SNES Games That Were Innovative and/or Ahead of Their Time
WIP you're at 1992
1990:
Super Mario World (SNES, 1990) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Semi-Platform Adventure
-Dinosaur mount (Yoshi; eats, carries, spits, flies and stomps enemies)
-Various gameplay innovations (spin jump (destroy blocks from above and bounce on most of the otherwise lethal enemies, run up walls using the pink corner stones, the switch palaces - find large "!" blocks and stomp on them to activate special blocks in levels (these bridge gaps between platforms or fill in pits, double jump via Yoshi, twin layered gameplay (the fences), new block types, carry P-blocks and springs, minor stealth (the sleeping fish), controllable coin trail power up (a growing 'snake' of coins), the off/on switches connected to platform trails, baby Yoshi rescue and feeding (grows into a full Yoshi with some minor special ability), get shot out of pipes like they're cannons, ride on dolphins (Vanilla secret path), ride Lakitu clouds (pretty useless but still)
-Unlock alternate paths on the hub world by finding hidden exits and unlocking them with keys found in the levels
-The cape - basically an improved raccoon/tanooki suit (kills undead koopas, spin to fall faster, getting hit while flying only cancels the flight - you don't take damage, better spin attack range and it blocks some projectiles, trickier to use but more powerful flight ability, no need to mash the button to fly or float - makes it much easier to spin while floating, can spin attack underwater))
-Very good variation and fast pace overall (loses a bit of variation after the forest though, if you use the cape well it's a better flowing game than Sonic 1 overall in that you can be almost constantly moving forward in a level while S1 has various obstacles to wait for and slow moving platforms you have to ride (some of which can be skipped but only after learning shortcuts))
-More advanced item carrying mechanics (throw items upwards, drop items without kicking or throwing them)
-Can scroll the camera a bit to the left or right with the shoulder buttons - need to release the d-pad to do it though and it pauses the game while moving the camera)
-Fleshes out the mario universe a bit further (Yoshi's home featured as a location on the world map, seamless hub world; on the other hand there are no kings in different kingdoms to rescue, no letters from the princess and the world is a bit less diverse)
-Replay beaten levels (less need to manage your resources, even easier to rack up extra lives, pretty much necessary considering the focus on finding hidden levels to fully beat the game) and castles (press l+r in the hub world)
-New mini-games
-Water themed levels and levels with a hidden exit are differentiated from other levels in the hub world
-Can look around in the hub world (press start and scroll with the d-pad - doesn't work in the very first area since it's a zoomed in separate view)
-Some good puzzles (in ghost houses and via the hidden exits)
-The world changes from summer to an autumn theme (some enemies also change appearance) once you beat the special world (can't be reverted though and the enemies look a bit out of place since the levels themselves don't change)
-Yoshi specific bonus levels (grab the flapping wings)
-Longer levels than in SMB3 overall (often with midway checkpoints)
-Some optional levels - SMB3
-Save feature (save points at set spots - pretty frequent (you can only access one by beating a ghost house after beating the game and looking for the last exits though - beating the game doesn't save your progress))
-Some nice in-game cutscenes - SMB3
-Fast travel by pipe in some parts of the hub world (via the star road)
-Can exit beaten levels (press start, then select)
-Tutorial blocks (these explain basic mechanics; not a fun or smart solution but it's better than not knowing)
-Changes the inventory system (limited to just two items at a time including the one you're using but you can switch between them during a level, being able to replay levels makes the small size not much of an issue though it is a shame that you can't carry stars anymore - could've been used strategically like in SMB2) - overall a more flexible system that usually lets you quickly access the preferred power up for any given situation
-Most of the challenge lies in finding the exits and beating the special levels and fortresses
-Fairly open ended level design overall (with a few old school/straightforward levels roughly in the same proportion as in SMB3)
-All level theme tracks feature some variation of the main theme (nice touch though it gets a bit repetitive at times)
-Many hidden items and rooms
Actraiser (SNES, 1990) - Action Platformer/City Building & Management Sim Hybrid;
-Hybrid gameplay with decent variety (combines sim and action sequences pretty well)
-Upgrade your character through the sim portions of the game
-Alternate paths in some levels (with item rewards)
-Population growth is directly tied to your player character's level meaning there's an RPG/leveling element (affects HP and SP)
-Good dialogue
-Interesting theme (you are an angelic soldier of god)
-Impressive music
F-Zero (SNES, 1990) - Racing (Mode 7 2.5D), 1-player only
-Dynamic difficulty balancing on higher difficulties (AI rubberbanding)
-Healing zones/floors near the goals (similar to Excitebike)
-Quick turns - use the shoulder buttons to take corners/curves more effectively
-Some shortcuts (STUN Runner?)
-Some new hazards - explosive mines, disruptive gales/storms, rough roads (RC Pro-AM?), steering into skids on slippery track coating (Turbo Outrun), magnetic rails that drag you towards them to wear down your health/power
-Jumps via ramps (Burnin' Rubber) and boost pads (STUN Runner)
-Course maps (Winning Run, Power Drift)
-No slopes or shops/other upgrades, No tunnels?
Pilotwings (SNES, 1990) - Flight Sim (Mode 7 2.5D, semi Arcade-style), Mission/test-based (these tend to have one task and then make you land to finish them), One rescue mission, TP view/TD view (skydiving) hybrid
-Four different vehicles/ways of travel (light plane, rocket belt/jet pack - inertia-based, hang glider/deltaplane, skydiving)
-Ascending air currents (hangglider segments)
-Wind simulation
-Alternate harder landing platforms for each test
-Other weather conditions and nighttime levels (expert mode)
-Animated dialogue portraits
Populous (PCs, 1989/SNES, 1990/MD/SMS, 1991) - Construction & Management/City Building & War Simulation, God Sim, Proto-RTS, Isometric view
-Assign and control a leader with a papal magnet symbol placed on the ground with the move to magnet command - all followers then follow the leader to that location (no direct control over individual units)
-Besides that order, your followers collectively follow these orders: Settle which you can control the direction and speed of by altering the land or placing the magnet; gather into stronger units/walkers for longer trips; go attack the nearest enemy building, go to papal magnet
-Sprogging (alter the land near a building to make it revert to a smaller size and causing a follower to come out and expand your city before the building is completely full)
-Terraforming/landscaping spell (raise and lower land - later used in SimCity 2000; can only do it within a certain distance of your city or leader)
-Play as a deity (no on screen avatar) that can cast spells and grows stronger with more followers (directly related to your MP/mana pool)
-Interactive mini-map (shows the scenario map's layout as well as both your and your opponent's followers)
-Query tool (check weapon power and number of followers a walker sprite symbolizes / building level and room left; sadly it doesn't let you check what all the icons in the GUI do)
-Can promote leader units/walkers to knights with the knight spell (preferably a strong one) - turns them into independent combat units
-Some other interesting spells/miracles (armageddon - makes everyone leave their homes and go fight including the enemy population, swamp, earthquake - reduces and ranomizes on screen land height, volcano - large mountain, flood - raises the water level by one for the whole map)
-Four different background tilesets (lava, grassland, desert, winter)
Final Fight/Final Fight Guy (ARC, 1989/SNES, 1990) - Beat 'em up, 1-player
-Grabs and throws (Renegade)
-Pits (Double Dragon)
-Grenades
-Decent hazard variation
-Large sprites
-Very good visual variation
-Shows enemy names and life bars
Bombuzal (AMI, /SNES, 1990) - Puzzle
-Fairly impressive music
Gradius III (ARC, 1989/SNES, 1990) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up, 1-player only
-Pretty impressive music (an improvement in some ways)
-4 weapon arsenal setups + edit mode
SD The Great Battle (SNES, 1990) - Maze Shooter/Platformer, TD view
-Switch between 3 different chars on the fly (they're the same though besides their special attacks)
-TD dash attack - Ms. Pac-Man?
-CPU mascots can help you if rescued (Legend of Valkyrie?)
-Some multi-jointed sprites
-Decent boss introductions (some dialogue)
1990:
Super Mario World (SNES, 1990) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Semi-Platform Adventure
-Dinosaur mount (Yoshi; eats, carries, spits, flies and stomps enemies)
-Various gameplay innovations (spin jump (destroy blocks from above and bounce on most of the otherwise lethal enemies, run up walls using the pink corner stones, the switch palaces - find large "!" blocks and stomp on them to activate special blocks in levels (these bridge gaps between platforms or fill in pits, double jump via Yoshi, twin layered gameplay (the fences), new block types, carry P-blocks and springs, minor stealth (the sleeping fish), controllable coin trail power up (a growing 'snake' of coins), the off/on switches connected to platform trails, baby Yoshi rescue and feeding (grows into a full Yoshi with some minor special ability), get shot out of pipes like they're cannons, ride on dolphins (Vanilla secret path), ride Lakitu clouds (pretty useless but still)
-Unlock alternate paths on the hub world by finding hidden exits and unlocking them with keys found in the levels
-The cape - basically an improved raccoon/tanooki suit (kills undead koopas, spin to fall faster, getting hit while flying only cancels the flight - you don't take damage, better spin attack range and it blocks some projectiles, trickier to use but more powerful flight ability, no need to mash the button to fly or float - makes it much easier to spin while floating, can spin attack underwater))
-Very good variation and fast pace overall (loses a bit of variation after the forest though, if you use the cape well it's a better flowing game than Sonic 1 overall in that you can be almost constantly moving forward in a level while S1 has various obstacles to wait for and slow moving platforms you have to ride (some of which can be skipped but only after learning shortcuts))
-More advanced item carrying mechanics (throw items upwards, drop items without kicking or throwing them)
-Can scroll the camera a bit to the left or right with the shoulder buttons - need to release the d-pad to do it though and it pauses the game while moving the camera)
-Fleshes out the mario universe a bit further (Yoshi's home featured as a location on the world map, seamless hub world; on the other hand there are no kings in different kingdoms to rescue, no letters from the princess and the world is a bit less diverse)
-Replay beaten levels (less need to manage your resources, even easier to rack up extra lives, pretty much necessary considering the focus on finding hidden levels to fully beat the game) and castles (press l+r in the hub world)
-New mini-games
-Water themed levels and levels with a hidden exit are differentiated from other levels in the hub world
-Can look around in the hub world (press start and scroll with the d-pad - doesn't work in the very first area since it's a zoomed in separate view)
-Some good puzzles (in ghost houses and via the hidden exits)
-The world changes from summer to an autumn theme (some enemies also change appearance) once you beat the special world (can't be reverted though and the enemies look a bit out of place since the levels themselves don't change)
-Yoshi specific bonus levels (grab the flapping wings)
-Longer levels than in SMB3 overall (often with midway checkpoints)
-Some optional levels - SMB3
-Save feature (save points at set spots - pretty frequent (you can only access one by beating a ghost house after beating the game and looking for the last exits though - beating the game doesn't save your progress))
-Some nice in-game cutscenes - SMB3
-Fast travel by pipe in some parts of the hub world (via the star road)
-Can exit beaten levels (press start, then select)
-Tutorial blocks (these explain basic mechanics; not a fun or smart solution but it's better than not knowing)
-Changes the inventory system (limited to just two items at a time including the one you're using but you can switch between them during a level, being able to replay levels makes the small size not much of an issue though it is a shame that you can't carry stars anymore - could've been used strategically like in SMB2) - overall a more flexible system that usually lets you quickly access the preferred power up for any given situation
-Most of the challenge lies in finding the exits and beating the special levels and fortresses
-Fairly open ended level design overall (with a few old school/straightforward levels roughly in the same proportion as in SMB3)
-All level theme tracks feature some variation of the main theme (nice touch though it gets a bit repetitive at times)
-Many hidden items and rooms
Actraiser (SNES, 1990) - Action Platformer/City Building & Management Sim Hybrid;
-Hybrid gameplay with decent variety (combines sim and action sequences pretty well)
-Upgrade your character through the sim portions of the game
-Alternate paths in some levels (with item rewards)
-Population growth is directly tied to your player character's level meaning there's an RPG/leveling element (affects HP and SP)
-Good dialogue
-Interesting theme (you are an angelic soldier of god)
-Impressive music
F-Zero (SNES, 1990) - Racing (Mode 7 2.5D), 1-player only
-Dynamic difficulty balancing on higher difficulties (AI rubberbanding)
-Healing zones/floors near the goals (similar to Excitebike)
-Quick turns - use the shoulder buttons to take corners/curves more effectively
-Some shortcuts (STUN Runner?)
-Some new hazards - explosive mines, disruptive gales/storms, rough roads (RC Pro-AM?), steering into skids on slippery track coating (Turbo Outrun), magnetic rails that drag you towards them to wear down your health/power
-Jumps via ramps (Burnin' Rubber) and boost pads (STUN Runner)
-Course maps (Winning Run, Power Drift)
-No slopes or shops/other upgrades, No tunnels?
Pilotwings (SNES, 1990) - Flight Sim (Mode 7 2.5D, semi Arcade-style), Mission/test-based (these tend to have one task and then make you land to finish them), One rescue mission, TP view/TD view (skydiving) hybrid
-Four different vehicles/ways of travel (light plane, rocket belt/jet pack - inertia-based, hang glider/deltaplane, skydiving)
-Ascending air currents (hangglider segments)
-Wind simulation
-Alternate harder landing platforms for each test
-Other weather conditions and nighttime levels (expert mode)
-Animated dialogue portraits
Populous (PCs, 1989/SNES, 1990/MD/SMS, 1991) - Construction & Management/City Building & War Simulation, God Sim, Proto-RTS, Isometric view
-Assign and control a leader with a papal magnet symbol placed on the ground with the move to magnet command - all followers then follow the leader to that location (no direct control over individual units)
-Besides that order, your followers collectively follow these orders: Settle which you can control the direction and speed of by altering the land or placing the magnet; gather into stronger units/walkers for longer trips; go attack the nearest enemy building, go to papal magnet
-Sprogging (alter the land near a building to make it revert to a smaller size and causing a follower to come out and expand your city before the building is completely full)
-Terraforming/landscaping spell (raise and lower land - later used in SimCity 2000; can only do it within a certain distance of your city or leader)
-Play as a deity (no on screen avatar) that can cast spells and grows stronger with more followers (directly related to your MP/mana pool)
-Interactive mini-map (shows the scenario map's layout as well as both your and your opponent's followers)
-Query tool (check weapon power and number of followers a walker sprite symbolizes / building level and room left; sadly it doesn't let you check what all the icons in the GUI do)
-Can promote leader units/walkers to knights with the knight spell (preferably a strong one) - turns them into independent combat units
-Some other interesting spells/miracles (armageddon - makes everyone leave their homes and go fight including the enemy population, swamp, earthquake - reduces and ranomizes on screen land height, volcano - large mountain, flood - raises the water level by one for the whole map)
-Four different background tilesets (lava, grassland, desert, winter)
Final Fight/Final Fight Guy (ARC, 1989/SNES, 1990) - Beat 'em up, 1-player
-Grabs and throws (Renegade)
-Pits (Double Dragon)
-Grenades
-Decent hazard variation
-Large sprites
-Very good visual variation
-Shows enemy names and life bars
Bombuzal (AMI, /SNES, 1990) - Puzzle
-Fairly impressive music
Gradius III (ARC, 1989/SNES, 1990) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up, 1-player only
-Pretty impressive music (an improvement in some ways)
-4 weapon arsenal setups + edit mode
SD The Great Battle (SNES, 1990) - Maze Shooter/Platformer, TD view
-Switch between 3 different chars on the fly (they're the same though besides their special attacks)
-TD dash attack - Ms. Pac-Man?
-CPU mascots can help you if rescued (Legend of Valkyrie?)
-Some multi-jointed sprites
-Decent boss introductions (some dialogue)
1991:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, 1991/GBA) - Action Adventure (Overworld & dungeons split (at some points enemies can attack in town)), Swimming w/ basic diving, Top Down View
-Game structure gradually opens up (not to the point of the first game though) - begins with a tutorial that doesn’t feel like one, most of the gating doesn’t feel too forced (does hold your hand more than the prequels however)
-Parallel worlds theme (light and dark; Silviana FDS) - Sometimes used for minor spatial awareness puzzles
-Teleportation and fast travel (by bird or warp points in the water, later warp tiles), can warp out of dungeons (and even boss fights) - evolution of the flute from Zelda 1, save & quit to restart at link's house or the sanctuary)
-Good dungeon maps (kinda vague overworld maps)
-Large selection of equipment
-Good bosses
-Many memorable locations and characters (man under bridge, flute boy, death mountain, Mr. bunny, the blind girl, Zora waterfalls),
-Somewhat comical tone, improved dialogue and visual clues
-Interesting mechanics (bomb jumping, blocks in third dungeon, hook shot, magic effects, create blocks with a magic cane)
-Various control improvements and new moves (diagonal movement, strafing with the sword, three kinds of sword attacks including the spin attack, block projectiles with the sword beam)
-Great dungeons overall (puzzles/exploration/variety)
-More interesting enemies overall
-Guards that start attacking Link directly when alerted to his presence (game's a bit inconsistent about what they'll react to though; Metal Gear)
-Some context sensitivity (flippers/lantern light/glove/boots are all equipped automatically)
-Making money is faster than in the first Zelda
-Holds your hand a lot more than the previous games
-Running with the boots (can't turn while running but there's a later hack that adds this) - 005 (ARC, 1981). Can also tackle some objects to open up paths or access items (expanded upon in Link's Awakening)
-Carry capacity starts off low (can be upgraded to 99 fairly soon but it's a somewhat tedious process of throwing 50 rupees at a time in a wishing well)
-Respawn on the spot if you have a fairy in your inventory
-Some sequence breaking is possible using bombs and ramming knockback around pits
-No traditional dodge move but you can dodge some things by ramming walls
-Forgiving about falling into pits aka pits don't kill (lose a bit of health and respawn where you entered the room)
Final Fantasy IV (SNES, 1991) - JRPG, 2-player co-op during battle
-Active time battle system (each battle participant has a gauge filling up in real-time and when it's full (the speed is stat-based) that character or enemy can act, you can choose between active (time keeps going while picking a command) or "wait" but the latter only works while in a Command sub menu during combat)
-Can change formation during battle (only two available though), can change weapon and shield during battle
-Unusually dark themes (main character is a knight serving under a corrupt king that he’s beginning to question, ends up burning a village down and then saving a summoner girl from said village - drama ensues)
-Five (!) party characters sacrifice themselves over the course of the game
-Some cool spells (blink, osmosis, summons, reflect)
-Save points in dungeons (save anywhere in the overworld)
-Developers' room easter egg
-Some memorable moments and characters (the airship chase scene, travel to the moon, Cid), nice ending
-Some good humour (the dancing girls, "spoony bard", Cid, etc.)
-Specialized characters with backstories/personalities to reflect their class/job
-Parties are always formed automatically and most characters leave periodically over the course of the game
-2-player co-op during battle (in the original JP version there is a menu option to assign characters to either controller, in the US ver. there's no such option but the second player can give commands to any character during battle)
SimCity (PCs, 1989/SNES, 1991) - City Building & Management, Top down view
-Innovative concept and mechanics (first city-building/management sim?)
-Good interface for its time (shortcut button for the sidebar menu, quick-scroll, stats on most important things)
-Some advanced mechanics to explore (zone stacking, bugs, most efficient zone/road placement and optimizing growth via gifts and taxes, dealing with pollution and crime)
-Basic weather effects depending on the season
-999+ different standard maps as well as a few scenarios to play
-Trigger disasters at will (are you a mayor or a god!?)
-Somewhat humorous tone
-Save feature (only two slots though)
-New soundtrack (good)
-Mario universe cameos
Lemmings (PC/AMI/SNES, 1991/MD, 1992) - RTS/Puzzle/Platformer hybrid, 2-player vs. mode (split-screen, 20 levels, separate teams and exits - can save your opponent's lemmings via your exit which helps you win that game, saved lemmings carry over to the next level up to 80)
-Innovative mechanics (Assign jobs/roles to units (decent assortment of roles) - you have semi-control over a tribe/flock of humanoid lemmings automatically moving forward, destructible environment, create platforms/bridges, dig paths, explode self, float down, block other lemmings)
-Nuke button (blows up each lemming individually, taking part of the environment with it)
-Mini-map (shows basic layouts and lemming positions as well as the viewport)
-Briefing screens
-Resource management (limited jobs)
-Adjustable release rate of the lemmings from the starting gate (can't lower it past the its default speed though)
-Hotkeys (only for restarting the level in this version)
-Can replay beaten levels
Legend of the Mystical Ninja/Ganbare Goemon: YKE (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer/TD Action Adventure Hybrid (linear overarching structure w/ maze-like town/exploration segments and linear platforming segments), 2-Player Co-op, Various Mini-games
-You can carry the other player on your back making 2-player platforming less frustrating
-Some innovative level design (makes pretty good use of the rotation and scaling, the bridge to the Yuruki(?) castle with air filled floating platforms (buoyancy), blackjack room before the fourth boss, double plane segment in the mountains - Shinobi)
-Feudal Japan setting w/ mythological elements (NES games)
-Good bosses (most have two or more phases)
-Comical tone overall (goofy/silly, slapstick)
-Can block some shots (Popeye, Spelunker, Tower of Druaga, Ninja Princess, Legend of Valkyrie, Batman MD, etc.)
-Upgradeable special move/jutsu move power ups (collect or buy scrolls - each 10 scrolls levels up the move and using a move spends 10 scrolls; some are pretty interesting such as the tiger mount and the temporary flight ability)
-Nice cutscenes
-Some hidden paths with power ups (SMB)
-One optional boss in the mountains
-Three levels of armor and helmets (1 in GG2 NES)
-Weapon and item inventory - dnd (1975), Castle Wolfenstein, Raiders of the Lost Ark
-Temporary health bar upgrades (don't carry over between chapters/zones) - SMB?
-Auto-mapper feature during the FP view maze segments - Space Dungeon ARC, Wayout/Way Out Atari 8-bit
UN Squadron/Area 88 (SNES, 1991)(Different) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up w/ some Strategy elements
-Makes it seem like you’re fighting a war and planning your attack and defense (choose your path on a hub map)
-Big weapons arsenal
-Buy aircraft and equipment
-Level up system
-Three different pilots to choose from
Super Castlevania IV (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer
-Better whip control (8 directions when jumping, use it as a grappling hook, spin it in 360 degrees)
-Jump onto and off of stairs, improved jump control (can't control jump height though)
-Good use of effects like transparency and scaling & rotation
-Well realized medieval horror atmosphere (except for Dracula handing out chicken)
-Great buildup to the final boss
-Good special/sub weapons
-Good bosses overall (some are too easy, a few large sprites)
-Good variety overall
-Shinobi-style double layer segment in the first level
-Some secrets (hidden items, one room with a dog owning ghost who cries if you kill his dog)
-Mini-bosses (Dragon Buster)
-Unlimited continues (CV1)
-Horror/halloween/dark fantasy theme
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer
-Very good variation
-Well realized medieval horror/dark fantasy/halloween atmosphere
-5 different weapons and 2 armor upgrades (allowing for powered up attacks)
-Some good bosses
-Double jump (still set length/height on each, can't aim upwards here (can use the crossbow))
-Shield power up (blocks smaller projectiles; Tower of Druaga, etc.)
-Enemies start spawning in some places if you stand still for too long (level 1 in the prequel)
-Dropped weapons from chests are randomized and never disappear (can be a problem in one or two spots when you don't want to pick the weapon up) - same as in the prequel?
-Some large and detailed sprites
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (1989 port/MD/SNES, 1991) - ARPG, Side View
-Can escape from boss fights
-Some new gear shows on your avatar (only the flame sword)
-Partially interactive epilogue
-HP regen (stand still outside dungeons)
-Warp to town
-Fairly impressive music (moreso in other versions)
-Up- and downstab (Rastan SMS, Zelda II)
-Pretty good dialogue for its time
-Save almost anywhere (three slots) - Ys 1
Thunder Force III/Thunder Spirits (MD, 1990/SNES, 1991) – Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-See MD entry
-Choose the order for the first four levels (Mega Man style)
-Fairly impressive music and visual effects (better music on MD overall)
Brandish (PC-98/FMT, 1991/PCE CD/SNES, 1994/PSP, 2015 (Remake)) - ARPG, TD view
-Camera turns as you turn around (can be disorienting)
-Strafing and backwards walking
-Auto-mapper mini-map (zoomed out, on a separate menu in the SNES ver.)
-Displays damage dealt and taken next to the sprites - Final Fantasy III
-Save anywhere outside of boss fights?, Game auto-saves when entering a new area
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II (PC-88/98, 1989/MD/SNES, 1991)? - TBS/War Sim
Joe & Mac (SNES, 1991/MD, 1994)(Different) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, 2-player co-op
-Hub world with locked out paths (similar to SMW; need to find a key in the main levels by being transported to a different area and then grabbing the key)
-Large and fairly detailed bosses (sometimes made up of several different sprites - one of these falls apart piece by piece as you fight it (mammoth))
-Shows bosses' health bars
-Ride a dino (one of the river levels)
-Dash move (double tap-based though so it can be triggered by accident fairly easily)
-Weapon inventory
-Can replay beaten levels
-Some differences: More different from the arcade version (enemies act like platforms when jumped on, no charge attack, alternate paths are on the hub world instead, different boss patterns, all attacks do the same damage to the player?, move backwards in levels, etc.), Faster movement and longer (horizontally) jumps, More interesting skeleton dino boss, Two enemies not seen on MD (mini t-rex and caveman bike), New final boss which is a bit more interesting (though it's annoying that it has no health bar)
Darius Twin (SNES, 1991) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up, 2-player co-op mode
-Many different paths through the game (D2)
-Many levels of upgrades (D2)
Super Ninja Boy/Super Chinese World (SNES, 1991) - ARPG/Beat 'em up Hybrid, TD/Tilted View hybrid, 2-player co-op?
-Little Ninja Brothers sequel
WIP
SimEarth: The Living Planet (PC, 1990/SNES, 1991) - Life Sim (vaguely sandbox-like), Semi-God Sim
-World creation
-Terraforming
-Creature evolutions which can be affected in various ways via sliders and which don't necessarily align with reality
-Trigger weather events (meteor strikes, volcanos to create islands)
-Trigger civilizations which can then be shaped in some ways (not directly on a small scale level though?)
-Widescale effects like the polar ice melting
-Gain action points slowly over time
Super R-Type (SNES, 1991)(R-Type II Remake) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
Super Tennis (SNES, 1991) - Sports, 2-Player Co-op & Vs.; Pretty impressive music, can team up with a CPU player
SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari: Ooinaru Isan (SNES, 1991) - ? RPG
Dungeon Master (PCs, 1987/SNES, 1991) - Dungeon Crawler (A)RPG, FP view
Drakkhen (SNES, 1991) - WRPG, TP view?
Nobunaga's Ambition/Super Nobunaga no Yabou: Bushou Fuunroku (SNES, 1991) - TBS/War Sim
Lagoon (SNES, 1991) - ARPG, TD view
-Minor ability/tool gating (Fur Mantle lets you traverse the ice cave without taking damage, the Powerful Mirror destroys boulders - Zelda 1?, the Freezing Pot creates a bridge at one point - similar to Ys III)
-Shows enemy health bars - Ys
-HP+MP regen when still (anywhere outside of boss battles, can't even use magic vs bosses) - Ys for HP
-Very short melee attack range on SNES (bump combat on X68K) but can block with your shield (blocking: Tower of Druaga)
-Freeze enemies ring (mp-fueled) - Rogue
-Save anywhere?
-No manual teleportation, No maps
Spanky's Quest (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
Jerry Boy (SNES, 1991) - Platformer
Battle Dodgeball (SNES, 1991) -
Raiden Densetsu/Raiden Trad (ARC port/MD/SNES, 1991)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, 1991/GBA) - Action Adventure (Overworld & dungeons split (at some points enemies can attack in town)), Swimming w/ basic diving, Top Down View
-Game structure gradually opens up (not to the point of the first game though) - begins with a tutorial that doesn’t feel like one, most of the gating doesn’t feel too forced (does hold your hand more than the prequels however)
-Parallel worlds theme (light and dark; Silviana FDS) - Sometimes used for minor spatial awareness puzzles
-Teleportation and fast travel (by bird or warp points in the water, later warp tiles), can warp out of dungeons (and even boss fights) - evolution of the flute from Zelda 1, save & quit to restart at link's house or the sanctuary)
-Good dungeon maps (kinda vague overworld maps)
-Large selection of equipment
-Good bosses
-Many memorable locations and characters (man under bridge, flute boy, death mountain, Mr. bunny, the blind girl, Zora waterfalls),
-Somewhat comical tone, improved dialogue and visual clues
-Interesting mechanics (bomb jumping, blocks in third dungeon, hook shot, magic effects, create blocks with a magic cane)
-Various control improvements and new moves (diagonal movement, strafing with the sword, three kinds of sword attacks including the spin attack, block projectiles with the sword beam)
-Great dungeons overall (puzzles/exploration/variety)
-More interesting enemies overall
-Guards that start attacking Link directly when alerted to his presence (game's a bit inconsistent about what they'll react to though; Metal Gear)
-Some context sensitivity (flippers/lantern light/glove/boots are all equipped automatically)
-Making money is faster than in the first Zelda
-Holds your hand a lot more than the previous games
-Running with the boots (can't turn while running but there's a later hack that adds this) - 005 (ARC, 1981). Can also tackle some objects to open up paths or access items (expanded upon in Link's Awakening)
-Carry capacity starts off low (can be upgraded to 99 fairly soon but it's a somewhat tedious process of throwing 50 rupees at a time in a wishing well)
-Respawn on the spot if you have a fairy in your inventory
-Some sequence breaking is possible using bombs and ramming knockback around pits
-No traditional dodge move but you can dodge some things by ramming walls
-Forgiving about falling into pits aka pits don't kill (lose a bit of health and respawn where you entered the room)
Final Fantasy IV (SNES, 1991) - JRPG, 2-player co-op during battle
-Active time battle system (each battle participant has a gauge filling up in real-time and when it's full (the speed is stat-based) that character or enemy can act, you can choose between active (time keeps going while picking a command) or "wait" but the latter only works while in a Command sub menu during combat)
-Can change formation during battle (only two available though), can change weapon and shield during battle
-Unusually dark themes (main character is a knight serving under a corrupt king that he’s beginning to question, ends up burning a village down and then saving a summoner girl from said village - drama ensues)
-Five (!) party characters sacrifice themselves over the course of the game
-Some cool spells (blink, osmosis, summons, reflect)
-Save points in dungeons (save anywhere in the overworld)
-Developers' room easter egg
-Some memorable moments and characters (the airship chase scene, travel to the moon, Cid), nice ending
-Some good humour (the dancing girls, "spoony bard", Cid, etc.)
-Specialized characters with backstories/personalities to reflect their class/job
-Parties are always formed automatically and most characters leave periodically over the course of the game
-2-player co-op during battle (in the original JP version there is a menu option to assign characters to either controller, in the US ver. there's no such option but the second player can give commands to any character during battle)
SimCity (PCs, 1989/SNES, 1991) - City Building & Management, Top down view
-Innovative concept and mechanics (first city-building/management sim?)
-Good interface for its time (shortcut button for the sidebar menu, quick-scroll, stats on most important things)
-Some advanced mechanics to explore (zone stacking, bugs, most efficient zone/road placement and optimizing growth via gifts and taxes, dealing with pollution and crime)
-Basic weather effects depending on the season
-999+ different standard maps as well as a few scenarios to play
-Trigger disasters at will (are you a mayor or a god!?)
-Somewhat humorous tone
-Save feature (only two slots though)
-New soundtrack (good)
-Mario universe cameos
Lemmings (PC/AMI/SNES, 1991/MD, 1992) - RTS/Puzzle/Platformer hybrid, 2-player vs. mode (split-screen, 20 levels, separate teams and exits - can save your opponent's lemmings via your exit which helps you win that game, saved lemmings carry over to the next level up to 80)
-Innovative mechanics (Assign jobs/roles to units (decent assortment of roles) - you have semi-control over a tribe/flock of humanoid lemmings automatically moving forward, destructible environment, create platforms/bridges, dig paths, explode self, float down, block other lemmings)
-Nuke button (blows up each lemming individually, taking part of the environment with it)
-Mini-map (shows basic layouts and lemming positions as well as the viewport)
-Briefing screens
-Resource management (limited jobs)
-Adjustable release rate of the lemmings from the starting gate (can't lower it past the its default speed though)
-Hotkeys (only for restarting the level in this version)
-Can replay beaten levels
Legend of the Mystical Ninja/Ganbare Goemon: YKE (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer/TD Action Adventure Hybrid (linear overarching structure w/ maze-like town/exploration segments and linear platforming segments), 2-Player Co-op, Various Mini-games
-You can carry the other player on your back making 2-player platforming less frustrating
-Some innovative level design (makes pretty good use of the rotation and scaling, the bridge to the Yuruki(?) castle with air filled floating platforms (buoyancy), blackjack room before the fourth boss, double plane segment in the mountains - Shinobi)
-Feudal Japan setting w/ mythological elements (NES games)
-Good bosses (most have two or more phases)
-Comical tone overall (goofy/silly, slapstick)
-Can block some shots (Popeye, Spelunker, Tower of Druaga, Ninja Princess, Legend of Valkyrie, Batman MD, etc.)
-Upgradeable special move/jutsu move power ups (collect or buy scrolls - each 10 scrolls levels up the move and using a move spends 10 scrolls; some are pretty interesting such as the tiger mount and the temporary flight ability)
-Nice cutscenes
-Some hidden paths with power ups (SMB)
-One optional boss in the mountains
-Three levels of armor and helmets (1 in GG2 NES)
-Weapon and item inventory - dnd (1975), Castle Wolfenstein, Raiders of the Lost Ark
-Temporary health bar upgrades (don't carry over between chapters/zones) - SMB?
-Auto-mapper feature during the FP view maze segments - Space Dungeon ARC, Wayout/Way Out Atari 8-bit
UN Squadron/Area 88 (SNES, 1991)(Different) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up w/ some Strategy elements
-Makes it seem like you’re fighting a war and planning your attack and defense (choose your path on a hub map)
-Big weapons arsenal
-Buy aircraft and equipment
-Level up system
-Three different pilots to choose from
Super Castlevania IV (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer
-Better whip control (8 directions when jumping, use it as a grappling hook, spin it in 360 degrees)
-Jump onto and off of stairs, improved jump control (can't control jump height though)
-Good use of effects like transparency and scaling & rotation
-Well realized medieval horror atmosphere (except for Dracula handing out chicken)
-Great buildup to the final boss
-Good special/sub weapons
-Good bosses overall (some are too easy, a few large sprites)
-Good variety overall
-Shinobi-style double layer segment in the first level
-Some secrets (hidden items, one room with a dog owning ghost who cries if you kill his dog)
-Mini-bosses (Dragon Buster)
-Unlimited continues (CV1)
-Horror/halloween/dark fantasy theme
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer
-Very good variation
-Well realized medieval horror/dark fantasy/halloween atmosphere
-5 different weapons and 2 armor upgrades (allowing for powered up attacks)
-Some good bosses
-Double jump (still set length/height on each, can't aim upwards here (can use the crossbow))
-Shield power up (blocks smaller projectiles; Tower of Druaga, etc.)
-Enemies start spawning in some places if you stand still for too long (level 1 in the prequel)
-Dropped weapons from chests are randomized and never disappear (can be a problem in one or two spots when you don't want to pick the weapon up) - same as in the prequel?
-Some large and detailed sprites
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (1989 port/MD/SNES, 1991) - ARPG, Side View
-Can escape from boss fights
-Some new gear shows on your avatar (only the flame sword)
-Partially interactive epilogue
-HP regen (stand still outside dungeons)
-Warp to town
-Fairly impressive music (moreso in other versions)
-Up- and downstab (Rastan SMS, Zelda II)
-Pretty good dialogue for its time
-Save almost anywhere (three slots) - Ys 1
Thunder Force III/Thunder Spirits (MD, 1990/SNES, 1991) – Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-See MD entry
-Choose the order for the first four levels (Mega Man style)
-Fairly impressive music and visual effects (better music on MD overall)
Brandish (PC-98/FMT, 1991/PCE CD/SNES, 1994/PSP, 2015 (Remake)) - ARPG, TD view
-Camera turns as you turn around (can be disorienting)
-Strafing and backwards walking
-Auto-mapper mini-map (zoomed out, on a separate menu in the SNES ver.)
-Displays damage dealt and taken next to the sprites - Final Fantasy III
-Save anywhere outside of boss fights?, Game auto-saves when entering a new area
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II (PC-88/98, 1989/MD/SNES, 1991)? - TBS/War Sim
Joe & Mac (SNES, 1991/MD, 1994)(Different) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun, 2-player co-op
-Hub world with locked out paths (similar to SMW; need to find a key in the main levels by being transported to a different area and then grabbing the key)
-Large and fairly detailed bosses (sometimes made up of several different sprites - one of these falls apart piece by piece as you fight it (mammoth))
-Shows bosses' health bars
-Ride a dino (one of the river levels)
-Dash move (double tap-based though so it can be triggered by accident fairly easily)
-Weapon inventory
-Can replay beaten levels
-Some differences: More different from the arcade version (enemies act like platforms when jumped on, no charge attack, alternate paths are on the hub world instead, different boss patterns, all attacks do the same damage to the player?, move backwards in levels, etc.), Faster movement and longer (horizontally) jumps, More interesting skeleton dino boss, Two enemies not seen on MD (mini t-rex and caveman bike), New final boss which is a bit more interesting (though it's annoying that it has no health bar)
Darius Twin (SNES, 1991) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up, 2-player co-op mode
-Many different paths through the game (D2)
-Many levels of upgrades (D2)
Super Ninja Boy/Super Chinese World (SNES, 1991) - ARPG/Beat 'em up Hybrid, TD/Tilted View hybrid, 2-player co-op?
-Little Ninja Brothers sequel
WIP
SimEarth: The Living Planet (PC, 1990/SNES, 1991) - Life Sim (vaguely sandbox-like), Semi-God Sim
-World creation
-Terraforming
-Creature evolutions which can be affected in various ways via sliders and which don't necessarily align with reality
-Trigger weather events (meteor strikes, volcanos to create islands)
-Trigger civilizations which can then be shaped in some ways (not directly on a small scale level though?)
-Widescale effects like the polar ice melting
-Gain action points slowly over time
Super R-Type (SNES, 1991)(R-Type II Remake) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
Super Tennis (SNES, 1991) - Sports, 2-Player Co-op & Vs.; Pretty impressive music, can team up with a CPU player
SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari: Ooinaru Isan (SNES, 1991) - ? RPG
Dungeon Master (PCs, 1987/SNES, 1991) - Dungeon Crawler (A)RPG, FP view
Drakkhen (SNES, 1991) - WRPG, TP view?
Nobunaga's Ambition/Super Nobunaga no Yabou: Bushou Fuunroku (SNES, 1991) - TBS/War Sim
Lagoon (SNES, 1991) - ARPG, TD view
-Minor ability/tool gating (Fur Mantle lets you traverse the ice cave without taking damage, the Powerful Mirror destroys boulders - Zelda 1?, the Freezing Pot creates a bridge at one point - similar to Ys III)
-Shows enemy health bars - Ys
-HP+MP regen when still (anywhere outside of boss battles, can't even use magic vs bosses) - Ys for HP
-Very short melee attack range on SNES (bump combat on X68K) but can block with your shield (blocking: Tower of Druaga)
-Freeze enemies ring (mp-fueled) - Rogue
-Save anywhere?
-No manual teleportation, No maps
Spanky's Quest (SNES, 1991) - Action Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
Jerry Boy (SNES, 1991) - Platformer
Battle Dodgeball (SNES, 1991) -
Raiden Densetsu/Raiden Trad (ARC port/MD/SNES, 1991)
1992: WIP
Final Fantasy V (SNES, 1992) - JRPG, 2-player co-op during battles
-Job system (customize and multi class your chars, switch jobs on the fly, control what abilites to gain)
-Better spell system (you have control over what to use)
-Improved interface (battle gauge, no inventory limit, memory cursor, sorting, optimize equipment - still could be faster using l/r buttons)
-Improved formation system
-Somewhat open structure (sidetracking for summons etc.)
-Pretty impressive music
-Better dungeons (new hazards, better variation, escape sequence)
-Interplanetary travel by comet
-Spells are no longer wasted if the target ally dies before being hit by them but are used on the caster instead
-Nice cutscenes
-Ride a submarine
-Some new spells/abilities (reset, demi, gil toss, magnet, dynamo, combine)
-Some creative enemy designs (Atmos)
-Some memorable characters/encounters (Gilgamesh - comic relief character, telepathic Moogles, the Golem encounter)
-Exit dungeon spell (you get it pretty late though) - Phantasy Star
-Some decent puzzles and action sequences in dungeons
-Faux ending
-Some non-random and avoidable encounters
-A proper world map feature (need to use the one outside the game to check location names though)
-Parallel worlds merging into one theme
-More expressive character sprites
-Run outside of battles by pressing B (requires thief job and learned ability, need to use up an ability slot for it to work when changing jobs) - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
Soul Blazer/Soul Blader (SNES, 1992) - ARPG (travel between locations via hub map (Ys III, Quack Shot, etc.)), TD View
-Strafe move
-Interesting concept (take over spawn points (by emptying them of enemies) to restore the world and its inhabitants and solve minor puzzles to get to each dungeon boss)
-Checkpoints which serve as teleporters back into town (additional one-way teleporters here and there in dungeons too)
-Enter peoples' dreams (access hidden items in the waken world, similar to Alundra)
-Some nice effects (lighting, transparency, raster effect)
-Pretty good bosses overall (some large sprites as well)
-Some memorable locations (miniature world, volcanic island)
-Some interesting story telling approaches (flashbacks and dreams reveal peoples' fates piece by piece)
-One of the first FastROM games according to this list? (PAL regions only which seems odd so it could be wrong)
-Thunder ring (release thunder by touching certain stone monuments and luring enemies close to them in dungeons)
-Telekinesis (draw gold towards yourself using the strafe move)
-Some decent humour
Romancing SaGa (SNES, 1992) - JRPG/WRPG Hybrid (pretty good character customization (sex, class, ancestors), hub map letting you fast travel between towns/locations instead of exploring the world like in most JRPGs)
-Fairly open-ended beginning (kick members out of the party already in the second area/first town, the alternate area to the west is pretty tough though)
-Some interesting mechanics and gameplay (strafing, non-random encounters (however there are often so many monster sprites that you'll be fighting a ton anyway), level up by using skills/use-based progression - FF2, battle formations, the town invasions, meaningful choices overall (to do the right or wrong thing in some quests, deciding what quest rewards to get), equip several weapons at once (to switch between during battle - more tactical flexibility), ditched party members can generally rejoin if you revisit them where you first picked them up)
-Different prologue/intro quests depending on which character you've chosen
-Three different ending segments/endings (good, evil, neutral)
-You can kill death (or sacrifice a party member to him for a weapon)
-Some interesting dungeon elements (monsters obeying bosses that you can do quests for won't attack you any more if you help their boss, fake stairs)
-Pretty cool final dungeon ()
-Save anywhere (only three unnameable slots though)
-Some nice visual touches (foot steps in the sand, final dungeon, final boss background)
-Characters remember most actions between battles and turns (memory cursor) but not formation movement commands
-Free resting at inns
-Party formations are broken if monsters attack you from the side or behind (gets tedious early on to have to rearrange an entire party just to hit the enemy)
-Need to specialize in magic schools since some of them conflict with one another (similar to Baldur's Gate)
-Each character has their own theme (unfortunately it plays too often)
-Pretty impressive music
Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1992) - Kart Racing, 2-Player vs. Split Screen; Mode 7-based environments
-8 different characters from the Mario universe
-Decent variation
-Jumping and drifting/sliding (quicker turning+speed boost)
-9 Power ups (banana peel=can be laid or thrown and spins players out, mushroom=speed boost, green shell=forward shot or laid down, coin=move a bit faster+spin out protection from bumps, feather=high 360º jump for shell avoidance or shortcuts, boo (battle mode)=invisibility+invulnerability to most attacks+steals opponent's item/weapon, lightning=shrink and slow down other players, star power=invincibility from all attacks+speed increase+hitting an opponent makes them spin out)
-One of the first FastROM games according to this list; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwZTorWw2E&feature=youtu.be, http://plan9.stanleylieber.com/snes/sneslist
Assault Suits Valken/Cybernator (SNES, 1992) – Action Platformer, Mech-based, Mixes in some flight-based levels
-Weapon inventory (Aztec, Below the Root, Hero of the Golden Talisman, Alex Kidd iMW, etc.)
-Pretty nice in-game cutscenes/dialogue (dialogue always pauses gameplay though)
-Some cool weapons (laser, napalm, charged fist), upgradeable weapons (increases strength only - no graphical/range/coverage change)
-You can block most projectiles (facing doesn't matter)
-Good variation
-Pretty impressive music overall
-Good dialogue overall
-Good bosses overall
-No gear selection between levels (was in Target Earth/Assault Suit Leynos)
Another World (1991 AMI port/MD/SNES, 1992) – Action Platformer/Puzzle Platformer (Prince of Persia-style) aka Cinematic Platformer
-Advanced animation
-Nice cutscenes
-Laser shield mechanic
-Focus on atmosphere
-Some interesting puzzles
-NPC ally
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1992) - Fighting, 2-player vs.
-Combos and throws
-Pretty large and memorable character roster
-World traveling theme
-Can make your opponent dizzy by playing well
-Large and detailed sprites
E.V.O.: Search for Eden (SNES, 1992) - ARPG/Life Sim/Platformer Hybrid (exp point leveling, creature evolution, level/chapter-based, platforming and swimming (start out as a fish and you can evolve "back" into a sea creature at several points)), Side view
-Evolution mechanic (choose how to grow your creature's different body parts over the course of the game)
-Multiple endings (can choose to join the ruling inhabitants of each era/level)
-Save feature
Dragon Quest V (SNES, 1992) - JRPG, TD view/FP view
-Monster catching and training mechanic
-Fairly impressive music
WIP
King Arthur's World (SNES, 1992) - RTT/Puzzle, Lemmings variation, Side view
-Fire can spread via wood or cloth parts of the scenery - systemic element
-Some fun to use weapons and spells (catapult, fire rain, lightning)
-Can queue up more than one command for a unit (making it walk up to and climb a ladder for example)
-Mouse support (has various issues making it slightly worse than a controller though)
-Pretty intuitive interface
-Alternate paths through some levels
-You can make units move back to the tent instantly by scrolling until they're off screen after pressing the tent icon
-Friendly fire (can't be turned off)
-Cycle through units by holding Y and pressing directions (controller only)
Contra III (SNES, 1992) - Run 'n Gun, 2-Player Co-op (it’s possible to switch between one and two player modes when using a continue (regardless of if you started a one or two player game), a and b modes (split screen or shared screen in the top down view stages)), Side view
-Hold l/r to stand still while shooting
-Varied and sometimes intense action
-"Berserk" attack (hold l+r while shooting to shoot both weapons in semi-random directions – not that useful in most cases)
-Good bosses overall
-Some nice graphical effects (bomb plane in stage 1, rotating and climbable platforms, etc.)
-Fairly impressive music
-Smart bombs (Defender)
-The final boss changes substantially based on the difficulty, and you can't fight its final form at all unless you're playing on hard
Pocky & Rocky (SNES, 1992) - TD view Run 'n Gun (you can go backwards in levels), 2-Player Co-op
-Slide/dodge move (allows for more interesting enemy patterns and better flow, small movement delay after use)
-Block move (block smaller projectiles and enemies)
-Well drawn anime visuals inspired by Japanese mythology and expressive sprites
-Hidden deities hand out power ups when found (by shooting certain spots in the levels),
-Ride on a weird cat-like animal (for a limited time) in some levels
-Good bosses overall (some appear during the level in an arcade fashion (Shinobi), large and detailed)
-Good variation
-Mini-bosses
-Smart bombs (Defender)
-Pretty nice cutscenes
-Great sound effects overall
-Unlimited continues (CV1, start at the beginning of the current level with lives and bombs restored - however if the second player starts later he/she doesn't get their lives back)
TMNT IV/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up/Hack 'n Slash, 2-player Co-op, Some auto-scrolling levels
-Partially different levels and bosses on SNES
-High jumps
-Running and several running attacks
-Throw enemies into the screen or ground slam them to hit other enemies
-Three different jump kicks
-Very good visual variation
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Impressive music
Desert Strike (MD/SNES, 1992) - Mission-Based Isometric Chopper Sim (resource management, can't upgrade your chopper or its weapons nor find new weapons over the course of the game), Rescue hostages
-Good map system (shows the terrain/your position/roads+lets you cycle between these: currently selected objective, exposed supplies (cycle the objectives until you select this option, some more supplies are hidden in buildings (and under sand dunes? haven't found any)), some stronger enemies, landing sites - the bases where you drop off rescued people)
-Strafing
-Select co-pilot before beginning (different stats, can only switch during a campaign if you find the MIA pilot Jake or and if you lose him by dying, Keith is the best until you can get Jake)
-Systemic element in that each finished objective affects the enemy's strength in some way during that mission (for example destroying radar sites decreases their range and/or overall defenses and destroying the power station forces them to aim manually - this doesn't seem to do much against guard towers and tanks though...)
-Can review objective briefings during a mission
-Decent mission variety (capture fleeing enemy commanders, protection missions, one escort segment)
-Basic traffic (jeeps driving around)
-Can destroy friendly buildings and units (penalized)
-Sometimes you'll fight alongside NPCs in a sense (MIAs are sometimes fighting the enemy when you find them; good for immersion)
-Partially non-linear structure within missions (you're given 4+ objectives and some can be done out of order though you are recommended to do them in order for a smoother difficulty curve, some like the lost secret agent in mission 1 can't be done before you've triggered it by capturing an enemy commander which is a bit weird, can't end a mission without having finished every objective (see Wing Commander for example), )
-Minor aim assist (generally good but can sometimes make you shoot something you didn't want to and it can't be turned off)
-Fairly detailed mission debriefings however they don't show exact numbers (just point values) and you only get to see one stat at a time
-Based on the Gulf War
Gemfire (NES/MSX/PC-98, 1991/MD/SNES, 1992) - TBS/War Sim (the starting conditions of each scenario are the same regardless of your previous performance (families 3-4 are replaced in each one according to the game's canon of events, the objective is the same - be the last one standing and unite the gems)), TD view, 2-player co-op/vs (not sure if you can win as allied), Collectathon element (need to get 6 magical gems through conquest and become king to win)
-Pretty detailed TB war sim (choose royal family to rule with (4 different ones)+advisor (4 different ones)+scenario (1-4), chars gain stats (4 different stats: domestic (affects cultivation and protection against sabotage/plunder), military (combat bonus), fame (diplomacy), charm (give food>province loyalty and maybe something else?), military/domestic/diplomacy/vassal command categories with 4 commands each for what you can do in each turn, province and army management (land cultivation+trading+food and pay upkeep (every 3 months for hired mercs/monsters), protect your people by taking precautions against natural disasters - also helps against enemy attacks) - all done via simple menu selection and how well you're managing them is represented by the loyalty/flag stat (can also give excess food to the people of a province to increase it, loyalty affects taxes collected+food production and if 5th units stay so it's quite important), )
-Some interesting mechanics (flank and rear attacks during battle, can break and build (knights) fences during battle, can ask the advisor for help and get a couple of different lines each turn, age factors into stat growth (stops around 60) and eventually a char might die (70+), charm stat (heart) makes "give good" more effective (more loyalty gained) - supposedly makes it easier to recruit new units too, fame lets you carry out secret missions more successfully (defection of a vassal via bribe or demanding a ruler's surrender) and recruit more vassals from other factions, can hire mercenaries or monsters (replaces your "5th unit" (wizard) for an army), can send spies to identify a province's fifth unit and see if there's a special item there (dice roll), can plunder a province for gold - you send spies and don't enter battle (dice roll), can sabotage a province to damage their lands and weaken their ruler - you send saboteurs and don't enter battle (dice roll), can win battles in 5 ways - killing the enemy, capturing the enemy flag, starving the enemy, making the enemy retreat, holding out for 5 days if you're defending, after a battle you can hold the enemy vassal for ransom (gold or food) - if it's a ruler you can try to recruit/set free/banish from the world, day/night cycle during battle (need to bring food to keep fighting), the wizard Empyron has action-based growth for his attack - no other units have stat growth sadly, status effects for some 5th units' attacks?),
-Nice intro and ending cutscenes (artwork, text and some minor animation, quite long; slightly different on SNES),
-Save feature (2 slots)
-Can still cancel after having accepted to move during battle
-Can toggle battle animations on/off (have to turn them off every battle though if you want them off)
-Auto battle option (have to sit and watch the battle and press at times to speed things up though, also the AI isn't that good)
-Non-linear structure in that there's a world map split into 30 territories/provinces and you have control over where to search or fight and who to communicate with at any point instead of going through a linear series of battles
-Lords don't participate in combat (only their stats contribute like in Heroes of Might and Magic)
-Message speed option
-Gameplay demo option (shows a full scenario)
-Various random elements to the challenge (using Search on enemy provinces can sometimes yield special items that will drastically increase character stats (can choose which one to give each to) - rarely happens but you can save before using it to exploit this, encounter events (a 5th unit creature can suddenly appear and join one or more of your provinces in a turn - the water dragon only appears if you rule morally, kind creatures can increase a stat or resource/mean creatures can do the opposite), fires/floods/winter storms/plagues/volcanic eruptions will hit a few semi-random tiles a few times per month (most events only happen at certain hemispheres such as winter storms in the far north during winter, mid west provinces can catch fire after a hot summer, southeast gets flooded, volcano is in the southwest), selling and buying price fluctuation, fence building during battle can fail, )
-Can see when another family/faction attacks someone else or when one of their lords defects (changes family)
-Your army is always divided into 4 or 5 stacks during battle (King's Bounty?)
-Difficulty is determined by which family you choose (no other difficulty options and the fourth scenario isn't actually harder if you play as Blanche or Lyle)
-Can have the AI take over the handling of any province (entrust command; not good in general because the AI is dumb but can be convenient for some provinces in the late game)
-Can send saboteurs all over the map but only send troops to a neighbouring province (plunder is as limited as sending troops)
-An enemy faction can move its home province through your territory if you surround their home
-Resources and armies are capped at 999 each for each province
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (SNES, 1992) - JRPG/Action Adventure Hybrid (some ability gating such as an axe to cut through small trees and a bomb to blow up certain obstacles, hub map), TD view/TP view hybrid
-Non-random encounters outside of dungeons however most of them aren't skippable (they stand still and block narrow passsages)
-Battlefield locations on the hub map where you can choose to encounter enemies at will (each contains 10+ encounters)
-Pretty impressive music (more metal/hard rock in style)
-Save anywhere (multiple save slots)
-More overworld interactions including jumping (tends to work more like using a key though)
-Restart encounter option upon death
-Well designed final dungeon w/ several gimmicks, loopback structure design, new encounters, and redesigned boss fights
-Multiple potential solutions in the Falls Basin dungeon
-Zelda-style dungeons in Pazuzu’s Tower and Spencer’s Place
-Boss sprites that are gradually destroyed when fighting them (serves as a health bar of sorts)
-Guest party members (FF3)
-One-way "conveyor belt" tiles in some dungeons? (Lolo?)
The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer, Includes a bionic commando-style segment
-Difficulty options affect boss patterns
-Switch costumes to gain new abilities (fireman, magician, climber - good uses for each)
-Some good bosses (first boss, bird boss, final boss)
-Mini-bosses
-Some large sprites
-Hidden shops (buy items with collected coins) on alternate paths - Vampire Killer MSX
-Ride magic carpets
Axelay (SNES, 1992) - Horizontal/Vertical Hybrid Shoot 'em up
-Almost no slowdown
-Some impressive bosses
-Some cool weapons ()
-Gamma options
-Good variation
-Metroid-like horror scene during the latter half (robot with searchlight)
Uncharted Waters (MD/SNES, 1992) - ? Open world/sandbox RPG, TD view
-Character creation (player avatar and flagship name, roll for starting stats+attribute points allocation (5 stats),
Heracles no Eikou III/Glory of Heracles III (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
The Chaos Engine/Soldiers of Fortune (MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Maze Action, Top Down view, 2-player co-op (or 1-player+CPU ally)
-Level up system in a top down maze shooter/run 'n gun (buy upgrades in-between levels)
-Fairly (and contemporary) impressive music
Arcana/Card Master: Rimusaria no Fuuin (SNES, 1992) - FP view RPG, Card Battles
-Pretty impressive music overall
Super Aleste/Space Megaforce (SNES, 1992) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-In the occasional shorter levels (basically bonus levels) you get chased by the boss throughout most of the level
-Alternate attacks for each weapon
-Hidden power ups (blue/red landers)
-Varied levels
-Scaling effects (SCIV, SMW, etc.)
Rampart (1990 ARC port/MD, 1991) – RTT/Puzzle Hybrid (turret shooter (proto-tower defense)/base builder mix w/ Tetris-style randomized blocks), 2-player vs. mode (3-player in the ARC ver.), TD view
-SNES and PC only: The cannons gained can also be converted into powerups (Balloon floats at the beginning of phase 1 to the most powerful enemy ship (for SP) or cannon (for MP) and converts it to the player side for the successive fighting round; the Supercannon is bigger than the usual cannons and fire red projectiles, which sink any ship in one hit or leave a permanent fire if they hit the landscape)
Aerobiz (MD/SNES, 1992) - ? Airline Management Sim, Trading;
Aerobiz Supersonic (SNES, 1992/MD, 1994) - ? Airline Management Sim, Trading
Captain Tsubasa III (SNES, 1992) - Sports RPG?
Dragonball Z RPG: Super Saiya Densetsu (SNES, 1992) - JRPG
Super Smash T.V. (ARC, 1990/SNES, 1992) - Maze Shooter, Single Screen, 2-Player Co-op
-Choose your path (a map is briefly shown between rooms)
-Secret rooms (find all ? symbols to get to the hidden final stage?)
-Interesting theme (reality tv/gladiators taken to the dystopian extreme - cyberpunk-ish)
-Strafing (the arcade game had double stick controls)
-Smart bombs (random chance to get them) - Defender
Flying Hero: Bugyuru no Daibouken (SNES, 1992) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Mini-bosses (2+ per level)
-Plenty of large sprites
-Weapon upgrades also serve as extra HP (MUSHA?)
-Diagonal and backwards aiming (hold l/r or both at the same time)
-Manual speed control (three settings) - Thunder Force II?
-Sub weapon (homing projectiles - up to six (!) at once) - Gradius, CV1
-Bombs (relatively small AOE and they're fairly rare) - Defender
-Some good bosses (final boss)
-Respawn on the spot until game over (you regain 3 bombs) - TF2 and MUSHA
-Weapon levels aren't linked (you can kep a level 3 weapon while losing levels for another one, then pick up that weapon as level 3 later)
-Only minor slowdown in a few spots
Magic Sword (ARC port/SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer/Side view Hack 'n Slash
-Fairly impressive music
-Plays like a mixture of Astyanax/Alisia Dragoon/Black Tiger (features familiar/sidekick characters that attack when you do and can be killed and leveled up for example)
-Pick starting level out of ~6 floors
-Weapon upgrade which can be dropped if you take too much damage but you can pick it up again
-Good enemy and background variation
-Some enemies can open chests and eat the key in them (you get it back by killing them)
-Gameplay tips in some level transition scenes (STUN Runner?)
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Alternate bad ending (yes/no prompt at the end - similar to Streets of Rage)
-Dialogue text can be sped up (Quest for Glory?)
-6-way aiming with the wizard sidekick
-Smart bomb (costs life) - Defender
-Hidden chests which can be detected by having the crystal ball (similar to Zelda II)
-HP drains like in Wonder Boy but the speed can be adjusted here
Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy/Parodius Da!/Parodius: From Myth to Laughter (SNES, 1992), 2-player coop
-Comical tone (silly, bizarre, perverted)
-Four different setups/characters (same endings only with a different character sprite) - Gradius III?
-Good bosses overall (last boss is pathetic as well as the Gradius 1 first boss rehash)
-Timed invincibility and smart bomb power ups (Pac-Man/Defender)
-Projectile walls (sort of like laying mines which soak up fire)
-Can toggle the roulette/one armed bandit mini-game feature in the options menu
-Have to juggle bells for special weapons while dodging hazards (see Twinbee)
-Unlimited continues (CV1)
Honoo no Doukyuuji: Dodge Danpei (SNES, 1992) – Different? Career mode?
NHLPA Hockey '93 (MD/SNES, 1992) -
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (SNES, 1992) - Pretty impressive music
Lord Monarch: Tokoton Sentou Densetsu (SNES, 1992/MD, 1994) - RTS RPG? Different?
The Addams Family (AMI/MD/SNES, 1992) - Exploration Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-Hub area connected to several more or less straightforward obstacle courses (some of them connected to each other)
-Temporary flight power up
-Horror theme
Whirlo/Xandra no Daibouken: Valkyrie to no Deai (SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer w/ some AA elements
-Dialogue choices - each one can cause a separate bad ending (choose not to save a thief for example and you'll become a black knight in a cutscene). Some dialogue choices have an effect on characters futures
-Some nice cutscenes
-Downthrust (Dragon Buster) and spin attacks
-Some minor puzzles (use 'whirlwind' move to move levers, etc.)
-Some new ideas (the three final tests (memorize platform patterns, guide NPCs over pits, light up your path with switches), Crescent moon boss, fall through box maze, magnetic lock on pirate ship (basic physics puzzle), escape from the hatching goblin eggs)
-You'll keep crossing paths with a few characters throughout the story (sort of brings the game world to life more)
-Well done fairy tale theme (one particular scene is odd in the PAL version because they changed Whirlo's default expression to angry)
-Alternate paths at one point
-Surprisingly dark at times (alternate ending)
-Good dialogue overall (some translation mess-ups)
-Interesting plot twist at the end (ties into the spiritual prequel Valkyrie no Densetsu for PC Engine) which unfortunately delays the conclusion to a sequel that never happened
Super Adventure Island (SNES, 1992) - Impressive music
Dragon Slayer: Eiyuu Densetsu/?The Legend of Heroes (SNES, 1992/MD, 1994) - JRPG; Different?
P.T.O.: Pacific Theater of Operations? (MD/SNES, 1992) - impressive music overall?
Shin Megami Tensei (SNES, 1992) - Dungeon Crawler RPG
Super Star Wars (SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer
Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust (SNES, 1992) - JRPG
Top Gear (SNES, 1992) - Racing; Pretty impressive music
Cyber Knight (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
Hook (MD/SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer; Flight upgrade
Magical Taruruto-kun: Magic Adventure (SNES, 1992) - ?
King of the Monsters (SNES, 1992/MD, 1993) - Wrestling/Fighting (giant monsters), Tilted view; Highly destructible environments
Rushing Beat/Peace Keepers (SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up; Pretty impressive music overall
Paladin's Quest/Lennus (SNES, 1992) - JRPG
Prince of Persia (1989 PC port/SNES, 1992/MD, 1993) - More realistic physics and animation, sword fencing,
Yokoyama Mitsuteru: Sangokushi (SNES, 1992) - TBS? - Pretty impressive music
Brawl Brothers/Rushing Beat Ran (SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up; Fairly impressive music
3x3 Eyes Seima Kourinden (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose (SNES, 1992) – Platformer, Mini-games (5 different ones, chosen via a spinning wheel game) and some in-level mini-games (rope jumping - not optional)
-Fast movement on SNES (Sonic 1, Psycho Fox)
-Run up and down walls
-Fleshes out the characters of the show a bit better than previous and contemporary TT games (NES, MD). Settings are also based on the cartoon episodes
-Extendable lifebar (doesn't carry over to the next stage unfortunately)
-Pretty good variation
-Some decent puzzles (mansion level)
-Creative final level and boss
-Running is limited by a charge meter which you need to refill by picking up items (if it runs out where you need to be running up a wall you have to stand in place for a couple of seconds and wait for it to recharge - it also means you'll fall all the way back down if it runs out while running up a wall
-No hub world, wall jumping or smart bombs (see Buster's Hidden Treasure for MD)
-Ends just like Altered Beast with the characters being in a movie set
Hero Senki: Project Olympus (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
Super Double Dragon (SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up
Earth Light (SNES, 1992) - TBS?
Wings 2: Aces High/Sky Mission (SNES, 1992) - Flight Combat Sim;
Jaki Crush? (SNES, 1992) – Pinball/Shooter hybrid, fairly impressive music
Road Runner's Death Valley Rally (SNES, 1992) - Different from Desert Demolition
F1 ROC: Race of Champions/Exhaust Heat (SNES, 1992) - Pretty impressive music
Gods (MD/SNES, 1992) - Sometimes impressive music,
Strike Gunner (SNES, 1992)? - Fairly impressive music
Sonic Blast Man (SNES, 1992)? - Beat 'em up
Valis IV/Super Valis (SNES, 1992)
Xardion/Chou Kou Gasshin Xardion (SNES) - Action Platformer w/ RPG elements (leveling system, hub map)
-Four different chars that you can switch between on the fly (these join over the course of the game, some have unique abilities that let you explore new areas)
-Save feature
Faceball 2000/MIDI Maze (PCs, 1987/SNES, 1992) - FPS aka 3D Maze Shooter, 2-player vs. (split-screen)
-Regenerating health (Hydlide)
Final Fantasy V (SNES, 1992) - JRPG, 2-player co-op during battles
-Job system (customize and multi class your chars, switch jobs on the fly, control what abilites to gain)
-Better spell system (you have control over what to use)
-Improved interface (battle gauge, no inventory limit, memory cursor, sorting, optimize equipment - still could be faster using l/r buttons)
-Improved formation system
-Somewhat open structure (sidetracking for summons etc.)
-Pretty impressive music
-Better dungeons (new hazards, better variation, escape sequence)
-Interplanetary travel by comet
-Spells are no longer wasted if the target ally dies before being hit by them but are used on the caster instead
-Nice cutscenes
-Ride a submarine
-Some new spells/abilities (reset, demi, gil toss, magnet, dynamo, combine)
-Some creative enemy designs (Atmos)
-Some memorable characters/encounters (Gilgamesh - comic relief character, telepathic Moogles, the Golem encounter)
-Exit dungeon spell (you get it pretty late though) - Phantasy Star
-Some decent puzzles and action sequences in dungeons
-Faux ending
-Some non-random and avoidable encounters
-A proper world map feature (need to use the one outside the game to check location names though)
-Parallel worlds merging into one theme
-More expressive character sprites
-Run outside of battles by pressing B (requires thief job and learned ability, need to use up an ability slot for it to work when changing jobs) - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
Soul Blazer/Soul Blader (SNES, 1992) - ARPG (travel between locations via hub map (Ys III, Quack Shot, etc.)), TD View
-Strafe move
-Interesting concept (take over spawn points (by emptying them of enemies) to restore the world and its inhabitants and solve minor puzzles to get to each dungeon boss)
-Checkpoints which serve as teleporters back into town (additional one-way teleporters here and there in dungeons too)
-Enter peoples' dreams (access hidden items in the waken world, similar to Alundra)
-Some nice effects (lighting, transparency, raster effect)
-Pretty good bosses overall (some large sprites as well)
-Some memorable locations (miniature world, volcanic island)
-Some interesting story telling approaches (flashbacks and dreams reveal peoples' fates piece by piece)
-One of the first FastROM games according to this list? (PAL regions only which seems odd so it could be wrong)
-Thunder ring (release thunder by touching certain stone monuments and luring enemies close to them in dungeons)
-Telekinesis (draw gold towards yourself using the strafe move)
-Some decent humour
Romancing SaGa (SNES, 1992) - JRPG/WRPG Hybrid (pretty good character customization (sex, class, ancestors), hub map letting you fast travel between towns/locations instead of exploring the world like in most JRPGs)
-Fairly open-ended beginning (kick members out of the party already in the second area/first town, the alternate area to the west is pretty tough though)
-Some interesting mechanics and gameplay (strafing, non-random encounters (however there are often so many monster sprites that you'll be fighting a ton anyway), level up by using skills/use-based progression - FF2, battle formations, the town invasions, meaningful choices overall (to do the right or wrong thing in some quests, deciding what quest rewards to get), equip several weapons at once (to switch between during battle - more tactical flexibility), ditched party members can generally rejoin if you revisit them where you first picked them up)
-Different prologue/intro quests depending on which character you've chosen
-Three different ending segments/endings (good, evil, neutral)
-You can kill death (or sacrifice a party member to him for a weapon)
-Some interesting dungeon elements (monsters obeying bosses that you can do quests for won't attack you any more if you help their boss, fake stairs)
-Pretty cool final dungeon ()
-Save anywhere (only three unnameable slots though)
-Some nice visual touches (foot steps in the sand, final dungeon, final boss background)
-Characters remember most actions between battles and turns (memory cursor) but not formation movement commands
-Free resting at inns
-Party formations are broken if monsters attack you from the side or behind (gets tedious early on to have to rearrange an entire party just to hit the enemy)
-Need to specialize in magic schools since some of them conflict with one another (similar to Baldur's Gate)
-Each character has their own theme (unfortunately it plays too often)
-Pretty impressive music
Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1992) - Kart Racing, 2-Player vs. Split Screen; Mode 7-based environments
-8 different characters from the Mario universe
-Decent variation
-Jumping and drifting/sliding (quicker turning+speed boost)
-9 Power ups (banana peel=can be laid or thrown and spins players out, mushroom=speed boost, green shell=forward shot or laid down, coin=move a bit faster+spin out protection from bumps, feather=high 360º jump for shell avoidance or shortcuts, boo (battle mode)=invisibility+invulnerability to most attacks+steals opponent's item/weapon, lightning=shrink and slow down other players, star power=invincibility from all attacks+speed increase+hitting an opponent makes them spin out)
-One of the first FastROM games according to this list; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwZTorWw2E&feature=youtu.be, http://plan9.stanleylieber.com/snes/sneslist
Assault Suits Valken/Cybernator (SNES, 1992) – Action Platformer, Mech-based, Mixes in some flight-based levels
-Weapon inventory (Aztec, Below the Root, Hero of the Golden Talisman, Alex Kidd iMW, etc.)
-Pretty nice in-game cutscenes/dialogue (dialogue always pauses gameplay though)
-Some cool weapons (laser, napalm, charged fist), upgradeable weapons (increases strength only - no graphical/range/coverage change)
-You can block most projectiles (facing doesn't matter)
-Good variation
-Pretty impressive music overall
-Good dialogue overall
-Good bosses overall
-No gear selection between levels (was in Target Earth/Assault Suit Leynos)
Another World (1991 AMI port/MD/SNES, 1992) – Action Platformer/Puzzle Platformer (Prince of Persia-style) aka Cinematic Platformer
-Advanced animation
-Nice cutscenes
-Laser shield mechanic
-Focus on atmosphere
-Some interesting puzzles
-NPC ally
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1992) - Fighting, 2-player vs.
-Combos and throws
-Pretty large and memorable character roster
-World traveling theme
-Can make your opponent dizzy by playing well
-Large and detailed sprites
E.V.O.: Search for Eden (SNES, 1992) - ARPG/Life Sim/Platformer Hybrid (exp point leveling, creature evolution, level/chapter-based, platforming and swimming (start out as a fish and you can evolve "back" into a sea creature at several points)), Side view
-Evolution mechanic (choose how to grow your creature's different body parts over the course of the game)
-Multiple endings (can choose to join the ruling inhabitants of each era/level)
-Save feature
Dragon Quest V (SNES, 1992) - JRPG, TD view/FP view
-Monster catching and training mechanic
-Fairly impressive music
WIP
King Arthur's World (SNES, 1992) - RTT/Puzzle, Lemmings variation, Side view
-Fire can spread via wood or cloth parts of the scenery - systemic element
-Some fun to use weapons and spells (catapult, fire rain, lightning)
-Can queue up more than one command for a unit (making it walk up to and climb a ladder for example)
-Mouse support (has various issues making it slightly worse than a controller though)
-Pretty intuitive interface
-Alternate paths through some levels
-You can make units move back to the tent instantly by scrolling until they're off screen after pressing the tent icon
-Friendly fire (can't be turned off)
-Cycle through units by holding Y and pressing directions (controller only)
Contra III (SNES, 1992) - Run 'n Gun, 2-Player Co-op (it’s possible to switch between one and two player modes when using a continue (regardless of if you started a one or two player game), a and b modes (split screen or shared screen in the top down view stages)), Side view
-Hold l/r to stand still while shooting
-Varied and sometimes intense action
-"Berserk" attack (hold l+r while shooting to shoot both weapons in semi-random directions – not that useful in most cases)
-Good bosses overall
-Some nice graphical effects (bomb plane in stage 1, rotating and climbable platforms, etc.)
-Fairly impressive music
-Smart bombs (Defender)
-The final boss changes substantially based on the difficulty, and you can't fight its final form at all unless you're playing on hard
Pocky & Rocky (SNES, 1992) - TD view Run 'n Gun (you can go backwards in levels), 2-Player Co-op
-Slide/dodge move (allows for more interesting enemy patterns and better flow, small movement delay after use)
-Block move (block smaller projectiles and enemies)
-Well drawn anime visuals inspired by Japanese mythology and expressive sprites
-Hidden deities hand out power ups when found (by shooting certain spots in the levels),
-Ride on a weird cat-like animal (for a limited time) in some levels
-Good bosses overall (some appear during the level in an arcade fashion (Shinobi), large and detailed)
-Good variation
-Mini-bosses
-Smart bombs (Defender)
-Pretty nice cutscenes
-Great sound effects overall
-Unlimited continues (CV1, start at the beginning of the current level with lives and bombs restored - however if the second player starts later he/she doesn't get their lives back)
TMNT IV/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up/Hack 'n Slash, 2-player Co-op, Some auto-scrolling levels
-Partially different levels and bosses on SNES
-High jumps
-Running and several running attacks
-Throw enemies into the screen or ground slam them to hit other enemies
-Three different jump kicks
-Very good visual variation
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Impressive music
Desert Strike (MD/SNES, 1992) - Mission-Based Isometric Chopper Sim (resource management, can't upgrade your chopper or its weapons nor find new weapons over the course of the game), Rescue hostages
-Good map system (shows the terrain/your position/roads+lets you cycle between these: currently selected objective, exposed supplies (cycle the objectives until you select this option, some more supplies are hidden in buildings (and under sand dunes? haven't found any)), some stronger enemies, landing sites - the bases where you drop off rescued people)
-Strafing
-Select co-pilot before beginning (different stats, can only switch during a campaign if you find the MIA pilot Jake or and if you lose him by dying, Keith is the best until you can get Jake)
-Systemic element in that each finished objective affects the enemy's strength in some way during that mission (for example destroying radar sites decreases their range and/or overall defenses and destroying the power station forces them to aim manually - this doesn't seem to do much against guard towers and tanks though...)
-Can review objective briefings during a mission
-Decent mission variety (capture fleeing enemy commanders, protection missions, one escort segment)
-Basic traffic (jeeps driving around)
-Can destroy friendly buildings and units (penalized)
-Sometimes you'll fight alongside NPCs in a sense (MIAs are sometimes fighting the enemy when you find them; good for immersion)
-Partially non-linear structure within missions (you're given 4+ objectives and some can be done out of order though you are recommended to do them in order for a smoother difficulty curve, some like the lost secret agent in mission 1 can't be done before you've triggered it by capturing an enemy commander which is a bit weird, can't end a mission without having finished every objective (see Wing Commander for example), )
-Minor aim assist (generally good but can sometimes make you shoot something you didn't want to and it can't be turned off)
-Fairly detailed mission debriefings however they don't show exact numbers (just point values) and you only get to see one stat at a time
-Based on the Gulf War
Gemfire (NES/MSX/PC-98, 1991/MD/SNES, 1992) - TBS/War Sim (the starting conditions of each scenario are the same regardless of your previous performance (families 3-4 are replaced in each one according to the game's canon of events, the objective is the same - be the last one standing and unite the gems)), TD view, 2-player co-op/vs (not sure if you can win as allied), Collectathon element (need to get 6 magical gems through conquest and become king to win)
-Pretty detailed TB war sim (choose royal family to rule with (4 different ones)+advisor (4 different ones)+scenario (1-4), chars gain stats (4 different stats: domestic (affects cultivation and protection against sabotage/plunder), military (combat bonus), fame (diplomacy), charm (give food>province loyalty and maybe something else?), military/domestic/diplomacy/vassal command categories with 4 commands each for what you can do in each turn, province and army management (land cultivation+trading+food and pay upkeep (every 3 months for hired mercs/monsters), protect your people by taking precautions against natural disasters - also helps against enemy attacks) - all done via simple menu selection and how well you're managing them is represented by the loyalty/flag stat (can also give excess food to the people of a province to increase it, loyalty affects taxes collected+food production and if 5th units stay so it's quite important), )
-Some interesting mechanics (flank and rear attacks during battle, can break and build (knights) fences during battle, can ask the advisor for help and get a couple of different lines each turn, age factors into stat growth (stops around 60) and eventually a char might die (70+), charm stat (heart) makes "give good" more effective (more loyalty gained) - supposedly makes it easier to recruit new units too, fame lets you carry out secret missions more successfully (defection of a vassal via bribe or demanding a ruler's surrender) and recruit more vassals from other factions, can hire mercenaries or monsters (replaces your "5th unit" (wizard) for an army), can send spies to identify a province's fifth unit and see if there's a special item there (dice roll), can plunder a province for gold - you send spies and don't enter battle (dice roll), can sabotage a province to damage their lands and weaken their ruler - you send saboteurs and don't enter battle (dice roll), can win battles in 5 ways - killing the enemy, capturing the enemy flag, starving the enemy, making the enemy retreat, holding out for 5 days if you're defending, after a battle you can hold the enemy vassal for ransom (gold or food) - if it's a ruler you can try to recruit/set free/banish from the world, day/night cycle during battle (need to bring food to keep fighting), the wizard Empyron has action-based growth for his attack - no other units have stat growth sadly, status effects for some 5th units' attacks?),
-Nice intro and ending cutscenes (artwork, text and some minor animation, quite long; slightly different on SNES),
-Save feature (2 slots)
-Can still cancel after having accepted to move during battle
-Can toggle battle animations on/off (have to turn them off every battle though if you want them off)
-Auto battle option (have to sit and watch the battle and press at times to speed things up though, also the AI isn't that good)
-Non-linear structure in that there's a world map split into 30 territories/provinces and you have control over where to search or fight and who to communicate with at any point instead of going through a linear series of battles
-Lords don't participate in combat (only their stats contribute like in Heroes of Might and Magic)
-Message speed option
-Gameplay demo option (shows a full scenario)
-Various random elements to the challenge (using Search on enemy provinces can sometimes yield special items that will drastically increase character stats (can choose which one to give each to) - rarely happens but you can save before using it to exploit this, encounter events (a 5th unit creature can suddenly appear and join one or more of your provinces in a turn - the water dragon only appears if you rule morally, kind creatures can increase a stat or resource/mean creatures can do the opposite), fires/floods/winter storms/plagues/volcanic eruptions will hit a few semi-random tiles a few times per month (most events only happen at certain hemispheres such as winter storms in the far north during winter, mid west provinces can catch fire after a hot summer, southeast gets flooded, volcano is in the southwest), selling and buying price fluctuation, fence building during battle can fail, )
-Can see when another family/faction attacks someone else or when one of their lords defects (changes family)
-Your army is always divided into 4 or 5 stacks during battle (King's Bounty?)
-Difficulty is determined by which family you choose (no other difficulty options and the fourth scenario isn't actually harder if you play as Blanche or Lyle)
-Can have the AI take over the handling of any province (entrust command; not good in general because the AI is dumb but can be convenient for some provinces in the late game)
-Can send saboteurs all over the map but only send troops to a neighbouring province (plunder is as limited as sending troops)
-An enemy faction can move its home province through your territory if you surround their home
-Resources and armies are capped at 999 each for each province
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (SNES, 1992) - JRPG/Action Adventure Hybrid (some ability gating such as an axe to cut through small trees and a bomb to blow up certain obstacles, hub map), TD view/TP view hybrid
-Non-random encounters outside of dungeons however most of them aren't skippable (they stand still and block narrow passsages)
-Battlefield locations on the hub map where you can choose to encounter enemies at will (each contains 10+ encounters)
-Pretty impressive music (more metal/hard rock in style)
-Save anywhere (multiple save slots)
-More overworld interactions including jumping (tends to work more like using a key though)
-Restart encounter option upon death
-Well designed final dungeon w/ several gimmicks, loopback structure design, new encounters, and redesigned boss fights
-Multiple potential solutions in the Falls Basin dungeon
-Zelda-style dungeons in Pazuzu’s Tower and Spencer’s Place
-Boss sprites that are gradually destroyed when fighting them (serves as a health bar of sorts)
-Guest party members (FF3)
-One-way "conveyor belt" tiles in some dungeons? (Lolo?)
The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer, Includes a bionic commando-style segment
-Difficulty options affect boss patterns
-Switch costumes to gain new abilities (fireman, magician, climber - good uses for each)
-Some good bosses (first boss, bird boss, final boss)
-Mini-bosses
-Some large sprites
-Hidden shops (buy items with collected coins) on alternate paths - Vampire Killer MSX
-Ride magic carpets
Axelay (SNES, 1992) - Horizontal/Vertical Hybrid Shoot 'em up
-Almost no slowdown
-Some impressive bosses
-Some cool weapons ()
-Gamma options
-Good variation
-Metroid-like horror scene during the latter half (robot with searchlight)
Uncharted Waters (MD/SNES, 1992) - ? Open world/sandbox RPG, TD view
-Character creation (player avatar and flagship name, roll for starting stats+attribute points allocation (5 stats),
Heracles no Eikou III/Glory of Heracles III (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
The Chaos Engine/Soldiers of Fortune (MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Maze Action, Top Down view, 2-player co-op (or 1-player+CPU ally)
-Level up system in a top down maze shooter/run 'n gun (buy upgrades in-between levels)
-Fairly (and contemporary) impressive music
Arcana/Card Master: Rimusaria no Fuuin (SNES, 1992) - FP view RPG, Card Battles
-Pretty impressive music overall
Super Aleste/Space Megaforce (SNES, 1992) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-In the occasional shorter levels (basically bonus levels) you get chased by the boss throughout most of the level
-Alternate attacks for each weapon
-Hidden power ups (blue/red landers)
-Varied levels
-Scaling effects (SCIV, SMW, etc.)
Rampart (1990 ARC port/MD, 1991) – RTT/Puzzle Hybrid (turret shooter (proto-tower defense)/base builder mix w/ Tetris-style randomized blocks), 2-player vs. mode (3-player in the ARC ver.), TD view
-SNES and PC only: The cannons gained can also be converted into powerups (Balloon floats at the beginning of phase 1 to the most powerful enemy ship (for SP) or cannon (for MP) and converts it to the player side for the successive fighting round; the Supercannon is bigger than the usual cannons and fire red projectiles, which sink any ship in one hit or leave a permanent fire if they hit the landscape)
Aerobiz (MD/SNES, 1992) - ? Airline Management Sim, Trading;
Aerobiz Supersonic (SNES, 1992/MD, 1994) - ? Airline Management Sim, Trading
Captain Tsubasa III (SNES, 1992) - Sports RPG?
Dragonball Z RPG: Super Saiya Densetsu (SNES, 1992) - JRPG
Super Smash T.V. (ARC, 1990/SNES, 1992) - Maze Shooter, Single Screen, 2-Player Co-op
-Choose your path (a map is briefly shown between rooms)
-Secret rooms (find all ? symbols to get to the hidden final stage?)
-Interesting theme (reality tv/gladiators taken to the dystopian extreme - cyberpunk-ish)
-Strafing (the arcade game had double stick controls)
-Smart bombs (random chance to get them) - Defender
Flying Hero: Bugyuru no Daibouken (SNES, 1992) - Vertical Shoot 'em up
-Mini-bosses (2+ per level)
-Plenty of large sprites
-Weapon upgrades also serve as extra HP (MUSHA?)
-Diagonal and backwards aiming (hold l/r or both at the same time)
-Manual speed control (three settings) - Thunder Force II?
-Sub weapon (homing projectiles - up to six (!) at once) - Gradius, CV1
-Bombs (relatively small AOE and they're fairly rare) - Defender
-Some good bosses (final boss)
-Respawn on the spot until game over (you regain 3 bombs) - TF2 and MUSHA
-Weapon levels aren't linked (you can kep a level 3 weapon while losing levels for another one, then pick up that weapon as level 3 later)
-Only minor slowdown in a few spots
Magic Sword (ARC port/SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer/Side view Hack 'n Slash
-Fairly impressive music
-Plays like a mixture of Astyanax/Alisia Dragoon/Black Tiger (features familiar/sidekick characters that attack when you do and can be killed and leveled up for example)
-Pick starting level out of ~6 floors
-Weapon upgrade which can be dropped if you take too much damage but you can pick it up again
-Good enemy and background variation
-Some enemies can open chests and eat the key in them (you get it back by killing them)
-Gameplay tips in some level transition scenes (STUN Runner?)
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Alternate bad ending (yes/no prompt at the end - similar to Streets of Rage)
-Dialogue text can be sped up (Quest for Glory?)
-6-way aiming with the wizard sidekick
-Smart bomb (costs life) - Defender
-Hidden chests which can be detected by having the crystal ball (similar to Zelda II)
-HP drains like in Wonder Boy but the speed can be adjusted here
Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy/Parodius Da!/Parodius: From Myth to Laughter (SNES, 1992), 2-player coop
-Comical tone (silly, bizarre, perverted)
-Four different setups/characters (same endings only with a different character sprite) - Gradius III?
-Good bosses overall (last boss is pathetic as well as the Gradius 1 first boss rehash)
-Timed invincibility and smart bomb power ups (Pac-Man/Defender)
-Projectile walls (sort of like laying mines which soak up fire)
-Can toggle the roulette/one armed bandit mini-game feature in the options menu
-Have to juggle bells for special weapons while dodging hazards (see Twinbee)
-Unlimited continues (CV1)
Honoo no Doukyuuji: Dodge Danpei (SNES, 1992) – Different? Career mode?
NHLPA Hockey '93 (MD/SNES, 1992) -
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (SNES, 1992) - Pretty impressive music
Lord Monarch: Tokoton Sentou Densetsu (SNES, 1992/MD, 1994) - RTS RPG? Different?
The Addams Family (AMI/MD/SNES, 1992) - Exploration Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-Hub area connected to several more or less straightforward obstacle courses (some of them connected to each other)
-Temporary flight power up
-Horror theme
Whirlo/Xandra no Daibouken: Valkyrie to no Deai (SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer w/ some AA elements
-Dialogue choices - each one can cause a separate bad ending (choose not to save a thief for example and you'll become a black knight in a cutscene). Some dialogue choices have an effect on characters futures
-Some nice cutscenes
-Downthrust (Dragon Buster) and spin attacks
-Some minor puzzles (use 'whirlwind' move to move levers, etc.)
-Some new ideas (the three final tests (memorize platform patterns, guide NPCs over pits, light up your path with switches), Crescent moon boss, fall through box maze, magnetic lock on pirate ship (basic physics puzzle), escape from the hatching goblin eggs)
-You'll keep crossing paths with a few characters throughout the story (sort of brings the game world to life more)
-Well done fairy tale theme (one particular scene is odd in the PAL version because they changed Whirlo's default expression to angry)
-Alternate paths at one point
-Surprisingly dark at times (alternate ending)
-Good dialogue overall (some translation mess-ups)
-Interesting plot twist at the end (ties into the spiritual prequel Valkyrie no Densetsu for PC Engine) which unfortunately delays the conclusion to a sequel that never happened
Super Adventure Island (SNES, 1992) - Impressive music
Dragon Slayer: Eiyuu Densetsu/?The Legend of Heroes (SNES, 1992/MD, 1994) - JRPG; Different?
P.T.O.: Pacific Theater of Operations? (MD/SNES, 1992) - impressive music overall?
Shin Megami Tensei (SNES, 1992) - Dungeon Crawler RPG
Super Star Wars (SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer
Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust (SNES, 1992) - JRPG
Top Gear (SNES, 1992) - Racing; Pretty impressive music
Cyber Knight (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
Hook (MD/SNES, 1992) - Action Platformer; Flight upgrade
Magical Taruruto-kun: Magic Adventure (SNES, 1992) - ?
King of the Monsters (SNES, 1992/MD, 1993) - Wrestling/Fighting (giant monsters), Tilted view; Highly destructible environments
Rushing Beat/Peace Keepers (SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up; Pretty impressive music overall
Paladin's Quest/Lennus (SNES, 1992) - JRPG
Prince of Persia (1989 PC port/SNES, 1992/MD, 1993) - More realistic physics and animation, sword fencing,
Yokoyama Mitsuteru: Sangokushi (SNES, 1992) - TBS? - Pretty impressive music
Brawl Brothers/Rushing Beat Ran (SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up; Fairly impressive music
3x3 Eyes Seima Kourinden (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose (SNES, 1992) – Platformer, Mini-games (5 different ones, chosen via a spinning wheel game) and some in-level mini-games (rope jumping - not optional)
-Fast movement on SNES (Sonic 1, Psycho Fox)
-Run up and down walls
-Fleshes out the characters of the show a bit better than previous and contemporary TT games (NES, MD). Settings are also based on the cartoon episodes
-Extendable lifebar (doesn't carry over to the next stage unfortunately)
-Pretty good variation
-Some decent puzzles (mansion level)
-Creative final level and boss
-Running is limited by a charge meter which you need to refill by picking up items (if it runs out where you need to be running up a wall you have to stand in place for a couple of seconds and wait for it to recharge - it also means you'll fall all the way back down if it runs out while running up a wall
-No hub world, wall jumping or smart bombs (see Buster's Hidden Treasure for MD)
-Ends just like Altered Beast with the characters being in a movie set
Hero Senki: Project Olympus (SNES, 1992) - JRPG?
Super Double Dragon (SNES, 1992) - Beat 'em up
Earth Light (SNES, 1992) - TBS?
Wings 2: Aces High/Sky Mission (SNES, 1992) - Flight Combat Sim;
Jaki Crush? (SNES, 1992) – Pinball/Shooter hybrid, fairly impressive music
Road Runner's Death Valley Rally (SNES, 1992) - Different from Desert Demolition
F1 ROC: Race of Champions/Exhaust Heat (SNES, 1992) - Pretty impressive music
Gods (MD/SNES, 1992) - Sometimes impressive music,
Strike Gunner (SNES, 1992)? - Fairly impressive music
Sonic Blast Man (SNES, 1992)? - Beat 'em up
Valis IV/Super Valis (SNES, 1992)
Xardion/Chou Kou Gasshin Xardion (SNES) - Action Platformer w/ RPG elements (leveling system, hub map)
-Four different chars that you can switch between on the fly (these join over the course of the game, some have unique abilities that let you explore new areas)
-Save feature
Faceball 2000/MIDI Maze (PCs, 1987/SNES, 1992) - FPS aka 3D Maze Shooter, 2-player vs. (split-screen)
-Regenerating health (Hydlide)
1993:
Star Fox (SNES, 1993) - Rail Shooter, 3D Engine (Super FX Chip)
-CPU controlled teammates which suck but add a stronger sense of purpose to the fighting and more personality than typical for the genre
-Choose between three paths with different difficulty levels after the first level
-Intense and varied action
-Level design makes great use of the 3D engine
-Good retro anime/sci-fi atmosphere that borrows heavily from Star Wars
-The controls make full use of the SNES controller
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen/Densetsu no Ogre Battle (SNES, 1993) - SRPG (TBS/RTS hybrid w/ Real-time with pausing battles)
-Some player char customization (partially randomized personality quiz decides your character's starting class - similar to Ultima IV, can pick sex)
-Partially non-linear structure (some branching paths and there's some freedom in how you take on each scenario and your performance (rep, player char stats, finding important items and NPCs) affects the story and ending)
-Day/night cycle (affects city events and a leader's battle performance)
-Pretty good interface for the time
-Pretty well animated units during battle (optional)
-Buffs and attack spells via tarot cards
-Can dismiss any unit besides yourself
-Terrain effects (movement, unit affinities)
-Reputation system (affects the storyline and ending if you let the meter fall too low, if you fight weaker parties (and especially if you kill everyone off instead of just the leader) it affects your rep negatively)
-Basic city management (each one has stats for morale/friendliness to the player/income via tribute per day, unit recruitment during a scenario)
-Game speed and text speed options
-Can trade units between squads/parties
-Neutral unit random encounters when entering some battles and while moving around a map can be recruited
-Hidden cities/temples/characters and items
-Can teleport a unit back to your HQ or all units to the army leader with items
-Mode 7-style battle map which can be zoomed out
-Can revisit beaten scenario areas to get quest info and added lore as well as buy items in some towns
-Unit compatibility mechanic (alignment but also some other factors affects combat efficiency - not too important though)
-Editable party/squad formations (units tend to have a different back row move). Can't change formations during a vs. battle
-Pretty good class customization (can even demote units to access another class path)
-Three save slots
-More large scale/political story than usual
-Unit upkeep mechanic (conquer/liberate more cities to gain more gold per day)
-Can revive characters with an item or at temples (their exp goes back to the starting point of their current level if they die though)
-The manual guides you through the first 6 scenarios
-Some cards have a negative effect when drawn
-No direct control over units during a unit vs unit battle. Can't make a party leader use a healing spell when outside of a vs. battle. Can't cast attack spells outside of vs. battles
-Every party can access your cards and items from anywhere on the map
-Can't check an enemy leader's stats (only HP and level) - Master of Monsters?
-Killed leaders are auto-revived after battle?
-You can have a mixed squad count as a flying one with the right units in it
Romancing SaGa 2 (SNES, 1993) - JRPG/WRPG Hybrid (non-linear structure, world map hub feature with sub area maps), Base-building and governance elements (gain more money via taxes from conquered regions, control r&d)
-Avoidable enemy encounters (RS1, FF2)
-Formation options
-Flanking enemies or getting flanked has an effect on the battles (your formation) - RS1
-Double plane gameplay in some towns (move between houses on the rooftops in the first town)
-Run button (easier to avoid enemies but breaks battle formation if you run into one and you have shorter sight range so there's a tactical element to it) - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-5 person party
-Generational system (heirs, kinda similar to Phantasy Star III)
-Fast travel button (go outside of the castle, go into the world map and move between visited areas) - works in areas without enemies in them
-Develop combo spells using two different elements
-Save anywhere
-Enemy strength scales with the party (battles you escaped from also count towards the scaling)
-Can heal knocked out party members
-Perma-death (Langrisser or Fire Emblem?)
-Can't choose between 7 different characters at the start like in the prequel (only the gender of the main protagonist)
Illusion of Gaia/Gaia Gensoki (SNES, 1993) - ARPG/Killathon w/ minor Platforming (gain a boost in either HP, strength or defense if you defeat all the enemies per dungeon section, hub map system), TD View, Whack-a-mole mini-game (kind of sucks though)
-Zelda elements (includes a magic flute, dashing into breakable walls, sandworm boss, a fairy companion (pre-OoT though) and spots where you can jump off cliffs)
-Narrator’s voice (King's Quest?)
-Day/night cycle effects
-You can run from the get-go
Special attacks and powers (jump attack, telekinetics - pull objects towards you, shapeshifting - three different forms that you can switch between at certain points (Will/default, Freedan, Shadow), melt to move through floors as Shadow, slide through cramped spaces - later used in Sonic Colors, spin attack move - kinda like the move from Turtles in Time)
-Continues the environmental theme from Soul Blazer
-Some relatively dark themes like slave labour and suicide
-Some good enemy and boss AI
-Respawn in the same area that you died in
-Riverson might be where Seed (FF10) came from
-Some clever puzzles (pyramid, timing puzzles)
-Some good satirical scenes (Hamlet)
-Some large sprites
-A text box tells you were you are when you enter a new area (title cards - Addams Family?)
-Somewhat original introductory gameplay ()
-Ancient biotech was used to create demons... and camels!
-Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy sprite - Final Fantasy III (NES)+HP gained from healing items
Mega Man X/Rockman X (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure (optional backtracking for upgrades)
-New moves and weapons (block crushing helmet, dash boots which allow dash jumping off of walls - can't dash jump off of ladders though)
-Secret items (permanent upgrades for X and energy tanks)
-Choose the level order for the first 8 levels (level select screen, can replay beaten levels for items) - MM1
-Beating one stage affects the environment of another (this can lead to the game becoming easier)
-Great bosses overall (multiple patterns)
-Good variation
-Switch special weapon by the press of a button, charged up special weapon attacks, teleport out of beaten levels (?)
-Ride a mech/mecha
Flashback: The Quest for Identity (1992 port/MD, 1993) - Platform Adventure/PoP-like/Cinematic Platformer (mostly linear structure, two separate areas besides the main one)
-Warp beacon and puzzles built around it
-Cutscene heavy (nice overall)
-Can bait enemies by throwing rocks near them
-Some interactive dialogue
Seiken Densetsu 2/Secret of Mana (SNES, 1993) - ARPG (use-based stat progression, no platforming (in some spots you use a whip to move across pits), hidden paths), TD View, 3-Player Co-op (non-player controlled allies are CPU controlled and you can setup some basic behavior for them)
-Gain new attacks with each weapon by using it repeatedly/use-based stat progression (FF2)
-Some cool spells (morph enemy, moon sabre, drain MP/HP)
-Four save slots (set save points)
-If you missed some weapon orbs they will drop in the Mana fortress (except for the swords for some reason)
-Some memorable locations (mushroom village, Mana tree area, misty forest, grand palace)
-Tactical hybrid battle system (pauses when casting spells or browsing the inventory) - real-time w/ pause
-Some goofy and memorable characters
-Some nice in-game cutscenes (finding the tree)
-Easy to understand interface
-Magic rope lets you exit dungeons (DQ2?)
-Shortcuts are opened after beating dungeons
-Some good bosses
-You can run from the get go (limited by a stamina meter and you can't steer though)
-Fairly original and engaging opening
-You can break away from the beaten path somewhat (but not away from your allies)
-Doesn't take itself too seriously
-The cannon travel agency (fun use of mode 7)
-Flammie (fly around a mode 7 world map) - Similar to Pilotwings
-Minor puzzles (pre-Mana fortress) - dialed back compared to the prequel though
-You can skip quite a few regular enemies as long as you keep your gear up to date
-Limited inventory (only 4 of each item - limited revive items is the only major annoyance)
-Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy sprite (as well as when hit by enemies) - Final Fantasy III
Torneko no Daiboken: Fushigi no Dungeon (SNES, 1993) - Rogue-like RPG, TD View
-Rogue-inspired gameplay (enemies move when you do though you do take turns here, randomly generated dungeon, various item mechanics, resource management, line of sight mechanic, can throw most items at enemies, regenerate HP - can regenerate faster while being vulnerable to enemies, dying means getting sent back to the beginning of a dungeon and losing your progress (except half the gold you found - or all gold if you've found a safe), need to identify certain items and eat food when hungry (you don't get hungry that quickly though and there's a ring you can find which removes hunger completely))
-Basic map system (good but could've shown where a path ends and let you mark locations, semi-transparent overlay in-game like in Diablo - toggle in the menu)
-Story is a comical spinoff of Dragon Quest IV in which you play as the merchant Torneko/Taloon who wants to open up a shop selling treasure from a certain dungeon)
-Facing mechanics (getting hit from the side or back is more dangerous)
-Can't exit the main dungeon without an Outside scroll (randomly placed) and you go back to char level 1 for doing so (making it important to be able to use gear for later)
-Items are auto-converted to gold when exiting the dungeon until you've gotten the vault (after ~15k gold?) - the vault lets you store 10 items but only grab 2 when going back into the dungeon (trade in the bread you get from your wife to be able to grab the second one)
-Run/skip move (moves you to the end of a straight path (or adjacent to a room entrance/exit or next to a monster) instantly, makes you skip picking items you move into)
-Trial/tutorial dungeon (10 floors, some mechanical explanations)
-Enemies are also affected by mine explosions
-Can examine all identified items
-Random teleportation item (some enemies can also do this to you)
-Certain scrolls can reveal a dungeon layout completely as well as remove fog of war (single use)
-Some enemies can kill other enemies (this can even level them up)
-Unlockable bonus dungeon (30 floors, last quest item) - basically hard mode
-Replay feature (lets you see what you've done on the current floor if you save/end in a dungeon)
-In-game epilogue - Toejam & Earl?, Dragon Quest
-While you can name the new town where you set up shop you can only use four letters
-Gold is used to automatically upgrade your shop and home rather than letting you buy gear that would help in the dungeon (eventually you can start storing found items in the vault) - at least you get a piece of big bread from talking to your wife before going back in)
-Can't drop items on top of each other (they end up on an adjacent tile)
-Dungeon floors randomly generate again when backtracking through a dungeon (and again if you fall into a pit)
-Weapon corrosion attacks (can lower all regular gear's bonus down to -3 - can gild the item with a plating scroll to protect it but you'll have to find it first)
-Save anywhere (better to save in town since you only have one slot)
-New monsters will spawn after a certain amount of actions are used on the same floor
-Two enemies can steal from you (trick bags steal gold and demonites steal items (even key items)) and then warp to a different part of the floor and try to avoid you
SOS/Septentrion (SNES, 1993) - Catastrophe Sim/PoP-style Maze Platformer (no permanent abilities or tools gained besides keys and maps, some mid-air control, die from falling about a screen's length or more), Escape/Rescue Mission (optional)
-Early 1900s ship catastrophe theme
-Good sense of vulnerability and impending doom (the ship becomes more wrecked as time passes)
-Can call on some NPCs to make them follow you (they're not good at platforming though (have to help them up with the action button) and you have to be fairly close to them)
-Four different playable chars (they play the same but a few things make the experience different: different intro story, different start locations, somewhat different paths through the game (sometimes different methods are needed to save certain survivors) and different relatives to save))
-Pretty impressive music (there's also some ambient fx in certain rooms which adds to the atmosphere)
-Climb up or down any wall at a lower than 90 degree angle
-Three different endings (better if you manage to save your char's relatives, best if you also save the other 7 survivors)
-Layered world (see Goonies 2)
-Unlimited lives but you'll lose 5 minutes (you have about an hour to escape)
Super Bomberman (SNES, 1993) - Maze Action, 2-player co-op story mode, 4-player vs. battle mode (can select how many players to have (2-4), any player slot can be switched for a CPU player)
-Randomized breakable block layouts in battle mode
-12 different battle mode levels (new level gimmicks - start near each other, random bombs fall from the sky, random jump pads (can't jump over breakable blocks), tunnels, start near each other+tons of power ups out in the open, lawnmowers that push bombs downward+reviving blocks, dark zone except for two moving searchlights, everyone starts at full blast power+no breakable blocks, everyone starts at super speed)
-Pretty impressive music overall
-Some good bosses (world 4 boss and the final boss have two phases, face a rival bombermen gang one at a time in world 5)
-Many sprites on screen with little slowdown
-Throw bombs (punching glove, thrown bombs also loop if thrown outside of the battle arena like in SMB2, stuns opponents briefly)
-Super bomb - blow through multiple breakable walls (story mode only))
-Some other new power ups (instant max bomb power, max lives, fire extinguisher (story mode only))
-Can find more than one power up per level in story mode (up to 3)
-CPU player difficulty options (10 levels)
-Randomized level layouts in SP
Alcahest (SNES, 1993) - ARPG-ish (exp point leveling only adds lives, gear upgrades and MP-based magic attacks) w/ minor Platforming via pads, TD View
-CPU allies for some parts (one at a time, controllable special skill)
-Switch between four different elemental partners
-Run from the get go (can change direction while running)
-CPU companions help you out in some parts
-Respawn at latest exit
-Can block most projectiles (block by standing still) - Popeye, Spelunker, etc.
-Good bosses overall
-Fast paced for the genre
-Nice ending (get to see each character's future - Langrisser)
-Some good enemy AI
Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shogun Magginesu/Go For It! Goemon (SNES)(Fan Translated) - AA/ARPG-ish (towns w/ shops and a couple of hidden paths, some permanent upgrades, mostly linear structure (can do the levels in any order in the castle towers town?, some branching paths on the hub map), hub map w/ some branching paths, no exp point leveling), Tilted View/Side View/FP View (mech boss fights) Hybrid, Time limits in the levels, Some fun mini-games (simultaneous memory vs the cpu, xexex-style shoot 'em up level), 2-player co-op (can join in at any point during gameplay)
-3 different playable chars w/ some minor differences - no new abilities gained nor do they start with any that are used for progression or exploration
-Can exit beaten levels and visited towns after buying the pass (can't exit hostile areas/levels where you entered them)
-Save feature (one slot per game)
-Checkpoints still work after using a continue (and you have unlimited continues?) - you do lose over half your money as well as your health bar upgrades when using one though
-Can push regular enemies into other enemies (crawl and attack their legs then move into them)
-Temporary vehicles in some levels and a summonable giant mech (triggers automatically after beating certain bosses' first form) - SMW?
-Villages are generally non-hostile here until you attack someone (no penalty and it resets after entering a house but the town guards also don't drop anything, can attack thieves and certain other characters like samurai (?) and the purple haired guy without upsetting the others)
-Can warp to visited towns at certain houses in towns (decent convenience feature but moving between areas on the map is fairly quick anyway)
-Can replay beaten levels (not castle levels though)
-Can speed up most dialogue (Quest for Glory?)
-Pretty nice cutscenes (skippable)
-Very good variety overall (introduces auto-scrolling giant mech segments and giant mech fights in FP view (there are also some auto-scrolling standard levels, the mech fights are more like a gallery shooter in that you can't move sideways nor rotate the view), mine cart segment and sea dragon ride segment, in-game cutscenes in some levels, etc.)
-Some interesting enemies (can knock some thrown projectiles back at the enemies, some enemies can saw off parts of bridge platforms, tiny enemies that latch onto you and slow you down if you don't shake them off, final boss) and level gimmicks (snowball chase which turns into a melting snowball ride in water, seesaw platforms that affect enemies, manually controlled fans that let you hover, interactive rolling barrels and torches/gas lamps)
-Good animation
-Alternate paths through some boss levels
-Comedic tone (parody (second boss is an Arnold/terminator parody), slapstick, silly)
-Projectile charge attack (costs as much money as a regular one) - ESWAT, MM4, etc.
-Some mini-bosses
-Good bosses overall (the last one is the villain fighting you with your own giant mech which is pretty cool and there's a 2.5D element to it). Decent boss introductions and outros
-Optional post-game level and boss (dracula from CV; have to beat the game and then each mini-game in mechanical town to access the level via the castle of that town)
-One player can carry the other for difficult platforming segments (GG1/Mystical Ninja 1)
Shadowrun (SNES, 1993) - WRPG/ARPG (manually allocated char attributes and magic at save points, Diablo-ish real-time combat, no platforming, partially non-linear and pretty much doesn't hold your hand at all (very hostile beginning area as well), minor ability/tool gating (one use crowbar/time bomb/shades/police badge, invisibility spell - optional?)), P&C controls, Isometric/TD view (in matrix only) hybrid, Cyberspace/the matrix mini-game (minesweeper/ms röj-like - find info and money, also used for disabling security functions or opening doors), Cyberpunk theme
-Interactive dialogue (pick up keywords which you can ask any NPC about)
-CPU allies
-Hire and fire mercs/shadowrunners, Minesweeper-like mini-games for matrix segments, Hired shadowrunners don't level up, Sudden time limit at one point (the cortex bomb), Most enemy attacks are unavoidable
-Save feature (one save point per area). Killed shadowrunners are teleported to where you hired them and keep their equipment (but you need to rehire them and they act as if you never met before)
-Some cool spells (invisibility, summon animal spirits)
-Duel arena (make extra money)
-Enemies in rooms respawn randomly (you can make enemies disappear from a room or area by re-entering it)
-Civilians don't react to fights in the street
-Interesting intro (wake up in a mourge with memory loss)
-Pretty well made dystopian atmosphere (Blade Runner and fantasy inspired)
-Decent character customization (cyberware upgrades, weapons/armor, character attributes and magic which are manually allocated at a save point)
-Somewhat comical tone
Super Mario Collection/Super Mario All-Stars (SNES, 1993) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-See the NES games
-Added save feature
Pop'n TwinBee (SNES, 1993) - Vertical Shoot 'em up, 2-player co-op
-Co-op only moves (throw and energy sharing (similar to Toejam & Earl))
-Some nice effects (multijointed final boss with huge beam, parallax cliff)
-Little slowdown
-Health bar
-Two planes of enemies (air and ground) and respective attacks to deal with them - Xevious?
-Up to four gun drones (pick one out of three formations before playing - can't be changed in-game) - Gradius?
-Good bosses overall (nearly all of them have two phases)
-Nice animations between levels (not much of a story though; just cute scenes adding some personality to the game)
-Auto-targeting for the bomb attack
-Melee attack (powerful but risky and rarely needed)
Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (ARC, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Fighting, 2-player vs
-Large character roster (SF2)
-Large sprites
-Good animation
-Many combo moves
-Speed settings
Zombies Ate My Neighbors (MD/SNES, 1993) - 2-Player Co-op Maze Action/Rescue Mission
-Temporary transformation
-Large arsenal of weapons and items
-Permadeath of sorts on hostages (the number of hostages you can rescue shrinks for later levels as they die)
-Retro/cheesy horror theme
-Some large sprites
Batman Returns (SNES, 1993)(Different) – Beat 'em up/Action Platformer/Racing Action Hybrid
-Mixes 2.5D with sideview segments (with platforming) and a driving/rail shooter level
-Can throw enemies into walls and knock their heads together
-Special attack doesn't drain life if you don't hit anything
-Block move (you still take damage though) - SF2?
-Some interesting level design (penguin rockets, train obstacles, hit first sideview boss with a piece of the wall like in the movie)
-Large and detailed sprites
-Fewer gadgets than in the MD game
Jurassic Park (SNES, 1993)(Different) - Action Adventure/FPS Hybrid, TD View/FP view (indoors) hybrid
-Wolf 3D-like engine when indoors
WIP
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters/Mutant Warriors (MD/SNES, 1993)(Different) - Fighting, 2-player vs., SF2 style bonus levels in-between some fights (not very interesting)
-Pretty impressive music overall
-Fast paced (can input a code for even higher speed)
-Twelve playable characters in vs. mode (two are unlockable via a cheat)
-Pretty large and detailed sprites
-Story mode with cutscenes in-between fights
-Manual stage select in vs. mode
-Play as wingnut and shredder by default
-Speed options (SF2 Turbo?)
-Pretty good animation (except for most of the background sprites). Pretty lively and colorful backgrounds overall
-Some moves can be combo'd
-Need to use a cheat to enable super moves/ultimate attacks in story mode
-Power meter (hit strong punch+kick when it's filled for a super move/ultimate attack) - these can be pretty cheap but can make one sided battles more interesting since it fills up faster later in the fight
-Some moves do damage to your own character
-Moon jumps
-Unlockable vs mode character/handicap option/levels via cheats (Karai and Rat King/Metro and Studio 6)
-Can't counter or block grab/throw-style special moves
R-Type III: The Third Lightning (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Choose between three different orbs/pods
-Good variation
-Some very intense gameplay
-Nice effects (rotation, scaling, polygons?)
-Great set pieces overall (moving space base, alien lair, etc.)
-Good bosses overall (large, detailed and fun to fight)
-Fixed charge attack (manual release)
Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Manipulate enemies to use like options/gun drones
-Three different ships with 3 different weapons each (some are pretty similar though)
-Good weapon system (you can take a few hits but lose an upgrade each time)
-Does quite a good job of retaining the atmosphere of the anime with the ship designs and music
-Some nice special effects
-Good bosses
Fatal Fury 2/Garo Densetsu Tsu Aratanaru Tatakai (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) - Fighting
Ganbare! Daiku no Gen-san (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Holy Striker/Fire Striker (SNES, 1993) - Arkanoid variation w/ AA elements, 2-Player Co-op;
King of the Monsters 2 (1992 port/SNES, 1993) - Fighting/Wrestling, Tilted view
The Lost Vikings (SNES/MD, 1993) – Puzzle Platformer, 2-player asymmetric co-op (3 on MD)
-Three different playable characters (one runs and jumps+tackles, one fights+shoot arrows at switches or enemies, one blocks and hover jumps)
-Innovative gameplay (switch between three characters with different abilites and separate inventories, solving various puzzles to get to the exit with some advanced multiplayer maneuvers which can't be done in SP)
-Trade items between chars (need to stand characters close to each other to exchange items between them)
-Hidden items and shortcuts
-Good puzzles overall
-Comical tone (wacky, slap stick, pop culture references)
-Good final boss (four segments, the only boss in the game though)
-Lower resolution than on MD (makes it harder to react to danger and get an overview of puzzles)
-World transition/warp screen effect
-Fewer stages than on MD
Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SNES, 1993)(Different) - ARPG (no platforming), TD View
-Stripped down in terms of the presentation (no animated cutscenes with voice acting)
-Much less useful magic/rings than in 3?
-Later remade as Ys: memories of calcetta (PS2)
Rock 'n Roll Racing (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) – Isometric Racing with combat, 2-player vs.
-Ramps for jumping
-Car upgrades (buy them in-between races) - RC Pro-AM?, Super Hang-On MD
-Licensed '70s rock-themed OST
-Funny voiced commentary
BattleTech (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) - Isometric Mech Sim/Action, Mission-based, Asymmetric co-op
-Different?
-Strafing (co-op or emulation)?
Super Chinese World 2: Uchuu Ichibuto Daikai (SNES, 1993) - ARPG/Beat 'em up Hybrid, 2-Player Co-op, TD/Tilted view
WIP
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage (1989/SNES, 1993)(Remake/remaster, fan translated), Ys-like ARPG (no jumping unlike in the PCE CD version, level requirements on most gear and rough level/gear gating for being able to attack enemies and withstand enemy attacks, mostly linear structure, minor ability/tool gating (gask mask for gas-filled rooms in the flame fort, disintegration spells for destroying large boulders in the cave dungeon though it works more like a key, flame mantle to walk through fire gates - same here, rabby pet which reaches under a bed to grab an item for you - same here and only used once)), One horizontal shoot 'em up level, TD View
-Non-bump combat except for when running into much weaker enemies (positioning is still important)
-Save anywhere outside of boss battles and the shoot 'em up level (multiple slots)
-Can teleport to visited towns scrolls (pretty expensive early on though) however you can't go back to the first two towns after a certain point - Ys
-Gear enchantments can be bought in towns (minor buffs (some enemies require that your weapon is enchanted to be able to hurt them), very basic though as there are no elemental or status effects to keep in mind)
-HP regen while still (see Ys; doesn't work in dungeons from the cave dungeon onwards though and not even in the overworld in the lava area)
-NPC encounters in hostile areas -
-Can speed up dialogue (but not skip it on a per message box basis) - Quest for Glory?
-Smoother movement and scrolling plus tighter camera than in the MSX and X68K games
-Life mantle saves you from death once if you die (like fairies in Zelda 3)
-Alternate bad endings (team up with certain enemies and the game ends prematurely)
-Can escape from most boss battles (they reset) - Ys II?
-Wearing a cape/mantle or gas mask shows on your avatar (other new gear doesn't though) - Ys III?
-Non-silent protagonist
-Semi-automated blocking - enemies bounce off your shielded side however if you stand still they tend to bounce off from any side and even when attacking from behind unless they have a strong enough attack to pierce your defense
-Gain a sword beam during the final boss - Zelda 1
-Can't access the menu or use equipped consumables during boss fights - Ys?
-Most dialogue choices don't matter but some of them can actually kill you (sometimes have to use a guide)
Super Turrican (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer, Time limit (usually pretty long at 400+ seconds though it goes against the exploration aspect of the levels)
-Some fun enemies (mammoths pushing snowballs, mini-walkers that make a sound when you jump on them)
-Some nice effects (weather, rotation, "pulsating" backgrounds)
-Good variation (weather effects on gameplay, use item containers as platforms to reach optional areas)
-Satisfying sfx overall, Pretty impressive music
-Decent weapon system (has the 360 degree beam from the previous games (here it petrifies enemies for two seconds))
-Shows you how many diamonds and lives you’ve collected and missed after each beaten level
-Respawn on the spot (bosses) or close to it (levels) - Alex Kidd iMW?
-Adds knockback (minor) and invincibility time
-Invincibility while in ball form (overpowered since it doesn’t cost that much energy to use)
-A bit harder than Mega Turrican on default settings and most levels are different
Little Magic (SNES, 1993) - Acion Puzzle, Lolo variation?
3rd Super Robot Wars (SNES, 1993) - TRPG?
Militia/Metal Marines? (SNES, 1993) - RTS?
Ikari no Yousai/Operation Logic Bomb (SNES, 1993) - Maze Action/Maze Shooter, TD View, No overall time limit
-Good map system (shows your location as well as found computers and lvl exits; map needs to be found via a computer in each level though)
-Some cool weapons (ricochet laser, decoy, flamethrower, mine)
-Tutorial videos show how to use new weapons
-Some nice visual effects (powering on the first level, level 2 path restoration, final segment)
-Switch weapons on the fly (Aztec)
-Strafing (hold l/r) - Robotron?
-8-way targeting - Berzerk or Robotron?
-Dialogue-less story telling via in-game cutscenes (find out what happened by watching a recording of what a beaten robot has seen before, somewhat confusing at times, sometimes uninteresting scenes)
Mario & Wario (SNES, 1993) - Puzzle Platformer, Mouse-based
Solstice II/Equinox (SNES, 1993) - Action Adventure, Isometric
Captain Tsubasa IV: Pro no Rival Tachi (SNES, 1993) - Sports RPG
Sonic Wings/Aero Fighters (SNES, 1993) - Vertical Shoot 'em up, 2-player co-op
Super James Pond II/James Pond II: Codename Robocod (MD, 1991/SNES, 1993) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure, Collectathon
-In-game hub area
-Climb ceilings
-Vehicles
-Christmas theme
Dragon Quest I & II (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
-Improved interface and less grinding
-Added hidden items
-See the NES games
Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shugo!! (SNES, 1993) - Sports/Action
Kunio-kun no Dodge Ball: Zenin Shuugou! Tournament Special (SNES, 1993) - Sports/Action
Gegege no Kitarou: Fukkatsu! Tenma Daiou (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Neugier: Umi to Kaze no Kodo (SNES, 1993) - Action Adventure/ARPG-lite w/ Jumping (separate AP (separate jump and standing attacks as well) and HP leveling), Level/chapter-based, TD View
Metal Max 2 (SNES, 1993) - JRPG - Open World?
Albert Odyssey (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Estpolis Denki/Lufia (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
NHL '94 (MD/SNES, 1993) - Sports, 4-player w/ vs. and co-op modes
-Penalty shots
-Reverse angle instant replay
-Quickly redirect the puck into the goal after receiving a pass
Disney's Aladdin (SNES, 1993) – Hop 'n Bop Platformer
-Great animation
-Less square/obviously tile-based level layouts
-Impressive graphics
-Shops
-Some enemies can cut your projectiles (apples) in half
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2 (SNES, 1993) - Fighting?
Utopia: The Creation of a Nation (SNES, 1993) - Building & Management, Combat?
Dual Orb (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Rushing Beat Syura (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up
Breath of Fire (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
-Fairly impressive music
WIP
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden (SNES, 1993) - Fighting?
Battle Dodge Ball II (SNES, 1993) - Sports/Action
Yoshi no Road Hunting/Yoshi's Safari (SNES, 1993) - Rail Shooter/Light Gun
Final Fight 2 (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up
Mr. Nutz (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994)
The Great Battle III (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer?
Moryo Senki MADARA 2 (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Joreishi ha Nice Body (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
-JP mythology/horror theme - Kenseiden?
-Freeze spell (Rogue, Eidolon, Dragon Slayer)
-Can create grapple move platforms (2 at a time) in level 7 - Similar to Wonder Boy III/Solomon's Key
-Context sensitive grapple move (pretty limited - can only use it at certain small platforms and only swing upwards to land on the same platform and there's a bit of delay as well)
-Good bosses overall (some have more than one phase)
-One shrinking themed level where you ride a cat - SMB3, Castle & Land of Illusion
-Nice cutscenes (some animation, upper body shots for dialogue scenes in-between levels, various in-game cutscenes; skippable)
-Female protagonist (a bit sexualized)
Silva Saga II: The Legend of Light and Darkness (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up?
Super Wagyan Land 2 (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer?
Super H.Q. Criminal Chaser (SNES, 1993) - Racing/Action
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up?
Super Nobunaga no Yabou: Zengoku Han (SNES, 1993) - TBS
SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2 (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up; Transformations
Kessen! Dokapon Okukoku IV: Densetsu no Yuusha Tachi (SNES, 1993) - RPG/Board Game Hybrid
Mortal Kombat (MD/SNES, 1993) - Fighting; Fatalities, gore, more realistic graphics
Super Slap Shot (SNES, 1993) - Sports
Ryuuko no Ken/Art of Fighting (SNES, 1993) - Fighting
Ranma ½: Akaneko-dan teki Hihou (SNES, 1993) - Fighting?
Arcus Odyssey/Arcus Spirits (MD, 1991/SNES, 1993) – Maze Action w/ Action Adventure elements (level-based, no platforming), Isometric, 2-player co-op,
-Four different playable characters
-Item inventory (Gauntlet?)
-CPU allies
-NPCs
World Heroes (1992 ARC port/SNES, 1993) - Fighting
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Tetris Battle Gaiden (SNES, 1993) - Puzzle
Two Tribes: Populous II (MD/SNES, 1993) - RTS/God Sim
Puyo Puyo/Super Puyo Puyo (MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Impressive music
Aretha the Super Famicom (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
-Monster encyclopedia (you can see an image of each monster, its basic stats, and Soul drop - once you get it from a character called Jack near the beginning, you can open it by selecting the item in the Special Item menu)
-Souls are used for crafting new equipment
Bishin Densetsu Zoku: The Legend of Bishin Zoku (SNES, 1993) - Mode 7-style Racing/Beat 'em up Hybrid
Top Gear 2 (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) - Racing
Hebereke's Popoon (SNES, 1993) - Falling Block Puzzle?
Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World? (MD, 1991/SNES, 1993) - WRPG
Alien 3 (SNES, 1993)(Different) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure (no new abilities/tools gained (just different fuel types for the flamethrower)), Non-linear Mission-based structure (rescue, repair, s&d) w/ a Hub area (some air duct shortcuts between sub areas)
-Good map system (can only be accessed via the terminals though, in-game you can use a radar but not while attacking)
-8-way aiming - Contra?
-Repairing which works like examining objects in Impossible Mission (hold the button at the object until it's finished)
The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (SNES) - Action Adventure w/ some Platforming, TD view
WIP
Young Merlin (SNES, 1993) - Action Adventure/Puzzle, Bird's Eye view
-Wordless - Uses icons inside dialogue bubbles rather than dialogue (later used in Machinarium)
ActRaiser 2: Chinmoku e no Seisen (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Monster Maker III: Hikari no Majutsushi (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Nobunaga no Yabou: Haouden (SNES, 1993) - TBS
Sunset Riders (ARC, 1991/MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) – Run 'n Gun, 2-player co-op, Bonus level (a bit lame as it's so simple)
-Impressive music overall
-Four different characters (spread vs rate of fire - shotgun is better in 1-player)
-Pick up and throw the enemies' dynamite
-More enemies and harder bosses on Hard. No ending on Normal mode (when I first beat Normal the game looped and had harder bosses but it still said try Hard at the ending)
-Pretty fast paced and sometimes intense
-Comical tone (some stereotypes)
-Some good bosses
-Invincibility when jumping up/down a level or from a rope
Mega Lo Mania (1991 PC/AMI port/MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Early RTS
-Advance through eras in history
WIP
Ace o Nerae! (SNES, 1993) - Sports
Romance of the Three Kingdoms III (MD, 1993) - ? TBS/War Sim
Plok (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer; Hub map,
Yokoyama Mitsuteru: Sangokushi 2/RotTK 2 (SNES, 1993) -
Dragon Slayer: Eiyuu Densetsu II (SNES, 1993/MD, 1995) - ? JRPG
Space Funky B.O.B. (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Captain America and the Avengers (ARC, 1991/MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up; Impressive music
Operation Europe: Path to Victory 1939-45? (MD, 1993/SNES, 1993) - TBS
Nobunaga's Ambition/Nobunaga no Yabou: Zenkoku Ban (MD/SNES, 1993) - TBS
Battletoads & Double Dragon (MD/SNES, 1993) – Beat 'em up/Action Hybrid, 2-Player Co-op; Crossover theme,
T2: The Arcade Game (MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Light Gun Shooter, 2-Player Co-op
Pac-Attack (MD/SNES, 1993) - Falling Block Puzzle
Doraemon 1-2? (SNES, 1993) – RPG or AA/Platformer Hybrid
Cool Spot (SNES/MD, 1993) - Action Platformer; Great animation,
Darius Force/Super Nova? (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up; Many different paths through the game, many levels of upgrades,
Wolfchild (MD/SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer, Impressive music on MD
Super Soukoban (SNES, 1993) – Puzzle/Maze, TD View; Different?, Level select?
Claymates (SNES, 1993) - Platformer/Puzzle Hybrid, Side view/Top down view hybrid
-The overworld functions like a puzzle mini-game - the player can move around freely and each screen of each area was turned into a mini-game reminiscent of ChuChu Rocket or Lemmings. In case you haven't played those either, each completed level gives the player two robots, automatically moving forward. These can then be manipulated by moving different objects on the screen to make them move up to and clear obstacles, unlocking the next level
-Transformations (Akalabeth, Knight Lore, Alchemist, SMB3, Altered Beast, Wonder Boy 3, Kid Chameleon)
Star Fox (SNES, 1993) - Rail Shooter, 3D Engine (Super FX Chip)
-CPU controlled teammates which suck but add a stronger sense of purpose to the fighting and more personality than typical for the genre
-Choose between three paths with different difficulty levels after the first level
-Intense and varied action
-Level design makes great use of the 3D engine
-Good retro anime/sci-fi atmosphere that borrows heavily from Star Wars
-The controls make full use of the SNES controller
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen/Densetsu no Ogre Battle (SNES, 1993) - SRPG (TBS/RTS hybrid w/ Real-time with pausing battles)
-Some player char customization (partially randomized personality quiz decides your character's starting class - similar to Ultima IV, can pick sex)
-Partially non-linear structure (some branching paths and there's some freedom in how you take on each scenario and your performance (rep, player char stats, finding important items and NPCs) affects the story and ending)
-Day/night cycle (affects city events and a leader's battle performance)
-Pretty good interface for the time
-Pretty well animated units during battle (optional)
-Buffs and attack spells via tarot cards
-Can dismiss any unit besides yourself
-Terrain effects (movement, unit affinities)
-Reputation system (affects the storyline and ending if you let the meter fall too low, if you fight weaker parties (and especially if you kill everyone off instead of just the leader) it affects your rep negatively)
-Basic city management (each one has stats for morale/friendliness to the player/income via tribute per day, unit recruitment during a scenario)
-Game speed and text speed options
-Can trade units between squads/parties
-Neutral unit random encounters when entering some battles and while moving around a map can be recruited
-Hidden cities/temples/characters and items
-Can teleport a unit back to your HQ or all units to the army leader with items
-Mode 7-style battle map which can be zoomed out
-Can revisit beaten scenario areas to get quest info and added lore as well as buy items in some towns
-Unit compatibility mechanic (alignment but also some other factors affects combat efficiency - not too important though)
-Editable party/squad formations (units tend to have a different back row move). Can't change formations during a vs. battle
-Pretty good class customization (can even demote units to access another class path)
-Three save slots
-More large scale/political story than usual
-Unit upkeep mechanic (conquer/liberate more cities to gain more gold per day)
-Can revive characters with an item or at temples (their exp goes back to the starting point of their current level if they die though)
-The manual guides you through the first 6 scenarios
-Some cards have a negative effect when drawn
-No direct control over units during a unit vs unit battle. Can't make a party leader use a healing spell when outside of a vs. battle. Can't cast attack spells outside of vs. battles
-Every party can access your cards and items from anywhere on the map
-Can't check an enemy leader's stats (only HP and level) - Master of Monsters?
-Killed leaders are auto-revived after battle?
-You can have a mixed squad count as a flying one with the right units in it
Romancing SaGa 2 (SNES, 1993) - JRPG/WRPG Hybrid (non-linear structure, world map hub feature with sub area maps), Base-building and governance elements (gain more money via taxes from conquered regions, control r&d)
-Avoidable enemy encounters (RS1, FF2)
-Formation options
-Flanking enemies or getting flanked has an effect on the battles (your formation) - RS1
-Double plane gameplay in some towns (move between houses on the rooftops in the first town)
-Run button (easier to avoid enemies but breaks battle formation if you run into one and you have shorter sight range so there's a tactical element to it) - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-5 person party
-Generational system (heirs, kinda similar to Phantasy Star III)
-Fast travel button (go outside of the castle, go into the world map and move between visited areas) - works in areas without enemies in them
-Develop combo spells using two different elements
-Save anywhere
-Enemy strength scales with the party (battles you escaped from also count towards the scaling)
-Can heal knocked out party members
-Perma-death (Langrisser or Fire Emblem?)
-Can't choose between 7 different characters at the start like in the prequel (only the gender of the main protagonist)
Illusion of Gaia/Gaia Gensoki (SNES, 1993) - ARPG/Killathon w/ minor Platforming (gain a boost in either HP, strength or defense if you defeat all the enemies per dungeon section, hub map system), TD View, Whack-a-mole mini-game (kind of sucks though)
-Zelda elements (includes a magic flute, dashing into breakable walls, sandworm boss, a fairy companion (pre-OoT though) and spots where you can jump off cliffs)
-Narrator’s voice (King's Quest?)
-Day/night cycle effects
-You can run from the get-go
Special attacks and powers (jump attack, telekinetics - pull objects towards you, shapeshifting - three different forms that you can switch between at certain points (Will/default, Freedan, Shadow), melt to move through floors as Shadow, slide through cramped spaces - later used in Sonic Colors, spin attack move - kinda like the move from Turtles in Time)
-Continues the environmental theme from Soul Blazer
-Some relatively dark themes like slave labour and suicide
-Some good enemy and boss AI
-Respawn in the same area that you died in
-Riverson might be where Seed (FF10) came from
-Some clever puzzles (pyramid, timing puzzles)
-Some good satirical scenes (Hamlet)
-Some large sprites
-A text box tells you were you are when you enter a new area (title cards - Addams Family?)
-Somewhat original introductory gameplay ()
-Ancient biotech was used to create demons... and camels!
-Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy sprite - Final Fantasy III (NES)+HP gained from healing items
Mega Man X/Rockman X (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure (optional backtracking for upgrades)
-New moves and weapons (block crushing helmet, dash boots which allow dash jumping off of walls - can't dash jump off of ladders though)
-Secret items (permanent upgrades for X and energy tanks)
-Choose the level order for the first 8 levels (level select screen, can replay beaten levels for items) - MM1
-Beating one stage affects the environment of another (this can lead to the game becoming easier)
-Great bosses overall (multiple patterns)
-Good variation
-Switch special weapon by the press of a button, charged up special weapon attacks, teleport out of beaten levels (?)
-Ride a mech/mecha
Flashback: The Quest for Identity (1992 port/MD, 1993) - Platform Adventure/PoP-like/Cinematic Platformer (mostly linear structure, two separate areas besides the main one)
-Warp beacon and puzzles built around it
-Cutscene heavy (nice overall)
-Can bait enemies by throwing rocks near them
-Some interactive dialogue
Seiken Densetsu 2/Secret of Mana (SNES, 1993) - ARPG (use-based stat progression, no platforming (in some spots you use a whip to move across pits), hidden paths), TD View, 3-Player Co-op (non-player controlled allies are CPU controlled and you can setup some basic behavior for them)
-Gain new attacks with each weapon by using it repeatedly/use-based stat progression (FF2)
-Some cool spells (morph enemy, moon sabre, drain MP/HP)
-Four save slots (set save points)
-If you missed some weapon orbs they will drop in the Mana fortress (except for the swords for some reason)
-Some memorable locations (mushroom village, Mana tree area, misty forest, grand palace)
-Tactical hybrid battle system (pauses when casting spells or browsing the inventory) - real-time w/ pause
-Some goofy and memorable characters
-Some nice in-game cutscenes (finding the tree)
-Easy to understand interface
-Magic rope lets you exit dungeons (DQ2?)
-Shortcuts are opened after beating dungeons
-Some good bosses
-You can run from the get go (limited by a stamina meter and you can't steer though)
-Fairly original and engaging opening
-You can break away from the beaten path somewhat (but not away from your allies)
-Doesn't take itself too seriously
-The cannon travel agency (fun use of mode 7)
-Flammie (fly around a mode 7 world map) - Similar to Pilotwings
-Minor puzzles (pre-Mana fortress) - dialed back compared to the prequel though
-You can skip quite a few regular enemies as long as you keep your gear up to date
-Limited inventory (only 4 of each item - limited revive items is the only major annoyance)
-Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy sprite (as well as when hit by enemies) - Final Fantasy III
Torneko no Daiboken: Fushigi no Dungeon (SNES, 1993) - Rogue-like RPG, TD View
-Rogue-inspired gameplay (enemies move when you do though you do take turns here, randomly generated dungeon, various item mechanics, resource management, line of sight mechanic, can throw most items at enemies, regenerate HP - can regenerate faster while being vulnerable to enemies, dying means getting sent back to the beginning of a dungeon and losing your progress (except half the gold you found - or all gold if you've found a safe), need to identify certain items and eat food when hungry (you don't get hungry that quickly though and there's a ring you can find which removes hunger completely))
-Basic map system (good but could've shown where a path ends and let you mark locations, semi-transparent overlay in-game like in Diablo - toggle in the menu)
-Story is a comical spinoff of Dragon Quest IV in which you play as the merchant Torneko/Taloon who wants to open up a shop selling treasure from a certain dungeon)
-Facing mechanics (getting hit from the side or back is more dangerous)
-Can't exit the main dungeon without an Outside scroll (randomly placed) and you go back to char level 1 for doing so (making it important to be able to use gear for later)
-Items are auto-converted to gold when exiting the dungeon until you've gotten the vault (after ~15k gold?) - the vault lets you store 10 items but only grab 2 when going back into the dungeon (trade in the bread you get from your wife to be able to grab the second one)
-Run/skip move (moves you to the end of a straight path (or adjacent to a room entrance/exit or next to a monster) instantly, makes you skip picking items you move into)
-Trial/tutorial dungeon (10 floors, some mechanical explanations)
-Enemies are also affected by mine explosions
-Can examine all identified items
-Random teleportation item (some enemies can also do this to you)
-Certain scrolls can reveal a dungeon layout completely as well as remove fog of war (single use)
-Some enemies can kill other enemies (this can even level them up)
-Unlockable bonus dungeon (30 floors, last quest item) - basically hard mode
-Replay feature (lets you see what you've done on the current floor if you save/end in a dungeon)
-In-game epilogue - Toejam & Earl?, Dragon Quest
-While you can name the new town where you set up shop you can only use four letters
-Gold is used to automatically upgrade your shop and home rather than letting you buy gear that would help in the dungeon (eventually you can start storing found items in the vault) - at least you get a piece of big bread from talking to your wife before going back in)
-Can't drop items on top of each other (they end up on an adjacent tile)
-Dungeon floors randomly generate again when backtracking through a dungeon (and again if you fall into a pit)
-Weapon corrosion attacks (can lower all regular gear's bonus down to -3 - can gild the item with a plating scroll to protect it but you'll have to find it first)
-Save anywhere (better to save in town since you only have one slot)
-New monsters will spawn after a certain amount of actions are used on the same floor
-Two enemies can steal from you (trick bags steal gold and demonites steal items (even key items)) and then warp to a different part of the floor and try to avoid you
SOS/Septentrion (SNES, 1993) - Catastrophe Sim/PoP-style Maze Platformer (no permanent abilities or tools gained besides keys and maps, some mid-air control, die from falling about a screen's length or more), Escape/Rescue Mission (optional)
-Early 1900s ship catastrophe theme
-Good sense of vulnerability and impending doom (the ship becomes more wrecked as time passes)
-Can call on some NPCs to make them follow you (they're not good at platforming though (have to help them up with the action button) and you have to be fairly close to them)
-Four different playable chars (they play the same but a few things make the experience different: different intro story, different start locations, somewhat different paths through the game (sometimes different methods are needed to save certain survivors) and different relatives to save))
-Pretty impressive music (there's also some ambient fx in certain rooms which adds to the atmosphere)
-Climb up or down any wall at a lower than 90 degree angle
-Three different endings (better if you manage to save your char's relatives, best if you also save the other 7 survivors)
-Layered world (see Goonies 2)
-Unlimited lives but you'll lose 5 minutes (you have about an hour to escape)
Super Bomberman (SNES, 1993) - Maze Action, 2-player co-op story mode, 4-player vs. battle mode (can select how many players to have (2-4), any player slot can be switched for a CPU player)
-Randomized breakable block layouts in battle mode
-12 different battle mode levels (new level gimmicks - start near each other, random bombs fall from the sky, random jump pads (can't jump over breakable blocks), tunnels, start near each other+tons of power ups out in the open, lawnmowers that push bombs downward+reviving blocks, dark zone except for two moving searchlights, everyone starts at full blast power+no breakable blocks, everyone starts at super speed)
-Pretty impressive music overall
-Some good bosses (world 4 boss and the final boss have two phases, face a rival bombermen gang one at a time in world 5)
-Many sprites on screen with little slowdown
-Throw bombs (punching glove, thrown bombs also loop if thrown outside of the battle arena like in SMB2, stuns opponents briefly)
-Super bomb - blow through multiple breakable walls (story mode only))
-Some other new power ups (instant max bomb power, max lives, fire extinguisher (story mode only))
-Can find more than one power up per level in story mode (up to 3)
-CPU player difficulty options (10 levels)
-Randomized level layouts in SP
Alcahest (SNES, 1993) - ARPG-ish (exp point leveling only adds lives, gear upgrades and MP-based magic attacks) w/ minor Platforming via pads, TD View
-CPU allies for some parts (one at a time, controllable special skill)
-Switch between four different elemental partners
-Run from the get go (can change direction while running)
-CPU companions help you out in some parts
-Respawn at latest exit
-Can block most projectiles (block by standing still) - Popeye, Spelunker, etc.
-Good bosses overall
-Fast paced for the genre
-Nice ending (get to see each character's future - Langrisser)
-Some good enemy AI
Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shogun Magginesu/Go For It! Goemon (SNES)(Fan Translated) - AA/ARPG-ish (towns w/ shops and a couple of hidden paths, some permanent upgrades, mostly linear structure (can do the levels in any order in the castle towers town?, some branching paths on the hub map), hub map w/ some branching paths, no exp point leveling), Tilted View/Side View/FP View (mech boss fights) Hybrid, Time limits in the levels, Some fun mini-games (simultaneous memory vs the cpu, xexex-style shoot 'em up level), 2-player co-op (can join in at any point during gameplay)
-3 different playable chars w/ some minor differences - no new abilities gained nor do they start with any that are used for progression or exploration
-Can exit beaten levels and visited towns after buying the pass (can't exit hostile areas/levels where you entered them)
-Save feature (one slot per game)
-Checkpoints still work after using a continue (and you have unlimited continues?) - you do lose over half your money as well as your health bar upgrades when using one though
-Can push regular enemies into other enemies (crawl and attack their legs then move into them)
-Temporary vehicles in some levels and a summonable giant mech (triggers automatically after beating certain bosses' first form) - SMW?
-Villages are generally non-hostile here until you attack someone (no penalty and it resets after entering a house but the town guards also don't drop anything, can attack thieves and certain other characters like samurai (?) and the purple haired guy without upsetting the others)
-Can warp to visited towns at certain houses in towns (decent convenience feature but moving between areas on the map is fairly quick anyway)
-Can replay beaten levels (not castle levels though)
-Can speed up most dialogue (Quest for Glory?)
-Pretty nice cutscenes (skippable)
-Very good variety overall (introduces auto-scrolling giant mech segments and giant mech fights in FP view (there are also some auto-scrolling standard levels, the mech fights are more like a gallery shooter in that you can't move sideways nor rotate the view), mine cart segment and sea dragon ride segment, in-game cutscenes in some levels, etc.)
-Some interesting enemies (can knock some thrown projectiles back at the enemies, some enemies can saw off parts of bridge platforms, tiny enemies that latch onto you and slow you down if you don't shake them off, final boss) and level gimmicks (snowball chase which turns into a melting snowball ride in water, seesaw platforms that affect enemies, manually controlled fans that let you hover, interactive rolling barrels and torches/gas lamps)
-Good animation
-Alternate paths through some boss levels
-Comedic tone (parody (second boss is an Arnold/terminator parody), slapstick, silly)
-Projectile charge attack (costs as much money as a regular one) - ESWAT, MM4, etc.
-Some mini-bosses
-Good bosses overall (the last one is the villain fighting you with your own giant mech which is pretty cool and there's a 2.5D element to it). Decent boss introductions and outros
-Optional post-game level and boss (dracula from CV; have to beat the game and then each mini-game in mechanical town to access the level via the castle of that town)
-One player can carry the other for difficult platforming segments (GG1/Mystical Ninja 1)
Shadowrun (SNES, 1993) - WRPG/ARPG (manually allocated char attributes and magic at save points, Diablo-ish real-time combat, no platforming, partially non-linear and pretty much doesn't hold your hand at all (very hostile beginning area as well), minor ability/tool gating (one use crowbar/time bomb/shades/police badge, invisibility spell - optional?)), P&C controls, Isometric/TD view (in matrix only) hybrid, Cyberspace/the matrix mini-game (minesweeper/ms röj-like - find info and money, also used for disabling security functions or opening doors), Cyberpunk theme
-Interactive dialogue (pick up keywords which you can ask any NPC about)
-CPU allies
-Hire and fire mercs/shadowrunners, Minesweeper-like mini-games for matrix segments, Hired shadowrunners don't level up, Sudden time limit at one point (the cortex bomb), Most enemy attacks are unavoidable
-Save feature (one save point per area). Killed shadowrunners are teleported to where you hired them and keep their equipment (but you need to rehire them and they act as if you never met before)
-Some cool spells (invisibility, summon animal spirits)
-Duel arena (make extra money)
-Enemies in rooms respawn randomly (you can make enemies disappear from a room or area by re-entering it)
-Civilians don't react to fights in the street
-Interesting intro (wake up in a mourge with memory loss)
-Pretty well made dystopian atmosphere (Blade Runner and fantasy inspired)
-Decent character customization (cyberware upgrades, weapons/armor, character attributes and magic which are manually allocated at a save point)
-Somewhat comical tone
Super Mario Collection/Super Mario All-Stars (SNES, 1993) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-See the NES games
-Added save feature
Pop'n TwinBee (SNES, 1993) - Vertical Shoot 'em up, 2-player co-op
-Co-op only moves (throw and energy sharing (similar to Toejam & Earl))
-Some nice effects (multijointed final boss with huge beam, parallax cliff)
-Little slowdown
-Health bar
-Two planes of enemies (air and ground) and respective attacks to deal with them - Xevious?
-Up to four gun drones (pick one out of three formations before playing - can't be changed in-game) - Gradius?
-Good bosses overall (nearly all of them have two phases)
-Nice animations between levels (not much of a story though; just cute scenes adding some personality to the game)
-Auto-targeting for the bomb attack
-Melee attack (powerful but risky and rarely needed)
Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (ARC, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Fighting, 2-player vs
-Large character roster (SF2)
-Large sprites
-Good animation
-Many combo moves
-Speed settings
Zombies Ate My Neighbors (MD/SNES, 1993) - 2-Player Co-op Maze Action/Rescue Mission
-Temporary transformation
-Large arsenal of weapons and items
-Permadeath of sorts on hostages (the number of hostages you can rescue shrinks for later levels as they die)
-Retro/cheesy horror theme
-Some large sprites
Batman Returns (SNES, 1993)(Different) – Beat 'em up/Action Platformer/Racing Action Hybrid
-Mixes 2.5D with sideview segments (with platforming) and a driving/rail shooter level
-Can throw enemies into walls and knock their heads together
-Special attack doesn't drain life if you don't hit anything
-Block move (you still take damage though) - SF2?
-Some interesting level design (penguin rockets, train obstacles, hit first sideview boss with a piece of the wall like in the movie)
-Large and detailed sprites
-Fewer gadgets than in the MD game
Jurassic Park (SNES, 1993)(Different) - Action Adventure/FPS Hybrid, TD View/FP view (indoors) hybrid
-Wolf 3D-like engine when indoors
WIP
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters/Mutant Warriors (MD/SNES, 1993)(Different) - Fighting, 2-player vs., SF2 style bonus levels in-between some fights (not very interesting)
-Pretty impressive music overall
-Fast paced (can input a code for even higher speed)
-Twelve playable characters in vs. mode (two are unlockable via a cheat)
-Pretty large and detailed sprites
-Story mode with cutscenes in-between fights
-Manual stage select in vs. mode
-Play as wingnut and shredder by default
-Speed options (SF2 Turbo?)
-Pretty good animation (except for most of the background sprites). Pretty lively and colorful backgrounds overall
-Some moves can be combo'd
-Need to use a cheat to enable super moves/ultimate attacks in story mode
-Power meter (hit strong punch+kick when it's filled for a super move/ultimate attack) - these can be pretty cheap but can make one sided battles more interesting since it fills up faster later in the fight
-Some moves do damage to your own character
-Moon jumps
-Unlockable vs mode character/handicap option/levels via cheats (Karai and Rat King/Metro and Studio 6)
-Can't counter or block grab/throw-style special moves
R-Type III: The Third Lightning (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Choose between three different orbs/pods
-Good variation
-Some very intense gameplay
-Nice effects (rotation, scaling, polygons?)
-Great set pieces overall (moving space base, alien lair, etc.)
-Good bosses overall (large, detailed and fun to fight)
-Fixed charge attack (manual release)
Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Manipulate enemies to use like options/gun drones
-Three different ships with 3 different weapons each (some are pretty similar though)
-Good weapon system (you can take a few hits but lose an upgrade each time)
-Does quite a good job of retaining the atmosphere of the anime with the ship designs and music
-Some nice special effects
-Good bosses
Fatal Fury 2/Garo Densetsu Tsu Aratanaru Tatakai (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) - Fighting
Ganbare! Daiku no Gen-san (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Holy Striker/Fire Striker (SNES, 1993) - Arkanoid variation w/ AA elements, 2-Player Co-op;
King of the Monsters 2 (1992 port/SNES, 1993) - Fighting/Wrestling, Tilted view
The Lost Vikings (SNES/MD, 1993) – Puzzle Platformer, 2-player asymmetric co-op (3 on MD)
-Three different playable characters (one runs and jumps+tackles, one fights+shoot arrows at switches or enemies, one blocks and hover jumps)
-Innovative gameplay (switch between three characters with different abilites and separate inventories, solving various puzzles to get to the exit with some advanced multiplayer maneuvers which can't be done in SP)
-Trade items between chars (need to stand characters close to each other to exchange items between them)
-Hidden items and shortcuts
-Good puzzles overall
-Comical tone (wacky, slap stick, pop culture references)
-Good final boss (four segments, the only boss in the game though)
-Lower resolution than on MD (makes it harder to react to danger and get an overview of puzzles)
-World transition/warp screen effect
-Fewer stages than on MD
Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SNES, 1993)(Different) - ARPG (no platforming), TD View
-Stripped down in terms of the presentation (no animated cutscenes with voice acting)
-Much less useful magic/rings than in 3?
-Later remade as Ys: memories of calcetta (PS2)
Rock 'n Roll Racing (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) – Isometric Racing with combat, 2-player vs.
-Ramps for jumping
-Car upgrades (buy them in-between races) - RC Pro-AM?, Super Hang-On MD
-Licensed '70s rock-themed OST
-Funny voiced commentary
BattleTech (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) - Isometric Mech Sim/Action, Mission-based, Asymmetric co-op
-Different?
-Strafing (co-op or emulation)?
Super Chinese World 2: Uchuu Ichibuto Daikai (SNES, 1993) - ARPG/Beat 'em up Hybrid, 2-Player Co-op, TD/Tilted view
WIP
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage (1989/SNES, 1993)(Remake/remaster, fan translated), Ys-like ARPG (no jumping unlike in the PCE CD version, level requirements on most gear and rough level/gear gating for being able to attack enemies and withstand enemy attacks, mostly linear structure, minor ability/tool gating (gask mask for gas-filled rooms in the flame fort, disintegration spells for destroying large boulders in the cave dungeon though it works more like a key, flame mantle to walk through fire gates - same here, rabby pet which reaches under a bed to grab an item for you - same here and only used once)), One horizontal shoot 'em up level, TD View
-Non-bump combat except for when running into much weaker enemies (positioning is still important)
-Save anywhere outside of boss battles and the shoot 'em up level (multiple slots)
-Can teleport to visited towns scrolls (pretty expensive early on though) however you can't go back to the first two towns after a certain point - Ys
-Gear enchantments can be bought in towns (minor buffs (some enemies require that your weapon is enchanted to be able to hurt them), very basic though as there are no elemental or status effects to keep in mind)
-HP regen while still (see Ys; doesn't work in dungeons from the cave dungeon onwards though and not even in the overworld in the lava area)
-NPC encounters in hostile areas -
-Can speed up dialogue (but not skip it on a per message box basis) - Quest for Glory?
-Smoother movement and scrolling plus tighter camera than in the MSX and X68K games
-Life mantle saves you from death once if you die (like fairies in Zelda 3)
-Alternate bad endings (team up with certain enemies and the game ends prematurely)
-Can escape from most boss battles (they reset) - Ys II?
-Wearing a cape/mantle or gas mask shows on your avatar (other new gear doesn't though) - Ys III?
-Non-silent protagonist
-Semi-automated blocking - enemies bounce off your shielded side however if you stand still they tend to bounce off from any side and even when attacking from behind unless they have a strong enough attack to pierce your defense
-Gain a sword beam during the final boss - Zelda 1
-Can't access the menu or use equipped consumables during boss fights - Ys?
-Most dialogue choices don't matter but some of them can actually kill you (sometimes have to use a guide)
Super Turrican (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer, Time limit (usually pretty long at 400+ seconds though it goes against the exploration aspect of the levels)
-Some fun enemies (mammoths pushing snowballs, mini-walkers that make a sound when you jump on them)
-Some nice effects (weather, rotation, "pulsating" backgrounds)
-Good variation (weather effects on gameplay, use item containers as platforms to reach optional areas)
-Satisfying sfx overall, Pretty impressive music
-Decent weapon system (has the 360 degree beam from the previous games (here it petrifies enemies for two seconds))
-Shows you how many diamonds and lives you’ve collected and missed after each beaten level
-Respawn on the spot (bosses) or close to it (levels) - Alex Kidd iMW?
-Adds knockback (minor) and invincibility time
-Invincibility while in ball form (overpowered since it doesn’t cost that much energy to use)
-A bit harder than Mega Turrican on default settings and most levels are different
Little Magic (SNES, 1993) - Acion Puzzle, Lolo variation?
3rd Super Robot Wars (SNES, 1993) - TRPG?
Militia/Metal Marines? (SNES, 1993) - RTS?
Ikari no Yousai/Operation Logic Bomb (SNES, 1993) - Maze Action/Maze Shooter, TD View, No overall time limit
-Good map system (shows your location as well as found computers and lvl exits; map needs to be found via a computer in each level though)
-Some cool weapons (ricochet laser, decoy, flamethrower, mine)
-Tutorial videos show how to use new weapons
-Some nice visual effects (powering on the first level, level 2 path restoration, final segment)
-Switch weapons on the fly (Aztec)
-Strafing (hold l/r) - Robotron?
-8-way targeting - Berzerk or Robotron?
-Dialogue-less story telling via in-game cutscenes (find out what happened by watching a recording of what a beaten robot has seen before, somewhat confusing at times, sometimes uninteresting scenes)
Mario & Wario (SNES, 1993) - Puzzle Platformer, Mouse-based
Solstice II/Equinox (SNES, 1993) - Action Adventure, Isometric
Captain Tsubasa IV: Pro no Rival Tachi (SNES, 1993) - Sports RPG
Sonic Wings/Aero Fighters (SNES, 1993) - Vertical Shoot 'em up, 2-player co-op
Super James Pond II/James Pond II: Codename Robocod (MD, 1991/SNES, 1993) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure, Collectathon
-In-game hub area
-Climb ceilings
-Vehicles
-Christmas theme
Dragon Quest I & II (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
-Improved interface and less grinding
-Added hidden items
-See the NES games
Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shugo!! (SNES, 1993) - Sports/Action
Kunio-kun no Dodge Ball: Zenin Shuugou! Tournament Special (SNES, 1993) - Sports/Action
Gegege no Kitarou: Fukkatsu! Tenma Daiou (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Neugier: Umi to Kaze no Kodo (SNES, 1993) - Action Adventure/ARPG-lite w/ Jumping (separate AP (separate jump and standing attacks as well) and HP leveling), Level/chapter-based, TD View
Metal Max 2 (SNES, 1993) - JRPG - Open World?
Albert Odyssey (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Estpolis Denki/Lufia (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
NHL '94 (MD/SNES, 1993) - Sports, 4-player w/ vs. and co-op modes
-Penalty shots
-Reverse angle instant replay
-Quickly redirect the puck into the goal after receiving a pass
Disney's Aladdin (SNES, 1993) – Hop 'n Bop Platformer
-Great animation
-Less square/obviously tile-based level layouts
-Impressive graphics
-Shops
-Some enemies can cut your projectiles (apples) in half
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2 (SNES, 1993) - Fighting?
Utopia: The Creation of a Nation (SNES, 1993) - Building & Management, Combat?
Dual Orb (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Rushing Beat Syura (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up
Breath of Fire (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
-Fairly impressive music
WIP
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden (SNES, 1993) - Fighting?
Battle Dodge Ball II (SNES, 1993) - Sports/Action
Yoshi no Road Hunting/Yoshi's Safari (SNES, 1993) - Rail Shooter/Light Gun
Final Fight 2 (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up
Mr. Nutz (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994)
The Great Battle III (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer?
Moryo Senki MADARA 2 (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Joreishi ha Nice Body (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
-JP mythology/horror theme - Kenseiden?
-Freeze spell (Rogue, Eidolon, Dragon Slayer)
-Can create grapple move platforms (2 at a time) in level 7 - Similar to Wonder Boy III/Solomon's Key
-Context sensitive grapple move (pretty limited - can only use it at certain small platforms and only swing upwards to land on the same platform and there's a bit of delay as well)
-Good bosses overall (some have more than one phase)
-One shrinking themed level where you ride a cat - SMB3, Castle & Land of Illusion
-Nice cutscenes (some animation, upper body shots for dialogue scenes in-between levels, various in-game cutscenes; skippable)
-Female protagonist (a bit sexualized)
Silva Saga II: The Legend of Light and Darkness (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up?
Super Wagyan Land 2 (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer?
Super H.Q. Criminal Chaser (SNES, 1993) - Racing/Action
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R (SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up?
Super Nobunaga no Yabou: Zengoku Han (SNES, 1993) - TBS
SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2 (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up; Transformations
Kessen! Dokapon Okukoku IV: Densetsu no Yuusha Tachi (SNES, 1993) - RPG/Board Game Hybrid
Mortal Kombat (MD/SNES, 1993) - Fighting; Fatalities, gore, more realistic graphics
Super Slap Shot (SNES, 1993) - Sports
Ryuuko no Ken/Art of Fighting (SNES, 1993) - Fighting
Ranma ½: Akaneko-dan teki Hihou (SNES, 1993) - Fighting?
Arcus Odyssey/Arcus Spirits (MD, 1991/SNES, 1993) – Maze Action w/ Action Adventure elements (level-based, no platforming), Isometric, 2-player co-op,
-Four different playable characters
-Item inventory (Gauntlet?)
-CPU allies
-NPCs
World Heroes (1992 ARC port/SNES, 1993) - Fighting
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Tetris Battle Gaiden (SNES, 1993) - Puzzle
Two Tribes: Populous II (MD/SNES, 1993) - RTS/God Sim
Puyo Puyo/Super Puyo Puyo (MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Impressive music
Aretha the Super Famicom (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
-Monster encyclopedia (you can see an image of each monster, its basic stats, and Soul drop - once you get it from a character called Jack near the beginning, you can open it by selecting the item in the Special Item menu)
-Souls are used for crafting new equipment
Bishin Densetsu Zoku: The Legend of Bishin Zoku (SNES, 1993) - Mode 7-style Racing/Beat 'em up Hybrid
Top Gear 2 (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) - Racing
Hebereke's Popoon (SNES, 1993) - Falling Block Puzzle?
Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World? (MD, 1991/SNES, 1993) - WRPG
Alien 3 (SNES, 1993)(Different) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure (no new abilities/tools gained (just different fuel types for the flamethrower)), Non-linear Mission-based structure (rescue, repair, s&d) w/ a Hub area (some air duct shortcuts between sub areas)
-Good map system (can only be accessed via the terminals though, in-game you can use a radar but not while attacking)
-8-way aiming - Contra?
-Repairing which works like examining objects in Impossible Mission (hold the button at the object until it's finished)
The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (SNES) - Action Adventure w/ some Platforming, TD view
WIP
Young Merlin (SNES, 1993) - Action Adventure/Puzzle, Bird's Eye view
-Wordless - Uses icons inside dialogue bubbles rather than dialogue (later used in Machinarium)
ActRaiser 2: Chinmoku e no Seisen (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Monster Maker III: Hikari no Majutsushi (SNES, 1993) - JRPG
Nobunaga no Yabou: Haouden (SNES, 1993) - TBS
Sunset Riders (ARC, 1991/MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) – Run 'n Gun, 2-player co-op, Bonus level (a bit lame as it's so simple)
-Impressive music overall
-Four different characters (spread vs rate of fire - shotgun is better in 1-player)
-Pick up and throw the enemies' dynamite
-More enemies and harder bosses on Hard. No ending on Normal mode (when I first beat Normal the game looped and had harder bosses but it still said try Hard at the ending)
-Pretty fast paced and sometimes intense
-Comical tone (some stereotypes)
-Some good bosses
-Invincibility when jumping up/down a level or from a rope
Mega Lo Mania (1991 PC/AMI port/MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Early RTS
-Advance through eras in history
WIP
Ace o Nerae! (SNES, 1993) - Sports
Romance of the Three Kingdoms III (MD, 1993) - ? TBS/War Sim
Plok (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer; Hub map,
Yokoyama Mitsuteru: Sangokushi 2/RotTK 2 (SNES, 1993) -
Dragon Slayer: Eiyuu Densetsu II (SNES, 1993/MD, 1995) - ? JRPG
Space Funky B.O.B. (SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer
Captain America and the Avengers (ARC, 1991/MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Beat 'em up; Impressive music
Operation Europe: Path to Victory 1939-45? (MD, 1993/SNES, 1993) - TBS
Nobunaga's Ambition/Nobunaga no Yabou: Zenkoku Ban (MD/SNES, 1993) - TBS
Battletoads & Double Dragon (MD/SNES, 1993) – Beat 'em up/Action Hybrid, 2-Player Co-op; Crossover theme,
T2: The Arcade Game (MD, 1992/SNES, 1993) - Light Gun Shooter, 2-Player Co-op
Pac-Attack (MD/SNES, 1993) - Falling Block Puzzle
Doraemon 1-2? (SNES, 1993) – RPG or AA/Platformer Hybrid
Cool Spot (SNES/MD, 1993) - Action Platformer; Great animation,
Darius Force/Super Nova? (SNES, 1993) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up; Many different paths through the game, many levels of upgrades,
Wolfchild (MD/SNES, 1993) - Action Platformer, Impressive music on MD
Super Soukoban (SNES, 1993) – Puzzle/Maze, TD View; Different?, Level select?
Claymates (SNES, 1993) - Platformer/Puzzle Hybrid, Side view/Top down view hybrid
-The overworld functions like a puzzle mini-game - the player can move around freely and each screen of each area was turned into a mini-game reminiscent of ChuChu Rocket or Lemmings. In case you haven't played those either, each completed level gives the player two robots, automatically moving forward. These can then be manipulated by moving different objects on the screen to make them move up to and clear obstacles, unlocking the next level
-Transformations (Akalabeth, Knight Lore, Alchemist, SMB3, Altered Beast, Wonder Boy 3, Kid Chameleon)
1994:
Super Metroid (SNES, 1994) - Platform Adventure/Sidescrolling Action Adventure, Two escape sequences, Separate intro area
-Large set of moves and equipment (wall jumping, shinesparking (a long horizontal or vertical dash that lets you go through certain walls - requires charging up by running w/ the speed booster item equipped), semi-flight via the Space Jump ability (Metroid II), various beams which can be toggled on/off or combined in the inventory menu)
-Multiple endings (albeit with minor differences) depending on completion rate and time taken
-Good environmental storytelling (space lab, beginning, baby metroid, creatures that act like they live in the place instead of simply being enemies of Samus including some friendly ones that help her progress)
-Creatures that act like they live in the place instead of simply acting like enemies of Samus (some charming neutral creatures - the ostrich, the wall jumpers, the turtle family, the robots in the shipwreck))
-Various interesting mechanics (bomb jump - Metroid 1-2, super jump/tackle (shinespark), wall jumping, speed boots - Sonic, etc.)
-Does a great job of opening up piece by piece to the player and giving a natural sense of progression
-Several opportunities for sequence breaking (M1, etc.)
-Great map system (auto-mapper, mini-map, optional map terminals which reveal a sub area, item locations are hinted at but not shown exactly (shows a dot on the same room tile), some hidden areas not shown?)
-Good bosses overall (large and detailed sprites, some with multiple phases)
-Great intro (features some voice acting)
-Memorable locations
-Good variety
-Save feature (evenly placed save points)
-Ammo refill stations
-Tons of hidden items (not neccesarily all useful though - many ammo tanks)
-Ninja space pirates
-"God form" attained near the end
-Enemy drop magnet via the charge beam
-Use of environmental hazards as a weapon (You can wreck the Maridia boss by grappling onto nearby electrical pads while the boss grabs you and shock it to death)
Final Fantasy VI (SNES, 1994) - JRPG, 2-Player Co-op during battles feature
-More interactive/action-based elements in battles (timing and combo based special attacks)
-Some innovative gameplay (moogle split party rescue, raft ride, cult of Kefka dungeon, stealth sequence (non-random encounters here))
-Choose your own path during some segments (get to see the story from each character's different viewpoint))
-Some new abilites/spells (seal sword, re-raise, invisibility, deathblow/blitz, slot),
-Good dialogue overall with some decent humour
-Somewhat improved interface (equipment description in shops as well as an arrow indicating if an item boosts or nerfs your characters, l/r functionality for browsing in menus)
-Plenty of new summons to find
-Esper system allows for pretty good character customization
-Some nice visual effects
-The opera scene (ambitious voice synth wankage)
-Auction house (need to bid on the current item to make the next one come up)
-Some decent puzzles (crater dungeon, dream sequence, Zozo clock)
-Some memorable characters (Orthros, Shadow, Kefka, Cayene)
-Nice character introductions
-Mostly well made personal scenes to flesh out the characters
-Introduces ultima weapons
-Searching for and reuniting with everyone in a post apocalyptic world
-Battle arena (automatic and the bidden item gets traded in when you win, AI is pretty random)
-Optional bosses and characters
-Fairly open ended late game (you can tackle the final dungeon almost right away or go find all characters and items)
-Nice ending which is somewhat different depending on which characters you reunited with
-Pincer attacks
-Can run outside of battles but it requires an accessory - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs, FF5
-Can teleport out of dungeons - PS1?
-Chocobos are now rentable (they don't stay after dismounting though and there are no black ones)
-Some Jobs from FF5 incorporated into accessories
-Many segments where you need to split the party in two or three groups
-Unintentionally hilarious voices in some music pieces
-Features bestiality
-Asper spell almost removes the need for Ethers
-Having a different combination of characters in your party will sometimes affect dialogue scenes (example: Edgar's and Sabin's entire backstory - both brothers want to travel the world instead of being a ruler, so they decide it in a coin toss. If you don't have the right combination of characters, you never know one brother sacrificed himself by using a double face coin). Not recruiting certain characters also affects some scenes as well as the ending's montage scene
Earthbound/Mother 2 (SNES, 1994) - JRPG, TD view/FP view, Semi 2-player co-op (if you plug in a second controller at any time then player 2 can also control the game)
-Strange ambience
-Humorous and quirky (good dialogue overall)
-Creepy retro sci-fi atmosphere in a modern-ish setting
-Interesting intro
-Mostly non-random encounters (see enemies outside of battle)
-Some memorable characters
-Auto-fight feature (you don’t even enter the battle screen for weaker enemies and they also run away from you)
-Large towns
-Rolling HP system (a char's HP starts ticking down instead of being drained at once)
-Use teddy bears as meat shields
-Lots of bizarre enemies
-Ride bicycles for extra speed (only works when alone)/take the bus between cities, mature themes (child abuse, night clubs, manipulation, corruption, Jeff’s neglectful father Andonuts etc.)
-Play as different characters and follow the story from their point of view (Jeff)
-Some memorable locations
-Teleport between previous locations (annoying to use though as you need some room to run in a straight line - similar to Sonic CD)
Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo (SNES, 1994) - TRPG
-Visit houses and shops during battles (lore, tips)
-Choose weapon to use before each vs. attack
-Supply wagon - Marth drags it with him during battle
-Pretty good battle animations (added backgrounds to these, small sprites though)
-Forts (provide more defense and heals the unit occupying it a little each turn)
-Save at any point during battle, some cool spells (warp - Master of Monsters?)
-Two campaigns (first one is a remake of the first NES game?)
-Terrain effects on movement and damage
-Can recruit some characters on the enemy side during a battle by talking to them with the right character
-Class promotions (one level, some chars have none though and some start out promoted)
-Side objectives (stop thieves from leaving with treasure chest contents, capture forts to prevent enemy reinforcements, etc.)
-Choose units/characters and equipment before each battle - FE1?
-Slightly animated character portraits during dialogue - FE1
-Pretty good interface for the time (army overview screen lets you quickly select which unit you want - Master of Monsters, animation/text/cursor speed options (can also turn off battle animations), can speed up text by holding down a button))
Mega Man X2/Rockman X2 (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-New moves and weapons ("hook shoot", air dash, x-ray, charged up special weapons)
-Good variation
-Better flow than in MMX1
-Great bosses overall (multiple patterns)
-Some cool stage themes (junkyard, weather station, alarm fitted base, bike segment)
-New mid stage bosses appear after beating two levels (find them to gain Zero's body parts (required?), these are very tough - if you collect all three Zero parts then you won't fight him later on (he's easier than any of the bosses you fight for the parts))
-Some nice effects (weather, underwater search light, huge intro stage boss)
-Some interesting gimmicks (freeze enemies to use as platforms, open a black hole which moves slowly and grows larger when enemies fire into it, bounce around Crystal Snails shell on your own head)
-Switch special weapons by the press of a button
-Some nice effects (weather, underwater search light, huge intro stage boss)
-Can teleport out of beaten stages (pause>exit) - SMW
Demon's Crest/Demon's Blazon Makaimura Monsho-hen (SNES, 1994) - Platform Adventure (sequel to Gargoyle's Quest 2), Zelda II-ish (no exp point leveling, no overworld encounters or obstacles and less exploration - like having the airship in an FF game, more backtracking to previous areas to progress unless you know the game well or are going for the bad ending, one town w/ some shops (also connects to a hostile area leading up to a boss)), Bird's eye or TP view (overworld exploration)/SV (location exploration) Hybrid, One mini-game (background whack-a-mole, two hidden mini-game locations)
-Partially non-linear structure (can visit three new levels including the town plus one mini-game and one shop location right after the intro level - some of the levels are rather tough and most can't be fully explored yet however, three more levels open up after beating a boss in each of these - including the final level if you want to go for the worst ending; mostly straightforward areas but with some branching paths within them)
-Four different endings (don't get all crests=bad ending, get all crests besides the ultimate gargoyle one=mid-tier, get all items=good ending, all items+use the special password after the third ending to face the true final boss=best ending)
-Mode 7 overworld/hub map to fly between locations/levels in (flight-based exploration in bird's eye TP view here)
-Transform into different gargoyle forms (similar to Wonder Boy III) and use alternate shots as the default form to reach new areas and optional items (these are re-used from GQ2)
-Good bosses overall (can stand on the tail of one boss - Strider, most have two phases)
-Dark medieval fantasy atmosphere
-Some new ideas (keep a fire lit to scare away ghosts - similar to Sonic & Knuckles released the same month, the burning forest (scripted event) - when you come back it'll have burned down letting you explore more of that segment, tidewater segment)
-Crush statues by headbutting them+a decent mini-game built around this mechanic (similar to whack-a-mole however the delay on headbutts can be frustrating)
-Improved/less unforgiving flight controls
-Some new moves (unlimited flight, upwards flight, swimming+slightly faster horizontal swimming, dash jumping)
-Impressive music overall, Pretty nice intro
-Warp to world map and warp to beginning of level potions
-Some minor sequence breaking possible (for one talisman, one life orb and one potion)
-"God form" is obtainable but only after beating everything but the tru final boss
-No area maps (mostly straightforward areas though)
-Resurrection potions (Zelda 3) but they're too weak to be worth using over the healing potions
-Two of the potions you can buy let you teleport (mercury=back to beginning of level, sulfur=back to world map) however the sulfur one is not really needed since you can teleport back to the beginning of the segment or to the world map by dying)
-Some large and detailed bosses (crab/spider monster is made up of two separate sprites), Decent animation, Good use of color and solid spritework create a dark medieval atmosphere, Nice intro cutscene
-Talismans (basically accessories - generally hidden; Crown lets you gain more money from enemies and pots, Skull lets you gain more HP instead although for some enemy types it doesn't work, Armor halves damage taken, Fang doubles damage caused, Hand increases rate of fire)
-Minor sequence breaking possibilities (can skip using the water form at the area next to the town, can skip using the air form at the beginning of the jungle area), The air form trivializes some levels if you get it early+makes the tornado and claw shots redundant
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES, 1994) - Zelda II-like ARPG (separate mode 7 overworld w/ avoidable encounters, exp point leveling, towns, some tool gating (bombs and arrows)), FP view (overworld exploration)/Tilted view (Beat 'em up style; towns and hostile areas/dungeons/encounters) Hybrid, partial semi-3D/mode 7 (WM)
-Non-random encounters on the world map
-Decent semi-3D graphics when traveling on the world map (first person view, pretty good framerate and the sprite scaling is somewhat improved compared to the prequel, no hills though)
-Basic weather and environmental effects on the world map (snow in one area, red sky near the fire cave, etc.)
-Zoomable world map (need to find the sub area map for an area first) and you start out with a compass. No town/dungeon area maps (visited locations not already marked on a sub area map aren't added to the world map)
-Zelda 2/Gargoyle's Quest style gameplay (encounters/dungeons/towns play out in a tilted view beat 'em up style with some platforming which is unusual for an ARPG (Little Ninja Brothers did something similar but only for its random encounters)
-Can jump sideways
-Some nice visual touches like being able to hit the lanterns in the storehouse dungeon
-Pretty good dialogue overall and there's a narrator's voice adding some flavor to the story
-You occasionally get to see what the villain is doing via "meanwhile" scenes (Loom?, MMX2?)
-Simply touching enemies won't hurt you (Shinobi) and you can even stand briefly on some of them
-Can warp between visited sub areas using the warp stars on the world map (can only warp between two points at a time rather than all visited points though) - Ys IV or WB3 GG?
-Gear upgrades show on your avatar (Ys?, Faxanadu)
-One dungeon is an invaded temple with some NPCs still in it (would've been cool if you could fight alongside or had to rescue some of them though)
-The dialogue of most earlier towns keeps changing throughout the course of the game
-Upgradeable inventory capacity (bag) - Zelda 3?
-Alternate solutions for some obstacles (can use either bombs or the lightning ring to destroy boulders)
-Get tips on various item locations from the priests in green in the temples - similar to elders or the fortune teller in Zelda
-You'll auto-stab upwards at flying enemies when under them
-Golden Axe 2-style spellcasting system (hold down the button to cast a stronger spell and waste more MP once you have a lvl 2 or higer magic ring)
-Save and heal at temples in towns (one slot per game though) and at one save point near the end
-Partially non-linear structure (your main progress is blocked off either by objects or super tough enemies though)
-Some meaningless dialogue choices (selling the pendant, "can I count on you?", ) but also one meaningful choice (helping a traveler with an MP refill pays off later on)
-A Link to the Past style chest mini-game (oddly you can only pay with fruit here but there are a couple of spots where you can grind for them quickly)
-Good bosses overall
Wonder Project J: Kikai no Shonen Pino (SNES, 1994) - P&C Adventure/Life Sim
-Interesting concept and control method (use a fairy to tell your robot what to do, praise/scold it to make it act how you like - borrows heavily from point and click adventures)
-Explores similar themes as Ultima IV (aspects that make up a human being - compassion, aggression, confidence, learning by doing)
-Good animation and use of color, Anime-like presentation (small cutscenes before each chapter)
-Good quality voices
-Stylish and intuitive interface
-Some memorable characters (sports judge, Add, etc.)
-Comical and lighthearted tone
-You can ask #46 for help if you get stuck
-Huge inventory (amount of items you can drop in one screen is limited to ~5 though)
-Japanese sci fi version of the Pinocchio story
-Can change message and character speeds, Skippable text
-Save feature
-Some surprisingly dark elements (Messala shooting his own guards, xenophobia)
-Reviving costs cash
-Pino sometimes acts on his own (can be funny, but also frustrating)
Goof Troop/Goofy to Max: Kaizoku Shima no Daibouken (SNES, 1994) - Action Puzzle/Maze Action (level-based), 2-Player Co-op
-Zelda-style gameplay for a co-op game
-Goofy and max act a bit differently
-Some good puzzles
Donkey Kong Country/Super Donkey Kong (SNES, 1994) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer
-Well animated pre-rendered graphics and some nice visual effects (snowstorm, sunset)
-Animal mounts (rhino - tackle enemies and break certain walls, ostrich - glide jump, swordfish - dash attack, frog - long/high jump; a bird also helps you see in dark levels by carrying a flashlight)
-Switch between two different chars on the fly (having a buddy also serves as an extra HP)
-Roll jump (roll off a ledge then jump - Metroid)
-Impressive music
-Some good humour (Cranky)
-Faux ending (FFV) before the last phase of the final boss
The Ninja Warriors Again (SNES, 1994) - Side View Beat 'em up, Time limit (only a problem during the final boss), 1-player only
-Three different playable characters (robot ninjas) with different move-sets
-Decent amount of moves (grab and throw (three different ones), somersault kick (Kunoichi), somersault dodge - Rondo of Blood?, can block (character walks backwards instead of turning around when blocking) - mapped to punch button (can't block immediately, can't turn around to block if you're mashing attack), rocket air dash (Ninja only))
-Some good bosses (green dude, final)
-TMNT/SoR-style attack combo (you can also perform an alternate finish move by pressing up on the d-pad - requires a full smart bomb energy bar and drains part of it (these moves aren't really needed))
-One new enemy on hard mode (female ninja)
-Pick up and throw objects (see Two Crude Dudes; here you can't move while carrying them though)
-Smart bomb (need to wait for a full energy bar, gets reset if you're knocked down) - Defender/Astyanax
-Enemies also get hit by most traps - systemic element
-No lives, Unlimited continues (CV1)
Wild Guns (SNES, 1994) - Cabal-like/Rail Shooter/TPS, 2-player co-op, Sharp shooting vs. mode (cpu or 2-player)
-Choose your own path (Mega Man)
-"Look out" sign when shot at
-Mini-bosses
-Huge robot bosses
-Smart bombs - Defender
-Wild west + robots setting
-Dodge move (Shoot Out, Cabal)
-Can punch bad guys that come too close - Dynamite Duke?
-Pretty intense
-Humorous tone
-You always get the option to choose a harder level for a better score
-Shooting enemy bullets charges a meter that triggers invincibility and overpowered mode when full (takes a while to fill but if you time it right bosses are much easier)
Pocky & Rocky 2/KiKi KaiKai: Tsukiyozoushi (SNES, 1994) - TD Run 'n Gun w/ AA elements (you can go backwards in levels), Some vertical shooter levels
-Respawn on the spot
-Good bosses overall (end boss is surprisingly easy)
-Password save in a shooter
-You have to touch boxes to open them (good)
-Magic and partner systems. Switch between partner characters in-game or between missions (called magic, confusingly)
-New power ups (3 kinds of armor, keys, coins)
-2 new characters with different abilities (and more join you on the way)
-Collect coins to buy items and keys to unlock chests (for power ups) or huts (talk to NPCs here which sometimes give money or items, game hints?). Shops sell armor and weapons
-Optional tutorial
-Nice boss introductions
-Surprises? (random)
Brain Lord (SNES, 1994) - ARPG/AA hybrid (exp drop leveling for the fairies, stat buffs (DEF, AP, HP) via found items for the player avatar, overworld and dungeons structure, towns with shops and inns (can trade an item for another instead of for gold), no MP stat (infinite spellcasting, spells don't level up though), linear structure (NPC blocks you from going south early on, some optional dungeon puzzles and rooms, no required backtracking to previous areas with gained tools)), TD View, Platforming (can't attack while jumping or control your movement in mid-air), Betting mini-game at the arena (1 on 1 monster fights controlled by the CPU, gold prizes),
-Some interesting ability/tool gating (spike boots - don't slip (as much) on ice surfaces in the ice castle/dungeon 3 - optional but useful (Monster World 3?), ice & phaser spells - create bridges over lava in dungeon 4/over water in dungeon 5 respectively, Cape (+ to speed but 0 DEF) - optional but you'll probably take more damage from haunted steel ball traps and bouncing light balls in dungeon 2 without it)
-Fairy mascots/familiars which level up by collecting orbs dropped by enemies (deceased/green 1 - trade its gained levels for reviving the player, anger/red 1 - does frequent low damage and keeps the enemy distracted, light/red 3 - works like a spinning torch for dark rooms, life - slow regen (until lvl 7+ however you can move around so it's still good at lower levels), etc.; similar to soul blazer, can use 2 at once)
-Save at the inn/hotel in town and at save points in dungeons (one save slot per game only), Some healing springs (1-2 per dungeon), Lose half your money to revive after death unless equipping the "deceased" fairy or a reviving mirror item (Ys 2/Zelda 3) - get sent back to the previously used save point, Fast resting at inns
-Can carry and use HP upgrades at will and they also heal you
-Basic map feature via the x-ray glasses item (shows only the current floor layout with pits and room connections+your location, doesn't show locked doors or found NPCs/save points/chests, doesn't show where you have and haven't been on a floor)
-Return/puzzle reset feature (teleports you back to the beginning of the last room or sub area you entered for free) - Similar to Catrap
-Warp/fast travel item (warp gate - go to any visited location/town as well as back to previously visited save points in a dungeon)
-Some good logic/riddle/timing/spatial awareness/math puzzles (some block puzzles have more than one solution), One fourth wall breaking puzzle
-Impressive amount of updated NPC dialogue and activity throughout (rival adventurers who move around the towns a bit and are also be encountered in the dungeons, provides some exposition/lore)
-Shopkeeper/merchant NPCs within the first three dungeons (weird but convenient, these stay until you either beat the dungeon boss or trigger some other event) - Xak 1
-Some interesting items (magic wallet - generates a bit of gold over time which isn't lost when dying, cape which increases movement speed but reduces DEF to 0 while worn - risk/reward dynamic)))
-Some meaningful dialogue choices (get poisoned if you eat the cooked scorpion meat in dungeon 2 when offered to - not a big deal and more of a comic relief scene (the green NPC rival (Kashian) keeps screwing you over in different ways throughout the game))
-New shields are shown as unique sprites on your avatar (but not armor or helms) - Ys III
-Some cool spells (fireball - continuous AoE damage, slow, stop, flame ring - temporary spinning fireball shield, ghost - bouncing+homing laser)
-Some interesting level gimmicks (anti-magic field rooms in dungeon 3 - much of the dungeon feels like the boss is toying with you as you go through it (via the plaque/sign messages and sometimes telepathically) though it's a bit underdeveloped, hover pads in dungeon 2)
-Blurs the line between town and hostile area at one point (with an attack on the second town opening up an underground path to the final dungeon) - Ys 2?
-Shields deteriorate (they also damage enemies when they hit them though - you use them like a swordsman would use a buckler and they actually stun enemies like a regular attack), Can either let your avatar block automatically (only works from the front) or hold the button down and turn while still which lets you aim while still
-The game is forgiving about falling into pits in the sense that you only lose 1 HP but you also get moved back to where you entered the room - Zelda 3?
-Can speed up dialogue on a per paragraph/text box basis but not enough
-Some randomness to the permanent AP & DEF stat gains from items (1-3; can be manipulated but it's a little tedious)
Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijurokube no Karakuri Manji Gatame (SNES, 1994) - TD Action Adventure/Action Platformer Hybrid, TDV/SV Hybrid
Breath of Fire II (SNES, 1994) - JRPG w/ some action elements, TD view exploration+action segments/Isometric view battles/Side view fishing mini-game
-Personal Action/Field Action system - each party member has a unique ability used outside of combat in the overworld (hero can fish at certain water spots; bow, katt and bleu can hunt at certain grass spots (you enter a top down view screen and attack prey in real-time); rand can roll into a ball to travel faster though it's impossible to turn and when hitting a wall or other obstacle you'll get knocked out for a sec and then usually attacked by enemies, nina can float to escape pitfalls+summon the great bird so that you can fly around, sten can cross small gaps between ledges (similar to Secret of Mana), jean can turn into a frog which lets him move over inland lakes, gaps, ledges and some trees; spar can walk through forests) - similar to tool/ability gating in Zelda and Metroid
-Some characters also have the ability to remove obstacles in top down view while exploring locations (katt)
-Monster Meter - indicates the probability of encountering enemies in an area
-Town-building feature - allows the player to populate their own village with special characters found throughout the game (similar to Torneko no Daiboken and the later Terranigma and Suikoden but a bit more involved, kinda similar to SimCity). Each character has their own distinct job and may be invited to live in added houses by donating currency to one of three carpenters, each with their own building style. Shamans may also join the town, each with their own elemental alignment, and up to two at a time may be fused with party members to grant them new forms and abilities. While joined with a shaman, characters become stronger and may gain access to additional combat abilities.
-Battle formations (affects stats)
WIP
Kirby's Dream Course/Kirby Bowl (SNES, 1994) - Golf/Action, Isometric
Blackthorne/Blackhawk (SNES/PC, 1994/32X, 1995) - Maze Platformer/PoP-like/Cinematic Platformer/Cover Shooter (completely linear overarching structure?, maze levels)
-Pretty unique cover/dodge system (a bit similar to Rolling Thunder 2-3)
-Can shoot backwards
-Remote controlled flying bombs (scarabs) - Similar to Metal Gear
-Extendable platform tool
-Fight alongside NPCs/CPU allies in one area - Rescue Raiders, Defender of the Crown
-Some interesting puzzles
-You can kill NPCs without consequences
Hagane (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, Time limit
-Good animation
-Air dash and slide moves (Altered Beast/Strider NES; air dash has a certain timing to it (Shinobi-style))
-Solid amount of moves and weapons (climb ceilings - your avatar lets go when you reach a slope though, grenades and shuriken, grapple hook (draws you towards a ceiling), somersault moves - invincibility to some projectiles during a somersault, air dash, wall bounce)
-HP increase power up - start with only 3 HP after death
-Weapon inventory (you can switch while pausing the game; Aztec, Below the Root)
-Some good bosses (5-1, final bosses)
-Nice intro
-Somersaulting/wheeling takes some getting used to (forward movement makes you perform a three step charge while jumping progressively higher, backwards movement can be continued until hitting a wall)
-Can move/slide/somersault through enemies when they're not attacking
-Air dashing into a wall makes you wall bounce automatically (takes some getting used to)
Skyblazer/Karuraou (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer w/ a hub map
-Choose your own path (MM1)
-Varied action similar to the Gargoyle’s Quest games (wall climbing)
-Good length (about 20 levels)
-Some good bosses (decent variation in patterns)
-Game engine is based off of Hook (SNES/MD/MCD)
-Respawning power ups
-Most projectiles can easily be blocked - Popeye, Spelunker, etc.
The Firemen (SNES, 1994) - TD Maze Action/Firefighter Sim (no jumping), Similar to New Ghostbusters (NES), Rescue mission (rescuing people=health refill)
-Fairly original concept
-Strafing (hold l or r) - Bullfight, Gun.Smoke
-All abilites are useful
-Decent teammate AI (CPU Ally)
-Good bosses overall
-Nice in-game cutscenes
-Play as an old man with a blue moustache
-Some dialogue during gameplay (Golden Axe?)
Biker Mice From Mars (SNES, 1994) - Isometric Racing/Combat w/ jumps
-Impressive music
WIP
Feda: The Emblem of Justice (SNES, 1994) - SRPG?
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (MD/SNES, 1994) - WRPG?
Sangokushi IV/Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire (SNES, 1994) - SRPG/TBS?
Gokujo Parodius: Kako no Eiko o Motomete (SNES, 1994) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up, 2-player
-Great visual variation, Some large and detailed+well animated sprites, Pretty impressive music
-11 (!) different characters each with a different setup (three more than in the ARC ver., can change character and toggle auto or manual power up mode after using a continue, some characters such as Kid Dracula have an upgrade slot instead of options/gun drones (4 levels?) - number of projectiles and their strength?, some overlap between setups though) - they are also reskinned for player 2 so there are 22 costumes. Same endings only with a different character sprite
-Comical tone (silly, bizarre, sometimes perverted)
-Good bosses overall (best ones are the robot penguin and moai head, easy final boss)
-Some fun weapons (convert all weak enemies on screen into power-up pods and/or bells via the purple bells, multiple homing missiles as Kid Dracula, temporary super weapon via the white bells - shout words using a megaphone and have the typed letters hit enemies (Parodius Da!) as well as enemy projectiles, projectile walls via the red bells (sort of like laying mines which soak up fire) - Parodius Da!)
-Mini-bosses (some of these have multiple destructible parts)
-Roulette/one armed bandit feature toggle
-Revival toggle - respawn on the spot (generally worse though it does make four bells appear when you die)
-Loop setting - 1/2/endless
-Timed invincibility+2x sized ship power up via the green bells returns (can also move through walls) - Parodius Da!
-Some interesting enemies and hazards (boss that shoots power ups mixed with projectiles at you, wall of blocks with different HP levels so you have to think quickly and pick the right one to destroy in the post end credits level)
-2 unlockable extra levels (still fewer levels than in the prequel though)
-Automatic or manual power up system toggle (not sure why you'd use automatic besides it mapping bomb and shot to the same button)
-You still respawn from the last checkpoint after using a continue
-Different weapons for some characters compared to the ARC ver. (check)
-Semi Auto setting (Button 1 is your power-up button while button 2 is your shot and bomb button) from the arcade ver. was removed here
Umihara Kawase (SNES, 1994) - Puzzle Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure (similar to Kid Chameleon in structure, no new abilities/tools gained), Time limits (a few minutes per level)
-Branching paths
-Surreal theme
-Bungee-based traversal for most of the levels (you shoot out a rubber fishing line, fall off a ledge and bounce back up to climb in various spots; can also hook onto a platform from above, fall off and swing to either side - swinging back and forth doesn't work well though)
-Cling to and climb ledges - WB3: Monster Lair, Prince of Persia
-Basic video tutorials in-between levels (these don't show button inputs though)
Popful Mail (SNES, 1994)(Untranslated) - Platform Adventure/ARPG (very similar to the MCD game, hub map), One new mini-game (kinda like fighting in Zelda 2)
-Switch between 3 chars on the fly
-Checkpoints before boss fights
-No leveling system (trade points from enemies for gold to buy gear with)
-Can't switch to another char if one dies
-Save at inns
WIP
Super Bomberman 2 & Caravan Edition (Event version) (SNES, 1994) - Maze Action (Killathon in SP), 4-player vs. battle mode (can select how many players to have (2-4), any player slot can be switched for a CPU player, teams feature added - Bomberman '94)
-Some MP additions (golden bomber option (winning player in battle mode gets to play a mini-game where he or she wins 1 out of 6 items for the next set of battles) – not available in tag match though, time limit options, colored bombs (makes it easier to distinguish which one is yours or the enemy’s)
-Some new power ups ()?
-SP/story mode gimmicks: ricocheting bomb/slime bomb, placed dynamite which expands bomb blasts greatly by causing chain reactions on what they hit, trampolines (also in MP), bomb magnets
-New battle mode levels (conveyor belts (can be reversed via a switch tile), teleporters, ignitable floor pattern - whole pattern lights up with each bomb blast that touches one tile, temporary foreground blinders, tiles that change your speed and cycle to the next number (1-5) when walked over, arrow tiles that reverse the direction of a kicked bomb, everyone can jump like a bouncing bomb (mushroom level), start with max blast+bouncy edge walls (boxing ring), trampolines)
-G-Bomber is like a handicap in reverse unless the player is unlucky and gets the slow down power up
-On some MP stages players can’t walk through each other
Marchen Adventure Cotton 100% (SNES, 1994) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Nice cutscenes
-Funny/quirky bosses
-Respawn on the spot (lose one level of weapon upgrade) - TF2?
-Choose between four weapon set ups at the beginning - Gradius III?
-Expressive characters
Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka (SNES, 1994) - Side View/Tilted View Hybrid Beat 'em up w/ some platforming (linear - talking to people and moving between areas is automated while gameplay sequences are short, river city ransom sequel or spiritual sequel), 2-player coop
-Rough (and funny) dialogue
-Switch between four different characters on the fly (each with a new moveset and his/her own HP bar)
-New moves (while retaining the moves from RCR - grabs, throws, blocks, spinning kick, back attacks, etc.)
-Decent story for the genre (crime setup theme where you bust out of jail and try to clean your name, better flow thanks to being completely linear, long lost brother raised by criminals)
-Improved AI overall (can't walk into every enemy or stand and punch letting them come to you)
-Bike sequences (like road rash but less advanced or fun, still they add variety) - Renegade SMS?
-Life refill before bosses
-Some nice cutscenes
-Can stomp on enemies that are knocked down - Virtua Fighter?
-Awesome death scream sample
-No penalty for spamming specials
Super Adventure Island II (SNES, 1994) - Platform Adventure/ARPG, Zelda II/Monster World-like (except with unavoidable overworld encounters and no exp point leveling, separate overworld, one small town), TD view overworld/SV location exploration
-Receive hints telepathically while sleeping at inns
-New gear shows on your avatar (Faxanadu?) - however new gear just looks like old gear with a color swap
-Basic maps for each dungeon/hostile area (doesn't show chests nor shrines nor block switches though and it's hard to tell which plane you're on)
-Feather magic lets you teleport back to the beginning of a dungeon and wing magic lets you teleport between dungeons as well as the healing spring rooms in them (Ys, PSII?)
-Can open shortcuts between dungeons (would've been nice if the volcano to southern shortcut opened earlier though to avoid some backtracking, can only open them from the left)
-Altering the water levels puzzle
-Partially non-linear (from around the second half forward)
-Can save anywhere (only one slot per game though and you start off at the beginning town when loading) - Ys?
-Unlimited continues (start at the beginning of the current dungeon) - CV1?
Samurai Shodown (1993 ARC port/MD/SNES, 1994) – Fighting, 2-player vs.
-Early weapon-based fighting
-Gore (Splatterhouse?)
-Different in some ways on SNES
Super Street Fighter II (ARC, 1993/MD/SNES, 1994) - Fighting, 2-player vs.
-Large sprites and good animation
-Speed settings (Champion Edition?)
-More characters
Cannon Fodder (AMI, 1993/MD/SNES, 1994) – Squad-based RTT (Squad Tactics), Free-Roaming Shooter, Hostage Rescue element, Top Down view
-Experience/rank system
-Vehicles (can jump via ramps)
-Satirical theme (anti-war message)
-Hostage rescue
-Perma-death (dead chars' graves are shown on a hill next to a line of new recruits in-between levels)
-Enemy spawning buildings which an be destroyed - Gauntlet?
Earthworm Jim (MD/SNES, 1994) – Action Platformer/Misc. Action, Some rail shooter/racing levels
-Hybrid gameplay (underwater thrust-based gameplay, bungee jump fight segment (a boss), escort mission level, )
-Great animation
-Good variety
-Comical tone
-Less tiled backgrounds (Aladdin)
-Compared to MD & MCD: Lower horizontal resoluton, One less level (one and 1/2 more on MCD), More slowdown and less sprites on screen (MCD?), Less smooth scrolling (MCD?), Slower animation leads to less intuitive control (MCD?)
The King of Dragons (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1994) - Beat 'em up
TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventure (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, 2-Player Co-op; Impressive music
Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie (SNES/MD, 1994) – Suits, 2-player co-op
-Makes good use of the costumes with differently themed levels (one bionic commando style level)
-Forgiving checkpoint system
WIP
Sonic Blast Man II (SNES, 1994) - Beat 'em up, 2-player co-op
-Alternate/strong attack button (a bit different for each char but can be used as a minor ranged attack for each)
-Ranged special attacks (and some alternate attacks as well which can be used to deal with exploding enemies)
-Smart bomb special attack (charge then use the alternate attack button, wastes 2 special attack ammo) - Defender
-Dash and roll moves - Golden Axe/Alien Storm?
-Very fast paced as the girl
-Grabs and throws (can only control the direction with the green guy? - can also throw enemies upwards and then do an an upwards dash attack into them, otherwise backwards) - Final Fight/GA?
-Some good bosses (the second to last one has three forms and the last one two phases though the second one is easy)
-Unusual special attack charge in that there's no delay and you can cancel it by pressing the button again - more like an activation toggle
-Exploding enemies also affect other enemies
-Mini-bosses
-Over the top combo finisher moves and overall vibe ("I'm fighting for freedom!" said with a heavy accent) - Battletoads
-Improved animation and more enemies on screen at once compared to the prequel
-Invincibility time during the roll move and at the end of regular attack combos
The Lion King (MD/SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer w/ a Rail Platformer chase segment (run towards the camera here), Bonus levels
-Great animation
-Essentially two different playable characters (Turn from child to adult about two thirds into the game)
-Varied gameplay
-Throw move as adult Simba (XYZ buttons on a six button controller, need to catch the enemy while it’s panting/stunned)
-Hidden health and roar strength increase items (the latter stuns some enemies)
Sparkster (SNES, 1994)(Different) - Action Platformer
-Good variation (mixes platforming, shoot ‘em up, and boxing gameplay)
-Beat harder modes for the real final boss and better endings
-Some good bosses
-Slightly better jet pack control (R/L buttons to halt movement and steer after boosting - however you fly much faster and because of the lower resolution it's harder to react to hazards)
-Sometimes technically impressive (large sprites, multi-sprite bosses)
-Mini-bosses
-Plenty of hidden items (breakable walls) - SMB/Metroid
-Limited number of times you can use the L/R moves (afterwards you get stunned and fall straight downwards – fair limitation in mid-air but it also happens when standing on the ground causing you to get stunned for a couple of seconds)
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (MD/SNES, 1994) – Action Platformer
-Impressive moves list
-Super dive move (dive then turn around and fly high into the air to progress in some segments)
-Very good animation
-Mini-bosses
Live A Live (SNES, 1994) - JRPG; Impressive music
Cyber Knight II: Chikyu Teikoku no Yabo (SNES, 1994) - JRPG
Lemmings 2 (1993 port/MD/SNES, 1994) - Puzzle/RTT
Shin Megami Tensei if... (SNES, 1994) - JRPG
Majin Tensei (SNES, 1994) - SRPG?
Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse (MD/SNES, 1994) - Platformer, Rail Platformer chase segment where you run towards the camera, One bonus level
-Very good animation and use of color, Some nice effects (tower segments, pre-rendered sprites in one level)
-Time travel theme
-Grow a plant into a platform in one level (Below the Root)
-New segments and sfx on MCD, No loading times on MD
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer/Side View Beat 'em up, No overall time limit
-Choose in which order to tackle the first 6 levels (MM1)
-Pretty good variation
-5 different playable characters (Cyclops, Psylocke, Wolverine, Gambit, Beast)
-Some large and detailed bosses
-Pretty good animation and art direction, Decent-good cutscenes and stills between some levels (only the ending is animated though), Nice in-game cutscenes when levels start showing character entrances (can't skip them when they're repeating though)
-Wall climbing (Wolverine) and ceiling climbing (Beast)
-Enemies will sometimes hit each other with stronger attacks (grenades, lasers)
-Different final level depending on who you choose to play as
-Pretty satisfying sfx overall
-Hadouken button combo as an alternative to shooting Cyclops's laser (pointless?)
Super Robot Taisen EX (SNES, 1994) - TBS
Vortex (SNES, 1994) - 3D TPS; Impressive music
Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss: Gentei Han (SNES, 1994) - Puzzle
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butouden 3 (SNES, 1994) - ? Fighting; Story mode?,
Super Punch-Out!! (SNES, 1994) - FP Sports (Boxing)
Melfand Stories (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer?
Go Go Ackman (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer
Koutetsu no Kishi 2: Sabaku no Rommel Shougun (SNES, 1994) - ? Strategy
Battle Zeque Den (SNES, 1994) - BEU/Action Platf
Galaxy Robo (SNES, 1994) - TBS
The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, Maze Level, Rollercoaster ride segment
-True to the show aesthetics and good animation
-Good variation
-Large assortment of gadgets including grappling hook and x-ray goggles
-Good set of moves
-Cutscenes between levels (small viewport though)
-Some large sprites
Sword World SFC 2 (SNES, 1994) - RPG; Impressive music
Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen (SNES, 1994) - Fighting
Desert Fighter/A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol (SNES, 1994) - Isometric Airplane Combat
Joe & Mac 2/Tatakae Genshijin 3: Shuyaku wa Yappari Joe & Mac (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
Super Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Easy Type (SNES, 1994) - Wrestling
Animaniacs (SNES, 1994) - Platformer, Tilted view (2.5d platformer gameplay)
-Control a team of the three characters from the show (only the one controlled can get hit) - A bit like Sorcerian
-Avatar combo moves
-Switch characters on the fly
-Captures the show well in terms of the graphics and sound
-Open ended structure (hub map, two encounters to avoid similar to SMB3 or Ghostbusters (SMS/NES))
-Pretty good variation within each level
-Fairly large sprites (not always a good thing though)
-Minor puzzles for most boss fights (Zelda)
-You usually can't fight back against enemies so most of the game is a variation on avoiding stuff and getting chased
-Slot machine mini-game mechanic like in Sparkster (MD) except there aren't any negative effects?
-Various pop culture references (Working Designs RPGs?)
Micro Machines (1991 port/MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) - Toy Car Racing, TD view
-Unique 2-player vs. gameplay
-Miniature cars and unusual race track settings like the billiard table
Zero-4 Champ RR (SNES, 1994) - ? Car RPG, TP view (mode 7)
-Buy and customize cars to use in drag racing competitions
Rokudenashi Blues: Taiketsu! Tokyo Shitennou (SNES, 1994) - AA or ARPG/Fighting Hybrid, SV gameplay (tilted view visuals, can walk into the foreground or background in certain spots)
Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor (SNES, 1994)? - ARPG, TD view
Shin Megami Tensei II (SNES, 1994) - JRPG
Kabuki Rocks (SNES, 1994) - RPG
Hiouden: Mamono-tachi tono Chikai (SNES, 1994) - RPG
Nankoku Shonen Papuwa-kun (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer
Nosferatu (SNES, 1994) - Cinematic Platformer; Horror theme
Down the World: Mervil's Ambition (SNES, 1994) - JRPG; Impressive music (vocal intro track)
Gaia Saver (SNES, 1994) - RPG
World Heroes 2 (ARC, 1993/SNES, 1994) - Fighting
NHL '95 (MD/SNES, 1994) - Sports (Hockey);
International Sensible Soccer (SNES, 1994)
Sensible Soccer: European Champions/Championship Soccer '94 (MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) – So-so passing and dribbling controls?
Nobunaga no Yabou: Tenshouki (SNES, 1994) - TBS?; Impressive music
The Great Battle Gaiden 2: Matsuri da Wasshoi (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer?
Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge (SNES, 1994)
Street Racer (SNES, 1994)(Different) - ? Mode 7-based Kart Racing
Mortal Kombat II (MD/SNES, 1994) - Fighting
NBA Jam (MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) - ? Higher standars for basketball games?
First Queen (SNES, 1994) - ? RTS
Top Management II (SNES, 1994) - Strategy
Lethal Enforcers (ARC, 1992/SNES, 1994) - Light Gun Shooter
James Pond 3 (MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) - Hub map,
The Jungle Book (MD, 1994/SNES, 1994) - Different?
Tetsuwan Atom (SNES, 1994) - Action?
Jurassic Park 2 (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, 2-Player Co-op; Voice acted intro,
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (MD/SNES, 1994) - Very good animation
The Pirates of Dark Water (SNES, 1994) - Beat 'em up
Uchuu Race: Astro Go! Go!? (SNES, 1994) - ?
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (MD/SNES, 1994)
Super Loopz (SNES, 1994) - Puzzle?
The Flintstones: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock (SNES, 1994) - Platformer/Board Game
Tetris & Dr. Mario (NES, /SNES, 1994) - Falling Block Puzzle/Match 3 Puzzle
Gon (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, Mini-games
-Your lifebar is represented by musical sounds which get more agressive as you near death?
-Music also plays if you run (generally it's just ambient sfx)
Heisei Inu Monogatari: Bow Pop'n Smash (SNES, 1994) - Shufflepuck/air hockey variant, TD view
-Some customization: choose between trackets before beginning
Super Metroid (SNES, 1994) - Platform Adventure/Sidescrolling Action Adventure, Two escape sequences, Separate intro area
-Large set of moves and equipment (wall jumping, shinesparking (a long horizontal or vertical dash that lets you go through certain walls - requires charging up by running w/ the speed booster item equipped), semi-flight via the Space Jump ability (Metroid II), various beams which can be toggled on/off or combined in the inventory menu)
-Multiple endings (albeit with minor differences) depending on completion rate and time taken
-Good environmental storytelling (space lab, beginning, baby metroid, creatures that act like they live in the place instead of simply being enemies of Samus including some friendly ones that help her progress)
-Creatures that act like they live in the place instead of simply acting like enemies of Samus (some charming neutral creatures - the ostrich, the wall jumpers, the turtle family, the robots in the shipwreck))
-Various interesting mechanics (bomb jump - Metroid 1-2, super jump/tackle (shinespark), wall jumping, speed boots - Sonic, etc.)
-Does a great job of opening up piece by piece to the player and giving a natural sense of progression
-Several opportunities for sequence breaking (M1, etc.)
-Great map system (auto-mapper, mini-map, optional map terminals which reveal a sub area, item locations are hinted at but not shown exactly (shows a dot on the same room tile), some hidden areas not shown?)
-Good bosses overall (large and detailed sprites, some with multiple phases)
-Great intro (features some voice acting)
-Memorable locations
-Good variety
-Save feature (evenly placed save points)
-Ammo refill stations
-Tons of hidden items (not neccesarily all useful though - many ammo tanks)
-Ninja space pirates
-"God form" attained near the end
-Enemy drop magnet via the charge beam
-Use of environmental hazards as a weapon (You can wreck the Maridia boss by grappling onto nearby electrical pads while the boss grabs you and shock it to death)
Final Fantasy VI (SNES, 1994) - JRPG, 2-Player Co-op during battles feature
-More interactive/action-based elements in battles (timing and combo based special attacks)
-Some innovative gameplay (moogle split party rescue, raft ride, cult of Kefka dungeon, stealth sequence (non-random encounters here))
-Choose your own path during some segments (get to see the story from each character's different viewpoint))
-Some new abilites/spells (seal sword, re-raise, invisibility, deathblow/blitz, slot),
-Good dialogue overall with some decent humour
-Somewhat improved interface (equipment description in shops as well as an arrow indicating if an item boosts or nerfs your characters, l/r functionality for browsing in menus)
-Plenty of new summons to find
-Esper system allows for pretty good character customization
-Some nice visual effects
-The opera scene (ambitious voice synth wankage)
-Auction house (need to bid on the current item to make the next one come up)
-Some decent puzzles (crater dungeon, dream sequence, Zozo clock)
-Some memorable characters (Orthros, Shadow, Kefka, Cayene)
-Nice character introductions
-Mostly well made personal scenes to flesh out the characters
-Introduces ultima weapons
-Searching for and reuniting with everyone in a post apocalyptic world
-Battle arena (automatic and the bidden item gets traded in when you win, AI is pretty random)
-Optional bosses and characters
-Fairly open ended late game (you can tackle the final dungeon almost right away or go find all characters and items)
-Nice ending which is somewhat different depending on which characters you reunited with
-Pincer attacks
-Can run outside of battles but it requires an accessory - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs, FF5
-Can teleport out of dungeons - PS1?
-Chocobos are now rentable (they don't stay after dismounting though and there are no black ones)
-Some Jobs from FF5 incorporated into accessories
-Many segments where you need to split the party in two or three groups
-Unintentionally hilarious voices in some music pieces
-Features bestiality
-Asper spell almost removes the need for Ethers
-Having a different combination of characters in your party will sometimes affect dialogue scenes (example: Edgar's and Sabin's entire backstory - both brothers want to travel the world instead of being a ruler, so they decide it in a coin toss. If you don't have the right combination of characters, you never know one brother sacrificed himself by using a double face coin). Not recruiting certain characters also affects some scenes as well as the ending's montage scene
Earthbound/Mother 2 (SNES, 1994) - JRPG, TD view/FP view, Semi 2-player co-op (if you plug in a second controller at any time then player 2 can also control the game)
-Strange ambience
-Humorous and quirky (good dialogue overall)
-Creepy retro sci-fi atmosphere in a modern-ish setting
-Interesting intro
-Mostly non-random encounters (see enemies outside of battle)
-Some memorable characters
-Auto-fight feature (you don’t even enter the battle screen for weaker enemies and they also run away from you)
-Large towns
-Rolling HP system (a char's HP starts ticking down instead of being drained at once)
-Use teddy bears as meat shields
-Lots of bizarre enemies
-Ride bicycles for extra speed (only works when alone)/take the bus between cities, mature themes (child abuse, night clubs, manipulation, corruption, Jeff’s neglectful father Andonuts etc.)
-Play as different characters and follow the story from their point of view (Jeff)
-Some memorable locations
-Teleport between previous locations (annoying to use though as you need some room to run in a straight line - similar to Sonic CD)
Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo (SNES, 1994) - TRPG
-Visit houses and shops during battles (lore, tips)
-Choose weapon to use before each vs. attack
-Supply wagon - Marth drags it with him during battle
-Pretty good battle animations (added backgrounds to these, small sprites though)
-Forts (provide more defense and heals the unit occupying it a little each turn)
-Save at any point during battle, some cool spells (warp - Master of Monsters?)
-Two campaigns (first one is a remake of the first NES game?)
-Terrain effects on movement and damage
-Can recruit some characters on the enemy side during a battle by talking to them with the right character
-Class promotions (one level, some chars have none though and some start out promoted)
-Side objectives (stop thieves from leaving with treasure chest contents, capture forts to prevent enemy reinforcements, etc.)
-Choose units/characters and equipment before each battle - FE1?
-Slightly animated character portraits during dialogue - FE1
-Pretty good interface for the time (army overview screen lets you quickly select which unit you want - Master of Monsters, animation/text/cursor speed options (can also turn off battle animations), can speed up text by holding down a button))
Mega Man X2/Rockman X2 (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-New moves and weapons ("hook shoot", air dash, x-ray, charged up special weapons)
-Good variation
-Better flow than in MMX1
-Great bosses overall (multiple patterns)
-Some cool stage themes (junkyard, weather station, alarm fitted base, bike segment)
-New mid stage bosses appear after beating two levels (find them to gain Zero's body parts (required?), these are very tough - if you collect all three Zero parts then you won't fight him later on (he's easier than any of the bosses you fight for the parts))
-Some nice effects (weather, underwater search light, huge intro stage boss)
-Some interesting gimmicks (freeze enemies to use as platforms, open a black hole which moves slowly and grows larger when enemies fire into it, bounce around Crystal Snails shell on your own head)
-Switch special weapons by the press of a button
-Some nice effects (weather, underwater search light, huge intro stage boss)
-Can teleport out of beaten stages (pause>exit) - SMW
Demon's Crest/Demon's Blazon Makaimura Monsho-hen (SNES, 1994) - Platform Adventure (sequel to Gargoyle's Quest 2), Zelda II-ish (no exp point leveling, no overworld encounters or obstacles and less exploration - like having the airship in an FF game, more backtracking to previous areas to progress unless you know the game well or are going for the bad ending, one town w/ some shops (also connects to a hostile area leading up to a boss)), Bird's eye or TP view (overworld exploration)/SV (location exploration) Hybrid, One mini-game (background whack-a-mole, two hidden mini-game locations)
-Partially non-linear structure (can visit three new levels including the town plus one mini-game and one shop location right after the intro level - some of the levels are rather tough and most can't be fully explored yet however, three more levels open up after beating a boss in each of these - including the final level if you want to go for the worst ending; mostly straightforward areas but with some branching paths within them)
-Four different endings (don't get all crests=bad ending, get all crests besides the ultimate gargoyle one=mid-tier, get all items=good ending, all items+use the special password after the third ending to face the true final boss=best ending)
-Mode 7 overworld/hub map to fly between locations/levels in (flight-based exploration in bird's eye TP view here)
-Transform into different gargoyle forms (similar to Wonder Boy III) and use alternate shots as the default form to reach new areas and optional items (these are re-used from GQ2)
-Good bosses overall (can stand on the tail of one boss - Strider, most have two phases)
-Dark medieval fantasy atmosphere
-Some new ideas (keep a fire lit to scare away ghosts - similar to Sonic & Knuckles released the same month, the burning forest (scripted event) - when you come back it'll have burned down letting you explore more of that segment, tidewater segment)
-Crush statues by headbutting them+a decent mini-game built around this mechanic (similar to whack-a-mole however the delay on headbutts can be frustrating)
-Improved/less unforgiving flight controls
-Some new moves (unlimited flight, upwards flight, swimming+slightly faster horizontal swimming, dash jumping)
-Impressive music overall, Pretty nice intro
-Warp to world map and warp to beginning of level potions
-Some minor sequence breaking possible (for one talisman, one life orb and one potion)
-"God form" is obtainable but only after beating everything but the tru final boss
-No area maps (mostly straightforward areas though)
-Resurrection potions (Zelda 3) but they're too weak to be worth using over the healing potions
-Two of the potions you can buy let you teleport (mercury=back to beginning of level, sulfur=back to world map) however the sulfur one is not really needed since you can teleport back to the beginning of the segment or to the world map by dying)
-Some large and detailed bosses (crab/spider monster is made up of two separate sprites), Decent animation, Good use of color and solid spritework create a dark medieval atmosphere, Nice intro cutscene
-Talismans (basically accessories - generally hidden; Crown lets you gain more money from enemies and pots, Skull lets you gain more HP instead although for some enemy types it doesn't work, Armor halves damage taken, Fang doubles damage caused, Hand increases rate of fire)
-Minor sequence breaking possibilities (can skip using the water form at the area next to the town, can skip using the air form at the beginning of the jungle area), The air form trivializes some levels if you get it early+makes the tornado and claw shots redundant
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES, 1994) - Zelda II-like ARPG (separate mode 7 overworld w/ avoidable encounters, exp point leveling, towns, some tool gating (bombs and arrows)), FP view (overworld exploration)/Tilted view (Beat 'em up style; towns and hostile areas/dungeons/encounters) Hybrid, partial semi-3D/mode 7 (WM)
-Non-random encounters on the world map
-Decent semi-3D graphics when traveling on the world map (first person view, pretty good framerate and the sprite scaling is somewhat improved compared to the prequel, no hills though)
-Basic weather and environmental effects on the world map (snow in one area, red sky near the fire cave, etc.)
-Zoomable world map (need to find the sub area map for an area first) and you start out with a compass. No town/dungeon area maps (visited locations not already marked on a sub area map aren't added to the world map)
-Zelda 2/Gargoyle's Quest style gameplay (encounters/dungeons/towns play out in a tilted view beat 'em up style with some platforming which is unusual for an ARPG (Little Ninja Brothers did something similar but only for its random encounters)
-Can jump sideways
-Some nice visual touches like being able to hit the lanterns in the storehouse dungeon
-Pretty good dialogue overall and there's a narrator's voice adding some flavor to the story
-You occasionally get to see what the villain is doing via "meanwhile" scenes (Loom?, MMX2?)
-Simply touching enemies won't hurt you (Shinobi) and you can even stand briefly on some of them
-Can warp between visited sub areas using the warp stars on the world map (can only warp between two points at a time rather than all visited points though) - Ys IV or WB3 GG?
-Gear upgrades show on your avatar (Ys?, Faxanadu)
-One dungeon is an invaded temple with some NPCs still in it (would've been cool if you could fight alongside or had to rescue some of them though)
-The dialogue of most earlier towns keeps changing throughout the course of the game
-Upgradeable inventory capacity (bag) - Zelda 3?
-Alternate solutions for some obstacles (can use either bombs or the lightning ring to destroy boulders)
-Get tips on various item locations from the priests in green in the temples - similar to elders or the fortune teller in Zelda
-You'll auto-stab upwards at flying enemies when under them
-Golden Axe 2-style spellcasting system (hold down the button to cast a stronger spell and waste more MP once you have a lvl 2 or higer magic ring)
-Save and heal at temples in towns (one slot per game though) and at one save point near the end
-Partially non-linear structure (your main progress is blocked off either by objects or super tough enemies though)
-Some meaningless dialogue choices (selling the pendant, "can I count on you?", ) but also one meaningful choice (helping a traveler with an MP refill pays off later on)
-A Link to the Past style chest mini-game (oddly you can only pay with fruit here but there are a couple of spots where you can grind for them quickly)
-Good bosses overall
Wonder Project J: Kikai no Shonen Pino (SNES, 1994) - P&C Adventure/Life Sim
-Interesting concept and control method (use a fairy to tell your robot what to do, praise/scold it to make it act how you like - borrows heavily from point and click adventures)
-Explores similar themes as Ultima IV (aspects that make up a human being - compassion, aggression, confidence, learning by doing)
-Good animation and use of color, Anime-like presentation (small cutscenes before each chapter)
-Good quality voices
-Stylish and intuitive interface
-Some memorable characters (sports judge, Add, etc.)
-Comical and lighthearted tone
-You can ask #46 for help if you get stuck
-Huge inventory (amount of items you can drop in one screen is limited to ~5 though)
-Japanese sci fi version of the Pinocchio story
-Can change message and character speeds, Skippable text
-Save feature
-Some surprisingly dark elements (Messala shooting his own guards, xenophobia)
-Reviving costs cash
-Pino sometimes acts on his own (can be funny, but also frustrating)
Goof Troop/Goofy to Max: Kaizoku Shima no Daibouken (SNES, 1994) - Action Puzzle/Maze Action (level-based), 2-Player Co-op
-Zelda-style gameplay for a co-op game
-Goofy and max act a bit differently
-Some good puzzles
Donkey Kong Country/Super Donkey Kong (SNES, 1994) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer
-Well animated pre-rendered graphics and some nice visual effects (snowstorm, sunset)
-Animal mounts (rhino - tackle enemies and break certain walls, ostrich - glide jump, swordfish - dash attack, frog - long/high jump; a bird also helps you see in dark levels by carrying a flashlight)
-Switch between two different chars on the fly (having a buddy also serves as an extra HP)
-Roll jump (roll off a ledge then jump - Metroid)
-Impressive music
-Some good humour (Cranky)
-Faux ending (FFV) before the last phase of the final boss
The Ninja Warriors Again (SNES, 1994) - Side View Beat 'em up, Time limit (only a problem during the final boss), 1-player only
-Three different playable characters (robot ninjas) with different move-sets
-Decent amount of moves (grab and throw (three different ones), somersault kick (Kunoichi), somersault dodge - Rondo of Blood?, can block (character walks backwards instead of turning around when blocking) - mapped to punch button (can't block immediately, can't turn around to block if you're mashing attack), rocket air dash (Ninja only))
-Some good bosses (green dude, final)
-TMNT/SoR-style attack combo (you can also perform an alternate finish move by pressing up on the d-pad - requires a full smart bomb energy bar and drains part of it (these moves aren't really needed))
-One new enemy on hard mode (female ninja)
-Pick up and throw objects (see Two Crude Dudes; here you can't move while carrying them though)
-Smart bomb (need to wait for a full energy bar, gets reset if you're knocked down) - Defender/Astyanax
-Enemies also get hit by most traps - systemic element
-No lives, Unlimited continues (CV1)
Wild Guns (SNES, 1994) - Cabal-like/Rail Shooter/TPS, 2-player co-op, Sharp shooting vs. mode (cpu or 2-player)
-Choose your own path (Mega Man)
-"Look out" sign when shot at
-Mini-bosses
-Huge robot bosses
-Smart bombs - Defender
-Wild west + robots setting
-Dodge move (Shoot Out, Cabal)
-Can punch bad guys that come too close - Dynamite Duke?
-Pretty intense
-Humorous tone
-You always get the option to choose a harder level for a better score
-Shooting enemy bullets charges a meter that triggers invincibility and overpowered mode when full (takes a while to fill but if you time it right bosses are much easier)
Pocky & Rocky 2/KiKi KaiKai: Tsukiyozoushi (SNES, 1994) - TD Run 'n Gun w/ AA elements (you can go backwards in levels), Some vertical shooter levels
-Respawn on the spot
-Good bosses overall (end boss is surprisingly easy)
-Password save in a shooter
-You have to touch boxes to open them (good)
-Magic and partner systems. Switch between partner characters in-game or between missions (called magic, confusingly)
-New power ups (3 kinds of armor, keys, coins)
-2 new characters with different abilities (and more join you on the way)
-Collect coins to buy items and keys to unlock chests (for power ups) or huts (talk to NPCs here which sometimes give money or items, game hints?). Shops sell armor and weapons
-Optional tutorial
-Nice boss introductions
-Surprises? (random)
Brain Lord (SNES, 1994) - ARPG/AA hybrid (exp drop leveling for the fairies, stat buffs (DEF, AP, HP) via found items for the player avatar, overworld and dungeons structure, towns with shops and inns (can trade an item for another instead of for gold), no MP stat (infinite spellcasting, spells don't level up though), linear structure (NPC blocks you from going south early on, some optional dungeon puzzles and rooms, no required backtracking to previous areas with gained tools)), TD View, Platforming (can't attack while jumping or control your movement in mid-air), Betting mini-game at the arena (1 on 1 monster fights controlled by the CPU, gold prizes),
-Some interesting ability/tool gating (spike boots - don't slip (as much) on ice surfaces in the ice castle/dungeon 3 - optional but useful (Monster World 3?), ice & phaser spells - create bridges over lava in dungeon 4/over water in dungeon 5 respectively, Cape (+ to speed but 0 DEF) - optional but you'll probably take more damage from haunted steel ball traps and bouncing light balls in dungeon 2 without it)
-Fairy mascots/familiars which level up by collecting orbs dropped by enemies (deceased/green 1 - trade its gained levels for reviving the player, anger/red 1 - does frequent low damage and keeps the enemy distracted, light/red 3 - works like a spinning torch for dark rooms, life - slow regen (until lvl 7+ however you can move around so it's still good at lower levels), etc.; similar to soul blazer, can use 2 at once)
-Save at the inn/hotel in town and at save points in dungeons (one save slot per game only), Some healing springs (1-2 per dungeon), Lose half your money to revive after death unless equipping the "deceased" fairy or a reviving mirror item (Ys 2/Zelda 3) - get sent back to the previously used save point, Fast resting at inns
-Can carry and use HP upgrades at will and they also heal you
-Basic map feature via the x-ray glasses item (shows only the current floor layout with pits and room connections+your location, doesn't show locked doors or found NPCs/save points/chests, doesn't show where you have and haven't been on a floor)
-Return/puzzle reset feature (teleports you back to the beginning of the last room or sub area you entered for free) - Similar to Catrap
-Warp/fast travel item (warp gate - go to any visited location/town as well as back to previously visited save points in a dungeon)
-Some good logic/riddle/timing/spatial awareness/math puzzles (some block puzzles have more than one solution), One fourth wall breaking puzzle
-Impressive amount of updated NPC dialogue and activity throughout (rival adventurers who move around the towns a bit and are also be encountered in the dungeons, provides some exposition/lore)
-Shopkeeper/merchant NPCs within the first three dungeons (weird but convenient, these stay until you either beat the dungeon boss or trigger some other event) - Xak 1
-Some interesting items (magic wallet - generates a bit of gold over time which isn't lost when dying, cape which increases movement speed but reduces DEF to 0 while worn - risk/reward dynamic)))
-Some meaningful dialogue choices (get poisoned if you eat the cooked scorpion meat in dungeon 2 when offered to - not a big deal and more of a comic relief scene (the green NPC rival (Kashian) keeps screwing you over in different ways throughout the game))
-New shields are shown as unique sprites on your avatar (but not armor or helms) - Ys III
-Some cool spells (fireball - continuous AoE damage, slow, stop, flame ring - temporary spinning fireball shield, ghost - bouncing+homing laser)
-Some interesting level gimmicks (anti-magic field rooms in dungeon 3 - much of the dungeon feels like the boss is toying with you as you go through it (via the plaque/sign messages and sometimes telepathically) though it's a bit underdeveloped, hover pads in dungeon 2)
-Blurs the line between town and hostile area at one point (with an attack on the second town opening up an underground path to the final dungeon) - Ys 2?
-Shields deteriorate (they also damage enemies when they hit them though - you use them like a swordsman would use a buckler and they actually stun enemies like a regular attack), Can either let your avatar block automatically (only works from the front) or hold the button down and turn while still which lets you aim while still
-The game is forgiving about falling into pits in the sense that you only lose 1 HP but you also get moved back to where you entered the room - Zelda 3?
-Can speed up dialogue on a per paragraph/text box basis but not enough
-Some randomness to the permanent AP & DEF stat gains from items (1-3; can be manipulated but it's a little tedious)
Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijurokube no Karakuri Manji Gatame (SNES, 1994) - TD Action Adventure/Action Platformer Hybrid, TDV/SV Hybrid
Breath of Fire II (SNES, 1994) - JRPG w/ some action elements, TD view exploration+action segments/Isometric view battles/Side view fishing mini-game
-Personal Action/Field Action system - each party member has a unique ability used outside of combat in the overworld (hero can fish at certain water spots; bow, katt and bleu can hunt at certain grass spots (you enter a top down view screen and attack prey in real-time); rand can roll into a ball to travel faster though it's impossible to turn and when hitting a wall or other obstacle you'll get knocked out for a sec and then usually attacked by enemies, nina can float to escape pitfalls+summon the great bird so that you can fly around, sten can cross small gaps between ledges (similar to Secret of Mana), jean can turn into a frog which lets him move over inland lakes, gaps, ledges and some trees; spar can walk through forests) - similar to tool/ability gating in Zelda and Metroid
-Some characters also have the ability to remove obstacles in top down view while exploring locations (katt)
-Monster Meter - indicates the probability of encountering enemies in an area
-Town-building feature - allows the player to populate their own village with special characters found throughout the game (similar to Torneko no Daiboken and the later Terranigma and Suikoden but a bit more involved, kinda similar to SimCity). Each character has their own distinct job and may be invited to live in added houses by donating currency to one of three carpenters, each with their own building style. Shamans may also join the town, each with their own elemental alignment, and up to two at a time may be fused with party members to grant them new forms and abilities. While joined with a shaman, characters become stronger and may gain access to additional combat abilities.
-Battle formations (affects stats)
WIP
Kirby's Dream Course/Kirby Bowl (SNES, 1994) - Golf/Action, Isometric
Blackthorne/Blackhawk (SNES/PC, 1994/32X, 1995) - Maze Platformer/PoP-like/Cinematic Platformer/Cover Shooter (completely linear overarching structure?, maze levels)
-Pretty unique cover/dodge system (a bit similar to Rolling Thunder 2-3)
-Can shoot backwards
-Remote controlled flying bombs (scarabs) - Similar to Metal Gear
-Extendable platform tool
-Fight alongside NPCs/CPU allies in one area - Rescue Raiders, Defender of the Crown
-Some interesting puzzles
-You can kill NPCs without consequences
Hagane (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, Time limit
-Good animation
-Air dash and slide moves (Altered Beast/Strider NES; air dash has a certain timing to it (Shinobi-style))
-Solid amount of moves and weapons (climb ceilings - your avatar lets go when you reach a slope though, grenades and shuriken, grapple hook (draws you towards a ceiling), somersault moves - invincibility to some projectiles during a somersault, air dash, wall bounce)
-HP increase power up - start with only 3 HP after death
-Weapon inventory (you can switch while pausing the game; Aztec, Below the Root)
-Some good bosses (5-1, final bosses)
-Nice intro
-Somersaulting/wheeling takes some getting used to (forward movement makes you perform a three step charge while jumping progressively higher, backwards movement can be continued until hitting a wall)
-Can move/slide/somersault through enemies when they're not attacking
-Air dashing into a wall makes you wall bounce automatically (takes some getting used to)
Skyblazer/Karuraou (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer w/ a hub map
-Choose your own path (MM1)
-Varied action similar to the Gargoyle’s Quest games (wall climbing)
-Good length (about 20 levels)
-Some good bosses (decent variation in patterns)
-Game engine is based off of Hook (SNES/MD/MCD)
-Respawning power ups
-Most projectiles can easily be blocked - Popeye, Spelunker, etc.
The Firemen (SNES, 1994) - TD Maze Action/Firefighter Sim (no jumping), Similar to New Ghostbusters (NES), Rescue mission (rescuing people=health refill)
-Fairly original concept
-Strafing (hold l or r) - Bullfight, Gun.Smoke
-All abilites are useful
-Decent teammate AI (CPU Ally)
-Good bosses overall
-Nice in-game cutscenes
-Play as an old man with a blue moustache
-Some dialogue during gameplay (Golden Axe?)
Biker Mice From Mars (SNES, 1994) - Isometric Racing/Combat w/ jumps
-Impressive music
WIP
Feda: The Emblem of Justice (SNES, 1994) - SRPG?
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (MD/SNES, 1994) - WRPG?
Sangokushi IV/Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire (SNES, 1994) - SRPG/TBS?
Gokujo Parodius: Kako no Eiko o Motomete (SNES, 1994) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up, 2-player
-Great visual variation, Some large and detailed+well animated sprites, Pretty impressive music
-11 (!) different characters each with a different setup (three more than in the ARC ver., can change character and toggle auto or manual power up mode after using a continue, some characters such as Kid Dracula have an upgrade slot instead of options/gun drones (4 levels?) - number of projectiles and their strength?, some overlap between setups though) - they are also reskinned for player 2 so there are 22 costumes. Same endings only with a different character sprite
-Comical tone (silly, bizarre, sometimes perverted)
-Good bosses overall (best ones are the robot penguin and moai head, easy final boss)
-Some fun weapons (convert all weak enemies on screen into power-up pods and/or bells via the purple bells, multiple homing missiles as Kid Dracula, temporary super weapon via the white bells - shout words using a megaphone and have the typed letters hit enemies (Parodius Da!) as well as enemy projectiles, projectile walls via the red bells (sort of like laying mines which soak up fire) - Parodius Da!)
-Mini-bosses (some of these have multiple destructible parts)
-Roulette/one armed bandit feature toggle
-Revival toggle - respawn on the spot (generally worse though it does make four bells appear when you die)
-Loop setting - 1/2/endless
-Timed invincibility+2x sized ship power up via the green bells returns (can also move through walls) - Parodius Da!
-Some interesting enemies and hazards (boss that shoots power ups mixed with projectiles at you, wall of blocks with different HP levels so you have to think quickly and pick the right one to destroy in the post end credits level)
-2 unlockable extra levels (still fewer levels than in the prequel though)
-Automatic or manual power up system toggle (not sure why you'd use automatic besides it mapping bomb and shot to the same button)
-You still respawn from the last checkpoint after using a continue
-Different weapons for some characters compared to the ARC ver. (check)
-Semi Auto setting (Button 1 is your power-up button while button 2 is your shot and bomb button) from the arcade ver. was removed here
Umihara Kawase (SNES, 1994) - Puzzle Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure (similar to Kid Chameleon in structure, no new abilities/tools gained), Time limits (a few minutes per level)
-Branching paths
-Surreal theme
-Bungee-based traversal for most of the levels (you shoot out a rubber fishing line, fall off a ledge and bounce back up to climb in various spots; can also hook onto a platform from above, fall off and swing to either side - swinging back and forth doesn't work well though)
-Cling to and climb ledges - WB3: Monster Lair, Prince of Persia
-Basic video tutorials in-between levels (these don't show button inputs though)
Popful Mail (SNES, 1994)(Untranslated) - Platform Adventure/ARPG (very similar to the MCD game, hub map), One new mini-game (kinda like fighting in Zelda 2)
-Switch between 3 chars on the fly
-Checkpoints before boss fights
-No leveling system (trade points from enemies for gold to buy gear with)
-Can't switch to another char if one dies
-Save at inns
WIP
Super Bomberman 2 & Caravan Edition (Event version) (SNES, 1994) - Maze Action (Killathon in SP), 4-player vs. battle mode (can select how many players to have (2-4), any player slot can be switched for a CPU player, teams feature added - Bomberman '94)
-Some MP additions (golden bomber option (winning player in battle mode gets to play a mini-game where he or she wins 1 out of 6 items for the next set of battles) – not available in tag match though, time limit options, colored bombs (makes it easier to distinguish which one is yours or the enemy’s)
-Some new power ups ()?
-SP/story mode gimmicks: ricocheting bomb/slime bomb, placed dynamite which expands bomb blasts greatly by causing chain reactions on what they hit, trampolines (also in MP), bomb magnets
-New battle mode levels (conveyor belts (can be reversed via a switch tile), teleporters, ignitable floor pattern - whole pattern lights up with each bomb blast that touches one tile, temporary foreground blinders, tiles that change your speed and cycle to the next number (1-5) when walked over, arrow tiles that reverse the direction of a kicked bomb, everyone can jump like a bouncing bomb (mushroom level), start with max blast+bouncy edge walls (boxing ring), trampolines)
-G-Bomber is like a handicap in reverse unless the player is unlucky and gets the slow down power up
-On some MP stages players can’t walk through each other
Marchen Adventure Cotton 100% (SNES, 1994) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
-Nice cutscenes
-Funny/quirky bosses
-Respawn on the spot (lose one level of weapon upgrade) - TF2?
-Choose between four weapon set ups at the beginning - Gradius III?
-Expressive characters
Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka (SNES, 1994) - Side View/Tilted View Hybrid Beat 'em up w/ some platforming (linear - talking to people and moving between areas is automated while gameplay sequences are short, river city ransom sequel or spiritual sequel), 2-player coop
-Rough (and funny) dialogue
-Switch between four different characters on the fly (each with a new moveset and his/her own HP bar)
-New moves (while retaining the moves from RCR - grabs, throws, blocks, spinning kick, back attacks, etc.)
-Decent story for the genre (crime setup theme where you bust out of jail and try to clean your name, better flow thanks to being completely linear, long lost brother raised by criminals)
-Improved AI overall (can't walk into every enemy or stand and punch letting them come to you)
-Bike sequences (like road rash but less advanced or fun, still they add variety) - Renegade SMS?
-Life refill before bosses
-Some nice cutscenes
-Can stomp on enemies that are knocked down - Virtua Fighter?
-Awesome death scream sample
-No penalty for spamming specials
Super Adventure Island II (SNES, 1994) - Platform Adventure/ARPG, Zelda II/Monster World-like (except with unavoidable overworld encounters and no exp point leveling, separate overworld, one small town), TD view overworld/SV location exploration
-Receive hints telepathically while sleeping at inns
-New gear shows on your avatar (Faxanadu?) - however new gear just looks like old gear with a color swap
-Basic maps for each dungeon/hostile area (doesn't show chests nor shrines nor block switches though and it's hard to tell which plane you're on)
-Feather magic lets you teleport back to the beginning of a dungeon and wing magic lets you teleport between dungeons as well as the healing spring rooms in them (Ys, PSII?)
-Can open shortcuts between dungeons (would've been nice if the volcano to southern shortcut opened earlier though to avoid some backtracking, can only open them from the left)
-Altering the water levels puzzle
-Partially non-linear (from around the second half forward)
-Can save anywhere (only one slot per game though and you start off at the beginning town when loading) - Ys?
-Unlimited continues (start at the beginning of the current dungeon) - CV1?
Samurai Shodown (1993 ARC port/MD/SNES, 1994) – Fighting, 2-player vs.
-Early weapon-based fighting
-Gore (Splatterhouse?)
-Different in some ways on SNES
Super Street Fighter II (ARC, 1993/MD/SNES, 1994) - Fighting, 2-player vs.
-Large sprites and good animation
-Speed settings (Champion Edition?)
-More characters
Cannon Fodder (AMI, 1993/MD/SNES, 1994) – Squad-based RTT (Squad Tactics), Free-Roaming Shooter, Hostage Rescue element, Top Down view
-Experience/rank system
-Vehicles (can jump via ramps)
-Satirical theme (anti-war message)
-Hostage rescue
-Perma-death (dead chars' graves are shown on a hill next to a line of new recruits in-between levels)
-Enemy spawning buildings which an be destroyed - Gauntlet?
Earthworm Jim (MD/SNES, 1994) – Action Platformer/Misc. Action, Some rail shooter/racing levels
-Hybrid gameplay (underwater thrust-based gameplay, bungee jump fight segment (a boss), escort mission level, )
-Great animation
-Good variety
-Comical tone
-Less tiled backgrounds (Aladdin)
-Compared to MD & MCD: Lower horizontal resoluton, One less level (one and 1/2 more on MCD), More slowdown and less sprites on screen (MCD?), Less smooth scrolling (MCD?), Slower animation leads to less intuitive control (MCD?)
The King of Dragons (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1994) - Beat 'em up
TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventure (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, 2-Player Co-op; Impressive music
Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie (SNES/MD, 1994) – Suits, 2-player co-op
-Makes good use of the costumes with differently themed levels (one bionic commando style level)
-Forgiving checkpoint system
WIP
Sonic Blast Man II (SNES, 1994) - Beat 'em up, 2-player co-op
-Alternate/strong attack button (a bit different for each char but can be used as a minor ranged attack for each)
-Ranged special attacks (and some alternate attacks as well which can be used to deal with exploding enemies)
-Smart bomb special attack (charge then use the alternate attack button, wastes 2 special attack ammo) - Defender
-Dash and roll moves - Golden Axe/Alien Storm?
-Very fast paced as the girl
-Grabs and throws (can only control the direction with the green guy? - can also throw enemies upwards and then do an an upwards dash attack into them, otherwise backwards) - Final Fight/GA?
-Some good bosses (the second to last one has three forms and the last one two phases though the second one is easy)
-Unusual special attack charge in that there's no delay and you can cancel it by pressing the button again - more like an activation toggle
-Exploding enemies also affect other enemies
-Mini-bosses
-Over the top combo finisher moves and overall vibe ("I'm fighting for freedom!" said with a heavy accent) - Battletoads
-Improved animation and more enemies on screen at once compared to the prequel
-Invincibility time during the roll move and at the end of regular attack combos
The Lion King (MD/SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer w/ a Rail Platformer chase segment (run towards the camera here), Bonus levels
-Great animation
-Essentially two different playable characters (Turn from child to adult about two thirds into the game)
-Varied gameplay
-Throw move as adult Simba (XYZ buttons on a six button controller, need to catch the enemy while it’s panting/stunned)
-Hidden health and roar strength increase items (the latter stuns some enemies)
Sparkster (SNES, 1994)(Different) - Action Platformer
-Good variation (mixes platforming, shoot ‘em up, and boxing gameplay)
-Beat harder modes for the real final boss and better endings
-Some good bosses
-Slightly better jet pack control (R/L buttons to halt movement and steer after boosting - however you fly much faster and because of the lower resolution it's harder to react to hazards)
-Sometimes technically impressive (large sprites, multi-sprite bosses)
-Mini-bosses
-Plenty of hidden items (breakable walls) - SMB/Metroid
-Limited number of times you can use the L/R moves (afterwards you get stunned and fall straight downwards – fair limitation in mid-air but it also happens when standing on the ground causing you to get stunned for a couple of seconds)
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (MD/SNES, 1994) – Action Platformer
-Impressive moves list
-Super dive move (dive then turn around and fly high into the air to progress in some segments)
-Very good animation
-Mini-bosses
Live A Live (SNES, 1994) - JRPG; Impressive music
Cyber Knight II: Chikyu Teikoku no Yabo (SNES, 1994) - JRPG
Lemmings 2 (1993 port/MD/SNES, 1994) - Puzzle/RTT
Shin Megami Tensei if... (SNES, 1994) - JRPG
Majin Tensei (SNES, 1994) - SRPG?
Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse (MD/SNES, 1994) - Platformer, Rail Platformer chase segment where you run towards the camera, One bonus level
-Very good animation and use of color, Some nice effects (tower segments, pre-rendered sprites in one level)
-Time travel theme
-Grow a plant into a platform in one level (Below the Root)
-New segments and sfx on MCD, No loading times on MD
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer/Side View Beat 'em up, No overall time limit
-Choose in which order to tackle the first 6 levels (MM1)
-Pretty good variation
-5 different playable characters (Cyclops, Psylocke, Wolverine, Gambit, Beast)
-Some large and detailed bosses
-Pretty good animation and art direction, Decent-good cutscenes and stills between some levels (only the ending is animated though), Nice in-game cutscenes when levels start showing character entrances (can't skip them when they're repeating though)
-Wall climbing (Wolverine) and ceiling climbing (Beast)
-Enemies will sometimes hit each other with stronger attacks (grenades, lasers)
-Different final level depending on who you choose to play as
-Pretty satisfying sfx overall
-Hadouken button combo as an alternative to shooting Cyclops's laser (pointless?)
Super Robot Taisen EX (SNES, 1994) - TBS
Vortex (SNES, 1994) - 3D TPS; Impressive music
Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss: Gentei Han (SNES, 1994) - Puzzle
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butouden 3 (SNES, 1994) - ? Fighting; Story mode?,
Super Punch-Out!! (SNES, 1994) - FP Sports (Boxing)
Melfand Stories (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer?
Go Go Ackman (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer
Koutetsu no Kishi 2: Sabaku no Rommel Shougun (SNES, 1994) - ? Strategy
Battle Zeque Den (SNES, 1994) - BEU/Action Platf
Galaxy Robo (SNES, 1994) - TBS
The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, Maze Level, Rollercoaster ride segment
-True to the show aesthetics and good animation
-Good variation
-Large assortment of gadgets including grappling hook and x-ray goggles
-Good set of moves
-Cutscenes between levels (small viewport though)
-Some large sprites
Sword World SFC 2 (SNES, 1994) - RPG; Impressive music
Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen (SNES, 1994) - Fighting
Desert Fighter/A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol (SNES, 1994) - Isometric Airplane Combat
Joe & Mac 2/Tatakae Genshijin 3: Shuyaku wa Yappari Joe & Mac (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer/Run 'n Gun
Super Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Easy Type (SNES, 1994) - Wrestling
Animaniacs (SNES, 1994) - Platformer, Tilted view (2.5d platformer gameplay)
-Control a team of the three characters from the show (only the one controlled can get hit) - A bit like Sorcerian
-Avatar combo moves
-Switch characters on the fly
-Captures the show well in terms of the graphics and sound
-Open ended structure (hub map, two encounters to avoid similar to SMB3 or Ghostbusters (SMS/NES))
-Pretty good variation within each level
-Fairly large sprites (not always a good thing though)
-Minor puzzles for most boss fights (Zelda)
-You usually can't fight back against enemies so most of the game is a variation on avoiding stuff and getting chased
-Slot machine mini-game mechanic like in Sparkster (MD) except there aren't any negative effects?
-Various pop culture references (Working Designs RPGs?)
Micro Machines (1991 port/MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) - Toy Car Racing, TD view
-Unique 2-player vs. gameplay
-Miniature cars and unusual race track settings like the billiard table
Zero-4 Champ RR (SNES, 1994) - ? Car RPG, TP view (mode 7)
-Buy and customize cars to use in drag racing competitions
Rokudenashi Blues: Taiketsu! Tokyo Shitennou (SNES, 1994) - AA or ARPG/Fighting Hybrid, SV gameplay (tilted view visuals, can walk into the foreground or background in certain spots)
Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor (SNES, 1994)? - ARPG, TD view
Shin Megami Tensei II (SNES, 1994) - JRPG
Kabuki Rocks (SNES, 1994) - RPG
Hiouden: Mamono-tachi tono Chikai (SNES, 1994) - RPG
Nankoku Shonen Papuwa-kun (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer
Nosferatu (SNES, 1994) - Cinematic Platformer; Horror theme
Down the World: Mervil's Ambition (SNES, 1994) - JRPG; Impressive music (vocal intro track)
Gaia Saver (SNES, 1994) - RPG
World Heroes 2 (ARC, 1993/SNES, 1994) - Fighting
NHL '95 (MD/SNES, 1994) - Sports (Hockey);
International Sensible Soccer (SNES, 1994)
Sensible Soccer: European Champions/Championship Soccer '94 (MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) – So-so passing and dribbling controls?
Nobunaga no Yabou: Tenshouki (SNES, 1994) - TBS?; Impressive music
The Great Battle Gaiden 2: Matsuri da Wasshoi (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer?
Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge (SNES, 1994)
Street Racer (SNES, 1994)(Different) - ? Mode 7-based Kart Racing
Mortal Kombat II (MD/SNES, 1994) - Fighting
NBA Jam (MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) - ? Higher standars for basketball games?
First Queen (SNES, 1994) - ? RTS
Top Management II (SNES, 1994) - Strategy
Lethal Enforcers (ARC, 1992/SNES, 1994) - Light Gun Shooter
James Pond 3 (MD, 1993/SNES, 1994) - Hub map,
The Jungle Book (MD, 1994/SNES, 1994) - Different?
Tetsuwan Atom (SNES, 1994) - Action?
Jurassic Park 2 (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, 2-Player Co-op; Voice acted intro,
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (MD/SNES, 1994) - Very good animation
The Pirates of Dark Water (SNES, 1994) - Beat 'em up
Uchuu Race: Astro Go! Go!? (SNES, 1994) - ?
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (MD/SNES, 1994)
Super Loopz (SNES, 1994) - Puzzle?
The Flintstones: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock (SNES, 1994) - Platformer/Board Game
Tetris & Dr. Mario (NES, /SNES, 1994) - Falling Block Puzzle/Match 3 Puzzle
Gon (SNES, 1994) - Action Platformer, Mini-games
-Your lifebar is represented by musical sounds which get more agressive as you near death?
-Music also plays if you run (generally it's just ambient sfx)
Heisei Inu Monogatari: Bow Pop'n Smash (SNES, 1994) - Shufflepuck/air hockey variant, TD view
-Some customization: choose between trackets before beginning
1995:
SMW2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer/Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Puzzle Platformer, Some Maze Levels, Unlockable 2-player vs. mode (uses the mini-games from the locked huts)
-Varied and memorable locations and characters
-Lots of moves (flight, stomp, egg throwing, object interaction)
-Super baby mario
-Transformations (chopper, submarine, mole)
-New moves (bullet bills can be kept in Yoshi's mouth and spit out somewhere else to carry on flying, bounce eggs into walls and then lick (to stop) and collect them to upgrade your eggs (yellow=coin, red=star), push blocks and boulders, limited hover which takes you slightly upwards (advanced move - bouncing on an enemy makes the hover move take you higher), Yoshi can eat fireballs and use them to spit fire like a flamethrower, spit ice/water melon seeds and bubbles)
-Some creative boss fights (moon boss, final boss)
-Auto-run (no more need to hold down a button)
-New player vs. CPU duel mini-games
-Very good animation with very expressive sprites overall
-Some gameplay innovations (Poochy - unwieldy animal ride, !-block - opens a door to a hidden room or fills in dotted line paths (like the switch palaces in SMW) for a limited time, various mechanics around egg throwing, shooting enemies that lock onto the player, the arrow platforms which can be moved around to reach new areas or take shortcuts)
-Some huge sprites
-Some nice polygonal effects
-The large item inventory from SMB3 is back and now accessible in levels (several of them give you stars so you can allow yourself to get hit once or twice even later on)
-Pretty good bosses overall (some creative ones like the giant black duck on the small moon you can walk the whole way around)
-Somewhat comical (level names, slapstick, quirky, whacky)
-Auto-saves progress
-Unlockable bonus levels (SMW, get 100% in a world/sub area)
-Fleshes out the Mario universe a bit more
-Nice boss intros
-More interesting skiing sections than in Sonic 3
Terranigma (SNES, 1995) - ARPG/Action Adventure w/ platforming and swimming, TD View, One stealth segment, Mini-games (whack a mole, race, throwing challenge, basic town development)
-Agile main character (can change direction while running and there's no need to hold the button, jump from the get go)
-Weapons have certain features attached to them (such as regeneration)
-Two optional continents to resurrect
-In-game tooltips in the menu (L button)
-Some gameplay innovations (expand/develop towns by helping important people with their problems, the weather decides enemy behaviour in Zue)
-Continues and further develops the restoration theme from Soul Blazer (also references it in one area) - later revisited in Okami/Twilight Princess
-Some memorable scenes and locations (the avalanche scene, meet the developers in-game in Neo Tokyo (FF IV), ghost scene in Neo Tokyo, zombie infested desert town)
-Mini-games (whack a mole, race, throwing challenge)
-Good shop interface ()
-Can get drunk on Sake (Ultima VII?)
-Impressive music, Nice cutscenes and visual effects, Some large and detailed sprites
-Good dialogue overall with some decent humour
-Get to cooperate with a few CPU allies in the lab tower dungeon
-Good Dungeon maps (position, basic layout, exits and stairs, opened chests?, floor number)
-Some good bosses
-Some good puzzles later on
-Area introduction text/title cards - Addams Family AMI/SNES/MD?, Link's Awakening, etc.
Chrono Trigger (SNES, 1995) - JRPG, Mixes in some action sequences (piloting the Silvr, avoiding thieving rats and alarms, etc.),
-Non-random encounters (many encounters look avoidable but aren't though)
-Run from the get go - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-Combo attacks
-Interesting storytelling using parallel storylines in different eras (time travel theme - what you do in the past affects the future, NPC dialogue often changes during the game)
-Some good humour (silliness, sarcasm, deadpan)
-Minor puzzles in some dungeons (Genocidome, using an enemy shell as a platform)
-Good dramaturgy for the time
-Multiple endings and you can choose to fight the final boss relatively early on
-Some innovative battles (multi-part bosses, Son of Sun boss, countdown attacks)
-Good variation
-Memorable locations
-The prison breakout scene and the trial scene
-Fast menus
-Impressive music and pretty impressive ambient design
-Well made personal scenes to flesh out the characters
-Nice cutscenes and visual effects overall (some look pretty dated and backgrounds lack parallax)
Star Fox 2 (SNES, 1995)(Unreleased until 2017) - TBS/RTS Hybrid w/ Space Combat Sim & Vehicle Combat Sim segments, 2-Player split screen duel mode
-Missions are timed and the enemies on the star map get to move further during them (albeit at a slower pace)
-RTS-like and less linear structure where you defend corneria while picking enemy targets one at a time and can use the mothership to teleport between uninvaded planets (game is paused while planning your movements on the star map, but real time while moving and unpaused but at a slower pace during missions)
-Technically impressive (better framerate, more textures on polygon models)
-Level design makes pretty good use of the 3D engine (new to the game are dog fights and arena/base missions which are similar to the ones in Soul Star (MCD))
-Three difficulty levels which affect level design and which bosses you meet plus if there'll be viruses that take over the defensive auto-turret
-Transform into a walker/chicken vehicle (can strafe and jump)
-The controls make good use of the SNES controller (boost, brake, strafing and jumping in walker form, first and third person views)
-Pretty good in-game cutscenes
-Charge attack + target lock on by default (part of what makes the dog fights too easy - lock on doesn't work on the final boss though) - Lock On, After Burner, etc.
-Radar feature (can't zoom it out though)
-Temporary invincibility shield and twin blaster (both are rare - didn't see them on Normal)
-Ranking system
-Choose a two plane team to play through the game with (six characters, two new ones (both are female), every other character is a clone of another one)
Secret of Evermore (SNES, 1995) - ARPG (no jumping, separate overworld (mode 7, gain an airship in the late game)), Some mazes, TD view
-Doesn’t take itself too seriously
-Pretty fun ingredient gathering for spells with the dog - later used in Ore ga Omae o Mamoru (DS)
-Lots of spells and equipment
-Good dialogue overall
-Improved interface/mechanics compared to SoM (allies don't need to be on-screen any more, no more delay when the game is registering attacks, l or r to switch player, faster shop, lower characters in names), improved AI overall, charging doesn't make you move slower, infinite running (if you have a level 3 weapon), you and your dog can both attack at the same time, the Evade problem from SoM is mostly solved by using Speed magic which you get early on)
-You can "talk" to NPCs as the dog and have them say different things
-Some dialogue choices have minor consequences
-Some good puzzles (volcano exterior, Colossia, Omnitopia)
-Call Beads (use allied NPCs' spells via telepathy)
-There's usually a reason to revisit old areas (better implementation of weapon uses like cutting tall grass)
-Energize spell speeds up weapon charging - unfortunately you get it very late
-You can avoid most enemy spells (either by running away or by casting curative magic at the same time which blocks the attack)
-Different currencies in each area (can be tedious but adds to immersion) - Zeliard
-Save points (multiple slots)
Romancing SaGa 3 (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/WRPG Hybrid
Seiken Densetsu 3 (SNES, 1995) - TD View ARPG (no platforming, pick your team before beginning (three different characters out of a roster of six), separate mode 7 overworld), 2-Player Co-op (+1 CPU ally, 3-player co-op with a hack)
-Linear structure overall (opens up a bit after recruiting the first four spirits but you'll have to grind to be able to take the alternate path and then it becomes linear again, you're locked out of parts of various areas until later, opens up a lot when hunting the god-beasts)
-Basic class changing system (can change twice per char using certain items, different classes have different abilities and stats, can't revert a class change, temporary caps on stats depending on class chosen (so for example around lvl 20 as a Monk Kevin you can't increase your Agility beyond 11 until leveling up more))
-Switch between party characters on the fly in 1-player mode
-More character customization (character building via manual stat allocation upon level up (strength, agility=evade+agility magic, vitality=defense+vitality magic (Kevin only and only one spell), intelligence=magic attack+defense+offensive spell learning requirement, spirit=non-offensive/wisp spell efficiency, luck=critical hit chance+chest trap def), techs)
-Impressive visual effects (spells, perspective effects during the intro and ending, day/night cycle, large and detailed boss sprites, etc.), nice cutscenes overall
-Day/night cycle (some interesting uses - getting out of the second town as Duran for example, can rest until midnight or -day at inns (after the first town) or use a special seed item to skip ahead)
-Pretty good dialogue overall
-Combo attacks (hold A then release and press B when you see an alternate attack animation - easier with Hawk and Kevin (and Angela?) supposedly since they hit more than once/have a longer animation but I found it near impossible due to the small sprites+party members getting in the way+quick animation+no other indication of when to do it)
-Great art direction and animation overall (the movement animation in stairs is pretty choppy)
-Some world map teleporters (cannon system returns) - can also summon a giant sea turtle (Booskaboo) later on to travel between certain beach spots and even later on a dragon which can be ridden manually (Flammie returns)
-Good replay value (different beginning stories/prologues for characters which interweave later on as well as a few unique moments per char later on, some teams talk more to each other during the game than in SoM)
-One optional hidden boss - FFV?
-You can tell if an enemy will cast a spell by looking at the knockback from your attack (no knockback=casting)
-Somewhat improved NPC AI overall (they can still get confused near narrow passages and gather slowly when engaging with shopkeepers)
-Larger inventory and added storage which can be accessed anywhere
-Monsters can lose their initiative by you pressing A the moment battle starts
-Somewhat comical tone
-Can push NPCs out of the way and even push enemies (won't be damaged until they attack)
-Week mechanic which affects elemental spell strength (gnome day/sunday=earth for example)
-Different footstep sfx depending on the environment
-Some memorable locations (the ghost ship, Pedan - you can view some events from the past as mirages here like Duran's father going after the villain, fight one boss in the sky on flammie's back)
-Some interesting spells (aura wave - boost power bar/special attack stamina to max, rainbow dust - quadra-elemental attack, ff-style summons, enemy summon spells (six different ones) - however they appear and attack once instead of staying and fighting for you, revenge voice (enemy only) - turns into one of your chars)
-Holding A/attack triggers auto-attacking (not very efficient though)
-Can teleport out of dungeons with ropes as in the prequel
-No more stamina bar system (visual queue for when to strike instead - no sub 100% stamina strikes possible during battle so you can't pin enemies down and the queue halts your movement for a moment (though not every time)) - now there's about half a second delay between attacks instead, pointless animation during battle which halts your movement (serves as the regular attack queue when your stamina refills but it can make it harder to dodge enemy attacks), mashing the attack button (A) instead of waiting causes you to miss attacks
-Fairly frequent save points (three slots - Golden Axe Warrior) as well as HP/MP restoration points
-Instant/Chain-Casting trick (not as OP as in SoM though as you make two chars cast two different spells and just a chain of three is kinda tricky, can also be used to cast a single spell instantly)
-Attacking at the same time as a monster can cancel your attack (and not just because of dodge/evade)
-Smaller punishment for losing a character during battle (gets resurrected with 1 HP after the current battle)
-Status ailments wear off after clearing a room/area of enemies and so do buffs (kind of tedious to keep casting sabers for example)
-Can plant certain seeds at inns for a random item in its category (kind of annoying system for getting class change items - have to go fight an enemy then save and reload normally to reset the random number that determines what you'll get (it's based on your current exp))
-Missing with a special attack won't drain its charge meter here (manually/physically, not if the dice roll makes you miss)
-Features mentions of slavery at one point
-There are a few points where you use spirits to manipulate the environment which is kind of interesting but very underused and not very in-depth
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals/Estpolis Denki II (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/Rogue-like Hybrid
-Relatively fast paced
-Good pacing (dungeon crawling/exploring/town ratio)
-IP system (similar to FF's limit breaks, use IP for special abilites tied to weapons - some tactical choices involved here since the best IP equipment usually doesn't give the best stat boosts)
-No random battles in dungeons (can't avoid most battles though because you'll be moving in cramped spaces or being forced to fight)
-Good dungeon design (borrows heavily from Zelda)
-Nice strategic element to attacking monsters in dungeons (facing decides who goes first?, arrows to stun enemies, etc.)
-Warp (go back to an already visited area) and escape (exit a dungeon) items
-Capsule monsters (pre-dates Pokemon)
-Optional boss which is much harder than the final boss
-Retry mode (new game+)
-Gift option (pick your own party out of all the playable ones in the game for the ancient cave dungeon after beating the game once)
-Ancient cave sidequest (100 floors of battling for loot)
-The ending scene is almost exactly the same as the intro scene from the prequel (this one takes place right before the first game)
WIP
Theme Park (PC/AMI/3DO, 1994/MD/MCD/SNES, 1995) - Park Building & Management Sim/Business Sim
-Some creative mechanics (can sell parks, can receive money rewards for being the best park in one or more areas at the end of a year, can place signs and have visitors follow them (expecting to find the shops/rides written on them), can see what visitors are thinking/feeling via cartoon thinking bubbles, can tweak the amount of certain ingredients in some food wares, salary negotiations (employees can also go on strike) - plays like a basic "rope pulling" mini-game though, manually set work zones and waypoints for some workers, stock market feature (simplified - major financial changes are performed at the end of each month), basic reputation and rivalry mechanics)
-Weather effects (entertainer employees hand out umbrellas to customers if it starts to rain - nice detail, different weather in each country)
-Inflation/interest/land tax mechanics are part of the game's economy (not sure if either changes over the course of the game)
-Good selection of attractions and scenery (lakes for example) for the time
-Rival parks (cpu-controlled) - SimCity 2000?, Number of CPU opponents option (0-10+, harder to win rewards in all categories with more competitors)
-Trading
-Maintenance, Have to keep your park clean to keep customers happy
-Can place orders while the game is paused (but not do anything else besides checking attraction sub menus - can't even use the main menu and time keeps going while checking any sub menu when it isn't paused)
-Difficulty+sim complexity options (sandbox=no research or restocking required (also no negotiations or stock market available), Sim=everything but restocking and stock market activated, easy-hard difficulty (determines starting money)+easy-hard default visitor moods (first 4 years only?)+easy-hard opponents, can change the complexity level at any point - this can be used with saving/reloading to your advantage for negotiations, easy mode automates some features like ordering supplies)
-Save anywhere (10+ slots but you can't name them and no stats are shown at all (just "game 00" etc.))
-Can rename attractions
-Some fun attractions (fireworks, roller coaster, )
-Can pick up and place employees if they wander off or get stuck (but only if they're idle?, icons in the top right let you cycle between employees)
-Two zoom levels and a real-time map view, Tiny mode (shift+t - makes attractions and customers small to let you spot other things more easily)
-Can open or close your park at any point (O on PC)
-Quick save/load (alt+s/l) - PC only?
-Game speed options in-game (slow/medium/fast/ultra)
-Get a subtle notification when someting new is researched
-Can build parks in ~10 locations across the world
-Limited warehouse capacity for supply stock which can be upgraded
-Your park can attract bikers if there are a lot of litter+fast rides (negative visitors who'll beat up entertainers and break rides, need to hire guards if it happens)
-Basic tutorial via an advisor (pick Yes for first game, non-intrusive but also doesn't teach you much at all, the advisor does give basic advice about prices and customer feedback at least)
-Can place certain shops and scenery outside of the park's walls near the street (a street fair of sorts)
-Changing music depending on what ride you're viewing (not dynamic though)
Oraga Land Shusai: Best Farmer Shuukakusai (SNES, 1995) - Farming Sim (Arcade-style), Tilted View w/ Mode 7 rotation, Split screen (always on), 2-player vs.
-Grow crops while fighting off creatures
Hameln no Violin Hiki (SNES, 1995) - Puzzle Platformer/Action Platformer Hybrid w/ a hub world (several towns)
-Innovative and varied gameplay (use a female sidekick to solve puzzles - you can turn her into various creatures with different abilities)
-Humoristic
-Good boss fights
-Good puzzles overall
-Fairly impressive music overall
Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES, 1995) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-New animals to ride (or to help in levels) and mini-games to play
-Lots of levels and secrets
-Some innovative level design ()
-New character (Dixie, can hover in the air and her moves are better incorporated into the level design than Donkey's were in DKC1) replaces Donkey
-Throw mechanic (SMB2-3 & SMW, leaves your partner vulnerable for a while and can kill it off if used on the wrong enemy)
-Some improved bosses (several phases each)
-Fast paced and intense overall
Der Langrisser (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995)(Langrisser II Remix) – SRPG/TBS
-Adds Ogre Battle-style character creation (quiz)
-More character building customization (different classes and sub classes)
-Very good enemy AI for the time
-Sometimes impressive music?
-Hidden scenarios
Syndicate (1993 PC port/MCD, 1993/MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Squad-based RTS w/ some TBS aspects, Mission-based
-Open-ended structure
-Character and party customization (innovative combat drug system (manipulate speed, accuracy and stamina; manage resistance))
-Unique concept (global corporations fighting it out with the use of cyborgs while terrorizing the population)
-Cyber punk theme
-Research weapons and implants
-Detailed ranking after each mission (performance doesn't affect gameplay in any meaningful way though)
-Some territory management (taxes only - affects happiness)
-Can buy tips during mission briefings
-NPC police react to you carrying weapons or not
-Can loot dead NPCs for equipment
-Radar system (unfortunately focuses on your agents instead of your view and can't be used for in-doors targeting)
-Persuade NPCs to help you (using a special gun)
-Save in-between missions
-Some interesting equipment (time bomb, mini-gun, flamethrower, bullet shield)
-A message tells you the next objective during a mission (Desert Strike?)
-Destructible vehicles and vegetation
-Enemies sometimes fight amongst each other
-Good length (~48 missions)
-Permadeth (agents don't come back after death)
-Time runs extremely fast
-Auto-aiming (via one of the drugs so you'll need to manage it)
-Flamers/lasers/gauss guns demolish NPC equipment
-No consequences for killing civilians
-Gain money simply by waiting in-between missions
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (SNES, 1995) - SRPG, Real-Time w/ Pausing Battles
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/213-nonstop-gaming-general/76940120?page=2
WIP
Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi (SNES, 1995) - JRPG
Tales of Phantasia (SNES, 1995/PS1/GBA) - ARPG/JRPG hybrid, TD Exploration/Side View Battles
-Vocal track and some voice acted narration for the intro,
-AI controlled allies/CPU allies with some customization (4 person party)
-Mini-map in the overworld
-Version differences: Lower encounter rate on PS1 & GBA, Much lower gold gain on PS1 & GBA (was kind of broken on SNES), Can run from the get go on PS1 & GBA, Slowdown and overly bright colors on GBA
Ys V: Kefin, The Lost City of Sand (SNES, 1995) - ARPG w/ jumping (no real ability/tool gating (there's just a robe that lets you traverse through a sand storm area)), TD view, Craft spells (fluxstone system), Non-bump combat
-Diagonal movement - Zelda 3
-Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy sprite (as well as when hit by enemies) - Final Fantasy III
-Avatar color options plus menu and lifebar options
-Quicksave
-Sometimes interactive dialogue (can ask bartenders about stuff) - Ys 1?
-Manual blocking - Popeye, Spelunker, etc.
-Combine elements for different spells (charge up attack)
-Craft spells (fluxstone system)
-NPC encounters in dungeons - Ys 1?
-Quickly switch between 3 selected spells
-Some good storytelling techniques (shows some events to the player that the hero doesn't know about)
-Pretty nice ending cutscenes
-Nice winged boy remix (only used for the ending though)
Front Mission (SNES, 1995) - TBS/SRPG?, Isometric view
-Multiple destructible parts for the mechs (seems poorly balanced though as it's generally better to aim at the body for a quick kill)
-Lots of customization options
Final Fight 3 (SNES, 1995) - Beat 'em up, Tilted view, 2-player co-op
-CPU controlled ally mode (choose between three AI levels - weak/normal/strong)
-Difficulty option which affects the ending
-Two new characters (one of them replaces Cody/the blonde guy). Different characters have different weapon proficiencies
-New moves (backwards dodge move, keep facing one direction, run move and two running attacks (punch into combo or running jump kick), elbow drop (Guy; lets you jump attack and follow with a combo instead of knocking the enemy down, get up faster by mashing the attack and jump buttons - Tekken?)
-A few alternate paths (Golden Axe 3?) and secret rooms found by destroying the environment (can affect the ending)
-Power bar and super attacks (fill up the bar by attacking then pull off the button combo)
-Possible sequence break at one point (skip level 5 boss)
-SoR 2-inspired specials system
Mega Man X3/Rockman X3 (SNES, 1995/SAT/PS1) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure, Escape sequence
-Play as Zero (overpowered saber attack, can't fight bosses or pick up sub tanks)
-Some cool new weapons and upgrades (alternate weapon charge attacks, skip on water surfaces, mid-air dash allows you to skip some tedious enemies)
-Mini-bosses (obligatory this time)
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Good bosses overall
-Weather effects which can be removed by destroying their respective generators
-One optional hidden boss (Vile)
-Fast ladder climbing
-A couple of extra bosses will appear randomly after half the game (creates some dead space in the shape of empty boss rooms)
-Optional overpowered double charge shot
-Convenience upgrades (item radar helmet)
Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wanderer/Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fuurai no Shiren (SNES, 1995)(spiritual sequel to Torneko no Daibouken) - Rogue-like RPG (can throw most items at enemies, tile-based movement, can't backtrack at all except accidentally via pitfall traps, can examine all identified items), TD View
-Some meta progression (can put items in a warehouse pot to keep them and have to die to progress certain events, all other progress is lost when dying)
-Regenerate HP - can regenerate faster while being vulnerable to enemies (a+b)
-Map system (semi-transparent and can be shown while playing similar to Diablo, show items and (using a scroll) enemies, very good but could've shown where a path ends and let you mark locations)
-Medieval Japan setting with mythological elements
-Facing mechanics (getting hit from the side or back is more dangerous) - can turn while standing still without wasting turns by holding a button (similar to Diablo)
-Run/fast forward move (moves you to the end of a straight path (or adjacent to a room entrance/exit or next to a monster or next to a wall/object) instantly, makes you skip picking items you move into?)
-Automatically pick up items until your inventory is full (can also manually pick up or immediately fire projectiles fired at you but blocked by your shield)
-Random teleportation item (some enemies can also do this to you)
-Nice art cutscenes
-Enemies are also affected by mine explosions - systemic element
-Can increase your stomach size by eating when full
-Some enemies can kill other enemies (this can even level them up)
-No default fog of war when outside (some enemies can remove your sight temporarily)
-NPC encounters in dungeon areas with side quests - Ys?
-Can turn monsters into meat and then eat it to turn into that monster (can also throw the meat at a monster or NPC to transform them)
-Shops and smithys ()
-Certain scrolls can reveal a dungeon layout completely (single use) - Dragon Crystal
-Save (and quit) feature
-Can use items on and even kill villagers
-Improved diagonal movement
-Some interesting enemies (some enemies leave ghosts that possess other enemies and make them stronger if you kill them, some enemies can transform you)
-Outdoors dungeon areas with non-rectangular rooms
-Some memorable characters (Pekeji)
-Various interesting items (blank scroll - name it any scroll you've used before and it will have that function, transform pot - put items in it and throw it against a wall to randomly make new items, a pot that cages enemies, dig through walls with the pickaxe, bargain bracelet, can hide from monsters by going inside hiding pots, buy-time staff - paralyze and warp monsters to the exit of an area, can steal from enemies using a Todo pot, shields that prevent theft and hunger, etc.)
-New weapons and shields show on your avatar - Ys III, Cadash?
-Pretty impressive music
-Optional puzzle dungeons accessed from the first town (win one item per finished dungoen, however your current equipment disappears when entering)
-Some ambient sfx - Sonic 1?, Evermore and CT
-After dying once you'll meet NPCs who'll take you to the next visited town (you'll likely want to travel by foot to level up and find new items though)
-Inventory sorting
Tetris Attack/Panel de Pon (SNES, 1995) - Block Puzzle/Matching Puzzle
Phantom 2040 (MD/SNES, 1995) - Platform Adventure/Metroidvania (fairly open-ended/non-linear structure (partially interconnected world and there's a hub map - most areas are unlocked after first mission), there are missions but you're free to partially explore other areas to collect various items and the outcome of a mission can be a bit different depending on your route through the areas or what you choose to do in story scenes, upgradeable health and energy/ammo bars as well as hook/rope length, armor and energy usage upgrades, item inventory (can hold ammo and healing items), ability gating, etc.), Mission-Based, Need to destroy a barrier's respective terminal switch/generator to open it (there are several of these per area), Pilot a walker vehicle through some short segments (rare and not very interesting)
-Multiple endings (four good endings and sixteen (!) bad ones, getting all four yields a pretty satisfying additional scene with the corrupt news reporter)
-Hookshot mechanic (swing on ceilings and climb walls - better at the latter when moving quickly, upgradeable length) - also stuns many enemies for a few seconds
-On the fly button mapping options
-Cutscenes in-between missions - can be sped up (press a button to go to the next piece of dialogue)
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Some good bosses (final boss, train boss, space station cannon, first main boss (cyborg Graft's walker robot) gradually falls apart and takes on a bike form as his final form, second phase of the remote controlled walker boss)
-Slide kick move (stops as soon as you release the button) - Strider (NES)?
-Touching enemies generally won't damage phantom (like in the Shinobi games)
-Can throw enemies (walk up close and punch while pressing up)
-Some innovative and/or memorable level design (sewer segment, cannon pipe, missile and space station cannon disarming, escape after the biomonster, final phase of the final boss)
-Some cool weapons and gadgets (homing missiles, bomb, pellets)
-Some areas change appearance and shape during the course of the game (city streets, university, warehouse)
-Fast wall climbing (on MD)
-You can spam the jump kick against walls to descend slower and search for destructible walls on MD. Jump kick also serves as a hover jump of sorts
-Vaguely cyberpunk-themed setting
-Partial six button support (the grappling hook is mapped to the Z button and targeting while still mapped to the mode button (weird) but X and Y could've been used for weapon switching and running respectively, you also can't reconfigure the buttons without an emulator)
-Some areas change appearance and shape during the course of the game (city streets, university, warehouse)
-Plenty of '90s edginess
-Respawn on the spot (health and energy is refilled, makes extra lives feel kind of redundant since there's no difference between losing a life and using tanks) - Alex Kidd iMW
-All version differences: https://minirevver.weebly.com/phantom-2040-md-vs-snes.html
Holy Umbrella: Dondera no Mubo!! (SNES; 1995) - Platformer/JRPG & ARPG Hybrid (RPG elements (TD view town exploration and NPC dialogue, shops, stat progression via power ups - str/def/hp, very linear structure (you do at least backtrack to an older town at two points to travel to a new location and the finale happens near the first town), no need to go use new tools in older areas to reach any upgrades), Popful Mail-style hub map), TD view (towns)/SV hybrid (hostile areas)
-Switch between chars on the fly with l/r after you've recruited them (these have unique abilites: bonto/bird - double jump, saki/girl - wall jump and slide (barely needed after you can climb though); recruiting is automatic) - have to be standing on the ground though
-Dialogue portraits are animated
-Your umbrella gets upgraded over the course of the game with new moves (hook swing, glide/hover jump, wall climb, mid-air stomp attack, walk over spikes, ice attack - freeze some enemies and certain block tiles (similar to MM1 or Metroid, can pick up and throw/put frozen enemies here as well), wind attack - turn enemies into green orbs that you can throw further than the ice blocks and in more directions, fire attack - the orb spins around you until near an enemy at which point it homes in on the enemy, water attack - the orbs spin around you as a protective shield, thunder attack - the orbs move in a zig zag pattern when shot but can only be shot forward, cloud attack - picked up orbs spin outwardly and disappear near the screen edge (hitting enemies on the way out))
-Can teleport to the hub map with the jewel item (even during boss fights) - not from within towns though
-Levels with treasure left in them are marked on the hub map (similar to SMW). No level maps
-Can speed up dialogue on a per text box basis
-Life restoration upon death item (like fairies in Zelda, can carry one at a time)
-Pretty fast resting and saving (one slot)
-Some interesting storytelling techniques (fourth wall breaking joke, interactive flashback (play as Viper here))
-The villain joins you temporarily as a playable char
-Some interesting level design (the part where you push a structure to change the topography of a platforming segment - very easy though, the royal tomb part with the shining light (works like the x-ray beam in Super Metroid), )
-Shared health (and stats) between chars - TMNT, status effects affect the whole party and won't wear off until cured
-One female party member and two female (one is a transvestite? referred to as male in-game) villains plus the party member sacrifices herself for the hero at one point
-Unlimited lives
-Quiz mini-game (pretty easy) and rock paper scissors mini-game (random) - WBiML/Alex Kidd iMW
Clock Tower (SNES, 1995) - Quest Adventure (P&C, can use L/R to quickly go left or right without using the pointer, no mouse support)/Survival Horror Hybrid, Tilted view
-Some elements were later used in the Resident Evil series (mansion setting, unkillable enemy character that surprises you here and there)
-Fairly unique premise (you're one of a group of orphans moving to a new house, your foster parent goes to get the caretaker and shit goes wrong)
-Can run (double tap the move button) but there's a stamina mechanic and resting is slow
-Uses music/sfx and facial expressions for your avatar effectively to increase tension at certain points (normally there's no BGM playing - starts playing when finding the bad guy and his giant scissors also tend to make a noise when he's in the same room)
-Multiple endings (9 in total)
-Regenerating health (slow though) - Ys
-No in-game maps, No save or password save features (the game is pretty short but very slow paced)
Hyper Iria (SNES, 1995) - Platform Adventure-lite/Action Platformer w/ Maze Levels (Mission-Based non-linear structure w/ hub menu - can't replay beaten missions or revisit the locations they took place in nor exit unbeaten levels, some alternate paths through some levels/areas), Some shoot 'em up levels (short and basic)
-AI assistant (gives directions and tips, talks with the main char during gameplay; similar to OoT or Burning Rangers but less intrusive)
-Shopping and gear customization between levels (can buy a lot of different gear from the get go, mission-based and non-linear (can do the first 4 (out of 5) missions in any order)
-Ranking system (kill rate, time taken - can adjust the amount of time allowed to get a bonus, life left; money is rewarded based on your performance in a mission)
-Double jump from the get go
-Decent variety (one rescue mission - no escorting required, one collect mission with a surprise attack, one bomb defusal, one escape sequence, most end up as search and destroy missions though and one that sounds like a protection mission on paper isn't one), Sometimes you're attacked while flying towards a mission's location - these levels are very basic and easy plus you can't use your bought gear (instead there's a basic shot power up you can get from enemies which adds spread to your shot and disappears after the segment is beaten) but you can gain some extra ammo for the gear you have equipped in them, One escape sequence (mission 1 - no directions given though)
-Some strategy in what to bring to a mission (can hold only 3 weapons and 3 items at a time, you're not given any info on what you'll face though so it's a trial & error process)
-Can skip dialogue on a per sentence/paragraph basis (basic cutscenes before missions where your char talks to the AI)
-Switch between weapons and items with L and R respectively (only issue is you can only cycle one way and there's always an empty fourth slot in each category which is part of the cycle)
-Unlimited continues option
-Can buy two movement upgrades (upgradeable jump height, glide jump; can only use one at a time) - both are optional but the higher jump is useful in mission 2
-Some cool gear (trail bomb, sliding bomb, machine gun (triple shot - can turn around during the volley to shoot in both directions)),
-No extra lives but the game has frequent checkpoints after using a continue (right before a boss room if you died at one and you regain the ammo used in that area/room)
-Radar instead of a map system (shows nearby enemies only, not layouts)
-Female protagonist (Metroid etc)
Metal Warriors (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer, Mech-based, 2-Player Vs. mode (Arena Fighting), Cool race/escape sequence after the final boss (race the boss pilot on foot for the mech right at the exit of the base)
-Fairly advanced controls (16-way aiming, deployable shield (see Another World), alternate weapons, sword, move outside your mech like in blaster master, jetpack)
-Mini-map
-Pretty nice anime style graphics
-Interactive control configuration - Alien Soldier
-Pretty good cutscenes between levels overall
-Pretty varied missions (rescue hostages, obtain supplies, defend structures, dock ships)
-Partially destructible set pieces (shots also leave a mark) - Lemmings, SMB
-Temporary reverse gravity power up (Metal Storm)
-Take over unused enemy mechs - similar to Paradroid
-One hidden mission - kinda tedious though
-Unlockable spoof version of the vs. mode
Mega Man 7 (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer
-Mini-bosses
-Good bosses overall
-Good variation
-New Rush abilities ()
-Faster weapon switching
-Pretty good animation
-More pronounced effects on bosses when you hit them with the weapon they’re weak to
-Some new ideas (chase scenes, environmental effects from some weapons (turning on the machines in the junk man area with the thunder shot, burning down a tree in slash man’s area to find Beat with the scorching wheel, changing the weather in cloud man’s stage, freezing lava in junk man’s stage)
-Weapon explanations by Dr. Light (some suck though)
-Shop system (collect bolts to buy items – e-tank, ammo tank, Beat the bird (gets you out of pits), etc.) - Below the Root, Dragon Slayer II, Vampire Killer MSX, Usas, etc.
-Taking a hit doesn’t cancel the charge shot here
-Some interesting secrets ()
-Much shorter knockback from enemy hits
-Rush can now take damage (could possibly be used as a shield in some situations but it also cancels the move for example if you’re trying to use the coil)
Super Turrican 2 (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer
-Great variation
-Technically impressive (though some parts look dated now)
-Huge bosses
-Ride vehicles
-Grapple hook (more useful than in the prequels)
-Good bosses overall
-Good sound effects (surround sound support)
-Fairly impressive music
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe/Fighting Eleven (SNES, 1995/MD, 1996)
SeaQuest DSV (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Submarine Sim?
NHL '96 (MD/SNES, 1995) - ? Sports (Hockey)
Killer Instinct (ARC, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Fighting
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition (SNES, 1995) - Fighting
Top Gear 3000 (SNES, 1995) - Racing
Looney Tunes B-Ball (SNES, 1995) - Sports (Basketball);
Puyo Puyo 2 (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) – Match 3 Puzzle
-New game modes
-Impressive music overall?
WIP
Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES, 1995)(Rondo of Blood port with various differences (mostly worse)) - Action Platformer, No level timers
-No knockback when crouching
-Ability to switch between subweapons (Rondo style - still a problem in some situations where you're stressed or the weapon falls off a small platform)
-Impressive music
-Some secrets (Key attack (item crash), gain 1-ups from avoiding taking any damage in a stage
-Backward somersault (can flip onto stairs)
-Jump onto/off of stairs - Bloodlines?
-Improved enemy AI
-Some air control (odd system where you need to hold down the jump button to be able to steer somewhat, you can also jump without steering to nudge slightly in either direction)
-A couple of alternate paths (one is found by jumping down a pit though)
-Good animation
-Good bosses overall
-Alternate endings (find the two kidnapped women)
-Boss fights are no longer confined to one screen only
YamYam (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/Rail Shooter Hybrid
Dai-4-Ji Super Robot Taisen (SNES, 1995) - TBS?
Lodoss Tou Senki (SNES, 1995) - ? JRPG, Isometric Battles
Earthworm Jim 2 (MD/SNES, 1995/PC/SAT/PS1, 1996) – Action Platformer, Misc. Action segments (one isometric view plane-based escort level, one collectathon/rescue mission+bomb defusal level), One quiz show mini-game
-Great variation
-Nice visuals w/ great animation
-Slime/blob mascot (grapple hook of sorts at certain ceilings only+glide jump - Bionic Commando and Below the Root respectively)
-Humorous (absurd, non-sequitur, slap stick)
-Some fun weapons (homing+exploding shot, plasma/lightning gun, smart bomb)
-Heavily destructible environment in level 2
-Recoil mechanic while underwater (?) in level 3
Metal Max Returns (SNES, 1995) - JRPG?
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story (SNES, 1995) - ? JRPG
Rendering Ranger: R2 (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer/Horizontal Shoot 'em up Hybrid; Technically impressive
Mystic Ark (SNES, 1995) - ? JRPG
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (MD/SNES, 1995) - ?
Ladystalker (SNES, 1995) – Action RPG with platforming (separate battle encounters (random), overworld & dungeons split), Isometric view
-Mine cart segments
-Party-based (control only the main char though - the others stand back during battle)
WIP
Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Crossroads Of Time (MD/SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer/Maze Platformer (PoP-like controls) w/ AA elements (linear and level-based overarching structure), Some Horizontal Shooter segments
-Mini-map (doesn't show the layouts though but the occasional computer maps do)
-Teleporters
-Transform into a rodent at one point
Demolition Man (MD/SNES/MCD, 1995) - Action Platformer/TD Maze Action Hybrid, PoP-like controls
-Interesting boss fights
-Good animation and sound effects (oomph)
-Some innovative level design ()
Weaponlord (MD/SNES, 1995) - Fighting, Weapon-based
Mortal Kombat 3 (MD/SNES, 1995) - Fighting
NBA Live 96? (MD/SNES, 1995) - Sports (Basketball)
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie (SNES, 1995) - Beat 'em up; Different
True Lies (MD/SNES, 1995) - Maze Action/Maze Shooter (hostage rescue element), TD view
-Dodge roll and strafing moves
-Lob grenades (Commando)
-Explosive boxes (Rush & Crash/Speed Rumbler)
-Mines (Impossible Mission II)
Zoop (MD/SNES, 1995) - Matching Puzzle
Judge Dredd (MD/SNES, 1995) - ? Action Platformer/Police Sim
Jungle Strike (MD, 1993/SNES, 1995) - ? Free-Roaming Shooter
Urban Strike (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - ?
Kawasaki Superbike Challenge (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Polygon-based racing (F1 engine), basic weather effects
Marko's Magic Football? (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995)
Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban (SNES, 1995) - TD view Run 'n Gun w/ Gremlins 2/Pocky & Rocky style gameplay (you can easily backtrack and farm items from respawning enemies (you can manually scroll the level backwards in most areas)), 2-player co-op
-Choose your own path on a world map (see Mega Man, Thunder Force III, Super Mario World, etc.)
-Two different characters to choose from
-Dodge/dash move (clunky to use though due to a long cooldown time and pause near the end of it)
-Transform into a body builder (apparently your father's spirit)
-Full of national/continental stereotypes from a Japanese perspective, travel across Japan/europe/asia in medieval times
-Very good enemy variation
-Expressive characters
-Mini-bosses
-Minor combo moves (fan shot, two different fireball shots, spin attack - no explanation on how to pull them off?)
-Comical/weird tone (slap stick, quirky, stereotypes)
-Save and ride on dolphins - Crystalis?
-Four different smart bomb/magic attacks to choose from
-Some large and fairly detailed sprites
-Respawn on the spot with same percentage and no. of scrolls
Boogerman (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer w/ Maze-like levels
-Gross out humour (boogers, burps and farts)
-Good animation
-Sometimes impressive music
-Charge attack (can't move while charging, breaks certain walls) - Mystic Defender
-Temporary flight ability
King of Demons/Majuu Ou (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer
-Dark and gory anime aesthetic. Features torture
-Transform into three different demons
-Double jump and slide/roll moves - Dragon Buster/Strider NES
-Charge shot - ESWAT, Spellcaster
-Dive kick (demon form) - Shinobi 3
-Plenty of mini-bosses
-Good bosses overall
-Extendable HP bar (via points? gives some sense of progression)
-Good enemy variation
-Some enemies can be eaten (to regain HP) after death when in demon form
-Fairy companion (extra attack, revives you by sacrificing itself - can then be found again once or twice later on in the game)
Magical Pop'n (SNES, 1995) - Maze Platformer w/ AA elements (gain new abilities/spells which are used for traversal (grapple hook which doubles as a weapon, roll move which lets you climb walls, etc), level-based and you don't backtrack, hidden items and alternate paths within levels, HP upgrades, some minor puzzles)
-Good bosses overall (some have multiple forms, there's a bunch of mediocre ones in the last stages though)
-Some good enemy AI (some dodge your projectile attacks or hide/block when you're close)
-Expressive sprites (your avatar has a slew of voice samples used for each of her moves)
-Up- and down thrust (Zelda II, Rastan SMS)
-Mini-bosses (sometimes harder than the main boss)
-Roll move creates some interesting platforming puzzles
-Enemies also get hit by some traps (the laser turrets for example) - systemic element
-Female protagonist (witch)
Brandish 2: The Planet Buster (PC-98, 1993/SNES, 1995) - ARPG, TD View?
Super Chinese World 3 (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/Beat 'em up hybrid - see Little Ninja Brothers, TD/Tilted view hybrid, 2-player co-op?
Addams Family Values (SNES/MD, 1995) - Action Adventure, TD view
Rejoice: Aretha Oukoku no Kanata/Rejoice: Beyond the Aretha Kingdom (SNES, 1995) - ARPG w/ jumping, TD view
Crystal Beans: From Dungeon Explorer (SNES, 1995)(Dungeon Explorer II Remix/Remake?) - AA/ARPG, TD View
Ruin Arm (SNES, 1995) - ARPG, TD view, 2-player co-op
From TV animation - Slam Dunk 2: IH Yosen Kanzenban!! (SNES, 1995) - ? Sports
P.T.O. II: Pacific Theater of Operations (1994 FMT port/SNES, 1995) - TBS?
WakuWaku Ski Wonder Spur (SNES, 1995) - ? TP Skiing, Mode 7-based;
Matsukata Hiroki no Super Trawling - ? Sports (Fishing)
Scooby-Doo Mystery (SNES, 1995)? - Different, Platformer?
Captain Commando (1991 ARC port/SNES, 1995) -
Big Sky Trooper (SNES, 1995) - Action Adventure (hub map) w/ very minor platforming (no jumping besides on the rails in one area), TD view
WIP
Ultra Baken (SNES, 1995) - ? Horse Racing
BS Zelda no Densetsu (SNES Satellaview, 1995)(Zelda 1 remix) - Action Adventure, TD view
-See NES entry
1996:
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES, 1996) - Platform Adventure/ARPG (shops, use-based level up system - gear also levels up, detailed story, NPCs, choose your own path on a hub map (branching paths between mission areas))/Mech Action (can exit them and move around on foot like in Blaster Master), Mission-Based, Side view
-Good customization options for your mech (and even the pilot)
-Exit the mech to reach tight areas (and to use grenades; similar to Blaster Master)
-Level maps (start menu)
-Plays a lot like the Assault Suits games (adds a shop, level up system, detailed story and hub world)
-Recruitable CPU-controlled mech allies (the AI kind of sucks but it's still cool, can order some CPU allies to use a special ability and any of them to flee - no other orders)
-Good dialogue overall (tries a bit too hard to be badass at times which then again can be funny such as when the president rams an enemy mech)
-Double jump and short flight via jump jets (upgradeable - required at times)
-Upgradeable dash move (ASV, optional but useful) - Altered Beast first game w/ dash move?
-Alternate mechs to buy (different stats and abilities)
-Nice visual effects
-Pretty good variation (decent enemy variation, autoscrolling and underwater segments, chase, find and destroy, rescue, protect/hold out, key search, escape sequence)
-Can block most projectiles with a shield (see Assault Suits Valken, similarly it doesn't work while in mid-air)
-Save between missions (four slots)
-Revisit beaten stages for equipment and reactions from NPCs
-Nice ending
-Good length for the genre (10+ hours)
-Call for air strikes
-Decent arsenal of weapons (homing missiles, lasers, healing sphere, paralyse, gun drones, decoys, mines, floor seeker (see Snake Man from MM))
-Some destructible scenery
-Shows health bars for nearly all enemies - Final Fight?
-You can review a mission objective in the pause menu
-You can gain plenty of levels by re-entering areas and clearing them out
-Allies' mechs cannot be repaired if destroyed (they can be repaired during usage, yellow mech can't be re-bought in the same area you got it)
-Level/Area maps
Harvest Moon/Bokujou Monogatari (SNES, 1996) - Farm Sim/RPG (Open ended - you get 2.5 years but each one is only 120 days long), TD View
-Pretty in-depth farming life sim within a JRPG-like format (clear and prepare land, grow (plant and water, pay attention to seasons - there's also different fruit to collect depending on the current season) crops, feed and breed animals (cows and chickens), maintain and improve the farm (can upgrade your house twice using gold+wood as well as paint it), order goods in town, can use a horse to carry goods to the shipping box (gained after a few weeks, can also ride it and jump over fences with it), get married (4 different wives to choose from) and have up to 2 kids, fishing, etc.), day/night cycle (too fast though, can't enter town houses at night besides the bar and some items can't be found - however time actually stops at night until you go to bed and also stops while in the barn so you can take advantage of this to get more things done (however goods like fruit put in the shipping box at night just goes to waste))
-20 (!) different endings - each based on what you've specialized in/excelled at (can't get all of them in a single run)
-Can prematurely end the game at any point with start+select+l+r when going to bed - this is the only way to check all your stats
-Run button - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-Can read people's diaries (to check girls' affection scores - represented by hearts)
-Can jump over fences on the farm (not in town)
-Event-based tool upgrades - can buy them if you fail
-Can call on the horse or dog by whistling (R and L respectively)
-Reputation system (affection from animals and women+your kids; talk and brush animals for more affection (hitting them lowers it), do various things for women's and your kids' affection (festival dates, gifts, yes/no questions, etc.))
-Basic happiness system (do well in general, spot seasonal animals and catch fish, selling livestock results in a fairly big negative to happiness)
-Can lose your wife (only temporarily and only once though)
-Weather (rain, lightning storm, hurricane, snow - these can make calves sick) and weather forecasts via the TV in your house
-Can skip ahead to the next day by going to bed early (not recommended if you want the better endings or a high score though)
-Can speed up text on a per paragraph basis
-Modern day or near modern day Japan setting
-Open ended structure and you don't have to focus on farming (can become a ladies' man or bachelor/outdoorsman)
-Wood and grass automatically ends up in storage boxes when harvested
-Some relatively advanced tactics in how you place your crops (shown in the manual though, similar to SimCity; spring crops will grow and can be harvested in the summer as long as you planted them during springtime)
-Video tutorial - shows various parts of gameplay without any text so it's a bit lacking (there are various info tomes in-game though but they're very spread out so you're better off writing the info down or checking a guide)
-Fatigue/stamina mechanic (upgradeable via hidden power berries), Healing (stamina) spring north of the farm, no fatigue from removing weeds or moving stones
-It's not beneficial to keep livestock outside here besides not having to feed them when it's not winter (no boost to affection, various negatives)
-Randomly find items by digging (can actually dig the same tile over and over; 10-50 gold, 2 power berries, moles - can't do anything with these) - Zelda 3?
-Amusingly you can keep your dog or chickens anywhere (the latter won't lay eggs outside the farm's pen though, can keep chickens you want to sell in your own house)
-Chickens eat (fodder from) grass here - weird but more convenient
-All shops are closed on sundays (some on saturday as well)
-Need to use a stone or a piece of fence to unplow a plowed tile
-Ripe crops don't need to be watered and will last indefinitely until picked
-Chickens can't get sick or die from starvation
-Can't fish nor buy livestock when it's raining
-Pregnant cows don't get sick - the exception where it's good to have an animal outside since you don't have to manually feed them (unless it's winter; however breeding is less profitable than buying a new cow and (only adds a little bit to affection but also a good boost to happiness when the calf is born)
-Seeing animals north of the farm is the best source of happiness overall (though sometimes you have to enter the screen several times) and the second is giving your wife a bunch of eggs on your anniversary, spotting butterflies or the monkey doesn't add to happiness
-Can't do anything during a hurricane day and they can happen twice in a row (they also destroy some of your crops - made more annoying because you can't use just 1 seed to fill in 1 tile (9 is minimum))
-Can't die - you're simply working under a time limit and the ending is affected by what you accomplished (or didn't) along the way. The game always ends after the third summer
Super Mario RPG (SNES, 1996) - JRPG/ARPG Hybrid (basic manual stat distribution - hp/attack/magic, real-time battle elements (timed attack/defense – hit attack at the right time for more AP or DP (makes battles more interactive and fast paced and is also pretty forgiving overall; FF6), platforming, hub map), Mini-games (racing, whack-a-mole, one rhythm-based mini-game (yoshi race; T&E2, Tempo 32X), Isometric View
-Non-random encounters (several enemies will ambush you though and there are a few rooms with random encounters (booster's tower))
-Party members gain exp even if not in the active party
-Basic manual character building when leveling up (stat distribution - hp, attack or magic)
-Some good puzzles (bowser's castle's puzzle courses (except for the switch puzzle), last composing puzzle)
-Great dialogue (self-aware, whimsical and fun, pop culture references), great dramaturgy for the time (heavily animated characters and effective cutscenes)
-Does a great job at broadening the Mario universe (the tone and depth is similar to the SMW era Mario comic)
-Some good characters
-Clean and easy to use interface (could’ve been even better though by showing the commands beside the button layout and showing your characters’ HP when the enemy hits them)
-Mini-games (racing, whack-a-mole)
-You can stand on other characters (Light Crusader) and bounce in beds
-Run button - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-4 save slots
-Technically impressive at times (mine cart ride, lighting effects?)
-Some good bosses
-Some optional paths (bowser's castle) and minor side quests
-Nice ending cutscene
-Shared MP pool
-Vague world map but no area maps
DoReMi Fantasy (SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Platform Adventure, Collectathon (5 hidden stars in each world), Mini-games (counting game is bugged?)
-Impressive sound quality (music/ambience)
-Metroid elements (gain access to areas in previous levels via new abilites)
-Power ups carry over to the next stage
-Exit any level by pressing select
-In-game visual tutorial of new mechanics
-Some interesting stage design (enemies as platforms, breakable walls, ), bowling balls, air-glide move (Magical Taluluto-Kun?)
-Alternate exits (no purpose?) - SMW
-Some good bosses (snowman and onwards)
-Nice intro
-Good length ()
-Some expressive sprites
Treasure Hunter G (SNES, 1996) - SRPG?
Chaos Seed (SNES, 1996) - SRPG/RTS Hybrid?, Similar to Dungeon Keeper
Star Ocean (SNES, 1996) - 2D ARPG (separate battle encounters), TD view
-CPU allies
WIP
Dragon Quest III: Soshite Densetsu e... (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
-Somewhat improved interface (can equip inventory items directly, general use interaction button, in-game msg speed option, buy more than one of an item at once (only consumables though), bag - 24 (?) extra slots plus you can sort the items and consumables stack which lowers the difficulty, NPCs move out of the way faster, somewhat improved in-game map (you also get it sooner))
-Faster movement and menus
-Improved visuals (intro cutscene looks better and fleshes out the characters more with in-game graphics based scenes, monster battle animations!, full screen battle backgrounds) and audio overall
-Day/night cycle (more gradual than in for example CV2, face tougher monsters during night time, different activities will occur in towns depending on what time of day it is - can skip ahead with a late game mage spell but only rest until morning at inns)
-Manually build your own party (see Ultima III; four members in total and you can tweak their starting stats in this version, can change classes more than once (changing resets your lvl to 1+halves stats+lets you keep learned spells, the hero/main char can't change), eight classes here including the Sage (a promotional "ultimate" class which is well rounded but takes longer to level up)
-Adds the Thief class (can steal (automatic) in battle and use recon spells) and the ability to change into the Jester class at Dhama/Dharma (can change into a Sage without a zen book/book of satori+has high luck+can whistle to make enemies come to you but sucks during battle)
-Two bonus dungeons (available after the main quest is over)
-Adds a personality system (pre-game sequence in which the player answers moral dilemmas (similar to Ultima IV or Der Langrisser) which determines the hero's personality - comically harsh description of your personality after you've made your choices
-The personality of other party members is determined by the stat-raising seeds given by the player during character generation and personalities determine which stats increase when a character levels up - their personalities may be changed later by use of special items and books)
-New mini-games (Pachisi/Sugoroku (board game)
-Monster fight betting game - replaces the lottery from DQ2)
-Adds a version of the Mini Medal system (collect hidden medals to gain new items - first seen in DQIV)
-Improved Return/teleport to previous town spell (select between any visited towns)
-Basic formation system (top character in the list is most likely to be attacked)
-Some nice effects (battle spells, lighting, chimney smoke, small animation whenever you find an item in a container, some of the in-game cutscenes)
-Large world which again features a replica of the first game's overworld (more detailed this time) - this game is actually a prequel story-wise
-At one early point in the game you'll save a kingdom from peril and the king offers to give up his throne to you (if you accept you get to walk around the castle and hear your subjects grovel at your feet - you can leave whenever you want)
-Travel by ship and giant bird/phoenix (Ramia - teleports with you if you use that spell)
-Easier to find additional Books of Enlightenment (for promoting characters to Sages)
-More dialogue choices that make a difference (albeit very minor; there are still several fake choices as well as questions that can only be answered with yes or no when something else would make more sense)
-Some interesting dungeon/level design (pyramid switches, minor stealth segment (invisibility herb to get into a castle), have to do one dungeon with a single char, using the staff of change to be able to change form and trade with the elves, fall down to lower floors - DQ2?)
-Some interesting spells (invisibility (avoid enemies and NPCs), bounce (reflect), BeDragon (turns a wizard into a dragon that auto attacks), Transform - a wizard gains another member's abilites during battle, Ironize - like the statue in SMB3 except for the whole party, Expel - removes enemies without rewarding you with exp or loot, RobMagic - steal MP, Chance (random effects including 100% crits, neutralizing all magic, order change, monsters flee, etc))
-You can help establish a town that grows over time while you do other things (eventually you'll get one of the orbs from it)
-Can use a "tactic" command outside of battle to automatically heal up completely (restore - provided you have the MP) and to put all unequipped items in the bag (tidy up)
-Rudimentary quest log/journal feature (press Y when talking to someone, then use the remember spells later on (you don't get to see who said what or when - instead it shows what you've memorized from the first to the last message))
Kirby Super Star (SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Platform Adventure-lite/Collectathon (non-persistent abilities and rooms, chests just contain point items)/Mini-Game Compilation (6 games), 2-Player Co-op (or 1-player w/ CPU ally)
-Great animation
-More shape-shifting (ninja, fire wizard, bomb chucker, boomerang knight etc)
-Lots of moves (blocking – l/r, )
-Your partner gets teleported to you if you walk away from it
-Great tutorials for each game (and each ability – press start)
-Good use of mode 7 (the intro)
-You can give food to your partner (to restore health)
-Hidden items and secrets - SMB series
-Mini-bosses
-Kirby is a fast climber
-Cute cutscenes between levels
-Minor puzzle solving to get some chests
-No teleporters or other forms of quick travel (at the end of some detours you get sent back to the fork in the road though), No maps
Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (SNES, 1996) - Fighting, Mech-based, 2-player vs.
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (SNES, 1996) - SRPG
Energy Breaker (SNES, 1996) - SRPG?
Marvelous: Mohitotsu no Takarajima (SNES, 1996) - Action Adventure or JRPG/Adventure Hybrid?, TD view
WIP
Treasure of the Rudras/Rudra no Hiho (SNES, 1996) - JRPG?
-Fairly unique magic system - you type in your own spells and can technically create any spell at any point in the game if you know how. You're gradually given more information about the system as you play, but much of it is the player putting different syllables they know together in various combinations to see what spells they can create - Similar to Ultima Underworld and Arx Fatalis, kinda similar Daggerfall which lets you buy created spells based on various parameters
Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES, 1996) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer, Collectathon (especially in the hidden world where you need to pay a bunch of coins just to open up the path to the next stage), Some new bonus stages and mini-games
-Good variation
-Throw your partner (Kiddy can be used to smash open cracks in some floors, use it to get to unreachable platforms by throwing Dixie)
-Some interesting stages (hungry fish chase, 2.5D waterfall stages, ‘ride one of each animal’ stage)
-One new animal with new abilites (elephant who can pull barrels towards it and squirt collected water to kill enemies with (apparently it's lethal to most of them))
-Good bosses overall
-Many hidden silver coins (buy items or hints) and bananas - SMB series
-Doesn't take place in jungles/tropics anymore
Super Puyo Puyo Tsuu Remix (SNES, 1996) – Match 3 Puzzle
-New game modes
-Impressive music overall?
WIP
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES, 1996) - Fighting
Bahamut Lagoon (SNES, 1996) - SRPG
Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium (SNES, 1996) - Sports
Bomberman B-Daman (SNES, 1996) - TD Action?
Dark Half (SNES, 1996) - RPG
"You play through the game alternating back and forth with each chapter between the villain and chosen hero of the story. In the villain chapters, you're forced to repetitively slaughter every individual NPC, and then in the hero chapters you'll often visit the areas you had just ruined in the previous chapter and try to clean up the mess that you, the player, have technically made. It's a surreal experience having NPCs praise you and ask for help in the hero chapters when you know all the awful things you did as the villain and to me, it feels like a sort of commentary on violence and player choice in games years before something like Bioshock, Undertale, or even Moon on PS1 would tackle. It's still a unique concept and experience I haven't really seen any other game try."
Super Bomberman 4 (SNES, 1996) - Maze Action, TD view, 4-player vs.?
Ys V Expert (SNES, 1996) - TD Action Adventure/ARPG; See Ys V
Dragon Knight 4 (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
Lennus II: Fuuin no Shito (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
Super Gussun Oyoyo 2 (SNES, 1996) - Action Puzzle/Block Puzzle
Kuusou Kagaku Sekai Gulliver Boy (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
Magical Drop 2 (SNES, 1996) - Puzzle
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (ARC, 1995/MD/SNES, 1996) - Fighting
Monstania (SNES, 1996) - RPG?
Wizardry Gaiden IV: Throb of the Demon's Heart (SNES, 1996) - Dungeon Crawler RPG?, FP view
Daisenryaku Expert WWII: War in Europe (SNES, 1996) - TBS?
Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow/Donald in Maui Mallard (MD, 1995/SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Maze Platformer; Great animation, transformation, different in some ways
-Nice visuals w/ great animation
-Ninja transformation (gain control over it after the first time however it drains energy to use; allows for climbing upwards between parallel walls at some points with a staff and swinging in hooks - latter is similar to EWJ and Lion King)
-Mini form in level 3 (Monster World 3, Land of Illusion, Sonic CD)
-Recoil mechanic while underwater - similar to EWJ 2's third level
-Double plane gameplay at one point (Shinobi)
-More and generally better visual effects on SNES as well as a higher color count (some animation and spritework is slightly better here though and the lvl 4 boss is more intimidating)
Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyochienji (SNES, 1996) - FP RPG; Different
Arabian Nights: Sabaku no Seirei-o (SNES, 1996) - ? JRPG
Brandish 2 Expert (SNES, 1996) - ? TD ARPG?
S.O.S.: Sink or Swim (SNES, 1996) - Platform Adventure/Survival
NHL 97 (MD/SNES, 1996) - Sports
Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension (SNES, 1996) - Fighting
Toy Story (MD/SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Racing/FPS (one level)/Misc. Action
-Technical showcase
-Pretty good variety
-Features a song played by a software .mod player for sample-based Amiga-like music
Worms (MD, 1995/SNES, 1996) - Artillery
Ms. Pac-Man (MD, 1991/SNES, 1996) – TD Maze Action
War 3010: The Revolution (SNES, 1996) - RTS?
GT Racing (SNES, 1996) - Racing
Prehistorik Man (SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer
Spriggan Powered (SNES, 1996) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
NBA Hang Time (MD/SNES, 1996) - Sports
NBA Live 97 (MD/SNES, 1996) - Sports
Pinocchio (MD/SNES, 1996) - Platformer
PGA Tour '96 (SNES, 1996) - Sports
PGA European Tour (SNES, 1996) - Sports
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament (MD, 1994/PC/GG, 1995/SNES, 1996) – TD Toy Car Racing
Prince of Persia 2 (Unreleased on MD)(PC, 1993/MD, 1994/SNES, 1996) - Cinematic Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
FIFA 97: Gold Edition (MD/SNES, 1996) - ? Sports
Asterix & Obelix (PC/SNES, 1996) - ? Platformer
The Smurfs Travel the World (MD/SNES, 1996) - Platformer
Sound Novel Tsukuru (SNES, 1996) - Visual Novel/Graphic Adventure creation tool
-Manually adjustable tempo for each selectable music track in the menu
1997:
Ganpuru: Gunman's Proof (SNES, 1997) - Zelda-like Action Adventure (no platforming besides falling down in a few spots), TD View
-Zelda 3-style gameplay with guns in a wild west setting with sci-fi elements (same map system and movement style, story is similar to Earthbound, some bosses and enemies are basically variations on Z3 ones and so are some visuals, some aspects are more arcade-like than in Zelda)
-Can strafe/lock your aim while moving (hold L or R) - Bullfight, Gun.Smoke, etc.
-Pretty good enemy AI overall
-Pretty good bosses overall (pretty good boss introductions, 2+ phases each and some transform, not puzzle-focused like Zelda though)
-Can crawl (lets you dodge some shots) - Metal Gear 2?
-Comedic tone w/ some decent humour (wacky, slapstick, parody, lewd)
-Can ride a horse after rescuing it in the first dungeon (robaton, moves super fast but can't jump over obstacles and is a temporary movement upgrade, can also take out enemies and makes you invincible but you get no drop from them when you do) - called by picking up carrots which are dropped occasionally by defeated enemies
-Charge shot which goes through enemies (Shadowland)
-Can speed up dialogue on a per sentence basis (can't skip repeated dialogue though)
-Some fun sub weapons (flamethrower, bazooka, smart bombs, morning star/ball and chain)
-Some interesting abilities (upwards dash punch up waterfalls - basically a hadouken)
-Blurs the line between overworld and dungeon a bit with the ghost town dungeon (no NPCs here though)
-New enemies appear in some previously visited areas (makes backtracking through them more interesting)
-Fairly frequent NPC dialogue updates over the course of the game
-One optional mini-boss (reward is a choice between extra def or extra str - Zelda 1?) - FFV?
-Features domestic violence (dad on son)
The Lost Vikings II/Lost Vikings 2 (SNES, 1997) - Puzzle Platformer (linear structure (can do some things in any order within some levels and some puzzles have alternate solutions)), Collectathon/fetch quest aspect (generally need to collect three items to finish a level besides the keys for the locked doors), 2-Player Co-op
-Some new abilities (Erik can double jump and glide jump (former can also be used to break walls above him)+break walls+swim, Olaf can shrink and fart downwards to break certain floors and jump while glide jumping, Baleog can attack diagonally and upwards at range with a bionic arm - also lets him hit switches+grab items+swing at certain points (can control the length of the arm while swinging; Bionic Commando))
-Two new chars with new abilities (Fang the werewolf - can attack+jump and wall jump, Scorch the dragon - very limited flight+can glide+can shoot horizontally which lets him press certain switches) - these replace one viking for the levels where you play as them (you won't know beforehand which level they'll be available in)
-Can pass through enemies without touch damage - it's their attacks that hurt (similar to Dragon View and Revenge of Shinobi)
-Good puzzles overall (first world is basically a tutorial; at one point you use a turret trap to trigger a target-style switch and have to follow its projectile with the camera, using torches to let the other chars see, last timed gate puzzle at last level before the boss and activating teleporters for another char by going through them with one char)
-Skippable cutscenes
-Can discard consumable items (Below the Root?)
-Some hidden items - SMB
-Can skip certain switches with good timing (Erik can build up some momentum in mid-air to be able to tackle walls even if there's not enough space to build up momentum on the ground near it)
-Some interesting enemies (the tribesmen in the aztec world can temporarily transform you into a monkey)
-Some decent humour (and some that falls flat) - fourth wall breaking one after the final boss. Some pop culture references (star wars and blues brothers)
-Good final boss (6 phases here though some are pretty similar) - Similar to the prequel
-See the prequel
-Enemy drops never disappear
-Can see a bit further horizontally as well as slightly further vertically in the other versions (however these use pretty ugly pre-rendered graphics)
Dark Law: Meaning of Death (SNES, 1997) - JRPG, TD view battles
Super Bomberman 5 (SNES, 1997) - SS Maze Action, TD View, 4-Player vs., 2-Player Co-op
Milandra (SNES, 1997) - ? Rogue-like RPG, Party-based, TD view
Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES, 1997) - Platformer (similar atmosphere to SMB3), Collectathon via quests/missions (hidden star collecting (different objectives like not destroying certain objects, collecting objects, mini-games, mini-bosses or carrying an item to the exit)), Decent mini-games, 2-Player Co-op
-Four different animals to "ride" (see KDL2 GB) with different moves (flight, triple jump, swimming)
-Good bosses overall (two phases)
-Some interesting mechanics (spawn a blue blob that follows you around, you can eat it once per level to regain health)
-Nice cutscenes between levels, Good animation
-Mini-bosses
-Very forgiving hit detection (both ways, one exception is lava platforms where it's much tighter)
-Borrows cannon shooting from Sonic/DKC
-Ability/animal system could've been more flexible if you could switch animals on the fly instead of changing in specific rooms
-Enemies die from you walking into them (can be annoying when you want to get a specific ability)
Solid Runner (SNES, 1997) - ? JRPG; Mech theme
NHL '98 (SNES/MD, 1997) - Sports
FIFA Road to World Cup 98 (SNES/MD, 1996) - Sports (Soccer/Football)
NBA Live 98 (SNES/MD, 1996) - Sports (Basketball)
Arkanoid: Doh It Again (SNES, 1997) - Action Puzzle
Space Invaders (SNES, 1997) - ? SS Shoot 'em up
1998:
Famicom Tantei Club Part II (SNES, 1998) - Adventure/Visual Novel
Sutte Hakkun '98: Winter Event Version (SNES, 1998) - Puzzle Platformer
Sutte Hakkun (SNES, 1998) - Puzzle Platformer
Super Famicom Wars (SNES, 1998) - TBS
RockMan & Forte/Mega Man & Bass (SNES, 1998) - Action Platformer (different level advancement (gradually gives you more stages to choose between - seemingly pointless considering the uneven difficulty and it’s kind of tedious having to unlock stages to get a special weapon in with which get an item in a previous stage))
-2 different playable characters (Rock/Mega Man and Forte/Bass). Both characters play like a limited version of Mega Man X (Bass is also a bit better than Mega Man as he can dash, double jump and fire in 7 directions – his drawbacks are not being able to walk and fire, slide or shoot through walls). Some platforming and puzzle-like parts are much easier with Bass (and he gets safe spots here and there) while bosses are usually harder (without special weapons)
-Multiple paths (through levels?)
-Four save slots (save after bosses)
-Mini-bosses
-Can replay beaten levels (MM1?)
-Some interesting mechanics (jet pack as Bass, attack boost when at low health, Eddy or Rush Dig (finds random item - not that great), the monkey/pulley boss)
-Most special weapons are useful (there are some interesting ones as well like the magic card – origin of the hornet weapon in MM9 and the mine shot (both the detonation and the firing path can be controlled))
-Some creative level design (ground man, dynamo man)
-Shop system (need to beat a set amount of levels to upgrade the shop (three per level?)) - Below the Root, Black Tiger, Vampire Killer MSX, MM7, etc.
-Hidden items - SMB series
-You don’t pick up ammo unless you’re currently using a special weapon
-Some special weapons have different uses underwater
-Shows you how to use each weapon in a good way (through the crystal area where you also get 100 bolts per weapon gained by using it correctly; only negatives are that it opens pretty late and you don’t know it’s there beforehand so you can plan ahead)
-Good bosses overall (however dynamo man and magic man are pretty cheap without the right weapons)
-Plenty of rooms where you need to be a specific character or have a certain weapon to reach an item (could've been more about skill instead so you don't constantly feel like you're missing stuff)
-Ice Wall is overpowered but also has some interesting uses (create sliding platforms to ride on - good for speedruns)
-Enemies that steal your money - Kid Icarus?
-Slide over smaller gaps as MM - Valis III?
Ring ni Kakero (SNES, 1998) - Cinematic Boxing/Fighting
Genjuu Ryodan (SNES, 1998) - ? Strategy
NBA Live 98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports (Basketball)
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports (Football/Soccer)
Kirby no KiraKira Kids (SNES, 1998) - Stacking Puzzle
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Basic '98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports
BS Super Mario Collection - Dai-2-Shuu (SNES, 1998) - ? Platformer
BS Super Mario Collection - Dai-4-Shuu (SNES, 1998) - ? Platformer
BS Super Mario Collection - Dai-3-Shuu (SNES, 1998) - ? Platformer
Wrecking Crew '98 (SNES, 1998) - Action Platformer/Trapping
BS Ikari no Yousai (1993 port?/SNES, 1998) - TD Maze Action
BS Dragon Quest (SNES, 1998) - ? JRPG
Dr. Mario (1994 port?/SNES, 1998) - Matching Puzzle
Derby Stallion 98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports (Horse Racing)
Frogger (SNES, 1998) - TD Action/Platformer
BS Parlor! Parlor! 2 (SNES, 1998) - ? Gambling
BS Parlor! Parlor! 1 (SNES, 1998) - ? Gambling
Heiwa Parlor! Mini 8 (SNES, 1998) - ? Gambling
1999:
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES, 1999) - SRPG; Pretty impressive music
Tamagotchi Town (SNES, 1999) - Strategy?
Wizardry I-II-III: Story of Llylgamyn (SNES, 1999) - FP RPG; Different?
Columns (MD, 1990/SNES, 1999) - First match colors puzzle game? (Puzznic), diagonal line ups, "clear all of one color" power up, 2-player, ??
2000:
Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut (SNES, 2000) - Graphic Adventure/Visual Novel
SMW2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer/Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Puzzle Platformer, Some Maze Levels, Unlockable 2-player vs. mode (uses the mini-games from the locked huts)
-Varied and memorable locations and characters
-Lots of moves (flight, stomp, egg throwing, object interaction)
-Super baby mario
-Transformations (chopper, submarine, mole)
-New moves (bullet bills can be kept in Yoshi's mouth and spit out somewhere else to carry on flying, bounce eggs into walls and then lick (to stop) and collect them to upgrade your eggs (yellow=coin, red=star), push blocks and boulders, limited hover which takes you slightly upwards (advanced move - bouncing on an enemy makes the hover move take you higher), Yoshi can eat fireballs and use them to spit fire like a flamethrower, spit ice/water melon seeds and bubbles)
-Some creative boss fights (moon boss, final boss)
-Auto-run (no more need to hold down a button)
-New player vs. CPU duel mini-games
-Very good animation with very expressive sprites overall
-Some gameplay innovations (Poochy - unwieldy animal ride, !-block - opens a door to a hidden room or fills in dotted line paths (like the switch palaces in SMW) for a limited time, various mechanics around egg throwing, shooting enemies that lock onto the player, the arrow platforms which can be moved around to reach new areas or take shortcuts)
-Some huge sprites
-Some nice polygonal effects
-The large item inventory from SMB3 is back and now accessible in levels (several of them give you stars so you can allow yourself to get hit once or twice even later on)
-Pretty good bosses overall (some creative ones like the giant black duck on the small moon you can walk the whole way around)
-Somewhat comical (level names, slapstick, quirky, whacky)
-Auto-saves progress
-Unlockable bonus levels (SMW, get 100% in a world/sub area)
-Fleshes out the Mario universe a bit more
-Nice boss intros
-More interesting skiing sections than in Sonic 3
Terranigma (SNES, 1995) - ARPG/Action Adventure w/ platforming and swimming, TD View, One stealth segment, Mini-games (whack a mole, race, throwing challenge, basic town development)
-Agile main character (can change direction while running and there's no need to hold the button, jump from the get go)
-Weapons have certain features attached to them (such as regeneration)
-Two optional continents to resurrect
-In-game tooltips in the menu (L button)
-Some gameplay innovations (expand/develop towns by helping important people with their problems, the weather decides enemy behaviour in Zue)
-Continues and further develops the restoration theme from Soul Blazer (also references it in one area) - later revisited in Okami/Twilight Princess
-Some memorable scenes and locations (the avalanche scene, meet the developers in-game in Neo Tokyo (FF IV), ghost scene in Neo Tokyo, zombie infested desert town)
-Mini-games (whack a mole, race, throwing challenge)
-Good shop interface ()
-Can get drunk on Sake (Ultima VII?)
-Impressive music, Nice cutscenes and visual effects, Some large and detailed sprites
-Good dialogue overall with some decent humour
-Get to cooperate with a few CPU allies in the lab tower dungeon
-Good Dungeon maps (position, basic layout, exits and stairs, opened chests?, floor number)
-Some good bosses
-Some good puzzles later on
-Area introduction text/title cards - Addams Family AMI/SNES/MD?, Link's Awakening, etc.
Chrono Trigger (SNES, 1995) - JRPG, Mixes in some action sequences (piloting the Silvr, avoiding thieving rats and alarms, etc.),
-Non-random encounters (many encounters look avoidable but aren't though)
-Run from the get go - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-Combo attacks
-Interesting storytelling using parallel storylines in different eras (time travel theme - what you do in the past affects the future, NPC dialogue often changes during the game)
-Some good humour (silliness, sarcasm, deadpan)
-Minor puzzles in some dungeons (Genocidome, using an enemy shell as a platform)
-Good dramaturgy for the time
-Multiple endings and you can choose to fight the final boss relatively early on
-Some innovative battles (multi-part bosses, Son of Sun boss, countdown attacks)
-Good variation
-Memorable locations
-The prison breakout scene and the trial scene
-Fast menus
-Impressive music and pretty impressive ambient design
-Well made personal scenes to flesh out the characters
-Nice cutscenes and visual effects overall (some look pretty dated and backgrounds lack parallax)
Star Fox 2 (SNES, 1995)(Unreleased until 2017) - TBS/RTS Hybrid w/ Space Combat Sim & Vehicle Combat Sim segments, 2-Player split screen duel mode
-Missions are timed and the enemies on the star map get to move further during them (albeit at a slower pace)
-RTS-like and less linear structure where you defend corneria while picking enemy targets one at a time and can use the mothership to teleport between uninvaded planets (game is paused while planning your movements on the star map, but real time while moving and unpaused but at a slower pace during missions)
-Technically impressive (better framerate, more textures on polygon models)
-Level design makes pretty good use of the 3D engine (new to the game are dog fights and arena/base missions which are similar to the ones in Soul Star (MCD))
-Three difficulty levels which affect level design and which bosses you meet plus if there'll be viruses that take over the defensive auto-turret
-Transform into a walker/chicken vehicle (can strafe and jump)
-The controls make good use of the SNES controller (boost, brake, strafing and jumping in walker form, first and third person views)
-Pretty good in-game cutscenes
-Charge attack + target lock on by default (part of what makes the dog fights too easy - lock on doesn't work on the final boss though) - Lock On, After Burner, etc.
-Radar feature (can't zoom it out though)
-Temporary invincibility shield and twin blaster (both are rare - didn't see them on Normal)
-Ranking system
-Choose a two plane team to play through the game with (six characters, two new ones (both are female), every other character is a clone of another one)
Secret of Evermore (SNES, 1995) - ARPG (no jumping, separate overworld (mode 7, gain an airship in the late game)), Some mazes, TD view
-Doesn’t take itself too seriously
-Pretty fun ingredient gathering for spells with the dog - later used in Ore ga Omae o Mamoru (DS)
-Lots of spells and equipment
-Good dialogue overall
-Improved interface/mechanics compared to SoM (allies don't need to be on-screen any more, no more delay when the game is registering attacks, l or r to switch player, faster shop, lower characters in names), improved AI overall, charging doesn't make you move slower, infinite running (if you have a level 3 weapon), you and your dog can both attack at the same time, the Evade problem from SoM is mostly solved by using Speed magic which you get early on)
-You can "talk" to NPCs as the dog and have them say different things
-Some dialogue choices have minor consequences
-Some good puzzles (volcano exterior, Colossia, Omnitopia)
-Call Beads (use allied NPCs' spells via telepathy)
-There's usually a reason to revisit old areas (better implementation of weapon uses like cutting tall grass)
-Energize spell speeds up weapon charging - unfortunately you get it very late
-You can avoid most enemy spells (either by running away or by casting curative magic at the same time which blocks the attack)
-Different currencies in each area (can be tedious but adds to immersion) - Zeliard
-Save points (multiple slots)
Romancing SaGa 3 (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/WRPG Hybrid
Seiken Densetsu 3 (SNES, 1995) - TD View ARPG (no platforming, pick your team before beginning (three different characters out of a roster of six), separate mode 7 overworld), 2-Player Co-op (+1 CPU ally, 3-player co-op with a hack)
-Linear structure overall (opens up a bit after recruiting the first four spirits but you'll have to grind to be able to take the alternate path and then it becomes linear again, you're locked out of parts of various areas until later, opens up a lot when hunting the god-beasts)
-Basic class changing system (can change twice per char using certain items, different classes have different abilities and stats, can't revert a class change, temporary caps on stats depending on class chosen (so for example around lvl 20 as a Monk Kevin you can't increase your Agility beyond 11 until leveling up more))
-Switch between party characters on the fly in 1-player mode
-More character customization (character building via manual stat allocation upon level up (strength, agility=evade+agility magic, vitality=defense+vitality magic (Kevin only and only one spell), intelligence=magic attack+defense+offensive spell learning requirement, spirit=non-offensive/wisp spell efficiency, luck=critical hit chance+chest trap def), techs)
-Impressive visual effects (spells, perspective effects during the intro and ending, day/night cycle, large and detailed boss sprites, etc.), nice cutscenes overall
-Day/night cycle (some interesting uses - getting out of the second town as Duran for example, can rest until midnight or -day at inns (after the first town) or use a special seed item to skip ahead)
-Pretty good dialogue overall
-Combo attacks (hold A then release and press B when you see an alternate attack animation - easier with Hawk and Kevin (and Angela?) supposedly since they hit more than once/have a longer animation but I found it near impossible due to the small sprites+party members getting in the way+quick animation+no other indication of when to do it)
-Great art direction and animation overall (the movement animation in stairs is pretty choppy)
-Some world map teleporters (cannon system returns) - can also summon a giant sea turtle (Booskaboo) later on to travel between certain beach spots and even later on a dragon which can be ridden manually (Flammie returns)
-Good replay value (different beginning stories/prologues for characters which interweave later on as well as a few unique moments per char later on, some teams talk more to each other during the game than in SoM)
-One optional hidden boss - FFV?
-You can tell if an enemy will cast a spell by looking at the knockback from your attack (no knockback=casting)
-Somewhat improved NPC AI overall (they can still get confused near narrow passages and gather slowly when engaging with shopkeepers)
-Larger inventory and added storage which can be accessed anywhere
-Monsters can lose their initiative by you pressing A the moment battle starts
-Somewhat comical tone
-Can push NPCs out of the way and even push enemies (won't be damaged until they attack)
-Week mechanic which affects elemental spell strength (gnome day/sunday=earth for example)
-Different footstep sfx depending on the environment
-Some memorable locations (the ghost ship, Pedan - you can view some events from the past as mirages here like Duran's father going after the villain, fight one boss in the sky on flammie's back)
-Some interesting spells (aura wave - boost power bar/special attack stamina to max, rainbow dust - quadra-elemental attack, ff-style summons, enemy summon spells (six different ones) - however they appear and attack once instead of staying and fighting for you, revenge voice (enemy only) - turns into one of your chars)
-Holding A/attack triggers auto-attacking (not very efficient though)
-Can teleport out of dungeons with ropes as in the prequel
-No more stamina bar system (visual queue for when to strike instead - no sub 100% stamina strikes possible during battle so you can't pin enemies down and the queue halts your movement for a moment (though not every time)) - now there's about half a second delay between attacks instead, pointless animation during battle which halts your movement (serves as the regular attack queue when your stamina refills but it can make it harder to dodge enemy attacks), mashing the attack button (A) instead of waiting causes you to miss attacks
-Fairly frequent save points (three slots - Golden Axe Warrior) as well as HP/MP restoration points
-Instant/Chain-Casting trick (not as OP as in SoM though as you make two chars cast two different spells and just a chain of three is kinda tricky, can also be used to cast a single spell instantly)
-Attacking at the same time as a monster can cancel your attack (and not just because of dodge/evade)
-Smaller punishment for losing a character during battle (gets resurrected with 1 HP after the current battle)
-Status ailments wear off after clearing a room/area of enemies and so do buffs (kind of tedious to keep casting sabers for example)
-Can plant certain seeds at inns for a random item in its category (kind of annoying system for getting class change items - have to go fight an enemy then save and reload normally to reset the random number that determines what you'll get (it's based on your current exp))
-Missing with a special attack won't drain its charge meter here (manually/physically, not if the dice roll makes you miss)
-Features mentions of slavery at one point
-There are a few points where you use spirits to manipulate the environment which is kind of interesting but very underused and not very in-depth
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals/Estpolis Denki II (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/Rogue-like Hybrid
-Relatively fast paced
-Good pacing (dungeon crawling/exploring/town ratio)
-IP system (similar to FF's limit breaks, use IP for special abilites tied to weapons - some tactical choices involved here since the best IP equipment usually doesn't give the best stat boosts)
-No random battles in dungeons (can't avoid most battles though because you'll be moving in cramped spaces or being forced to fight)
-Good dungeon design (borrows heavily from Zelda)
-Nice strategic element to attacking monsters in dungeons (facing decides who goes first?, arrows to stun enemies, etc.)
-Warp (go back to an already visited area) and escape (exit a dungeon) items
-Capsule monsters (pre-dates Pokemon)
-Optional boss which is much harder than the final boss
-Retry mode (new game+)
-Gift option (pick your own party out of all the playable ones in the game for the ancient cave dungeon after beating the game once)
-Ancient cave sidequest (100 floors of battling for loot)
-The ending scene is almost exactly the same as the intro scene from the prequel (this one takes place right before the first game)
WIP
Theme Park (PC/AMI/3DO, 1994/MD/MCD/SNES, 1995) - Park Building & Management Sim/Business Sim
-Some creative mechanics (can sell parks, can receive money rewards for being the best park in one or more areas at the end of a year, can place signs and have visitors follow them (expecting to find the shops/rides written on them), can see what visitors are thinking/feeling via cartoon thinking bubbles, can tweak the amount of certain ingredients in some food wares, salary negotiations (employees can also go on strike) - plays like a basic "rope pulling" mini-game though, manually set work zones and waypoints for some workers, stock market feature (simplified - major financial changes are performed at the end of each month), basic reputation and rivalry mechanics)
-Weather effects (entertainer employees hand out umbrellas to customers if it starts to rain - nice detail, different weather in each country)
-Inflation/interest/land tax mechanics are part of the game's economy (not sure if either changes over the course of the game)
-Good selection of attractions and scenery (lakes for example) for the time
-Rival parks (cpu-controlled) - SimCity 2000?, Number of CPU opponents option (0-10+, harder to win rewards in all categories with more competitors)
-Trading
-Maintenance, Have to keep your park clean to keep customers happy
-Can place orders while the game is paused (but not do anything else besides checking attraction sub menus - can't even use the main menu and time keeps going while checking any sub menu when it isn't paused)
-Difficulty+sim complexity options (sandbox=no research or restocking required (also no negotiations or stock market available), Sim=everything but restocking and stock market activated, easy-hard difficulty (determines starting money)+easy-hard default visitor moods (first 4 years only?)+easy-hard opponents, can change the complexity level at any point - this can be used with saving/reloading to your advantage for negotiations, easy mode automates some features like ordering supplies)
-Save anywhere (10+ slots but you can't name them and no stats are shown at all (just "game 00" etc.))
-Can rename attractions
-Some fun attractions (fireworks, roller coaster, )
-Can pick up and place employees if they wander off or get stuck (but only if they're idle?, icons in the top right let you cycle between employees)
-Two zoom levels and a real-time map view, Tiny mode (shift+t - makes attractions and customers small to let you spot other things more easily)
-Can open or close your park at any point (O on PC)
-Quick save/load (alt+s/l) - PC only?
-Game speed options in-game (slow/medium/fast/ultra)
-Get a subtle notification when someting new is researched
-Can build parks in ~10 locations across the world
-Limited warehouse capacity for supply stock which can be upgraded
-Your park can attract bikers if there are a lot of litter+fast rides (negative visitors who'll beat up entertainers and break rides, need to hire guards if it happens)
-Basic tutorial via an advisor (pick Yes for first game, non-intrusive but also doesn't teach you much at all, the advisor does give basic advice about prices and customer feedback at least)
-Can place certain shops and scenery outside of the park's walls near the street (a street fair of sorts)
-Changing music depending on what ride you're viewing (not dynamic though)
Oraga Land Shusai: Best Farmer Shuukakusai (SNES, 1995) - Farming Sim (Arcade-style), Tilted View w/ Mode 7 rotation, Split screen (always on), 2-player vs.
-Grow crops while fighting off creatures
Hameln no Violin Hiki (SNES, 1995) - Puzzle Platformer/Action Platformer Hybrid w/ a hub world (several towns)
-Innovative and varied gameplay (use a female sidekick to solve puzzles - you can turn her into various creatures with different abilities)
-Humoristic
-Good boss fights
-Good puzzles overall
-Fairly impressive music overall
Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES, 1995) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure
-New animals to ride (or to help in levels) and mini-games to play
-Lots of levels and secrets
-Some innovative level design ()
-New character (Dixie, can hover in the air and her moves are better incorporated into the level design than Donkey's were in DKC1) replaces Donkey
-Throw mechanic (SMB2-3 & SMW, leaves your partner vulnerable for a while and can kill it off if used on the wrong enemy)
-Some improved bosses (several phases each)
-Fast paced and intense overall
Der Langrisser (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995)(Langrisser II Remix) – SRPG/TBS
-Adds Ogre Battle-style character creation (quiz)
-More character building customization (different classes and sub classes)
-Very good enemy AI for the time
-Sometimes impressive music?
-Hidden scenarios
Syndicate (1993 PC port/MCD, 1993/MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Squad-based RTS w/ some TBS aspects, Mission-based
-Open-ended structure
-Character and party customization (innovative combat drug system (manipulate speed, accuracy and stamina; manage resistance))
-Unique concept (global corporations fighting it out with the use of cyborgs while terrorizing the population)
-Cyber punk theme
-Research weapons and implants
-Detailed ranking after each mission (performance doesn't affect gameplay in any meaningful way though)
-Some territory management (taxes only - affects happiness)
-Can buy tips during mission briefings
-NPC police react to you carrying weapons or not
-Can loot dead NPCs for equipment
-Radar system (unfortunately focuses on your agents instead of your view and can't be used for in-doors targeting)
-Persuade NPCs to help you (using a special gun)
-Save in-between missions
-Some interesting equipment (time bomb, mini-gun, flamethrower, bullet shield)
-A message tells you the next objective during a mission (Desert Strike?)
-Destructible vehicles and vegetation
-Enemies sometimes fight amongst each other
-Good length (~48 missions)
-Permadeth (agents don't come back after death)
-Time runs extremely fast
-Auto-aiming (via one of the drugs so you'll need to manage it)
-Flamers/lasers/gauss guns demolish NPC equipment
-No consequences for killing civilians
-Gain money simply by waiting in-between missions
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (SNES, 1995) - SRPG, Real-Time w/ Pausing Battles
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/213-nonstop-gaming-general/76940120?page=2
WIP
Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi (SNES, 1995) - JRPG
Tales of Phantasia (SNES, 1995/PS1/GBA) - ARPG/JRPG hybrid, TD Exploration/Side View Battles
-Vocal track and some voice acted narration for the intro,
-AI controlled allies/CPU allies with some customization (4 person party)
-Mini-map in the overworld
-Version differences: Lower encounter rate on PS1 & GBA, Much lower gold gain on PS1 & GBA (was kind of broken on SNES), Can run from the get go on PS1 & GBA, Slowdown and overly bright colors on GBA
Ys V: Kefin, The Lost City of Sand (SNES, 1995) - ARPG w/ jumping (no real ability/tool gating (there's just a robe that lets you traverse through a sand storm area)), TD view, Craft spells (fluxstone system), Non-bump combat
-Diagonal movement - Zelda 3
-Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy sprite (as well as when hit by enemies) - Final Fantasy III
-Avatar color options plus menu and lifebar options
-Quicksave
-Sometimes interactive dialogue (can ask bartenders about stuff) - Ys 1?
-Manual blocking - Popeye, Spelunker, etc.
-Combine elements for different spells (charge up attack)
-Craft spells (fluxstone system)
-NPC encounters in dungeons - Ys 1?
-Quickly switch between 3 selected spells
-Some good storytelling techniques (shows some events to the player that the hero doesn't know about)
-Pretty nice ending cutscenes
-Nice winged boy remix (only used for the ending though)
Front Mission (SNES, 1995) - TBS/SRPG?, Isometric view
-Multiple destructible parts for the mechs (seems poorly balanced though as it's generally better to aim at the body for a quick kill)
-Lots of customization options
Final Fight 3 (SNES, 1995) - Beat 'em up, Tilted view, 2-player co-op
-CPU controlled ally mode (choose between three AI levels - weak/normal/strong)
-Difficulty option which affects the ending
-Two new characters (one of them replaces Cody/the blonde guy). Different characters have different weapon proficiencies
-New moves (backwards dodge move, keep facing one direction, run move and two running attacks (punch into combo or running jump kick), elbow drop (Guy; lets you jump attack and follow with a combo instead of knocking the enemy down, get up faster by mashing the attack and jump buttons - Tekken?)
-A few alternate paths (Golden Axe 3?) and secret rooms found by destroying the environment (can affect the ending)
-Power bar and super attacks (fill up the bar by attacking then pull off the button combo)
-Possible sequence break at one point (skip level 5 boss)
-SoR 2-inspired specials system
Mega Man X3/Rockman X3 (SNES, 1995/SAT/PS1) - Action Platformer/Proto-Platform Adventure, Escape sequence
-Play as Zero (overpowered saber attack, can't fight bosses or pick up sub tanks)
-Some cool new weapons and upgrades (alternate weapon charge attacks, skip on water surfaces, mid-air dash allows you to skip some tedious enemies)
-Mini-bosses (obligatory this time)
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Good bosses overall
-Weather effects which can be removed by destroying their respective generators
-One optional hidden boss (Vile)
-Fast ladder climbing
-A couple of extra bosses will appear randomly after half the game (creates some dead space in the shape of empty boss rooms)
-Optional overpowered double charge shot
-Convenience upgrades (item radar helmet)
Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wanderer/Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fuurai no Shiren (SNES, 1995)(spiritual sequel to Torneko no Daibouken) - Rogue-like RPG (can throw most items at enemies, tile-based movement, can't backtrack at all except accidentally via pitfall traps, can examine all identified items), TD View
-Some meta progression (can put items in a warehouse pot to keep them and have to die to progress certain events, all other progress is lost when dying)
-Regenerate HP - can regenerate faster while being vulnerable to enemies (a+b)
-Map system (semi-transparent and can be shown while playing similar to Diablo, show items and (using a scroll) enemies, very good but could've shown where a path ends and let you mark locations)
-Medieval Japan setting with mythological elements
-Facing mechanics (getting hit from the side or back is more dangerous) - can turn while standing still without wasting turns by holding a button (similar to Diablo)
-Run/fast forward move (moves you to the end of a straight path (or adjacent to a room entrance/exit or next to a monster or next to a wall/object) instantly, makes you skip picking items you move into?)
-Automatically pick up items until your inventory is full (can also manually pick up or immediately fire projectiles fired at you but blocked by your shield)
-Random teleportation item (some enemies can also do this to you)
-Nice art cutscenes
-Enemies are also affected by mine explosions - systemic element
-Can increase your stomach size by eating when full
-Some enemies can kill other enemies (this can even level them up)
-No default fog of war when outside (some enemies can remove your sight temporarily)
-NPC encounters in dungeon areas with side quests - Ys?
-Can turn monsters into meat and then eat it to turn into that monster (can also throw the meat at a monster or NPC to transform them)
-Shops and smithys ()
-Certain scrolls can reveal a dungeon layout completely (single use) - Dragon Crystal
-Save (and quit) feature
-Can use items on and even kill villagers
-Improved diagonal movement
-Some interesting enemies (some enemies leave ghosts that possess other enemies and make them stronger if you kill them, some enemies can transform you)
-Outdoors dungeon areas with non-rectangular rooms
-Some memorable characters (Pekeji)
-Various interesting items (blank scroll - name it any scroll you've used before and it will have that function, transform pot - put items in it and throw it against a wall to randomly make new items, a pot that cages enemies, dig through walls with the pickaxe, bargain bracelet, can hide from monsters by going inside hiding pots, buy-time staff - paralyze and warp monsters to the exit of an area, can steal from enemies using a Todo pot, shields that prevent theft and hunger, etc.)
-New weapons and shields show on your avatar - Ys III, Cadash?
-Pretty impressive music
-Optional puzzle dungeons accessed from the first town (win one item per finished dungoen, however your current equipment disappears when entering)
-Some ambient sfx - Sonic 1?, Evermore and CT
-After dying once you'll meet NPCs who'll take you to the next visited town (you'll likely want to travel by foot to level up and find new items though)
-Inventory sorting
Tetris Attack/Panel de Pon (SNES, 1995) - Block Puzzle/Matching Puzzle
Phantom 2040 (MD/SNES, 1995) - Platform Adventure/Metroidvania (fairly open-ended/non-linear structure (partially interconnected world and there's a hub map - most areas are unlocked after first mission), there are missions but you're free to partially explore other areas to collect various items and the outcome of a mission can be a bit different depending on your route through the areas or what you choose to do in story scenes, upgradeable health and energy/ammo bars as well as hook/rope length, armor and energy usage upgrades, item inventory (can hold ammo and healing items), ability gating, etc.), Mission-Based, Need to destroy a barrier's respective terminal switch/generator to open it (there are several of these per area), Pilot a walker vehicle through some short segments (rare and not very interesting)
-Multiple endings (four good endings and sixteen (!) bad ones, getting all four yields a pretty satisfying additional scene with the corrupt news reporter)
-Hookshot mechanic (swing on ceilings and climb walls - better at the latter when moving quickly, upgradeable length) - also stuns many enemies for a few seconds
-On the fly button mapping options
-Cutscenes in-between missions - can be sped up (press a button to go to the next piece of dialogue)
-Some large and detailed sprites
-Some good bosses (final boss, train boss, space station cannon, first main boss (cyborg Graft's walker robot) gradually falls apart and takes on a bike form as his final form, second phase of the remote controlled walker boss)
-Slide kick move (stops as soon as you release the button) - Strider (NES)?
-Touching enemies generally won't damage phantom (like in the Shinobi games)
-Can throw enemies (walk up close and punch while pressing up)
-Some innovative and/or memorable level design (sewer segment, cannon pipe, missile and space station cannon disarming, escape after the biomonster, final phase of the final boss)
-Some cool weapons and gadgets (homing missiles, bomb, pellets)
-Some areas change appearance and shape during the course of the game (city streets, university, warehouse)
-Fast wall climbing (on MD)
-You can spam the jump kick against walls to descend slower and search for destructible walls on MD. Jump kick also serves as a hover jump of sorts
-Vaguely cyberpunk-themed setting
-Partial six button support (the grappling hook is mapped to the Z button and targeting while still mapped to the mode button (weird) but X and Y could've been used for weapon switching and running respectively, you also can't reconfigure the buttons without an emulator)
-Some areas change appearance and shape during the course of the game (city streets, university, warehouse)
-Plenty of '90s edginess
-Respawn on the spot (health and energy is refilled, makes extra lives feel kind of redundant since there's no difference between losing a life and using tanks) - Alex Kidd iMW
-All version differences: https://minirevver.weebly.com/phantom-2040-md-vs-snes.html
Holy Umbrella: Dondera no Mubo!! (SNES; 1995) - Platformer/JRPG & ARPG Hybrid (RPG elements (TD view town exploration and NPC dialogue, shops, stat progression via power ups - str/def/hp, very linear structure (you do at least backtrack to an older town at two points to travel to a new location and the finale happens near the first town), no need to go use new tools in older areas to reach any upgrades), Popful Mail-style hub map), TD view (towns)/SV hybrid (hostile areas)
-Switch between chars on the fly with l/r after you've recruited them (these have unique abilites: bonto/bird - double jump, saki/girl - wall jump and slide (barely needed after you can climb though); recruiting is automatic) - have to be standing on the ground though
-Dialogue portraits are animated
-Your umbrella gets upgraded over the course of the game with new moves (hook swing, glide/hover jump, wall climb, mid-air stomp attack, walk over spikes, ice attack - freeze some enemies and certain block tiles (similar to MM1 or Metroid, can pick up and throw/put frozen enemies here as well), wind attack - turn enemies into green orbs that you can throw further than the ice blocks and in more directions, fire attack - the orb spins around you until near an enemy at which point it homes in on the enemy, water attack - the orbs spin around you as a protective shield, thunder attack - the orbs move in a zig zag pattern when shot but can only be shot forward, cloud attack - picked up orbs spin outwardly and disappear near the screen edge (hitting enemies on the way out))
-Can teleport to the hub map with the jewel item (even during boss fights) - not from within towns though
-Levels with treasure left in them are marked on the hub map (similar to SMW). No level maps
-Can speed up dialogue on a per text box basis
-Life restoration upon death item (like fairies in Zelda, can carry one at a time)
-Pretty fast resting and saving (one slot)
-Some interesting storytelling techniques (fourth wall breaking joke, interactive flashback (play as Viper here))
-The villain joins you temporarily as a playable char
-Some interesting level design (the part where you push a structure to change the topography of a platforming segment - very easy though, the royal tomb part with the shining light (works like the x-ray beam in Super Metroid), )
-Shared health (and stats) between chars - TMNT, status effects affect the whole party and won't wear off until cured
-One female party member and two female (one is a transvestite? referred to as male in-game) villains plus the party member sacrifices herself for the hero at one point
-Unlimited lives
-Quiz mini-game (pretty easy) and rock paper scissors mini-game (random) - WBiML/Alex Kidd iMW
Clock Tower (SNES, 1995) - Quest Adventure (P&C, can use L/R to quickly go left or right without using the pointer, no mouse support)/Survival Horror Hybrid, Tilted view
-Some elements were later used in the Resident Evil series (mansion setting, unkillable enemy character that surprises you here and there)
-Fairly unique premise (you're one of a group of orphans moving to a new house, your foster parent goes to get the caretaker and shit goes wrong)
-Can run (double tap the move button) but there's a stamina mechanic and resting is slow
-Uses music/sfx and facial expressions for your avatar effectively to increase tension at certain points (normally there's no BGM playing - starts playing when finding the bad guy and his giant scissors also tend to make a noise when he's in the same room)
-Multiple endings (9 in total)
-Regenerating health (slow though) - Ys
-No in-game maps, No save or password save features (the game is pretty short but very slow paced)
Hyper Iria (SNES, 1995) - Platform Adventure-lite/Action Platformer w/ Maze Levels (Mission-Based non-linear structure w/ hub menu - can't replay beaten missions or revisit the locations they took place in nor exit unbeaten levels, some alternate paths through some levels/areas), Some shoot 'em up levels (short and basic)
-AI assistant (gives directions and tips, talks with the main char during gameplay; similar to OoT or Burning Rangers but less intrusive)
-Shopping and gear customization between levels (can buy a lot of different gear from the get go, mission-based and non-linear (can do the first 4 (out of 5) missions in any order)
-Ranking system (kill rate, time taken - can adjust the amount of time allowed to get a bonus, life left; money is rewarded based on your performance in a mission)
-Double jump from the get go
-Decent variety (one rescue mission - no escorting required, one collect mission with a surprise attack, one bomb defusal, one escape sequence, most end up as search and destroy missions though and one that sounds like a protection mission on paper isn't one), Sometimes you're attacked while flying towards a mission's location - these levels are very basic and easy plus you can't use your bought gear (instead there's a basic shot power up you can get from enemies which adds spread to your shot and disappears after the segment is beaten) but you can gain some extra ammo for the gear you have equipped in them, One escape sequence (mission 1 - no directions given though)
-Some strategy in what to bring to a mission (can hold only 3 weapons and 3 items at a time, you're not given any info on what you'll face though so it's a trial & error process)
-Can skip dialogue on a per sentence/paragraph basis (basic cutscenes before missions where your char talks to the AI)
-Switch between weapons and items with L and R respectively (only issue is you can only cycle one way and there's always an empty fourth slot in each category which is part of the cycle)
-Unlimited continues option
-Can buy two movement upgrades (upgradeable jump height, glide jump; can only use one at a time) - both are optional but the higher jump is useful in mission 2
-Some cool gear (trail bomb, sliding bomb, machine gun (triple shot - can turn around during the volley to shoot in both directions)),
-No extra lives but the game has frequent checkpoints after using a continue (right before a boss room if you died at one and you regain the ammo used in that area/room)
-Radar instead of a map system (shows nearby enemies only, not layouts)
-Female protagonist (Metroid etc)
Metal Warriors (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer, Mech-based, 2-Player Vs. mode (Arena Fighting), Cool race/escape sequence after the final boss (race the boss pilot on foot for the mech right at the exit of the base)
-Fairly advanced controls (16-way aiming, deployable shield (see Another World), alternate weapons, sword, move outside your mech like in blaster master, jetpack)
-Mini-map
-Pretty nice anime style graphics
-Interactive control configuration - Alien Soldier
-Pretty good cutscenes between levels overall
-Pretty varied missions (rescue hostages, obtain supplies, defend structures, dock ships)
-Partially destructible set pieces (shots also leave a mark) - Lemmings, SMB
-Temporary reverse gravity power up (Metal Storm)
-Take over unused enemy mechs - similar to Paradroid
-One hidden mission - kinda tedious though
-Unlockable spoof version of the vs. mode
Mega Man 7 (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer
-Mini-bosses
-Good bosses overall
-Good variation
-New Rush abilities ()
-Faster weapon switching
-Pretty good animation
-More pronounced effects on bosses when you hit them with the weapon they’re weak to
-Some new ideas (chase scenes, environmental effects from some weapons (turning on the machines in the junk man area with the thunder shot, burning down a tree in slash man’s area to find Beat with the scorching wheel, changing the weather in cloud man’s stage, freezing lava in junk man’s stage)
-Weapon explanations by Dr. Light (some suck though)
-Shop system (collect bolts to buy items – e-tank, ammo tank, Beat the bird (gets you out of pits), etc.) - Below the Root, Dragon Slayer II, Vampire Killer MSX, Usas, etc.
-Taking a hit doesn’t cancel the charge shot here
-Some interesting secrets ()
-Much shorter knockback from enemy hits
-Rush can now take damage (could possibly be used as a shield in some situations but it also cancels the move for example if you’re trying to use the coil)
Super Turrican 2 (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer
-Great variation
-Technically impressive (though some parts look dated now)
-Huge bosses
-Ride vehicles
-Grapple hook (more useful than in the prequels)
-Good bosses overall
-Good sound effects (surround sound support)
-Fairly impressive music
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe/Fighting Eleven (SNES, 1995/MD, 1996)
SeaQuest DSV (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Submarine Sim?
NHL '96 (MD/SNES, 1995) - ? Sports (Hockey)
Killer Instinct (ARC, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Fighting
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition (SNES, 1995) - Fighting
Top Gear 3000 (SNES, 1995) - Racing
Looney Tunes B-Ball (SNES, 1995) - Sports (Basketball);
Puyo Puyo 2 (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) – Match 3 Puzzle
-New game modes
-Impressive music overall?
WIP
Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES, 1995)(Rondo of Blood port with various differences (mostly worse)) - Action Platformer, No level timers
-No knockback when crouching
-Ability to switch between subweapons (Rondo style - still a problem in some situations where you're stressed or the weapon falls off a small platform)
-Impressive music
-Some secrets (Key attack (item crash), gain 1-ups from avoiding taking any damage in a stage
-Backward somersault (can flip onto stairs)
-Jump onto/off of stairs - Bloodlines?
-Improved enemy AI
-Some air control (odd system where you need to hold down the jump button to be able to steer somewhat, you can also jump without steering to nudge slightly in either direction)
-A couple of alternate paths (one is found by jumping down a pit though)
-Good animation
-Good bosses overall
-Alternate endings (find the two kidnapped women)
-Boss fights are no longer confined to one screen only
YamYam (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/Rail Shooter Hybrid
Dai-4-Ji Super Robot Taisen (SNES, 1995) - TBS?
Lodoss Tou Senki (SNES, 1995) - ? JRPG, Isometric Battles
Earthworm Jim 2 (MD/SNES, 1995/PC/SAT/PS1, 1996) – Action Platformer, Misc. Action segments (one isometric view plane-based escort level, one collectathon/rescue mission+bomb defusal level), One quiz show mini-game
-Great variation
-Nice visuals w/ great animation
-Slime/blob mascot (grapple hook of sorts at certain ceilings only+glide jump - Bionic Commando and Below the Root respectively)
-Humorous (absurd, non-sequitur, slap stick)
-Some fun weapons (homing+exploding shot, plasma/lightning gun, smart bomb)
-Heavily destructible environment in level 2
-Recoil mechanic while underwater (?) in level 3
Metal Max Returns (SNES, 1995) - JRPG?
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story (SNES, 1995) - ? JRPG
Rendering Ranger: R2 (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer/Horizontal Shoot 'em up Hybrid; Technically impressive
Mystic Ark (SNES, 1995) - ? JRPG
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (MD/SNES, 1995) - ?
Ladystalker (SNES, 1995) – Action RPG with platforming (separate battle encounters (random), overworld & dungeons split), Isometric view
-Mine cart segments
-Party-based (control only the main char though - the others stand back during battle)
WIP
Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Crossroads Of Time (MD/SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer/Maze Platformer (PoP-like controls) w/ AA elements (linear and level-based overarching structure), Some Horizontal Shooter segments
-Mini-map (doesn't show the layouts though but the occasional computer maps do)
-Teleporters
-Transform into a rodent at one point
Demolition Man (MD/SNES/MCD, 1995) - Action Platformer/TD Maze Action Hybrid, PoP-like controls
-Interesting boss fights
-Good animation and sound effects (oomph)
-Some innovative level design ()
Weaponlord (MD/SNES, 1995) - Fighting, Weapon-based
Mortal Kombat 3 (MD/SNES, 1995) - Fighting
NBA Live 96? (MD/SNES, 1995) - Sports (Basketball)
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie (SNES, 1995) - Beat 'em up; Different
True Lies (MD/SNES, 1995) - Maze Action/Maze Shooter (hostage rescue element), TD view
-Dodge roll and strafing moves
-Lob grenades (Commando)
-Explosive boxes (Rush & Crash/Speed Rumbler)
-Mines (Impossible Mission II)
Zoop (MD/SNES, 1995) - Matching Puzzle
Judge Dredd (MD/SNES, 1995) - ? Action Platformer/Police Sim
Jungle Strike (MD, 1993/SNES, 1995) - ? Free-Roaming Shooter
Urban Strike (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - ?
Kawasaki Superbike Challenge (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Polygon-based racing (F1 engine), basic weather effects
Marko's Magic Football? (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995)
Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban (SNES, 1995) - TD view Run 'n Gun w/ Gremlins 2/Pocky & Rocky style gameplay (you can easily backtrack and farm items from respawning enemies (you can manually scroll the level backwards in most areas)), 2-player co-op
-Choose your own path on a world map (see Mega Man, Thunder Force III, Super Mario World, etc.)
-Two different characters to choose from
-Dodge/dash move (clunky to use though due to a long cooldown time and pause near the end of it)
-Transform into a body builder (apparently your father's spirit)
-Full of national/continental stereotypes from a Japanese perspective, travel across Japan/europe/asia in medieval times
-Very good enemy variation
-Expressive characters
-Mini-bosses
-Minor combo moves (fan shot, two different fireball shots, spin attack - no explanation on how to pull them off?)
-Comical/weird tone (slap stick, quirky, stereotypes)
-Save and ride on dolphins - Crystalis?
-Four different smart bomb/magic attacks to choose from
-Some large and fairly detailed sprites
-Respawn on the spot with same percentage and no. of scrolls
Boogerman (MD, 1994/SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer w/ Maze-like levels
-Gross out humour (boogers, burps and farts)
-Good animation
-Sometimes impressive music
-Charge attack (can't move while charging, breaks certain walls) - Mystic Defender
-Temporary flight ability
King of Demons/Majuu Ou (SNES, 1995) - Action Platformer
-Dark and gory anime aesthetic. Features torture
-Transform into three different demons
-Double jump and slide/roll moves - Dragon Buster/Strider NES
-Charge shot - ESWAT, Spellcaster
-Dive kick (demon form) - Shinobi 3
-Plenty of mini-bosses
-Good bosses overall
-Extendable HP bar (via points? gives some sense of progression)
-Good enemy variation
-Some enemies can be eaten (to regain HP) after death when in demon form
-Fairy companion (extra attack, revives you by sacrificing itself - can then be found again once or twice later on in the game)
Magical Pop'n (SNES, 1995) - Maze Platformer w/ AA elements (gain new abilities/spells which are used for traversal (grapple hook which doubles as a weapon, roll move which lets you climb walls, etc), level-based and you don't backtrack, hidden items and alternate paths within levels, HP upgrades, some minor puzzles)
-Good bosses overall (some have multiple forms, there's a bunch of mediocre ones in the last stages though)
-Some good enemy AI (some dodge your projectile attacks or hide/block when you're close)
-Expressive sprites (your avatar has a slew of voice samples used for each of her moves)
-Up- and down thrust (Zelda II, Rastan SMS)
-Mini-bosses (sometimes harder than the main boss)
-Roll move creates some interesting platforming puzzles
-Enemies also get hit by some traps (the laser turrets for example) - systemic element
-Female protagonist (witch)
Brandish 2: The Planet Buster (PC-98, 1993/SNES, 1995) - ARPG, TD View?
Super Chinese World 3 (SNES, 1995) - JRPG/Beat 'em up hybrid - see Little Ninja Brothers, TD/Tilted view hybrid, 2-player co-op?
Addams Family Values (SNES/MD, 1995) - Action Adventure, TD view
Rejoice: Aretha Oukoku no Kanata/Rejoice: Beyond the Aretha Kingdom (SNES, 1995) - ARPG w/ jumping, TD view
Crystal Beans: From Dungeon Explorer (SNES, 1995)(Dungeon Explorer II Remix/Remake?) - AA/ARPG, TD View
Ruin Arm (SNES, 1995) - ARPG, TD view, 2-player co-op
From TV animation - Slam Dunk 2: IH Yosen Kanzenban!! (SNES, 1995) - ? Sports
P.T.O. II: Pacific Theater of Operations (1994 FMT port/SNES, 1995) - TBS?
WakuWaku Ski Wonder Spur (SNES, 1995) - ? TP Skiing, Mode 7-based;
Matsukata Hiroki no Super Trawling - ? Sports (Fishing)
Scooby-Doo Mystery (SNES, 1995)? - Different, Platformer?
Captain Commando (1991 ARC port/SNES, 1995) -
Big Sky Trooper (SNES, 1995) - Action Adventure (hub map) w/ very minor platforming (no jumping besides on the rails in one area), TD view
WIP
Ultra Baken (SNES, 1995) - ? Horse Racing
BS Zelda no Densetsu (SNES Satellaview, 1995)(Zelda 1 remix) - Action Adventure, TD view
-See NES entry
1996:
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES, 1996) - Platform Adventure/ARPG (shops, use-based level up system - gear also levels up, detailed story, NPCs, choose your own path on a hub map (branching paths between mission areas))/Mech Action (can exit them and move around on foot like in Blaster Master), Mission-Based, Side view
-Good customization options for your mech (and even the pilot)
-Exit the mech to reach tight areas (and to use grenades; similar to Blaster Master)
-Level maps (start menu)
-Plays a lot like the Assault Suits games (adds a shop, level up system, detailed story and hub world)
-Recruitable CPU-controlled mech allies (the AI kind of sucks but it's still cool, can order some CPU allies to use a special ability and any of them to flee - no other orders)
-Good dialogue overall (tries a bit too hard to be badass at times which then again can be funny such as when the president rams an enemy mech)
-Double jump and short flight via jump jets (upgradeable - required at times)
-Upgradeable dash move (ASV, optional but useful) - Altered Beast first game w/ dash move?
-Alternate mechs to buy (different stats and abilities)
-Nice visual effects
-Pretty good variation (decent enemy variation, autoscrolling and underwater segments, chase, find and destroy, rescue, protect/hold out, key search, escape sequence)
-Can block most projectiles with a shield (see Assault Suits Valken, similarly it doesn't work while in mid-air)
-Save between missions (four slots)
-Revisit beaten stages for equipment and reactions from NPCs
-Nice ending
-Good length for the genre (10+ hours)
-Call for air strikes
-Decent arsenal of weapons (homing missiles, lasers, healing sphere, paralyse, gun drones, decoys, mines, floor seeker (see Snake Man from MM))
-Some destructible scenery
-Shows health bars for nearly all enemies - Final Fight?
-You can review a mission objective in the pause menu
-You can gain plenty of levels by re-entering areas and clearing them out
-Allies' mechs cannot be repaired if destroyed (they can be repaired during usage, yellow mech can't be re-bought in the same area you got it)
-Level/Area maps
Harvest Moon/Bokujou Monogatari (SNES, 1996) - Farm Sim/RPG (Open ended - you get 2.5 years but each one is only 120 days long), TD View
-Pretty in-depth farming life sim within a JRPG-like format (clear and prepare land, grow (plant and water, pay attention to seasons - there's also different fruit to collect depending on the current season) crops, feed and breed animals (cows and chickens), maintain and improve the farm (can upgrade your house twice using gold+wood as well as paint it), order goods in town, can use a horse to carry goods to the shipping box (gained after a few weeks, can also ride it and jump over fences with it), get married (4 different wives to choose from) and have up to 2 kids, fishing, etc.), day/night cycle (too fast though, can't enter town houses at night besides the bar and some items can't be found - however time actually stops at night until you go to bed and also stops while in the barn so you can take advantage of this to get more things done (however goods like fruit put in the shipping box at night just goes to waste))
-20 (!) different endings - each based on what you've specialized in/excelled at (can't get all of them in a single run)
-Can prematurely end the game at any point with start+select+l+r when going to bed - this is the only way to check all your stats
-Run button - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-Can read people's diaries (to check girls' affection scores - represented by hearts)
-Can jump over fences on the farm (not in town)
-Event-based tool upgrades - can buy them if you fail
-Can call on the horse or dog by whistling (R and L respectively)
-Reputation system (affection from animals and women+your kids; talk and brush animals for more affection (hitting them lowers it), do various things for women's and your kids' affection (festival dates, gifts, yes/no questions, etc.))
-Basic happiness system (do well in general, spot seasonal animals and catch fish, selling livestock results in a fairly big negative to happiness)
-Can lose your wife (only temporarily and only once though)
-Weather (rain, lightning storm, hurricane, snow - these can make calves sick) and weather forecasts via the TV in your house
-Can skip ahead to the next day by going to bed early (not recommended if you want the better endings or a high score though)
-Can speed up text on a per paragraph basis
-Modern day or near modern day Japan setting
-Open ended structure and you don't have to focus on farming (can become a ladies' man or bachelor/outdoorsman)
-Wood and grass automatically ends up in storage boxes when harvested
-Some relatively advanced tactics in how you place your crops (shown in the manual though, similar to SimCity; spring crops will grow and can be harvested in the summer as long as you planted them during springtime)
-Video tutorial - shows various parts of gameplay without any text so it's a bit lacking (there are various info tomes in-game though but they're very spread out so you're better off writing the info down or checking a guide)
-Fatigue/stamina mechanic (upgradeable via hidden power berries), Healing (stamina) spring north of the farm, no fatigue from removing weeds or moving stones
-It's not beneficial to keep livestock outside here besides not having to feed them when it's not winter (no boost to affection, various negatives)
-Randomly find items by digging (can actually dig the same tile over and over; 10-50 gold, 2 power berries, moles - can't do anything with these) - Zelda 3?
-Amusingly you can keep your dog or chickens anywhere (the latter won't lay eggs outside the farm's pen though, can keep chickens you want to sell in your own house)
-Chickens eat (fodder from) grass here - weird but more convenient
-All shops are closed on sundays (some on saturday as well)
-Need to use a stone or a piece of fence to unplow a plowed tile
-Ripe crops don't need to be watered and will last indefinitely until picked
-Chickens can't get sick or die from starvation
-Can't fish nor buy livestock when it's raining
-Pregnant cows don't get sick - the exception where it's good to have an animal outside since you don't have to manually feed them (unless it's winter; however breeding is less profitable than buying a new cow and (only adds a little bit to affection but also a good boost to happiness when the calf is born)
-Seeing animals north of the farm is the best source of happiness overall (though sometimes you have to enter the screen several times) and the second is giving your wife a bunch of eggs on your anniversary, spotting butterflies or the monkey doesn't add to happiness
-Can't do anything during a hurricane day and they can happen twice in a row (they also destroy some of your crops - made more annoying because you can't use just 1 seed to fill in 1 tile (9 is minimum))
-Can't die - you're simply working under a time limit and the ending is affected by what you accomplished (or didn't) along the way. The game always ends after the third summer
Super Mario RPG (SNES, 1996) - JRPG/ARPG Hybrid (basic manual stat distribution - hp/attack/magic, real-time battle elements (timed attack/defense – hit attack at the right time for more AP or DP (makes battles more interactive and fast paced and is also pretty forgiving overall; FF6), platforming, hub map), Mini-games (racing, whack-a-mole, one rhythm-based mini-game (yoshi race; T&E2, Tempo 32X), Isometric View
-Non-random encounters (several enemies will ambush you though and there are a few rooms with random encounters (booster's tower))
-Party members gain exp even if not in the active party
-Basic manual character building when leveling up (stat distribution - hp, attack or magic)
-Some good puzzles (bowser's castle's puzzle courses (except for the switch puzzle), last composing puzzle)
-Great dialogue (self-aware, whimsical and fun, pop culture references), great dramaturgy for the time (heavily animated characters and effective cutscenes)
-Does a great job at broadening the Mario universe (the tone and depth is similar to the SMW era Mario comic)
-Some good characters
-Clean and easy to use interface (could’ve been even better though by showing the commands beside the button layout and showing your characters’ HP when the enemy hits them)
-Mini-games (racing, whack-a-mole)
-You can stand on other characters (Light Crusader) and bounce in beds
-Run button - 005 ARC, Aztec, Fairlight, etc./Times of Lore and Quest for Glory for RPGs
-4 save slots
-Technically impressive at times (mine cart ride, lighting effects?)
-Some good bosses
-Some optional paths (bowser's castle) and minor side quests
-Nice ending cutscene
-Shared MP pool
-Vague world map but no area maps
DoReMi Fantasy (SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Platform Adventure, Collectathon (5 hidden stars in each world), Mini-games (counting game is bugged?)
-Impressive sound quality (music/ambience)
-Metroid elements (gain access to areas in previous levels via new abilites)
-Power ups carry over to the next stage
-Exit any level by pressing select
-In-game visual tutorial of new mechanics
-Some interesting stage design (enemies as platforms, breakable walls, ), bowling balls, air-glide move (Magical Taluluto-Kun?)
-Alternate exits (no purpose?) - SMW
-Some good bosses (snowman and onwards)
-Nice intro
-Good length ()
-Some expressive sprites
Treasure Hunter G (SNES, 1996) - SRPG?
Chaos Seed (SNES, 1996) - SRPG/RTS Hybrid?, Similar to Dungeon Keeper
Star Ocean (SNES, 1996) - 2D ARPG (separate battle encounters), TD view
-CPU allies
WIP
Dragon Quest III: Soshite Densetsu e... (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
-Somewhat improved interface (can equip inventory items directly, general use interaction button, in-game msg speed option, buy more than one of an item at once (only consumables though), bag - 24 (?) extra slots plus you can sort the items and consumables stack which lowers the difficulty, NPCs move out of the way faster, somewhat improved in-game map (you also get it sooner))
-Faster movement and menus
-Improved visuals (intro cutscene looks better and fleshes out the characters more with in-game graphics based scenes, monster battle animations!, full screen battle backgrounds) and audio overall
-Day/night cycle (more gradual than in for example CV2, face tougher monsters during night time, different activities will occur in towns depending on what time of day it is - can skip ahead with a late game mage spell but only rest until morning at inns)
-Manually build your own party (see Ultima III; four members in total and you can tweak their starting stats in this version, can change classes more than once (changing resets your lvl to 1+halves stats+lets you keep learned spells, the hero/main char can't change), eight classes here including the Sage (a promotional "ultimate" class which is well rounded but takes longer to level up)
-Adds the Thief class (can steal (automatic) in battle and use recon spells) and the ability to change into the Jester class at Dhama/Dharma (can change into a Sage without a zen book/book of satori+has high luck+can whistle to make enemies come to you but sucks during battle)
-Two bonus dungeons (available after the main quest is over)
-Adds a personality system (pre-game sequence in which the player answers moral dilemmas (similar to Ultima IV or Der Langrisser) which determines the hero's personality - comically harsh description of your personality after you've made your choices
-The personality of other party members is determined by the stat-raising seeds given by the player during character generation and personalities determine which stats increase when a character levels up - their personalities may be changed later by use of special items and books)
-New mini-games (Pachisi/Sugoroku (board game)
-Monster fight betting game - replaces the lottery from DQ2)
-Adds a version of the Mini Medal system (collect hidden medals to gain new items - first seen in DQIV)
-Improved Return/teleport to previous town spell (select between any visited towns)
-Basic formation system (top character in the list is most likely to be attacked)
-Some nice effects (battle spells, lighting, chimney smoke, small animation whenever you find an item in a container, some of the in-game cutscenes)
-Large world which again features a replica of the first game's overworld (more detailed this time) - this game is actually a prequel story-wise
-At one early point in the game you'll save a kingdom from peril and the king offers to give up his throne to you (if you accept you get to walk around the castle and hear your subjects grovel at your feet - you can leave whenever you want)
-Travel by ship and giant bird/phoenix (Ramia - teleports with you if you use that spell)
-Easier to find additional Books of Enlightenment (for promoting characters to Sages)
-More dialogue choices that make a difference (albeit very minor; there are still several fake choices as well as questions that can only be answered with yes or no when something else would make more sense)
-Some interesting dungeon/level design (pyramid switches, minor stealth segment (invisibility herb to get into a castle), have to do one dungeon with a single char, using the staff of change to be able to change form and trade with the elves, fall down to lower floors - DQ2?)
-Some interesting spells (invisibility (avoid enemies and NPCs), bounce (reflect), BeDragon (turns a wizard into a dragon that auto attacks), Transform - a wizard gains another member's abilites during battle, Ironize - like the statue in SMB3 except for the whole party, Expel - removes enemies without rewarding you with exp or loot, RobMagic - steal MP, Chance (random effects including 100% crits, neutralizing all magic, order change, monsters flee, etc))
-You can help establish a town that grows over time while you do other things (eventually you'll get one of the orbs from it)
-Can use a "tactic" command outside of battle to automatically heal up completely (restore - provided you have the MP) and to put all unequipped items in the bag (tidy up)
-Rudimentary quest log/journal feature (press Y when talking to someone, then use the remember spells later on (you don't get to see who said what or when - instead it shows what you've memorized from the first to the last message))
Kirby Super Star (SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Platform Adventure-lite/Collectathon (non-persistent abilities and rooms, chests just contain point items)/Mini-Game Compilation (6 games), 2-Player Co-op (or 1-player w/ CPU ally)
-Great animation
-More shape-shifting (ninja, fire wizard, bomb chucker, boomerang knight etc)
-Lots of moves (blocking – l/r, )
-Your partner gets teleported to you if you walk away from it
-Great tutorials for each game (and each ability – press start)
-Good use of mode 7 (the intro)
-You can give food to your partner (to restore health)
-Hidden items and secrets - SMB series
-Mini-bosses
-Kirby is a fast climber
-Cute cutscenes between levels
-Minor puzzle solving to get some chests
-No teleporters or other forms of quick travel (at the end of some detours you get sent back to the fork in the road though), No maps
Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (SNES, 1996) - Fighting, Mech-based, 2-player vs.
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (SNES, 1996) - SRPG
Energy Breaker (SNES, 1996) - SRPG?
Marvelous: Mohitotsu no Takarajima (SNES, 1996) - Action Adventure or JRPG/Adventure Hybrid?, TD view
WIP
Treasure of the Rudras/Rudra no Hiho (SNES, 1996) - JRPG?
-Fairly unique magic system - you type in your own spells and can technically create any spell at any point in the game if you know how. You're gradually given more information about the system as you play, but much of it is the player putting different syllables they know together in various combinations to see what spells they can create - Similar to Ultima Underworld and Arx Fatalis, kinda similar Daggerfall which lets you buy created spells based on various parameters
Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES, 1996) - Hop 'n Bop Platformer, Collectathon (especially in the hidden world where you need to pay a bunch of coins just to open up the path to the next stage), Some new bonus stages and mini-games
-Good variation
-Throw your partner (Kiddy can be used to smash open cracks in some floors, use it to get to unreachable platforms by throwing Dixie)
-Some interesting stages (hungry fish chase, 2.5D waterfall stages, ‘ride one of each animal’ stage)
-One new animal with new abilites (elephant who can pull barrels towards it and squirt collected water to kill enemies with (apparently it's lethal to most of them))
-Good bosses overall
-Many hidden silver coins (buy items or hints) and bananas - SMB series
-Doesn't take place in jungles/tropics anymore
Super Puyo Puyo Tsuu Remix (SNES, 1996) – Match 3 Puzzle
-New game modes
-Impressive music overall?
WIP
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES, 1996) - Fighting
Bahamut Lagoon (SNES, 1996) - SRPG
Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium (SNES, 1996) - Sports
Bomberman B-Daman (SNES, 1996) - TD Action?
Dark Half (SNES, 1996) - RPG
"You play through the game alternating back and forth with each chapter between the villain and chosen hero of the story. In the villain chapters, you're forced to repetitively slaughter every individual NPC, and then in the hero chapters you'll often visit the areas you had just ruined in the previous chapter and try to clean up the mess that you, the player, have technically made. It's a surreal experience having NPCs praise you and ask for help in the hero chapters when you know all the awful things you did as the villain and to me, it feels like a sort of commentary on violence and player choice in games years before something like Bioshock, Undertale, or even Moon on PS1 would tackle. It's still a unique concept and experience I haven't really seen any other game try."
Super Bomberman 4 (SNES, 1996) - Maze Action, TD view, 4-player vs.?
Ys V Expert (SNES, 1996) - TD Action Adventure/ARPG; See Ys V
Dragon Knight 4 (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
Lennus II: Fuuin no Shito (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
Super Gussun Oyoyo 2 (SNES, 1996) - Action Puzzle/Block Puzzle
Kuusou Kagaku Sekai Gulliver Boy (SNES, 1996) - JRPG
Magical Drop 2 (SNES, 1996) - Puzzle
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (ARC, 1995/MD/SNES, 1996) - Fighting
Monstania (SNES, 1996) - RPG?
Wizardry Gaiden IV: Throb of the Demon's Heart (SNES, 1996) - Dungeon Crawler RPG?, FP view
Daisenryaku Expert WWII: War in Europe (SNES, 1996) - TBS?
Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow/Donald in Maui Mallard (MD, 1995/SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Maze Platformer; Great animation, transformation, different in some ways
-Nice visuals w/ great animation
-Ninja transformation (gain control over it after the first time however it drains energy to use; allows for climbing upwards between parallel walls at some points with a staff and swinging in hooks - latter is similar to EWJ and Lion King)
-Mini form in level 3 (Monster World 3, Land of Illusion, Sonic CD)
-Recoil mechanic while underwater - similar to EWJ 2's third level
-Double plane gameplay at one point (Shinobi)
-More and generally better visual effects on SNES as well as a higher color count (some animation and spritework is slightly better here though and the lvl 4 boss is more intimidating)
Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyochienji (SNES, 1996) - FP RPG; Different
Arabian Nights: Sabaku no Seirei-o (SNES, 1996) - ? JRPG
Brandish 2 Expert (SNES, 1996) - ? TD ARPG?
S.O.S.: Sink or Swim (SNES, 1996) - Platform Adventure/Survival
NHL 97 (MD/SNES, 1996) - Sports
Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension (SNES, 1996) - Fighting
Toy Story (MD/SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer/Racing/FPS (one level)/Misc. Action
-Technical showcase
-Pretty good variety
-Features a song played by a software .mod player for sample-based Amiga-like music
Worms (MD, 1995/SNES, 1996) - Artillery
Ms. Pac-Man (MD, 1991/SNES, 1996) – TD Maze Action
War 3010: The Revolution (SNES, 1996) - RTS?
GT Racing (SNES, 1996) - Racing
Prehistorik Man (SNES, 1996) - Action Platformer
Spriggan Powered (SNES, 1996) - Horizontal Shoot 'em up
NBA Hang Time (MD/SNES, 1996) - Sports
NBA Live 97 (MD/SNES, 1996) - Sports
Pinocchio (MD/SNES, 1996) - Platformer
PGA Tour '96 (SNES, 1996) - Sports
PGA European Tour (SNES, 1996) - Sports
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament (MD, 1994/PC/GG, 1995/SNES, 1996) – TD Toy Car Racing
Prince of Persia 2 (Unreleased on MD)(PC, 1993/MD, 1994/SNES, 1996) - Cinematic Platformer/Puzzle Platformer
FIFA 97: Gold Edition (MD/SNES, 1996) - ? Sports
Asterix & Obelix (PC/SNES, 1996) - ? Platformer
The Smurfs Travel the World (MD/SNES, 1996) - Platformer
Sound Novel Tsukuru (SNES, 1996) - Visual Novel/Graphic Adventure creation tool
-Manually adjustable tempo for each selectable music track in the menu
1997:
Ganpuru: Gunman's Proof (SNES, 1997) - Zelda-like Action Adventure (no platforming besides falling down in a few spots), TD View
-Zelda 3-style gameplay with guns in a wild west setting with sci-fi elements (same map system and movement style, story is similar to Earthbound, some bosses and enemies are basically variations on Z3 ones and so are some visuals, some aspects are more arcade-like than in Zelda)
-Can strafe/lock your aim while moving (hold L or R) - Bullfight, Gun.Smoke, etc.
-Pretty good enemy AI overall
-Pretty good bosses overall (pretty good boss introductions, 2+ phases each and some transform, not puzzle-focused like Zelda though)
-Can crawl (lets you dodge some shots) - Metal Gear 2?
-Comedic tone w/ some decent humour (wacky, slapstick, parody, lewd)
-Can ride a horse after rescuing it in the first dungeon (robaton, moves super fast but can't jump over obstacles and is a temporary movement upgrade, can also take out enemies and makes you invincible but you get no drop from them when you do) - called by picking up carrots which are dropped occasionally by defeated enemies
-Charge shot which goes through enemies (Shadowland)
-Can speed up dialogue on a per sentence basis (can't skip repeated dialogue though)
-Some fun sub weapons (flamethrower, bazooka, smart bombs, morning star/ball and chain)
-Some interesting abilities (upwards dash punch up waterfalls - basically a hadouken)
-Blurs the line between overworld and dungeon a bit with the ghost town dungeon (no NPCs here though)
-New enemies appear in some previously visited areas (makes backtracking through them more interesting)
-Fairly frequent NPC dialogue updates over the course of the game
-One optional mini-boss (reward is a choice between extra def or extra str - Zelda 1?) - FFV?
-Features domestic violence (dad on son)
The Lost Vikings II/Lost Vikings 2 (SNES, 1997) - Puzzle Platformer (linear structure (can do some things in any order within some levels and some puzzles have alternate solutions)), Collectathon/fetch quest aspect (generally need to collect three items to finish a level besides the keys for the locked doors), 2-Player Co-op
-Some new abilities (Erik can double jump and glide jump (former can also be used to break walls above him)+break walls+swim, Olaf can shrink and fart downwards to break certain floors and jump while glide jumping, Baleog can attack diagonally and upwards at range with a bionic arm - also lets him hit switches+grab items+swing at certain points (can control the length of the arm while swinging; Bionic Commando))
-Two new chars with new abilities (Fang the werewolf - can attack+jump and wall jump, Scorch the dragon - very limited flight+can glide+can shoot horizontally which lets him press certain switches) - these replace one viking for the levels where you play as them (you won't know beforehand which level they'll be available in)
-Can pass through enemies without touch damage - it's their attacks that hurt (similar to Dragon View and Revenge of Shinobi)
-Good puzzles overall (first world is basically a tutorial; at one point you use a turret trap to trigger a target-style switch and have to follow its projectile with the camera, using torches to let the other chars see, last timed gate puzzle at last level before the boss and activating teleporters for another char by going through them with one char)
-Skippable cutscenes
-Can discard consumable items (Below the Root?)
-Some hidden items - SMB
-Can skip certain switches with good timing (Erik can build up some momentum in mid-air to be able to tackle walls even if there's not enough space to build up momentum on the ground near it)
-Some interesting enemies (the tribesmen in the aztec world can temporarily transform you into a monkey)
-Some decent humour (and some that falls flat) - fourth wall breaking one after the final boss. Some pop culture references (star wars and blues brothers)
-Good final boss (6 phases here though some are pretty similar) - Similar to the prequel
-See the prequel
-Enemy drops never disappear
-Can see a bit further horizontally as well as slightly further vertically in the other versions (however these use pretty ugly pre-rendered graphics)
Dark Law: Meaning of Death (SNES, 1997) - JRPG, TD view battles
Super Bomberman 5 (SNES, 1997) - SS Maze Action, TD View, 4-Player vs., 2-Player Co-op
Milandra (SNES, 1997) - ? Rogue-like RPG, Party-based, TD view
Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES, 1997) - Platformer (similar atmosphere to SMB3), Collectathon via quests/missions (hidden star collecting (different objectives like not destroying certain objects, collecting objects, mini-games, mini-bosses or carrying an item to the exit)), Decent mini-games, 2-Player Co-op
-Four different animals to "ride" (see KDL2 GB) with different moves (flight, triple jump, swimming)
-Good bosses overall (two phases)
-Some interesting mechanics (spawn a blue blob that follows you around, you can eat it once per level to regain health)
-Nice cutscenes between levels, Good animation
-Mini-bosses
-Very forgiving hit detection (both ways, one exception is lava platforms where it's much tighter)
-Borrows cannon shooting from Sonic/DKC
-Ability/animal system could've been more flexible if you could switch animals on the fly instead of changing in specific rooms
-Enemies die from you walking into them (can be annoying when you want to get a specific ability)
Solid Runner (SNES, 1997) - ? JRPG; Mech theme
NHL '98 (SNES/MD, 1997) - Sports
FIFA Road to World Cup 98 (SNES/MD, 1996) - Sports (Soccer/Football)
NBA Live 98 (SNES/MD, 1996) - Sports (Basketball)
Arkanoid: Doh It Again (SNES, 1997) - Action Puzzle
Space Invaders (SNES, 1997) - ? SS Shoot 'em up
1998:
Famicom Tantei Club Part II (SNES, 1998) - Adventure/Visual Novel
Sutte Hakkun '98: Winter Event Version (SNES, 1998) - Puzzle Platformer
Sutte Hakkun (SNES, 1998) - Puzzle Platformer
Super Famicom Wars (SNES, 1998) - TBS
RockMan & Forte/Mega Man & Bass (SNES, 1998) - Action Platformer (different level advancement (gradually gives you more stages to choose between - seemingly pointless considering the uneven difficulty and it’s kind of tedious having to unlock stages to get a special weapon in with which get an item in a previous stage))
-2 different playable characters (Rock/Mega Man and Forte/Bass). Both characters play like a limited version of Mega Man X (Bass is also a bit better than Mega Man as he can dash, double jump and fire in 7 directions – his drawbacks are not being able to walk and fire, slide or shoot through walls). Some platforming and puzzle-like parts are much easier with Bass (and he gets safe spots here and there) while bosses are usually harder (without special weapons)
-Multiple paths (through levels?)
-Four save slots (save after bosses)
-Mini-bosses
-Can replay beaten levels (MM1?)
-Some interesting mechanics (jet pack as Bass, attack boost when at low health, Eddy or Rush Dig (finds random item - not that great), the monkey/pulley boss)
-Most special weapons are useful (there are some interesting ones as well like the magic card – origin of the hornet weapon in MM9 and the mine shot (both the detonation and the firing path can be controlled))
-Some creative level design (ground man, dynamo man)
-Shop system (need to beat a set amount of levels to upgrade the shop (three per level?)) - Below the Root, Black Tiger, Vampire Killer MSX, MM7, etc.
-Hidden items - SMB series
-You don’t pick up ammo unless you’re currently using a special weapon
-Some special weapons have different uses underwater
-Shows you how to use each weapon in a good way (through the crystal area where you also get 100 bolts per weapon gained by using it correctly; only negatives are that it opens pretty late and you don’t know it’s there beforehand so you can plan ahead)
-Good bosses overall (however dynamo man and magic man are pretty cheap without the right weapons)
-Plenty of rooms where you need to be a specific character or have a certain weapon to reach an item (could've been more about skill instead so you don't constantly feel like you're missing stuff)
-Ice Wall is overpowered but also has some interesting uses (create sliding platforms to ride on - good for speedruns)
-Enemies that steal your money - Kid Icarus?
-Slide over smaller gaps as MM - Valis III?
Ring ni Kakero (SNES, 1998) - Cinematic Boxing/Fighting
Genjuu Ryodan (SNES, 1998) - ? Strategy
NBA Live 98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports (Basketball)
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports (Football/Soccer)
Kirby no KiraKira Kids (SNES, 1998) - Stacking Puzzle
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Basic '98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports
BS Super Mario Collection - Dai-2-Shuu (SNES, 1998) - ? Platformer
BS Super Mario Collection - Dai-4-Shuu (SNES, 1998) - ? Platformer
BS Super Mario Collection - Dai-3-Shuu (SNES, 1998) - ? Platformer
Wrecking Crew '98 (SNES, 1998) - Action Platformer/Trapping
BS Ikari no Yousai (1993 port?/SNES, 1998) - TD Maze Action
BS Dragon Quest (SNES, 1998) - ? JRPG
Dr. Mario (1994 port?/SNES, 1998) - Matching Puzzle
Derby Stallion 98 (SNES, 1998) - Sports (Horse Racing)
Frogger (SNES, 1998) - TD Action/Platformer
BS Parlor! Parlor! 2 (SNES, 1998) - ? Gambling
BS Parlor! Parlor! 1 (SNES, 1998) - ? Gambling
Heiwa Parlor! Mini 8 (SNES, 1998) - ? Gambling
1999:
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES, 1999) - SRPG; Pretty impressive music
Tamagotchi Town (SNES, 1999) - Strategy?
Wizardry I-II-III: Story of Llylgamyn (SNES, 1999) - FP RPG; Different?
Columns (MD, 1990/SNES, 1999) - First match colors puzzle game? (Puzznic), diagonal line ups, "clear all of one color" power up, 2-player, ??
2000:
Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut (SNES, 2000) - Graphic Adventure/Visual Novel