I use Fraps for several emulators, Mame included. It's not free, but it's easy to use and relatively fast. Give the demo a try.
In Mame32's default options, make sure full screen and Direct3D are enabled (this will let Fraps recognize the emulator). Choose a resolution if you don't like the default. In Fraps, select the game's framerate (60 for Metal Black). Playback your .inp and record.
At this point, you'll want to compress your videos with virtualdub. It's a really handy (and free) program--it can trim/split/conjoin videos, adjust the volume, and lower the framerate (Youtube seems to prefer 30 fps).
Klatrymadon wrote:Edit: oh, I recorded it with the Japanese version, so highlight that one before you select Playback Input.
Mame will automatically load the right game for you. You can highlight War Gods, if you want.
Thanks a lot, chap! I'll try the Fraps demo soon. If I can get this and MAME working at the same time (my computer's a few years old and hasn't been upgraded for gaming purposes or anything, so it's a bit iffy), I might try recording a more solid run at some point.
After much procrastination (actually I've been playing Gun.Smoke the last couple weeks), I'm finally getting that MB ST done! Mostly a matter of adding the screencaps now, should be done this week. Can't hurt to have it around, I figure.
BIL wrote:After much procrastination (actually I've been playing Gun.Smoke the last couple weeks), I'm finally getting that MB ST done! Mostly a matter of adding the screencaps now, should be done this week. Can't hurt to have it around, I figure.
Awesome! Can't wait :D I might actually play the game ^_-
So I was playing some Metal Black today (gotten into it recently). While fighting the last boss, I got a strange bug.
After a couple of beams into his heart, the final boss moved into the left side of the screen and got frozen in that position. Not exactly frozen, but "vibrating" back and forth. No matter how much I waited, the guy never came back.
Just as a curiosity. Did you know about this bug already?
Is there any way to play 2P side? I see the 2P score, but for whatever reason, I can never get the game to let me play with the score on the right hand side of the screen, even with multiple credits inserted, mashing start, checking the dip switches... It's mostly out of curiosity because seeing that 2P score but never being able to have 2P active seems like a weird oddity!
Edit: and I'm a derp. Just got it working - when the dip setting is set to dual control it's single player only, but when it's set to single you get 1P and 2P start options... did this game use some weird kind of extra wide control panel by default? What's up with that setting?
As BIL suggested, here I am to try and discuss some of the problems I'm finding in this game. As I said, I'm aiming for a 1cc but after some time of practice I keep on failing despite the improvements.
Not counting the usual errors stemming from lack of accuracy and control, part due to my poor ability and the game's "special" difficulty, there are indeed some sections in the stages that are especially conflictive for me.
First of all, Stage 3 boss. I actually made a savestate to practice it, but I still can't seem to get it right. Most of the time I manage to get there at beam level 4. I shoot the boss in the face while it builds its boulder, trying to make the upper stream hit the ball while it climbs the mountain, in order to be able to destroy the ball as it falls or right after it touches the ground when it's thrown, meaning I'll be able to focus on the boss and make it lose time building another boulder.
Notice that I'm not actively destroying the mountain of trash in order to make the mouth appear.
Then the mouth appears, alongside some Newalone, right? Ok, so while trying to deal with the boss as best as I can, I collect powerups until I get to MAX and then unleash the beam. Of course, this boss takes a lot of hits to kill, meaning I depend on good management of the beam release to avoid getting killed by the enemy beam. What I do is getting to level 2-3, release the beam to destroy the ball, get Newalone, repeat.
This is where I think I'm doing it wrong. Maybe I should build up more power to release another Level 5 or MAX power beam on the boss? Beam fight doesn't seem like much of an option, and despite I know you can actually evade the boulder when it's thrown while shooting its beam, it still is pretty dangerous because the boss picks it up again, goes up, and the beam is still on.
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There's also the last boss. The only actual difficulty this one has is being able to dodge its beam. But depending on the placement and where the boss is moving, it's got to be done accordingly. Any ideas? Also, is there any "optimal" moment (as in the placement of the boss) to shoot your beam to maximize damage? I've noticed the beam can reach the boss even if it's a bit far from the border of the screen, but what about MAX level lightning?
EDIT: Looking at the Strategy thread, that pic showing how to evade the beam looks rather clear, but it's not really foolproof, right? Depending on where the boss is when the beam is shot, this could not work?
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I think that's about it for now. There are other parts I have difficulties with, but I don't want to build big walls of text so I will try to discuss them later, if that's okay.
Daio & Gishiin (third boss) is particularly erratic, and is more about getting into a safe groove than pattern memorising. Here are a few things I keep in mind for it/them:
-a basic: always be firing the main gun when you cross the beetle's horizontal "line of sight," to block its sudden destructible bullet barrages. You can easily get picked off otherwise.
-blast away the garbage pile to bring out the giant creature immediately. AFAIK there's no point prolonging the initial phase... I just clear it ASAP by firing the beam. Since I actually want to be at level 1 when the battle proper ensues, for reasons explained immediately below, this works out well.
-neutralise the trash ball by blasting it with a level 3 beam as soon as it forms at the base of the slope, then letting the beam exhaust, recharging to lvl3 and repeating. With a little practice you can get into a groove of instant-killing the ball, sending the beetle back to the bottom to reform it, and repeating until victory (the beetle will be taking heavy damage during this process).
-I actually don't recommend hitting this boss with a full beam, since the trash ball may reform and fire its own while yours is on the way out, resulting in a probable red sphere of death. Just stick to quick, repeated lvl3 beams.
(I wonder if this is the only Sisyphus-themed shooter boss battle?)
Omega Zone (last boss) is again fairly erratic with its free-floating movement. Do note that its position when firing its boss beam is influenced by that of your ship (I try to lure it to the upper-right as shown in the ST). Wherever it is when the beam fires, you want it to pursue you in an inefficient diagonal motion, buying enough time for the beam to die down so it can't guillotine you against a screen edge. This is definitely more of a "feel" thing than a strict pattern, afaik. It can definitely be evaded consistently, though - try to influence it into a pattern you're comfortable working with, then lure it into producing a similar pattern every time.
As with other bosses who like to trap you with their beams, like Amazo (st4) and Ghost (st5), one thing you can try if you're absolutely cornered is starting a beam battle, which should get you clear of the laser.
I've used the strategy you mentioned for the Stage 3 Boss and I can say I'm actually doing better now! Or at least, feeling ore confident about beating it. Maybe not getting rid of the mountain of trash right at the beginning of the fight is precisely what made it so agonic for me.
(And I can't think of other fight like this. This game is rather unique in terms of weird boss fights, but this one is probably the most original one).
I'm one step closer to the 1cc! I actually got to the final stage with one credit just a moment ago (I even saved an input record file to motivate me when I have a bad day, heh). My biggest troubles are probably latter Stage 5 (maybe I should use the beam in the last part?) and managing the beam in Stage 6. The rest? Stupid errors. But that's chronic, or at best, a matter of experience.
Regarding the final boss, I said "screw it" and made a savestate to practice it separately, as I did with Daio and Gishin. I'm getting better using your ST guide and advice. I hope I can perfect him consistently soon. Once you get the gist of it, the biggest danger are actually the snake-like things he shoots and that pursue you.
BareknuckleRoo wrote:Edit: and I'm a derp. Just got it working - when the dip setting is set to dual control it's single player only, but when it's set to single you get 1P and 2P start options... did this game use some weird kind of extra wide control panel by default? What's up with that setting?
Older versions of MAME have it the other way around, and "Dual" (1P and 2P options) is default. Either someone's screwing around, or someone wanted to reproduce an error on the part of Taito, or... I don't know.
Hello! I've been practicing Metal Black on Normal, and I decided to pop it on Easy to see what the difference was. It seemed like some of the enemies had less health, but I wasn't sure--it's hard to tell. My apologies if this question has already been answered, but I thumbed through the ST and GD threads and didn't see anything on it.
