Got my fingers crossed for
Capcom Arcade Stadium, which is promising to deliver some major STG debuts (19XX, Progear, US Navy), and also some very nice sidescroller and beltscroller reprises. Currently Switch-exclusive, with
PS4/XB1/PC releases rumoured to come later. Emulation seems to be in-house, details are scarce currently... I'm just glad it's apparently not those Digital Eclipse shitbirds. -_- If it's up to scratch with the in-house Belt Action and Rockman Zero collections, I will be more than good and strong like wood.
Games are divvied up into roughly chronological packs, with 1943 gifted
FO FREE at purchase, and Makaimura
KINDA FO FREE if you buy all three. Well isn't that nice!
WHERE'S MAGIC SWORD YOU CUNTS Oh right. You're probably gonna do more packs aren't you. NM then! Magic Sword pls!
Pack I: ARCADE WIENER WAS IMPRESSIVE
^^^ Interested to see it's "Bionic Commando" rather than "Top Secret" there. I hope we get both versions, considering BC's noted aesthetic tweaks. <3 Top Secret's goofy sprites. I wonder what's up with that and Forgotten Worlds aka Lost Worlds' regional titling. I don't think I've ever seen the latter go by its JP name outside of the original arcade run. Glad to retire my mayonnaise-filtered old CCC discs, at any rate.
Pack II: ARCADE DONG WAS GETTING MASSIVE
^^^
1941: COUNTER ATTACK BAYBEE.
GET READY 2 RUB SGX ver is heroic, but I want the real thing sans CCC2 mayo filter.
Tenchi wo Kurau, having never appeared in arcade-perfect form, is my main curio. Conspicuously absent from the 2018 Belt Action Collection (I'd have assumed due to licensing issues, but then its more famous sequel
BATTLE OF THE RED WALL made it in just fine). Rare example of the "broken belt" multi-lane subtype, most famously seen in Guardian Heroes, and also its PS1 doppelganger Panzer Bandit. Always loved the look of this one - the compact sprites, massed mounted warriors and filmic ratio give its battles the look of moving paintings.
Vludi's vouched for it ITT, all the reassurance I ever need.
Yes Edmans I know it's aykshually "Battle of Red Cliffs" FUCKIN WEEB
I'm hoping my longtime nemesis Magic Sword gets a look in, if there are later packs. It's on 360/PS3 via Final Fight: Double Impact, but holy fuck that hardware generation makes me uneasy. Best to migrate stuff to the relatively sane current gen imo.
Pack III: ARCADE BUSTED ALL OVER YOUR GOD DAMN FACE
^^^ It's Progear, enough said. Or is it? Slowdown accuracy might make WR chasers/Emu jagoffs rage! Oh well. Besides
19XX: TEH WAR AGAINST DESTINY, super-buff beltscrollers
BATTLE CIRCUIT and
POWERED GEAR would be my BFDs if not for the Belt Action Pack. If beltscrollers make u SCURRED you should play BC! Then
grow some fuckin BAWLS and play PG!
Daimakaimura is possibly the best-ported late-80s sidescrolling icon, with even the MD and SGX versions 95% nailing it, and CG1 yet closer. However, one can never have too many perfect Daimakaimura ports.
Similarly, a lot of the remainder have been covered in good form by Capcom Generation (PS1/SS), Arcade Cabinet (PS3/360) and Belt Action Collection (PS4/SW/PC) - but tbh, I'd be all-in for 19XX or Progear alone, and with games of this quality, I welcome modern reissues regardless. If this goes well, and we get a couple more packs covering some conspicious absences (Black Tiger, Magic Sword, Three Wonders), we'll have nearly all of Capcom's entire AC scrolling action catalogue on a single platform, those nagging licensing issues (Nemo/Willow/Punisher/Cadillacs/AVP) aside. I'd mention D&D there too, but
Mystara Eiyuu Senki is as good as I'd ever ask for.
WTB: Big Buff Half-Naked Men w/Swords Pack (Tora e no Michi, Black Tiger, Magic Sword & Three Wonders),
Ohshi Here's The Other STGs Pack (Gun.Smoke, Side Arms, 1943 Kai, Last Duel, Area 88, Mars Matrix, Great Mahou & Ultimate Ecology),
Orphaned Genres Ultimate Revengeance Pack (SonSon, The Speed Rumbler, Hissatsu Buraiken, Quiz and Dragons & Block Block), and most of all,
HWAAA! I've Been Holding This Licensed Load Back Since 1988 Pack (Nemo, Willow, The Punisher, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, Tower of Doom, Shadow Over Mystara & Aliens VS Predator)
Yeah I know, Area 88's a licensed game too. I'm hoping it skates by just like the Tenchi wo Kuraus. >_>