SugoroQuest++ –DICENICS- (Super Famicom) and DunQuest (Super Famicom)
I wanted to enjoy these games, but as they are only in Japanese and completely untranslated, I could not get anything done in them. DunQuest is an action RPG but there were spots that I could not figure out what to do and had to move on. SugoroQuest++ –DICENICS- was dissapointing for me in this state because I loved the recent localization of the Famicom game in the series Sugoro Quest: Dice Heroes ( see our review here), and from what I could see, this one looks even better. Alas, I hope Shinyuden and Ratalaika get a chance to localize these games offiicially
XAIN’D SLEENA: SOLDIER OF LIGHT (Arcade)
This is an interesting one as XAIN’D SLEENA: SOLDIER OF LIGHT is a mix of genres, with some sections taking the form of run’n’gun gamplay and some sections taking the form of shoot em up gameplay. I will be totally honest here though, and say that while technos did many amazing things with gaming, this was not a high point. The run’n gun sections feel more frustrating than anything else, and the shmup sections just feel generic. I get that some will find the game neat, but for me, XAIN’D SLEENA: SOLDIER OF LIGT is the weakest game in this collection. It does not perform well enough in either section and while the story the game set up is neat, the final product just falls short.
Kunio’s Dodgeball Time, C’mon Guys! (Super Famicom)
A Kunio-kun dodgeball game that was never localized for the west before has received a new translation and the game is rather interesting. This game has a lot of new mechanics, such as being able to purchase special moves and combine them with others to create your own style of gameplay. There is a decent story here like with other Kunio sports games, and there is some fun to be had, but this is not the Dodgeball game you are here for. Don’t get me wrong, this is not bad at all, and the unique special moves are fun, but this feels a little unnecessary with what else is here.
Downtown River City Baseball Story ~Play Ball, Kunio!~ (Super Famicom)
The Kunio sports games are a lot of fun in general and this game starring the character Sugata is interesting. This is a story driven sports game, but the baseball mechanics may be a little awkward at first. There is a unique blend of arcade style action with special moves, as well as traditional baseball mechanics and learning how things work can take a bit of time. That said, once you get the hang of the mechanics and learn how to handle the strategy, Downtown River City Baseball Story ~Play Ball, Kunio!~ is a fun addition to the Kunio sports games and the Downtown subseries.
Kunio’s Oden (Super Famicom)
I was not sure what to expect from this but it is a puzzle game that is themed after Oden, a food dish and plays rather similiarly to games like Puyo Puyo. I was caught off guard at first by how fast paced the game was, but once I adjusted, it was a decent experience, but I can see why Technos never made more of these games as it was just too derivative of other games and failed to stand out on its own. It has good visuals and music, but it just does not do anything to have a real identity and the Kunio branding feels almost like a cynical attempt to prop up a game that didn’t have enough on its own.
CHINA GATE (Arcade)
China Gate is a fun game that calls to mind a blend of Capcom’s Black Tiger and Tiger Road. This is a game based on Journey to the West, and is a stage-based action game that is fun for a bit. This may not be a standout title but it is surprisingly fun with the characters Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing all feeling nice to play as, and the music and visuals shine brightly here. I honestly do not have much to say other than that China Gate is surprisingly addictive and a decent hack n slash game. The addition of unique spells and abilities helps set China Gate apart and you may not be expecting much from it, but it will surprise you.
And now we come to the best games in the collection that I saved for last.
THE COMBATRIBES (SNES)
The Combatribes is a fun beat em up from Technos that blends the mechanics of Double Dragon with the earlier game Renegade ( err, the game known as Nekketsu Koha Kunio-Kun that came out before Double Dragon. Had to clear that up for reasons that will be clear in a minute). The game sees you take control of over the top musclehead military vets seeking to take down a crime and a terrorist group. I loved the arcade version, but never played the SNES version before. Sadly, it seems the conversion took a hit at times as the game had a different colour tone to it, and the physics just felt different. The combat still had decent weight to it and the music was good, but the intense difficulty of the arcade game was not adjusted well for a home release, making everything feel unbalanced.
Fortunately, we also have:
THE COMBATRIBES (Arcade)
This version of the Combatribes feels just right to me, with the combat feeling more natural and the use of credits helping compensate for the intense difficulty. In fact, you can add credits to extend your life meter rather than just add extra lives if you wish. There are more multiplayer options in the arcade version, and while I do think the SNES version’s music stands out a bit more, I just overall love the arcade experience so much more. This is a beat em up that looked to the past with the then present in mind and figured out how to blend ideas well. Technos made this game while outsourcing Double Dragon III to another developer and it shows in that The Combatribes is far and away the superior game and worthy of Double Dragon I and II. You cannot go wrong with this one.
SHADOW FORCE (Arcade)
Shadow Force is one of the more underrated arcade beat em ups from Technos. This game sees four cyborg ninjas taking on an evil corporation, which may sound simple enough, but Shadow Force has a unique mechanic where you can “Snatch” enemies to use. This mechanic will let you take control of a large variety of enemies to take on the challenges. Of course if you want, you can just fight as your selected character, but this is a neat option to have and sets the game apart.
There are some issues with Shadow Force feeling a bit slow at times and some sections where hitting breakable objects proved to be surprisingly frustrating., with some music that feels a bit lacking. Still, the overall game is fun with a satisfying weight to the combat and amazing visual work that helps it establish its own identity. This was a very experimental game and it would have been neat to see Technos do more with the idea.
River City Renegade (Super Famicom)
First released in Japan as Shodai Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, this amazing beat em up RPG has come west for the first time as River City Renegade ( now you see why I had to clarify), and it is amazing. This may be a beat em up RPG, but it is not the same as River City Ransom, which was part of the Downtown Nekketsu subseries, and instead had a more realistic ( for the time) art style and mature tone. Kunio and friends have arrived in Osaka for a school trip and things get off to a rough start with rival gangs and shady schemes threatening our heroes.
River City Renegade has a deeper RPG system than River City Ransom and will see you find yourself in brawls that you encounter almost like random battles in a traditional RPG, while Kunio has a proper leveling system this time. You can also equip items, and learn techniques like before but it feels far more involved now. You can also initiate fights by attacking characters for experience, and some fights will see a random character join in to help you for whatever reason.
The story is also much more fleshed out, and as mentioned is a lot darker and more mature, not pulling punches ( pun intended) when discussing the violent nature of the characters. River City Renegade feels like a fully realized world, with you being able to walk the streets of Osaka and interact with the world, buy items and use the trains to move around and just let yourself get lost in how big everything is. The Kunio series has been cited as an influence on the Like a Dragon / Yakuza series for a long time and River City Renegade is the clearest example of this, feeling almost like a demake of the RGG Studios series at times.
The music is decent albeit not as iconic as River City Ransom or the latter River City Girls ( aka Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka) but it still stands on its own. The visuals are not as good as in the latter game either, but are still great for its time. What makes River City Renegade stand out is the brilliance of its RPG beat em up mechanics mixed with its open world design. This would be the best game on the collection, if there wasn’t also one other.
