It has been just a few days short of a month since the last update, here are my purchases!
Soldier Blade's purchase wraps up my several years long search for a copy. It was not a hard release to locate, it is just that demand for the title is very strong. I was always outbid at auction. This copy came up at a great BIN price and I went for it! The game really is worth the solid/wonderful reputation it has gained over the years, I can get to the 5th stage before it starts to get brutally hard. The manual is a near perfect reproduction of an original, the texture and faded colors give it away as a color laserjet. I was so pleased with the reproduction I asked the seller if he made any more! Oddly enough, it is looking more and more like I may be paying more for Super Star Soldier than Soldier Blade if current price trends hold. That seems a little insane given SB's release date and better reputation.
Bravoman - I have been a fan of Namco's other early efforts on the TG-16 and this is no different. I wish they would have tried out Rolling Thunder on the platform, that would have been neat. This game is solid and enjoyable, I find myself coming back to it a lot.
Dropoff - Err, I have not gotten the hang of this yet, and I almost wish it had a hidden version of Breakout included. The digital control is twitchy.
TE power adapter - Since I started collecting, I noticed these almost never come on the market loose, most are tied to system packages for sale. It cost about as much as a new 3rd party option, but I value it being on OEM part. It got me motivated to finally fix the broken power jack in my TE. Thank's PCEFX member Keith Courage, again, for the correct replacement part link!
Dragon's Curse - I had always been curious about the link to the SMS favorite Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. One of the top games for the SMS is just as fun on the TG-16. I have so far made it to Hawk-Man and look forward to finishing the game soon. I am especially grateful that this uses the Duo's backup RAM save feature. No passwords to cell phone snap!
Space Harrier - another favorite of mine from the SMS. I hold the SMS version in high regard, but I also say that the TG16 port was the most arcade accurate way to play until the 32X and more known Saturn ports came out. Like Fantasy Zone's port, it makes me wonder how different things might have been with a Christmass 1988 USA launch instead of the TG-16 going toe-to-toe with the Genesis/SNES. Fun game, of course.
Somer Assault - this was one of my wish list games, I never thought I would find one for an affordable price. Thank you Beemer! The game is a hybrid shooter/puzzler and I like it a lot. It is very different than most any other game I have played. I got a few bosses into the game and it started to bend my brain a bit. What a game!
Night Creatures - it's a lot like Kung-Fu but with a bit of a plot. So far, the animal forms seem to play worse than the human form. The game is brutally difficult. I'll keep at it.
Hit the Ice - The simple control scheme helps the game shine. Clearly the best hockey game on the TG-16; thank you Taito for your support. I usually dislike sports games, but this one plays very well and has held up. It is worth a pickup in addition to the NHL series on the other 16-bit consoles.
World Sports Competition - my first game from the 1993 set! It plays like Konami's arcade Track & Field/Hyper Sports. Not bad TTI. Bomberman '93 may well be the only other 1993 release I get to own...still looking for that one.
Order of the Griffon - Wow, not only an official D&D game, but it is very easy to pickup and play too. The game's 1st person perspective is quick and easy to navigate. The battles remind me of an obscure Genesis RPG called Sorcerer's Kingdom. The game artwork on the card/manual is incredible.
King of Casino - I suck at all Casino games: they teach me to avoid real gambling because I always lose. This one has an over world screen and multiple Casinos to try. I don't hate it as much as most of the type.
Balistix - the sampled voice clip that plays before EACH match...starts to wear me down. I can either win each round or loose each round in a few seconds. I need a live buddy and DuoTap to enjoy this one, I think.
Motoroader - I thought this would be a complete dud of a game after watching YouTube videos of the gameplay. I was very, very wrong. I played it for four hours last night, the same day I got it in the mail. Very much like a prototype for the Micro Machines games but with it's own style and rules. I like it, a lot. This gets my vote for the best driving game on the system, in the US library anyhow.
That wraps up this past month. My research suggests I only have 9 to 10 titles before I run into the expensive wish-list type releases. Anyone have a favorite import shop for the CD-ROM releases from Japan? I welcome anyone that is willing to point me in the right direction.