People have been asking when we are going to start updating Land of the Rising Fun again. Honestly there just hasn't been a lot of Import news to cover. That has all changed now though. Gungrave, Mario Sunshine and Beach Spikers all just hit Japan and the holly Ikaruga is set to drop in the near future. The import scene is really starting to cook and we are trying our damndest to get in on some of the action. As soon as we start getting some of these titles in you can bet your ass we'll be covering them here. I also got quite a bit of mail after my Neo-Geo reviews from people wanting to know where they can get their own home cart system. Well the guys at the Videogame depot just got a batch of them. If you want the best 2D fighting game ever made to go along with your new Neo-Geo, and you make poor money management decisions then I'd recommend picking up a copy of Mark of the Wolves while you're there.
On the subject of Ikaruga, if you need a shooter fix and just can't wait for its release on the Dreamcast you should try Soukyugerentai for the Saturn. It is easily on of the best shooters I've ever played. Even Tycho, who is something of a connoisseur of the genre had nothing but nice things to say about it. You're going to need a Saturn to play it obviously, but it's my opinion that if you don't have a Saturn you're missing out on a lot more than just Soukyugerentai. The game looks sharp and delivers some very cool looking 3D effects considering its age. As far as shooters go its got everything you would expect, from floating power ups that increase the number of shots you fire to bombs that deliver screen filling explosions. One of the coolest features though is the special weapons. By holding down the fire button you can engage your ships special attack. A wire frame grid will start to expand from your vehicle in some geometric shape depending on your choice of ship. When you release the button any enemies that happen to be within the perimeter of that wire frame get screwed courtesy of massive cannons that automatically lock onto them and fire. This grid actually expands in three dimensions so you will find yourself trapping enemies above and below you with it as well. Add to the mix the fact that each of the three ships you can choose from behave quite differently and you have a recipe for re-playability, something that most shooters are sorely lacking.
In other news the Penny Arcade crew will be making the long trek down to sunny California in order to take part in the San Diego Comic-Con. We will be hanging out at the Gameskins booth chatting and signing whatever people stick in front of us. Not only that, It will also be your first opportunity to purchase the brand new Penny Arcade poster. You can see a little shot of the poster below.
To get your hands on the oh so glossy real deal, you are gonna have to get yourself to the Comic-Con. Tycho, Safety Monkey, Batjew, Kara and myself will all be down there. We'd love it if you stop by the Gameskins booth and say hi…or just buy a poster. Or say hi and then buy a poster. It's really up to you, we aren't picky.
-Gabe out
