What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[gs68]

Recently [strike]2-ALL'd[/strike] finished Persona 3 Portable on a second playthrough. First time on Male/Normal, this time on Female/Hard.

I'm going to do another male run just to try to max out all the Social Links, then if my interest in the game holds out I'll do a Maniac run and see how long it takes before I throw the UMD out the window (even if it's autographed by Laura Bailey).

[BIL]

Ninja Gaiden II (NES/FC) really does go overboard with the score extends. I've finished it with a nine on the life count more than once since picking it up again a few days ago, even with misses. The subweapons aren't quite as overpowering as I remembered, since their ammo cost is higher, but with so many extends rolling in it's hard to get a game over (particularly as replaying a level will have you re-killing enemies at the same furious rate).

Of course you can mitigate this by limiting yourself to three or less misses and/or going for a speedrun, and it's still easy to lose lots of those lives if you're at all careless. Some of the times I've managed to end up flying into a pit have made me laugh/groan out loud, the game is so mercilessly bent on getting you into them. Any time you're faced with a charging enemy and a pit nearby it's a split-second between which of you is getting wasted. Despite the lessened raw difficulty of completing it, it's still a classic piece of methodical twitch action that requires total concentration and dead-on accuracy if you're to play authoritatively.

The last two stages are as masterfully designed as I recall. I hope those eagles received a generous allowance of whatever the hell it is they work for, trios are absolutely relentless if you're caught short of ammo. Last boss rush is rewardingly varied and nicely balanced so that if you reach the very last one at death's door, you can still pull through with smart safe tactics. Also one of the most blasphemously hideous creatures the FC ever rendered.

These games are a lot shorter than I remembered, as well, but in a good way. It's a snap to play through each in half an hour or so apiece and be completely satisfied (if you're skipping cutscenes, of course). They still feel like vast, panoramic adventures thanks to the great use of setting and continuity between areas. NG1's entire South American chapter excels at this. As a kid it was a bit wasted on me, but now I really love the way it transitions from day to night as Ryu scales the mountain and ruins after escaping the dungeon, and how the jungle you battled through previously can be seen in the distance below.

[MovingTarget]

Flat mate received mass effect in post today, and is getting 2 and 3 also. Thought I would play through them all, looking forward to it...

[spadgy]

I know it's not especially popular, but I've finally picked up Zelda: Skyward Sword, and I'm really enjoying myself; a pleasant surprise.

[TransatlanticFoe]

I'm still not sure what to think of it. In many respects the game holds your hand too much but then throws you into something frustrating - akin to my experience with Jedi Knight II where I'd spend ages wandering around trying to find a way forward only to finally notice there's a lift disguised in a dark corner.

The Motion Plus is all over the place for aiming, requiring you to recentre all the time. For a game which such weight behind it I'm amazed that it's so wonky going between pointer and swordplay. Never had an issue with Red Steel 2 so why is Skyward Sword so flaky with it?

The Last Story should be with me tomorrow so Skyward Sword's probably not going to get a look in for a while...

[Obiwanshinobi]

The Motion Plus is all over the place for aiming, requiring you to recentre all the time. For a game which such weight behind it I'm amazed that it's so wonky going between pointer and swordplay. Never had an issue with Red Steel 2 so why is Skyward Sword so flaky with it?

I'm having issues with Red Steel 2 (although I doubt this kind of controls will ever be perfected, just like in about every TPP game the camera lets you down once in a while).

[SuperGrafx]

Fable III

I really like it...much more than I thought I would.
Just need more time to actually play it properly.

[null1024]

Kirby's Adventure [3DS], beat the final boss [jeez, DeDeDe and the orb were a bit annoying, but the final fight itself was piss easy], now trying to 100% everything.

[iconoclast]

Completed Rayman Origins recently. It's a lot of fun when you're going for the 350 lum medals on every stage and doing the time trials, but if you ignore that stuff the game is pretty boring. I enjoyed it though.

[Illyrian]

I've put about 80 hours into Just Cause 2 now. I've completed like 250/368 settlements now and 8'm basically messing around with mods and stuff. The zuperman mod that allows you to fly about freely is so much fun! It basically adds a whole new level of gameplay to the game. It is a total steal on Steam right now!

[gs68]

Serious Sam HD. Thought about trying it out a week or two ago, and what do you know, there was a sale for the entire serious, so I decided why not, get TFE for $5.

Enjoy the massive landscapes for all of 10 seconds because in the next second you'll have about 10 million monsters to kill.

[Ed Oscuro]

Cry of Fear, the most anticipated mod for the HL engine.

The water mapping looks pretty (sometimes) and the Stockholm props are very nicely rendered, but, eh. The combat isn't so good, which is a problem. It's also a lot more confined (ala Afraid of Monsters) than I had been expecting (and also seems to have AoM's "Dead and he doesn't know it" syndrome, but we'll see...haven't finished it up). There are some nice set pieces and some good freak-outs now and then - actually a lot less than I was used to. Kinda miss the "oh god how is it moving like that" antics of AoM, though. There are some pretty ingenious monster designs and some good textures but it's a bit uneven there. Also, some of the sound is pretty hard on my ears - there was one piece that emitted a shrill note for about a minute, which was way too long. Had to pause the game every few seconds just to try to help my ears.

There are also some bugs to deal with.

---

On the MAME side, been going over some light gun shooters:
Various other Exidy games (okay, just Cheyenne after Chiller, though I did like the D&D themed one and Who Dunit, for the lols)
Both Lethal Enforcers titles (beat default highscores in both, but they are tough)
Under Defeat (a little)
Operation Wolf 3 (most people don't like it, but I do, actually; working on beating the third stage).

Any other lightgun titles I should try out? Some games that I already tried out were Beast Busters (took a long time for cursor movement to get fixed in MAME, but now that it works I'm a bit disappointed to see the later stages), Crypt Killer (I actually bought the Henry Explorers OST for this one, great stuff, though not super keen on the actual game), Carnevil (meh), and Zombie Raid. Hoping that Total Vice and Operation Wolf (+ Tiger) will be working soon, along with all of the "canon" lightgun shooters like the Time Crisis series, HOTDs, and some others. Probably will need a new CPU to get a shot at running some of these at full speed, though...

[JBC]

I've been playing Super & Mega Turrican in order to gear up for the release of Gunlord. Aside from that I've been messing around with Demon Stone in MAME & the 'One Dangerous Zombie' & 'Leech Hunter' modes from Resident Evil Remake & Zero, respectively.

[Ed Oscuro]

Are you gonna tackle Leech Hunter in Hard?

[JBC]

Are you gonna tackle Leech Hunter in Hard?

I'd certainly like to. Its a tradition for me to completely tear each RE game apart that began when I earned Tofu in RE2. The GameCube entries are the only ones I haven't done this with and oddly so since they are my favorites. I've read a FAQ and am just sort of running around memorizing stuff right now. I love the crazy flutes when the Leech Man shows up in the main game.

[Ed Oscuro]

Protip: Don't collect anything till you shot all the bads

I believe I unlocked everything for Normal and then was like "ehh, that was enough of a chore that I'll leave Hard alone." I think.

[Hagane]

Been playing Panzer Bandit, nice game with a very complex fighting system (chains, airthrows, double jumps, juggles, OTGs, jump cancelling, feels like Guilty Gear in Beat em up form). The robot dude is hilariously broken and makes the game very easy though; after two credits with him I can almost 1CC it. Double grenade is extremely overpowered and you can corner rape most enemies doing neutral hard punch xx grenades for a couple of loops, then down + shot twice and then air combo, all very easy and damaging. Super is also stupid strong.

With the rest of the cast seems to be relatively hard though, not on arcade beat em up level but not as bad as with the robot. Enemies could be more varied too, but all in all it's quite fun for the combo system.

[null1024]

Tales of Innocence [DS] [yay translations], Mega Man Xtreme 2 [GBC], and although it's not exactly a game, it's on the DS, which is good enough for me, Korg DS-10. Made this little ditty with it: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6443934/ds-10-test.mp3

And in related news, the 3DS pad is godawful, I was playing Garou: Mark of the Wolves on it [in NeoDS at 5/6ths of full speed, although it would be incredibly nice if they'd put Neo Geo stuff on the 3DS eShop, especially since the 3DS processor is tons better than the DS's].
Although, I can't say I was expecting much better, and the placement doesn't help one bit. Trying to use the circle pad was sickening.

[BIL]

With the rest of the cast seems to be relatively hard though, not on arcade beat em up level but not as bad as with the robot. Enemies could be more varied too, but all in all it's quite fun for the combo system.

Interesting, I might revisit PB sometime. I briefly played it as Ein because I like using power characters in beat 'em ups. Found it fun but ridiculously easy to break as you described. Enemies were definitely samey too (wouldn't mind if they also weren't so bland-looking... like off-brand Treasure enemies). But the combat felt great otherwise - good to know other characters are less overpowered. Great music too.

In my own nefarious experiments, I've discovered a simple way of making Contra: The Hard Corps (MD) not ludicrously easier than its US counterpart. Just consider your first death Game Over. Even though your three hitpoints get replenished at the end of each stage, this actually makes the game harder for experienced players since you don't have that cache of extends when the last boss shows up. Of course if you're trying to no-miss the game the region difference is immaterial to begin with. Doesn't fix the sometimes slack level design, though... that mode 7 bomber in Contra III has nothing on HC's cyclops robot when it comes to making me scrutinise the wallpaper. Thank goodness the later stages rock so goddamn hard.

[Moniker]

Picked up Lumines 2. My brain is really not parsing how to puzzle through this game. Starting to question my basic level of intelligence. Also the background music video of the black eyed peas sampling the Pulp Fiction theme doesn't do a whole lot for me.

[Ed Oscuro]

ShadowCaster, by Raven Software, through DOSbox.

Somebody took my Heretic and Hexen and made it clumsy and bad

In the middle of an epic fight (more like, throwing a returning shuriken over...and over...and over, while sidestepping a little bit), I crashed out with this:

"Cursor too large (24x24)."

The game throws up access violation errors during the awesome (?) cutscenes and I have to see if I can't mount the CD-ROM better to fix that. Makes me sad.

[NTSC-J]

I finally beat Castlevania III for NES on a credit, as part of my Castlevania Challenge I started last year where I plan on beating every traditional 2D game in the series in the order they came out. I`ve 1CC`d Castlevania`s I, II, and III, Haunted Castle, Vampire Killer for MSX, and the first Gameboy game so far, and III (US region) has proven to be the hardest so far. I think a lot of people list it among the best, and certainly up to this point its at least second-best, but I have a lot of gripes with it. Only the first two stages have good music and some of the stages are too long. Still very solid.

Up next is Kid Dracula for Famicom, which after some brief play time seems like it wont take much time at all. Feels a lot more Rock Man than Castlevania, but its an ok game.

[xbl0x180]

Been playing Gal~Gun off and on. Then, I saw a video of it on YouTube and saw that the player had all the angles accessible. How do I get the censored angles from this game?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOPAFD18 ... re=feedlik

[saucykobold]

I finally beat Castlevania III for NES on a credit, as part of my Castlevania Challenge I started last year where I plan on beating every traditional 2D game in the series in the order they came out. I`ve 1CC`d Castlevania`s I, II, and III, Haunted Castle, Vampire Killer for MSX, and the first Gameboy game so far, and III (US region) has proven to be the hardest so far.

This is a worthy project and I commend you for it.

Give Castlevania III's second loop a try if you haven't. Every medusa head has been swapped with... something far more aggravating. The Alucard route in loop 2 has to be one of the toughest challenges in the series, especially if you don't skip the clock tower or sunken city.

[NTSC-J]

I didnt know there was a second loop...after the credits it stayed at the Konami logo so I thought that was it, but maybe I shouldve pushed a button. Not that I had the patience for any more, though...one run took over an hour. Those last few stages just drag on, especially on the Alucard route when you have to wait for the blocks to fall.

I`m looking forward to digging into the 16-bit games, particularly Vampire Killer/Bloodlines, which is underrated, and IV, which is probably overrated but I havent played it enough yet.

[null1024]

Mega Man Xtreme 2 [GBC], having some fun with it. For some reason, Zero doesn't feel like slashing sometimes during a jump though...
Garou: Mark of the Wolves [NEO], for some reason I am so enamored with the idea of it working at all in NeoDS that I insist on playing it there, 50fps and video glitches notwithstanding.
The World Ends with You [DS], I dunno whether I like it or not, just started. The main character is a dick for no good reason, his partner acts dumb as a brick, and the combat system hasn't grown on me because controlling your character is a pain because instead of dashing, he ends up attacking the spot on top of him 1/3 of the time, which has gotten me killed twice so far.
I do like the art style though, because it reminds me of Jet Set Radio.

[drauch]

I didnt know there was a second loop...after the credits it stayed at the Konami logo so I thought that was it, but maybe I shouldve pushed a button. Not that I had the patience for any more, though...one run took over an hour. Those last few stages just drag on, especially on the Alucard route when you have to wait for the blocks to fall.

I`m looking forward to digging into the 16-bit games, particularly Vampire Killer/Bloodlines, which is underrated, and IV, which is probably overrated but I havent played it enough yet.

I dunno, IV is pretty awesome. It kinda oozes with gothic atmosphere and the level designs are phenomenal. I can beat it, so it probably won't give you any trouble.

[BIL]

CV4's certainly a good game. Starts off a bit bland but increasingly picks up with some decently challenging levels suited to the eight-way whip and swing mechanic. More than any other traditional CV I tend to replay it for the atmosphere. The sprites generally haven't aged very well, but at their best the brooding soundtrack and muted colours create a certain ghoulish air unique among the games. Some of the later levels are really punishing with the enemy placements and instant deaths, too, so it's not just a pretty face. I've not tried the second loop, need to fix that...

Bloodlines/VK's relentless pacing, shorter game length and sumptuous graphics make it my favourite of the classic series. Konami code at the title screen will unlock Expert mode straight away, an act/plat experience so rich and concise I've cleared it several times a sitting more than once. It's also a superb refinement of the classically restrictive CV1 controls. You're still rightly committed to landing wherever you started a jump from, but light/heavy attacks, limited weapon aim, freedom to leap on or off stairs, mid-air direction changing and invincible special moves open up a lot of flexibility. Combined with the beefier subweapons (seriously, look at that fucking axe...), you can get a real torrent of counter-offensive death and destruction going, like in no other oldschool CV.

Something I love about the [CV3 / CV4 / Rondo / X68K / VK] period is, despite the games coming out within a few years of each other, they don't feel like a formulaic series so much as distinct sequels to the original game, with their own strengths and weaknesses.

edit:

Give Castlevania III's second loop a try if you haven't. Every medusa head has been swapped with... something far more aggravating.

Haha.... those damn things are why I never have a bad word to say about medusa heads!

[shmuppyLove]

Syndicate

Wow what a rush! Love all the overlay stuff, it really is a mindtrip.

[Illyrian]

House of the Dead 1 (PC version with fucked up graphics and no music!)
House of the Dead 3 (PS3)
Razing Storm (PS3)
Randomly dicking around in Just Cause 2

All good ways to spend time!