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The last Turbo Duo game released in the USA was in 1994, and 1997 in Japan. Honestly, I can only think of one title released in 1996 (Puyo Puyo CD Tsu), and I have no idea what came out in 1997. There is one exception, Dead of the Brain released in summer of 1999. That sure was a surprise.
Now after all this time, a new game for the Turbo Duo/PC Engine has been released on September 1st, 2002. By MindRec Communications.
~~~~~ Ordering info ~~~~~
As of 2016 I have no idea how you would locate a copy.
But, you can check the website for any updated info... if any!
developers website, Info on ordering.
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darkcityproductions.com reviews implode!
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Introduction -
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 Back in June of 2002 I was lucky to have gotten my hands on a demo copy of this game, due to the possibility that I would do the package design for it. It turned out that a different person was chosen for this task. I respect their decision and am honored to have even been considered for the project.
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Overview - -
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The Implode CD also has two bonus games on it. "Hump Ball" & "Crash." They are not much, but you can certainly respect the accomplishment of their creation. (I think they are what you would call, first home-brew game attempts). I enjoy Crash more than Hump Ball.
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 In case you have not figured it out, Implode is a puzzle game. I know what you're thinking. "Another puzzle game?" come on man! Give the guys at MindRec some credit. I would not even know where to begin if I wanted to create such a project. (well, maybe I would know where to begin. But I don't know anything about programming outside of HTML.) Implode is a truly unique puzzle game. The blocks move up instead of down. You can increase the speed at which the blocks appear by holding a button. It is nice to have this option for those who think they are hot stuff, or the impatient. After a while I stop using this option, simply because I can't keep up. So far I have not made it past Level 12... but give me some time. Here is how it works: The blocks stack upward, all you got to do is move your curser to groups of three or more blocks of the same color, push the button, and watch all the touching blocks of the same color vanish. Seems easy, right? It is. At first, but the speed picks up. More colors are added, and blocks spontaneously change color! If you're not quick, a block can change color and foil your plans! You can hope a Bomb shows up to save your ass. They are nice if you need some blocks removed in a hurry. For example, a blue Bomb will clear out the blue blocks, the red will clear out the red and so on. But be carefull, you can also destroy a bomb. Example, if a blue bomb resides in a group of blue blocks, and you decide to clear the blocks out instead of the bomb. The bomb vanishes with the blocks. This seems easy to avoid, but when things are hectic it happens.
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Graphics - - -
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The graphics in Implode do the job just fine, but there really is not much to them. Then again, I am not sure where other graphics could have been used. Perhaps a character that did something on the screen? Or some cool animations when you clear all the blocks or something. I am pleased to see the title screen text is antialiased. Shows they wanted it to look nice.
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Music & Sound FX - - - -
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 The music in Implode is top-notch, and fits with the game perfectly. I just wish there was more to the music. When you play the game you hear one great tune after the next just as if you are listing to a CD. I hoped that when you passed a level (or certain amount of levels) the music would change. I think it's another way to reward the player for their progress. A game-over song would have been nice too... There is different music on the High Scores screen though.
Now the Sound FX. There is not really much to be said about them. There are only a few. They do the job, nothing special. However, it is nice that they added them. (the demo copy had no sound fx).
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Gameplay/Replay value - - - - -
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The gameplay is top-notch. This is also something I see has changed since the demo version. It plays perfectly, nice, and fast. Will you only play it once then put it on your shelf to collect dust? No. This is an addictive game. When you die you are left with the "I don't know how I died, I can make it further than that" feeling. Unlike some puzzle games, it never seems impossible. It just gets harder.
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Conclusion - - - - - -
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All in all, if you compare Implode to other Super CD titles it just doesn't quite match the quality of them, but it holds it's own and is a fun game. Is it fair for me to make such a comparison? Maybe not. After all, you have to consider the resources available to the developers. (the older commercial releases were backed by money, official development kits, and so on) Implode was made with homemade tools. They do not have a dev kit, nor will they or anyone else be able to get their hands on one. The fact that Implode got made at all is a freaking miracle to us Turbo geeks. The price of $20 is right, you would be a fool not to buy one. Let's hope everything goes well, and we see more titles from MindRec.
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- Rated: 7 out of 10 -
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Turbo List;
as some of you know, I have been working on a new SCD for our
beloved systems over the last 6 months. At this point, I am
pleased to announce that the long journey of making a new SCD
is over, and what do I have to show for it? Well, besides a
thousand game CDs sitting in my office, I have Implode -- the
first new game for the PCE and Duo in over 5 years. They
have been tested and are fully functional (over a month was
spent going back and forth with the CD manufacturer about
whether what I was trying to do was a valid format or not,
so there was some question as to weather or not these would
work -- they DO).
So, what is Implode, and what is on the CD ?
There are 3 games on the Implode SCD. Previously released
games Crash and Humpball (both updated and given sound effects
and a CD soundtrack), as well as Implode, the title game.
Implode takes the "tetris" genre and turns it upside down,
literally. New blocks are added to the playing field
a row at a time, and it is up to you to clear blocks from
the field by activating any block that is part of a 3 block
(or more) contiguous chain. Along the way you will also encounter
bombs, and flashing blocks that do not stay the same color.
As the game progresses, more colors show up on screen, and the
speed at which rows are deployed increased. Most beta testers
found the game challenging and were excited about the possible
release.
Images of the game and packaging can be seen here:
http://www.mindrec.com/store/info.php?id=BTCD0201
(please note that you cannot buy Implode through this website,
even though it says you can, caveat emptor)
There are only 1,000 copies of Implode, and the likelihood of a
re-print is slim.
How do you order Implode ?
Implode will be available for shipping beginning on September 1,
in the US you have 2 routes. You can either order directly from me
(cash, money orders only), or through an exclusive arrangement,
TZD will also be carrying Implode (for credit card orders) [TZD
will have units to ship starting the second week of September].
The price of Implode is $20. If you order through me, shipping
will be a flat $5 for the first 5 copies [USPS Prio Mail]. I do
have some other titles available, most have a limited availability
(a complete list is attached below) and are available on a first
come first serve basis. If you are interested in any titles other
than Implode, please ask first to confirm availability.
Anyone just wanting Implode can send us$25 (money order, cash, check [*])
to me at:
Bt Garner
P. O. Box 13844
Durham (RTP), NC, 27709
And I will fill orders on a first come, first serve basis. Please
be sure to include a mailing address so that I know where to ship your
CD (and if you include your email addy, I will try to notify when your
copy is shipped out, no promises, it will depend on how bogged down I
get with orders...).
[*] I will accept checks on the following conditions:
1. The checks must be pre-printed
2. The shipping address must match the pre-printed address
3. No check numbered under 500 will be accepted
4. A 7-14 day "wait for the funds to clear" period will be observed
International customers should contact me for details (I highly
recommend that international customers combine orders to help
reduce shipping costs).
Depending upon how successful this venture is, there may very
be other SCDs released in the months to come...and I will also make
this offer to other PCE developers. If you have a game that you
are working on that you would like released on CD, please contact
me. Revenues from the sale of Implode will be used to help publish
future games.
-bt garner
bt@mindrec.com
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