Retro Club - 8 & 16-bit puzzlers - The Bear and Badger

ChopperByrne

Can I make a suggestion for a game at some point?

Now that I have the retropie up and running, I've got easy retro console access.

Moot_Geeza

Yep, you can go next (Monday 17th).

Moot_Geeza

So this is still pretty fiddly with a good pad, been playing on my GemeiA330, which I like to use for NES games.

It's aged poorly, but not Robocop levels of wince - there's enough to be impressed with, it's obviously a game that would've stood out at launch. It gets extra leeway for co-op too, which works according to a Youtube vid I just watched. Ima go 83%.

Moot_Geeza

I played a couple of levels of the MD version yesterday, which I'd assumed was a lazy port, but it actually looks and plays fine. It's clearly not been lavished with care and attention, but it's no Galaxy Force II. You can just press up down left or right for the diagonal movement too, which I don't think I realised when playing the NES one.

retroking1981

Isn't up north-east and down south-west etc though?

That's what I hated from what I remember, it should have just been whatever way you push like Marble Madness.

Moot_Geeza

I'd have to boot it up again to be sure, but that sounds right, with diagonals adding N,E,S,W.

retroking1981

Yeah that's it, I couldn't get my head around it. Imagine playing 16Bit FIFA like that.

nick_md

I did the first 2 levels at the weekend, it wasn't as silky as I'd remembered. Full thoughts coming after a further stint.

Moot_Geeza

You're up on Monday @ChopperByrne

ChopperByrne

It's going to be quirky NES classic Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu

retroking1981

Thought I still had Snake Rattle N Roll but it looks like it never made a recent cull.

We played it wayyyy back in week 9 but none of us reviewed it, seems like it didn't make much of an impression.

Will boot it up now on an emulator and give my thoughts.

I do still however own Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu so I'll be all over that.

Will it survive in my collection or will it join Robocop (and the even worse Robocop 2) in the soon to be ebayed pile of disgrace???

JonB

ChopperByrne wrote:

It's going to be quirky NES classic Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu

Nice. I played the PC Engine version a bit and quite liked it. Will be up for giving this a go.

davyK

That Jackie Chan NES game was very well received when it first appeared.

Moot_Geeza

I watched a video of Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu recently, can't remember why - perhaps after Googling 'underrated NES games'. Up for it.

retroking1981

Just done the first two stages.

It's seems very good from first impressions.

Regarding Snake Rattle N Roll, I gave it a little go this morning and died on the 3rd stage, I now remember why I didn't review it and decided to sell it...

It seems like a great game, I can't comment to much after only three levels but it has that Rare quality. I want to like it but unfortunately I just can't get my head around the controls, they just feel goofy footed to me and really spoil any enjoyment I might otherwise get from it.

It's a real shame, but because of that I don't feel like I can fairly judge it.

retroking1981

Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu (NES)

Nice little action platformer this, it doesn't do anything we haven't seen on the NES before but everything it does it does well.

Graphics are top notch, nice big sprites, its all colourful, and the main sprite is great. I love how Jackie goes from a trouble free smile to a 'lets kick arse' frown when he's moving.His death animation is cool to, it captures that humorous touch which his films did so well. The music is nice and catchy and stuck with me long after playing.

A worthy addition to the NES library and a nice bonus for gaming Jackie Chan fans.

4/5

A keeper...
Keepers: 1
Culled: 2

Eric

This is great! I have just download loaded the PC Engine version of it too which unsurprisingly is even better. The graphics are beautifully drawn and animated.

retroking1981

I thought they were the same game but apparently they're different like Rondo of Blood/Vampires Kiss, which often get unfairly compared.

JonB

Just did the first level and I like how it plays. Nice simple and responsive controls. I'll be playing this more.

PC Engine game is very similer, but different level layouts IIRC. I haven't got a PCE emulator working atm, but might see if there's one around I can use.

retroking1981

JonB wrote:

PC Engine game is very similer, but different level layouts IIRC. I haven't got a PCE emulator working atm, but might see if there's one around I can use.

Yeah, from what I read that's exactly it. Every level is set in the same area but have a completely different layout and different patterns to the bosses.

They were actually developed simultaneously by different teams.

It's quite a unique situation, ones not a full blown sequel to the other but nor are they identical like an Assassins Creed on PS/XB.

JonB

Stage 2 done. Predictably resorting to mild save state abuse already. The checkpoints are a bit uneven, to be fair.

ChopperByrne

I haven't played it in about twenty years or more, but I definitely remember it being difficult.

I'll get a chance to play it again myself tomorrow evening.

I was lucky that I got a NES, the first Christmas after the SNES was released, so games were dirt cheap in the local shop. Most were £10, and I got £5 pocket money every week, so could get a new game every fortnight if I wanted to.

JonB

Did stage 3 last night (1 per night is the aim). The lengths of the sections are weirdly uneven. Thought that river bit would never end - would've given up there without save states. The bit after with the boss wasn't bad at all.

To be fair, there are probably a load of bonus stages I'm missing, which would top up health or give extra credits. I didn't find any on that stage.

retroking1981

I only found one bonus stage, fuck knows where/how they're hidden.

JonB

Stage 4 and a bit of stage 5. The difficulty level in this is a right mess. That bit bouncing around on clouds - aaargh! Getting kicked (literally) back to the beginning every time you fall off. Lots of save states there. Then the boss is a piece of piss.

ChopperByrne

Played for the first time in over twenty years last night, with no save states just to see how far I could get.

Got to the river/waterfall/raft stage, but kept on taking too much silly damage and dying.

It still looks and plays great though.

retroking1981

It's a great game, seems like thumbs up all around in here so far

JonB

Finished it just now. Didn't like it that much in the end TBH. Some sections are good fun whereas others seemed to be designed deliberately to annoy the fuck out of you. Control is generally good and the character quite responsive, but movement's not precise enough for some of the things it throws at you. Having a Jackie Chan with a massive head but tiny fists and feet seems a bit off when it comes down to it.

I didn't even do the main last boss in one go in the end, just started using save states after every 5 hits or so. It goes on forever. (Without save states BTW you have to repeat the whole section before each time you die.) Then the final final boss is a joke.

Looks nice, plays reasonably well, but is far too uneven.

Moot_Geeza

Just played through it, with plenty of save states. If this had been on the table during the great Alex Kidd in Miracle World vs Kung-Fu Master quandary of 1990, I would've asked for a NES. I also would've adored it, no question about it. It's a bit late for a an in-depth review, but I loved it. I played the shit out of Vigilante on MS, and this is probably twice as good. 92%

ChopperByrne

Anyone picked a new (old) game?

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories