More thoughts on games I beat over the years
This one is from most of the 2nd 3rd of 2019
I beat Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. Good game. Easier a bit than the 1st one. Partly because of the shadow clones, partly because I beat the NES and Master System versions and gained skill, Patyly because its not as annoying with enemys. Cutscenes are still good but the story has less twists. Godo control but often I miss with my blade and take a hit or have to keep trying. Plus often I face the wrong way when jumping and gotta try again. Less cheap level designs and new ninja magic is nice. Being able to climb any wall instead of just ladder walls helps. Plus being able to use ninja magic on the wall is cool. Not sure if it was in the 1st game but ninja scrolls that increase your max ninja power that come back after game overs make the game easier. Plus one item fully fills the ninja power. Plus each enemy hit oly takes 1 bar of life and other games took more I think. Oh and the ending is a reverse Castlevania Lament Of Innocence where your item becomes your gf. I liked this one and I'm glad I played it. In many ways, an upgrade from the 1st.
I beat Ninja Gaiden 3 It had a few things better than the others like the enemies don't respawn endlessly. But the gameplay was more annoying than the past 2. I used a save thing so i wouldn't be there all night and so I could play it over the day and take breaks for meals and volunteer work. But I made sure only to save after bating a level after I got through with full or near full life to show I could master it. The knockback is there but seems less intense. Although if an enemy keeps plowing into you it keeps forcing you back so cheap kills there. No birds but there are big wasp looking robots that do similar. There is the chance of glitching it so the enemy goes offscreen and vanishes but it can come back if you go back. The bosses ain't bad but can be irritating. Also your life doesn't refill after a cutscene. No shadow clones but there's a double blade that does above and below for a bit. You can crawl under railings but some parts look like platforms but are just background. There's limited continues this time around but it is beatable with practice. Lots and lots of practice. The sword power up is good but without it its easy to miss. Often I'm right on em and swinging and the foe evades. Also there's a buncha foes on the ground so you gotta crouch. Plus the controls feel worse. Often I go to jump on a wall and he stops right in front of it. Also its too easy to face the wrong way and get nailed by foes. On the bio level I beat the boss but he was busting so long I sunk into the floor and died. I'd say its the least fun of the 5 NG games I played (1 2 3 Master System GB) but its not a bad game. Its just got issues. Oh and enemies take like 3 bars of life each hit and spikes take around half the whole meter.
Just beat Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on Genesis. I used Sindel and a code to get 35 credits but had 12 left at the end. Pretty good game. Good graphics and music. Controls well. Each character has something good. Good story. I used a trick with Sindel to loop my foe by after knocking em down I used the scream move to stun em, then uppercut em down again. Pretty useful in the 2 on 1 levels with I gotta fight 2 guys on 1 life bar. It didn't always work and using a 6 button pad was kinda annoying. Show Khan is a worthy game boss. He hits hard and fast and I was able to win by fighting defensively. I crouched and blocked and when I got the chance, did an uppercut like when he did his air move. He tanks hits easy too. I burned through 17 continues to beat him and it was still close. I only recently learned how to get more continues by that Console Wars ep on it. Good game and pretty tough. But I'm glad I beat it. Only cost like 5$ used cartridge only.
Just beat Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict on my Game Gear Collection. It was the fan translated ver and is set between Shining Force 1 and 2 and connects the 2 games. Its got good story and music and the colors are bright and fun. Its quite forgiving with if you bite it, you keep all exp and items and you get to try again with only losing some cash. You can unlock other party members and items and even if you miss you still get exp. You get more exp for fighting stronger guys but if you get too strong then you get less. I think its always 100 exp to get a level. Max level is 20 but you can reset level 1 by a class upgrade. If a guy bites it, just pay to revive him, but they seem to get revived between chapters. Good game with good stuff and I'm glad I got around to playing this. The Game Gear had some grand titles on it
Just beat Mega Man X5. I liked it. It had good 90s style music. The controls were ok but some parts were kinda off. The part with the Ride Armor in the lava level was hard to jump out of. Unless I didn't wanna jump out and it just killed me. A few times I was standing still and died. Eventually I just used the Falcon Armor to fly over the lava and get the armor. The Falcon Armor is cool to ignore enemies but the Gaea Armor is a power house that takes and gives damage hard. The bosses weren't too tough and it was good to have Auto Charge and Rapid Fire options. But making special weapons its own button was kind of a bad idea. If I'm using a special weapon then I'm not using my X Buster. I used X for this and not once used Zero. People bashed this one for making you backtrack but I didn't mind. Also doing so lets you use the new Armors where as if you didn't have to, you might not ever try em. X has 5 formes in this and each has its uses. The Ultimate Armor was cool but took getting used to after using the other Armors. People complained about Duff McWhalen's level but I didn't mind it. You get unlimited continues and it saves regularly. the multiple endings being determined by random chance isn't too bad as i didn't have to play the game in a special way to get the ending i wanted. i got the one where Zero doesn't turn Maverick and X continues with his memories of him. Sigma was tough but not impossible. Plus they give you a high dose of health right before facing him to refill Sub Tanks and if you game over it starts you back there. I liked this one and felt it was pretty cool. Oh and the credits music is like a bad 90s made for Tv movie.
So I beat Columns on my Master System Collection. I went to Flash Columns and set it to the highest settings. I had to clear this 1 shining jewel at the bottom of a huge pile. It took a lot of tries and my eyes starting going from looking at that small thing and making out the small pieces. Eventually I cleared a path but it it tense as any mistake would end my run and make me start over. I eventually got the right piece after stacking the wrong ones on the side and was running outta room. Good game, good colors and music. You gotta line up 3 or more jewels in a vertical, diagonal or horizontal line. Once they go, the remaining jewels fall and if they line up, they go too in a chain reaction. There's a magic jewel that clears all blocks of whatever color you put it on. In the 8 bit ver, you can change how many types of jewels appear or change em to blocks or fruits or symbols. But I stuck to regular jewels as I'm more used to em from the 16 bit ver. Good game. Plays well and is just a solid experience.
Just beat Avenging Spirit on Gameboy. You play as a ghost who's trying to save his gf he bit it trying to help. Not Patrick Swayze. You get to possess bad guys and use em to fight. Each has its own life bar and attack. If they bite it you have until your power bar goes out before your ghost bites it to possess another guy. Its got sort of a sci fi and supernatural feel with some weird oni worm or a construction vehicle as bosses. You gotta get 3 keys over the levels to unlock the cell door keeping her in there and once you unlock her, you play as her and have a super laser that creams everything to fight the final boss (who isnt so tough). There's infinity continues and around a half dozen levels but biting it on a level sends you back to the start of the level you were just on. It took me over an hour to get through and after beating it, you get an anime cutscene of the girl saying bye to her ghost bf like in that Demi Moore movie. Its pretty good and I'm glad I got it.
So I beast Tekken Advance today using Nina. It was my 1st try at it besides a training mode a few hours before I got around to doing it. Its pretty good. Not too hard for me. Simple controls. Jump kicking the foe in the head isn't as possible as in KOF or Street Fighter or MK but I find running kicks are good. Its got a semi 3d thing where you can dodge by going sideways toward or away from the camera. Good graphics and music and its got voices from the Japanese version (Including one of my fave's, Daisuke Gouri as Heihachi). King and the Hwoarang gave me the most trouble and took a few tries to beat. Heihachi was a good final boss as he was strong and a good challenge, without being impossible or unfair like Shao Khan. It was a pretty solid game and reminded me of Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis. Good game. Glad i finally played it.
So I beat Street Smart on Sega Genesis. Not bad a game. You play as an orange Gi Karate guy who fights beat em up style against a buncha muscley guys. Some are huge like small Autobots. You can bet on you or the foe and whoever goes down 1st, decides who gets the cash you bet. You get several continues and can have several lives per fight (that don't replenish) and losing 1 counts for the bet (but you still continue the battle with a new life bar). You can get skill points after each round to beef up your Life, Power and Def permanently (sorta like Deadly Moves but easier to manage). After each fight you are seen with some blonde in a skimpy outfit and at the end of the game, you get a still depending on how much cash you got. The game gets easier as it goes on with beefed up stats and its a good brisk game that can be beat in like half an hour. The game boss looks sorta like Axel Hawk from Fatal Fury 2. The sailor guy is kinda obnoxious. The blows only hit on the end of the limb so if you are on top of the foe you can't harm each other. Good cheerful colors and happy 80s music. Glad I got this one. It cost me 27$.
I just got through the 1st NES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on my NEs collection on GBA. I used Save states as otherwise it would take me forever. Pretty unforgiving, esp the later levels. I like how each turtle gets its own moves and each can carry a ranged item(but if you collect a new one its replaced and all ammo you had for it) I used a youtube vid to see where to go as its a maze at times. The bosses are actually not bad. But the level designs are kinda unfair. Its got good control and music and each turtle does different damage and has different reach. You can go into places and back again over and over to restock on items and health. Not sure about lives or continues but i think if you lose a turlte you can't get him back. I read you can get em back tough I haven't tries it. I stocked up on the ninja scroll weapon for Raf and Mikey so I could get through the later parts. The last level is a nightmare. High damage. Enemies that don't give much room. places you gotta take a hit to get through. Few recovery items. The water level is pretty awful too as you gotta do it fast and its easy to rack up damage. i liked it but I'd have to sink a lot of hours in it over and over to get through on 1 playthrough.
Just beat Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle on Sega Genesis. I kinda see why they went with Sonic. The jumping is kinda iffy and the jump kicks don't work often. The final level is a gauntlet and the paper scissors rock fights are kinda yeah. But the items you can get like the necklace that shows your opponents moves or the invincibility cape make it more balanced. The game isn't too hard but that mountain level before the sky level was kinda bad. Plus going back to the mountain level if you fall in the sky level. I like the hidden areas and multiple continues but having to go to the options to continue is unintuitive. In the water you always float up unless button pressed otherwise. And 1 hit kills are sorta Bubsy. The game boss has 3 fights, 2 paper scissors rock battles, and an actual fight where he throws fists and you gotta punch him. The invincibility cloak makes this simple. It cost me 16$ Canadian with the middle man but I think it was decent. For an early 16 bit game its got good music and colors and the plot don't really ad up but I liked it. Simple with flaws but not ruined. Oh and I think Planet Aries is supposted to be Mars.
Just played Landstalker on Genesis for 40 mins. The controls are really bad. You gotta adapt to em and that takes some time. It hurts my wrist and hand to move on the D Pad diagonally while screwing around to get the character to move in the right way. I often don't know if I can go into doors or not because of it. Pressing up or down makes you go in a line. But left and right also makes you go in that line. Other than that its pretty good. Good story, graphics and music.
Just beat TMNT on NES Legit. I did use a save state to skip the 1st 2 levels after being them but only to save time as I already mastered those. It can be annoying and many things the AVGN said are true. You get 2 continues and if you lose a turtle he don't come back until you use a continue or find a hidden spot i never found. You can actually swap weapons by throwing the boomerang with 1 turtle and switching to another so he catches it when it . returns. The bosses are kinda easy and if you jump to the right platform and throw boomerangs to the left, Shredder will keep jumping into em in a loop. But he can kill you in 1 hit with his magic gun so its cool. If a turtle bites it the other turtles don't recover health, even if you beat a level. It can be beat in like 30 mins if you know what you are doing. Its hard and I think Battletoads was a better game, but its not awful. The music is good and the graphics are nice and it controls sorta well. But enemies can trap you and drain health unless you hit em. Oh and they respawn if you leave the near area.
Just beat Battle Unit Zeoth on Gameboy. Good early GB game. 5 levels. Even numbered ones are vertical. Good Mech style Shmup. Good graphics. Good music. Infinite continues and no lives. If you bite it you gotta start the lv over even if on a boss. Good power up system with different weapons and levels of power. The bosses are big and cool but go down fast if you got the right power up. I hear you can use your life bar as a super move but I never tried it. Its a quick simple nice clean game that can be beat in like 15 mins in a perfect run. Instead of jumping you boost as long as you hold the jump button so you can do a hop or a climb. Holding fire auto shoots so its not too tricky. Cost me 24$ and I'm glad I got it.
Just beat Submarine Attack on my Master System Collection. Good game. Simple shmup but under water. You got 2 shots: straight forward and in an arc from the top. The power ups are gotten by busting smaller subs like Health, Speed and Attack boosts. Good music and graphics with nice bright colors and designs. You get 2 extra guys (3 tries in total) and unlimited continues so there's no reason not to beat it. Each level looks different with under water cities and metal bases and the bosses are big and bold. I think if you fall on a boss and have guys left, the damage stays until you use a continue. If you bite it in a level, you stay alive for a second so you think you're ok then bust, only to respawn a second later w/o any power ups. The sub is pretty slow w/o any boosts but its not game breaking. I liked this one and I'm glad I got it.
So I beat Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars on my Master System Collection. Pretty simple. Nice graphics and music. Unlimited continues. You actually get a life bar for once so you done bite it in 1 hit. But it slowly goes down so its also a time bar and sorta like Wonder Boy.Adventure Island. After you get through the levels you gotta do it again to collect the other 6 Zodiac signs. No actual bosses you gotta beat but there's usually a guy at the end who throws things that send you back to the edge of the screen and off some life. Its easy to get stuck in a loop against these guys with their small projectiles and Alex being pretty big to em. There are power ups like refilling a bit of life or getting a tornado attack that goes forward. Its not too hard but if you fall in a pit it sends you back a bit. Run outta power and restart the whole level. Its fair and lite but not awful. Just sorta Simple. Glad I got around to doing this.
Just Beat Landstalker on Genesis. What an ordeal. It took nearly a month to get through. The music is great as ae the graphics. But the control. Ohhhhhhh! Its an isometric action game where you are an elf with a faery who helps you as you solve puzzles and fight baddz with a blade. But unlike Zelda, its on an angle. You gotta go diagonal on a Genesis D Pad. And its hard to line him up just right without him wiggling all over or walking into walls. Later you gotta jump and change direction in mid air to get around a corner. There are no shadows so you gotta guestimate where things are. And with the isometric perspective, something to the left and up, looks diagonally on the same level. You get stronger by finding Life Stock which are big yellow fuzzy hearts that add an extra point to your life and, with enough collected, increase your attack power. You can get items and new armor or weapons and each gives you different stuff. There are trees you can warp through after clearing a big tree of daemons. There are a variety of npc's who say different things and a few plot twists. Its not hard and really likable but that control system is pretty demented. I think it looks and sounds better than Light Crusader but plays worse as you are stuck on an X Grid. Plus that last level keeps sending you back to the bottom as you attempt to climb to the top. The bosses ain't hard and eventually you get a blade that makes earthquakes when fully charged. You really feel like you are advancing with all the life ups you find everywhere. I'm glad I got this and was able to beat it. I eventually adapted to the controls but it was still rough. I finally understand why everyone gave it 6/10.
Just beat Flame of Recca on GBA. I imported it from Japan and its by Konami. Its a fighting game based on an anime/manga I never saw but was dubbed by Blue Water Studios who did G Gundam and DB/DBGT. Its pretty simple. B punch A blast and R block. You got a story but I know little Japanese so I only got a few random words. You can double jump by Up+Up and drop through floors with Down+Down. Its from 2001 so its one of the earlier GBA games but its good. It controls well and can nice music and looks. Good animation but at times I was facing the wrong way and had to reorient. Unlimited continues and plenty unlockables like power moves by holding R+ a direction + A or B but I didn'rt really need em. I used Fuko as I like wind and am a Gemini(air sign). Its playable without knowing Japanese. The bosses who game me most trouble were Sigma and the game boss. I beat Sigma by blocking and attacking after he attacked. It was easy to get the bad guys in a loop. Mostly easy but a few tough fights. You an unlock a lot of things but the guy I ordered this from already unlocked it and I figured I'd rather not delete it to unlock it again. Each fighter looks different and plays in their own way and the 2nd last boss is a big abomination you gotta hit in its top to open its lower eye for more damage. I liked this game and I'm glad I got it. Only cost 18$ Canadian. Solid fighting game.
Just beat Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. I used a youtube vid to show where to go so I wasn't walking around for days. It looks good. Has good music and the controls are like the other 8 bit Castlevania's. You got a days system to determine what ending you get and a day/night cycle where towns are open in day and baddz are tougher at night. Also is leveling up by killing bad guys but each lv up makes weaker foes give no exp. After getting Dracula's parts you can equip them to get powers like a shield or breaking blocks and you buy items but there's no ammo so just getting it gives you unlimited uses of it. Plus getting upgrades from talking to people. Lots pf secret areas often found by throwing holy water and the bosses ain't really tough. Dracula is easy if you spasm holy fire. Its got lives where you respawn where you died but using continues or passwords is different. Hearts are money here and churches heal you but leveling up also does this. Time goes by for the day/night thing but not inside buildings or mansions so you can grind for exp or hearts in there w/o it going by. I liked it., But if I had to go in w/o a guide or even Nintendo Power it would be pretty tough. I did get the good ending though and I'm glad I gave this a chance. Its inspired later games so its sort of Metroidvania 0.
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