Jiggy
06-30-2009, 09:32 PM
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crowphoenix sent me a link to a video of this game late last night. I don't want to make a main page post of it since I haven't played--I'd only do that if I wanted to showcase multiple games I haven't played (and I will very shortly ;) )--but thought it was worth a look. I hadn't even heard of it before, which is particularly unusual since I tend to read anything about SNES games that passes into my line of vision.
In any case, kendo trainee slash magical girl Jo sets out on a journey through seven levels of sidescrolling action platforming with the powers of great jumping prowess, chargeable lightning blasts, and the ability to use upward and downward thrusts with her kendo stick. The levels and enemies seem colorful, if not particularly complex, and the music has a specifically carefree and lighthearted feel that I always love. I usually prefer my game characters not to take up so much screen real estate, though that's somewhat minor; I'm just glad she can attack in multiple directions. Oddly enough, despite Kendo Rage's very Japanese flavor (more on that in a moment), this 1993 game isn't a Japanese exclusive; it was released in North America sure enough, albeit with impossibly misleading box art (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/image/588418.html?box=40257).
crow sent the link with special mention of this game's story. I don't know if it was because after reading my thoughts on My World, My Way (http://www.gf-park.com/annual-gaming-review-mid-2009-jiggy/) one would naturally think I'd love the wackiness and offbeat quirk on tap here--but if so, crow was right! Admittedly, Jo breaks two of my top three rules on how not to make a respectable game heroine since she wears high heels into battle and wears a short skirt in a world where wind and air friction actually affect her. Still, if I find a game with a heroine who's not motivated by anything deeper than hating rotten evildoers (direct quote) and a mentor figure who's a used car salesman with an amulet given to him by the great wizard Hiundai, I usually won't complain. Interestingly enough, the Japanese version played things slightly more seriously, with Jo's mentor being a spirit detective.
With only seven levels and my assumption that the other five aren't any longer than the first two, I might not have given Kendo Rage a second thought in its day, but with the hypothetical pricing of a Virtual Console re-release I'd probably bite. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if that's possible; SETA Corporation closed in late January this year, so where any of their properties went is the guess of anybody except whoever might have bought them.
crowphoenix sent me a link to a video of this game late last night. I don't want to make a main page post of it since I haven't played--I'd only do that if I wanted to showcase multiple games I haven't played (and I will very shortly ;) )--but thought it was worth a look. I hadn't even heard of it before, which is particularly unusual since I tend to read anything about SNES games that passes into my line of vision.
In any case, kendo trainee slash magical girl Jo sets out on a journey through seven levels of sidescrolling action platforming with the powers of great jumping prowess, chargeable lightning blasts, and the ability to use upward and downward thrusts with her kendo stick. The levels and enemies seem colorful, if not particularly complex, and the music has a specifically carefree and lighthearted feel that I always love. I usually prefer my game characters not to take up so much screen real estate, though that's somewhat minor; I'm just glad she can attack in multiple directions. Oddly enough, despite Kendo Rage's very Japanese flavor (more on that in a moment), this 1993 game isn't a Japanese exclusive; it was released in North America sure enough, albeit with impossibly misleading box art (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/image/588418.html?box=40257).
crow sent the link with special mention of this game's story. I don't know if it was because after reading my thoughts on My World, My Way (http://www.gf-park.com/annual-gaming-review-mid-2009-jiggy/) one would naturally think I'd love the wackiness and offbeat quirk on tap here--but if so, crow was right! Admittedly, Jo breaks two of my top three rules on how not to make a respectable game heroine since she wears high heels into battle and wears a short skirt in a world where wind and air friction actually affect her. Still, if I find a game with a heroine who's not motivated by anything deeper than hating rotten evildoers (direct quote) and a mentor figure who's a used car salesman with an amulet given to him by the great wizard Hiundai, I usually won't complain. Interestingly enough, the Japanese version played things slightly more seriously, with Jo's mentor being a spirit detective.
With only seven levels and my assumption that the other five aren't any longer than the first two, I might not have given Kendo Rage a second thought in its day, but with the hypothetical pricing of a Virtual Console re-release I'd probably bite. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if that's possible; SETA Corporation closed in late January this year, so where any of their properties went is the guess of anybody except whoever might have bought them.