Retro Games You May Not Have Tried
Today on RetroRaunch we’re doing something a little bit different! Retro has always been in our name, and gaming has always been in our blood – so I think it’s absolutely time for us to talk about retro games! Honestly, I’m rather surprised that we’ve never mentioned them before, especially considering just how popular retro gaming is these days. I mean, seriously, everywhere you turn you see people playing retro games or playing games inspired by retro games! It’s insane! Just a few days ago we saw the release of “Mighty No. 9”, a, sadly, very disappointing game inspired by the classic “Mega Man” franchise and made by the same guy who created “Mega Man”! Additionally, we’ve had games like “Axiom Verge” which pay tribute to “Metroid”, “Yooka Laylee” which pays tribute to classic “Rare” platformers, and “Hotline Miami”, which is basically the NES game that every kid wanted to play. My point is that everyone remembers the classics and tries to emulate them… But what about the retro games which flew under the radar? What about the ones that you don’t see tributes of? Well, you can see this article as my little tribute to two games from my childhood which you may not have tried, but should!
Shadow of the Ninja
What if I told you that the best ninja-themed game on the NES isn’t actually “Ninja Gaiden”? It’s true, I swear! While “Ninja Gaiden” was quite revolutionary, with its tight difficulty and awesome cutscenes, I don’t think it’s nearly as fun or imaginative as “Shadow of the Ninja”! The story is simple – in the future, an evil dictator has taken over the US and turned it into a dystopia. You play as a ninja who emerged from the shadows intent on stopping the dictator’s army of robots and cyborgs and eventually sticking a blade straight through his heart! The levels are incredibly diverse and imaginative, and they actually tell a coherent narrative as you start off on the ship which takes you to the US (from Japan, I presume), move through the docks and make your way to the dictator’s fortress. The bosses are truly some of the best, most creative I’ve ever seen in an NES game, and the music, dear lord, the music… I actually still have the boss theme as my ringtone, no joke! And you know what the best part is? You can go through the entire game in co-op mode, “Contra”-style! If that hasn’t won you over, nothing will!
Final Fantasy Adventure
As amazing as the early Final Fantasies were, their storylines were fairly typical for the time – you rescue a princess, you break a curse, you take down an evil bad guy… It’s standard fare for an NES title, just told with lots of text. It wasn’t until the series went into the SNES era that the games truly started telling unique and interesting stories… Right? Well, nope! One of the best stories in a “Final Fantasy” game was actually on Game Boy, of all places! I won’t reveal much about the story, but suffice to say, it actually came close to making me cry more than once – that’s not a dramatic overstatement, it’s the absolute truth! The music is AMAZING, especially considering that the Game Boy’s audio chip wasn’t that good, and the open world is the biggest in any other game (yes, even “Pokemon”). And if you wanted even more proof about how awesome this game is, it got a direct sequel as a little game that you might have heard of called “Secret of Mana”. Yep, you heard that right, folks – one of the best SNES games of all time actually borrowed many of its mechanics and story elements from a Game Boy title! I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to experience the game after learning this, but since the Game Boy cart can be a bit expensive, I recommend that you pick up the remake, “Adventure of Mana”, on Android, iOS and PS Vita. It’s the same game, just with updated graphics!