![]() Retro Game Challenge also celebrates games that didn’t quite catch on in the same way they did in Japan. Meanwhile, in Japan, there were games like All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros based on the radio show and Kyorochan Land, an adaptation of Nebulus that stars the Chocoball mascot.Īnother joke the game plays that I really don’t appreciate is the old “beat the game a second time but harder to get the real ending.” That wasn’t funny when Ghosts N Goblins did it. This would have been more forgivable if we had experienced the phenomenon of reskinning games with a marketing bent in the west, but I can’t name a single instance of where that happened over here. Rally King SP is a harder and a bit remixed version of Rally King but otherwise feels like a cop-out to pad the game. There’s also this joke in the game, where one of the titles you play is a sponsored special edition of a game you play previously. That sort of thing never really caught on over here. They were puzzles that needed a community to unravel. A lot of Japanese schoolchildren relished swapping tricks and talking rumors, which is why we got cryptic games like Milon’s Secret Castle. One of the major ways it differs from a Western ‘80s experience is the emphasis on “hidden characters” and other secrets. Even the living room sports tatami floors and the console looks a lot like a Famicom. The only crack in its facade is that it is more committed to emulating the Japanese ‘80s experience. It’s a rather impressive commitment to replicating the era. Every couple of challenges cleared, your friend brings back a magazine highlighting upcoming games and disclosing cheats for the ones you’re already playing. As such, you both plop yourselves in front of a TV and while away afternoon in its cathode glow. Your goal is to vanquish the demon who sent you back with the help of his younger self. You’re thrown from the future back to the ‘80s where you assume the role of a child. This wouldn’t be all that impressive, but it comes wrapped in a package of nostalgia. A decent number of genres are covered, including a Dragon Quest 3 styled JRPG. The games start off with what is essentially Galaga and progress to a strange amalgam of Ninja Gaiden and Metroid, essentially translating the early days of the Famicom to its halcyon days. ![]() Each of the games can be completed (and they have to be if you wish to actually finish the game), though there are often tricks and cheats to get you through to the end quicker. ![]() You’re given a list of goals to complete within each game before you can proceed to the next. I’m not old enough to remember the ‘80s.Īt its core, Retro Game Challenge is a compilation of eight games that appear as though they’re ripped straight from Famicom cartridges, but are actually completely new creations. That would be localized as Retro Game Challenge, and while any reference to the show would be scrubbed off, the spirit can never be removed experiencing games as we did in the ‘80s. I bring up Game Center CX, because we got one of the games based on it, even when no one over here really knew anything about the show. It wasn’t long before I had a Famicom of my own and was reading Japanese at the comprehension level of a golden retriever. Following comedian Shinya Arino as he attempted to complete old titles with his meager skills, it was my gateway into the world of Japanese games and culture. Years later, however, I would fall in love with a Japanese show, Game Center CX. Regardless, the identity made me reflect on my gaming habits and filled me with a sense of individuality. I’ve never really considered myself to be a “retro gamer” because I play new titles with comparable frequency. When I had my Gamecube, I still busted out my Super Nintendo from time to time, but 2009 was around the time when “retro gamer” was catching on as an identity. I never really stopped retro gaming, honestly. Retro Game Challenge is a bit of a special title for me.
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