Review #654: 64 Memories - Quest 64

 It's not that bad. It really isn't! I swear!!

 Part 1: The Flashback
 Ah! Yet another of those 'one of the first Nintendo 64 games I owned' games. And yes, it was another Christmas/Birthday game, and clearly remember the morning after I woke up running to try out this new game. I knew what it was, I had picked it out before, and boy, oh boy did it deliver. This is one of the games I finished over and over the most, and it never fails to entertain me. A few years ago when I got into Wii-homebrew, thanks to the Twilight Princess exploit, I installed the Quest 64 wad, to see if the game was as bad as youtubers and people on the net led me to believe... only to spend about 3-4 hours straight playing it. Quest 64 is just one of those games that'll never get old, for me at least. Plus, this game, alongside Final Fantasy VII, were my first JRPGs and they turned me into the RPG nut I am today.

 As for specific memories, I remember the first time playing it, that fateful morning, I thought I was heading back into the monastery... but I wasn't, I got into the field and two hares made quick work out of me. I wasn't ready. But I came back with a vengeance! I can also remember finding the colored wings items amusing and having fun collecting them. On another note, the music is SO good and thanks to this game I learned what 'Dew' meant. Lastly, on this playthrough I think I discovered that you can visit Glencoe Forest just as you start the game. I think I happened upon it a few times when I was younger, through the Blue Cave, but this was the first time I got there so early.

 After finishing the game for the umpteenth time I can safely claim that Quest 64 has a very, very soft spot in my heart and that'll never change. It's got a ton of shortcomings, no doubt about it, but it also has a few fantastic ideas. Whether the good outweighs the bad is up to you, but through my fabulous rose-tinted glasses... it does.

 Part 2: The Review
 One of the things I love the most in any form of media is character development. I like seeing characters grow throughout the story. Quest 64 has none of that. The story is bland and the story telling is terrible, as the story moves forward through lifeless text-bubbles. As a matter of fact, I think you could go through most of the game without talking to any NPC as long as you know where to go next. I'm not kidding about how bland the story telling is, as there's not a single cutscene in the game, things like travelling by boat consists of you entering the cabin and when you go out again you'll have arrived at the next destination. The entire story about Brian searching for his father concludes in much the same way, through a single textbubble once you find him. And I'm pretty sure you can totally ignore him if you want and just go through the door next to him.

 Exploration is pretty barebones as well, there's no equipment, no money and no stores. There are consumables, however, which can be found lying in chests around the world of Quest 64 or after fights. They aren't needed, however, at most you'll use a few during the first few dungeons or if you are handicapping yourself and ignoring the Water element, Every single time I played the game I only amassed a huge stock of consumables that I never, ever touched. Although I'll admit I had to eat a few breads during the first boss since I went for a different strategy than the one I'm used to. But I never touched a consumable afterwards. If you happen to run out of stuff, a few NPCs will gift you a single item of whatever consumable you run out of, so it's not like you can screw yourself completely if you happen to really need the extra help.

 The combat system is where the game really shines however. Whenever you trigger a random encounter, which might be more often than I'd like(A few times it took me a SINGLE step before I triggered a new fight), you and the enemies will get surrounded by a large yellow hexagon. Battles are fought through turns, alternating between you and a single enemy(It goes something like this: You then Enemy A then You then Enemy B then You then Enemy A). How far you can move during your turn is determined by the smaller blue hexagon that surrounds you, while enemies can move as far as their red hexagon allows. These hexagons are determined by your starting position during your turn, so it's not like you are stuck to a single area. If you move outside the yellow hexagon you can escape from battle. Simple. During your turns you can either cast a spell, attack with your staff  or use an item. There's a poorly implemented feature that lets you dodge enemy spells, poorly implemented because you are not allowed to do it for every attack, when they cast them. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind which attacks allow you to move as soon as the enemy casts it, but it's a neat feature. I've seen people claim that battles can be disorienting, since you'll move all over the place, but after battle Brian will jump and spin around to face whichever direction he was facing before the battle triggered. If you run away from battle, however, you are outta luck.

 While smacking enemies with you staff is fun and string, the real meat of the game lies withing its Spirit/Spell system. Brian can use any of the four different elements: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire. Each element has its own level(Maxes at 50) and you can raise it by leveling up or by finding spirits hidden throughout the game. There are 98 hidden spirits, which means you can max 2 elements for free, and the other 98 spirits can be gotten by leveling up. It's a great idea, the more you level up an element the stronger it gets and you'll gain access to new spells of said element. There are about 32 different spells. However, like most great ideas of this era, it can be abused. Earth Element breaks the game, at level 24 you get Avalanche, the best spell in the entire game(Although it can be a bit random with its area of effect) and at level 36 you gain Magic Barrier which makes you invincible for three turns. On the other hand, Water is pretty much a necessity since it has Heal, Heal level 2 and Drain magic. When I was younger I would raise Water first, to get Heal 1, the Wind to level 12, so that I could use Wind Cutter level 3 on the first boss(The hardest boss in the entire game!) and then I'd focus on the other three elements for Healing Level 2, Magic Barrier and Fire, to upgrade the strength of my staff. This time around I went for something different: Earth and Water, until I got Magic Barrier and Healing level 2, and then I started level Wind in order to grind Mana Points. I completely ignored fire. In a way, this proves two things: Earth and Water completely break the game... but, since I played in a relatively different way when I was younger, it also allows for slightly different builds and playstyles.

 Oh, grinding for stats, a good idea turned bad. Stats are completely independent from your level ups. You raise your Health and Defense by getting hit or hitting enemies with your staff, you raise your mana by casting spells and you raise your agility(For dodging/landing attacks) by running around or moving the most you can during your turns while in battle. In theory it's a decent idea, but for whatever reason leveling up your mana points takes an absurdly long time. It's based on how many hits you land, so it's a good idea to get Wind up to level 12 early so that you can spam Wind Cutter level 3 on every single fight. On another note, if you die there is no penalty, you'll be back at the last inn you visited and will keep any stat upgrades you got during the fight that killed you. Honestly, I think the rate at which your stats increases is fine except for mana, which kinda sucks since the core of the game is built around using spells. The staff is really strong, and it gets stronger the more spirits/level ups you get, but using it prevents you from getting valuable mana points.

 I'd like to mention that I found out that Japan got an enhanced version of this game. Stats are gained much more easily, you get nifty bonuses if you get all elements to level 50 and the ending gets an upgrade from the boring text-scroll we got. There are also a few aesthetic niceties, like Brian glowing in different colors whenever he get a stat upgrade. Do these enhancements make Quest 64 a better game? Probably not, but having a less steep mana growth rate would've been much appreciated.

 I've seen some complaints leveled against the game's camera, but I think it works just fine. You can hold the B button to turn it around until it sets behind Brian's back, which is about on par with what you'd expect from games out of this era. A few personal gripes of mine would be that there is very little information on your spells. What does 'Magic Rock' do? I don't know. The game won't tell me. There's also no way to know how much mana a spell costs, by rule of thumb the more C buttons you have to press the higher the cost, but I'm not sure if it works exactly like that.

 Look, Quest 64 is not as bad as they say. The game does have a few boring moments here and then, the story is garbage, the characters are as bland as wet paper and having to get hit to level up your health sounds like kind of a drag, but I think it had some truly great ideas behind its combat system. There's also a huge amount of different monsters to fight, some more creative than others, and I just can't help but appreciate how large, if a bit empty, the world of Quest 64 is. I know, I know that my rose-tinted glasses might factor a bit into how much I enjoy this game, but I just can't lie about, there's something I really enjoy about the game that makes me bump the score a bit higher than I should. But I just can't lie and say "I really like it even though it's garbage' in order to join the pack because I really don't think the game is that bad.
 6.0 out of 10

Review #653: 64 Memories - Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil

 This one stings...

 Part 1: The Flashback

 Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil was amazing, I loved this game to bits, bought it as soon as we came across it. Which is a testament to how easily I fell into hype, since I thought Turok 1 was horrible. This was a Christmas game, but we purchased it early, so whenever I was left alone I would sneak into my parents room, carefully cut the plastic bag, take out the cart and sneak in a few minutes of gameplay. Sorry! I remember trying the multiplayer a couple of times and always getting scared due to the ambiance sound. And I don't usually get scared!

 But then Christmas came and I got the game and I liked it a lot. The game looked amazing, a ton of weapons, a ton of enemies and a ton of ways to kill them! There's a reason everybody remembers the Cerebral Bore. I will admit, however, that 90% of the time I played the game with cheats on, it was just too tough! Heck, I cheated so much that, to this day, I still remember the master cheat: 'BEWAREOBLIVIONISATHAND'. That was also the time I learned what 'Oblivion' meant. But I loved the game all the same. The multiplayer mode was fun too, I'd always get offended whenever people would say that Goldeneye was better in any way shape or form than this game. I hated Goldeneye, and magazines thought it was better than Turok 2? The heretics! On another note, I had a grey cart and 'Club Nintendo' once claimed that grey carts were fakes, which boggled my mind since my cart was grey. They were wrong, the black cart was the first release of the game, but they fixed an issue and reissued the game in grey. The more you know.

 Part 2: The Review
 It hasn't aged very well, as a matter of fact, it's nigh unplayable. Not only was Turok 2 considered one of the best Nintendo 64 games, it was also considered a darn great first person shooter, so much so that I think I compared every other FPS game against it. And there's a good reason for that, the game has a ton, and I do mean a ton of different weapons, some even have alternate ammo. It's also got a pretty good variety of different enemies, some which are exclusively to the levels they appear in, making for great variety. Environments are huge, different and with neat architecture, it's a gorgeous game, it really is. It's also got a nice attention to detail, you can maim enemies in various different ways, particularly with explosive weapons, such as severing their arms, heads or even leaving a hole on their chests. Some enemies you can even part from their torsos, and you'll even see the tip of their spines showing through the carnage. This game is a visual masterpiece and way ahead of what the Nintendo 64 could do.

 ...but it came at a very steep cost. The game looks too good, so it chugs. A lot. Even if you play in low-res mode the framerate is just unacceptable. Shooting with the basic Magnum 60 will kill the FPS into the SINGLE digits. Most of the game is nigh unplayable because of this, quickly turning into a slideshow. But, sadly, its framerate is the least of its worries, since the game itself is built around backtracking and exploring huge maze-like levels, it really is no fun.

 Before each level you have to go through an unskippable cutscene that tells you your objectives, as a matter of fact, even starting the game is a pain in the butt since you have to go through a ridiculously long unskippable opening cutscene, but I digreess. In each level you'll have about two different objectives, such as 'rescue X prisoners and destroy X portals', and then you'll be thrown into the level. By the by, every level ends with you having to protect a totem, which is as boring as it sounds, but at least these moments are over quickly. Anyways, you have to search every nook and cranny of every level to fulfill your objectives. A ton of times you'll have to backtrack since you'll earn an ability, such as swimming through green water, that you needed in a previous section. Some objectives are so well hidden that I almost want to applaud the developers for being so downright evil. And if you missed a single objective the last portal will teleport you back to the beginning of the level. So much fun. 

 And, by the by, enemies friggin' respawn whenever you go through a portal, but ammo does not. Not only is the ammo capacity laughably low, but you'll be burnin' through it as you replay sections searching for your objectives. But it's not just your objectives, you also have to search for keys in order to open up the next levels. Fun. You also need to search for talismans so that you search for special teleporters that'll teach Turok a new ability he needs to proceed. And do remember that levels are obnoxiously huge and labyrinthine, so it's never much fun. It'll also be a while before you can save your game, since save spots are sparse, although they'll give you a free health restore and free ammo restore once per level. Thanks, I guess?

 I was playing legitimately up until level 3 when I found one of the ammo caches I was supposed to destroy. I tried to destroy them with my precious ammo, which didn't work, until I got to the end of the cave and it told me that I actually needed to find ANOTHER item before I could blow it up. I said '**** it' turned on cheats, gave myself everything and called it a day. And even then the game was still boring. While I could skip searching for the keys, I still had to find the main objectives. I still had to endure the horrible framerate. I'm sorry to say, but Turok 2 is a game of a bygone era.

 Man, what a disappointment! Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil just couldn't pass the test of time. I'm sure that when it came out the game was great. Besides its huge levels, one can't help but feel impressed about the great amount of weapons and enemies that put even modern games to shame, heck, the creativity that went into making these weapons put the original Doom and Duke Nukem 3-D to shame. Plus, back then we didn't know just how great a stable framerate felt, so this slow-as-molasses framerate wasn't too bad.... or maybe I was just a kid and didn't know any better, but then again, magazines and websites gave the game glowing reviews, so...

 Regardless, if one thing surprised me is that I never thought I'd be saying this but... Turok 1 is better than Turok 2. It has simply aged better, probably because it wasn't so ambitious. As far as first person shooters on the console go, Turok 2 is better skipped. Now here's to hoping that Turok 3 has aged better, because I also loved Turok 3 a ton.
 3.0 out of 10

Review #652: 64 Memories - Fighter Destiny 2

 Brand be damned, they actually changed the title!

 Part 1: The Flashback
 What flashback? There's no flashback! I didn't own this game, but I wanted to. I also wanted to play it, but by the time it released(00's) the hot new thing was the PS2, so no stores nearby were stocking on new Nintendo 64 games, not even for rental.

 On another note, I feel critics were incredibly unfair to this game, claiming things that are factually incorrect, such as this game looking exactly like the first one. Which is wrong, this game has much better character models and even better animations. On the other hand, it is a horrible sequel, but not because it's bad, but because pretty much nothing has changed, even the unlockable characters have the same unlock conditions as before!

 Part 2: The Review
 It's pretty much the same exact game as before, but prettier. A and B are your two different attack buttons, R is used to block and Z for free movement around the arena. A+B are your grab, and A+B+Down is your grab escape. Your objective is to score more points than your opponent by either: Knocking them down, throwing them outside the ring, hitting them with a Counter or a Super Move, each of those having different point values. Whoever reaches the required number of points first wins. What value each result has, as well as the required number of points, can be completely customized on the options menu, which is pretty neat. And it's also exactly the same as the first game.

 The character roster is a mix of new and old characters, although now you start off with 11 characters instead of 9. There are five hidden characters, just like the first game, and they have the same requirements as the first game, so good luck at the rodeo! As for modes you've got your standard VS CPU arcade course, VS PLayer, Training and Record, which houses Survival, Fastest and Rodeo... pretty much the same modes from the first game. I know I'm being repetitive, but I can't stress enough just how similar both games are. That said, there is a new mode, Fighter's Arena, which takes the place of Master Mode. In this mode you play through a board game, defeating enemies, increasing your stats and learning new moves. Basically, Master Mode but with a new coat of pain!

 Unlocking characters felt as tough as it was on the first game, if not slightly harder since the CPU seems tougher, but I managed to last against the Cow in Rodeo by using Addrienne, using R to block the cow's attacks and countering with a simple BBBB attack string, going straight into blocking afterwards. Took a bit of time and a bit of luck, but I powered through it. As for Fastest, I just spammed Abdul's back,back B for easy victories. Survival and Fighter's Arena were obstacles I couldn't clear though, but Cherry and Master aren't characters I cared for too much anyways.

 Fighter Destiny 2 is a great game but a horrible sequel. I think the fact that it has better graphics, better animations, two extra characters and pretty much anything else the first game had makes it better by default... although by such a small, negligible margin that you are good to go with either game. That said, both games are entirely unique and original, nothing has come out in recent years that plays anything like them, just like Playstation's Bushido Blade series. Either 'destiny' game is worth owning just for the novelty alone, but the fact that they are good too is just the icing on the cake.
 8.0 out of 10

Review #651: 64 Memories - Mace - The Dark Age

 The dark ages of early 3-D fighting games.

 Part 1: The Flashback
 Mace was another of the first few games I owned for the Nintendo 64. I'm pretty sure I rented it once before purchasing, and I do remember I got it close to when I got Chameleon Twist.

 Mace: The Dark Age was one of my favorite fighting games on the console. The spilled blood showing on the floor of the ridiculously large stages was something that no other fighter at the time had. The fighting was simple, and fun, and the Arcade ladder was tough, I think I might've only finished the game once as either the Executioner or the demon at the end would cut my run short. I'll admit I wasn't able to finish the Arcade course on my recent playthroughs, sheez!

 Part 2: The Review
 Well, the game has held up surprisingly well, unlike most fighting games from Midway. The combat is pretty fast and fun, with three attack buttons(Quick, Strong and Kick) that can be coupled with different directions to produce different attacks. The game employs a mix of preset attack strings as well as quarter-circle-forward motions for special attacks, giving each character a pretty decent set of attacks. An in-game movelist would've been nice. There's also a Dodge button, blocking is done by holding back on the joystick, and like any post-Mortal Kombat fighting game by Midway, there are fatalities.

 There are 12 different characters, as well as 5 secret characters, that have relatively basic and generic designs(A Ninja, a Samurai, a Knight, a Zombie Knight, a Viking, a Samurai) but I think a few characters, like Lord Deimos, featured on the game's cover, are quite good. The secret characters are a bit more fun, featuring a Ronin(That borrows a few moves from the Samurai), a chicken(Really), a Gargoyle, a Dwarf on a mecha and Ned, the Janitor(A costume-swap for the Monk). Each character also has a ton of alternate color schemes, which is something more fighting games should've had. There're also a bunch of secret stages in versus mode.

 Speaking of modes, here is where the game starts coming up a bit short... you've only got Arcade, VS Player and Training. That's all. I know at the time fighting games used to be pretty barebones, but a few extras like Survival or Team battles could've gone a long way. Also, while having ridiculously large arenas to fight in, this is not an arena-fighting game with free-run movement, instead both characters face each other at all times and take steps or step-dashes towards or against each other, so exploring them is but an amusing diversion. That said, I still applaud their designs, some feature stage-hazards, such as spiked floors, while others feature different floors you can jump on. A few levels can make the framerate take a few dips though, but nothing too bad. It's not like you'll be playing this game competitively anyways!

 When all's said and done, I still think that Mace the Dark Age is pretty dope and worth playing today. It's a bit rough in a few areas, but most of the game is pretty tight. Whenever someone claims that the N64 had no good traditional fighting games, you point them right towards Mace.
 8.0 out of 10

Review #650: 64 Memories - Super Smash Bros.

 That one time Nintendo's Stars decided to solve their differences through violence.

 Part 1: The flashback
 I always try to make every 50th game special, although sometimes I don't come through(Mortal Kombat Trilogy? Really?) but #650 is a special one. Super Smash Bros. was the go-to staple game of every and any after-school/weekend get-together. Everyone I knew that had a N64 had this game after it came out, and we'd never fail to play this game. It was amazing. It also introduced me to Ness, so that's something.

 There's something oh so appealing about this game. I love the simple art-style they went with, still to this day I've soft spot for the official art from the original Super Smash Bros. I also adore its simple graphics, characters are very low poly, and there are a lot of 2-D objects, like Ness' yo-yo or Link's bombs. Even when I was younger I knew that by N64 standards it looked crappy, in order to maintain a somewhat stable framerate no doubt, but I still found it charming. I still think it's charming.

 Part 2: The Review
 It's Smash but worse. No, really, pick ANY other Smash game and it'll be better than this one. This is Smash before Side B specials were a thing, so characters only have 3 special moves, before you could charge smash attacks. Before the character roster got massive. Before air-dodging. Basically, it's the most barebones Smash experience you can get.

 But what is inside this cart? 8 characters, Mario, Link, Pikachu, Yoshi, Samus, Donkey Kong, Fox and Kirby, alongside 4 hidden characters, Ness, Jigglypuff, Captain Falcon and Luigi. The basics were born here: B, B+Up and B+Down are your special moves, R is used to grab the enemy and then throw them in any direction(No pummeling though!), Z can be used to block or roll to either side and, lastly, A is used to attack. Coupling it with different directions on the analog stick will produce two other attacks, either by tilting/holding a direction or flicking the stick, the latter being the infamous Smash attacks, which, as I said before, couldn't be charged in this game! The objective's the same it'd be in future installments: Attack your enemy to increase their damage percentage, which in turns makes them easier to send flying offscreen, in order to finally beat them.

 There's not much to do in this game but the basics of basics, you've got the single player stage course and then multiplayer Smash, either by stocks or based on time, battling in teams or just the good ole free for all. Honestly, that's it, I really meant it when I claimed that this was the most feature-starved entry in the series, not that it mattered back in the day when there was nothing to compare it with. On its defense, this one features unique 'Board all platforms' and 'Destroy all targets' challenges for every character. And, although it might be nostalgia speaking, I think it has one of the most memorable single player courses in the entire series. From fighting a dumb Link at the start, to the multi-man Yoshi, Kirby and Polygon team battles. What about the giant Donkey Kong?! Other games would add more variety in Single Player, which is a good think, but there's a certain charm to this set set of stages.

 Super Smash Bros. is still fun, although there's no denying that any other game in the franchise leaves this one in the dust. So I'm torn, I don't think there are many compelling reasons to come back to this one besides nostalgia. That said, Smash 64 remains one of the N64's best.
 8.0 out of 10

Review #649: Psikyo Collection vol.2

 The bullets don't stop comin'

 Onto the second volume of Psikyo's collection, everything that prefaced the first game holds true for this one: Four classic shoot'em up game bundled together in one little cart, few extras, unlimited continues. Psikyo Collection Vol. 2 is pretty barebones, but it's sure to delight any fun of the genre. While it's lacking Sol Divide, my favorite game from the previous entry, this pack is a bit more consistent as far as quality goes.

 Strikers 1945 II

 The sequel to Strikers 1945 is pretty much the same exact game as the previous installments, but it's a bit more colorful and faster, which meant I found it a bit more fun. There's been a single change to the mechanics: The charge shot's power now depends on a gauge on the lower left side of the screen that fills as you destroy enemies. If you die you lose all your charge, so sometimes it might be a use it or lose it situation. The rest of the staples are here and remain the same: Various different ships are available to play as, each one with different shooting styles as you collect power ups as well as screen-clearing bombs.

 Strikers 1945 is like more of the same but slightly better. Seeing how the various vehicles you have to destroy transform into mechas is always fun.
 6.5 out of 10

 Tengai

 You wouldn't know it just by looking at it, but this is a sequel to Samurai Aces. Everything has changed though. Now it's a horizontal shooter and you play as a flying character shooting all sorts of Samurai/mecha hybrids. As per usual, you have your normal shots, Options that get stronger as you collect Power ups as well as a charge shot(levels up alongside your shots) and a Bomb. There's an alternate route midway through the game, and it also features a 'second loop' with slight variations on the stages.

 Honestly, the art-direction puts this game a cut above the rest. Character design is phenomenal, if slightly oversexualized(Japan....) but it's the enemies' designs that really take the cake, you'll be fighting all sorts of weird... things.
 7.0 out of 10

 GunBird 2

 Featuring an almost entirely new cast of characters, GunBird 2 is as silly and ridiculous as the first game was. And just like the first game before it, GunBird 2 is a ridiculous new coat of paint for Strikers, albeit Strikers 1945 II this time around, so the new Charge shot mechanics are in place.

 GunBird 2 is very fun, but I wish they hadn't recycled the same exact plot from the first game. Once again you'll be stalked by a big-breasted animu villainess and her two cohorts on every level. And once again you'll fight against a wish-granting being at the end. That aside, it's still a quality game.
 7.0 out of 10

 Dragon Blaze

 Dragon Blaze is another fun one. The game's basics are the same as any other game featured in these collections, but its main gimmick is its Dragons. Each of the four characters has their own dragon, and you can press a button at any time to unmount him. While unmounted, your dragon will stay rooted to its place endlessly shooting forward. That way you can move your rider around, while shooting its weak little pellets, all the while having your dragon shooting forwards. The dragon can even collect power ups and points!

 Taking after GunBird 2 and Strikers 1945 II, chargeshots consume energy from a gauge, called mana in this game. But you get two different shots: One while mounted and another one while unmounted. This mechanic is loads of fun, but don't get too comfortable, this one is one of the tougher games featured yet. The art direction is brilliant and the concept behind the dragons is just as good. Dragon Blaze is quite clearly the underdog in the cart, and it's quite great.
 7.0 out of 10

 I'm no connoisseur when it comes to shoot'em ups, but I can tell you one thing: While Sol Divide is my favorite game yet, I can tell that this cart features a more robust and consistent collection of games. While you'd be skipping on Psikyo's orgins, with Volume 2 you're getting better games and it's not like playing the first installments is required.
 7.0 out of 10

Review #648: Psikyo Collection vol.1

 That's a lot of bullets.

 While Psikyo are long gone, their legacy is not. They made arcade shoot'em ups their bread and butter and it shows. In this volume there are 4 different games, a nice of styles, even if all of them are shoot'em ups, covering the company's origins. As far as the whole package goes, Psikyo Collection Vol.1 is fairly lacking. Every vertical shooter must be played while closeted between two sidebars, in order to keep the correct aspect ratio, but every game gets a measly two backdrops. There's a fair amount of high quality art per game, but I wish there was more. Lastly, the translation is horrible. The easiest difficulty setting is called 'Monkey'(alright, that one's brilliant) and settings for upping your lives vary between 'own machine' and 'number of my character'. Thankfully, you can customize your maximum amount of continues and lives fairly easy.

 All four games are basically the same: You play as a ship/flying human and must try to avoid enemy fire while attacking with your own, all the while trying to collect power ups and points. You can play with infinite continues, but you'll want to avoid dying since it'll reset your shot's power as well as your score multiplier. Simple, fun.

Strikers 1945

 Pretty much your standard vertical shooter, you pick an airplane and go to town. Except that you'll be battling crazy vehicles that turn into mechas. You've got your basic shot, a charge shot and a limited Bomb attack. Defeating enemies makes them drop points or power ups that increase your basic shots' power and utility. Each ship gets different bonuses, such as missiles or homing mini-bullets. Each Bomb and Charge attack is different too. Dying resets your power.

 Strikers 1945 is fine, but nothing special I think. That said, there's a reason this game became a classic and got so many sequels.
6.0 out of 10

 Sol Divide

 Now this, this is my jam. This is a very weird RPG-beat'em up-shooter hybrid and I loved it. You play as any of three characters as they fly through horizontally-scrolling levels. You also get to collect life-increasing power ups and even collect an assortment of different spells you can then use by spending mana. For a first in these games, you also get melee attacks. They had me at melee attacks.

 It looks weird, to say the least, and the mix-mash of elements isn't perfect, but dangit, I get to hack-and-slash my way through. Needless to say, I really, really enjoyed this one.
7.5 out of 10

 Samurai Aces

 I was about to call this game a Strikes 1945 reskin, but then I found out that this game came out first! Basically, it's Strikers 1945 but with a Samurai/Ninja/Mecha-hybrid skin. It literally plays exactly the same. And the power-ups looks the same. It's also a bit tougher.

 I liked this game a bit more than Strikers since the theme was so ridiculous/
6.0 out of 10

 GunBird

 I thought I was gonna hate this game since its cutesy generic anime-vibe wasn't quite doing it for me. But it's pretty good. It's another Samurai Aces reskin, but it's very, very silly. One of the protagonists is a pedophile, for instance, and every character gets two different comedic endings. Even the characters are silly, instead of ships you can play as a jetpack-guy, a witch on a broom or even a silly old-man on a makeshift helicopter.

  It's one of the easiest games on the collection, and one of the most colorful and ridiculous... which also made it one of the games I enjoyed the most.
 7.0 out of 10


 All in all, I fancy this is a pretty decent collection of games if you enjoy the genre. They might not have converted me, but there's a reason these games are so beloved, and I'm sure that people out there will be able to appreciate these games as much as I was able to appreciate Capcom's Belt Action collection. That said, the game could've used some more extras....
6.5 out of 10