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Review – Elevator Action Returns
How is Elevator Action Returns not talked about more? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the absolute most obscure arcade game that I’ve covered. It even recently got an enhanced port (of the Sega Saturn version) called Elevator Action Returns S-Tribute, but it’s so much better than its niche suggests. I already love Elevator Action, the 1983 game that is…
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Review – Zunzunkyou no Yabou
When it comes to arcade games, actually being enjoyable to play isn’t always the most important aspect. To succeed in the arcade – and really, this is still true in what passes for an arcade these days – you needed to be attention-grabbing. Look at the original Mortal Kombat, for instance. It was absolutely shit to play, but the mix…
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Review – Final Fight
I tend to paradoxically refer to my memory as both a steel trap and completely unreliable. I actually have no idea how my recollection compares to other people; how can anyone? However, let me give you an example of the former claim. Somewhere in the foggy depths of my youth, I remember the first time I played Final Fight. It…
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Review – Sparkster (SNES)
Rocket Knight Adventures remains my favourite game on the Genesis, so it’s heartening to see that Limited Run Games has a collection on the way. I preordered the Ultimate Edition because sometimes you have to spoil yourself. I love RKA, and what other opportunities will I have to really express that in the form of consumerism? But while I’m happy…
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Review – Streets of Rage
My household as a child was ruled by the Super Nintendo. That is to say, my childhood console was an SNES. But I had a cousin who lived nearby with a Sega Genesis. He didn’t have many games, but we rented a lot when we spent time together. However, he also had the Sega 6-Pak. It had games like Sonic…
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Review – ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
I have to stop taking the phrase “not as good as the first one” as meaning “not worth playing.” I have had Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron for about as long as I’ve owned my Genesis, but I don’t think I ever completed a single level. I just wasn’t sure it was worth it, especially when just playing…
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Review – Psycho Dream
The opening credits showed the director, Kenichi Nishi. “I know that name,” I thought to myself. I initially believed it was maybe because he had something to do with Valis, but I knew it was something more significant than that. No, wait. Kenichi Nishi was at Love-de-Lic before he co-founded Skip. The dude helped create Chibi-Robo!
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Review – Harvester
Harvester haunts me. It's incredible that this game came out in '96, because even the seediest, most experimental side of the indie and alternative markets would struggle to conjure something even nearly as evocative and bizarre as the dark, twisted, and disgustingly effective world that Steve finds himself in.
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Review – Castlevania X: Rondo of Blood
As a fan of the Castlevania series, it might be surprising that I've only now finally gotten around to beating Rondo of Blood. I had even completed Dracula X years before, so figure that one out. Now that I've finally consummated with it, here's what I think.
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Review – Metal Slug
Do you know the Tragically Hip song "Bobcaygeon?" That's actually the next town over from where I grew up. There was a bowling alley there (it burned down), and they had a limited number of arcade machines. For a period, one of these machines was Metal Slug. I've been in love ever since.
