NES Recommendations (very specific)

[evil_ash_xero]

I've been fiddling with an NES emulator, and am curious to see if anyone can recommend some titles for me.

But I'm only wanting REALLY late titles, like around 1990 or 1991. I don't like 8 bit graphics, so the better...uh, the better.

Also, I'm primarily looking for action titles. Specifically like Ninja Gaiden. I've been playing the 2nd and 3rd one, and I also got the Batman game after reading a recommendation for that in another thread. I also have the Vice: Project Doom rom downloaded, but haven't had much time to play it.

So, stuff like that.

And nothing that was done better, and looks better on SNES or Genesis(like Castlevania for instance).

[BareKnuckleRoo]

I was going to recommend VICE, but you've already got it. Super Spy Hunter, AKA Battle Formula is pretty good. Gremlins 2 is a good overhead action/platformer game. Cocoron's a tough but fun platformer with a customizeable character element that's pretty neat. WURM is also worth a look, an interesting multi-genre action/adventure made in 1991. It's not necessarily great, but it's certainly unique and it might click with you.

[hermit crab]

If you like Ninja Gaiden but don't play Kabuki Quantum Fighter because of the graphics you're a fool!

[BIL]

Shatterhand should be of interest if you like NG and the first Batman. Kabuki Quantum Fighter/Jigoku Gokurakumaru likewise.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Oh. Both Power Blade games are good (the first one I especially love!), and Street Fighter 2010 is a good deal of fun too, though its controls and fixed jump height take a good deal of getting used to. You need to get used to abusing invulnerability on your backflip in some spots.

[evil_ash_xero]

Just checked out Kabuki. While I find the idea of being a Kabuki dude fighting with your hair, ridiculous, the game is exactly what I'm looking for. So, thanks.

Also, just looked at Shatterhand on YT. Gonna check out the Rom, since this is also what I'm looking for.

I'm gonna check out these others.....

I wish there was a "recolor NES games" project. If these games just had more colors, they would look so much better. Oh well.

[GSK]

There's also Shadow of the Ninja / Blue Shadow / Kage, another Natsume game that predates Shatterhand, as well as Kick Master, a KID game programmed by one Shinobu Yagawa.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Journey to Silius
Battletoads
Crisis Force
Little Nemo The Dream Master

[hermit crab]

Glad to see you're not a fool.

Couldn't disagree with you more about the graphics though. I really love the dark and atmospheric look of them that's in a large part a result of the limited palette and other color limitations. Especially towards the end of the system's lifespan when the artists had really mastered the format.

Of course some NES games get that wrong too and there's cutesy-pukey colorful stuff like Mr. Gimmick, Kirby... even SMB3. I used to like those games as a kid but can't really stand them anymore.

But anyway I tried Shatterhand based on the recommendations and wow. Just pure gaming orgasm, ahhhh. Especially the graphics! That parallax scrolling city scape! Everything! Gonna play some more.

[evil_ash_xero]

Holy shit, this Shatterhand game is awesome.

[ACSeraph]

And nothing that was done better, and looks better on SNES or Genesis(like Castlevania for instance).

Wuuuutt?!

Dracula's Curse > your mom

Seriously though play Metal Storm

[evil_ash_xero]

And nothing that was done better, and looks better on SNES or Genesis(like Castlevania for instance).

Wuuuutt?!

Dracula's Curse > your mom

Seriously though play Metal Storm

Castlevania IV baby.

I will give Metal Storm a look.

I don't want to derail the thread, but are there any action games like these on PC Engine from around the same era?

[KennyMan666]

I don't like 8 bit graphics

You're a bad person and you should feel bad.

Anyway basically anything by Sunsoft. Ufouria is my personal favourite of the lot. Try Mr. Gimmick too. Batman: Return of the Joker is usually considered one of the best-looking NES games ever made.

Also Little Samson.

[Obiwanshinobi]

The Guardian Legend looks (and sounds!) high-tech to me.
Hello Kitty World I did not play, but if it's really Balloon Kid rebranded, you can't go wrong with it.
Duck Tales - I'm afraid it slows down a bit, but enough said.
Bucky O'Hare - Rockman-like from Konami.
Almana no Kiseki (a.k.a. Arumana no Kiseki) - better than Roc 'N Rope.
Super Turrican - PAL only, but I believe it runs at correct speed on NTSC hardware/emulator.
Bomberman - I play the GB port, but what a game (talking single player here).
Gimmick! - I believe the Japanese version uses extra sound chip.
For what it's worth, I didn't like Raf World. Battle Formula is rather playable, though. Now I'm feeling inclined to give Super Arabian a try.
One rad PC-Engine game is Dungeon Explorer, but you need some other people to play it to its fullest.

P.S. Almana no Kiseki and The Guardian Legend have some of the most dreamy music to ever grace Famicom.

[evil_ash_xero]

Still trying these out...

You know, I knew Shatterhand sounded familiar. It's the game that has that cover that's always in the "the worst covers ever" lists.
Also, the Japanese version is based after some live action show over there, and doesn't have the guy who looks like Tommy Monaghan.



Is Batman Return Of The Joker as good as Batman? It looks completely different.

Little Samson looks interesting. I'm working through these, so keep them coming, if you have any more ideas. Some really good shit here.

[CIT]

I don't want to derail the thread, but are there any action games like these on PC Engine from around the same era?

The Famicom definitely trumps the PC Engine when it comes to action platformers, but these are the ones I would recommend:

HuCards:
Legendary Axe I&II – nice and challenging Rastan-style games
Ninja Ryuukenden – just Ninja Gaiden, but with slightly better (and sometimes worse) graphics
Ninja Spirit – awesome arcade conversion, one of the best Ninja games around

CDs:
Akumajo Dracula X: Chi No Rondo – best old school Castlevania and best PC Engine game overall
Shubibinman 3 – really nice looking, kinda like Mega Man with swords
Blood Gear – Valken-style mech action adventure, very text heavy though
Fausette Amour – brilliant grappling hook game
Iga Ninden Gaou – decent Ninja action game, can't compete with NG/Shinobi/Co. though
Kaze Kiri – fast paced Ninja combat game. Lots of moves.
Valis series – Valis III is the standout, with different characters and good level design

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Also, the Japanese version is based after some live action show over there, and doesn't have the guy who looks like Tommy Monaghan. Also, the Japanese version is based after some live action show over there, and doesn't have the guy who looks like Tommy Monaghan.

There's more to it than that; Solbrain's got one (or is it two?) alternate stages and bosses, so it's worth it to play through both games.

[louisg]

I don't want to derail the thread, but are there any action games like these on PC Engine from around the same era?

The Famicom definitely trumps the PC Engine when it comes to action platformers, but these are the ones I would recommend:

HuCards:
Legendary Axe I&II – nice and challenging Rastan-style games
Ninja Ryuukenden – just Ninja Gaiden, but with slightly better (and sometimes worse) graphics
Ninja Spirit – awesome arcade conversion, one of the best Ninja games around

CDs:
Akumajo Dracula X: Chi No Rondo – best old school Castlevania and best PC Engine game overall
Shubibinman 3 – really nice looking, kinda like Mega Man with swords
Blood Gear – Valken-style mech action adventure, very text heavy though
Fausette Amour – brilliant grappling hook game
Iga Ninden Gaou – decent Ninja action game, can't compete with NG/Shinobi/Co. though
Kaze Kiri – fast paced Ninja combat game. Lots of moves.
Valis series – Valis III is the standout, with different characters and good level design

Yeah, for some reason there aren't many platformers on PCE. And I liked Valis III more on Genesis (they cut out some levels with bullshit blind jumps). But I'd add to this list:

Son Son 2 - This took a while to grow on me, but it's really a great action game with some good exploration too. It's a lot of fun after you learn which items are best to buy and how to collect cash (avoid the skulls ). It's kind of like Black Tiger but cuter.

Liquid Kids - Creative platformer that plays well (arcade port)

Jackie Chan - Impressive punch/kick platformer that builds on the NES version. Looks great, plays well.

Dragon's Trap - I forgot what this is called on PCE, but it's a port of the SMS original that is quite good

New Adventure Island - It's not quite a serious platformer with ninjas and stuff, but nevertheless it's a good game if you like Wonder Boy/Adventure Island.

And a friend of mine really liked Dragon Egg, which I thought was just OK but might be worth a look.

Yep, Drac X is amazing. It's one of the only Castlevanias I actually like. I'll have to check out Fausette Amour, Blood Gear, and Iga Ninden Gaou-- I hadn't even heard of those!

EDIT: There's also Etrnal City which is a Metroid-like. I remember it being OK.

[Ed Oscuro]

Iga Ninden Gaou is hilarious. Really more of a samurai game, and I'm not sure it really should be anywhere near the shortlist of PC-E games to get.
The "Legendary Axe" games (which aren't in a series on the Japanese side at all) are both quite strange. The original has some good points but it gets frustrating in a hurry, and gets even more frustrating when you get to the maze. The second game gets kind of ugly and difficult as well, and its looks might be reminiscent of Majyuu Ou on the SFC, except without the charm or the reasonable level designs - more mazes. Really I have always thought these games are kind of clumsy and hard to like.
Ninja Gaiden on PCE - don't see any reason for it.
Kaze Kiri doesn't know what to do with its layout. I think it would be more enjoyable if it had a more traditional stage layout, instead of the arena waves thing it's got going on (if I remember correctly).

I didn't realize there was a Son Son 2 on PCE, sounds worth checking out if they've made it more like Black Tiger and also added exploration.

[BrianC]

Astanyax/Lord of King NES plays very similar to the first Legendary Axe. I know the same guy who did the TG-16 Legendary Axe did the arcade Astanyax, but I'm not sure if he was involved with the NES game Astanyax. However, the game is so similar to the Legendary Axe, I would be surprised if he wasn't.

The "Legendary Axe" games (which aren't in a series on the Japanese side at all)

I'm not sure if this is the case. The JP versions have similar titles. Legendary Axe is Makyou Densetsu and Legendary Axe II is Ankoku Densetsu. The games also shared the same publisher, though only the first one was designed by staff that later made the arcade (and probably the NES) Astanyax.

[louisg]

The "Legendary Axe" games (which aren't in a series on the Japanese side at all) are both quite strange. The original has some good points but it gets frustrating in a hurry, and gets even more frustrating when you get to the maze. The second game gets kind of ugly and difficult as well, and its looks might be reminiscent of Majyuu Ou on the SFC, except without the charm or the reasonable level designs - more mazes. Really I have always thought these games are kind of clumsy and hard to like.
Ninja Gaiden on PCE - don't see any reason for it.
Kaze Kiri doesn't know what to do with its layout. I think it would be more enjoyable if it had a more traditional stage layout, instead of the arena waves thing it's got going on (if I remember correctly).

I totally agree with these statements Oh man, I tried so hard to like Legendary Axe 1. And Kaze Kiri is a beautiful game with style to spare, but yeah, I was underwhelmed by its gameplay.

I didn't realize there was a Son Son 2 on PCE, sounds worth checking out if they've made it more like Black Tiger and also added exploration.

Yes, definitely give it a try. It really has almost nothing to do with Son Son 1. Which reminds me-- we forgot about that PC Engine port of that other arcade RPG from the same time, Cadash! I've never been a big fan of it (for no reason in particular), but I hear the PCE version is a nice port. And I didn't personally care for it, but Tiger Road seems decent.

And of course, there's always Bonk's Revenge. Music aside, it's a great and very playable game. Then there's Legend of Valkyrie which is *great*. I don't know whether to categorize it as a shooter or not, but it has a lot of what makes these action/platformers appealing.

[louisg]

Oh, on the topic of late NES games, nobody's mentioned Mighty Final Fight. I remember liking that one, and it looks really good.

[evil_ash_xero]

Question about Kabuki...is the Japanese version the same when it comes to the 2 Continues thing? That seems like something they would have done to us Westerners back in the day.
If that's the case all around, this is going to be tough.

[Bar81]

Fausette Amour – brilliant grappling hook game

I'm going to hope that someone told you to say that and that you haven't actually played it and believe that.

[szycag]

Mighty Final Fight looks great but the gameplay feels super linear even compared to much earlier beat-em-ups on the system. It's still kind of enjoyable just because the sprites look nice.

I also have to second Journey to Silius...

[Ed Oscuro]

Yes, definitely give [Son Son 2] a try. It really has almost nothing to do with Son Son 1. Which reminds me-- we forgot about that PC Engine port of that other arcade RPG from the same time, Cadash!

D'oh, we forgot about Toaplan's Horror Story, too!

Definitely a better game than many of those listed here.

@ BrianC:

That may be the case, but the titles are just something like "Ghost Cave Legend" in the case of Makyou Densetsu (which is part of the name of an old anime, apparently - not that there's a link here) and "Black Legend" in the case of Legendary Axe II. I'm not aware of anything tying the heroes of the two games together, and stylistically they're very far apart. I agree about the original game looking like Astyanax - which makes the follow-up seem that much further away from the first game and the arcade/NES Astanyax. The release dates seem (at least according to Wikipedia) pretty tight though.

According to GDRI, Aicom had something to do with LA1 and Astyanax, while Atlus worked on the sequel LA2.

[BIL]

Question about Kabuki...is the Japanese version the same when it comes to the 2 Continues thing? That seems like something they would have done to us Westerners back in the day.
If that's the case all around, this is going to be tough.

Not sure, but I found both versions pretty easy anyway... it's a shame the sequel hinted at by the post-staff roll message never materialised. With more demanding level designs and less touchy jumping controls it could've been Batman-tier. Stage 5 should've been stage 3. No death run plug. ;3

I wasn't going to mention it, but now that we're on the subject, Ninja Ryukenden III (NGIII Famicom ver) has a far milder damage scale, easier enemy + powerup distribution, unlimited credits and passwords. It's like Alien Soldier up in that bitch. JP SUPEREASY vs US SUPERHARD.

[BrianC]

In response to an earlier post, Batman Return of the Joker is very different from the first NES Batman and not as good. It's not bad and the graphics are amazing for NES, though.

Yeah, I read Aicom is responsible for LA1 and Astyanax. They also did the Vice Project Doom for NES. It's a different Aicom from the one that made Pulstar, though it has the same founder. Yeah, I know the connection between LA1 and LA2 is weak, but, according to HG101 (not sure how reliable the info is, though), LA2 was marketed as a sequel in Japan.

[Domino]

Shatterhand is just one of those titles that people who don't play the NES always enjoy for some reason.

[louisg]

Mighty Final Fight looks great but the gameplay feels super linear even compared to much earlier beat-em-ups on the system. It's still kind of enjoyable just because the sprites look nice.

I also have to second Journey to Silius...

Yeah, I can't say MFF is a deep experience, but it's fun if what you want out of a NES game is cool art and music.

Journey to Silius is rad And I second Shatterhand.

D'oh, we forgot about Toaplan's Horror Story, too!

Definitely a better game than many of those listed here.

Hmmmm really? I remember being stoked about it at first, but then it not really being up to Toaplan's other efforts.