Mortal Kombat II (Game Gear) Review

Mortal Kombat is without a doubt the most infamous video game of the 1990s; for crusaders against video games and fear-mongers, it perfectly typified all the anxieties associated with video game violence. Politicians and parents could blame Mortal Kombat instead of looking at the real sources of violence in our society--ignorance, a harsh prison system, racial inequalities, xenophobia, etc.

Well, the joke's on those fuckers because today the "violence" in Mortal Kombat is laughable at best--cartoonish explosions of 4 heads, 16 arms, 5 torsos, and 9 legs; skeleton's rising from acid; heads being eaten by dragons... you know, all the standard shit that in 2012 feels closer to a Nintendo or Disney production than a serious threat to society.

The solid gameplay, however, remains undisturbed and has easily evaded Time's deadly caress.

Like the Ultima series, Mortal Kombat is a franchise that I'd like to delve deeply into over the following months, and to kick off this exploration I'd like to look at the first Mortal Kombat game I owned: MK2 for the Sega Game Gear.

Quite possibly , MKII for the Sega Game Gear is the best 8-Bit fighting game you'll ever play. Considering the Game Gear is as powerful as an NES, the animations and graphics are an incredible achievement. Although 4 characters were purged for this release (Raiden, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, and Baraka), the rest of the cast looks very close to their arcade counterparts. The moveset has been simplified as well, due to the reduced buttons (so just 1 punch button and 1 kick button), but if anything this just makes the game slightly easier without hurting anything. For example, Scorpion's spear is still activated by Back, Back, Punch, and so players can easily transfer the moves they've learned onto this version. Even Fatalities are the same, however mercy's, babialities, friendships, and animalities are all absent.

The game only has 2 regular stages to play on, which is disappointing but acceptable. The bosses, thankfully, have unique arenas. You can still uppercut players into the spikes for a stage Fatality. Music is recognizable and catchy, but fewer tunes exist than on the arcade, which is to be expected.

There are 3 difficulty settings, each ups the intensity and also adjusts how many credits the player has. Every character has an ending, and I'm pretty sure the storyline follows the arcade, but I can't remember if it is exactly the same.

As a kid I couldn't put this cartridge down. I'd stay close by a power outlet so I play (Game Gears took 6x AA batteries per 3 hours...) These days I'd probably rather play Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but that doesn't mean I won't occasionally power down the M.A.M.E. and indulge in a nostalgia trip through Game Gear City.

You should too. Via Meka if necessary.

Phantasy Star Promo Art

I found this awesome Phantasy Star promo art piece today and thought I'd share it. I'll never get enough of the 1980s anime style. The same goes for Phantasy Star in general :D

VG Music: The Fresh Prince of Sonic 3

To prove exactly what I meant earlier, check out this Fresh Prince vs. Sonic 3's Endless Mine. It's much better than What a Girl Wants, and it's pretty obvious.

This is a legitimately awesome song.

VG Music: Sonic 3 vs. Pop Music

Christina Aguilera and Sonic 3, could it work? It does.

The mash-up has some rocky moments, but overall it's pretty interesting and worth a listen for Sonic fans.

The lesson everyone should learn is that Sonic has some of the best music of the last 20 years.

VG Music: Sonic Star Light Zone

After Laybrinth Zone, the open air in Star Light zone are quite welcome. Star Light zone perfectly captures the sense of adventure found in the original Sonic.

The levels were longer, you weren't always fighting Robotnik... most of the time you're just running around.

Despite this, there is a sense of anticipation and tension in this song that drives the player to continue on and hints at future challenges.

VG Music: Sonic Spring Yard Zone

Spring Yard Zone always stood out as one of the best Sonic Tracks. Really the chorus is awesome, verses are kinda boring.

Still a great song though.

The Sega Genesis did just fine with its midi sound chip!

Thanks to Renegade466isback for uploading this video and not having a terrible version like everyone else on youtube!

Sonic the Hedgehog

I was 7 years old when Sonic the Hedgehog launched in North America. Vividly, I remember playing the game for the first time in KB Toys on a display TV.

I was blown away.

Never had I played a game with such amazing graphics. In my mind, the Super Nintendo games didn't even come close to match the cool, futuristic look of Sonic. The music as well, like Mega Man, hinted at the great electronic music that would proliferate over the next 20 years.

Specifically, I noticed how the several different background layers created a 3D effect that I'd never before seen (Super Mario World, by comparison, features 1 parallax background; Sonic has up to 4 depending on the level.

But Sonic didn't even have levels, it had zones and acts. It didn't have enemies, it had little bunnies inside robots. It had rings, which were like coins, but they were also Sonic's HP. Sega did everything they could to distance their mascot from Nintendo's--and it worked. I also remember, at 7 years old, having serious discussions with my friends over who was cooler: Sonic or Mario. While we all grew up playing Mario, the consensus was, of course, that Sonic ruled.

It had to be the speed. Mario created good hop-n-bop game play, but nothing as extreme as Sonic had yet existed. Mario requires that the player actively hold B to run; Sonic doesn't need to. Sonic doesn't even need more than 1 button, and the player cannot hide behind any sort of projectile-powerup.

But, the graphics and environment probably had something to do with it. The world of Sonic teems with movement. Environmental effects, spinning thorn bridges, falling terrain, bumpers, springs, swings, loops, and lava. The flowers spin; the backgrounds flash. The sun reflects off the water in Green Hill Zone--the place shimmers with fun. Sonic felt like the future.

I was equally impressed with Sonic 2, 3 and Knuckles, but, unfortunately, watched the series degenerate just like everyone else after that--with only the occasional title being playable (Sonic Rush, anyone? Sonic Rush was amazing). But despite the awesome co-op and great music, I still feel like Sonic 1 remains the best game in the series because it focuses on platforming more than the other titles. Real dedication was put into every level, and each level has multiple paths. While Sonic 2 continued this trend, the levels never felt quite as big as they did in the original. Eventually, it was all about the loops and going ridiculously fast. Somehow, Sonic 2, 3, Knuckles, and Rush pull this off okay, but at some point the loops simply failed to impress me even slightly.

Additionally, all the cool Sonic zones (watery ruins, pinball bumpers, green hills, big cities) were set in the first game--everything else is, to an extent, a rehash. Not that I don't love Hill Top, Chemical Plant, and Oil Ocean, but those ideas came out of (were inspired by?) Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic 2, admittedly, fixed many problems with its predessor: better bonus stage, co-op gameplay (several modes), spin-dashing, and a cool new sidekick. But while these improvements were welcome at the time, in retrospect they can't hold up to the absolute brilliance of the original.

I didn't own Sonic when it was new; but I did finally get a Sega Genesis 1997, when my neighbors grew bored with their old system in favor of their N64 and PSX. Excitement made my hands shake as I hooked up my new Sega Genesis: I could finally play Sonic anytime I wanted! And I basically never stopped.

Phantasy Star II -- Part Two

I'd been assigned to gather some information on the Bio Lab. My commander suspected something was wrong with Mother Brain. A highwayman named Darum, however, was robbing everyone who crossed the bridge and killing most as well. He'd already tried to killed Nei a few months back. After gathering info in the small, dynamited town of Arima, I found a key and some dynamite in Shure dungeon.

I used this key in the next dungeon, Nido tower, and found Darum's daughter, Tiem. She asked to be taken to her father, after we showed her a letter we had found. The letter was ransoming Tiem, and she is horrifying to discover that her father became a murderer because of her. Tiem hides her face with a veil, and tries to tell Darum that killing is wrong, but, instead, he kills her. In a fit of grief, he blows himself up, ending the first story arc in a brutal murder-suicide.

But Rolf and co. press on to another town, Onita, and, finally, the BioLabs themselves. The experience and money is fantastic, and I'm able to buy several ceramic knives, good armor, and have decent gear for the dungeon. Unfortunately, Amy dies about halfway in, and I decide to press on. I almost make it to the recorder, but then Rudo dies as well and I have no choice but to warp back to town and try again -- this time I succeed and head back to Paseo!

My commander's suspicions are confirmed: Mother Brain fucked up, but currently HQ's best theory is that someone tampered with the programming, which sounds pretty reasonable. They've got some graphs to back this shit up too. My boss gives me a key, and I'm free to explore a lot of the world.

I traveled to two new towns, but not much happened. That means 2 new party members. However, I'm enjoying my current party, and think I'll stick with it. In part three I'll detail the next 2-3 dungeons and describe the two new towns, the garbage heap, and the developing story of Phantasy Star II.

READ ON TO PART 3

Click here to go back and read Part One.

Psychic World

Like Legacy of the Wizard, Psychic World was also originally an MSX game entitled Psycho World (but really they mean Psychic). The anime screenshots are actually taken from Psycho World, although Psychic World has some cutscenes in it as well--almost an industry standard by 1991 (upon it's North American release), but still a novelty in 1988 (in Japan). I suspect it was a bigger deal overseas because from 1988-1991 gaming technology developed rapidly; Psychic World might be fun, but it wasn't ever noteworthy. Sega ported it to their Master system and Game Gear, but the game has remained relatively obscure and the franchise was never picked up again. You play as Lucia, daughter of Dr. Konvak. You dad was into genetically mutating flowers and demons, and the divine will sets these monsters lose upon your family. If you can kick enough ass, the curse on your family's honor will be restored. Or something.

Your one super power: an ESP booster capable of telekinetic and elemental super powers. Not bad. As you progress through the game some cool abilities because available: flight and invincibility being the most enjoyable. The only problem with the controls is that the player is required to switch in real time (no pause-menu switching) and the command to switch powerups is down+jump+2 directions to select and activate, say, invincibility. Monsters drain your health quickly -- Lucia gets NO frames of invincibility for free upon being hit. These quirks make the game much harder than it needs to be.

If the player can overlook these shortcomings, the game truly is quite solid. Check out the box art, doesn't this look like the type of game you'd play?



The jumping physics are great, similar to Journey to Silius. However, unlike JtS and Mega Man, Lucia can run really fast if the player walks in one direction for about 2 seconds. It's a strange running system, and I've never played anything quite like it. You can not double tap a direction to start running, and you don't build momentum like Mario. All of a sudden your character just starts hauling ass. The levels are built around this concept at times, like the running parts of Super Metroid.



Now the game is noteworthy as an enjoyable and obscure underrated gem. I can't beat the third stage, but I'm getting close. Beating a stage truly feels like an accomplishment because every time you die it's back to the beginning of the very, very long stage. Almost every game out there features checkpoints, and not having this cushion admittedly makes the gameplay more exciting--but painfully difficult.

What's also exciting is mapping the console reset button to the normal "select" key so you accidentally reset 15 times while playing. This adds another layer of difficulty you simply cannot achieve on the home console.

If you have a Master System, I can't imagine not owning this game. Despite the flaws, the music is good enough to keep the player interested long enough to get hooked on the gameplay. The enemy and level design are both original, and from looking at some youtube videos of the later levels, the game gets even better in Stages 4 and 5.



The Game Gear version, while extremely similar, is a different game and not as good as the Master System version. I haven't played the MSX game, and typically games got better once ported to the Famicom or SMS, but this is not the case. Many features are missing in the Sega version, and the levels were modified from exploration-focused into a slightly more action-platforming focus. Psychic World definitely feels like an MSX adventure, which is a difficult thing to describe. Hit detection, gravity, music, colors, and enemy AI feel similar to other MSX games perhaps.



Psychic World is great, and it's a wonder people can even play Alex Kidd with gems like this sitting around on the SMS. Psychic World features great, action-packed gameplay, with zero downtime. You'll always be running or fighting or dying. Beating a stage in one life really isn't that bad; it's just good gameplay. This game will demand a moderate amount from the player, but once mastered stages become extremely fun to play through again. You won't feel bad about turning the game off/on for a 30 minute break/gameplay session.

Phantasy Star II -- Part One

I killed Lassic. Peace could now return to the Algol system, but the game instructed me to go to the Governor's mansion on Mota. There I fought a demon, the real boss of Phantasy Star. Rolf, the protagonist of Phantasy Star II, dreams about Alis fighting this demon in the into to his game. He wakes up on Mota. The star system is a very different place than the one Alis inhabited.

The Mother Brain handles all of humanity's problems: from money to the weather. One suspects early on that this power extends towards the government as well. Rolf works for the Mother Brain, in fact, he's its top agent. Right from the start, a tension exists between what the player knows must happen: information about Mother Brain's supposed evil plans needs to be gathered, and what Rolf wants: to do his job as a field agent, go home, and watch TV.

In Phantasy Star, the people of Algol were beaten down, but some of them have hope. In Phantasy Star II, this virtue has degenerated into apathy and amorality. A band of rebels dynamites an entire town and steal everything in sight, and still it remains unclear to me as a player who, if anyone, I should be rebelling against. Probably not the misguided rebels, but probably not Mother Brain either. If there is one thing Star Trek has made perfect clear: computers lack the human emotion to rule people. Still, the question is chillingly relevant, and, surprisingly, Phantasy Star comments on real life more effectively than fantasy-RPGs.

The battle system is greatly improved, and I'm glad to say goodbye to first-person dungeons as well. Phantasy Star II compensates by providing the player with amazing music, easily on par with Final Fantasy 7, Sonic, Mega Man, Lufia, Ninja Gaiden, and other acclaimed video game soundtracks. Usually the battle theme in an RPG is "okay" and sounds vaguely "tense" which sometimes just translates to "unbearably annoying" or "seizure inducing." Phantasy Star II's battle music could roughly be categorized as "fucking awesome."



Sega brings this level of quality to every single track in the game.

I really enjoy the new battle layout, it's nice watching Nei and Rolf slash at the enemies. Battle formations are now varied, and Phantasy Star feels futuristic and exciting. Many genre perks missing from Phantasy Star (moving NPCs, huge cast of characters, dual wielding, etc.) are now, thankfully, present. Sega takes full advantage of the Genesis hardware and create a technical rival to Final Fantasy. But Final Fantasy 4 was really easy, even the Japanese version. You could basically beat it and sleep at the same time. I'm hesitant to call Phantasy Star II "underrated," because it's actually quite popular and I know many gamers out there already consider PSII to be the best 16-bit RPG ever created. I look forward to testing that claim.

Continue reading in Part Two!

Phantasy Star Review

Martial law has been declared across the star system, and your brother was beaten to death in the street for rebelling against Lassic's government.

I've always known about Phantasy Star, and I've briefly test-driven the roms a few times, but I've never dedicated time to beating any of them. In the past, I don't think I had the patience. But a few days ago, as I mournfully looked at my well-played copy of Dragon Warrior 2, I was desperately in need of something to play. I found Phantasy Star.

Phantasy Star is a world not unlike Earth. It's made of concrete, houses, shops, cars, airplanes, governments, passports, fast food, guns, violence, death, friendship, family, moving sidewalks, spaceships, money, and corruption.

Alis and her friends will explore first-person dungeons, travel to other planets, find treasure, and exact an unsettling revenge for the death and destruction evil King Lassic has wrought across the 3 planets of Palma, Motavia, and Dezoris. One imagines life would be a lot like this if the Sol system had three habitable planets.



But nothing engrossed me like the first-person segments. The first-person buildings are far smoother than, say, Moraff's World, but a lack of any overhead view makes them a serious challenge. Without mapping these places out manually, many areas are simply impossible to navigate because everything looks the same. Liberal use of Phantasy-Star.net makes the impossible into a nice challenge, so modern gamers have little excuse to avoid this game. Sometimes these areas are used masterfully, for example: an abandoned installation in a later town is represented in first person, and walking through this building conveys the feeling of actually being in a very strange and faceless cinderblock building. Ultima Exodus attempted first-person segments, Phantasy Star nearly perfects them.

Over time the series has spawned maybe sequels and MMORPGs. Admittedly, I'm just getting into the franchise.This game, however, started it all. Its $5.00 pricetag offers no excuses to the Wii owner -- buy this game now! You may have been putting off Phantasy Star in favor of another series like Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior, but if you're looking for a more serious story in a world much more familiar and exciting then look no more. Nothing else will make you miss 1988 like Phantasy Star. Pretend you rented it from the video store for $5.00 (more like $10.00 in 1988)--and hurry, because the entire solar system is counting on you and your friends!

The artwork is an early example of anime art reaching America, and the sprites have the distinctly 1980s highly-detailed style. The world feel so complete, that it's a wonder so many games chose to go the fantasy, instead of sci-fi route. In Phantasy Star, the towns feel like real towns (no 3-house "towns"), and exploring some buildings in the first persons creates a surreal pseudo-3d environment. It is like nothing else you have ever played.



Many RPGs feature a random monster trying to destroy the world. This isn't really scary, because everyone knows dragons and giant monsters don't really exist. But Phantasy Star (and FFVII) feature human enemies with crazy goals. It's easier to believe that Lassic is running a town into the ground because he has declared martial law and blocked the trade routes than it is to believe you are reviving an elf prince under a sleeping spell. In Final Fantasy, you save that town, and this is expected. In Phatasy Star, the demolished towns keep on being shitty--and that's realism; Phantasy Star doesn't offer easy moral answer to every situation (it's got its share of cliches, no doubt). Often the heroes do nothing to save the day.

In fact, the entire quest is questionable. Should Alis be seeking vengeance? Even bloodbaths like No More Heroes 1-2 and willing to ask this question. Unlike Travis Touchdown, however, Alis can't just walk away: Lassic rules all three planets in the system and his crimes are arguably worse than the Santa Destro Corp.

The story remains puzzling in the end, though some closure is offered. Playing through Phantasy Star this week has been one of the most memorable RPG experiences of my life. I anticipate exploring the Algol System in Phantasy Star II, and wonder what Alis's brother meant about her "being reborn." Other games abandon characters and stories in each game; Sega offers cliffhangers. Phantasy Star for the Sega Master system: the greatest 8-Bit RPG of all time.

Magical Puzzle Popils Game Gear Review

Tengen didn't just port Tetris in the '90s, they also created one of the best puzzle games for Sega Game Gear.

Magical Puzzle Popils looks like the stupidest game on the planet, but actually proves to be one of the deepest puzzlers on a Sega Handheld. Popils, I guess, are cube-shaped people. You play the boy character and you have to punch blocks to drop columns, climb ladders, avoid bad guys, and use magic doors s you proceed through an impressive and exciting 100 levels.

The player unlocks sets of 5-10 stages every so often, effective auto-saving the game. In addition to these pre-set stages, you can save up to 30 of your own design on the cartridge. This amounts to a lot of fun, and rather endless possibilities.



It's not unlike battle lode runner, but Magical Puzzle Popils has a much faster game pace, making it well-suited to a modern audience. It features the addictive gameplay puzzle fans crave, but continues to remain obscure due to any North American release )to my knowledge).

My friend actually had a copy of this growing up, and I gladly traded Sonic 2 to her in order to play this game. I'd be interested to know if anyone else ever heard/played this game. If you don't have a Game Gear, MekaW and the Japanese rom are going to be your best bet. The cartridge is built to display in English or Japanese.

Magical Puzzle Popils is a classic Game Gear puzzler that avoid the "falling block" routine and focuses on foresight and logic. The addition of level-creation makes this import title a safe purchase and a great candidate for someone(Sega?) to remake or import to the VC.

Song of the Week: Phantasy Star Title Theme

I'm going to try out a weekly song posting of some underrated amazing video game music.

For week one, a Sega Master System classic and a really great theme that fits the game perfectly: The Phantasy Star Title Track. I'm playing Phantasy Star on the VC right now, and I'm going to be making a more in-depth post about it in a few hours.

This song reminds me of the Lufia menu theme because of the drums and happy synths.

Sonic 4 Annouced

In the midst of new ASCII game releases, another small software company is returning to its roots. Sega just announced Sonic 4, and it looks similar to the Genesis games with a bit of Sonic Rush polish. Personally I would have preferred 16-bit graphics, but hopefully Sega will do good with this game.

I'd also like to humbly point out that the "retro revival" trend was predicted by myself in 2008 with the release of Mega Man 9. Since then, Nintendo, Konami, Capcom, Sega, and others have released new additions to classic franchises in the classic style.

But if these games are still too advanced, I know a nice ASCII game you could play.