Rampant speculation about Astro City Mini
With 13 more games to be announced on Thursday, it's time for some guesswork
I'd actually forgotten that I pre-ordered the Sega Astro City Mini, but this morning I had the horrified realisation that I did, and maybe I shouldn't have. Thankfully, I was promptly informed by Sonicyoda of SEGADriven that Dengeki Online had reported a further 13 titles to be announced for the 38-game unit this coming Thursday, the 20th of August. This will bring us to 23 announced games, leaving a further fifteen as an enduring mystery.
Naturally, I'm all a-flutter about what wonders could possibly be coming down the pipe. After all, the likes of Dark Edge and Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder are already reasonably deep cuts, and there are plenty of other classics already announced such as Fantasy Zone and Space Harrier. I've been wracking my brains thinking of stuff that's not just possible, but likely to make an appearance, and below I present to you the fruits of my making-stuff-up. See what you think.
Dynamite Düx, released the same year as Altered Beast (which is taking up a valuable slot, frankly), would be a nice thing to have; it suits the available control scheme (stick and buttons, or an optional control pad, which rather rules out my much-desired A.B Cop), and hasn't been ported since the Master System. It's a fun, knockabout little scrolling beat-'em-up with an appealing cartoon sensibility, and I'd like to see it get another little moment in the sun. It's a quacking good time!
All cops are bastards, except for Cyber Police ESWAT. Actually, they're probably just cyber-bastards, but the game is still pretty good. The Mega Drive port is pretty widely available but the original, superior arcade game has been MIA since its original bow. It's effectively Shinobi, but with a policeman instead of a ninja, which admittedly is several times less appealing of a prospect. Nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable and extremely SEGA-vintage action game. Get it on the Mini, lads.
Ribbit! is an extremely obscure little Frogger clone, which apparently shipped with unwieldy hardware and was scuppered by legal threats from Konami, making it hideously underplayed. Which is a shame, because it's actually superior to Frogger and actively the finest frog-based game I've ever played - and coming from me, that is a badge of honour - one for the old-school Stuart Gipp in Video World viewers there - who loves ya, baby. (No more referencing your stupid YouTube videos nobody watches. - Ed) Anyway, it's the four-direction Frogger standard controls, one push of the joystick to hop, as you move around compact single-screen levels collecting delicious crickets while avoiding various obstacles. The speed at which the scenes change gives it a feel rather akin to the manic likes of Wario Ware, but it's a tad(pole) different. Har har! Nobody's played Ribbit, and the Astro City Mini is a great way to remedy that.
Screw it. Why not. Push the boat out. Make a shocking sweep. Go for broke. Put it all on red. Radiant Silvergun. Let's have that. Yes, it's a Treasure game, but so was Dynamite Headdy, and that was on the Mega Drive Mini. The outstanding shoot-em-up is egregiously, painfully underplayed (despite being right there on Xbox Live Arcade), and it deserves to be on this new system. Agonisingly difficult, breathtakingly beautiful, and yes, it's better than Ikaruga.
Anyway, that's just my little wishlist. What's on yours?
