Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[Strider77]

I've been playing the demo quite a bit recently in anticipation. Pretty cool how it has the arcade and classic mode.

[Jet Black]

So, now I want to contribute to this thread, too!

Got a Famicom a few weeks ago, to be exact my second, my first had a defective PPU

I have already 3 games, Rockman 3, Batman and Ninja Ryukenden. Batman I already have beaten today. Beating the Joker felt so satisfying! Took me long time to do though, I had to learn every level, but in the end it was rewarding. Most problems I had with the climb in Stage 3-3, Stage 4 boss, Stage 5 and of course Joker. Can anyone of you guys clear this game with no continues or even 1 life? If so, you have my utmost respect.

I am still a casual noob but I will try Ninja Ryukenden next. I am also interested in Ninja Ryukenden II + III, Power Blade, Gun Dec, Raf World, Shatterhand, Kage (of the Ninja) and Dragon Fighter, apart from games on other consoles.

[blackoak]

I am still a casual noob but I will try Ninja Ryukenden next. I am also interested in Ninja Ryukenden II + III, Power Blade, Gun Dec, Raf World, Shatterhand, Kage (of the Ninja) and Dragon Fighter, apart from games on other consoles.

All great choices. Please share your thoughts as you go through them, I love reading updates to this thread.

[BIL]

Kage (of the Ninja)

Glad to see others adopt this terminology.

Sir Ilpalazzo has a Batman no-miss, I know. I've yet to manage it myself, the final gauntlet of stage 5, Fire Bug and Joker usually takes at least one life. Essential FC game... it's still the reference walljumper in my book. 3-3's climb up out of the caverns is heroic.

For the fourth boss, the game's disabling of enemy hitboxes when they're damaged is key. Any time one is threatening to run you over, smack it and it'll pass harmlessly by. One of my favourite sidescroller mechanics, also used to good effect in Actraiser II and Dracula XX (SFC).

Spoiler

For FC, I'd add Metal Storm. Technically a mecha game, but in practice it's pure ninja. Shinobi precision with Irem's fiendish stage/weapon design, plus a unique, integral gravity mechanic. First loop is a fun challenge, second is outright hard as hell - like they designed a theoretical arcade release, then chucked it in as a bonus. Irem's best sidescroller on console alongside Ninja Spirit (PCE).

The FC adds a more interesting penultimate stage, and uses a cooler player mech palette. Also packs one of those rare intro cinemas worth watching. The unfathomably powerful asteroid defense laser has gone nuts and is picking off the solar system one by one! OH SHIII invade and turn it off/on again, quick!

Bionic Commando's FC version Top Secret: Hitler no Fukkatsu is notably superior to the NES rev in both enemy numbers (plays almost like the arcade original at times), and lurid Naziriffic imagery. Feels bizarrely transgressive, haha... like a Japanese Wolf3D. Incidentally the GB game (titled "Bionic Commando" in all regions) is every bit the true sequel to this grappling hook classic. Easily worth picking up a Super Gameboy or GB Player for.

Do note the FC version of Power Blade (Power Blazer) is very different from the NES rev - rather than nonlinear item hunting it's straight A to B platforming, and the player character is remarkably hideous. The sequel Power Blade 2/Captain Saver is relatively identical across platforms, AFAIK. I've little experience with either game, beyond Kinuyo Yamashita (Castlevania)'s excellent soundtrack to the first.

[GSK]

So, Natsume-Atari has been running an anniversary IP poll over the last couple months to celebrate 30 years and 250 shipped titles; they let fans vote on one of 10 classic Natsume IP that they'd like to see resurrected (probably on smartphones...).

Anyway, the results are in--here's what won: https://www.natsumeatari.co.jp/250title ... action.php

Idol Hakkendan (FC, adventure game) - 201 votes
Touhou Kenbun Roku (FC, adventure game) - 137 votes
Wild Guns (SFC) - 103 votes
Shatterhand (NES, not Solbrain!) - 33 votes
Final Mission (FC, not S.C.A.T.!) - 26 votes
Yami no Shigotonin Kage (FC, a.k.a. Shadow of the Ninja) - 23 votes
Chaos World (FC, RPG) - 22 votes
Dragon Fighter (FC) - 15 votes
Abadox (FC) - 13 votes
Lucky Monkey (GB, a.k.a. Spanky's Quest, single-screen action) - 6 votes

tl;dr Natsume released some really popular old ADV games that I know nothing about!

They also made goofy twitter icons for their campaign; I like that they specifically chose the goober from the box art for the Shatterhand icon: https://www.natsumeatari.co.jp/250title ... m1ga18.png

[BIL]

Whoa, that's a really cool bit of art in the header. Love how it reimagines all those disparate characters in the same brutish style. Kage's Hayate was reminding me of MGS1-era Solid Snake, until I remembered he looks exactly like that in the game itself too.



Touhou Kenbun Roku's protagonist is on Vol.1 of Clarice Disc's ROM Cassette in Natsume music anthology - that's the only way I recognised him, haha. I know I've seen Idol Hakkenden's name (probably in the same comps), but it's otherwise totally foreign to me too. Good to see Wild Guns made a decent showing, it's certainly among their finest action output.

I wonder why both SFC Kiki Kaikais are listed on that page's timeline, but The Ninja Warriors Again isn't - maybe some difference in the publishing arrangements? There was that GBA Kiki game a little more recently, wasn't there. I guess licensing explains why Solbrain, GS Mikami and their several Gundam fighters don't appear.

[GSK]

Kiki Kaikai GBA was published by Natsume USA but developed by someone else entirely, so it'd be kinda weird to see it listed here.

One thing that caught my eye is that they've been repping Omega Five pretty hard, which makes me wonder if they might have acquired the IP from Konami/the ransacked tomb of Hudson.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Please share your thoughts as you go through them, I love reading updates to this thread.

No doubt. Definitely my favorite thread on the forums; I've read through all of it and gotten a lot of great recommendations out of it.

Thanks to everyone who posted PC Engine recommendations. I will keep this stuff filed and check things out later for sure; it really seems like there is some great stuff out there. Also, I definitely feel like I should look into Assault Suits Leynos at some point. It doesn't really seem quite as cool as Gigantic Army or even Valken, but it looks fun enough and worth checking out, at least.

Also hah, thanks for the plug, BIL. Batman is top-class for sure. That final ascent in stage 5 has me on the edge of my seat every time, and man both of the final bosses are excellent and tense - especially Joker.

Jet Black - my top NES recommendation that wasn't already brought to your attention would have to be Street Fighter 2010. Extremely idiosyncratic game with a high learning curve, but once you've gotten a handle on your character's toolset, it's intensely tactical and satisfying. Very unique game. I like it more than just about anything else on the system, but admittedly it's not as easy a recommendation as Batman, Castlevania, Shatterhand, etc. because of its quirks.

Miscellaneous stuff:

-Rastan is definitely an amazing game. Almost ashamed I doubted it.

-I'm very interested in Iwanaga, but short of cranking down my resolution and playing the windowed version, I can't get it working comfortably on my system. I'll put my plans to play it on the backburner for now but hopefully I can work things out sometime.

-Ninja Spirit seems to rock. I haven't put much time into it, but I just managed to reach stage 4 a bit ago. Absolutely in love with the weapon selection - lots of cool little nuances. My only issue is that stage 2 feels fairly flat - seems like you can get through it just by running, jumping, and slashing repeatedly (at least until the boss, who is interesting), which is a shame since even the first level isn't like that. This isn't a big deal, the game still seems great, but lacking bits in early-game portions of otherwise great arcade games always grate on me a lot.

[soprano1]

Does anyone know how Konami was able to localize and publish Castlevania Chronicles in the West, considering it was a remake of an obscure Japan-only computer game? Plus, it was a 2D game, on a Sony console...

[EmperorIng]

Does anyone know how Konami was able to localize and publish Castlevania Chronicles in the West, considering it was a remake of an obscure Japan-only computer game? Plus, it was a 2D game, on a Sony console...

It was riding off of the popularity of Symphony of the Night (it even featured interviews with Iga over SOTN and the series), and I'm sure it was very cheap for them to put the game onto a PS1 disc, recolor some of the graphics, and call it a day.

[BIL]

-Ninja Spirit seems to rock. I haven't put much time into it, but I just managed to reach stage 4 a bit ago. Absolutely in love with the weapon selection - lots of cool little nuances. My only issue is that stage 2 feels fairly flat - seems like you can get through it just by running, jumping, and slashing repeatedly (at least until the boss, who is interesting), which is a shame since even the first level isn't like that. This isn't a big deal, the game still seems great, but lacking bits in early-game portions of otherwise great arcade games always grate on me a lot.

I always thought the second boss (and parts of the stage beforehand) would've been cooler without a floor, forcing you to contend with both his charges and the risk of falling (maybe with a few breakable branches?). Sometimes I deliberately draw him into the treetops for just that - feels cinematic as hell.

Does anyone know how Konami was able to localize and publish Castlevania Chronicles in the West, considering it was a remake of an obscure Japan-only computer game? Plus, it was a 2D game, on a Sony console...

I'm sure Dracula X68000 (and the X68k itself) being relatively unknown in the West actually worked in favour of Chronicles' localisation. Lost classic saved from the accursed JP-only memory hole, and all that. I know the first magazine screenshots in early 2001 got my attention. Around then there were still vestiges of the old pre-internet import mystique, though it was fading fast.

Chronicles was also sold at a reduced price point, IIRC, so it wasn't entirely smooth sailing.

2D games were never unheard of on Western PS1s, though obviously anything not at least somewhat recognisable was typically SOL (say, Little Ralph). Agetec put out quite a few localised ports around the same time (Metal Slug X, KOF '99, Strikers II unfortunately sans tate).

[Jet Black]

Thank your very much for the recommendations!

Power Blade I will buy the US-Version of course, I already have a NES to Famicom Converter, so it's not a problem. Metal Storm is a game that I find very interesting, the gravity shift gameplay sounds really fun. But it seems to be quite expensive, even as loose catridge. Street Fighter 2010 is on my radar, too.

Forgot to mention that I have a forth Famicom game, Getsufuumaden, has a really nice atmosphere, will play it more one time.

What do you think about TMNT 1? Game has obviously its flaws but somehow I want to like it.

Played Ninja Gaiden for a short time today, made it to the 3rd boss, have to find a good strategy for him. The last jump in 3-2 seems to be the first really hard jump in the game.

[soprano1]

@BIL
Guess it's one way to look at it. I actually remember seeing the review in a PSOne magazine, not sure which. It was right next to the Mega Man X5 review. Main complains were old graphics and unfair, hard gameplay.

[Squire Grooktook]

-Rastan

-Ninja Spirit

Glad to see appreciation for both!

My best advice for Ninja Spirit is to stick with it. You might feel somewhat...daunted when you hit stage 4, but it's completely doable without a great deal of time investment if you learn the ropes of a few particular nuances of that stage (hint hint! use bombs to kill or soften up samurai before they get close!). It's totally worth it for experiencing the merciless, balls to the wall insanity of stage 6's vast chaotic battlefield.

Stage 7 can go to hell though.

Why Irem why

[BIL]

Forgot to mention that I have a forth Famicom game, Getsufuumaden, has a really nice atmosphere, will play it more one time.

I really like GFD - the ARPG element makes it less "pick up and play," but the evilly vibrant style always draws me in much longer than I expect it to. And despite the fairly primitive action, it packs some interesting finesse touches. The running slash is great, particularly with its enemy hitbox cancels ala Batman. Feels quite Yojimbo dashing through a charging enemy with a clean stun, then landing the coup de grace on their back. The beauty is in the kill. ¦3 I've been re-watching Shigurui incidentally. *arterial spray*

Those red skeletons found early on are prime fodder for this technique. The jump has some novel stuff going on too, with the ability to freely leap out of a fall (necessary for snatching items out of pits), and also "float" by feathering the button. Odd, not unappealingly so, much like the wider game. You might be interested in Iten Hadou Kagura, a pretty good doujin arranged soundtrack. Getsu Fuuma himself is a badass, shame Konami only gave him guest spots after his debut. Could've totally gone for another violent trip to strange and beautiful videogame jigoku.

Incidentally, when Metal Gear Rising was handed to Platinum, Hideki Kamiya mentioned Getsu Fuuma Den as a Konami property he'd love to work on. That endorsement largely convinced me to nab it a few months later. (the ultra-cool, ultra-violent refractive boxart helped too!)

What do you think about TMNT 1? Game has obviously its flaws but somehow I want to like it.

A while back I revisited the FC version, Gekikame Ninja Den (which as an aside seems quite pricey). Couldn't get into it, particularly with the inexplicably weak performance. Not sure why it's so choppy and sludgy, but it really compounds the already floaty handling. I had heard the earlier Getsu Fuuma Den bore resemblances and expected it to run similarly, but it's as rock-solid as you'd expect of Konami. Odd. It has been a couple years, though. Might retry the ROM still kicking about in my FC test folder.

Played Ninja Gaiden for a short time today, made it to the 3rd boss, have to find a good strategy for him. The last jump in 3-2 seems to be the first really hard jump in the game.

Small but critical tip for Basaquer/Berserker/"Boss Queer" (as I am forever condemned to call him since this dreadfully amusing 1337 TIPZ video ).

Spoiler

Whenever he shoots at you, just counter his barrage with a standing swipe. You'll take out the middle projectile, and can then safely hop through the gap. Otherwise stay in the center to avoid getting squashed, and just land hits where you can.

He's visibly a lot more threatening than the famously useless Barbarian and Bomberhead, but nearly as harmless with this bit of info.

Windmill star makes even shorter work of him, but the fastest method is to nail him with the updraft firewheel as he lands. One of the few bosses that can't be instakilled via Jumpslash (it's nowhere to be found in Act III).

For the preceding jump, use the screen position to your advantage. Take out the ambushing cat, let the edge guarder retreat a bit, then make the jump - you'll be able to swat the spawning eagle en route. Controlling the screen like this is a key NG1 skill, allowing you to counteract the rabidly aggressive enemy respawning. Several chokepoints can become agony if you're not actively managing your position. Beware of retreating unnecessarily and respawning stuff you've already killed, and never halt at a spawning point - replacements will just keep pouring in. Sometimes it's best to let something live until you're able to advance past its spawn point, then go for the kill (or outrun it).

A classic newbie-infuriating mistake is to panickingly run back and forth, unleashing respawn wrath from the very bowels of damnation. ;3 This is a love/hate idiosyncrasy that gradually receded over the subsequent games; NGII's not quite as strict, and you have to really try for NGIII respawns. But hey, at least you can control when stuff appears unlike a certain Ninja Spirit and its withering zako hellstorms. ^_~

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

I played Haunted Castle a little and happened to get a 1CC of it. Extremely sloppy (made a lot of mistakes in stage 5 and had no idea what to do or expect in the final stage) but I can't say I care enough to try for a better run. What a poor game. I kind of love stiff controls in platformers; it's a big part of why Castlevania resonates so much with me, but damn this game seriously loves to just screw you over. Simon pretty much isn't equipped to deal with most of what the game tosses at you unless you've memorized it, the hitboxes are spotty, and the bosses are dire (that golem fight with its inexplicable invisible, disjointed hitbox, its seemingly-occasionally undodgeable flying fists, and its prospensity to just hide out on the outskirts of the battle arena... ugh.) But I kind of like its backgrounds and setting, and the game does have some great music (maybe one of my favorite renditions of Bloody Tears, actually).

Back to Rastan. Got to stage 4 for the first time earlier!

[BIL]

I played Haunted Castle a little and happened to get a 1CC of it. Extremely sloppy (made a lot of mistakes in stage 5 and had no idea what to do or expect in the final stage) but I can't say I care enough to try for a better run.

Kinda funny how so many big Konami names (Gradius, Contra, Twinbee, Goemon) began in arcades and migrated to console success, where Dracula had a triumphant home debut with an ill-fated AC effort later on. It's more like Metal Gear, Tokimeki Memorial and other home-grown Konami franchises in that regard.

Bit of trivia I found on The Cutting Room Floor recently - Contra Spirits (SFC) has the classic JAMMA region warning buried in its code. Wonder if Konami were ever considering bringing that series back to arcades before it finally went console-only.

Haunted Castle's soundtrack is indeed great though. "Cross Your Heart" easily earns a spot in the formidable Great Castlevania st1 BGM list, and "Don't Wait Until Night" shines in both urgent OSV and bombastic, caulk-rocking Dracula Battle format. Good ol' Naoto Shibata and co, seeking out the best stuff from the series' fringes. Has an interesting alternative version on the Konami Battle Best compilation too, my favourite reason to keep that one around besides its exclusive Super Contra tracks.

Does anyone know if Ninja Spirit (AC) has rank? I think the PCE port's meaty enemies lose a chunk of HP if you die. Reaching st3 on a life, I notice giants take long enough kill with the chain that I'm better off swapping to grenades. Die, and they fall quickly enough that POW chain with one shadow is sufficient. I think st4's samurai become easier to take down after a death, too. Seems based on survival time rather than powerups; deliberately avoiding the latter won't have the same effect.

It's nowhere near enough to offset the loss of powerups - zako numbers are unaffected. plus, fuck ruining the no-miss (・｀ω´・). I always like spotting the feature in older non-STG games, though. I wasn't aware FC Contra had weapon-based rank until quite recently.

---

edit: hmm, the arcade version does seem to behave the same as the PCE port - got very similar results from the st3 scenario described above. Been mucking about with both today, enjoying getting reacquainted with the AC's gloomy horror. Although the port captures its gameplay admirably, stylistically its necro-feudal evil is untouchable. Definitely my aesthetic ninja sidescrolling favourite - I'd been missing the giants' winningly gruesome "harakiri interrupted" walk animation. I prefer the dryer palette too, a weathering effect ideal for scenes of ruined elegance and indifferent wilderness.

Noticed the PCE port mimicks the AC's slight shuriken aim lag to a fault. While shooting, try going directly from [left] or [right] to [up]. In both AC and PCE, the former will force you to cycle through the intermediary directions; the latter will snap immediately from horizontal to vertical. Weird - reminds me of Metroid II's "spider throw," only executable when travelling left. I love this stuff, as an inveterate home port geek. Makes me wonder what was deliberate and what wasn't.

Also, I can't be arsed with the AC ninja pit right now, but the PCE one has a moderately obscured EZ path. Maybe to compensate for the lack of background markers? Whatever the reason, it makes me wish they'd just overhauled the thing entirely. >_> Even without the lack of reaction window, the floaty air handling simply isn't fit for twitch dodging. I would've preferred it to incorporate the underused parry mechanic, with a few terrain hazards to dodge. It's a cool, eerie scene for sure... just a shame it plays out as the most dryly literal, unforgiving memory test ever. Pour some sake for the unfortunate souls who were playing the arcade version at release. At least the ones who weren't total psychopaths who shrugged off the memo like water on a grease fire. I wonder if there's any interesting developer commentary on this unfortunate ointment-bellyflopping fly. (even if was a shameless CA$H MON£¥ grab, I'd like to know who mandated it/how the staff felt)

If it helps anyone, as a meager companion to Mr. Mosquito's truly heroic AC mapping efforts, here's a gif of the PCE port's easy path (slowed down for clarity).

Spoiler

Basically you want to fall off the ledge and immediately pull [left] hard, then back off slightly to avoid slamming into the first ninja. Graze him to ensure you'll miss the second, then resume heading left down the path shown. Upon exiting, you're good to get within a character width of the wall. Job done, just chill. It's dead easy with a bit of credit feeding practice - as shown, there's a decent bit of give in the hitboxes. Swinging the sword helps with spacing, I find.

I actually really like the easier PCE version of st7-1. The milder enemy presence lets the trap design and Metal Storm-prefiguring gravity mechanic breathe a little. Dunno why they had to ditch st6's giants though - hopefully not for difficulty concerns, considering they left in the drudge icon of the pit.

[Obiwanshinobi]

In the midst of emulation orgy on my Wii, I confess that NES Guevara (singleplayer) disappoints me: its tacky fanservice, the aim unified with movement direction (couldn't get into Fantasy Zone for this very reason) - unless I'm missing something - and, last but not least, the fact I found Great Tank so much more enjoyable, all competing with dozens of other 8-bit action ROM-s for my attention, is a bit much for me at the moment. Had I bought it and had someone to play co-op with, though, I'd be more tolerant perhaps.
Not that I find gameplay that reminiscent of Great Tank, but one looks like a romhack of another, so what can I do?

Any reason you'd play Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight rather than 2010 Street Fighter for?

[BIL]

2010SF (FC) and SF2010 (NES) are functionally identical, AFAIK... language differences only. Cutscenes are in Japanese/English and the protagonist is named Kevin/Ken, so the JP version avoids a bit of that lame old "zomg, is the SF you never played" gimmick. ;3

[Obiwanshinobi]

2010 Street Fighter for me, then. I guess.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

how to no-miss gigantic army insane mode

edit: Got revenge.

[BIL]

Had a feeling from the thumbnail that was where things were headed. TLB's floaty vortex pattern always feels a bit nervy if you're not in position to block (I... think you can block 'em? Been ages).

---

Previewed a couple of aforementioned PCE mecha sidescrollers this weekend.

Veigues Tactical Gladiator (1990 Bits Laboratory / HuCard) Pretty good! Fast-moving autoscroller ala Wolf Fang, with post-stage shotdown ranks tied to upgrade cash. With the busy enemy formations and smartly-judged mecha handling, it's an addictive little game that expresses its subgenre well. Evasion is particularly well-done; [down] pivots the chunky mech in an invincible dodge, with dash directly chainable via diagonal. With a bit of practice, aggressively pivot-dashing for optimal positioning and quick escapes becomes second nature. As in Wolf Fang, pre-emptive attack/evasion is preferable to bullet dodging - a design ethos given a fun and invaluable boost via the onscreen radar. The cumulative effect is very Panzer Dragoon-esque - I'd love to see a hori take on that series in this vein.

Chief complaint would be the chest-mounted machineguns fired with [I+II]. Even maxed out they lack oomph, and as they're tied to a couple of very specific ankle-nibbling nuisances, ignoring them isn't really possible. The level design can also feel a little overloaded towards the end, with a couple of unintuitive chokepoints capable of torpedoing a good run until you learn where not to be. I recommend enabling Continue Mode via [down/left+Select] at bootup. (as with upgrades, you have to earn 'em via score)

Far from the most content-rich mecha sidescroller - could've used a few alternate weapons in its upgrade tree, and the level design lacks Wolf Fang's roving adventure. But the concept of an autoscrolling shooting gallery is handled very nicely, as is the mecha ethos. Definitely worth a look.

Browning (1992 Riot / CD) Holy cow, this seems kind of awful. I'm not 100% certain the sluggish performance isn't my emulator, though various clips online seem to suggest the game is just like that. Also I won't say LOL Telenet but yeah. >_>

Regardless, this is the most threadbare mecha sidescroller I've played in some time. Seems to have precious little going on beneath the (beautiful!) machine designs. Feels quite tough, but not at all engagingly so - player mech's not a glass cannon so much as a glass peashooter. Godawful music, surprisingly great SFX - love that piercing "critical hit" sound effect, y'know, the one anime uses right before an unfortunate mobile suit goes thermonuclear. Will have to investigate further but not hopeful! At least is cheap enough for guilty pleasure if not totally awful.

[soprano1]

BIL, be sure to check out Locomalito's new sidescroller and tell us what you think of it:
http://www.locomalito.com/curse_of_issyos.php

[Ghegs]

Oh, I hadn't realized that was out already, thanks for the heads-up. Gave it a whirl, it feels mostly like Castlevania to me. Didn't seem terribly difficult (at least not as hard as Maldita Castilla), and I got to the fifth boss. Very enjoyable.

[EmperorIng]

Browning (1992 Riot / CD)
Will have to investigate further but not hopeful! At least is cheap enough for guilty pleasure if not totally awful.

Having beaten Browning I can confirm that it's totally awful. You spend most of the last two levels running away waiting for your shields to (slowly) recharge, to get in a few seconds' worth of blasting from your painfully-slow gun before having to run away again. I think level 4 has a grand total of 5 enemies (that you just jump over) before the midboss/boss combo. And the final level is just a boss gauntlet that peaks in difficulty against an exceedingly unfair mech, followed by four lazily-moving turrets, and a stationary mech whose hitbox is two pixels above your line of fire, necessitating your awkward hovering just over ground level.

But the writeup on Veigues has me interested at the least!

People praise the mech side-scrolling action-RPG Blood Gear, but I've never played it, nor have watching videos totally convinced me. Cross Wiber might be up your alley though, and its kuso prequel Cyber Cross (SAIBAA KICK!).

[soprano1]

Just curious, do the MD Sonic games count for this topic?

[BIL]

Having beaten Browning I can confirm that it's totally awful.

CRUMBZ 3:

but not unexpectedly so. LOL TELENET LMAO

Just curious, do the MD Sonic games count for this topic?

The topic initially drew the line at Contra blasters, with special dispensation for mecha games because I rove them. But that was almost three years ago, and I've long since decided it's a silly and reductive distinction. ;3 Not that I don't still think there's a definite line between Contra blasting and Makaimura's more calculated shooting, I'd just rather discuss both. As long as it's sidescrolling and has notable action to discuss, it's welcome.

edit: side-viewed, rather. Single screeners ala Taito's canon are fine too!

"Action" in a fairly broad sense - dojo_b has contributed some excellent posts on the intensity of SMB2J's platforming, and I'd be totally down for some Umihara Kawase talk too. (I'm still not experienced enough with that series, but have always liked what I've seen. Much like Locomalito's stuff)

[copy-paster]

It was right next to the Mega Man X5 review. Main complains were old graphics and unfair, hard gameplay.

Aside from shitty 'Son of Great Thing' stage design, the rest are well-designed and way entertaining than X4 (but still my fave X series), I wonder is their opinion changed when X6 was released?

Also I've been revisit NES Legend of Kage hours ago and got a 1-ALL, I can say that it was a pretty easy game although I had a problems when fight with Kage's doppelganger when I was kid.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Night Slave

After hearing Macaw's recommendation and seeing it mentioned in the thread, I figured I'd give it a playthrough. Absolutely an enjoyable game but it doesn't quite reach Valken's tier (and it certainly doesn't match Gigantic Army). It does match Valken's amazing controls and feeling of inertia, and it's full of variety (no setpieces that are quite as bombastic as Valken's stage 3 and 5 bosses, but there are plenty of cool minibosses and environments). It also lacks Valken's completely overpowered shield - certainly for the better, since as a result, your opponents are all-around more threatening and have more effective pressure than Valken's (but, unfortunately, not by much; there are no truly great fights in the game).

The powerup system is neat - it uses a Gradius-style bar and revolves around picking up chips that can be cashed in for weapon upgrades (or health, if you're playing sloppily). Weapons are far more expensive to upgrade than in Valken, though, even with the much larger amount of tokens the game gives out, and because you can only carry one main weapon and one subweapon into each stage, it's not as easy to get a large, upgraded weapon roster. The weapon lineup is actually really diverse (the lack of a melee weapon is very unfortunate, though), and there are even cool extra pieces you can add onto your mech pre-stage in the lategame (there's one that allows for infinite flight, one that massively increases your defense at the cost of mobility...), but the fact that it's kind of a pain to get a lot of weapons upgraded to satisfactory levels makes things feel a tiny bit limited. I might feel differently if I replayed the game, though.

Levels have a ton of unskippable in-engine cutscenes, which definitely deters me from wanting to give the game a no-miss attempt (the last level, with its multiple five-minute cutscenes interspersed amid the final boss battles, is kind of unforgivable).

Kabuki: Quantum Fighter

I really like the swinging mechanic - it gets used really well in the last couple of stages, where the game finally pushes you to make careful jumps off of hooks. (Not a fan of the conveyor belt hooks that show up in stage 5 though, grabbing onto them feels annoyingly finicky.) And stage 5 in general is definitely a neat little platforming gauntlet. This didn't strike me as a very remarkable game otherwise though; the bosses are largely poor, the game has a nasty habit of just dropping enemies on you at the screen's border, your standard attack's aerial hitbox is a little bit annoying... It's not a weak game at all, but I don't feel motivated to go for a no-miss run despite coming very close on my first complete playthrough.

Oh, and I like the system that lets you trade health for ammo (and vice-versa) during boss fights. I'd be interested in seeing that in some other games.

Rastan

Pulled off a 1CC - badass game. Fast and intense, and charging down the (somewhat random) enemy crowds with the appropriate strategy to cut them down flawlessly is intensely satisfying. The bosses are largely very cool too; I love that they always end quickly one way or another (even if some of them are a little simplistic). Only real downsides: there's a lack of stage variety (even if the various environmental hazards are mixed up well all the way to the end, the stages don't feel especially different from one another for the most part), there being only three in-game musical tracks is a shame (even if they're all great), and there are some occasional wonky hitboxes (some enemies can damage you with melee attacks even after they've died, and Rastan's downstab attack is a little finicky; it often results in you trading hits with the enemy). Regardless, this is definitely a very high-tier sidescroller.

In my clear, I didn't know how to deal with the hydra boss (only having reached him twice before, and the first of those attempts ended after only one death to him). He definitely left a black mark on my first playthrough of the game, unfortunately.

Other stuff:

-Ninja Spirit is cool but I think I'm going to wait to give it some serious time until after I've 1CCed Alien vs. Predator, which I should be close to doing. Excited to really dig into that game.

-How is Gunhound EX? How does it compare to Gigantic Army?

-I really want to try out Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru. Saturn emulation seems like a pain to deal with, though.

[BIL]

Thanks for the Night Slave writeup. Shame about the cutscenes... it blows my mind when quality action games don't include some form of hard skip.

Kabuki could've genuinely used that sequel the end credits promised. Refine the handling (low jump and ice physics are iffy). Smooth the enemy placement (blind falls = nonono). And steepen the curve, so 5-2's fun gymnastics are merely mid-game, with a true trial later... I think it could've been first-rate. Odd they nailed the unique hanging somersault input, but botched the basic low jump. Still love the game overall, though. A mid-tier FC favourite with novel acrobatics and strong presentation.

Kind of annoys me that Rastan didn't receive any good console ports in Japan, while the lame sequel is on both MD and PCE. There's a non-JP Master System port, no idea how it compares to the AC game though... I might pick up Taito Memories Joukan (PS2) just to have a hard copy of some sort. I am weird like this, and indeed in other regards. :3 Collecting, wheee!

Absolutely badass game regardless. The pulpy sword/sorcery theme seems a bit under-repped in Japan's arcade sidescrolling, compared to the Ninja and Army Man trends. Besides Rastan, there's Magic Sword and maybe Black Tiger (Capcom) that I can recall offhand. Probably forgetting something obvious (ah yes, Taito's own Cadash).

I've been continuing my PCE digging - as to be expected, there's a heaving ton of STGs both original and ported to weigh up. In between, gave Legendary Axe/Makyou Densetsu a quick revisit - certainly a solid charge n' bop ala Astyanax, but I think holiday refreshments lessened my attention span somewhat. Was soon craving more speed, more terror, and then spent all afternoon playing Ninja Spirit. 3: No-missing its superb Arcade Mode is my current infatuation. I kept underestimating st4's ninja death house, and it kept slaughtering me until I put my serious hat on! Bomb those fuckers down! Somewhat like Magic Sword's SFC port, the greater margin of error is a lot of fun... tempers the brutal discipline with just enough scope for the occasional "AW SHIIIT" recovery. Somewhat less inane ninja pit's a nice reprieve, too.

Taromaru's a gem - along with Little Ralph (PS1), that scant generation's fiercest competition for the previous two's sidescrolling triumphs. That I know of, anyway! A bit like 2010SF and Alien Soldier, in more ways than one... besides the boss rush ethos, it's an idiosyncratic, initially finicky game that'll reward patience a thousandfold. Bonus points for uncanny killing methods! I am eternally grateful that such a fine game was the one to bear the mantle of SCANNER NINJA. "B... bakanaaa!!!" *nervous system explodes from face*

"You killed a man last night, you know that."
"I didn't touch him!"
"I know you didn't. That's what makes it so interesting, don't you think?"

Also no goddamn cutscenes, with wicked horror tone to rival Ninja Spirit. Don't worry kids! You'll know the enemy are right evil cunts, I promise! Now STFU and AKU-SOKU-ZAN MOTHERFUCKER ಠ_ಠ

Sometime, imma do some serious inspections of that generation. Besides the titans of Taro and RARUFU there is good if flawed stuff here and there (Leynos 2, Shin Shinobi Den)... obscurity is no guarantee of quality though (The Rapid Angel, buhhh).