Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[BIL]

Thanks for the replies, doods. That's always the impression I got, but wasn't sure if I was missing something, and searching elsewhere on the internet--which I don't trust--likes to say otherwise, which I'm sure is firmly grounded in dreaded nostalgia. It's a long road when you're all alone, Rambo.

Man, I've gotta get a bit more into GBA! That looks perfectly bone-crushing! I know there's gold out there, but my handheld experience of that period is certainly lacking. I know Ninja Five-O is on my must-play list and now this. Anything else of recommendation I need to give a swing at? At this point I think my GBA life begins and ends with Metroid and Castlevania, so there's surely a lot of room for recommendations

Ninja Five-O is my other absolute GBA recommendation. Seamless hybrid of Shinobi's precision rescues, Elevator Action Returns' mild tactical stealth and Umihara Kawase's wirework. Marshal all three, and get the drop on a hostage-taker who'll have just enough time to go "!" as you sail over his dumb bald head slicing it open like a well-ripened melon! Perhaps moreso than any other ninja sidescroller, it gives me that righteous Cannon Films mook-slaying vibe...

Spoiler

And just like classic ninja B-cinema, watch out for evil rivals who also possess... THE DISCIPRIN D: The ninja-to-ninja combat is smooth as fuck - great contrast with the ambushing of noob thugs who hide behind captives and heavy artillery. It's also a killer time attack game! Can't recommend this one highly enough.

For now, I regard the remainder of my GBA library as mostly "nice to have around" tier. Stuff I value, absolutely (I don't do filler!) but haven't put under extreme scrutiny like DDA and N50. Other than them, it's only Castlevania and Metroid I've really put through the wringer (COTM single-session MAGICIAN MODE for life) - so I'll defer to the brief but detailed GBA libary discussion from last summer.

That's what I meant by subject lines.. They're at the top of every post! Use them, people =O

I got the impression Sumez meant the sort of towering twenty-game gigaposts that tend to ensue in my system library discussions, but that's definitely a good suggestion regardless! I've a bad habit of ignoring the subject line, outside of the occasional dick joke.

[Sumez]

Not a lot of hidden gemmage on the GBA. It's mostly about the high profile titles here, with Ninja Cop-o being the only real exception (which itself gives it a higher profile than your typical hidden gem, I guess )

People tend to mention Drill Dozer too, but I still don't really see the appeal in that game.

[drauch]

Thanks for the link, BIL. Always glad of your expert digging in this thread . I need to spend some time and catch up and just pour through the entire thing and make some notes since I've missed so much. But a lot to look forward to and eventually tackle, so excitement in bound!

And huzzah, doesn't look like I was too far off with my GBA knowledge after all, but my actual experience is still lacking, so a few things to look forward to there. Always forget Astro Boy was a Treasure title. And wasn't aware of Shaman King, so that's exciting. Glad those sprites don't match the box art!

Guhhhh, Shinobi + Elevator Action Returns + Umihara Kawase is the stuff of my dreams, like pants wet sorta stuff, so I've gotta get in on Ninja Five-O immediately ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

[Vanguard]

I don't like the giant multiquote posts either. They're rarely necessary and it's far too much work to look up the context for ten different replies in a single post.

[__SKYe]

Played a bit of Crude Buster again, and this time actually made some some GIFs.

First of all, the usual disclaimer:

The moves/techniques posted, are what I personally use, and is quite likely that there're better/safer/cooler ways to play, so keep this in mind.

Neat ways to initiate a grab against the Rhino, without letting him hit you first.

Spoiler

In the first fight, you can also pick him up from mid-air, after he jumps from the hovercar, but for the second fight I don't know of another way (and this one works fine). Care must be taken not to approach the exploding case too soon, or you'll take damage instead:

Beating the long arm dude in stage 6.

Spoiler

(The one in stage 3 is easily defeated by standing on the small platform on the left side of the screen. He won't attack, and will just walk towards you).
This is not a hard battle, but I'd usually take 2 hits before killing him (after using both oil drums), so it's an improvement.
You can easily beat him by going into the top platform, dropping behind him (he won't jump after you) and keep pressing down so you'll crouch after landing. He'll do a chop, but it will miss and you can just grab and throw him, and repeat:

Figured out how to approach a flamethrower enemy in the same lane, without taking damage.

Spoiler

Just jump towards him, but instead of kicking (he won't be knocked down that way) land in front of him and grab him quick. He won't use his long-range flame attacks if you jump from far away enough.
Multiple of them are still trouble, and I still have quite the headache fighting the groups of 3, but here's a decent example with 2 of them:

Spoiler

Quick GIF showing how I usually fight the Beast (showed it mid-fight, because I messed up a bit before ).

Spoiler

Again, you just have to press the grab button as he raises his hand. The timing is strict, so it takes some practice, but it is doable.
The 'forward walk' may not be necessary, but I don't feel comfortable standing still, waiting for him:

The cheeky way to beat the Spider.

Spoiler

About what I said before of letting him grab you, so you could jump kick him: you do have to land on the middle platform (can't kick while falling) but it is really not practical at all. It may come in handy if you accidentally get grabbed, but otherwise just stick with a normal grab.
Also, I previously said to 'walk to the left so your grabbing hand is on the right side' but ignore that crap (the danger of gaming for too long ). Just move any direction you want and grab him from behind, as his position is at its lowest:

And finally, the Final Boss.
Using my latter TLB strategy, but initiating the fight with my first.

Spoiler

You don't actually need to do that first 'bait him, go under, punch' for this, you just need to hit him once and do the pattern. The way I do it just looks prettier, and you'll be able to beat without taking any damage.
His initial zoom across the screen is not random, he'll always do it.

Simply punch him, and immediately walk towards him, going through him and reaching his back. You will not take damage during his initial i-frames, and he'll do a flurry of punches that will miss you. As soon as you reach his back punch him again and repeat.
The danger is in taking too long to move through him -- if you do, you'll take contact damage --, and in punching him with the proper timing, as his invincibility is ending -- something you've probably been doing throughout the whole game. anyway.

What you don't get to see here is his 'egg-dropping from the ceiling' routine, but BIL has a flawless strategy for it, if it comes to that.

Some thoughts:

Spoiler

You cannot be harmed by an enemy while he's in his invincibility period (while flashing flashing), as evidenced by that TLB fight. I wonder how much one can abuse this in the game.
Perhaps it will be useful against the dual stage 1 bosses, will have to try it later.

I was going to make a GIF of the easy Final Boss's antics, but I forgot and when I did remember, I had already deleted the AVI files.

Anyway, that's enough for now.

[BIL]

Excellent resource, ala your Bare Knuckle GIF set! Much gutsier way of taking down Lion Man than my run n' whiff, though yeah, I could imagine failure isn't pretty.

And yes, I'd wondered about exploiting Rhino Man's ostentatious intro scene! Very cool, will definitely try working that one in.

On the subject of hover carriers, something I noticed but forgot to mention last time CB came up: I think they're grab-proof until a few seconds after entering the screen? For a long time I'd try to grab Rhino Man's ride only to whiff and get subsequently owned. One of CB's countless tiny but critical quirks you'll only learn by getting smacked down a few times, it seems!

Glad to get your endorsement for my anti-egg strategy. Also glad to see you caught the last boss's (I'm gonna call him DEVIL MAN) burning dropkick that he uses to signify "ITS ON NOW BOY." Holy fuck that's a sweet move.

[Squire Grooktook]

Crude Buster will probably be my one of my gaming priorities during winter break. I'm so happy that there are games like this - which I had no idea about - still waiting to be discovered out there. A grappling focused action sidescroller is something I've wanted for a long time.

[__SKYe]

Excellent resource, ala your Bare Knuckle GIF set! Much gutsier way of taking down Lion Man than my run n' whiff, though yeah, I could imagine failure isn't pretty.

If you do miss the grab you'll get hit by his arm swipe, though you can avoid the pounce by moving forward (after getting hit).
I've tried a few different things, and yours seems to be the best, though I tend to fallback to this one just to see if I can do it at that time. Definitely something you want to try on a no-miss run, unless you've really got the timing down.
Also tried to back off like in your tactic, but grabbing up when he pounces, but the timing is pretty strict here as well, since he doesn't jump that high, and the price to pay for missing the grab is steep.
Initially I tried to press the grab as fast as I could, as soon as he raised his arm, but I found out that you actually have to delay the button press a split second, or you'll miss it.

And yes, I'd wondered about exploiting Rhino Man's ostentatious intro scene! Very cool, will definitely try working that one in.

On the subject of hover carriers, something I noticed but forgot to mention last time CB came up: I think they're grab-proof until a few seconds after entering the screen? For a long time I'd try to grab Rhino Man's ride only to whiff and get subsequently owned. One of CB's countless tiny but critical quirks you'll only learn by getting smacked down a few times, it seems!

I also got that feeling several times, both in the Rhino's car, and in the ones before it, but I can't confirm.
What I can say is that you can grab his car when it stops in the middle of the screen, but in all the times I've done this, he headbutted me before I could throw it at him.
The place where you grab may also be important -- I've learned to grab those hovercars right by their middle part, and I've failed several times before when being too hasty to grab them.

Glad to get your endorsement for my anti-egg strategy.

It's really the best way to do it. Jump kicking them works, but much like with the dogs, there's always the risk of taking the occasional hit. And when the bastard goes up to the ceiling, he usually stays there for awhile, so any tactic that minimizes damage taken is welcome.

Crude Buster will probably be my one of my gaming priorities during winter break. I'm so happy that there are games like this - which I had no idea about - still waiting to be discovered out there. A grappling focused action sidescroller is something I've wanted for a long time.

You won't regret it.
It's worth re-iterating that the game's mechanics are fantastic (even if grabbing stuff from the upper lane without going up, takes a bit of practice) and you'll never miss a grab/attack as long as you have the proper technique.
In my opinion, the way the game allows grabbing the boss' most dangerous attacks, if you have the timing, speaks highly of its quality.

[mycophobia]

Kaiketsu Yanchamaru's final boss is a big load of shit

[drauch]

Not adding much to conversation, but just wanted to chime in and say I finally gave Ninja Five-o a brief shot last night to get acclimated to the controls and x1000 Gave me some serious warm fuzzies for EA: Returns. This thread is ruining me. Didn't sleep 'cause I couldn't stop thinking about side-scrollin' action, and here I am now at work browsing the forum to whet my appetite, the Hard Corps character select anthem reverberating in my head all morning. -_____-

[Sumez]

Locked and loaded!

Didn't sleep 'cause I couldn't stop thinking about side-scrollin' action

Another worthy title for this thread.

[mycophobia]

Scrolling action: The best genre?

[BIL]

I'd certainly agree that airlock-tight 2D action in general ages pretty well.

Kaiketsu Yanchamaru's final boss is a big load of shit

Does it go quarter-muncher at the 11th hour? IREM have one of the all-time worst precedents for that with their later 99.5% masterful, .5% FUCKING SUB-KUSOGE GARBAGE Ninja Spirit. D:

Not adding much to conversation, but just wanted to chime in and say I finally gave Ninja Five-o a brief shot last night to get acclimated to the controls and x1000 Gave me some serious warm fuzzies for EA: Returns. This thread is ruining me. Didn't sleep 'cause I couldn't stop thinking about side-scrollin' action, and here I am now at work browsing the forum to whet my appetite, the Hard Corps character select anthem reverberating in my head all morning. -_____-

The EA:R resemblance is marvelous, ain't it. I was thinking after my post on N5-O, that maybe "mild tactical stealth" is as much a part of Rolling Thunder (and therefore Shinobi) as EAR; in those games you certainly benefit from observing the enemy and attacking when they're least able to react, too. Probably moreso than in Taito's relatively forgiving game. But then I remembered, what really sets EAR apart - the viewpoint, and the scale. That omniscient doll's house view of the playfield, and the dozy but inquisitive enemies within; it gives a mischievous sense of control, like you're directing a comically violent spy/ninja caper in real time. N5-O may not have elevator shafts, but it makes sure to include plenty of railings for dispatched goons to tumble over!

[mycophobia]

Kaiketsu Yanchamaru's final boss is a big load of shit

Does it go quarter-muncher at the 11th hour? IREM have one of the all-time worst precedents for that with their later 99.5% masterful, .5% FUCKING SUB-KUSOGE GARBAGE Ninja Spirit. D:

The strategies you have to fight him with are really unintuitive and kinda hard to pull off all together without dying. See here: https://youtu.be/9d-jAmO_zqo?t=973

I mean just look at that second form with the bubbles. If I didn't know about the safe spot and being able to time it out I'd have given up on this game entirely.

[FinalBaton]

Locked and loaded!

Didn't sleep 'cause I couldn't stop thinking about side-scrollin' action

Another worthy title for this thread.

Haha! that was pretty good

although I do love NG being the backbone of this thread. It's like a big sign, right there on the entrance door, that reads "FUCK YOU SCRUBZ. STAY the FUK OUT!" Lovely

Maybe drauch can get the words you quoted, tatooed-on though

[Durandal]

[This is where there's supposed to be a screenshot of the defeated remains of the Alien Heart in Contra (NES), however after taking the screenshot I went to take a dump and when I came back I found that Windows 10 was performing its inevitable 'scheduled maintenance', automatically resetting my PC before I got a chance to save my screenshot anywhere. Let this be an example to not be a lazy fuck like me. Downgrade to Windows 7 or install Linux as soon as you can.]

SUCK MY CUM-TIPPED HUMAN COCK, YOU ALIEN BASTERDS.

Despite its reputation of turning wussies into men and being one of the tuffest games of all time, a nitwit in the genre like me found Contra (NES) to be surprisingly doable, almost to the point where I was wondering that I was doing something wrong and had to look up whether there were any changes in difficulty between the US and JP release. Through savestates you can run through the game rather quickly, and the game is fairly liberal with extends. But then you try to do a genuine run, and boy is the recovery anal. The Spreadshot might make many parts of the game a breeze, but then you make a slight mistake and have to get by using that peashooter of yours. One single lost life can cause a death spiral unless you recover and find another weapon quickly. I guess that makes the generous life extends more understandable. With some perseverance you can get that 1cc, and you might even go directly after a 2-ALL since the second loop doesn't up the difficulty all that much (I game over'd at the final boss of the second loop after the clearing the first loop for the first time, anyways).

The Spreadshot is clearly the go-to weapon of the game (some weirdos prefer Laser) given its ridiculous damage output from close up and hueg range capable of shredding zakos anywhere on the screen, it's almost too OP to the point of straight up invalidating some boss fights through its existence alone. ST2, ST4, ST5 and ST7 bosses being major leagues easier with the SS come to mind. I feel going for a 1lc here is dubious given that it's in some way easy mode since recovery is the toughest part of the game. Gradius had rank in place to make life hell for perfectionists, though Contra doesn't seem to have any kind of rank system or dynamic difficulty outside loops.

The RNG here in place isn't the 'fuck you over unpredictably with difficulty spikes' kind, but more of the 'keep you on your toes' kind. Zakos will swarm from the left or right side of the screen, demanding constant attention and improvisation given that they can make the other present obstacles in your path a thousand times more threatening when you're shooting some turret emplacement on your belly and some grunt decides to run in from the left. What's worse is that they're learning. On top of running and jumping, around ST5 they'll have figured out how to shoot their guns, and by ST6 they'll also have learned the usefulness of shooting while prone. Even if you're given a free pass for one area, the game lasts long enough that you're bound to be put in a tight spot by them eventually.

What's nice about the randomly spawning zakos is that they keep you on the move. They won't stop spawning any time soon, so there's no point in playing it safe by killing every single one of them before moving on when their presence will be an universal constant. And they come from pretty much everywhere on top of jumping about randomly, so there's very few safe spots to speak of. So press onwards, brave soldier. Now that's intensity.

The base stages are just boring, eventually you get a pattern down and you're going through the motions given that the presence of RNG here is minor. Unless you lose your spreadshot, which forces you to move pixel by pixel on your stomach given the ridiculous amount of fire sent your way. The barriers in ST7 would have been interesting had they not been such a massive strain on your trigger finger and if some kind of zako or trap would try kill you while you're trying to break the barrier down, which happens in some instances but not often enough.

At first I believed that the Flare did not deserve to exist, though it's trajectory did save my hide in a very few situations, so I'll let it slide despite being terminally useless for the most part.

But it's a testament to the quality of the game that it manages to hold up even after all these years, and that it's so manly that it accelerated my beard growth (that's the kind of effect Contra has on passing time). Hats off to the CONTRA NES TEAM.

[FinalBaton]

Agreed, a Contra 1cc is not amazingly hard or anything. A 1LC is the real challenge. And it's doable too.

[BIL]

Always interesting to read about NES Contra from a newcomer's perspective! Especially a capable newcomer. It isn't the meat grinder casuals would have you believe, but it's far from lacking substance either. A fine gateway game for hardcore 2D action.

Contra doesn't seem to have any kind of rank system or dynamic difficulty outside loops.

It supposedly does, with weapon choice affecting it - but personally I never use anything but S+R (outside of deliberate challenge runs), so I've never noticed it much. S+R dominates the rest of the set to an obscene degree, which is objectively not good... but my attitude to these things is, I don't mind a dominant weapon as long as it's a satisfying one. And S+R is a fucking legendarily satisfying take on the classic Toaplan vulcan principle. Inescapable screen-blanketing death that also pointblanks bosses like a brick through a pane of glass.

They tried toning it down in FC Super Contra by making it stealth-double enemy HP, but it still failed to hold back the torrent of death and destruction. (F is at least genuinely useful now too, reincarnated as a brutally armour-piercing charge shot)

The RNG here in place isn't the 'fuck you over unpredictably with difficulty spikes' kind, but more of the 'keep you on your toes' kind. Zakos will swarm from the left or right side of the screen, demanding constant attention and improvisation given that they can make the other present obstacles in your path a thousand times more threatening when you're shooting some turret emplacement on your belly and some grunt decides to run in from the left. What's worse is that they're learning. On top of running and jumping, around ST5 they'll have figured out how to shoot their guns, and by ST6 they'll also have learned the usefulness of shooting while prone. Even if you're given a free pass for one area, the game lasts long enough that you're bound to be put in a tight spot by them eventually.

What's nice about the randomly spawning zakos is that they keep you on the move. They won't stop spawning any time soon, so there's no point in playing it safe by killing every single one of them before moving on when their presence will be an universal constant. And they come from pretty much everywhere on top of jumping about randomly, so there's very few safe spots to speak of. So press onwards, brave soldier. Now that's intensity.

Runner RNG vs stage topography is certainly the key to the game's enduring excellence. The crucial thing is, while it's an easily dominated game in expert hands, that dominance can't ever lapse into complacency - even in Loop 1, there's a mild but constant risk of runners striking at the worst moment, bringing your storming run down in flames. They actually start shooting from midway through stage 3 - the plateaus right before the boss are a classic example of the slight but mortally dangerous risk.

EDIT: on the FC version at least, which I hear starts a loop up from the NES... haven't strictly confirmed that, but I like the shaweet animated backgrounds and it's the version on my shelf so I stick with it. While the BGs are mostly polish, st5's blizzards are a genuine asset - they add a nasty bit of visual noise to the pincer threat of zako shooters and heavy gunners, feels wickedly dangerous at higher loops.

I was a little disappointed to learn that runner firing is determined not by global RNG, but the current stage sector - you'll notice they only break out the guns at certain spots. However, these spots were clearly chosen for maximum effect - stage 7's boss approach at high loop is a terribly easy place to die, with heavy gunners blockading the right and shooting runners pouring in from the left.

At first I believed that the Flare did not deserve to exist, though it's trajectory did save my hide in a very few situations, so I'll let it slide despite being terminally useless for the most part.

F's a very silly weapon (try firing it at a charging runner point-blank, watch it scoot up n' over as you're left to die... whoops!), but perfect challenge run material - tricky to use but effective when you know how, and entertainingly offbeat with its jittery moth-like movement. RAD sound effect too, sounds like the ol GI Joe cartoon lasers, except this gun KILLS PEOPLE (aliens, whatever).

But it's a testament to the quality of the game that it manages to hold up even after all these years, and that it's so manly that it accelerated my beard growth (that's the kind of effect Contra has on passing time). Hats off to the CONTRA NES TEAM.

Umechan Team (headed up by Shigeharu Umezaki, with signature booming explosions by Hidenori Maezawa) also did FC Salamander, Super Contra and Gradius II - all eminently worth trying out! Contra is their masterpiece for sure, but these guys were a real crack team.

[Stevens]

After the three years I had forgotten about it I finally found the time and desire to play Dynamite Headdy (360 Mega Drive Collection).

The setting is absolutely charming - a play in which you are the star. The backgrounds themselves look like set pieces from a production, stages with names that are plays on movie titles (Toys n' the Hood being one of my favorites). The whole thing is just really well done, imaginative, and well Treasure. It's unfair to compare it to Gunstar Heroes but I prefer the more methodical pacing of DH.

I stopped when I the green room but will go back to it soon.

Also played a little of Shinobi III, stopped at act three.

[Sumez]

[__SKYe]

Haha, Sumez, top notch.

The funniest part of that sentence, for me, is that it *nearly* looks like the headline of a newspaper, with those well-written-but-amusingly placed single quotes in the 'cause and the scrollin'. Something like:

Tired man says he didn't sleep: " 'cause I couldn't stop thinking about side-scrollin' action!"

[drauch]

Hahaha, gave me quite a chuckle. Grade A job.

[__SKYe]

Played Crude Buster once again, got the 1CC losing only 3 lives this time.



Still not too happy, since it wouldn't be a 1CC without the extra lives (could only lose 2), and I won't even bother recording (if I feel like it ) anything less than a 1LC.

Lost the first life on the 3 flamethrower guys in stage 5, another against the twin stage 1 bosses and the last on the Beast. These are the main points where I really need to get good, though I also need to consistently no-damage the Rhino (I find it surprisingly tough to consistently make him jump after a knockdown. You really need a decent spacing here, or he'll just rush you instead).

Everything else is more or less good, including every other boss.

BIL, the hover carriers can be grabbed at any time -- I tried it on both the ones in stage 5, immediately walking right and grabbing them as soon as possible, and it worked both times.
I guess all that matters is grabbing at the right spot, and keeping the up button pressed while doing it (like with all the other high grabs).

Also, am pretty sure that the coke machines mid-stage neither self-destruct by timer, nor can be destroyed by enemies. I left the grenade chucker in stage 3(?) throw them at the machine for awhile, and it didn't seem to do anything -- not even make a coke fall down. Could be mistaken, but it seems that only your action can destroy it (including throwing enemies/weapons against it).

Against the Spider, the jump kick thing does work, but you must be grabbed and wriggle free on top of the middle platform, and immediately jump+kick as he's descending to grab you again.
Not really that useful, but it may save you, if you're trying to grab him from the air and fail, and he grabs you instead, so long as you're standing close to the center of the screen.

That's it for now.

[BIL]

BIL, the hover carriers can be grabbed at any time -- I tried it on both the ones in stage 5, immediately walking right and grabbing them as soon as possible, and it worked both times.
I guess all that matters is grabbing at the right spot, and keeping the up button pressed while doing it (like with all the other high grabs).

Also, am pretty sure that the coke machines mid-stage neither self-destruct by timer, nor can be destroyed by enemies. I left the grenade chucker in stage 3(?) throw them at the machine for awhile, and it didn't seem to do anything -- not even make a coke fall down. Could be mistaken, but it seems that only your action can destroy it (including throwing enemies/weapons against it).

Great info on both counts! That definitely takes a bit of pressure off, re: coke machines.

[__SKYe]

Something I forgot to post before, and just now remembered: there's no credits screen whatsoever in Crude Buster. It's a shame, I always like to see the credits roll to see who made the game, even if they are aliases/silly nicknames.

Don't know if it was just company policy, or if they just didn't care to put it in, but once again, a shame -- the devs certainly deserve credit for a game/port well done.

[drauch]

That's a bummer, it does in the arcade version, along with this amazing finale:

CRUDE BUSTER...
BORN TO FIGHT NOT ALWAYS FOR THE CRUDE OF JUSTICE.
THEY ARE THE MEN OF FIGHTING.
KEEP GOING ON,
"CRUDE BUSTER",
FOR ANOTHER COMBAT!!

[BIL]

Something I forgot to post before, and just now remembered: there's no credits screen whatsoever in Crude Buster. It's a shame, I always like to see the credits roll to see who made the game, even if they are aliases/silly nicknames.

Don't know if it was just company policy, or if they just didn't care to put it in, but once again, a shame -- the devs certainly deserve credit for a game/port well done.

Yeah, it's a chronic annoyance with Japanese games in the 8/16-bit eras. In one case, The Super Shinobi, the Western release actually cuts out the perfectly good JP staff roll (which also screws with the ending BGM's timing).

Even as a little kid, I instinctively thought the NES NG trilogy's extensive, visually striking staff rolls were really cool - looking back, they're remarkably professional compared to the norm. Conversely the worst offender I can think of is Castlevania's silly gag roll (a Japanese game from the 80s referencing all those classic Universal movie stars is undeniably cute, but yeah... would rather know who to credit!).

[FinalBaton]

Always liked the NES Mega Man games end credits. You had the Blue Bomber walking in the sunset or something like that, with nice, colourful sceneries and a boss roll (and a monster roll sometimes I think?). Made me pumped to clear the game.

Super Mario World had this too.

[soprano1]

That's a bummer, it does in the arcade version, along with this amazing finale:

CRUDE BUSTER...
BORN TO FIGHT NOT ALWAYS FOR THE CRUDE OF JUSTICE.
THEY ARE THE MEN OF FIGHTING.
KEEP GOING ON,
"CRUDE BUSTER",
FOR ANOTHER COMBAT!!

"Fight Mega Man! For Everlasting Justice!"

[BrianC]

Yeah, it's a chronic annoyance with Japanese games in the 8/16-bit eras. In one case, The Super Shinobi, the Western release actually cuts out the perfectly good JP staff roll (which also screws with the ending BGM's timing).

Even as a little kid, I instinctively thought the NES NG trilogy's extensive, visually striking staff rolls were really cool - looking back, they're remarkably professional compared to the norm. Conversely the worst offender I can think of is Castlevania's silly gag roll (a Japanese game from the 80s referencing all those classic Universal movie stars is undeniably cute, but yeah... would rather know who to credit!).

Speaking of Castlevania and staff rolls, Castlevania II is another notorious one. No fake names, just a removal of staff credits that were already in English in Dracula II FDS.