Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[soprano1]

I'd say my dualshock 2 dpad doesn't help, but I've forgotten what an MD pad actually feels like.

Yeah, it's a great controller, but the dpad sucks compared to the MD or the Saturn's comfier dpad.

[BIL]

also, BIL, i was looking at your youtube channel. you do some weird lightning strike attack with kaede in kage. how? what the heck even issssss that? i've done multiple no miss/1cc of that game and never done that before lol

Charge attack, hold B to execute - autotargets stuff, eats HP, both characters can do it. I don't use it much, myself - more for styling on dead bosses, or blowing away the first one quickly. ;3

[__SKYe]

i think it's very good to pace yourself. going overboard on a game no matter how much of a favorite it is can often have detrimental effects. i probably play gimmick at least one a month, and often two or three times back-to-back when i play it, but i think it would lose something if i ever took it to speedrun levels. i have it at a pretty reliable no miss, at this point (so long as i use potions - i usually restrict myself to not using sub items and risk a couple deaths, usually on the last boss), and there are quirks i have between playthroughs that i feel are slightly unique to me. there are bits where i take my time and just play with the enemies, especially the harmless ones. even contra and rockman 2 (two childhood favorites orbiting proximity of my top 10 or 15 games) have never managed to bring out this level of pure joy in me on such level of replay.

Yeah, that's how it goes for me.
I enjoy playing a couple credits at a time on several games, and enjoy the fruits of my labor on the long run.
Of course, this means that 1CCs or clears don't come as often as they could, but as much as I like getting them, I prefer it this way.
Sometimes I do play a game for a lot longer than that, though. It really depends on how I feel at the time, and my current mindset.
I don't know if this ever happened to you, but sometimes I'll be in a mood for something (like, say, a sci-fi theme mood), and will play games that fit that theme, even if I'd otherwise not give them much thought, or would otherwise postpone them.
I'm that kinda guy.

it's good to never push yourself too far! i commend people who are skilled enough at their favorites to push it further into a more demanding routine, but instead opt to keep it a relaxing entertainment.

True, pacing is very important. After all, if someone gets burnt out playing one's favourite game(s), to the point where it is no longer enjoyable, then something went wrong along the way.
Personally, I'd hate to end up resenting/disliking a once favourite game, by playing it too much, in to little time. Then of course, some people can play their favourites day in, day out, all day, and still love eery minute of it.

other forums and many friends frequently label me as challenge addicted, but i really and truly believe that i'm not - i just despise when games bore me or put me to sleep.

Nah, that is utter bullshit. Just because most people would prefer to play a 30 hour RPG, it doesn't make anyone who mainly prefers hardcore action games a 'challenge junkie'.
In my opinion, that seems more like a "you can play hard games and enjoy them, but I can't and I hate your guts for it" kinda thing.

whoa, no double dragon II? you're depriving yourself, man, that is the premier famicom beat 'em up. strongly recommend it. bil apparently swears by the fc version and its hardest difficulty, but i can personally vouch supreme master on the nes version is quite good, too.

I know man, I'll get there.
Like I said before, I'm not the biggest fan of Technos' games overall, but I'm trying to better understand them.
I've played Double Dragon 1 for the NES, Shin Nekketsu Kunio (SFC) and River City Ransom so far, so I'm getting more into their series, and hopefully they'll grow on me.

bare knuckle 3 was an immediate disappointment, to me. i just didn't like it at all and didn't even finish it (played the US version with the ramped up difficulty, which may have been a bad idea). i know some people had initially rough experiences with it and end up saying it's mechanically the most tight of the three, but i don't knowwwwww. 1 and 2 were such instant clicks, the first beat 'em ups i ever loved.

Likewise.
Though the graphics are still fantastic, and the audio, although nowhere near the prequels, is forgivable, and even with some cool mechanics introduced (like the vertical roll, and the sprint), it just doesn't play as nicely.
The basic combo, in particular, doesn't have the 'weight' it used to have in the previous game(s), and this is pretty bad, especially considering that the SOR 2 already had good mechanics.
It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it really falls short compared to the prequel.

i cannot let you get away with that first statement until you play double dragon II for a fair shake

Haha, fair enough, I'll try to play the NES/FC Double Dragon games, and try to provide a more educated opinion in the future.
But it still stands, that Mighty Final Fight is, if not the best, most definitely one of the best on the system.

also, river city ransom the best? i've typically only seen that said by total rubes. i've never gotten into it and always had the assumption it was something game tourists loved but serious beat 'em enthusiasts only viewed as a novelty.

I've heard from multiple sources that River City Ransom is their best beat-em-up on the NES.
I guess what makes people think that, is that RVR is more like a beat-em-up/RPG hybrid. It gives the illusion of a bigger game, with more freedom (and more length) due to it's free roaming style, and the 2P coop helps with that too.
But that's something I said before too: as a beat-em-up that you play for the 1CC (which entails single player), it isn't quite up to par with other games. I said Mighty Final Fight was better, you enjoy Double Dragon II, so I guess it's fame comes more from a 'fun to play with a friend with mild RPG elements beat-em-up'.
It is still a good game though, but not one I'd want to play seriously for a long time.

ALSO ALSO, have you ever played nekketsu koha kunio-kun? it was technos' first-ever beat 'em up, and i've quite enjoyed the famicom version. i've 1cc'd both loops 1 and 2 (which you can pick from the title screen), but the last level of loop 3 was just too much for me imo the mechanics in this game are much tighter than in river city ransom, and without all the annoying distractions taking you out of the pure thrashing. it ain't no double dragon II, but it's way better than what you'd think for such a primordial game. a key part of the game is demolishing faces on downed foes, and it provides quite the addictive risk/reward to take yourself temporarily out of combat to quickly disable someone. prob my 2nd favorite technos fc game. have a guide handy for that last stage, though, it does some maze shit.

Not just Technos' first beat-em-up, but pretty much the game that defined the genre.
Yes I have, but the arcade version (and even it's Renegade overseas version ), though I didn't play it too much, really.
The NES port, I've yet to play, but I'll give it a try as well.
I stumble upon it (and several others), when I started making a small list of beat-em-ups, ordered by their release date, so as to appreciate where the genre started, and how it evolved.
I still have most of them to attempt seriously, but it's a nice way to further appreciate the genre.

it's also a bit of note for allowing you to pummel the shit out of some gnarly women delinquents, too. you unfortunately can't play as a woman, but i like any game that lets its women be as tough as its men. doesn't sexualize them, either, they look some seriously tough fuckers. it ain't no ane-san, though, of course! god damn, i really need to get a copy of ane-san, already.

Yeah, that is always cool. They they also give variety to watever games they appear in.
One of the things I honestly love the most about some of Technos' games, is the whole theme of high school delinquency, and the typical japanese biker gangs and Yakuza. It's is so undeniably Japanese, and unique (in the context of video games), that it is fantastic.
It also immensely helps, that I love that kind of manga (like Shonan Junai Gumi and Be-Bop High School).

before you go rooting around my backlog, though, please realize this is my own personal thing i keep mostly to myself, and i will be as harsh as i want on games i dislike. i feel like i spend an incredible amount of time ruminating over how to rate a game and where to place it in an arena of quality. my famicom and gb reviews are probably the most thoughtful, as i've got a lot of historical context from research to help me be as knowledgeable as possible about them. they're going to most frequently have additional review text in the drop downs. putting critical thought first with games is probably one of my biggest priorities.

You shouldn't be apologetic by that. That's exactly what your rating list is: YOUR list.
You're free to rate the games you play in any way you see fit, and no one else has any right to say anything. It is your opinion after all, and not something set in stone, that everyone else must agree to.
It is a shame that some idiot harassed you enough to make you create a new list, but don't be deterred by it.
In fact, I'd much rather give a game a chance, based on an opinion like yours (someone who knows from experience), than some generic review online, even if, after playing, I end up with a different opinion than yours.

I also keep a text file on my computer with all the games I've cleared/1CCed, along with specific details about how I cleared them, so after seeing your list, I'm tempted to make an account at that website.

[BIL]

whoa, no double dragon II? you're depriving yourself, man, that is the premier famicom beat 'em up. strongly recommend it. bil apparently swears by the fc version and its hardest difficulty, but i can personally vouch supreme master on the nes version is quite good, too.

To elaborate a bit, NES Supreme Master = FC Normal. FC Hard's critical upgrade concerns enemy aggression, specifically their attack frequency while in striking range. I remember hearing the NES one was overly easy, then booting up the FC one with no prior knowledge and getting brutalised. At first I thought I just really sucked, but checking a NES speedrun, it was blatantly obvious its enemies were nowhere near as vicious. Booted up that version and yup, relatively wimpy.

NES Williams' not that bothered tbh

Spoiler

FC Williams' gonna SMASH UR FACE

Spoiler

Besides boosting raw difficulty, FC Hard improves the game's balance too. The knee is nowhere near as overpowering - enemies won't let it connect nearly as often, typically causing it to trade, and since they have endgame HP from stage 1, you can't instakill them with it anyway. So you end up using it more naturally - say, if they're on a ledge above you, or if there's a pit to blast them into (trade all they like - they dead!). It's just a better experience altogether at higher-level play.

Conversely it's also more user-friendly - you can play the whole game on any difficulty (no cutoff at lower ones ala NES), continues are enabled by default (no cheat needed), and Mission 6's vanishing platforms are more forgiving on Easy/Normal (NES ones are stuck on the "Hard" pattern, no matter the game setting).

I wonder which version came first. FC's easily the better package at any rate, but was it enhanced ala Metal Storm, or did Acclaim screw around with the overseas version ala Splatterhouse 3?

[M.Knight]

i highly recommend cave noire if you've never played it, too. nifty little roguelike with bite-sized stages and interesting difficulty progression. easily playable without any japanese reading comprehension, too (though i believe there's a translation patch, anyway).

That thread moves very fast, so this a quite an old post by now, but I definitely second that Cave Noire recommendation! It has easily become my favorite roguelike and is one of my go-to games whenever I set-up a GameBoy emulator on a machine of mine. And, yes, there's a fan-translation.

For those who don't know much about the game, it is a rogue-like mixed with a puzzle-like approach to enemy encounters. Three features make it play very differently compared to other games in its genre :
-Objectives never involve clearing a certain amount of floors as there are an infinite amount of them, and in 3 out of the game's 4 dungeons, they do not involve killing enemies
-Only a few enemies actively chase you; others have a set movement pattern and attack you only if you move into them of let them approach you.
-The focus on stats is also removed, as there are no exp points, few HP and only a handful of equipment upgrades.

Therefore, you will try to avoid enemy confrontations as much as possible, studying and learning each enemy's movement pattern to dodge them. It's very refreshing and the learning curve is not as steep as the classic PC roguelikes, which is great if you are not as dedicated to the genre as me. Plus, you can play as a girl~

[Squire Grooktook]

Interesting, I read through quite a bit of that missing the "game boy" part, and then was totally surprised to look it up since it sounded like an (already interesting) indie/doujin affair. Cool stuff for sure. Looks genuinely tense.

[BIL]

Rockin' BGM too. :O I tried it out very briefly a few months back but (always promising golden age Konami brand aside) couldn't decide one way or another. Definitely back on the list now.

[__SKYe]

Yeah, I'll go for the JP version then.
I'll usually always go for the original release (generally JP for retro games), unless the story is important, which then I go for the US/Europe release.
Unless, of course, the overseas version ends up the superior one. Then I'll either play that, or end up playing both, if the game's good enough.

I wonder which version came first. FC's easily the better package at any rate, but was it enhanced ala Metal Storm, or did Acclaim screw around with the overseas version ala Splatterhouse 3?

According to Wikipedia, the Famicom version was released in December 1989, and the US version in January 1990.
Overseas released at the time were quite finicky. Some developers/publishers would ramp up the difficulty to ridiculous amounts for the overseas releases (like Bare Knuckle 3, for example), while others would dumb them down, which apparently is the case with Double Dragon II.

Interesting, I read through quite a bit of that missing the "game boy" part, and then was totally surprised to look it up since it sounded like an (already interesting) indie/doujin affair. Cool stuff for sure. Looks genuinely tense.

Yeah, Cave Noire is a genuinely nice game, and a sort of more casual spin on the classic roguelike formula. It is also one of the very few (if no the only) roguelike game in the original GB, so that makes it even nicer.

[M.Knight]

Cave Noire being designed for a portable console also means that each run in a dungeon shouldn't last very long. In the same genre, Baroque (remake) is a favorite of mine due to its real-time combat, very twisted atmosphere and puzzle-like plot exposition that you must piece together yourself if you want; but a complete run can last a few hours so I can't muster the courage to play it again. Cave Noire in comparison feels more like an arcade game in terms of pacing and tension.

Don't hesitate to post some impressions when you give it a shot~

[Squire Grooktook]

From the Cave Noire video I wandered onto a longplay of arcade title Avenging Spirit / Phantasm

No idea how this one plays (might give it a shot later out of curiosity, would be nice if it turned out to be decent), but regardless I have to admire the goofy personality and animations alongside the novel gameplay premise



(need to make a standalone gif of the NINJA WALK too)



Surprisingly soulful endings for the sidescrolling equivalent of a cute-em-up too

Spoiler

[__SKYe]

Quick update, once again, played a credit on Mighty Final Fight, this time with Guy, and also got the 1CC.



Managed to get the clear losing 3 lives (2 on Stage 3, and one against Abigail on Stage 4). I'm much happier with this run, not only because I lost fewer lives, but also because I managed to beat every boss without losing a life, except once again, Abigail on Stage 4.

Guy's overall easier to play, because he's faster than the Cody, and this helps quite a bit in getting into position/running from danger.

No idea how this one plays (might give it a shot later out of curiosity, would be nice if it turned out to be decent), but regardless I have to admire the goofy personality and animations alongside the novel gameplay premise

It is indeed a good game.
The possession mechanic is very fun to play, as you get play with several completely different characters (by possessing enemies). Definitely worth playing, and one of the better games (published in this case) by Jaleco.
By the way, there's also a GameBoy port.

[Squire Grooktook]

Obscure, lovable aesthetic, plays well with a nice gimmick...looks like I lucked out today ^_^

[mamboFoxtrot]

Oh, I thought the Game Boy version was the only one. Guess I ought to try this one out sometime soon, myself.

[Sumez]

I often see Avenging Spirit for sale relatively cheap. Especially considering where most arcade prices have gone recently.

[Shoryukev]

Mighty Final Fight looks fun, it's too bad it's over $200 for a loose US cart

[FinalBaton]

Yeah Mighty Final Fight looks dope. Tried it in emulator to get a taste, but sadly my emulator setup sucks big time and there's noticeable lag, so I couldn't fully appreciate the game for what it is. But I still could get a climpse of what's good about it

[soprano1]

Yeah Mighty Final Fight looks dope. Tried it in emulator to get a taste, but sadly my emulator setup sucks big time and there's noticeable lag, so I couldn't fully appreciate the game for what it is. But I still could get a climpse of what's good about it

Lag on NES/FC emulators?! What are you using?

[FinalBaton]

Lag on NES/FC emulators?! What are you using?

Nothing out of the ordinary (Nestopia). Even when the PC is plugged into a CRT, I sense some delay vs a real NES. I can tell because when I'm playing Ninja Gaiden on my PC I can't achieve the level of play that I hit on the console. And I play at a pretty damn high level on console.
Maybe it's my PC's fault, maybe there's lag on the VGA-out port signal or something. I dunno

[__SKYe]

Yeah, Mighty Final Fight is a fantastic game for the NES, and most definitely worth a try.
Didn't know the cart was that expensive though.

Yeah Mighty Final Fight looks dope. Tried it in emulator to get a taste, but sadly my emulator setup sucks big time and there's noticeable lag, so I couldn't fully appreciate the game for what it is. But I still could get a climpse of what's good about it

I never had this problem as well.
The most accurate NES emulators are Bizhawk and puNES (according to this), if you're interested. My PC can't run either at full speed, so I use FCEUX which also plays very well, and hadn't had any problems with it.
I have no idea how it stands against a real NES though.

[WelshMegalodon]

While Bizhawk and puNES do indeed have accurate NES emulation, test ROMs should not be taken on their own as an absolute measure of emulation accuracy.

That being said, it's surprising to see someone's machine struggling with NES emulation in 2017. You could certainly not go wrong trying Mesen or Nestopia Undead Edition.

[__SKYe]

That being said, it's surprising to see someone's machine struggling with NES emulation in 2017.

Yes, my PC is absolute crap.

[Sumez]

Let's keep the discussion on the games as much as possible
(I just don't want this thread to get "too close to comfort")

[WelshMegalodon]

I don't even get why people were so worked up in those threads. SH3 emulation isn't even all that great...

Uh...




Streets of Rage 2 drags on a bit after Stage 6. Agree or disagree?

[kitten]

also, BIL, i was looking at your youtube channel. you do some weird lightning strike attack with kaede in kage. how? what the heck even issssss that? i've done multiple no miss/1cc of that game and never done that before lol

Charge attack, hold B to execute - autotargets stuff, eats HP, both characters can do it. I don't use it much, myself - more for styling on dead bosses, or blowing away the first one quickly. ;3

ah, damn! now that you mention it's a charge attack i think i DID know about this when i first started, but wrote it off because it drained so much health that it didn't seem good to try and fool around with while i was learning the game. btw, bil, you absolutely blow through this game with serious aggression :O every time i play kage, i go kind of slow, make goofy mistakes, take my time. i've probably no miss'd it a fair shake more than half a dozen times (it's a favorite!), but never gone for a truly aggressive clear. though we often enjoy the same games, i think we might have some differing sensibilities going into them.

or this is one game you went more dedicated over and were shaping yourself up for a recording. i'd be interested to hear how frequent a sensibility this is for you. if it's often, i'm willing to bet you don't enjoy rockman nearly as much i do. i feel like that is where i picked up a lot of my sensibilities for these types of games, and it's a series that allows constant breathing room. i'm one to frequently get up and make a bite to eat, use the restroom, click a link a friend sent me on discord while i'm voice chatting with them while i play, EVEN on super difficult runs. i'm very good at taking pauses and getting right back into the action. certain games are exceptions (TNWA is relentless and i've barely been able to hold a conversation while playing it, lately), but many of my most loved games have... i wouldn't call it downtime, but the opportunity for the player to take some downtime, if they wish to stop pressing forward.

for the record, i did settle on a solid 4-star rating for TNWA, if my affluent praise for it did not already make that painfully obvious. i really believe it is excellent, even if it is a tad more relentless than i usually like my games. its execution more than makes up for it being a hair out of my usual scope of "favorite." i'm a little bit glad you pushed on this on this one, even though i think i'd have stopped waiting around to pick it up after playing MMPR and liking it a lot, anyway.

Conversely it's also more user-friendly - you can play the whole game on any difficulty (no cutoff at lower ones ala NES), continues are enabled by default (no cheat needed), and Mission 6's vanishing platforms are more forgiving on Easy/Normal (NES ones are stuck on the "Hard" pattern, no matter the game setting).

all very interesting! i wish i'd have been made aware of these changes before picking the copy up that i did, or i'd have gone for the famicom, instead. i didn't get into double dragon II until a year or so ago, and it was after i'd already gone nuts about the fc.

especially glad to hear those platforms are easier on normal! that's the shittiest part of the game, to me. feels painfully out of line with the rest of the game.

also, i noticed you play black-dressed annie on wild guns. i always play white!

From the Cave Noire video I wandered onto a longplay of arcade title Avenging Spirit / Phantasm

i've only played the gb version of this! brought it up a few pages back as semi-obscure game boy games that don't -too- often get recommended, i believe. it's pretty neat, but a little pricy for a gb game. i've never played the arcade version, but the gb version seemed to be better balanced and have some better design sensibilities from as far as i could tell, looking at versions of both. gb version also comes packed with an additional hard/expert mode, which is very notably tough.

Interesting, I read through quite a bit of that missing the "game boy" part, and then was totally surprised to look it up since it sounded like an (already interesting) indie/doujin affair. Cool stuff for sure. Looks genuinely tense.

it's real good! if you missed my review, it's right over here - http://ettugamer.com/2016/06/02/a-trip- ... ave-noire/

can be played in japanese with no knowledge of how to read japanese, which is awesome very good and intuitive menu

Mighty Final Fight looks fun, it's too bad it's over $200 for a loose US cart

it's like, twenty bux for a jp cart, or even less on YAJ. just a tenth! it also got rereleased in the US on the gba via a small collection... i think that's still common to find.

Yeah, that's how it goes for me.
I enjoy playing a couple credits at a time on several games, and enjoy the fruits of my labor on the long run.
Of course, this means that 1CCs or clears don't come as often as they could, but as much as I like getting them, I prefer it this way.
Sometimes I do play a game for a lot longer than that, though. It really depends on how I feel at the time, and my current mindset.
I don't know if this ever happened to you, but sometimes I'll be in a mood for something (like, say, a sci-fi theme mood), and will play games that fit that theme, even if I'd otherwise not give them much thought, or would otherwise postpone them.
I'm that kinda guy.

there's QUITE a list of games i play to casually go back for repeated no miss/1cc, and they're MOSTLY famicom(/nes) games. something about those carts and how easy it is to pop 'em in and get a full game done in just half an hour... it makes me all teary-eyed and emotional! i think it might be a good, separate thread idea for everyone to list games you've already done a challenge run on, but can't bring yourself to stop going back time and again, just for fun.

In my opinion, that seems more like a "you can play hard games and enjoy them, but I can't and I hate your guts for it" kinda thing.

people who enjoy challenge in games are often accused of having large egos, but i would say it's those who point that finger who have the ego issue, and it's a sore one.

I know man, I'll get there.
Like I said before, I'm not the biggest fan of Technos' games overall, but I'm trying to better understand them.
I've played Double Dragon 1 for the NES, Shin Nekketsu Kunio (SFC) and River City Ransom so far, so I'm getting more into their series, and hopefully they'll grow on me.

i don't much care for DD1 (only ever played nes. i swear i remember hearing someone say the sms version was the best home version?) or RCR, at all, but i really like DDII and the first kunio-kun game for famicom. i think the chance is there for you to have a similar opinion and turn around a bit on technos.

Haha, fair enough, I'll try to play the NES/FC Double Dragon games, and try to provide a more educated opinion in the future.
But it still stands, that Mighty Final Fight is, if not the best, most definitely one of the best on the system.

really wish i had a copy sitting around so i could chime in! i would play it right now just for the sake of chiming in. ah, me and my damn restrictive personal guidelines.

I've heard from multiple sources that River City Ransom is their best beat-em-up on the NES.
I guess what makes people think that, is that RVR is more like a beat-em-up/RPG hybrid. It gives the illusion of a bigger game, with more freedom (and more length) due to it's free roaming style, and the 2P coop helps with that too.

yeah, like i said, total rubes

i have a crushingly mean distaste for people who drift to things like shitty rpg (or metroidvania) elements in any genre of game for an easier time and more explicit sense of progression. i consider it a serious weakness in ones' taste and priorities, as well as a poison that has ruined many of my favorite genres in today's context. i cannot tell you how proud i was of furi for not doing that bullshit, when it would have been damned easy.

i do not have pure disdain for rpg's and metroidvanias, themselves (i still love common snes favorites like super metroid and chrono trigger!), but i have a distaste for them being lazily jammed into games where it does absolutely nothing for them other than artificially extend the length of the game, gate progress, limit the player in uninteresting ways, etc. i feel like this shit started ruining great game series very early on.

Yeah, that is always cool. They they also give variety to watever games they appear in.
One of the things I honestly love the most about some of Technos' games, is the whole theme of high school delinquency, and the typical japanese biker gangs and Yakuza. It's is so undeniably Japanese, and unique (in the context of video games), that it is fantastic.

yeah, i like that a decent bit, too! it's very unabashedly japanese. a lot of 80's/early 90's japanese game (and anime) aesthetic sensibilities were born from this kind-of tawdry obsession with american media (even very much-loved, personal favorites such as contra), and i really like it when a game or series forsakes that for something either more specific to their culture or entirely original (like kirby's adventure and gimmick!).

I also keep a text file on my computer with all the games I've cleared/1CCed, along with specific details about how I cleared them, so after seeing your list, I'm tempted to make an account at that website.

my backloggery page has nearly 2000 unique entries and it's a SERIOUS effort to get all that data input. i also very frequently have thoughtful reviews and ratings, which i spend considerable time ruminating over before deciding upon. i use it for keeping track of my collection, keeping my critical sensibilities in order and remembering what i had to say about a game with my last experience with it, making sure i keep myself goal oriented in certain games, etc. you can really get a lot of mileage out of using one, but you get about as much out as you put in.

i also use my backloggery as a good way to go back to games and see if my sensibilities have changed, evolved, or regressed. this has made me much more confident as a critic, and imo a better writer, too. i would consider myself extremely critically oriented when it comes to games, and that my drive to be critical even takes priority over my drive to complete challenges. understanding ones' own taste is something i find to be very rarely done by many, which leads to an hg101-esque "everything is awesome!" mentality. you end up only being able to criticize games deeply when they're accepted social targets. when i say a game is anywhere from "flagrant trash" to "truly excellent," it is always at least slightly calculated. a lot of my motivation for 1cc/no miss comes from wanting to understand a game's design better. many critics begin to see their perspective as valuable no matter their experience level or time input into a game (coming across less like reviews and more like journal entries), and i strive to be fervently against that in my own content.

[Vludi]

Streets of Rage 2 drags on a bit after Stage 6. Agree or disagree?

Yeah the game is a bit longer than it should be, same happens with Knights of Valour to me

[kitten]

another hard mode all-clear (my score in the upper right picture hasn't had my extends factored in, yet) and with a better score than i'd previously gotten when i did this! not a GREAT score, and i choked hard on the 2nd-to-last stage i chose. i'd gotten up to that point with no deaths, and then ended up getting one there and something embarrassing like 4 deaths on the last stage (i got all nervous! agghhh i'm such a baby! ). extends are worth an overall big percentage of your final score tally. i also don't know which level order provides the highest amount of points yield, but i don't think i'll ever get so into scoring into this game that i'll really care much, anyway.

notice on the score screen i have a score entered from having CONTINUED on FUCKING NORMAL. my roommate had never played this game before and i was showing it to her, and did worse than last night and had to continue (repeatedly) on the last stage :O goddamn performance anxiety, haha. i usually don't get that too badly when showing people games, but when i realize i'm showing someone something, i tend to get really conscious of it. i went and switched it to hard and then washed the taste out of my mouth with that nice 1cc.

sumez, a couple more tips from watching my friend play (she's getting wrecked, also) -

every enemy that does that stream of strafing bullets does it based on position of their gun, which is unlike how ordinary bullets they fire work.

rapidly tapping fire will ready up a lasso, hitting an enemy with a lasso will temporarily freeze them. imo this is too much work to take advantage of very often, but can be useful on a few bosses. this mechanic can be a little bit awkward.

you have i-frames during the dodge roll, but it's very punishing as you come out of it. this makes it useful for very deliberate dodges, and it is key to know it has i-frames for the tank boss b/c of its flamethrower.

you said "2nd stage" at one point, does the ps4 version have linear stage progression? :O

[GSK]

Ftr, my experience is based on the recent PS4 release, I haven't played the SNES one for decades, and back then I probably knew about the double jump... I don't remember the game being this hard.

The PS4 version is definitely harder than the original and I don't think the difficulty settings do anything but replace old stages with new ones.

[BIL]

btw, bil, you absolutely blow through this game with serious aggression :O every time i play kage, i go kind of slow, make goofy mistakes, take my time. i've probably no miss'd it a fair shake more than half a dozen times (it's a favorite!), but never gone for a truly aggressive clear. though we often enjoy the same games, i think we might have some differing sensibilities going into them.

or this is one game you went more dedicated over and were shaping yourself up for a recording. i'd be interested to hear how frequent a sensibility this is for you.

I like efficiency, but not to the detriment of the aesthetic. For example, in Kage, you can advance a lot quicker by constantly abusing the air attack's momentum boost. Looks daft though, so I don't. Generally in these games you have a very definite endpoint or objective to proceed towards, so I just try to keep on track. Ultimately I consider my replays more illustrative primers than anything else - "here's how the game looks in reasonably competent hands."

if it's often, i'm willing to bet you don't enjoy rockman nearly as much i do. i feel like that is where i picked up a lot of my sensibilities for these types of games, and it's a series that allows constant breathing room. i'm one to frequently get up and make a bite to eat, use the restroom, click a link a friend sent me on discord while i'm voice chatting with them while i play, EVEN on super difficult runs. i'm very good at taking pauses and getting right back into the action. certain games are exceptions (TNWA is relentless and i've barely been able to hold a conversation while playing it, lately), but many of my most loved games have... i wouldn't call it downtime, but the opportunity for the player to take some downtime, if they wish to stop pressing forward.

Relentlessness is a big draw for me, yep. In action/arcade-derived stuff, anyway! Nothing gets my goat like R-Type III's lazy first stage. (・｀ω´・)

OTOH, some of my favourite non-action games ever are the KCET-made Silent Hill quartet - I like to replay them in release order every couple winters, when the nights are nice and long and the holidays free up time. I like to really bask in the mood of those (their endgame ranking systems actually facilitate intensive "results-oriented" replays - I've never been interested tbh).

On the subject of Technos, have you played Double Dragon Advance? Love letter to Technos by ex-employees at Million. Possibly the definitive Technos brawler, almost certainly the best Double Dragon game. Besides the superb DDII FC, I have a soft spot for the slow-moving but elaborately choreograph-able Return Of (SFC), and outside the series, the primal car-crash violence of The Combatribes (SFC port - haven't played the AC one). DDA's my pick of the lot though. Adds exceptionally smooth handling and sensibly restrained combos, without sacrificing one iota of the trademark Technos brutality. Even does some lore housekeeping, too, gracefully resolving and incorporating the starkly divergent AC/FC Double Dragon II storylines.

[Kaiser]

Ftr, my experience is based on the recent PS4 release, I haven't played the SNES one for decades, and back then I probably knew about the double jump... I don't remember the game being this hard.

The PS4 version is definitely harder than the original and I don't think the difficulty settings do anything but replace old stages with new ones.

Yeah it's definitely harder than the SNES one, I had the pleasure of 1cc'ing PS4 one on Normal yesterday with Clint, 2,4M, which is pretty low but eh I BARELY beat the final boss, went in into him with 4 lives, left with 0 spare. For some reason he's a lot harder than on SNES, I think it's because there are more goons showing up regularly that try to shoot you on top of you dodging. After a break I may tackle Hard Mode.

[Bloodreign]

I see Avenging Spirit mentioned here, really nice quirky little game with a depressing premise. Shame the only port was to Gameboy, but it's even good there, but boy oh boy it's price sure isn't nice.