Ninja JaJaMaru-kun probably isn’t as attention grabbing as Super Mario Brothers 2 or Sin and Punishment, but it’s definitely noteworthy. Like the other two titles, this was on the Famicom in Japan until it arrived in Europe’s Hanabi Festival last month. Now it’s coming to North America for the slightly more inflated price of 600 Wii Points. I can’t say Ninja JaJaMaru-kun is worth that much money, but I’m always glad to see unreleased games shuttle over to North America. Then again I can’t say Golden Axe III or Lunar Pool are worth their weight in Wii Points either.
Actually, Golden Axe III is a pseudo-unreleased game because it technically came out on the Genesis, but only on the ill-fated Sega Channel for North America. The first real release North American release for Golden Axe III was on the excellent Sega Genesis Collection for the Playstation 2.
Lunar Pool® (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Lunar Pool takes the historical game of billiards and reinvents it with a unique and futuristic flair. The rules are simple: All you need to do is use your cue stick to hit the white cue ball, causing it to hit the other numbered balls and make them go into the pockets. You can enjoy nearly unlimited game play with 30 tables, two different ball arrangements, and the ability to change the degree of friction on the table. You can play against a computer or another human player, so try challenging someone once you’ve got the hang of the game.
Ninja JaJaMaru-kun® (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Take on the role of a ninja called JaJaMaru and rescue the captured Princess Sakura from the evil Namazu Dayuu in this action-packed game, previously unreleased outside of Japan. JaJaMaru must use his throwing stars to defeat the monsters lurking in each of Dayuu’s many hideouts. JaJaMaru has to be careful though, as each monster has its own unique weapon and method of attacking. The only way for him to advance is to break the floor bricks above him and move up and down between the levels of each round, defeating monsters as he goes. To help him, broken bricks sometimes reveal items that JaJaMaru can use to his advantage, possibly leading to the ultimate power-up: a ride on Gamapakun, the giant frog. Throw in some bonus stages and you’ve got a game with a style all its own.
Golden Axe™ III (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence,
800 Wii Points): The once-peaceful kingdom so familiar to fans of the original Golden Axe is under threat once again. The Prince of Darkness has stolen the invaluable Golden Axe, taken over the kingdom and rendered its warriors harmless with an evil curse. One warrior breaks free from the curse and must defeat the prince and regain the Golden Axe to save the kingdom. In this one- or two-player action game, play as a giant, a panther or a sword-wielding human and fight your way to victory once again.
