Review #737: Capcom Classics - Mini Mix

 I would never say no to Capcom classics.

 About a decade ago Capcom saw fit to release their two-volume Capcom Classics collections on the PS2, PSP and the like, but not being one to leave the GBA hanging(or to say no to easy money), Capcom also released Capcom Classics Mini Mix on the GBA, but instead of containing their cheap Arcade games, it instead contained a few of their cheap NES games! Yes, this games are tough because this was the norm at the time, and the games contained in this cart are straight-up ports, no bells and whistles, no savestates, no cheats, nothing to make the experience any more pleasant in our modern times. Included in this game we get: Mighty Final Fight, Strider and Bionic Commando, classics of the yesteryear in every sense of the word, but they certainly show their age.

Mighty Final Fight

 While I grew up with a NES of sorts, I never played this game, nor the other two for that matter, but I remember the day I discovered this game existed. It was one of my first goes at NES emulation, and I couldn't believe that Final Fight had a NES version I didn't know about!

 This is a 5-stage alternate take on Final Fight. Cody, Guy and Haggar team up to rescue Jessica, throughout 5 stages that may share a few similar backdrops to the Arcade game, but very different all in all. There's no multiplayer, not even on the NES original, but now we've got a few barebones RPG elements, namely, the fact that characters level up as you defeat enemies, enlarging their lifebar and getting new moves.

 Each character plays slightly different from one another, which is surprising, even more so the fact that by the end of the game these versions of the characters have more moves than their arcade counterparts! Sadly, there are no weapons to be found, well, except on a single stage, but it's not too bad.

 While games during this era were unfairly hard, Mighty Final Fight feels pretty fair. That said, it's a bit boring, since enemies take too long too kill. About 4-5 full combos each, at least when playing as Guy. Once I lost all my lives by level 5 I quickly swapped to Cody and it felt like he was a bit stronger, even if his left-right+A+A+A+A attack wasn't as useful as Guy's.
 7.0 out of 10


Strider(NES)

 I don't care what anybody says, this is a Metroidvania. Kinda. This game plays nothing like the Arcade original, which was pretty off putting at first, I mean, after 'finishing' the first level I was dumbfounded to figure out that I actually had to walk all the way back to the start of the level. And it turns out that you'll visit Stage 1 a few more times throughout your playthrough. And it sounds kinda annoying until you make peace with the fact that this is a Metroidvania.

 That's right, a big part of the game is exploring levels, as you unlock them, finding abilities or keys that will let you advance further on other stages. You might want a guide in tow to cut on your stage visits, but it's not necessary since you can figure out everything on your own. As for basic gameplay, A jumps and B attacks, simple, but you also have access to ninja spells to aid you in battle or heal you, which use energy from your energy points. After rescuing or finding certain NPCs you'll also get levelled up, increasing your HP and EP. Pretty nifty, and pretty interesting, since this makes sure that you'll always be as strong as you need to for the next part of the game.

 It's a bit on the short-side, but long enough that you'll want to take a break, luckily we get a password system. Savestates would've been neat, but what can you do? The only thing that keeps this game from greatness is how spotty the platforming is. Triangle-jumping is a pain in the butt, jumping out of platforms sometimes doesn't work very well, and sometimes touching a piece of a go-through platform will ruin your jump. In the end, jumping and THEN moving sideways seemed to work best.
 7.5 out of 10


Bionic Commando(NES)

 Call me a heretic if you want, I didn't like Bionic Commando. Mind you, not being able to jump and having to rely on the hook for any and every vertical movement you want to perform was actually really fun, but the game is a bit unnecessarily tough, and leveling up, which grants you bonus hit points, takes too long. Doesn't help the fact that it's about as long as Strider, but harder, and with not a single way to save the game, not even a password system.

 The game's charm comes in the way of how you tackle the levels, for you see, you get an overworld and you could visit any stage in any order that you want, but there's actually a proper order that'll guarantee you getting the items and weapons on your first, and hopefully only, visit. This entire system is pretty novel, so I'll give it props for that.

 All in all, I think it can be enjoyed by people that haven't outgrown their retro roots. As for me? I think the only way I'd enjoy this game would be with either savestates or at least unlimited lives or continues, as not to make the grinding process such a chore and, well, a grind. Regardless, I think the stage-layout is pretty original, and the hook is fun to use. That said, it's hard to have fun with it when enemies keep dropping down on top of your head as you try to make progress, making you take unfair damage.
 5.0 out of 10

 Capcom Classics - Mini Mix on the Gameboy Advance is a fun little collection of games. They are pretty old so your mileage may vary on how much you enjoy each game, but there's sure to be at least something here that you'll enjoy.
 7.5 out of 10