This Month in Retro September 2023
Hello all and welcome back to This Month in Retro! Today, we'll be taking a trip back to September of 1989, where... nothing too interesting happened actually! After all, only a month prior is when NEC launched the TurboGrafx-16 in America, while Sega took their opportunity to release the Sega Genesis. It's not too surprising then that the industry would take their chance to cool down a month after. Fortunately, we still have a bunch of interesting games to look at!
As usual, I will be taking you through both the games released this month in the west, as well as the games that have to this day never left Japan. Surprisingly however, the number of Japanese-exclusive games this month is actually really low, so this month is a bit of a "TMIR Lite" edition. Don't think I've used that term before, looks cool. I will also be talking about the reception the games got from critics- and players like, though do keep in mind that everything released during- and before the third generation of gaming is a bit scarce in information, so sales numbers are the like may not be accurate or not even present. But we'll find that out along the way; let's talk about games!
Wait... can you hear that? There, in the distance! It's... the Nepiki Bias Alarm, or NBA™ for short! Of course when I saw this game pop up on the list of releases, there was no doubt in my mind it would be the first game to talk about today.
| Game |
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 Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Master System)
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| Release dates | NA: September ??, 1989 |
| PAL: October ??, 1989 | |
| Sales | Unknown |
| Average score | 85% (MobyGames, 23 reviews) |
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap is the third game in Sega's Wonder Boy franchise... kinda. This series is somewhat of a confusing mess that I definitely won't go into today to preserve my sanity, but it is a series full of wonderful games (pun 100% intended). This game is no exception, often seen as one of, if not the best entry in this series of non-linear platforming that is not too much different from the Metroidvania genre. This is because our hero Wonder Boy is cursed by the first dragon he fights, transforming him into a Lizard-man. Over the course of the game, our hero is able to transform into a multitude of other animals, such as a mouse and a hawk, that all give him vastly different traversal options that in turn have their uses in previously-visited areas. All of this is accompanied by a fun action 2D platformer, where the hero either fight as an animal or slays his enemies with his trusty sword that he can upgrade over the course of the game alongside his armour, sometimes as a reward for exploration and at other time bought from the shops with currency that the enemies drop. As hinted at before, the game received critical acclaim across the board, not only at the time but retrospectively as well. It's not too surprised then that the game would see a lot of re-releases such as on the Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 (under the name Dragon's Curse), as well as an excellent remake on all modern platforms called Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. And if you are from Brazil, you might also know this game as Turma da Mônica em o Resgate, where the game's characters are replaced with characters from the Brazilian comic book series Monica's Gang. I don't know why either but hey, it's the same game at its core and that's what matters most.
You can also use this version to play the achievement set! This set by developer MGNS8M will cruise you through everything the game has to offer, from the bosses to every upgrade you can do to your arsenal. Add to that a bunch of secrets to be found and some boss challenges, and you'll have a set that will keep you entertained through its fun runtime!
From one great game to the other, the NES also saw a good amount of interesting releases this month. One of these is one of the more popular licenses games from around this time--and for good reason!
| Game |
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 DuckTales (NES)
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| Release dates | NA: September ??, 1989 |
| JP: January 26, 1990 | |
| PAL: December 14, 1990 | |
| Sales | 1,670,000 |
| Average score | 83% (MobyGames, 26 reviews) |
DuckTales is a popular animated show that started airing in 1987. Like many, I have watched this show many times and have the intro song (or at least, the Dutch variation) stuck in my head whenever I hear the name. This show became very popular and paved the way for many Disney cartoons to follow under the "Disney Afternoon" block, such as TaleSpin and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. It's unsurprising a video game adaptation would follow, and what a good one it was. Developed by key personnel behind the Mega Man series, DuckTales features our favourite money-loving Scrooge McDuck doing what he does best: traveling around the world to find lots of treasure before his rival Flintheart Glomgold does. This will bring him to places such as Africa, the Himalayas, and even the Moon which has one of the catchiest 8-bit tunes out there. And though he may be an old duck, that will not stop him from pogo-sticking through the stages in a smooth platformer. Given that some of the Mega Man developers were involved, it's unsurprising that the platforming saw a lot of praise from critics and players, with the non-linear stages being the cherry on top. With it being featured on a lot of lists of best NES games near the top, as well as becoming Capcom's best-selling video game on the console, DuckTales is definitely a must-play even if you are unfamiliar with the source. It was followed up by a well-received sequel that unfortunately launched a bit too late in the system's lifespan. Both games are also available on the Game Boy, as well as ported in the Disney Afternoon collection on modern platforms together with games based on the before-mentioned cartoons. Finally, there is the excellent remake by WayForward which I can definitely recommend.
Due to being a shorter game, the achievement developers were able to go all-out with the challenges. Aside from progression and finding secrets in all the levels, there are separate challenges for not picking up any treasure, avoiding all enemies, not ever pogoing, and not losing a life. And of course, the multiple endings are covered depending on how much treasure Scrooge has picked up over the course of his journey. RA users think highly of this set with the challenges being just the right difficulty, so just like the game itself, it is certainly worth checking out!
Squaresoft would also show their nose again this month... but probably not with the genre you are thinking of!
| Game |
|---|
 King's Knight (NES)
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| Release dates | JP: September 18, 1986 |
| NA: September ??, 1989 | |
| Sales | Unknown |
| Average score | 50% (MobyGames, 6 reviews) |
If you look at the title and at the badge and still think this is an RPG then I am sorry to disappoint. Just like you when I first saw this, it screamed RPG to me--which would be logical with Squaresoft being the developers. But nope! King's Knight is actually a shoot 'em up of all genres! It follows a basic "Rescue the princess!!!@" storyline, where four completely different characters set out to rescue her. You need to make it through a level as each and make sure they survive, because they are all essential to beating the game where they join forces in the final level. The screen scrolls automatically, with the characters avoiding damage while dishing them out, picking up power-ups or power-downs, and finding secret entrances to caves that also have something essential for the final level. As you might have guessed, the game is somewhat challenging due to how little room it leaves for failure, even if the controls are smooth and the gameplay itself not necessarily being that difficult. This led to the game already not being the most well-received at release, but being even more panned retrospectively. There are almost no positive reviews to be found by players online, making this a mostly ignored game... but not forgotten. After all, it is one of Squaresoft's earlier titles and did have an interesting idea going for it by combining shooting gameplay with RPG- and platforming elements. Square-Enix did acknowledge its existence by remaking it on iOS as a promotion for Final Fantasy XV, but that unsurprisingly didn't last long.
The set does take advantage of it being both a shoot 'em up and an RPG. You need to not only clear all levels but do so without taking damage, while also bringing every character to the maximum level of 20. There are also some additional challenges like beating the final boss without weapon- and shield upgrades. The game doesn't have a lot of masters yet... but realistically speaking I don't think that will change anytime soon either. But please do prove me wrong!
While thinking of the final game to talk about for today on the western side, I came across one that I didn't think much of by just looking at the name. Watching footage of each game ultimately gave my opinion an 180, because this? This is my jam.
| Game |
|---|
 Air Fortress (NES)
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| Release dates | JP: August 17, 1987 |
| NA: September ??, 1989 | |
| Sales | Unknown |
| Average score | 60% (MobyGames, 11 reviews) |
That's right, the final game we are talking about today is Air Fortress. Once I realized it's another one of those hybrid-genre games, I knew everything I needed to know. In this game, a herd of monstrous "Air Fortresses" invaded the galaxy, consuming everything in their path, and now it's up to our main character to infiltrate them and put an end to their conquest. He approaches them in horizontal shoot 'em up stages, shooting their way through and avoiding damage to reach the air lock, as even just one hit destroys the ship and consumes another chance. Along the way, the player finds ammunition that can be used when inside the fortresses, which converts the game into a 2D action-adventure/run-and-gun game. With his trusty jetpack, he can freely move around through these mazes to destroy enemies and security systems with his gun, find the core, and then get out as quickly as possible before being consumed by the explosion. Rinse and repeat this for more fortresses that progressively get more difficult, and you have a neat little game on your hands. At least, I think so? On release it got mixed reception, though most of the negative points were directed at the presentation side. However, the other common complaint regarding the challenge ramping up real quick, as well as neither of the gameplay styles being particularly interesting may hold a bit more weight. The fans are somewhat more positive on the game retrospectively, but do note these specific complaints as well so do keep that in mind.
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| Game |
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 Bleach: Erabareshi Tamashii (PlayStation 2)
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| Release dates | JP: August 4, 2005 |
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