This Week in Defunct Games - October 21, 2011

What Is It? Based on the popular arcade cabinet (and 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System classic), Side Pocket is a no frills pool simulator. You get two different modes to play through, as well as a two-player mode that heats up the action. Unfortunately that's not enough to distract players from the litany of problems associated with this 21 year old Game Boy game. Both modes are marred by inconsistent physics and low rent presentation. What should have been a fun diversion from the steady stream of 2D platformers turns out to be a real pain to play. With technical problems fighting you the entire time, Side Pocket sucks all the fun out of billiards.

Does It Still Hold Up? Going in I wasn't expecting realistic physics and tons of modes, but even my basement-level expectations were too lofty. Due to restrictions in resolution, Side Pocket doesn't even display the balls on the table. Instead you aim at floating numbers. Worse yet, the way the balls move is unrealistic and tough to predict. Even if you can get over the crummy handling and terrible ball physics, you're still left with a bare bones pool game that doesn't sink the 8-ball.

Is It Worth The Money? I'm not down on the idea of a virtual billiards game on a handheld; I like the idea of balancing out all of the 2D platformers and puzzle games. However, you have to try harder than Side Pocket. Here's a game that fails to get even the basics of pool right. As far as I'm concerned you're spending three dollars on a broken billiards simulator. That may not sound like much scratch, but you deserve better than this black and white Side Pocket port.

What Is It? Catrap manages to combine the two things the Game Boy does best: 2D platforming and puzzle solving. In this puzzler you play a couple of cat people on a mission to rid a house of ghosts and other baddies. You do this by moving boxes, climbing ladders and path solving a path to the various enemies in the room. The challenge is that neither the girl nor boy cat can jump at any time. This forces you to manipulate the environment in order to move on to the next stage. The 100 stages keep throwing new ideas at you, making this a simple and addictive puzzle game perfect in small doses.

Does It Still Hold Up? The graphics are nothing to look at and you might as well turn the sound completely off. Like many early Game Boy games, Catrap's presentation leaves a lot to be desired. The gameplay is sound, though the jerky animation can be a little off-putting at first. It's nothing to look at, but Catrap manages to still hold up.

Is It Worth The Money? While not the biggest name to come to the 3DS Virtual Console recently, Catrap is certainly one of the most surprising. With its unassuming graphics and simple gameplay, I expected very little from this puzzler. However, it didn't take long to completely win me over in a way that came as a shock. With 100 levels, there is plenty of content to get your money's worth. At a mere three dollars, Catrap is one of the better puzzlers on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

What Is It? By now you know the story: An evil gang kidnaps Billy's girlfriend and it's up to you to get her back. In order to do this you walk from left to right beating up everybody that gets in your way. This 1987 arcade hit has not only been ported to dozens of game systems, but it also spawned an entire generation of side-scrolling brawlers. This black and white version retains most of what made the arcade game so memorable. Unfortunately, players lose out on the two-player mode, an important component to the success of the arcade game. Still, the good looking graphics and mostly accurate level designs make this an above average action game.

Does It Still Hold Up? The graphics aren't quite up to the arcade level, though they look pretty good given the Game Boy's limitations. Unfortunately the game's controls don't feel nearly as solid, with floaty jumping and moves that are sometimes difficult to perform. There is a versus mode for head-to-head combat, but it's not the kind of thing you play more than once.

Is It Worth The Money? Even in the arcades, Double Dragon has always been a shallow experience. This Game Boy port gets the job done, but yet doesn't feel complete enough to fully recommend. I was impressed by the graphics and level designs in this high quality port, however that wasn't enough to make me forget about the mission two-player co-op mode. While the price is certainly cheap enough, you should definitely know what you're getting yourself in for with Double Dragon on the Game Boy.

What Is It? With the release of three Parasite Eve games, Xenogears, Legend of Mana, Vagrant Story and Threads of Fate, it's been a great year to be a fan of Square. With so many PlayStation 1 era RPGs hitting the PSN store, it was only a matter of time before the Japanese company decided to start porting their 16-bit offerings. Enter Chrono Trigger, a port of the 2001 PS1 compilation disc. This version retains everything you loved about the Super NES original and adds a few brand new cinemas. Unfortunately, this version also comes with one big drawback: Lengthy load screens.

Does It Still Hold Up? Outside of the unnecessary cinemas, the graphics are decidedly 16-bit. To be fair, the lush worlds are full of amazing details and memorable character designs. But it still looks like a 16-bit Super NES game. That's because it IS a 16-bit Super NES game. Apart from the visuals, the game handles perfectly with the only hang-up being the frequent (and annoying) load screens.

Is It Worth The Money? I'll make this simple: Do you own a Nintendo DS or 3DS? If so, then pick up Square's brilliant 2008 remake. For those who haven't bought a Nintendo portable since the Game Boy Advance, do you own a Super NES? Then track down a copy of the cart and have fun. If the only systems you own are a PSP and PlayStation 3, then by all means check out Chrono Trigger on the PSN store. This may not be the ideal way to play one of the best role-playing games of all time, but it's still a great game worth playing on any platform.

What Is It? Ryu and Ken are back for another round of visually arresting fisticuffs. While some may scoff at yet another Street Fighter game hitting the PSN store, fans of the series know that this is the point where Capcom finally got their home ports right. Street Fighter Alpha 3 includes all of the new additions from the arcade mode (E. Honda, Vega, R. Mika, Cody), as well as fighters made specifically for this home version (Dee Jay, Fei Long, T. Hawk, etc.). While the basic one-on-one combat hasn't changed much since the original Street Fighter II, this PlayStation port offers enough new modes to keep both single players and party players satisfied.

Does It Still Hold Up? The gameplay is fast and exciting, giving each fighter more personality than they ever had before. The game's hand drawn animation still looks amazing, especially when displayed on the PSP's smaller screen. Best of all, the World Tour mode (which adds a role-playing style leveling system) will keep you going for weeks to come. With so many modes and unlockables, it's hard to believe that this is the same company that made Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Is It Worth The Money? It's not hard to pinpoint what makes this home version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 so easy to recommend. The lengthy World Tour mode takes this from being just another great Capcom fighting game to being one of the best home conversions of all time. Even if you own multiple versions of this game on other platforms, this PS1 port is worth the six dollars for the World Tour alone. Thankfully the rest of the fighting mechanics are just as much fun. It's not often I recommend a game simply for one mode, but that's exactly what I'm doing with Street Fighter Alpha 3.