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

[BIL]

Rainbow Islands is getting downright painful to wait on, I hope there isn't some legal bullshit WRT its BGM. Biggest missing 80s Taito name next to Rastan, imo.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow is public domain now.

Good news! :O

Gradius III! That's an exciting one. The first 'port' in over a decade.

I really hope Hamster pushes some of the options of the PS2 version, as unlikely as that is.

GOODER NEWS >:3

PREPARE FOR A BEATING I know I sure am.

If they get its companion nightmare Parodius Da!, ACA will truly have summoned the oldschool hori hell

Quite happy about Lepus too, never got around to the PCE version or PS2 emulation. A Video System hori gets curio points right out the gate, but I always loved its ship and creature designs too.

[Jeneki]

Rabio Lepus ... I have some nostalgia for this game but damn it kicks me in the nuts every time.

[Marc]

What happened to Jail Break

[BIL]

Fake news. That was a mistranslation of Datsugoku / Prison Break aka POW, the criminally dumb SNK beltscroller.

Still, Green Beret's a good start in Jailbreak's direction. Hoping for dat BUNSHO plus IRON HORSE and Labyrinth "Trap of Octopus" Runner, meself. And on the STG tip, lone absentee of the Arcade Gallery set, Gyruss, and barbarian-themed BROOTAL gallery shooter Battlantis, which sounds a right laugh going by Perikles and Shephardus's travails!

[Flashman]

Very much looking forward to Gradius 3, didn't have the version on PS2 and have never tried it out - nothing like getting rekked to cheer me up

I just wish Raiden would drop now, they announced it months ago I'm getting impatient!!

[StrzxgvNuvWvfld]

Is Earth Defense Force out for the PS4 anywhere in the world? I can see it's on the Switch store, but nowhere on the European Playstation store.

[Jeneki]

PS4 E.D.F. is on the Japan store, but I haven't seen it on other regions yet.

[Marc]

Very much looking forward to Gradius 3, didn't have the version on PS2 and have never tried it out - nothing like getting rekked to cheer me up

I just wish Raiden would drop now, they announced it months ago I'm getting impatient!!

They're terrible for doing this, announcing stuff with no dates and it taking ages to arrive.
If that's all there is to be frustrated about, I guess I need to chill really though.

[Flashman]

Earth Defense Force out for the PS4 anywhere in the world? I can see it's on the Switch store, but nowhere on the European Playstation store.

I picked it up on switch last night (I have both consoles but I prefer to get these on PS4) It's just O.K - a cut above the likes of P-47 but not something I'll ever sink hours and hours into. Defiantly better than the SNES version and great music.

Very much looking forward to Gradius 3, didn't have the version on PS2 and have never tried it out - nothing like getting rekked to cheer me up

I just wish Raiden would drop now, they announced it months ago I'm getting impatient!!

They're terrible for doing this, announcing stuff with no dates and it taking ages to arrive.
If that's all there is to be frustrated about, I guess I need to chill really though.

Sigh - oh well hopefully we will get it before Xmas I did hold out hope as Wiz, another Seibu Kaihatsu game dropped quite soon after announcement, but then a big fat zero. I am hoping it eventually leads to Raiden 2 and some of the Fighters games.

[StrzxgvNuvWvfld]

Earth Defense Force out for the PS4 anywhere in the world? I can see it's on the Switch store, but nowhere on the European Playstation store.

I picked it up on switch last night (I have both consoles but I prefer to get these on PS4) It's just O.K - a cut above the likes of P-47 but not something I'll ever sink hours and hours into. Defiantly better than the SNES version and great music.

I ended up doing the same. I was interested to see what the arcade version was like as I have it for the SFC. Agreed, it's nothing special, about what I was expecting.

[BIL]

Beware: the Arcade Archives version of Gradius 1 has extra slowdown compared to arcade. Compare replays and you'll see for yourself.

To clarify, do you mean compared to the game's PCB, or compared to MAME?

[BIL]

Got any links? Youtube, etc?

There are a few ACA releases that seem off compared to inaccurate MAME emulation. Like Contra, whose rolling mine behaviour is still broken decades later, and Omega Fighter, whose zako bullets were broken until shortly after the ACA version's release. Lots of recent replays on YT use ancient MAME builds with fucked slowdown, too. Saigo no Nindou (not enough slowdown) and Double Dragon II (way too much slowdown) come to mind.

[BIL]

Thanks, that's a marginally less useless post! I'll have a look later, since you didn't include timestamps to the relevant slowdown.

[BIL]

I'm looking everywhere I'd expect to see slowdown and seeing no difference, starting with the PCB slowing down like an absolute motherfucker at the st1-1 Volcano, as it does IRL. At least the Bubble System variant does. I've never played the rarer Mask ROM version.

Something's not adding up here, but I think if we keep working at it, we'll get a non-shitpost out of you eventually.

[BIL]

4:55 in the ACA video and 1:03:00 in the PCB video

Now we're getting somewhere - see? Only took five posts. However I've done one better and put together this Youtube doubler!

http://www.youtubemultiplier.com/5f80c1 ... -yabou.php

Looks about the same? Oh, here's the individual timestamps, in case it fucks up. I ended up with the same for ACA, but as you can see, for the PCB I was at ~31m. I had to hunt about for a point with the same powerups, because someone was lazy!

PCB
ACA

I've talked with the uploader of the ACA video, he also plays the arcade in game centers and agrees there's more slowdown.

Yes, and my uncle works at Nintendo, and he doesn't know WTF either of you are on about.

There's no need to be a gaping cunt about this, see how much better your post reads when edited to the facts (and relevant bullshit)? I know you're a bit of a spastic but try to do better this time around.

[BIL]

An even closer comparison, got the timestamps sharpened riiight up - like I would've, were I deigning to post on the matter!

PCB
ACA

(loop 1, stage 3, four Options + Laser, rank same AFAIK)

Again, I'm not seeing the difference. Dunno if anyone else wants to weigh in. You sound upset, pls dont cry, its all for the love of shumping. :/

[BIL]

I don't like conversing with uncouth slobs, but as I said, it's all about the shumping so don't have a cry about it FFS :/

I'm literally watching both videos side by side, and enemies missed by both players are entering and exiting the screen at the same time. I can make some GIFs, if you like.

Both players' zako slow down while they're firing their 5 x Laser + Bombs, for obvious reason. The triple formation that almost kills the PCB player with parting shots (the one that spawns right as the st3 BGM starts) is a good example. He doesn't fire until it's almost halfway across the screen, at which point it slows down. The ACA player, conversely, is firing before, during and after the formation's appearance, dropping its speed noticeably.

You can also see the ACA formation speed up for a split-second. Listen for the SFX of the lasers hitting the large green enemy. They slow down again immediately after this. I guess the large enemy eating up lasers that'd otherwise cross the screen frees up some CPU time.

Other than weapon-generated slowdown, enemy speed can be affected by rank AFAIK. Dunno if that's what you've seen at some point in either video.

EDIT: Waaait a minute.

Jesus, you're way too used to looking down on people while your circlejerk is there to defend you aren't you? Well, now you've found someone that doesn't give a damn about your clique and won't take any of this shit.

I thought you were ArtificialDick... but only one person in my entire Internet Career™ has been ASS MAD enough to grasp at this particular ragged straw.

EDMOND ITS YOU ISN'T IT (■｀W´■)

I told you, there's no cure for being a cunt. Man up and get the 1-ALL like the rest of us.

Also my name's not Jesus, it's BIL, nice to meet you :O

[system11]

There was a thing of no value here, I have removed it.

[BIL]

Being a curious cat, I duct-taped together something resembling a comparison video. PCB on left, ACA on right. Both clips starts from the frame after st2's BigCore explosion vanishes, and end on the frame after st3's does the same.

Observations: As you can see, ACA guy leans on his laser button a lot more, particularly during the last few Moais and into the pre-boss enemy rush. He shoots every last one, right in they fuckin mouts, as they belch spreadfire back at him. After staying mostly neck-and-neck to that point, all this onscreen carnage puts him significantly behind PCB guy, who simply parks his Vic at the upper-right safespot and chucks a few bombs with icy survivor instinct.

Note that the actual length of time from each player's BigCore arrival to its destruction is closely comparable, much like the run preceding the enemy rush. PCB's BigCore fight lasts from 1:50 to 2:07, ~17secs. ACA's lasts from 2:00 to 2:14, ~14secs. I put the ACA's quicker kill down to its more aggressive player - he keeps his lasers on the core at all times, where the PCB player once again safespots and lets the boss wear itself out.

Moral: if you want to win a Gradius 1CC race, ease off the trigger now and then! :O But if you want to SCO SOME MO, it's time to haul off and shoot like a motherfucker!

I hope I didn't screw anything up - but as my trusts prof once told me, you can hope in one hand and shit in another - see which fills up first! Still, I hope it's of some use to fellow shumpers.

Now, regarding the other matter raised: I seem to get random stage orders with ACA Sonic Wings 2. Sometimes it's the Grey City, other times it's the Brown Jungle. Since I am a great big snooty snob, I also have the game on MVS cartridge - should I go with that one for accuracy's sake, or is the ACA one working as intended? Ta chaps.

[Squire Grooktook]

EDMOND ITS YOU ISN'T IT (■｀W´■)

I missed this beautiful disaster, but from the obsession about jrpg's, to the general sperging, I'd be willing to bet it's Cee or someone from his discord circlejerk.

[apatheticTurd]

Now, regarding the other matter raised: I seem to get random stage orders with ACA Sonic Wings 2. Sometimes it's the Grey City, other times it's the Brown Jungle. Since I am a great big snooty snob, I also have the game on MVS cartridge - should I go with that one for accuracy's sake, or is the ACA one working as intended? Ta chaps.

Aero Fighters 2 / Sonic Wings 2 has stages 2/4/5 randomly ordered, but unlike the OG Aero Fighters and Psikyo games, the same seed (Brazil > America > France) is always used on a fresh boot.

[Rastan78]

Is that weird screen tearing the same on the mvs cart of Aero Fighters 2? Thats something rare to see on a 2D arcade or console game.

[BIL]

Aero Fighters 2 / Sonic Wings 2 has stages 2/4/5 randomly ordered, but unlike the OG Aero Fighters and Psikyo games, the same seed (Brazil > America > France) is always used on a fresh boot.

Excellent, thanks! I was about to confirm that PS4 ACA gives me varying stage orders from session to session... then, I remembered that all ACA releases save their hiscore tables to your System Data, even if the original games lacked this capability.

So, I deleted ACA Sonic Wings 2's system data, and got exactly the order you describe. Repeated twice, got the same results. Then played another consecutive credit, and got USA first.

So for ACA stuff, if you're trying to recreate fresh bootup conditions, deleting your system data seems to do the trick. I assume this would accomplish the same as deleting your NVRAM in MAME.

Is that weird screen tearing the same on the mvs cart of Aero Fighters 2? Thats something rare to see on a 2D arcade or console game.

Which version of AF2 do you mean? The PS4 ACA looks pretty much the same as the MVS cart to me. Not seeing any noticeable screen tear in either. The boss explosions are a bit glitchy on both, but I always assumed that was just the system's sprite limit.

[Rastan78]

It seems like they might be using a save state to preserve the high scores. So it's like you're never really rebooting the game when you hit reset, just loading the latest save state. Has anyone else noticed that it can be inconsistent? Sometimes it will save your scores and other times it won't? I wonder what actually triggers it to save.

If you haven't noticed the screen tearing effect before, it's especially noticeable on some bosses. And it happens on Aero Fighters 2 and 3. My guess is this was just a little quirk of the original game on MVS that is being reproduced by the emulation.

[Rastan78]

I played switch ACA. You can really notice it on the flashing effect that happens when you're shooting a boss, but also on scrolling objects. Its pretty minor but its there.

https://youtu.be/u2Tta1oPFIM

Random video of Aero Fighters 3 there. Just watch the first boss fight and you will notice the odd flickering of the boss while it takes damage.

[BIL]

Was just coming back to ask if you meant the sprite flickering effect when larger bosses are taking damage and/or moving around quickly. Yeah, IIRC that happens on MVS, too. I always put it down to Video System weirdness, but maybe that's my Micronics-phobia talking, haha. (they helped out on the first Sonic Wings, apparently)

Now that I think about it, rather than going to the trouble of deleting your ACA system data every time (and thus resetting all your display, control etc options), it'd probably work just as well to perform a single delete, then as soon as the "Neo Geo" bootup loads, create a savestate (the "Create Interrupt Save Data" option).

As long as you then restart the game by using the "Back To Title Screen" command, rather than "Game Reset" (this will wipe the savestate), and as long as you do this before entering your name at the end of the credit (this will wipe the state, too), you should be able to get fresh bootup conditions every time. Just gave it a go, seems to work as described. Like all ACA releases, the state will remain in place no matter how many times you start and exit the program, just avoid Game Reset or entering your name.

Related: When I'm working on a trouble spot in a run, I like to set the state for practice, then use the Hi Score mode for full runs - HS mode will always put you at the start of a credit, without exceptions.

It seems like they might be using a save state to preserve the high scores. So it's like you're never really rebooting the game when you hit reset, just loading the latest save state. Has anyone else noticed that it can be inconsistent? Sometimes it will save your scores and other times it won't? I wonder what actually triggers it to save.

Strictly from layman's perspective, I get the feeling the HS table data saves after you enter your name (this is where the games will ask if you want to upload to the leaderboards).

[Rastan78]

I can't remember off the top of my head if there's a delete high scores option. That would potentially be an efficient way to reset and get that fresh stage order? Not all the options are consistent across ACA releases bc they've kind of been improving and adding in new options, but not necessarily patching them back into previous titles.

[BIL]

TBH, after typing all that, I realised you'd probably get identical results just using Hi Score mode. That boots the game from a blank NVRAM state, IIRC.

EDIT: Maybe not, since HS mode forces you to play Aero Fighters 2. Not sure if that's relevant in this particular game.

Also, HS mode's autofire ban might be annoying if you don't have hardware options, although even the "Fast" setting is pretty weak in ACA Neo Geo stuff, if I recall. (my wrist is flaring up just thinking of Metal Slug 3's st5-2 vertical shooting)

WTB batch update that gives 'em all the newer ACAs nice 10/15/30hz autofire options.

[Rastan78]

WTB batch update that gives 'em all the newer ACAs nice 10/15/30hz autofire options.

The Metal Slug games and Blazing Star need this so badly. I got a not so great first impression of ACA bc the first game I bought was Slug 3 and found out the autofire was broken. Those games only work with slower autofire speeds. I've tested this on MVS and 30 hz will not work. It's too fast, so the game will read it as a held button part of the time. 15 hz works fine. Feels like they just used the same front end as the other games without actually testing the auto to see if it works.

The deal with Blazing Star is that I like to use the Dino 135 ship. When you hold shot your options go all loosey goosey and when you mash really fast or hold down auto thats what allows you to lock them in place. And to play this ship half way decently, you need to aim the options. But on ACA the auto is fast like 20 or 30 hz and when the game slows down a bit (which happens constantly) the autofire will drop and cause your carefully aimed options to randomly swivel all over the place. Im guessing a nice 12 hz or 15 hz would be fast enough to get the options to lock but slow enough to not drop out completely during slowdown.

Before anybody says Blazing Star is better played frantically mashing without auto, you're absolutely wrong lol

[Sengoku Strider]

It seems like they might be using a save state to preserve the high scores. So it's like you're never really rebooting the game when you hit reset, just loading the latest save state. Has anyone else noticed that it can be inconsistent? Sometimes it will save your scores and other times it won't? I wonder what actually triggers it to save.

It seems like not every game does it. Like with say King of Fighters 2002 I seem to need to create suspend data every time.