Back again for our regular Sunday roundup of quick-fire reviews and impressions of everything under the spotlight at Retro Arcadia this week, old and new and a bit of both…

I’m going to start with the other book I mentioned getting for Christmas when we were here last week, and it’s another from Bitmap Books, and it’s Run ‘n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters! It’s another absolute beast from them too, spanning almost five hundred pages and taking us right from the birth of the genre with Gun Fight, all the way back in 1975, then through around three hundred games up to the present day, taking in the classics like Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug, Mega Man, Sunset Riders, Midnight Resistance, Turrican and Cuphead, as well as some lesser known stuff like Demon Front, Nitro Ball and Rapid Reload (all of which it turns out are definitely worth a look)! Each is covered to a greater or lesser extent with histories, behind-the-scenes stories, quotes and trivia, expert gameplay tips and the most stunning high-quality screenshots, often across entire double pages. I know I’m like a broken record with these things by now but that quality once again extends everywhere else too, from the layout and the print to the paper, the binding and the beautifully illustrated hardback cover. The author, Dave Cook, really knows his stuff too, and the research and insight and sheer passion that’s gone into this is nothing short of staggering. Oh yeah, mustn’t forget the all-important ribbon bookmark either, because given how much this thing weighs, you’ll be needing it. Regularly!

Onto actual games, and I’ve been working my way through Sunsoft Collection 2 for Evercade, which I think launched around April 2023 but was something else I was fortunate enough to get for Christmas! It’s seven more hits and cult classics from the well-regarded but sometimes obscure publisher, spanning multiple systems from 1990 to 2000. I’ll have a quick look at each in turn in a sec but as usual with these cartridges, you’ve got save states, display options, a sortable game menu with details and controls for each behind, then there’s a bit more information in the proper manual in the box. With that, let have a look at them in their default alphabetical order… I was never that fussed about the original but I’ve had a surprisingly good time with Aero the Acro-Bat 2 (pictured at the top of the page), originally released on the SNES in 1994 then a year later on the Mega Drive or Genesis, which I think is the version we’ve got here… Never totally obvious with these multi-format Evercade collections because heaven forbid they actually tell you anywhere! Anyway, I think the controls must have had an overhaul in this sequel and they feel great, as you platform to the exit of eight very good-looking, very well-designed levels, looking out for all sorts on the way. Really happy finding this one here! Next is Blaster Master: Enemy Below, a Game Boy Color title from 2000, and as such, it plays really nicely on the Super Pocket handheld (pictured above). That said, I’m not a huge fan of the series, where you switch between tank and human in side-scrolling platform and dungeon areas, and unlike the last game, this really does nothing to change that – in fact, I’m not sure it does anything new at all. It’s polished, it plays well, there’s loads of challenge and I had fun experiencing it for the first time, but I just find it a bit bland. 

The second week of January probably isn’t the ideal time to get the most out of Daze Before Christmas but I’ve played a fair bit of this relatively obscure 1994 SNES platformer previously, so it was nice to come back to all the same. It’s very simplistic, as you play Santa recovering all the presents from the meanies, but so polished and so full of festive cheer that it’s hard not to love it, although I’ll definitely love it more next December! I think this is the 1996 PS1 version of Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors we’ve got now, which was originally developed for the NeoGeo, where it would have been a decent fit alongside all the better known SNK fighters on there. It’s a pretty old-school, 2D, one-on-one fighter with just a couple of modes, eight sci-fi-inspired characters and three buttons for everything (plus a taunt), and despite being a bit floaty, I’ve had a great time getting to know this one. Another looker too, with some lovely animation and an even lovelier soundtrack! The latter also goes for Pri Pri Primitive Princess, an original Game Boy title from 1990 that I don’t think has ever had a proper Western release before so it’s about time it did because I love it! It’s a puzzle-platformer where you’re trying to get a caveman to the princess at the top of a tower made up of fifty single-screen levels full of traps, monsters and the odd jewel or two. Ladders and doors will only get you so far though, and you’ll have to also use your trusty Stone Age hammer to strategically demolish or rebuild floor tiles to create routes to the exit. It gets fiendish very fast but it’s always logical and a joy to solve, and there’s so much character in every little monochrome screen. This one’s a real highlight in the collection so far! 

I’d honestly never heard of Ufouria: The Saga before I got hold of this but apparently it’s one of Sunsoft’s most sought after games, and I think I can see why! It’s a NES (or an NES) 2D platforming, metroidvania-type thing that was originally localised for Europe in 1992, following a Japan-only release the year before, under the name of Hebereke. Either way, it’s very cute, it’s very polished, and the seemingly vast open world that you and the four friends you’re searching for have mysteriously ended up in is just begging to be explored! You’ll come across all sorts of challenges to overcome and items to help you do so, and it’s all just a very pleasant time with an irresistible soundtrack to boot, and something else I’m really pleased to have discovered here! Last up is Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (pictured above), who’s Aero the Acro-Bat from earlier’s arch-enemy, which makes this a spin-off meets sequel from 1994, and I think this time we’re playing the SNES version. You’re trying to save your island from an evil lumberjack, which involves fast-paced and frequently acrobatic (rather than Acro-Batic) platforming across a series  sprawling and gorgeously colourful levels hiding plenty of secrets along the way. The controls do feel a bit too clever for their own good at the start but are soon rewarding you with intricate swoops and dives, while elsewhere you’ll also be rewarded with so many little flourishes and clever touches. More tunes too! Okay, it’s not quite Sonic but it’s also not far off at all! That’s the lot then, and my only regret is that I missed out on eight months of enjoyment by not really fancying it day one! Some real hidden gems here, and I know it was a present but tremendous value all the same!

I was planning on getting into some of what’s rapidly (and disturbingly!) becoming an impressive library of original cartridges for my new Atari 2600+ (see last week for more on that) but I’ve gone really long already so maybe I’ll go through those over the next couple of weeks… Or months, at the rate I seem to be buying them! Anyway, you’ll just have to wait a bit longer to hear all about Video Chess on there – seriously, I can’t put it down! In the meantime, in case you missed it last Wednesday, you can still join me to head back exactly forty years for the very latest in video gaming, including some real all-time greats reviewed… It’s Retro Rewind: January 1985 in Computer & Video Games, straight from the pages of the original magazine! By the way, my collection now allows for that to be a regular monthly feature for the next eight years! Closer to home next Wednesday though, do check back again when we’ve got the wildest game of basketball ever, and maybe the best place to play it too, as we rediscover NBA Jam Tournament Edition on Atari Jaguar… Boomshakalaka! 

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