[Sniper Honeyviper]

SBGC1CR: BOR



Original thread
Scoreboards thread

Attempting to resurrect this thread with a clean start. Games will now be posted every three days, instead of daily. I think this will give people more of a chance to participate, and allow us to delve deeper into the workings of each game. There is now a dedicated thread for the scoreboards.

I've made some revisions to the guidelines, which are included in the copied text below.

1. Post a FIRST and (optionally) a BEST score for each game, preferably with the characters/ships/whatever you used, if the game gives you a choice.

FIRST SCORE = No practice runs, no resets. I will not modify these.

BEST SCORE = Practice as much as you want beforehand, reset all you want. I will update these if you post an improved personal score.

2. Continuing is not allowed in any case, nor is using more than one credit at a time.

3. Research of games (movelists, strategies, etc.) is acceptable in all cases.

4. Scores for each game will be collected in the Annals of Glory, found in the Galaxy Oddity forum.

5. Suggest another game! Try to pick something that's not well known and that most people wouldn't have already played. I am open to featuring a popular favorite now and then, however.

6. We will specify a version of the game to be played if there are significant gameplay differences between regions and/or hardware.

7. Unless otherwise specified, default settings must always be used.

8. I'll try to post one new game per every three days, but I can't guarantee an exact schedule.

9. Just because I've posted a new game, doesn't mean you can't still submit scores for a previous one. Though I would encourage people to stay current to some degree.

=====================

I can think of no better game to resume the thread with than...

TODAY'S GAME IS: Rastan Saga (Arcade)

The chronological history of a barbarian who dared to challenge.




We will be playing Rastan Saga, the Japanese version. It is slightly easier and has an additional intro cinematic. Because of the lack of limits on score milking, we will instead be listing the farthest point of the game we can make it to on one credit.

List your score as something like "2-3," where 2 is the Round and 3 is the section of that Round.

For the second digit:
1 = outdoors
2 = castle
3= boss

Something I only just learned: holding up while jumping will cause you to do a high jump. It's not useful until the later stages, and I don't believe it's ever required. But it's there. Also, if it wasn't obvious enough, downward stab through the dark brown square rocks. The blue potions restore health, but avoid the orange potions, they just hurt you.

FIRST: Died on 1-3. The boss' knives aren't much of a problem, but his spear stab takes off half your life with absolutely zero telegraphing. Strangely enough, the second boss is a total pushover.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Some PROTIPS:

- The rolling boulder on the large stairway near the end of 1-1 is impossible to normal-jump over. You'll need a high jump, though moving backwards and returning when it's gone is safer and also works.

- The flying bat-knight enemies can drain your health in seconds if you let them get on top of you, and you won't be able to reach their hitbox. Slash at them while keeping your distance as mush as possible. The axe will take them out in one hit.

- To move up a rope or chain faster, jump repeatedly upwards when you're against a wall.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

sorry guys, i'll pick something where scores are acceptable next time

anyway, quite a lot of the game is memorization! i think all of you should at least be able to get to 1-3 with some practice!

[Sniper Honeyviper]

notbov is right, Replay Burners is an amazing resource.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

TODAY'S GAME IS: Viewpoint (Arcade, Neo-Geo)

Sammy's groundbreaking, Zaxxon-inspired shmup, which has aged incredibly well some nineteen years after release.



First: 92340

The gates in the first stage need to be opened by shooting their cranks.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Figured we had to do this once.

TODAY'S GAME IS: Violent Storm (Arcade)

YOU KNOW WE'RE POWER-HUNGRYYYY...

EDIT: notbov has informed me that the Japanese version has easier default settings. It's the version I used, while everyone else seems to have used the Euro version.




Character move list

First: 321800. Death by mutant train conductor.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

I played the Japanese version, does anyone know if that makes a difference?

Forgot to mention that I used Boris, you guys can add your selection if you want.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Putting the next game up a day early because Dark Souls and Rage will consume this forum (and also to explain my new avatar/sig combo.)

TODAY'S GAME IS: The Cliffhanger: Edward Randy (Arcade)




Perhaps the first truly "cinematic" action game, and it's been credited as a huge inspiration on Treasure: two Guardian Heroes characters are named Edward and Randy, and the Orange helicopter battle of Gunstar Heroes is a blatant homage to Cliffhanger's final boss. The game itself is rather clunky, kind of a floaty Castlevania IV, but still greatly entertaining. It's easily one of the most ambitious games of 1990.

The controls are convoluted and confusing. If you jump while running, you'll instead do a roll-dash attack. You have to stand still while jumping to get any altitude. You can grab onto overhead surfaces and drop through them like in Gunstar Heroes. There's even some SCV4-like grapple swinging with your whip that also does damage. In the car, holding different directions while pressing jump will cause your car to swerve, jump, and wheelie.

Your health increases with your score, in a sort of odd leveling-up mechanic. Supposedly your attack power does as well, but later enemies always have more health to negate this.

Cliffhanger got a spiritual sequel in the form of Boogie Wings/The Great Ragtime Show, which has a similar 1930s aesthetic and focus on graphical flair. I will probably feature it later.

First: 9432

[Sniper Honeyviper]

I wasn't aware the swinging was that powerful! Thanks.

[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.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.