The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Thread (NEW)!!!

[Axelay]

I don't mind the overhead stages at all - though I might be a little biased, since I love both top-down seek and destroy shooting like Assault/Granada, and any sort of strafing mechanic. But they play just as tightly as the sidescrollers* and can be blazed through in no time flat, drive-by style.

I find their combined presence less bothersome than HC's jungle boss, whose walking about has to be sat through every single run. Or even the Cyclops, whose cutscene is nice to watch but should've been accompanied with something for the player to do, other than watch the idle animation kick in. Stuff like that collectively makes me grimace a bit (just a bit - HC's one of my biggest comfort gaming favourites, replayed regularly).

*they're definitely not Axelay-vert stage bad! If only Axelay had zippy Bosconian/TFII base bombing, not drunken proto-Raystorm veering...

Choosing contra 3 on the megadrive thread...... Blasphemy !
You make good points about HC but I think contra 3 has similar issues
Waiting for the plane in stage one is always a ball ache , I usually hold L and R at the point because I look like a badass.

Stage 3 has that annoying red eye drill boss that takes his sweet ass time in climbing up the wall whilst shooting missiles at you . I always find that section slows down whilst playing two player .

But I would choose HC for the replay value . I love the multiple routes different last bosses and different weapons. They are quite varied which is nice .

And one point that I have always argued with my 3 bros yes the bike in contra 3 is cool looking...
But the bike in HC transforms it transforms!

Can you link me to that interview bill about HC ?

And bill what's your favourite last boss in HC ?

[BIL]

As a Contra Pope I HOLD TRUTH LIKE A TORCH (・｀W´・) ^_~

blackoak recently translated and posted the interview at shmuplations.

The plane doesn't take nearly as long to show up as the cyclops, then it's gone - it's a short breather compared to an outright unskippable cutscene. I always find nailing the timing and technique so the firepits can be crossed without stopping (bar the last "snake" eruptor) pretty entertaining too.

My favourite HC last bosses, bending the definition slightly, are actually fought just beforehand. Claw Bahamut, Deadeye Joe's red spherical mech (three-armed phase) and Professor Crab. All three have just the right balance of twitch to pattern, and are nervy experiences every time. Panic-slide and your no-miss can be over in an instant.

Of the actual last bosses, Sheena's D laser kinda neutralises them but I still find Alien Queen and the Alien Cell (rocket path) really satisfying to blow away. So many explosions as scads of destructible parts get sheared off.

Sheena's my favourite character - Ray's just boring tbh, while Fang and Browny's power techniques are flat-out abusive. Sheena generally requires more creativity and risk to kill stuff in short order (particularly getting near the edge of the screen with C, to maximise firing rate - often puts you nose-to-nose with bosses).



However even she gets to be a bit abusive with D. If I want a challenge I'll fight the aforementioned two last bosses without it, which can get pretty hairy with all those usually deflected parts flying at you.

[EmperorIng]

I'll have to spend more time with Mega Turrican to really get a feel for the game.

My impression is that I like Contra Hard Corps a whole lot better, but it might be good to be open-minded towards a different style of run-n-gun. Maybe it will click with me. If not, I know someone will take it in the trading section.

[Squire Grooktook]

I liked the tidbit about studying the parasite museum, heheh.

[BIL]

I always suspected they'd done some quality research into those ugly motherfuckers! If there's one area HC categorically owns Spirits in it's the enemy designs (rather like the style boost from Dracula IV to Vampire Killer).

[Axelay]

As a Contra Pope I HOLD TRUTH LIKE A TORCH (・｀W´・) ^_~

blackoak recently translated and posted the interview at shmuplations.

The plane doesn't take nearly as long to show up as the cyclops, then it's gone - it's a short breather compared to an outright unskippable cutscene. I always find nailing the timing and technique so the firepits can be crossed without stopping (bar the last "snake" eruptor) pretty entertaining too.

My favourite HC last bosses, bending the definition slightly, are actually fought just beforehand. Claw Bahamut, Deadeye Joe's red spherical mech (three-armed phase) and Professor Crab. All three have just the right balance of twitch to pattern, and are nervy experiences every time. Panic-slide and your no-miss can be over in an instant.

Of the actual last bosses, Sheena's D laser kinda neutralises them but I still find Alien Queen and the Alien Cell (rocket path) really satisfying to blow away. So many explosions as scads of destructible parts get sheared off.

Sheena's my favourite character - Ray's just boring tbh, while Fang and Browny's power techniques are flat-out abusive. Sheena generally requires more creativity and risk to kill stuff in short order (particularly getting near the edge of the screen with C, to maximise firing rate - often puts you nose-to-nose with bosses).



However even she gets to be a bit abusive with D. If I want a challenge I'll fight the aforementioned two last bosses without it, which can get pretty hairy with all those usually deflected parts flying at you.

You have a good point about the plane in my defence I'm usually nodding my head to the music or acting like the cyclops in the background in real life . Still can't shoot a laser though :p
(When shooting cyclops keep rapidly pressing start he turns some awesome colours)

I like fang and sheena too,it's weird to saying there names to me they are wolf bot and red robot cx something something
I might have mentioned it before but do you ever use the weapon b and d switch to shoot full charge shots with fang ? It's hilarious killing bosses In two hits.

I like the alien queen she has a nice happy face , and then When you shoot her she looks fucking demonic .

The bio weapon boss is gross . Love that gif

The way you took out that core with the d weapon hats of to you sir.
I also watched the gif of you killing the first boss in revenge of shinobi a 100 times damn I need to try that.

[Squire Grooktook]

Forum bio-weapon? I love it.

[BIL]

I like to detonate the bomb right as the cyclops does his flame columns, the resulting sprite armageddon and his death throes will juuust start to slow the game down before it wrenches back up to full speed.

Yeah, Fang's B/D glitch is second only to Browny's yo-yo tickle of doom for boss demolitions. Actually I guess Browny's is kinda interesting despite being so overpowered, since you have to play the game like a melee sidescroller while unleashing the tickle.

In ROS, note the background, it's an easy marker for when you need to jump. Too early and you won't clear the boss, too late and you'll get a seven-foot katana to the face. You can also kill him with the non-POW knife this way but it's tricky to not push him off the screen while doing so. I love i-frames. ^_~

[Drum]

I love that running mech so much.

[Captain]

Am I the only one who loves the walking orbs? Those things are just too hilarious, yet viable.

[Ed Oscuro]

Bloodreign http://t.co/12e12m5Kvw Golden Axe II just got cooler
Bloodreign Great Muta in the ad

[Squire Grooktook]

Something that only now occured to me, which I didn't pick up on earlier from that Contra Hard Corps interview.

He mentions that the dialogue changes with each character, but in the US version it seems to be the same for every character in every scene. Does anybody have a translation of the Japanese script? As a nerd for the irrelevant Contra lore, I'd love to see what OOaji is talking about there.

[BIL]

I've wondered about that too - noticed very quickly when I got into the JP version that the text varied between characters. It's definitely a generic script in US, and not particularly well-done either (it attempts to use singular and plural pronouns for 1P and 2P games respectively, but gets it backwards).

Sounds like a neat detail, especially the Gillian/Metal Gear buddy cop act for Ray/Browny. Even without it, I always thought HC and its post-apocalyptic robojungle aesthetic was the series' most characterful game by far. It's knowingly fun and irreverent throughout where Neo Contra mostly just tacked on a few silly cutscenes.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I for one think Shattered Soldier is the daddy, style-wise. More Contra than Contra, even. (Bear in mind my first Contra experience was on a b&w telly.)

[Squire Grooktook]

It's great how different parts of the franchise all have such distinct aesthetics. Contra 1 - 3 are classic 70's american action sci-fi flicks. Hardcorps feels like oldschool gunslinging anime cyberpunk. And Shattered Soldier brings on the gritty Heavy Metal universe.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Is Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles as well done as Shattered Soldier (at least stylistically)?

[Skykid]

Is Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles as well done as Shattered Soldier (at least stylistically)?

No, it's cheap and ugly looking.

[Ed Oscuro]

Is Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles as well done as Shattered Soldier (at least stylistically)?

No, it's cheap and ugly looking.

I felt the same way. Big shame that they expect you to play through that ugly mess just to unlock the original mode.

[soprano1]

Is Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles as well done as Shattered Soldier (at least stylistically)?

No, it's cheap and ugly looking.

I felt the same way. Big shame that they expect you to play through that ugly mess just to unlock the original mode.

Good thing you can just get a save at gamefaqs or something easily.

[drauch]

Yeah, SMOOTH BOYU Richter with his lovely locks and porcelain face in ugly 3D makes me want to gag on the hoagie sized PSP. Thought about getting it, but at this point that seems like a waste of money. Guess It'd be alright if I ever wanted to play Drac-X on the shitter.

[Squire Grooktook]

Scored a 1 life clear of Contra Hard Corps with Sheena on the Super Bahamut route.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R58RnccN0c4

Like with my Darius Gaiden and Ghouls and Ghosts videos, I added some basic strategy guide stuff via youtube annotations (I like annotations a lot because you can turn them off without having to make a separate video) aimed at new players to the game. If anyone catches any misinformation or anything, let me know here or on Youtube and I'll try to fix. My routes aren't optimized at all, so I'm sure there are lots of easier strats I'm missing out on.

Actually not sure if I should just scrap the annotations altogether. The game has such an awesome presentation, I hate to distract from it (even if it's optional). Some of my friends liked them on previous videos so I figured I'd give it a try.


Anyway the game has risen a lot in my opinion. I still think it's a bit too unpolished in places and Contra 3 is a much more challenging and well designed game, but I'd go so far as to put Hard Corps above Shattered Soldier now (which is saying something). It's just too fun to put down, even if it has some flaws, which to me puts it above Shattered Soldiers polished but straight forward gameplay.

I do agree that the game probably would have been better if it had just scrapped the multiple paths and been more focused instead, though all the content and options to replay things with different route/character combos does give it a great sense of fun and variety. Maybe more dev time instead of scrapping the paths? Oh well, most of my complaints are pretty minor anyway. This game still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[soprano1]

Hey Squire Grooktook, just wanted to say i enjoyed your run.

[BIL]

Scored a 1 life clear of Contra Hard Corps with Sheena on the Super Bahamut route.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R58RnccN0c4

Loved the commentary. Now I am free to continue with my invisible experiments! I, too, am reluctant to discover just what the jungle robot bros. are planning with that last pattern of theirs.

Spheroid Joe and Professor Crab PhD are simply god tier boss battles, excellent demonstrations of both. Have you finished Shattered Soldier? I'm guessing the Mission 6/Relic boss's jellyfish form must be a favourite of yours too.

I'd never actually thought about a few things in your run. For spheroid's opening stab-o-rama, I usually pick an arm to damage and follow it around the screen. Makes more sense to just stay put at the bottom center, definitely. I never really thought about Super Bahamut's last form expanding when damaged either, I'd always just blast him with D (lololol) while sliding through as he approached.

[Captain]

Should I make a run?

Rephrase.

If i make a run, will anyone watch it? I one-lifed hard corpse many times.

[BIL]

DO IT NAO ^o^

[Captain]

gimme a special challenge that i have to do during the run.

[BIL]

Rocket route, Fang B only, no-miss. ;3

Nah it'd be cool to see either the rocket or BIGGU MAGNUM routes since Squire just covered the Super Bahamut and I've got the Alien one up. Do whatever you think you can play best though, it's always cool seeing new tricks. And my replay's quality is crap anyway. >_>

[EmperorIng]

Squire, that was an excellent run. Highly enjoyable to watch you cream the game's toughest bosses with seemingly no effort.

[Pointman]

Excellent run sir. Due to my recent renaissance with the Megadrive I've starting giving a lot of games I used to superficially look at more time, Contra being one of them. Which is classed as the better version though, US or JP? I know they have their differences (like energy on the JP version).

[BIL]

Aside from the hitpoints, they're exactly the same game. That's the only difference.

Well, the only gameplay difference - the JP version also has dedicated cutscene scripts for each character and pairing, which the US junked for a generic one size fits all. JP also has some cheats, the most notable being level select which is handy for practice on a real machine. US was stripped of these (didn't stop several magazines from printing them!). And IIRC, the US one limits credits to five where JP is unlimited.

As far as the meat of the game, its level designs, weapon balance, enemy patterns and behaviour, etc, they're totally identical in my experience. I've never seen anything in one version that didn't apply 1:1 to the other, down to the tiniest quirks.

I grew up with the US one, and I still think it's a more memorable game with its rather terrifying instant kills. But I definitely see why, with the game's heavy emphasis on patterns, the JP ver would have its proponents. These days I stick with the latter, which might be the best of both worlds. You can go for a hardcore no-miss run in 1P, or fire up 2P for more casual fun. Or eventually work your way up from casual to no-miss! In the US version you're given much less leeway.

Better boxart+manual in JP too. But the JP one is much more expensive complete, for now at least (who knows where the US "retro" market is gonna end up, haha).