Grand "SLAM"
BAKUTO! DOCHERS
Bomberman, meet Dodgeball. Dodgeball, Bomberman. You have a choice of 8 animals to select from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. There's a 1P mode and a battle mode where up to 4 human players can duke it out. You throw a ball with limited range, and along the way there are bumpers that when bounced off of, redirects your ball, some may even deflect. You have 3 hits to make do with, and by destroying blocks power up's (or down's) can be unveiled.
This game reminds me heavily of Hansha de Spark! (Sega Saturn)
There are 5 different worlds to pick as your battle ground, with each world consisting of 4 different stages, making a total of 20 maps. Even in the battle mode, there are baddies on the playing field
I'm sad to say this one just didn't stack up. It feels a bit clunky and some times, battles can end in 20 seconds, even though everyone needs THREE hits to die. It's not a horrible game, but it could have used some fine tuning. Something's just missing with the game(play). I play it and leave feeling "That's it?"
An acquired taste.
-------
I've always enjoyed a quality 2D baseball game. Had a blast with Bad News Baseball, Basewars, the Baseball Star games and of course, the best one ever -- the original Ken Griffey Jr. on Super Nintendo. With the Fall Classic approaching us in about 24 hours, let's check in with Culture Brain's 1997 title PRO YAKYUU STAR
Although there are only 12 teams and 6 stadiums, it doesn't matter because it does well where many fail: the gameplay. Unlike far too many baseball games, outfielders don't move like turtles. Throws from the outfield don't skip a ridiculous 4 times to home plate. You can swipe bags with the speedier players. Home runs don't happen 5 times in one game. etc.
It's similar in looks to Konami's Jikkyou series, but plays so much better. Baseball fans be sure to check this out.
----
Growing up in the late 80s, a kid only needed two things really: Nintendo and Hulk Hogan. I still remember how my uncle, before father time got the best of him, would watch Saturday Night's Main Event with me and my brother. How he took us to the mall to get autographs from visiting WWF superstars.
Like baseball, I've always got a kick out of a quality wrestling game. Sure Fire Pro games exist on SNES, but forget that the Saturn/PSX versions were the best. Well, there were two other series on Super Famicom that doesn't get the hype Fire Pro does... and one at least, is very very good.
ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING (July '93) is an excellent wrestling game. In '94 Natsume released a similar version in the States and called it Natsume Championship Wrestling. My brother and I loved NCW; we played the tag team mode to death for a couple years.
The grapple system relies on timing, not speed. You have weak, medium and power attacks during grapple. The energy bar is maybe my favorite thing about these games. (The "whiplash rope" trick is pretty damn cool too...)
Your energy bar starts out BLUE.
The bar decreases as damage is taken, revealing these colors in sequence:
GREEN
YELLOW
RED
DARK RED
BLACK
Like Capcom's stellar 2D fighter Vampire Savior health is recoverable. In a tag match when you're not in you recover. In a singles match, when you take a move, you lose the proper amount of health, but it immediately recovers at a decent pace. However, the more damage you take, the slower your energy heals. Ace concept.
Japanese wrestling legend Giant BABA in the house. But he's no match for the younger and quicker Patriot
And of course I can't dismiss the ability to knock the opponent's tag team partner off the apron with a well-placed clothesline. If the chap attempts a tag, you can also clobber him silly. Good good stuff
There's just too many cool little things about the gameplay that make this so good. I could go on and on. SOLID game
ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING DASH (Dec '93) was released only five months after the 1st one. So you know it's not a "full-blown" sequel. Again you have 16 wrestlers to pick from, some minor roster changes... so what's new? Game focuses more on tag team play, though the 1st had tag team modes as well. The difference here? Tag team moves
that'll re-arrange his furniture
C.O.D -- Concussion on Delivery
OK. Tag team combo moves. BIG DEAL! Tell me about it. That's why, to save Dash from being simply a hack cash-in, they included...
The Fatal 4-Way Battle Royale!
This mode is a wild free-for-all and provides great multiplayer action. There are no energy bars cluttering the screen, and the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. Over-the-top-rope doesn't matter here -- hell take the battle outside if you wish!
These games are really great wrestling titles. Fire Pro gets all the hoop-la and deservedly so, but don't overlook these gems.
MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT WRESTLING SERIES NOW....
SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING: CHOUSENSHI IN TOKYO DOME is the first of Varie's SFC wrestling trilogy. It features impressive big sprites and has famous wrestlers like LYGER and big Van VADER (10 in all). The grapple system also relies on timing. I bought this in hopes it would be a slick playing game much like the Natsume/Zen series. Unfortunately I think Varie spent too much time on graphics, because the frame rate for this 1993 brawler is a huge letdown. It's not as smooth as it should have been.
late great Gorilla Monsoon: "It's reasons like this I'm glad I'm retired"
Never fear SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING '94: BATTLEFIELD IN TOKYO DOME is here. Would it improve on the original which failed to meet its potential? The sprites have been downsized and as a result the frame rate is better. The roster doubled from 10 to 20 (including the Legion of Doom and a very young Chris Benoit) but it still doesn't come together. Nice effort however.
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan: Boy, I wish I could do that to my partner...
Gorilla Monsoon: Enough already
Bobby Heenan: I got carried away
Gorilla Monsoon: I wish you would
SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING KOUNIN '95: TOKYO DOME BATTLE 7 completes the trilogy. Some roster changes were made though 20 remains the count. Say good-bye to the Great Muta and hello to the Great Sasuke. The frame rate is the best of the 3 and the graphics were not sacrificed either. Weapons are introduced. But what really MAKES this game is the new FATAL FOUR WAY BATTLE ROYALE mode. It's good fun and reminiscent of the cult arcade multiplayer WWF WrestleFest and Capcom's SATURAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS
Let me hand it over now to my two all-time favorite commentators from the late 80s/early 90s: the late great Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan... they'll call the action
L to R: Roddy Piper, Gorilla, Vince McMahon, Heenan and the late great Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect
Tonight's main event is a FATAL FOUR-WAY!
*music plays*
Introducing... The Great Sasuke! Scott Steiner! (they come out at the same time to save money on pyro you know)
Their opponents... Jushin "Thunder" Lyger! Rick Steiner!
Bobby: You know Monsoon, the Steiner's are brothers
Gorilla: Give me a break
Bobby: I hate all four of these guys. I hope they all cripple each other
Gorilla: Will you stop! How do you sleep at night?
Bobby: Oh, on my side, usually...
Gorilla: [ignoring the Brain] Ladies and gentlemen history will be made here tonight. Capacity crowd, jammed packed to the rafters, the electricity is so thick you can cut it with a knife
Bobby: I have to give the edge here to Lyger, much as I can't stand his guts Monsoon. He's the quickest of them all
Gorilla: Rick Steiner might be at a distinct disadvantage here because he's the most lethargic of the four
Bobby: And he's slow too
Gorilla: WHAT A PEARL HARBOR JOB!
Bobby: I told you Monsoon! Sasuke was my guy all along!
Gorilla: Will you be serious? The guys with the white coat and the net are going to be looking for you
Bobby: I rather not see your family again
Gorilla: The irresistible force is meeting the immovable object
Bobby: So much for that theory
Gorilla: Sasuke is really stretching out those lateral colateral ligaments in the knee
Bobby: IN ENGLISH PLEASE!
Gorilla: Ouch! That's excedrin headache number 2,182. Makes me glad I retired
Bobby: [Mocking Gorilla] There's one to the cervial dervial part of the neck!
Gorilla: Sasuke just pinned and eliminated Rick Steiner! We now have a triple threat match! Pandemonium has broken out!
Bobby: I told you Monsoon, he was just too slow for this type of match
Gorilla: [Mockingly] And lethargic too, right?
Bobby: Yeah, that too
Gorilla: Good night nurse!
Bobby: Not if she spent it with you!
Gorilla: Grow up, Brain
Bobby: Hey Monsoon, you know why the Great Sasuke wears a mask?
Gorilla: No, why?
Bobby: Have you looked in the mirror lately?
Gorilla: Will you please!
Gorilla: Sasuke has taken over this match! The arena is deafening!
Bobby: Get that Benjamin ready for me Monsoon!
Gorilla: Will you stop! What type of broadcast journalist are you?
Bobby: The type that takes cash only!
You can see this match in its entirety and who comes out victorious a bit below. Tokyo Battle Dome 7 isn't a shabby wrestling title. It's not as good as the Zen games, but TDB 7's Battle Royale mode is a bit more chaotic than Dash's, it definitely gets the edge there in my opinion. I say if you're a wrestling fan, set your sights on TDB 7 and Zen Dash; especially the latter. They're the best in their respective series, rendering the other games a bit useless unless you're a collector or uber diehard wrestling fan who must see the 'evolution' of these series. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have bought them all. But now, hey might as well keep 'em all =p
The Zen games are far more common. The first Varie one is easy to find as well. '94 and '95 I believe are somewhat hard to find. '94 is not worth the effort. '95... yeah it's worth hunting down just for the crazy 4 player battle royale.
Top L to R: Zen, Zen Dash, Natsume Championship Wrestling
Bottom L to R: Shin Nippon 1, SN 2, SN 3
Bakuto! Dochers
Pro Yakyuu Star
Zen Nippon (BABA vs. Patriot)
Shin Nippon 1 Vader crushes Lyger
Shin Nippon FATAL FOUR WAY
BAKUTO! DOCHERS
Bomberman, meet Dodgeball. Dodgeball, Bomberman. You have a choice of 8 animals to select from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. There's a 1P mode and a battle mode where up to 4 human players can duke it out. You throw a ball with limited range, and along the way there are bumpers that when bounced off of, redirects your ball, some may even deflect. You have 3 hits to make do with, and by destroying blocks power up's (or down's) can be unveiled.
This game reminds me heavily of Hansha de Spark! (Sega Saturn)
There are 5 different worlds to pick as your battle ground, with each world consisting of 4 different stages, making a total of 20 maps. Even in the battle mode, there are baddies on the playing field
I'm sad to say this one just didn't stack up. It feels a bit clunky and some times, battles can end in 20 seconds, even though everyone needs THREE hits to die. It's not a horrible game, but it could have used some fine tuning. Something's just missing with the game(play). I play it and leave feeling "That's it?"
An acquired taste.
-------
I've always enjoyed a quality 2D baseball game. Had a blast with Bad News Baseball, Basewars, the Baseball Star games and of course, the best one ever -- the original Ken Griffey Jr. on Super Nintendo. With the Fall Classic approaching us in about 24 hours, let's check in with Culture Brain's 1997 title PRO YAKYUU STAR
Although there are only 12 teams and 6 stadiums, it doesn't matter because it does well where many fail: the gameplay. Unlike far too many baseball games, outfielders don't move like turtles. Throws from the outfield don't skip a ridiculous 4 times to home plate. You can swipe bags with the speedier players. Home runs don't happen 5 times in one game. etc.
It's similar in looks to Konami's Jikkyou series, but plays so much better. Baseball fans be sure to check this out.
----
Growing up in the late 80s, a kid only needed two things really: Nintendo and Hulk Hogan. I still remember how my uncle, before father time got the best of him, would watch Saturday Night's Main Event with me and my brother. How he took us to the mall to get autographs from visiting WWF superstars.
Like baseball, I've always got a kick out of a quality wrestling game. Sure Fire Pro games exist on SNES, but forget that the Saturn/PSX versions were the best. Well, there were two other series on Super Famicom that doesn't get the hype Fire Pro does... and one at least, is very very good.
ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING (July '93) is an excellent wrestling game. In '94 Natsume released a similar version in the States and called it Natsume Championship Wrestling. My brother and I loved NCW; we played the tag team mode to death for a couple years.
The grapple system relies on timing, not speed. You have weak, medium and power attacks during grapple. The energy bar is maybe my favorite thing about these games. (The "whiplash rope" trick is pretty damn cool too...)
Your energy bar starts out BLUE.
The bar decreases as damage is taken, revealing these colors in sequence:
GREEN
YELLOW
RED
DARK RED
BLACK
Like Capcom's stellar 2D fighter Vampire Savior health is recoverable. In a tag match when you're not in you recover. In a singles match, when you take a move, you lose the proper amount of health, but it immediately recovers at a decent pace. However, the more damage you take, the slower your energy heals. Ace concept.
Japanese wrestling legend Giant BABA in the house. But he's no match for the younger and quicker Patriot
And of course I can't dismiss the ability to knock the opponent's tag team partner off the apron with a well-placed clothesline. If the chap attempts a tag, you can also clobber him silly. Good good stuff
There's just too many cool little things about the gameplay that make this so good. I could go on and on. SOLID game
ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING DASH (Dec '93) was released only five months after the 1st one. So you know it's not a "full-blown" sequel. Again you have 16 wrestlers to pick from, some minor roster changes... so what's new? Game focuses more on tag team play, though the 1st had tag team modes as well. The difference here? Tag team moves
that'll re-arrange his furniture
C.O.D -- Concussion on Delivery
OK. Tag team combo moves. BIG DEAL! Tell me about it. That's why, to save Dash from being simply a hack cash-in, they included...
The Fatal 4-Way Battle Royale!
This mode is a wild free-for-all and provides great multiplayer action. There are no energy bars cluttering the screen, and the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. Over-the-top-rope doesn't matter here -- hell take the battle outside if you wish!
These games are really great wrestling titles. Fire Pro gets all the hoop-la and deservedly so, but don't overlook these gems.
MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT WRESTLING SERIES NOW....
SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING: CHOUSENSHI IN TOKYO DOME is the first of Varie's SFC wrestling trilogy. It features impressive big sprites and has famous wrestlers like LYGER and big Van VADER (10 in all). The grapple system also relies on timing. I bought this in hopes it would be a slick playing game much like the Natsume/Zen series. Unfortunately I think Varie spent too much time on graphics, because the frame rate for this 1993 brawler is a huge letdown. It's not as smooth as it should have been.
late great Gorilla Monsoon: "It's reasons like this I'm glad I'm retired"
Never fear SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING '94: BATTLEFIELD IN TOKYO DOME is here. Would it improve on the original which failed to meet its potential? The sprites have been downsized and as a result the frame rate is better. The roster doubled from 10 to 20 (including the Legion of Doom and a very young Chris Benoit) but it still doesn't come together. Nice effort however.
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan: Boy, I wish I could do that to my partner...
Gorilla Monsoon: Enough already
Bobby Heenan: I got carried away
Gorilla Monsoon: I wish you would
SHIN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING KOUNIN '95: TOKYO DOME BATTLE 7 completes the trilogy. Some roster changes were made though 20 remains the count. Say good-bye to the Great Muta and hello to the Great Sasuke. The frame rate is the best of the 3 and the graphics were not sacrificed either. Weapons are introduced. But what really MAKES this game is the new FATAL FOUR WAY BATTLE ROYALE mode. It's good fun and reminiscent of the cult arcade multiplayer WWF WrestleFest and Capcom's SATURAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS
Let me hand it over now to my two all-time favorite commentators from the late 80s/early 90s: the late great Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan... they'll call the action
L to R: Roddy Piper, Gorilla, Vince McMahon, Heenan and the late great Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect
Tonight's main event is a FATAL FOUR-WAY!
*music plays*
Introducing... The Great Sasuke! Scott Steiner! (they come out at the same time to save money on pyro you know)
Their opponents... Jushin "Thunder" Lyger! Rick Steiner!
Bobby: You know Monsoon, the Steiner's are brothers
Gorilla: Give me a break
Bobby: I hate all four of these guys. I hope they all cripple each other
Gorilla: Will you stop! How do you sleep at night?
Bobby: Oh, on my side, usually...
Gorilla: [ignoring the Brain] Ladies and gentlemen history will be made here tonight. Capacity crowd, jammed packed to the rafters, the electricity is so thick you can cut it with a knife
Bobby: I have to give the edge here to Lyger, much as I can't stand his guts Monsoon. He's the quickest of them all
Gorilla: Rick Steiner might be at a distinct disadvantage here because he's the most lethargic of the four
Bobby: And he's slow too
Gorilla: WHAT A PEARL HARBOR JOB!
Bobby: I told you Monsoon! Sasuke was my guy all along!
Gorilla: Will you be serious? The guys with the white coat and the net are going to be looking for you
Bobby: I rather not see your family again
Gorilla: The irresistible force is meeting the immovable object
Bobby: So much for that theory
Gorilla: Sasuke is really stretching out those lateral colateral ligaments in the knee
Bobby: IN ENGLISH PLEASE!
Gorilla: Ouch! That's excedrin headache number 2,182. Makes me glad I retired
Bobby: [Mocking Gorilla] There's one to the cervial dervial part of the neck!
Gorilla: Sasuke just pinned and eliminated Rick Steiner! We now have a triple threat match! Pandemonium has broken out!
Bobby: I told you Monsoon, he was just too slow for this type of match
Gorilla: [Mockingly] And lethargic too, right?
Bobby: Yeah, that too
Gorilla: Good night nurse!
Bobby: Not if she spent it with you!
Gorilla: Grow up, Brain
Bobby: Hey Monsoon, you know why the Great Sasuke wears a mask?
Gorilla: No, why?
Bobby: Have you looked in the mirror lately?
Gorilla: Will you please!
Gorilla: Sasuke has taken over this match! The arena is deafening!
Bobby: Get that Benjamin ready for me Monsoon!
Gorilla: Will you stop! What type of broadcast journalist are you?
Bobby: The type that takes cash only!
You can see this match in its entirety and who comes out victorious a bit below. Tokyo Battle Dome 7 isn't a shabby wrestling title. It's not as good as the Zen games, but TDB 7's Battle Royale mode is a bit more chaotic than Dash's, it definitely gets the edge there in my opinion. I say if you're a wrestling fan, set your sights on TDB 7 and Zen Dash; especially the latter. They're the best in their respective series, rendering the other games a bit useless unless you're a collector or uber diehard wrestling fan who must see the 'evolution' of these series. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have bought them all. But now, hey might as well keep 'em all =p
The Zen games are far more common. The first Varie one is easy to find as well. '94 and '95 I believe are somewhat hard to find. '94 is not worth the effort. '95... yeah it's worth hunting down just for the crazy 4 player battle royale.
Top L to R: Zen, Zen Dash, Natsume Championship Wrestling
Bottom L to R: Shin Nippon 1, SN 2, SN 3
Bakuto! Dochers
Pro Yakyuu Star
Zen Nippon (BABA vs. Patriot)
Shin Nippon 1 Vader crushes Lyger
Shin Nippon FATAL FOUR WAY