Welcome to Mini Reviews where we will take a look at four recent releases from HAMSTER’s Arcade Archives series. These four games are from a variety of genres and all represent different aspects of arcade gaming. But are they any good? Let’s find out.

Liquid Kids

There are many great arcade games released over the years, but one that took much of the world by storm was The New Zealand Story. It may not have been a big deal in North America, but managed to be a phenomenon in Europe, especially with regards to home computer conversions. While Taito never made a direct sequel, a sort of spiritual follow-up was made in the form of Liquid Kids.

Liquid Kids stars a platypus named Hippopo who must rescue another Platypus, and along the way must fight off enemies with the power of liquids. It is a neat concept, as Hippopo will use balls of water of various sizes to take out foes, or even freeze them for a time. The water will also be used to solve some light puzzles along the way, making this game a puzzle-platformer with combat elements.

Liquid Kids has some of the most beautiful visuals for a Taito game from the ‘90s, with a cartoon look that feels timeless. The music is admittedly not the best that Taito has produced but is serviceable here when combined with the overall presentation. There is very much a charm from that era of game development that can be seen here and is something that is lacking in a lot of modern games that try and recapture the past.

The main draw in Liquid Kids though is the gameplay and Liquid Kids feels natural to play, and its mechanics are easy to learn and get a hang of. Taito always made games that were understandable, but Liquid Kids feels very polished. Adding in the additional features of Arcade Archives, such as difficulty settings, save states and more, Liquid Kids becomes a game that is incredibly enjoyable to play even now, with tough enemies and fair gameplay.

Pistol Daimyo No Bouken

Pistol Daimyo No Bouken is an interesting game, to say the least. This shmup sees players take control of a small Japanese lord in a small barrel ship with a pistol attached and take on enemies. It is a strange concept for sure, but fans of franchises like Goemon will feel a sense of familiarity with it.

Pistol Daimyo No Bouken has a vibrant art style, combined with sprite work that manages to make a concept that should not work, end up feeling like warm comfort food. The mechanics take a bit of time to get used to, as you must constantly hold to keep the Daimyo from falling to the bottom of the screen. Adding to this, the shooting elements are a bit obtuse at first as firing and charging the shots actually can be a bit cumbersome.

What makes Pistol Daimyo No Bouken work, however, is its unashamed weirdness and off-beat nature. This is the first release of the game in the west (to my knowledge anyway) and it feels like a great example of Japanese campiness or Kusoge. The gameplay is difficult, and there are cheap deaths, but there is just something about Pistol Daimyo No Bouken that is so charming that it wins you over.

Pistol Daimyo No Bouken is a good game for Caravan mode or High-Score Mode, but casual players will not find the same enjoyment here.

Mirai Ninja

Mirai Ninja has an interesting story behind it. The game was about a cyber ninja fighting monsters to get his soul back but is far more notable for having been adapted into one of the first movies based on video games.  But is the game itself any good?

Mirai Ninja is a side-scrolling hack n slash, but unlike classic Ninja games like Shinobi, is just lacking. A major flaw is the flashing visuals that were common at the time but have not aged well in an era of awareness of photosensitivity.  A big issue with the flashing is just how prevalent it is and how much it can get in the way of the game.

Aside from the flashing, however, the biggest problem with Mirai Ninja is that there is not much to it really. The gameplay feels lacking and while it is possible that this was cutting edge back in the day. The experience does not feel like a must-play now. The game has loose controls, overactive combat that lacks substance, and just feels like style more than anything else. Not even the additions from Arcade Archives can help this, and it seems the best Mirai Ninja did was spawn a film that is actually pretty entertaining.

Xexex/Orius

Xexex, known in the US as Orius, is hands down one of the best shmups that Konami ever made. The game plays like a mix of Gradius, with Irem’s R-Type and X-Multiply, and it is possible that this bit of borrowing from another company may have gotten in the way of re-releases of the game for some time. However, we have an international re-release now and it is very welcome.

The biggest feature in this release is the addition of both the Japanese and US  versions of the game, as while both versions have the ship known as the Flintlock that can detach an orb from itself to aid in the fight, the other weapons are different.  The US version of the game removed all weapons except the Proton Laser and some missiles as secondary weapons leaving powerups to just make the Proton Laser stronger. The Japanese original on the other hand simply started with the Proton Laser but soon also had a wide assortment of other weapons to use in the game.

Other changes were made as well, such as enemy placement and difficulty, making both versions feel very different from each other. Xexex, the original Japanese version, feels far more complete than Orius and is a very fulfilling experience to play even now.  Using the additional modes that Arcade Archives brings makes extending the gameplay great, even though all versions of the game do suffer from a bit of slowdown.

To follow up on the comment about both the US and Japanese versions being included, there is more than was expected with this release. There are actually three versions here as even the European release of Xexex, with minor variations from the US and Japanese versions, is also included. This feels like a small collection of shmups released in one version and it is great to see all the differences between the three regions.

What makes Xexex/Orius stand out though is how well the gameplay blends the different styles that influenced it. This is an inventive shmup that feels innovative even when compared to modern games in the genre, which shows how well it has aged. Combined with an excellent art style and good music, Xexex/Orius has managed to stay fresh all these years later and having every version to play is a nice bonus.

Conclusions

Of the games covered here, Liquid Kids and Orius/Xexex stand out as must-plays, while Mirai Ninja and Pistol Daimyo No Bouken feel like games that can be passed on without missing much. Hardcore arcade enthusiasts will love them still, but Liquid Kids and Orius/Xexex are titles that can be appreciated by all.

Disclaimer: Review keys were provided