Game:BioMetal Format:Super Nintendo Developer:Athena Publisher:Activision Year Released:1993 Also Released on:Nothing Now Available on:Nothing
One thing I've learned during my almost forty years on this planet is that developers of video games really don't like aliens. Why I don't know, but but whatever the reason is, programmers have a habit of depicting extra terrestrial beings as violent and aggressive, usually intent on harming Earth or representatives of said planet by sending wave after wave after wave of their own species to carry out death by bullets, lasers and whatever other projectiles they have hidden in their weaponry. It all started with Space invaders and has been the case ever since. Galaxian, Gradius, R-Type, Darius, Galaga, Xenon and Xenon 2, the various Thunderforce games, and countless others all followed in the footsteps of Taito's 1978 space-based shooter. In every instance, a whole compendium of alien beings are shown to be rather hostile. Maybe it's the first thing wannabe game developers are taught when they start coding club. The first rule of coding club is that aliens are evil. The second rule of coding club is that aliens are evil. Maybe they know something that the rest of us don't know. Maybe they hide secret messages about non-Earth-based creatures in the source code of games. Maybe it's just an irrational Donald Trump-like fear of strange creatures from far away places. Who knows?
This looks a bit like my Vax vacuum cleaner. Same colour scheme too.
Alien types are spitting out spaghetti.
One other thing that those games also have in common is that, despite your own species having mastered space travel, so seemingly it must quite advanced and intelligent, whoever is in command of whatever mission you're about to embark on, seems to think that it's a good idea to put you up against the upcoming onslaught from the alien hoards in a piddly little spaceship with a shitty little gun. Oh, don't you worry, you can improve on that by picking up power-ups as you go on your journey. On your own. By yourself. Yes, that's how you win wars. Send you out defenceless and hope you find stuff to improve your odds of survival while you're in battle. Maybe it's a metaphor for, um, I dunno. Something.
There must be a parking space here somewhere
Woo-hoo!!!!
BioMetal for the Super Nintendo is no different from the many hundreds of other space-themed shooters out there. It features you in a piddly little spaceship with a shitty little gun, and swathes of angry and ugly alien types who want you dead. In fact, the game is about as generic as you can get. That is, apart from its soundtrack. Its soundtrack is as nineties as you can get, featuring music from the Euro chart-topping techno-masters themselves, 2 Untalented, I mean Unlimited. 2 Unlimited. Oh, how I used to make people laugh back in 1993 by claiming that 2 Untalented were at number one with their hit song, No Lyrics. No no, no no no no, no no no no, no no there's no lyrics. Hilarious.
A shot from the ending. Maybe I should check where I insert these screenshots before inserting them.
BioMetal was released in 1993 for the Super Nintendo (or Super Famicom in Japan). The European and US versions of the game open with a static title screen featuring a spaceship and an alien in combat with each other. Or they may be in conversation. Or possibly both. Maybe in the future, humans and aliens settle their differences through confrontational conversation. Perhaps the UK and EU should take heed when trying to figure out whatever Brexit-related thing they're arguing over this week. Playing in the background is a not-too-bad rendition of 2 Unlimited's 1991 hit Get Ready For This. Americans may recognise the track as one used during many of its sporting events, especially baseball and basketball, and also in the movie Space Jam. However, as the title screen vanishes, the plot of BioMetal is revealed. And <<SPOILER ALERT!!!>> it doesn't feature baseball, basketball, animated Loony Toons characters, Danny Devito or Michael Jordan. Shame. Turns out that it also doesn't feature humans and aliens in conversation. Instead, it features the below, the actual full text of the plot behind BioMetal. Live and exclusive to this very website. And also in the game just after the title screen.
G.C. 232
(GALAXY CENTURY, THE YEAR 232)
THE LONG SPACE WAR
WHICH DIVIDED THE MILKY WAY IS
FINALLY OVER
AS A RESULT OF THE WAR,
NATURAL RESOURCES ARE
EXHAUSTED,
FORCING THE MILKY WAY'S
GALACTIC COUNCIL TO SEND
A SPECIAL FLEET
TO PLANET "UP457".
THEIR MISSION -
TO FIND RESOURCES
DURING THE MISSION,
THE SPECIAL FLEET WAS ATTACKED
AND DESTROYED BY SOME UNKNOWN
CORPS OF HALF-MACHINE,
HALF-ANIMALES.
THE GALACTIC COUNCIL NAMED
THIS CORPS, CODE-NAME,
"BIO-METAL" (BM).
A COMPUTER ANALYSIS SHOWED
THAT THE BM'S ARE INCREASING
IN NUMBER.
UNLESS THE BM PLANET IS
DESTROYED WITHIN 32 HOURS,
THE MILKY WAY WILL FALL INTO
THE HANDS OF THE BM'S.
THEY MUST BE STOPPED.
ONLY ONE FLEET, "WASP", WHO IS
TESTING NEW WEAPONS,
IS CAPABLE OF REACHING "UP457"
AND ENGAGING IN ACTION.
THE GALACTIC COUNCIL SENT
ORDERS TO USE G.A.M. (LIVING
WEAPON THAT IS PRESENTLY BEING
TESTED), TO BE LAUNCHED
FROM "HALBARD" CARRIERS.
My Vax vacuum cleaner specs in full. Going to try to find its plasma rifle in a bit.
And, erm, that's the plot. How it's written above makes it look like it's a song. Maybe it's the actual lyrics to one of 2 Unlimited's tracks? So, from the story, we can deduce that the Milky Way has been at war, the Galactic Council wants to plunder the resources of a planet called UP457, and some half-machine, half animales, seem to have destroyed the Council's fleet. Did the Galactic Council not consider that maybe UP457 is a planet inhabited by the BioMetal species and the so-called BM's (with apostrophes in the incorrect place!) aren't too pleased that their resources are about to get harvested? Eh? Eh? If there's anything I learned from the movie Pocahontas, it's that indiginous populations don't like people coming over and taking what isn't theirs. As Pocahontas herself beautifully put it, "You think you own whatever land you land on, The Earth is just a dead think you can claim, But I know every rock and tree and creature, Has a life, has a spirit, has a name." Ok, maybe she was talking about the English attempting to colonise her people's land, but I bet the BMs would sing a very similar song.
I'm exhausted too.
A bit of computer analysis reveals that the number of BioMetal aliens are increasing, and that they'll somehow take ownership of the entire Milky Way within 32 hours, unless you manage to destroy their home planet beforehand. It does make you wonder why, if it would only take 32 hours for the BioMetal populace to take over the Milky Way, why they haven't thought about doing it previously. Especially while the rest of the Milky Way were fighting whatever war they were fighting that resulted in their supplies becoming exhausted. They could have caught the galaxy unawares, launched an attack and become commanders of the galaxy in little over a day, Maybe the truth is that the BM's (gah!) are actually a peaceful non-aggressive species who only attack when idiots sent from the Galactic Council try to steal their resources. Maybe you are actually working for the enemy.
Regardless of whether you're actually on the side of good or of evil, you take to the skies in your little spacechip, nicknamed Halbard, which is crewed by two, um, crew members. There's 25 year old Kid Ray, a pilot by occupation, whose blood group is B. Keeping him company is 21 year old Anita, a biologist whose blood group is A. Now, I understand sending Kid Ray to take on the aliens, what with him being a pilot and probably being able to drive the spaceship. But, what is Anita doing there? Does WASP not have anybody else more suitable? An engineer? A medic? Another pilot? Somebody with fighting experience? And why is the blood group important? Incidentally, in the Japanese version, Kid Ray is called David Onizuka and Anita is called Cynthia Matthews. Dave's still a 25 year old pilot, blood group B, and Cynthia is still a 21 year old biologist, blood group A. Of course, those who know their 90s techno bands, will know that the two main members of 2 Unlimited were Ray and Anita, so apparently in this game, you are controlling 2 Unlimited on their quest to defeat the species known only as BioMetal, or BM for short. So you could also refer to them as Bowel Movements, or Bobby Moore, or Best Man.
Your crew for the USA/PAL version of BioMetal, named after Ray and Anita off of 2 Unlimited
The crew in the Japanese game, with different names, same occupations and blood types, and paler skin.
Pow pow pow! Beans appear to be flying everywhere.
Within seconds of beginning your mission, you come under intense attack from the aforementioned Bowel Movements. If this game was actually reality, you probably would be having some bowel movements of your very own if you were to witness the horrors of the BioMetal alien beings. They really are ugly mofos. Even more ugly than Ugly Kid from Magic Pockets. It does take a few goes until you are able to adjust yourself to figure out how to take on your enemies. Also only a few seconds in is your first opportunity to obtain some power-ups. These are carried by some, er, things. Not too sure what as you really don't get much chance to see them. But shooting them causes them to leave weapon canisters. These flick through various letters representing the weapons that you can use. Collecting multiples of the same one enhances your weapon. Hehe.
Great balls of, er, something.
Your Halbard can make use of three different types of main weapon, and three different types of missile. Collecting a canister displaying the letter "L" equips you with a laser which enables you to shoot laser beams directly ahead of you. Upgrading this weapon causes your laser beam to grow wider. Then there's a wave weapon, found inside canisters displaying the letter "W", which shoots a series of waves in front of you. This has a wider range than the laser, and although it fires slower, it shoots out multiple waves of waves, one after the other. Upgrading this will enable you to shoot the wave in front and behind you, the only weapon that has this ability. Finally there is the V weapon. Not sure what V stands for, but it fires plasma shots in two diagonal directions. Upgrading this increases it to a five-way weapon. Of the three weapons, you'd be best avoiding the laser as its rate of fire isn't great and as enemies will pretty much surround you, only shooting a narrow beam directly in front of you isn't much use at all. The V weapon is good when you're surrounded by several of the smaller enemies, but when it comes to larger and more powerful nasties, you'll need the wave.
End of level nasty throws ravioli. Mamma mia!
As well as your main weapon, you fire out two missiles at a time. You can collect missiles that fire straight ahead (identified by "S" on their canister), in two arching angles (B), or, the only one you will really want, the homing missile (H). As its name suggests, this homes in on targets.
The G.A.M. (the blue ball thingies) in action.
Finally, your Halbard also has the G.A.M., described in the game's plot as "Living Weapon that is presently being tested." I'm not too sure what a living weapon is, but it really is a useful thing to have on your spaceship. When I get a spaceship, I'm going to ensure it has a G.A.M. installed on it, although only if it's finished being tested. After my experiences with my Samsung Galaxy Note's dodgy battery, I'm not taking any chances. As you meander through the levels, your G.A.M. charges itself. Releasing the G.A.M. causes it to circle five balls around your spaceship. It has two modes - attack or protect. Attack will attack enemies that come into contact with it as it spins around your ship. Protect causes it to act like a shield and protect you from several of the game's enemies. It won't protect you if you collide into enemies or walls, or sometimes if they collide into you. And some projectiles can still penetrate your defence so it doesn't quite make you completely invincible. The G.A.M.'s charge depletes as you use it, so it's important to stop using it when you can so it can recharge. It's also possible to direct your G.A.M. in various directions so you can target certain enemies, or you can spread out its range of orbit from your ship, although this leaves you more vulnerable to attack. Getting the hang of the G.A.M. is essential to get you through some of the stickier patches in the game.
Enemies sometimes attack in a fancy formation that they've been made to rehearse and perfect our of fear of humiliation from their leader. Probably a bit like North Korea's army.
The Super Nintendo wasn't known to have a massive offering of shoot 'em ups. If the console had one weakness, it was that its processor was slower than that of its competitors. Although it was able to excel in graphics, sound and fancy scaling and rotation effects, it apparently struggled a bit if it was asked to do too much. And as shoot em' ups feature a lot of stuff going on, it stands to reason that not too many games of that genre would be developed for it. That's not to say the SNES couldn't do shoot 'em ups, as there are a number of quality shooters on it. Just not quite as many as on other consoles. And they could still feature quite a bit of stuff going on in them. In fact, in the case of BioMetal, there is perhaps a bit too much going on. Throughout the game, you come under constant bombardment from enemy fire. Or just the presence of enemies. And some of the enemies are rather large, reducing the amount of space you have to manoeuvre around the screens. Sometimes the only way of getting through is to use your G.A.M. and escape from the chaos, although this would largely result in you running into something else somewhere else. In a way, it emphasises the importance of having the G.A.M. and understanding how it works, but it takes something of the fun out of a shoot em' up if all you're doing is running away when things get tough, rather than the battle being something you have a reasonable chance of beating through your shooting skills alone. Having to use it on occasions would be okay, but as the game progresses, it feels that you need to rely on it too often. Another issue is that when you are using the G.A.M. to help you out of sticky situations, the game suffers with slowdown. Yes, the SNES copes most of the time with what BioMetal throws at it, but there are times when its weaknesses show. Still, the slowdown actually makes bits of it easier, so it's not all bad. Unintentional perhaps, but useful.
How dare you throw bananas at me! And blue things.
Keeping with the theme of the game being about as generic as you can possibly get, each level features a boss at the end of it. And each one has its own unique attack pattern which means you can defeat them once you know how. Some of the end battles go on for far too long though. Once you know what you've got to do, you just have to keep repeating the same process until the boss nasty is dead. Fortunately, losing a life in this game puts you in exactly the same place as you die rather than having to backtrack and start again.
If you've played R-Type before, the end boss may seem a little familiar. In fact, a lot of the game feels like it is a rehash of R-Type. It features similar baddies, a similar difficulty level, three main weapons and missile types, plus a secondary weapon. On R-Type it is the little detachable bit that will go off and attack things for you, or offer a bit of defence if its attached to you. In BioMetal, it's the G.A.M..
Now where have I seen you before? Or was it your uglier brother?
Although the graphics in BioMetal are mostly good, with some nice background effects early on, and some of the SNES' obligatory scaling and rotation tricks sprinkled throughout, they aren't always that attractive and seem a bit drab. Of course, the enemy aliens are meant to be ugly, but overall the graphics don't stick out and blow you away. That said, there is variety on offer in each level and plenty of detail, but nothing to make your jaw drop. Not that you'll have much chance to take anything in anyway.
Some fancy SNES graphical effects going on in the background here, with an effing great big green laser thing coming from the mouth of whatever thing you're up against, distracting you from the spectacle.
As far as music goes, and as has already been mentioned several times, BioMetal's US and PAL releases saw it feature a soundtrack from 2 Unlimited. And although the renditions of some of their tracks are quite good, they don't really suit the game. Plus they all sound a bit samey. Now, I'm not sure if that's because the same tracks are reused in different parts of the game, or if it's because there really wasn't a lot of variance in 2 Unlimited's music, but after a while, you kind of want to hear something a bit different. I could imagine dance music working in a shoot em' up game, but in probably one with a different theme - not one featuring part-organic alien creatures. Probably something a bit more futuristic and colourful. I guess hearing familiar licenced music was quite a novelty back in 1993, and it's still interesting to hear it now, but it does grate after a while. The Japanese release has its own soundtrack. It's not memorable at all, but definitely suits the game better and isn't anywhere near as nauseating. Sound effects in both versions are the same, but sound a bit week, and some of the noises the larger enemies make when defeated or even when they're present on screen are very annoying. Maybe a few explosions would have been nice.
As well as soundtrack differences, there are some other changes that were made from the original Japanese release of the game. All of these are cosmetic. Some enemies flash a different colour when shot - blue in the Japanese version, green in the US/PAL version. The title screen appears before the background story in the US/PAL version, whereas it's afterwards in the Japanese version. The title screens are different too. Plus the skin tones of the two crew members are also different in each version.
The title screen from the Japanese version of the game. Pretty, isn't it?
Despite some of the criticisms above, BioMetal isn't an awful game at all. It is a game that takes a bit of practice, and offers a satisfying and meaty challenge, although its difficulty level means it can be frustrating in several places and it feels like there is an over reliance on shielding yourself to avoid confrontation which reduces some of the fun of it. It is probably one of the most unoriginal games to have been released for the SNES, and one of the most unoriginal shoot em' ups of all time, but it's worth a blast if you're into the genre. Or if you like listening to nineties dance tunes.
RATINGS
Presentation – 80%
A static title screen, static images accompanied by a scrolling story and wireframe images of your spaceship plus a couple of pictures of the crew. That's your lot. All pretty standard stuff.
Graphics – 74%
Nothing that will make your eyes feel like they're being treated to anything special but they do suit the theme of the game.
Sound – 70%
Using a soundtrack from a successful 90s group seems like a good idea, and the versions that the SNES produces aren't bad, but it doesn't really suit the game. Sound effects are average.
Playability – 64% You are thrown into the action pretty much straight away, and there really is no let up. Deaths are frequent, with there perhaps being a bit too much enemy fire to make the game enjoyable, plus the ability to G.A.M. your way out of situations is welcome but a bit too necessary.
Overall – 66%
A very very bog standard shooter. Unoriginal and bland but offers some fun, although there are much better shoot em' ups out there.
VIDEO
Here's footage of the game in action on Google's most excellent YouTube video entertainment service
It's that time of year when the world's greatest tennis players gather at the All England Club in London to take part in the most famous bat and ball tournament of them all - The Wimbledon Championships. I quite like tennis, but unfortunately I'm not very good at it. It's highly unlikely that I'll ever find myself on Centre Court at SW19 in my PE kit with my racket and balls. But, I don't want to feel left out, so my plan is to partake in a few games of tennis from the comfort of my settee. Oh yes, I'm going to play a few tennis video games. All on one machine to compare and contrast. And the machine on which its tennis games are going to be rigorously compared and contrasted is the good old Super Nintendo. And first to the bat is Andre Agassi.
Call me Andre
Andre Agassi Tennis - Tekmagik (1992)
Agassi was one of tennis' biggest stars in the 1990s so it was inevitable that he would pop in a video game based on the sport. Andre Agassi Tennis was released on the SNES in 1992 and is quite a simple version of the game. It all looks a bit plain and feels a bit rough around the edges. Gameplay comes to a sudden stop after each point is won and the controls could have done with a bit of refining. It's a functional version of tennis, but a bit dull.
New balls please
Nice motion blur effects there. Just lovely
David Crane's Amazing Tennis - Absolute (1992)
How do you convince the public that your game is worth playing? Why, call it amazing of course. That'll trick them. Just like Sega and their "Great" sports game series for the Master System, most of which were turds. Despite what the titles says, David Crane's Amazing Tennis isn't amazing.. It looks and sounds fantastic, and initially it seems to control ok. But, it has one major problem. The court is viewed from a low perspective. Although this does immerse you more in the game, it makes it difficult to judge the depth of the court and to know where the ball actually is, especially when you're on the far end. You also don't have full visibility of the width of the court, which makes it hard to make use of all of it. Sometimes, your player isn't even on the screen as the camera follows the ball, not the player. It's nice to see developers attempting something different, but there's a reason why most tennis games use a more traditional angle.
FootLocker!
Starring a little person on his lonesome
International Tennis Tour - Taito (1993)
Another game which uses a low perspective, although not quite as low as David Crane above. The court is also viewed from a distance, which gives better visibility of the gameplay, even if it makes the court look tiny. This is actually quite a fun game, and is much more forgiving than other tennis games, perhaps a little too forgiving. You somehow manage to pull off shots even though it clearly looks like you've missed the ball. The ball also seems to float over the net which makes things a bit easier. Worth having a look at if you're after an arcade-style tennis game.
A close game between Carter and Iston
Is it bad that I've never heard of Jimmy Connors?
Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour - Ubi Soft (1992)
If it's realism you're after, Jimmy Connors Tennis is the game for you. You can perform all kinds of shots with the many buttons available on the SNES controller, although I'm not too convinced that you're fully controlling what's going on. It isn't the most attractive of games to look at, but it plays a good game of tennis and has a surprising amount of depth. To get the most out of this game though, you do need to invest time and effort into it. It's not immediately accessible and getting to grips with the controls isn't easy.
Whoosh! 113 MPH!! You can really sense the speed in this screenshot
Super. Just Super
Super Tennis - Nintendo (1991)
The earliest tennis game on the Super Nintendo, and easily the best. Super Tennis shows off some of the then-new console's 3D abilities, but these don't interfere with the game. The controls are responsive and the multitude of shots that you can pull off with the variety of the buttons feels natural. The game doesn't bog you down with statistics and options and suchlike. Instead, it just plays a great fun game of tennis. Super Tennis probably remained untouched as the best console tennis game until Virtua Tennis hit the Dreamcast ten years later.
A massive sign blocks the only way in to Adventure Island
Game:Super Adventure Island Format:Super Nintendo Developer:Hudson Soft Year Released:1992 Also released on:Nothing Now available on:Wii Virtual Console (800 points)
It's 2014 and the new generation of console gaming is finally with us. Once again, the three main contenders - Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo - have put forward their offerings for this latest bout. It's still very early days, way too early to predict a victor. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both appear to have got off to great starts and seem to be pretty much neck and neck, while the Wii U, even with the advantage of a year's head start, seems to be wandering around aimlessly like somebody's drunk uncle, not sure of its place or purpose, hoping that somebody will figure out that it is a brand new console and not just a variation of the original Wii.
New technology brings new capabilities, and this will undoubtedly mean that games become more realistic. This isn't just in terms of graphics, gameplay environments, physics and suchlike. Oh no. Developers are adding more depth to the characters in their games, giving them multi-faceted personalities and a greater variety of traits. They want gamers to become more emotionally involved in games, immersing themselves in the world of the characters that they are controlling - characters with human-like flaws, complexities, prejudices, their own set of morals - good or bad. The characters may not always be likeable, but as they possess more real personalities, gamers are likely to be able to empathise with them and understand how and why they behave in the way that they do.
Master Higgins is toast if he doesn't make these jumps
Of course, I've been empathising with video game characters for years. Master Higgins, of Adventure Island fame, is one such character I find myself relating to quite easily. You see, Master Higgins appears to frequent Adventure Island with a bizarre amount of regularity. It reminds me of my childhood when, no matter whether it was the summer holiday, Easter, half term or just a random weekend, I seemed to find myself at a caravan site in North Wales. My mum and dad having a holiday home there was probably something to do with it. I'm sure my adventures in North Wales weren't anywhere near as exciting or treacherous as Master Higgins' are in Adventure Island, but they probably come close. We once nearly got stuck in a flood near Cricceith, and I remember getting lost in the sand dunes on the beach once. I even very nearly had my very first kiss while there. And, this story of youthful romance even has a retro gaming element to it. It was the summer of 1992, and I'd spent three weeks on holiday there. I was at a special age, 13, nearly 14. And I became aware that I'd noticed a young lady with long dark hair while wandering around the arcade of an evening. I also noticed that she appeared to have spotted me too, and it became quite apparent that we spent much of the three weeks there giving each other knowing glances. On the final night, I was standing at a 5p-a-go fruit machine with a friend, watching him pump his pocket money into it in the hope he'd win the £2.50 jackpot. Behind me was the Out Run machine, and standing at it was the girl with long dark hair and her friend. All of a sudden, the friend walked over to me and asked me if I'd "go with" long dark haired girl. I froze on the spot. Back then, I didn't really understand what to "go with" somebody meant. I muttered something about having to go home the next day, which got the response "So?". After what felt like hours of standing there, wanting to say yes but not sure exactly what I'd be letting myself in for, the girl walked back to her friend at Out Run and they went away. And that was it. For years I kicked myself about the missed opportunity. Oh well. Yes, even in the romantic misadventures of my youth, retro games seem to feature. In fact, this wasn't the only time. A few years later, a Nintendo Entertainment System and Duck Hunt hampered another opportunity.
Worst date ever....
Back to Adventure Island where it appears Master Higgins had more luck with the ladies than I did, seeing as one of the reasons for him going there time and time again was to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. Unlike my visits to North Wales, which have never (yet) been depicted in a video game, Master Higgins' visits to Adventure Island were immortalised in a series of games for a range of consoles, namely the NES, SNES, Gameboy, PC Engine, Wii and even the Gamate. Today we'll be looking at his first appearance on the SNES which went under the title Super Adventure Island because it was the fashion at the time to slap Super to the beginning of titles for games on the SNES. But before we do, let's take a quick look at Adventure Island's convoluted, complex but not-really-that-interesting origins.
Wonder Boy - Adventure Island's spiritual ancestor
Adventure Island began life as the arcade platform game Wonder Boy, which featured Tom-Tom's quest to rescue his girlfriend. Being named after a sat nav, Wonder Boy easily found his way to home computers and consoles with ports appearing on the Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64, SG1000, Master System and Game Gear. Hudson Soft acquired the rights to produce the game for the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System but legend has it that they decided to change the main character. Instead of featuring a nappy-wearing toddler named after a not-yet-invented satellite navigation system, it instead featured a caricature of Hudson Soft's PR man, Takahashi Meijin. They also decided to change the game's name to Adventure Island (for Westerners anyhow - in Japan the game's title translated as Master Takahashi's Adventure Island). However, seeing as the legend in this case is Wikipedia, there's a good chance that it's wrong. Other sources suggest that, although Hudson Soft acquired the rights to the game from Wonder Boy's developers, Escape (now Westone Bit), they didn't acquire the rights to the name and its main character, which were owned by Wonder Boy's publisher, Sega. Whatever happened, Adventure Island on the NES was basically Wonder Boy with a different name and without Wonder Boy himself and with a small number of creative changes. It's not quite as good a conversion as the one for the Master System, but it's not bad.
Throwing an axe at an innocent looking snail in Wonder Boy (arcade version)
Despite their shared beginnings, Wonder Boy and Adventure Island went on to become two independent franchises - kind of. Whereas subsequent Wonder Boy games contained more role-playing elements, Adventure Island's sequels mostly kept to the arcade platform style of the original. Wonder Boy was first followed by Wonder Boy: Monster Land in the arcade in 1987, which like its prequel received conversions for home computer and consoles aplenty, mostly under the name Wonder Boy in Monster Land, sometimes with a Super at the beginning of it. In Japan, the Master System conversion was named Wonder Boy: Monster World and was the beginning of the Monster World franchise. As with the NES conversion of Wonder Boy, Hudson Soft's conversion of Wonder Boy in Monster Land, this time for the PC Engine, featured different characters and a different name, becoming Bikkuriman World with characters based on those in a Japanese anime. To confuse things further, Hudson Soft's mobile phone port of Wonder Boy in Monster Land in 2005 was called Super Adventure Island, not to be confused with the SNES game with the same name that I'm meant to be reviewing here. I'll get there eventually.
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair was the third and final Wonder Boy arcade game, appearing in 1988. It was converted for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1990 and PC Engine/TurboGrafx in 1988. Hudson Soft handled the PC Engine conversion and this time tampered with the name by just calling it Monster Lair. In Japan, a Master System sequel to Wonder Boy: Monster World (the one known elsewhere as Wonder Boy in Monster Land) was developed. It was to be known as Monster World II: Dragon's Trap. However, as the Master System had been dropped in Japan, the game didn't get a release over there until it later appeared on the Game Gear in 1992. But, over in Europe, where the Master System was still a big seller, the game did get released in 1989 under the title Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. It really is one of the Master System's greatest games. Hudson Soft, once again, had their mitts on rights to this game, releasing it on the PC Engine as, um, Adventure Island. Gah! In the US for the Turbografx, it became Dragon's Curse.
After two different Wonder Boy III games, Wonder Boy's fifth appearance was on the Mega Drive, where, in 1991, he appeared in Wonder Boy in Monster World in the USA and Europe, and Wonder Boy V: Monster World III in Japan. The game also appeared on the Turbografx-CD as The Dynastic Hero. The game was also released on the Master System in Europe in 1993, keeping the name Wonder Boy in Monster World. The final game in the Wonder Boy/Monster World series was Monster World IV, a Mega Drive exclusive released only in Japan in 1994. The Wonder Boy name had been dropped from the title, and the game's main character was a girl. Monster World IV finally made it to Western shores in 2012, appearing on the Wii's Virtual Console service. Since its appearance there in 2012, no more Mega Drive games have been released on the Virtual Console.
So, that was Wonder Boy. I have a headache now. Fortunately, Adventure Island's history is slightly less complex, especially if we ignore the fact that some conversions of Wonder Boy sequels had Adventure Island in the titles. A couple of sequels followed Adventure Island on the NES, namely Adventure Island II and Adventure Island III. A fourth game appeared in Japan for the Famicom, apparently the last official Japanese Famicom game to be released. Two Adventure Island games appeared on the Gameboy, Adventure Island and Adventure Island II. Adventure Island was based on Adventure Island II for the NES, and Adventure Island II was based on the NES game Adventure Island III. Super Adventure Island and Super Adventure Island II appeared on the SNES. Super Adventure Island was released on the SNES after Adventure Island II on the NES so is the third home console Adventure Island game. The fourth was New Adventure Island for the PC Engine/Turbografx. Super Adventure Island II on the SNES went down the role playing adventuring route of the Wonder Boy sequels. This was Master Higgins' final console appearance until he returned in Adventure Island: The Beginning for the Wii in 2009. Coincidentally, I returned to the holiday park of my childhood in 2009 too. And this kind of brings my whole point about empathising with Master Higgins full circle and concludes my quick but possibly inaccurate summary of the Wonder Boy/Monster World/Adventure Island series.
One of the best things about the Wonder Boy and Adventure Island games is that many of them are still available to play on several of the latest consoles. Pretty much all of the Wonder Boy games are available on the Wii Virtual Console, along with the Adventure Island games, while some of the Wonder Boy games make appearances on the Xbox and PlayStation online services.
Totally rad skateboarding skillz here dude
So, after an introduction which went on much longer than I anticipated, it's finally time to join Master Higgins for his first 16-Bit based trip to Adventure Island. The story begins with Master Higgins and Tina sitting atop a tree, gazing at the stars. While Master Higgins occupies himself by rubbing his head, the evil Dark Cloak casts a spell on Tina and turns her into stone. Angered, Master Higgins waves his fist at Dark Cloak as he flies away. A rather large bird picks up Master Higgins and whisks him off to Adventure Island so he can make his way to Dark Cloak's castle and give him his comeuppance. Tina remains at the top of the tree in her stone-like form. That's the plot, a plot which is clearly so great that the writer of it gets first billing in the end credits. Forget about the graphics designers, programmers, musicians and so on. Their talents are nothing compared to that of the author of the story behind Super Adventure Island.
Here's the reason why sealions shouldn't hold their breath.
Climbing a tree covered by snails. Nasty things snails.
Totally destroyed my strawberry plant last year.
Master Higgins arrives at Adventure Island unarmed, but he quickly picks up an axe which he can throw around at will. And at snails and other such creatures. At first, you can only throw one axe at a time but collecting more axes scattered around the level increases its throw rate and power. At maximum power, the axe turns a purple glowing colour and can even destroy rocks. But that's not all. You can also exchange your axe for a boomerang. The boomerang is handy for attacking enemies from long range and above or below you. The axe remains good at short range. Conveniently, the game tends to ensure that the best weapon for the task ahead is usually made available to you just when you need it. Handy.
An end of level baddie with a light saber. Or glow stick.
It's gone mighty chilly on Adventure Island, and Master
Higgins has only packed his grass pants.
Unlike the original Adventure Island/Wonder Boy, it isn't possible to make Master Higgins run faster by holding down the fire button. This can cause a few frustrations when making longer jumps as you don't get chance to build up speed and go for it. It also sometimes feels like although you've timed a jump well, you actually fall short of your target, usually resulting in your death. It is possible to do high jumps by holding down when you jump and this becomes quite easy to pull off when you get used to it. Alternatively, for greater speed, a skateboard is sometimes made available to you. Unfortunately, you can only go in one direction on it and it doesn't usually take you long until you lose it by colliding into something. If you do manage to still have it by the end of the level, you aren't able to take it onto the next.
Special stage a go-go!
Inside the belly of a beast. Looks like he's been eating
pinepple and kiwi, and eels.
Super Adventure Island is split over five stages each containing three areas plus a boss bottle. Most levels are your typical left to right side scrolling affairs, although there are a couple of upwards scrolling and swimming levels, plus that old platform game favourite, a mine cart level. There are also special stages available, although accessing them appears to be by throwing your weapon into an empty space - good luck remembering where you found the special stages when trying to locate them again! Each level, area, or whatever you want to call it is different to each other in appearance- no two levels are the same. Even so, the game does feel a bit repetitive as the basic format remains the same throughout. Run, jump and smash the crap out of the weird and wonderful creatures of Adventure Island with your axes and boomerangs. Each level is also quite short, with most (once you get used to them) taking only a minute or two to get through. This means that you don't really get the opportunity to feel immersed in the theme of the level that you're in - it just seems that you're passing through them. The end of stage boss battle is varied for each one, but they remain consistent in that they're all a piece of piss to beat. The only one that offers any challenge is the final one, but this isn't a battle as such as it doesn't require you to use any weapons. A battle of wits and skill maybe.
The obligitory mine cart level.
Meeting a foe in the forest.
The graphics in the game are great, and remain consistently high throughout. Levels are colourful, sprites are large and detailed and everything looks the part. Music is also fantastic too and is more representative of early nineties dance and R&B than typical videogame music. The man behind the tunes was none other than Yuzo Koshiro, better known for composing the famous soundtrack of the Streets of Rage games. Overall, the game feels very polished, and doesn't bother itself with unnecessary intermissions and cut scenes. It just keeps to the arcade game style of Wonder Boy. In a way, this is one of its problems. It perhaps feels too much like an arcade game for a console. It's addictive (if a little frustrating at first) and easily draws you in, but it doesn't last long at all. You'll keep coming back for more because, each time, you get a little better at it. But, once it's completed, there isn't really any return value. And playing it through doesn't give you a feeling of being part of an adventure in a series of engrossing worlds. It's great that the game tries not to repeat the themes of levels over and over again, but you just don't have time to even feel part of a level before you're on to something completely different. You can have the game done in half an hour, which simply isn't good value for a game that would have cost you £40 on release. It's undoubtedly a fun little game which looks and sounds great, but it's frustrating in parts, a bit too short and it isn't really that captivating. Nowhere near as captivating as my holidays in North Wales were.
After years in the spotlight, Dumbo turned to a life of drugs and drink and general rebellious activity. Here he is at
a particularly difficult stage in his life.
RATINGS Presentation: 80% A title screen and animated introduction are all there really is presentation-wise, but this feels right for the game. Less is more as they say. Graphics: 85% Although they don't push the SNES's abilities too much, the game features large colourful sprites and a great variety of graphics which represent each level's theme well, although the graphic designer's efforts are a little wasted as you don't get chance to look at them for very long. Sound: 90% A selection of funky tunes plays throughout the game and add some coolness to the game. Playability: 80% The game feels a bit clunky at first, especially if you're used to controlling the main character in the original Adventure Island/Wonder Boy, but once you're used to it, it becomes quite an enjoyable game to play. Overall: 82% A true arcade-style platform game. Not the greatest SNES game, and probably a bit too linear and short to retain your attention, but most definitely worth a look.
Super Adventure Island playthrough on YouTube
Oh yes, not only have I spent forever trying to write this review, I've also played the game through, recorded it and uploaded it to YouTube. Enjoy!
Game:Cool Spot Format reviewed:Super Nintendo Released by:Virgin Year of original release:1993/1994 Also available on:Sega Mega Drive, Commodore Amiga, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo Game Boy, DOS Available now on:Nothing!
Cool Spot - now there's a short-lived blast from the past. Cool Spot was a character based on the red dot in the 7 Up logo from back in the days when companies tried to use video games as a way of promoting their products. Like many other corporate mascots, he was portrayed as being the epitome of cool, obviously because that's what the company he was promoting wanted people to think about them. Oh yes, he had all of the trademarks of "corporate cool" - the sunglasses, the white sneakers, a bit of attitude, the swagger (that's the current word for being a bit of an obnoxious knob). But, unlike other advert games featuring arsehole "trendy" uber-cool cliched characters, Cool Spot is actually quite a good game.
Some shameless advertising here!
Cool Spot began its life on the Sega Mega Drive before being ported over to the Super Nintendo shortly afterwards (it's likely they were developed around the same time as each other though). This review is of the Super Nintendo version, although I'll say a bit about the Mega Drive version a little later seeing as I gave both versions a go just for curiosity's sake.
Who needs an instruction manual when you have this?
The aim of the game is to help Spot to rescue fellow Cool Spots that have somehow got themselves locked up in cages hidden on each level. Quite how they got locked into them is probably explained somewhere in the game or its manual, but I haven't bothered to find out as it probably isn't really that interesting. You have to guide Spot through a series of typical platform scenarios collecting red dots. Once you have collected more than 60% of the level's dots, you can then go to find the cage to free the imprisoned Spot, thus ending the level. Enemies are killed by firing fizzy bubbles at them of which you have an unlimited supply. Bonus levels can be accessed by collecting about 85% of the red dots on each level. And that's just about all there is to it. Collectibles scattered across the levels include clocks which give you a bit of extra time, 7 Up bottles which replenish your energy, and 7 Up logos are worth 7 spots. The image from the game to the left pretty much sums it all up.
A lobster in pants. That's a sight you don't see every day.
Despite the huge sign, Spot still needs a map to find the next level
The game is well-presented all round. It was developed by David Perry, who was also behind games such games as Disney's Aladdin (Mega Drive), Global Gladiators and of course, Earthworm Jim. This game shares similarities to all of them, in particular the high production values and the fluidity in the animation of the game's characters. Each level is colourful, and all have vibrant, dynamic and clear backgrounds. Each enemy character is also well-designed and seem to have had as much care and attention put into them as the main character itself - the mice on level 3 are a great example. The cut-scenes and level title screens are also entertaining and good to look at. Little touches like Cool Spot smashing up an alarm clock to stop it from going off after running out of time are humorous and add to the overall feel of quality to the game. The in-game sprites are large, as are the platforms and other objects scattered around the levels. In a way, they are actually too large, as they limit the field of view a little, preventing you from seeing what enemies or other platforms are around you. This results in you having to make some leaps of faith in places, or falling into traps that you couldn't see coming, and results in some unfair deaths and frustration. Also, Cool Spot can sometimes be too close to the edge of the screen when walking towards it, meaning that you don't get much chance to react to any enemies that appear from beyond that edge.
A mouse in pyjamas firing cheese at you. Almost as weird as a lobster in pants.
As for the music, this is a definite positive of Cool Spot. In fact, it apparently won awards back in 1993! It is composed by famous video game musician Tommy Tallarico who worked with David Perry on a number of games (again Aladdin and Earthworm Jim). The game opens with a rendition of Wipe Out as Cool Spot surfs the waves on a 7 Up bottle. Each level features suitably suitable backing tracks, some resembling other more familiar tunes, and the sound effects compliment the game well without getting annoying. The bonus stage music, which is basically rave/dance music 1993 style really does evoke memories of that era in your ears. Or it did mine, anyway. You'll be pressing shoot and jump a lot of times, so it's important that the sound that Cool Spot makes when he performs these actions doesn't drive you crazy.
One of many frustrating leaps in this game.
Playing the game is okay. Cool Spot is one of those games in which the character gains speed the more he walks, so it sometimes feels like a bit of a chore to get up him up to speed, and perhaps a bit sluggish when you have to keep stopping and starting again. Performing large jumps sometimes requires a bit of a run up too, which means having to go back on yourself a little to achieve this. This is partially due to the issue described earlier with the limited field of view preventing you from seeing what lies ahead before it's almost too late. Another frustration is that sometimes you need to shoot diagonally to kill enemies. Although this is possible, Cool Spot also moves in the direction you're firing, meaning that you quite often walk past the enemy you're aiming at and have to re-aim from a different angle, or you walk into it and lose power. You can press the right shoulder button down while shooting, which stops Spot from moving, which helps things greatly. Despite these niggles, the game really is fun to play, and you'll find it doesn't take long until you feel confident enough with the controls to be running, firing and leaping around the levels like a madman.
Bouncing around in a bottle. Woo-hoo!!
The game will keep you going for a while. The levels are huge, and the challenge is substantial. You have to earn continues throughout the game, and getting these isn't easy. You can only get continues from the bonus levels. These bonus levels are a lot of fun and involve you bouncing on bubbles in a bottle of pop to reach different items - mostly red dots, but there are also 7 Up logos and extra time in there, plus the aforementioned continue. Usually located in the most hard-to-reach place in the giant bottle! Also remember that you don't automatically get to enter the bonus level. You need to have collected enough red dots in the main level to qualify.
Due to the challenge and the size of the levels, this is a game that will keep you going for a while. It sometimes feels a bit samey. The middle of the game seems to get bogged down in toy-themed levels which feel never-ending, and the last three levels use the same themes as the first three, only in reverse. However, the game has enough in it to impress. You are encouraged to explore the whole levels to get enough red dots required to complete the level, perhaps to reach the bonus levels, and maybe even to get each and every dot scattered around it if you're a bit of a completionist.
Level two, and it's a bright day. The caption was going to say "Snakes on a Chain" but seeing as they're actually on a rope, it wouldn't really work.
Level nine, and it's now getting dark. Well, it is a long game.
The ending. Almost.
As a game in its own right, it is really rather good. Although it is clearly a game to promote a product, it feels like a lot of care and love has been put into it. It would be a great game if it wasn't for some frustrating elements in it. As an advert for a soft drink, it kind of works. There's nothing more annoying than when a company tries to force a character on you, with the clear intention that you have to find that character "cool" and that you would be cool too if you associate yourself with it. By giving their red dot from their logo the name Cool Spot, and making you collect red dots to raise the "cool meter" and even saying in the on-screen guide, "If you're cool, collect these" when referring to a 7 Up logo, 7 Up are doing just that. What companies like 7 Up (or Dr Pepper, or Pepsi, or whoever owns them) didn't get is that companies like Sega and Nintendo gained their "coolness" through characters like Sonic and Mario organically. That is, they didn't have to tell their audience that you'll be seen as hip and trendy if you like them. Basically, it's the youth that decide what's cool, not the corporations attempting to create it. That said, I have to admit that while playing the game, I really wanted a glass of 7 Up! And I haven't had a drink of 7 Up for years.
The PAL palaver
As this review should make clear, Cool Spot was a game advertising the drink 7 Up. However, this was for the American market. In other markets, in particular the UK, 7 Up at the time used that annoying Fido Dido character as its marketing mascot (although the cans did still feature the red dot). So to avoid confusing the public who would obviously stop buying 7 Up due to brand confusion, just about every reference to 7 Up was removed from the game for the PAL market. This means that the 7 Up bottle on the game's title screen is just a generic green bottle, and power replenishments and points are not gained by collecting 7 Up bottles or logos. So, if you lived in a PAL region, you'd have quite a good game in Cool Spot, without the constant advertising of a fizzy lemon and lime drink. However, a little bit of advertising for another company did sneak in. The game was published by Virgin Games, and the 7 Up logos that replenish your energy were replaced by red dots, with the Virgin "V" logo on them. Also, the trains in one of the levels appear to be operated by Sir Richard Branson's company. The cheeky chaps!
It's just like one long advertisement for products, this game is. 7 Up, Virgin Trains, and upside-down dolls.
The Great 16-Bit Console War - Revisisted
Unless you lived on Mars during the 1990s, you should be aware that the Super Nintendo was involved in perhaps the greatest console war known to man. Yes, the first half of the decade was dominated by a legendary struggle in which the Nintendo's white(ish) box was pitted against the Sega Mega Drive in the Great 16-Bit Console War. There was much bloodshed during it as the two great powers fought and feuded in many memorable battles. The Battle of Cool Spot was one of those battles. Other consoles and computers tried, but failed, to compete in this battle, with the Amiga coming a distant third, and the Gameboy making a valiant, but ultimately fruitless attempt. It was really only ever between the SNES and Mega Drive. So, almost two decades after the battle ended, now that Sega and Nintendo have kissed and made up, it seems as good a time as ever to review the skirmishes that took place in 1993's Battle of Cool Spot and declare the victor of this contest.
ROUND 1: Graphics
As far as looks go, the Super Nintendo just about clinches this. The graphics on both versions are fantastic, but on the SNES they are more colourful, more detailed and more defined. Sometimes, colours seem to be added to the SNES version just for the sake of it (there isn't really any reason why the balloons on level one need to be different colours, whereas on the Mega Drive they're all red), and sometimes there is probably a bit too much colour in places where minimal would be better. But, overall the SNES is a slightly prettier game to look at. ROUND 1 winner: SNES
The lobster in pants image from SNES
And from the Mega Drive
ROUND 2: Sound
Like the graphics, the sound on this game is great. It won awards, and it's not hard to see (or hear) why. There's a great variety in the tunes, styles and sound techniques used throughout the game which demonstrates 16-Bit music at its very best. But, the sound on the Mega Drive version just sounds a little crisper than the Super Nintendo's, which sounds a little bit muffled when the two are compared. This is both the case with the background music and the sound effects. Plus, the Mega Drive has a few extra tunes in it and sound effects in it. For example, there's a little tune that plays when you complete a level, plus in level four, the objects you land on make a variety of noises. So, the Mega Drive has the sonic edge. ROUND 2 winner: Mega Drive
ROUND 3: Overall Presentation
Once again, both versions of the game are beautifully presented and demonstrate that the developers really did put everything they could into showing off their skills. However, simply due to the fact that the SNES has a better opening and slightly nicer-looking level titles, plus better graphics all round, round three goes to Nintendo's box of fun. ROUND 3 winner: Super Nintendo
Pre-level presentation Super Nintendo style
While over on the Mega Drive, it looks like this
ROUND 4: Controls
The game controls in the same way on both versions, with Spot responding well to your commands through the control pad. Some parts of the game require a bit more practise on the Mega Drive version (even on level one, it's harder to do the balloon jumping sections, and the climb up the sunlounger), whereas the Super Nintendo version feels a bit more fluid in these areas, and also has the added bonus of you being able to make Spot stand still while he's firing. As you play through the game though, you kind of get used to the slight difference in doing these kinds of things depending on which version you are playing, but just because the SNES version feels easier and a bit more natural, it wins round 4. ROUND 4 winner: Super Nintendo
ROUND 5: Playability
Now this is where things are different. Both games are extremely fun to play, but as the review above mentions, the Super Nintendo version has a few frustrations. The main problem is due to the fact that it feels like the sprites are too big, and it feels like you're a bit too close to the action. The limited field of view means that it is difficult to see what's around you, resulting in you sometimes making mistakes and losing power/lives. Level two and level four are especially prone to this problem, with you climbing up and down ropes and not being able to see what lies above and below you before it's too late. On level four, you have to leap from lily pads to toy boats and onto toy aeroplanes in a bath tub, but it's often quite difficult to see where the next object actually is until you're just about to land on it, and quite often you'll find yourself falling into the water and losing a life. Of course, you could take your time and edge yourself as far as you can to see what's where, but this isn't really much fun, and doesn't really benefit you that much. But what about the Mega Drive? Firstly, the field of view doesn't seem as limited and you can generally see more of your surroundings. Also. when you face right, the screen scrolls quickly in that direction to reveal what lies ahead of you. This was a trait of a few of David Perry's games, and can also be seen in Aladdin and Earthworm Jim. It feels weird at first, but works. This scrolling technique isn't present in the Super Nintendo version. In fact, it doesn't really scroll much differently than other platform games. The scroll effect is a subtle difference, but it makes quite a large difference to how the two games play. ROUND 5 winner: Mega Drive
ROUND 6: Overall Enjoyability
Although the Mega Drive controls are a bit more difficult to get to grips with at first, it doesn't really take long to do so. However, the fact that the scrolling and limited view on the Super Nintendo haunts you throughout the game, the Mega Drive version is slightly more fun and less frustrating to play. However, it's a very close call on this game. ROUND 6 winner: Mega Drive
AND THE WINNER IS!!!!
In the Battle of Cool Spot, the Mega Drive is able to claim the spoils. It might not look quite as good as the Super Nintendo version, although it still looks fantastic, but it sounds better and, more importantly, plays a little better. And therefore, it can be declared the winner!
As a special treat, here is a video of me playing through level one on the Mega Drive and the first bonus stage. I did record a SNES video of the entire game (including about half an hour of trying to get through Loco Motion), but I can't figure out how to convert it to a proper video format to upload.
Of course, that's just one victory for the Mega Drive. The 16-Bit console war was fought over many battles. And we will analyse more of these battles as we come across them. The war may be over, but it isn't forgotten.
And, if you agree, or disagree with this review or the analysis of the Battle of Cool Spot between the Super Nintendo and Mega Drive, you can always leave a comment below!
EXTRA SCREENSHOTS
Phew! This is the review that keeps on giving. Here are some extra screenshots from SNES Cool Spot.
Another mouse in pyjamas. I'm going to be having dreams about these tonight!
The end of Level 4 (Wading About). It took me forever to reach this, but I managed it eventually, and with 100% of the spots too!
Cards, chattery teeth, and piles.
Words can't really describe what's going on here.
Spot decides to take a drive in a tractor. Well, he can't actually drive it, but the picture makes it look like he is.
These boxes spell out Jet. Oh, I remember Jet. She made Gladiators worth watching.
