Game Review] "City Connection MD" Revived on MD Cartridge! The game has the look and feel of the arcade version and the controls of the Famicom version! A port that "takes the best of both worlds" and shows love for the original!

Cute Clarice blasts around the world in "City Connection". What if this game had been ported to the Mega Drive (MD)? City Connection MD" is an "IF" game.

The game was released on September 27, 2023, and caused a stir in the retro game community. The review of this title, which caused a stir in the retro gaming community upon its release on September 27, 2023, can be found here.

City Connection" was once known for games such as "Ninja Jajamaru-kun," "Formation Z," and "Burn! Professional Baseball" and "Burn!

In this game, Clarice, a beautiful 15-year-old girl, drives her beloved "Clarice Car" while being chased by police cars. She spins the police car by hitting it with an oil can, and clears the stage by painting the footholds in the stage her own color. City Connection, Inc. took over the license from JALECO. The company that developed "City Connection MD" under license from City Connection was HABITSOFT, which still develops original software for the MSX and FC and sells it on cartridge.

JALECO had a history of trying to enter the MD market, but was unable to do so. The side-scrolling shooter "P-47," which was to have been the company's first entry into the MD market, was even a sample ROM that was ready to run, so it was a tragic setback. More than 30 years have passed since then, and the year has changed several times, but JALECO's software can now run on MDs in the 2025 era, which must be a great feeling for those who know the history of the company.

When you actually play "City Connection MD," you will see that it is a combination of the best of both the arcade and Famicom versions. Graphically, the game is close to the arcade version, and the number of stages is not the six of the NES version, but rather 12, in accordance with the arcade version.

The controls of "Clariska" are similar to those of the Famicom version. The most significant feature is that it is easier to perform a turn jump to change direction during a high jump. The stage has multiple levels of scaffolding running parallel to each other, and in order to fill all of them, it is necessary to high jump from a break in the scaffolding to a higher scaffolding. During this high jump, the "Clarisker" changes direction in mid-air by turning the lever in the opposite direction. This is useful for quickly climbing scaffolding or dodging police cars, but in the arcade version, the controls were severe, and it was a difficult technique to pull off unless you were used to it. In the NES version that was ported to the arcade version, the controls were improved and it was easier to perform the technique, which helped many players.

The controls in "City Connection MD" are similar to those of the NES version. It is quite exhilarating to be able to easily perform the longed-for high jump change of direction, and I felt as if I had become a better player. For those who have played the arcade version of the game, this should be a very emotional experience.

On the other hand, those who have played the NES version will appreciate the six stages that were cut from the port, as well as the graphics and sound that are similar to the arcade version. It will be an interesting experience to see a slightly different side of the "City Connection" that we were familiar with on the NES.

Adding to the playability of the game is the abundance of options and the percentage of paint applied. The "Oil" and "Jump" buttons can be placed in different positions, and the color of the scaffolding can be changed, which is a power-up from the NES version. Another nice touch is that the percentage of scaffolding that has been painted is indicated by a "painted" number. In this title, it is common to find small areas left unpainted, and the thrill of walking right and left around the stage looking for them is a part of the fun. In this title, a percentage is displayed, which makes it easier to grasp how much is left to be painted. If the value is large, there is a corner that has not been painted, and if it is small, you can focus on the edges of the scaffolding and other small areas.

Perhaps the game could have used arrows or a mini-radar to indicate the direction of the leftover paint, but by not doing so, the game is more convenient without sacrificing the aforementioned thrill. It is a loving arrangement that understands the fun of the game "City Connection.

Playing this game reminded me of the essential fun of the game "City Connection.

The driving of the "Claris Cars" has its own peculiarities, and the fun of understanding and mastering these peculiarities has not faded even in the year 2023. One of the most influential of these quirks is the wheelie, which lifts the front wheels. When changing direction, the rider enters a wheelie state and cannot jump at this time. The key is not to change direction before moving to the upper level, but the police car is relentless in its approach. In other words, if you are turning left or right to dodge a police car, you will be in a wheelie state and will not be able to jump. And, depending on the situation, you may have to forgo the position where you can jump to the upper level. This feeling of "daring to look away, drive for a while, and then look for the next good position" is similar to the feeling one has when driving a car in real life. It is similar to the feeling one gets when driving a car: "Let's look for the next turn," or "Let's get off at the next interchange. It is like driving in real life, where you have to make quick decisions and take the next best course of action when things are not going as expected. In other words, the "Claris car" is a car, not your limb, and the point of this work is that it is not a limb. The game's point is that the "Claris Car" is a car, not your limb, and it is not a limb at all, which makes it more exhilarating when you drive it well.

And the police cars and cats that taunt you are still hateful in a good way, even in 2023.

Especially cats! It's a cat. It's a cat. At one point, you think they are standing in a position completely irrelevant to the game, and then suddenly they appear in the most annoying position ever. The awkwardness of seeing them get hit and blown away is just as it was back then. The fact that they don't always seem to be aiming at you also makes you feel responsible, thinking, "If I had been careful, I could have avoided getting hit.

Once this happens, you are already hooked on "City Connection MD. There are no load times in this game, so resuming play after a game over is a breeze. I found myself mumbling about how well it went, how it didn't go, how I hated the cat, how I ran out of oil, and on and on I went.

It is indeed a game born in an arcade. The game attracts players who are wandering around the arcade only by its charm, and makes them invest as much as possible in the game for 50 to 100 yen per play. There is no character growth or in-game assets, so play is ad hoc in the best sense of the word. Since the game gained popularity in such a demanding arcade environment and was ported to the Famicom (NES) and attracted the attention of many users, there was no reason why it couldn't be fun.

Of course, the skill with which the game has been reconstructed as "City Connection MD" cannot be overlooked. The game's controls have been faithfully recreated, and the hidden features of the six long-discovered stages have been incorporated, so it can be said to be a port with love.

And the fact that it comes with a ROM cartridge, a paper instruction manual, and plastic packaging is also a nice touch. Even players who don't know the game back then will find it refreshing to open the package and insert the ROM cartridge into the console.

City Connection MD" is not only compatible with the Mega Drive (though it is not licensed by Sega, so in a strict sense it is not guaranteed), but it can also be played on the Retro Freak, an MD-compatible console that is still available today. We hope you will experience the addictive nature of these 80's games, which will make you want to play them silently.

(Text by Shinichi Yanamoto)

Game Information

City Connection MD

Now on sale

Price: 8,800 yen (including tax)

Manufacturer: HABITSOFT

Compatibility: MD

Player: 1 player

Genre: Action game