I love how silly these games are, the pirates are so ridiculous.
I bet they were a lot of fun to make, they seem very irreverent and have a lot of new ideas in the sequel like the powerups and different character movesets.
More thoughts on my blog;
Dynamite Cop (Dynamite Deka 2) — The Games of 1998
Lots has been said about this game, but I don't see the lighting effects get talked about all that often. I think it looks great, particularly in this area with the flaming helicopter wreckage!
More thoughts on this masterpiece;
Anyone else play this one? I used to play on a friend's computer back in the day. A game I kind of forgot about until doing the blog!
https://gamesof1998.com/home/jazzjackrabbit2
Going to argue this is technically 'late' 90s haha.
Been playing a bit of this one recently and it's a cool side-scroller with a cool horror aesthetic.
The tracks in this game really feel unique to each other, I love how this one is relatively 'grounded' compared to the first two.
More thoughts on this great racer on my blog;
Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge — The Games of 1998
Absolutely ridiculous how many amazing games came out in the space of 4 months!
I used to love this game back in the day, even though I think my PC probably struggled to run it at even 20fps!
I preferred doing the cop missions, I found it easier than trying to win the races at the time.
More thoughts here on my blog;
This is a shooter I also would like to spend some more time mastering. Never did play it back in the day, but discovered it more recently, especially in regards to writing for the blog;
Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge is the latest 1998 showcase!
https://gamesof1998.com/home/daytonausa2
A fantastic arcade racer that pushed the limits of arcade hardware and continued a legacy that endures today.
Have you played this gem?
Interview with Makoto Osaki from Sega's AM2. A lot of the team that made Daytona USA 2 came from Virtua Fighter 3. While they didn't have much experience with designing racing games, they had great knowledge in animation, with the pit crew being animated by one VF3 programmer!
From Sega Saturn Magazine #35, September 1998!
Sega Rally 2 this ain't! Feels a lot closer to a sim than the arcade action, but that's not a bad thing at all! Having a crack at this title while I'm in the mood for racing games. I must say it looks quite good on the PS1!
On the surface, many arcade games can seem quite minimal in terms of content. With Sega Rally 2, you may only see six cars and four tracks on the surface, but it belies hours and hours of addictive gameplay.
Sega Rally 2 is the sequel to the legendary Sega Rally Championship (1995). Just as Sega Rally Championship was a showcase of Sega’s cutting edge Model 2 arcade hardware, Sega Rally 2 would be equally as impressive on the awesome Model 3 board. Carrying on the tradition of arcade rally gameplay, you’ll find a game that throws you into the action immediately. Within seconds you’ll be hurtling across the desert at 200km/h or more, powersliding around corners in the mud while the turbo-charged engine sounds like it’s seconds away from exploding. Wildlife and spectators will flee as you tear up the track, and it soon becomes apparent that the action will only get more intense.
Continued here;
This game features a very cool 'Driver's Eyes' viewpoint option, where you see all the internals of the car and even the driver's hands on the wheel.It's very immersive, but also quite limiting to your view making for a cool challenge.
Anyone else love this Sega Saturn game?
It had such great graphics, cool levels and some genuinely creative and awesome ideas like the voice navigation and emails from survivors.
More thoughts here;
Burning Rangers — The Games of 1998
Video from the Freaks Shop VHS.
One of the key arcade memories of visiting Japan was playing the original VO with the twin stick cabinet at Kawasaki Warehouse. I haven't ever played VOOT with twin sticks though, I imagine it's amazing.
This is so difficult, but managed to do it after a few attempts and some guidance online.
One of, if not my favorite Sega Saturn game.