| DC
Heavy Metal Geomatrix |
Scans |
Twenty
four years ago, circa 1977, publisher Leonard Mogel brought a
derivative of French fantasy magazine Metal Hurlant
stateside and dubbed it Heavy Metal. The publication
would eventually introduce an American audience to
international artists including Jean Giraud, alias Moebius,
and to chiseled, ultra-violent characters such as Ranxerox.
Similarly, Serpieri's Druuna and Corben's Den provided popular
escapist episodes; Druuna appealing to the male masses for
obvious reasons. Perfect specimens all, Heavy Metal's fantasy
heroes gave readers an outlet to otherworldy realms and
netherworlds only possible on paper.
Capcom's take on the Heavy Metal franchise
remains true to the inspirational material by way of original
"HM-archetype" characters blessed with six-pack abs,
killing machine sensitivity, and exotic weaponry capable of
leveling armies. Typical are the four women warriors in the
game (Slash, Kassey, Di, and Mayfly) who all have perfect
breasts ranging from B-cup all the way to what appears to be
double D on the scantily clad Di. As battle ensues, homing
missiles and bazookas are particularly useful when chasing a
rabbit tempered run 'n gun opponent. Close-range weapons
consist of swords for brutal thisclose fighting but much of
the game relies on projectile attacks where opponents scurry
through expansive playfields. References and allusions to
Capcom's previous "death match" title, Spawn, may be
made but Geomatrix dominates that earlier title with a better
camera on the action and furious game-play. Liken it more to a
fusion of Powerstone and Toshinden, but with more roaming.
It's also pretty to look at, just like the magazine. Up to
four players may participate at once in split-screen mode. |
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| GBA
Super Street Fighter IIX Revival |
Scans |
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Street Fighters never die, they just migrate to new consoles
and portables. The year was 1993 and SHVC-T1 aka Street
Fighter 2 Turbo landed on the Super Famicom that summer.
Import shops around the city hawked it for about US$160
but fighting connoisseurs undaunted by the price bought the
game in droves. After all, it was a fine rendition of Street
Fighter 2 and champions could play it at home, undisturbed by
miscreants and boastful braggarts at the local arcade. Fast
forward a bunch of years and Capcom once again proves itself
worthy by issuing a superb version of Street Fighter on
the Gameboy Advance. Original backgrounds as well as news ones
for Bison, Chun-Li, Guile, Ken, Ryu, and Zangief decorate the
bouts and bring back a sense of the olden days. Bonus modes
return where you pummel a car to death or destroy barrels
which roll towards your fighter. Succinctly and to the point
then, we're horribly impressed. |
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SF2X Revival US$49 |
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A number of special modes may be
unlocked in the SSF Revival game. |
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| GBA
Mahjong Police Detective |
Scans |
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When local yakuza start making waves, it's up to the mighty
mahjong detective and his group of lovely assistants to stem
the flow of illegal activity. Instead of using detective work,
handcuffs, or even a police blotter, MJ detective plays
mahjong against the heavies in order to "arrest"
their machinations. Played on a standard table layout,
Hudson's mahjong simulation uses Japanese rules for the
game-play and a story mode to string along the action as the
player goes from match to match. Successful wins push the
drama along as you step towards the kingpin gangsta for the
final showdown. |
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Mahjong Detective US$49 |
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| Weekly
Import Remainder |
Restock |
| GBA
EX Monopoly, Everybody's Breed My Beetle, Morita
Shogi Advance and PS2 Final Fantasy X Special CD, Pachinko
Station vs Genius Bakabo are all due on
Friday. |
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| Frequently
Asked Questions |
Protocol |
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Common
questions, rotated on a weekly basis, are now posted online
for perusal. Please check the FAQ before sending an
e-mail message
that may already be answered on the page. It's not that we
mind (well, maybe sometimes we do) the voluminous daily e-mail
queries but very common questions come up very often. It's our
way of addressing redundancy and consequent inefficiency. Thank
you. |
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Questions received henceforth already answered in
the FAQ
won't be ignored. You'll
still receive a reply within 48 hours. |
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| C-Bot
Daily Journal... Day Three |
July
11, 2001
I'm a little perturbed. A bit flustered. C-Bot's
been temperamental lately and no amount of button thumping
seems to placate him. He'll power up just fine, make cooing
noises and generally appear happy. A goofy grin signals his
illusion of happiness. I turn my back for a couple of minutes
to read the WSJ and the next thing I know, a sound not unlike
thunder claps through the room. C-Bot makes discordant noises.
C-Bot looks angry. Positively
furious. What to do...
To be continued.... perhaps...
Order your own, online
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