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Post by Sarge on Nov 4, 2020 14:19:55 GMT -5
What's funny, though, is that this generation is gonna put the original XBOX to shame. PS5 in particular is a hefty boy.
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Post by Ex on Nov 4, 2020 14:24:43 GMT -5
I predict dead PS5s will be sold on the aftermarket as boat anchors.
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Post by toei on Nov 4, 2020 17:01:51 GMT -5
Rumor has it the PS6 will cost 100,000$ but that's actually a great deal cause you'll be able to live in it.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 6, 2020 1:17:09 GMT -5
Knocked out Charlie Ninja, which is pretty much a cartoony parody of much of American culture and tropes. You start in the Wild West, which feels very Sunset Riders, but you don't get multi-directional fire here. It's more a Mega Man thing, only shooting forward unless you have homing shots. There's also an interesting evasion move that I completely forgot about... but in a tight spot, it basically makes you invincible when you deploy it. The second stage is a military-themed level, the third puts you into a seedy part of town and take out a flamboyant dude that looks like Ash from SoR3, the fourth is a send-up of American football (the "cheerleaders" are guys and when you take them out, their fake boobs go flying as they die), and the last is a mad scientist setup. All of it is pretty crazy. I liked this one for what it was - I'd probably give it a 7/10.
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Post by Ex on Nov 6, 2020 2:14:01 GMT -5
Ninja Gaiden Shadow is an action-platformer for Game Boy, developed by Natsume, and published by Tecmo in 1991. (This game was called Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword GB: Skyscraper Showdown in Japanese.) Canon-wise, Shadow is considered a prequel to the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy. The player controls Ryu Hayabusa, who must save New York City from the forces of Emperor Garuda, a servant of Jaquio. Ninja Gaiden Shadow was originally planned to be a Game Boy adaptation of the NES entry Shadow of the Ninja. The Nagoya division of Natsume, which developed Shadow of the Ninja, also developed Ninja Gaiden Shadow. The (later) European release of this GB entry, as with other Tecmo-released Ninja Gaiden games, was renamed Shadow Warriors because at the time, "ninja" were considered a taboo subject there. Ninja Gaiden Shadow uses simpler mechanics compared to the NES trilogy. Here Ryu only has a basic sword slash and a Fire Wheel spell. While Ryu cannot stick to or climb walls as in the NES games, he can hang onto railings, and hand-over-hand move underneath them, as in Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. Unique to this GB entry, Ryu is equipped with a vertical grappling hook, which allows him to reach elevated railings. As in the NES versions, Ryu can find health potions, spell ammo, and extra lives by destroying item containers. (Enemies do not drop items.)
+Impressively detailed backgrounds.
+An enjoyable OST.
+Good level design for the first four levels. +Tight controls and precise play physics.
+The right length for a handheld entry.
-The 5th stage represents an unbalanced difficulty curve.
-Not much in the way of those trademark cutscenes.
-Only one spell for Ryu to use.
-No wall climb/jump is disappointing.
-The final boss scenario is overly punitive.
As a watered down, simplified sampler of Ninja Gaiden, I suppose Shadow is decent enough. I definitely would not call it ambitious, though I'd call it competent. (Except for the final boss section, with its awful elevator and dual boss forms... that wasn't great.) For fans of NES Ninja Gaiden, Shadow is an easy recommendation. Shadow could also serve as a kinder introduction for series newcomers, before they tackle the harder NES entries. (Maybe that's why this is a prequel.) Ultimately though, Shadow is held back by its utter lack of aspiration. The designers clearly aimed to create passable potboiler here. Leaving behind a mere shadow of the NES luminaries.
Ex's time to beat: 29 minutes Ex's rating: 6/10
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Post by Sarge on Nov 6, 2020 19:50:14 GMT -5
I can't remember if I struggled with the last boss or not. Been a while since I actually played through the game. I suspect given my tastes I'd give it a 7/10, but who knows?
EDIT: Yep, I remember it all now. Didn't have too much issue, but I've also beaten this one a few times, so it came back pretty quickly. The last boss form does suck, so the secret for me is to just make sure to get to that form with a lot of health and arts. The first form is pretty easy once you know how to handle it - I got a no-hit run the second time, and that gave me plenty of health to make it. It also confirms that I'd give it a 7/10. Unfortunately, it isn't fast enough to really feel like Ninja Gaiden, and it also feels like it's missing elements that would make it a great Shadow of the Ninja games. You really have to kinda judge it on its own merits, because it doesn't stack up otherwise.
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Post by Chainsaw Bilqis on Nov 6, 2020 21:15:26 GMT -5
I looked through my collection and it turns out I do not have many ninja games for some reason, which is weird because I like them. I do recommend these two though: I wonder if Shinobi Legions would have a better reputation (well, I have no clue what its reputation is currently, I am just recalling back when I was following that stuff years ago) if it were a non-digitized game. It is quite fun to me. I used to not be a big fan of digitized graphics (back when I perceived them as a threat to my preferred traditional style), but these days its digitized look helps it stand out in a pretty charming way (though of course it would have been amazing to see it as a more traditional looking 2d game with Saturn's capabilities).
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Post by Ex on Nov 6, 2020 21:17:20 GMT -5
Sarge The issue for me was, at the final boss, you have to navigate a dangerous elevator full of projectile spewing enemies. You have to redo that elevator every time you die to the boss. Which is disingenuous to what came before, as earlier bosses allowed the player to continue directly at the boss. And of course the final boss has a second form. The first final boss form is easy, I agree. The second form can wreck you, if you don't get the timing of jumping over the fireballs perfect every time. Overall Shadow is an easy game, but the last boss was a major difficulty curve. As with any difficult game, practice lowers the challenge as you memorize the timing of everything. I think a 7/10 isn't a crazy score to give the game though.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 6, 2020 22:10:02 GMT -5
Yeah, I had a hard time with some of the fireball patterns, because he can put them in spots where you can't do much about it. That's why that second time through, I actually prioritized going to town on him to get it over as quickly as I could. I probably only got a good dodge in two or three times. And I absolutely agree that it was silly to make you do the elevator again each time. I've done that climb a few times, though, and don't have much trouble with it, so the real trouble is that it's kinda boring because it's an auto-scroller.
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Post by toei on Nov 6, 2020 22:44:58 GMT -5
Yeah, I had a hard time with some of the fireball patterns, because he can put them in spots where you can't do much about it. That's why that second time through, I actually prioritized going to town on him to get it over as quickly as I could. I probably only got a good dodge in two or three times. And I absolutely agree that it was silly to make you do the elevator again each time. I've done that climb a few times, though, and don't have much trouble with it, so the real trouble is that it's kinda boring because it's an auto-scroller.Ironically one of the main issues I had with Shinobi 3. Auto-scrollers need lots of action to be fun - like, say, Atomic Runner, where it never lets up, or any decent shmup - otherwise you're just waiting for stuff to happen. Chainsaw Bilqis I do think Legions is pretty decent overall, though it has a few issues. The character controls really well, contrary to the most famous games with digitized graphics (Mortal Kombat, etc). And Hagane is solid.
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