MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE FIGHTING EDITION
I've just finished a 20 minute session on Bandai's latest Super NES Power Ranger game--Might Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition. Why only 20 minutes? That's how long it took to reach the end of the game. That was on the Normal setting. I'm now going to attempt a greater challenge...
Okay, back again. It's a bit tougher on the Hard setting, but only a bit. If you're timing is good, it's not going to take much effort to slaughter all the zords and bad guys including Thunder Megazord, Mega Tigerzord, Lipsyncher, Ninja Megazord, Shogun Megazord, Silver Horns, Goldar, Lord Zedd and Ivan Ooze. The story mode lets you battle one opponent after another in a tournament style contest. I have to admit that Ivan Ooze was a shock. After waltzing through the other fighters, suddenly this freak is kicking my megazord. Ouch! Anyhow, like most fighting games, the only way to play is to snag another player, sit them down, and thrash them with special moves. The special moves in MMPR: The Fighting Edition look pretty cool. (The graphics overall look very sharp.) The controller sequences follow standard SF II patterns and each character has quite an arsenal of shots and multiple hit special moves. We'll cover more on this game later, but my first impression is that the AI is too easy for a serious one-player challenge. But if you have another fighting fan nearby, and you're into Power Ranger action, this game should provide a thrill or two.
JACK BROS.
By Atlus for Virtual Boy. Expected release date this October/November
Atlus just sent me the first working version of their Virtual Boy game, Jack Bros., although at this early point in development there isn't much working on the game. Still, it was different from the other VB games I've been sticking my face into recently. Jack Bros. (which Power has previously called Devil Busters) is a sort of 3-D maze starring Jack O'Lantern, Jack Frost, and Jack Skelton (formerly Jack Ripper.) You get the idea--it's sort of a Halloween theme. Your chosen character collects keys and zaps enemies then jumps down to the next level while the clock runs down. The story line says that it's almost midnight and the Jacks will turn into pumpkins or mice or something if they're not home by the stroke of midnight. The 3-D depth between maze platforms is very good, but the foreground uses of 3-D, at least in this early version, don't add anything new to the game. The finished version of Jack Bros. should have six scenarios and up to 15 levels in each scenario. I'll update you the next time I get an EPROM from Atlus.
BATMAN FOREVER
By ACCLAIM for the SUPER NES, available this September
It's here. It's finished. I've been playing through the first few stages and...Batman Forever is not quite what I expected, but more on that later. My first thought was-- who is behind these great digitized graphics? The characters continually move and shift so they seem alive and three dimensional. The backgrounds make use of parallax scrolling plus fine shading and shadow effects to add even more depth to the scene. A foreground layer not only adds to the 3-D, but it helps to conceal secret items and increases the challenge of the fights. The responsible party for all this magic turns out to be Probe, the British development house responsible for Judge Dredd, Stargate and a number of other recent Acclaim hits. Prepare to be dazzled. A bunch of gawkers gathered around me within minutes of when I plugged in the Pak.
As for the play, well, that's the thing, right? Batman Forever is basically a scrolling fighter. You can play with either the Caped Crusader or the Boy Wonder. You can even play two two-player modes--cooperative or competitive. A nice touch. Your character is also endowed with more moves than you would expect: two hit buttons, two kick buttons, a shield button, a jump move (pressing Up on the Control Pad) and a glide move. Move in close to an enemy and you can toss him. The enemy AI has enough variety to keep things interesting. You can't rely on the same attack all the time. I found that enemies seemed to learn after three or four of my repetitious attacks and they would change their attacks. Enemies attacking in pairs provided even more challenge. I found that I had to use combinations of moves, like using a sweeping kick to knock an enemy down followed by several uppercut punches when he tries to stand up. You don't usually find this kind of complexity in a side-scrolling fighter. In a sense, you get to use combos, although it isn't as elaborate a system as that in KI. You also have to search for hidden items and areas everywhere. At the end of each stage, you'll receive a report card for the percentage of items you've found and enemies you've defeated.
On the other hand, Probe made a big sacrifice when it stuffed this game full of pretty graphics and animation. You'll notice that the size of the screen height varies according to the intricacy of the backgrounds. In some areas, you find yourself moving through narrow corridors in an otherwise black screen. The areas themselves are generally very short--only two or three screen lengths--and long download pauses (up to five seconds) will be experienced at the end of each of these short areas. The waiting may not kill you, but it may seem like the long, slow torture of CD-ROM--not at all what you expect in a Super NES game. That may be irritating, but less so than some of the game design and play control features. Your grappling hook command and several jump commands defy video game standards by using weird button combinations. A couple of my colleagues down in the Tree House reported that the game was driving them nuts because they couldn't get anywhere. A game manual would have been a big help. Another odd thing is that the hit detection on hidden item triggers is way off. To make a gargoyle's head explode (in order to get the hidden item) you have to kick it in the gut. All this may be annoying, but once you figure out the quirks of Batman Forever (using the upcoming Nintendo Power review--shameless promotion) the game has a lot to offer.
So what is so unexpected about the game? For all of the great graphic effects, the overall look seems a bit sterile, perhaps because so much of the screen is not used. Also, a lot of the moves are just not intuitive. But after sticking with it for awhile, and learning the hard way, I felt a bit better about the game. The AI of the enemies seems to be pretty good and the actual fighting requires that you combine moves for the best effect. There are also some cool throw and roll moves. And the graphics are intriguing enough for me to want to see what is coming up next. It's not what I expected, or even what I wanted, but the truth is that I'm going back to play some more of it right now.
CAPCOM NEWS
Okay, forget everything you've heard about Capcom abandoning the lucrative 16-bit market for the dark and uncharted seas of Saturn and PSX. Apparently, the Japanese parent company of Capcom USA has switched course--or maybe they're just not so confident in selling games on the new 32-bit game platforms. Hmmm?
Anyhow, the good news for you and me is that four new Capcom games are now scheduled for release this fall. The two games we'd been waiting for--Mega Man 7 and Breath of Fire 2--are back in the mix. The two new games are Mega Man X3 and Marvel's Super Heroes. The only game I've seen here at NOA so far is Mega Man 7, and it looks very good, although not very innovative. (So when was the last time you saw a lot of innovation in a Mega Man game?) Breath of Fire 2, a top-selling RPG in Japan--also should be ready very soon, perhaps in the next week or two. Capcom was all ready to submit the game to NOA several months ago before it was canned. That brings up another point. Let's not get too excited until we actually see boxes on shelves. Capcom Japan has a habit of making decisions at the last minute. If anything, this latest news from Capcom is further proof that the Super NES continues to be the center of the gaming world for now. I courageously predict record-breaking sales this fall for the Super NES, not because I work for Nintendo, but because that's where you'll find the best games and you won't have to shell out tons of cash for an expensive new system.
THEME PARK
By Ocean of America, but not expected to be released in the U.S.
Sim fans can forget about their lives now that Theme Park is on the way for the Super NES. At least sim fans in England. Although the came showed up for approval here at NOA, Ocean says that it has no intention of bringing the game out in North America. That's too bad. (On the other hand, there's an excellent PC version available for those of us who can't afford to buzz over to the U.K.) The game has a real sim feel, sort of a cross between Aerobiz and SimCity. When I began building my dream Theme Park, I looked up and saw that half the day was gone. Part of the deal is that, as in SimCity, the model is pretty complex and you have to tinker endlessly to figure out what makes it tick. You also have that sense of creation because you place the attractions, build sidewalks, plant trees, dig ponds and generally get to be the ultimate builder. That's great. On the other hand, the menu selection process is fairly awkward, so you waste a lot of time trying to get the information you need to figure out what makes the money roll in. The lively animations show customers moving around the park, trying out rides, going to the burger place or winning prizes. The economics of running a successful park, however, are anything but easy. You can adjust prices, research new attractions, take out loans and expand to cities all over the world. Of course, a lot can go wrong. Rides can break down and customers might stop coming at any time. So why am I going on about a game that probably won't appear in the U.S.? Call me optimistic, but if enough of us show interest in strategies, sims and RPG games, maybe we'll get more of them.
XBAND MODEM
By Catapult Entertainment
2400 Baud rate Super NES compatible gaming modem
Available nationwide in Sept. (Currently available in selected markets.)
I just got off the phone with Doug Campeljohn of Catapult Entertainment, the maker of the XBAND modem. Doug is the goto guy for software. I wanted to get the latest on Doom, but also I wanted to hear what was coming up with the new Super NES XBAND network for gamers. (See the Doom Journal entry for 7/01.) According to Doug, initial sales have been great. The games currently playable over the modem are NHL '95, Mortal Kombat 2 and NBA Jam Tournament Edition. Super Street Fighter II and Madden '95 are due any time.
As for games due this fall, number one on the list is Killer Instinct, followed by Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball and WeaponLord. Two possible additions to the XBAND family are Super Mario Kart and Bomberman 3. There are some technical issues to iron out for Super Mario Kart, Doug reports, but they are working with our engineers here at NOA. Bomberman 3, according to Hudson, will probably come out in November or December, but no final decision has been made to release the game in the U.S. I got a chance to play it at Shoshinkai last year and it rocked.
OTHER NOTES ON XBAND
Thankfully, the XBAND pricing structure has come down to the point that anyone can afford it. (An upcoming promotion with Blockbuster video stores will make the XBAND available for under $20 and the basic monthly service fee is under $5.) XBAND is scheduled to be released nationwide this September for the Super NES. For that $4.95, you get 50 game credits and access to news and e-mail services in addition to all the competition. There will be special events including tournaments, too. NOA Geoff here at Nintendo Power will be helping set up the Bandwith news and the rest of us will be scrounging up the latest breaking news for Nintendo.
Catapult Entertainment also plans on releasing a keyboard accessory this fall. Why, you might ask. It seems that XBanders go nuts with e-mail and writing messages with the controller and a selection screen of letters makes about as much sense as playing a video game with your nose. I saw the prototype of the keyboard a few months ago. It's full size, light weight and it plugs straight into the second controller port. Simple. Although Catapult hasn't set a price on this thing, they expect it to be around 20 bucks. The e-mail being sent by XBanders isn't just limited to the game network. An internet link will allow them to send e-mail anywhere in the world. In fact, Catapult's ultimate aim is to integrate its system with just about every stop on the info super highway.
DOOM
By Williams Entertainment and Sculptured Software (from the original game by id Software)
24 Megabits
Available September 1st.
One of the most popular PC games of all time will come to the Super NES on September 1st--Doom Day--when Doom makes its appearance. (The all new Nintendo Ultra 64 version will be available after the release of the NU 64 next April.) For now, the Super NES Doom, powered by the FX2 chip, looks and plays great. I just received the finished game and spent several hours (days) blasting and exploring this faithful reproduction of the original Doom. The texture mapped 3-D environment of the PC Doom has been replicated right down to the quick screen scroll as you move from room-to-room. The one difference is that the three missions: Knee-Deep In The Dead, The Shores of Hell and Inferno comprise 22 levels in all rather than the complete 29 levels of the PC registered version. Most players online have at least some knowledge of Doom, but if you've only played the limited levels of the shareware version, the Super NES game will give you the full experience.
I found that playing the game with a Super NES controller is a huge improvement over using either a PC mouse or joystick. The directional control pad turns and moves you forward or backward while the L and R Buttons let you sidestep quickly out of danger. The programming team also made use of the Super NES's onboard Sony audio processor to recreate the music and sound effects of the original Doom. Only the best equipped PCs can match this quality of sound. Depending on your computer monitor, the graphics may not be quite as sharp on your TV in comparison, but the 256 color palette and enhancements due to the FX2 put the Super NES game in contention as one of the best versions of Doom available. It looks and plays much better that the 32X version and unlike the 32X Doom, it contains all the enemies and boss characters.
I also just heard from Williams that Doom is receiving a Mature rating from the ESRB ratings board of the IDSA, which means that it is suitable for players 17 years old and above. The rating reflects the gore and violence in the game, but in my opinion the M rating isn't entirely consistent with ratings for other games with graphical violence. Other games with similar amounts of graphical violence like Williams' Mortal Kombat 3, Acclaim's True Lies and Killer Instinct have also been given Teen ratings, so it seems odd to me that Doom is singled out for the big M. Part of the reasoning is that previous versions of Doom for the PC market were rated as Mature. What all this adds up to is that each player has to be aware of the nature of Doom before making the purchase. In any case, a game's rating is only one piece of information that consumers can use when determining if it is suitable for them.
Another feature of the Super NES Doom was to have been XBAND compatibility. Williams, however, decided against including the XBAND patch in the Game Pak, leaving that up to Catapult. The work at Catapult continues, but there seems to be a technical snag due to the use of the FX chip. If the Doom patch is completed, it will make an even better game experience for players.
© Nintendo of America, 1995