Video Game Collecting

Unless it was published by Tengen, I have never been very keen on collecting unlicensed 3rd party games for any system.  Granted, I have a copy of Firehawk for NES which is a very good helicopter game, but for anyone who has actually played unlicensed games knows that they are mostly hit or miss (mostly miss!).  But today I obtained a copy of Spiritual Warfare for SEGA Genesis.  While NES unlicensed games can be found pretty easily, I have never seen an unlicensed SEGA Genesis game out in the wild.

So anyways I obtained this copy of Spiritual Warfare for SEGA Genesis for free!  “Free?” You ask?  YES.  FREE.  The details of how I obtained it will have to remain secret for now, but I assure you I did not pay a dime for it, and neither did anyone else.

It’s easy to get carried away with wanting to post reviews every day, but like and work happens, boooo!  Anyways nothing takes a load off than a quick game of DJ Boy!

Originally an arcade game release by American Sammy (I think) the game is basically Double Dragon on skates.  In the original story your boom box was stolen by a bunch of punks and you’re ready to release holy terror on those punks with your skates.  In this version your girl friend was kidnapped but it never shows the scene.

So as you punch, kick, and do other moves the thugs drops coins which you can use after boss fights to upgrade your character.  Which is great because the game in incredibly tough.  You get one life.  Just one with a measly life bar.  Most boss fights will involve punch and skate punch and skate until you slowly but surely tire them down to the death.

The art is very unique to this game and altered only slightly from the arcade version with the exception of some questionably racist characters.  The game is fast and features great music.  The box art doesn’t represent the game well, but its still unique.  Also missing is the Wolf Man Jack voice overs that the arcade game features.

DJ Boy isn’t Streets of Rage (Though Sammy – the kid with the skates in SoR is a homage to the game I swear) and the game certainly doesn’t meet the standards of beat ‘em ups that came out later on the SEGA Genesis but its still a fun game with a rockin’ sound track and a true arcade feel.  Its inexpensive and I highly recommend it.  Pay no more than $6 complete for it.

It’s no mystery why The Great Circus Mystery Starring Mickey & Minnie for SEGA Genesis is such a great game.  Published by Capcom in the mid-nineties it has the quality you’d expect from a Capcom platformer.

Basically Mickey and Minnie take a ride to the edge of town to visit the circus.  But when they get there the place is in shambles and doesn’t seem to be in operation.  You you decide to investigate.  You can play as Mickey or as Minnie.  Along the way you’ll get new costumes and meet a variety of Disney characters.

The graphics in Circus Mystery are fantastic.  I’ve heard that the Super Nintendo version looks slightly better, but I have no way to compare it.  Buy by itself, this is certainly one of the more beautiful games for SEGA Genesis.  It looks as though it takes advantage of the full palette.

The animation is terrific, and the levels are not repetative.  Often times you’ll only travel a few screens before you’ll have a boss fight.  This can be good or bad.  But the game isn’t short by no means.  In fact, there is a password feature.

The music works well with the game and really does give it a circus feel.

It looks as though Capcom went through the pain of masking graphics that would only be on screen for a short while.  The development team did a nice job with small details here and there.

Your character (Mickey or Minnie) uses hears for a life bar.  Three hits and your out.

Remember those extra details I mentioned a moment ago?  Here is a good example.  This train car shows evil eyes looking at you.

A few moments later it becomes a boss fight!

As you progress you’ll earn different outfits.  The vacuum outhit allows you to suck up enemies and turn them into tokens.  The outfits define your abilities.  For example the safari outfit comes with a hook that lets you swing from ledges and climb the sides of platforms.

This is an incredible game for the SEGA Genesis and I recommend it highly.  Even if you don’t like any Disney franchises you’ll probably find something to like in this game.  I spent $6 complete, but would probably spend up to $9 to have The Great Circus Mystery in my collection.

Street Smart for SEGA Genesis bleeds arcade goodness!  Although many people wouldn’t agree with that.  You see Street Smart is actually a pre Neo-Geo SNK arcade game.  It also pre-dates Street Fighter II.  The game plays in the style of Pit-Fighter in that you are not stuck on a horizontal plane constantly facing your enemy.  Instead you can walk around Final Fight style and turn your back to your opponent – which is a stupid way to fight if you ask me!  I will already tell you that I recommend this game.  Its inexpensive, though a little difficult to find.

When you first start the game I recommend just watching the startup screen and demo, and take in the sights and sounds – particularly the music.  It isn’t the greatest musical track ever, but it definately feels like something out of an arcade.  The graphics are typical for an SNK title and you can see similiarities in the characters in the audience between Street Smart and Fatal Fury.  After each map you get a few bars that you can contribute towards your health, your strength, or your defense.  Then you can gamble your winnings away on yourself, or if you’re a coward you can wager your cash on your opponent.

The moves are simple: use the A button to bash your opponents face in with your fist, or the B button to smash his organs.  The C button lets you jump, and a combination of the A, B, or C button will allow you to do special moves.

Street Smart is simple and fun, and you’d be Street Stupid to spend more than $7 complete for it!

Let’s cut to the chase -if you don’t own Double Dragon for SEGA Genesis than you should probably get it.  I highly recommend this game even if you’re not much of a Double Dragon fan.

For those who live in caves Double Dragon shares the story of Billy and Jimmy whose girlfriend Marion has been kidnapped by the Shadow Warriors.  Taking your rage to the streets you fight your way through four stages of mayhem before confronting Willy – a machine gun wielding maniac and then after dispatching him you will fight the leader of the Shadow Warriors -none other than your brother.  Beat the game and you are reunited with your slightly used girlfriend.

Based on the arcade game, this version of Double Dragon is one of the best home conversions.  But that doesnt mean it has no opportunities.  All of the music tracks from the arcade version are featured here although they have a metallic twang to them.  The sound effects are mostly non-existent.  You have an occasional thud but thats about it.  Of all of the SEGA Genesis games out there this game has the most uninspired sound effects.  To clarify: great music but lousy sound effects.  The controls are a little off from the arcade version but I believe its complicated by the fact that the game moves too fast.  When there are only one or two enemies on the screen both you and them sprint all over the screen.  Its annoying until you get four or five enemies onto the screen then he game slows down (like the arcade game) to the point its almost unplayable.  You can control this by attacking and killing only those enemies on the screen then continuing on to fight the rest of the gang.

The graphics mirror the arcade version very well with subtle differences.  Most of the changes are for the better but the palette is a bit too red.

Despite my complaints above, Double Dragon for SEGA Genesis is a solid beat ‘em up.  Expect to pay about $12 or more for a decent copy.  And note that the game was unlicensed and did not come with an original SEGA Genesis box but rather a two piece cardboard box.

Used videogames frequently endure the indignity of being exposed to heavy tobacco use. Not only do cigarettes kill humans they also kill videogames. Ok, maybe not. But smoke is greasy and it stinks, and it makes games greasy and stink. So watch as I remove the stink with some Martha Stewart science. We’ll also check out some rarer Nintendo NES games I picked up from the swapmeet, and Pit Fighter for SEGA Genesis. And lets not forget Omega Race and Wizard of Wor for Atari 2600.

I have a couple cool video game finds in this video that I got from a thrift store including a Vaus. We also check out eBay seller Infravision, and check out the ultra cool iCade 60-in-1 Jamma Mame board with footage of BurgerTime!

Hey, enjoy this video of a a week in retro video game collecting.  We’re gonna see all sorts of neat things like following up on LukieGames and NES_Headquarters cleanliness with Goonies II for Nintendo NES.  We also check out a thrift store and find a Capcom launch title for the Super Nintendo.  We find a couple Nintendo Game Cubes for $7 bucks a piece and an cheap original PlayStation.  We also open a near mint copy of Rastan for SEGA Master System and Super Thunder Blade for SEGA Genesis!

Happy Kid Icarus Day!  Today is about as authentic as Valentine’s Day.  My son calls Kid Icarus the “Cupid Game” (he is four) so in my household it fits.

Anyways we have a few things to look forward to in the coming days.  We’re going to check out another Lukiegames and Nes_Headquarters purchase; then we are going to punch our way down memory lane with a pre-Neo Geo SNK game for the SEGA Genesis.  We’ll try Super Thunderblade for the first time and we’ll verify a perverted secret of a SEGA Master system game.

I’ll also be adding Atari 5200 and Intellivision to the videogame price guide website before March 1st.

And finally we’ll receive a lesson in karma when I give a free game away to a perfect stranger!

Yes, I’m still playing Rolling Thunder and trying desperately to obtain Rolling Thunder 2 for SEGA Genesis.  Both of these games are fantastic.  But why should I rehash what journalists of the past have already written about?

Researching a review of a game around the time a game is published is a very interesting read compared to someone reviewing a game two decades after it’s release.  Its too difficult to compare it to other contemporary titles.  So enjoy these two Rolling Thunder reviews, the first from The Milwaukee Journal – Mar 13, 1990, and the second from the Kentucky New Era – May 13, 1992.

Click the pictures to enlarge…