Available for download from Xbox Live a while ago Fatal Fury Special is a classic 2D sprite based fighting game from SNK (now SNK Playmore) that finds you playing one of twelve selectable characters and progressing through a number of bouts to be crowned the winner of the tournament. I can imagine most players will be more familiar with Capcom’s Street Fighter brand but in the nineties Capcom and SNK were fighting head-to-head to be crowned “King of the 2D fighter” and both series of games had there fans.
Fatal Fury spawned a number of sequels and this edition that’s been brought to Live is a remix of Fatal Fury 2, first released on the Neo Geo in 1993. The large character sprites are nicely detailed and have decent, but not overly complex move sets. What made this game different to other 2D fighters was the introduction of the “two plane” system allowing characters to move between planes to dodge attacks and adding another dynamic element to the gameplay. If you’re a fan of the genre and you’ve not played Fatal Fury Special before then it’s certainly worth a look.
I remember the original arcade release of this game back in 1983. The game must have been the bane of arcade owners everywhere as the controls certainly got a lot of stick as players frantically bashed buttons or wiggled joysticks as they competed in a number of Olympic events.
You can now recreate the atmosphere (and break your controllers in the process) as the game is now available on Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft Points.
The game consists of six events including the 100m sprint, long jump, javelin throw, hurdles, hammer throw and the high jump, with the trial letting you play the fist two of these. The controls really can’t be more straight forward as you either wiggle the joystick or D-pad left and right or mash the “X” and “B” buttons to run and “A” is used as the action button, for example to jump hurdles or throw the javelin.
The game can be played locally with 1-4 players or over Xbox Live and features the usual set of leaderboards so you can see just how bad you suck at a game compared to the rest of the world. There’s also 12 Achievements to obtain totalling 200 gamer score points.
Track & Field is still very playable and fun even today, however the game has not got longevity and is best used as a quick distraction from any other games you’re currently playing.
The classic game Yie Ar Kung-Fu is now available for download from Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft Points. You play the character “Oolong” and it’s a traditional fighting game in which you square off against 11 increasingly difficult martial arts masters in one-on-one combat in a quest to become the ultimate martial arts champion. Each of your opponents has a preferred martial arts style, for example, “Star”, your second opponent has a tendency to use Shuriken.
The gameplay is pretty simplistic, and as you’d expect from a game that was first released in the arcade in 1985 your character only has a limited number of moves at your disposal. This release provides both the authentic arcade mode and is enhanced for Xbox Live.
It’s amazing how time clouds your judgment of a game. Through my “rose tinted spectacles” of nostalgia I remember playing this game on the ZX Spectrum many years ago and liking it. Unfortunately the same can’t be said today as the gameplay is too limited to stand the test of time for a fighting game. Some “Classic” games seem to age far better than others, and in my opinion this is a game that’s best fondly remembered rather than dusted off and re-sold.
The classic 1980 arcade game by Atari Missile Command has been released onto Xbox Live Arcade today. The full version is 33.56MB to download and will set you back 400 Microsoft Points.
The premise of the game is pretty straightforward, you must prevent the destruction of your six cities from wave after wave of missiles. To help, you have three missile batteries with ten missiles each. The player must try and make the most efficient use of the limited supplies by targeting the best places to intercept the incoming warheads.
The game has been “remastered” for Xbox Live and has both an Evolved mode with re-stylised graphics and the original Classic mode. Also the game introduces the new Throttle Monkey difficulty level which is pretty insane.
The enhanced graphics are nice with some pretty backdrops and serve there purpose well. I doubt many players would prefer to play the original unless it’s just for nostalgia value. The controls are very easy, with the left joystick used to guide your crosshairs and “X”, “A” and “B” used to fire missiles from the left, middle or right batteries respectively.
The trial version allows you to play the the game for a limited number of waves (2 or 3), and this is sufficient to allow you to decide whether to buy the game or not. The full version gives you access to the usual set of leaderboards and 12 achievements totalling 200 Gamerscore points.
Although a nice job has been done on the update, and it’s fun to play in small doses, for me the game doesn’t really hold any lasting appeal. I’m sure however that fans of the original will like the version on offer here.
Prince of Persia was originally launched in 1989 for the “Apple II” and went on to be ported to many platforms in the years that followed. Today marks its release on Xbox Live Arcade after an overhaul to bring it up-to date. The download is 49.89MB and is yours for 800 Microsoft Points.
At the start of the game you’re told that the Sultan of Persia has left to wage war and the grand vizier Jaffar has been left to rule in his place. However, the vizier intends to marry the sultans daughter to claim the throne for himself and gives her an ultimatum, marry him or die.
This is a platform game and you have just one hour, in real-time, to negotiate the palace and rescue the princess. The core gameplay remains the same from what I remember when I played it on the Amiga many years ago. You still need to negotiate precarious platforms, avoid traps and fight guards but it has been lovingly given a new coat of paint with an updated graphics engine. The graphics, for an arcade game, are excellent and the prince still moves with the characteristic animation that made the original stand out. There are only a few controls for the prince and you have to remember that the prince can either walk or run, there is no precision analog control, and this can lead to an unfortunate end in some circumstances.
The trial version allows you to try out the first level as you find yourself thrown into the dungeon. To help you out a “butterfly” shows you the way, or you can just explore in your own time if you prefer, but to progress to what would be the next level you need to find your sword so you can dispatch the guard that is blocking your path.
The full game offers 14 levels, normal, time-attack and survival modes and has 12 achievements totalling 200 gamerscore points. Although the trial is a bit short it perfectly showcases the game, and for me it brings back a lot of memories and is instantly familiar.
I’m Impressed with this update and it is a prime example of how to produce a “retro” game for the modern age while respectfully acknowledging the original.
In the hazy days of my past there existed a game on my trusty ZX Spectrum that accounted for a lot of misspent time. That game was
Jetpac, by then developers “Ultimate Play the Game” more commonly known today as “Rare”. This game saw the first outing for the character Jetman who then went on to star in a number of other games, namely its sequel “Lunar Jetman”.
The aim of the game was simple; Firstly you had to assemble your rocket and secondly once it was assembled re-fuel it so you could continue your journey to the next planet. During your travels you were free to collect various valuable items that litter the landscape to boost your score. Sounds easy, and it would be if it weren’t for a lot of pesky alien life forms that also inhabit each planet. To help you out in your mission you were kitted out with the latest state of the art jetpac (hence the title) and hyper laser weapon. After the first level you were only required to re-assemble a new model rocket every four levels, but it was always necessary to refuel the said rocket.
At the time I thought everything about this game was great, the graphics were amazing making full use of what the Spectrum could offer at the time and although the game play was simple, it was compelling. Back in 1983 when this was released this was all that was required of a game, a simple arcade like experience. I remember that this was one of the first developers that really stood out for me. Whenever I saw an “Ultimate Play the Game” logo splashed across the cover of a cassette tape I felt safe in the knowledge that I could buy the game without regret.
Recently this game has been given a whole new lease of life on Xbox Live Arcade with an enhanced name “Jetpac Refuelled”. Rare have given the game a complete graphical overhaul and made some tweaks, but under the hood this is still the same game from all those years ago. This means that the game is more suited to short bursts of play rather than prolonged playing sessions. The game is still enjoyable, but it can become repetitive after a while.
