Xevious (NES review)

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Bandai
Released: 1988

Xevious is a vertically-scrolling shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1983.

+ Having to fight air and ground targets is a clever mechanic, and there's a risk-reward element to gaining bonus points.

+ Decent range of enemy types that are slowly introduced, and the shifting scenic variety helps to alleviate repetition.

+ Missiles offer a rapid-fire option, and managing to destroy several ground targets with one bomb is satisfying.

- No difficulty options, and without speed power-ups your ship isn't always fast enough to evade the barrage of projectiles.

- Game is incredibly short and instead of displaying an ending screen for your hard work the levels just loop endlessly.

- Your ship can't reach the upper portion of the screen, which can put you in harms way when you reach the invisible wall.

- Music is enough to drive you insane, as there's only a single high-pitched jingle that repeats incessantly throughout.

Toxic Crusaders (NES review)

Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Bandai
Released: 1992

Toxic Crusaders is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that's based on the 1991 cartoon of the same name.

+ Avoiding damage allows you to upgrade your mop so it unleashes projectiles, which is a nice reward for skilled play.

+ Includes a password system to continue your game, and there's some neat graphical touches, cut-scene artwork and music.

- Gameplay is mind-numbing, as you'll face the same handful of enemy sprites while having barely any moves to defeat them.

- Swarming and relentless enemy A.I. is brutal, and it doesn't help that the collision detection is utterly atrocious.

- For some bizarre reason, your strongest attack uses the Select button, which is uncomfortable and unwieldy.

- Level 4's skateboarding section is ill-advised, as it removes your projectile weapon if you're fully powered-up.

- Boss battles are unimaginative and their basic, repetitive patterns make for some truly boring fights.

Chubby Cherub (NES review)

Developer: Tose
Publisher: Bandai
Released: 1986

Chubby Cherub is an action game and one of the first third-party titles released on the NES.

+ Features simple, Arcade-style fun, secret levels to uncover, as well as bonus points for meeting unique stage objectives.

+ Flying depletes your power metre quicker than walking, so careful management of your surroundings is always required.

+ Food items vary in point and power metre increase amounts, so there's risk-reward in grabbing them while avoiding foes.

- Enemies can shoot farther than you, so trying to get in their path for a shot is perilous and trickier than it needs to be.

- Collision detection is extremely suspect, both in terms of item collection and attempting to shoot incoming enemies.

- Boss battles occur every three stages, but they're a weak excuse for variety, as they require the same tactics every time.

- There's only one music track in the entire game, which becomes painfully repetitious after the first few loops.

Shooting Range (NES review)

Developer: TOSE

Publisher: Bandai

Released: 1989

 

Shooting Range is a light-gun game that requires both a standard controller and an NES Zapper.

 

Normal mode includes four events and the objective is to reach a specific point total by shooting pinwheel targets as they move across the screen. Missed shots decrease your energy metre, and once it fully depletes (or you run out of time) it's Game Over; additional energy and time can be obtained though by hitting icons from smashed targets. The gameplay requires you to simultaneously use the Zapper as well as a controller to scroll from left-to-right; it works okay, but using two inputs is awkward and never feels comfortable. The Western stage is up first, but the scenery is barren and targets only appear across two planes, making for some unexciting action. The required point total is also never displayed, leaving you to guess when you're close to completing the area! Ghost House is more interesting due its varying target patterns and reverse 'E' icons that introduce some strategy (accidentally hit one and you'll end up losing energy!). Space is similar to Ghost House with its tricky patterns, but when the clock reaches 100 seconds a gigantic alien boss appears which needs to be shot five times. It's a fantastic idea and it makes you wonder why previous stages didn't follow a similar structure. The Bonus Round tasks you with shooting bottles when they start to flash; this timing-based action is brilliant, playing like a much better Mad Dog McCree (1994, Philips CD-i), and it really shows how accurate the Zapper is. There's also a multiplayer Party mode where you blast as many targets as possible within 249 seconds; it's like Whack-a-Mole but the lack of substance and stimuli makes it a real snoozer.

 

Shooting Range is fun in short bursts, but truth-be-told it's no more advanced than Hogan's Alley (1985, NES) or Wild Gunman (1985, NES). It's definitely playable and may provide some entertainment for 10-20 minutes, but once you've completed it there's really no reason to return for multiple play-throughs.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game was only released in North America.

SD Gundam Dimension War (Virtual Boy review)

Developer: Bandai Co., Ltd.

Publisher: Bandai Co., Ltd.

Released: 1995

 

SD Gundam Dimension War is a turn-based strategy game that was only released in Japan.

 

There's eight missions and the objective in each is to wipe out all enemy troops and destroy their two ships. The action starts on the map screen with your team-mates positioned closest to the camera and the opposition at the back. Using a grid you can either advance a few spaces using the Move command, Attack (engage in a real-time, close-quarters battle), Indirect (long-range automated attack), or Ambush (hide and wait behind a meteor or building). The Attack command is interesting as you fully control the combat in a one-on-one fight. These consist of two phases, with the first allowing you to freely fire at your opponent in the distance for ten seconds; for some reason the CPU never moves which seems like a real missed opportunity to have back and forth action. The second phase is a side-by-side battle where you both compete by shooting weapons, attacking with your sword or dodging projectiles by moving into the foreground, middle ground or background. Unfortunately, the combat is poor as it's never obvious if your shots have actually hit the intended target, and it's difficult to dodge bullets as you can't always see which plane they're coming from. I do love that each troop has multiple weapons to use though (some unique to a particular troop) as it allows you to mix up your attacks depending on the proximity. Weirdly, none of the eight missions are remotely challenging and defensive manoeuvres are rarely needed as you can basically just keep attacking. After a while the gameplay becomes highly repetitive and bland as you're essentially doing the same thing for eight long missions, with little to no variety. The system's 3D capabilities aren't put to good use but at least there's some good music and you can save your progress at any time during a battle.

SD Gundam Dimension War is a middle of the road strategy game that does little to offend or impress. The gameplay is too basic with no advancements to the opening mechanics, and even if you decide to grind through all eight missions they pose little challenge and provide minimal satisfaction.
 

 

 

Random trivia: Despite this being a Japanese exclusive, Benjamin Stevens and Greg Stevens from the Planet VB forums have done an excellent English translation.

Stadium Events / World Class Track Meet (NES review)

Developer: Bandai
Publisher: Bandai
Released: 1986

Stadium Events is a fitness game that uses the NES Power Pad and it was eventually re-branded as World Class Track Meet.

There are four events which are the 100M, Long Jump, 110M Hurdles and the Triple Jump. In each one you need to rapidly press two buttons on the mat to make your athlete run. In all events apart from 100M there are points where you must jump up (so no part of you touches the mat) so your character leaps into the air. I was really impressed by how responsive everything is and it reacts to your movements accurately. You can choose to play each event solo but there's also a Tournament mode where you participate against six opponents in the 100M Dash and 110M Hurdles. Beat all CPU athletes and you're declared the champion. It's a decent mode but repetitive with just the two events. The final mode is Olympics and it allows several human players to compete in each event with the winner being the one with the most points at the end. It's fun with a group but in single player you can only play against yourself for points rather than CPU opponents. There's nothing really special about the game and if it used a normal controller it would be rather mundane. However, the Power Pad really does add to the experience in an indescribable way and it's a lot of fun with multiple people struggling with their stamina! The difficulty of the game obvious relies on your reactions but more importantly your fitness level. The action is high intensity so it can get tiring even after a few minutes of play. The graphics are excellent and although they don't have any scaling effects they do a nice job of conveying depth in the scenery and track.

Stadium Events is unlikely to be listed in anyone's list of top NES games but the Power Pad is a key feature in making the experience fun. The single player mode is shallow but it really comes alive with a group of people huddling around the mat until they collapse in a heap!

Random trivia: The game was originally released as Stadium Events and it only had a limited production run before Nintendo purchased the rights and re-released it as World Class Track Meet. As a result, the NTSC version of Stadium Events is one of the rarest games of all-time.