[Jujyfruits]

First: died on the train. score around 3000.
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[Schwere Viper]

Lost it on the bulldozer on the third stage, thanks to the spammy flamethrower guys. FIRST TRY: 20625.
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HeavyViper@Twitter ~~~ HeavyViper@Soundcloud
Blog: Machines That Sing

[extrabastardformula]

First, 7750. No clue what I', doing in stage 2
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[notbov]

Stage 2 is actually neat, since there's a bunch of stuff you can do with the car to take enemies out. Either side+jump pops you on two wheels and takes out anything that touches the airborne side, while diagonal-down+jump makes you swerve the back end and down+jump (or just jump, I can't remember exactly right now) causes the front to pick up and takes out the enemies who come from the foreground. You can also duck to avoid gun shots, and if you hit a side+attack while ducking, he kicks one of the doors out as an attack. Once you get the hang of those and whipping stuff, you should be able to build up a decent amount of power for stage 3, which has a decently hard fight at the end.

Really though, you should just spam duck to see the hilarious ducking animation.
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[Schwere Viper]

Once the trucks come into it in stage 2/3 you can safely hold on to the very top of either truck and whip downwards/diag. downwards to kill dudes and avoid damage.
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HeavyViper@Twitter ~~~ HeavyViper@Soundcloud
Blog: Machines That Sing

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Gun Ball (Arcade)

Still the best overhead run-n-gun/pinball hybrid out there. I'm sad that I didn't know about this until a couple days ago! Another forgotten Data East classic.

Gun Ball is the Japanese version of Nitro Ball. It has a different level order with a smoother difficulty curve. Record your total score for this thread, not the level-specific scores.




Interact with the various spinners/bumpers/switches/holes in a similar way as you would on an actual pinball machine. Shoot spinners for points, shoot enemies down holes for special items, knock down all the switches in a row to trigger an event. If you grab the red B powerup, you can turn into a pinball, which grants access to the ramps and lanes that act as shortcuts or take you to higher levels. Your bombs are very powerful, but will in most cases destroy all the items and bonuses in the area.

First: $3224880. Like in any game where there's score penalties for bombing, I always put it off until after I've been killed, then end up losing them anyway. There seems to be an additional bonus if you meet the (quite high) par score for a stage.

[Loki Laufeyson]

i think it was before your time, but nitro ball was once on sb's front page!
i'll play it and cliffhanger when mame finishes auditing
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http://lunaticobscurity.blogspot.com/ - newest post: Snezhaja Koroleva (Arcade)
http://lunargarbagehell.blogspot.com/ - newest post: Batman: Digital Justice

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Yeah, I don't remember that happening. Got a link to the thread?

[Loki Laufeyson]

here's the thread: http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?p=82278#82278
and here are my scores:

(16661)


cliffhanger has the most bizarre and incomprehensible scoring system i've ever seen!
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http://lunaticobscurity.blogspot.com/ - newest post: Snezhaja Koroleva (Arcade)
http://lunargarbagehell.blogspot.com/ - newest post: Batman: Digital Justice

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Looks like the attract mode's story cutscene and tutorial were added for the US version.

Strange Football was probably shoved forward to the Level 1 spot because all Americans love (American) football, right? At any rate, it's too cramped and intense to ease players into the game.

[Clumo]

1981260
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[notbov]

3667360



Spam bombs at bosses, get items
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[notbov]

Best: 5745340



Hit the par score for Combat Field, missed it for Strange Football by, like, 90k (the reward is an extend, btw). The big point opportunities come on the bonus sections (they have a bit of text to start and a 10 second timer). Clear those and you get a ton of items. Bombs also count as enemies in terms of hitting bumpers, so you can eke out extra items during boss fights.
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[Schwere Viper]

3222550. Lost it in Ghost Town. Probably should have gone up instead of left at the start.
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HeavyViper@Twitter ~~~ HeavyViper@Soundcloud
Blog: Machines That Sing

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Damn!

Best: $4879870

I was wrong about bombs destroying bonus items--usually, they just pop up the item-giving posts again! They can also make it much easier to win the bonus rounds.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Best: 723800

[notbov]

Last one: 6719210



Missed an extend on Ghost Town by 500-some points :(. And there's shit flying everywhere on Aliens World.

Speaking of which, go left on Ghost Town. There be more points that way. Clear the graveyard and, while the angel is dropping items, shoot the wall to the next screen and follow her up. She'll drop more items before the bonus event.

Oh, and hitting the score match after stages sends you to a bonus table for more points.
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[Lucaz]

1.076.140
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[Sniper Honeyviper]

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

Konami's failed masterpiece, likely conceived as a fusion of Gradius and R-Type. "OUR DREAMS COME TRUE"

We will be playing the Japanese version. The international versions have a Euroshmuppy lifebar and most of the weapons removed.

Press the Flint button with a shot charged to fire the Flint across the screen. This is good for strategic positioning and embedding it in enemies' weak points.




First: 346200. All my lives were taken by the dragon boss' hard-to-see tail.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Stupidly lost two lives to Drigger, then the onslaught of Spikes and Lollypops in Stage 4 overpowered me. Managed to make it through the first two stages on one life, though.

I think I'll try using Wade next time--he's got more tools for breaking enemy defenses, even if he doesn't have Boris' flying suplexes, and the most powerful combo (punch, punch, two-hit uppercut).

Best: 1066200

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Is there some shmups stigma preventing people from participating, or is everyone just busy with Dark Souls? I seem to have killed the first thread with a similar game...

1271520: my new best score for Beast Busters, on the actual arcade hardware! I find the SNK-branded Uzi much easier to use than a mouse. Made it through the second boss with grenade spam, then the medkit in the third stage prolonged my credit for a while.

[Lucaz]

XEXEX: 71.300 died in the first boss.

There's nothing I can point out as wrong, but it feels quite bland. And a bit visually confusing
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[Jigsaw]

I've been meaning to join in on every game posted so far, I've indeed just been a bit busy. I think all games have been interesting, but maybe we should be playing them like a week each or something? At this rate I barely remember to check up on the thread, let alone get hold of the game and find the time to play it...

[Schwere Viper]

Yeah, Dark Souls. Sorry Sniper.



224700. Lost my flow - and power-ups - halfway through Stage 2.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Xexex is no more "bland" than Gradius, so I guess if you don't like that you won't like this either. The only elements I'd call visually confusing are the aforementioned dragon's tail, and the thin tips of Stage 1's stalag/stalactites, which will kill you like the rest of the environment. They're just more things that need to be memorized, though.

Jigsaw, I don't see a need to extend it to a week, since there's nothing stopping anyone from going back to previously posted games, including those in the original thread. I've done it myself on this page. Three days allows me to cover all the games I want to within this thread's probable lifespan--believe me, there will not be a shortage any time soon.

[The King]

I love xexex's tentacle pod: it seems so alive, somehow it seems to know when to stay close to shield you and when to go away to attack.
It is my favorite videogame ai buddy.
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[notbov]

[VgameT]

First: 602,600
horrible memories from STGT '10 resurfacing. Ate it twice in stage 2 from balls popping out of the ground an inch from my face, and then managed to power through into stage 5.
Fun Xexex fact: there are three hidden powerups in every level, but the powerup they spawn is randomized (in a controllable way.) If you have frame-perfect timing, you can collect a massive amount of 1ups and then suicide-milk bosses for huge points! Yeah!!
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[notbov]

Best: 1928250



Donatello, why :(

Oh man, the 4th and 5th bosses (Doyle and Mr. Julius) are surprisingly easy once you figure them out, and the 5th and 6th stages are pretty easygoing too. Mostly though, dem extends.
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[Sniper Honeyviper]

I didn't know that Violent Storm had any differences between versions, thanks for letting me know. I will always specify a version when applicable from now on just in case.

TODAY'S GAME IS: Marchen Maze (Arcade)

Alice in Isometric Bubble-Blowing Land. Seems to have been the inspiration for Atlus' Prikura Daisakusen. There is a PC-Engine version, which lacks the isometric angle. Our very own Tepid Snake has done a full writeup on it, but his site's down at the moment.




Button 1 fires (charge) shots, button 2 jumps. You'll lose your charge when you jump. Enemy shots don't kill you immediately, they just knock you back, and likely off the stage. If you grab a balloon, you'll be protected from one fall for the rest of the stage.

First: 33600. The second boss is utterly relentless!

[Jujyfruits]

First: 3150
i don't know why i even bother with these anymore
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[VgameT]

First: 24250
Missed the jump on the first moving platform in stage 2 three times in a row.

Best: 49020
Apparently I'm not good at isometric platforming!
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[Lucaz]

27.820
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[Youpi]

First: 35620
PROTIP: The lateral jump I attempted is impossible

[Clumo]

60270
I lose my first life doing a Horizontal jump in stage 2, one in the second boss and the last one in the first awkward jump in stage 3
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[Sniper Honeyviper]

I'm leaving SB, so this won't be updated anymore.

If anyone wants to take it over, just give the word and I'll grant you co-op privileges.