A complete list of all NMK shooters?

This is the main shmups forum. Chat about shmups in here - keep it on-topic please!
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by trap15 »

Sinful wrote:Oh, wow. You did this? Wait, you're the big NMK fan, right? Or was it something else? Well either way. Thanks a lot. I'm going to check this out once I wake up. Always wanted to play the Arcade version, but couldn't because game music with gaming is very important to me. And not the same at all otherwise.
Yeah, I'm the resident NMK fan I think. I actually wrote a 5-part series of blog articles on how I fixed the sound, if you're interested: http://daifukkat.su/blog/archives/2014/ ... e_release/ Read in order or it won't make sense (it might not regardless, but...). I am 100% with you on the sound thing, it's why I bothered to fix it at all. Especially great because all the games that it fixed have incredible soundtracks!
atro wrote:
trap15 wrote:Saint Dragon / Tenseiryuu
And all this time I was thinking it was done by Jaleco. Seems that they were only publishers. Must have been because of my Amiga port! :lol:
Been looking for a good PCB of that one for a long time. Never found a single original one.
Yeah, Jaleco indeed only published Saint Dragon. Apparently it was a very very popular game in Europe, lots of ports. Jaleco published quite a few of NMK's games, as did UPL. The story of how Saint Dragon came about is quite funny too, NMK was challenged to make something as good as R-Type by the executives at Jaleco :lol: More information on that is available in this interview: http://shmuplations.com/jaleco/, a very interesting read!
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
User avatar
atro
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:34 am

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by atro »

trap15 wrote:The story of how Saint Dragon came about is quite funny too, NMK was challenged to make something as good as R-Type by the executives at Jaleco :lol:
And call that a challenge!
It came really nice in the end. But R-Type still remains an undisputed king in that dep imho.

It's not the best hori shooter ever, but it feels a bit like a Ferrari F40. It's not a supercar, it's THE supercar.
R-Type's the benchmark ;)
Image . Image
User avatar
Sinful
Posts: 473
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:47 pm

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by Sinful »

trap15 wrote:Yeah, I'm the resident NMK fan I think. I actually wrote a 5-part series of blog articles on how I fixed the sound, if you're interested: http://daifukkat.su/blog/archives/2014/ ... e_release/ Read in order or it won't make sense (it might not regardless, but...). I am 100% with you on the sound thing, it's why I bothered to fix it at all. Especially great because all the games that it fixed have incredible soundtracks!


Yeah, Jaleco indeed only published Saint Dragon. Apparently it was a very very popular game in Europe, lots of ports. Jaleco published quite a few of NMK's games, as did UPL. The story of how Saint Dragon came about is quite funny too, NMK was challenged to make something as good as R-Type by the executives at Jaleco :lol: More information on that is available in this interview: http://shmuplations.com/jaleco/, a very interesting read!
WHAT?!!! That's Saint Dragon?!!! :shock: (Keep mistaking it for that other Dragon game that also has an SNES port) Made the connection right away when you said the story behind it was they where challenged to make a game like R-Type, since I too know that story.

Anywho, weird thing is I was thinking about this game's soundtrack just two days ago (namely Metal Planet/stage 1) and since I realized YouTube soundtracks took a massive jump since last I checked. Only found one track. But it's the track that absolutely blew my mind like no other videogame tune I've ever played in my life when I first fired up this game while checking all my massive MAME STG lineup I used Xenofiles to compile (wish I knew about the more complete forum AC STG list back then. Too lazy to finish it now since that was the longest STG list as it was *wink*wink*nudge*nudge*).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrNmpaJFui8

Got it playing right now over and over. And can you believe this unbelievable tune on YT has no comments? What a crime... anyone know who the man behind the tune is & the other games he did?


And yes, I'm interested in that link too, Trap. Thanks again.
atro wrote:And all this time I was thinking it was done by Jaleco.
Seems that they were only publishers.
Must have been because of my Amiga port! :lol:

Been looking for a good PCB of that one for a long time.
Never found a single original one.
Yeah, I thought many of these STGs were by Jaleco too. Was wondering why Jaleco ain't popular enough around here? Now I know why. Looks like I'll too be jumping on the NMK fandom bandwagon.

You say the PCB is that rare. Pitty. I'd want the PCB too.
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by trap15 »

The music for Saint Dragon was done by Sizlla Okamura. He's around on Twitter, very cool guy (@sizokmr and @sizllao). He also has a soundcloud that he posts new music to occasionally. Doesn't do any music professionally though anymore, I think.

There's "original" versions of some of the songs from Saint Dragon on the somewhat recent Jaleco STG music album, the versions that were then converted to make the final version. Very neat stuff.
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
User avatar
Sinful
Posts: 473
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:47 pm

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by Sinful »

OK, so I'm getting the nmk004 error upon rom boot. Read your blog up to part 2 before I had to leave the house, so seen that nmkoo4 is the sound CPU. So I need to know how to fix this. Today is a very good to fire some MAME STG action. So, do I need a more updated rom and something to slap in the bios or other folder in mameplus_bin-0.158r5213-20150202? This version of MAME I just found good enough too?
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by trap15 »

Yes, you'll need nmk004.zip in your roms folder. I believe that MAMEPlus! version has the additions, so once you get that you're good to go.
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
User avatar
Sinful
Posts: 473
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:47 pm

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by Sinful »

Yep, I'm good to go. Thanks. But when I did a google search for nmk004, two YouTube vids also came up for it so I decided to check em out too. So that Mech Fighter game is an STG too. And, well, it sure looks very impressive and promising. Stahl I recognized for firing it up in the past that left a really good impression on me (especially when first entering that cave and seeing the first boss fight). Both these games also give off a Mustang vibe too.

The Arcade version of Mustang seems quite a bit harder then the Genesis version (naturally). You also power down to level 1 fire power after 1 death in the Arcade version unlike the Genesis version. Making it a nice candidate for a no miss run. Noticed a rank system in the Genesis version, so pretty sure the Arcade has it too, which should help with recoveries a bit.

Do you know the difference between the two official AC releases of Mustang, if any? Or at least which version I should focus on?


Haven't found a link to that Jaleco soundtrack. Outside of these two which I'm not yet sure which games it covers?

Jaleco Game Sound Music 1
JALECO Retro Game Music Collection (EDIT - it's only got Okamura's P-47 soundtrack)

ie. do you know the exact name of that soundtrack? And am I right to guess you tracked a copy of it already?
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by trap15 »

Strahl isn't NMK, but it is somewhat quality (though some people will say otherwise). I don't know the differences between the versions of Mustang (nor any of the other NMK games), sorry. I imagine it's nothing important, but it's pretty safe to go with the latest version.

The soundtrack I mentioned was "Arcade Disc in JALECO -SHOOTING-". I bought it when it came out, I don't know if it's been uploaded anywhere.
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
geosnow
Posts: 497
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 6:12 am
Location: Obfelden, Switzerland

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by geosnow »

Is there an interview of the NMK programmers? or more info on the team. We all know everything about Toaplan and Cave but NMK?
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by trap15 »

I periodically shoot the main programmer (credited as ORE-DAYO, Lt.Col.Ore, etc) questions or comments. I've been considering doing an interview with him, but I'd have to do the hard part of coming up with enough questions :lol:

If anyone's got questions I either have or can probably get answers. Most of the info on the team can be gleaned from staff rolls honestly, just takes a bit of putting pieces together.
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
User avatar
llaoyllakcuf
Posts: 326
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:15 am
Location: NJ USA

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by llaoyllakcuf »

trap15 wrote:If anyone's got questions I either have or can probably get answers. Most of the info on the team can be gleaned from staff rolls honestly, just takes a bit of putting pieces together.
Very cool. Here's a few general ones:
  1. Did you have any specific goals or ideas in mind while developing these games?
  2. Were there any particular games or experiences that influenced your work?
  3. Of all the games you were involved in making, which one are you the most proud of?
  4. What are your favorite STGs?
Thanks!
User avatar
Dale
Posts: 1385
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:31 pm

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by Dale »

Trap you mentioned earlier that nmk could be comprised of members from a dev house named universal. When I was at the the arcade funspot several years ago they had these pre-84 arcade games by a company of that name. Most of them were galaga style games but there was a game a bit more unique I think it was called chiki mouse a game were you bashed brightly colored mice with a hammer that came through floor boards into your house. Your character would always smile very creepily as you.bashed the mice. I'm wondering if this is the same universal.
I did great so much water and milk that I threw up when I was little.
User avatar
Dale
Posts: 1385
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:31 pm

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by Dale »

Sorry this is it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p4_MpFP870Q. It's called Cheeky Mouse.
I did great so much water and milk that I threw up when I was little.
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by trap15 »

Yes, the very same. Amusingly, that's where the programmer works now :P They are still around, making pachinko and pachislot.
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
User avatar
BrianC
Posts: 8859
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:33 am
Location: MD

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by BrianC »

Universal's most famous game was Mr. Do. They also made the Pac-Man like Ladybug, which was brought to home systems by Coleco BITD.
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18989
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: A complete list of all NMK shooters?

Post by BIL »

trap15 wrote:In order from first to last:
  • Argus
  • Valtric
  • P47
  • Saint Dragon / Tenseiryuu
  • Task Force Harrier
  • USAAF Mustang
  • Black Heart
  • Thunder Dragon
  • Hacha Mecha Fighter
  • Macross
  • Gunnail
  • Thunder Dragon 2
  • Macross 2
  • Arcadia / Rapid Hero
  • Zed Blade / Operation Ragnarok
  • P47 Aces
  • Desert War / Wangan Sensou
They also made a few non-STG games without their name on it, if you want I can list those out too.
trap15 wrote:Anyways, list of all NMK developed non-STG games:
  • Psychic 5
  • Buta-san
  • City Connection (not 100%, but I think so) (EDIT: Nope, actually by Hect)
  • Legend of Makai / Makai Densetsu
  • Mahjong Daireikai
  • Urashima Mahjong
  • Mahjong Channel Zoom In!
  • Gun Dealer
  • Yam! Yam!?
  • Quiz Gakuen Paradise
  • Saboten Bombers (this game is really fun)
  • Quiz Panikuru Fantasy
  • Bombjack Twin
I believe Riot is developed by Tecmo and published by NMK.
This thread's been really useful lately, these two posts in particular! Went looking for info on NMK & Tecmo, after being pleasantly surprised to see the latter's name at Thunder Dragon's title screen. I'd no idea Argus, Buta-san and Saboten Bombers were NMK's, always assumed they were Jaleco/Jaleco/Tecmo, respectively.

I could believe Riot was actually Tecmo's, offhand. It's weird enough. :mrgreen: Got the same deranged sense of 80s action-loving humour as Ninja Gaiden and Wild Fang. Tecmo's AC staff were some funny (and super-talented) dudes.
Post Reply