SNES review | RVGFanatic

Super Mario Kart (SNES)

**Pub and Dev: Nintendo | September 1992 | 4 MEGS**

Man, Super Mario Kart. Where do I begin? The Super Nintendo is loaded with awesome games; my memories with this system run long and deep. Super Mario Kart not only ranks as one of the very best, but it also gave me and my gaming buds countless epic memories. It was a brilliant idea — take Mario, his chums and throw them in a crazy, zany go-kart world. It was instant Nintendo magic. And the rest, as they say, is history. As clearly evident by the success the Mario Kart franchise would go on to enjoy, Nintendo caught lightning in a bottle.

THE NIGHT IT CAME BACK HOME

The return of Super Mario Kart — THE RETURN OF *SUPER MARIO KART*

On April 9, 2006, I reacquired Super Mario Kart by trading my copy of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (Limited Tin Edition). Only 40,000 were ever made. My girlfriend at the time bought it for me in 2004. Two years later, I turned it into Super Mario Kart, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2. The tin edition was going for roughly $25-$30 at the time. It goes to show you how great the retro gaming market was back in 2006. I made the deal with a nice guy off DigitPress. While I’m a big fan of the Halloween films, I couldn’t pass up on this golden opportunity to get four of my favorite childhood video games in one fell swoop.

Thanks for the steal, Mikey! Uh, we *ARE* cool, right? — Thanks for the steal, Mikey! Uh, we ***ARE*** cool, right?

THE NEW KINGS ON THE BLOCK

Super Mario Kart made my bro and me the hit of the town — *Super Mario Kart* turned my bro and me into gods

It was 24 years ago that my brother and I made the best trade of our gaming lives. Exchanging Death Duel for Super Mario Kart instantly made us kings of our neighborhood. All the kids living nearby came flocking to our place weekend after weekend, month after month. Being the only ones who owned the game, our quaint little home morphed into a madhouse as we had friends coming and going nonstop. Even now, whenever I close my eyes and listen closely, I can still hear the incessant chiming of my childhood doorbell. As a kid I would lay there in bed on lazy Sunday mornings trying to enjoy my peace and quiet. No such chance of that. By 8:45 every Sunday morning, like clockwork, Ben and our other friends were banging down our door. We were truly the new kings on the block.

FLASHBACK TO CHRISTMAS 1992

Talk about turning chicken shit into chicken salad…

Christmas ’92 proved to be one for the record books. In addition to my mom buying me King of the Monsters, that same year our uncle bought us Death Duel. I remember the ad from EGM. It looked cool and all, but honestly, my brother and I were a bit disappointed. Of all the games on our wish list, Death Duel certainly wasn’t even in the top 20. We tried not to complain though as our mom always taught us to be grateful and that any gift was better than none at all. Still, Kevin and I went home that night talking about how awesome it would be if Death Duel magically transformed into Super Mario Kart instead (the game that topped our Christmas wish list). It was rare that my brother and I both wanted the same game — he was a “mainstream” guy while I was more fond of the obscure underdog titles. However, Super Mario Kart transcended all of that. It was just that kind of game.

Good thing my brother was still only 11 at the time!

And then, as we were talking, an epiphany struck us. We suddenly recalled the ad for Death Duel in EGM. We pulled out the latest EGM issue that we had bought weeks earlier and madly flipped through it in search of our great loophole. Ah, there it was. Not suggested for children under 14. I was only nine and my brother was 11. My brother wouldn’t be able to play Death Duel for another three years! And five for me! Not that we couldn’t break the rules but when the rules benefit you, why not follow them?

After showing the ad to our mom, just as we predicted she would, she promptly called our uncle to explain the situation and asked if he kept the receipt. Luckily, he did and since we hadn’t opened the game yet, it was ripe for a swap. So later that week my mom took me and Kevin to exchange Death Duel for Super Mario Kart. I remember thinking that it was the greatest trade in the history of mankind. I still laugh thinking about this Christmas memory. Who knew a silly ad could bring about such a dramatic turn of events?

Rather ironic that I originally acquired Super Mario Kart via trade, and then 14 years later reacquired it by trade. I’m hanging onto my copy this time for sure!

My brother and I played the crap out of Super Mario Kart that Christmas season and well into 1993. It was such an addicting game. My favorite character was Yoshi. My brother loved using Koopa. One of our friends, Ben, liked using Bowser or Donkey Kong Jr. Ben liked them most because they had the size to push others around. We were the only kids in the neighborhood who had Super Mario Kart, so our neighborhood friends were banging on our door like bloodthirsty zombies. I remember many Sunday mornings where the doorbell chime woke us up at 8:45! Kevin and I quickly became the kings of our block, all thanks to Super Mario Kart.

THE GO KART RACERS

I like the cancel/confirm choice — I like the cancel / confirm choice

There are a total of eight racers, but really four different types. They come in four pairs which vary in terms of strengths and weaknesses.

Mario takes a break from stomping goombas, but this is hardly R&R! He’s sort of a jack of all but master of none type. He doesn’t have the highest top speed and his acceleration is only average. However, he doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. Also, due to his slightly bulky build, he’s able to hold his own a little bit even when bumped by the heavyweights Bowser or Donkey Kong Jr.

The man who lives in the shadow of Mario. I always liked Luigi because I enjoy cheering for underdogs and sidekicks. He basically has the same abilities as Mario but he lacks the size to adequately counter a Bowser bump.

The damsel in distress is out to get hers! She’s top of the line when it comes to acceleration, but only average when it comes to top speed. Look at those demon-possessed eyes. Yeah, I would advise against cracking any sort of “kitchen barefoot” jokes here.

Yoshi has always been my go-to kart driver. Come on, a dinosaur in a go-kart? You just can’t beat that. The beauty (Princess) and the beast (Yoshi) share the same qualities and both are especially ideal for Donut Plains and the battle mode. On the flip side, they rather stink when it comes to Vanilla Lake.

For the first time ever, you can control one of gaming’s most iconic villains. I remember this being a huge deal in my gaming circle back in late ’92. Using a special customized XXL go-kart, Bowser is as nasty as ever. Because of his enormous size, he’s slow to accelerate but once he gets going, there’s NO stopping that immense momentum… until you bump into a barrier, that is. That’s gonna suck. A lot. But as far as top speed is concerned, Bowser is king.

Donkey can shove the competition aside and is the only one who can truly withstand the impact of a Bowser bump. Both struggle with Donut Plains and the battle mode, but they excel at Koopa Beach.

Koopa was my brother’s favorite back in the day. He lacks in top speed but makes up for it when it comes to control. Koopa steers corners extremely well, which means you can stay on the gas pedal a little longer than most other racers when rounding corners.

Toad is similar to Koopa but rumor has it Toad has the slight edge in terms of acceleration (being just a hair better… again, just a rumor). Both of them are cornering champions though and perform well particularly on Choco Island. But look out for Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr.!

THE GOODS

The mushroom is a classic, basic and useful card to have in your back pocket. When you’re at the beginning of a long straight path, or right before a jumping strip, press A to give yourself a short and sudden burst of speed. Remember using this to scream ¼ across the tracks of Ghost Valley 1, or Mario Circuit 2? It never gets old! ^_^

Ah, the green shell. The shell for real men. It shoots out straight, so that means you have to aim it with skill. Of course, some luck factors in as well, but the green shell is largely based on positioning, timing and skill. Misfire and it will ricochet off walls until it finds a victim. Don’t get in its way! Also, you can drop it behind you. It makes for a defensive tool if timed properly. Nice!

For less skill and a much higher rate of success, the homing red shell will quickly stir up words not quite appropriate for this site. Once in a blue moon you can avoid the red shell. For example, power sliding around a corner can free you of the red shell’s death grip. But the wise and discerning player will only fire the red shell when their target is right there for the taking. A banana peel or green shell can nullify it, however…

The banana peel isn’t the best offensive tool in the game, but it can be surprisingly effective when you’re neck and neck with the competition. You can also launch a banana peel about 10 yards ahead of you. While a fun sight, it’s rarely effective. Its best attribute isn’t its offensive capabilities, but rather its defensive potential. It has the ability to act as a defensive buffer to a red or green shell.

Although it doesn’t quite enjoy the glamour among Mario Kart fans as the vaunted lightning bolt does, the star has always been my personal favorite. It’s a combination of various powers: your speed is increased, you’re immune to track obstacles and enemy weapons, but best of all, anyone you touch instantly spins out. However, if you fall into water, lava, or off an edge, you’ll lose the power.

The game’s most infamous and adored power-up, the lightning bolt is both devious and dangerous. The fact that it’s so rare only increases its legend. Releasing the lightning bolt affects all seven competitors. Doing so shrinks them down which decreases their speed, but best of all, it allows you an opportunity to sadistically crush (literally) the competition. The lightning bolt is no doubt a game changer!

The coin is often viewed as the worst item of the lot, but it’s not useless. It’s definitely a no-brainer item though, since as soon as you get it, you should press ‘A’ to use it. It adds two coins to your count. Coins affect your overall top speed, with 10 being the max. So while it may not be as sexy as the other items, it’s handy when you have few or no coins.

Mr. Ghost is only available in Battle Mode, sadly. I wish it was available in the two player GP mode as well, but I guess one can’t have it all. The ghost not only snatches your friend’s current item but it also makes you “invisible.” Stealing your rival’s red shell or star in particular tends to lead to a curse word or two being uttered. And let’s face it, that’s probably half the fun of the battle mode

The feather allows you to make a great leap of faith. It’s particularly handy for Ghost Valley 1 and a few other tracks. Sure, you can jump with the L or R button but this turns you into the second coming of Michael Jordan. You can also use it to leap over an incoming shell (which is super satisfying) or a well-placed tricky banana peel. You can also use it to cut corners, too. Good stuff.

Its basic formula was nothing short of KA-CHING — Its basic formula was nothing short of **KA-CHING!**

You get the items by passing a question mark tile. Let the randomness run its course or if you’re in a rush then press ‘A’ to stop it. It was (and still is) a fun gimmick that made Super Mario Kart extra awesome. The racing itself is fine, but the weapons add an extra dosage of strategy and fun.

THE TRACKS

MARIO CIRCUIT 1

This is by far the game’s easiest course, as well it should be. It eases you into the mechanics. There are no major tight corners. Instead, you get plenty of straight away paths. Not a lot of frills or thrills here, but that’s fine since there are 19 other tracks that are much more gimmicky. Mario Circuit 1 is plain but a memorable beginner’s track nevertheless.

DONUT PLAINS 1

To the casual observer, at a cursory glance, this track may appear to be a tranquil setting with a beautiful pond. However, experienced kart drivers know behind the serenity lies a deceivingly semi-tough course that can eat up unsuspecting novices. Some corners have loose dirt and debris strewn about. Ease up on the gas during these points or else pay the price.

GHOST VALLEY 1

Ah, Ghost Valley. The mushroom super jump bit, the feather trick and its unique elevated wooden track make this course unforgettable. Oddly enough, whoever built this course from long ago randomly inserted a jump bar in the middle. Remember the first time you used the mushroom right before the jump bar? Talk about a “holy shit” worthy moment indeed.

BOWSER CASTLE 1

Bowser’s got some of the trickiest tracks around, but his first one is fairly straight forward. It has some memorable features that help make it stand out. Midway through there are three zipper bars for you to drive over, granting you a quick speed burst. It was always a rush to turn the corner tightly and hit one of those zipper marks right on the, er, mark. And watch out for those annoying Thwomps!

MARIO CIRCUIT 2

I’ve always enjoyed the Mario Circuits because they have sort of a ‘pure’ untainted kart track feel to them. At the same time, there are just enough tiny gimmicks here and there that keep things interesting. This one is most notable for its famous great big jump bump at the end. Sabotaging players here was wickedly fun. Try dropping a banana peel just to the right of the second marker on the left side for computer opponents. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about

CHOCO ISLAND 1

A slippery dirt course way out in the desert, the infamous piranha plant calls Choco Island home. The terrain is dominated by bumpy surfaces and mud slicks so don’t get too pedal happy here. Be weary also of the mud bog that lies somewhere in the last quarter of the track — try using a mushroom here and see what happens!

GHOST VALLEY 2

While the first Ghost Valley track will always be the best one in my book, all of them are special in their own unique way. This one has a zipper for the final stretch of the course, with a small jumper off to the far right side… allowing you to take to the skies with a mushroom. I like how the small jumper is randomly placed there.

DONUT PLAINS 2

Try using the mushroom to skip the edge of the pond! This course is a perfect place to show off your great power sliding technique. Donut Plains 2 is littered with monty moles up the wazoo. They pop out of holes in the ground and even magically jump out of the grassy areas. If one latches on, you have to shake it off. I shake it off, I shake it off! But I keep cruising. Can’t stop, won’t stop moving. It’s like I got this music in my mind saying it’s gonna be alright. Er, sorry. [I don’t know this guy. Security! -Ed.]

BOWSER CASTLE 2

This place can be a little confusing at first. Luckily, Bowser’s kind enough to place some arrows to guide you along. You can choose different routes to take. Alright, the routes are basic, but having a choice is still nice. If you have a feather, you can pull off a really awesome trick but it requires absolute precision. It’s not as easy as the jump in Ghost Valley 1…

MARIO CIRCUIT 3

There are a dozen square question mark blocks waiting for you just after the start / finish line, which may allow players to get an early advantage right out of the box. There is a serious hairpin turn in the middle of the track, and just for the hell of it there’s a nifty turbo plate in the final straight away leading up to the goal.

KOOPA BEACH 1

The good news: there aren’t any tight turns. The bad news: the sand surface isn’t the best for traction. Your kart has just enough buoyancy that it can travel safely across the water… except for the deeper, darker blue parts. Touch that and you’ll be swimming with the fish! [HAR HAR HAR -Ed.]

CHOCO ISLAND 2

Strange, suddenly I’m craving Coco Puffs. Choco Island 2 has a much bigger patch of chocolate goo waiting for you in the middle than the first Choco Island. There’s also a very narrow road which is the perfect place to drop a green shell or banana peel. Avoid the heavy dirt off-road sections — they slow drivers down to a crawl.

VANILLA LAKE 1

Brrrr! It’s a good thing the engine of your go-kart is so hot because you’re going to need that warmth as you race around this slick frozen lake! It’s probably the shortest track in the whole game. Vanilla Lake 1 is filled with annoying ice blocks that really impede your progress if you can’t skirt around them successfully.

BOWSER CASTLE 3

Bowser’s castle tracks just keep getting fancier and fancier. This one gives you three different lanes to pick from. The inside and outside lanes have a turbo tile to zip you past the competition. But the middle path has two question mark tiles. It does require, however, a well-timed leap to acquire…

MARIO CIRCUIT 4

This is a fairly long track that’s packed with corners of all sizes and shapes. It’s also home to many pesky pipes looking to block your path. Nothing beats the thrill of successfully blowing past them on your way to the finish line. On the flip side, nothing’s worse than being clipped by a centimeter, slowing you down to finish in second place (or worse). D’oh!

DONUT PLAINS 3

Graced by two rickety old bridges, literally. One of them is missing some wooden planks and the second bridge is really FUBAR… requiring you to leap safely across. It’s so narrow too that you’re likely to get bumped if another racer is nearby. You can knock others into the pond, but keep in mind that it goes both ways! And to top it all off, the bloody monty moles are back.

KOOPA BEACH 2

It’s time for another bash at the beach! This beach is loaded with some serious greenery that will slow down anyone who drives on it. As it was with Koopa Beach 1, watch out for the dark blue patches of water. They’ll drown you faster than you can say “CRIKEY! FLOPPING CHEEP CHEEP!”

GHOST VALLEY 3

The trickiest of the three Ghost Valley tracks, this one is filled to the brim with gaping holes. Carefully navigate your way through or you’ll pay a dear price. Just like the two previous Ghost Valley tracks, the feather can prove to be a difference maker here.

VANILLA LAKE 2

A very slippery course that’s more lake than land. Advanced players know how to jump around the edges of the lake to shave a precious second or two off their time. To complicate matters, this track is filled with ice barriers that can bring you to a complete and fatal stop. Winter Wonderland this ain’t!

RAINBOW ROAD

It would only be appropriate for the final course to be the toughest. Rainbow Road, in that context, certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s no room for error with narrow paths galore and some very difficult to avoid Thwomps. Oh yeah, those plain Thwomps from Bowser’s castle tracks? Yeah, they’re now enhanced with an electrical force field. One touch and it’s Spin Out City. Rainbow Road separates the boys from the men.

Ah, the memories — The nightmares are coming back!

BATTLE ZONES OF DEATH

Select from four battle zones in the 2-player battle mode. The first course is basic and pretty much wide open, while the second one has more nooks and crannies for players to take cover. The third one, surprise surprise, is the slipperiest of the four. The fourth, as you can see above, is the nuttiest.

The battle mode is real simple. Each player has three balloons strapped to their go-kart. The first to pop all three balloons of the other player wins. This led to some serious cutthroat battles. The Ghost icon was a bitch! Great memories…

Setting a record by mere tenths of a second FTW

We also had a blast with the Time Trial mode. Getting the best time meant bragging rights. It was a gloat worthy accomplishment any time you beat out your brother, friend or even your own records. Not only could you be recognized for the best total time but the game also took account of best single lap time. Nothing was better than breaking both the single lap and total time record simultaneously.

Gotta break all the records... — Gotta break all the records…

PERFORMANCE CHECK-UP

I remember studying these two pages like crazy

Ah, the performance chart from the game’s manual. The SNES had some great instruction manuals, bursting with both color and useful information. Kind of sad to think about how today’s kids will never fully grasp the simple joy of studying a game’s manual in the backseat of their car going home from the video rental store. Life today is better in a lot of ways, but I can think of a few things technology simply cannot supplant.

Super Mario Kart has a simple but effective ranking system. If you ranked at 5th or worse, you had to then replay that course. The point system is as follows:

1: 9 points
2: 6 points
3: 3 points
4: 1 point

I’ve always felt that this scoring system worked really well. Take a look:

Classy, elegant and yet simple. Gotta love it. The music that plays here is awesome and to this day remains stuck in my head.

You cant cut it any closer! — You can’t cut it any closer!

Nothing is more exhilarating than a photo finish race. Check out how crazy close Donkey Kong Jr. came to my Yoshi — 1’17″52 vs. 1’17″53!

I love the set-up screen here. Super Mario Kart just oozes with class and brilliance. You start out by earning the Gold Cup on all three races of the 50cc class. Then do the same in 100cc. Doing so unlocks Special Cup. Earn the Gold Cup there and you’ll unlock 150cc. 150cc is no joke!

MUSHROOM CUP OVERVIEW

Passing someone causes them to crane their neck

Few things satisfy like using a mushroom to burst past your top rival during that finish line finale.

I love seeing the exhaust fumes kick up like that

Power sliding around a tight corner to zoom past the competition is simply the best. And if you have the star, using it right after power sliding around a corner really puts you ahead of the pack!

Wind slanted 17 MPH east... — Wind at 17 MPH east…

I liken the green shell to that of a bow and arrow. When aimed properly and used effectively, it proves to be both fatal and satisfying. While the red shell is a more effective weapon, the green shell is the one that allows players to show off their mad skills and ability to project accurately. Here I am setting up poor unsuspecting Koopa in my line of fire. Let’s see what happens to ol’ turtle face…

I love how Koopa's eyes bug out. Good stuff! — I love how his eyes bug out. Good stuff!

Release the sucker at just the right time and BAM! They spin out in a frenzy dropping coins every which way as you speed on ahead. Was there anything better than this? Even a mere child can use the red shell successfully. But the green shell now, ah ha. That, my friends, is entirely another matter. The green shell is for true Mario Kart masters

Or using the lightning bolt right before they jump... — Or using the lightning bolt right before they jump…

Koopa is in for one hell of shellshock [Har har -Ed.] — Koopa is in for one hell of “shellshock” *[Har har -Ed.]*

Super Mario Kart is as entertaining as it is sadistic — *Super Mario Kart* is as entertaining as it is sadistic

The music here is still stuck in my head... *hums tune* — The music here is still stuck in my head *hums tune*

Nowadays 150cc Special Cup laughs at me *sigh*

SEND IN THE CLONES

Surprisingly not, there came an inevitable flow of Mario Kart clones on the Super Nintendo. Shockingly however, most of them came out in Japan only. The most blatant clone is SD F-1 Grand Prix. Think Super Mario Kart meets the animatronic rejects of Chuck E. Cheese’s. As far as clones go though, this one is quite good. It has slightly better visuals than Super Mario Kart (October 1995 vs. September 1992). However, to no one’s surprise, it doesn’t play as well. The same can be said for all the other clones below. They’re all very competent and fun in their own right, but they’re NAGASMK (not as good as Super Mario Kart). SD F-1 Grand Prix is my favorite of the clones.

Definitely the least blatant clone of the lot, Battle Cross is what you might get if you threw Super Bomberman and Super Mario Kart into a blender. Who didn’t dream of that crossover at some point during the early-mid ’90s? Battle Cross is a single screen racer featuring six drivers and various weapon power-ups strewn across its nine wacky tracks. It does suffer slightly however from “It sounds better than what it actually is” syndrome. It’s pretty good but ends up feeling a bit “lightweight.” Still, it allows up to five human players and when approached with the proper mindset it can be a rather fun affair. Just temper those expectations going in.

Battle Racers took Bandai’s famous Kamen Rider-related characters and dumped them into a Mario Kart-esque game. I love the gorgeous sunset effect as seen above. It’s a very solid racing game but as stated before, it’s simply NAGASMK. Still, it’s worthy enough to warrant a look.

Finally, we come to the lone American clone in this lot. Street Racer features a four player split-screen mode. That alone makes it something to write home about. Well worth adding to your SNES collection, Street Racer has got its own bizarre personality and world. Give it a shot.

HONEY I SHRUNK THE KARTS!

My brother and I loved this code back in the day

We turned the code into its own mini-game! — We turned the code into its very own mini-game!

The rule was simple. If you were “IT” you could pick any driver. The other person had to select Bowser (or Donkey). Why? They were the slowest to accelerate. The goal? Tag big ol’ Bowser (or Donkey). We found Vanilla Lake 2 to be most conducive for this makeshift mini-game. I can’t tell you how many hours we wasted on this. It was so cool because we felt like we had discovered an extra ‘secret mode’ to the game, which only increased its already excellent longevity. When shrunk, the small courses suddenly loom large, and what healthy child doesn’t love a spot or two of tag? It only added to the game’s brilliance and was a testament to just how stellar the game was. GP and Battle Mode are great and everything… but for sheer laughs and kicks, try out this miniature game of tag! It was classic childhood innocence sprinkled with that impeccable Nintendo magic that made it a winning combination

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

EGM ranked it #15 on their Top 100 list (November '97) — Damn right it’s better than *Mario Kart 64* ;)

Super Mario Kart was considered a universal smash hit. While today many are divided on where they stand — some feel it has stood the test of time while others think it hasn’t aged too well and that later renditions have rendered the original a bit obsolete — back in 1992 practically everyone was blown away. Along with Capcom’s Street Fighter II, Super Mario Kart was THE two player game to have on the Super Nintendo. Those two showcase titles were responsible for moving Super Nintendo systems by the truckload back in 1992. EGM gave Super Mario Kart ratings of 9, 9, 8 and 8. GameFan rated it 97, 96, 95 and 90%. Super Play scored it 93%. In EGM’s Top 100 Games list printed in issue #100 (November 1997), Super Mario Kart ranked in at a lofty #15. Their “Most Challenging Moment” blurb made me smile because I completely agree with them. It was a heated argument back in the late ’90s on which was better: Super Mario Kart or Mario Kart 64. I do love me some four player Mario Kart 64 but come on, the tracks on the original game was simply superior. It’s a debate that continues to stir passionate opinions to this very day…

The original was a trailblazer — It was a trailblazing innovator

Nintendo Power Magazine published their Top 100 Nintendo games list in issue #100 (September 1997). By the way, I found it cool (and such a wild coincidence) how EGM and Nintendo Power Magazine reached 100 issues at almost the same time. Nintendo Power ranked Super Mario Kart #32 while Mario Kart 64 placed #4. They hit the nail on the head with their very first sentence. I owned both Mario Kart games growing up, and while I really enjoyed Mario Kart 64 as well, Super Mario Kart was my favorite.

You're good, kid, but your older brother is better — You’re good, kid, but your older brother is better

Super Play Magazine published their own Top 100 SNES Games list back in April 1996. Super Play ranked Super Mario Kart as the third best SNES game ever created.

#1 in Retro Gamer's book — #1 in Retro Gamer’s book, er, magazine

Retro Gamer Magazine printed a special article on the SNES back in issue #23 (March 2006), highlighting ten “perfect” SNES games. Super Mario Kart topped that list at #1. Speaking of lists, I’ve been working on my very own SNES list the past 10 plus years.Whenever I get around to publishing it, you’ll see I also have Super Mario Kart ranked fairly high

A “DY-NO-MITE!” COMMERCIAL

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Hats off to one of the best SNES games ever crafted

It’s crazy to believe it’s been nearly 25 years since Super Mario Kart raced its way into our hearts. Time flies. It’s almost been 25 years since my brother and I pulled off the greatest gaming trade in the history of mankind (well, at least of our lives). This was the kind of game that brought all your neighborhood friends over like ants to sugar. Hell, even that one guy you barely knew! Whether it was the intense battle mode, the heart-pounding GP race, or even the brilliant makeshift tag mode we created out of a simple code, Super Mario Kart provided so many rich memories for me and my friends. It features great graphics (although it had to be seen in 1992 to truly be appreciated), excellent sound and unforgettable music, and finely tuned gameplay that only the Big N could perfect. The racing just feels right, and the creativity of the weapons and tracks only added to the game’s zaniness and appeal. Nintendo delivered another legendary gem and proved there was indeed life for Mario and friends outside of the platforming genre.

Thanks for all the memories, you silly bastards

I still play Super Mario Kart to this day. It’s one of my “go to” games whenever I feel like I might be heading into a gaming slump. It’s like that tried-and-true classic on the menu that you always order when you want to be reminded of how good food can taste. Super Mario Kart always reminds me of why I love gaming in the first place. It’s got an outlandish universe filled with classic characters, practical weapons and power-ups to use that never gets old, and memorable courses that are still as fun to race on now as they were then. Almost a quarter century later, Super Mario Kart still finishes in first place in my book in many categories. And it remains one of the finest Super Nintendo games ever created.

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

Overall: 10

Regardless of later renditions and what else may come in the future, Super Mario Kart will forever be a true testament to how GREAT video games can be. It’s the best racing game on the SNES and one of the best Super Nintendo games ever. Thank you, Shigeru Miyamoto!

BS Out of Bounds Golf (SNES)

Perhaps the best SNES game you've never heard of — Perhaps the best SNES game you’ve never heard of

To write down all the stellar Super Nintendo games ever released, one would need a scroll as long as east to west. The system was blessed with countless classics, no doubt one reason why it was so beloved back then, and is still revered to this day. And while folks throw out their personal favorite recommendations, in all my years as an SNES enthusiast there is one game I’ve never heard anyone praise or tout prior to 2011. In fact, up to that point there wasn’t even a YouTube video of this game! That’s how obscure and unknown this game once was. For the past half decade plus I have been championing this game to the masses, and thankfully many more gamers have experienced the same kind of joy with it as I have over the years. Most recently, a fan translation was put out in February 2016 which caused even further exposure. Everyone I’ve known who has played this game has nothing but good things to say. That’s a sign that a game did something right!

GOOD LOOKING OUT EGM!

I fell in love with this game the second I saw this preview — I fell in love with this game the second I saw this

I first discovered this game many moons ago thanks to EGM issue #62, September 1994. Billed as OB Club, the screenshots stole my gaming heart. With normal and silly courses alike, it looked like a really fun game. Two months later, EGM printed a full page preview on the game (issue #64, November ’94). I knew I had to get it some day. I had to play it. Many years later, when I got back into the SNES in early 2006, I tracked the title down as BS Out of Bounds Golf. Sadly, it was never released. Only available in online form, it was one of those BS-X Satellaview releases — a Super Famicom satellite modem add-on that operated in the late ’90s. BS Zelda is perhaps the most popular BS-X game. But don’t sleep on BS Out of Bounds Golf. It’s wickedly charming and devious like very few SNES games are…

GAME MODES

Select from three different modes. I personally prefer Stroke Play as it’s every man or woman or, er, animal (more on this in a bit) for him or her or, er, itself. Match Play games are faster however due to the bar being set by the lowest stroke. If you can’t match it or do better then the course automatically ends. Doubles Match is a fun mode where you team up with a friend or the computer and both your strokes are counted. Whichever team has less wins. It’s a nice way to handicap if you’re playing with a lesser skilled friend who wishes to enjoy the game rather than getting slaughtered by you!

THE GOLFERS

Choose from 12 characters. Some are male, some are female and there are even two felines. Don’t ask why. You can tell right off the bat that the developer, NCS, didn’t take things so seriously. Unfortunately, the characters seem to be purely cosmetic, as I haven’t been able to discern any differences between them. If this is indeed true, it seems like a bit of a waste as I would have like to seen some golfers with more power than others, some better at putting, etc.

Now that you’ve made your selection, it’s time to pick a themed world.

There are six in all. One is rather normal but the other five range from slightly abnormal to freaking bizarre! Each theme has a total of eight courses so in all you have 48 different courses to mess around on. It’s a pretty solid number although I wish we could have gotten at least two more themes. But I’m really just nit-picking here. The courses we got are pretty fantastic in their own right!

Players have the option to play either courses 1-4, 5-8, or all 8. Each theme has its own unique personality in addition to difficulty. Some courses are absolutely brutal. You can play alone or against one, two or three opponents — even adjust the handicap. Like Bomberman, I love how extremely customizable it is

I’VE GOT THE POWER!

The beauty of BS Golf is how simple it plays, yet still offers enough intricacies to be deeper than it may initially appear. Before hitting the ball you select your power, ranging from 1 to 100. Next, you pick where on the ball you wish to hit; there are a total of 17 (!) points. Where you decide to strike it will determine the trajectory of the ball — good stuff! More on this later.

There’s nothing as satisfying as nailing a long putt shot selecting just the right power amount. On the flip side, nothing as agonizing as choosing a couple power points too high, causing the ball to jump off the lip of the hole. Or miscalculate by a couple power points too low, leading the ball to stop mere centimeters in front of the cup — D’OH!! Makes for good trash talking both ways! The “guessing” game never gets old. Hmmm, is this shot a 47 or 52? 81 or 83? 98 or 99? This game-within-a-game is oddly compelling! Especially when you factor in that many times one point off can make the difference between glorious victory and agonizing defeat.

When playing against others, BS Golf takes on a new form of life. Much of the fun lies in making life miserable for the other(s). Here you are on offense, but at the same time, you can play a little defense too…

*“YEAH WHAT CHU GOT NOW KID! WHAT CHU GOT!”*

My opponent is trapped! Oh the sheer beauty of this. He probably could use one of the slick trajectory shots, but I’ve definitely made his life much more difficult. Who knew mini golf could be so evil?

A lot of the fun derives from messing up your opponent’s shot. It’s this element that makes BS Out of Bounds Golf truly special and unique. It’s Schadenfreude at its 16-bit finest!

Birdie shot leaves poor Timmy in the dust. I had to guess the right POW amount while factoring in the uphill slope here. Set the POW to just the right number, choose the proper trajectory and BOOM, thanks fer coming, kid! Incredibly fun stuff, and super satisfying to boot.

Introduced in the vaunted pages of EGM as OB Club — here’s why! The most fun is making your opponent OB (go out of bounds). Even when it’s not their turn! It’s a great way to ruin a friendship

D’OH! I’ve been cupblocked. Still, I try to brute force my way home (with less than stellar results). I’m lucky those little plate barriers stopped me from OBing, and even luckier I didn’t push my opponent’s ball in the hole. Instead the blue ball ricochets off the barrier and bounces back into mine, sending my red ball off the plate. Hey, it could have been worse.

Player 2 knocks in my ball — thanks buddy! Look at his priceless reaction on the mug shot there. I would have scored a PAR on my third try, but got a Birdie instead!

Opponent tries to apply brute force as well, with even less desirable results! His reaction says it all ^_^

Nothing beats OBing your opponent, especially when it’s done in the context of getting closer to the cup yourself. But wait, now that I think of it, there IS one thing that is king…

Puffy thunderclouds overhead paint an ominous backdrop... — Puffy thunderclouds paint an ominous backdrop…

Ah, it’s a wee bit cloudy today but still a good day for some mini golf. I could score here well enough, even on the edge of the bunker, but wait a second…

For some reason, I'm now feeling kind of DARK... — For some reason, I’m now feeling kind of DARK…

… Suddenly the clouds block out the sun. As it grows dark outside, much the same is happening on the inside…

Better than all the rest though is when you score while knocking your rival’s ball out of bounds. Nothing compares to the trash talking that ensues, as well as the rush of adrenaline you feel off a perfectly placed ricochet shot. The stars need to align for this type of dual action shot to work — it happens once in a blue moon which only adds to its greatness when you do manage to pull it off.

BS Golf provides plenty of cutthroat shenanigans! — *BS Golf* provides plenty of cutthroat shenanigans!

Two for one specials are always memorable. I not only get the PAR but also add a stroke to my rival’s score. It’s the best of both worlds.

At the end a scorecard is presented to show the results — At the end a scorecard displays the results

However, as good as the 2-Player mode is, for optimum pleasure try the fatal four way. Clusterville is not uncommon — one must get fairly shrewd and crafty if they want to make it out on top! It’s deliciously devious and entertaining.

I OB'ed player 3 a couple times here and there ~_^ — I OB’ed player 3 a couple times here and there ~_^

I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing this game with three other friends and let me tell ya — it’s friggin’ awesome. I dare call it the best four player game on the SNES. Just don’t come into it expecting all-out action. Since players take turns, it’s more of a methodical multiplayer experience, which works quite well. It allows each player to have the spotlight, so to speak, and allows you to focus all your energy on trash talking when it’s not your turn. The battles get rather fierce!

IT’S ALL ABOUT TRAJECTORY

Being that there are 17 points on the ball to strike, you can nail a shot in more ways than one. Here’s an example of four different scoring ways from one same spot. On the surface BS Golf may look very simple but you’ll soon discover there’s a lot more hidden underneath. It’s crazy versatile!

Select the right POW and you’re good. A simple straight shot. Nothing fancy. Just effective. The dead center shot is probably what you’ll feel most comfortable using most of the time.

I'm in a RIGHT frame of mind... — I’m in a RIGHT frame of mind…

However, for those times where you feel bold and daring, you can curve the trajectory of your shot left or right. Most players probably wouldn’t bother if straight on is an option, but sometimes it’s fun to just mess around…

Curve it to the right for the goal. Definitely a show off type skill shot.

To the left to the left [YOU MUST NOT KNOW BOUT ME -Ed.] — To the left to the left…

[YOU MUST NOT KNOW ‘BOUT ME -Ed.]. Not one to discriminate against lefties, let’s go left shall we?

Lovely! So we have dead center, right and left — three different ways to score from the same spot. I did say I’d show you four. What’s the fourth one, you ask? Ask and you shall receive.

“WHAT THE — !!” Notice my trajectory. This shot can only be made when it’s one notch above dead center. See how precise and deceptively intricate BS Golf is? It’s the kind of game that you’ll never quite play the same game twice. Good stuff.

SKILLZ! You are legit if you can pull off these funky trick shots. So, same position on the golf course and you just saw four different ways to score. Such is the versatility of this game. Odds are you’ll never play the same game twice. Add in the wacky competitiveness of three rivals and you have a multiplayer blast for the ages, and for all ages from 8 to 80!

Mastering trajectory shots is key — Mastering trajectory shots is the key to winning

Trajectory shots aren’t just for show, either. Sometimes, as seen here, they’re absolutely critical. You can’t always use the dead center shot if you want to excel — you must also master all other type of shots and know when to use which one.

The game randomly changes weather. One second it may be sunny. The next second clouds may appear overhead followed by a light rain. Once in a while there’s even a lightning show. Not only does it enhance the atmosphere of the game but it changes how you play as well — be sure to note and factor in the wind as well as the direction it’s blowing in. Mother Nature plays a role here just like in real life, and that’s pretty damn cool. There is an option to turn the weather off, though.

WAR OF THE WORLDS

Things start to get a bit strange in the second world

Let’s check out the five other themes you can play in. The second world is a combination of breakfast items and books. You’ve been shrunk! Look, just go with it. There are many more obstacles here compared to the first world, such as tomatoes, rulers and even towering cereal boxes. Arrows move your fragile ball in specific directions. Things can get pretty tough in a hurry…

I hope you've practiced your trajectory shots... — I hope you’ve practiced your trajectory shots…

The third world has an Aztec or Mayan theme. The obstacles found here are moving rather than stationary. Thus recreating rather well those infamous mini golf courses with the bloody relentless windmills.

Those guys really never smile, eh? Lighten up Francis! — These guys never smile do they? Lighten up, Francis!

The fourth world has sort of a toy theme. Those buggers there remind me of the old KB Toys logo. Like in the second world, you’ll find plenty of arrows and jumpers here.

The fifth world is a beach theme. It’s a nice pleasant visual change from the third and fourth worlds. This beach theme is home to some funky courses that are tougher than a two dollar steak.

Take a look and be the judge yourself... — Take a look and be the judge yourself…

Remember playing Marble Madness back in the day on the good ol’ 8-bit NES? It was one of the games my brother and I owned back in the late ’80s. The sweet visuals and tunes of that game are still ingrained in my heart 25+ years later.

From being shrunk to traveling to outer space -- hey, why not? — I love how crazy atmospheric this world is!

The sixth and final theme, taking place in outer space, is not only visually striking but brutally difficult. This will surely separate the boys from the men. It’s unforgiving like a hurricane, and will humble even the best players. Good luck!

UNUSUAL PLACES

"GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DAMN WHIPPERSNAPPER!" — *“GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DAMN WHIPPERSNAPPER!”*

*[OK, no more watching bad horror movies, mister -Ed.]*

Sucks to be you, pal! You can’t help but laugh when the opposition gets caught in a bad predicament such as this.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! [You're SO cheesy... -Ed.] — YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! *[You’re SO cheesy… -Ed.]*

HOT SHOTS GOLF

Aww, look at the kitty. I like the bird flying around there — Aww, look at the kitty. I also like the bird flying there

When I say hot shots golf, I’m not talking about the PlayStation game Hot Shots Golf, which I like a lot. Oddly, there is a Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds but I digress. The Eagle is the second best possible shot in the game of golf. It’s pretty rare though. But the best shot in all of golf is, of course, the hole-in-one.

C'mon, admit it, ya at least smiled, right? Er, moving on — C’mon, admit it. You smiled, right? Er, moving on

Of the 48 courses I’ve only been able to get a hole-in-one on three of the courses. You can’t get a hole-in-one for most of them. It’s always a thrill when it happens!

MISCELLANEOUS

Throughout the courses you’ll find giant gift wrapped boxes. If you make contact with these presents you will earn a random surprise. They range from useless to absolutely devastating. So far I’ve been able to discern 11 of them, but there could be even more. The 11 I know are listed below.

Ball Switcher: This icon seems to be the hardest to get, like the lightning item in Super Mario Kart. It randomly switches all four balls. Can turn what looks like futility to one of sweet victory in a hot second. It’s sure to piss someone off!
Poison Stroke: Makes opponents’ very next shot go very short.
Sun: Automatic sunny weather (meh).
Wind Blower #1: Gust of wind sends your rivals’ balls flying. Could potentially lead to O.B. *evil laughter*
Wind Blower #2: Increases the wind MPH speed (meh).
Mole: Takes rival’s next shot back to original position (pure evil!)
Fast Shot: Sends your ball at the speed of light.
Control Shot: Love this one! Control the ball by working the D-Pad.
Shot Stop: You stop your shot short at any desired time by pressing B.
Ink: ? I’ve yet to figure this one out…
Anvil: ? Ditto the ink.

Another sign that points to the greatness of this game are the randomly generated points of the cup. Here you see the same course, but with TWO different destinations. This way players can’t master one course and repeat the same tricks over and over, thus killing the longevity of the game. 48 courses each having several different random cup generators mean that you really have over 200 different possibilities! Plus you factor in the ever changing wind, the 17 different strike points, the shot power meter ranging from 1 to 100, and the item power ups — it all adds up to a game that has a slightly new wrinkle each time you play.

You’re looking at the same course, but with two different randomly generated cups. Each course has four different destinations.

Certain courses have shortcuts and gimmicks you can take advantage of. For example, in one course you can hit your ball into the doghouse. This sends the ball flying across the screen from another location that can set you up nicely next to the hole.

Little details like this make a game extra memorable and awesome.

Here’s another cool example. If you hit the ball in that hole there, a mole magically transports your ball close to the exit. It’s weird but charming!

There’s a lot more but I’ll let you discover some of them for yourself…

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The best SNES game never released? Just maybe... — The best SNES game never released? Just maybe…

There are some video games you see in magazine previews and dream about, but when you finally get around to play it you find yourself sorely disappointed. BS Out of Bounds Golf not only lived up to my expectations but in many ways it even surpassed them. It’s so simple that anyone can play it and have a good time, yet it’s deceptively intricate enough where you could play it a thousand times and still learn something new each time. It speaks to the game’s longevity, including the 17 different strike points, 48 courses, randomly generated cups, 12 player choices and 1-4 player mode. It’s mini golf done right! Where else can you stand next to a towering cereal box featuring Coco Krispies, I mean, Big Kongs Crunch, and the next minute be teeing off along the Milky Way? There’s only one.

It's a shame this game never came out back in '94 — It’s a shame this game never came out back in 1994

The graphics are easily the weakest part of the game, but they’re serviceable nonetheless. The sound suits the game just right. Much like Bomberman, it’s the pure gameplay that delivers. You’ll never play the same game twice. OBing your opponent is where it’s at, and your individual battles with judging the trajectory and your power meter is gratifying in its own right. This is one of those rare games I can play for 10 minutes each night before going to bed and never get tired of. The game’s ingenuity is abundant, its accessibility brilliant, and its charm endless. If you’ve never played BS Out of Bounds Golf before, I dare you to spend some time with it and see if you don’t like it yourself. Of course, everyone’s mileage will vary, and you might not be as nuts about it as I am, but I doubt many will walk away thinking it’s a bad game. I hope that BS Out of Bounds Golf will no longer be obscure and left hidden in the shadows. May it instead shine brightly as one of the best multiplayer games on the SNES. You need to experience playing this game with three friends to fully grasp its sheer brilliance. You’re sure to be glad you did!

Graphics: 6.5
Sound: 8.5
Gameplay: 10
Longevity: 10

Overall: 10

Sadly unknown and unreleased, BS Out of Bounds Golf is slightly bizarre and twisted, highly competitive and addicting, and one of the best multiplayer SNES games around. Give it a shot, it just might become your next favorite retro party game! Schadenfreude at its finest.

You earned it! Thanks NCS for this awesome game :) — You earned it! Thanks NCS for this awesome game

It ain't bullsh*t, it's BS Out of Bounds Golf, and it's ace! — It ain’t bullshit, it’s *BS Out of Bounds Golf*, and it’s ace!

I don’t hand out too many 10 scores… then again, not too many games are as fun and charming as this one is. Scenes like this only point to the sheer brilliance of the game ^_^

Super Family Tennis (SFC)

The best damn tennis title on the SNES. Yeah I said it

Tennis. A sport I rarely played as a youth, never watched and generally never had much of an interest in. Except, oddly, when it came to video games. I always enjoy a solid tennis game. Super Tennis on the SNES gets a lot of love as does Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA). One of my favorite Saturn titles is a little known obscure Japanese game by the name of Tennis Arena. So I’m always down for a fun little tennis game. After playing Super Family Tennis, I can honestly say it’s not only my favorite tennis title on the system but it’s actually one of my favorite SNES games, PERIOD. I’ll attempt to explain why with tons of pictures and hopefully not too much incoherent rambling below.

SMASH TENNIS

Too bad it never hit North America! — Too bad it never smashed its way into North America

SUPER TENNIS. FOR THE FAMILY. SO SUPER FAMILY TENNIS, THEN

Super Family Tennis looks normal so far, but play on a bit (or read on in this case) and you’ll quickly see what a quirky and crazy title this is.

Choose from 20 different players all with varying skills and abilities. There are a total of nine different game modes with all combinations possible for singles and doubles matches. I only wish the character selection would show a preview of your sprite and even a quick statistical rundown, but alas, it’s no dealbreaker by any stretch. Here’s where the game gets special, though: there are eight courts to select. You have your usual standard three but the other five are a bit outlandish (some more than others!)

Sorry Super Tennis fans but no egregious usage of Mode 7 here. This is just your standard lawn tennis court. Nothing special, but I do enjoy the fans in attendance. Shame though that they’re a slightly more subdued crowd than the one found in Super Tennis. Their applause isn’t as loud. I do like the collective disappointing groan they make in Super Family Tennis though when you mess up.

These are the other two standard courts. Like I said, nothing special. Typical arenas you would find in any tennis title. But now we come to the other five…

THE RESORT

Right away the camera gives you a quick sweeping view of the venue and you’re immediately intrigued. From the snow capped mountains in the background to the group of friends hanging out on a balcony watching your match, it’s unlike any other court you’d find in a tennis video game back in June 1993. I appreciate Namco’s attention to detail — everything from the potted plants to the tables. The game gave off good vibes and once I got playing, I truly fell in love with it all.

Nothing’s better than sending a shot over the head of your opponent and having the ball land just centimeters in front of the boundary. Great feeling that’s only boosted by the quick view you get of the people watching you from above. Good stuff!

"Get that $20 bill ready, Jo!" — *“Get that $20 bill ready, Susie!”*

Actually, perhaps this is even sweeter. Hitting the ball and seeing it sail just past the reach of your diving opponent. Insult to injury! And even better, seeing the ball bounce all the way underneath the tables. It’s a great touch. Hey, I’ve always appreciated the little things in video games, and Super Family Tennis serves it on a silver platter! [I C WAT U DID DERE… -Ed.]

Alright, maybe this is even better than the previous two. They’re all so satisfying it’s hard to pick a definitive winner. The European name for this game is Smash Tennis and this shows you why. Smashing the ball so hard that it literally leaves a shadow trail of sorts is quite gratifying. Its velocity is almost faster than the eye can see. Talk about a crushing blow…

Diving hits to save your ass are also incredibly satisfying to use. It’s much easier and feels more natural to dive here than it did in Super Tennis, which is only one of several reasons why I prefer Super Family Tennis. When you get caught up in a diving contest with your opponent, it only adds to the drama and intensity of it all.

While diving saves are cute and all, sometimes you just need to put a little muscle behind it and send the ball screaming your opponent’s way. Check this out…

Smash hits are cruel and quickly humble the player on the receiving end. As an added insult to injury, I love how the ball sometimes can roll underneath a table. It’s totally inconsequential but nevertheless oddly delightful to witness.

Crushing spirits left and right, these super shots are the cat’s pajamas!

"Fine, here's your $20, Jimmy!" — *“Alright, here’s your $20, Jimmy!”*

Shake their hands to honor the age-old tennis tradition, but secretly relish as you watch the opposition slumbering off with their heads drooped. Good stuff!

Nice rundown of the stats — Statistical breakdown postgame

Namco truly delivers the goods. Not only are there five unique courts but in each of those arenas there’s a certain gimmick or “sight gag” to discover. For example, in the resort you’ll occasionally see a waitress walking around. She’s a bit of a klutz though. You can actually see her falling over! It’s super silly and tons of fun. It just adds to the quirky charm of the game, of which it has in spades.

THE LODGE

Things start out foggy. A giant lodge can be seen in the background. But rather than sipping on some hot cocoa and having a read of the ol’ paper, you’ve opted instead to head out and brave the freezing cold for a little spot of tennis. You mad daredevil you! A flock of birds can be seen hanging around the premises.

Visual deterrent? Not really but the fog does add a nice touch. Brrr. You can almost feel the stinging cold, can’t you? [No, not really -Ed.]

Should the ball reach the fence it sends the birds packing. Pretty cool.

Pretty soon the fog clears out and makes way for bright sunny rays. From there the shadows of the trees envelop the lower bottom of the screen. Nice!

Depending on how the ball travels, you can even catch a glimpse of the shadow effect in full. It’s always a pleasant sight to behold, simple though it may be. It’s the small stuff, ne?

Best of all though is hands down when the flock of birds decide to fly across the screen right as you’re about to serve. Hey, where did the 4th player go there?

Clearly, she’s a tad bit concerned about what the birds might do to her new do! Talk about being distracted. Look at the poor thing struggling between hitting the ball back and dodging the birdies!

Never seen a lass dive to get out of the way of potential poopage before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything! Hey, you do what ya gotta do. Oh and Namco, don’t think we don’t see that little monkey (!) in the window there. It’s bizarre as all hell. But at this point, being Super Family Tennis, you just go with it.

THE SHRINE

Japanese people love tennis, obviously, and this is made abundantly clear with this tennis court situated right in the middle of a Japanese Shinto shrine! It even features a Torii gate for authenticity.

Remember the feeling of agony as a kid having to chase down runaway balls? Super Family Tennis brings back those warm fuzzy childhood memories! Hey, at least it didn’t go underneath the Japanese Shinto shrine there. I hate when that happens.

“Awww, do I really have to? But it’s SO far away! Alright, fiiiiiine!!”

Remember how I said each of the five unique courts have a certain gimmick or sight gag to them? Well this one has two. Here’s the first. See if you can knock the ball into the lion statue there. Doing so prompts the crow to fly away. Neat stuff!

Here’s the second gimmick/sight gag of the stage. It’s possible to hit the ball into one of the tranquil looking ponds!

Never gets old seeing the ball bounce over the rocks and into the pond. It makes a nice little SPLASH sound and from there you can see the ball bouncing back up to the surface. Excellent detail, Namco. Two thumbs WAY up

THE BEACH

Listen to the soothing sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. The game relies purely on its sound effects because there is no music whatsoever. It’s an interesting deviation from the norm and I kind of like it, personally. The crashing waves on this stage makes it feel like you’re really at the beach. I love the crowd of spectators as well as that random guy standing there underneath the coconut tree. Boy, it would be a shame if a coconut falls on his head…

Ocean waves go in and out as you play. It’s a nice effect for sure.

Check out what happens when you hit the ball at that coconut tree…

Nearly fell out of my chair the first time I saw this! It just speaks to Namco’s zany brilliance of adding in little details like this. Best of all, it’s not like it’s easy to hit that tree. It doesn’t happen often so it keeps the effect fresh and enjoyable. You can’t help but eat up stuff like this. You know the developers had a blast making this game.

Speaking of little details, look at that cute little crab dancing its way slowly across the screen. Just another odd random touch that makes me love this game even more.

Almost got ya there, Mr. Crab! I like seeing the ball roll into the ocean. Part of me almost instinctively wants to shout out “BALL!” but then I remember I’m just playing a video game

THE MOUNTAIN

What’s the best, safest place to play a spot of tennis? Why, on a mountain of course. I like how you can see the forest down below, and I like the detail of the jagged rocks on the mountain. Luckily, you can’t fall off the mountain. Whew…

Although you can’t fall off the edge, the ball can. Always fun to see the ball go spiraling off the cliff. Next time you go hike a mountain and you find a bunch of tennis balls at the bottom, now you’ll know why. The more you know!

Shortly after the match begins, you’ll discover a high adrenaline junkie making his way up the mountain cliff. And you thought you were crazy for playing tennis atop a mountain plateau! This maniac makes you look like a chicken…

Setting up camp, he spends the rest of the match waving. OK, we get it, you rock and you’re awesome but chill out, son. Hmm, if that was a way to stop his antics…

THRILL OF A LAST SECOND SAVE

Can you get to it in time? — Can you get to the ball in time?

One of my favorite moments in the game is when the ball is hit almost half the court away, and it doesn’t seem like you can get to it in time. But you make the effort anyway. And at the very last second possible, you make a last gasp dive…

Making a last second diving save is awesome. But even better? Doing it and just barely keeping it in play over the reach of your opponent. Nothing gets the blood pumping like this kind of exciting play. Really makes for some great trash talking!

UM… THAT WAS MY BAD, YO. THAT ONE’S ON ME. HEH…

Unintentionally hilarious, the most “D’OH!” moment comes when you accidentally hit the ball into the back of your partner’s head. D’oh! I love the dirty look they give you as you just kind of stand there going “Heh, um, my bad, yo.”

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Birds need to consider their path of flight. After all, we all saw what happened when a bird crossed paths with a Randy Johnson 98 MPH fastball…

CLOSE! Bloody birds need to be careful…

ATTACK OF THE CLONES

Mirror selections are possible, with no cheat code required. Now nobody can argue you took their favorite player

SPEAKING OF CLONES

Which is better, Super Tennis or Super Family Tennis? In my book it’s easily the latter. I appreciate Super Tennis for what it is, but I find Super Family Tennis to be superior, far more fun and far more accessible. Not to mention Super Family Tennis has a four player option while Super Tennis doesn’t. Plus, Super Tennis is pretty straight forward. It’s missing the charm and sense of wacky humor that Namco threw at us with their tennis rendition. Honestly, while I still like Super Tennis for what it is, a game like Super Family Tennis kind of makes it a bit obsolete in my book. It falls in that tragic “great games that I never play any more” category.

ACTUALLY, NOT REALLY A CLONE

Super Family Tennis isn’t so much a clone to Super Tennis because Namco released Family Tennis on the Famicom (December 11, 1987). It just turned 29 years old! As you can see from the cosmos court, Family Tennis also featured a quirky sense of style that would later carry over to Namco’s Super Famicom sequel.

A SMASH HIT IN THE EYES OF SUPER PLAY MAGAZINE

Super Play loved it, ranking it #71 on their Top 100 list — Super Play liked it, ranking it #71 on their Top 100 list

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Family Tennis is my favorite tennis title on the Super Nintendo, and I’d argue it’s also the best. It’s super easy to pick up and play, with 20 different characters and eight different arenas to play in (five of which are bonkers). It’s full of diving saves, vicious smashes and a sneaky sense of humor you just don’t expect from a game of this nature. But Namco went ahead and did so anyway. And I’m glad they did. Details like the waitress falling over at the resort to the beach bum getting knocked out by coconut have left a lasting impression on my gaming heart. There’s no music but I love the ambient sounds. From the soothing crashing waves of the ocean to the echo chamber sounds of the mountain, it’s something different and refreshing. Control feels very fluid, not stiff at all. When you mess up you know it’s on you, not the controls. Well done, Namco.

This is easily one of the best four player games on the Super Nintendo. Thanks to its charming stages and details, there’s a lot of casual gamer appeal here, or even to the non-gamer. Anyone can pick it up and play. It’s simple and fun. It’s really a shame that this game doesn’t get talked about much. Even to this day I tend to see people recommending Super Tennis without giving this game a shout out. While Super Tennis deserves its props, I really think this is the superior game. If you haven’t tried it yet, and you love yourself a good vintage 16-bit sports game, then be sure to check out Super Family Tennis. I highly doubt you’ll regret it. In fact, the only thing you may regret is that you didn’t play it any sooner!

Full of frills, thrills and spills! — It’s full of frills, thrills and spills!

Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop (SFC)

Yes, that's Michael Jordan of the Bulls, er, Vikings... — Yes, that’s Michael Jordan of the Bu, er, Vikings

In October of 1994 EGM ran a preview on a Super Famicom basketball game by the name of Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop. Being a huge fan of NBA Jam, this preview intrigued me highly. Man, I miss those pre-internet days when gaming magazines were not only a thing but they were magical.

Not only was I a huge fan of NBA Jam but I loved Konami’s Run ‘N Gun arcade game. It came out in 1993 and I figured it was only a matter of time before a home translation would come out for the SNES. We finally got it in November 1995 under the name NBA Give ‘N Go. But back in ’94 there was no sign of this, so Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop gave me great hope that I could play a Run ‘N Gun-esque game in the comforts of my home.

Nothing like throwing down a monster jam

After I got back into the SNES in early 2006, I thought back to all the SNES/SFC games I wanted to play and own. Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop came to mind. I remembered the preview in EGM 12 years earlier. Found a copy online and was excited to quell a 12 year long curiosity. But before we get to that, I’d like to share a personal basketball memory that made me a fan of the sport for life.

MIRACLE DAY MIRACLE

Monday, May 29, 1995 is a day I’ll never forget.

It was Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, pitting the young uprising Orlando Magic vs. the Indiana Pacers. I was at the local mall walking past Radio Shack when I saw the game playing on ten TV screens. There were three people standing there, watching in angst and talking in-between plays. I joined to make it a crowd of four. The game was in the final three minutes and as the drama unfolded the crowd steadily grew with each passing dramatic play. Even the employees stopped to observe the madness.

With under 15 seconds to go, this improbable sequence took place:

Brian Shaw’s 3 pointer gave the Magic the 1 point lead

Reggie Miller answered with one of his own, putting the Pacers back up by 2 causing the Indiana crowd to erupt in a frenzy

Mere seconds later, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, nailed a dramatic 3, giving the Magic a 1 point lead with 1.3 seconds to go. It left the sold out capacity crowd in stunned silence

Penny in his prime was something special — Prime Penny was something special

As the game went to its final commercial break there was a deafening buzz within Radio Shack’s small confines. To this day I can still hear that classic NBA on NBC theme, blaring on no less than ten television monitors. The incomparable John Tesh theme reverberated throughout the store and the entire mall itself. It’s one of those vivid childhood memories that haunts me to the core even more than 20 years later.

Suddenly we were no longer just a bunch of strangers. This playoff basketball game magically banded us together. I saw basketball in a new light. There was strategy, tactics. Beyond that, I started appreciating the concept of teamwork and five different people of varying size and skills working as one well oiled machine.

That day I developed a much deeper appreciation for basketball. It’s the moment I became a fan for life.

Fakes... shoots... HE HITS HE HITS HE HITS!!! — *“Fakes, shoots and — HE HITS HE HITS!!!”*

Down by one point with 1.3 seconds left, the ball made its way to the dunking Dutchman, Rik Smits. He faked, shot and the ball ripped nothing but net as the buzzer sounded off. The place became unglued and the roof blew off. Radio Shack became a mad house.

I was only 11 years old while everyone else around me was 20 or older. Those 15 minutes cheering and booing madly at the TV screen with a bunch of folks I never met before… PRICELESS. Basketball brings people together.

PUTTING A 12 YEAR CURIOSITY TO REST

3 on 3 mode is the best — Ah, a Slender Man sponsorship

There’s always a moment of slight hesitation when popping in a game you have been wondering about for many years.

There are 16 non-official teams plus one Japan team. Though oddly, if you look at the EGM preview you’ll see Spurs and Bulls. So I looked at the teams closer. The subtle not-so-hidden parallels are definitely there. For example check out the Wizards (keep in mind back in ’94 the Wizards were known as the Washington Bullets). Their court is the same color as the Orlando Magic and they have a starting center with incredible stats who wears # 32 (Shaquille O’Neal). Besides, Magic… Wizards… hmmm…

Shaq’s 1993 stats in bold. Cooper’s stats in italics:

23.4 points per game
23.5 ppg

13.9 rebounds per game
14.0 rpg

56% field goal
57% FG

59% free throw
60% FT

So there are real players in this game. Just like the classic Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, the jersey numbers are the same as well as their stats (or very close anyhow). They just have different names. Sneaky!

PRACTICE MODES

Fancy a game of one on one? You can with Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop. First to 10 points win. It’s pretty fun for a quick little fix. When you make shots the game gives you some encouraging messages, such as GREAT! and NICE DUNK!

Regular field goals count as one point in this mode, and three point shots are worth two. Just like on the playground. You know what this mode reminds me of?

Jordan vs. Bird! (Sega Genesis) — *Jordan vs. Bird* (Sega Genesis)

Perhaps you fancy practicing your free throws? HUMAN gives you that option! Of course, the Fire Pro creators are big on timing. It’s kind of their thing. You have to release the ball at just the precise moment to swish the shot. A little off and it will rim in. But anymore off target and you’ll brick the shot. It takes some practice but once you get it down it’s extremely satisfying. And of course you get the lovely Engrish of “NICE SHOOT!” when you make a basket.

Oh man, 9/9. No pressure... — Oh man, 9/9. No pressure…

Perfecto!

5 ON 5 MODE

Things look promising... — Orlando Magic in the house

It looks just like a poor man’s Run ‘N Gun. So far, so good! Unfortunately, it doesn’t play as well. On the bright side, there is no slowdown or lag whatsoever. On the downside, it’s way too easy to steal and block shots. The team that is going down the court also has a disadvantage as the view is more obscured. There’s still some decent fun to be had but it’s passable. Between this mode and NBA Give ‘N Go, I’d rather play Give ‘N Go.

Nice black jerseys though — Ah, FILA. Totally ’90s huh?

Definitely not unplayable and there’s zero trace of slowdown, but it’s nothing special.

3 ON 3 MODE

The last mode, 3 on 3, takes me back to my blacktop days. Pick any of the 17 teams and then pick any three players on that team. Then duke it out in a 3 on 3 half court battle. Adjust the time from 3, 6, 9 or 12 minutes. It’s one quarter to the finish. Best of all, since you’re playing half court, everyone gets the top end of the court which has no obstruction of view. The passing is less clunky on account of there being less players to pass to. It works like a charm.

Hoop Dreams, baby! — Slam it home with authority

This mode somehow never gets old.

Select from two different courts in the 3 on 3 mode. It’s all cosmetic but these little touches go a long way in my book. I love both courts. The beach one has that exotic fun casual feel to it, like you and your buddies are hooping it up after a summer BBQ. The other court has an impeccable street ball gritty feel to it. In addition, you can pick from four different color balls. I like the funky blue ball. [You would, wouldn’t you… -Ed.]

EVEN MORE CHOICES…

Punch in any of these secret codes at the password screen and it’ll give you the option of playing either at dusk or dawn. It only works on the beach court though. Check out how atmospheric these new backdrops are:

Oooooh, ahhhhh. I love it when a company puts in these extra details. It goes a long way to make the game even more endearing. I love the feeling of balling in the early morning or late at evening. It’s the small things!

Night or morning, morning or night — raining threes with the greatest of ease!

AND EVEN MORE CHOICES STILL…

Press any direction on the D-pad at the versus screen and you can change the floor design of your selected court. Try up, down, left or right. Hell, you can even try up-left or up-right for even more choices. Or down-right and down-left. Here you can see I swapped the floors for the two courts.

Reminds me ever so slightly of the Mortal Kombat games and how you could tinker with the icons at the versus screen to unlock secrets…

Favorite combos for me: the green court matches the coconut trees nicely. Dig that green overload. Speaking of overload, how about the combination seen in the second pic there? Talk about splendid color coordination! It’s so inviting and hits all the sweet spots.

A GAME FOR THE AGES

Before the start of a game you can view stats as well as change the lineup. I love how they list their stats both by numbers, percentages and then in Marvel 1991 style they have the pink bars. Japan is the best shooting team in the game and if you’re looking to be Stephen Curry then Japan is your go to team.

Things start off well as I nail a simple mid-range jump shot that hits nothing but net.

Another sick dunk — 360 in your face! 7-Up.

Definitely way too easy to block shots but that only lends an arcade style to the otherwise simulation feel. It’s a fine balance that works well.

Trailing 9-12, Hara makes a beeline for that 3 point line and swishes a 2 pointer right through the net. 11-12 with under two minutes to go.

AGAIN from way downtown! Hara ties the game at 13 points a piece.

ARGH!! Hara barely misses a clutch 3 point shot. Thus sending the ball back to the Rings up 16-13 with only 41 seconds to go. It ain’t looking good for Team Japan…

Mutsuki with the save! 15-16 with 30 seconds left!

Right on cue, Hara hits yet another clutch shot, bringing the score to 17 all with just 18 seconds remaining.

Stealing and blocking the ball happen a little too frequently as mentioned earlier, but it sure makes for some dramatic defensive stands! The Rings try to break the 17-17 tie, but that’s not happening tonight — no siree!

Every kid grows up dreaming about hitting the game winning shot. Here’s Hara’s chance. Running to his sweet spot, Hara drills a picture perfect jumpshot, giving me the lead 18-17 with only two seconds remaining. Clutch! But I can’t get too cocky now. The Rings still have two seconds left…

Baumann rises for the game winning shot. He barely gets the ball out of his hands as the shot clock expires. This is either going to be the greatest victory ever or the worst defeat of all time…

WHEW! In and out! Talk about cutting it as close. Look at that Baumann punk turning around after shooting the ball. You ain’t Steph Curry, son!

Japan is such a good shooting team. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson would be proud.

Defeat everyone in the Round Robin mode and you’ll get this snazzy congratulations shot.

Speaking of endings, if you enter this password you can view all of the game’s multiple endings. Human did it with Clock Tower as well. It was kind of their thing to have multiple endings, no?

Goddess of Victory, eh? Who is that, Lady Luck’s mother?

MISCELLANEOUS

In either 3 on 3 or 5 on 5, you can play an exhibition or compete in a Round Robin. In Round Robin you’re given a password after each victory. At the end you’ll face your clones and then the USA Dream Team

Can you handle the Dream Team? — 1992 Dream Team was the best

Street Hoop (Neo Geo) came out in December 1994, a month after this game. There’s something about a basketball court right in the middle of a beach that does it for me…

Everybody's gone jamming. Jamming USA! — Everybody’s gon’ hoopin’. Hoopin’ USA!

I’m a sucker for the players’ ratings. Reminds me of the old ’91 Marvel trading card series. Ah, those were the days…

My friends and I collected the hell out of the 1991 Marvel cards. My favorite thing about them were the pink energy bars on the back that let you know at a quick glance what you wanted to know. Playing Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop and seeing the Marvel ’91-esque pink energy bars brought back a lot of fond memories!

The 3 on 3 mode is good for quick arcade thrills but the full-court 5 on 5 mode has more strategy thanks to the bench and stamina factor. Players are rated fresh, OK or tired. You’ll have to do some managing throughout the four quarters to keep your players fresh

My favorite team are the Photons. In the 3 on 3 mode I use Rogers, Davidson and Feguso

STREET BALL MEMORIES

All you need is a ball, a hoop and a dream — All you needed was a ball, a hoop and a dream

From playing hoops in my backyard as a youth to balling on the blacktops as a teenager, I have fond memories of the game. At the heart of the game lies a bigger message. Case in point: 1997, 8th grade. One day at lunch I was playing one-on-one with my friend, Simon. Then we noticed these three 7th graders bullying a hapless runt. Seeing them push the defenseless kid around pissed me off. I looked at Simon and without saying a word I knew he knew what we both knew. And thus, we made our way over to the kerfuffle…

I challenged the three 7th graders to a game of 21 — 3-on-3 style. The kid getting bullied wasn’t much of a baller, but I had an overwhelming confidence in Simon and myself that we could beat these cocky bastards. Simon was the Dennis Rodman of the team. Man, nobody could hit the glass like Simon. Dude was a beast on the boards. As for me, I was the three point specialist. The Reggie Miller of the team. And on that cloudy afternoon, I drained three pointer after three pointer. Hand in my face — it didn’t matter. I was a man on a mission. Not only did I want to beat those losers but I had to defend the honor of that kid.

Basketball pundits like to call it being in the proverbial zone. And that I was on that idyllic, cloudy afternoon — swishing three point shot after three point shot!

It was one of those afternoons I wished would last forever. The sky was blue with puffy clouds standing still overhead. Amid the usual lunch playground chatter of 7th and 8th graders jockeying for social position and status on the hierarchy that is junior high, I was in my own world. Bombing three after three, the opposition had no answer.

My team won going away. The three bullies bitched at each other in disbelief before slagging off, disappearing around the corner moments later. Simon and I smiled at each other. The little 7th grade kid said four words I still remember to this day with great fondness.

“Thanks for the help.”

Simon and I watched in silence as he walked away, his head held high. Through basketball, in a way, we saved him. It was just one more reason for me to love the game as much as I did. You can be big, small, black, purple, it don’t matter. It’s a game that brings people together. It can even heal some wounds, as it did that serene cloudy afternoon of 1997

CLOSING THOUGHTS

My favorite SNES bball game — This game is my spirit animal ^_^

On a technical level, the NBA Jam and the NBA Live games are far superior. But on a fun level, I actually prefer Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop. If a basketball game could be my spirit animal, this game would be it. It just resonates with me in a deep and personal way that no other basketball game does. I always have a blast playing it. The 3 on 3 mode takes me back to the days of my youth balling without a single care in the world. From making friends to even saving a kid from being bullied, basketball has always been a part of my life. Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop captures the feeling of street ball to a tee. I also love the little touches like the secret courts and being able to play at dawn, mid-day or dusk. This is such a criminally obscure hidden gem for basketball junkies.

Nothing like playing hoops under the stars — Nothing like hooping it up under the stars

It’s been over 10 years now since I bought this game and still to this day I find myself busting it out frequently. I can’t guarantee you’ll like this game — hell I bet you probably won’t like it as much as I do, but if you enjoy vintage 16-bit basketball games then it’s certainly worth a look. Call me crazy but Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop is one of my all-time favorite Super Nintendo games, period. I know that may sound a bit absurd but there are certain games you just click with that’s hard to explain. There are many better SNES games than this but few I enjoy playing more than Dream Basketball: Dunk & Hoop!

R.I.P. Craig Sager. 6.29.51-12.15.16. You were the man!

Tetris Battle Gaiden (SFC)

It’s *Tetris* like you’ve never seen it before

Arriving just in the nick of time for Christmas of 1993 (December 24), Tetris Battle Gaiden is the best Super Famicom puzzle game to never hit North American shores. It’s truly a shame they never ported this over for a US audience. If they had, this game would be more universally recognized and lionized to this very day. Thankfully, anyone with a Super Nintendo (or a computer) can experience it all the same nevertheless. Well, there is a bit of Japanese to wade through, but being a puzzle game and not an RPG, a fan translation is not absolutely needed to enjoy this as is.

tetrisbg-box1 — The box is inundated with the game’s various characters

Released on December 24, 1993, one wonders why this didn’t see a US release in mid to late 1994. There wasn’t much to translate and the Tetris name alone would have sold a ton of copies. Not to mention the gameplay is very expansive with several different game modes and new tricks that freshen up a classic, proven formula. Sure the characters were on the anime side, and back in the mid ’90s that wasn’t really a thing in US culture. But they could have easily modified the characters, no? Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be. On second thought, look at those zany lovable Japanese-y characters. Maybe it’s a good thing these guys weren’t turned into generic boring barbarians and the typical “radical” mid ’90s look in American video gaming. Speaking of characters, let’s take a look at them now!

PUMPKIN

Pumpkinhead here adorns the cover and has a classic colorful Halloween backdrop. Yup, I can definitely get behind this guy.

MIRURUN

Awwww, isn’t it adorable? Because bunny things just are! By the way, I love the bright visuals of this game. The art style is also on point.

SHAMAN

Witch doctor at your service! Look at all those exotic animals.

ALADDIN

Disney’s version this ain’t. Still got his Magic Carpet and Genie though. Beautiful backdrop.

PRINCESS

Majestic background if I ever saw one. Good job, Bullet Proof Software.

BIT

#SMALLLIVESMATTER. At least a little bit, right? [I see what you did there -Ed.]

NINJA

Ninjas were cool back then in the ’90s, and gosh darnit, they’re still cool today.

WOLFMAN

Wolfman’s stage is simply gorgeous. Perfect to play on a late fall afternoon!

FROM THE BOOK OF TETRIS

Always been a sucker for a good page turner, and this game most definitely is.

BATTLE!

Select from any of the eight characters, then select your desired first opponent. The game’s presentation is on point. Puzzle games aren’t usually noted for their visuals but there’s no denying this game has a very pleasing look to the eye. Everything is bright, bold and colorful. Graphics don’t make a game, but they certainly don’t hurt.

Your eyes deceive you not. One of the most unique things about this game that you’ll noticed right away is that the pieces are communal. Rather than both players getting the same pieces, here you share one queue.

Tetris purists may scoff at this, but I personally find it refreshing. It lends a whole new strategy to the game. Sometimes you find yourself stalling in order to get the desired piece. Other times you purposely rush in order to secure the next block. Which is exactly what I did here. Notice I dropped the “z” block in a bad space just to ensure that I can get the square piece which has a crystal. The crystal brings a whole new dimension to the classic formula. Observe!

Every time you clear a crystal you earn one point. Each character has four different special battle skills. Some are offensive while others are defensive. You can use your skills right away, or save them. The number of points required to use a skill is respective to its level. For example, a level one skill requires one point while a level four skill requires four points. Do you use a certain power now, or do you save for a stronger power later on? It’s all part of the strategy.

Yes, gonna beat him to the Tetris! — Yes, gonna beat ‘im to the tetris!

The battle can quickly grow intense as players joust for the right block at the right time. Sometimes, you simply want to play defense by, er, blockblocking the opposition. Yeah I just made that word up. Who knows, maybe it’ll catch on? [Oh sure… -Ed.]

What’s sweeter than earning a crystal point? Clearing two crystals in a line and earning two points! Now I have three points. Do I unleash my level 3 skill, or save it to use a level 4 skill down the road? Decisions, decisions!

Meanwhile, Mirurun ain’t waiting around. He uses his level 1 skill to blow up a few rows from his well. Like I said, this ain’t your typical Tetris game.

Every Tetris player knows the feeling of anguish and self-loathing when you accidentally misplace a block. But in this case, it’s your opponent who does. Well, in a manner of speaking. You see, one of Miru’s skills is the power to distort the way you control your blocks. Naturally this is temporary, but it’s long enough to throw you off your game leading to some unfortunate block positioning. But never fear, I see a tetris piece coming soon! Commence the “rush or stall” game within a game! Again, some purists may scoff at this, but I say it brings an added rush to the table!

Nothing beats clearing four lines at once! I love the way the pieces rotate and disappear from the field. There’s something satisfying about it, for sure.

Miru’s distortion of control skill is super annoying. Don’t get me wrong, with Christmas season here and everything I truly appreciate what the cross stands for, but I didn’t want to make a cross up there! Bloody stinkin’ bunny thing!

Alright Mr. Bunny, time to unleash hell. Pumpkin blows up Miru’s well, leaving only bits and pieces standing (many awkwardly in mid-air). This power wreaks havoc and can really mess up the opposition.

Another point added *and* I scored the tetris block. Win! Moments like these can really demoralize the competition, and provides plenty of trash talking opportunity.

Scored four points (again) and about to murder Mirurun. Take a look.

With his well nearly filled up, all it takes is one final shove to send the whole thing crashing. I love how your character appears on screen for a brief moment before unleashing their special attack. It makes it feel a little more important (not to mention a lot more fun, too). Oh man, look at that well. He’s so screwed.

Nothing compares to the sweet thrill of victory. Sure in other puzzle games you tend to send debris over after landing chain reactions, but I like how battle-oriented Tetris Battle Gaiden is. Hence the “Battle” middle name. It’s more than just sending debris over to your opponent’s field. It’s an all out war where you get to literally sabotage your rival. It’s a fight to the very bitter end.

Battle all seven of your rivals. After successfully conquering each of them, this big bad dragon baddie is your reward prize. Lucky you.

SOME MORE SKILLS AND SPECIALS

Clearly what’s happening here is that those blocks have displayed exemplary behavior, and are being beckoned to block heaven. I mean, duh!

Those bats swoop to your opponent’s side to steal any crystal points they may have earned. ProTip: make sure first though that your opponent has something to steal. D’oh! But yeah, play your cards right and you’re well on your way to victory. No more L’s… well, except when you get the L blocks [… -Ed.]

Searchlight skill is downright evil. It blackens the field and only gives you a small flashlight with which to contend. Talk about devious.

Speaking of blackening, and seeing the light, here comes the Reaper!

Sometimes it just ain’t fair. My blocks, my beautiful blocks!

Wolfman’s level 2 skill is rather strange but endearing. A peculiar old man appears at the bottom of the screen and prevents your opponent from sending blocks down at the fastest speed possible. Whenever the opponent tries to press down, the man will strain to resist to the point that you can see small sweat beads flying off his forehead. Good stuff. This power lasts for 28 seconds (yes, I actually timed it…)

Wolfman can also summon a miniature samurai to slice off the first few rows.

Wolfman’s level 4 skill inserts gravity into the picture, which allows for suspended blocks to fall until they land on something. This leads to some deadly combos. The only blocks that don’t fall are the ones that contain the crystal. This skill, however, is useless in the “Rensa” mode, but more on that in a little bit.

I SAW JESUS ON MY TOAST BREAD!

Know how some folks claim to see Jesus in the oddest places? They saw him in the clouds, or their morning toast. Whatever the case may be, Tetris Battle Gaiden reminds me of such stories. Because the way the pieces can form causes some interesting sights for sure from time to time. Check out the red monster in the second pic there, as well as the two middle fingers [Oh, I thought that was just a really long raccoon face. Or hell, since this is the Japanese we’re talking about here, a Tanuki -Ed.]

MODES OF PLAY

Battlis is Tetris Battle Gaiden. The pieces operate as they do in normal Tetris, but certain blocks now contain crystals. Cleared crystals build up your point stock, and these can be redeemed to launch various powers.

Not a fan of the crystals and unique character abilities? Then select this mode for old school Tetris fun. It’s definitely nice that Bullet Proof Software included this option as it almost feels like two games in one. I personally prefer Battlis but it’s nice to know you always have the original mode to fall back on.

Rensa is an interesting mode. It includes the crystals and powers of Battlis, but now the pieces operate with gravity in mind. Remember Wolfman’s level 4 skill highlighted a bit earlier? That’s basically Rensa. Here, take a look.

Notice that the pieces fall until they reach the top of another block or the floor itself. Crystals, however, do not fall. Rensa allows for chain reactions, making it feel more like a “modern” puzzler.

Check out this 3 line chain reaction. Personally, I prefer classic Tetris over Rensa, but it’s nice to have this mode if you’re in the mood for something a it different.

RECEPTION

Super Play loved it, ranking it #24 on their Top 100 list

Tetris Battle Gaiden has quite the positive reputation. Although a few purists dislike it, it’s generally well received. Super Play Magazine, a UK publication dedicated to the SNES back in the early to mid ’90s, were huge fans of the game. They loved it so much that they ranked it an impressive #24 on their Top 100 SNES Games list in issue #42 (April 1996). They did fail to mention above though that the game actually features three modes, not two. Poor Rensa. Always the forgotten red headed step child.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Takes you on a magic (carpet) ride — Takes ya on a magic (carpet) ride

Tetris Battle Gaiden has been recommended to me over the years. Picked up a copy in 2006 and fell in love with it. It’s the best Super Famicom exclusive puzzle game in my book, and one of the best puzzlers on the SNES, period. Some purists aren’t crazy about the Battlis mode, but you can always switch to classic Tetris mode (or Rensa mode). I love that there are three different playing options and eight different characters with a total of 32 unique skills and abilities. The replay value on this sucker is insane! Some purists also scoff at the fact that the blocks are shared between two players. I actually don’t mind this. It brings a certain sense of urgency (and strategy) to the fold. Do you drop that piece as fast as you can in a race to grab the next much needed block, or do you stall a few blocks ahead as to time it just right? It’s the ultimate hand-eye coordination test as you have to continually eye the queue more than your average puzzle game. You have to constantly be thinking 3-4 pieces ahead all while taking care of your own field and contend with your opponent sending over debris or sabotaging you in various ways. I also love how sometimes you play offense, other times you play defense. And nothing’s better than “blockblocking” your opponent — to snatch that much needed tetris block piece right before they can — and rubbing it in their faces. Good stuff.

I usually don’t commend graphics in most puzzle games as they’re usually serviceable at best, but Tetris Battle Gaiden is full of amazing art and endearing animations. The backgrounds are all incredibly detailed and bursting with rich colors. It’s almost a shame that you really can’t see them due to the blocks. The music is extremely catchy and there are several tunes that I’m particularly fond of. The gameplay strikes a sweet spot with three different modes that expand the game’s longevity tenfold. What can I say, Tetris Battle Gaiden is a winner through and through. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys a good puzzle game now and again.

Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama (SFC)

Konami delivers a high quality puzzle game

Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama is an incredibly long name, and difficult to pronounce (for me anyhow), which makes me grateful that this is a fansite rather than a YouTube channel. That way I don’t have to butcher saying the name! But whatever (or however) you want to call it, call it damn good. It’s one of my favorite puzzle games on the entire Super Nintendo. Why? Let’s take a look.

CHIBI MARUKO CHAN NO TAISEN PAZURUDAMA

Loved this game in the early 2000s — Loved this one back in the early 2000s

As previously documented, before I got back into the SNES scene in early 2006, I was living on planet Sega Saturn from 1999-2005. In the early 2000s I bought a rare import by the name of Chibi Maruko Chan No Taisen Pazurudama. I saw a screenshot of it on the internet and knew I had to own it. When it arrived it did not disappoint. Colorful graphics, cute chibi characters and a classic puzzle piece system made this an instant favorite.

The very definition of kawaii — The very definition of *“kawaii”*

Imagine my joy when I discovered in 2006 that Konami had developed a very similar game on the Super Famicom, Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama. It was released on November 18, 1994 — one year before Maruko came out in the Japanese Saturn market (December 15, 1995). It features the same classic gameplay but obviously with lesser visuals. What I really like about it is that you have 10 characters to pick from, each with their own block patterns. Think of it as a beta version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. It makes for some competitive battles and high replay value.

See? It comes off as an early beta version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo which came out nearly a full two years later (June 1996).

I love the versus screen, too. It’s simple yet super vibrant and catches your eye. Gets you amped up for war!

HOW ELIMINATING PIECES WORK

Pieces drop from the top in two. They vary from red, yellow, blue and green. You can rotate them to be horizontal (or keep them vertical).

Pieces disappear when three or more like colors are matched. They just have to be touching (except diagonally) so it’s possible to form a match with two blues on one row and just a single blue right above.

GARBAGE BLOCKS NOT SO GARBAGE

Debris come in the form of clear blocks with a certain color encased. These blocks fall on your screen when your rival performs a nice combo. Or they can come from the well itself, which you don’t see a lot of in puzzle games from that era. The great thing about these debris blocks is that they have the potential for some lethal chain reactions. Anytime you clear faces touching a clear block, that block explodes freeing the color inside for proper usage.

Check out the lower bottom left. Those three yellow faces form a match and as they disappear from the field they free the three boxes right below.

The three then dissipate which clears the box right next to it. That box contains a yellow face, which is now liberated. That yellow face connects with the two yellow faces up top. Those three disappear which frees the three yellow boxes right next to it…

Just your typical 7-hit chain reaction! I love how crazy the combos can get in this game. It’s not uncommon to get 10+ hit chain reactions. I love how each match sends this projectile upward. It makes a sweet sound effect and is a nice visual to boot. Seeing fireballs shoot from your screen like 7-10 times in a row is a rush! It makes for some ideal trash talking and some serious sweating on your opponent’s part. It can be absolutely demoralizing to be on the other end and seeing and hearing the constant swoosh-swoosh. You know you’re in for one major pounding.

It’s so satisfying to see your opponent’s well rise and rise until their well is completely filled. Good stuff.

MORE COOL CHAIN REACTIONS

Connect the yellow to make a match and start this nice little chain reaction.

It drops the green piece on the other two green pieces. The green pieces connect and frees the red block there.

The three yellow pieces connect as the red connect. Just a simple little three hit combo to let your opponent know you’re here. Now, for a more damaging combo…

The green and yellow pieces connect for a nice six piece match. I love how the faces explode — their eyes and mouths pop before bursting. It’s the small details

The yellow piece drops on the bottom two while the four red pieces connect. Meanwhile, major liberation is taking place (which is the key to creating monster chain reactions).

The blue pieces connect, freeing that yellow imprisoned block there.

The yellow faces match, freeing two blue blocks and the yellow block up top.

Now the blue faces dissipate, releasing the two yellow blocks for the 6th hit of this massive combo.

As your combo meter increases, so too do the debris on your opponent’s screen. The characters’ reactions are priceless and add to the anxiety (and thrill) of a competitive contest. Seeing the characters wince in pain before crying uncle is all part of the fun of watching your opponent’s well fill up completely.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Konami's most unknown SNES gem — Konami’s best kept SNES secret!

Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama is a blast. It’s a ton of fun to see 10+ hit combos filling up the screen. It’s competitive, charming and cutthroat. And seeing the characters react in the background, whether they’re celebrating or biting their fingernails, never gets old.

“No, no, no! YES, YES, YES!” Ah, the back and forth of a thrilling match.

On the down side, the visuals aren’t the best. I wish the backgrounds were a little more colorful than the semi-drab green that they used. Not a deal breaker for me by any means but I’m sure Konami could have added a little more color. Another negative is that the pieces aren’t as operational as some other games in this genre. For example, take moving a vertical two piece set down a narrow column. In most puzzle games you can switch these pieces despite having no room. You can’t do that here. Therefore, you have to make certain adjustments. Again, not a deal breaker for me but it’s something to be noted.

A must-have for puzzle fanatics — Puzzle fans can’t go wrong here

Puzzle fanatic? Got a girlfriend or wife who isn’t much of a gamer, but enjoys these cutesy puzzle games on a casual level? Still rocking out with the SNES? If so then do yourself a favor and check out Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai Taisen Puzzle-dama. Konami smashes yet another Super Nintendo gem. Unlike their other SNES hits though, this one never got the recognition it so richly deserved. Hands down Konami’s best kept SNES secret!

Otoboke Ninja Colosseum (SFC)

Oh look, it's Super Bomberwoman! — Oh look, it’s *Super Bomberwoman*!

It is true that “chain” can be hard. Developer “Mint” knew this because they didn’t stray far from a much tried-and-true formula for their very first video game effort. In fact, they only made a total of three games. If you’ve never heard of the company Mint before, you’re not alone. Otoboke Ninja Colosseum can best be described as Bomberman with female ninjas. Sounds pretty good. But is it? Let’s take a closer look.

A UNIQUE TWIST

Rather than dropping bombs, you drop spiked capsules. But there’s an interesting twist here…

Death by shuriken! Not so fast... — Death by shuriken! Not so fast…

Two seconds later the capsule shatters, releasing four shurikens north, south, west and east (if not blocked by an obstacle).

OK, so it’s pretty much like Bomberman‘s bombs right? Hold on a second, playa…

Like a sitting duck... — Like a sitting duck, the poor gal

If a shuriken connects, it stuns the player for two seconds, but they’re not yet eliminated. You’re only halfway home.

Only during a stunned state can the chain attack finish ‘em off. This is a cool twist because the stun doesn’t automatically guarantee defeat. The other player still has to connect with their chain ball. Battles get intense when you escape the grip of death by mere nanoseconds. It’s also incredibly satisfying to manually twist your chain around from far away. Some of the chain twists can get pretty nuts!

It’s this little quirk and change in gameplay that makes this Bomberman clone stand out from the crowd. In four player battles you can hide in the shadows and wait for the other players to stun each other, and then you can unleash your chain. You can technically win a match by only using the chain attack and never having to lay down a spiked capsule. This adds a natural built-in devious and vulture-like atmosphere that works really well with three friends in tow. Being able to wait in the weeds and eliminate someone seemingly out of nowhere is damn good stuff.

So gone is the “Damnit! I accidentally killed myself in the first three seconds” syndrome. Plus the chain attack is ace. It can be manipulated to curve around corners and, when prolonged, is quite an amazing sight. Not to mention really fun to control. More on this later…

ONE PLAYER MODE

It’s decent enough, but definitely not the meat and potatoes of the game. It does sport kind of an anime look, though, which is pretty interesting, although the visuals are a little on the bland side. It doesn’t come off as a 1995 SNES game. In fact it looks more like a Genesis title from 1993 (no offense to the Sega Genesis). It just has that Mega Drive look to it, know what I mean?

I forged ahead, hoping things would pick up a bit. And it did at the first boss.

Shurikens hitting this boss does no damage. You have to first connect with the shuriken(s) and then send the chain ball at it. For regular enemies, the shuriken is enough to get the job done. For the tougher regular enemies, however, it’s the ol’ shuriken-chain combo.

The second world was a lot more interesting with more puzzles to solve instead of just laying spiked capsules and high-tailing it. They’re not yet mind-bending but it’s still early. Here is the first “puzzle” you’ll encounter:

To beat a stage you must first clear every bad guy. Three unbreakable blocks halt your progress here.

Use your chain to pull those three blocks out one by one.

Now with one block remaining, you’re able to push through it and unleash hell on all them fools.

Like I said, not taxing but a lot more satisfying than the wide open. Later on, teleports come into play and the puzzles get rather perplexing.

The next snow stage is very nice. I love little details like that creepy, possessed-looking volcano face launching fireballs without mercy — awesome. Watch the shadows of these on-coming fireballs and skidaddle!

By the way, the volcano baddie reminds me of GAROKK from X-Men fame… in his rocky prison form.

The haunted theme is the best. Contend with bats, vampires, ghoulish skeletons and super quick werewolves. Check out this sick 2×2 screen level!

FOUR-PLAY GETS ME GOING

Feeling quite satisfied with the one player mode now, which went from meh to hey that’s not so bad, the four player battle mode is the meat of any Bomberman type game. The one player mode was never anything more than a bonus, a frill, a silk handkerchief in the breast pocket of the game’s velvet regalia.

POWER HOUR

Power-ups are always important to these games. Otoboke has some of the coolest you’ll find anywhere. A list of some:

Drop more spiked capsules at a time
Spiked capsules are made invisible when dropped
Spiked capsules exploding after one second rather than two
Chain can PUSH spiked capsules around (very evil power-up!)
Chain can break blocks, not just your shurikens
Speed down
Speed up

Etc. Everyone starts with a full screen chain and shurikens which also travel the full length of the screen, not to mention the ability to drop two spiked capsules right off the bat. This makes it a bit more chaotic than Bomberman from the get-go at least. There’s an emphasis on being offensive-minded. You have to watch your back from jump street as everyone starts out pretty strong even in their default state.

COLOSSEUM NUMBER ONE

Your standard first stage. The snowmen are unbreakable and can be used defensively as shurikens can’t cut through them. The snowmen are pushable and your chain can pull them toward you as well. All but two battle zones have these movable barriers in some shape or form.

COLOSSEUM NUMBER TWO

Each player has their own island waiting to be invaded. The cool thing here is, unless you use the bridge points, chains cannot stretch across islands, thus eliminating “cheap kills.” This stage effectively forces you to man up, er, woman up. This Colosseum separates the boys from the men. Er, the girls from the women. Ah you know what I mean! The Super Famicom barriers add a nice touch as well.

COLOSSEUM NUMBER THREE

What would a game of this nature be without a roof / tunnel stage? Can you locate the green player? Not here you can, since she is taking shelter under one of the roof tops. This stage is full of Japanese culture — from the roofing style to the Tanuki statues. I always enjoy these tunnel type levels, where parts of the playing field is obscured by some kind of structure. It lends a fun hide and seek aspect to the game.

COLOSSEUM NUMBER FOUR

What else could make a game of this nature more complete? Of course, the stage with multiple exit points. The green player enjoys a blend-in advantage (see far right). Hey, sometimes it pays to be controller number four, eh?

COLOSSEUM NUMBER FIVE

The green bars restrict certain movement. Sorry, not much else to say here. It’s not one of my favorite stages as it’s a bit dull both in concept and in terms of looks. One of the more forgettable battle zones. Not worthless, but not exactly as enticing as some of the others on tap.

COLOSSEUM NUMBER SIX

This one is unique because all spiked capsules dropped are invisible! Note the return of the Tanuki. The green pool in the middle there is aesthetically pleasing in a mystical, mythical fashion. See, this is what the previous Colosseum lacked. Just the smallest detail or graphical touch can really go a long way! It makes me wonder if the combatants took a sip of the water before the match and thus were granted the super power of having invisible spiked capsules. All thanks to one small graphical detail ^_^

COLOSSEUM NUMBER SEVEN

It’s the super power war zone. Each player begins with the ability to drop five spiked capsules and there are no obstacles! Only the strongest will survive here.

You can’t fall through those holes by the way. Whew!

COLOSSEUM NUMBER EIGHT

At a cursory glance you wouldn’t know the gimmick here. However, play for a bit and arrows are soon revealed. Determines where shurikens travel? Nope. The arrows directs where your CHAIN can go. A nice variation on top of a nice variation. The Super Famicom barriers make a return because they’re awesome.

TAKE A SPIKE, PAL

When the clock runs down to 30 seconds, spikes crop up. If you come into contact with the spikes then you’re stunned a la the shurikens. Also, you lose if you fall through the holes. An interesting variation on Bomberman‘s falling blocks.

THE TIMES… THEY’RE A’CHAINING…

Check out some of the cool things you can do with that ole chain ball:

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

Nothing’s quite as sweet as lurking in the shadows waiting for others to do the dirty work. As soon as you find a stunned opponent, send the chain ball twisting and curving some twenty feet away — it makes for great enemies and “Ooooh-I’ll-get-you-next-round!” battles.

The feeling of surviving by the skin of your teeth as the chain comes your way JUST as you recover from your slumber is equally a great high, and on the flip side, morally deflating.

NEGATIVES

Otoboke lacks the finishing touches and isn’t nearly as customizable as the Bomberman games. There’s no option for CPU AI — the default AI is laughably horrible. There’s no tag team option. Thankfully the rest is status quo: pick between 2-4 players (from a character choice of four females), 1-5 wins and any one of the eight Colosseums.

Graphically, it’s a bit weaker than the SNES Bomberman games (which were no visual tour-de-forces themselves). The music can get annoying at times. Control is a bit “stickier” than the Bomberman games.

What I mean by that is you can’t readjust your position when “waiting.” You know how you drop a bomb in Bomberman, go hide in a safe corner and can face north, south, west or east to ready yourself for your next movement? In Otoboke if you go in facing east, you can’t turn west without moving out of your safe position. Maybe hard to understand in text, but you’ll see what I mean if you play it. This forces you to have greater wherewithal to compensate for a flaw that shouldn’t be there in the first place. It’s not a deal breaker in my opinion, but diehard Bomberman fans will take notice of this change and be quickly forced to adjust their playing style.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Best Bomberman clone on SNES — Best *Bomberman* clone on SNES

Despite the flaws listed above, I love Otoboke Ninja Colosseum. It plays enough like Bomberman to provide you with that sense of comforting familiarity, yet it throws some curveballs at you to keep you on your toes and makes this a game worth playing rather than that lingering thought creeping into your head: “I would much rather play Bomberman.” Otoboke does just enough to separate itself from Bomberman that it makes owning both games more than worth it. One of the better Super Famicom imports and one of the best four player games on the SNES, Otoboke Ninja Colosseum is a quirky little gem.

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.