Last Letter Game - Games in your collection

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1114

Saturn Bomberman is one of those games I describe as having a very close-middle feeling, which I can‘t really describe, but only a few games feel mixed that way to me. it’s got this warm analog holiday feeling to it, like you‘re right next to the band but they’re not playing too loud. (I mentioned this in the last podcast)

June Chikuma is great!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG-KHtXrC5Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yytKJWavpw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsh0Fbs84ko

it's also almost smashed together in the midrange? I dunno man.
the other game that does that for me is megaman 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsMNxIpEbd8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDgBu3PIZyA

they also both kind of have that 3D stereo sound vibe which kinda does something in there too. (obviously june chikuma didn't do megaman 8 though).

Check out this awesome video of her explaining her early work, on top of her early work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fepd1R6DHY

this is 1986 - you can 100% tell how this relates to bomberman (1985) which she scored, all the stuff she was playing with at the time. And then you can see how that ultimately evolves to saturn bomberman, and then the much simpler but no less musically interesting work of Bomberman Hero.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv-2XIhmxPE

and of course now she's a Nay master. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pknpZSB4jvM

I've probably already chronicled that on here before but there you go again!!!

1115

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@“exodus”#p43483 I know exactly one person who is really into ninpen manmaru, because on the surface it looks to be the “full” version of the Sonic Jam 3D world, and it does have a pretty similar vibe to it.

I totally get that! The camera does behave in a pretty similar way, and the color palette has a similar vibe. However, I think a Sonic game like this with very little enemy interaction would make for a rather poor Sonic game... That’s one issue I always wondered about regarding Sonic Xtreme, which seemed to have very few enemy interactions.

(Also, I am pretty sure Psychic Force predates Astra Superstars?)

>

@“穴”#p43493 this was the first game that I ever finished

That’s pretty cool. I need you to help me win a stupid argument from 15 years ago. I was telling a friend the idea of having secret exits tied to finishing a Castle level with Mini Mario was a great idea because it would blow away some kids minds, and be their introduction to the idea of "secrets" in a video game; he thought they would shrug and not think more about it. So, blown away were you? Or not a care in the world gave you?

1116

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@“chazumaru”#p43512 (Also, I am pretty sure Psychic Force predates Astra Superstars?)

OOPS right you are, psychic force is almost three years earlier! whoops.

1117

I’d feel bad spoiling one’s chance to contribute something so I will keep the "S” train going with this hilariously overconfident title…

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SHANGHAI: GREAT MOMENTS

What a selling pitch! Great moments to be had, for sure!

Shanghai, the classic puzzle game asking the player to pair up mahjong tiles, was a staple of early console software catalogues for decades. Released almost exactly two years into the console’s existence (mid-November 1996), this version was somehow the third(!) Shanghai game released by Sunsoft on the SegaSaturn, following **Shanghai: Banri no Chōjō** (February 1995) and **Game no Tatsujin: The Shanghai** (October 1995).

https://youtu.be/Lq-ZlLP8t4E
https://youtu.be/K9tB7-dyldY
https://youtu.be/0hKRnSLkfL4

You’d be forgiven for doubting how Sunsoft could comfortably riff on the same very basic concept at such a quick pace. This hasty release schedule is kinda linked to the double life of Shanghai. The game began as a computer classic (1986) developed by Brodie Lockard and published by Activision, but was quickly licensed by Sunsoft in 1988 for an arcade version (developed by Success) which became an instant hit among Japanese salarymen. The series then followed these two careers in parallel, a peaceful home computer blanket by day and a manic arcade coin muncher by night, leading to a sometimes confusing family tree.

Banri no Chōjō, better known under its translated title 'The Great Wall' (although the actual overseas title is 'Triple Threat'), is the direct port of the fourth arcade game developed by Success for Sunsoft. The arcade version was one of the very first games released on the Sega ST-V arcade board, allowing for a very quick home conversion on the Saturn. It’s the 12th game released on the console, and the first one compatible with the Shuttle Mouse.

Game no Tatsujin: The Shanghai is a compilation of different puzzle games using mahjong tiles. Sunsoft had released a first Game no Tatsujin compilation earlier that year which included regular mahjong, shōgi, reversi and gomoku narabe – borrowing the AI from various companies for each game (good old Chatnoir is credited for the mahjong game, for instance). It’s kinda the same deal here. The Shanghai part is a conversion of Shanghai III and copyrighted by Activision as always. RongRong follows a slightly different rule (tiles need to be connected through three straight lines) copyrighted by Nakanihon Wreath. And finally Shinkijoh is a block pusher combining Shanghai and Pengo, copyrighted by Scap Trust. Unfortunately this game’s version of Shanghai III isn’t that great. For some reason (maybe to differentiate the game from Banri no Chōjō?), the co-op multiplayer and versus multiplayer modes of the original Shanghai III are not included.

Finally, Great Moments is the localization of a Western game originally developed by Quiksilver for Windows95 during the gold rush of CD-ROM games – and rightfully so: it was a huge success. Quicksilver claims it sold over 600.000 copies on PC alone. Great Moments is a remake of the original Shanghai from Activision with a few additional rules (including the Great Wall mode) and spiced up with the mandatory FMV avatar, voice over, redbook audio and digitized pictures of China in the background. And this one does have a multiplayer mode. I am not sure if the Japanese release was mandatory per Sunsoft’s contract with Activision, but it’s a better entry than Game no Tatsujin as far as Shanghai is concerned.

In case you have not kept track, let’s recap: the Saturn first received a port of Shanghai IV, then a weird conversion of Shanghai III, then a remake of the original Shanghai. Huh.

Sidenote: all three games are compatible with the shuttle mouse, but somehow Sunsoft’s launch title and biggest success on the Saturn, Myst, wasn’t compatible with the peripheral. My guess is Sega gave the software library too late for Sunsoft to consider it for a launch game.

So, "great moments” all around, as promised? Well, it’s alright. The CD-ROMness of the enterprise definitely has its vaporware-friendly charm when played in the present times but, for my money, the tight arcade experience of Banri no Chōjō is where you’ll get your best Shanghai kick.

Alternatively, I can recommend Shanghai III [which can be played on the Switch](https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/arcade-archives-shanghai-iii-switch/) right now, thanks to the Arcade Archives collection.

Although the Shanghai IP belonged to Activision for the longest time, it seems they have finally relinquished the IP to Sunsoft – its licensee and caretaker for three decades now – a few years ago. Quite a mistake, if you ask me! Call of Duty and Warcraft will come and go, but Shanghai’s tiles will probably bury us all.

1118

@“chazumaru”#p43512 hmmm It didn‘t exactly blew my mind because I think I didn’t get any of those mini mario secret endings but I do remember being quite intrigued upon the realization that I had beaten the game but the map still showed 2 more worlds that I hadn‘t played yet, it was enough for me to try to google it but I remember not finding anything useful. ( i was 6 years old at the time so I probably wasn’t very good at googling stuff and probably it wasn't as easy to find a walktrough in spanish back then)

1119

@“exodus”#p43483 You know, thinking about it for a few more hours, I am convinced that Flicky would have been a much better industrial appropriation of Ninpen Manmaru than Sonic. It’s already a blue bird, running around, jumping and collecting small items along the way, as it tries to reach the exit without running into any enemy. Just replace the coins with cute little chicks and it would have been a pretty good evolution of Flicky’s premise.

@"穴"#p43524 Thanks! Oh well, not that the other guy will ever see this so I will take it as a win, _in absentia_.

1120

Really neat breakdown of the Shanghai entries, and finally I understand why so many companies were credited on the backs of some of these boxes! Pretty rough graphic design on the cover too, very “budget Saturn” which is a really specific aesthetic.

Oh and a flicky game ala Ninpen manmaru would have been excellent! Sega should've thought of that.

1121

@“exodus”#p43497 Wow, thanks for all of these, I really need to actually sit down and play Saturn Bomberman to hear all of these in context. I would have played it by now, but my weekend playing was dominated exclusively by the various home ports of Cleopatra Fortune (thanks @“Personasama”#28 lolol). I am also a huge fan of the Rockman 8 OST and look forward to trying out the Saturn version (the PSX disc was one of my prize possessions back in the day).

It's probably a distinct feeling, but I feel like I have a similar relationship with OSTs that feature a sort of distant lo-fi aesthetic to them--they somehow simultaneously feel very cozy but slightly alienating. The best example I can think of is my favorite track from SOTN, Crystal Teardrops, which has these incredible drum and bass tracks that sound like they are being played in another room:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLmK6qOLXps

I get a similar vibe from a lot of GBA games due to the inherent crushed bitrate sound of the system, especially from some Warioware and Mother 3 tracks.

1122

Huh, that’s a weird coincidence: famed game center Mikado decided to spend the evening collectively on the ST-V version of Shanghai: Banri no Chōjō.

① Classic mode (solo):

https://youtu.be/syCIeu64_as

② Great Wall mode (co-op):

https://youtu.be/NFrko_9pstc

1123

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STREET FIGHTER ZERO2’

A couple days ago, this cute compilation appeared on Youtube: a chronological overview of all 56 titles released in the Satakore lineup. Satakore is a shorthand for "SegaSaturn Collection" and the local equivalent of Greatest Hits, Platinum re-releases et al., rewarding some of the bestselling or critically acclaimed titles with a cheaper reprint.

https://youtu.be/3NUABo3ZCfk

A few helpful notes in case your Japanese is lacking: the top right date (in Japanese yy-mm-dd format) is the Satakore version’s release date. The bigger, yellow date in the middle is the game’s original release date. Finally, the bottom score is the game’s final average score in the reader-submitted software rankings of SegaSaturn Magazine (10.0000 being the highest theoretical score). [size=10]They did not care much for pachinko games, evidently.[/size]

Feel free to ask if you have trouble identifying, or have a question about a title in particular. People often complain that collecting Saturn games is too expensive nowadays but the Satakore versions often remain quite cheap and you could do much worse than aiming for these 56 titles (bar the pachinko game _maybe_).

Nevertheless, you might be wondering why I am posting this here and why it is relevant to one of Capcom’s seminal fighting game entries in particular.

Well, I see at least two small mistakes in the video. The first one regards the Satakore version of Sega Rally, which is not based on the original release but on Sega Rally Championship Plus, the version which added online play and analogue controls among other things. Fair enough, no big deal.

The second one is more interesting and involves my favorite bit of trivia regarding the Satakore series. At 8m07s in the video comes the Satakore version of Street Fighter ZERO2, complete with its original release date and Satamaga score. However, this is a mistake! For there is no Satakore version of Street Fighter ZERO2.

It’s much easier to notice if you put the two games side by side (see the pic above). What Capcom released on Satakore is in fact Street Fighter ZERO2’ – read *two dash* as always with Capcom. What’s funny is this game kinda only exists as a Satakore version. There never was a standalone standard release of Street Fighter ZERO2’. It is technically the only game in the entire Satakore lineup to be exclusive to Satakore.

However, the game isn’t entirely new on the Saturn either. More accurately, Street Fighter ZERO2’ is the standalone rerelease of the second disc from Street Fighter Collection, which was the tenth anniversary project of the Street Fighter series, originally released on the Saturn and PlayStation in 1997. Disappointingly, the "collection" only featured three games. Disc one included ports of Super Street Fighter II and Super Street Fighter IIX. Disc two was just Street Fighter ZERO2’. Then, Capcom simply recycled that second disc as a budget rerelease one year later, on both consoles.

The game itself is excellent, fortunately. It is a port of the confusingly named arcade game Street Fighter ZERO2 Alpha (known as Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold in the West). The home version features all the improvements from the arcade version as well as new features such as a Gōki mode, a Dramatic Battle mode and one entirely new hidden character: Cammy. The character reuses her sprite and animations from X-Men Vs. Street Fighter (i.e. Doll outfit) and would re-appear as one of the main "new" characters in Street Fighter ZERO3.

One final note: as I have already [shared](https://forums.insertcredit.com/d/1003-thats-a-dope-disc/14) ([twice!](https://forums.insertcredit.com/d/1003-thats-a-dope-disc/42)) my affection for Capcom’s thematic commitment to the heroines of the Zero series in the Dope Disc thread, here is how the disc looks on the [SegaSaturn](https://i.imgur.com/IkkjPna.jpeg) and [PlayStation](https://i.imgur.com/NHBk2yo.jpeg).

*TWO DASH so I’d say the next game ought to start with the letter H.*

1124

It also has the best music in the series in my opinion! The arranged version of the soundtrack (for dash/gold) is much better than the original, fuller sounding, better instrumentation, the whole works.

For example, gen's stage original https://youtu.be/ndOch2yhvDY

Gen's stage gold
https://youtu.be/OUS-fxZCQw8

Also, I haven't checked the video yet but I wonder if it mentions how the satakore version of soukyuugurentai has an English translation? There are a few games which have differences from their original releases and I'd love for someone to catalog that!

1125

@“exodus”#p44130 You won’t find it in the video because Sōkyūgurentai Otokuyō is – most confusingly! – not part of the Satakore series.

1127

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**HŌMA HUNTER LIME [size=10]PERFECT COLLECTION[/size]**

As the subtitle [size=10](which you are free to ignore for the "last letter" game)[/size] implies, Hōma Hunter Lime on the SegaSaturn can be considered a collection of several games, although it would be more accurate to consider them different episodes or chapters of an interactive digital comic.

Hōma Hunter Lime was originally a series of barely interactive adventure games, closer to a _visual novel_ really, developed by Silence circa 1993 on behalf of the electronics manufacturer Brother. These games were created as original episodic contents (the _Squid Game_ or _Naked Director_ of its time if you will) for their TAKERU kiosks, which allowed the cheap purchase and download (on a rewritable floppy disc) of any game available in their catalogue – a system very similar to the Famicom Disk System’s business model, but for micro computers.

https://youtu.be/wwjv0KaRT1Y

Hōma Hunter Lime tells the adventures of the titular heroine (i.e. eye candy) Lime and her companion (i.e. player avatar) Birth, two inexperienced intergalactic demon hunters who infiltrate Modern Japan as fake high school students while they are chasing after runaway aliens who stole evil and powerful jewels. Each episode follows a pretty standard Monster of the Week format. Each Alien has a strange power and attribute, wreaking havoc in the neighborhood, and catching the monster will invariably involve Lime disguising in a tropey kind of sexy outfit. Here is a glimpse at the first episode featuring the ever popular Playboy bunny outfit.

https://youtu.be/ecamsH0EBFY

Obviously, what you are seeing above is not how the TAKERU games looked like originally, although the characters designs and scenes remain very faithful. Asmik took upon the chance of the shiny new CD-ROM format to have the Hōma Hunter Lime episodes remade with modern art and animation, add voice acting and compile the episodes on two discs (sold separately on the PlayStation but together on the Saturn, hence the "perfect" nature of this collection).

There is a pretty obvious [Takahashi Rumiko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumiko_Takahashi) vibe to the whole experience, which will feel fairly nostalgic to any former kid of my generation who grew up with animated adaptations of her works. Lime is pretty close to Takahashi’s Lum-type mischevious minxes and voiced by Takagawa Sakiko (known for dubbing popular foreign teen idols of the ‘80s like Phoebe Cates and Sophie Marceau), while Birth is a proper (male) Ranma expy and even voiced by Yamaguchi Kappei himself (Ranma, [Kabuki](https://forums.insertcredit.com/d/506-the-thread-in-which-we-talk-about-the-videogames-we-are-currently-playing/894), InuYasha, Usopp etc.).

Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise one to learn that the character design and key animations of Hōma Hunter Lime have been handled by Nakajima Atsuko, one of the key artists and animators behind many adaptations of Takahashi’s classics (Urusei Yastura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma½). The entire game series was directed by another animator, Nakamura Ken-ichirō, who is possibly most famous for creating the naughty Lemon Angel series but also took integral part in the anime adaptation of Ranma½ as well as tons of other stuff (DanKūGa, Granzort, Detonator Orgun etc.). Arakawa Ken-ichi, who had earlier collaborated on the BGM for [Rusty on the PC-98](https://youtu.be/lh7Qb2N6xM4), will reappear a few times more on the SegaSaturn with the soundtracks for Game Tengoku (Jaleco) and Terra Phantastica (Sega). It’s a fairly interesting staff roll to dig through, all around.

We’re at the peak of Japanese publishers trying to figure out what’s gonna work commercially on those darn new fancy multimedia CD-ROM machines in 1995, with a product for which the absence of a PC-FX version frankly baffles me. Hōma Hunter Lime will quite logically transition to a series of OVA a few years later but it’s pretty sweet that the Saturn was able to capture, besides its better known adaptations of Falcom RPG and erotic thrillers from the PC-98, a slightly lesser exposed heritage from the Japanese micro computer scene.

1128

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Went on a week long camping trip recently and brought neo turf masters along. There was one day where we just wanted to lounge around and I got some virtual golfing in under a redwood tree. Enjoyed it a lot.

1129

Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip for the Wii (time to get into my weird 360 and wii collection) [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/YBU1JQ3.jpeg]

I have nothing to say about this game other than it features the song Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult and that I once played it with the wii balance board.


1130

@“chazumaru”#p45657 chaz I just want to mention how much I enjoy these!! I don‘t expect everyone do so something like this but I appreciate it when it’s there!

I'm packing all my games up so this might be the last one I can do in a while... We shall see. Let's do psychic force puzzle taisen - it's bubble bobble with psychic force characters, an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the psychic force characters (but not gameplay) with women at the time. I haven't done this already, have I?

[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/2mCuGn8.jpeg]

1131

@“exodus”#p45682 Getting ready to move? I always get nervous about my old games when I move, I never feel like I'm packing them safely.

Is that Psychic Force 3D fighter any good? I've seen that come up at a few retro shops for a few bucks but it seems hard to judge the feel from video footage.

1132

@“seasons”#p45679 Seems like the perfect weekend. Out of curiosity, where you playing it with headphones? On the speaker? The sound turned off? Playing the collection on Switch made me realize the puny speaker of the Neo Geo Pocket has a unique “tinny” quality (or lack thereof) that I almost miss in the otherwise excellent official emulation.

@"exodus"#p45682 Good luck with your move! Staying in the Bay Area? If I remember correctly, I helped you find this very copy of Psychic Force Puzzle Taisen in Tokyo one TGS year.

@"andrewelmore"#p45687 The first game isn’t played much competitively but its sequel Psychic Force 2012 for the arcades and Dreamcast still has tournaments to this day so I assume it must do something right at a high level! Here is a tournament from EVO Japan 2020, played roughly thirteen minutes before the Pandemic happened [size=11](I am not implying Psychic Force 2012 caused the Pandemic [size=9](but let’s keep an open mind about any possible lead)[/size])[/size].

https://youtu.be/qo3EOrmK3dM

1133

@“exodus”#p45682 hopefully an html5 game counts if I‘ve downloaded it on the itch app:

[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/vHdtw8L.png]

I feel like I shouldn’t like this game as much while also thinking I should make the definitive piece on writing of this game as a thread

1134

@“NoJoTo”#p45705 yeah, do it!!

@"chazumaru"#146 oh, did you help me find this one? I'd believe it - I certainly miss game hunting trips with friends ;_;

Oh and yes, staying in Oakland even. I am worried about my stuff but the games I'm moving myself... The rest will go to the movers. I can't have someone dropping a box full of 100 Saturn long boxes!

Ps4 is not packed up yet so... Gimme an r!!
[upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/30vjj3E.jpeg]

I never really got into 4.1, I didn't like the new classes much and I wound up more or less skipping to 5.