I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

[hamfighterx]

Better yet, phone them up with this blasting in the background just so them Ham-chans know what time it is

Better them than me...

I read somewhere that the US isn't getting Jail Break because cops get shot in the game. Guess it would change the rating?

I think it's much less likely that the reason is that COPS get shot, as opposed to the other way around. You play as a cop who is shooting escaped criminals (and sometimes innocent bystanders!), in some cases you can just gun down the no-gooders by emptying your bullets into their backs as they run away. And that's not just an incidental thing in a game, it's literally the main focus of gameplay. I dunno if people have been paying attention to the, uh, issues with that exact kind of thing in the U.S. in recent years.

For as much as I dislike games getting censored or not released in a region, I sorta understand that one if it is indeed the reason. And there's no possible way to make a little modification in this case, like changing a beer to a soda or swapping our a trademark that appears on a Pole Position billboard for a Namco game logo. The whole cops handling a situation with guns a blazin' is the essence of this particular game!

Anyway, not so much cultural baggage in other countries, so maybe buy this one on a different region's shop. Japanese keisatsu are more known for helping you with directions than they are for excessive force, so no problem for CERO-chan

Has anyone tried to contact Hamster directly when there's an issue with a game? I can't think of a single time I heard about them responding to a Twitter post or even email. I had zero luck finding information on Reddit about the delays either. Why is it so hard to find any information at all about Hamster's delays from Hamster themselves, even for games that did come back?

Aside from the missing games, there are also games that are behind in updates and games that have an issue only on one platform. There also a couple twin joystick games stuck with analog controls (Crazy Climber and Karate Champ), only to be released later on Switch with the same issue. Not a single response from Hamster on these.

It drove me a little crazy when they had a few Switch releases that had the app titled "Archade Archives", which messed with alphabetical sorting. Pretty sure I made a couple Twitter replies that got no response. Eventually Hamster did push an update that fixed that issue though. No idea if my tiny little protest helped matters at all lol, but I sure didn't get any acknowledgement when I raised the issue.

[BrianC]

Considering the other stuff that got a pass, I doubt it's because of a cop shooting at people. Not to mention getting a release in Canada on PSN, but not Switch. And don't forget Finest Hour, which still isn't even on some EU shops.

[NeoStrayCat]

I read somewhere that the US isn't getting Jail Break because cops get shot in the game. Guess it would change the rating?

Doubtful if its anything like that. I'd assume its that hamfighterx said it best, however, the ACA release/version of Jail Break is slightly modified from its original arcade version as that shooting the enemies with the tear gas through the windows had them turn into topless females, now they have shirts worn instead. (As seen/heard from Bullet Heaven #339.)

Also, the game has been rated E-10 (Mild Violence) / PEGI 16+ / IARC 16+ (Seen in the product page at Hamster's Arcade Archives site) . Its just probably Hamster fumbling the release(s) overseas, or that they forgot to push the button to put out the game in the regions that they should have come out on. Or something else we don't know.

[BIL]

TOTAL DISASTUH: hearing rumblings of trouble in Burgerland, Hamster innocently palette-swaps all the TRVE ARYAN skinheads to blackedeh-black Zulus, and re-records the emcee to get down w/ the kidz, so he yells SAVE THA WARDEN RIGHT NOW MAHFUCKA at game start, and OH HELLL NAHHH when Fleeing Mom w/Baby catches a Combat Incidental!

Fuckin do it right now Hamada-sama

NOT SAFE FOR WESTERN AUDIENCE DESU (◎w◎;)

I'll buy it 2 TYME

Yo Jail Break / MANHATTAN 24 BUNSHO one grim joint either way. Crikey! ITS TIME 2 SHOOT THESE FOOKIN CRIMS M8

(I like how the Construction Worker doesn't have his own voice, his boppin' waddle saying more than any "NAWW PLS HALP MEH" ever could; I'd have given him his own tuba BGM!)

[CRP]

Last day of current sale yall

Neo Geo:
THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2003
MAGICIAN LORD
METAL SLUG 5
OVER TOP
POWER SPIKES II
PULSTAR
PUZZLE BOBBLE 2
SENGOKU 2
STAKES WINNER 2
WORLD HEROES

Others:
Chack'n Pop
CHAMPION WRESTLER
DARIUS
ELEVATOR ACTION
FIGHTING HAWK
FLIPULL
HALLEY'S COMET
KURIKINTON
QIX
RAIMAIS

[Sturmvogel Prime]

This week's game is gonna be Konami's puzzle Loco-Motion/Guttang Gottong.
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202310/11320143.html

[Udderdude]

This week's game is gonna be Konami's puzzle Loco-Motion/Guttang Gottong.
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202310/11320143.html

The only game where you can yell "Gonna run a train on dat ass".

[Steven]

Finally got Halley's Comet. I've wanted to try this for a while and I have no problem with tossing Hamster the ~400 yen discount price.

Edit: WHAT THE HELL THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!!! Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how good this game is? They should.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

I felt the same way when I discovered it. It's a really neat game. I love the music inside the comets and how it has a bit of a mysterious Legend of Zelda dungeon theme vibe! Needs a lot more love.

[cfx]

.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

It technically had two sequels for the Famicom and Game Gear, but otherwise I think this is the first port.

Why not purchase a JAMMA adapter for your board? I remember when I saw the board for sale on Tops that they also offered a JAMMA adapter for it if I remember correctly, and there's this seller here: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/386097243941

[Lander]

Halley's seems cool; nicely manic. I enjoy the doom counter and smouldering earth reminding the player of the stakes, and the warp bomb.

Though I wonder how many players were turned away after hitting their first diagonal - that acceleration is killer at lower speeds.

[Jeneki]

I think I posted this in another Halley's Comet discussion but:



Dude, I don't think the comets are going to win that fight.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Once it hits 100% damage it goes supernova, so they manage it somehow

Though I wonder how many players were turned away after hitting their first diagonal - that acceleration is killer at lower speeds.

Yeah, it's a very different beast once you get your powerups and a speedup or two. The game maxes out at three speedups (controllable, but slightly too fast IMO, 2 is ideal), and the acceleration on movement is WAY lower with even one speedup. Feels like night and day.

[BrianC]

Though I wonder how many players were turned away after hitting their first diagonal - that acceleration is killer at lower speeds.

More were probably turned away from GG Halley Wars after hitting their first diagonal, but for a completely different reason.

[cfx]

.

[Sumez]

Finally got Halley's Comet. I've wanted to try this for a while and I have no problem with tossing Hamster the ~400 yen discount price.

Edit: WHAT THE HELL THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!!! Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how good this game is? They should.

I don't think Fukio Mitsuji ever worked on a game that isn't awesome.

[hamfighterx]

Just gotta say, I'm about to go fire up some AA Halley's Comet thanks to all your posts. Love seeing these kinds of discussions about older AA releases pop up now and then.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Love it! Glad to see other people discovering how cool it is. If you want a reference guide for what all the items do and other potentially useful bits of info, there's a guide in the Strategy section: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=69440

[Steven]

I kind of want to get the PCB for this now. It's not too bad, as it looks like it goes for around 45,000 yen, which is slightly more than Hishouzame or Slap Fight. Need the JAMMA converter, though, and that will add some extra money to it.

[BrianC]

Arcade Archives Guttang Gottong is out now. Puzzling that they didn't rename it to Arcade Archives Loco-Motion for the US since it has that version. Nice that it has both versions, though.

[Jeneki]

I'm assuming Guttang Gottong is a "sound trains make" name? Neat looking sliding puzzle game.

[Steven]

It's Japanese train sound onomatopoeia.

[BIL]

Sounds pretty hardcore tbh I wonder if foamers (Western train otaku) know of that. I'm sure they do, knowing those mad foamy bastards!

This week's game is gonna be Konami's puzzle Loco-Motion/Guttang Gottong.
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202310/11320143.html

The only game where you can yell "Gonna run a train on dat ass".

ME AND MY HOMIES LIKE 2 PLAY THIS GAME
SOME CALL IT AMTRAK BUT WE CALL IT GUTTANG GUTTONG

(every time it came 2 me I was shit outta luck cuz I'd stick my yen in and it would get stuck 3;)

Reminds me a bit of Flipull (aka the clanging "Plotting")'s ACA release a while back. Good to see some straight-up coinop puzzlers now and then, will look forward to trying this out tomorrow evening. Also reminds me I need to give one of my rainiest rainy-day titles a revisit, Time Tunnel. Sometimes I'll fire up Wonder Momo or Datsugoku and holler "more like Wonder HELL NO / more like DATSU-BLOWKU " but TT's very charming, despite my being a jumpy kill 'em all sort.

I wonder if they're leading up to something big from Konami for Christmas ala 2021's XEXEX. Personally my #1 wants for 80s/early 90s Konami are Jackal and Iron Horse, but Paro Da wouldn't seem too much of a reach, given all the other ACA titles on its hardware generation (Gradius III getting a superlative ACA release a Christmas earlier). Mystic Warriors and Violent Storm remain my reach wants, not really expecting either any time soon, but at this point Hamster have earned the credence. Nice being able to speculate without sweating over the translation quality.

[Skyknight]

I’m thinking a big splashy Konami release for December would be more Metamorphic Force.

[Atariboy]

I think Loco-Motion was the name that the North American licensee, Centuri, came up with for the release here. So I suppose that's behind this move, with it presumably never a Konami owned trademark. Disappointing, but not nearly as much as the absence of "Prepare to Qualify!" in the recent Pole Position release.

I think the Japanese name was what the colorized Konami Game Boy Color collection in Europe also used for the game, iirc.

[hamfighterx]

Finally got Halley's Comet. I've wanted to try this for a while and I have no problem with tossing Hamster the ~400 yen discount price.

Edit: WHAT THE HELL THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!!! Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how good this game is? They should.

You should ask Uemura-San about it! According to Wikipedia:

Cave programmer Hiroyuki Uchida stated in a 1998 interview that its gameplay served as a basis for Dangun Feveron.[14] Likewise, former Toaplan composer Tatsuya Uemura claimed in a 2009 interview that Twin Cobra was influenced by Halley's Comet, as he wanted to portray the feeling of aiming and shooting.[15]

I’ve been playing quite a bit of Halley’s this weekend and really enjoying it. Recovery can be a bit rough, but one you get a few power ups it really does feel like a bit of a proto-Batsugun.

[BrianC]

I think Loco-Motion was the name that the North American licensee, Centuri, came up with for the release here. So I suppose that's behind this move, with it presumably never a Konami owned trademark. Disappointing, but not nearly as much as the absence of "Prepare to Qualify!" in the recent Pole Position release.

I think the Japanese name was what the colorized Konami Game Boy Color collection in Europe also used for the game, iirc.

Except that, as I said in the previous post, the "Loco-Motion" version is included. It still has Loco-Motion on the title screen. Hamster did the opposite with a few games like Kaiketsu Yanchamaru using "Kid Niki", despite not having the US version. The US Tomy Tutor version also uses the name "Loco-Motion" with no mention of Centuri on the box. It does list "Loco-Motion" as a copyright of Konami, though. I don't mind AA using the Guttang Gottong name, I just find it odd and inconsistent with other releases.

[BIL]

I’ve been playing quite a bit of Halley’s this weekend and really enjoying it. Recovery can be a bit rough, but one you get a few power ups it really does feel like a bit of a proto-Batsugun.

Yeah, it's the earliest STG I can think of with that stylised overkill; where the ultimate weapon isn't just practical, but an aesthetic work unto itself. Besides Batsugun, it also reminds me of Alfa System and Success's elaborate patterns from the Shiki no Shiros and Psyvariars, as well as the wilder charge shots from Batrider. The way it layers multiple weapons into one unified attack is so cool.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

The way [Halley's Comet] layers multiple weapons into one unified attack is so cool.

I love games where it feels like instead of one "shot type" you're firing a barrage of multiple different attacks all at once. It's difficult to do this effectively without making the screen feel visually cluttered though! Batsugun's are great, though they're about as close as you can get to making crazy shot types with multiple elements without sacrificing some enemy bullet visibility. The other game I love that does this extremely well is Rapid Hero. You get a blue 3 way main shot, 4 piercing green lasers, 4 homing missiles, and 4 close range attack rockets. It's very satisfying when you manage to max em all out.