Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[Vludi]

By the way, does the special weapon inflict more damage up close than from afar? Because it certainly seemed so.

Exactly, and the Golden armor gives you more range (not more damage), so if you are with the golden armor you will inflict tons of damage even if you aren't too close.
And nice find about the 2nd chest, then it must be: Golden armor, weapon (if gold armor equipped), magician (if naked)

[NYN]

Earthworm Jim.

Game has style to burn.

Cow launched!!
Yeah, that's what I thought. It also chimes with Perikles.
The free fall boss is my fave, for the situation alone. How Jim moves his free hand to the front of the screen while not blasting like a mother is real cool.

Made it. U're the best!
Animations, stage design, music (even the silly 'toon sfx) works well for me most of the time.
I'm no could've/should've, I accept a game as it is. But if I may say this to my convenience: a little tweak toward more gravity in Jims movement alone would have done it for me. Bit float-y is my feel. Or maybe it's intentional, being a space suit and all.

So Earthworm Jim is not forgotten, as it came close to the paradigm shift in mid-90s concerning platformers and the fuzzy critters.
Dunno exactly about Wild 9.
But with a menu screen theme like this , I still got a vibe in favor for it.

[Stevens]

Ronyn- It doesn't bother me, but I know what you're talking about in regards to the floaty feel.

Also I forgot - Andy Asteroids...awesome bg and a fun tune, but after every stage is overkill. Should have been once or twice.

A legit one time boss fight with Psycrow at the end of For Pete's Sake would have been cool too.

[NYN]

That's right. Psycrow is not part of the boss fights unless you lose the race. But if you would mess it up several times you'd have to face him more then once. I get your point being overdone on this part and can agree about making him a regular to fight.
Seen a trailer for the HD remaster. Not to hot for that one in style.

Started Jim 2 right after that. Can't explain why I can't remember enough of it.
At least the part with the floating nacked mole-rat inside some entrails while Beethoven's Mondscheinsonate is playing should've stuck.
Weird enough.

[__SKYe]

Congrats Skye! Don't worry about not clearing, it's nice to always have an excuse to return to this amazing game.

That's how it goes for everyone, don't sweat it. That place is hell's bastion.

Thanks, it was indeed one hell of an uphill fight.
I don't intend to leave it at that, so my runs should become better in the future.

And even though you can credit feed like hell in these games, doing that alone won't get you the clear, as you still need the skill to beat a whole checkpoint's worth of gameplay.

Uhhh, skykid, I think you're thinking of Cho/Super there. Goddess Bracelet does make the last stage hellishly worse in Cho, but the Psycho Cannon in Dai lets you skip literally every difficult section in the last stage if you have gold armor and know what you're doing (and even naked, it'll still let you skip most of them if you know the patterns).
...
At any rate, the Psycho Cannon is inarguably the best weapon or at least as good as the dagger in Dai. It's weaknesses are minuscule compared to the very safe new strategies it opens up from beginning to end.

Yeah, the special weapon in Dai is very good, but to be honest, in stage 4 at least, I'd still prefer to have the dagger/knife.
I find the boss particularly difficult with the special weapon, though not that harder.

For stage 5, there's no comparison possible.
It will destroy the Arremers in a single hit (up close at least, when they swoop at you), you can destroy the Astaroths with 4 hits up close, and with the gold armour, you not only have a larger range (like you said), but you also destroy enemy bullets.

About Beelzebub: you know that you can shoot his fly swarm to make them miss you, right?

I also like to handle his normal projectiles by strategically moving him off screen. He can't fire when his sprite is outside camera range.

I sort of had a feeling that this was the case, as not shooting the flies would always make them run me over.
But do you need any specific number of shots, or is it just random?

By the way is there also a specific spot you need to hit Beelzebub on, or anywhere on his sprite will do?
Because it felt like sometimes (like the first time I fought him) he'd die faster, and others quite a bit slower, so I tought I wasn't hitting his weakpoint at all.

As for the projectiles, I did this accidentally (by staying as far from him as possible), but learned to rely on it, as the projectiles can be tough to dodge otherwise.

And nice find about the 2nd chest, then it must be: Golden armor, weapon (if gold armor equipped), magician (if naked)

Yeah, that seems to be the case. I like the fact that you can always count on having those specific chest content throughout a run. It makes things more consistent.

Welp my Plague Knight No Deaths/Subweapons/upgrades vid is up!

That was a very cool run, congratulations.

I particularly enjoy the fact that you do a lot of jumping (even just blazing through enemies) even in places where there are a lot of pits. I would definitely not do that in those spots, but it was pretty nice to watch.

The fight against Shovel Knight (in Plague Knight's stage, around minute 38), where you make a hole in the ground, and make him go there, and then you just make those bombs rain down on him, was one of the coolest point, for me.

I also thought that you did especially well on the boss rush at the end, and that it went quite a bit better than the regular boss fights. Spectre Knight's fight here went much better indeed, and overall, so did all the others.

Plague Knight seems really fun to use, and his story is pretty nice too.
The fact that his standard attack goes in a downward arc (he throws projectiles, after all), must have made him hard to get used to, no?
His double jump, and the charge attack thing, does seem to make him a *faster* character to use, as opposed to Shovel Knight's slower, more calculated playstyle.
It's been ages since I played this game, and I was never that good at it (just enough for the clear ), so I could be mistaken.

[BrianC]

Specter Knight is out now too. I'm not sure if I like it as much as Shovel Knight and Plague Knight, but I like how the level selection is more like the Mega Man Zero sequels and the somber remixes of the music are neat.

[Vanguard]

All this Daimakaimura talk made me wanna play a few credits today, and I took the opportunity to do some experimenting on chests and items. Here are my observations:

The game remembers what number in the sequence an unopened chest was, even if you leave it and activate other chests, but the actual contents of the chest are not determined until it is actually opened. Schrodinger's chest. The practical consequence of this is that you can activate the fourth chest, get silver armor, backtrack to the second chest, and open it for gold armor.

Collecting gold armor while naked gives Arthur silver armor, like collecting a fire flower as small Mario in Super Mario Bros.

The first chest in a checkpoint will always contain a magician even if you otherwise meet the requirements for the psycho cannon.

Gold armor seems to increase the psycho cannon projectile's speed, which indirectly gives it better range.

Losing your psycho cannon for a torch is literally a fate worse than death.

[Blinge]

Welp my Plague Knight No Deaths/Subweapons/upgrades vid is up!

That was a very cool run, congratulations.

I particularly enjoy the fact that you do a lot of jumping (even just blazing through enemies) even in places where there are a lot of pits. I would definitely not do that in those spots, but it was pretty nice to watch.

Ahh Cheers

Yeah that's a big factor in why I went for segmented recording in the end, In one take I'd be playing much slower and safer.
It's probably because the last thing I did with Plague before this was get that sub 1:30 clear achievement, so 'gottagofast' was burned into my mind.

The fight against Shovel Knight (in Plague Knight's stage, around minute 38), where you make a hole in the ground, and make him go there, and then you just make those bombs rain down on him, was one of the coolest point, for me.

Glad someone noticed! Yeah that fight went very well. If the bombs are too far in front of him he can just hit them back at you with his shovel, It can be hard to overcome this with plague's default loadout.
In prior battles SK has used his horn to break the defences I've built up, or his invincibility locket to rush up the slope. I do like how SK has all the weapons from his campaign, including a health refill goblet . Though I think he only uses this once.

I also thought that you did especially well on the boss rush at the end, and that it went quite a bit better than the regular boss fights. Spectre Knight's fight here went much better indeed, and overall, so did all the others.

Haha.. I guess I was warmed up by this point. Shovel boy made me panic though..
Oh and that optional boss Reize fucked me up. Hate that guy.

Plague Knight seems really fun to use, and his story is pretty nice too.
The fact that his standard attack goes in a downward arc (he throws projectiles, after all), must have made him hard to get used to, no?
His double jump, and the charge attack thing, does seem to make him a *faster* character to use, as opposed to Shovel Knight's slower, more calculated playstyle.

Yeah I guess.. It's been so long since I actually used SK that I can't remember how his controls feel >_<

So the purchasable bomb fuses/casings/powder are how you'd usually overcome the shortcomings of that downward arc.
There's loadouts that change the trajectory, make them float, give them a massive AoE, make them into landmines.. all sorts.
Of course, this all gets confusing and one could write an essay about how this is terribu pacing and takes players away from the game.. so I assume most players do what I did and find one loadout they like & stick with it (impact fuse + spark powder ftw).

Also you can get different charge bursts like the Float which lets you just.. glide around, couple that with repeated bursts or the Shoryu subweapon and you need never touch the filthy floor!

It's been ages since I played this game, and I was never that good at it (just enough for the clear ), so I could be mistaken.

Hm, It's difficult to determine what makes a good player in a game like SK.. I feel like it was balanced for any ol' clear.

[Immryr]

Great stuff blinge. I don't think I actually completed the game with plague knight I found him a bit tricky to get used to then I got distracted and played something else. Definitely need to go back and give him more time. And give spectre knight a go too.

[__SKYe]

The game remembers what number in the sequence an unopened chest was, even if you leave it and activate other chests, but the actual contents of the chest are not determined until it is actually opened. Schrodinger's chest. The practical consequence of this is that you can activate the fourth chest, get silver armor, backtrack to the second chest, and open it for gold armor.

This is a very useful find, great job.

Gold armor seems to increase the psycho cannon projectile's speed, which indirectly gives it better range.

I didn't know the speed increased, but the gold armour does indeed give it a better range.

Losing your psycho cannon for a torch is literally a fate worse than death.

This must be a nightmare.
On my clear, in stage 2-5, there was one particular attempt where I accidentally destroyed one of those black bats (that was carrying a box) right before Beelzebub, and he dropped the box right on the last platform before reaching the boss, and it was a weapon.
Since I had the Psycho Cannon, and couldn't afford to lose it, I had to suicide because there was no way to avoid that weapon (and they don't dissapear with time).
I guess on a more serious run, I'd have to be more careful as to where I shoot those box carrying enemies, to avoid situations like these.

Glad someone noticed! Yeah that fight went very well. If the bombs are too far in front of him he can just hit them back at you with his shovel, It can be hard to overcome this with plague's default loadout.
In prior battles SK has used his horn to break the defences I've built up, or his invincibility locket to rush up the slope. I do like how SK has all the weapons from his campaign, including a health refill goblet . Though I think he only uses this once.

Yeah, the minute I saw that, I immediately thought it was a great tactic. And really fun to watch too.

Some other great moments, were the ones where you use the small hover time, after throwing a bomb, to reach a platform that you otherwise wouldn't be able to reach. Those kinds of little details made the run very enjoyable.

Yeah I guess.. It's been so long since I actually used SK that I can't remember how his controls feel >_<

So the purchasable bomb fuses/casings/powder are how you'd usually overcome the shortcomings of that downward arc.
There's loadouts that change the trajectory, make them float, give them a massive AoE, make them into landmines.. all sorts.
Of course, this all gets confusing and one could write an essay about how this is terribu pacing and takes players away from the game.. so I assume most players do what I did and find one loadout they like & stick with it (impact fuse + spark powder ftw).

Also you can get different charge bursts like the Float which lets you just.. glide around, couple that with repeated bursts or the Shoryu subweapon and you need never touch the filthy floor!

Oh that's right, you don't use any upgrades at all.
Are these upgrades somehow integrated with the standard attack, or do they replace Shovel Knight's subweapons?

Hm, It's difficult to determine what makes a good player in a game like SK.. I feel like it was balanced for any ol' clear.

I meant that when I played it, I just really plowed through, buying (and using) any upgrades I could, until I got the clear (much like any 1st playthrough), but I never really played beyong that, like NG+ or a no-upgrades run such as yours.
I suppose I'm competent at it, but not much beyond that.

EDIT: Fixed typos.

[Sumez]

Man I'm behind on this thread now. I'll post something cool and/or insightful once I catch up, but right now I have two full pages to read. Glad to see Daimakaimura is still, and forever, a subject.

[BIL]

Dai Cannot Die

[Blinge]

Another great moments, were the ones where you use the small hover time, after throwing a bomb, to reach a platform that you otherwise wouldn't be able to reach.

This man gets it.

Oh that's right, you don't use any upgrades at all.
Are these upgrades somehow integrated with the standard attack, or do they replace Shovel Knight's subweapons?

There's separate variables for bombs: when they detonate, trajectory, and what the blast actually is..
As well as variations on the burst...
And different subweapons (arcana) bought from Chester on top of all that

[__SKYe]

So today I've played my first credit of Daimakaimura since the (crappy) clear, and surprised myself in both good and bad ways.

For the good part, I managed to reach stage 4 in a single life.
Lost one life at the start of stage 4, because there were many more enemies than usual, probably because of not losing any lives until then.

The second life, I lost on the ice platforms section.
On the plant *elevators* just after the ice platforms, there's a route I always do (and works everytime): from the first plant, drop left, drop left again, and then for the other plants, jump over to the next plant on the right, until I land on the boss.
But, and I may be very wrong, I could swear that one of the plants was missing.
Is this normal (due to rank), or am I just mistaken?

Anyway, also surprisingly, managed to beat the Stage 4's boss on the first try.

Even on Stage 5, managed to flawlessly take down all the Arremers (without so much as taking a single hit), and even though I lost my armour on the way (although I recovered it on the slopes near Beelzebub), I managed to reach just before Beel without dying.

The bad part starts here.
On a previous post, I said that once, I shot down one of the bats (with an item box), and it dropped a (unwanted) weapon on the very last platform before reaching Beel, so I had no choice but to suicide (because I didn't want to lose the Psycho Cannon).

Well, this time something similar happened.
I stupidly shot down one of the bats, and he dropped the item box *exactly* on top of the stairs (just before Beel), and it just happened to be the Torch.
Now, as I pondered what to do (I didn't want to suicide just yet, because I was close to a 1-ALL...) I brilliantly reached the conclusion that it was okay to pickup the torch instead of suiciding, because *maybe* I could beat Beel with it.
So I started climbing the stairs, and just as I picked up the Torch, a bat swooped down on me, and I died.

I didn't want to suicide, but ended up dying anyway, except now I had the fucking torch...

Needless to say, for the remaining lives (2~3 I think), I couldn't even get past the first Astaroth, and got a Game Over.
I still can't believe how stupid I was back there. Greed got me the game over.

Also, for the first time ever, I picked up a 1-UP item from one of the box-carrying enemies. I didn't even know they existed in this game.

Anyway, now that the pressure to get the clear is mostly gone, my play has improved quite a bit, so despite this unfortunate run, I'm pretty happy.

There's separate variables for bombs: when they detonate, trajectory, and what the blast actually is..
As well as variations on the burst...
And different subweapons (arcana) bought from Chester on top of all that

Damn, that's a lot of options indeed.

[Sumez]

1-ups are stupidly rare in Dai, but I do believe they always drop depending on a deterministic kill count. I usually get it on the first stage of the second loop, and if not it'll show up on the beginning of stage 3 with all the bats.

Of course, I never got one in my 1cc run.

[NYN]

I was wrong about Sparkster. And rather playing it wrong.
Finally acknowledged that it's pretty clear charging headlong and incautious in stages and bosses is not the intention. Evident by the stomps and rolls that instantly kill in stage 2s factory (fave tune there). Using L/R for air time is neat. But the best part for me are the 'splosions, straight from the Contraverse. The colours and how they pop up with the rooaaaarr fx after dispatching a biggie is the high bit.

[__SKYe]

1-ups are stupidly rare in Dai, but I do believe they always drop depending on a deterministic kill count. I usually get it on the first stage of the second loop, and if not it'll show up on the beginning of stage 3 with all the bats.

Of course, I never got one in my 1cc run.

Ah, that must be it then, I got mine on one of the firefly/bug things that spawn near the pigs, after the Arremers in Stage 5.

[Vanguard]

I just no-missed Daimakaimura. Unfortunately, OBS decided to record only the audio.

[BIL]

Fucking hell. 3; I'd say I commiserate, but I don't think I've accomplished anything quite that high-end. I can imagine though.

[__SKYe]

Fucking hell. 3; I'd say I commiserate, but I don't think I've accomplished anything quite that high-end. I can imagine though.

Likewise. That really sucks, man.
I have yet to even get a 1-ALL.

[Vanguard]

It just goes to show that you should ALWAYS do a test recording beforehand.

Also BIL what do you mean you haven't accomplished anything that high-end? This wasn't half as painful as one life clearing Holy Diver.

[Sumez]

Once you get a 1-ALL, 2-ALL is just a question of persistance. As I'm sure you've already experienced there are only very few actual obvious increases in difficulty on the second loop. Most are so vague they are mostly unimportant.
And of course psycho cannon + gold armor = everything lies dead before you.

[Stevens]

After years of only playing Metal Slug 1-6 on the PS 2 Anthology (slightly borked controls) I decided to give them as proper a try as I can via emulation.

Playing 1 and X along with Shock Troopers (Cyvern and Dogyuun too). Reached stage 4 in 1 and 3 in X on my first go. In Shock Troopers I've reached stage 5's boss, but have yet to reach 6 on a credit.

[BIL]

Also BIL what do you mean you haven't accomplished anything that high-end? This wasn't half as painful as one life clearing Holy Diver.

Thanks - means a lot hearing that from a fellow HD one-lifer. ;-;7 I've only 1CCd Dai with a couple misses so far, but I do recall it being free of the nightmarish unfairness and brain-rewiring glitches that make no-miss HD so... memorable.

[Vanguard]

You have to beat Makaimura games twice for it to count! Everyone knows that!

[FinalBaton]

Nice!
Just subbed to your channel Vanguard.
You crazy

[__SKYe]

That was absolutely fantastic, really great job, man.

It was great seeing you use that "unopened chest tactic" you mentioned a few post back (around 10:20), to regain both the silver and gold armous.

Also, the part around 10:53 where you go back a little bit, was that to make the bats spawn away from the stairs? If so, that is an awesome tactic, and I'll be sure to use it. I've lost a few times precisely because either the bats themselves, or shooting the item-carrying bats at the wrong time (and place).

I learned a few things by watching your run, like how you can shoot the 4th boss' two outer hearts from the edge, or how to properly handle Beel.
I also learned that you can shoot the last pig (at 11:15) from above using the knife, without having to descend to where he's at.

The last bit on the boss of 2-4, where you lose the armour, must have been pretty tense, no?
Other than that, the 2nd loop especially, was pretty much spotless.

Overall, a really fantastic run and once again, congratulations.
Now it's time for a no-damage run.

Damn, now I really want to get at least a 1CC. Gotta work on it.

[BIL]

Faxanadu [FC, Hudson 1987] Decided to nab this and Hector '87 in a nice NOS deal, both having been on my radar for ages.

In my small FC sidescrolling ARPG cadre, this one sits between Zelda II's disciplined action and Dragon Slayer IV's knowing slack. It handles more than credibly - combat and platforming alike are basic, but compellingly sharp. There's some great visceral detail to the sword mechanic - running an enemy clean through at pointblank will score two hits, violently volte-facing them as they're driven back. Bulldoze 'em into walls or other obstructions for deadly flurries. It doesn't approach Zelda II's fluidity or intensity, but it's solidly brutal and rewards finesse.

There are two strategies that you can employ to defeat him. One is to rush in and attack his head directly while you attempt to absorb the fireballs with your shield. This method, while fast, will assuredly cause you a lot of damage.

Oh HECK NO Strategywiki I rove you guys but just jump over em and stab he face ffs

Spoiler

However, game structure does indulge in (and invite) a certain degree of underhanded abuse. It's technically a flip-screener, and not shy about clobbering unsuspecting players as a new room scrolls in; you'll quickly learn to feather the B button while transitioning. Enemy placement also targets ladders, occasionally mandating a hit or two before the alighting player can respond. In your favour, even nastier dungeons and bosses are highly vulnerable to a little item cheesing - the creative, mildly precarious sort I enjoy, with skilled handling required for certain victory. Wing boots, ointment and an hourglass aren't much use individually, but deployed right, they can screw the most fearsome enemy with MacGyver-esque satisfaction.

Special mention to the formidable aesthetic of ruined majesty, at least in its first half. Good-looking game, particularly for its release year. (are those pillars doing the international Eat Pussy Sign? :O )



As a kid I never grasped the Norse-derived "world tree" setting, nor the Lovecraftian premise of extraterrestrial blight. It's a good pairing - both elements shine early on. Yggdrasil's roots imply mythic constructors, ancient stone and bark interweaving to form immense walls and chambers. Within the trunk pestilence rages in diseased hues, an eerie mist fouling the air with BGM discomforting to match. Persevering upward into the branches gives a well-timed reprieve, but hearing of the "evil place" and "demon fortress" lying ahead, I was expecting more than nondescript stone tunnels. Level design certainly keeps the right trajectory, and June Chikuma's soundtrack gives accursed Dartmoor the haunting tone its visuals lack - it's just a shame the presentation falters.

Chief design criticisms go to the interface, specifically the shops. Stocking up on keys and potions is already more laborious than necessary, having to purchase them one by one; sitting through the shopkeeper's lengthy greeting every single time doesn't help. Priests likewise tend to prattle on, though they're less frequently engaged with. Nice portraits at least.



In the name of Satan, great things can be done!

The key system itself can also easily lead to frustration, what with doors immediately locking once passed through. Stepped out of a dungeon? Better have another key handy! Perhaps it incentivises one-and-done raiding, but yeah... awkward. Also, the Pendant item found in an optional dungeon halfway through is flat-out bugged. It's meant to boost your sword power, but due to programming error, it's actually "in effect" from the game's outset, by default. Picking it up disables the boost. At first I went "oh god I bought a kusoge 3; " but tbh now I just clear out the dungeon, kill the boss and leave the Pendant. I'm weird. Naw for real if the intended boost never arrived I'd be disappointed, but since it's there I'll just take the EXP and cash.

As ever with this sort of game, for me it's ultimately about the refined single-session run. I like the casual mental exercise of learning to navigate a large nonlinear world with the minimum of redundant travel, or time wasted farming up resources. Even within this niche, this isn't quite what I'd call essential FC gaming - Zelda II (JP) is still my favourite with its smooth, flexible action and low grind - but it's certainly solidly-handling and expansive enough to warrant a look. Bonus points if you too dig an earthy, relatively downbeat look and tone.

[NYN]

You have to beat Makaimura games twice for it to count! Everyone knows that!

Question: You finish off that Arremer at 9:35 with one knive. Did you know it would need only one more hit or did you fire just one to duck the sweep? Either way looks badass. *I see now it's part of your tech for the reds. I would not know if it's art, yet I like it.

[Sumez]

BIL just bumped Faxanadu up in my backlog there