Rob's 91-95 arcade countdown: hidden gem search.

yojo! · Post by **yojo!** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:33 am

I find the new ver too easy and the old one too hard because of the timer.

splitblkribbon · Post by **splitblkribbon** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:36 am

Gekirindan is a lot of fun, I would also like to add its available on taito collections 2 (but im sure most of you already know that).

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:41 am

#15 Eco Fighters (Capcom, 1993)

A really nice looking game in a personal favorite subgenre: multi-direction shooter. But this isn't Forgotten Worlds. Too much of each stage is lacking in obstacles that would require you to use the multi-direction capabilities for something more than swinging the ship's arm around like a fan blade (my favorite strategy!) or held in a single direction.

#14 Last Resort (SNK, 1992)

I was playing this with Rezon and this is definitely the friendlier of the two R-Type inspired games. Great graphics, especially when compared to the other Neo shooters. Some bosses can be destroyed with one or two charge shots. Checkpoints are unnecessarily a few minutes apart. Ends when the game threatens to become annoying. Good.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:50 am

Eco Fighters that high is surprising, maybe I should put that game on more often.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:11 am

Rob wrote:#14 Last Resort (SNK, 1992)

I was playing this with Rezon and this is definitely the friendlier of the two R-Type inspired games. Great graphics, especially when compared to the other Neo shooters. Some bosses can be destroyed with one or two charge shots. Checkpoints are unnecessarily a few minutes apart. Ends when the game threatens to become annoying. Good.

That's developed by the people who left Irem in 1991 (not the second set of exiles who developed the Metal Slug series), who later became the Pulstar/Blazing Star team.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:17 am

And more enjoyable than both of those, thank God.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:50 am

i know these are your opinions but.. rezon on 18th..

dude that game is.. well.. shit.

it fails miserably in just about every aspect a game can.

BBH · Post by **BBH** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:52 am

fun fact - the names in the high score list for Last Resort are the names of rappers / rap groups!

seeing the 2 Live Crew honored like that just makes me lol.

also note that you have to reach the last level in this game just to have a shot at beating the default high score. (there is a second loop though)

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:07 am

Dude! Awesome... I can name most of em I think

Ice T
P.E - Public Enemy
X - Terminator X? Their DJ
MCT - Not sure.. might be something totally obvious but not popping in my head
2LC - mentioned above
BDP - Boogie Down Productions
ZUL - zulu nation, bambatta etc.
LEE - not sure
MOB - Probably Goodie Mob, C-Lo from that group now is now in Gnarls Barkley and also has some crazy solo stuff.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:09 am

sven666 wrote:i know these are your opinions but.. rezon on 18th.. dude that game is.. well.. shit.

it fails miserably in just about every aspect a game can.

It's playable. It's challenging. It's fun up to the 4th boss, which is a lot more than can be said for most of the other games. Don't see the problem.

Explain a bit more?

bsidwell · Post by **bsidwell** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:21 am

I'm surprised to see Eco Fighters ranked so high, considering how much everyone in #shmups hates it. Or maybe Twiddle just hates it so loudly he tricks me into thinking he's several people.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:23 am

It's more like they switched the rotation to TWO BUTTONS instead of a dial so I can use it for mouse control.

Also, shield: shit. WHAT. WHAT.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:37 am

Rob wrote:
sven666 wrote:i know these are your opinions but.. rezon on 18th.. dude that game is.. well.. shit.

it fails miserably in just about every aspect a game can.
It's playable. It's challenging. It's fun up to the 4th boss, which is a lot more than can be said for most of the other games. Don't see the problem.

Explain a bit more?

well, graphics are sub-par even for 91, i even found them to be worse than the game they ripped, r-type, to boot the design of levels and enemies are bland, the colour palette especially.

music and soundeffects are completely forgettable (altho to be fair most shooters are).

gameplay is nonexistent, the ship moves around and if you put a rock on the button you can do something else with your right hand, thats it, there is absoluteley nothing to it, no gimmick, no scoring tactics, no survival tactics.. no nothing, just trial and error.
in fact i think you can remove the shot button all together, it doesnt make the game any better/worse to play.

and if i recall corectly this game suffers from slowdown and flickering sprites, but dont hold me to that i sold off this PCB a long time ago.

i would have definetly placed this game waay on the other side of this list, not at all something id recommend anyone to play even if you just downloaded a ROM...

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:44 am

Rob, are you going to rate the Twinbee of Detana?

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:50 am

no cuz itz from konami

But woah #1 Xexex

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:57 am

No Twinbee, considered it popular enough to not have to play it.

sven-

I think it is a good mix of memorizer obstacles and more free-form dodging (whatever you want to call that). Just look at the bottom left pic. The hitbox is pretty slim and you can block bullets from the sides. On the other hand there's the instance to the right of that. It basically has the same setup as X-Multiply, where the emphasis is on navigating through the mess with an eye on the side pods/tentacles. Hate that one too?

D · Post by D » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:03 am

szycag wrote:Dude! Awesome... I can name most of em I think

Ice T
P.E - Public Enemy
X - Terminator X? Their DJ
MCT - Not sure.. might be something totally obvious but not popping in my head
2LC - mentioned above
BDP - Boogie Down Productions
ZUL - zulu nation, bambatta etc.
LEE - not sure
MOB - Probably Goodie Mob, C-Lo from that group now is now in Gnarls Barkley and also has some crazy solo stuff.

MCT? hmmmmm.
MOB cannot be Goodie Mob, they came out much later.
Mobb Deep perhaps?

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:09 am

Rob wrote:I think it is a good mix of memorizer obstacles and more free-form dodging (whatever you want to call that). Just look at the bottom left pic. The hitbox is pretty slim and you can block bullets from the sides. On the other hand there's the instance to the right of that. It basically has the same setup as X-Multiply, where the emphasis is on navigating through the mess with an eye on the side pods/tentacles. Hate that one too?

i dont think its very similar to xmultiply at all.
i quite like xmultiply (havent played it that much tho) and i love the r-types btw so i dont mind the genre per se.. its just rezon.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:29 am

#13 Koutetsu Yousai Strahl (UPL, 1992)

Pretty good side scrolling shooter where you can select your weapons before a level. Brings to mind games like Strike Gunner except you can select the good weapon(s) every level. Some weapons nullify bullets upon collision. Sadly and perhaps embarrassingly I never figured out how to use the bombs. There is no button for bomb use. Hitting both buttons, still nothing. Bullets are about as small as they can get and light-colored. Not the best choice for visibility. Spot them hiding in the buildings. Could also use more variety in boss attacks. Final boss doing the same 10 second attack routine too many minutes because I can't figure out how to drop off the napalm I was amassing all game. Button B's direction switching for the secondary weapon could be faster, too.

Yeah, I'm on #13 and saying things like "pretty good." I'm almost there.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:30 am

D wrote: MCT? hmmmmm.
MOB cannot be Goodie Mob, they came out much later.
Mobb Deep perhaps?

Ah you're right about that. Mobb Deep... the first Mobb Deep album was 1993, Last Resort was 1992, so that's not too likely either. Sorry if I'm getting off topic Rob :/

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:35 am

It's no problem, I was also trying to use my (limited) knowledge of rap to think of the last few.

D · Post by D » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:51 am

Da Lench Mob then?
MCT, I'm drawing a blank here. Neo geo forums should know right?

eight · Post by **eight** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:08 am

I'd say Da Lench Mob, too as they were pretty popular around that time.
For MCT I'd suggest MC Twist & The Def Squad?

I'm lost on LEE though.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:17 am

#12 P-47 Aces (Jaleco, 1995)

The way P-47 Aces completely blasts you away while you are flying by scenic landscapes, the way you get points for shooting the ground, the way the muzak fades out at the end of the stage, the way the plane bounces off of everything - it all makes the game feel a little off. In an intriguing way. Not intriguing: the feeling of being beat thoroughly by stage five or six and the realization that, maybe, not much thought was put into the level designs. Having a large plane hover around the center of the screen with clusters of Psikyo speed bullets aimed in your direction (after rank has been prodded more than a little bit) is when a manic shooter turns into a memorizer.

Maybe I will go back to it later. Or maybe I will ALL Dragon Blaze.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:32 am

I'm gonna say Spike Lee, not too far a stretch (Zulu Nation isn't a rap group or artist either)

eight · Post by **eight** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:54 am

Yeah, sounds plausible.

DreamerNL · Post by **DreamerNL** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:06 am

awesome topic

Macaw · Post by **Macaw** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:13 am

Rob wrote:#12 P-47 Aces (Jaleco, 1995)
Having a large plane hover around the center of the screen with clusters of Psikyo speed bullets aimed in your direction (after rank has been prodded more than a little bit) is when a manic shooter turns into a memorizer.

No different to having to memorize the harder patterns in any Cave game or whatever.

Also, the stage 4 Battleship boss is the greatest thing ever.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:15 am

Rob wrote:

Someone's new avatar.