Sleepy Gamer

The 8-bit video game era of the late 80’s and early 90’s was an important period in gaming.  Where intuitive game design and refined controls were still at very early stages of development.  It was a time of cheat codes, Game Genie, and Nintendo game tip hotlines.  Most of all, it was a time of rose tinted nostalgia.  And although it’s easy to see all the inherent flaws of those games now, it’s hard to forget all the moments of joy they brought.

Retro Game Challenge (or GameCenter CX: Arino’s Challenge, as it’s known in Japan) tries to recapture that magical feeling again by simulating the 1980’s through a series of fictional NES-era (Famicon) games.  By some odd twist of fate, you are sent back in time to 1984 to complete a series of game challenges by a Japanese game show host named Arino.  The time warp changes your character to a younger version of you and Young Arino is also there to offer guidance as your fellow couch buddy.  Each fictional game offers a linear set of 4 distinct challenges ranging from the very easy (beat level 5) to more moderate challenges (score 250,000 points using the same continue).  Arino also periodically buys monthly game magazines, complete with helpful tips and tricks, sneak peaks at upcoming games and release dates, and even phony EGM-style game editors like Dan Sock (Dan Shoe) and Johnny England (John Davidson).

The games themselves are actually very well made and do a great job emulating similar games of the time.  The first game, Cosmic Gate, is a vertical shooter that plays a bit like Galaga crossed with Space Invaders.  Among the other included games are: a platforming series with obvious nods to Super Mario Bros, a simple racing series, a full fledged RPG that feels like something out of the Dragon Quest franchise, and an action game in the vein of Ninja Gaiden.  Each is lovingly created with classic 8-bit sound and graphical sprites, and come with their own game manual and unique cheat codes.

You will find many clever jabs and humorous references to game culture hidden within.  In addition to the contents of each GameFan magazine, there are obvious localization mistakes such as grammar and spelling errors (”You shooted 36 asteroids!”) to highlight the typically poor translation at the time.  Also, reading the magazine tips and using strategies overheard from your gaming buddy are sometimes the only way to pass certain game challenges (at least without much frustration).  There are also a couple of blatant sequel re-releases that simply tweak difficulty and level layout, a la Super Mario Bros 2 (aka SMB: The Lost Levels).

The meta game aspect of a “game within a game” keeps Retro Game Challenge feeling fresh, long after you’ve grown tired of some of the more boring titles available.  Unfortunately, some of the best games are unlocked only at the end of your journey, although it shouldn’t take most players more than an evening to pass most of the game’s challenges.  As a final test though, you are required to complete every game through to the end credits.  Even with all the cheat codes at your disposal, some games will take a fair bit of time to complete though, especially since most of the games must be played beginning to end in a single sitting.  For example, the Guadia Quest RPG will take 10-15 hours to complete beginning to end, making it one of the more time consuming tasks (granted no shortcuts are taken).

While the idea of having specific challenges is a good one, more in line with modern day achievements or trophies, I would have liked to see more of them offered to extend the life of the game.  You do eventually gain freeplay access, but it would have been great to unlock an advanced set of challenges that could be strictly optional or even offer some kind of gaming cred for your in-game character.  I could have also done without the incredibly lame comments offered by your gaming pal, Arino, whose voice acting is pretty horrible and dialog is even worse.  Hopefully some of these issues have been addressed for the awesome sequel (GameCenter CX2 should be out in Japan very soon) already in the works.  A 16-bit era take on the series would be even better!

Sleepy Gamer says.. BUY IT!