This Week in Defunct Games - Sept. 16, 2011

What Is It? This is yet another one of Nintendo's first-generation Game Boy sports games. We've already been through this song and dance routine with Baseball and Tennis; apparently it's Golf's turn to disappoint the small (but loyal) 3DS fan base. This is Golf, the game where you shoot tiny balls into small holes. While not a port of the original NES game, this early Game Boy release is close enough. You play through two courses (Japan and USA), each with their own set of unique holes. The graphics are simple and everything is shown from the overhead point of view, a departure from other golf simulators at the time.

Does It Still Hold Up? Much like Baseball and Tennis, Golf features a decidedly old school approach to the sport. The gameplay revolves around you hitting the button at precise times and judging the wind speed/direction. The course itself looks good, but there's very little detail to speak of. With only a couple options and even less courses, it's hard to get excited about this first-gen title.

Is It Worth The Money? Golf's main problem is timing. This is coming out within days of 3DS owners NES Open: Tournament Golf for free. While I'm not the biggest fan of NES Open, it's infinitely better than this early Game Boy title. There just aren't enough modes and options to hold my interest, even at the three dollar asking price. In this case you're better off sticking with the free NES game saving your money for a better Virtual Console title.

What Is It? Now that Gargoyle's Quest is available and setting the 3DS ablaze, it's time for Capcom to turn to their most popular 8-bit franchise. That's right, it's time for another Mega Man game. This time around it's Dr. Wily's Revenge, the first of five black & white Mega Man outings. Think of this 1991 classic as a best-of compilation. Instead of simply porting one of the NES adventures, Capcom opted to take a little from the first two Mega Man games. You get Cut Man, Ice Man, Fire Man, and Elec Man from the original Mega Man, as well as Quick Man, Bubble Man, Flash Man, and Heat Man from Mega Man 2. The result is a compelling product that twenty years later looks and plays great.

Does It Still Hold Up? Capcom sure does know how to get the most out of the Game Boy's limited hardware. Much like Gargoyle's Quest, Dr. Wily's Revenge is a visual triumph. The handling also holds up, though critics of the long-running series won't be swayed by this black & white remix. It's also disappointing that this isn't a brand new game, but rather a port of some of Mega Man's greatest levels. Still, the game holds up better than most games on the original Game Boy.

Is It Worth The Money? Although Dr. Wily's Revenge was a phenomenal action game on the Game Boy, twenty years later it is hardly the best version of Mega Man you can buy. These days you can get all of the 8-bit adventures in one single package, plus download real copies (and even remakes) of the first two games. Still, it's hard to pass up the four dollar asking price. The presentation will still impress and I enjoyed the mix of characters, even if we're ultimately playing through the same levels. This game is not without its problems, but should be seriously considered.

What Is It? It's not often you get to play a Capcom fighting game that never came to the United States. Given the overwhelming success of Street Fighter II, Capcom was quick to release most of arcade fighting games across all territories. And for good reason, since these games were universally loved and required almost no translation. But this week's PSone import title is something many American gamers never had a chance to sit down with. That's because Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness was never released in the U.S.

File this under "better late than never." Although this is a 2D fighting game with a life bar and stylish graphics, the similarities to Street Fighter II end there. Forget memorizing six buttons and special moves, Cyberbots simplifies everything by using three attack buttons and a boost. The result is a unique experience that requires a new set of skills. You choose from a bunch of characters and mechs, each with their own long and short range attacks. Thankfully we're dealing with limber mechs. These bots can kick, punch, jump across the screen and much more. Expect detailed backgrounds, tons of moves and difficult A.I. Would you expect anything less from Capcom?

Does It Still Hold Up? Capcom sure knows how to make pretty fighting games. The hand-drawn graphics still look amazing all these years later. The fighting engine is interesting, though it took a lot of getting used to. I loved the backgrounds and boss battles, plus this is one of the few Capcom fighters with actual voice acting. This may not be Capcom's best PlayStation game, but it definitely holds up.

Is It Worth The Money? For lovers of Capcom's fighting games, Cyberbots is a no-brainer. Although most Americans have never even touched this game (let alone heard of it), the six dollar asking price makes taking the chance a little easier. I'm here to say that the graphics and gameplay work well, even if the bots take a little getting used to. The PSN is quickly turning into the hotspot for rare 2D fighters, make sure and pick up Cyberbots so the trend will continue.

What Is It? The Blue Bomber is back for yet another 2D platformer game. By the time Mega Man IV hit the Nintenedo Entertainment System gamers already knew what to expect. We knew there would be a bunch of crazy robots, a proper order to beat them in and cool weapons you can steal from each encounter. Unfortunately, for a lot of Mega Man fans, this fourth installment was the official sign that Capcom had completely run out of ideas. Charge Man? Stone Man? Gravity Man? Okay, I can see something cool happening with Gravity Man, but certainly not Star Man. Is Capcom just stealing their ideas from Jeff Bridges movies? Will Mega Man 11 have Crazy Heart Man?

Beyond the stupid names, this was also the first time it felt like Capcom didn't know where to take the level designs. In the past the mazes Mega Man is forced to fight through were inspired. Often they were actually better than the boss battles, giving you plenty of original ideas and hard platforming challenges to test your skills. Unfortunately the level designs aren't nearly as interesting this time around. The game borrows a little too heavily on the games of the past, giving this entire sequel the impression that we've seen it all before. And that's the problem; we HAVE seen it all before. With recycled level designs, lame boss fights and nothing new to add, Mega Man IV just feels like a retread of what we've seen already.

Does It Still Hold Up? The good news is that Capcom didn't toy with the controls, so Mega Man IV is just as accessible as its older siblings. Then again, it's hard to screw up a 2D Mega Man adventure. Perhaps that's part of the problem. By the second or third game, Capcom had a template that would go unchanged for years. They knew all they needed to do was add new bosses, change some of the backgrounds and then call it a day. We see very little innovation here over the last installment, which makes it hard to warrant the purchase of yet another carbon copy. The actual gameplay is still strong, but you've seen it all before.

Is It Worth The Money? Apparently this is Mega Man's busy week. First we play Dr. Wily's Revenge and now Mega Man IV? It's almost enough to make you forget that Mega Man Legend 3 and Mega Man Universe were both canceled this year. Bad news aside, Mega Man IV remains a fun game. At six dollars, this version is actually cheaper than the Virtual Console port (which is rare). There isn't enough added to this disc to make it worth the price, unless you're actively collecting Mega Man games. This is still a fun game, but certainly not the best of the Blue Bomber.

What Is It? My first impulse is to dismiss this 1999 reboot as nothing more than a desperate grasp for cash. But that isn't the case with Pong: The Next Level. While I have no doubt that this game was made quickly on a shoe-string budget, that didn't stop me from having fun bouncing a ball back and forth. The good news is that this 1999 Pong is more than just two paddles; it adds a lot of fun obstacles and game play modes into the mix. This update features environmental challenges (such as dodging penguins on an icy playfield), sporting challenges (like playing on a soccer field), power-ups and multi-ball mode. So grab a friend and check out the many variations in Pong: The Next Level.

Does It Still Hold Up? Pong looks good and I love all the additions Atari made, but there's one big problem holding this game back. It turns out that you really need to have a paddle controller for this style of game. Oh sure, you can get by with the D-pad, but it definitely doesn't feel right. I also take issue with the computer AI. It often feels like the computer is cheating, especially when it comes to collecting power-ups. This game is a blast with a second player, though the gimmick definitely wears off quickly.

Is It Worth The Money? Believe it or not, I enjoy Pong: The Next Level. The presentation is good and there's plenty of ways to play this old school classic. But the controls and computer AI brings this title down and makes it hard to recommend. Gamers looking for a simple (yet competitive) two-player game should definitely check this out. However, most people will probably want to save their money until something better shows up.