エピソード

  • Ep43 - Were You On The Stale Fish Tour?
    2023/10/28

    I think 'Stale Fish' is a skateboarding move, but who knows. Anyway, this is the sequel to 'Bad 'N' Rad', and was the final Skate Or Die game ever released, sadly. They just weren't quite as good as they should have been. At least there are a couple of different game modes here, but it's still way too hard.

    Bo Jackson: 2-in-1 lets you play an average baseball game and a below-average football game. Neither are that worth your time.

    Sneaky Snakes is a 2-D representation of the NES title Snake, Rattle N Roll, and plays in a similar way. You need to get your snakey buddy to the required weight so that he can press a button down and escape a level. The controls are fun in this one, and it has a nice presentation.

    You might recognise the music for Tail'Gator. As it happens the whole soundtrack is great, as equally is the gameplay. A really fun platformer where you collect keys and tackle enemies, but done in a much more captivating way than those Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle games. Play this one, for darn sure.

    Finally, some fun casino-based gambling games that you either understand the appeal of or don't. If you wanna play video poker without bankrupting yourself, here's to ya.

     

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    24 分
  • Ep42 - Max The Max! Fighting With A Real Sword!
    2023/10/21

    A million Game Boy points (not redeemable in any known store) to the first person who can tell me what this week's episode title is in reference to. It's a real deep-cut, even if you are a wrestling fan (that might be a clue).

    First up is the irritatingly closed-off JRPG Jungle Wars. I didn't get very far with the language barrier, but wanted to feature it in some capacity nevertheless, as it looks quite nice and the bits I have translated have a certain charm to them.

    If not for game #3, the highlight of the week would go to this next awesome shoot-em-up - Aerostar. It's an autoscroller but you actually have to drive forwards yourself, not only blasting every moving thing but jumping between the scrolling platforms. A really unique take that is tough as nails but super-satisfying. Looks ace, too.

    Final Fantasy Adventure takes the series in a different direction to the 'Legend' games, by being a Zelda-ish hack-n-slash that was actually remade for the Game Boy Advance and became one of the Mana games. If you ever wanted a missing link between the 'Mana', 'SaGa' and 'Final Fantasy' RPG serieseses, this completes the threefold branch. The review portrays my thoughts more than I can here, so just listen.

    Finally, some wrasslin. Or more exactly, Puroresu. Shin Nippon: Toukon Sanjuushi is a really early game based on NJPW's rather awesome (if ageing) early Nineties roster.

     

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    26 分
  • Ep41 - How Many Heads Has He Got, Anyway?
    2023/10/14

    Tetris had many clones, especially on the system that made it famous. Not just third-party ones - even Pajitnov and Nintendo released a bunch of Tetris-licensed stuff. The first one of these was Hatris - a game where you stack matching hats instead of blocks. Not much more to say about this one.

    After the success of Nintendo World Cup gave us hope that a decent soccer game was possible on the Game Boy, we got our second actually playable experience. Football International doesn't hit the highs of the Kunio-kun one, but is still a damn sight better than the majority of footie titles that came before... or after, for that matter.

    If you didn't know any better you'd think Daisenryaku was a Game Boy Wars clone. Because it basically is, minus the charm that game had. It's alright, but don't feel like you're missing out on anything by skipping this one.

    Magical * Taruruto-kun is a manga tie-in that sees you trying to navigate some really devilish platforming. Nothing innovative here, but if you liked the show or the comic strips, give it a whirl.

    Finally, the first of two Choplifter games on the system provides a cool, unique, soldier-rescuing challenge that doesn't have many parallels on the handheld. 

     

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    21 分
  • Ep40 - Whoa, Talk About Puke!
    2023/10/07

    Some crackers again this week; some shockers, too. As usual, a mixed bag of games from Nintendo et al. I suppose if you're gonna release rubbish games, it's good to mix them in with the good ones.

     

    First up, we're playing the phenomenal Game Boy version of Snow Bros. This is a special single-screen platformer in the vein of Bubble Bobble or something like that. Help the madcap Snow Bros save the Sun by trapping monsters in snowballs then booting them around. Wicked fun.

    We're next exploring the mindbending labyrinths of Marble Madness - it's really impressive how faithful this port is, and remains as tricky as ever.

    They can't all be world beaters, though, and we have two back-to-back stinkers which rank as some of the worst of all 1991. The Hunt For Red October is one of the most disappointing uses of a movie IP I've ever seen, barely referencing the film and simply being an impossibly tough exercise in getting blown up by the Soviet Navy. A complete waste.

    A totally different game - but arguably just as overly difficult - is Castelian. Try your best to climb the outsides of these rotating towers while avoiding obstacles. You won't make it, though, trust me on that. So much cheap damage and pitfalls make this a purely infuriating experience from start to finish.

    Finally, we're helping Mickey get back a present in his first Game Boy game that didn't involve collecting keys. A nice, relaxed way to round off the week - Mickey's Dangerous Chase is pretty alright, enjoyable for younger players at least.

     

     

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    23 分
  • Ep39 - Stop Flogging It Bandai - It’s Already Dead
    2023/09/30

    More Gundam nonsense here. Why so many Gundam games were absolute drivel I don't know - Bandai tried many different genres and they virtually all blew chunks.

    In fact, this week's episode doesn't even have an especially great game to make up for it. Sad times.

    The Adventures of Star Saver is not too bad - you might better know it as Rubble Saver - it's a space-based platformer with some quite fun grappling hook mechanics.

    Asmik-kun World 2 features Boomer but this isn't a trap-em-up game, it's a puzzler where you need to use all the given road-pieces to make an escape route for your kiddies so that the wolves don't eat them.

    Sanrio Carnival, for those who don't know, is actually Hello Kitty. This is a falling-block puzzler that somehow manages to mess up even that super-simple genre. Not sure how this one didn't click.

    What's left.. Oh yeah - the first in the Game Boy Wars series (Advance Wars, and so on) is here today. It was a JP-exclusive that has many recognisable elements, but even from that something is missing. Perhaps because we've played two much better strategy games recently. Who knows.

    To make up for this lacklustre episode (it's not my fault! I just do the games in the order they come!), tomorrow is October. Throughout the whole month - it being Hallowe'en - Soundtrack Sunday is going to feature every Game Boy / GBA Castlevania OST out there ! That's five whole Sundays of glorious Castlevania tunes. Ooh, baby.

     

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    23 分
  • Ep38 - I’m The Tower Of Power, Too Sweet To Be Sour
    2023/09/23

    Ah, Macho Man Randy Savage. One of the only wrestlers of that Hogan / Warrior / Luger generation that didn't age incredibly badly when you watch it back. Do yourself a favour and go watch a compilation of his promos, especially those where Mean Gene Okerlund is trying to get sense out of him. They're magnificent. Oooohh yeaahhh.

    He's the headline act in the first WWF game - WWF Superstars, which we're looking at today. Other than that, Torpedo Range is a simplistic but well-achieved arcade style game, and Kitchen Panic lets you be cruel to insects if that's your bag.

    Karakuri Kengou Den Musashi Lord is not so great - another filler title in a library that didn't really need it. Find out why inside!

    The cream of the crop (ooh yeah) this week is the absolutely delightful, and chock-full-of-squeeeeee Spanky's Quest - a fantastic bubble bouncing arcade-ish title reminiscent of Bubble Bobble or Rodland, but still very unique and oh so playable. I love that little monkey. 

     

     

    Support the Portable Power Podcast!

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    21 分
  • Ep37 - Having To Come Up With Episode Titles Sucks
    2023/09/16

    Another mixed bag this week - will we ever get a show with five absolute stonkers all at once? Probably not.

    Highlights include another JP-exclusive strategy game - Super Robot Taisen started off a series that is still going on today, and features a bunch of those Gundam / Mazinger / Kamen type mecha dudes. It's really good, though, if not quite up to the heights set by Little Master last week.

    Sumo Fighter is one of those that's inexplicably sought after. It's a generic platformer that fetches high prices simply because it didn't sell very well and so there aren't too many copies around.

    Mini-Putt could've been great fun but... well, it isn't.

    Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2 advances on the original a bit, but with tacked-on longevity of having to enter cupboards to get the keys rather than them being on the actual level. It was also re-released about a kajillion times with various mascots.

    The treat this week (for soccer fans, anyway) is the absolute blast that kicked off the Kunio-kun-style sports games that Japan got a load of later on. Nintendo World Cup is the most fun you could have with a football title on the Game Boy, until Sensible Soccer came out, that is.

     

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    20 分
  • Ep36 - Falling In Love With A Minotaur
    2023/09/09

    I do so enjoy trying to baffle my listeners with my pod titles, but I'm totally heartfelt and genuine with this one. Momo the Minotaur is one of the best companions I've ever had in a strategy game.

    It's a real shame that there were never any localisations of the Little Master titles, although apparently one was in the works. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the second one is the best strategy game on the whole system. This one is nearly as good as well. Play it if you haven't (you most likely haven't).

    Otherwise this week, CaveNoire is another Konami hidden gem - a procedurally-generated dungeon crawler with Rogue-like elements. I can't think of another example of that on the system off hand. It's actually a great time, but then it's Konami so whaddaya expect?

    There's an accompanying trio of small games - Final Reverse reminds me of Volleyfire, and Chacha-maru Panic... well, I'm not sure what that's all about. It's there, anyway. Rounding off the fivesome is a pretty great ice hockey title from the folks who brought us World Bowling way back when.

    An episode comprised entirely of Japanese exclusives - not sure if that's ever happened before. Don't let that put you off as there are a couple of belters here.

     

    Support the Portable Power Podcast!

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    21 分