Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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Zoids Assault [ゾイドオルタナティブ] Game Sample - Xbox 360
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![Zoids Assault [ゾイドオルタナティブ] Game Sample - Xbox 360](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xxay3j1nhAQ/mqdefault.jpg "Zoids Assault [ゾイドオルタナティブ] Game Sample - Xbox 360
Zoids Assault [ゾイドオルタナティブ] Game Sample - Xbox 360")
![Luminous Plume [ルミノースプルメ] Game Sample - PC/Indie](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZOMU0K437t8/mqdefault.jpg "Luminous Plume [ルミノースプルメ] Game Sample - PC/Indie
Luminous Plume [ルミノースプルメ] Game Sample - PC/Indie")
![The Road to Druaga [ザ・ロード・トゥ・ドルアーガ] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZORnQ8DQXqM/mqdefault.jpg "The Road to Druaga [ザ・ロード・トゥ・ドルアーガ] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
The Road to Druaga [ザ・ロード・トゥ・ドルアーガ] Game Sample - PC/Doujin")
![Monstre Waltz [G-MODEアーカイブス+ 夢幻舞葬モンストラバルツ] Game Sample - PC](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_Jv3PEGKXBY/mqdefault.jpg "Monstre Waltz [G-MODEアーカイブス+ 夢幻舞葬モンストラバルツ] Game Sample - PC
A G-MODE recreation / reissue of old mobile phone games, this introduces G-MODE Archives Plus: Mugen Maisou Monstre Waltz. Theyve released quite a few reissues for the PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch and its good to see them getting ported from old defunct hardware for posterity. Of course, most of them have not aged well and this is more for novelty than anything else, but its a commendable project and I hope many more old mobile phone games can be salvaged such as the BREW service titles, J2ME releases and older Android / iOS titles. There are a few games I really WANT to play such as Climaxs 2006 iteration of Lady Stalker (Waltz of the Labyrinth, which has practically been forgotten) and many Western Java games on mobile, to name a few, but this is a good starting point. There have been projects for years now slowly integrating old mobile titles for use in emulators.
That said, while this is a great recreation of 2007s Hopemoon mobile title. I confess that prior to playing this game, I had no idea what to really think or the subsequent swirl of emotions that would come from finishing it. Hopemoon is a developer that is not exactly new to making mobile games and Monstre Waltz (aka Dream Dance Funeral Monstre Waltz), at a glance, is not one of their better games on a technical level. What drew me in was the artwork by Tsukasa Kiryu (best known for work on So Im a Spider, So What?), the setting which takes place outside Japan (primarily in Minnesota but has many worldly themes not typically covered in Japanese works to this extent) and the games story which was inspired by Cthulu mythos and penned by Izumi Hachiro (his obsession with Cthulu and poignant writing made him a fan favorite of dark stories within mobile phone games). This game also has two predecessors, Mugen Kyoushi Necronomicon (Aka Dream Rhapsody Necronomicon) and Nightmare of the Whole Sky but this game was re-released sooner as its story takes place before both (~20 years or so) and stars one of its side characters, Norman Atkins, so its essential for the worldview of the series.
G-Mode has done what they need to on their part with a few basic configuration elements, the ability to scale up to 1080p and the ability to turn graphics filters on or off (though the in-game filter here is pretty good without making things blurry or too pixelated). The same jerky, low framerate is also here (for better or worse) and the game has gamepad support which doesnt seem to suffer any issues in terms of lag or latency. Even with the games low framerate, its easy to control for the most part, but you cant control things with maximum efficiency like most games in the 30/60FPS range. Ill take the basic plot from the product page:
Professor Norman Atkins, a magician, had already retired from his work as an explorer of otherworldly realms. However, one day, a request arrived, drawn by his skill as a magician.
- A mysterious ruin accidentally uncovered during resort development.
- An opening to another world within the ruin.
- Developers swallowed by this otherworldly portal.
- Their rescue.
Overwhelmed by the passion of the beautiful investor Cordelia Rennur, Norman accepts the task. Well… let this be my final job. Thus begins the last case of Magus Norman.
In truth, the game has very little to do with Cordelia and the overwhelming bulk of the plot deals with Norman Atkins, a mysterious Arab girl named Shiela, a Magic Committee of Cthulu admirers working for the church, an Otherworld Dimension that starts with The Virgins Footsteps and ends with The Succubus Fortress and former Necronomicon / NotWS characters. Yes, theres plenty of mention of Cthulu. Yes, the Miskatonic University is referenced (how could it not given the setting?). Yeah, Shoggoth, Devotees, Martyrs and Heretics are brought up. Cool. The main thing that kept me going was Norman and Shielas relationship as the game touches on Normans life before and after Necronomicon over a period of 20+ years (he starts the game in his 40s) and the Keepsake Box central to Shiela. Theyre not father and daughter, brother and sister or lovers in the conventional sense, but theyre two people with a bond that transcends it all and only truly understand each other (the story as a whole is written well). Theres a weird top-down ARPG tacked on to this visual novel too, but its not that good.
The player does a series of short stages descending layers in the abyss as Norman and wield different wands with different effects (Fire, Water, Wind, etc.) to defeat enemies, solve basic puzzles and get to the exits across seven dungeons. The gimmick is magic circles that ebb and flow like a waltz which determine you and the opponents attack range, and theres a ricochet gimmick to hit enemies around with most wands. There are stone slabs you can collect based on not getting hit or speed, but the later levels are way too finicky to make this an enjoyable endeavor.")
![Last Rebellion [ラストリベリオン] Game Sample - PS3](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/__OdCODl_r4/mqdefault.jpg "Last Rebellion [ラストリベリオン] Game Sample - PS3
Last Rebellion [ラストリベリオン] Game Sample - PS3")
![HEAVEN SEEKER: The Savior of This Cruel World [ヘブンシーカー] Game Sample - PC](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_omHwZYyliM/mqdefault.jpg "HEAVEN SEEKER: The Savior of This Cruel World [ヘブンシーカー] Game Sample - PC
HEAVEN SEEKER: The Savior of This Cruel World [ヘブンシーカー] Game Sample - PC")
![Sorcerian: Shichisei Mahou no Shito [ソーサリアン 七星魔法の使徒] Game Sample - Dreamcast](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a0V64921VYQ/mqdefault.jpg "Sorcerian: Shichisei Mahou no Shito [ソーサリアン 七星魔法の使徒] Game Sample - Dreamcast
Sorcerian is a game that has little recognition in the West, but has a storied history in Japan with numerous ports / updates and no real sequel!
Originally developed in 1987 by the legends at Falcom, Sorcerian is officially the fifth entry in their Dragon Slayer franchise (which is a very confusing series in and of itself as its more of an umbrella term for a brand) and the one port that was officially released in English (the 1990 PC/DOS port by Sierra On-Line) is obscure, to put it mildly. As one of the pioneers of the ARPG genre that fused console and computer gaming sensibilities of the era with modular expansions during a time where they were basically unheard of, Sorcerian is also notable for having Yuzo Koshiro as the main composer for most entries and it has been remade / ported more than most Falcom titles. The Dreamcast game (Sorcerian: Shichisei Mahou no Shito), naturally, has various tweaks (which will be addressed) and goes from 2D to 3D. Released in 2000, this version was handled by Victor Interactive Software and Exe Create.
Sorcerian, in and of itself, has a very simple narrative of a group of adventurers (referred to as Sorcerians) doing odd jobs in the service of the King of Pentawan with swords and sorcery and is accentuated by small, self-contained missions or scenarios that differ from the various versions of the game. These little plots range from setting the spirits of various deceased people to rest, retrieving the kings staff, and other odds and ends. As the original game featured 15 scenarios and additional scenarios that were sold separately, the main way to experience every scenario was to play the original PC-88 game, but most ports were hybrid releases, featuring several scenarios from the core game and exclusive scenarios made for said platforms. Sorcerian DC has 10 of the original scenarios as well as 5 exclusive scenarios including those framed around Romancia (an older entry in the Dragon Slayer series) and Azteka II: Templo Del Sol (which was, shockingly, released in English roughly 5 years after its original PC-88 Japanese release in 1991 under the name of Tombs & Treasures for Nintendos NES).
Sorcerian has all the hallmarks of a complex and ambitious game but gets a little lost with mechanics that are kinda superfluous when all is said and done. Theres a lot to unpack, but Ill summarize as quickly as possible. Players start by creating characters and forming a party; there are a few defaults, but the player is generally incentivized to make their own as you can distribute bonus stat points and manipulate a few factors. In most versions of the game, the players hub is referred to as The Castle, but in the DC game, the player resides at the Sunflower Restaurant (Himawari-tei) as a safe haven, aka Adventurers Hall. Besides making characters and forming parties, a lot of other tasks are performed here such as advancing time, choosing scenarios, changing your job / profession from one of sixty classes (most serve to alter stat growth as you advance in years, but a few scenarios require specific roles), data management and monitoring your roster as they train.
Training in this game involves going to the town Dojo and spending gold to raise stats or gain proficiency in stats, trap detection, monster identification, item appraisal and herb mixing; it takes one in-game year and you cant use said characters for scenarios during this time. Additionally, you can either raise stats or train skills, but not both at once. As you quest, there will be traps, unidentified items, unknown enemy parameters and plants to find, but only the LEAD character will experience most of this, so you can change the lead with the L button on the field. All characters attack at once (melee with X and magic with Y) and some areas are restricted by stats. There are other facilities such as the Armor shop, Item Shop, Elders House (to appraise items deeply), Church (typical services + prayer / confession which affect karma and shop prices) Kings Castle (to level up and increase stat limits from earned experience) and Esthers Cabin.
At Esthers, the main purpose is to augment gear with universal elements, of which there are seven; there are 120 combinations and over 40 spells, but you wont need 80% of them. The last area I want to address is age characters (humans, dwarves and elves) have a young-adult-old stage, and old characters can randomly die (you can actually make them immortal by abusing death and Esthers at a ~10% rate). The gameplay hasnt changed much, but some areas are 3D-navigated and you can jump of your own accord. The graphics are simple and the music is slightly arranged (the first-print comes with a Music Collection with more arrangements). Its not the best version, but its interesting for sure. This video covers 3 scenarios, a little Romancia and some Dragon killing. Enjoy.")
![Grit! [グリっと!] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/auWM3dm-s7Q/mqdefault.jpg "Grit! [グリっと!] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
Ive finally acquired every main game from the cool Doujin development team over at MOUNT☆PUNCH (まんでと☆ぱんちっ) besides their mega demo of Nekomimi Tank from 2009 and its been something of a journey. Grit! is one of three lost MP games (Sakura no Kanzume, Grit! and Mimimi Rocket are essentially the trifecta) and while I acquired it a few months ago, I could not get this game running without significant graphic defects. However, for those following, my old computer bit the dust a few days ago and on top of gradually getting things transferred and restored, I did a renewed search for things that could get it running properly from Virtual Machines to Forced Windowing programs to Visual Basic libraries. I did finally manage to get a mostly stable version of the game by adjusting .exe properties and utilizing dgVoodoo(2) which isnt really documented much for Doujin games. I also had to capture it with several settings in OBS and learn how to use DaVinci Resolve for editing, so consider this video as something of a test before I start recording main projects proper.
Released in 2002, Grit! is an unusual game thats also a derivative work of a fairly niche franchise, with characters based on the Ecchi / Eroge / Hentai series, Green Green, which was produced by Groover in the early-mid 2000s. There was also a remake of GG through Grovers new label, Overdrive, in 2013 and Overdrive itself continued to function all the way to 2022. This series had minimal exposure outside of Japan and only the anime(s) were released in English, but it stands as Groover and Executive Producer Takeuchi Hiroshis most influential work (although MUSICUS!, Canary and Edelweiss also have some claims to fame). The series is generally known for its comedy, but has underlying serious elements and surrealism as the series progresses, with the first game being the most memorable.
While the series itself focuses on a boy named Yuusuke and his three friends who make up the Baka Trio (a group of perverts basically, as the plot on the surface was about merging a boy and girl high school into a co-ed school on a remote island, though theres some strange things that influence it), the game basically follows MPs MO of difficult action games with cute appearances (this time, its a top-down game) and puts the player in control of four of the main heroines instead: Futaba & Wakaba Kutsuki, Sanae Minami and of course Midori Chitose (Midori meaning Green, and also the main heroine for all intents and purposes)... no love for Nurse Chigusa unfortunately (characters who didnt make the cut are in the High Score table). Each character is slightly different as Futaba has balanced attributes (Speed, Jumping and Attacking), Sanae has longer reach but low jumping, Midori has short reach but high attack speed and Wakaba has the longest reach but slow attack speed. The objective of the game is to clear all the eggplants from the level (because why not... its based on an 18+ work) and while the easiest way to do this is to catch them off guard and attack them (which stuns them), this is not the intended way to play.
There is another means of clearing enemies which is more difficult but yields higher rewards known as the Grit Gauge system, where the player can cut lines (cracks) and clear adjacent land. This gauge refills quickly and lines need to connect to form proper fractures, although the smaller sides will always break first and if the land is too large, it wont break as planned. This can be mitigated by increasing the amount of lines which, in turn, increases the amount of fractures, but spending too much time will cause earlier fractures to heal. When you have the fractures you want, you can jump on one to set off a chain reaction; all enemies caught in the chaos will be eliminated and catching multiple enemies creates combos which yield higher points as well as numerous point items (food). The player also has a Grit Bonus if they defeat all enemies by cutting land (you can attack them still as long as they arent defeated), No Miss Bonus and Time Bonus (time can go to zero, its just for points). There are also hidden spots to defeat the perverted Bacchi-Gū for extra points. It sounds simple on the surface but is very complicated in practice as there are numerous Eggplant types with different characteristics as well as new obstacles that get introduced (varying heights, blocks that cant be cracked, Moai Statues, submerged land, etc.) and enemies move constantly, are plentiful, and attack aggressively. While unique, the game draws some parallels to Dig Dug II and Lolo / Eggerland.
In an unusual MP twist, Grit! has co-op play and features dozens of levels as well as many continues, but seeing the game to the end is still difficult. Its an interesting (if somewhat frustrating) piece of Doujin media. This is a video showing the game in action and several running demos. Enjoy.")
![Parry Nightmare [パーリィナイトメア] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b9Nhim0g_cA/mqdefault.jpg "Parry Nightmare [パーリィナイトメア] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
Parry Nightmare [パーリィナイトメア] Game Sample - PC/Doujin")
![Outtrigger [アウトトリガー] Game Sample - Dreamcast](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bKYFstTMVzA/mqdefault.jpg "Outtrigger [アウトトリガー] Game Sample - Dreamcast
Yu Suzuki, you son of a gun...
Segas AM2 and CRI division does it again and gives us another example of how ahead of its time the ill-fated Dreamcast was with todays video, Outtrigger, a fantastic (but fairly barebones) port of a Japanese 1999 Sega NAOMI arcade game in 2001. Initially, I was just testing my capture hardware and VGA box but it was looking so good that I made a video for it, lol. The game is labeled as a FPS or third-person action game around the web and the vibes it bring are undeniably Sega, through and through. There were a few stipulations with the games release, such as the rough spot they had migrating the Arcades trackball / joystick combination for controls, and the online play was removed from the PAL version of the game (it still featured local multiplayer), but the game was rushed out the door as Sega would not spend much longer officially supporting the Dreamcast.
In Outtrigger you play a member of the International Counter-terrorism Special Force (Interforce), formed by Visitaria, a multi-national company for military and space products. As an elite squad, they suppress all forms of terrorism with boomsticks and defend all who are deemed innocent. Jay Aragaki (the hot-blooded pro), Alain Ciel (the calm and intelligent noble), Lina Miyagi (the high-spirited tomboy) and Talon Grant (the gentle giant of few words) make up the main squad, but there are also a few generic characters and then the opposition that make up the terrorists. As can be expected of an average Sega Arcade game, this is about the extent of the plot, as the in-game plot is basically non-existent (even half of the story in the manual is basically a setup to talk about the Outtrigger Online Network).
If youve played a 3D shooting game before (Quake, Unreal Tournament, GoldenEye 007, etc.), then you generally know what to expect here, but the experience is streamlined to be more fast-paced and Arcade-like. The games main modes are Arcade Mode and Mission Mode. In Arcade Mode, the player takes on four tiers of training exercises that get progressively tougher to help you in Mission Mode. In Mission Mode, the player performs more demanding tasks than in Arcade Mode. The game has a variety of small arenas where players run around and shoot their guns while dodging, grabbing power-ups, and fighting to be the last one standing or fulfilling other requirements as needed. Machine guns, Plasma Cannons, Rocket Launchers, Flamethrowers, Grenades and other manner of weaponry can be used and there are also additional characters and weapons that can be unlocked in Mission Mode. Two gadgets worth mentioning are the Noctovision and Thermography, which allow you to see in the dark and see heat signatures respectively (and they look darn cool in action).
One thing that helped the game stand out of course was the online play that was present with the SegaNet service where six players could go against each other, though this functionality was short-lived (and part of the reason it was not featured in EU equivalent, Dreamarena, although unofficial support was restored last year for online play). Another aspect of the game was the ability to rocket jump to higher areas (not really needed most of the time but helped on a couple maps) and yet another, perhaps historically significant element, was that different characters had fixed loadouts, classes and stats. In this regard, it became known as one of the first Hero Shooters ever made along with Team Fortress (Mod / Classic), at least in the conventional 3D sense. These stats were not front and center, but they could certainly be felt in the heat of combat. Jay and Alain are balanced, Lina is the speedster, Talon is the powerhouse, and the unlockable characters have varying specs. You can also make Edit characters which are just existing characters that you can mix and match weapons with (you can pick a preferred character and their abilities are skewed by weapons instead of class, so you can override some of the weaknesses a character would normally have).
The one major caveat to this game are the controls, which are notoriously lacking due to no key bindings; Config E1 was the only one that fault somewhat plausible on controller, though you can use a keyboard / twinstick and mouse as well. The game is not the best that the Dreamcast has to offer visually, but its still looks pretty damn good and the soundtrack is also a highlight as its fairly varied and REALLY good quality (the tunes come in almost like redbook audio). The character banter and announcers have the same somewhat cheesy appeal of other Sega Arcade games of the era. Dont expect the game to last more than a few hours in single player, but multiplayer is still fun to this day. This is a video showing two 3/4 Arcade Mode sessions, some of Mission Mode, a little character customization, an attract mode and an ending. Enjoy.
- ADDITION -
Visit Us At: http://www.gamingsanctuary.org")
![Abyss Crawlers Plus [迷宮クロウラ+] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bXJJibsYZec/mqdefault.jpg "Abyss Crawlers Plus [迷宮クロウラ+] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
Abyss Crawlers Plus [迷宮クロウラ+] Game Sample - PC/Doujin")
![Zoids Assault [ゾイドオルタナティブ] Game Sample - Xbox 360 @Vysethedetermined2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xxay3j1nhAQ/hqdefault.jpg)
