I know I've definitely played Konami's groundbreaking dating sim Tokimeki Memorial before, although that happened so long ago I honestly can't tell you which version of the game that involved other than that it was definitely on a disc (I went through the Saturn port this time around). I can't recall the details but I think it's … Continue reading Happy days at Kirameki High
I can remember only three things about Raizing's celebrated/feared arcade shmup Battle Garegga: It's rank-based, which means the difficulty dynamically alters depending on your actions as you play, it's really hard even at the best of times, and counterintuitively to established genre rules you're supposed to kill yourself off at several points due to the aforementioned rank-related shenanigans and other … Continue reading 1UPs for rent
Another day, another Sakura Wars fan disc set. This two disc release was the last of the Saturn offerings, and unlike the ones that came before it Teigeki Graph in Sakura Wars is packed with new content and an easy recommendation for any fan of the series, whether they have a back tattoo of the full … Continue reading Sakura Wars Corner: Teigeki Graph in Sakura Wars
Released in 1997 - the same year as Sakura Wars Hanagumi Tsushin and a year before Sakura Wars 2 - Sakura Wars Steam Radio Show is again billed as "Multimedia Soft" and a "Digital Fan Disc" rather than a game, although this time around there's been a far greater effort to make the player feel … Continue reading Sakura Wars Corner: Sakura Wars Steam Radio Show
This movie card compatible disc, one that takes the trouble of stating in big red boxes that this is a digital fan disc and not a game, released on Valentine's Day 1997 and came with a little card for "Ogami", which when folded out revealed portraits of the entire (pre-Sakura Wars 2) Flower Division complete … Continue reading Sakura Wars Corner: Sakura Wars Hanagumi Tsushin
The final entry in this energetic little trilogy, titled Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story III: Sabakareshi Mono, debuted on the Saturn three short months after the previous game, Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story II: Ao wo Uketsugu Mono, which itself released roughly three months before the opening effort, Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story I: Senritsu no Blue. As is … Continue reading Saving the best for last
As the name suggests Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story II: Ao wo Uketsugu Mono is the second release in this little Saturn trilogy (for the sake of clarity I think it's worth stating that this is a completely standalone experience and doesn't require the first Side Story's disc for anything), released just a few months after Senritsu no … Continue reading I’m blue (and so are you)
About fifty minutes. That's roughly the time it takes for my much-used coffee machine to heat up, gurgle away to itself for a bit, and then politely switch off the handy keep-warm hotplate that sits underneath the huge glass jug now filled with sweet, sweet, caffeinated bean juice. Funnily enough that's also roughly how long … Continue reading The length of my coffee machine
"20 JAPANESE GAMES L@@K RARE IMPORT SEGA NINTENDO RETRO!!" yells the eBay listing, the price suspiciously affordable when weighed up against the bundle's quantity. I bet you already know the sort of "deal" I'm talking about - and you already know to avoid them too. Even without clicking on the imaginary link you can virtually … Continue reading Fillers, coasters, and horse racing
There's a lot to love about Radiant Silvergun: Treasure's good name alone conjures up warm thoughts of imaginative action and quality, but even when judged in its own little vacuum it's still a shmup that's hard not to like whether your first encounter with it is in arcades, on the Saturn, or via the Xbox 360 … Continue reading BE ATTITUDE FOR GAINS
Kimimi The Game-Eating She-Monster 