November | 2016 | RVGFanatic

Natsume Championship Wrestling (SNES)

***Pub and Dev: Natsume | June 1994 | 16 MEGS***

My brother Kevin and I were huge wrestling fans growing up. I remember in the early ’90s when Virgil, a WWF superstar, visited my local mall. I wanted to ask him, “Is wrestling real?” I was seven or eight. But when I got up to him and saw how big he was, I timidly handed him my Virgil trading card and said not a single word. I was in sheer awe. The question I had rehearsed in my head all week long and on the car ride over, it flew straight out the window the second I caught sight of those gigantic biceps.

Virgil signed my card, and he didn't charge me $50! — Still got my signed Virgil card to this very day ^_^

In the summer of ’94, my brother saw an ad for Natsume Championship Wrestling in EGM. The ad, much like the cover, was one of the cheesiest, most laughable ads I ever saw. Two wrestlers that hardly resembles any of the actual NCW combatants are seen sparring. The text read NATSUME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IS DEFINITELY THE MOST INCREDIBLY EXCITING GAME EVER DEVELOPED. IT WILL BLOW YOU AWAY!!

Well hot damn. Say no more. I’m sold. Ah, the innocence of youth. In addition, it had a ton of engrish. And just what in the BLUE HELL is a “Jumping Kneepat” … “Shoulder Through” … “Kitchen Sink” … EH? O_o

My brother then uttered the words I’d heard a hundred times before…

“Steve, go rent it this weekend.”

I wanted Double Dragon V but couldn't betray my bro — I wanted Double Dragon V but couldn’t betray my bro

And so, it was that Friday night that my dad and I were off to the rental shops. No store had NCW except Ultimate Video — the new gigantic mom ‘n pop that opened circa spring of ’94. I remember seeing Double Dragon V and wanting to rent that instead. But I had a direct objective to see through. My dad checked the game out and we stopped by Burger King to grab dinner on the way home. Hey, isn’t it kind of funny how our brains remember the most random little details? Man, I remember it as if it only happened yesterday…

I opted to stay in the car. Ultimate Video did a rarity in those days… they included the game’s manual. Sitting there in the faint orange glow of the street lamp, I studied the extensive manual. To this day it’s a vivid memory that’s stuck with me all these years later.

Read this outside a Burger King summer of '94, heh — Read this outside a Burger King summer of ’94, heh

I remember being impressed by the large move set. Most wrestling games of that era simply didn’t have very many moves. Here you had different moves for the SAME button! All you had to do was hit left, right, up or down to do a different maneuver. Maybe the ad wasn’t lying. Maybe this was indeed the most incredibly exciting game ever developed. But then I spotted some funny errors in the manual. What the hell is a slipper hold? And why is Conan 6’9″ when he’s 6’0″? The game received extremely limited exposure in magazines. I was beginning to think I should have gone with Double Dragon V [Yeah like that one turned out so hot -Ed.]

Long story short(er), we ended up loving this game. It’s a shame that NCW has never really been in the spotlight like it deserves. So without further ado, let’s see why this game is the most incredibly exciting game ever developed. Or at least, why it’s a damn fine wrestling title, anyhow.

What is Technostasy? Why is there no space in between since and 1987? What an odd bunch! [You’re one to talk -Ed.]

There are five modes in all. If you play against the computer you can choose from easy, medium or hard. With friends, it’s possible to have 12 players via the Round Robin Tag Match, though obviously not simultaneously. Don’t start on hard if you’re new and wish to keep your teeth intact. The system is based on timing, not rapid button mashing (thank goodness) but for newbies it’ll take a while to get the timing down pat.

FEEL THE POWER!

The energy bar system is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Like Vampire Savior (but much earlier, mind), when you take damage it’s possible to recuperate health. However, the more damage you take, the slower the healing. There are six bars. Blue, green, yellow, red, dark red and black. I found it innovative as hell back in ’94.

It’s bloody ace. Other wrestling games of that era had one energy bar, with no healing potential. Think of all those WWF games, Saturday Night Slam Masters and so forth. You’ll never look at an energy bar in a wrestling game quite the same again after playing NCW.

In tag matches this feature especially shines. Tag out with your health on dark red, two minutes later tag back in and you’ll find your health in the green. Therefore, tag team strategy in this game more closely mimics the real thing than other wrestling games of that era.

And nothing satisfies more than beating someone up SO bad that his health recovers at a snail-like pace! That’s when you know you’ve truly given someone a legit beat down.

THE WRESTLERS

There are 12 in all, with three different body shapes: big, medium and small. Let’s meet these barbaric savages now shall we?

ASTEROID

6’4″
269 pounds

My favorite. According to the manual he has won many championships and bloody hell, he does one mean face slam!

conan-ncw CONAN

6’0″
259 pounds

One of only two medium body types, Conan does one hell of a moonsault! Maybe it’s the name, maybe it’s the unique look, but I always thought Conan was one cool ass dude.

Beautiful moonsault. No one does it better. Because nobody else can even do a moonsault! Always been a fan of Conan because of this very fact.

VIPER

6’1″
248 pounds

Fast as lightning, with some of the game’s coolest moves, thanks to the fact that they belong only to him. I liked his unique blue tights with the fangs, and his blue hair was quite a riot back in ’94. Viper was my brother’s second favorite wrestler in this game

Viper delivers one hell of a flying elbow drop. Somewhere the Macho Man Randy Savage is looking down with a grin on his kisser. “OOOH YEAH!”

Small in stature perhaps, but don’t underestimate the little guy’s strength. He pulls off a mean powerslam. The snap is so smooth and crisp on that sucker.

PHANTOM

6’0″
258 pounds

Palette swap? Shh, Natsume knows no such thing. Phantom has that devious look down to a science, but unfortunately lacks cool moves. As such, my brother and I hardly ever picked him as our choice wrestler. He was fun as hell to beat up, though!

Nice cross chop to the throat though. Ooof!

SPIKE

6’4″
279 pounds

Spike is the tallest bloke in NCW at shockingly just 6’4″ — it would have been cool to see a 7 footer in this game. Spike sports one hell of a tan. Hmm, he reminds me of Jake “The Snake” Roberts. My brother and I used to hype up Spike as one tough customer because he reminded us so much of Jake Roberts, who was one certified badass.

Spike even finishes off his opponents with a DDT, much like Jake himself. However, Spike adds a little twist — it’s a jumping DDT. Ouch.

J. KRAZE

6’3″
277 pounds

He sure could use Spike’s tan, eh? A former mental patient, he’s earned his name for good reason! My brother and I used to love beating up J. Kraze. We got a kick out of his “crazy” backstory and the fact that his last name is “Kraze.” Oh Natsume, you bastards you.

Look at all that cray cray — All that cray cray…

I mean, just look at that kisser! He’s a psychopath! Nothing beats beating up crazy folk…

Clothesline from hell! The victim will receive a NASTY whiplash if near the ropes.

BIG APE

6’2″
322 pounds

Big Ape is the heaviest competitor but I was always disappointed at his lack of height. I wish they made him a towering 6 foot 10 or even 7 foot tall. A King Kong Bundy clone, Big Ape knows how to throw his weight around!

Wrong side of town, Phantom... — Wrong side of town, Phantom…

It’s like using Bowser or Donkey Kong Jr. in Super Mario Kart. You don’t want to be bumping (no pun intended) into this guy!

Avalanche Slam wipes out the competition. Love this finishing move. I always thought it was super cool and often wondered why no wrestlers in real life use this move. It’s like a running powerslam without the running, but the way Big Ape spikes them, with all of his 322 pounds crashing on them, is devastating.

H. SNAKE

5’9″
245 pounds

No knee pads? Is he mad, or just plain dumb? I hate this guy. I always take great pleasure in beating him up. He looks like the kind of guy you just want to pummel! My brother and I never used H. Snake. He was kind of a lame design to be honest! And his moves weren’t very interesting.

Clothesline him against the ropes. Then smack ‘im in the face, bouncing him off the ropes, before he can counter.

Cap off the combo by evading the punch and nailing a sick standing dropkick.

FANGZ

6’1″
262 pounds

Fangz may be the dullest of them all. Basically a swap of Asteroid but hardly any fun to play as. He doesn’t even have the cool tights of Viper or H. Snake. He’s just there and very forgettable.

Delivers one decent power bomb, though.

PYTHON

6’2″
302 pounds

Hmmm, Viper, Fangz, H. Snake, now Python?! Snake fetish, much? This fool is mad strong! Arguably has the best looking move in the game too. His throwing power bomb is a sight to behold.

Decapitation city — what a brutal looking clothesline!

Python’s throwing power bomb is a beautiful sight. You can even throw them out of the ring with this move!

M. ROACH

5’9″
229 pounds

Roach was my bro’s favorite. Easy to see why. Not only is he great fun to play as, but those are some killer trunks! Plus that name is a hoot. M. Roach. Weird enough that it sticks with you.

His running hip toss is smooth AF!

He’s got a pretty sweet legdrop too. He gets great height on it.

Exclusive to Roach is this super excellent looking neckbreaker! Great animation. Like everything he does, it’s smooth as butter. Love the crash of the mat as Roach drives his opponent into the canvas.

Phantom is dazed as Roach goes for the kill.

K. BRUTO

6’2″
312 pounds

A 3-time champion, Bruto lives up to his moniker. He’s got some of the game’s most brutal moves. Check out his finishing move below. It never fails to make me wince a bit on the inside whenever I see it.

His high angled power bomb will compress your spinal cord and crack your skull. I like how K. Bruto and Python have different power bombs. Poor Fangz though just has a regular power bomb as his finishing move. Like I said, Fangz is forgettable.

THE GAME

Tries to cop Street Fighter II a bit with this — Tries to cop *Street Fighter II* a bit with this

Post match quotes even rear their ugly head in NCW. I guess no brawler of any sort was safe in those days, no? By the way, some of the comments are hilarious I recall. “Wow, he’s heavy” just feels so random. And the excuse of twisting your ankle during the match? It’s got a funky little sense of humor.

Take the fight outside for more destruction

Reach out and touch somebody [Har har -Ed.] — Reach out and touch somebody *[Har har -Ed.]*

Go to sleep, GO TO SLEEP... — Go to sleep, go to sleeeep

When you pick up an opponent, he sits up half way. From here you can pick him up again so that he stands, or leave him sitting, whereby you can kick the back of his skull or wrench his neck in a sleeper hold! I always liked this versatility.

Blood? Only for Roach, oddly — Blood? Just a smidgen

Although no weapons like chairs and broken beer bottles are available, the steel barricades make for a great ally. Try and time it so you can follow up with a killer clothesline combination, right as this animation expires. Simple but highly effective stuff!

QUIRKY BLACK HUMOR TRICKS

This is a neat little "trick" — This is a neat little “trick”

My brother and I nearly fell out of our chairs when we first saw this back in the summer of ’94. We were just messing around as usual, wondering if we could knock the other guy off the apron. We figured we couldn’t, but we had to try anyway. Imagine our shock when we saw that it worked. Nothing beats knocking him off right as the computer tries to go for the tag

You’ve seen how the ropes can come into play (i.e. face slam, clothesline) for a nice added whiplash effect. You’ve seen the dirty tag team tactic. There are some others but I have to show this one…

You’ll need to use a faster wrestler (i.e. Viper) and it only works against a bigger, slower guy (i.e. Big Ape). On the outside, fling them toward the far left of the screen. As soon as you do, RUN. By the time they get to the other side of the ring if you time it right you can actually knock them down! It’s completely satisfying and a bit demoralizing for them. My brother and I played NCW to death back in the day so we knew all the “tricks” of the trade. The game was amazingly deep for its time, especially for the US market. There was no other wrestling game like this.

Ah, the "monkey" commentators. Good times — Ah, the “monkey” commentators. Good times

My mom never cared for gaming. She never bothered to stop and watch me play. However, there was something about Natsume Championship Wrestling that caught her eye. Maybe it was all the devious whiplash tricks, or the catch-you-from-behind spot, but my mom used to stop and watch my brother I play NCW. She would be doing her chores, then she’d hear laughter roaring from the game room. She’d poke her head in and actually watch us play for a bit. She never did that with any other game. One day she made the comment “Are those guys monkeys?” My brother and I never noticed it prior, but they did look a bit like monkeys, so my bro and I started calling them the “monkey commentators.” It’s just one of those funky memories that has stuck.

MORE NCW MEMORIES… AND THE DAY IT DIED

After my brother and I enjoyed the heck out of Natsume Championship Wrestling, we decided it was a game we were going to buy, once it went on budget. Sure enough, one year later we were browsing the SNES game aisle at Toys R Us in good ol’ 1995.

And there it was, like a beacon of light.

NCW on clearance for $19.99.

I grabbed that classic Toys R Us game slip — it turned out to be the last one!

We played NCW for a good long time. My mom would casually walk by and actually stand there to watch for a minute or two. She couldn’t care less for video games, but something about the barbaric game tactics (rope whiplash trick, catch-you-from-behind, etc.) appealed to her, and of course, the outlandish chimp commentators. Looking back, those were truly the good old days…

We played together mostly, but when against, I usually got the better of him.

We played NCW well into 1997. It was loads of fun, but one day, my brother finally “laid the game to rest” — as they might say.

“Hey, let’s play NCW,” I said.

“Naw, I had enough of it.”

“What? One more time… c’mon.”

“We’ve played it to death…”

And he was right. We had slammed J. Kraze’s crazy ass probably a zillion times, crushed Snake’s wind pipe five hundred thousand times and sent Spike to the hospital more times than I could count. We truly exhausted the game for all it was worth. With my brother retiring from NCW, so too did I. It was a sad day, but inevitable. Such is the life of video games…

WHERE HAVE I SEEN YOU BEFORE?

Notice the name there? JULIE... — Notice the name in the bottom right corner?? JULIE…

The person who did the artwork for NCW, Julie Bell, also did several other gaming covers. I thought the work looked familiar. I did some research and I found out Julie Bell also worked on these games. After you see the artwork you can kind of see her style. For years I noticed a “Julie” on some of my SNES games but never bothered to look it up. It’s nice to solve this little mystery. You already saw Double Dragon V earlier in this review. That was a Julie piece of work. Here are some others…

juliencw — *Splatterhouse 3* (March 1993)

Run Saber (June 1993) — *Run Saber* (June 1993)

Eternal Champions (December 1993) — *Eternal Champions* (December 1993)

King of Dragons (April 1994) — *King of Dragons* (April 1994)

Demon's Crest (October 1994) — *Demon’s Crest* (October 1994)

Good stuff there, Julie! I always liked these covers. Well, aside from the NCW one. Sorry but that one is a bit hideous based on the fact that the drawn wrestlers don’t match the actual in-game wrestlers! But other than that, nice work Julie!

ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING TRILOGY

NCW was based off the Zen Nippon games — NCW was based off the *Zen Nippon* games

If you enjoy NCW then I highly recommend Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Budokan. It’s the third and final game in the trilogy, and features more wrestlers, more moves and a sweet Fatal Four Way match. To be honest it pretty much renders NCW a bit obsolete as it’s everything NCW is and more. Still, I appreciate the generic localization of NCW’s wrestlers and they have a bit of personality to them that makes it worth revisiting once in a blue moon for that odd nostalgic rush. Plus, it never hurts to beat up J. Kraze one last time.

There's a devious aspect to the Fatal Four Way — *Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Budokan* is awesome!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

February 20, 2006.

A little over a month into my SNES resurrection, I re-bought NCW to relive not only the memories, but just to play again a very good wrestling game.

And sometimes good memories obscure a game’s flaws… well, not the case here! NCW still holds up well but of course Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Budokan is essentially an upgraded model. Still, when viewed on its own, NCW certainly holds it own.

Unlike other wrestling games from that time period, the move set was extensive, the grapple system relied on timing (much like the awesome Fire Pro series) and there were so many nice touches. Got your opponent on the ground? Stomp his face or his knees. Do an elbowdrop. A kneedrop. Fling them into the ropes? Backdrop. Clothesline. Running hiptoss. The list goes on and on. Y is for weak moves, B for medium and A for power. If you attempt too strong a move on a fresh opponent they will counter! They must be sufficiently weakened before you can slap your finisher on them.

The first time you witness a running clothesline followed by your opponent ducking seamlessly into a back suplex you will go, “OH NO! But damn if that wasn’t sick.”

While the graphics don’t match that of a Saturday Night Slam Masters, its gameplay is simply unrivaled. There is no comparison between NCW and any other American SNES wrestling game. NCW also has nice sound and music too. Actually, quite catchy indeed.

Here’s another cool twist — instead of 2 going to 3 — there’s 2.5 and 2.9 first. If you kick out during these close counts, the fans can be heard stomping in unison from the rafters!

The wealth of moves and how extremely playable it is makes ita shame this game went under the radar as much as it did. There was ZERO coverage in GameFan and EGM only had a one page preview in their May ’94 issue. Neither publication reviewed the game. It also came out the same time as arcade champion Saturday Night Slam Masters. Tough way to break in, eh?

What a shame. It deserved so much better.

What is the best American SNES wrestling game?

Without hesitation I’d say it’s

It’s not the most incredibly exciting game ever developed. BUT… it is pretty damn good.

Graphics: 6.5
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 7.5

Overall: 8.5

There's my guy! Rock on, Asteroid. Rock on — There’s my guy! Rock on, Asteroid. Rock on

Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Trilogy (SFC)

Natsume launches their underrated wrestling series — *Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling* (7.16.93)

With the popularity of Human’s Fire Pro Wrestling series in the early-mid ’90s, Natsume counteracted with their (underrated) Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling trilogy. They even Americanized a version of this, calling it Natsume Championship Wrestling, which came out on the Super Nintendo market in June 1994. I have fond memories of NCW, so it was a great deal of fun to play the original Japanese version.

Growing up in the late ’80s a kid only needed two things really: Nintendo and Hulk Hogan. I still remember how my uncle would watch Saturday Night’s Main Event with me and my brother. As well as that time he took us to the mall to get an autograph from visiting WWF superstar Virgil. It was a great time.

ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING is an excellent wrestling game featuring solid graphics, good sound and terrific gameplay. The grapple system relies on timing rather than speed. You have weak, medium and power attacks during grapple. The energy bar is perhaps my favorite thing about these games. The “whiplash rope” trick is pretty damn cool too… more on this later on.

EGM introduced me to this series when they ran a cool little preview back in 1994.

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 Vampire Savior, health can be recuperated. For example, you recover health when you’re on the apron resting during a tag match. When you eat a move, like a power bomb or dropkick, you lose the proper amount of health but your energy will recover at a decent pace. However, the more damage you sustain, the slower your energy will recuperate. Brilliant.

Japanese wrestling legend Giant BABA is no match for the younger and quicker Patriot. I dig the simple, colorful visuals. That health bar system was innovative for its time!

There was a subtle sense of black humor, too. You can knock the opposition silly right before they can make the tag. Or even knock out their partner off the apron right as they’re going for the hot tag!

As good of a first entry as this was, the follow-up made some vast improvements.

*Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Dash: Sekai Saikyou Tag* (12.28.93)

ZEN NIPPON PRO WRESTLING DASH was released only five months after the first one. It’s more of an upgrade than a sequel. Like the original, 16 wrestlers are available. So what’s new? Besides minor roster changes, the focus is now on tag team play, though the first game had tag team modes as well. The difference here? Tag team moves.

That'll rearrange his furniture — That’ll rearrange his furniture

OK, I know what you’re thinking

“Tag team combo moves. BIG DEAL!”

That’s why, to save Dash from being simply a hack cash-in, they included…

This mode is a wild free-for-all providing great multiplayer action. There are no energy bars cluttering the screen. The only way to win is via pin fall or submission. Over-the-top-rope doesn’t matter here — hell, you can take the battle outside if you wish.

Just don't get counted out — Just don’t get counted out

The mat on the outside even has a different (more brutal sounding) sound effect as compared to the ring mat. Great attention to detail and made slamming fools on the outside all the more satisfying.

The third and final game of the trilogy, however, is by far the best of the bunch.

Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2:3-4 Budokan (April 7, 1995) — *Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2:3-4 Budokan* (4.7.95)

Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling 2:3-4 Budokan (yes, I know it’s an incredibly weird and awkward title) is my favorite SNES wrestling game. I even prefer it over Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium, which I just reviewed earlier today. While I don’t think it’s technically better than Premium, I do find it to be slightly more fun. There’s a difference between what one considers to be their favorite versus what one considers to be the best. Let’s see what makes this final game in the Zen Nippon trilogy so good.

A CLASSIC FORMULA

Similar to the Fire Pro games, Natsume chose wisely when they decided to make the Zen Nippon games based on timing rather than button mashing. When two wrestlers go to lock up, the first to press an attack button right as the two combatants touch hands will win that grapple. However, if you use a medium or power based attack early on, it may be countered as the opposition might still be too strong. Therefore, you must weaken them bit by bit until you can pull out the heavy hitters (power bombs, pile drivers and so forth). It made for progressive matches that flowed nicely, like real life wrestling matches on TV. You don’t see wrestlers hitting their big power moves right after the opening bell (well at least you don’t in most cases). It’s a classic formula that works and has stood the test of time.

PICK FROM 19 WRESTLING SUPERSTARS

They’re all actual real wrestlers that competed in Japan back in the ’80s or ’90s. My favorite is this guy…

Asteroid was my favorite wrestler from Natsume Championship Wrestling which was a 1994 Super Nintendo release based off Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling. Man, did my brother and I have some good times with NCW. From buying the last copy at Toys R Us in ’95 for its clearance price of $19.99 to all the late evenings we spent glued to the TV screen waging war in tag team battle. Even my mom, who never cared for video games, would occasionally stop whatever chore she was doing to glance at the game. My bro and I played NCW to death for a good number of years until we finally laid it to rest in 1997 when one day my bro simply refused to play it. It was a sad day, but such is the life of video games, I suppose. Thanks for all the good times and fond memories, NCW! You and all your cheesy charm will never be forgotten.

WHY BUDOKAN IS THE BEST IN THE TRILOGY

Poor Doug Furnas probably lost a tooth there

Like I said, more moves than ever before

*[OK, please do not use the word KINKY ever again -Ed.]*

Not really THAT big a deal, but cool stuff nonetheless — Not really that big a deal, but cool stuff nonetheless

Press ‘A’ to hold. If you catch your opponent, you can hit Y for a weak move, B for a medium move, A for a power move or X to sling them into the ropes. It allows you to skip the grappling process but be warned, your opponent can still counter if they’re too strong.

The new entrances are very cool, as well, with their own theme — New entrances with personal theme music? Sick

It's like one of those lavish GODZILLA VS. titles — It’s like one of those lavish *GODZILLA VS.* titles

Just like in the previous games, the 2.5 and 2.9 dramatic counts return. These close counts result in the audience stomping in unison causing the screen to shake. Adds nicely to the drama and intensity of a match.

SICK MOVES

Countering creates a dramatic ebb and flow

No blood, but Budokan is satisfyingly BRUTAL

OUCH, nothing says pain like taking a missile dropkick straight to the mush!

Akira’s face slam is devastating enough on its own. But when combined with the top cable rope? It’s downright dirty.

Jackhammer?! Close enough. In real life Akira used this move which he called Chichubu Cement. Odd name, sick looking move. The crash of the mat sounds extra loud on this move in particular, and never fails to make me wince a little on the inside.

Chichubu Cement against the ropes! Now that definitely makes me wince.

Undertaker would be proud. Love those flashing cameras. Totally captures the spirit of pro wrestling in the mid ’90s!

Akira also delivers one mean power bomb. But wait, there’s a twist here…

There are actually two versions of it! To execute Akira’s power bomb, press A to catch them in a hold first. Then press up or down + A. Tap A once for a regular release power bomb. But tap A multiple times and Akira will turn it into a pinning power bomb! The first time I discovered this by pure accident of button mashing for the hell of it, I almost fell out of my chair. It’s such a deep game, only second to Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium.

Akira just heaves them like they were yesterday’s garbage. I love the ability to do moves from behind — the previous two games didn’t allow this.

Samoan drop and a beauty! Budokan added in quite a few new moves the previous two games didn’t have.

Beautiful frog splash — Eddie Guerrero would be proud.

WHAT IS THE ACTUAL BUDOKAN MODE?

First, check out the cool entrances. Most wrestlers wear some sort of special t-shirt or robe that they only wear during their ring entrances. Good stuff. Baba is PIMPING!

Better fill those seats or else... YOU'RE FIRED — Better fill those seats or else… YOU’RE FIRED

Budokan is a unique mode where you book the wrestling matches. The arena starts out looking rather sorry and sparse, but depending on the quality of your booked matches, more fans fill in as the evening progresses. It’s a cool little niche mode but it’s not my favorite.

Don't hit start, hit option first — Don’t hit start, hit option first

This is a bit tricky. If you hit start you’ll begin the tournament which is meh. But if you press start on OPTION you actually open up the game’s various modes. Kind of weird, huh?

I may be a bit overly enthusiastic here... — I may be a bit overly enthusiastic here…

I love beating up on the masked wrestlers... — I love beating up on the masked wrestlers…

Fire Pro ain't got nothing on this! — *Fire Pro* ain’t got nothing on this

The Fatal Four Way leads to some good old fashion arcade-esque fun and chaos. Bum rushing folks from behind is oddly one of the greatest pleasures in multi-player history. There’s just something about attacking your friends from behind that will cause you to grin like a Cheshire cat. Trust me when I say… it’s priceless.

Like in Natsume Championship Wrestling, the ropes can be your friend if used wisely. You can actually ram them into the ropes, bouncing them off! This makes a neat sound effect as you watch in pure joy at the clever brutality and sheer violence of it all. It’s viciously, deviously violent.

It's why I prefer it slightly over Fire Pro — It’s why I prefer it slightly over Fire Pro

Part of the fun is waiting in the wings, then rush attacking the opponent in the middle of his wrestling move. Here we see a well-timed dropkick in the middle of a suplex. All three bodies crash loudly to the mat, but of course only you get up immediately. The others? Licking their sore wounds on the canvas! Sweet.

That's what I call a hit and run — That’s what I call a hit and run

Indeed, taking out two wrestlers at the same time, particularly nailing one in front and the other from behind, is too damn fun. You can imagine the chaos and temporary allegiances this may create when playing against friends.

If anyone is foolish enough to taunt during a Fatal Four Way match, it’s your civic and rightful duty to remind them why doing so is not a good idea. Hey, someone’s gotta do the dirty work… don’t mind if I do!

LEGENDARY BATTLES

My longest match ever, this was simply epic

On average, my Fatal Four Way matches roughly go anywhere from about eight to 12 minutes. The real fun lies in trying to see how long you can prolong the torture of the three other wrestlers. You can break up pin falls by pressing ‘B’ to stomp, but it doesn’t always work, oddly enough. My longest time was 24 minutes and 38 seconds. However, on my last play-through, it went a record long 51 minutes and 28 seconds! After Patriot and Eagle were eliminated, this damn fool refused to lose. He kicked out at 2.5 and 2.9 at least 30 times. He was a man possessed. I hit him with about 15 missile dropkicks yet, like Freddy or Jason, dude kept coming back for more. I never saw anything like it before. After a back breaking power bomb, he finally submitted to my foul desires. It’s just fun to see how long you can keep a match going with all three guys, then two, then finally one. It’s like some sick game within a game type thing. I know, I’m weird. But damn if this isn’t fun.

Gotta watch that ref's count, though — Gotta watch that ref’s count, though

Whenever the fight spills outside the ring, there’s a decent chance one of the computer wrestlers will be counted out. They stay out there no matter what until the count of six. Also, when they’ve been beaten to a pulp, the first submission animation leads to a submission victory. It’s trickier than you think to keep all three computer opponents alive, and it’s fun to see how long you can take them to the limit. Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Budokan is largely a dream come true for this ol’ wrestling fan. I see something new almost every time I play it. The other night Patriot and Eagle actually did a tag team move in the Fatal Four Way match to take out Kobashi. It was a suplex-top rope splash combination. That same match I discovered that Akira Taue can counter a rope reversal by hitting UP + Y or B, which produces a DDT! Speaking of Akira, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out he had two different power bombs (based on whether you press A once or tap it a few times). The depth of this wrestling game is second only to Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

"COMING DOWN TO THE RING, WEIGHING IN AT..." — *“COMING DOWN TO THE RING, WEIGHING IN AT…”*

Budokan took everything that worked in the first two games and cranked it up even further. Budokan offers more wrestlers, more moves, a superb Fatal Four Way match, better gameplay, better graphics and so on. This is one of those games I can pop in after a long day, play for even just 10 minutes and be satisfied with each and every time. It’s just a bloody brilliant fun time — especially for wrestling fanatics like myself.

The game's bread and butter — The game’s bread and butter

Zen Nippon Pro Wrestling Budokan is my favorite wrestling game on the SNES. If only the game featured WCW and WWF guys, it would be flawless. Imagine using guys like Sting, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage and Shawn Michaels with this graphic style and gameplay system. Alas, we get 19 All Japan Pro Wrestling stars. They’re not bad but I don’t connect with them as I do with the more well known American wrestlers of mid ’90s fame. But I digress. Combining the arcade-like fun and chaos of Saturday Night Slam Masters with Fire Pro’s purity, Budokan is a gem that deserves more props. Bravo, Natsume!

Gotta love those lovely entrances, complete with the wrestler’s theme music!

Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium (SFC)

Arguably the greatest 16-bit wrestling game ever

Fire Pro Wrestling. It’s a cult classic franchise that has picked up steam over the years. Even back in the day of the late ’90s, when the internet was still relatively new, I remember hearing the rumblings online of Fire Pro. People were talking about Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium for the Super Famicom and Fire Pro S: Six Man Scramble for the Sega Saturn. My brother bought Fire Pro G on the Sony PlayStation and we played it to death. A little later on I bought Six Man Scramble.

It's an all out WAR! — It’s an all out WAR!

Somewhere Samurai Shodown is smiling — Somewhere *Samurai Shodown* is smiling

Fire Pro games are well known for being very realistic and in-depth. There were several entries on the Super Famicom but the last one, Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium, was the best of the 16-bit lot. Four could wrestle at once, and there was an extensive create a wrestler mode where you could create and save up to 80 wrestlers. It blew away any other “CAW” at that time (1996). It was revolutionary in many ways. The grappling is based on a timing and strength system. No button mashing here! I never was a huge fan of wrestling games where you had to mash away in order to win a grapple. Here you win based on timing, which is far more enjoyable. There are weak, medium and strong buttons. If you start out a match trying to use medium or strong moves, your opponent will counter because they’re still too fresh. No energy bars are shown — you’ll just instinctively know how strong or weak someone is.

REVOLUTIONARY FOR ITS TIME

There are a crap load of wrestlers to choose from. It spans many different federations and even include a few familiar American faces, like Hawk here of Road Warriors/Legion of Doom fame (R.I.P.)

SUPLEX CITY! Somewhere Brock Lesnar is pacing as Paul Heyman preps his vocal cords. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NAME IS PAUL HEYMAN…”

There are several modes to select from. The game is mostly in Japanese but of course there is a fan English translation floating out there. I always switch the ref to this old guy here — he counts the slowest of all the refs and so the matches are extended a little bit beyond the norm.

HULK HOGAN and UNDERTAKER?! Yup, they’re available from the start.

Tonight’s main event is a FATAL FOUR WAY featuring the Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Hayabusa and ECW’s homicidal, suicidal, genocidal death-defying maniac, SABU! It’s gonna be a barnburner, folks! That shot of all four men knocked out on the mat is a sign of the chaos and sheer insanity to come…

Hulkster does his classic pose. Sabu then points to the sky to honor his uncle, The Sheik. Just like their real life counterparts back in their hey day. Great attention to detail! Coming from HUMAN and Fire Pro you wouldn’t expect anything less.

Tonight’s main event will continue until there is one man (or dead man) left standing. Every man for himself, elimination style. Let’s check out the action!

Undertaker delivers a high impact side suplex while Hogan tries to shut up the marks with a well executed Boston Crab.

Hogan with the Big Leg Drop of Doom! Hayabusa tried to intercept it but his timing was a bit off there. In reality we all know nothing stops Hulkamania.

Hayabusa shows off his strength by slamming the dead man, followed by a nice senton flip. Meanwhile, the Hulkster delivers a sweet vertical suplex to the mad man, Sabu.

“STUNNER! STUNNER!! STUNNER!!!” -Jim Ross, probably

Taker with his patented beautiful running flying clothesline. Meanwhile, Hulk hits Sabu with a nasty pinning power bomb.

Hayabusa shows off his classic 450 Splash.

German suplex well executed. That’s gonna leave a mark.

Nobody ever said Sabu was smart now. He lives up to the “suicidal” part of his nickname, for sure. Meanwhile, notice that gorgeous DDT on the Hulkster there. Hayabusa spiked him good! Somewhere Jake “The Snake” Roberts is grinning.

FLYING SPINNING CARTWHEEL KICK AND A BEAUTY! Taker displays his power with a standing delayed vertical suplex. The mat crashes with the bodies of these fierce, insane gladiators.

Break up pin falls if you wish to have all the glory for yourself.

Hayabusa and Sabu form a temporary alliance to take down the Immortal One, but the Undertaker has other plans.

The X sign! He's injured! — The infamous X — he’s injured!

So much for that alliance, eh? Sabu turns on the masked warrior right after and gets him to submit. Not only that but judging by the referee’s X signal, that means we have a legitimate injury… after all, referees show the X sign in real life for real injuries. They’ve never used it as part of a storyline…

Or maybe they did (WrestleMania 22) — Or maybe they have… see WrestleMania 22 and Ric Flair. WOO!

Speaking of the legendary Nature Boy, Ric Flair, look at Hogan taking a page out of Flair’s playbook!

Ric, it worked once in 63 years! — Ric, it worked like once in 49 bloody years!

Choke Slam and a beauty! That HAS to be it!

WHAT THE FU — !

hbk-vs-undertaker-wm-25-highli-o — WrestleMania 25

Hogan tried to mock D-Generation X by doing their signature crotch chop, but the Dead Man wasn’t having any of that.

Guess Taker really took great offense to Hogan trying to rip off DX…

“WOULD SOMEBODY STOP THE DAMN MATCH!” Look at the way Sabu’s head bounced violently off the mat. “GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY!” is right, Jim Ross.

“AS GOD IS MY WITNESS HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!” The winner of the match, via DEATH, THE UNDERTAKER!

NOT QUITE PERFECT, THOUGH

Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium does a lot of things right, especially for 1996 standards. However, it’s not quite perfect. For starters, when you’re near the apron of the ring it’s far too easy to fall outside. It’s awkward and kind of kills the flow of a match. This of course was fixed in later Fire Pro games. Another disappointment is that submission moves are way overpowered. I hate seeing an opponent tap out in a simple head lock hold five minutes into the match. It’s just not realistic. Later Fire Pro games gave you the option to turn submissions off, which negates this flaw. Unfortunately there’s no such option here. Another thing that this game is missing are steel cage matches, tables, fluorescent light bulbs, barb wire and all the crazy gimmicks and weapons that the later Fire Pro games would introduce. Think of this as a very PG and promising start to the series, but it’s far from being the “perfect” Fire Pro game. It’s like an early proto of what would become the successful backbone of the series. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an excellent game but whenever I play it it’s hard not to think about the improvements the series would later introduce, and you kind of wish at least a few of those made their debut here. Hell, just give me the no submissions and I’d be happy. Nevertheless, even as is, this is easily one of the greatest wrestling games of the 16-bit era. Possibly even the greatest…

CAW CAW CAW!

The Create A Wrestler (CAW) mode was revolutionary for its time. You could create and save up to 80 wrestlers. There were tons of moves and body models to pick from that you could closely replicate your favorite titans of the squared circle. Here we see Macho Man Randy Savage, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter and the Ultimate Warrior. They all resemble their real life counterpart pretty damn well! So if you take the time you can easily recreate the magic of late ’80s/early ’90s WWF!

Going super old school with Bobo! — Go super old school with Bobo!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It’s easy to see why Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium is so beloved. Released in March of 1996, it’s been over 20 years now and the game remarkably still holds up well. As I stated a bit earlier, there are definitely better more recent Fire Pro games available, but considering this now 20 plus year old game can still stand toe to toe with most wrestling games from ANY era is no doubt impressive indeed. It speaks to how innovative and fresh this game was back in ’96. You want to recreate the Attitude WWF era? Or the Ruthless Aggression era? Or WCW? ECW? Perhaps relive the Monday Night War? With a little time and devotion to the CAW mode, you can! The game certainly isn’t without its flaws but you simply have to appreciate how deep this game was and still is. Human did a great job and should be highly commended. The series definitely didn’t peak here, but it no doubt laid its grass roots with Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium.

WWF-SNES Connection

When you think of the Super Nintendo, what characters come to mind?

… On second thought, that last one’s unlikely, I reckon.

[Oh dear -Ed.]

Well…

How about MARK CALLOWAY?

Possibly unbeknownst to most of us, Mr. Calloway actually has more in common with the SNES than one might initially think.

THE DEBUT OF TWO PHENOMS

Released November 21, 1990 — The world forever changed on November 21, 1990

A little over 26 years ago as I write this, the Super Famicom (Japanese Super Nintendo) launched in Japan. It made a huge splash and as history dictates it went on to smash a lot of video game records and burrowed its way deep into our gaming hearts.

Who's the mystery partner?! — Who’s the mystery partner?!

Meanwhile, over in America, with no internet back then and being all of seven years old, I had no idea that the Super Famicom just made its big splash. All I knew was I couldn’t wait for the 4th Annual Survivor Series event! It was Dusty Rhodes’ Dream Team (R.I.P. Dusty) versus Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team. But wait, DiBiase had a mystery partner. The match graphic to this day is seared into my memory bank. I remember my brother and I having long discussions about who it possibly might be. An old familiar face from the past, or a brand new superstar? It was exciting times. Finally, the day of the 1990 Survivor Series came. November 22, 1990. It was exactly one day after the Super Famicom made its debut.

I’ll never forget the moment DiBiase hit the ring with only two of his three team partners backing him. The WWF (World Wrestling Federation) played up the drama perfectly to the very end. My brother and I were on the edge of our seats. Who and where was this mystery partner?

DiBiase grabbed the microphone and made the announcement himself. It was unheard of as the ring announcer always made the announcements. This only proved to punctuate the moment even further. This was a moment in time. A moment in wrestling history none of us would ever forget.

“I’ve said it a million times before — EVERYONE’S GOT A PRICE FOR THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN! So without further ado, I’ll introduce to you now my mystery partner. Led to the ring by his manager, Brother Love, weighing in at THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY POUNDS, from DEATH VALLEY — I GIVE YOU… THE UNDERTAKER, HAHAHAHA!!!”

Gorilla: The Undertaker — the mystery partner — is now revealed!
Piper: I never heard of him –
Gorilla: OH TAKE A LOOK!
Piper: HO-HOLY COW! … LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT HAM HOCK! … Check out them drumsticks, baby!
Gorilla: Three hundred and twenty pounds, looks to be 6’9″ 6’10” — somewhere in that neighborhood, Rod.
Piper: 6’10″… I don’t know, it’s hard to tell from here…
Gorilla: There’s only supposed to be four members on a team — this guy makes four and a half, MAYBE FIVE!

The music, the look, the entrance, the commentary… everything added to create a perfect storm. It was an unforgettable debut — one of the best in the company’s history. The Undertaker was an instant star.

He scared me that night — He scared many of us that night

There was something different about the Undertaker. You just knew he was going to be a mega star. Little did we know… just how big of a star he would become. But yeah, such great memories that night over 26 years ago now. The Undertaker towered over everyone in that ring, and he just looked like he was in a whole ‘notha league compared to the others, and there were some true legends in that ring! Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Honky Tonk Man, Dusty Rhodes and Bret Hart to name a few. Taker held his own and then some. Great wrestling memory!

Billed at a towering 6 foot 10, and seemingly impervious to pain, fans quickly took notice of his unparalleled combination of size, power and agility.

The Undertaker dominated the WWF, going undefeated for over a year in his meteroic rise to the top. Just one year removed from his debut, he made history when he pinned the IMMORTAL Hulk Hogan to become the new Heavyweight Champion at Survivor Series 1991. Few titans before could touch Hulkamania. But the Dead Man was a different sort of beast. The industry never saw anyone quite like the Undertaker before.

The Super Nintendo was released in the US August of that same year, and as the Undertaker cemented his place in wrestling history in ’91, so too did the SNES (in gaming history, mind) by beginning its worldwide march toward market domination.

The Undertaker appeared in no less than six SNES games, and even more. That’s more than most other SNES characters, and gave Mario a run for his money!

The Undertaker had an unprecedented WrestleMania record of 21-0 before Brock Lesnar defeated him at WrestleMania 30 (2014) to make the Dead Man 21-1. Currently, his record sits at 23-1 and he’s definitely gunning for 24-1 at 2017’s WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida. Amazingly, 26+ years later the Undertaker is still wrestling (albeit on an extremely part time basis). The Super Nintendo, although long “dead,” continues to live on in the hearts of retro gamers worldwide. The Undertaker and the Super Nintendo are two phenoms in their respective line of business. Their legacies speak for themselves and I’m positive both will be remembered fondly for generations to come.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I’ve always been a pro wrestling fan from the days of the late ’80s when I first saw the union of the Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage) on an episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event in the fall of 1987. I remain a fan to this day and the Undertaker is a true force in the industry. I got nothing but love and respect for the man and the myth. The Super Nintendo, of course, is my favorite gaming system of all time, and it’s fun to think about the similarities the two share with one another. Who knew the SNES and the Undertaker would have so much in common? They’ve given us 26 years of countless memories, left a lasting legacy and are sure to still be lionized in the years and generations to come. A toast to two awesome phenoms — the Undertaker and the SNES!

Mega Man & Bass (SNES)

Capcom released this Super Famicom game on April 24, 1998 — Capcom’s Super Nintendo swan song (April 24, 1998)

Even to this day, a part of me can’t believe this game ever actually happened. Known as Rockman & Forte, Capcom released it on April 24, 1998, well after the SNES was essentially dead. I guess there was a big enough Japanese market still for them to do this. Whatever the case may be, I’m damn glad they did. Because it’s one hell of a Mega Man entry, and a nice bow on the original series.

The original Japanese version is perfectly playable, but there is a bit of Japanese dialogue. Especially for the item shop and the character bios, it sure helps to be able to read it. Crazed and dedicated fans felt the same way as they worked on an English translation. As a result of that, we have been graced by Mega Man & Bass.

Bass and Treble made their series debut in Mega Man 7. Treble is a wolf and is basically to Bass as Rush is to Mega Man. But for those who don’t want to backtrack to the Mega Man 7 review, here is a quick summary…

Prophetic words indeed from the Blue Bomber. The duo did get their own game and surprisingly it was on the Super Famicom (April 1998). After releasing Mega Man 8 for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn in December of 1996, Capcom wanted to create a new Mega Man game specifically for loyal SNES fans who hadn’t yet made the jump to 32-bit. Further proof that Capcom was the best back in the ’90s.

Capcom felt bad this wasn't on SNES? — *Mega Man 8* is GORGEOUS

MEET THE GOOD GUYS

SAY HELLO TO THE BAD GUY(S)

rofobad5 — Look familiar? They were bosses in *Mega Man 8*

MEGA MAN OR BASS?

Players get the choice to play as either the good old Blue Bomber or the relative newcomer, Bass. Similar to Zero from Mega Man X³, this adds greater longevity to the game as both characters play vastly different. It’s also a blast trying to beat the game with both Mega Man and Bass.

Differences range from small to big. Cosmetically, it’s cool to see the health refills and what not are in the character’s respective color. It’s a nice little touch that I appreciate, even if it’s completely minor.

However, Mega Man as you know has his classic shot. He can only shoot straight ahead. Bass, on the other hand, can shoot in all directions except for straight down. If you’ve ever played a Mega Man game and thought to yourself, “Man, I wish he could shoot up or diagonally…” then you will appreciate Mega Man & Bass. Or at least, Bass anyhow. To compensate for Bass’ shooting ability, he can’t move while he’s shooting (bummer) and his shot isn’t very strong.

Another difference: their personality and disposition. Mega Man is more compassionate and an all-around goody two shoes.

Meanwhile, Bass is a bit more “robotic” [har har -Ed.] and edgy. Hey, he is technically a bad guy. He’s only teaming up on the “good side” temporarily to knock off King.

Checking in with Bass later — for now let’s use good ol’ Megs.

There’s something strange happening at the Robot Museum. Mega Man sets off to figure out what’s going on. I like how the READY sign is big and blue — it reminds me of Mega Man 8.

Museum serves as the standard Mega Man introductory first level you must beat before getting to select from the robot masters. Right away you can see while it’s no Mega Man 8 in terms of visuals (duh), it’s damn impressive for a 16-bit console.

WHEW!! With the whipping rain and wind pushing against you, you manage to barely clear the jump. Make sure you jump at the very edge there.

Proto Man attempts to slay KING — the game’s big bad — but to no avail. OUCH!

Remember the Green Devil from Mega Man 8? He’s back. It’s a different version of the Yellow Devil which appeared in the very first Mega Man title back in 1987.

Reminds me of the bubble boss from Gradius III in that you have to blast away until you expose its core.

Simple, satisfying introductory boss battle that will wet your appetite for the main game coming up. By the way, isn’t it the best feeling in the world to beat a boss with only a health bar or two remaining? Always provides a nice little rush!

WHOA, IT SAVES?!? Yes, it does. It’s the first and only Super Nintendo Mega Man game that uses a save system over passwords.

Purists were a little disappointed when they found out in Mega Man 7 you could only select from four robot masters first instead of all eight. You only get a paltry three here. Once you beat those three, the other five open up. Let’s pay Cold Man a visit first.

Gotta love the animation of Mega Man as he’s zapped magically to the beginning of a stage. It somehow reminds me a bit of Astro Boy. See that CD over there? Throughout the game you’ll find CD’s lying around. Collecting them gives you a character bio card. It’s fun to collect and read (at least if you’re playing a fan translation or if you can read Japanese). Right now you can’t collect that CD since that ice block is, er, blocking your path. But maybe if you beat Burner Man a bit later on and use his Web Burner… hmmm…

Other CD’s are more instantly accessible. They’re not necessary to collect but of course it’s fun to try and collect all 100.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas [TOYS IN EVERY STORE -Ed.]. No, I mean it’s almost December. That and this gigantic snowman mid boss [Oh, ahem, I knew that… -Ed.]

Slightly tricky bit where you have to time your jump correctly to catch a ride.

Cakewalk city with Cold Man. Jump over his Ice Wall and blast him with your Mega Buster.

Beware of his Sub Zero-esque ice puddle attack, however. He also sends forth an annoying cloud that can really bog you down and leave you ripe for the taking. Best to shoot it down early to avoid that possibility altogether.

Ahhh, what’s better than getting the last shot in and seeing the boss explode with that sweet visual and sound effect? It never gets old, I tells ya!

Speaking of never getting old, I also like seeing how Mega Man earns the boss’ weapon. Just sit back and enjoy.

Alright, we got Ice Wall! But, um, what does it do, exactly?

WHOA!! This game actually gives you a demo preview of each new weapon you steal! Why Capcom didn’t think of this a long time ago remains a mystery.

Ground Man, huh? To Capcom’s defense, after NINE titles you would be running out of ideas too [Oh yeah watch this! Er, um, Cup Man! Hmm, OK, I’ll cut Capcom some slack -Ed.]

There’s a ton of sand everywhere here. You’ll be wondering if there’s an instant death pit or a helpful item hiding in the sand. Find out for yourself…

Creepy robotic worms fall from a pod located up top. Meanwhile, don’t stand still for too long as you’ll sink to your death.

You’ll quickly discover you can’t kill it. So hold onto that ladder there and wait for it to pass by. The ladder doesn’t take you to a new screen. It’s just there for you to safely wait it out. Well isn’t that thoughtful of Ground Man? Helping out the good guys. Just don’t let King know about this…

Better high tail it as the nasty critter quickly reappears. Whew, just barely slid home safe here, eh?

MAJOR FAIL on the first pic there. You can’t run back to a previous screen so get ready to eat some damage. Second pic, the race is on! Who will get to the ladder first? Oh the tension…

Although not the same creature (it would be cool if it was), it’s definitely related. Tough mid boss. Its pattern is somewhat erratic so it’s a bit of a pain to deal with. Close call there, Mega Man!

OUCH. I bet that stings like a you know what. Look at the attention to detail. When your health is low, Mega Man is visibly injured. Nice, Capcom. Nice.

Watch out for its little babies. You can only kill them with the Mega Buster since they’re so small. Gotta love the classic flashing.

SAFE!! Silky smooth, that Mega Man.

Shots sail harmlessly off Sniper Joe’s shield. I’ve always liked the detail of the shots flying backwards. Sniper Joe likes to launch grenades. Give him a taste of your Mega Buster to put him down for the count.

Puzzle time! Each pillar destroyed causes the spikes to fall one more notch. It starts out simple but…

Doesn’t take long before it gets a tad trickier. Sorry about that, Mega Man.

ProTip: Not all treasure chests are helpful. A little RPG-esque here, eh? By the way, see that match there? See what happens when you revisit this level later on with the Web Burner in tow…

Speaking of boss weapons, here’s Mega Man riding the Ice Wall to victory. Sick.

Astro Man, no relation to Astro Guy from King of the Monsters, is next. If he looks familiar to you it’s because he was a boss from Mega Man 8.

Cursory glance and I might believe you if you told me this were a PlayStation or Saturn Mega Man title. It speaks volumes about how gorgeous this game looks and how silky smooth it is.

Meggers giving it the old college try.

Bonjour, Joe. That CD taunts you but after you get your hands on Burner Man’s Web Burner, you’ll be the one who gets the last laugh.

Strange birds and creatures fly out of that inter-dimensional portal screen. Part of me almost expects to see Shredder and Krang!

Interesting bit: study the light pattern and repeat it. If done so correctly, the door magically opens. If not, well, you can figure out what those guns might do…

Tricky bit with the elevating platforms. Keep moving along, Megs!

D’OH!! OK, let’s switch over to Bass now.

Firing off rapid plasma shots for a little “purple rain” action.

Double jump like a ninja. Bass can’t slide, but this is decent compensation.

Shooting diagonally in a Mega Man game? I’m so there.

Reminiscent of Mega Man X, Bass can also dash. It’s fun playing this on a cold rainy December night.

Green Devil is definitely an easier boss when using Mega Man. C’mon Bass!

“THIS IS SPARTA!” Bass battles Green Devil to the very bitter end.

SHOP ‘TIL YA DROP

Remember Auto from Mega Man 7? He’s back. He’s sometimes known as Rightot. Whatever you want to call him, call him helpful. He runs this shop where he creates useful items in exchange of bolts (the game’s currency). Throughout the levels you will find small and big bolts. Collect them to buy power-ups. There are lots of items; they range from extra lives to auto charge (!) on the Mega Buster shot. Selecting the right power-up for the right stage is all part of the strategy.

GOTTA COLLECT THEM ALL!

Throughout the game there are a total of 100 CD’s strewn about the stages waiting to be collected. These open up character bios. This is where playing an English translation pays off. I mean, it’s nothing fancy but it’s certainly fun to be able to read the silly little text. It’s a nice piece of Mega Man history, you know?

Character bios span the entire previous Mega Man universe. Knight Man from Mega Man 6, Freeze Man from Mega Man 7, Frost Man from Mega Man 8, and yes even Saturn from Game Boy Mega Man V! Impressive. True diehards will definitely make it a point to collect all 100. By the way, Saturn hates video games? BOO!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Mega Man & Bass, er, Rockman & Forte, rocks — *Mega Man & Bass*, er, *Rockman & Forte*, rocks

I remember when I first found out about Rockman & Forte being a real thing. It was during the mid 2000s and I was thinking, “Seriously? Capcom released this great looking Mega Man game on the Super Famicom in 19-freaking-98?!” That they did. Whatever the reasons were, I’m damn glad they did. It’s easily the Super Nintendo’s second best Mega Man game, only trailing the epochal Mega Man X. Being able to use Bass, with his double jumping and diagonal shooting, brings a whole new dimension to the table. The items present a bevy of strategies one could take and the game presents a fairly decent challenge. The 100 CD’s are fun to collect and read — it’s basically a little Mega Man compendium. Oh and perhaps best of all, you can now save. What a fantastic swan song for the Super Nintendo from the fine folks at Capcom. If it weren’t for 1999’s Sutte Hakkun, I’d say this is easily the last great Super Nintendo game ever crafted.

Stunning visuals, classic Capcom audio and vintage Mega Man gameplay cements Rockman & Forte (or Mega Man & Bass) as one of the best Super Famicom games to never appear in North America. Thank you Capcom for giving us loyal SNES fans one last bang. Capcom’s SNES swan song turns out to be one of the Blue Bomber’s finest 16-bit outings.

Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 7

Overall: 9.0
Gold Award

Quit monkeying around and play this! — Quit monkeying around. Play it!

Mega Man 7 (SNES)

**Pub and Dev: Capcom | September 1995 | 16 MEGS**

After gifting SNES owners with two high quality Mega Man X games, Capcom shocked the world when it released Mega Man 7 in the fall of 1995. By then the SNES was starting to wane as 32-bit war machines and 3D polygons became all the rage. The PlayStation was unleashed that same month to much hype, and it was clear the SNES had seen better days. But can Mega Man 7 prove there’s life yet in the Super Nintendo and the Blue Bomber? Let us take a trip back in time. The original Blue Bomber is back, but is it a happy homecoming?

DEATH, HOMEWORK AND MEGA MAN

mmnes6 — Like a horror movie franchise, they kept coming

Growing up in the late ’80s to mid ’90s I was blessed enough to witness the rise of the classic 8-bit NES as well as the SNES. Along with that, my friends and I got to play a crapload of Mega Man games. There were a whopping six of them on the NES. The second one remains one of my favorites to this day; it still holds up remarkably well even 25+ years later and was a defining game for many of us. The rest of the sequels all had their good points. It was nearly a certainty back then that with each passing year there would be a new Mega Man title to play, and eight more robot masters to conquer. It was death, homework and Mega Man for many kids. While the series peaked for me at number two, I can vividly remember playing parts three through six in one fashion or another. There wasn’t a single bad Mega Man title among them. They might not have been as epic as Mega Man 2, but with these games I could always be guaranteed a certain amount of polish. Like a comfy old pair of sneakers, Capcom rarely let me down.

They just keep coming and coming... — Mega Man and Michael Myers have more in common than you think…

In many ways I consider Mega Man as the horror movie franchise of video gaming. Like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, it seemed like every year a new sequel was made. Just like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, you couldn’t kill Mega Man or his nemesis, Dr. Wily. And just like the horror film franchises I cited, there was usually one stand out in the group, with the following sequels never quite living up to the standards set by the best entry in the series. Still, the sequels nevertheless held a certain charm for the diehard fan. For the Halloween series, it was the original. For Mega Man, it was part 2. In the early ’90s I was clamoring for a Halloween sequel as well as a 16-bit Mega Man. Finally, in September 1995 HALLOWEEN 6: The Curse of Michael Myers came out. And that same month Capcom gave us MEGA MAN 7, bringing the original Blue Bomber for the first time to the Super Nintendo. My wish had come true and I was psyched! [Be careful what you wish for… -Ed.]

HE'S BAAAACK... — HE’S BAAAACK… *heavy breathing*

It was a homecoming for both Michael Myers and Mega Man in the fall of ’95. The Boogeyman returned to the silver screen after a six year long absence while the Blue Bomber made his classic series debut on the Super Nintendo. Yet again the town of Haddonfield is steeped in danger and cold blood as a masked maniac roamed the streets. The film followed the sordid exploits of the Shape stalking his unsuspecting victims both day and night. And in his penultimate role, the legendary Donald Pleasence returned one last time to reprise Sam Loomis — Michael Myers’ former doctor turned boogeyman hunter. The theatrical version was universally panned. Rightfully so, as it was a mess. However, hardcore Halloween fans know there is a producer’s cut featuring 43 minutes of alternate footage (including a different ending). It tied up some of the loose ends of the shoddy and heavily edited version shown in theatres. It’s one of my favorites but the theatrical version, not so much. Michael Myers had a rough homecoming. How did Mega Man fare?

Sadly, not that much better (with the critics anyhow)

Mega Man 7 couldn’t have arrived at a worse time. It came out the same month as the PlayStation. While the SNES was very much still alive in the US, it was clear that its best days, commercially, were over. Next gen became all the rage, and in the midst of all this, Capcom decided to resurrect the original NES series. Had it came out two years prior, it would have been hailed as one of the great comebacks of the 16-bit generation. Instead, it got lost in the shuffle and was largely deemed as redundant, outdated and ultimately forgettable. It was seen as a Capcom cheap cash cow attempt to milk a classic franchise for a few bucks from loyal 16-bit owners before moving to 32-bits. Mega Man 7 did garner some solid reviews but no one really noticed as it quietly went as quickly as it came. But one of the great things about this hobby is the ability to explore any game in-depth, even if it flew under the radar back in the day. With that said, let’s take a look at the 16-bit debut of the original Blue Bomber.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING IN LIFE AND GAMING

mm7-2 — It’s all about being at the right place, right time

Isn’t it amazing how big a role timing plays in life? Today complete copies of Mega Man 7 can reach as much as $700. Back in 2006 I got it complete for a measly $25. How times change. I took this pic on a Saturday morning of April 1st, 2006. I’m thankful I got back into the SNES scene when I did. I was lucky the nostalgia bug bit me a few years earlier than it did for many others, as the retro market began to rise just 2-3 years later. Speaking of timing, it’s a well known fact that Mega Man 7 was rushed; it had a developmental time window of just three months. While the programmers look back on the tight-knitted experience fondly, with designer Yoshihisa Tsuda referring to it as being fun like a sports team camp, they all admitted they had different regrets. Ideas they wish they could have fleshed out more with an extra month of time. It’s easy to see where their sentiments stem from. Mega Man 7 is flawed but plenty of fun with a few twists along the way, in addition to its familiar traits. Plus it had cameos galore from Mega Man’s 8-bit gaming past.

He can now duck! Er, maybe if they had more time

THE STORY GOES…

One by one, these top secret robot masters awoke from their six month long slumber…

With the city lying in ruin and countless casualties, the world needed a hero to step up…

After killing Mad Grinder, you meet Bass and Treble

Sad but true: his Mega Buster has been toned down. Normally, the charge shot counts as 3 regular shots, but here it’s been reduced to 2. It pissed off quite a few diehard fans.

Wait, where's my eight? — Wait, where’s my eight?

Speaking of pissing off, Mega Man 7 also had another big change in the classic formula that was not very well received by some pundits. Rather than giving you all eight bosses to pick from right off the bat, now you begin with four. Some complained that this killed the strategy component of the original concept. On the other hand, it allowed the four back end levels to be harder… based on the fact that the programmers knew you had to have gained certain skills prior! It’s a give and take. After a while I honestly didn’t mind it one bit.

Yellow, you're mellow. Be near RED, you're DEAD — Yellow, you’re mellow. Be near RED, you’re DEAD

Sliding effectively is the difference between the agony of defeat or the thrill of victory.

I hate to burst your bubble -- [HAR HAR -Ed.] — I hate to burst your bubble — *[HAR HAR -Ed.]*

Things get international with VISHNU MAN (or not) — Things get international with Vishnu Man (or not)

Everything's bigger in Mega Man 7... even the ladders — Everything’s bigger in *Mega Man 7*, even the ladders

Those annoying Mets are back in a beat 'em up bit — Those annoying Mets are back in a beat ‘em up bit

And you thought your room was messy... — And you thought your room was messy…

Freeze Man has one seriously, pardon the pun, cool ass boss entrance.

When he said FREEZE, I didn’t think he meant it literally!

Can't hold it back anymore! The cold never [SNIP -Ed.] — Can’t hold it back anymore! The cold never *[SNIP -Ed.]*

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE LAB…

Doc, open your eyes. Stop listening to your heart... — Doc, open your eyes. Stop listening to your heart…

THE ROBOT MUSEUM HALL OF FAME

Home to some old “friends,” the Robot Museum is an awesome bit of fan service.

You’re too late. Guts Man is going back to the lab to be reinvented. Wily exits and in his place comes forth the corpulent Clown Robot.

A funny sight gag, it turns into Skull Clown Robot

Forget shooting it anywhere on its body other than its shrunken head. The Clown Robot can be an annoying mid boss due to its massive size yet small hit box. Once you knock its head off, shoot like crazy as the head will soon reattach and the whole process repeats itself.

Now that you have beaten the first four, the final four is unveiled. These last four levels are a bit harder than the first four since the programmers knew you’d be coming in with certain boss weapons equipped. I kind of dug this format.

Sonic the Hedgehog defined the summer of '91 — *Sonic the Hedgehog* defined the summer of 1991

Get too high and die [See, games are educational -Ed.] — Get too high and die *[See, games are educational -Ed.]*

[I hear some call him PRICK MAN... -Ed.] — *[I hear some call him PRICK MAN… -Ed.]*

You can’t help but miss the awesome Ride Armors from the previous two Super Nintendo entries, Mega Man X and Mega Man X². Perhaps as a result of knowing that, they gave us this. Er, okay. There is no comparison between this friendly robotic dino ally and that of the magnificent Ride Armors, but at least it helps to break up some of the action.

It’s also thanks in part to how it rumbles after you as you desperately flee to the far right. Until it finally corners you into a duel to the death. Attacking with its flame breath and fireballs, it’s easily the best and most memorable mid boss fight in the game. Fusing the best of Mega Man and Jurassic Park, it’s simply awesome.

The weapon-level interaction doesn't get enough love — The weapon-level interaction is highly underrated

Mega Man meets Strider. It is with the Slash Claw! — *Mega Man* meets Strider. Nice!

It completely changes the way you approach controlling Mega Man as he goes from gunslinger to a badass killing samurai! There’s something about getting up close and personal to slice robots apart that can’t be beat. One of the best weapons to ever come out of the series due to it fulfilling a childhood dream… what if you crossed Mega Man and Strider? You get the Slash Claw. Pure total destruction at its finest!

"RODNEY KING, RODNEY KING!" — ***“RODNEY KING, RODNEY KING!”***

Whew, a close call there! This is a neat little section that kind of brings me back to 8-bit gaming. In a lot of ways there is a bit of a vintage feel to Mega Man 7.

Thankfully if hit it's not an instant kill — Thankfully if hit it’s not an instant kill

Shade Man’s level starts out in the pitch black of night as Mega Man looks out… only for the darkness to slowly peel away, revealing a full moon in the distance. Brilliant stuff. It’s made even better if you did the Ghouls ‘N Ghosts code to get the Ghouls ‘N Ghosts theme going! ^_^

... ARE CLOSING IN TO SEAL YOUR DOOM!! — ***… ARE CLOSING IN TO SEAL YOUR DOOM!!***

It's a bit shy and doesn't like coming out of its shell — It’s a bit shy and doesn’t like coming out of its shell

Not quite the sinister Pumpkinhead demon from horror movie fame, but nonetheless makes for a solid mid boss battle.

A little liquid courage gets it to open up... — A little “liquid courage” gets it to open up…

Damnit, your shot still bounces off it harmlessly. Guess if you’re gonna go all the way then you’ll need to wine and dine its ass first…

Finally it opens up. But not for very long, so make each time count with a well placed shot. It’s all a matter of patience and being on point.

mm7-98 — *[Stupid idiot! YOU JUST MADE THE LIST!! -Chris Jericho]*

ALL YOUR BASS ARE BELONG TO US

"Damnit. I thought everyone knew Bass was pronounced as Base" — *“Doc, everyone knows Bass is pronounced Base!”*

"Crap. Something really big is right behind me, right?" — *“Crap. Something really big is right behind me, huh?”*

Guts Man is trying to turn Mega Man into Rock Man

BOSS WEAPONS: POWERS AND ABILITIES

It never gets old stealing weapons off the bosses

Like all Mega Man games, the formula remains the same. Beat a boss and gain its powers. One of the unique things about 7 is that the weapons not only serve as offensive tools, but they can also aid you through various levels and situations, too.

You can even fight Proto Man and win his shield!

What will this to lead to? It pays to experiment!

The Noise Crush bounces off walls and can be caught, giving you a mega blast.

mm7-116 — Come on feel the noise crush! Girls rock your boys!

But don't use Freeze Cracker on Freeze Man. Trust me. — You’re going to the junkyard, Turbo Man

Try out the various weapons! Each boss has a weakness but there are also some weapons that will cause different status changes. For example, see what happens when you fire the Thunder Bolt at Turbo Man. But whatever you do, don’t use the Freeze Cracker on Freeze Man. Trust me…

"GET TO DA CHOPPA!" — *“GET TO DA CHOPPA!”*

MORE ABILITIES

Call on the Super Adaptor for a major boost. “IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!”

The only downside: no sliding in this form — The only downside? No sliding

Call upon Rush to fuse with you into a super power known as Super Adaptor. This is a combination of powers from Mega Man VI (NES) and Mega Man V (Game Boy). It’s just another example of how Mega Man 7 pays homage to its previous entries.

It helps ease the pain of no dashing or wall climbing — It helps ease the pain of no dashing or wall scaling

The Super Adaptor is a game changer. You can jump and then hover, which allows you to leap distances far away from a ladder and in one smooth motion grab a hold. It turns the Blue Bomber into an efficient killing machine!

When not charged, he fires his Mega Buster as usual — This replaces the Super Mega Buster

Instead of shooting the Super Mega Buster when charged, Mega Man launches his Rocket Punch.

When you activate the Rush Search, Rush appears on the scene to sniff out any nearby goodies. When there’s nothing of use, he’ll dig up a bone. Thanks for the help, bud. But he can also find dolls, dead fish, dentures, robot toys and a Game Boy. Real funny, Capcom.

Rush Jet, on the other hand, is very helpful

SHOP SO YOU DON’T DROP

Introducing Eddie's Shop — Introducing Eddie’s Shop

Purists may find the bolt shop "rebolting" [... -Ed.] — Purists may find the bolt shop “rebolting” *[… -Ed.]*

Even better than buying a 1-UP was killing an enemy only to find a 1-UP left in its place. It rarely happens too, which only adds to the great feeling of when it does happen.

Show of guilty hands here… how many of us have “farmed” at some point while playing a Mega Man title over the years? Yep, guilty as charged here. I try to avoid it for the most part, but there are a few times where I slip back into it.

Beat saves your butt if you have a Beat Whistle on ya — Beat saves your butt if you have a Beat Whistle

HIDDEN “STREET FIGHTER II” MODE

After this, hold L + R while pressing start

Indeed. Remember how I mentioned that the programmers expressed regret that they were rushed to roll out Mega Man 7? They only had three months to create it. This mode would have been more fleshed out if only they had an extra month of programming time… it’s too bad, eh?

TAXICAB CONFESSIONS

Stuck on Sigma's last form. One of these days... — Stuck on Sigma’s last form. One of these days…

Some claim 7 to be one of THE hardest in the series — Some see 7 as one of the hardest in the series

It is ironic, eh? Mega Man X is considered to be easy while Mega Man 7 is viewed by many as one of the hardest entries in the entire franchise. Somehow I was able to beat 7 but not X (yet). Strange but true.

The ending reveals a fed-up and darker Mega Man — The ending reveals an angrier, darker Mega Man

For those who don’t wish to be spoiled, skip this block of text. In the end, Wily apologizes for the trouble and grief he’s caused. He also promises to go quietly. Unlike previous adventures, Mega Man knows better this time. He charges his Mega Buster and tells Wily he’s going to do what he should have done a long time ago. It was shockingly violent (and satisfying). Wily counters by reminding Mega Man robots can’t hurt humans. Then, in total action hero movie mode, Mega Man utters the hauntingly brilliant one-liner: “I’M MORE THAN A ROBOT… DIE, WILY!” I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read that. Blew my mind to know the Blue Bomber was about to kill Dr. Wily by blasting him square in the face. But of course, before he can, Bass and Treble come to the rescue. They whisk Wily away, and the whole place starts to blow. In the closing sequence we see Dr. Wily’s Fortress exploding in flames. Mega Man is seen walking away, never once glancing back, like an action movie star. Nice ending.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

It didn't quite make the splash it was hoping for — It didn’t quite make the splash it was hoping for

Mega Man 7 received solid, if unremarkable, feedback. EGM gave it scores of 8.5, 7, 7 and 7. GameFan hyped it up big time in previews but never reviewed it. Super Play rated it 79%. While the numbers were certainly respectable enough, the consensus seemed to be along the lines of “Good game but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.” This was made evident by such remarks as EGM reviewer Danyon Carpenter saying, “Get ready for more of the same.” Al Manuel added, “With all the good things going for it, this game really needs a revamp. The engine is getting old and tired.” On the flip side, Sushi-X defended it. “I can understand some people getting burnt out on the concept, but I love the action and challenge of this classic game with an excellent feel.” It’s hard to deny that by late ’95, the Blue Bomber was looking a bit conceptually outdated…

When the first Mega Man title burst onto the scene way back in December of 1987, it was a revelation. The sequel refined the process and dazzled the gaming world with its visuals, amazing music and non-linear gameplay. But of course, like with the original Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street films, many years and many sequels later, the once fresh concept has now grown more than a bit stale. Mega Man X managed to reinvent the series by taking it in a different and radical, more mature direction. By the time Mega Man 7 came out in late 1995, for many fans it felt like a step back. People were now used to X’s athleticism, yet here comes the original Blue Bomber without the dashing or wall climbing abilities. It’s easy to see why Mega Man 7 sort of became the black sheep of the SNES Mega Man legacy. When I first played through it in 2007, I, for one, really liked it. Then I went online seeking other people’s opinions of the game and I was mortified to see all the venom people were spewing at the game. The hatred was so thick that it felt like Mega Man was being stoned to death by these vociferous gamers. I can understand the criticism, but it doesn’t change the fact that I still really like Mega Man 7 a lot.

Didn't mind the odd lull -- I like to admire the scenery — Didn’t mind the odd lull. I like to admire the scenery

Someone's been eating donuts and burgers... — Someone’s been eating cheeseburgers

The most common complaint is that Mega Man is too big compared to earlier models, specifically X. 7 is much bigger and less agile than X. If you love X’s faster and more mobile capabilities, naturally, there might be a disappointment with 7. 7 is more of a plodding, methodical adventure. It goes back to understanding each game for what it intended to be. The X series was all about refreshing changes and new gameplay mechanics to go along with a much darker storyline and tone. And the X games do a splendid job of that. But 7 was meant to go back to the original roots of the series — a more cartoon-ish, light-hearted affair. The sprite is full of character; it’s totally Inafune. Sure he’s a bit clunky, but I actually enjoy the way he looks. His size didn’t bother me, and I still had a blast with the game. That’s all that really matters to me. Credit Boxed Pixels for this comparison shot.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Mega Man 7 is a solid game worth sinking your teeth into — This is a solid game worth sinking your teeth into

Mega Man 2 was one of my earliest video gaming memories and a defining game of my youth. I liked Mario growing up but was always more of a Mega Man guy. There was an entire generation of 8-bit gamers who couldn’t wait to see the Blue Bomber make his SNES debut. It proved to be worth the wait when he finally did as Mega Man X is considered one of the finest games in the franchise. Capcom’s decision to continue the original NES series on the Super Nintendo in late ’95 was a bit of a shock. But I love how we can look back on the history of the SNES and say there was at least one classic original Mega Man game made for it. In a lot of ways, it’s close to how I imagined the series would look and feel in 16-bit. Mega Man 7 may have its fair share of critics, but it’ll always have a special place in my gaming heart.

Not the best homecoming but good to see him back — Not the best of homecomings, but it still rocks

Though many view it as a step backwards, I found it to be a refreshing return to its roots. Sure, 7 has its flaws. A chunkier sprite means the action is more methodical than fast paced. The charge shot is nerfed. On the bright side: Bass and Treble are great additions to the franchise. It’s cool to see Rush back, and the Super Adaptor is a killing machine. The ability to use weapons in multiple ways was brilliant. Various nods to the past are made giving the game a good bit of fan service. And what’s a Mega Man game without menacing monstrosities? The ones featured here are among the most memorable in Mega Man lore, ranging from a towering T-Rex to a roaring evil big rig. The bolt system and shop added a new wrinkle to the classic formula. It proves handy as you progress throughout the game especially for the final battle, which is hailed by most as one of the hardest Wily fights ever. Despite falling short of its potential, Mega Man 7 is a quality action game. It’s no Mega Man X, but I don’t think it was ever meant to be, and perhaps that’s where the charm lies. Sometimes you want refreshing. Other times you’re in the mood to return to your roots. Mega Man 7 manages to do a bit of both all at once. I’m not saying it’s perfect. But it hits sort of a sweet spot for me. While it isn’t his greatest outing ever, there are a lot of underrated aspects it brings to the table. Approach it with an open mind and you might appreciate it, too.

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 7

Overall: 8.5

*[Fooled folks all these years except me. Prick Man! -Ed.]*

Not the best of homecomings but it still rocks — Good to have the original Blue Bomber on SNES!

Mega Man X (SNES)

**Pub and Dev: Capcom | January 1994 | 12 MEGS**

The list of must-play SNES games runs long and deep. Over the years there have been hundreds of lists concocted and you could be sure of one thing: somewhere on those lists you would see Mega Man X. Released in January of 1994, it was a long wait coming for fans of the Blue Bomber… but boy, was the wait worth it. Mega Man never looked so good. 20+ years later, Mega Man X is still kicking ass!

THE ASCENSION OF MEGA MAN

Mega Man 2 made many of us blue bomber fans for life — *Mega Man 2* made many of us “true blue” fans for life

1989 is a very nostalgic year and holds a special place in my heart. Uncle Jimmy was in his prime, Hulkamania was running wild, Saturday morning cartoons was must-see TV and the 8-bit Nintendo was kicking butt. Thanks in no small part to Mega Man 2. I still remember seeing the game for the first time in ’89 at Ben’s house. All seven of us were blown away by the amazing intro. We marveled at how it scaled up the towering industrial building, the calm and serene city nightlife just below… and that music… THAT EPIC MUSIC. We were instantly hooked. Capcom struck lightning in a bottle as a promising debut morphed into a legendary series the second game on. And so, the Mega Man revolution was born [and milked… -Ed.]

Thankfully, the gameplay didn’t disappoint. It was the total package. What could be cooler than controlling a heroic robot shooting down rogue robots, stealing their weapons and using it against them? It was packed with masterful tunes left and right, along with some memorable enemies and levels.

In a game era where floaty jumps and erratic control was the norm, Mega Man 2 hit us like a breath of fresh air. You always felt in total control of the little blue guy. The jumps were responsive, so if you died, it was entirely your fault and yours alone. The game also gave you a long health bar so you could mess up a bit and still be okay. Granted, this was all done in the first Mega Man but it was the sequel that took everything and cranked it up.

Another innovative feature that came from the Mega Man franchise was the player’s ability to pick which level to tackle next. This gave you the freedom and opportunity to go through the game as you saw fit. It was unheard of for its time. It’s yet another brilliant feature that made it stand out and endeared itself to millions of gamers the world over. Each robot ended in MAN, and most of them required a specific robot boss weapon to kill. Part of the fun was figuring out whose weakness was what, and which robot boss to go after next. After beating all eight, you can finally head to Dr. Wily’s Fortress. It was simple yet compelling. And for those who aren’t very good at the game, it even gave you the chance to at least sample the eight various stages, so that you’re never stuck on the same one for days on end. The NES would go on to enjoy a whopping six Mega Man titles. At long last, the SNES came calling…

SOUPED UP FOR THE SUPER NINTENDO

It was a long time coming, but Capcom finally unleashed the Blue Bomber in 16-bit glory. And what a glorious debut it turned out to be, as MEGA MAN X took everything sacred about the Nintendo entries and cranked it up to the max.

The game felt like a big fat post-Christmas thank you to the loyal fans. Capcom stepped up to the plate and smacked a home run when Mega Man was at last revitalized in a whole new world on the 16-bit frontier. A marriage made in Heaven, it became an instant classic and was adored by everyone in my gaming crew. Mega Man was back, and he was better than ever, jack.

THE STORY GOES…

mmx8 — **“BUSTING MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!!”**

The X-Buster is back and has three different forms. The third being the most powerful and is nearly as DAMN BIG as X himself! This weapon made its debut in Mega Man 4 but it was about the size of the middle shot there. It blew our minds to see how big the X-Buster shot was in this game!

Mega Man games up until this point always started out by allowing you to choose your path. Capcom threw in a slight wrench here. You had to first blow through this intro stage. All it really does is to serve as a “how-to” tutorial of sorts as well as build up the story, which Capcom pulls off really well here.

There’s something really cool about destructible landscaping that makes a level a joy to navigate.

And Mega Man X is friggin’ loaded with them! The first of which is the Bee Blader A.K.A. MECHA MOTHRA.

As we all know by now, you can actually gain access to the fabled Hadoken fireball in this game, and it’s powerful as all hell. It’s one of the best easter eggs of all time ^_^

Not happy to just roll out a standard short intro stage, Capcom took measures to ensure its memorability. One of which includes this awesome bit that sees the decimated bumble bee bot crashing down alongside you as the overpass collapses.

Vile makes his debut into the Mega Man universe — Vile makes his debut into the *Mega Man* universe

You’re no match for Vile. Prior to him you were blasting with the greatest of ease, and it felt like your new X body was all that. But Vile quickly shows you just how much you are still underpowered. After a brief spar, he grabs you to signify the end. When from out of nowhere, a mammoth shot breaks the ride armor’s arm CLEAN OFF!

He gives ZERO f*cks... — He gives ZERO f*cks…

It’s the spectacular debut of Zero, a class-A Maverick Hunter. Vile doesn’t waste time to make a hasty retreat. It suddenly becomes clear that as strong as you are right now, Zero is that much stronger. Zero looks up to see Vile flying away, knowing full well this isn’t the final battle… not yet by a long shot. Meanwhile, X is looking pretty sorry and down and out, so Zero offers the blue dude a few choice words of encouragement…

X is so ashamed; he can't even bear to look at Zero — X is so ashamed; he can’t even bear to look at Zero

A save feature would have better but oh well

Remember the old NES Mega Man password screens? Yeah, I know you do. I always found them to be a bit cumbersome and clunky. Thankfully, in Mega Man X, like much else of the game, it’s as smooth and user friendly as you could hope for.

Select from any one of eight stages. It’s this wide open exploratory nature about the Mega Man games that I always enjoy and appreciate. If you couldn’t beat one level, you could try another instead of being stuck on the same one for days and days on end. The levels here aren’t innovative or anything, with your standard forest, snow and water levels for example. But they’re all a blast to play through.

For the first time in Mega Man history, the bosses are no longer [Noun] Man. Now they’re all based off some type of animal. I thought this was a cool and necessary change to further separate it from the NES series. Here are the eight robot bosses, respective to the stages above. And yes, they do remind me a lot of my old favorite toy lineup from the ’80s… BATTLE BEASTS. Launch Octopus, Armored Armadillo, Spark Mandrill, Storm Eagle, Boomer Kuwanger, Sting Chameleon, Flame Mammoth and the [Chill] Penguin.

Look, it’s Launch Octopus and Armored Armadillo! Well, not really, but, well… actually… kinda! The one on the right is actually really named Armored Armadillo — strange but true. I wonder if Capcom had any existing knowledge of this back when they created their own Armored Armadillo…

They were all the rage back in the late '80s — They were all the rage back in the late ’80s

Remember Battle Beasts? If you grew up in the ’80s then you should. My favorite toy lineup, they sold in packs of two and were miniature two inch animal warriors. Their gimmick? Each beast had a stamp in the middle. When rubbed it’d reveal either wood, fire or water. The idea being that each has a strength and weakness. It essentially plays like Rock Paper Scissors. There was nothing better than walking into KB Toys or Toys R Us back in the late ’80s and seeing an entire wall blanketed by Battle Beasts. Well, one sad day I rushed to the usual spot where they sold them and it was just… GONE. I combed through the aisles to no avail. Finally, I had my dad ask a worker and to this day I still remember his haunting words: “Sorry, Battle Beasts are no more.” NO MORE!?! How could this be, why?! As a kid I just always assumed they would be around forever. I mean seriously, do you know how many different animal species exist? Hell, the brand should still be going strong today. Alas, that day I learned a valuable lesson. Perhaps it was the first time in my young life that I realized… nothing lasts forever. And that all good things must, eventually, come to a bittersweet end… whether you want it to or not. It’s a day I’ve never forgotten.

As silly as this may sound, or maybe not, one of the small pleasures in a Mega Man title is picking a boss and seeing its little introductory bit to said boss. I don’t know why but I swear it’s one of gaming’s sweet small pleasures ^_^

One of the few things Mega Man X didn't quite nail — One of the few things *Mega Man X* didn’t quite nail

A bit clichéd but it did add a nice wintery atmosphere — A bit clichéd but it adds a nice wintry atmosphere

Remind me of the bats from Wood Man's stage — Remind me of the bats from Wood Man’s stage

X’s ability to jump ON and OFF walls created a brand new experience for the player. This newfound skill opened up endless possibilities. Get to the capsule! [Don’t you mean choppa? GET TO DA CHOPPA!! -Ed.]

Capsules are scattered throughout the game. Each one gives X a major boost. As the game carefully plotted out in the introductory stage, there is a real palpable sense of X growing stronger and stronger, bit by bit, until he’s powerful enough to take on the evil Sigma himself. Capcom did a swell job of building this story.

And of course, the controls were super crisp

Scaling and jump off walls expanded the game's world — Scaling and jumping off walls expanded the game

So even though Mega Man controlled more smoothly than most other characters of the NES era, I still felt he was a little bit stiff. Sure, he could jump with the greatest of ease and yes, you had a decent amount of control over the direction of his jumps, but he could not duck and at times he felt a bit clunky. I guess you could argue it’s realistic seeing as how he is a robot, but damn if his newfound abilities in Mega Man X doesn’t make him a total flipping badass! The ability to scale walls and slide down them is just too sweet, not to mention practical.

X gazes down at this heart thumping green mile

The classic boss gate runway of the Mega Man games have always stuck with me. They do a good job of building up the anticipation as well as the tension. I just love the way the doors expand in slow motion while the screen scrolls to the right. One could almost think of this harrowing stretch as a “green mile” of sorts! Hell, it often is for first timers… until you can figure out the boss’ pattern.

Capcom nailed the drama aspect of the boss battles. After the runway, the boss drops out of the sky while a long energy bar fills up. This allows you enough time to sweat it out while the boss throws a taunt or two your way. Your finger is on the trigger ready to fire as soon as the battle commences. Good stuff.

"FREEZE! ... HAMMER TIME!" — *“FREEZE! … HAMMER TIME!”*

Although the game can be defeated in a non-linear fashion, there’s usually a boss everyone likes to tackle first in any given Mega Man game. For this rendition, the winner is the Chill Penguin. He can be defeated rather easily with the X-Buster. But at least Mister Chill Pill isn’t without some ahem, cool attacks.

*[Please, no more bad ice puns. NOT COOL -Ed.]*

For purpose of effect, I took the hit here to show off this attack in full

[Yeah sure you did -Ed.]

I wish Super Metroid's wall jumps were as easy to do — Yep, the Blue Bomber sure loves Parkour

The ability to jump on and off of walls, as well as sliding down them, created for a host of new gameplay opportunities never before seen in any previous Mega Man title. In particular, it brought a much needed breath of fresh air to the boss battles, as now you had even more strategy and options to evade the frantic enemy onslaught.

Need some good hand-eye coordination here

And, not one to just be defensive, sliding down walls also gave you the sweet option of charging your X-Buster for a mega attack upon descending. BOO-YAH!

After toying around with Chill Penguin for a bit, it’s time to put him on ice with a well placed mega charge X-Buster shot. Look at that serious swath.

I made it close for dramatic effect, y'see [Riiiight -Ed.] — I made it close for dramatic effect, y’see *[Riiiight -Ed.]*

Each boss has a weakness. Find out which to use

All of the weapons serve different purposes. Some were ideal for certain situations. You had to tinker with the game to find out the pros and cons. And now having the luxury to switch between them with the Super Nintendo shoulder buttons? Sick!

Stealing boss weapons is a classic staple of Mega Man — Stealing and using boss weapons never gets old

X can also do powered versions of these weapons!

I think I may have a slight affinity for the mid bosses over the regular bosses. I like the fact that they varied in size and shape, usually much bigger than X. I also like that there was no energy bar (it added to the drama). Sure you couldn’t steal their powers, but when they’re as cool looking as this guy here, you don’t really care about that.

Hmm, call it a hunch but... what about that lone eye... — Hmm, call it a hunch but what about that eye…

Your shots sail off his armor harmlessly. You’re going to have to find a different point of entry. I love the visual of your bullets bouncing off his titanium armored body.

Now claim your latest add-on prize: new body armor! — Go get your add-on prize: new body armor!

[Pretty sure Thomas Light doesn't speak like that -Ed.] — *[Pretty sure Thomas Light doesn’t speak like that… -Ed.]*

I call this enemy "ROCK MAN" [HAR HAR -Ed.] — I call this enemy “ROCK MAN” *[HAR HAR -Ed.]*

My favorite Mega Man regular enemies are any of the bipedal robots. I kind of wish the series saw more of them quite frankly. There’s something awesome about blasting the holy hell out of them. This guy here being a prime example. PELT AWAY!

Damn indeed. Back in the day my gaming crew used to speculate about how you could ravage the top wall down and enter this boss fight with armor suit intact. It sure was a fun thought. Sadly, that’s all it ever was, but it was a sign of the times. The memories you created with your gaming buddies pre-internet were sacred. Whenever I come to this point in the game part of me can’t help but reminisce of the good old days of early 1994 when life was that much simpler and so too were the video games.

A boss fight could go horribly wrong if you didn’t have the right weapon. If you had the right one though, the pendulum swings the other way. It certainly made for some serious note taking jones.

BEFORE GAMEFAQS OR YOUTUBE

I bought this guide back in 2006 when it was going for peanuts. Now like most SNES items, this strategy guide has skyrocketed in price (costing over $50). It’s a decent and cool little guide but it’s not worth it at that asking price. I love how it’s got my favorite mid boss on the cover there. RT-55J looks a bit like Auto (who was introduced in Mega Man 7) but there’s no proof that the two are connected. Nevertheless, I find it awesome how there’s one mid boss hanging out with all the main bosses on the cover. Maybe ole Stratton was a fan of RT-55J, too?

Speaking of tips and tricks, remember the Hadoken easter egg? It was brilliant. Back in the day this was one of the coolest secrets around. Capcom pulled off some other shenanigans, like seeing ole Chun Li in Breath of Fire, but nothing ever quite topped this one since it affected gameplay.

Throwing a flag. The Power Trip should be maxed out — Throwing a flag. The Power Trip should be at max

Dr. Light with the karate gi and headband! — You’ll find Dr. Light with a karate gi and headband!

Not just a mere cosmetic fan service, the Hadoken is death dealt at its finest. It will take out any enemy or boss in just one hit, sans the final form of the final boss. Now that’s what I call playing with SUPER POWER. It’s done with the same down, down forward, forward command as in the Street Fighter II games. There is a half second charge time that leaves you vulnerable, but damn is it worth it. It’s yet another brilliant aspect that only helped to further cement Mega Man X‘s well deserved place in the pantheon of great Super Nintendo games. It’s not quite in that ultra elite Mount Rushmore discussion, but it’s certainly up there.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Mega Man X has etched itself into Super Nintendo lore — *Mega Man X* has etched itself into Super Nintendo lore

Mega Man X scored rather rave reviews, although a bit lower than most of its fellow classic brethren. EGM made it Game of the Month in their January 1994 issue (#54) when they rated the game with marks of 9, 9, 9 and 9. GameFan was the one that shocked me a bit as they only doled out ratings of 89, 89, 87 and 82. Keep in mind this is the same magazine that gave Clay Fighter a whopping 97%! Super Play Magazine rated it a healthy 88%. In issue #100, Nintendo Power placed Mega Man X on their top 100 games list at #58. The game’s legacy is firmly cemented in gaming history. Fans often cite it as one of their favorite Mega Man games of all time, and it is highly revered in practically every retro gaming circle I have ever seen. Platforming blasters just don’t get much better than this!

AND THE SURVEY SAYS… X MARKS THE SPOT

[If only you included Mega Man & Bass in that poll, too... -Ed. — *[If only you included MEGA MAN & BASS, too… -Ed.]*

Several years ago I ran a survey asking which of the four traditional SNES Mega Man games people most prefer. The results weren’t surprising — Mega Man X won by a landslide. It had 55.56% backing it, while Mega Man X³ came in second with 26.67% of the votes. Mega Man X² and Mega Man 7 were tied for last with 8.89% each. While I enjoy all of the games, there’s something about the original that just can’t be beat. And in most circles, that seems to be the consensus. Like Mary, there’s just something about Mega Man X that hits the mark.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Can you stop the sinister Sigma and his Mavericks?

There’s no denying that Mega Man X is a bonafide SNES classic. Not only did it bring the Blue Bomber back in style but many still consider this one to be the finest hour in the entire Mega Man series. What made this game so epic? We can start off with the spiffy 16-bit visuals — up until that point Mega Man never looked better. While the tunes aren’t Mega Man 2 legendary, they’re still a treat with excellent tunes littered throughout. It plays enough like the old 8-bit Mega Man titles but has enough new features to give it its own unique feel. The control was flawless. Silky smooth and responsive. In a nutshell, take the 8-bit Mega Man which you love so much, add in 16-bit trimmings, and what you get is an absolute classic action title and one of the most beloved Super Nintendo games of all time.

Capcom made us wait a while but it was worth it

For anyone who grew up holding an 8-bit Nintendo controller in their hands, Mega Man games have given us countless memories. Mega Man X exploded onto the 16-bit generation with style. From the start, the game puts you in total control of X. He dashes, scales walls and blasts with the best of them. Mega Man and the SNES controller was a match made in Heaven. While the game may lack in challenge, it’s forgivable given how much fun it all is. Like fine wine, Mega Man X has aged gracefully thanks to its timeless gameplay and protagonist. As long as bad robots roam the earth, and Super Nintendos function like the Hondas that they are, Mega Man will always be around to protect and serve. And serve us he has. For nearly 30 years now, he’s been providing us with countless memorable moments. Tunes and images forever etched into our gaming hearts. We can still hum certain Mega Man tracks. We still remember certain boss patterns. And we still love the Blue Bomber after all these years. Thanks for the memories, ye ol’ blue chap. Rock on.

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 8

Overall: 9.0

To quote the Kite Runner: "It was a way to be good again" — *Mega Man X* was one of the first titles I picked up

Simply freaking badass — Remember shooting its head clean off? SICK :)

Mega Man 2 (NES)

One of the true cornerstones of the NES library

For anyone who grew up on gaming in the late 1980s and had an 8-bit Nintendo, we all have certain games that we connected with. For many of us, one such game was Mega Man 2. Released in June 1989, Mega Man 2 rocked my world. It truly captivated my imagination. The ability to pick your stage, take enemies’ weapons and the fact that you’re a freaking robot made this game an absolute slam dunk. There’s not much left to say in 2016 that hasn’t already been said thousands of times before, but I still wanted to talk about this game for a bit. It’s an incredibly nostalgic piece of gaming history for me. Remember that intro? It set the mood perfectly and haunts me to this day.

I remember the first time I saw this, my eyes popped. I never really played the original Mega Man, so this stage select business was brand new to me. Back then all the games I had played were done in a linear fashion. The game had a set order of levels and you had no choice but to follow that order. Not so here. Capcom gave us the freedom to pick and choose. Of course, as we would come to find out, there was a method to their madness. The bosses all had a special weakness that required another boss weapon. So there was a hidden order if you will, but it’s always nice to be given a choice.

I selected Wood Man first because I liked his burly look. That plus I figured it would take place in a forest type level. I’ve always had a thing for forests in video games, even way back in 1989.

Who could ever forget the sleeping bats? As soon as you get near them they spring to life. The purple hare was always a favorite enemy of mine. It wasn’t big or tough enough to be considered a mini boss, but it was strong enough to sustain a few bullets. I love enemies that are a notch above cannon fodder. Of course, the big bad wolf/dog creature and his flaming breath is an image that has been burned into our memory banks, pardon the pun. Classic stuff.

Watch out for the bird which if not killed early on drops an egg that could be bad news for ya. Love the random sprinting chickens.

After defeating Wood Man, you take his weapon Leaf Shield. Discovering the proper order of a Mega Man game is all part of the charm and fun.

Ah, Flash Man. Another classic boss — Ah, Flash Man. Another classic

It’s your classic typical icy level where the surface is slippery. Ah, these images bring back such fond memories of a simpler time. I *hated* that robot rider with a burning passion. He always seemed to zap my health without fail each and every damn time.

One of my favorite things about fighting Flash Man is that his battle zone isn’t a straight flat surface. I like all the different tiers there. It just makes the fight that much more interesting.

This was one of my lesser favorite levels but it still has its moments. The giant spiked crane reminded me of Contra and the conveyor belt added a decent gimmick to this stage.

Those Metal Blades are deadly, slicing and dicing anything caught in its path. They become yours after you send Metal Man back to the scrap heap.

Like your typical forest and icy levels, you have your obligatory sky or air level. I’ve never been a big fan of these stages. Not crazy about instant game overs!

Those squiggly worms were a good place to “farm” for goodies. That big guy there tries to suck you in [Sounds like your standard Saturday night *rimshot* -Ed.]

One of the joys of playing a Mega Man title is figuring out which boss weapon works best on another boss. It’s a game of trial and error. Keep in mind too that back in 1989 there was no internet. There was no GameFAQs. And there was no YouTube. You couldn’t just find out the solution in mere seconds. Back then it was a real battle of wills. You traded secrets with your buddies on the playground. It was just a sign of the times. Signs from a bygone era.

When I was a kid I struggled with this stage. Hey, I was 6, OK? I always seemed to get hit by those damn floating Tellies. Especially right at the top just when I’m about to leave that bloody screen forever. Later you come to this makeshift ride with more annoying Tellies.

I remember watching my brother and his friends getting this far. I never could back in 1989. It’s funny how certain levels haunted us as kids, but we can now dominate as adults. The same applies for vice versa.

I watched in sheer awe as my brother and his friends made short work of Crash Man. I remember thinking to myself that they just accomplished the impossible. Ah, the innocent of youth.

I *hated* those laser beams. I never could get past them back in the day. I liked how the screen was dark except for when that enemy chucked his flaming ball.

Alright, another boss fight where the surface isn’t flat! [Wish I could say that about my wife… *rimshot* c’mon now what the hell -Ed.]

Ah, the mandatory water stage. I think pretty much everyone has the image of that giant robotic fish firmly implanted in their brains. One of my favorite things about any Mega Man game is reaching the boss zone. I loved the giant Dr. W sign and the “health bar door.” Come on, just look at it. It looks like your health bar!

Don’t jump too high! It made this fight a little more challenging than normal.

Those bloody Tellies are back to haunt me. And there’s your token disappearing block jumping section. Over a death pit, of course. Of course.

Heat Man’s weakness, surprise surprise, is Bubble Man’s Bubble Lead. Even I was able to figure that out as a kid. Thanks Battle Beast. Water always beats fire!

After defeating all eight robot masters, it’s time to head to Dr. Wily’s evil fortress. This reveals a series of more levels to further extend the game.

Some of the more iconic bosses in Mega Man history right here. They blew my mind back in the day, particularly the King Kong wannabe. He took up like half the damn screen!

It’s the final fight! Against Dr. Wily! *laughs* Right, because Capcom and “final” go hand in hand, and I’m not talking about Final Fight, either.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There were a total of six Mega Man games on the NES. People often debate over the years which one is better: part 2 or 3. My answer remains the same throughout the years, Mega Man 2. Maybe it’s nostalgia talking, but Mega Man 2 just hits a sweet spot for me that very few NES games do. Even to this day, I find it to be highly playable — it’s held up well over the years. If it weren’t for Contra and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, this would be my favorite Nintendo game. From the impressive visuals to the music to the whole novelty of it all, Mega Man 2 stands as one of the finest 8-bit video games ever created. Its lofty place in gaming history is firmly cemented.

I think back to the year 1989 and remember how excited my friends and I were playing Mega Man 2. Discovering each boss’ weakness, figuring out the best path to take and beating the boss with one pellet of health remaining… these were all part of the joy of playing any given Mega Man title. All those Saturday mornings spent in Ben’s garage that summer of 1989 provided a plethora of fond memories. It was the thrill of banding together as a group of friends and playing the game well into the afternoons. When we couldn’t just find out secrets and tips with one simple click. Those were some great times from a bygone era. Those memories stay with me to this day and I can’t help but reminisce about them whenever I think of the greatness that is Mega Man 2. Hats off to you, Capcom. This sequel truly made the Blue Bomber a force to be reckoned with.

OVERALL: 9.5

F-Zero (SNES)

**Pub and Dev: Nintendo | August 1991 | 4 MEGS**

26 years ago, on a cold morning in Japan, the Super Famicom launched with Super Mario World and F-Zero. Can you believe today marks the 26th birthday of F-Zero? What better time to look back on the game that was than now? I have fond memories of F-Zero — it was the first SNES game I ever played. A futuristic high speed racing game, it blew away gamers with its Mode-7 graphics. Tonight let’s pay homage to an early SNES classic.

And while the graphics were amazing for its time, perhaps it was the incredible sense of top speed that really left us all speechless. I don’t think there was anything like F-Zero on the home consoles back in August of ’91. You had to experience the game back then to truly appreciate it. It’s one of those games you play for the first time and never forget. Ask anyone who played it back in ’91 and they’ll probably have a memory to share with you. And since you asked so nicely, here is mine…

The year: 1991

The month: December

The spot: Beautiful Lake Tahoe, located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City

I was eight years old, on vacation with family and friends. You know, back in the good old days when folk had time, my family developed a strong friendship with four families. Together, between the five of us, 10 parents and 16 kids, we had some of the most legendary sleepovers in the history of such. 11 boys and 5 girls, ranging from birth dates of 1977 to 1987. Growing up, those were my brothers and sisters.

In December 1991 the parents wanted to go skiing at beautiful Lake Tahoe. We rented out a huge cabin where all 26 (!) of us stayed. It was insane, needless to say! One of the guys, Tommy, brought along his newly acquired Super Nintendo. He lugged three games along with him: Super Mario World, Final Fight and of course, F-Zero.

I found myself alone. All alone... — I found myself alone. All alone…

That Sunday morning I woke up to an empty cabin, with weird noises coming from the house in every which direction. I tip-toed downstairs timidly and yelled out the names of my family and friends.

No answer… except for the hissing of the house. I felt a chill creep up and down my spine. Some thing felt terribly off.

As I made my way to the kitchen, I found a note on the fridge.

Steve,
We all went out for breakfast. We’ll be back soon. You had a long night last night, and I wanted you to get the extra rest. Make yourself some Honey Nut Cheerios, and don’t watch too much TV.

Love,
Mom

How could they? Without me? THE HEATHENS!

Ever feel like someone or something is watching you? — Ever feel like someone or *something* is watching you?

The cabin continued to groan and creak. It was freezing too! And I couldn’t help but feel… a presence in the house. I shivered as I stood prisoner in that cabin from hell.

It was the uneasiest feeling I ever had up to that point in my young eight-year-old life. I sat there in the kitchen and living room section of the house, petrified to go down the hall to use the restroom, much less head back upstairs. Hell, I passed up drinking that ice cold can of 7-UP I spotted in the fridge out of fear of having to use the restroom. Hey, if you saw that demonic hallway, you wouldn’t either…

I was all alone, or was I... — I was all alone, or was I…

I’ve never seen a ghost before in my life. And I hope that I never will. But have I ever felt the presence of one? If I ever did, that cold dreary December morning of 1991 definitely was it.

But I was a resourceful kid. Whenever I was alone and felt apprehensive, I’d turn on the radio or TV. My theory: the spirits would hear that I’m not alone, and therefore, they’d find someone else to mess with. So I turned on the TV and one of the WWF shows came up. It made me think of home sweet home, and for the next half hour, all was good.

Then the show ended.

And the haunted house was back.

Not able to locate any cartoons, I glanced down and saw Tommy’s Super Nintendo. F-Zero was sitting pretty in the cartridge slot. I hit power and was immediately engrossed by its high-end futuristic world. It took my mind from thinking about ghosts to intergalactic racing warfare. I played F-Zero and Final Fight until the gang came home. F-Zero was the first Super Nintendo game I ever played.

And I never looked back

As one might say… the rest is history.

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF RACING

WE ARE NOT ALONE... — **WE ARE NOT ALONE…**

As far as racing games go, F-Zero holds claim to having a pretty nice plot. In the 20th century, mankind was gripped by the fear of being invaded by extraterrestrials. They referred to such space crafts as UFOs. Now, to those of us living in this day and age (the 26th century), this sounds like a fairy tale.

Just what exactly did Ezekiel see on that fateful day?

Basel, Switzerland. August 7, 1566. These men saw SOMETHING…

Back to the current age we go — Current day

It is now the year 2560, and due to the human race’s countless encounters with alien life forms throughout the universe, Earth’s social framework has expanded to cosmic proportions. Now trade, technology transfer and cultural interchange are carried out on an interplanetary basis.

SILVERHAWKS! Underrated cartoon show of the '80s — **SILVERHAWKS!** Underrated cartoon show of the ’80s

The millionaires who earned their enormous wealth through intergalactic trade, while satisfied with their rich lifestyles, yearned for new entertainment to stimulate their senses. Their wishes were met by a call for a new project based upon a seemingly simple premise: “Why not hold, on a galactic scale, some competition like the F-1 races once held on Earth centuries ago?”

"The 20th century had some good ideas after all!" — *“The 20th century had some good ideas after all!”*

Everyone jumped at this idea. Rich merchants from cities in the clouds or asteroids with almost uninhabitable environments immediately invested their wealth in the construction of various racing circuits.

These racing circuits were located as high as 300 feet above ground and held in place by sturdy anti-gravitational guide beams on both sides of the course. The racing machines developed for these tracks used the very latest in super-magnetic technology and were designed to travel without wheels, hovering one foot above the course track.

When the first Grand Prix race was held, people were angered at the brutality of the competition. The organizers had, during construction, placed various obstacles and traps along the raceway. But as time passed and people grew used to these dangers, they soon demanded even more excitement in the race. In time, winning this race meant earning the highest honor that could be bestowed upon anyone in the universe.

People came to call this Grand Prix simply…

THE RACERS

PRACTICE (MODE) MAKES PERFECT

LUCKY SEVEN

Jump plates make for some major hang time, but sloppy handling here could prove fatal.

These rough spots will deprive your machine of its speed if contact is made.

Careful not to slide out — the special coating blocks your magnetic field.

Talk about cutting it close! Gets the old heart pumping a tick or two faster.

fzero47 — Not all power pit zones are found in the beginning

Some of those right angles are downright BRUTAL!

So was it just me or... — So was it just me or…

Ahhhh, GODZILLA VS. GIGAN. How I remember thee. Back in the late ’80s my crazy uncle often took me to a mom and pop video shop called Video Mart. Next to the horror section was sci-fi. I rented this film once and the cover would forever burn itself into my memory. G-Fans have long debated Gigan’s forehead laser thanks to this cover you see here. It never did appear in the movies, that is, until 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars. Curiously, it also appeared in Toho’s 1994 Super Famicom brawler. Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen.

At any rate, NEW WORLD [Order! For life for life! -Ed.] VIDEO’s logo graced the bottom of the VHS cover, and for whatever reasons it was an image that stuck. When I played F-Zero‘s Silence track, I could not believe the similarity! Take a look for yourself.

Right?! Surely it wasn’t just me… [It was ONLY you -Ed.]

One path sends you down a deadly explosive mine field. Yikes!

While the other path is clear. Make sure you hit that jump plate. Otherwise it’s Molasses City!

Key thing to remember here is ease off the pedal and let your momentum do the work.

Lots of jump plates are strewn about the course, but beware of the magnets that pull your vehicle down.

fzero63 — Well, 544 now. This pic was made November 2007

"Roads? Where we're going... — *“Roads? Where we’re going…*

... we don't need roads." [Oh yes we do -Ed.] — *… we don’t need roads.” [Oh yes we do -Ed.]*

“No matter how bad you got it, someone somewhere else has it worse.” Yeah, don’t tell that to this guy.

Pretty gnarly and dramatic back in 1991. When your car crashes the camera moves forward briefly, then rotates 180 degrees to show you the burning wreckage. Nice.

You’re given your time results and this nifty option screen at the end of a practice run.

Check the records menu for… er… records. Brilliant! And so forth.

THE GRAND PRIX

Alright hotshot. You’ve mastered the seven courses in the practice mode. You’ve crushed your rival more times than you can count. Now it’s off to the real deal: the Grand Prix. Choose from three leagues and difficulty levels.

R2: Rendering Ranger is a Super Famicom game that commands a ton of dough. It switches from Contra-esque side scrolling run and gun levels to a space shooter. It’s an impressive display of the Super Nintendo’s capabilities.

Then I think about,

All the years we put in this relationship.

Who knew we’d make it this far…

Then I think about,

Where would I be if we were to just fall apart…

And I can’t stand the thought of losing you.

TIPS AND NOTES

If you start the race with the throttle (B button) held down, you will start off with a powerful dash. However, after the initial boost there will be a momentary stall from which it takes time to begin to accelerate again

During a jump, your machine will accelerate as it travels above the course. So to get the best speed don’t avoid the jump plates. Take care, however, to prevent your machine from leaving the side of the course and falling to a crash landing far below!

When landing after a jump, press down on the control pad to tilt the nose of your machine upward. This prevents the impact shock of landing from decelerating your machine. You get more lift this way and it’ll help propel you over that extra long and nasty jump on White Land II

If a rival machine approaches you from behind you will be alerted by the CHECK mark. Watch for your opportunity to block it from overtaking you

If your machine loses its stability and begins to slip or slide you should momentarily release the throttle to restore the machine’s grip. Also keep in mind, for those icy patches simply let your vehicle’s momentum do all the heavy lifting

Beat all three leagues on EXPERT and you’ll unlock MASTER. Beat all three leagues on MASTER and a different ending will be revealed…

Astro Go Go! is a blatant (and rather poor) F-Zero rip-off. It was slated for a US release under the terrible name of Freeway Flyboys. Having played the game, I can see why it never happened…

In their 100th issue (November 1997) EGM ranked F-Zero as the 18th best game of all time

OTHER STUFF

Alright, maybe I’m the only one
in the galaxy who ever thought
this, but do you know what this
has always reminded me of?

Uncanny, I say…

F-ZERO COMIC

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

EGM: 9, 9, 8, 8

Super Play: 86%

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Back in '91 this game was mind-blowing — Back in ’91 this game was simply mind-blowing

There are things in life that stick with you forever. I’ll never forget playing F-Zero on a cold, dreary December morning 25 years ago. It was the first time I played the Super Nintendo. I was completely in awe. Although current gen games have long redefine our idea of amazing, nothing will ever strip F-Zero of its simple magic and intense high speed. Maybe some of the magic is gone, but it’s still a quality game. Some may find the rather straight-laced racing a bit outdated, but for my money there’s nothing like making that long jump by just barely clearing the strip line. Or using the speed boost to barrel ahead at 900 kilometers per hour only to hit a jump plate that flings you across the track like a man possessed. Sure it’s lacking the all-important two-player mode, but there’s no arguing its place in SNES history.

I think we all play games to be awed in some way. We play them to take us far away from the daily grind of our lives, and we play games that are simply fun and evoke a sense of wonder. After all these years, F-Zero has still got it. Though not the perennial classic of a Super Mario World, it is a classic in its own right, especially for its time. I’ll always have a special place in my gaming heart for F-Zero, the first SNES game I ever played. No Super Nintendo library is complete without a copy, if for nothing else, historical value. A great showcase launch title that won the hearts of many, F-Zero is a memorable and noteworthy relic from a bygone era. Happy 26th birthday, F-Zero!

Graphics: 9
Sound: 8.5
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 7

Overall: 8.5

Super Mario World (SNES)

Today marks the 26th anniversary of Super Mario World (based on the Japanese release). November 21, 1990. That was the day the Super Famicom launched in Japan along with Super Mario World, and gaming was never the same again. It’s crazy to believe it’s been 26 years. I figure there’s no better time than now to examine one of the best Super Nintendo games ever created. And sure, there’s nothing new to be said about this game that hasn’t already been said the past 26 years but being a fansite dedicated to all things SNES, it would be a crime not to have a Super Mario World review. So Mario and chums — here’s to ya!

HE DEFINED AN ENTIRE GENERATION

3 of the finest 8-bit Nintendo games around — 3 of the finest 8-bit NES games around

If you were like me and grew up in the ’80s, then you too grew up on 8-bit Nintendo. Which meant you got to experience all the joys of the Mario games as a youth. All three titles were finely tuned and fantastic. Mario was beloved by all and went on to become a household name. Together, the faction of Nintendo and Mario dominated the ’80s. But as long as the universe has existed there is one undeniable truth. Time passes, and change is inevitable. As the ’90s approached and our old best friend, the 8-bit NES, began showing its age, the rumblings could be heard. There was a new “super” system just over the horizon. Double the bits, and hopefully double the awesomeness. It was the Super Nintendo. And it’s fitting that the system would debut with a 16-bit version of Mario. The stage was set, then, for continued video game domination. And once again, the fans were the winners.

NOW YOU’RE PLAYING WITH SUPER POWER

Mario dominated living rooms everywhere — Mario dominated living rooms the world over

Confession time: I didn’t play through Super Mario World until 16 years after its Japanese release. I remember growing up watching my brother and his friends playing it, but I never really did. I’d just sit there and watch the older kids go at it. Even through just watching it, you could feel the energy in the room. The year was 1991. Things of the old guard were going the way of the ill-fated dinosaur. The future was now. Childhood favorites “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage were giving way to younger superstars like Bret “The Hitman” Hart and “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Godzilla at the time seemed dead (to an eight-year-old with no knowledge of the Heisei series). And another dear old friend from the ’80s was gasping its final breath. As the 8-bit Nintendo faded off into the sunset, in came riding a brand new cowboy. And with it came Super Mario World. A fitting passing of the torch, the Super Nintendo made its debut with an old portly friend spruced up in 16-bit trimmings. It was nothing short of video gaming magic.

It was a joy to finally play it for myself — It was a joy to finally experience it for myself

10 years ago (November 19, 2006) I sat down to play Super Mario World with the intention of beating it in mind. It was an absolutely glorious experience. What took me so long? This may shock you but I was a weird guy [was? -Ed.]. Sure I appreciated the Mario games growing up, but mainly I would watch my brother play them. I was always a big fan of the lesser known games and have been that way my entire life. But after returning to the SNES on January 17, 2006, I knew this was a second chance at gaming redemption. And I knew it was time to right a 15+ year wrong. I turned off the computer, plopped onto the sofa, kicked my feet up and finally booted up Super Mario World. And what followed was a week filled with some of the best single-player gaming moments of my life. It was a sheer joy to play through. Hey, better late than never!

THE STORY GOES…

That blasted princess. Some folks just can't stay outta trouble... — Oh Princess. Some folks just can’t stay outta trouble

Quite obviously, to play classic games like Super Mario World! — To play classic games like *Super Mario World*!

GAME BASICS

Lots of different ways to take out the opposition

Remember when game manuals were awesome? And in color? — Remember when manuals were great and in color?

New to the Mario universe is this magical cape. It possesses great power. You can spin attack the enemies with it, and you can also take to the skies.

Of course, there's always the good ole hop 'n bop — Of course, there’s always the good ole hop ‘n bop

One might argue that these guys can be tougher than the bosses! — These guys can be tougher than the bosses!

Plenty of items to mess with. I love the Grab Block

Happy 26th birthday, Yoshi! You getting old…

It's cool how there are big and little Yoshis — It’s cool how there are big and little Yoshis

Mario's various powers — Mario’s various powers

Mario and friends came to Dinosaur Land hoping to catch up on their R & R. Instead of course they find themselves in a world filled to the brim with danger.

It’s a long and tough road ahead. But a wise person once said that an arduous journey begins with one step [That was me, clearly -Ed.]

Progress is made in a linear fashion although you can backtrack and even skip ahead, provided you know how! *wink wink*

The Koopalings are back, in addition to evil ol' Bowser — The Koopalings are back in addition to evil ol’ Bowser

So that's how they prep for battle. I approve — So that’s how they prep for battle. I approve

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

smwrev24 — Note: This pic was created back in November 2010

Indeed, Mario didn’t come alone to this rodeo. Yoshi, a rollicking reptile with an appetite for menacing meanies, will help carry Mario through some tight jams. Though he’ll quickly run for the hills the second an enemy hits back.

Ah, memories of junior high... — Ah, memories of junior high…

Gigantic Banzai Bills come flying at you in the very first level. You had to listen closely for the warning sound and either duck or jump. We all know what a great game this is, but I feel the visuals don’t get enough love for their time. Pardon the pun but shots like these point to the game being no slouch in the graphic department!

Maybe some day Yoshi will get his own game... — Maybe some day Yoshi will get his own game…

Yoshi wasn’t created simply for marketing cosmetic purposes. He gave you an extra hit and some added offensive firepower as well.

"Damn I shouldn't have eaten that cheeseburger..." — *“Damn I shouldn’t have eaten that cheeseburger…”*

It's the little details that stay with ya — It’s the little details that stay with ya

Remember how cool it was seeing those little platforms dipping when you stood on them too long?

Mario is a serious headbanger. Good thing for his fluffy hat — It’s a miracle Mario doesn’t have a concussion…

One of the most bizarre enemies on the roster, this smiley cactus dude can be gobbled up by Yoshi piece by piece. Do you remember the sweet sound that accompanied it? Some morbid humor can be found when only its head comes crawling after you, smile fully intact (!)

Mac returned the favor all right... — Mac returned the favor all right…

Mario moonlighted as a ref back in the day

At certain points you can switch over to the other side. Definitely added an extra dimension to these parts.

I love the details carved into that huge pillar

I’ll be saying this a few times because I feel it bears a little repeating: the visuals have a nice depth to them. Sure it didn’t blow you away back in August 1991 like F-Zero did, but it’s plenty solid in its own right.

Love those red doors. Time for our first boss fight

Doesn’t that pillar looks thick like a redwood tree? The convincing sound of them crashing down only adds to its brilliance.

Beating Iggy is no "Biggie" [HAR HAR HAR -Ed.] — Beating Iggy is no “Biggie” *[HAR HAR HAR -Ed.]*

Iggy Iggy can’t you see.
Sometimes your words just hypnotize me.
And I just love your flashy ways
Guess that’s why they broke, and you’re so paid.

A tap of Miyamoto's wand and you had gaming magic — A tap of Miyamoto’s wand and you had gaming magic

smwrev46 — Part of the “secret” is not showing them your butt

It's a classic formula that somehow never gets old — It’s a classic formula that somehow never gets old

Gotta love those yellow question boxes too

Talk about killing seven Goombas with one shell!

Another example of Miyamoto magic: knocking out a string of bad guys with a single shell. Completely satisfying.

The castle dungeons are filled with hazards galore and will put your hand
eye coordination and platforming skills to the ultimate test. With silky smooth control and stellar sound, Super Mario World set the bar, and set it damn high.

Somewhere Bowser's thinking can't find good help — Somewhere Bowser’s thinking can’t find good help

Big ol’ Morton is boss number two. This time it’s a more traditional boss battle, requiring 3 hits to eliminate him.

Yes Yoshi, I know. At long last the title most synonymous with Super Nintendo gets a review on RVGFanatic. Yoshi’s Island superior? Hmm, we’ll see about that… in due time…

I love me some Vanilla Dome. It’s not as “vanilla” as its name might suggest. Some sweet old fashioned platforming levels with a great atmosphere make it one of my favorite areas in the entire game.

Hey look, it's Luigi! Not really... — Hey look, it’s Luigi! Not really…

Midnight munchies will get you every single time

Talk about having a bullet or two with your name on it — Talk about having a bullet or 2 with your name on it

Lemmy's castle is filled with danger, like this Magikoopa — Lemmy’s castle is filled with danger

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor

Brings back some memories of Whac-A-Mole, eh?

On to the Twin Bridges we go, AKA section 4 of the game. Can you find the two secret stages in this world?

Some folks don't know what rhetorical means — Some folks don’t know what rhetorical means

Quickly now... the spiked ceiling is descending! — Quickly now… the spiked ceiling is descending!

smwrev87 — Proof that Mario likes to get high

Next up is the Forest of Illusion. Almost every section of the forest maze includes multiple exits.

I’m generally not the biggest fan of underwater stages in platformers, but there’s something about the underwater levels in Super Mario World that does it for me.

After all, he's no hedgehog... — After all, he’s no hedgehog…

The controls are super smooth and responsive

Not quite a photo finish, but still a tantalizing victory — Not quite a photo finish but still a sweet victory

Even the exit gates serve an extra purpose. Depending on how high you can hit it, extra points are awarded. Miyamoto left no stone unturned.

Pressing "R" to scroll the screen is a lifesaver here — Pressing “R” to scroll the screen is a lifesaver here

Mmmm... Yoshi-flavored ice cream, my favorite — Mmmm… Yoshi-flavored ice cream, my favorite

Oh those crazy Japanese... — Oh those crazy Japanese…

Heard it's on Baskin Robbins' secret menu in Japan — Heard it’s on Baskin Robbins’ secret menu in Japan

Getting the switch block is like carrying around a precious golden egg. Every movement you make is done with extra precision and calculation. Every change in direction, even the slightest shift as you navigate your way through, is critical.

Lions, tigers and BOWSERS, OH MY! — Lions, tigers and BOWSERS — OH MY!

Festive though they may be, with Bowser there’s no such thing as fluff. Everything has its own purpose. This one? Mainly the sole purpose of killing you.

"Yep, I'm stoned out of my mind..." — *“Yep, I’m stoned out of my mind…”*

A more up close and personal look yields some pretty interesting yelps between the two.

"I don't always kill... but when I do... I prefer MARIO" — *“I don’t always kill… but when I do… I prefer MARIO”*

Indeed, Mr. Roy thinks he’s the most interesting Koopaling in the world. Why just ask him if you don’t believe me.

"I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you..." — *“I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you…”*

What a diva Roy is. On the bright side, such lovely sprite scaling! — What a diva, that Roy

Roy’s quite the drama queen. Talk about someone who knows how to ham it up.

Look, it's Rat Mario! — Look, it’s Rat Mario!

At the end of each successfully defeated castle, there’s a little cutscene. Post Roy’s is one of the best. Poor Mario gets charred for all of his hard work!

Said it before and I’ll say it again. I love the way this game looks. More importantly, I love the sense of soul, spirit and adventure that the Nintendo staff carefully infused it with.

Welcome to World 6, Chocolate Island. Here you’ll find dino critters of all shapes and sizes.

Italians are indeed hot heads... *rimshot* — Italians are indeed hot heads… *rimshot*

I guess this settles it. Soccer > baseball [Duh... -Ed.] — I guess this settles it. Soccer > baseball *[Duh… -Ed.]*

Yeah, and it only took me 250 tries to figure out, grrr — Yeah and it only took me 250 tries to figure out, grrr

Huh, bail money? I have no clue, sorry... — Huh, bail money? I have no clue, sorry…

Hands down, Mario's got one of the best backsides in the BIZ — By far he’s got one of the best backsides in the BIZ

Ahh, those tricky sneaky Nintendo bastards... — Ahh, those tricky sneaky Nintendo bastards…

[And I reckon it's all "downhill" from here... -Ed.] — *[And I reckon it’s all “downhill” from here… -Ed.]*

These little cheese-esque hills descend, so unless you wish to be lava soup, keep Mario moving!

Finally, we arrive at Wendy’s castle. And what a castle it is. All sorts of traps lie in wait to snag Mario for good.

Somewhere I can still hear Van Halen's JUMP blaring — Somewhere I can still hear Van Halen’s *JUMP* blaring

This house of horrors is not for the faint of heart

The SLIGHTEST miscalculation... *slices throat* — The SLIGHTEST miscalculation… *slices throat*

Or perhaps "MAMA MIA!" — Or perhaps *“MAMA MIA!”*

[You like Super Mario World's visuals? Who knew -Ed.] — *[You like Super Mario World’s visuals? Who knew -Ed.]*

*[What am I paying you? Oh right, nada. Carry on -Ed.]*

Without her army backing her she's not so tough is she — Without her army behind her she’s not so tough

Wendy's posse is MIA. What 'chu got now, WENDERS? — Wendy’s posse is MIA. What ya got now, WENDERS?

Ah, memories from a bygone era — Big Bacon Classic >>> Baconator

Back in the glorious late ’80s to mid ’90s, I ran with a group of folks who were my brothers and sisters. Our monthly family friend sleepovers were in a word, legendary. My gaming group gave me countless memories. One that sticks out occurred in 1993. There were about 20 kids that night. My older brother, myself, Sushi-X and his brother Zack were assigned the mission of buying burgers for all. So we hit up a local Wendy’s. The guy we affectionately called Sushi-X (for his intense love of Street Fighter which matched that of the EGM persona) ordered 30 (!) Big Bacon Classics (now defunct). Behind us was a lengthy line of folks. The ones immediately behind us, an elderly couple, shook their head at one another and bickered, “I told you, Hank! We should have gone to Red Lobster!” They stormed off and a couple of the other people behind them left as well. Standing off to the side of the cash register, I watched in bewilderment as Sushi-X single-handedly drove off the customers. We brought the loot back home and crowded around the Sony TV in the living room to watch Saturday Night Live and enjoy our burgers. There was such an abundance of Big Bacon Classics that 10 were left in the fridge for a midnight snack. Every time I drive by a Wendy’s these days, I can’t help but think of that Sushi-X memory and the night of our epic bacon feast. Thanks for all the memories, Game Crew and Dave Thomas

WHAC-A-HO! I always wanted to say that [HUMPH! -Wendy] — WHAC-A-HO! Man, I always wanted to say that…

Before you can pass through to the Valley of Bowser, you must contend with this evil Sunken Ghost Ship.

My grandpa used to tell me all the time that money doesn’t grow on trees. I used to tell him “You’re right. They don’t, because they grow out of thin air, and I know this because Super Mario World told me so.” Then, he’d look at me sideways and say, “Son, you’re a special boy.”

"Y'know, I could always find a new girlfriend..." — *“Y’know, I could always find a new girlfriend…”*

Once you’ve escaped the Sunken Ghost Ship you’re ready to brave it all and step into the deadly Valley of Bowser. I hope she’s worth all the trouble, Mario.

But in this case they serve a purpose by breaking the wall — But they serve a purpose here by breaking the wall

*[GRR, good help is so hard to find these days -Bowser]*

You’ll need Yoshi in Valley of Bowser 4 if you wish to nab the key to the Star Road.

Larry's castle sees the return of an old friend — Larry’s castle sees the return of this old “friend”

Who wants a yummy steaming bowl of Koopaling soup? — Who wants a yummy bowl of Koopaling soup?

The battle against Larry is highly reminiscent of the one with Iggy, way back in the first world. Defeat him and then face the KING.

You can either spin cape the hell out of them or... — You can either spin cape the hell out of them or…

... jump on their head and heave the suckers sky high! — Jump on their head and heave the suckers sky high!

Isn’t it great how those red glowing eyes peer on in the background there? OK, so they were added in by yours truly. Still, one of my favorite moments in the entire game. It’s just so incredibly atmospheric.

One of the best shots I've ever taken. #MONEYSHOT — One of the best shots I’ve ever taken. #moneyshot

smwrev155 — Hey, can you really blame the guy?

26 years later and both this game and SNES still standing strong! — 26 years later and still standing strong!

Or Skeletor, Rita Repulsa, Megatron, Cobra, Doctor Wily... — Or Skeletor, Rita Repulsa, Megatron, Cobra, Dr. Wily!

Oh Mario... what a gullible lad you are — Oh Mario, so gullible. Is it really worth it hmmm?

Suddenly it all makes sense. Carry on, playa

*cough* I'll uh... just let y'all use your imagination... — *cough* I’ll uh… just let y’all use your imagination…

[You pervert. Tsk tsk. Nothing of that sort here... only a kiss -Ed.] — *[You pervert. Tsk tsk. It’s just a kiss -Ed.]*

EXTRA EXTRA: READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Did you know? Pretty cool stuff. See if you can do it

It's the game that keeps on giving — It’s the game that keeps on giving

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Mario leapfrogged his competition with the greatest of ease — Mario leapfrogged his competition with ease

Super Mario World earned high marks just about everywhere. In EGM’s 100th issue (November 1997) it ranked #11. EGM gave it scores of 9, 9, 9 and 9. EGM reviewer Martin Alessi wrote, “I’ll take 96 levels of Mario over 20 of Sonic any day!” Nintendo Power placed it #16 on their Top 100 list in issue #100 (September 1997) and later bumped it up to #8 in issue #200. Super Play Magazine had it at #4 in their own Top 100 SNES Games list (issue 42, April 1996). Super Play scored it a massive 94%. While fans have long debated whether Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros. 3 is superior, Super Mario World is an exemplary example of the platforming genre done right and then some. It was the perfect game to debut with the Super Nintendo 26 years ago. And it still holds up incredibly well to this very day. You can pop it in now in the year 2016 and still be in awe of its smooth gameplay, crisp control and various nuances. It was a masterpiece then, and remains so to this very day 26 years later.

Super Mario World placed a lofty #11 on EGM's Top 100 List — EGM issue #100 (November 1997)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Mario World was, is and forever will be a classic — *Super Mario World* was, is and forever will be a classic

Early Sunday morning, November 19, 2006. 10 months into my SNES resurrection and two days before the game’s 16 year anniversary, I at long last powered up Super Mario World. I had never beaten it before. Early that Sunday morning I shifted my way through the darkness, determined to atone for past sins. In the riveting book The Kite Runner, Rahim Khan’s piercing words over the telephone haunts Amir. “There is a way to be good again.” I happened to be reading through that novel when I was going through this game for really the first time. As sad as it may sound, it was exactly how I felt about finally playing and beating this masterpiece. “There is a way to be good again.” It was my gaming redemption.

Going through Super Mario World for the first time in 2006 was a bittersweet feeling. I wished I hadn’t waited so long to finally beat it, yet I was thrilled at the opportunity to redeem the gaming missteps of my youth. As I waded my way through every castle, fortress and hill valley, it was almost as if I had taken a time machine back to the early 1990s. This game reaffirmed my love for this classic genre, as well as for this amazing system. Over the past 25 years the Super Nintendo has given me a bevy of memories. Somehow, it was always playing in the backdrop of my youth. Getting back into it in 2006 was the greatest decision of my gaming career. Thomas Wolfe was wrong. You can, indeed, go home again. And as I ventured back to the roots of my childhood, I recalled all the characters (i.e. Sushi-X from my Game Crew) and favorite games. It wasn’t just about reminiscing, though. I had another mission firmly set in mind… to travel down the gaming roads I never did back in the day but should have. And these pathways have opened up a whole new treasure chest of gaming memories for me to carry on forever. Super Mario World is a rare gem of an adventure I shall always cherish. Gaming redemption never tasted so sweet.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 10
Gameplay: 10
Longevity: 9

Overall: 10

You can’t talk about Super Nintendo’s very best without citing Super Mario World. It’s a timeless adventure that exudes excellence from top to bottom. A quintessential platformer, Super Mario World deserves its rightful due place on Super Nintendo’s Mount Rushmore.