Obscure SFC | RVGFanatic

Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (SFC)

Quite possibly the BEST Super Famicom fighting game

Gundam Wing. It’s a famous anime from the Land of the Rising Sun but quite frankly, it was never one of my “things.” You know, growing up my things were Godzilla, WWF, scary movies and Super Nintendo just to name a few. Never got into Gundam Wing. My only memory of it was buying a toy of one of the super deformed version in the mid ’90s rather randomly at this Japanese hobby shop. I say that to say… I would love this game even more if I had a genuine connection with the Gundam brand. And I already like this game a lot. It’s probably the finest Super Famicom exclusive fighting game ever made. So if you love fighting games and Gundam, then this is a match made in Heaven. Let’s take a closer look.

The game opens up with this rather nice cinematic intro. It is very Street Fighter Alpha 2-esque in its execution and style.

You can spot the similarities, right? I almost expect Sagat to come bursting through any second now!

It gets you pumped up to fire giant laser beams and the like.

Each fighter has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. For example, some are more agile than others. Others are a bit stronger, and so forth. Before we look at the fighters a bit more closely, let’s review some of the core principles of the game.

When you’re standing more than halfway across the screen from your foe, you can press a button to automatically fire your vulcan shot. This sends forth a series of bullets that don’t do a tremendous amount of damage, but enough to sway the tide of the battle your way. It’s good for a quick long distance attack. But see that 300 bar up there? Each time you perform a big special, it loses some points. Bigger moves drain more points. To fill it back up, you have to attack with your normal moves. This means you have to strategize — you can’t just go in there with guns a’blazing.

Super specials eat up a lot of points — Super specials come at a cost

Each fighter has a super special (double Hadoken motion plus attack). This can be performed at any time in the match provided you have enough points. This is pretty cool since it means you don’t have to wait for your energy bar to be down to 25%. I guess it’s a variation on the old super move meter but somehow it feels slightly different even though in practice it really isn’t.

One of the neat things about this game is the ability to damage your foe even while he or she is on the ground. This also creates new opportunities for combos that aren’t present in other SNES fighting games. There is a slight juggle system at work here, and you can even block in mid-air in addition to dashing forward or backwards. Seeing as how this was released on March 29, 1996, Endless Duel benefits from some of the more modern fighting game tropes.

All fighters can also double jump or even TRIPLE JUMP. Being giant flying mechs you figured that this game would somehow bring that into play somewhat. And these features definitely do the trick.

That’s what you get for ripping off the great name of SHENG LONG!

I love Wing’s Dragon Punch variant. It gives you a chance to string together multiple strikes as he savagely swipes down at his opponent mid-air. Nice!

Heavy Arms lives up to its name. It’s got a whole lot of fire power backing it.

Wing proceeds to show Heavy Arms the finger. Then Wing backs up the trash talking with a CLUTCH victory that is far too close for comfort.

Sandrock’s stage is absolutely gorgeous, with that blazing sun popping up over the horizon. I love taking to the air with a double or triple jump to show off the sun in all its burning glory.

Wing’s blast rivals that of the sun’s power. Doesn’t look too good for ol’ Sandrock here…

Sandrock’s beautiful stage is second only to this, which shows off the captivating Northern Lights.

Wing polishes off an amazing 9-hit combo with his super special blast. I love how the colors of the beam and the Northern Lights in both pictures magically match!

Tallgeese (who is unsurprisingly the tallest mech in the game) puts up a good effort, hitting me with his devastating super special move even, but in the end he’s no match for Wing. Mechs flash orange during the final blow. Nice touch.

Mercurius has some nifty special moves, and proves to be a formidable foe.

Well GOT DAMN! [It’s actually Gundam… -Ed.]

You do know that I am PURPOSELY letting the computer pound on me so that I can capture their special moves, r-right? [Yeah, uh huh, sure thing… -Ed.]

Yup, I really had to hold back from opening a can of whup ass on his, er, ass. [Right, of course… -Ed.]

Whew, another tight battle goes down to the wire. The vulcan shot comes in handy when you need a little push to get you over the edge and nab that W.

And you thought SNK bosses were cheap! Epyon is cut out of a similar cloth. He’s got high priority strikes and easy combos that will turn you into a crying meme.

Please, make it stop. I may or may not be in the fetal position right now. I can neither confirm nor deny.

WHO’S YER DADDY NOW, BITCH!? [Did you tell the readers how many save states and retries you had to go through? -Ed.]. Uhhh, well would you look at the time! It’s a wrap!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Duel, or Shin Kidō Senki Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (to give it its full proper Japanese title), is an impressive fighting game for the Super Famicom. The anime ran for 49 episodes — it aired on April 7, 1995 and its final episode aired on March 29, 1996. Fascinatingly enough, the same day it went off the air was when Bandai released the Natsume developed fighting game. It must have been a bittersweet day for hardcore Gundam fans. Their favorite anime ended but they received this little treasure to enjoy.

Endless Duel is a sophisticated “modern day” fighting game. It feels like a “versus” fighter in a very elementary sense. From the little details such as the humongous screen text to the combos and double jumps, it feels like you’re playing a beta version of the first wave of Capcom’s “versus” fighting games. It’s impressive to see such a clash of titans on the Super Nintendo running as smoothly as it does. But that explains why there is ZERO speech samples in this game. They had to save the memory to devote it to the frames of animation. So you won’t hear any announcers screaming “ROUND ONE, FIGHT!” or even the fighters themselves talking trash. It’s just the music and sound effects of steel connecting on steel. It’s not a big enough issue to harp on, but once I noticed it, I felt like something was off, or missing. But you do get used to it, and it was for a good cause: the game looks incredible and moves so fluidly it has to be seen to be believed. It makes me wonder what a port of Darkstalkers or X-Men: Children of the Atom would have looked like on the SNES.

So ask yourself these three questions:

1. Do you like playing the Super Nintendo?

2. Do you like fighting games?

3. Do you like Gundam?

If you answered yes to at least two of those questions, you’ll really like this. And if you answered yes to all three, then you probably already own this game and mastered at least half the roster by now. At any rate, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Duel is a fine fighting game, and quite possibly the best one to never hit SNES American shores.

Sutte Hakkun (SFC)

Quite possibly the last great SNES game released — Possibly the last great SNES game released

There are games you hear about and instantly know it’s right up your alley. But sometimes it seems too good to be true, and you find out the game was cancelled, never made available on physical cartridge or whatever. Sutte Hakkun was that to me — a game which I thought was an exclusive BS-X game (a type of Super Famicom downloading service in Japan). But then it achieved such positive word of mouth that Nintendo decided to release it on an actual Super Famicom cartridge on June 25, 1999. This is, quite possibly, the last great Super Nintendo game ever released.

I obtained my cartridge only copy through a mercenary I had living in Japan for $29 on October 11, 2006 (wow, 10 years fly by fast). Today cartridge only copies of Sutte Hakkun go for over $100 (which as ridiculous as that sounds is actually kind of surprisingly low considering how much some of these scarce highly sought after titles can fetch).

If you ever wanted a game based on this, here ya go!

Sutte Hakkun is a platform-puzzler. Taking command of a translucent creature resembling a dipping bird, your goal is to reach the rainbow orb(s) in each level. It sounds simple but of course, as you can predict, the later levels get quite tough.

Some levels have two orbs — Some levels have multiple orbs

The buttons are very simple. B jumps and Y pecks. By pecking, you can absorb helpers (i.e. blocks) and move them to new positions to help you reach the exit. There are also jars which contain red, yellow or blue paint. By pecking, you can suck the color out of a jar and transfer the paint to blocks, causing the block to move in a set pattern, depending on the color you’ve injected. Red goes up and down, yellow diagonally and blue horizontally. Of course they don’t travel the full length of the screen — there would be zero strategy if that were the case. Rather, the blocks travel a short distance back and forth.

LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO

Reposition blocks (only after you absorb 'em) — This allows you to move a block

Red blocks travel up and down — You suck like a champ don’t cha

Sutte Hakkun translates to “Suck and Blow.” [We’re all mature enough here right? -Ed.] And that’s exactly what you’ll be doing a lot of. In this game, I mean. At least in this game. [Oi -Ed.]. You’ll spend a lot of time sucking paint and transferring them into the transparent blocks.

Of course you can freeze a block’s movement by sucking the paint out of them, and it’s by this method that allows you to change a block’s height to better suit your goal.

Observe:

Red causes that block to move vertically — Red makes blocks move vertically

Suck out the red and then put it back in — Suck it out, then put it back in

That block now travels higher based on where you’ve injected it. Nice!

As you can see, this is a rather unique puzzle action game. It’s quite creative and brilliant. You just can’t help but love it. Major props to Nintendo for breathing new life into a genre that has way too many similar games.

The beauty is there are multiple ways to solve a level. The method seen above is just one, but I’ve completed level 1 and some of the others in different ways. It’s really awesome to see how many different solutions there are but they all get you to your end goal — the next level.

And should you want to harmlessly dump a color for whatever reason, simply press down on the control pad.

LEVEL 2 AT A GLANCE

Hop on the "new and improved" block — Hop on again

There are many stages, with 10 levels in each stage. The further you advance the crazier they get. Trust me, the later ones are INSANE. Just be grateful there’s no time limit!

This coming from Nintendo and all, Sutte Hakkun is filled with nice little details. Look no further than the stone that goes from a smile to a frown the moment you hop on its head. It’s these little touches that just make you grin and appreciate the great effort from the fine folks over at Nintendo.

Press R to scan the level — later stages have a bigger layout so this comes in handy. Sometimes it helps knowing what lays ahead.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

A fine action puzzler that will last ages on account of the later stages being damn tough. I dare call it a must-have for every SNES owner who enjoys staring contemplatively at the screen until inspiration breaks through with the resolute “A-HA!” The last great Super Nintendo game ever released, Sutte Hakkun is a piece of history and a true piece of video gaming art. The Super Famicom received so many fantastic games that never saw the light of day here in America. Sutte Hakkun is another shining example of such. It’s a mind bender in every sense of the word, and puzzle fans are sure to eat this one up.

Puzzle’n Desu! (SFC)

One of the best Super Famicom games hardly anyone ever talks about

You know, there are a lot of “hidden gems” on the Super Nintendo. Many are no longer “obscure” because they’ve received their just due and praise over the course of the past decade or so. But there remains a few titles that I still see don’t get the kind of recognition that they so richly deserve. Puzzle’n Desu! is one such game. It’s truly one of the best games on the system that you might have yet to play, or even heard of before. There’s a reason why the box says “Ultimate Cool Puzzle Game.” Hey, them some bold words. But if any puzzle game can live up to such a high title, it’s this one.

Hell of a brain teaser, this one. You move the little guy on the left around a giant square arena, trying to match all the like colors. You can only push one block at a time, and it’ll travel until it’s stopped by a wall or block.

Three like colors, minimum, are required to make a successful match. Sometimes there are four instead of three, so you must connect all four. Match only three in this instance and you’ll fail (as there would be one block remaining).

Let’s take a look at the first few stages.

STAGE ONE

If you can’t figure out how to solve this first level…

STAGE TWO

I like the way the blocks disappear. The little visual effect is always a welcomed sight. Hey, it’s the small stuff, right?

The blue blocks are a cinch as you can see… but the pink ones… what to do…

There you go, now this pink formation is ripe for the pickings. Can you solve the rest? As you can imagine, the later puzzles become murderous.

Interestingly enough, this mode can be played with up to three friends. I believe this is the only Super Nintendo action puzzle game that allows you to do such a thing. Very cool stuff!

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

An ace 4-player battle mode is included! Much more than a mere afterthought, this can rival Bomberman believe it or not! The goal is simple. Squish your opponent(s) via block pushing. The winner is the sole survivor. And for good measure, you get 10 different stage designs, whose block placement is randomly generated, enabling countless variants! (similar to the map system of the beloved WORMS franchise).

B = push

A = moves a block around you

Note the “A” command is only valid in the battle mode, for obvious reasons. Also, even in this mode blocks will disappear when accidentally or purposely matched. Awesome continuity.

Here are the 10 battle zones:

BATTLE ZONE 1

It’s your typical no-frills, no gimmicks first basic stage.

BATTLE ZONE 2

Blue blocks with the % marks are immovable.

BATTLE ZONE 3

The ice blocks dissipate when pushed against a wall or block. I like this stage.

BATTLE ZONE 4

The arrows determine the path of destruction. It’s very Super Bomberman-esque.

BATTLE ZONE 5

Those arrows affect block AND player movement — nice!

BATTLE ZONE 6

The arrow blocks here can only be pushed in the direction they’re pointing. The numbered blocks travel their respective number (i.e. 3 spaces). Very interesting, and rather different!

BATTLE ZONE 7

Teleporters! Bomberman is rolling over in his grave

BATTLE ZONE 8

Great gimmick here. Arrows guide block movement. Easy to kill yourself if you don’t watch it. When walking on arrows, they act like butter, sliding you in their set direction.

BATTLE ZONE 9

The blocks here can be pushed despite touching each other. They fly across and through the screen disappearing whether they’ve crushed someone or not. Arguably the most chaotic stage due to its potential of numerous blocks zooming by at break-neck speed in all directions!

BATTLE ZONE 10

A veritable smorgasbord of the other battle arenas. Good stuff.

D’OH!

Unfortunately, this mode is restricted to human players. Why they didn’t allow computer opponents is a mystery. But it’s better than nothing. Like Bomberman, 2 to 4 can play, with the win total required for a stage adjustable from 1 through 10.

To cap things off, a create-your-own-stage option is available.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Puzzle'n Desu! is an awesome little game — *Puzzle’n Desu!* is too sweet

I love this game. The ability for a 4 player mode in the regular game and a Bomberman-esque 4 player “free for all” mode really makes this game stand out from the crowd. These games possess a purity I can’t help but love. They’re simply brilliant and brilliantly simple (yet complex). If you love pitting your logic skills to the test, and especially if you have gaming buds, hunt this gem down. From what I understand though, it’s rather scarce.

It’s not perfect, though. I am not a big fan of the timer. I feel like these action puzzle games benefit greatly when you’re able to take your sweet time and start contemplatively at the screen until inspiration strikes with the resolute “AH-HA!” Also didn’t like the fact that the 4-player battle mode is exclusive to humans only. I mean, it would be lovely to be able to play this mode on a lazy Tuesday night when it’s just you and your Super Nintendo. But at the end of the day, at least the mode is there as an option.

All in all, Puzzle’n Desu! truly rocks. And deserves a little more recognition in the retro gaming community. Highly recommended!

Dossun! Ganseki Battle (SFC)

Before there was Puzzle Fighter... — Before *Puzzle Fighter*…

Dossun! Ganseki Battle is an awesome puzzle game. It feels like sort of a beta version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. Not as good but for its time it was a damn fine puzzler. Let’s take a closer look.

The game intro reveals a demon trying to conquer the land (supposedly). Jeez, don’t these demons have anything better to do? At any rate, there isn’t much Japanese but interestingly enough there is a fan translated version floating out there. Not that you need it but it’s there if you want the full English experience.

This game has a unique battle system. Two ways to claim victory:

The opposing player’s well fills up

Their energy bar hits rock bottom

Energy bar? In a puzzler? Say whaaaa??

Like Puzzle Fighter, the attacker sends over a spiffy, er, attack.

Eliminating 3 or more like pieces have varying results:

Green Rocks: Sends forth a dragon (see above)

Red Scrolls: Fireballs

Yellow Swords: Piercing swords

Blue Potion: Replenishes your health slightly (if needed)

Purple Squares: No effect whatsoever

ONE PLAYER MODE

The loser is paid a visit from ol' Grimsy — The loser meets ol’ Grimsy

TWO PLAYER MODE

Everyone is up for grabs — Every character is playable

TODAY’S SPECIAL

I like this cool effect (see the purple) — I like this cool effect

Most puzzle games have a special piece or power. Dossun is no different. When you have a special pellet stored, pressing R clears every purple square. Although the graphics could easily be confused for an early Mega Drive title, this visual effect is somewhat noteworthy.

DO A COMBO MEAL

Like fighting games, special moves are a good way to inflict damage but the best players utilizes devastating combos. The same applies here. While clearing 3 pieces at a time is fine and dandy, pulling off 3-plus chain reactions is the meal ticket. Diagonal matches yield the best results if you set yourself proper.

Observe this lethal chain. The green rocks match diagonally and disappear.

The yellow sword drops, connecting with 2 other swords.

The swords’ elimination drops the red scroll… forming a crushing 5-PIECE horizontal and diagonal red match to end the 3 hit chain.

PICK A FIGHT

After completing a big combo, the character enlarges and performs a fancy attack.

HANG IN THERE

Major attacks result in leaving the opposition hanging.

[By a moment! Desperate for changing, chasing after you… ahem, sorry -Ed.]

ANY REQUESTS?

There’s only one music theme throughout the entire game, and it can get tedious. When someone’s energy bar flashes, the music breaks into a frenzy, sounding much better and adding nicely to the tension. But the regular music is a bit “meh.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS

"It was ICE knowing ya!" — ***“It was ICE knowing ya!”***

It’s essentially COLUMNS with a medieval fantasy battle theme. Dossun! Ganseki Battle really grew on me; I found myself saying “one more game” several times. It’s amazingly addicting. Sure the graphics and music are nothing to write home about but the gameplay is largely enjoyable and that’s what it’s all about. Definitely one of the finer puzzle games you could play on the Super Nintendo and one that should be in your collection if you like the genre even an iota.

Sweet game!

SD F-1 Grand Prix (SFC)

If Super Mario Kart met Chuck E. Cheeses... — If *Super Mario Kart* met Chuck E. Cheese’s…

If that sounds like an enticing combination to you (we can’t be friends if it isn’t) then SD F-1 Grand Prix is right up your alley. Sure, we never got the Super Mario Kart 2 on SNES as we desired back in the mid ’90s, but Video System released this clone on October 27, 1995 (nearly 21 years ago as I write this on October 23, 2016). It’s no Super Mario Kart (2) but it’s a decent alternative — hell, even an adequate companion piece to Super Mario Kart. Let’s examine and see why.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

They scared and fascinated me all at once

If you grew up in the late ’80s and early ’90s in America then you probably have fond memories of hitting up Chuck E. Cheese’s as a kid. I know I sure did. It was the cheap pizza (which at the time felt like Heaven to a kid), the festive atmosphere and the ARCADES. It was an epic place for a kid to be. A place where a kid could truly be a kid. But I think we can also agree on this… those old school animatronics left us with an eerie memory or two! Just look at them. They’re so robotic and stiff, it’s a bit unnerving to watch them “sing” when you were a little kid. But we all have memories of it (for better or for worse). Chuck E. Cheese’s, I salute ya. Thank you SD F-1 Grand Prix for reminding me of a simpler time in my life. Perhaps that’s one contributing factor to why I like you so much.

WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE

Right away you can tell what the tone of this game is. It’s not serious. It’s cute, and fairly charming. I like how they give you stats for each racer. Even though the racers in Super Mario Kart had their pros and cons, it’s nice seeing it spelled out explicitly.

It's a case of deja vu all right — It’s a case of deja vu all right

Recharge your health. Hmmm... — Recharge your health. Hmmm…

Thought I saw that somewhere before — Thought I saw that somewhere

Similar to Battle Racers, you have a health bar that’s reduced any time you fall in a pit, ram into barriers or blasted by the opposition. Unlike Battle Racers though, instead of finding health refills inside capsules, SD F-1 has a healing strip along the beginning of each track much like F-Zero.

Battle Racers (Banpresto, 1995) — *Battle Racers* (Banpresto, 1995)

BUT DON’T LOOK DOWN ON THIS GAME

Bird eye's viewpoint — Bird eye’s view point

Sure it rips some things off from Super Mario Kart and F-Zero, but those aren’t bad games to get inspired by. There are different camera angles to pick from. The default is Mario Kart style. But one allows you to make SD F-1 look just like the earlier F-1 Super Famicom games… that being from a bird eye’s view point.

1 player games include:

GP Mode: first you race around a bare track for 2 laps to be awarded a starting position (1-10). Then you start the race at your designated spot against 9 rivals. Icons litter the course, collect enough to fill a bar and gain a temporary speed burst

Crash Mode: None of this 2 laps positioning nonsense. Start at #10 and instead of speed-bar-filling-up icons you get regular weapon icons (projectiles, etc.) I personally prefer this traditional Mario Kart mode over GP

Time Trial: Keeps track of best lap and overall times

2 player game (besides obvious GP and whatnot):

Dog Fight: Pick one of (surprise surprise) four specific battle arenas, and fight to the death. The goal is to zap other driver’s energy to zero by blasting him or her with any means necessary. Groovy

Now let’s look at some random tracks.

The classic, essential, bare bones first stage to acclimate the player to the mechanics of the game. To say it conjures memories of the first race track from Super Mario Kart would be a gross understatement.

Some tracks contain helpful arrows, such as this one. Maybe it’s just me but this course reminds me slightly of Bowser’s.

Lovely beach track. One of my favorites. Yeah it’s a total ripoff but it’s still sweet. The super jump bit is very cool, reminiscent of Ghost Valley 1.

Northern Lights! The ice has nice detailing as well. Another one of my favorites, this frozen lake course is actually cooler looking than the frozen courses found in Super Mario Kart. Just my opinion of course, but it’s the little details in the ice as well as the Northern Lights that gives SD F-1 Grand Prix the edge.

The lava track has a super jump section much like the beach one. I have to say graphically it is superior to Super Mario Kart but that’s kind of expected as one came out in 1992 and the other in 1995.

I love how you can see this course unwind far into the distance. Lovely!

Remember GamePro Magazine? That’s a classic ProTip they would have said. My favorite to this day was the ProTip about the CyberDemon. ProTip: Shoot at it.

I love the wide range of locales you race in — the visuals are pleasant to the eye and really makes you want to race each of the courses.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Mario Kart meets a cast of Chuck E. Cheeses rejects. In a nutshell, that’s what SD F-1 Grand Prix is. What it also is… is a damn fine racing game. It’s loads of fun with a few different ideas to differentiate it enough from Super Mario Kart. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a most blatant clone, but it’s a well made one. It’s not as smooth playing as Super Mario Kart, but visually it’s better and I really like some of its tracks. If you love kart racing games then you really owe it to yourself to get this one. SD F-1 Grand Prix is yet another great Super Famicom exclusive title. Pick up a copy if you can — you probably won’t regret it.

Super Bomberman 5 (SFC)

Most Super Nintendo owners know about the first two Super Bomberman games on the SNES. But what some don’t know is that the series went up to a whopping five. 3 was released in Europe and Japan while parts 4 and 5 were exclusively released in Japan only. Tonight let’s look at the final Bomberman game on the SNES. It’s the fifth one, and yes, it sure does Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers proud!

They just keep coming and coming... — They just keep coming and coming…

REGULAR MODE

The 1-2 player mode is not shabby, although we all know by now where the meat and potatoes of any Bomberman title is. Nonetheless, here’s a quick look.

You even get stages from the first game — Deja vu, hmm?

There is a time warp-related plot. Therefore, you’ll see stages from the original SNES classic. A nice nod back to the glory days of yesteryear.

Another nice feature, at the end of each stage you’re given 3 exit points. Each one takes you to a completely different level. Sometimes you’ll select the one that takes you to the very next level. Other times you may select a stage that jumps ahead. You never know and it makes the game less linear, for sure.

Oops, no skipping — Aw shucks, no skipping

And as you might notice, some of these stages are pulled right from previous Super Bomberman titles. I told you there was a time warping element to this game. It’s nice to see some of the old stages from the previous games. A nice fan service if nothing else.

But to TRULY complete the game you have to beat all the stages. Your reward is unlocking a bonus character… a golden bomber!

The first boss is rather annoying and hard. Unlike previous titles where you tackle giant machines, here the bosses are much smaller, quicker and more devious. This one drops a stealth bomb that is invisible until you step over it. Even worse, once the bomb is revealed you have only about a second to get out of the way before it detonates. I have to admit, while the boss fights are more challenging than ever before, I do miss the massive monstrosities of years past.

With that said, let’s get to what makes any Bomberman title shine.

BATTLE ZONE ONE

The essential “plain” stage. A must have for any Bomberman game. A place where no gimmicks reside and no excuses can be forged. A pure and classic battlefield.

BATTLE ZONE TWO

One of my favorite gimmicks, the conveyor belt sends bombs (and bombers) down the line accordingly. I really like the look of this stage.

BATTLE ZONE THREE

My all-time favorite gimmick: the tunnel or roof stage. Here we have lovely treetops to obscure the playing field. These Bomberman games have never been about impressive visuals, but I do think it’s never looked better. A given, considering it’s the fifth and final game on the system.

BATTLE ZONE FOUR

Not my favorite kind, as it’s a little too gimmicky for my tastes. The field is mostly dark except for a bouncing spotlight. Definitely grounds for excuses galore…

BATTLE ZONE FIVE

The speed stage where players move REALLY fast. Not one of my favorites, but it’s a change of pace field, pardon the pun, for sure.

BATTLE ZONE SIX

I like this one a lot. It appeared in Super Bomberman 3 and must have been so popular because it’s back. This stage has a few interesting gimmicks. Bombs that explode under the makeshift igloos will send the top sky high. Not to mention there is slight stealth bombing capacity here. Not as severe as in battle zone three, but the potential is there (which is nice). Secondly, there are portions of the field where the ice cracks, leaving a hole in its wake. You of course cannot cross these holes. Finally, that big snowball up top rolls once you blow it up. Get the hell out of its way!

BATTLE ZONE SEVEN

It’s the arrow stage. I typically enjoy the arrow gimmick, but have to admit the look of this stage is a bit of a letdown. It just doesn’t look very pleasing to the eye.

BATTLE ZONE EIGHT

A trolley lays in the middle. You can ride it and knock out the blocks in its way. Cool stuff. You also can’t die when riding the trolley, but be careful of the landing spot. You may land right into an explosion, or you might even get stuck between two blocks. Assess the situation properly and decide whether it’s worth a ride or not.

BATTLE ZONE NINE

Those special knobs there will switch occasionally and possibly block you out. Not one of my favorites, but it’s adequate.

BATTLE ZONE TEN

Remember this stage from Super Bomberman 2? It’s back. Everyone is powered up from the get go and there are no blocks. An ultimate battle of the supreme.

INTERESTING SIDE NOTES

The classic hand glove is an awesome power-up. If you can find one early on when there are still a lot of blocks on the screen, you can easily kill off some rivals.

Speaking of killed opponents, not only is there an option to bomb from the outside once you’re killed, but if you manage to kill someone on the field the two of you will switch places. It’s a nice choice to have and adds new intensity to the mad bomber option.

When the timer expires, blocks drop to the very bitter end. No longer do they close off just a portion of the field, now they drop until they’ve claimed every last life possible. This often becomes a war of attrition. If you have an animal friend and your opponent does not, this works highly in your favor. I like that animal friend there as it can jump over flames. The poor green guy stands no chance!

If you haven’t noticed by now, up to five bombers can play in this game. Starting with Super Bomberman 3, players went from 4 to 5. It’s nice in case you have four friends visiting rather than three.

That is a hovering homing bomb. Which means it isn’t affected by the conveyor belt. How many times have you said to yourself it would be nice if my bombs didn’t move along the conveyor belt? Now, with this special bomb, you can do just that. Also, it has a built-in homing device. If an opponent goes near it, it will follow that person for a bit before detonating. It’s quite effective.

They truly are. They blow PAST blocks. So watch out or else…

In the trolley battle zone, watch out that you don’t trap yourself between two blocks. You’ll be a sitting duck if so!

A password screen is present. There are several codes that affects the game. For example, the codes 4622, 0413 and 0926 change the layouts of the levels. Observe.

Pretty dang cool, huh? It should be noted that Super Bomberman 3 and Super Bomberman 4 also had passwords to unlock varying layouts of their battle zones as well. Therefore it’s not like Super Bomberman 5 was the first to do so, but that doesn’t make it any less useful. Talk about expanding longevity when the replay value was already high to begin with!

This controller executes a special cheat!

Speaking of awesome, if you own Hudson’s Super Joy Card controller pad, you can use it to activate three hidden bonus battle zones! Now how sick is that? To do so, move the blue X button over and on the title screen hold X for about 6 seconds. A sound will confirm on success. These are the same stages found on the gold cartridge — a limited edition release of Super Bomberman 5. You can find gold cartridge editions on eBay for over hundreds and hundreds of dollars. So to play the extra bonus stages you can either plop down a couple Benjamins or pay about $20 for Hudson’s Super Joy Card. Yeah, I know which option I went for. Not to mention the Super Joy Card is an awesome controller.

Either that or plop $400 for this — Either that or drop $400 for this…

Let’s take a quick look at the three bonus battle zones.

BATTLE ZONE ELEVEN

There are 18 loops surrounding the stage. Go to one and you’ll be redirected randomly to any of the other 17.

BATTLE ZONE TWELVE

Combines a conveyor belt along with tunnels. Gotta love it.

BATTLE ZONE THIRTEEN

Combines a trolley with warp holes. Ride the trolley and appear randomly at another warp hole. Interesting gimmick mash-up!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I love the Bomberman games. You really can’t go wrong with any of the five on the Super Nintendo. I still prefer the original out of all of them, but between parts 3, 4 and 5, I have to give the slight nod to Super Bomberman 5. I like the fact that it combines certain stages from the four previous titles. It isn’t quite a “remix” but at times it does feel like one. As if they took the best from the previous games and added in some new things for the fifth outing on SNES. So if you had to get only one Super Bomberman title that never came out in the US, make it the fifth one. Although, why not get 3 and 4 too if you can. It might be overkill, but for me at least you can never have too much Bomberman.

Spark World (SFC)

Look, it's Bombercar — Look, it’s *Bombercar*

When I was searching for information on Spark World on the internet back in 2006, it (pardon the pun) shocked me there was nothing. Sure the game’s highly unoriginal, but it’s pretty good regardless, so I thought I’d find SOMETHING on it. I wasn’t expecting to find a full blown write up, but at least a blurb in a “Recommend me some good Super Famicom games” topic. There was nothing to be found. It’s sadly another case of an obscurity left lurking in the shadows. That’s a shame, so tonight let’s shine the spotlight on this little gem.

If Battle Cross was like Super Mario Kart meets Super Bomberman, with emphasis on the former, then Spark World is the same — only with the emphasis placed on the latter.

The story goes as follows:

In a distant world where intelligent cars rule, a shady casino operator who is actually a drug dealer casts his shadow over the alleys and streets. Two young cop cars, Beat and Barts, decide to take matters into their own hands (so to speak) when they learn that the police department is riddled with corruption by the syndicate boss. The intrepid pair must set off to points around the globe and blow up enemies by detonating fuel barrels. If you’re not in the mood to save the world you can always play against 3 friends (or computer controlled opponents in the battle mode).

The story mode allows you to select any one of nine stages. Each stage has three zones with the fourth being the boss. 4-character passwords are given after each stage.

A look at some of the levels from the 1-player mode:

Train boss! — The Terror Train is boss #1

The classic themes are represented: jungle, river, ice, desert, etc. Each theme, as you can guess, is guarded by a boss.

The meat of the game, like Bomberman, is the battle mode with 12 selectable stages. Any combination of 2-4 players can play, and CPU AI is selectable from 1-9. You can set CPU 1 AI level nine, CPU 2 AI five and CPU 3 AI one if you so choose. Very user friendly.

And of course, by blowing blocks sky high, you reveal items that can either help or hinder. Longer sparks, more bombs dropped at a time, jelly bombs (I told you this game was highly unoriginal…), a boxing glove (though instead of punching bombs you punch the opponents — sweet), and so forth.

? marks are a HUGE gamble. If you get the bad side of it, a grim reaper appears over your head with a 30 second countdown. When it reaches 0, whoever has the icon dies. Luckily, you can transfer it to anyone you touch, and it can be passed back and forth until the timer reaches 0. It’s a riot making the switch to someone with 1 second to go! *evil laughter*

There are no dinosaurs or animals here, but each player can sustain two hits.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the battle zones.

BATTLE ZONE ONE

Basic plain classic stage where pure skills reign supreme.

BATTLE ZONE TWO

At first glance one might assume the arrows indicate where bombs go, but rather than completely ripping off Bomberman, the arrows actually indicate where YOU can go. Similar to the boxing glove, it’s this slight gimmick twist that goes a long way.

BATTLE ZONE THREE

Red button = no pass. Blue = OK. The colors switch occasionally and shrewd timing is the key to surviving and creating traps.

BATTLE ZONE FOUR

I thought my SNES broke when I first played this zone. You’re moved automatically! Challenging zone indeed.

BATTLE ZONE FIVE

When the sides are bombed, the doors on the floor open up. Get called up to the big house if you fall through!

BATTLE ZONE SIX

Ahh, the classic stage with 4 exit points. I love the look here. Unfortunately, the sparks will NOT go through the exit points, unlike Bomberman. Shame, but oh well.

BATTLE ZONE SEVEN

I love this stage’s design and gimmick. Once the boulder is free it’ll roll around the stage. Sparks influence its direction. Don’t let it crush you! There’s nothing better than blasting the giant rock right through your friend!

BATTLE ZONE EIGHT

Ahhh, the classic conveyor belt stage. I also love the look here.

Note: battle zones 9-12 (not pictured) all have crazy gimmicks (i.e. gun placed in the middle, mega bombs, etc.) but they all use the same stage design.

VICTRY!

Somebody got fired... — Somebody got fired…

You can set match victory to 1-5 matches much like Bomberman. The victory screen is a hoot… what the hell is victry? Whoops!

KNOW THY ENEMY

Yellow car screwed for round 2 — Yellow is so screwed for round 2

While Spark World is a rip-off through and through, it does have a sweet feature that draws the battle lines in the sand quite emphatically. At the end of a round the game lets you know who your “rival” is. That way you know exactly who to target specifically the following round. It gets wild and loony when one car kills all 3 of his or her opponents. You can form a temporary brotherhood and go after that rival the following round. Makes for some good times for sure.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Damn, blue. You killin' it, son! — Damn, blue. You killin’ it, son!

So yeah, Spark World is a blatant Super Bomberman clone. But bloody hell if it ain’t a blast (sorry). There’s enough of a difference to make it more than a decent alternative. For example, I love that you can sustain two hits. It makes the battles last longer and gives you a chance at redemption rather than a one and done. Sure you can ride animals in the Bomberman titles but honestly I never liked them too much. Felt a little too gimmicky to me, personally. I also like that the boxing glove allows you to punch your opponents rather than punch fuel barrels. I mean, c’mon, does it really get any better than that?! Also, the arrows in battle zone two indicate where YOU can move, rather than your fuel barrels. It’s these slightly unique twists that add up to a slightly refreshing take. But my favorite thing might be that rival screen. Sure, you usually know full well who killed you, but that shot emphatically draws the battle line in the sand for the following round.

Of course it’s not better than the Super Bomberman titles but as far as clones go, this is an admirable and very solid effort. If you love these party games, definitely pick up Spark World. When the sparks get long the battles get really intense. It’s neat also how the spark color indicates who dropped the bomb(s). It’s just a fun game that I’m still playing even 10+ years later after buying it in 2006. Yet another unheralded semi-gem from the fascinating world of Super Famicom!

Sanrio World Smash Ball! (SFC)

More fun than it has any right to be... — Surprisingly more fun than one might first think

Sanrio World Smash Ball! is not only amazingly competent, it’s amazingly addicting and fun. You might say it’s a smash, or a ball. Sorry. Back in the early-mid ’90s many popular franchises outside of video games had its own game at some point. These often resulted in forgettable platformers. Sanrio Smash not only attempted something with a hint of originality, but it succeeded at delivering a quality product, which cannot be said for many licensed video games of the time.

A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…

May 19, 2005, is a day I’ll never forget. It was on this day that my friend and I caught the premier of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It was a pretty good return to form — it didn’t touch the greatness of the original trilogy but was a far cry from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

But I recall that day fondly for another reason as well. It was the day I was unofficially hired by Sanrio.

I had an hour to kill before showtime, so I decided to scour the mall. It was quickly approaching the end of my Spring 2005 semester. I was 22 and looking for a summer job. Walking by Sanrio on this particular day I couldn’t help but notice a sign posted on the window.

HELP WANTED.

And then for the first time in my life, I voluntarily walked into a Sanrio store. There was a cute young girl at the counter, probably 19 or 20 years old.

“I’d like an application.”

She looked at me like I was joking. When she realized I wasn’t, she gave me one.

I went outside and filled out the application on a bench. 5 minutes later, I placed the application on the counter. She looked up to see it was me again. Cat got her tongue for a second. Finally, she said:

“There hasn’t been a male employee here in five years…”

I grinned, and then in a surreptitiously confident manner, uttered the words that I knew won me the job then and there.

“I guess the odds are against me then.”

The reaction on her face was priceless. I walked out on that note, leaving her hanging.

Two days later they called me in for an interview. I nailed it and was hired on the spot. My first shift, the mall was packed like a sardine can, and they assigned me to take care of the Wheel Game where I ask customers to pay two dollars to spin for a mystery prize. 3 (most common and cheapest prizes), 2, 1 and Grand Prize were marked on the wheel, so everyone wins something.

Every Saturday I stood there and was the "wheel man" — Every Saturday I stood there and was the “wheel man”

Before I went to it one of my coworkers came over and told me to limit the Grand Prize winners. “But if they land on it, how can I change that?” I asked. Then she showed me a little knob on the back of the contraption. When twisted, you could get JUST enough on it to move the arrow indicator one space forward.

That afternoon a couple kids did land on the Grand Prize, and I never once manipulated the knob. This one’s for the little guys — LITERALLY!

For the next 7 months I was a salesclerk there. On the weekends I took charge of the Wheel Game because the boss said I made more money on it than the girls ever did, or could. I had the magic touch. Being the only male had it ups and downs, of course. I walked the ladies to their cars whenever I closed. I always answered the phone, because random guys would call and be creeps. Imagine their surprise when I picked up. On the downside, prices were ridiculous and I had to sell overpriced crap I didn’t care for to would-be consumers. After a while, that sort of wears you out. All in all though, it was a memorable experience.

So when I got back into the Super Nintendo roughly a year after working at Sanrio, I discovered there was a Super Famicom game based upon Sanrio. It looked a bit like Windjammers – I was completely sold.

Classic Neo Geo favorite — A cult classic Neo Geo favorite

Sanrio Smash was actually released July 1993 though, while Windjammers came out February 1994. So you can’t call it a Windjammers clone. Instead call it a perfect blend between Pong and Breakout.

Weighing in at a HEFTY and whoppin’ TWO megs, Sanrio Smash is the smallest game on the SNES, tied with Mr. Do! and Space Invaders. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean, both 48 megs, are 24 times bigger than Sanrio Smash. Thankfully, size doesn’t matter [Yeah, is that what she said? -Ed.]. As you can see, the visuals are serviceable enough.

It’s a simple and fun 2 player game. I know the cutesy nature may turn off some but don’t let that fool you. Sanrio Smash is an addictive and competitive game with many different level layouts. There are also power-ups inside blocks. For example one will instantly eliminate all the blocks protecting the opposition’s goal line, making him ripe for the pickings.

Some stages have X marks, which serve as a restriction line. There are some stages though that allow you the ability to go where you please.

As you progress the design gets crazier. Here’s one of my favorites void of those annoying X marks. The seesaw continuously rotates, affecting both players’ strategy on the fly.

Aside from your standard left and right swats there’s a super shot. By holding a button you’ll charge up a power bar. When full, pressing X enables your power shot, sending the disc flying straight ahead at 250 miles per hour. Your guy will swing his arms twice in a circular motion, so it’s possible to hit the disc twice in succession if it bounces off a block and comes right back to you. The bar will only fill up when you’re standing still and holding a button. It can be re-filled as many times as you wish.

Using my super shot, the first hit connects and breaks a block. It immediately ricochets back to me before my super shot animation expires, allowing for a second hit. And this time around, my opponent has no answer.

Some of the stage designs are very unique. There’s a 1-player mode, password option and 2-player mode. In 2-player mode you have 20 stages to pick from, and 4 Sanrio characters. Some of the stage gimmicks are pretty cool, like this pinball-inspired layout.

As the disc is making its rounds, you’d be wise to power up… watch.

Now powered up, my possessed looking frog friend is free to advance upward, ready to unleash hell on that poor boy.

With the boy cornered and a chink in his armor, one power shot is all that’s left…

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Sanrio Smash is loads of fun, and a great modern update on Pong. There aren’t too many games like this on the SNES, which makes it noteworthy. When you factor in that it’s really good too, you have a nice little gem well worth having in your library. Note: the game has no music during gameplay (hey, it’s 2 megs after all). It’s just the sound of the disc being hit back and forth. Just pop in your favorite CD — problem solved!

I’ve yet to meet anyone who has played this and didn’t like it. In other words, it has quite a few fans and I suspect you’ll enjoy it too, if you can look past its license. It’d be a shame to dismiss this game based solely on that.

On a final note, if you like this, I also recommend checking out Pop’n Smash. It’s very similar and a decent companion piece to Sanrio Smash. It’s clearly a clone as it came out April 1994 (nine months after Sanrio Smash). It doesn’t play as well, but I really enjoyed that one, too. Can’t go wrong with either or better yet, both!

Super Play dropping some TRUTH! — Super Play Magazine dropping some TRUTH! Yeah, I said it…

Pop’n Smash (SFC)

A tennis title with dogs? Err... — A tennis title with dogs? Err…

Well, it’s not quite tennis, but it’s close. Pop’n Smash can best be described as a cross between Pong and Breakout. Or, since it came out 9 months later, it might be easiest to call it a Sanrio World Smash Ball! clone. But a darn fine one it is.

Heisei Inu Monogatari Bow: Pop’n Smash, to give it its full name, is based on canine Bow (who resembles Spuds MacKenzie), star of a popular manga and anime series. Spuds was famous for her Super Bowl ’87 commercial, by the way.

Ah, Bow and Spuds has more than a passing resemblance. Socks the Cat? Give me Spuds MacKenzie, damnit!

It controls and plays very much like Sanrio Smash, right down to the charging bar power shot (which can also hit the ball twice in succession under the right circumstances). Talk about shameless!

TOOL TIME

So, what’s different? This game has more options. In Sanrio 2-player mode you have a choice of four characters and 20 stages. Here you have six characters and 30 stages. There are even 9 different tools to choose, ranging from mallets to baseball bats to brooms to even, a branch! I haven’t been able to discern if these various tools have pros and cons or if they’re just cosmetic, but nonetheless variety is the spice of life.

The 1-player version is limited to a choice of 4 tools (as seen above). Here, Bow opts for the twig over the tennis racket… I mean, wouldn’t you too? A no-brainer!

(SANRIO) SMASH VS. (POP’N) SMASH

Even the power-ups here are similar to those found in Sanrio Smash. One eliminates all blocks protecting the opposition’s goal line. Another instantly gives you full power. But there’s at least one different icon: the bomb. You’re frozen in place for a good 4, 5 seconds if it touches you, leaving you mighty vulnerable and unable to protect your goal line. Pretty cool.

You can also dive to make amazing last second saves and stops. Slide north, south, east or west by pressing Y and the appropriate direction. Good stuff I say. Sanrio Smash didn’t have this.

Go through each character in 1-player mode, with the VS. screen showing the password on bottom much like Sanrio. Hmmmm.

X MARKS THE SPOT

Another big difference: more freedom to roam. Many stages are void of restrictive X marks, unlike Sanrio. There are some stages with restriction points, but most allow you to go anywhere. I only wish you could beat up the opponent as well — what great fun that would be! Sort of a Pong and beat ‘em up crossover, but alas, I’m digressing. C’mon, admit it, it would be sick if you could smack each other over the head with mallets and tennis rackets.

Sanrio World Smash Ball! has restrictive X marks. They prevent you from crossing over to your opponent’s side of the field. But Pop’n Smash allows for more of a wild free-for-all, which is a refreshing little change.

There’s also a “catch-as-many-butterflies-as-you-can-in-forty-seconds” mini game in the 1-player mode. It’s a nice break from the norm.

Sayaka displays the power shot. Unfortunately for her, it is most ill-timed. The ball will ricochet off the barrier and into her own goal line. D’oh!

Certain objects are breakable, like those pots up there. I like all these environmental objects and items that you can interact with.

Sayaka’s helpless expression as the ball sails just past her reach is too cute.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Pop’n Smash is a fun 2-player game and one of the many enjoyable Super Famicom-exclusive games that few folks ever talk about. Since it is a Sanrio Smash clone, it begs the question: which is better? Well, opinions will vary but here’s mine. I really enjoy the little touches in Pop’n Smash. The additional options it has over Sanrio Smash — one might assume gives it perhaps a stronger lifespan and thus the overall edge. But Sanrio Smash plays better. I can’t put my finger on it, but it just feels a little bit more polished than Pop’n Smash. So at the end of the day, I have to give the slight nod to Sanrio Smash, but it’s super close.

Both are really good though, and both are certainly worth having in your SNES collection. Although they’re similar, there’s just enough difference to warrant getting both. Both are great fun with a friend, and vastly underrated and unique titles.

Pop’n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures (SFC)

It's the Pop'n Twinbee cast... in a platformer?! — It’s the *Pop’n Twinbee* cast… in a platformer?! Sure, why the hell not

Pop’n Twinbee is a SHMUP on the Super Famicom, but Konami originated the series in the arcade way back in 1985 (Twinbee). Pop’n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures is an action platformer that feels like a trip on acid. It’s colorful, wild and a bit ridiculous. It’s also a hell lot of fun.

Select from TwinBee, WinBee or GwinBee. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. There is a punch and jump meter, and the length of each one varies from character to character.

TwinBee attacks with a mallet, but only after you’ve collected the proper bell. His punch and jump meters are evenly balanced.

WinBee attacks with a lasso after procuring the proper bell. Her punch meter is long but her jump meter is super short, making her the ideal character for those who like to rack up frequent flyer miles.

GwinBee throws those rattles once you’ve nabbed the proper bell. He’s the opposite of WinBee — his jump meter is awfully long but his punch meter is extremely short.

So, what happens when the punch meter is fully charged? Well, this!

It can be shot in any one of eight directions. This mega shot allows you to break certain sections of the landscape that otherwise impedes your progress.

What about the jump meter… what happens when it’s fully charged? Well, this!

It zips you across the screen in your direction of choice (like the mega shot you can aim it in any one of eight directions). It also breaks barriers as such.

Gotta collect 'em all! — Gotta collect ‘em all!

Killing enemies and collecting the various colored bells is the name of the game. Each color grants you a different skill or power-up. Unfortunately whenever you take damage you lose all your bells, but just kill more enemies to recollect them.

Each of the three characters can shoot a gun when a blue bell is collected. This gives all of the characters a long range shot that can be fired at any time at will. Yes, they can fire the mega shot too but obviously there is a charge time for that. On the downside, the gun cannot break barriers. It also can only be shot straight ahead. It’s nice that the game gives you choices but each choice has its own pros and cons. I love it when games do that. Makes it feel very versatile!

You can do some crazy flying in this game, including soaring into the outer reaches of space as the game starts to highlight your kilometers in the air after a certain height. It gets pretty ridiculous!

You can also float in mid-air as you recharge your jump meter. Or you can cancel the float and descend as normal. Again, options and choices. This game excels at giving you that.

pop-n-twinbee-rainbow-bell-adventure-g-f1_00013 — Higher…

... and even higher — … and soaring even higher

Fly all over the place — you never know when you might crash through some breakable walls to discover “hidden” goodies!

Yeah, the mega shot and the gun is fun to use, but sometimes you just can’t beat smashing a bad guy over the head with a good old fashioned mallet. Good times.

To top off this fun little game, you have a password system to save your progress. There are also two 2-player modes. The first is a co-op mode that gets a little crazy. That’s because it’s easy to leave your partner behind when one of you decides to take flight. It’s nice to see Konami included this 2-player mode but truth be told it’s not the best co-op game in the world as it’s far too easy to get caught off-screen unless you and your friend are determined to stick together. The second mode is a battle mode. This is a split screen 3 minute war where both players are pitted against one another in a duel to the death. It’s an interesting option for sure as I can’t think of many SNES 2-player games that feature such a barbaric option. If you can think of another one, sound off in the comments. Hell, it’s possible this might in fact be the only one of its kind!

A shame this never came out to American shores — A shame this never came out to the good ol’ US of A

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Pop’n Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures is a fun and delightful action platformer. It’s easily one of Konami’s best SNES games never to hit the US. There was a PAL European release, however. The game has some quirky and entertaining gimmicks backing it, making it a unique experience in a world bloated with way too many hop and bop affairs. The visuals are so sugary sweet that you just might get a cavity just by looking at it. The sound is typical Konami goodness. And the gameplay is different, challenging enough and definitely loads of fun. You can’t go wrong with Rainbow Bell Adventures. Konami could do almost no wrong back in the mid ’90s, and this is simply another shining example of such.