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My 10 Favorite Games: PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 Edition

Once again, I have to apologize if I'm skipping a platform you love. I did a Commodore 64 list because I owned one back in the day, but I don't feel like I've experienced enough of computers like the Amiga, Spectrum, Apple II, PC-8801, Atari 8-Bit, and so on to make similar lists. Perhaps one day? For now, I'll be trucking along with more familiar turf for me. Following the timeline along, the next console is NEC's PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16. This is going to be a fun one.

As ever, I have a few qualifiers for this list. First of all, this list is only going to cover Hucard releases. I will be doing a separate one for the hefty CD library. I'm only considering games that released during the original retail life of the platform, too. The list is open to games from any region, naturally. Finally, remember that these are my favorite games, not necessarily the ones I would put on a "Best of" list. Let's get to the good stuff!

10. Military Madness

Military Madness is one of those games that often gets brought up in association with the TurboGrafx-16, and it's easy to see why. Much in the same way Advance Wars would do years later, Military Madness made turn-based strategy approachable enough for pretty much anyone to enjoy. Even now, it's a very comfortable game to jump into and play.

9. Bonk's Revenge

Sometimes a sequel does everything it needs to do, and that's Bonk's Revenge. Bonk gets a few new moves, the levels are better designed and have some new gimmicks, and everything just plays a bit tighter. It's a truly outstanding platformer on the console, and I think Bonk actually peaked here.

8. Valkyrie no Densetsu

I'll never understand why Namco never bothered to release this game in the West in any form until it was unceremoniously stuffed into one of the later PlayStation Namco Museum collections. This top-down action-adventure game looks and sounds great, is packed with charm, and feels very unique on the console. It loses a little from the arcade original, but carries itself well enough.

7. Salamander

It's perhaps fitting that Konami ended up owning the rights to much of the PC Engine platform, because it's hard to find a third party that more reliably delivered high-quality hits on the console. Salamander is a port of the arcade game more popularly known in the West as Life Force, and it's another one of those cases that draws a clear line between this machine and what came before. This is a great shooter that offers both vertical and horizontal stages and some really cool stage designs.

6. Dragon's Curse

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is just as sweet by any other name, and that's what Dragon's Curse is. Cursed by an evil dragon, you're trying to regain your human form while also saving the day. Along the way you'll get other forms, each with their own abilities. It's a really good action-adventure game, and this port was probably my favorite until the recent remake.

5. Parodius Da!

Parodius remains my favorite of Konami's various shoot 'em up series, so it's no surprise I would have this solid rendition of Parodius Da! this high up in my list. A couple of levels had to be cut to fit it on a Hucard, but otherwise this captures the charms of Parodius very well. Excellent horizontally-scrolling shooting action, a cheeky and playful sense of humor, and plenty of challenge.

4. R-Type

Look, when I'm honest with myself I know it wouldn't have made a difference, but I sometimes wonder how the TurboGrafx-16 might have fared in North America if this had been the pack-in instead of Keith Courage. This is an exceptionally good port of Irem's arcade hit, which itself is one of the finest horizontal shooters ever made. A very different kind of challenge, with some awesome set pieces and the versatile Force power-up.

3. Alien Crush

It's not hard to make a half-decent video game rendition of pinball, but making a great one is a very difficult task indeed. Riding the line between a realistic simulation and breaking the rules in a way you only can in a video game space is a real balancing act. Alien Crush does a spectacular job of it, with a cool theme, a strong board design, and reliable physics. What more could you want?

2. Devil's Crush

Devil's Crush somehow manages to one-up Alien Crush. This time it uses a demonic theme, and the table design is even wilder. That's really what gives this game the edge over its predecessor. There are so many interesting facets to discover, and it gives the scoring game a lot of life. The presentation is excellent as well. Easily one of my favorite video game pinball games.

1. Blazing Lazers

On a console full of sensational shoot 'em ups, Blazing Lazers somehow manages to be the one I like the most. I think there are other shooters with better design on paper, but in practice Blazing Lazers is so much fun I can't deny it. It just feels good to play, from the basic controls to the power-ups to the enemy patterns and more. The fact that it's a PC Engine original also gives it a little extra boost over some of the arcade ports. There's no better version of Blazing Lazers, and it's a great reason to dive into this console's library.

And that's my list. What are your favorite TurboGrafx Hucard games? I'd love to know, if you feel like sharing. Remember, you can find an expanded 25 Favorites version of this article over on my Patreon. Subscribe for just $1/month and you can read that and many other articles! As always, thanks for reading!

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My 10 Favorite Games: Commodore 64 Edition

I perhaps don't talk about it as much as I should, but the first thing I had in my home that was capable of playing video games was a Commodore 64 computer. We got one when the price had hit near rock-bottom, and while I really wanted an NES or even a Master System, I was appreciative for what I had. It's with the C64 that I discovered my love of RPGs, and also learned the valuable lesson that the same game could be very different on different platforms. This list more than most will be extremely coded to my personal tastes, and you can and should expect a lot of RPGs.

The C64 library is massive and most people who owned one probably only experienced a fraction of it. Throwing an additional wrench into the works, the library that North Americans and Europeans were exposed to had relatively little overlap. The platform simply occupied different positions in different places. This might be a very odd list from the point of view of my European readers as a result. Remember, these are my favorite games, not necessarily the ones I would put on a "Best of" list. Let's go!

10. Space Taxi

Before taxis were Crazy, they were Space. I enjoyed a lot of fixed-screen action games on the Commodore 64, and this one really stood out with its creative set-up. You pick up the passengers, fly your taxi to the platform they want to go to, then pick up someone else. Repeat until it's time to go to the next stage. Challenging and clever.

9. Lode Runner

This game fascinated me as a kid and I still have a lot of respect for it. Staying away from the enemy robots takes some effort, but you need to keep your wits about you because one wrong step or dig can end things in a hurry. You also get a level editor to mess around with, which can be fun if you have friends to spring your creations on. This game is on many platforms, but the C64 version will always be mine.

8. Maniac Mansion

Adventure games could be pretty rough during the years the Commodore 64 was most active. Lucasarts ended up changing the genre in a big way, and Maniac Mansion is at least a step towards that pivot. The sense of humor, variety of solutions depending on the kids you chose at the start, and relatively fair puzzles made this my favorite adventure game on the platform.

7. Sid Meier's Pirates!

It's amazing what some games were able to accomplish with such limited resources. Pirates probably won't wow people with its visuals these days, but the world it creates is more alive than most open worlds. Sail the seas, get into misadventures, and live that pirate's life. I can have a good time with this game every time I play it, and no two games go quite the same way.

6. Curse of the Azure Bonds

The Goldbox RPGs from SSI were all really great, but I think the first few were the best of the bunch. Curse of the Azure Bonds followed up on the first game quite well, continuing the adventures in the Forgotten Realms. You get both first-person exploration and turn-based tactical battles, a combination that did a nice job of covering the Dungeons & Dragons bases.

5. The Magic Candle

There were surprisingly few games on the Commodore 64 that attempted to knock off Ultima with any real effort, and fewer still ended up making anything decent. The Magic Candle was the best of lot, even bringing in some interesting ideas of its own like letting you split your party to take on multiple objectives at once. The sequels were also interesting, but I like this first entry best.

4. Pool of Radiance

Pool of Radiance is an excellent RPG, one that kicked off a run of high-quality games in the genre from SSI. I hit on this a little bit in the entry for Curse of the Azure Bonds, but these games really do feel like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign in video game form. Excellent exploration, interesting puzzles, and challenging battles make for a truly awesome game.

3. Ultimate Wizard

Time to break up the RPGs and strategy games a little. Ultimate Wizard has a Jumpman-like quality, but it builds on the concept in some very big ways. Lots of great platforming with a magical twist, plus a level creator to keep the good times rolling after you've already finished all of the pre-built levels. It's unfortunate this is part of the Electronic Arts dragon hoard, because I can't imagine any reality where it remembers it owns this and puts it back out there.

2. Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny

This is one of those cases where if you ask me on any given day I might swap where these two games rank on my list. Today, Ultima V comes in second place. Ultima IV was not an easy act to follow, and not only does this fifth game carry itself well, it manages to raise even more interesting questions. This is about as far as the Commodore 64 could handle this series, if you ask me. I like to think this is how it went out on C64, rather than the ambitious yet flawed attempt at Ultima VI.

1. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar is one of the games that made me love video games, and one that made me love RPGs in particular. Sure, video games were always fun. But Ultima IV showed me that games could be more than just "fun". This was a game that had the courage to ask the player to do more than just kill, to truly role play as something other than a berserk warrior. There's a very clear before/after line for me with this hobby, and my first time playing Ultima IV sits very near to it. You still don't see many games like this one.

And that's my list. What are your favorite Commodore 64 games? I'd love to know, if you feel like sharing. If you decide to comment, also throw in what general region of the world you hail from if you don't mind. I'm always curious how the Commodore was enjoyed in different places. As usual, you can find an expanded top 25 version of this list on my Patreon site. Just a buck a month gets you access to that article and hundreds of others. Thanks for reading!

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‘Arcade Archives Ryukyu’ Review

I sure do love those Arcade Archives releases from Hamster. I grab old favorites or games I’d heard about in the past and wanted to try, plus pretty much every game that ends up discounted during sales. Every once in a while, a game I know nothing about shows up. If it seems interesting, I’ll often take the punt. That’s what I did this week with the latest release, Ryukyu.

This game apparently saw release on Japanese home computers first, developed by ASCII and Login Soft. It then got ported to the SEGA System-16 arcade hardware by Success in 1990, again only in Japan. It finally made its way to the West via a Game Gear port of all things, under the name Solitaire Poker. That version was developed by Face and published overseas by SEGA itself.

The name Ryukyu refers to the Ryukyu Islands, now known as Okinawa. The whole game is draped in elements of that culture from the music to the imagery, though I’ll admit I’m somewhat puzzled what connection the gameplay has to the region. It’s a falling block puzzler, no doubt inspired by the success of Tetris. But it’s a poker-themed falling block puzzler, and that’s kind of odd.

The playfield is a five by five grid, and your goal is to put together the best poker hands you can across the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines. Each hand is worth a specific number of points, and each stage has a threshold you need to cross to clear it. The cards are drawn from a standard four-suit deck, with one Joker serving as a wild card. It’s called a Ryukyu card here, however. The fifty-three cards are separated into four piles, and you can only grab the top card from each. You can see the next couple of cards coming up in each pile, as well as the number of cards remaining. It can help out if you’re trying to set things up.

There are a few twists here, though. Make a valid hand across all possible lines and the next stage will have a special row or column. Whatever hand you play there will have a point modifier applied. If you play four of the same number in each corner of the field, every single space of the next stage’s field will have that bonus in effect. If you stick the Ryukyu card in the center spot, you’ll be able to see where in the deck the Ryukyu card is located when you play the next stage.

There’s also a special fortune game after even-numbered stages, or after you continue. You draw a fortune that can earn you extra points and/or bonus lines in the next round. You really need to take advantage of all of these bonuses if you want to get a good score and keep progressing. Otherwise you are relying rather heavily on luck of the draw, and that can be vexing at times.

I think there is a little too much luck at play in Ryukyu, but once I got the hang of setting up those bonus lines things got a more enjoyable. The pace is a bit slower than the usual game of this sort, since you have a fair bit of time to choose and drop each card. That, along with the unusual theme, gives the game a distinct flavor. I don’t think it’s quite on the level of a must-have, and if you don’t know poker hands well then you’ll have some studying to do. But it’s interesting to poke at if you enjoy falling block puzzlers, and it’s certainly a game that rewards patience. I’m not unhappy I bought it.

Do note that since this version only released in Japan back in the day, many elements in the game are only presented in Japanese. You should be able to sort the functions of things out though, even if you can’t understand the literal meaning.

Switch Score: 3.5/5

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My 10 Favorite Games: Intellivision Edition

Okay, let me say this one up-front: I apologize to all the Colecovision fans out there, but I won't be doing a list like this for that console. I just don't have enough experience with it. The next list will be the Commodore 64. Anyway, the Intellivision. It's a rather neat console, one that had a rollercoaster life. As a would-be rival to the Atari 2600, it brought the requisite sports and arcade ports to the fight. But it also tried to do a little more, incorporating ideas from more complex home computer games to try to create deeper experiences. That makes for a library with a lot of room for discussion. Remember, these are my favorite games, not necessarily the ones I would put on a "Best of" list. Let's go!

10. Beauty & the Beast

Imagic really knew its way around the Intellivision, and Beauty & the Beast is a good example of that. It's clearly a spin on Nintendo's Donkey Kong, but it feels different enough to not come off as a rip-off. You didn't see a lot of decent games in this style on the Intellivision, with even the port of Donkey Kong being rather lacking. The presentation is sharp, too.

9. Thunder Castle

This is a deceptively clever game. When you boil it down, this is very much in the Pac-Man genre. You're a squishy character trying to avoid being killed by roaming monsters in single-screen mazes, after all. Each stage has a thing you have to touch to temporarily give yourself the power to vanquish your foes. There are other items to grab, too. Wrap it all up in some very nice graphics and audio and you've got a winner.

8. Atlantis

Atlantis is a cool variation on Missile Command anywhere you play it, but you can tell this Intellivision version got a little extra love. It looks good, plays well, and the challenge ramps up really nicely. A lot of Imagic's games are obviously inspired by hits from other companies, but to its credit the results were usually very good.

7. Dig Dug

One thing I'm reminding myself of as I make these lists is that Dig Dug had a really good track record with its home console ports. The disc controller is again a bit problematic here, but otherwise this is an excellent port of Namco's arcade classic. A person could play this for a while. I know I did.

6. Demon Attack

This is the best fixed-screen shooting game on the Intellivision, if you ask me. The presentation of this one really shows what the Intellivision was good at (detailed backgrounds) and less good at (detailed sprites), but the gameplay is what matters and it's excellent.

5. Pac-Man

Wow, this is a great port of Pac-Man for the era. It plays very similarly to the arcade, mostly looks the part, and generally makes that Atari 2600 version look really bad. Which is amusing, because this port comes from Atari itself. Anyway, Pac-Man is awesome and this is a very good version of it.

4. River Raid

You can't go wrong with River Raid on any platform, a statement I am throwing out there without trying River Raid on every platform. I like this game quite a bit, and this Intellivision version has some extra detail and a few small twists on the gameplay. It's kind of cool how you can fly over land as long as you don't hit a tree in this version. That makes a lot of sense. At the very least, you can't go wrong with this version of the game.

3. Defender

Here it is, the best shooter on the Intellivision. It's a very good port of Defender, one that maintains all the speed and slick gameplay of its arcade counterpart. Things even blow up well here. I'll grant this is another case where you likely wouldn't play this version of the game in the current year, but if you're looking at things in the context of the Intellivision library I think it shines.

2. Pitfall

Well, it's Pitfall. There's no much separating this one from the Atari 2600 original, for better or worse. Swing from vines, jump on crocodile heads, grab treasure, and try to do it all within the time limit. It's considered a legendary game for good reason, particularly if you set yourself to properly finishing it.

1. Tower of Doom

This is really something. Tower of Doom is something we would probably recognize as a roguelite game these days, but you can also stick it in the action-adventure box if you'd prefer. Explore procedurally-generated dungeon levels, grabbing randomized loot and battling monsters. A very cool game that I never really get tired of playing. Games like this are rare gems indeed for consoles of the Intellivision's vintage.

And that's my list. What are your favorite Intellivision games? I'd love to know, if you feel like sharing. If you want to see the full 25 Favorites version of this article, you can find it on my Patreon. There are tons of other exclusive articles to enjoy on there too, all for as low as a single dollar a month! Wow, what a deal! Sales pitch over, thanks for reading!

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Get 30% Off 10 Namco Arcade Archives Games in Hamster's Namco Month Sale

I know, I don't really do news here all that much these days. Still, I like to mention these Arcade Archives sales just because they're somewhat rare and easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. For the last few years, Hamster has dedicated the month of May to Namco. That usually translates to some highly-requested releases and a sale on some games, and 2025 is following suit. Many of these have been on sale before, but it's still worth having a look. As usual, you get 30% off the standard price. Ten games are included, and the sale applies to both PlayStation 4/5 and Nintendo Switch. Let's check out the list of games.

Pac-Man

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum for Switch, Pac-Man Museum+)

I feel silly writing another short paragraph about Pac-Man. It’s still Pac-Man. You still know Pac-Man. It’s one of the most famous games of all-time. Did you miss Pac-Man last time? Do you want Pac-Man now? Here is Pac-Man.

Mappy

Mappy is a really cool game that I never have a bad time playing. Staying one step ahead of the cats while trying to maximize your score is a nice challenge, and Namco as usual packs a lot of personality into the affair.

Dragon Spirit

As a shooter, Dragon Spirit only modestly builds on the mechanics seen in Xevious. But this game has both a really appealing premise and an excellent presentation that help bump it up a notch. If you like dragons or old metal album covers, it's worth picking up.

Gaplus

You would think the follow-up to a huge hit like Galaga would be more well-known, but Gaplus more or less swooped in under the radar back in the day. The new gimmick here is the ability to capture enemy ships and have them fight on your side. I love it.

Pac-Land

(Also Seen In: Pac-Man Museum+)

Some games are more influential than good, and I fear Pac-Land might be one of those. Nevertheless, there's a lot of charm in this early side-scrolling platformer. Note that this is the version where Ms. Pac-Man and Junior have been replaced by Pac-Mom and Pac-Baby. I wouldn't call this one essential, but for some people it will be very nostalgic.

Dragon Buster

Now this is a seriously janky game, and I can't decide if it's in a good way or a bad way. I have a lot of affection for Dragon Buster and its modestly adventurous action, but I can see some people being entirely put off by the way pretty much every enemy bounces you around. If you're going to get it, getting it on sale might be best.

Dig Dug

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum for Switch)

I imagine you need a paragraph explaining Dig Dug only slightly more than you needed one for Pac-Man. It's Dig Dug, it's great. Dig around, inflate some monsters until they pop, and maybe drop some rocks on them. Eat any underground food you find. It's a living.

Ordyne

A cute side-scrolling shooter that has a lot of dedicated fans. Nothing too weird about this one in terms of mechanics. It's one of those games where you collect currency and buy upgrades from shops. Worth a go if you like the genre, but if you're not particularly interested in shooters Ordyne isn't going to change your mind.

The Genji and the Heike Clans

A clunky but highly cinematic side-scrolling action game with multiple modes of play. I'm not a huge fan of this game but I can't deny that BIG MODE has some real impact. To me it's more of a historical curiosity than a game I actually want to play all that often.

Youkai Douchuki

An oddball side-scrolling platformer about a little dude battling his way through hordes of creatures in various hellscapes in order to meet the Buddha and learn his ultimate fate. Beat enemies, earn money, buy items. There are five different endings, which is neat. Not a bad little game, even if it's nothing to go running down the street shouting about.

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'I, Robot' Switch Review

This is a Jeff Minter game for people who like Jeff Minter games. I'm saying that because I think whatever else Jeff Minter's games do, whether they be originals or remakes or reimaginings, they are first and foremost in the Jeff Minter genre. Have you enjoyed a Jeff Minter game before? Then you will probably enjoy I, Robot well enough. It has the psychedelic imagery. It has braying farm animals. Random words sometimes appear while you're playing. Even though the main game doesn't have much to do with Tempest, sometimes you're playing Tempest anyway. Well, the original game was made by Tempest's creator Dave Theurer, so that part makes some sense.

I'm a little bit torn about this, as usual. On the one hand, if you're going to revisit an old concept, you might as well put a new spin on it. The classic I, Robot arcade game used to be hard to come by officially, but it's readily available now via Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. It holds up perfectly well. So sure, let's see something new. On the other hand, I'm not in love with the particular way that Minter's style tends to flatten out any concept it's applied to. It's cool that he has such a distinctive aesthetic, but it sometimes feels like the video game equivalent of pouring ketchup on whatever you're eating. It just makes everything taste like ketchup.

But sometimes ketchup actually goes well with the food, doesn't it? Yes, nothing is going to work if you just don't like ketchup at all, but for many people a hamburger or scrambled eggs call out for the ol' red sugar-vinegar. After chewing it around in my brain for a while, I suppose I have to admit that I, Robot might be the right dish to flavor with some Minter. A twisted take on Red Light, Green Light, this is a game that has always relied on generating paranoia and tension in the player. Minter's shtick is as well-suited for enhancing that as anything can be.

In I, Robot, you need to step on every space on each stage to paint it, Q*Bert-style. As you go about this work, a giant eye watches over you, opening and closing. There are many nuances to the gameplay, but the most important rule is that you must never jump while the eye is open. If you do, it will eradicate you on the spot. Naturally as the stages go on, you will find more reasons to jump. You never quite know when the eye will open, and it's not unusual to find yourself in a tight spot while you wait for it to close again. So it goes in this reimagined version, but with a much trippier, more nightmarish eye and some new twists to complicate things.

There's even a fun little nod to the original game's drawing mode Doodle City, which basically let you mess around making 3D art for your coin instead of playing the game. It was called an "ungame", and there is an ungame mode in Minter's I, Robot as well. It feels like a variant on Minter's popular music visualizer programs, allowing you to cycle some patterns as the colors swirl around. It's a very Minter thing to include and I think it will go over well with his fans. I guess you could say that about this new I, Robot as a whole.

I'm not sure if fans of the original I, Robot will like this better than the original game, but it's worth checking out for them. Those who like Jeff Minter's works will find this latest one to their liking, without a doubt. If you're new to all of this and want to dip your toe in, you might be better off with the more straightforward stylings of Tempest 4000. And if you're tired of Minter ketchup on your Atari meals, then I probably won't surprise you by suggesting this is not likely change your mind about that combination.

Switch Score: 4/5

I, Robot costs $14.99+ and is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and PC via Steam. A review code was provided by the publisher.

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'Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director's Cut' Switch Review

Before I get into this, I should mention that I haven't had the opportunity to play the original version of Nikoderiko: The Magical World. That means I can't speak to the differences, so I'll just cite what I was told here. The Director's Cut apparently offers "all-new levels, more treasures, and new challenges to master in Hard Mode". If you played the original game, your progress will carry over to this one. So there you go. That's as much as I can say about any of that. I'll now proceed to review what's here.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World feels like it was put together by people who couldn't pick between Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot and decided to just have both. Sometimes the game is played on a fixed 2D plane, and at those times it's very much like Donkey Kong Country both in how it moves and the way the levels are designed. But then at other times you'll be able to move into or out of the screen, and things transition into Crash-style platforming in a frighteningly seamless fashion.

Indeed, it's almost too much like those games. I think the design of the main character contributes to this, but Nikoderiko never really feels like it's own game. Its impressions of those other franchises are solid and that's worth a tip of the hat to be sure, but it's so wrapped up in doing so that it rarely gets to its own material. I think that's the deciding factor here. Do you need a game to be original? If that's not a big concern and you enjoy Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot, then you'll probably have a good time going through this game and collecting all the goodies hidden throughout each stage.

With all that said, I should note that there are some performance issues with the Nintendo Switch version I played for this review. The loading times are lengthy, though I suppose we're all used to that by now. While things generally ran smoothly, there were definitely times where the framerate slipped. That's not something you want in a game like this, ideally. This is an aspect where I wish I had played the original release to know if this was improved in the Director's Cut. Again, it's usually not too bad but the times where it's likely to have issues are when things are already plenty intense. The two-player co-op mode had slightly more frequent issues of this nature.

For that reason I would recommend playing this on a more powerful platform if you have the option. If you think can tolerate some performance hiccups and some long loads, then you could have a decent enough time with the Nintendo Switch version of Nikoderiko: The Magical World. The game as a whole leaves me with an odd feeling. As an homage, it's rather competent. I don't know how I feel about how much of a clone it is, though. Perhaps one could argue that biting off two things and gluing them together is doing something new. I don't think we're getting a new Donkey Kong Country game anytime soon, so at the very least this is likely of interest to fans.

Switch Score: 3.5/5

Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director's Cut costs $29.99 and is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. A review code was provided by the publisher.

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My 10 Favorite Games: Atari 2600 Edition

Okay, time to roll back to the start for these. I'm not going to do every system because I don't feel strongly enough to even have a list of favorites for some of them. Despite the Atari 2600 being a couple of years before my time, I have had lots of experience with it over the years. I know my way around the library enough for today's purposes, anyway. As usual, I'll list my favorite games on the console along with a short bit of text. Those favorites might not be what I would consider the best ones if I were trying to make such a list, so be prepared for that.

I've once again stuck to games released during the system's original years on the market, so no homebrew games and none of those new Atari releases. Let's get to the list!

10. H.E.R.O.

Activision's run on the Atari 2600 was legendary, and H.E.R.O. is one of its best on the platform. Your goal in each stage is to make your way to the bottom of the cave and rescue the person there. Between bombs, lasers, a jetpack, and an assortment of obstacles, this game has a lot of interesting elements to its gameplay.

9. Pitfall

Pitfall's legacy can't be overstated, but it's still a very good game all on its own. You can enjoy it as a simple run, jump, and swing game, but it's when you try to collect all the treasures within the time limit that you really appreciate the game's design.

8. Ms. Pac-Man

The Atari 2600 port of the original Pac-Man is infamous for its many issues, which might lead one to think the console just can't do the concept justice. Homebrew developers have long since proven that false, but even back in the day this port of Ms. Pac-Man showed that the 2600 could do a great Pac-game.

7. Dig Dug

This is a miracle port, as far as I'm concerned. Dig Dug's arcade hardware was well beyond what the Atari 2600 could do, and this version isn't going to fool anyone with its looks. But in terms of gameplay and how it sounds, this really gets it done. A fine version of a great game.

6. Missile Command

If this list was down to which games I played the most, Missile Command would be second only to… well, the game at the third-place position. This port makes some sensible compromises while preserving the heart of the experience, and unlike a lot of ports of arcade games that used non-standard controls, Missile Command works fine on a stick.

5. Keystone Kapers

Yes, I like Keystone Kapers more than Pitfall. What can I say? I like the flow of it. Chase down the robber while vaulting over shopping carts and ducking under toy planes, among many other fun obstacles. It looks and sounds terrific, too.

4. Pitfall II: Lost Caverns

Now this is an incredibly ambitious game for the system. Take the basic mechanics of Pitfall and apply them to an exploratory open-world adventure, and you've got Pitfall II. You even get some background music that speeds up or slows down based on how you're doing.

3. Yars' Revenge

I love Yars' Revenge. Sometimes I consider it my favorite game on the platform. It's simple enough to pick up and enjoy when you only have a few minutes, but there are a lot of satisfying layers to its mechanics. Its presentation is distinctive and feels 2600-core in a way few other games offer.

2. Solaris

Another game that tries to do a lot and somehow pulls it off. Solaris is a space adventure that pushes the system visually and provides depth that few other 2600 games offer. The first time I played this, I couldn't believe it was a 2600 game. A real masterpiece.

1. Adventure

Whenever I find myself wanting to play the 2600, Adventure is more often than not the game I turn to first. The first mode is little more than a tutorial for the more fully featured second and third modes, with the latter taking on an almost roguelike quality. There are many reasons this game is celebrated, but its value isn't limited to its influence by any means.

And that's my list. What are your favorite Atari 2600 games? I'd love to know, if you feel like sharing. There are tons of games so I suspect everyone's list would look quite different from the next. You can find a bigger list containing my 25 favorite Atari 2600 games can be found on my Patreon. Thanks for reading!

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'Breakout Beyond' Switch Review

There's a whole story behind this latest release from Atari, but it's not one that really matters all that much in the end. The short version is that Breakout Beyond was originally planned as a title for the ill-fated Amico console. Like many games announced for the Amico, it fell off the map as it became apparent the whole thing was going ca-ca. Some of those games have since popped up in various ways, with Breakout Beyond rescued by Atari itself. It's not public knowledge how far along it was in its Amico form before being put on the back-burner so I can't begin to guess the extent to which this finished game resembles the original plan. That's the last I'll speak of this messy part of Breakout Beyond. Let's talk about the game.

The developer of Breakout Beyond is Choice Provisions, best known for the Bit.Trip series of stylish action games. Similar to games like Shatter or Choice Provisions' own Bit.Trip Beat, Breakout Beyond turns the usual vertical well on its side. Otherwise, the broad gameplay mechanics are familiar. You've got a paddle, a ball, and some bricks to break. The game is broken up into seventy-two stages, and your goal in each of them is to bust through the walls until you reach the goal and… break out. There's a target time for each, and you're naturally encouraged to pump your score as high as possible. Oh, and you have a limited number of balls to do this with. Let too many of them past your paddle, and you're done.

Fans of brick-breakers would probably be satisfied enough with just that, but there's a bit more going on here. First, you're building up a combo that cranks up your score. Hitting the ball back a few times will charge it up, too. But if things get going too fast and you need a little help, you can activate a slowdown that sucks away your combo and score as you hold down the button. Taking a page from Arkanoid (and why shouldn't it), there are also power-up bricks you can break. There are several different kinds, and you can have multiple power-ups active at once.

Besides the main seventy-two stages, there's also an unlockable endless mode with its own online leaderboard. That's meant to keep you going if you get tired of replaying the pre-built stages, and it does a decent job of it. There's also a co-op mode if you feel like pulling in a friend to help you out. As you would expect from this developer, everything is done up with a lot of style, too. The action feels like it's making a beat of its own, with the sound effects serving as a huge part of the soundtrack. The UI is simple yet slick, and the graphics are effects-heavy but still easy to read.

The only real problem with Breakout Beyond is in the controls. Playing games like this without a paddle controller is always hit or miss, and I wish there was an option to use touch controls here for a bit more precision. You can adjust the sensitivity of the paddle, but when things are moving fast it's really hard to reliably get it where you want it to be. I've played a lot worse on the Switch in this regard, but I've also played better.

Breakout Beyond is an easy game to review. First of all, if you don't like brick breakers then you can just give it a pass. It's not trying to be anything more than that. If you do enjoy the genre, I can give this a relatively solid recommendation. I don't think it plays quite as well as Shatter, and it doesn't offer as much bang for your buck. But it's good enough on its own merits, and it certainly gives you plenty to do. Atari fans should definitely pick it up, as it's full of fun references like many recent Atari games tend to be.

Switch Score: 3.5/5

Breakout Beyond costs $14.99 and is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, Atari VCS, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. A review code was provided by the publisher.

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My 10 Favorite Games: Atari 7800 Edition

Okay, let's finish this particular console generation up before I move back to the earlier consoles. The Atari 7800 wasn't much of a success anywhere. There are a lot of reasons for that, but this isn't the place to litigate history. No, it's the place where I rank my favorite (not necessarily the best) games on a console. I also write a very little bit about each game, but only a little bit. We'd be here all day otherwise.

This console did present an interesting dilemma for me. It's still getting new official releases. Atari has been putting out new Atari 2600 and 7800 games in recent years, and that's kind of weird. I've made the executive decision not to include those new games in my consideration, mostly because I haven't played them. That leaves us with the original selection of fifty-eight games, meaning this list comprises around one-sixth of the entire library. Well, let's get to it.

10. Commando

This is a surprisingly good port of Capcom's arcade game. It looks good, surprisingly sounds good, and it plays really well. If you liked Commando in the arcades, this would have been a great way to play it at home. Another game that shows what the 7800 can do quite nicely.

9. Ninja Golf

If I judged Ninja Golf by my first few games of it that I played, it would be a solid contender for the number one spot. The novelty value on this bizarre beat 'em up/golf hybrid is off the charts. It loses a bit of its shine after a while, but remains a silly and highly enjoyable game that is emblematic of the console.

8. Dig Dug

The Atari 7800 pulls off a very good port of Namco's game of digging and pumping. The audio takes a hit, but otherwise you'll have as much fun here as you will with any other decent port of the game from the time. I like the original arcade version of Dig Dug a lot, and I like this port too.

7. Joust

If you want to play a mean game of Joust, the Atari 7800 is a great way to do that. I know some serious Joust fans and while I'm not quite as big on the game as some of them, I like it a lot. This version is very faithful to the arcade game and keeps me coming back again and again to try to top my best score.

6. Ballblazer

I don't use this word a lot with Atari 7800 games released during its original time on the market, but Ballblazer really is impressive. Its visuals are smooth, fast, and ambitious. The audio is excellent thanks to the inclusion of a POKEY sound chip in the cartridge. It's a bit simple from a gameplay perspective, but it works.

5. Galaga

Regular readers know I have a lot of nostalgia for Galaga since it's one of the first games I remember playing. It was an ancient game by the time the Atari 7800 properly released, so it's not that surprising that the port is sound. It's a bit weird how one wave immediately picks up from the next, but it doesn't hurt the game any. Yes, I like it.

4. Ms. Pac-Man

GCC did this port of Ms. Pac-Man. GCC also created the Atari 7800 hardware. Oh, and GCC was the original creator of Ms. Pac-Man in the arcades. Hacker? I don't know how to accurately describe that whole thing. Basically, there were no hands more capable for porting this superb game, and it shows. The screen has to be squished a bit vertically, but everything is here and it plays great.

3. Xevious

In terms of pure sentiment, I like Galaga better than Xevious. But if I have to pick one of the two to play on the Atari 7800, I'll give Xevious the narrow edge. It's a lot of fun, and the console handles it well. It can be a little tough to parse everything at times due to the chunky pixels, but generally speaking this game is a blast.

2. Robotron 2084

Wow! Now this is pod racing! Sure, Robotron 2084 was a little long in the tooth by this point, but there was no good console port of the game yet by this point. The 7800 has the necessary sprite-pushing power to properly render the tense action, and you can even use a pair of joysticks for proper twin-stick action. I can play this game for hours on end, and this 7800 port does the job extremely well.

1. Food Fight

Honestly, I continuously waffle between this and Robotron when it comes to picking my absolute favorite game on the 7800. Something about Food Fight just feels more emblematic of the console, so I'm giving it the nod here. A great top-down shooter with a fun premise. I like it even better here than in its original arcade form.

And that's my Atari 7800 list. What are your favorite games on this machine? By the way, if I were including homebrew and/or new releases, number one on the list would be Rikki & Vikki. Just wanted to put that out there for the record. Go play it. You can buy it on Steam.

Like usual, you can find an expanded list of 25 games on my Patreon. You can access it and hundreds of other exclusive articles for just a buck a month. In fact, I just put my favorite 25 Atari 2600 games up there today. Either way, thanks for reading!

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Review: EGGCONSOLE How Many Robot PC-8801mkIISR

I’ve had some requests to cover D4Enterprise’s EGGCONSOLE releases like I used to at TouchArcade. It does seem as though there isn’t much out there about them a lot of the time, and I pick up each release anyway. So let’s do that that little thing. I’ll start with the most recent release and work my way back while also staying on top of whatever new releases come. Today’s game is…

How Many Robot

Originally released in 1988 by Artdink

How Many Robot is a puzzle game that was released on PC-8801 mkII SR, MSX2, and X68000 computers in Japan. The version offered here is the PC-8801 game. As usual for EGGCONSOLE releases, no localization has been done for the game or the scanned materials. There is a digital manual with seven pages that should get you on your way, however. There isn’t a ton of text in the game, and most of the important stuff is in English. You will run into the occasional instructions in Japanese written in Romaji, and a few less critical messages in kana. It’s very playable even if you can’t understand Japanese.

The developer of the game is Artdink, and it’s one of the earlier efforts from the studio. You might know them for A-Train, Aquanaut’s Holiday, Tail of the Sun, or Carnage Heart. The latter is particularly relevant here, as that game involved “programming” your units for missions. Artdink makes some interesting games, often full of heart and rough edges in equal parts. How Many Robot demonstrates that in many ways that has always been the case.

The primary goal in How Many Robot is to use a robot to carry a bomb to a disposal unit on each map before the timer runs out or the robot runs out of energy. There are nine maps in total, and they increase in complexity as you go. In addition to the bombs and disposal units, many other items might be strewn about the map. Lamps, batteries, reflectors, boxes, and an energy-draining entity called the Triple-E must be dealt with. The robot can pick up, carry, and drop many of these things if he has a free hand to do so.

The robot is powered by light, and light plays a big role in How Many Robot. When the robot is standing in the light, it will replenish its energy. Since any action the robot performs costs energy, this recharge can prove vital on larger maps. It’s therefore advantageous to have the robot work in the light as much as possible. The robot can move lamps, and as long as they are placed next to a battery they will light up the area around them. Reflectors can also be used to shine light in areas, but they can only be picked up if they are not currently reflecting any light. That’s important to remember.

One more thing to know about the light, and it leads to the game’s big twist. When the robot is in the light, you can fully control its actions. In the dark, you can only issue a command to pick up or drop something. Movement in dark areas falls entirely to the robot’s AI. So where does that AI come from? It learns it from you, okay! Basically the robot will remember what you direct it to do in certain contexts, and it will try to apply similar strategies when it’s on its own. If it gets stuck in a loop for too long, it will cast its eyes upward at you. At this point you can issue it a single command that will hopefully get the robot out of its current pickle. If its AI is proving bothersome, you can dump the robot’s memory and start over.

Essentially, How Many Robot comes down to two things. First, try to light the path to the bomb and disposal unit as much as you can. Second, train the robot so that it can navigate dark areas on its own. The former aspect is similar to many puzzle games about reflecting light, but the latter is very unique indeed. You end up getting attached to the little fellow as it tries to learn from what you taught it. Quite a good hook for a puzzler, though you will need a fair bit of patience for those times when the robot is really having trouble.

It will probably take most players a good while to clear all nine maps. After that, you can try to clear them faster or with more energy in reserve at the end. Or you can just play the stages again to enjoy interacting with the robot more. It does have that toy-ish quality that many Artdink games do. The controls are somewhat cumbersome in places, and you’ll have to use the software keyboard more often than in the average EGGCONSOLE release. It’s not a game you can easily jump into and expect to figure out right away. Not on any level.

It took me a little while to come to grips with How Many Robot, but once I did I had a really nice time. I’d love to see a modern take on this idea. Patient puzzle game fans and Artdink aficionados should definitely give How Many Robot a look.

Score: 4/5

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My 10 Favorite Games: SEGA Master System/Mark III Edition

I'm trying to pace myself properly with these lists. The bigger the library, the bigger the job of picking my favorites is. Which is to say, I'll swing back around to Atari 2600 when I have a bigger chunk of time to do so. For now, let's go with SEGA's 8-bit console. The Master System had a truly bizarre life on a global scale. Depending on where you lived it was a virtual non-factor, the first big console success, or one of the most popular consoles of all-time. The library you were exposed to would have reflected that status.

This author is Canadian, and while my list isn't bound to what came out in my home region, my nostalgia for the games that did is stronger. Like before, I won't spend many words on each game. I will reiterate that these are my favorite games, not necessarily what I would call the best games. Your list will almost certainly differ.

10. Alex Kidd in Shinobi World

I'm not a very big fan of Alex Kidd, but this mash-up with Shinobi is excellent. It's tongue-in-cheek in that playful SEGA way, but the best thing about it is in how it plays. The mechanics are good, the level designs are interesting, and there's decent variety without veering completely off the road.

9. Wonder Boy in Monster World

While a clear step down from its predecessor, Wonder Boy in Monster World retains enough of that game's quality to make it one of the best games you can play on the SEGA Master System. A fantastic action-adventure.

8. Sonic the Hedgehog

There's an argument to be had that this 8-bit version of Sonic is even better than the Mega Drive/Genesis game. I'm not sure if I'd go quite that far, but the fact that there's even a discussion about that tells you how good this game is. Great music, too.

7. Power Strike

An Aleste game by any other name is… an Aleste game. And that's a good thing if you love vertical shoot 'em ups. You really can't go wrong with this game, and it's baffling that SEGA only sold it via mail order in North America back in the day.

6. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

It's Puyo Puyo. I love Puyo Puyo. The nice thing about Puyo Puyo is that you don't need any fancy hardware to make it work. This is the best "falling block" puzzle game on the console, no question.

5. Asterix

Asterix is not very well-known in North America. The character, the comic, the games. As such, I have no particular affection for this brand. I played this game well after the fact and was frankly shocked at how fun of a platformer it is. If you haven't played it before, give it a go.

4. Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

The Dragon's Trap is a masterpiece that has stood the test of time extremely well. I can say that with confidence because the remake that came out several years back didn't make many changes to the original gameplay at all and people still ate it up. Easily one of the crown jewels of the system.

3. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

Sometimes it feels like SEGA's amazing legacy with the Disney license doesn't get the attention it deserves. Some of the best first-party platformers on SEGA's consoles carried the Disney license. The Mega Drive/Genesis version of Castle of Illusion is great too, but this 8-bit version is a superb example of the genre.

2. Power Strike II

Not a port! Not an imaginary game! But it was a European exclusive, which is not something you see happen often with Aleste games. Really just the one time, in fact. Anyway, this is another top tier shoot 'em up from a developer who knew its way around this kind of thing better than most. I don't think I could ever get tired of this game.

1. Phantasy Star

The one part of the Master System library that SEGA has never left behind is Phantasy Star, the outstanding sci-fi RPG that kicked off a series that still runs to this day in some form or another. It's easy to see why. This first entry in the series often feels more advanced than some of its 16-bit sequels, with some really wild first-person dungeons and a planet-hopping story. One of the best RPGs of the era, and my favorite Master System game.

That's my SEGA Master System/Mark III list. If you want more, I've got a version of this article with my top twenty-five SEGA Master System/Mark III games over on my Patreon site. Just a buck a month gets you access that article and hundreds of others. Thanks for reading!

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My 10 Favorite Games: NES/Famicom Edition

We all have our favorites on any platform, right? They may or may not be the best games, and some of them might be wrapped up in personal nostalgia, but that's what makes it your own list. I've decided to do some articles with my favorite games on various platforms. I'm starting with the NES/Famicom because it was the easiest one to do off the top of my head. I'm not going to go into much detail on each game, so you'll just have to take it for what it is. Remember, these are my favorite games, not necessarily what I would call the best games.

10. Castlevania 3

While there's a certain admirable simplicity to the original Castlevania, the third game's multiple routes and playable characters greatly expand on the kinds of scenarios the designers can throw at the player. Great stuff.

9. Ninja Gaiden

For how much I loved this game when I was young, it feels a little weird to not have it higher than this. Well, what can you do? An incredible action game, even with the extremely rude way it handles its finale.

8. Metroid

I know this game gets a lot of stick, but I think it was one of the first NES games to captivate me with its mysterious nature. Later games are easier to play and probably better, but there's something here that was lost later.

7. Kirby's Adventure

A genuine triumph for the platform. It plays great, has tons of fun secrets, and is remarkably varied in its challenges. Most games that try half as much as this drop the ball, but Kirby's Adventure is quality all the way through.

6. Mega Man 2

There were days where I would have said another Mega Man game was my favorite on the platform, but Mega Man 2 is time tested by now. Unbalanced? Yes. Some stupid bosses? Definitely a couple. But it's ridiculously fun anyway.

5. Batman: The Video Game

As one of the many kids hyped beyond belief for the 1989 Batman movie, I was ready to play anything a game company threw onto my platform of choice. Sunsoft didn't have to make something this good, but it did.

4. Dragon Quest III

A huge, epic RPG that offers plenty of replay value thanks to its enjoyable job system. The story is also a head-turner the first time you experience it. Easily my favorite RPG on the platform.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3

It's only one of the best games of all-time. I've played this game so much that it has lost a lot of its novelty for me, but if I take even a half-step back and think about it, it's truly a dazzling game in every sense.

2. The Legend of Zelda

Rough around the edges though it may be, The Legend of Zelda is a game I happily replay regularly. The big, open world is interesting to explore. The dungeons and bosses are cool. I love how much you can sequence break. Simply awesome.

1. Bionic Commando

If you have one really great mechanic and realize it perfectly, that's sometimes all you need. Not that the rest of the game around the bionic arm isn't done well, but even if it wasn't I think I would have tons of fun.

I'll do other consoles in the future, but that's my NES/Famicom list. If you want more, I've got a version of this article with my top twenty-five favorite NES/Famicom games over on my Patreon site. Just a buck a month gets you access to that article and many, many others. Either way, thanks for reading!

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You Can't Buy Final Fantasy These Days*

*Okay, you can, but only secondhand in its original format.

You can't buy Final Fantasy these days. I mean, you can buy a game called Final Fantasy on most platforms. It's this one:

It's really pretty, and has some nice orchestral music. It's a lot of fun, too. A very breezy affair that even those less inclined to like turn-based RPGs might have a nice time going through. Every party is viable! That's nifty. Yes, I like this game a lot. I recommend it. But it's not Final Fantasy. It's based on Final Fantasy, it has the same name, but it's not Final Fantasy.

Also not Final Fantasy.

Still not Final Fantasy.

Not Final Fantasy either.

Okay, we're back to Final Fantasy.

So, I've been replaying Final Fantasy via the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console release. The original NES game, that is. It's been a while since I played this version of the game, as I generally go to whatever remake is newest when I feel like playing Final Fantasy. Playing this has reminded me of just how far away the game has gotten from the source material through those various remakes, and it makes me a little sad there's no real way to access this version of the game through official means right now. It's a problem we see a lot when there are remakes in play, unfortunately.

I'm not trying to be a gatekeeper about any of this. What I said about Pixel Remaster goes for any of the Final Fantasy remakes. They're all very good games in their own right, and I wouldn't be surprised if any of them were the one that someone fell in love with. But I also don't think they are the same game as the original, and I think we lose something by not having that version readily accessible alongside whatever spiffy new version Square Enix wants to sell.

Final Fantasy is kind of slow. Turns take a long time to resolve, especially when there are a lot of enemies. Your characters and the enemies both frequently miss their attacks. Level-ups take a lot of experience, and getting enough money to stay equipped with fresh gear and spells pretty much requires a lot of grinding. If the enemy a character targeted is already dead by the time their turn comes up, they'll just whiff the air. A bunch of the spells are bugged and just don't work, or work in weird ways. Some of the enemies accidentally show up in edges of areas where they shouldn't. People figured this out and a Peninsula of Power was born.

It's really easy to die in Final Fantasy. Healing options are more limited than in many other RPGs. Potions heal so little they are almost useless past a point. Status ailments are deadly. You can only save at inns or by using tents, cottages, or houses on the overworld map. The jobs are horribly balanced. A barehanded Master/Super Monk can take out the last boss with ease. Really, by the time a Black Belt/Monk reaches level 8, there's no point equipping any weapons on him anymore. Just how the math works. Whenever you open or close the menu or world map, you get this funky colorful flashing.

Final Fantasy is a 1987 console RPG. It has a lot of friction. It was coded by one guy, and it often shows. It sometimes has more heart than sense, and it's definitely short on modern niceties. Final Fantasy is a very challenging game, and it's easy to lose a ton of progress with just a bit of bad luck. Dungeons are genuinely dangerous because you can't save inside of them. Even normal enemies can hit really hard, and bosses can thrash you. Spell management is a pain because you never really have enough charges to let fly the way you would like to. Getting to the end of the game takes a lot of persistence.

The remakes of Final Fantasy make for more accessible and comfortable experiences, but those qualities in and of themselves mean those games are not the same as that NES original. And that's fine. Lots of people don't want to deal with all that nonsense. But Final Fantasy is the game that was enough of a hit that all those sequels and remakes happened, and it doesn't deserve to be scrubbed away. I'd love if the Pixel Remasters included the original games as an extra, so that people could at least choose to break their teeth on them if they want.

You can't buy Final Fantasy these days, and that's too bad.

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Gradius II (TG-16 Mini)

Well, sure. Why not complete the trifecta? Yes, I wish Parodius was included in the mini-console too, but music rights are apparently an issue with those games. So we'll have to settle for Gradius, Salamander, and Gradius II serving our Konami hori-shooter needs. Gradius II is an excellent game that I feel doesn't get quite the level of respect outside of Japan that it deserves, perhaps because none of its myriad contemporary console ports actually saw release in the West. Even the arcade original went under the name Vulcan Venture in some Western regions for reasons I can't even begin to guess at. That's a shame because if you ask me, it's better than both Gradius and Gradius III.

Having a choice of weapon load-outs helps make the game more fun to replay, and the spectacle is suitably ramped up from the first game. At the same time, it's not as stupidly difficult as Gradius III. A sweet spot. This particular port uses the CD format, and as a result we don't even need to talk about any hidden "near arcade" secret modes. Gradius II is already as near arcade as it could be on this hardware. The slowdown when things get too busy is unavoidable, as is the more neutered nature of the straight laser beam. The game also halts for a few seconds between stages to do some loading off the disc. Small sacrifices that are salved somewhat by the addition of an entirely new level.

I'm not sure if Gradius II is the best Konami shooter on the PC Engine (Parodius looms large) but it's easily the best of the bunch that we got here on the TG-16 Mini. If you've never had a chance to play it before, this is a great way to do it. I recommend making a save state at the start of each stage to mitigate the "Gradius Effect" a little, but I think you'll find this to be surprisingly manageable by the standards of the series.

The platform was already basically dead in the West by the time this game came out, but I still can't help but wonder if Gradius II itself would at least have a more established reputation globally if this excellent port had been released outside of Japan. It's a top-tier shooter on a console full of them, and I'm thrilled Konami chose to include it on the TG-16 Mini so that everyone* got a chance to try it.

*everyone who managed to get their hands on one of these somewhat scarce devices, anyway.

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Bomberman '93 (TG-16 Mini)

You know, really thinking about it, Hudson had a few credible mascot candidates. Bonk of course, and Master Higgins/Takahashi Meijin as well. But with the benefit of hindsight, we know the real Hudson all-star was Bomberman. Indeed, it appears to be the only part of Hudson's carcass that Konami still regularly makes use of today. I suppose that makes sense, though. Bonk and Master Higgins, for all of their charms, are just participants in a very competitive and well-worn genre. Bomberman made his own genre. It's hard to win against that!

Bomberman '93 wasn't the first Bomberman game on the PC Engine. There was an upgraded port of the original game released a few years earlier. But that curious aspect of the console's character kicks in here. Games released before a certain line in time feel very much like gussied-up 8-bit designs, while those released after are more 16-bit in character. Bomberman '93 is a meaningful upgrade from previous Bomberman games, with more environmental gimmicks, a wider array of enemies to blast away, significantly expanded boss battles, five-player multiplayer with a selection of several arenas, and the ever-popular bomb-kicking power-up.

There had been a number of Bomberman games before this, and I'm not going to pretend this wasn't already a fairly big deal by the time Bomberman '93 came out. But at least for me, this is where the series took a big step up in terms of what it offered players. Later Bomberman games do some interesting things, but you could pretty much just play this one forever and have your Bomberman needs satisfied. This isn't the last Bomberman game on the actual console or this mini-console, so we'll be talking about how one game tries to build on it, at least. But right here? This is plenty.

I'll talk more about Bomberman's appeal in general when we get to that other game, so I'll wrap things up here. Of course this was included in the TG-16 Mini. It had to be. It's one of the icons of both Hudson and the platform, and it's still just as fun to play in the current year as it was more than thirty years ago.

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Air Zonk (TG-16 Mini)

If you have a great platforming mascot that seems to be going over well with people, why not branch them out into spin-offs? That's how we end up with Air Zonk, and that's a mighty fine outcome. This is a horizontally-scrolling cute 'em up featuring a futuristic cyborg who through some means or another must have descended from Bonk. He can shoot! He can charge up for super attacks! He can even torch enemies with the afterburners on his feet! There are power-ups that give you new weapons, and you can even merge with a rocket to really lay down some heavy fire.

Air Zonk isn't as challenging as some of the other games on the TG-16 Mini, especially in the horizontal shooter category. It's still plenty of fun, though. And while I'm talking about relative difficulty, this is by no means a pushover of a game. The boss battles are especially neat, but the enemy encounters during each stage are enjoyable enough to deal with that you won't get bored. The game also looks great, making great use of the system's colorful palette. Add in some quality tunes and explosion sounds, and you've got just about all you need.

Honestly, I'm starting to run out of things to say about the shooters included in this mini-console. If I were doing deep dives and breaking down all the details, it would be easy to write a lot of things about Air Zonk. But that's not really what this series of articles is about. I'm having a big spoonful of each game and moving on. Air Zonk is really cool and I had a great time with it. It's wild how many fantastic shooters there are in this selection. Air Zonk manages to stand out thanks to its charming presentation and sound mechanics. A worthy inclusion, without question.