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Retro Game Challenge: the past isn't what it used to be
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Gamespite's Jeremy Parish discovered that Retro Game Challenge's Guadia Quest answers gamedom's most pressing question: What did the villager in Castlevania II mean when he said "Get a silk bag from the graveyard duck to live longer"?
This past week I, stupidly, neglected to cover what is not only a great portable game in its own right, but perhaps the siren song to all retro gamers: Retro Game Challenge.
Retro Game Challenge, or Game Center CX: Arino's Challenge in Japan, dives players back to the classic shoot em up Star Prince, the puzzle-platformer Robot Ninja Haggle Man, or the RPG Guadia Quest on your Nintendo DS! Never heard of them? That's because they're all made up.
Game Center CX is actually a Japanese television show where the host Shinya Arino plays various old games and records his progress as he tries to finish them within a time limit, supported only by assistant directors who provide moral (and sometimes gameplay) support.
This new game for the DS is actually a lovingly handcrafted document of NES-era games like Ninja Gaiden, Dragon Quest, and Galaga. The same musical bleeps, blocky sprites, and simple colors are there. However, below the surface, there are modern day game design elements which make this not just a recreation, but a refinement. This is very similar to Mega Man 9 in design, though Retro Game Challenge offers not one, but eight games to play as you attempt to meet Arino's challenges.
Progression through the game involves playing each subgame and beating a series of four challenges "Demon Arino" gives you. You can progress to the next subgame and repeat the process.
In a feat of inspiration, your means of accomplishing the sometimes very difficult goals is similar to when you played games these 20 years ago. On the top screen of the DS is the game itself, but the bottom screen has game maunals and game magazines with strategies, tips, and even cheat codes for the game you''re playing. Sure, RC Pro Am look alike Rally King SP is tough, but if you're having trouble, you can use the cheat codes to make your car invincible. The games themselves gives many nods and references, either in music, image, or gameplay to the games of the 80s. In this way, Retro Game Challenge is a celebration of not just old games, but the playing of old games the way we used to.
Every retro gamer fan, especially of NES vintage, owes it to him or herself to play this game!
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