2023 
| Game: Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master (Sega, Genesis) Compiler: John Brain | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to John Brain's Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master (Genesis) maps. The Shadow Master has brought back the evil crime syndicate, Neo Zeed. The heroic ninja, Joe Musashi, sets out to vanquish them (again) so that they will stop threatening the world. What challenges will this shinobi face this time? Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master is a solid, action-packed ninja platformer, the kind that comes to mind when you think of Sega Genesis classics. With all of Joe's ninja moves and abilities, you lay waste to baddies as you guide him through seven varied Rounds, ranging from forest caves to massively tall cliffsides to some facility with some kind of biological horror growing underneath it. There are also chases on horseback and a surfboard. All of this is mapped by a Genesis fan known here as John Brain. So to recognize the effort put into mapping all of this 16-bit ninja action, John Brain's Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master (Genesis) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for November 2023.
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| Game: ShadowCaster (Raven Software, PC) Compiler: Zerker | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Zerker's ShadowCaster (PC) maps. Kirt learns that he is not a human, or even from Earth, but is actually a shapeshifter from another world. Kirt's grandfather sends him through a portal back to his homeworld to stop the demons there. Finding six obelisks, Kirt can obtain six forms, each with different abilities, which will help him in this first-person RPG as he makes his way to confront the evil Veste. ShadowCaster's maps are essentially labyrinths constructed with a layer of cubes. As such, Zerker mapped them just like he mapped Rise Of The Triad, by extracting the map data and applying an isometric perspective, and the results are impressive. Though this view is not how you would see these areas as you traverse them in-game in first-person, these maps are as accurate (and aesthetically pleasing) as can be. This game may be in the shadow of its contemporaries, Wolfenstein 3-D and Rise Of The Triad, but these maps could be enough to pique your interest in this RPG if you are a fan of those shooters. So to recognize the effort put into bringing this into the light, Zerker's ShadowCaster (PC) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for October 2023.
Discuss the Maps Of The Month here! |
| Game: Metal Warriors (LucasArts, Super NES) Compiler: Spanettone | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Spanettone's Metal Warriors (Super NES) maps. It's the year 2102. The Dark Axis, led by the evil dictator, Venkar Amon, seeks to dominate the galaxy. Planet Earth is in their sights. But as a "Metal Warrior", capable of piloting a battledroid, you're certainly not going to let them enslave the inhabitants of planet Earth without a fight! The premise may be your usual sci-fi narrative setup, as seen in any space action game, but the game is more remarkable, even if underrated. This late-era Super NES game features impressive graphics (the animated mission intros were nothing short of amazing at the time) and the animation and gameplay are both quite smooth, even with all the action. The "Head To Head" mode allows for some two-player competitive play, where you and a friend can test your mettle against each other by piloting mechs with cool names (like "Havoc", "Ballistic", and "Drache") and hot weapons. Spanettone has fully mapped the story missions and all the "Head To Head" areas, as well as the secret "?????" mode. Lesser-known games seem to be of interest to Spanettone as if to shine a light on these hidden gems, and this is certainly a Super NES game that could use some more attention. So to recognize the effort put into mapping this underappreciated 16-bit mech adventure, Spanettone's Metal Warriors (Super NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for September 2023.
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| Game: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (Konami, NES) Compiler: mephea | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to mephea's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) maps. No, we're not talking about the 1940s research and development program, directed by J. Robert Oppenheimer, that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II, but rather, Shredder's scheme, involving Krang's alien technology, to lift the island of Manhattan into the sky, and hold it hostage until he gets his revenge on the Turtles. This TMNT game is a "beat-'em up" like its immediate predecessor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES), and its immediate successor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (Super NES), but has the distinction of being an original game on a home console not previously seen in arcades. Though still an arcade-style game, and a linear one, at that, its maps are still useful, if not necessarily for navigation, then for information. mephea has taken the time to label each "Scene" map with tips, such as what obstacles and enemies to expect. Her boss strategies can lead you to victory and, for some additional info, see the photos of the bosses' original action figures. There are the original toys of Bebop and Rocksteady, of course, and Leatherhead, sure, but also Dirtbag and Groundchuck; why not? The tips were already above and beyond, and the inclusion of these images is yet another nice touch; it's the sort of thing that would be intriguing to see on game maps more often, whenever possible. So to recognize the effort put into going above and beyond when mapping this mutant mayhem, mephea's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for August 2023.
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| Game: Mission: Impossible (Ultra Games, NES) Compiler: mechaskrom | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to mechaskrom's Mission: Impossible (NES) maps. "Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it, is to save the American scientist, Dr. O. He has been kidnapped by 'The Sinister Seven', due to his role in developing a military defense system for the United States. As you know, our newest team member, Shannon Reed, has been posing as Dr. O's secretary in her assignment to protect him, but she has been taken, as well. She managed to inform us of their whereabouts, so you should begin your search in Moscow. As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim." You select your usual team of IMF agents - Max Harte (the tough guy), Grant Collier (the tech guy), and Nicholas Black (the master of disguise) - and send them across Europe. Though the mission begins in Moscow, they will travel to Venice and the Swiss Alps, before ending up in Cyprus. The Sinister Seven intends to start World War III, so stop their nefarious plans and rescue the good doctor, wherever he may be! The intel you may need includes mechaskrom's maps of this brutally difficult NES game. This top-down adventure is about more than just action - you may need help just finding your way. The manual even calls these areas "murderous mazes"... mechaskrom's attention to detail means these maps are marked with morsels of information, like what non-player characters say and what switches control. The mission may be difficult, but at least if you have these maps, it's a little less impossible. So to recognize the effort put into mapping this nearly-impossible game, mechaskrom's Mission: Impossible (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for July 2023.
Discuss the Maps Of The Month here! |
| Game: Batman (Sunsoft, NES) Compiler: Chiasm | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Chiasm's Batman (NES) maps. With Michael Keaton returning to playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Flash movie opening this month, why not revisit the NES game "based" on the 1989 Batman film? Though, when saying Batman (or "Batman: The Video Game") on the NES is "based" on Tim Burton's cinematic take on The Caped Crusader, it is only very loosely. It does share character designs with it, and the Batmobile looks like it should (in the cutscenes and sadly not playable), and the Joker is naturally the final boss, but there's not much else that is similar. Whereas the film is dark - both thematically and visually - this game has rockin' tunes and a colourful palette. Rather than just gothic architecture, jump (and wall-jump) through areas you might expect in a sci-fi adventure, like The Underground Conduit (Stage 3) and The Laboratory Ruins (Stage 4). In addition to the Joker, Batman will face lesser-known villains, consisting of Killer Moth, the Electrocutioner, and Firebug. Despite the incongruity to the source material, this licensed game is actually very good, in the sense that it is quite a solid gameplay experience. Like Sunsoft's other film adaptation, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, it forgoes faithfulness to the film in favour of fun (when not frustrating) 8-bit action. Sunsoft did incredibly well with the music and graphics in their NES games at this time; see also Blaster Master! Thankfully, Chiasm has mapped out all of Batman, so we can appreciate these fine graphics anytime here on VGMaps.com. So to recognize the effort put into mapping this good-looking and legitimately good licensed game, Chiasm's Batman (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for June 2023.
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| Game: Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon (Philips, CD-i) Compiler: Jackster | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Jackster's Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon (CD-i) maps. When the land of Gamelon was attacked by Ganon's forces, King Harkinian of Hyrule travelled there to help his ally, Duke Onkled. But a month passed without hearing from the King, so Princess Zelda sent the hero, Link, to find him, but he also went missing. So, with Impa's accompaniment, Zelda ventures off to Gamelon to find them both, in her first (though non-canonical) leading role in the series that bears her name. As discussed when Jackster received the Maps Of The Month honour back in December 2020, the CD-i was released at an interesting time in video gaming when optical disc technology was transforming digital media. The massive increase in storage capacity meant so much more could be done with games, and that usually meant voice acting and full-motion video. A licensing deal between Nintendo and Philips resulted in some interesting (and infamous) games on the CD-i, which showcase these new features. Two of them, Link: The Faces Of Evil and Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon, came out on the same day, and we've already recognized one of them here, so it's time to honour more of Jackster's work. Much has been said about how bad these games are, so kudos to Jackster for pushing through to bring us these maps, both unmarked and marked. With the unmarked maps, we can appreciate the graphics of these colourful backgrounds that resemble paintings, rather than tiles bound to grids. They really are gorgeous in their own way. And with the marked maps, we can figure out how to get through these games, if we ever dare to see what the fuss is about. The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is great, but a truly hardcore Zelda fan can say they managed to save the land of Gamelon. So to recognize even more effort of enduring the infamous CD-i Zelda games, Jackster's Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon (CD-i) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for May 2023.
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| Game: Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, N64) Compiler: VGCartography | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to VGCartography's Super Mario 64 (N64) maps. Princess Peach has invited Mario to her castle for some cake. But Bowser, the King of the Koopas, is up to no good again and has invaded the castle and used the castle's 120 Power Stars to imprison the princess and her servants. By jumping into magical paintings, Mario can access the worlds where the Power Stars are kept and, by retrieving enough of them, he can open up more areas of the castle, to go to more worlds and find more Stars and, eventually, make his way to a final confrontation with Bowser. Compared to the 16-bit era, the Nintendo 64 was a major technological leap, and its flagship title, Super Mario 64, is an iconic game that pioneered much about 3D platforming, and 3D games in general, especially on consoles. Besides proving that 3D games can be accessible and intuitive, it is a solid game in its own right, still quite playable over 26 years later. VGCartography, one of the regular mappers who isn't fazed by the third dimension, has dissected all of Peach's Castle, and all the worlds within the paintings. From Bob-Omb Battlefield to Rainbow Ride, every crucial detail is here on these maps - all the Red Coins and Power Stars are indicated, as well as the enemy placements. For the Stars that aren't obvious how to get from their in-game titles, helpful tips explain further. Some maps, like Tiny-Huge Island and Tick Tock Clock, have multiple perspectives to display everything in a 2D map. Thankfully, VGCartography has been able to do a "super" job all around! So to recognize the effort put into mapping the first 3D Mario adventure, VGCartography's Super Mario 64 (N64) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for April 2023.
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| Game: World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Sega, Genesis) Compiler: John Brain | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to John Brain's World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Genesis) maps. While Mickey and Donald prepare for a magic act, Donald stumbles and clumsily discovers a strange box. Thinking it could be useful in their show, Donald steps inside, but disappears, as does Mickey when he investigates. The two of them are taken to another world within the box, and a shadowy figure tells them they can only escape if they find and defeat him. '90s licensed character platforming ensues... John Brain's maps of "World Of Illusion" include the different paths that Mickey and Donald each take. For some inexplicable reason, they part ways and then reunite in each of the game's five stages. In the fifth stage, for example, Donald explores an area inspired by the Queen of Hearts' garden from Alice In Wonderland (1951), while Mickey enters a mirror, perhaps inspired by the Mickey Mouse short, "Thru The Mirror" (1936). There are also areas seen only in a two-player game. So this whole game, however you play it, is fully mapped for you to enjoy. With the Walt Disney Company celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, plus Walt Disney World ending its 50th-anniversary celebrations this month, what better time to celebrate the world of Disney games? The series of "Illusion" games by Sega includes this adventure, originally available on only the Genesis, but now also on the Genesis Mini.
So to recognize the effort put into mapping this Disney classic, John Brain's World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Genesis) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for March 2023.
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| Game: Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Nintendo, Wii) Compiler: G.E.R. | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to G.E.R.'s Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Wii) maps. Planet Popstar seems to have its fair share of visitors. This time, it's Magalor, an alien whose dimension-hopping spaceship has crash-landed. Kirby offers to help fix Magalor's ship, so along with King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Waddle Dee, they set off to recover all of the parts and energy spheres that are now scattered across the planet. This adventure takes Kirby and his friends across Popstar and then Halcandra, through seven worlds named with alliterative titles (where the first letters appear to spell out a word). Besides 38 stages of platforming fun, there are also seven challenges based around specific Copy Abilities, the boss rush area known as "The Arena", and a couple of mini-games. It definitely follows the classic formula for a Kirby platforming adventure - but that's not a bad thing. It plays great and looks just as good.
Though for something different, Kirby's Epic Yarn was released a year earlier on the Wii, and G.E.R. has recently mapped all of that, as well. G.E.R. has actually mapped numerous Kirby games, and we appreciate that this love for the series brings us so many beautiful and colourful Kirby game maps, including these ones!
So to recognize the effort put into mapping a gorgeous Kirby adventure worth revisiting, G.E.R.'s Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Wii) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for February 2023.
Discuss the Maps Of The Month here! |
| Game: Willow (Capcom, NES) Compiler: KingKuros | For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to KingKuros's Willow (NES) maps. Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar is an evil sorceress who intends to rule the world. Though she wields powerful magic and commands a vast army, a prophecy predicts her downfall. One of those who could bring an end to her reign is Willow Ufgood, a farmer of the tribe of Nelwyns. So Willow leaves his family and friends - but meets new companions like the Daikini warrior, Madmartigan, and the tiny Brownies, Franjean and Rool - as he ventures off on this perilous journey to save the world from Bavmorda's tyranny. Unlike the film that this game is loosely based on, Willow's companions show up only briefly. Willow usually travels alone in this adventure in the vein of The Legend Of Zelda. In this vast world - with many similar-looking areas - he could certainly use the help of someone like KingKuros, who has mapped out the world in its entirety. From the village of Nelwyn to Tir Asleen and Nockmaar Castle and, yes, even the many vast caves in between, Willow might just succeed, or at least not get lost.
So to recognize the effort put into mapping this classic fantasy world, KingKuros's Willow (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for January 2023.
Discuss the Maps Of The Month here! |
Congratulations and thanks to the Mapmakers of 2023! 
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