WCW Backstage Assault

Today I'm moving up the technological line, back to the Nintendo 64 with WCW Backstage Assault.  Developed by Kodiak Interactive and published by Electronic Arts, Backstage Assault was released on the Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation in December 2001.  It was WCW's final video game before being bought out by Vince McMahon and the WWE (then WWF) and attempts to differentiate itself by being entirely based on backstage matches (hence the name). 

So Backstage Assault doesn't have a true story mode (much like many wrestling games), the closest thing being Hardcore Challenge, where you face random opponents until you face the champion to win their title.  Of course, I'm not really in the mood to face a couple matches, so I'm just going to do the basic Exhibition.  When starting the match, you can choose a few options, from difficulty to ways to win and time limit.  I left it on default, which seemed good enough for all options. 

So glancing down the available roster (there are quite a few characters that have to be unlocked), there are a number of older wrestlers who have no reason in this point (2000, when the game was being developed) to wrestle in backstage matches.  From Kevin Nash to Hulk Hogan to Ric Flair to Bam Bam Bigelow to the Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart, the game has much of WCW's older roster.  There are a few younger names you start with initially (David Flair and Captain Cajun to name two), but the incredibly limited roster before unlocks is disappointing.  So finally deciding on a match, I'm placing myself in the shoes of Sting against his longest rival, Ric Flair. 

Now I'll be honest, I don't know any of the controls for this game, so the first match will more then likely just be me messing around and getting beaten on until I figure out the buttons... but that's how it works.  It shouldn't take too long, the Nintendo 64 controller doesn't have that many to fiddle with. 

So the first thing that strikes me as the game starts is how horrible the graphics are.  I mean, they are terrible, not even as good as the graphics on the Super Nintendo games I've been playing.  I understand that there is a lot of unlockable content, but that doesn't mean it has to look this bad.  This is at the end of the Nintendo 64 life, it actually was released after the GameCube, there is absolutely no reason for the graphics to be this bad. 

So the match starts and, much like I said, I'm getting the pulp kicked out of me by Flair as I try and figure the controls.  The movement is simple enough, but the buttons just seem unresponsive.  It didn't take long to figure out how to strike, I've drop kicked Flair about six times in a row now, but using different moves is still baffling me.  Grappling also seems much more difficult then it should; I've actually grappled Flair about five times, but I always just seem to let go, no matter what I hit.  I guess this is a good reason to read the manual before playing. 

Anyways, I figured out how to pick up a chair that is just laying around and start getting back into the match, bashing Ric with it when he stands up (can't figure out how to hit him when he's on the ground, I'd figure it would be the same, but nothing is happening).  But then the great thing happens, after a certain number of shots, the chair breaks.  And it just doesn't break, it shatters into pixellated blocks.... really? 

And I'm actually too bored to want to continue this game, I didn't expect to do this, but I'm not continuing this game.  It's just too bad, I can't play it.  So tomorrow I'll look for something else, something enjoyable, something playable.  Adios for today though.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

I'm continuing the Donkey Kong Country series with the third and final game on the Super Nintendo: Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble.   Developed by Rare and published by Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country 3 was released in late November of 1996, just a few months after the Nintendo 64 which significantly hurt its sales.  In this game you play as Dixie from the last game and you are introduced to her baby cousin: Kiddy Kong. 

The game starts off with both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong being captured by the evil robot KAOS, who is actually controlled by K. Rool from the first two Donkey Kong Countrys (he is now known as Bare K. Roolenstien).  The good Baron is controlling an area that Donkey and Diddy had gone to on a fishing trip. 

So since I hate the first world of this game (the levels are a bit of a bore), so I'm skipping forwards a few worlds to one I find more interesting.  I shall start on the fourth world of Mekanos, an island that had multiple factories built on it and has been heavily polluted by KAOS and K. Rool.  The first level in the world goes by the name of Fire-Ball Frenzy, it introduces a new enemy: this stupid little owl that flaps around in the background of the level, shooting fireballs at you from a cannon it holds up. 

So as you run through the level, you are mostly dodging fireballs as you move forwards.  The other enemies are minimal, there are a few porcupines that you have to worry about, but the biggest danger is simply the level (including the owls since you can't actually get rid of them).  So you run past the owl's fireballs and avoid the lava pits, climbing across ropes to move forwards.  There are actually a few points where you actually run past a few of the owls, having to time yourself so you don't get hit, then you climb up onto a platform and have to pass the same owls while hanging from a rope, going in the opposite direction.  One of the more repetitive parts is a point where you actually pass in front of one owl eight times before finally leaving him behind, darting back and forth on different rope lines and dodging his fireballs. 

But of course one level won't do it, I moved on from there to the bonus world of Krematoa.  In Krematoa you use the bonus coins you've collected within the game to pay this crazy Bear named Boomer to blow up some rocks between each of the levels.  The first of these levels goes by the name of Stampede Sprint.  In the level, Dixie and Kiddy are transformed into Ellie the Elephant, and as you start the level, Ellie becomes terrified by a few rats and she's off to the races. 

Yup, the entire level is Ellie running scared from the rats, she doesn't slow down to the very end, having to jump with some pretty good timing to avoid porcupines, some chomping kremlings, a few charging kremlings and then buzzers.  So you try and jump early enough to dodge the first enemy, but late enough to be able to land and jump again to dodge the second, but then still early enough to land and go under a flying enemy.  The running continues for the rest of the level, jumping up and down to avoid it until finally get to the end and can stop racing. 

And so I've completed the Donkey Kong Country series on the SNES and will be moving onto another game tomorrow.  Perhaps back to the original Nintendo (I have quite a few games to go on it) or maybe onto another system... maybe not even one made by Nintendo.  Adios for today though.

Donkey Kong Country

I'm moving back to the first of the series I began yesterday, to Donkey Kong Country.  Developed by Rare and published by Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country was released on the Super Nintendo in November of 1994.  It reintroduces Donkey Kong in his first lead role since the original Donkey Kong. 

The game begins with Donkey Kong bursting out of his jungle tree house at the base of Donkey Kong Island.  You can enter Kong's Banana Horde through the entrance beneath the tree house and see the horde is empty and the bananas have been stolen.  So Donkey Kong, together with his friend Diddy Kong, must trek up the island to defeat King K. Rool and retrieve the stolen bananas.

The first level consists of a straight forward run through the jungle, grab bananas, stomp on the gnawtys and kremlings.  A bit into it, you get your first chance to meet an animal buddy: Rambi the Rhinoceros.  Rambi allows you to charge through the level pretty much unimpeded, he even unlocks a few secret areas by running into the walls.  Unlike the sequel, the secret areas aren't mini-games but simply hidden areas to grab extra bananas and extra lives.  As you get to the end of the first level, the sky slowly begins to darken before you go into the exit cave. 

The second level begins much like the last one ended, dark and stormy as you exit the cave.  Donkey Kong Country is pretty good about having each level transition into the next.  It keeps the generalized jungle throughout the entirety of the game, so the transitions are relatively easy.  The second level is mostly rope swings from treetop to treetop.  The game gives a bit more of a challenge then the first level by allowing the life loss if you miss a jump and fall into one of the pits and there are some jumps near the end where you have to jump over some ziggers (hornets). 


After the second level ends, you meet your first "helpful" Kong: Cranky Kong.  Cranky takes his time to ramble on to you about how much is wasted in this game and complain to you about everything while bashing you on the head with his cane.  He is nice by randomly throwing in a hint to you between the complaints and rambling though. 

The game continues much like the first two levels, and while each level is a different design, it seems a lot quicker then the sequel.  Each of the levels seems a lot shorter and, at least in the first world, gives you an easy route to finish the levels.  An example, near the beginning of the first water level, you get Enguarde the Swordfish and the level is just a matter of time from there.  The game is also a bit quicker because without the bonus stages, the secret areas are just extra areas and there is no feeling to go search for them beyond just completing the levels. 

So the first world completes with a boss fight, and the first boss is a cake-walk as you face the Giant Gnawty (beaver).  The Gnawty hops towards you sorta menacingly, and then you jump on it's head, it coughs, laughs a bit, then goes after you again.  After a few bounces, the Gnawty coughs a few times then collapses and the boss is defeated.  And you get your prize: a giant Nintendo banana.  And so another game is played and another day is done.  I'll finish the Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES tomorrow.  Adios for today though.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

So today I move on from the NES and up onto the Super Nintendo with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest.  Developed by Rare and then published by Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country 2 was released in November of 1995.  It carries on after the original Donkey Kong Country for the SNES and continues with the platforming and kremling-stomping of the first. 

The game begins with Diddy Kong on a pirate ship.  Once entering the cabin, Diddy finds a note from Kaptain K. Rool stating that he has captured Donkey Kong and he is demanding the banana horde that he failed to obtain in the last game as ransom.  Why a crocodile wants bananas I honestly don't know, but he wants them.  So Diddy and his girlfriend Dixie Kong must travel across Crocodile Island to save Donkey from K. Rool.  Each of the worlds has a few different levels until the end where each world has a boss to fight. 

So I began the first level, rolling over rats and grabbing the first DK barrel to free Dixie and continue on through the level.  So as you move forwards, the game is very kind at the beginning, at one point the game builds an A in the shape of bananas to teach you how to piggyback on one another to reach the first bonus stage.  The bonus stages are new to from Donkey Kong Country, they allow you to play a quick mini-game to grab bonus coins, which are in turn used to unlock the Lost World levels, which enable you to complete more of the game.  The first bonus stage gives you 20 seconds to "Find the Coin", which in this case simply consists of climbing a few barrels and reaching it. 

After coming out of the bonus stage, you are placed near a crate with a Rhino image on it.  Break the box and you meet the first of your animal buddies: Rambi the Rhinoceros.  Each of the animal buddies do different things that the Kongs themselves cannot, such as Rambi's super charge that lets him bust through doors.  This charge gives you access to the second bonus stage.  After exiting that one, you're near the end of the level, running past the No-Rhino sign (Rambi turns into a green balloon that gives you two extra lives) and jump on the target and watch Diddy pull out his boombox to party before the end. 

And the levels continue mostly like that, getting more difficult the further you get into the game.  The first two worlds actually give you a bit of kindness, each level having a warp near the beginning to complete it immediately... useful for speed runs or if there is a level you just don't like (me and the swimming levels). But besides the levels, there are the other Kongs who are around to give hints and help out.  There is Wrinkly Kong at Kong Kollege who can give you guidance and save your game.  There is also Swanky Kong who runs a game show where you can win extra lives.  Then there is Funky Kong who runs a flying service that can reach any world that you've already visited. 

And the final Kong, back by popular demand, Cranky Kong.  Cranky runs the Monkey Museum and is in the game mostly for comic relief.  He rambles on for a bit the first time you meet him, asking about Expresso the Ostrich (one of the animal buddies from the first Donkey Kong Country) and mentions about him being replaced by a spider.  Cranky does offer some hints about the levels in the game, giving a bit of info, but nothing all too useful. 

And another day is done and I shall move on to another tomorrow, more then likely continuing on the Donkey Kong Country line.  Adios for today though.

Ghosts N' Goblins

I'm continuing on with the Nintendo games today with one that is arguably the most difficult game on the original system: Ghosts N' Goblins.  Developed and published by Capcom, Ghosts N' Goblins was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986.

The game begins with Sir Arthur and the princess sitting having a nice moment together before a demon (Satan) appears and kidnaps the princess.  Arthur grabs his armor and runs after them to save the day.  You must race through six side scrolling action levels before facing Satan to save the princess... but it doesn't end there.  The game reveals it was a "trap devised by Satan" and you must restart the game from the beginning on a higher difficulty and do it again. 

So I began in the first level, running forwards through the graveyard with my armor and my lance in hand, zombies ahead of me my first targets.  I was doing well enough stopping zombies that appeared in front and behind me, but then I ran into a problem, I forgot that the tombstones are actually part of the level, got stuck against one before being hit by a zombie.  And now I'm just running around in my boxers.

I'm serious, you get hit and Arthur loses his armor and runs around with only his boxers on. 

I can't make this stuff up. 

So I'm now killing zombies in only my boxers, have to make sure not to get hit again because the next one would make me lose a life.  So I reach a section where you have a choice of two paths (high ground or low ground) and I decide to grab the low because it's flat, but that may be a mistake.  There is a plant above me that may give me some problems, it's spitting fireballs at me... the dirty herb.  I keep moving forwards and unlock a new weapon: the torch.  It's pretty cool, you throw it forwards and it doesn't go the full length like the lance but when (if) it lands it creates a pillar of fire that kills anything that runs into it. 

As I keep moving, this ghost thing appeared and my torch doesn't seem to be hurting it and.... I'm a frog!  The ghost thing turned me into a frog.  Oh dear, this doesn't bode well.  And with absolutely no defense, the zombies get me quite quickly. 

So I continue on with my next life and I have my armor back and am not a frog, so I am definitely better off then I was.  I quickly switch weapons again (they just sort of appear randomly) and I have a knife; it seems to work just like the lance except throws faster.  So I run past where I was turned into a frog with no sight of the ghost and run into an enemy I know I don't want to deal with: the red demon.  It rises into the air and hovers in one end of the screen before spitting a fireball at me and diving down before going back to hover on the other side of the screen.  He follows me until I defeat him, so I continue on, hitting him when I can. 

As I continue, I reach the most dreaded thing I can face: water.  Yes, there are water and platforming with a floating platform that I have to cross and I still have to worry about the demon.  So I drop to the platform, and as I'm jumping out, the demon swoops down and squeaks by me.  I mean, I'm pretty sure the sprites touched it was so close.  So I continued and found a new enemy, some armored floating ghosts that I cannot hurt.  This game doesn't have a learning curve, it just gets harder...

But I'm getting better, with a dagger to the face I kill the demon!  Woohoo!  And the next floating ghost wipes me out.  On to the next life.  I start my next life about where I died, go past the water and enter some wooded area and find another new enemy: flying red spirits.  They appear from the mists and float across the screen, lower and do it again before vanishing.  And I don't get very far before one actually appears on me... and I'm done for.  Ouch.

So another day and game is complete and I shall move onto something else tomorrow.  I didn't actually play something I was good at today, but it was at least enjoyable, and isn't that the purpose of games (hey, it's why I'm doing this).  Adios for today though.

Dragon Spirit: The New Legend

I move away from the sports game this weekend and move into the arcade territory, playing Dragon Spirit: The New Legend.  Developed by Namco and published by a combination of Namco and Atari, Dragon Spirit was released in 1989.  The game runs much like Galaga or any top down flight shooter where you move across a self-scrolling level collecting power-ups until you reach and defeat the level boss.  Then you start a new level and do it again.

So the game begins with you as the hero Armu, disguised as a Blue Dragon, finally about to fight the serpent demon Zawel.  You begin flying through the castle with a few simple enemies: a few fliers and some plant looking things on the ground.  The two buttons actually do different things, with one shooting a blast straight ahead and the other shooting a bomb shot a bit forwards, so you actually must use both to take out the enemies whether they are on the ground or in the air. 

So you continue on a bit and get to face Zawel, and he's simple.  He flies around with a staff to block your shots and a crescent flying off his head every once in a while.  You simply fly around and dodge the crescent and then shoot him when he moves his staff, very simple and straight forwards.  He really isn't difficult, and since he's basically the tutorial boss, he's not suppose to be.

Since it doesn't take too long to beat him, you do that and then get some nice story.  Armu saves the princess Zawel had captured, gets married and has twins... that was quick.  But it continues.  Armu becomes ill from the fight with Zawel and dies... that was quick too.  They apparently don't want you to be the same hero, but you in fact are the original hero's son: Lace.  So a new villan, Galda, appears and begins to conquer, before capturing Iris (Lace's sister).  As Lace, you take your father's sword (which enables you to turn into a new blue dragon) to take on Galda. 


So you start from the title screen and begin once more.

The new first level is the Paleozoic Era, where the ground is frozen and the water flows... for no apparent reason.  The game is like most scrolling shooters, like it was in the tutorial level, with just shooting, except now you can get some nifty power ups (you could actually get them in the first part, but they actually appear more often now).  You get the power ups either from killing the flashing enemies or shooting the egg looking things on the ground.  One of the cooler ones lets you get extra heads and have more shots.  Of course if you get hit, you lose your head as your life goes down. 

So as I went through the level I came to the realization that I'm not very good at scrolling shooters.  I tend to simple get overwhelmed quickly, stop paying attention and get hit a few times really quick.  One of the more annoying deaths was against a new enemy that appeared, they crawl on the ground for a short time before leaping up and flying towards you.  The first couple are just on one side, so I would just fly towards them and shoot them before they left the ground, but I didn't pay attention to them appearing on the other side and was taken out pretty quickly. 


But there is another game I'll call done, as I'm not quite good at everything, but I'll move onto something else tomorrow.  Perhaps something I'm good at.  Adios for today though.

Golf

Today I'm playing a short game with very little I can actually right about.  I knew this would happen eventually, all the games can't give me a lot of good stuff to write about, but there are just some games that I won't be able to write about... this will be one of them.  Today I am playing Golf.  Developed and published by Nintendo, Golf was released in October of 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

In Golf, you play with a guy who looks a lot like Mario and play golf.  There isn't that much more then that, you either play it alone or with a friend.  The controls are simple, you choose your club and your direction, press the button to start your swing, press a second time for power, and a third for accuracy.  And now you know the game, let's play some Golf.

So with my first swing, I hit the ball left and straight out of bounds.  I'm about as good at this game as I am at real golf apparently.  Second swing, I hit it right and barely keep it in bounds.  Try again and criss cross it to the other side of the course, but at least closer to the hole.  The next swing puts me closer to the hole, but also straight into the bunker.  I'm slowly learning this game, sort of.  My next swing takes me out of bounds... bah-humbug.  I finally get out of the bunker and onto the green and then finally finish the first hole (nine swings, horrid). 

So there isn't that much to say about this game, I'm not sure there is much more to describe it.  It's Golf... it's golf... and that's about it.  So I finish this game and shall move onto one with a bit more... substance tomorrow.  Adios for today though.