You might remember Arcade Zone's "Legend" for the Super Nintendo, a game that cult magazine Super Play issue #22 reviewed with a conclusion of "Skillfully crafted with cracking graphics and some novel touches (...)", despite failing to bring anything new to the sidescrolling brawler formula. In hindsight however, the game turned out to be very much the closest you would get to Sega's "Golden Axe" for the SNES.
"Iron Commando", a game built on the same engine and with equally impressive graphics found itself in a situation not too different from Factor 5's "Rendering Ranger R2": The game never found a publisher in the West and ended up being released in limited quantities only in Japan back in 1995, ensuring that nowadays a complete copy goes for quite an hefty sum of money. That's a real shame, since Arcade Zone really mixed it up in this game. It included a variety of weapons very much inspired by Capcom's "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs", mixing traditional melee weapons with firearms (and ammunition!). There is even a nod to "The Punisher" grenade toss. One of the ten levels is a mine cart auto scrolling stage, something of a hallmark of every platformer in the 90's, but not so in this genre.
Having missed a chance at success in the West in 1995, Piko Interactive - which has secured the publishing rights for both "Iron Commando" and "Legend" - is giving both games a fresh new worldwide cartridge release this year, even including optional manuals and boxes for those perfectionist SNES aficionados. The crowdfunding campaign is already underway at IndieGoGo and even includes unique rewards such as custom coloured Retro Duo and Retro Duo Portable clone hardware and cartridges with both games. You can check out a bit of "Iron Commando" in the following video.
Did you stumble upon these two games in their original release? Would you like to see more games from the past get the same treatment? Considering recent news, it certainly would seem to be a excellent time to be a Super Nintendo fan… again!
[source indiegogo.com]
Comments 47
So this is a 2nd re release? I got both of these last year from Piko, but have kept them sealed.
I for one would love to see rereleased versions of all cartridge era games. Much like is done with vinyl and music.
Love this. Legend is actually kind of difficult.
Long as they don't flood the market, those looking for a original 90s copy might either have a harder time finding one or the price skyrockets....more then usual.
Bring them to the Switch and then i'll be interested, loving all the retro games on it so far, from Metal Slug to Blaster Master Zero
From personal experience both these games are best enjoyed with a friend (and make the enemies far more manageable).
In case you're wondering Super Play gave out a score of 55% to "Legend". I know issue #22 by heart because it was the very first number of the magazine that I bought. Many months later I found the game for sale at about half the price of regular SNES games in my country, picked it up and that was that, I have completed it several times and rather enjoy it.
@Toadie these games would be ideal for the Switch virtual console. Especially titles that weren't previously released outside of Japan. The Hanabi releases of the Wii VC were a highlight of the service.
Me and my brother played Legend a lot.. the music and sounds and stages are really memorable and I still think the game is fun. especially the dragon tower
@Agent721 That would be great, and the more you think about it, the more baffling it is that you can't buy a new, original, physical version of, say, Super Mario World.
Never played either of these. The 55% score for Legend from good ol' Super Play is rather off putting though.
That said, a lot of the less popular games I've really enjoyed got average-low scores for being 'unoriginal' or for 'lacking polish'.
Super cool. I heard about these awhile back though. I think they also are rereleasing a couple Genesis games too. If memory serves.
@BionicDodo As I said, I think they were overly critical about it (either that or they had "Knights of the Round" or "King of Dragons" around unlike us poor mortals). I would give it a 7 out of 10 because damn, those pixels and backgrounds are beautiful.
@LiberatedAnimal In the future!
Here is gameplay for both titles.
Please note that the version of "Iron Commando" being released is the US/European one. A prototype of that versions surfaced online many years ago, revealing that truly the only thing missing as a gutsy publisher to put it the shops.
Seems like we're getting more Virtual Console games than usual, despite not having any VC at all...
I'm not entirely for this re-releasing Snes carts thing that's suddenly popular, as I bet the British Snes will be missed out.
I'd prefer them to be ported to modern consoles like the Switch first, then printed to Snes carts for retro collectors, or released for both at the same time, or at least have a modern platform Planned.
@ChessboardMan The games are also available on STEAM.
Iron Commando looks pretty sweet. Legend looks okay but a bit sluggish in terms of the actual player movement and attacks.
Mediocre games failed to get released when they were new, so some company is trying to do so now. I've played both of these, and they're nothing special.
The cynic in me thinks this company just happened to get the rights to these old junkers and decided to make a buck re-releasing them to a crowd that WILL buy "lost" and "obscure" games at inflated prices regardless of their quality.
@Shiryu I did not know this, but it confirms my suspicions. Thanks.
Rad. It's actually happening. SNES cartridges are making a comeback. I'm calling it now: SNES is going to be huge again, bigger than it ever was.
im not entirely sure why these are getting a re release or what the benefit is, as the same games are the ones the store has for sale already. the only befit i see game wise is getting both games on one cart, which i will do.
@ogo79 How about those custom coloured Supa Boys? Here is the big reveal of the day:
@Shiryu
yeah the custom colors are cool, its a unique idea...i just dont understand the re release of the carts besides the 2 in 1 cart option.
@ogo79 We never got "Iron Commando " in the west. Even back in the day "Legend" PAL was released in very short numbers.
@Shiryu
this is true but the carts are already on sale on pikos site and have been for a few months. i guess the indiegogo is really for the systems and not the carts since they are already on the actual store site. theres no difference in the roms between the indiegogo versions and pikos store versions. just a multicart. if thats the only difference thats cool with me. ill be getting the multicart
I remember Iron Commando being overly punishing when I tried it out. I didn't hang in for long
Never played these games. I am loving all this retro goodness lately!
@NinChocolate Play it with a fiend or prepare to suffer.
Never heard of these games, but I will get them if come to Switch!
Sounds better than Unholy Night, which after watching a review of, left a sour, rushed, and dissapointed feeling in my mouth.
@EmmatheBest "Unholy Night" was a passion project and despite the less then stellar end result, I have to respect those guys for it.
Legend needs to be released on the vc.one of the best SNES games spent a lot of time with my best friend in the 90s playing this games.
I would love to buy new carts of old games
@Shiryu So unholy knight is a let down, that's a bummer I was going to preorder lol.
Got Legend as a birthday gift when I was a little kid and loved it. It's one of my favorite games on the SNES!
It's one of those games that didn't get many good scores from professional reviews, but we gamers loved it anyway ^_^
PS
That Jailer mini-boss can go burn in hell! Got thrown in jail so many times because of that guy and that level is NOT easy to get out of >.>
@Shiryu I agree, and I do respect them for making it. But they had no real schedule to adhere to, so they could add all they want to the game, to the extent of which their resources and cart limitations could extend. However, while I do indeed respect them, doing so little with a 32 meg cart, I don't $50 respect them for that. I would say...$20-$30 respect them, though.
I still buy games for my SNES and re-releases of legit carts (not those chinese repros) would be AMAZING. If companies realize there is money here and I could get a boxed Chrono Trigger for $40 instead of $700...... yeah.
i just paid $37 for a Japanese R-Type III. And that's actually a steal. You telling me the company who actually made the game wouldn't want in on that action?
CARTRIDGES AGAIN PLEASE!!!!!
@Shiryu One question. What are the keys (that the enemies drop) for in the Legend game?
But these were previously just for sale on their site, why is this an Indiegogo??
I still remember GamePro's review of Legend was a 5/5 for Graphics, and bad ratings for the game's other qualities.
Now I'm not a big beat-em-up guy but the control definitely felt very bad, from what I remember when I tried it.
From what I remember playing, Iron Commando had improved in that regard though I don't think I even finished the first level.
@KingMike It definitely does a lot of things right, but difficulty even on easy when playing alone is trough the roof. Grab a friend and there is a lot to like about the games 10 levels.
@YANDMAN I have replied to this somewhere above, but this campaign is for the exclusive multicart with both games and the custom colored clone Supa Boys bundles.
@Fearful-Octopus Please note I haven't played it yet, is what people who have the game have told me (and from watching cvideos).
@maceng You can only open chests if you have keys. More often than not, I always end up short.
@Shiryu
well the campaign is almost over and only needs 200$ left to meet its goal. yay.
@ogo79 People can't resist special edition hardware.
@Shiryu
thats exactly what i was thinking.
you know what im going for though.
in fact, i was telling myself itd be awesome if they made both games on one cart and they are. thats why i bit for this. im actually excited to participate in my favorite genre
@ogo79 I hope this is the first of many.
@Shiryu
from piko?
most people dont know but he started off as a repro company.
yer probably the only person here who knows what im taking about lol.
i was probably the first guy he sold mother 3 to, he lived about 30 minutes away from me at the time. ive been dealing with him back and fourth now so im glad he picked up projects like these. i especially like the fact that he fixes the taiwanese beat em ups.
water margin is good. generals of the yang family is fixed as well.
@ogo79 Yep, the guy has true passion.
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