Cellophanes (セロファーンズ )
Developer: Ninelives
Release Date: 1997
Platforms: PlayStation
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On the back of its case, Cellophanes purports being a collection of 12 retro games inspired by arcade games of the 1970s that used the coloring technique the game’s name is based on. These aren’t existing games, but entirely new ones, much like what Retro Game Challenge would go on to do years later. This is certainly a novel concept, but what’s on offer here can’t stand up to the obvious classics contained in Namco Museum or the legions of Atari collections, to say nothing of all the other arcade ports on the console.
The game begins with a beautiful intro of a boy entering an arcade, but the interface in between games is purely menu-based. In terms of the games offered, variety is the biggest issue. Five of the twelve games are Breakout clones and three of them are mechanically identical Guncon-compatible shooting galleries with only the environments and targets swapped out. The Breakout clones do support Namco’s Volume Controller and attempt to be distinct in their aesthetics- one is based on globetrotting, whereas another uses 3D visuals- but they mostly play identically and don’t feel precise with a standard controller. The shooting galleries offer wild west, safari, and war themes, but their simplicity wears thin almost instantly.
The four games that don’t fit these categories are more interesting highlights. Mystery Planet controls like Asteroids and has you gathering panels while avoiding enemies. Sea Fighter is an interesting “1v1 shoot-em-up” where you have to destroy the battleship at the top of the screen while avoiding its shots and the aquatic life that populates each level. Carnival Hunt is different from the other shooting galleries since you control a gun from below and have to shoot objects to maximize points while conserving ammo. Dragon Walker is a Q*Bert-esque maze game where the goal is to walk around and change the color of the floor to earn points while avoiding enemies or punching them away.
As you accumulate minutes spent playing Cellophanes, you can convert them into various perks for each of the games. Not only can you buy the ability to continue in all of the games, you can get benefits like longer paddles, helper characters, different graphics, rapid fire, and even an alternate intro movie. This is a great idea that synergizes with the inherent replay value of arcade games, but considering that it’ll take hours to unlock everything, it’s hard to imagine many people will put in the time needed since the games just aren’t that compelling overall.
