April 1999
April 1999
April was a slower month than the last two, though it did feature some decently big games.
The N32 received Pokemon Stadium.
Pokemon Stadium is strategy game that uses a 3D turn-base system to battle as well as all 151 original Pokemon, six Stadium Cups, and a battle mode called Gym Leader Castle. There are also many mini-games playable, versus battles, a hall of fame, Game Boy Printer compatibility, and even emulation of the original two games and Pokemon Yellow. Pokemon Stadium was received decently and sold well enough to receive a sequel.
The Saturn received A Bug’s Life.
The PS1 received NHL Blades of Steel ‘99, NBA in the Zone ‘99, Dance Dance Revolution, and Big City Detective: Speakeasy. This was one of its first months without major competition from the N32 or Saturn, allowing it to have a spot to shine.
Big City Detective: Speakeasy is a third-person detective action-adventure game and the first in a popular series. The game is set in Queens, New York in the late 1920s, at the height of prohibition, and follows detective Homer Sherms, who has been hired by the New York Police Department to investigate a murder in a speakeasy named Easy Speakin’. The suspects are three different mafia groups: the Bianchi family, the Conti family, and the Russo family. The game is mostly linear and progresses in the form of missions, which give players evidence to help them make a decision of who did it. Such missions involve raiding of a Mafia’s HQ, capturing a member and interrogating them, bribing an insider, and even interviewing the mafia leaders themselves. There are 9 missions total, all being accessed in a “hub world” - the neighborhood surrounding the detective’s office.
They are:
A Man Fresh Dead - the first mission and the investigation of the crime scene. Here you find out that the man murdered runs the speakeasy as well as a labeled bottle of beer.
Raiding the Bianchis - A stealth mission, involving Detective Sherms exploring the headquarters of the Bianchi family while most of them are away, you have to be careful of the people left behind. Getting caught means you have to restart the level. Making it to the end, you find a note reminding people to bring crates to a bigger rival across the street.
Interviewing Big Don - After learning that the Bianchis supply a rival, Sherms heads to it and finds the boss taking a drink (being drunk himself). Here you interview him and depending on what you say - can get some decent knowledge. The Boss denies saying that he’d kill the owner of Easy Speakin’ just because he’d be a rival of the one they supply, saying “It was so small, I didn’t even know it existed!”
Beer, the World’s True Money - An insider of the Russo family (who works for the Contis), offers to meet up and trade knowledge for beer. After trading 3 bottles of beer, he tells you that the owner of Easy Speakin’ used to date the boss of Russo’s daughter, but broke up - causing his daughter great grief. He also mentions the fact he has seen a bottle in the Conti HQ.
Taking a Hostage - A third person shooter like mission where you break into the Russo headquarters and take a hostage.
O Hostage, My Hostage - The interrogation of the hostage, who you find out is a insider of the Conti family and works for the Russos. He tells you that the Contis have been robbing Easy Speakin’ of its beer and selling it to competitors. He even offers to take you there, and show you the proof.
The Last Evidence - In this mission, you collaborate with the Conti insider, who is named Jacob Moretti. When caught sneaking you in, Moretti says “He’s a newbie, I’m showin’ him around.” He brings you to the cellar, where you manage to get a pic of the stolen beer bottles using a camera. But, you then have to fight your way out as Moretti gets caught and killed.
Decisions, Decisions - After making your way back from the Contis, you have your final mission, here you choose which of the families you think did it - using the evidence collected to back you up.
Choosing the Russos or the Contis gets you the bad ending, but choosing the Bianchis gets you the good one - being the canon perpretrators.
The game is well-received and is another hit on the lines of Metal Gear Solid, moving more units. While it is deemed easy to see who did it, many applaud the gameplay and characters.
The Game Gear Wonder received Sonic Wonders 2.
Sonic Wonders 2 is the sequel to Sonic Wonders, while the original was a Sonic solo - SW2 features the main 4 (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy) as playable characters. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all play like their Sonic 3 & Knuckles counterparts, while Amy uses a hammer as her way of attacking. The plot follows another attempt by Dr. Eggman to take over the world by trying to create the ultimate counterpart to Sonic and sets up the plot for next year's Sonic RPG, where Metal Sonic failed - this clone, called Chaosonic (for his chaotic and deformed nature, as well as being formed from the power of a Chaos Emerald) also fails. There are 8 levels/"zones" total such as "Neo Green Hill Zone", "Secret Base Zone", and "Angel Island Zone".
The Neo Geo Pocket received Crash Bandicoot.
Crash Bandicoot, although sharing the same name as the first game is entirely different in style, being a 2D sidescroller and using pixelized sprites. The game follows Crash as he rescues his animal friends and the island from Dr. N. Trance's hypnotic powers (which doesn't affect Crash due to his stupidity). The game features a rabid version of Tawna as a boss, which after Crash defeats turns back to normal. (A move seen as copying Yoshi's Odyssey) There are a total of 10 levels, are based around N. Sanity Island. The game is decently well-received though is criticized for having Tawna as a boss and not offering anything new.
The Game Boy Color received Super Mario Deluxe.
April was a slower month than the last two, though it did feature some decently big games.
The N32 received Pokemon Stadium.
Pokemon Stadium is strategy game that uses a 3D turn-base system to battle as well as all 151 original Pokemon, six Stadium Cups, and a battle mode called Gym Leader Castle. There are also many mini-games playable, versus battles, a hall of fame, Game Boy Printer compatibility, and even emulation of the original two games and Pokemon Yellow. Pokemon Stadium was received decently and sold well enough to receive a sequel.
The Saturn received A Bug’s Life.
The PS1 received NHL Blades of Steel ‘99, NBA in the Zone ‘99, Dance Dance Revolution, and Big City Detective: Speakeasy. This was one of its first months without major competition from the N32 or Saturn, allowing it to have a spot to shine.
Big City Detective: Speakeasy is a third-person detective action-adventure game and the first in a popular series. The game is set in Queens, New York in the late 1920s, at the height of prohibition, and follows detective Homer Sherms, who has been hired by the New York Police Department to investigate a murder in a speakeasy named Easy Speakin’. The suspects are three different mafia groups: the Bianchi family, the Conti family, and the Russo family. The game is mostly linear and progresses in the form of missions, which give players evidence to help them make a decision of who did it. Such missions involve raiding of a Mafia’s HQ, capturing a member and interrogating them, bribing an insider, and even interviewing the mafia leaders themselves. There are 9 missions total, all being accessed in a “hub world” - the neighborhood surrounding the detective’s office.
They are:
A Man Fresh Dead - the first mission and the investigation of the crime scene. Here you find out that the man murdered runs the speakeasy as well as a labeled bottle of beer.
Raiding the Bianchis - A stealth mission, involving Detective Sherms exploring the headquarters of the Bianchi family while most of them are away, you have to be careful of the people left behind. Getting caught means you have to restart the level. Making it to the end, you find a note reminding people to bring crates to a bigger rival across the street.
Interviewing Big Don - After learning that the Bianchis supply a rival, Sherms heads to it and finds the boss taking a drink (being drunk himself). Here you interview him and depending on what you say - can get some decent knowledge. The Boss denies saying that he’d kill the owner of Easy Speakin’ just because he’d be a rival of the one they supply, saying “It was so small, I didn’t even know it existed!”
Beer, the World’s True Money - An insider of the Russo family (who works for the Contis), offers to meet up and trade knowledge for beer. After trading 3 bottles of beer, he tells you that the owner of Easy Speakin’ used to date the boss of Russo’s daughter, but broke up - causing his daughter great grief. He also mentions the fact he has seen a bottle in the Conti HQ.
Taking a Hostage - A third person shooter like mission where you break into the Russo headquarters and take a hostage.
O Hostage, My Hostage - The interrogation of the hostage, who you find out is a insider of the Conti family and works for the Russos. He tells you that the Contis have been robbing Easy Speakin’ of its beer and selling it to competitors. He even offers to take you there, and show you the proof.
The Last Evidence - In this mission, you collaborate with the Conti insider, who is named Jacob Moretti. When caught sneaking you in, Moretti says “He’s a newbie, I’m showin’ him around.” He brings you to the cellar, where you manage to get a pic of the stolen beer bottles using a camera. But, you then have to fight your way out as Moretti gets caught and killed.
Decisions, Decisions - After making your way back from the Contis, you have your final mission, here you choose which of the families you think did it - using the evidence collected to back you up.
Choosing the Russos or the Contis gets you the bad ending, but choosing the Bianchis gets you the good one - being the canon perpretrators.
The game is well-received and is another hit on the lines of Metal Gear Solid, moving more units. While it is deemed easy to see who did it, many applaud the gameplay and characters.
The Game Gear Wonder received Sonic Wonders 2.
Sonic Wonders 2 is the sequel to Sonic Wonders, while the original was a Sonic solo - SW2 features the main 4 (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy) as playable characters. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all play like their Sonic 3 & Knuckles counterparts, while Amy uses a hammer as her way of attacking. The plot follows another attempt by Dr. Eggman to take over the world by trying to create the ultimate counterpart to Sonic and sets up the plot for next year's Sonic RPG, where Metal Sonic failed - this clone, called Chaosonic (for his chaotic and deformed nature, as well as being formed from the power of a Chaos Emerald) also fails. There are 8 levels/"zones" total such as "Neo Green Hill Zone", "Secret Base Zone", and "Angel Island Zone".
The Neo Geo Pocket received Crash Bandicoot.
Crash Bandicoot, although sharing the same name as the first game is entirely different in style, being a 2D sidescroller and using pixelized sprites. The game follows Crash as he rescues his animal friends and the island from Dr. N. Trance's hypnotic powers (which doesn't affect Crash due to his stupidity). The game features a rabid version of Tawna as a boss, which after Crash defeats turns back to normal. (A move seen as copying Yoshi's Odyssey) There are a total of 10 levels, are based around N. Sanity Island. The game is decently well-received though is criticized for having Tawna as a boss and not offering anything new.
The Game Boy Color received Super Mario Deluxe.
AllAboutGaming said:
Last edited:
!