Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[BIL]

I'd settle for a Natsume Hokuto no Ken license Yooo, imagine a Ken/Rei/Toki/Jagi/Raoh lineup. All-rounder/aerial/technical/berserker/juggernaut, that's what I'm sayin.

Bro, it's already a thing! They made the PS1 Hokuto no Ken game, not an R2RKMF by any means, but an excellent piece of work as expected from Natsume.

Ha, I should've remembered they were still working on Gundam fighters around then. It's been wonderful seeing Taniguchi and co return in not just comparable, but arguably superior form to their SFC zenith.

[BEAMLORD]

Getting damn close to a Castlevania (NES) 1cc. I have most of the game and Dracula down. My big problem at the moment is the opening stretch of the final stage, which I personally dub Bat's Run.

My strategy here is tried, tested and familiar to most - douse those fucking bats in Holy water to freeze the cunts in place and forge on, whilst picking up the stopwatch on the way for the seagull-riding hunchbacks waiting ahead. Whilst this has seen me through this segment once or twice, I more often than not get clipped by one of those bats as they come to their senses, usually near to a pit. Probably a simple issue of timing the Holy water better, right? At the moment, as soon as they're in range, they're getting anointed. Maybe I'm too splash-happy

[dojo_b]

I avoided Holy Water due to ancient playground stigmas (its OP reputation), but had pretty good results v. bats with 2x Cross IIRC.

Was there some randomization effect on Bat Run? I remember a distinct sense of cheap bullshit and seat-of-pants contrivance to get through to Drac.

[BEAMLORD]

Was there some randomization effect on Bat Run? I remember a distinct sense of cheap bullshit and seat-of-pants contrivance to get through to Drac.

My eye is not keen enough to notice, but maybe there is some slight randomisation with the spawning, or something in my inputs that are triggering early/late spawns. That deeper technical knowledge is not my forte though, so I couldn't say.

I have no qualms about using the Holy water, though. Use and abuse, I say I've been used and abused by games like this enough!

[BIL]

The last stage is where the wheels come off slightly for CV1's otherwise tight twitch/method balance. You're very overmatched, on the bridge and in the tower alike - so for consistent success, it's important to develop a steady route. Fortunately, you're given the resources for exactly that.

First thing: to get decent bridge bat RNG every time, ensure you're holding [up+left] from at least the map screen, or even before. What's critical is that Simon starts hauling ass up the stairs from frame 1. This'll get you this pattern every time.

I've noticed some slight variances in the remainder, over the years - but by that point, I've grabbed the Stopwatch, so I can improvise around unfortunate snipes or dives.

The tower is a similar process - you're completely overmatched, so hauling ass with a bit of Stopwatch is ideal. I'll just let the replay speak for itself there. Going for 2ALL 1LCs, I'm 95% confident on the bridge, and 100% on the tower.

I used to try going without the Stopwatch, so I'd have more ammo and a Triple Shot for Dracula - but particularly when going for a first clear, I'd recommend reaching him with full HP and a little bump budget.

Also, if you know your subweapon mechanics, you can bag lots of ammo and even Multipliers during the fight itself. Brotip: nailing Phase 1 square in the neck with the Cross, so you're hitting his head and body simultaneously, will rack up XTREEM hits (you'll note a distinct fuzzy noise, if on-target). Hit Quota reached = Multiplier drop from next kill, either his fireballs or the room's candles (which you may want to preserve for this purpose).

(this is a variant of the same principle behind the Mummy Bros and Bone Dragon speedkills - when the Cross is hitting two or more targets simultaneously, it'll accrue hits at blistering per-frame rate)

The infamous CHUB CRUSHER - poor bastard barely made half-mast

Spoiler

As for Holy Water, it disables enemy hitboxes while it's burning them, allowing you to safely pass through. Of little comfort vs phase 1's spectral shade - but do what you will versus hulking brutes seen elsewhere.

If Dracula's first phase RNG scurrs ya, there's a way to manipulate it courtesy of sharc. I only briefly perused, but it seems solid.

[BEAMLORD]

Welcome advice, BIL. I'll carry it into my next run, talisman-like.

[BIL]

God be with you! Also remember to hold your crucifix close

[BEAMLORD]

God be with you! Also remember to hold your crucifix close

Banger!

[Ghegs]

I got Super Cyborg at -50% since I had purchased some other game from the publisher previously, so hey.

Feels odd (but fun) playing an 8-bit-looking game in real widescreen, and I did spot other some differences/improvements in the Switch port over the original:

The turrets in the first level now show a muzzle flash before they're about to fire.
The first boss spawns an enemy generator to the left of the screen, putting the extended screen space into good use there.
The second boss' final form's bullet spray felt more tame and not as chaotic.
The third boss isn't a huge difficulty spike like before.

There's a screen setting for "Normal" and "Stretched" but I don't think I saw any differences there. And you can't remap buttons in-game, that's a bit of a bummer. The default are fine, though I would like move the charge shot elsewhere. And I'd like to have a stage select as a convenience. The game saves after every stage, like the original, but maybe I'd like to practice specific stages every now and then.

Overall, seems like the best version of a great game.

[BryanM]

I currently think the Last Battle boss I'm at is a soft 1 in ~500 wall. A save state at the middle of the fight, took me over an hour before a win passed through. So not technically impossible. Guy's a massive RNG fest, and his death rush attack is the cherry on top of the shit sandwich: he hits you until you get to the wall, which is bad enough on it's own (wall = much higher chance of death) but its damage increases the longer he hits you. So you want to be near the wall once he's below mid health, which is deadly, and it wastes time for his RNG to roll more diving spearhands. He can also deathrush twice in a fight, which is practically certain death.

Please note the normal counter to the deathrush is "just jump over it lol". But the shirt... it's too heavy. That's why Ken never fights in one.

I'm gonna be super annoyed if the final boss is a chump. The kusoge energy would kill meh.

[BIL]

Pls record Shirt Run if it is not too soul-destroying (or just clips, if it is) - this sounds amazing, I too have always wondered if Ken could've beaten all those other dudes without stripping down

CANONICAL case in point: Raoh would've fuckin KILLED him in their first fight (Shirt Mode), had Rei not intervened, reducing Raoh's CERTAIN DEATH BUTTERFINGER to a mere GOOD N PLENTY!

Sadly, I'm useless - MUDADA! - at capturing video from anything that's not a PS4! I do know that TASvideos ("boo!" "hiss!" hey calm down! they good peeps! :O) have a bunch of emulators with inbuilt AVI recording, should do fine in a pinch.

Now, obviously, they raise your FALSIFICARE aura, attracting mean mugs from all quarters. But frankly, God will judge the Falsificarists - they are of no concern to we fellows!

God be with you! Also remember to hold your crucifix close

Banger!

Yone2008 is the man man man Routinely makes great VGM even better with his thumping vigour and sheer arranger's nous!

I got Super Cyborg at -50% since I had purchased some other game from the publisher previously, so hey.

Feels odd (but fun) playing an 8-bit-looking game in real widescreen, and I did spot other some differences/improvements in the Switch port over the original:

Oh wow, it's on PS4 too I've heard wonderful things about that game for years and years now, will have to check it out. Good to hear it seems to have arrived on consoles in decent shape!

[BryanM]

It looks pretty feasible, I'm above 50% on all the bosses but this one dude (knock on wood... haven't worked on the final boss yet and I remember him being similar to this guy). I can do a load cut after he makes me eat dirt. If I can't beat the final boss I'll just end the video there. Nobody deserves sitting through labyrinth adventures for a shaggy dog story.

Checked how youtube deals with Kega Fusion vids, it works but it's really janky on the eyes, like Some Guy on the internet said it was. I'll have to work out a way to convert it, it's a chore but shouldn't be more than an hour.

There will be optional commentary. As you know, like mooses, I never shut up.

[Sima Tuna]

And you can't remap buttons in-game, that's a bit of a bummer.

No map, no buy from me. I'm so tired of having this issue with games. I mean, I can understand if your game is a jrpg or strategy game. It makes a little more sense that with those controls, you might not want to let players remap the buttons. I'd still prefer to have mappable controls, but it doesn't make me hot under the collar.

With R2RKMF titles, however, I need my buttons mapped how I like them. If you are a game dev and you don't know exactly how I like my buttons mapped (and why would you,) then just let me have custom mappings.

I'm so, so sick of developers mapping "shoot" to "A" on the switch. Do you fuckers shoot with circle on the ps4? Do xbox players shoot with B? No. I shoot with Y, aka Square, aka X on Xbox.

Even more so with cave games, I need my mappings. Because I usually map concentrated shot to a shoulder button. I can't play another way.

I realize the way I map my buttons might not be the same way everyone else does. Which is why it's so important games include mappable controls. Is it really so hard to just auto-include this shit in every game? And no, I'm not going to change my system settings in my Switch just to play one game.

[it290]

Getting damn close to a Castlevania (NES) 1cc. I have most of the game and Dracula down. My big problem at the moment is the opening stretch of the final stage, which I personally dub Bat's Run.

My strategy here is tried, tested and familiar to most - douse those fucking bats in Holy water to freeze the cunts in place and forge on, whilst picking up the stopwatch on the way for the seagull-riding hunchbacks waiting ahead. Whilst this has seen me through this segment once or twice, I more often than not get clipped by one of those bats as they come to their senses, usually near to a pit. Probably a simple issue of timing the Holy water better, right? At the moment, as soon as they're in range, they're getting anointed. Maybe I'm too splash-happy

I say go for the axe in this section. Keep moving forward constantly and use it to stunlock the bats. The tower section is more dicey but just go for speed. It'll get you through the 1cc, maybe not the 1lc.

[Randorama]

Does anyone have a list of games more or less falling in the following sub-genres?

A. Cabal-esque titles, and single-screeners with scrolling (y'know, Rambo III by Taito, G.I. Joe by Konami, and perhaps Devastastors also by Konami?);
B. Oh dear...Hack'n slash, top-down titles like Gaiapolis, Vandyke, and maybe some '80s titles by Namco whose names escape me now?

I am finding myself in those situations in which I'd like to fidget a bit with these two types of games. If only I could remember which titles would more or less play as the examples above.

[BEAMLORD]

Well, I got the Castlevania 1cc today. Many thanks for the pointers.

For the final stage, I hot-footed it out the door and up onto the gangway without a moments pause. That definitely helps to prevent the bats getting themselves into too dangerous a position. Kept them at bay with holy water, and made it through safely, picking up the stop-watch. So far, so good.

Then I fucked up - straight after getting the stop-watch, I walked into the first room and immediately picked up the cross . What a prick.

Luckily, the Gods took pity, and saw fit to save my ass. The final skeleton of the game, just before the seagulls and hunchbacks, dropped a stop-watch! That's some divine fucking intervention right there.

Lost a few lives fighting Dracula's first form, but that's the way it goes. 1cc in the bag, at least.

[Sengoku Strider]

Does anyone have a list of games more or less falling in the following sub-genres?

A. Cabal-esque titles, and single-screeners with scrolling (y'know, Rambo III by Taito, G.I. Joe by Konami, and perhaps Devastastors also by Konami?);

Gallery shooter is the best subgenre name I've seen for them. I don't know if there's a formal list of them anywhere, much less ones which specifically scroll. But off the top of my head Nam 1975, Wild Guns, and of course - Seibu Kaihatsu's legendary Dynamite Duke are all fun. You might also consider games which scroll forward rather than side to side, like Sin & Punishment.

[Bassa-Bassa]

Does anyone have a list of games more or less falling in the following sub-genres?

A. Cabal-esque titles, and single-screeners with scrolling (y'know, Rambo III by Taito, G.I. Joe by Konami, and perhaps Devastastors also by Konami?);

Cabal-likes from Japan, you know, it's not that hard as there're few - aside of the aforementioned, DE's Shoot Out (kind of), Blood Bros., Great Battle IV (or was it V?), Spinal Breakers, Gamshara. I guess I forgot some other.

B. Oh dear...Hack'n slash, top-down titles like Gaiapolis, Vandyke, and maybe some '80s titles by Namco whose names escape be now?

Druaga and Return of Ishtar, you mean? Again, it's tricky to say if they're the same genre, as the hack'n'slash part is quite elementary. The former is a seminal piece for the action-RPG genre as you'll know, which is where I think your sub-genre found its place in the end. Fortunately some of these are less about storytelling and management than one could expect from a home game - I specially like Square's Alcahest, which I first found in an Internet review many years ago when nobody even cared to import old stuff from Japan and was quite affordable.

[Sumez]

A. Cabal-esque titles, and single-screeners with scrolling (y'know, Rambo III by Taito, G.I. Joe by Konami, and perhaps Devastastors also by Konami?);

The obvious ones:

Blood Bros, Wild guns, Nam 1975, Sin & Punishment

Some less obvious ones that are IMO at least worth checking out:

Pirates, Alligator Hunt, Gekisha Boy

[SriK]

Does anyone have a list of games more or less falling in the following sub-genres?

A. Cabal-esque titles, and single-screeners with scrolling (y'know, Rambo III by Taito, G.I. Joe by Konami, and perhaps Devastastors also by Konami?)

I put together a pretty comprehensive list of gallery shooters a while back, for my own reference: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7597tp02hpwu2 ... s.txt?dl=0

It's such a tiny genre that after playing eight games I'd gone through a third of it. The best ones I've played are Wild Guns Reloaded (as well as the original), Sin & Punishment, and NMK's unreleased game Riot. Devastators and similar games aren't quite the same imo, one key feature of gallery shooters is that movement and shooting are mostly decoupled from each other.

[Bassa-Bassa]

Now I gotta check Iwanaga. Love this genre.

[Sima Tuna]

Would you say that such a genre evolved into rail shooters? I see Sin and Punishment mentioned alongside Wild Guns.

[WelshMegalodon]

I think it would be more accurate to say that they evolved alongside rail shooters, since both Space Harrier and Atari's Star Wars predate Cabal. Wild Guns and the original Star Fox were released only one year apart.

I wonder where Sega's SDI would fit into this.

[Randorama]

Sengoku Strider: thanks, I recall reading the term "Gallery shooter" too.

Bassa-Bassa: I actually had Valkyrie no Densetsu in mind, but the titular character shoots mid-range attacks from her sword. Thanks for mentioning Druaga and Ishtar: I forgot about their existence, so I plan on trying them out again. Same reasoning for the Cabal-esque titles, which I entirely forgot about.

Sumez: thanks, though both Pirates and Alligator Hunt look a bit Kuso-ish

SriK: thanks a lot. I am having problems with Dropbox though: would you be OK in sharing the list as a post in this thread? I also agree that Devastators et similia are a different, and possibly really tiny, sub-genre. Does anyone have a full list of these ones, too? (...I feel like I am going through a "new to videogames" kind of post).

[Sumez]

Sumez: thanks, though both Pirates and Alligator Hunt look a bit Kuso-ish

They're Euro games and come with the expected jank

Thanks for the exhaustive list, SriK.
Personally I actually prefer Blood Bros. to Wild Guns. It's basically an improvement over Cabal in every way, so don't sleep on it if you haven't played it.

[Mortificator]

I recall reading the term "Gallery shooter" too.

I've also heard "gallery shooter" used for Space Invaders-style games, though. And the pedantic side of me thinks how, in a real shooting gallery, you're not actually supposed to run left and right...

NMK's unreleased game Riot.

Even without receiving the final stage of refinement leading to release, that game's surprising well done. I don't know if there was any staff carryover or just a stylistic influence, but it reminds me of a way better Spinal Breakers.

[BIL]

I remember hearing from trap that Riot was actually developed by Tecmo, and published by NMK. I've not played it at all, but at a glance, the tongue-in-cheek 80s ultraviolence definitely made me think of Ninja Gaiden and Wild Fang. Seem to recall an alternate timeline Robocop who didn't quite evade Clarence's improvised javelin.

Conversely, SPINAL BREAKERS starring CAPTAIN WAFFLE sounds a lot more Tecmo than it actually is.

[BryanM]

Argh, I can barely get a hit on this guy. Friggin' kusoge-ass shiteee.....

I don't see three hours or three hundred hours making a difference. Guess I might as well give up and practice the full stretch now.

[Randorama]

Sorry for the quick post not addressing people's comments but!

...question about Vandyke's OST: great stuff, and the combo "hard rockin' and macho barbarian jumping while doing JoJo-esque poses+ hard gayming hack'n slash actionZ" is great (Any game with a ball-and-chain weapon is a masterpiece of design, the way I see it). However, I get the impression that one or two songs may be lifts. Stage 2 and 5 sounds like the best candidate, and I get this vague feeling that I even know the original song. My memory is what it is, though. Any info?

[BIL]

Nothing comes to mind offhand, but goddamn, I'd forgotten how good that OST is. Good time rockin' for a game that takes off like a rocket and never slows down. (trap coming through with the UPL & NMK rockin' as always )

The tone actually reminds me a bit of Bobby Prince's DOOM soundtrack, which infamously sports quite a few lifts - Sabbath's "After All (The Dead)" being my favourite choice. Classy pick from Dehumanizer. Both evidently produced by chaps with a good ear for the Devil's Tritone.