Animation Software Review: Disney Presents The Animation Studio

In the 1980s and 1990s, the animation department of The Walt Disney Company worked with video game developers to bring its animated films to the interactive industry. This led to video games with sprites, backgrounds, and cutscenes that impressively mimicked the art style of the big screen versions. When combined with satisfying game play, this brought about well-regarded video games such as the classic Virgin Games platformer, Aladdin, and the woefully forgotten Blue Sky Software puzzle game, Hare Raisin' Havoc.

In 1990, Disney partnered with Silent Software to bring things one step further with the release of The Animation Studio for Amiga and DOS.

This art and animation tool brought the techniques of hand-drawn animation that were employed by The Disney Animation Studio into the hands of consumers on standard home computer systems.

Disney animators worked hand-in-hand with the developers at Silent Software, even going as far as converting animations of classic Disney productions into TAS format, displaying pencil-style outlines of cartoons utilizing such techniques as squash-and-stretch with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from Alice in Wonderland, a fluid walking animation of Mickey Mouse's faithful pup Pluto, and even an animation of Mickey himself walking towards the camera.

My favorite of the bunch is a super-short cartoon that demonstrates a finished, fully colored animation of Donald Duck. The famous duck looks at a CRT screen of a computer displaying the face of Mickey Mouse, which leads Donald into one of his common temper tantrums.

As for the tools themselves, there is still a lot to like, even thirty-five years later. A black-and-white pencil test is created using frames, with a digital version of semi-transparent "onion paper" providing the means to see the difference between the current frame and the last. After the frames of the pencil test are adequately cleaned up, the frames are colorized using a 1990s art Interface that should be familiar to anyone who has ever used Microsoft Paint.

For computers with sound cards, or for versions of the game bundled with the Disney Sound Source branded version of the Covox Speech Thing, there is a library containing dozens of sound effects straight from the Disney sound archive.

There are many more sophisticated programs available today to create animations, and each one is capable of creating animations well above the 640x480 maximum resolution available in The Animation Studio. There is something to be said about using tools modeled after Disney's own process to create animations that use sound effects from Disney's own sound library. Like watching Disney's hand animated films today, it is like stepping back to a simpler time before three-dimensional presentations using millions of polygons in ultra high definition resolutions. Sometimes, simple can be satisfying.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Platform Game Review: Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Sonic CD was the Sonic the Hedgehog game that was released for the Sega CD and Mega CD. It was a very different game from any of the others, making it a bit of the black sheep in the 16-bit Sonic canon. It doesn’t deserve that reputation as it is one of the best, if not the best, games for Sega’s ill-fated CD attachment for the Genesis and Mega Drive. Even outside of the Sega CD and Mega CD ecosystem, it is a very enjoyable game. 

In Sonic CD, Sonic needs to save the past to save the future. This is what gives the game its uniqueness. Sonic still has his speed and quills when he rolls in a ball to take out enemies and break open item boxes. However, this game also has past and future signs which change the setting of the game when Sonic gains enough speed. This is shown with sparkles emanating from Sonic when he runs followed by a sequence showing the passage of time. 

Once Sonic has changed years, the scenery reflects the change. In the past, the game is like a regular Sonic the Hedgehog game, with levels ranging from lush green to metallic. However, in the future things have become more dystopian as the scenery shows the destruction of the game world with ruined structures. This change also applies to the game world, as passages that are not available in the past become available in the future, and vice-versa. 

The game was in development between Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, so the spin dash works differently than other games. Sonic can be hit while spinning before he blasts off. The jump button also must be held down for a good amount of time or Sonic will just stand up. This is rectified in the mobile remake by Christian Whitehead. The remake also includes Tails as a playable character, which changes things up a bit with his hovering ability. The remake also is included in the Sonic Origins compilation. Sonic Origins Plus goes further, completing the trio of Sonic’s 16-bit friends by adding Knuckles and Amy Rose as playable characters as well. Speaking of Amy Rose, she makes her first appearance in this game along with the villain metal doppelganger Metal Sonic.

The presentation is where Sonic CD shines, as it uses the increased storage capacity of the Sega CD and Mega CD by including incredibly well animated story sequences at the beginning and ending of the game. Sonic doesn’t talk, but his expressions do the work of conveying the danger and surprise of the situations into which Sonic finds himself. The soundtrack behind this is excellent in all regions, but I’m partial to the North American version. The Japanese version and most of the international versions include an instrumental to the action in the videos, but a new song was composed for the North American release. This is Sonic Boom, a catchy pop song with lyrics that are precisely Sonic in a nutshell. The Sonic CD remakes by Christian Whitehead include the video with much less compression than the original release. They also have the option to play either the Japanese or North American soundtrack over the videos regardless of the region in which the game is being played. 

Sonic CD is an underappreciated gem that made the Sega CD and Mega CD a worthwhile purchase and continues to be a worthwhile experience to this day. It changes up the formula by adding in time travel, which makes it remain a unique entry in the Sonic series. It has the fantastic score and sound design of the other Sonic games, but the addition of animation to the beginning and ending of the game make it an extremely memorable experience. The weirdness of the spin dash brings it down a little compared to Sonic 2 and the later games in the series, but this is negated in recent releases as it is optionally rectified in Christian Whitehead’s remakes. 

Final Verdict: 

4½ out of 5

Platform Game Compilation Review: Sonic Origins

Sonic Origins is a compilation of enhanced remakes of four Sonic the Hedgehog games from the 16-bit era, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The latter is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles combined as one game, as would have been done with the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge on the Sega Genesis or Mega Drive. It also includes the Blue Spheres game that was playable by locking in any game onto Sonic & Knuckles other than Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or 3. In addition, it includes a sequel with modes from Sonic Mania titled New Blue Spheres.

Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD are enhanced ports of the Android and iOS remakes by Christian Whitehead. These remakes are completely faithful, with the same music, sound effects, level layouts, background art, character design, animations, bonus stages, and boss battles as the original 16-bit games. These remakes also contain everything from the mobile versions including a playable Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2, but not Sonic CD. The latter does include a playable Tails, however. The best remake, in my opinion, is Sonic 2, as it contains a hidden secret passage which leads to a realized version of a partly-completed level from the beta versions of the game. 

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is a new remake using the same engine as the others. Like the other remakes faithfully recreates the 16-bit game, including the level layouts, graphics, and boss battles. However, while it has the same sound effects as the original game, the music is taken from the beta version of the game due to rights issues with the music from the final versions. This change has had mixed reception. Intellectually, it is understandable due to forces outside of Sega's hands. However, it may be a deal breaker for some people. especially those who played the original game so much that they know the original music inside and out. That said, the original music can be restored with fan patches which are easy to install, especially on Windows. There is also a fan patch available that separates Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles into two games, bringing these games as close to the 16-bit originals as possible.

The neat part about the compilation is that it adds animations with silent characters ala the Sonic CD intro. These were created in the style of the Sonic Mania shorts, and serve to connect all four games together into a continuous storyline. These work really well, and are just as well animated and lively as the introduction of Sonic CD, if not quite as memorable. In fact, the animations are used together with those from the aforementioned game in its storytelling and actually work well in concert with each other.

One of the main draws of Sonic Origins, other than its games of course, is the museum content. There are two modes. One lets you play the games as they were on their respective consoles. The other version allows you to play through the story of all four games. Through play, you will collect tokens, which can then be used to purchase art, music, and background content on the games from their origins up to their release. It's actually quite well done, making it worthwhile to play through the games multiple times in order to unlock all the content.

Sonic Origins is not a perfect remake collection. All of the games are painstakingly accurate to the originals, however the replacement of the Sonic 3 songs for its beta versions is a let down. Whether this makes or breaks the compilation is up to you, but I personally think it is the best way to play these games, especially in light of the various fan patches that are available.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Third-Person Shooter Review: Red Dead Revolver

Red Dead Revolver is a game that has an interesting pedigree and was the fore-bearer of the influential Red Dead Redemption series. It started at Angel Studios in the early 2000s as a Capcom-funded spaghetti-western arcade-style third-person shooter that was a spiritual successor to the 1985 arcade game Gun.Smoke. When Take-Two Interactive purchased Angel Studios in November 2002 and placed it under its Rockstar Games subsidiary as Rockstar San Diego, the Red Dead Revolver beta was expanded into a full game which was ultimately released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2004.

In the final game, both the Capcom and Rockstar Games fingerprints are quite obvious upon even a cursory inspection. It is still the arcade-style slapstick Western that began at Capcom. Alongside the damage indicators, there are score tallies. Each scene takes place in a round, where accuracy and damaged is assessed and duel opponents and stages for duel challenges are rewarded based on the total. Most enemies have to be shot several times to be defeated, even with precise targeting, although the smaller, weaker enemies can be defeated in one hit with a headshot.

However, it also has hallmarks of Rockstar Games in its DNA. A town can be visited between rounds, and Red can explore the shops located within, although in a much more limited way than Rockstar's usual output. Alongside the gun shops where Red can purchase and upgrade his equipment, there are also other businesses to be visited such as the saloon, tailor shop, and the bank. The purchases within have less to do with what they advertise than act as a place where Red can unlock background information on the lore of the game through journal pages and purchase duel stages and characters that weren't unlocked when the stage scores were tallied

It's by no means a masterpiece of game design, but it is really a miracle these two different styles of game development actually manage to work together at all. Going in after playing either of the Red Dead Redemption games is really odd, such it is such a different style of game. However, once you reconfigure your brain to treat it like an arcade-style third-person shooter, it actually becomes enjoyable.

The main enjoyment to be had in the game is in the story. As a spaghetti-western, it is enjoyably over-the-top in its presentation and story-telling. The game follows Red Harlow, a gunman who had witnessed the death of his father Nate Harlow and his Native American mother Falling Star. They were killef by a gang of outlaws lef by Mexican General Javier Diego and the American mercenary who called himself Colonel Daren. Red's dad found gold in Bear Mountain with a man named Griff and forged two revolvers to celebrate. The Mexican Army took Griff prisoner and Javier learned about the gold. All three Harlows were meant to die to conceal the existance of the gold, but Red got away by shooting Javier's arm off with his father's revolver.

Red intends to avenge his father's death, teaming up with the English trick-shooter extraordinaire Jack Swift, a rancher named Annie Stoakes, Red's cousin Shadow Wolf, and an African American soldier called the "Buffalo Soldier". Each of these characters, along with Red are playable in specific points in the story, alongside the villain Javier who is also playable for a short time.

Many of these characters served as templates for characters who appeared later on in the series. Annie Stoakes was a brave, headstrong woman who bucked the social norms of the time, much as Bonnie MacFarlane would years later in Red Dead Redemption. She also was a pro with a gun, much as Sadie Adler in Red Dead Redemption II. Jack Swift bears more than a passing resemblance to the second Red Dead Redemption game's Josiah Trelawny in both appearance and the fact that both characters tend to their own business while occasionally teaming up with their game's protagonists. Shadow Wolf's headstrong personality and willingness to put himself in danger for his family and his tribe was akin to Eagle Flies in Red Dead Redemption II. Charles Smith from Redemption II bears a similarity to both Buffalo Soldier and Red Harlow himself. All three characters are stoic, selfless, and unambiguously the most morally good among their peers.

Javier Diego shares both a name and a background with Javier Escuella. Both were part of the Mexican Army before the start of their respective games and both, unfortunately were let down by borderline offensive Mexican stereotypes. For Escuella, at least, he received some much needed character development in the jump from Red Dead Redemption to Red Dead Redemption II. It's a shame we won't see more character development from Diego, since it is pretty much a sure thing that Rockstar Games won't feature the Revolver characters in the future outside of campfire folk tales.

Red Dead Revolver is more of a curio to see from where the Red Dead Redemption series started than anything else. It's not as easily accessible as the Redemption games, however it could be worth a play to people who aren't averse to playing arcade-style third-person shooters. The spaghetti-western atmosphere alongside the over-the-top portrayal of the characters and the story manage to elevate this game from what would otherwise be a purely mediocre experience. It's not up to Red Dead Redemption standards, but it is certainly not a bad game.

Final Verdict:
3½ out of 5

Platform Game Review: Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Sunshine is the most divisive Nintendo-produced Super Mario game. Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto has even gone so far as to publicly regret that he and his team created it. With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Classics GameCube emulator for Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers incoming, it is the perfect time to look back and see if the title deserves the hate it gets.

When the Nintendo 64 was released in 1996, Super Mario 64 was one of its launch titles. It proved to be a game changer, as it popularized the 3D platformer genre and was instrumental in the change from pixel-based two-dimensional development to polygonal-based three-dimensional development in the video game industry. When the GameCube came around, fans were looking forward to the next installment. The Super Mario 128 tech demo at the 2000 Nintendo Space World trade show had 128 Marios running around the screen, leaving many people hoping that the next Mario game would move the platformer genre forward as much as the previous game. Instead, Super Mario Sunshine was released in 2002 and the next truly inventive 3D Mario game would come five years later on the Wii in the form of Super Mario Galaxy.

Super Mario Sunshine played mostly like its predecessor, except this time Mario is forced to be a janitor of sorts. Mario, Peach, and her Toad entourage take a trip to a tropical island. When they arrive, they learn of a shadowy figure shaped like Mario. This doppelganger is going around the island painting everything and ruining Mario's reputation. As punishment, Mario is given a device named the FLUDD, or Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device. This allows him to shoot out water forward as well as to shoot it underneath him to propel himself upward.

The FLUDD mechanics bring a completely new feel to the game. Bosses are now fought with water rather than jumps and the propelling mechanics allow Mario to hover for a bit. The drawback is that Mario needs to be in water in order to fill the FLUDD and once it is depleted, he has to head back for a refill. This doesn't take long, as Mario is on a tropical island with water all around it.

Alongside the frustration of FLUDD refilling, the setting of the game is among its drawbacks. While Super Mario 64 was filled with level variety, including sunny fields, platforms high in the sky, snowy mountain tops, and undersea exploring, Super Mario Sunshine is a completely tropical experience. The only breakup in the pattern is the challenge stages that take away the FLUDD and make Mario jump across spinning blocks with only his Super Mario 64 moveset. These levels are well made and feel like a true continuation from Super Mario 64, making it weird that there weren't more levels that used this style of gameplay. They were a welcome breakup of the overly familiar setting of every other level in the game.

The other welcome addition to the game is the return of Yoshi as a rideable companion. He does everything he did in Super Mario World, running, jumping, and eating anything he can get his tongue on, provided the would-be food is not covered in spikes or spines. The Sunshine team even brought one of the fun aural pleasantries that came with riding Yoshi on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Whenever Mario rides his dinosaur steed, bongos are be added to the current music track, and once you are no longer atop Yoshi the bongos stop.

Speaking of music, as with all Super Mario games, Super Mario Sunshine is full of wonderful compositions. With each change of audio hardware, Koji Kondo and the music team had more freedom as to what music they could produce. With Super Mario Sunshine, they went all in on the tropical setting and made some island music that lifts the game and gives it a charm that it would likely be lacking otherwise. I sometimes pop in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation on my Switch and play some Super Mario Sunshine just to hear the amazing soundtrack.

The game ultimately does not deserve all of the hate it gets. It's an inventive, enjoyable 3D platform game. The FLUDD does slow down the gameplay, making it feel like something other than a Super Mario game, but judged on its own, it is a fantastic platformer. It didn't light a fire in the industry like its predecessors, so companies did not use the Sunshine formula in its own games. That works out in its favor, however, since its unique gameplay makes it different than almost every other game out there.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Freemium Fighting Game Review: Multiversus Season 1 - Puns and Villainy

MultiVersus is ending at the end of May 2025 after only a private alpha, two open beta seasons, and five seasons after the final release. The first season of the latter began only last year, as of this writing. The long wait between the closure of the open beta and the launch of the final version caused it to lose thousands of players. The launch of the new characters didn't help bring players back and led to the closure of the developer, Player First Games.

The first season of the open beta was promising, the second season was disappointing, and the launch of the final version did not do much to improve the level of disappointment towards the game. The first season of the final version brought four new characters. Three were well known characters that fit the fighting genre. The Joker from DC Comics was the main draw, and the character that personified the "Puns and Villainy" subtitle of the season. He was voiced by Mark Hamill, joining his Batman: The Animated Series colleague Kevin Conroy who reprised his role as Batman in one of his final performances before his death at age 66 on November 30, 2022. The other two fighters that fit the fighting game genre were Jason Vorhees, the villain of the Friday the 13th series, and Agent Smith, the villain of The Matrix and its sequels. The final fighter was completely out of left field. That character was a Banana Guard, one of the dimwitted and useless supposed protectors of the Candy Kingdom in Adventure Time and some of its spin-offs.

The most disappointing part of the release of the new characters was the way they were obtained. While the beta had a balanced path to get the characters, through points obtained through normal gameplay, one of the most popular characters of the bunch, Agent Smith, was locked at the end of a season track path. This broke the balance, making the premium players have an advantage over those playing solely as free-to-play. It made the game feel like more of a cash grab than it ever had before. Personally, this made me quit the game completely, and judging by the drop-off of players, I was not the only one.

The game also felt lacking compared to the beta. The game was remade in Unreal Engine 5 versus the beta which used the fourth version of the Unreal Engine. This was surely a factor in the long period of waiting between the end of the beta and the final, however, the engine upgrade was not enough to make the wait worth it. This is especially true as game modes in the beta were absent in the final release. The free-for-all mode was missing at launch and was added later in the first season, whereas the ranked mode was missing completely.

Multiversus Season 1: Puns and Villainy was another huge disappointment after the lackluster release of the second season of the beta way back in November of 2022. The addition of the Joker, played by the oft-cited as the best animated Joker performance of all time, Mark Hamill, was not enough of a draw to make the final version of MultiVersus worth the wait. Only four new characters were added, which was one less than the promising first open beta season. The fact that one of these new characters, the Banana Guard was way out of place as a fighter in the game didn't help matters. On top of this, one of the most popular chacaters, Agent Smith, was locked behind a prize track. Add in the fact that the final lacked the ranked mode from the open beta, and you are left with a very flawed final product.

Final Verdict:
2½ out of 5

MultiVersus Season 2 (Open Beta) Review

MultiVersus Season 2 Review Coming Soon

Open World Action-Adventure Delivery Simulator Shooter Mega Review: Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima has made a career out of making games with way-out-there storylines that somehow remain enjoyable despite their concepts, and often, despite their convoluted nature. Death Stranding is the most decisive of the games by Kojima Productions, but it still have all of the hallmarks of a Kojima title.

The game world takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. An organization named Bridges is attempting to bridge the new cities of the land together into a reconstituted United Cities of America under the former president of the United States, Bridget Strand. 

The world has returned to the caste systems of olde, where people stay in the professions they had before the United States blew up as a result of the titular death stranding, which merges the world of the dead together with that of the living. Explosions known as voidouts take place when corpses blow up in a phenomenon known as necrotization which can only be prevented by cremation. 

The game follows a man who goes by the name Sam Porter Bridges, who is a legendary porter who works for the Bridges organization.  His profession is based on real life Japanese bokka, who transport packages over mountains and across rivers using nothing but their feet and wooden ladders. 

Sam is the only person known as a repatriate, which means that he can return to the world of the living after dying. He carries an unborn fetus known as a Beached Baby or BB that was taken from a brain dead mother and placed in a pod full of liquid that simulates the conditions in a mother's womb. BBs are treated as mere tools, as they can allow the holder to view the souls trapped between the living and dead world.

These souls, known as Beached Things or BT, appear in rain known as timefall. The timefall ages anything with which it comes into contact, meaning any vehicles or structures used by porters will quickly rust and will eventually collapse if they are not regularly repaired or upgraded.

The part of the game that makes it the most divisive is in its main gameplay. Sam is regularly given jobs to port packages to places throughout the former USA. The jobs that are marked as for Sam are those that are needed to be delivered in order to unlock more of the story. There are others marked as standard deliveries which are used to gain more stars at each delivery point. Alongside deliveries are long fetch quests, which require retrieving lost or stolen packages and returning them to their owners.

When not dealing with BTs or fighting or fleeing from enemy thieves known as MULEs, the game works essentially like a twisted Animal Crossing, minus the home building and collecting. It also lacks the decorating, except for the ability to craft and decorate Sam's backpack. The rest is there though, as Sam befriends neighbors, does favors for them and delivers their packages. This makes it a mostly relaxing game, especially when playing it after the end of the story.  The large open world, however, can be detrimental to its playability factor, as trips can be excessively long.

The character models and animation are top notch. They shine in the director's cut, but even on the standard game on the less powerful PlayStation 4, they are stupendous. Given Kojima's well-known love of Hollywood films, his studio employed well known personalities to portray the game's main characters. Two of the most publicized were those who were slated to work on Kojima's Silent Hills that was scrapped after he was unceremoniously fired from Konami. The main character of that game was slated to be played by Norman Reedus and it was to be co-directed by Guillermo del Toro. Reedus plays Sam Bridges, both in facial capture and voice, while del Toro provides the face of Sam's guide Deadman. Jesse Corti provides Deadman's voice. The actors are fantastic, and help suck you into the game's world.

Music is sparse, as it only occurs during specific points in the game's world, in some cutscenes, and in music played when upgraded structures are activated. Once a song is heard, it is added to the music list and can be played in the menu or inside Bridges shelters. Most of the time, the only sound heard is sound effects, which adds to the desolate feel of the game. The sound effects, whether they be from Sam's feet or the humming of vehicles such as dirt bikes or trucks, are well done.

Death Stranding is a hard game to rate. It is a very divisive game as its gameplay is not for everyone and music is sparse. However, it has a unique story, excellent acting and fantastic character models and animation, and it is a unique take on a delivery game. It is worth playing for anyone who doesn't mind games that consist of long deliveries and fetch quests.

Final Verdict:
4 out of 5

I Will Not Review SNK Games Until The Company Is Sold

As I said with Hogwarts Legacy and Atomic Heart, I won't review games due to anti-LGBT actions and support for murderous regimes. This policy is now going to apply to SNK games as well. My reasons are in the Mastodon toot listed below, minus the hashtags.

SNK is majority controlled by the non-profit owned by Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

I won't review SNK games until if and when it is sold to another party.

MBS regime arrests LGBT people, murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and throws money on entertainment to distract.

As I said prior, I founded WE Computers Museum which is all about the preservation of all computer software, so it will definitely have them at some point. However, I have decided to only buy them for the museum used from Goodwill since they are LGBTQIPA+ inclusive.  I recommend everyone do so as well.

Stealth Action Game Mega Review: Metal Gear for C64, DOS, and NES

Metal Gear for the Nintendo Entertainment System is a very different game than the original MSX2 game of the same name. It, along with the lesser known Commodore 64 and DOS ports, has become something of a red-headed stepchild as it was both created without the input of series creator Hideo Kojima and suffered from meddling when the management at Konami requested that it be as different as possible from the original. It gets a lot of flack for those reasons, but it really isn't a bad game, especially considering the constraints of its development. 

The game has the same general set up as the MSX2 Metal Gear. Solid Snake has to infiltrate an enemy encampment and has backup off-site through radio contact such as with his mission commander, Big Boss. The primary difference here is that the mission takes place in an outdoor military encampment whereas the original took place inside a sprawling enemy base. This makes it have more in common with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater than the original Metal Gear Solid, which took direct inspiration from the MSX2 Metal Gear games.

The comparison is superficial however, as Kojima has stated his dislike of the NES Metal Gear games. This is unfair however, as the game is quite fun on its own. I did play it often on my toaster NES when I was a little girl, so I'll admit some of my like of the game may be rose-colored glasses. However, even when I replayed it recently on the Metal Gear Solid Collection: Vol. 1 for the Nintendo Switch, I still had a lot of fun with it.

The game has the oft-mentioned poor English translations such as "I feel asleep". It also doesn't have as strong of a story as the original, although even the MSX2 version doesn't have the context-heavy radio calls for which the series would become known. The game also doesn't have the titular final boss. Due to hardware restraints of the NES and the limitations of the mapper used, Solid Snake a giant super computer instead of a Metal Gear mech.

The Nintendo Entertainment System version of Metal Gear is still fun to play, if you are open to playing top-down two-dimensional 8-bit action stealth games. With its outdoor locales, you may have fun with this game even if you played the MSX2 game or its console remake. The limitations of the console even work out for making it a different experience due to the very different final boss. It is not as good of a game as the MSX2 original, but in my opinion it comes really close.

Final Verdict:
3 out of 5

Metal Gear Mega Review

Snake's Revenge Review Coming Soon

Stealth Action Game Mega Review: Metal Gear

Metal Gear for the MSX2 computer is a very different beast from the Nintendo Entertainment System version that international players received. It is also the version that connects to the later games, as the two NES games are ignored by the storylines of the Metal Gear Solid games. The full three-dimensional third-person presentation of the latter made it a bonafide worldwide hit. However, even in the top-down perspective of the original game, many of the stealth mechanics that made Solid so popular were already present.

Metal Gear was released in for MSX2 in 1987 as the first game in the eponymous series. It was released in Japan and Europe, but the latter received a truncated version of the game with nearly half as many radio transmissions and truncated messages. 

A faithful remake of the original version was developed in the J2ME subset of Java and released for feature phones in Japan in 2004. It included an easy mode with a bandanna that gave infinite ammunition, larger text, and end-of-game statistics and related player codenames. This version was the basis of the version that was released worldwide in 2005 as a bonus on Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

Solid Snake begins his mission in much the same manner as he would later in Metal Gear Solid. Snake travels through the water to infiltrate an enemy base and receives a transmission from his mission commander who is known by the codename Big Boss. As the game progresses, Snake will be able to make and receive radio transmissions from other characters as well.

Snake finds keycards throughout the game, which can be used to unlock doors. In these doors, he may find weapons and gadgets to help him in his mission. He can also go into the back of trucks to find items to use, but sometimes enemy guards will be found instead. Snake can punch these guards or use the weapons he found. He can also use rations to refill his health bar.

There are two storage compartments where Snake keeps his items. The first stores items such as keycards and rations, while the second stores weapons. These can be set as active at all times. This allows Snake to enter doors with a keycard without having to manually activate the keycard. It also sets the weapon, which lets Snake fire it while it is active. This is especially helpful with rations, as Snake's health will be automatically refilled to an extent when it reaches zero.

The rations help a lot with the boss battles. There are no memorable bosses as in the Solid series. You won't find Psycho Mantis-style originality here, but the bosses do offer some variety as Snake battles terrifying gun-wielding soldiers and huge mobile weapons. The latter gives the player the first taste of the nuclear-loaded mecha known as Metal Gear.

Metal Gear is not as welcoming as its Solid brethren, but it does offer fun stealth action to those who are open to 8-bit game mechanics. With many of the game mechanics the Metal Gear Solid games would become known for, this is a fascinating game to play to see how the series started, if nothing else. It is also very easy to come by as the 2005 remake version has been ported to most consoles as well as Windows since that came out since it was first released. 

Final Verdict:
3½ out of 5

Metal Gear (Ultra Games) Review

Fighting Game Review: SNK Gals' Fighters

SNK Gals' Fighters is a chibi-style two-dimensional fighting game, developed by Yumekubo and Paon, that was the first all-female fighting game published by SNK. It was released on the Neo Geo Pocket in 2000, proving to be one of the best fighting games on a console that had no shortage of great fighting games.

Female fighters compete in the Queen of Fighters tournament. Eight characters are available from the start. SNK's most popular fighting game series are represented, with playable characters including Athena Asamiya from Psycho Soldier and The King of Fighters series, Yuri Sakazaki from the Art of Fighting series, Akari Ichijou from The Last Blade series, Mai Shiranui from The Last Blade and The King of Fighters series, Nakoruru and Shiki from the Samurai Shodown series, plus Leona Heidern and Shermie from the The King of Fighters series

In addition, Whip, Miss X, and Yuki, all from the King of Fighters series, are unlockable. Miss X is Iori Yagami in disguise as a female fighter and Yuki is Kyo Kusanagi's girlfriend who makes her only playable appearance.

The Neo Geo Pocket family of systems were unique for their time in that the systems each included an digital micro-switched eight-directional pad controlled with a thumb pad. This made it uniquely suited, at the time not withstanding its mere two action buttons, for arcade-style games such as fighting games. Fighting games benefit from precision control to pull off special moves. 

The port through emulation, as part of NEOGEO Pocket Color Selection Vol.1, to the Nintendo Switch and Steam for Windows support controllers with analog thumbsticks. These lack the clicky feel of the Neo Geo Pocket and feel a bit off as a result, but it is still fun to play. The compilation also supports the directional pad, and I personally used both control methods, with the thumbstick for movement and the D-pad for pulling off special moves. If you have never used the Neo Geo Pocket Color D-Pad, it is possible that this won't be an issue, since both control methods do work quite well.

Like most fighting games, especially at the time of the release of Gals' Fighters, the story is quite simplistic. There is an artifact that is said to grant one wish to anyone who possesses it. Every character has their own story related to the artifact, and their wishes are not always as expected. Some of them are quite comical. These amusing endings definitely go a long way toward convincing the player to play through the game with the other characters to experience them all. Winning matches also sometimes gives items, which can be used to affect gameplay, although some objects have no effect at all.

SNK Gals' Fighters is not only one of the best fighting games on the Neo Geo Pocket Color system, it is one of the best games on the console regardless of genre. The fighting is fast, precise, and smooth, the characters are fun and quirky, and the art style is pleasing. The super deformed characters still look pleasingly cute today, although the two-color palette of the characters stand out more than they did at the time of release. This is mitigated, however, in the fact that the backgrounds use the full color palette available on the console and fit with the art style of the characters well. If you ever get the chance to try this game, it is well worth the play.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Open World Action Role-Playing Game Review: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the second gaiden, or side story, game in the Like a Dragon series. The gaiden games have been using concepts new to the series and focusing on characters other than the curent main character in the series. This game focuses on the one character that fits into the romanticized version of pirates the most, Goro Majima.

Fans of the series have been hoping for a Majima-fronted Like a Dragon game for years. Western fans have also been clammoring for a game based in the United States. The previous game brought us the latter last year and Pirate Yakuza explores the Honolulu area from that game as well.

The game takes place six months after the events experienced by Kiryu, Kasuga, and company in Infinite Wealth. Majima becomes amnesiac and washes up on a small island where he is rescued be a young boy named Noah who gives him water. A group of pirates threatens Noah, and Majima fights them, surprised by his fighting abilities. He deduces that he is a yakuza from the tattoos on his body, but he has no idea who he is or how he came to be washed ashore.

He soon meets Noah's father, a former treasure hunter, and after some skirmishes Majima takes over a galleon complete with the first mate and the four take off in search of treasure and the elixir of life in hopes of curing Noah's asthma and related illnesses.

As an ancronistic pirate tale, I can't help but compare it to the Monkey Island.series. However, with its excited young pirate hopeful in Noah, it is clearly inspired by the former's inspiration, Treasure Island. It also takes inspiration from other pirate games such as the granddaddy of pirate games, Sid Meyer's Pirates with its ship battles. It's traversal methods are also reminiscent of the recent Rare pirate game, Sea of Thieves.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio also takes some mechanics from its own games, with the classic Mad Dog Majima playing style from Yakuza 0, the grapple mechanics from Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and the sword and gun combo from Like a Dragon: Ishin! The latter two were given a pirate makeover. The grappling now comes from a hook which can be used to move up to higher areas in search of treasure as well as a weapon in battle to pull opponents toward Majima. The sword and pistol are part of the pirate style of fighting, which combines weapons with Mad Dog mechanics. 

There are also special moves that can be used when a hit meter is filled. The Mad Dog special is to release the crazy shadow clones of Majima from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The pirate special is playing one of four dark instruments, which attack all of the enemies by calling on various ocean gods. One of the instruments is found during the main story. The other three can be found from a side quest that has Majima attacking ships and finding treasure to defeat a series of strong pirate leaders.

The game is given the usual music treatment with a fantastic new pirate-themed score. It also has the now-requisite karaoke minigame. A fun new song that is played during regular game play and can also be played in karaoke is a sea shanty sung by the crew of Majima's ship, the Goromaru. The only downside to the karaoke this time is that, other than the afforementioned shanty, all of the music is sung exclusively by Majima. It's a shame that Majima's sworn brother, Taiga Saejima, isn't given a song to sing. There is a missed opportunity there, especially since the karaoke songs DLC contains the Saejima version of the perennial fan favorite Baka Mitai which can be played during gameplay or on jukeboxes, but the Majima Construction Anthem is the only DLC song that is actually performable in karoke.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii also has the other requisites for a Like a Dragon game. It has the often silly substories and fun minigames such as gambling games such as poker. Two popular minigames return, although they have modified forms. The batting center now has exploding barrels to hit until a lock is revealed that can then be hit. This one is a lot of fun, and reminds me of the cannon ball slicing from Ishin! but with more explosions. The golf driving range also returns. Bingo and closest to the hole are there as usual, but the latter difficulties have an interesting twist. There are now obstacles in the way in the form ofcardboard cutouts of various objects, such as stars and cows. 

The classic Sega games are also here. It contains the Master System games from previous Like a Dragon games and Lost Judgment. However, it has three new games. Two of them, Poseidon Wars 3-D and Space Harrier 3-D, are Master System games. The third game, Star Jacker, is a Sega SG-1000 game that joins Flicky in being the only SG-1000 games officially available in the Americas.

For arcade fans, the Model 3 games Fighting Vipers 2 and The Ocean Hunter return. Best of all, for those of you wanting the original versions, Virtua Fighter 3 joins Virtua Fighter 3tb and the Daytona 2 rebrand Sega Racing Classic 2: Battle on the Edge joins Sega Racing Classic 2: Power Edition. UFO Catcher 8 Second is also once again available for crane machine stans.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is another fun action role-playing sidestory from away from the usual turn-based RPG mechanics that are now the standard for the main games in the series. The pirate mechanics fit surprisingly well into the game world of the series and, after playing this, it is clear that Goro Majima is born to be a pirate. The only downside is the lack of songs in the karaoke minigame, but that's just a tiny tick off of a very fun game.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review

Open World Turn-Based Role-Playing Game Review: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth brings Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu together as protagonists for the first time. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has also brought in multiple move sets and the occasional freedom of motion for Kiryu from his action role playing games. It blended them into the turn-based RPG style of Ichiban Kasuga's games. Ryu Ga Gotoku  Studio manages to pull this off, despite the odds.

Infinite Wealth has dual storylines that merge into each other, in a similar fashion of other multi-protagonist games in the series. Ichiban Kasuga discovers his birth mother lives in Hawaii and travels there to meet her. While there, he gets swindled and ends up naked on the beaches of Honolulu. Meanwhile, Kiryu is still trying to be incognito as a spy while he is in Hawaii on a mission for the Daidoji, a faction that was explored in Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name.

This is the first game in the series that retains all of the playable characters from the previous game, save for Eri as she was modeled and named after the actor who protrayed the character as a result of a contest. The returning characters are split between the two leads. Kasuga's team has Koichi Adachi the former detective and Tianyou Zhao, the chef and former head of a criminal organization named the Yokohama Liumang. Kiryu's team has Saeko Mukoda, the owner of a cabaret club, Joon-gi Han, the man who had surgery to look like the former leader of the Liumang, and Yu Namba the former nurse.

Both teams also contain characters that are new to the series or playable for the first time. Kasuga's team has Eric Tomizawa the taxi driver and Chitose Fujinomiya the housekeeper. Kiryu's team has Seonhee, the leader of the Geomijul and Yokohama Liumang. She is a character who had a minor role in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The total number of playable characters is eight, the number of the game in Japan (Ryu Ga Gotoku 8). It is also the number which is reflected by the infinity sign, which resembles the number 8. This lines up with other games in the series as Yakuza 4 had four playable characters, Yakuza 5 had five, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Ryu Ga Gotoku 7) had seven.

Infinite Wealth continues the theme of Kasuga imagining enemies to be characters in an RPG, and this quirk is also now given to Kiryu in his chapters of the game. The game sets up a plausible reason for Kiryu to experience these hallucinations, and continues showcasing Kasuga's naivety and childishness which explains his.

The role-playing mechanics continue to be enjoyable. One new feature of the game improves the mechanics so much that I greatly missed them when I started replaying Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The playable characters now can move freely within the circle around them and can also now pick up items such as bicycles to use as weapons. The latter occurred in the previous game automatically only when the character was right next to an object. Kiryu also gets two playing styles, his Dragon of Dojima and beast styles from previous games. This does a lot to better connect these games to its action-RPG predecessors.

Kasuga and Kiryu also gain a bar which allows them to pull off a special move that deals heavy damage on an enemy. Kasuga uses his entire team to land a hard hit against every enemy, while Kiryu gets a limited-time ability to be free moving where he can land hits just like he would in an action-RPG game.

The music is fantastic, as usual. This game is also chock full of karaoke songs, including returning songs from Like a Dragon as well as new songs sung by both Kiryu and Kasuga as well as their teammates. The amazing thing is just how many Kiryu songs we get here, with tunes from games all across Kiryu's appearances, from Yakuza 0 to Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.

The game also includes compact discs that can be purchased or won from many of the locations and minigames. These can be played in bar jukeboxes, as usual. However, this game also includes a music player which can be sorted into a playlist in bars and on the smartphone menu. They then can be played at any time by activating them with the play button. It is great to hear Yakuza 0 songs playing while running across Honolulu or Ijincho, at least until they are cut off by substories or street fights. Thankfully, after these events end, the music player starts up right where it stopped. 

Sega arcade games return, including the UFO Catcher 8 Second crane machine, Virtua Fighter 3tb, and Get Bass: Sega Bass Fishing. It also includes games developed by Sega AM11, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's first form. The first is Virtua Fighter 3tb. The second, and final, Sega AM11 game is SpikeOut: Final Edition. This marks the first time it was released on a platform other than the original arcade release.

The substories are as bonkers as ever, especially two involving parodies of popular Nintendo games. Sugimon, which is an index of enemies encountered in whacked-out forms as supposedly imagined by the protagonists, is expanded from the last game into a full turn-based fighting game. The second is the most ambitious minigame Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has ever created, Dondoko Island. It is a full-fledged Animal Crossing style game, complete upgradable houses and places for the visitors to sleep. The objects that can be placed around the island contain the usual tables and chairs as well as, surprisingly, buildings from Kamurocho and other locations across the world of the series. 

Dondoko Island also includes famous green and red Japanese mascots, Gachapin and Mukku, as the mascots for the resort on the island. They are included in the game for the fiftieth anniversary of their initial appearance. The were initially characters on the 1973 children's television series which aired for 20 years, Hirake! Ponkikki, or Begin! Ponkikki as a literal translation into English. These characters appeared in later Fuji TV television series and radio programs, making them instantly recognizable to Japanese audiences. However, even though I knew nothing about them before the release of this game, I found that they worked as characters in the usually weird substories. Their announcements over the loudspeaker were not translated and their repetition became tiresome after a while. Thankfully, these announcements can be muted.

The above parodies are among the best minigames the series creators have ever produced, and can easily provide hours of play when not experiencing the stories of the main game and substories.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is arguably the best game in the entire series, although some of its story beats don't hit as hard if you haven't played Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Some of Kiryu's substories also are better experienced if you played the games from the Kiryu Saga, which runs from Yakuza 0 to Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. However, even if you haven't played these games, it could still be enjoyable. The story is engaging, and if veering off from the main game, enjoyment can be had in the Nintendo parody substories alone.

Final Verdict:

5 out of 5

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review

Open World Action-Adventure Review: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Update April 3, 2025: I mentioned that Gaiden included Flicky as the first release of a Sega-1000 game in North America. However, I neglected to note the inclusion of a game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's first form, Sega AM11, which was an off-shoot from Sega AM2.  This game was Daytona USA 2: Power Edition. which was renamed Sega Racing Classic 2 to match the name of 2009 remake of Daytona USA. It is also notable as it's the first time the game was ever released on a platform other than the original arcade release.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an experimental spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. It brings back former protagonist Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character as well as the action role-playing game play for which the series was known prior to  . However, it also blends in new game play features while delivering a condensed, yet still enjoyable, game play experience.

The conception for the Gaiden games apparently came from The Kaito Files, the sidestory that was downloadable content for Lost Judgment. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is roughly the same size as The Kaito Files. Like the latter, it focuses on a character other than the current main protagonist of the series. It feels weird to refer to the former series protagonist Kiryu in such a manner, but he was relegated to cameo status in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the game in which this game acts as a side story.

The game takes place after the end of Yakuza 6 and continues into the story of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. As the title suggests, Kiryu has erased his name and now acts as a secret agent of sorts for the mysterious Daidoji faction. They are a powerful organization that has its tendrils in both the legitimate political world as well as the illicit yakuza underground.

Kiryu tries to stay hidden as the secret agent Joryu, while being sent on missions for the Daidoji. He was given training for his new role, as he now has a secret agent fighting style in addition to his usual Dragon of Dojima fighting style. With these new abilities come an interesting spy gadget that brings changes in the way the game is played.

Joryu is given a thin line that he can use to pull enemies to him as well as to collect hard to reach items in the game world. This spider web-style gadget takes cues from the Insomiac Spider-Man games, allowing Joryu to have the quick Batman: Arkham style combat and surprise web attacks from the aforementioned Spider-Man titles. He is also given more gadgets, such as drones that can attack enemies in addition to his street-level fighting.

The game introduces a system that gives Joryu points based on missions he completed that were given to him by a mysterious woman that serves as a champion for the homeless. These points can be used to purchase new abilities, as well as to expand the stock available in the store.

Joryu is soon given an object that serves as an invitation to a secret, hidden city. Here, he can compete in the arena alone or with team members that he can recruit with cash earned from the fights or through various favors requested from potential recruits. Through downloadable content, some of Kiryu's most trusted companions can also fight for Joryu in the arena, including Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima, the sixth chairman of the Tojo Clan. As any fighter can also act as the leader, these characters are also optionally controllable, making it the first time in the series that Daigo has ever been a playable character.

The game length is extended through the usual often humorous side quests, as well as mini-games such as gambling and playable classic Sega games. This includes Sega arcade games, as well as the Sega Master System games from Lost Judgment. It also includes the Sega SG-1000 version of Flicky, which marks the first time that a game from that system has ever officially been released in North America. Pocket Circuit slot car racing also returns from Yakuza 0, however it is expanded here with harder courses that can be unlocked by completing competitions and winning one-on-one races with players from all around both Sotenbori and the secret city.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a successful experiment for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. While it is a bit of a shame that the Judgment games appear to have been superseded by the Like a Dragon Gaiden games, it's still a lot of fun to explore new and familiar areas with action RPG combat. While I love the turn-based combat of the Kasuga-fronted games, the beat 'em up brawls of the original games will always remain satisfying. With an immersive story, fun new play mechanics with the spy tools, and the usual fantastic voice acting and music, the first Like a Dragon Gaiden game is a grand old return to style for the series.

Final verdict:

4 out of 5

Lost Judgment Review

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review

Open World Action-Adventure Review: Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was the conclusion of the Kiryu saga, and the last time the series used the Yakuza name in the West without using its Japanese name, Like a Dragon.  It is also the last mainline game in the series to be an action role-playing game, with the series switching to turn-based role-playing game mechanics  in succeeding entries. As a send off to both the character of Kazuma Kiryu and the game play of which the series has become known, it had large shoes to fill. It managed to do so, for the most part.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio released Yakuza 6 with only one protagonist. With Yakuza 4 containing four playable characters, Yakuza 5 including five, and even Yakuza 7 containing seven, it seemed odd that Yakuza 6 would only include Kiryu. However, the staff wanted to focus solely on Kiryu to give his current story some closure. Even with the lack of playable versions of the fan favorite characters that were playable in previous games such as Goro Majima, Taigo Saejima, and Shun Akiyama, the game still gave its lone protagonist a lot to do.

In Yakuza 6, Kiryu and his adopted daughter Haruka deal with the fallout caused by their actions in Yakuza 5. Kiryu discovers that Haruka was left injured and comotose by an unknown driver in a hit-and-run incident. On top of that, he discovers that Haruka had been protecting an infant during the attack. The infant was unharmed, so Kiryu acts as a grandfather as he protects the child and discovers who attacked his daughter by traveling to the last known location of Haruka before she returned to Kamurocho, Onomichi Jingaicho in Hiroshima Prefecture.

During his search in Hiroshima, Kiryu befriends the members of a small yakuza family known led by Toru Hirose. The new characters shine as they are all memorable, especially Hirose himself, who is portrayed fantastically by Takeshi Kitano, the star of the highly influential game show, Takeshi's Castle. The success of Takeshi's Castle led to shows such as Sasuke, also known as Ninja Warrior, and American shows such as Wipeout. Takeshi played a comedic role in his eponymous series, and while Hirose had many comedic moments, the dramatic moments are where his character really shined.

In addition to the main story, it still includes the often hilarious subquests for which the series has become known. It includes all of the expected minigames, from the playable classic Sega arcade games, to Japanese and Western gambling games.

When I was reviewing the Yakuza series, I deliberately skipped over this game because Kiryu had already returned in Yakuza: Like a Dragon at that point, so it was clear his story wasn't over after all. I wanted to wait and see if this game still worked within the series without it being Kiryu's swansong. Now that Kiryu has returned to the series proper in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the question of whether the story of this game still works in the overall series arc can finally be answered.

Surprisingly, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name actually made a very strong case for Kiryu's return while actually giving the ending to Yakuza 6 some contextualization while humanizing its protagonist. Kazuma Kiryu has always been depicted as stoic, often to superhuman levels. Pop culture's most popular stoic normal human displaying superhuman strength, Batman. doesn't even hold a candle to Kiryu.

However, Gaiden humanized Kiryu to a level the series had never shown before, and retroactively humanizes Kiryu in the ending of Yakuza 6, actually showing that Kiryu is not an infallible superhuman. This makes the growth of Kiryu from Yakuza 0 to Yakuza 6 work so much better. The ending of Yakuza 6 was controversial when it first released, and Kiryu's return is not universally welcomed, but the story of Yakuza 6 definitely now makes a lot more sense from a story perspective.

Yakuza 6 is a fantastic game, and is a fitting farewell to the classic Yakuza series. It has all of the hallmarks of the series, and the Japanese-only voice over work once again shines. The music is also fantastic, from the game's soundtrack to the always-enjoyable karaoke songs. It isn't perfect, as the reduction of playable characters compared to the most recent games in the series can definitely be felt. However, it is still well worth playing for any Yakuza fan, especially those who enjoyed any of the games in the series before its restructuring as Like a Dragon.

Final verdict:

4 out of 5

Yakuza 5 (Remastered) Review

Judgment (Remastered) Review