Month: January 2026

Parasol Stars review

I want to give this a few paragraphs, because “Parasol Stars” is a game I really enjoy and it’s also a game I know won’t make the retro essentials list. (It’ll miss by a couple dozen spots at present.)

The basics here are that it’s (mostly) a non-scrolling platformer (it scrolls a bit, but it’s mostly a static area that covers at most a couple of screens) that was released on a few different platforms, perhaps most famously for the Turbografx-16 (this is how I played it, via the mini). It’s a multiplayer title, and you control these two cute little guys who have to manipulate bubbles to defeat all the enemies on the screen. Clearing the screen advances you to the next stage.

The quirk, and the reason for the title, is you use umbrellas to achieve this, and that dynamic — of using your umbrella to block attacks, collect bubbles, launch attacks, and float about the screen — provides a good time.

The graphics and sound are really top notch for this sort of thing, as well.

So, Parasol Stars is basically “Bubble Bobble,” but prettier and more fun.

That makes sense, since it’s a direct sequel to Bubble Bobble, after all.

Anyway, that’s the gist. I think it’s tempting to think of a game like this as being outdated by the time of its release, let alone today, but pushing that thought aside results in enjoyment that isn’t to be dismissed … it flirts with “must-play” status for me. I roped my oldest daughter into playing it with me, and we had a ball. It’s good in single-player, but I think it truly sings in multiplayer. That’s the way to go if you can.

Dave’s Score: 8/10

M.U.S.H.A. review

Compile, they of Blazing Lazers and Spriggan fame on the PC Engine/Turbografx, are the mad geniuses behind this vertical shooter, MUSHA, a much-coveted piece of the well-received Aleste series.

Props to you if you understood the entirety of that sentence — you passed my old-school gamer test (not really, but that was a lot of dorkstore reference material, if we’re keeping it 100).

This is one of those games that was reviewed decently at the time, but it became somewhat rare/expensive on the secondhand market, and its reputation grew as a result over time. By the time it made it to virtual console, people were grateful to be able to play it at all.

I think where I fall on this is that I prefer Lazers and Spriggan, but not by much. Lazers feels the most culturally significant as one of the Turbografx-16’s most important early releases, Spriggan is the most chaotic and over-the-top fun (while somehow also being the most polished), and MUSHA is a good piece of Aleste (basically a bunch of vertical shooters that were locked to Sega) history with a robust, somewhat confusing weapons upgrade package and a stellar Genesis twangy-sounding score.

I’d recommend all three, to be honest.

Dave’s Score: 8/10

Soulcalibur II review

I’m shaking things up a little in 2026, thinking that since I write these little mini reviews on social media anyway, why not just do that on my own blog? Bonus: I can throw in a few more words.

Anyway, Soulcalibur II is the first game I defeated in 2026, specifically the GameCube version on Nintendo Classics Online.

It’s a one-on-one fighter that got its beginnings on the Dreamcast (and arcades). The first game was beloved, but never made it to other consoles. As the Dreamcast became a financial failure for Sega, the decision to port the sequel to other systems was made.

The hook of the series is that the combatants uses weaponry such as swords and clubs to wreck one another. The gimmick of this entry is the inclusion of special characters for each port. Here on the GameCube, you got Nintendo’s Link, of Zelda fame.

The game is a fun time, easy to pick up and play, with button-mashing serving the newcomer well. The little Namco touches like the hilarious narrator from the Tekken series showing up were a nice surprise. It’s also a solid, diverse lineup of characters, and I enjoy the dynamic of being able to knock your opponent off a cliff to get the win. No real negatives either to speak of.

In short, it’s a good fighter. Gonna keep playing to decide where I’d rank it among my all-time favorites, but I think it says something that I want to keep playing. Check it out if you have the means.

Dave’s Score: 9/10