Ghostbusters Text Fail

Sorry for the fact there haven't been any posts in months, been busy with stuff. Anyways, I was playing Ghostbusters for the Sega Genesis (one of my favorite titles for the console) and I noticed that each boss has dialogue prior to the boss fight.

Ever since I was a child, I always hastily skipped these text boxes and got to the fun stuff. This time around I decided to take the time to read them and found some peculiar things. Among others, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was once a regular person who simply ate too many marshmallows (according to the text.)

But the ultimate 'what the hell?' moment arose when I reached the snowman boss of the Apartment Level.

After giving some idle threats it belts out with the following: "I'll skewer you in the bargain." Well, its fairly obvious he meant 'barbie' as in an Australian BBQ, but even still, bargain? Even if they phrased correctly, it doesn't make sense.

Why would a SNOWMAN skewer anything? Wouldn't that be better suited for a fire-themed boss (which does appear in the game)? It would be better if the snowman had some terrible cold-related pun, but I digress.

It's still a great game and the weird text simply adds character to this underrated Genesis title.

Epic Addition

My own personal video game collecting odyssey reached a significant milestone as today I acquired the original Magnavox Odyssey console.

Just a bit of quick background, this is the first home video game console and predates even Atari's first home Pong consoles.

Though it was first released in the retail market in 1972, there were prototypes of it as early as the mid 60s.

While the system can fetch upwards of $400-$600 on EBay, I got this bad boy off Craigslist for a mere $40, mostly due in part to various missing parts.

Hopefully it is fully functional once I confirm this I will have a more expansive post on the console and some of the games, peripheral (the bad ass shot gun.)

Flintstones: Surprise at Dino Peak

Recently I became a proud owner of the NES title "Flintstones: Surprise at Dino Peak." The game is regarded by many to be the rarest officially licensed American game made for the NES (outside of Stadium Events, of course.)

Apart from its obvious rarity, the game itself has proven to be a fun platformer. You control Fred and Barney who are trying to rescue Bam Bam and Pebbles. Each character has his own strengths and weaknesses. You can also switch characters at any time, which is convenient.

I got the game for a reasonable price, mostly due to its cosmetic condition. The sticker (see the photo) is damaged, and even the cartridge itself is a bit scratched up. I am exploring options to restore the cartridge and possibly replace the label, but who knows.

A quick note on the game's rarity: it was released by Taito, who began releasing their games in the rental market exclusively once the NES entered the twilight stage of its life cycle. Other notable examples from Taito includes Little Samson and Bubble Bobble 2. Thus, such titles are very rare - even more so if you're looking for one in pristine condition with box and manual.

Though its rare, its widely available through emulation. Either way, Dino Peak is certainly worth checking out.

Super Famicom

Just like many other gaming collectors, EBay is a wonderful though not perfect venue to get classic games and consoles.

Recently, I took a chance on a Super Famicom system which was untested and not in spectacular cosmetic condition (see photo). But the gaming gods smiled upon me and it works just fine.

There are two prominent reasons for me to own the Super Famicom. First, its me: this is what I do. The second, real reason is that it provides me an opportunity to own SNES titles I would never be able to experience due to regional coding.

As of now, I only own the Japanese version of Street Fighter 2, but as far as I can tell, by and large the cartridge, console and controller are similar to the US version. The Super Famicom, minus the cracks and holes, is a bit sleeker than its North American counterpart. The same can be said for the cartridges and the boxes they come in (which remind me of VHS boxes.) The controller is exactly the same with the noticeable exception of the colored buttons.


I'm only now becoming more active in collecting imported games/systems. Along with the Super Famicom, I own the Famicom and various systems that lack regional coding (such as my Virtual Boy.)

All in all, it was a decent purchase as my import collection continues to grow.

Going Batty

I have been enjoying Lego Star Wars the Complete Saga on my 360, minding my own business, having a good time, when lo and behold, I play the Degobah level from The Empire Strikes Back.

Then something that I thought would never happen again, I met my old school gaming arch-enemy: bats.

Bats, along with flying Medusa heads, were one of my least favorite enemies to battle in Castlevania.

Bats, and other flying animals (though eagles were the worst), were the bane of my existence when ever I was sadomasochistic enough to attempt beat any Ninja Gaiden game.

So here I am today, in 2010, getting my 'you know what' handed to me by remarkably slow moving Lego bats. That's right, Jedi Knights, Dark Sith Lords and Stormtroopers are no match for flying Lego bats.

The more things change, the more the stay the same I guess.

Jaws (NES): A Retrospective

Have you ever been that one guy who thought that a certain movie wasn't so bad, or thinks that a TV show isn't that unwatchable? Well, I'm the one guy who enjoyed LJN's Jaws for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Admittedly, much of it is nostalgia, and a good deal of it is also due to my being an avid fan of the film franchise (despite the fact that after Jaws 2, they're mostly unwatchable.)

LJN's take on the iconic maneater is based on the fourth film of the series, Jaws: The Revenge. The seemingly arbitrary plot of the game will make sense to anyone who's actually seen the fourth and final installment. To make a long story short, the Brody family is being terrorized by a shark that is purposefully seeking revenge for their role in killing other Great White Sharks in Jaws 1-3. That's right, that's actually what the movie's about.

Basically, the game features four main styles of gameplay. Things start off with an overhead view where you control a ship traversing the tropical waters until you are hit by Jaws or some other unknown sea-dwelling entity. At that point, the game switches to a side to side perspective where you control a diver shooting jellyfish, rays, small sharks, and on occasion, Jaws. Other gameplay aspects include a bonus stage and the final showdown with the shark.

Most of the gameplay takes place in the underwater mode where you gain items from killing various sea life (take that PETA!) Items include stars, crabs and conch shells.

The stars give you bonus points (which are useless), the crabs increase the speed of the diver while underwater (a nice upgrade, but not essential to completing the game), and the shells serve as a form of currency in the game. With the jellyfish rising from the depths at random, I typically don't risk descending to gather falling objects (unless they are shells.)

The shells are used when the ship travels to the two ports located on the map. There, you can purchase upgrades, such as a device that tracks Jaws' heartbeat (just like the scientists do in the God-awful fourth Jaws movie) and one that increases your power of attack, which is essential as it takes forever to deplete Jaws' energy in the final confrontation.

In addition to this basic gameplay, killing a smaller shark in the side-scrolling rounds will initiate a bonus round where you kill jellyfish from inside a plane, dropping bombs below in Galaga-like fashion. You receive one shell per every three kills.

A major caveat is that every time you die (which happens relatively easily and often) you lose a portion of your shells - as well as a power upgrade and the tracking device. To make matters worse, some of Jaws' health will also replenish.

One key to beating this game is finding a randomly appearing submarine, which usually appears in the top right of the map. The advantage is that this gives you more powerful weaponry, including straight shots and underwater depth charges. It is also easier to control, and if you get hit you're only ejected from the sub, but you do not die.

To beat the game, you deplete Jaws' health to the point where a new first person perspective appears. Like the horrific film, you have the ability to purge the shark from the water by initiating a charge, then once the shark is close enough when purged, you can ram the boat into it, killing it.

The problem is, you only get three shots at this before you revert back to the normal game mode. The shark also moves very quickly and erratically - so erratically that it breaks laws of natures by enabling the shark to swim backwards, something that actual sharks are unable to do.

So now that we have an idea of what the game entails and the number of flaws that even I've pointed out, how can I say this isn't that bad of a game? Well, as a youngster, it was great to play a game based on one of my favorites. It also features a variety of gameplay to break up the monotony of the underwater stage.

Also, aside from the final screen, its a relatively beatable game, something that a can't be said of a good number of NES titles. Not to sound like a noob or anything, but there is a great deal of satisfaction in beating any Nintendo title. The controls are also fairly decent and there's an odd pleasure one gets by killing relatively defenseless sea life.

While its not saying much, it is also the best LJN game available for the console. Again, I am completely cognizant of the fact that this is similar to being the best player on the Detroit Lions or New Jersey Nets, but there are positives to make note of when comparing it other LJN titles.

Most of the publisher's games bear absolutely no resemblance to the franchises they're based on; Back to the Future and Beetlejuice come to mind, particularly. Jaws follows the plot of Jaws: The Revenge very well, including environments and plot devices from the ill-fated film.

Overall, the game does suffer from some repetitious gameplay, the sound is average (the Jaws theme itself only appears in the title screen and the final showdown), and the graphics are pretty substandard compared with other titles in this era of the NES. But still, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Jaws on the NES.

NES Surprise Endings

Plot twists and surprise endings have been a major staple in video games, so much so that they are actual quite predictable. They've almost become a requisite cliché in the Resident Evil games, for example.

While there aren't too many examples of this in older eras, there are some cases where surprise endings or plot twists occur. The most iconic example of this, of course, is when Samus Aran reveals he is in fact a she. Let's take a brief look at some other endings of games that were surprising, unexpected or so off the wall they left the gamer scratching their head.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This game based on the popular characters of comic and television fame was released by Ultra Games (a subsidiary of Konami) in 1990 and is easily the most difficult, and more than likely, the least popular TMNT game of the 8 and 16-bit eras.

The frustrations don't end, however, with irritating game play or random characters who have never once appeared in any TMNT-related medium. After defeating Shredder, Splinter proclaims he can now turn back into his human form, Hamato Yoshi. While that's a nice way to wrap up the game, there's no explanation as to how this happens.

So he just magically turns back? No anti-mutagen? No mutant ray gun (as was featured in the animated series.)?

This lackadaisical ending may have been satisfying for a causal fan of the good old Heroes in a Half Shelf, but for hardcore fans, it was a head-scratcher. Certainly they could have done something better than this, maybe even have a cliffhanger or imply the Shredder will have his revenge (something that almost every other TMNT game did back in the day.)

Kirby's Adventure

In this classic developed by HAL Laboratory, you are in control of an adorable pink blob who can suck up enemies, sometimes using their special abilities, and can conveniently float your way through levels.

The basic premise of the game is that evil King Dedede has stolen and shattered the star rod from the fountain of dreams, thus preventing characters from having dreams as they sleep (what exactly were the developers smoking?). What this means, of course, is that you have to help Kirby collect the fragments of the rod to restore stability to Dream Land. There are six fragments, and thus six stages with individual levels and bonus games. Kirby's Dreamland is a memorable and enjoyable classic, albeit a little on the easy side.

The shocker? Once Kirby defeats King Dedede, it is revealed he was actually protecting the rod from some creepy nightmare creature, which you also have to defeat. Its the only time I can think of where a significant antagonist ended up being a misunderstood protagonist. I attribute this move, at least in part, to the fact that the game was mainly catered to younger audiences (which also explains the relative ease of the game.)


Bionic Commando

This Capcom classic features a bionic arm wielding hero/operative named Ladd Spencer who's mission is to defeat Adolf Hitler Master-D, and the Nazis - uhh, I mean the “Badds.”

The English version of the game removed much, if not all, Nazi-related symbols and names. (The Japanese game was entitled “The Resurrection of Hitler: Top Secret,” by the way.) Interestingly enough, Hitler's appearance was not altered. Why not at least remove the mustache, or put on a round, felt hat and tell the kiddies your mission was to destroy Charlie Chaplin?

Well anyways, this results in somewhat of a surprise when the final boss battle ends up involving Hitler. Another major aspect of the game which was unaltered was Hitler's - da... I mean Master-D's, - death scene at the end of the game, where essentially - well ok, realy - his head explodes. The Nintendo was not known at all for violent gore and this took me, and surely other gamers, by complete surprise.

If Nintendo of America, Inc. saw fit to force Capcom to remove the Nazi-related stuff, why not alter the end of the game so as not to see a pixelated, but nevertheless, graphic decapitation? Perhaps it was too costly or there was some production schedule to meet; who knows.

Narc

This arcade gorefest was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990 and retained much of the violence and gore. While the game purported to be anti-drug, most of the drug references were removed completely. What's Nintendo's message here? Murdering people is OK, so long as you don't do so while smoking marijuana?

Well anyways, the end of the game involves a surreal battle involving Mr. Big, the drug - er, crime - boss (who's level involves odd shapes including a huge head that spits tongues and fire at you) and a giant skull that lunges out at you until you blow away his spine!

So I wonder if Acclaim developers themselves were maybe taking some substances.

Anyways, after destroying Mr. Big, a screen comes up congratulating you on completing the training mission and urging you to contact your local Drug Enforcement Agency recruiter. So, if I beat this game, should I have the ability to make drug busts or sense when illegal contraband transactions are taking place? Well, no: its obviously not a serious request, but still, very odd.

Super Mario Bros. 2

At the beginning of this list, you may have figured I'd eventually get to this game. After playing a multitude of levels of the black sheep of the NES Mario games, it feels a bit out of place. The game includes magic carpets to ride, keys to steal from disembodied faces, traveling down Egyptian-styled vases instead of pipes, and, of course, throwing radishes at creatures. While its a fun game and certainly an NES classic, the game itself always felt odd, as if it didn't belong.

Well, that's not surprising because, as has been talked about ad nauseum, Super Mario Bros. 2 was not actually a Super Mario title at all. It was another Japanese game called “Doki Doki Panic” and only made into Mario 2 here in the U.S. after some executives at Nintendo felt the original Japanese sequel was too similar to the original and much too difficult (the latter I totally agree with.) The original sequel was later released as part of Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES and is now available for purchase on the Wii's Virtual Console.

As part of this trans-Pacific trickery, the game actually tries to explain its oddness in the finale. After defeating King Wart, whichever character you're controlling pulls a plug out of a pipe to release these weird fairy things who proceed to carry off Wart's incapacitated body. At this point, the ending credits sequence commences revealing that the entire game was simply a dream. Good thing we restored the Star Rod, eh?