Insmouse No Yakata:

Ah, the Virtual Boy's only first-person-shooter.

After a short movie that introduces you to the mansion the game takes place in (including the sounds of lightning), you will go into the mansion, then at the optionsmenu you can start a new game or insert a password which is given (logically) once you finish a stage.

I must say the scrolling-rate is terrifyingly slow in the intro, but in the game it's much lesser.

The goal is to find the exit out of the maze (into the next one, until the end of the game), but the time given for this is not that much, you really have to make a run for it, so far I've collected the following items: a black orb, "white" orb, heart (life energy), bullets which you really need because the bullets you get at the start of a level will only last you about two monsters, and a key which really is the first thing you must find (besides finding the exit).

The monsters are cardboard cut-outs (just as the rest of the game), and their arms and legs tend to fall off their body once you kill them, there are different types of monsters small and big ones, shooting them is harder than you think when they move around in front of you preparing to hit you with their claws, this is because of the hard to control gun sight and this is worse because it re-centers itself each time after you shoot, so you can start aiming again if the monster didn’t die yet. Also after finishing each level, you will get to see where you are in the game by means of an overview map with routes, these routes lead to 4 different endings!

This game is together with Waterworld the only game based on a movie, the game is based upon a badly viewed Japanese horror movie.

I find the exploring the levels to find the exit and extra items interesting and here's why: because of the shortage of bullets you'll have to find your way around the monsters who are chasing you throughout the maze, it really feels like you're being chased because you can hear them approaching you, I don't know how but you can hear it if a monster is nearing you either from behind or in front of you, together with the horror-like music (in a way kinda like wario land) this really tenses things up, plus there's a timelimit which forces you to act quickly.

What is really helpful is the map when you press select on the controller, this is what makes the game do-able, because it shows the items, key, and exit in the maze.

In short: it’s clear that Insmouse No Yakata was old even in it’s time (1995), but if you like retro games, this game will give you a real retro feeling, just like when you play Doom again, only Virtual Boy owners don't have to insert a bloodcode, because we get to see all the gore right from the start (ok that was a lame joke, but I just couldn’t resist).

My opinion: I’ve heard people say it’s dull and boring, I say I enjoyed it a bit because of the backgroundmusic, "sound effects", and upbuilding tension (which granted sometimes leads to frustration), whom come forth while exploring the game, eventhough I have not thoroughly played this game to the end, this is a medium game which should not be bought by fanatic (retro) VB-gamers if the price is above us$100,- if it is above that amount… (unless you have too much money) I suggest to leave this game to the collectors.