Game Boy Archive: 1/3/10

1.09.2010

Shanghai

BASIC INFO:
Title ....... Shanghai (North America, Japan)
Players ..... 1
Genre ....... puzzle
Subgenre .... matching, tile removal
Platform .... Game Boy (1990)

STORY:
none

GAMEPLAY:
This is a bare-bones game of Mahjong solitaire. Upon starting a game, you are presented with a randomized puzzle in the classic "turtle" pattern.

That's pretty much it.

There is a nice piece of sprite artwork on the title screen, and a kickin' rad dragon when you complete a puzzle.

THOUGHTS:
Mahjong Solitaire in monochrome on a tiny screen is really hard on the eyes. Besides that, If you have a portable device that has internet connectivity, you already have this game.

Besides that, there are many other versions of Mahjong Solitaire that are, frankly, much better. Shanghai Pocket (a dual mode Game Boy Color game) immediately springs to mind as being very similar to this game, but offering the advantages of color and multiple puzzle layouts. I also really enjoyed Mahjong Quest Expeditions for the DS, which has one less notable feature (you cannot change the tile type) but many new features, not the least of which is touchscreen functionality.

LEVEL STRUCTURE:
There is only one "level," and you are taken directly to it upon starting the game.

CONTROLS:
D-pad .... move cursor
select ... menu
start .... doesn't appear to do anything
A ........ select
B ........ deselect; cancel

OPTIONS:
In the menu you can access by pressing select, you have access to an OPTION menu and a BGM menu. The OPTION menu allows you to select HINT (shows you hints), PLAYBACK (undo), and FACE (allows you to change the tileset to symbols more familiar to Western audiences). BGM allows you to choose the background music from among 3 choices. Unfortunately, you cannot turn the music off.

EXTRA NOTES:
Apparently, the use of the name Shanghai in reference to Mahjong Solitaire is trademarked by Activision. Activision does appear in the game's opening credits ("original copyright (c)1986 Activision, Inc.)

Solitaire FunPak

BASIC INFO:
Title ....... Solitaire FunPak
Players ..... 1
Genre ....... parlor
Subgenre .... card
Platform .... Game Boy (1994), Game Gear (1994)

STORY:
Don't be silly.

GAMEPLAY:
Solitaire FunPak is an electronic collection of 12 solitaire games. The varieties included are Klondike, Tripeak, Pyramid, Cruel, Freecell, Golf, Canfield, Aces Up, Scorpion, "Poker", Stonewall, and Florentine.

It's got Klondike and Freecell. The other games don't matter.

It's got Klondike and Freecell. The other games don't matter.

You can also play a Tournament, which is a series of games in a row. There are 4 choices: Standard, Championship, Custom, and Custom timed.

Standard and Championship have has you playing one of each of the 12 games. I do not know what the difference is. Custom allows you to choose which games you play. Custom timed allows you to choose which games you play, and to set a time limit on each game (when the limit is up, you are automatically moved to the next game).

THOUGHTS:
The interface and visuals are barely adequate. Lack of color is a major negative. It's completely worthless if you have a portable internet-capable device, of course. Plenty of internet sites allow you to play solitaire, with better visuals, sound, options, and handy explanations nearby.

LEVEL STRUCTURE:
n/a

CONTROLS:
D-pad .... move cursor
select ... doesn't appear to have any function
start .... pause/unpause; confirm (in certain places)
A ........ cancel (in certain places), cancel and return cursor to default position (in-game); confirm (in certain places)
B ........ confirm (in certain places)

OPTIONS:
The options in this game are actually fairly robust.

If you have chosen to play a game by itself, outside of Tournament mode, press start to bring up the following menu options: redeal same, undo, deal again, new game, game over, music (theme 1, theme 2, off). Additionally, Klondike and Canfield will prompt you to make some choices upon starting a game (choose between flip 3 or flip 1; draw many times, draw 3 times only, or draw once only) as will Golf (play on king or flip on king).

Tournament mode is much more limited in options, allowing you to skip games at any time (but not return to them) and change the background music. You are not given the additional prompts when playing Klondike, Canfield, or Golf.

CREDITS:
screen 1:

screen 2:

INTERPLAY tm
screen 4 (let the title screen, screen 3 sit without pressing any buttons to trigger the appearance of screen 4):

1.08.2010

Trax

BASIC INFO:
Title ....... Trax (North America), Totsugeki! Poncotts Tank (Japan)
Players ..... 1-4
Genre ....... shooter
Subgenre .... 3rd person point-of-view
Platform .... Game Boy (1991)

STORY:
Two factions are at war with each other. The big fat meanie faction abandons one of its malfunctioning tanks in underdog territory, and the plucky underdogs rehabilitate the tank and take it out for a cruise...of revenge!

GAMEPLAY:
It's a party and everygun's invited!

Drive a suspiciously Kirby-esque tank around the countryside and blow stuff up. The screen "scrolls" vertically sometimes and horizontally at other times, but you are always moving at your own pace. There are some entertaining weapon upgrades, but the game is so easy that you probably don't need them. They're just, y'know, fun.

You get to fight some goofy-ass bosses. Don't worry too much about dying because you have infinite continues.

THOUGHTS:
I had a lot of fun with this. It's cute, light-hearted, and incredibly forgiving. Just about right for 50 cents, or whatever it was I wound up paying for it. I can't say how fans of the genre will take the game, as I might be the shooter anti-fan. Also, it is very, very short (which I consider a point in its favor).

The underdogs had no hope against the Dragon Mecha Tank With Boxing Gloves until they got the bitty Kirby Tank.

LEVEL STRUCTURE:
There are 4 levels, each with a miniboss and a boss. The final level features a boss rush.

CONTROLS:
D-pad .... move your tank
select ... no apparent use
start .... pause
A ........ rotate cannon clockwise 45 degrees
B ........ shoot

OPTIONS:
None.

1.06.2010

V.I.P.

BASIC INFO:
Title ....... V.I.P. (North America, Europe)
Players ..... 1
Genre ....... multiple
Subgenre .... multiple
Platform .... Game Boy Color (2001)

STORY:
An actor has been nominated to receive an award, but his fiancee has informed the press that he's gone missing. You and your buddies have been put on the case. Not only do you need to find the missing person, but you need to do so in time for him to catch the awards ceremony tonight.

GAMEPLAY:
This game is composed of multiple segments, each of which is its own genre.

Throughout the game, you must watch your health and lives. Your health is represented by 5 hearts, with any damage taking off 1 heart. Lose all your hearts and you will lose a life. You can stock a total of 9 extra lives. In addition to items that restore health and grant extra lives, there are also shields that grant invincibility in all parts of the game.

There are 3 pseudo-racing segments. Your goal is to reach the end of a set map without losing your lives. Working against you are environmental hazards that will take away your health (other cars that can crash into you, sandpits that will turn you over) and your limited fuel. If you run out of fuel, you lose a life. Fortunately, there are plentiful fuel refills (health, and life) scattered along the road.

A 4th pseudo-racing segment is similar to the above, only it is vastly simplified by the removal of fuel. You are, coincidentally, driving a boat.

There are 2 skating segments. Again, your goal is to reach the end of a set map without losing your lives. Working against you are banana peels, irate kiosk staffers, balloons, and the dreaded stairs. Skate forward and jump over these obstacles to reach your goal. If you want to get fancy, grab some balloons while you're at it.

There are 4 shooter segments, though they are equally divided among two different genres. In two segments, you guide a character on-foot across a standard "full of baddies" map. This is done in a top-down, 3rd person perspective. You cannot run out of bullets, but you can collect, use, and run out of grenades. The other two segments are standard vertically scrolling shooters, complete with ammo upgrades.

Finally, there are 4 platforming sections (2 of which are consecutive). The platforming sections are fairly standard run and jump/gun, with baddies to shoot and all that whatnot. You can run out of ammo only in the platforming sections; consequentially, there are items which restore you ammo. If you do run out of ammo, you are restricted to close-range combat using your purse.

THOUGHTS:
I enjoyed this game. It's not hard by any stretch of the imagination, mind you, but I did enjoy exploring stages and getting to see what the next stage was like.

I also experienced a bit of "baby's first shooter/racer". I typically avoid those genres, and I can't say I cared much for the racing segments in this game. However, the scrolling shooter segments were entertaining, and I have a greater interest in "real" scrolling shooters now.

LEVEL STRUCTURE:
14 named segments. You can obtain passwords.

CONTROLS:
D-pad .... move cursor; move character
select ...
start .... pause
A ........ confirm/enter/choose
B ........ cancel

OPTIONS:
Choose to play in English, Spanish, or French (a screenshot on Mobygames suggest that the EU version may also offer Italian and German, but those are not options on my NA copy). Turn music on or off. Turn sound effects on or off.

EXTRA NOTES:
Based off an "action/comedy-drama" TV show aired from 1998 to 2002.

There are V.I.P. games for other platforms, but they do not appear to be the same as this game. The game for the GBA is, according to Mobygames, "a side-scroller with 8 levels", while the PS2/PC game is a fighting game.