I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

[BIL]

Sea Fighter Poseidon - Obscure Taito 80s game. Just a fast and addictive little side scrolling... uh, underwater super-spy shooter with a jet-ski thing? I was riveted by this one on a vacation a couple summers ago, still go back to it from time to time. Wasn't familiar with it at all prior to AA.

Super cool game. The hijack mechanic is so satisfying. Not just the precision sniping, but also the brawler physicality of ramming enemy riders square in the grill. Very interesting mounted vs unmounted dynamic, too... latter is appropriately scary, with your limited offense - but you get a distinct advantage, too, being able to turn around. Supports some impressively stylish action, like dismounting a near-exhausted sub straight into an enemy's face, KOing him and snatching his ride before his buddies can run you down. Got some strong environmental design and convincingly massive bosses, too. Underrated in Taito canon and 80s STGs overall.

[Arino]

Alpine Ski - similar to Poseidon, this is just 80s Taito at their addictive arcade best. You can certainly tell it's an early 80s game, but there's a certain "just one more credit" magic for me on this one, fun for me to play for score (and I'm not a person who usually focuses a lot on scoring). Coincidentally, Shooting Game Weekly just did an episode on this a couple weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WzmQuRe1kE&t=114s

Haha yeah this game has gotten quite some attention it seems like. Wasn't it Pearl who played it "first"? Maybe other people as well (think I saw it on Twitch maybe), then it made it on to STG Weekly Like, if three people are playing the same game, or seeing it on three different channels, THAT IS SOME MAJOR HYPE
I can't wait to try it, couldn't resist anyway to get more plastic aka sick grabs for the dad shelf and ordered Taito Milestones 1 & 2, where it is featured as well.

Btw Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 & 2 (the Famicom games) are 75% off on US PSN. 10 bucks all together. Worth considering for anybody with no NES! They include a few new games.

[hamfighterx]

Legion is wild. I had never played it until this morning. Initial impressions:

The game plays really fast, and the big gimmick is time rewind bombs - quite a novel feature for 1987. However, the time rewind has such a short duration that using the bombs feels a little impractical. If you don't think you will be able to avoid the shot that is about to kill you, it's only slightly more likely that you will be quick enough to hit bomb in the tiny window before death to get a slight additional chance to save yourself (oh yeah, also the bomb doesn't remove the enemy bullets - you still have to dodge them after the slight hitch from reversing time for a millisecond). You do have the option to hold the bomb button down and consume 3 bombs to reverse an actual death, if you hit it almost immediately after you die. But again, you need to do that so quickly that it's not all that reliable of a survival method either. If you totally see the death coming it's possible - I can do it consistently if I intentionally run into a bullet as a test and I'm ready to revive myself with a 3-bomb - but if I'm playing for real and not TRYING to die, it's just too damn fast for me to react. Does feel like saving all 3 bombs to attempt to wipe out a death is maybe a better use than the fairly ineffective implementation of single bomb rewinds, and maybe something to steel yourself for as you approach a particularly hazardous section.

The soundscape is clattering metallic chaos, which sounds like a criticism but I actually sorta settled into it and liked it once I got over the jarring first impression. I was like WHOA did Einstürzende Neubauten score this shmup (and we're playing it back at triple speed)? Nah, that's just Nichibutsu. I know some people can't stand it though, and there isn't really any one annoying noise to turn off (like the awful Gunnail last shield sound that Hamster graciously allows us to toggle on/off).

Love the overall look, and also love picking up the little dudes with their rocket launchers and other implements of death, your titular Legion who also powers up your ship. Kinda get some Metal Slug or Choplifter vibes from trying to staying alive with my lil' rescued homies until I can drop them in the medical transport chopper. Docking in mid-flight, naturally... so maybe that's more Afterburner mid-air refueling/reloading for a similarly breakneck paced game (or brought to mind Amuro Ray practicing his mid-air docking in Mobile Suit Gundam).

This game is really quirky, but I like it.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Last week, I (finally) smashed the screen of my old phone, which I now believe was fate
Because now, my new phone can have Legion's crazy-ass music as a ring tone

Thank you, Hamster

[hamfighterx]

TBH, I think Legion’s music would fit better on your smashed screen phone, that seems to be exactly the right pairing.

[Arino]

TBH, I think Legion’s music would fit better on your smashed screen phone, that seems to be exactly the right pairing.

LOL HAHAHHA

The time bombs seem to be completely useless as you said. srsly wtf i have no idea how they could help

[BIL]

Decided to post the index in a dedicated thread for easier reference / visibility. Was a bit worried about splitting discussion, but I think it makes sense, given both the size and speed of this thread, and the number of ACA titles at this point. I'll keep it bumped with the latest addition.

TBH, I think Legion’s music would fit better on your smashed screen phone, that seems to be exactly the right pairing.

[Arino]

Decided to post the index in a dedicated thread for easier reference / visibility. Was a bit worried about splitting discussion, but I think it makes sense, given both the size and speed of this thread, and the number of ACA titles at this point. I'll keep it bumped with the latest addition.

TBH, I think Legion’s music would fit better on your smashed screen phone, that seems to be exactly the right pairing.

I want to keep your thread clean so i'll post it here lol

viewtopic.php?t=73653

very impressive! i dont know what to say. I am deeply moved. we all owe you big time. excellent work, ace, superb, outstanding, smashing!

[Jeneki]

Heya BIL. For ACA NeoGeo Prehistoric Isle 2, I'd add a note that it contains both the 3 life version and the health bar version. It's an unusual example of a NeoGeo game, with multiple versions that play differently.

[BIL]

I want to keep your thread clean so i'll post it here lol

viewtopic.php?t=73653

very impressive! i dont know what to say. I am deeply moved. we all owe you big time. excellent work, ace, superb, outstanding, smashing!

My pleasure ^__^ tbh the Wiki page did most of the work, I just tried to spot important ACA additions where I could.

Heya BIL. For ACA NeoGeo Prehistoric Isle 2, I'd add a note that it contains both the 3 life version and the health bar version. It's an unusual example of a NeoGeo game, with multiple versions that play differently.

Thanks bud, added!

[Arino]

Talking about Hamster's big special event we all watched last weekend, why was the guy I know from their streams only wearing his underpants during the entire event?

https://ibb.co/jwtNWny
https://ibb.co/gzQVY91

Please explain Steven.

[Skyknight]

I think you’re actually expected to use multiple bombs at once. The manual does refer to multiple bombs extending the time reversal, and blue crystals don’t seem that rare at first blush. Single bombs are probably best to put extra breathing room between you and homing missiles, considering how slow they are compared to other projectiles.

[Sumez]

I was like WHOA did Einstürzende Neubauten score this shmup (and we're playing it back at triple speed)?

Lol, you really got my attention with this comment.
Watching some game footage was a little disappointing to say the least

[BEAMLORD]

Certainly, Legion is somewhat jarring on first impression, but I have warmed to it. It's overall quite charming in its batshit little way.

There's alot of esoterica going on in one package. Can't think of another STG with a rewind mechanic off the top of my head, although I'm sure there must be another out there. Right now, it's sorta reminiscent of Giga Wing's bullet repulsion bomb. You have the time-limited power ups, so you want to be picking up your homies and breaking crystals with regularity. There are certain stretches without, and so far it seems to me that the one you don't want to be left without is the speed boost. Base speed is very slow as the action ramps up.

Then you have the loops and branching paths. Took me a little while to realise that I was replaying the same stages over and over again

But here's where Hamster's Preference settings save the day once more. They give you the option to toggle a display that handily sits outside the playfield telling you what loop you are in, but more importantly what stage you are currently in. Very helpful indeed when choosing your path forward at the end of a stage, because it's easy to forget where you are and end up taking yourself back a stage or two.

Speaking of loops, anyone know if there are a finite number, or is it an infinite looper? Last time I checked, there were some folks on the leaderboard made it up to loop 3.

[Arino]

Anybody like Terra Cresta?

[hamfighterx]

I was like WHOA did Einstürzende Neubauten score this shmup (and we're playing it back at triple speed)?

Lol, you really got my attention with this comment.
Watching some game footage was a little disappointing to say the least

Hahahaha, I'm thrilled someone even knew what I was talking about! And yeeeeah what I was going for there was more that Legion's ever present wall of clanging sound is a bit reminiscent of someone banging on a piece of sheet metal with a lead pipe or a wrench, like some of the more "industrial noise" stuff of early E.N. Like THIS.

[Fingolfin]

Legion sound = Einstürzende Neubauten is a most excellent connection: dissonant industrial with odd’n quirky (Odenkirky?) rhythms and mondo dynamics

Very keen Sir Fighterx of Ham — not sure, might have to call you a sly bastard also (have previously used this to describe Sumez).

Not a Legion expert by any means but played more than a few credits BITD in the arcade and have been playing it with good frequency via MAME for over a decade; just have always thought the aesthetic is supreme: quite the unity of effect with its music and graphics and gameplay mechanics — all/each more than a bit weird without that weirdness being forced in the slightest.

TL;DR Legion’s got organic, natural weirdness in spades.

For me, Legion and Armed F share more than a few similarities, perhaps more so than other Nichibutsu STGs (albeit Armed F’s weirdness is a couple/few notches lower): Mid+ 80’s Japanese STG Psychedelia Nichibutsu style!

Who doesn’t like Terra Cresta!

Got Nichibutsu?

[BIL]

Anybody like Terra Cresta?

Always thought it was cool, from my casual times with it. Brisk pace, peppy personality with boppin' BGM ("rawwr!"), and the Voltron formation will always appeal to 6y/o me, bashing his Go-Bots together.

Appropriately enough, it's always felt like the Moon Cresta to Xevious's Galaxian. Maybe not as masterfully-crafted as Namco's games, but more instantly-likeable from casual POV. Got into it rather late via the PS2 Oretachi Gesen release, had the impression it was pretty well-liked in Japan, at least.

Up way too late here, but while reconfirming factoids for the listing (mucho manloves as ever @ blackoak), this aside from Yoshiki Okamoto (in conversation with Shin Nakamura) cracked me up:

Nakamura: And you could fire in 32 directions with Time Pilot.

Okamoto: It was ground-breaking for its time… if I do say so myself. (laughs) But the way we made graphics back then was very primitive. First, I had to draw by hand the ship sprite on dot graph paper, from all 32 angles. Then I entered that data into the computer. However, in the middle of that arduous work, someone destroyed my work with a lighter. I was like, what the hell!

WTF?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Anybody like Terra Cresta?

Always thought it was cool, from my casual times with it. Brisk pace, peppy personality with boppin' BGM ("rawwr!"), and the Voltron formation will always appeal to 6y/o me, bashing his Go-Bots together.

Appropriately enough, it's always felt like the Moon Cresta to Xevious's Galaxian. Maybe not as masterfully-crafted as Namco's games, but more instantly-likeable from casual POV. Got into it rather late via the PS2 Oretachi Gesen release, had the impression it was pretty well-liked in Japan, at least.

Up way too late here, but while reconfirming factoids for the listing (mucho manloves as ever @ blackoak), this aside from Yoshiki Okamoto (in conversation with Shin Nakamura) cracked me up:

Nakamura: And you could fire in 32 directions with Time Pilot.

Okamoto: It was ground-breaking for its time… if I do say so myself. (laughs) But the way we made graphics back then was very primitive. First, I had to draw by hand the ship sprite on dot graph paper, from all 32 angles. Then I entered that data into the computer. However, in the middle of that arduous work, someone destroyed my work with a lighter. I was like, what the hell!

WTF?

Interesting to learn that Yoshiki Okamoto was the guy whom made Capcom's Hyper Dyne Sidearms jamma pcb that had gotten a proper late December 1986 release for the Japanese game centers. It wasn't until April of 1987 was the very first time I saw Hyper Dyne Sidearms up and running at Marriott's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, CA. Of course, it was Romstar USA (an American arcade distributor based out of Torrance, CA -- basically Southern California) whom handled the sales and distribution of Capcom's Hyper Dyne Sidearm jamma pcb conversion kits for the USA arcade market at that particular point in time (early January 1987 arcade release stateside).

Sidearms was groundbreaking for it's time with it's novel three button scheme used for both players considering that it was a two player co-op yoko STG arcade game designed from the ground up (second player could join in at any given time from the initial start to it's eventual conclusion). Fascinating to learn that were ace Japanese arcade game players whom could clear Sidearms when it was out on loke tests (Okamoto admitted that it took him many months to develop Sidearms and was shocked of players clearing it on their first try --I 'd have to assume that Sidearm's game difficulty/balancing issues hadn't been properly implemented and adjusted yet before it's proper release, hence the real reason why for that particular issue). With Sidearm's already established game mechanics in place, it eventually lead to Cave's Deathsmiles series of yoko STG titles down the road.

It wasn't until March-April of 1988 that I encountered Sidearms at a local burger joint that I seriously began to be able reach the final boss, Bozon, on my first life (by using only just the full auto power up throughout the entire session -- those damned armored centipede enemies were/are quite pesky to take out keeping me on my toes at all times during their excursions -- the fast-pacing of Sidearms never diminishes keeping one to be fully aware of what's going on) but would end up being a 2CC affair with scores averaging 1,400,000+ points quite easily per session. Since I was spending real money/quarters, it made financial sense to master Sidearms really quick. It was an expensive hobby playing arcade games back in the 1980s indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BIL]

Yeah, I was surprised to hear the loke test story too! Okamoto's reaction is hilarious once again. It's a great interview, I love those conversational pieces.

Okamoto: When you develop a game, the difficulty is decided by your own level of skill, right? I set it at a level about equal to my own abilities, so it's not very objective. There were games like Sidearms, where someone easily cleared it on the first day of the location test, though it had taken me so many months to develop… I was shocked. I thought, do I really suck this bad?

Nakamura: That can happen, yeah. These days I leave the balancing to the very skilled players at Psikyo.

Daww! Could almost sig that.

Cheers for the ROMstar info PCEFX! I'm always a bit fuzzy on them, seemed to have a lot of ranking clientele. Including... Taito, I believe? Aha, just confirmed, they published Empire City 1931. (Seibu Kaihatsu's oddball Gun Shooter, Taito-published in Japan)

Capcom USA and Konami USA were already established by the time I was standing on a box to reach the controls, so I tend to forget they weren't always the global presences of their late 80s / early 90s heyday!

[velo]

And even though I've trawled through this thread looking for recommendations - and have found a wallet-worrying amount - I thought the reflection offered by the ten-year anniversary would be a good place to ask: what have been the standout titles from Hamster's past decade for you? Not just a top three or five, but what were the pleasant surprises - something you took a punt on sight unseen and were won over by?

The main one that hasn't gotten much discussion even here is Rompers. Same designer as Splatterhouse, I figured it ought to be at least ok... I'd played it for a literal minute or two on a Namco multi cab doodad in a department iirc, and it made a decent enough impression. After putting some time into it, I've upgraded my assessment from "decent/ok" to "criminally underrated", one of my faves of the whole line. It follows your basic Pac-Man dot-eater format but it's more a puzzle action game, mid-paced and centered on knowing what move to make than twitch reaction. Oh, and rather than simply evading your foes, you smash them flat by pushing walls over -- or, in some cases, they'll do the same to you. afaik, a unique mechanic for maze games to this day. The only game of its type I recall that resets the whole level when you die... small thing, but it tells you something about the difference in design, the need to figure out and execute the right series of moves.

[Sumez]

The main one that hasn't gotten much discussion even here is Rompers. Same designer as Splatterhouse, I figured it ought to be at least ok... I'd played it for a literal minute or two on a Namco multi cab doodad in a department iirc, and it made a decent enough impression. After putting some time into it, I've upgraded my assessment from "decent/ok" to "criminally underrated", one of my faves of the whole line. It follows your basic Pac-Man dot-eater format but it's more a puzzle action game, mid-paced and centered on knowing what move to make than twitch reaction. Oh, and rather than simply evading your foes, you smash them flat by pushing walls over -- or, in some cases, they'll do the same to you. afaik, a unique mechanic for maze games to this day. The only game of its type I recall that resets the whole level when you die... small thing, but it tells you something about the difference in design, the need to figure out and execute the right series of moves.

I love recommendations like this.

On top of that, the classic "cat & mouse" maze game, which probably made up a majority of arcade games at one point (if you include sideview ones like Mappy, Flicky, or Lode Runner), is such a cool genre that just stopped being made around the mid 80s. Meaning we never got the same amount of iteration and development you'd see in shooters, for example, which would continue evolve for another good 15 years.

[Arino]

And even though I've trawled through this thread looking for recommendations - and have found a wallet-worrying amount - I thought the reflection offered by the ten-year anniversary would be a good place to ask: what have been the standout titles from Hamster's past decade for you? Not just a top three or five, but what were the pleasant surprises - something you took a punt on sight unseen and were won over by?

The main one that hasn't gotten much discussion even here is Rompers. Same designer as Splatterhouse, I figured it ought to be at least ok... I'd played it for a literal minute or two on a Namco multi cab doodad in a department iirc, and it made a decent enough impression. After putting some time into it, I've upgraded my assessment from "decent/ok" to "criminally underrated", one of my faves of the whole line. It follows your basic Pac-Man dot-eater format but it's more a puzzle action game, mid-paced and centered on knowing what move to make than twitch reaction. Oh, and rather than simply evading your foes, you smash them flat by pushing walls over -- or, in some cases, they'll do the same to you. afaik, a unique mechanic for maze games to this day. The only game of its type I recall that resets the whole level when you die... small thing, but it tells you something about the difference in design, the need to figure out and execute the right series of moves.

Thank you for recommending this game, I will make sure to check it out or buy it on ACA.

However, I think there are similar games, where you can also kill your enemies in a similar way, such as SEGA's Pengo or Don't Pull (part of Three Wonders by Capcom).

[PC Engine Fan X!]

And even though I've trawled through this thread looking for recommendations - and have found a wallet-worrying amount - I thought the reflection offered by the ten-year anniversary would be a good place to ask: what have been the standout titles from Hamster's past decade for you? Not just a top three or five, but what were the pleasant surprises - something you took a punt on sight unseen and were won over by?

The main one that hasn't gotten much discussion even here is Rompers. Same designer as Splatterhouse, I figured it ought to be at least ok... I'd played it for a literal minute or two on a Namco multi cab doodad in a department iirc, and it made a decent enough impression. After putting some time into it, I've upgraded my assessment from "decent/ok" to "criminally underrated", one of my faves of the whole line. It follows your basic Pac-Man dot-eater format but it's more a puzzle action game, mid-paced and centered on knowing what move to make than twitch reaction. Oh, and rather than simply evading your foes, you smash them flat by pushing walls over -- or, in some cases, they'll do the same to you. afaik, a unique mechanic for maze games to this day. The only game of its type I recall that resets the whole level when you die... small thing, but it tells you something about the difference in design, the need to figure out and execute the right series of moves.

Thank you for recommending this game, I will make sure to check it out or buy it on ACA.

There are games where you can kill your enemies in a similar way, such as SEGA's Pengo or Don't Pull (part of Three Wonders by Capcom).

Capcom's Three Wonders is awesome, especially the shmup one. So much detail with the 2D sprite artwork -- my local arcade, The Regency Game Palace, had an upright Dynamo cab with the CPS1 jamma pcb of 3 Wonders for all to check it out back in the early 1990s. All the Dynamo cabs sported the usual Happ Controls manufactured arcade joysticks and push buttons. Sadly, TRGP arcade shut down in July of 1994 due to it's business lease expiring.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Arino]

The main one that hasn't gotten much discussion even here is Rompers. Same designer as Splatterhouse, I figured it ought to be at least ok... I'd played it for a literal minute or two on a Namco multi cab doodad in a department iirc, and it made a decent enough impression. After putting some time into it, I've upgraded my assessment from "decent/ok" to "criminally underrated", one of my faves of the whole line. It follows your basic Pac-Man dot-eater format but it's more a puzzle action game, mid-paced and centered on knowing what move to make than twitch reaction. Oh, and rather than simply evading your foes, you smash them flat by pushing walls over -- or, in some cases, they'll do the same to you. afaik, a unique mechanic for maze games to this day. The only game of its type I recall that resets the whole level when you die... small thing, but it tells you something about the difference in design, the need to figure out and execute the right series of moves.

Thank you for recommending this game, I will make sure to check it out or buy it on ACA.

There are games where you can kill your enemies in a similar way, such as SEGA's Pengo or Don't Pull (part of Three Wonders by Capcom).

Capcom's Three Wonders is awesome, especially the shmup one. So much detail with the 2D sprite artwork -- my local arcade, The Regency Game Palace, had an upright Dynamo cab with the CPS1 jamma pcb of 3 Wonders for all to check it out back in the early 1990s.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Yeah, lots of good games among the CPS 1 & 2 library!

[Sturmvogel Prime]

No news about upcoming releases, but they're talking something about Arcade and NES Gradius.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202405/6202
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202404/3124

[Jeneki]

Hamster's youtube channel now showing Cue Brick (Konami 1989).

[BIL]

Goddamn, now that's obscure! Don't think I've ever heard its name. Instant Quarth aesthetic - or perhaps its more conventionally techy Block Hole incarnation. I wonder if it was by the same team? Brings to mind earlier block-slider Guttang Gottong, too.

Will have to give it a preview, I enjoy both. Cute name, haha.

EDIT: oh, there's Moai-kun.

EDIT2: Ok, that's flat-out Block Hole BGM. Both 1989 titles, wonder which came first. Bit of a chop-suey resource repurposing vibe; not the worst thing with labels as characterful as Konami, imo. That Gradius II font is too lovable.

[Arino]

It's almost surprising not to get another STG We are too spoiled.

[Skyknight]

I have a hunch we’ll be getting Thunder Fox in one or two weeks. >>; So that leaves guessing the next Namco title. Blast Off? The Outfoxies? Other?

On that note, Fighter & Attacker was apparently thwarted precisely because of Boeing’s fussiness on the Tomcat’s copyright. So GRID Seeker is probably safe.