Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[Volteccer_Jack]

SFC Sparkster...unplayed

That should be illegal.

[BIL]

I was about to ask what you guys thought of the trilogy, haha. I'm nowhere near as familiar with them as stuff like CV and NG. The conventional wisdom appears to be "oh noes the two after RKA are bad :[ :[ :[ " but I've enjoyed what little I've played of both the MD and SFC sequels. Both have that coiled-spring kinetic bounce I like about the first game.

[Volteccer_Jack]

The XBL reboot is the only one that isn't excellent, and even it's not awful, just mediocre and lifeless; the developers felt the rocket pack was "dangerous" and so they ended up making it boring instead.

SFC Sparkster's roll attack is my single favorite thing in the series. Even apart from breaking the rocket wide open, it adds a wonderful touch of nuance to proceedings. It pains me a bit to say RKA is the better game.

MD Sparkster feels more 'pedestrian' to me, but is only slightly less fabulous than the other two. The improved rocket pack is effing awesome, especially when you get Super Sparkster at the end.

[BIL]

I did think the SFC's shoulder button roll seemed suspiciously excellent. MD's opening maze is a bit of a drag compared to the more freewheeling RKA, but it seemed to pull itself together pretty quickly, and I was hooked the instant I blew up a truck with a divebomb and ricocheted a million miles into the air before divebombing back down anyway. Glad I just went with my gut on both games.

Also, lol XX! How 2 escape the Super Red Skeleton death trap.

Spoiler

The game's extended enemy hitflash might have some interesting uses elsewhere. My perennial favourite love/hate sidescroller.

[Ed Oscuro]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK8U-ZhEPJc
Richter ain't got time to walk (or bleed)

A lot of games have annoying repetitive actions for faster movement, like the Cyborg 009 (SFC) speedrun I just saw (add on per-character different annoying dash moves for a pain multiplier). Then there's games like SkyBlazer, with awesome air dash and wall grab (?) glitch mechanics. And then...Dracula XX, which seems to be bringing back the "vault straight up a wall of obstacles" exploit, here with the backflip over a tower of three skull dragons! So that puts it in the same company as Castlevania II. Not the worst game by a mile, though...

Interesting stuff about RKA MD, I've always been loath to try it again since I assumed that unspectacular opening was a sign of how the entire game would play out.

In other news, Renny Blaster's lack of...anything, tragic.

Super Red Skeleton

[Squire Grooktook]

A lot of games have annoying repetitive actions for faster movement, like the Cyborg 009 (SFC) speedrun I just saw (add on per-character different annoying dash moves for a pain multiplier).

Minor thing, but I kind of like the way this can be handled in Contra Hardcorps. You can eliminate the recovery on the slide by going over an edge. So on the first stage (and elsewhere, to a lesser extent) you can jump on all the platforms and slide off to shave a few milliseconds off your time.

[BIL]

A few positives of Dracula XX according to a TASer.

Good graphics (better than Super Castlevania 4... at least this one doesn't look like a Genesis game!)

Good soundtrack (mostly remixed versions of the classic BGMs from the previous 8-bit games, very different from the gay techno of Super Castlevania 4!)

I think it's fun that you mentioned that SCV4 looks like a Genesis game when the Genesis Castlevania looks better than both that and this game. :>

[Squire Grooktook]

Oh man that second quote.

I'm not sure, but I might find a replay of XX more tempting than a replay of CV4. CV4 might be a more solid game overall, but the length puts me off a bit. It's like Metal Slug 3/Gradius V length but without the intensity.

[BIL]

Besides making me forever associate the traditional series' most maturely mellow, brooding and turbulent soundtrack with the phrase "gay techno," I also like how IV and XX revisit the same three classic tunes. (the usual holy FC trinity, plus the death jingle)

Spoiler

Heaven is here inside my soul

I replay XX more enthusiastically than IV, no question. Despite the former being a chore to handle at times and having no end of wacky design mishaps, it's one of the arcadier traditional clears along with Dracula I and Vampire Killer. I keep IV for occasions where I've both the time and inclination to enjoy the trip. Starting from Block 6 would be different but the total run is so filmic, I absolutely hate chopping it in half like that. Far from a bad action game, but I file it more with other sparingly revisited favourites like the Konami-made Silent Hill series.

Noticed in this evening's session that you can't backflip out of a retreating jump in XX. It's subtle, but you can't push footsies as hard, meaning less aggression and excitement for experienced players (not to mention movement range if you need to cover a lot of ground suddenly). Either bad porting or a total dick move.

Also unlocked and replayed Rondo's stage 5' for the first time in too long, and was reminded that it does everything XX's better stages do with none of the irritation. I like XX but eh... in direct comparison to Rondo, VK and X68k it fucking dies on its ass*. >_>

Also: spot the hovering fleaman in stage 4'! He's the first of those that drop out of the ceiling, but unlike his brethren, they left him exposed and alone!

Also also: try item crashing the key while in a jump. Assuming you land safely it'll have buffered and activate instantly. More interestingly Richter's jump animation will freeze on the frame you input the crash. edit: oh wow, actually works with all subweapons.

Also also also: I wanted to try creating another unstoppable abomination of Red Skelton fury, but they're invincible to the key's item crash. Like fleamen, incidentally! LOL, DRACULA XX.

*but I bet I still love it more than anyone else here! EVEN PATCHY-KUN. My already considerable nerdboner becomes an IMPERVIOUS, TEETH-SHATTERING MEAT GIRDER at the sight of my NOS CIB SFC copy!

[Ed Oscuro]

my NOS CIB SFC copy!

mine's still in a plastic bag

Had a look at ye olde Brothers Duomazov web-sight for interesting PCE titles to play, and some of this came out:
china warrior
sword of sodan
veigues tactical gladiator

psycho chaser


Genpei Toumaden
Samurai Ghost (improved?)

Cyber City Oedo 808 (rpg?)
Cobra games (adventure select-a-response)

el viento
earnest evans (gen US, MCD JPN) or just watch a play on the tubes
annet futatabi

son son 2

spiral wave
zero4 champ II (drag racing? I mean, very short races, and lots of other types of gameplay. Arguably a minigame collection.)
sylphia

night creatures
ghost manor ("action adventure" type)

gekisha boy
benkei gaiden (rpg)

blood gear
madou king granzort
gensou tairiku auleria

jimmu denshou
Some of these are outright kusoge (Sword of Sodan ring a bell? It should) but others are said to be good. I didn't list everything they rated which I like (for some reason they said Iga Ninden Gaoh's hero has trouble turning around, and I don't recall that), but it's just a "tentative interest" list.

[Obscura]

A few positives of Dracula XX according to a TASer.

Good graphics (better than Super Castlevania 4... at least this one doesn't look like a Genesis game!)

Good soundtrack (mostly remixed versions of the classic BGMs from the previous 8-bit games, very different from the gay techno of Super Castlevania 4!)

I think it's fun that you mentioned that SCV4 looks like a Genesis game when the Genesis Castlevania looks better than both that and this game. :>

As a kid, I also thought XX looked better than CV4. I don't think I do anymore (although there's no denying that the burning village is gorgeous, but the NES-style "dithering and shadows everywhere!" was a bit less appealing than the more colorful approach of XX.

(I have no words that can describe my reaction to anyone calling CV4's soundtrack "gay techno", though. WTF?!?!)

(and, BIL, you can't love XX more than I do. That was probably my favorite Super NES game as a kid, with Equinox being the only competition.)

[Squire Grooktook]

Equinox is great though, isn't it.

Certainly couldn't call the boss theme in that, "gay techno" by any means! Seriously awesome stuff.

[Obscura]

Funny you mention that; I was linking that OST to a friend of mine earlier today.

Atlena, Quagmire, and Ice Palace are probably my favorites from it. So moody.

One of the best videogame soundtracks ever, right up there with Silent Hill 2 and Ys: The Oath in Felghana.

[Squire Grooktook]

Yeah, generally not a fan of more atmospheric ost's, but Equinox definitely has a strong atmosphere.

I also own the cartridge for Solstice on the Nes. The tracks perfectly fit the more traditional wizarding/fantasy mood, a shame there's not as many tracks as Equinox.

[Ghegs]

I also own the cartridge for Solstice on the Nes. The tracks perfectly fit the more traditional wizarding/fantasy mood, a shame there's not as many tracks as Equinox.

The legendary Tim Follin is responsible for Solstice's music, so no wonder the quality is high. He also made the most bad-ass Pictionary music imaginable.

[Obscura]

Yeah, generally not a fan of more atmospheric ost's, but Equinox definitely has a strong atmosphere.

I also own the cartridge for Solstice on the Nes. The tracks perfectly fit the more traditional wizarding/fantasy mood, a shame there's not as many tracks as Equinox.

I also had Solstice as a kid. God, that game was a bear to beat.

The music in it was good, but the way there was one theme played through the entire 3 hour or so long game could really drive me insane after a while.

[Squire Grooktook]

I never beat it, but I remember my older brother had to write down a tip from Nintendo Power to find the last piece of the staff. I remember it was pretty bullshit lol.

[Obscura]

Uh, the last piece of the staff's location is pretty damn obvious; when you get the other 5, a new "multi-floor" room opens up, and the staff is at the top.

The puzzle to solve on the floor directly below the last piece requires fucking crazy precise timing (you have to catch a falling block on a crystal ball, then jump on the ball+block and ride it across the room), but there's nothing illogical about it; you've already learned that you can put blocks on any item in the world at that point, and you know that you need both the block and the crystal ball to have enough to height to make the jump, so it's just an issue of figuring out the timing.

[Squire Grooktook]

Maybe not the last piece. I remember there was some place where you had to walk through a wall and other elaborate stuff. Not sure, it's been a while.

[Obscura]

OH, THAT.

(And, yeah, that's actually the last key and the second to last staff piece.)

IIRC, the solution to that is shown in the attract sequence if you watch the whole thing, lol. Don't know how else anyone would figure it out, though.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Decided to play through Castlevania 2 just to see what it was like. I guess there's really not much to say about it. I knew that it was unpopular but even then I guess I was expecting more. Terrible stage design, lame mansions, shockingly pathetic bosses. I guess the art and music were good though. I knew what to do with the red and blue crystals thanks to osmosis - not sure if it's good that I didn't get stuck there or bad that I missed out on a purer Castlevania 2 experience. I got the worst ending, but I really have no desire to go back and get a better one (although I imagine playing against the time limit would be the only way to squeeze fun out of the game). On to better Castlevanias.

[Squire Grooktook]

^^^ You could go with Bloodlines next maybe. Finish getting a taste for the franchise, then go onto the super brilliant and devilishly hard Akumajo Dracula x68. That one will last you a long time, but I guarantee it'll never stop being fun.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Finish getting a taste for the franchise, then go onto the super brilliant and devilishly hard Akumajo Dracula x68.

I've only played the (easy mode) Castlevania Chronicles version, but it had solidified my opinion that this kind of restrictive Konami run & jump isn't obsolete.

[BIL]

Only real reason to play II these days, other than completism, is so you'll get the references in later games. I hadn't thought about it before, but the Rondo/Nocturne team seemed especially keen on ensuring II got as much recognition as its FC companions (ol' town in flames, Carmilla's weeping mask, overly chatty ferryman, bouncy diamond subweapon and of course Dracula's collectible, stat-boosting remains).

III is brilliant though. It's obvious they were beating a hasty retreat back to linear action, and although there's a bit of boss recycling, the scale and intensity of its later stages eclipses the first game's. In case you're not aware, Castlevania III is a bit tougher than Akumajou Densetsu in its first loop and much harder in the second (owing mostly to a brutally high damage scale).

I mostly prefer Densetsu, its loop is still a good challenge without being overly punishing. III does have a big advantage in its close-combat geared revision of Grant, though. Way cooler than Densetsu's weenie sniper. Regardless of version I always recommend taking the upper route first, the lower can be a bit aesthetically monotonous and harbours some infamously trying gimmicks.

I also have to say that Maria is hilarious to mess around with, even if she is totally easy mode. Actually I think she's a way more interesting way to implement an easy mode than just giving the player an option that tones down the stages or enemies or whatever, even if she's more high-effort (on the designers' part) than something like that. I'd like to have seen that in more games (or maybe I'm just not aware of the right games).

Took me way too long to appreciate this. Maria's close to what my ideal Rondo sequel's Alucard (or other superhuman character) should've been, tbh. Higher but not unlimited maneuverability, lower DEF, lots of cool and potentially gamebreaking tricks that are a blast to exploit but can easily blow up in your glass cannon face.

It's also kinda brilliant how Rondo's characters personify "professional" and "casual" play styles.

Spoiler

Akumajou Dracula X NEKO DAISAKUSEN

[dojo_b]

Lame question time. Been itching to try Akumajo Dracula x68, but is there any known way to hook it up on the Mac?

Overall I really like the CV series' tendency to reexplore ideas from the older titles while continuing to experiment with engine + mechanics. Definitely makes it a more fun series to plumb than say Megaman NES. Objectively I'd say Rondo has the best mechanics, but you kinda become bonded to the harsh purity of CV I/III's combat. The aesthetics on the originals is also my favorite---the sprites rough-carved out of primitive archetypes; the gently macabre atmosphere conveyed thru surprisingly luminous and friendly colors.

[Ed Oscuro]

@ dojo_b: To pile another question on, I wonder how close the Original mode port of the PlayStation "Chronicles" release is.

RUN KITTEH RUN

btw, holy crap, Renny Blaster's intro sounds like it has the exact same VA(s?) as Rondo.

I want to like this game. After the tedious roundtable discussion (something about Japan, Japan) and Drac's dark red fingernail polish, I chose the second guy (I was hoping to get a female character, no luck) and then watched another tedious cutscene of two stock yaoi manga characters having some kind of conversation before the game handed over control. I think the blue-haired youthful incubus type, who even gets the slow upwards panning shot THREE TIMES* in the first two cutscenes, is teasing Serious Hair & Glasses Man, aka Red Tie Guy from his in-game sprite. Dracula X is pretty smart about exposition: Real action scenes, fewer ugly dithered photorealistic backgrounds, less spoken narrative. Instead you get two things: A young woman is sacrificed and Richter's called on to grind obnoxious skeletons into powder - short and to the point, instead of a tedious parade of character portraits and monologues. I don't really care about Richter's workplace harassment by Shaft, just pick up the pace! I'm playing in Turbo Engine 16, which seems pretty good for software from 2009. There might be something wrong with this emulator (I've got the arcade card 3.0 BIOS running, and I set up the window + game aspect ratios to 4:3), but what I'm seeing in only the first level segment:

- inconsistent about whether it lets you scroll backwards, and strange flat stage design. Once you climb up the buildings, you can walk to the left for a bit, but there's nothing obvious to do, so you just go right again. Everything I've seen about the game suggests that you only fight enemies left or right.
- Weird disconnect between character sprite and jump clearance. In the vertical area leading to the exit, Red Tie Guy looks clearly able to stick the landing across those brick balconies, but he just slides down the side instead. Worse yet, this means you have to climb stairs,
- and the stair animation is horribly snail-like; your tall character climbs the CV1-sized steps one at a time. The steps are also vestigal carry-overs, because you can just climb a few stairs and then jump the rest of the way at this point in the game. Of course, you can't hop on or off the stairs with ease, and even in the slick-looking playthrough I watched there was a bit of trouble as the player obviously couldn't shake the feeling that stairs should be easier. Definitely a step down from Dracula X.
- a minor but revealing thing: The player character jitters back and forth in place if you walk into a wall, always a sign of potential badness
- A huge pet peeve of mine: One of your moves is a stupid ground punch shockwave technique, stupidly abusable to almost H-game levels. I've seen two enemy types so far, and the harder type has the sense to hold back while you're ground punching, but when in range won't try to dodge it, nor try to escape to safety when hit by it. They're just dumb tank enemies mechanically plodding into you. I hope it gets better than this.
- horrible laggy everything. Jump is laggy, jumping overhead Busta Sword style attack only works before you pass the top of the jump, dash attack might be okay in requiring some finesse to set up except that setting up the dash doesn't feel right and there also appears to be additional lag before the attack, and even walking is laggy to start.

It's extremely early days yet, but it's already annoying me greatly. At the same time, it looks pretty good in terms of the 2D art, and I know from the longplay that it has a blatant Splatterhouse-styled level ("Geneva," bizarrely) along with the overall Dracula X theme.

* Of course I'm reading too much of this, but two of those shots are immediately followed by a closeup of said character wearing a teasing/knowing expression. I doubt this will go anywhere interesting.

[BIL]

I'd somehow gotten it into my head over the years that Renny Blaster was a shooter (shump). Still lots for me to do in PCE land.

Noticed a couple interesting names in Dracula XX's credits, though having looked around a bit I don't think director K.Yamashita is Kinuyo Yamashita/JAMES BANANA of Dracula I OST renown. I wonder if XX's K.Yamashita is the same one credited for sound design in FC Contra?

Then there's M.Iwata's sound design credit. Tempting to think that's Masaharu Iwata given XX's impressive sound quality (I think the SFX are even better than the rich BGM - particularly love how a smashed skeleton will audibly shatter and burn). Again though, doesn't seem to pan out after some light research. Oldschool Japanese game credits, wheee!

As a kid, I also thought XX looked better than CV4. I don't think I do anymore (although there's no denying that the burning village is gorgeous, but the NES-style "dithering and shadows everywhere!" was a bit less appealing than the more colorful approach of XX.

Having thought a bit, my favourite scenes from XX resemble IV's moroseness pretty strongly - likewise the stuff I don't like (both game's washed-out cavern areas, very bland stuff). XX st5's end in particular is one of my all-series favourites (and the action's great too, I MFN HATE that it's bad end onry!):

Spoiler

Musty stone battlements, cruelly treacherous footing, a murky night sky - lovely. No need for theatrics or even floating platforms; a crumbling old castle is an inherently lethal place even before everyone breaks out the medieval murder gear! Gets right back to the elemental peril of Dracula I's third stage.

I'm very fond of the view from the clock tower for similar reasons - precarious footing, ruined elegance, unkempt natural backdrop... might look boring to some, but I like my (ostensibly) gothic horror reserved. Although vibrance obviously has its place too (Vampire Killer's molten gold Atlantis sunset and Rondo st2's immaculate marble bridge are two more big favourites) I prefer it to be the accent rather than the emphasis.

[Squire Grooktook]

I got a quickie 1cc of Rondo on break today. Very fun, will have to try for a 1lc and the other routes.

Btw, is Dullahan's move selection random? He seems to do the same thing every time if I keep attacking him up close(lance > lance > jump > ice >other stuff), but otherwise there seems to be more variance to his patterns.

Also all I can think of with Shaft's ghost is "oh my god gigantic ground behemoth" Fun boss.

Game has great monster voices and whatnot too. Particularly love Shaft's voice.

[Ed Oscuro]

I like the sun-drenched palace hallway section of XX - think that's the stretch right after the bridges - except for the fact that it just repeats that section of tiles over and over, like CV2 does. Stage 5' is still lovely though, especially the opening. The main stylistic gamble in XX is the use of solid areas of high-contrast colors - on a decent monitor or even television this shows up as a fair amount of posterization. However, it's relatively well controlled, and often looks great (giving the appearance of depth in window nooks, for example). There are some areas of outright dithering, too (i.e. the background mountains in Stage 7), but mostly it's pretty well designed and details look purposeful.

SCVIV has a lot going on due to the strong natural themes. It's not simply dry and dead, but overgrown with twisted life (and some cute frogs too).

That's the story, anyway.

Obscura is being way too diplomatic here - SCVIV is not nearly as lush as memory had it, and what looked cool years ago now just looks like launch-era tech demo flourishes. The worst offender to mind are the constant forced sections of unusual scrolling - DXX doesn't pull you out of camera control like this. Beyond that, the thing doesn't come together visually. The tile work and the tiles themselves are incredibly busy with different shades and protrusions, and nothing seems to have any depth as a result (outside of parallax). Many objects have different bit depths - I noticed this before, but now it's really striking how much some background elements and even many enemies (like the ghost or medusa heads) could have been taken right out of the early Famicom-era development we know the game passed through. One thing I associate with many SFC/SNES games is still having a huge number of repeating tiles in hallways - SCVIV has this too, but now with grotesque shapes. What's with those floating cave formations that look like calcified Metroids - not to mention the really ugly repeating tile work surrounding. Most enemies are also quite bad - so far my favorite offenders are the primitive looking skeletons and the square of flames left in their wake, the zombies whose death fireball shoots up at an angle, but most of all the silly looking skull pillars, which look like a cross between a snake and a pelican. The game's first boss, Pneumatic Joints Skull Knight, also looks pretty goofy.

Worse, there's noticeable slowdown here and there - so far, just enough to be annoying. The decision to make everything explode into huge clusters of flames didn't work, and it still ends up being less impressive than DXX due to the terribly placed and animated flame graphics.

Strange difficulty curve too - not having played in years, I only died in the first areas before the sunken ruins due to a time-out and one mistake. Many empty areas with no challenge and just one hazard or enemy to deal with at a time, if you're not counting the clock. Flailing away at bosses was enough to take them down with ample life left. Getting to the Ruins section of Stage III, though, the game suddenly throws a deadly four-way combination of leaping mermen, crumbling blocks, and debris falling unseen from above - all ready to dunk Simon. Then, at the first wall dragon - bam, three deaths in a row! And there's eight more stages in the game. Despite not being able to safely stand on skull pillars, the eight-way dangly whip really trivializes a bunch of enemies (Medusa Head removal in just two ticks of the dangly whip!), leaving platforming and physics to make up a bit much of the difficulty. Too bad. I remember a lot of the later areas have some funny puzzle-platforming or whip fixture mechanics to deal with, as well. The prospect of playing this game more is starting to feel like listening to a joke that ages you by a year. I still kind of like it, but it's becoming more obvious just how weak an entry this title is in the series.

DXX has some strange things, too. Mermen seem not to have any spitting attack and will stand staring in front of you. Stage 7's first skeletal walldragon is the worst skeletal walldragon I can think of in a serious CV game; just stand in front of it and watch its head mechanically swing through a figure-eight pattern, while it prepares fireballs to shoot straight into the ground in front of you.

[BIL]

That wall dragon's room is one of the game's more obvious regeneration stations, too. As long as you arrive with an axe you can whack him down, nab seven/eight hearts and the candlemeat in the upper-right corner, then leave and return via the stairs and repeat.

I'm not sure about Rondo Dullahan's RNG, would be interested to hear of any research! I'm mostly messing about with XX at the moment. Pretty sure its Dullahan, besides being rendered sadly useless by the abundance of space, is random.

Yeah, the enemy voices are splendid. I love that thoroughly annoyed "EHHH!" musket skeletons give, and the howl the ship's haunted painting makes upon destruction is ungodly.

Death has some wicked sneering quips too, pure Badass 90s Anime.