#Nintendo the Japanese Engine

[bloodychurch]

Happy birthday!!! Anyways. I really like the first one because what even is the context❓ And the "GET A LIFE" Volta poster will always be my favorite poster forever forever

it's my birthday today, rb with your favorite stex pictures! I'll start:

[bloodychurch]

Hello!!! Have a bunch of Starlight Express GIFs of no particular theme. My two favourites out of these are Carioca moving his hips with a lot of malemolência and Purse spinning!! Because Purse!!!!!

[starburst2000]

@charleystrainyard she's here!!!! The post-1992 London Japanese engine! Or, as she's better known, Nintendo! (Or Yamamoto, if you're a fan of the Jap/Aus 1989 tour)

Her actual given name is Nozomi, she's clad in mauve, and has both Mario and Zelda accessories on her. Also, the collar of her haneri is orange and blue because she works on the Tokaido (JR Central) and Sanyō (JR West) lines.

Did I also mention she's transgender? (Literal Trans Girl Gamer!!!)

[marastriker]

Headcanons about the Japanese Engine?

This is a lot, cause Hashamoto, Nintendo, and Manga are all separate Japanese national champions to me.

Hashamoto is old fashioned and traditional. But by no means cranky or stern. He kind of has that Uncle Iroh personality to him. He could wreak havoc, but he chooses to be peaceful and friendly. And he also loves tea. He particularly enjoys traditional Japanese theatre.

Nintendo (named so because he's sponsored by Nintendo) is the first transgender National to make it to the finals. He's VERY proud of this fact! He also enjoys video games, especially Mario Baseball, because he finds American sports to be fascinating. He's determined and a hard worker, but also likes to have fun.

Manga is by far the most laid back of the Japanese nationals. Racing comes easy to him and he does it because it's fun, not necessarily because he wants to be the champion. It was a pleasant surprise for him that he got to the finals! He particularly enjoys sharing his culture with everyone else and fraternizing with the other champions.

[montygatorguy]

is it just me or does anyone else think that the japanese engine has just had worse name changes as time goes on? like. he went from hashimoto (although technically first he was hashamoto with an a but they changed that) to nintendo, to manga? idk i just think they peaked with his first name and the changes just sound eh

[isaterriblebore]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 25: The Japanese Engine

OKAY so I'm literally the one who created this but I forgot Zero had a separate day to Volta!!!! I love the National Engines so I thought I'll do one of them today (and I'll do the rest of them later haha!).

Favourite Actor I like Mikey Eborall and Jake Bishop! I got to see them live and they were so good! But for those who I have not seen live, I love Mayo Kawasaki and Kouta Otsuka. Favourite Songs/Scenes I love watching him in Race 2 and when he crashes into the pit. I was sat right next to the pit when I went a few months ago and 😳 Favourite Costumes I think the current Manga costume is a lot better (in my opinion!!!!). But I did love the colours on Hashamoto. Favourite Ships I ship Manga with Turnov Nintendo/Hashamoto I ship with Volta! Headcanons He does karate moves (or something similar) on stage so I like to think he teaches it to little trains! Also I headcanon him to be good friends with Ruhrgold! Unpopular Opinions I don’t have any but I think we can all agree that the OLC costume was… yikes </3

Photo 1: Oliver Roll as Hashamoto - Bochum 2017. Photo 2: Tristan Crabtree as Manga - Bochum 2023. Photo 3: Kouta Otsuka as Hashamoto - Bochum 1996. Photo 4: Richard Twyman as Nintendo - London 1998. Photo 5: Glenn Shiroma as Hashamoto - US Tour 1989 Photo 6: Robert Jakeman as Hashamoto - Bochum 1994.

[englishotomegames]

Steam Prison: Beyond the Steam (スチームプリズン -Beyond the Steam-)

Release date (Windows, Steam, Nintendo Switch) Japanese, English and Chinese: November 28th, 2024

"The Heights are a gorgeous utopia. The Depths, a filthy industrial wasteland. Our heroine, raised in the Heights, has nothing but contempt for those below. Now an observation mission requires her to descend into that world, and the gears of fate have begun to turn.

This story takes place two years after the 'Grand Ending' from the original Steam Prison. While riding the 'buggy' invented by the engineer (and information broker) Ulrik, our party arrives in the new land of Cainabel, where they meet a pair of kings. The story unfolds from there.

The stories of Ulrik, Adage, and Fin take place alongside the younger king Jevite in this strange land. Meanwhile Eltcreed, Ines, and Yune clear the way to Cainabel's future with the elder king Jereme. You can enjoy this episode and its endings from two points of view, depending on which party member the heroine travels with.

This release also includes an additional story titled A New Theory.

In A New Theory, our heroine must confront the injustice of her world. She makes contact with the HOUNDS in order to clear her name, and decides to forge a new path for herself..."

This is the fandisc for Steam Prison! You can buy it from MangaGamer here, from Steam here, or for Nintendo Switch here.

[nintendroid]

Happy belated birthday to the Nintendo 64, released in North America on September 29th making it 28 years old!

No other console I've owned gives me the nostalgia bug like the N64. I have so many stories of the adventures I had with it I could almost write a book. Maybe someday I will, but for right now let's talk about how you can celebrate Nintendo's most unappreciated console. We'll look at some modern software, some underappreciated games you should play and some cool N64 oddities. (NOTE: None of the items mentioned are sponsored. I just really dig the products)

Essential Hardware:

Brawler 64 Controller!

Available wired or wireless, the Brawler is for players who want to play the N64 with a more modern controller. I bought one some years back and have been nothing but satisfied with it. Check out my original review here. Shop here.

The Everdrive 64!

A cartridge capable of storing every N64 game EVER! Not just official games either, but fan-made game mods too! An absolute must if you're hardcore into N64 gaming. It should be noted, there are cheaper alternatives out there, but the rumor is that they can fry your console. KRIKzz-brand Everdrive's are known for their quality and for my money I want something that's not going to ruin my hardware. Check out my original review here. Shop here.

Underrated Games: Even with such a short library, there are good N64 games that don't have the Nintendo or Rare label on them. These aren't all of them, but here's a few that pop up in my mind when I think of the topic of underappreciated N64 games. Yes, some of these are ports but the N64 ports are the way I experienced them and I still prefer the N64 versions.

Duke Nukem: Zero Hour

In my opinion, the best sequel to Duke 3D. Don't let the 3rd-person perspective deter you, this is an authentic Duke Nukem game. Go through time shooting zombies, aliens, Jack the Ripper and send those alien scum packing. Duke's sense of humor is present, even under Nintendo's famous censorship guidelines.

Road Rash 64

A motorcycle racing game where you clobber the other racers with pipes, crowbars and plungers while avoiding the cops. It's so awesome and features one of the greatest songs Sugar Ray ever put out.

40 Winks

It was cancelled at 99% complete in the N64's heyday but publishing company Piko Interactive bought the rights and gave it an official release in 2019. While not what I would call a "classic" It's still a fun game to play over a weekend. As mentioned in my original review, it reminds me of a 3D adaptation of Nightmare on Elmstreet for NES.

007 - The World Is Not Enough

While not quite known as it's big brother, TWINE is a fun FPS Bond game in its own right. Eurocom (who developed Duke Nukem Zero Hour and 40 Winks!) knew they wasn't going to top Rare's iconic Goldeneye, but they did their best and it shows. The one advantage TWINE has over Goldeneye is multiplayer bots so you can play multiplayer because you don't have friends willing to come over because you're a 35-year-old father of two with a mortgage and 9-to-5.

Mods: The modding scene on the N64 is opening up and as a result we're getting some quality titles that extends the life of our favorite system. The one's mentioned here can be played on your actual N64 with the assistance of an Everdrive.

Smash Remix

Everyone collectively loves the original Super Smash Bros, but we can all agree it's pretty barebones in terms of content. Smash Remix fixed that with tons of new N64-era appropriate character additions, new levels, gameplay modes, music, costume changes and MORE. Phenomenal mod if you're a Smash 64 fan.

Shotgun Mario

Its Super Mario 64 but he has a shotgun. Fun for a laugh but adds a fun new mechanic to a classic. No more hoppin-and-boppin, Mario is here to dispense justice!

AKI-engine Wrestling Game Mods

I know most of you reading this aren't wrestling fans but the N64 had some iconic wrestling games thanks to Japanese studio AKI. Fans have been making mods for the AKI-developed titles like WWF No Mercy, Virtual Pro Wrestling 64, WCW vs NWO World Tour ect for years. It's hard to choose just one and each game has a wealth of characters, new arenas, match stipulations, create a wrestler options and much more.

Weirdo N64 Products: Any other time I would have 100 things to list but this is all I could find in the short time I have.

N64 Shirt!

Yes this bad boy is official. What other officially licensed shirt has Fox McCloud and a stormtrooper on it? In modern times, your best luck of finding something like this would be in a midwestern flea market.

Bill Goldberg Memory Card!

WCW legend Bill Goldberg had a memory card for some reason. I'm not complaining because it's awesome. Nothing I would love more than looking down after losing races in Diddy Kong to see big Bill yelling at me, motivating me to be a champion.

In conclusion: The N64 is a flawed but legendary console - it's popular but underrated, widely-known but intimate. My wishlist for the future is more awesome game mods of well known titles AND lesser known titles (let's fix Superman 64 or Carmageddon!). If you read this far, I hope this got you in the mood to play some N64.

[seandwalsh]

What do you think that the advertisements in Mario kart indicate for the Mario universe?

I've already talked a little bit about this in my previous post on the lore of the Mario Kart games, but I'd be happy to discuss this specific topic a little more in-depth by going over some highlights of the brands, businesses and sponsors seen throughout the Mario Kart games!

It's likely that given Super Mario Kart was the first tournament, Mario and his friends hadn't amassed enough of a viewership to have sponsors backing the Grand Prix. Mario Kart got its first sponsors in Mario Kart 64 in the form of trackside banners on certain courses.

Most of these sponsors are quite non-specific in what they represent and are associated with a specific character or item, such as Mario Star (Marioro in the Japanese version), Luigi's (Luigip in the Japanese version) or Koopa Air. Mario Star may have originally been a tobacco company, but it appears this has been retconned. Luigi's may have been an oil company, but as of Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour the sponsor merely represents N64 Luigi Raceway. Koopa Air is likely an airline owned or endorsed by Bowser.

Nintendo is also a sponsor, which is interesting given they also sponsored Mario and Formula 1 in Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race, as well as the Mario Bros. in Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally before this.

It seems they were advertising the Famicom through sponsoring Mario. Perhaps it was even a "Famicom Racing Team" of sorts.

Mario can also wear his Mechanic Outfit from Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally in Super Mario Odyssey, where we can see the patches on it feature several brands from the Mario Kart series. This outfit also ends up being depicted in the logo of Mario Motors from Mario Kart 8 onwards. This first appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP, and it's certainly one of my favourites.

Mario Motors appears to be a chain of garages that likely builds or repairs vehicles, as we can see two locations in Mario Kart 8's renditions of Wii U Mario Circuit and GCN Yoshi Circuit. In the GCN Yoshi Circuit location several Standard 8 karts and a Yoshi Bike can be seen in the shop. They appear to use Mushroom Piston engines and Fuzzy Battery batteries, also having a pair of fuel pumps outside. Fuzzy Batteries also produce primary (disposable) batteries, as we see in Yoshi's Crafted World.

Of course, Mario can't have all the fun. Wario had to go and make his own company, Wario Motors, which presumably acts as a rival. Wario Motors seemingly built the trucks with Dash Panel ramps on the back that can be seen in courses like Mario Kart 8's rendition of N64 Toad's Turnpike.

Speaking of Wario, in Mushroom City from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! we can see a store called Wario Pharmacy. Perhaps this is a chain Wario opened after stealing the Megavitamins from Mario in Dr. Mario 64.

Mario Work Gear is another brand from Mario Kart 8 that presumably sells dungarees, gloves, etc. like the ones Mario and Luigi wear. Perhaps this company is even the supplier of the clothing we see Mario and Luigi buy from the various shops throughout the Mario & Luigi series.

There are so many things to say about all of the sponsors in the Mario Kart games, and I've barely scratched the surface here! I'm sure I'll feature them in many more posts in the future. Thank you for your question!

[oriionpaxx]

HEADCANONS FOR NATIONALS

Because @sniglettt asked :33

BOBO THE FRENCH ENGINE: Does drag but will not admit it. Bobo goes by He/They, and is unlabeled for most things. Oddly enough is the one that loves learning about other cultures the most, especially learning about food the most. Bonds over food easily, even if they don't like something they use it as a learning experience and is very respectful about it.

RUHRGOLD THE GERMAN ENGINE: The second bluntest engine of the group but he doesn't mean it in bad ways, he's better to go to if you need a genuine thought out answer, since he will sit there and explain why he chose what he chose. Ruhgold is He/Him and AroAce!! He's also very bad with social ques, but if he sees you as a friend you have someone who is going to always protect not only you but your name as well. Surprisingly gets along well with Greaseball, enjoys the banter between them. He likes making bread.

EXPRESSO THE ITALIAN ENGINE: They scared the hell out of Brexit when he broke pasta to the point he had to spend thirty minutes trying to calm the brit down. Oddly enough always knows what Nintendo is trying to say even when he's mute? It doesn't matter if he is only getting looks, Expresso always figures it out and makes sure that the bullet train is heard. Expresso butts heads with Turnov and Ruhrgold the most but Greaseball is a close second- though everything is all in good fun. A They/He bisexual who also does drag. :3

TURNOV THE RUSSIAN ENGINE: Probably the meanest of the engines- but he doesn't mean to be. He's just incredibly blunt with everything. Oddly gets along with Nintendo and Rusty the most. Turnov is He/They and pansexual. He is also bad with social ques but overtime he's figured out it a little bit.

NINTENDO THE JAPANESE ENGINE: constantly gets "rebranded" with stickers for promo on things in Japan. Despite his name he doesn't really care for Nintendo games EXCEPT Super Mario. He doesn't really mind whatever pronouns you call him and he also doesn't care what gender he dates as long as they love him for him. He adores Rusty and Electra! Mostly because Electra is similar to him in ways since Nintendo is a bullet train. Nintendo is selectively mute!

BREXIT THE ENGLISH ENGINE: Broke pasta once, has never broken pasta ever again. Probably gets the most confused of all the engines whenever it comes to different identities and such but he's trying his best to be respectful. Has huge sensory issues but he tries the other nationals foods almost as often as Bobo- tries really hard to atleast get it down even if he doesn't like something. The others have to remind him it is okay if he doesn't like something. Brexit is a He/They, trans man who's gay- and also another physical embodiment of social anxiety. He also drabbles in drag but typically never wears a look out and about.

[postgamecontent]

Gradius (TG-16 Mini)

Perhaps amusingly given that it ended up owning the whole shebang, Konami's entrance to the PC Engine market came four years into the console's life. I'd imagine that had as much to do with navigating the relationship with Nintendo as anything else, but it's still interesting. Konami would go on to make a number of great games for the console, some iconic of the platform. But it started here in 1991 with a Japan-exclusive port of Konami's 1985 arcade hit, Gradius. By this point, the Super Famicom already had a port of Gradius III in its library, which you would think would make this look like meager scraps being tossed NEC's way.

Unfortunately, this is one case where I can't speak fully to the original context. The game was only released in Japan, and as such the only things I heard about it back in the day were through small snippets in magazines that covered imports. From what I can gather by searching around on the Japanese side of the Internet, PC Engine owners were surprised and excited when the game was announced. That's perhaps as much owing to the news that Konami would be making PC Engine games as it was to the port itself, but there was definitely a crowd that was looking forward to a more accurate version of the game than the beloved yet compromised Famicom Gradius.

The game certainly reviewed well enough, but I've found a lot of anecdotes that circle around the same sense of disappointment that the game wasn't as arcade-accurate as PC Engine fans felt it could have been. The color palette is more muted than the arcade game. Due to the differing resolution of the hardware, it was necessary to have the screen scroll vertically a bit even in stages where that didn't occur in the arcade. Some of the mechanics also differed slightly. It wasn't that the PC Engine Gradius was disliked per se, but some fans were disillusioned by it not being exactly what they had hoped for.

One of the popular theories now is that the differences stem from this being something of a remake of the MSX version of Gradius, with things like the extra bone-themed stage and the presence of some two-level power-ups being considered as evidence. Whatever the case, Konami has dutifully reissued this port on just about every occasion where it made sense to do so. I'm not surprised to see it here in the TG-16 Mini. And I think people have softened on this version of the game over the years, perhaps due to those very same deviations from the arcade original that is now far more readily available at home.

For my part, I enjoy this version of Gradius. It's a little easier than some other versions, and the slowdown is just about predictable enough that you can use it as a tool in your arsenal. The extra level isn't amazing, but it's nice to have it. And hey, the Konami Code works here too. It's never a bad thing to be able to instantly power up, even if it only works once per session. The game plays well and while its presentation might not be true to the arcade, it still looks and sounds good. I have this one on my Japanese Nintendo 3DS (there was a short-lived PC Engine Virtual Console here) and play it often.

With that said, if you want something closer to the arcade, M2 has once again provided in the TurboGrafx-16 Mini. Simply hold the Select button while choosing this game from the carousel and you'll boot into the new "Near Arcade" version. You'll know you did it right because the game will start with the iconic Konami Morning Music countdown from its Bubble System hardware. And yes, Gradius Near Arcade is just what it says on the tin. While the vertical scroll is still there, this otherwise looks, sounds, and plays far more like the arcade game than the original PC Engine Gradius. It almost feels like we've gotten a whole other game here. I think we all knew the console had it in it.

[bloodychurch]

Anyways. Have the relationship charts made by @kissmel0ser with my personal headcanons (headcannons... I'm unsure). The real reason behind Krupp and Purse not being in the post-2018 versions is that they completely forgot about the big race and went on their honeymoon and left their darling son Killerwatt in the hands of Elektra, who didn't even know about the existence of Killerwatt yet—

[archoneddzs15]

PC Engine - Cosmic Fantasy 2

Title: Cosmic Fantasy 2 / コズミックファンタジー２冒険少年バン

Developer/Publisher: Laser Soft (Telenet Japan)

Release date: 5 April 1991

Catalogue No.: TJCD1015

Genre: RPG

Format: CD-ROM2

I find it funny that out of all the Cosmic Fantasy games that got an English release in the US, Working Designs chose this (part 2). Where's part 1? As a result, the English localization has quite a lot of plot holes and inappropriate jokes. Anyway, plot time.

Van is a young boy who lives on the planet Idea, a place where technology has not yet reached a high level. One day his sweetheart Laura gets kidnapped by an unknown villain. Van soon discovers that Laura possesses mysterious powers that may grant immortality to the one who marries her. That is exactly what the evil wizard Galam has in mind. Van sets off to rescue Laura, on a quest that involves intergalactic journeys and travel through time.

Like the previous game, it is a Japanese-style RPG set in a mixed sci-fi and medieval world. The game has random enemy encounters and simple turn-based combat mechanics. Player-controlled characters can learn and use various offensive and healing spells; however, enemies are restricted to physical attacks. Characters join and leave the party frequently, as dictated by the plot; the party may contain up to four active combatants. Story progression and overworld exploration are linear; dungeons are usually fairly complex and maze-like. Full-screen anime-style cutscenes with voice-overs advance the story of the game.

If I had to choose which version to play, I think I would go for the Mega CD version. The Mega CD version may take a slight hit in color, but it has punchier audio. I do know that the entire Cosmic Fantasy series is now on the Nintendo Switch if you want to play it on modern hardware.

[satoshi-mochida]

Original Resident Evil 3 coming to GOG on September 25 - Gematsu

GOG and Capcom will release the original Resident Evil 3 for PC via GOG on September 25, the companies announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via GOG:

About

Join Jill Valentine, the heroine and amazing survivor of the notorious disaster at the mansion, as her nightmare continues. After resigning from S.T.A.R.S. Jill now prepares to head out of Raccoon City… but it’s not going to be easy. Caught in a town crawling with flesh eating zombies, more than ever she must rely on brute force and cunning to find a way to escape alive. This unique adventure intricately reveals more of Umbrella Corporation’s nightmarish plot and picks up just hours before the events from Resident Evil 2. The third entry in the series received the same treatment as its predecessors—we brought it back and made it the best version possible. Here’s what Resident Evil 3 on GOG offers:

Full compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Six localizations of the game included (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese).

Mercenaries Mode included.

Improved DirectX game renderer.

New rendering options (Windowed Mode, Vertical Synchronization Control, Gamma Correction, Integer Scaling and more).

Improved graphics engine initialization and restart.

Improved video subtitles.

Improved options dialog.

Issue-less task switching.

Improved mouse cursor visibility.

Full support for modern controllers (Sony DualSense, Sony DualShock4, Microsoft Xbox Series, Microsoft Xbox One, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Logitech F series and many more) with optimal button binding regardless of the hardware and wireless mode.

Our version of the game keeps all the original content intact—1999’s description is no exception. Take a trip down memory lane and see how Resident Evil 3 was described to gamers when it launched all those years ago:

Key Features

Third-person perspective.

3D and 2D graphics

Pre-rendered graphics

Science-fiction, horror, and zombie themes.

More zombies, more terror, and even more evil.

More challenging enemies that come back to life at any time.

Face off against the most terrifying mutations stalking the streets of Raccoon City.

More detailed character actions: Try the dodge move to avoid an enemy’s attack.

Interact with the environment like never before: Use background objects defensively.

A unique new drama which reveals more details of Umbrella Corporation’s devious activities from the Resident Evil series.

Watch a trailer below.

Intro

[undertale-merchandise-log]

Nintendo Dream Undertale CDs

The Dec. 2018 issue of Nintendo Dream packs in a pretty interesting bonus. The issue includes a 15-track Undertale Fan Selection CD, which features hours of music from the game. This issue will be out Oct. 20th, 2018 in Japan.

Deltarune Test Tracks

1. DOGTARUNE 2. BEGINNING 3. Rude Buster

Undertale Encore

1. SE Collection (Re-recording) 2. MEGALOVANIA (Re-recording) 3. Dreams and Hopes (Re-recording) 4. The Battle with the Real Hero (Re-recording) 5. Iseki

Music Engine Orchestra

1. Iseki 2. ENEMY APPROACHING! 3. Core / The Great Life or Death Struggle 4. To the Fans

[shionu27]

I can't believe it's here!

Steam Prison is one of (if not) my favourite otome game! I never thought it would get a sequel, but here it is!!! This time with more love from the original 6 boys but also two new characters - Jevite and Jereme!

This game takes place two years after the "Grand Ending" of the original game.

According to HuneX' official website -

"While riding the "buggy" invented by the engineer (and information broker) Ulrik, our party arrives in the new land of Cainabel, where they meet a pair of kings. The story unfolds from there.

The stories of Ulrik, Adage, and Fin take place alongside the younger king Jevite in this strange land.

Meanwhile Eltcreed, Ines, and Yune clear the way to Cainabel's future with the elder king Jereme.

You can enjoy this episode and its endings from two points of view, depending on which party member the heroine travels with."

About Game and Where to Buy

The game is offered in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, with Japanese only voice acting. So where can you buy this game?

Digital - Steam

Digital - Nintendo - Canada

Digital - Nintendo - United States

Physical copy - PlayAsia (I believe they are worldwide shipping)