The Dream Suites, part 1, welcome to Big Thunder - A 1UP classic from July 1, 2011

Hello friends, are you ready to start this long 4th of July weekend? Thankfully I had the previous two days off so I actually get a 5-day-weekend. Which is nice when you have to work 12-hour days. For every Friday in the month of July I’d like to highlight something special from the Disneyland hotel. The hotel is actually three separate towers. Adventure, Frontier and Fantasy are the names of these towers. Inside the Adventure Tower Disney has just completed a massive renovation to the top floors. The resort hosted an event to show off a collection of “Dream Suites.” Today we shall look at the Big Thunder Suite.

Each room has a theme with appropriate signage and effects. For example, each of the rooms that I will be highlighting over the following weeks has a doorbell that plays a different sound. Guests that press the doorbell at Big Thunder will hear a coyote howling in the distance. Right from the get-go the company wants visitors to expect that the suites have the same attention to detail and spirit as the attractions that inspired them.

All of the furniture and architecture in the suites and rooms are appropriate for the theme. Since the Big Thunder suite is based on the mythical western setting from Frontierland then there was plenty of hard wood, petrified wood, suede, leather and stone set into the furniture and counter tops. Each Dream Suite had a main entertainment room, a dining area, kitchenette, bar and master and guest bedroom. Each bedroom had its own bathroom.

Several of the decorations were authentic western and mining materials and the classic phone in the hallway was still functional even!

I think what made each of the suites spectacular were the accompanying bathrooms. The theme for each room carried all the way through. Fixtures, sinks, plumbing and even the bathtub were hammered copper. The sinks were basins, washtubs with hot and cold running water. The shower looked rustic and antiquated but that was a cover for the modern shower heads and extending shower wand.

As I stated previously, each suite had a master and guest bedroom. For the most part the guest bedroom was modestly themed while the master bedroom went all-out for guests. Classic Disney photographs, posters, blueprints and concept sketches were framed and placed throughout each suite.

It was truly an honor to get a chance to visit each room and document the work that went into each Dream Suite. In case you are wondering each room in the Dream Suite series runs about $3700 a night! I anticipate these rooms are more likely to be rented by companies for parties or when they want to impress clients. I don’t know how many mega-rich people are die-hard fan enough of the park to fork over that kind of money on a consistent basis. Hopefully the hotel is looking for volunteers to try out the room for a night. I know I wouldn’t mind spending more time in any of the suites. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The tanks of tomorrow, the games of the past.

I wanted to talk a little bit about a rarely seen game called Cyber Commando by Namco. It was a mech assault game set in a massive space platform. But in going over the game thanks to MAME got me thinking about the genre, and the history leading up to it. In case you didn’t know almost every Namco arcade game ever developed was connected in a sort of shared universe. The majority of the science fiction shooters were set in the United Galaxy Space Force (UGSF) timeline. This actually included their earliest franchises Pac Man, and Dig Dug in that canon. I’ve written extensively about the games on this blog, and will do more deep dives in the future. If you’re interested in more you can always do a search for UGSF in my search bar above.

Cyber Commando was a sort of descendant of some of the earliest arcade games. In particular I’m talking about tank combat games. As a member of Generation-X I was fortunate enough to be born at the right place, at the right time to enjoy the rise, and fall of the arcade. Some of my earliest, and most precious memories would be playing through some arcade gems when they were first released, or a few years after they had been out. I was also lucky enough that my parents were able to afford the first generations of home consoles, including the Atari 2600. One of the first games my brothers, and I enjoyed at home was Combat by Atari. We had fun taking turns flying planes, and shooting tanks up until our bedtime most nights.

In the arcade one of the most revolutionary games we had ever seen was called Battlezone. Although it only employed two colors, black, and green, it was revolutionary when compared to the graphics in other games. That was the other benefit of being around for the evolution of gaming. Year after year games were evolving by leaps, and bounds. Atari was getting good at employing vector graphics, which were the wireframe templates that polygon games would one day rise out from. They proved this in their smash hit Asteroids in 1979. For the first time gamers could get a sense as to 3D shapes in a video game thanks to titles like Battlezone.

Tank combat would even become even more amazing in a sci-fi setting. This was the case for one of the mini-games in Tron by Midway back in 1982. Part of the live action film that the game was based on featured a fictional tank game called Space Paranoids. As a kid I didn’t realize that it would take another 15 years until actual arcade graphics were able to match what we saw in the film. In the meantime the aesthetics used in sprite-based games were still able to keep me entertained. The isometric game Vindicators in 1988 by Atari was one such gem. Atari was exceptionally good at making isometric games such as Super Sprint, Paperboy, Marble Madness, and 720°. This was when other studios were focused on sprite scaling, vertical, or top-down gameplay. Vindicators had bright, and colorful tanks battling across a wildly evolving alien planet. Being able to drive in one direction, rotate the turret in the opposite direction, while firing, and raising shields required some dexterity, but was intuitive after a while. It was then that I realized that science fiction was the best setting in which to present this type of tank combat. Developers in Japan were way ahead of me in this regard.

Namco was breaking new ground with each title they released. At the same time they had the foresight to connect the worlds they were building. Xevious from 1983 was one of the first scrolling space shooters in the arcade. The creator Masanobu Endo pioneered a number of advances for the studio with his team. One of the things he thought about was using some of the vehicles featured in Xevious into another game. Solvalou, the space ship featured in the game would turn up in many more sequels, but Grobda one of the ground enemies would end up in the first direct sequel. The tank with screw treads made for an interesting weapon for audiences to pilot. The aliens that had invaded the Earth were routed at the end of Xevious. They had abandoned a number of weapons including their tanks during their retreat. This was how humanity was able to discover the technology that would propel them to the stars.

The ground vehicles would evolve into the first generation of piloted combatants. These mechanical gladiators would be used to settle international disputes in the Battle Ring, this was years before Battle Bots! Grobda had some brilliant graphics for the time, with flashing lasers, and explosions that could damage nearby opponents as well. The tank would slow down if it tried to cross over downed opponents, making navigating a stage difficult when trying to strafe enemies. Composer Yuriko Keino came up with the music for Xevious, Grobda, and other classic games. She was not only critical in the sound of the Namco gems, but helped write the software to bring the songs to life. For Grobda she wanted the music to get progressively faster as opponents were defeated. The designers didn’t think the software could handle it, but she wrote the code that allowed the engine to do that.

Designer Shigeki Toyama, who was considered the Leonardo DaVinci of the company helped dream up the fantastic space ships, and other sci-fi weapons for the franchise. The ships, and weapons in UGSF continuity are my absolute favorites in all of sci-fi. This includes Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and every other game franchise. As for the game itself, it was 99 levels of pure hell. Well, it was challenging to be fair, and I could only get a few stages in before I was defeated by the waves of opponents. If I was lucky then I might reach a dozen levels, and once I remember seeing a really good player get into the 40’s. However it wasn’t until YouTube that I could see all 99 levels for myself.

I enjoyed the top-down game play featured in Grobda, more than the scrolling of Xevious, although I was never any good at those. I think that people that were great at tracking the whole screen at once could really master it. Those that were good at games like Missile Command, or Robotron 2084 could no doubt get to the final stages. In fact the first thing that I thought of when I saw Grobda was how Namco was using the multicolored laser effects from Robotron, with the explosions of Missile Command, but in a new genre. When I think about it those that enjoyed the early Midway ‘90s games like Smash TV, and Total Carnage might want to check our Grobda if they’ve never played it.

Namco had actually managed to keep sci-fi tank gaming cool several years after Grobda with the title Assault in 1988. The game was sprite based, but featured a number of graphic advances for the arcade. The sprites on the screen rotated, and scaled. These would be features that Nintendo would brag about in their Mode 7 games on the Super Nintendo. The Native Defense Force High-Maneuver Battle Tank did not have a rotating turret like Grobda, but it did feature a unique control element, it could flip sideways to avoid oncoming attacks, and fire while upside down. Although rough terrain slowed it down, it had another way to reach enemies, even those behind cover. It could tilt back, and launch bombs from a distance, including over walls. It was as if Namco had combined the ground bombing of the Solvalou with the traversal of Grobda when planning the title.

As cool as the tanks from Namco were, the idea of gun platforms were rapidly evolving in pop culture. Mecha, or giant robot designs aside, there had been all manner of hover tanks, and land speeders seen in science fiction shows from the US, UK, and Japan. Fang of the Sun Dougram was a popular anime series from 1981 featuring designs by Kunio Okawara, who had also worked on Gundam, and shaped Armored Trooper Votoms as well. His style of robot designs meshed post WWII military weapons with realistic frames. His tank designs in Dougram even had legs. Yet he was not the only artist that was redefining what a tank could look like.

The sci-fi series Gunhed (Gun UNit Heavy Elimination Device) by Kia Asamiya in 1990 found a unique balance between robot, and tank. Where the platform had multiple arms that could elevate itself to increase its range, and tactical advantage. If you’re not familiar with the plot the dystopian future of 2025 (oh no!) saw a supercomputer attempt to rise up against humanity. I can honestly say with the rise of AI that I hope we’re not on track to repeat the same wars mentioned in the manga, and live action film based on it. As influential as the work of Mr. Asamiya was, there were two other artists shaping the future.

Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo had an amazing amount of futuristic vehicles, and weapons. The series was published in Young Magazine from 1982, to 1990. While there were conventional weapons in the manga, there were also some very bold designs, like the spherical Caretakers which were highly agile, multi-legged tanks. Not to be outdone Masamune Shirow illustrated mind-blowing creations based on his love of insects. Such as the spider legged Mobile Fortress in Appleseed, and the Tachicoma from Ghost in the Shell. Even his “regular” vehicles had tremendous personality. This was the case in the manga Dominion from 1985. It’s tiny tank Bonaparte was the inspiration for the SV-001 tank in Metal Slug, which would appear in 1996.

Namco, like the other game studios were not immune to the changes in vehicle designs presented in pop culture. They revisited the sci-fi tank battles from Grobda, but with improved graphics thanks to advances in polygon technology. The end result was Cyber Sled, an arcade gem from 1993, which would received improved graphics on the original Playstation in 1995. The premise of the Cyber Sled tournament was still the same as in Grobda. Contestants from around the world were having gladiator battles in their futuristic tanks. The vehicle designs, and over-the-top pilots were amazing. They could have easily found their way into an anime series, or wrestling promotion. I remember seeing the arcade cabinet in very few arcades. It was possible that not many arcade visitors ever saw, let alone played it.

Perennial rival Sega had been aware at what Namco had released in the arcade. Through the ‘80s they kept trying to one-up each other in every genre. From racing, action, shooter, sports, and adventure titles they matched each other in the arcade, and at home. The early ‘90s saw the two publishers pushing technology forward with the switch from sprites to polygons in the arcades. Sega had a counter for Cyber Sled ready a few years later with Virtual On. The robot combat game from 1995 would be a critical hit, spawn several sequels, and get a fun home port on the Sega Saturn, Playstation 2, and Xbox Live. Sadly one of Namco’s best titles didn’t get the same reception a year prior.

In 1994 Namco was looking for ways to push the genre forward, and do something none of the other studios had attempted. The studio knew that they had something unique with Cyber Sled, but they wanted audiences to really get immersed into the experience. One of the best ways to do that was by extending the story. They added a narrative from the tradition of their earlier UGSF games like Xevious, Galaxian, and Starblade. Instead of piloting a space ship against waves of opponents this game would feature an intense close combat game set within a space colony. The location was actually one of the most memorable in all of the games I’ve ever played.

As with many futuristic stories the villain was a rogue AI trying to destroy humanity. A gigantic cylindrical colony named URANASU had been hijacked. The security computer called RAMA went rogue, was taking a space colony out of orbit, and set it on a collision course with Earth. In order to try and stop RAMA, and correct the course of the station an assault team was put together from the best pilots of the NBA (the National Battling Association) where the Cyber Sled / Grobda contests happened. In the opening cinema you could actually make out the different cities in the satellite-shaped platform.

As with any great combat game there was a number of playable tanks to choose from. Each one with its own strengths, and weaknesses. There were light, speedy tanks, which were great for strafing opponents. The downside was that they weren’t heavily armored, and would take massive damage from gunfire, or missiles. Then there were tanks on the opposite side which were weighed down with heavy armor, and heavy weapons. They could get into a slugfest without cover, and come out on top. You could select your favorite tank, depending on your preferred style of play.

The diversity of vehicle types were not only improved on those featured in Cyber Sled, but they also pulled influences from earlier anime, and science fiction shows. These tanks were far from the type Gen-Xers had grown up with in any game. Even the massive one in Assault that could tumble had no chance keeping up with the Cyber Commandos. This was because as far as tanks went were slightly bigger than cars, the biggest of which weighed almost 14 tons. They were all quicker, and more nimble than our current crop of tanks which could weigh in excess of 60 tons. The commandos were essentially driving the sports cars of the heavy weapon world. At the same time they had an arsenal of munitions that would have shredded any of our most heavily armored vehicles like a tin can.

The stages in Cyber Commando were self-contained cities separated by gates. We could make out the individual communities in the opening cinema. We could see blocks, houses, factories, roads, parks, and even rivers in the individual cities. The idea of a space station with its own atmosphere was the sort of fantastic visual that was last seen in a movie like Elysium. Players were given a briefing as to the mission, and layout as they progressed through access tunnels. The terrain went from a traditional downtown, to a park, to a Mediterranean style villa, and even factory. No two stages looked alike, and that allowed us to be immersed in the world that Namco was creating.

The opponents in the various stages were the other playable Cyber Commandos. It was unknown whether RAMA had hacked the vehicles, or if they were the native defense forces on the colony. Each opponent made for some intense fighting. Each one was as difficult, if not more so than the encounters in Cyber Sled. Yet again Namco realized that having only six opponents to battle on the space station would have made for a short experience. They filled the last half of the game with some creative, and challenging bosses.

The first boss was three times longer than the biggest tank, and yet it was just as fast as the middleweights. The Metal Serpent was an unnerving opponent. You could see its tail disappear behind cover just as you reached it, only to realize its head was already targeting you from around the corner. The diversity of boss types was truly unique, and they truly broke the mold for sci-fi mech designs. As clever as the Metal Serpent was, it would be hard to describe the next opponent as anything other than beautiful. Rafflesia was an enormous floating mechanical flower. It didn’t seem to have a front, or back, as the other rivals, but instead could move in any direction, and strike from any angle as well. I would imagine that Rafflesia was the love child of the Godzilla opponent Biollante, and a mechanical plasma sphere.

The next opponent was more of the traditional heavy hitting tank that we would come to expect as the final boss in the game. General-D was twice the size of any commando, and yet faster than most of them too. Its dense armor made for a brutal match up, as just about any attack barely seemed to scratch it. Thankfully missiles would respawn in the middle of the stages, so that as long as you kept moving, and kept avoid counter fire then you’d eventually be able to restock on ammunition. If you were lucky enough to beat the monster then you would see the commandos blow up the security computer RAMA. With that they would be able to restore control of the station back to the UGSF. Of course nothing was more satisfying in a story than a surprise encounter.

As RAMA fell apart we could see its spherical core become freed from its supports. It began spinning, and flew at the player. The true final opponent of the autonomous robots was known as NightMare. Players had practically no time to react once it appeared. In fact to make things even harder on audiences Namco set up the false ending. They had players face the exit gate after defeating General-D. This gave the first attack advantage to NightMare. If players were not holding the sideways direction on the controls then they’d absorb the brunt of the first, and possibly last attack from the boss. Players were constantly at a disadvantage while fighting it. NightMare was too small, too fast, and too powerful. Making anybody that could claim to have beaten it a real hero. It’s a shame that Namco hasn’t made any more tank titles, or worthy UGSF sequels. Maybe the next generation of designers might return to their roots. What do you think? Did you have any favorite tank, or sci-fi games growing up? I’d like to hear about it in the comments section. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The Dodge Van Grand Prix! - A 1UP classic from February 19, 2013

I am a van man. I represent a dying breed of USA car enthusiast. My pride and joy is a 1997, B1500 Dodge Ram Van. I've spent plenty of time and money keeping it running over the years. Most of the van is stock including the classic "Metallic Forest" paint. There is very little that I have to do to make it perform. It has a powerful V8 and is actually pretty quick despite its size. On the freeway some cars mistakenly try to pass me by going around, thinking that the van is moving slower than it actually is. Before too long though most fall back in the same lane when they realize I'm clipping along well ahead of traffic. Despite its size it actually gets decent mileage, better than some SUV and trucks even.

Unfortunately my model van went the way of the Dodo thanks to the economic crash and restructuring of Chrysler, the parent company. Around 2002-2003 Dodge completely changed the body on their van series. They ditched the windows and passenger seats and decided to go with a cargo-only build. The Ram label was switched out to the new Sprinter name.

The bland vans were based on the new parent company template. Mercedes Daimler bought up Chrysler and began streamlining production and cutting models in the US. The new van was actually based on the European Sprinter van by Mercedes. Daimler ended up owning Chrysler from 1998 through 2007 before Chrysler bought back controlling interest and was acquired by Fiat. Unfortunately Fiat never returned the van to its roots.

The Sprinter was ugly, garish and lacked the personality of the classic Ram vans. In fact, Daimler completely missed the fact that van culture was a genuine part of American history. The van enjoyed a sort of cultural peak from the late '60s through the '70s. In fact 1977 saw two dueling movies, the Van and Supervan. This was something that Honda did not overlook when they were trying to get more interest in their Odyssey Mini Van. They released a Van Gods commercial at the start of their new campaign. The use of airbrushed characters and iconography helped rekindle a sense of nostalgia for older drivers.

 

The follow-up commercials The Van is Back and Respect the Van relied on nostalgia in equal measure. Unfortunately neither Honda nor Daimler actually understood what van culture was all about. All automobile brands have followers and enthusiasts. Each car is not only a means of transport but also offers a way to express the identity of the driver. If a car could be considered a blank canvas then a van could be considered an entire wall, ready to be painted or decorated any way the owner wanted. The interior of the van was also open to more configurations than any car could ever handle. It could be stripped of seats and benches and made into a utility van, keeping tools and hardware safe from the elements. Or it could be fitted with a lavish interior, entertainment center and bed for traveling and entertaining. Some owners were able to find a balance between the practical and opulent uses for their vans. Unfortunately the passenger van disappeared at the start of the millennia and with it went the enthusiasts.

Or so I thought.

It turns out that a good number of Ram vans ended up overseas. The Sprinter van was a great choice for big city deliveries but it was not a good choice for rural areas. Japan had a larger concentration of narrow roads and mountain passages than the US or Europe making the top-heavy Sprinter van a poor choice for many. The more compact Ram was not only good for deliveries but as a passenger van it was much more spacious than the vans or mini-vans developed by Toyota, Honda or Nissan. It actually ended up creating a very strong following.

In the previous blog I had mentioned Go Nagata, the founder of the Setagaya Air Force Base. He was actually the senior correspondent for Neko Publishing's Daytona magazine. The magazine is dedicated to Western car culture and focuses on the Japanese that find, restore and roll around in American cars. As a Western car enthusiast Nagata was interested in word of a Dodge van group getting together to run a Grand Prix. He documented this in Daytona issue 255.

The title of his article was "D-Van GP a celebration of the stupid / foolish that came this year."

The image of a group of Dodge vans peeling around a turn did more than piqué my interest. It turned out that the D-Van GP had been a tradition almost as long as the Ram vans had been around in Japan.

The group raced on the Ebisu Circuit, specifically the West / Nishi course. Think of the Ebisu Circuit as a racing fan's Walt Disney World. There are multiple courses, racing schools and even a wild animal safari park in the middle of the expansive complex. It is exactly the type of place in which driving enthusiasts can spend and entire vacation.

It turned out that these were hardly anything but stock vans racing on the circuit. They had undergone a number of alterations to make them track ready. A tube frame was welded for strength. The transmission was completely changed out and motor tuned for racing. Some of the vans were even equipped with nitrous oxide. The suspensions on the vans were also completely redone and reinforced. The Dodge vans actually had great suspensions for commuting and cargo, however the wear and tear from high speed stops and starts would easily break down regular vans on a racing circuit.

When the Japanese auto enthusiasts got into something, they got into something all the way. Racing Dodge vans was no different. The same do-it-yourself mentality that was the roots of NASCAR was evident in the article. Month in and month out Mr. Nagata had demonstrated this on the pages of Daytona. Groups all over Japan would get together to strip down, hop up and trick out rides. Performance and style went hand in hand regardless of what make, model or even country of origin their rides were from. I was so impressed by their enthusiasm I was wondering what it would take to make my own van race ready.

The aggressive-looking vans may have been thought of as slow and cumbersome to most motorists but those that drove them knew how sporty they could be. The Japanese didn't approach the Dodge vans in the same ways that the US did in the '70s. There were no waterbeds, shag carpeting or disco lights on the interiors. These new vans were meant for a different type of hauling.

The enthusiasts that Mr. Nagata had written about were rare but not unique. The Japanese had been passionate about building racers with street roots as much as for the racetrack for several generations. In popular culture some of the most successful comics and cartoons celebrated car culture. The next blog will explore these things. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The rarest game CD's I have - A 1UP classic from March 15, 2012

Today the gems are being imported to the playlist. Here are the rarest gaming CD's that I have.

The Jet Grind Radio and Jet Set Radio Future soundtracks are a must-own item for any player. These two can be picked up on Amazon and a few other sites.

The rarer releases that complimented the original soundtracks were the music samplers. They had some of the songs featured in the game yet which weren't on the official soundtrack. Even with all these releases Sega never managed to have one definitive soundtrack which had all of the music featured in the original Jet Set Radio.

Ollie King was a sort of spiritual successor to JSR. The soundtrack was created by Hideki Naganuma, the person that wrote about half of the songs featured in both JSR games. Crackin' DJ was from the rare Sega arcade title which featured original scratch DJ tunes.

The NiGHTS soundtracks and remixes are probably not as rare as the JSR Samplers, except for the original NiGHTS into dreams… soundtrack that is. The OST is probably the jewel of my entire CD collection. I keep the soundtrack in mint condition. It goes for a king's ransom on eBay and I plan on holding onto my copy forever. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Korean fantasy fighting game Chosun Musa is not cancelled!

Friends in the fighting game community, I have wonderful news! If you are a fan of fantasy, historical or sword fighting games then you might remember I wrote about Chosun Musa previously. I had been keeping tabs on the Korean game since 2007, and couldn’t find any news on it recently. As it turns out the game was not cancelled. As it is a small independent studio working on it the game was simply delayed. But don’t take my word for it. Please read below from the game creator.

“Hello, I am Iron Witch, the person who created the fighting game Chosun Musa (2008) based on my fan project Mortal Kombat Zero in 2007. It's an honor that you still remember the game title I'm working on! 

To be brief, unlike the content of your article, I am still working on the Chosun Musa project. I recently revealed details on two characters that can be found in Chosun Musa (Refined) on ChosunMusa_US in 2022 for testing purposes. As stated in "The Document of Chosun Musa" on that Twitter page, Chosun Musa (Refined) is based on HD sprites, and the character accessories and weaponry will be pre-rendered as detailed 3D models. 

Also, I recently purchased the trademark Chosun Musa, and domain name (chosunmusa.com) for Chosun Musa in Korea. Although the development process will take a long time because the game's production direction is focused on high-resolution pixel art and quality, I have preemptively purchased the game's IP name and domain name to minimize disputes from others. 

Unfortunately, at present, I am working on a side project for Chosun Musa, a fan-created project called Darkstalkers Re-Creation. In this project, I aim to create two illustrations: the original costumes of the characters and alternative costumes that I created myself. I believe that Darkstalkers Re-Creation will have a positive impact on improving my creative skills as I am currently producing Chosun Musa.”

This is wonderful news for the fighting game community, both for the Chosun Musa, and also for Darkstalkers Re-Creation. I can’t wait to see more news as both get closer to publication. A big thank you to Iron Witch for reaching out, and letting us know that the game is still in development. If you are just getting into fantasy sword fighters I wrote a bit about them on the blog. Please check it out. Golden Axe the Duel Dragon's Heaven Warzard Asura Blade Sword of Dynasty Asura Buster Eternal Warriors Chaos Breaker - Dark Awake Battle Fantasia As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The return of a lost fighter? - A 1UP classic from October 16, 2008

Hello friends, what are you up to? Things could be better over here. I shouldn't have gloated about the brownies yesterday. It seems that karma does not like gloaters. I got a parking ticket at work because I forgot to display my staff permit. I'll see if the school can do anything about it since I am staff, only I forgot to put up the permit. Then at home one of the light sockets went out. It's another wiring issue in the old house and the money is running out before the family can do something about it. Going to have to squeeze the belt tighter to take care of things.

I'll just focus on videogames and my lawn before things get worse. The other day it was announced than another classic fighting game would return. Given the momentum that SF IV and KOF XII are generating it was only a matter of time before other fighters were resurrected. The weapons-fighting game Battle Arena Toshinden is coming back on the Wii. Kotaku stole the news from Famitsu about this release.

Despite getting four titles over it's lifespan, Toshinden was always a sub-par fighting game. It was proof that even the Japanese were not immune to cashing in on the fighting craze of the 90's. It played ugly and looked worse. It was slow and cumbersome, with music and sound effect that were laughable by early-90's standards. It truly was forgettable compared to the hits of the era.

Toshinden is almost lost to history but is actually more than a footnote in the era of fighters. It was the first 3D fighter to use weapons, it came out in 1994, a full year before Soulcalibur and one year after the debut of Samurai Spirits. Toshinden debuted in the same year as Tekken. It represented the changing tide of technology and in bringing arcade graphics to home consoles. Toshinden, like Tekken, were arcade titles and 1st generation Playstation games. They looked almost indistinguishable between home and arcade. The only problem for Toshinden was how bad it looked and played when compared to Tekken, Virtua Fighter or Samurai Spirits.

The only memorable things to come from the franchise were the character designs. Director Masami Obari and character designer Tsukasa Kotobuki had a field day creating animé-friendly, in some cases, bouncy-breasted archetypes. Feathery-haried, wafish protagonists with long swords swords battling oafish brutes with clubs. Funny how it pre-dated Final Fantasy VII by three years. Too bad that the designs and the actual polygon models were worlds apart. Perhaps the Wii is powerful enough to do a remake justice. We'll see as more news from this game develops. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!