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

[trap15]

Also my much-wanted mecha sidescroller Finest Hour. Didn't realise it was 1989 trap!

Yeah, I think almost anyone would guess it to be a '92 or '93 release. It's really a technical marvel and spectacle for its age I'd say, Namco were extremely into doing that sort of thing for a good while, just showing off all their hardware engineering power with stuff like it and, as you mention, Assault and Metal Hawk.

[BrianC]

I'm glad Assault got a port in Namco Museum, at least. I also got to play an actual arcade cabinet of that game. Good stuff.

Quite possibly. That's a replay by Korean badass Janet, who knows where all the stuff is, and steamrolls through with perfect gear progression. That coinop ARPG breadcrumb trail, I actually enjoy. Problem is the basic scrolling action chassis, which is all kinds of boned. Collision and camera tracking are both godawful. Also, fugly game. Give it a spin in MAME first, you might be unpleasantly surprised ( ).

NES collision is worse. Good luck getting the ball and chain weapon to hit anything consistently in that version.

[velo]

I dicked around with Mirai Ninja up to level 8 or so and figured out a couple of things. You can activate a fast run by going like: jump forward, then while still in midair, let the stick briefly go neutral then press and hold forward again. This gets you a longer jump right away, and until you release the direction, you'll be running faster. Simple but not overly intuitive. You need this to make some long jumps. Level 7 (at least) apparently has a hidden timer - if you dally during the level, mooks will swarm and kill you during the boss fight.

As the game progresses, the player is asked to take more flying leaps of faith onto offscreen platforms. Feels a little like rushing through a Sonic game.

[CRP]

Super Pac-Man, out January 6
https://twitter.com/gosokkyu/status/1471499936445329418

[Ice Beam]

Xexex!
https://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/202112210033/
Insta-buy. Sorry family, no Christmas gathering for me.

[BIL]

Somebody answer teh phone cos I fookin called it Day one baybee. An altogether happier daymare than last year's ACA Christmas release, the wickedly hard Gradius III.



I've enjoyed seeing this dream lineup slowly but surely arrive in fine form. Kinda nostalgic, so many names I only learned by Napstering the (brilliant) Shooting Battle Perfect Selection ASTs.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

I'm working on a strategy guide for Halley's Comet. It's a very charming game, really enjoyed it: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=69440

I just need to add details about what enemies spawn in each level (each level has fixed enemy types as well as unique large enemy waves such as ROCKET PUNCH MAN inside the comet at Mars) and then I think it's mostly complete. It's not too complex to learn on your own mechanically but hopefully there's some helpful info in here for people who are learning the game.

[BIL]

Excellent. Even with simpler games, I love having a quick startup reference for when I don't feel like sussing things out on my own.

I should contribute a few more on-topic STs after I finally get my Ninja Spirit one done to satisfaction this week. Probably Ikari/Dogosoken/Guevara or something else shamelessly borderliney.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

The next games on my list to do writeups for are Raiga Strato Fighter, Get Star, and Giga Wing. I've got a clear that no-misses both loops of Raiga back when I thought I could come close to or beat WR, so I'm pretty confident about my knowledge, but I gave up going for WR when I realized there's some score tricks I must be missing. Even with aggressive boss milking I was still quite far off, and there's no other videos of high scoring runs out there to reference. I've always wondered if there's some trick or even glitch I'm not aware of.

I was asked to take over Giga Wing's strategy page after clearing it a couple times without using reflect, and I mean I can play it for survival more or less effortlessly, got a no-miss, etc. But I still feel like I have imposter syndrome writing a strategy guide for it because my scoring is super bad compared to what other players here have, and scoring is a fun element of the game. I gotta get back into it, relearn boss milking, go for 100 trillion points clear at least...

I'd also like to learn Gaiapolis and write up a guide for it. I've been working on compiling the bits and pieces various pros have uncovered together, and it seems like it's not an unreasonable game to 1cc. But there's basically nothing out there in terms of a comprehensive guide or information, and apparently there's some esoteric tricks like if you're below a certain amount of health, kill a hermit crab when the one digit of the timer is a certain value to get a specific item, etc.

[BIL]

Sounds like you'd be able to write a really killer 1LC/No-Reflect guide for Giga Wing - I could imagine any player getting something out of that, no matter their ultimate goal. Garegga's no-miss demonstrations likewise won't teach WR scoring (gotta die to start the bomb fragment feedback loop going, and stave off Rank once it does), but it's always good to have such specialised knowledge neatly catalogued for incorporation into wider play.

(also, it's just innately rad seeing games taken down without shields/bombs/etc )

[BrianC]

I was asked to take over Giga Wing's strategy page after clearing it a couple times without using reflect, and I mean I can play it for survival more or less effortlessly, got a no-miss, etc. But I still feel like I have imposter syndrome writing a strategy guide for it because my scoring is super bad compared to what other players here have, and scoring is a fun element of the game. I gotta get back into it, relearn boss milking, go for 100 trillion points clear at least...

Giga Wing is one of the few shmups where the score reminds me of a 90s pinball machine like Attack from Mars. Insanely high scores!

[Sima Tuna]

Between xexex and x-multiply, which do you prefer? I still haven't played squiggly arms tentacle ship monogatari (either one.)

[BIL]

Giga Wing is one of the few shmups where the score reminds me of a 90s pinball machine like Attack from Mars. Insanely high scores!

Good ol' Takumi, haha. Masters of "your score is a multiplier of your actual score" STGs. (Mars Matrix w/counterstop fixed pls, DC one needs vacation)

Between xexex and x-multiply, which do you prefer? I still haven't played squiggly arms tentacle ship monogatari (either one.)

They're both X-EXEXcellent (bwaaa!). These are two of the most universally-beloved efforts from the peak years of their legendary devs, you won't go wrong with either.

As far as tentacle-to-tentacle... X-M has a supremely tactile bullet-cancelling mechanic that still feels astonishingly fresh to this day. XEXEX's Flint is more of a mildly retarded puppy, or a beta version of the RX Albatross's Force from Delta (incidentally, that ship's Yellow laser and name are clear nods to X-M). Flint tends to do dumb things while you're getting on with your day but is very lovable, especially when you attach it to your cockpit and build up the pressure to make it explode in fuckoff tentacles that break battleships in two and penetrate all scenery. They're not actually that similar, beyond the shared hentai-tastic appendages. Both's endings will make you question the nature of said tentacles! :O

X-M leans more towards the IREM deathmaze school, and is a notably well-balanced entry to thus. Generous with firepower and forgiving on recovery, yet as meticulously tactical as their harder stuff. A 2ALL isn't the nutsack-bracing trial it is in ImageFight or R-Type II - a fine first attempt for aspiring loopers, actually. Aesthetically, while a bit garish compared to IREM's most cutting-edge pixel art, it has a neat biohorror-gone-demonic premise, and Masahiko Ishida's OST is customarily masterful with its driving creep-rock and darkly contemplative interludes.

XEXEX is also much less ball-breaking than say Gradius II (and needless to say Gradius III), though IIRC its second loop is widely feared. Sounds like a Detana Twinbee scenario, offhand. I banged out a basic bitch 1-ALL some years back, looking forward to reacquainting. Aesthetically it's kinda all over the place, tbh. Great ship design and some vivid colour, but never really commits. Again, the OST is its strongest asset, classically sunny, irrepressibly melodic Kukeiha Club.

If road-testing in MAME, note that XEXEX's Japan version is the one to play. US/World did silly things as was Konami's wont BITD. I'm guessing ACA will include both revs, going by previous Konami releases from this era.

TDLR get both ;3

[To Far Away Times]

Echoing the thoughts above. Both X-Multiply and Xexex are excellent games, though they don't really play all that much alike. I was fortunate enough to no miss the first loop of both of them, but both games are definitely doable on recovery and more player-friendly than say R-Type or Gradius. If you have played other Irem or Konami shmups you'll spot tons of similarities in each respective game. X-Multiply is very R-Type like in its visuals and audio. Xexex uses a vibrant Konami color pallette and has a few levels that have looping vertical scrolling.

But really the answer is both. Play both of them. They're two of the best hori's out there.

[Sima Tuna]

I went ahead and got x-multiply. I had really been meaning to play it for a while. The game definitely feels like a more fair and balanced version of r-type. The look of the game isn't as appealing to me as a lot of other irem shmups, but the gameplay is really solid. Immediately feels great. I love the tentacle arms and the way you have to constantly manage their behavior. They're more powerful than the Force, but harder to use. I noticed right away the game respawns you at checkpoints in front of the powerups you need to clear the zone. The stage 1 boss is a good example. Die, respawn with nothing, fly forward 20 feet, get a grabby arms powerup and laser powerup right away, then boss fight. Love it. You can die and continue as much as you want and you never lose that checkpoint or be deprived of the power needed to kill the boss.

I'm going to have to play it a lot more though, because it's still hard. I'm getting my ass kicked by every portion of levels 1 and 2.

[evil_ash_xero]

Any idea of what hour Xexex will be up on the JP PSN?

[BIL]

Should be around 5pm GMT tonight, in my experience. Gradius III popped up a bit early last year so fingers crossed.

[evil_ash_xero]

Should be around 5pm GMT tonight, in my experience. Gradius III popped up a bit early last year so fingers crossed.

Thanks. I'll keep my eyes on it.

[BIL]

On JPSN now. Gonna enjoy this mightily when I'm back home.



CERO B with warnings for sex and violence, you say? Those Phelios-esque cutscenes were kinda OTT I guess. Or maybe they just saw all the tentacles and decided to play it safe

[copy-paster]

Those intermission cutscenes without context do give 90s hentai vibes

Quite surprised that Gekirindan is on recent lineups, isn't this the first ever F3 release on ACA? Wonder if they're gonna tackle Konami GX games, as they're hard to emulate or so I heard.

[jehu]

XEXEX's Flint is more of a mildly retarded puppy

I'm playing Xexex for the first time, and never did I expect this to be so apropos. He gets caught behind walls, his admirable expressions of will are interrupted by inexplicable detours and aimless wandering. Come on little guy, you can do it. You're helping SO much. And there he is, flailing his pool noodles at the popcorn.

[BIL]

Rad, contains JP, EU and NA, aka Orius.

God damn this game is so good >_< I always forget.

Preference Options sports something I've wanted for a while, which has appeared in most of the recent Namco releases, but only AFAIK Super Cobra otherwise: PCB-accurate speed VS 60hz sync. Naturally, the former has the steady minor chop of a >60hz game running on a 60hz system, while the latter runs a tick faster, but is flawlessly synced. I'm gonna leave it at 60hz for now.

Got that autofire+charge shot button stack ala Detana (or IREMU) for EZ OPERATIONZ.

Only thing I wish is they'd included the PCB bootup sequence option, again from the recent Namcos. I always loved that little "VER JAA: OUR DREAMS COME TRUE" message. Still, it matters not, as this is indeed a dream come true.

Those intermission cutscenes without context do give 90s hentai vibes

Spoiler

Aww how cute!

Spoiler

UH OH

Was Gekirindan announced on ACA? That would indeed be the F3 debut... AFAIK it's just on the upcoming mini console, but I'd love to hear otherwise. ACA Rayforce is a fond dream.

I'm playing Xexex for the first time, and never did I expect this to be so apropos. He gets caught behind walls, his admirable expressions of will are interrupted by inexplicable detours and aimless wandering. Come on little guy, you can do it. You're helping SO much. And there he is, flailing his pool noodles at the popcorn.

I'd forgotten it myself First thing once it's off the leash, noodles around in front of a wall until near-disaster before levelling it with a distracted swing of the tail, like so much coffee table. Uncannily convincing delivery on the attract mode's ship schematic ("hosts an unknown life-form") - reminds me of the little REFRECTA buddies from Granada.

[copy-paster]

OK I was misinformed, because I looked at this list

Spoiler

actually these are LordBBH's 1cc plans

[BIL]

I'd go for ACA Pit-Fighter if it meant a few other Atari titles

Yeah, I think they might hold back on F3, Konami GX, Namco's crazier boards et al until they finally make the jump to current (or next)-gen hardware. It's not the worst thing, imo - there's still an utter goldmine of stuff on the Konami, IREM and Taito boards they've already got up and running. WTB R-Type Leo, c'mon goddammit - Kaitei Daisensou's teasing me all over again. And where for the love of God and all that is holy is Rainbow Islands

[Sima Tuna]

I will blast off like a rocket ship if Hamster port Gekirindan to switch.

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Just downloaded Xexex for PS4, at first I thought it wasn't up yet on NA PSN when I searched for Xexex and I didn't think to look for Orius. I only saw it when I searched for new releases, haha.

To celebrate, enjoy Diehard Gamefan's "Graveyard" review!



Edit: Also, EGM's brief look at Orius from January 1992.

[professor ganson]

So nice to finally get a chance to play Xexex. Looks great on my Switch lite.

[velo]

The Ninja Kid and Mutant-kun cameos in Atomic Robo-Kid have me hooked on the UPL Cinematic Universe. Mutant Night is still officially "coming soon to Switch" despite having been on PS4 for years. Do these delayed Switch releases have a history of actually making it, or is it more likely to be quietly forgotten?

[BIL]

I'm comfortable it'll make it. Last one of those IIRC was Nova 2001, which did indeed make the jump eventually.

[CRP]

The Ninja Kid and Mutant-kun cameos in Atomic Robo-Kid have me hooked on the UPL Cinematic Universe. Mutant Night is still officially "coming soon to Switch" despite having been on PS4 for years. Do these delayed Switch releases have a history of actually making it, or is it more likely to be quietly forgotten?

Just wait one week more