Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[BrianC]

I was surprised to see Legend of Makai make it to AA given the resemblance it has to WAW.

[trap15]

NMK published Elrond along with Jaleco, I do wonder what the relationship was there given the very obvious similarities.


Legend of Makai is definitely interesting, but some of the stages are pretty ridiculously hard. I hope to see some of y'all dive in and give an experience report

[Squire Grooktook]

Blaster Master Zero 3 Trailer!
Gunvolt 3 Trailer!

Looks like Gunvolt is stealing the more fun mechanics from Copen, so maybe he'll actually be fun to play this time around. Wonder how sword girl will work.

Like that a dash mechanic now seems to be part of the general moveset in BM3 topdown segments, as opposed to the sort of ad hoc usage of the counter charge.

[BulletMagnet]

Not sure if this should get its own thread, but I just happened to notice that a handful of Data East arcade titles just appeared for individual sale on PC (Steam or GOG, normally 7 bucks each, currently around 5), under the banner of (hurk) "Arcade Classix". With a moniker like that I'm inclined to doubt that the quality is any good, but for anyone who wants to take a chance...apparently the publisher has the rights to 15 games in total, so a few more are still to come.

[BloodHawk]

Not sure if this should get its own thread, but I just happened to notice that a handful of Data East arcade titles just appeared for individual sale on PC (Steam or GOG, normally 7 bucks each, currently around 5), under the banner of (hurk) "Arcade Classix". With a moniker like that I'm inclined to doubt that the quality is any good, but for anyone who wants to take a chance...apparently the publisher has the rights to 15 games in total, so a few more are still to come.

I bought Heavy Barrel on GOG yesterday. It's better than the god awful Johnny Turbo Arcade ports on the Switch but not by much. They added the ability to customize the controls (which is more than what the JTA ports offer) but no autofire option, and they still have the forced bilinear filtering that you can't get rid of. I go into more detail on the emulation options in a post I made on Steam.

A couple of strange things that I noticed on the Switch eShop for these Data East ports: The combo packs they are selling are NOT the Johnny Turbo Arcade versions as they are these new "Classix" versions (from 612Games) that are similar to the PC releases just now. However you can't get those Classix versions individually, only the JTA ones. Also, in the trailers for the Classix versions they show an option in the menus to save and load games which is not in the PC releases.

[BIL]

Blaster Master Zero 3 Trailer!
Gunvolt 3 Trailer!

Looks like Gunvolt is stealing the more fun mechanics from Copen, so maybe he'll actually be fun to play this time around. Wonder how sword girl will work.

Like that a dash mechanic now seems to be part of the general moveset in BM3 topdown segments, as opposed to the sort of ad hoc usage of the counter charge.

Holy shit. Wasn't expecting a Zero 3 at all. That'll be a day 1 for me. Trailer wasn't great, but I like these guys a lot. Lock-on Rayzors are always welcome. (though they seem to have picked an unfortunate target, if those enemies are anything like Z2's).

I liek 2 DO EM LIEK THIS

Spoiler

Muting the trailer for a closer look ( ), I like what appear to be topdown enemies bombarding the shit out of Jason's current location. Zero 2 made huge strides to improve MF1/Z1's endemically weak dungeons, as it is. Maybe we'll get some really outstanding run/gun this time.

Judging by the always charming artwork, it seems they're putting the ol' Zelda III binary world concept front and center. Not a fresh idea, or one I've strong attachments to, but I enjoyed Zero 2's more puzzling elements, so I'm not too worried.

Not sure if this should get its own thread, but I just happened to notice that a handful of Data East arcade titles just appeared for individual sale on PC (Steam or GOG, normally 7 bucks each, currently around 5), under the banner of (hurk) "Arcade Classix". With a moniker like that I'm inclined to doubt that the quality is any good, but for anyone who wants to take a chance...apparently the publisher has the rights to 15 games in total, so a few more are still to come.

Hm. Thanks for the heads-up, DECO are VIP in R2RKMFsville! I'm glad G-Mode (I assume?) is doing business with the IPs they own, at least. But...

I bought Heavy Barrel on GOG yesterday. It's better than the god awful Johnny Turbo Arcade ports on the Switch but not by much. They added the ability to customize the controls (which is more than what the JTA ports offer) but no autofire option, and they still have the forced bilinear filtering that you can't get rid of. I go into more detail on the emulation options in a post I made on Steam.

Doesn't sound too enticing, as per the ongoing disappointment of DECO IPs in the 21st century. The handful of tantalising ACA releases, and the fond dream of M2's project aside. While we wait, be on the lookout for, uh... ACA Trio The Punch! I know I sure am, p.good ninja sidescroller imo

Thanks for the review bud! Out of curiosity, did they at least fix the rotary controls, so you can point/shoot in eight directions ala Hamster? That "tilt the stick left/right to stroke the imaginary dial" is a goddamn atrocity, which in a just world would be punished by flamethrower - the footage overdubbed with DECO sound effects, for maximum vengeance.

(or steal SFX from SNK, like Heavy Barrel stole Ikari's code! )

[BloodHawk]

Thanks for the review bud! Out of curiosity, did they at least fix the rotary controls, so you can point/shoot in eight directions ala Hamster? That "tilt the stick left/right to stroke the imaginary dial" is a goddamn atrocity, which in a just world would be punished by flamethrower - the footage overdubbed with DECO sound effects, for maximum vengeance.

They have re-bindable "rotate left" and "rotate right" buttons, but they are similar to the rapid turns using turbo/autofire from the ACA releases where if held down you continue to turn. There is no button to just turn in 1/8th increments. The result is having to press the rotate buttons just long enough to register but not too long so that you over rotate. Also, there is no right stick aiming.

One of the other posts on the Steam forum for Heavy Barrel mentioned something about an option to use the mouse wheel to rotate . I haven't tried that as I prefer the controller but I guess kudos to the developer for trying to come up with new things?

By creating a shortcut to the executable in Steam and using the "Steam Controller Configuration" tool I have been able to manually add autofire which makes this "playable", but still an underwhelming port overall.

[BIL]

There is no button to just turn in 1/8th increments.

Also, there is no right stick aiming.

Gradually refining my ragged Guevara 1CC into a 1LC (HARD AS A GODDAMN BONER (｀ω´メ)), I think I'd have bailed out if I couldn't snap-aim. Reflexively zeroing targets with a flick of the wrist is critical, particularly in more volatile games. At the other extreme, sometimes a very precise 1/8th click is just as vital. On a real LS-30, the full spectrum is sorted, ofc. On gamepad, it's critical to have both options.

Hamster should start licensing whatever they do for perfect 8-way right stick in all their LS-30+Taito dial stuff. >_> Nearest I've seen is Digital Eclipse's SNK40th... but besides forcing you to use stick OR buttons, the former has infamous random lockups, forcing a waggle.

Still, even that's better than the ghastly alternative of emulating a rotary device with linear L-R/U-D movement. Gonna make me carsick. >_< AND DEAD

[BloodHawk]

Congrats on the 1CC of Guevara! That game kicks my ass.

Going back to the controls of Heavy Barrel, I played around in Steam's Controller Config tool some more and found a way to "make" buttons only rotate 1/8th of a turn:

You have to enable activators while binding the button, then change the "Activation Type" to "Start Press" then move the sliding bar under "Fire End Delay" to 0.144 (the indicator will almost be directly under the "n" in "End" above it, just hover your mouse cursor over it to see the exact measurement). This will release the button press at a consistent time on each activation. It isn't perfect, as about every 15-20 presses it rotates too much to a 1/4 turn, but 0.142 doesn't register a turn more often than that so it's the best I could come up with.

That combined with activating turbo for autofire helps a lot. While setting the turbo button you have to leave the speed setting at Steam's default, as if you change it at all it won't mesh with the game's refresh rate.

I don't think there is a way to rig right stick aiming up with a 3rd party controller tool, but at least with this setup it's more playable.

[BIL]

Congrats on the 1CC of Guevara! That game kicks my ass.

Thanks. It's still kicking mine! At a certain point, owing to its short runtime, stage mastery starts yielding massive gains - enough to reach the miserably hard, but very short+static st5 with four-five reserve lives, enough to just about sneak over the finish line.

Guevara is wickedly tough, sometimes for shitty reasons, mostly related to its horizontal scrolling in st1-3. With the over-tight horizontal pan, you really need that trial/error-derived mind map to maneuver confidently. I wish they'd kept to vert-only ala Ikari/Dogo.

ST1 boss approach - veer hard to the right and burn that bridge-wrecking fucker, then grab the POWs.

Spoiler

It also has a very stupid, very un-Ikari innovation, namely ambush spawns. Most are cool, popping out of trenches and doorways, and up from waterways, then attacking. A handful are aimed to contact-kill, ninja-style - breaking the tacit understanding that in Ikaris, EVERYONE on foot is slow as shit. The worst offenders are the three guarding 3-1's final POW. Pure, credit-eating "don't do that next time!" rote. Ah well. One time only, and nothing redeems a pre-ordained bushwhacking like SCREAMING BURNING DEATH.

Get your ass over here! BURN IT.

Spoiler

(Can you tell I've a visceral hatred for this game's enemies? my compliments to Obada-san, they are cunts )

However, it's very short, and long stretches that are near-impossible at respawn can be demolished via powerup play. Avoiding a death in one spot will forestall several further ahead. It's a learning process not unlike most tough arcade games, just compressed. (coming in straight from the relentlessly fraught, yet impeccably-telegraphed Rygar - ho ho hoooly shit, I respect that game even more. anyone who no-missed Guevara in arcades at release musta been carved outta granite. or a PCB owner )

Keep in mind, too, that the first boss is by far the nastiest, and the final two stages, while tough, are much simpler in layout that the romps preceding. This is a good point to share what I've learned.

I] Just like Ikari, stuff spawns erratically. A lot of it, I've not idea how to control. Stage 3-1/Swamp's spawns are super-volatile, and dangerous - submersed grenadiers and gunners are wickedly accurate. I wonder if it's related to horizontal movement, or some less discernible RNG. Regardless, the most important thing, I do know: There's a Red powerup carrier at the start of stage 3, who won't spawn unless you adhere to something very specific.

GIFs of this game come out frickin' huge, I guess it's the ground texture? sub-2MB is what I go for 3;

Spoiler

See the sandbaggers? Blow 'em away at leisure - but don't rush upscreen. Let the pictured gunner formation spawn, then proceed. You'll get the Red and his Flame Shot every time. Rush in ahead of the gunner spawns, and you'll find only an empty trench. The subsequent sections (swamp/mines) are miserable without Flame Shot. Cracking this case blew the game's remainder wide open for me. st3 is easily neutralised with powerups, st4 is surprisingly improv-friendly (got my first 1LC outta nowhere, just on the basic principle of running over Manhole Grenadiers and shooting armour on sight), and st5, while inanely strict, is extremely repeatable once mastered.

This behaviour repeats at the climax of stage 4. Don't rush into the boss's plaza. Instead, creep upscreen, triggering the boss BGM and another gunner formation. Let 'em retreat, then proceed to get the two POWs. Nowhere as game-changing, but good to know for presitge.

II] As mentioned, the last stage is stupidly rigid. There are no POWs or Reds, whatsoever - and if you reach the last boss with sub-30 grenades, you'll have to suicide for more. That gives you a budget of about fifteen grenades, accounting for possible missed shots on the last boss. Additionally, even if you kill the boss, you may well get air-struck during the ending sequence.

I actually figured out, via state practice, how to kill it in good time, during my first go at the game back on SNK40th - aka Jank-O-Rama: The Jankening - Hey, At Least We Scanned Some Flyers. First, devising safespots for rapid damage, then ways to hit two turrets with one shot, freeing up more seconds. It's all ridiculously fraught, and I forgot it all. I hate game design that sequesters the no-miss behind convoluted plans like this.

So I reluctantly gave up on the 1LC here, and revisited GGA_HAN's 1LC video, wondering how he'd done. I'd misremembered! It's a 1CC, done live in an arcade, a sterner feat than anything I've recorded in the luxury of home. And it features a couple of exploits, which TBH won't help much, if you lack a working knowledge of stage layouts, but will help 1CCers over the line to a 1LC.

0) I remembered Pete's tank refuel trick. If you're about to run out of gas (in the Obada-verse, this causes vehicles to explode, killing all passengers) - just hop out and wait. Your tank's designated hijacker will arrive shortly - blast him and enjoy a fresh tank, I guess they carry their own? (related: just like common zako will ignore your tank, they're also harmless to POWs - only designated executioner spawns can kill them)

1) vehicle exit exploit - an old chestnut any Metal Slug fan will spot easily. What I wasn't aware of, is that your character kills enemies dead while in i-frame state. It's mildly useful vs the st4/st5 minelayers, though you still need to be careful where you kill them. Unlike in Slug, your unoccupied tank will be destroyed while your avatar escapes incoming shells, making this far less powerful an exploit.

2) the biggie: vertical wrap-around shots. Spawn something, then retreat, scrolling it offscreen, and fire into the bottom screen edge. Oho! Screams of the dying, and corpses tumbling from the screen top! Yes, it's a ridiculous exploit™! I've little use for it 95% of the time. I suppose it would be handy in the obscenely cruel POW stash that opens 3-2 (mines), but with the Flame Shot we secured from earlier...

Imma give these shitbirds a proper send-off

However, it completely obviates that shithead joke of a final boss. Who would be as trivial as Ikari's - less, actually, given Zombie Hitler will actually kill you if not shut down with Red Snipe - except that he demands a ridiculous share of ammo, in a stage with no ammo drops whatsoever, and can revenge-timeout you during the ending sequence, if you're a pixel off/second too slow. So fuck his ass, I'm back in the game.

---

Kudos to Obada-san's team for learning 2 draw coconut tree roots. Ikari's unspecified jungle (I'm guessing Brazil, with the Boys From Brazil plot) looks like snot. Dogo's alien prairie much the same. NGL, I'd trade realistic coconut trees/mangrove swamps for a fumigation of the above-mentioned issues, but it's a nice touch.

[BulletMagnet]

Wasn't expecting a Zero 3 at all.

Not only that, Japan is getting the trilogy on physical media.

[Udderdude]

BM Zero 3 = Very cool.

[BIL]

NMK published Elrond along with Jaleco, I do wonder what the relationship was there given the very obvious similarities.


Legend of Makai is definitely interesting, but some of the stages are pretty ridiculously hard. I hope to see some of y'all dive in and give an experience report

Finally got around to trying it out, seems pretty good. I wish the stomp was a base ability, ala Rygar (ie, stuns enemies at base, kills at POW) - but you get it so early, it may as well be. Makes vertical exploration a lot snappier when you'll bludgeon anything you land on. I went in expecting to dislike the wildly multi-scrolling playfield (lately I've preferred my scrolling action be as clearly-delineated as possible, even in games that keep players clear of the incoming edges), but it seems to work fine with the innately powerful, skewering jump. (big fan of "bayonet" mechanics ala Dogo's sword, where it's enemies that have to worry about bumping into you, or rather, your MASSIVE METAL COCKEREL )

Good on Hamster including both JP and EN versions. Couldn't see this being playable without readable text, though certainly replayable post-clear. That sort of "coin-op Arpg" tone, ala FC Rygar. (and Wizards And Warriors, I guess - I played it maybe once, an obscenely long time ago - I remember older friends taking the piss out of the "Feather Of Feather Fall," mild nostalgia at seeing its equivalent here... less so buying it only to be informed it was A GOD DAMN REPRO, hey that shit isn't funny ok )

Anyway, liking the first three stages a lot! Surprisingly charming aesthetic too, it's pretty cute. Like a less fugly Wardner, which makes sense I guess, with that one being heavily Western fantasy-informed, too. (no offense to Dover & co, I love that "bent fairly tale" chibi-ugly aesthetic - see also Compile's MD Ghostbusters)

[Sumez]

Not only that, Japan is getting the trilogy on physical media.

And right after people finally got their 1+2 from LRG, too :\

[Marc]

Strider almost in the bag. second half of ST2 can still be an arsehole, and I'm still not keen on 4's wonky vines. Just the second half of ST5 to master and I'm in.

[BIL]

I try to avoid blind-buying games, no matter how inconsequentially cheap or space-efficient. Spoils my mood to admit something that, had I fired up TEH ROMZ, or watched videos, or sought advice - I know I'd have shitcanned. ACA Athena stung me bad, the cheapest AND worst game I'd bought in a decade! I've long considered maintaining a library in which each individual piece has passed muster part of the fun. You name it, I'll write you an essay on why it's there, or not there. Less collector, more SELECTOR

So I did a little diligence on Sengoku 2, knowing andsuchisdeath had no-missed it (a player whose interest will always attract mine). It seems pretty solid. Looks like it revolves more around 1HKOs and charge shots, as opposed to the combos and grapples typical of early post-FFs. Makes sense, given the weapon-based combat. Full-blast katana blows to the neck and lower torso have historically settled matters promptly! Zako tend to rush onscreen in formation for summary dicing, an STG-informed ethos I'm fond of in Ikari III (FC) as well.

Anyhow, what really drew me to this was its aesthetic and direction. Even a mechanically unremarkable game would be fine by me, here. Not an outright busted/shitty one, though! Happily, it appears to hold together, facilitating some of the coolest early 90s JP arcade cheese I can recall. TANKTOP COWBOY and GRATEFUL DEAD ROADIE are chilling in the alley one night, when BOOM! The drugs kick in! Back to the EDO, on a mission from BOOTY-HIME - grave courtiers bowing as the men stride past, into the dragon-reaved capital, carrion crows wheeling above!

GUTS WILL SPRAY THIS CRIMSON NIGHT
Is there a "Cowboy & Roadie were on bath salts the whole time" ending? >_>

Stage flow recalls Cannon Dancer and Taromaru's oneiric setpiece barrages, down to the eerie heraldic chanting of all three - strange scenes erupting and dispersing in fanfares of blistering violence. Death animations exude manga flair - so many Already Deads, final stands denied by fatal damage Current favourite is big blue samurai homie, who not only bisects at the waist, just as he manfully hefts his greatsword - but whose torso audibly hits the ground like a sack of spuds, while his defiantly upright legs crash to their knees. A magnificent end in two parts.

Not sure how frontloaded it all is. st2 kept up the standard, at least - a seamlessly batshit transition to Neo WWII, complete with wing-walking duel amidst screaming dogfight. Wouldn't surprise me if it's too good to last, but for sheer spectacular AC joie de vivre, these two stages are well worth the price of admission. Didn't want to watch the rest, at any rate.

All this to say, while early Neo brawling doesn't have the greatest reputation, this one's worth a look even if you're simply into Samurai Westerns and necro-feudal fantasia. A killer watch, at the least. Possibly the closest the Neo got to a Sam Sho beltscroller, aesthetically. So goddamn late here, I've not even booted it up yet, just got it and Thunder Dragon for tomorrow morning.

Curious about the original now, a game I can't recall anyone I follow having praise for. Even if it merely shared art staff, I'd like to check it out. By comparison, Noise Factory's much later Sengoku 3 is genuinely very good, particularly if you dig more combo exhibit-geared brawling, but it's stylistically nowhere as madly alluring. (not to write it off entirely, in that dept - some very cool player character design, particularly the iron club-wielding Kongoh, a badass grappler who chokes, kicks and bludgeons fuckers with equal aplomb - see third_strike's nomiss)

[BIL]

"Hold up! I sense the ongoing effects of those YELLOW BATH SALT DENGEKIS we scored earlier tonight!"



Can confirm, Sengoku 2 is cool. Mad shit just keeps happenin' to the violent end, supported by classically economic action. More ancient Japanese monsters than a Tokyo veteran's hospital! More arterial spray than Mifune's entire filmography!

Mechanically, before buying, I had to piece together WTF was going on from replays and FAQs - so I will report what I done did found. Your base dudes CLAUDE YAMAMOTO and JACK STONE have two strike types: A vertical chop (A), good for punishing incoming big enemies (it'll send them staggering back), and a horizontal slash (B), which is better for countering zako. This is because, while both strikes have followups, Chop is limited to a second, heavy overhead. Slash, meanwhile, erupts into a stabbing flurry, ideal versus onrushing weenies, who rely on disorienting speed and numbers to invade your space.

A+B+C will execute a regular vertical chop, which chains directly into charge state; release for a nasty fullscreen shot that mows through zako en masse, while doing stagger damage to heavies. It's quick, and has a massive hitbox, easily able to clip enemies from off-axis. Hit A+B+C immediately after firing to ready another charge, skipping the intial chop - firing off consecutive blasts this way is a key skill. Being across the screen from a target, pelting them with charge attacks, is generally a great place to be - because SGK2 is punishingly zone-intensive. Tear 'em up at range, so when they get close you can snuff 'em with a meaty chop. Stage 1 is a nice easy intro to both principles, with the later game mixing things up significiantly.

Shutting down a big heavy bastard with CHOP+CHARGE, then doin' some weenie-ass bitches with SLASH+STAB (｀ω´メ)

Spoiler

If an enemy gets past your striking range, and you don't quickly shut them down, you're very likely getting hit. Slash's quick startup seems good at warding off enemies who either invade your space, or are airdropped into it. Note that if you're toe-to-toe with a heavy, you can stunlock them with carefully timed consecutive slashes, while you retreat to optimal range. Don't mash the button like you would vs Zako; you'll whiff through the hitstunned enemy, who'll punish your recovery.

OWCH! Charging way too close, got the shit kicked outta me by a buckethead.

Spoiler

Press A+B to guard, which seems to have specific use against certain projectile wielders, but may be more trouble than it's worth vs blades/clubs.

If you're playing on ACA, and confined to a gamepad, I highly recommend putting [ABC/Charge Shot] on your would-be A button. This'll let you chop/combo with taps, and charge by holding the button. Being on a PS4 pad, I put [ABC] on [square], [slash] adjacent on [triangle], and [jump] on X, with R1 for guarding, and L1 for the (currently rarely-used) transformation.

There's a clash state, which I consistently win by going ham on the Chop button. Yet again, with good zoning, you shouldn't see it much. Seems if you lose the clash, you're the one sent flying back instead, not sure if you're auto-boned or can escape.

*fapfapfapfapfap* I'm gonna bust all over you! (｀ω´メ)
(■｀W´■) Not if I bust all over you first! *fapfapfapfapfap*
>>>>>>>>>(◎ω◎;) NANIII

Spoiler

While you can indeed jump (C button), it seems a much riskier and less-dominating option than in the typical FFesque. This makes total sense, as Sengoku 2 is not remotely FFesque, or even DDesque - at least via its base characters. Haven't tried the companions - TENGU, a lumbering brute with vicious crowd control, KIRIMARU, a ninja dog I suspect is here to make jumping not useless, and MIKE WALSH, a combo-happy ninja who *pffff* MIKE WALSH LMAO - just yet. Not sure if they shake things up meaningfully. Neat designs at least! Just going with the main dudes, for now, seem to be getting good results.

Really cool game, and a swan song of sorts for SNK brawling, harkening back to the similarly grapple-free, strike-intensive, but sadly amateurish Datsugoku (DROP THE WEAPON GOD DAMMIT). SNK brawling had a troubled start with that game and Ikari III, but seems to have departed on a high note.

[BryanM]

Talking about the tactical superiority of jumping really brings back memories of Last Battle. A game that is uh, not so good, but still dear to me for nostalgic reasons. (I will praise its storytelling until I die, however. A dude or dudette yells something at your guy, he yells back, they maybe yell back one final time, and you get on with your life. All these gacha games could really do a similar thing - their stories are designed to never end, go nowhere, and are worse than soap operas. Brevity is much needed there.)

Ah, back to jumping.

After you fill up your POWER meter in Last Battle after murdering enough people (I'd call it a Murder Meter if I was responsible for its remake) your shirt explodes from your intense muscularity. In this mode, the jump kick is the optimal weapon of choice for 98% of all the enemies in the game. You're like an invincible spear thrown from God while in this state, a nice long ATTACK box with your hit box snug and safe faaarrr behind it. Basic Last Battle strategy is all about how deeply or shallow you can aim this move against specific enemies - ie, you can score two hits instead of just one per jumpkick on that Duke weakling.

Ah, that's a second praise worthy thing about Last Battle - the power up mechanic offers a little variety during a play session.

[BIL]

FUCK. You know, I completely forgot about Sega's Hokuto no Ken (Mark III/MD) games, better known to we in the West as Black Belt/Last Battle, when discussing Spartan X's lineage recently! Although now that I recall, I was sticking to arcade games, otherwise I'd have included Spartan X2. I've barely played either Sega HNK, tbh. I've probably put more time on the suspiciously crummy FC games that are their rough counterparts. Always thought Last Battle was a badass name, when I were a kid gawking at the poster/catalogue that came with my cousin's Genesis.

However, later in life, it would form the centerpiece for my own tragic LAST BATTLE with our patron saint, Edmond The Mad (;｀ω´;) You see, charter member RULDRA once remarked on LB (paraphrasing): "Holy fuck it's mean and kinda dumb but I enjoy it, sadomaso-like." Edmond, meanwhile, thought it was ARRANT KUSOGE, very unfair, no restart points, and bewailed thus ITT! Attempting to maintain some semblance of diplomacy in the looming shadow of NERDFIGHT, I said "Hm! Sounds rough, but Ruldra likes it and he is good peeps, ha ha! I will have to give it a go, and surely get back to you!"

But I never did try it out, OR get back to him. 3: As is the wont of things said in the heat of the moment, this would cool and coalesce into a hellacious obsidian cudgel, which I did not hesitate to use! What do you think this is - MAD MAX 3? This is not the THUNDERDOME, but the NERDFIGHT PASTADOME.

Anyway, that was that. I still haven't played MD HNK (I must have the gore), beyond a couple stages. I like the moody air of the over-ground scenes! Very middle ages Biblestan, just like the manga around this point. The dungeon investigation sequences, not so much! Ken was now comically omnipotent, and would surely just smash his way through the floor, never mind some shitty door. Might as well make a Dragonball sidescroller set in the Artificial Humans arc, where KURIRIN has to infiltrate Dr Gero's boobytrapped laser bunker, and dies if fan favourite ELECTRIC BEE touches him. They just busted in and robbed Gero's shit, then blew the place up, after they'd accidentally blown up the majority of it a few chapters earlier!

Wasn't there a gag about this very thing - dungeon infiltration hijinks cut ruefully short - in the HNK manga itself, here? I could be wrong. All I really recall - other than some very silly moral backflips RE murdering people who disagree with you ("Raoh was not that bad! Neither is new antagonist FALCO, who just turned the village elder into fuckin salami, for the crime of having a poster of Raoh in his bedroom!") - was that amusing, affecting moment, when new ally EIN unknowingly triggered the fuck out of a grieving Kenshiro, by asking if he had a woman waiting for him at home - meaning Ken had better not fight him, if someone was awaiting his return!

Ken is in mourning, and bleakly distant in a way I think the hack frauds who wrote this film assumed he was all the time - maybe they only read the manga chapters that tied into the MD game when they were lads! - so he mutters "No," and without another word smashes Ein's face in! Boy howdy, Ein never fucks with Ken again after that! Masculine friendships via ultraviolence, that's what I am here to see!

[BryanM]

He was wrong about Last Battle not having continues, it has a Super Mario 1 kinda continue. Hold ABC at the same time and press start on the title, restart at the last world you died in. Think I discovered that one on my own pre-internet, it was nice of them to make it so easy to do. (Who wouldn't be holding all three buttons in a rage after dying on the 3rd or 4th chapter?)

It's not quite kusoge. The labyrinths are still miserable to get through even if you know the paths (protip: if you jump while crouching in the labyrinths, you do a hyper-speedy jump that speeds your travel time up by like 3 times as fast. Jumping does not work like that anywhere else in the game!!), the levels are fairly repetitive, the balance in boss fights non-existent (the only time you shouldn't be jump kicking is if you're dealing the final punch to make their head explode, or against the alien blob or maybe that matador bastard.)

But I still think the ambience of the thing is cool - it's like a surreal horror dream world. From the art to the music. The boss fights are almost like a real fighting game - but the way there's barely any AI that reacts to your actions is uncanny, so creepy. (We expect fighting game enemies to react..) It's anime at its most unhinged and ungroomed - one moment you're fighting hulk hogan, the next an alien guy with psychic powers on a spaceship, the next a pirate captain For Some Reason? Kaiba would approve. It's almost 20% of the way to being a good game.

I actually recommend the mutilated, censored, barely comprehensible plot, version. Green Hulk Hogan is much better than Regular Hulk Hogan - they made the game even weirder, somehow! The dialogue is ridiculous and impossible to forget! (even if I just forgot some of it!) Why the fuck is the magic karate the two main characters use Taekwondo and Jeet Kune Do?!?! Those aren't magic karate!

"What sort of place is hell?" indeed, 'Aarzak'.


(I just watched a youtuber play the Japanese version to refresh myself on the cosmetic changes, and it hurt me by how he wasn't constantly moving the screen forward. "What is he doing?! How is he getting hit?!" You ever get that feeling when you wish you could travel back in time years ago, yell at them and make them give you the controller? It's basic Kung Fu strategy "your job is to walk to the end of the stage, ignore the creepers coming up behind you until the moment they walk into your range."

People playing video games wrong on the internet smh)

(urgh and people in the comments saying the game was "too hard". ... definitely not the type to like Shmups...)


Correction: A former version of this article stated "the levels are fairly repetitive". For the sake of journalistic integrity the management would like to correct that to "the levels are hella repetitive". We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Marc]

Quite surprised there's been no mention of Clockwork Aquario here?
A lost Westone arcade game, currently being finished off by members of the original dev team. Looks pretty sweet.
I've pre-ordered for PS4, would have gone with Switch but the standard edition has sold out and I'm not into these mad collectors editions.

[BIL]

He was wrong about Last Battle not having continues, it has a Super Mario 1 kinda continue. Hold ABC at the same time and press start on the title, restart at the last world you died in. Think I discovered that one on my own pre-internet, it was nice of them to make it so easy to do. (Who wouldn't be holding all three buttons in a rage after dying on the 3rd or 4th chapter?)

Ah, continue codes. This is something that never fails to raise a scornful chuckle. (■｀ω´■) Milon's Secret Castle (or rather MIRON NO DAIBOUKEN: MEIKYUU no KUMIKYOKU / "Milon's Great Adventure: The Labyinth Suite" ) does the same. IIRC, it's printed in the NES manual? Maybe even the FC one.

If you're gonna let me eat shit and stagger on, just put a continue prompt. Don't make me crawl to NINTENDO POWER, or FRIEND @ SCHOOL, or God forbid, that hack fraud child slaver JEFF ROVIN You SMUG CUNTS

But I still think the ambience of the thing is cool - it's like a surreal horror dream world. From the art to the music. The boss fights are almost like a real fighting game - but the way there's barely any AI that reacts to your actions is uncanny, so creepy. (We expect fighting game enemies to react..)

It was the first Hulk Hogan boss fight that really gave me pause. Squire put it well, re fighting CPU opponents. Because versus fighting isn't so much about twitchy reaction, moreso reading your human opponent, CPUs can feel like a slot machine, and/or rote pattern test. I didn't know WTF the game wanted me to do, re: Hulkster, so I kinda bumbled around until I found some bizarre pattern he'd fall for continuously as his screen-length lifebar ticked down. Wasn't very Kenshiro!

NOW THIS HOW U WHOOP SOME ASS
u got to give the player some ass to whoop. then they give u their ass, and then, you can whoop back and forth (｀ω´メ)

"What sort of place is hell?"

Manful, pensive. I'm surprised I've not heard this line before, I will adopt it!

(urgh and people in the comments saying the game was "too hard". ... definitely not the type to like Shmups...)

This has, without an iota of irony, become a sentiment I seek out when researching new games. If it doesn't make the normies yowl, I worry! And frankly, the Normal Person Pain Threshold has gotten so low in recent times, it's not even much of a guarantee. I picked up IGA's Bloodstained: ROTN on principle, knowing he'd turn in an enjoyable timesink at minimum. He did! But the enemy design was weaksauce, even by SOTN/etc's modest standard! I went looking at te Reddit, and was reminded of how lucky I was that the enemies were any threat at all, because holy cow - these noobs were aflame with flipperbaby nappy rash! "IT MAEK ME GO A WHOLE 10MINUTE W/OUT SAVEPOINT"

Normies. Ree! (■｀W´■)

Quite surprised there's been no mention of Clockwork Aquario here?
A lost Westone arcade game, currently being finished off by members of the original dev team. Looks pretty sweet.

Holy fuck, I'd no idea. Ta for heads-up, Westone are chaps I like to see.

[mycophobia]

did a no death clear of Jackie Chan for FC aka Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu. most of the game isn't very demanding, and the special attacks you get aren't really useful beyond getting extra damage + i-frames on bosses except for the one where you blanka-roll across the screen, which incidentally isn't super useful on bosses. the charge-up attacks i never used. the final bosses were a pretty good challenge but the stages on the whole were a little too easy considering the majority of my attempts were reaching the final bosses with ease and then eating shit, which gets old. i could see a no damage run being doable but dunno if i have the patience. kickass music

[Vanguard]

Quite surprised there's been no mention of Clockwork Aquario here?
A lost Westone arcade game, currently being finished off by members of the original dev team. Looks pretty sweet.
I've pre-ordered for PS4, would have gone with Switch but the standard edition has sold out and I'm not into these mad collectors editions.

I'd heard talk about finishing that a few years back but nothing since. I'd assumed the project was dropped. I wouldn't call any of Westone's games masterpieces, but they're usually fun, and Clockwork Aquario had some wonderful sprite work. Thought it was was a real shame the game would never come out. Looks like it'll be released soon? That's really cool.

[Sumez]

did a no death clear of Jackie Chan for FC aka Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu. most of the game isn't very demanding, and the special attacks you get aren't really useful beyond getting extra damage + i-frames on bosses except for the one where you blanka-roll across the screen, which incidentally isn't super useful on bosses. the charge-up attacks i never used. the final bosses were a pretty good challenge but the stages on the whole were a little too easy considering the majority of my attempts were reaching the final bosses with ease and then eating shit, which gets old. i could see a no damage run being doable but dunno if i have the patience. kickass music

Nice job, I kinda left that game behind after my casual 1CC (which is quite easy), but it's a super fun game that I really wanted to go back and improve on. I don't recall using the special attacks much either, but it helped me get some safer hits in on certain enemies that would otherwise have been risky to try to hit.

[Searchlike]

I've been playing some Tiger Road lately, it's been my Fujiwara fix these days that I can't play Daimakaimura without feeling extremely envious of Switch players. I've finally managed to 1CC the first stage and I'm loving the enemy spawn and behavior. I wonder why then this game doesn't get a lot of talk around here. Seems cool so far.

Oh, and I beat Shun last weeK:

Spoiler

Spoiler

[BIL]

Always liked what I saw of Tiger Road / Tora e no Michi, both the focus on armed combat (something reflected in near contemporary Trojan/Tatakai no Banka), and its endearingly semi-chibi styling of rather hardcore shaolin beatdowns. Love those sunny mountain paths too, it's a nice break from the austere horrors of Saigo, Dai and Trojan aka Post-Apocalyptic Breakfast Of Champions: Do You Remember Rat Hamburgers. Though it's one of those less-ported arcade games (missing from Arcade Stadium's current lineup, even - though whether Stadium will ever be more than a busted-out MAME remains to be seen), so I've never quite crossed paths with it (no idea how the PCE conversion came out... Side Arms makes me optimistic, at least).

IIRC Aquas is really into it, always a mark of distinction.

How'd you find Shun? Ashamed to say I've never so much as played it, while I've at least limped to a couple of endings on SFC. Way I figured, if it was even a fraction as good as the original it'd be something to have around, whenever the time came.

[Searchlike]

How'd you find Shun? Ashamed to say I've never so much as played it, while I've at least limped to a couple of endings on SFC. Way I figured, if it was even a fraction as good as the original it'd be something to have around, whenever the time came.

Enemy spawn is nowhere near the threat that it was in the original, but the stages are a bit more devious so far. Think of it as Super Mario Bros 2J to the original SMB. I've been playing it even longer than the first game too and just now got the clear. I still have to beat some of the tougher routes in UK1, so I don't want to come to any conclusion just yet. I'll keep you informed.

[Sumez]

I bought a Tiger Road PCB years ago when these things were a dime a dozen, and it really annoyed me. Felt to me like the first boss was unbeatable if you didn't get the right weapon powerup earlier in the stage and held on to it?

I kinda want to go back and give it another chance, but it's the one arcade PCB I've ever sold, and of course I still regret it.

[Herr Schatten]

(no idea how the PCE conversion came out... Side Arms makes me optimistic, at least).

I might be mistaken, but I think the PCE game is actually a sequel rather than a conversion.