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

[caldwert]

Kitten Kaboodle was only Japan and Europe.

[Ms. Tea]

Am I the only true Kittenhead here? Obviously, yes, because no one's played this game. I have vague but fond memories of it mostly because it's one of those ROMs I downloaded when I first found MAME way back in the 90s. No idea if it's actually any good tbh; will this nostalgia be enough to get me to buy it this week? We'll see.

[Sima Tuna]

Konami's Nyan Nyan Panic/Kitten Kaboodle is this week's game. Makes me wish we had a Namco release instead.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202502/33341

All the Konami games they could have picked... They had to specifically skip over Ninja Baseball Batman, Violent Storm and Undercover Cops (I think Hook too) so they could pick this one.

[BIL]

Konami's Nyan Nyan Panic/Kitten Kaboodle is this week's game. Makes me wish we had a Namco release instead.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202502/33341

All the Konami games they could have picked... They had to specifically skip over Ninja Baseball Batman, Violent Storm and Undercover Cops (I think Hook too) so they could pick this one.

Ninja Baseball Batman, YUSHICOPS and Hook are all IREM. With IP fuckery a go-go, in the last. EDIT: Maybe even the first, owing to its character designer. You'd be better off hoping for the Banpresto-published Denjin Makais. Violent Storm will almost certainly be nearer Christmas, going by Mystic Warriors and Metamorphic Force.

Does Hamster "draw names out of a hat" with such unheard of and obscure vintage arcade game titles? It seems likely that they do -- did "Kitten Kalboodle" even get a proper American arcade cab release back in 1988?

Nah I think it's very deliberate, and they're just pacing themselves as they have for the last five years. Since they went weekly, it's always been a mix of marquee, mid-tier, and obscure names from Konami and Taito. Namco's settled into a similar pattern, now the obvious catch-up game of 2021~23 is done. But they've already covered a huge chunk of Konami's library. So while the big names are as prestigious as ever, the obscurities get that much moreso.

I think the next 2~3 years will be interesting. I'd love to see them court IREM, SNK, and Technos back, plus ramp up DECO coverage. tbf that would be ~MUH DREAM~ But I think it's just as likely they'll trundle along with their current slate, especially now VP1 and Macross have reconfirmed, ala TGM1, they are capable of pulling off some rather mad fucks on the technical+licensing front. Konami GX/Taito F3/Jaleco MegaSystem 32 alone would buy them half a decade, never mind Namco's million beef nuts boards I can never recall offhand.

Ake-chan watching is fun. It's all about the backlog either way.

[caldwert]

Am I the only true Kittenhead here? Obviously, yes, because no one's played this game. I have vague but fond memories of it mostly because it's one of those ROMs I downloaded when I first found MAME way back in the 90s. No idea if it's actually any good tbh; will this nostalgia be enough to get me to buy it this week? We'll see.

I own both versions of the pcb. It is a fun little game. When I've shown it to people they're like what the hell is this?

[BIL]

I own both versions of the pcb. It is a fun little game. When I've shown it to people they're like what the hell is this?

Rad. I'm falling behind once again, haven't even tried Marchen Maze yet, but I do like this one's format.

[Sima Tuna]

Fug, I always get konami beat em ups confused with irem beat em ups.

Violent Storm anyway, give us Violent Storm!

[BrianC]

I wonder if '88 games/Konami '88/Hyper Sports special is on Hamster's radar. Track and Field and Hyper Sports are already on ACA.

[Lord British]

20 games on sale (-30%) @ PSN -Is this a record?

Chack'n Pop
Elevator Action
Flipull
Front Line
Itazura Tenshi
Kiki Kaikai
Magical Speed
Omega Fighter
Penguin-Kun Wars
Pirate Pete
Radical Radial
Raimais
Rezon
Saboten Bombers
Solitary Fighter
Strike Gunner
The Ninja Warriors
Thunder Dragon
Time Tunnel
Turbo Force

[BEAMLORD]

20 games on sale (-30%) @ PSN -Is this a record?

Chack'n Pop
Elevator Action
Flipull
Front Line
Itazura Tenshi
Kiki Kaikai
Magical Speed
Omega Fighter
Penguin-Kun Wars
Pirate Pete
Radical Radial
Raimais
Rezon
Saboten Bombers
Solitary Fighter
Strike Gunner
The Ninja Warriors
Thunder Dragon
Time Tunnel
Turbo Force

Excellent. Just had some PSN Disney Dollars for my birthday, seems like a good time to pick up some stragglers. Strike Gunner and Thunder Dragon are leaping out, at a glance

[Sima Tuna]

20 games on sale (-30%) @ PSN -Is this a record?

Chack'n Pop
Elevator Action
Flipull
Front Line
Itazura Tenshi
Kiki Kaikai
Magical Speed
Omega Fighter
Penguin-Kun Wars
Pirate Pete
Radical Radial
Raimais
Rezon
Saboten Bombers
Solitary Fighter
Strike Gunner
The Ninja Warriors
Thunder Dragon
Time Tunnel
Turbo Force

One of these games is much better than the others.

[Ms. Tea]

Looks like the same sale's on Switch. I still haven't tried Saboten Bombers, I should give it a go.

[velo]

20 games on sale (-30%) @ PSN -Is this a record?

It's usually 50%, with certain exceptions. A lot of these have been marked 50% in the past. I hope this isn't the new standard!

Looks like the same sale's on Switch. I still haven't tried Saboten Bombers, I should give it a go.

I found it a good kind of frustrating. It gets chaotic fast. Don't think I ever cracked more than a fifth of the game on one credit, if that.

[Lord British]

20 games on sale (-30%) @ PSN -Is this a record?

It's usually 50%, with certain exceptions. A lot of these have been marked 50% in the past. I hope this isn't the new standard!

It may have been at some point, but as far as I can tell lately It's always 50% for the NEOGEO games and 30% for the Namco games. With other publishers I dunno.

[velo]

It may have been at some point, but as far as I can tell lately It's always 50% for the NEOGEO games and 30% for the Namco games. With other publishers I dunno.

In the past, it was 30% for Namco and Nintendo games, 50% for anything else.

[Lord British]

It may have been at some point, but as far as I can tell lately It's always 50% for the NEOGEO games and 30% for the Namco games. With other publishers I dunno.

In the past, it was 30% for Namco and Nintendo games, 50% for anything else.

This world is going to hell

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Dead Connection will be Taito's title of the month, completing the individual releases of the games that comprise Taito Milestones 3
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202502/33586

What would be for February 20th? Tecmo? Seibu Kaihatsu? Namco? The question is in the air...

[Jonpachi]

What a waste of a great title. Now some poor zombie rom-com writer (ahem) will have to walk away from the copyright office with their head hanging low just because this Dig-Dug clone starring a yellow cat had to call itself something absurd to stand out.

[BIL]

Man it's nice not having VP1 marginalised on PlayStation anymore. Glorious Straight 100% Destruction by stalwart Master Contra KommanderHZK in VP1 Old. (true to SPI form, st7 is bugged and can't be 100%d) A ways off the formidable WR - but from a noob's standpoint, just nailing everything with that narrow shot is plenty lofty, and most heartening! The game's stunning destruction aesthetic is all the more impressive paired with such surgical precision!

I almost wish they'd either gone with three buttons, or (more Seibu's style) had the Special Weapons replace Bombs while active, so you could be a bit more tactical with ammo conservation. OTOH, the sheer compulsion to use/lose - or alternatively pull off stunts like this - is so admirably brazen, I wouldn't change it. (so cool how they let you grab items that late!)

Dead Connection will be Taito's title of the month, completing the individual releases of the games that comprise Taito Milestones 3
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202502/33586

Badass. Wanted this one forever.

What would be for February 20th? Tecmo? Seibu Kaihatsu? Namco? The question is in the air...

IMAGINE IF ITS NAMCO 3; I wonder if they'll be nice and get JJ Squawkers out early, but Athena's other big gun DAIOHHH was nearer Christmas.

EDIT: Alternatively, it feels like we're overdue a trad STG... I'd love to see Namco's Blazer, simply because I've seen/heard so little of it, and what I have makes it look like an adorable GBA port of Metal Hawk. Or how about NEBULASRAY, tbh after VP1 it's hard to rule out any other 90s hardware, save ST-V. EDIT: DONT FUCK UP THE PSN LISTING THO FFS >83

[Jeneki]

Dead Connection has an amazing attract screen. How many guys should we kill? YES

[BIL]

Aw hell yeah, charter member of FATAL ATTRACTOR A game that will get you FUCKIN PUMPED TO KILL MARLON BRANDO

Bonus: An Eerie Crossover! Noir recognise Noir I wonder if YACK and colleagues shared notes on the Ultimate Attract BGM Formula, dohoho!

TOP CLASSFIED

EDIT: Gah damn, NYAN NYAN PANIC seems pretty goddamn hardcore with unknown depths

[SavagePencil]

Eager to find out if Dead Connection has the English version. Bummed that the Taito collection had JP only.

[BEAMLORD]

Rash and reckless as I am, I went ahead and picked up Strike Gunner and OG Thunder Dragon from the current sale, sight unseen.

Strike Gunner... aww, jeez Musta been confusing this with something else. Will return for a rainy day review so as not to dismiss it completely out of hand, but I am not encouraged!

Thunder Dragon, though. Total hoodlum energy The roughest of diamonds! It's likening elsewhere in this thread to being a prototypical Macross is apt, sharing a similar gameplay style and graphical palette. I'm sure they even share explosion animations. Thunder Dragon exudes badassery though, certainly elevated by that crusty as fuck BGM. Unrefined but undiluted shooting pleasure of the basest kind.

[Sima Tuna]

I loved Thunder Dragon 1. Even more than Thunder Dragon 2, which is the one everyone tends to prefer. Thunder Dragon 1 is more of a straight Raiden clone/Toaplan clone but with sick explosions and awesome firepower. Which I am all for.

[BEAMLORD]

Yeah, Thunder Dragon 2 is awesome, I love it. But TD1's got me laughing my arse off each credit. It's so cool.

[DenimDemon]

Double dip on Thunder Dragon on the switch ( since I've packed my ps4 a while ago). Had to. This game is a must. Chunky, fast, histerycal and explosive. It's just so good. Oh and side by side with Under Defeat on the Switch menu screen. True Vanlentine

[Jonpachi]

Any tips for Thunder Dragon 1? I'm having a hard time coming to grips with the weapon system. 1 is the obvious basic spread, while it seems that 2 is the weapon to chase for boss fights, and even in some of the chunkier encounters. 3 and 4 both leave me wanting for more control. What happens to my power level when I switch weapons? Just down one level? I keep getting all flustered by trying to avoid 3/4 power-ups on stage 3 and those have become my main foe.

[BEAMLORD]

I don't have any tips, so I'd like to hear some, too.

Personal observations:

Collecting the same weapon type powers you up. Switching weapon type does exactly that, with no power-up boost. Hamster's manual is not completely clear on this, stating simply that continuing to collect weapon items will power you up.

Weapon 4 is an absolute top demolition beast, the big drawback of course being the slow rate of your missiles. Powering this up, though, results in greater horizontal coverage.

Similarly to NMK's later Macross, power-ups won't float lower down than just over half of the screen, at least until they've run their cycle, in which case they could well float to the bottom. Could help with avoiding unwanted pick-ups.

[BIL]

My #1 Hawt TD1 Tip of the day is figuring out where the loop is Just Fucking With You Bro™ and learning to love the bomb. (Star items spawn bombs, don't sleep on 'em)

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Before Cotton and Psyvariar there was...Othello.
Success Othello is this week's title.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202502/34118