Collection essentials #195: Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishi Jūrokubē no Karakuri Manjigatame / Let's Go! Goemon 3: The Mecha Leg Hold of Jurokube Shishi (SNES)

Another delightful Goemon adventure from Konami. This game changes the basic gameplay formula quite a bit. Goemon 3 is no longer a point-A-to-point-B type of action game, instead opting for an interconnected world that you primarily explore from a top-down perspective, comparable to Zelda! But that’s not to say it’s TOTALLY different, as the game still has side-scrolling platformer segments which you wouldn’t see in an adventure game like Zelda. Plus, you can still play two-player co-op!

While it changes things up gameplay-wise, Goemon 3 still carries on elements from previous games so it still feels like a true sequel. The “Impact” battles from the last game return, which should be no surprise as I mentioned they became an important part of the series. This game also has multiple playable characters, and notably this is the first time that all four routinely-playable characters of the series all starred in a game, as this is the first mainline game where you can play as a girl named Yae. This game also establishes new and defining abilities for each character, such as Yae’s ability to turn into a mermaid for water areas. And of course, Goemon’s signature humor and goofiness are on full display as you’d hope for.

I put off playing this game for years since it’s one you’d really struggle with without knowing Japanese, and thankfully my patience was rewarded as a fan translation patch finally got made. I found the game a little bit easy to get lost in, but it’s still lots of fun. Another Goemon game well worthy of the essentials list.