What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[Udderdude]

In case you missed that other thread, my Top 20 games of 2021 list just went up at caltrops.com:

https://www.caltrops.com/2022/01/15/mis ... s-of-2021/

While a shit year IRL, 2021 was a banger year for indie games, so I couldn't settle on just 10. Since there are so many, I opted for short 3-line descriptions instead of full mini-reviews.

Lots of good stuff on that list.

[Blinge]

finished dmc1 thank fuck for that

[Mischief Maker]

finished dmc1 thank fuck for that

You won't be saying that once you're playing 2.

Just skip to 3, you're missing nothing.

[Sumez]

I have not played either of those games.

I'm one of those stringent DRM-free weirdos who only buys from Steam if the game runs without the steam client. I got burned by DRM years ago and swore never to drop money on a game that could just up and stop working if the parent cloud suddenly goes out of business (eg. Desura) ever again.

Dude I don't even have a steam account XD

[Blinge]

finished dmc1 thank fuck for that

You won't be saying that once you're playing 2.

Just skip to 3, you're missing nothing.

My logic - everyone says DMC1 is good
i didn't like playing it.
everyone says DMC2 is bad
therefore i will like playing it.

... jk i'm gonna skip it, that crowbcat video was enough to really dissuade me.

https://youtu.be/lcvw1E0Mcac

it's a same cause i love ps2 era shitty europe areas

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Arcade Archives Super Pac-Man. A curious twist of an arcade classic.

[Marc]

I made the mistake of firing up Lumines again. I now can't use my Switch for anything else until I finish off the 2-hour game I've got suspended.

Also losing my shit at Spelunky 2. It's bloody amazing.

[Mischief Maker]

finished dmc1 thank fuck for that

Hey, it had one of the greatest game ads of all time!

[Creamy Goodness]

After getting my ass thoroughly handed to me in Progear, decided to go back to some real retro and play Shadow Dancer. Kind of good to go back to old retro games. Trying to chase bullet hell 1cc's and whatnot made me lose sight a bit about why I got back into gaming, especially retro gaming. But to keep my chops up I am playing a game here and there of the Genesis version of Fire Shark as I plan to make a run on that one eventually.

[XoPachi]

Playing Master Duel and I'm just so glad this exists. Yeah yeah, "modern Yugioh bad" I know, I know. But I just love this stupid game so I'm happy they finally made a nice clean little app that's 1:1 identical to playing the real game...but WAY the fuck cheaper. Not some gimmicky knockoff that's either gimped to Hell (Duel Links) or something that can't really be competitive.

I also love how one of the tutorial bots is just named "Gradius" using a bunch of the arcade protagonist cards.

[null1024]

Was playing some Libble Rabble, managed to get into the bonus area twice and was doing really well and then lost two lives because lol snip. I still need a more consistent way of corralling the little dudes that pop out of the treasure chests.

Was also playing Crazy Taxi and my run went from absolutely godlike, this is THE RUN when I was at $9k to aw, HELL NAW so fast.
Ended with $14k, so I didn't even break my best ever run despite having what would have been a much better run than any I've had before. Felt like I'd have lost at $11k, but I still had so much time that I could keep going even though I just kept losing seconds for painful, stupid reasons.
Constant little time losses started eating me. Things like just barely stopping with 8/7s instead of 9+ on the timer, things like just barely not stopping in time and leaving the target, the car hitting a wall and bouncing out of the target area, the car bounced into the air when I'm accelerating, etc, etc. Felt like I was cursed, and then there was one part where I ended up in a customer dead zone and had to drive awfully far to pick someone up.
Absolutely miserable, even if $14k isn't a bad run at all. If I'd hit $16k, I'd have been happy with it, even if it's way off from my goal of $20k.

[Blinge]

After getting my ass thoroughly handed to me in Progear, decided to go back to some real retro and play Shadow Dancer. Kind of good to go back to old retro games. Trying to chase bullet hell 1cc's and whatnot made me lose sight a bit about why I got back into gaming, especially retro gaming. But to keep my chops up I am playing a game here and there of the Genesis version of Fire Shark as I plan to make a run on that one eventually.

Progear is some gentle cock and ball torture, from a really hot babe.
Fire shark is some gruff feller from Minsk burning your donger right off

[BIL]

Progear is some gentle cock and ball torture, from a really hot babe.
Fire shark is some gruff feller from Minsk burning your donger right off

I've been mucking around with the US 2P AC ver, incidentally, now that it'll soon get an official home release. I really, really like it when a Toaplan/esque has zero horizontal movement. Now, you motherfuckers are scrolling into MY line of fire! Cunts! Eliminates a silly extra layer of memo.

Not that I mind remembering "DEADLY PARKING LOT TO RIGHT" "FUCKOFF MASSIVE TANK CONVOY TO LEFT" in Raiden/Trigon et al, just not sad to see it go, you know.

Thunder Dragon 2 takes more after Recca / prefigures Dangun, if anything, with its voracious waveshredder, but see all three of them, too. Show me the battlefield, cunts! That's all the favour I'll ask from you gutless pricks, before I send you all to black embrace of grave. See ALSO Ikari & Dogosoken vs the irritatingly scrolly Guevara... whose hardest stages nix the horizontal pan anyway! Absolute cock and bull fuckery in my life.

I'm gonna bust all over me new carpet when ACA TD2 hits soon. Christ it's a good time for console-bound lovers of rugged-hard late 80s/early 90s STG thoroughbreds.

SameSame's got the best OST of their whole canon imo, that stoical-yet-elegant [url=hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KExrwDA4C1Y&t=473s]Same Same Same chord sound[/url] and the balance of stately prog to balls-out ROCKIN gives me fuckin Wood Wood Wood.

Burning Gamushara Shark. Do you soft cunts wanna live forever?!

[Creamy Goodness]

After getting my ass thoroughly handed to me in Progear, decided to go back to some real retro and play Shadow Dancer. Kind of good to go back to old retro games. Trying to chase bullet hell 1cc's and whatnot made me lose sight a bit about why I got back into gaming, especially retro gaming. But to keep my chops up I am playing a game here and there of the Genesis version of Fire Shark as I plan to make a run on that one eventually.

Progear is some gentle cock and ball torture, from a really hot babe.
Fire shark is some gruff feller from Minsk burning your donger right off

Luckily the Genesis version is pretty close to the arvade in terms of presentation and is a kinder, gentler version of the game. I usually do not play 16-bit arcade ports, but I'd rather not go through the torture of a difficulty level that would make Tatsujin blush even with the easier version.

[Marc]

How in the holy fuck did I ever think Mario Galaxy was boring? This shit is amazing. Mario 64 with all the shit I didn't like ejected.

[third_strike]

Did this something ago, ALL no miss in Moo Mesa with Dakota: https://youtu.be/yQDmokKjwXM

Thanks to BareKnuckleRoo!

[BIL]

Very cool. That game deserves more exposure. Is it ok if I link to your replay in the Scrolling Action thread index?

[third_strike]

Feel free to do what you want, I which tanks. I will up some no miss replays to Zero Team USA, 2000 and New.

[BIL]

Cheers bud I'll link to your Metal Slug 3 nomiss too!

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Did this something ago, ALL no miss in Moo Mesa with Dakota: https://youtu.be/yQDmokKjwXM

Incredible run! I'm glad to see others enjoying the game. Super clean run too, no damage on the loop 2 final boss after the stress of playing for an hour, very impressive. I think you said you've cleared with all characters; do they all play the same? As far as I can tell I think they all perform identically but I was curious if there were differences I hadn't noticed.

I skipped ahead at one point and was confused to see the life indicator only showing 3. I was all like "doesn't the loop give you an extend or is my memory shoddy?". But then I saw this. YOU WERE ROBBED, ROBBED I SAY. ;w;

That chicken bravely flew off into the dusk with its 1UP never to be seen again.

[BIL]

Turning the Contra blimp into a flying chicken was a class move, gotta say

[Gamer707b]

Been on a Treasure kick lately and I ordered 5 of their games recently. Just got done finishing Gunstar Super Heroes and Trouble Makers. I know most like Gunstar Heroes more than GSH, but I'm the opposite. Yea there's more weapons in the first, but I usually only stick to 2 or 3 favorites. Also, I just love the chunky sprites and animation of GSH. The GBA still impresses me. Also they got rid of the annoying, cheating, dice level of the first game. They replaced it with a much better and fairer version of that in the sequel.

As for Trouble Maker, I liked it much more than I thought I would. It looks weird at first, but it really grew on me. Very satisfying to go back and collect everything. I put this in the mid-upper of the Treasure library.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Don't miss out on Astro Boy for GBA either, it's another fantastic Treasure game and arguably the best game using the Astro Boy license out there.

[Gamer707b]

Don't miss out on Astro Boy for GBA either, it's another fantastic Treasure game and arguably the best game using the Astro Boy license out there.

Yup. That was part of the 5 Treasure games I was missing that I also got. I got the Saturn Port of Siloutte Mirage, Astro Boy, Guardian Heroes and the first Sin and Punishment. I might start Astro Boy next. Thanks for the heads up!

[BIL]

^ Saturn SM is the original game, the PS1's "Reprogrammed Hope" came later (and the heavily Working Designs-modified Western release later still). Saturn's easily the pick of the bunch on both mechanical and aesthetic fronts, good choice.

[Gamer707b]

^ Saturn SM is the original game, the PS1's "Reprogrammed Hope" came later (and the heavily Working Designs-modified Western release later still). Saturn's easily the pick of the bunch on both mechanical and aesthetic fronts, good choice.

Siolutte Mirage is the only game I'm not sure about. I pretty much love all the Treasure games I've played over the years but SM makes me a bit nervous. Some say it's hit or miss. Some find it too weird even for a Treasure game. Is it import friendly without a guide?

[Stevens]

Is it import friendly without a guide?

You should be able to figure it out well enough to play it.

Dealing with the shop keeper took some trial and error, but it's not too bad. That's really the only gameplay hurdle.

That said if story is important to you you'll be missing out. There is a massive amount of text in Japanese.

[BIL]

Siolutte Mirage is the only game I'm not sure about. I pretty much love all the Treasure games I've played over the years but SM makes me a bit nervous. Some say it's hit or miss. Some find it too weird even for a Treasure game. Is it import friendly without a guide?

I'd get maybe just a basic GameFAQs-type guide for the weapons systems - as Stevens says, the shopkeeper can be a minor sticking point otherwise. And yeah, the story is quite heaving - simplest thing is probably to just enjoy the crazy antics, then look up the PS1 EN ver for the gist. Or I dunno, a story summary beforehand. Neither's ideal, but it's an action game first and foremost, so I wouldn't let that stop you. It's an incredibly characterful game, even sans narrative - you might not understand what that gigantic flying trout with a kitty head shearing through buildings in hails of debris as it strafes the big rig you're on with its side-mounted laser cannons is saying, but its intent needs little elaboration.

As for how it plays, one thing it loses VS the MD triple crown of Gunstar, Headdy and Alien Soldier is their cartridge-mandated immediacy. Where those games are pretty much nonstop, SM regularly pauses for some story event, or convo (skippable, fortunately), plus there's a bit of inter-area loading. By other devs' standards, it's still remarkably fast-paced; just noticeable if you go straight to it from the downright gleefully relentless MD games.

Otherwise, I really like it. The system's elegantly simple - attack to the correct side for a hefty damage boost, defend likewise to nullify damage - but satisfying to exploit; you can really tie enemies and bosses in knots, if you capitalise on polarity.

Besides some artfully high-calibre shooting with a selection of vulcans, lasers and more exotic shot types, it also has a similar, surprisingly gritty physicality to their Mischief Makers (N64). You can aggressively rush down and grapple enemies, even bosses, slapping the shit outta 'em for heaps of gold, and more tactically, flinging them into side-switch for blasting, a hail of fire chasing the cast-aside target. Or if they're already on-side, just bodyslam 'em face-first into the floor. I always imagine Shyna doing her best Bob DeNiro impression while slapping up bosses, in her squeaky little voice... "Gimme your money!" *BAP* "GIMME ALL YOUR FUCKIN MONEY!" *BAP BAP BAP*

TLDR: yeah it's cool, jump in without reservations after doing minor guide sourcing.

[Gamer707b]

Siolutte Mirage is the only game I'm not sure about. I pretty much love all the Treasure games I've played over the years but SM makes me a bit nervous. Some say it's hit or miss. Some find it too weird even for a Treasure game. Is it import friendly without a guide?

I'd get maybe just a basic GameFAQs-type guide for the weapons systems - as Stevens says, the shopkeeper can be a minor sticking point otherwise. And yeah, the story is quite heaving - simplest thing is probably to just enjoy the crazy antics, then look up the PS1 EN ver for the gist. Or I dunno, a story summary beforehand. Neither's ideal, but it's an action game first and foremost, so I wouldn't let that stop you. It's an incredibly characterful game, even sans narrative - you might not understand what that gigantic flying trout with a kitty head shearing through buildings in hails of debris as it strafes the big rig you're on with its side-mounted laser cannons is saying, but its intent needs little elaboration.

As for how it plays, one thing it loses VS the MD triple crown of Gunstar, Headdy and Alien Soldier is their cartridge-mandated immediacy. Where those games are pretty much nonstop, SM regularly pauses for some story event, or convo (skippable, fortunately), plus there's a bit of inter-area loading. By other devs' standards, it's still remarkably fast-paced; just noticeable if you go straight to it from the downright gleefully relentless MD games.

Otherwise, I really like it. The system's elegantly simple - attack to the correct side for a hefty damage boost, defend likewise to nullify damage - but satisfying to exploit; you can really tie enemies and bosses in knots, if you capitalise on polarity.

Besides some artfully high-calibre shooting with a selection of vulcans, lasers and more exotic shot types, it also has a similar, surprisingly gritty physicality to their Mischief Makers (N64). You can aggressively rush down and grapple enemies, even bosses, slapping the shit outta 'em for heaps of gold, and more tactically, flinging them into side-switch for blasting, a hail of fire chasing the cast-aside target. Or if they're already on-side, just bodyslam 'em face-first into the floor. I always imagine Shyna doing her best Bob DeNiro impression while slapping up bosses, in her squeaky little voice... "Gimme your money!" *BAP* "GIMME ALL YOUR FUCKIN MONEY!" *BAP BAP BAP*

TLDR: yeah it's cool, jump in without reservations after doing minor guide sourcing.

@Stevens thanks for the input.

@BIL it sounds like you're really a fan of SM. You're pumping me up on the game. I'm not much worried on missing the story, because yea, it's an action game. If I really want to get the gist of the story, I can always go on youtube or whatever. I was just wondering if it's playable enough for non-Japanese speakers. Don't mind doing a bit of research to if it means enjoying the game more. Thanks again!!

[BIL]

Any time tbh it's Alien Soldier and Sin & Punishment my heart belongs to (I consider S&P a spiritual Soldier followup, not in mechanical terms - it's clearly Panzer Dragoon + Wild Guns - but its technical intensity and super-stacked boss roster) - but I'm very fond of Treasure in general, anything they worked on from MD through to PS2+GBA is a good time in my book.