|
|
Post by toei on Sept 8, 2018 12:57:33 GMT -5
Hey dunpeal2064, have you checked out Star Cruiser 2 at all? It's a sci-fi RPG set in a vast universe with multiple planets to visit, but the dungeons play out like an old-school, pre-Wolfenstein 3D FPS. It's also mostly in 3D. |
|
|
|
Post by dunpeal2064 on Sept 8, 2018 17:47:39 GMT -5
Hey dunpeal2064 , have you checked out Star Cruiser 2 at all? It's a sci-fi RPG set in a vast universe with multiple planets to visit, but the dungeons play out like an old-school, pre-Wolfenstein 3D FPS. It's also mostly in 3D. I haven't booted that one up yet, but it is definitely on my list! Of the fan translations that I want to play, Star Cruiser 2, CRW, and Macross Skull Leader all look really interesting, but are also likely of a greater length, so I want to be sure I have time set aside for them. You make it sound quite appealing, though! Of those three, I'll be sure to check this one out first.  |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Oct 9, 2018 1:21:15 GMT -5
I fear that dunpeal2064 is dead, and now he'll never play Rusty for October.  |
|
|
|
Post by dunpeal2064 on Oct 9, 2018 2:59:14 GMT -5
 Rusty is on the short list for October gaming |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Oct 9, 2018 7:09:28 GMT -5
I'm glad you're not dead. You've been MIA lately!
|
|
|
|
Post by toei on Oct 11, 2018 0:00:13 GMT -5
dunpeal2064 Cool! Looking forward to more PC-98 talk (and screenshots).
|
|
|
|
Post by dunpeal2064 on May 15, 2021 22:50:38 GMT -5
RUSTY Rusty is a side-scrolling action game developed by C-Lab and released in 1993. It is often, mostly rightly, dubbed a "Castlevania Clone", but features some elements that help it stand apart from its clear inspirations. I played the English Translation that was done by the wonderful 46 OkuMen.
Much like its inspiration, Rusty's jump is fairly stiff, locking you into either a straight jump or forward arch. Her whip attack can be used horizontally on the ground an in air, and she can also whip directly above her while her feet are planted. One thing Rusty has over her Dracula-slaying brethren is a surprisingly nimble sprint, which is even accompanied by a skidding-stop and turn-around animation. While the sprint still shows signs of stiffness, it works better than expected, and you can even slightly slow to attack enemies without having to restart your run. Rusty can also find a variety of powerups, including a time-freeze, a screen-wide fireball attack, and my favorite, a little bird that attacks as you do. These powerups use up an attack currency, similar to hearts in Castlevania games.
 
The sprint isn't the only thing that sets Rusty apart! While this game is still level-based and feels more in-line with classic-vania games, its levels act as small, explorable areas, often containing many secrets, and always containing many locked doors, with which you must have acquired the appropriate key to unlock. While not a drastic change to the formula on paper, this really gives Rusty its feeling of uniqueness. Learning a level isn't simply about learning enemy placement and attack patterns, but finding the many keys needed along the various paths in the stage, and routing the level so that you can get those keys, any secrets, and make it to the boss within the fairly tight time limit, with enough lives/health to finish the stage and its accompanying boss.
 
There is a nice, if basic, little story told between stages, often featuring very beautiful pixel art, and some panel imaging that I particularly adore. The in-game graphics are quite nice too, above-par for most of the game, and occasionally reaching into Very Cool territory (The stage with parallax, the skeleton centaur, and the final boss were stand-outs). The music, similarly, is fairly good throughout, with certain themes standing above others, and a clock tower theme that even gives the best vania clock towers a run for their money.
I couldn't possibly review Rusty without mentioning its difficulty. I'm fairly comfortable with the games that Rusty takes after, but I found this game particularly tough. The controls never felt awful, but they did always feel just a hair away from what I'd prefer, and I'd often lose an entire run at a stage due to missing a rope grab, or getting locked into a vertical jump when I attempted to jump forward. There are a plethora of insta-kill spikes, boulders and cogs dropping on you out of thin air, and enemies/hazards that are real tough to avoid taking damage from, some of which will take a third of your health on contact. I do think the game stays on the fair and playable side of things, and the stages are actually pretty safe to get through once you know what to expect, but I definitely had my fair share of rages and head-shakes playing through this. The last boss is particularly mean, as its attacks, and its openings for you to attack, are very random, and the first boss in the end gauntlet is similar. I felt more like I got lucky than that I'd conquered a difficult situation, but I was still glad to get the killing blow.
Gameplay 6.5/10: While Rusty is certainly impressive as a PC-98 action game, it does feel a step or two behind its console contemporaries. I think it offers a unique enough spin to be worth trying, and for any PC-98 fan this is obviously a must-play, but I wouldn't be surprised to see someone come away a little frustrated with Rusty. I still quite enjoyed the game though!
Art/Sound: 7/10: Rusty is above average in its presentation. It never quite blew me away like some other PC-98 games have, but it never fell behind either, and it occasionally had some really top-notch stuff.
Lewd Factor NA
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on May 15, 2021 23:04:00 GMT -5
Good job finishing the game! I think several of us here have finished it, so having another perspective is always welcome. Also, good to see you again, dunpeal2064! |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on May 15, 2021 23:39:59 GMT -5
dunpeal2064Good to see you are still alive. I agree that Rusty is tough. Though it apes Castlevania to an extent, it's less polished and harder in some BS ways. I beat the game myself back in 2016, unfortunately before the English translation patch existed. These were my thoughts at the time: gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc98/955896-rusty/reviews/162417
|
|
|
|
Post by dunpeal2064 on May 15, 2021 23:59:32 GMT -5
Good to see you all too, and good to be back! I figured this would be an appropriate first post in, what, almost 3 years?  I have a particularly dumb moment with this game, when I tried to tackle it years ago. I never knew you could run! So, I'd always start it up, get to stage 2, and get completely stuck, since there is one jump to get a key there that requires a sprint jump. I was determined for this to be my next PC-98 review, so I sorta felt defeated. It felt really good to finally tackle this white whale. There was one other game I was trying to get through alongside Rusty that I've yet to best, but I'll save that for a bit and focus on some of the more recent cool PC-98 games I've been playing. |
|
