Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[trap15]

Probably, but it's not that fast of a game anyways. More tense, I'd say.

[andsuchisdeath]

The falcon/dragon transformations seemed wayyy overpowered in the first, do they have any counterbalances the second time around?

I would say so. In the second loop you are more or less forced to work harder if you rely on using a dragon/falcon transformation to clear the same tricky parts from the first loop.

It's far more difficult dealing with the loop 2 enemy behavior with short range bo/sword (falcon/dragon) weapons.

So, you're ultimately forced to A. rethink your transformation strategy B. Develop a stronger understanding of/skill set in using the bo and sword if you insist on flying over the same sections of the game that scared you the first time around. C. Stick with the kusarigama and develop a rigidly firm understanding of enemy placement/behavior for this loop.

I've yet to clear loop 2 myself.

[BrianC]

Doesn't Power Strike II run faster on NTSC systems? Not always the case with 8-bit PAL games [I read PAL NES Super Turrican runs the same on NTSC consoles, except the music plays at higher pitch (not even faster)].

I think it might, but the real question is "which speed is correct"?. I have a few EU imports and I'm under the impression that most of the ones designed in Japan run at the correct speed on US systems since the speed is closer to their GG counterparts. Even some EU developed games like Marble Madness seem to optimized for both PAL and NTSC. I'm also under the impression that the majority of PAL SMS games that came to the US weren't properly optimized for PAL (Alex Kidd and Captain Silver run at the correct speed on the US system, though the latter has a lot more content).

I also noticed, telling from videos and the VC version of Ufouria (which is an unaltered EU ROM running in 60 Hz), that some NES games optimized the music, but left the gameplay speed alone. So the VC Ufouria runs just like the video I saw of a PAL Ufouria running on a US NES with the actual game speed very close to the JP Hebereke, but with sped up music.

[BIL]

It's far more difficult dealing with the loop 2 enemy behavior with short range bo/sword (falcon/dragon) weapons.

So, you're ultimately forced to A. rethink your transformation strategy B. Develop a stronger understanding of/skill set in using the bo and sword if you insist on flying over the same sections of the game that scared you the first time around. C. Stick with the kusarigama and develop a rigidly firm understanding of enemy placement/behavior for this loop.

Now that sounds more interesting. I'm a big fan of second loops/higher difficulties that change things up instead of just tweaking a few damage parameters (even some really good games suffer from this, like Super Shinobi II and Hagane).

Unfortunately I've spent all morning lazing about with Akumajou Densetsu in loop 2 start. Or rather getting whipped back up to speed. I always forget that this game's second loop, while not ludicrously unforgiving like the NES version with its universally maxed-out damage scale, is by no means easy. Damage is still pretty nasty, especially to Grant and resident glass cannon Sypha, and certain areas crawl with monsters. The level designs are also inherently much more challenging than the original game's. Far bigger and trickier game to no-miss even if you're taking full advantage of the partner characters' selected game breaking abilities.

I'm less and less motivated to get the NES version these days. The one thing I really miss is Grant's short-ranged NES knife, which turns the game into a virtual ninja sidescroller much like Maria does to Rondo. Sypha's my favourite partner by far though, and just as effective at turning the FC version into a wizard sidescroller as she is on the NES. Trevor/RARUFU solo runs even make it play like Castlevania! So fun mixing and matching teams and routes. I still need to figure out what Dracula-kun is good for too.

Astounding research: everyone knows the original game's hunchbacks have a fatal weakness for goading into an informal session of leapfrog. OBVIOUSLY ROFL.



But little did I know Densetsu's bunnies had evolved a defense against this ruse:



Unfortunately if there's a wall in their way, tragedy ensues. RARF PLS. 3:<

[Ed Oscuro]

Did this slip under the radar this year? Posted in memory of Jim's tigre ~

[Squire Grooktook]

Since we were talking about the mechanics in CV: Bloodlines earlier, I think I may have discovered some interesting tidbits with Eric Lecarde.

As mentioned, his normal grounded attack automatically hits twice at the correct range, regardless of whether the button is held or not. As also mentioned, this doesn't apply to upward strikes. As it turns out, it doesn't apply to crouching attacks either. The real interesting part, is that messing around, it seems like the crouching attacks have very slightly faster speed then his standing attacks, to offset their reduced range (at least, that's really the way it looks. Someone who knows how to test these things better than me want to give it a whirl). Possible to use them like jabs in a fighting game to stun lock enemies? I'm still messing around, but it seems pretty useful against some foes so far.

[BIL]

Yeah, I definitely noticed the faster crouching attack while messing about last weekend. I'd forgotten how differently he plays - John/Eric's a less obvious divergence than Richter/Maria or Ralph/Grant, but you still get a lot of finer variables to work with.

I think it'd have been *really* interesting if their subweapons behaved differently. There's a hint of this in their bombs (John's is better at killing a single hard target, Eric's seems more of a general area effect).

Would love to see an annotated Eric replay from you sometime, btw. ^__^

[Squire Grooktook]

Coming soon! During winter break, probably.

[GSK]

So far, I think this is how I'd rank the 8-bit ninja games I've played:

1. Ninja Ryukenden
2. Ninja Ryukenden III
3. Kage
4. Ninja Gaiden (SMS)
5. Ninja Ryukenden II
6. Jigoku Gokurakumaru

NGSMS is an okay game, but better than NGII? I definitely wouldn't go that far; it kinda feels like a bunch of b-material from NGIII to me, which is probably as good as can be expected from an outsourced game but it still can't hang with the original games.

(Don't bother with NGGG, it's terrible.)

Incidentally, does Vice/GUN-DEC count as an honourary ninja game?

[Mortificator]

I liked the Master System Ninja Gaiden quite a bit when I first played it, but over time, my appraisal slid to GSK's.

[CIT]

NRII is a good game, but frankly, the smaller sword-hitbox, largely useless shadow ninjas, and gimmicky stage physics make it less fun for me than blasting through SMS NG as fast as possible, spamming the invincible fire wheel.

Incidentally, does Vice/GUN-DEC count as an honourary ninja game?

Considering it was made by some of Ninja Ryukenden's staff, I'd say so.

[BIL]

I love GUN-DEC, but I wish it had kept Ryukenden's Up+B input for its ranged weapons. The Batman-style cycling doesn't work as well in this much faster context. I guess it might've been a balance decision to force a choice between power and range, but it's not like the game is that tough anyway (at least to survive, with the low damage scale and regular healing items - a la NRII, it's still more than sufficiently tricky to play stylishly).

Fantastic game though, and an obvious recommendation for Ryukenden fans. Certainly ranks among the usual top FC sidescrollers from Konami, Capcom, Irem, Tecmo, Sunsoft and Natsume.

[BIL]

Messing about with my fledgling GB collection this evening, decided to search around for any commentary on Dracula Densetsu II's sluggish walking/jumping speed. First result was this superb fan patch that raises it to the FC trilogy's brisk pace. Proceeded to clear the game twice back to back, works splendidly. Not that sheer challenge is really DDII's forte, but having one-lifed both the original and patched versions, the latter is scarcely easier yet far more spontaneous. Ordinarily I prefer to go with unadulterated original code, warts and all, but this game's an exception - the walk was totally misjudged, dragging down an otherwise superb mini Dracula. So much easier to enjoy the original stage+enemy designs, tight mechanics and especially the phenomenal soundtrack. Will be getting a GB flashcart just to play on real hardware before sticking it on the shelf next to my copy.

I used to assume the first GB game's truly hellish plod was early gen teething problems, but now I wonder. DDII's contemporaries Nemesis II and Contra sure as hell don't have speed issues even with both putting a lot more stuff onscreen.

[Squire Grooktook]

^^^thanks for the patch, will give it a shot.

I'm really quite impressed by how enjoyable Eric is to play in Bloodlines. His invincible pole vault is more useful then it seems at first, once you understand the bosses patterns it allows you to dodge attacks that would otherwise force you to back up, setting you up to deal additional damage (not to mention the vault itself does light damage). His upward and diagonal strikes are incredibly useful in the games end game too, allowing you to execute some almost blasphemous corner trap strategies against the Moth Queen and Dracula himself.

I think my only complaint about the game, is that both aesthetically and gameplay wise it kind of loses some steam in the end game. It's almost the opposite of CV1, where the first 3 stages are fairly predictable but the last trinity of bosses is a nail biting rng hell. The first 2 bosses in Bloodlines are probably the most twitchy and unpredictable, whereas the late game baddies can be played like a fiddle. Also outside of the awesome opening and devious "Dracula Security System" Castle Prosperpina seems a bit underdeveloped, being more composed of recycled hallways from Versailles (featuring only a few enemies this time) and a boss rush instead of the climactic end game it deserves to be. Given that their both more or less castle themes (also noticeable compared to the diverse and surreal environments of the first 3 stages), I think it would have been more interesting if the best bits of stage 5 and 6 were merged for a final stage, leaving something different for stage 5.

But other then that, I think this is definitely one of the best Dracula's. Well paced throughout, awesomely fun mechanics (definitely grown to love the light/heavy system, along with i-frame moves and the more vicious ex-sub weapon attacks), nice variety of challenges (like Hardcorps, just enough rng patterns in there to compliment the speed killable static sections), and nails the Castlevania feeling of vulnerability and commitment while giving you the potential to play more like a badass and take bosses apart with finesse. If it had CV1's last 3 bosses and a slightly better last stage it would probably be the ultimate Dracula.

[BIL]

I always thought it was kinda funny how, in a game ram-packed with bosses, probably the weakest of the repertoire shows up so very late (Countess Bartley's second phase). Mostly in the sense that you can't tear her apart like 99% of the others. That ability to attack so ferociously, without the game ever allowing undue slack, is what really makes it my favourite Dracula.

Purely stylistically, I also really like how rapidly the game moves from scene to scene. Makes each stage feel grander, like you're seeing a series of highlights rather than a mere A to B path. The last unfortunately really is a bit of an anticlimax after its strong start (I love the Medusa-infested "shattered mirror" hallway with blood dripping from the ceiling and pits everywhere, never feels very safe at all... and wow, the bridge explodes like a motherfucker). Pretty much all dependent on series lore after the inverted deathpit, with the succession of "castle keeps" leading to Dracula. It does derive a certain sense of climax from that, I think. Manages to feel like quite the occasion when "Theme of Simon" comes on. Also like how in this game you ascend to the right - blasphemy befitting of a half-cocked resurrection plot!

Did you notice how in Proserpina's opening bridge area, the game sneakily deletes and then puts back a bit of the left screen edge, just like Hard Corps does during the Yokozuna train battle? I always loved that, in both games. Blasting at the limit.

[GSK]

I used to assume the first GB game's truly hellish plod was early gen teething problems, but now I wonder. DDII's contemporaries Nemesis II and Contra sure as hell don't have speed issues even with both putting a lot more stuff onscreen.

I was always told that the first game was deliberately slowed down to account for the terrible screen, but it seems hard to think that they'd allow the game to be crippled in that way, especially when you consider the pedigree of the people who worked on it (Nakazato, pre-Treasure Maegawa, Hanzawa, etc). I know Maegawa has been quick to disparage that game in the past, so maybe it was just rushed or something, I dunno.

Just looking at the credits for the second game, it seems that the exact same team made both Operation C and Belmont's Revenge: two programmers (including Rondo/Symphony director Toru Hagihara), one graphic designer and one sound guy, plus a few "special thanks". C came first by about eight months.

[BIL]

Good info! I had no idea Nakazato and Maegawa worked on the first GB title. Funny, the game from around that time I associated them with was Bucky O'Hare (FC), about as blazing fast as sidescrolling action gets.

I definitely had the impression GB Contra and DDII involved the same people. The one original stage BGM in the former (stage 2) also sounds like a dead ringer for the speed metal-styled "Original Sin" of the latter.

[Squire Grooktook]

I always thought it was kinda funny how, in a game ram-packed with bosses, probably the weakest of the repertoire shows up so very late (Countess Bartley's second phase). Mostly in the sense that you can't tear her apart like 99% of the others. That ability to attack so ferociously, without the game ever allowing undue slack, is what really makes it my favourite Dracula.

My favorite part is when I realized Bartley is basically just a suped up version of the water mage fight in stage 2 lol

But yeah, totally agree about the agressive gameplay style. Really adds a lot of adrenaline to the patterns, letting you push yourself to the limit in abusing bosses like that. And it feels like something the game intended and encourages, rather then a dangerous and unnecessary self imposed challenge.

On that note, I think the game also has a really satisfying sense of impact on blows. Really puts the pow in melee combat.

Purely stylistically, I also really like how rapidly the game moves from scene to scene. Makes each stage feel grander, like you're seeing a series of highlights rather than a mere A to B path.

Yeah, the pacing is fantastic. I also think another appealing part of the games scenes (both aesthetically and gameplay wise) is how disconnected they seem, especially in stage 2 and 3. One moment your climbing atop some believable (by this franchises standards) sunken ruins, then the next your in some sort of sunken babylonian garden. Or in Piza where the geometry of the tower just makes no sense. Of all the games I think it has the best feeling of the supernatural, making each landmark feel like it's been sucked into some sort of twilight zone dimension.

There's a bit of it in stage 4 too, when you unexpectedly go from a normal (again, for this franchises standards) factory to what feels like a giant but claustrophobic car engine where pistons threaten to crush you.

That surreal style actually reminds me of Alien Soldier a bit actually. Gotta love the complete lack of explanation for going from an air plane to some sort of organic skull forest lab to the destruction of the planet to the Himalayan mountains.

Heheh, didn't notice that Bridge trick. Dat programming.

[BIL]

Somehow I totally forgot about the max powerup/powerdown mechanic. Probably the game's most compelling feature with regards to pace, with it boosting destructive power through the roof at the risk of a single mis-step ending your rampage. It also firmly rewards no-miss play, since bombs need ammo and unlike most Draculas your stock persists between stages, provided you survive. With the heavy combat and relative scarcity of wallmeats, endurance is probably the game's hardest aspect relative to other Draculas, but as your performance improves so does the ability to demolish all in your path.

This performance feedback really leapt out at me when I returned to VK and other neglected old favourites after getting into shooters and other arcade staples. It's a two-way street I notice in other stuff that rewards good play with bigger guns, like Kage and Solbrain on FC. It can feel a bit punitive in those since you can get beaten right down to starting level, essentially forcing you to put significant time in before you can feel decently equipped. VK's iteration is a lot milder, since at worst you'll be at the penultimate weapon level and still more than capable of doing serious damage.

There's also a really neat bit of Dracula geek lore tied to the max powerup, via secret code:

Enter the options menu. Set 05 as the BGM (background music) and 073 as the SE (sound effects) selections. Press Start to begin game play. Now once you fully upgrade your whip/ spear alternate tracks will play. These tracks include: Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears [and Beginning].

I love it. Konami 573

Something else I forgot - regarding Alisia Dragoon in the MD thread, have you played Shinrei Jusatsushi Taroumaru (Saturn)? Although its characters can most definitely evade and defend effectively, it fits your description of a magic user staying a step ahead of superior numbers before unleashing hell on earth to a T.

It often gets compared to AD, but apart from the superficial similarities of their main weapons and use of familiars, they play little alike. AD's limited agility emphasises safe positioning and methodical progress, with its four familiars requiring just as careful management. Taro has unlimited maneuverability and expects you to use it, with familiars merely meat warheads to be enslaved and detonated ad infinitum. Where they converge is the need to forego rapid, ineffectual strikes in favour of one big bang, but again the implementation is different. In AD you want to rake lightning across everything in sight. In Taro, the idea is to hit one enemy hard, and reap the telekinetically mutilating domino effect. Taromaru (young protege)'s max kill shot will leap from the initial target to others, chain lightning-style. Tenkai (ol' sensei)'s kill shot can't do this, but his stronger possession shot ensures a steady supply of slaves to detonate, making him potentially even more destructive.

Unfortunately this lovely mechanic seems to get overlooked, nowhere moreso than in the review that's the game's first English google result. Peck away at single targets with uncharged attacks and you'll a) be bored and b) get beaten down. The idea is to dance around your foes, who incidentally have deliberately obvious attack startups, before unleashing the above described wave of mutilation. You also have a freely spammable shield that blocks fucking everything (sorry, the emphasis is warranted if you've read that review), at the cost of resetting that vital charge attack. The presence of a targeting cursor also tends to give the false impression that you're meant to play it like Wild Guns or something, but no: focus only on what's nearby and able to hurt you, and rely on the aforementioned chain effect to hit stuff further away.

I'm a big fan, definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of an agile sidescroller where graceful evasion and efficient, catastrophic strikes are the ideal. Bonus: gorgeous pitch-black Japanese folk horror atmosphere with a brooding, sweeping soundtrack. Broadly it's also totally of the Hard Corps/Alien Soldier boss-o-rama school, and there's not a clunker in there.



I spent this evening playing Bionic Commando GB. Made it to the end with a continue used, frankly am just happy with that for now. Hands-down the toughest of the GB action sidescrollers I've played so far (others being Contra, Dracula Densetsu II and Ninja Ryukenden GB) - the very last stages are intense and truly force you to develop your grappling technique. Although technically a remake, this is very much a bona fide sequel to the FC game; the four year gap really shows in the smoother grappling and correspondingly more demanding level design. The FC game is a bit glitchy and knows it, as the snow stage's ceiling zip mandating 3UP cache confirms - its most challenging swinging is limited to short perilous bursts. GB smooths out the arm, then deploys it in long acrobatic sequences of do-or-die technique over increasingly deadly ground.

The reduced gravity initially seems overly generous, but with the later stage designs it's clear Capcom erred on the side of reasonableness; those extra split-seconds become vital with the need to constantly evaluate and adjust your flight path and angle of attack. I really like the resultingly enhanced ability to "dampen" a swing's momentum by hitting Down - much more viable as a compromise between fatal over/undershoot here than on FC.

A bit annoyingly, the FC's mildly intrusive unskippable dialogues are significantly moreso here. Definitely a little too much shonen manga chattering going on in boss intros/outros, though in the big picture it's still easy to forgive. I also prefer the FC's much more exciting comms room ambushes. They're random in both games, but where the FC puts a bayonet in your face and another at your back with mere frames to respond, making for a satisfying test of reflex every time, GB's extended warning defuses any tension. It would've also been cool to see the FC's useless final weapon, the machinegun, given some purpose here - it's still pretty much a completionist's trophy. These are all nitpicks though. Definitely worth trying out for any grappling arm enthusiast.

[trap15]

I spent this evening playing Bionic Commando GB. Made it to the end with a continue used, frankly am just happy with that for now. Hands-down the toughest of the GB action sidescrollers I've played so far (others being Contra, Dracula Densetsu II and Ninja Ryukenden GB) - the very last stages are intense and truly force you to develop your grappling technique.

You should check out Vanishing Racer (commonly misspelled as Banishing Racer) by Jaleco. Truly a labor of love. Also gets damn hard.

[GSK]

Bionic Commando GB really is the gold standard when it comes to handheld counterparts to 8-bit console games, I think. I don't know why they decided to change the aesthetic--maybe they just wanted to reinforce the message that it's not a port?--but it's a great game that deserves as much praise as the console original. That last stage in particular is a real killer.

Bionic Commando GBC, though... yeesh.

[drauch]

I'm a big fan, definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of an agile sidescroller where graceful evasion and efficient, catastrophic strikes are the ideal. Bonus: gorgeous pitch-black Japanese folk horror atmosphere with a brooding, sweeping soundtrack. Broadly it's also totally of the Hard Corps/Alien Soldier boss-o-rama school, and there's not a clunker in there.

Okay, I'm sold. Finally playing this tonight after all these years of "just wanting to." Shame it's taken me this long since I love Alisia and 2D horror themed games!

Can't remember if it's been brought up, but speaking of the recent grappling arm discussion, are you a fan of the Umihara Kawase series, BIL? Not particularly action, but a goddamn grappling blast.

[BIL]

You should check out Vanishing Racer (commonly misspelled as Banishing Racer) by Jaleco. Truly a labor of love. Also gets damn hard.

Cool, hadn't heard of this ever. This is why I like getting into new systems! Looks a bit like Jump Bug and Jaleco's own City Connection at a glance, but I've never played them either. I wonder if there's an entire subgenre of automotive sidescrollers?

Can't remember if it's been brought up, but speaking of the recent grappling arm discussion, are you a fan of the Umihara Kawase series, BIL? Not particularly action, but a goddamn grappling blast.

I've long admired them and their replay/time attacking culture from a distance, and picked up the SFC and PS1 2nd Ed versions for a rainy day; have yet to really spend time on either though. Occasionally I get a spark of knowing WTF I'm doing and it's amazing.

Glad you're liking Taromaru. I was going to say it's my favourite console original sidescroller of that gen along with Little Ralph, but it's almost damning both with faint praise given how dry the genre became around then. More accurate to say both easily rank among the best 8/16-bit highlights. Taro's much more of a straight killin' game compared to Ralph's platforming, though, and it's also Badass Horror Action / SCANNER NINJA, so I like it best.

[BrianC]

Bionic Commando GB really is the gold standard when it comes to handheld counterparts to 8-bit console games, I think. I don't know why they decided to change the aesthetic--maybe they just wanted to reinforce the message that it's not a port?--but it's a great game that deserves as much praise as the console original. That last stage in particular is a real killer.

Bionic Commando was programmed by the same company that did Rockman World/Megaman 1, 3, 4, and 5 for GB and it shows. I think it even uses the same engine. It even has similar passwords to MM/RW 4 and 5.

[drauch]

Ah, damn, forgot all about Little Ralph! Another I've yet to try. Dunno, guess years back CD based emulation used to scare me, so there's a handful of that gen I never got into. Ah, I miss the days of discovering a game and it not being over $100!

Any other JP sidescrollin' exclusives, mates?

[Obiwanshinobi]

There's the Guardian Heroes-like Panzer Bandit on PSX. Wolf Fang has got some content on Saturn and PSX that wasn't there in arcades. ChainDive (PS2) is a bit like 2.D take on 3D Shinobi (best played with analogue stick, I thought). Spica Adventure romhack is playable on PC.
Tons upon tons of doujin sidescrollers (but those aren't region-specific by nature).
For what it's worth, I liked Almana no Kiseki (FC Disk System) better than Roc 'N Rope (Wikipedia tells me NES bootlegs appeared in 2012).
Super Turrican for the NES is one mighty PAL exclusive.
Aquales (Sharp X68k) is a notable pre-Valken mecha sidescroller (again, hardly region-specific). Its transparencies are displayed properly on some older emulator (winx68khighspeedv094 if I'm not mistaken).

[Squire Grooktook]

Somehow I totally forgot about the max powerup/powerdown mechanic. Probably the game's most compelling feature with regards to pace, with it boosting destructive power through the roof at the risk of a single mis-step ending your rampage. It also firmly rewards no-miss play, since bombs need ammo and unlike most Draculas your stock persists between stages, provided you survive. With the heavy combat and relative scarcity of wallmeats, endurance is probably the game's hardest aspect relative to other Draculas, but as your performance improves so does the ability to demolish all in your path.

Indeed. Also for a lifebar game (though I think the damage scaling feels just right on expert anyway), it really draws attention to each and every hazard in the game. You start to really realize how random every skeleton is or how tight some of the sections are. Definitely adds a lot to making it feel like a deeper game (how long can you keep the power going???)

Also love the power up secret code. I'm totally using it in every play session, except probably when recording since I wouldn't want to drown out the "real" bgm. Too bad I have the bad luck of hearing "The Beginning" 20 times in a row though, instead of the awesome Bloody Tears remix, heheheh

Actually, is there anyone out there who doesn't like Bloody Tears? Despite being such a short melody, it's probably the closest thing I've ever heard to a universally well regarded track.

Shinrei Jusatsushi Taroumaru has been on my list definitely. I think I'll give it a try for sure come winter break.



Oh yeah: I gave the demo of the upcoming Odallus: The Dark Call a try. It's a new arcade style action platformer from the team who made Oniken. I know Gheghs likes that one so I think it's relevant here. I liked Oniken but wasn't too impressed by it, a lenient and solid sword swinging side scroller that didn't seem to offer much beyond the initial memorization journey. But it was solid on top of being their first game, so I am interested to see where they'll go from there.

Odallus promises to be a pseudo Metroidvania arcade game, where the game is arranged level by level, but the levels themselves have several paths to victory and an element of exploration. Playing the demo, it's actually quite well executed. It combines both the feel of arcadey pace and combat, with a sense of discovery and setpiece based exploration. Particularly fond of neat little set pieces like dropping into a pit to get an item, only to scramble out when it starts crawling with zombies.

Also despite adherence to the type of metroidvania structure where you unlock new paths by finding items hidden throughout the stage, the level design was quite expertly crafted to make sure you still wouldn't have to retread old ground. For example, on obtaining double jump boots, you'll progress over the previously explored terrain on a new set of platforming challenges above. If they can keep this kind of clever map design going throughout a full length arcade game, then I'm definitely sold.

Only problem with the game is the current sword swing. I don't know if this is something they are still tweaking (no idea how old the demo is), or if there will be additional weapons in the final game, but it feels somewhat off, especially compared to Onikens well executed Ninja Gaiden style slashing. The sword hits near instantly, but has ginormous recovery. Normally I might say their going for a Castlevania style emphasis on commitment to attack, but the slash can also be instantly cancelled into your freely controlled jumps. I could also see if perhaps the actual damage came at the very end of the animation, giving you leniency to escape but also forcing you to find a clear window to strike, but the actual hitbox starts up near instantly. Really perplexed, as it feels stiff and I can't find any reason to justify it (perhaps they just wanted to discourage mashing?). It's not a big deal and easily gotten used to, and some probably won't mind, but it slightly annoys me when I find myself having to do a ton of unnecessary SOTN style jumping slashes, heh.

Also the aesthetic (despite bland music) is as enjoyable as Oniken, perhaps more so. Along with the obvious Castlevania parallels and manly but restrained protaganist, the inventive H.R Giger boss monsters in a dark fantasy setting make me think of this as Berserk: Famicom Edition.

[BIL]

I don't know why they decided to change the aesthetic--maybe they just wanted to reinforce the message that it's not a port?

Wouldn't surprise me - from the box and screenshots I actually had no idea it was a (loose) remake until a few stages in, when the parallels to the FC become impossible to miss. There's also the interesting reverse-importing of the series' overseas name. I think the GB's art design is pretty sharp (no loli/bishy bullshit here, everyone's altogether professional-looking), just a bit too much chattering going on.

I have a fondness for the FC's neo-WWII aesthetic. It's campy, yet casually brutal - creates the odd feeling of an 80s videogame channeling a Peckinpah/Leone bloodbath. There's the now-iconic exploding Hitler head, of course, but I find the FC-only "interrogation sequence" the most remarkable. Lashing a prisoner with your metal claw at gunpoint until, after some initial defiance, he breaks and gives up that sweet intel. And you can execute him afterward, to your subordinate's disapproval. Hell yeah, you in the army now son (but no harm done, he'll respawn if you return to the room!)

I'd love to know how the censors had the ostensible sensibility to remove torture from little Johnny's Nintendo game, but somehow missed a man's skull detonating in gorenographic slo-mo, haha. Incidentally both nasties are absent from GB, even in nippon ver. Just like on the NES, said enemy captive is instead chilling by his lonesome on the other side of a small spike pit, goading the player to "MAKE A MOVE PUNK" before he's promptly cowed into squealing by a basic swing that wouldn't impress past the game's first five seconds.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Can't remember if mentioned here, but Green Beret on GBA (Rush'n Attack in the US) has got three things going for it:

a) hidden extra stages from NES version (Konami code required),

b) co-op and

c) the glorious jump button (I think it's still up for climbing the ladders).

The music remains just snare-drumming, though. I regret not having purchased that cart some time ago. Now I must play with my old toys 'till I meet some real-life obligations...

[Mortificator]

The version of Rush'n Attack on the Game Boy Advance compilation does have two extra stages over the arcade, but they're totally different from the two extra stages in the NES version.