History of the Japanese Sega Mega Drive-JGC Feature 1

Released in 1988 in Japan, the Sega Mega Drive never achieved the level of success of its Western counterpart, the Sega Genesis. Left in third place in the Japanese 16-bit wars, the alternate history of the Mega Drive in Japan is fascinating given the immense success of the Genesis and Mega Drive in most other markets across the world.

Upon release in October 1988, the Mega Drive initially had a drought of quality software. Only two games were available at launch, Space Harrier II and Super Thunderblade. Sales were sluggish and only reached 400,000 shipped by the end of the year.




1989 brought more triple A titles for the Mega Drive. Games such as Dai Makaimura (Ghouls and Ghosts in the West) and the much-anticipated Phantasy Star II showed that the Mega Drive was not short on killer titles. However, sales lagged behind both the Nintendo Famicom and NEC's PC Engine. Released in 1987, NEC's little white box was a big reason for the lack of success for the Mega Drive in Japan. Getting the jump on the Mega Drive, the PC Engine was getting a steady stream of killer titles, including Sega ports such as Shinobi, Golden Axe, and even Altered Beast.

As the Mega Drive struggled against the Famicom and PC Engine, Sega sought some interesting and innovative ways to try and boost interest in the tanking Mega Drive. Released in 1990, the Mega Modem allowed pay-to-play multiplayer, primitive online banking, and even an answering machine service called "Mega Anser".

All of these peripherals failed to garner significant interest in the Mega Drive. As the Genesis began to become a serious competitor to the NES in North America and Europe, the Land of the Rising Sun seemed to be indifferent to Sega's 16-bit powerhouse. Despite a steady stream of titles through 1990 and 1991, there seemed little hope of the Mega Drive overtaking it competitors.

As the Super Famicom made huge waves across Japan after its 1990 release, the situation seemed to get even worse for the Mega Drive in Japan. Super Mario World, Final Fantasy IV, and tons of other AAA titles sold in the millions in the early 1990s. But wait.....what about Sonic 1 and 2? Well, Sonic has never been very popular in his home country. Without the massive success of Sonic in the West, Sega never really had a franchise such as Mario, Final Fantasy, or Dragon Quest that sold systems.

It is not like Sega didn't try. Released in 1991, the Mega CD was an attempt by Sega to give a boost to the lifespan of the Mega Drive. At a launch cost of 49,800 Yen, the Mega CD was a luxury add-on for many. Selling only 100,000 units in its first year in Japan, the add-on catered to such a small installed base that it lacked any real chance at mainstream success.

By the end of its life, the Mega CD had only sold 400,000 units in Japan. However, over 2 million units were sold overall, making the system a modest success outside of Japan. Despite some quality titles such as Final Fight, Lunar 1 and 2, and Popful Mail, the Mega CD failed to increase the sales of the Mega Drive in Japan.

In 1992, Victor released the "WonderMega". Like the PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo, this machine combined the Mega Drive and Mega CD into one slick unit. However, at over 80,000 yen, the machine was high-priced and out of reach for many. The unit would also be released in North America as the JVC X'EYE.


The Mega Drive 2 was released at a cheaper price of 12,800 yen in 1993. The same year, the Mega CD was also released. Much cheaper, the Mega CD 2 still failed to take off in any significant way.

By 1994-95, the Mega Drive/Mega CD was dead in the water. Game releases slowed to a trickle. Despite Genesis games being released in 1996/97 in the West, the last slew of releases in Japan were shoddy Acclaim games such as Batman Forever. Funny enough, these late Acclaim games are quite rare and valuable nowadays, fetching hundreds of dollars on Ebay.

The horrid Sega 32X was released in Japan. However, the 32X sold in such poor numbers that it remains even more obscure in Japan than in the West. Japanese 32X units are a rare and valuable oddity these days.

The eternal debate of Genesis vs SNES will rage on for years. However, in Japan, few consider the Mega Drive an equal to the PC Engine or Super Famicom. It is a shame, as most of the top-tier Genesis games began life in Japan. Unlike its distant 3rd in the West, Sega would reclaim the no.2 spot with its Saturn during the next console generation.

Arumana No Kiseki-Famicom Disk System Review

In the world of import gaming, the Famicom Disk System is an especially undiscovered area of Japanese gaming. Bulky, unreliable, and prone to disk failures, the Famicom Disk System is not for the faint of heart. However, for those willing to explore it, it offers a number of hidden gems that never made it outside of Japan. Arumana No Kiseki is certainly one of those games.

Released in 1987, Arumana has never been officially released in the West. You play as an Indiana Jones-like hero with a whip on a quest for a mystical red jewel that has gone missing. The fact that this game was never released as an Indiana Jones game in the West is truly surprising, as it could have certainly be rebranded as one. It bears many similarities to the Indian Jones plots of the 1980s movies.

In any case, gameplay involves using your while to reach higher platforms. This mechanic takes getting used to, and is quite different from other NES "platformers". I prefer platformers which use jumping mechanics instead, but this mechanic certainly makes the game unique.

Like other 1980's Konami releases, Arumana will test your patience. Despite a variety of six different weapons, you will face an endless stream of baddies. Often, you will reach the next platform, only to be attacked by a wave of flying bats. You will die in this game. However, I did not find it quite as punishing as Castlevania or other NES/Famicom classics such as Ghosts and Goblins (Makaimura). The game can likely be completed in a  couple of hours.

Fans of Castlevania/Dracula looking for a connection will find one in the music. The lead composer on the game was Kinuyo Yamashita. She is responsible for many of Konami's 1980's soundtracks, including the first Castlevania/Dracula game. The tunes are classic NES/Famicom, and they outshine much of the gameplay elements.

Arumana No Kiseki is a lost Famicom "near-classic". While nowhere near as stellar as Castlevania, Contra, Rockman/Megaman, the game is quite enjoyable, despite the learning curve of the whip mechanic. Good graphics and a great soundtrack make the game one to play.

+Great soundtrack by Kinuyo Yamashita
+Very nice-looking visual presentation
+Six different weapons to choose

-Needs Famicom Disk System to play original
-Fairly short
-Whip mechanic can be off-putting

RATING-7.8/10

Pretty Soldier Sailormoon-3DO Review

The Panasonic 3D0 is a very misunderstood video game console. For those who choose to delve deeper into the depths of the 3D0 import games, there are some hidden gems. Is this 1995 game one of these hidden gems? Let's find out.

The game allows you to take control of most of your favourite Sailors. With the exception of Sailor Saturn, the majority of fighters from the TV series are playable. There are several modes to play, including a Super Battle (basically story mode), a vs. mode, and even a team battle.

Gameplay is fairly standard, with most moves following standard 1990s fighting game patterns. "Hadouken" motions will produce fireball-type moves for most Sailors. Some fighters (for example, Sailor Jupiter) have weapons. Overall, the characters are somewhat on the stiff side, but the game plays somewhat fluidly for an anime fighter. The game is quite easy, and anyone with fighting game experience should be able to breeze through the story mode.

The sprites are fairly large and detailed and show the horsepower of the 3D0 at the time. However, they are not terribly animated, and the sprite animation leaves a little to be desired. Also, the backgrounds can often be bland with little in the way of objects in the background. Audio is decent enough, with a few standout tracks.

Much has been said of the 3D0 controller, however, I happen to enjoy it. The game plays quite well with the 3D0 pad, and I find it very well-suited for fighting games in general. Overall, this game is quite enjoyable for fans of the series. For casual fans or non-fans, it is an obscure 3D0 game that may or may not be worth seeking out.

+Easy to play and pull off moves
+A lot of characters to choose from
+Looks great

-Lacks depth in fighting engine and gameplay
-Animation of sprites is minimal
-On the obscure 3D0 platform

RATING-7.2/10

Martial Champion-PC Engine Review

A PC Engine port of an obscure Konami arcade fighter, this 1993 release is widely regarded as a fair weak port of the arcade original. Let's take a look and find out if there is any reason to play this game.

Released in the wake of Street Fighter II, it seems like every game company responded to the success of SFII with their own fighter. Konami was fairly late to the game, but responded with Martial Champion for the arcades.

The picture above shows the arcade original. the arcade game ran on Konami's famous "Mystic Warriors" arcade hardware. Huge sprites were characteristic of many arcade games at the time, and the arcade Martial Champion was no exception. Sadly, the PC Engine version really suffers on the graphical front.

The picture above shows the PCE port. Characters are massively downsized for this version, and the graphics are sub-par compared to other Super CD releases on the PC Engine. It is hard to believe that Konami released "Rondo of Blood" the same year, as that game is a graphical powerhouse and a great example of what the PCE could achieve even in the twilight of its life.

Like the majority of other 1990s fighting games, Martial Champion assembles a group of "stereotypes" for each country represented. For example, there is a Saudi Arabian "Arabian Knight" with a Prince of Persia type sword and ceremonial garb. There is a Japanese Kabuki fighter (very similar to Kyoshiro from Samurai Spirits/Shodown). The other 9 characters feel just as uninspired, and Martial Champion fails to stand out from the crowd in terms of characters.

The gameplay in Martial Champion is fairly bland. Some fighters have swords and weapons, and many do not. This does allow for some diversity in terms of gameplay, like a mix of Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown (before it was released I might add). The lack of animation for the sprites make the special moves look pretty bad. The fighting system feels clunky and unfinished, and the game is hardly a joy to play. Each character only has a very limited set of moves, but remember this game was made a time when 2-3 moves per character were standard.

Martial Champion allows for a few different modes of play. Tournament mode involves the player fighting his/her way up to the final boss by defeating other computer-controlled characters. If you are lucky enough to have a multi-tap, "vs battle" allows the player to face off against another human-controlled player. The only interesting mode is "group match". You can select different characters to take control of, rather than just picking on character.

One advantage of the game is the stellar music. "Redbook" audio sounds great, and its a shame that such great tracks accompany such mediocre gameplay.

Martial Champion is a game only for 1990s fighting game enthusiasts (I am one of them, I'll play them so you don't have to). Bland gameplay and characters make for an experience that is forgettable.  You would be much better off using MAME to emulate the much-better arcade original than tracking down this one. At 50-70$, the game is also very expensive. Perhaps this is due to the rabid Konami fan-base buying every Konami game ever made. In any case, skip this one.

+Great sounding Redbook audio tracks
+Group match mode is unique

-Poor graphics and sprites
-Bland characters and gameplay
-Expensive to import a copy

Rating-6/10

X-Men vs Street Fighter-Sega Saturn Review

Released in late 1997 for the Sega Saturn, this Capcom release is a testament to what the Sega Saturn was capable of. While it never made it outside of Japan, this release is highly discussed among fans of Capcom fighters and the Sega Saturn alike. Let's find out why.

X-Men vs Street Fighter is a tag-team fighter like the Marvel vs. Capcom series. You take control of two fighters from a list of 17 (Apocalypse is the final boss) fighters. This list may seem small nowadays, but was sizeable at the time of release. Most of the fan-favourites appear on the list, however Marvel vs Capcom players will certainly notice some players missing.

Like Marvel vs. Capcom, tagging in your other character can be done in different ways. You can break you block and allow for a super move (with the drain of your meter). Or, you can opt for a more simple tag-in attack. In any case, fans of MVC games should feel at home with this somewhat simplified version of combos and attacks. The fantastic Sega Saturn controller makes playing the game even better, that is if you can track down a model 2 Saturn Controller.

X-Men vs. Street Fighter is considered to be arcade-perfect by many. This is certainly accurate, as very little is missing in the way of lost frames of animation. This is largely due to the "4MB" memory-card which many Saturn fighters made use of. The game needs the cart to run, and they can be an expensive item to track down nowadays. However, the cart will work for other Saturn fighters such as Vampire Savior and Marvel Superheroes vs. Capcom.

For fans of Capcom fighters, X-Men vs. Street Fighter is a fantastic version of a classic arcade game. If you have a Sega Saturn (and the ability to play import games), this game sits pretty high up on the Saturn fighter throne.

+Pretty close to arcade perfect.
+You get to play it with the Sega Saturn controller (the best fighting gamepad).
+Fairly short loading times.
+Sounds great

-Needs 4MB memory cart.
-Japan-only release (need ability to play imports).

RATING-9/10

Castlevania/Dracula X-Rondo of Blood-Review

Few games are as legendary as this one. Released just before Halloween in 1993, Rondo of Blood is considered by many to be second only to 1997's "Symphony of the Night" in terms of critical acclaim. However, far fewer have played this gem as it has only officially been released on the PC Engine Super CD, in addition to the Wii Virtual Console. This review will cover the original Japanese 1993 PC Engine CD release.

A long "anime" introduction sets up the story. Once again, a Belmont(Richter) must face off against the evil Dracula. The introduction looks and sounds great. A few more of these cut-scences appear throughout the game and add a lot to the story. However, they are in Japanese. The Wii version does translate the text into English.

On to the gameplay. The game plays and looks like a dream. For a PC Engine game, the sprites are highly detailed and some of the bosses/monsters have huge sprites. The backgrounds are great-looking, and in the first stage you visit the familiar first town from Castlevania II. Deep purples and dark colours fill the sprite palettes, and the game have a wonder ambience of macabre to it.

Like Castlevania 3, Rondo of Blood has branching paths. In this alternate path, you can take control of "Maria". More nimble and agile, Maria plays quite different from Richter, who is more lumbering. Familiar weapons such as the Holy Water and Cross make their return. Many have complained that about Richter's inability to whip multi-directionally, like in Super Castlevania IV. While this is a minor issue, besides CIV, none of the earlier games allowed for this feature either.

Despite the two distinct paths and the ability to play as Maria, Rondo will certainly feel short compared to more modern Vania games. Each play through should take a couple of hours (depending on how many times you die). While this may seem short, each moment is an enjoyable one. Remember, this is before "Metroid-vania" entered our lexicons. Rondo of Blood is a masterpiece, and it deserves to be played by anyone with even a casual interest in the series.

+One of the greatest looking games of its time.
+Plays wonderfully with classic Castlevania gameplay
+Multiple paths and characters


-Somewhat short
-Very expensive to buy a real copy (200+)
-Cutscenes are in Japanese

Rating: 9.5/10

Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti-Review

Released shortly after the 1988 arcade game Splatterhouse, Wanpaku Graffiti is a Famicom (NES) oddity that never made it out of Japan. This is a shame, as the game is quite fun and unique.

You once again play as Rick Taylor, and once again, you must rescue your girlfriend Jennifer from the forces of evil. This time, you face off again the evil Pumpkin King who has taken Jennifer off into the night. Grab your "Jason" mask and get on with it.



The first thing you will notice is the "SD(super-deformed)" style of the characters. Anyone that knows the original Splatterhouse will appreciate what a change this is from the original Splatterhouse game and its sequels. Despite the cuteness of the characters, the game still retains a fairly dark vibe in terms of levels and imagery.

As you can see, the game is rife with images of the occult such as pentagrams and crucifixes. It is easy to see how this game never left Japan. An SD game with satanic imagery, a puzzling choice at best.

In terms of gameplay, the game shines. A smooth hybrid of "beat-em-up" action and platforming, the game is an interesting blend of both game types. Not especially hard, but not especially easy, expect to die a fair amount. The game also does not take itself too seriously, evident in the moment when you appear to be fighting a boss that resembles a vampire Michael Jackson.  Expect to finish the game in a couple of hours. The game ends with an interesting connection to the first game.........

Splatterhouse, Wanpaku Graffiti is a classic Japan-only oddity. Too cute and occult at the same time for Western audiences, it has since become a fairly sought-after game for import collectors. If you can find it at a decent price, it has a lot to offer.

+Great hybrid of platforming and beat-em-up elements.
+Unique and interesting visual style.
+Looks great for a Famicom game from 1989

-Can be expensive
-An odd mix of cute and creepy (not for everyone)
-Somewhat short

RATING: 8.2/10

Ryuko no Ken (Art of Fighting)-PC Engine Arcade CD Review

Ever wonder what an 8-bit version of Art of Fighting would look like? Well, look no further than Ryuko no Ken for the PC Engine.  Released in 1994, this late PC Engine release required NEC's expensive "Arcade Card" to run. So, to play this release, you not only need a PC Engine/PC Engine Duo with a CD-ROM attachment, you also need the Arcade Card Duo or Arcade Card Pro. These cards are not easy to come by nowadays, and can run over $70-100 depending on the model.  Sounds like a hassle to play? Only for the die-hards?  Exactly......

Assuming you have managed to track down the expensive Arcade Card you need, let's dive in. After a beautifully animated intro (very close to the Neo Geo original), you will encounter a screen you will become all too familiar with. A loading screen.....



The screen above will drive you nuts. Load times for each match are about 1 minute. Now, remember this is the early 90s. However, other fighters on the PC Engine usually have load times of about 20-30 seconds. I assume this is due to the large amount of memory needed for such large sprites. In any case, they are long. I don't think they ruin the game, but they are quite annoying.



Once the game gets going.....you realize the load times were worth it. Huge sprites (not as big as the Neo Geo), a great CD soundtrack, and solid play mechanics make it a great trip down memory lane. I would recommend getting a six-button controller, as the two-button PC Engine layout can certainly be frustrating. However, I made due with just the two buttons.

The game is not without some other flaws. For fans of modern fighters, this game is very dated. You are only allowed to choose two characters in the main story mode (Ryo and Robert). However, you can play as the other characters in vs. mode. Second, you have a "special move" bar that must recharge in order to unleash fireballs, etc. This is certainly annoying, but it is a quirk I have always found slightly charming in AOF. The game is also quite hard. Seriously, good luck beating Jack the first time.

A specific quirk of this version of the game is its fake "scaling" effect. Like the Neo Geo version, the game attempts to zoom in and out the closer or further you get from an opponent. Despite this attempt , the PC Engine hardware doesn't not really allow for the complex scaling of the NEO GEO. This results is a faux zoom effect. I did not find it as jarring as some have complained, but it might distract some.

In conclusion, Art of Fighting on the PC Engine is only for the hardcore. The Neo Geo version appears on countless SNK compilations, the Wii Virtual console, and in many other forms. There is a somewhat decent SNES/Super Famicom version out there as well. I would stay away from the Genesis/Megadrive version due to its horrible music and tiny sprites. Is this the best home version of AOF outside of the Neo Geo? Yes! Does it cost an arm and leg to get? Yes! You not only need an expensive PC Engine Duo or CD Rom, you need the Arcade Card. However, if you have these things, or have an emulator that can run this format, give it a shot. It is a curiosity from a long-gone era of 2D fighters, but a fairly great port for a machine that debuted in Japan in 1987.

+ Great-looking sprites.
+Fantastic CD Soundtrack
+Plays great

-Need a lot of hardware and Arcade Card to play
-Two-button layout is somewhat clumsy
-Long load times

Score: 7.8/10