Super Nintendo #3: Dragon View

 

Developer: Kotobuki

Publisher: Kemco

Release Date: November 1994

Genre: Action RPG

Okay so maybe it's not the most accurate title, but Beefy White Guy View just doesn't have the same ring to it

Drakkhen isn’t particularly remembered today, but it did well enough on Super Nintendo to merit a console only sequel. I talked earlier about how Super Nintendo became a haven for PC games, and Dragon View is a perfect example of this. PC games came over to SNES and became mini franchises instead of dead ends. It’s also interesting because Dragon View is different enough from Drakkhen that it hardly even needs to be a sequel. Other than the setup of the overworld it doesn’t have much in common with the first game. They made the connection however, making the main character the son of one of Drakkhen’s heroes and having dragon guardians who reference the events of the first game. The ending even hints at another sequel in the works, but sadly the second game didn’t sell well enough to spawn any more games. It’s a bit of a collector’s item today and is one of the more expensive RPGs for Super Nintendo. But if you’re a diehard collector of original hardware and have a hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket you could certainly do a lot worse. I’m sure it’s better than SWAT Kats anyway.

Hey this looks like Drakkhen!

 

Dragon View certainly gets the full console treatment. The confusing menu screen is now gone and the 3D overworld is first person without ability to fall into the water. The combat has switched from the weird RTS style of the first game to an action side-scrolling format reminiscent of Zelda 2. The option to create characters is gone so now you can only play as Alex, a young man on a quest to save his girlfriend and also the world if he gets around to it. This makes for a game that loses a bit of charm but gains a great amount of playabliity. I loved Drakkhen but the mostly empty map made it drag sometimes. In Dragon View, however, there is always something to do and somewhere to go. Each section of the map is full of secrets so just by exploring I gained most of the levels I needed. There was a section near the beginning where I had to save up money and got a little annoyed, but it was only one tiny section where the monsters weren’t dropping much money. Later in the game I had that good RPG situation where I always had something I needed to buy but never felt that strapped for cash. I didn’t like how the same items got more expensive from town to town, but it was less important as monsters started dropping more money. This game is certainly sound in the RPG department.

 

As is often the case with older action RPGs, however, the combat ends up being the weakest part of the game. I had fun with it, and it had good bosses, but it could sure get repetitive. There are many items you can use in battle like arrows, bombs, and magic rings, but I rarely had a reason to use any of them. I only needed to spam my two main weapons with very little strategy. It also got to the point where bosses were just about the only enemies that gave me any trouble. The game had some fun maze-like dungeons which gave me plenty of opportunities to level up without even trying. The enemies also dropped plenty of healing items so combat was basically hit the enemy one or two times and don’t worry about defense. I was shocked when I got to the final boss and found him to be so difficult because for the last third of the game I felt practically invincible. Luckily the dungeons were fun enough that I kept having a good time, but it’s not good when an RPG starts out hard and then becomes super easy halfway through.

This doesn't look like Drakkhen, but it is a lot of fun!

 

Looking back at what I wrote I am a little surprised I had so many critical things to say because honestly I had a great time with this one. It managed to be fast paced while still being exploration heavy. The combat was simple, but the amount of battles was low enough to keep things balanced. I didn’t have my usual burnout halfway through like I usually do so it kept my attention the whole game. It truly is a Super Nintendo hidden gem even if it’s an expensive one. Like with Drakkhen, though, I played it on the Piko Collection Vol. 1 on Evercade which has eighteen other games I will get around to reviewing eventually. It’s nice to be able to find ways to play old games that still support the creators. Anyway, Dragon View is going just below the immortal arcade section of my listings. So far Super Nintendo is getting off to a very good start.

Super Nintendo Quality Percentage: 3/3 or 100%

 

1. Super Mario Odyssey

2. Galaga

3. Donkey Kong

4. Exodus: Ultima III

5. Pac-Mania

6. Wrecking Crew

7. Super Pac-Man

8. Pac-Man

9. Dragon View

10. Excitebike

11. Drakkhen

12. Arc the Lad

13. Clu Clu Land

14. Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX

15. Mickey’s Racing Adventure

16. Metro-Cross

17. Ice Climber

18. Gaplus

19. Dragon Spirit

20. Pinball (NES)

21. Ninja Golf

22. Super Soccer

23. Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (GBC)

24. Red Sea Crossing

25. Baraduke

26. Tennis

27. Hogan’s Alley

28. Gamma-Attack

29. The Legend of “Valkyrie”

30. Galaxian

31. Evoland

32. Cosmic Commuter

33. Hot Pixel

34. Wild Gunman

35. Defunct

36. Gyruss (2600)

37. Looney Tunes Racing

38. Squidlit

39. Baseball

40. Birthday Mania

41. Bad Street Brawler

42. Burly Men at Sea

43. X-Men (HyperScan)

44. My Name is Mayo

45. Marvel Heroes

46. Ben 10

Atari 7800 #1: Ninja Golf

Developer: BlueSky Software

Publisher: Atari

Release Date: 1990

What a cover! I love that even 500 years from now it will still say new.

Ninja Golf is one of those games whose reputation has grown as it has gotten more expensive. A decade ago when this game was only about twenty dollars nobody seemed to care about it much. Now that it’s up around eighty for a loose copy suddenly it’s one of the lost classics of the 8-bit era. I am going to end those rumors right now by saying it’s certainly no masterpiece. But it is a game with a lot of character and good ideas that shows how Atari could’ve stayed successful in the NES era. Right at the end of the 7800s lifespan they started to release interesting games that play almost more like parodies of popular games. They had a weird sense of humor which carried over into the Lynx and even Jaguar era. In a way they had more attitude than Sega without even realizing it. Sadly they didn’t know how to capitalize on their underrated later systems and ended up going out of business. Once again Atari after 1983 is always a little sad no matter what the game is. So just what is Ninja Golf anyway?

That's almost as good as the intro screen to Bad Dudes

Ninja Golf is an early example of two genres getting blended together in an unexpected way. It is a golf game and a side scrolling brawler at the same time. Hey in video games anything is possible. You start out as a ninja standing in front of a tee ready hit the ball. The golfing portion is simple and fun where all you have to do is aim your shot and push the button when you reach the proper distance. After you hit the ball it’s time to do some fighting. Of course in Ninja Golf there are no golf carts but instead dangerous paths filled with enemies such as ninjas, giant gophers, and killer frogs. When you get to the green you don’t putt but instead throw ninja stars at a fire breathing dragon. If you are somehow able to make your way through all nine hole you win. It’s not easy though so even on easy I haven’t made it past the fifth hole. 

As promised, a ninja playing golf

It sounds pretty great, so what’s the problem then? It looses points on being repetitive and difficult to control. If you have ever played a game with an Atari 7800 joystick you know that it is difficult to use, and even under the best of circumstances brawlers didn’t work well with only two buttons. The normal enemies die with only one hit, so the way the difficulty is expanded is by putting loads of enemies on the screen at once. This leads to some painful button mashing that I had trouble with even playing the modern release on my Evercade. It also doesn’t help that every type of environments stay the same over the nine holes. It gets repetitive quickly going over the same fairways with the same ninjas and gophers. Also when you get to your ball everything suddenly disappears so if there is a powerup too close to your destination than you won’t be able to collect it. At first it seems like the different paths you can take are going to make a difference, but honestly it doesn’t really matter that much. Your strokes only matter if you are going to compare them with a friend, and I never had a hole that took more than three strokes. In fact without the golf portion this game would be pretty bland.

In this game you have to "gopher" the green. Get it?

Still I am going to put it in the good column because the overall kookiness makes it worth playing. The flaws in the gameplay don’t get in the way of the fact that you are a ninja playing golf and kicking sharks in the face. I am going to slot in into the #20 slot right above Super Soccer. It’s not the lost classic the people claim it is, but it’s still one worth checking out. I can’t say I recommend paying eighty dollars for an original copy unless you are a collector, but if you can find a way to play it than it’s a game you will never forget.

1. Super Mario Odyssey

2. Galaga

3. Donkey Kong

4. Exodus: Ultima III

5. Pac-Mania

6. Wrecking Crew

7. Super Pac-Man

8. Pac-Man

9. Excitebike

10. Drakkhen

11. Arc the Lad

12. Clu Clu Land

13. Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX

14. Mickey’s Racing Adventure

15. Metro-Cross

16. Ice Climber

17. Gaplus

18. Dragon Spirit

19. Pinball (NES)

20. Ninja Golf

21. Super Soccer

22. Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (GBC)

23. Red Sea Crossing

24. Baraduke

25. Tennis

26. Hogan’s Alley

27. Gamma-Attack

28. The Legend of “Valkyrie”

29. Galaxian

30. Evoland

31. Cosmic Commuter

32. Hot Pixel

33. Wild Gunman

34. Defunct

35. Gyruss (2600)

36. Looney Tunes Racing

37. Squidlit

38. Baseball

39. Birthday Mania

40. Bad Street Brawler

41. Burly Men at Sea

42. X-Men (HyperScan)

43. My Name is Mayo

44. Marvel Heroes

45. Ben 10