Gave Dracula IV's second loop no powerups/subweapons a go this morning, made it to the end of stage 2 before calling it a day. It certainly forces you to play more considerately, but I found this was mostly due to the risk of collaterally nailing a candle and autocollecting what the game no doubt considered a hard-won powerup.
With easier games I prefer to just let rip; if they're decent they'll usually still entertain me. Tecno Soft were masters of this dynamic at their peak.
I actually find IV's second loop (which I always start from these days) acceptably challenging, at least in its second half. Some pretty nasty enemy/pit arrangements, and although they're not my ideal, the abundant instant death hazards keep things tense. I do think the loop should've eliminated candlemeats. They largely remove the endurance factor found in the other traditional Draculas.
Definitely a game of two halves though. Everything up to the castle's front door feels like prologue. Very atmospheric prologue, and I don't mind when I've got an evening to put aside. But since I always play traditional Draculas in one sitting, I don't revisit it as casually as the original or Vampire Killer. Sometimes it's tempting to use a loop 2 block 6 start, but then it feels like I've skipped half the show. I don't get that awesome sense of grueling journey and arrival, nor my favourite scene in the game, taking down the heavily-armed skeleton horde that greet Simon in the courtyard with the open door just beyond.
Finished Gimmick with the true ending this week, but shamelessly used a couple credits figuring out the TLB.
You have to 1CC with all treasures to reach the final stage, but once there continuing is ok. TLB's a pretty unorthodox chap, and like most of his predecessors not easily nailed down. The game's enemy AI is wonderful, you can corral them into consistent patterns but it never loses that unruly, reactive edge.
As CIT said a while back, definitely a more challenging game than the aesthetic might suggest. The only things keeping it from feeling like an arcade clear are the high extend frequency and lack of time limit. I wouldn't change either, though. The blend of diehard sidescrolling excellence and pressure-free exploration is part of its enormous charm. It's not a punishing, morale-testing game like Holy Diver, nor is it as impenetrable as Metal Storm's second loop, but the pinpoint jumps, tricky physics and frisky AI will give the hardcore lots to work with. Probably the sidescroller that made the biggest impression on me in the last year.
I'd love to post about Grand Master but that's categorically not sidescrolling! I am liking Cocoron a lot though. It's a FC Rockman I can love (that isn't Lickle!).
I thought I detected a hint of bloodlust in st2's boss and his swordplay, but this guy wouldn't be out of place in Ninja Spirit. The stage's spear zako are pretty frisky too, be quick or be stabbed.. this game's enemy AI is wickedly fun.
Numbers were never my strong suit
