVEFA7Ldkt_IGsOfTegGVuUxzhbR-auF9HHNVvJ5PtGZVV8AbQBrJXjerNZyua7QbngglQ/s511/Knightmare_04.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgxf4SIpcXKo7p7w4Bjh9Mk0Jaf1Eqw18FiriI0wZYmlBAjtGJqQU8uCVBT3fwl7yTUzjNazgDOaulcHY-zalIkIB_gPFqxyr8RC32zMwNHvFOXxGboYlGVEFA7Ldkt_IGsOfTegGVuUxzhbR-auF9HHNVvJ5PtGZVV8AbQBrJXjerNZyua7QbngglQ/s320/Knightmare_04.png" width="320" /></a></i></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Goblins formations are pretty easy to shoot...</i></td></tr></tbody></table>The stages are all the same length and take approximately 5 minutes each to get through, assuming you don't keep dying and having to restart (you don't go all the way back but you do lose your power-ups). Each unsurprisingly ends with a boss too. These are giant (well, larger than normal) monsters such as a skull, winged demon, knight, ogre, etc, most of whom aren't all that hard to defeat, but the stages leading to them can get pretty tough. One thing I found that leads to deaths quite often is fannying around with the power-ups, trying to get the ones you want, which can obviously distract you from the enemies whose bullets can get quite plentiful as the stages wear on. There are many lone attackers (circles, knights, trolls) but some types of enemy attack in formation or in their own pattern, and there are a couple of types (clouds and fireballs) that zoom down the screen at you which are equally troublesome.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMbHYsobnWJK7e8oQh4kkrJ767rNOnCBOtXSKGWymjg965ogXEfxIS0-jG58eWiua3b2v55x_I4jo1ddMZRZtjoH7vo71XtotLVRCBTlYHZ6dwVrYPyihi4GM5ZtibO4wEHU8cVkv5bByipGZiAfGANb-ct-oulfK1FVgPPXXDxo5Agqwi7dYylj2xg/s511/Knightmare_05.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="511" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMbHYsobnWJK7e8oQh4kkrJ767rNOnCBOtXSKGWymjg965ogXEfxIS0-jG58eWiua3b2v55x_I4jo1ddMZRZtjoH7vo71XtotLVRCBTlYHZ6dwVrYPyihi4GM5ZtibO4wEHU8cVkv5bByipGZiAfGANb-ct-oulfK1FVgPPXXDxo5Agqwi7dYylj2xg/s320/Knightmare_05.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>No bridge for the next river? Try the question mark!</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Aside from a few small details such as bits of scenery down the sides of the screen, the only real difference between the stages are the colour schemes and any new enemy they might introduce. Popolon can loop sideways across the screen when there is no scenery in the way and the stages all play in the same way, just with increasing numbers of enemies. They look pretty decent though. There's a little bit of flicker when things are busy but you won't see too much of it, and the sprites are great. I mean, there isn't much in the way of animation or anything, but they are appealing enough. Even better is the catchy music which is excellent (I've already 'acquired' it for my collection!) and makes playing Knightmare even more enjoyable. It's a simple game, even for its time, but what it does, it does well. The controls are responsive, it presents a decent challenge, and it's 'simply' good fun and addictive to play. Another MSX corker.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">RKS Score: 8/10</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Gameplay Video:</b> here's a video of the whole game being played by one of the talented fellows at World of Longplays (check out their great channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cubex55">here</a>). Oh, and don't watch if you want to avoid spoilers!</i></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y1lcC6wY14w" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-72874812049397953512023-04-08T18:41:00.003+01:002023-04-11T18:46:39.043+01:00Splendid Arcade Music #3<b><span style="font-size: large;">Slap Fight</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1986)</span><br />
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It has been many moons since I reviewed <a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.com/2011/03/arcade-shmups-6.html">Slap Fight</a> here but, despite liking it, I have failed to play it since. That is until last week when I got a sudden, unexplained desire to give it another playthrough, and whilst doing so I ultra-remembered just how catchy the first in-game theme is! Not sure how I forgot to be honest, but now I keep playing the game just to hear it and, if anything, I like it even more than I did! It doesn't have a proper name as far as I'm aware - it's merely listed as BGM#1 on the soundtrack - and accordingly it's the first in-game music you'll hear. Enjoy it while it lasts though, which is little more than a minute (unless you keep dying).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://redparsley.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/megadrive-platform-games-2.html">(full Slap Fight review here)</a></span><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iwH7qpst79M" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Special Note:</b> I didn't record this great tune myself, I'm just an admirer, so all credit goes to the original composer</span><br />
<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455082771543433548.post-4526201669560776082023-04-05T09:47:00.005+01:002023-04-05T10:13:18.488+01:00TV Shows #29<span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2RmIfZwhGDmi2_Jhyb7tPa7Bu1h4WbcECLIxRRsENDG-38yrufIFjJ-o4O71FzrYebcVbRY_EpTIPuhlA0nqAQL8BuZiv_msF-0rdrkBgrA9bDwcZCZQhqKaUK3T8pSdlT4nvbcadqKevwrkedmwS6P-qf4uUdBpACCONs4mL8HkSJX5xWndPLuckQ/s800/Treason_01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2RmIfZwhGDmi2_Jhyb7tPa7Bu1h4WbcECLIxRRsENDG-38yrufIFjJ-o4O71FzrYebcVbRY_EpTIPuhlA0nqAQL8BuZiv_msF-0rdrkBgrA9bDwcZCZQhqKaUK3T8pSdlT4nvbcadqKevwrkedmwS6P-qf4uUdBpACCONs4mL8HkSJX5xWndPLuckQ/s320/Treason_01.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Treason</b></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(2022)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <b>Developed By: </b>Matt Charman<br />
<b>Starring: </b>Charlie Cox, Olga Kurylenko, Oona Chaplin, Ciarán Hinds, Tracy Ifeachor, Danila Kozlovsky, Alex Kingston, Beau Gadsdon, Samuel Leakey<br />
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<b>Certificate:</b> 15 <b>Running Time:</b> 37-44 Minutes per Episode (approx), 5 Episodes</span><br />
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I was thinking about spy/espionage-related films and shows recently and realised they must be not only one of <i>my</i> favourite genres but one of the most popular generally too, considering how many of them there are. Is it more of a recent thing or have there always been so many? Most of the ones I've seen are of course based around the CIA or some other secret American government thing but I don't recall seeing many British examples involving MI6. Well, not counting James Bond of course (guffaw!). But in recent months I have stumbled upon not one but two examples - crikey! The shortest of the two is Treason, a miniseries (or 'limited' series, as they are now apparently called) consisting of a mere five episodes which take place during the race to determine the next Prime Minister. It starts right at the top too, with the chief of MI6 known as 'C' - Sir Martin Angelis (Hinds) - using kompromat to blackmail a supreme court judge, only to find himself a target.<br />
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Not of blackmail though, but of a mysterious waitress at the classy restaurant/club where he's just finished his meeting with aforementioned judge. The waitress, as we later discover, is not actually a waitress at all (egads!) but Kara (Kurylenko), a Russian spy and former SVR operative who slipped something spooky into his drink. With that cad out of the way, it falls to his deputy, Adam Lawrence (Cox), to step up and take charge of the UK's entire foreign intelligance service (eek!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKzJ8P8bxUUOjQgMRKgxUMX75LuTHRfQO0SU70TvHA7PNSR7P4Z94UgP-cyZPJeVg2dVVAJ0Gm9h2F_Jr2XSlYCdaCc2HWwUeUOyt9tfxUpPGCvH2CPf25tgKY0eOQURLdYLl4kXP3ni7iKmhOILrCCPNvUhZ9oZI0VKxazj18fR1VpXvmo-wUhDblg/s1200/Treason_06.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKzJ8P8bxUUOjQgMRKgxUMX75LuTHRfQO0SU70TvHA7PNSR7P4Z94UgP-cyZPJeVg2dVVAJ0Gm9h2F_Jr2XSlYCdaCc2HWwUeUOyt9tfxUpPGCvH2CPf25tgKY0eOQURLdYLl4kXP3ni7iKmhOILrCCPNvUhZ9oZI0VKxazj18fR1VpXvmo-wUhDblg/s1200/Treason_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The new 'C' lays down the law...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Almost immediately, however, he is suspected of being a double agent working for those pesky Russkies, specifically Kara with whom he does have a previous working and *ahem* <i>personal</i> relationship from their time spent in Baku working for their respective spook services. Meanwhile, his idiotic wife Maddy (Chaplin), despite having a military background herself, starts getting suspicious of Adam's activities. I mean, he's only the head of the nation's foreign intelligence service, it's no biggie if he tells her about his days in great detail, right? Remarkably, he does not do this to her satisfaction so of course, she ends up sneaking around checking on him which makes things worse for him as well as herself and their children, especially when her old American army buddy Dede (Ifeachor) arrives in town to 'catch up'.<br />
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The fact that Dede also now works for the CIA doesn't ring any alarm bells for the dunderheaded Maddy either, it seems. The big question, though, is what does Kara want, and how is Adam involved in it? And I suppose also, given the timing, what does it have to do with the political leadership race between Adam's pal (kind of) Audrey Gratz (Kingston) and her opponent Robert Kirby (Simon Lenagan)?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm0Au-2HAfQW3OpvfJfZOwtv5jq14EaH3PRogFNSRHRexG5_uV3yXrWlnU3NYGOOvkLu61QADXrE17sdsQa3rW4ETKxl9U_orWucE-_ZBe4BirbDT66MvN63dNXVZMqx-YzYvGtaPbIfgBsdRWZqmQB7dJVh9oMt0hYmXEM6zySOZ5I20NLUh2wRZQg/s1200/Treason_05.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm0Au-2HAfQW3OpvfJfZOwtv5jq14EaH3PRogFNSRHRexG5_uV3yXrWlnU3NYGOOvkLu61QADXrE17sdsQa3rW4ETKxl9U_orWucE-_ZBe4BirbDT66MvN63dNXVZMqx-YzYvGtaPbIfgBsdRWZqmQB7dJVh9oMt0hYmXEM6zySOZ5I20NLUh2wRZQg/s1200/Treason_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The cretinous Maddy and the kids are startled...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>On first impressions, it seems like Treason is going to be yet another run-of-the-mill-but-still-potentially-interesting espionage thriller, and it has most of the ingredients to be just that. The plot could be better, or at least give you more to feel invested in, as there never really seems to be any major global or even national security implications. Not to the extent of most shows (or films) of this nature anyway. There is a good mix of politics and action, though, a few interesting characters, some great location work around London, and it's not as predictable as you might think for an example of this genre. There <i>are</i> a couple of problems though, or there were for me at least. First is a character - Maddy - who causes all sorts of problems, pretty much just because she can't trust her husband has reasons for being secretive (and reasons she should be well aware of too). More surprisingly, the second is an actor.<br />
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The lead actor too, no less - Charlie Cox - who just doesn't seem to fit the role. He's far too young to be head of MI6 (yes, this is addressed in the show, but still) and there's just something missing from his performance for me. He doesn't really seem to command the confidence or authority required of his position, I guess; Or even of a lower-ranked MI6 operative. He also seems oddly unconvincing in the action scenes which was a real surprise considering his exellent work in Daredevil.<br />
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These two issues along with the decision to focus the story on people rather than events resulted in Treason not really really clicking for me. The poster for the show points out that it's by the same writer as Bridge of Spies which also focuses on the people more than the events it depicted, but the two aren't even in the same league. I realise Bridge of Spies is a big-budget movie with an all-time great director and an A-list cast, but it made you care about the characters, even the so-called bad guy. Treason is a quality production and some of the cast are great (particularly Hinds and Kurylenko), but they weren't enough to move me nearer the edge of my seat, never mind keep me there. It's just not exciting enough, sadly.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>RKS Score: 5/10</b></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tnZOg_zCYCI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />RetroKingSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05609689348601442117noreply@blogger.com0