Review Windjammers, Karnov & Friends (Evercade) - Treat Yourself To Five Data East Classics

The recent announcement that Evercade and SNK are working together to bring some of the Neo Geo's most famous titles to a new audience was met with a positive response, but one game that sadly couldn't be included as part of this deal is Windjammers—because SNK doesn't own the rights to it.

It seems that Evercade maker Blaze was mindful of this, as, at around the same time, it announced the rather clumsily-named Windjammers, Karnov & Friends, a separate cartridge which not only includes the classic two-player frisbee game but four other Data East classics: Atomic Runner Chelnov, Karnov, Rohga: Armor Force / Wolf Fang and Vapor Trail: Hyper Offensive Formation.

Windjammers is the main draw here, and Blaze knows it. A gloriously playable title which was recently blessed with an equally great sequel on modern systems, this multiplayer favourite stands out as one of the Neo Geo's very best games, and has lost none of its addictive qualities, even after all these years. It's not quite as compelling when playing solo, so you might want to play this on the Evercade VS if you have one in the house.

1987's Karnov is a shining example of how Data East often went against the grain when it came to arcade releases. Starring a burly Russian strongman, its visuals looked a little dated even by late-'80s standards, but the gameplay is challenging and enjoyable—especially as you get to grips with the various items which aid your quest. It's not a stone-cold classic in the same way, say, Ghouls 'n Ghosts is, but it's still well worth a look.

The same could be said for Atomic Runner Chelnov, which launched in arcades the following year. The visuals are plain and not tremendously exciting, but the forced-scrolling gameplay is refreshingly different, even if it takes a while to get used to the fact that you change the direction your character is facing by tapping a button. It's worth noting that this is one of the rare instances where Blaze not opting to include the home port is regrettable; the 1992 Mega Drive conversion improves the visuals massively and changes up some other gameplay elements, mostly for the better. It's a shame it couldn't also be included, but it's not a deal breaker.

The situation is reversed for the vertically-scrolling shmup Vapor Trail: Hyper Offensive Formation; this is thankfully the superior arcade version and not the Mega Drive port, which is stripped back in many ways. Boasting some cool power-ups and an absolutely rocking soundtrack, Vapor Trail might not be in the same league as the likes of Raiden and Truxton 2, but it's a brilliant blast for fans of the genre.

Rohga: Armor Force (also known as Wolf Fang 2001) is technically the sequel to Vapor Trail but takes the form of a side-scrolling action game featuring massive mechs. While Xing's later Saturn and PS1 ports are perhaps superior, the original 1991 coin-op remains one of the highlights of Data East's arcade catalogue. One of the coolest aspects of the game is that when your robot is destroyed, the pilot ejects and continues the battle.

While it's clear that Windjammers is the main attraction of this collection, the four other games are all worth some of your time, making this a highly recommended cartridge for your Evercade system. The only word of warning I can offer is that, without a second player, the appeal of the lead game is somewhat diminished.