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

[Sturmvogel Prime]

It had to happen...

Looks like Hamster can't stay away of "The Other Big ''N''". VS Tower of Babel is this week's title.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202503/35602

[Sima Tuna]

VS Tower of My Completely Flaccid Dick, Namco.

[Ice Beam]

I buy every Hamster released Namco title through my hundred different alts so that Hamster will keep releasing Namco titles.

[Sumez]

I buy every Hamster released Namco title through my hundred different alts so that Hamster will keep releasing Namco titles.

<3

[BIL]

Looks like Hamster can't stay away of "The Other Big ''N''".

Hmm, sounds like you can't stay away from The ANOTHER Big N: 日本PHOBIA (■｀w´■)

- It is also the first Star Force game released on PlayStation 4 and 5.

*MZZT* WRONG MUHFUCKAAA ♫ (*'ω' *) ACA Star Force arrived on PS4 in 2015. It's even the version used in the current WR! That crazy motherfucker MADGIWA played for 15hrs straight!

For the love of God and all that is holy, correct this arrant shite PLS (｀w´メ) EDIT: ty (=＾ω＾)

Also, EVEN MORE BIG Ns: seems Nichibutsu swan song Big Fighter aka Sky Robo should be along this year. Ta @ ohfivepro for the identification! Per o5p, it was all mahjong after this for Butsu. ;w;7 This is one of their titles I've seen fondly referenced many times, over the years, but never encountered personally.



Picked up Mystery Tower or rather Babel no Tou on FC forever ago. Seemed a neat Solomon's Key-esque, went for nothing, plus I adored the boxart. Used to assume it'd been ported from arcade like so many of its early Namco FC contemporaries. (Tower of Babel = instant Druaga cred )



Never really put time on it, just one of those rainy day pickups. I wonder if its VS port offers anything interesting, like Quest of Ki's? Or somewhere in that ballpark, haha. VS Ki is exceptional.

EDIT: ohfivepro with the deets as usual! So it reworks the game's fundamental stamina mechanic, for more of a Time Attack format. Sounds like a promising switchup for cabs! Will have to give it a look.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Konami's Juno First is this week's shmup.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202503/36300

If you like'd Nintendo's Radar Scope and Activision's Beamrider, you'll love this one.

[BIL]

Nice, been curious about that since way BITD, via Robbo's OFFICIAL Now That's What I Call Shumpin™ Pro Reviews.

[Jucksalbe]

Nice! I've been waiting for this since Konami became a part of Arcade Archives. Only took them 10 years.

[BIL]

This looks like a potentially great Caravan title, with the manually-piloted wave hunting and burst enemy chaining mode. Rescue UR BRO to hit FEVERRR then mow through the varmints for big STACKIN' BOUNS


Also! Oh shit son is that some b-b-b-BOOSTER BURN

GRAPHIC

[Steven]

Holy crap this looks awesome. Might have to give this a try, although the audio is sure to become grating after a while. It's probably still way better than the time that I decided to play Gyrodine with headphones instead of speakers. Never doing that again.

[Sima Tuna]

I posted in the wrong thread but it still looks cool.

Does anyone in this thread know why Midway arcade games haven't been ported in a dog's age? Is there something up with the rights' holders? Looking at this material BIL posted just makes me long for some good old Defender action.

[BIL]

Holy crap this looks awesome. Might have to give this a try, although the audio is sure to become grating after a while. It's probably still way better than the time that I decided to play Gyrodine with headphones instead of speakers. Never doing that again.

Yeah, definitely one of those late 70s/early 80s titles that'll benefit from a little brown noise to recreate the arcade bustle. (exceptions for Defender and Robotron, either cab at floor-shaking volume in a pitch-black room is some eternal electro Valhalla )

The apparent Western influence reminds me of a great interview with Psikyo's Shin Nakamura, by Capcom's Yoshiki Okamoto. The great men touch briefly on the popularity of Time Pilot with US players; indeed, I grew up believing it was a Williams title. (actually licensed for Western distribution by Centauri, ta PCEFX)

Okamoto being synonymous with SFII, I sometimes forget he was also a diehard STG hero of the early 80s. Fired after disobeying orders for a racing game to make Time Pilot and Gyruss, instead; moved to Capcom and busted out 1942 and Gun.Smoke among many others.

I wonder where Juno fits into that epoch at Konami. I'm surprised to recall Gyruss was the same year. That one I'm infinitely more conversant with, via its FDS/NES interpretation and PS1 port. At the same time, totally makes sense, it being a Tempest riff.

Looking at this material BIL posted just makes me long for some good old Defender action.

God, I know. wtb Yanki Ge-Sen Archives like I do more SNK/IREM/Technos/DECO.

EDIT: Haha, Juno even kicks off with a decidedly Defender/Robotron-style Hi Score + Enemy Points attract. Juicy colours! Lotsa names! Tempting targtets! Who can resist I wonder if Namco's were inspired by Williams, come to think of it. I love these Inform/Attract loops, they add so much personality.

giffu size 1337 kb? >w>

Hamster comin through with them revolutionary PREFERENCE OPUSHON, now letting you see your score during gameplay. Headphones warning! Menu tone might startle, with the silent Attract sequence. Note the score appearing in the upper-right corner.

I wonder how the original PCB's score display works... hm, maybe your current digits relate to something important, like POW appearance? ACA says the option's use is noted in HS play; reminds me of Macross's deceptively powerful Medal HUD. Went from "Well isn't that nice!" to "OH SHIT MUHFU-" pretty quick in the heat of battle, once I'd twigged the Armor mechanic.

And aww hell yeah, this controls ~nice~ ala Defender, juuust a hint of inertia; enough to impart weight and consequence without sacrificing response. Man I get the feeling the devs really loved their Jarvis... what a well-observed treat from Nihon side.



Fawwk yeah, them scintillating VIMANAPOCALYPTIC vibes

[Koa Zo]

I wonder where Juno fits into that epoch at Konami.

It would reason that Konami's 1982 release of Tutankham is in direct lineage of Juno First. I wonder what staff or resources they may have shared.

Tutankham was my biggest Arcade Archives surprise and delight of the last year. Thought I'd never heard of or seen that game before ...but then after playing it, I have the vaguest memories of experiencing that game in one of the grand arcades at early 80s Hershey Park.

Juno First was a long time most wanted game on Vectrex. I think there were two fan efforts to port it. After what may have been decades of effort, a finished Vectrex version was just released last year.
And it should be noted, there's a decently fun version on 2600 too.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Dammit, didn't I just give Hamster $8 two weeks ago for Dead Connection? Now they have to go and release Juno First

If you're never going to put these on sale, at least have the common courtesy to spread them out a little

[Lord British]

I posted in the wrong thread but it still looks cool.

Does anyone in this thread know why Midway arcade games haven't been ported in a dog's age? Is there something up with the rights' holders? Looking at this material BIL posted just makes me long for some good old Defender action.

Warner Bros owns them so who the fuck knows. But yeah, that's the big fucking hole in my PS4.

[BIL]

Oho! As I thought, this is a regular Caravan Inferno / 烈火 / RAGING FIRE. So trippy, how the battlefield is effectively a cylinder, with the player controlling its motion...

Seems POW reliably appears at ~20sec into the round. FEVERRR doesn't seem long enough to take down an entire wave, but it's easier to hit max multiplier hosing down a well-populated field - so perhaps holding back and weathering enemy fire is worthwhile. Set 'em up a good ol' Yatsura ni Tama no Present kinda situation. But! Since Wave Clear Time is also critical (more time = bigger clear bonus multiplier), you can't dawdle.

TLDR FUUUU Model caravan mode, juggling precariously in compact space. Setting up a stupendous max multi killing release followed by a crisp exit is AMAZIN. TEREPOTO is a commendably balls-out evasion mechanic! You can't squander 'em, but dying blows.

I wonder where Juno fits into that epoch at Konami.

It would reason that Konami's 1982 release of Tutankham is in direct lineage of Juno First. I wonder what staff or resources they may have shared.

Yes indeed! While playing Juno, I was thinking of a JP commenter on Tutankham's release video, who called its weapon "the original Konami laser." Both's weapons are so future-cool; Tutankham's steely corridor-strafing fire, and the way Juno's fan out in semi-auto volleys when you hold the button. You can tell the devs' affection for their ordnance, and I'd like to think Jarvis's masterpieces, too. I bet there's some great stories there, Gyruss as well.

Tutankham was my biggest Arcade Archives surprise and delight of the last year. Thought I'd never heard of or seen that game before ...but then after playing it, I have the vaguest memories of experiencing that game in one of the grand arcades at early 80s Hershey Park.

Like Time Pilot and Pooyan, it's one of those early Konami titles I used to assume was Western-made, just on how frequently it'd appear alongside all the famous games from Williams/Midway/Atari et al. Actually my most enduring memory of it, pre-ACA, is its appearing in that iconic LIFE magazine spread.

WILD BOYS / NEVER LOSE IT (´・ω・`)
WILD BOYS / NEVER CHOSE THIS WAY ♫ (｀w´メ)

[m.sniffles.esq]

I mentioned this a year ago, but I was pleased that Tutankam still gave me an olfactory sense memory of Marlboro Reds, stale beer, and old mop (a dank 'motorcycle club' bar near my house had it, which I spied one day while the door was propped open probably to air the place out. It didn't work. But I got to play Tutankham! It was really fucking hard. It's still really fucking hard. But at least in my own home it's only the game smacking me around rather than a piss drunk Hell's Angel)

[BIL]

A memorable post I had your evocative description of yon barmaid in mind while booting it up

~What Follows Is A Journey Of Discovery~

EDIT: A HUMILIATING CLIMBDOWN: Not sure if Juno has Booster Burn after all. >w> Trying to pull it off for fun, doesn't seem to occur. Was initially testing if the front retros might have it too, seems not. What a cool graphical detail though. More testing required!

Still, I stand by the Fever Mode SHUMPS INNOVATION rec.

EDIT2: BACK 2 THA TOP: Ohoho, BOOSTER BURN does indeed work. But! only when you're firin your laz0r, as seen in yon GIF. Hmm... I wonder if your attack's hitbox covers most of the ship, ala my dear Metal Black? That would have big applications for lateral attack and counter-offense! Especially handy being able to butt-slam enemies from above, with their penchant for deadly-accurate cross-lane sidesnipes.

Or perhaps the hitbox is just sensibly generous, to compensate for the WILDIN perspective. I could see that too, it's a very considerate game!

EDIT3: Ahahaha Seems your ship's butt will demolish any and everything in its path, even if you're flying backwards at top speed with front retros blazing, just as long as you're laz0ring. It's no free lunch, though; your laser has to be in its active phase. Even with autofire held down, if you ram something during cooldown, that's your ass. LIDURALLY

Rad mechanic, honestly; enemies are so dominant on your flanks, it figures you've got an edge attacking from head-on. (arse-on?)

[velo]

Holy crap this looks awesome.

It is awesome!

Does anyone in this thread know why Midway arcade games haven't been ported in a dog's age? Is there something up with the rights' holders?

Warner Bros. bought all their IPs just to get Mortal Kombat, presumably to make movies/merch etc as much as video games. I don't think even the old MK games are on their radar, let alone something like Defender. Though apparently somebody at WB thinks Rampage is a moneymaker, since it got a movie and a new barcade game.

[BIL]

Fuck yeah, I get why ButtBlast now. That's how you deal with homing bullets, without resorting to Warp.

Warp isn't just for evasion ala 1942's roll, but also has an AOE blast that'll erase destructibles in your vicinity. In an excellent bit of fuckery, ones just outside its radius can sneak in as you rematerialise straight onto them for insta-death. So you want to be right on top of the pesky things, if you get cornered and pull the trigger. Just when I think this thing can't play less like anything else. Actually this is making me recall Crisis Force, the Crab ship's teleport bomb from the opposite end of the decade.

Definitely a game of two halves. Opening 20sec, try to navigate threats without thinning the herd too much, calculatedly aggressive use of Warp seems good. 20sec, get the POW. (apparently not a prisoner, but an alien VIP, according to the US flyer... I am haunted by the Rygar localisation fiasco and will not take sides just yet!) Tear shit up aiming for max multiplier, then mop up the very pissed-off remaining force ASAP to reap more endstage multiplier. ULTIME TRAVESTIE: killed with POW carrier onscreen, PWNED

EDIT: Ohshi Of course it's an Alien VIP. That's why the enemies stop firing on you! WTF happens after though, do you kick him out screaming into the void? Nobody rides for free motherfucker! Wheee, headcanon.

I wonder if suiciding extends in the last minute to get POW twice per stage is viable? The prospect reminds me a bit of Tecmo's carnival STG Senjyo, another model of white-knuckle 5min excellence. (and a fellow total one-off from an 80s titan)

I knew POW's red mode disabled enemy fire, but it seems its green prelude (when the bugger's waiting to be collected) does too. So you won't ram headfirst into a shot while setting up the chain. You can most definitely ram into enemies themselves and even the POW carrier though.

Enemies kept on the horizon can neither attack nor be destroyed, pretty useful mechanic it seems. Particularly when entering POW; get 'em onscreen and ready for shredding, then hit the redshift. Chasing 'em down after can waste many thousands of points.

Caravan's 5min seems to cover at least two high-speed stages akin to Namco's CHARANGING STAGEs, where you just mow through angry bees ASAP. At least I think. Nice balance with the push/pull of the regular stages.

Theme of ENDRESS CHARANGE

What else in the aca catalog do any of you enjoy the caravan mode of?

Definitely this one!

[Atariboy]

Juno First!

This one single handedly has kept Game Room installed on my 360's for many years now. Nice to see this one finally get the AA treatment.

[BIL]

Ah, I think I see the point of the Preference Setting for score display: more digits. The OG display will roll over soon enough into a marathon run. I wonder if that means the ACA ver can record higher scores? It's already an endless marathon ala Asteroids (an inevitable test of your Assteroids, as you clench like a man possessed after 48hrs at the panel with no lives in stock ), but it's still a very nice touch. Asteroids WRs involve a foot pedal to keep track of score rollovers, AFAIK. (ta BBH)

I'm interested to note that ACA Jungler has a similar HUD option, which escapes me currently... but as with Juno, I recall it being "in-game," as opposed to off the side ala Daioh and Macross's. I wonder if the boards themselves had these options dummied out somewhere, or if it's just something the Ham-chans handling this Konami hardware elected to do. Great stuff either way, at any rate.

What a game. Warts and all, it keeps reminding me of Sanvein. As with Success's cult favourite, it's undeniably inertial; yet just as much a finesse game, one even the most vehemently drift-opposed (I am never keen, outside of masterworks like Defender and Sub-Terrania) might find themselves charmed by. The Metal Black aura counter/buttburn I'd suspected VS homing bullets does, indeed, work a charm. A huge point in Juno's favour: absolutely no inertia on horizontals, with micro-tapping working just like it would in conventional topdown. Feels like drift is limited to vertical acceleration/deceleration; surprisingly intuitive-feeling, with the playfield locked to same.

The cylinder format also showed me something genuinely new; a dogfight. A RESURINGU Match. Was struggling to finish off an annoying fucker who kept hemming me in from the flank, wastin mah multiplier. Irritatedly booked it upscreen, which... forced him off the bottom of the cylinder, cycling him back around to the top, where I arranged a prompt meeting with a wall of lasers. Bravely fought, sir. The kind of real, personal enmity I treasure from Gun.Smoke, and a spatial maneuverability I don't associate with many 2D games at all; not a knock on the format, just something traded away for absolute utter XY coordinate certainty.

As prosaic as the Overseas flyer is - that awesome tagline aside - I like its detail. It mentions enemies "evolving" into deadlier forms, and indeed that's what seems to be afoot? Though with this pace I've yet to grasp just how. Yet another unusual touch in an STG already florid with them. My faith in Robbo-san was never misplaced. ;w;7

[Randorama]

Yeah, [Juno First, Note from Rando] definitely [is] one of those late 70s/early 80s titles that'll benefit from a little brown noise to recreate the arcade bustle. (exceptions for Defender and Robotron, either cab at floor-shaking volume in a pitch-black room is some eternal electro Valhalla )

This could be the quintessential description of what early arcade gaming, of the "single screen/limited scrolling" variety, was about. At some point I will find a way to quote it in some of my published material and emblazon it in the glorious pantheon of "textbooks quotes with hilariously humble origins", Birru-sensei-dono

[BIL]

Sorry I've been so absent again Rando, I owe you several reads this weekend! You maintain a quality/quantity balance not unlike Ham-chans themselves, and with entirely better DECO coverage at that

Juno First must surely be one of Konami's most underrated works. Fate of the estimably weird! Crazy techniques and arcane lore on display in the ongoing Arcade Archiver ep. Like having a buddy watching, to count down the POW drop for you!

I'm happy with my day 1 caravan placing @ 170k, albeit - true to Juno's low profile - it wasn't the busiest early table, compared to December's bustling VP1 and Macross. (just fifty-odd of us on PS4 ) Reminds me, I must return to Macross now I'm back home and dry. (Switch board was way busier @ 144 entrants, Caravan TENSAI Clobta-sama got both #1s )

I'm gonna see if I can break 200k at least this weekend. Infernally compulsive and divinely odd, a classic 70s gallery STG channelling Defender and the future ghosts of Gun.Smoke and Raystorm, with burst chains from the end of the century.

tbh the SFX do got that elusive Williams boom/chime Was blearily going The fuck is that at 2AM, only to realise it was, in fact, my own ship's truck reverse alarm

[Randorama]

Birru-dono, many thanks, and more DECO will appear soon, with a focus on some of their pleasantly obscure titles. I am emptying the tanks, as writing about games now feels healthier than playing them.

Speaking of which, I suspect that a certain male parent of mine might have turned into a shut-in with this release (ok, the late winter snow and overcast skies do help...). I remember something about him playing this game to death at some point of our lives, but I guess that I must ask him the details because the memory is absurdly hazy.

A quick search tells me that there is a Williams US version, though, so the Williams vibe makes perfect sense. Weather forecast for the weekend, here, is also "overcast with a generous serving of rain and meh". I will try out the game, for sure.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I wonder where Juno fits into that epoch at Konami.

It would reason that Konami's 1982 release of Tutankham is in direct lineage of Juno First. I wonder what staff or resources they may have shared.

Tutankham was my biggest Arcade Archives surprise and delight of the last year. Thought I'd never heard of or seen that game before ...but then after playing it, I have the vaguest memories of experiencing that game in one of the grand arcades at early 80s Hershey Park.

Juno First was a long time most wanted game on Vectrex. I think there were two fan efforts to port it. After what may have been decades of effort, a finished Vectrex version was just released last year.
And it should be noted, there's a decently fun version on 2600 too.

Yes, that'd be the Vectrex port of "Hera Primera" indeed -- the demo version of HP has a cool BGM tune playing during actual gameplay! How cool is that?

PC Engine Fan X ^_~

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Oho! As I thought, this is a regular Caravan Inferno / 烈火 / RAGING FIRE. So trippy, how the battlefield is effectively a cylinder, with the player controlling its motion...

Seems POW reliably appears at ~20sec into the round. FEVERRR doesn't seem long enough to take down an entire wave, but it's easier to hit max multiplier hosing down a well-populated field - so perhaps holding back and weathering enemy fire is worthwhile. Set 'em up a good ol' Yatsura ni Tama no Present kinda situation. But! Since Wave Clear Time is also critical (more time = bigger clear bonus multiplier), you can't dawdle.

TLDR FUUUU Model caravan mode, juggling precariously in compact space. Setting up a stupendous max multi killing release followed by a crisp exit is AMAZIN. TEREPOTO is a commendably balls-out evasion mechanic! You can't squander 'em, but dying blows.

I wonder where Juno fits into that epoch at Konami.

Like Time Pilot and Pooyan, it's one of those early Konami titles I used to assume was Western-made, just on how frequently it'd appear alongside all the famous games from Williams/Midway/Atari et al. Actually my most enduring memory of it, pre-ACA, is its appearing in that iconic LIFE magazine spread.

WILD BOYS / NEVER LOSE IT (´・ω・`)
WILD BOYS / NEVER CHOSE THIS WAY ♫ (｀w´メ)

The above featured picture with a young Billy Mitchell (hovering above the classic Atari Inc. produced Centipede cab) and Co. was the basis for the world-famous front cover of the November 1982 issue of Life magazine hosted at the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard hometown/base/headquarters at the time headed by arcade game referee Walter Day himself and billed as the "Arcade Capital of the World" -- I recall fondly leafing through it as the "Golden Age of Arcades" era/fad was in full-swing at that particular point in time. The featured cheerleaders in the forefront were from the local high school in town to give the photo a bit of elegance and pompadour, of course -- typical of small town Americana in those days of early '80s arcade gaming lore/culture/retrospect.

----------
The fine art of "jamming" as a "common courtesy and sense of respect" in those days of early 1980s American arcades was practiced and honored -- nowadays, it's considered a old-school arcade lost art as a type of "honor-code" 'relic -souvenir - memento' from a bygone era never ever to return/be repeated again.
----------

The early 1980s based American arcade game magazines such as Electronic Games (later renamed "Video Games & Computer Entertainment"), Marvel's Blip!, Joystick, etc. were the "go to" prime source material/insider scoop for the latest 'n' greatest in both arcade games & home console gaming as both a hobby, culture and lifestyle -- the upcoming "Great Video Game Crash of '83-'84" fiasco/event was just around the corner that no one foresaw coming (with the old Atari Inc. being sold off in 1984 to the Tramiels and later renamed as Atari Corporation). In the Blade Runner 2019/Blade Runner 2049 films timeline/mythos/universe, Atari Inc. is still regarded as a huge American video game/arcade game developer/publisher powerhouse force/company to be reckoned with -- Apple is, of course, non-existent in that particular alternative universe indeed. So be it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BIL]

Invaluably evocative as always, PCEFX. The big crash was just a few years before my time; plus I grew up outside the US, yet near enough to it, I heard all the legendary names from Williams/Midway/Atari, et al. So it's always fascinating to hear of that epoch; feels like something I just missed out on, and would've been a diehard of. The few games I've played from that era hold up mightily - I'd put Defender, Stargate, and Robotron on par with any Japanese-made STG. Never played Tempest, but 2000 on the Jag rocked, too.

You can tell by their appreciation of Tutankham and DK, those chaps knew their fine gaming. And of course, M2 got their start with their fan-made port of Gauntlet to X68000, Tengen publishing not only that, but also a very nice Marble Madness for MD. (the latter not to be confused with EA's lame Genesis port, which'll make yer ears bleed! it's NTSCJ or bust there )

[Yoshi]

In the Blade Runner 2019/Blade Runner 2049 films timeline/mythos/universe, Atari Inc. is still regarded as a huge American video game/arcade game developer/publisher powerhouse force/company to be reckoned with -- Apple is, of course, non-existent in that particular alternative universe indeed.

Where do we sign up for that trade?

[Jonpachi]

In the Blade Runner 2019/Blade Runner 2049 films timeline/mythos/universe, Atari Inc. is still regarded as a huge American video game/arcade game developer/publisher powerhouse force/company to be reckoned with -- Apple is, of course, non-existent in that particular alternative universe indeed.

Where do we sign up for that trade?

It's in the Doc Brown alternate timeline of 1985 in which Atari made a deal with Nintendo and distributed the NES under the Atari brand.