The return of the king
Sometimes there are games I feel like, even in the era when everything is getting a remaster or remake, will never come out. Yes, I am looking at you Eternal Champions. Still, I get surprised on a regular basis. Sunsoft was a prolific developer in the NES era. They created some of the greatest games for that console and even some stellar ones throughout the SNES and PS1 eras as well. They have been dormant for a while, but as the name of this collection implies, Sunsoft is back baby, and with it three of the most obscure re-releases I have ever seen. With this collection I finally get a chance to check out some of their earliest work, and I continue to hold out hope for Sega to bring me back Eternal Champions.
So let’s kick this off with what is included with this package. There are three games, all of them coming from the early days of the Famicom and all games that never made it stateside. First up we have The Wing of Madoola, which is a side-scrolling action game where players play as Lucia as she attempts to retrieve the namesake from King Daltos. The game consists of 16 levels, each one ends with a boss fight that contains a crystal that unlocks the next level. Lucia can also explore each level to find upgrades to her attacks and health. It was originally released in 1986 and was the first game from Kenji Sada after he joined the company. It is extremely hard, which is the consistent theme of all three of these games.
MSRP: $9.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $9.99
Next up we have Firework Thrower Kantaro’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido. Now that is a mouthful. This one actually got included in a Windows collection released in 2001, so this isn’t its first rodeo. This is also a side-scrolling action game where the player throws fireworks at enemies. These have a weird arch that makes it even harder than it already is. There are also enemies that are not hurt by these and require grenades on the ground. Needless to say, this game frustrated me beyond belief.
Finally, we have Ripple Island which is the one game that breaks the mold of this collection. Here players take on the role of Kyle as he sets out on an adventure to rescue the king’s daughter from the evil Gerogeru. This is more akin to a point and click game as the basic game play is choosing from a set of commands to reach the ending. This game also got a release on the PS2 in Japan in a Memorial Collection back in 2002, but again never made it stateside.
All three games are a unique piece of history for Sunsoft. The company is known for titles like Blaster Master and Batman, as well as their incredible soundtracks. These three games really showcase how diverse the teams at Sunsoft were in the NES days.
Bringing it to modern consoles though comes with a host of quality-of-life upgrades. The first of course being the first time any of these games have received an English translation. Fans of the company have had to live with fan translations, but now we can check them out in full translated glory. There are also features such as save states, rewind functionality, and of course CRT filters, which include some of the most unique designs I have seen. They have also included a gallery of promotional materials from each game. Having all three in one package with all these features is like a mini museum of Sunsoft and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Sure these games are not going to hold up today. They are difficult, confusing, and a product of their time, but being able to access them on just about anything with a controller is fantastic. I highly recommend checking out this compilation if you have any reverence for Sunsoft. Seeing some of their early work is as much fascinating as it is informative.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
