A few days ago, the Super NES celebrated the 30th anniversary of its launch in France. For this occasion, the editorial staff of JV invites you to come back to some unknown console titles published by us that are worth a detour.
summary
- Axelay
- Biker mice from Mars
- demon crest
- Eric Cantona Football Challenge
- Goof Squad
- Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
- rocket knight
- soul blazer
- The firefighters
- The legend of the mystical ninja
- Uniral
- Zombies ate my neighbors
Axelay
Released at the beginning of the console’s lifespan, Axelay is a shoot ’em’up developed by Konami that has earned a solid reputation over the years for the beauty of its graphics. Through alternating phases in vertical and horizontal scrolling and through the use of the console’s famous Mode 7, the title manages to create an impression of depth that hasn’t been seen before in this type of games, especially in 1992. As for the scenario , we are confronted with a very classic sci-fi story in which aliens have invaded the earth and enslaved humanity, pushing our character, a skilled army pilot, to defend himself with a prototype spaceship: the Axelay . All the originality of the title is found more on the gameplay side, since three weapons can be equipped at the beginning of the level and then the player can switch on the fly during the course. A simple but effective gameplay that makes Axelay a classic shoot ’em up on SNES.
Biker mice from Mars
Straight from the cartoon of the same name, better known to us as that space biker, Biker Mice from Mars is a racing game in isometric view that lets you embody the heroes of the series, namely the three mouse brothers Throttle, Modo and Vinnie on their motorcycle. In each race, just like in Super Mario Kart, each player collects a new object every time they cross the finish line. Grenade, star, bag of tickets… each item has a limited number of uses. With each victory you collect money that you can spend on improving your vehicle with the mechanic Charley. Obviously, all shots are allowed, especially during multiplayer sessions that can accommodate up to two participants.
demon crest
If Konami got us used to killing evil creatures in Castlevania, Capcom takes the opposite view of this proposal, putting us in the shoes of a monster with Demon’s Crest. A recurring enemy in the Ghosts’n Goblins series, Firebrand is a gargoyle, a type of winged demon who goes in search of six elemental stones stolen from him by Phalanx, one of his congeners. The adventure then takes the form of a horizontal scrolling platform action game that we’ll be happy to browse thanks to the many abilities of our creature. Firebrand can spit flames, jump, cling to walls, and fly indefinitely. As you advance you’ll unlock transformations, a bit like Mega Man from the same developer. After defeating a boss, you get a new power that allows you, for example, to swim underwater or gain stance in mid-flight. A platform action classic therefore went somewhat unnoticed compared to other tenors in the genre.
If Striker is a name that means nothing to us, then maybe Eric Cantona Football Challenge will bring back more memories for you. However, it is actually the same title. Also known as World Soccer 94: Road to Glory in the US and World Soccer in Japan, this soccer game developed by Rage Software allowed players to play with more than sixty national teams, each made up of sixteen players. Something rather rare to know is that the compositions more or less correspond to the numbers of the time and that the game was revolutionary at the time with its complete depiction of the terrain.
Goof Squad
During the ’90s, Disney and Capcom had a fruitful collaboration that resulted in many classics on 8- and 16-bit consoles. DuckTales: Scrooge McDuck, Aladdin, Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers… These titles marked the childhood of many gamers. Among all these cult productions, however, there is one that, despite having as many qualities, has gone more unnoticed than the others: Goof Troop. In this adventure alongside Goofy and his son Max, our two heroes must rescue Pat Hibulaire and his son who were kidnapped by pirates while on a sea voyage.During 5 levels, you’ll have to switch between your skills to advance each character. More than an action game, Goof Troop requires above all the neurons and the skill of the players to reach the end of the adventure that ends quite quickly. A particularly effective two-player co-op title that offers colorful and pleasantly good-natured rendition.
Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
While being the mascot of one of the most famous companies in the world, Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse is one of the little known Super NES games. However, with its really impressive graphics for 1994, the title is a lively tribute to Mickey Mouse’s career, as we go through levels inspired by the different works in which the mouse appears. With extra detailed animations, the gameplay is also effective as our character reacts with great responsiveness. In addition, Mickey Mania presents itself as a classic platform game, punctuated by some original sequences such as crossing a tomb on a cart or escaping from the forest. Finally, the music can’t be beat, as it takes, with some liberties, the themes of most Mickey Mouse cartoons.
rocket knight
Rocket Knight, better known as Sparkster, is the sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures, a Mega Drive game in which you play as a possum knight. While the lands of Zebulos are threatened by the evil empire of Gedol, our hero Sparkster will resume his duty to protect his kingdom while the princess was kidnapped. The game is then divided into several levels haunted by the Emperor’s servants, which our knight can get rid of with his sword but also with his characteristic jetpack that allows him a spinning attack. During the adventure the player has to travel through different environments like a green forest, pyramids, a flying fortress or even a city in fusion on the back of a giant robot.
soul blazer
Known in Japan mostly for ActRaiser, Soul Blazer or Soul Blader, another action role-playing game from the Quintet studio, but this time from the top à la Zelda 3. While King Magridd made a deal with Deathtoll, the king of evil, Um exchange the soul of every living being for a gold coin, you play as a hero sent to liberate all souls and defeat the master of evil. Armed with a sword, our character must repopulate this desert world made up of six regions connected by sanctuaries. As you advance, new weapons and spells are unlocked for increased efficiency. Several NPCs also provide progression instructions as well as side quests. Finally, Quintet is also behind other interesting but little-known Super NES RPGs like Illusion of Time and Terranigma.
The firefighters
The least we can say is that firefighter video games aren’t legion. To accommodate them, Human Entertainment released a little-known title called The Firemen in 1994. With its overhead view, the title puts us in the shoes of Pete and Daniel, two firefighters who have to put out the fire that broke out at the chemical company Microtech on Christmas Eve. To contain the flames, our heroes have a fire hose to draw water from and limited-use fire extinguishers. It’s up to you to protect Daniel while he tries to save the civilians. Finally, each level ends with a fire boss that can be defeated in a very special way. During the operation you have to monitor your character’s life and the time limit so you can save everyone.
The legend of the mystical ninja
The name The Legend of the Mystical Ninja is actually the first title in the action-adventure series Ganbare Goemon to appear in the west. While the princess is kidnapped, all hope rests on the village’s two ninja guards, Kid Ying and Dr. Yang, better known as Goemon and Ebisumaru in Japan. Of course, each character has their own gameplay, with a melee weapon that gains range as you retrieve the cats left behind by defeated enemies. You can also learn judo techniques and improve them with objects. Most of the levels are divided into two sections, the first allows you to explore a town to gather information and buy objects, the second consists more of platforming stages ending with a boss fight. A simple and light adventure with a touch of humor set in the heart of feudal Japan.
Uniral
Long before the production of the Grand Theft Auto series, Rockstar, then called DMA Design, had developed several games on 16-bit consoles. This is especially true of a specific Unirally, or Uniracers in its original name, which has the particularity of being a 2D racing game with… unicycles. In order to get first place in each race it is important to play numbers as it allows you to gain speed. In addition, an entire mode is dedicated to them, in which you must use tricks to score more than your opponent in order to win. The title pushes players to create more and more original characters as they will be penalized if they reproduce the same character multiple times. Of course, a multiplayer mode is also included so that two participants can compete against each other in split screen. But for those who prefer to play alone, the league mode offers the possibility of creating groups to create competitions.
Zombies ate my neighbors
If LucasArts is best known for creating iconic titles on PC, the studio has still released a few productions on home consoles, including the Super NES. Published by us under the name Zombies, Zombies Ate My Neighbors in its original version is an action game seen from above in which we’ll embody Zeke or Julia who will have to save as many people as possible by fighting different creatures such as vampires , mummies or zombies fight over fifty levels. Multiple types of weapons are at your disposal, from pistols to bazookas, to defeat your opponents. To face these legions of undead you can also count on the help of a friend, since a cooperative mode is also available to play the entire game with a second player. Through its different levels, the title multiplies the references to horror cinema thanks to its varied bestiary.
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