Limited Run Retail: Audi’s Retro Picks 2

June 23 2022

By Audi Sorlie

Hello again everyone! It’s awesome and scary at the same time that a month has passed since our last check-in with the retro section at the Limited Run Retail store up here in party town, Cary, NC. If you stop by these weeks ahead, you may be able to find great titles like Axiom Verge 2 on the shelves and I can’t think of a cooler throwback than to go see such awesome retro-inspired products on a retail shelf once again as you browse the neon light-drenched showroom.

But what about our retro? Why yes, we are here to in fact highlight some of the games we have in our pre-owned section at the moment of this writing. If you weren’t here last time, Limited Run Retail does serve up a sizeable and very well-priced section for retro games, be it PS2, Famicom imports, Game Boy Advance cartridges, and even some 3DO. And now, let’s take our monthly look at 4 games you might be able to pick up on your next trip!

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (PlayStation)

IT’S MAHBLE, BAY-BEE! Now admittedly, this is not the best port of this game, far from it in fact, but retro historians such as myself still find this port somewhat fascinating for the differences it serves up. I guess it’s not always about arcade-perfect, it’s also about the interesting imperfection. The chaotic frenzy of Marvel vs. Capcom started here with this very game, and despite the limitations in Playstation’s RAM and questionable 2D prowess, it still packs a good 2-player versus experience with some of the best depictions of Marvel characters ever in video games.

Felix The Cat (Nintendo Entertainment System)

Felix The Cat was one of my holy grails as a kid. I had seen plenty of the cartoons from the 50s as my father had a few scattered across VHS, and I had seen the game in magazines seemingly offering up some wholesome NES platforming action. Sadly for me, my father didn’t pay attention to exactly which animal character I wanted for my Nintendo and gave me Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Blowout instead. too bad… Felix The Cat is indeed a great game based on the somewhat forgotten but legendary cartoon character, with excellent music and one of the strongest visual demonstrations on the NES in terms of matching the source designs. The gameplay is also among the finest tuned platformers on the system and had it not been for the very late release date of winter 1992, Felix probably would be remembered among Capcom and Konami’s best licensed affairs. It is also a pricy cat generally, but very generously priced at LRR, so if you still see this one on display, it has one of my highest recommendations.

Dobutso no Mori+/Animal Crossing + (Nintendo Gamecube)

For those of you into imports and Animal Crossing, this is a really fun little collectible for a good price. This is the updated version of the true original entry in the series for Nintendo 64, which was released only months earlier, and updates the game to hold some fun surprises. Most notably it uses the system clock, causing time to pass even when the game is not powered on.For added value, you might recall that Animal Crossing featured full NES games as unlockables on the Gamecube, and in this version, you get several region-exclusive Famicom games such as The Legend of Zelda Famicom Disk System version among other titles. For anyone who really enjoyed Animal Crossing on Switch, this is a really fun throwback.

Blazing Heroes (Sega Saturn)

This is a game that many might know under the name Mystaria or Riglord Saga. Sega Saturn games are hard to come by, and the heavy hitters always climbing in prize. However there exists a whole world of lesser-known but equally excellent experiences for the best 32-bit system ever, and Blazing Heroes is one of those hidden little experiences. For me, I was always intrigued by this game as it is penned and designed by Masato Izumi and Yasuhiko Nakatsu, names that were quite notable for their involvement with titles such as Fray and Illusion City. The game also follows a somewhat archaic though true-and-tested tactical RPG structure which feels nostalgic and warm today, and the music Yukiharu Urita is quite awesome as well. It’s a shame we never saw the sequel brought over to Western shores, but nonetheless, Blazing Heroes makes for an excellent addition to RPG lovers’ collections.

It can be wildly overwhelming and hard to pick just one game when you go to our humble little store up here in Cary, but should you have the chance then come over, take your time stroll back in time to a place where you browse and peruse all that our shelves have to offer, and if you see any of these games in the pre-owned section, remember these little recommendations and perhaps pick up some love for those retro systems that you got hooked up right next to your fancy PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Until next time, America.