
3/7/08:
Oh my crap, I have neglected this page for far too long! After a year or so, stupid Google started to finally find this website through searches. Altavista picked it up way before Google did, so I wonder why Google has become #1. It really isn't the same search engine as it once was, but most people don't even seem to notice or care. I think my best bet to increase exposure for this site is to piggyback on Wikipedia entries for several SFC games and link to this website. This page is still alive, even though updates are so few and far between. I'm flattered to see other sites out there that steal the images I've created. The Super Famicom Central had taken my original hand-designed SFC logo from this page (complete with jpeg artifacting that I had cleaned up many years ago) and was using it for the longest time, yet they still claim today that the Super Famicom Central (which started in 1999) is the "original and only Super Famicom dedicated site" even though as far as English-language SFC-dedicated homepages go, my SFC page has been around since 1997, LOL! Anyhow, despite the erroneous claims, theirs is a great SFC resource page, so check it out.
Last summer I even planed a big 10 year anniversary update, but I never got around to it. There are still so many reviews I have yet to complete. In February of 2007, I came back from another trip to Japan with several more SFC games, and I now have a Sufami Turbo to play around with. I've heard that if you put two Sufami Turbo cartridges in the device at one time, you can share characters between games. I have SD Gundam Generations and Sailor Moon: Fuwa Fuwa Panic 2. I was unable to play Gundam characters in the Sailor Moon puzzle game and vice versa. I'll have to do more research.
I have actually been playing a lot on my Nintendo DS, primarily Final Fantasy III and Super Robot Taisen Original Generations 1 and 2. I love this system. Unfortunately, I've been unemployed for the past five months or so. I was downsized three times last year and it really killed me. I really hope I will find a good job soon. Especially since I will be a father two months from now!
For now, please check out this incredibly cool Youtube video I found: 100 Japanese exclusive super famicom games in 10 minutes.
So, eventually people may start wandering back to this site through finding it with the search engines once again. In the meantime, I'll be cleaning up all references to my old defunct e-mail address with Asahi-Net. I went to Japan at the end of April. I did a lot of otaku shopping in Tokyo. For the Super Famicom, I bought Lode Runner Twin, Umihara Kawase, and a Sufami Turbo bundled with a Gundam Generations strategy game. Maybe this summer I will work on writing reviews for these games.
I went to Japan again this spring for two weeks, and there I did pick up a few new SFC games (even though playing them was far from being on my to-do list). I got Super Nazo Puyo for only 500 yen. A Puyo Puyo game with a picture of curry rice on the cover? Looked too bizarre to pass up. I also got Suchie Pai, a mahjong game with character designs by my favorite anime/manga artist, Kenichi Sonoda.
So to make up for the long period of inactivity, here is a big update. Reviews added for this update are Armored Trooper Votoms (finally!), Snoopy Concert, Suchie Pai and Jaki Crush. I've also been playing a lot of Hyper Iria lately again, and I've expanded my review of this game. Also look for an introduction to Mazinger Z and Nobunaga's Ambition in the Snapshots section. I'm planning on doing a review for Lupin the 3rd next. As I try to figure out Japanese rules for mahjong more, expect the review for Suchie Pai to evolve.
By the way, Lupin the 3rd is still available for sale, cart-only.
As I mentioned last time, I had a fabulous one month stay in Japan. I spend quite a load of money on anime, toys, and of course, video games. Here's my final stash list for Super Famicom stuff: Ranma 1/2: Neighborhood Combat, Ranma 1/2: Hard Battle, Snoopy Concert, Lupin III, Sonic Wings, Power Instinct, Jaki Crush, Same Game, Sailor Moon: Kondo wa Puzzle de Oshiyokiyo, a Bomberman multitap and a Super Famicom mouse. Pretty cool addition to my collection, I think. I wasn't able to buy Load Runner Twin, a cute Japanese rendition of the classic game. I also was not able to afford a Sufami Turbo, so perhaps I'll get one next time around. They're fairly cheap to get, and I'd like to eventually get one just for collection/novelty's sake.
I finally bought myself a copy of Lupin III complete with box and manual on my trip. Last fall, my friend got this game for me, but it was cart-only. The funny thing is, a guy who I had corresponded with through the Anime Super Famicom site promised to give the game to me for free, complete with box and manual. I didn't believe him, so I bought it when I found it in Akihabara. But soon after I returned from Japan, I received it from him in the mail! So, since I now have two extra copies of the game (one complete and one cart-only), I now have these two items up for sale on the sale page.
I've revised my review for Arkanoid: Doh It Again to reflect the gameplay with the SFC mouse. I've also added a few comments about Nobunaga's Ambition in the Snapshots section. I've recently learned that Nobunaga's Ambition is also compatible with the mouse. For the games I bought in Japan, I've added new box scans for them. Soon I will have a review of Lupin III!
Oh, one last tidbit: here's a pic of the Super Famicom cartridge case I bought while I was still living in Himeji, Japan. It managed to survive its shipment from there to here without a crack in the plastic, surprisingly. Pretty cool, huh?

I've had some nice feedback about the site lately, and a guy bought a set of the Chun-Li and Mai figures from the sale page. I still have one more set if anyone wants to buy them! And I always welcome feedback from intelligent gamers who are fans of retro gaming. You wouldn't believe the laughable e-mail I get from some people off this site. Here's an example from earlier this year:
From: Ann To: Greg Subject: about the Hyper Iria game hi there, I was wandering if you know where or how I'd be abile to find that game as a rom, if ya don't know where I can find it, then please at least tell me what tipe it is, like if it's a sens rom, ya know? I would aperishyate it, thanks you. P.S. here's my e-mail so you can tell me your anser. xxxxx@verizon.net ~*Video game lover*~
There's just no hope for such people to ever get a clue... Anyhow, expect an update soon.
I saved up a bunch of money to spend on games, anime figures, and other otaku stuff before coming. While staying in Tokyo, I scoured Akihabara like I never have before with a guy I know from the Shmups Forum known as Eight One. (Shmups is the nickname for 2D shooters like Gradius, and Shmups.com is the definitive source of information on this gaming genre.) We visited game centers and game shops like Liberty and Traders all day long. Later that night, we met up with another shmupper, Yamo Skrap.
So far, I have found several Super Famicom games. I finally now have a complete copy of Lupin III with box and manual. Also in my stash are Ranma 1/2: Neighborhood Combat, Ranma 1/2: Hard Battle (my original one back home is the US version, which was actually the first SNES game I ever bought), Snoopy Concert (hey, I'm a sucker for cute stuff), and Jaki Crush. I got a 4-player multi-tap by Hudson that has Bomberman's face on it. I also bought a SFC mouse to play with Arkanoid.
I plan to also meet up with a fellow Shmupper called Piyo when we visit Kobe towards the end of this month. I hope to similarly thoroughly shop Osaka's Den Den Town. I really miss the Super Potato stores! I especially miss the Super Potato Retro Game Revival store. I am running out of the money I had budgeted for buying games, but I may yet find some more Super Famicom games I want before my vacation to Japan ends. I'll add more to my list of games I've bought as time goes by.
Completing the update, the Snapshots section also now has new mini-reviews for two anime-based games, Astro Boy and Tekkaman Blade.
Finally, the mystery of the "Gamer" difficulty level ending for Area 88 has been explained by a reader. Check out the review to see what it is!
Recently, I have convinced my friend Brian to contributed a review for Rockman and Forte for the Anime SFC page. Hopefully I can coerce him into finishing it soon! Also, my friend Lou is currently on vacation in Japan, scouring the game shops of Akihabara. He found Lupin the 3rd for me! I've been searching the Net for this game for a long time, and at last I will soon own it! I currently have a blurb about this game in the Snapshots section, but now that I will soon have the cartridge I will eventually write a full review for it.
I've been back in America for the past month, and I'm job hunting like crazy. I'm hoping to be able to get a car soon and find a job that pays well enough so that my wife and I can have our own apartment. I really miss our independent life. Living with my parents has been a blessing, but we're really anxious to move out.
Today I have added a review for one of my favorite Super Famicom games, Arkanoid: Doh It Again. I still haven't yet reviewed Ys III, Super Turrican or Armored Trooper Votoms. I haven't gotten around to playing them much yet. My friend I met on Shmups has let me borrow some of his Super Famicom games, such as Super Bombliss and a real gem called Same Game. Same Game is a rather unusual game, apparently part of a series of games by Hudson Soft called "Eisei Housou" ("Satellite Broadcast") that interact with each other. The cartridge for this game looks very similar to a Super Game Boy, with a small cartridge that plugs into the top that allows you to play the game with Hudson characters such as Bomberman and Bonk! There's also another version of this game that comes with the cart that features Nintendo characters like Mario and the gang. While I was at game stores in Japan last January, I noticed other games in the "Eisei Housou" series. One was a bass fishing game, another one was a musical game, and a horse racing game. I haven't finished it yet, but I have started putting together a special feature for this game at this location.
And finally, I forgot to mention that a few months ago, my friend Lou let me borrow his Super Wildcard DX to try it out. In case you haven't read the FAQ yet, the Super Wildcard is a disk drive for the Super Famicom for the use of "backups." ROMs can be saved to disk and then inserted into the Super Wildcard, which allows you to play ROMs on the actual Nintendo hardware instead of a glitchy emulator. Actually, I used his Super Wildcard to make a backup of Arkanoid to use on SNES9X to make screenshots for the review I've uploaded today. It's pretty neat, and I'd like to get one eventually. Preferrably the Super Wildcard DX2, which can connect to my old Iomega Zip 100 Drive via a parallel port. It can also connect to a CD ROM as well, I've read. For more information on SFC disk drives, check out this site.
I hope to be back with more reviews soon!
Also, I've been trading e-mail with a fellow Super Famicom anime game enthusiast, and he's volunteered to give me a review for Ranma 1/2: Neighborhood Combat. I'm looking forward to it!
Of course, one thing I miss about Japan is the access to neat-o gaming stuff. Before I came back to America, I bought a really cool Super Famicom cartridge storage cabinet. Fortunately, it was shipped to America undamaged and the clear plastic doors weren't cracked or broken. Wish I could say the same for some other stuff we shipped. I was able to get King of Fighters 2000 for the Dreamcast a few days before I came to America. And I got Ikaruga for the DC soon after I arrived. I think I probably about doubled my gaming library while I lived in Japan. If you're curious, you can see pictures of my gaming setup in my Japanese apartment at The Blast Shack at this page.
But now that I'm separated from Japanese game stores and currently unemployed while I'm taking classes once again, my videogame purchasing has dropped to nil. But this is a good thing, since it gives me the chance to enjoy the games I have instead of just buying more. Lately, I've been playing a lot of Oshaberi Parodius and Hyper Iria. I finally got past level 3 in Hyper Iria and have made quite a bit of progress. I'm really starting to like this game more than ever before. I have added a few new pictures for the review.
I still haven't gotten around to doing a review for Super Turrican or Armored Trooper Votoms. One thing strange I've discovered is that it doesn't seem like the ROM for Votoms can run on any emulator. Strange. But recently, I found the domestic SNES version of Ys III used for only $6, complete with box and manual! I couldn't pass it up. Right now it's fairly low on the list of games I want to play, but eventually I'll make a review for it for the Anime Super Famicom Web Resource Center.
But this certainly won't mark an end to the Anime Super Famicom page. I'll never stop visiting Japan, especially since my wife is Japanese and her family is here. My SNES and the rest of my game consoles are packed up and are on their way to America by now, and I'll be going back to school studying IT at my old junior college. So for now, I have updated again with a review of the Playstation port of Final Fantasy V.
I have posted two new game reviews: Cotton 100% and Super Puyo Puyo 2. I added an update for the Valis 4 review now that I have played the PC Engine version and I commented on the differences a bit. I have also added box scans for Area 88 and Assault Suits Valken. Coming soon will be a review for Armored Trooper Votoms and Super Turrican.
Recently I bought an S-Video cable for my Super Nintendo. In case you don't know, the S-Video cables for the N64 and the Game Cube are fully compatible with the SFC/SNES. If you have an S-Video compatible TV, these cables sharpen up your game screen a bit on the vertical axis.
Lastly, my new love for my Turbo Duo I bought last fall has inspired me to create a sister page to the Anime Super Famicom Web Resource Center: the Anime PC Engine Super Game Review System! Please click this link and check it out! I don't have very much yet at all, so it's still in its infancy stage. But I am most proud of the logos I've designed for it. As with the logo to this Super Famicom page, I duplicate the logos and fonts to the best of my abilities using MS Paint.
Last Monday I had the day off, so I took my friend to Osaka's Den Den Town electronics district. We scoured the area for video game shops and found lots of neat-o stuff. I picked up Gradius Deluxe Pack, Capcom Generations 1 (which includes the classic 1942 and 1943 shooters) and Do Donpachi for my Sega Saturn. For the Super Famicom, I bought Assault Suits Valken (I only have the U.S. Cybernator version) and a game based on the anime Armored Trooper Votoms. I'll have to play this game and write a review for it, along with my recently aquired Super Puyo Puyo 2 for this page.
And last but not least, I decided to buy a Turbo Duo, otherwise known as the PC Engine, and known as the Turbographix 16 in the States. I had to rely on my friend Lou and my fellow retro-gamers at Shmups.com for help on buying this complicated gaming system. It's no wonder why so many game developers gave up on NEC by the time they released their PCFX game system. There are HUCards, CD, Super CD, Arcade, and finally Supergraphix categories of games. Not to mention the various incarnations of the system... the original Core System, the CD add-on and it's various HUCard drivers to play the various types of CD games, the Duo, the Duo R, the portable Turbo GT, the Shuttlegraphix, the Supergraphix.... Man, it's confusing! But I settled on getting the black Duo, which has the 3.0 CD driver built-in. I picked up many cool games including Bubblegum Crash, Ranma 1/2, Valis 2-4, Macross: 2036 and Macross: Love Song. I am very excited about this system! If you want more information about this system, I suggest you go to http://www.turbogaming.com/. I have an idea of creating an Anime Duo homepage and an Anime Saturn homepage to go along with the Anime SFC page, but it just depends on how much energy I put into the effort.
I'm planning another trip to Osaka this summer, so I might be able to find some more interesting Super Famicom games there. After that, I'll be in America for four weeks! I'll be in San Diego for six days for the the San Diego Comic Con!
I was pretty bummed out when I heard the bad news that Dreamcast consoles were stopped being produced. I have a feeling that the Dreamcast was the last true otaku machine. Everything else is just mass-media hype platforms with boring games.
I did buy Advanced V.G. and Pretty Fighter X for the Saturn. Both of these are considerably better than their SFC counterparts, but they're still a bit outdated and slow. Pretty Fighter X features some rather low-budget anime cutscenes for each character with muffled sound. It gets an 18+ rating because there's a few close-up shots of cleavage, but there's no nudity. So if anyone had their hopes up, sorry!
If anyone would like to review any games for this page, any help would be appreciated! There hasn't been a review on here since last summer.
Also, I'm getting a Dreamcast tomorrow! I'm getting it used with four games and an extra controller for only $200 from a friend of mine. I've been drooling over these things for awhile now, and I'm more excited about the Dreamcast than I am about the upcoming Playstation 2. My prediction is that the Dreamcast is going to be the new home of true anime games, the successor of the Saturn. I just hope somebody develops a surefire way of modding Dreamcasts to play imports. The SNES and Saturn were so easy to play imports on... I think it's pretty crappy how Sony has screwed us import gamers on the Playstation by developing that modchip-blocking code of theirs. Fortunately though, most of the best games on the Playstation are released domestically so there isn't much of a reason to buy Japanese Playstation games (I only own three).
I've had a handful of people inquiring about the Iria game on the Playstation lately. It's called Zeiram Zone. No, I've never played it, but you can find a review of it on the Anime Playstation page. It looks kinda cool, I think. However, most anime games on the Playstation tend to stink. Take for example the Ranma 1/2 game for the Playstation: it looks like crap. They tried to make it look and play like Tekken! It would have been better if it had been a 2D hand-drawn anime fighting game to carry on the tradition of Super Battle. Would have been even better on the Saturn... Oh well, wishful thinking.
What else... oh yeah. As far as updates go, I changed my mind and lowered the rating on Pretty Fighter. The more I look at this game, the more I think it could have been much better. Maybe I'll be able to buy Pretty Fighter X for dirt cheap in Akihabara and see if it's any better.
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