Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

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

Post by BrianC »

Captain Saver reminds me of something. What did you think of the similarly titled Captain Silver? Based on what I read and seen of it, I don't have high hopes for the FC version, though I like the SMS version quite a bit.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by dojo_b »

Castlevania Chronicles is tempting, thanks BIL. But I'm seeing a shortage of 2D action/platforming on the PS1, and reputable ones seem to be pricey (Little Ralph, Klonoa). If I recall correctly, the median PS1 game involved extreme sports, monster trucks with guns, spray-painting, and beating up gangsters, all in shitty washed-out 3D...

Picked up the IREM Arcade Hits collection for cheap on the Apple store. As licensed emulations go, it seems pretty solid. Enjoying my early forays into Ninja Spirit---some damn fine haunted elegance and mounting dread in this game, love the aesthetic. Also amused by Gunforce I/II (Metal Slug precursor) and Kung Fu Master (primitive combat, but I feel some of the verve of a good B-movie).
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Klonoa's quite lovely. :smile: Very mild sort of platformer compared to CVC and Ralph - all about muddling through mildly puzzling stages, rather than do/die action. Benefits hugely from vintage-tight mechanics and surprisingly well-aged presentation. The boost jump at the heart of its level design is joyfully kinetic, and the small-scale polygonal locales have the rough charm of a child's papier mache creations. Never gets truly intense, but does have a cool unlockable time attack course made for extreme boost jumping.

Not sure about other regions, but IIRC the final NTSCJ reprint ("PlayStation The Best For Family") should be pretty cheap even brand new. Although, it's been a few years since I snapped up a copy. Not the kind of game I'd go to too much trouble acquiring, but I like having it around.
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EXEXEX
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by EXEXEX »

Speaking of Ninja Gaiden, does anyone agree that playing NG3 US version w/o long sword is pretty much like the arcade-level difficulty?
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by NYN »

Hiya.
I'm a avid reader and got a question, too.
Anyone here ever played Shinobi 3DS?
(Read about every line on the topic but can't remember mentioning it and a quick search did zip)
As I'm about to line it up I'd be interested in some experience.
If you'd care to share, of course.
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BIL
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

EXEXEX wrote:Speaking of Ninja Gaiden, does anyone agree that playing NG3 US version w/o long sword is pretty much like the arcade-level difficulty?
I've never tried playing it sans longsword, but it wouldn't surprise me - NGIII is already at the lower end of coinop difficulty, imo (certainly comparable to easier 1CCs like Elevator Action Returns). The harsh damage scale, extra enemies and much sparser ammo/powerup distribution (=less distance blasting, more face-to-face slashing) make it my distinct favourite over the FC version. Steep resistance from the get-go, and that last Act is a hell climb.

Although I'm happy with the NES cart, I think the objectively best-balanced version is on the SFC trilogy. Combines the FC's reasonable damage scale with the NES's tougher enemy/item distributions. Unfortunately, just like comp's other two ports, it's brutally ugly and tone-deaf compared to the lovely 8-bit originals. I can only withstand a few stages, less without muting the speakers. Bleh. >_< (it's pricey, too!)
Ronyn wrote:Hiya.
I'm a avid reader and got a question, too.
Anyone here ever played Shinobi 3DS?
(Read about every line on the topic but can't remember mentioning it and a quick search did zip)
As I'm about to line it up I'd be interested in some experience.
If you'd care to share, of course.
I've been curious about that one too. :smile: I remember GSK posting some brief but promising impressions here. As usual I'm way behind on anything remotely current-gen... I've kept this one on my shortlist though.

Love the sig btw. :mrgreen:
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obiwanshinobi »

dojo_b wrote: But I'm seeing a shortage of 2D action/platforming on the PS1, and reputable ones seem to be pricey (Little Ralph, Klonoa).
Tomba! is notorious for not working porperly on PS2, but I still haven't played it myself.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by NYN »

BIL wrote:I've kept this one on my shortlist though.
Now that I got a 2DS it seems natural.
Not much of a risk with a cheap price like that.
BIL wrote:Love the sig btw. :mrgreen:
Cheers! But somehow I knew you would. Whole lyrics are best in life but it's all too long for a sig. So I picked some.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Aw yee, back in the saddle with a working gamepad. Picked up some new stuff recently, which means (as is my hobbyist wont) revisiting old favourites. Mostly Natsume's eternal SFC masterpiece The Ninja Warriors Again. Trying to refine my overly cautious ~50min Ninja Hard clear down to a more consistently ass-shattering sub 40. I don't do speedruns per se - I just like the authoritative killin'! Robotic knee mash up deh batty - RIM FROM RIM

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" ITS TO BIIIG! "

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" NO ITS NOOOT! "

Squire had an excellent question some pages back about crouching vs standing pokes - at the time I only really knew that standing = quicker nunchaku. HOWEVER, I'd overlooked a big chunk of Natsume's lovely system, and it's vital for recording sleeker replays! A standing player will take three pokes in short succession before falling - a generous window for either closing in and grappling, or holding [attack] to get your guard up and back off. Of course you'll need to watch out for the slower, heavier knockdown blows most enemies have.

A crouching player will be instantly floored by any attack - no exceptions. So unless you're actively ducking something (like the nasty roundhouse employed by Sgt. Baldyford McRayban and his lower-HP headswap, the intrepid Beret Lad), you're actually more secure standing than crouching. Crouch-walking into a low poker will end in humiliation - striding in will take a few inconsequential hits before they're in your murderous grip.

Recorded a quick ~45min run yesterday, but it was chock fulla mistakes with missed atomic drops and rocket fists all over the shop (new d-pad thinks 1 and 3 = 2, not in this game it fuckin doesn't ಠ_ಠ). Imma keep tweaking and tuning and workin' them i-frames.

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NO REFUGE. YOU FAT FIREMAN FUCK

Needless to say, the run saw a sterling showing from Natsume's legendarily assholic AI - this is truly RNG The Videogame. Whole thing's a roiling moshpit liable to go from cagily observant to gnashingly upfront in a literal split-second. I don't think TNWA enemies "network" the way, say, Technos ones do (any fan of theirs will know the ever-nearing spectre of Pincer Beatdown). They certainly aren't cognisant of stage hazards or friendly fire. Closer to artfully tumbled dice; the classic arcade ethos of distinct enemy "characters" (sniper, tanker, harasser), deployed in confined space... patterns spiralling out, as the player counters with learned reaction and the odd gamble.

The SNES versions always make me a little sad with their unceremonious chopping out of Katana, those pixel buns being presumably too hot for Western televisions. This game is all about its crowd mixups, FFS.

Ankoku Densetsu (PCE) is quite cool - decided to finally pick it up, now that more pressing cards like Ninja Spirit and Tonma are bagged. It was marketed on TG16 as The Legendary Axe II, though the games don't play much alike. The simple, sturdy blade/chain melee quickly won me over, especially with the always fun appearance of hop/bop in "serious" context! (AKA darkness bop Image) St3's warrior skeletons and boomerang chuckers are a blast to take down cleanly. Aesthetically a bit goofy to call "dark," but that's not the worst thing for cod sword & sorcery. Music OTOH is surprisingly effective - st3's BGM is stirring and st4's is downright delicately mournful. Currently at st5's duodenal abyss with its hordes of asplodin zombies and occasional mansized bio-rooster.

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edit: oh damn, st5 boss onward gets really good. :o Precision barbarian violence. Smiting skeletons amidst scorching thunderbolts be hawt. Digging the grim "human lightning rod" torture imagery, too... never seen that before, wonder if it's original.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obiwanshinobi »

Anyone played the Master System port of Daimakaimura? Reads like opposite to the Rygar and Captain Silver console ports (altered/enhanced on the NES, pretty straightforward on SMS).
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

Holy shit, Ankoku Densetsu looks rad. Started watching a video and was hooked by the moody dark fantasy soundtrack and instantly likable sword swinging sfx and arc animation. Gonna give this a shot ASAP.

Also definitely gonna put more time into Ninja Warriors Again, as soon as I get a sufficiently stylish 1lc of Alien Vs Predator. One ultra stylish mechanically brilliant rng-chaos brawler for me at a time~
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Vludi »

Obiwanshinobi wrote:Anyone played the Master System port of Daimakaimura? Reads like opposite to the Rygar and Captain Silver console ports (altered/enhanced on the NES, pretty straightforward on SMS).
The levels are a bit different and there are shops where you can buy items, along with magic selection and a magic bar. It was kinda slow tho so i didn't like it much.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by dojo_b »

I love the aesthetic and attitude of brawlers, but a few things have stopped me from ever really becoming engaged outside of a social context:

-the frequent crowding and congestion of the screen with enemies;

-the feeling of claustrophobia and stasis reinforced by the screen's refusal to scroll until you wipe them all out;

-the helpless frustration of being hurled to the ground, which I find worse than simple knockback.

All these things rub me the wrong way to a surprising extent. (I mean... who'd suspect that brutal violence could be frustrating and unpleasant, especially for an unskilled dabbler??)

The other factor is the depth-of-field, 2.5D character of many of these games (although not the two games under discussion here, I guess). I've never found a brawler where I really enjoyed this, and there is an ungainly sense of waddling up and down the visual field, arms and legs swinging pointlessly. That extra dimension is seldom used as a direction of attack or graceful movement. I admit that it can increase the density and intensity of fights, but again I tend to find them too crowded.

My ideal group-melee situation involves much more space and mobility (see e.g. the Kill Bill nightclub scene), where the fighters' bodies become projectiles. They Bleed Pixels is a good example of a game that delivers this sort of pleasure, and though the crunchy gore factor is reduced by the small character size, I find it's more than compensated for by the room freed up for swift, graceful motion---which for me is usually the main enticement to pick up any game.
BIL wrote: the always fun appearance of hop/bop in "serious" context! (AKA darkness bop Image)
awesome term :mrgreen:, will have to use and look for that...
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

dojo_b wrote:-the feeling of claustrophobia and stasis reinforced by the screen's refusal to scroll until you wipe them all out;
The answer is AVP's crazy lunge jumps and Armored Warrios mobility. You'll forget that the screen isn't scrolling soon enough once you're acrobatically flipping all over the place.
dojo_b wrote:That extra dimension is seldom used as a direction of attack or graceful movement. I admit that it can increase the density and intensity of fights, but again I tend to find them too crowded.
Actually, it's super important. You use it to side step attacks and bait wiffs, since as you said most enemies can't attack in that direction.
dojo_b wrote: My ideal group-melee situation involves much more space and mobility (see e.g. the Kill Bill nightclub scene), where the fighters' bodies become projectiles. ...more than compensated for by the room freed up for swift, graceful motion---which for me is usually the main enticement to pick up any game.

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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by blackoak »

I 1CC'd Contra III on normal difficulty today, pretty fun and satisfying for a game that seemed "impossible" to me when I was younger. I then tried hard mode and was a little turned off by the extra degree of memo it seemed to be demanding. Also, the overhead stages were a lot more sloggy on hard. To BIL and others, what's your verdict on this difficulty? Worth persevering through...? Or do you find it the superior experience in general?
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

blackoak wrote:Worth persevering through...? Or do you find it the superior experience in general?
Definitely. Hard mode Contra 3 is sublime and where it shines as my favorite side scroller ever.

It's not really much more memo, because much of the things that kill you (random runner zakos, and many of the harder bosses etc.) are near completely random anyway. The game is the best kind of rng chaos in general. The only part that genuinely does require more memo is the stage 3 boss, who now has a very brutally strict timing to his arena cleansing flame thrower that requires strict, preemptive positioning to avoid. Other then that, the experience is golden.
RegalSin wrote:Japan an almost perfect society always threatened by outsiders....................

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 BIL »

dojo_b wrote:awesome term :mrgreen:, will have to use and look for that...
FC Top Secret + GB Bionic Commando are two exemplars of the form, definitely. ^_~ Chelnov (AC/MD) and Rygar (AC/FC) warrant investigating too!
blackoak wrote:To BIL and others, what's your verdict on this difficulty? Worth persevering through...? Or do you find it the superior experience in general?
Short answer: What Squire said. Definitely worth sticking with past the initial pain!

Long flowery answer ;3 - CIII Hard is a masterpiece, imo, though not an unqualified one. There certainly is an initial memo barrier, comprised of myriad nasty little tweaks. Stages now demand practiced strategies to avert disaster, and bosses will mercilessly trap and execute for the wrong move (or sometimes just for destroying the wrong parts - don't trigger st2's pancake frenzy while he's got pods remaining!). Even Normal clearers will get tripped up, repeatedly. It's a second loop in all but name, and even in that context rather mean-spirited.

In perspective, though, this stuff is small potatoes in an absolute roiling cauldron of chaotic spawns and harrowingly erratic bosses. Learning st1's sniper posts is a snap; sudden death via the runner onslaught must be deftly parried every time. St3 driller's brutal charges are entirely doable once you factor in the Hard-exclusive rebound. Luring him into them without being trapped, or pulverised outright, is a fiendishly organic user brain VS cpu brain showdown. The RNG maelstrom and gymnastic peril of st4's missile hop is a Frogger-esque terror unto itself. St6's hive is a sidescrolling action masterclass. Erratic spawn pressure from both sides. Horribly treacherous terrain. Regular absolute-priority speedkill targets. All three to be dealt with in one controlled sweep - hesitate and die horribly. Miscalculate and survive horribly, possibly.

For threading of random twitch peril through calculated, cinematic game direction, only the almighty Daimakaimura rivals it in my book. Heartily recommend giving it a little more time; once that thin procedural shell cracks, a sidescrolling action beast for the ages is apparent.

The overhead stages highly benefit from a rehearsed route - their spawns can't be predicted, but neither should take more than a minute when you know a good path. Wandering about will quickly spiral into frustration, with the relentless spawn frequency. I'm very fond of my st5 route, as it avoids the deadly bridges and nearly all those aggravating spinner tiles. Note I still have a nasty red centipede encounter en route to the final target! I actually grew to like these stages, haha... big fan of Namco's Assault.

re spinner tiles: to neutralise them as I do there, use fast rotation (double-tap then hold a shoulder button). I like to roughly align with the target from outside its spinner field, then barge in while enabling FR and nailing the kill. FR is also needed to counteract the boss's "carousel" spin, in his second phase. It's not clear from the video alone, but if you're forced to duck a flame blast like I was, don't let go of the shoulder button - keep it held down and stay prone until he's rotated back into your line of fire, then get up and you'll lock in automatically.

Also, a very general tip: don't be shy with bombs*. You lose 'em all if you die, and they buy valuable time for observing trouble spots (or plowing through 'em, or busting out of a pinch, of course). st4 boss is a terribly easy place to die with nine in stock; use them to relieve the pressure of his cannons+grenades.

I went for a quick n' dirty no-miss, but much bigger challenge remains... banning bombs and adding Shin Contra's S-Rank criteria for good measure (all set spawns + boss parts destroyed) would be a behemoth run. (and technically broken, now that I think about it... you can't hit st3's wall sniper trio with F or C. Maybe allow one bomb there. >_>)

*I sure as hell wasn't in my run - see that aformentioned red centipede in st5. :lol:
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by No_not_like_Quake »

Thank you for the play on hard recommendation of Alsia Dragoon, BiL. Turns what were annoying pests into what should be dealt with correctly enemies or swift death.

Who the fuck is the "sound team" on this game anyway, I notice the game is proud to be a Game Arts production, Gainax involved somehow, yeah yeah but mechanos(sp)? Sound seems standard Mega Drive stuff to me albeit catchy tunes.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Oldschool JP staff rolls, haha. ^__^ Still love Super Shinobi's coordinator THE ALIVE - that's a badass moniker and looks great in the end credits.

---

Previously on 2ND OPINON

"He runs like he's shat himself. He jumps like he's shat himself. He even walks like he's shat himself."

Could there be a return from this ruthlessly calculating disavowal? :shock:

Image

So I happened across rovely JP copies of HOD and AOS, and in a fit of pique snaffled 'em to scratch a stubborn completist itch. Not something I usually do, oh god help me what have I done. They can't even go next to COTM on the shelf, because they are not Akumajous. 3: Naw, it's been edifying (and fun!) getting to grips with these two, and by association the early Metroidvania years.

I'd previously regarded SOTN's three GBA offshoots through a mildly disdainful fug of "brazenly iterative." They are to a degree, with the annual releases explaining little. Rondo, X68K and Vampire Killer were developed simultaneously, debuted within the same half-year, and built on the FC's classic action/platformer with masterful aplomb. The GBA trio didn't develop SOTN, so much as they attempted to reprise it with varying focus and to wildly disparate results. A lesser sort of variety, to be sure, but it is there!

HOD fares the worst at this, seeking to capitalise on the leisurely exploration and absorbing scale of SOTN and failing utterly. SOTN is a sidescroller of absolutely rare leisure; it is sumptuously beautiful and mesmerisingly soundtracked, it handles with impeccable smoothness, and though its stage design is primitive, it's concise at micro level and grand at global - unobtrusive to simple pleasures. HOD is gracelessly obtrusive. Occasionally striking but usually garish audiovisuals, clumsy air controls, and a tiresomely padded map foil any resemblance to the elusive Magical Vacation Dracula. It's also even less challenging than SOTN on account of Up+B spells and a largely catatonic boss roster.

Having said all this... I find the tortuous dual-layered map perversely fun to unpick every time. Overall design is certainly poor, replete with dead ends and unsatisfying doohickey hunts; on replays, knowing where it's pointless to go, ugly blots of irrelevant space emerge. Following the twisting bi-dimensional breadcrumb trail gives a certain primal satisfaction, though. It also does preserve a small yet potent aspect of SOTN's appeal - satisfyingly crisp impacts and rich death animations. Skeletons shatter chunkily, armours go out in blistering YGWsplosions, and some spells are winningly gratifying, like Ice Axe's murderous crashing slab. In these regards, I prefer HOD to its better-made but more conservative peers. Weak, fugly, but not without idiosyncratic charm.

AOS I gained a respect for, this go-round. It's both an ambitious channeling of SOTN and a refinement, its map streamlined for more consistent pace. There's no Alchemy Lab through Outer Wall preamble, and its later areas (Arena/Top Floor/Chaotic Realm) firmly shift from relaxed roaming to perpetual combat. Engine feels like a near-direct port with smooth handling and hard hits, there's some very entertaining new enemies like Valkyries and Cagnazzos, and a handful of bosses put up decently hectic fights - albeit playing on Hard+No Items, Death, Balore, Julius and especially Chaos are all a blast to take down cleanly.

Ultimately yet another SOTN rejig - Skinner Box drops are as lazy as ever. And though the Clock Tower's spikes are cool, there's still a general lack of environmental concerns. Unlike SOTN, a few areas are chromatically bland, making me wish a little of HOD's madness (or even COTM's murkiness) had rubbed off. I would've liked it to take a shot at COTM's excellent Battle Arena, too - unlike HOD, it certainly has the technical chops to support intense survival challenge. Its three optional rooms are cool but not enough.

Still, warmed up to AOS a lot. SOTN will always end up getting away with game design murder and dominating it on sheer beauty and atmosphere - besides Demon's Crest, it's the only sidescrolling action game I find gains from pacing lulls. AOS's streamlined flow and comparably smooth handling do give it a much snappier replayability, though.

Did anyone else love finding HOD's Black Tome? I got an unexpected kick out of tracking that last trinket down, heh. Like rescuing that last furry I'd missed in Jet Force Gemini.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obiwanshinobi »

Screen-switching rather than scrolling, but H.E.R.O. for SG-1000 and Montezuma's Revenge (featuring Panama Joe) for Master System are commendable ports (assuming it's possible to finish this version of MR). I must say - at least my early impressions are even better than Donkey Kong for Game Boy* gave me. Then again - this style of game may just happen to be more favourable to me nowadays. Perhaps revisiting that GB DK is due.

*) That one is much more than a port of the coin-op Donkey Kong.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BIL »

Obiwanshinobi wrote:I must say - at least my early impressions are even better than Donkey Kong for Game Boy* gave me. Then again - this style of game may just happen to be more favourable to me nowadays. Perhaps revisiting that GB DK is due.

*) That one is much more than a port of the coin-op Donkey Kong.
Speaking of classic arcade single-screeners adapted for GB - recently picked up Burger Time Deluxe after happening across a nice JP copy and remembering your endorsement. What a great little game - I'm a total BT noob, but I know arcade-quality immediacy and tension when I sees 'em. Image I like how you can scout the camera ahead on scrolling stages for long-term burger timing. Functional and super-cute style, too.

Also added a second Natsume title to go with Ninja Ryukenden GB, the decidedly un-sidescrolling topdown action/puzzler Osawagase! Penguin Boy (aka Amazing Penguin). Another addictive, cute, tricky gem - guess I shouldn't be surprised the ol' GB excels at this sort of elemental arcade vintage. Quite a few other examples I'm in a mood to get now, most definitely including DK.

From what I've seen, Bionic Commando remains the apex of "modern" sidescrolling action on GB. Still haven't found anything quite as superb as that one.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obiwanshinobi »

I saw that BTDX boxart you posted in another thread! Oddly, I seem to play it most whenever my day job is a bit like the game.
It's true that, when all is said and done, Game Boy is no portable Famicom... but we owe it reminding us just how good videogaming could be even prior to Super Mario Bros.

Single screen 2D action I've been regularly playing of late is Bara Burū (SMS homebrew) the forum's very Herr Schatten plugged here. Compulsive to say the least, and I imagine co-op can be even better (despite very different gameplay, something about it reminds me of Dungeon Explorer co-op vid I saw on YouTube; must be the spritework).
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

Burgertime Deluxe GB is definitely good stuff. Captures the feel of the original much better than some of the other sequels.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by dojo_b »

Today's Rule-34 study is an ASMR video of someone playing Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (GBC, '99). Enjoy a gentle gamer's whispers and the soothing clickety-clack of his A/B buttons as he cruelly dispatches the Avar hordes.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by BrianC »

I still need to pick up Amazing Penguin. Looks like a fun take on Amidar. Too bad there hasn't been a proper port of that game. 2600 one is fun, but not close to the arcade version.

Speaking of GB ports of older games, I still need to pick up Power Racer/Head On. I like Dodge 'em 2600 and Head On arcade quite a bit.
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Obscura
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obscura »

From another thread, but I can't believe the shade you guys are throwing at Arcade Super Contra. Best Contra game, by far. Period.

Best top-down stages (they're actually fun for once!), best intensity, aim in any direction, and you can choose between three jump heights! What more could you want, and how could you possibly say the NES Contras (or, more perplexing still the 16 bit Contras) are better?
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Squire Grooktook
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

The side scrolling stages are fun, outside of the horrifically laggy and un-intuitive aiming controls occasionally costing a life, and the top down stages play like steaming vomit. The molasses slow move speed gives it its own flavor, but also serves to put it forever behind the ecstatic speed of later installments.

It would be good with a black label. As is, it's flawed but fun with some incredibly intense moments compensating everything wrong with it, but I can only recommend it to people with a high tolerance for shit.
RegalSin wrote:Japan an almost perfect society always threatened by outsiders....................

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.
Aeon Zenith - My STG.
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Obscura
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obscura »

Your opinion of the top-down stages makes me wonder if you accidentally found a pair of rare rom-hacks where Contra 3 and ASC had their top-down stages swapped.

The cool thing about the slow movement speed is that it really makes you *fight* your way forward. It gives the game that Ninja Spirit feel -- pounding your way through the hordes and hordes of enemy soldiers. Embrace the violent grind.
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Squire Grooktook
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Squire Grooktook »

Slow move speed does give it its own flavor, as I said. And that's not a bad thing. But in the end, violently manic gameplay will always be my preference over violently grindy gameplay. As such, Super Contra (during its best moments) forms a unique change of pace from the other games, but certainly not a definitive one.

Especially when the wibbly wobbly aiming controls feel like I just took a bite of something past the expiration date half the time.

Stage 4 is godlike though.
RegalSin wrote:Japan an almost perfect society always threatened by outsiders....................

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.
Aeon Zenith - My STG.
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Obscura
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + Sidescrolling Action Miscs

Post by Obscura »

I actually really like the aim controls, since they let you do the Metal Slug heavy machine gun sweep.

Enemy not on a cardinal or ordinal direction? NO PROBLEM!
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