AL82 Retrogaming Longplays | Blackthorne Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [Gravis Ultrasound] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 14 hours ago
Game Info
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Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay
Year of Release: 1994
Game Review & Impressions
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I forget precisely when I became aware of Blackthorne for the first time, but I believe it must have been at least a couple of years after Blizzard hit the big time with the likes of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. The game was developed originally for the SNES (Silicon & Synapse/Blizzard was still a console-focused studio at this point), with the PC conversion launching the same year; even back then, it was weird to play an arcade-platformer by a studio which would become so famous for its RTS and ARPG games.
When it comes to game design, it's obvious Blackthorne borrows heavily from both Prince of Persia and Flashback, perhaps more so the former than the latter. Although Blackthorne and Flashback both focus on gun-based combat, the mechanic of ducking into the shadows of the background to avoid enemy fire feels more analogous to the parry and counter-based sword fighting of Prince of Persia.
Whilst Blackthorne certainly isn't original, to Blizzard's credit, it's a thoroughly decent PoP-alike. It's the typical Blizzard high fantasy themes involving humans, orcs and other demonic beings, although the concept of a human armed with a shotgun transported from Earth to a parallel dimension to do battle with otherworldly foes has more than a whiff of Army of Darkness about it.
If you enjoy this kind of game, Blackthorne will almost certainly be right up your alley. Gravis Ultrasound support meant that PC owners lucky enough to own one of these coveted sound cards got to experience a dramatic and rousing musical score, making the PC edition of the game the definitive way to experience the game.
Video Notes
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- Recorded with Gravis Ultrasound MIDI
Related Longplays & Videos
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Blackthorne Longplay (SNES): youtu.be/ycm0rBGKnk0
Chapters
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00:00 Tutorial & Intro
04:11 The Mines
28:40 The Forest
1:03:44 The Mountains
1:42:45 Sarlac's Keep
2:18:20 Final Boss
2:19:46 Ending
Game Info
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Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay
Year of Release: 1994
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
I forget precisely when I became aware of Blackthorne for the first time, but I believe it must have been at least a couple of years after Blizzard hit the big time with the likes of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. The game was developed originally for the SNES (Silicon & Synapse/Blizzard was still a console-focused studio at this point), with the PC conversion launching the same year; even back then, it was weird to play an arcade-platformer by a studio which would become so famous for its RTS and ARPG games.
When it comes to game design, it's obvious Blackthorne borrows heavily from both Prince of Persia and Flashback, perhaps more so the former than the latter. Although Blackthorne and Flashback both focus on gun-based combat, the mechanic of ducking into the shadows of the background to avoid enemy fire feels more analogous to the parry and counter-based sword fighting of Prince of Persia.
Whilst Blackthorne certainly isn't original, to Blizzard's credit, it's a thoroughly decent PoP-alike. It's the typical Blizzard high fantasy themes involving humans, orcs and other demonic beings, although the concept of a human armed with a shotgun transported from Earth to a parallel dimension to do battle with otherworldly foes has more than a whiff of Army of Darkness about it.
If you enjoy this kind of game, Blackthorne will almost certainly be right up your alley. Gravis Ultrasound support meant that PC owners lucky enough to own one of these coveted sound cards got to experience a dramatic and rousing musical score, making the PC edition of the game the definitive way to experience the game.
Video Notes
---------------------------------------------------
- Recorded with Gravis Ultrasound MIDI
Related Longplays & Videos
---------------------------------------------------
Blackthorne Longplay (SNES): youtu.be/ycm0rBGKnk0
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
00:00 Tutorial & Intro
04:11 The Mines
28:40 The Forest
1:03:44 The Mountains
1:42:45 Sarlac's Keep
2:18:20 Final Boss
2:19:46 Ending
![Blackthorne Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [Gravis Ultrasound]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cW8VtB2qhC8/hqdefault.jpg "Blackthorne Longplay (PC DOS) [4K] [Gravis Ultrasound]
Game Info
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay
Year of Release: 1994
Game Review & Impressions
I forget precisely when I became aware of Blackthorne for the first time, but I believe it must have been at least a couple of years after Blizzard hit the big time with the likes of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. The game was developed originally for the SNES (Silicon & Synapse/Blizzard was still a console-focused studio at this point), with the PC conversion launching the same year; even back then, it was weird to play an arcade-platformer by a studio which would become so famous for its RTS and ARPG games.
When it comes to game design, its obvious Blackthorne borrows heavily from both Prince of Persia and Flashback, perhaps more so the former than the latter. Although Blackthorne and Flashback both focus on gun-based combat, the mechanic of ducking into the shadows of the background to avoid enemy fire feels more analogous to the parry and counter-based sword fighting of Prince of Persia.
Whilst Blackthorne certainly isnt original, to Blizzards credit, its a thoroughly decent PoP-alike. Its the typical Blizzard high fantasy themes involving humans, orcs and other demonic beings, although the concept of a human armed with a shotgun transported from Earth to a parallel dimension to do battle with otherworldly foes has more than a whiff of Army of Darkness about it.
If you enjoy this kind of game, Blackthorne will almost certainly be right up your alley. Gravis Ultrasound support meant that PC owners lucky enough to own one of these coveted sound cards got to experience a dramatic and rousing musical score, making the PC edition of the game the definitive way to experience the game.
Video Notes
- Recorded with Gravis Ultrasound MIDI
Related Longplays & Videos
Blackthorne Longplay (SNES): https://youtu.be/ycm0rBGKnk0
Chapters
00:00 Tutorial & Intro
04:11 The Mines
28:40 The Forest
1:03:44 The Mountains
1:42:45 Sarlacs Keep
2:18:20 Final Boss
2:19:46 Ending")
![Thunder Zone Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cq9DhVB29TE/hqdefault.jpg "Thunder Zone Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Another game from Data East which Id never heard of, Thunder Zone is a top-down shooter which draws inspiration from Capcoms Mercs, whose own lineage goes back to the likes of Ikari Warriors and Commando before it.
Up to 4 players embark on a series of missions to rescue hostages, take down military installations and shoot a lot of bad guys in the process. Its pretty formulaic, with some tiresomely difficult bullet-sponge bosses, but it has an absolutely killer soundtrack, which goes some way to making up for the drudgery.
Theres also a sizeable array of different weapons to collect along the way, my personal favourite being the flamethrower. Its short range, but incinerates most enemies in next to no time.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Mission 1
05:03 Training Stage 1
05:41 Mission 2
10:20 Mission 3
15:05 Training Stage 2
15:48 Mission 4
22:48 Final Mission
36:18 Ending
#retrogaming #arcadegames #longplay")
![Brawl Brothers Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dbsBGQuy8Mo/hqdefault.jpg "Brawl Brothers Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Jaleco
Publisher: Jaleco
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
Also known subtitled Rival Turf! 2, this is a sequel to Rival Turf. As a result of boring gameplay, a limited move-set and endless waves of opponents, I really wasnt a fan of the predecessor, and while Brawl Brothers IS an improvement, its still nowhere near being close to Streets of Rage 2 or Final Fight in terms of quality.
As to the plot, I really couldnt care less. The game infuriated me to such a degree I couldnt be bothered to look it up. It doesnt even need a plot: a bunch of good guys travel right and beat up a bunch of bad guys for reasons.
You select primary fighter and a backup from a roster of five characters consisting of your typical genre achetypes: Master Slowshuffle; Mountain Dew Ninja; middle-of-the-road Joe; Token Female and Beefcake McPoundface.
Normally, figuring out where to go isnt a concern in these types of games, but for some reason, Jaleco introduced two levels that involve branching paths, and unless you choose the paths in the correct order, youll go around in a continual loop. I must have spent a good 40 minutes in the sewer section alone, battling wave after wave of goons until I realised it was possible to walk through the doors in the back of the stage! The player is given no instruction to do this, nor are there any suggestions you need to figure the correct route out, which is just bad game design.
Another pet hate of mine, which this particular game uses to a significant extent, is putting enemies into a state where they either cant be injured, or theres no way to prevent their next attack. The collision detection in Brawl Brothers is suspect at the best of times, but throughout my entire playthrough my characters punches and kicks pass through the enemy sprite with no impact. Similarly, the grapple mechanic frequently prioritises the enemy character above your own, meaning theyll get to toss you around with impunity. I loathe this mechanic with a passion because its a cheap way to boost the difficulty; the player should always have some countermeasure with which to avoid this scenario, but Jaleco clearly thought otherwise. This makes Brawl Brothers an incessantly dull and often joyless affair, leaving the player frustrated at every turn.
As you might have gathered, I didnt like this game; in fact, I think I liked it less than the original, despite the additional features. The kernel of a decent game is buried under a series of bad design choices and general laziness, and everything about it just ground my gears. Others might enjoy it, but Im not one of them.
Chapters
TBC")
![Conan: The Mysteries of Time Longplay (NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dnMbMF6XGV8/hqdefault.jpg "Conan: The Mysteries of Time Longplay (NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Mindscape
Publisher: Mindscape
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Id been aware of Conan: The Mysteries of Time for a while, but Id never played it, until now. My chief reason for playing this is because its essentially a clone of Myth: History in the Making, released originally on the Commodore 64 back in 1989. The C64 version is one of my favourite games for the machine, partly due to its innovative gameplay, intriguing plot and stonkingly good theme tune composed by Jeroen Tel.
I dont know much about the history of this particular port, but Mindscape must have licensed the Myth from System 3, then attached the Conan IP to the project, probably to make it more attractive to the predominantly US-based NES market. Unfortunately, they did such a horrendous hatchet job on this conversion that I cant believe anyone actually bought this, or at least didnt attempt to return it to store for a refund - its shockingly bad.
The terrible graphics are just the tip of the iceberg, shoddily copied from the C64 without any apparent attempt to cater for the revised screen resolution or colour palette. The lego brick pixels synonymous with C64 medium resolution stick out like a sore thumb here, and the dimensions of all the character and background assets dont look right at all.
Things arent any better when it comes to the gameplay. The controls and combat mechanics have been completely butchered, resulting in a near-unplayable mess, and certain levels are borderline broken. Quite a few of the levels from the Norse and Egyptian stages have been cut altogether, probably to save on expensive ROM costs, and the final boss fight against Dameron is nowhere to be seen.
This is not just an insult to Conan, its a slap in the face to one of my favourite C64 games of all time - the NES was capable of so much more than this, so the blame for this utter dogpile lands squarely at the feet of the developers. This is utter crap, pure and simple, and best avoided at all costs.
Chapters
TBC")
![Batman: Return of the Joker Longplay (NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e-7sqotXk_A/hqdefault.jpg "Batman: Return of the Joker Longplay (NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Released in 1991, the Dark Knight of Gotham returned to the NES to do battle with his arch-nemesis, the Joker, in a technical and artistic tour de force for Nintendos aging 8-bit console. Sunsoft really knew how to make the NES sing, and Return of the Joker is one of the best-looking games on the console - its simply stunning.
In terms of gameplay, this is much closer to a straight-up shooter than the previous game. The emphasis here is very much on blasting enemies with a variety of weapons, with some traditional platforming thrown into the mix. Each stage features the kind of hazards, traps and pit-falls fans of the genre should be familiar with, and its all extremely polished.
It is, therefore, somewhat regrettable that I simply wasnt as enthused with this particular title as I was its predecessor. Its probably just me, but I feel the Dark Knight is at his best when going hand-to-hand with his foes, not simply blasting them to pieces, and thats really all there is to Return of the Joker. The wall-jumping mechanic that made the original so memorable is relegated, and it doesnt help that the C power-up weapon, with its powerful explosion and wide blast radius, makes the other guns irrelevant.
Im sure this game has plenty of fans who love it, but I cant say Im one of them. I certainly recognise its qualities, not to mention nothing but respect for Sunsoft, but this just wasnt my cup of tea, sadly.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:15 Stage 1-1
01:12 Stage 1-2
02:18 Stage 1-3
02:53 Stage 2-1
03:44 Stage 2-2
04:41 Stage 3-1
05:34 Stage 3-2
06:28 Stage 3-3
07:56 Stage 4-1
09:11 Stage 4-2
11:05 Stage 4-3
12:23 Stage 5-1
13:10 Stage 5-2
14:04 Stage 6-1
14:55 Stage 6-2
15:49 Stage 6-3
17:23 Stage 7-1
18:18 Stage 7-2
20:24 Ending
#batman #nes #retrogaming")
![Ikari Warriors Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/er0uLLUb_uc/hqdefault.jpg "Ikari Warriors Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1986
Game Review & Impressions
Having looked back through all the longplays Ive recorded, I was surprised Id never tackled Ikari Warriors. This arcade classic is heavily inspired by Capcoms Commando, and follows very similar design philosophies. Its the same run-and-gun affair viewed from a top-down perspective, where up to two players must blast their way through waves of enemy infantry, blow up bunkers, and generally annihilate anything that stands in their way.
What sets Ikari Warriors apart from Commando and piers is the combination of 8-way stick with a rotary dial which allows the player to move and aim in completely different directions. Its a control scheme which sounds cool on paper, although presents a steeper learning curve in practice, resulting in an experience which I personally do not care for. Factor in the huge numbers of enemies youll be facing at any given time, not to mention the landmines liberally secreted across the combat theatre, and youll be in for one heck of a rough ride. Being able to clamber inside a tank and rain death on your foes from afar offers momentary respite, because youll need to find cannisters of gas to keep the damn thing operational, and it takes only a couple of blasts from an enemy grenade to put it out of commission.
Although Im perhaps not the hugest fan of the gameplay, I can definitely get behind the visual aesthetic. The presentation here is truly fantastic, particularly the animation, something that SNK would become renowned for into the 1990s and beyond with the Neo Geo. The way enemy bullets kick up dirt is a really neat touch, demonstrating attention to detail which other developers of the time simply wouldnt have bothered with.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Gameplay
15:35 Ending")
![Insector X Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f-IK5D9JAq8/hqdefault.jpg "Insector X Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
I recently longplayed the Sega Genesis version of this horizontal shooter, but it wasnt until after Id uploaded that particular video I learned the game originated from a coin-op. The background info online indicated the Genesis version had revamped graphics, but I wasnt prepared for just HOW different they are. The arcade version is rooted in Taitos cutesy cartoon aesthetic, much like Rainbow Islands, whereas the Genesis went for an edgier, grungier and more adult look, probably to appeal to the demographic the console was aimed at.
The core gameplay is much as you would expect to find in most shot em ups. You get to power up you weaponry with an assortment of air-to-air and air-to-ground projectiles, multi-shots and burst waves. One of the weapons even looks like the mesh from a giant fly-swat, which would be apt, considering the enemies youre facing.
If the game has a selling point, its the excellent end-of-level bosses, which look excellent. The attention to detail in the character sprites and animation is highly detailed and wonderfully stylised. I also have to wonder whether Capcom took inspiration from this game when they developed the Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse; it could be coincidental, but the spider and web-based boss fights between the two games are eerily similar.
The arcade version of Insector X isnt the most compelling shooter Ive ever played, but its decent-enough, and the art-style makes it worth persevering with.
Related Longplays & Videos
Insector X (Sega Genesis): https://youtu.be/S8k07zZuBQA
Chapters
TBC")
![Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja Longplay (Amstrad CPC) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f2Yf6Rh4H7Y/hqdefault.jpg "Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja Longplay (Amstrad CPC) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Ocean Software (Imagine)
Publisher: Ocean Software (Imagine)
Year of Release: 1988
Coding: James Higgins
Graphics: Martin McDonald
Music: Jonathan Dunn
Game Review & Impressions
Data Easts Ninja-bashing coin-op with attitude should be familiar to almost anyone with a passing knowledge of 80s arcade beat em ups, and it was ported to a huge range of computers and consoles, including the Amstrad CPC. Ocean developed this conversion under the auspices of its Imagine label, and its colourful Mode 0 graphics are the main reason I wanted to give this version a try.
To Oceans credit, they managed to pack a lot into the Amstrad version. All the levels from the arcade are present and correct, plus the various enemies, weapons and power-ups are included. The 128K disk version (shown here), also includes some sampled speech, as well loading all game levels into memory, eliminating the need for any additional loading; pretty sweet.
However, the CPC version certainly has its fair share of glitches. Some, such as the enemy ninja which seem to have knives sticking out of the middle of their faces, are simply amusing, while others affect the gameplay in various ways. The timer displayed in the bottom right of the screen counts down way too quickly, and your pretty much guaranteed to lose a life in the second level, due to the fact you have to wait for the screen to scroll, with no way of advancing it yourself. The enemies carrying swords will always hit you if they manage to leap into the air, regardless of where the player sprite happens to be when they land, and the collision detection goes completely out of whack when too many enemies are on screen at the same time. End-of-level bosses all behave identically and offer no variation or real challenge, and the boss of stage 3 has lost his ability to multiply and looks like a regular bad guy.
The most annoying of all the games quirks is the final stage, where you need to travel from right to left. Unlike the rest of the game, where the camera scrolls with the player located in the centre of the screen, the screen only scrolls when the players is right up against the border. This makes hitting enemies appearing on the left impossible, since they pop into existence without giving you any time to react. Unless you have a couple of lives in reserve, I highly doubt youll actually make it through this section.
Given the various issues, it would be easy to dismiss this as yet another rubbish 8-bit arcade conversion. For the most part, it is exactly that, but despite its many problems, theres something weirdly compelling about the game. Provided you learn the strategies/exploits needed to beat the enemies, theres a sense of satisfaction whenever you manage to beat a level. The graphics are actually pretty decent, and most of the moves from the arcade version are present, even if youll only ever want to crouch and punch. If youd picked this up on budget later down the line, it would have passed a rainy afternoon.
Information & Trivia
Video Notes
Related Longplays & Videos
Chapters
00:00 Title screen & music
02:13 Stage 1
03:33 Stage 2
07:14 Stage 3
09:17 Stage 4
11:30 Stage 5
13:59 Stage 6
16:39 Stage 7
19:23 Stage 8
20:43 Ending
#amstrad
#retrogaming
#dragonninja")
![Street Fighter Alpha Longplay (Game Boy Color) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f7aN448zoxw/hqdefault.jpg "Street Fighter Alpha Longplay (Game Boy Color) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Crawfish Interactive
Publisher: Capcom/Virgin Interactive
Year of Release: 2000
Game Review & Impressions
Released originally in 1995, Street Fighter Alpha marked the first all-new Street Fighter game in the franchise, featuring new and returning characters, plus completely overhauling the art style. The gameplay was faster and more furious than its predecessors, making it a formidable presence in any mid 90s arcade.
Cramming a Capcom CPS2-powered arcade game into an 8-bit handheld doesnt seem like a realistic prospect, but thats exactly what the folks at Crawfish Interactive did, releasing the game in 2000 for the Game Boy Color, of all things.
Its quite an incredible thing to behold. The team crammed in the entire SFA character roster, plus all of the combatants respective kicks, punches, throws, specials, AND super specials! The character graphics are understandably low resolution and use only a couple of colours each, but theyre used to excellent effect, emphasising light, shadows and highlights where possible. Even more impressive is the fluidity of the animation, which is practically arcade-perfect! Perhaps most impressive of all is the way all of the moves have been crammed into a 2-button control system, with longer button presses triggering stronger punches and kicks; it works incredibly well and offers as close an arcade experience as a player could wish for.
The Game Boy Color conversion of Street Fighter Alpha is a stunning achievement, extremely playable, and really has no right being as good as it is. To cram all of this into an 8-bit handheld is ludicrous enough, but for it to be THIS fun? Extraordinary!
Video Notes
- Includes hidden characters Akuma, M. Bison and Dan (see timestamps)
Chapters
00:00 Intro credits
01:00 Ryu Vs. Adon
03:17 Ryu Vs. Chun-Li
05:23 Ryu Vs. Charlie
07:40 Ryu Vs. Rose
09:51 Ryu Vs. Birdie
12:00 Ryu Vs. Guy
13:49 Ryu Vs. Ken
15:58 Ryu Vs. Sagat
19:18 Bonus: Akuma Vs. M. Bison
21:30 Bonus: Dan Vs. Akuma")
![Super Chase H.Q. Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fzImYfeiW3Y/hqdefault.jpg "Super Chase H.Q. Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
Something Id never realised is just how many ports, derivatives and spin-offs existed for Taitos full throttle ram em up. The SNES was no exception, receiving this console-only entry in 1992, and I guess its reasonable enough.
The game opts for a first-person view, placing the player in the hot-seat of a turbo-powered persist vehicle. The formula for each stage is consistent with the original arcade, undertaking a break-neck dash through traffic to catch up with a fleeing suspect, then ram their vehicle repeatedly to disable it. You have the customary turbo charges at your disposal to provide a temporary speed boost, which are vital in the latter half of each stage.
Unfortunately, Super Chase H.Q. isnt particularly exciting or innovative. I guess if you enjoy the series then this might stave off boredom for a few hours, but it becomes rather dull before too long.
Chapters
TBC")
![SAS Combat Simulator Longplay (Amstrad CPC) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gv8PbAHWJdk/hqdefault.jpg "SAS Combat Simulator Longplay (Amstrad CPC) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Optimus Software Ltd
Publisher: Codemasters
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
One of Codemasters many supposed simulator games, I somehow doubt their claims that this in any way represents what life as an SAS commando is really like. This half-baked amalgamation of Ikari Warriors and Green Beret is a game of two halves, both of which suck.
I owned the C64 version of the game back in the day, and I guess if the Amstrad CPC version has anything going for it, its the fact it does appear to contain a couple of extra levels, and theres also the inclusion of a driveable jeep during the overhead sections, something the C64 lacks.
Unfortunately, between the chugging framerate and ridiculous difficulty, theres precious little to recommend about SAS Combat Simulator.
Chapters
TBC")
![Xaind Sleena Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hmO0595vI0M/hqdefault.jpg "Xaind Sleena Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Technos
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1986
Game Review & Impressions
Xaind Sleena doesnt exactly roll off the tongue, so the game was given the alternate title Soldier of Light for Western markets, which was used for the home computer conversions, C64, Amiga and so on. Although Taitos name appears during the attract sequence, the game was developed by Technos (Renegade, Double Dragon), and its one of the more interest arcade titles Ive played in recent times.
The reasons for this arent because the game is especially innovative, but more because of the aesthetic design. Maybe its because Im currently playing through Starfield, but the notion of an arcade side-scroller involving fighting mercenary forces and local fauna across a succession of hostile alien worlds seemed pretty compelling. I love the artwork and general sprite design on display here; I cant be sure, but I suspect movies such as Star Wars and Dune may have influenced the design somewhat.
The core gameplay in Xaind Sleena is pretty straightforward. Levels are divided into two sections: on-foot run-and-gun, and side-ways scrolling shoot em up. The on-foot sections see the player fighting their way across the surface of a planet to plant an explosive charge on a military-style command centre, before blasting off into space. The side-ways scroller sections represent the journey between worlds, facing off against waves of space craft trying to stop you in your endeavours.
The on-foot sections are by far the most interesting thing about the game. Theyre also exceptionally tough; the game bombards you with enemies from the outset, many ground-based, but plenty of foes are equipped with jetpacks, hoverbikes, and pepper you with projectiles from afar. Various weapon power-ups can be collected from defeated enemies, upgrading rate and cone of fire, and youll definitely need these to have a hope of beating any of the games stages. Perhaps the most interesting thing about these on-foot sections is your ability to not only crouch, but to go prone, which reduces your overall profile, making you more difficult to hit.
Id never played Xaind Sleena prior to this point, but I came away impressed. Not so much because its the greatest arcade game ever, but because I just love the vibe. The graphic design is just really cool, with touches of Western and Anime sci-fi influences that set the game apart from its contemporaries. Contra might be more iconic, but Id argue Xaind Sleena is the more interesting of the pair, and is well worth checking out.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:55 Stage 1
04:00 Stage 2
08:09 Stage 3
13:22 Stage 4
17:20 Stage 5
20:50 Stage 6
26:19 Ending")
