Wizard of Wor is a tough game.  Anyone who has played the game for an extended period of time can appreciate seeing a good run in the game – for most of us it is something we don’t get to experience first hand.  In fact, the difficulty is so legendary that John Madden, before his own foray into gaming, once promised potential purchasers of the home version a money back guarantee if they found the game to be too easy.

That difficulty makes the feats accomplished by the guests for this show even more impressive.  Ville Vahervuori and Doug Lowry hold world records in the single player, three-man version of Wizard of Wor.  Ville accomplished his feat through MAME, and Doug accomplished his feat on an original cabinet.  Both men have high scores in the 400,000 range, and in this show they offer their own impressions of the game, provide tips for doing well, and discuss what it takes to break a record.  Their dedication to the record shines through in their answers, and both men have a clear passion for the  game.   A special thanks to Twin Galaxies for setting up these interviews.  Be sure to check out their site for more high score records!

Play & Download

Download

Show Outline:

• (The Cincinnati Pops – Main Titles from Wizards and Warriors)
• Dave’s Intro
• Interview with Ville Vahervuori
• John Madden’s Wizard of Wor commercial
• Interview with Doug Lowry
• Dave’s Outro
• (Black Sabbath – “The Wizard”)

If you’ve played all the blockbuster games on the Game Boy already and need to dig into the lesser-known-but-equally-exciting games, this is the guide for you.   I know a lot of people have been waiting a while for this guide, but we wanted to take the time to find some real gems for you.  I’ve had many discussions with many experienced Game Boy fans in order to determine a list of all the best Gameboy  games that most people haven’t played (or possibly even heard of). Much like previous entries in the Hidden Gems series, this guide is divided up by genre to help you find games that suit your tastes.

A special thanks to those the contributed their game summaries: Zen Albatross, PresidentLeever, Ack , Fastbilly1 and everyone else in the forum that pitched in with ideas! If you have more games to share, please use the comments section below and I’m terribly sorry if we overlooked your personal favorite!

Platformers

Kid Dracula

In addition to being a solid platformer, this commonly overlooked title is possibly the only game on the Game Boy that is a straight-up parody of another series.  Kid Dracula is a spin-off of the Castlevania series originally released for the Famicom in Japan, then ported to the Game Boy in 1993.  Instead of the taking on the usual heroic role of a Belmont clan member, the protagonist is a lovable, pint-sized version of the Vampire Lord himself who is tasked with combating his rival, the demon Garamoth.  It sounds like just another day in the life of the near-infinitely powerful Lord of Darkness.  Unfortunately for you, our young scatterbrained Master of Evil has forgotten all of his magic spells and must re-learn them throughout the course of his adventure.

Kid Dracula is a pretty standard platformer, through and through. The player traverses through 8 levels of baddies, obstacles and bosses, gaining new powers along the way such as homing missiles, shield, gravity reversal and summoning bats.  The powers are fun to use and the game makes sure to put you in situations where your full repertoire will come in handy.  Kid Dracula’s true charm, however lies in its light-hearted parody of the Castlevania series’ traditionally dark setting –  Standard baddies from Castlevania re-appear as adorable cartoon versions of themselves. The Grandpa Ghost Boss at the end of Stage 1 falls asleep during the fight. You might even recognize the game’s main antagonist, Garamoth as a boss in the later-released Castlevania: Symphony of Night. The music also pays tribute to the Castlevania games: Listen closely to the song  in the first stage – It’s ‘Bloodlines’, the Stage 1 music from Castlevania III, re-written in an upbeat major key. The whole game reeks of silliness, and it works incredibly well, making Kid Dracula one of the most entertaining parody/spin-off games you’ll likely ever play on a handheld system.

As a spin-off, Kid Dracula easily surpasses novelty status and proves to be a truly satisfying romp. If you’re a fan of the Castlevania series, you owe it to yourself to try out this Hidden Gem.  The cartridge is also relatively rare, so don’t you dare hesitate picking this baby up if you happen to see lying it lying around at your local flea market/thrift store.
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Shantae

I’ll warn you now — if you are only familiar with your plain-jane Gameboy platformers, Shantae may make your jaw drop a bit when witnessing it running on a Gameboy Color.  This late GBC release from Capcom not only pushes the limit in terms of what the aging hardware could do, but it is still one of the most diverse and satisfying portable platformers out there.  What really sets Shantae apart though is the variety of gameplay, meaning that you’re never entirely sure what’s going to happen next.

Initially, Shantae’s only weapon is her ability to whip enemies with her hair, but can eventually add more powerful moves and gain powers that allow you to access areas that are typically out of reach.  The action takes place on expansive levels that not only scroll from left to right, but also up and down. The levels are also incredibly well-designed, so there’s never just one route from start to finish (similar to the old-school Sonic games), and straying from the usual path usually delivers hidden bonus items. In addition to the expansive playing areas, you’ll also discover some mini-games where you’ll find yourself solving puzzles and even dancing.   When all is said and done, Shantae is the complete package as far as Gameboy platformers go.
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Trip World

Remember Mr. Gimmick? No? An almost equally unknown game as Trip World, it was a platformer from SunSoft with excellent art direction, smooth control, engaging gameplay, and some of the best music composed for the console.

Well, Trip World is very much a Mr. Gimmick for the Gameboy, sharing many key aspects with it while adding some new ones and removing others. It features some of the most impressive visuals I’ve seen on the system with a clean, uber cute art direction (reminiscent of the Kirby games), fluid animation, smooth scrolling and highly detailed, varied backgrounds that wouldn’t look out of place even in 16-bit games of the time. It even has a couple of nice animated cutscenes, telling the story of the game without any use of text.

As you play you’ll notice how every area of the game has a distinct feel to it and is inhabited by different creatures with different behaviors.You can affect creatures differently depending on which form you are in, and changing between them is done by a simple button combination or, in some cases by picking up a certain power up. These things make the game feel almost like an adventure game and half the fun of playing it is interacting with each new creature you meet to see what it’ll do. At the end of each stage though, there is the typical boss battle to fight, and the road to them is almost completely linear. These battles are fun and all, but the format ends up feeling somewhat forced and kept thinking the game would have really benefited from a more open ended world.
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Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters

The original Kid Icarus was a unique cult classic game on the NES, but its sequel on the Gameboy was even more obscure.  Kid Icarus II feels a great deal easier than the relatively challenging original. You can now backtrack downward through the stages now and it’s also a lot easier to get arrow upgrades from what I could see.  (However, it has gotten more difficult to win the special weapons). The controls feel a lot tighter, the graphics are pretty amazing for a Game Boy title, and the music is still good.

Also, you can jump while aiming up, though you still can’t do it while crouching. Some of the harder to kill enemies have been toned down, too, like the grim reapers wandering around the level. And because of the horizontal wrap-around that NebackadnezzaR mentioned, it feels like the game is a lot more open to exploration than it actually is. Honestly, this is a pretty good sequel, and quite solid for a Game Boy game. I really suggest everybody else who’s finished Kid Icarus give this a shot.
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Wendy: Every Witch Way

Unlike most platformers on the Gameboy, Wendy is more than just your standard running and jumping.  Things get much more interesting when you have the ability to reverse gravity on the fly.    That’s right your two buttons in the game give you the ability to jump and to flip the gravitational pull, allowing you to walk on ceilings or platforms above you.  As you could probably guess, this technique eventually becomes more of a necessity than a convenience as your progress through the game.  It will work your brain in ways that you might be used to.

There are a health number of levels and they are well-designed to make the most of the game’s concepts.  Wendy also has a great cartooney look that makes good use of the Gameboy Color.  There are also three levels that are only available if played on a GBA.  (Not sure about emulation).  If you are a platformer junkie, I definitely recommend giving Wendy: Every Which Way a try.
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Avenging Spirit

Don’t be fooled by its light-hearted appearance — The story behind Jaleco’s Avenging Spirit is actually pretty grisly: A young man who was gunned down by a gang of mysterious assailants has returned to the realm of the living to defeat the evil crime syndicate that killed him and captured his girlfriend. Luckily for our protagonist, being a ghost has its advantages — He can now possess the bodies of his enemies, each of whom have different abilities that will help him take down the syndicate’s evil bosses. Among those you can possess are gun-wielding gangsters, martial arts masters and fire-breathing… uh, kangaroos? Or maybe they’re suppose to be dinosaurs? Whatever.

Anyway, when the character you’ve possessed kicks the bucket, you’ll turn back into a ghost. When in ghost form, your energy bar will begin to drain. You’ll need to possess someone else quickly, otherwise your spirit will pass into the afterlife unavenged. Considering the heavy subject matter, the cutesy graphics in this game are a pretty hilarious (and slightly disturbing) aesthetic choice. Especially the continue screen, which shows the adorable ghost staring at you with sad puppy eyes, silently imploring you to help him rain vengeance and death upon his enemies. Avenging Spirit is a solid platformer with strategic elements and some interesting mechanics that were pretty ahead of their time. Highly recommended.
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Other Games to Try:

• Looney Tunes
• Ikari no Yousai 2 (Japan only)
• Banishing Racer (Japan only)
• Crayon Shin-Chan 4 (Japan only)
• Gourmet Paradise
• Momotarou Dengeki 1 & 2 (Japan only)
• Spanky’s Quest
• Tumble Pop
• Ultraman Ball (Japan only)
• Disney’s The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Wild Adventure
• Tom and Jerry in Mouse Attacks
• Sabrina the Animated Series: Zapped!
• Looney Tunes: Carrot Crazy
• Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers
• Disney’s Tarzan
• Asterix: Search for Dogmatix
• Disney’s The Lion King: Simba’s Mighty Adventure

Action Adventure

Bionic Commando: Elite Forces

The first Bionic Command game brought to the original Gameboy was an enjoyable experience, but understandably not quite as good as the NES original.  And while I enjoyed the graphical style of the first Gameboy port, Bionic Command: Elite Forces for the Gameboy Color brought more solid controls and an experience closer to that of the NES game.

As can be expected from a GBC exclusive, Elite Forces has more detailed spites and even some nice audio clips, but the real draw is being able to swing around with ease and deal out some punishment.  Instead of being able to jump you are limited to a grappling hook for reaching higher areas and for swinging from objects. The the swinging action is actually more refined than the NES Bionic Commando allowing your to swing from platform to platform, never touching the ground for long stretches of time.

With Bionic Commando, you start with a short life meter, but it gradually grow as you kill enemies. Also after each stage, a weapon or item is added to your arsenal.? These elements give you a bit of an RPG experience similar to games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. And much like many Metroidvania games, you often explore a the expansive levels by traveling in a variety of directions. If you enjoy Bionic Commando on the NES or just want a solid action platformer for the Gameboy Color, you should give Elite Forces a try.
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Dexter’s Laboratory: Robot Rampage

On the surface, one might not think that a Dexter’s Laborotory game would appeal to old-school gamers, but if you’ve ever played Elevator Action, Robot Rampage will seem very familiar to you.  It turns out that BAM Entertainment actually licensed Taito’s engine for Elevator Action EX (a Japan-only release) which was a very nice remake of the classic title.  BAM essentially took the game and changed up the sprites to reflect the popular Cartoon Network property.  In the end, it actually seemed to have a much more enjoyable personality than the original Japanese release.

If you aren’t familiar with the Elevator Action forumla, you pop in and out of elevators as they make their rounds, or ride on top of the cars as they cruise down the building. You can even jump across the open elevator shafts or leap down one floor via a shaft (two or more will kill you). As Dexter, you have a pistor to snipe robot agents who will sneak in and out of doors and try to take you out with gunfire.

The ability to jump down one floor and the addition of a life bar instead of the one-shot-kills takes much of the potential frustration away from the original game and keep you in the heat of the action.  the stages have also been expanded and enhanced to add variety to Dexter’s adventure. Now there are ledges that crumble underfoot and zip-boxes that whisk Dexter to hidden locations of the lab. The puzzles in Dexter’s Lab still take a backseat to the action, but definitely add depth to this old-school forumla.
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Blaster Master Boy / Jr. / Bomber King 2

This pint-sized spin-off of Blaster Master is peculiar in that the gameplay is more reminiscent of Hudson Soft’s Bomberman series than the original 1988 NES classic.  Jason, our protagonist from the first game has returned, but this time it seems he’s ditched his beloved car, SOPHIA III.  Luckily, Jason has compensated for his lack of wheels by keeping his blaster, a handful of powerups and an infinite stockpile of bombs at his side.  Blaster Master Boy (known as Blaster Master Jr. in Europe) eschews the platforming elements of the original game in lieu of a top-down run-and-gun dynamic similar to the dungeon sequences from the original NES title.  The similarities to Bomberman become pretty obvious after a few minutes of playing, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

As it turns out, Blaster Master Boy was originally supposed to be released as Bomber King: Scenario 2, the sequel to a Japanese Famicom title released in the US as Robo Warrior.  To avoid any disputes with Hudson, Sunsoft re-branded the game as a Blaster Master title.  Okay, so it’s not really Blaster Master at all, but let’s be frank — At the end of the day, blowing stuff up is just plain fun.  The music is pretty fantastic as well.  As long as you’re not bothered by the diminished variety of gameplay, this Hidden Gem is definitely worth a spot in your Game Boy collection.
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Blaster Master: Enemy Below

Now this is more like it. While Blaster Master Boy/Jr. isn’t really a Blaster Master game at all, Blaster Master: Enemy Below for the Game Boy Color is a welcome return to the classic gameplay you’d expect from a title of this series. The game starts right where the original left off: After an unexpectedly brief holiday, Jason and his trusty tank SOPHIA III are called back into action when a science experiment gone wrong unleashes a new Plutonium Boss upon the world. This new Boss, cowardly as he is, once again establishes dominion over Earth’s cavernous underworld in preparation for his attack on humanity.

The game’s graphics, controls and gameplay are all nearly identical to its predecessor. Gamers familiar enough with the original might even feel as if they’re playing the exact same game. Still, with new dungeons, new weapons, crisp graphics and a new password save system, Enemy Below offers just enough variety to warrant a playthrough for any fan of the series. Despite it’s lack of innovation, it’s without a doubt the most authentic classic Blaster Master experience you can have on a portable console.
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Other Games to Try:

• Noobow
• Balloon Kid / Balloon Fight GB
• Heiankyo Alien
• Booby Boys
• Tweety’s High-Flying Adventure
• Racin’ Ratz
• Looney Tunes: Marvin Strikes Back!
• Inspector Gadget
• Nemesis 2
• Banishing Racer
• Ninja Gaiden Shadow
• Ninja Spirit
• Dr. Franken 1 & 2
• Monster Max
• Montezuma’s Return
• Noobow

Beat em up

Hammerin’ Harry: Ghost Building Company

This little beatemup has a lot of personality that keeps if from becoming just another Double Dragon clone.  At first glance, the art style reminded me of River City Ransom and the gameplay initially seemed very basic.  However, after giving it a few minutes of my time, I quickly discovered its own special charms and grew to appreciate the detailed spritework and backgrounds.

Hammering Harry only has one plane of horizontal movement, but you can jump and duck to avoid attacks and climb on platforms.  Your attacks are also limited to swinging your hammer. Along the way, you can also obtain power-ups to upgrade your weapon to something bigger (giving you better range).   However, the game isn’t so much about attacking as it is about avoiding attacks and surviving long enough to make it through the level.  When I really stopped and thought about my approach to playing the game, it actually felt more like a shmup than your average brawler.  You clear out your enemies as good as you can, but in the end, you’re just trying to survive. In addition to your standard enemies, you will also have numerous projectiles rising up and coming at you at various speeds and heights. Knocking down projectiles requires some good timing – almost like trying to hit slow-pitch baseballs out of a pitching machine.  And, of course, many times you have two projectiles coming at your from different sides, which is always fun.

It also takes a good amount of concentration to avoid being hit.  Each touch from an enemy or projectile takes a notch off an already small health meter, so you need to stay on your toes.  And I have to warn you that there are some “cheap” shots throughout the game.  As an example, first level boss was frustrating – actually hitting the boss wasn’t hard at all, but after every hit, multiple pieces of debris come falling from the ceiling.  Not only are they fast and difficult to dodge, but if you get hit and start blinking, you aren’t temporarily invincible like in most games.  No, Hammering Harry wants you to feel as much frustration as possible – in a good way, of course.  I know that, in reality, it isn’t that bad, but I have a low tolerance for frustration.  When all is said and done, Hammering Harry is a very fun old-school action romp that will be sure to please fans of Contra, Castlevania, and the like.
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Fighting Simulator 2-in-1: Flying Warriors

Possessing quite possibly the most unattractive and unnecessarily verbose title in videogame history, Fighting Simulator: 2-in-1 Flying Warriors can also take merit in the fact that it is perhaps the only game on the Game Boy platform that combines versus fighting with sidescrolling beat-’em-up action. Each stage starts out with a sidescrolling portion, which plays almost exactly like a level of Kung Fu for the NES (Make of that what you will). Bookending each level is a 1 v 1 match with a boss, each possessing a different fighting style. Circles appear at points on your opponent’s body to let you know when and where to strike, as well as on your character’s body, giving you time to block and dodge your enemy’s attacks. Alternatively, you can forgo the ’story’ mode and jump right into 1 v 1 matches from the title screen. The controls are a little stilted and will need some getting used to. Everything else is pretty unexceptional too, but you might dig it if you’re on a nostalgia kick for early attempts at martial arts games.
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Other Games to Try:

• Gensan 2 (Japan only Hammerin’ Harry sequel)
• Nekketsu Kouha Kunio Kun (Japan only river city ransom sequel/spin-off)
• Kung-Fu Master
• Jida Igeki (another rcr spin-off)

Fighting

World Heroes 2 Jet

It’s especially interesting when the Hidden Gems of the platform actually exceed the quality of the more popular/well-known games.  The Game Boy has some decent fighting games in the handheld versions of Street Fighter 2, Killer Instinct, and Mortal Kombat.  They aren’t great, but provide some mild entertainment.   The problem with those games is the developers tried to cram a great game into a portable version and not really thinking creatively on how to make it work best for the limited hardware and control scheme.

However, with portable version of World Heroes 2 Jet (and the other gems mentioned below), we get to see how developers can miniaturize an arcade property and make it something that is solid and fun in its own way.  Instead of having sprites and moves that are just miniturized versions of the original game, this Game Boy port features spirtes that are more of the super-deformed style and moves that animate and are more effective for the screen size and control scheme.   If you are familiar with most of the fighting games on the Neo Geo Pocket, you can expect a lot of the same quality here.

Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of the World Heroes series, but this version actually seems to be near the head of the crowd of fighters on the Game Boy.
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Nettou King of Fighters ’96

One might think that the super-deformed style might continue with a King of Fighters game on the Gameboy — especially since that approach was used on the Neo-Geo Pocket.  However, Nettou King of Fighters ‘96 has a bit more traditional sprite style (with some slight super-deformed styling), but unlike most fighters on the Game Boy, it has speed and control that gets rather close to playing in an arcade or on a console.  (don’t get too excited, but it’s still quite impressiveve for an 8-bit handheld).   If you’ve played KOF ‘95 on the Game Boy (or was considering it), this installment is a solid improvement with less “blurring”.

The control scheme is a bit different, but interesting.  A prolonged press registers as a “hard” attack while a tap is “light” attack.   The special moves aren’t too hard to pull off and there is also a combo meter to keep you motivated to break your personal bests.

If you are a Neo-Geo Pocket owner, you might still prefer those versions, but if you are an SNK fan, it might be worth looking into picking this little gem up.
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Battle Arena Toshinden

Here’s yet another console-to-handheld port that actually turned out quite well.   And much like World Heroes 2 Jet, it uses the super-deformed character style that is similar to many of the Neo-Geo Pocket fighters.

Again, this game is a refreshing port that will exceed most people’s expectations with it’s smooth animation and solid controls.  Some of the moves requiring lots of motions can still be quite challenging to pull off, but if you use Easy Commands, it’s a bit more enjoyable/less frustrating.  There is also some slowdown at times, but nothing to really take away from the game too much.

The fighting system isn’t especially deep — not as good as some of the SNK stuff, but it’s pretty good compared to some of the mainstream fighters.  There are some extra modes such as Scortcher Mode and Full Battle that add to the replay value a bit.
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Other Games to Try:

• Samurai Shodown
• The King of Fighters ’95
• Gamera
• Battle Crusher
• Yuu Yuu Hakusho series

Shooters

Magical Chase

A fantastic port of the PC Engine shoot-em-up of the same name, Magical Chase is a light-hearted Japan-only shooter released by Quest in 1991. It’s part of an odd sub-genre that fans have affectionately dubbed ‘cute-em-up,’ a game where starships and laser cannons are replaced by more cuddly and charming elements (In this case, adolescent broom-riding witches).

Instead of the usual unforgiving, one-hit-kill mechanics, you have a life bar which slowly depletes as you take enemy fire, very similar to in games like Castle Shikigami. You can also buy health and weapon upgrades periodically during missions, making getting hit and losing lives much less punishing than in other games.

True to its pleasant and approachable visage, Magical Chase eschews the insane difficulty levels common in most shmups and focuses instead on simply being an enjoyable pocket title with good controls and lovable characters. And since I’m absolutely horrendous at most shmups, that’s something that I can easily get behind.
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Quarth

This peculiar shooter boasts a style of gameplay that’s as much akin to Space Invaders as it is to Tetris. Instead of warding off aliens with laser blasts, your goal here is to shoot at the tetrimino-like objects falling from the top of the screen, eliminating blocks by filling them in to form complete rectangular shapes. It sounds simple enough, but the game can get pretty intense as L-shaped blocks nestled within each other begin to drop faster and faster, forcing you to quickly find the ‘order’ in which the blocks must be filled.

If you’re especially daring, you can fill the screen and create larger rectangles for more points. But if at any point an incomplete rectangle hits the bottom, it’s Game Over for you and your odd-looking spacecraft. The game allows you to choose from 6 different ’ships,’ but the choice seems to be purely aesthetic. There’s also a two player mode possible with the Game Boy’s link cable. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of arcade games like Arkanoid or fast-paced puzzlers like Tetris.
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Vattle Giuce

No, it’s not Beetlejuice’s cousin or the name of a weird German fetish club. But it is a pretty solid Japanese shooter for Game Boy. Vattle Giuce never saw the light of day outside of Japan, but it has a couple of features that make it noteworthy within the Game Boy’s sizable library.

The gameplay is classic top-down shooter, similar to games like 1942, except your craft is also allowed to switch between two different altitudes. This allows you to avoid enemy fire and hit ground targets that yield valuable power-ups, but also puts you in danger of crashing into the low structures existing in the background.

The game also sports some impressive parallax layer scrolling and detailed (albeit repetitive) backgrounds. Conversely, the game’s enemies are highly predictable and quite frankly, really boring to look at. Each new stage seems to be populated by slightly varying cookie cutter replacements of all the enemies from the last stage. I don’t know why, but it seems like whoever was in charge of the enemy graphics was just really uninspired
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Solar Striker

Another classic arcade-style shooter that’s not too harsh in the difficulty department, Solar Striker was one of the few shoot ‘em ups developed solely by Nintendo, with the lead designer being none other than Game Boy godfather Gunpei Yokoi himself. It’s a game of satisfying simplicity, with 6 stages of fast-paced, bullet-dodging action.

Admittedly, the graphics don’t really contend with those in Vattle Giuce or Sagaia, but I like the way the enemy sprites are animated and the overall pace of the gameplay. Once again, it’s nothing overly special, but succeeds as a pretty straightforward classic-style shoot ‘em up. Definitely recommended for fans of pre-’bullet hell’ retro scrolling shooters.
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Sagaia

If you’re looking for a pocket-sized Darius for Game Boy, you’re not going to get much better than Sagaia. This should come as no surprise being as how it’s actually a port of Darius II, the magnificent Taito shooter originally released for Sega Genesis in the early 90’s. This game has everything you want in a portable shooter: Frantic enemy patterns, highly detailed sprites, a kickin’ soundtrack and even that iconic ‘PEW PEW’ sound effect for maximum retro pleasure.

And don’t forget that totally rad cyber-nautical theme. Everything about the game is just extremely satisfying, both visually and gameplay-wise. Highly recommended if you dig on any of those old Taito games. Don’t pass up a chance to snatch this cartridge should you happen upon it.
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Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS

It’s a damn shame that Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS never left its native island of Japan. It has easily the most stunning graphics I’ve ever seen in a Game Boy shooter, with scrolling parallax background layers creating an amazing sense of depth despite the Game Boy’s limited processing power and color palette. This can also be a bit distracting at times, but for the most part, the differing shade of the background elements makes it pretty clear as to what’s there to kill you and what’s there to look pretty.

The controls are fluid and responsive and there’s also some extremely elaborate sprite graphics, especially for the boss fights. ZAS is one of the most impressive shmups you’ll likely ever play on the Nintendo Game Boy. Use whatever means necessarily to experience this fantastic game.
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Trax

An oddball shooter released in 1991 by Hal Laboratories, Trax isn’t your typical scrolling space shmup. Instead, you proceed at your own pace across a battlefield while inside a dome-shaped tank. The tank can fire in 8 directions, but in order to do so, you need to hit the A button to rotate the turret. The catch is, the turret only rotates clockwise and only at a rate of 1 turn per A button press.

Being that there are oftentimes targets on all sides of you, this can become slightly disorienting. However, you are granted a generous amount of power-ups that spread your shot in different ways, so it’s not so bad. The controls are tight, the music is peppy and despite my best judgment, I can’t help but note the tank’s likeness to Kirby. Maybe he’s actually in there? Poor guy.
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Other Games to Try:

• Aerostar
• Battle Unit Zeoth
• Burai Fighter Deluxe / Space Marauder
• Dropzone/Dropzone Color
• Macross 7: Ginga no Heart o Furuwa Sero!!
• Namco Gallery Vol.3 (Sky Kid)
• SWIV

Puzzle Action / Platformer

Toki Tori

This cute yet entertaining puzzle adventure give your control of a little yellow chick by the name of Toki Tori and presents you with the challenge of gathering all the eggs of your siblings that are stattered across various levels.  The game starts out with a rather simple setup to get your familiar with the puzzle platformer basics and eventually gives your little yellow buddy extra abilities and tools to combat the added complexities in the later levels.   Each of the levels and their respective tools are carefully designed, so you will need to think carefully and creatively to efficiently accomplish your goal.  (If you don’t, you’ll end up going through a lot of trial and error and re-starting levels to try out a different plan)

In addition to being a solid puzzle platformer, Toki Tori is also a sight to behold on the GBC.   The developers at Two Tribes took great efforts in taking full advantage of the Game Boy Color’s pallete and 2D capabilities.  Much like Shantae (mentioned abover in the Platformers section), Toki Tori rivals many early Game Boy Advance games in terms of colors and animation.  You’ll even notice some rather impressive effects like transparency in waterfalls.

During the time of its release, Toki Tori was essentially a neglected gem that was released as the Game Boy Advance was ramping up.  About seven years later, Toki Toki eventually recieved some additional attention as it was remade for both the Nintendo Wii’s WiiWare download service and the iPhone.
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Amazing Penguin

On the surface, Amazing Penguin doesn’t look especially exciting.  However, if you give it a try, you’ll quickly realize it has an inviting Pac-Man vibe that is complemented with its own personality and gameplay tweaks (enough of which to keep it from feeling like just another Pac-Man clone)

While piloting your little penguin character, you need to navigate around the maze in the ice to hit certain spots (or switches) in the ice that will break certain parts of the ice and clear the baddies that happen to be in that section.  Of course, much like Pac-Man, you’ll need to avoid your enemies while trying to efficiently fight them off.   You also have to deal with bombs along the way, which can also be turned against your enemies.

As you progress through the game, the paths on the map get larger and more obscure, which keeps things interesting and provides a steady difficulty curve.   Overall, the enemy AI is challenging, but fair.  It will keep you on your toes and require quick reactions, but the enemies won’t corner you without a possible escape  (at least from what I’ve seen).  When you die, it’s pretty much your own fault. Eventually, you’ll encounter enemies that will dart around quicker — many times , you’ll be playing a game of “chicken” with your enemies to a dot that could kill them off.

As opposed to some games that simply reward progress with simple unlockables, Amazing Penguin, rewards you with new challenges – making the gameplay itself the true reward.
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Cat Trap / Pitman

In this gem, you push blocks and climb ladders to clear the stage of baddies (which don’t move).  While it doesn’t sound like anything unique, it has some little quirks that make it a great way to pass time and work your brain.

What is rather interesting about the game is that you don’t have a jump button or any other abilities.  Your only controls other than the D-pad is a rewind function (and a fast-forward, to reverse a rewind).   The rewind function lets you step backwards in your action just like rewinding  a video tape so you can recover from your puzzle-solving mistakes.

Since there is usually only one good way to solve most of the later puzzles, you’ll be using this function a lot (unless you are really good planning out your steps in advance)    You probably won’t need it for the first batch of stages, but as you progress, you’ll probably paint yourself into a corner more than once.   In addition to the simple yet compelling gameplay, I also enjoyed the small touches of animation and the fun soundtrack.
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Chalvo 55 – Super Puzzle Action

Somehow this little gem seemed like a cross between Metroid and puzzle adventure.  You play as a little robot dude with just about no abilities, but can turn into what seems like a super-bouncy Morph Ball.

Throughout the game, you must bounce around through length, maze-like levels.  While you will be bouncing around the majority of the time, you will nee to transform back into your normal mode in order to walk around, push blocks, and avoid bouncing into spikes and such.

Because of the size of the levels, it can be a little brain numbing at times, but it’s a very compelling title if you enjoy puzzle-solving and mazes (more mazes than puzzles).
Shop for Chalvo 55 – Super Puzzle Action on eBay

Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle Series

This might not be as much of a hidden gem as the others, but I wanted to feature it for those that didn’t dig in to the Gameboy library much on its original run.

I played the original Crazy Castle at a friend’s house a good 15 years ago and I loved every minute of it.  The classic gameplay is still just as compelling and will definately test your reflexes, efficiency, and puzzle-solving skills.

There are actually four games in this relatively unknown franchise, and while I haven’t played them all extensively, I would recommend giving them a try if you are enjoy either puzzle or platforming games.
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Other Games to Try:

• Lock ‘n Chase
• Dexterity
• Peetan
• Karumuu-Cho No Daijiken
• Snoopy: Magic Show
• Snow Bros. Jr
• Spanky’s Quest
• Boulder Dash
• Lucle
• Nail ‘n Scale
• Booby Boys
• Solomon’s Club
• Miner 2049er
• Block Kuzushi GB
• Painter Momo Pie

Puzzle

Bubble Ghost

The Game Boy version of this arcade classic is not something to be overlooked. Originally released on the Atari ST back in 1987, Bubble Ghost is a simple and addictive game that gives players control of a gleeful ghost whose sole charge is to guide a bubble through a danger-filled haunted house. It’s a delicate mission, but fortunately for you, your phantasmal friend has a great deal of control over his bubble and can blow it around in 8 different directions. As basic as this sounds, the game is actually very challenging, and it will require a great deal of patience and planning in order to circumvent the malignant ghouls, fans, candles and all manner of pointy objects found within the halls of the haunted house.

If you’re the easily-addicted type, a casual afternoon with Bubble Ghost will almost certainly lead to full-on obsession. It’s got all the traits of a classic arcade game — challenging and rewarding in all the right ways. It’s also got an upbeat and extremely catchy soundtrack, composed by the now-famous Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle, Radiant Silvergun). Bubble Ghost is a game that suits the Game Boy platform perfectly, catering to both competitive speedrunners and casual time-killers.
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Yoshi / Yoshi & Mario / Yoshi’s Egg

This cute yet addictive puzzler was fairly well-marketed back at the time of its release, but has pretty much fallen off the radar of most gamers.   I figured I should mention this classic in here as it would be a shame if puzzle fans missed out on this one.

Like most puzzle games, Yoshi involves items falling and stacking on top of each other.  In this case the blocks are either different Mushroom Kingdom enemies or tops or bottoms of egg shells.  And instead of controlling where the blocks land, you much swap the columns to attempt to group like blocks together.

Combining like blocks make them disappear.  Also, any blocks that are in between a top and bottom egg shell with be packaged into the egg and disappear.  If there is a chain of monsters within two yoshi egg shells, a Yoshi will form and give your bonus points.
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Yoshi’s Cookie

Yes, this is yet another under-appreciated puzzle game featuring our favorite dino sidekick, however Yoshi’s Cookie actually does not involve falling blocks.  In this puzzle outing, you controls a cursor which can be used to slide rows of a single “square” of individual cookies in a method similar to a Rubik’s Cube.

The objective is to create lines of matching cookies, which are then cleared off the screen.   Yoshi’s Cookie is one of the more unique puzzle games on the Gameboy and will help round out your collection if you need some variety.
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Mole Mania

I was actually very surprised with how clever and original this game was.  It has a very strong puzzle element to it, but it also is a bit of an action/adventure game as well.  It turns out it was actually produced by Mario and Zelda creator, Shigeru Miyamoto (little trivia there).

As a mole you are able to dig a whole in the softer parts of the ground and create tunnels to get to parts of the screen that would be unaccessible only on the main level.  There are also barriers underground, so you have the think carefully to reach the exit area of your current screen.  As you progress you run into various enemies and you also have other elements such as balls to add to the depth and complexity of the game.

I think Mole Mania is definately one of those unique games that really made you forget about the technical limitations of the original Gameboy because of all the pure fun you are having.
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Other Games to Try:

• Ballistic
• Trouballs/Puzz Loop
• Puzzle Master
• Shanghai
• Shanghai Pocket
• Pokemon Puzzle Challenge
• Rats!
• Puzzle Master
• Microsoft Puzzle Collection
• Qix
• Adventures of Lolo
• Mario’s Picross 2 (japan only)
• Puzzle Boy 1 & 2 (Kwirk/Amazing Tater)
• Peetan (japan only)
• Shikinjou (japan only)
• Flipull
• Heiankyo Alien

Racing

Dead Heat Scramble

I tried this game out on a recommendation from a couple of people, but I wasn’t sure how a racer on the Gameboy could give me a reason to play it over the likes of Super RC Pro Am or Micro Machines.  However, I was pleased to find out that instead of beating those racers at their own game, it took the racing genre for a completely different kind of spin.

Instead of your traditional race track, you race through what seems to be a very long and winding half-pipe.  And instead of trying to place first in a race, you are trying to avoid and jump over other racers and obstacles while reaching checkpoints within a time limit – much like old-school arcade racers.  In fact, when you lose, the game traces your path on the big map just like on Outrun.

For a 2D game with such limited colors, Dead Heat Scramble does a great job recreating some of the physics you would imagine in a setup like this.  Overall, I found it to be a charming and challenging game to complement the more popular racers.
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Other Games to Try:

• Fastest Lap
• Maskrider SD
• Mickey’s Speedway USA
• Woody Woodpecker Racing
• Wacky Races

RPG/Adventure

Gargoyle’s Quest

Gargoyle’s Quest is a gloomy action adventure set in the ghoul realm, a place inhabited not by humans but by ghouls. It involves fighting your way through legions of evil creatures and their masters and building your strength until you are ready to take on the King of Destruction himself and reclaim your stolen birthright as ruler of the demon realm.

You take on the role of the gargoyle Firebrand, who in the beginning of the game is forced to escape from his burning home town and enter the portal to the Ghoul Realm before the Destroyers manage to close it. Right from the get go you’ll have to master wall climbing, limited flight (you can hover slowly for a few seconds before dropping like a stone) and spitting fire at your enemies. Arriving at the portal you’ll face a giant fish that seems unusually resilient for a first boss. This is the first action stage among several, increasingly large and difficult ones on your way to the villains’ castle. When finished, the game switches from a sidescrolling perspective to that of a standard RPG, and after some traveling through barren lands infested by ghosts you arrive in a small village where you can interact with characters, do some shopping and collect a rather long password before setting out to your next destination, the Gremlin Tower.

Gargoyle’s Quest is the start of a series spanning three games, each one unique and worthwhile in its own right. The first one is still my favourite in the series because of its dark, fantasy themed soundtrack, the novelty of playing as a monster striving only to accomplish his own goals, and of course my fond memories of playing it as a kid, getting my ass handed to me over and over but sticking with it, finding the secrets, typing down pages of passwords and finally beating the game. The game is an immersive, rewarding experience that is well worth your time. Especially if you are like me and happen to consider the sub-genre that mixes sidescrolling action with RPG elements one of the finest forms of gaming.
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Crystalis

When you think of SNK, 2D fighters and Metal Slug games probably come to mind. However, you may be surprised to know that one of SNK’s first successes was actually an RPG for the NES that rivaled Zelda in terms of both gameplay and technical prowess.   As you can probably tell, this NES gem was also ported to the Game Boy Color and it actually is a quite impressive port.

In SNK’s Crystalis, the mechanics and story are best described as the precursor of SNES’s Zelda:A Link to the Past. Despite its quality, Crystalis never became a runaway hit, although it is considered today a cult classic among 8-bit action RPG junkies. Even in these early days, you can see SNK’s skill for maxing out limited hardware to create colorful creations that were not only beautiful, but also had solid gameplay.   So if you’re looking for a little gem to complement your Game Boy Zeldas and a bit of a showpiece for your GBC, Cystalis should be near the top of your list.
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Survival Kids

Survival Kids isn’t your typical RPG – in fact it might be a closer fit to the Legend of Zelda games because of its overhead view and real-time battles.  It also has a bit of a Harvest Moon feel to it due to simulation elements.    You play as a 10-year old kid that is an island castaway left with only a knife and a broken radio.  On your journey to find your way home, you have to make sure you get enough rest and eat and drink on a regular basis.  Of course, since you’re on an unfamiliar island, you need to make sure the food that you consume isn’t going to make you sick.  Even though some of these things might sound tedious, the game doesn’t make life too hard on you.

Along the way, you’ll find a number of items that you can add to your tool set.   In fact, you can pick up and collect just about everything from your surroundings.  You never know what might be useful. Survival Kids even has a cool “merge” system that lets you create more useful items by combining two existing items.  You have to use your creativity and logic figure out what will help you out.  It’s also interesting to see that the game’s weather and time of day can have an impact on what you can do and how your items are used and affected.

Overall, Suvival Kids is a pleasant experience in terms of visuals and audio in addition to its amusing game system.  It also has good replay value as there are many different endings you can experience.
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Other Games to Try:

• Ninja Boy 2
• Rolan’s Curse
• Rolan’s Curse II
• Azure Dreams
• Looney Tunes Collector: Alert!
• Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!
• Metal Walker
• Cave Noire (japan only)
• Dragon Heart
• Great Greed
• Knight Quest
• Sword of Hope 1 & 2
• Magic Knight Rayearth (japan only)
• Kaeru no Tameni Kaneha Naru (japan only)
• Ninja Taro

Strategy

Cannon Fodder

It is truly amazing how much polish and detail the developers crammed into this Game Boy Color port of this strategy classic.   If you are familiar with the original Amiga version or its console ports, you should know what to expect.  Considering the genre and the minimalist control options for the Game Boy, you probably wouldn’t expect much in terms of the conversion to the portable platform, however the resulting port is quite impressive with less compromises that you might think.

If you aren’t familiar with Cannon Fodder, you have to strategically move your troops around each map and eliminate the enemy forces.    There are all sorts of obstacles along the way and a variety of weapons to deal with.  As you complete levels, you have more troops joining your crew, but when you have some die off, they are gone forever.  The game can be quite challenging, but if you enjoy strategy on the go, you should get a kick out of Cannon Fodder.

From a technical standpoint, Cannon Fodder is an except example of what could be done with the Game Boy Color hardware.  When I first loaded up the game, my jaw nearly dropped as I was amazed that the game’s intro video and animated menus were actually running on a Gameboy.  While the main gameplay graphics aren’t masterpieces, it features lush terrain, and nicely-animated sprites.  While the full-motion video and such is nice, most of the cart space is dedicated to the audio portion of the game. A nice digital tune plays during the opening FMV, and the voice work is very well done. In fact, the voice work is so clear, you won’t believe this is coming from the single GBC speaker.
Shop for Cannon Fodder on Amazon.com
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Other Games to Try:

• Kingdom Crusade / Legend of Prince Valiant
• Warlocked
• Another Bible

Music

Little Sound DJ (LSDJ)

Created by Swedish micromusician Johan ‘Role Model’ Kotlinski, LSDJ is the homebrew software that helped catapult the D.I.Y. ‘chipmusic’ movement, where classic videogame hardware like the Game Boy is re-purposed as a musical instrument. LSDJ functions essentially as a sequencer and allows users to create custom software instruments for the Game Boy’s 4 audio channels. Naturally, Game Boy audio has a great deal of limitations, and part of the appeal of chipmusic has been finding creative solutions to circumvent these limitations. LSDJ is ideal as a compositional tool, but is also capable of being used for live performance, allowing the user to make cuts, change loops and affect instrument properties in real time. It’s also possible to link LSDJ with MIDI interfaces, allowing a Game Boy to be used as part of a larger composition.

LSDJ is sold both as a ROM and on custom Game Boy cartridges. Software licenses can be bought from littlesounddj.com and cartridges are available at Nonfinite Electronics.

Nanoloop (1.x)

Nanoloop is homebrew music software for the Game Boy written by German programmer Oliver Wittchow, one of the founding members of the chipmusic movement. Unlike LSDJ, Nanoloop more closely resembles a drum sequencer than a traditional tracker. Because of this, it’s a lot more accessible to casual users who have no prior experience with trackers and other audio software. The main screen of Nanoloop is a simple visualization showing 4 squares, each of them representing one of the Game Boy’s audio channels. The user moves shapes around inside of the squares to adjust instrument properties like pitch, octave and timbre. After doing this a number of times, you can create patterns that can be played back in loops. Nanoloop is an ideal solution for loop-based live performance, and is often cherished for its percussive capabilities. There’s also another version of Nanoloop (2.x) available for Game Boy Advance which allows for more complex audio, including FM synthesis.

Supplies are usually extremely limited, but you can normally order a Nanoloop cartridge from Oliver’s site.

Other

Revenge of the ‘Gator

Easily overshadowed by other pinball classics featuring popular Nintendo characters, Revenge of the ‘Gator is actually a wonderful pinball action game that was also developed by the team at HAL Labrotories.

Not only is Return of the Gator filled with a clever Alligator-themed table and addictive gameplay, but there are also many hidden bonus areas scattered throughout the game.   There’s nothing glamourous about this little title, but if you enjoy pinball, you should get some solid entertainment out of this gem.

I actually had this cartridge when I was about 12 after obtaining it dirt cheap at Funcoland.  It eventually became one it was one of my favorites on the original Gameboy even after I obtained the wonderful Kirby’s Pinball.
Shop for Revenge of the ‘Gator on Amazon.com
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Other Games to Try:

• Rampart
• Legend of the River King
• Ray-Thunder (japan only)
• Power Mission
• Spy vs. Spy: Operation Boobytrap
• Gameboy Wars Turbo
• LSDJ
• NanoLoop
• Uno: Small World

Mark Turmell

Mark has been publishing games since 1981, and his credits include great Atari titles such as Fast Eddie and Turmoil, arcade juggernauts such as Smash TV, NBA Jam, and NFL Blitz, and console best sellers such as MLB Slugfest, NBA Ballers, and NBA Showtime. . In the interview, Mark talks to me in depth about Smash TV, his thoughts on the declining arcade industry, his personal game collection, and his work on a Smash TV sequel.

For information beyond what is in the podcast, I’d strongly recommend our listeners take a look at two interviews here and here.

Eugene Jarvis

Eugene Jarvis has one of the most impressive résumés in games industry. Not only was he the co-creator of Smash TV, but he also designed Defender, Robotron 2084, Blaster, N.A.R.C., Cruisn’ USA, and other seminal arcade games. Jarvis, who is currently the head of Raw Thrills Inc., discussed how he got involved in Smash TV, reflects on the history of gaming, how arcades might become relevant again, the future of Virtual Reality, and the status of retrogaming.

Please note that Jarvis’ audio during the interview isn’t of the same quality as the rest of the show as he was only able to speak via telephone. We figured that his insight was worth any trade-off in audio fidelity and hope you agree!

For more information on Eugene, you can read his Wikipedia article or the excellent interview in Halcyon Days.

Play & Download

Download

Show Outline

• (Smash TV soundtrack excerpt)
• Dave’s Intro
• Interview – Mark Turmell
• (Smash TV soundtrack excerpt)
• Interview – Eugene Jarvis
• Dave’s Outro
• (John Parr – “Running Away With You”- The Running Man Soundtrack)

Next Time on the Podcast…

The next episode, which will be up later this month, will focus on our other November Together Retro Game: Wizard of Wor. Interviews with high score record holders and more are scheduled!

In the meantime, be sure to leave comments in the podcast forum!

New To Together Retro? Check out the introduction to the club

What’s this?  A double feature not featuring Godzilla?  That’s right boys and girls.  We thought that since we are in the season of giving, we at Racketboy should give our followers of Together Retro a little present.  This month we have not one, but two excellent games from up for our monthly gaming sessions.  We know many of you are not into horror games so you sat out on Resident Evil last month, but this month everyone can dive into one of two arcade multidirectional shooters.  The two chosen titles are Wizards of Wor, the 1981 Midway Scifi classic, and everyone’s favorite gameshow outside of the Price is Right – SMASH TV.  But enough of this, lets get into why we are blowing things up this month.
(Since we are doing two titles, for simplicity, we have two separate Together Retro write ups.)
Special Note: Stay tuned for this month’s RetroGaming with Racketboy podcast — it will go along nicely with these two featured games

Wizard of Wor

History:
Released in 1981, Wizard of Wor (often mislabeled as Wizard of War) put the player in control of a Worrior, a nare-do-well space hero of some kind.  The Worriors travel through the maze fighting off an array of monsters called worlings (formal names are Burwors, Garwors, Thorwors, and occasionally the bonus Worlucks).  These worlings are under the control of the Wizard, who also likes to show up occasionally.  Your objective is to survive in the labyrinth as long as possible.  Simple concept with some really unique quirks.

Famous as one of the first games to use synthesized speech, Wizard of Wor is at its heart just a labyrinth.  A labyrinth full of space
monsters and a taunting wizard, but a labyrinth none the less.  Many gamers should remember this title from the 2007 PAX keynote in which Will Weaton recalls his love of the game.  Even to this day the game holds one of the most gloomy atmosphere for a well loved and respected game (typically the gloomy or horror games get put off to the side of the mainstream).  Its creepy music, disappearing badguys, and taunting speech is the stuff nightmares are made of, just like the Never Ending Story and Return to Oz.  Wizard of Wor also added in a unique counter-op style of gameplay in that you score points for not only defeating enemies, but for defeating your teammate.  Using a teammate can make for an interesting set of tactics (ie stand in a corridor back to back and fire at anything that moves), but you do have to worry that they can turn on you at any second.

Controls:
One joystick and one button makes it one of the simplest game we will feature in Together Retro, but don’t you worry about the difficulty. In the arcade, the joystick has two contacts in each direction.  If you tap your controller in a direction your character will turn that way, if you hold it that way they will move.  While the button fires your gun, obviously.  Now movement is kinda tricky based on the perspective.  While the maze is seen from the top down perspective, the characters are seen from the side.  This makes for alittle bit of a mind screw in that you end up walking on nothing or the walls.  It is a unique style and really makes you think the first couple rounds.

Recommended Ports:
While we are going to favor the arcade version the most, there are several good ports if you would rather use those.  The Commodore64 version is fantastic, so is the Atari 800 version.  However the Midway Arcade Treasures 2 version is going to be the easiest to obtain (however the Gamecube version of Wizard of Wor has bad sound problems).  It was also released on the Atari 2600 and 5200, but I cannot comment on those versions.  Now if you want to buy an actual arcade cabinet, depending on the condition they will go for about $500 to $2000 (almost 10 years of attending coin operated auctions and eBay in consideration for the prices).  At the last auction I saw one for sale (Fall of 08) a standard cabinet went for alittle over $400 but needed a new screen and controls.

Smash TV

History:
From the minds of Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell comes one of the truest spiritual successor to Robotron 2084, Smash TV.  Jarvis created Robotron in the 80s and with heavy influence from The Running Man and one can only imagine a love for oneliners, Smash TV was given to gamers in the arcade in 1990.  Straying from his earlier works scifi world, Smash TV takes place inside of one of the most violent gameshows ever conspired.  Set in the future year 1999, Smash TV is the story of lucky contestants that get to compete in the gruesome fragfest for money, fame, and cutting edge technology like VCR and 2600 inch tvs!  The gameplay is fairly simple in that you move through the rooms trying no to die and kill everything as quickly as possible.  However unlike our other title, Smash TV features a standard overhead view and an overzealous announcer who has so many great quotes: “TOTAL
CARNAGE! I love it.”

Each Arena has three levels and then a final boss fight.  Each level is broken up into a handful of rooms which you get to decide how you wish to proceed and a boss fight at the end.  You will never go to every room on a floor and sometimes you’ll end up running into a horde of badguys far more difficult than you ever imagined possible.  But that is the nature of the game.  Smash TV is about carnage.  Expect to die, expect to get a gameover, expect to plug in a few quarters.  No matter how great you are at games, Smash TV is a different beast.  Ive seen people who have been the best in the world in classic arcade games, die in the first fifteen rooms on their first try (it took them five dollars to beat the game – took me forty or so my first time). However dont let that turn you off.  Before you die you will kill a lot of enemies.  The game will through you powerups just as often as it throws you enemies.  From invincibility to a rocket launcher, the powerups are just as awesome as the enemies you will be fighting.

Controls:
Like its predecessor, Smash TV features a unique dual joystick control scheme.  One joystick moves you while the other lets you shoot in any direction.  Early ports had to make due with a lack of buttons or joysticks in creative ways, more on that below.

Recommended Ports:
I am going to recommend the NES version as one of the best ports in that while parts are toned down, you can use two controllers to emulate the dual joystick mode of the arcade original (or a fourscore and four controllers if you opt for two player).  If you would prefer a more standard port it is featured in the Midway Arcade Treasures compilation for the Gamecube, PS2, and Xbox and is a download for the Xbox 360.

(Note: If you would prefer to have the opinion on an expert on all matters of SmashTV, our resident podcaster dsheinem recently spoke with Mark Turnmell.   Mr. Turnmell stated that the best port is the Super Nintendo one and that the NES one is possibly the worst.)

Emulation Help

If you need any help with attempting to emulate the game, post your problems in our forums and hopefully we’ll be able to help…

Together Retro Discussion

Instead of posting in the comments section of the blog, we will be using the forum for all of our discussion in order to keep things more organized. So play these Midway Classics and talk to us about your thoughts and play experiences in the forums. We want to know your favorite parts, your successes and your failures!

• Wizard of Wor Together Retro Discussion
• Smash TV Together Retro Discussion

For my next revision to the Cheapest Games series , I wanted to revisit the Sega Saturn. The values of the popular Saturn games have increased significantly over the last few years — especially for complete copies of the game.  Because of this, I’ve bumped up my criteria for the list to games that are under $25.   Now keep in mind, the prices quoted below are for complete copies of the game in excellent condition.  If you want to save a lot of money, you can usually find disc-only versions of the games.

Not only does this revised list reflect the changing values, but I’ve also expanded it and included a Japanese-exclusive list and a short list of popular Saturn games that are sigificantly cheaper as Japanese releases.   Hopefully, this revised list of Saturn  games will help you start or build up your collection without having to spend much.. (Prices listed are an average eBay price for US games, including shipping)

Cheap Classics

	NiGHTS into Dreams: $19 This crown jewel of the Sega Saturn used to be one of the most afforable games on the system. However, with all the nostolgic talk about the game and the general disappointment of the Wii sequel, the demand for Nights into Dreams for the Saturn has pushed the price up to the $20 range. Until this fan favorite gets a solid port to another console, the demand for this otherwise common game should stay high.  If you Shop for NiGHTS Into Dreams on eBay Shop for NiGHTS Into Dreams on Amazon.com
	Panzer Dragoon Zwei: $23 While it kinda pushes the price limit of this guide, Panzer Dragoon Zwei is one of the more affortable foundations of the Saturn library. You can usually find it to be a better value than the original Panzer Dragoon. Shop for Panzer Dragoon Zwei on eBay Shop for Panzer Dragoon Zwei on Amazon.com
	Panzer Dragoon: $19 Of course, if you are a fan of on-rails shooters and want a well-rounded Saturn library, it’s not a bad idea to check out the original Panzer Dragoon either. Shop for Panzer Dragoon on eBay Shop for Panzer Dragoon on Amazon.com
	Street Fighter Alpha 2: $10 As one of my favorite fighting games of all time, I can’t help but put Street Fighter Alpha 2 on this list. At around $10, it can still fit into the smaller budgets. While some may prefer the larger character lineup of the more expensive Street Fighter Zero 3 (Alpha 3), I feel that Alpha 2 has more balanced gameplay and tighter control. Shop for Street Fighter Alpha 2 on eBay Shop for Street Fighter Alpha 2 on Amazon.com
	Galactic Attack (Layer Section): $17 The Sega Saturn is one of the best consoles for fans of 2D shoot-em-ups.  Unfortunately, most of the best shmups on the system were only availible in Japan and usually sell for $40 or more (many time a LOT more).   Fortunately, one of the most recommended shooters for the Saturn was actually released in the US and carries a rather reasonable price tag.  Galactic Attack (also known as Layer Section, Rayforce, or Gunlock) is one of Taito’s best of the genre and had a number of gameplay innovations considering its release date. Shop for Galactic Attack on eBay Shop for Galactic Attack on Amazon.com
	Astal: $10 It is always a pleasure to enjoy some of the two-dimensional artistry that some developers treated gamers to on the Saturn.  Astal is one of the earliest examples of 2D beauty on the Saturn and still holds up as an enjoyable 2D platformer.   It also happens to be a game that went under the radar of many Saturn owners, so grab this 2D bargain on the cheap while you still can. Shop for Astal on eBay Shop for Astal on Amazon.com
	Rayman: $8 After a decade, most gamers are familiar with Rayman.  However, in the 32-bit era, this platforming series was an abitious newcomer.  Much like Astal, it is a beautiful example of two-dimensional action.   Rayman also happens to be one of the least-expensive games on this list (especially considering it wasn’t a pack-in for the Saturn) Shop for Rayman on eBay Shop for Rayman on Amazon.com
	Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge: $13 Even though the Darkstalkers series essentially uses the same engine as the Street Fighter Alpha series, it is still a blast to play due to is diverse cast of characters and it’s flashy style.  If you are a fighting fan or even just like monster movie characters, Night Warriors is a must-play — especially for the price.  (Also check in the imports section below for the sequel) Shop for Night Warriors on eBay Shop for Night Warriors on Amazon.com
	Super Puzzle Fighter 2: $20 This little classic used to be a bit more expensive over the last decade, but now that it’s been re-released as an affordable download on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, the original releases have come down a bit in value.  Of course many gamers might not think a puzzle game for an old machine is worth $20, but it’s one of my personal favorites and a bit of a collector’s item as well. Shop for Super Puzzle Fighter 2 on eBay Shop for Super Puzzle Fighter 2 on Amazon.com
	Die Hard Arcade: $18 If you are a fan of old-school side-scrolling beatemups, Die Hard Arcade (known as Dynamite Deka in Japan — and precursor to the not-quite-as-fun Dynamite Cop on the Dreamcast)  should be right up your alley.  Even though it’s 3D, it has plenty of action, cool weapons, and just enough weird stuff in it to keep things interesting. Shop for Die Hard Arcade on eBay Shop for Die Hard Arcade on Amazon.com
	Daytona USA: $5 As one of the biggest launch titles and eventual pack-in game, Daytona USA is one of the most common games in the Saturn library. You can get it dirt cheap in its pack-in form as it is commonly thown in as game or system bundles on eBay. You can also find the original full-case version for just a few dollars. This Saturn version isn’t quite as polished as its Dreamcast sibling, but if you are tight on money (or just a collector), you can’t go wrong with the original console version of Daytona USA. Shop for Daytona USA on eBay Shop for Daytona USA on Amazon.com
	Sega Rally Championship: $8 Sega Rally is the essential complement to Daytona USA if you are a racing fan. This drifting-filled racer truely is an essential and dirt-cheap classic. But just like Daytona USA, Sega Rally also has a graphically-enhanced sequel on the Dreamcast that is also pricier. But at $5 its hard to go wrong with the Saturn version. Shop for Sega Rally on eBay Shop for Sega Rally on Amazon.com
	Virtua Fighter 2: $9 Just like Daytona USA, you can find the plain disk or sleaved (pack-in) version for next to nothing. But collectors will most likely be willing to pay just a few dollars for the full-case retail version. Virtua Fighter 2 actually serves as a great technical demo for the Saturn. The game maxed out the Saturn’s High Resolution 720×575 mode (highest for a console game at that time) while running at a smooth 60fps. Shop for Virtua Fighter 2 on eBay Shop for Virtua Fighter 2 on Amazon.com
	Fighters Megamix: $14 Fighters Megamix took the models from Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers and threw in some of Virtua Fighter 3’s new moves. Megamix looked good, but lacked Virtua Fighter 2’s high-resolution feature. Of all of the non-pack-in games, Fighters Megamix is one of the best values today. You still won’t find as much depth as some modern fighters like Soul Calibur, but it’s a great game to give your Saturn some life. Shop for Fighters Megamix on eBay Shop for Fighters Megamix on Amazon.com
	Virtual On: Cyber Troopers: $6 This excellent conversion of the one-on-one mech fighter is one of the most innovative bargain out of the bunch. Virtual On is essentially a true 3D fighter with super-quick mechs trying to blow each other up while dodging and hiding behind obstacles in the course. However, once again, the Dreamcast also has an enhanced sequel, but this Saturn original passes the savings on to you. Shop for Virtual On on eBay Shop for Virtual On on Amazon.com

Affordable Japanese Exclusives

	X-Men vs. Street Fighter: $20 This game is the reason I bought an Action Replay back in the day.  The Marvel vs Capcom game may get all the attention today, but I still love X-Men vs Street Fighter.  It isn’t quite as chaotic as the later installments but still has a strong character roster.  Also, the Saturn version is spot-on to the arcade version, unlike the crippled Playstation port.  At the $20 price point, you should also get a RAM cart, but you should be able to find it cheaper on its own. Shop for X-Men vs Street Fighter on eBay
	Assault Suit Leynos 2: $20 One of my first impressions of this game was “Mechs meets Metal Slug“. It’s an impressive, but very tough 2D Mech shooter with some spectacular graphics and gameplay. It’s a wonderful exclusive for the Saturn and is definitely worth looking into if you are a shooter fan. Shop for Assault Suit Leynos 2 on eBay
	Waku Waku 7: $13 As one of the best hidden gems in the Saturn fighting library, this quirky brawler from Sunsoft is a steal for just over $10.   Try finding the Neo-Geo cart for that cheap. Shop for Waku Waku 7 on eBay
	Magical Drop III: $11 The Magical Drop series is an essential for puzzle fans.  It’s a shame the series never really got much exposure outside of Japan.  It happens to be one of the best values in the puzzle genre for the Saturn. Shop for Magical Drop III on eBay
	King of Fighters ‘95, ‘96, or ‘97: About $15 each SNK was a strong supporter of the Saturn in Japan and blessed gamers with handful of King of Fighters titles for the 32-bit machine before continuing their support on the Dreamcast.  Each game should come with a RAM cart for about $15 each.  Not a bad price at all for such solid fighters.  However, keep in mind, you could purchase The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga, which contains all three games for the same price Shop for King of Fighters Series on eBay
	Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness: $12 This is one of Capcom’s lesser-known fighting gems and is a spiritual prequel to the Dreamcast game, Tech Romancer.  Cyberbots is good change of pace for fighting fans and duking it out with large robots gives off a unique feeling of satisfaction Shop for Cyberbots on eBay
	Samurai Spirits III or IV: $15 each More SNK goodness.  While many fans of the series prefer the original two installments of the series, part III and IV are still solid fighters and are quite affordable on the Saturn.  However, you could purchase the Samurai Shodown Anthology on a newer platform for about the same price of one of these games. Shop for Samurai Spirits Series on eBay
	Strikers 1945: $20 One of the other few solid 2D shooters that can be found for an affordable price on the Saturn.   Also, remember than the Saturn port is superior to the PS1 version (and vice versa for the sequel). Shop for Strikers 1945 on eBay
	Puyo Puyo Sun: $9 Yup, another puzzle game.  But its a great version of the classic Puyo Puyo series and it’s easy to find for under $10.  Might not sound like a great deal for those that aren’t hardcore puzzle fans, but it’s worth mentioning. Shop for Puyo Puyo Sun on eBay
	Vampire Savior: $15 Also known as Darkstalkers 3, this fighter really takes advantage of the Saturn’s 2D capabilities and requires a RAM cart as well.   Just be aware of some of the incompatibilities with many of the Action Replay Plus cartridges. Shop for Vampire Savior on eBay

Cheap Import Alternatives

I thought it would be interesting to list of few of the especially popular Saturn games that are quite expensive as US releases and see what the Japanese version sell for.  If you have a way of playing imports, you might want to consider these if you want real copies of the games.

	Panzer Dragoon Azel: $24 Compared to $200+ for US copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga Ok — so playing an RPG in Japanese can be quite a challenge, but look at the savings!  Of course, there’s English FAQs out there if you want to brave this one. Shop for Panzer Dragoon Azel on eBay
	Guardian Heroes: $25 Compared to $90 for US copy of Guardian Heroes There is some text in Guardian Heroes since it has RPG elements, but its rather playable in Japanese.  Plus, the savings is quite noticable. Shop for Guardian Heroes on eBay
	Shining Force III: Scenario 1: $15 Compared to $100 for US copy of Shining Force III Yeah, it’s another RPG, but $15 is dirt cheap for this game Shop for Shining Force III on eBay
	Saturn Bomberman: $12 Compared to $60 for US copy of Saturn Bomberman Bomberman is Bomberman.  And any Bomberman fan must play Saturn Bomberman.  So if you want this game, can play imports, and want to save money on a real copy of this game, this is an easy choice. Shop for Saturn Bomberman on eBay
	Burning Rangers: $23 Compare to $80 for US copy of Burning Rangers Like Guardian Heroes, there is some text in the game, but it should be quite playable in Japanese. Shop for Burning Rangers on eBay

Other Cheap Favorites

• Bust-A-Move 2: $8 (eBay / Amazon)
• Baku Baku: $8  (eBay / Amazon)
• X-Men: Children of the Atom: $19 (eBay / Amazon)
• Virtua Cop : $7 (eBay / Amazon)
• Sega Touring Car Championship: $10 (eBay)
• Bug!: $14 (eBay / Amazon)
• Bug Too!: $19 (eBay / Amazon)
• Clockwork Knight: $16 (eBay / Amazon)
• Mr Bones: $13 (eBay / Amazon)
• Wipeout: $8 (eBay / Amazon)
• Three Dirty Dwarves: $15 (eBay / Amazon)
• Fighting Vipers: $10 (eBay / Amazon)
• Steep Slope Sliders $8 (eBay / Amazon)
• Manx TT Super Bike: $5 (eBay)

If you pay attention to many gaming blogs, you probably heard about the recent sale of one of the most valuable console games known to collectors.  Even though the Nintendo World Championship cartridges are one of the most well-know games to collectors (see The Rarest and Most Valuable NES Games), the 1991 Nintendo Campus Challenge cartridge is said to be a one-of-a-kind item (other copies were said to be destroyed) and was out to rival the NWC Gold cartridge (of which there are 26 in existance)  for the spot of the highest-valued cartridge.

The Gold Nintendo World Championship Cartridge has sold for as much as $21,400 and the recent owner of the Campus Challenge cartridge, was hoping that the increased scarcity would help push its value above that of the Gold NWC.   Earlier this month, the Nintendo Campus Challenge cartridge closed for $20,100 on eBay — a very respectible price, but just shy of taking the title of the Holy Grail of console game collecting.

The collector that just parted ways with the Nintendo Campus Challenge cartridge is no stranger to the racketboy community as he has helped out with the Rare & Valuable Games series.  JJ Hendricks was kind enough to take some time out to talk about his journey as a collector and the story behind this sale.

RB: Tell us briefly about yourself and business and what got you started in rare video game collecting/investing
JJ: I’m 28 years old and own two video games businesses.  JJGames.com, a retailer of used video games, and VideoGamePriceCharts.com, a site showing the used prices and pricing history for about 14,000 games.   My interest in rare video games started while I was running VGPC and saw how many rare games there are and how much people were willing to pay for them.  I also had an opportunity to talk with lots of game collectors through the two websites and learn about the hobby.

RB: For those that aren’t familiar with the cartridge, tell us a bit about its back-story.
JJ: The Nintendo Campus cartridge was created by Nintendo for a video game competition like the Nintendo World Championships in 1990, but this one would tour college campuses and spring break hot spots.  The cartridges had three games on them, Super Mario 3, PinBot, and Dr. Mario and a time limit of about 6 minutes.  You tried to get the most points on all three games within the allotted time.  After the event the games were all supposed to be destroyed but this one was found at an ex-Nintendo employee’s garage sale in 2006.

RB: If you don’t mind saying, how did you go about acquiring the cartridge and how much did you pay for it?
JJ: I bought this cartridge from a big video game collector named Jason, or known online as DreamTR.  We were talking about the Nintendo World Championships Gold cartridge I purchased.  He mentioned that he owned this cartridge and I asked him, mostly as a joke, if he would be willing to sell it too.  He told me he would sell the cartridge, much to my surprise.  The price we agreed to was $14,000.

RB: What were your intentions for purchasing it?
JJ: I thought it would be a great game to have in my collection, but mostly I thought it was a great deal.  I paid $17,500 for NWC Gold about a month before and there are 12 of those.  There is only one known copy of Campus Challenge 91 so I thought it would probably be worth quite a bit more than $14K.  I figured I would own it for a while and then sell it some time down the road.

I also contacted the owner of the 92 Campus Challenge and 94 Powerfest cartridges and we discussed doing some joint events where all four of the Nintendo competition cartridges would be available to play for the first time ever.   We talked about it and contacted a few video game conventions but nothing ever materialized.

RB: Did you do anything interesting with the cartridge while you owned it?
JJ: Nothing really out of the ordinary for fear that I would damage it.  I played it several times myself and then kept it in a safe deposit box.  I own five of the reproduction cartridges though and I hosted a tournament at my office to recreate both Nintendo World Championships and Nintendo Campus Challenge.  I owned both of the real cartridges at the time, but we played the reproductions at the actual event.

RB: What type of precautions did you take with the cartridge while owning it?
JJ: I stored the cartridge in a safe deposit box to make sure it was secure.  I didn’t feel comfortable having a game worth that much just lying around my house with the rest of my game collection.

RB: Was there any drama involved with the acquisition and then the resale of the cartridge?
JJ: The purchase of Nintendo Campus Challenge was very straight forward.  It took about 24 hours to negotiate the payment and shipping terms.  I decided to pay on installment so I sent two payments for the game and Jason shipped it after the final payment was completed.  It arrived in great shape the next day.

When I listed the game for sale I decided to sell it on eBay with no reserve and as a $0.99 starting bid.  This was a bit nerve racking at the very end because the price was $8,500 until about two minutes before the auction completed.  Then there were 10 bids placed in those last two minutes and the price on eBay jumped up to $20,100.  I went from losing $6,000 on the game to making $6,000 in the course of two minutes.

RB: Are you still holding onto any other rare games at the moment?
JJ: I still own Nintendo World Championships Gold.  That is definitely the most expensive game I still own.

RB: Do you have more ambitions for investing in more rare games in the future or is it more trouble than its worth?
JJ: I will probably buy more rare games in the future, but it depends on the prices.  My guess is collectors will start to realize that the items they have are worth a lot and great deals will be harder to come by.  I think it is really fun to own a bit of gaming history, to be able to play a classic game, and still be doing it as an investment.  You can’t play with stocks or mutual funds so games are definitely much more fun to invest in.