Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[Sumez]

True, HG101 is getting a lot of hate around here, but I really respect that the site aims to be a source of information rather than merely a proxy for it.

[BIL]

On the other hand, I enjoy reading game articles on sites like HG101 (not actual IGN stuff reviews).
Not because their opinion matches mine, or their reviews are entirely accurate, but because aside from getting to know many new games, it provides with a sort of synapse of the game in question, which I then decide if the game may or may not be worth playing.

The trick with HG101 and other mainstream commentary, I find, is to auto-filter sentiments of "BAWWW, ITS IMPOSSIBLE" to "this game is substantially challenging." When scrubs object, my interest is piqued!

Not just shit-talking here - BITD, I nearly shied away from buying Gradius V (and likely ever rediscovering hardcore 2D action) after EGM remarked "GOOD LUCK FINISHING WITHOUT FREE PLAY, LMAO." It was a fine review otherwise - you just need to know how to interpret this stuff!

a lot of hate

Quality over quantity is always best imo. ;3

Spoiler

[__SKYe]

Not just shit-talking here - BITD, I nearly shied away from buying Gradius V (and likely ever rediscovering hardcore 2D action) after EGM remarked "GOOD LUCK FINISHING WITHOUT FREE PLAY, LMAO." It was a fine review otherwise - you just need to know how to interpret this stuff!

Sadly I think this is far more prevalent on the average gamer, who take those reviews by heart, and won't even try the game before dismissing it. Which leads to further perpetuate the idea that said game is not worth playing/buying.

The trick with HG101 and other mainstream commentary, I find, is to auto-filter sentiments of "BAWWW, ITS IMPOSSIBLE" to "this game is substantially challenging."

Absoutely. Filtering personal opinion from any game review is a must. Not because they are wrong all the time, but because there's a good chance they are.
It's also important to note that this doesn't apply solely when they state that a game is too hard, but also when it's too easy.
Discretion is always advised.

Quality over quantity is always best imo. ;3

Haha, I read that thread and couldn't help but chuckle a few times.

[Sumez]

Absoutely. Filtering personal opinion from any game review is a must. Not because they are wrong all the time, but because there's a good chance they are.
It's also important to note that this doesn't apply solely when they state that a game is too hard, but also when it's too easy.
Discretion is always advised.

This is also why as a reviewer you should always aim to reason for your arguments and provide sufficient information for people to make their own conclusions rather than just relay an overall score and only present your own opinion.

[copy-paster]

But I think it gets even worse when reviewers (or your random blog guy) read a review from *another* guy that didn't bother to play the game through and has an opinion like the ones you posted (hard game/worst game/etc)

Reminds me of AVGN's review of Silver Surfer, from what I know it has not much hate back before the video was released, now the game suffers from the reputation as like what you say.

[kitten]

i recently picked up a pc engine duo-r. there aren't a whooole lot of noteworthy games on it that are not shmups (i haven't clarified yet, but i do actually enjoy shmups a lot. i like shmuppage. i have been on both the giving and receiving ends of a good shmupping. i'm just mostly here for this thread), so i've been trying out the valis series to see if it's at all what its fanatics say it is. it's not.

i like II. i had fun with it and probably consider it my favorite, amateur production value and all. none of these games are good, but they do sometimes manage to sometimes orbit decent. it feels sort of like spartan x with projectiles, which is kind of a pc engine genre all on its own - managing enemies spawning in front of and behind you and a somewhat slower, more methodical pacing. the series kind of feels like it has its own identity, in this title, even if that identity is cheesecake kusoge. i did a no miss clear of this one, but only beat the other 3 with continues. the remake of the first is the only other one i think i'd consider doing a self-imposed limit run for, III and IV both have some sharply difficult bits that have you wrestling with poor platforming and hitboxes.

III is kind of a mixed bag. it is obviously influenced by akumajou densetsu, and the dracula influence is something the series stuck with until it died out (including becoming 'erotic violence' in its after years, heyo!). i kind of like some of its background art a lot, but it's a pretty standard not-dracula game. injecting more platforming into this series was a bad idea, but it doesn't ruin the game. the three character gimmick is kind of fun and there's an occasional boss or level segment that make me feel like i'm briefly playing a good game. i feel like this one is the stand-out as most popular because of its megadrive port and being the closest to a dracula game in design. "like dracula" is enough to make people's brains turn into some sort of sludge - i mean, there are people that talk up 8 eyes for the famicom.

IV is outright awful, imo. it's much uglier than III, and feels like it has backgrounds done by the same artist that did most of wolf team's dirty, dingy megadrive background art. there is significantly more platforming, the power-up system is bad, and they make you switch characters all the time (why not just give every character a slide and double jump???). leaps of faith, offscreen enemies read to hit you as you jump over a pit, enemies that attack randomly, etc. it's very bad and the last 3 levels are tortuously bad and long - lots of memorization but otherwise extremely dull. a longplay of this game is over an hour and a half. eugh.

the remake of I is about on quality with III. plenty of problems, but they seem to be reigning the focus back a bit from platforming and focusing more on action, which is good. i mean, i like platforming, but sure as hell not in this series. the power-up stacking system is back, but the power-up placement isn't particularly thoughtful and it feels like spamming the homing shot is more useful than anything else. this is the only title out of the 4 to be a super cd game, and you can tell - though the backgrounds aren't that great, some of the character sprites are bizarrely well animated and have some stellar production value.

anyway i mostly just wanted to post how goddamn wacky some of the platforming is in III. there's a bit where you've got to freeze some enemies and jump off of them that is probably the most difficult segment in the entire game. and hoo boy, it is completely out of the blue how bad it is - up to this point the game is mostly breezy and a decent bit of fun.

http://imgur.com/a/L1QnP

please notice that i took three pictures of one moment - in this moment, i am hitting that enemy underneath me with my whip. i want you to look at the enemy, and then the whip. yes, the whip is somehow hitting that guy. how? why? the whip has two frames where you pull it back, but this is NOT like a belmont whip - only the two frames in which it is extended forward have a hitbox (no being able to hit slightly behind you or over your head), so you what are you seeing is supposed to visually relay how i hit that enemy. it's not like a previous frame has this make any more sense.

in the other pictures i'm just standing on the enemy beneath me. "standing." this segment is a total nightmare.

[Sumez]

there aren't a whooole lot of noteworthy games on it that are not shmups

.......






At least I can agree with you that the Valis series is crap.

[kitten]

there aren't a whooole lot of noteworthy games on it that are not shmups

.......






At least I can agree with you that the Valis series is crap.

look at my superfluous o's, doesn't that mean a degree of leeway? gosh.

for perspective: i am coming at the pce after a gigantic famicom kick and as a huge famicom fan, so its non-shooter library feels pretty limited, to me. as a newcomer to the console, i'm very open to recommendations, but i feel like my digging thus far has not turned up a whooole lot.

and before you recommend it, i do already love ninja spirit/saigo no nindo.

[__SKYe]

At least I can agree with you that the Valis series is crap.

Yeah, no doubt about it.
I think the only reason it got a cult following, is due to the female protagonist in ironclad bikini, and the anime cutscenes.
The gameplay is definitely not quite cult following material.

I've only played Valis 1 and 2 for the Mega Drive, and Valis 2 for the PCE CD.
They are overall no good, but one of the most annoying thing in all of those games, is that the damn camera doesn't scroll up unless you jump first.
This is especially irritating in the (many) sections were you have to climb platforms, and can't see a damn thing until you do a big jump, which many times means you get hit by a cheap shot (either enemy projectile or the enemies themselves).
Another very bad thing is the platforming sections, as the jump is very bad (especially Valis II, those physics are atrocious). Trying to jump the smallest of pits is a chore, and you can't get too close to the edge of the platforms, or else you'll fall.

I can see myself attempting to clear them someday, but there's no way in hell that I'll ever attempt a 1LC.
To me these games just aren't worth it.
I do enjoyed the fact that Valis 3 allows you to play different characters. A bit refreshing, I guess.

look at my superfluous o's, doesn't that mean a degree of leeway? gosh.

for perspective: i am coming at the pce after a gigantic famicom kick and as a huge famicom fan, so its non-shooter library feels pretty limited, to me. as a newcomer to the console, i'm very open to recommendations, but i feel like my digging thus far has not turned up a whooole lot.

and before you recommend it, i do already love ninja spirit/saigo no nindo.

For original action platformers, you have Legendary Axe 1 and 2, PC Gengin 1, 2 and 3 (AKA Bonk's Adventure) and the Shubibinman series (though only the 2nd game is decent).
For zelda-like games there's Neutopia 1 and 2.
There's also a lot of good ports from arcade games, like Splatterhouse, Dai Makaimura, Tower of Druaga, Cadash, etc.
If you're into kickass pinball, with a kickass soundtrack, there's Alien Crush (and it's sequels).
There's the thread favourite Parasol Stars: The Story Of Bubble Bobble too.

And, of course, for the obligatory cute game, there's Alice No Fushigi No Yume.
Honestly this game is fucking cute. Her attack is yelling a イヤ.
You can charge your attack, but if you remain charging for too long, she'll get tired for a couple seconds, and stop moving.
How can anyone dislike that. It is not a walk in the park either, by the way, so anyone has an excuse to play it.

By the way, if you want to check a catalog and short review of PCE games, check this site.
Like always, take the reviewers personal opinions with a grain of salt, but you can learn about new games for the system.

[dingsbums]

there aren't a whooole lot of noteworthy games on it that are not shmups

Are you serious ?
Just from the top of my head:

Son Son 2
Splatterhouse
Saigo no Nindo / Ninja Spirits
Parasol Stars
Rainbow Islands
PC Genjin 1-3
Agedama
Sokoban World
Pomping World
Splash Lake
New Zealand Story
Mizubaku Daibouken / Liquid Kids
Alien Crush
Devil Crush
The TV Show
Bomberman
Bomberman 93 + 94
Battle Lode Runner
Final Match Tennis
Don Doko Don
Shubibinman 2+3
Dragon Egg
Kaze Kiri
Adventure Island
New Adventure Island
Pop 'n Magic
Aoi Blink
Be Ball
Zipang
Macross - Eternal Lovesong
Langrisser
Chicki Chicki Boys
Ane San
Jackie Chan
Horror Story
Puzzle Boy
Kato & Ken
Mad Stalker

ect...........
just from the top of my head

[__SKYe]

...
Alien Crush
Devil Crush
...

Ha, a fellow kickass pinball games lover.

[kitten]

I can see myself attempting to clear them someday, but there's no way in hell that I'll ever attempt a 1LC.

i enjoyed doing it with valis II, and probably would do so again a second time for recreation. the vertical beam weapon cancels bullets and does very large damage when upgraded, and there are lots of health restores and a health extend per level. i didn't have too much trouble with the platforming, and it was thankfully very minimal. i never fell in a pit in the game (unlike in III and IV where pit deaths were extremely frequent in certain levels). it's honestly a pretty easy game, and much more forgiving than the other titles in the series.

For original action platformers, you have Legendary Axe 1 and 2, PC Gengin 1, 2 and 3 (AKA Bonk's Adventure) and the Shubibinman series (though only the 2nd game is decent).
For zelda-like games there's Neutopia 1 and 2.
There's also a lot of good ports from arcade games, like Splatterhouse, Dai Makaimura, Tower of Druaga, Cadash, etc.
If you're into kickass pinball, with a kickass soundtrack, there's Alien Crush (and it's sequels).
There's the thread favourite Parasol Stars: The Story Of Bubble Bobble too.

And, of course, for the obligatory cute game, there's Alice No Fushigi No Yume.

legendary axe i've admittedly not given a chance to.

i find the pc genjin games to be of incredibly low quality. high production value, but very slow, banal platforming. i realize they're a flagship series for the system, but i do not enjoy them at all. i probably enjoyed fc genjin more than pc genjin just because it was shorter and the levels felt more condensed. the pacing in these games feels almost non-existent - slamming your head into the ground pauses the game's momentum to halt, the movement has little skill to be exercised, and i hate how painfully often the game forces me to watch bonk's head explode after every single chunk of meat he eats. it feels like a game more in love with its presentation than its mechanics.

i'm a relative fan of the shubibinman series (have yet to play the first, have cleared both the 2nd and 3rd quite some time ago), but i don't know if i'd consider them "noteworthy." i like 2 a good bit, but it's partly for low production value and that kind of low quality pc engine game charm.

neutopia i've not tried out. i've heard that the dungeon explorer games are also decent, but i've not tried them, either. was going to burn dungeon explorer 2 to give it a whirl so i'd have to not jump in blind with a purchase, but it's juuuust over 700mb and i don't have any 800mb cd's handy.

ports i am typically not interested in, unfortunately. i feel like the famicom has many conversions of arcade games that ended up better in the process due to being tweaked and readjusted (contra is the most obvious example, of course), but pce ports are usually just a bit short of being arcade accurate - and are often games that have had better ports of those arcade versions for later consoles. i'd like to own a copy of pce splatterhouse, but it's a little pricy, and i can already play it on my 360 with much higher arcade accuracy (via splatterhouse 2010). plus, if i want the best home conversion, i could always try and get the fm towns one. i hear the druaga port is nearly a remade game, however, and i have been interested in it.

alien crush and devil crash are both good recommendations, but games i've not quite gotten around to, yet. it has been a long time since i've gone on a virtual pinball kick.

parasol stars is something i have a vague interest in - i'm not a terribly big fan of taito's single-screen platformer design, and bubble bobble never quite clicked with me.

alice no fushigi no yume is on a list i've got for stuff to check out.

Are you serious ?
Just from the top of my head:

(snip)

ect...........
just from the top of my head

a pretty large number of these are ports, and come on, kato-chan and ken-chan is absolutely not "noteworthy" by any standard

perhaps my standards are snobbish and i certainly did not intend to offend anyone here with what i've said, but i've already looked into or tried most of what's being recommended, here. this is certainly a list of games that aren't shooters, but - by my standard - i consider few of them noteworthy. lots of little interesting things, but i'm talking about quality titles like saigo no nindo or dracula x. like, say, i have wanted to get ane-san for its ludicrous presentation and soundtrack, but it certainly doesn't look like a quality belt scroller.

[__SKYe]

i enjoyed doing it with valis II, and probably would do so again a second time for recreation. the vertical beam weapon cancels bullets and does very large damage when upgraded, and there are lots of health restores and a health extend per level. i didn't have too much trouble with the platforming, and it was thankfully very minimal. i never fell in a pit in the game (unlike in III and IV where pit deaths were extremely frequent in certain levels). it's honestly a pretty easy game, and much more forgiving than the other titles in the series.

I see what you mean, but in may case, I don't see myself attempting the 1LC, not because they are ridiculously hard games, but because I don't find them very interesting (at least not nearly enough for me to put in the neccessary time).

i find the pc genjin games to be of incredibly low quality. high production value, but very slow, banal platforming.

I agree with you here, and to be honest, I'm not a big fan of them either. I just recommended them because, like you said, they are the flaship platformers of the system, and I thought you were somewhat new to the system and didn't new many games for it (I was wrong though ).

i'm a relative fan of the shubibinman series (have yet to play the first, have cleared both the 2nd and 3rd quite some time ago), but i don't know if i'd consider them "noteworthy." i like 2 a good bit, but it's partly for low production value and that kind of low quality pc engine game charm.

I also very much agree with you here, and I recommended them not so much by their quality, but more so as a curiosity. The 2nd game is indeed the only decent one, but is only exactly that, decent.
On a side note, are you familiar with the SuFamicom SatellaView game BS Kaizou Shubibinman Zero? It's more akin to a beat-em-up, and in my opinion, far superior to every other game in the series. We've just recently talked a bit about it here, a few pages back. Might be worth taking a look, if you're not familiar with it.

neutopia i've not tried out. i've heard that the dungeon explorer games are also decent, but i've not tried them, either. was going to burn dungeon explorer 2 to give it a whirl so i'd have to not jump in blind with a purchase, but it's juuuust over 700mb and i don't have any 800mb cd's handy.

Neutopia is a typical Zelda clone. Nowhere near the original, but a decent game, and given the lack of similar games in the system, might also be worth a look.
I've not played Dungeon Explorer 2, but I've played the first one, and it's, once again like many games in the system, decent. Again, give it a try at least. I do hear that DU2 is superior to the first game, so I also have to take a look.

alien crush and devil crash are both good recommendations, but games i've not quite gotten around to, yet. it has been a long time since i've gone on a virtual pinball kick.

They are, and it's nice that you can just play a credit every so often, and enjoy an awesome pinball game.
I'm usually not a fan of pinball games, but these have great presentation and gameplay. Definitely worth a look (also their SNES sequel Jaki Crush, which is Japan only).

A last recommendation I can make, although more as a curiosity than a fantastic game, is Gekisha Boy.
It is quite a weird game, but it's weirdness is what makes it compeling. It has an english patch too, if you're interested.
It's one of those games you have to play to appreciate (or hate, of course ).

[dingsbums]

a pretty large number of these are ports, and come on, kato-chan and ken-chan is absolutely not "noteworthy" by any standard

perhaps my standards are snobbish and i certainly did not intend to offend anyone here with what i've said, but i've already looked into or tried most of what's being recommended, here. this is certainly a list of games that aren't shooters, but - by my standard - i consider few of them noteworthy. lots of little interesting things, but i'm talking about quality titles like saigo no nindo or dracula x. like, say, i have wanted to get ane-san for its ludicrous presentation and soundtrack, but it certainly doesn't look like a quality belt scroller.

I'm not offended .
There aren't a lot of awesome action platformers like Saigo no Nindo & Dracula X on the PCE (why Konami never made a PCE Contra is a mystery to me to this day ). My recommendations were simply based on what I have played (and still play ) a lot; simply put => games I thought are fun.
For great action platformers you have to go to the 16/32 Bit generations or better yet, Arcade games of the 80's / 90's.

PS: Kato & Ken is awesome (you have to remember it was one of the launch titles).

[kitten]

I see what you mean, but in may case, I don't see myself attempting the 1LC, not because they are ridiculously hard games, but because I don't find them very interesting (at least not nearly enough for me to put in the neccessary time).

that's fair. after receiving a few game overs in valis II relatively late in, i restarted from scratch and managed to not die at all on my way back through the game. i was going blind into a few stages, too. my first time beating it was a no miss, but i feel like if it wasn't, i -might- have gone back to it to do so. there is something appealing to me in how it feels much honest about the type of semi-trash game it is than the later entries in the series. many poorer quality famicom games have this same charm. it is also much shorter than the other games, and i'm very grateful for that. i prefer a good action game to last about 15-30 minutes when you're on a no miss.

I agree with you here, and to be honest, I'm not a big fan of them either. I just recommended them because, like you said, they are the flaship platformers of the system, and I thought you were somewhat new to the system and didn't new many games for it (I was wrong though ).

i've done my research i've also had a good chunk of experience with the PCE through the virtual console, now something like ten years ago. to think - i'm now nostalgic for a few of these games that i played on a console as recent as the wii. i've also been going through cd games with reckless abandon - i've cleared more than a dozen new games in the last week or two and done several 1cc's/no misses.

I also very much agree with you here, and I recommended them not so much by their quality, but more so as a curiosity. The 2nd game is indeed the only decent one, but is only exactly that, decent.
On a side note, are you familiar with the SuFamicom SatellaView game BS Kaizou Shubibinman Zero? It's more akin to a beat-em-up, and in my opinion, far superior to every other game in the series. We've just recently talked a bit about it here, a few pages back. Might be worth taking a look, if you're not familiar with it.

i feel like a large amount of the appeal in the pc engine is in it having many titles of lower quality or lower production value in high droves. there are many curiosities, but few truly noteworthy, great games (that aren't shooters - there are quite a few good shooters). honestly, it feels like a truer successor to the famicom than the super famicom, to me, because of how quirky many of its lower quality titles are. i know that sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it's a big part of why i garnered enough interest to finally buy the console. like, for example, the studio that made armadillo for the famicom - one of its more offbeat, but poor titles - later went on to do faussete amour for the pce cd, which is a much better (but still low quality and offbeat) game. it's very lightly pornographic, but i've come to terms with a ton of pc engine titles having anime sex appeal and just roll my eyes at it.

i'm aware of, but not familiar with the sfc shubibinman game. i try to not emulate games (not for "ethical" purposes - i simply find that buying games paces me and helps me appreciate what i have more), but if i ever get a flash cart, i'll be sure to give it a shot. my burning of pce cd games is the first time i've been beating games i don't own (yet) since burning some stuff for the dreamcast a decade ago. i feel almost naughty doing this - playing sylphia before being able to afford it felt a little bit like erasing an unspoiled treat for myself years down the line.

They are, and it's nice that you can just play a credit every so often, and enjoy an awesome pinball game.
I'm usually not a fan of pinball games, but these have great presentation and gameplay. Definitely worth a look (also their SNES sequel Jaki Crush, which is Japan only).

A last recommendation I can make, although more as a curiosity than a fantastic game, is Gekisha Boy.
It is quite a weird game, but it's weirdness is what makes it compeling. It has an english patch too, if you're interested.
It's one of those games you have to play to appreciate (or hate, of course ).

virtual pinball can be pretty fun! i was a big fan of revenge of the gator for a little while, and i went through a phase where i was quite addicted to pinball fx2.

gekisha boy is one i've been looking out for, as well. i've heard a lot of praise for it and its unique premise. i like pokemon snap, so i might like it, too.

something i was surprised to not see recommended to me in either of your lists was gomola speed - i've heard quite a number of good things about this one, and recently ordered a copy (which should be here... in a few weeks).

I'm not offended .
There aren't a lot of awesome action platformers like Saigo no Nindo & Dracula X on the PCE (why Konami never made a PCE Contra is a mystery to me to this day ). My recommendations were simply based on what I have played (and still play ) a lot; simply put => games I thought are fun.
For great action platformers you have to go to the 16/32 Bit generations or better yet, Arcade games of the 80's / 90's.

my favorite console is the famicom (or nes), and it has quite a number of my favorite action games, too.

shatterhand, kage (shadow of the ninja), dragon fighter, gun-dec, dynamite batman, battle formula (technically a shmup, but sort of not), jackal (same), gimmick (though perhaps this is more a pure platformer), bucky o' hare, kickmaster, sword master, power blade, mega man, bionic commando, akumajou dracula, akumajou densetsu, contra, super c, and probably a few others i'm forgetting.

all great to excellent action games i would rate 3 or 4 stars out of 4, and i am pretty harsh on my rating scale. i honestly feel like later generations get a bit weaker in quality/quantity with their action content, though there are of course many notable exceptions.

[WelshMegalodon]

The people of SHMUPs have really done a thorough job of demystifying the bishoujo sidescroller. Athena, Vazolder, Fausseté Amour, Alisia Dragoon, El Viento, Dahna, ... all of those have been played, dissected, and - with the exception of Dahna - ultimately dismissed here as average-to-subpar action titles. Opinions on Mamono Hunter Yohko MD also seem to be mixed , leaving Popful Mail and The Ninja Warriors Again with Kunoichi as the only real contenders for the title of "Quality Bishoujo Sidescroller". Maybe Monster World IV if you're feeling generous, and a few belt scrollers like Shadow Force that have playable female characters. There may also have been a couple posts here about Madoola no Tsubasa.

And then there's Time Gal...

[BIL]

I reviewed Dahna here, then sold my copy to CIT for his own report. Now that's value!

I'm quite fond of MD Yoko. Has its rough edges, but where I declined Dahna, tolerate Alisia Dragoon and indulge El Viento, I rate Yoko as a solid combat platformer.

TNWA soundly annihilates all of the above. Legendary quality. I wouldn't directly compare it to their platforming, though - it's part of Spartan X's lineage along with Splatterhouse and of course the original Ninja Warriors. It's a shame the sidescrolling brawler didn't see further attention, post-TNWA's skillful incorporation of beltscroller grit, but if any subgenre went out on a high note it's that one! (I do consider Guardian Heroes and Panzer Bandit relevant footnotes, but their multi-lane system is already a big departure from that defining, inescapable single plane)

[Squire Grooktook]

Yeah I thoroughly enjoy Yoko too. Definitely rough with those wonky collissions, but something of a gem nonetheless.

I still mean to give Faussette Amour a try one of these days. I'm not expecting greatness, but I'm always up for experimenting with different grappling hook mechanics.

[FinalBaton]

Haven't played my copy yet (gotta repair my Mega-Cd) but Devastator, by Wolf Team, seems like a pretty cool sidescrolling action platformer.

Another Mega-Cd game that looks cool is Annette Again(in the Ernest Evans series), also by Wolf Team. Though this one is a belt scrolling beat 'em up.

[Squire Grooktook]

Funny you should mention Devestator, was recently reminded of it by this cutesie/ecchi gif found while revisiting Crash Carnival's archive of amazing hardcore vidya shit.

Spoiler

*edit*

I want to make a CV joke here

Spoiler

[BIL]

Funny you should mention Devestator, was recently reminded of it by this cutesie/ecchi gif found while revisiting Crash Carnival's archive of amazing hardcore vidya shit.

OMG. So much cool stuff there.

Spoiler

Bionic Commando GB represented. I'm inspired to make a few attract intro GIFs I've been putting off.

*edit*

I want to make a CV joke here

Spoiler

Men! Are you doing your part in the war on zako?

Spoiler

[Squire Grooktook]

On that note, this Gameboy AVP intro gif is probably up there with Ikaruga's "what makes them go" for soulful, brief protaganist intros

Spoiler

N O B O D Y K N O W S

[BIL]

Very cool, and also very true - debate rages to this day over whether he was trying to take Arnie out in a suicide attack, or giving him fair warning to GTFO.

[kitten]

The people of SHMUPs have really done a thorough job of demystifying the bishoujo sidescroller. Athena, Vazolder, Fausseté Amour, Alisia Dragoon, El Viento, Dahna, ... all of those have been played, dissected, and - with the exception of Dahna - ultimately dismissed here as average-to-subpar action titles. Opinions on Mamono Hunter Yohko MD also seem to be mixed , leaving Popful Mail and The Ninja Warriors Again with Kunoichi as the only real contenders for the title of "Quality Bishoujo Sidescroller". Maybe Monster World IV if you're feeling generous, and a few belt scrollers like Shadow Force that have playable female characters. There may also have been a couple posts here about Madoola no Tsubasa.

And then there's Time Gal...

wing of madoola is maybe sunsoft's first decent title and a remarkable shift in quality for them. i feel like it was the first sign of the company that would later go onto make some of the best famicom titles out there. it's not great, but i prefer it to other platforming rpgs like zelda 2, castlevania 2, faxanadu, or getsu fuma den because of its rapid pacing and lack of hard progress gates.

other good, earlier action games with women characters not mentioned above (though not necessarily "bishoujo"):

yami no shigotonin kage (shadow of the ninja over here, usually just referred to as "kage") is great! you can definitely see natsume working themselves up for the excellent shatterhand, in this title. you can play as a guy or gal in this one, or even do some simultaneous co-operative action.

i am probably one of few people in the world to think so, but i rather like rubble saver for the game boy. it's a remake of the notoriously bad famicom game, miracle ropitt. i wrote a full review of that, here - http://ettugamer.com/2016/06/19/a-trip- ... ble-saver/ (for the record, this is not my site, i occasionally write articles for it, however)

uhhhhh, the dragon in seirei densetsu lickle is a girl. that's a great game. that... kind of counts?

there are a number of belt scrollers, too, yeah. like alien vs predator arcade or any of the bare knuckle games.

wow, heck, that's all i can think of off the top of my head that's applicable and not already mentioned. a number of old famicom games i can think of with women protagonists, but not really many action games and not any good ones (layla, space hunter, etc.).

i -just- finished playing hiho densetsu: chris no bouken (often referred to as chris' adventure, for some reason?), and then replaying it for a 1cc (i think a no miss for this one would be pretty easy, at this point, just a question of if i want to keep playing it, tomorrow). for the pc engine cd. although not good, i feel like it does manage to be a fairly decent action platformer. very simple, but relatively solid design, and that unmistakable charm of obviously lower production value. there's a few things that are unpleasant or confusing on a first playthrough, but it's quite learnable. your character sprite in this one is radically different from how you're presented in cutscenes, and reminds me a bit of yume nikki.

i have somehow never played the ninja warriors again - surprised to see it so celebrated on here. there's a decent condition copy up on eBay right now for just $75, which isn't completely outrageous. it seems to rarely go for much less than that on yahoo auctions japan, which surprises me - might pick this copy up on ebay after sleeping on it.

never played yoko, either. it looks... rough. i might be able to snag it cheap if i'm patient on yahoo.

Yeah I thoroughly enjoy Yoko too. Definitely rough with those wonky collissions, but something of a gem nonetheless.

I still mean to give Faussette Amour a try one of these days. I'm not expecting greatness, but I'm always up for experimenting with different grappling hook mechanics.

the grappling hook mechanic in it is a decent bit of fun, and is largely why i played it as one of the first games i burnt. however, it's only ever used to an interesting degree in a single level, and most of the game only lightly suggests you use it or seems to forget you have it, altogether

[FinalBaton]

N O B O D Y K N O W S indeed!

Damn, that GB Bionic Commando intro is savage!

I wanna try Devil Hunter Yoko now, seems like a pretty fun sword akshunn game. Especially with the risk/reward throw of the bubble(which strips you of your invulnerability to projectiles) and the kickass soundtrack

[BIL]

i am probably one of few people in the world to think so, but i rather like rubble saver for the game boy. it's a remake of the notoriously bad famicom game, miracle ropitt. i wrote a full review of that, here - http://ettugamer.com/2016/06/19/a-trip- ... ble-saver/ (for the record, this is not my site, i occasionally write articles for it, however)

Holy shit, I had no idea Rubble Saver had any antecedent, let alone one on the FC. Will enjoy reading that. You, me, Macaw and Obiwanshinobi are the GB game's happy band of erudite appreciators. ;-;7 (sometimes I think I actually was drunk when I got my copy, but my love is real!)

i have somehow never played the ninja warriors again - surprised to see it so celebrated on here. there's a decent condition copy up on eBay right now for just $75, which isn't completely outrageous. it seems to rarely go for much less than that on yahoo auctions japan, which surprises me - might pick this copy up on ebay after sleeping on it.

All hyperbole outside, it's on my desert island list for sure. Technically flawless and very replayable - Ninja and Kunoichi's respective Hard games are crowd control masterworks (Kamaitachi is a fun EZMODO alternative). As a bonus, if you dig Kage and golden age Natsume in general, you'll notice Shunichi Taniguchi's handiwork everywhere!



The SFC version is superior (SNES one's crowd mixup+balance is damaged by censorship - no katana girls, with tons of claws to compensate), and pricey these days. I'd nab a good condition copy for that price without a second thought. I'm admittedly a bit nuts on the ol' vintage JP game collecting, but I'll stand by this one any time. Also my copy is never for sale, they'll have to kill me first. ;3

[kitten]

Holy shit, I had no idea Rubble Saver had any antecedent, let alone one on the FC. Will enjoy reading that. You, me, Macaw and Obiwanshinobi are the GB game's happy band of erudite appreciators. ;-;7 (I really was drunk when I got my copy but I love it anyway!)

i love it mostly for its weirdness, though it is a relatively decent game when taken mechanically, too. the game boy is a very close second to the famicom, for me, in terms of my love for it. i even bought nail polish racks to hoist my collection on (this picture is nearly a year old, now):

Spoiler

i share your love for bionic commando gb, too, btw: http://ettugamer.com/2016/08/17/a-trip- ... -commando/

i strongly suggest booting miracle ropitt up for just a few minutes in an emulator to gawk at how bafflingly unplayable it is. i have played a huge portion of micronics' library for the famicom, and i know the lengths i am going to to accuse it of possibly being their worst game.

As a bonus, if you dig Kage and golden age Natsume in general, you'll notice Shunichi Taniguchi's handiwork everywhere!

that is some unmistakable similarity! i'll definitely consider picking it up, but that's no trivial sum of money, to me. the copy for sale on ebay is thankfully the sfc version, should i go for it.

[BIL]

i share your love for bionic commando gb, too, btw: http://ettugamer.com/2016/08/17/a-trip- ... -commando/

Superb review. My thoughts exactly regarding the GB game - it's much more than a handheld curio.

Out of curiosity re: grappling arms, have you played Ninja Five-O aka Ninja Cop (GBA, not to be confused with Ninja Cop Saizou for FC)? Sadly it's pricey these days, but again it's one I swear by. Expertly combines Umihara Kawase-lite wire physics, Shinobi's precision rescues and Elevator Action Return's mild stealth. One of those Japan-made gems that never saw release in its home country (Hudson with ex-Konami, AFAIK).

i strongly suggest booting miracle ropitt up for just a few minutes in an emulator to gawk at how bafflingly unplayable it is. i have played a huge portion of micronics' library for the famicom, and i know the lengths i am going to to accuse it of possibly being their worst game.

One of the few developers I genuinely dislike, if only for their nabbing up so many home ports that could've become interesting in their own right. They must've charged some really competitive rates, and/or had mad networking skills.

[kitten]

Superb review. My thoughts exactly regarding the GB game - it's much more than a handheld curio.

thank you. i feel like a lot of game boy games get the bad reputation of being mere novelties. i still haven't finished that series of articles, most of which share a central focus of trying to disprove that. have you ever played konami's batman: the animated series for game boy? shockingly overlooked, but one of my favorite games: http://ettugamer.com/2016/10/02/a-trip- ... ed-series/ i admittedly have a heavy bias for the team that did this. two of the other 14 games i selected for this multi-part article are by them (gradius: the interstellar assault and cave noire).

Out of curiosity, have you played Ninja Five-O aka Ninja Cop (GBA, not to be confused with Ninja Cop Saizou for FC)? Sadly it's pricey these days, but again it's one I swear by.

i have. it has been quite some time, however - this was back when i was using emulators to actually finish games, so probably 8 or more years ago. i beat it and distinctly remember feeling a lack of satisfaction. despite the frequent comparisons it receives to shinobi and bionic commando, i wasn't really feeling the joy of either. it has been a long time, and my impressions might have changed. i've grown a much more sharpened taste, since then. i have a general distaste for the gba aesthetic i doubt i could shake off, however.

the last game i believe i finished on an emulator was holy diver, which i felt dirty for practice save states on (would savestate through a stage, then revert to a previous save at the beginning of the stage and do it legitimately). i think that discomfort was a big part of me stopping using them! i picked a copy of holy diver up just last year and trounced it twice, however. i badly want to do a 1cc but that god damned stage 4 boss feels like such a crapshoot.

One of the few developers I genuinely dislike, if only for their nabbing up so many home ports that could've become interesting in their own right. They must've charged some really competitive rates, and/or had mad networking skills.

them and tose, snatching up and ruining countless games. they're worse than tose, admittedly, but damn if both of those companies did not put out raw droves of garbage.

[BIL]

have you ever played konami's batman: the animated series for game boy? shockingly overlooked, but one of my favorite games: http://ettugamer.com/2016/10/02/a-trip- ... ed-series/ i admittedly have a heavy bias for the team that did this. two of the other 14 games i selected for this multi-part article are by them (gradius: the interstellar assault and cave noire).

I've actually never heard of it, let alone that it involved personnel of such calibre. I'm a huge fan of Interstellar Assault/GB Nemesis II's miniature space adventure - genuinely on par with Rayforce for seamless STG cinema.



^ god I love this bit of fanart.

Thanks for the recommendation - I was searching moderately hard for new GB stuff a couple years back, but gave up pretty quickly... the quest for "corn amongst crap" (as trap aptly put it ) quickly fatigued. I'd love to find just a couple more sidescrollers on par with BC.

i picked a copy of holy diver up just last year and trounced it twice, however. i badly want to do a 1cc but that god damned stage 4 boss feels like such a crapshoot.

Holy Diver 1CC is an admirable pursuit. Beware the temptations of a Holy Diver 1LC, however... Legitimately unfair yet diabolically alluring sidescroller. Promises hardcore action, doesn't uphold its side of the infernal bargain. I still can't let my copy go. It'll haunt me to the grave. ;3