I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

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EmperorIng
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Re: Turdo Farce

Post by EmperorIng »

Sturmvogel Prime wrote:I knew they will be releasing it sooner or later!
Turbo Force is this week's entry on the Arcade Archives!
Keeping all the bugs, glitches, and unfinished messes intact for that real authentic feel!
Now we only need Aero Fighters to complete the Video System collection.
That and Sonic Wings Limited please, much better games :wink:
Steven
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Steven »

Turbo Force, not to be confused with Turbo Force: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080940/Turbo_Force/
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BIL
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

Ah man, it's been a while. This fucking game, the real fuel economy simulator... :lol: a fine accompaniment as always from blackoak. :cool:
ARMORED CRUISER wrote:Turbo Force was actually the start of our hidden rule, also seen in Sonic Wings, that “enemy tanks will only attack you if they are anti-aircraft tanks.” There are three kinds of zako tanks in Turbo Force, and it was my ardent wish that normal, non-anti-aircraft tanks should not fire at the flying player ship. This was one of my own little particularities.
Patrician sense Image
We must have spent a full year just on graphics work. It was like a dream… (or a nightmare??)
Nightmares are fascinating ;3
From the explosions of the zako tanks, to the minute detailing of the shell casings ejected from cannons, the robot arms’ way-too-detailed firing animation, and the enemy destruction animations (which, in the end, were obscured by the explosions anyway)… we all did things just as we wanted. I think all our individual hobbyhorses somehow gave this game a special appeal… right? right!?
Yeah I agree tbh, ripping enemies and scenery apart with bursts of gunfire feels fuckin rad. Image That counts for a lot, Cruiser-kun! Even swerving around lesser targets to conserve gas, I mean ammo, for juicier kills is kinda charming.

Image

Sonic Wings Zero, more like Sol Divide Zero. Teh original Psikyo Art Shooter: a Pachinko machine cunningly disguised as a Car STG. :cool:
All in all, Turbo Force was not a big hit. But we reflected on our missteps, and Sonic Wings, our next game, became a hit above and beyond our expectations. It’s just as they say: the road to success is paved with failure.
Word up Image
Last edited by BIL on Wed Mar 08, 2023 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jeneki
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Jeneki »

Taking a look at Turbo Force, the nemesis ship from Sonic Wings 3 is a regular enemy here.
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Skyknight
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Skyknight »

At least now we have an explanation of how the cars became shapeshifters.
Three air force pilots accidentally slip through time with their beloved cars, and fight to save future Earth from destruction. You’ve remodeled your car into a “TURBO FORCE” super-machine that can fly through the air! Find out the secret identity of these invaders in your homeland!
So I guess SW3 really was a melding of Turbo Force and Sonic Wings to begin with. Then I guess Spinal Breakers was vectored in...
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BIL
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

I enjoy the synopsis on Video System's website, as translated by the Sonic Wings wiki:
An American Air Force pilot, while racing his car on a public road, wanders into another mysterious dimension and gets caught up in a war there. Oops!
"Oops!" Image I love how they specify he was racing on a public road, and how the daft fucker proceeding to "get caught up" in an existential war. :lol: Unironically first-rate arcade storytelling, on par with TNZS's iconic "Drat! My friends were kidnapped by a walrus!" :cool:
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Jonpachi »

It's the word "another" that makes this hilarious. As in, "Not ANOTHER alternate dimension!"
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Sima Tuna
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Sima Tuna »

TURBO FOR

I've seen this one played. Haven't played it meself. It looks pretty painful to play, thanks to the constantly powering-down shot. But the visuals are nice.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by cfx »

I played Turbo Force in an arcade sometime in the mid 1990s. Aside from flying cars, what stood out to me back then was that it was three players.
Sima Tuna wrote:I've seen this one played. Haven't played it meself. It looks pretty painful to play, thanks to the constantly powering-down shot. But the visuals are nice.
Never played Sonic Wings I take it?
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Sima Tuna
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Sima Tuna »

cfx wrote:I played Turbo Force in an arcade sometime in the mid 1990s. Aside from flying cars, what stood out to me back then was that it was three players.
Sima Tuna wrote:I've seen this one played. Haven't played it meself. It looks pretty painful to play, thanks to the constantly powering-down shot. But the visuals are nice.
Never played Sonic Wings I take it?
I have. Sonic Wings' power down isn't as aggressive. I think there's a cap on how low you can power down in those games. Turbo For will power you all the way down to 1 if you wait long enough.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by cfx »

As I recall, you're right about Sonic Wings. I think it's only the highest level of weapon power you lose.

It has been far too long since I played Turbo Force to remember how it works. Looking at a bit of a play video though it looks like the power up items automatically are collected by your ship (car?) though so if correct perhaps it's a bit easier to keep the weapon power up.

I'll find out sooner or later as I'll get the ACA release, but there's others I want to get first as I'm behind on that.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

cfx wrote:Looking at a bit of a play video though it looks like the power up items automatically are collected by your ship (car?) though so if correct perhaps it's a bit easier to keep the weapon power up.
Oh no no nooo :shock: You have to manually grab each and every one as it plunges downscreen - and on top of that, your ship is not only slow, it also a frame of startup inertia on movement. :lol:

However, this isn't the game's most galling aspect. That would be the sheer randomness of POW drops. It's no exaggeration to call it a slot machine, as the difference between the upper and lower shot levels is profound. Some credits you'll comfortably tear through stages, others you'll be on the breadline, taking only the most critical shots. Bombs add another layer of blind luck, with their four random effects varying radically in usefulness.

All this said, I like Turbo Force. It has enough of what would become Video System/Psikyo - brisk runtime, compact visual arrangement, pleasingly no-frills shooting - and to be honest, there's a reason gambling is popular. Combining slots with a short, rippingly destructive STG isn't entirely displeasing. Regulating the POW drops would've been infinitely preferable, but for a respectable Shin Nakamura & Friends: Year One, there's the entirely superior Sonic Wings. Donpachi or Mahou Daisakusen this sure as shit is not. :cool:

Hearing just how jank the game's development process was, I find myself echoing ARMORED CRUISER - I'm surprised it's even as marginally good as it is. :mrgreen: And he's not wrong about the GRAFX and intricate machine detailings - they're ace, and very satisfying to tear apart with a lucky L9 shot. Best regarded as the fucked-up demo tape they recorded while wasted in mom's basement, sporting enough of their signature sound to amuse devotees.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by cfx »

BIL wrote:
cfx wrote:Looking at a bit of a play video though it looks like the power up items automatically are collected by your ship (car?) though so if correct perhaps it's a bit easier to keep the weapon power up.
Oh no no nooo :shock: You have to manually grab each and every one as it plunges downscreen - and on top of that, your ship is not only slow, it also a frame of startup inertia on movement. :lol:
Well that makes more sense. I think I see now too; this is the video I was looking at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q38QE0kW6DQ

In some cases, the powerups do appear to head in the general direction of the ship, but I see now that he tends to just move the ship that way where it's in a position where the powerup then collides with it, more than expicitly grabbing it, and I think that's why I misinterpreted.
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BIL
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

Bear witness to absolute and utter hardcore, as TZW_Guile tells of tracking down Turbo Force's Old revision for its ACA release. :mrgreen:
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Udderdude »

Is that old version like a proto, or something? Location test? Is it one of the unlabeled revisions in MAME? MAME just has "Set 1, Set 2" for the different World and US versions.

Also, I thoroughly enjoy shooting robot crabs for no reason. Why are they there? Is this part of the deep lore? We may never know.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

From what I've read, I believe it was actually in arcades... I might be wrong, but it's the impression I have from TZW's tweets, and the ACA manual itself; usually Hamster will specify if it's an unreleased board, ala Omega Fighter's developer PCB (which is deceptively excellent to have around.. locks the proximity bonus to x16, enabling an almost YGWesque style of tactical suiciding, almost an arrange mode).

I've a pet theory: Turbo Dude got fuckin loaded at the seafood stand, then hit Public Road for a drunken spot of boy racing with his bros Green and Blue, only for all three to cause a scene reminiscent of Final Destination 2's highway wreck. Now they're in purgatory, menaced by the very creatures they chowed down upon before causing untold automotive carnage on Public Road! :shock: This also explains the entire Darius series. :cool:
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by PC Engine Fan X! »

Upon d/l'ing the Switch ACA Turbo Force port, I can easily see the cool red colored "super" car that bears a strong likeness to a Lamborghini Diablo. The first time I saw Turbo Force up & running on an upright Dynamo cab setup but it was setup just for two players only at a 7-11 convenience store back in October of 1991. I have no idea whom the American arcade distributor was for the actual arcade pcb conversion kits of Turbo Force though.

Then the local premiere arcade joint by the name of "The Regency Game Palace" had gotten Turbo Force installed in a deluxe cab with enough room for up to three players to join on in at any time + the highly touted newfangled "auto-fire" capability from the get-go -- that was a brand new concept for the American arcade gamer (as most typical arcade stg offerings didn't offer the player that particular option from the start of a gaming session anyways back in the early 1990s). So with Turbo Force, auto-fire on an arcade stg released stateside was quite different/unusual indeed.

I've seen Turbo Force released under a slightly different title known as "Hyper Force" and played that arcade variant version -- played exactly the same as the arcade pcb version of TF released in the USA.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by MJR »

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:Upon d/l'ing the Switch ACA Turbo Force port, I can easily see the cool red colored "super" car that bears a strong likeness to a Lamborghini Diablo. The first time I saw Turbo Force up & running on an upright Dynamo cab setup but it was setup just for two players only at a 7-11 convenience store back in October of 1991. I have no idea whom the American arcade distributor was for the actual arcade pcb conversion kits of Turbo Force though.

Then the local premiere arcade joint by the name of "The Regency Game Palace" had gotten Turbo Force installed in a deluxe cab with enough room for up to three players to join on in at any time + the highly touted newfangled "auto-fire" capability from the get-go -- that was a brand new concept for the American arcade gamer (as most typical arcade stg offerings didn't offer the player that particular option from the start of a gaming session anyways back in the early 1990s). So with Turbo Force, auto-fire on an arcade stg released stateside was quite different/unusual indeed.

I've seen Turbo Force released under a slightly different title known as "Hyper Force" and played that arcade variant version -- played exactly the same as the arcade pcb version of TF released in the USA.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Thanks for sharing, it's always delight to read your stories :)
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Re: Turdo Farce

Post by Sturmvogel Prime »

EmperorIng wrote:Keeping all the bugs, glitches, and unfinished messes intact for that real authentic feel!
Got your wish.
After getting the "Invincible" from the Miracle Thunder and rammed the large robots in Stage 1, the background suddenly screwed up, but it returned to normal on Stage 2.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Sturmvogel Prime »

According to a Twitter user, Arcade Archives: 3D Thunder Ceptor II will be PSVR compatible.
https://twitter.com/nkgt5/status/163597 ... Xfk7QtAAAA
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Jonpachi »

Sturmvogel Prime wrote:According to a Twitter user, Arcade Archives: 3D Thunder Ceptor II will be PSVR compatible.
https://twitter.com/nkgt5/status/163597 ... Xfk7QtAAAA
Holy hell, that's amazing. I'm struggling to imagine how this is going to work, but I will be there day 1 to try it out.
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BIL
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

Very exciting news if they can pull it off to their usual excellent standard - imagine VR StarBlade :o Hell, imagine VR Pole Position :shock:
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by To Far Away Times »

StarBlade is absolutely one of those games that I need to spend more time on.

Never played more than a few credits, but damn if it isn't a good time every time I play it.

Was a hell of a bonus throwing that in the load screen for Tekken 5.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

The whole game too, you just need to nab the GeoSword trophy from the Tekken Force mode. Killer indeed, I bought the game exclusively for that. :cool:

It's one of those earlier 3D games that's matured sublimely well; the 60fps flat polys are ageless, the sense of immense scale and speed is still riveting, and it's also a genuinely well-designed crosshair shooter. A tight squeeze, with Act 3's raid on planet-killing weapon RED EYE throwing some hellacious flak, but entirely clearable with a little practice and nerve. The badass rival ace that dogs you throughout is a really cool touch, as well.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by Marc »

Had a play around with Thunder Ceptor last night. I wrote it off as a mess initially, but it's actually far better than I thought. I still think the controls are too loose for the environmental hazards, and the narrower playing field means its often difficult to make out what's what, which I don't really get with Soace Harrier for instance, but damn if it doesn't have that 'one more go' appeal. I cam see the sequel in VR being amazing.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BrianC »

Marc wrote:Had a play around with Thunder Ceptor last night. I wrote it off as a mess initially, but it's actually far better than I thought. I still think the controls are too loose for the environmental hazards, and the narrower playing field means its often difficult to make out what's what, which I don't really get with Soace Harrier for instance, but damn if it doesn't have that 'one more go' appeal. I cam see the sequel in VR being amazing.
I wouldn't count on the PS4 version of Thunder Ceptor II having VR. The PSN page has a note: "Note: This title does not reproduce the 3D visuals of the arcade version, which utilized a 3D scope. Your understanding is appreciated". Not surprisingly, the Switch version has the same message. I haven't purchased yet. I was hoping to find some impressions here first, especially since the game was released shortly after the first game and the 3D seems to be the main draw of it.

Edit: The game for the 30th has been announced. It's an older Namco game, Navarone.
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BIL
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

Interesting... had legitimately never heard of Navarone, though I certainly know the novel and film it's referencing. I wonder if there was any official licensing? Gotta say, that's one hell of a logo. :o

Image

(credit to fellow vintage VG logo aficionado RingoStarr39)

Saw a real class act in the twitter thread (edit: not ringo!), shitting all over ZOMG MORE 80S GAYMEZ. :lol: For him and anyone else: go post some studly scores n' clears in existing releases; there are dozens of them, and chances are, you're crap at most if not all. :cool:
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by SavagePencil »

Serious Blast-O meets Tranquilizer Gun vibes
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BIL
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by BIL »

BrianC wrote:I wouldn't count on the PS4 version of Thunder Ceptor II having VR. The PSN page has a note: "Note: This title does not reproduce the 3D visuals of the arcade version, which utilized a 3D scope. Your understanding is appreciated". Not surprisingly, the Switch version has the same message. I haven't purchased yet. I was hoping to find some impressions here first, especially since the game was released shortly after the first game and the 3D seems to be the main draw of it.
I'm very new to the whole PSVR thing, so I did some looking around. Per GSK's tweet, and a smattering of others, it seems PSVR1 compatibility will be patched in at some unspecified date. A little disappointing, but Hamster have an excellent track record for following through, so if that's the case it should happen eventually.

I was interested to note PSVR2 apparently doesn't support PS4 (again, I'm a total neophyte, apologies if incorrect). So I guess, with ACA seemingly staying put on PS4/NSW for now, they might stick with PSVR1. Which could be fine, I suppose, with these being relatively primitive games, compared to the latest cutting-edge stuff I assume would benefit more from PSVR2.
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Re: I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

Post by m.sniffles.esq »

I'm struggling to imagine how this is going to work

I'm imagining projectile vomiting, as the the regular-ass non-vr version is a bit... jittery.
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