Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection Review (PlayStation 5)
Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection Review, SUNSOFT is back and it’s bringing some of its 8-bit classics to the West for the very first time! SUNSOFT is Back! Retro Game Selection, discover three of the legendary Japanese publisher’s Famicom games and play them in English for the first time ever! The three games included are The Wing of Madoola, Firework Thrower Kantaro’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido, and Ripple Island. Content creators who enjoy retro games, challenging titles as well as Adventure games will have a lot of fun with this compilation.
Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection Review Pros:
- Decent original 8 Bit graphics.
- 398.8MB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- 3 save slots per game.
- Display settings – CRT filter, border art from all the games, aspect ratio (pixel perfect/4:3/widescreen), and palette (vanilla/game child/game child contrast/virtual child/greyscale).
- Three games in one – Ripple Island, The Wing Of Madoola, and Firework Thrower Kantaros 53 stations of the Tokaido.
- Two language choices – English and Japanese.
- The main menu is original Japanese game carts that are fully 3D and you can zoom in and out and rotate them.
- Click into each game to get a video pop-up and a brief rundown of the game story.
- Each game has the Japanese and English versions.
- The gallery in each game shows off concept art, promo, and box art.
- Each game has a rewind feature.
- You have an overlay menu (press L1 and R1 together) where you can save and load, reset the game, go back to the game selection, look at the controls, look at the original scans of three manuals (all in Japanese), and change display settings.
- Firework Thrower Kantaros game is a side scroller and you have to avoid the enemy and make it to the end of the level to set off the fireworks, it offers a map of progress at the top, power-ups, weapons, two players, and checkpoints.
- Each game has a nostalgic Chiptune soundtrack and sound effects.
- Ripple Island is a cool adventure game where you have a set of commands like move, talk, investigate, react, and interact with the world and characters. It’s one step away from a point-and-click. The story is good but the writing and characters are excellent and a real highlight.
- The Wing of Madoola is an action platformer game, you collect weapons and gear to power up and explore dungeons and attack enemies and bosses.
- All games are presented in 2D.
- Your display settings carry over to each game.
- A really nice addition to gamer preservation and a collection that any enthusiasts should check out.
- The collection has a nice mix of genres.
- A lot of fun to play.
- Offers a good trophy list with 90 percent of them easy to obtain then you get one for finishing each of the games.
Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection Review Cons:
- There is no English translation of the manuals.
- The menu overlay and rewind controls are a very brief pop-up at the bottom of the screen and easily missed.
- You cannot set the display settings per game so they stay seperate.
- You cannot remap the controls.
- There is no real history of the games themselves.
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Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection:
Developer: Red Art Games
Publisher: Red Art Games
Store Links –
Summary
The Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane with its decent original 8-bit graphics and a manageable download size of 398.8MB. The collection includes three classic games: Ripple Island, The Wing of Madoola, and Firework Thrower Kantaros 53 Stations of the Tokaido. Each game is available in both English and Japanese, and the main menu features fully 3D, rotatable Japanese game carts, adding a unique touch. The display settings are quite versatile, offering options like CRT filter, border art, aspect ratio adjustments, and various palette choices. Additionally, each game includes a gallery showcasing concept art, promotional materials, and box art, enhancing the nostalgic experience.
One of the standout features is the inclusion of a rewind function and an overlay menu that allows players to save and load games, reset, and adjust display settings. However, the overlay menu and rewind controls are brief pop-ups that can be easily missed. The collection also boasts a platinum trophy and three save slots per game, which is a nice touch for trophy hunters and those who like to keep multiple progress points. Despite these positives, there are some drawbacks. The manuals are only available in Japanese, and the display settings cannot be set separately for each game. Additionally, the controls cannot be remapped, and there is no detailed history of the games included.
Each game in the collection has its unique charm. Ripple Island is an adventure game with commands like move, talk, investigate, and interact, offering a near-point-and-click experience with excellent writing and characters. The Wing of Madoola is an action platformer where players collect weapons and gear to power up, explore dungeons, and battle enemies and bosses. Firework Thrower Kantaros is a side-scroller where players must avoid enemies and reach the end of the level to set off fireworks, featuring a progress map, power-ups, weapons, two-player mode, and checkpoints. All games are presented in 2D with nostalgic chiptune soundtracks and sound effects.
In summary, the Sunsoft Is Back Retro Game Collection is a delightful addition to game preservation and a must-check for enthusiasts. It offers a nice mix of genres and a lot of fun, despite some minor drawbacks like the lack of English manuals and the inability to remap controls. The collection’s trophy list is also commendable, with most trophies being easy to obtain, making it an enjoyable experience for both casual and dedicated gamers.
