Good Titles Can Still Be Found for Older Rigs

Somehow I doubt that a whip-cracking Russian agent who wears a leather corset and knee-high boots would lament not having a boyfriend. Yet in the dorky Game Boy remix of Battle Arena Toshinden, Sofia does exactly that.

In almost every way, this junior version of Toshinden is an insult to a title that gave Sony PlayStation a distinct early lead in defining 32-bit gaming. Toshinden’s three-dimensional arena and sweeping camera moves made it a favorite among players who hungered for something more than the bland fighter diet of punch, kick, jump and then punch again.

Yet that’s what’s served up in abundance in the version for Game Boy, a portable with a fraction of PlayStation’s juice. The only similarities between this runt and the original are the title and the character names. Everything else is a cheap imitation.

Sadly, owners of older machines get stuck with this kind of junk all too often--lured by spiffy boxes and titles that don’t live up to their name. But players using portables and 16-bit rigs shouldn’t feel like they have to settle for whatever slop comes down the pipe. In many ways, the choices for 16-bit players have never been better.

Since most of the attention is focused on designing games for the burgeoning 32-bit market and for Nintendo 64, the only games showing up on 16-bit platforms are big-budget titles that take machines to their limits.

On Genesis, Sonic is back in Sonic 3D Blast, a wild game whose title says it all. This is a typically fast-paced Sonic adventure, except the sneaker-wearing blue hedgehog has a new level of depth. Players guide Sonic through three-dimensional courses filled with all the typical baddies. For Sonic fans, it’s a whole new world.

And for VectorMan fans, the hyperkinetic android returns to pick up where his first adventure left off. All the basics of the first game remain in VectorMan 2, but morphs this time are level specific: helicopter, skates, tornado and tank.

*

Plus, some of the enemies spit out assimilation icons, allowing VectorMan to take on the characteristics of a shell bug, a scorpion, a rhino beetle, a tick or a fire ant. Despite the menagerie of insects, there are no bugs in this game. It’s as perfect as the first.

On Super Nintendo, Capcom updates Street Fighter Alpha with a sequel that rocks. Also available on PlayStation, Street Fighter Alpha 2 provides all the speed and skill fans expect. Some of the delays between bouts were annoying, but action never slowed down once the fighting began.

So while it’s harder and harder to find new titles for older machines, it’s a pretty safe bet that the few coming out won’t disappoint. Look for games that originated on 16-bit platforms, though. Conversions from more powerful systems will only look and play like shadows.

*

Staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Thursday. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send letters to The Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311. Or send e-mail to Aaron.C[email protected]