The Simpsons Virtual Springfield - PC Game Review Leftover Culture Review 2026-09-24 | The Simpsons Virtual Springfield - PC Game Review
12 Days of Xmas 12 - Bonanza Bros for the Sega Mega Drive Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-24 | Twelve days of Christmas, done and dusted, and what a fasntic way to finish off this series. Bonanza Bros is like a reverse Santa Claus simulation where you need to break in, get the goods and get out. Bonanza Bros. (sometimes written Bonanza Brothers) is a 3D-style, 2D side-scrolling stealth action game developed and released by Sega in 1990. It is one of the earliest arcade games powered by the Sega System 24 arcade system board. It was ported to various home systems, including the Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-CD, and several home computers.Bonanza Bros. is a side-scrolling stealth action game, with shooter and platform game elements. The players take the roles of one or both of the brothers Robo (1P, red) and Mobo (2P, blue) (Mike and Spike in some PAL versions). The object of the game is to travel stealthily around each building while avoiding guards, retrieve several objects within a time limit, and move to the roof where a blimp is expecting the player with the loot. In this fashion the plot and gameplay resemble the older Atari 2600 title Keystone Kapers, but with added features that are similar to the ones in Lock 'n' Chase. Two players can play cooperatively at the same time, as the screen is always split in two.The places the brothers burgle include a bank, a millionaire's mansion, a casino, a mint, an art gallery and a treasury. While similar in graphics and gameplay, the story and the Bonanza Bros.' role changes from the original Japanese to the early western versions: in the former, the duo are thieves attempting to steal valuable treasures for profit whilst avoiding getting arrested; in the latter, they are recruited by the Police Chief of Badville to test security facilities and help the police recover evidence from various crooked businesses and institutions, but on the threat of jail if they fail to do so.The player can walk, jump, shoot and move behind a column or large furniture, which allows both hiding and dodging shots from the guards, which cannot be neutralized definitively, only stunned for a few seconds using the gun or pressing a door against them. They are alerted by sounds or with the Brothers entering their field of vision, and then either hide, call for help or fire against the player. Some guards have a riot shield and can only be hit when moving away. A player loses a life if hit by a guard's projectile or melee attack, attacked by a dog, pressed by a door, or by failing to make a jump onto a springboard or zipline and landing stuck in the ground. Losing a life in these ways causes the player to drop all items. Running out of time both costs players a life and forces them to restart the stage.
12 Days of Xmas 11 - Fighting Force for the Sony Playstation Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-23 | On the eleventh day of Christmas (we're getting close to the end now), I wanted to highlight a personal favourite. I absolutely loved the 2D beat 'em ups, but we never got a whole lot of strong 3D entries. Fighting Force is one of the best (in my opinion). Fighting Force is a 1997 3D beat 'em up developed by Core Design and published by Eidos. It was released for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo 64 on 15 October 1997. Announced shortly after Core became a star developer through the critical and commercial success of Tomb Raider, Fighting Force was highly anticipated but met with mixed reviews.The four characters have various reasons for taking on Dr. Dex Zeng, a criminal mastermind with an army at his command who predicted that the world would end in the year 2000. After New Year's Eve 1999, Dr. Zeng believed that there was an error preventing the apocalypse, so decides to correct it by destroying the world himself. The action starts with a police cordon around Zeng's office skyscraper, moving to such locales as a shopping mall, subway and Coast Guard base before finally ending at the top of Zeng's island headquarters.
12 Days of Xmas 10 Dragon the Bruce Lee Story for Atari Jaguar Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-22 | On the tenth day of Christmas, we're busting out some classic martial arts with Dragon: The Bruce Lee story... Not the best game ever, but everyone gets to play as Bruce Lee!Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a fighting video game developed and originally published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in Europe for the Sega Genesis in June 1994. It is based on the 1993 film of the same name, which is a semi-fictionalized account of the life of Hong Kong-American actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. Following the events of the movie, players take control of Bruce Lee across several stages that takes places in different time periods of his life and fight against some of his adversaries.Initially released for Sega platforms, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story was later ported to the Atari Jaguar and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, each one featuring several changes and additions compared with the original version while both the Game Gear and Master System versions, which were also released in 1994, feature an entirely different gameplay format.Since its release, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story garnered mostly negative reviews, with criticism directed at the slow-paced and shallow gameplay.The producer for the video game adaptation of Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Daniel Marchant, stated in a 1993 interview with Mean Machines Sega that the team was against the idea of creating a beat 'em up project similar to Sega's Streets of Rage 2 (1992) and they instead opted in developing an arcade-style fighting title that was more in the lines of the Street Fighter II series which is also the arcade blockbuster that the developers of Streets of Rage 2 had also used as their inspiration, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story on the other hand has beat 'em up mechanics that are rather similar to the Japanese version of Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (1990), because of the cooperative modes up to three players who fight as re-skinned clones of the same character, the ability for characters to wield and attack with nunchucks, and both games having the "Dragon Stomp" move when the opponent is on the ground. The sprite work for each characters consists of 100 frames of animation and the music was done by composer Allister Brimble.
12 Days of Xmas 09 - Chu Chu Rocket for the Sega Dreamcast Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-21 | Getting closer to Christmas and on day 9 we explore an incredibly chaotic game exclusive to the Sega Dreamcast, produced by Sonic team. Chu Chu Rocket puts you in charge of loading up mice to blast off to the next stage - But watch out for the cats.ChuChu Rocket! is an action puzzle game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. Released for the Dreamcast in 1999, it was the first game for the system to support online console gaming. Players must place arrows on a board to lead mice into escape rockets while avoiding cats. The game features single-player modes in which a player must save all the mice on a board, and a multiplayer mode in which players battle to collect the most mice.Directed and produced by Yuji Naka (co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog), ChuChu Rocket! was developed in part to test the online functionality of the Dreamcast and Sega's servers, and test the Dreamcast's processing power by displaying many characters at once. The knowledge gained from the network portion of the project helped Sonic Team in their development of Phantasy Star Online (2000). ChuChu Rocket! topped the Japanese sales charts its first week on sale in November 1999. When it arrived in the United States, Sega held an online tournament where players could battle against Sega and Sonic Team employees. In PAL regions, it was given free to subscribers of Sega's online gaming service Dreamarena.ChuChu Rocket! was a commercial and critical success. Critics praised the chaotic and addictive multiplayer and the simple and cute Japanese aesthetic. Sega's network gaming service received some criticism for lag. ChuChu Rocket! was ported to the Game Boy Advance as a launch game, and gathered interest as the first game published by Sega for Nintendo hardware. It was ported to iOS in 2010 and Android in 2011, but these versions were removed from sale in 2015. The Dreamcast version can still be played online via private servers.
12 Days of Xmas 08 Speedball for the Master System Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-20 | For the eighth day of Christmas, we're flogging a metal ball at each other and trying to get it to the other side of the field. Speedball is super easy to pivck and play, and although it doesn't have all the features of Speedball 2, I think it's still worth checking out for its simplicity and style. Speedball is an action game released for the Sega Master System in 1990. The game was followed by Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe.The Master System version of Speedball derives from the IBM PC version. Graphics were created in The Advanced OCP Art Studio for the Atari ST.Though the game was not released outside of PAL regions, Speedball on the Master System recognises an NTSC console and adjusts various factors (such as music speed) accordingly.
12 Days of Xmas 07 Rampage through Time for the Sony Playstation Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-19 | For the seventh day of Christmas, we are going back in time and wreaking absolute havoc. Rampage through Time is a PlayStation exclusive, supports up to three players and takes the chaos across different time zones and introduces a few new monsters and erm… mini games? Rampage Through Time is an 2000 action game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Midway Games. It is the fourth game in the Rampage series and a sequel to 1999's Rampage 2: Universal Tour. In the game, seven previous Scumlabs monsters and one new one use a time machine to rampage through time.The world is yet again rebuilding after the events of Universal Tour. To speed up the cleaning process, the evil and corrupt Scumlabs creates a time machine to send employees back in time to deal with the destruction without having to do so in the present. Unfortunately, monsters from the previous games (George the ape, Lizzie the dinosaur, Ralph the wolfman, Boris the rhino, Curtis the rat and Ruby the lobster), have somehow returned to Earth, this time joined by a new monster: Harley the warthog. They surprise Scumlabs and enter the time machine, and begin terrorizing the past, present, and future, bringing mayhem to the space-time continuum. Later, a UFO-like craft is created to stop the monsters, only to fail. Eventually, the monsters are finally defeated.
12 Days of Xmas 06 - Tempest 2000 for the Atari Jaguar Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-18 | Halfway through! On the 6th day of Christmas, you go down a deep dark hole to blast away at an endless onslaught of invaders, with some funky music. Often considered one of the strongest Jaguar titles, Tempest 2000 gave the platform some much needed 2-player action. Tempest 2000 is a tube shooter video game originally developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar in North America on 13 April, 1994. It was released in Europe on 27 June and in Japan on 15 December of the same year, with the Japanese release being published by Mumin Corporation. Part of Atari Corp.'s 2000 series, it is a remake by Jeff Minter of Dave Theurer's 1981 arcade game Tempest, which used Atari's QuadraScan vector color display technology.Taking control of the claw-shaped Blaster spacecraft from the original game, the player has to survive and travel across multiple levels until the end of an intergalactic war, battling against a variety of enemies that appear on the playfield. Originally an exclusive for the Jaguar, Tempest 2000 was ported to MS-DOS, Macintosh, Sega Saturn, PlayStation and Windows, each with several changes and additions from the original version.
12 Days of Xmas 05 - Toejam and Earl for the Sega Mega Drive Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-17 | On the fifth day of Christmas, we get to help some alien travellers find their way back home, piece-by-piece. Toejam and Earl was a really fun approach to a two-player cooperative title for the Sega Mega Drive.ToeJam & Earl is an action game developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) console. Released in 1991, it centers on ToeJam and Earl—alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth. As they attempt to escape the planet, players assume the role of either character and collect pieces of their wrecked spacecraft. It references and parodies 1980s and early 90s urban culture and is set to a funk soundtrack. ToeJam & Earl's design was heavily influenced by the role-playing video game Rogue (1980) and derived various features from the game, such as the random generation of levels and items. As such, ToeJam & Earl is often considered to be an example of a roguelike game.
12 Days of Xmas 04 - Rakugakids for the Nintendo 64 Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-16 | On the fourth day of Christmas, we're busting out the trusty Nintendo 64 and a copy of Rakugakids, a game released in Japan and Europe. It's got a very unique look and I appreciate how silly and fun the experience is. A fighting game perfect for busting out with kids around.Rakugakids (らくがきっず, Rakugakizzu) is a 2.5D fighting video game created by Konami for the Nintendo 64, released in 1998. The name Rakugakids is a portmanteau of the Japanese word rakugaki (meaning "doodle") and the English word "kids", a reflection of the visual style of the game, which resembled children's drawings.
12 Days of Xmas 03 - Outlaw for the Atari 2600 Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-15 | On the third day of Christmas, we get to shoot each other in the face in the old wild west. Outlaw is a great two player game for the Atari 2600 (and just an okay one if you're playing on your own).In Outlaw the player controls a gunslinger in the Old West. It features both one and two player games. In the one player version, the goal is to shoot a moving target as many times as possible in 99 seconds. In the two player version, each player tries to be the first to shoot his opponent ten times. Several game variations are included in both the one and two player versions.In the middle of the screen is one of several possible obstacles to make the game more difficult. A giant cactus, a stagecoach, a moving stagecoach, or a breakable wall all can block the target or provide some shelter for the player to hide from opponents shots. The player also has the choice of unlimited fire or only a six shooter. If the player chooses the six shooter, then each player must use up all six shots before either player can reload. Lastly, there is the getaway option. With getaway, a player may move immediately after firing; without getaway, a player must remain stationary for as long as his bullet is on the screen.
12 Days of Xmas 02 - Simpsons Wrestling for the Sony Playstation Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-14 | The 12 days of Leftover Culture Christmas continue with an amazing (cough cough) Simpsons game for the Sony Playstation. Not a very popular choice for Christmas, but an interesting addition to the terrible Simpsons games we used to endure. The Simpsons Wrestling features 20 playable characters, voiced by the series' regular voice cast, each of whom executes their own exclusive moves, gestures, and power moves in the wrestling ring. The matches take place in detailed 3D locations in Springfield. A round in the game ends when one wrestler pins their opponent for a three count; two wins constitute a victory. Unlike in traditional wrestling rules, the opponent may be pinned belly-down.The game was widely panned by critics, and has since been considered by many to be one of the worst video games of all time, though the audio track was praised.
12 Days of Xmas - Super Smash TV for the Sega Master System Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-13 | 12 days of Christmas and 12 amazing (well... not all of them) games to check out. We're looking at a bunch of games to pull out this holiday season when people drop in unannounced and expect you to entertain them.Originally released in 1990 as Smash TV in arcades, it was ported to several systems including the NES, Super Nintendo and the Master System where the name was changed to Super Smash TV. The play mechanic is similar to that of Eugene Jarvis' earlier Robotron: 2084, with dual-joystick controls and series of single-screen arenas. While most of the enemies in Robotron are visible at the start of a level, in Smash TV they are generated in waves as a level progresses. Power-ups, some of which give the player a new weapon, are picked up by running over them.The themes were borrowed from violent and dystopian sci-fi blockbuster films from 1987 such as RoboCop and The Running Man. The plot involves a wealthy celebrity named Master of Ceremonies (or MC for short) who is hosting and competing in his violent game show, in the not-too-distant future of 1999. MC has the playable contestant(s) moving from one high-tech gauntlet to the next, each player has to shoot hordes of enemies who enter via passages on each side of the screen while also collecting weapons, power-up items, and gift-wrapped prizes. The final room in each level is a protracted fight with a boss.At the end of the game is a showdown with the show's host where players are granted their life and freedom. Among the game's items are keys. If enough are collected, players can access a bonus level called the Pleasure Dome where players can "collect" hundreds of blue bikini-clad blonde and buxom "babes" akin to other prizes in the game.The game features verbal interjections from the game show host such as "Total carnage! I love it!" and "I'd buy that for a dollar!". The first of these became the title of the 1992 follow-up, Total Carnage. The second phrase came from a fictional TV show within RoboCop.
I got some incriminating photos of Santa (and more Sega Saturn reviews!) Leftover Culture Review 2023-12-11 | We've got a massive Christmas Special for 2023! Some incriminating photos of Santa you dudes can drop into your letters this year (wink wink).We also take a look at some Sega Saturn party games, Jung Rhythm and Bomberman Fight! and re-design some video game box art, this time, Die Hard Trilogy!If you're after some more action this holiday season, you can download the Leftover Culture game, Mall Madness 2: Christmas Rush (for PC) on the website: leftoverculturereview.com/2017/12/11/mall-madness-2-christmas-rush-free-download-pc-gameThanks for tuning in and stay safe this holiday season! Merry Christmas.
I have a bone to pick with you... Leftover Culture Review 2023-10-28 | I really appreciate your support!! You can vote for my work here: https://flyingarts.org.au/2023-qraa-peoples-choice-award/#jp-carousel-40861You can find plenty of art alive videos right here on the channel, if you dare, but you can also check out the virtual exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibitionYou can also find the Triple Header stories on the Leftovers channel: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXmX--ukdzM4vLjfWXC-9OEM1P33ZgN-K&feature=shared
All Brains - As Seen On TV 2023 made using a Sega Mega Drive Leftover Culture Review 2023-10-27 | Exposed and vulnerable, usually our brains sit tight within our heads where our thoughts and feelings can be safe. All Brains is loose and messy, barely held together and functioning but taking in everything around it. Drawing fine lines in Art Alive! Can be challenging, and I wanted to use this piece to challenge myself and what I could achieve in the software. The green ooze helps frame the artwork and create a beautiful contrast within the limited colour palette.
Killer TV Strikes Again - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! 2023 Leftover Culture Review 2023-10-21 | With a vicious lust for death, the Killer TV stands beside its latest victim as a doorway opens, revealing the carnage that just unfolded. I wanted this piece to tell a story in one image, framed around the boxy killer TV set, with its expressive face and long, probing tongue. The yellow shape is the light pouring in from the open doorway and on the right hand side, a pile of bones. Televisions feature a lot through my work, especially older CRT (cathode ray tube) sets that could light up a living room with a beautiful glow.I called this collection of images As Seen on TV because once you turn the console off, the original is lost forever. There’s no way to save the originals of these pieces. There’s no storage on the cartridge and there’s no export options in the software. By using screencapture software I was able to save copies of the artwork and record how it was created. I also took photos of each piece once they were done to capture how they appeared in their original form on an old CRT television. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Lets make a monster! Halloween special Leftover Culture Review 2023-10-16 | A time for tricks and treats, this halloween special is loaded with the best. We're redesigning some box art for Haunting starring Polterguy, taking a look at some action figures from Sega's House of the Dead, reviewing some super-tiny zombie survival games, telling some spooky ghost stories and finally, FINALLY, making our very own monster. Check out the full collection of spooky video game reviews right here on the channel: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvInidRS7jaWKcRHE182m28cQhjBc3mbvLeftovers channel for more spooky stories: youtube.com/@LeftoverculturereviewLeftovers
Fish Bones - As Seen on Tv made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-10-03 | I wanted to create a tribute to something that stuck with me as a kid, something that felt gross andradical. Fish Bones is an attempt to design a piece with considerable detail using strong shadows to draw focus and separate the objects in the trash. Art Alive! requires you to use the Sega Control Pad. With the available tools, drawing small details is challenging. I wanted to see how I could make an image feel more gritty and cluttered. To achieve the look I was inconsistent with my outlines and used a large portion of the available palette in designing this piece.I called this collection of images As Seen on TV because once you turn the console off, the original is lost forever. There’s no way to save the originals of these pieces. There’s no storage on the cartridge and there’s no export options in the software. By using screencapture software I was able to save copies of the artwork and record how it was created. I also took photos of each piece once they were done to capture how they appeared in their original form on an old CRT television. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Prawn Party - As Seen on TV made using Segas Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-09-22 | This hypercolour prawn knows how to party. I was fascinated by how a few simple strokes could help build a character. Party Prawn is fun with a dash of Australian personality. When COVID-19 started ruining plans all throughout 2020, I wanted to create something special for friends and family at Christmas. Prawns are often served during Christmas in Australia so I made a series of magnets with these funky prawns having a party. It was a chance to acknowledge the parties and gettogethers we missed during 2020 and because the magnets were on a solid black background,the magnets could be arranged any way you wanted. Together or alone.I called this collection of images As Seen on TV because once you turn the console off, the original is lost forever. There’s no way to save the originals of these pieces. There’s no storage on the cartridge and there’s no export options in the software. By using screencapture software I was able to save copies of the artwork and record how it was created. I also took photos of each piece once they were done to capture how they appeared in their original form on an old CRT television. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Blender head - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-09-22 | Ever get the feeling your brain is leaking out of every hole? Like someone shoved a mixer in your skull and gave your insides a good whisking? Blenderhead does.Even when looking calm at the beach, nothing behind the shades is working like it should. I know Blenderhead resonates with a lot of people. I’ve been described as chilled out. Rarely do I feelrelaxed. Drawing, painting and art are some of the few things I feel I can totally focus on.I called this collection of images As Seen on TV because once you turn the console off, the original is lost forever. There’s no way to save the originals of these pieces. There’s no storage on the cartridge and there’s no export options in the software. By using screencapture software I was able to save copies of the artwork and record how it was created. I also took photos of each piece once they were done to capture how they appeared in their original form on an old CRT television. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Breakfast - As Seen on TV made using Segas Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-09-09 | The most important meal of the day spread across an open plain. I appreciate the variety of textures found in food. It can be gross, exciting or delicious. I wanted to see how a more abstract approach would lend itself in Art Alive! without relying on thick, dark lines to illustrate an image. I had this idea after watching the movie, They call me Trinity, starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. Food is often used in a comical way and is a motivation for the characters, especially baked beans. I wanted to capture the feel of a Western style landscape with bacon and eggs. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Tiny Fly Dude - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-09-01 | Drawn in by a can, the tiny fly vomits all over the top to suck up the few drops of soda left. I wanted to develop a few characters while using Sega’s Art Alive! that were bold and vibrant. Pieces that work well with the limitations of the software. Fly’s are drawn in by things that are gross and rotten, leaving their tiny marks in so many small ways. Just imagine being so happy to find trash everywhere.I called this collection of images As Seen on TV because once you turn the console off, the original is lost forever. There’s no way to save the originals of these pieces. There’s no storage on the cartridge and there’s no export options in the software. By using screencapture software I was able to save copies of the artwork and record how it was created. I also took photos of each piece once they were done to capture how they appeared in their original form on an old CRT television. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Dead Rodent - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-08-20 | This mouse has perished, but not forgotten. The skateboard that struck it now carries the body to its final resting place with a crown of corns (corn kernels) and ceremonial flies. Similar to the beheading of the can, it’s a look at the small moments that occur around us. I got my first skateboard in 2022 and loved the shape of it. The shape of the board gave me a powerful way to frame the piece. Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Angry Fly Guy - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-08-15 | Sometimes the smallest things have so much to stay. Pent up with rage, this angry fly is letting the world know he isn’t happy. Sadly nothing can hear his rage except him. I love to illustrate flies, often drawn to things that are gross or discarded.My favourite Goosebumps book cover in Night of the Living Dummy II. It’s pink and green and I absolutely fell in love with the colour combination. Angry Fly was one of the first pieces I designed on Art Alive! Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Killer TV - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-08-10 | A bolt of lightning struck the television giving it a supernatural desire to destroy. The controllers in the foreground are the focal point that captures the moment of violence with the menacing screen gnashing behind.Killer TV is a more energetic piece with lines creating movement. Giving the television more depth and centering the square screen allows the chaos to unfold around it. Using Art Alive! I really wanted to capture and celebrate the wobbly lines and mistakes introduced by a human.Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Beheaded - As Seen on TV made using Art Alive! Leftover Culture Review 2023-08-05 | I love thinking about the little battles all the small things around face everyday. With the pull tab separated, this can has been beheaded. Discarded, mangled, emptied and exposed. For me, this can is a reminder that we don't always see the struggle around us.Sega's Art Alive! has a lot of limitations. 16 colours, a control pad for input and no way to save your work, but I wanted to create something beautiful. 'As Seen on TV' is a collection of art made using a Sega Mega Drive, a control pad and a copy of Art Alive!. I recorded the screen to capture the process knowing the original drawing would be lost as I turned the system off.Catch the online exhibition here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Quick update - More Art Alive! Videos for 2023 Leftover Culture Review 2023-07-31 | In 2022 I started using Sega's Art Alive to develop a whole series of artworks. And unlucky for everyone else, I recorded myself doing it! Over the next couple of months, I'll be releasing all the videos... Which will involve me moving a mouse cursor very slowly around a screen. You can check out the digital exhibition, As Seen on TV here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Body Count with the Menacer - Sega Mega Drive Review Leftover Culture Review 2023-05-22 | Checkout Bloodshot on the channel: youtu.be/f9L-CWI_-oMCheck out the Leftover Culture Review video game, Mall Madness, here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2017/09/01/free-download-mall-madness-leftover-culture-review-video-gameBody Count is a 1994 Rail shooter for the Sega Genesis. It is one of the few games that make use of the Menacer light gun and the Mega Mouse. In the U.S. the game was released on the Sega Channel. It appears the US release had english text during the cut-scenes where the PAL cartridge release had garbled glyphs. Developed by Probe Software. A hostile race of aliens have invaded the planet Earth. A lone soldier takes up arms to fight against the invaders and drive them away.The game plays as an arcade style shooter where the player shoots from the first person perspective. After a sufficient number of enemies have been eliminated, the player proceeds to the next area. At the end of the stage, the player must destroy a boss to move on to the next stage. Body Count has four stages, and four bosses. The game also supports multiplayer. Only one Sega Menacer can be used at a time.
Collecting for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) Leftover Culture Review 2023-04-26 | On my last video, the Digimon review, I got a comment about collecting for the Sega Mega Drive. So I wanted to cover my own personal criteria for collecting, why I picked the games I did and what games I really love from my collection. Toejam and Earl Review: youtube.com/watch?v=nOHh-XWZCVATwo Crude Dudes: youtube.com/watch?v=v91XLMM79PMRevenge of Shinobi: youtube.com/watch?v=4fXELeg0We0Shadow Dancer: youtube.com/watch?v=deIn9iEQ9doBeavis and Butt-Head: youtu.be/_giBAdhKsF0Bloodshot: youtu.be/f9L-CWI_-oMArt Alive: youtu.be/7uArXAybDjYYou can also check out 'As Seen on TV' right here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Digimon 20th Anniversary Digivice Review Leftover Culture Review 2023-03-20 | Originally released in Japan in 2017, 20 years after the original Digimon Digital Monsters, we get a near exact rerelease that captures everything that made the devices so hot and adds a few new features. Digimon quickly followed the 1996 release of Tamagotchi in Japan and a lot of the same principles apply; providing care, playing and feeding your pet. What set Digimon apart was the ability to link up two devices to battle it out. This feature also gives trainers a reason to care and invest their time trying to raise a powerful monster to battle with.http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2023/03/19/digimon-20th-anniversary
Make Art on Your Mega Drive! Art Alive Review for the Sega Mega Drive Leftover Culture Review 2023-02-23 | I've been working on my very own art exhibition using Art Alive! What started as a joke when I first recorded this episode in 2021 turned into a year long project to develop a series of artworks, and make this much longer, more detailed review of the obsolete drawing programme for the Sega Mega Drive. You can check out 'As Seen on TV' and download a PDF of the art book over on the Leftover Culture Review website: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition---Produced in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis in the United States), Art Alive! is a program that lets you create your own artwork on the system. Art Alive! is limited by the hardware only allowing you to use a palette of 16 colours, there's no layers, no pen-tool for creating bezier lines and it only supports the Sega Control Pad. There's no support for additional accessories, such as the Sega Mouse (which was released in 1993).The artwork cannot be saved either. The instruction manual recommends using a VCR to record your work. This limitation in particular meant that each artwork I produced was done alla prima (completed in one session) and took about an hour. Once you turn off the system, the piece is deleted.Art Alive! comes bundled with a selection of templates so you can start painting straight away as well as a range of stickers you can paste into your scenes. There's also an animation tool that lets you draw frame-by-frame or paint on an existing animation.The software was developed by Jay Obernolte from Farsight Technologies and Chris Ziomkowski. The game credits state it was developed by Western Technologies.A spiritual successor , Wacky Worlds, was developed in 1994 by Head Games with more resources. Instead of focusing on a painting tool, Wacky World embraced the ability to place stickers to create scenes.
Beheaded - Artwork made using a Sega Mega Drive Leftover Culture Review 2023-02-22 | I love thinking about the little battles all the small things face everyday. With the pull tab separated from the can, this can has been beheaded, left mangled, emptied and exposed. In the original piece the rim of the can was highlighted to create a halo effect around the top of the can, the halo itself was there to personify the can. Art Alive! has an incredibly limited palette of 16 colours, so I really wanted to find a composition that pop with just two, red and green, allowing me to use grey, black and white, as well as lighter shades of red and green, to give the can some shape. I've been working on my very own art exhibition using Art Alive! What started as a challenge to myself to produce something beautiful on Art Alive! turned into a year long project to develop a series of artworks pushing this obsolete drawing tool (that doesn't even let you save your work). You can check out 'As Seen on TV' and download a PDF of the art book over on the Leftover Culture Review website: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Fight for Life - The only 3D fighting game for the Atari Jaguar Leftover Culture Review 2023-02-11 | Fight for Life is a 3D, the only, 3D fighting title for the Atari Jaguar. Released in 1996 it also marked the end of Atari's time producing home consoles and computers. Atari Corporation reverse-merged with disk-drive manufacturer JT Storage (JTS), becoming a division within the company. In 1998, Hasbro Interactive acquired all Atari Corporation related properties from JTS, creating a new subsidiary, Atari Interactive. Atari as a name has had a complicated history and Fight for Life marked the end of one of the most ambitious (bringing 64-bits to home consoles) and turbulent. Fight for Life was essentially developed by one person, Francois Bertrand after his work on Virtua Fighter with Sega Japan. From his own interviews it's clear that the biggest limitation for the game was the platform itself. The Jaguar couldn't compete with Sega and Playstation on 3D games. Fight for Life is a great example however, of what the Atari Jaguar could do. For the platform, the 3D models look good and the gameplay flows consistently. You can read an interview with Francois talking about the game development here: http://www.atarihq.com/jaglynx/bertrand.htmlThe Atari Jaguar is a fun console to review because there were so many unique games for the system and for a long time, it was an incredibly difficult system to emulate. Thankfully, we have a few more options now, like BigPEmu. It's easier than ever to check out the full collection of Atari Jaguar games at home: richwhitehouse.com/jaguar
Ataris first and last 3D fighter Leftover Culture Review 2023-02-10 | Fight for Life was born at an incredibly turbulent time at Atari and it shows. The game itself was developed (directed, designed and coded) by Francois Bertrand (coming off work on Sega’s Virtua Fighter) and the lack of resources is obvious. Soon after Fight for Life was released, Atari was merged with a hardware production company with the Atari Jaguar and Lynx systems ceasing official production. You can check out my full review of the game on the channel.
Have you got this hardcore piece of Sega hardware? Leftover Culture Review 2023-01-08 | The Sega Menacer is the official light gun for the Sega Mega Drive, but surprisingly, only three cartridge titles were ever released (in Europe and Australia anyway). Body Count is one of the most impressive ways to test out this hulking piece of hardware. Released by Probe in 1994 Body Count features a fantastic array of bad guys, aliens and machines, stage damage and a whole heap of power-ups.Body Count was released on the Sega Channel service in America, and it seems to have some extended cut-scenes fleshing out the story. The cartridge release has some garbled text that removes the language barrier along with the story. Either version delivers the fantastic arcade action that was sorely missing from the Menacer 6-in-1 pack in title. One trick with the cutscenes is that there’s a flashing light after every boss, before you start the next stage. Take note of the colour and the order, it might come in handy at the end and don’t worry about killing the hostages. If you don’t have a Menacer, the Sega Mouse as well as the standard joypad are also supported. What I found a little disappointing is that on both the Master System and the Sega Saturn, there are plenty of hard hitting arcade action games to pick from. The Mega Drive and the Menacer received next to no support and it’s a bit of a shame we didn’t have a more titles that really pushed the hardware. You can check out my original Sega Menacer review here: youtu.be/E_h3fllnz2Y Or check out the FMV games released for the Sega CD that supported the Menacer: youtu.be/BnY-t2i6L20As well as my article on FMV gaming with the Menacer: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2018/02/02/fmv-games-failed-sega-menacer-couldnt-help Read more about the Sega Menacer here: medium.com/@leftoverculture/segas-failed-light-gun-the-menacer-6c69cf9d84bf
Youve never played a game like this before Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-29 | Sega’s smallest games were only 48 by 32 pixels. Inserted into a controller, the VMU was both a second screen in-game and a memory card. Once you’re ready to go, pull the VMU out and do some portable gaming with Sega’s smallest gaming device.The Sega Dreamcast was Sega’s last console, after the Sega Saturn, and they went big. It brought a lot of Sega’s latest arcade hits to the home market and was home to a lot of exclusive Sega franchises. Games like House of the Dead, Sonic Adventure, Shenmue and Dynamite Cops.On its own, the Sega Dreamcast VMU works as a memory card, file manager and a miniature device. You can load files, applications and even games onto the Dreamcast VMU and take them wherever you go.Find out more about the VMU here: medium.com/@leftoverculture/the-smallest-sega-games-ever-bbfe6ccbb4c7
Christmas Present Unboxing on the Leftover Culture Review Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-24 | Merry Christmas! I wanted to take a chance to look at something big under my tree this year - Don’t hesitate to share your own Christmas surprises in the comments! Can’t wait to see all your shiny bright faces back again in 2023!Hidekazu Yukawa (Kanji: 湯川 英一, Rōmaji: Yukawa Hidekazu), most commonly known as Mr. Yukawa or Mr. Sega, was the Senior Managing Director of Sega during the Dreamcast era. He is a prominent character in the What's Shenmue? demo that was released exclusively in Japan, where Ryo Hazuki has to search for him in Dobuita. He also makes cameo appearances in the first Shenmue.If you’re after a little more Christmas, you can find it right here on the Leftover Culture Review. I love this time of year and would love to share a few special things we’ve been able to do over the years.Christmas episode playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvInidRS7jaWo3F3NGbs0bbclPzAEzS0iA Christmas card made using a Sega Mega Drive (You can download and send): leftoverculturereview.com/2021/12/13/creating-a-christmas-card-in-art-alive-on-the-sega-mega-drive/christmas-card-02Mall Madness Christmas Rush - A first person shooter while you try and get a photo with Santa (PC Only): http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2017/12/11/mall-madness-2-christmas-rush-free-download-pc-game Footage from the Ekka 1976: youtube.com/watch?v=m2iEVSNXm-U&ab_channel=QueenslandStateArchives
South Park Christmas Review - Nintendo 64 Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-20 | South Park the video game is a First Person Shooter, released in North America on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, two years after the show started airing. By 1999 the game made it to Europe, as well as ported to the PC and Playstation. The Nintendo 64 would see two more South Park games released, Chef's Luv Shack and South Park Rally. All three games were published by Acclaim, but South Park, the first South Park video game, was developed by Iguana Entertainment. Iguana Entertainment previously developed Turok for the Nintendo 64, and built the South Park game on the Turok 2 engine. Christmas links!Original artwork made using a Sega Mega Drive: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibitionCreating a Christmas Card you can use (Art on a Sega Mega Drive): leftoverculturereview.com/2021/12/13/creating-a-christmas-card-in-art-alive-on-the-sega-mega-driveDynamite Deka (Die Hard Arcade) review on the Sega Saturn: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2021/12/13/creating-a-christmas-card-in-art-alive-on-the-sega-mega-driveMall Madness 2 - Christmas Rush is a PC game I designed where you need to get your Santa photos: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2017/12/11/mall-madness-2-christmas-rush-free-download-pc-gameMore & More & More Tales to Give you Goosebumps is a series of short Goosebumps stories about Christmas: youtube.com/watch?v=Ed_VsvyWCYU&list=PLXmX--ukdzM7sWjE29OQRwXnpCOdzA35RChristmas Episode Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvInidRS7jaWo3F3NGbs0bbclPzAEzS0i
The only game you need this Christmas!! Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-15 | So Christmas NiGHTS succeeds in bringing some amazingly festive imagery, and something I didn’t share in the video was that leading up to Christmas, once the Sega Saturn’s clock hit November, the snow starts to fall before you start seeing all the Christmas decorations closer to the 25th.I thought this demo was a little bit interesting because by the time it was released, the NiGHTS into Dreams game was already on store shelves. This was really much more of a promotional tool than a ‘work-in-progress’ demonstration… That means all the enemies, music and cut-scenes are in-tact (with some special variations made just for the Christmas NiGHTS stage) and even the A-Life system and Nightopian/Nightmaren ‘breeding’ feature can be found.Keep an eye out on Christmas Eve and you can even catch a glimpse of Santa Claus himself… I just didn’t want to spoil the magic, but that still makes it worth checking out for yourself… But for me, there is still only one real reason to check it out on the Sega Saturn versus a HD re-release.One of the primary reasons to check out Christmas NiGHTS on the Sega Saturn (opposed to one of HD re-releases) is the chance to unlock Sonic into NiGHTS. This is the first ever polygonal 3D appearance of Sonic on the Sega Saturn and for a simple re-skin, it’s got its issues but was still very cool to see.
Whats worse than going to an airport at Christmas? Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-13 | Die Hard Trilogy contained three different games for each movie at the time. Die Hard was an action game where you had to navigate the Nakatomi Plaza building, Die Harder was an arcade shooter taking you through the airport to find the terrorist base and Die with a vengeance is a driving game where you disable bombs. I loved the feel and instant playability of the second game. It even works with light guns!
Lost in the Canadian wilderness for Christmas 🎄 Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-12 | Set in the Canadian wilderness in that hazy period between Christmas and New Years Eve, D2 starts as your plane crashes in the snow and you recover after being saved from the wreckage, only to find the whole area is being overrun with mutant creatures taking humans as hosts. D2 really pushed the Sega Dreamcast with some intense shooting action, gory cutscenes and exploration. Definitely not one to bust out with the kids this Christmas. Check out the full review here: youtu.be/pvoFqqtI_TsAfter some more Christmas? Check out the website here http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/?s=Christmas
Best way to beat your friends up at Christmas Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-11 | We're taking a look at some fighting titles I think are worth busting out around Christmas, Street Fighter Alpha 3/Impact and Pocket Fighter. Both Capcom fighting titles I checked out here: youtube.com/watch?v=NnF6KVlhd9UAfter some more Christmas? Check out the website here http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/?s=Christmas
The best Atari Jaguar emulator, photos from the 90s and art made on Sega - December Update Leftover Culture Review 2022-12-10 | I pushed Art Alive! as far as I could to develop a series of artworks made using a Sega Mega Drive. You can check out the Digital exhibition, As Seen on TV, here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibitionBigPEmu is a fantastic Atari Jaguar emulator that seems to run anything I throw at it. You can grab a copy for yourself here: richwhitehouse.com/jaguar/index.phpCheck out Queensland from the 1990s. An album I've been working on at my 9-5 job full of fantastic photos: flickr.com/photos/queenslandstatearchives/albums/72157707951039094Leftovers Channel - You can check out the Christmas themed Goosebumps stories, or check out some of the action figure reviews: youtube.com/channel/UCtB9PSJGypNEVQ2dLM923vA
OddBodz: The Odd Squad Adventure in OddBodia PC Review Leftover Culture Review 2022-11-22 | Released in 1997, The Odd Squad Adventure in Oddbodia is an interactive story taking you into the world of Oddbodz. Made available on My Abandonware, the 'game' has you teaming up with characters like Nerdy Neville, Myron Megabrain and Mimi Screami to save Doc Fever (who I incorrectly call X. Perry Mental in this review).Along the way you meet characters from the Oddbodz Collector cards, solve puzzles and click around to explore Oddbodia.Read more about Oddbodz over on the Leftover Culture Review: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/2022/11/21/oddbodz-the-odd-squad-adventure-in-oddbodia-pc-game-review---Download from My Abandonware: myabandonware.com/game/the-odd-squad-adventure-in-oddbodia-e72Check out Andy Hook's Art: instagram.com/andy.hook.art/?hl=enCheck out 'As Seen on TV' - Original art made on a Sega Mega Drive: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibition
Toaster Ghost - Art made on a Sega Mega Drive Leftover Culture Review 2022-10-27 | Do me a favour and check out the digital exhibition over here: http://www.leftoverculturereview.com/as-seen-on-tv-sega-art-alive-digital-exhibitionCatch me on Instagram: instagram.com/leftover_culture_review/?hl=enThis Halloween I have been doing a drawing challenge on Instagram, using a prompt a day I have been working on a range of illustrations. For the prompt electric ghost, I came up with the idea of a haunted piece of toast in a faulty toaster spewing electricity. I wanted to take the concept, and see how it would look in Art Alive!
Game Boy Camera Review - Halloween Special Leftover Culture Review 2022-10-13 | For Halloween 2022, I wanted to bring you the best retro technology, something to see into the other side.The Game Boy Camera was released in 1998 and let anyone with a Game Boy use the funky device as a super portable digital camera. The Game Boy Camera came with a few mini-games, as well as camera modes, stamps and even a drawing tool to doodle on your photos. What Nintendo didn't want you to know however, is how powerful this camera could be with the right attachments. Check out the website and see more horror: wp.me/p2xRri-1SRCheck out the Halloween specials on YouTube: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvInidRS7jaWKcRHE182m28cQhjBc3mbv
Sonic R - The first fully 3D Sonic game? Sega Saturn review Leftover Culture Review 2022-03-11 | Turning Sonic into a fully 3D game wasn't straight forward and a lot of fans were disappointed that the Sega Saturn never got a fully 3D Sonic adventure title. What we did get was Sonic R. Developed by Traveller's Tales after their success(?) with Sonic 3D blast. Sonic 3D blast gave us a 2D isometric world where we could control Sonic in three dimensions, but I don't feel it captured the same pace and excitement we got when Sonic launched on the Mega Drive. Read the full article on the website: leftoverculturereview.com/2022/03/10/sonic-rApart from Sonic R, we did get some other glimpses of what a 3D Sonic game might feel like on the Sega Saturn. Sonic Team themselves were working on titles such as NiGHTS into Dreams and Burning Rangers but managed to bring Sonic in as a playable character in their Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams demo disc. We also got Sonic Jam, a compilation of the 2D Sonic titles made for fans full of behind-the-scenes material. The game consisted of a lobby area where you controlled Sonic, in full 3D, in a world that felt like it was plucked out of one of the original games. We'd have to wait until the Sega Dreamcast was launched to finally play Sonic Adventure, the 3D Sonic title we were all waiting for since the Saturn. Just because we never got a 3D adventure title on the Saturn, doesn't mean they weren't trying to develop one. Sonic X-treme is notorious for its difficult development and is often used as an example of how Sega was failing as an organisation. ---Sonic X-treme Unity Demo: gamejolt.com/games/sonic-x-treme-unity/291545Sonic R development: info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_R/DevelopmentSonic X-treme Development: info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_X-tremeThis review was made using both an emulator, and gameplay footage from the Sega Saturn. A massive thanks to all the gameplay footageyoutube.com/recordedamigagamesyoutube.com/channel/UCjfuzMK1vS190wDFUMcRyFQyoutube.com/c/Longplayarchive
Rakugakids (Nintendo 64) - Quick Play Leftover Culture Review 2021-12-23 | Not your typical episode, my son and I play a few rounds of Rakugakids for the Nintendo 64 and show off some of that gameplay. Rakugakids (らくがきっず, Rakugakizzu) is a 2.5D fighting video game created by Konami for the Nintendo 64, released in 1998. The name Rakugakids is a portmanteau of the Japanese word rakugaki (meaning "doodle"), and the English word "kids", a reflection of the visual style of the game which resembled children's drawings.The game is similar in play to a toned-down Street Fighter. The button layout is the six-buttons fighting game standard consisting primarily of three punches and three kicks, which combine with various directional commands to produce special secondary moves. All characters have a single-button attack that sends the opponent into the air, where they can then be pursued and aerially attacked. Perhaps to complement this, each character can perform an additional jump while in the air.Super combos in this game are referred to as "Magic" and a player can have up to three levels of Magic which are represented by three crayons that appear at the bottom of the screen. Super Meter levels can be spent in three ways: offense, where an attack causes heavy damage with a few hits; defense, where an attack causes little damage, but sends the opponent far away; and counter, usable only while the character is blocking, causes medium damage and sends the opponent flying away.Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RakugakidsThe basic setup is a bit like Capcom fighting games, particularly the Marvel VS series. There are three punch buttons and three kick buttons – a bit awkward on the normal N64 controller – plus a taunt and “Magic” button. Every character can double jump, and do a “Cyclone Attack”, which knocks the opponent through the air and bounces them toward you, giving you an opportunity for a mid-air hit. Every character also has three different super attacks, with the super bar represented as a crayon coloring in a gray line. Super attacks are done by holding a direction and hitting the Magic button, or you can do a more traditional fireball style input.Holding Forward plus Magic will do an Attack Magic, which does heavy damage on an opponent if it hits. Defence Magic is done by holding Back and hitting Magic. It doesn’t do much damage, but it knocks the opponent far enough for you to get a breather. Counterattack Magic is done by hitting the opponent while blocking, and knocks the opponent away from you while doing reasonable damage. For the most part, Rakugakids is fairly decent. It doesn’t offer much innovation from any other 2D fighter besides its art style, but it plays reasonably well. The major problem is that the action feels kinda stiff, because the attacks don’t really flow into each other well and combos are hard to pull off. Plus, the awkward dimensions of some of the characters can make judging attacks difficult. But the game’s charm goes a long way towards differentiating itself from practically everything else out there, which counts for a lot. There’s also some brief loading times between matches, which is odd for a cartridge game.An interesting idea that wouldn’t be seen again until Virtua Fighter 4 is the Training Mode. You choose a character, and fight through as many opponents as you can. Supposedly, the AI will learn how you fight as you go, and you’ll be able to use this custom character to play through the game’s arcade mode. In practice, though, your character probably won’t be as smart as any good human player.Rakugakids was never released in America, for whatever reason – perhaps it was a bit too cute, but then again, this is the Nintendo 64, where children’s games seemed to proliferate – but it got an English release in Europe. It wasn’t completely forgotten, as Beartank made a couple of cameo appearances in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Konami Krazy Racers. You can turn into the bear by equipping the Pluto and Black Dog cards, and wearing the Bear Ring. These are both pretty annoying to obtain, but the Beartank has extremely high offense, as well as some special moves carried over from Rakugakids. However, he can be killed in a single hit. Songs from the game also appear in a few Bemani games.Source: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/rakugakids
Dynamite Deka (Die Hard Arcade) - Sega Saturn Christmas Review 2021 Leftover Culture Review 2021-12-17 | What better way to celebrate the carnage of Christmas than with a game like Dynamite Deka? Dynamite Deka (also known as Die Hard Arcade outside Japan where this game received a movie license), Sega were able to bring arcade beat 'em up action to the Sega Saturn. Developed by AMI and Sega Technical Institute, the game was developed with the movie license in mind and is considered the first 3D Beat 'em up to use texture-mapped graphics. Even though the arcade and home console versions were developed at the same time, Die Hard Arcade hit the arcades in 1996, ahead of the Sega Saturn release in 1997. Catch the review on the website here: leftoverculturereview.com/2021/12/16/dynamite-deka-die-hard-arcade-sega-saturn-christmas-reviewNot necessarily very seasonal, Dynamite Deka does feel like a Die Hard film (excluding the robot spiders). You play as Bruno 'Mister Dynamite' Delinger in one player, with Cindy joining you in two-player mode. The building is packed with terrorists... and giant robot spiders, but you've got plenty of weapons at your disposal as well as an extensive move roster. Nearly anything in the environment can be used as a weapon, mops, poles, barrels and a grandfather clock, as well as an incredible array of rifles, missile launchers and the humble handgun. If you're carrying a handgun, it's possible to arrest the bad guys, saving you the fight. ---For Christmas this year, we already released a custom Christmas Card designed using Sega's Art Alive. I wanted to keep the magic alive and offer a picture of Sad Santa you can print and colour-in at home! leftoverculturereview.com/2021/12/16/dynamite-deka-die-hard-arcade-sega-saturn-christmas-reviewI'd love to see your artwork over on Instagram and Facebook, just tag me so I can see it too. instagram.com/leftover_culture_review/?hl=enI also want to acknowledge Scarlet Sprites. I used a short snippet of his video @ 3:45 to show the Sega Titan arcade board: youtube.com/watch?v=loHULvN38vQ
