Takara: Masters of the Port Part 1: 1992-1995-JGC Feature

The name Takara is near-synonymous with fighting games. Anyone playing fighters during the 16-bit era likely came across some of their games for the Genesis/Mega Drive or Super Famicom/SNES. Many of these ports were faithful versions of the original games. Many were sub-par ports that were vastly inferior to their Neo Geo counterparts. Japan Game Cave will take a look at some of their best and worst ports from the Neo Geo.

A little bit of background is needed before jumping into Takara's ports. The Neo Geo MVS was released in 1990 and soon made waves across the globe.  An international arcade smash, the technically gifted Neo Geo would soon make its way home in the form of the Neo Geo AES console. Far too expensive for the average consumer, companies began to look for other ways to get the games into the average family living room. Takara would seek to fill that void.

Founded in 1955, Takara would be a major player in the Japanese toy market. Their most successful product would be the creation of the "Transformers". Today, the Transformers empire is valued in the millions. Despite their success in the toy industry, Takara became involved in the growing home video game market in the 1980s. In the 1990s, their main focus would shift to porting Neo Geo games to various platforms.


Released in 1991. King of the Monsters was a fairly successful arcade game at the game. Players take control of giant monsters and battle it out in large city-scapes. Takara ported the game to the Super Famicom and later the SNES. The Super Famicom version features obviously scaled-down sprites and backgrounds, far less detailed than the huge sprites of the Neo Geo original. The game would also make it to the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993. The game looks arguably worse on the Genesis, with less colours and detail in the backgrounds.

King of the Monsters 2 would also make it to both the SFC/SNES and Genesis/MD. Many say that the sequels are better for both systems, but most give the Nintendo console a slight edge due to the more colourful visuals and better sound. You choose. In any case, it can be argued that despite weaker visuals, King of the Monsters 1 and 2 made it home mostly intact.

Garou Densetsu (Fatal Fury in the West) is one of
SNK's most beloved franchises. Released into arcades in 1991, the Neo Geo original was one of the first major fighting games to challenge Street Fighter 2 and its dominance. The game would come home to the SFC in 1992. Like King of the Monsters, Garou Densetsu would take a graphical hit coming home. Sprites are again noticeably less detailed than the Neo Geo. However, like most SFC/SNES games, the sound is quite good, making effective use of the SFC's sound capabilities. The Mega Drive/Genesis version was not quite as faithful as on the Nintendo console. Murky background and tinny sound would mar the port of GD on the Sega console. Most prefer the SFC/SNES port to the Genesis/MD.

Garou Densetsu 2 (Fatal Fury 2) was released in 1992 in the arcades. Vastly expanding the character rooster (you could only play as three characters in the 1-player mode of the original), the game was another success for SNK. The SFC is quite faithful the Neo Geo original in this author's opinion. Vivid colours, great controls, and excellent sound make the SFC/SNES port as close as one could with a 16-bit console. As for the MD/Genesis port, many argue that it plays faster and better due to the "blast processing" on Sega's hardware. I believe that the Sega version does not look as good or sound as good, but this is certainly up for debate. What is clear, Takara produced quality ports of Garou Densetsu 2 for both 16-bit consoles. Much better than the first Garou game. Garou Densetsu Special, an expanded version of Garou 2 would make it home to the SFC/SNES, but failed to make it Sega's console.




I have never played this version of the game, but have heard great things about it. Takara also released portable versions of Fatal Fury. A Gameboy port of Fatal Fury 2 was released in 1994. Also, a Sega Gamegear port was released in 1993. Many criticize the portable ports as mere cash-ins, having little value. I have not played either portable Takara games.

Another one of SNK's major franchises was Ryuuko no ken. Known as Art of Fighting in the West, the series became famous for its massive sprites and scrolling backgrounds. Released in 1992, the game would find its way home for all of the 16-bit consoles (and even the PC Engine). With sprites this huge, sacrifices were going to be made. Both versions of this game suffered coming home. The scrolling was omitted in the Genesis/MD version, and the sound and music are generally quite poor. In the SFC/SNES version, the scrolling remains, but is vastly subdued compared to the Neo Geo. Character sprites look almost as bad as on the Sega console.

Ryuuko no ken 2 would come home only to the Super Famicom, and only in Japan. Many regard the sequel as a much better port. Characters looks better animated and detailed but still pale in comparison to the Neo Geo original. Developed by arcade developer Saurus, it is one of the best SFC fighters. The game was actually ported outside of Takara's oversight, and many consider that the reason why it was vastly superior than most of Takara's 16-bit ports. World Heroes would find its way home to the 16-bit consoles, but this porting was done by Saurus, Sunset, and Mid-West with mixed results.











After the massive arcade success of Samurai Spirits (Samurai Shodown in the West) in 1993, Takara would bring the game home to the Super Famicom and Mega Drive. Vastly inferior ports would also find their way to the Gameboy and Gamegear. While the SFC took the advantage for most 16-bit Takara games, the SFC is a pile of garbage. Yes, it keeps all characters including Earthquake (he has a massive sprite in the arcade version), but it just plain insults the original game. Characters are reduced to a microscopic size and backgrounds look flat and dull. The sound is ok, but nothing special. The Genesis/MD version has much bigger characters, but omits Earthquake entirely from the game. I would rather omit a character than shrink the game. The SFC/SNES port has to be one of the worst atrocities that Takara committed during the 16-bit era.






The legacy of Takara has to be understood within the technical constraints of the day. Arcade hardware such as the Neo Geo was much more technically powerful than home consoles hardware. Takara ports are a mixed bag to say the least, some decent and close, others are completely off the mark. They are strange curiosities today. There are dozens of ways to play the Neo Geo originals, and they are always vastly superior to Takara ports. Takara brought home some of the biggest games of the day for kids like me who didn't have a Neo Geo at home, and for that, they do have a special place in my heart. Takara would not finish their ports with the 16-bit era, more would come.......to be continued in part 2......

Orguss-Sega SG-1000 Review

Released in 1984 for the Japan-only Sega SG-1000, Orguss is based on the 1983-1984 anime series from Big West. Comparisons between Macross and Orguss have been made for decades, and Orguss was once considered as a possible third story arc for the American version of Macross, Robotech. However, Orguss would only receive a partial dub of its 35 episodes in English in the early 1990s. Few care about the anime outside of Japan, and even fewer know there was a Sega game based on this underrated anime. Let's take a look and see if the game needs to be played, or can be left behind in 1984. Before the game let's take a quick look at the Sega SG-1000.

An abject failure from a commercial stand-point, the Sega SG-1000 was released only in Japan and Australia/New Zealand. Released very close the Japanese release of the Famicom, Sega's first 8-bit machine couldn't even come close to the sales of Nintendo's Famicom. The system is largely forgotten today.

In Orguss, you take control over a flying mecha called Orguss. Your aim is to get the end of the level and beat the boss before the timer runs out. You have two modes, robot or fighter/plane. In robot mode, you can take more hits. However, you are much slower in this mode. You can also fly lower on the screen to hit the targets on the ground. In plane/flier mode, you move faster but take far less hits.

Gameplay is rather basic, even for 1984 standards. If you are lucky enough to make it through the level (the game is tough), you will play another level of mostly the same. Enemy sprites vary very minimally, and you will fight the same baddies over and over. The amount of enemies seem to come in greater amounts as you progress through the game. Backgrounds are simple, and you are treated to mostly either forests/mountains or checkerboard patterns (I don't remember this from the anime).

You will likely lose interest in this game before you complete all of the rounds. Not terrible, but very primitive in terms of every aspect of sound, graphics, and gameplay. Think Atari 2600 in terms of sounds, bleeps and bloops dominate the soundtrack, and a grating "engine" type sound is omnipresent. Its easy to see that the SG-1000 wasn't even close to the Famicom in terms of graphic capabilities, and the game resembles a ColecoVision game (the SG-1000 and ColecoVision are almost identical internally).

If you are one of the few Sega die-hards to own an SG-1000 (SG-1000 games will also play on a Sega Mark III, the Japanese version of the US Master System), you could do worse than Orguss. Overall, there is little reason to seek this game out.













+Based on the anime
+Gameplay is adequate for the time
+Two variable modes for your ship

-Basic sprites and backgrounds
-Sound can be grating and irritating
-Repetitive gameplay and backgrounds

RATING-6.6/10

Tatsujin(Truxton)-PC Engine Review

Released in the West as Truxton for the arcade and Sega Genesis, few are aware of the PC Engine release. As a 1992 release by Taito, the game was released many years after the Genesis/Mega Drive version of the game.

Let's get the obvious out of the way, Tatujin is a hard game, very hard indeed. Even for fans of shooters, this game might leave you in tears. Like many shooters, if you are hit once, you die. When you are facing off against some of the tougher bosses, this will seem insane. If you die more than the lives you have, its game over. Unless you have the option of some sort of save state device or emulation, you will need to repeat this game many times over.

Gameplay consists of the player taking control of a spaceship (surprise!). Your ship changes colour in accordance with your weapon. Blue is a lightning-type weapon, green is a sort of lazer/pulse weapon, and red is bullets. I found the blue weapon the easiest to use, but it will depend on each player. You are given a few "bombs" that can inflict massive damage. However, use the bombs carefully as you will spend periods of time without any in sight. Also, you will try and power up your weapon as much as possible. Often, you power up your weapon, only to die a second later.

Besides the insane difficulty, there is a lot to like about Tatsujin for the PC Engine. Colourful graphics (brighter than the Genesis/MD), brighter sounds (not as tinny/metallic as the Genesis/MD), and solid controls make for a great package. The game isn't especially long, but when a game is this hard, you are literally begging for it to be over. Seriously, you palms with hurt with fatigue from clenching the controller so tight. I haven't spent much time with the Genesis/MD version, but I hear that this version is certainly harder for the Japanese audience.


Tatsujin is a very valuable game in any of its formats. Expect to pay over $100 for this version. Genesis/MD copies go for even more nowadays. Is the game worth the insane price tag? I happen to like this version more than on the Sega consoles. Tatsujin is a great shooter, but I would find it hard to spend the insane asking price.

+Great visuals, bright and colourful
+Very unique and memorable music
+Better-looking and sounding than Genesis/MD version

-Very, very difficult
-Quite rare and expensive to find the game

RATING:8.2/10

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.

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