|
Post by Sarge on Apr 22, 2023 21:51:12 GMT -5
Yep yep. One of my favorites on NES. Probably the best overhead shooter on the system.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Apr 22, 2023 21:56:31 GMT -5
Opera House was likely in charge of the programming I'll tell you the programming wasn't too hot either, saw a few weird glitches and the play of the game just feels sloppy. I know Sarge likes this one Yeah Sarge is a big fan. It's a 7/10 for me: gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/563425-jackal/reviews/171916I'm glad you played through it though, always cool when we check out each other's favorites. - For a little more insight on Capcom's reasoning behind Demon's Crest: shmuplations.com/demonscrest/
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Apr 22, 2023 22:04:22 GMT -5
Weirdly enough, I used to not rate it as highly. Same with Contra. But they've both become 10/10 games for me.
Great interview on Demon's Crest. I like to imagine what a 32-bit version might have looked like - I feel like it shares a lot of DNA with games like Symphony of the Night, and it's probably why I like the game so much.
|
|
|
Post by Xeogred on Apr 22, 2023 22:28:55 GMT -5
"-I hate that I can't shoot in the direction I'm driving!"
lol yeah that was a little weird. I even tried hitting Select/Start and considered looking up the manual, but ah well. Had to employ some intricate aiming with the grenades/missiles instead. Sometimes the lower level grenades actually seemed better, for taking out some ships in the sea and stuff. Once the missiles upgraded with some damage that spread after impact, that was awesome for taking out turrets and stuff.
Also it was satisfying running enemy foot soldiers over...
I'm wonder if there's one NES game I champion a lot some of you haven't played, but most probably have with my mind mostly thinking Blaster Master.
Has anyone played Whomp 'Em?
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Apr 22, 2023 23:07:24 GMT -5
I have played Whomp 'Em, it's not amazing but a solid NES platformer. In Japan, it's Saiyuki World and Japanese-themed as opposed to Native American. Which... makes a lot more sense, haha.
I just ran through multiple loops of Super Sprint on NES, so I suppose that's a beat. It loops a lot, apparently, so I went until I had my car maxed out. It's a very basic driving game, not much removed from something like Indy 500 on 2600. The arcade game obviously looks better, but again, not a lot to it - you do get some weird hazards like whirlwinds (spin you out like the oil slicks), and you also have pop-up barriers that you can run into (and explode on!). These tracks are a death trap!
Anyway, I can't say it's a bad game, just very slight. 5/10. R.C. Pro-Am is far superior, and if you want something very similar but much better-executed, Super Off-Road will be your jam. It's just a lot more fun bouncing all over the place on the courses and popping nitros.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Apr 22, 2023 23:30:10 GMT -5
Title: Sangokushi IIIPlatform: SEGA Master System Region release played: South Korea Year of release: 1994 Developer: Game Line Publisher: Game Line Graphics: 3/5 Audio: 2/5 Challenge: 4/5 Fun factor: 3/5 Quick Thoughts: Sangokushi III is a SEGA Master System exclusive 2D fighter, being an unlicensed South Korea release. The game's premise is based on the 14th century Chinese literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and also the Taiwanese game series Sango Fighter ( Sangokushi). Players choose from various well known warlords from the saga, doing battle amidst their military encampments as backdrops. The gameplay mimics Street Fighter II with zero surprises, what one would expect from a 2D fighter of this vintage. SEGA Master System fans who enjoy typical 2D fighters might find Sangokushi III worth a punch or two. +Plays well with responsive input. +Aesthetically captures its inspiration. +There's some amusing engrish. +Tough AI. +Less shabby than expected for being unlicensed. -Zero innovation for its genre. -OST is a dud. -No female characters. -Not much content. -Special moves input can be flaky. Ex's time to beat: 20 minutes Ex's rating: 5/10
|
|
|
Post by bonesnapdeez on Apr 23, 2023 9:26:44 GMT -5
Jackal is a lot of fun. Only played it on NES, but the arcade and FDS releases look intriguing.
Forgot to mention, but I dabbled in Iron Tank earlier in the month, which I suppose is a similar game. Not too bad, but the controls are kinda unwieldy and I never finished it.
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Apr 23, 2023 18:12:34 GMT -5
So originally, the arcade Jackal had a version that allowed eight-way fire from the gun. That got knocked out in a different revision, and it carried over to the NES game. Sadly, the arcade game suffers from the same malady as Contra's arcade version - aiming quickly is almost impossible, as you sweep through the directions instead of instantly aiming, so it can be hard to react to threats appropriately.
The FDS version plays as well as the NES version, but it's inferior in that there is no horizontal scrolling. So everything is a straight corridor upward, and it dramatically alters how the game plays. Still fun, mind you, but not nearly as good as the NES game. Eventually I'm going to play through the Jackal 2 ROM hack, which is supposed to be quite good.
EDIT: Okay, the original 2.1 version is stupid hard. Oof. The author released a lot of mix-and-match patches for 2.15, so it may be better that way.
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Apr 24, 2023 12:46:35 GMT -5
Finished a playthrough of Doki! Doki! Yuuenchi last night. This one came out rebranded in Europe as The Trolls in Crazyland, and yes, it's those trolls. Anyway, the original game has a kid that kicks balls at enemies. Initially, they're small, but there's an interesting mechanic that sees you become more powerful as you lose health (indicated by your color). Small straight shot, double shot (the second at a roughly 20 degree angle), large straight shot (2x power), large double shot, then death. Graphically, the game looks great, lots of colorful spritework, and bosses look really nice with some great pixel art. Sound is forgettable, but not offensive. But the game falters a bit in the gameplay department. It's one of those games where you move fast on the ground, but your jump is one of those rather vertical, slower jumps, and it always feels wonky to me. So the platforming doesn't feel great. There's also a pretty significant lag in your attacks, so despite looking like a game that's easy and breezy, that along with trollish enemy placement means you have to play quite cautiously. There's also toei 's favorite section in gaming, a mine cart (well, roller coaster) level! Wheeeeee! A couple, the first being pretty easy, the last one... not. Several nearly pixel-perfect jumps, so it's really unfun. Thankfully, the game does give passwords, so you don't have to do it all in one go. And you'll need them. I'm not sure there actually is a password to the last mine cart stage, which is unfortunate. But it follows up immediately with the last boss. Anyway, I don't know what I think about this one. It's not actively bad, but I hesitate to call it good, either. I think I'll settle on a meh/10.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Apr 24, 2023 12:51:30 GMT -5
That sums up a lot of these bottom of the barrel NES platformers you've scraped up for this theme. While I appreciate your effort to focus on new-to-you stuff, I still think your time would be better spend exploring other platforms for esoteric platformers. This is coming from a guy who's beaten some crappy SMS stuff for this theme so yes I recognize my own hypocrisy.
|
|