evy96
1988
For my first game logged on here, I figured I'd go back and beat a game that I started decades ago but could never finish due to having little experience with shmups at the time.
I went ahead and did this one without the code for Retroachievements, although I did do one run with save state practice (ESPECIALLY for stage 3) before taking the training wheels off and doing a "hardcore" run.
I've got to be honest, it wasn't a fun experience for the most part. Yes, the aesthetic and music are wonderful- stage 2's music literally gives me chills with how much of an earworm it is. That being said, even though you respawn where you left off just like in Thunder Force 3 (which is a far superior game imho), the dreaded "Gradius syndrome" is in full effect here. (If you die, you lose everything and might as well just shut the damn game off or fly your ship into the walls in order to start the stage over and rebuild)
Even from stage 1, there are traps that can and will kill you if you don't have prior knowledge of them. Walls that completely block off your path with no way through, odd veiny structures that materialize right in the middle of the playing field when you're likely trying to avoid a billion other things (referring to stage 4), and of course those massive arcs of fire from stage 3 that give minimal warning and take up half the screen. To reference Thunder Force 3 again...this game is basically that cavern stage with the bouncing rocks and shifting terrain but stretched across a 30 minute gauntlet.
Ironically, all of the bosses are pathetically easy and can (for the most part) be taken out even with just the pea shooter and a little preservation. I almost laughed at the end of stage 3 because I expected the giant dragon head to be this grueling ordeal considering the stage itself took me almost an hour to route (without dying) but no- he just shoots out an easily avoided projectile. Even the last boss (who I'm assuming is what the american cover art is depicting) is a pushover.
For the sake of finishing a game I barely got to stage 3 on as a kid, I'm happy i finally got around to it. That being said, I'll be sticking with Compile and Technosoft shooters moving forward. A killer soundtrack and great visuals can really only carry a game so far and, sadly, Life Force just doesn't hold up on what should actually matter in a game to me.
I went ahead and did this one without the code for Retroachievements, although I did do one run with save state practice (ESPECIALLY for stage 3) before taking the training wheels off and doing a "hardcore" run.
I've got to be honest, it wasn't a fun experience for the most part. Yes, the aesthetic and music are wonderful- stage 2's music literally gives me chills with how much of an earworm it is. That being said, even though you respawn where you left off just like in Thunder Force 3 (which is a far superior game imho), the dreaded "Gradius syndrome" is in full effect here. (If you die, you lose everything and might as well just shut the damn game off or fly your ship into the walls in order to start the stage over and rebuild)
Even from stage 1, there are traps that can and will kill you if you don't have prior knowledge of them. Walls that completely block off your path with no way through, odd veiny structures that materialize right in the middle of the playing field when you're likely trying to avoid a billion other things (referring to stage 4), and of course those massive arcs of fire from stage 3 that give minimal warning and take up half the screen. To reference Thunder Force 3 again...this game is basically that cavern stage with the bouncing rocks and shifting terrain but stretched across a 30 minute gauntlet.
Ironically, all of the bosses are pathetically easy and can (for the most part) be taken out even with just the pea shooter and a little preservation. I almost laughed at the end of stage 3 because I expected the giant dragon head to be this grueling ordeal considering the stage itself took me almost an hour to route (without dying) but no- he just shoots out an easily avoided projectile. Even the last boss (who I'm assuming is what the american cover art is depicting) is a pushover.
For the sake of finishing a game I barely got to stage 3 on as a kid, I'm happy i finally got around to it. That being said, I'll be sticking with Compile and Technosoft shooters moving forward. A killer soundtrack and great visuals can really only carry a game so far and, sadly, Life Force just doesn't hold up on what should actually matter in a game to me.
2023
A great neo-retro arcade experience that, like Galacticon and Donut Dodo, is fully worth the five dollar asking price. This one takes after Burger Time and although it demands a 1CC out the gate, Normal Mode is forgiving enough with extends that almost anyone should be able to do it. Really hope this one will see ports to consoles.
The best way to approach this rather difficult 3D platformer is to remember that it actually began development on the Nintendo 64 despite being a PS2 game. Yes, the camera is admittedly pretty crappy and you'll need to get used to tapping the shoulder button to re-center it, but there's a fun time to be had here once you get used to that. Although the hero is different, this is quite literally Ghouls n Ghosts in 3D and considerably more forgiving.
One other criticism commonly brought up with this game is that you have to pay coins to save your game. I thought this was stupid when renting the game as a kid, and I still don't think it was a smart design choice. That said, the game rewards exploration in a way few in the genre do. As long as you're not bum rushing, you'll be able to find plenty of armor as well as perks and coinage.
One other thing- don't forget to "lock" the perks you like. You can store up to three to hang onto upon death from the start, and you'll be able to save more as you rescue the maidens at the end of each world. This is one thing I really, really wish I would've paid more notice to on my first run!
One other criticism commonly brought up with this game is that you have to pay coins to save your game. I thought this was stupid when renting the game as a kid, and I still don't think it was a smart design choice. That said, the game rewards exploration in a way few in the genre do. As long as you're not bum rushing, you'll be able to find plenty of armor as well as perks and coinage.
One other thing- don't forget to "lock" the perks you like. You can store up to three to hang onto upon death from the start, and you'll be able to save more as you rescue the maidens at the end of each world. This is one thing I really, really wish I would've paid more notice to on my first run!
1988
It's far from the best of what the Pc Engine could offer, but I still had a great deal of fun 1CCing it thanks to that quirky (and distinctly Namco) flair. It plays similarly to Thunder Force 3, but borrows the item shop from Fantasy Zone and also has a gambling system for additional powerups. Most of the time, you'll just be stuck with the standard (but serviceable) pea shooter as all of the aforementioned powerups are on a timer. Some of them are ridiculously overpowered and will allow you to speed kill bosses (referring to the missiles) and some of them are absolutely useless (avoid stock bomber like the plague).
Difficulty is surprisingly moderate in comparison to most shmups, which are blisteringly difficult in many cases, although Stage 7 is pretty obnoxious and clearly designed to eat up lives like tic tacs without prior knowledge of how the environmental hazards work.
As far as Namco shmups in general go, I enjoyed this one a little more than Dragon Spirit but not nearly as much as Phelios.
Here is my 1cc of the game for those interested- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqUbTFtVnYk&t=1440s
Difficulty is surprisingly moderate in comparison to most shmups, which are blisteringly difficult in many cases, although Stage 7 is pretty obnoxious and clearly designed to eat up lives like tic tacs without prior knowledge of how the environmental hazards work.
As far as Namco shmups in general go, I enjoyed this one a little more than Dragon Spirit but not nearly as much as Phelios.
Here is my 1cc of the game for those interested- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqUbTFtVnYk&t=1440s
1990
A decent shm'up but certainly not the best on the Genesis. As others have pointed out, it's difficult, but that is mainly due to enemies being bullet sponges and having a rather large hitbox that is (somehwat) mitigated by the fact that you can take a few hits before dying and being yeeted back to a checkpoint.
Still, I had fun with this one thanks to its Greek Mythology theme as well as that satisfying bowling ball sound effect whenever you take out a row of enemies. The charging mechanic is also integral to success and it was a lot of fun learning how to time it in order to deal more damage to enemy waves and bosses.
Still, I had fun with this one thanks to its Greek Mythology theme as well as that satisfying bowling ball sound effect whenever you take out a row of enemies. The charging mechanic is also integral to success and it was a lot of fun learning how to time it in order to deal more damage to enemy waves and bosses.
1994
The best Turrican and one of the best run and guns on the Sega Genesis.
Turrican vets tend to dislike this one due to its more streamlined approach to level design, but I found its pacing to be just right. Although it's more of a left-to-right affair compared to its predecessors, there is still enough phony walls and secrets to discover in each stage. That being said, the last few stages do increase in scope and feel more like something that would have come out of the original.
The music, of course, is peak Genesis and just screwing around with the Bionic Commando style grappling hook is a lot of fun. This is one of few Genesis games I went out of my way to complete on the hardest difficulty, and I enjoyed every minute of mastering it for RetroAchievements.
Turrican vets tend to dislike this one due to its more streamlined approach to level design, but I found its pacing to be just right. Although it's more of a left-to-right affair compared to its predecessors, there is still enough phony walls and secrets to discover in each stage. That being said, the last few stages do increase in scope and feel more like something that would have come out of the original.
The music, of course, is peak Genesis and just screwing around with the Bionic Commando style grappling hook is a lot of fun. This is one of few Genesis games I went out of my way to complete on the hardest difficulty, and I enjoyed every minute of mastering it for RetroAchievements.
1993
As a beat 'em up, it takes an interesting departure from the likes of SOR2 by being non-linear and having multiple endings. The music is also great, and the iconic gore factor this series is known for is in full effect.
That being said, the gameplay itself is hideously unbalanced in the North American release. It quickly becomes "spin kick to win", and when you become Monster Rick, it becomes "tentacle r*pe to win" (I don't know what the move is called but it's the same motion as the spin kick). You almost have to be using these moves 24/7 if you want any chance of success, as the enemies are incredibly overpowered and even early one some are capable of robbing an entire life from you in one or two hits.
It's fine enough for a once over, but the original Splatterhouse is a far better game in almost every category. Shame that never got ported to the Genesis...
That being said, the gameplay itself is hideously unbalanced in the North American release. It quickly becomes "spin kick to win", and when you become Monster Rick, it becomes "tentacle r*pe to win" (I don't know what the move is called but it's the same motion as the spin kick). You almost have to be using these moves 24/7 if you want any chance of success, as the enemies are incredibly overpowered and even early one some are capable of robbing an entire life from you in one or two hits.
It's fine enough for a once over, but the original Splatterhouse is a far better game in almost every category. Shame that never got ported to the Genesis...
1998
I'm really surprised that people didn't seem to like this one. It runs off the same engine as Gex (which I'm a big fan of) and is more or less a dark/edgy 3D platformer before that trend took over on the PS2. Perhaps a little too easy, but I still had a lot of fun giving it a once over.
2002
I hate giving this a low score because I have a huge, huge sense of nostalgia for it being the game I'd frequently rent from our local grocery store when I was 6 or 7 (yes that was a thing). As an adult, though, it's impossible to look past the jank and (clearly) rushed development. About half of the game is simple, solid action platforming that borrows heavily from the likes of Crash Bandicoot. Then you get to Blin-cough-Clyde in the Caldera and the game goes downhill from there. You're faced with a badly designed boss (protip- get the greatest hits version if you're gonna play as there are more 1-ups) followed by three incredibly drawn out underwater stages. The game goes back to being semi-decent once you reach Spooky's turf, but it never quite hits the sweet spot that the first half did.
World 1 holds up significantly better, and Re-Pac improved upon that installment heavily. I would love to see a remake of this game that makes the second half better. Heck, you can swap out the swimming and submarine levels for the gameplay style that this actually does well enough and nothing of value would be lost.
World 1 holds up significantly better, and Re-Pac improved upon that installment heavily. I would love to see a remake of this game that makes the second half better. Heck, you can swap out the swimming and submarine levels for the gameplay style that this actually does well enough and nothing of value would be lost.
2022
Fixes all of the jank from the PS1 original, but it is perhaps too easy now that you go big chungus mode every time you consume a pellet and don't even have to worry about any actual platforming during the transformation. This felt a little silly and completely unnecessary. Other than that, it's a big improvement that doesn't try to fix anything that wasn't broken (looking at you Crash N Sane Trilogy).
1988
I actually completed this on the NES/Famicom, but there appears to be no option for it here.
The Famicom port is a simple, breezy cute 'em up that non hardcore shmup players can appreciate. It does use a Gradius style checkpoint system (yuck) but the game doesn't really suffer from Gradius syndome even towards the very end. It's very easy to become overpowered and just wreck everything before it even has a chance to fire, and there's even a "PP" (insert beavis and butthead laugh here) icon that will allow you to save all of your hard-earned powerups upon death, although normally you lose everything just like that highly overrated Konami space shooter.
The bosses, while having simple patterns, are probably the highlight of the game. They're big, cartoony and all based around various insects such as spiders and moths. Upon beating them, you'll see them all bruised up and waving a white flag and this is honestly pretty charming.
Besides being insanely short (like sub 20 minutes if you know what you're doing), the only other major flaw this game has is its soundtrack. As much as I don't like Gradius, one thing I'll give it credit for is having amazing music. Sadly, what's here is only marginally better than the garbage you'd find in Action52.
As for the Genesis version, I didn't beat it but found it to play worse than the Famicom version despite appearing to be just an edgier reskin.
The Famicom port is a simple, breezy cute 'em up that non hardcore shmup players can appreciate. It does use a Gradius style checkpoint system (yuck) but the game doesn't really suffer from Gradius syndome even towards the very end. It's very easy to become overpowered and just wreck everything before it even has a chance to fire, and there's even a "PP" (insert beavis and butthead laugh here) icon that will allow you to save all of your hard-earned powerups upon death, although normally you lose everything just like that highly overrated Konami space shooter.
The bosses, while having simple patterns, are probably the highlight of the game. They're big, cartoony and all based around various insects such as spiders and moths. Upon beating them, you'll see them all bruised up and waving a white flag and this is honestly pretty charming.
Besides being insanely short (like sub 20 minutes if you know what you're doing), the only other major flaw this game has is its soundtrack. As much as I don't like Gradius, one thing I'll give it credit for is having amazing music. Sadly, what's here is only marginally better than the garbage you'd find in Action52.
As for the Genesis version, I didn't beat it but found it to play worse than the Famicom version despite appearing to be just an edgier reskin.
Surprisingly better than both Aero games that this was intended to be a spin-off of. Zero has a lot of interesting movement tech, and for the first three worlds, the level design really complimented it. Plenty of secrets to find and overall a nice pace. The quality does drop a bit once you get past the caverns, as the levels become a mix of linear sections and some pretty bland vehicle romps. Definitely seems like the game was on a tight deadline which is a shame because there's glimmers of something that could've been far more. Still, it's a good way to kill an hour or two.
1992
Mostly enjoyable with a few caveats. I love how the six stages (mostly) take you across locations you don't always see in shmups and the fire golem boss is rather memorable. I can also appreciate how, unlike most Konami shmups, you don't just lose everything on death.
That being said...it's rather difficult to determine whether or not something is an insta-kill or not. In this game, you can generally take a hit and just lose one of your firing options. At least, that applies to most projectiles with surfaces always resulting in insta-death. However, some things such as little chunks of rocks or a tiny fireball spewing out of a pipe in the fire stage will result in death no matter what. You're not going to know until if/when it happens, and that's sort of bad design.
Speaking of design, I felt the game provides a tough-but-fair challenge up until stage six when forgiving the above (which is easy enough to do considering most shmups just kill you in one hit regardless, plus it's plenty generous with extends on normal). Stage six, however, is just bullshit central with a bunch of traps that you simply need to have prior knowledge of before you can adequately route. This stage was almost enough to make me drop the game entirely after beating it, but I did manage to get a 1CC after a few attempts.
Overall I definitely had more fun with it than Gradius and Life Force, but as far as SNES shmups go, Space Megaforce still has yet to be beat.
That being said...it's rather difficult to determine whether or not something is an insta-kill or not. In this game, you can generally take a hit and just lose one of your firing options. At least, that applies to most projectiles with surfaces always resulting in insta-death. However, some things such as little chunks of rocks or a tiny fireball spewing out of a pipe in the fire stage will result in death no matter what. You're not going to know until if/when it happens, and that's sort of bad design.
Speaking of design, I felt the game provides a tough-but-fair challenge up until stage six when forgiving the above (which is easy enough to do considering most shmups just kill you in one hit regardless, plus it's plenty generous with extends on normal). Stage six, however, is just bullshit central with a bunch of traps that you simply need to have prior knowledge of before you can adequately route. This stage was almost enough to make me drop the game entirely after beating it, but I did manage to get a 1CC after a few attempts.
Overall I definitely had more fun with it than Gradius and Life Force, but as far as SNES shmups go, Space Megaforce still has yet to be beat.
1992
Best described as a shmup that thinks it's a platformer. This was one of the first games I got off the Wii Eshop as a kid and it more or less introduced me to the Turbografx16. Even back in the early 2000s...those things were hard to come by and so I only had a SNES and Genesis. It's very accessible for non shm'up players and doesn't outstay its welcome. If you were to play just one game out of the entire TG16 library, I would say go with this one.
Having played a ton of Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III...this one is just okay in comparison. Yes, it was arguably one of the best games to come from the pre-Sonic lineup especially when comparing it to Space Harrier 2 and Altered Beast, but it still has a lot of problems.
For one, the double jump. It's been mentioned a million times already, but even on original hardware with a CRT (which is how I decided to revisit the game after my half sister got me one as an early christmas present) it can feel finnicky. It's not a sKiLL iSsUe thing for me either...I've finished this game a few times and Shinobi 3 numerous times even on the hardest setting because of how great that one is. It's also how you jump in and out of the background on certain stages, which is pretty much mandatory.
Speaking of that mechanic, it's really hard to tell what's part of the foreground and background in round 3. Even after a few playthroughs I still got thrown off by this personally.
Then there's the knockback. You thought it was bad in Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania? Revenge of Shinobi is like "hold my beer". Fortunately, you have access to some pretty nifty magical powers including a shield that will circumvent this for a few hits. It's almost mandatory when traversing round 8-1 on account of how much enemy and projectile spam there is.
Even if it does play like a B tier NES action platformer, it does have its moments. The music, of course, is peak Sega and the one thing just about everyone brings up when talking about this game. It's for good reason. Secondly, the first half of the game is pretty strong despite the gross knockback mechanic and janky double jump. The bosses, while not difficult, are also pretty amusing. I especially liked how there was a sense of urgency with the final boss as you see a wall of cement slowly closing in on your girlfriend in the background. It reminds me a lot of the setup for Comix Zone's finale, which is a game I love.
Sega fans in their 40s will tell you this is peak Shinobi, and although I can admit this was a historically important game and has its moments, it's definitely aged a bit. It walked so Shinobi 3 could run full speed ahead and become one of the best games on the console.
For one, the double jump. It's been mentioned a million times already, but even on original hardware with a CRT (which is how I decided to revisit the game after my half sister got me one as an early christmas present) it can feel finnicky. It's not a sKiLL iSsUe thing for me either...I've finished this game a few times and Shinobi 3 numerous times even on the hardest setting because of how great that one is. It's also how you jump in and out of the background on certain stages, which is pretty much mandatory.
Speaking of that mechanic, it's really hard to tell what's part of the foreground and background in round 3. Even after a few playthroughs I still got thrown off by this personally.
Then there's the knockback. You thought it was bad in Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania? Revenge of Shinobi is like "hold my beer". Fortunately, you have access to some pretty nifty magical powers including a shield that will circumvent this for a few hits. It's almost mandatory when traversing round 8-1 on account of how much enemy and projectile spam there is.
Even if it does play like a B tier NES action platformer, it does have its moments. The music, of course, is peak Sega and the one thing just about everyone brings up when talking about this game. It's for good reason. Secondly, the first half of the game is pretty strong despite the gross knockback mechanic and janky double jump. The bosses, while not difficult, are also pretty amusing. I especially liked how there was a sense of urgency with the final boss as you see a wall of cement slowly closing in on your girlfriend in the background. It reminds me a lot of the setup for Comix Zone's finale, which is a game I love.
Sega fans in their 40s will tell you this is peak Shinobi, and although I can admit this was a historically important game and has its moments, it's definitely aged a bit. It walked so Shinobi 3 could run full speed ahead and become one of the best games on the console.