This was a fun-ass all around. Breezy, and relatively short, this is my new recommendation for where to start listening to the cast! It was nice to play a game that everyone basically liked, even if the game was pretty bite-sized. But sometimes, that’s what you want. Give a listen here:
Next episode is going to be Pocahontas you wacky jokesters.
But what after pocahontas? Well, you have some choices:
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles[a] is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega. It is part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series and the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994). The story follows the player characters, Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna, in their quests to save Angel Island; Sonic tries to prevent Doctor Robotnik from relaunching his orbital weapon, the Death Egg, while Knuckles scuffles with Robotnik’s minion, EggRobo. The game takes place across six levels in which the player collects rings and fights bosses.
The Japanese members of Sega Technical Institute developed Sonic & Knuckles simultaneously alongside Sonic 3. The two were intended to be released as a single game, but time constraints and small cartridge sizes forced Sega split the project in two. The Sonic & Knuckles cartridge features “lock-on technology” that allows the game to connect to the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Sonic the Hedgehog 3 cartridges, combining elements from either game. This feature was implemented so the game could be experienced as intended
Sonic & Knuckles features “lock-on technology” that allows players to open the hatch on the cartridge and insert a second cartridge. When Sonic 3 is inserted, the player can play through both games as one, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This features several changes to the games, such as slightly altered level layouts, the ability to play through Sonic 3 levels as Knuckles or Sonic & Knuckles levels as Tails, and the ability to save progress in Sonic & Knuckles levels. Additionally, combining the cartridges is the only way to collect “Super Emeralds”, earned by accessing Special Stages in the Sonic & Knuckles levels after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds from Sonic 3. When all Super Emeralds have been collected, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails can transform into Hyper Sonic, Hyper Knuckles, and Super Tails respectively, each with unique abilities[ Inserting Sonic 2 unlocks Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, wherein the player can play Sonic 2 using Knuckles’ abilities.
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
In 1997, an evil ninja cult Union Lizard, worshipping a giant reptilian demon, has taken over New York City, turning most of the city in ruins. The few citizens who survived Union Lizard’s onslaught of chaos are now kept prisoners by its members. A ninja warrior, accompanied by his faithful dog Yamato (大和), emerges from hiding to combat Union Lizard’s reign and rescue the hostages.
It is the second game in the Shinobi series released for the Mega Drive, following The Revenge of Shinobi. However, it is not a continuation of the previous game, but rather a loose adaptation to the 1989 arcade game Shadow Dancer. Like in the original arcade game, the player controls a ninja followed by a canine companion. The Secret of Shinobi was well received by critics.
The play mechanics are roughly identical to the arcade version of Shadow Dancer, with the main difference is the addition of a meter for the dog that accompanies the protagonist. In order for the dog to attack an enemy, the player must hold down the attack button until the meter is filled. The dog will only attack when he is barking towards a nearby enemy. This allows the player to sic the dog on an enemy while standing and jumping, allowing for more versatility than in the arcade game (where the dog only attacked while the player was crouching). The objective of each stage is also slightly changed from retrieving time bombs to rescuing hostages, much like in the original Shinobi. The male hostages give out bonus points and the occasional extra life, while the female hostages will enhance the player’s attacks until he reaches the next stage or loses a life.
Journey From Darkness: Strider Returns
Journey From Darkness: Strider Returns
The eponymous ninja…returns for more shuriken-throwing, wall climbing, action. This outing is courtesy of developer US gold, adding their own installment to the series without oversight from its original creators at Capcom.
In Strider II the objective of the game is to rescue the Princess of Planet Magenta from a terrorist group that is keeping her captive.
The player controls Hinjo similarly to Hiryu in the first Genesis game (with the ability to slide and move under ceilings retained). Instead of a gun like in the home computer versions, Hinjo throws shurikens but only if he collects them first. Instead of transforming into a robot when he confronts a boss, Hinjo collects orbs throughout each stage instead. These orbs will surround Hinjo and protect him when he faces the stage’s boss. The player can choose between Hiryu’s original cypher from the first game or a new “sweeping” cypher.
Vote for the game here:
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