That yearning for a youth long gone is what inspired Satoshi Tajiri, Pokémon’s originator, to come up
with the idea. According to the oft-repeated legend, Tajiri was known by his neighbors as a collector of insects and was playfully christened the moniker “Dr. Bug” by them. As his…

Read the rest of this article on page 57 by clicking here!

Be sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!

The post Pokémon Red/Blue – by John Michonski appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

SimCity was born from the desire of a creator to share his tools. Will Wright, one of the founders of legendary studio Maxis, forged the original…

Read the rest of this article on page 11 by clicking here!

Be sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!

The post Sim City – by John Michonski appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

SNK games outshone the competition in many ways, so it was a bit confusing when they entered the handheld scene in 1998 and were a step behind Nintendo’s Game Boy Color at the starting line. SNK began its life in 1973, but didn’t release a game, Ozma Wars, until 1979. Their output was focused…

Read the rest of this article on page 22 by clicking here!

Be sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!

The post Neo Geo Pocket – by John Michonski appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Something that is now seen as spooky and menacing was once an essential piece of atmosphere that made two kid focused pizza places a major part of the childhoods of hundreds of thousands of people. The histories of Chuck E.Cheese and Showbiz Pizza are intertwined, as one wouldn’t exist without the other. Nolan Bushnell, also known as one of the creators of the mainstream gaming console and the founder of Atari, had the idea for a kid-focused food and gaming establishment…

Read the rest of this article on page 21 by clicking here!

Be sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!

The post ROBOTIC REMEMBRANCE – by John Michonski appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

In this issue, we pick up the story of the Stern Family with Stern Electronics, and its next generation
Stern Pinball, the oldest and largest designer and manufacturer of arcade-quality pinball games on the planet!

Read the rest of this article on page 6 by clicking here!

Be sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!

The post Made of Stern Stuff – by John Michonski appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Developed by Fill in Cafe, better known for the Asuka 120% titles, Community Pom is an action RPG similar in gameplay to Zelda. It’s not one-to-one, as Pom’s main character relies on magic spells over swordplay, but she can swing her staff to fend off close foes. Our spunky protag, Lulu, is a young lady who wishes to clear the name of critters named Poms who live near her village. The village’s Meymeys, sheep basically, have been getting attacked, and Poms are being blamed for this. Lulu knows the Poms are innocent as they play with her and gave her the staff she uses for combat. So, she sets out to rescue the Poms and form a new place for them to live: the Community Pom the game is named for!

Gameplay in Community Pom is split about 60-40 between exploring the overworld, fighting enemies and rescuing Poms; and developing the Community, feeding Poms and giving them tasks to improve their adorable living space. Traveling to dungeons via an overworld teeming with baddies, Lulu can swing her staff to whack foes similarly to how Link swings his sword in a 2D Zelda. Your power grows as you clear the dungeons,with each boss defeated adding a spell to your repertoire. These can range from simple fireballs to healing skills and even a teleport to bring you back to town, so the spells feel similar to Zelda-style tools. You can also collect items to summon elementals, which are for all intents and purposes a screen-clear. The community building aspect has you using food you gather on your quest to feed Poms, tasking them with building new establishments in their village to raise your Poms easier. Raising your Poms allows them to unlock new skills, and you can travel with Poms in tow and use their skills to clear obstacles and defeat enemies. Raising the IQ of a Pom allows it to change class, usually upgrading their current one. A nurse Pom can become a scholar, shifting from healing and running the clinic to building a library that opens up a secret later in the game as well as boosting the stats of your little buddies.

Raising the stats of your Poms is a bit repetitive, but the results add a lot to the gameplay.

Lulu’s adventures are where your Pom rearing shines. Poms can also be brought with you like a party, giving you new attacking spells and mobility options to let Lulu reach new places on the map. The Poms are often listless and fall asleep, so their attacks are more of a neat gimmick than a huge boon, but it’s fun to have them around! Sometimes you want some guys following you, even if they don’t help you consistently. Make sure you don’t over-utilize them, however, as if a Pom fights too much or doesn’t get fed, their karma will grow and they’ll turn into a Moom, an evil version of a Pom that does damage to the community. Defeating the Moom will save your Pom, but as long as you keep them fed and don’t overdo it with the combat, you don’t have to sweat it too much. At first blush, Community Pom’s mechanics can be a little simple, but the meshing of combat, raising, and community development ties it all together.

The music is another way Pom knocks it out of the park. A lot of it is inspired by other songs, quite blatantly in fact, but it’s so fun that’s not an issue. The song that plays while you’re in towns is straight up “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire, but the remix is so cute it’s an earworm all on its own. The boss battle music is also a remix of the cliche “dun-dah-dun-dun-duuuuuuuun” melody, but with a bit of a dancy vibe to it. The soundtrack’s use of other songs as inspiration is endearing, and it’s a regular listen when I put on game soundtracks. Community Pom borrows quite a bit from a lot of things, but it puts a huge spin on them to make it fresh and compelling, even many years after its release.

The graphics are soft and welcoming, like an 80’s children’s anime or a picture book. The Poms’ design evokes Sanrio’s characters, immediately endearing and instilling a desire to hug a plushie of one. Complimenting that sucrose style is a script that is consistently snarky. Lulu has quite the mouth on her, reacting to most situations with a sarcastic remark. You can tell she genuinely cares about people and Pom alike, but she’s also a lil stinker, and she often carries the dialogue via her quips. NPCs generally also have pretty funny lines as well, but Lulu’s reactions to the world around her make her a standout character.

We’d be without this memorable dialogue if Community Pom didn’t get a fan translation last year. The translation, a group effort by group LIPEMCO!, whose members are TheMajinZenki, cccmar, Supper, and Xanathis. Their work made the game completely playable in English, and also involved translating the official guidebook, which can be found on Supper’s stargood.org website. This guide assists with understanding the ins-and-outs of the experience, and I’d recommend if you’re interested in trying the game to check the guide out as well. A translation this good being free feels criminal, and hopefully the crew at LIPEMCO! knows just how great a job they did.

There’s some great art on the site as well, please do check it out!

When I played through Community Pom for the first time, I was worried the visuals were its only saving grace. The only person I’d seen talking about it was an artist I followed, and while visual aesthetics are cool, they’re not something I personally hold to such a high regard. However, as I progressed, everything fell into place, and I well and truly fell in love with the game. The polish and love poured into every part of the game endeared itself to me throughout, and there’s nothing like it on Playstation, and even if its moment to moment combat is similar to A Link to the Past, overall there’s nothing else like it anywhere. Its look is sublime, so of course artists would be drawn to it, but the gameplay, music, writing…It’s all excellent, and I was hooked, and probably would’ve been just as hooked if Community Pom had released today.

It’s difficult to find any real information about Community Pom online, especially on the English-speaking web. This was a game that was released, perhaps enjoyed by a solid amount of Japanese players, but has most likely not been thought of much since. A team of translators put an effort into giving it love, but said translation also has fallen under the radar. This is a crying shame. Community Pom is a game that feels modern in its sensibilities, has more heart than most games out there, an indie soul before “indie” was a thing, and a fanbase that quietly holds it close to its heart. Now having gotten to play it, I am one of those fans, and I implore you to give Pom a shot. There’s some like it in the gameplay department, but there’s nothing like its vibe, adorable and quirky as it is.

The post Why You Should Check Out Community Pom appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Donkey Kong for Game Boy was released in 1994, so most folks call it Donkey Kong ‘94 to differentiate it from the arcade original. At first impression, the game is a fairly straightforward port , tasking Mario with climbing the original four stages to rescue Pauline. After clearing the original stages, something unexpected happens: Mario chases Donkey Kong up and out of the construction site and into a Super Mario Bros. 3-style map. There are 96 new stages past the “remake” of the first four; 100 stages in all. There’s a variety of worlds thrown your way, from a forest, a pirate ship, an airplane, and even an iceberg to name a few.

The variety of levels is impressive, especially for a game of its size.

DK94 throws new mechanics at you quickly, but not overwhelmingly. You can climb and hang along tightropes to cross gaps or build momentum, enemies and items can be picked up and thrown if you jump on top of them. There is a backwards jump a la Super Mario 64 to gain extra height. You can even make Mario do a handstand, walking on his hands and letting some projectiles bounce off his feet. Each world introduces new items and mechanics as you go, such as ally creatures that help you reach higher jumps, climbable ropes, and balance beams to twirl on. Mario arguably has more movement options in this game than most of his 3D outings, let alone any of the other 2D titles. It’s a blast to use these skills to rush through each level, grabbing the purse, hat, and parasol Pauline left behind in each level to rack up a high score.

There’s a lot of charm in DK94’s graphics and sound, evident from even just moving Mario around. Have him fall from a high enough spot and he splats on the ground, leg twitching in the air. When performing acrobatic feats, he strikes gymnastic poses, something that became a staple of the 3D entries. There’s some really incredible sprite work at play here, and it helps the flow of the game with how easy the levels are to read. Cutscenes between levels introduce the new mechanics, so you’re never thrust into a level with no idea what to do. As you progress, you’ll even see DK bring Jr. into the mix, having the younger ape throw poison mushrooms to fell the plumber. This would be Jr.’s last major appearance aside from hitting the court in Mario Tennis and getting added as a racer in Mario Kart Tour, so it’s nice to see him helping his pop.

Mario’s acrobatics are fun to watch, as seen in this official art for the game.

In the sound department, while the music works, it’s the voices and sound effects that are more memorable. Pauline’s pixelated cries for assistance, the bounce of Mario’s jumps, and the slams of barrels falling down are captured well on the Game Boy, but I wish there was a bit more to the soundtrack. It’s not bad, but there’s not really anything here that’ll make you tap your foot or look up online for later listening. I suppose it shares that with the arcade game, as there’s more music overall, so it’s got that going for it over the original.

There’s an ingenuity at play here that you don’t see much from Nintendo’s safer titles starring Mario. Off-beat games like this are often regulated to the Warios and Captain Toads of Nintendo’s roster, So it’s surprising to see many “Best of Mario” lists skip right over DK94, when it’s easily in my top ten, maybe even top five, 2D Mario games. Handheld titles can be overlooked, Mario Land notwithstanding,  but this one’s still not in the conversation! It’s a shame, but it’s easy to guess why.

First, its title is pretty bad. Just “Donkey Kong” makes the average gamer think this is yet another port of the arcade game, and by 1994 people were looking for bigger and better games than a four screen platformer. This goes hand-in-hand with the twist at the start of the game. After the first four screens, the game opens up, but turning the game on for the first time and just seeing the original 25m stage, an uninformed player might look at the title and the game and figure it’s just the same old game and move on.

There’s also the issue of timing. The Super Nintendo had been out for about a year by the time DK94 had been released. The Game Boy was a bit long in the tooth, and there was both a more popular “Mario” game available on Game Boy with Wario Land ( technically Super Mario Land 3!) *and* a more popular Donkey Kong game on SNES coming later that year in the revolutionary Donkey Kong Country. Gamers wanted to look to the future, and something that could easily be mistaken as an old arcade game wasn’t on the forefront of most people’s minds.

I’m guessing a lot of people missed this screen.

Donkey Kong ‘94 is worth going back to. Its mechanics are surprisingly modern, it’s quite beefy in scope, and it’s just a blast to play. It’s best experienced in color, with several Super Game Boy options built into the cartridge. If you are a fan of this game and want more, there is a sequel! Mario vs Donkey Kong on the GBA is *actually* a true-blue follow-up to this! The Lemmings-style minis didn’t factor into the gameplay until the second Mario vs. Donkey Kong. It’s a shame that Nintendo hasn’t made another game in this style, as bite-sized puzzle platforming would be great on Switch. It was released on the 3DS Virtual Console, but that’s not exactly an option now, so for now Donkey Kong ‘94 makes for a great reason to continue to rally for Game Boy on Switch so everyone can get a taste of a bona-fide classic of portable platforming.

The post Donkey Kong ’94: The Handheld Masterpiece You Might Have Missed appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Fighting games were a niche genre, one mostly played in arcades even after home ports were made, and once arcades began to wind down, fighting games did as well. With the release of Street Fighter IV in 2008 however, fighting games had an upswing. The ability to play online with friends quickly brought in a new market, and today there’s a massive fighting game community, with events such as Evo watched by millions and games like Guilty Gear Strive selling better than any other game in the franchise by a wide margin.

As for shmups, there have been just as many quality releases as fighting games in the past few years, with classic games like Gradius, Darius, and Cotton readily available, and new IPs like the excellent Drainus carrying the torch forward. These are fantastic titles in their own right, and have added a few modern upgrades such as online leaderboards, so why haven’t shmups been successful like their arcade borne brethren?

The basic reason I see is approachability. Fighting games have many ways to play them: If you’re a beginner, you can hop into training mode or even play against a friend at a similar skill level. You can learn the game, become better, and climb the ranks to highlight your skills far easier in a fighting game than in any shmup. There is a tangible “I’ve gotten better” feeling in a fighting game when you’re able to defeat someone you previously could not. Shmups are very self-motivating, and it can often be disheartening when you get stuck on a level early on and can’t progress. Multiplayer in shmups usually involves taking turns, not fighting someone or playing cooperatively. It’s you against the game, and if the game is hard, a player can often drop the title instead of grinding at it if they aren’t internally motivated. How can shmups get their moment of glory, that Street Fighter IV-esque chance to reach mainstream attention?

First, there needs to be far more comprehensive and easy-to-get-into tutorials and simple modes. Shmup fans may scoff at the idea, but we were all newbies at one point, and the more of a chance fresh faces get to learn the basics, the more likely they’ll stick around and become lifetime fans. Options similar to fighting games’ auto-combos would help, perhaps infinite missiles, smaller hitboxes, and deep rundowns of mechanics would get new folks into the game better than dumping them into level one. The excellent tutorialization of Skullgirls, and the auto-combos in Persona 4 Arena were how I first learned fighting games. Something similar should be a standard inclusion in future shmups.

There also needs to be some form of player vs player mode. It’s disheartening to go against the game and have it destroy you every time, but being able to play against someone else at a similar skill level to you would be a fantastic way to introduce new players to how shmups work. Perhaps a three vs one mode, with three players controlling the hero ships and one player placing enemies in their way and controlling the boss at the end of each stage? There’s precedent in the fantastic Neo Geo title Twinkle Star Sprites, a vs-focused game where defeating enemies on your screen sends them to your opponent’s side. Modes similar to this in side-scrolling shooters would be a welcome addition, and would lead to a more even playing field for players of similar skill level.

If gameplay changes aren’t enough, then story could be just what a game needs to bring in new eyes. Shmups have never been a story-focused genre, but why not? Why put a limit on a style of play? There have been several shmups with acclaimed writing, such as Sine Mora and The Void Rains Upon Her Heart. The story doesn’t need to be woven directly into the gameplay, and I hope the acceptance of visual novel elements in other games leads to an adoption of easier to digest writing to offset the frantic shooting gameplay shmups are known for. Many doujin shooters such as Touhou are popular to many people almost despite their shooter origins. I know many fans of the series who haven’t touched the games, but I also know just as many who fell in love with the characters and went to try the series and greatly enjoyed the challenge. Having something like a character or even a style of play to latch onto through a series can bring players into the fold. When someone’s favorite Street Fighter III character returns for Street Fighter V, there’s a good chance they’ll go and get V when it releases. Having some form of recognizable character beyond a spaceship can go a long way for people, which is something Cotton does well, at least.

I believe there needs to be more external motivation. Many people get into fighting games for the community, watching Evo or a similar tournament and seeing the rivalries and friendships form in real time is exhilarating, and there’s always a feeling of “that could be me” in the hearts of many. How can a genre that mostly hosts single player games have moments like that? Shmups are a very different type of game, and maybe they are destined to be niche forever. But making tutorials and versus modes standard through the genre will grow the community, and icing the cake with an involving story would get players far more invested than before. Will these suggestions work? Maybe, maybe not. A big problem shmups often face is one of optics, where they are often seen as games made for bite-sized attempts instead of deep
experiences. Fighting games were able to escape that concept by going online and adding more features. I wouldn’t call the future of shmups dire by any means. People will buy them, and the community of bullet-dodgers will eat up every new classic released. There is a road towards further acceptance, though, and I would like for more gamers to be able to appreciate a genre they may have not given its due.

The post Will Shmups Ever Have Their Day In The Sun? appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.