PC Engine top 25 games featured in this months Retro Gamer magazine (UK)

[dave_van_damn]

Top 25 PC Engine Games
- R-Type or Ninja Spirit? Parasol Stars or Devil's Crush? We reveal what you selected as the best PC Engine games ever

https://www.imagineshop.co.uk/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/3771/s/retro-gamer-issue-145/?utm_source=RetroGamer&utm_medium=cover&utm_campaign=Product-Widget

Big fan of this magazine, although living in Hong Kong means I rarely get a chance to read it but my chance this months ace issue (featuring an interview with Yu Suzuki on Space Harrier) was available when I visited home this summer

[PukeSter]

Not gonna lie, I thought this was about the list itself, and not trying to shill the magazine.

[Otaking]

Cool I'll pick up this issue.

They've done a few PC Engine and PC-FX features over the years. They got Aaron Nanto to contribute to them.

I used to be a subscriber, I only stopped because I ran out space. I couldn't bring myself to throw the old issues away, and over the years all the issues really piled up to a huge stack.
I think I'm going to subsribe again though, as I love printed media and I want support them.

[CrackTiger]

I wonder if this is a real voter based list, since they've been reprinting that old flawed list for like a decade now. If not, I don't think Retro has nearly so many hardcore PCE fans as people who've only just fooled around with Magic Engine a bit.

[dave_van_damn]

Not gonna lie, I thought this was about the list itself, and not trying to shill the magazine.

I wasn't sure if it was in some way affiliated with this site so I didn't want to rob them of profits.

Anyway, here's the list.

25. Bloody Wolf
24. Gekisha Boy
23. Side Arms
22. Magical Chase
21. Parodius Da!
20. Dragon's Curse
19. Vigilante
18. Bomberman '93
17. Super Star Soldier
16. Salamander
15. Bonk's Revenge
14. Outrun
13. Galaga '88
12. SF2:CE
11. Gate Of Thunder
10. Lords of Thunder
9. Splatterhouse
8. Gradius
7. Blazing Lazers
6. Soldier Blade
5. Parasol Stars
4. Ninja Spirit
3. R-Type
2. Devil's Crush
1. Akumajou Dracula X: Chi No Rondo

[LostFlunky]

That's an interesting list.  Doesn't include my favourite(s) though.. but lots of great games there...

Ys I&II
Dungeon Explorer
Air Zonk

[Opethian]

side arms over air zonk you gotta to be kidding me lol

[CrackTiger]

This is the kind of result I expected. Like the kids who arhue in youtube comments. These are the titles thry'll name drop to prove that the know the library well.

"I've played Dracula X and Gates of Thunder and have a full rom set."

[PukeSter]

Don't know why Devil Crush is so high up. It's a great game but it's pinball and almost impossible to beat (maxing out the score takes at least 14 hours).

Surprised not to see Bonk 1, new adventure island, dungeon explorer or air zonk. But it goes to show how amazing the little PC engine is.

[Otaking]

Don't know why Devil Crush is so high up.

It always ranks very high in best game polls in this forum.

[RyuHayabusa]

No PC Engine top 25 list is complete without at least one Ys game. Snatcher should also be on the list near the top. Nice list but hard to overlook the fact that these games are missing.

[esteban]

It's impossible to have a definitive list, which is why I hate them.

I can't fault this list, any more than others, because I think they best function as a conversation starter.

In that sense, this is a good list because it makes you wonder why there are no CD games outside of Dracula X and Lords of Thunder.

[Opethian]

cant play cd games on the everdrive that's why

[wildfruit]

Huh. No AIII. I guess people don't like trains.
But really no Ys IV?
Yes I prefer to 1 & 2.
I pick this magazine up from time to time but not too often. Its gotten expensive I think its £6 an issue now. With the demise of ONM I have no other magazines to get.

[RyuHayabusa]

Retro Gamer is a good magazine but it has gotten a bit too expensive over the last few months. It's $12.99 an issue at Barnes and Noble which is the only place around here that carries it. There's too much Euro computer stuff for my tastes but it based in the UK so it's understandable since the Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, etc were much more popular there. Seems like most of the cool console stuff was covered in earlier issues so now there's a ton of interviews with British computer developers that I have zero interest in.

[wildfruit]

Too much euro?
You can't handle the euro!

[Otaking]

There's too much Euro computer stuff for my tastes but it based in the UK so it's understandable since the Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, etc were much more popular there. Seems like most of the cool console stuff was covered in earlier issues so now there's a ton of interviews with British computer developers that I have zero interest in.

Near the beginning of the mag, in 2006, I asked if there could be more coverage of Japanese/import games and the editor responded with this.

We will be covering Japanese machines and games, but never in a huge way.

The original RG rapidly began to lose sales with the introduction of lots of Japanese/niche games, and it's not something I intend to follow...

http://www.retrogamer.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1179&p=20019

[CrackTiger]

The Euro stuff is why I bought every issue the first couple of years. I learned a hell of a lot about the computers, software and development history. A website never would have drawn me in like that.

It was painful whenever they'd do a version comparison and include console games. It was always clear that they didn't know what they were talking about and were basing it on <1 min of emulator viewing.

[esteban]

The Euro stuff is why I bought every issue the first couple of years. I learned a hell of a lot about the computers, software and development history. A website never would have drawn me in like that.

It was painful whenever they'd do a version comparison and include console games. It was always clear that they didn't know what they were talking about and were basing it on <1 min of emulator viewing.

Agreed. I still have all my old issues somewhere. I learned so much, too. Plus, I was simultaneously reading all the old issues of Zzzzap! (amongst others)...

It was a blast.

I also asked about lots of pop cultural references (Everyone's a Wally, for example).

[A Black Falcon]

It's impossible to have a definitive list, which is why I hate them.

I can't fault this list, any more than others, because I think they best function as a conversation starter.

In that sense, this is a good list because it makes you wonder why there are no CD games outside of Dracula X and Lords of Thunder.

Yeah, it's a solid HuCard list, but why call it an all-platform list if you're going to almost totally ignore most of the great CD titles?  That makes no sense.

[deubeul]

GOT 11th ?
And no Nexzr?

Big fail.

[NecroPhile]

No Ys, Xanadu, or any other RPG at all?

LIST INVALID!

[_Paul]

Stupid list is stupid.

[RyuHayabusa]

The Euro stuff is why I bought every issue the first couple of years. I learned a hell of a lot about the computers, software and development history. A website never would have drawn me in like that.

It was painful whenever they'd do a version comparison and include console games. It was always clear that they didn't know what they were talking about and were basing it on <1 min of emulator viewing.

I definitely learned a good amount about the Euro gaming scene from reading Retro Gamer. However, reading about sub-par arcade conversions on the Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Amstrad just isn't my cup of tea. It's admirable what was accomplished at times but the gameplay always suffered. I dabbled with some Amiga games using WinUAE years back after talking with an avid Amiga user and it's, meh. Stunt Car Racer is cool I guess but goddamn, have you seen Ninja Gaiden II or Castlevania? Maybe I'm just biased towards Japanese games because that's what I grew up with at home and the arcades 99% of the time.

[108 Stars]

This is the kind of result I expected. Like the kids who arhue in youtube comments. These are the titles thry'll name drop to prove that the know the library well.

"I've played Dracula X and Gates of Thunder and have a full rom set."

RG's lists are always like that. I was about to pull my own hair out when I read their Mega Drive list, so uninspired...  they just seem to have a checklist of well known titles that automatically must be the best.

[TurboXray]

Hey, 108 stars - I didn't know you had an account here (tomaitheous here)

[Lorfarius]

The list is just taken from members on their forum posting. Most popular ones from those get included, I see the editor do it every month for these features.

[Gentlegamer]

108 Stars took my advice and registered, welcome!

[esteban]

The list is just taken from members on their forum posting. Most popular ones from those get included, I see the editor do it every month for these features.

Yeah, it's a self-perpetuating cycle, I think:

A lot of the folks who vote have used "Top ___" lists themselves...so, these lists reproduce themselves.

Ha.

[CGQuarterly]

That list needs less Cute 'em Ups and more adventure games and RPGs.  No Dungeon Explorer?  No Neutopia?  No Ys?  GTFO.  And Vigilante is not a top-25 game.

[CrackTiger]

That list needs less Cute 'em Ups and more adventure games and RPGs.  No Dungeon Explorer?  No Neutopia?  No Ys?  GTFO.  And Vigilante is not a top-25 game.

But it is a game that they remember from SMS and arcades.

[CGQuarterly]

That list needs less Cute 'em Ups and more adventure games and RPGs.  No Dungeon Explorer?  No Neutopia?  No Ys?  GTFO.  And Vigilante is not a top-25 game.

But it is a game that they remember from SMS and arcades.

I've never played that game on any other platform, but I just got done playing quite a bit of it for that TG16 launch episode that I did a while back, and I was quite underwhelmed by it.  Not only is it not top-25, it isn't even in the better half.

[T2KFreeker]

Hey! I like Vigilante...but still, I agree...not a top 25 game. No RPG's on the list really. That in itself is just a travesty. Myself included, many people i knew wanted a Turbo CD just for Ys Book I&II. I don't even know what to say about this craziness. Just sad really.

[CGQuarterly]

Hey! I like Vigilante...but still, I agree...not a top 25 game.

I don't hate it, but I wouldn't call it one of the better games on the system.  It was fun to play through once.

[Otaking]

Finally picked up the magazine. The top 25 list isn't bad, I think Dracula X is deserved of the top spot and nice to see Winds/Lords of Thunder ranked high in there.
I think it's surprising PC Denjin, Ys I & II and Spriggan didn't make it, and I don't think Vigilante should be top 25. Other than that it's a pretty solid list. It's different to what I personally would choose, but you can't expect a list like this to match your's.

Stupid list is stupid.

I think you have a been quoted in the Dracula X bit on the list. 

[_Paul]

Stupid list is stupid.

I think you have a been quoted in the Dracula X bit on the list. 

ORLY?

[Otaking]

Stupid list is stupid.

I think you have a been quoted in the Dracula X bit on the list. 

ORLY?

Along with a blurb for each game on the list, some have a little quotes. I'm guessing these quotes have been taken from when people voted.

On Dracula X the quote is "The whole package is so polished you have to wear dark glasses while playing" with your name?

[o.pwuaioc]

What would our top 25 look like? Hasn't there been a thread on that already?

[esteban]

What would our top 25 look like? Hasn't there been a thread on that already?

Yes, someone even took ether time to have multiple voting sessions where we whittled down the "big list"...I think HuCARDs were separate from CD-ROMs...

[_Paul]

Stupid list is stupid.

I think you have a been quoted in the Dracula X bit on the list. 

ORLY?

Along with a blurb for each game on the list, some have a little quotes. I'm guessing these quotes have been taken from when people voted.

On Dracula X the quote is "The whole package is so polished you have to wear dark glasses while playing" with your name?

That could have been me then. I remember writing a wall of text on their facebook post when they asked.

[wildfruit]

Just re read the last retro gamer I bought ( issue 144 jul 15) and realised there is a feature on collectards. A guy with an xbox collection valued at £5000. Fuck off. Shitty xbox ain't worth 2p.
Edit: For balance there is a nice spread on dig dug and magic the gathering.