2016
You get to not only destroy Sony HQ but also punch and kick parappa to death, how's that for "punch kick it's all in the mind"
1986
On the Japanese side of the web, there's not much to say about Gradius that hasn't been said before. One of the most important video games period.
One of the first games to sell one million copies in Japan. The direct influence behind countless games such as Konami's own Axelay, Salamander, or Parodius series. A staple in Yu-Gi-Oh cards to the point of appearing in GX. One of Kamiya's primary influences. A soundtrack so beloved it appeared at the Tokyo Olympics. The origin of the KONAMI CODE, eat your heart out Contrabros.
On the English side of the web however, the first Gradius is widely considered an "aged" product and a semi-obscure curiosity that was thrust into a bit of spotlight by its inclusion on the NES Classic Mini and Nintendo Switch Online.
Having played most of the Gradius and Parodius games beforehand, even 1LCing Gradius 2 yesterday, I wasn't quite sure what to expect playing Gradius 1 again. After all, the last time I played it was for 5 minutes in high school. While I very rarely am one to critique graphical fidelity, I'll admit it took me a moment to adjust to the original Gradius' pixel art. Coming off Gradius 2, one of if not the most impressive looking NES games which had the VRC4 to give it a boost, Gradius 1 felt antiquated even compared to its direct sequel on the same console. However, once I had adjusted I was truly blown away by the world laid out in a mere 64 kb of rom data.
Gradius 1 is a very simple game. The same way Final Fight 1 can be considered a metric to measure other beat em ups by, Gradius 1 is my new metric for shmups; if a shmup is as good as Gradius or better, it's at least a passing grade. There are no custom loadouts to be found. There is the trusty laser, the double, 2 options, and a frontal shield. The sense of routing is surprisingly complete; for example the player can rank up to fly past ghostly easter island heads IN SPACE and come up with loadout plans between levels. There are just enough fodder enemies in between levels for me to come up with plans such as using the laser for the entire game but switching to the double shot in the last level due to the lack of a boss to worry about. Other games of the era like Galaga had their secrets in the form of twin ships, and Gradius has... flying between broken mountain pieces for extra points?
This may be the part where it's expected I go on a tangent about how Gradius must be judged for its time. However, I do not believe in the idea a game's quality can age honestly. Even at the time, Gradius 1 pales in some areas. Other 80s shmups had far more interesting stage secrets as mentioned before. There is also only 1 true boss fight in Gradius 1, which is repeated roughly half a dozen times until the player fights a final boss who does not even move. This is in stark contrast to, say, Sega's Fantasy Zone which has a varied array of mechanically complete boss fights.
Gradius 1 is a bit clumsy in its execution. Even at the time, I'm sure Konami was conscious of serious flaws such as the lack of proper bosses, which is why I imagine Gradius 2 is borderline an outright boss gauntlet game with a drastically increased difficulty (it took me roughly 10 hours of practice to 1LC Gradius 2 and 2 hours for Gradius 1 despite both being the same overall length, though I don't think in any Gradius game I will ever defend the checkpoint system lol)
However, it is also a game of great ambition, breaking new ground for the shmup genre as a whole. Treasure is my favourite studio and without Gradius 1, I can safely say your favourite shmup or mine could very well not exist.
Machiguchi wanted a game that could surpass Namco's Xevious. The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step, and Konami's single step here was all so brilliant and ambitious. The satellites (or Options as they are referred to here) went through 20 different programming revisions before settling on one that could work.
The cinematic tone of the game was unparalleled for such an early NES release. There are no stage transitions, it feels like one continuous adventure. Making the final boss into essentially a victory lap shootout was a ballsy move in an era where devs were intent on making final bosses as brutal as possible for longevity in otherwise short experiences. The execution is not my favourite, but it is inspired. Even the iconic easter island heads were included simply because the idea of them stood out in the otherwise traditional space shooter world.
Gradius is not as great or as legendary as something like Galaga or Space Invaders could hope to be. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in sheer scale and wonder. I may have given Space Invaders 5 stars, but I do not think about Space Invaders very often. Gradius as a series has a habit of coming to my mind. We achieve greatness by looking on the back of giants. For the shmup community, Gradius is one of those giants.
"It's decent, for a 1985 NES shoot em u-" it's a landmark release, for any medium.
One of the first games to sell one million copies in Japan. The direct influence behind countless games such as Konami's own Axelay, Salamander, or Parodius series. A staple in Yu-Gi-Oh cards to the point of appearing in GX. One of Kamiya's primary influences. A soundtrack so beloved it appeared at the Tokyo Olympics. The origin of the KONAMI CODE, eat your heart out Contrabros.
On the English side of the web however, the first Gradius is widely considered an "aged" product and a semi-obscure curiosity that was thrust into a bit of spotlight by its inclusion on the NES Classic Mini and Nintendo Switch Online.
Having played most of the Gradius and Parodius games beforehand, even 1LCing Gradius 2 yesterday, I wasn't quite sure what to expect playing Gradius 1 again. After all, the last time I played it was for 5 minutes in high school. While I very rarely am one to critique graphical fidelity, I'll admit it took me a moment to adjust to the original Gradius' pixel art. Coming off Gradius 2, one of if not the most impressive looking NES games which had the VRC4 to give it a boost, Gradius 1 felt antiquated even compared to its direct sequel on the same console. However, once I had adjusted I was truly blown away by the world laid out in a mere 64 kb of rom data.
Gradius 1 is a very simple game. The same way Final Fight 1 can be considered a metric to measure other beat em ups by, Gradius 1 is my new metric for shmups; if a shmup is as good as Gradius or better, it's at least a passing grade. There are no custom loadouts to be found. There is the trusty laser, the double, 2 options, and a frontal shield. The sense of routing is surprisingly complete; for example the player can rank up to fly past ghostly easter island heads IN SPACE and come up with loadout plans between levels. There are just enough fodder enemies in between levels for me to come up with plans such as using the laser for the entire game but switching to the double shot in the last level due to the lack of a boss to worry about. Other games of the era like Galaga had their secrets in the form of twin ships, and Gradius has... flying between broken mountain pieces for extra points?
This may be the part where it's expected I go on a tangent about how Gradius must be judged for its time. However, I do not believe in the idea a game's quality can age honestly. Even at the time, Gradius 1 pales in some areas. Other 80s shmups had far more interesting stage secrets as mentioned before. There is also only 1 true boss fight in Gradius 1, which is repeated roughly half a dozen times until the player fights a final boss who does not even move. This is in stark contrast to, say, Sega's Fantasy Zone which has a varied array of mechanically complete boss fights.
Gradius 1 is a bit clumsy in its execution. Even at the time, I'm sure Konami was conscious of serious flaws such as the lack of proper bosses, which is why I imagine Gradius 2 is borderline an outright boss gauntlet game with a drastically increased difficulty (it took me roughly 10 hours of practice to 1LC Gradius 2 and 2 hours for Gradius 1 despite both being the same overall length, though I don't think in any Gradius game I will ever defend the checkpoint system lol)
However, it is also a game of great ambition, breaking new ground for the shmup genre as a whole. Treasure is my favourite studio and without Gradius 1, I can safely say your favourite shmup or mine could very well not exist.
Machiguchi wanted a game that could surpass Namco's Xevious. The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step, and Konami's single step here was all so brilliant and ambitious. The satellites (or Options as they are referred to here) went through 20 different programming revisions before settling on one that could work.
The cinematic tone of the game was unparalleled for such an early NES release. There are no stage transitions, it feels like one continuous adventure. Making the final boss into essentially a victory lap shootout was a ballsy move in an era where devs were intent on making final bosses as brutal as possible for longevity in otherwise short experiences. The execution is not my favourite, but it is inspired. Even the iconic easter island heads were included simply because the idea of them stood out in the otherwise traditional space shooter world.
Gradius is not as great or as legendary as something like Galaga or Space Invaders could hope to be. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in sheer scale and wonder. I may have given Space Invaders 5 stars, but I do not think about Space Invaders very often. Gradius as a series has a habit of coming to my mind. We achieve greatness by looking on the back of giants. For the shmup community, Gradius is one of those giants.
"It's decent, for a 1985 NES shoot em u-" it's a landmark release, for any medium.
Upon further inspection I posted a review for this game under the wrong game page: https://www.backloggd.com/u/C_F/review/636584/
I will keep that review up however cus censorship is CRINGE 8)
I will keep that review up however cus censorship is CRINGE 8)
1993
Reddish threw me off the raft like 80 times
somehow still beat the game first try
somehow still beat the game first try
1996
Croc was better.
1993
Played with Gunstar Reddish over fightcade and still impressed with how unique the multiplayer mode is. Taking turns in the board game level was such a neat idea and I love how P2 gets to control a satellite in the shmup level.
He now has permanent brain damage from having his skull bashed into the ceiling 100+ times. In fairness, he did keep stealing my dice rolls.
He now has permanent brain damage from having his skull bashed into the ceiling 100+ times. In fairness, he did keep stealing my dice rolls.
The best racing game spin-off of a JRPG for the Satellaview.
1997
List of things wrong with this game:
Thanks for reading
Thanks for reading
1995
One of the best run n guns of all time, particularly as it does a great job blending traditional shmuppage. Genuinely at a loss for words this exists on the SNES and runs at a solid 60 FPS https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1048770623805079633/1058586639141716011/Rendering_Ranger_R2_Japan_En_-_Snes9x_1.60_2022-12-30_21-14-54.mp4
Also lmao at the final boss being a geocities gif
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1048770623805079633/1058587311476056205/angelfire.mp4
Also lmao at the final boss being a geocities gif
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1048770623805079633/1058587311476056205/angelfire.mp4
1991
Prologue
--------
Two masked figures face off in a field over a full moon. They leap and clash
swords, and the man in red falls.
Ryu (voiceover): With whom did father have a duel and lose? For what reason
did he fight and die? Even I don't know for sure.
Fadeout to Ryu holding a letter.
Ryu (voiceover): The day after he disappeared, in father's room I found a
letter addressed to me. It said, "Ryu, I am on my way to a life or death duel.
If it is destiny that I not return, you are to take the Dragon sword of the
Hayabusa family and go to America and see the archaeologist, Walter Smith.
Ryu, be always brave..."
Cut to Ryu in mask.
Ryu: I will get my revenge!
Act I
-----
After defeating the monster, Ryu stands in the bar.
Ryu: Who are they...they seem to be following me...(glances over) Who's
there? (Scroll to girl in background) Just a girl. Get out of here!
Cut to girl.
Girl: I will, but first... (pulls a gun)
Ryu: What the...?
Cut to Ryu with shocked expression. A gunshot rings out, fade to gray, then
black.
View of a prison door.
Ryu: Ow...Where...Where am I?
Silhouette appears in doorway.
Girl: I see the anesthetic is wearing off.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Who are you?!
Cut to girl inside door.
Girl: Shhh. Don't make so much noise...I've got a favor to ask of you.
Cut to view of statue.
Girl: Here. Take this and escape.
Ryu: What is this...this statue?
Cut to closeup of girl.
Girl: There's no time to explain. Hurry.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Hey, wait. Who are you? Didn't you try to kill me?
Cut to girl.
Girl: Someone's coming. Be careful.
Fade to black.
Act II
------
Ryu running.
Ryu: What is this bizarre statue anyway? And who was
that woman?
Ryu (voiceover): As I grew more and more suspicious, I went off to look for
that supposed acquaintance of my father's, Mr. Smith.
Act III
-------
Cut to man.
Man: Who is it?
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: You must be Walter Smith. The name's Ryu, Ryu Hayabusa.
Cut to Smith.
Smith: Who? That sword...of course. You must be Ken Hayabusa's son.
Ryu: In his last letter, my father told me I should see you.
Smith: Last letter? I see...so it is already begun.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Cut to Smith.
Smith: Ken and I were on an expedition to some old
Amazon ruins. We found a strange statue and a stone
tablet. On the tablet, it said...
Ryu: Wait a minute. You mean to tell that statue...
Cut to view of statue.
Smith: Yes, precisely. I thought it had been stolen. That demon statue
possesses enough evil power to destroy an entire nation. The demon came to
this earth and caused many deaths. But then SHINOBI appeared to stop the
demon.
Cut to view of dragon sword.
Smith: SHINOBI borrowed the strength of the dragon and countered each of the
demon's spells and thus was able to overcome it.
Cut to Smith.
Smith: Yet, though it was defeated, the demon was not dead. So SHINOBI
confined the evil power of the demon in two status of "LIGHT" and "SHADOW".
Cut to view of two statues.
Smith: ...And the body of the demon was confined in a temple. This one must be
the "SHADOW" statue. Therefore...
Green figure runs up, takes statue, and leaps to roof.
Intruder: And now I've got it. Bye, friend!
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: What the...?
Cut to Smith.
Smith: After him, Ryu!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After retrieving the statue, Ryu runs back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu (voiceover): After getting back the demon statue,
I felt a strange premonition and hurried back.
Cut to Ryu, flashing screen.
Ryu: Dr. Smith!!
Cut to Smith bleeding in a chair with Ryu holding him up.
Smith: Ryu...the "LIGHT" demon statue...was taken...
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: The "LIGHT" statue?
Cut to Smith/Ryu.
Smith: Yes, your father and I...we each kept one of the statues...just in case.
So that the two statues would never become one. The demon's been asleep for
700 years...and now it's starting to wake up...whatever we do...we've got to
stop it. Got to get it back...there's no choice...you've got to become the
Ninja Dragon...
Ryu: Dr. Smith! Dr. Smith!
Ryu turns around.
Ryu: ...
Cut to three men, two with guns.
Men: Come with us.
Act IV
------
View of man in chair, dim lighting.
Man: Welcome, Ryu Hayabusa. Sorry if I startled you.
Lights go bright.
Man: We are from the CIA Special Auxiliary unit. My name's Foster.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Cut to Foster.
Foster: Getting right to the point...
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Wait. I want to know why you killed Smith.
Cut to Foster.
Foster: We didn't kill him. But we'll fill you in on what we know.
Cut to Ryu.
Cut to Foster with a map of South America behind him.
Foster: In the upper reaches of the Amazon, some ancient ruins were discovered.
It seems the temple was built more than 2000 years ago. The discoverer was
Dr. Smith, who studied the ruins for some time. But one day, he suddenly
sealed off the ruins. And ever since then no one has gone close.
Map is replaced by picture of a purple-outfitted figure.
Foster: Later, however, a man moved in and took over the ruins. His name is
Guardia de mieux. He calls himself the Jaquio. According to our records, it
seems that the temple is not where gods are worshipped but was built to
imprison the body of the demon.
Picture is replaced by the image of the shadow statue.
Foster: Therefore, evil spirits are supposed to be held in the statue you
have. Dr. Smith probably already knew that. He was probably killed by someone
working for the Jaquio.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Cut to Foster.
Foster: When a black moon shines, Light and Dark break apart, the King of
Darkness howls. These were the last words written on the stone tablet. If
someone brings the demon back to life, he will gain incredible power...enough
to control the entire world.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: So you know about that?
Foster: The woman who shot you in the bar was one of our agents.
Cut to Foster.
Foster: They are after you. Use this and go to their
headquarters. Get the demon statue back from them. Of course, you will be paid
for the work.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: If I say no?
Cut to Foster, lights dimmed.
Foster: You know the answer to that.
Cut to shot of helicopter flying over a jungle. A figure leaps from the plane.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon scaling the cliff, Ryu looks at the massive
temple in the distance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After defeating the gargoyles, Ryu encounters the Jaquio.
Jaquio: You have come a long way to bring me the demon statue. Now give it to
me.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: No!
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Do you know what you're saying?
Ryu: What?!
Cut to monster holding knife to girl's throat.
Girl: Ryu!
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: You...you coward.
Cut to girl.
Girl: No, don't give it to him.
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Now, put down the demon statue on the floor, and back up.
Cut to view of Ryu kneeling with statue beside him.
Jaquio: Nice work. I guess this is goodbye.
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Have a nice day.
Cut to Ryu. Ryu falls in pit.
Cut to girl.
Jaquio: Ah...take the girl away. She is going to be a sacrifice.
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Ha, ha, ha...it's mine. Tonight is the night of rebirth which comes
only once every 700 years. This world will soon be mine. Ha, ha, ha...
Cut to closeup of Jaquio.
Jaquio: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha....
Fade to black.
Act V
-----
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon scaling back to the top of the tower, Ryu
encounters a masked figure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man: I am Malth. You will never get past me.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Then I must defeat you!
Cut to Malth.
Malth: You are as bold as your father. But he is a much better swordsman.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: You know my father?
Cut to Malth.
Malth: Come and fight, young Hayabusa!
After defeating Malth, Ryu looms over his fallen
form.
Ryu: You killed my father.
Malth: Killed? It is true that we fought. But your father is alive.
Ryu: Liar!
Malth: No, it is not a lie. If you proceed further, you will see him. But it
will be the last thing you see.
Cut to an angry Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Act VI
------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After advancing through the temple, Ryu stands in a
darkened room.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jaquio: Ryu, you deserve praise for making it this
far...
Ryu turns around.
Ryu: Where are you, show yourself!
Jaquio: ...but even you cannot defeat "the masked devil."
Cut to shot of masked man.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: No one can beat me.
Jaquio: Even...your father?
Stunned look crosses Ryu's face.
Ryu: What?!
Cut to black-and-white flashback of opening duel.
Jaquio: Your father was not killed. He has been turned into "the masked devil."
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: No!
Jaquio: It will be entertaining to watch father and son fight to the death.
Cut to Ryu facing left.
Ryu: Wake up, Father!
Cut to Masked Devil.
Jaquio: No use. He thinks only of killing you.
Cut to Ryu, panning shot.
Ryu: So this was my destiny. Malth was telling the truth. What shall I do?
I've got to think clearly. Father's eyes...they show he is controlled like a
puppet. If I break the control...
Cut to panning shot of wall.
Ryu: But what is controlling him?
Camera jerks back to crystal orb.
Ryu: That's it!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After breaking the control, Ryu reunites with his father.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu: Father!
Ken: ...Where am I...? Ryu...are you Ryu?
Ryu: Yes, Father.
Cut to fading shot of the Jaquio.
Ken: Argh! He's awake!
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: The Jaquio!
Cut to close-up of Jaquio.
Jaquio: You both will die!
Jaquio fires an orb at Ryu.
Ken: Watch out!
Ken leaps in front of Ryu, taking the blow.
Ken: Ugh...!!!!
Ryu: Father...
Cut to Ryu holding his father.
Ken: Ryu...you've got to...get them for me.
Ryu: Father!
Cut to Ryu turning and jumping to a close-up.
Ryu: Your day has come, Jaquio!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu defeats second form of Jaquio.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cut to girl.
Girl: Ryu!
Cut to Ryu.
Girl: Ryu!
Ryu: Thank God you're safe!
Cut to Ryu holding Ken.
Ryu: Let's go, father. Let's get out of this temple.
Ken: Ryu, wait. Before we do, the demon statues...we've got to throw them from
the temple while we've still got time. Before the "black moon" shines.
Cut to girl.
Girl: Ryu, what's that?
Cut to shot of clouds moving across the moon.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Is it a lunar eclipse?! That must be it. That's what the "black moon"
meant...Oh, no! The demon statue!
Cut to shot of the moon getting completely eclipsed, and the ground shakes
while the two statues start to come together.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After defeating the final evil, Ryu approaches his father.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu: Wake up father, wake up.
Ken: Ryu...I haven't got much longer...This temple is about to break apart.
Take that woman and escape.
Ryu: What are you saying, father? I can't just leave you!
Ken: Ryu, you are a man now. My destiny is tied to the demon statue. Ryu,
good luck...
Cut to a distraught Ryu.
Ryu: Father, father...!!!
Fade to black.
Ryu: Father!!!
The temple collapses. Pan to Ryu and the girl standing, viewing the collapse.
Cut to girl and Ryu.
Girl: Ryu...
Beeping noise. Cut to girl talking into mouthpiece.
Girl: This is Sea Swallow...
Cut to view of mouthpiece.
Foster: This is Foster. We detected the explosion from the satellite. Job well
done. You are to kill Ryu Hayabusa.
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Girl: What? Kill Ryu?
Foster: That's right. Then you are to steal the demon statues.
Cut to unmasked Ryu.
Ryu: So this was your plan all along...I'll get you for this, Foster!
Cut to view of mouthpiece.
Foster: Ryu, you...
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: I get two kinds of payment. The first I have already received.
The second...is you, Foster!
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Cut to overhead view.
Foster: Ryu...wait...
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Girl: Ryu, what is the payment you have already received?
Ryu: She's right in front of me.
The girl smiles, and the camera pans to show a lengthy kiss between the two.
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Ryu: I don't even know your name.
Girl: Irene, Irene Lew.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Well, Irene. Look, the sun is rising. Everything is so bright now. The
darkness is finally over.
The camera shows Ryu and Irene standing on a rock watching the sun rise.
ROLL CREDITS
THE END
--------
Two masked figures face off in a field over a full moon. They leap and clash
swords, and the man in red falls.
Ryu (voiceover): With whom did father have a duel and lose? For what reason
did he fight and die? Even I don't know for sure.
Fadeout to Ryu holding a letter.
Ryu (voiceover): The day after he disappeared, in father's room I found a
letter addressed to me. It said, "Ryu, I am on my way to a life or death duel.
If it is destiny that I not return, you are to take the Dragon sword of the
Hayabusa family and go to America and see the archaeologist, Walter Smith.
Ryu, be always brave..."
Cut to Ryu in mask.
Ryu: I will get my revenge!
Act I
-----
After defeating the monster, Ryu stands in the bar.
Ryu: Who are they...they seem to be following me...(glances over) Who's
there? (Scroll to girl in background) Just a girl. Get out of here!
Cut to girl.
Girl: I will, but first... (pulls a gun)
Ryu: What the...?
Cut to Ryu with shocked expression. A gunshot rings out, fade to gray, then
black.
View of a prison door.
Ryu: Ow...Where...Where am I?
Silhouette appears in doorway.
Girl: I see the anesthetic is wearing off.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Who are you?!
Cut to girl inside door.
Girl: Shhh. Don't make so much noise...I've got a favor to ask of you.
Cut to view of statue.
Girl: Here. Take this and escape.
Ryu: What is this...this statue?
Cut to closeup of girl.
Girl: There's no time to explain. Hurry.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Hey, wait. Who are you? Didn't you try to kill me?
Cut to girl.
Girl: Someone's coming. Be careful.
Fade to black.
Act II
------
Ryu running.
Ryu: What is this bizarre statue anyway? And who was
that woman?
Ryu (voiceover): As I grew more and more suspicious, I went off to look for
that supposed acquaintance of my father's, Mr. Smith.
Act III
-------
Cut to man.
Man: Who is it?
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: You must be Walter Smith. The name's Ryu, Ryu Hayabusa.
Cut to Smith.
Smith: Who? That sword...of course. You must be Ken Hayabusa's son.
Ryu: In his last letter, my father told me I should see you.
Smith: Last letter? I see...so it is already begun.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Cut to Smith.
Smith: Ken and I were on an expedition to some old
Amazon ruins. We found a strange statue and a stone
tablet. On the tablet, it said...
Ryu: Wait a minute. You mean to tell that statue...
Cut to view of statue.
Smith: Yes, precisely. I thought it had been stolen. That demon statue
possesses enough evil power to destroy an entire nation. The demon came to
this earth and caused many deaths. But then SHINOBI appeared to stop the
demon.
Cut to view of dragon sword.
Smith: SHINOBI borrowed the strength of the dragon and countered each of the
demon's spells and thus was able to overcome it.
Cut to Smith.
Smith: Yet, though it was defeated, the demon was not dead. So SHINOBI
confined the evil power of the demon in two status of "LIGHT" and "SHADOW".
Cut to view of two statues.
Smith: ...And the body of the demon was confined in a temple. This one must be
the "SHADOW" statue. Therefore...
Green figure runs up, takes statue, and leaps to roof.
Intruder: And now I've got it. Bye, friend!
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: What the...?
Cut to Smith.
Smith: After him, Ryu!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After retrieving the statue, Ryu runs back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu (voiceover): After getting back the demon statue,
I felt a strange premonition and hurried back.
Cut to Ryu, flashing screen.
Ryu: Dr. Smith!!
Cut to Smith bleeding in a chair with Ryu holding him up.
Smith: Ryu...the "LIGHT" demon statue...was taken...
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: The "LIGHT" statue?
Cut to Smith/Ryu.
Smith: Yes, your father and I...we each kept one of the statues...just in case.
So that the two statues would never become one. The demon's been asleep for
700 years...and now it's starting to wake up...whatever we do...we've got to
stop it. Got to get it back...there's no choice...you've got to become the
Ninja Dragon...
Ryu: Dr. Smith! Dr. Smith!
Ryu turns around.
Ryu: ...
Cut to three men, two with guns.
Men: Come with us.
Act IV
------
View of man in chair, dim lighting.
Man: Welcome, Ryu Hayabusa. Sorry if I startled you.
Lights go bright.
Man: We are from the CIA Special Auxiliary unit. My name's Foster.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Cut to Foster.
Foster: Getting right to the point...
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Wait. I want to know why you killed Smith.
Cut to Foster.
Foster: We didn't kill him. But we'll fill you in on what we know.
Cut to Ryu.
Cut to Foster with a map of South America behind him.
Foster: In the upper reaches of the Amazon, some ancient ruins were discovered.
It seems the temple was built more than 2000 years ago. The discoverer was
Dr. Smith, who studied the ruins for some time. But one day, he suddenly
sealed off the ruins. And ever since then no one has gone close.
Map is replaced by picture of a purple-outfitted figure.
Foster: Later, however, a man moved in and took over the ruins. His name is
Guardia de mieux. He calls himself the Jaquio. According to our records, it
seems that the temple is not where gods are worshipped but was built to
imprison the body of the demon.
Picture is replaced by the image of the shadow statue.
Foster: Therefore, evil spirits are supposed to be held in the statue you
have. Dr. Smith probably already knew that. He was probably killed by someone
working for the Jaquio.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Cut to Foster.
Foster: When a black moon shines, Light and Dark break apart, the King of
Darkness howls. These were the last words written on the stone tablet. If
someone brings the demon back to life, he will gain incredible power...enough
to control the entire world.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: So you know about that?
Foster: The woman who shot you in the bar was one of our agents.
Cut to Foster.
Foster: They are after you. Use this and go to their
headquarters. Get the demon statue back from them. Of course, you will be paid
for the work.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: If I say no?
Cut to Foster, lights dimmed.
Foster: You know the answer to that.
Cut to shot of helicopter flying over a jungle. A figure leaps from the plane.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon scaling the cliff, Ryu looks at the massive
temple in the distance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After defeating the gargoyles, Ryu encounters the Jaquio.
Jaquio: You have come a long way to bring me the demon statue. Now give it to
me.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: No!
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Do you know what you're saying?
Ryu: What?!
Cut to monster holding knife to girl's throat.
Girl: Ryu!
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: You...you coward.
Cut to girl.
Girl: No, don't give it to him.
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Now, put down the demon statue on the floor, and back up.
Cut to view of Ryu kneeling with statue beside him.
Jaquio: Nice work. I guess this is goodbye.
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Have a nice day.
Cut to Ryu. Ryu falls in pit.
Cut to girl.
Jaquio: Ah...take the girl away. She is going to be a sacrifice.
Cut to Jaquio.
Jaquio: Ha, ha, ha...it's mine. Tonight is the night of rebirth which comes
only once every 700 years. This world will soon be mine. Ha, ha, ha...
Cut to closeup of Jaquio.
Jaquio: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha....
Fade to black.
Act V
-----
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon scaling back to the top of the tower, Ryu
encounters a masked figure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man: I am Malth. You will never get past me.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Then I must defeat you!
Cut to Malth.
Malth: You are as bold as your father. But he is a much better swordsman.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: You know my father?
Cut to Malth.
Malth: Come and fight, young Hayabusa!
After defeating Malth, Ryu looms over his fallen
form.
Ryu: You killed my father.
Malth: Killed? It is true that we fought. But your father is alive.
Ryu: Liar!
Malth: No, it is not a lie. If you proceed further, you will see him. But it
will be the last thing you see.
Cut to an angry Ryu.
Ryu: ...
Act VI
------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After advancing through the temple, Ryu stands in a
darkened room.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jaquio: Ryu, you deserve praise for making it this
far...
Ryu turns around.
Ryu: Where are you, show yourself!
Jaquio: ...but even you cannot defeat "the masked devil."
Cut to shot of masked man.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: No one can beat me.
Jaquio: Even...your father?
Stunned look crosses Ryu's face.
Ryu: What?!
Cut to black-and-white flashback of opening duel.
Jaquio: Your father was not killed. He has been turned into "the masked devil."
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: No!
Jaquio: It will be entertaining to watch father and son fight to the death.
Cut to Ryu facing left.
Ryu: Wake up, Father!
Cut to Masked Devil.
Jaquio: No use. He thinks only of killing you.
Cut to Ryu, panning shot.
Ryu: So this was my destiny. Malth was telling the truth. What shall I do?
I've got to think clearly. Father's eyes...they show he is controlled like a
puppet. If I break the control...
Cut to panning shot of wall.
Ryu: But what is controlling him?
Camera jerks back to crystal orb.
Ryu: That's it!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After breaking the control, Ryu reunites with his father.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu: Father!
Ken: ...Where am I...? Ryu...are you Ryu?
Ryu: Yes, Father.
Cut to fading shot of the Jaquio.
Ken: Argh! He's awake!
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: The Jaquio!
Cut to close-up of Jaquio.
Jaquio: You both will die!
Jaquio fires an orb at Ryu.
Ken: Watch out!
Ken leaps in front of Ryu, taking the blow.
Ken: Ugh...!!!!
Ryu: Father...
Cut to Ryu holding his father.
Ken: Ryu...you've got to...get them for me.
Ryu: Father!
Cut to Ryu turning and jumping to a close-up.
Ryu: Your day has come, Jaquio!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu defeats second form of Jaquio.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cut to girl.
Girl: Ryu!
Cut to Ryu.
Girl: Ryu!
Ryu: Thank God you're safe!
Cut to Ryu holding Ken.
Ryu: Let's go, father. Let's get out of this temple.
Ken: Ryu, wait. Before we do, the demon statues...we've got to throw them from
the temple while we've still got time. Before the "black moon" shines.
Cut to girl.
Girl: Ryu, what's that?
Cut to shot of clouds moving across the moon.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Is it a lunar eclipse?! That must be it. That's what the "black moon"
meant...Oh, no! The demon statue!
Cut to shot of the moon getting completely eclipsed, and the ground shakes
while the two statues start to come together.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After defeating the final evil, Ryu approaches his father.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu: Wake up father, wake up.
Ken: Ryu...I haven't got much longer...This temple is about to break apart.
Take that woman and escape.
Ryu: What are you saying, father? I can't just leave you!
Ken: Ryu, you are a man now. My destiny is tied to the demon statue. Ryu,
good luck...
Cut to a distraught Ryu.
Ryu: Father, father...!!!
Fade to black.
Ryu: Father!!!
The temple collapses. Pan to Ryu and the girl standing, viewing the collapse.
Cut to girl and Ryu.
Girl: Ryu...
Beeping noise. Cut to girl talking into mouthpiece.
Girl: This is Sea Swallow...
Cut to view of mouthpiece.
Foster: This is Foster. We detected the explosion from the satellite. Job well
done. You are to kill Ryu Hayabusa.
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Girl: What? Kill Ryu?
Foster: That's right. Then you are to steal the demon statues.
Cut to unmasked Ryu.
Ryu: So this was your plan all along...I'll get you for this, Foster!
Cut to view of mouthpiece.
Foster: Ryu, you...
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: I get two kinds of payment. The first I have already received.
The second...is you, Foster!
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Cut to overhead view.
Foster: Ryu...wait...
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Girl: Ryu, what is the payment you have already received?
Ryu: She's right in front of me.
The girl smiles, and the camera pans to show a lengthy kiss between the two.
Cut to Ryu and the girl.
Ryu: I don't even know your name.
Girl: Irene, Irene Lew.
Cut to Ryu.
Ryu: Well, Irene. Look, the sun is rising. Everything is so bright now. The
darkness is finally over.
The camera shows Ryu and Irene standing on a rock watching the sun rise.
ROLL CREDITS
THE END
This shit was fucking epic... as fuck the special effects the acting amazeballs
I never played this.
I played this as a kid
1993
This happened to my buddy Elick
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/827002109807034388/1038313984828379167/image.png
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/827002109807034388/1038313984828379167/image.png
I hate to say it but honestly this is one of the rare games where you're just better off watching it than playing it. I bricked my save twice in a row and just honestly do not feel like starting the game a 3rd time. The game is infamous for being extremely buggy and not running properly. For example the game apparently needs a 4th patch which I'm not even sure I've found online, otherwise it tries going from world 2 to world 4 and just crashes? Not to mention I tried saving during the chalice minigame only to find out I triggered a glitch where my character could no longer place the chalice to advance the quest.
Also even with DgVoodoo, DxWnd, the modern installer, editing the batch file, etc I also couldn't force the game to run above 640x480 either which tremendously hurts the game given how atmospheric it is meant to be.
I am giving this game a 2/5, but I will say it is my favourite 2/5 game I've played funnily enough. If one watches the game instead of playing it, there is plenty to appreciate. The ambient sounds are genuinely terrifying and otherworldly. It feels like anybody could invade the world at any minute. Yet when one finds the body of another, they are simply laying in the background, be it a templar drunk at a bar or a head floating in a box. It's a feeling unlike basically anything I've experienced in a game.
I must give special shoutout to the cutscenes as well. They are like a trainwreck one cannot look away from in the best way possible. The mist area integrated cutscenes about the King Arthur legend in such a way I was compelled to keep watching them even though I was frightened like a small child pondering the bogey man's existence under my bed. I didn't want to keep walking through the mist and seeing the cutscenes, but clearly the game did something right because I couldn't stop myself from advancing, just wanting to be out of the area as soon as possible.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826960021274492948/1030979943494078464/Drowned_God_2022-10-15_18-44-07.mp4
And while it may be silly to put this in a review of the game itself, I have to give a special shoutout to the artwork included in the manual. I wish I could have uncovered all of the creatures in my own playthrough because what I did encounter creeped me out something fierce; something about early 3D models is just inherently spooky to me for how lifeless they seem, I suppose https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826960021274492948/1030980266178641950/Drowned-God-Conspiracy-of-the-Ages_Manual_Win_EN.pdf
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826960021274492948/1030974803810717706/unknown.png
If you're familiar with old legends and conspiracy theories, there may be plenty to enjoy from a presentation angle alone but for this spooky month I would heavily rec other horror point-and-clicks which are far more worth your time such as Clock Tower or Cosmology of Kyoto. I may write a review about the former soon so stay tuned!
Also even with DgVoodoo, DxWnd, the modern installer, editing the batch file, etc I also couldn't force the game to run above 640x480 either which tremendously hurts the game given how atmospheric it is meant to be.
I am giving this game a 2/5, but I will say it is my favourite 2/5 game I've played funnily enough. If one watches the game instead of playing it, there is plenty to appreciate. The ambient sounds are genuinely terrifying and otherworldly. It feels like anybody could invade the world at any minute. Yet when one finds the body of another, they are simply laying in the background, be it a templar drunk at a bar or a head floating in a box. It's a feeling unlike basically anything I've experienced in a game.
I must give special shoutout to the cutscenes as well. They are like a trainwreck one cannot look away from in the best way possible. The mist area integrated cutscenes about the King Arthur legend in such a way I was compelled to keep watching them even though I was frightened like a small child pondering the bogey man's existence under my bed. I didn't want to keep walking through the mist and seeing the cutscenes, but clearly the game did something right because I couldn't stop myself from advancing, just wanting to be out of the area as soon as possible.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826960021274492948/1030979943494078464/Drowned_God_2022-10-15_18-44-07.mp4
And while it may be silly to put this in a review of the game itself, I have to give a special shoutout to the artwork included in the manual. I wish I could have uncovered all of the creatures in my own playthrough because what I did encounter creeped me out something fierce; something about early 3D models is just inherently spooky to me for how lifeless they seem, I suppose https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826960021274492948/1030980266178641950/Drowned-God-Conspiracy-of-the-Ages_Manual_Win_EN.pdf
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/826960021274492948/1030974803810717706/unknown.png
If you're familiar with old legends and conspiracy theories, there may be plenty to enjoy from a presentation angle alone but for this spooky month I would heavily rec other horror point-and-clicks which are far more worth your time such as Clock Tower or Cosmology of Kyoto. I may write a review about the former soon so stay tuned!