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

davyK

I'm using the Fusion emulator.

Moot_Geeza

Castlevania: Bloodlines - Switch (80mins)

Strong effort from Konami for this exclusive MD entry, there are technical tricks on display in places that would make Dynamite Headdy do a double take. Occasionally things are pushed just a little too far, as unlike the company's other efforts this creaks a little under the weight of its own ambition (although oddly the 'this console shouldn't be doing this!' bits are mostly slowdown free). Still, overall it's a tremendous technical achievement with a cracking game holding at all together.

I played as Eric Lecarde this time, whose lance is absolutely fine but makes it feel a bit odd for a Castlevania game. I'm sure this was intentional as added variety for the second character, but I have my suspicions that the ridiculously OP vertical attack wasn't supposed to be quite so useful. If you over-use it and take your time the frames of invulnerability will get you out of most problems.

Exploitable specials aside, difficulty wise this is hard to judge - I thought it was extremely tricky. Perhaps even more so than Contra Hard Corps. Obviously you get far more health to deal with each stage but there's precious little opportunity to claw any of it back. I've approached most CV games with save states tbh, and it's hard to get a feel for the full shebang even using states at the start of stages. Does this have a finite number of continues, for example (if any)? Dunno. If not then wow, it's tough. Some of the passages of play - especially towards the end - are pad smashers with the number of sections you're required to get through in a row. That's the nature of the beast, clearly, but these games are definitely harder than most.

Scores high for effort (the two characters don't share the exact same stages iirc, although it's been ages since I've played as Johnny Morris) and almost as high for execution. It's not quite Castlevania IV, but for my money it's closer than a lot of people think. 90%

Moot_Geeza

Actually ignore the continues comment, just remembered it has passwords.

davyK

It's tough all right. I fucked up last night and over-wrote my save state!! Starting again. But enjoying it. It's a bit of a cracker.

Those damn bats are real widow makers.

Moot_Geeza

Played a bit of Zombies ate my Neighbours this week, forgot to mention it here. I briefly had it as a kid but didn't get on with it so we sent it back to Index and got Hyperstone Heist instead iirc. I know it's considered a good game but it's quite monotonous solo.

Had a blast with the Konami stuff but I'm ready to move on if anyone has anything else in mind.

davyK

Got Castlevania collection on steam for £4 tonight. Given the only game I've spent any time with in this is C4 I'll get good value out of it. M2 emulation too - Bloodlines is in there. That and C1 and 3 will ensure I get £4's worth!!

Some funny little additions too - and there's JP ROMs as an option.

retroking1981

I've been playing Zombies in co-op recently.

Although it has its charm I would say its a borderline bad/not good game.

It can be quite dull, very frustrating and it's difficulty is all over the place.

I know Konami only published it but its definitely one of the worst games to carry their name from the era imo.

davyK

I had it on SNES. Played solo. Some levels were great fun; others a dirge. There was a hedge maze level with Leatherface enemies I hated.

Was very tough. I reckon the difficulty was set for co op. The idea was great though. A reconsidered modern remake could be rather good but licencing would probably kill it.

Moot_Geeza

Rocket Knight is free on Games With Gold this month. I assumed this one passed me by as I never bought it in the 360 era and didn't know it was on the BC list. Happy with this, reviews were mixed at the time but I've read some positive things since.

Moot_Geeza

Changing topic to something a little less focused than usual, simply play something you haven't played for ages. Partly inspired by watching this....

...which made me realise I haven't played Wardner since around 1992. Plenty of Master System games sprung to mind too, I don't think I've played Quartet since I owned it, for example.

davyK

Wardner. I have a deathless run I made on YT. Arcade version. Just under 1m points. There's a shortcut in the forest level I take which cuts a tricky section out. Always meant to go back and do another run without using it.

My tower of shame is teetering re consoles. But there's SNES games I played to death I haven't touched in ages...Smash TV springs to mind.

Moot_Geeza

So, save state assisted runs of the following...

Quartet - Master System

Or duet, lel. The arcade game had four characters and supported four players, but the MS version was nerfed down to two. Still, it ran quite smoothly in co-op, which was the main reason to play. I had this back in 1990/early '91, and presumably played it a fair bit. I thought time would have been despicably nasty to this, but it turns out it was just mildly unkind. There's novelty value to the way your depleting score is also your health bar, and the levels are occasionally non linear, but it's not really a game to play unless you're armed with nostalgia. It can be fiddly and irritating once it hots up, especially when it starts to throw precise platforming at you. Not one I finished as a kid iirc, at least not properly (you have to collect hidden stars within stages or you'll be booted back to earlier stages after level 5). The music tugs at some half-forgotten the reminiscin' strings, but tbh the main thing I remember about this is wanting the second pad so I could play as the bald chap (Edgar) rather than the lady (Mary). Not awful considering its age, but also not worth playing. 56%

Moot_Geeza

Wardner - Megadrive

My dad bought my Megadrive from a colleague in October 1992, and it came with the following games: Bonanza Bros (PAL, in a plain white box), El Viento (Jpn, loose cart), Sonic the Hedgehog (PAL, boxed with manual), Rastan Saga 2 (Jpn, boxed with manual), Magical Hat Turbo Adventure (Jpn, boxed with manual) and Wardner (USA, loose cart). It sat in a black plastic sack in his wardrobe for around three weeks before my birthday, and I don't know that he didn't know that I knew but I think he didn't know I knew. This sounds like one of those for-the-cameras half truths, but I used to go and paw through everything whenever the coast was clear. Initially, Wardner just wasn't as OMFG as Sonic or a snazzy as Magical Hat. It didn't scream 16-bit either (I also got Revenge of Shinobi from a new school chum on my birthday, which felt bleeding edge to me, and Sonic 2 as an early Christmas present, which definitely was). I warmed to it eventually, but I made slow progress at first - it's brutally difficult. Little by little I got to grips with it, and all these years later I'm probably ready to declare it as one of the best of its kind. I've always been partial to Ghouls 'n Ghosts, but I actually prefer the more measured/methodical approach to the similar-ish template here.

If anything, I think time has been especially gentle to this as despite the chunky sprites, fairly basic visuals and an overall look that is unmistakably early 16-bit, it's a bit of a gem. You play, you learn a bit more, you die, you repeat, then you learn to do it all a bit quicker as there's a ticking clock to consider too. I know exactly where I got to as a kid, and that's 21.50ish on the video below, as I always ran out of time after being held up by the sodding floating heads. I must have completed it since as I remembered the final boss from today's playthrough, but I couldn't say if that was a revist on the console many years ago, or with save states not quite so many years ago. It's basic, but there aren't many better LEARN IT platformers from the era. 89%

hunk

A suggestion for people up for it.
The epic Enix trilogy:

Soulblazer
Illusion of Time
Terranigma

Yeah it's a big undertaking and an enormous timesink but would also be an interesting change of pace?

Moot_Geeza

I'd sit it out but only because I can't handle RPGs (and if I ever felt I could I'd probably play Chrono Trigger), would be interested to read the feedback though.

hunk

Chrono Trigger would also be an excellent choice for a revisit. It's shorter too.

retroking1981

Couple of retro games I've completed for the 52 games in a year thread:

Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS)

One of my all time favourite PlayStation games, played it to death back in the day.

This has some of the very best graphics on the system, seeing this next to the original 1995 release is incredible. The PS was one of the systems with the biggest improvements throughout its lifespan imo.

Also, what is it about those old Namco intros? I was never one for CGI intros back then, but even to this day everytime I boot this up I watch it to the end. Definitely up there with the best from the era.

The soundtrack is absolute gold too, one of the best for any racing game for me.

This will always hold a special spot in my top arcade racers list.

5/5

Vendetta (Arcade)

Early 90s side scrolling beat em up from Konami, has their usual high presentation and polish from the time.

This game seems to garner high praise in the retro community, but tbh it wouldn't trouble my 10 top in the genre.

Has the standard grapple attacks and crowd control specials, which oddly don't deplete your own health in this, but even more surprising is the lack of a jump button. Instead punches and kicks are each assigned their own buttons.

The kick button also enables you to execute ground attacks on floored enemies, and also lets you lash out when you're prone on the floor yourself. This is a nice touch and helps it stand out from the crowd a bit.

It's a fun little playthrough and gets a bonus point for being 4-player co-op.

3/5

davyK

My deathless Wardner run (MAME). Did this during lockdown#1

Moot_Geeza

Hugely impressive stuff, Davy. Are they all your own tactics? First and last boss approaches both surprised me.

davyK

Last boss I learned from watching a playthrough otherwise it's my own work. I used to be able to defeat the final boss the old fashioned way as there is a safe spot but you have to be pixel perfect. Keeping the guardian fairies is the best way - makes getting past the ghost sections in the last level trivial too. But keeping them means not losing a life in the last level.

That bit with the stone heads is still the most likely place to screw up.

I take that flying shortcut through the forest level which makes things a lot easier. I mean to go back and do another run not using that.

There's another hidden 1up I missed in the maze level which would get me over 1m.

That MD port looks solid. Some nice effects added even. Worth a packet now.

davyK

post moved - wrong thread.

hunk

Have started Soul Blazer. It's blueprint is remarkably close to Actraiser but this is Quintet after all. Simple script and gameplay template yet still addictive enough to keep you coming back for more.

Moot_Geeza

Isn't Soul Blazer a top down thing? Don't think I've played that one.

Not sure if it was prompted by the RPG chat but I've decided to replay Shining Force 2. Not got out the first village yet but enjoyed revisiting the opening.

hunk

Yeah, Soul Blazer is a bit like a cross between Zelda and Actraiser.
Simple yet surprisingly good. It captures that '1 more go' feel to a tee.

Shining force 2 is excellent if I recall. Great for Fire Emblem/Advance wars lovers interested in the history of the genre.

retroking1981

How's Soul Blazer coming along? I played about 10mins a few years ago, just enough basically to decide if the ROM was worth keeping for a serious play.

I've been playing Road Rash II for this. I'm up to Level 3 but am starting to realise I've fucked up by not doing the old trick of repeating the earlier races to build up the cash.

It's one of those 16-Bit games where I think without the memories you just won't get it. Its a bit rough these days with quite a choppy frame rate, kinda like Star Fox on SNES. You need a bit of time to adjust, but once you do it's still a blast imo.

Moot_Geeza

I loved Road Rash 2 but it's one of those games that kinda never really gets any better than your first few races.

hunk

Nearing the end of SoulBlazer. Gameplay and puzzles are simplistic but suprisingly addictive. Perfectly suitable for mobile play actually. Well worth a playthrougjh even if it isn't quite up there with classics like som2 or Zelda lttp.

Final thoughts in a week or so.

Moot_Geeza

I've been pushing on with Shining Force II, which I hadn't played since the late 90s. It's superb. Slade has just joined the party (it is Christmas after all) so I'm up to a crew of six. Some of the dialogue is awful but the grid battles are still hugely moreish. There's not as much to keep you on your toes as there would be in most games like this these days, but simplicity is usually key to how much I enjoy the genre (and this is where it started for me). SF2, Skulls of the Shogun, Mario Rabbids, Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, Gears Tactics, Advance Wars - FE Awakenings excluded that's the roll call for my favourites, off the top of my head anyway. They're all deep enough to be extremely rewarding without going full XCom.

All things considered this is probably my favourite single player 16-bit game, so it's nice to be back.

Moot_Geeza

PETER and MAY have joined the party. Replaying this was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

hunk

SF2 is an evergreen classic. Lot's of hidden characters in there as well and has aged like a fine wine as an early 16-bit strat RPG.

Almost at the last boss with SoulBlazer. Don't have all the items yet but it was a good run. Story is pretty barebones but the the gameplay loop is solid.

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