Retro Re-release Roundup, week of August 29. 2024
A long-anticipated remake of a classic action game, and an out-of-nowhere remake of a far-from-classic arcade game.
If the surprise drop of a large handful of classic and virtually-new Castlevania games and the long-awaited self-tribute by a group of veteran action game artisans aren't enough to keep you busy for the next few days, you might want to try the just-released demo for the upcoming remaster of Epic Mickey , a Wii-exclusive action game originally developed by Junction Point Studios in an attempt to marry the world of vintage Disney animation with the player-driven, freeform action-based decision making of immersive sims like Deus Ex, mostly via jumpin' on stuff.
ARCADE ARCHIVES
Finalizer Super Transformation
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
- Price: $7.99 / €6.99 / £6.29
- Publisher: Hamster / Taito
What's this? A vertically-scrolling shooting game starring a transforming robot, originally developed and distributed in arcades by Konami in 1985 and reissued just once via the Xbox 360 Game Room service; the player-ship transforms from a fighter jet to a basic robot to a larger configurable robots as it powers up/down, with a variety of different armaments equippable to either the left or right arm (including a shield that has to be manually held out) and a handful of single-time powerups that can be cycled by shooting the falling powerup icon, which include a time-stopper and an item that briefly allows the player to collide with enemies to destroy them.
Why should I care? You're wlling to look past the relatively basic presentation and engage with the game's surprisingly deft scoring system, which sees you spending most of your time smashing into enemies at the expense of everything else.
Useless hint: Several of this game's distinctive systems were borrowed and reappropriated for Konami's MSX shooting game Knightmare, a game better remembered as the prequel to the cult exploratory action game Maze of Galious.
EGG CONSOLE
Xanadu Scenario II (PC-8801mkIISR)
- Platform: Nintendo Switch (worldwide)
- Price: $6.49 / ¥880
- Publisher: D4 Enterprise / Nihon Falcom
What's this? An high-difficulty expansion pack to Falcom's big-in-Japan sidescrolling action-RPG Xanadu, originally released in late 1986 for a variety of Japanese computer platforms and substantially remIxed for PC-9821 in 1995; this game directly builds on the mechanical foundation of the original and makes a few tweaks to the item system, which include the ability to sell items to stores and a rudimentary weight system, as well as a healthy sprinkling of new monsters and traps all-new maps and some incredibly devious "puzzles". (The original release required you to both own and periodically swap disks with the original Xanadu in order to play and progress, but this EGG version has no such requirement.)
Why should I care? You want to play the version of Xanadu that's actually as grueling as the original is purported to be... or you just want to play the first commercial game to feature tunes by now-legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro.
Language barrier? The vast majority of the text, including the optional purchasable hints that are crucial for success, is in plain English.
OTHER
Castlevania Dominus Collection
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam (worldwide)
- Price: $24.99 or equivalent
- Publisher: Konami / M2
What's this? An out-of-nowhere collection containing emulated versions of Konami's three Nintendo DS-borne Castlevania games — 2005's Dawn of Sorrow, 2006's Portrait of Ruin and 2008's Order of Ecclesia — along with, for no particular reason, an emulated version of the 1987 Castlevania arcade game, Haunted Castle, and a brand-new r(and much, much easier) emake titled Haunted Castle Revisited. This collection presents all three main games with all their regional variants, uncompressed music and sound effects, new translations, multiple display options that take into account the original game's dual-screen displays (including displays that show both the map and status screen beside the main game screen), options to approximate or even bypass the original games' touchscreen functionality (as well as touchscreen support on Switch and Steam Deck) and galleries full of original and arranged music, packaging and official art, high-resolution game cinematics and more.
Why should I care? All three of these games saw Koji "IGA" Igarashi and co. pushing at the boundaries of the template established by the classic Symphony of the Night and its attendant GBA sequels, be it via aesthetic shakeups, setting/lore swerves or mechanical/structural dalliances that include a greater emphasis on collecting and crafting, multi-character combat and/or marrying more traditional stage design and challenge to the exploratory format — if you;ve ever liked any game that's ever been described as a "metroidvania", you're going to at least like, if not outright love, all three of these games, and if you entered this word via Bloodstained then you might be especially taken aback by just how directly that game draws from these three titles. What's more, they tossed in what's essentially a brand-new traditional Castlevania game that might alone justify purchasing this collection (and that I'm shocked they didn't attempt to sell standalone).
Helpful tip: For those waiting on physical versions, Limited Run Games will be opening orders on September 13.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch (Japan)
- Price: ¥660
- Publisher: Taito / M2
What's this? An emulated reissue of the expanded Sega Mark III port of Taito's classic fixed-screen arcade action game Bubble Bobble, originally released in Japan in 1991 and globally for the Sega Master System as plain ol' Bubble Bobble (or Dragon Maze in Brazil). This specific reissue was originally only available as part of an extremely brief Amazon Japan pre-order promo for Bubble Bobble 4 Friends in 2019 but is now available for general purchase; the feature suite is relatively basic but does include a whopping 200 save states, as well as a hint display in the screen borders with dozens of hints that originally appeared on the Japanese game-over screen (all of which remain in Japanese, naturally).
Why should I care? You're one of the many people who didn't know that this particular version of Bubble Bobble is no mere port: it features 100 additional stages and a ton of additional items, special attacks, secrets and bosses, so if you're someone who can't get enough Bubble Bobble, this particular version is good eatin'. Beyond that, it's yet another game liberated from the clutches of an asinine limited-availability retailer gimmick, which is worth celebrating under any circumstance.
Useless fact: My understanding is that the original production of this reissue did not account for a global release in anyway, and therefore there's a very real chance it won't hit the global eShop.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC via Steam (worldwide)
- Price: $19.99 or equivalent
- Publisher: Natsume-Atari / ININ / Sega
What's this? A remake of Natsume's cult NES/Famicom cooperative ninja action game Shadow of the Ninja,(Blue Shadow in Europe), originally released in 1990 and currently in circulation via Nintendo Switch Online; produced by Tengo Project, a three-person team of veterans who sculpted many of Natsume's classic 8/16-bit action games, this version reenvisions the game with brand-new high-detail classic-style pixel art and contemporary designs by original design studio Dynamic Pro, revamped combat and character kit, a new ninja gear sub-system with 50 items to find and unlock, new soundtrack renditions by original composer Iku Mizutani and more.
Why should I care? You've played Tengo Project's previous self-remakes (Wild Guns Reloaded, The Ninja Warriors Once Again, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined) and therefore know you're being presented by an expertly-crafted and unapologetically challenging classic action game of the kind that can only be produced by the people who were setting the standards back when this style of game was contemporary. That said, this particular game presents the greatest divergence from its source material in terms of aesthetic and game feel, so you might want to think of it less as a remake and more as a sequel.
Helpful tip: Certain deluxe versions of the game come with a soundtrack, but do note that this is a dedicated app that plays the game music and not a conventional soundtrack that you can listen to at your own leisure.
LIMITED-EDITION PHYSICAL PRINT RUNS
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered (Switch, PC) collectors editions from Limited Run Games
- Price: $34.99 (standard), $69.99 (Gallian Edition), $174.99 (Ragnite Edition, PC) / $199.99 (Ragnite Edition, Switch)
- Availability: sales end September 22, 23:59 Eastern; ETA June
Sega's embrace of LRG as a vendor for core physical releases is in full swing, with their latest offering being a suite of physical and collectors' packages for the remaster of the beloved PS3 third-person shooter/tactics RPG Valkyria Chronicles. (Do note that the most expensive deluxe package is the only version being sold for PC.)
