The Non-Shmup 1CC Thread - Share Your Triumphs Here!

[xxx1993]

Branching paths are great at adding variety without padding runtime. Arcade style games shouldn't take 3 hours for a single clear, but if you separate it into managable chunks then get more replay value with less time investment.

Yes, but multiple endings and final bosses? This is Contra, not Darius...

[Air Master Burst]

Wait, so you don't like Darius either? I don't understand what you would have against additional optional content. You can just take the same path each time if you don't want to deal with it.

[xxx1993]

Wait, so you don't like Darius either? I don't understand what you would have against additional optional content. You can just take the same path each time if you don't want to deal with it.

I do, because at least I can tell which ending is the real one. And in Dariusburst CS they already show what the obvious ending path is. But in Contra: Hard Corps, I don't even know which ending is considered canon... It definitely can't be the secret ending where you end up trapped in the past or the bad ending where you side with Bahamut. The former reminds me of Star Fox's secret ending where you end up Out of This Dimension anyway.

[Air Master Burst]

But in Contra: Hard Corps, I don't even know which ending is considered canon...

This just broke my brain and I legitimately have no idea how to respond to it.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

But in Contra: Hard Corps, I don't even know which ending is considered canon...

This just broke my brain and I legitimately have no idea how to respond to it.

this exchange fukken rUles

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

The canon ending is whichever one you played last, I don't think it's really any more complicated than that.

[xxx1993]

The canon ending is whichever one you played last, I don't think it's really any more complicated than that.

I refuse to consider the ending where Bahamut escapes after you destroy the Alien Cell canon.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

lol wtf is this

[xxx1993]

lol wtf is this

This thread turned into a "Contra III: The Alien Wars vs. Contra: Hard Corps" debate, that’s what.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

But in Contra: Hard Corps, I don't even know which ending is considered canon...

Who says there is one?

Just because the game has multiple endings doesn't mean there's one "real" ending. It's just a bunch of different "here's ways the story can play out depending on your actions" sort of thing.

Games with multiple endings do not necessarily have a single "canon" ending unless they have a sequel that directly references the story and a specific ending in the the previous game. And there's several cases where a later sequel does establish a "canon" ending and it's sometimes a bad or neutral ending as opposed to a super secret good ending.

[xxx1993]

But in Contra: Hard Corps, I don't even know which ending is considered canon...

Who says there is one?

Just because the game has multiple endings doesn't mean there's one "real" ending. It's just a bunch of different "here's ways the story can play out depending on your actions" sort of thing.

Games with multiple endings do not necessarily have a single "canon" ending unless they have a sequel that directly references the story and a specific ending in the the previous game. And there's several cases where a later sequel does establish a "canon" ending and it's sometimes a bad or neutral ending as opposed to a super secret good ending.

At least with Darius I could tell which ending was the canon one. Like with G-Darius, for example, it establishes the Omicron as such due to it showing the Belsar picking up the remains of Great Thing.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

But in Contra: Hard Corps, I don't even know which ending is considered canon...

Who says there is one?

Just because the game has multiple endings doesn't mean there's one "real" ending. It's just a bunch of different "here's ways the story can play out depending on your actions" sort of thing.

Games with multiple endings do not necessarily have a single "canon" ending unless they have a sequel that directly references the story and a specific ending in the the previous game. And there's several cases where a later sequel does establish a "canon" ending and it's sometimes a bad or neutral ending as opposed to a super secret good ending.

At least with Darius I could tell which ending was the canon one. Like with G-Darius, for example, it establishes the Omicron as such due to it showing the Belsar picking up the remains of Great Thing.

why in the wOrld would contra's canon fukken mAtter at all?? x.X
it's fuCking contra, dude

the branching paths are there for the sake of having more content and replay value. it's pretty satisfying in the sense tHat 1cc'ing a contra game is usually over within a few days, so you have a few mOre routes to go about doing. i mean, hell dude, the fact tHat it's even unclear which ending is canonical shOuld signify how unimportant the story in the contra series is.
there's sOme minor issues with contra: hard corps (still an awesome game), but it dOesn't make a lot of sense to take issue with branching paths and being concerned with wHat's canonical. you might as well cOmplain about being able to select from multiple characters, and who's to say which one of those is even canon lol

lol wtf is this

This thread turned into a "Contra III: The Alien Wars vs. Contra: Hard Corps" debate, that’s what.

super c and shattered soldier are my favOrites :3

[BIL]

The canon ending of HARDCROPS was tragically censored basically the team celebrate BAHMOOT and DEADEYEJOE's defeat with a Great Big DOKIDOKI FUCK FEST where it's revealed BROWNY is packing a VIBEMASTER 9000 RAY and BRAD say "That's some bullshiet, that ain't fair!" as Sheena snaps up Brownie and runs off with him *door slam SFX* then they both get kinda sad because SOFT PENOR and they chill out watching Blade Runner while ignoring Sheena's multiple screaming climaxes. ;3 Source: My uncle work at nintendo fucker, don't question me!

Now real talk, Contra III's C+C glitch is kind of retarded, unless you have developed a permanent muscle memory at which point it's not really worth mentioning, and the pointblanks are actually pretty goddamn harrowing + SATISFACTIONS to pull off -

KEEP THAT VIBE AWAY FROM MY ASSHOLE (◎w◎;)

Spoiler

- but more importantly, its SIMMERRING RNG and even its very nice static layouts ensure a tighter pace than HARDCROPS with its stop/start, sometimes overly safespot-reliant minibosses. I think a talented arranger could make the ultimate Contra out of Hard Crops, but as-is it's more of a blazing highs / low lows affair opposite IIi's steady consistency.

Alien Soldier does the gamelength boss rush better than pretty much any other Konami or Treasure game imo. People say it's impossibly hard but they are fat and dumb! It's actually quite generous! Hit up this post to know TEH TROOF about its weapons balance, then hit the yellow brick road to take down Z-LEO! ;3 ;3 ;3

[To Far Away Times]

Alien Soldier is relentless. I can get about 2/3 of the way through it, but it's just so much to take in with all the options and mechanics, and it's a long game, and it is pretty damn hard.

Sometimes I just want to run to the right and hold a button to shoot instead of playing finger tetris while reacting to all this crazy shit.

[BIL]

True, the controls are a much bigger muscle memory investment than the norm - however, if you can get them down pat, the stage and boss designs are notably less harrowing (in terms of instadeath) than a lot of Contras. Much like its de facto successor Sin & Punishment, it's the kind of game that's much more interested in killing your run than your avatar.

2/3rds is about where it hits its peak, good going! One of my few criticisms is it ending on a bit of a downward cruise following an epic peak, but even the endgame is plenty enjoyable.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

I don't really mind Contra III's Crush + Crush combo. It is a bit silly, but it does have its relative weaknesses, it's fun to smash things with it, and I think it is balanced well against the other weapons when looking at the game's learning experience as a whole. A knowledgeable and skilled player has little reason to use anything but C+C, yes, but it's not necessarily the best choice for a beginner due to its lack of range and coverage - spread and homing have their uses for players learning the ropes, as does laser with its slightly sub-crush damage at full-screen range. It feels like a less-matured version of Alien Soldier's weapon balance, where ranger and homing are ultimately useless for someone who knows what they're doing, but are valuable as learning tools for new players, and so they still have a meaningful place in the game.

[BIL]

I don't really mind Contra III's Crush + Crush combo. It is a bit silly, but it does have its relative weaknesses, it's fun to smash things with it, and I think it is balanced well against the other weapons when looking at the game's learning experience as a whole. A knowledgeable and skilled player has little reason to use anything but C+C, yes, but it's not necessarily the best choice for a beginner due to its lack of range and coverage

Very true, it's no free lunch at all - its long decay time is also lethal, if you whiff a volley versus a mob of zako, you'll be left defenseless for an unnerving stretch. TBH, as with the (AC/FC) original's Spreadgun, and the (arcade) sequel's Super Machinegun, I don't mind it when a game has a clear "ultimate weapon," when they're this gratifying to use.

[Sima Tuna]

Contra: Hard Cocks fucking rules. It's enough to make me regret growing up a nintendies kid.

[BEAMLORD]

Reckon a Bad Ending run of Gimmick! counts?

That last special item is elusive, although I know where it is.

[xxx1993]

super c and shattered soldier are my favOrites :3

I honestly prefer the first two on the NES, Alien Wars, Shattered Soldier, and Neo.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

Cadash [Arcade (U.S. Version 2)] - Hardest - Cleared (Character: Ninja) - 1cc/NoMiss
probably gOnna get back on shmups after this.

difficulty setting dOesn't matter, but w/e

super c and shattered soldier are my favOrites :3

I honestly prefer the first two on the NES, Alien Wars, Shattered Soldier, and Neo.

i prefer ur mOm on nes.

but for real, uH...yeah like, any contra game minus the ps1 tErdz are all pretty reasonable cOntenderz. i dig neo a lOt. i like the first one and alien wars a lot too, but i seem tO gravitate more towards operation c over the first one, as well as super contra on arcAde (for w/e reason), and contra rebirth over alien wars. i like'em all thOugh =3

btw, i hope you fOund my post earlier in this thread to be pretty reasonable. :>

[BIL]

Reckon a Bad Ending run of Gimmick! counts?

That last special item is elusive, although I know where it is.

Still a pretty rugged run even without the true end, which is more of a disarming interactive coda followed by a TLB who's tricky, but arguably less-lethal than Stage 6's pink bedsheet ghost prick! (unless you corner-cheese the latter OFC ). Biggest caveat is the ending itself, heartbreaker!

That last treasure was AMAZIN to suss out rarely is my trust in a game's engine so endearingly rewarded. You want me to whaaat? Well ok I'll give it a shot. OMFG IT WORKED

Cadash [Arcade (U.S. Version 2)] - Hardest - Cleared (Character: Ninja) - 1cc/NoMiss
probably gOnna get back on shmups after this.

Oho! Nice, I think that's the first Ninja clear I've seen on here! (Vanguard posted a Priestess 1CC, IIRC) EDIT: Ohshi - TALKIN OUT ME ARSE VAN loves he Cadash! Still, an estimable clear of a labyrinthine game!

I hope Cadash gets an ACA release. Of all the "coinop ARPGs" (Dragon Buster, Druaga, Wonder Boy II, to name a few) it's the one I find the most aesthetically intriguing by far.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

Reckon a Bad Ending run of Gimmick! counts?

That last special item is elusive, although I know where it is.

Still a pretty rugged run even without the true end, which is more of a moody coda followed by a boss who's tricky but arguably less-lethal than that pink bedsheet ghost prick! (unless you corner-cheese the latter OFC ). Biggest caveat is the ending itself, heartbreaker!

That last treasure was AMAZIN to suss out, rarely is my trust in a game's engine so endearingly rewarded. You want me to whaaat? Well ok I'll give it a shot. WHOAMG IT WORKED

Cadash [Arcade (U.S. Version 2)] - Hardest - Cleared (Character: Ninja) - 1cc/NoMiss
probably gOnna get back on shmups after this.

Oho! Nice, I think that's the first Ninja clear I've seen on here (Vanguard posted a Priestess 1CC). I hope Cadash gets an ACA release, of all the "coinop ARPGs" (Dragon Buster, Druaga, Wonder Boy II) it's the one I find the most aesthetically intriguing by far.

oH, someone else in here cleared it too? rAd. \m/
the ninja is prObably the second easiest to use in order to clear the game from wHat i understand, with the priestess being the most efficient character, then the fighter, and lastly the old ass mage dude. regardless, cadash is definitely one of the coolest rpgs out there. i need to try mOre of the arcade onez

[BIL]

btw, TOP SECRET CRAZY SHIT

ふとまら→グレート fat dick→great

[xxx1993]

btw, i hope you fOund my post earlier in this thread to be pretty reasonable. :>

Yes, I understand.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

btw, i hope you fOund my post earlier in this thread to be pretty reasonable. :>

Yes, I understand.

glad my first pOst i said to you concerning the contra story stuff and the angle i was coming from cOncerning it to be coherent :>

[xxx1993]

Now can we please move on from the “Alien Wars vs. Hard Corps” debate and remain on topic?

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

Now can we please move on from the “Alien Wars vs. Hard Corps” debate and remain on topic?

ye

[BurlyHeart]

Metal Slug 1cc on ACA Neo Geo for PS4.

Great game. The music is outrageous. The bridge was my undoing many a time, and tbh, I was getting quite annoyed by the slowdown. Ditching the Shotgun/Flamethrower in favour of the pistol helped a bit. I've seen BIL mention this several time and of course he is correct - In the end, it was all about routing. Knowing what to do and where.

With a gun to my head, I'd have a real tough time choosing between this and Contra. I know they are the same genre, but they feel so different to me.

On to MSX!

[BIL]

Well done! Despite MS1's relative generosity, it's a landmark 1CC to nail down, with Final Mission leaving you Slug-less for a nervous length of time.

Interesting to hear you went with the pistol, but it makes perfect sense - for all the Shotgun's power, it's worthless if you're being relentlessly sniped from full-screen distance. MS1's Flame Shot, meanwhile, isn't the beast of the later games. Its big selling point is possibly its piercing ability, but by that same token, it's very sub-optimal for fighting the tanks that infest the bridge.

MSX is where the Flame Shot finally came into its own - a hellacious mid-ranged blast from the burning bowels of hell itself, liquefying zako and superheating armour to near-instant demolition. Maaan, MSX's weapons give me a goddamn chub.

In a tragic turn of love/hate, MSX is basically MS1's curve writ large... five stages of pitch-perfectly generous feelgood blasting, followed by an "ITS TIME TO INSERT MORE COINS MAN" finale. As with MS1, it's quality to the end - just conspicuously out to get paid, with the Slug abruptly taking most of the day off.

Contra and Slug are two of the best headliners a subgenre ever had, imo, packing similarly high intensity in starkly contrasting models. Contra, even as the series' focus shifted from run/gun to boss rush, is all about icy, surgical precision; dispatching enemies at barrel-length, with any and all contact instantly-fatal. Slug, meanwhile, wants you to get into the ruck, with its free player/enemy overlap, and beefy "push the button and five guys die" weapon hitboxes - but you'll still die with shocking suddenness, if you miss a raised gun or drawn blade amidst the scrum.

Meanwhile, their approach to ammo is almost the direct opposite; Contra's all about the screen-blanketing fire n' forget spray. Slug demands you tactically manage your supplies throughout; plenty of places to unload in fury, but you have to suss out where they are, first.

I like to think Konami influenced IREM with Contra, leading to Saigo no Nindou (the resemblances to Slug are unmistakable; the freely-overlapping scrums, the monstrously beefy weapon hitboxes, even the low gravity, more extreme in Saigo but still apparent in the later game), leading to Slug when the Nazca guys departed (Saigo and Slug's respective other halves being Taito's Legend of Kage, and SNK's Ikari - the use of grenades and tanks, both game-changingly powerful and in preciously limited supply, is uncannily similar).

I love 'em all.