Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[Obscura]

Ah, I was wondering why I'd sometimes get a super-jump backwards! Don't jump while I'm swinging, got it.

[Volteccer_Jack]

So, given that this bastard exists, and is a bastard ( )

I may as well ask which is cooler: tossing two shurikens at him to stay damageless, or taking a 1 HP hit in order to maintain the sword-only conduct? I know it doesn't really matter, but I can pretty much guaran-fucking-tee I'll only do this run once, so if the other 2 people on Earth who play SMS Ninja Gaiden have a preference they should tell me now while I'm still working the kinks out of the rest of the run.

[Ex_Mosquito]

On a related note, hit stage 4 for the first time, and cleared the first section blind on my first try! The next bit with the bamboo spikes sure snuffed out my flame fast though, holy damn...

Wow nice! I find 4.1 one of the more trickier stages. The randomiser can be pretty harsh at times and force you to jump a ground attack from a chain guy and landing on an awaiting Samurai upwards sword swipe. There is always the emergency option of ascend to the ceiling, but you literally have 0.5 seconds to avoid another attack from a chain guy without the ability bunny hop and landing on whatever is still alive on the lower level. It's such a scary section. 4.1 is a breeze in comparison if you use the shurikens for the Samurai and have a little patience to avoid the stabby Ninja running across the top, stay still and let them do their thing and you'll be fine.

Note also that you lose movement control during the swing. There's an obscure but potentially deadly glitch associated with this. It's a little tricky to describe... basically, jumps input while the swing is active will be forced in whatever direction the character ends up facing. Always let the swing terminate and movement controls return, then execute the jump. I seem to pick up input glitches like lint on velcro, haha. This is one of the more minor ones, happily. The chain sweep is a superb counteroffensive mechanic - one of my favourite weapons from any 2D action game. Flashy, finessed and practical. Very ninja. Shredding st3.1's teeming horde and thrashing st5's cliff grenadiers never gets old.

This has happened to me sooo many times! and usually resulting into me triggering a monk into throwing his staff and I'm left in the air at maximum jumping height trying to avoid other ground/air enemies at the same time, nightmare. It kinda goes to show you how accurate the PC Engine version is compared to the arcade, control bug and all. It's almost as if it's using the exact arcade code with a few parameter tweeks to fit the PCE hardware, Vigilante feels like this as well.

[BIL]

I may as well ask which is cooler: tossing two shurikens at him to stay damageless, or taking a 1 HP hit in order to maintain the sword-only conduct? I know it doesn't really matter, but I can pretty much guaran-fucking-tee I'll only do this run once, so if the other 2 people on Earth who play SMS Ninja Gaiden have a preference they should tell me now while I'm still working the kinks out of the rest of the run.

I've yet to try SMS NG, but my 2c FWIW: if a game's being played with restrictions, and certain situations become unusually onerous as a result, taking a biff here or there to preserve the spirit of the run is fine by me. If it's obvious you'd normally just blow away that enemy but have been left short-handed, I don't think it reflects badly on the run at all.

(I was toying with the notion of a Shattered Soldier "S-Rank"-styled Contra III run, meaning no deaths, all set spawns + boss parts destroyed, and no bombs since Shattered Soldier lacks them. Then I realised the st3 wall sniper trio are impossible to hit without bombing if you're using dual Crush - and I only ever use dual Crush. So should I break my ass by switching to something weaker just for those three, making the Wall Smoosher immediately beforehand even more of a nightmare? Or break the run by allowing a bomb? I guess what I'm saying is shit happens when you go without)

Would enjoy watching that run regardless!

use the shurikens for the Samurai and have a little patience to avoid the stabby Ninja running across the top, stay still and let them do their thing and you'll be fine.

Reading you and Vludi's commentary, I think I've been underrating the shuriken in that section - gonna have to give them a go. I find it doable with bombs, but a total nailbiter every time. I occasionally dabble with no-missing the PCE port's arcade mode - it can't match the PCB's toughest spots (st6, st7.1), but it's still a fun and legitimately intense challenge in its own right. Nothing like an inopportunely-spawned samurai barreling straight across the ceiling at you, a ninja patrol about to jam their katanas up your arse, and only a face full of spikes waiting below.

Definitely one of the best "hard gaming" experiences I've had on console. Holy Diver is probably tougher, but it's so hobbled by input drops and flicker, I just can't deal with it right now - too much airtight stuff to enjoy first.

[Shoryukev]

Is the SMS version of Ninja Gaiden worth picking up? There is a handful of SMS games I want to add to my collection (streets of rage, star wars, phantasy star, wonder boy III, bubble bobble) so it wouldn't be a bad time to add it to the list.

[BIL]

I've heard good things about it, but am kinda saving my adventuring in SMS land for later. Dunno if I'll ever get into non-NTSCJ stuff from the pre-32bit era, tbh. I'd love to (lots of NES carts I wouldn't mind having), but in a bizarre twist of fate for a kid who grew up pining for imports, it's way the hell easier for me to get hold of Japanese stuff now I'm a grown-ass mayne. :O Also I'm lazy. ;3

Have you played Kenseiden? Currently the only Mark III/Master System game in my collection. It's got its flaws, but for certain fans of oldschool Castlevania's methodical action, particularly those who like a little ARPG map roaming, it could quite easily become a favourite.

[Shoryukev]

I don't think I've ever played that one, I will check it out! I think my local retro store might have it, fingers crossed. I have a decent selection of SMS stuff but I'm missing some of it's best titles. If you have a Gen/MD everdrive I think it's supposed to support SMS games on the Gen/MD without anything extra.

The good thing about the SMS is that it plays PAL games in 60hz without any mods. I imported some Sonic games from the UK about a year ago and they match the speed of my NTSC game gear versions perfectly. Thankfully the SMS versions use the added screen resolution for a wider view on what's around you. I always hated sonic 2 on the GG as a kid because the screen moves around a lot to try and show you what's ahead since it feels so zoomed in LOL. On the SMS version it is much more static and you don't have to make as many leaps of faith. There's still some issues with hit detection I won't get into....but it makes it a much more playable game LOL.

Star Wars on the Game Gear was one of my favorite games as a kid. I've been led to believe the SMS port is pretty much identical to the GG version (except it's missing the bonus level in the beginning with Leia that was a GG exclusive) so I'm hoping to find it for a decent price soon. I've played it a couple times on my NES recently to get my fix, but it isn't quite the same. I don't hear many people talk about SW on NES, SMS, or GG much but they are great games if you can get past the difficulty (which for anyone on this forum I'm 100% positive they won't have an issue with it).

[Obscura]

Speaking of Vludi's strats, I don't understand "bombs on stage 3 boss". From that checkpoint there's no weapon upgrade, so it's easy to find yourself with a undetonated bomb on the ground, no ability to throw another, forced to jump over the samurai, and thus a sitting duck for the riflemen if they want to shoot you.

To me, it seems the only consistent method is chain. With chain, you can jump over him, attack down to hit him, and the downward attack will also cover you from any rifleman shots incoming.

[Vludi]

I remember there was a power-up + shadow + shield in that checkpoint, but if not chain sounds ok although a tad slower. Also, if you position yourself far right or left of the screen in that boss, the rifleman near you can't hit you so not much need for defense.

[Obscura]

Hmm, now I'm wondering if there's different versions of the PCB (or if the MAME dump is just weird). The only power-up I get before the boss is a shadow (no weapon power-up or shield), and the riflemen are able to point-blank me at either extreme end of the screen.

[Vludi]

Are you playing Saigo or Ninja Spirit? i played Saigo so maybe Ninja Spirit has a couple bug fixes.

[Obscura]

Yeah, I'm playing Ninja Spirit.

I'm kind of curious -- if you die to the stage 3 boss, where do you respawn at in Saigo? After the marsh on dry land, or at one of the marsh checkpoints? The description of what items you're getting actually sounds like you're getting sent back to an older checkpoint; in Spirit, there's a checkpoint on the dry land after the marsh seconds away from the boss.

[Ex_Mosquito]

From what I've experienced the PCB version of Ninja Spirit has more item-men than Saigo. For example, you can power up 3 weapons by the time you reach the first boss on NS, but only 2 on Saigo. The PCE versions are identical.

Personally I'm not sure about the checkpoints on the PCBs. A good rule is to not die in the first place It's such an uphill struggle after a death that I usually just end up restarting from scratch and try harder.

[Vludi]

Yeah, I'm playing Ninja Spirit.

I'm kind of curious -- if you die to the stage 3 boss, where do you respawn at in Saigo? After the marsh on dry land, or at one of the marsh checkpoints? The description of what items you're getting actually sounds like you're getting sent back to an older checkpoint; in Spirit, there's a checkpoint on the dry land after the marsh seconds away from the boss.

Just tested Saigo, if you die to boss 3 you respawn before the marsh, so more power-ups. But like Mosquito said, try not to die on the first 3 levels.

[BIL]

Good info! I'd never looked into PCB regional differences - it sounds a lot like Daimakaimura vs Ghouls n' Ghosts.

I'm still not sure whether the PCE port officially goes by "Ninja Spirit" or Saigo no Nindou. Seems like it adopted the arcade version's overseas name (ala the NEC-published Forgotten Worlds and Side Arms... but unlike Irem's own Mr. Heli). Regardless, as Mosquito said, the checkpoints and powerup distributions are definitely based on Saigo. Died at boss 3? Welcome (back) to the rice fields, motherfucker!

[Obscura]

Woah, the only checkpoint in the second half of stage 3 in Saigo is the pre-marsh checkpoint?!?!

In Ninja Spirit, there's the pre-marsh checkpoint, a checkpoint in the middle of the marsh, and a checkpoint right before the boss.

Plus, Mosquito Fighter confirmed that there's other changes in power-up carrier placement... seems like the changes in NS were pretty extensive.

[Volteccer_Jack]

Is the SMS version of Ninja Gaiden worth picking up?

Depends a bit but if you like the NES Ninja Gaiden games you're pretty certain to at least enjoy it. Here's the short summary post I made when I first discovered it. Even shorter version: If you fixed the difficult-to-react-to eagles/runners, made ammunition MUCH more limited, and fixed the unavoidable stage 4 bastard, I might like this game even more than NGIII, which is saying a lot because NGIII is one of my favorite games of all time and easily my favorite NES/FC game.

Some much-needed context for the screenshot in that post:
-the only ways to reach the exit on the left side (besides getting hit on purpose for a height boost) are to hang on the floating platform from underneath and flip up or wall-jump to it from the left, both of which commit you to significant periods of vulnerability, then run or jump left to the exit
-the three wisps are enemies which don't appear until you reach approximately the horizontal position shown in the screenshot, and after a brief spawning animation their only behavior is to track relentlessly in the most direct path to the current position of the center of Ryu's body
-each wisp takes two hits to kill, with a small invulnerability window so that rapid double hits are not possible (though they do stop moving during that time)
-the lava in the stage rises and sinks in an irregular pattern, meaning that the timing of when you leave safe ground determines the timing of your next several jumps, forcing you to plan many steps ahead
-if you retreat back to the safe ground on the right, any of the wisps which you have killed will spawn again the next time you try to proceed

Trying to navigate across the room without simply resorting to the invincible firewheel or the screen-clearing desperation attack is a herculean task, and the run I'm doing now started with me just experimenting to see if this room was even possible without taking damage or using subweapons. And there are a bunch of moments like this scattered throughout the last two levels. It makes the unavoidable stage 4 bastard even more aggravating when I think of the convoluted solution to this room. The only other game I know of with this sort of blatantly malicious level design is Megaman X6, a game which an expert once summarized as "lots of Nightmares placed in all the exact spots you really really don't want them to be placed." It's a testament to either blind luck or sheer genius that both games can be cleared under restrictive challenge conditions without taking damage.

[Obscura]

Just gave Saigo a try; there are a ton of differences between it and Spirit.

Basically, Spirit seems like a "bugfix + high rank" romhack of Saigo. I saw some glitchiness in Saigo that I've never seen in spirit (WTF is with the stage 2 boss suddenly teleporting to some nonsensical location when he's off screen? And why did I just suddenly die once when he wasn't on screen anywhere?), and of course, the checkpoint and power-up differences have already been discussed. However, the overall rank in Spirit is waaaaay higher. It spawns a lot more zakos, everything that isn't a zako has a TON more HP (for instance, you can't kill the monks in the first stage before they reach you if they don't jump and you're using the chain in Spirit; this isn't even close to the case in Saigo), and the first stage boss puts literally about twice the number of projectiles on screen. That said, the raised rank is a double-edged sword; Spirit has a lot of slowdown that Saigo doesn't, and sometimes the increased HP works in your favor (in the stage 3 battlefield, for instance, you end up with a lot fewer giants overall, since if you aren't intentionally killing them, there's no chance of you killing one as you jump over, and the game won't spawn another as long as one is still loaded). As a result, Saigo is definitely the overall harder game, although I suspect that Irem was shooting for the exact opposite, trying to make Spirit into a quarter grave for dumb gaijin, Garegga-style.

[EmperorIng]

On a lark I scored a relatively inexpensive ($37 all told) Saturn import of Silhouette Mirage from YAJ. I admit that this was partially influenced by the very nice interview blackoak had posted on shmuplations. I had messed around with the JPN version in SSF a bit, and decided to take a chance. Will you take a chance and read my long-winded thoughts about the game?

I was only familiar with the Working Designs PS1 port, so I wanted to see how different the original's experience would be.

I was surprised that the PS1 version handled saving far better. In the PS1 game, you have the ability to save after checkpoints, and to quit the game and come back to where you left off; in the Saturn version, you can only continue the game after dying, selecting "No" to continue, and THEN the game allows you to start from the start of a level. Which is tedious.

I was really curious about how the game would play without losing energy when you fired a weapon, like in the US PS1 game. To my surprise, this was almost balanced pretty well. Even if you don't lose energy by firing in the Saturn game, you don't gain it by hitting enemies of the same color. In theory it can lead to situations where you are fairly underpowered when fighting enemies and bosses, as ammo drops are minimal from defeated enemies. In practice, this is mitigated by the rabbit shops that sell cheap and plentiful spirit energy, and that once bosses are drained they really have no recourse to attack you. I think had Treasure forced you to be more parsimonious with your energy without the harsh penalties WD used to "fix" the problem in the PS1 port (as well as given earlier bosses more "neutral" attacks), they would have had a neatly-balanced game. It's almost there as-is.

But as-is, it's also pretty easy, though I still ended up dying a few times like a scrub. The huge increase in boss health in the last stage being the main culprit of my defeat (from averaging 500 HP to 3000 HP). The lack of variety non-boss enemies, which seems a problem in every Treasure game not named Dynamite Headdy or Sin and Punishment, is a downer, but the game might be short enough and varied enough not to matter (preferring instead to whisk you from one setpiece/bossfight to the next). The pacing really feels a lot more like a (single-plane) beatemup than anything else. On a side note, I did enjoy not having to beat the shit out of enemies for their sweet Incan gold as much as you do in the PS1 game.

The fact that you have access to the debug menu in the SAT version from the get-go is good (X+B+Z+START at the Treasure logo FMV), though it's annoying that you have to wait for the opening FMV to play as opposed to entering it far more sensibly at the title screen. Thus if I wanted to I could really up the difficulty and get a little bit more out of the game if I wanted. I never understood WD's decision to lock away all of its options until you had beaten the game five times. By the time you get that far, do you really want to play the game again?

It's a shame because I think generally the localization of the PS1 game is pretty good, voices included (some of the Saturn voices, including Sinna/Shyna's are better). The exception being changing all the names to obscure their Biblical/Judeo-Christian references. The references, much like Evangelion, are by and large meaningless, but it at least gives the game some flavor that's lost when you change the main character's name from Sinna Neutlarva Sinner to Shyna Nera Shyna. I have to wonder if Vic Ireland and co were so clueless as to not notice the parasites being named after the 7 Deadly Sins. My guess, knowing Vic ol' boy, is yes, in fact they were that clueless. It's not like other edgy games weren't released back then, like Xenogears. And Silhouette Mirage is far from edgy.

All told, the Saturn version is still pretty close in estimation to the PS1 localization, though I think I give the original the edge in raw playability and accessibility (debug access, difficulty modes, better shop prices). I like being able to play the game in English, though WD's locking away the options at the menu is really unforgivable (I wish there was a workaround). My loose PS1 disc is scratched so it mucks up the music, so between that and the other issues I'll probably be favoring more of the Saturn version in the meantime,

[BIL]

There's a lot I love about Silhouette Mirage, but it comes with the caveat of a relatively stop/start pace - partially the fault of yappy cutscenes, partially due to interstitial loadtimes. By most devs' standards it's still very fast-moving and varied, but it lacks the seamless, wordlessly madcap rush of Alien Soldier, Dynamite Headdy and S&P. blackoak's brilliant AS interview translation had the unmistakably passionate director yearning to expand on much plot detail, stuff that's suitably only implied in-game and otherwise confined to the manual. Reading that forever stopped me from wishing AS had been on Saturn instead. Maybe S&P being on cart was similarly serendipitous, haha. Coincidentally, just this evening I was reading an opinion piece on the beneficial runtime limits of vinyl LPs versus CDs...

This said, even SM's talkiest bits are mercifully nowhere near as indulgent as Guardian Heroes'. I always have a good time with it, though I can't revisit it as effortlessly as the quicker-paced stuff aforementioned (or Taromaru, which isn't strictly Treasure related - Hiroshi Iuichi worked on its backdrops - but is paced exactly like their and Konami's swiftest 16 bit rampages).

Favourite aspect of SM is the pushy physicality of grabbing enemies and even bosses and slapping the shit out of them, coins spilling as I slam their stunned bodies to the floor. The Real Mugging Simulator. Just imagine Shyna doing her best Bob DeNiro impersonation in that squeaky voice. "Gimme your money! GIMME ALL YOUR FUCKIN MONEY!" Tossing 'em aside to switch polarity with a hail of fire following their limp form is great, too. The grappling and ammo systems I both find endearingly breakable - fun to abuse for max dominance. A couple of the very late bosses I remember being pretty intense (Zophar's big transformation, and fighting Megido atop the falling mech), but that may be nubbiness talking. I'm far from expert on the game's systems.

The WD revision has always sounded intriguing, but at the same time a little dodgy! I'm kinda kicking myself at not snagging the cheap new copy that was sitting in a friend's online store for years... at the time I'd just nabbed the Saturn version and was all "PSH, GTFO MY SHELF GAIJIN SCUM. GJ ALMOST GETTING HYPER DUEL LOCALISED THO."

Daft as the biblical references are, parasitic body weapons named SUROSSA and GARATONI are the coolest thing ever. Gonna reduce the enemy to smouldering ashes with my symbiotic DEADORI SINSU.

[Shoryukev]

Is the SMS version of Ninja Gaiden worth picking up?

Depends a bit but if you like the NES Ninja Gaiden games you're pretty certain to at least enjoy it. Here's the short summary post I made when I first discovered it. Even shorter version: If you fixed the difficult-to-react-to eagles/runners, made ammunition MUCH more limited, and fixed the unavoidable stage 4 bastard, I might like this game even more than NGIII, which is saying a lot because NGIII is one of my favorite games of all time and easily my favorite NES/FC game.

Some much-needed context for the screenshot in that post:
-the only ways to reach the exit on the left side (besides getting hit on purpose for a height boost) are to hang on the floating platform from underneath and flip up or wall-jump to it from the left, both of which commit you to significant periods of vulnerability, then run or jump left to the exit
-the three wisps are enemies which don't appear until you reach approximately the horizontal position shown in the screenshot, and after a brief spawning animation their only behavior is to track relentlessly in the most direct path to the current position of the center of Ryu's body
-each wisp takes two hits to kill, with a small invulnerability window so that rapid double hits are not possible (though they do stop moving during that time)
-the lava in the stage rises and sinks in an irregular pattern, meaning that the timing of when you leave safe ground determines the timing of your next several jumps, forcing you to plan many steps ahead
-if you retreat back to the safe ground on the right, any of the wisps which you have killed will spawn again the next time you try to proceed

Trying to navigate across the room without simply resorting to the invincible firewheel or the screen-clearing desperation attack is a herculean task, and the run I'm doing now started with me just experimenting to see if this room was even possible without taking damage or using subweapons. And there are a bunch of moments like this scattered throughout the last two levels. It makes the unavoidable stage 4 bastard even more aggravating when I think of the convoluted solution to this room. The only other game I know of with this sort of blatantly malicious level design is Megaman X6, a game which an expert once summarized as "lots of Nightmares placed in all the exact spots you really really don't want them to be placed." It's a testament to either blind luck or sheer genius that both games can be cleared under restrictive challenge conditions without taking damage.

Thanks for writing that up! That sounds like it could be right up my alley, I'll give it a try on an emulator if nothing else. I looked it up on evil-bay and it was a little pricey (around $50), but I'd like to get it at some point. My SMS collection is severely lacking a few pieces (mainly Phantasy Star and Dragon's Trap), I'm kinda starting to think Everdrive.

Played Shadow of the Ninja (NES) for a couple hours yesterday, it's a rather fun game despite having a few minor issues. The hit detection seems a little off....but the game is rather fun. It's not terribly difficult, but you only get 5 continues (1 life per continue). I need to get used to the weapons, the sword feels sluggish compared to Ninja Gaiden, the kusarigama (chain-sickle) is really fun to use....but sometimes hard to hit enemies with if they aren't within a very specific distance.

[Shoryukev]

Is anyone here familiar with Star Wars on the NES? I've almost beaten it several times, but I always fail towards the end. A couple times I've accidentally gone through the detention block without finding Leia....then a level or two later the game won't let you proceed and you have to reset cuz you're stuck

I don't remember that glitch/issue being in the Game Gear version I played as a kid, but it could have been there. I'm not sure how I feel about the overhead speeder section in the beginning. I'm so used to it not being there that having to find R2 and Obi-Wan (and the Falcon icons to help make it through the asteroid field later) is a bit of a chore. Overall I still rather enjoy the game, but there are times where I wonder if the GG port is slightly easier. I'm thinking perhaps there were some health/damage tweaks that make the NES version a bit harder. Both are fantastic games, and I'm sure anyone who likes sidescrolling action games would enjoy them (with the exception of the detention block, it's a bit of an annoying maze).

I was going to recommend this to people in the ode to cheap games thread, but I see the price has risen from $5-10 to $20-30 in the last decade....dang!

[Volteccer_Jack]

I need to get used to the weapons, the sword feels sluggish compared to Ninja Gaiden, the kusarigama (chain-sickle) is really fun to use....but sometimes hard to hit enemies with if they aren't within a very specific distance.

The physical sword slashes are quite quick, it's only the projectiles that are slow. The chain's first upgrade is to have the same attack speed as the sword.

Shadow of the Ninja is very basic as 2D action goes, but it does what it needs to and a little extra. Things like the slight forward boost you get from attacking mid-jump or the obliteration bombs can cause are timeless joys. And it's got a hell of a final boss.

[electricgrave]

Is the SMS version of Ninja Gaiden worth picking up?

Depends a bit but if you like the NES Ninja Gaiden games you're pretty certain to at least enjoy it. Here's the short summary post I made when I first discovered it. Even shorter version: If you fixed the difficult-to-react-to eagles/runners, made ammunition MUCH more limited, and fixed the unavoidable stage 4 bastard, I might like this game even more than NGIII, which is saying a lot because NGIII is one of my favorite games of all time and easily my favorite NES/FC game.

Some much-needed context for the screenshot in that post:
-the only ways to reach the exit on the left side (besides getting hit on purpose for a height boost) are to hang on the floating platform from underneath and flip up or wall-jump to it from the left, both of which commit you to significant periods of vulnerability, then run or jump left to the exit
-the three wisps are enemies which don't appear until you reach approximately the horizontal position shown in the screenshot, and after a brief spawning animation their only behavior is to track relentlessly in the most direct path to the current position of the center of Ryu's body
-each wisp takes two hits to kill, with a small invulnerability window so that rapid double hits are not possible (though they do stop moving during that time)
-the lava in the stage rises and sinks in an irregular pattern, meaning that the timing of when you leave safe ground determines the timing of your next several jumps, forcing you to plan many steps ahead
-if you retreat back to the safe ground on the right, any of the wisps which you have killed will spawn again the next time you try to proceed

Trying to navigate across the room without simply resorting to the invincible firewheel or the screen-clearing desperation attack is a herculean task, and the run I'm doing now started with me just experimenting to see if this room was even possible without taking damage or using subweapons. And there are a bunch of moments like this scattered throughout the last two levels. It makes the unavoidable stage 4 bastard even more aggravating when I think of the convoluted solution to this room. The only other game I know of with this sort of blatantly malicious level design is Megaman X6, a game which an expert once summarized as "lots of Nightmares placed in all the exact spots you really really don't want them to be placed." It's a testament to either blind luck or sheer genius that both games can be cleared under restrictive challenge conditions without taking damage.

Nice write up! I'm with you on NGIII, prolly my fav NES game, and perhaps my favorite game ever! I'm a big fan of the SMS Ninja Gaiden, it's different but so good. The game gear one is not so hot, it's ok for a runner type of game, quite on the easy side but the OST is so good, it's the only thing that kept me playing! Kinda like the Batman Sunsoft for Gameboy, plays like Mario Land and it's not bad, specially way back then when Gameboy had very little action platformers that ran smooth. If you haven't heard the OST you gotta give it a listen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gppJ8K5CWgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu-b_jvH-pw

Also the Ninja Gaiden Shadow isn't bad at all. Shadow of the Ninja is fun and I find it the better game but still, Ninja Gaiden Shadow is a lot of fun, also a bit on the easier side but cool for a quick run through!

I dunno if I brought this up earlier...Ninja 5-0, I'm sure BIL has been all over it already, I think it's an amazing game!

[BIL]

Ninja 5-0 is the sort of masterpiece that'll keep me in this hobby until the end of time. It's life-affirmingly good, in both straight action and time trial modes.

SOTN (bahaha!) is a quality game, but punitive aspects make it rough going initially. Base weapons are feeble, and between damage powerdowns, sparse upgrades, and unforgiving, execution-heavy action, you'll often be relegated to them while learning the ropes. The way it handles projectile weapons is also difficult - they're tightly rationed, and in the case of grenades potentially devastating. Yet instead of taking a subweapon role ala CV, here they replace your primary. So initially you'll squander them just defending yourself, only later figuring out how to keep them long enough to chuck in a boss's face for cataclysmic speedkill destruction.

It rapidly gains in the medium to long term, however; once you start developing stage routes, the pace is upped exponentially. Ultimately it matures into a short, tightly-fought gauntlet that's highly responsive to and rewarding of aggressive attack. It's among the lesser lights in the FC's formidable late 80s/early 90s sidescroller pantheon. Not as accessible nor as sophisticated as others, but certainly excellent on its own methodical terms, and easily worth the time investment to bring out the matured run.

Was replaying Batman (FC) over the weekend - wanted to finally upgrade my usual 1CC with deaths at st5 boss into a no-miss. Managed to get consistent, but with so much scope for pratfalling in st5's tower, I beat a hasty retreat with a scrappy replay.

I can't overstate how soundly this game's walljumping impresses me, particularly when it's been a while. Still the first and last word on the mechanic, imo. Objectively its runtime is a little short, but I prefer to think of it as unalterably efficient. Its five-stage escalation from innocent fun to a final punishing trial leaves nothing to add. Unlike Jigoku Gokurakumaru, which makes me long for a real test of its own superb acrobatic technique, this is a true master course that's a rush to merely complete, with untold upper echelons left unreached. (if you're me anyway )

If there's a significant flaw here it's st3's boss, who is basically NG1's Malth minus the free health restore. I was recalling Sir Ilpalazzo's commentary on his own no-miss while getting back up to speed - the safe method is indeed a tremendous bore, while attacking him head-on precludes any evasion and will take at least 3HP. Early on, this made me take st3 deadly seriously, as I needed near if not max health to survive the clash. With experience, it's not a big deal - only at below 50% health am I given pause before taking the long climb upward. Calling him Malth isn't quite fair; there is a good deal of boomerang technique in taking him down quickly, making the difference between taking three hits or twice that. Objectively though, he is most definitely the game's low point. Ultimately pretty harmless, imo - especially having grown up with post-Miller Batman, who always reinforced his technique and technology with a menacing, bloody-nosed willingness to slug it out until a broken body hit the floor.

Speaking of the source material...

Spoiler

I will never stop loving this game's artful skirting of the '89 movie, taking only what works and subverting as needed. Where the MD game has dated into a dull licensed facsimile, this is one of the most aesthetically arresting action games I've ever seen. Not merely on the FC or even in its genre; the contrast of jet-blackness and vivid colour, the meticulously detailed pixel art, and most of all the rock-solid BG tiling give it an indulgent yet darkly economical beauty. I'd never really appreciated the last element until now; the tiling gives locales a visual consistency that suggests physical place, feeling less like themed stages than incidental locations. Stage design follows suit, with not a single floating block to be found - everything's anchored or bolted accordingly. No random spikes or flares, either - deathtraps are of the burning, mangling, grimly industrial sort exclusively. The paths through st2's chemical plant and st4's ruined facility are visually embellished by inaccessible areas, logically - why wouldn't there be other rooms in these buildings? st3.3's cavern is likewise fleshed out by inaccessible outcroppings in the darkness above. st5's clock tower, on the other hand, is bordered only by the night's black void, the same one Joker gets unceremoniously hurled into post-game.

st5/Fire Bug is a refinement of st3/Electrocutioner - still a little questionable, but ultimately it rises sufficiently above. Blindly damage racing FB will get you killed, even at max health. Skirting around him without returning fire will dreadfully prolong things (and almost certainly get you killed). Ignoring catching him in an AI loop, there's a sweet spot of landing your hits and evading his that's still in the domain of brawling, but vastly more intelligent and vital than the hopping back/forth of dumb ol' Electroboner. The designers giving you the stage clear 50% health restore afterward suggests they were papering over a crack, and I think they were right to - although Joker is among the most no-damageable bosses of all, this won't be at all apparent initially. Imma call it an adrenaline rush, explains why Bats freakin' summarily executes Jokey afterward, too! From an experienced player's perspective, the prospect of taking on FB and Joker with no restore is hellishly amusing, but I think such overkill is best left to the player's discretion. Do as thou wilt, chosen one. Bust out some pen and paper and figure out if you really won... or merely survived. ¦3

I can't call it a perfect game with st3's slugfest, but to me it might as well be one. Masterful work. Feels good to take a break from seeking to just enjoy the classics. ¦3

[trap15]

I can't overstate how soundly this game's walljumping impresses me, particularly when it's been a while. Still the first and last word on the mechanic, imo.

How much time have you put into arcade Ninja-kun 2 by UPL? Its walljumping is incredibly solid and is the primary game focus, requiring you to often continuously alternate wall-bouncing with wall-jumping and throwing bombs in order to clear enemies out of an area you want to go. Incredibly interesting and fun game. Don't play the NES version unless you hate yourself.

[BIL]

Never played it, will have to give it a go! Thanks for the heads-up, and the warning on the port.

edit: god, it looks cool. Incidentally those swimming stages remind me of Ryuuga: Ninja Crusaders' for FC, which I think was NMK's. I was always a little lukewarm on that one but still kinda wish I'd not passed it up.

I need to quit messing about and start on Sidescrolling Action Monogatari Chapter II: The PCB Years. :3

[Shoryukev]

The physical sword slashes are quite quick, it's only the projectiles that are slow. The chain's first upgrade is to have the same attack speed as the sword.

Shadow of the Ninja is very basic as 2D action goes, but it does what it needs to and a little extra. Things like the slight forward boost you get from attacking mid-jump or the obliteration bombs can cause are timeless joys. And it's got a hell of a final boss.

Ahh okay...I didn't realize the chain upgrade made it faster, definitely good to know!!! I did notice the midair boost from attacking, but I haven't really found a use for it yet...maybe if later in the game there are some large gaps I need to get across or something. I agree the bombs are really cool!

I've never really heard of the game before, I just picked it up about a month ago at a local retro store after seeing it on display and looking it up on youtube and seeing that it looked somewhat like Ninja Gaiden.

Was replaying Batman (FC) over the weekend - wanted to finally upgrade my usual 1CC with deaths at st5 boss into a no-miss. Managed to get consistent, but with so much scope for pratfalling in st5's tower, I beat a hasty retreat with a scrappy replay.

I can't overstate how soundly this game's walljumping impresses me, particularly when it's been a while.

The wall-jumping mechanic in Batman is amazing, no doubt. I also really enjoy the level designs and the learning curve, it gets very hard....but ramps up to it at a good pace. The music is also nothing short of fantastic. Great game!

[soprano1]

Thanks for another great video, BIL.

[BIL]

Always a pleasure! Thanks for watching. ^__^

The wall-jumping mechanic in Batman is amazing, no doubt. I also really enjoy the level designs and the learning curve, it gets very hard....but ramps up to it at a good pace. The music is also nothing short of fantastic. Great game!

Sunsoft had a real crack music team - blackoak translated a superb Naoki Kodaka interview here that illuminates how passionate they were. I'd been wondering why there was sheet music in the back of RAF World's manual, haha! I highly recommend giving episode 2 of Diggin' In The Carts a look too - lots of Sunsoft and Konami goodness in there, with special attention given to Masashi Kageyama's Gimmick! OST.

Ah, Gimmick. So cute, so mean. ¦3

This time around with Batman, I fired up FCEUX just to play with the audio level sliders and isolate the bass+drum tracks. I like to do this with Contra occasionally, too - it's the sort of stuff I can instantly visualise being performed on real instruments. st4 BGM is underrated, I think - absolutely furious dramatic energy.

Of course there's the st1 (st2 on FC) theme, justly renowned. One of my favourites to hear transposed from full band to solo performer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk2Gnv-1Kx4