New reviews: Ane-san, fiend Hunter etc...

lkermel · 04/15/2008, 04:45 PM

Hi everyone,

I updated my review site last week and added several CDRom games to it, such as Moonlight Lady, Fiend Hunter, Exile, It Came From The Desert and
Ane San. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think.
I have also added an article, not really PC Engine related, but based on Video game licensed boardgames - I list there more than 70 games and it is funny to see Japanese boardgames based on, for instance, Valkyrie No Densetsu, Tower Of Druaga or Gradius.

Thanks !!!!

nat · 04/15/2008, 04:53 PM

You gave It Came from the Desert one star, shame on you.

NecroPhile · 04/15/2008, 05:15 PM

Nice update. Some of those board games look pretty cool, namely Pac Man and Frogger, but some of the others are real head scratchers. I can't even imagine how SFII and Doom could possibly be translated into board games and retain any of their original qualities, but I suppose they were just looking to make a quick buck on name alone.

Your reviews are a good read, as always; you really hit the nail squarely on the head for Exile, but your lack of love for ICFtD makes me want to cry.

lkermel · 04/15/2008, 06:17 PM

Quote from: guest on 04/15/2008, 05:15 PM, but your lack of love for ICFtD makes me want to cry.

I know, maybe it was a bit harsh, but I gave this game every chance and it always slapped me back... maybe because I'm from Europe so I never had the opportunity to play it when it originally came out... I found most of the dialogue totally random and the action scenes are appalling ... I love the idea of the game though, and the way how the story unfolds as you pick different routes. A definitive technical 'tour de force', but it didn't light my fire... sorry

Maybe I should pay this game another couple of visits and give it another chance...

lkermel · 04/15/2008, 06:24 PM

Quote from: guest on 04/15/2008, 05:15 PMyou really hit the nail squarely on the head for Exile

Thanks ! I think I'm gonna hunt down the sequel. I've been going back to Exile regularly, there's something in this game that just keeps me going back to it and want to finish it... I'll get there eventually

TurboXray · 04/15/2008, 06:31 PM

No mention of cool chip music in Fiend Hunter??? Here and here.

nat · 04/15/2008, 07:56 PM

Crap, that Fiend Hunter looks really awesome. Need to add that one to the list.

Keranu · 04/16/2008, 12:24 AM

Quote from: TurboXray on 04/15/2008, 06:31 PMNo mention of cool chip music in Fiend Hunter??? Here and here.

Very, very cool and impressive! I especially love the quality of the drum beats in the first tune!

kozo · 04/16/2008, 11:25 AM

Nice reviews, I have been checking out your site for a bit and realized it's from a poster on this site!

Very nice work!

lkermel · 04/16/2008, 12:44 PM

Quote from: kozo on 04/16/2008, 11:25 AMNice reviews, I have been checking out your site for a bit and realized it's from a poster on this site! Very nice work!

Thanks

I sadly don't post on the forum as often as I would like... but I regularly pay it a visit, I really like the people here and the overall vibe - I don't know that many places on the web that share so much PC Engine love

TR0N · 04/16/2008, 11:45 PM

Quote from: lkermel on 04/15/2008, 06:24 PM
Quote from: guest on 04/15/2008, 05:15 PMyou really hit the nail squarely on the head for Exile
Thanks ! I think I'm gonna hunt down the sequel. I've been going back to Exile regularly, there's something in this game that just keeps me going back to it and want to finish it... I'll get there eventually

Yeah,Exile is one of those pickup and play games that is easy to get into.

Ikermal review for it is pretty spot on beside it being,easy and rather short i agree on that.

Btw i do like the sound track as well even afther i beat it.For some strange reason i go back to the game as well every time.

I don't supose you ever watch this person run through on exile ?

He comments on it's history etc while playing through the game.

lkermel · 04/18/2008, 04:48 PM

Quote from: TRON on 04/16/2008, 11:45 PMI don't supose you ever watch this person run through on exile ?
He comments on it's history etc while playing through the game.

Actually no, I missed that, thanks for the link !!!

I've mainly played the Japanese version. I borrowed the US game from a friend of mine, and played it up to the village right before the kind of church and the circle of stones... the above video is gonna be great for me to verify how much the two versions differ !!!

GUTS · 04/18/2008, 11:36 PM

I think you were about 3 stars too generous in your Ane-San review, that game is one of the worst PCE titles in existence. The Atari 2600 port of Double Dragon had more moves and variety, and that's not even touching on the horrendously ugly graphics. I can't believe an artist that bad actually got some professional work.

Tatsujin · 04/19/2008, 02:53 AM

rolf..ane-san is one of the better beat'n walks on the system, altough there're just few out. what i like is it's unique style and funny character, the grafx all around is very nice done und i controlls better than most of the other titles on the system.

Oli_lar · 04/19/2008, 04:15 PM

I have the Xevious board game. Tried it a while ago and from what I remember it was very complicated...

SignOfZeta · 04/19/2008, 05:27 PM

Both Moonlight Lady and Fiend Hunter look really interesting. I get the feeling they cost some money though...they just look like expensive games.

Tatsujin · 04/19/2008, 10:38 PM

fiend hunter is very cheap to get! let's say for less than 15 bucks minty!

nectarsis · 04/19/2008, 10:42 PM

Moonlight Lady can be kinda pricey I've found, but not over the top.

Tatsujin · 04/19/2008, 10:55 PM

yeah..here it is about 5000yen. so do expect about 60~80$

lkermel · 04/19/2008, 11:26 PM

I think I paid around $15 for the copy of Fiend Hunter I tested on my site, and $25 for Moonlight Lady (I was lucky)... Tatsujin is right though, Moonlight is usually around $50 and I don't think it's worth that much (especially if you don't understand Japanese)...

> I think you were about 3 stars too generous in your Ane-San review

You're totally right and It was really hard to give Ane-San my final score ... as I say in the review, it doesn't really work as a game. But the more I played it, the more my feelings changed - all the weird items you can buy to hang in your room, the mini games, the gruesome and yet unique graphic design, the awesome soundtrack. It was a hard one to figure out but I ended up giving it 3 stars for its unique and unusual content.

rag-time4 · 04/19/2008, 11:35 PM

I got Fiend Hunter a few months back. It was recommended to me since it has a Western theme!

It is pretty sweet! There is a lot of Japanese Dialogue so I'm gonna put it off for a while in hopes of improving my Japanese so I can really enjoy it.

GUTS · 04/20/2008, 02:19 AM

I guess if you can stomach the art Ane-San could possibly grow on you, but the incredibly limited amount of moves is what really pissed me off about the game. Maybe the whole room collecting stuff slightly makes up for the lack of moves, I didn't really mess around with that much.

jboypacman · 04/20/2008, 08:59 AM

My good friend Pondo B. picked up a Pac-Man board game for $1 at a Goodwill not too long ago for me and now its in my little gameroom next to some other Pac-Man related things i have.

shubibiman · 04/20/2008, 12:06 PM

Fiend Hunter is a really good game but I think that the moves are underutilized as I expected more tricky situations.

TR0N · 04/20/2008, 11:15 PM

Quote from: jboypacman on 04/20/2008, 08:59 AMMy good friend Pondo B. picked up a Pac-Man board game for $1 at a Goodwill not too long ago for me and now its in my little gameroom next to some other Pac-Man related things i have.

WTF

NecroPhile · 04/21/2008, 09:44 AM

Quote from: jboypacman on 04/20/2008, 08:59 AMMy good friend Pondo B. picked up a Pac-Man board game for $1 at a Goodwill not too long ago for me and now its in my little gameroom next to some other Pac-Man related things i have.

Awesome! Do you whip it out when friends are over and challenge them to a rousing game of plastic marble eating?

jboypacman · 04/21/2008, 10:48 PM

When my friends see the Pac-Man board game they look at and wonder why they would of made such a thing.

jboypacman · 04/21/2008, 10:52 PM

Tron i posted about the Pac-Man board game because it was related to the link.

Besides the PC Engine games being talked about there is also a nice little bit about video games turned board games just in case you missed it.