Archon: The Light and the Dark

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

Archon is a strategic board game with some similarities to chess. Two sides, a light one and a dark one, consisting of 18 pieces each compete on a board divided into (9 by 9) squares. You win the game by having one of your units on each of the five powerpoint squares, by removing all opposing pieces from the board or by imprisoning the last remaining creature of the opposing side. However, you can't just remove a piece from the board by landing on it. When two pieces clash, the outcome is decided in the battle arena during one-on-one real-time combat. If the real-time combat takes place on a dark square, the dark monster gets a health bonus (longer life bar). On a light square the light side gains an advantage. There are also some squares whose color changes over time (from afternoon, to dusk, to night, to dawn etc.), which adds an extra layer of strategy to the game. Unlike chess the two sides are not identical. Both sides consist of mythological creatures. For example the light side has among others unicorns, valkyries and a djinni while the dark side features basilisks, banshees and manticores. The differences are not just cosmetic. Two special pieces are the light wizard & the dark sorceress, they can both cast magical spells like: imprison a unit on the board, shift the flow of time (change day/night cycle to your advantage), bring one unit back from the dead etc. The different pieces have their own movement restrictions regarding the number of squares they're allowed to travel on the board and whether or not they can jump over other units (like the knight in chess). Units also behave different in combat; some units are faster than others, some use melee attacks while others fire projectiles.

Archon: The Light and the Dark

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1988

Archon is a strategic board game with some similarities to chess. Two sides, a light one and a dark one, consisting of 18 pieces each compete on a board divided into (9 by 9) squares. You win the game by having one of your units on each of the five powerpoint squares, by removing all opposing pieces from the board or by imprisoning the last remaining creature of the opposing side. However, you can't just remove a piece from the board by landing on it. When two pieces clash, the outcome is decided in the battle arena during one-on-one real-time combat. If the real-time combat takes place on a dark square, the dark monster gets a health bonus (longer life bar). On a light square the light side gains an advantage. There are also some squares whose color changes over time (from afternoon, to dusk, to night, to dawn etc.), which adds an extra layer of strategy to the game. Unlike chess the two sides are not identical. Both sides consist of mythological creatures. For example the light side has among others unicorns, valkyries and a djinni while the dark side features basilisks, banshees and manticores. The differences are not just cosmetic. Two special pieces are the light wizard & the dark sorceress, they can both cast magical spells like: imprison a unit on the board, shift the flow of time (change day/night cycle to your advantage), bring one unit back from the dead etc. The different pieces have their own movement restrictions regarding the number of squares they're allowed to travel on the board and whether or not they can jump over other units (like the knight in chess). Units also behave different in combat; some units are faster than others, some use melee attacks while others fire projectiles. Archon can be played with either one or two players. The NES version, which was released a few years after the other versions, has improved graphics for the real-time combat part. Each type of square has it's own colored background and the unit sprites are larger.

Deflektor

Sharp X68000 - Released - August 9, 1991

There's plenty of reflection in this game, in both senses of the word. That's because this strategic puzzler involves using mirrors to direct a beam of light across a succession of 60 screens. Each mirror has 16 different angles it can be set at, each of which will send the beam around the screen in different ways. Before the exit is activated, all the mines on a screen must be cleared by running the beam over them. There are other devices built into the levels, including teleports and random angle-changers, as well as hazards to avoid (they cause the beam to overheat) and droids which go around moving the mirrors' directions.

Deflektor

NEC PC-9801 - Released - July 12, 1991

There's plenty of reflection in this game, in both senses of the word. That's because this strategic puzzler involves using mirrors to direct a beam of light across a succession of 60 screens. Each mirror has 16 different angles it can be set at, each of which will send the beam around the screen in different ways. Before the exit is activated, all the mines on a screen must be cleared by running the beam over them. There are other devices built into the levels, including teleports and random angle-changers, as well as hazards to avoid (they cause the beam to overheat) and droids which go around moving the mirrors' directions.

Hiroki Matsukata Presents: World Fishing

Sony Playstation - Released - January 19, 1996

Hiroki Matsukata Presents - World Fishing is a fishing game endorsed by the popular actor that features 2 main game modes: - Billfish: That allows the player to take a boat and fish in the ocean. - Blackbass: That allows the player to take a boat and fish in a river. Each modes got a tutorial, a free fishing mode and a tournament mode, and the player can check the records of the fishes that he catched.

Lyrane

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1987

In the future, humans began to build space stations, on which special army units were always present to ensure that nothing threatens humanity from the depth of the cosmos. One of such space stations was called Lyrane. However, the master computer that was monitoring life support on Lyrane has gone insane. Machines have taken over the station, and its human residents were annihilated. The Earth sends a lone fighter craft to Lyrane on what looks like a suicide mission... Lyrane is an action game that differs in several aspects from traditional arcade shooters. The view is top-down, but not vertically-scrolling; player-controlled aircraft can move in any direction (including diagonally), stopping at will. The controls are character-based rather than camera-oriented, i.e. pressing the "forward" button will always make the aircraft move forward, regardless of its position on the screen. Combat is less frequent than in arcade shooters, and the player is required to explore the large levels in order to find ammunition, defeat the enemies, and advance to the next stage.

M.U.L.E.

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1987

M.U.L.E. is about four hopeful explorers trying to make a fortune on a virgin planet. This is done by producing various goods (Food, Energy, Smithore, Crystite). Each of these goods have their uses: if you don't have enough food, you will have less time during your turn. If you don't have enough energy, your output will be lower. If enough smithore isn't produced, there will be a shortage of M.U.L.E.s. Crystite is the big earner that can make or break your game.

M.U.L.E.

Microsoft MSX2 - Released - 1988

M.U.L.E. is about four hopeful explorers trying to make a fortune on a virgin planet. This is done by producing various goods (Food, Energy, Smithore, Crystite). Each of these goods have their uses: if you don't have enough food, you will have less time during your turn. If you don't have enough energy, your output will be lower. If enough smithore isn't produced, there will be a shortage of M.U.L.E.s. Crystite is the big earner that can make or break your game.

Pipe Dream

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1991

Each level of this abstract puzzler challenges the player to set up a network of pipes to allow an unspecified substance known as 'flooz' to flow through as many of those as possible. The pieces are offered in random order, and there are seven different types - straight lines going horizontally or vertically, corners rotating in each of the four directions, and cross-over pieces which carry the flooz straight across horizontally and vertically. Each of these can be entered from either side. When the flooz hits a gap, or a piece which the previous piece can't flow into, the pipe is finished. Before the flooz starts flowing from its randomly-selected starting position, the player has several seconds to start placing pieces. They can be put down anywhere. However a situation that can often occur is there will be a long and complex piping arrangement set up, yet a gap somewhere remains to be filled. Players are able to replace a piece with another in the same square (to make it easier to flow the flooz that way), but for a slight scoring penalty. Bonuses are awarded for looping the flooz through both sides of at least 5 cross-over pieces, or passing the flooz through every square on the screen. Later levels have some squares on the grid blocked off, a few gaps in the side-wall (allowing flooz to thread to the other side of the screen). After every four levels there is a bonus game for points, in which the player can only place the pieces in the lowest open space in each column, similarly to the board game of "Connect 4".

Pipe Dream

Sharp X68000 - Released - November 13, 1992

Each level of this abstract puzzler challenges the player to set up a network of pipes to allow an unspecified substance known as 'flooz' to flow through as many of those as possible. The pieces are offered in random order, and there are seven different types - straight lines going horizontally or vertically, corners rotating in each of the four directions, and cross-over pieces which carry the flooz straight across horizontally and vertically. Each of these can be entered from either side. When the flooz hits a gap, or a piece which the previous piece can't flow into, the pipe is finished. Before the flooz starts flowing from its randomly-selected starting position, the player has several seconds to start placing pieces. They can be put down anywhere. However a situation that can often occur is there will be a long and complex piping arrangement set up, yet a gap somewhere remains to be filled. Players are able to replace a piece with another in the same square (to make it easier to flow the flooz that way), but for a slight scoring penalty. Bonuses are awarded for looping the flooz through both sides of at least 5 cross-over pieces, or passing the flooz through every square on the screen. Later levels have some squares on the grid blocked off, a few gaps in the side-wall (allowing flooz to thread to the other side of the screen). After every four levels there is a bonus game for points, in which the player can only place the pieces in the lowest open space in each column, similarly to the board game of "Connect 4".

Super Bombliss

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - March 17, 1995

Super Bombliss is a puzzle game that is based on Bombliss, a modification of Tetris that originally appeared in the 1991 NES game Tetris 2 + Bombliss. Bombliss is best known in NA and Europe as Tetris Blast, from the 1995 Game Boy game of the same name. The game features credits for Alexey Pajitnov and ELORG, the creator of Tetris and the Soviet tech organization he worked for respectively. As well as creating rows out of falling shapes, the player also has to include at least one bomb item: the bomb explodes, removing more blocks. Placing four bomb icons in a square formation creates a far larger bomb which removes more of the blocks on the screen when detonated. Once all the blocks are removed from the screen, the game ends. A line without bombs will solidify but not vanish; if another line with a bomb is completed on top of it, both lines will vanish. Super Bombliss features a standard mode, referred to as Contest, as well as a Puzzle mode and Vs. mode. In the Puzzle mode, the player has to clear the screen with a limited number of pieces. Vs. mode has the player compete against the CPU, which is represented by one of eight monster villains which include a T-800 and Jason Voorhees.

Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss

NEC PC-9801 - Released - December 18, 1992

As the title would suggest, the game features both standard Tetris as well as another similar game called Bombliss. Tetris offers three game modes: standard marathon (A-type), start with garbage (B-type), and rising garbage (C-type). There is also a two-player versus mode where clearing rows sends garbage to the other player. Bombliss is slightly different from normal Tetris. Arranged on the board and in some dropped pieces are bomb squares. Completing a row does not clear the blocks in the row, but will trigger any bombs in the row which will destroy blocks. Different sizes of bombs will generate larger explosions. Bombliss is offered in standard marathon mode, a puzzle mode where a set board must be cleared using set piece drops, and a 2-player versus mode.

Welltris

NEC PC-9801 - Released - March 27, 1992

Welltris, which is the first Tetris sequel, is originally designed by Alexey Pajitnov (the creator of Tetris) with Andrei Sgenov. It has the same gameplay concept as Tetris; simply all the player has to do is to rotate and maneuver the falling pieces into a proper position in order to form complete layers in the rectangular playground. But Welltris changes this rectangular arena into a four sided well with grid-like walls and bottom where the falling pieces can be moved from wall to wall within the well. Form the pieces into solid rows either horizontally or vertically on the bottom of the well. Billed itself as Tetris in three dimensions.