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T-Pac

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Blog Entries posted by T-Pac

  1. T-Pac

    Curse [Sega Mega Drive - 1989]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Curse [Sega Mega Drive - 1989].
    Curse is an obscure, early Mega Drive space-shooter that appealed to me instantly from stage one. And the fun mostly persisted the whole way through (although I admittedly abused save-states to alleviate my frustration from the game’s lack of continues or checkpoints).
    This game rightfully takes criticism for its abysmally choppy frame-rate, but I found that it didn’t take long to adjust to the motion and ultimately forget about it altogether. And my only other major criticisms are that a few early stage hazards blend into the background too much, and (as usual) the difficulty is too steep. That being said, Curse may have a claim to being my favorite Sega shoot-em-up (alongside Arrow Flash and GleyLancer).
    Curse is, in most respects, a run-of-the-mill space-shooter, but there are a few standout elements to lend it some distinction - one being its audio cues. Few shooters incorporate sound as a necessary gameplay component, but stages 2 and 4  make excellent use of blaring deflection pings to signal approaching meteors (which would otherwise be hidden among swarms of enemies). If you can hear your own forward-facing shots ringing, you can preemptively avoid collisions. Curse also offers a fun and welcome introductory element to several of the boss fights, where battles are preceded by ‘lesser’ versions of the stage boss to familiarize you with the general attack patterns you’ll soon contend with on a more lethal scale. My favorite example of this is the Serpent boss, which coils around the screen emitting radial bullets as you maneuver to aim at its vulnerable head.
    The last facet of Curse that makes it particularly noteworthy is the haunting label-art, evoking an alien-like automaton with exposed inner organs fused with machinery. I was thrilled to find this unsettling figure make an appearance in-game as the final boss encounter, where it transforms into an even more grotesque, skeletal creature. Space-shooters are always better with a healthy dose of nightmare-inducing monsters, after all.
    [T-Pac]
  2. T-Pac

    Violent Soldier [PC Engine - 1990]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Violent Soldier [PC Engine - 1990].
    This awkwardly-named 16-bit game boasts all the trappings of a grade-A shoot-em-up. It has a heavy R-Type influence (high memorization factor and endearingly derivative mechanics), fantastic design and atmosphere (with great music and a creepy, organic visual twist on everything from lightning-filled caverns to vegetation-heavy space trails), and a highly memorable “jaw” gimmick. Said jaws are the defining feature of this title - they hinge from the front of your ship at adjustable angles to increase the spread of your fire as well as shield you from enemy bullets (and enemies themselves). I found the mid-range angle most useful (allowing for a wider shot without overexposing the vulnerable cockpit of the ship).
    Unfortunately, two glaring factors hold Violent Soldier back from the greatness it comes so very close to achieving. First is the unrefined hit detection that prevents you from plotting reliable routes through the stages. When enemies can’t be defeated in a consistent manner, each run you make has an element of chance that’s more-or-less unwelcome in a space-shooter of this nature. It’s very possible that this inconsistency is my own fault, but I couldn’t help feeling the mechanics lacked a degree of polish nonetheless. The second factor is the unrelenting difficulty. I had to make liberal use of save-states at checkpoints, before each boss encounter, and even throughout the final stage just to stand a chance at rolling the credits in this game, and it still smoked me over and over and over again. Granted - I’m not great at video-games to begin with, but shoot-em-ups that offer unlimited continues and STILL break me to the point of cheating with copious mid-stage bookmarks are probably a bit unbalanced.
    Flaws aside, Violent Soldier is a memorable space-shooter that I’m glad I slogged through (even by save-scumming to the end). I almost wish I had opted for the TurboGrafx-16 version, which has a much cooler name - “Sinistron”. But “Violent Soldier“ isn’t all that bad, especially as a deceptive non-entry in Hudson’s “Soldier” series.
    [T-Pac]
  3. T-Pac

    Final Soldier [PC Engine]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Final Soldier [PC Engine].
    I actually cleared a space-shooter on normal difficulty without save-states - this is EXCITING!!! Final Soldier is Hudson Soft’s second Star Soldier game on the Japanese PC Engine (which, unlike Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade, never got localized to the North American TurboGrafx-16). And while it may not garner the same acclaim as its brethren, I think it shines equally bright as a solid representative of the broader 16-bit vertical shoot-em-up genre.
    Final Soldier treads a very delicate middle-ground between reflex-shooters (like Compile’s) and strategic-shooters (like Irem’s). And it does so with a unique feel that perfectly transitions the early arcade-style roots of NES Star Soldier into the refinement of the 16-bit era. There’s plenty of weapon-variety (with configuration options for each brand of powerup), an inspired graphical presentation (in colorfully mechanical early-90s fashion), engaging enemies (active ground-turrets, classic airborne formations, and well-implemented mid-bosses), and buttery-smooth controls (sporting rapid-fire by default and speed that can be adjusted on the fly).
    My favorite part of Final Soldier is definitely the Bubble-Laser upgrade, which sends its fatal rounds spraying in all directions from your ship - reliable as both a perimeter-defense and as a powerful means of damage to stage-enemies and bosses alike. I also liked how the final boss slowly transforms from a spaceship into a creepy, fleshy monster as the battle goes on. My only holistic complaint with this title is that, in its middling design approach, it isn’t very memorable. Yet even as a “stock” 16-bit space shooter, it lies in the highest echelon of its “by the book” contemporaries. So I can’t fault a game for being such a well-rounded example of not only its franchise, but its entire niche in classic gaming.
    This is one of the first PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 Hu-Card games in my collection - and I’m glad I made the addition, as this is a title ripe for replaying (at least until level 5, where things get a little too hectic for my casual tastes).
    [T-Pac]
  4. T-Pac
    Played Dragon Spirit: The New Legend [NES]
    It took a turbo-controller and save-states at the final boss, but I finally finished one of my favorite NES games for the first time. Dragon Spirit is a fantasy themed shoot-em-up where you play as - surprise - a DRAGON! The game uses Xevious attack mechanics, employing both a standard shot for airborne enemies and short-range bombs for ground enemies. Naturally, powerups increase your fire, but they also allow you to evolve into different dragon iterations - shrinking you for a smaller hitbox, summoning satellite dragons for auxiliary firepower, or adding multiple heads for a wider shooting-range.
    Each stage offers a unique locale - from arctic tundras, to underwater reefs, to castle-grounds - with appropriately themed enemies and hazards. The environments are a standout feature in Dragon Spirit, with bold color choices and artful attention to detail (stark-white plains, well-rendered marine biomes, erupting volcanic landmasses, etc.) not often seen in standard NES pixel-graphics. And these environments are put to significant practical use for a vertically-scrolling shooter - as jagged cliffs close-in on you from every side, cocoon-like forest pods ensnare you with growing appendages, and glaciers carve-out a treacherous path through the speed-tunnel section.
    Dragon Spirit's boss fights are equally memorable and unique, each fitting with the aesthetic of their respective levels and offering different attack-patterns to memorize and counter. You get to face-off against the likes of skeletal ghost-dragons, fire-breathing turtles, giant spiders, and two evolutions of the final-boss wizard. I’m admittedly regretful at having save-spammed the final boss fight, since I may have been able to clear the game legit with more practice, but I was over-eager to check this title off my backlog after just sampling it casually for so many years.
    I'm interested to see how the TurboGrafx-16 port of Dragon Spirit compares to the NES title, as I have it pre-loaded on my TG-16 mini-console. If it’s a similar adaptation, then I’m in for a treat.
    [T-Pac]
  5. T-Pac

    Truxton (Tatsujin) [Sega Genesis]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played Truxton (Tatsujin) [Sega Genesis].
    Truxton is a bit of a cult-classic early 16-bit space-shooter, and I’ve had a secondhand affinity for it ever since I started watching Classic Game Room (which constantly references it as a running gag) in the primordial days of YouTube. It feels almost like a natural evolution of Star Soldier from some parallel timeline where Hudson Soft didn’t develop the successive Soldier games, and instead Toaplan took the reins. My copy of the game is actually the Japanese release, Tatsujin, but I was surprised to see it boot-up as “Truxton”, since it apparently auto-detects the region of whatever system you’re playing on.
    The biggest draw of Truxton is its mesmerizing weapons, namely the 3-pronged homing electric beam. In any other shoot-em-up, a laser like that would render you near-invincible, yet Truxton’s frenetic design keeps you on your toes even at full-power. This makes the game’s trademark, screen-clearing skull-bombs all the more indispensable. Luckily, easy mode (which I obviously played on) is generous enough to reset your bomb-count and power-level after each death (and even on each new credit). Credits are unlimited as well, although the checkpoint system is precarious in that dying early in a section can sometimes send you back to a previous checkpoint.
    Truxton’s gameplay places extremely heavy emphasis on split-second bullet dodging in cramped quarters of enemy-filled screens. So for someone like me, who has the reflexes of a geriatric sloth moving through half-cured cement, finishing this game felt like a monumental accomplishment (even on easy mode).
    Truxton would have the trappings of a great pick-up-and-play title, if not for the punishing boss fights that ruined any sort of momentum I’d gained in the stages themselves. That being said, the game left a positive impression on me even if it isn’t fit for frequent revisits. 
    [T-Pac]
  6. T-Pac

    The Legend of Zelda [NES]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through The Legend of Zelda [NES].
    As a cryptic, nonlinear, exploration-based, action RPG - The Legend of Zelda is everything I hate in a video game, yet it’s an undeniable staple of the NES library (and the larger classic gaming canon). So I finally decided to play it - but in the least painful way possible: using a comprehensive online guide to save me the trouble of figuring out where to go or what to do on my own.
    And even though I still found the exploration obtuse and the mechanics cumbersome to the very end, the appeal of this game was obvious. At the core of Zelda is a spirit of discovery - and while using a walkthrough turns that discovery into somewhat of a “paint-by-numbers” affair, I still found gratification (and even a degree of wonder) every time I burned a shrub to find a hidden stairway, or played the magic flute to reveal an underwater dungeon, or encountered a new monster in a locked chamber. If I were more inclined to action RPG gameplay, I could see myself relishing in the exploration, drawing maps and deciphering clues just like kids in the late-80s did when Zelda was new to the market. The visuals are a clear asset to the experience as well - from the dungeon layouts, to the enemy designs, to the overworld in general. The 8-bit sprites in this game are iconic, and maintain a perfect balance between practical communication and abstract ambiguity.
    In short - I hate The Legend of Zelda as a game, but I love The Legend of Zelda as an aesthetic. It’s true that my experience with this title was lesser for having relied so heavily on a guide, but I wouldn’t have ever seen it through to the end otherwise. And I’m glad I did.
  7. T-Pac

    Super Bomberman 2 [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Super Bomberman 2 [Super Famicom].
    I usually prefer action-puzzlers to be heavier on the puzzles, lighter on the action - but Bomberman games are the exception. This was a fantastic title, and I really enjoyed the boss battles, enemy designs, and stage themes. 
    My only complaints were the frequency of new stage gimmicks (by the time I got fully accustomed to one new element, it was swapped for another) and the final boss battle. I couldn't damage the big one-eyed alien guy, so I had to search online to find out how. It turns out you can only defeat him with the "bomb-throwing" ability, which I didn't even know existed. I guess that's what I get for buying games without the manuals, or games in foreign languages for that matter...
    Solid game, though. And I hear the multiplayer "battle-mode" is fantastic, too.
    [T-Pac]
  8. T-Pac

    Asteroids [Atari 2600]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Rolled the score on Asteroids [Atari 2600] for game variation 1/B/B.
    Asteroids is a staple among classic space-shooters, but I’d never spent much time with it before - maybe because it demands that you rotate to aim your shot rather than offering a fixed-direction attack like most of its contemporaries (i.e. Space Invaders). The gameplay is definitely fun, though - and it’s always satisfying to decimate a blanket of huge space-rocks at the start of each new wave.
    I managed to roll the score-counter with the coward’s method of staying planted center-screen and defending my perimeter, relying on the 5000-point bonus lives to make up for inevitable collisions. And I ignored the warping / thrust mechanics altogether, as they generally sent me careening into one asteroid for the sake of dodging another.
    Variation 1 A/A is also neat, since it introduces enemy UFOs that shoot back at you - but I can’t survive very long against them. I want to spend more time improving my score on this setting, too. This is one of those titles that can easily catch you in the "just one more try" snare.
    [T-Pac]
  9. T-Pac

    Raiden Densetsu [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Raiden Densetsu [Super Famicom].
    Raiden was a staple of early arcade shoot-em-ups, which can sometimes translate to console ports with clunky controls and merciless “quarter-munching” difficulty. Luckily, Raiden Densetsu on the Super Nintendo manages to steer clear of these pitfalls, offering smooth maneuvering and easy settings with adjustable lives, bombs, and credits (at least on the Japanese release).
    I had a lot of fun with this game - it’s one of the most straightforward space-shooters I’ve yet encountered on 16-bit hardware, while still offering fun variations in powerups, enemies, and stage layouts. But my affinity for Raiden Densesu ultimately lies in the small details - the satisfying firecracker sound effect that triggers when enemies take damage, the brevity and consistency of the stages, the bright red ship design that suits both the earlier terrestrial levels and the later space levels, and of course the incongruous fairies flying around the otherwise “War of the Worlds”-esque game to randomly grant powerups.
    Raiden Densetsu is a fantastic pick-up-and-play game in the same vein as Strike Gunner, which likely found its inspiration from the aforementioned arcade title. And that’s where its true strength lies - not as a deep and memorable gameplay experience, but as a quick, mindless romp for anyone itching to blow stuff up with an overpowered spaceship.
    [T-Pac]
  10. T-Pac

    R-Type III [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through R-Type III [Super Famicom].
    This wasn’t a legitimate clear because I used save states (bookmarks that aren’t natively built into the game), but R-Type III is just too challenging for me to finish otherwise. In spite of the punishing difficulty, though, this is one of the best space-shooters I’ve ever played.
    R-Type is the quintessential “strategy shoot-em-up” franchise, where the focus is on stage-memorization and route-planning rather than reflex. This is my personal favorite flavor of space-shooter, as my reflexes are awful and these games are essentially puzzles with lasers. Attempt. Get killed. Adjust your strategy. Progress a little further. Get killed again. Repeat.
    R-Type III in particular is a masterpiece among its ilk. The weapon-system is refined and versatile without being overwhelming (employing the standard cannon with upgrades, 2 variations of charge-shots, and the series’ signature “Force Pod” that can be attached to your ship as a shield and shot-upgrade, or dispatched as an offensive device). Each stage is varied and full of unique elements - from laser-mazes that must be navigated both forward and backward, to rotating corridors that capitalize on the Super Nintendo’s “Mode 7” scaling effects, to a floating interdimensional tunnel which spews enemies at you while conversely providing the only safe passage through barricades. And if the gameplay wasn’t enough to satisfy, the visuals are equally impressive. I love the biomechanical aesthetic, combining facets of Japanese mech design with Giger-esque monsters that would be perfectly at home in Ridley Scott’s Alien. The audio doesn’t disappoint, either, with the Super Nintendo’s signature bassey sound effects and chiptunes tailored to match the atmosphere of each level and boss-encounter.
    The greatest fault of this title, in my opinion, is that it lacks a “novice” mode like its 16-bit predecessor Super R-Type. The default difficulty of the game is just too insurmountable for casual players like myself, which hinders replay-value. It’s undoubtedly a fantastic shoot-em-up, though, and it was worth the 3 weeks I invested in finishing it (even if I cheated a bit with those save-states…)
    [T-Pac]
  11. T-Pac

    Hello Kitty World [Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Hello Kitty World [Famicom].
    This game is a neat curiosity in its convoluted branding and localization. Its origins trace back to Balloon Fight, a staple of Nintendo’s original 1985 NES / Famicom lineup, which was heavily-inspired by Williams Electronics’ 1982 arcade hit Joust (but without the ostriches). Balloon Fight later spawned a 1990 Game Boy sequel - Balloon Kid, which was exclusive to North America and Europe at the time. Japan didn’t get a taste until 1992, when the game was ported back to the Famicom and rebranded with the Hello Kitty license.
    I had loads of fun with Hello Kitty World, as I do with most Joust-esque “floating physics” games (Flappy Bird included). But what makes this rendition of the formula so much more enticing than its progenitors is the progression element. Rather than arcade-style point racking against single-screen enemy waves, Hello Kitty World presents 8 levels to traverse - complete with enemies, hazards, and 4 bosses. This title is deceptively difficult for a game featuring Sanrio’s cutesy mascot, but its introduction of a linear stage-system coaxed me to keep playing until I saw it through to the end.
    [T-Pac]
  12. T-Pac

    Strike Gunner STG [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Strike Gunner STG [Super Famicom].
    The most endearing part of this game (which was released in 1992) is that it’s set in the ‘distant’ year of 2008. The developers thought that, by then, we’d be fighting aliens on the moon with our high-tech spacecraft, instead of fighting each other on the internet with our high tech cell-phones.
    Even on easy mode with 9 lives per credit, this game still smoked me over and over again until I found the best loadout for each stage. That’s where the novelty in Strike Gunner lies: the pre-level weapon select. It allows you to choose a special weapon at the start of each stage, but locks you into your choice permanently and disables that option once the stage is cleared. The downside here is that you can easily ruin a run by choosing an ineffective weapon against a difficult boss, but the strategy introduced by this system makes for a memorable shoot-em-up.
    My first impressions of this title were admittedly lackluster, given that the game-assets began as bland forests and military vehicles - but that quickly changed as everything evolved into imaginative alien aircraft, planets, and space-stations. The sound design struck my fancy, too, with the Super Nintendo’s signature bass-heavy explosion effects. The controls were smooth, the upgrades were fun, and the tunnel-run finale cemented a satisfying playthrough overall. Strike Gunner really went above and beyond my expectations.
    [T-Pac]
  13. T-Pac

    Tekkaman Blade [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Tekkaman Blade [Super Famicom].
    I love a good shoot-em-up / platformer hybrid (Wonder Boy III, Xexyz, Robocco Wars), but Tekkaman Blade is the first shoot-em-up / fighting game hybrid that I've ever played. And in spite of my general distaste for the 1-on-1 fighter genre, I had a lot of fun with this title. I liked the consistency in stage partitioning, where progression felt predictable with just enough small variations to keep things interesting and imply that you're advancing through a broader "quest". The layouts and enemy patterns were admittedly clunky, and the slash-mechanic never felt quite as reliable as in action-games like Ninja Gaiden, but my expectations were more or less tempered for that, based on Tekkaman Blade's relative obscurity (it never even saw a release outside of Japan, although that isn't necessarily indicative of low-quality).
    I'd be remiss not to attribute most of my zeal for this game to the aesthetics, though. The moment I saw a 16-bit mech with a lightsaber, my brain automatically filed Tekkaman Blade under "greatest things ever" - right next to vanilla wafers, vacuum cleaners, and Godzilla. Apparently this game was based on an early-90s anime of the same name, and I'd like to watch it some time - but I have an irrational bias against anime that I still need to get past before I dive into anything like that.
    [T-Pac]
  14. T-Pac

    Pop'N Twinbee [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Pop'N Twinbee [Super Famicom].
    As usual, I played on easy mode. I still had to make a couple of attempts to clear it, but the game didn't give me too much grief aside from the final boss. And I had to switch to a control pad instead of my arcade panel because the button-configuration was cramping my hands.
    The visuals here are some of the best I've yet encountered in the 'cute-em-up' sphere, surpassing the likes of Parodius and Cotton, and contending with my personal favorite in the genre: Star Parodier. Pop'N Twinbee also features the same great powerup-juggling, enemy-weaving gameplay I enjoyed in its 8-bit predecessor: Stinger (minus the horizontally-scrolling stages).
    My biggest qualm with this title is the sheer amount of mechanics you have to manage all at the same time. You already know that you're in for a glut of hazards when a shoot-em-up gives you a lifebar, and on top of that you need to dispatch enemies with your standard shot, deflect projectiles with a close-range punch, and bomb ground-targets - all while juggling the iconic Twinbee bell powerups. It's a lot. But once you find a suitable button-mapping configuration and get a handle on the upgrade-scheme, there's a worthwhile game here for sure.
    [T-Pac]
  15. T-Pac

    Phoenix [Atari 2600]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played Phoenix [Atari 2600] this week.
    This is probably my favorite traditional fixed-shooter, even above classics like Galaga and Space Invaders. I just love how distinct the phases are, culminating in a mothership battle at the end of each loop. And the mechanics are perfectly simple - just shoot and dodge (along with a temporary shield that absorbs enemy fire, but can end up trapping you because it locks you in place while activated).
    That's not to say I'm any good at this game - I was just happy to get a pitiful 20k score. Pattern-recognition and dexterity are the keys to success in any shoot-em-up, but early arcade-style shooters like Phoenix feel like they have a unique sort of unpredictability that's even more demanding on your twitch-reflexes. (And I, for one, have no such reflexes to begin with...)
    [T-Pac]
  16. T-Pac

    Cotton 100% [Super Famicom]

    By T-Pac,


    Game Log
    Played through Cotton 100% [Super Famicom].
    It's rare that I find a classic game too lenient in its beginner settings, but Cotton 100% actually made me feel like some kind of gaming-prodigy when I played it on easy-mode with extra lives/continues. I was able to credit-feed my way to the end in a single attempt, but at the expense of really learning the enemy patterns or mastering the mechanics.
    Cutesy scrolling shoot-em-ups like this are always charming (if surprisingly lewd at times), and I enjoyed blasting Jack-O-Lanterns and dodging knomes, but I think I need to try the game again without such weighty kid-gloves to find satisfaction beyond just the aesthetics here.
    Cotton 100% is still a great game, though, especially if you like prototypical anime-style fantasy stuff. The story from the cutscenes might even be good, too, but I wouldn't know since I can't read Japanese...
    [T-Pac]
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