Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari for Famicom Review

All video games released today have their own roots that have greatly attributed to its production over the years. This also includes every beat 'em up video game that is released in modern times, such as Castle Crashers and especially Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Video Game. In the case of these two, Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari is the main influential game that defined the genre.

Concept

Released in North America under the name River City Ransom, Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari is a beat 'em up style video game released for the Famicom in April 1989. There are a number of properties that greatly set this game apart from other beat 'em ups, but the primary one is its non-linear nature, allowing players to fully explore an open world instead of following a set path like Double Dragon. Players take on the role of Alex and Ryan, two high school students traversing River City in an effort to rescue Cyndi, the girlfriend of the latter as she is captured by gang member Slick.

Gameplay

As players travel across River City to rescue Cyndi, they come across a host of different enemies looking to stop them, each of which are a part of their own named gang, such as The Squids, The Jocks and The Frat Guys. While this was hardly the first beat 'em up to feature unique characters, the way Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari differs is that each group of gangs actually have some varying personality to them. Perhaps the most notable way of proving this is in the way certain gang members would shout Barf! once the player had defeated them. As enemies are defeated, money is collected.

Every so often, the player can enter the town and use their collected funds to purchase power ups and other items that can assist them along their journey. This is something also used heavily with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Video Game as Scott goes to prove his love for Ramona. Similarly, Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari brings you face to face with the leaders of the gangs you are fighting, and these leaders act as sub-bosses or regular bosses, adding an extra challenge to the game.

Though it is not inherently necessary to purchase the Famicom version of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, it is still a nice piece to add to a collection for those interested in expanding their Famicom collection. Those on a budget can instead choose to purchase the Virtual Console version, available in America since April 2008.

Please visit retrogamerjapan.com for Super Famicom games, Famicom games and more. We also have cleaned, tested and ready to play classic retro Famicom and Super Famicom consoles, controllers and guides. All 100% original, straight from Japan.

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The Tower of Druaga - Nintendo Famicom Game Review

Many video games today features a number of secrets hidden within them, but they are usually just a source of short amusement from the developer to the player rather than essential bits of information important to the plot of the story. Even if such games did feature secrets essential to the plot of the game, the advent of the Internet has basically ruined the original intention as anybody can easily look up the answers on the first day of release. However, such was not the case back when The Tower of Druaga was released on the Famicom in 1985.

Concept

The Tower of Druaga is an action role playing video game based on maze gameplay. The thing that is most interesting about it is that it was one of the first games that required players figure out and find a number of secrets in order to complete the game; without finding these essential hidden secrets, it was impossible to finish the game. Because there was no Internet back when this game was released, it was important for friends to work together to figure out the game.

Some of the secrets that were hidden in the game included a number of different things, such as random starting positions for each maze. In other words, if you restarted a maze, you might end up in a completely different part of the map, meaning you could not just blindly use muscle memory to get through the maze. On top of that, the maze could also change entirely, though it would not randomize, just to add another challenge.

Gameplay

In The Tower of Druaga, the player takes on the role of Gilgamesh, and the primary purpose of the game is to pass through sixty floors of mazes in an effort to defeat Druaga in his demonic tower. The only equipment Gilgamesh receives is a shield and a sword, and these items allow him to defend himself from magical attacks and defeat enemies, respectively. With this equipment in hand, Gilgamesh is required to go through a maze to find a randomly placed key, which will then open the door to the next floor.

The Tower of Druaga is the game that became the precursor to roguelikes such as Nethack and the recently released and popular The Binding of Isaac. Fans of either of these two games should absolutely invest in obtaining the original Famicom cartridge, if not just for the experience of seeing from where their favorites derived.

Please visit retrogamerjapan.com for Super Famicom games, Famicom games and more. We also have cleaned, tested and ready to play classic retro Famicom and Super Famicom consoles, controllers and guides. All 100% original, straight from Japan.

View the original article here