[Sniper Honeyviper]

Ah, didn't realize there was more than one game option. We'll just go with GAME 1 for this thread's scores.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Sasuke vs. Commander (Arcade)

Shin Nihon Kikaku's second game, and their first one in color. Didn't they include this as an unlockable in some port of a Neo game?

The falling purple corpses of ninjas are invincible, and will still kill you. Stay away from the edges when you can, it's easy to get trapped there. Losing against the bosses won't cost you a life, but it will deprive you of a huge bonus. Unfortunately, the game becomes extremely difficult after the first boss.



First: 7480

[Sniper Honeyviper]

sorry for the lateness, I will have another game up soon

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Crime City (Arcade)

Another forgotten Taito gem, kind of a more polished take on Bad Dudes/Sly Spy. In a sense it can be considered a combination of those games, since you can perform both punches and bullets.

You have limited ammo. Although you have a life bar, bullets and bombs will always insta-kill you. Yes, the white packets are drugs. Their point value decreases for every bullet you shoot after they appear. There are also three special moves, which are pretty much essential for survival:

High jump: Up + Jump
Air somersault: Jump button in the air
Ground somersault: Crouch + Jump. Good for plummeting through long rows of grunt enemies.

Somersaults do damage, and you are invincible to physical attacks while performing them.



First: 41150

If you can beat the default top score (50000), you can leave a message in bullet holes on the machine. There's a service option to disable this, presumably for arcade owners that didn't want dick doodles in their establishment.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

The Capcom D&D games are too multiplayer-oriented, unfortunately.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

[Sniper Honeyviper]

I don't own any consoles more "out there" than the 32X, though I did specifically buy a 1989 Model 1 Genesis ("HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS") for the better sound chip.

BONUS: Video (not mine) of the arcade cabinet with its fifth helicopter-cam monitor, featuring possibly the most obscure Sega character ever, Virt McPolygon.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

I considered going with Time Trial because everyone would be able to finish, but it's really boring without the music or traffic.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

The Genesis port is in a tiny, tiny window with a chugging framerate, and required the use of special chips (like the SNES' Super FX). The 32X version is quality, and nearly fullscreen.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Going on a trip Thursday, so there will be no updates for a few days after then.

cake's suggestion:

TODAY'S GAME IS: Datsun 280 Zzzap, a primordial driving experience from 1976! The 3D illusion is still smooth and convincing. Unless you've got an analog wheel, you'll be driving with the mouse.

Seems to be a ripoff/clone of Atari's Night Driver from the same year, but Datsun has more graphics, silly giant text when you crash, and simpler controls. The only thing you need to worry about, aside from the accelerator, is the high/low shifter. Your score is your total distance, but it isn't advisable to stay in high gear all the time. Put it on for straightaways and light curves, switch to low for heavy curves.

Oh, and it isn't just that MAME doesn't support the game's sound, the original cab had none.



First: 2.37, Rating 4

[Sniper Honeyviper]

The hiatus is over, and SBGC 1 Credit Redux will return to (hopefully) daily updates! Until classes start in September, that is.

TODAY'S GAME IS: Nightmare in the Dark (Arcade/Neo Geo)

One of the Neo's more obscure titles (likely due to its lack of an AES release), NitD is a sequel to Toaplan's Snow Bros. games in all but name, where you stun enemies before trapping them in a ball and hurling them at other foes. It remains the only game developed by the ultra-mysterious Gavaking, and might be the last single-screen "comical action" game that isn't a port or an update.

Killing all the enemies on a board with one fireball throw will net you a gigantic diamond that falls on the middle of the screen, shattering into tens of little diamonds. You can pick it up before it breaks, but the shards will be worth much more together, so get out of its way.

It's advisable to stun most or all of the enemies in a level with one or two fires before you make your first throw, hopefully setting them up for an all-clear. This will also prevent them from hurting you. If they're not in the right places, wait for them to move around and bunch up.

Pits don't kill you, they just drop you on the top of the screen. This also goes for enemies and items. The red/yellow/blue potions act as powerups that last until the next stage ends, with the blue (speed up) potion being especially valuable.



First: 271300

Best: 888800

Wonder if the Donkey Kong quote on the high score table was intentional.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

That's an amazing first score notbov, especially considering you didn't even reach the second boss! Guess I rushed through the stages too fast.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Are you playing on an old-ish netbook, cake? That's the only explanation I can think of for anyone to have emulation troubles with MAME Neo Geo!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

As per notbov's demand:

TODAY'S GAME IS: Snacks 'n Jaxson (Arcade)

The moving story of a hallucinating hobo-clown with a stretchy neck and a binge eating problem.

You'll be using the mouse for this one, unless you have a trackball, which might actually be harder. The sneeze will get rid of peppers and soap, as well as slow down the nose-ball for a moment, but you can't move while sneezing. The game will say this if you fail to do it, but here it is: Don't bounce the ball with your face before eating all the food. You can harmlessly bounce it off of your body, though it will be a miss if it hits a window.

If the ball is near the edges of the field, you can whack it around a bit with your face, and sometimes the monkey will pick it up, giving you some extra time. The Jaxson Juggles bonus stage is almost impossible. On the second loop, the game will begin adding obstacles like cuckoo clocks, simply move around these.

There's even a GameFAQ!



First: 24240

Best: 55100

Huge spike in difficulty after the first Lunch.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

notbov's deductive skills have earned him our most amazing score in any game yet!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Shackled (Arcade)

A mysterious and unique Gauntlet-like from Data East, kind of like Gain Ground without the strategy element. Unlike Gauntlet, some actual thought went into making it.

Shoot cell doors to open them. There are friendly prisoners and enemy prisoners. Friendlies will grant you extra weapons (switch with button 2), tag along as options, and award life bonuses after reaching the exit. Enemy prisoners will drop coins when killed, which restore some life.

The best weapons are the ripple laser and the boomerang. The ripple eats through enemy shots, and the boomerang is extremely powerful. I can't recommend the grenade, it doesn't explode on contact. Each weapon setting has a different slot for powerups, meaning you'll need to switch around to allocate them. Avoid the blue skull item, it takes away all your powerups.

The Japanese version is known as Breywood. It has some confusing graphical elements and lacks Shackled's end-of-stage life bonuses, so I didn't select it. It's likely that Shackled was developed after, and intended as the "complete" version.

There's a secret exit in the first stage that warps you to the ending and credits, but it won't get you any points.



First: 12800

Best: 42700

Game has the only attract mode I know of that doesn't show any gameplay!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Sorry, Loki, I'm not going to pick Palamedes. It's too confusing and requires the memorization of far too many mahjong-like dice structures. Here's something along those lines, though:

TODAY'S GAME IS: Puchi Carat (Arcade, game settings = Player vs. COM, Middle Level)

A cutesy mashup of Breakout and Puyo Puyo from Taito, using dial controllers (or most likely the mouse, in our case).

The worst thing you can do in most situations is hit the ball from the paddle's edges. You'll lose a lot of time and have a really inaccurate shot. You want to aim for consistency in taking down all the gems in a single column, to drop huge chunks off the sides. Watch the attract mode's "how to play" demo for some good examples of this. The characters are different in how the attack gems sent by your opponent get sent down the table. Characters that receive fewer attacks don't necessarily have an advantage, since you won't be able to drop clusters as big. If the table is almost empty, it's sometimes advisable to intentionally miss the ball so a few rows will drop. Most of your score will come from end-of-match time bonuses, so it's best to be aggressive in single-player.




First: 82700, Pearl & Dearl

[Sniper Honeyviper]

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Only two participants. Loki, why didn't you join in? :( Anyway, Bennett should be happy to see another Bally/Sente title.

TODAY'S GAME IS: Night Stocker (Arcade)

The first hybrid driving/lightgun game, predating Lucky & Wild by six years. A sequel in name only to Stocker, an overhead driver that was featured in Scorsese's The Color of Money. Interestingly, the hardware was an elaborate, unauthorized conversion kit for Ms. Pac-Man that used swappable game PCBs. I guess they were banking on the game's common availability in 80's arcades.

Set up the controls like this:

- Lightgun & fire button go to the mouse
- Dial 2 Analog Dec = left turn key
- Dial 2 Analog Inc = right turn key

Collect gems with the electrified dealie on the hood to replenish ammo (warning: can be destroyed). If you run out of ammo, it's game over. Avoid pits and orange mines, the latter of which can be shot. Once you reach the end of a driving sequence, you'll begin a shootout with the tiny little men in a base. If you shoot them all without getting hit, a huge bonus will be awarded. You can't get any more ammo during this sequence, so make sure you don't burn through it too fast. This very quickly becomes a problem once the plentiful and fast UFO enemies show up.



First: 107400

I noticed that the car is red on the title screen, but yellow in-game!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Gonna leave this up for a second day to get more participants.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

By recommendation!

TODAY'S GAME IS: Gladiator (Arcade)

A crunchy, fiercely intimate autoscrolling fighter from Taito's American division, who also brought us Qix.

You control your shield with the joystick, and have three heights of sword slash, each assigned to a button (1 = lowest, 3 = highest). Enemy attacks can be dispersed with the sword or the shield. The shield will eventually break to half size from overuse, but new shields can be collected by knocking them out of the air, and it's still much safer for normal pre-duel attacks. In duels, you want to directly block a sword slash and then immediately parry on a different height, to ensure that you'll hit your enemy. If you see a blue orb, slash it: it'll kill all enemies on screen, as well as a previously invisible spider(?).

The attract mode shows a trick for forming a temporary all-heights shield, but I haven't figured it out.



First: 117700 (not counting a test play to figure out the controls)

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Jaki Crush (SFC/SNES)

The last and least well known of Naxat Soft's pinball series, this time with a demonic Asian theme. No passwords, obviously.

The only real tip I can give is to be cautious with the flippers, you can easily whack the ball downwards into oblivion with their undersides. If you clear a bonus stage, the ball will change color and grant a multiplier, but they're far more difficult than in Alien/Devil Crush.




First: 14657700!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

For the record, my huge score was mostly due to two gigantic jackpots I somehow obtained, rather than my survival and bonus stage skills.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Some non-video pinball scores from a recent trip. I don't expect any other entries for these, but here they are.

Who Dunnit (Bally Midway, 1995): 1,989,602,840 - Game allows continuing with score retention. You can either earn them through play or put in more credits. I only did the former.

Klondike (Williams, 1971): 33910 - An entirely electro-mechanical machine that was amazingly in perfect working order. Scoring relies too heavily on a slot machine that's very hard to manipulate, though. Many previous players had carved their initials and scores into the wooden sides! It's the only pinball I've played where trapping is impossible--was it considered cheating back then? Luvcraft would know about this.

Is Stern still the only pinball manufacturer left? Thought a new one formed recently.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Demon's World/Horror Story (Arcade)

A heavily Makaimura-inspired, autoscrolling run-n-gun from Toaplan.

Horror Story has a different set of levels. We will be playing Demon's World.



PROTIP: You can double jump. I'm so glad I figured this out quickly. It won't work after the apex of your jump, though.

You can touch the bells an unlimited number of times for bonus points before they scroll away. Enemies can also be safely jumped on for damage. The best weapons are the blue ">" and the 3-way shot. The ">" is the only weapon with autofire. Collecting four Ps will allow you to take an extra hit. If you see a yellow balloon, grab it, they're necessary to get over some gaps.

First: 150600

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Thanks for letting me know about Demon's World, I added a note to the post.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Yeah, I was able to try Stern's Spider-Man pinball recently. The presentation is great, but the table is rather terribly designed. Hitting Sandman at the upper middle will 90% of the time send the ball in an impossible line straight down the middle, guided by a magnet.

However, it's the only pinball I've seen with a Spanish language option!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

I thought Spider-Man had some legitimate problems besides that. The upper right flipper seems useless for getting the ball up any ramps, and there's a huge horizontal wall on the upper left side that basically renders 25% of the table a dead zone. But I concede that it's still fun and playable.

I assume Avatar and Iron Man are when Stern's shit started hitting the fan.

Is Horror Story harder than Demon's World? I was also surprised to find so many concessions to difficulty in a Toaplan game.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Yeah, the "wall" wasn't as big as I remembered. It's between a spinner lane and the rest of the board. I was just annoyed because I kept hitting it and draining out.

My own skills are likely the real issue here...and I was coming right off from Who Dunnit, which is quite an easy table (huge ramp in the center that always safely deposits the ball by the flippers).

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: The End (Arcade)

A Space Invaders-like with an ominous gimmick.

Enemies are worth more points when they're carting off pieces of your shields.

MAME stretches out screenshots for this one, but I think it conveys the tone of the game pretty well.

I'm not sure what "Chance Time" is.



First: 8980

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Thanks for mentioning that cake, I would have specified the Stern version if I'd known about the differences.

TODAY'S GAME IS: Crush Roller (Arcade)

A tense, nightmarish Pac-Man clone with a paintbrush. ADK made a sequel on the NGPC!

You'll eventually see a yellow cat thing who runs around the screen leaving paw prints. Touching him will kill him, granting 1000 points. Cleaning these up counts towards your stage completion total and awards a good amount of points, so it's advisable to let him live for a while.

The paint rollers will speed you through their lanes if you touch them on the proper side.



First: 3160

Despite there being only two enemies to Pac-Man's four, this manages to be a whole hell of a lot harder!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Yeah, I wish I'd known about the superior Stern version of The End. Much more fun and balanced with the blocks behind you.

I never got any extra lives, though.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Dyna Gear (Arcade)

A bizarre, prehistoric-themed platformer from Sammy with the relentless pace of a Cave shmup.

MAME emulation is not 100%, but I noticed nothing wrong.

Wolf can double jump. Roger might be able to as well, but he's got a lower "jump" stat. All of the weapons are about equally effective, and mashing the button faster will make them more powerful (no using autofire!). You can safely jump on the tops of some larger enemies, but it will not damage them. If a boss is in their death animation, get under them: they'll drop a life-restoring meat that falls offscreen quickly, as well as plenty of coins. Explore the tree branches in the early areas, there are goodies hidden about, and you can climb under the canopy.



First: 103760, Wolf. I died a very stupid second death from blindly jumping into a brontosaurus (not their real name, I know).

[Sniper Honeyviper]

By request!

TODAY'S GAME IS: Wardner/Wardner no Mori (Arcade)

A grim and mysterious, yet extremely charming platformer in the vein of Makaimura. Arguably Toaplan's best game, and what Braid and Limbo should have been.

Your jump arc is strange: it proceeds like normal for a while, then the parabola stops and you drop straight down. Many enemies, projectiles, and obstacles (like the spinning blades in Stage 2) can be crouched under. The needle and thread will grant you an extra hit of protection if you buy them along with a mantle. The most expensive weapon is not the best: it covers very little vertical space. Some alcoves and out-of-the-way areas contain secret score and money bonuses.



First: 70240 (did worse on the second run!)

[Sniper Honeyviper]

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Aliens (Arcade, Japan version)

A variety-themed run and gun from Konami. Everyone knows about the blatantly Gigeresque stages of Contra games, but few know that they actually got the license at one point. Like most good game adaptations of movies, it takes heavy liberties with its source material, and many of the designs and setpieces are in fact original.

We will be playing the Japanese version. The international versions include some awful first-person tunnel shooting stages that are quite at odds with the rest of the game.

Button 1 shoots high, button 2 shoots low. Both buttons together will throw a bomb if you have one in stock, which are usually best saved for the bosses. The best weapon in nearly all situations is the Flame. In the obligatory elevator section in Stage 2, you can shoot upwards (possible nowhere else, to my knowledge).



First: 109100

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Yeah, I chuckled the first time I saw a bat-winged xenomorph.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Making good use of that 32X. This one's gonna take a bit more explaining...*inhale*

TODAY'S GAME IS: Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000/Motherbase/Parasquad (32X)

Despite the US title's claim, this is far more a riff on Sammy's Viewpoint than a sequel to Zaxxon: aside from your jump, you can't adjust altitude. It's ferociously memorization-based, but at least they hand out plenty of extends and start you off with 4 lives. First impressions will likely not convey how deep and complex the game is for a console shmup of its era, enough that I'd classify it as a "tactical STG." If anyone has ultra-specific questions, I have the manual.

If you jump atop a friendly "courier" (marked by flashing blue/green lights), you can attach yourself to it, gaining armor, a better shot, and a sub-weapon. Jump again to eject from it. Some enemies can be jacked in the same manner; they are usually marked by low profiles, flat tops, and flashing lights. If you pilot an enemy ship without dying or ejecting for a certain amount of time, an end-of-level bonus will be added. You'll know you've got it when lightning crackles twice and you hear "Ready?" If your attached ship is destroyed, the HUD will flash red. This is your signal to jump out quickly before it takes you with it.

In the default controls, A shoots, B jumps, and C fires your sub-weapon, if you have one and it's not cooling down. You can configure movement to be from your perspective (Normal) or the pilot's perspective (On Board). There's also an autofire setting, but it's way too imprecise for a game like this.

Because it's confusing: the first boss can't be killed directly. At the end of the stage, you have to shoot out the pegs holding him up before he destroys the computer.

Oh, and the multiplayer is a good burst of silly fun. Might actually be the first true versus shmup game.



First: 40310. Lots of room for improvement, as always. Played on an actual 32X, not an emulator.

Since there's no high score table, you'll have to refer to the HUD's listing. I would recommend looking at the attract mode demo, since it shows which enemies are jackable.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

I realize I've been lazy with updating the scoreboard as of late. Since it's gotten so huge, would it be okay if I moved it to a stickied Galaxy Oddity thread?

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Our first day after an update with no participants. :(

Guess I'll leave it up for another.