Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
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Volteccer_Jack
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Volteccer_Jack »

Ninja Five-O (as it says on my cartridge) is the best GBA game that doesn't have Megaman in the title, and I regret having to add that caveat because it makes my praise sound less absolute. If you like grappling hooks -- everyone does -- it's required reading.

Also, please explain to me why Super Shinobi is supposed to be good. Lots of people with great taste love it, so I feel like I must be missing something.
"Don't worry about quality. I've got quantity!"
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Not sure how familiar you are with SS (just starting out, old vet, somewhere between) - assuming the first, here's my take. From a cold start it's no great ninja sidescroller. Chronic offscreen shooters, cruel pit placements and a brutal damage penalty make for stiff, tentative early runs. Not very ninja at all.

I think it's a great game myself, but only if indulged long enough for the camera/stage design issues to recede, and the considerable finesse mechanics to surface. The second part is what separates it from Random Sidescroller X in my book. Any old crap plays more smoothly when you know what's coming up. SS has a performance aspect more akin to a racer (or a bit less awkwardly, an assault course). You learn layouts not to merely survive (boring) but to excel (yeee!). Take away the devastating snipe, the invincibly slaughtering katana and its accomplice the projectile-eating crossguard, and you've lost all your toys. And they will get taken away at first, sometimes unfairly.

The appeal is in keeping them longer, and killing everything ever more audaciously with them. By the point you're striding and somersaulting unscathed through stage after perilous stage, bodycount rocketing, the game feels ninja as fuck indeed. Partially an illusion born of rehearsal, sure, but I'm cool with that provided the performance is satisfying and never totally "safe" (another distinguishing factor - SS is an enduringly cruel SOB and will steal your POW for a moment's lapse; it effectively evolves into a one-hit killer).

It's a ninja skullfuck simulator, basically. And in order to perform, you gotta keep that POW pecker up! Like this:
Spoiler
Image
I'm not sure if much of the popular acclaim isn't aesthetic and/or nostalgic. It was a technical showpiece at release, and stylish too. I think many would be too blown away by such factors to really mind the rough initial play. The somersaulting shuriken burst looks totally SHAWEET even if you don't know WTF you're aiming at. I was unpleasantly surprised by how limiting it felt upon returning as a Grown Ass Man, especially with other favourites like Ninja Gaiden as instantly dynamite as ever. SS can't hope to compete in the instant dynamite bracket... for that you need Shadow Dancer MD!

TLDR: SS is legitimately dismissable as stiff and busted, but there's a high-quality sidescroller of a specific type in there too. Alien Soldier is a very similar case.
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Obiwanshinobi
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obiwanshinobi »

My, the 2D Shinobi playable character's walking/running animation is up/down there with Turrican. They don't make them like it anymore, do they? Don't quote me on that, but I suspect God Hand sprint animation tried to revive that spirit in 3D. Someone's gotta take the hard seat.
The rear gate is closed down
The way out is cut off

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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

To be fair on MUSASHI-SAMA that's not the normal walk cycle, it's his arms-up crossguarding stance (active whenever walking/crouch-walking during POW). I used to think his SS1 sprite was kinda doughy in comparison to his almost superhumanly hard, sleek SS2 upgrade. But returning to examine more closely, he looks pro as hell and you can tell there's a lean killer under that equipment-packed gi. The katana downstroke's a thing of beauty. Shatters blade, severs femoral, slices off bell-end.

You know what I hate about Shin Shinobi Den. The digitised sprites are so fuckin cheap and goofy-lookin'. The actual mechanics are pretty damn slick (somersaulting katana, finally) but where Joe's dive attack is a spine-shattering dropkick, new guy Sho bounces around on his katana like frickin Scrooge McDuck. Disrespectful! 3:

It's actually a very decent Super Shinobi III if you can pardon those cheezy sprites.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Perikles »

Not entirely certain if this is the correct topic, but since this seems to be the general NES discussion topic as well I'll just post it here.

I've been playing a lot of Famicom/NES Konami games in the last few days, particularly old shmuppy favourites. This time I'm trying to beat multiple loops on them, it's a really fun thing to do (in my opinion anyway). And upon venturing into that I found a significant difference between Life Force (NES) and Salamander (Famicom). At first I thought that the only difference between the two lies in the number of options (two in Life Force, three in Salamander) and the actual ending sequence in Salamander, but there is at least one more thing. The section right before the fourth boss (where you fly over a spine while the ribs shoot laser beams) looks a little scary in subsequent loops by dint of the increased skeletal firepower. You don't have too much to worry in Life Force, though, if you sit in the middle you're safe (tap from time to time in order to dodge a few shrimps). But alas, that won't work in Salamander! I don't want to spout false rumours, but I'm almost certain that you have to lose lives here, I can't find a working solution no matter how hard I attempt. You're certainly not supposed to move around the upper part of the screen, yet you get killed from off-screen lasers if you stay low. You can't hide right next to the ribs as they'll change their rhythm just so that they can point-blank you. I'm completely clueless how you're supposed to make it through there unscathed. That got definitely changed in Life Force. I'm also almost certain that the hit detection on the iron bars during the final escape is more lenient in Life Force, I never lose a life in the US version whereas I might get crushed once or twice in Salamander. Interesting to see ostensibly innocuous changes like these that can make a huge difference in the long run. :o
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Interesting... I always like hearing about regional differences in those UMECHAN Team ports, given the legendary standing of their NES versions. Contra's are pretty well-known, but it's the first I've heard of those specific Salamander differences.

I've been plotting to resurrect ash's NES/FC topic from its slumber for some weeks now, pending a few new pickups. Perhaps this is the window required. ^_~
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Perikles »

Got another very interesting case: Jackal (US NES) vs. Final Commando (Famicom Disk System).

- Jackal adds a brand-new first stage to the game, probably intended to give the players more time to get accustomed to the game and collecting a few points for extra lives.

- Speaking of points: you get loads more of 'em in Jackal. Not only do you get the 500 points for each rescued POW (which is identical in both versions), but you also get to enjoy massive bonus points after the stage ends. Compare my score in 3-4 (Jackal) and 3-3 (Final Commando), respectively:

ImageImage

You only get roughly 60% of the score in Final Commando, you have to earn your extends, soldier! Got the counterstop at 5-1 in Final Commando (score rolls over after that, no more extends in sight).

- Most stages in Final Commando are sleaker, you're not allowed to push the screen to the right or left, resulting in an overall more claustrophobic and intense game. Compare those two shots of the burned up final boss:

ImageImage

Stages are also considerably shorter in Final Commando, mainly the final stage which is the shortest stage in Final Commando (not a single POW to be found here) and by far the longest in Jackal.

- The battleship boss (stage 2 in Final Commando, stage 3 in Jackal) is aligned vertically in the FDS version, making his pattern harder to avoid than in the US version where he is horizontally positioned.

- The penultimate boss has only two autocannons and two gates in Final Commando instead of the six autocannons and four gates in Jackal, but everything is on-screen at all time, thus making it yet again minimally harder.

- No safespot in the lower right against the final boss from loop 2 onwards in Final Commando, rookie! Gotta play it like a man!

- There are a few more enemy types in Jackal, no flamethrowers in Final Commando, unfortunately. Those dreaded helicopters that will try to aggressively shoot you in the face are not present in Final Commando, too.

- Small changes to the stage layout beside the screen adaption have been made, the swamp area in Final Commando is slightly more difficult to deal with in Final Commando, for example.

- Quite a few more enemies come from behind in Final Commando, they also seem to be more belligerent.


I was really pleased by how different those two games feel overall. Both versions are great, but Final Commando feels more straightforward and to the point. Man, finally getting an AV Famicom was the best decision ever! :o
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Final Commando's lack of horizontal scrolling really piques my interest - my sole problem with Jackal is its occasional bouts of my arch-peeve, screen edge riding (especially noticeable during stage 3's laser barricades). I'm gonna have to give the FDS version a proper look now!

It's a shame Jackal's camera tracking is flawed - the small degree of scrolling freedom really fleshes out its stages, and was a feature that instantly grabbed me back in the day. That flaw removed, the expanded stages would be a perfect "arrange ver" complement to the rigidly vertical AC/FDS approach.

The AC version's contiguous game-long map seems really cool, but alas it's got the same laggy aiming as AC Contra and Super Contra. Losing the airtight controls a NES player would take for granted makes the AC versions hard to love.

Incidentally one of my more recent FC pickups was Road Fighter, another avowedly pseudo-tate Konami port. Cool little game - not much content but the racing is indeed ultra-bellicose, almost like a topdown version of F-Zero X's death race.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by copy-paster »

Don't know about Final Commando yet, but as said in description above I think it looks bad compared to Jackal. Yes I played this game alot when I was kid and didn't pass the 'ladies with missiles' at the time and after I got it again on emulator I managed to 1CC and YOUR MISSION ACCOMPLISHED :D. Also tried the AC version and it looks uninspiring.
BIL wrote:one of my more recent FC pickups was Road Fighter,
This game also has sweet memories as a kid, remember when I reached the beach stage the road has a small space and enemies become tougher and I didn't pass it until now, not to mention about the Superman-like flying guy when you no miss the game made me giggle too. :lol:

It may sounds silly, but few minutes ago I revisit the first Ninja Gaiden and got a not-so-perfect one life run until the stage 4 boss and dies quickly (yeah their jump and shoot attacks is unpredictable). Any strategies, anyone?
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Beach track is great, ultra-tense. :smile: Way harder than the fourth and final track, though that one is still fun as hell with its chicanes. That's actually a very ugly depiction of Konami Man in st1, he was a big deal in Japan or something. :mrgreen: I only know him from his cameo as one of SOTN's many save icons, and that Wai Wai World game I refuse to play with its goddamn screen edge ridin'.

For Kelebross/Cerberus, you can simply hide under the left pedestal and swipe whenever the real one gets close (you'll nullify its fireballs too). Takes a while but it's safe and reliable.

Like every other boss that it's possible to reach with jumpslash, that'll instakill him. BZZT. (it's the left one every time - dead in two seconds or less).

Alternatively, a single windmill star will instantly obliterate the fake, simplifying things.
Last edited by BIL on Mon Nov 09, 2015 6:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

BIL wrote:Beach track is great, ultra-tense. :smile: Way harder than the fourth and final track, though that one is still fun as hell with its chicanes. That's actually a very ugly depiction of Konami Man in st1, he was a big deal in Japan or something. :mrgreen: I only know him from his cameo as one of SOTN's many save icons, and that Wai Wai World game I refuse to play with its goddamn screen edge ridin'.
I first learned of Konami Man through Goonies II. Fun game, though I like the first one better since it's more arcade like. Not to mention both games have a killer Konami style rendition of the Goonies theme.

I'm thinking of getting the FC Twinbee since it's cheap and I like the Famicom mini version. It's another one of those games with the old Konami logo. So far, I think the only old Konami logo FC games I have are Goonies and Ganbare Goemon. Both good stuff. I also have the Saturn MSX collection and the Konami collection for DS, both full of early Konami goodness.

Having a hard time trying which FC game to get next. Goemon 2 sounds like fun. I usually go for exclusives or games that offer something over the US counterpart, but if games are pretty much the same, I usually go for the cheaper version.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by copy-paster »

BIL wrote:simply hide under the left pedestal and swipe whenever the real one gets close
Ouch why I'd miss this? This trick really works and got pass 5-1, maybe I'll play it again later :)
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Infiltrate fortress OUTER HEAVEN and destroy the final weapon "JASHIN," then report back to join the system11 Ninja Ryukenden Task Force. :cool:
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

Despite the slight apparent slowness of the port, I still have been playing Heavy Barrel in the Wii Data East collection. The control scheme works much better than the ones I worked with in MAME. I would certainly play the arcade game if I found it, though.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Sir Ilpalazzo »

Wait up, what's the deal with the Cereberus boss in Ninja Gaiden? I've noticed that one of them seems to die only quickly sometimes when hit with certain subweapons, but I chalked that up to the boss just being buggy (because of how the boss just respawns mid-battle sometimes). But the one that dies early sometimes is actually a fake?

Quick observations on games I've been poking at:

-Vice: Project Doom is solid. I like the subweapon system and controls (especially the awesome crouch-walking) a lot, but there are a couple of things that feel a bit sloppy too (the tilework can be mildly hard to read sometimes, and the game likes sticking you to the screen edge and spawning enemies on top of you a lot - not unmanageable given how durable Hart is, but annoying nonetheless). Still a quality game for sure, but probably not Batman / Shatterhand / Castlevania-tier.

-Street Fighter 2010 rocks. I really love the weird-ass controls and the huge amount of variety. Not really that close to even a 1CC yet (the double wizard fight in the final stage eviscerates me every time), but I think I like the game enough to try and work towards that (and hopefully further).

-Actually kind of close to a Gimmick one-life clear. The only real sticking points, barring potential platforming fuckups, are the final two bosses - I suspect the swordsman is on the easy side once you learn the fight better than I have, but the sorcerer really stumps me.

-Not an action-platformer, but Pocky and Rocky is really excellent. Really excited to try digging into that game.
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

The rightmost Cerberus is a decoy, yeah. It's got some screwy HP properties (the aforementioned windmill star instakill and respawn bug), but is otherwise identical to the real thing. Notice the boss lifebar - it only depletes when you're hitting the real one. You can destroy the decoy but it won't end the fight. I guess the idea was that once the fight got underway, you'd lose track. Ninja Gaiden II's redux uses the same concept, can't recall offhand which one's the fake though. IIRC (big "if!") the windmill star does odd things to its decoy, too.

Vice: Project Doom is really good, easy recommendation for NG fans - was replaying it myself recently. Like NGII, it's easy to clear (lenient damage scale + HP restores), but tricky to play stylishly with the twitchy action and high pace. Used to think the Batman-style weapon array was a bad fit for a faster game... on replaying though, I consider the gun more an equal partner than a glorified subweapon. Sword provides absolute coverage at the cost of reach - great for warding off aggressive chargers/projectiles, quickly useless as distance grows. By contrast, the gun's long narrow reach is almost like Castlevania's whip. I do still think the more situational grenades should've been on [up+b] though, and less plentiful given their extreme power.

The best feature is that crouch run - excellent mechanic I'm surprised wasn't used by more games. I can't recall another sidescroller with it.

The screen edge riding that occurs during the occasional left-scrolling segments is nasty, as always, though mercifully rare. Offsetting the character to the left for more view of the incoming playfield is nice, until you're advancing that way. >_<

It's an important topic for anything 2D - easily the equal of more commonly ballyhooed 3D camera faults. Natsume's FC action triptych shows an interesting awareness... Kage does the same thing as VPD, but it literally never advances to the left, and backtracking is utterly pointless. Its predecessor Dragon Fighter is right-scrolling only with no backtrack allowed, while its successor Solbrain roams all over with the character nailed to the screen center at all times. Always my favoured approach. No muss no fuss. Even ostensibly helpful tracking like Alien Soldier and Super Shinobi II's can sometimes interfere.

Glad you're liking 2010SF, it's got a ton of quality on offer if you can work with it a little. :smile: A true original from Capcom. Have you tried their FC Little Nemo, from the same period? Another quality one-off in defiance of their "sequel mania" image. Nowhere as hardcore a killin' game as 2010SF, but most definitely substantial (like Gimmick, it's tougher than appearances suggest). Excellent action/platformer with an interesting shapeshifting mechanic.

Gimmick one-life always sounds terrifying, haha. Some of the platforming in stages 5 and 6 is pretty harrowing. Would be nothing to sneeze at! I'm playing Contra Spirits at the moment, similar type of challenge. Not a particularly hard clear, but so many places to slip up along the way.
Sir Ilpalazzo wrote:-Not an action-platformer, but Pocky and Rocky is really excellent. Really excited to try digging into that game.
It's immensely good. After a solid FC showing, Natsume were outright on fire with that, Ninja Warriors Again and Wild Guns. Pocky 2 is flawed but still interesting from an "expansion pack" viewpoint... the first is very nearly a perfect topdown shooter, though. Shock Troopers-calibre.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

I really should dig into Pocky and Rocky again sometime. I've had it since childhood (lots of memories attached, obviously), but haven't played it in nearly a decade. Should really try for a clear.

Street Fighter 2010 I definitely need to dig into as well.
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Instead I am stuck in the America's where women rule with an iron crotch, and a man could get arrested for sitting behind a computer too long.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

I noticed something odd when trying out the JP version of Dragon Ninja FC. It uses the "I'm Bad" voice from the US AC Bad Dudes and has the picture with the president eating a burger rather than the original AC picture. Only the FC version has the brief cutscenes with dialog from the bosses before some levels, though. I don't know what to make of the game itself. Seems to be a bit less polished than the AC version and no moving while jumping kick (though spinning kick and standing jump kick are still there).

I also gave Heavy Barrel NES another chance. Still rough around the edges and not as good as the AC, but has its own charm and it's still a nice game.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by mamboFoxtrot »

BIL wrote:Pocky 2 is flawed but still interesting from an "expansion pack" viewpoint... the first is very nearly a perfect topdown shooter, though.
And yet the GBA sequel is what gets put on Wii U's Virtual Console and not the original Super Nintendo game... especially annoying given that P&R is pretty well known for it's co-op, but the Virtual Console doesn't support multiplayer of any kind with GBA titles. Gah.
I wonder what the chances are of Ninja Five-O ending up on there, though...

I've been playing a little Ninja Five-O on emulator, since y'all been talking about it. I didn't think a game with such excessive animations could still play this well. The jumping physics still weird me the fuck out (you just kinda hover in mid air o.O), but the grappling hook feels spot on. Also feels surprisingly tactical at times.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

mamboFoxtrot wrote:
BIL wrote:Pocky 2 is flawed but still interesting from an "expansion pack" viewpoint... the first is very nearly a perfect topdown shooter, though.
And yet the GBA sequel is what gets put on Wii U's Virtual Console and not the original Super Nintendo game
Not sure if sequel is the right word since it was done by Altron rather than Natsume, despite Natsume publishing it. Reminds me of the Casper SNES fiasco where Natsume made a more polished looking game themselves, but instead published a game that they didn't make for the US (designed by Absolute). I have been a bit frustrated with Natsume handling the VC since they made a claim that Nintendo was no longer bringing older games to the WiiU VC, and then some more obscure games like Metal Marines and Earth Defense Force come out for it.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

mamboFoxtrot wrote:I've been playing a little Ninja Five-O on emulator, since y'all been talking about it. I didn't think a game with such excessive animations could still play this well. The jumping physics still weird me the fuck out (you just kinda hover in mid air o.O), but the grappling hook feels spot on. Also feels surprisingly tactical at times.
The expertly restrained elements of cinematic animation and mild stealth are straight out of Elevator Action Returns - anyone who likes Five-O should play that too (edit: hell, everyone should play both games regardless). They're divergent in many ways and yet more similar than it might appear. :smile:
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by copy-paster »

Been playing NG again few minutes ago and reach Malth, how I can dodge his attacks?
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Perikles »

copy-paster wrote:Been playing NG again few minutes ago and reach Malth, how I can dodge his attacks?
Don't. Run towards him and hit him repeatedly with your sword. He'll die long before you do. It is possible to dodge his attacks, but it's much more trouble than it's worth.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Yup. Typical lame NG1 boss (Jaquio being the big exception). Just get in close and whack 'im down. The designers even give you a brand new lifebar upon reaching him, since you'll almost certainly take damage (unless you JUMPSLASH ROFL). At least the stage is great. Image Thematically the fight's kinda fun too. Enraged rookie hacks down imperious master with sheer fury. I read something about young Miyamoto Musashi doing similar.

The post-battle cutscene doesn't really reflect that though! Ryu himself looks quite imperious standing over Malth, who appears to have been savagely beaten with a frying pan.

---

Finally recorded a (shaky, nervous) Contra Spirits Hard no-miss! And wouldn't you know it, I uploaded the non-corrected file so the audio lags a bit at the end. AIN'T THAT A FUCK. Reuploading. 3:

Utterly killer surgical run/gunner... my god, it gets nervous on the no-miss. I'd managed a couple times before, and many others with an agonising late death. This wasn't the cleanest run by any means (failed to cleanly sweep through st6's hive, ruining a shaweet setpiece with a couple BOMBAS :oops:), but it's so easy to cock up something in stages 4-6 I decided to just go with this for now. Always said my replays were more system demos, anyhow.

It's funny how similar Spirits and Gimmick! are, in balancing arcade toughness with console generosity. Chop their extend frequency, and respective BOMBA/time limits, and you'd have a couple of arcade-tough killers. As with Gimmick though, I wouldn't change a thing about Spirits. Deliriously amusing scaling the final wall with fifteen lives in stock, knowing the tiniest error will bring the run crashing down in flames. :mrgreen:

Anyone else find themselves gripping the controller in rather unorthodox fashion to maximise shot rate? First time since Goldeneye N64 that I've busted out the pretzel death grip. In tactile terms, I'm not entirely fond of the mechanic... does feel gutsy as hell mashing out maximum C+C for face-smashing boss instakills! st6's Kimkou is a good example. I tend to chicken out, that Xtra-chunky RNG dandruff is scary as fuck, especially combined with his near-instant lazor.

I remember posting about the final escape's claw pattern, this time last year. To confirm, the right claw (your right) always strikes first. He busts out pretty much the worst possible sequence in my run (constant clawing+butting) but my practiced skipping rope technique sees me through. Beware the middle! Quality final setpiece.

Gyaba: BIRUUU!

BIRU: Gyaba!

Gyaba: ITS NOT OVER YET BIRU
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

BIL wrote:Utterly killer surgical run/gunner
"Surgical" is the word that always comes to mind when describing Spirits (and the franchise at large). Metal Slug may be chaotic and destructive with its densely packed enemies and floatier jumps, but Contra (and especially Spirits) hits with the air-tight precision and speed of a laser and never stops.

Truly, the raddest of the rad.
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Instead I am stuck in the America's where women rule with an iron crotch, and a man could get arrested for sitting behind a computer too long.
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Contra v Metal Slug is a great illustration of the diversity enjoyed by ostensibly restrictive genres. Ultra-tight 2D action reacts profoundly to the tiniest of tweaks! I discovered MS pretty late in the day (c.2005), and briefly wished Contra would've ditched enemy contact damage too. WTF me? Body-shredding melee is Metal Slug's thing. Contra is for steely dispatchings at barrel-length. I've replayed Spirits' furiously volatile st1 firefight countless times without a hint of routine, never mind the hive's ultimate eight-way terror. "They comin' outta the god-damn waaalls!"

Very cool how Spirits bookends its new concepts that way. Opens with a hellacious riff on AC Super's hardcore shooting. Resurrects FC Super for an endgame burst of classic action/platforming. I like to consider it a culmination of the preceding AC/FC/GB games, as the staff roll suggests... it truly marshals Contra's platformer, shooter and boss parade elements into a coherent package.

And crumbz! Youtube is oppressing me! :O Yeah totally, re: Spirits Hive. Blistering gauntlet, compressed into micro time+space. Ideally I can nail the maws with CC, nullifying the spikies as I sweep through. It's scary, with the constant threat of a xeno TIGER KNEE, but hot knife/butter satisfying. If I stumble for even a frame though, shit has truly hit the fan. Leaping xenos from both sides, homing spikies hunting you down, maws spewing yet more (god help you in the "triangle" zone). Scope for lethal mixup skyrockets - decided to chicken out with BOMBA. One mercy here, though - dodged xenos will happily jog on like most Contra runners. Not like Hard Corps' horrifyingly ravenous Mansized Roosters, brrr!*

Also I'd had previous heroic sweeps end in roulette disaster, so I was getting a little tetchy. ^__^ Decided to BOMBA Huge Heart too, another source of surprise tragedies. Something I found really helps if facing the hugger onslaught: aggressively advance while shooting the ceiling ones, where possible. Retreating lets them gain ground, and possibly leap down for a deadly situation. Bombing or not, I always insta-hammer the lower-left hatcher to free up precious space. Amazing how many spawns Java+Heart can put onscreen with no slowdown, if one is foolhardy enough to allow it. No SFC Slowdown Assistance here.

Speaking of roulette... my technique has really gone to hell there, for some reason. I need to refresh my memory, and practice a bit - I swear I could usually get the module I wanted 90% of the time, but most of my shots this run were (mercifully harmless) errors. The shot that sent the missile through the wheel could've easily destroyed the run, had it hit the accursed Blue Balls From Salamander. I've survived that module a grand total of once, with heavy slowdown abuse via constant bombing and shooting. Jumping seems to help, as does the player+projectiles' small hitboxes, but GOD DAMN it's scary, typically certain death for me.

For the same reason, I didn't bother "S-Ranking" Gyaba's armour (both snakes+eyes), instead taking the far safer tack of leaving Right Snake alive and socking the brain. Lazy lazy, ah well. Fending off the horde from screen center is actually fairly easy if you're careful with the shot limit, and not packing the worst-case weaponry (F, L). Not exactly inviting so late in the run though! By Shin Contra's ranking criteria (all set spawns, scenery and boss parts destroyed, no deaths), this is easily the toughest challenge of the series' Famicom/Nakazato era.

*I could swear I've had The Thing (1982)-influenced nightmares (aka RAD DREAMS) involving HC's infestation setpiece, soldiers buckling and puking before All Hell erupts from their backs. That is some scary, nasty, body-horrific shit! :shock:

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edit: reuploaded with synced audio. @ pegboy & Perikles, thanks guys. :smile:

Yeah Perikles, the fifth boss is most definitely one to take down quickly, once you hit his second phase (the first's worms can actually be quite safely farmed for weapons/bombs). The trick is to line up your shots with the core, then fast-spin left (double-tap L). This'll counteract the carousel, while locking your aim. If you're forced to duck by a flame, hold L and wait for the core to spin back into your sights before standing - you'll automatically lock back in.

Worms can really complicate things if they spawn near you. Retreating to the outskirts is a bad idea in my experience, better to aggressively shoot/bomb an attacking worm than risk being cornered against the rocks. The longer the fight goes on, the more scope for awful RNG, so I always hammer the bastard down ASAP.

Another tidbit I learned this time around, courtesy of master speedrunner Jonas 'Hurblat' Martinsson - the fourth boss's explosion will indeed randomly kill you sometimes. Bugged the hell out of me when I noticed, fortunately a quick google turned up Hurblat's SDA notes. To ensure survival, you need to haul ass for the upper-left corner of the screen, leaping above the upmost missile. It's a snap to pull off, if a bit disconcerting in a game of this calibre. >_> Helluva fight but remember to take precautions before declaring victory!
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

So now I'm getting into the PCE proper, instead of getting that TNWA Kunoichi clear, I decided to give Hudson's Ninja Gaiden a try. A curious port, this. Botched on both mechanical and aesthetic levels, but engagingly so! The FC original remains my reference sidescrolling action game... was interesting returning to it after this close, but categorically inferior approximation.

I've occasionally read of the PCE port being harder than the FC original. It is... in the same way FC becomes harder when operated with one's toes. Superficially similar, yet horribly stilted. Most of the blame goes to the laggy jumping sword. Where FC lashes out OTG-quick, obliterating anything in an ascending Ryu's path, here he's defenseless until the considerable peak of his jump. With the added issues of NG3-floaty gravity, hobbled subweapons and paltry hit recovery, the FC's explosive snap and rough n'tumble improv is AWOL.

Seemingly to compensate, enemies are decidedly toned down. Lobbers' projectiles are no longer random, ruining one of the FC's most entertaining hazards. Katanas comically hobble about between jumps. Boomerang titans need to be evaded or blasted through on FC - here they die to a single swipe like everything else. Rocket ninjas' shuriken loiter fearfully on FC, while the PCE's obligingly dart off. Likewise, FC hunchbacks stubbornly camp outside sword range - the PCE's obligingly hobble up for easy dispatch. The sole exception to all this woe are machinegunners and their shortened cooldown, though it's the laggy handling that truly makes this noticeable.

Conversely, the obvious weak link that is the FC's boss roster is near-untouched. Jumpslash no longer instakills - okay, but those bosses are as dull as ever, and now can't be bypassed. Demon gets the only meaningful change, despite being one of the few decent FC bosses, and thanks to shoddy hit recovery it's a total clusterfuck. His decapitated head is a mandatory 1HP hit on FC; here, you'll be lucky to get away with just that.

The classic Boss Rush Knockback™ is in full effect btw - have a fun! Image Yes Edmond, I too felt the bumming pain once again! BUT ONLY BRIEFLY

Audiovisually this is an utter horror show, even ignoring the infamously choppy parallax. I will say that turning 5-2's ancient, formidable, affectingly crumbling temple into a fucking construction site got a laugh out of me! Otherwise, this is pure garbage. :shock: I'm exhausted by its awfulness. The attempt to mimic FC graphical limits is obvious, but stylistic follow-through is nonexistent. And this came out in 1992, post-NGIII and Gun-DEC. Embarassments! :oops: Fun activity: count how many doorknobs Ryu is head-height to! (spoiler: all of them)

JUDGMENT: returning to the FC ver after this thing was a sweet motherfucking mercy. I do not recommend! Having said all this, it's far from a bad game on its own merits - just a bad port, with a truly appalling new look and soundtrack. It's also quite pricey these days. Much like the also-fugly SFC trilogy, come to think of it. Image Save your cash and your dignity with the FC ver.
Last edited by BIL on Sun Dec 06, 2015 7:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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EmperorIng
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by EmperorIng »

Too many people on pcefx forums "prefer" the PCE version, but when you obsess over a niche japanese console (with an already small offering of action games) you tend to "appreciate" a lot of utter shit.
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BrianC
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

I wasn't too impressed by what I tried of the PCE NG. I find it interesting how "updated" conversions of 8-bit games often end up being the inferior versions. Especially disappointing when said conversions actually have inferior graphics compared to the 8-bit versions.

While probably worse than the PCE version, on a similar note in the DOS version of Ninja Gaiden II. Tries to update the graphics (Ryu is orange in this version for some odd reason) and is vastly inferior compared to the NES version.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Kino »

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Last edited by Kino on Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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