Author: Sean

Metroid Prime Trilogy

Despite being less than excited by my first Metroid Prime experience (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption), I decided to follow the advice of my fellow NL’ers and give it a go. Only paying £19.99 with credit I had laying about for a used copy helped make that decision a bit easier, but no surprise this wasn’t that different an experience from my time with the 3rd game. I made it all the way to the titular end-boss getting right to the point when it was nearly dead (as was I) and then it changes form and there’s the incredibly annoying regular metroids helping it. That’s when I decided to cut my losses after spending the last month getting to this point.

Most of the game plays okay, but the first-person perspective really makes no sense to me. It’s not really an action game as you would expect: instead most of the time you’re just looking for that next device to help you access new areas. The first-person view just gets in the way of being able to look around – and why the hell do I have to get on top of something to scan it? Isn’t Samus’ suit some kind of advanced alien technology? The endless back-tracking is made more tedious by respawning enemies, though they do change in some areas as you get more equipment. I’m pleased I got to the final boss and only consulted a walkthrough once to find a particularly non-intuitive artefact hiding place, but I couldn’t see replaying that last boss battle given how long it was – seriously, it was a bit much.

I’m frankly surprised at the high regard this series is held in given that it changes the gameplay of the previous Metroid games so radically and is so damn repetitive. Samus has to rebuild her arsenal in every damn one of these games! The extent of creativity seems to have been to have one or two of the beam weapons be different in each game, but given it’s a trilogy you’d think they’d at least refrain from recycling the bosses. I’m very much hoping that Metroid: Other M is going to be a breath of fresh air given the new development team and apparent desire to make it more of an action game than a walk-a-thon.

Pac Mania (Virtual Console Arcade)

After taking a break from the franchise, bringing Pac-Man into the 1990s with a 3D-rendered appearance seemed like a natural. The Legoland look and isometric perspective work really well, whilst still keeping that classic Pac-Man flavour. The addition of a jump button is offset by having the number of ghosts increase and eventually having jumpers among their ranks as well. It’s a great entry in the franchise and well worth picking up, though at present it’s only available for the Virtual Console in Japan. You can also play it as part of the Namco Museum Remix which is available in North America and Europe. An interesting addition to the usual Namco VCA options of starting number of lives and points required to earn a bonus life is the ability to choose how many levels there are in a game or make it endless if you desire – pretty neat!

Xevious (Virtual Console Arcade)

One of (if not the first) video games to use pre-rendered 3D graphics in place of sprites was Xevious, which gives it a much different look from other vertically scrolling shooters. The use of separate shots for air and ground targets and plentiful enemies provides plenty of scoring options and the level of challenge is kept high. Definitely a must-have for shooting fans, the fixed difficulty level of this VCA version feels just right. As with Pac Mania, you can also find this game in the arcade section of Namco Museum Remix.

Dig Dug (Virtual Console Arcade)

Without a doubt one of my favourite arcade games growing up – probably because it was one of the few I was really good at. Though retconned by Namco into Taizo Hori (Mr. Driller’s dad), Dig Dug is a blue guy in a white suit in this game. In another bit of Mr. Driller-related trivia the Pooka and Fygar monsters in Dig Dug appear as random encounters in the adventure mode of the Gameboy Advance game Mr. Driller A!

Dig Dug drills through earth like we walk through air and uses his drilling apparatus to inflate monsters until they explode. A bit on the odd side, but makes for some fun gameplay. As with other Namco games the vertical display is rendered with built-in pillarboxing so folk with widescreen displays need not mess with their TV settings. Namco gives you the ability to remap controls and change starting lives and the score required for extra life bonuses, however you cannot set the game’s difficulty otherwise. As with their other VCA titles the difficulty is skewed a bit north of average so veterans won’t feel too babied.

Gaplus (Virtual Console Arcade)

Galaga is quite possibly my favourite Namco game of all time, though it’s actually the second in a series of four arcade games starting with Galaxian. Gaplus is the 3rd (you may even see it called Galaga 3 – though that makes little sense) game and appears to have been aimed at expert Galaga players given the difficulty level, but sadly it overshoots the mark quite a bit which hurts the experience.

I still rate the game, but it’s incredibly challenging right from the beginning with rapidly moving enemies flying on-screen in shifting patterns that can be hard to predict. Players who are too good at shooting the bugs as they appear on screen will be treated to additional waves even after the rest have finished building their formation; sometimes appearing right on top of the player. The ability to move up and down in the bottom of the playfield can help in avoiding some of these enemies, but can also expose you to attacks from more directions. It’s another Namco VCA game originally displayed on a vertical monitor and has the usual key config and game settings.

Mappy (Virtual Console Arcade)

An odd little platforming game which pre-dates the general use of the term. The main difference between Mappy and other platformers is that Mappy has no jump button: instead you move the little mouse policeman from platform to platform by jumping off your ledge onto a springy surface below – though you need to be careful as you can only make two consecutive bounces before it breaks.

Mappy is trying to retrieve stolen goods from a gang of cats called the Mewkies. Collecting the treasures in matching pairs will get you big bonus points, so it’s worth paying attention to what you’re picking up as you go. Your only weapon against the cat gang is the ability to remotely open and close doors, though you’re also safe if you’re bouncing up and down. I didn’t realise you could manipulate the doors on your platform remotely without touching them until I rediscovered this game on the original Namco Museum on the Sony Playstation despite playing it countless times in the arcade(!)

Despite being a platform game I quite enjoy it – possibly because the characters are so darn cute! It’s a forgotten gem of a game and is certainly worth checking out. Given it’s one of very few Namco VCA titles available outside of Japan you should be able to buy it no matter what Wii you have.

Considering this is my third review of a mahjong game on the Wii (fifth overall if you count the DSiWare previews I did for Nintendo Life) and the fact that I buy all of my Japanese imports, it’s probably fair to ask how many mahjong games one person needs. After all they’re all played with Japanese riichi rules and they tend to have common control interfaces, so if you’ve played one you can pretty much jump into another one cold and know what to do.

Akko de Pon! breaks the mould a bit, not only by having characters which look like caricatures drawn by a roadside artist, but by having gameplay that places a premium on cheating – surely unique in the world of mahjong games.

In the primary Story Mode of play, you’ll move on a wraparound linear track between several locations in the game world, each of which features one or two characters to play against following a brief bit of dialogue with the omnipresent character that everyone else defers to known as Akko-san. Given my lack of Japanese knowledge it’s not entirely clear, but he seems to be mentoring you on the way to becoming the number one ikasama (a slang term which literally translates as “super squid” or “Lord Squid,” but actually means “low-down cheating scum”). At least I assume so, because if you lose a mahjong game he seems unhappy and if you win he’s ecstatic (even though you’re beating him in the process).

As soon as you start a game of “majaan” (as it’s called in Japan) you’ll note the difference between this game and all the rest. Most games like Koei’s Mahjong Taikai series focus on the bare essentials of play: drawing and playing tiles without so much as a virtual die roll to show you whether you or one of your computer-controlled opponents is going first. Instead Akko de Pon! presents a virtual recreation of an actual mahjong game, from mixing up the tiles, through the die roll and drawing of tiles – the only thing missing is building the wall! Of course the reason for all of this is to provide more opportunities to use the many methods of cheating available.

During the first hand it’s unlikely you’ll be doing any serious cheating because you need to build up your “ikasama gauge” first and then buy cheats with it. The gauge builds up naturally via drawing and playing tiles, so partway into your first hand you’ll be able to pull off something small, but you’ll probably want to hold off on pulling up the cheat menu until the second hand. The language barrier does present a problem with understanding how some of these work, but most of them are pretty straightforward and are executed with the pointer or the game’s standard sideways remote orientation and either the d-pad and buttons or motion controls.

The cheats are grouped in different tabs and fall into some basic categories depending on when they’re undertaken. The cheats in the opening tile mixing involve using the pointer to pick out matching tiles which are then planted in the part of the wall closest to you and highlighted so you can try to manipulate events to get those draws. During the game you can either peek at the tiles on the wall in front of you or try to swap tiles from the wall with those in your hand. Cheats involving the wall are a bit fraught as it’s possible to be caught by another player (though I couldn’t figure out how to catch them) which not only ends the hand but costs you a 12,000-point penalty (ouch)!

You can of course decide to play without cheating at all, though the other players tend to do it all the time – mainly swapping out tiles in their hand for ones in their part of the wall. You’ll know this is happening because they always make some kind of verbal announcement – isn’t cheating supposed to be secret or something? In any event it does add a bit of spice to this game mode, which is otherwise pretty brief as there’s only seven groups of opponents. Once you’ve beaten them all there seems to be little incentive to continue playing as there’s no medals to earn or further opponents to unlock, though as with other mahjong games there is a Free Play mode so you can have a quick game; choosing opponents and setting the rules yourself.

What will probably keep you coming back for more is Mission Mode. There are 100 missions in all, each of which has an objective for completion. The game plays normally until the objective is met, which will then end the match and mark the mission cleared. I played the first two which had pretty basic goals: win a hand “tsumo” (from a draw) and win a hand “ron” (from another player’s discard). Cheating was disabled for these, though given the game’s focus and considering the number of missions I imagine later missions will require certain cheats to be pulled off or hands created. Other extras include a guide to playing mahjong, a guide to actual mahjong cheating and the ability to review your game stats.

When Success was getting ready to publish this game around the Wii’s launch they held a press conference showcasing the voice talent behind it, who are apparently famous Japanese actors – though that won’t be much of a draw even if you know who they are since that’s such a small part of the game. I would like to have seen 480p and widescreen support, but given this game came out early in the Wii’s lifecycle I’m not surprised to see it’s 480i and 4:3 given the slower uptake of widescreen TVs in Japan. Success has certainly succeeded in putting out a mahjong game with a difference both in the novel presentation and the equally novel cheating mechanic; developer Horipro have done a good job on the Wii motion and pointing controls in support of the latter.

If you’re looking to put an additional mahjong game on the shelf I certainly think this is a decent one to get for the novelty value, though it’s the Mission Mode that will likely prove the bigger draw in the long term. If you’re only in the market for one mahjong game, it’s probably best to stick with Nintendo’s WiFi-enabled Yakuman Wii or Koei’s Mahjong Taikai Wii, which I still think is the best mahjong game out there.

Art Style: Light Trax (WiiWare)

It’s pretty hard to go wrong with the Art Style series on WiiWare. Though the DSiWare games seem a little more uneven (I’ve only got four of them), the WiiWare titles have all been pretty solid with an appealing minimalist sensibility, bright colours, sharp lines and good sounds. Light Trax is a great addition to the collection and, like Rotohex, it’s based upon a game that was released in Japan for the Gameboy Advance as part of the Bit Generations series.

Light Trax is essentially a race between coloured lines on a track containing obstacles like patches which slow your line down, barriers which stop it temporarily and arrows which will push it in various directions. Your line is one of seven moving at a constant rate of speed through the track, so most of the control is simply pressing the d-pad to change lanes (no two lines can occupy the same space), though you also have a metre that fills over time to give you a temporary speed boost. You can also pick up extra boosts by hitting icons that will come in handy when you need a last-minute charge across the finish.

There’s a couple of game modes, but mainly you’ll be playing Campaign which sees you completing a series of courses across different “GPs.” If you place high enough you’ll unlock a Freeway mode in which you’re constantly driving in order to gain speed and earn enough points to unlock the next GP. This is a bit more relaxing, since there’s no winning the race (though you still jockey for position with the other lines) and you can soak in the sounds and the trippy visuals that flavour the experience.

The ambient techno soundtrack is excellent and the special effects are pretty impressive despite the simple visuals, with the tracks taking turns in three-dimensions accompanied by a smooth but active camera. Of all the Art Style games released thus far this one feels the most like a full retail game to me in terms of polish and content and at a mere 600 points it’s a steal.

Magical Drop III (Virtual Console Neo Geo)

I’m not a big fan of the recent Neo Geo output on the Japanese Virtual Console, but it’s presently one of the only systems actively supported by 3rd parties and the fact that D4 Enterprise is releasing a lot of Data East titles that appeared on the platform gives me hope that some of the games seen in the still North American-exclusive Data East Arcade Classics will appear on the Japanese VCA (Burger Time is all I ask, please!).

Magical Drop III is one such game and being the Neo Geo version (and in Japanese) it feels a bit different from the one in the collection, but the gameplay is the same and that’s what counts. This is considered the best in a series which combines elements of Puzzle Bobble and Puyo Puyo. Like the latter there’s an Adventure Mode which has a story element to it; like the former you’re trying to eliminate objects of like colours by grouping them together.

Rather than firing gems at the other gems above, you pull them down towards you before firing them back up at others of like colours to smash them. It’s an interesting mechanic and adds more challenge than a game of Puzzle Bobble as you need to sometimes collect gems from multiple locations to build a chain or have enough to clear a group. Unlike either of the aforementioned puzzle games there’s no simple match three formula: you need to collect and launch at least four gems to clear a group; moving one or two won’t cut it.

In Adventure Mode you’re moving on a virtual game board towards a goal and having versus battles with other characters encountered along the way between trying to earn as many points as possible on single-player boards with a fixed time limit. You can also play the versus mode on its own, which functions much like a 2-player game of Puzzle Bobble or Puyo Puyo with a split screen presentation and both players trying to keep their own sides clear whilst creating chains to add more gems to their opponent’s screen until they’re overwhelmed. There’s also a puzzle mode which I found less engaging because of its endless nature – rather than having levels to progress through like Puzzle Bobble or Puyo Puyo, but it’s still a nice option.

It’s rare to see a game “inspired” by Puzzle Bobble which isn’t just a shameless rip-off, but instead does something new, so Magical Drop III is certainly one to add to your Virtual Console collection if you have a yen for arcade puzzlers like me.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Gamecube)

Well, I finally managed to score a copy of this game. Not only did I pay less than the £30+ it normally goes for, but it was a sealed copy to boot! I’m only partway in, but I can already feel the magic. The improvements made in Radiant Dawn are quite apparent, but it’s still got a familiar look-and-feel so I could jump right in and play. My biggest gripe is the lack of widescreen support, but this was pretty much standard on the Gamecube, sadly. Story-wise it’s great to see the events before Radiant Dawn as that game is pretty much a direct sequel without much passage of time. No doubt after playing this I’ll be ready for a second playthrough of that one!

I’ve read comments from people that Path of Radiance is easier than Radiant Dawn, but I really don’t feel that’s the case. I had a few characters die and found myself unable to clear chapter 8 as a result and had to replay from chapter 6 when I lost Oscar; though in Radiant Dawn people were dropping like flies and I was still able to clear missions regardless. There feels like a lot less balance in the weapon triangle as well: lancers do ludicrous damage to people with swords, so I had to have Ike pretty much run away from a lot of conflict which seemed less than heroic.

Nevertheless it’s Fire Emblem and if you like turn-based RPGs with a focus on tactics over running around and chatting to people (not to say that there’s no chat, but it’s more linear and not as key) then you should definitely track it down.

Need for Speed Nitro

I’m not the biggest racing game fan, but I do like a decent arcade racer and this game certainly fits the bill. There’s vehicular damage and a nice bit of crunching when you slam into cars which I love (Destruction Derby 2 being my favourite racer on the Playstation) and a good sensation of speed – especially when you double tap the nitro button. The number of cars is massive and the ability to customise them is incredibly deep with loads of pre-generated artwork you can customise, a dizzying amount of paint colours and then unlockable body modifications and the ability to morph them.

There are some negatives: the fixed camera angle which means your car will sometimes obscure the track ahead, the drifting being initiated with a button press rather than a natural turn of the Wii Wheel a la the Excite games, and the inability to share your cars or race people online. I’d also like to have seen more (and more modern) European car models. There’s just one Renault and two Volkswagens, all of which date from the 60s and that’s about it outside of the odd Italian supercar (okay I think the Audi TT is in there, but I’m not a fan). Very disappointed, but the great selection of American and Japanese motors almost makes up for it.

Despite the flaws it’s an excellent racing game built specifically for the Wii and I’m always glad to see 3rd parties really make the effort. I don’t know how well it sold (I paid full price at retail – well, with store credit anyway), but a sequel that improves on the Wii Wheel control and adds online would be very welcome indeed. I’d love to see Nintendo release Excite Bots in Europe, but until then, this will do me for racing on the Wii.

Blaster Master Overdrive (WiiWare)

Since I sold off my North American Wii I’ve not been able to play the original game on the Virtual Console (I refuse to deal with the PAL conversions we’re stuck with for most games on the European VC) and have been patiently waiting for this to turn up. I finally bought it and have to say that it was worth the wait. Faithful to the original game, but with improved graphics – really, it’s hard to go wrong. It’s formatted 4:3 and 480i, but on the plus side the 4:3 is presented with built-in pillarboxing, so no need to mess with your TV display controls.

I’d still have preferred a widescreen presentation and the game is so close to the original in music, sound effects and gameplay that there’s no real reason to bother with the original game on the VC if you have this and vice-versa. The only other criticism I have is that there’s not enough save points and Classic Controller support would have been nice since more than two buttons are used on the remote. To save you need to find a save-point in top-down mode with Alex in a cave, but only some of the caves have them. The cave with the first boss lacks one and having to backtrack just to save your game is a pain in the backside. I actually beat the boss, but then died afterwards before I got back to the most recent cave with a save-point, so now I have to fight it again – lame!

The open-world play mechanics are excellent and the map makes exploring a lot more intuitive than in the original NES game on the VC. If you don’t already have the game on the Virtual Console (or are just a massive fan and want more) definitely get this one.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

I avoided the first game on release because of it’s “cool violence” look, not realising the brilliant satire on games and gamers contained therein. Once I corrected that oversight I was eagerly looking forward to the sequel which many have raved about, though I was a bit cautious given some of the changes. Having played through it for the first time, those reservations were nicely put to bed and cemented my opinion of No More Heroes as possibly the best franchise on the Wii.

The great thing about this sequel is that it doesn’t replace or invalidate the first game, which can often happen in a sequel due to a misguided attempt to “fix” everything “wrong” in its predecessor. The changes both to the overworld, side missions and mini-games mean the original still has its own flavour and appeal. They are distinct games, but clearly rooted in the same world and use similar control schemes so fans of the first will feel right at home once they start fighting in Desperate Struggle. For the motion-impaired the Classic Controller is also supported, though really I don’t understand how doing wrestling moves can be fun without motions.

The visuals have been tarted up (as have the ladies, with some added “jiggle physics”), but still have that appealing cell-shaded look which makes 3D graphics look a lot less ugly to me. Also welcome is the return of the voice talent from the first outing, though I do miss the garbled, incomprehensible Engrish of some of the shop staff from the first game.

The mini-games are a real treat, mostly presented in simulated 8-bit glory. “Man the Meat” is my personal favourite: as much fun to mess up as to succeed and a great one-button game in its own right.

Though some have complained the battles don’t feel as fun as the first game I have to disagree. There’s some well-designed characters here, it’s just that the nature of the intros have changed. They still have well-defined personalities and the settings for the fights have a lot of variety (the 4th ranked battle is a stand-out). Even in Sweet difficulty you’ll get a run for your money and there’s a surprisingly creepy element to some of the fights.

If you liked the first game then this one is a no-brainer: great music, great dialogue, great gameplay and bags of style. Grasshopper really knows their stuff and I’m ready for more!

Salamander (Virtual Console PC Engine)

I picked this up along with the Gradius games which I reviewed in the last round-up and like the Gradius games on the PC Engine this is a fabulous port of the arcade classic which many outside of Japan will know better by the name “Life Force.” No flickering, great music, great animation and fine detail. It’s a challenging 2D shooter that combines side and vertical scrolling elements. Unfortunately only the inferior Famicom version is available outside of Japan and even then only in North America. Needless to say I strongly advocate anyone who’s a fan of the Virtual Console pick up a Japanese Wii at some point because the VC service is so much more worthwhile and this game is a primary case in point.

Space Invaders: The Original Game (Virtual Console PC Engine)

Why would I buy this again when I already have the SNES version on my PAL Wii? Well, partially it’s because I’m abandoning the VC on the PAL system due to the presence of poor PAL conversions for the Nintendo and Sega platforms and partially it’s down to liking all my VC content in one place. But the biggest reason is I’m a big fan of Space Invaders and I really hate plugging in a Classic Controller simply because the Virtual Console requires it for all SNES games. I had no idea this even existed for the PC Engine and was gutted when I saw I could have the game cheaper and play it remote-only, but Taito cannot have enough of my money so I’ve decided to double-dip.

Now that I have it, I can say it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s pretty much the same as the SNES version, so if you have a Japanese Wii this is the one to get, though annoyingly it’s also like the SNES version in not saving your high scores as you need to do a virtual system reset (press start/selected/I/II buttons at the same time) to return to the main menu. As a result I’ve kept it on the version I like best (the planet backdrop with translucent invaders) and resume my game thanks to the handy save-state feature of the VC. Of course if anyone ever wants to play the 2-player versus mode I’ll either have to lose my score or download the SNES version on my PAL Wii for multiplayer, which really sucks.

Gradius (Virtual Console PC Engine)

When you play one of the many excellent arcade ports on the PC Engine like Gradius, it’s not hard to see why this system rivalled Nintendo’s Famicom for console supremacy in the 8-bit era and continued on into the 16-bit generation. I think it’s safe to say that this is the best version of Gradius you can get on the Virtual Console, running smoothly without any flickering and only slowing down when the action gets truly crazy as in the volcano sequence at the end of the first stage. This is an iconic shooter which has been endlessly copied – most often by Konami themselves – with its use of external options and multiple weapon upgrades. At a minimum, this is the one game in the series you should get if you’re a fan of side-scrolling shooters.

Gradius II (Virtual Console PC Engine)

Again, the PC Engine shames the competition with this excellent port of the arcade sequel to Gradius (not to be confused with the MSX game of a similar name, but which isn’t related to the arcade game). The PC Engine was the first console to use a CD-ROM add-on, though unlike Sega they didn’t waste the space with crappy FMV content and instead used it for high-quality soundtracks and voice samples which are included here thanks to modern compression techniques. It’s a great sequel and chugs along nicely despite some often large, animated objects and enemies. Again, if you like shooters and have a Japanese Wii you’ll want to get this, though I expect if you’re a fan of the series you already own it!

Gradius III (Virtual Console Super Famicom)

Well, Nintendo must have paid Konami to bring this third entry in the series exclusively to the Super Famicom and it’s a shame as Nintendo’s 16-bit console simply isn’t capable of pushing sprites like the PC Engine can. Whilst it looks and sounds great, it slows down far too often given how little action is happening on-screen compared to the first two games and I have no doubt a PC Engine port would have been a much better experience. Nevertheless it’s still playable, with the slowdown being more of a frequent annoyance than a game-breaking issue. The difficulty reduction vis-a-vis the original is definitely welcome, as the arcade game is nigh unplayable by mere mortals. If you’re a big Gradius fan and simply have to have them all, get it, but more casual shooter fans should probably stick with the PC Engine for their fix.

Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies

And here was me thinking Nintendo games always got lame names for the American release. Well, awkward sub-title aside this is a cracking arcade shooter that really outdoes similar downloadable titles like Shootanto and Zombie Panic in Wonderland – not to mention arcade “classics” like Space Harrier.

Run or hover with the Nunchuk and shoot baddies and background objects with the Remote – simple as pie (if you like gimped controls you can go for the dual stick option via the Classic Controller, but seriously, don’t). It’s a good thing the controls are intuitive because the action is madcap. You move your character about on-screen, so it’s more than just another “rails-shooter” and you have stragic decisions to make in whether or not you want to shoot or use melee attacks (also handy for blocking shots) against nearby enemies; and then there’s the trade-off of being defenceless or inflicting major damage by charging a special attack.

The graphics are amazingly fluid and feature crazy scrolling backgrounds and screen-filling bosses. The fact that Nintendo seems to be relying upon word of mouth or the target audience just being “in the know” is positively criminal and I hope they’ll give it some kind of marketing rather than let it sink into obscurity like Disaster: Day of Crisis.

There’s seven stages and multiple difficulty levels, but let me tell you “Easy” doesn’t really describe the level of challenge at the lowest setting! There’s another character to play with which changes things up slightly and a two-player co-op mode (though only one character on-screen – with all the craziness it’s probably for the best). Online leaderboards for European and North American scores is the cherry on top.

Kudos to Treasure for a job well done and thanks to Nintendo for publishing it outside of Japan so everyone can get a taste of the good stuff!

Alien Syndrome

I bought this upon the recommendation of a Nintendo Life forumite with the intention of reviewing it. I was curious about the game because it didn’t sound like it could be as bad as reviews made out, but after wasting a few hours with it I just couldn’t face it any more, so this is as close to a full review as I want to get.

It’s an action-RPG styled much like Marvel Ultimate Alliance: isometric 3rd-person perspective in 3D with 1-4 players. You can choose one of several classes and the other players can jump in or out between sessions, which is quite flexible. The story takes place 100 years after the events of the arcade game and the “Alien Syndrome” defeated therein has returned to threaten humanity, you need to save the day, blah blah blah. That part is fine and so are the controls (mostly), with the Nunchuk used for movement and the Remote pointer to aim ranged weapons – much like Dracula: Undead Awakening. Melee attacks aren’t quite as clever because the pointer isn’t used to aim, which is a bit confusing when you need to transition to hand-to-hand attacks after running out of ammo.

The main problem with Alien Syndrome isn’t the controls or really the fact that you have millions of stats and skills and can build armour and weapons that seem to change every five minutes, but rather the combination of character management complexity with levels that are incredibly long. I played for over three hours and I was still in the first of 15 different ships! Seriously, how many of the same five kinds of aliens can I kill over and over again (the manual claims there are over 100, so I guess counting the electrical and radioactive variants that might mean there’s two unique ones in each ship)? They just keep spawning and eventually you’ll be running past them just to get to the next objective.

The grinding is such a slog that I cannot imagine spending dozens of hours seeing it through to the end. Sure you get a lot of “bang” for your buck, but when the gameplay feels this tedious, something is wrong and Totally Games (developer) or Sega (publisher) really should have noticed this in playtesting.

The capper is that the original game isn’t included which really pisses me off. What the hell is the point of using a classic license like that and then not including the game it came from? It’s not like it’s a space or a technology issue – you’re emulating one frickin’ 15KB ROM here. I really like Alien Syndrome (hopefully Sega will put it on the VCA in Japan soon) so that would have been enough for me to keep the game on the shelf, but as it stands I’ll probably trade it in for a pound, which is worth my time and sanity.

Endless Ocean 2

Well, the first one seemed like a snoozefest, but despite adding more structure the sequel just isn’t grabbing me. Looking for Atlantis or whatever and swimming with the fish just isn’t making me come back for more. If I could have done what I would do in real life and zoom in to look for invertebrate life I probably would have been more interested in it, but it’s more macro than micro and a bit too open for my tastes. If you like exploring and noodling about then this is almost certainly worth your time and it does sport some amazing renders of sea life, but that’s not really why I play games.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

Another import from our friends at Rising Star. I really wanted to like this game because it looks great, the voice acting is terrific and the story is intriguing. Unfortunately it’s also more depressing than I thought it would be and the combat system is really really annoying and killed off what interest I had in continuing; especially once I got to the funfair.

The visuals are excellent and feature some rather creepy and inventive enemy designs and the controls in the exploration sections of the game work very well – even if the tone is a bit gloomy. Our hero is working his way through a dead world trying to find other people and has a companion at one point, but is then alone again too soon. The finding of memories infuses the game with a great deal of emotion, but they’re invariably stories of regret and sadness from people whose lives are coming to a premature end in some kind of massive catastrophe. I can deal with emotional content in my games, but I need an up-note somewhere, please.

I could have perservered through the depression, but for a pretty broken combat system. Enemy encounters provide some genuine frights given the use of the remote to announce their presence before they appear on-screen – I jumped more than once at the creepy sound of the “jellyfish spirits” or a growling dog; it’s even worse when it’s a new enemy you haven’t encountered before. Part of this dread is that you’ll then have to run away or try fighting.

The 3rd-person view is fine, but the lack of lock-on is problematic when the remote pointer is used for both camera movement and targeting enemies. It really would have been better to either use turn-based combat or change the camera angle and control method when going into battle rather than having players running around trying to line up with their quarry whilst getting hit by things they cannot see. Very frustrating and not very fun. Even worse is your weapons have a tendency to break at inopportune times (though be sure to keep them, because a broken bamboo sword is far better than an intact cat toy).

If you’re really into exploration-based action games and can perservere through the combat system you’ll probably get something out of it, just be sure to have a “happy break” between play sessions.

Mr. Do! (Virtual Console Arcade)

Hamster Co. keeps on delivering the off-beat classics of the early 80s – I love you guys! Mr. Do! is a game with a lot of appeal. Why a clown is digging through the ground and what fruit like cherries and mammoth apples are doing there is anyone’s guess, but it makes for a nice bit of fun aided by a memorable soundtrack that gets enhanced by musical notes that play when Mr. Do! gets some cherries.

This arcade conversion is quite good, though the default settings feature higher enemy difficulty than I prefer, offset by faster power-shot regeneration than I remember. Thankfully you can adjust the enemy difficulty, the power-shot regen and the frequency of the “Extra Monster” appearance independently to get the game to play just like you remember from the arcade (Namco, take note). Add in customisable controls (even if you only have buttons for power-shot and credits) and that’s pretty much all you need, right? Like other VC Arcade releases from Hamster this one is pre-formatted for widescreen displays in full 480p with built-in pillarboxing and looks fantastic on my 42″ plasma. If you have a Japanese Wii, then you’ll definitely want to pick it up.