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Macross - Scrambled Valkyrie
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: 1993
  • Developer: Zamuse
  • Publisher: Zamuse
  • Game Type: Side-View Shooter
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: Megabyte
  • Rating: 90/100

You don't need to be a Macross fan to appreciate a shooter this good. Tons of weapons, the ability to capture and use enemy ships, and just plain solid gameplay. Well worth the import for shooter fans.

Madara 2
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 50/100
Bland graphics and not much in the way of special effects. Once you give the order to attack characters act on their own until you bring up the menu again, so most battles can be beaten at the touch of a button (which will hardly keep you on your toes). Don't bother.

Magic Knight Rayearth
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 80/100
Simplistic but pretty anime-style graphics and an all-female cast. What more could an otaku ask for? Well, maybe more special effects, but the game shines in every other category and is easy to figure out despite all the Japanese text. Consider it for import!

Magical Drop
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: Puzzle
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 80/100
The graphics and audio are a major disappointment if you've played MD2 or 3 for the Neo. The colors are hideous and the ghostly voice samples will drive you mad after you hear them repeated umpteen times in one minute. But the gameplay is 100% intact, and very addictive. This is an excellent two player puzzler, but get the Neo or Saturn versions if you can.

Majin Tensei II
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 80/100
A sim/RPG vaguely like Shining Force. The graphics are outstanding. It's by Atlus so there are small similarities to Revelations - Persona on Playstation but this game is far more coherent. The menus are of course in Japanese but aren't hard to figure out. Import a used copy if you can.

Mazinger-Z
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Platform
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 30/100
A platformer somewhat along the lines of X-Men - Mutant Apocalypse but with hideous character animation and weak moves. Even a domestic release wouldn't be worth buying.

Natsuke Crisis Battle
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Fighting
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 20/100
A God-awful SF2 clone. Tiny characters, poor animation, weak gameplay. I neither know nor care what the anime is about but even fans of the series (if there are any) should stay away.

Ninja Marantarou Puzzle
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: Puzzle
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 50/100
Don't let the ninja name fool you; this is a cute puzzle game like any other. It has half the ingredients needed to make it a good game - nice graphics and sound and great presentation. Too bad the controls are slippery and matches are way too easy to make. An unpleasant mix of Dr. Mario and Puyo Puyo.

Pipe Dream
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: Puzzle
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 90/100
Like many SFami releases by BulletProof Software, this one could've almost been released as-is in the U.S., but for some reason never was. Enhancements over the NES version include a variety of backgrounds, different pre-set obstacle layouts for each stage, and a fun two player simultaneous mode. An improvement on a game that was already a blast.

Popful Mail
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Platform
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 70/100
An action RPG somewhat similar to Zelda II. I couldn't be more pleased with the animesque graphics but as for the gameplay... the enemies will get in a few cheap hits on you, and vice versa. If you've gotta have it, Working Designs has translated the Sega CD version, so hunt that down instead.

Pop'n Twinbee
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: Overhead-View Shooter
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 90/100
The only Twinbee game ever released in the U.S. was Stinger for the NES. It's too bad because Pop'n Twinbee is one of the best shooters of all time. Not a huge powerup system but you can pick up options, drop screen bombs, chuck grenades at enemies on the ground, and punch to block incoming bullets. Awesome control and great gameplay. Import it!

Pretty Fighter
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Fighting
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 50/100
A Street Fighter clone with an all-girl cast. PF's artwork is nice (for the most part) but that's about the only redeeming quality. Poor animation, an unforgivably short character list, and weak gameplay may make even the most die hard otaku think twice.

Ranma 1/2 Part 3
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: 2D Fighting
  • Number of Players: 2
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 70/100
This game was never released in the States. Despite improvements in animation and character design it's still no competition for SF2, so it may be just as well.

Ranma 1/2 RPG
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 50/100
With merely average graphics and no way to understand the storyline or menu system unless you read Japanese, this game isn't worth importing even for Ranma fans.

Romancing Sa-Ga
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 70/100
A Square RPG with graphics highly reminiscient of FF2's (but even more primitive). The battle system takes the front row/back row aspect of FF2 even further but as a result you waste a lot of time shifting characters around during battles. It's probably more worth your time to import the sequels.

Romancing Sa-Ga 2
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 80/100
The graphics are a nice middle ground between the styles of FF2 and Secret of Mana; just visually rewarding enough to hold the interest of players who can't read Japanese. The battle system has been reworked slightly to move along faster. Worthwhile if you can get it cheap.

Romancing Sa-Ga 3
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 90/100
Magnificent, colorful graphics and a play style much like the Final Fantasy series but with more depth to the battles. Tons of characters but not much of a storyline for any of them. (But if you can't read Japanese, who cares?) Definitely one to import!

Rudora No Hihou
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: RPG
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: 4 Megabytes
  • Rating: 90/100
A traditional RPG by Square. Needless to say, it's worth importing. The graphics are wonderful, the animation in battles is without compare, and the special effects are great. The menu system is quite different from the Final Fantasy series but isn't too difficult to decipher. This is as good as a 16-bit RPG gets.

Rushing Beat
  • Country: Japan
  • Copyright Date: N/A
  • Publisher: N/A
  • Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler
  • Number of Players: 1
  • Size: N/A
  • Rating: 40/100
Another wonderful brawler from Jaleco. (Snicker.) You'd think they could have gotten at least one of their character designs right. Lame audio, lame graphics, and extremely lame gameplay. It has a four player versus mode but with all these weak moves it's just not much fun.
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Reviews © 1997/1998 Jay McGavren. © 1997/1998 Archaic Ruins