We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
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kitten
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We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

We Love the PC Engine - A Shmups Forum User-Made Review Compendium

so, i really love the pc engine software bible site. it's great for finding out about titles you'd not heard about and then giving them a spin. what's it not nearly as often great for is its reviews, which often leave something to be desired. there's not really many good ones on there, and they're often written from a highly casual perspective. sometimes you want to find the cream of the crop or avoid an accidental purchase of kusoge, but you get a non-committal "try it" by someone who spun it in an emulator for 20 minutes and thought it had pretty graphics.

the pc engine is full of offbeat titles that often look or feel a smidge subpar at first but open up to be anywhere from charming enough to be worth a spin to secret sleeper hits. it's also one of the least talked about systems in the west despite its superbly consistent library. the sfc has been dug through and dug through again, but pc engine mining still feels incomplete or scattered. what i propose to do about that is to make our own compendium of recommended games, right here!

this thread is for people who have really played a game to give a firm suggestion on what they think. if you cannot beat the game in question even with credit-feeding, at least have put more than a dedicated hour into it before leaving a post in here.

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RULES & GUIDELINES

first, you write a 100 word or less review (relatively strictly enforced - you can scoot over by a dozen or so words if you have to, but i'm not putting 500 word reviews in here, this index is meant to be concise! more on posting larger companion reviews below) for a pc engine game. then, you submit it in this thread by replying to it. i will add the review to the game, and also add the game if it has yet to get any reviews. games will be posted alphabetically by romanized name, and reviews will be organized alphabetically by username. you must also include where you rate the game on a 1 to 4 star scale, with each rating having the ambiguous suggestions to follow below:

1 star - [HORRIBLE/BAD] or from "extremely hard pass" to "deeply flawed" - a slightly redeemable game can still go here
2 stars - [MEDIOCRE/DECENT] or from "only recommended to genre/content enthusiasts" to "just about good but held back"
3 stars - [GOOD/GREAT] or from "mostly good but with some notable problems" to "really great."
4 stars - [SUPERB/EXCELLENT] or from anywhere in the highest tier of rating you'd give out

you can then link to more long-form thoughts (such as posts in our own wonderful scrolling action thread or even offsite, if you've written elsewhere) or post a longer companion review, and are highly suggested (but absolutely not required) to post your own replays, if you have them. this helps people reading know you're legit and not a bitch scrub - er, i mean, peruse some demonstrative play. most plays on youtube of these games tend to be by people clumsily savestating through the game and then uploading the clean-appearing replays. these don't show authentic play and often suggest poor strategies that are only working because the player has the benefit of emulation tools. help showcase real plays, if possible.

keep in mind that if a game is not for you (e.g. you're reviewing nectaris and often hate strategy games), to mention that and try to lay off from an overtly negative review, especially on a game without any recommendations, yet.

it is perfectly acceptable to post reviews contrary to the popular/only reviews, but try not to take that to extremes and don't directly start chiding the other reviewer(s). remember that this is not a like/dislike battle, so try to keep your review relatively objective and avoid from just polarizing the other direction. more perspectives gives more chances for at least one of those to resonate with someone.

feel free to crosspost in here when relevant. bring up a pc engine game in another thread and wrote a couple sentences on it? why not post it in here and build things up, eh?

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also! discussion is encouraged in the thread, and you can post extended reviews in here, too, they just won't be added to the index. you can even do a huge review and then ask me to add it to additional thoughts on your small review.

i've gone ahead and kickstarted the thread with a variety of reviews. spoiler texted is a bit of formatting to help me if you want to post your own and let it be something i can quickly copy & paste into the index.
Spoiler

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[size=150][color=#8ad3e3]romanized japanese title here[/color] - katakana here (aka: us title here)[/size] [hucard or cd here] [region here]

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Review by: [url=forum id url link here]name here[/url]

words here (choose one of the four below lines for your rating, insert url code for your own replays or additional thoughts)

[RATING [size=125][color=red]1/4[/color][/size]] [NO REPLAY] 
[RATING [size=125][color=yellow]2/4[/color][/size]] [NO REPLAY]
[RATING [size=125][color=#44e34f]3/4[/color][/size]] [NO REPLAY] 
[RATING [size=125][color=#b733e8]4[/color][color=#8733e8]/[/color][color=#336fe8]4[/color][/size]] [NO REPLAY]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
~Imagination and memory are but one thing, which for diverse considerations have diverse names~
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~*~*~*~*~*~* If there's a place that I could be ~ Then I'd be another memory *~*~*~*~*~*~
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

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Ai Cho Aniki - 愛・超兄貴 [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Sumez

Should be a 3 or 4 when judged entirely on its hilarious presentation, and the only reason I stick to a 2/4 is that as a shooter, it's pretty much a terrible game, with a life bar that empties over time and a move that makes you invulnerable to any attack.

However, is it possible to not love the zany setpieces, blatant homoeroticism, and wild imagination at play here, paired with a kick ass soundtrack. I don't think putting this game on at a party and entertaining your company with its craziness will ever grow old.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo - 悪魔城ドラキュラX血の輪廻 [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: BIL

Justly acclaimed. While renowned for expanding the series' traditional linearity, threading hidden exits and treasures through its parallel routes, it did not abandon its hardcore roots. Keeps faith with the one-lifers via its harsh damage scale and sparing health restores, while taking the refinement of combat just as seriously as that of stage design. Finely-tempered controls are matched to clever footsie AI and series-highlight boss duels, with Treachery Platforming as ruthless as ever.

Even ostensible EZMODE character Maria contributes, superhuman mobility and firepower joyfully shredding Richter's grimly perilous ordeal. A crossover gem that'll delight the hardcore and moderates alike.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Review by: kitten

Often hailed as one of the greatest games of all-time, Rondo is easily one of the most stand-out titles in an already truly stand-out series. Though often considered the last big effort in the series by Konami before Symphony of the Night and the end of the action-orientation of the series, you can see it slowly lean toward SotN's ethos with spats of lenient design, winding stages, a life counter that recharges between stages, and many secrets. It's a bit between its hardcore beginnings and exploration-focused future, and a delight to play. Beyond gorgeous pixel art and a killer soundtrack, its presentation is also truly superb.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Aldynes - オルディネス [SUPERGRAFX] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: BIL

Strong attempt at IREMesque hardcore tactical shooting. Already tougher than console norms, its difficulty and stage complexity gain steeply in its latter half, with a second loop after as per IREM tradition. Weapon mechanics are satisfyingly involved, with a visceral "charge bayonet" rewarding nose-to-nose aggression, and multi-faceted Options that can hunt enemies, trail you Gradius-style, or counter-offensively orbit.

Control layout feels slightly sub-optimal; its reliance on holding buttons might've been sidestepped with a passive charge-shot, and a formation switch on [Select]. Aesthetically razor-sharp, save st4's inexplicable, nigh-unreadable art deco pratfall. A solid recommendation for lovers of R-Type/Image Fight-styled rigour.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ane-san - 姐 (あねさん) [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A very strange all-girl beat 'em up featuring a really ostentatious rockabilly soundtrack and numerous, deeply silly bits like a minigame where you competitively make scary faces against other girls. It's quite lacking, mechanically, and very, very late life (1995, when the PC Engine was basically dead in the water), but I can't help but be deeply charmed by it. I think it's very much worth it as an adorable oddity, and it's none too difficult to get to the end of and see its goofy sights. Would be rated a bit more highly if there was more to it, but I can't oversell it.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ankoku Densetsu - 暗黒伝説 (AKA: The Legendary Axe II) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

The spiritual - or possibly direct - sequel to Makyo Densetsu, Ankoku Densetsu is a similarly solid and slightly quirky action game despite sharing only a couple of staff in common. Though it lacks the excitingly precise movement and satisfying *thwok* of a charged axe swing that made its predecessor so fun, it makes up for it by being a lot better paced. There's admittedly a number of sticking points that can make the first several plays slow or irritating, but it's easy to get a very consistent nomiss down and pare down the annoying segments until you're able to blaze through them.

[RATING 3/4] [1LC & Review]

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Avenger - アヴェンジャー [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A somewhat mediocre - if not entirely forgettable - shooter by Telenet early on in the CD attachment's lifespan. Probably the go-to example for the common PCE-CD problem of having the sound effects be too loud over the redbook audio soundtrack. There's not a whole lot to this game, but I did enjoy it and wouldn't leave it in the rubbish bin - it's worth a spin and rather cheap. Probably won't take more than a day to get a nomiss down and has at least a little bite.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Batman - バットマン [Hucard] [JP only]

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Review by: it290

Outside Ocean's 8bit micro adventures, Sunsoft's Batman for the PCE may be the strangest game to bear the name. It tasks the player with traversing scenes from the 1989 film in a top-down fashion, collecting goal items from the level whilst working against a time limit and respawning foes. These can be stunned with Batarangs and briefly removed from the map ala Pac-Man's ghosts. Maintaining a healthy powerup level is necessary for survival, meaning the game essentially must be completed in one sitting. Compact and pleasurable audiovisually (it shares some tunes with the NES version), the gameplay is unfortunately just not quite as tight as it should be.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Bomberman - ボンバーマン [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Sumez

Everyone knows Bomberman, so you immediately know what this game is about. Probably the most basic game of the series, and although it's kind of a remake of the older NES game, it really feels like the first "true" Bomberman game, with its incredible polished controls and overall fantastic presentation, as well as the first multiplayer mode of the series.

Without too many gimmicks, emphasis is on tactically outsmarting your enemies. However, the two things that hold it back is the incredibly repetitive nature of the game, and the fact that getting soft block pass and remote trigger basically makes you invincible, rendering the game boring and pointless as long as you hold those.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Bomberman '93 - ボンバーマン'93 [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Sumez

The last of the series before switching from the more "basic" approach to a heavily gimmick-based one. Although a few minor stage gimmicks are introduced, the game remains simple, and the AI of the enemies is incredibly good at creating situations where your attempt to conquer them will no doubt cause you to blow yourself up instead - something that IMO should be a staple of this entire series, and none of the sequels do it better than this.

Sporting also what I'd consider the best boss fights of the series, I'd say Bomberman 93 is a must-have, but like its predecessor it also struggles a bit with fatigue from running too long.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Bomberman '94 - ボンバーマン'94 [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Sumez

A major change in the approach of the Bomberman games, that would direct the next few games in the series.
Instead of killing every enemy, you now have to bomb specific targets on a stage, and fighting enemies now deals more with a traditional approach of knowing their patterns and dealing with their attacks, rather than outsmarting them.

The game is fun, colorful, and much more varied than earlier games in the series, which all helps it stand as one of the strongest Bomberman titles.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Cross Wiber: Cyber-Combat Police - クロスワイバー CYBER-COMBAT-POLICE [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

The spiritual (or perhaps direct) sequel to Cyber Cross, Cross Wiber takes a slightly more common scrolling action approach to its design while also shifting its presentation toward being less goofy, seemingly taking inspiration from more teen and adult-oriented Tokusatsu stuff. Its design is wrought with poor choices, however, such as not scrolling the screen until you're roughly 70% up it and some truly heinously awful platforming. Its production values are otherwise quite good for a Hucard, and its large bosses, great soundtrack, and general charm carry it just out of the gutter, but it's very cautiously recommended, if recommended at all.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW] [ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS [1]]

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Cyber Cross: Busou Keiji - 武装刑事サイバークロス [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Obviously taking inspiration from Spartan X, Cyber Cross is a Tokusatsu-inspired love letter made for people who grew up with or still love Super Sentai and related works. Despite a relatively kusoge exterior, this is a surprisingly fair and well-paced game that allows only one credit of play before sticking you back at the beginning. Though it never clears any particularly high bar of quality, it's still more decent than one might expect and easy to recommend to fans of either this type of game (Spartan X-likes, is that a genre?) or big-time Sentai nerds.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW] [ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS [1]]

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Doraemon: Nobita no Dorabian Night - ドラえもん のび太のドラビアンナイト [HUCARD OR CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Run-of-the-mill platformer heavily inspired by the likes of Wagyan Land and of about the same quality. Highly plodding and tedious to play, there's extremely little here for anyone, unless I guess you just really, really like Doraemon. I tend to dislike every Wagyan Land-like platformer and find them to have no redeeming values.

[RATING 1/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Double Dragon II: The Revenge - 双截龍 ダブルドラゴンII The Revenge [CD] [JP only]

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Review by: Jonny2x4

Not a direct port of the arcade nor Famicom version, but rather it's another rearranged version that mixes elements from both, while introducing some unique aspects of it own (most notably the graphics and BGM). Not as polished or balanced as the Famicom version, with the platform jumping feeling a bit less precise and the boss characters being as overpowered as their arcade counterparts, which is particularly cheap when you fight the dual stick-wielding Chins, since they're distributed as regular grunts throughout the later stages instead of end-level sub-bosses. It's still a decent version and worth playing if only to watch the cheesy anime-style visual scenes. It's pretty much the closest thing we'll ever get to that Double Dragon OVA that never got made.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Download - ダウンロード [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Although somewhat of an average quality shooter that would otherwise only receive mild recommendation on just its play, Download is a game that rides hard enough on its great Cyberpunk presentation to be worth a look. Based on a popular Japanese novel (that also received a very bad OVA around the same time), the game is laced with a lot of story that I can't really read (but can largely glean) about your hacker character losing a friend in the cyber space on a dive. Filled with lots of stuff to shoot and a variety of scenery, this is a pretty decent pick-up.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Download 2 - ダウンロード2 [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

The sequel to the original and all the more out-there in its presentation, Download 2 still isn't particularly great as a shooter but pushes the limits of visual weirdness and audio quality on the system. The story for this game has something to do with destroying Hitler's brain in cyberspace, and if that isn't enough to make you go "oh, shit, this sounds pretty cool," I don't know what will. Superb cutscenes and a bit more balanced shooting make this a really good experience, overall.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Dragon Egg! - どらごんEGG! [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A very charming platformer with quite the pleasant pixel art to it (Hitoshi Ariga of Rockman Megamix fame has his first credited VG work on pixel art for this), Dragon Egg unfortunately features some rather forgettable platforming and lacks in punch. It has an almost unfinished feel to it, and while it certainly provides a great distraction for an afternoon and receives a recommendation on that front, there's not much else to it and it's a bit too fluffy. It has a hard mode, but it is gruelingly poor in balancing and revolves around delivering a slow, agonizing death on powering down.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Dungeon Explorer - ダンジョンエクスプローラー [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Van

Mindless fun that doesn't wear out its welcome. Dungeon Explorer is a Gauntlet clone for up to 5 players. Kill bosses to get gems to level up your character. Each gem increases your max HP and adds 1 to a stat. Wait for the gem to change colors to choose which stat, and remember to dump INT. There are also temporary stat boosting items that wear off when you die, so if you one life a few dungeons in a row the balance snowballs in your favor. There are 8 initial and 2 unlockable characters, each with different starting stats and magic spells.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Dungeon Explorer II - ダンジョンエクスプローラーII [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Van

Dungeon Explorer's sequel is bigger, less-linear, and more of an RPG. Now there are optional dungeons you can do for a few more gems. You can switch characters and respec your gems at bars, two nice convenience features. The original's unlockable character using a password was pretty awkward. Speaking of, Dungeon Explorer II has six unlockable characters, each of whom has a weapon upgrade hidden somewhere in the world. To stay competitive, the initial characters get class upgrades complete with new sprites. I find it a little too long for what it is, but that's easily fixed by skipping a few side dungeons and not doing the uninteresting and unrewarding character-specific side quests.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:11 pm, edited 19 times in total.
~Imagination and memory are but one thing, which for diverse considerations have diverse names~
Image | Image
~*~*~*~*~*~* If there's a place that I could be ~ Then I'd be another memory *~*~*~*~*~*~
User avatar
kitten
Posts: 1102
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2017 1:26 pm
Location: プププランド

Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

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Fausseté Amour - フォーセットアムール [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: drauch

Excellent anime cut scenes, but where most of the praise ends. Some good tunes, and then some tracks that also feel oddly out of place. Grappling mechanic is neat, but hardly a consistent component in the gameplay, which is largely mediocre. Starts solid, then quickly becomes highly frustrating with spongey enemies and bosses that are either too easy or too annoying. Worth a playthrough if you appreciate the system, although I doubt I'll revisit.


[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

A game of failed potential. Has some interesting ideas with gameplay mechanics but they just don't coalesce into an enjoyable experience. The cutscenes are solid and one thing worth mentioning is that the character sheds clothes upon being hit.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Fighting Street - ファイティング・ストリート [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: WelshMegalodon

Fighting Street is a decent port, possibly better than the game deserves. Everything feels a bit slower, but the visuals are quite close by 1988 standards and the sound effects might actually be arcade-perfect (it is, after all, a CD game). The arranged soundtrack is surprisingly good as well.

Gameplay is hampered by there only being two buttons available instead of six, though it honestly makes less of a difference than one might think. The special moves may also be harder to pull off here than they are in the arcade version, but they're still doable - not that it's an issue with Easy Specials on...

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Final Blaster - ファイナルブラスター [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A Namco shooter that is actually considerably more like Image Fight than anything else. Has a weird vertical scrolling gimmick that can get to be a bit difficult to deal with and 3 rather boring initial stages, but then kicks it into high gear with some very challenging and somewhat memorization-intensive follow-ups. I tend to find the difficulty in this one a bit too heavily reliant on tedious memorization (versus something like R-Type's creative curve on memorization) and its presentation a bit too generic to really make it stand out all that much.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Final Lap Twin - ファイナルラップツイン [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Van

A spiritual sequel, of sorts, to World Court Tennis. It's a racing game that includes a strange JRPG mode. You play as a boy living in a wacky racing-based world on a quest to become the world champion. You explore a world map, buy equipment, talk to NPCs, search for secrets, and face random encounters just like you would in Dragon Quest, except that instead of fighting battles you race against your opponents. The RPG elements are more developed than they were in World Court Tennis. There's much more equipment variety, your car can get cursed and there's even an abandoned car parts factory you explore like a dungeon. With that said, it's still fairly bare bones. The races get a little repetitive, but it's short enough that you can finish the whole thing in an afternoon.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Final Soldier - ファイナルソルジャー [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

The middle installment of the "Soldier" series on the PC Engine, this is often one of the more forgotten games in its series, particularly in the west, where it wasn't localized. Both presentation and play take a slight hit when compared to its predecessor or its forebear, and this bears the brunt of being the weakest of the PCE trilogy. However, that does little to diminish it from still being a decent shooter, if only one that is a tad lacking. The PC Engine is filled to the brim with shooters like these, so I wouldn't make it a high priority pick-up, but I wouldn't call it a miss, either.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Forgotten Worlds - フォゴットンワールド [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

A solid conversion of the arcade classic with some minor changes. Features a seriously deluxe presentation as far as PCE-CD games go and upgrades the soundtrack to redbook audio. Difficulty is lowered due to less enemies and projectiles (there's a hard mode with more projectiles, but it bumps enemy HP to euroshmup territory), although many bosses get additional health and become a bit more challenging. Maneuvering space is also lowered due to lower horizontal resolution, which can cause some tight situations. Quite the good shooter when you put in the time to get over the bumpy learning curve of rotational aiming, hidden items, and shops filled with useless junk.

[RATING 3/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Gate of Thunder - ゲート オブ サンダー [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

Made by some ex-Technosoft employees, Gate of Thunder plays much like a lost entry in their formidable Thunder Force series and has a quality similar to them, to boot. Featuring an excellent soundtrack and explosive presentation, this is often one of the recommended games for the console and with good reason. I feel it's held back from excellence by a lack of really memorable stages and somewhat unfocused challenge level, but this is still a great game and one of the better shooters available for the entire console.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Gomola Speed - ゴモラスピード [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A very unique game somewhat akin to taking the ancient, classic "Snake," only updated to be a more arcade-inspired action game. Gomola Speed is easily a standout Hucard and one of the easiest games I can think to recommend to a truly broad audience on the console. Great music and attractive visuals accentuate the solid play, and one would be remiss to not sample the flavor of this weird little title.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Hiho Densetsu: Chris no Bouken 秘宝伝説クリスの冒険 [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Perhaps most closely compared to the Makaimura series, albeit with the concession it's definitely not as well-developed, Hiho Densetsu is an obscure platformer that most tend to skip by, but really, really warmed my heart. Despite numerous bits that feel a tad off or lack a concise challenge, this game's presentation feels incredibly unique and filled with an interesting disparity between its generic anime cutscenes and almost horror-genre sprite art. While not recommended to everyone and objectively not a great game, I really strongly suggest giving it a spin and seeing what you think. Full review below.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW] [ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS [1]]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:18 pm, edited 12 times in total.
~Imagination and memory are but one thing, which for diverse considerations have diverse names~
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

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Kaizo Chojin Shubibinman - 改造町人シュビビンマン [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A compact and memorable little scrolling action game whose silly presentation and warmth help bring it above the mid-tier, loosely shoddy platformer mechanics that comprise its base. Select stages, acquire items, and power yourself up on the way to the final boss fight. This game rides heavy on its presentation, but its assemblage is definitely solid enough to keep it far from the kusoge tier and I do love it.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Kaizo Chojin Shubibinman 2: Aratanaru Teki - 改造町人シュビビンマン2―新たなる敵― (AKA: Shockman) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

The second game in the PC Engine trilogy, Shubibinman 2 changes the mechanics from strictly side-scrolling action to add a few vertical areas and slip in some decent shmup stages. Rather than a sword, you're equipped with a Rockman-esque pea shooter in this one. Like the first, however, it tends to ride heavily on its adorable presentation and features some questionable design that - while also still relatively solid - keeps it out of the realm of being truly good and closer to a personal favorite I've got to temper recommendations on.

[RATING 2/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Kaizo Chojin Shubibinman 3: Ikai no Princess - 改造町人シュビビンマン3異界のプリンセス [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

The last installment in the PC Engine trilogy (though not the last in the series altogether, counting the SFC game), Shubibinman 3 is easily the best of its bunch. Featuring a stellar presentation with lavish cutscenes and surprisingly solid mechanics, we see a return to the first game's more pure emphasis on plain scrolling action and the best pacing displayed by any of the games, yet. Co-op play is the easiest and most accessible in this title, and there's some neat bonus modes showing off fan illustrations and such. Though it's a bit short and very easy, this is VERY highly recommended.
[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action - 風霧 - Ninja Action [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

A game that was initially hyped but by the time I got into PCE people warned me not to buy it. Just doesn't do enough to remain interesting and fails to offer a good challenge. The game gets extremely repetitive but worth a go once if you really like ninja games.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Review by: Sumez

Atmospheric platformer based on one-on-one combat, and structured kind of similar to the original Spartan X.
Combat is based entirely on using the unique movement tricks at your disposal, and figuring out what works on the different enemy types and bosses.

The issue here is that there is only a very tiny handful of different enemies, that repeat throughout until the end of the game which never does anything to shake things up, or even create much of a change of scenery. Additionally, the game's health bar will recharge as long as you haven't taken damage for a while, which means it actually rewards just sitting around waiting. Essentially broken, but unique enough to remain interesting for a couple of playthroughs.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Legend of Hero Tonma - レジェンド・オブ・ヒーロー・トンマ [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Extremely rock-solid side-scrolling shooting action compacted into a few brief, but action-packed stages. What Tonma lacks in breadth of content, it makes up for with a rollicking pace and extremely inviting replay value helping to mitigate its seemingly high difficulty level. It's easy to get a 1CC down on this one in almost no-time for an Irem game, and it's very well-suited to casual 1CC's after long gaps of play. Has become one of the most definitive action titles on the PCE, for me. Although I've not played the arcade game this is a conversion of, it seems to be a fantastic conversion and is often acclaimed as being very similar but a bit easier.

[RATING 3/4] [1LC & REVIEW] [SPEEDRUN] [ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS [1] [2]]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:18 pm, edited 10 times in total.
~Imagination and memory are but one thing, which for diverse considerations have diverse names~
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~*~*~*~*~*~* If there's a place that I could be ~ Then I'd be another memory *~*~*~*~*~*~
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Posts: 1102
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2017 1:26 pm
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

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Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force - マッドストーカー フルメタルフォース [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A pretty mediocre single-plane mech brawler that requires the somewhat pricey arcade card to give a shot to. This is the only version of the game I've played, but it's very different from the (seemingly totally remade) PS1 game and quite possibly worse than the X68k version, as well. Sticky, simple combat that there's just not a whole lot to do with, honestly. The production values ensure that it's not trash, but it's not at all the worth the price to play, these days.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Makyo Densetsu - 魔境伝説 (AKA: The Legendary Axe) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

One of the most commonly talked about action games for the PC Engine in the west due to its release over there, Makyo Densetsu is a mostly stellar action title very much worthy of the attention it tends to receive. Rigid, precision action and responsive controls with a moderate-to-high challenge level keep this both fun to come back to for casual plays and tantalizing to master. It's held back a little bit by the overlong final stage and its numerous branches, as well as some repetitive late-game scenarios, however. More thoughts in replay description.

[RATING 3/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Marchen Maze - メルヘンメイズ [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Based on the arcade game of the same name, but sporting unique enough play and content that it counts more as its own thing, Marchen Maze is a great little multi-direction shooter by Namco where you control their version of Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Don't be fooled by the cutesy looks, this is a surprisingly hardcore shooter with a high challenge level that will take several plays to get down. Its delightful atmosphere and overall superb presentation make this a personal favorite, but heck, it's mean! Tips available in replay description.

[RATING 3/4] [1CC & REVIEW]

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Mesopotamia - メソポタミア (AKA: Somer Assault) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

A frankly abysmal action-maze game where you control a slinky. Despite an excellent presentation that's par for the course on Atlus games, this is dire as far as action games go. Power-ups are distributed very randomly (yet the speed one is required to finish many levels on time), damage often seems unavoidable, and enemies frequently despawn from the screen or seem to not spawn at all. Controls are a bit awkward, too.

[RATING 1/4] [NO REPLAY] [ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS [1]]

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Metal Stoker - メタルストーカー [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: it290

Face's Metal Stoker is a top-down tank shooter in the same spiritual mold as Wolf Team's Granada or Namco's Assault, yet remains distinct from either. Driving a futuristic assault vehicle, the player must navigate mazes of challenges and enemies with a versatile array of weaponry and the ability to alternate between fixed and 8-way directional fire. The game's pacing remains consistent throughout, although its difficulty curve sometimes fluctuates wildly. Satisfying if somewhat workmanlike graphics complement excellent music (sometimes dynamic!) as the player makes their way through this quintessentially idiosyncratic 90's game.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Review by: kitten

A multidirectional, seek 'n destroy type shooter that suggests a methodical approach with solid tactical backing. The most obvious comparison I could make would be to Wolf Team's Granada, though the pacing and general feel of the game is quite a bit different. Being developed by Sankindo and published by Face, expectations might be low, but this is easily one of the best titles they produced and a worthy addition to your PC Engine library.

[RATING 3/4] [HARD MODE 1CC & REVIEW]

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Mugen Senshi Valis: The Legend of a Fantasm Soldier - 夢幻戦士ヴァリス [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

The fourth and final Valis installment on the PC Engine is a remake of the first game and the only game in the series to receive the Super CD treatment. Sporting what's easily the best production values of the four games, Mugen Senshi Valis features some surprisingly dashing spritework but once again fails to polish its mechanics beyond average. Fans of the cheesecake series will likely find as much to love about this game as they did the previous games (or more, honestly), but even this couldn't save the series from frankly failing to be truly good.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Mystic Formula - ミスティックフォーミュラ [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A top-down, multi-directional shooter with a solid bit of anime flair. Though it's got more than a couple of bumps and lacks a bit in substance, the charm of playing through a miniaturized anime in shooter format is absolutely not without its merits. The pacing is rather smooth and the shooting is tight enough that it isn't totally without mechanical chops, though some characters really aren't really worth playing and the background art is occasionally weirdly lacking. The story is purely in Japanese, but it's pretty easy to piece together what is happening and enjoy the atmosphere rather heartily. Has a simultaneous two-player mode, too!

[RATING 3/4] [HARD MODE 1CC & REVIEW]

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Nekketsu Koko Dodgeball Bu: PC Bangai Hen - 熱血高校ドッジボール [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

The one Kunio dodgeball game on the PC Engine, and I love it. Despite a relatively simple range of modes and basic play leaving some of the berth of content a bit barebones, this is mechanically tight as hell and a pure joy to play. Extremely fast-paced and brutal, but this is one of those games so involved that I end up making motions along with the controller inputs. Very highly recommended despite the simplicity, and don't forget to play it with a pal!

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Neutopia - ニュートピア フレイの章 [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

The PCE's answer to The Legend of Zelda. It's remarkably similar so if you like TLOZ this is definitely a game you should play. If you are like me and don't love wandering around and having to figure out things that aren't immediately obvious then ymmv. Once you know the game it's fairly short. I would say a typical first playthrough is 5.5-6 hours and subsequent runs should be 2 hours or less.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ninja Ryukenden - 忍者龍剣伝 [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: BIL

Hardcore fans of the Famicom cult classic will be turned off in a long, death-by-a-thousand-cuts procession of small flaws. Newcomers will wonder why the game has hardcore fans in the first place. Both will endure astonishingly poor attempted parallax, a skittery, tuneless soundtrack, and charmless ClipArt emulations of the original's compact, sharply-detailed sprites.

In isolation, it is merely middling; curious PCE fans wanting more should forget this, and instead play not only the FC original, but its sequels and the bevy of similarly rugged action/platformers which remain the platform's speciality to this day.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Review by: Sumez

If you like Ninja Gaiden, but wish it had shittier controls, worse graphics, and seizure inducing attempts at doing parallax scrolling, then this game is for you.
At its heart, Ninja Gaiden is still a good game, and if the original Famicom game didn't exist, this might even possibly be perceived as a good? Comparing it to the original, however, there is no shortage of offenses offered by this port.

Generally much more expensive than any known version of the NES or Famicom cart, I see no reason to subject yourself to this unless you're really, really curious and don't like yourself much.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Obocchama-kun - おぼっちゃまくん [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Based on an anime/manga that was popular at the time (by an author who went somewhat obscure after a super right-wing manga he did rife with historical revisionism), Obocchama-kun is a kind-of decent platformer full of potty humor that's worth a quick play or two, but not much more.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Out Run - アウトラン [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

A solid conversion of the best arcade racer ever made. Tunes are great and all there. Visuals aren't amazing but are as good as you could hope for on this console. Not the premier version but worth a go for PCE and/or Outrun enthusiasts. Definitely the best game of this type on the PCE.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Override - オーバーライド [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: BIL

Solid Compile-esque STG for the style's premiere console. Lacking Soldier Blade or Super Star Soldier's fiery expert modes, it's nevertheless brisker than average with short, busy stages. Tricky weapons and rugged ground targets well-poached from Image Fight and Tatsujin. Ground-based, terrain-heavy endgame distinguishes it further.

Sadly misses its true potential. Life stock is indulgent, though veterans will quickly self-regulate; worse is the lack of compelling upper difficulties, leaving its almighty charge-shot bereft of targets. Nevertheless, genre enthusiasts with affection for the Compile school will enjoy this minor highlight. Though untested by this reviewer, X68000 remake Last Battalion bears mentioning here.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Paranoia - パラノイア (AKA: Psychosis) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

An average shooter with a very, very marginally above-average presentation. Tries to ride hard on its weirdness, but starts to fall a little flat by the second stage and feels like it didn't quite do what it wanted to. The PC Engine doesn't lack for shooters, and there's not a lot here to make this one special. Make sure you buy the Japanese version if you pick it up so you can get shot the bird by the game's little mascot gremlin!

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble 3 - パラソルスタ - The Story of Bubble Bobble III [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Sumez

Taito's second attempt at reinventing the Bubble Bobble formula is no less interesting than the three earlier games in the series, introducing the parasol as both a weapon and a defensive measure.

Feels like it could and should have been a genuine arcade game, but a few twists makes it clearly suited as a console title. The first four or five stars are very easy, and the scoring system is kind of broken. It is really too bad that a real arcade version never came out, but that doesn't keep this one from still being super fun to play, and the happy music and huge and colorful sprites really showcases Taito at their strongest in terms of production value.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Parodius Da! -Shinwa kara Owarai e- - パロディウスだ! -神話からお笑いへ- [hucard or cd here] [region here]

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Review by: kitten

Though the Konami production values are absolutely in full swing and this game boasts some incredible visuals, solid controls, and quality craftsmanship - I can't help but feel it's a bit too mean and a bit too obsessed with silliness to really hold a candle to the "real" Gradius games. Some characters feel much too weak while others feel too strong, levels are full of "gotcha" traps, and the notorious roulette feels like it exists solely to tank your runs out of the blue. Never played the arcade version, but this home port feels like a very high quality interpretation.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Denjin - Punkic Cyborgs - PC電人 Punkic Cyborgs (AKA: Air Zonk) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: it290

One of the most inventive shooters of the 16bit era, Air Zonk sees the titular Zonk blasting through a half dozen-odd zany levels accompanied by a squad of unlikely companions ranging from a garbage truck to a cow; in his ultimate form Zonk can merge with these buddies to unleash chaos. Powerup selection, order, and timing are key here as although the game is lenient, once things go downhill they do so fast. Rollicking music and color parallax graphics (unusual for the platform) put this leagues ahead of its CD sequel.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Genjin - PC原人 (AKA: Bonk's Adventure) [HU/CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

CD in the US only. As an aside, that CD is still one of the best values on the console. Hudson's answer to other platforming mascots. This falls in the middle for me, much more enjoyable than any Sonic game on the Genesis but it's no SMB3. Good controls but just what I would call acceptable graphically. A game that no PC Engine owner should be without!

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Genjin 2 - PC原人2 (AKA: Bonk's Revenge) [HU/CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

CD in the US only. Better visually than the first and takes a slightly different approach to gameplay, opening up a bit more and has plenty of secrets to find. Same tight controls and the music is really good. Bonk peaks here. Final note: this is the first game that has made me wish there were half points in the scoring. This is better than PC Genjin but that game isn't a 2 and this isn't a 4.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Genjin 3 - PC原人3 (AKA: Bonk's Big Adventure) [HU/CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

CD in the US only (what a recurring theme!). The weakest of the Bonk games. Why you ask? It's simply too long. The first two will have first time players that are decent clocking in at around an hour while this game is closer to 2. Another issue is that super sizing yourself doesn't really offer anything in regards to gameplay, it's just there to look cool. Going small on the other hand is required for gaining access to some areas. All in all, only play this if you can't get enough caveman in your life.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Pyscho Chaser - サイコチェイサー [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A vertical shooter by... Sting?? The SRPG people? Features a cyborg who moves very slowly and has an agonizingly large hitbox. Stages are long and mean and recovery is a nightmare because of the slow movement, the necessity of speed-ups, and random power-up drops. Though the presentation on this one is an easy winner and it's perhaps worth a go on that front, the afforementioned reasons and slightly poor weapon suite that requires frequent, awkward cycling have me unenthusiastic about a strong recommendation.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY] [ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS [1] (Click Spoiler)]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:20 pm, edited 30 times in total.
~Imagination and memory are but one thing, which for diverse considerations have diverse names~
Image | Image
~*~*~*~*~*~* If there's a place that I could be ~ Then I'd be another memory *~*~*~*~*~*~
User avatar
kitten
Posts: 1102
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2017 1:26 pm
Location: プププランド

Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

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Rayxanber III - ライザンバーIII [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

A horizontal shooter in the vein of the likes of R-Type with a strong organic body horror vibe. Rayxanber III is honestly one of the best-looking games on the entire console, but I find its shooting to be a little bit tepid and filled with long spats of dead air or just going through boring, rotely memorized motions. Its power-ups aren't particularly memorable and it lacks any noteworthy gimmick or the tight execution of design to really put it on the level of better shooters.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Red Alert - レッドアラート (AKA: Last Alert) [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

A free-scrolling shooter from Telenet with some very middling play and an extraordinarily silly and over-the-top presentation. Whether or not you're interested in this one should come after sampling a few other Telenet games and having an idea set for the level of quality you're in for - if an "okay" shooter with a lot of silliness is good enough for you, go for it.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Saigo no Nindou - 最後の忍道 (AKA: Ninja Spirit) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: BIL

Authentically ruthless conversion of a definitive ninja sidescroller. Mechanics and stages are largely, astonishingly faithful. Not quite flawless - the PCB is utter hardcore, so from veteran's perspective, the handful of deviations clang harder than they might've.

Visually respectable, complementing its stubbier sprites with a more videogamey palette than the deliberately austere PCB. Audio is the sole casualty, losing Masahiko Ishida's sinister pulse and crunching SFX. Easily forgiven in an overwhelmingly successful translation. Arcade Mode doesn't reach the PCB's bitterest extremes, but still goes well beyond console restraint. PC Engine Mode's hitpoints and toned-down hordes an admirable inclusion.

[RATING 4/4] [Arcade Mode 1LC + AC BGM Tribute]

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Seirei Senshi Spriggan - 精霊戦士SPRIGGAN [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

One of Compile's greatest masterworks and one of the best games available on the entire system, Seirei Senshi Spriggan is an absolute blast. Gorgeous fantasy visuals, fast-paced and frenetic shooting, and extremely solid base mechanics put this up there in esteem with the likes of Musha Aleste. Its power-up system can take a bit of learning, but provides a great many options and ultimately differentiates it from other Compile shooters in a fun way. Though Compile shooters often lack the bite that more hardcore shooting fans prefer, they tend to be right up my alley and among my favorites.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

A top tier shooter by compile. Looks and sounds great. Has a clever weapon combination system with color based orbs. Having different orbs sets changes your fire and you can eject them to use as a bomb. The difficulty is in just the right spot to where it isn't way too easy like a Star Parodier or PC Denjin but also isn't one of those games that checkpoints you at a spot nearly impossible to clear without power ups either.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Shinobi - 忍 Shinobi [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Jonny2x4

At first glance, PCE Shinobi might seem like an adequate port. The graphics are lifted straight from the coin-op and the controls respond and feel like they should. Unfortunately they took out the gun/sword power-up and your character's close-range attack, ruining the balance of the original. You're left with only the shuriken throw as your only attack besides the one-use ninjutsu skill, which becomes troublesome when dealing with the shielded swordsmen. The entirety of Mission 2 is gone and some of the enemy types are also missing (and replaced by new palette-swapped variants of other enemies). More of a curiosity in this age when there are better options to play Shinobi at home.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Soldier Blade - ソルジャーブレイド [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

If Spriggan is the best CD shooter, I really feel as if Soldier Blade has to easily be the best Hucard shooter. Hudson's caravan shooting pedigree comes to fruition in this title, which is - at least in my opinion - their crowning achievement in both the "Soldier" series and in the genre, altogether. Featuring an incredibly memorable soundtrack, narrative touches like persistent antagonism thoughout the game from the final boss, and gorgeous visuals, the presentation on this one is only matched by how tight & satisfying the shooting mechanics feel. Super easy to pick up and lose a few hours to.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Son Son II - ソンソンII [hucard] [jp]

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Review by: Sumez

Supposedly Capcom were working on a sequel to Black Tiger, but ended up rebranding it as a sequel to Son Son instead. Let's be clear, though, this has nothing to do with the original Son Son, and is a classic action platformer that feels very much at home on the PC Engine, despite relaxing the "arcade" aspects.

Fun, colorful, and well crafted, there's not much to complain about here aside from maybe the game being slightly on the easy side. Stages are open for free exploration, with a few secrets to find, and occasionally requiring you to backtrack or find specific paths to make any progress at all. One stage in particular will loop endlessly in both directions until you figure out how to make your way out.


[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Splatterhouse - スプラッターハウス [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

A superb conversion of Namco's arcade hit, Splatterhouse plays as well on the PC Engine as it does anywhere else, minus a slightly easier difficulty and just a smidge of streamlining (I prefer its music and bits of design, in places!). I feel like Splatterhouse lacks the stage variety to hit quite the watermark of excellence, but this is a hyper-solid action game with a surprisingly generous difficulty curve and haunting atmosphere. Executing this game well feels roughly as good as doing so with a rigid classic like R-Type, but with scrolling action rather than shooting - has a great cinematic flow to it, too!

[RATING 3/4] [1LC & REVIEW]

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Spriggan Mark 2: Re-Terraform Project - スプリガンmark2リ・テラフォーム・プロジェクト [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Ostensibly a sequel to Seirei Senshi Spriggan, Spriggan Mark 2 feels much more like its own game well divorced from its predecessor. Gone is the tight vertical shooting and fantasy setting of the original in favor of horizontal shooting with a much more future-military and cinematic bend to it. Lifebars, weapon loadouts, ammunition limitations - this feels almost like an Assault Suits game minus the excellent mech action. Though the shooting is inarguably quite bland, I enjoyed its presentation enough to be warmer on it than most.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Star Parodier - スターパロジャー (AKA: Fantasy Star Soldier) [CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

This is a game I would put as a must play. It's extremely easy to the point where even someone that doesn't ever 1CC things could 1CC this by accident. Even I have 1LC'd it and I suck. Looks and sounds great. Offers three ships to choose from but I always found using the actual typical Soldier ship to be a little bland and against the point of this game. As such I highly recommend playing through at least once with the PC Engine and Bomberman ships. A bit of a novelty and likely not something to revisit frequently.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Street Fighter II': Champion Edition - ストリートファイターII' [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]
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Review by: it290

Depending on your preferences, SFII:CE may well be the definitive 16-bit SFII port. Graphical fidelity is marginally improved over the Mega Drive port and controls are flawless on a 6-button pad. It's 'only' Champion Edition, but the game is perhaps most playable on the PC Engine, which is a towering achievement for the console. Audio quality suffers in comparison to the SNES, but the themes here don't disappoint when played loud. Although this port is largely undifferentiated from its peers, its technical achievements speak for themselves.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Super Star Soldier - スーパースターソルジャー [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

Commonly lauded as one of the best Hucard games around, Super Star Soldier may not quite hit the top level, for me, but I'd absolutely not disagree with its enthusiasts on it being worth a shot and really quite good. Quality caravan shooting with some highly addictive basic mechanics and a great power-up structure. The game that I think took the Star Soldier series from being a slightly interesting historical footnote eclipsed by Takahashi Meijin's big personality into a franchise well worth remembering.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Takahashi Meijin no Shin Bouken Jima - 高橋名人の新冒険島 (aka: New Adventure Island) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

Easily one of the finest games in its series, though I'm still a bigger fan of the first Super Famicom game and its stellar Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack. More or less a remake of the original game with much of those sensibilities but with refined music, visuals, and design. I've always found the Famicom games a bit too spartan and somewhat lacking, but this one hits the notes it needs to to transcend itself into something much more worthy of attention. Jump, throw axes, ride the skateboard - you know the drill. Makes you wish more of the games in the series had achieved this level of quality.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Terraforming - テラフォーミング (AKA: Syd Mead's Terraforming) [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

Dreadful shooter that might seem catching at first (particularly with Syd's name attached to it), but fails to deliver on almost anything, even quality visuals. Many stages are repetitive visual messes filled with stretches that require no movement whatsoever provided you've maxed out and held down the homing shot button (there's at least one stage that can be completed in its entirety this way), while other stages can be abruptly cruel - but never does it feel balanced or worthwhile.

[RATING 1/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:29 pm, edited 19 times in total.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

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Valis II - ヴァリスII [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

The first Valis game to grace the PC Engine! Its legendarily cheesecakey magical girl presentation & cutscenes often makes it one of the most remarked-upon series on the console. Notably different from the MSX or X68k versions, as it doesn't have equipment menus and features some very different design. Though very frequently considered the roughest of the Valis games on the console, I really feel like once you get over some initial jankiness that this turns into a surprisingly decent & briskly paced action game keen on being played toward a nomiss clear. My personal favorite of the four and with more action than platforming.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Valis III ヴァリスIII [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

Definitely the most popular of the four PCE games, Valis III receives a decent bit of hyperbolic acclaim from diehards and direct comparisons to Akumajou Densetsu/Castlevania 3. However, the game's mechanics are middling at best (some of the platforming is outright awful) and its status as one of the most-recommended PCE games is one of the biggest reasons I initially hesitated getting big into the console, thinking everyone who liked it was stupidly cheesecake-poisoned. It's occasionally solid and definitely has some attractive production value, but this is a tough love and tempered recommendation, not a console standout as some might lead you to believe.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Valis IV ヴァリスIV [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: kitten

Though each of the three other Valis games wormed their way into my heart and generated some real affection despite their severe bumpiness, Valis IV's platforming occasionally dips into such outright kusoge territory that I genuinely outright hate the game. Its story also takes a radical shift from the previous entries after the protagonist spontaneously arrived at godhood following the conclusion of the third entry, so there's little even for those who were buying into that. I cannot stress how infuriating this game becomes at times, and I never felt like I wasn't wrestling with its awkwardly-controlled characters.

[RATING 1/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Veigues Tactical Gladiator - ヴェイグス Tactical Gladiator [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: BIL

Autoscrolling mecha shootdown gallery, a potent Wolf Fang x Panzer Dragoon. Evasion is superbly-judged: [down] pivots your chunky mech in an invincible burnout, with dashes directly chainable for intuitive juking/jockeying. Preemptive positioning preferable to twitch, the onscreen radar aiding tremendously.

Though sound overall, its endgame stage design is slightly overloaded, and may demand rehearsal as chokepoints arise. Continue feature [down/left+Select @ bootup] recommended to smooth out the curve. Could've used more weapons in its upgrade tree, and it lacks the aesthetic chops of a Valken, but its rampant pace and authentic handling make it keenly recommendable to subgenre aficionados.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Winds of Thunder - ウィンズ・オブ・サンダー (AKA: Lords of Thunder) [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: kitten

Though the title, genre, and studio might lead you to believe this is a follow-up to Gate of Thunder, this is actually its own shooter with much more unique play mechanics and pacing (high enemy density, slow-scrolling). Excellent, rockin' music and highly attractive visuals with a warrior player character rather than a spacecraft. Upgrade yourself as you go along by visiting a shop, and kill bosses quickly with a short-ranged short slash rather than just sitting back and blasting them with projectiles. IMHO, this game leaves a bit to be desired after how good Gate was, but its presentation often makes up for that.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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World Court Tennis - プロテニスワールドコート [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Van

World Court Tennis, as you'd expect, is a tennis game. What's interesting about it is that it includes a bizarre JRPG mode where a devil has overthrown the ruler of the tennis kingdom and it's up to you to settle the score (by beating him at tennis). Aside from the battles being tennis matches, it looks and behaves exactly like a conventional JRPG. There's a good amount of appealing strangeness here. All the towns are named after real world cities despite the map bearing no resemblance to Earth. Random encounter NPC portraits seem to be randomized and some are pretty strange looking. You'll get challenged by tennis players in hockey masks and men wearing bald caps over full heads of hair as you walk the arduous journey from Tokyo to London. It's an entertaining novelty and it's short enough that you can finish it before the appeal wears off.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ys I-IIイースI・II [CD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

The hit that started it all. Still my favorite version to this day but bear in mind it is using the bump system so if that's a deal breaker for you don't play this. If not it really is a delight. This is a lot more straightforward than something like Neutopia. Great music, surprisingly alright dub and a brisk play that should run you around 90 minutes for the first game. The 2nd game, which starts immediately after beating the first (sick anime cutscene for a game this old) is a bit long and will likely take over 3 hours.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ys IV The Dawn of YS イースIV -ザ・ドーン・オブ・イース [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

This is more of the same in regards to I-II but longer and not as good. SCORCHING HOT TAKE FROM THE FIRES OF MOUNT DOOM: I like this more than Ys III. To me Oath is the definitive Ys III, with this game it's not so clear. I go back and forth between this and Celceta. Play this if you are a big fan of the series. If you are just looking to "play the hits" this is one you can skip.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Last edited by kitten on Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:21 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

But you already reviewed all the games! :lol: Where should we start?
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

the point of the thread is to compile numerous reviews from everybody - you can review every game i've played, every game i haven't. even if they're similar opinions, i think the reiteration is often worth it, but it's just as valuable if they're contrasting. i've got a lot of 1cc's under my belt, but even still, i have a slant toward quality presentation and a slightly more easygoing credit than most on here, particularly for shooters. i'd ideally like the thread to be of use to both lurkers and forum regs as a resource, and one source for opinions stales things a bit.

discussion is fine, too. the index here on the first page should suitably keep things tidy regardless of how winding talking about the PCE's library might get.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by EmperorIng »

Great thread! You shame me for my lacking the energy to do anything with my CD-focused thread, including a years-ago promised review (takedown?) of the Valis series.

I agree with you in how agonizing and frustrating Valis IV is. I wanted to smash my CD into pieces with so many of its cheap and frustrating deaths. Valis III has a lot of those too (just TRY and beat the last boss after losing a life/your powerups. I dare you!), but it at least has much better level design - a low, low bar to clear. I think the Genesis version is -slightly- better, but both Valis IIIs are about equal imo. Valis IV is highly-polished, beautiful-looking garbage. Having the best soundtrack of the 4 pc engine games can't save it.

Valis II is too barren for me, but there are aspects of it I like. As well, I really enjoy the X68000 game, despite its abysmal physics, collision, and controls. Something about it is just special, ha. :wink:
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

EmperorIng wrote:I agree with you in how agonizing and frustrating Valis IV is. I wanted to smash my CD into pieces with so many of its cheap and frustrating deaths.
i occasionally see people talk IV up, and it genuinely makes me wonder if these people can be communicated with about game design quality or if they're really just total suckers for Sexy Anime Girl and the relatively large amount of content. it's so brazenly the worst game in its series that it boggles the mind how it followed III, which really felt like it was on the right track to shaping the series up enough to finally have a good entry. if you've played super valis IV for the sfc, it's even more drastic a redux than MD valis III and does a lot to make the game much better, but nothing can bring valis out of mediocrity.

this is reminding me i have SD valis and haven't even played it yet...
Valis III has a lot of those too (just TRY and beat the last boss after losing a life/your powerups. I dare you!), but it at least has much better level design - a low, low bar to clear. I think the Genesis version is -slightly- better, but both Valis IIIs are about equal imo. Valis IV is highly-polished, beautiful-looking garbage. Having the best soundtrack of the 4 pc engine games can't save it.
the last boss is bad and definitely noteworthy, but the most incredible part of III, to me, is the stage that's in an... aqueduct? or something? there's this gap you have to cross by freezing and standing on enemies. it's tenuous enough to even figure out how it works, but it goes miles to show how fucking bonkers awful the hitboxing in the game is. you can be standing like nearly a full tile above them, but if you crouch and attack, despite your weapon being NOWHERE near them, you'll kill them, fry the platform you're standing on, and die. i actually took some pics to demonstrate this a couple years back, i forget if i ever posted them on here, but why not post again, anyway -

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^ cham is standing on that thing!!

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^ somehow, that attack hit the thing beneath me! immediately after this is a plummet to instant death.

it's ridiculous! like, really, truly ridiculous. i'm probably never going to do a 1cc of III because of how stupid this segment is, among others. i imagine for someone really bad at action platformers, e.g. your average player who proudly grinds through dozens of credits to narrowly clear castlevania games, the amount of deaths they suffer in a game like this feels normal and they don't know how to tell the design apart. maybe that's why some people love the game so much. but man, so much of the game is full of just unfair or poorly executed bullshit :[

even still, IV is so much worse. i'm not sure i can agree it's beautiful, some of its backgrounds are very.... "uhhhh." the one at this timestamp looks even worse on hardware. i really like a lot of III's visuals, though, there's some serious elbow grease put into a few of the levels.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Jonny2x4 »

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Shinobi - 忍 SHINOBI [HUCARD] [JP]

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Review by: Jonny2x4

At first glance, PCE Shinobi might seem like an adequate port. The graphics are lifted straight from the coin-op and the controls respond and feel like they should. Unfortunately they took out the gun/sword power-up and your character's close-range attack, ruining the balance of the original. You're left with only the shuriken throw as your only attack besides the one-use ninjutsu skill, which becomes troublesome when dealing with the shielded swordsmen. The entirety of Mission 2 is gone and some of the enemy types are also missing (and replaced by new palette-swapped variants of other enemies). More of a curiosity in this age when there are better options to play Shinobi at home.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Last edited by Jonny2x4 on Fri Oct 11, 2019 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

Winds and Gate are 4/4s. I'm not gonna type a review but just throwing that out there.

Spriggan and Soldier Blade are absolute bangers as well so those I agree with.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

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Saigo no Nindou - 最後の忍道 (AKA: Ninja Spirit) [HUCARD] [US OR JP]

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Review by: BIL

Authentically ruthless conversion of a definitive ninja sidescroller. Mechanics and stages are largely, astonishingly faithful. Not quite flawless - the PCB is utter hardcore, so from veteran's perspective, the handful of deviations clang harder than they might've.

Visually respectable, complementing its stubbier sprites with a more videogamey palette than the deliberately austere PCB. Audio is the sole casualty, losing Masahiko Ishida's sinister pulse and crunching SFX. Easily forgiven in an overwhelmingly successful translation. Arcade Mode doesn't reach the PCB's bitterest extremes, but still goes well beyond console restraint. PC Engine Mode's hitpoints and toned-down hordes an admirable inclusion.

[RATING 4/4] [Arcade Mode 1LC + AC BGM Tribute]

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

ty jonny and bil!

jonny, if you could trim your word count on the review (try to get it under 125) a bit i'd appreciate it. or split it into a longer review and just trim the bit for the index (i can link to the longform one). if it's too much work i've already added it, but that's pushing the 100 word soft limit a little far. it's both a super-easy readability thing for casual perusing and pre-emptive limit just in case the thread catches on and the index gets bloated within a year or two.

bil, i look forward to your contributions to this thread a lot! it's probably a good idea to format the replay links like you did with with whether it's a nomiss/1lc or 1cc or just casual replay, too. i'll probably go and edit my own... eventually. this thread was already a lot of work. i still actually need to unprivate my recent hiho densetsu and download nomiss replays, but have been too focused on this thread to give them title/descriptions lol.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Jonny2x4 »

Trimmed down my Shinobi review, might write some for Double Dragon II or the two Downtown Nekketsu games and possibly some stuff I've played a long time ago like Renny Blaster and Kazekiri. How do you feel about reviewing AVGs and RPGs in this thread? I understand most of the people in this forum don't understand Japanese, so I'm not sure if they would be interested in anything that isn't localized or fan-translated.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

^ i think anything is game, and would personally be interested in which rpgs might be playable with minimal understanding or a simple guide. xanadu II looks like something i might be able to squeeze through without knowing a lot and frankly looks great. even if it is totally unplayable to westerners without language comprehension, it's still good for the thread, imho. i at least enjoy reading and playing with the idea i'll learn the language in years to come and play some of this stuff.
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BIL
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

Yeah, I'd definitely be interested too! Always good to get detailed impressions of stuff, regardless of its current translation status. :smile:
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Perikles
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Perikles »

Wanted to quickly commend you fine people for doing this in order to gainsay the veracity of tacent, satis laudant - I'm very much an ignorant of the system outside of the shmups realm, will follow this with keen interest! :)
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Jonny2x4 »

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Double Dragon II: The Revenge - 双截龍 ダブルドラゴンII The Revenge [CD] [JP only]

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Review by: Jonny2x4

Not a direct port of the arcade nor Famicom version, but rather it's another rearranged version that mixes elements from both, while introducing some unique aspects of it own (most notably the graphics and BGM). Not as polished or balanced as the Famicom version, with the platform jumping feeling a bit less precise and the boss characters being as overpowered as their arcade counterparts, which is particularly cheap when you fight the dual stick-wielding Chins, since they're distributed as regular grunts throughout the later stages instead of end-level sub-bosses. It's still a decent version and worth playing if only to watch the cheesy anime-style visual scenes. It's pretty much the closest thing we'll ever get to that Double Dragon OVA that never got made.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

Alright, I'll bite.

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Batman - バットマン [Hucard] [JP only]

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Review by: it290

Outside Ocean's 8bit micro adventures, Sunsoft's Batman for the PCE may be the strangest game to bear the name. It tasks the player with traversing scenes from the 1989 film in a top-down fashion, collecting goal items from the level whilst working against a time limit and respawning foes. These can be stunned with Batarangs and briefly removed from the map ala Pac-Man's ghosts. Maintaining a healthy powerup level is necessary for survival, meaning the game essentially must be completed in one sitting. Compact and pleasurable audiovisually (it shares some tunes with the NES version), the gameplay is unfortunately just not quite as tight as it should be.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Last edited by it290 on Sun Oct 13, 2019 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by FinalBaton »

That's a really good format - and initiative - kitten. Love how all the reviews get ranscribed on the first page of thread.

(btw I love your inclusion of crt pics in this thread and action monogatari one. gives a more organic vibe to the discussion. And also I have a crt fetish soooooo... )
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

it290 - if you could pare the review a little or split it to a short & long one, i'd appreciate it. i don't want to be a broken record in the thread, but you're a little over 150 words and i try to suggest 100. a few of mine spill to around 110 and i don't mind others hitting 125, but i'm trying to keep them short. larger reviews are absolutely welcomed (encouraged!) in regular posts and i can link to them in the index, but the index is meant to keep short.

i'd been interested in getting this batman game, but i can't recall seeing it discussed on here, at all! i enjoy most sunsoft batman games, so i suppose it's inevitable i pick it up, but i guess it's staying a low priority while i get some stuff i'm a little more excitedly after.

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i had no idea the pc engine DD2 was worthwhile, i was actually wondering that very shortly before making this thread lol. a lot more excited to eventually get that one at this point.

also! i added a review for ankoku densetsu, as well as a nomiss recording. it's one of my more pared down runs and should be very instructive, and i find an early health extend i'd not seen any other player find that can make some casual runs a bit easier.

also also! i've been playing the pc engine forgotten worlds with the avenue 3 pad. for people who don't know, the avenue 3 pad is - and i'm fairly certain about this - the only fucking controller for the pc engine that actually works with making the control scheme of this game not awkwardly require you to hit the select button to rotate the other direction. sur de wave (apparently, yes, the company that published lickle and cocoron - oh god, did this thing do poorly and is that why the pc engine cocoron didn't get released? why can't that japanese woman hoarding the prototype just release it to the world aaaaaaa) produced a 3 button controller called the blaster pad that works quite similarly to the avenue 3 pad, but it won't work with the game. this is really weird, because the 3rd button is supposed to just act like a select button on that one and that's what rotates counter clock-wise. it just... doesn't work. the avenue 6 pad won't work with it, either!

maybe there's something i'm just not getting, but i'm pretty sure on this. even with auto-fire turned on in the options, the control scheme is still a bit awkward, too. the middle button becomes the button that fixes your pod in place while you rotate to re-adjust it, and the buttons to the left and right of it rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise, which requires a lot of thumb movement for something you'd rather be doing immediately. i don't know why the hell they didn't just let you reassign buttons in the options or what nonsense is going on with the controls to work the way they do, but whatever. the only thing i can think of is that NEC had an agreement with capcom to have this be the only controller that really worked properly with the game to push sales, but that feels really weird given that the megadrive version had already came out much earlier.

anyway, does anyone have strats for the final boss? specifically on the pc engine version? i watched someone capture play on their PCB, and the homing laser weapon shreds the last boss before the player runs out of health. on the pc engine version, though, most of the homing laser shots miss and it takes like 3 times as long to kill the bastard - try to employ the same strategy and you'll die several times before the boss dies and burn your entire stock. i can't even tell when i'm damaging him, as he only seeeeems to take damage during weird, slightly inscrutable moments after firing a laser blast. you can watch the world of longplays video, but the player is an abject moron save-stating through it and took the one weapon that is broken with the game's autofire option into the fight (lol). i can get a 1cc, but i'd really prefer a more reliable final boss strat to get this down to a nomiss for a recording - the laser spread is extremely hard to avoid and people 1cc'ing the arcade version seem to not even try to avoid it and instead just attrition the boss. i'm thinking about trying some different weapons, tomorrow, and also maybe giving hard mode a spin.

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^^ here's one for baton from the ending
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Perikles »

kitten wrote:anyway, does anyone have strats for the final boss?
There is a sort-of safe spot in the upper right of the screen (pardon the bad quality of the picture, it's the best I could find right now):
Spoiler
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If the guy decides to sit right next to you, it won't work, but he should consistently miss you if he's occupying his spot on the bottom center of the screen for as long as you are in that very position (just try to squeeze as far into it as you can). Don't panic or try to run away if he does come close, just take the hits and wait for him to move away, it should work provided you don't get horrifically unlucky. I doubt you can beat him any other way, he indeed has way too much health.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

i'll try that safe spot, tomorrow, thanks for the heads-up. i can beat him, otherwise, but i always lose at least one life. i change my speed to max just before the fight and mostly just hang in the bottom right corner, zooming up to the top right before he shoots. if i time it right, i actually avoid the shot, but this is dependent on where he is on the screen and his seemingly semi-random firing rate (occasionally i move too soon, and rather than shooting into the corner, he re-adjusts and i take a hit). when am i actually damaging him? is he taking it constantly, or just after firing the lasers? it's so... ambiguous. can i hurt him during the first phase when the leeches are firing?

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edit:

lmfao i just went looking to see if there were some more in-depth strategy on the game anywhere on the forum (didn't get far and didn't find too much) and came across this brilliant thread. it's hard for me to pay attention to anywhere other than one sub-category on the forum but golly i apparently miss out on some funny shit
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

Ah yes, that one! Image I was hallucinating with fatigue after exams but I stand by wot i wrote re FORGOTTEN WORLD v HYPERDUEL Image (THREAD SYNOPSIS: You are now about to witness the strength of TV Tropes knowledge. Turrets shoot a man in his fucking face, and he complains. Image)
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

kitten wrote:it290 - if you could pare the review a little or split it to a short & long one, i'd appreciate it. i don't want to be a broken record in the thread, but you're a little over 150 words and i try to suggest 100. a few of mine spill to around 110 and i don't mind others hitting 125, but i'm trying to keep them short. larger reviews are absolutely welcomed (encouraged!) in regular posts and i can link to them in the index, but the index is meant to keep short.

i'd been interested in getting this batman game, but i can't recall seeing it discussed on here, at all! i enjoy most sunsoft batman games, so i suppose it's inevitable i pick it up, but i guess it's staying a low priority while i get some stuff i'm a little more excitedly after.
Sure — chopped down to 108.

It's actually not a bad game, at all, and is quite a pleasure to look at and listen to; it definitely looks more like the Burton movie than either of its counterparts, it's just that for a game that essentially must be 1cc'd, it's rather long and due to the large character size it's sometimes quite easy to get blindsided by one of the fast-moving enemies (or worse, have them respawn right on top of you). I would like the game a lot more if they zoomed out the camera about 10-15%, and especially if the powerups were removed from the game and the enemies designed around a consistent player power level.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

^ appreciated the nod to the music - looked it up, and although nothing can beat Naoki Kodaka & co's FC soundtrack, the PCE rendition of stage 2's iconic BGM is fucking killer! Love the guttural, gritty sound of the PCE bassline, can totally visualise those battered strings. Wish they'd done stage 4's towering neoclassical inferno in this style, too.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by WelshMegalodon »

kitten wrote:lmfao i just went looking to see if there were some more in-depth strategy on the game anywhere on the forum (didn't get far and didn't find too much) and came across this brilliant thread. it's hard for me to pay attention to anywhere other than one sub-category on the forum but golly i apparently miss out on some funny shit
At the risk of derailing the thread, I still don't get that guy. He seemed obsessing with calling us out for being a bunch of weirdo masochists (we aren't) who enjoy playing games with "outdated" mechanics (that weren't anywhere as ubiquitous as he insists they were). Whether he fancied himself as some wannabe video game Jesus that wanted to spread the good news of babby's first artgame I'll never know. The weirdest thing was how he didn't seem to want to accept that there were other kinds of games besides arcade-style action games in Ye Olde Archaic Times. And his apparent inability to learn how FS-UAE worked.

"I'm just going to ignore facts and spout the inaccurate bullshit I perceive with my confirmation bias guys"
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Indie hipsters: "Arcades are so dead"
Finite Continues? Ain't that some shit.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

I wonder if he ever did try Zanac Neo. On the PCE tip I should've mentioned Soldier Blade too, lets you take hits and take full advantage of Weaponized BOMBAS' awesome body-ramming destructive power, with face-shreddingly coarse explosions as you break battleships the fuck in half. Cute chibi-SERIOUS spaceship aesthetic and HEART-PUMPIN CHOONZ too! (fuck, what a scene on Hard, dogfighting over the valley with heavy transports rolling in and disgorging deadly fighters as fast as you can ram your ship straight through their hulls, before reaching the cliffs to punch through the ground forces)

And when you're done with Normal, Hard actually forces you to L2P with its drifting trap patterns and sharp bullet-blocking Option mechan... wait, where'd he go? OH GOD COME BACK DUDE, NORMAL IS FRIENDLY I PROMISE

But I was wiped out. :sad: Too wiped out to even joke about his wanking fixation being kinda rich coming from a guy in search of an STG that'd lovingly blow him. I mean blow him away! With friendship! Image
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