There have been various new releases for predominantly 90s consoles such as the Sega Mega Drive of
late, and many of them have been pretty good.
But it's a bit of a weird one for me.
These aren't games which trigger nostalgic memories on their own merit - because they're
brand new.
They're also not in the same bag as exciting modern day releases, on the latest hardware,
offering sights and graphical fidelity that we may not have gazed upon in the past.
So where do these games fit?
I believe they fit in experience category.
You remember grabbing the latest game for your Mega Drive or Super Nintendo, right?
Maybe you were fortunate enough to bag a rental copy from Ritz videos, or maybe you just splashed
out £40 or £50 to buy it new.
But there was nothing like scanning over the back of that box, gazing at the artwork, opening
it up and touching that shiny cartridge, feeling the breeze from the manual.
These were the pre-requisites which formalised the main show, the new gaming experience on
your favourite console.
That's what these games are.
They don't offer pre-defined nostalgic memories, but they offer the nostalgia of that same
experience.
Even today, I'm still curious as to what graphics these 16 bit machines can pump out, and I
live in hope of being blown away by each new release that comes my way.
The two games I'm looking at today are interesting, in that they both have PC Steam releases,
and they're available on cartridge format for Mega Drive.
They also cover my 2 favourite game types of the 90s; the Beat 'em up and the Platformer.
So let's take a look at both these titles, on their respective platforms and see how
they perform on the experience-o-meter.
To cover most bases, I'll be playing each game on both a standard PAL Mega Drive and
an AT Games Mega Drive Flashback, as well as the PC iterations.
I'll start with Tanglewood, developed by the fabulously named, Big Evil Corporation.
Now early adopters of the demo may be familiar with this complete boxed affair, but I believe
they were a limited run by the developer, Matt Phillips.
There will be boxed versions for the full release, which are available on pre-order
and look sensational, but for now, I have this press cartridge.
Is it enough to invoke feelings of old?
Well, it's a cartridge, and it breaks with convention by being red, and I like that.
Any kind of colour or presentation deviation of cartridges still excites me today, so this
works a treat.
Off the bat, you can tell this is a quality affair.
The music eases in, before presenting this colourful title screen, which gives me hope
and a feeling of curious wonder.
I'm reminded of Disney games like Aladdin, Lion King and even Aerial the Mermaid, which
you shouldn't knock until you've tried it.
This feeling remains right past the intro and into the game.
The sprites and their animation are defined, and feel endowed with life.
This little chap, known as Nymn, may be cute, but you also quickly adopt feelings towards
it.
Protective feelings, which mean you try your hardest to stay alive.
But what are we staying alive from?
Well, the forest is our habitat, and our foes range from giant slavering beasts, to smaller,
deceptive critters.
Our task if therefore to get our youngling through the forest and back home, whilst avoiding
the night terrors which lurk within Tanglewood.
To assist with this, little Fuzzls can be helped back to their spotlight plants, where-upon
they will gift Nymn with an ability.
This could be the Yellow gliding ability, Green for time control or Blue for beast taming.
These abilities can then be used in conjunction with standard movements such as pushing to
solve straight forward puzzles and progress homeward.
The game very much combines Sonic style movements, and interactions, with Flashback like puzzle
elements, and it's actually a very good combination.
My only niggle being that sometimes the buttons are a little less responsive than I'd like.
AS you progress, you'll also discover contraptions to solve more complex puzzles and thankfully,
checkpoints to save your progress.
Now, the Mega Drive will provide you with save codes to retain your progress, whilst
the Steam version will just save your progress automatically.
Other than that, the two platforms are very similar.
The Steam version is just emulating the Mega Drive code, using a tweaked engine originally
made by Crytek and the deluxe version even comes with a Mega Drive ROM, so that you can
put it on an Everdrive cartridge, or simply run it through an emulator such as Fusion.
Apparently there's also a Dreamcast version on the way, written around a new engine, with
further -even more- modern platforms to follow.
As we can see from this intro comparison, graphically everything is the same.
Impressively the AT-Games Mega Drive Flashback seems to handle everything pretty well here,
although it's timing does seem a little quicker than the PC emulation, and its colour palette
is a little off.
The game does seem to be optimised to also run on PAL 50Hz systems, with music playing
at the same speed, however cuts scenes and gameplay does still seem a little slower than
normal.***
Interestingly, the Mega Drive version also allows you to turn off YM2612 SSG-EG features,
allowing for enhanced sound playback.
The ability to turn it off is really for clone consoles and the like, which don't implement
this feature correctly, leading to hissing or distorted audio.
As you can hear from the Flashback console.
OK, let's have some Coffee.
In fact, let's have a COFFEE CRISIS.
This time, in its proper packaging.. ohhhh, look at it, isn't is just so alluring.
Now, this is a game by Mega Cat Studios, and it's a cartridge which has been available
since 2017, following a Kickstarter campaign way back in 2016.
The Steam iteration has only been available since May 2018, and unlike Tanglewood, it's
significantly enhanced over the Mega Drive version, but we'll get to that in a bit.
Ooooooh, now LOOK at this cartridge.
That's all kinds of special.
There's something so very captivating about transparent plastic, and in cartridge form,
it feels like the peak of civilisation.
Man, I just love inserting cartridges.
I also love manuals, and this one practically spits that 90s feeling directly into your
eyeballs.
Now, again Coffee Crisis is a game of quality.
It's also a very different type of game.
Instead of evoking feelings of cartoon and cute, this time the feeling is more Alien
Syndrome meets Double Dragon, and I specifically say Double Dragon, because it hasn't really
got that satisfying Streets of Rage feel going on.
Instead, we have more of a button smashing slap and run, which yields a fun brawler in
it's own right, but not really a beat-em-up in my books.
It's a game, however, which feels perfectly at home on the Sega hardware, whilst providing
the kind of graphics I lusted for after playing Turtles Arcade and wanting the same experience
at home.
This is pretty nice.
The premise is your standard, couple of coffee baristas fighting a load of aliens - including
Metal Jesus it would seem - and trying to save the world, or at least the threat of
their Wi-Fi, heavy metal and coffee being taken, forever.
The story is heavily based in gaming from the 90s, and of course, also, heavy metal,
which sounds reasonable on the Mega Drive release, but I
just had to mute it on Steam.
That's not the kind of shredding sound track I want to do my beating to, thanks.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, I just prefer things chilled and filled.... with
BASS & FUNK mannnn.
Also, if you're going to implement "improvements", then it would have been nice to remove the
password system, in favour of a standard save system.
At least the passwords aren't 30 digits long I guess.
If we do some comparisons here, you can see the difference on the PC release.
You can however "simplify" the graphic settings to make it more like the Mega Drive if you
so wish.
But really the PC release is a different, faster, and much more frenzied game... but
I prefer the simple charm of the Mega Drive release.
You may note the Flashback console isn't looking too healthy here.
Yep, it just wouldn't run it.
But thankfully, like Tanglewood, the game appears to run fine on PAL 50Hz hardware.****
Beneath all these graphics and sounds however, Coffee Crisis, is quite a simple game.
It's a brawler, it's fun and it's even more fun in co-operative mode.
Clearly, as a brawler, there's not much substance.
But really, that's what I want from a brawler.
Just to be able to stroll in and kick some alien ass without hassle.
It's with that in mind that I have a small niggle, in that I find these story boards
popping up a bit irritating.
You can get rid of them, but I just don't LIKE THE INTERRUPTION DAMN IT.
So let's get back to the 90s experience.
That's really what I wanted from these games, after all.
The upshot is, sitting, playing these titles with a curved Mega Drive pad in my palms is
pleasing.
It's always a pleasing experience, which fills the air with a wondrous sense of youth, unless
you're playing something so horrific that is shatters that bliss of course.
But thankfully both of these games offer something which grips you and compels you.
Ulitmately, they're both fun.
Tanglewood is a more relaxed, thoughtful and clever outing than Coffee Crisis for sure.
But neither of them require too much brain power, and frankly, that's just what I need
when I want to unwind with a Mega Drive and relive some 90s nostalgia.... with a modern
twist.
As for their Steam iterations, Tanglewood is great.
Mainly because it's a game which works well, even away from the tactile feel of a classic
console.
It's compelling and engaging, and you want to keep playing.
***It also looks absolutely gorgeous, with that Disney like quality, across both formats.
The bonus of a Mega Drive ROM in the deluxe edition, is really, just that.
A bonus.
Coffee Crisis tries to spice things up; you get additions such as mutators to alter the
gameplay and add replay value, but really, I would have been as happy with straight-up
Mega Drive emulation.
But even without the Mega Drive console on hand, it works on its own merit, and provides
light button bashing, but often challenging entertainment.
Maybe something you could work your way through on your lunch break, although it is clearly
best played on sofa, with a Mega Drive controller in hand.
Now all you need to do is pay a substantial, cartridge like price for these games, just
like the old days, and the nostalgia is complete.
Thanks for watching.