My dear buddy marl, whom G-Zone followers may recognize from his work on autoMP, recently went on a 3 week vacation around Japan, and he was kind enough to put together a little care package for me. I have an idea of some of what's inside, but he kept some of it a secret from me. I'm writing this as I open it, so these are my live reactions as I jam my hand into the mailer and pull out the items blind. I'm so excited!
I did also add my first impressions on some items after the fact, so I hope this article isn't too confusing to read...
This technically impressive 3D game is something I've always been curious about! We didn't get it in the US, and I've always wondered why. Nintendo has paid homage to it in the years since, and I'm quite familiar with one of the music tracks. Now it's time to get familiar with the rest of the game!
First impressions:
Very impressive for a 1992 Game Boy game, but unfortunately it's a lot more text-heavy than I expected. I could only make out a few words, but that was just enough to get through the tutorial. The gameplay is pretty fun! You're a little tank thing that can jump off of ramps and start flying. I feel like a lot of this game's DNA went into Star Fox and even Star Fox 64, and I love those games. Very ambitious, very cool!
marl excitedly texted me when he came across the DELTARUNE strap gacha machine. I wasn't expecting to get one, though, let alone one with such a striking design! Of course I love Spamton as well. The living embodiment of spam emails. I can't read junkmail without thinking of him! This bad boy is going on my backpack next to my acrylic Gimmiko charms.
A lovely little figurine of good ol' Jeff Andonuts, based on his original clay model used in promo material, like most, if not all of the EarthBound figurines ever produced. Standing at an imposing 2 inches, he'll exude an air of scientific know-how in any corner of the room. He has a circular red display base featuring the MOTHER 2 logo, which brings to mind the old Banpresto figures, which have always been on my "if I ever make a million dollars" shopping list. In the meantime, though, while it's a good bit smaller, the paint and mold of this little guy are a knock-out! I may have to see if I can find the rest of the set...
A business card for the game shop that marl works for, with a handwritten note on the back. I don't think this was intended as a "gift" per se, but it was in there and it made me smile, so I'm putting it on the list. And yes, marl, everything so far is in one piece. Thanks again, pal!
Okay, this one I specifically asked for at the last minute. Of course, this doesn't come from Japan, but from Marl's homeland of Australia. Maybe it's a bit corny to have asked for, but I've always been curious as to what this stuff tastes like. I'm also very aware that the last thing I want to do is eat a big spoonful of it by itself. I'll be having a thin spread of it on buttered toast. I can say right now that it smells a bit like teriyaki sauce, which I wasn't expecting! I also enjoy how the company that produces it, according to the label, is located at 1 Vegemite Way. Lovely!
First impressions:
So I just gave it a try, and I like it! I prepared it just as I said I would, and it mostly just adds a salty kick to the toast. Trying a tiny lick of it by itself, there's also a deep, rich flavor which kind of gets lost in the mix, perhaps unless you spread on just a bit more. I may have gone a little too light with it. I definitely see how too much could be a very bad thing, but I mean, the same can be said for plain ol' salt, and we put that on everything. I'd say give it a shot if you have the chance! Start very light, then if you like it, perhaps try a little more.
These are so cute! A set of enamel charms based on the Poli- Pokemon, those being Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath and Politoed, from the Pokemon Center store in Kyoto. Poliwhirl is my favorite Pokemon, as many of you may know, and Politoed is like, a sleeper favorite of mine. I forget how much I love it unless I'm looking at it. I'll have to figure out the best place to put these, though I'm horrified at the thought of losing any of them, because they're a bit small. Maybe they'll hang somewhere in my room!
A tee-ninecy 1.25 inch Starscream, based on the original G1 design. It comes in a hard plastic faux-blister pack with an opening door on the back. Snazzy! His arms move forward and backwards and his head turns side-to-side, though you may need tweezers for that, and that's it as articulation goes. He most certainly does not transform, but that's okay, because I adore Starscream. I'm sure that's a pleasant surprise to marl! He knows I've just rekindled my love of Transformers, but I don't think he knows much about the series or my favorites or anything. Over all, the figure looks surprisingly decent for its size, but I do wish they would've painted his head black. In fact, in the promo images of it, his head IS black, but it doesn't look like that detail made it onto any of the retail figures. He includes a little base to stand on, which is so small, thin and clear, that I was a little afraid to take it out of the baggie.
This little Pac-Man inspired game from Nintendo would have been a Black Box title for the NES if it weren't for Nintendo of America wanting to steer clear of religious references, and this game being full of crosses and devils made it a no-go. It's a fun little game where you traverse a scrolling maze, dealing with demons and trying not to get squished by the edges of the screen. I'm glad to add this to the collection!
First impressions:
I'd played this briefly before, but it is very fun. It's like Pac-Man with a few twists to keep it interesting. It's definitely got that addictive arcade quality. I wish Nintendo kept making games like this a bit longer before they shifted their to bigger, more complex adventure games.
This is one of those games that's super cheap secondhand and looks to be at least enough fun to be worth the going price, even if not by much. I don't know much about this game besides it having been somewhat of a phenomenon in Japan at the time. Unfortunately, it came out just two days after a little game called Super Mario Bros., so it was probably overshadowed just a bit. I'm excited to try it!
First impressions:
This game is crazy! It's a lot of trial and error, so I haven't even played through the entire first "scene", but this game is full of surprises. Another one I could easily get hooked on. I described it as containing the pure essence of video games. Much more fun than I had initialy expected!
This game was Nintendo's first attempt at cashing in on the fighting game craze sparked by Street Fighter II, and as a 1993 release, it was out pretty late by Famicom standards. It's a 1 on 1 fighter where players control combatant robots with floating limbs which call Rayman to mind. I've only played a little bit of this game, but I'd love to get some friends in on it. I bet TruKuu will make short work of breaking this thing wide open with his natural fighting game prowess!
First impressions:
I did indeed play it with TruKuu. What a blast! I really like Senju, the robot with the drills, but there were a lot of other cool characters, like Neo, who's your classic shoto character. I definitely recommend this one with a few friends. Have a Joy Mech Fight tournament. Look up a move list or don't; either way, it's a blast!
And that's everything! Thanks again for all the super cool stuff, marl! I was trying to declare a favorite item, but I like everything in different ways, so it's impossible to compare. They're all my favorite in some way or another. Is that a cop-out? Sue me.