Metal Slug XX proudly hearkens back to its arcade roots. The game was designed to get you to “insert coin”, and if you want to see the end you either have to have the reflexes of a cat ninja or hit continue 83 times like me.

Can a game that unapologetically kills you for every misstep be fun?

Heck yeah.

Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of the Metal Slug series. However, my love for the series has never translated into skill. I am like the overly enthusiastic guy at the Y with the $200 basketball shoes and the retro Dr. J jersey who can’t make a layup to save his life. Sure, I might look like I know what I am doing, but as soon as the game starts, the illusion is shattered in a hail of gunfire. It is a testament to how amazing the game is that I can forgive the fact that I died 240 times before I beat it.

Metal Slug has always felt like it was designed for players to have a massive health bar and then, right at the end of development, they took the health bar out. Metal Slug XX continues this tradition of one hit death around every corner.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, take old school, side scrolling, Contra-style action and crank the difficulty and the humor up to 11. This is old school, run and gun, side scrolling action at its finest.

I have played just about every Metal Slug game and I have no idea what the story is about. I know there is a bad guy General and apparently some guys from the future, but I really have no idea and I don’t really care. All I need to know is there are POW’s to rescue and bad guys to shoot. Those of you looking for character and plot development should look elsewhere.

Metal Slug is about shooting hundreds of guys and rescuing POW’s.

Metal Slug is not for everyone. To get even halfway decent at the game, you are going to have to study the levels and learn how to avoid the numerous obstacles and bullets. Even with careful planning, there will still be times where you will laugh at how impossible some sections seem. If you are not a fan of replaying a section over again to try to get a perfect run, you’ll probably breeze through the game, hitting continue every 30 seconds, in an hour and a half.

The inclusion of combat school helps with the replayability. With over 70 missions that challenge your skills, dedicated players can pour hours into this mode. I practiced one level enough that I was able to get through it without dying, which might qualify as a minor miracle.

While the game doesn’t quite reach the level of all time classic, Metal Slug X, The Captain and I still give this one a hearty recommendation to anyone who thinks modern games have become too easy, or anyone that appreciates old school Contra style action. At $19.99 you really can’t go wrong with Metal Slug XX.

"More faux retro goodness from Capcom."

When Mega Man 9 was revealed, it was a huge surprise. Going back to the visuals and gameplay of the NES era was a bold move. Generally, the response was positive. But with 9 already out, will Mega Man 10‘s continued use of the faux retro design feel as welcome?

Those who played the last entry will know what they’re getting into as far as the format goes. Eight new robot masters, new stages, and of course, new weapons. But there are a few new features this time around. Proto Man is available right from the start instead of being released as paid DLC. Those hungering for the charging and sliding abilities Mega Man left behind in his retro reboot might feel more at home with him.

With the return of Time Attack mode comes an all new Challenge Mode. Here you can play mini stages, some of which won’t be unlocked until you play through the normal game. The short nature of the challenge stages allows them to focus on difficult sections without forcing you to replay very much of them if you fail. They are set up in a way that could actually prove as a useful tool for players looking to hone their platforming skills.

"Time Attack Mode is back along with the all new Challenge Mode."

The level design in Mega Man 10 is quite varied. Many of the stages have unique elements such as platforms that need to be powered up via a treadmill, sand storms that both obscure your vision and push you to the left or right, and even alternate paths. What’s impressive is that these elements never feel too gimmicky. Instead, each stage has a unique flavor, involving more than just changed aesthetics, without ever getting in the way of the core platforming gameplay.

You’ll run into mini-bosses in at least half of the stages. Like the stages themselves, each one is interesting and accent the levels effectively. The robot masters are a bit “hit or miss”. Bots like Sheep Man and Pump Man are just plain bizarre (in a good way) while others like Commando Man and Chill Man are largely forgettable.

Each weapon you receive is enjoyable to use, with the exception of Thunder Wool (Sheep Man’s weapon). In fact, I found it easier to defeat the robot master who’s weak to it with the Mega Buster. In spite of that, it can be useful for hitting things high above you. Other weapons that I thought were going to very derivative, ended up feeling fairly fresh. While there is a “leaf shield clone”, it behaves in a different enough manner, both while taking damage and while firing it at the enemy, that it felt justified.

Mega Man 10, while a bit daunting at first, definitely feels easier than 9. There are far less instant-death traps and extra wide gaps to jump. That isn’t to say that Normal Mode is a cakewalk. You’ll still die a lot, but it definitely feels like Inti Creates let up on the difficulty a bit on this one.

"Play as Proto Man without paying extra."

Of course, if you still aren’t able to get anywhere, you can always use the game’s new Easy Mode. Not only is it easier than normal, it’s quite possibly the easiest Mega Man experience out there (step aside, Mega Man 2‘s Normal Mode). It’s obviously not meant for seasoned players. Recovery items are laughably plentiful, enemies go down fast, and attack patterns are far simpler. One of the biggest changes, are the floating platforms above many of the pits and spikes. These platforms are all bright red and stand out in what I can only assume is an intentional way for the developer to secretly make fun of you.

Like Proto Man, Hard Mode is also no longer paid DLC. Unlike Proto Man, you’ll have to complete the game first to unlock it. Hard Mode has a lot of changes. Enemies are much faster, more plentiful, and utterly merciless. There are even some minor platforming tweaks. What I found most interesting, is that the robot masters have completely new attacks in addition to their old ones. The first time Pump Man grabbed his head and threw it at me I was shocked. I had no idea there would be sprites you’d only see in Hard Mode.

Mega Man 10 is an easy recommendation to fans of the 2D platformer genre, assuming they aren’t completely burnt out on the series. The superb level design with branching paths and unique features doesn’t disappoint. The music is as good as ever, and with Time Attack, Challenge Mode, and multiple characters and difficulty settings, there’s plenty of reason to keep playing.

This review is based on a the WiiWare version of Mega Man 10, purchased by the reviewer.

I know what you’re thinking. “Where’s the Friday Old Games review for this week?” Well, gentle reader, I’ll tell you. In an attempt to promote the new jetpack-infused third-person-shooter, Dark Void, Capcom forged an imaginary story of an abandoned NES game named Dark Rift. The game has now been “revived” and released as Dark Void Zero. While it’s not really an “old game”, let’s just pretend the story is true.

Dark Void Zero, as the title suggests, takes place before its HD counterpart. You control Rusty, the first human born in “the void”. With the help and guidance of Nikola Tesla, you must find and destroy Portal X; the only stable portal leading the evil aliens known as “The Watchers” to Earth. The story is told in a combination of 8bit still frames before each level as well as occasional in-game dialogue boxes from Tesla.

The graphics and audio are all made to feel like an NES game and work quite well. The music especially is a high point. The songs take themes present in Dark Void and rearrange them into something that sounds like it came straight out of a Mega Man game.

"The limited pallets and low pixel count look very authentic."

While this 2D platformer only has three levels, each one is quite large and open. Rather than putting you at one end and telling you to get to the other, the levels generally spawn you somewhere in the middle and contain many paths. Certain paths will be blocked off by locked doors. You’ll need to search for keycards to progress to the next area.

One of the games most interesting features is the jetpack. You will not start with it, but can pick it up in certain areas. Once you have it, you will keep it unless you pass through a field that destroys it. There are quite a few areas where you must pass through such a field. This allows the game to force traditional platforming sections on you occasionally.

The jetpack can be used in two different ways. By holding down the jump button, you can rocket upward very fast. For a more controlled approach, you can put it into hover mode by double tapping the jump button. This will allow you to move in all directions with the d-pad or hover in place. Caution is key, though, as controlling in hover mode can be a bit floaty.

"Temporary powerups like shields help spice up the gameplay."

The game features a variety of weapons and powerups. You’ll start with a machine gun, but as you progress you will find slower, explosive weapons, a laser, and more (though you can only carry one at a time). One of these weapons actually doubles as a tool for destroying certain walls, granting you access to new areas. Some of these areas are mandatory while others are filled with items to increase your score. With the exception of some of the later weapons, I preferred the default machine gun for its range and rate of fire.

There are a few powerups you can get that will double your firing speed, spread your attacks in three directions, or surround you in a shield, but these are only temporary and will wear off with time. Each level also contains a number of optional items to collect to increase your score. The first level for example, has several journals scattered throughout it. But unlike Dark Void, Zero‘s journals can’t be read once obtained.

What I found most annoying about Dark Void Zero is that Rusty aims down while ducking. Because of this, you have to stand back up to fire horizontally. This results in some trickier dodging as you pop up in between enemy bullets to get a shot in. Perhaps I wouldn’t have minded this if other NES titles like Contra hadn’t already trained me otherwise.

"Collecting orbs and other optional items will improve your score."

Quite possibly the biggest disappointment though is that the boss at the end of each stage is the same save for an additional feature. You will fight a Dr. Wily-esque pod with a watcher inside. The whole battle will be played in hover mode as you avoid bullets and wait for it to reveal its weak point for you to shoot. The first time I fought it, I felt it was adequate, but by the second and third time it had become repetitive and I was sad to see the lost opportunity of having three unique bosses. There are slight differences between the encounters, but they are very negligible.

Overall, Dark Void Zero is an enjoyable nod to retro gaming and I feel like I got my five dollars worth. Any higher of a price-point would make it a tough recommendation. Thankfully, the three difficulty modes and high score list will give you a reason to play it more than once. It would have been nice to see a lengthier game, but what’s there is charming and fun.

"Like Ecco the Dolphin, except nothing like it."

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

In the golden age of the NES, Capcom made a number of games based on Disney cartoons. While games like Ducktales where a staple of my childhood, a few of them passed me by until more recent times. One of these was Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

The game opens up with a cutscene that contains a few still images and text. Ariel, who is already human at this point, is contacted by her various aquatic buddies after the sea witch, Ursula, has cast a spell giving her control over most of the fish. Ariel then explains the situation to Prince Eric (including that she is a mermaid) and willfully turns back into her original self to stop Ursula.

Controlling Ariel, you can swim in any direction with the d-pad. The “B” button increases your swimming speed while the “A” button shoots bubbles. When you first start, your attack is extremely weak and short range. You’ll have to hit an enemy several times before they will be encased in a bubble.

Once an enemy is in a bubble, you can carry them around for a limited time and throw them at an unsuspecting enemy. This is the key to defeating larger enemies as well as all of the game’s bosses. Every boss in the game will provide you with small enemies to put in bubbles and use as ammunition to fire back at them. Some of the bosses would be difficult if it weren’t for the fact that you can throw in more directions than just left and right. While defeating the bosses is the same strategy ever time, they at least look and move differently which is more than I can say for Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa.

As you progress through each level, there are large treasure chests. These chests must be opened with the aid of a special shell or occasionally another object. Some times a shell will be placed in a spot that forces you to back track a tiny bit to get to the chest. But since shells cannot be carried to a new screen, they’re never very far away from chests.

Sometimes the chests are completely empty which can be a bit frustrating after having carried a shell over to it with no payoff. Usually though, these chests contain one of two different attack powerups. A teal sphere will increase the range of your attack. This is by far the most common one you’ll find. The second is the red sphere, which increases your power. Power up enough and you’ll be able to encase enemies in bubbles in a single shot.

The Little Mermaid is as easy as it is short. In your very first playthrough, you can probably blow through the game in twenty minutes or less. There are only five levels with a boss at the end of each as well as one additional final boss (which is actually one of the easier bosses in the game).

The story is pretty silly. It seems like the developers only saw a couple clips of the movie or maybe just some artwork and a sheet of character names. There’s no mention of the trident (which is a huge part of the movie on which the game is based), but you can see Ursula’s final form has it. Instead, the game uses some classy dialogue to “explain” the situation (shown below).

"I love NES dialogue."

Why did I pick this game?

While I didn’t grow up playing this game, I know somebody who did. A good friend of mine use to play it with his sister back in the day and had some fond memories of it. With the Capcom Disney games I had played being as fun as they are, it only made sense to seek the rest of them out.

How does it hold up with time?

While the game is mildly amusing, the controls can be pretty unresponsive at times. In fact, any and all challenge within the game purely stems from fumbles with the controls rather than game design. Turning around is awfully slow and occasionally an enemy wouldn’t finish getting into a bubble because of his proximity to another enemy.

I can’t imagine forking over too much dough to track this down as it is ridiculously short. The combination of how easy it is and the fact that it only has five levels make it a really lean game. It does have a certain charm, though, and could be worth a couple of bucks to blow through and might even rekindle some old childhood memories.

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

I checked with the WingDamage gods and they agree that you cannot have an unofficial Mario day without discussing the original Super Mario Bros. It simply cannot happen.

To put it as simply as possible, Super Mario Bros. is a masterpiece.

Do you remember where the pipe you can go down is located? Do you know where to get the first mushroom? Do you know how to get the fireworks at the end of the level? How many details of SMB are imprinted on your brain forever? I bet you can hum the song from the game. I bet now that I have mentioned it, the song is actually running through your brain right now.

Mario is the perfect blend of challenge, fun, and (dare I say?) whimsy. There are secrets around every corner from power ups to warp pipes. There is a constant feeling of discovery. Even after all these years, I am still finding new paths or new power ups. Any game that can keep you coming back after two decades is special.

The controls are simple: hold B to run and A to jump, but they work perfectly. Later games would add spin jumps, wall bounces, and butt slams, but for me nothing beats the simplicity of the first SMB.

Why did I pick this game?

This is the game that convinced the world they needed an NES and single handedly revived the video game industry. Before SMB, everyone thought video games were a fad whose time had passed. Too much shovelware and piracy had caused the video game market to crash. Mario brought us all back from the edge of complete disaster and established Nintendo as the video game company. Not bad for an overweight plumber with a mushroom habit.

I remember playing this on my buddy, Keith’s, brand new NES that he got for his birthday. We stayed up all night trying to explore every nook and cranny of this epic game. We cheered when we discovered the secret warp pipe on level 1-2 that let us skip ahead in the game. We couldn’t stop talking about the game at recess the next day as other children listened to our stories and shared their own exploits. Wild stories of secret levels and a way to get 99 lives from one level filled our heads. This is the first game that I remember everyone played and everyone talked about.

Along with Super Metroid, SMB is one of the few games that I have played through dozens of times. I still throw this one in from time to time and try to do speed runs. I have played through it so many times that I have literally lost count.

Does it hold up with time?

Super Mario Bros. more than holds up with time. In fact, it defeats time by jumping on its head like a goomba. Mario still feels perfect even after more than two decades. Countless games have copied the formula, but none have truly surpassed the original.

"The Wizard never saw it coming."

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

Today is a special themed edition of “Friday Old Games”. With our recent review of New Super Mario Bros. Wii now live, I’m taking this opportunity to talk about my favorite game in the franchise, Super Mario Bros. 3.

While the original Super Mario Bros. laid down an excellent starting point for the series, the sequel (known to us non-Japanese gamers as The Lost Levels) felt like more of an expansion than a new game. In October of 1988, Nintendo of America released their own Super Mario Bros. 2 (later to be titled Super Mario USA in Japan) at the same time that Japanese gamers were getting their hands on the revolutionary Super Mario Bros. 3.

Instead of feeling like another new level pack, SMB3 actually expanded on the old gameplay mechanics while adding new ones that would become a staple of the series. The game features a map-screen for each world, allowing different paths to be taken. All the worlds have a distinct theme and more levels than before.

The map also contains special event squares. Toad houses allow you to get a power-up (usable on the map screen at any time) from one of three chests, there is a couple matching games to earn extra lives, and you can also occasional run into a hammer brother who you can defeat to earn another power-up.

While previously there was only the fire-flower, SMB3 added a large variety of different power-ups to the mix. The most common of which is a leaf that puts Mario in a raccoon suit. This grants you the ability to fly (if you have enough room to get up to speed) and whack enemies with your tail.

The addition of the raccoon suit alone would have been enough to be a big game changer, but SMB3 didn’t stop there. Instead, it added several more items including the frog suit, the often coveted hammer suit, the tanooki suit (a variation of the raccoon suit that allows Mario to turn into an invincible statue temporarily), and a few map-screen specific items like the cloud, music box, and warp whistle.

The levels themselves were better than ever, making effective use of the themes present in each world. Each stage is so much more intricate than those found in previous Mario games. Though I love the original Super Mario Bros. for its simplicity, Super Mario Bros. 3 is a much deeper platformer and ultimately, feels more rewarding to play.

Why did I pick this game?

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was released last week and our review went up two days ago. While the new entry borrows elements from various games in the series, Super Mario Bros. 3 is, by far, the biggest influence. Once of the more blatant examples is the koopalings.

While Bowser use to stand on an unstable bridge at the end of every world, he finally decided it was in his best interest to let others take on the “world boss” role. Each of the koopalings, though very similar, had a little something to spice up each boss fight. While hitting an axe on the right-hand side of the screen eight times has its moments, new bosses were a welcome change.

Really, Super Mario Bros. 3 marks a drastic evolution for the series. The amount of new features that were added between the second (The Lost Levels) and third game are truly incredible. It was everything a sequel should be. It was a completely new experience that managed to stay true to its roots the whole time.

How does it hold up?

Fortunately, it wasn’t just a conceptually good game. Practically everything in SMB3 is executed perfectly, making it as fun a game now as it was when it was released in North America almost twenty years ago. It remains not only one of the greatest games found on the NES, but one of the greatest 2D platformers of all time.

"The true successor to Super Mario World."

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the follow up to the DS game entitled New Super Mario Bros. It was only a matter of time before having the word “new” in the title of a game would become terribly confusing. Despite what the poor naming choice might suggest, this is not a port of the DS game, but rather a completely new Mario game.

Like any 2D platformer in the franchise, the game will have you running and jumping on the heads of enemies through eight themed worlds before finally reaching Bowser and rescuing the princess yet again. But this time around, Mario has new powers, multiplayer, and some of the zaniest level design (in a good way) the series has ever seen.

If you’ve played the DS entry, controlling Mario feels almost identical. It can best be described as “if Mario 64 was on a 2D plane”. I refer mainly to the way your running momentum feels as opposed to the NES and SNES games as well as the presence of the “wall jump”. If you missed the previous New Super Mario Bros., it will take you a second to adjust, but will become natural quite quickly.

"Many familiar enemies make an appearance."

While the fire flower and mini mushroom make a return, there are also three new power-ups: the propeller suit, the ice flower, and the penguin suit. The propeller suit allows you to shoot up into the air by flicking the wiimote (which is held sideways like an NES controller throughout the course of the game). Once you’ve done that, you can glide downward or hold down on the d-pad to drill toward the ground. It allows you to get to high areas without giving you the game-breaking (but fun) flying abilities of the leaf (Super Mario Bros. 3) or cape (Super Mario World).

If you combined the fire flower with the ice beam from the Metroid series, you would get the ice flower. Hitting an enemy with an ice ball will put them in a block of ice that you can stand on, destroy, or throw at an unsuspecting enemy. You can even freeze enemies in midair and their blocks will stay suspended, effectively flipping gravity “the bird”.

The penguin suit can do everything the ice flower can and more.  Besides not slipping on icy platforms, pushing down while running will allow you to slide great distances, breaking blocks along the way. It’s very similar to the blue shell in the DS game.

The level design in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is simply stellar. Most of its influence comes from Super Mario Bros. 3 and to a lesser extent, Super Mario World. You might know these best as “two of the greatest 2D Mario games ever created”. Combine that with the dynamic flair the DS game added, lots of new ideas, and heaping gobs of variety and you have one hell of a package.

"Toad houses and map screen enemies are back."

Each world is divided into eight or more levels including a mid-castle and a final castle. In both castles, you will fight one of the koopalings, though the second battle will be spiced up with Kamek’s magic. Ghost houses make a welcome return as do a few airship levels. Alternate paths and three giant coins hidden throughout every stage add even more enjoyment to the levels. Finding all the gold coins in a world will unlock a new level in the secret ninth world (after you’ve beaten the game).

One of the game’s biggest selling points is simultaneous multiplayer. At any point on the map screen, you can add or drop up to three additional players. Playing with friends is an entirely different experience than singleplayer. Players cannot occupy the same space which results in lots of jumping on heads. Sometimes this helps a player get to a higher location. Other times it causes the lower player to plummet to their death. Of course, these outcomes are not mutually exclusive.

To make multiplayer more balanced, the game will spit out more power-ups when there are more players. However, there’s nothing to stop other players from stealing them when they appear which can make things interesting. I found that the camera is very good at zooming out enough to see each player when we got separated. Occasionally though, a player who is left behind would die from being too far back.

"Motion controls are used very sparingly such as this ledge rotating with the wiimote."

The best way to describe multiplayer is utter chaos. The more players you add, the more ridiculous the game gets. What is so fascinating though, is that it is also exceptionally fun to play. I spent a lot of time laughing at the hilarious antics that resulted from multiplayer. There may be no online, but this isn’t the kind of experience I would want to share with a random person or a disembodied voice through a Wii Speak peripheral.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii isn’t particularly difficult in singleplayer, though there are a few tricky sections here and there that I spent a decent amount of lives on. You won’t find The Lost Levels style of difficulty here. Instead, it feels similar to what you’d find in Super Mario World. Strangely, multiplayer is much more difficult since you have the added requirement of working together. At the same time, multiplayer feels more rewarding to play (with the right people).

What makes New Super Mario Bros. Wii so great is that it feels like a loving tribute to the classic series as a whole while adding plenty of its own flavor. It manages to strike the perfect balance between old and new elements. While the original New Super Mario Bros. on DS was entertaining, the Wii iteration feels better by leaps and bounds. Unless you hate 2D platformers, this should be in your game library.

"It's like Mario meets Bubble Bobble meets babies."

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa is a 2D platformer where you control a baby named Upa who has been given a magic rattle. Upa must go through seven cheerfully themed worlds to get to a goat demon and rescue a treasure chest full of other babies. Yes, you read that correctly.

As a baby, you crawl instead of walk. However, this doesn’t stop you from jumping ridiculously high. As if that didn’t defy the laws of physics enough, Upa’s jumping momentum completely ignores any and all obstacles in its way. Low ceiling? No problem! Upa waxed his head apparently so that he can skid it along the ceiling allowing him to jump just as far as if there were no ceiling at all. That’s one forward thinking baby!

"Like making a baby jump for candy. Or wait... how does that saying go?"

Health is divided into hearts. Though you only start with two, you can find items that will increase your maximum up to a point. There are a few other powerups including a time-stop and invincibility. Invincibility grants Upa the ability to run on two feet at high speeds for a short time in addition to preventing damage. It looks extremely ridiculous.

Shaking his rattle, Upa can instantly inflate enemies into balloons. Thanks, magic! Once enemies have been given “the Dig Dug treatment”, Upa can either ride on top of them as they slowly float upward or ram into them. Once an inflated enemy has been rammed, they will be sent flying and will ricochet off any walls they come in contact with, taking out other enemies along the way. If you’re not careful, enemies can ricochet back into you, causing damage.

Each of the game’s seven worlds is divided into three stages. At the end of nearly every stage, you will fight a boss. This boss is almost always the same, but with different platforms set up. The creature can only be described as what would happen if Birdo and a pig had a baby.

Though the different platforms mix up the specifics of how you must ricochet enemies, the formula plays out the same every time. Birdo-pig shoots out three enemies at a time and you need to inflate them and send them flying toward it. Once you’ve done it two or three times, you’ll dread the next. Occasionally, the boss wont be Birdo-pig, but the strategy will be nearly identical.

The stages themselves are very short. This is a good thing because the game has literally no checkpoints whatsoever. While there were a few digging and swimming based levels to mix things up, most of the level design felt very uninspired.

Bio Miracle‘s difficulty is pretty inconsistent. While most levels feel like a cake walk, others have unexpected projectiles and platforming segments that are harder than levels appearing later. At times, the game would even fail to respawn an enemy that was necessary to reaching the next area.

Why did I pick this game?

Though pirate copies under the title Baby Mario appeared in certain retail outlets, Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa never officially came to North America until its Virtual Console release in 2008. Having never run into Baby Mario, I wanted to try it.

I love 2D platformers, especially from the NES era. I figured this game would be yet another gem that people outside of Japan were deprived of until Virtual Console, like Sin and Punishment. I had also played a version of Parodius with Upa as a playable character and was curious to see the game he originated from.

How does it hold up with time?

Unfortunately, Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa isn’t a very good game. The platforming feels very sloppy, the difficulty is uneven, the levels are bland, and the game is very repetitive. It was Nintendo of America’s decision to turn the game down for quality reasons and I now understand and agree with their decision.

"A whimsical journey at a budget price."

I’ve always loved the concept of A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobonia for the NES. The problem is, between the confusing map, limited jelly beans, and unforgiving hit detection, I could never get anywhere in the darn thing. Wayforward (developers of the fantastic Contra 4) decided to take that fascinating concept and “re-imagine” it into a more accessible and modern game.

For those who aren’t familiar with either game, A Boy and His Blob is a puzzle platformer. You control a young boy who finds a friendly little blob from another planet. By feeding the blob different flavors of jelly beans, the blob is able to transform into different objects that will help you get through each level.

When you boot up the game, you won’t be overwhelmed with lengthy cutscenes. Instead, the game starts right up without so much as a title screen menu. After playing a short section, you will find the blob who has just landed on Earth. From there, you’re ready to begin your adventure.

"The visual style fits the game like a glove."

The minimalistic approach doesn’t stop there. The game has no narration or dialogue (other than calling out to the blob as necessary). There are no tutorials stopping the action to tell you how to perform each new ability. There’s practically not even any text in the game. But what’s even stranger is that the game never feels like it needs any of those things.

The main game is divided into forty stages spanning four worlds. Each stage will give you a specific set of jelly beans to use. While some of the stages only give you a few to choose from, others give you up to eight at a time (of the total fifteen). Having the sets chosen in this way help the game from ever getting stale. There were many times where I would run into a situation I had been in before, but my current set of jelly beans forced me to approach it in a different way.

At the end of the last stage in every world, a boss awaits you. Like the rest of the game, the bosses must be defeated by using the blob in various ways. The first boss requires you to do three distinctly different things to hit it three times and defeat it. It felt remarkably well done and I hoped that it was a taste of what was to come later.

"The first boss is definitely the most interesting."

Unfortunately, the rest of the game’s bosses, while visually stunning, feel lackluster by comparison. Later bosses had much more blatantly obvious ways of damaging them that were merely repeated three times. That isn’t to say that they were easy. The problem was that the challenge was shifted from puzzle solving to hand-eye coordination, which felt like a betrayal of the game’s spirit.

The pacing in A Boy and His Blob felt very right. Whenever I started to feel like I had seen all the game had to offer, a new jelly bean was introduced. The difficulty curve also felt very consistent. The farther I got, the longer and more challenging the levels became. The exception to this was the end boss, who was actually much easier to defeat than some of the previous ones.

The graphics are not only amazing to look at, but a perfect fit for its mood. It looks like an animated children’s book. Muramasa: The Demon Blade may be more detailed, but A Boy and His Blob has more fluid animation. The bosses especially, are a treat to look at in motion.

Each of the four worlds has a unique atmosphere. This is even seen in the “hideout” between levels. While the first world’s home base is a tree house, the second world puts you in the boy’s real home after each stage. These little details, though not crucial to the game design, help to keep things even more visually interesting.

"Though the shield surprised me, nothing could prepare me for the final transformation."

There are times when the game’s accessibility is implemented to a fault. Throughout the game, there are various signs present in the backgrounds of stages. These signs have a picture showing which jelly bean you should use on a certain part of the stage. They’re not everywhere, but they’re in more places than I would have liked, and an option to turn them off would have made the game stronger while keeping its appeal for younger players. Still, I prefer an occasional sign in the background over an unskippable tutorial showing me step by incredibly slow step how to use each new jelly bean.

Though the main game can be finished in roughly five hours, each stage has three secret treasure chests to find. While some are practically in your path, others force you to go well out of your way, adding a decent amount of length to the stages. Finding treasures will unlock challenge stages. Since there are as many challenge stages as normal stages, the game can actually be over twice as long if you want it to be. Beating the challenge stages will also unlock bonus content like concept art and videos.

A Boy and His Blob is a very solid puzzle platformer. The minimal approach to story telling and childlike visual style work perfectly together. The game is oozing with charm. There is even a button specifically for hugging the blob if your heart has not been warmed enough by the graphics. Unlike the original NES game, it is very accessible and should be a great title to pick up for either yourself or a child at a budget price of forty bucks.

This review is based on a copy of A Boy and His Blob provided to us by Majesco.

"Despite popular belief, this is a screenshot and not something framed on my wall."

I have come to the conclusion that the staff at Vanillaware is made up of a bunch of wizards who use very powerful magic to make the graphics for their games. The above screenshot alone is enough to cause a “double take“. And yet, that is nothing compared to seeing “Muramasa: The Demon Blade”  in motion. The game somehow managers to look like a moving painting, and I don’t say that lightly.

But Muramasa’s graphics are already becoming increasingly well known. The story that really must be told is that of its gameplay. After all, the prettiest game in the world (which this just might be) is nothing without fun and engaging gameplay to back it up.

Fortunately, Muramasa has this in spades. Though it’s often labeled an “Action RPG”, the game’s primary focus is on the action, with RPG elements backing it up more subtly. While traversing the luscious 2D environments, you will have random encounters, but they will not take you to a separate battle screen. Instead, enemies will appear by popping out of the ground or dropping from the ceiling as you ready your blade.

I was shocked at how many different attacks you can perform in battle right off the bat. All of your standard attacks are performed with a combination of directional stick input (or pad if you prefer) and a single attack button. Using this method, you can perform standard slashing combos, uppercuts, stabs, jumping somersaults, zig-zagging air dashes, dodge rolls, blocks, and more.

What’s even more amazing than the sheer number of actions that can be performed is how fluidly they can be linked together. Chaining each move allows you to take on ridiculous numbers of enemies at once, while racking up huge combos. The combat feels very reminiscent of the 3D Ninja Gaiden games, but on a 2D plane (not to be confused with the combat in the 2D Ninja Gaiden games).

To make things even more interesting, Muramasa has you equip three swords at once. You will only attack with one at a time, but you can switch between the three at the push of a button. This has several uses. Each sword you acquire in the game has a “secret art” that consumes “soul power”. This is essentially a special attack, specific to that sword. There is a surprising variety in the secret arts including creating phantoms of yourself, shooting ground waves, spinning around rapidly in the air, and performing elemental slashes… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

"Got a pesky Tengu problem? Call Momohime!"

Besides secret arts, each sword has its own attack power. Most swords even have a bonus effect such as “no poison”. They’re also divided into two categories: blades and long blades. The regular blades allow you to perform numerous quick slashes while the long blades will cause each attack to be a slow, but powerful swing.

The swords’ individual abilities are not the only reason to switch between them, however. Every time you block an enemy’s attack, it will consume some of your soul power (just like using secret arts). If your soul power is completely depleted, your sword will break. Thankfully, all swords will heal themselves and regain their soul power when they’re sheathed. As an added bonus, switching swords will periodically cause you to perform “Quick Draw”, an attack that damages all the enemies on screen.

When you boot up the game, it will ask you which character you want to play as. The two characters have their own independent stories, and progress for both is stored in a single save slot. Though they both have the same move set, Momohime’s attacks are much faster while Kisuke’s are slower and stronger. Interestingly, the game’s difficulty setting can be adjusted at any time from the pause menu.

The map structure gives off a “Metroidvania Light” vibe in that, while set up in a much simpler manner than either Metroid or Castlevania, every level is still connected in one giant map. Rather than special abilities granting access to the next areas, each blade gained from a boss allows you to break barriers of a specific color.

Speaking of bosses, Muramasa’s are a blast to fight. Each one is visual masterpiece. On top of that, each boss fight has a distinctly different feel. I was always excited to see what the next boss would be like.

Beating bosses is actually one of two ways to obtain new blades. The game also lets your forge them. The forging menu is set up as a giant branching tree. In order to unlock a blade, you must have all the ones that connect to it above. Because the blades from bosses can’t be forged, much of what is unlocked depends on which bosses have been defeated. Once a blade is unlocked, you must spend “spirit” (obtained from eating recovery items) and “souls” (obtained from defeating enemies and collecting them on the map). No other materials are necessary for forging.

"While fighting giant centipedes, I managed to get a 650+ hit combo."

You will, however, need materials for cooking. When not engaged in battle, you can use the recipes and ingredients you find and buy to make food. Some of the recipes are for food that must be eaten immediately while others let you make recovery items that can be used in battle. Even cooking looks beautiful in Murasama. Each dish has a completely unique and detailed animation to go along with it that looks so good that I regret how many times I played the game on an empty stomach.

The music in Muramasa is also great. Though most of it consists of traditional Japanese instruments (much like Okami’s soundtrack), it’s also occasionally spiced up with rocking guitar or electronica. The mix of styles gives it a unique sound. Quite possibly my favorite touch is that when a battle is initiated, other instruments are dynamically layered onto the existing song rather than abruptly switching to “battle music”. This makes the transition in and out of battles even more seamless and satisfying.

One of my only real complaints with Muramasa is how often assets are reused for different areas. Fortunately, they’re so breath taking that seeing them again isn’t too big of a deal, and usually they will add different lighting effects to make it less noticeable when it does happen.

Each character’s story takes roughly 8-10 hours to beat. Though it is the same overall map, Kisuke starts on the far west while Momohime starts on the far east. The characters have entirely different stories, bosses, and blades. Also, each boss has their own unique section of the map leading up to them.

Fortunately, the game doesn’t stop there. After clearing both stories, you will be able to access new ares and fight many optional bosses. You will also be able to share blades between the two characters, unlocking even more forging options where the characters’ trees overlap. Only by using blades obtained after your first play-through will you be able to obtain the other endings.

“Muramasa: The Demon Blade” is not a game to be ignored. Not only is it one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever seen, it’s also an extremely fun game that proves that 2D gameplay still has what it takes to compete with the 3D HD franchises of modern day. Its fast pace and fantastic execution keep it constantly entertaining, and places it as one of the best experiences available on the Wii to date.

This review is based on a copy of Muramasa: The Demon Blade provided to us by Ignition Entertainment.