I'm not one to zealously celebrate Halloween, but I guess I missed the holiday deadline with this one. Here's a review of a crazily unique game from the mid-'90s, yet another exemplary example from the Sega Saturn's creative prime.

Type - Platformer / Other
Release Year - 1996
Difficulty - Very Hard

What happens when a weirdo vampire awakens thousands of vile skeletons from their swampy graves? It's up to a misfit among them to put a stop to the madness before the undead take over the world. Armed with a sense of humor, memories of music gone by, and some rad guitar-shredding skills, Mr. Bones, a dead blues musician from decades past, tackles the ominous task of subverting DaGoulian's convoluted scheme of spreading evil across the face of the earth. Lucky for you, this wonderfully ludicrous plot introduces a horde of gameplay gimmicks that are as strange and enjoyable as the story's premise, stretched across two discs waiting to be popped into your Saturn's tray.

Storyline notwithstanding, what truly sets Mr. Bones apart from just about everything else on the Sega Saturn is its ever-changing approach to the platforming genre. Throughout the few dozen mini-game-esque levels that Mr. Bones entails, gameplay perspectives are unremittingly swapped, never ceasing to cleave onto your attention like superglue. While the first stage will see you running from left to right in traditional 2D fare, others toy with the viewpoint and control schemes further to create an experience that forces the player to continually adapt to what's on-screen. One level even sees Mr. Bones scurrying on top of a collapsing frozen lake, with the perspective placed beneath him below the ice!

Other stages are at the ready to showcase the game's uniqueness as well. There are a handful in particular that serve as the epicenter of Mr. Bones' innovation, and perhaps surprisingly, are played in the established 2D pane. These levels give the player full control of the titular character, and grant acquisition of special moves, including a satisfying regeneration attack and the ability to attract misplaced bones back to the skeletal hero's body and warp them into different configurations. These gimmicks work cooperatively and make for very interesting, very novel concepts. As enemies (which happen to comprise of evil skeletons, bats, zombies, and various typical spooks) attack you, your energy decreases along with your bones' attraction to each other. If your energy is still at a relatively healthy amount, you can summon any stray parts to remain intact. But if you've been jostled around too much, sometimes you'll be constrained to limited mobility, lacking legs, arms, and other bones. (This is where humor kicks in, seeing as how it's actually possible to jump around helplessly without any appendages at all!) If that's the case, keep an eye out for blue energy sources and collect them to build up your strength again, or absorb energy from your foes with that nifty regeneration attack mentioned earlier. Depending on how "complete" Mr. Bones is, he can transform into distinct (and freaky) bone formations, enabling easier access to ledges and other obstacles.

And then there are truly awesome moments that surface and fade away all too soon. An audience of cadavers rocking out to a custom guitar solo? A downhill dash from runaway logs? A soulful fantasy with an exposition on the meaning of the blues? A hilarious joke-cracking hullabaloo? Even though trial-and-error resides at the core of nearly every level you'll encounter, with a multitude of irritating restarts always in tow, it's difficult not to get caught up in the fun that Mr. Bones pokes at himself regardless of any frustration that you might have. Admittedly, you'll probably appreciate the audacity and newfangledness revolving around these gameplay notions more than your pure enjoyment while playing them, which isn't necessarily a fault in and of itself.

However, the longevity of the game as a whole is somewhat degrading. You can definitely expect to swallow several hours between beginning and end, but you'll be hard pressed to find any additional replay value beyond that. The developmental focus here was obviously on a strong single-player story-driven experience. No high score counter, no multi-player modes, next to no extras. Look to the level select menu to jump to your favorite stages and to replay the CG movies.

So, what about the technicalities?

All of Mr. Bones' idiosyncrasies are enveloped in what's arguably one of the greatest graphical efforts ever produced on the Saturn hardware, rivaling (and possibly surpassing) the visuals of all-time favorites such as NiGHTS into Dreams and Panzer Dragoon Saga, especially in terms of movement, fluidity, and incredibly accurate real-time shadow effects. Mr. Bones himself stands nearly identical with the movement of a real-life human!

The overall texture detail in Mr. Bones' huge amount of environments is nothing short of superb, a breakthrough for 1996 and pleasing to behold today. Many select stages even resemble CG cutscenes in the way that they scroll by, looking amazing in the process. And speaking of CG cinemas, a bountiful amount of them have been thrown in for good measure, not only advancing the storyline, but proving that the Saturn can render video quality just as well as the competing Sony PlayStation. Humans have been seamlessly integrated into carefully-constructed three-dimensional worlds, a concept well ahead of its time.

Music gurus will be glad to hear Ronnie Montrose's involvement in Mr. Bones' guitar-ridden soundtrack. The famous guitarist pitched in to supply the brunt of what you'll be listening to, contributing yet another flare of individuality to the game's atmosphere. (Even the "non-Ronnie" tracks are great.) Perhaps most importantly, Montrose's addition wasn't a blind one, either, not simply functioning as a marketing ploy. Much akin to Richard Jacques' musical genius in the Sega Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast, Ronnie wasn't conservative when precisely matching his music to the theme of its respective stage, and any player of Mr. Bones can appreciate that.

Voice acting? Also nailed down, and done exquisitely well. The lead character is memorable thanks in large part to what he says and how he says it, and DaGoulian's got all the bases covered on exemplifying his exaggerated evilness.

All in all, don't pass up an opportunity to see what Mr. Bones has in store for you, regardless of the cheesiness that accompanies it, its cranked difficulty, or its curbed replayability. The Sega Saturn platform is brimming with creative, unique, and overlooked software, and this one helps lead the pack. Not only will you get to sample imaginative gameplay that hasn't resurfaced elsewhere, you'll also have something that acts as an exhibition of the Saturn hardware's deftness in graphical prowess, paired with a fine taste of electric guitar styling.

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If you're looking for a solid (yet freaky) rhythm game for your DS, Ontamarama might be right up your alley. I've wanted to review this one since I picked it up last year, and finally got around to it recently.

Type - Rhythm / Music
Release Year - 2007
Difficulty - Hard

Blending elements from Rhythm Heaven, Elite Beat Agents, and Donkey Konga, while throwing in some subtle strategic and puzzler components as well, Ontamarama bends head over heels in pure chaos, and is sure to put a healthy strain on your hand-eye coordination. (Say that ten-letter title ten times fast, and you've got yourself a tiny tongue twister, too.) Having landed on a platform with a disappointing deficit in truly creative rhythm games, Ontamarama might come as a welcome surprise to Nintendo DS enthusiasts insistent on tapping that touch screen in beat to some catchy music, or to those with hand cramps from strumming to Activision's latest money-making scheme. However, that's where matters get sketchy, as this strange showcase, barely delivered from the clutches of Japan-exclusive obscurity, focuses more on inconsistent button-mashing and screen-grazing than conventional get-in-the-groove gameplay, and might even influence hand soreness from extended sessions of play. If that and the lack of a no-brainer multiplayer mode fail to repel you, then read on for a quick critique of one of the DS' most overlooked and underappreciated offerings. It's an acquired taste, but you could potentially become captivated with this charmer if you give it a well-deserved opportunity to sample its madness for yourself.

Ontamarama's not the least bit craven with the DS handheld's interface, and will force you to interact with it like never before, whether you like it or not. During a song, notes stream in from the right, and you'll use the d-pad, the face buttons, or even both simultaneously, to play them. Simple? There's a catch. "Ontamas" must be cleared first in order to fill in the notes before they can be successfully played. (But be sure to avoid the black ones!) To remove them from the playing field, you can either tap them, encircle same-colored Ontamas, or blow into the DS' microphone to quickly eliminate all of them from the screen at once, a godsend in desperate situations, which happen to surface aplenty. This is where some tricky strategy is utilized for that ever-elusive high score, since the method you use to clear Ontamas ultimately has varying effects on it. A ranking system has also been implemented to gauge your note-playing accuracy, adding its own share of replayability.

During the midst of all this insanity, you should be sure to keep a watchful eye on the top screen, too. Ignore the character animations if you choose; it's the performance percentage that you should concern yourself with. Drop to 0%, and your opponent gains free bragging rights. Managed to max it out? A score multiplier ensues, while the competition's left panting.

You're confused by now, aren't you? In reality, words aren't enough to describe what actually takes place on-screen. Check this out to become accustomed to Ontamarama's general gameplay. (It's a pre-release demonstration, but still conveys the gist of it all.)

If only it was that easy. Hard mode'll give you a run for your money.

Complementing Ontamarama's naturally frenetic nature is a lush, colorful atmosphere. Although saturated with an almost toddler-like appearance, the backdrops and character designs are of high quality and actually act as an asset to the game's charm. When you're not dancing your mitts across your DS during a song, you might be navigating Ontamarama's polished menu setup, accessing other gameplay modes with ease. The game's overall presentational values are top-notch and very stylus-friendly.

Of course, every worthwhile rhythm game is inevitably required to partner up with a decent soundtrack for it to prove... well...worthwhile. Ontamarama delivers, but not in the way that you might expect. Nowadays, licensing is all the rage, but this game sneers at the trend and instead offers a completely original (and downright weird) track listing, representing numerous musical genres and underlining its uniqueness in the process. On most occasions, each track stands as an antithesis to the one before it, and the sheer variety of tunes in the game is another factor that contributes to its lasting value.

Check out the weirdness in this one. Funky-punk-Egyptian-gangsta?

And on that note, Ontamarama also excels. If you've managed to get hooked on the multifarious gameplay mechanics, and you've traversed through the game's "Story" mode on the easy difficulty setting, two additional difficulties can be unlocked as well. "Freeplay" and "Challenge" options can also be made available, and eventually, you should probably take a visit to the "Shop" and choose from a plethora of items to customize your Ontama-conducting while spending "Ontama Points" you've earned previously.

As if it hasn't been clarified yet, Ontamarama is quite unlike anything else released, on any platform, ever, and it might be calling out your name if you're currently searching for some quality quirky software to master on-the-go. If that's the case, buy it, enjoy it, and know that you're one of the few who's dared to succumb to the zany magic that Ontamarama can provide... with patience.

FINAL SCORE - 7.5

(Updated by Spikey on September 12th, 2009.)

If there are any unions that you're currently aware of that are eligible to be featured below, please drop a comment to help keep this list up-to-date.

For additional Top 25 Union lists, please visit Devvy01's blog.

#1: The Fighters Realm Union - 7835 [+84]
#2: The Xbox 360 Union - 6844 [+84]
#3: The Halo Union - 6651 [+29]
#4: The Legend of Zelda Union - 5720 [+36]
#5: PS3 - THE REAL NEXT GEN - 5642 [+64]
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#6: The HeadCrab Union - 4980 [+7]
#7: Final Fantasy Experience - 4766 [+73]
#8: Square Enix Experience - 4433 [+10]
#9: The Resident Evil Union - 3969 [+45]
#10: Garden of Gods - 3456 [+2]
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#11: video game lovers - 3349 [+7]
#12: The Emblems Union - 3314 [+53]
#13: Reviewer's Legion - 3305 [+3]
#14: Star Wars Union - 3213 [+31]
#15: Elder Scrolls Elite - 2842 [+28]
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#16: PSP Union - 2635 [+3]
#17: The Elder Scrolls Fan Union - 2509 [+4]
#18: The Overclocking & PC Tweaking Union - 2448 [+8]
#19: Evolution of Nintendo Union - 2435 [+0]
#20: The Family Guy Union - 2402 [-4]
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#21: Nintendo United - 2325 [+4]
#22: PS3 Union - 2314 [+15]
#23: The Metal Gear Solid Veterans Union - 2195 [+62]
#24: World Wrestling Everything - 2149 [+6]
#25: The GTA Legends Union - 2147

(Hopefully I can begin to take up reviewing again. It's been over a year since I last posted my most recent in GS format.)

Instead of constructing a nice, elaborate description of what Astal on the Sega Saturn is, I shall provide teh linkage to my latest review of it and allow it to do the dirty work for me (figuratively, of course). Cheap advertising? That depends...

I loooove recommendations, so if you give the nod to one of my reviews, I'll give a recommendation to one of YOURS, provided that it's most likely deserving of one. (e.g. well-written, fair, etc.) I can even share my opinions and advice if you'd prefer. The idea is to get our reviews noticed, and I know of several of you who have written amazing critiques that merit additional exposure.

Keep an eye out for more reviews in the months ahead, and expect the next Top 25 Union list soon.

This is just a quick notification for those who haven't heard, and something I figured that deserved a blog post.

The previous leader of the SonicSpot union, sonicphc, has recently promoted me in his place, much to my surprise upon receiving a private message from him a few days ago outlining the possibility of a position transfer. Rest assured, most union matters will remain unchanged, but I look forward to my newfound role and hope for SonicSpot's continued growth and increasing activity. (Please join if you haven't already!)

You can read more about the switch here.