Retro Game Master on the DS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retro_Game_Challenge

It was announced a few days ago that a video game based on Game Center CX, a Japanese show about a guy who goes through old games and attempts to beat them, will be localized for the DS. It has a couple of fake 80s games that come with fake magazine articles and developers, so I'd rather wait out for the XSEED localization to get all the humor.

Here's a youtube vid from a few months ago with some guy explaining what it is and showing some footage:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-V1rFNFqebA

The game takes place on the top screen while on the bottom screen the person you're playing as is actually playing the games themselves with his friend, who will yell something like "Get the 1UP!" or sigh when you die. Cool stuff.

List of games:
Cosmic Gate
A Galaga-esque shooting game

Haguru Man
A side-scrolling game which is some kind of merge between Ninja Jajamaru-kun and Mappy.

Rally King
A top-down view racing game similar to the Micro Machines game.

Star Prince
A shooting game extremely similar to Star Soldier.

Rally King SP
Japan is well known for re-releasing Famicom games in joint with businesses and upgrading the game along with giving the companies advertising in the game (Kaettekita Mario Bros. is one of these joint-ventures). Rally King SP emulates a fictional noodle company's endeavor.

Haguru Man 2
A sequel to Haguru Man with better graphics and slightly altered play.

Guadia Quest
An RPG similar to Dragon Quest with an opening scene similar to Final Fantasy

Haguru Man 3
The sequel that actually changes gameplay drastically into a Ninja Gaiden-esque style.


So! Just a heads up. Looks to be promising.

I hope it doesn't ruin the humor with excessive localization. Atlus pulled that "Snake on a Boat" thing in Contact and I just rolled my eyes

The games look pretty koll. That Ninja Gaiden clone looks even better than the game to which it pays homage.

I hate to bump a thread this old.

However, this game has been getting nothing but great reviews, did anyone pick this up? I don't think the game has been out that long (USA) but I have read that they are working on a sequel in Japan. Review scores have pretty much been 8-9 from most every source.

I watched some recent videos of this game and it looks like it could be very good. IGN stated the RPG game alone is over ten hours.

Anyone grab this?

I didn't buy it but I've had a chance to play it. I like it, but I'd read about it a little bit beforehand, so I knew what to expect.

I saw the reviews, thinking about picking it up --there are several good DS games that have come out recently...

Would've loved to play it last summer, but just can't find myself to care enough despite hearing nothing but glowing praise for it. I have far too many games now I need to play before buying any others.

A sequel's been announced as well and it appears to have moved onto the PC-Engine and Game Boy. I saw a Blazing Lazers homage game in a video of it.

edit: the game is called Retro Game Challenge stateside.

Well, I picked this up and while it is very good it is super hard. I have only made through about seven of the challenges and imagine that it gets even harder. The free play mode is really nice but you have to open up each game first, which is a pain.

Overall it is a nice game and does a good job of matching some of the game types and challenges of the 80's. However, it is too difficult for my candy ass, so I will be trading it in this weekend.

Bobak said:

I saw the reviews, thinking about picking it up --there are several good DS games that have come out recently...

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If you have a love of obscure NES/Famicom games, you can't go wrong. It's like finding half a dozen+ lost gems. Truly a love letter to Fami fans. Though games are on the short side, they're really well designed.
Robot Ninja Haggleman 3 is just great; Ninja Gaiden 3 plus exploration elements. And the Star Prince/Super Star Solider homage is a very fun little shmup. Those are just some standouts; it's all good.

Plus, if they sell enough copies, they'll localize the sequel. Come on everybody!

Gameoz said:

However, it is too difficult for my candy ass, so I will be trading it in this weekend.

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Don't give up man! Did you unlock all the games yet? Haggleman 3 is worth the effort of playing though all the Rally King nonsense.

astrodan88 said:

If you have a love of obscure NES/Famicom games, you can't go wrong. It's like finding half a dozen+ lost gems. Truly a love letter to Fami fans. Though games are on the short side, they're really well designed.
Robot Ninja Haggleman 3 is just great; Ninja Gaiden 3 plus exploration elements. And the Star Prince/Super Star Solider homage is a very fun little shmup. Those are just some standouts; it's all good.

Plus, if they sell enough copies, they'll localize the sequel. Come on everybody!


Don't give up man! Did you unlock all the games yet? Haggleman 3 is worth the effort of playing though all the Rally King nonsense.

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No...I'm not good enough to clear Haggleman (fourth challenge). (Yes I suck that bad). I have put about an hour into that challenge and I always die on the 4th floor and that is the challenge that you have to clear without dying.

I can appreciate how good this game is but it also reminds me how hard some of the games in the 80's were. And...I am no where near as good of a gamer now that I was back then.

I've been playing it and it's good stuff. It's like a parody of your gaming childhood.

So far I'm not liking haggleman. Can't beat the last boss. Looking forward to Guardia Quest.

GregN. said:

I've been playing it and it's good stuff. It's like a parody of your gaming childhood.

So far I'm not liking haggleman. Can't beat the last boss. Looking forward to Guardia Quest.

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I didn't care for Haggleman either and it was at the same spot you mentioned that I was having problems. Cool game but some of the challenges can be hard. I don't mean that is a bad thing but since you only have access to one game at a time, if you are stuck in a game you don't like or can't beat, you may not get to the next game.

GregN. said:

So far I'm not liking haggleman. Can't beat the last boss.

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Are you on Haggleman or Haggleman 2? Yeah, the boss is a real pain (in both) until you realize the trick. You gotta jump when he's under you and cause him to rocket up into a platform. This will stun him and you can bop him one. rinse, repeat.

I implore you to keep plugging away. Guardia Quest is short but a lot of fun if you liked Dragon Quest II. And again I will tout the glories of Haggleman 3.

Gameoz said:

I don't mean that is a bad thing but since you only have access to one game at a time, if you are stuck in a game you don't like or can't beat, you may not get to the next game.

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Yes, that's the most annoying thing about the game. I wish it let you start on any game's challenges at any time. But I appreciate the journey through 80's gaming that it's trying to do.
I just wish it had a super mario style platformer (though I think there's one in the sequel).

My only beef with this game is they put Guadia Quest before Haggleman 3. Guadia is taking a bit to finish up on, since it's challenges are rather long and I'd have rather had it be the final game. Minor gripe aside, I really love this game. Star Prince is a great shooter in its own right and a lot of fun to play through.

Beat Haggleman recently and now I'm stuck on Rally King or whatever it's called. I really suck at it and have managed to chug though the first two challenges of it. IT's gonna take awhile to beat it, I'm afraid.

Really looking forward to Guardia Quest.

Crazy-addictive little gem of a game so far. Only on the last Rally King challenge; trying to pace myself a bit so as not to blow through too fast and be sad it's all over...

Though I suppose Guadia Quest is supposed to take a while.

Most fun I've had on DS in quite some time, no contest.

jro said:

Crazy-addictive little gem of a game so far. Only on the last Rally King challenge; trying to pace myself a bit so as not to blow through too fast and be sad it's all over...

Though I suppose Guadia Quest is supposed to take a while.

Most fun I've had on DS in quite some time, no contest.

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I'm finding that Rally King to be a bitch of a game. Can't beat the 3rd challenge and can't get the + Select cheat code to work. Grrr..

Just picked it up, haven't tried it yet. Looking forward to it.

GregN. said:

I'm finding that Rally King to be a bitch of a game. Can't beat the 3rd challenge and can't get the + Select cheat code to work. Grrr..

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To get the super starting technique in Rally King, you have to push the acceleration button not exactly in the middle of the time between 3 and 2, but closer to 2.

Personnaly I dislike Guadia Quest and Haggleman 1/2, they are plainly boring. Rally King is nice though. The drifting feature reminds me of Mario Kart. Also real race games of the Fami era were way less fun as I remember them !

Didn't care for Haggleman 1-2 myself. The first one was ok; 2 is too difficult. GOod thing the challenges in 2 are easy.

Guardia Quest reminds me of the dark ages of RPGs. Truncated item names, blocky graphics, shoddy translation. At least it tells you what the new equiped items give you for stats. I remember in the old Dragon Warrior games having to do the subtraction and look at the maps to figure out if an item was better or now.

And thank God for all the cheats in Rally King. Terrible game. Too hard and very boring.

GregN. said:

Guardia Quest reminds me of the dark ages of RPGs.

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Wasn't that the point?

How do you like Haggleman 3? You have to like that, right?

Easily one of the best DS games I've played in a long time. One more challenge before I unlock Haggleman 3.

astrodan88 said:

Wasn't that the point?

How do you like Haggleman 3? You have to like that, right?

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Two more challenges before I unlock Haggleman 3. I don't find the Guardia Quest challenges that long or difficult.

I defintely want to try that out.

played it a lot yesterday when I wasn't at the NCAA tourney, went from Cosmic Gate to the final challenge on Guardia Quest, which I really enjoy. Surprisingly easy in some ways, but enjoyable.

Had another go last night and made it to the final challenge. I love this game. I hope they port the sequel, assuming its as good.

I'm now curious to watch the subtitled show.