November bonus #2: The end of Microvision (Game Boy Works Gaiden #16) (Patreon)

Last shot: Baseball / Sea Duel / Cosmic Hunter / Alien Raiders | Game Boy Works Gaiden 16

We come to the end of the Microvision run, and, well, it's about as good as you can expect from such a limited machine. On the whole, I'd say this final batch of games—all four of which shipped after the console's initial launch—demonstrates some pretty sharp design instincts. None of them stand out as all-timers, but all of them (except for the dreadful Cosmic Hunter) work smartly within the limitations of the Microvision platform. Baseball, for example, only involves the pitching aspect of the game—no attempt is made at fielding, which would overwhelm this poor little device. Sea Duel strips the Battleship concept down to an asymmetrical one-on-one fight. Alien Raiders overcomes the limited number of aliens that the hardware can animate by requiring precision aiming with the analog dial. All in all, some good thinking on display here and, allowing for the limitations of the hardware, a better hit-to-miss ratio than a lot of latter-day portables.... Production notes: Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! Why watch when you can read? Check out the massive hardcover print editions of NES Works, Super NES Works, and Virtual Boy works, available now at Limited Run Games (https://limitedrungames.com/collections/books)! SG-1000 Works: Segaiden Vol. I is available NOW, and Metroidvania: The First Decade and NES Works Gaiden are due in 2025. NES footage captured from Analogue Nt Mini. Video upscaled to 4K with RetroTink 4X and 720p with xRGB Mini Framemeister.