Crush Series - Part 6

Alien Crush Returns by Tamsoft / Hudson Soft (2008) - Nintendo Wii

It's scary to think that it's now 23 years since Naxat dreamed up the genesis of the Crush series. There have since been several sequels, both official and otherwise, the last of which was the little-known Jaki Crush, itself now almost 20 years old, but that was it. Until now! Yes, in a move of special magnificence, Tamsoft have resurrected this great series and what better way of doing so than to remake the original? Alien Crush Returns is more of a sequel than a remake really though and they've even managed to tack on a backstory this time! Apparently "an elite squad of space marines sets off to investigate an alien spaceship trapped in Jupiter's gravity" or some such nonsense. Sound familiar? How they've managed to facilitate a pinball game with that story I don't know, but the game includes a story mode, arcade mode, ranking mode and versus mode (1-4 player), and as well as multiple tables, including bonus tables as always, and lots of other sweet features like multi ball, reverse ball, etc.

The biggest change between this game and the original is of course the graphics which are lovely and suitably grotesque, including pulsating sacs, toothy mouths, slimy tubes, scuttling insects, and all manner of horrifying beasts. There's even huge bosses this time too! There are initially three tables to play in arcade mode (although more can be downloaded) and the ball pings around them at quite a speed, probably the fastest of any Crush game so far, and as usual they are packed with secrets and bonuses galore. I haven't yet spent any time playing this game as I don't own a Wii but the prospect of playing it sure makes buying one a tempting prospect, and the possibility of a Devil's Crush Returns in the future is even more exciting! So, Alien Crush has indeed returned but is it better than the original? Well, that remains to be seen, but I can't wait to find out!

RKS Score: 4/5


Red Parsley - Crush Pinball Series:
Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4     Part 5     Part 6

Saturn Shmups #1

Mass Destruction (1997)
By: NMS Software  Genre: Shooting  Players: 1  Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Featured Version: Sega Saturn  First Day Score: 205,425
Also Available For: PlayStation, PC

The poor old Saturn had a bit of a torrid time in the UK and US but it met a little more success in Japan and it's the titles released only there that have made the system something of a collector's favourite. Among the most prestigious and desirable of the sexy system's Japanese exclusives are the large number of amazing 2D shmups it was blessed with, most of which could not be fittingly represented on any other machine of their time (and yes, that includes the PlayStation - hee hee!). So, for the first game of this new Red Parsley feature focusing on the shmups released for Sega's 2D powerhouse, I'll very sensibly start with... one that has 3D graphics and was released in all major territories around the world!


Yep, even the fences blow-up!

Worldwide release or not though, Mass Destruction has never been a game that has garnered much attention and it's my mission to change that! Taking its cue from the multi-player, flag-capturing frolics of Return Fire, NMS's game ditches the multi-player mode and adds a loose mission-structure instead, plus a story has been tacked-on too (although little mention is made of it in the game's instruction book) which revolves around your attempts to bring down a 'fanatical tyrant' and his army known as 'The Republican Army'. This involves a series of free-roaming missions, viewed from an angled overhead perspective where your objective, as you may have guessed from the title, is to destroy everything!


You even get to blow up nuclear power-stations!

Actually, that's not strictly true. You do get mission targets which must be razed, but what I probably should've said was you can destroy anything, and let's face it... most of us will! Yes, enemy tanks and missile launchers, all manner of buildings from houses up to skyscrapers, even trees - absolutely anything can be shot and blown up here! Regardless of whether you stick to your mission targets or go on a free-for-all, however, you're going to need some serious hardware. Your permanent means of offence, and indeed defence, throughout the game is your tank and you get a choice of three, each with obligatory 'scary' names - the 'Viper' (average speed and armour), the 'Cobra' (slow but strong armour), and the 'Cheetah' (fast but weak armour). Near the start of the game, any of these can be used effectively, but in later missions you'll need to choose more carefully - some missions will suit one tank much more then either of others.

Showdown!

One area that the tanks are the same, though, is in their weaponry. Each has a rotating turret and comes with a cannon and chain gun as standard, both of which have unlimited ammunition, but the other weapons only become available when you pick them up. Sometimes they'll appear in the ruins of destroyed buildings or installations and other times they can simply be found lying around, but once you've obtained them you'll have access to some much meaner and more destructive firepower. There are six others available including hi-explosive shells, mines, mortars, a flame-thrower, guided missiles and the Vortex Bomb (a smart bomb), but all have limited ammunition. Only the chain gun, mortars, or guided missiles can be used for destroying aerial targets, but the others are more than adequate to handle everything else the RA can throw at you.


The palm trees look nice... until you machine-gun them!

Once you've chosen a tank it's time to get destroying! Your next choice is which mission you want to tackle first. There are five rows of 'folders' on the mission select screen (which presumably contain your orders) and you can initially select the first from any of these rows. Once you've chosen, a mission briefing will follow outlining your primary and secondary targets. If you forget them, there's a radar in the bottom-left of the screen during play that will show you what's nearby or you can access a map that will show the entire level including the location of all targets. Once you've finished a mission you must find the 'extraction zone' which is marked on the map, although to finish a mission 'properly' you must also find and destroy the bonus mission targets which aren't mentioned anywhere (except probably some internet cheat sites).

A big office block gets blown up... because it was there...

Each mission is set over one of four different landscapes - Arctic, Desert, Suburban, and Rural. Each of these is obviously different in appearance, but more importantly each is home to some unique features. Arctic missions, for example, are the only places you'll find nuclear reactors or airports, and Suburban missions are where tower blocks, communication sites, and military bases/camps are exclusively found. It's not as simple as trundling in and shooting up everything, though. Each area is populated by numerous enemy vehicles (mostly other tanks) and soldiers who fire rockets and throw mortars, and their key installations are even more heavily defended as you might expect, with such armour-piercing monstrosities as rapid-fire anti-tank rocket launcher batteries. All of this pummelling does take its toll on your tank too. Each of them starts the game with a thousand armour points but luckily there are Red Cross crates dotted about here and there, one of which replenishes a hundred armour points and the other less common one replenishes five hundred.

Eeeek! Ambush!

And that's pretty much it! It's not a complicated game and despite its free-roaming nature Mass Destruction is very much a shoot 'em up, albeit one with a bit more depth than most. Most of the stages here are pretty sizable and there's also a good few secrets to uncover in them but the biggest lure of playing this game is the immense satisfaction it gives! This is of course helped by the splendid graphics and sound. There's some nice variety between the landscapes and each is home to its own features. There's some nice water effects too, and the sprites are pretty decent, but it's those amazing pyrotechnics that'll impress the most. As mentioned before, practically everything in the game can be shot and blown up, and when you do, things explode in spectacular showers of sparks and flame, and they can even be blown up twice!

The tanks all look the same, bah!

The music is also top-notch with a selection of electronic dance-style tracks that can be selected, or if left alone the game will cycle through them, and the sound effects are even better, particularly the agonizing screams of the soldiers if you shoot them, set them on fire, or run them over, and all the shooting and explosions are nice and bassy too. There are a few things that could've made this game even better such as a two-player mode, different vehicles (like Return Fire), a more in-depth mission structure, etc, but as it stands it's still a superbly enjoyable game. The enemy AI is good (soldiers hide from you or run away if you go after them, for example) and control over the tank is flawless. All in all this game may not be very well known but in my opinion you could do a lot worse than give it a bash. It looks and sounds nice, is amazingly good fun, but above all that - who doesn't enjoy blowing shit up?!

RKS Score: 8/10

First Look #5

Animal Crossing by Nintendo EAD (2001) - Nintendo GameCube

Actually, this time it's not strictly a first look as I've already played this game quite a bit, but I've never 'taken the plunge', so to speak, and bought it myself. As some will know, I grew up as a Sega fanboy and much of my console gaming has been done on their systems, but an old friend of mine is the same except with Nintendo. He's the sort that buys every incarnation of GameBoy and DS the day they come out and plays every release of every Nintendo IP to completion, etc, and out of all of them the one he is most obssessed with is... Animal Crossing! After he showed it to me a few times I started to see why too - it must be the most chilled out game ever! I guess I'd have to categorise it as an RPG but it's more of a 'life simulation' really, and is quite unlike anything I've played before!

The game, if you can call it that, sees you as a new resident in a rural town which is populated by anthropomorphic animals. You can make friends with them, send and receive gifts, decorate and furnish your house, get a job, take part in contests, and all sorts of other things. You can even collect and play NES games! There really is so many details to the game and a lot of what happens in it depends on what you do or how you act. It all happens in real-time too, with all the characters going through their daily routines whether you play it or not. Indeed, if you spend any time away from it, they'll all be asking where you've been when you come back! The characters are brilliant too, with each taking on their own personality. Perhaps the best and most well known is KK Slider who is a musical dog who puts on shows for you! Even special occasions are celebrated here and the game sticks to the real seasons as well. I guess it says a lot about my taste in games that I prefer this to Shenmue, which is not only a celebrated Sega franchise, but is also essentially the same sort of thing, only with a far more dramatic story. To be honest, I've been scared to buy this game, I'm sure I'd become addicted to its strangely captivating world and its unique inhabitants but I think I'll give in soon!

RKS Score: 5/5

Arcade Shmups #5

ASO - Armored Scrum Object a.k.a. Alpha Mission (1985)
By: SNK  Genre: Shooting  Players: 1-2  Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Featured Version: Arcade  First Day Score: 20,480 (one credit)
Also Available For: Nintendo NES

You know, the history of videogames can be funny. As genres were born, some examples of their games were forgotten almost as soon as they appeared while others went on to be remembered as landmarks, even legends in the years to come. The ones most fondly recalled were generally the most playable, not necessarily the most innovative, and that brings me to ASO (or Alpha Mission as most will probably know it). I must confess that I'd never seen or played it before undertaking this feature. I had vague knowledge of its sequel on the Neo Geo, but this original? Not a clue. When I started playing it though, I was rather pleasantly surprised for, as it turns out, ASO is a very innovative game considering its age! Is its obscurity a blip in history or is it deservedly ignored?

Its innovation doesn't extend to its story though! Yep, it's the same old nonsense - evil aliens attacking Earth, blah, blah, blah. In this case, seven waring races from the Tetranova galaxy have been fighting with such ferocity that all their homeworlds have been destroyed. Finding unity in their newfound homelessness, they have joined forces to find a new home on which they can recover and rebuild their fleets before going to war once again and, as you may have guessed, that new home they've selected is Earth! Eeek! Fear not though, as you've been given the chance to kick them off using the SYD attack fighter, which for once isn't an 'advanced prototype' either! Using this ship you must fight through twelve areas before Earth can be saved and peace restored to one and all.

One of the first things I noticed about ASO is that the twelve vertically-scrolling stages generally feature just as many targets on the ground as they do airborne ones. To that end, the SYD fighter is capable of firing its laser cannon to take out the squadrons of various enemy craft but it can also fire missiles to destroy ground targets. Many of the latter include several types of gun turrets, but there are also many parts of the scenery that can be destroyed and it's in the smouldering remains of these that the game's many power-up icons can be found, and this is perhaps what impressed me most about the game. Yes, its mixture of airborne and ground-based targets is somewhat reminiscent of Xevious but the plethora of collectible icons here is impressive for such an early game!

This is also where things can get a little complicated! The icons are marked by both letters and colours. Those marked with 'S', 'L', or 'M' will upgrade the SYD's speed, laser power, and missile power respectively, but the ones marked with 'E' will gradually increase your energy meter which powers the various weapons or 'armors' available. The SYD has two of these permanently - the lasers and missiles - but the others must be collected and each is split into three pieces. Once all three pieces of a given armor are collected it is available for use, but only once your energy reserves have reached a sufficient level too. Once this happens you can select which armor you wish to use (only out of the ones you've collected of course) and unleash it accordingly!

There are eight different collectible armors altogether and aside from a shield they are all offensive including more powerful cannons, super-missiles, and energy beams, right up to a powerful smart-bomb style attack. Using any of them will deplete your energy and they only last for a limited amount of time or number of shots, plus some are better in certain situations than others, so strategic use is advised! There are many other icons to be found too - twenty in total, amazingly - and even one of my sizable reviews isn't big enough to go into all of them, but suffice to say it's possible to upgrade and downgrade your ship's various attributes and, mercifully, there are also icons that let you keep your various power-ups after a life is lost, one each for speed, lasers, and missiles.

Other icons include ones that increase the size of your energy tanks, ones for warps and bonus points, extra lives... all sorts of things, and as long as you keep firing those missiles, the landscape will be littered with them, and that's probably the best thing about this game - your progress is almost entirely down to intelligent collection and use of the millions of icons or 'energy tiles'. In spite of their numbers, however, the stages themselves are constantly busy with lots of small enemy fighters flitting backwards and forwards taking pot-shots at you, punctuated by the occasional larger, more powerful craft, but the end-of-level bosses are very challenging, at least at first before you adapt to their attacks and learn a few tricks. Some even fire homing-bullets which are really annoying!

This combined with the slightly sluggish controls and the fact that the collision-detection often makes your ship seem to be a little bigger than it is conspire to make this one tough game! While the music and sound effects are merely functional, the graphics here are pretty impressive. The stages aren't enormously varied despite seemingly being set on both spacestations and on planets, but the sprites are varied and well-detailed too and the great use of colour means things rarely get confusing. This is all impressive enough anyway but when you consider that ASO was released in the same year as the legendary but more basic Gradius, it's pretty amazing! SNK have managed to pack a huge amount into this game - its twelve stages, twenty power-up icons, and eight weapons is far in excess of anything else I've seen from other games of this age and on top of that it's great fun too, if a little hectic. It's very much a game where practise pays off though and I'm now greatly looking forward to giving the sequel on the Neo Geo powerhouse the once over! Ultimately the few little niggles mentioned prevent this from being a top-ranked blaster but I'm still very surprised it isn't better remembered.

RKS Score: 7/10

Top Five Alex Kidd Games

Yes, yes, okay, I know - there are only five Alex Kidd games, so how can this be a Top Five? Well, actually, contrary to popular belief, there are in fact six Alex Kidd games - Sega sneaked out another one which never left Japan, but I'll look at that one in a later feature. This feature, instead of selecting the five best Alex Kidd games, will place his five best-known adventures in order of greatness!

5. Alex Kidd in High-Tech World (1989)

The well-informed among you could be forgiven for not considering this a true Alex Kidd game as it was actually nothing to do with him in its Japanese form, instead being based on some obscure anime show and being converted to an AK game for its overseas releases. It's also the game I was most intrigued by prior to this feature as my entire knowledge of it was pretty much restricted to a single screenshot and tiny review in some magazine of the day (C&VG's Complete Guide to Consoles, as I recall). As it turns out, that intrigue was somewhat misplaced, with the game focusing on Alex's attempts to find eight pieces of a map to a new arcade which has opened in town. Unlike the other games in the series, this takes the form of an arcade adventure which does involve lots of familiar platforming action but also sees Alex talking to other characters, searching furniture for items which he can use elsewhere, etc. It's not a bad game I suppose, but it's not a huge amount of fun and just seems like a bit of a chore at times.

4. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (1989)

Commonly believed to be the final Alex Kidd game, Enchanted Castle was actually released shortly before Shinobi World, but it is the only one that didn't get a Master System release, instead appearing as a launch title for the MegaDrive. Despite some spruced-up visuals and music (only marginally though) this effort very much retains the feel of the MS games which is probably its biggest problem. The Master System is a great console but the significantly greater power of the MD gave Sega the opportunity to do a lot more with their character but sadly they didn't seize it. It's not bad and has some nice ideas but it's also very frustrating, with the merest touch from anything that moves causing instant death. Even for a launch game this was rather average but next to some of the MD's other platformers, it's a pretty poor effort.

3. Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (1989)

This was the first Alex Kidd game I played after I borrowed it from a friend many years ago. I swear I have firm memories of playing it through to completion over that weekend (yep, even with it making you go through the game twice, Ghouls 'n' Ghosts stylee) but since replaying it for this feature I'm not so sure my memory is accurate - it's harder than ten angry lions! It is also the most surreal of Alex's games, requiring him to traverse some strange landscapes and battle some stranger foes while trying to recover the twelve Zodiac signs! The object of each stage is simply to reach the end within the time limit. Enemies are just there to get in your way and contact with them takes a chunk out of your remaining time. I have good memories of this game which, while frustrating, is also addictive and features such obscure stages the urge to see what Sega dreamed up for the next one is strong!

2. Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (1990)

Cross-over games are few and far between on any console in my experience so that already makes this game noteworthy, but happily it's also rather good! I hadn't played it prior to this feature so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but as it turns out I needn't have thought so hard about it - it's quite literally a cartoony version of a Shinobi game with Alex Kidd replacing Joe Musashi. Clearly modelled on the MS version of the first game (it even features arranged versions of the same music), Alex must battle through twelve stages filled with enemy ninjas, soldiers, and bosses, all based on similar ones from Shinobi. Like High-Tech World, this game was not originally developed as an Alex Kidd game but the character suits it well and it's a superb final outing for ol' big ears. Ironically, it's also tougher than Shinobi, but the stages are interesting and well-designed so it's worth battling away.

1. Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986)

To my shame, I failed to fully embrace this game in the late 80's when my MS was my only console, despite its glowing reputation. I have since made up for lost time though, and can see why it was so revered. Miracle World is perhaps the most 'normal' of Alex's adventures but it's also the most enjoyable as you help him on his journey to free his brother and father who've been kidnapped by Janken the Great. This obviously involves lots of top platforming action but Alex also gets to go swimming and take command of a motorbike and a pedicoptor along the way too! This variety along with the lovely colourful graphics and nice music helps to make Miracle World a superbly entertaining game. It has pretty much always been regarded as the best in the series and although Shinobi World comes close, this is still the champion!

Film Review #20

The Road (2009)
Director: John Hillcoat  Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Michael K. Williams
Certificate: 15  Running Time: 107 Minutes

Tagline: "In a moment the world changed forever"

Let's face it - as a race, we Humans are pretty stupid. For all our marvellous inventions and innovations, we still have all the violent and aggressive instincts inherited from our less-evolved relatives down through the ages and it's only a matter of time before we end up destroying ourselves. A good few film-makers have had this notion before and the results have been mixed - for every Terminator or Mad Max there's been a Steel Dawn or The Postman, but this latest effort comes from a very highly-regarded source. Adapted from Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer-prize winning novel of the same name, The Road is another post-apocalyptic drama, but rather than featuring wars or heroic deeds, this film is simply about a man and a boy and their struggle to stay alive.

Indeed, the cause of the devastation is never explained although it certainly doesn't take us long to see what sort of state the world is now in. Some sort of natural disaster is a possible cause but it's more likely the world's idiotic leaders engaged in some sort of thermo-nuclear exchange, for the world inhabited by the unnamed Man (Mortensen) and Boy (Smit-McPhee) is a bleak, desolate, and grey one, largely without any hint of redemption. We see glimpses of Man's past life via flashbacks, both shortly before and shortly after the 'event' which wiped out much of the life and all of the civilisation on the planet, but a vast majority of the film follows Man's efforts to lead his son down the road of the title to presumed safety at the coast.

Despite being devoid of animal or useful plant life for the most part, however, the world isn't completely deserted. During their travels, in between foraging in deserted buildings for food or anything useful, they do occasionally encounter other people. Some are in a similar situation to them but others have more sinister intentions, including, of course, armed gangs looking to take food, possessions, even people by force. Being forced to live almost every moment in, at best cautious fear and at worst terror and despair, is something that's hard to even imagine, but seeing the world through the eyes of Man and Boy, you can understand why his wife gave in a long time ago, and that's testament to the amazing job by the filmmakers. There are plenty of cameos to be found here (an almost unrecognisable Robert Duvall is particularly good) but understandably dominating the screen time are the characters of Man and Boy, so they needed to be portrayed by top actors.

As most of us will know already, Viggo Mortensen is a consistently fantastic actor, and one who takes his roles very seriously, so it's no surprise to find here that he is thoroughly convincing as Man who, while resourceful and intelligent, also struggles desperately to raise his son in completely unthinkable circumstances. Young Kodi Smit-McPhee, too, exudes both innocence and naivety as the vulnerable Boy, but also seems wise beyond his years at times as well. This isn't a film for the 'graphics tarts' - near enough the entire film is shot in gloomy shades of grey and brown, but the way the bleak landscape has been captured does a superb job of conveying the desperate plight faced by the protagonists. Buildings crumble, trees gradually topple, as the world gives up trying to support us and fades into nothing. The film does paint a terrifyingly convincing picture of what life really could be like in such circumstances. It's hardly a feel-good film and it's not too re-watchable either, but it's so well made, and acted and packed with emotion, you'll be hooked while it lasts.

RKS Score: 8/10

Ultimate: The Collected Works - Part 1

Jetpac (1983)
By: Ultimate Play the Game Genre: Shooting Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Featured Version: ZX Spectrum First Day Score: 6,220
Also Available For: BBC Micro, Commodore VIC-20

Most gamers who grew up in the UK around the same sort of time I did (you know, the 80's 'glory days'), probably had one of the 8-bit micros that were doing the rounds at that time and for me it was the ZX Spectrum. I got into gaming late though, and missed the Speccy's early years which also meant I ended up missing most of the games released by the now legendary Ultimate and, to my eternal shame, I've never got around to playing them since either. This is once again where good old Red Parsley comes in handy for me as it provides a great excuse (not that one should be needed, admittedly) to rectify this glaring oversight! To that end, this series of features will look at all of the games released by Ultimate and I guess it makes most sense to start with the first game!

The first stage and the rocket's in three pieces...

Developed by Tim and Chris Stamper, the founders of Ultimate, Jetpac is a simple game as you might expect, and it stars Jetman. It's your job to guide him around the single-screen stages to reassemble his rocket and then refuel it by collecting the fuel pods that fall onto the screen one by one. On most stages after this he'll just need to refuel it but every now and then there will be a new rocket to reassemble and he'll have to repeat the whole process from scratch. Jetman can fly using the titular device for indefinite periods and is also armed with a laser to take out the endless swarms of aliens that drift across the screen attempting to stop him from half-inching their resources (such as precious metals and gems), which also drop onto the screen periodically and can be collected for bonus points. The stages are also looped meaning if he flies off the left of the screen he'll emerge on the right and vice-versa. This is useful for evading aliens but can also be risky as the aliens do the same!

Stupid gonks with all their bouncing nonsense. Grrr!

Each stage is home to a different kind of alien (until they eventually start repeating) and they are the source of the game's difficulty. Each type of alien moves in a different way and your ability to deal with them will determine how far you can get. For example, I have most trouble with the ones that look like gonks but others may find them a breeze. I think most players would agree that this is still a pretty tricky game though, regardless of which types of alien cause you problems! The sound is predictably almost non-existent and the graphics are also fairly basic, and suffer from a bit of colour-clash for good measure, but at least they are colourful, and they're nicely detailed too. Jetpac has never been a flashy, show-off game anyway though, even I know that - it's famous for its gameplay and nothing else and after just my first few seconds playing it I could see why. It may be simple but it's also extremely well-crafted. As is often the case, this combination makes it a very addictive game, and one that I'm pleased to have finally played!

RKS Score: 8/10

Master System Shmups #4

Bomber Raid (1988)
By: Sanritsu Denki / Sega  Genre: Shooting  Players: 1  Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Sega Master System  First Day Score: 78,100
Also Available For: Nothing

As much affection as I have for the Master System, it didn't really fare too well anywhere except Europe (and Brazil), and its paltry but loyal core of proud and loyal owners were enveloped by the congealing mass of NES owners in Japan and the US. A testament to its failure in the two most important markets is the fact that this very game represented the final official release for the console in Japan, and at a time when the system was only just becoming established here in the UK! Bomber Raid was released exclusively on the Master System too so there's a good chance a lot of American and Japanese gamers missed out on it altogether, but did they miss much? And perhaps more importantly, was it a fitting farewell for the lovely little console in its native territory?

Taking its cues from Capcom classic, 1942, and a few similar games to a lesser extent like Flying Shark, Bomber Raid is a WWII-set vertically scrolling shmup which takes place over both land and sea. It's interesting that the front cover of this game depicts an SR-71 Blackbird dropping a load of bombs as the actual game sees you piloting a far older and less sophisticated plane and any bomb-dropping you do is restricted to the three 'cluster bombs' your aircraft is equipped with! The game takes place over five stages, or 'missions' (you'll receive a short briefing before each), all of which are filled with enemy aircraft, tanks, boats, submarines, and other associated vehicles, including of course much larger and more powerful bosses at the end of each stage.

Amidst all the usual military-type enemies, you'll frequently encounter spinning pods which release power-ups when shot. These include speed-ups, upgrades for your feeble main gun, and can also see smaller drone planes join yours and produce fire of their own, although they are just as prone to enemy fire as your main aircraft too, and you can also unleash the aforementioned cluster bombs which are screen-clearing smart bombs as you might expect. No, the arsenal isn't particularly huge or impressive but even with the pretty limited resources available here you should make pretty good progress through the stages. The difficulty curve is just about right and there's few overly tough parts that you'll get stuck on.

In fact, probably the biggest challenges offered by the game, at least initially, are a result of graphical issues! They're pretty good, if lacking a little in variety, but the enemy fire is small and moves fast so it's often hard to spot it, and the same can be said of some of the enemies themselves. Your own bullets, too, are practically invisible to start with making the acquisition of power-ups even more of a necessity! There's also a bit of slowdown and flicker now and then too but aside from that, this is a decent enough looking game, and indeed a decent enough game generally. It was actually one of the MS games I always wanted to play but I never got around to buying it, so this is my first encounter with it, and happily it's been a good one. It's not perfect and it's certainly not the best vertical-scroller on the Master System (Power Strike retains that crown) but once you get used to the slightly confusing visuals it proves to be an enjoyable and addictive blaster, and a decent farewell for the Japanese incarnation of this great console.

RKS Score: 7/10

First Look #4

Split/Second by Black Rock Studio (2010) - Xbox 360

Playing this game was actually something of a landmark for me. It was at the R3Play gaming expo when my good friend, Luke, beckoned me toward the unknown - an Xbox 360. That's right, playing this game represents the first time I'd ever played any game on a 360! I remembered seeing adverts for Split/Second in magazines but I didn't really know anything about and neither did Luke as far as I know, but we courageously took up the challenge nonetheless and picked up the 360 controllers (wow, wireless!). The next few minutes (well, I think it ended up being about an hour!) was a gaming session sufficiently awesome enough to even convince me to finally buy a current-gen console, for it turned out Split/Second is a super-fast, super-exciting arcade-style racer of just the type I like. It kind of reminded me of a cross between Motorhead (the PS1 game, not the band) and Burnout (before EA screwed it up), particularly the latter as far as the awesome handling and drifting is concerned, but it's definitely no pretender. This is a fantastic racing game with a lot more to it than you might at first think, and I'm eager to discover all of it for myself!

RKS Score: 5/5

Top Five Supercars

Yes, Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Porsche's, and God-forbid, Bugatti's are all well and good, but just how practical are they for everyday use? Actually, before even getting that far, who can afford them? Fear not, however. If my experiences in the south of England are anything to go by, there are some cheaper and more realistic alternatives to be found which can rival the power and excitement of the more exotic supercars, but at a fraction of the price. Judging from what I've seen on city streets, these are the best five:

5 - Citroen AX

Available with up to a 1.4L engine, this classic old Citroen has been replaced by the Saxo for quite a while now of course, but it still has enough charm and quality to warrant a purchase, and with some models producing as much as 95bhp, who could argue?

4 - Vauxhall Nova

Ah, the former undisputed king! Until recently any motorist around would shudder in fear in the presence of this monster! Known as the 'Opel Corsa A' outside the UK, it is another fairly old supercar that has since been replaced and now that its replacement has started becoming more affordable, they are becoming more scarce. They are still a formidable sight when spotted though, and with their immense engines producing up to 75bhp, they can still leave most rivals in the dust.

3 - Peugeot 106

Looking near-enough identical to the MkI Renault Clio, this rival has a large number of variations available. The stylish brutes can produce as much as 45bhp from even the most basic model, but the most advanced special edition model remarkably breaches the magical three-figure barrier! Bow to its power!

2 - Vauxhall Corsa

Known as the the 'Opel Corsa B' elsewhere, this is arguably the fastest-growing supercar in terms of popularity right now. Though most commonly found with a 1.2L engine, these babies did come as a monstrous 1.6L beast and packed the performance to match those awesome looks.

1 - Citroen Saxo

Undoubtedly the greatest supercar currently on the roads, this mighty yet curvaceous car's pulling power is so great, it finally ended the dominance of the seemingly unstoppable Nova. Replacing the aging AX, its engine options ranged from 1.0L to a terrifying 1.6L beast, the latter of which could produce a staggering 118bhp. When you see one of these thunder by, you can't help but feel respect, even awe at the sheer power and ferocity before you.

Disclaimer: This post is intended to be completely serious and in no way contains any sarcasm whatsoever :|

Single Screen Platform Games #5

Bomb Jack Twin (1993)
By: NMK Co., Ltd  Genre: Platform  Players: 1-2  Difficulty: Hard
Featured Version: Arcade  First Day Score: 169,260
Also Available For: Nothing

Poor old Bomb Jack. After an exceptional mid-80's debut his future looked bright and he could've been one of the very first platform heroes but despite a couple of sequels, he instead faded into obscurity. One of the sequels, Mighty Bomb Jack, appeared only a couple of years after the original and took the addictive bomb-collecting, enemy-avoiding gameplay and introduced scrolling stages as well as numerous bonus collectibles. A year after that, Elite offered their own unofficial sequel, creatively titled Bomb Jack 2, which strangely took away Jack's power of flight, instead requiring him to leap from platforms to adjacent platforms. The next game in the series was also sadly the last to date and it was... Bomb Jack Twin.

Appearing some six years after Elite's franchise-destroying game, Bomb Jack Twin took the gameplay back to the basics, but made one vital addition - a two player mode. Yes, that's right - joining in with Bomb Jack's bomb-collecting tomfoolery this time is a female Bomb-collector (Bomb Jill?) and together they must once again save the world's landmarks and cities from... actually, did we ever find out who was responsible? Anyway, the stages here are basically polished-up copies of those found in the first game with one exception - they're a lot harder! It appears, therefore, that rather than merely offering the option of a two-player, this game is designed to be played that way.

The reason it's harder, you see, is because the enemies are both much more numerous, and much faster. Just look at the screenshots below - both were taken by me a few seconds after the start of the stage and there's already six or more enemies on the loose! The longer you last, the more of them there will be and some of them chase you around the screen at a ridiculous speed. The first stage eases you in a little but after that you'll need the reflexes of a gazelle to get very far on your own and the 'P' icon becomes more vital than ever before!

As you can probably see, one of the biggest changes the series has seen from first game to this one is the graphics. It's been nine years since the first Bomb Jack so this game looks much fancier with its beautifully drawn sprites, some nice animation, and nice backdrops. Some of the music and sound effects return from the first game (in remixed form, of course) but they are joined by some new ones too, and everything is top-notch presentation-wise. But does the pretty new look make it a better game?

Stages are set in thirteen locations around the world and before play begins you'll see a map screen showing where you are. After three rounds, then a bonus round (same sort of objective but with no enemies and a tighter time limit), you'll move to the next dot on the map, and control over Jack (and Jill) through the game is again extremely tight and precise which is more necessary than ever here! Obviously this game is the best in the series for enjoying with a friend since it's the only entry in the series with such an option, and fantastic (if often short-lived) fun it is too, but when 'flying solo' I think I'd have to go for the original. If you've got the necessary skills, Twin is a superb game, but it'll just prove too tough for most single-players.

RKS Score: 8/10

Film Review #19

The Visitor (2008)
Director: Tom McCarthy  Starring: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Jekesai Gurira, Hiam Abbass
Certificate: 15  Running Time: 104 Minutes

Tagline: "Connection is everything"

Thomas McCarthy is a talented fellow. He's primarily an actor, featuring in films like Meet the Parents, Good Night and Good Luck, and 2012, as well as a few TV shows too such as Boston Public and The Wire, but he is also a talented writer and director, and it's these ventures of his in which I am most interested. As many will probably not be aware, Tom's screenwriting abilities have brought us the superb Pixar adventure, Up, but he also wrote and directed one of my very favourite films, The Station Agent, a low-budget but superbly crafted exploration of loneliness featuring some fantastic performances from its four main actors. The critically-acclaimed film, his directorial debut, went on to win numerous awards and plaudits and showed great potential for any future projects, but his sophomore effort was a long time coming.


Tarek teaches Walter to play the djembe...

Like McCarthy's previous film, The Visitor features few principal actors and follows a similar theme, albeit in markedly different circumstances. Walter Vale (Jenkins - Six Feet Under) is a widowed college professor from Connecticut who has grown rather anti-social and now lives his days alone and unfulfilled. Upon being asked by the head of his department to present a paper in New York, he reluctantly agrees and travels to the apartment he keeps in the city only to find an illegal immigrant couple living there (Sleiman and Gurira). After initially kicking them out, he takes pity on them and lets them stay there with him. Wary of each other to begin with, Walter and Tarek gradually forge a friendship which soon takes a dramatic turn when the latter is arrested and taken to a detention centre and his worried mother (Abbass) arrives in New York looking for him.


Walter attempts to keep Tarek's spirits up...

It seems clear to me that Tom McCarthy strikes up a great relationship with his actors. Evidence of this can be seen by the fact that the stars of The Station Agent were all guests of The Visitor's premiere despite the fact that none of them appear in it, but regardless of that, it also means he tends to get great performances from them. Richard Jenkins is generally good value in all his (often minor) roles but here he's superb in his portrayal of Walter. He doesn't like his job and he doesn't like his life, it just takes a while before he admits it to himself. His new-found friendship with Tarek is almost like a wake-up call, an opportunity to be the person he actually wants to be for a change. As odd as it may look to see a 60-year old white guy enthusiastically pounding an African drum, he thoroughly convinces throughout and was duly nominated for an Oscar for his efforts.


Tarek and Zainab share a rare private moment...

Portraying Tarek and Zainab, the couple befriended by Walter, are relative newcomers, Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira. Zainab spends her days selling ethnic jewellery in a market but remains wary of Walter. The happy-go-lucky Tarek, on the other hand, is charismatic (this film's Joe Oramas to Walter's Fin) and the unlikely duo of he and Walter form an enjoyable friendship which is quickly put to the test. After Tarek's arrest his screentime is more limited and his lively nature is sorely missed, but when his mother, Mouna, arrives wondering why she hasn't heard from him, it's replaced by the new friendship that she and Walter form as they anxiously try to organise his release.


Mouna meets Zainab for the first time...

So, is Tom McCarthy's second film as good as The Station Agent? Well, yes and no. They do have a few similarities and, while his first film is more re-watchable in my opinion, this film touches on matters of greater importance, especially in recent years. In the wrong hands, this could've been a melodramatic mess but McCarthy's restrained direction makes it a highly entertaining look at post-9/11 attitudes to immigration in the US which, thanks to the great performances as well, makes it uplifting and thought-provoking. After all, to quote the film's other tagline - "In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life..."

RKS Score: 8/10