AL82 Retrogaming Longplays | Rezon Longplay (Arcade) [4K] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 21 hours ago
Game Info
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Developer: Allumer
Publisher: Allumer
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
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If you're watching this video and getting a weird sense of Deja vu, you're not alone. I wasn't sure what to expect when I fired up Rezon, but it didn't take long to figure out why the game felt so familiar.
It's clear from the get-go that Rezon is HEAVILY inspired by R-Type. The graphics, colour palette, enemy designs and weapon upgrades could all conceivably belong to a game from Irem's line of arcade classic shooters, but trying to clone constituent parts of a game in this way doesn't guarantee the end product will be a success.
Although Rezon is a competently produced game in some respects, it's not a particularly satisfying experience. The weapon upgrades lack the power the needed to deal with the number of enemies you're confronted with, and players will often find themselves backed into corners of the screen as they try to deal with incoming swarms of enemy craft. This would have been so much better if the developers had included the charge beam mechanic, allowing you clear a path through fight squadrons with a blast of super-heated plasma, or take down dreadnoughts in a couple of hits, rather than forcing you to chip away at them with weedy plink guns.
I guess fans of R-Type may find merit in Rezon, given it's obvious similarities, but my advice is to simply go and play the real McCoy, rather than this rather obvious usurper.
Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Stage 1
03:50 Stage 2
07:21 Stage 3
11:30 Stage 4
16:22 Stage 5
19:26 Stage 6
23:25 Ending
Game Info
---------------------------------------------------
Developer: Allumer
Publisher: Allumer
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
If you're watching this video and getting a weird sense of Deja vu, you're not alone. I wasn't sure what to expect when I fired up Rezon, but it didn't take long to figure out why the game felt so familiar.
It's clear from the get-go that Rezon is HEAVILY inspired by R-Type. The graphics, colour palette, enemy designs and weapon upgrades could all conceivably belong to a game from Irem's line of arcade classic shooters, but trying to clone constituent parts of a game in this way doesn't guarantee the end product will be a success.
Although Rezon is a competently produced game in some respects, it's not a particularly satisfying experience. The weapon upgrades lack the power the needed to deal with the number of enemies you're confronted with, and players will often find themselves backed into corners of the screen as they try to deal with incoming swarms of enemy craft. This would have been so much better if the developers had included the charge beam mechanic, allowing you clear a path through fight squadrons with a blast of super-heated plasma, or take down dreadnoughts in a couple of hits, rather than forcing you to chip away at them with weedy plink guns.
I guess fans of R-Type may find merit in Rezon, given it's obvious similarities, but my advice is to simply go and play the real McCoy, rather than this rather obvious usurper.
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Stage 1
03:50 Stage 2
07:21 Stage 3
11:30 Stage 4
16:22 Stage 5
19:26 Stage 6
23:25 Ending
![Rezon Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mqLGmLBhqv8/hqdefault.jpg "Rezon Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Allumer
Publisher: Allumer
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
If youre watching this video and getting a weird sense of Deja vu, youre not alone. I wasnt sure what to expect when I fired up Rezon, but it didnt take long to figure out why the game felt so familiar.
Its clear from the get-go that Rezon is HEAVILY inspired by R-Type. The graphics, colour palette, enemy designs and weapon upgrades could all conceivably belong to a game from Irems line of arcade classic shooters, but trying to clone constituent parts of a game in this way doesnt guarantee the end product will be a success.
Although Rezon is a competently produced game in some respects, its not a particularly satisfying experience. The weapon upgrades lack the power the needed to deal with the number of enemies youre confronted with, and players will often find themselves backed into corners of the screen as they try to deal with incoming swarms of enemy craft. This would have been so much better if the developers had included the charge beam mechanic, allowing you clear a path through fight squadrons with a blast of super-heated plasma, or take down dreadnoughts in a couple of hits, rather than forcing you to chip away at them with weedy plink guns.
I guess fans of R-Type may find merit in Rezon, given its obvious similarities, but my advice is to simply go and play the real McCoy, rather than this rather obvious usurper.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Stage 1
03:50 Stage 2
07:21 Stage 3
11:30 Stage 4
16:22 Stage 5
19:26 Stage 6
23:25 Ending")
![Sengoku Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nJRIixvtLCE/hqdefault.jpg "Sengoku Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Sengoku is the first in a trilogy of beat em ups for the Neo Geo console, with the original entry being released in 1991. Its pretty representative of the consoles capabilities, featuring detailed 2D graphics and impressive digitised audio for the time.
The games attract mode introduces players to the games plot, which involves the demise of an ancient Japanese warlord. Deposed by a pair of samurai for his evil deeds, the warlord prophesises his return to life 400 years in the future, whereupon he intends to wreak havoc on the world and its inhabitants in an act of revenge. Sure enough, the ghostly visage of the dead warlord shows up in modern-day Japan with an ethereal host of undead warriors in tow, ready to cause havoc. The only individuals capable of preventing the end of the world are Ninja Dave and Cowboy Kev, descendants of the samurai who overthrew the warlord centuries ago, possessing the fighting skills necessary to get the job done, as well two of the most ridiculous names in video game history.
On the surface, Sengoku is your typical belt-scrolling affair: move right and beat up anything and everything which stands in your way. However, the game features a range of weapons and powers with which players can upgrade their fighting ability. Defeated enemies will drop coloured orbs which bestow the collector with weapons that include swords and the ability to throw hadoken-style energy waves. Theres also a separate system which allows you to change your form completely, transforming into an armour-clad samurai or cartwheeling ninja. Learning which combinations of equipment and form suit both your playstyle and the given situation are a major part of the game, and very reminiscent of Magician Lord.
As far as actual gameplay is concerned, I found it rather average. The trudging pace of the player characters, overly-telegraphed moves and lack of a dash mechanic or grapples make for what is, in my opinion, a rather dull experience. For all its spectacle, Id rather play Double Dragon or Final Fight, chiefly because the core combat in those titles feels more rewarding.
Chapters
TBC")
![SNK vs. Capcom Longplay (C64) [QHD] [Homebrew]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nN6AFPOcgYc/hqdefault.jpg "SNK vs. Capcom Longplay (C64) [QHD] [Homebrew]
Game Info
Developer: RetroGL & JONEGG
Publisher: RetroGL & JONEGG
Year of Release: 2023
Game Review & Impressions
The C64 was plagued by some of the shonkiest arcade conversions ever released, with a common complaint that the machine simply wasnt cut out for rending games designed for custom arcade boards replete with multiple 68000 CPUs and all manner of custom sprite manipulation and blitting frippery.
Thanks to several decades of game design theory, radically improved tools and even better knowledge of the hardware, Im not so sure this holds true. Developers are continuing to coax increasingly superb titles out of the breadbin, and SNK Vs. Capcom is a genuine revelation.
The character sprites appear to be influenced by the likes of Super Puzzle Fighter and King of Fighters: R2 for the Neo Geo Pocket. These sprites are highly stylised versions of their original arcade counterparts, with squashed bodies and oversized limbs, which play to the strengths of the target machines limited resolution and colour palette - the pixels might be chunky, but its a design choice that works incredibly well. The fighting animations are fluid, featuring multiple frames, and are instantly recognisable from the coin-op original.
Most remarkable of all is the gameplay itself. Virtually the entire move-set for each of the characters is present, condensed into a control scheme which actually works on the C64s single-button joystick. An option to use a two-button stick does exist in the options menu, but the single button option is just brilliant. Crucially, the movement tracking for pulling off special moves is near-perfect; I had little difficulty pulling off hadokens and dragon punches, including mid-air versions of these specials. The super specials, activated via double repetition of the standard specials, are present and correct, and function just as you would expect. To say the developers have done an incredible job here is a total understatement; you can even chain combo attacks together, which the game actively recognises and rewards with bonus points!
If you owned a C64 back in the day, you owe it to yourself and the devs to go and check this out. Its a total masterpiece, and given the current release is billed as an Alpha, I suspect therell be more tweaks and refinements in the coming months.
Download Links
- Check the video description in RetroGLs official YT video for the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP0wBpNTXv8&ab_channel=RetroGL
Chapters
TBC")
![The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEVi4hF6rCg/hqdefault.jpg "The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1997
Game Review & Impressions
Its fair to say the Neo Geo isnt exactly lacking when it comes to great fighting games. With franchises such as Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown already well-established by 1997, its hard to imagine room for yet another entrant in such a crowded marketspace, but The Last Blade manages to carve itself a niche that sets it apart from other SNK fighting games.
Much like Samurai Shodown, The Last Blade is a game all about weapon-based combat, albeit one which is more tactical in its approach to gameplay. The combat is generally slower paced, instead focusing on well-timed strikes and judicious use of the guard counter mechanic. The guard counter is effectively an active block, which puts your character into a guard stance that not only protects from an incoming attack, but stuns your opponent temporarily, leaving them open to counters. Different guard counters must be executed to deal with high and low attacks, and while it doesnt work on most supers or specials, it can be absolutely devastating in the hands of a decent player, chaining together a series of attacks that can quickly rip through an opponents health gauge.
Players must choose both a character from a roster of fighters on offer and an attack style to use throughout the game. The Speed style benefits from the ability to chain attacks together at the expense of raw power, whereas the Power mode focuses on raw damage output per attack, and gives access to a Super Desperation move. These Desparation moves are typically only available when the players health bar is flashing red or power bar has been filled, and can quickly turn the tide of battle if used properly.
Another of TLBs more memorable features is the inclusion of death animations, where defeating an enemy with a cross-cutting slash has a chance to slice them in two, accompanied by geyser-like spray of blood from the wound. Given that combatants are hitting each other with savagely sharp pieces of pointed metal, this makes a lot of sense, and the artwork and attention to detail really makes these pseudo-fatalities all the more impactful.
As to my own opinion, I was really impressed by The Last Blade. The combat mechanics and deflection/counters make for an experience that feels more nuanced in its approach, one where timing and mastery of the systems lead to victory, rather than blind button-mashing. This beautifully rendered versus fighting game typifies everything the Neo Geo stands for as a games console,
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:33 Gameplay
22:30 Ending")
![Super Star Wars Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/od2rTSIiu88/hqdefault.jpg "Super Star Wars Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Sculptured Software, LucasArts
Publisher: JVC
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
Released almost a decade after original trilogy of movies concluded, Super Star Wars took a new generation of gamers back to the deserts of Tatooine, ready to fight against the machinations of the Empire.
I guess that was the plan, at least. Super Star Wars is, in my opinion, a rather dull platform game containing repetitive levels, endlessly spawning enemies, and bitty graphics which dont quite do the whole thing justice. There are some cool Mode 7 sections, but even those are like a spacey version of dodgems with laser blasters.
I didnt hate Super Star Wars, just had higher hopes for it. I did have a good chuckle at the Stormtroopers on the Death Star hangar stage, where they leap down from the ceiling and fall straight to their death down one of the launch bay hatches in the floor, but that really was the only moment of levity. Even the lightsaber, the most iconic element in the whole Star Wars universe, is a letdown, being weaker and more awkward to use than the blaster pistol.
The first SNES game in the Star Wars film universe isnt exactly riveting, but I still have high hopes for the sequels. Maybe theyll be better?
Chapters
TBC")
![BioMetal Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ouXTl78JwpM/hqdefault.jpg "BioMetal Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Athena
Publisher: Activision
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
An average shoot em up that feels heavily inspired by R-Type, BioMetal features some decent graphics and visual effects, although doesnt leave much in the way of lasting impact. This is a by-the-numbers affair, shooting waves of bio-mechanical enemies, navigating occasionally precarious terrain and obstacles, and taking out oversized end-of-level bosses.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:14 Stage 1
04:46 Stage 2
07:59 Stage 3
11:12 Stage 4
14:36 Stage 5
19:57 Stage 6
23:21 Ending")
![Nigel Mansells World Championship Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p1p_qbCFc5Q/hqdefault.jpg "Nigel Mansells World Championship Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Gremlin Graphics
Publisher: Gametek
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
With the success of the Lotus trilogy and Super Cars series, its fair to say Gremlin had cemented its reputation as a publisher/developer of some of the best driving games for the home video game market. Focusing on the world of Formula 1, Gremlin secured a license to create a game based on British F1 champion, Nigel Mansell. Mansell had recently achieved a staller victory with the Williams motorsport team during the 1992 season, so a promotional vehicle featuring both champion driver and car would be an easy sell to racing fans.
Fortunately, the game isnt just a bunch of low-rent marketing bluster with a crappy game bolted on. In fact, this happens to be, at least in my opinion, one of the best 2D racing games of the period. The speed and responsiveness of the gameplay is certainly better than the Genesis version of Super Monaco Grand Prix, undoubtedly the primary influence, which is impressive when considering the latter was a first-party Sega title. The inclusion of arcade and simulation game modes is a nice touch, and a variety of race modes, including a full season tour, means theres plenty of racing action for fans to get stuck into.
I spent over 2 hours recording this, and even by the end of the session, I really have nothing negative to say about it. The sense of pace, car handling and general level of presentation are all equally excellent. The AI governing the rival drivers delivers a sufficiently decent challenge, but one that can be overcome with consistently good driving; many racers suffer from AI which zooms into the distance, never to be seen again, but that is certainly not the case here. I was also delighted to see opposition cars needing to pit to get their tyres changed, meaning theyre subject to the same rules and restrictions as the player.
As for the race tracks, the fact theyre licensed means the course layouts resemble those of their real-life counterparts, at least for the time. Something I was particularly impressed with was the background artwork for each of the respective race tracks. Having driven around most of these in the most recent Forza Motorsport and have a good overall feel for how theyre supposed to look, I can say the artists did a really good job with the resources available. For example, the track at Spa Francorchamps features a a backdrop full of dense forests and hilly pines, which is pretty accurate to the real-life equivalent.
If youre like me and prefer your racing more on the arcade-like, Nigel Mansells World Championship is definitely a SNES title to check out. The overall design results in one of the most accessible and fun games of its kind, one thats easy to recommend - go check it out.
Chapters
TBC")
![Macross Plus Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pPx2BY4K3gk/hqdefault.jpg "Macross Plus Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Banpresto
Publisher: Banpresto
Year of Release: 1995
Game Review & Impressions
Reasonable shoot em up with big explosions, power-ups and the rest of the usual stuff youd expect to find in a game like this. Its party piece is the ability to swap between agile space fighter and flying robot forms, trading manoeuvrability for power and versatility.
Chapters
TBC")
![Mercs Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pT7PLLo8l7A/hqdefault.jpg "Mercs Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Tiertex
Publisher: U.S. Gold
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Tiertex garnered a great deal of criticism for the various arcade conversions to home computers over the years, but theyre not universally terrible. This port of Capcoms spiritual successor to Commando proves to be a playable and, day I say it, maybe even fun experience. It has most, if not all the levels from the arcade, the same weapons and power-ups, and the pilotable vehicles even make an appearance. Controls are responsive, sound and music reasonable, and the graphics are highly detailed and pretty close to their arcade counterparts.
Of course, its not perfect. I have two main bones to pick with the game, the first of which is the inconsistency of the collision detection in relation to the hitbox surrounding the player sprite. It looks as though the detection is based on the bounding box, rather than the sprite itself, which makes avoiding damage quite difficult. The second issue is the amount of damage taken, which seems wildly inconsistent; coming into contact from a jet of flame or rocket explosion can result in instant death, even when on full health, which can be particularly annoying.
With that said, I didnt hate the Amiga version of Mercs; its a actually a lot better than most of the arcade conversions on the system. Its got the looks, most of the feel, and no real glitches I could detect; if you like Mercs, you could do worse than this.
Chapters
TBC")
![Isolated Warrior Longplay (NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pcHWBsqewf4/hqdefault.jpg "Isolated Warrior Longplay (NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: KID
Publisher: VAP
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Id never heard of Isolated Warrior until it popped up in my socials feed, but it certainly piqued my curiosity. What attracted me to this was the art style and unusual viewpoint, and it makes for an interesting game.
Essentially, this is a not-quite-vertically scrolling shooter. You must blast your way through waves of enemies using your laser gun, which has two methods of fire. Spread-shot gives you a wider angle and coverage of fire, but lower damage, while straight-shot is stronger and more focused beam, but youll need to move around more to line up shots. You also get fire bombs, also upgradable, which can be used to clear out the screen of lower ranking enemies, as well as activate secret portals hidden throughout each stage.
Isolated Warrior isnt particularly innovative in terms of gameplay, but its a decent enough shoot em up, boasting some cool visuals. The overall aesthetic reminded me of Core Designs Skeleton Krew, although this came much later. Overall, not a bad game - worth checking out.
Chapters
TBC")
![Masters Fury Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pyUJvB3pKDI/hqdefault.jpg "Masters Fury Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Unico
Publisher: Unico
Year of Release: 1996
Game Review & Impressions
Despite being one of the lesser known fighting games out there, Masters Fury is really just a half-baked knock off of Street Fighter II, with some elements of SNKs King of Fighters series thrown in.
The roster of fighters is a weird Mr Potato Head affair, where combatants, costumes and fighting moves are stuck together to create these weird mashups that seem oddly familiar. Kill Ruki is a great example, sporting a Guile-esque haircut, but dressed like King from KoF, but possessing animation and moves oddly reminiscent of M. Bison; its all extremely odd, to say the least.
On the subject of graphics, it seems the game has an internal resolution of 384 x 224, but applying the typical 4:3 aspect ratio changes this to 384 x 288, which results in all of the artwork being stretched vertically, which ends up looking plain weird when compared to the raw 1:1 internal resolution. This is most pronounced when comparing the victory screen artwork showcasing the character portraits - they look wrong in 4:3.
As for the gameplay, its just a clone of Street of Fighter II, sans the polish and professionalism of Capcoms game. This isnt terrible, but the controls and collision detection are simply too unpredictable, resulting in a game that just feels unrewarding to play.
Chapters
TBC")
![Thunder Dragon 2 Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qC3_fXXjQG0/hqdefault.jpg "Thunder Dragon 2 Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: NMK
Publisher: NMK
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
I already covered the original Thunder Dragon on the channel, and found it to be a decent-enough shoot em up with an interesting weapon power-up system. The sequel doesnt stray too much from the formula of the original, although the decision to replace the various weapon systems from the first game with a single upgradeable spread-shot means its not the most innovative of sequels.
Even so, its a decent looking game with enough shooting action to satisfy most arcade fans - not ground-breaking, but still worth a shot.
Related Longplays & Videos
Thunder Dragon (Arcade): https://youtu.be/bD_ikTxPdRM
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:11 Stage 1
02:14 Stage 2
05:18 Stage 3
08:27 Stage 4
11:34 Stage 5
14:47 Stage 6
17:44 Stage 7
21:02 Stage 8
25:39 Ending")
