Re-Releases You Should Play Part 5

If you've played them before, play them again. If you haven't played them, take them out for a spin.

Arcade Archives DONKEY KONG (NS)

There have been tons upon tons of versions of Donkey Kong. Nintendo's 1981 classic has been on NES as well as the Commodore 64. The issue with a lot of home ports, however, is that often times, they were missing a stage or two. Even the NES version, the one most are probably familiar with, only has three stages, omitting 50cm. Most players that wanted to play the arcade version of Donkey Kong either had to fire up MAME or Donkey Kong 64. Those days are long gone as HAMSTER has at long last rolled out the arcade version of Donkey Kong on the Switch.

You want that opening cut scene of DK climbing up the construction site with Pauline? Present. The "How high can you get?" tagline that shows before each stage? Here. All four stages? You got 'em. You get the usual options of toggling the screen display so you can play with scan lines, the original arcade output or turn them off completely to get a nice, clean visual appearance. There are also three versions of Donkey Kong to play that change the game slightly such as mixing up the stage order or cutting the game in half, only containing the first and last level. Your usual high score and caravan modes are also here

As Donkey Kong is an old game, Mario doesn't have the super smooth movement he does in his games today. Heck, he can't even fall very far without dying. Even though this is the first game to star Mario, I'm surprised at how well it still holds up. Though his movements are stiff, controlling Mario still feels comfortable. It feel incredibly satisfying to jump over a barrel or crush a flame with a hammer. I've lost count of how many times I've beaten this game since purchasing it earlier this week. The first loop is easy but loop 2 is giving me trouble.  If you're looking for a way to legally enjoy the game that introduced two of the biggest names in gaming, Arcade Archives Donkey Kong is the way to go. Oh, and TATE mode, baby!

Also available on: ARC, N64

Ikaruga (NS)

In the early 2000s, I found a new favorite SHMUP in Ikaruga for the GameCube. A game that was originally in arcades and later ported on the Dreamcast in Japan, both the GCN and DC versions will run you a pretty penny these days. Ikaruga has since been re-released digitally on the 360, Steam and now, the Switch, a platform that is quickly becoming a SHMUP and arcade lover's paradise.

There are no power-ups to collect to strengthen your ship in Ikaruga. Instead you have the brilliant polarity system. What this does it let you change your ship's polarity to black or white with the press of a button. If you see white fire coming your way, turn your ship's polarity white and you'll absorb the fire. Do the same for black bullets coming in your direction. The kicker to this is that your ship is weak to whatever color is the opposite of it at that time. There will be times when you'll have to reverse your ship's polarity at just the right moment to avoid death. White enemies are weak to black bullets and the reverse applies to black enemies. Absorbing enemy fire not only nets you points but you can build up a full meter to release a barrage of bullets on the opposition.

Anyone that has heard of Ikaruga knows it is not an easy game. Even on the easiest setting it can be quite brutal. Thankfully, there free play can be selectable from the start but you can forget about saving those high scores if you choose to play this way. Online rankings are sure to inspire competition and even on the easy setting, I'm surprised at how far ahead I was above a lot of other players (I'm in the 1000s if you were wondering).

There are achievements to unlock as well as the awesome ability to play in TATE mode, which is one of the best things about Switch game on the arcade. The Switch version just might be the ideal way to play Treasure's classic shooter.

Also available on: ARC, DC, GCN, 360, PC

Play Hard Part 2

Think games are too easy? Looking for a challenge or know someone that is in desperate need of an ego check? Well then, you've come to the right place. Play Hard showcases brutal games to see just what breaks first, you or your controller.

Part 1

Mega Man (NES)

There are three things that are absolutely certain in life: death, taxes and Mega Man games being hard as steel. Mega Man games being notoriously difficult isn't some recent phenomenon. Nope, the Blue Bomber's games have been making players drop F-bombs for more than twenty five years, since the original game in fact. Mega Man's first adventure is still one of the most infamously arduous for a number of reasons.

Let's get the most obvious out of the way first, the Yellow Devil. Just getting to the boss of Dr. Wily Stage 1 is no easy task. Use of Robot Master weapons and precise platforming and the Magnet Beam are the only ways you'll make it through this level alive. The fight with the Yellow Devil has haunted many a player due to his speed and small weak point, which is a tiny red eye. But there are players who have gotten his pattern down and have taken the Yellow Devil out without using the Thunder Beam and pause glitch.

That being said, the Yellow Devil is far from being the only thing that makes Mega Man such a tough cookie. Not only is Elec Man one speedy little devil, but his Thunder Beam hits hard and can kill you in a measly three hits. So if you try to face Elec Man with half health, you're probably going to be reduced to spread dots even if you are using the Rolling Cutter.

Guts Man's level has a moving platform section over a huge bottomless pit. These platforms move across a line but certain lines have a gaps in them, which indicate the point of where the platforms will drop and you'll die if you haven't jumped in time. When these platforms drop, they fall like bricks so if your timing is less than perfect, you're dead.

Ice Man's level has two irritating disappearing block sections that makes most players with little patience break out the Magnet Beam. But the real mountain to climb in Ice Man's stage is the long bottomless pit that's patrolled by Footholders. What are Footholders, you ask? Why, Footholders are moving platforms with shifty eyes that fire bullets left and right to knock you off of other Footholders. To make matters worse, it's easy for you to be standing perfectly still on a Footholder, glitch through it and die. If you put your faith in a Footholder, you deserve the many deaths that will befall you.

Spikes, Mega Man's most lethal one-hit kill obstacle is more deadly than ever. How many times has mercy invincibility saved you from the wrath of spikes in a Mega Man game? Well it won't be saving you here. Even if you've been hit by an enemy, flash for a few seconds and fall on spikes, you will still die. Oh, yeah. Spikes are hardcore in the original Mega Man.

Just as you would in later games, you fight all the Robot Masters over again but there are not teleport capsules. You fight the likes of Cut Man and Elec Man in Dr. Wily Stage 2 and they don't drop health power-ups when defeated. In Dr. Wily Stage 4, you fight Ice Man, Fire Man, Bomb Man and Guts Man back to back. Again, these guys don't drop health power ups when you beat them and in this level, dying on just one of those guys means you have to face all of them all over again.

Tough bosses, some fiendishly tricky levels, boss rushes with no way to recover lost health and no E-Tanks make the original Mega Man one the hardest games in the series. It's a beatable game, sure but you'll have a devil of a time trying to make it to that staff roll.

Super Monkey Ball (GCN)

The gameplay is a bit similar to Marble Madness but instead of moving a ball, you're actually tilting the playing field to navigate the monkeys to the goal before time runs out. It's simple, clean old-school arcade fun with a dose of cuteness thanks to the adorable prime apes. It also gets maddeningly frustrating about midway through.

Arcade mode houses three difficulty settings, which also uses a set number of stages. Beginner is obviously the easiest setting and has 10 stages. Intermediate ramps things up and has 20 stages. Expert is exactly what it says on the tin and has 30 levels. Play Expert long enough and you'll see just what the insides of your controller looks like after you've had 30 fallouts.

You start out with limited continues and as you play you can unlock more and eventually infinite continues becomes available. You desperately need infinite continues to get through expert and possibly even intermediate. On these settings there's often only a very small platform standing between you and hearing the cries of a monkey falling to his death because you got hit by a moving obstacle or couldn't keep the platform leveled. Super Monkey Ball was made my Amusement Vision, the same company that made the ball busting F-Zero GX.

Super Contra (ARC)

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. That's not the Konami Code, but the directions in which you are constantly under fire. There is no Konami Code in the arcade version of Super Contra because the game hates you and all of your friends and family.

Super Contra didn't really add too many new elements to the original. We got top down levels and slopes. Yet in spite of hardly deviating from the norm, it managed to be ten times harder than the original Contra. I'm guessing the Red Falcon attended the same school of villainy from the mooks in Ghosts 'n Goblins because they never give you a chance to breath, assaulting you at every turn. If you are off your game for even a fraction of a second, you're dead. And no matter how skilled a gamer you are, if you're just coming into Super Contra, this game will make mincemeat out of you.

Like most Contra titles, Super Contra allows for co-op play, but if you're still curled up in the corner in a fetal position after that whupping stage one gave you, the best help a friend can probably offer is serving as diversionary target. Everyone needs a meat shield, right?

If you manage to get your hands on the spread gun, you'll have a great advantage. For about 15 seconds, that is. Super Contra brings back a lot of weapons from the first game but since you perish to anything in a single hit and the enemies are some tenacious mofos, you probably won't get the chance to really enjoy them. You only get a handful of continues and once they're gone, that's it, game over. We're talking about an arcade game, AN ARCADE GAME, that  actually put a limit on continues. That's stone cold.

Now, it is possible to finish Super Contra without dying. There are videos of this being done on YouTube. So I suppose if you have the reflexes of a cheetah and play the game for weeks without ever blinking, you too, can beat Super Contra. Me, I let the aliens take over the planet a long time ago. They aren't a bad bunch once you get to know them.

Ikagrua (GCN)

Want a shooter that is truly different from anything else out there? Check out Ikaruga. In all five of the game's levels, there isn't a single weapon or power-up that appears on the screen for you to obtain to tip the odds in your favor. Instead, your ship has the incredibly cool ability to shift it's polarity to black or white. Why is this important? Because enemies come in two color types, black and white and they shoot, you guessed it, black and white bullets.  When you're ship is white it is immune to all enemy fire of that color. If the ship is black, black fire won't damage you. Not only that, it absorbs the that fire, which can be stored to charge up a homing laser shot, good for one go. It isn't much but in Ikaruga, you'll gladly take what the game gives you.

You can also kill enemies faster by shooting them with opposite color. Black enemies are weak to white fire and white enemies are weak to black fire. You can still kill enemies with the same color but they'll go down a lot quicker if you shoot them with their opposite color, this is doubly true for bosses and mini bosses. You're constantly changing your ships polarity to eliminate threats at a quicker pace and to stay alive. Depending on the wave of color fire descending upon you, your polarity acts as a shield and it's even possible to beat the game without shooting. I've never done it, but it is possible.

However, even with the ability to reverse polarity, Ikaruga is no cake walk. This game was designed by Treasure, a company that has no qualms about testing the sanity of players. You can be playing Ikaruga on the lowest difficulty setting and there will still be times where you'll have to quickly change your ship's polarity just to survive a stream of black and white bullets while mini bosses reign down heavy laser fire. During these tense moments it becomes quite easy to panic and flip polarity at the wrong time and die.

Still, Ikaruga isn't completely without mercy. You can unlock unlimited continues after playing for a while. Just expect to really work to get anything above a C rank. Ikaruga is a harsh and bitter game, but it's still one of the greatest games the SHMUP genre has to offer. If you can't find a physical copy, it's available for chump change on Xbox Live Arcade.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)

The game that is largely viewed as the black sheep of the Zelda series just because it's so different from the rest. God forbid a series tries anything new at only two games in. For all of the criticism it gets, Zelda II was an important entry in the series. Magic played a much larger role in this game than the original in the form of offensive and defensive spells, towns were introduced with some help (and some not-so-helpful citizens) and combat was far more rewarding. The downward thrust found in Super Smash Bros? You have this game to thank for that.

Even with all the drastic changes from the first Zelda like side scrolling gameplay, lives and experience points, Zelda II is largely remembered for how much it pushed the play to his or her limits. Every single time you got a game over, not only did you have to deal with the resurrected Gannon's trollish laugh, but you were sent back to the very starting point of the game, which is the palace where Zelda sleeps. It can be more than a little frustrating to make your way through a grueling dungeon, lose all your lives and have to make the rough trek back there just to take another stab at it. Did you die going through Death Mountain to make your way through the Great Palace? Enjoy the long, painful trip back, chump. The only time the game is merciful about losing all your lives is when you're in the Great Palace. Get a game over there and you continue from the Great Place. Mighty generous of you, game. The Great Palace is also the lengthiest, most unforgiving dungeon in the entire game, which is saying a lot since the regular dungeons are nothing to scoff at.

Most old-school RPGs have you grinding to gain experience and Zelda II follows suit. Reaching your first level up is pretty simple but later on, expect to engage in a lot of battles to make Link a bit tougher. You can't just whale on foes and expect to win.

Like so many gaming heroes of the 1980s, Link suffers from terrible knock back every time he's hit and the distance he stumbles backwards rivals that of Simon Belmont. Anyone that's played the Castlevania titles knows just how aggravating it can be to get hit by an enemy and have the dreaded knock back from that attack send you into a pit. In Zelda II, this is the stuff that rage quit is made of. You will really hate those disappearing bridges that have enemies over them.

Zelda II may be the most polarizing entry in the series but despite the ugly duckling status that so many like to label it with, it's one of my favorite Zelda titles, insane difficulty and all. The series would be a lot poorer if not for Zelda II's radical differences and I'd love to see Nintendo revisit this style of Zelda.

Part 1

Favorite Tunes #44: Grand Finale

Your reward for finishing up the game. Sometimes it isn't all that great despite all the blood sweat and tears you endured to reach the end. Sometimes you're jumping for joy at a game's ending theme or staff roll. Other times, you gotta go for the tissues because you can't stop balling. This Favorite Tunes touches on both of those emotions. Some spoilers lie ahead.

Staff Roll - Rockman 5 Complete Works (PS)

All of the Complete Works PS versions of the Rockman games were given their own exclusive Staff Roll theme (Rockman 6 Complete Works uses Mega Man Battle & Chase' Let the Wind Blow). This recently overtook Mega Man 8's Staff Roll theme as my favorite Staff Roll music among Mega Man games. It sounds sad, yet beautiful and a little uplifting. 

Ending Theme - Final Fantasy VI (SNES, PS, GBA)

Before the Final Fantasy games hit the PS era and had long FMV endings, the final SNES installment had one of the lengthiest conclusions of the entire series with an ending that clocks it over over 21 minutes long. You get to see the characters escape Kefka's collapsing tower as an arrangement medley of the character theme plays during the first half of the ending. During the second half of the ending we see that due to Terra's love for the children in Mobliz, she can stay in the Earth realm and the party flies over the restored World of Balance in Setzer's airship. 

Kirby's Triumphant Return ~ Staff Roll - Kirby Super Star (SNES, DS)

At first glance it may look like all of Kirby's adventures in Super Star were all a dream, but I think the pink puff is just getting some shut eye. I mean, he's been through a lot. Racing, treasure hunting, sinking a huge battleship, and saving Pop Star. I'd be exhausted after all of that, too. 

Staff Roll (Sonic 3 ver.) - Sonic 3 & Knuckles (GEN)

Most Sonic games usually have a medley of the Zone themes for the end credits or staff roll theme. But Sonic 3 by itself has it's own stand out credits them and I like it a lot better than Sonic 3 & Knuckles ending medley. 

Standing Ovation - Viewtiful Joe (GCN, PS2)

Even on Kid Mode, Viewtiful Joe was not an easy game. You couldn't save on every level, there were some very irritating bosses (I'm glaring at you, Another Joe) and that Mega Man-style boss rush was insane. Yeah, you went through A LOT of crap in this great game to see the ending and while it may been somewhat predictable, the ending still made me smile. And it's tough to stay mad with this track playing, if the game did make me want to break a chair.

Staff Roll - Tekken Tag Tournament (PS2 ver.)

Like each console release, Tekken Tag Tournament recieved some console exclusive features like an arranged soundtrack, extra modes like the surprisingly addictive Tekken Bowling and a PS2 coat of paint. The arcade version of Tekken Tag Tournament looked like the PS version of Tekken 3, which wasn't a bad looking game, but those spiffy new visuals were quite nice. Without question, this is the best Staff Roll theme of any Tekken game. 

Epilogue: Spirit Being - Ikaruga (DC, GCN)

One of the toughest shooters I've ever played. Ikaruga beats me up each and every time I play it but I always keep coming back. Switching polarities is such a simple yet deep concept it's a wonder we didn't see it before this game. In most shooters when the world is saved, the pilots come home all safe and sound. The conclusion of Ikaruga has the pilots blast the enemy with everything they have in one final shot, which causes the ships to explode. So while peace is restored, it came at a hefty price. The beautiful scene of mountains, greenery and birds flying about is overshadowed by the fact that the protagonists gave their lives for a better world that they won't get to live in. 

Ending - Gunstar Heroes (GEN)

Treasures first game and for many, still the best, Gunstar Heroes is arguably the pinnacle of the run n gun shooter genre thanks to it's varied weapons that can be combined with each other, outstanding level design (the board game level is my favorite), and cool bosses, like the transforming mecha, Seven Force. You actually fight Seven Force three times before the pilot, Green helps save the world by making a noble sacrifice. For a game that brought me so many chuckles, it sure knew how to pull on my heart strings at the end.

Now Flightless Wings - Secret of Mana (SNES)

By killing the Mana Beast, the boy and his friends saved the world. But they lost so much in their journey. Both the boy's mother and father are dead, the girl lost the love of her life and the sprite can never again exist in the same world as them. I got something in my eye.

Staff Roll - Mega Man 8 (PS, SAT)

OK, that's enough depression and crying. I gotta finish off this list on a happier note. After Megan Man defeats Dr. Wily, Duo finds him passed out, on the verge of being overtaken by the Evil Energy. Duo purges it from his body and Mega Man wakes up in Dr. Light's lab among Roll, Eddie, Rush and Auto. I always thought this Staff Roll theme was a fitting end for the Classic series. I finished the game in 1998 and for years there wouldn't be another Classic Mega Man game in the Stares or Europe so for a while, I thought the series was done.

Favorite Tunes #16: SHMUP Themes

For those of you not in the known, SHMUP is short for shoot 'em up. You know, those games where you're flying in a ship and shoot stuff. Alternatively, we can also just call them shooters. One of my favorite genres since I was a kid, SHMUPs are the ultimate form of reflex gameplay. They also have some pretty kickin' tunes.

Dual Moon - Metal Black (ARC, SAT)

Being a fan of the Darius games, it was nice to play more of Taito's shooters. My first encounter with Metal Black was when picked up Taito Legends 2 for the PS2. It quickly became one of my favorite games on the collection. Metal Black's score was composed by the great Yasuhisa Watanabe and Dual Moon is the track I love the most from this game.

Sensation - Salamander II (ARC)

You could also call this game Life Force II since it's a sequel to the arcade game Life Force (the NES version of Life Force has quite a few differences). For years I had heard the music of this game but never played it. I was actually able to pick up the Salamander Deluxe Pack on the Saturn and if it's any indication, Saturn imports are going to be a key part of my library. As blasphemous as it may sound, I actually like Salamander II better than Life Force. If you finish the game it starts over again with remixed tunes of the original Salamander. Quite nice. Sensation is such a majestic piece of music. Salamander II has such an incredibly awesome score so this certainly won't be the last time I mention music from it here in Favorite Tunes.

Chase - Einhander (PSone)

Games like this make me wish Square Enix would think outside of the RPG box. Sure, it doesn't always pay off but with Einhander, we were given one of the best shooters on the PlayStation. The 2.5D graphics were quite stunning and the soundtrack was right on the money. You can actually hear this theme as early as the first level.

Colony - Axelay (SNES)

One of the earliest SNES games and still one of the most impressive both from and audio and visual standpoint, Axelay has aged remarkably well, showcasing some incredible mode-7 scrolling effects. At only five levels, you may find it shooter than most SHMUPs, but Axelay is still worth checking out. Many a great theme can be found in Axelay but Colony is probably the one that wows me more than any other.

Black Hole Anomalies - Space Megaforce (SNES)

Known as Super Aleste in Japan, this is a fantastic shooter from the defunct Compile. That company really knew how to make good SHMUPs and it kills me that they are no more. MUSHA saw a Virtual Console release (another game by Compile) and I really think a release for Space Megaforce is longer overdue. The entire soundtrack to this game is amazing but if I had to pick one theme from this one, Black Hole Anomalies is it.

Biophotron - G.Darius (ARC, PSone)

There have been numerous games released in the Darius series but this one ranks as my all-time favorite. The unique ability to capture enemies and have them fight at your side was a great innovation but playing tug-o-war with bosses using huge beams that would make the crew from Dragon Ball Z proud? Awesome! Each time I listen to Biophotron, I can clearly see that Petra-don from Zone B flying gracefully in the background.

Chapter 3: Faith - Ikaruga (ARC, DC, GCN, XBLA)

I wasn't into the import scene when Ikaruga saw a console release on the Dremcast but I made sure to pick it up when it released on the GameCube. Physical copies aren't easy to come by these days so I'm glade more players are getting able to experience this groundbreaking shooter through digital distribution. Even by SHMUP standards Ikaruga can be pretty freaking difficult. To this day, I still don't think I've earned an A rank on single stage.

Vertigo (Stage 5) - DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu (ARC)

I wouldn't feel right posting some of my fav SHUMP themes and not having a track from Manabu Namiki. Vertigo is the final stage of DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu. What's better than some good bass? This tune comes loaded with a healthy dose of slap bass goodness.