[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ Techno music ]
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Alright folks, it's Dr.Sparkle again
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Geez, It seems like forever since the last episode.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well anyways, sorry it's so late \Nbut here we are again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The PC engine schedule seems to get a bit\Nmore hectic
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as we get closer to the 1989 holiday\Nseason.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today, We're gonna finnish up July and\Nblast through all of August and September.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're gonna' see a number of arcade ports today, as well as some obscure (and rather shitty) original titles.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We ended last episode with a classic shooter, \NBlazing Lasers, \N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we begin this episode with a not-so-classic shooter, \NSide Arms
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(or Side Arms: Hyper Dyne, as it's officially called in Japan)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the second port of a Capcom arcade game for the system \N(the first being SunSun 2)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and, once again, this is published by N.E.C., \Nnot Capcom themselves.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, in the U.S., this was one of the \Nvery few TurboGrafx games not published by N.E.C.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather, it was by a small company called Radiance Software, \Nwhich seemed to have very close ties to Capcom.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They were also well known for their involvement in the canceled, ah, Nintendo Entertainment System California Raisins game.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The guy who ran Radiance, Christopher Riggs, actually lists himself as being a product developer at Capcom in the early 1990s.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Prior to Radiance, he apparently co-founded a company called Pacific DataWorks, with, uh, Troy Lyndon
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(who was an interesting guy who much later, uh, was behind the, uh, the infamous Left Behind computer video game.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pacific DataWorks mostly did DOS and Commodore 64 ports for Capcom (including Side Arms!).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Riggs also had a company called Riggs Interactive \Nwhich did, uh, computer ports for Capcom.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it's no surprise that the first Radiance game is, of course, a Capcom port.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Anywho, Earth got blown up or something, and your little robot mecha dude is out there, uh, to kill lots of aliens.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mechanics are moreorless like similar \Nshooters of the era (such as Gradius).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Enemies drop power-ups, speed-ups, and other types of, uh, special weapons.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Nothing too new or exciting, here, but there are a couple interesting ideas.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The main one is: you can turn around and fire in the opposite direction by hitting the second button
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(making Side Arms kind of a predecessor to Forgotten Worlds).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, Side Arms was originally an arcade game from 1986.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Aside from the ability to fire, uh, front and back, \Na big feature of Side Arms was that two players
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could occasionally combine into \Na single more powerful form
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(with one player controlling the mech and \Nthe other controlling his special attack weapons).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The home version dropped this 2-Player mode, \N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(meaning that your combined form is \Nbasically just a temporary upgrade).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It lasts until you get hit.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other cool feature is the ability to select your... \Nwhich weapon you wanna lose from the Start menu
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(as opposed to losing your current weapon when you \Npick up a new one, like in most other shooters).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can actually carry a whole bunch of weapons at once.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, this is actually very helpful, since certain types of \Nweapons are more useful than others in some spots.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, certain weapons are pretty much vital for some areas.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this leads me to one issue that so many Shoot-em-Ups have. \NIf you die once, you are pretty much screwed.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Side Arms is even much worse than many other similar games.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When the action gets hectic and you \Nscrew up and get killed,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you'll be brought back to life with, like, \Na single random underpowered weapon,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,generally with enemies, like, \Nclosing in on you from all sides.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, get killed and odds are good that you'll \Nget killed again within a second or two.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there are so many damn enemies \N(like missiles, et cetera) that home in on you
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and follow you around, as you try to avoid them.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when you have, like, a very basic weapon that only shoots in one direction, it's pretty difficult to pick these guys off.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Also, like Gradius, picking up too many speed power-ups will make you move, uh, too fast and be hard to control precisely.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Overall, it's actually a pretty hard game \N(harder than Gradius or R-Type, in my opinion)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it actually, uh, looks great and I liked it \Nbetter than the Genesis port of Forgotten Worlds.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We exit July with a real stinker. \NFrom AICOM, it' s Takeda Shingen.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Aha!", you say, \N"We've already seen this game on Chrontendo.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was, like, a strategy game, \Npublished by HOT-B."
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, no. This is actually a completely \Ndifferent and unrelated game called Takeda Shingen.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, Takeda Shingen (the real person) \Nwas a 16th century warlord, known for
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(among other things) \Nhaving a badass set of armor
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(which is, uh, sort of \Nsemi-accurately depicted here).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather than being a Strategy game, \Nthis is a rather dull Beat-'em-Up
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's a painfully slow affair.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You have exactly two moves \N(at least at first).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's Attack with a sword slash \Nand Jump.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You'll be, uh, taking enemies head-on, \Nuh, just sort of hacking at them until they die.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They block a lot, so normally \Nyou'll just, sort of, walk up to them
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and start repeatedly slashing at them.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They'll block a few times and then you'll get a hit in.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This was a port of a Jaleco arcade game \N(which looks a lot nicer).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The game isn't exactly hot shit,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but your character moves much faster \Nand there's a bit of action.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is hardly top tier stuff, as of 1988, \Nbut it seems reasonably bearable.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's even, like, bonus rounds \Nwhere you can get on a horse and do some target practice.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The horse stuff got completely stripped \Nout from the PC Engine version
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the result is just \Nso damn monotonous.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, I got a good way through this game \Nand there were a pretty limited number of enemy types.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's basically dudes with swords \N(who are just like you), \N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dudes with a long flail on a chain \N(and these guys are annoying),
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and dudes with a long spear.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Boss battles are at the end of each level, \Nthough each level looks about the same,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so there's really not much to \Ndistinguish one level from the other.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Bosses are really nothing exciting. \NThis guy is just a big version of the swordsman.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Post-boss fight, you visit a shop \Nwhere you can refill your health
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and buy some critical of...\Noffense and defenseive upgrades,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as the war fan.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, in real life, uh, Takeda's \Noften depicted with his war fan.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's a famous story about how he \Ndeflected an enemy blade with his fan, once.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this game, naturally, has him, \Nyou know, carrying it around.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Takeda Shingen isn't really a fun game to play, \Nespecially in comparison to contemporary
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Beat-'em-Ups like Golden Axe or Final Fight.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Later, you get some better attacks, but the \Nlack of variety really kills any excitement.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It just feels like you're fighting the \Nsame fight over and over and over again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Your health bar is pretty long \Nand health refills are pretty frequent
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so there's not much challenge at all \Nfor the entire first half of the game
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(until you get to this boss, who's, like, \Nten times harder than the last one).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, overall, Takeda Shingen \Nis a bummer of a game.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, we enter August with Maison Ikkoku \Nand a new publisher, Micro Cabin.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We've heard their name come up \Na few times before in Chrontendo.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They were actually a pretty prominent \Npublisher of, uh, games for Japanese computers,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,back in the '80s.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like a lot of other sort of dodgy PC Engine games, \Nthis one has some pretty decent music.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Right. So, Maison Ikkoku is one of these \Ninescapable menu-based adventure games.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Luckly, for us, we have an English translation \Nby Dave Shadoff and Matt LaFrance.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You play as one Yusaku Godai:
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a down on his luck student, living in \Nsort of a rundown boarding house.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The manager of the boarding house \Nturns out to be (of course)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a beautiful young woman who was \Nrecently widowed, named Kuyoku.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This was based on a popular manga, by the \Nfamous manga artist, Rumiko Takahashi,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who you might know from such comics as \NUruse Yatsure and Renma One Half.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It basically chronicles, uh, Godai's desire to express his love for Kuyoku, as well as the wacky residents of the boarding house.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Eventually, of course, at the end of the series, \Nthe protagonists get married.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This first appeared on the M.S.X., \Nback in 1987.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It looks pretty similar to this port, actually!
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It also wound up on the F.M. 7 and few other computers.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, the first console appearance of this game was on the Famicom, which we saw very briefly in Episode 33.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the time, I'd pretty much said, \N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, we'll check this out in more detail \Nwhen we reach it in ChronTurbo."
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and now, my dear friends, \Nthat day has arrived.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It turns out to be a reasonably normal adventure game.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Uh, this character, here, is some kind of weird pervert dude who builds tunnels and peepholes in the walls between the rooms.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Uh... You find a porno mag, \Nwhich contains "pretty radical stuff".
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Later, you can actually, uh, give it back to him... \Nsort of, uh, win his favor.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Much of the game takes place inside the titular Maison Ikkoku.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Uh... Maison is simply the French word for "house", \Nwhich (I think) is being used ironically
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(in the sense that calling this place "Maison" you know, \Nsort of, tried to, like, give it a touch of class.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Um... Ikkoku, I believe, means \Nhotheaded or tempermental
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(perhaps referring to the \Nvarious nutty residents here.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this game, you actually save \Nby going to the bathroom.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's naturally all sorts of goofy sexual \Ninnuendo going on between the characters.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this, so far, seems to be the first \NPC Engine game that actually shows
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nipples in one of its human characters \Nin an obviously sexualized way
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(as opposed to nipples on a \Nstatue or a monster or something).
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Um... For the most part, you go around \Ntalking to people, collecting items,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and using them in sort of unintuitive ways.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here's your love interest, though you actually call \Nher by the rather formal name, um, Kanrinin-san.