AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for Reviews

Reviews

PC-Engine and TurboGrafx-16: great hucard games – part 7

By

   

All good things must come to an end. Part 7 wraps up the series of great hucard games for the wonderful little NEC beast, the PC-Engine, and the not-so-little TurboGrafx-16.

Do you agree with this list ? Let us know your thoughts.

[Read more…] about PC-Engine and TurboGrafx-16: great hucard games – part 7

PC-Engine and TurboGrafx-16: great hucard games – part 1

By

                               

Anyone that knows me will know that I have a soft spot for the NEC console known as the PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16 if you are outside of Japan).

There are bags full of great hucard games on this little beast. Rather than inundating you all with the complete list in one big hit, I thought it would make more sense to break it down into several parts.

So sit back, relax and trawl through part 1 of the great hucard games list for the PC-Engine / TurboGrafx-16 (in alphabetical order):

[Read more…] about PC-Engine and TurboGrafx-16: great hucard games – part 1

Bubble Bobble: arcade

By

This is the beginning of a fantastic story!! Let’s make a journey to the cave of monsters!
I know, too many exclamations. Well, when you are reviewing Bubble Bobble, you just can’t help yourself!

          

So what is this game about ? Well, in case you have been under a rock since 1985, you play two transformed dinosaurs, Bub and Bob – you try to complete 100 levels and then rescue your girlfriends by trapping the Baron’s minions in bubbles and bursting them. Sounds easy huh ? Well, not quite. This game grabs you by the scruff of the neck and then shakes you up in the later levels –  it gets hard, very hard. However, Baron von Blubba has left a number of power-ups and hidden abilities to help Bub and Bob get further in the game, like: bubblegum, teapot, umbrella (to teleport), water and lightning bubbles. You better get your bubble-blowing fingers in readiness !

          

Well, what can I say that has not been said about this great coin-op game. Bubble Bobble is an absolute classic !

Graphics Cute graphics of Bub and Bob blowing bubbles and bursting their enemies

85%
Sound The sound effects and catchy soundtracks are dead on perfect and complimentary to the visuals and gameplay

85%
Playability An easy to pick up and play game. This game is fun in single player mode, but when you grab a friend and frolic in joint play, nothing else beats it !

92%
Lastability With 100 levels, and two game modes (normal or super) this will last a life time. Yeh, you may find it tough after level 20, but I guarantee you will want to keep going. That is its timeless charm

92%
Overall This is as close as you can get to a perfect game. Easy to get into and play, fun and hard levels (and there are 100 of them!) and in the end, you rescue your girlfriend and become a hero. Nothing could be better

93%

Manufacturer: Taito
Year: 1986
Genre: Platform
Number of Simultaneous Players: 2
Maximum number of Players: 2
Gameplay: Joint
Control Panel Layout: Multiple Player
Joystick: 2-way [left or right]
Buttons: 2 [fire and jump]
Sound: Amplified (Mono or Stereo)

 

 

Bomb Jack: Arcade

By

Good old Bomb Jack. Could he have been the first ever bomb disposal expert in video gaming ? Perhaps he was. It doesn’t really matter, does it.

Released in 1984, our little hero garnered a cult following. He may have worn red spandex, but that didn’t stop us from pumping coins into his machine.

                        

The premise of the game is pretty straight forward – collect all the bombs to complete a screen. Only one bomb at a time has a lit fuse. If you collect 20 or more of these lit bombs on a level, you get a bonus.

It’s not all easy going for Jack, he has to avoid various monsters and aliens that chase him around the screen. However, if you collect the powerball when it appears, it freezes the baddies for a short period of time, during which, you can kill them simply by touching them. There are other items to be picked up that give you additional bonus points or extra credits.

The game starts to repeat after Level 18. However, you will be too busy darting around the screen, collecting bombs to notice. Bomb Jack is one of those old games that invoke memories of playing it at the corner shop or fish’n chips store across your school. I know, it does for me. Most of my pocket money went into playing this game. It kept me out of trouble, which is always a good thing.

Graphics It was 1984, so what do you expect !

72%
Sound As above !

70%
Playability Another typical arcade game from the early / mid 80’s – dart around the screen, collect stuff and avoid the baddies. Damn that’s a lot of fun

85%
Lastability Well, the levels repeat after level 18, but who cares, this game oozes nostalgia. It is a great “pick up and play for 10 minutes” kind of game – which is perfect for us time-poor gamers

85%
Overall This will not be the first game that comes to mind from the 80’s arcade era. But, if you do come across it, play it. It has the perfect mix of platform and puzzle fun. I guarantee it will put a smile on your dial.

85%

Manufacturer: Tehkan
Year: 1984
Genre: Single screen platform
Number of Simultaneous Players: 1
Maximum number of Players: 2
Gameplay: Alternating
Control Panel Layout: Single Player
Joystick: 8-way
Buttons: 1 [jump]
Sound: Amplified Mono (single channel)