A blog containing games that I feel deserve a spotlight, import games, magazines and ads that I collect, and memories of a game collector to look back on years down the line.
When it comes to playing games, one thing I'm always looking for are unique experiences. Most games now take on the challenge of uniqueness in their characters, story, visuals, presentation and more, but a lot of games don't have the opportunity to branch outside of the limitations of their toolset. In video game's case, its the console/computer and controller. As a developer, you don't have the chance to tweak things very often. With the Playdate, it gives developers a new and fun tool to mess around with in the crank on the side of the handheld. A lot of games use the crank well, and one game that I've been enjoying recently that utilizes the crank is a game called Orbo made by thermay.io.
Orbo is a simple, yet addictive shooter and the concept of the game is simple. You control one of the only analog space satellites and proceed to destroy space junk and other AI satellites that are causing issues within Earth's orbit. Your analog satellite is positioned in the center of the screen, and to rotate your satellite and shoot down the opposition you use the Playdate’s crank. Shooting happens automatically as you're turning, so there's no need to worry about pressing any additional buttons. As a game, with a concept and gameplay so easy to understand, you have to nail the basics which thankfully Orbo does. Shooting down the enemy satellites is satisfying, and because you’re in space enemies fly at you in unique ways based on your gravity. It's also easy in arcade style games to feel like death or mistakes are the game's fault, but with the control on offer with the Playdate's crank being so precise, every time I die I know it's my fault. The game offers the option to recalibrate your crank in order to line up with the satellite a little better, but I honestly have never needed to calibrate. The presentation again while simple, really shows well on the Playdate's LCD screen. Another thing you can run the risk of with a game so simple is repetitiveness and lack of replay value. Thankfully the gameplay switches up with pseudo power ups getting introduced as you score higher, and global ranking to see where you stack against other players.
In summary, Orbo is a easy to understand game that takes advantage of being on a unique platform and ends up creating an experience that's both fun, relaxing and satisfying to enjoy. Whether played in ten minute spurts, or longer play sessions to get a high score, Orbo is a great time, and if you have a Playdate its an easy recommendation from me. As I was writing this, I got the urge to play some Orbo and got a new high score which you'll see below. Hopefully I can get another hundred or so points to rank in the top ten globally! As always, the link to the game will be below, and thank you for taking the time to read!
All screenshots are taken from a Playdate handheld
Games have never been easier to make in this day and age. With tons of resources and engines available, anyone could create their own game if they set their mind to it. Back in the day, it was a little trickier to create games and experiences, but some companies wanted to change that. I'm sure you've heard of the long running RPG Maker franchise that has been available for people to create their experiences, but have you heard of Dezaemon? Dezaemon was available to people with some 5th generation consoles like the Saturn, PlayStation and N64 to create shmups. One such game created with this engine was the original Devil Blade, featured on Dezaemon Plus as a demo game for you to enjoy. Both versions of the game were created by Shigatake, better known for their illustrations featured in Vanillaware games like Muramasa, Dragon's Crown and Odin Sphere to name a few. Shigitake decided to remake his 90's shmup with a new engine, STGbuilder, and that's what we're taking a look at today. Is this game worth your time? Let's take a deeper look.
Devil Blade is a pretty straight forward shoot em' up with elements of games from the 32-bit era and beyond. The game's visuals have great detail in its pixel art, which is to be expected from Vanillaware staff, but even still it really captures that 5th generation of console vibe. That isn't to say that its all old school, with great lighting effects in the backgrounds, and more bullets on screen than could be on a 5th gen console. Gameplay-wise, Devil Blade takes place over 5 full stages with the final boss having his own 6th stage. This feels just right for a shmup, and you can beat the game in about a half hour. This isn't to say there isn't reason to continue playing, as the scoring system has several unique aspects to it. Starting off, each enemy you kill can have a multiplier added on to them, and that increases the closer you are to the enemy when they die. This encourages a risky gameplay style with a lot of memorization on enemy patterns and spawns in order to maintain that multiplier, because if you stray away from enemies the multiplier will fall. This risky gameplay is even further accentuated by the berserk mode. Once you've killed enough enemies within a close range, you'll enter berserk mode which increases the maximum score multiplier from 5x to 20x. This is the essence of Devil Blade, fly up close and personal with your enemy, and be rewarded with the high-score. That's not all however, as there's another way to activate berserk mode with your bombs. By default you get 3 bombs each life, and when the bomb button is tapped you get a screen clearing attack that can really save your butt in a desperate situation. However, when holding the bomb button, you'll use one of your bombs to go straight into berserk mode, allowing you to rack up hundreds of thousands of points very quickly. If you can maintain your berserk meter throughout the entire stage, you'll be rewarded with heavy bonuses at the end of the stage. With the scoring system laid out, you then have two options for playing Devil Blade, survival or high score?
Let's say this is your first shmup, and all this scoring talk is nice, but if you can't get past the first boss what's the point? Thankfully, I believe that Devil Blade is the perfect beginner shmup for anyone wanting to get into the genre! Straight from the get-go you have 4 difficulty options; easy, normal, hard and insane, with insane not allowing you to go below a certain multiplier, otherwise you die. Easy difficulty not only gives you easier bullet patterns (that are similar on higher difficulties allowing you to learn if you decide to move up a difficulty) but it also gives you auto-bomb functions, where if a bullet strikes you it will automatically use one of your bombs instead, which will also give you a shield to prevent a hit. The more you play the game as well, you get coins that can be used to unlock extra goodies, as well as continues to use in the main game mode in case you lose all of your lives. The ultimate goal in any shmup though is to beat the game without using a continue, and I believe that with a little time investment anyone could one credit clear the game on easy difficulty. I wouldn't call myself the best shmup player, but I was able to one credit clear both easy and normal difficulties within a few hours of picking the game up. As mentioned earlier, the more you play the game the more coins you'll get to unlock extra goodies, and lets speak on some of those now.
In addition to extra continues, you'll unlock things like wallpapers and artwork that were used in development of the game. You'll also be able to unlock the games soundtrack to play in the music player, which by itself is enough reward. The soundtrack for this game is electric to put it plainly. The music is composed mainly by Hasu, with some tracks having additional help from Shigitake, and after playing the game it is easily one of my favorite shmup soundtracks period. With rock/metal guitars, and remixes from the original release it really kicks the entire experience up a notch. My favorites are tracks 3, 4 and 11 which are the first stage music, first boss music and the 4th stage boss music I believe. That's not the only thing your coins can get you, as you can also unlock an updated arranged version of the original Devil Blade! This version maintains its older graphics, but carries over some of the scoring systems from the newer reboot such as the berserk mode. You also have the choice of unlocking the older soundtrack as well so you can choose which versions you want to hear during gameplay which is a nice touch.
With all this being said, it is no doubt in my mind that Devil Blade is a highlight release of 2024, and the game that I didn't know that I wanted. The game itself is a passion project, and it shows in all the greatest ways possible. Shigitake spent the last 5 years remaking the game that got him into the industry, and it really captures everything great about shmups while adding some fresh ideas and goodies for replay value. If you haven't heard or seen this game at all, I've linked the steam page and bandcamp page for the soundtrack below. Please check it out, I can't sing this game's praises high enough. Thank you for reading, and let me know if you play Devil Blade!
Welcome the latest edition of the Teeezy game console collection, the Neo Geo CD. As a fan of arcade action, beautiful sprite work, and obscurity/history, the SNK and Neo Geo brand has always interested me. So much of the gaming experiences in the 1990's was bringing the arcade experience home, whether it was actual ports of games, improving technology, or even control schemes. So what did SNK do? Literally bring the arcade technology home! The Neo Geo AES was released in 1990 and had the same hardware framework as their arcade cabinet counterpart, the MVS. Those same games were brought home from the MVS to the AES playing exactly the same as their arcade counterpart. Being ahead of the home competition allowed SNK to support the MVS well into the 2000's well after the PS2 and Xbox had released, despite the architecture not being comparable to those systems. So what's the catch? The cost! The system originally released for $650 with games costing around the $200-300 dollar mark. Just as a reminder, that's 1990 $650. Adjusting for inflation, that puts the AES at $1553.30 in 2024. Needless to say the AES was a boujee console for a boujee consumer. A status symbol if you were lucky enough to own one as a kid. Because of this, SNK wanted to make their games more accessible to a larger audience, and with the revolution of CD-ROM technology they had a solution.
Enter the Neo Geo CD. Released in 1994, the Neo Geo CD was created to capture that larger audience by appealing to a more reasonable price point. Instead of placing the games on a large cartridge, SNK opted to place their games on a CD-ROM to charge around $40-$60 dollars for a game. In addition to the cost change, the larger storage capacity of CD's allowed for clearer red book audio, and added bonus content like concept art or exclusive content. This sounds like a dream scenario, but if you research the console or read reviews/coverage of the console in its heyday one common point of contention comes up, and that's the loading. The reduced memory and the nature of CD-ROM technology means that the larger your games, the more loading is required for a particular game. This works fine for smaller, earlier Neo Geo releases, where loading either happens all at the start or are comparable to other games of the time. As games got larger however, the loading times grow exponentially, especially with fighting games, the Neo Geo's bread and butter. On larger games like King of Fighters '98 or The Last Blade, loading happens sometimes after only seconds of gameplay followed by almost a minute of loading. SNK realized this issue, and in Japan actually released the Neo Geo CDZ featuring a double speed CD-ROM drive which helps load games faster, but it was too little too late. It is unavoidable if you're playing on original hardware, you will feel it. Nowadays, Neo Geo games are regularly available across multiple platforms or on original hardware with multi-carts, so is there any reason for playing on a Neo Geo CD today? Well for one, how can you ignore this fun little boot screen?
Charm aside, there were a few other reasons I was looking out for the console. There are a handful of console exclusives released that caught my eye, like Crossed Swords II a action RPG played from a pseudo 1st person perspective. As a fan of Saturn and PlayStation I also appreciate the packaging of NGCD games. They look good on a shelf together, and I might have a slight obsession with spine cards... Additionally, after playing lesser ports of Neo Geo games on consoles released in the same generation, you get a closer experience to the original on the CD because its built off the same hardware as the AES, just with a different mechanism to load the games. Personally, those loading times aren't something that I've been concerned with, as I play on a lot of other CD-based systems and deal with loading all the time. Some of the larger games I probably wouldn't look to play on the NGCD, but as another console to collect for, the library itself is very well balanced and doesn't have a lot of filler/shovelware. A perfect example of something that I would have no interest in on other consoles, but I've been enjoying on the NGCD is a soccer game.
Super Sidekicks 2 is that soccer game, and was released the same year as the CD console. The game itself isn't very deep, but instead offers fast paced action with fun presentation. You play as the country of your choice, and go through a world tournament until you eventually become the world champ. The game is easy to pick up with a 3 button setup for both offense and defense, and the game gives you a brief tutorial before starting each session. Personally, the defense doesn't work as well as the offense with slide kicks and shoulder checks being difficult to hit, so I don't bother with it outside of some desperation plays. I wouldn't be talking about this game without its presentation. When you score a goal you get a fun cutscene of your player celebrating, or the opposing goalie punching the ground in anger. After halftime or at the start of a game you can hear the crowd chanting "Oleeee Ole Ole Oleee!". The best is when someone gets fouled, which shows both the player that got fouled and the player that committed the foul's reactions. It can turn into the player going super saiyan if you get fouled, and the computer player getting so pissed he screams and runs off the field. Outside of the main single player game, there is an exhibition mode if you want to play a single match or a 2-player game, and even the option to view the arcade attract mode which is fun. Not many sports games grab my attention outside of racing games or the occasional golf game, but this is the first soccer game that I can appreciate and for that I applaud the Neo Geo CD.
Thanks for reading! I don't think I'll be prioritizing my collecting efforts for the Neo Geo CD, but any stand out experiences I play on the console I'm sure I'll talk about here. In the meantime, I'll be plugging away on a larger group of posts releasing later this year, with other content ideas in the meantime. I also really appreciate any feedback, so let me know if this kind of thing is interesting or if I should focus more on other content!
Peripherals for video games, while still something that is used in games today definitely had it's heyday in years prior. Whether it was something that you had to have in order to enjoy the game, like a memory card or 2nd controller for multiplayer, or something more specialized that gave a new way to play or offered more options and content for a game. After collecting games more seriously over the past few years, I realized that I had a lot more peripherals in my possession than I realized. From light guns to arcade sticks, from cables to adapters you end up amassing peripherals as your collection grows. Today I want to highlight 5 peripherals that I have some interest in getting, whether to experience a game in the best way possible, or to expand the possibilities of a specific system.
Saturn Taisen Cable
A big part of Sega's experience on the Saturn and their marketing behind it was that they were trying to bring the arcade experience home. All the favorites were available, from arcade wheels to light guns, the mission stick to the Netlink modem for online play. One that I want to highlight today and have on a gaming bucket list is obtaining and using a Saturn Taisen Cable. The Playstation had a similar option for its OG models, but the main idea behind it is you link 2 systems up to one another, and play multiplayer games on 2 separate screens as opposed to a split-screen. For a lot of people, this would be the closest experience possible to having an arcade experience at home (at least in the late 90's, way before Arcade 1Up made aftermarket machines more accessible). There aren't very many games supported by the cable, but the main one I want to play multiplayer in this way is Daytona USA Circuit Edition. It'll require 2 Saturns, 2 copies of the game, 2 TVs, and another person. A boy can dream...
E Reader
The E Reader was an add-on for your Gameboy Advance that let your read specialized cards that unlocked items in certain games, play games that are bound to the cards and more. My main reasoning behind this are the Animal Crossing E Reader cards that let you unlock certain items in the original Animal Crossing on Gamecube, along with artwork with each of the villagers. The Amiibo Cards for New Leaf and New Horizons were something that let me scratch my card collecting itch, so it would be nice to have another set of cards to compare and contrast with the newer ones. There were also some pretty cool expansions for games like Pokemon Pinball, F Zero GP Legend and others that I would be interested in taking a look at, so at least it's multi-purposed.
NeGcon Controller
Early on in the Ps1's lifespan the controllers didn't have any sort of analog option. That wasn't more regularly available until the Dualshock 1 controller got released a few years after the console got released. How are you supposed to enjoy racing games or other games that require more finesse? That's easy with the NeGcon controller! Instead of having a normal analog stick, Namco actually designed the controller to twist in the middle as the analog. The controller was made for the Ridge Racer series and continues to work even into the Ps2 era of games, but it also has compatibility with games outside of Namco games which is really interesting. I know the controller was created with racing games specifically in mind, but I wonder how the older Ridge Racer games play with this controller.
PSP GPS
I just found out about this the other day, but apparently there was a GPS released for the PSP that has data saved on it as opposed to accessing the information from the internet or satellite. The data itself is old, but it's still usable today and I always need an excuse to use my PSP more. Definitely more of a novelty but kinda neat.
Vectrex Light Pen
One of the coolest systems that I have is the Vectrex, although I don't take advantage of it as much as I should honestly. With the official games I'm on the lookout for dwindling to 2-3 games, I'm starting to turn my attention to the homebrew and peripheral scene. The 3D imager is completely out of the question because of its price, but the light pen gives enough novelty to be interesting. This allows you to use specific cartridges as a drawing program straight onto the Vectrex. I'm not much of an artist myself, but if there's a way to draw on a system I like spending some time with it to see how it works. I got a kick out of a homebrew Saturn title a few years ago Sartist and took an evening to create a little landscape using my Saturn controller, so I imagine I'll do something similar to that. Personally the Vectrex will always fill more of a party trick role in my library as opposed to something that I play on a regular basis, so having another trick to show off would be cool.
So yeah, that's some more obscure items I have on my radar to expand my peripheral collection. Some of them will definitely take longer than others, like the Taisen Cable or Light Pen, but my local store has a NeGcon controller so maybe I'll get them closer than I expected! I wanted to make a bit of a shorter post after the longer review of Sega Touring Car, so let me know if the shorter content is something I should do more often? Or stick to more in depth reviews that get put out at a slower pace? Let me know! Otherwise thanks for reading as always!
Sega. For a lot of people Sega means a lot of different things. To some Sega can be Sonic the Hedgehog, its flagship franchise. To other people it could mean any of their other franchises whether current or historical like Shinobi, Yakuza, Virtua Fighter, etc. To me, Sega is means personality and innovation. The days of Sega creating home consoles is long gone, and they sit currently as a solid 3rd party publisher and developer with some good IP's, but what about the Sega of old? The legacy Sega has and will leave on video games as as whole is undeniable, but one place I feel like they left one of their biggest marks are with racing games. Sega wasn't the company to create racing games, but they were a purveyor of new ideas and pushing the boundaries of what video games could look and play like. As far back as Monaco GP to Outrun, from Virtua Racing to Daytona USA 2, their evolution of technology made it so that the modern racing game whether arcade or simulation still has its roots Sega's old racers. Of these legendary racing games, I would argue there isn't one that is as divisive as Sega Touring Car Championship.
Sega Touring Car Championship originally started similar to a lot of other racing games in the 90's as an arcade game released in 1996. Touring car racing itself has a long history, but the main premise and appeal of touring cars is not in the speed of the cars but rather endurance. The main requirement of what makes a touring car a touring car is that it must keep its original production body, but every other racing component is customizable to a racing team's liking. Because of the stock bodies, the cars are less aerodynamic than formula racing making it easier for passes and making for a more physical type of racing akin to NASCAR. After watching several highlights and broadcasts of races, it feels like a slightly slower but more varied version of F1, I'll include one here if you're curious on what actual Touring Car races are like. The nature of the bulkier vehicles leads to either lengthier endurance grand prix racing or short sprints, which is the focus of Sega Touring Car Championship. Similar to Sega Rally Championship before it, Sega was able to license the likeness of different car brands like Toyota, Mercedes, Opel and Alfa Romeo cars that included in both Japanese and European touring car competitions adding an extra layer of realism to the experience. When you start the game, you play a qualifying lap on the first course which determines your starting position. This is similar to actual Touring Car competitions, where the day prior racers have a chance to race in a qualifying lap that fills the same function. Then you play 3 2-lap races and whoever has the best cumulative times across all 3 courses is crowned champion and gets to go onto a bonus round on a secret track. This formula was brought over to the Sega Saturn in 1997 for a home port, but also includes a new "Saturn Side" with some content exclusive to the the console. Let's go into how Sega Touring Car Championship actually holds up and if it's something that is worth your time.
Earlier I said that this game was divisive, but why? That main reason across all versions is the control and difficulty, then for the home port also includes the frame rate. Across these 2-lap races, your car is moving at what feels like a gajillion miles an hour, and controlling your car isn't exactly the easiest. If you're playing the game with a standard Saturn controller on the arcade side, your inputs are so sluggish it feels like your car isn't doing anything. On the opposite hand, with analog controls sometimes your car is too slippery and sudden movements cause your vehicle to careen towards the nearest barricade. That's not all, because there's also road layout that you have to worry about, so even if you're turning at full force it doesn't come out because the tires aren't touching the road the right way and its too late. What Sega Touring Car asks of you is essentially mastery of not only it's difficult controls but also its courses, and unlike Sega Rally Championship you don't have a co-pilot to assist with upcoming turns, you just have to know them already. This makes for an experience that if you play the game for a short period of time, say an hour or two total, is frustrating and incomplete. Even if you do make it to the final race and get 1st place, you can still place 3rd or 4th overall because of a lackluster performance on the previous races because the times are calculated cumulatively. However, with some time investment to the game and its courses, you'll find that the game is rewarding to nail turns, speed past your opponents and come out on top! The last track, Bricktown, is especially rewarding to master, as the road layout affects how your tires grip the tight turns, so when you're able to maintain your speed throughout the track it's a great feeling. This also mainly applies to the "Arcade Side" of the home port, because the "Saturn Side" does have more tuning options to adjust your controls to suit your playstyle. However, you do have to fully complete both sides to get all of the unlockables in the game, so you might as well try and get used to the arcade controls. One thing that you aren't able to control however is the frame rate.
Previews of the Saturn edition of Sega Touring Car Championship from Sega Saturn Magazine (JP, 7/11/1997 issue)
Presentation-wise, Sega Touring Car Championship on the Saturn isn't the prettiest game by any stretch of the means. Because of the speed of the game, the framerate is pretty variable compared to other racing games on the console like Sega Rally Championship or Daytona USA Circuit Edition. This makes for some frustrating slowdown on some tracks that are a bit more graphically intense like Bricktown Circuit for example. The road also appears a bit strange as well, seemingly warping behind you as you speed by. This framerate slightly improves on the Saturn side of the game, especially the time trials because you're the only car on the track while racing. The models of the cars themselves are detailed with appropriate sponsors for the cars at the time, and the sequences before each track whether a pit stop or a rolling start do add to the overall style of the game. Speaking of style, the music, menus and physical game case are always a nice touch to a game to give it that little extra something, and Sega Touring Car Championship doesn't disappoint. Starting with the in game menus, the car select screen is taken straight from the arcade game, and previews of tracks are given before racing on each course. The standings screens and game over jingle are fun too, not quite on the same level as some other Sega racing games but additive to the presentation nonetheless. The music overall is pretty varied with several choices for your listening experience, including some eurobeat tracks like "So High" from Channel X, a trance selection of songs as well as some Sega produced songs including songs from composer Hiro of Outrun and After Burner fame. The tracks definitely add a flair and sense of speed to the experience that makes it feel even more like a Sega racer. Next, the case and manual. I'll be taking a look at the Japanese copy that I have, which features a full color manual and some other goodies. I appreciate the cover art of the cars zooming down a speedway with the crowd blurred behind them because of the speed, along with thanking the sponsors for allowing the use of their vehicles in the game. The manual is pretty standard fair going over the different controls, modes along with some tips and tricks for racing. It also has some details on a Sega Global Net Event which I'll talk a little bit more about later. Afterwards, there is some renders of the cars (most likely from the arcade game) along with some specs, and layouts of the 3 main tracks from the arcade game as well. Lastly, aside from the spine card and registration card that was featured with Japanese games that came in jewel cases is another small flyer with information about the Net Event.
The Net Events were timed exclusive missions based on your internal clock in your Saturn. This wasn't the only game to take advantage of your system's internal clock, but I would argue it's one of the games that has the most unique features surrounding it. I don't believe they are entirely locked behind the internal clock as you can also enter a code if you want to experience them at any point, but where's the fun in that? On Christmas 1997, you can race on a holiday-themed Boomtown Circuit, the new track created for the home console version of the game, perfect to get you in the holiday spirit. You can also trigger events on the 13th of February which triggers a cone-hitting mini game, and as well on April Fools Day where you race against the flow of traffic and try not to hit other cars as they pass you by. Overall, there isn't a ton of content locked behind the timed exclusive events, but it does add some replay value for a game that's mileage may vary from player to player. The other part about the Net Events is that you could actually upload your best arcade side times and share them with people worldwide, whether uploaded on your computer or uploaded from a modem attachment to your Saturn! I'm sure the number of players who actually had the game and a modem in 1997-98 who uploaded times were small, but the fact that it was once a possibility is awesome.
The main reason I had written this article (outside of enjoying my Sega Saturn and this game) was that I recently had an opportunity to play this game in a competition with fellow Sega Saturn enthusiast over at the Sega Saturn Shiro! Discord for their first ever community challenge. The competition itself was a great time getting to connect with people over a game that is underappreciated and niche even by arcade racers. With that being said, I do have a little bias, as I was fortunate and tenacious enough to actually win a category in the competition (Arcade Side, Championship)! The competition itself was pretty stiff, and I wasn't expecting to save as much time as I did, but having someone else to go up against to push your times lower is a great motivator. So I might have a bit more bias in favor of this game compared to people that play it casually, but its my blog so yeah. I'll link the article reviewing the competition below, and I look forward to competing in the future!
With all that being said, is Sega Touring Car Championship a must have for the console? A must play experience for racing game fans? No, I wouldn't say so. However, it does scratch an itch with its presentation and learning curve for fans of the genre. It's also still a Sega Saturn exclusive, so all the more reason to give my favorite console a little more love. It also opened my eyes to another type of racing I wasn't aware of, as well as a good little competition that made me feel more connected with people cut from the same cloth, which I'll always appreciate. If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I'll include any links I used for reference or research down below, as well as the competition article I mentioned (I'm QBerT in the article :D). Keep an eye out for more posts in the future, I'm always open to suggestions on what I should cover or games to look at.
1999 was a pivotal turning point for the video game market. Sony's PlayStation had been out since '95, but the new PlayStation 2 was on the horizon, the N64 had hit it's stride the year prior and was having good releases this year like Donkey Kong 64, Super Smash Bros. and more. During all this Sega, once a majority stake holder in the game market with their Genesis, is just coming off the heels of a commercial failure with the Sega Saturn. A lot of bad decisions were made with the Saturn (too much to go over in this article) but a new hope is on the horizon for Sega fans, the Dreamcast. Released on 9/9/99 the Dreamcast is the most advanced video game home console released to this point, featuring a 128-bit processor, built in online and VGA graphics out for better resolutions. This brings us to the Official Dreamcast Magazine, which is still in it's infancy as the Dreamcast just came out. Today we are going to take a look at the articles, advertisements, reviews and interviews from the November 1999 issue of the Official Dreamcast Magazine.
When you first open up the magazine, you're greeted with an ad for Trick Style, a futuristic skateboarding game, and then a message from the editor in chief congratulating the reader for, purchasing the magazine, as well as a double congrats if you've already bought a Dreamcast at this stage. Editor Simon Cox informs the reader of Sega's success thus far saying "by the time you read this, there will be over 350,000 Dreamcasts in American homes." This number may be more accurate than what Sega had reported earlier in September saying they sold over 500,000 units (insert WSJ here). Either way, the Dreamcast was making waves in the US and a lot of great games were on the horizon as we will go over. Before some games are covered is a section with reader submitted letters/emails. One reader asks if Square's games or Metal Gear Solid will come to the Dreamcast, which gets shot down pretty quickly. Another reader asks some questions about the online functionality, some and when the microphone is coming out because they want to play Seaman. My favorite is a letter from a guy named Thomas who says, and I quote "what's that sucking sound? Oh yea it's the content of your new mag". Seems a lil harsh if you ask me. He then complains about House of the Dead 2 and why they gave it a 8 out of 10 saying that the game was repetitive and boring. I guess everyone has their different opinion.
After the fan mail is the section on the latest Dreamcast news and announcements. This section was where I had the most interest personally, because usually it's where you can compare and contrast to what actually happened vs. what didn't over the course of the Dreamcast's lifespan. For example you have more in depth previews and updates on Dreamcast staples like Shenmue and Seaman that are coming to the system from Sega
directly, but also 3rd party games that didn't quite make it to the Dreamcast but did for other systems like Tekken Tag Tournament, Max Payne, Half Life and more. They also give a shout to Bernie Stolar, previous Sega of America president stepping down and being superseded by Toshiro Kesuka. Bernie Stolar didn't have the easiest time being president of Sega during his time. He took over after the former Mattel executive, Tom Kalinske, had taken the Sega brand during the 16-bit era and aggressively positioned it against the competition, and in 1993 making the Genesis have the majority market share in the industry (insert ign reference here). However, after many missteps during the end of the Genesis and the beginning of the Saturn's era, Tom Kalinske had stepped down in 1996 leaving Stolar to pick up the pieces of a company that was bleeding money and with a product that was a 3rd place in the industry. After declaring that "the Saturn is not our future" in 1997, he pivoted into the new Dreamcast system, but wasn't there for the entirety of the system's lifespan. I think that it's interesting the president of your company leaving is only worth a footnote in the news section of your console's magazine. A president of a company was usually a key component of announcements and public image, especially since E3 had just had it's first show in 1995 and was becoming a more publicized event. Another minor point in this news I wanted to look at was that Majesco had announced that they were re-releasing the Game Gear at a budget price, which did happen. They also mention that they were planning a re-release of Sega Saturn systems and games which I don't believe they ever did. Majesco had rights in the late 90's to manufacture their own older Sega systems, including the aforementioned Game Gear reissue along with the Genesis Model 3. It would've been interesting to see if they did reissue the Saturn or games if they would shift the packaging to be different from the rest of the Saturn library, or if they would create a new design for the console to adhere with their budget.
After a round-up of American news, there is a page blurb of Dreamcast news from Japan,
including news on Death Crimson 2 (lol), Sakura Taisen Hanagumi Columns 2 and Taisen 3, and that Sega is partnering with Sanrio to make a Hello Kitty themed Dreamcast. Lastly inthe news section they've separated RPG news and Sega coin-op news including an interview with members of the Skies of Arcadia developer team, and a preview of Ferrari F355 Challenge in the arcade. I've never seen or heard of F355 Challenge, but I have to say it looks like an experience only for the arcade with more control options for traction control, ABS, a clutch pedal with 6 speed gear shifter, and a 3 monitor set-up to get a true to life view of driving in a F355. Definitely a part of Sega history I'd love to see in person if I ever get the chance to.
Let's take a step back and look at a part of every magazine, advertisements. Usually one of my favorite parts of a magazine to look back on, you can tell that as the turn of the century is around the corner that advertisements are becoming more tame compared to ads earlier that decade. Sega's own ads are comprised of a campaign claiming the Dreamcast is "thinking" and highlighting some system sellers like NFL 2K, Sonic Adventure and House of the Dead 2. You can see some of Sega's 'tude come through saying that "Sonic has a new light speed dash... too bad your lame-ass reflexes are the same", but that's about the extent of it. There are also some advertisements for 3rd party offerings of varying quality including Midway's lineup of games like Hydro Thunder and NFL Blitz, Speed Devils from Ubisoft, and a 3 page ad for Soulcalibur which is awesome.
There are also a handful of ads for 3rd party controllers, some of which look so uncomfortable and cheap in quality it's not even funny. I remember 3rd party controllers being a larger part of my childhood, especially the Rock Candy glowing controllers and Gamestop's crappy offerings, but never anything compared to what InterAct had on offer. Lastly, there were several ads and information about the Neo Geo Pocket Color.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color, released a few months prior to the Dreamcast in the US, had somewhat of a symbiotic relationship with the system. Sega actually developed a handful of games for the system, including Sonic's Pocket Adventure which also got a preview in this issue of DCM. They report that the game "should also move as fast as it's Genesis forebears - without the (unintentional) blur created by the slower refresh rates of older Game Gear and Nomad screens".
DCM also looks at 3 games for the system that are out currently along with promising more coverage of the handheld in future issues, and touting that one of the games, King of Fighters R-2, will have compatibility with the Dreamcast and a link cable that SNK is still developing. While the link cable did come out, only a handful of game were compatible, mostly the SNK vs. Capcom games and other fighting games for unlockable in both the handheld and console versions of each game. There's also a lovely ad for the handheld later in the issue highlighting some SNK standards like Samurai Shodown and Baseball Stars along with Pac-Man. It'll be interesting if DCM
follows up on it's promise to look at more Neo Geo Pocket Color games in future issues.
Now we come to probably the most important part of gaming publications, previews of games to come and reviews of games that are coming out. Starting with the previews, DCM looks at a handful of interesting and not so interesting games coming out in the coming months. MDX 2 is one of the first games they preview, a Bioware shooter/action game coming out in early 2000 for the console. DCM accentuates the fact you'll be able to play as 3 different characters in the sequel, with each specializing a different style of gameplay, whether stealth or more guns blazing. MDX 2 did come out for the Dreamcast in addition to PS2 and PC. As far as Sega offerings on preview, we have 2 games in Toy Commander and Extreme Boarders. Toy Commander was an action strategy game where you take control of toy vehicles like RC cars, helicopters and more to do various tasks around the house. By the time Toy Commander came out both Toy Story 1 and 2 had come out in the states, but I haven't actually played the game to see if any inspiration other than the main concept of toys coming to life had any effect on the game. On the other hand we have Extreme Boarders developed by the same company as Cool Boarders on PS1 and published by Sega. DCM highlights both the trick mode on the halfpipe as well as free mode where it's you against the elements trying to get down the mountain. The biggest thing that DCM is excited for is the improved visuals moving from a 32-bit to 128-bit system, and hopes that the announcer from the previous entries holds back on the cheese factor. Extreme Boarders did eventually come out on Dreamcast, but under the title of Rippin' Riders Snowboarding.
Ending off our look at some of the previews is Castlevania Resurrection, an unreleased Castlevania game for the system. The preview includes some screenshots and preliminary renders of the game, along with gameplay features both new and old, like grabbing hearts for secondary weapons, as well as a new dodge roll. While the game was slated for a spring of 2000 release, the game never saw the light of day. There is an unreleased prototype build of the game floating around online, so if you're really interested in what might've been you can check that out.
Last but not least we enter the Test Zone where all games that have released or are getting ready for release are reviewed and given a score. This issues biggest review is the 6 page review on 6 different fighting game offerings for the Dreamcast including Soulcalibur, Virtua Fighter 3TB, Power Stone, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Marvel vs. Capcom and Mortal Kombat Gold. For each game they rank them in 4 categories and assign a winner and runner-ups with the categories being best gameplay, graphics, replay value and characters. Soulcalibur ends up winning most of the categories, tying with Virtua Fighter 3TB in Gameplay and Street Fighter Alpha 3 winning best characters. Something to note about the graphics department was what the publication had to say on the 2D Capcom offerings, saying that comparing SF Alpha to Soulcalibur is "really like comparing apples to oranges" and calls SF Alpha "by far the best-looking 2D game available on the Dreamcast." This is at least shows more openness to 2D offerings, but that gaming in the years to come is still largely 3D skewed in terms of what graphics are favorable. Soulcalibur still wins overall with a 9/10 rating, and most other offerings getting a 8/10 or slightly lower apart from M.K Gold which got a 3/10.
Other games reviewed include NFL 2K, which got a 9/10 and a compliment from the reviewers saying "this is the best overall football game we've ever played". They praise the graphics, play-by-play commentary that never gets repetitive and the VMU play calling making a 2 player couch co-op game more strategic since plays are hidden from your opponent. The only real negative they give the game is the lack of running options for offense. That still doesn't stop the game from receiving the Dream Game Award for the issue. Further back in the reviews, DCM gives more rapid-fire opinions including reviews on some racing games that just hit the platform like Hydro Thunder, Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Flag to Flag. They also review other Sega 1st party offerings like Sega Bass Fishing and Dynamite Cop, but end up giving them middling scores due to lack of replayability.
Overall I think DCM was a well structured publication that gave interesting insight for games on Sega's last home console. There is plenty more to read in the issue, so if you're interested give it a shot! I'll include a PDF version I used for some pictures down below if you want to read the entire issue. DCM overall didn't have a terribly long print run, lasting about as long as the Dreamcast itself, but I enjoyed my time reading this issue and will definitely look into getting more! DCM will have been the 3rd publication I've given a spotlight to, but what would you like me to look more into? I still have plenty of issues of Nintendo Power, Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine as well as 20-30 issues or so of EGM from the early to mid 2010's I can take a look at as well. Thanks for reading this magazine spotlight and keep an eye out for more in the future!
The Sega Saturn is no stranger to shmups of all shapes and sizes. Whether you're looking for easy to get into shmups like Layer Section or Thunder Force V, more bullet hell shooters like Dodonpachi, Batsugun or Battle Garegga, or a more light-hearted approach like Twinbee or Cotton, the Saturn is one of the few consoles that really appeals to a shmup fan. Guardian Force I would say isn't one of the best on the platform, but certainly a curiosity that brings some unique ideas to the table among the selection of shmups on the system and a rare one at that as well. Created by Success, the same team that is most well known for the Cotton franchise of games that is still going strong, Guardian Force only has had a handful of home releases. It recently got a release as part of a Saturn collection with Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang for modern platforms, but I've heard and read online that the port job wasn't the best, including a good amount of lag which isn't appreciated in a twitch reflex kind of game. I'll be looking at the original Saturn port since that is the best playing version. How does Guardian Force stack up?
Gameplay and Scoring
There are plenty of mid-bosses in Guardian Force
Guardian Force is atypical of other shumps in that you aren't piloting a space ship or plane but rather a tank-like vehicle (I say tank-like because I swear you're flying over some sections and stages, including going underwater). The tank brings some unique aspects to gameplay compared to other ships in the genre. For one, as a tank, you have a turret attached that allows you to shift the direction you're aiming. This allows for some fun stage design where you start a stage going vertically and then switching to a horizontal view, or even going backwards through a stage the way you just came. Shifting your turret can be bound a few different ways control-wise, but I like to have it set to the L and R buttons. Turning for the most part is pretty consistent, but it can get confusing sometimes amongst the chaos of which way you're facing, so I wish there was a reset to your forward direction toggle or button in the options. You also have some unique powerups that can either make a section easier or harder. You have some pretty basic spreadshots, missiles for more concentrated damage, and a bomb shot that explodes on contact making easy work for bosses. My personal favorites are the yellow laser beam that can stay active as you're turning making for a sweeping shot that lasts a decent amount of time, and the green yo-yo like weapon that can really shred a boss from the inside-out. Weapons are powered up by collecting gems sometimes dropped by enemies and bosses or collecting powerups of the same color as your current weapon. Each weapon can get powered up to level 10, but even when you're powered up some weapons just don't do the trick against the common enemies. To me the whole appeal of a spreadshot is making the stage overall easier because the weaker enemies die before they can even attack, but in turn it makes the boss more difficult because your damage isn't as focused. This isn't the case in Guardian Force, as enemies stick around for a little longer than they're welcome. Lastly on the gameplay side of things that is abnormal from other shmups is the diagonal scrolling. sometimes during a stage as it transitions from a horizontal section to a vertical one you'll have part of the stage that scrolls diagonally. It's a little awkward in terms of feel, but I never noticed the presentation dip because of it.
Diagonal Scrolling can make things tricky
In terms of scoring, there are 2 main ways to rack up a good score being mid-bosses and these bullet medallions. Mid-bosses will usually have a timer pop up before they become active, once they do the time starts counting down. The smaller amount of time that is wasted the larger the bonus that you receive. As far as the medallions, they start in a smaller bonus that gets larger as you collect more in sequential order going from 100 bonus points to 12800 points. The catch is if you fail to pick up any of the medals, it goes back to the 100 point bonus. I usually don't play these games for score as much as I do completion, but knowing the scoring system can help you earn an extra life here or there. Outside of the weapons, rotating turret and scrolling in stages, Guardian Force is pretty average for a shmup of this era in terms of gameplay and on the more difficult side of shmups on the console. It's nowhere near Battle Garegga's difficulty, but still a difficult clear nonetheless. There are some accessibility options for difficulty and amount of lives, so enjoy the game in whatever way works for you.
Presentation
Graphically, I'd say Guardian Force is middle of the road for the console. The pixel art is very colorful, backgrounds tell a good story of your location and enemy designs are varied enough, but there isn't as much parallax scrolling as other 2D shmups or games on the console. I wonder if that has something to do with the diagonal scrolling on some stages, but I digress. Circling back to those backgrounds, they sometimes don't mesh well with bullet colors and can make for a difficult time navigating areas. Stage-B immediately comes to mind with these issues. Musically I'd say the game is pretty lackluster. There were maybe 2-3 tracks that I remember and enjoyed, but nothing else really stood out. I wouldn't say that the soundtrack gets in the way of gameplay, but it's just kinda there for most of the experience which is a shame. The box art and manual are a nice part of the presentation as well, giving a good rundown on starting the game, weapons and bombs, and even a bit of backstory. Here's a roughly translated and abridged version of what little story there is. As I understand it, some crystal-like objects were unearthed named "Force" which provided a great leap forward in technology and science. The Hammerbolt Empire are using the Force to build weapons and invade other countries. A secret society known as "Guardian" knew about Force and were able to seal it away from the military empire and as a countermeasure developed a top-secret Force equipped tank (that's you!). Without the manual, none of this is explained in any fashion at any point.
Closing Thoughts
While Guardian Force is a fun time, I don't think it's anywhere near the best on the platform. I can appreciate what Success was going for and I think the concept overall is a breath of fresh air, but it could've been better executed on both the gameplay and presentation front. That being said, I still see value in the game and would recommend it if you're a fan of the genre. I would also recommend playing the Saturn version if you have access to it, but don't go out of your way to buy it unless you're collecting rare games or are a hardcore fan of the shmup genre. I paid a pretty penny on this game, but I wouldn't say I regret it. It's a game I never thought I would have the chance to own but I'm happy I do!
If I had to put a number rating on Guardian Force, I would say around a 6.5/10 feels right in my mind. Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for more shmup reviews in the future!
All research and high-scan pictures can be found here: Sega Retro
