The Hardcore Retro God (Review #69 - Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode / The Mafat Conspiracy)
Channel: The Hardcore Retro God
Date: 2021-04-21

First and foremost, MANY HUMBLE APOLOGIES FOR THE 3-MONTH HIATUS.  Originally, I was supposed to have this released before Easter, but my plans have once again DRAMATICALLY FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE DUE TO A PLETHORA OF SETBACKS BEST NOT ELABORATED AT THIS TIME...  "And now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!" (Who hasn't heard that often, right?)

This month, we're looking at 2 NES games by Vic Tokai (aka Tokai Communications) based on Takao Saitō's popular, still-long-running manga since '68 (A BELATED happy 50th...or 52nd, currently...Anniversary!) - which was also adapted into 2 OVA films, The Professional and Queen Bee (circa '83 / '98 individually) and various other media, you're taking control of the titular assassin (or spy according to Nintendo/Vic Tokai's censorship parameters - real name, Duke Togo), involved with the following: 

TOP SECRET EPISODE: He's charged with a mission to confront and turn the tables on the infamous DREK Empire, who NOT only framed Togo for sniping a helicopter in motion over the skyline of NYC, but ACTUALLY COMMITTING SAID MURDER, IN TANDEM WITH THE THEFT OF BOTH A VACCINE AND THE PLANS FOR CIA's SECRETLY-DEVELOPED WEAPON FROM AMONGST ITS WRECKAGE FRAGMENTS.  Despite CIA's farfetched conclusion that Golgo 13 was behind it all - according to another secret international organization, FIXER, it was in fact NOT HIM - but a dark, secret terrorist faction (please listen for more details); a representative transmitting the report vanishes under a cloud, and a random FIXER operative is dispatched to East Berlin to gather more intelligence...but is later assassinated.

THE MAFAT CONSPIRACY: The world's on the brink of nuclear destruction thanks entirely to a weapons satellite being shanghaied out of orbit by none other than the MAFAT REVOLUTIONARY GROUP, a cadre of terrorists hell-bent on making the US & Soviet governments' satellites fall from the cold reaches of space thereby extorting them in the process.  And to top it off, the terrorists are demanding that the Soviets & Americans must turn their electromagnetic wave research, and a nuclear battleship - the USS Los Angeles - over to 'em!  Because of all this insanity, both the CIA & KGB are at war with each other - and Golgo 13's charged with another mission to confront and eradicate the entire Mafat Group and their sadistic-ass leader; neutralize the Satellite Capture System and rescue its sole inventor, Dr. Barrows - who's been confined in Paris after mysteriously disappearing from his lab in the UK.

NEXT UP: The Steel Empire (Genesis)!