AL82 Retrogaming Longplays | Arbalester Longplay (Arcade) [QHD] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 5 hours ago
Game Info
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Developer: SETA
Publisher: Jordan Information Service
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
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A rather repetitive vertical shoot 'em up with an incredibly repetitive musical score, Arbalester is a plodding take on the likes of Capcom's 1942. The graphics are reasonably well realised, and dog fighting with flying fortresses over the ocean is quite cool, but the game is really just too dull to recommend.
Oh, and it also has a slight problem in that the programmers appeared to omit offset calculations on your shots when moving your craft; they move relative to your position, which is just daft.
Chapters
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Game Info
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Developer: SETA
Publisher: Jordan Information Service
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
A rather repetitive vertical shoot 'em up with an incredibly repetitive musical score, Arbalester is a plodding take on the likes of Capcom's 1942. The graphics are reasonably well realised, and dog fighting with flying fortresses over the ocean is quite cool, but the game is really just too dull to recommend.
Oh, and it also has a slight problem in that the programmers appeared to omit offset calculations on your shots when moving your craft; they move relative to your position, which is just daft.
Chapters
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![Arbalester Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GYJZMJthdzU/hqdefault.jpg "Arbalester Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: SETA
Publisher: Jordan Information Service
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
A rather repetitive vertical shoot em up with an incredibly repetitive musical score, Arbalester is a plodding take on the likes of Capcoms 1942. The graphics are reasonably well realised, and dog fighting with flying fortresses over the ocean is quite cool, but the game is really just too dull to recommend.
Oh, and it also has a slight problem in that the programmers appeared to omit offset calculations on your shots when moving your craft; they move relative to your position, which is just daft.
Chapters")
![Santa Claus Jr. Advance Longplay (Game Boy Advance) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gb2U3WK5sJg/hqdefault.jpg "Santa Claus Jr. Advance Longplay (Game Boy Advance) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Neon Studios
Publisher: JoWooD Productions
Year of Release: 2002
Game Review & Impressions
I was looking for inspiration for a suitable festive game to cover this holiday period, when I stumbled across this particular title. I remembered JoWooD created the Industry Giant games on PC back in the early 2000s, so I was curious to see what Santa Claus Jr. was like - was it be any good, or would it be mediocre gaming fodder left to lingering at the bottom of the Game Boy bargain bin?
As a matter of fact, I was very pleasantly surprised. Santa Claus Jr. Advance is a no-nonsense, simple platform game thats ideal for kids; it looks stunning, and the fact it contains so many levels means this would have made a great accompaniment for anyone receiving a Game Boy Advance in their Christmas stockings. The game is actually a sequel of sorts to Santa Claus Jr., which launched on the Game Boy Color only a year prior - the two games are similar conceptually, the Advance version is a massive step up in terms of graphics.
Story-wise, a wicked witch has turned Santas toys into viscious monsters and its up to young Nick to aid Santa in delivering presents to children scattered around each of the games 36 levels. Each stage contains a set number of presents to deliver, and whilst I dont think its mandatory to find all the children, completionists will probably enjoy scoring 100% in each area. Its great to see the designers include a series of tutorial levels to help explain the mechanics and controls to the player, and Id recommend plaything through these before embarking on the main adventure.
Speaking of controls, the only real gripe I have is with the game is the double-jump mechanic. Because you need to release and depress the jump button to bounce higher on balloons and certain platforms, its too easy to trigger the double-jump and waste star power used to power your abilities. Its just a little bit fiddly, which becomes more problematic in later levels where levels feature more hazards and are generally more maze-like.
This isnt a Mario-beater, but I enjoyed my time with the game. The graphics, colour palette and general gameplay reminded me of James Pond II: RoboCod, and I dont consider that a bad thing. If youre looking for family-frieldly platformer this Yuletide, Santa Claus Jr. Advance is worth a look.
Merry Christmas!
Chapters
00:00:00 Title screen
00:00:30 Tutorials
00:03:46 Main game
01:19:03 Final boss & ending")
![Metal Slug 3 Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HCSiCRwrc7g/hqdefault.jpg "Metal Slug 3 Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 2000
Game Review & Impressions
Set an number of years following the antics of Metal Slug 2, series antagonist General Morden tries, once again, to overthrow world governments with another display of military might. Having allied himself with a force of extra-terrestrial invaders, Modern hopes their combined forces will deliver the knock-out blow to world order he has so desperately longed for.
Unfortunately, the aliens have other ideas, betraying Morden, taking the despotic General hostage and leaving his forces in disarray. With humankinds existence on the line once again, Marco and Tarma of the Peregrine Falcon Strike Force, assisted by Eri and Fio of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. special intelligence force, engage in a series of frantic run-and-gun battles with mutant crabs, bile-spewing zombies, not to mention ray-gun toting jellyfish xenomorphs, in a bid to save Earth from certain destruction.
Given the mainstream adoption and relative maturity of 3D by 2000, the Neo Geo, a console already a decade old by this point, somehow managed to extend its life, carving out a niche by specialising in what it does best. That niche is some of the best 2D sprite-based pixel art to ever grace our monitors; Metal Slug 3 looks absolutely incredible.
In terms of new features, Metal Slug regulars Marco and Tarma are joined by series newcomers Eri Kasamoto and Fiolina Fio Germi, boosting the total number of playable characters to four. New mechanised Slug vehicles are added to the mix, and branching paths are added for the first time, providing players with different routes through each of the games levels.
The gameplay mechanics, however, remain unchanged. Every level consists of blowing up legions of enemies with increasingly ludicrous weapons, rescuing hostages, and dealing with some of the most ludicrous end-of-level bosses ever conceived for a video game. Its pure, unadulterated Metal Slug which, by itself, is no bad thing.
However, I think its fair to say that, in the quest to give the game a sense of identity, Metal Slug 3 is a less cohesive experience overall. The series was always somewhat off-the-wall, but the inclusion of zombies, mutant crabs, not to mention the weird ice cave full of yetis and war mammoth, all feel out of place. The sense of fighting against an alien menace is absent right up until mission 4, thus feeling like yet more daubs and random brush strokes that fail to coalesce into any meaningful image on an already-saturated and gaudy canvas. The second-to-second play is great fun, but the sheer amount of random stuff in this game does it no favours, at least in my opinion.
In conclusion, Metal Slug 3 is an exceptionally stunning game and definitely worth playing, but the late arrival of the aliens as an actual threat result in a game with an incongruous narrative that feels slightly jarring. Its a fun game, just one that, in my opinion, could have been better.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:57 Mission 1
07:01 Mission 2
16:22 Mission 3
23:55 Mission 4
32:53 Mission 5
1:04:34 Ending
#metalslug3 #neogeo #retrogaming")
![RoboCop 2 Longplay (Amstrad GX4000) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HFhgwQABFYE/hqdefault.jpg "RoboCop 2 Longplay (Amstrad GX4000) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: Ocean Software
Year of Release: 1990
Game Review & Impressions
The Amstrad GX4000 didnt enjoy much in the way of software support in its limited lifespan, but Ocean released a conversion of RoboCop 2 for the 8-bit console in 1990.
It makes sense Ocean would choose a big-name franchise, given theyd already developed various versions for other home platforms, and the GX4000 version combines elements of the C64 cartridge release, plus some features from the 16-bit Amiga/Atari ST ports. The result is a game which, visually at least, looks pretty stunning - the background artwork makes good use of the Amstrad colour palette here, beating anything seen on the Spectrum or C64 at this point, and the hardware scrolling is a welcome addition too.
Its a real shame then, that the actual game sucks so badly. For some reason, Ocean decided this should be a platform game, rather than an action shooter, and they might as well not bothered giveng RoboCop a gun, seeing as there are roughly 10 bad guys to shoot in the whole game, including the end boss the crap shooting gallery interludes dont count.
Aside from the fact that having a 6-foot lump of titanium leap between platforms was pretty ridiculous to begin with, it gets worse when you factor in the environmental hazards and other traps which literally festoon the entire game. Piledriving spikes, coil springs and waterfalls of boiling liquid will all kill RoboCop instantly. The timing and precsion required to bypass these pitfalls makes this the most demanding platformer Ive played since China Miner, and thats saying something.
Personally, the only parts of the game which was really any good were the memory bank puzzles. These work very much the same as the 16-bit versions, requiring the player to navigate around a PCB collecting integrated circuids while avoiding the large memory chips. However, the added twist in the GX4000 versions is the ability to shift tiles of the grid horizontally and vertically, opening new paths. This could have been the kernel of a decent puzzle game, given half a chance.
The Amstrad GX4000 was late to the party to begin with, and with a dearth of software for the console to begin with, it didnt help matters when games like RoboCop 2 were being trundled out as the cream of the crop for the system. It looks brilliant for sure, but most players wont get off the first screen, let alone the first level. Its a real shame, because Id love to have seen what the console could really do, given half a chance.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode & music
03:17 Stage 1
08:46 Stage 2
11:47 Stage 3
13:15 Stage 4
19:38 Stage 5
21:47 Stage 6
23:08 Stage 7
29:13 Ending")
![Avengers in Galactic Storm Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HI--KAcOwDw/hqdefault.jpg "Avengers in Galactic Storm Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1995
Game Review & Impressions
The MCU juggernaut might have made Avengers a household name, but the Marvel franchise has always had place in popular culture throughout the decades, no more so than video games. Avengers in Galactic Storm hit the arcades in 1995, a release by Data East that introduced the concept of assist characters to help players out when the going gets tough.
Whereas Capcom games focused on beautifully drawn pixel art, Avengers uses pre-rendered 3D models. The overall visual style is, therefore, much closer in tone to Rares Killer Instinct, and to give Data East credit, the characterisations of the ensemble cast of Avengers all look pretty good. There are, however, some weird side effects with the parallax and background sprites, which float around as though theyre not anchored to the ground, which cant be unseen once you notice them.
As for the gameplay, its surprisingly decent. I wouldnt say Data East were particularly renowned for their versus fighting games, but I quite enjoyed my time with this. Each combatant has light and strong punch and kick attacks, various combos, grapples and special moves, each of which connect with satisfyingly meaty thuds and crunches. Landing attacks and blocking blows fills up your Special gauge, which can used to summon your battle partner in a supporting role, or unleash an extra powerful Ultimate attack. I dont think the mechanics are as refined as anything Capcom or SNK were putting out during this period, but its not bad at all!
If youre a fan of Marvel comics, Avengers in Galactic Storm is definitely worth a shot. The graphics probably dont hold up as well as games with traditional sprite artwork of the era, but overall presentation is good. Fighting fans should find plenty to like here.
Information & Trivia
- All fighters are voiced by Jon St. Jon of Duke Nukem fame, and Lani Minella
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Story Mode
07:38 Versus Mode")
![Panther Longplay (C64) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HaKOZWllBMg/hqdefault.jpg "Panther Longplay (C64) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Peter Adams
Music: David Whittaker
Publisher: Mastertronic
Year of Release: 1986
Game Review & Impressions
I recorded this 3 years ago and just never got around to publishing it, Panther is a combination of Zaxxon, Defender and Choplifter. The objective is rescue as many scientists stranded in each level as possible, flying them to safety at one of the various command bunkers located on each level.
Your rescue attempt wont go unchallenged, however. You need to shoot down enemy attack craft before they can blow you out of the sky, which is far more difficult than it should be. The inclusion of Z-axis for height elevation means you have to adjust your crafts height to the correct level in order to actually hit anything, and its a constant annoyance in an otherwise nifty budget game. It doesnt help that you can only shoot one set of projectiles at a time; youre totally exposed if you actually miss.
The game has no ending and stages loop once youve seen all of them.
Chapters
TBC")
![Final Star Force Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HfsBrfC_iAs/hqdefault.jpg "Final Star Force Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Tecmo
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
Typical shoot em up of the era which doesnt really do anything special and, if Im honest, looks a little lacklustre in the visual department, especially compared to titles Taito and Irem were putting out at this point. The developers made a curious design decision to have the background music which plays linked to each of the different primary weapon types; each time it changes, so does the music.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:37 Stage 1
02:25 Stage 2
05:49 Stage 3
07:27 Stage 4
09:46 Stage 5
12:50 Stage 6
14:55 Stage 7
18:32 Stage 8
20:27 Stage 9")
![Metal Slug 5 Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IJQKab64iXw/hqdefault.jpg "Metal Slug 5 Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: SNK Playmore
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Year of Release: 2006
Game Review & Impressions
The fifth game in the long running series of run-and-gun shooters is something of a return to form. The weird Metallish system that featured in its predecessor is gone, and in its place...nothing. I think the key strength of Metal Slug 5 is it goes back to what the series was all about to begin with, which is some great shooting action, with varied locales showcasing some of the best 2D sprite-work to have ever existed.
In terms of new stuff, players get to pilot a new variant of the Special Vehicle, namely a squat bi-pedal mech equipped with minigun and pneumatic ram. This rotary cannon-packing refrigerator with oversized turret can even deploy a set of tank tracks for speedier movement when the need arises.
Overall, I feel Metal Slug 5 is a decent game. It still doesnt quite manage to capture the magic of the original, at least for me, but I had a good time with it, all the same.
Chapters
TBC")
![Big Fight: Big Trouble in Atlantic Ocean Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IlqlyIDS_yo/hqdefault.jpg "Big Fight: Big Trouble in Atlantic Ocean Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Tatsumi
Publisher: Tatsumi
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
Another entry from the arcade obscura, Big Fight is quite clearly an attempt by Tatsumi to ride the coattails of Capcom with this thinly-veiled homage to Final Fight. Go straight, hit things, eat pavement food, and just generally try to stay alive are the order of the day here.
Unfortunately, it doesnt matter how many layers of parallax scrolling you cram into the game if the core loop isnt any fun, which this really isnt. Its neat that you get the chance to play as each of the end-of-level bosses after you unlock them, but the inconsistency in the balancing and mechanics makes many of them pointless.
The best thing I can say about the Big Trouble is the weirdness of the characters makes it worth a play, but its just a poor imitation of the game its imitating. If you want actual fun, go play Final Fight instead.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:23 Stage 1
06:39 Stage 2
13:33 Stage 3
20:18 Stage 4
25:08 Stage 5
32:05 Stage 6
40:25 Final Boss
44:12 Ending")
![Raiden Fighters Jet Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K7p2-pT934w/hqdefault.jpg "Raiden Fighters Jet Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Seibu Kaihatsu
Publisher: Seibu Kaihatsu
Year of Release: 1998
Game Review & Impressions
Raiden FIghters Jet is one of the later generation of vertical shooters, released in 1998, a game whose mechanics are designed for only the hardest of hardcore of shoot em up fans. It looks absolutely amazing, too, even in an era where the vast majority of games were 3D. Interestingly, info online indicates the SEIBU SPI hardware platform powering the game was based on an Intel 386 DX-25 CPU, something considered a dinosaur in PC terms at that point, although I suspect still more capable than the Motorola 68000 that had been the mainstay of arcade coin-ops since the mid 1980s.
Technical details aside, RFJ is a really interesting evolution of the genre. Theres so much more to this game than hammering a fire button to destroy enemies, something thats likely to put more casual players off. Earlier games in the Raiden series had already used the concepts and design principles, but my previous point of reference till this point was Do Don Pachi, a game so much more than just a simple shooter. In short, the shooter needed to evolve to stay relevant in a world where games had become complex and more involved, and Raiden Fighters Jet is certainly deep.
The majority of the game takes place inside a battle simulator, training pilots for the games final mission. The simulator ranks a pilots progress via the game score, and the path you take through the game is directly affected by just how well you do in each stage. Attaining the necessary high score to keep progressing is far more involved than just blasting enemies, despite being the core mechanic.
The first key to success is learning how to exploit the various medals which drop when destorying enemies. Certain medals those which flash gravitate toward your fighter craft when close, which allows you to lure them around the screen. Youll need to lure them close to other medals, powering up the special medal as you go. Once the special medal reaches full rank, collect it for a significant number of points, and youll eventually trigger a game state where all future medals will spawn as military ribbons instead, worth far more points than the actual medal.
However, to attain the highest scores possible, youll also need to learn the location of hidden secrets in each stage and how to unlock them. Destroying certain parts on the scenery in a specific way can cause extra medals/ribbons to spawn, and some stages also contain the elusive Miculus. Hovering your plane over specific parts of the scenery can cause one of these blue beasties to spawn, at which point you want to hit it with as much firepower as you can muster to earn additional score. Theres more stuff hidden in the game and more involved mechanics than I can go into here; go read some of the strategy guides on GameFAQs to find out just how complex this shooter can actually be!
As to what I thought of the game, although I admire the games complexity, the gating of progress through the ranking system is rather jarring. My first playthrough resulted in a score insufficient to reach the final battle section of the game, which results in you being booted back to stage 1 to try again! The designers might as well have put a notice in the attract mode that said No filthy casuals allowed. Its a stunning game to look at, and good fun at a surface level, but only players prepared to put in sufficient hours of practice will see the game at its best.
Chapters
TBC")
![TechnoCop Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KPCZqXBgRj8/hqdefault.jpg "TechnoCop Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Imagexcel/Gray Matter
Publisher: Gremlin Graphics
Year of Release: 1988
Plot (from Game Manual)
Youre a Technocop. a member of the most elite crime-fighting force in the country called the
ENFORCERS. Your mission is to capture, at any cost, ruthless criminals who paralyse the
city unless you stop them.
Before you start on your journey, you are equipped with the latest crime fighting equipment. At your disposal are a computer wrist watch, a high power criminal radar locator, a snare
net gun and a .88 magnum pistol and you will be driving the forces newest high speed
pursuit-and-destroy vehicle - The VMAX twin turbo interceptor.
Youre on your way to thwart the operations of a sinister organised crime empire known
throughout the world as Death on Arrival (D.O.A.). Speed down treacherous highways.
encountering attacking D.O.A. cars. Use the extensive weaponry built into your car to destroy
them. Depend on your criminal locator radar to tell you there is a crime in progress. giving
you the time needed to arrive at the scene in order to apprehend a vicious criminal. Rush to
the scene to make it, but dont lose control of the car and avoid getting hit by attacking
D.O.A. cars!
Once there, your crime computer shows you the face of a wanted D.O.A. criminal on the
screen. Your assignment, as you leave your car to enter the building where the criminal was
last reported seen, is to capture him dead or alive as instructed by the crime computer.
Using your criminal radar locator and computer wrist watch, you carefully search through a
maze of dilapidated interiors of the building to find the culprit. Just getting around the
building is tough enough, with broken floors to fall through if careless. Worse yet, D.O.A.
thugs abound, eager to wreak havoc on your search. Be careful!
Once youve successfully completed that assignment, get back into your VMAX and drive on
to your next assignment.
Game Review & Impressions
TechnoCop is one the first Amiga games I ever played when I got my A500+ back in 1991, and is title Ive been meaning to revisit for some time. Dont mistake this as anything close to resembling an endorsement for the game because its really rather rubbish, but the graphic violence on show was certainly an eye-opener to an impressionable 9-year old.
The game is principally divided into two sections, the first of which sees you driving your post apocalyptic cop car along ribbons of highway, blowing away criminals with your hood-mounted cannons, endeavouring to reach the scene of the next crime being committed. Upon arrival, you must navigate your way through maze-like slums and tenements, taking down all and sundry with your large-calibre hand cannon, collecting evidence, and trying to take down the resident gang leader.
The instruction manual makes everything sound far more exciting than it actually is. In reality, this is just a slow, jerkily scrolling port from the Atari ST, with punishing difficulty, irritating level design, little variety, non-existent music, mediocre sound, and just being crap all round. The only thing of any note is the way bad guys explode into a twitching paste after being shot, but the novelty wears of really quickly. Its just an achingly dull game which could have been so much better.
Interestingly, the designer for this game is same Rob Anderson who would go on to create Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight, one of the BEST games on the Amiga. From humble beginnings...
Chapters
TBC")
![Over Horizon Longplay (NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Kh3BR4UvpoE/hqdefault.jpg "Over Horizon Longplay (NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Hot B
Publisher: Hot B
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
I spotted Over Horizon while scrolling throw socials, and I sufficiently intrigued to check out this surprisingly innovative title for myself.
On the surface, the game is very similar to R-Type from a design point of view, featuring similar level design and game mechanics, but to dismiss it as a mere clone is to do it quite the disservice.
What elevates Over Horizon is its highly original take on power ups and ship customisation. From the games outset, the player can pre-define parameters that affect the attributes of weapons, including overall power and ability to track/home in on enemies. Its also possible to adjust the position of ship satellite modules relative to player ship using a really cool grid-based system, providing pilots an unparalleled level of customisation. Theres even a test mode which allows you to try out your setup before launching into the game proper, which is a really cool addition.
These choices arent merely superficial, either. You might think dialling homing ability to the max is easy mode during the first couple of levels, but things become far tougher later on, when asteroid fields and swarms of low-ranking enemies act as decoys, diluting your firepower. Many levels feature barriers you need to blast through in order to progress, so youll want to make sure you have a weapon which is sufficiently dumb fire enough to punch through these obstacles, and not get distracted by passing enemies.
For 1991, it might seem as though Over Horizon is a little late to the party, particularly at a time when 16-bit platforms were taking over, but its innovative approach to power-ups and solid presentation make for an engaging shooter definitely worth checking out.
Chapters
00:00 Ship config & test mode
01:00 Stage 1
04:08 Stage 2
08:09 Stage 3
13:10 Stage 4
17:55 Stage 5
23:00 Stage 6
31:00 Ending
#nes #retrogaming #longplay")
