Funny writing, the actual "classic" games are a blast, the mission system keeps things fresh and omg you get to play with Arino kachou cheering you on ;_;
I don't have much else to say, but I do know there are a couple GCCX fans on the board who would be happy to know the game rocks your socks.
I picked it up on a whim today with almost no prior knowledge of it except that A) the show is cool, and B) I think I remember reading that the DS game got good reviews in Famitsu (8's maybe?). Anyway, I've only played about 30 mins so far, but so far, it's really good! Retro fans will dig it. Hoping the rest of it holds up -- will report back after playing more.
I think it's great except for that stupid Rally King game; it's filled with inside jokes for the NES generation, the presentation and writing style are spot-on, and the games themselves... I mean, to simply create this whole gallery of fully realized retro-games-that-never-were would have been achievement enough, but they put them into this really neat, addictive framework, too. Clever.
Basically the premise is that Arino sends you back in time to the 80's to play games with his kid self, and the entire thing revolves around you sitting in front of the TV with him playing all the "new" (i.e. 80's style retro) games that he buys. It starts off in 1984 and moves forward a few months with each new game (I'm at the end of '86 right now). Arino gives you four challenges per game to clear -- stuff like reaching a certain area or score in the game, or clearing a level with a handicap (i.e. finish a course in a racing game without ever drifting once), etc., and once you clear all the challenges, you unlock the game so you can play it whenever, and then you move on to the next game's challenges.
It's really cute and clever -- the conversations you have with Kid Arino are hilarious, loaded with in-jokes and references to gaming back in the day. You can read each game's manual from cover to cover, and he also brings back new issues of "Game Fan Magazine" every couple of weeks, and you can actually read the mags and look for tips and codes on how to play the games. The mags are awesome -- they have top 5 rankings, letters to the editor, pages that feature the ADs from the TV show, and lots of running gags. For example, the last several issues have been hyping up "Guadia Quest", a big RPG that keeps getting delayed (the publisher keeps promising release dates and then delaying, the magazine ponders if it's ever coming out, etc. etc. -- basically mimicking what happened with Dragon Quest back in the day).
Best of all, the games you actually play aren't half bad! I'll spoiler tag the rest of this, but so far, here's the games I've unlocked:
Game (Publisher) / Release Date
1. Cosmic Gate (TOMATO) / Nov. 8, 1984
Basically a Galaga clone. Really fun though -- the regular stages are a lot like Galaga, and the bonus stages are asteroid shooting segments. You can power up your weapon so every third bullet pierces through multiple enemies, you can unlock warp gates and then destroy them to zip forward several stages, and so on.
2. Karakuri Ninja Haguruman (GEARS) / Sept. 13, 1985
Not sure which game this is parodying since I've obviously never played it, but a basic platformer where you're a ninja who can attack enemies by jumping on them, opening doors on them, and stunning them with ninja stars. Not nearly as fun as Cosmic Gate, but grew to be oddly compelling after a while.
3. Rally King (SimpleSoft) / Nov. 21, 1985
Top-down rally racing game, kinda like a cross between Rally-X and...I dunno, something slightly more complex, heh. Four stages, you can drift, you can also get a speed boost if you're good at drifting, cars take damage and if your health meter runs out you explode and lose, etc. Not bad at all for a retro-styled racer. More fun than Pixel Junk Racers, at least (hah).
4. Star Prince (TOMATO) / June 3, 1986
Total Star Force clone, and a very good one! Several different types of power-ups, that slight background parallax thing that Star Force does, mid-bosses and bosses, and a few secrets too (i.e. if you unlock the letters P R I N C E in any given stage, you get a big bonus at the end of the level).
5. Rally King SP: Cup Chicken Ramen & Contrilla Edition (SimpleSoft) / No Official Date
This is hilarious. One of those "special edition" carts like back in the day -- a sponsored tie-up between Game Fan Magazine and "Cup Chicken Ramen".:lol Contrilla is the name of GFM's mascot chicken, LOL (sounds similar to "Controller" in Japanese). It's got slightly remixed stages from the normal Rally King, and there's Cup Chicken Ramen ads all over the place (including a splash screen after each stage with Contrilla and the words "cheap!" and "tasty!" flashing about).
6. Karakuri Ninja Haguruman 2 (GEARS) / Dec. 10, 1986
Sequel to Karakuri Ninja Haguruman. Similar gameplay, but better graphics, more types of enemies, and larger stages.
And that's what I've unlocked so far. They keep promising Guadia Quest will be out soon, so I'm hoping that's next. Looks like a total DQ clone, so I have a feeling I'll like it.
Anyway, to be fair, this game is very Japanese, but if you like retro games, can read basic Japanese (there's very little kanji, since the two main characters are kids), and you have at least a little knowledge of what gaming was like in the 80's in Japan, I'm pretty sure you'll love this. And of course, if you're a fan of the TV show, it's a must-buy.
I think it's great except for that stupid Rally King game; it's filled with inside jokes for the NES generation, the presentation and writing style are spot-on, and the games themselves... I mean, to simply create this whole gallery of fully realized retro-games-that-never-were would have been achievement enough, but they put them into this really neat, addictive framework, too. Clever.
Hey, Chris... I have a great idea. Why don't you lobby to get Atlus or someone to get the publishing rights for this in the USA and release it under the title "GAME LIFE!". I think you'd make a fine replacement for the game character, and I'm sure the GAFfers could come up with wacky story elements.
I can't see Namco licensing this out to someone else, especially since a couple of the games are obvious rips of their own work. But it'd be nice if they brought it over themselves. With clever writing and a few tweaks to Westernize it a bit, I think it could be really big.
part of me wishes there were more games, but I know this wasn't in development that long. it would be really nice if it peaked with something other than
I'm really tempted to pick this game up, but I'm concerned that the Japanese barrier will create several roadblocks preventing me from getting very far into this. My Japanese language skills are at the beginner-beginner level (can read katakana, and not much else).
The funniest part is the magazine article about Guadia Quest, where it says, "The game has a new release date of December 31, 1986! We are totally confident that we are going to make it!" and then the next issue, it's like, "We were very concerned about the quality. Also, there's a ROM shortage."
The funniest part is the magazine article about Guadia Quest, where it says, "The game has a new release date of December 31, 1986! We are totally confident that we are going to make it!" and then the next issue, it's like, "We were very concerned about the quality. Also, there's a ROM shortage."
Guadia Quest is long, LOL. Probably been playing it for like three hours or so now. My guys are around level 13 and I'm headed to the main (?) dungeon to try and clear the fourth challenge. It's a total DQ parody, only not as slow and plodding. Good times.
How many references does the game actually make to the show? Does it have that guy in it much? I'm hoping it can be localized under a different name, hopefully someone will pick it up if B-Namco doesn't want to bring it over them-selves.
I'm also glad the game seems to be doing well, by the impressions here it sounds like it deserves it.
How many references does the game actually make to the show? Does it have that guy in it much? I'm hoping it can be localized under a different name, hopefully someone will pick it up if B-Namco doesn't want to bring it over them-selves.
I'm also glad the game seems to be doing well, by the impressions here it sounds like it deserves it.
How many references does the game actually make to the show? Does it have that guy in it much? I'm hoping it can be localized under a different name, hopefully someone will pick it up if B-Namco doesn't want to bring it over them-selves.
I'm also glad the game seems to be doing well, by the impressions here it sounds like it deserves it.
Some of the ADs have editorial pages in the magazines. Apart from that, it's just Arino, but he's basically all over the game. Not that he couldn't be replaced easily -- he probably could.
And yeah, his comments are funny, both the voiced ones and the written stuff that takes place whenever you guys are chatting in the game.
Just paused the game while playing the RPG and he asked me if I was going to take a bathroom break, LOL.:lol
I can't see Namco licensing this out to someone else, especially since a couple of the games are obvious rips of their own work. But it'd be nice if they brought it over themselves. With clever writing and a few tweaks to Westernize it a bit, I think it could be really big.
I will so buy three copies of the game if NamcoBandai gets the ZD/EGM license and have young Seanbaby and Mangod playing those games. That would be too awesome but I wouldn't mind getting this game as it is.
I will so buy three copies of the game if NamcoBandai gets the ZD/EGM license and have young Seanbaby and Mangod playing those games. That would be too awesome but I wouldn't mind getting this game as it is.
Karakuri Ninja Haguruman 3. This time it's a completely different style of game -- now the graphics are realistic, and the gameplay is closer to games like Ninja Gaiden or Legend of Kage (kind of a cross between the two, really).
I guess the only thing I'm concerned about is the actual number of games (and my shitty Japanese), but this sounds like it might be a fun one to import anyway. Last year it was JUS and PW2 under the X-Mas tree. Maybe a little Arino this time around?
What a remarkably clever game. About halfway through Guadia Quest I realized that they had just suckered me into playing an RPG. All thoughts of finishing challenges were gone, I was just leveling up and buying crap.
What a remarkably clever game. About halfway through Guadia Quest I realized that they had just suckered me into playing an RPG. All thoughts of finishing challenges were gone, I was just leveling up and buying crap.
It's not a half-assed RPG, either! That demon's dungeon is huge and complex, and the equipment and battle systems actually had some thought put into them. I'm impressed.
I don't think
beating all eight games
will be *too* bad. I already did a couple of them along the way. GQ is probably the longest, but my guys are like level 18 now and I have strong equipment so I think it's possible.
unlocked all the games last night, but i'll definitely have to take more time completing them all (and by that I mean I will wait until someone completes GQ to see how much is left).
I assume is not very gaijin friendly because I keep hearing about missions and magazine news.
OK, people seem over-worried about this. if you just want to unlock and play the games freely, there are already multiple English sources that spell out the challenges for you, and then you can play them whenever the hell you want in either the story or ranking modes. otherwise, yes, you miss out on understanding the cute magazine articles, story dialogue and much of the RPG (but it's a Dragon Quest parody; it's not like having to figure out FFXII or something). it depends on what you want out of it.
sp0rsk said:
Edit: Apparently "haguru" means to turn something over (I see) so maybe he could be "The Flipper" or something.
I think I'm at the final boss of Guadia Quest. Not positive, but he sure looks final boss-ish.
My guys are level 28 but he's still whooping my ass. Time to power level a bit, I guess...
There's no clock but I swear I've been playing this game for 10 hours now, at least. Crazy how huge the dungeons are -- they really packed in a fair bit of content for such a minor part of the overall Game Center CX package.
EDIT: Damn, apparently I'm nowhere near the final boss. Just looked up some info in Japanese and there's at least one more major boss battle after this one, if not more. Crazy!
I hit a wall on Guadia Quest, I am totally lost about what im supposed to do.
reading the translated challenges, the first one says "Reach the "Town of the Farthest Ends" (さいはてのむら）and then save the game", but where is that?
ive just been walking around near the initial town area leveling up so I can complete challenge 2 and 3 easily later on.
I hit a wall on Guadia Quest, I am totally lost about what im supposed to do.
reading the translated challenges, the first one says "Reach the "Town of the Farthest Ends" (さいはてのむら）and then save the game", but where is that?
ive just been walking around near the initial town area leveling up so I can complete challenge 2 and 3 easily later on.
