A love letter to OutRun

I originally wrote this for a website about three years ago and went looking for it as a reply to a 'games that changed your life' thread - but it's a bit long for a reply so I've updated it and posted it here instead…

It’s the sound, I think. 

More than the sandy beaches and palm trees. More than the branching routes and agonising countdown. More, even, than the girl and the Ferrari. 

It’s the sound that really makes OutRun special.

It’s fairly unlikely that I encountered Yu Suzuki’s iconic driving game 33 years ago but it was then, late in 1986, that the bright red and vaguely car shaped cabinets first arrived in Japanese arcades.

It's more likely, however, that a couple of years after that I would discovered it when my grandparents took me and my brother on holiday to Great Yarmouth, a popular seaside destination for people living, as we did, on the outskirts of London. This was largely thanks to its ‘Pleasure Beach’; an aging collection of roller coasters and other death-trap rides and attractions jutting out into The Wash.

I have vague memories of walking past cavernous arcades and hearing it above the fruit machines, the other kids, and the lesser games. OutRun wasn’t louder than Hang-On, R-Type, Pac Man, or Arkanoid - but every sound effect and every piece of music was totemic, everything emitted from those headrest mounted speakers was a siren call across a sea of noise, an irresistible demand for unspent pocket money to be dashed against its sandy yet unforgiving shores.

I would have made my way across the tacky floored room, avoiding eye contact with the bigger kids and ignoring games that would previously have had my full attention, all the time a silent chant would have repeated in my head: “Please don't be taken, please don't be taken, please…"
The game's iconic credit tone, a high pitched fanfare heralding my backsides arrival in its well-worn seat, would have trumpeted a welcome. Fittingly, my first true interaction, as is everyone's, is to select the music that will accompany your blast through the game’s pixelated vistas.

Magical Sound Shower, Splash Wave, or Passing Breeze? Arranged left to right and chosen with the steering wheel, selection confirmed with a press of the peddle, a rev of the engine.

Hard left and floor it, Magical Sound Shower. Every. Single. Time.

And it starts. A crowd cheers, the starter counts down. 3 – Fidget in the seat. 2 – Check the gear is in the Lo position. 1 – Adjust your foot on the accelerator. 

Go.

A squeal of tires. Watch the speedo 150, 160, 170, 180kph, knock the gear lever down to Hi, another squeal lets you know you missed the sweet spot.

Sweep around that first easy left and you’re away, transported to a faraway coastal ribbon of tarmac. You, the girl, the car, and the road. What else could you ever want?

Magical Sound Shower is a slow building tune. It was the ringtone of my Siemens c25e, it’s the ringtone of my Nexus 2, and on these, and every phone in between, I’ve had to edit out the first minute or so to ensure it begins at the recognisable bit.

But in the game, when you’re easing through those first corners, the long intro reflects the anticipation of what’s to come, it leads you down that wide road and it bursts into life just as you clear the first tricky corner. ‘Congratulations’, it seems to say, ‘now let’s really get going!’

OutRun isn’t a race. After decades of playing the game on various formats it wasn’t until I read an interview with Yu Suzuki two or three years ago (the exact source eludes me) that the truth of this really solidified in my mind.

Unlike almost every other game of its type OutRun isn’t about going faster than anyone else or arriving anywhere first and winning a medal.

OutRun is about going as fast as you can, as far as you can, for as long as you can. It’s not a racing game, Mr Suzuki declared, it’s a driving game.

And what a drive it is. Mountains flash by to be replaced by fields of wheat, stone structures bridge the road before trees, their tops enshrouded in mist, take their place. You’ll blast through deserts and vineyards, visit desolate towns and coastal villages. Each of the game’s 15 levels has its own personality and each is wonderfully realised in Sega’s then ground breaking Super Scaler graphics engine.

The only thing stopping you seeing them all is time.

Today, time limits are seen as indicative of poor design. Put a countdown clock on-screen and the modern game consumer will roll their eyes and move along. You may as well have 3 lives and no save points.

But OutRun’s clock was the enemy, as irrepressible as it should be, immovable and unfeeling, its sole purpose, as with that of any good video game adversary, was to end your game. 

You didn’t die in OutRun, you simply stopped. No more road, no more speed, no more wind in your hair. The music changed to a calm, almost melancholic ballad, the map shows you how far you came, and how far you still had to go.

My hand would have dug aground in my pocket for another heavy, silver, 50p coin.

The iconic credit fanfare would have heralded my decision to try again.

Hard left and floor it: Magical Sound Shower.

3… Every
2… Single

1… Time

Go!

An A-to-Z of great games for Halloween

As we get closer to Halloween I see a daily increase in the number of requests for horror game recommendations on the internet.

With that in mind, I decided to compile an A-to-Z of Great Games for Halloween.

Please note: My tastes tend to lean towards the idiosyncratic so, while there are some blockbusters on here, I will often prefer to list a lesser known title.

Additionally, perhaps controversially, I don't play RPG's - so there are likely a few gaps in meeting expectations where games in that genre are concerned.

With that all on the record: Let’s get started, as is traditional, with the letter A...

- A -

Avenging Spirit

This fairly cute looking 1991 arcade platformer may seem an odd place to start a list themed around the doom and devilry of the witching season, but Jaleco's posses-em-up is something of a lost treasure.

As the titular spirit you are summoned and sent out on a mission to save your girlfriend by her (don't say mad) scientist father.
At the start of the game you are given a choice of one of four possessees to serve as your host - but it is when that first avatar is killed that the game comes into its own; with the clock on your spirit meter quickly ticking you must quickly jump into a new host.
In the standout feature of the game it turns out that you can possess absolutely any other NPC in the game. Besides the arcade original there was a surprisingly faithful port to the original Game Boy, an emulated version of which is available from the 3DS eShop.

- B -
Bayonetta

Almost a decade (!) after its initial release this remains both the absolute pinnacle of beat-em-up action games and the most recent entry in Hideki Kamiya's flawless run as game director. Bayonetta is an astonishing tour-de-force of over the top set pieces, bewildering boss fights, and move lists that reveal greater depth and versatility the more you play.
Some (perhaps justifiable) concern has been raised about the character design - but it would be a real shame if this is, or has been, the reason for anyone avoiding this masterpiece.
While the physical aspect of the lead characters design is doubtless sexualised, her personality and motivations are far more complex.
Bayonetta is the best game in its genre because it focuses on what makes games great, and I for one wouldn't have it any other way.
Play it immediately if you haven't already, unless you only have access to a PS3... In which case buy a better console (or a PC), then play it.

- C -

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

As much as it’s impossible to look past the highlight of the Castlevania series when choosing a representative game for horror games initialled with a ‘C’, it’s equally difficult to find anything new or interesting to write about it.
Suffice to say that, despite its open level designs and progression method coming more than a decade after they were first seen in Metroid, Symphony of Night is why the genre portmanteau has '–vania' stapled to the end of it. Simon’s Quest had toyed with exploration in the series previously, but not as expansively or as successfully as was achieved in this, a true great of the genre to which it gives (half) it’s name.

- D -

The Deadly Tower of Monsters

For what will definitely not be the last time on this list we're crossing the line into sci-fi with this entry.
Framed as a recently re-released DVD of the eponymous B-movie (complete with director commentary overlaying the gameplay) this is a glorious pastiche of low budget horror that is as much a joy for its twin-stick gameplay as it is for the aforementioned, often hilarious, voiceover.
Most levels in the game are built with an abundance of verticality, this alone gives it something of a unique feel - but when this is combined with monsters designed to look like extras in rubber suits and others that are given a superbly authentic looking stop-motion animation effect, there isn't much in The Deadly Tower of Monsters that isn't immense fun.
It isn't a long game, but it isn't an expensive one either, so f you want to add it to your Halloween games night list then head over to Steam/PSN where it's available.

- E -

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

There are some famous fourth-wall breaking tricks in Eternal Darkness that I'll say no more about for fear of spoiling the fun for anyone who hasn't experienced them first hand. What I will so though is that, basically, I’m not a fan.
When it isn’t sabotaging its own excellent atmosphere with immersion breaking gimmicks, Sanity’s Requiem is a superb psychological horror that uses a non-linear narrative (a much underused mechanic in videogames) to great effect.
I should also say that until the lower limits of the Nintendo patented (no, really) ‘Sanity Effects’ are hit, the warpings of the gameworld that they introduce are clever and genuinely unsettling.
You could argue that stripped of 'Sanity Effects' the game is not exactly awash with originality, but these elements are so tightly woven into the fabric of the game that separating them - even hypothetically - is an impossibility.

- F -

Fatal Frame 2: The Crimson Butterfly

There's no escaping the fact that Fatal Frame 2: The Crimson Butterfly is laden with Japanese horror tropes - and yet it still manages to brilliantly balance being a terrifying horror experience and a challenging, engaging video game.
This feat is made possible by fantastic production values that allow the directors vision to be fully realised.
Indeed, creator Makoto Shibata has claimed that later games in the series have been deliberately less scary as many players were too disturbed to finish the story.
This would be a shame as the plot, centred on a phantom village and human sacrifice, is woven very cleverly through the gameplay in which spirits are despatched via the use of a magical camera.
Available on PS2, XBox, and Wii it's an experience that you'll never forget. Turn the lights and your phone off and you'll understand why this is regarded by many as the scariest video game ever made.

- G -

Gregory Horror Show

Being based on an anime series almost entirely unknown outside Japan was never going to be a recipe for sales success, but getting an English language release in Europe (and not America), along with a stylish and unique design, has ensured this survival horror mystery has gained a small cult following.
Mainly employing a mix of simplified stealth and investigative eavesdropping to liven up the lock-and-key puzzles, the game tasks you to retrieve 12 lost souls currently in the possession of various inhabitants of the ‘Gregory House’ hotel.
Following guests around and listening in to conversations may not sound like fuel for a game with ‘Horror’ in the title but GHS brings with it an Eternal Darkness-esque sanity meter that impacts gameplay and difficultly should it drop too low.

- H -

The House of the Dead: Overkill

The House of the Dead series has been around since 1996 but its high point is unquestionably this 2008 revival first conceived for Nintendo's Wii.
Funded from Japan and set in America, House of the Dead: Overkill was developed in the UK by Headstrong games, a small London based outfit whose previous game was the slightly more family friendly Art Academy.
Overkill gives the House of Dead franchise the full grindhouse treatment. Its style is clearly and directly influenced by Rodriquez' Planet Terror featuring almost identical visual filters and even the same 'missing reel' gag.
The game play is the series' standard lightgun fare but in this case it's controlled with either the Wii remote or Playstation Move controller.
The PC version was ported as Typing of the Dead: Overkill, replicating the gameplay from the original Typing of the Dead from 1999.
While it is possible to play this version with a mouse if there was ever a game where this didn't feel in the spirit of the developers intentions then this is it.

- I -

It Came from the Desert!

With inspiration taken broadly from 50's nuclear age horror b-movies and, more directly, the astoundingly effective 1951 giant ant thriller THEM!, It Came From the Desert is one of Cinemaware’s most fully realised interactive movies.
Much to the chagrin of many a late 80's teenager, It Came from the Desert's core gameplay involves trying to get the wonderfully characterful NPC inhabitants of the small desert town for which the threat posed by oversized insects is most imminent.
This being an interactive movie it's actually impossible to die, but it's all too possible to fail.
Luckily, as with many games of this type, the real joy comes from replaying and discovering new outcomes to individual situations and indeed the whole game.
Any classic b-movie fan needs to play this game; as a love letter to the genre it is near flawless.

- J -

Ju-On: The Grudge

You get 8 points for using a 'J' in scrabble and after wracking my brains (and Google) for any vaguely Halloween related game starting with the letter, I can see why.
Ju-On: The Grudge is a movie tie-in that tries to recreate the movie a little too closely - not so much in terms of plot - but more in terms of the audience not having much control of proceedings - instead offering a very linear experience that only lasts two hours.
With that said, the 'game' is actually pretty successful at generating a creepy atmosphere and delivering a few embarrassingly effective jump-scares.
As a one-off experience it works, so pick up a second hand copy or find another way to play it without having to cough up £30-£40 and it would make a worthy addition to any Halloween party.

- K -

Killer 7

Currently Goichi Suda's penultimate game as director, Killer 7 is, in this writer’s opinion, one the dozen or so finest video games ever made.
Suda51 and his studio Grasshopper Manufacture were at their height of their uncompromising punk prowess when this psychological head-fuck hit the shelves.
Touching on themes as diverse as the futility of war and childhood bullying, and as wide ranging as U.S./Japanese foreign policy and multiple personality disorder, Killer 7 is often bewildering but never needlessly obtuse.
It walks the tightrope of confusion, teasing the audience that the explanation is there, if they just look a little harder, think a bit longer, replay just one more time.
Such is the perfection of its realisation that even on its simple surface level, it’s a brilliantly creepy shooter, parred back to the minimum and presented with some of the most stylish design ever seen in a video game.
An updated version was recently announced and absolutely should not be missed.

- L -

Lollipop Chainsaw

As alluded to above, 2007's No More Heroes was the last time video game auteur Goichi Suda actually directed a game developed by his Grasshopper Manufacture software house.
All subsequent releases, including Lollipop Chainsaw, have been directed by other who often try to mimic his style. Of these, first time director Tomo Ikeda (whose previous career high appears to be as a writer on Rule of Rose) is probably the most successful.
The game itself is at the simpler end of the beat-em-up spectrum, feeling more like a direct evolution of games like Double Dragon than something that could be compared to the likes of Devil May Cry. Protagonist Julia Starling undertakes a rampage of zombie murdering armed with only her trusty chainsaw, the disembodied head of her boyfriend, and a deliriously upbeat attitude.
It's a short, entertaining ride that, thankfully, has replayability built into its design - and replay it you will because, a couple of missteps aside, it’s one of the most infectiously entertaining games around.

- M -

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Originally released for the Nintendo Wii and later ported to (and expanded for) the Playstation Vita, Muramasa is often described as an action role-playing game – however it would be far more accurate to describe it as a 2D beat-em-up as its core gameplay embraces both the good and the bad of that genre - and knowing this up front will save from undeserved disappointment.
The hand-drawn art is, as you expect from Vanillaware, absolutely stunning; offering both the beautiful and the grotesque with equal creativity and aplomb.
The combat system is deceptively complex and, once mastered, can result in entire screenfuls of enemies being defeated without either you or them ever touching the ground.

- N -

North

North is a PC game that you should play.
It'll run on just about any hardware.
I can't say too much because it's sort of 'about' not really understanding what's going on.
Developer t7iji has imbued his excellent game with a powerfully oppressive, creepy, atmosphere and built an environment that seems to seethe with malevolence.
The blurb on his ich.io page simply states: "Apply for asylum in a city filled with strange creatures. WASD or Arrows to move / Mouse click to interact." So, in keeping with that, I don't want to say too much more.
Play it.

- O -

Onechanbara Z2 Chaos

I'm pretty sure that if I state that: "The Onechanbara games are about girls in bikini's who kill zombies, with swords" you'll have had one two reactions. Starting in a middle ground of amused curiosity or eye-rolling indifference, the two possible reactions then extend out in opposite directions of ever increasing fervency.
Whichever side of the line you fall on you should understand that, generally, the Onechanbara games aren't actually very good, and it's this, rather than any deliberate concealment fuelled by shame, that has led to their relative obscurity.
Z2 Chaos is a bit different though as it actually works as a fun, albeit limited brawler.
The franchise has always had restricted, linear environments and graphics that are split down the middle in terms of quality; they are exceptional (if arguably misjudged) in depiction of the girls but never rise above bog-standard placeholder graphics for everything else.
However, in Z2 the series has introduced the ability to tag in any one of four characters on the fly - each with very different move-sets.
This single mechanic elevates the gameplay above the level of others in the series simply by giving the player so much freedom to create.

- P -

Pony Island

Ostensibly a retro styled equestrian adventure, the true nature of Pony Island is slowly revealed to be far more sinister.
And I’m afraid that’s all you’re getting from me.
Much like North (above), Pony Island is another of those games of which it's difficult talk without the risk of spoiling it for others.
Luckily it’s available on Steam or (DRM free) on Humble for £4, so just have one less pint this weekend and try it for yourself.

- Q -

Quake 4

Unlike a lot of first person shooters (even those in the same franchise) Quake 4 has an excellent single player campaign and, while it is clearly far more science fiction than horror, the excruciatingly protracted and visceral first person ‘Stroggification” scene would probably earn this game a spot even if I wasn’t struggling so badly to find worthy entrants starting with ‘Q’.
If the game doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, or if you’re reading this from a purely Halloween perspective, you could just Youtube the above mentioned sequence – but you’d be missing out on a top-notch shooter if you did.

- R -

Resident Evil

No prizes for guessing which series was going to be representing 'R' here, but how to choose which instalment?
Resident Evil 2 is probably a better all around game than the original, but this is a list for the Halloween season - and Spencer Mansion is quite simply one of the best haunted house environments ever to appear in a video game.
It's a rare event in any medium when the flaws (or perceived flaws) of a piece manage to enhance it, but that is very much the case with the original Resident Evil.
Take the voice acting, subject of a million memes, there's no way anyone could claim it had genuine quality. Yet, better acting may have telegraphed plot points that otherwise remain obscured by the stilted delivery.
And then there’s the 'tank controls', whether the vagaries of movement and inconsistent aiming exist by accident or design may never be known, but either way, they add huge amounts of tension to encounters where swift action is required.
There can be no doubt that the first Resident Evil, no matter the quality or otherwise of later franchise entries, remains an ingeniously designed adventure that has permanently and single handedly reignited a stagnant genre.

- S -

Silent Hill 2

Often cited as the best horror videogame ever, Silent Hill 2 is another game for which it is very difficult to add anything new to the conversation - suffice to say its reputation is well earned.
Other entries in the series may offer a more immediate kind of horror, but the first sequel (actually more of a remake) exists in a palpable atmosphere of unease that seeps every moment with dread and foreboding.
More than that though, Silent Hill 2 features such a credible, genuine depiction of loss and despair that it elevates the entire product from that a high quality videogame to something of an unmissable experience regardless of the medium.

- T -

Teleglitch

One of those games that came out in the era immediately following the success of Dark Souls, Teleglitch is game that revels in its sadistic difficulty.
A top-down shooter with a glitchy lo-fi aesthetic and clever line of sight effect, Teleglitch offers the kind of fear that comes from not knowing what is around the next corner – or even standing right next to you.
Please note that it was a deliberate decision to not list the ‘Die More Edition’ which, as you would expect from the name, amps up the difficulty to a level that – for me – brought with it an unacceptable level of repetition.
That said, if it's the only version you can find don't let that stop you from playing an excellent the game

- U -

UFO: Enemy Unknown

The genesis of X-Com can be traced all the way to 1984 when Rebelstar Raiders (a game written entirely in BASIC) was released for the ZX Spectrum.
In some ways the influences can be traced back further still, as it takes clear inspiration from the sci-fi horror movies of the fifties and sixties.
It was when this game was rebranded for the American market, though, that the series’ first bore the 'X-com' moniker.
Whatever you call it, X-Com or UFO, the game features a near perfect combination of management sim and turn based combat elements that ensure you’ll be hooked from the very beginning and, to my mind at least, it has never been bettered in the genre.

- V -

Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection

I've had all sorts of issues choosing a game for 'V' - so much so that I even posted to the r/gamingsuggestions subreddit for ideas and still came up blank.
Well, not quite blank. One suggestion; Visage, released a couple of days ago, looks like it might be a real contender - but I don't agree with Early Access, so I will have to wait for a full release to see if it lives up to it's potential.
Other games suggested were decent enough but nothing I felt comfortable giving a firm recommendation.
So - in the end - I've cheated!
Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection is a Japan-only release that collected five different entries in the ‘Vampire’ fighting game series – far better known in the west as Darkstalkers.
If you're not familiar with the Darkstalkers/Vampire series you should remedy that immediately - and if this collection isn't an option then several entries are available on various formats in the west under the Darkstalkers name.
These 2d fighters featuring a deliciously twisted cast of monsters, villains, succubae, and various other freaks and ghouls may look a little simplistic when compared to games released since, but there's real class in the character designs and in the fight engine.
Part 3 is probably the best of the bunch, the Dark Force System it introduced was the major change from earlier instalments - a 'super meter' in all but name it brought the game in line with other 2d fighters of the era.

- W -

The Witches House

Like North and Pony Island (the selections for 'P' and 'N' respectively), the less you know about The Witches House before you start, the better.
Created by a developer going by the name of Fummy in the RPG Maker software, The Witches House is presented in the traditional, top-down, RPG format with 16bit style sprites and tiled environments.
Nevertheless it manifests a pervasive sense of dread and genuine unease - and then throws in some sucker-punch jump scares for good measure.
It's an exceptional horror game by any measure, but considering its origins it is an extraordinary achievement - and considering that it's entirely free there's no excuse for not playing it.

- X -

XCom: Enemy Unknown

I’m not a fan of doubling down on franchises when I make these lists but...
a) Enemy Unknown is just that good, and...
b) ‘X’ has predictably slim pickings for my purposes...
This long awaited new entry in the series changed much from the originals and while I personally felt that there was a good balance of updated mechanics and familiar elements I can still totally understand the purist point of view that some aspects were ‘dumbed down’ a little too far.
An additional casualty of the update is the movement away from any horror elements into full on science fiction.
However I maintain that an Alien invasion would be pretty damn scary… So I stand by this choice!

- Y -

Yakuza: Dead Souls

Throughout the history of videogames new releases have always been subject to judgement by expectation.
That is to say, reviewers and consumers often judge a product based on what they expect it to be, rather than what it actually is.
It could be argued, for example, that if No Mans Sky had arrived on the scene with little-to-no fanfare it would have been a monster hit. But the weight of expectation all but ensured it would never be anything more than a moderate success.
This, I feel, is the case with Yakuza Dead Souls.
The parent Yakuza series is a deep and involving expansion on the roots laid down by Yu Suzuki’s soon to be completed masterwork; Shenmue.
Each entry features a vast open world, a huge variety of missions, and side quests that range from assignations to bowling.
Even though the shadow of these are present in Dead Souls they have been simplified along with many other aspects of the core Yakuza experience. However.
Were the name 'Yakuza' not on the box I feel this game would have fared far better – it’s a huge and entertaining zombie brawler with a surprisingly deep story that will keep you entertained for many hours.

- Z -

Zombie Revenge

Excuse me a second, my Dreamcast fanboy is showing...
There aren't a great number of games that have managed to take the 2D brawling action of games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage and successfully add a third axis of movement - but 1999 arcade and Dreamcast effort Zombie Revenge is one of the few that get it right.
A spin-off from the House of the Dead franchise, the player takes control of one of three AMS agents, each with different hand-to-hand combat and weapon skills, as they battle their way through hordes of zomb... “Mutants” in each of the game’s 6 levels.
The combat in the game is largely weapon based and uses a satisfying risk and reward mechanic in which the longer you aim the more powerful your shot gets.
This in itself adds an extra layer to dealing with the endless onslaught, but alongside the firepower the unarmed combat is made equally satisfying with special and context sensitive moves.
It's all good cheesy fun with great boss designs and a relentless pace.
The difficulty is higher than the body count though so practice, and patience, are a must.

So that's it! 26 games spanning a whole host of genres and a couple of decades. Hopefully there's something in there you like - if not feel free to kick-off in the comments! Cheers for reading!

A-Z of MAME Hidden Gems - Y and Z are for...

After starting off way back in 2014 I recently discovered that I never finished my A-Z of MAME Hidden Gems - I only got as far as V... I was pretty annoyed with myself and resolved to knuckle down and get those last four letters squared away.

W and X were covered in the last post, which just leaves me with Y & Z...

If you'd have told me that Y would be by far the most difficult letter to find hidden gems for I wouldn't have believed you. Z I expected to be awkward by Y's just not a letter I'd think of in the same way... if I'd even considered it at all.

And yet, here I have just one game for 'Y', a game I'm listing under it's bootleg name that probably wouldn't have made it into the top ten choices for any other letter:


Yellow Cab

It's not that Yellow Cab (better known as Kamikaze Cabbie) is a bad game - it's from Data East after all and I'm pretty sure they don't know how to make bad games - it's just more 'interesting' than 'excellent'.

Played on a large overhead map the main goal of the game is to pick up a passenger in your cab and take them to another point on the map. From that you may infer that the game is a precursor to Crazy Taxi, but in fact it feels much more like the original Grand Theft Auto.

It's hectic fun and has some extra depth added by the presence of the police and the need to refuel regularly. Despite the my somewhat negative tone here it's well worth a play, but if I was to rank all the games I've covered over the course of this series it would definitely be nearer the bottom than the top.


And so, finally, after four years of intermittent blogging, playing, building, and configuring controls in the tab menu, I've reached the end. It's somehow fitting that this whole thing should finish with that most ubiquitous of hidden gem genres; the vertical shooter.


Zaviga

If you have read many of the other entries in this blog you'll know that I'm far from immune to the charms of a good gimmick.

Zaviga, (like Yellow Cab released in 1984 by Data East) is a vertical shooter whos gimmick is that it takes place both in the air as a jet fighter and on the ground as tank.
The game allows you to switch between the two at will and, from the little I've played, seems to scroll infidelity on a loop, with the enemies getting a little harder each time.

It's fair to say that, being quite an early game Zaviga isn't particularly blessed with complexities.

But complexities was never what this endeavour was about.

Hidden gems remain hidden because at first glance they may look simple, they may seem derivative or dated - but dig a little below the surface and you reveal a game that makes you happy, makes you nostalgic, or just makes you wish you hadn't overlooked it so many times before.

Zaviga captures all that brilliantly.

It may not be as gob-smacking as Boogie Wings, as surprising as Change Air Blade, or as awe-inspiring as Outfoxies... but it has charm in abundance. And really, at the end of the day, what more could you ask for than that?

A-Z of MAME Hidden gems - W and X are for...

So it's been a while...

One of the many things I enjoy about videogames is talking about them online and, unsurprisingly, the subject of MAME often comes up.

This happened recently when I pointed someone who was asking about lesser known arcade classics on the r/retrogaming sub-reddit to this very blog.

As part of the ensuing conversation they suggested I turn this weary old text dump into a nice new, easy to navigate database.Great idea, I thought, and immediately set to work...

A few days later I discovered that I never finished my A-Z of MAME Hidden Gems - I only got as far as V... I was pretty annoyed with myself and resolved to knuckle down and get those last four letters squared away - and that brings us to right now.

So first up, a fighter from the Capcom stable that has nonetheless remained somewhat hidden:
War-Zard

Okay so, full disclosure: Way (way) back when I was writing up the recommendations for 'R' I found this game under it's western title of 'Red Planet' - Knowing that the options for 'W' were likely to be very limited I tucked it away to unearth at the very moment.

It's worth the wait though!

War-Zard is primarily a fighter and, coming from this particular era of Capcom, you can be sure it has all the qualities you would expect.
The art is stunning, the character design is ingenious, and the special moves are very familiar.
With that said, the single player campaign of War-Zard goes far beyond that normally found in an arcade fighter.

Named 'Quest Mode' a lone player chooses one of the four main characters and proceeds to do battle against a wave of CPU controlled bosses.
Furthermore, items can be collected during fights that provide buffs and experience points are also gained that can be used to level up your chosen combatant.

It's pretty much the perfect fighter to play at home, at even includes a password system to pick up where you left off - which makes it all the stranger that this is the only CPS III game that Capcom made that never got ported to a home console or PC.


And if you think not getting a home release keeps a game under the radar, this next one never actually got a release in the arcades:
Wing Force

The story goes that this prototype game was lost forever until a PCB was found, bought for a considerable sum, and then (very generously) dumped to MAME so it could be enjoyed by all.
You can read all about it on this archived thread from the Shmups form: https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?p=1155828#p1155828

It would have been a shame to lose Wing Force as it's a great little game. Very much in the Raiden mode it features wonderful animation and very smart craft design - with each power-up physically changing it's appearance.

Even without the intriguing back story this would still be well worth your time.

Onto to 'X', and more shooters, firstly:
X-Multiply

Being a horizontal shooter from Irem, X-Multiply is never going to avoid comparison to R-Type.
With a plot based on the cellular occupation of a woman by a microscopic alien force it would appear that the developers were keen to draw the line under their seminal genre example - but in truth niether this nor the organic style of the enemies and environments really manages to create any distance between the two games.

Luckily the ship design and unusual play style it generates more than make up for it.
Your craft has two tentacles that extend up and down from the hull, on the ends of which the weapons are mounted. These mechanical arms move fluidly around your ship as you manoeuvre through the levels and are impervious to enemy fire.

This makes for a great balance of offence and defence and you learn to shift seamlessly from positioning the arms for the best offensive alignment to ensuring they are a well place barrier between you and enemy fire.

Finally for today, a game that follows on the X-Multiply not just on this page, but in the evolution of weapon design.
Xexex

Despite coming from Konami Xexex actually looks and plays more like R-Type than X-Multiply ever did.
In a fair and just world a game that so blatantly steals all its best ideas from elsewhere wuldn't be any fun to play - luckily for us that isn't the case!

Xexex takes the tentacles from X-Multiply, adds a third arm, and then attaches the whole thing to a force orb.

Lets not pretend this is a life-altering innovation - but it offers just enough to make itself well worthy of inclusion here.

See you next time for 'Y' and 'Z'.