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Glee-baba-bee-borp. Bleep bloop bleep bloop. CRASH! Beeeeep. I don't know how to spell old video game sounds with onomatopoeia, but if I did, you can bet "SUNSOFT is Back!" would be chock full of stuff to write about... or maybe not, as it's a pretty small (but eclectic) homage to a bygone era. SiB was released around early-to-mid 2024 by the "revived" SunSoft brand and is a compilation of three cult classics (two of them are sorta infamous): "Firework Thrower Kantaro", "The Wing of Madoola" and "Ripple Island". While this should be called a "Retro Famicom Game Collection", they nevertheless paint a picture of the company's early days and are actually pretty interesting from a retrospective view (and some of the better games they released in the 80s, even if they are not "iconic"). Each game also has English translations, making this the first official way to enjoy these games in a way other than Japanese.

Here's a small blurb about each below.

Firework Thrower Kantaro: Also known as "Firework Thrower Kantaro's 53 Stations of the Toukaido", the game was released in 1986 and is a side-scrolling action platformer. While it's noted for its extreme difficulty and appears rudimentary on the surface, the game is more complex than many of its contemporaries at the time which helped it garner some popularity and several ports over the years. Kantaro, a plucky fireworks connoisseur, travels the Toukaido Route from Tokyo to Shinigawa and Asakusa (which is unrelated to the 53 Stations) to thwart the ambitions of an evil merchant, Gonzaemon, who is out to steal Kantaro's fireworks secrets and harass his fiancée (Momoko-chan). Kantaro throws firework grenades which have a bit of an arch to them and can also lay them on the ground to defeat certain enemies. Outside of that, Kantaro himself doesn't have many means to defend himself and the complexity comes from the unique traits of the many foes you face and hidden objects and paths in the levels which keep things interesting. It features 21 stages and a cool mini-map that charts your progress, one of the first of its kind.

The Wing of Madoola: Also released in 1986, this is a action-adventure game with minor RPG elements. One of the early games featuring a female heroine, TWoM subverts the usual "damsel in distress" trope by putting the player in the role of a beautiful warrior woman, Lucia, who sets out to save a charming prince from the clutches of evil. The game features vibrant colors and defined pixel graphics for its time and smooth scrolling action in sprawling environments broken into stages. An interesting aspect is that the player can increase their overall health and magic pool by exploring and finding hidden items or they are rarely dropped by enemies, and Lucia can gain upgrades to increase her speed, sword strength and even six different spells to use. Many areas are optional (but HIGHLY recommended if you want to beat the game) but each area has an orb protected by a guardian who must be defeated before you can advance. Lucia is very fragile and can be killed VERY quickly by infinitely spawning enemies and few invincibility frames when hit, and memorization only goes so far in this game due to atypical enemy traits (the continue feature is also semi-hidden). Defeat Darutos and reclaim the prince and the sacred "Wing of Madoola" which the fiend uses to abuse his power. TWoM was also released in "Memorial Series Sunsoft Vol. 3".

Ripple Island: As the newest and perhaps most impactful game of the bunch, RI is a command-based graphic adventure game released in 1988 and, as such, was the game that most warranted a translation from Japanese (it was fan-translated prior). Aimed at a younger demographic, it takes place on a tiny island called Ripple, where humans and animals lived together in harmony but an evil emperor named Groaker gains great power from a stone hidden there and kidnaps the king's daughter. The king promises that he will allow whoever can rescue his daughter to marry her, and a young boy named Kyle (カイル, Kairu) sets off on a long journey to rescue the princess while meeting a mysterious girl named Cal, who has a rapport with the island's creatures. Using eight actions to interact with your surroundings and explore, the game has expressive graphics complete with little animations to bring the various scenes to life and a wondrous soundtrack. Another great thing is the game features four unique endings, with one concluding before the game ends proper and one with a staff roll (the "true" ending). An i-appli phone version (with improved visuals) and PlayStation port were also released (Memorial Series Sunsoft Vol.4).

This is a vid of each game in action with miscellaneous content. Get it at:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2821290/SUNSOFT_is_Back/

Enjoy.

ADDITION -

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