Famicom Image Fight Stage 1: MY EARS ARE BLEEDING

[Valkrazhor]

I recently picked up the Famicom version of Image Fight along with a bunch of other shmups. Fun game but it took me a while to get into. It's a bit too archaic for my young blood. Especially after playing Gun-Nac and Over Horizon. The music in stage 1 is eerie as heck and cool but it makes my ears bleed like the scratching of a chalk board. Don't shoot me.

It all starts around 16 seconds in. Ouch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZC4e7Ln ... re=related

[Ex-Cyber]

It's not horrible overall, but it's definitely grating in places. Particularly, some of the early notes' sustain periods just sound like a constant square wave for 2-3 seconds, which is terrible.

[BIL]

Irem's arcade soundtracks from that period tend to have a bright, metallic sound which I love, but yeah... downgraded to Famicom level, it's nasty.

[ZOM]

Image fight's soundtrack is ace but I agree, the fami version is a bit hard on the ears.

[lgb]

personally I never cared and I eventually got over it

no, my gripe is that every track is too short

you may be better off with the arcade version, or a "better" conversion

[Mortificator]

The tracks tended to be short in the arcade version too. Stage 6's music starts off strong, for example, but it starts looping in less than 30 seconds. Comparing the arcade and Famicom versions, I think the 8-bit redux holds up pretty well.

[lgb]

That was directed at Image Fight's soundtrack in general of course, they're practically the same in that regard.

Also, for some reason the X68000 version is fairly similar to the arcade version but everything has a higher pitch; I honestly did not like it.

[Ed Oscuro]

Haha, the rising / building tones (~1 minute in) are totally destroyed in the FC conversion. I could think of worse things where something seems familiar but is messed up, but yeah that's not pleasant.

[Valkrazhor]

personally I never cared and I eventually got over it

no, my gripe is that every track is too short

you may be better off with the arcade version, or a "better" conversion

Yea dude. I know that the Famicom version is a bit weak. I just didn't expect the music to kill my ears. I enjoy the low quality synthesized sounds of the Famicom. Has a nostalgic appeal. Plus with art, the less you have to work with the more creative you have to be. This is why 8 and 16-bit tunes are often so catchy and timeless. Not this time though. Famicom Image Fight is no Ninja Gaiden in the sound department.

[lgb]

haha ninja gaiden

two words for you: 'turbo' and 'graphics'

[Valkrazhor]

haha ninja gaiden

two words for you: 'turbo' and 'graphics'

The original Famicom version is king. I like the gritty Famicom graphics and sound. Playing the Turbo 16 or Super Famicom versions just doesn't feel right.

Enter Ninja Gaiden stage 4-2. This music was created by God.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp7JgRtw50o

[BrianC]

This version of Ninja Gaiden has high pitched music with parts that keep repeating (I still plan to get it for my SMS, though).

[Valkrazhor]

This version of Ninja Gaiden has high pitched music with parts that keep repeating (I still plan to get it for my SMS, though).

I didn't know that a Master System version existed. Sweet.

Gameplay seems a lot slower but still cool.

[Mortificator]

It's a pretty fun game. There also seems another version of it besides the one in the video that corrects the spelling of "Ninjya" on the titlecards, but trims down the cinematics to just a line or two.