Nostradamus, the end is nigh

[Skykid]

This is a real long shot, as the game is so obscure, but I was hoping someone out there might know a little about Face's rather intriguing apocalyptic shmup.

I have a Korean board, and its default difficulty seems marginally tougher than the Japanese default. Enemies seem more resilient and bosses take longer to destroy. Can anyone confirm this?

I dropped the difficulty down a setting to see if it matched the JP rom, but it becomes much too easy instead.

Any general info is appreciated. It's got a very unique flavour this game, and some beautiful sprite work, but boy it's a toughie.

EDIT: Bulletmagnet did quite an in-depth review here actually, although it doesn't answer the above questions.

[BulletMagnet]

Good to see someone giving this a shot, I rather like it considering how few fans it has...as you say, though, I have no idea whatsoever concerning the region/difficulty stuff, heh.

[Dave_K.]

I bought a fan made Nostradamus superplay dvd off rancor's site given I love this game, but I also find it way too hard. I never thought it might be the Korean region. Too bad its a real bitch to romswap, as you'll need to unsolder a few roms to do so.

[Skykid]

Good to see someone giving this a shot, I rather like it considering how few fans it has...as you say, though, I have no idea whatsoever concerning the region/difficulty stuff, heh.

It's just really, really obscure. Face made a few shmups and PC Engine titles before going under, but Nostradamus is by far their best work. It's got a really unique feel, especially the Korean variant (I find it quite special, it's the only K-board I own).

In the city flyover stage where fireballs start raining down and and blowing holes in the landscape, one of the skyrises actually has Korean writing on it, while the overpass in the same stage has "Tokyo route 21" on it. It's like a Blade Runner future hybrid!

I assume in the JP version the building has Japanese writing instead?

I wouldn't bother region switching unless I could confirm something unusual about the default difficulty. I quite like the Koreanness.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yes, I do own the rare Korean variant Nostradamus PCB myself. Interesting little arcade shmup PCB odd-ball to own/play nevertheless. In converting it back to it's original JPN region version entails major surgery.

Even the South Korean based Dooyong produced R-Shark PCB is quite something to marvel at.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Skykid]

Lol, the obscure game ever. Just went to put a high score in and realised we don't even have a thread. I'll just leave this here for my own records: 1189200 stg5 (Player2)

After many comparisons between the JP rom and the Korean board, I believe they're the same default difficulty. I think it was because it's been a brief learning process that I couldn't quite figure out if the difficulties were the same.

I realised the game is incredibly fun, more so than it may at first seem, and absolutely bursting with effort. As soon as I figured out point blanking and tap until your fingers seize is the way to go, things become a lot simpler. I'd kill for autofire, but I think it might make things a tad too easy (at least early on.)

By getting in the second boss's face he doesn't even make it to his second form... of three! And other bosses go down more quickly than I thought possible too.

I can consistently make it to stage 5, but yet to trigger the second extend. Problem is I've seen what lies ahead in stages 6 through 9 and it's daunting to say the least!

Yes, I do own the rare Korean variant Nostradamus PCB myself.

You do? I thought the one I have here is your old board?

[rancor]

I've got one last copy of the superplay DVD.

[CStarFlare]

Lol, the obscure game ever. Just went to put a high score in and realised we don't even have a thread. I'll just leave this here for my own records: 1189200 stg5 (Player2)

There's more of those than one would expect, given how big the high score forum is.

There are alternatives

[Skykid]

Lol, the obscure game ever. Just went to put a high score in and realised we don't even have a thread. I'll just leave this here for my own records: 1189200 stg5 (Player2)

There's more of those than one would expect, given how big the high score forum is.

There are alternatives

Sure! Couldn't resist the opportunity to be no.1 on a board.

[CStarFlare]

This is a pretty great game. You weren't kidding about the difficulty... and it goes for nine stages? Horror.

I'm digging all the score bonuses, and the one-button system. Bombs would be helpful, though.

[Domino]

Crap music like it is from the 8-bit era. Crap digital portraits of your pilot.


But everything else about the game is excellent. I'm glad someone else liked this game. I really like the Boss Three where it is shooting all those lasers then it starts to do it spread attack. After destroying Boss Three you will see the crater on the ground that was taken right out of Akira.

[Ed Oscuro]

I actually rather like the music (like the city stage where you start over the ruined expressway), and the portraits aren't just digitized photographs or 3D models - but the rotation effect is neat. If you ask me, what's crap are player portraits in most games, like Toaplan or SNK's traced stills from movies. Agreed that everything else is where the core of the game is at, though.

[Skykid]

I kind of bundle the music in with the oddity it is, and the portraits too. It's a shame the tunes weren't beefier, but there's a certain charm about its unusualness. Awesome graphics, NES music, real 80's heroes and an apocalypse. What more could you want?

[sven666]

. What more could you want?

...a good game?

this is one bland puppy, the difficulty comes from trying to stay awake...

[emphatic]

...a good game?

this is one bland puppy, the difficulty comes from trying to stay awake...

^^This. Only reason to hype this is to try and sell if for good money.

[Skykid]

. What more could you want?

...a good game?

this is one bland puppy, the difficulty comes from trying to stay awake...

What, no way, it's genuinely good fun. You're just sour because it's kicking your ass.
Choose player 2 ship, learn to point blank bosses and you'll get to later stages and some good variety and mini-bosses, and the graphics are awesome. Doesn't sound to me like you've given it more than a passing glance, but since the emulation isn't perfect I can understand why.

Honestly disagree, was playing it five minutes ago and it's got plenty to keep me coming back. Hell, I just bought Rancors superplay this morning to learn some tactics.

^^This. Only reason to hype this is to try and sell if for good money.

No hype and no sale. It's a perfectly enjoyable game with some neat ideas. You guys don't know what you're talking about, stop disappointing me, I like you.

I prefer it to Hacha Mecha Fighter by a considerable margin, if it means anything.

[CStarFlare]

I'm guessing the superplay is going to contain a considerable amount of item milking during the boss fights.

Level 1 milking is easy, just get the red weapon, kill all of its parts, and sit right above its laser killing the turrets that pop out. You'll be safe from the laser, and won't hit the boss's core; your shots should kill the turrets without you having to move and before they have a chance to shoot. Between the turret points and the max power bonuses you'll start getting, you can get to 150k and finish the boss off before it times out.

I'm sure you can powerup milk against all the bosses if you're good enough to not die. I notice the stage 4 boss fires destructible rocks, so he's probably extra valuable.

Skykid, what's your method for dealing with the stage 3 boss? Once it starts doing its big laser spread it depletes my lifestock fast - when it gets close I'm a sitting duck. It can take a lot of punishment. :\

[rancor]

I took a look at the superplay for the first time to see what all of the fuss is about. Not familiar with this game at all. But CStarFlare is right - there is some serious milking going on at the bosses. At the end of stage 1, the score is 249,500.
It's a no-miss play. Player 1 (blue) finishes the game in 33:40 with 6 lives in reserve and a final score of 9,999,900. Then it starts again as player 2. Didn't watch that bit.

[Skykid]

I'm not crazy about milking, but I can play dice if it gets me up to the 6 life maximum. That Superplay sounds awesome, looking forward to seeing a no miss - the game gets considerably difficult from stage 6.
Interesting it's only 33 minutes too. I did notice some of those 9 stages are almost Psikyo short.

Skykid, what's your method for dealing with the stage 3 boss? Once it starts doing its big laser spread it depletes my lifestock fast - when it gets close I'm a sitting duck. It can take a lot of punishment. :\

Thanks for the L1 milking tip Cstar, will give it a shot when I get home.

As for boss 3, first the basics:

- Use player 2, I find she has more oomph. I also think the red option is stronger, but when they're all maxed I don't thing there's much in it.
- You got to have weapon power. The game will just work you like a mule if you head into a boss fight underpowered.
- Learn to tap like crazy.

Let me see if I can remember how I deal with that boss...

- First get just over half of the screen up when he appears, spam him, then begin to fall back when you see him powering up the hoops.

- Dodging the hoops and the non-aimed bullet spread afterward is pretty easy. Then he starts to power up two central lasers. Camp between them and move back to the middle of the screen and spam bullets. Really fast. I can't explain how devastating rapid tapping at close range is. The first boss dies in about 3 seconds.

- Then he starts the purple laser spread. I think that's the one you're struggling with. If you look right in the middle of the spread, there are two straight lasers, and you want to be just on either side of one of those, and then the other passes over you. Do this once and don't move much. You should find he starts repeating the pattern without moving at all, giving you and opportunity to stay completely still in the safe zone and spam a little more. He should die soon after that.

I'll try to record a run if I can. If you're not up for milking, this point blanking bizness is devastating.

[emphatic]

Doesn't sound to me like you've given it more than a passing glance, but since the emulation isn't perfect I can understand why.

sven666 has the PCB (Japan version?) and we really tried to like this at a meet.

You guys don't know what you're talking about, stop disappointing me, I like you.

I prefer it to Hacha Mecha Fighter by a considerable margin, if it means anything.

Thanks, I like you too. I'm not disappointed that you prefer this to Hacha Mecha Fighter though, all NMK games are awesome up until someone finds the "safe spot" bug/mechanic for scoring that seems to be in most of them (humping the ground in P-47 Aces, flying near the left edge of the screen and not pick up monkey-bananas in Hacha Mecha Fighter) and ruin the whole experience for the people who play it the other way.

Nostradamus attracted me from trying it in MAME, but the more I play it (PCB) the less I like it. I even prefer Sand Scorpion to it.

[trap15]

flying near the left edge of the screen and not pick up monkey-bananas in Hacha Mecha Fighter

I just got this, so I'm curious what this is? From what I'd played, the fruits were such a huge factor on the score that it seems insane to not pick any up.

[Skykid]

Doesn't sound to me like you've given it more than a passing glance, but since the emulation isn't perfect I can understand why.

sven666 has the PCB (Japan version?) and we really tried to like this at a meet.

That still doesn't mean he or you gave it more than a passing glance.

Describing it as bland and easy certainly aren't in-line with my critical appraisal, which I like to think is reasonably developed. But as I said in one of the first posts, you don't like it much at first - I didn't. It took several goes, learning to see through all the bonuses and catching patterns before it started to click. Now I think it's actually rather well made.

You guys don't know what you're talking about, stop disappointing me, I like you.

I prefer it to Hacha Mecha Fighter by a considerable margin, if it means anything.

Thanks, I like you too. I'm not disappointed that you prefer this to Hacha Mecha Fighter though, all NMK games are awesome up until someone finds the "safe spot" bug/mechanic for scoring that seems to be in most of them (humping the ground in P-47 Aces, flying near the left edge of the screen and not pick up monkey-bananas in Hacha Mecha Fighter) and ruin the whole experience for the people who play it the other way.

I've got no problem with Ragnarok's floor grinding, I feel it works for what it is and is only really open for brief opportunities. The boss milking is straightforward and a reasonable test of skill, so I can hang with that too. P47 is fucking dumb and I would never play it for score.

Problem with Hacha Mecha is how much I liked it when I first started playing it, juggling monkeys and whatnot, versus discovering optimum scoring is done by holding forward at the front of the screen - it's a complete mood killer. It pushes your rank through the flipping roof, too, but if you don't learn to exploit it in the first stage and other available areas, you haven't got a chance of beating high scores.

I'm willing to give it more time, but I think NMK buggered up a perfectly good scoring system that was already in place! Banana grinding and boss milking - why waste it?

As such, Nostradamus has been way more compelling to tackle, both for its unique style and general survival play.

[emphatic]

flying near the left edge of the screen and not pick up monkey-bananas in Hacha Mecha Fighter

I just got this, so I'm curious what this is? From what I'd played, the fruits were such a huge factor on the score that it seems insane to not pick any up.

This shit right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii4PlRg-Pvk

I really love the game, milking fruit and bosses to the max:



but riding the left side seems less legit but too easy to quit.

[CStarFlare]

Haha you weren't kidding, 2P's power is ridiculous. No missed the stage 3 boss without any issues. Where are the extends in this game? I got one at 800k and 1.5 mil, and I think there's one at the stage 5 boss - but rancor says the superplay guy ends with 6 lives in stock?

Does this game cap your fire rate? The extra damage you do by rapidly tapping is outrageous. I were using a stick and tapping with my right hand instead of left, I'd be unstoppable.

[Skykid]

Haha you weren't kidding, 2P's power is ridiculous. No missed the stage 3 boss without any issues. Where are the extends in this game? I got one at 800k and 1.5 mil, and I think there's one at the stage 5 boss - but rancor says the superplay guy ends with 6 lives in stock?

Does this game cap your fire rate? The extra damage you do by rapidly tapping is outrageous. I were using a stick and tapping with my right hand instead of left, I'd be unstoppable.

Ah, glad you got the hang of it, been trying to find a way to make you a video and now I don't need to worry about it.

You're unstoppable only if you can get close. The closer, the more deadly, but of course the opportunities diminish through stage 5 - 9, although I'm hoping the superplay will have a lot of exploits I haven't twigged on yet.

When trying to figure out if the K board had a different difficulty, I played on the dip switch Easy setting and accumulated about 5 lives very quickly. In a default run, I've only managed 2 also, but the others can't be too far behind. There's hope!

[mortified_penguin]

. What more could you want?

...a good game?

this is one bland puppy, the difficulty comes from trying to stay awake...

Got the Korean board after burning through about everything Cave had to offer, stuck with me for some reason. What can I say, I love the oddballs.

[Skykid]

. What more could you want?

...a good game?

this is one bland puppy, the difficulty comes from trying to stay awake...

Got the Korean board after burning through about everything Cave had to offer, stuck with me for some reason. What can I say, I love the oddballs.

Ignore him, he's just wrong on this one. It might not be the greatest thing in shmup history, but in the outsider category it holds its own.

@cstar, that stage 1 milking is nice and easy. Got near the 150k mark rancor noted from the superplay. (Edit: sorry, that's 250k - no way near.) Good tip! Another bonus is while you camp there they keep feeding you power ups, so you go into stage 2 already maxed out.

I'm really hoping there's something equally easy to milk later, but I'm not optimistic.

Can I ask which option type you're favouring? Can't decide between red or blue.

[CStarFlare]

Stage 2's boss probably wouldn't be terribly hard to milk powerup points from. I guess I've never really tried; it would depend if he cycles between the undestroyed attachments or if the core starts attacking after the fourth attachment is gone. I'm thinking it would be possible to leave the easiest "island" alive and destroy the rest and just dodge lasers can collect powerups. Nothing past stage 1 stands out as an easy milk, but I think there will be a couple more that fall into the realm of possibility.

I've tended towards the red options, they're stronger and easier to manage than blue's homing shots. Once you're powered up your main shot is wide enough that you don't really need help chasing down enemies. Red's charge doesn't have the range blue's does, but it's still pretty damn big and is wider... it might last slightly longer too?

[Skykid]

Don't like stage 2's second form with the cartwheel laser. I prefer to just get rid of him asap.

Red charge I think is altogether more effective than blue, I was just wondering because blue's homing shot is great for taking care of roaming enemies, and this is a game that benefits from a tidier screen.

[Skykid]

Good run this morning:
2360200 Stage 7 - P2


The game isn't as difficult as I thought. I did struggle through stages 6 and 7 because I don't really know what I'm doing. The stg6 minefield, I didn't even shoot, just tried to silently coast through, Das Boot style.

But there are invitations to exploit the game all over, just need to figure them out. Also, revelation: I spotted the first 1up item behind the stage 5 boss, but died first time trying to get it. Second time, I realised you can grab a power up, handily thrown up on the left side, and get those 2 seconds of invincibility to grab it and pull back again.

So 2 score based extends and the 1up, I think that's everything the game gives you, since the superplayer no-misses his run and ends on 6. I actually think with a bit of practice it's probably more than enough too.

Also, even though you're in trouble if you die and end up with no shot power, the FULL icons turn up at well implemented moments. I got one right before the stage 6 boss iirc, which was handy as I'd lost everything a moment before.