The Dichotomy of the Double Ender

Entry posted by satan165 July 11, 2010

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Xonox is of course known for their double enders. I have been a long time owner of a couple of the more common examples, one in particular I'd like to discuss today:

As honestly strange as it is to combine two games into a single cart, certainly more strange is the wild contrast of these two games. Their dynamic relationship is measured by the fact that while one game (Ghost Manor) is quite playable; fun even, yet challenging, the other is an absolute piece of garbage and in my estimation one of the worst titles for the platform amongst a roster containing a slew of shite.

Ghost Manor begins with you and your date, romantically holding hands and gazing into each others eyes in the midst of an old, haunted cemetary. Not the most festive of meeting places but alas, you have work to do. In an early act of video game equal opportunity, the color/black and white switch has been rigged to allow you the use of either the boy or girl. On my spicier days I enjoy a good romp in a powder blue dress and lacy underthings so I personally appreciate the freedom of choice. In today's demonstration I have remained more conservative and chosen the character who matches my own gender.

The game begins with a morbid dance with a not-so-morbid ghost (a skeleton appears in its stead on difficulty varations, described below). You follow him around the gravestones hoping to 'tag' them at the same time he does. The button is not used, you must simply learn to match his rhythms. I find that avoidance of certain gravestones does not impact the game negatively yet gives you greater control in keeping up with our friend the ghost who so desperately wants to play with you. Each tag produces a spear: you must continue until you fufill the number of spears required by the difficulty level you have chosen. Default (BB) is 25.

The spears are used in the second screen. Here, you work to clear a path at the entrance to a castle. 'Spooks' as described by the manual flit about overhead - you shoot them down with your spears. Once the bats, skulls, etc... have met their demise, you can go about slaughtering the 'chopping mummy'. I always thought of him a (relatively) simple axe-murderer but I can see subtle mummy wraps dangling from his body. The greatest challenge of this exercise is learning to not only understand the rhythm (decidedly simple) of the axe-man/mummy but to be able to count it in your head as you take on the 'spooks'. Concentrating too much on the visual chopping or even listening takes away your focus to kill the spooks with the minimum time and spears - as you have many more screens to go!

Your dirty work completed, now you begin a dual-screen race to the roof, where your significant other has been held captive by the proprietor of Ghost Manor - Dracula himself! The first floor of Ghost Manor presents you with a number of rooms containing coffins. To put it bluntly you must bump into them, so that they may reveal any treasures they hold inside. The treasure you seek are crosses - the repellent of vampires the world over. They will be used against Dracula on the roof. You can find one on the first floor where you now fight for your life, and another in the second. A third is gifted to you upon your ascent of the stairs to the roof above! The moving wall can end your life; ironically, pushing against it when it is moving away from you awards you with mystery bonus points. Points are also awarded for opening caskets (your own respite as many of them contain nothing). Greater points are awarded depending on the moving walls proximity to you. The more dangerous your play, the greater the reward. Such is life - in Ghost Manor!

Finally you reach the roof. Your love is just out of reach, held within a cage of steel bars by the dastardly bastard, Dracula! Your only weapon are the three crosses you've earned. They repel Dracula but only when you are 'below' him (in this 2-D world). Then he can be repelled into one of the two cells in the corners of the roof (one contains your date). Any variation on a straight line will not push him into the cells, but off the screen temporarily - he will return!

When properly done, Dracula is left to rot in his rusty cage for eternity and your date - now a mere ghost of their former selves - follows you to the staircase which leads you out of this house of horrors!

After a moment a song plays, your date is seemingly revived to human form and your score is shown. There is a large bonus indeed for taking care of the horrible vampire that runs Ghost Manor!

Difficulty settings in a more easily readable form:

Moving onto the aft end of the car, we are presented with Spike's Peak. This game is truly miserable. Graphically it is downright humorous when presented with a description of the sprites in the manual. Nothing is what it seems and I don't mean that in a poetic way.

Since I hate the game and I am horrible at it (and its horrible right back at me) I will demonstrate with a video from someone else (no one I know) who feels similarly and used save states (hard to believe anyone could do better without them).

Ironically a number of the comments come in defense of this game. Perhaps in time with sedatives to increase my patience I too will change sides.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEOWEd7Kekg