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| Author | Message |
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Captain
  
 
| #1 posted February 6, 2009 at 12:07am (EST)
edited February 6, 2009 at 12:10am (EST) |
I got to thinking about old platformers... no one really does care about these old games, do they? I mean, shooters have their followers, fighters have their niche, etc... but everybody took platformers for granted, because there were so many of them. Anyone else know of any interesting ones? A few off the top of my head...
Psychic World (Game Gear)
This is a pretty odd game, honestly, I never played this one past the first few levels but it has some interesting ideas in it, and such a nice theme song, too. It reminds me of Cave Story for some reason.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTwHg8Y970A ("In a science lab in the middle of nowhere...")
Legendary Axe
This game has a lot of feeling... but I'm not sure how much of that has to do with the great soundtrack. I don't know how the second game could screw up the formula so bad.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
 
| | #2 posted February 6, 2009 at 12:08am (EST) |
Just replying because I'm gonna totally have input here when it's not midnight.
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lordkaosu
  
| #3 posted February 6, 2009 at 12:30am (EST)
edited February 6, 2009 at 12:31am (EST) |
Hermie Hopperhead - jPSX - Fun game, of course SCEA didn't have a good view of 2D so this game never came out in the US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFwWUL-l-hI
Some others that have come out in the US include a lot of the old Hudson stuff on TG16. Adventure Island, Wonder Boy III, Dragon's Curse, Wonder Boy V, Wonderboy in Monster Land (j-only) (all pretty much part of the same series).
edit: oh yeah, people don't follow platformers because there is a lot of crap and they are generally aimed at kids. Punky Skunk anyone?
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How happy is your house? |
Captain
| #4 posted February 6, 2009 at 9:33pm (EST)
edited February 6, 2009 at 9:34pm (EST) |
I really like Hudson. Wonder Boy is good, too... but I never really got into Monster World. Seems like the company that made that game, Westone, is still around! Although it seems as if everything they've put out since '95 has been pretty weird stuff (Willy Wombat?!).
Hermie Hopperhead sure looks like something that came from Europe, ...but I guess it isn't. It looks like Bubble and Squeak in that video (a weird British game where some kid is being followed by a cat-like thing).
The Happy House |
Captain
| #5 posted February 7, 2009 at 8:54am (EST)
edited February 7, 2009 at 8:55am (EST) |
Holy crap, I just watched a video of Punky Skunk, and I just about laughed all the way through it... I guess Kato and Ken isn't the only game where things get farted upon. God that's lame.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #6 posted February 7, 2009 at 11:24am (EST) |
Kaizou Chounin Shubibinman 3: Ikai no Princess
Check that game out. That game is ridiculously good. It feels a lot like a Mega Man game crossed with a Valis title I'd say?
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lordkaosu
| | #7 posted February 7, 2009 at 12:09pm (EST) |
I forgot about that one, it was a good one. I should fire up the ol' tg16 emulator again to play it. I've had a hankerin' to play some Cho Aniki too.
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How happy is your house? |
Captain
| | #8 posted February 7, 2009 at 3:53pm (EST) |
Wow, Shubibinman 3 looks good. I might have to track down that game.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #9 posted February 7, 2009 at 6:58pm (EST) |
It's fudging awesome. It's the third game in the series Shockman is from I think.
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Captain
| #10 posted February 7, 2009 at 10:21pm (EST)
edited February 7, 2009 at 10:36pm (EST) |
I never especially got into the PC-Engine when I owned one, but I'm impressed how much weird stuff came out for that system. Kind of like the Genesis but with a more Japanese flavor.
A good game out there is Skyblazer, for the SNES. It kind of plays like a cross between El Viento and Strider, so it really stands out for a platformer on that system. It's got lots of blatant Mode 7 effects but they're well done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TTAcPuC8js
The Happy House |
Captain
| #11 posted February 7, 2009 at 10:42pm (EST)
edited February 7, 2009 at 11:01pm (EST) |
Not to throw off the topic off here, but:
I recently played Mario 3, and I couldn't get past how ..dry.. it felt. I can appreciate it on a technical level, but it doesn't have the same feeling. I don't know if my tastes have changed, or what.
On the other hand, I still think Kirby's Adventure is one of the greatest things ever. Good game.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #12 posted February 8, 2009 at 11:23am (EST) |
Kirby's Adventure gets played to the end at least once a year in my house. I love that game.
And Skyblazer is amazing. It's a little easy, but it's one of THE best platformers I've played on the SNES hands down.
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Captain
| | #13 posted February 8, 2009 at 7:36pm (EST) |
Yeah, I can never say enough good things about Kirby. I think it might be one of the best games on that system... it sure feels like the best game, it's got an incredible ambience.
Speaking of ambience... I saw Magician Lord at an arcade the other day. I never got past the fourth level, but it's a great game. I still like the design.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| #14 posted February 8, 2009 at 7:37pm (EST)
edited February 8, 2009 at 7:38pm (EST) |
I also think Kirby is the best NES game. Looks amazing, good music, and it's REALLY fun. Good controls too.
Magician Lord I only played once, and I got to stage 2, I think. Then I died. A lot. I haven't played it since though.
EDIT: Almost forgot to mention Blue's Journey (while on the topic of Neo Geo titles). That game is just AWESOME. Great, great platformer if you haven't tried it.
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Captain
| #15 posted February 9, 2009 at 11:51am (EST)
edited February 9, 2009 at 11:52am (EST) |
Woah, Blue's Journey is dirt cheap on eBay... ! $15 bucks for a AES game?! Anyway, the character dialogue looks pretty funny in that game.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #16 posted February 9, 2009 at 11:57am (EST) |
Blue's Journey was $30+, but it's on Virtual Console now. The AES version is awesome though. I would definitely recommend it. And yes, the dialogue is just poor and hilarious because of it.
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Captain
| | #17 posted February 9, 2009 at 12:56pm (EST) |
Too bad the homebrew scene for the Neo Geo MVS/CD never really got off the ground. I'd love to have seen what people could have done on the system with platformers and stuff.
Even though it's an Ms-DOS game, another good game out there is Supaplex. It's based off of Boulderdash but it's got a lot more going for it.
The Happy House |
j_factor
 
| | #18 posted February 9, 2009 at 5:28pm (EST) |
If y'all like the Wonder Boy/Monster World series, check out Chiki Chiki Boys for Genesis. It's very similar, although much harder. Also check out Whomp 'Em for NES. Whomp 'Em is the sequel to a Japan-only game that was almost a screen-for-screen rip-off of one of the Wonder Boy games.
For something completely different, Master of Darkness (aka Vampire) on SMS and GG is a wonderful game in the vein of Castlevania. It deals with Dracula, in Victorian England. It's pretty short, but the level design is fantastic. My favorite is the second level, called The House of Wax Dolls. For an 8-bit game, it's pretty effective at having a spooky atmosphere.
Now for something really obscure: Ork for Amiga and ST. This is a Psygnosis game from their "Roger Dean cover art" era. Like many Psygnosis games, it has a weird backstory. The story here is that you're an aspiring captain in the military of some alien race, and you have to survive through the "tests" placed on an empty planet in order for you to qualify for your new position. For what it's worth, it does convincingly take place on a weird alien planet. Anyway, you have a gun and a jet pack; the gun needs ammo and the jet pack needs fuel, so use them sparingly. It's hard to explain exactly how this game plays, because it doesn't compare to any one game I've played, but it brings together elements of many. Kind of like Turrican, it has levels that are in a linear order, but each level is very expansive (and here, much moreso). Kind of like Fatal Rewind (The Killing Game Show), there's a lot of "get key to open gate" stuff (but this game isn't that hectic). Kind of like Shadow of the Beast (first half, or the sequel), there is some "you have to find the right item to progress" type of stuff. Kind of like Impossible Mission, there are computer terminals scattered throughout (here, they are needed to tell you the function of items you find, show a map of the immediate area, and save your game). In short, it combines tough action gameplay with adventure elements.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
neozeed
 
| | #19 posted February 9, 2009 at 7:40pm (EST) |
not really obscure but I loved skullmonkeys on psx. and i cant stop playin new super mario on ds. it has added a bit to the series. its not groundbreaking but it makes going back to the older games a bit bland.
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Captain
| | #20 posted February 10, 2009 at 12:44am (EST) |
Ha! I remember Chiki Chiki Boys! I think the Japanese cover art had the cloud boss giving the kids the middle finger.
Psgynosis put out some neat stuff before they got absorbed into Sony. I like the feel of a lot of those late 80's computer games.
Skullmonkeys looks good. Has anyone ever played Wild 9?
The Happy House |
lordkaosu
| | #21 posted February 10, 2009 at 1:12am (EST) |
There was a Duo version of Chiki Chiki Boys as well. I'm not sure how the 2 versions compared though. Most likely close.
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How happy is your house? |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #22 posted February 10, 2009 at 1:15am (EST) |
I want to play Skullmonkeys 
I just played Tomba! for the first time the other week, I loved every minute of it.
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j_factor
| | #23 posted February 10, 2009 at 4:09am (EST) |
lordkaosu wrote:
> There was a Duo version of Chiki Chiki Boys as well. I'm
> not sure how the 2 versions compared though. Most likely
> close.
They're probably pretty different. I believe Sega made some gameplay changes in the process of porting it. Specifically, the Genesis version gives you the ability to purchase equipment at a shop, which I don't believe was in the arcade version. Doesn't sound like much but I'd bet the game is pretty different without it. The Duo version is probably either arcade perfect, or NEC Avenue made their own changes. There was an Amiga version too, which I'm pretty sure was a straight port of the arcade game.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
neozeed
| | #24 posted February 10, 2009 at 9:22pm (EST) |
I played wild 9 (think I still have it round here somewhere) I was kinda disapointed it didnt hook me like i thought it would.
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Captain
| | #25 posted February 10, 2009 at 11:27pm (EST) |
I probably won't get that game unless I see it for cheap then...
You guys have probably played this, but Alisia Dragoon (Genesis) is a fantastic game. Worth playing.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #26 posted February 11, 2009 at 10:31am (EST) |
YESSSS. Alisia Dragoon.
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Captain
| | #27 posted February 11, 2009 at 3:43pm (EST) |
I can't think of too many Genesis games for this topic unfortunately.
I used to think the Genesis killed the SNES when it came to platformers, but now I'm not so sure. But for the most part, most of these old Genesis games are dirt cheap by comparison.
The Happy House |
Forgotten_Freshness
| | #28 posted February 11, 2009 at 3:45pm (EST) |
I wil go through my collection sometime and dive in with many sweet platformers!
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Captain
| | #29 posted February 11, 2009 at 3:49pm (EST) |
Cool, I still love the Genesis. Its games have such a distinct look.
The Happy House |
j_factor
| | #30 posted February 11, 2009 at 4:53pm (EST) |
Captain wrote:
> I can't think of too many Genesis games for this topic unfortunately.
>
> I used to think the Genesis killed the SNES when it came
> to platformers, but now I'm not so sure. But for the most
> part, most of these old Genesis games are dirt cheap by
> comparison.
Is that a challenge? I will be back tonight with a giant list of Genesis games.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
Captain
| | #31 posted February 11, 2009 at 9:52pm (EST) |
Not really... I just can't think of many Genesis platformers I haven't played. I know a lot of them were Amiga ports.
Keep in mind, I never got into the import side of things.
The Happy House |
j_factor
| #32 posted February 12, 2009 at 1:59am (EST)
edited February 12, 2009 at 2:19am (EST) |
Captain wrote:
> Not really... I just can't think of many Genesis platformers
> I haven't played. I know a lot of them were Amiga ports.
Yes, a lot of them were Amiga ports... which is a good thing IMO. The Amiga was home to craploads of great platformers. I really lament some of the games that never got ported. I don't like tracking down old Amiga games, because I'm always afraid that the floppies will stop working or something.
Someone's doing a homebrew port of Rick Dangerous for Genesis. I'm excited.
> Keep in mind, I never got into the import side of things.
There aren't too many imports when it comes to platformers. Pulseman and Rainbow Islands Extra are pretty much it as far as Japanese ones go.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
TerminasluT
| | #33 posted February 13, 2009 at 12:13am (EST) |
Ranger-X was pretty awesome on the genny.
El Viento is another game I really loved, I was really into all those games from Renovation, Arcus Odysey, Exile, Gaiares,Valis, Arrow Flash etc...
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Captain
| | #34 posted February 13, 2009 at 2:23pm (EST) |
El Viento is such a weird game, but I like it too. That last level is pretty obnoxious however.
J_Factor:
Yeah, I would be really wary of floppies by this point too, almost half of my Commodore 64 disks are bad. At least the Genesis ports are burned onto something more permanent. Rick Dangerous looks like a good game.
Have you ever played Monster World IV?
The Happy House |
TerminasluT
| | #35 posted February 13, 2009 at 3:30pm (EST) |
 I forgot about that part. I remember the last boss was kind of glittchy too, it was somekind of dragon with many heads.
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j_factor
| | #36 posted February 14, 2009 at 3:42am (EST) |
Captain wrote:
> Rick Dangerous looks like a good game.
>
Rick Dangerous is a good game. Back in the day, it was one of the games I got when I originally got my Amiga (in 1993ish, it was a hand-me-down). It was one of Core's first games. I love Core.
> Have you ever played Monster World IV?
Oh yeah. I actually own a reproduction of Monster World IV in English, complete with box and manual. I tend to think of it more as an action-adventure game, although it guess it qualifies as a platformer too.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
Captain
| | #37 posted February 15, 2009 at 11:04pm (EST) |
Cool, where did you get the Monster World repro?
Another set of games-
Kensieden- Hard, hard game, but it's very interesting. Samurai-vania.
And while I'm on the Master System- not a platformer - but a very good game nonetheless:
The Ninja (aka Ninja Princess) - Like a arcade shooter, but the player has to be a lot more methodical about choosing shots.
The Happy House |
j_factor
| | #38 posted February 16, 2009 at 4:52am (EST) |
Captain wrote:
> Cool, where did you get the Monster World repro?
Some guy on another board I frequent was offering them. I don't think he does them anymore, unfortunately. He did a great job.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
Captain
| #39 posted February 16, 2009 at 3:44pm (EST)
edited February 16, 2009 at 3:53pm (EST) |
The Last Ninja (NES)
Isometric sort of action platformer. I haven't played this for years, but I remember everything about this game: the obscure puzzles, evil bearded thugs, the impossible final boss and the hideous musical moan that every level seemed to have. Recently, I found out the original Commodore 64 game (Last Ninja 2) had some excellent music. The NES port is like a off tune orchestra. Everything is horrible, but sort of evocative and memorable in its own way.
The Happy House |
j_factor
| | #40 posted February 16, 2009 at 4:29pm (EST) |
The NES version of that game might as well not exist.
Classic Cantero quote:
"Gun Valkyrie just wasn't any good." -- 2003
"Just went through GUNVALKYRIE again. Got all the cores this time, Kelly Lv-3 is pretty sweet.
But yeah, killer game. RECOMMENDED." -- 2008 |
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