Games Ex has beaten in 2016:
85. The Scheme|PC-88|1988|platformer|6h 45m|7/10In 1988, a company called Bothtec (now known as Quest) released an exploratory platformer for the Japanese NEC PC-88 home computer. This game was named "The Scheme", and although being fairly ambitious, the Scheme was never ported beyond its original platform. It's a shame too, because I believe had The Scheme been ported to Famicom/NES, it'd be considered a cult classic by many today. As it remains however, due to its obscurity, many gamers have never heard of The Scheme, especially in the west.
In the world of Rhea, an evil group of creatures known as Hell Stones are terrorizing the land. The king of this world decides he's had enough, so he sets out alone to find and destroy every last leader of Hell Stones. To do so will require exploring a vast and confusing subterranean labyrinth, while searching for upgrades, discovering secrets, killing tons of enemies, and always, always catching bouncy balls.
I've seen The Scheme described as a "primitive Metroid", and that's a fair description. Gameplay is similar, seeing the player run and jump, shoot and dodge, while collecting power ups, and always seeking the next path forward. However, The Scheme has a level up system, aiding the player's attack strength the higher it raises. The player's life points (called Energy) also increase, but not from levels, rather life upgrades that can be found hidden away. When destroyed, enemies explode like a pinata of rubber balls. These balls give the player life points back, as well as experience points (called Force). It sounds annoying, but it was always fun to collect the bouncing balls after destroying enemies. By far, this quirky item drop mechanic is the most unique aspect of The Scheme.
Although The Scheme is superficially similar to Metroid, I found The Scheme to be more difficult than any 2D Metroid. Primarily this is due to how large the world of The Scheme is. It is over 500 unique screens large, with non-recursive level layouts. I actually had to generate a detailed grid map to keep track of where I was, as there is no in-game mapping system (sadly). Couple the confusing path finding with truly esoteric progression systems and you're in for a tough time.
For example, sometimes you will reach an area that seems like a dead end, but it's because your level isn't high enough. Come back later with a higher level, and all of a sudden that dead end is now an open tunnel. The Scheme is full of unintuitive stuff like that. Not to mention the best upgrades are hidden in ways that are simply devious. Like shooting a particular wall for over two minutes until an upgrade suddenly materializes. Just silly stuff like that. Thankfully sometimes path progression opens up just from killing the bosses, so that's clear enough anyway.
Where The Scheme may occasionally falter in game design, it wholeheartedly makes up for that with its OST. This game's soundtrack was composed by none other than the famous Yuzo Koshiro. His work here on the PC-88 hardware is nothing less than phenomenal, making wandering The Scheme's endless hallways far more bearable when you're lost and confused for hours. Indeed the OST was good enough that it got its own independent album release.
Let me make one thing clear though; The Scheme is worth playing for more than just its killer OST. If you're a fan of "metroidvanias", I fully recommend giving The Scheme a try. While clearly influenced by Metroid, The Scheme is far more challenging than any entry in that series, and yet manages to feel unique enough to stand on its own. If it weren't for the byzantine way item upgrades are hidden, and the non-recursive nature of the world layout, I'd score The Scheme higher. But rest assured this game is more than just a curiosity piece with great tunes. For fans of its genre, The Scheme is an exotic trip well worth plotting.
To hear The Scheme's OST on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9OR_TI ... C41A3DAC7F---
86. Aquales|X68000|1991|platformer|2h 10m|9/10In 1991 a company named Exact developed a mecha platformer for the Sharp X68000 Japanese home computer. This game was called Aquales, and it remains unique to this day in multiple ways. The biggest factor is the gameplay itself, combining the swinging mechanics of Bionic Commando with the mecha shooting action of Assault Suits Leynos. Due to this hybridization, Aquales immediately feels familiar yet also fresh. Couple that niche design with the fact this game was never ported beyond the X68000 PC, and so is practically unknown in the west. Let's not forget the game itself is named "Aquales", a unique title indeed.
The plot takes place in the year 2069. The player takes on the role of Fredric von Nyuya, an American mech pilot for a spec ops team called W-ODL. W-ODL is sent to investigate the disappearance of the British ship "Elias Rits". It has vanished near Kermadec Island while investigating a supposed hidden enemy base. It's up to Fredric and his W-ODL handler to find out what happened to the British ship, and ultimately take down an entire enemy base single handedly. This is no problem for Fredric though, because he has the world's most capable combat mech at his disposal; the titular Aquales.
As the player explores, they are constantly assaulted by repellent enemy forces. This requires blowing said forces to smithereens using a large variety of weapons. Collectable weapons run the gamut from chain and scythes, to laser swords, to flame throwers, to turrets with bouncing bullets. These weapons are stashed away, hidden for the player to find. Thankfully weapons do not run out of ammo, and knowing which type of weapon to use on which type of enemy, goes a long way towards success. Every time the player destroys an enemy, experience points are gained. Collect enough experience and the player's level raises, which impacts weapon damage and the Aquales' life gauge.
Being able to survive the endless onslaught of enemy robots is one thing, but your platforming skills will be tested as well. The first few missions start off simple enough, but eventually the player will need to exhibit great skill with the Aquales' swinging ability to progress. If you can't successfully maneuver like a mechanical Rad Spencer, you'll find no mercy from bottomless pits and lava pools. At times you'll have to swing and combat simultaneously, requiring both skill and strategy to succeed. Thankfully Aquales' level designs have a lot of variety, and you'll never be walking, jumping, or swinging for too long at once. The pace stays properly mixed and maintains the player's interest.
Above all else, I have to praise Aquales' insanely awesome OST. I am a huge fan of FM synthesis, and the X68000's capability in this regard is well known. Aquales makes the X68000's sound hardware rock hardcore, with extraordinarily well written tunes. From rock your face riff fests, to plaintive motifs, and everything in between. I was especially keen on the percussive elements, some of the drum sequencing just blew me away. I normally play games with headphones on, but I blasted Aquales' OST loudly over actual studio monitors while playing it. For my tastes, this game's music is absolutely outstanding.
Ultimately I adored Aquales, I found it to be a true joy to experience. Granted I'm a lover of Bionic Commando and mech platformers, as well as FM music, so I was predisposed already. But the rock solid game design, proper difficulty balance, and impressive pacing stood out on its own. Not to mention the hand crafted 2D graphics, that were never less than excellent, with plenty of awesome special programming effects (dat parallax scrolling). Aquales even bothered to have a great ending (with a hilarious credit scroll), a real rarity for its genre. If you are a fan of this type of game, I strongly recommend playing Aquales. I wasn't expecting much, but I was blown away.
To hear Aquales' OST on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZUbN6X7I1w
