This week, Retro Game Challenge for the Nintendo DS was released in North America. Known in Japan as Game Center CX: Arino’s Challenge, the game is based off the popular TV show of the same name where chief game player Arino takes on the challenges of retro video games ranging from Famicom system to Super Famicom and more. The games he plays are often frustrating and tough, but is fun to watch for a nice trip down memory lane. So how the heck do you base a TV show that revolves around a guy playing games for a living and make it freaking awesome? Simple, trade places with Arino and take on the challenges yourself! You won’t be playing Super Mario 3, Ghouls and Ghosts or Star Soldier though; rather you’ll be playing parades of these popular games.
The story of this game is that Arino himself became so frustrated with video games that he himself became a "ghost" in the world of video games and haunts gamers around the world; turning them into a child and then challenging them to play classic retro games from Arino’s childhood. In order to be turned back into an adult and escape from Arino, you must beat all of his challenges! The moment you pop in the game, you become the latest victim of the Retro Game Master Arino. The game itself makes decent use of the NDS’s dual screens, the bottom screen is used for selecting which video cart you want to play or to read the latest issue of Game Fan magazine that offers you cheats and tips on how to beat the games that the Game Master has challenged you to. You will also have many chats with your new found friend young Arino who cheers you on at every game and shares your frustration with you if you blow a challenge.
The top screen is where all the gaming action takes place. After selecting your game from the screen below, the game starts on the top. This screen scheme gives the idea that the players are in the living room in the screen below and the top screen is where they are looking up at the game as they are playing it. The games as I mentioned before are clones of popular games such as Galaga, Star Soldier, RC Pro AM, Dragon Quest and more. Each game has 4 challenges that you must complete in order to gain access to the next game. In Cosmic Gate one of the challenges is to use a Warp Gate twice without dying and once you figure out how make a warp gate appear and find it twice, you successfully pass the challenge and are given another which can be harder or easier depending on how the Game Master is feeling. Some of these can be quite easy, while others can get a bit frustrating; but nothing too bad to where you want to give up on the game easily.
Each game offers a ton of different variety and each one is actually its own full game with its own ending, even after you finish the challenges that Arino gives you for it. Once you beat all 4 challenges the game is placed in Free Play mode where you are able to play it to the end. Pretty awesome! My favorite game so far has to be Guardia Quest, a clone of Dragon Quest! It follows the exact same formula of the first three games, but gives it its own unique twist; thus making it feel like a brand new game. The game is packed with shooters, platform, RPG’s and racing; and each game brings a smile to your face because it makes you feel like your back in the 80’s playing an awesome Nintendo game again.
You can watch just a few examples of the game’s in my small video review below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4g2IoxMmVE
Overall the variety that this game offers is worth the $29.99 price for it and if your a fan of retro games or you just have a taste for playing some that will wack your nostalgic memories then this game is perfect for you. I highly recommend picking it up!
