In the late ’80s and early ’90s, we saw the humble beginnings of many beat ‘em up franchises. Double Dragon set the standard, and Battletoads cranked it up to 11 with wacky levels, great sprite animations, and brutal difficulty (That speeder bike level still gives me nightmares 😰). What brought them together, oddly enough, was a single publisher – Tradewest. At the time, the now-dissolved publisher owned both IPs and brought them together to form the ultimate team.

While Rare spearheaded development, Technos Japan provided the Double Dragon license. Rare took what made Battletoads successful and improved upon that formula, making this game an unofficial sequel. This game begins shortly after the Dark Queen’s defeat in the original game. The Colussus, a massive spaceship, emerged from the moon and neutralized Earth’s military. The Dark Queen is back, and she allied herself with Shadow Boss and his minions to exact her revenge.

The Battletoads, Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, spring into action. To even the odds, they enlist the aid of the twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee. Together, they fly the Battlecopter into space to stop the Dark Queen. This game contains seven levels and features different gimmicks and playstyles to keep the gameplay fresh. There are side-scrolling sections, rappelling sections, Asteroids-esque space battles, and, of course, a speeder bike level. However, this one is much easier to complete.

What I truly loved about the original Battletoads are the over-the-top fight animations. They were hilariously over-the-top on the NES hardware. True to fashion, Rare kept this style and reimagined the Lee brothers’ Sou-Setsu-Ken fighting style. Even though you have only one button to attack, these fight animations change depending on which foes you fight.

This game was ported to the SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy, reskinning the original. However, the NES version has a lot of charm. In 2022, Retro-bit released an updated physical version of the game as a limited run. While this version doesn’t touch the gameplay or graphics, it gives some love to the cartridge, box, and instruction manual. This comes with a custom acrylic stand and is the cherry on top for this collector’s edition. While I can go on about this game, You should get out there and get a copy for your collection. This is a gem to be enjoyed alongside your favorite bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups 😃.

The post Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Unexpected Crossover We Didn’t Know We Needed appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

It’s a resounding success. To make sure they were challenging the players, the developers included an entry form in game boxes. As a contestant, you were invited to take a picture of your highest score and send it to Imagic along with the form filled and a proof-of-purchase. Of course there were prizes promised to the best players. Actually, the four best players would be sent to Bermuda on November 14, 1982 to compete for a grand prize of $10,000! But it wasn’t that easy for Imagic to select the challengers.

This is where it gets interesting. As AtariAge puts it, “There were a lot of good Atlantis players […] and Imagic had to figure out a way to decide who the top four would be.” This is why Atlantis II was created. Similar to the first one, this new version is faster, provides less score and is overall harder. Imagic sent it to some players, along with a letter, so they could compete and be selected (or not) to go to Bermuda. However, to this day, it’s still hard to say how many of those they made and eventually sent. Some say 25, others say fewer. The truth is out there but, still, it’s one of the rarest game on the planet.

As it is physically almost the same as the original, it’s very hard to tell them apart. The developers indeed used a regular Atlantis Night Scene package (as opposed to the ever more common Day Scene one) with a standard sticker that simply read Atlantis II. Fortunately, the community noticed a few ways to know if the cartridge you have is on of the rarest ever made. For example, the scoring font is different. Also, according to experts like Racketboy, Atlantis II weighs less than the original. So if you have a digital scale, like the ones used for food, you should be able to tell as it weighs about 5.55 grams.

Although contests like these are a thing from the past, nowadays we live in a world where games are becoming a sport in their own right. Athletes are as much superstars as traditional sports players. And it’s a good thing!

The post Why they’re rare: Atlantis II appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

To listen to each track mentioned, use the YouTube playlist below.

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In this installment, I’ll finish up the rest of the soundtrack and give my final rating. Now that we’re on the same page, let’s move on to the second half of DK Jamz. I know you’re as excited as I am to jump back in, so let’s go!

“Mine Cart Madness”

I think this song does a great job underscoring the frantic tension already present in the mine cart levels — if you’ve ever played, for example, “Mine Cart Carnage”, you’ll know exactly the tension I mean. It doesn’t overshadow the gameplay, which is nice, because it would be pretty hard to focus on jumping mine carts on rails otherwise.

“Life in the Mines”

Another tune that’s pretty low-key, “Life in the Mines” is a more chilled-out song for mostly slower-paced levels (at least, compared to “Mine Cart Madness”). It’s a much more meandering melody for the first thirty seconds or so, then focuses in with some pan pipes. It’s not unpleasant to listen to by any means, but doesn’t really stand out for me.

“Voices of the Temple”

This one’s a little more driving than “Life in the Mines”, but only a little. It’s pretty atmospheric, featuring a lot of plucked strings and wind instruments. It plays during levels like “Millstone Mayhem”, which are sort of reminiscent of King Louie’s temple ruins from The Jungle Book (more accurately, the 1967 animated Disney film). Those pan pipes are really starting to show up a lot…

Not pictured: Actual Kongs.

“Forest Frenzy”

Back to the more melodic tunes. It’s got some piano, some strings, some flute, and…maybe xylophone? This song gets you through the forest floor levels, and while the “frenzy” part of the title might be a bit hyperbolic, this is definitely a pleasant background ditty to help you trek through hordes of wasps, vultures, and reptiles. The driving beat helps keep the pace too.

“Treetop Rock”

Moving up to the higher, interconnected areas of the jungle, “Treetop Rock” plays during tree house-style stages. This one nicely balances a great bass line with some higher melodies. If you listen closely, you can catch — you guessed it — more pan pipes in the background. The tune goes into a sort of melancholy interlude before cranking back into a more urgent variation on the main melody, finally looping back into the beginning again. It’s bouncy, like the tire trampolines scattered throughout these levels.

“Funky’s Fugue”

Now here’s a departure from some of the other, more atmospheric tracks. Playing during transport between worlds (at Funky’s Flights, an airline of sorts), “Funky’s Fugue” comes right at you with — and I might catch some weird looks, but go with me here — a guitar riff almost reminiscent of the one from “Cotton Eye Joe” (not the fiddle, the guitar underneath it). It’s definitely got a strong techno vibe to it, and when I was a kid, the people yelling “Aww yeah!” every so often were…oddly satisfying. It was (and is) so catchy, I used to sit and listen to two or three good loops of this track before moving on to the next level.

[wpdevart_youtube width=”640″ height=”385″ autoplay=”0″ theme=”light” loop_video=”0″ enable_fullscreen=”1″ show_related=”1″ show_popup=”0″ thumb_popup_width=”213″ thumb_popup_height=”128″ show_title=”1″ show_youtube_icon=”1″ show_annotations=”1″ show_progress_bar_color=”red” autohide_parameters=”1″ set_initial_volume=”false” initial_volume=”100″ disable_keyboard=”0″]mOYZaiDZ7BM[/wpdevart_youtube]
See? Told you it sounds like Rednex!

“Misty Menace”

This might be a contender for one of the most atmosphere-evoking pieces of the score. Any semblance of melody is very bare-bones, but the sound effects really create a feeling of loneliness and mystery. The accompanying levels aren’t overly complex either, but the enemies you encounter in them are quick and often seem to come out of nowhere. It kind of puts you on edge, seemingly without trying too hard.

“Northern Hemispheres”

Like the previous level, the immersiveness of this track is really impressive. It’s bleak, but it adds so much to the blizzard levels in which it plays. A little over a minute in, the melody gets urgent and dissonant, almost like warning sirens. Near two minutes, a harp comes in and plays a short, hopeful little tune; but when the track loops back on itself, it’s back to the (awesome) snowstorm.

“Ice Cave Chant”

Unsurprisingly, you’ll encounter this one in the ice cave levels. It’s a lot more melodic and catchy than the previous two tracks, which is likely a welcome break at this point. Lots of strings and what sounds like a glockenspiel here, which make for a nice change of pace that helps vary the song selections. I found the title interesting, mainly because there doesn’t appear to be any chanting; it’s no less pleasant to listen to, though.

“Fear Factory”

Full disclosure here: this is my favorite song on the entire soundtrack, and the levels that accompany it are probably my favorites too. It’s got an industrial vibe without feeling too heavy, and even throws in some horn stings at the end, before it loops back. It’s a great tune with a driving beat and some wicked xylophone harmonies (bet that’s a new one!). The factory levels feature a lot of oil drums and steel kegs, the sound effects for which fit nicely in with this song’s rhythm.

Kremkroc Industries: The Pollution Capital of Kong Island!™

“Gang-Plank Galleon”

This one will throw you for a loop. It starts out as a jaunty pirate tune, with a little flute and accordion duet…then, about twenty seconds in, it fades completely into the theme for the final boss. King K. Rool’s stage is simple, but this song builds tension through a fast tempo and a hearty bass line and builds up to a bigger, better melody, which starts at about 1 minute, 15 seconds. “Gang-Plank Galleon” definitely works well with the pressure of fighting the last boss in the game (and the villain who stole your banana hoard!).

“The Credits Concerto”

Well, we’ve made it to the end of the game. “The Credits Concerto” is an airy, synth-heavy tune that makes you feel as if the weight of thousands of bananas has been lifted off your chest (and back into the cave where they belong). To be honest, it’s a really nice finish to the game, like whipped cream on top of a slice of pie.

Final Rating

I’ve carried these tunes with me since Donkey Kong Country‘s release in 1994. I grew up with this generation of Kongs, and still love to play this game and listen to each track. In an attempt to avoid reviewing it exclusively through the nostalgia lens, however, I will say this: there were a few tracks that didn’t really stand out, namely “Life in the Mines”, “Candy’s Love Song”, and “Voices of the Temple”. They’re not necessarily bad, and there are a plethora of other great songs here, so I’m giving Donkey Kong Country‘s soundtrack a final rating of 9 bananas out of 10.

The post Soundtrack Review: Donkey Kong Country, Part II (SNES, 1994) appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

This will be a two-part review; there’s a lot to be said about this particular soundtrack, and most of the songs on it are worth mentioning. Part I will cover the first ten tracks (“Theme” through “Bad Boss Boogie”), and Part II will cover the remaining thirteen main songs (“Mine Cart Madness” through “Credits Concerto”). Disclaimer: a select few will be skipped, due to only being a “Game Over” melody or something similar. They’ll be kept in the playlist below for the sake of completeness, but won’t really be mentioned hereafter.

Released just in time for the holidays in November 1994, Donkey Kong Country is full of immersive tracks with natural sounds from a number of different environments, such as jungles, caverns, and underground mine shafts. Interspersed in the mix, you can find funky synthesizer riffs and driving percussion. It’s a combination that, for a game starring apes fighting reptiles over a stolen banana hoard, truly rocks.

The music for Donkey Kong Country was composed primarily by David Wise, with contributions from Robin Beanland and Eveline Fischer. Inspired by the work of Koji Kondo — the main composer of both the Mario and Zelda series — and ’80s rock and dance music, Wise’s then-freelance work on DKC impressed Rare so much, it landed him a full-time position with the company.

The soundtrack was officially released as DK Jamz, as a promotional item for retailers alongside the game’s release, then to the public in March of 1995.

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First Sounds

As soon as the game is turned on, a fanfare plays, accompanied by both the Rare(ware) and Nintendo logos. The music quickly transitions over to the game’s main theme, which is simply titled “Theme”. It’s a song that initially conjures a retro feel for the first seven bars, then shifts into heavy percussion and a synthesized guitar riff. It continues until the player selects a save file.

Overworld/Level Select

The game itself is split up into six main worlds of 5-6 levels, plus one more containing the final level; each one is accessible from one larger overworld. “Simian Segue”, a pleasant piano melody written by Eveline Fischer, plays during level select.

Donkey Kong Country’s overworld map screen (as each world is cleared). Note that King K. Rool’s ship gets closer with each new unlocked area.

Level Tracks

Once we get into the background music, the track playing depends on the environment of the level. We’ll go into them one by one, in their order on DK Jamz.

“DK Island Swing”

This song plays during the opening level of the game (Jungle Hijinxs), and then other jungle stages. It starts out with bare percussion (though on DK Jamz, it’s preceded by the Rare fanfare that plays at the beginning of the game), then builds with more rhythm and a bass line. A little piano sting sends it into a more upbeat, melodic section. This then transitions into a melancholy yet driving part that works well with scene changes, such as the nightfall at the end of Jungle Hijinxs. Finally, it loops back into the beginning percussion.

“Cranky’s Theme”

Cranky Kong, officially the DK of the original game (this iteration’s Donkey Kong being his grandson), has a pretty chill theme. It fittingly evokes a relaxing tropical atmosphere; Cranky has long since retired from the maiden-stealing, scaffolding-climbing work of his heyday. Featuring pan pipes and steel drums, this tune is reminiscent of something you might hear while poolside at a Caribbean resort. The track plays during visits to Cranky’s Cabin, a side location in each of the first six worlds where you can find hints (and, more often than not, a snarky comment from Cranky about how easy kids have it these days).

Cranky Kong had it rough, man.

“Jungle Groove”

Not much to be said about this particular track, except that it’s mostly a more atmospheric, higher quality rehash of “DK Island Swing”. Don’t get me wrong, it might even be better than the former, but there’s just not much more to be explained. It does have some extra ape noises thrown in for good measure, too, which is pretty cool.

“Cave Dweller Concert”

I feel that “Cave Dweller Concert” is the first truly immersive track in the game. Echo effects and strategically-placed sounds of dripping water really make it feel authentic. Not only that, but the often-claustrophobic crawling sections juxtaposed with wider, more open cavern areas do a great job of simulating caves, and this tune only adds to that feeling.

“Elevator Antics”, a cavern level.

“Bonus Room Blitz”

This jaunty tune plays during DKC’s bonus rooms (hence the name). It’s a little more fast-paced than a lot of the level themes, which helps evoke a “hey, I found something special!” kind of feeling. It’s not overly long, but that’s okay; neither are the bonus rooms. It’s good to hear every few minutes, to get that little shot of excitement when you find a hidden bonus room entrance.

“Aquatic Ambience”

Here’s the moneymaker. Ask anybody even a little familiar with the songs in this game about audio immersion, and I can almost guarantee this will be the track they mention. It’s an almost ethereal-sounding (and aptly named) tune that almost dips into bleakness from time to time, then hooks you back again when the melody starts back in. It’s peaceful, relaxing, and in a way, is reminiscent of floating in the water. In a word, it’s fantastic. Trust me, you’ll want the full experience when you watch the video below.

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“Candy’s Love Song”

One of the few songs in the game composed by Eveline Fischer, “Candy’s Love Song” plays in Candy Kong’s save areas (which, like Cranky’s Cabin, appear once per world). It kind of conjures an image of a swinging nightclub singer, if perhaps that singer were a shapely female ape. An odd image, to be sure, but at least you’ll only have to imagine it a few times in a playthrough.

“Bad Boss Boogie”

This percussion-heavy, guitar riff-driven piece really conveys the urgency and excitement of fighting the boss at the end of each world. It helps set up a frantic tempo for boss fights, particularly with the faster enemies. The hard-hitting drums and plucked strings under the guitar only assist in creating the frenzied pace.

Well, that’s it for Part I of Donkey Kong Country’s soundtrack review. The remaining tracks on DK Jamz will be covered in Part II, as will my final rating for the soundtrack as a whole. I won’t let on too much, but if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know where it’ll likely end up. Thanks for reading, and tune in for the next installment!

The post Soundtrack Review: Donkey Kong Country, Part I (SNES, 1994) appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

At about nine years old, I decided it was my destiny to join their ranks. In successive years, I dressed up as a professional wrestler for Halloween (World Championship Wrestling’s Sting one year, and the World Wrestling Federation’s mysterious Papa Shango the next). I watched WWF Superstars and collected WWF (and to a lesser extent WCW) trading cards and action figures. My friends and I held wrestling matches in the front yard, arguing over who got to be the Ultimate Warrior. We had tag team battles. I made up my own wrestling persona, complete with signature moves. I even went to a WWF event, where I got to see wrestling icons like the Undertaker and Jake the Snake Roberts in action.

When the game WWF Superstars came out for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1991, it became one of my prized possessions. In it, you chose from one of five wrestlers (Hogan, Savage, Dibiase, Mr. Perfect, or the Ultimate Warrior) and then battle the other four to earn the title of World Heavyweight Champion. You could set bouts to be best of one or three falls, and then choose whether or not you wanted matches to have a time limit.

As a fan of the sport (God help you if you tried to tell me it was fake) it had just about everything that I could have wanted. Each match started out with a cut scene of the wrestlers taunting each other. In addition to your basic kick and punch moves, you could hammer your opponents with moves like the piledriver, suplex, and clothesline. You could even throw your opponent out of the ring. After each match, Vince McMahon offered a bit of commentary. If you managed to become World Heavyweight Champion you received the slightly underwhelming reward of a close up portrait of your wrestler.

The game was developed by Rare, a British video game developer, and published by Acclaim Entertainment. David Wise composed the music, which included each wrestler’s signature song. Wise would later go on to compose music for games like the Donkey Kong Country series, working for Rare until 2009, when he set out on his own as a freelance composer. His most recent contribution to the world of video games came when he supplied the soundtrack to the 2017 title Yooka-Laylee for Playtonic.  

It was a simple game that was easy to master. After a little practice, you could pretty much guarantee yourself a championship title with each playthrough. If you were like me, you then decided to trying beating the game with each character. In retrospect, it probably would have been more effective, perhaps like diversifying your bets in a game at ξενα καζινο, to have a wider range of wrestlers to choose from, making total gameplay last longer and providing a more difficult journey to the championship belt. Still, at nine years old, this never occurred to me. All I knew was that it let me participate in the world of professional wrestling, prepping for the day when I would take my rightful place in the ring.

The post WWF Superstars appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

What are you to do when a nuclear missile that’s being carried through the countryside becomes a runaway? Why, you destroy everything in it’s path of course! Rare’s twist on a puzzle game, Blast Corps has you do exactly that through it’s 57 levels. To prevent a massive disaster, you’ll need to clear a path so the missile doesn’t detonate early. Through the games levels, you’ll be using one of a number of vehicles that are all different except for one key thing : they are designed for destruction. No matter which set of wheels you’re powering, there’s going to be plenty of buildings to turn to dust.

The challenge from the game comes in two forms. First off, naturally, there’s a curve as you progress through the levels. They start off easy and get more difficult as you go on. It’s the other challenge that really makes this game fun. Each vehicle has a completely different way of destroying things, so there’s really no chance to get in a consistent rhythm. One truck just has to simply plow straight into buildings, while another can only destroy things if it’s drifting / sliding. There’s a tricycle that shoots missiles, a truck who’s sides slam outwards making it perfect for leveling parallel buildings, and even some giant robots that can punch, jump and slam.

This game caught me completely off guard with how much fun it was. Changing vehicles and making them have differing ways of destruction saves Blast Corps from becoming bland and repetitive, and that’s just what I was afraid of when I first started playing. The levels typically come with a time limit, but once you complete them you can go back and replay without any restrictions. Rare did an amazing job with this one, and it’s extremely easy to forget that there’s actually a point to all the destruction you’re causing. Definitely a blast of a game and well worth adding to any collection.

Grade : B+
Price : Loose ($9) CIB ($28) New ($80)

#12 : FIFA 64

In my mind, FIFA 64 is the first real sports title on the console, due to Gretzky and NBA Hangtime being more arcadey feeling. Showcasing that EA logo we’re all too familiar with on sports titles nowadays, surely this was going to be an amazing entry. Right? Not so much. To start off, it’s your basic sports title, so there’s really nothing to expand upon here. You’re given a wide amount of options for what to play (from a single match up to a full tournament and league or season mode), and even a short stack of controller options. Me not being a huge soccer fan to begin with, I decided to keep it easy with the controls, but even that couldn’t save this game.

Once a match begins, everything looks great. The field is fairly detailed (considering the time period), with a fully animated stadium surrounding it. However, once the kickoff happens, this game tanks downhill bigtime. Before you even really press any buttons, this games biggest flaw is thrown right in your face : a slow, laggy framerate. Which is incredible, by the way, considering the game we just talked about above had no laggy issues with all of the hectic action it had going on. But that’s not it for FIFA. The controls themselves can be a bit sluggish too, and a change in players can take too long and you’ll miss an opportunity for a score or save. “Best” of all, the ball itself seems completely inconsistent and unrealistic, randomly deciding at points that it will just slow down it’s roll to a stop.

Again, I’m not a big soccer fan, but there are plenty of soccer games I have played and enjoyed. This, however, is not one of them. The only people I would recommend this game to are people like myself, going for a full set of Nintendo 64 games, or someone trying to collect every single FIFA title ever made. If you don’t fall into either of these categories, I promise this game will do absolutely nothing for you. Or…I don’t know, maybe a unique paperweight for your desk?

Grade : F
Price : Loose ($6) CIB ($15) New ($40)

Upcoming

As of right now, my streams are slowing down a bit. My wife and I are waiting for our daughter to be born, which could happen at literally any moment. So in regards to what I’m looking forward to on the stream, it’s still Mystical Ninja. For the next article though, we’re going first person. We’ll be talking about Turok : Dinosaur Hunter and Doom 64.

The post Nintendo 64 Chronicles [6] Blast Corps & FIFA 64 appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.