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

[Sumez]

100%.

It's actually shocking how poorly some Metal Slug games run. All MS games have slowdown that I'm aware of, but the worst is obviously MS2.

Even worse than this, the slowdown isn't just slowdown but sometimes causes lag frames which eat inputs. Notoriously, in I think Metal Slug 2, every time the game draws a lag frame, it creates an additional lag frame. For reasons I don't understand. My source for this is murphagator, so I haven't verified it myself but I trust him to know.

Metal Slug 2 is really bad, and in co-op it's basically unplayable
But aside from that, the slowdown in Metal Slug games has never bothered me at all. Is there a lot of it? Sure, but I don't think it influences the game in any particularly negative way

I've only ever tried them on original Neo Geo hardware btw. I'm not sure I've ever tried a port or seen it emulated

[Sumez]

Anyone has Metal Slug X on the NSW(2) and can describe its slowdowns ?

Just checked on MiSTer because I was too lazy to set up the AES and I think the MiSTer should be pretty close to the real thing by now. Basically if there are more than two things on screen at once it slows down, and it REALLY slows down. Shooting seems to make it worse. It's appalling and it feels really bad, but it's not completely unplayable. It might be worth checking it out (not necessarily paying for it or playing it, just checking it out) just to see how bad it gets. X is a semi-fixed arrange mode-type thing of 2, and generally considered one of the better Metal Slugs anyway, so if you can only play one, play X instead of 2.

I'm assuming this post is talking about 2 and not X?
Metal Slug X is a fantastic game, by far the best in the series for my money

[Steven]

Oops lol. Yeah 2 is the one with big problems. X is much better. I haven't spent much time with the ones after X and I've never played the ones that are not on Neo Geo unless you want to count Tactics, but X is generally my favourite one.

[Bassa-Bassa]

Metal Slug 2 is really bad, and in co-op it's basically unplayable
But aside from that, the slowdown in Metal Slug games has never bothered me at all. Is there a lot of it? Sure, but I don't think it influences the game in any particularly negative way

It objectively does in one aspect, I'd say - it makes games which were generally too long already drag on way too much. May not be an issue for those using savestates or stage selection but in their natural form, proper runs take too long for their own good, even if they're not particularly exhausting games. Other than that, I don't mind MS slowdowns too much, either.

[Sumez]

Metal Slug 3 is way too long, yeah. But 1 is just under half an hour, and X is just over. From my perspective that's pretty much the perfect length for this sort of game

[Bassa-Bassa]

Yeah, MS1 is almost the right length for me and the only one I was leaving apart. Wouldn't mind it a bit shorter, taking slowdowns into account. MS3's length and scope is just nuts for an arcade game.

[guigui]

Thank you for the precision steven and all. I'll definitely try X at some point, though I also read that 3 is very good. I guess both of them have to be enjoyed on ACA with their native slowdowns, so this is how it will be.

[Sima Tuna]

Metal Slug 3 is way too long, yeah. But 1 is just under half an hour, and X is just over. From my perspective that's pretty much the perfect length for this sort of game

My only problem with Metal Slug X is the last boss feels a bit overtuned.

I agree completely about length though. I will always consider MS1 the best, primarily because of the perfect run length and cohesive theming.

On ham-chans topic, some beat em up/fighting game got released on switch but I don't see anyone talking about it. I remember seeing BBH play the game but I also remember it looked bad. Edit: Nevermind, Street Smart was mentioned.

[Sumez]

Yeah, Metal Slug X's final boss is tough as hell, and in order to have a good chance at it you ideally need to perform really well at the section leading up to it as well, conserving ammo while dealing with memo-heavy aliens

But I think it's fair that the final stage of an arcade game is scary as hell, at that point I'm expecting it to do everything to stop me. It's still a lot more mellow than the final stretch of MS3

[ExitPlanetDust]

It's not available for sale anymore, but if one can obtain M2's NeoGeo Station port of MS2 it has an option to remove the slowdown and it's sublime. I prefer it over X.

My biggest hurdle playing any Metal Slug these days isn't the slowdown though, it's the lack of turbo fire in some ports. I suffer for days after an intense run in 3. Mission 2 can burn in Hell.

[pablumatic]

It's not available for sale anymore, but if one can obtain M2's NeoGeo Station port of MS2 it has an option to remove the slowdown and it's sublime. I prefer it over X.

I did get it before it got delisted. Thanks for the heads up on that no slowdown option. Gives me another reason to keep my PS3 hooked up.

[To Far Away Times]

I am team Metal Slug 2 over Metal Slug X.

Mostly because the level design just flows much better in MS2 and the aliens show up later, which makes a lot more sense as a twist.

[D]

There was already a fan patch made for Metal SLug 2, which removes alot of slowdown.
Apparently there was relatively simple to fix bug.
Never tried it myself, but my sentiment is that it should be alot better
https://blog.system11.org/?p=1442

[hamfighterx]

It's not available for sale anymore, but if one can obtain M2's NeoGeo Station port of MS2 it has an option to remove the slowdown and it's sublime. I prefer it over X.

My biggest hurdle playing any Metal Slug these days isn't the slowdown though, it's the lack of turbo fire in some ports. I suffer for days after an intense run in 3. Mission 2 can burn in Hell.

What a freaky feeling. I just opened this thread today for the first time in a week or so, catching back up and I *just* played the PS3 NeoGeo Station port of MS2 (and Fatal Fury) earlier today. Did NOT expect to see anyone talking about it.

But yes, 100%, it's great. I've always had a soft spot for original MS2, so I tend to agree that the M2 no slowdown option version is S-tier. Not that I don't also like Metal Slug X, in any event I think it's kind of cool that an official "remix" or arrange mode type game exists.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Message from Shion Uzuki:
Cyber Commando is this week's title.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

It would've been nice if Hamster had released Cyber Sled first rather than it's sequel of Cyber Commando -- Cyber Sled was quite popular in the American arcades when the American arcade subsidy of Namco of America sold and distributed such dedicated Cyber Sled cabs. I'm not sure if Cyber Commando was officially released stateside though (as I've never got the chance to play it back in the 1994-1995 timeline of CC's release).

----------
I'm quite familiar with the original Namco released arcade cab of Cyber Sled with it's innovative and impressive quadraphonic dedicated 4-speaker setup -- two speakers mounted in front of the player and two upper mounted speakers on the player's seat / headrest setup for that slick overall incredible audio presentation that emulation can't properly recreate, especially nowadays (even Atari Games' T-Mek arcade cab supported a 4.1 surround sound speaker setup with a subwoofer mounted directly underneath the player's seat for that unmistakable extra low-end audio punch, bass-wise). Playing both Cyber Sled and T-Mek in the arcades were two arcade-only experiences not to be missed in their heyday.
----------

Still awesome to learn that a Cyber Sled sequel is to be released on the ACA1 series for Switch 1 & PS4 gaming platforms + ACA2 for PS5, Xbox Series S/X & Switch 2 gaming platforms. Not to mention that CC will have received it's first ever proper home console port release, thus having been regulated to it's original arcade pcb release counterpart circa 1994 and through Mame emulation as well.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Skyknight]

Meanwhile, this week’s Console Archives is Wolf Fang. That should be of greater interest around here.

[Jonpachi]

Meanwhile, this week’s Console Archives is Wolf Fang. That should be of greater interest around here.

This game has a neat idea, but it's just so clunky and doesn't feel worth my time to learn it. I would be curious to play a good version though, as I recently was playing the SS-tribute rev which is probably not the best way to experience it.

[ExitPlanetDust]

What a freaky feeling. I just opened this thread today for the first time in a week or so, catching back up and I *just* played the PS3 NeoGeo Station port of MS2 (and Fatal Fury) earlier today. Did NOT expect to see anyone talking about it.

But yes, 100%, it's great. I've always had a soft spot for original MS2, so I tend to agree that the M2 no slowdown option version is S-tier. Not that I don't also like Metal Slug X, in any event I think it's kind of cool that an official "remix" or arrange mode type game exists.

Haha, what a coincidence! I love the NeoGeo Station project. I feel like it’s been forgotten. I rarely see those releases mentioned when people are making port and emulation comparisons and that’s a shame.

I bought several of the games when they released, but I haven’t had any way to play them for years. I may pick up a PS3 and see if I can download them before online access through the console is toast. I had the sense to double dip on Shock Troopers on PSP (through Vita), but I missed out on everything else. On PS3 there were some cool touches like the startup changing when more games were downloaded.

[hamfighterx]

Haha, what a coincidence! I love the NeoGeo Station project. I feel like it’s been forgotten. I rarely see those releases mentioned when people are making port and emulation comparisons and that’s a shame.

I actually took the time when I was playing yesterday to watch the credits, and it's basically the same names you see popping up in M2 ShotTriggers. I certainly did not appreciate it at the time, I actually bought all of these as they released on PS3 and PSP just due to hearing they were good Neo Geo ports (and, portable on PSP) and found it to be true. But knowing what I do now, it's easy to equate the NeoGeo Station project to the same kind of treatment we've seen M2 give to the ShotTriggers games, or their well regarded work for companies like Konami or Taito, or Sega Ages.

Another cool touch? I was struck by how good the sound emulation was in Fatal Fury, and popped into the Jukebox mode to play some BGM while I was doing something else around home. Jukebox is shared between all NeoGeo Station games you have, even though they are separate PS3 or PSP/Vita apps (and you enter the sound test/jukebox through each game's individual app in a menu). That's some thoughtful design.

[hamfighterx]

On a separate note, I've really enjoyed spending some real time with Street Smart since this release. I had fired it up on emulators before, played a little bit on the PSP compilation and stand-alone PS Minis release, probably glanced at it in an arcade at some time in my life, but this is the first time I really gave it my full attention and credit fed through the game a couple times.

As a big fan of the Fatal Fury series, it's super cool to see so many direct inspirations and links to what would come. Not just the obvious, Fatal Fury lifting the main level 1 Street Smart BGM and reusing the exact same track for the player-vs-player fights in Fatal Fury, but there are tons of little touches that people who are familiar with Fatal Fury will recognize. We see what almost feel like prototypes for Big Bear's Fatal Fury 2 stage (and the character in Street Smart even sort of looks like a Bear prototype), or maybe Michael Max's Fatal Fury 1 beach stage. Second stage and opponent in Street Smart almost gave me some Hwa Jai Fatal Fury vibes, and I see lots of animations that look like Fatal Fury animations to me - early versions of Billy Kane's animation for jumping to grab a staff in arcade mode, or his unique ducking and covering up animation. In a general visual design sense, it almost feels like Street Smart was striving to move toward a look much like what Fatal Fury ended up looking like, maybe as if that would have been the vision of what they would have liked Street Smart to look like if given the hardware power.

And you can see Fatal Fury 1 retaining little vestigial parts of Street Smart's more brawler-style design in some systems like the amount of focus on multi-plane design, somewhat approximating Street Smart's true 8-way movement. Or retaining some 2-on-1 battles, which feels a little like Street Smart's sort of unique-feeling multiplayer battles.

I don't think it's a great game or anything, but it's... fine, to credit feed through and check it out as a cool point in SNK's evolution toward the fighting game heavy focus we would see as they launched the Neo Geo the following year, and then throughout the 90s. I've enjoyed my time with it with the modern comfort of Hamster's release, just felt I'd drop the thumbs up here specifically for anyone else who would appreciate it due to the Fatal Fury predecessor aspects that I'm not sure are super widely known. From a historical perspective, if you're into SNK and Fatal Fury there are some interesting things to see here.

[BIL]

I don't think it's a great game or anything, but it's... fine, to credit feed through and check it out as a cool point in SNK's evolution toward the fighting game heavy focus we would see as they launched the Neo Geo the following year, and then throughout the 90s. I've enjoyed my time with it with the modern comfort of Hamster's release, just felt I'd drop the thumbs up here specifically for anyone else who would appreciate it specifically due to the Fatal Fury predecessor aspects that I'm not sure are super widely known. From a historical perspective, if you're into SNK and Fatal Fury there are some interesting things to see here.

Much appreciated. ^w^

I was gonna post something along the lines of Ham-chan's latest SNK 40th Anniversary Rescue Pricktease being utterly brutal. Hamada-chan's smooth operators get the VIPs out in one piece, but strictly on their own schedule! Saying that as someone who waited a goddam year for Guevara, on top of being cockblocked by Datsugoku and Ikari III. Datsu's likeable but has issues out the ass, and, well, Guevara is the TRVE Ikari III. I try to enjoy both Datsu and Ikari III on style points, they have immense Cannon Film panache. But it never quite works out, and ho ho hoooly fuck was I relieved when Guevara finally popped up. (doesn't help that while Guevara just about spars evenly with its immortally ferocious FC port, Datsu and Ikari III are bummed clear outta the ring by theirs )

However I've a soft spot for Street Smart. I may be wrong... but I think it's a vanishingly rare example of an SNK property ported to Mega Drive? (edit: a pre-NeoGeo one, that is) That's how I primarily knew it, BITD. Nice ad and EGM advertorial. I was genuinely surprised to learn, decades on, it was actually SNK's. Figured it for Technos/DECO, or the mad buggers behind KA-GE-KI. (Seta, offhand? House of madness, those chaps)

Pleasure to read an informed appraisal, especially after my interest was piqued by mentions of a stealth Garou Alpha. Also, I can't complain too hard this time around. Chopper One and Bermuda Triangle were part of my hostage exchange demands. But yes, good lord I'm turning blue over here waiting on (in ascending order of priority) Vanguard, Genshitou 1930s, and MAHFUCKIN SEARCH AND RESCUE.

ICHIBAN ROTARY ARMY SHOOTING GAME (｀w´メ)

Oshi - also BATTLE FIELD aka TIME S.O.U.L.J.A.H.S. pls Ham-chans. I hope u still good w/ADK! Yeah I'm sure it's fine.

Actually, worse than waiting is the prospect of Hamster putting SNK on ice for another three years.

[hamfighterx]

However I've a soft spot for Street Smart. I may be wrong... but I think it's a vanishingly rare example of an SNK property ported to Mega Drive? That's how I primarily knew it, BITD. Nice ad and EGM advertorial. I was genuinely surprised to learn, decades on, it was actually SNK's. Figured it for Technos/DECO, or the mad buggers behind KA-GE-KI. (Seta, offhand? House of madness, those chaps)

Right?? And I was totally unaware that the MD port was an in-house SNK production, and just published by Treco, until doing some Street Smart research this past week. Eikichi Kawasaki himself is credited as "Boss" on the MD version (which I assume = director, in this context)!

I've never experienced the MD/Genesis version, so now that's on my homework list. The differences from the arcade sound interesting, with the console game having a basic leveling system by spending points to level up your health/power/defense attributes, as well as each match earning FIGHT MONEY that determines which of the three endings you receive (and requires gambling/betting to get enough for the best ending). Segaretro has a nice little summary: https://segaretro.org/Street_Smart

But yeah, Treco was a pretty interesting early 90s MD publisher. Subsidiary of Sammy and ultimately folded into Sammy in 1993, but before that they also published MD Twin Cobra, UPL's Atomic Robo-Kid, and they even did the original English translation of NCS/Masaya's Langrisser (aka Warsong for the English release)!


EDIT:
OH! That reminds me, I forgot to mention an important point I wanted to highlight about arcade Street Smart! In the ending, there are phenomenal sprite art likenesses of the dev team. It's actually really charming and they look great, and I'd say it's a good reason to check out the end credits. Did SNK do that in anything else? I don't even recall it in Neo Geo stuff that I'm more familiar with.

[valziman]

EDIT: The thing I was starting to create already exists. Go to GamingHell's spreadsheet, then mouseover YESes in the EXTRAS column to read what was added to a game. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... IgTLlsIM0/

[Azathoth_0]

but I think it's a vanishingly rare example of an SNK property ported to Mega Drive?

Other than this and MD Art of Fighting, were there any other home ports that SNK handled themselves (excluding the Saurus stuff)?

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Taito's Arkanoid is this week's title.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202605/74001

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Taito's Arkanoid is this week's title.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202605/74001

Makes me wonder if Hamster will include official mouse support with the ACA1 Nintendo Switch port of Arkanoid?

I see that ACA1 port of Arkanoid for Nintendo Switch & PS4 and on ACA2 for Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series S + Series X consoles.

Yes, Taito of America did sell/distribute Arkanoid jamma conversion pcb kits complete with full-sized back-lit marquee + heavy-duty constructed arcade rotary knob spinner included back in 1986-1987. It was prevalent to see/play Arkanoid up and running in the American arcades and pizza joints back the late mid-1980s for sure. The arcade sequel of "Arkanoid II: Revenge of Doh" was the next proper entry in the Arkanoid franchise -- Gen X arcade gamers will recall them both with fondness through "rose-tinted" glasses for nostalgia's sake.

----------
Atari Games' "Off The Wall" (another Arkanoid-inspired clone/knock-off) arcade jamma conversion pcb kits included support for up to 3 people simultaneously with three Atari branded "Whirly-Gig" arcade rotary-knob spinners + full-sized backlit marquee included as mentioned in the OTW arcade instruction manual circa 1991. The "Off the Wall" jamma pcb has built-in support for both digital-based arcade joysticks and rotary arcade spinners if it needed be (but if you want to play better and score higher, then by using proper rotary knob spinners are your best bet, hands down).

Tengen USA (an internal "in-house" video game console division of Atari Inc.) had developed a TurboGrafx-16 "beta final release version" prototype game of the "Off the Wall" arcade game based on it's arcade jamma pcb counterpart (minus BGM tunes that were not properly implemented at the current time of development) back in 1992, but sadly, it was never finished / completed / released to the general public at retail (otherwise, it would have been sold at retail within the possible 1992-1993 timeframe as originally planned). It finally mysteriously appeared for sale at auction at the Atari HQ in Milpitas, California, back in April of 2003 and was subsequently sold to the highest bidder. Eventually, it was rom-dumped and released as a playable TG-16 prototype rom down the road many years later, thankfully. Quite awesome to give it a spin from "time-to-time" with a proper KriKzz Turbo Everdrive or Turbo Everdrive Pro flashcart setup on tap nowadays.
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PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[D]

I wish Taito would just release a spinner for PS4/PS5.
The hardware is fairly cheap!

[Steven]

I'd rather play this type of game with a mouse, but I wonder if the Egret II mini spinner works with it.

[D]

I'd rather play this type of game with a mouse

I know that you really don't rather play with a mouse unless you have some kind of handicap. Sounds like you never experienced a (good working) spinner or volume controller. Trust me. It is bliss.