Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
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__SKYe
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by __SKYe »

Alright Sumez, the i-frames on the last boss seem to be the same but his punches still hit you even when he's invulnerable so yeah, my initial strategy doesn't work.
But I found out that you can just roll under him after punching him and he'll usually perform a jump kick instead of the triple punch, and you can just punch him again from the other side and repeat. It requires a bit of timing, because you must let the roll complete before you are able to attack but it's about as hard as performing my initial strat; which is to say, not too tough. :)

I might just be misremembering things, since it has been a while since I last played the JP version, but the EU version appears to have more enemies overall. Also, against the dude that has a stretchy arm, I think you can duck it on the JP version but not here.
And finally, I don't remember the Rhino's jump being so long. It's very hard to catch him as he lands and as a result he's quite a bit harder. Maybe a roll would allow you to close the distance quicker?

I really should replay the JP version eventually to be sure.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BryanM »

Learned the C64 port of Kung-Fu has a cheat where you just shoot people with a gun. Which is the ultimate karate.

Tried Haunted Castle, could have sworn I tried it in the past but had no firm recollection of it. Calling it "rushed" or "unbalanced" just doesn't make any sense. You know how in most arcade games the first stage is a tutorial, baby's first level? After killing like five trash skeletons Haunted Castle is like "BOOSH BITCH THE GROUND'S ON FIRE! BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!"

It's kind of refreshing.

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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

BryanM wrote:Learned the C64 port of Kung-Fu has a cheat where you just shoot people with a gun. Which is the ultimate karate.
As fragrant as those Euro PC ports of JP arcade thoroughbreds can get, they're frequently great for a laugh. :cool: If Datsugoku/P.O.W. would only let you drop the goddamn gun when it's spent, I'd vouch for it as The Pragmatic Beat Em Up. Or at least I would if it didn't have a million other nagging problems. I'll chuck in Crime Fighters instead, but only the JP 2P ver. Speaking of Konami AC region fun!
Tried Haunted Castle, could have sworn I tried it in the past but had no firm recollection of it. Calling it "rushed" or "unbalanced" just doesn't make any sense. You know how in most arcade games the first stage is a tutorial, baby's first level? After killing like five trash skeletons Haunted Castle is like "BOOSH BITCH THE GROUND'S ON FIRE! BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!"
Which version did you play? Akumajou Dracula (JP, third of its name) and Haunted Castle (EU) are merely crummy memorisers. Haunted Castle (US) is a big hunk of shit. You can tell the difference easily with the help of Boney-kun and his friend ZOMBI! Do they take 2HP per hit? All good! If midsized enemies eat half your friggin lifebar, that's HC - and even as a carny thrill-ride for people too fat to ride rollercoasters (™ Drum), it doesn't hold up its end of the bargain. (after a rollicking first stage and promising second, the setpieces dry up, and the brown tunnels come flooding in. nice final stage though)

Regardless, it literally is a rushed, unbalanced game. It's also a dull, petty facsimile of traditional CV, but the stupider things -

YEAH ROCKDUDE, THAT MAKES SENSE Image
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DR. WANKENSTEIN PLS Image
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- are pure crunch. Random horror game in development hell - hastily rebadged with a shiny new IP, devs pulled off other projects to assist. Then shit happened, the hired help went back to their own games, and it was booted out the door sans playtesting. Wanna know how to survive st5's elevator? There are TWO great ways! Memorise a painstaking series of taps, or keep the Stopwatch from three stages ago and do this. Microcosmic. Image

Because of its tragic backstory, and the undeniable quality of MurderWall (so rad) and MurderBrazier (mow your fucking lawn, kids! BBQ fires kill! :shock:), I feel kinda sorry for it, which is why I vouch for its USP - REAL SURVIVAL DRACULA. Want that shaweet end-stage HP refill? You gotta pay with your ammo! More HP = More Ammo! Now, the only good subweapon is the Stopwatch, so waa. But still, ZA WARUDOing the shit outta otherwise thorny stages/bosses has a simple thrill. 2-ALL JP ver is pretty tolerable, imo.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Blinge »

And you wanted me to play that PoS :x
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

BURINJU PLS (;`ω´;) Aykshually :oops: I said AC Dracula is tolerably shoddy, but Haunted Castle (BURGERLAND ver Image) is sheeeite Image Neither's to be sought out though, tbh! When I play AC Dracula after Argus no Senshi, or Daimakaimura, or Saigo no Nindou, or Green Beret, or VS CASTLEVANIA, to name a handful of the late 80s AC twitch/method classics that bum it HARD N DEEP (FO FREE), I want to kill myself! :shock: I like it though Image
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BryanM »

It's the eagleland Masochist edition, but I flipped the switches so it's possible to survive more than one bat's sneeze.

What I meant was there's so many fundamental things they did that it's more like a philosophical disagreement on how difficult a game "should" be. Capping the continue limit, letting you use those credits to increase your lifebar instead, juicing up the damage rate to the sky to punish the Americans*...

I find it refreshing and different from regular Castlevania, and like it more than Super Castlevania. Still need to get around to Bloodlines and Rondo someday..


It's kind of a bummer Splatterhouse is a dead franchise. The last one was one of those rare examples where the corporation that's supposed to be evil, bent over backwards, gave the developer massive freedom... and the dev's boss spit in their face, did not try to meet any of the three sentences worth of direction they were given, and made a pile of shit instead.



* Shades of 7th Saga, where they reduced your stats. Would have only made the game a bit harder and grindier... if there wasn't also the duels against the other playable characters you had to fight. They didn't get nerfed, and leveling up only makes them stronger.

Thinking back to other games that had content slashed, or never got released at all, and I wonder if they were angry with us for the sins of our forefathers or something.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

Oof, blimey! :shock: I enjoy razzing on Dracula IV/ADSFC, with its rambling runtime and floaty, depressurised combat (it's the artsy emo member of the trad CVs - best vibes, best tunes!) - however, even my elitist self could never rate it below ADAC. THATS FUCKIN COLD Image

Well... >_> In a hellish horror flick dilemma, involving A: my todger and B: a whirring tunafish can-gone-buzzsaw (not unlike the merry deathtraps lining ADSFC's lategame!), I suppose I too would rate ADAC! With my being able to replay ADSFC only every four years or so, this would free up all kinda time for other stuff. Image Good Games Waste Time Image

The AC version of Guevara does the "pay for play" thing, too - as long as there's coins in the machine, hitting [P1 Start] will convert them to however many lives you get per credit. I was wondering why I was rocking seven extra men by Stage 2, that's what mashing start to skip the (unskippable) map screen will do. So, in theory, you could buy your way to the baddest score on the block - milking boss zako and timing out, ad nauseam (ad paupertas?). Wheee, capitalism! :cool: I TOLD YALL GAMES WAS ART, MAAAN Image (I thiiink its SNK contemporaries, like Datsugoku and Ikari III, work the same way - but it's been a while, those two make me sad)

Conversely, Guevara's predecessors Ikari and Dogosoken don't allow continues. I don't think there's even a DIP option to enable them, like Rygar has. Konami's own 80s Gradius trio are the same, too.

Psyvariar had the best idea, I think. Casuals can "beat the game" with continues, but will miss out on all the XTREEM stages and bosses. They won't care! Pumpin choons! But the H4RDCOR3 will want them points! High scorers get the baddest (and deadliest, cha-ching!) venues. Everyone's a winner! Or at least they would be, had Psyvariar come out a couple decades earlier! I like to think so, anyway. Delta (PS4/Steam/Switch) fuckin rocks.

Tangentially, I'm currently revisiting the original Devil May Cry, for the first time since... 2003 or so? The game's ranking structure makes so much more sense now (likewise, Hideki Kamiya being a diehard arcade head). "Yellow Orbs?" More like INSERT COIN TO CONTINUE Image

At the time, a couple years before Gradius V's announcer worked me over with tough robo-manlove, I didn't care how may yellow balls I smashed, as long as the boss eventually blew up, or caught on fire, melted, etc etc. DMC1 being Kamiya's "challenge to gamers" was blindingly obvious, even to a console-only like me - but the notion of gaming as performance, really mastering the avatar and the course, then demolishing a game in spectacular WR fashion, was something relatively alien for an arcade neophyte. All we had where I grew up was VS fightans.

EDIT: Oof, speaking of DMC and time eaten, just catching up:
CIT wrote:Just cleared Game Boy Contra on the Switch Anniversary collection.
I never paid much attention to the Game Boy because I think the b/w graphics suck (Game Gear master race reprazent!), so this game always flew under my radar. But I've been very pleasantly surprised at how well and smoothly the playability was translated to the handheld; it doesn't need to hide behind its arcade and console brethren at all. GB Contra makes use of existing elements from Contra and Super Contra and blends them together with some new additions (e.g. Homing Shot) to create a very entertaining romp that's overall a fair bit easier than the other games in the series.
Cleared the second loop on the same credit to see if there were any differences in difficulty or ending wise, but as far as I can tell everything remains the same.

I give this game 8/10 spread shots. I actually liked it so much that I got myself an original copy for my tiny Game Boy collection. :oops:

So yeah, if you dig Contra and want a quick snack to hold you over for an evening between more demanding games, give this one a go.

Pro-tip: Milk the ceiling pods before the final boss until they release a power-up. Very convenient!
Super lovable game. Image Compact and crunchily destructive stage design, some interesting original bosses, even makes it mark with the debut of default autofire and Homing. Manliest boxart of the series too. :mrgreen:

Image

^^^ totally earned its place here.
__SKYe wrote:Alright Sumez, the i-frames on the last boss seem to be the same but his punches still hit you even when he's invulnerable so yeah, my initial strategy doesn't work.
But I found out that you can just roll under him after punching him and he'll usually perform a jump kick instead of the triple punch, and you can just punch him again from the other side and repeat. It requires a bit of timing, because you must let the roll complete before you are able to attack but it's about as hard as performing my initial strat; which is to say, not too tough. :)

I might just be misremembering things, since it has been a while since I last played the JP version, but the EU version appears to have more enemies overall. Also, against the dude that has a stretchy arm, I think you can duck it on the JP version but not here.
And finally, I don't remember the Rhino's jump being so long. It's very hard to catch him as he lands and as a result he's quite a bit harder. Maybe a roll would allow you to close the distance quicker?

I really should replay the JP version eventually to be sure.
Good research! I've been away from Crude Buster way too long to comment, but I wonder if it really was tweaked? Was just posting about Splatterhouse Part 3 in the current beat 'em up thread, another MD violence luminary that fared badly during localisation.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by mycophobia »

what the fuck even is metal storm's 2-4 midboss, jeez
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by __SKYe »

I'm not sure either, but I don't recall having too much trouble against the last boss once I stumbled on that strategy. Most of the game doesn't feel any different though, so I'll really have to replay the JP version to test -- much like you, it's been a long while since I last played it. I also stumbled across the new strategy though, which was pretty nice. :)

I could swear that Rhino's jump didn't cover as much ground, though.

Maybe the timing difference between NTSC/PAL has something to do with it? If so, then perhaps the US version behaves like the japanese one. More testing is in order!
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

If they tried to adjust timing to account for PAL 50hz, then I've been playing the game on turbo mode :D
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Mischief Maker »

So I finished Huntdown on normal playing as Anna Conda. Fun game.

I kinda wish the game didn't have the invincibility dash at all and focused more on using a larger variety of environmental cover, because it felt like the game over-emphasizes that dash and ends up feeling less like Elevator Action Returns.

It seems that playing on Arcade mode gives much more densely populated versions of the game's stages than even the highest story difficulty mode.
Two working class dudes, one black one white, just baked a tray of ten cookies together.

An oligarch walks in and grabs nine cookies for himself.

Then he says to the white dude "Watch out for that black dude, he wants a piece of your cookie!"
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

mycophobia wrote:what the fuck even is metal storm's 2-4 midboss, jeez
Beautiful, ain't it? :cool: Famicom hardcore blazing like a Roman fuckin candle :shock:

My tack is simple:
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switch to P beforehand (there's a convenient G later on, which I return to for the boss). Focus your fire on one module, and one alone. It'll die before they reach critical velocity - then, you'll have a nice gap to operate in and out of, amidst the buzzsaw. Note that if you've got a shield active, you can let the last surviving module ram into you for a free contact kill, looks rad. :cool:
I wonder if the boss explosions were a direct Saigo reference, but then, a lot of IREM boss sendoffs are like that (BGM cuts out, screenload of fireworks, fade into stage results screen). The ceiling-running certainly feels like it originated from Saigo, though Metal Storm expands it greatly. Beautiful work... I wonder what Tamtex (later IREM subsidiary)'s story was. I get the same feeling I do from New Corp's Little Ralph (PS1), another unmistakable descendant of first-rate AC action.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by __SKYe »

Played a bit more Crude Buster today and cleared a few things out.

The enemy formations & numbers are the same in both versions, and you can't duck the long-arm dude's attack in the JP version either.

The Rhino's jump is definitely different, though, compare below; JP on the left, EU on the right.
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In the japanese version, not only can you catch him as he lands, but you actually have to stop a bit otherwise you'll crash into him. On the european version, you can barely catch him and only after he lands; because of this the timing to perform BIL's strategy is stricter.

I did find another way to dodge Rhino's attack, but the timing is pretty strict -- probably as strict as grabbing Lionman head-on:
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To perform the high jump, press up + jump -- diagonals won't work and make you perform a normal jump instead! After you've jumped you can then move slightly horizontally but not much.

The tough parts are 1) due to the floatiness of the jump it is hard to time when you should perform it -- time it to around the time Rhino gets up and starts his charge, and 2) you have to steer yourself to land as close to him as possible so that you can grab him before he grabs you, while not falling into him.

I let the GIF run long enough to see me mess up; his horn's range is quite large.

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I made a few other GIFs, to expand on my previous GIF collection, though I forgot to include the twin stage 1 bosses.

How to deal with CYBERMAN's second phase the easy way
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Once his life bar is about to run out, throw him out of the screen. His projectiles will then fail to materialise and he'll inevitably jump into the screen near the edge. You can just repeatedly press the grab button and you'll grab him as soon as he does.

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A simpler -- but no less rapid -- way to beat the Spider
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Just kick him instead of grabbing him (which is safer given that the penalty for being grabbed by him is one life) and you'll interrupt his swooping routine.

After that, you don't need to roll under his projectile; just get somewhat near him and crouch over the projectile. He'll then walk towards you and you can just grab hiim as usual. Don't get too close though, or he'll whack/grab you instead. Conversely, if you stand too far away he'll spit out another projectile that you can also duck, so no big deal.

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The first boss
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You can avoid his initial whip attack by waiting for it to happen and just moving forward afterwards (I don't think you can just walk forward without taking a hit). The rest is just ye-old-grabbing-game. :)

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The egg-dropping routine and BIL's strategy for it
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...or, if you are feeling macho, the EXPERT™ way :)
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Another strategy for the last boss, but not as effective/simple as the original -- unless you're playing the EU version
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If you're close enough to him he'll triple punch you, if slightly apart he'll jump kick. You just have to stay close to him after you hit him and crouch, which will bait his triple-punch and it will go over your head giving you time to punch him again.

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I tried what I suggested in my previous post, about rolling under him, but I can't seem to get the timing right. It's significantly easier to just perform one of the other strategies. And to be clear, it's fairly easy to perform the going-through-him strategy in the JP version; it's certainly no big deal.

Some more info: he'll only perform his initial burning kick if you're far away enough; if you stand close to him as the doctor transforms, he'll just punch or jump kick you depending on how close you are. If you're too far apart he'll jump kick you instead.

His egg-dropping routine seems to trigger when you're at punching range and he's and the edge of the screen. In other words, the egg-dropping replaces the triple punch when he's in a corner. This ends up being a constant if you choose to use the above duck+punch strategy, as he'll eventually get backed into a corner.

Overall, it doesn't seem like Data East introduced any regional differences and I can only think of the changes above as related to NTSC/PAL timing but who knows? I haven't tested the US version yet.
Last edited by __SKYe on Wed May 26, 2021 12:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

Superb reportage, as per your usual Image I can only contribute that I call the angry muscle vest midboss CYBERMAN :cool:
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by __SKYe »

Ahah, CYBERMAN it is. :)

He reminds me of Megaman X's Vile for some reason... probably because of the way he shoots those energy balls.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by To Far Away Times »

Played a bit of Metal Slug 2 last night. Made it surprisingly far; deep into stage 3 despite not knowing the game very well. Lots of slowdown in this one. Compared to Metal Slug X it definitely seems easier, but also a bit better? I like the balancing of Metal Slug 2 better so far.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

While I prefer MSX overall, especially in the first three stages - far more enemies onscreen, with way less slowdown, and great new weapons to shred them with - MS2 definitely has some interesting arrangements in its latter half. Mission 4's downhill run is trickier in MSX, on account of its pesky UFOs... but shelling MS2's tank-infested slope is staggeringly cathartic, the slowdown only aiding the titanic sense of destruction. Mission 5's opening streets chug hard even in MSX, where you've also got the Slug - MS2's on-foot version is actually a bit nervier. Biggest gain is probably 5-2's subway, where instead of a solitary MS1 Twin (all too easily corner-sniped), you get pincering Di Cokka flametanks, supported by an utter shit-ton of Grenadiers. Despite the slowdown, it can get out of hand fast.

Final Mission's hangar firefight likewise has some toothier arrangements, with Giridas appearing regularly, and an even more massive army of Mars Peoples. The big caveat to all this is obvious: the slowdown is otherworldly. Ultimately, I consider its second half an intriguing alternate take. I love the drier, earthier palette it shares with MS1 and MS3, too. In still shots, it's frequently the best-looking of Nazca's four Slugs. You could hang Mission 3's opening scene in an art gallery.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

__SKYe wrote: A simpler -- but no less rapid -- way to beat the Spider
This is exactly how I approached him.
I saw your older guide, but I never managed to grab him from the air even once, and would lose a life every so often from it, so I didn't see any real need to do so. He still goes down fast once you get him to the ground.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by __SKYe »

Honestly, it didn't even occured to me to kick him back then.

I used to just timeout that particular routine (after 3 dives, I think, he'll come back down on his own) and figured there ought to be a faster way to deal with him, and I was really into grabbing stuff... :)

It does serve as a testament to how solid the game is mechanically, at least; even if it calls for some fairly strict timing on occasion.

The GIFs were never meant to be taken too seriously, just as examples of how to get through the game(s). It is fun to see how other folks approach the same situations. :)
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

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__SKYe wrote:It does serve as a testament to how solid the game is mechanically, at least; even if it calls for some fairly strict timing on occasion.)
Very much this. MD Buster's controls are sharp, and its mechanics are tight - but by that same token, its inputs can be a bit unforgiving, especially with the wild "anything that's not nailed down, and some stuff that is" aesthetic (still got the muscle memory for leaping up and snatching a weapon from an overhang, haha). Could've used a little of BKII or TNWA's expertly forgiving inputs. Regardless, it's a game I'll always vouch for.

NEW YORK CITY IS A REAL COOL TOWN ♫
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^^^ even in the tiny subgenre it shares with TNWA, that's something special. :cool:

(PYROMAN reminds me of why I loved this bit from Hardcore Henry so. :mrgreen: DECO MEANS PYRO Image)
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

Honestly I think the contact damage separates it so severely from TNWA, it's hard for me to see them as the same genre, if only very peripherally.

Its other damning property is the enemy i-frames without knockback which means any attack that doesn't push the enemy back can backfire horribly, especially while fighting multiple flamethrower guys.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

While the contact damage is a stark distinction (and the Rolling Thunder-style platforms are another), the bridging of beltscroller physicality and sidescroller pressure is enough for me to associate them. Having not just the option, but the outright imperative to use enemies as missiles, actively reshaping the playfield in your favour, is such a profound change from Spartan X et al. Admittedly, I'm influenced partially by sidescrolling brawlers being so vanishingly rare to begin with.

(incidentally, Spartan X2 technically does let you flatten crowds with thrown enemies, via one of its charge attacks, but it's nowhere being an integral mechanic ala CB/TNWA)

The excessive enemy hitstun is pure Marmite. :lol: I find the resulting hit/run game more interesting than annoying, even versus multiple Pyros, given your grappling and movement options, but I totally get why you'd be turned off on that.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

Nah, I'm not turned off by that at all. You want to grab one pyro and use him to fend off the others, I love that. :)
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by BIL »

Oh I see - yeah, that's pretty much how I regard it. Weird game but it knows what it's doing. :mrgreen:
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Marc »

I really should give the MD version a proper go. I want to enjoy the arcade version, but it's replete with the usual DE jank.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

The MD version has no lack of Data East jank. It's quite ripe with it, so you need to have an affection for that stuff.
I really need to try out the arcade version some time to compare them, though. A friend of mine has the PCB so I need to pay him a visit.
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by trap15 »

IMO, the MD version is significantly better than the arcade version. I would say the same about the other 2 in the "MD Data East Trilogy" (Chelnov and Midnight Resistance) as well, honestly.
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Marc
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Marc »

trap15 wrote:IMO, the MD version is significantly better than the arcade version. I would say the same about the other 2 in the "MD Data East Trilogy" (Chelnov and Midnight Resistance) as well, honestly.
Oh, why is that with regard to Midnight Resistance?
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
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Sumez
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

If the controls are well implemented, I'd give it points just for getting rid of the rotary sticks. :D But that aspect feels somewhat subjective I guess.
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Sumez
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Re: Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

Post by Sumez »

Taking X-Men Mutant Apocalypse into this thread, since its qualities are more sidescrolling/platforming action than pure brawler, though the combat is definitely a beat'em up at heart. But it really lacks effective crowd control options, and feels really mild as a result.

Got a scrubby clear, which is pretty easy when you know what to do.
I really like how the game forces you to use each of the characters in the introduction stages (which is also the meat of the game, half the stages following those are just boss fights), and then take your favourites to the rest of the game. For me, Wolverine and Beast made up the bulk of my playtime, and I imagine it's the same for most people. They are probably the most fun to play as, and also very strong. Psylocke is cool as well, but she's absurdly weak, which makes playing as her really tedious. Each character is unique in interesting ways though.

Outside of the lack of combat focus, another shortcoming of the game is some really obnoxious boss fights. Apocalypse and Magneto stand out, with the former being just ridiculously unfair, and the latter incredibly unintuitive and designed to prevent you from effectively damaging him. Interesting, Magneto's health bar carries over between attempts, so it seems like he's intentionally designed to reward players for gathering/holding on to extra lives for their chosen final character, making you able to basically grind through the find. As a result it's incredibly slow and boring, especially if you want to keep 100% safe.
The game does give you a unique ending for no-missing it, but I don't think have any interest in going for that.
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