Games Beaten 2018

[pierrot]

49. Area 51 - Saturn - April 16*

I've had this game for probably as long as I've owned a Saturn--so, since about '97--but, while I've always loved playing it in the arcades, and on the Saturn, It's still probably pretty low on my list of all time great light gun games. Something about blasting away aliens really got me going back in the day, though.

Even at the time, you could have gotten a VHS of the show that was higher quality and lower cost. This game is terrible, the people who made it are terrible, and if you actually enjoy it, then your taste in games is terrible.

I won a set of VHS tapes from the first season of the show after submitting an entry to some mail in sweepstakes, and I watched those tapes so much that after a couple weeks or so my parents confiscated them from me. I think it may have been five or six VHS tapes, with one or two episodes per tape, and watching them was pretty much all I would do in my spare time, which was pretty ample when I was seven. I remember staring at that game in Toys 'R' Us a number of times, and as objectively crappy as I'm sure it is, never owning a Sega CD back then was probably the only thing that saved me from constantly marthoning the game.

Power Rangers was a hell of a drug.

[Ack]

49. Area 51 - Saturn - April 16*

I've had this game for probably as long as I've owned a Saturn--so, since about '97--but, while I've always loved playing it in the arcades, and on the Saturn, It's still probably pretty low on my list of all time great light gun games. Something about blasting away aliens really got me going back in the day, though.

I have to know, what are your top light gun games? I think we all played a bunch, and Area 51 was pretty much everywhere in my area in the mid-90s but then entirely vanished around 2000 when I saw Area 51: Site 4 replacing it...and then nobody played it. My brother played a ton of Maximum Force, and we were both fans of Virtua Cop and House of the Dead. Would you suggest others to look up?

[nullPointer]

The List So Far:

1. To the Moon [PC/Steam]
2. Super Mario All-Stars: Super Mario Bros. 3 [SNES]
3. The Goonies [Famicom] [Together Retro - 01/2018]
4. Disney's Kim Possible: Revenge of Monkey Fist [GBA] [Together Retro - 01/2018]
5. The Addams Family [SNES] [Together Retro - 01/2018]
6. The Adventures of Batman & Robin [SNES] [Together Retro - 01/2018]
7. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy: Justice for All [3DS]
8. Mickey Mousecapade [NES] [Together Retro - 01/2018]
9. Assassin's Creed II: Discovery [NDS]
10. Half-Life: Source [PC/Steam]
11. The Great Giana Sisters [Amiga] [Together Retro - 03/2018]
12. The Colonel's Bequest [PC/GOG] [Together Retro - 03/2018]
13. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions [PSP] [Together Retro - 02/2018]
14. The Guardian Legend [NES] [Together Retro - 03/2018]

15. Rush'n Attack [NES]


When we talk about video game relics of the Cold War, it's hard to miss the thinly veiled word play going on with the title of Rush'n Attack. Although it was released as 'Green Beret' in other countries, the name was changed for the U.S. release of the game, a 'clever' adjustment playing off the patriotic jingoism that was popular in the U.S. at the time with regards to the U.S.S.R. (see also: Top Gun, Rocky IV, etc.). It's the sort of thing a major game publisher probably couldn't get away with today. So in terms of title alone, what we have here is a somewhat laughable relic of days gone by.



But taken purely at face value I suppose the title is a fairly accurate description of the game play. Rush'n Attack is part of that venerable tradition in gaming in which a commando parachutes into enemy held territory, spends several levels accomplishing a rote objective to rush and … er … attack, then finishes the game running from an exploding structure of some sort. Hey, it ain't Shakespeare folks, but Rush'n Attack is a decent game. It's most notable in some circles for its pivotal play mechanic which perhaps carries much broader implications in terms of plot. Yes, you are dropped into enemy territory with nothing more than the clothes on your back and a Bowie knife. Your objective is literally to stab your way through an army of enemy soldiers and eventually to destroy their 'secret weapon'. This is either a 'Deep State' sanctioned suicide mission (maybe this Green Beret knew too much!), or the dude is just legendary with a knife. We'll never know for sure, because this isn't the sort of game that provides much in the way of back story or character motivation. And to be fair most of the enemy soldiers you face aren't armed with much more than the incessant blind rage to charge at you unarmed. So perhaps the decision to bring only a knife was tactically sound after all. And besides, the Contra dudes were otherwise occupied in their own affairs.



The gameplay itself is good enough. In the boots of Lt. SharpKnife McStabbyface your attacks feel quick, responsive, and effective. Movement to and fro feels equally crisp. The one aspect of the control scheme that sort of gums up the works is the jumping mechanic. This game utilizes the Up directional input for jumping and due to the fact that the controls are so responsive, jumps are initiated by the slightest of hair triggers. They're touchy and easy to pull off, too easy in fact. This can lead to some cheap feeling deaths where perhaps you only meant to change direction but wound up jumping headlong into enemy forces instead. I would have much rather had the controls duplicate something like Castlevania in this respect (i.e. a dedicated face button for jumping, where special weapons require a simple button combo to execute).

The graphics are quite good for the time of release and have that classic Konami feel. Lines are crisp and colors are bold. Konami has always had a knack for visually interesting military installations in their games, and Rush'n Attack is no different in this regard. The music is well done although it doesn't particularly stand out when compared to some of the other legendary music Konami was putting into their games during this timeframe (Castlevania, Contra, etc.).



So all that remains is to ask, is Rush'n Attack still worth it after all of these years, or is it better left a distant memory like the Cold War itself? Well if you're a fan of other Konami output from this time period, I'd say that you don't want to miss Rush'n Attack; it has that classic Konami feel. Difficult (but fair) gameplay, decent premise, solid graphics and sound, it's all there. Konami could almost do no wrong on the NES, so despite being a bit of a 'second-stringer' Rush'n Attack is still pretty good. Recommended for 8-bit action junkies and knife enthusiasts of all stripes.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Nice post brah. Can't beat classic Konami.

I suck balls at the game, but I'll have to give it another go.

Didya know it was one of those arcade ports that was a cart in the U.S. but released as a disk in Japan? Same goes for Bubble Bobble, Double Dribble, Gyruss, Jackal, and probably a few others I'm forgetting.

[Xeogred]

The main characters sprite looks like Ryu rolled up his sleeves and put on a hat.

Having run through most of the classic Contra's last year, I'll have to check this one out.

[pierrot]

I have to know, what are your top light gun games? I think we all played a bunch, and Area 51 was pretty much everywhere in my area in the mid-90s but then entirely vanished around 2000 when I saw Area 51: Site 4 replacing it...and then nobody played it. My brother played a ton of Maximum Force, and we were both fans of Virtua Cop and House of the Dead. Would you suggest others to look up?

Wow, I don't think I ever actually saw Area 51: Site 4 in arcades. Either that, or I just completely wasn't paying attention. Hard for me to imagine that I wouldn't have played it if I had seen it, but maybe I was so unimpressed by it that it evaporated from my memory. I haven't played too many oddball light gun games, I was mainly just alluding to the Virtua Cops, Houses of the Dead, Point Blanks, and a couple Time Crises occupying those higher places on the list. Area 51 would be at the top of those lesser games that I have a fair amount of nostalgia for, like Crime Patrol, Lethal Enforcers, Revolution X, Duck Hunt, and Gotcha!

I'm inclined to believe Confidential Mission, and a bunch of those games that got ported/released to the Wii--Ghost Squad, Gunblade NY, LA Machineguns, the Resident Evil Chronicles, etc--are all good, I just haven't really played them for myself. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, on the Wii, plays somewhat like a light gun game, and it's pretty rad. (For that matter, so is the original Sin & Punishment, but that one isn't even remotely like a light gun game.)

[prfsnl_gmr]

1. Bastion (iOS)
2. LaserCat (360)
3. Zombie Incident (3DS)
4. Bye-Bye BoxBoy! (3DS)
5. Monument Valley 2 (iOS)
6. Zenge (iOS)
7. Master of Darkness (Game Gear/3DS)
8. Wonder Boy (SMS)
9. Full Throttle Remastered (iOS)
10. Adventure Island (NES)
11. Adventure Island II (NES)
12. Adventure Island (GB)
13. Super Adventure Island (SNES)
14. New Adventure Island (TG16)
15. Adventure Island III (NES)
16. The Legend of the Ghost Lion (NES)
17. Part Time UFO (iOS)
18. Adventure Island II: Aliens in Paradise (GB)
19. Adventure Island IV (NES)
20. Super Adventure Island II (SNES)
21. Adventure Island: The Beginning (WII)
22. Quell Memento (3DS)
23. Wonder Boy in Monster Land (ARCADE)

Wonder Boy in Monster Land is 10/11th a really, really fun game. The sprites have that classic Sega-16 board look; the music is catchy; it is brimming with secrets; and it is really fun. The last level and last boss, however, are an unfair slog that trolls the player in all of the worst ways possible. It is literally the epitome of horrible, archaic game design and drags the experience down tremendously. Accordingly, I heartily recommend playing through the first ten levels of this game and turning it off when you get sent back to the beginning of the entire game after your first “game over” screen on the last level. You wouldn’t be missing anything, and you can just watch the underwhelming ending in YouTube.

[ElkinFencer10]

I have to know, what are your top light gun games? I think we all played a bunch, and Area 51 was pretty much everywhere in my area in the mid-90s but then entirely vanished around 2000 when I saw Area 51: Site 4 replacing it...and then nobody played it. My brother played a ton of Maximum Force, and we were both fans of Virtua Cop and House of the Dead. Would you suggest others to look up?

Are you talking just Saturn light gun games or light gun games in general?

[prfsnl_gmr]

1. Bastion (iOS)
2. LaserCat (360)
3. Zombie Incident (3DS)
4. Bye-Bye BoxBoy! (3DS)
5. Monument Valley 2 (iOS)
6. Zenge (iOS)
7. Master of Darkness (Game Gear/3DS)
8. Wonder Boy (SMS)
9. Full Throttle Remastered (iOS)
10. Adventure Island (NES)
11. Adventure Island II (NES)
12. Adventure Island (GB)
13. Super Adventure Island (SNES)
14. New Adventure Island (TG16)
15. Adventure Island III (NES)
16. The Legend of the Ghost Lion (NES)
17. Part Time UFO (iOS)
18. Adventure Island II: Aliens in Paradise (GB)
19. Adventure Island IV (NES)
20. Super Adventure Island II (SNES)
21. Adventure Island: The Beginning (WII)
22. Quell Memento (3DS)
23. Wonder Boy in Monster Land (ARCADE)
24. Saiyuuki World (FAMICOM)

Saiyuuki World Is a re-skinned Famicom port of
Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Rather than playing as Wonder Boy, and rather than saving Monster Land, you play as Son Wukong from Journey to the West, and you rescue monks from the Demon Bull King. You still fight snakes and mushrooms, but otherwise, all of the other sprites are redrawn to match the Journey to the West theme. (The music is likewise been updated to suit the theme.) The game otherwise largely mirrors Wonder Boy in Monster Land. All of the enemies, secrets, shops, etc. are in the same place, and the game generally plays the same. It is drastically easier and more forgiving, however, and I found it to be a much more enjoyable experience. (If anything, it is too easy. I didn’t need to continue, and I beat the game in only two sittings. This is in stark contrast to Wonder Boy in Monster Land, which made me want to put my controller through a wall... ) I enjoyed the game, and I am looking forward to firing up its re-skinned sequel, Whomp ‘Em, tonight!

[nullPointer]

I suck balls at the game, but I'll have to give it another go.

Didya know it was one of those arcade ports that was a cart in the U.S. but released as a disk in Japan? Same goes for Bubble Bobble, Double Dribble, Gyruss, Jackal, and probably a few others I'm forgetting.

I hadn't played Rush'n Attack for quite a while, but I remembered it being fairly difficult as a kid. For some reason it went down pretty easy this time without much trouble. Partly due to luck and partly having some of the trickier sections committed to memory, I guess. One 'secret' I utilized as a kid is that this game doesn't have a time limit. If you run low on lives you can essentially 'grind' for extra lives at any point in the game. Also if you can assign your stabbin' button to a turbo function it helps a lot in certain areas.

That's super interesting about it being an FDS release! With games like this I always wonder whether the FDS versions have expanded content or additional features.

The main characters sprite looks like Ryu rolled up his sleeves and put on a hat.

Having run through most of the classic Contra's last year, I'll have to check this one out.

Haha, that's a good call on the Ryu comparison! I always thought it was funny that in other regions Rush'n Attack was called Green Beret, but the dude doesn't wear any green (and Player 2 pushes the envelope even further in his fabulous red battle fatigues). Now I might have to look up some screen shot comparisons to see if he actually does wear green in the Green Beret version.

Regarding the Contra reference, it probably bears mentioning that Rush'n Attack isn't quite up to the pedigree of Contra (or Ninja Gaiden for that matter). It's good for what it is, but not incredibly good. Just a good ol' fashioned, meat & potatoes, red blooded American, mass stabbing simulator.