AL82 Retrogaming Longplays | RoboCop Longplay (NES) [QHD] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 2 hours ago
Game Info
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Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
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2023 marked the 25th anniversary of the iconic movie starring everyone's favourite cyborg law enforcement officer, so I decided to check out RoboCop for the NES to mark this auspicious occasion.
Having played the game, I'm really not sure why I bothered. I was a big fan of Data East's RoboCop arcade game, a solid interpretation of the movie, so I have to wonder what the heck went wrong when they sat down to develop this pile of rubbish for the NES! The game makes cursory nods to the film's plot, but you'd never know it, because the level graphics and environments barely resemble anything like what was seen on the big screen.
To be honest, the whole game is just one big litany of errors. RoboCop is listed as 6' 2", but the enemies only come up to his waist, making them all about 5' tall. The way the dudes in purple pants Kung Fu kick their way out of second storey windows like Eric Cantona is just plain silly, as is the way the game randomly holsters Robo's weapon, forcing you to use fisticuffs for no apparent reason. Perhaps the most ridiculous thing in the whole game is the block mechanic, which allows our metal protagonist to protect himself from damage, something which makes me wonder if this started life as some other game entirely. There's a moment of levity when I realised it's possible to make RoboCop Moonwalk backwards down flights of stairs, but like everything else in the game, it's just utterly dumb.
Apart from a rather funky remix of the movie's theme tune, there's absolutely nothing of merit here. It's a dull slog of a game with bland visuals and zero variety, one that should be consigned to the dumpster and forgotten with immediate effect.
Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
01:40 Stage 1
03:38 Stage 2
06:03 Bonus Stage
07:05 Stage 3
11:43 Stage 4
14:30 Bonus Stage
15:23 Stage 5
18:25 Stage 6
21:30 Ending
Game Info
---------------------------------------------------
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
2023 marked the 25th anniversary of the iconic movie starring everyone's favourite cyborg law enforcement officer, so I decided to check out RoboCop for the NES to mark this auspicious occasion.
Having played the game, I'm really not sure why I bothered. I was a big fan of Data East's RoboCop arcade game, a solid interpretation of the movie, so I have to wonder what the heck went wrong when they sat down to develop this pile of rubbish for the NES! The game makes cursory nods to the film's plot, but you'd never know it, because the level graphics and environments barely resemble anything like what was seen on the big screen.
To be honest, the whole game is just one big litany of errors. RoboCop is listed as 6' 2", but the enemies only come up to his waist, making them all about 5' tall. The way the dudes in purple pants Kung Fu kick their way out of second storey windows like Eric Cantona is just plain silly, as is the way the game randomly holsters Robo's weapon, forcing you to use fisticuffs for no apparent reason. Perhaps the most ridiculous thing in the whole game is the block mechanic, which allows our metal protagonist to protect himself from damage, something which makes me wonder if this started life as some other game entirely. There's a moment of levity when I realised it's possible to make RoboCop Moonwalk backwards down flights of stairs, but like everything else in the game, it's just utterly dumb.
Apart from a rather funky remix of the movie's theme tune, there's absolutely nothing of merit here. It's a dull slog of a game with bland visuals and zero variety, one that should be consigned to the dumpster and forgotten with immediate effect.
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
00:00 Attract mode
01:40 Stage 1
03:38 Stage 2
06:03 Bonus Stage
07:05 Stage 3
11:43 Stage 4
14:30 Bonus Stage
15:23 Stage 5
18:25 Stage 6
21:30 Ending
![RoboCop Longplay (NES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4gWZFdTq0V0/hqdefault.jpg "RoboCop Longplay (NES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
2023 marked the 25th anniversary of the iconic movie starring everyones favourite cyborg law enforcement officer, so I decided to check out RoboCop for the NES to mark this auspicious occasion.
Having played the game, Im really not sure why I bothered. I was a big fan of Data Easts RoboCop arcade game, a solid interpretation of the movie, so I have to wonder what the heck went wrong when they sat down to develop this pile of rubbish for the NES! The game makes cursory nods to the films plot, but youd never know it, because the level graphics and environments barely resemble anything like what was seen on the big screen.
To be honest, the whole game is just one big litany of errors. RoboCop is listed as 6 2, but the enemies only come up to his waist, making them all about 5 tall. The way the dudes in purple pants Kung Fu kick their way out of second storey windows like Eric Cantona is just plain silly, as is the way the game randomly holsters Robos weapon, forcing you to use fisticuffs for no apparent reason. Perhaps the most ridiculous thing in the whole game is the block mechanic, which allows our metal protagonist to protect himself from damage, something which makes me wonder if this started life as some other game entirely. Theres a moment of levity when I realised its possible to make RoboCop Moonwalk backwards down flights of stairs, but like everything else in the game, its just utterly dumb.
Apart from a rather funky remix of the movies theme tune, theres absolutely nothing of merit here. Its a dull slog of a game with bland visuals and zero variety, one that should be consigned to the dumpster and forgotten with immediate effect.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:40 Stage 1
03:38 Stage 2
06:03 Bonus Stage
07:05 Stage 3
11:43 Stage 4
14:30 Bonus Stage
15:23 Stage 5
18:25 Stage 6
21:30 Ending")
![Treasure Island Dizzy Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ONldT3ks2o/hqdefault.jpg "Treasure Island Dizzy Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: The Highlanders
Publisher: Codemasters
Year of Release: 1989
Plot from Game Manual
Dizzy was looking forward to the round-the-world cruise. When he told the other Yolkfolk about the good deal he found, they wondered just what lay ahead of him...
Dizzy enjoyed the cruise at first. The captain, Long John Silver, was a lovely old bloke with a kindly manner, good at insulting and degrading the fare paying punters. He was well balanced - he had parrot on one shoulder and a chip on the other. Dizzy thought he would organize a game of
cricket on the aft deck. In a fit of blinding stupidity he used LJs spare leg collection as makeshift stumps, and when they were lost overboard he was made to walk the plank! That was how he came to find himself
gently poaching on the silent, sun-kissed beach of a seemingly deserted island...
He had to somehow find a way back to the Yolkfolk and lodge his compensation claim with the travel agent....
Game Review & Impressions
No-one could have predicated an ovum wearing boxing gloves would have become the unofficial mascot for the British 8-bit gaming scene during the 1980s. Love him or hate him, Dizzy was one of the most recognisable video game brands in the UK, starring in an exhausting number of adventure games and other spin-offs. The eggy protagonist would also feature prominently on Amiga and Atari ST, albeit his 16-bit adventures featured fully upgraded visuals, with his Treasure Island adventure being the first.
As per the plot, DIzzy must find a way off the island on which he has been marooned. This involves collecting items to solve various puzzles and, for those who want a real challenge, collecting 30 coins to get the final ending message. While the principle design remains unchanged, all of the items youll find in your travels have a purpose; the red herrings from the Spectrum original have been removed and some puzzle/item combinations redesigned. For example, the glass sword used to unlock an area underneath a gravestone has been replaced with a more conventional gravediggers shovel, which makes far more sense.
Unfortunately, something from the original version which does remain intact is the annoying inventory system. Collected items occupy one of three available slots, although cycling through items always causes the uppermost item to be dropped on the ground when it leaves the window. This makes the underwater sections particularly tricky because you must ensure you dont accidentally drop the snorkel whilst grabbing other items from the seabed.
I guess these design decisions are why Dizzy games are like Marmite: you either love them or hate them. It doesnt matter how good the visuals are if the underlying game is a bit of a dud, and given the sheer amount of backtracking, not to mention you have but a single life in which to beat the whole game, its difficult to work up much enthusiasm for Treasure Island Dizzy, regardless of how many bits are involved.
Ultimately, the developers deserve credit for trying to improve on the original design, but you still have to be of a certain mindset to enjoy this kind of game. Sadly, Im not one of these, with the game doing little to satiate my desire to just poach the little weeble.
Related Longplays & Videos
Treasure Island Dizzy Longplay (C64): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLKE5PlEerk
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:20 Main gameplay
26:47 Ending")
![Bang! Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6ubdb007rfQ/hqdefault.jpg "Bang! Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Bit Managers
Publisher: Gaelco
Year of Release: 1998
Game Review & Impressions
Another oddity from those wacky folks at Gaelco, the aptly titled Bang! is mash up of light gun target shooter and party game. You compete in a series of randomised events, each involving blasting targets on-screen, aiming to complete various challenges within a time limit. I guess 1998 was probably a bit late to the party for a game such as this, but credit where its due, Bang! looks really good and plays pretty decently too! There are a fair number of mini-games to take part in, and itll definitely take some practice to beat all of them.
Oh, and as was typical for Gaelco, certain sound effects appear to have been borrowed from other games...pretty sure the clip for blasting bandits is from Metal Slug!
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:20 Gameplay start (expert mode)")
![Vasara Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6vQgf1LN2X4/hqdefault.jpg "Vasara Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Visco
Publisher: Visco
Year of Release: 2000
Game Review & Impressions
Another 2D shooter from the early noughties, Vasara is an intriguing entry in the genre by Visco Games. Despite its ostensibly historical setting, Vasara has you facing off against all kinds of mechanised opponents, laser-firing gun emplacements and other kinds of future tech in some kind of alternate Feudal Japan; pretty cool!
Each of the player characters craft is equipped with typical blaster cannons for ranged combat, but holding down the attack button will begin charging a near-range melee attack instead. The melee attack, once unleashed, has the ability to both destroy and deflect enemy projectiles, which is incredibly useful for dealing with the oppressive levels of flak enemy bosses will spew in your general direction. Its also the principle mechanic for earning the highest possible scores in the game; destroying multiple enemies results in a substantial bonus, although its generally riskier getting close in to your opponents. The melee attack can be supercharged by collecting sufficient quantities of red gems from downed enemies to fill the gauge at the top of the screen; the next melee attack initiated unleashes a screen-clearing succession of blows which can be used to rack up even higher scores, as well as nullifying most of the enemy bullets of screen.
Similar to other shooters of this era, Vasara spices up the core game loop by introducing a Prestige Kill system which allows players to rack up even more points. Killing enemies with flags on their backs will result in a bloodied banner flashing up for the briefest of moments. There are 30 of these flags to collect on each stage, and bagging all of them nets you a super bonus on completion of the round. This can can be quite tricky, given that the flag-bearers dont stick around on screen for very long, so you generally need to pre-empt where they appear and get into position to be able to deal with them as they appear.
My experience with Vasara was very positive. It looks and sounds great, and the core mechanics offer a level of depth that keep the game interesting, without being too overbearing. The fact the melee attack can be used to deflect projectiles is super useful, and judicious use of the skill increases chances of survival, especially against stage bosses. I had a great time with this and encourage fellow shoot em up fans to go check it out!
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:00 Stage 1
04:00 Stage 2
07:21 Stage 3
10:24 Stage 4
13:15 Stage 5
16:02 Stage 6
20:47 Ending")
![ESWAT: Cyber Police Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7EEkV6YtyXQ/hqdefault.jpg "ESWAT: Cyber Police Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Creative Materials
Publisher: U.S. Gold
Year of Release: 1991
Plot from Game Manual
Criminals are running amok, law and order no longer exists in Cyber City. Only ESWAT (Enhanced Special Weapons and Tactics), the elite division of the Cyberpolice, are capable of restoring peace.
First, youve got to prove yourself by facing the dangers of the streets as a regular SWAT cop. Survive your missions-impress your superiors-earn your stripes and then, if you are still brave enough, you just might enter
the ESWAT squad. Armed with a cybernetic exo-suit and equipped with the latest firepower weaponry, including duo laser-cannons, you will be guaranteed to make even the most hardened punk quiver in terror but ...
Theyll be waiting for you - armed to the teeth and ready to do battle to the end.
ESWAT - its your only chance to even the score!
Game Review & Impressions
I realised I hadnt experienced a truly crap arcade conversion for a while, so I thought Id change things up by taking the Amiga version of ESWAT for a spin. There was no question in my mind that this was going to be bad, and I wasnt wrong; its a rotting garbage fire of the highest order.
Starting with the graphics, theres been a vague attempt to recreate the sprites from the arcade. The legs and bodies of the enemies look somewhat like their coin-op counterparts, but something went very wrong from the neck upwards. Our beat cop hero has a pale, featureless mug with a pair of pixels for eyes and a straight line for a mouth, giving him a vacant and somewhat soulless expression, not unlike myself as I played through this nonsense.
Faring little better is the gameplay. The single button joystick control scheme severely hampers the experience, making it ridiculously awkward to aim upwards, jump, or navigate between higher and lower platforms. The collision detection is just a mess, and the developers made the whole thing next to impossible by limiting how much damage you can do to the end-of-level bosses within a given time window. As you can see from this particular run, I died due to a timeout on the final boss because the stupid game deliberately fails to register damage. As for the bosses, most of them are conspicuous by their absence; those from the on-foot sections are present, but later levels often end prematurely, so you never actually see the guy you were pursuing.
The final insult in this digital dog pile of a game is that it has no ending. You kill the final boss, and it takes you straight to the high score screen without any kind of recognition you beat the game. Even in the absence of a cutscene, most games at least had the decency to at least show some text congratulating you for beating the game, but ESWAT doesnt even have the decency to give you that.
In summary, the Amiga port of the Sega coin-op has no redeeming features whatsoever. It looks, plays and sounds terrible, and theres really no excuse for any of this because there are plenty of Amiga games which demonstrate the machines capabilities. Sadly, ESWAT clearly isnt one of them.
Chapters
TBC")
![Last Duel Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7MADb67HOpY/hqdefault.jpg "Last Duel Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Year of Release: 1988
Game Review & Impressions
Another game from Capcoms back catalogue I wasnt familiar with, Last Duel bears a striking similarity to LED Storm/Mad Gear. LED Storm underwent various revisions and prototypes before final release, and one of those revisions which was ultimately dropped was a version which included the players car being able to shoot bullets. That concept was eventually scrapped, but the fact Last Duel looks, feels and plays very much like a version of LED Store AND has shooting, whether this game was born out of those early prototypes?
Regardless, Last Duel is a straightforward arcade blast: blow up enemies; grab power-ups; make it to the end of the stage without dying. I love the visual style of artwork and colour palette, which is much more vibrant than other Capcom games of this period.
Chapters
TBC")
![Thrash Rally Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7RRsBRv8Xpw/hqdefault.jpg "Thrash Rally Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Alpha Denshi
Publisher: Alpha Denshi
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
Not much to say about this one, other than its a nifty top-down racer with some decent graphics.
Chapters
TBC")
![Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action Longplay (PC Engine CD) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7UXZW44LLQA/hqdefault.jpg "Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action Longplay (PC Engine CD) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: naxat soft
Publisher: naxat soft
Year of Release: 1994
Game Review & Impressions
When you look at the library of titles for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx, the beat em up is certain an underrepresented genre. Platform games and, in particular, shoot em ups are ten-a-penny for the console, but fighters? Not so much. Kaze Kiri is one of the few brawlers Ive played on the system, and even this was released exclusively in Japan for the PC Engine CD expansion unit, limiting its release even further.
The games plot, as depicted during the opening cutscene, involves saving Princess Shizuhime from the clutches of Lord Hiei. Kaze, the titular hero of the piece, is despatched to rescue said princess, and must call on all this ninjitsu skills if he is to succeed. Each stage involves beating a set number of opponents, visualised through the health bar to the top right of the screen. Once the bar is empty, travelling to the far left or right of the stage will trigger the boss, whom you must defeat to proceed to the next area. The bosses typically have a specific weakness which youll need to discover and exploit, although I found them to be relatively simple in most cases, at least when compared to other games which use a similar mechanic; only in the latter stages does the game throw bosses at you that require a more considered approach.
What is most impressive is how the developers managed to cram so many different moves into a control scheme with just two buttons and a directional pad. It wont take long before youre chaining sword swipes, back flips and dash attacks into a dance of death that looks and feels just incredibly satisfying. It also helps considerably that your health recharges gradually, and that front and reverse flips make you invulnerable for the duration of the animation. Seldom do games afford the player such niceties, but Kaze Kiri is an exception; it enriches the experience considerably.
Despite being a tad repetitive, I had a great time with Kaze Kiri. Presentation is to a high standard, featuring some great graphics and animation, and the fighting is very satisfying. Playing the game on normal difficulty is preferable to hard mode (shown here), since enemies are fewer in number and block less often, which streamlines the experience. Overall, this is a fun game and definitely a highlight in the PC Engines limited selection of beat em ups.
Chapters
0:00:00 Introduction
0:04:41 Stage 1
0:08:29 Stage 2
0:16:24 Stage 3
0:21:59 Stage 4
0:27:02 Stage 5
0:31:24 Stage 6
0:37:48 Stage 7
0:41:30 Stage 8
0:45:34 Stage 9
0:54:17 Stage 10
0:58:09 Stage 11
1:02:46 Stage 12
1:04:05 Final confrontation
1:08:44 Good Ending
1:12:20 Bad Ending")
![Blazer Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7W3m1vh06Ws/hqdefault.jpg "Blazer Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Year of Release: 1987
Game Review & Impressions
Dipping into Namcos back catalogue, Blazer stands out for both its not-quite isometric perspective, and decision to put the player in the hotseat of a tank. Each of the games levels feature winding paths through crumbling ruins, shadowy pine forests and belching chemical plants, each festooned with enemy vehicles, gun emplacements, not to mention the omnipresent threat of bombardment from planes in the sky above.
The players tank has a limited amount of fuel, displayed bottom centre, which drains at a steady pace. Jerry cans of fuel can be found inside boxes secreted around the levels and, rarely, from aircraft you manage to shoot down with your ground-to-air missiles.
Located at key intersections are factories where you can upgrade your vehicle. The T2 tank has the ability to shoot in four directions at once, while the T3, a massive howitzer on tank tracks that can demolish opponents with relative ease, plus traverse sandy area with no penalty to movement. Both the T2 and T3 forgo the ability to destroy aircraft, so bear that in mind when making your selection.
Each level culminates with you leaving your tank in favour of a chopper, taking to the skies as you move to the next area. Youll need to shoot down enemy forces and bombard ground forces to rack up points, avoiding flak and shells along the way.
The first couple of levels of the game are really quite fun, and I was enjoying Blazer up until the mid-game where it became apparent the game was intent on screwing me over. Fuel pickups become ridiculously scarce, which means it becomes near impossible to progress without losing at least one life due to fuel running out. Despite multiple routes through each of the levels, these all suffer the same problem, which makes for a pretty unedifying experience.
If you do manage to make it to the final stage, theres an equally unpleasant discovery in store. Passage to the final objective is blocked by a sea mine you need to destroy, but achieving this is next to impossible. The game takes over the directional controls just prior to this point, so the only way to get past this point is to make sure youre situated in precisely the right spot and to fire your weapons so the projectiles are reaching the top of the screen before the mine appears. This is the only way to do enough damage and blow the stupid thing up before before slamming into it. It took me several goes to get this right, and even then it was down to the wire.
I find this kind of gatekeeping particularly egregious because its such a massive middle-finger to the player. It doesnt matter how good you are, the game is going to fleece you. This spoils what is, otherwise, a fun arcade game - a real shame.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:50 Stage 1
03:02 Stage 2
09:25 Stage 3
15:00 Stage 4
#retrogaming #longplay #arcade")
![Double Hawk Longplay (Sega Master System) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7gM3ZselHKA/hqdefault.jpg "Double Hawk Longplay (Sega Master System) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Opera House
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1990
Game Review & Impressions
Despite looking pretty decent in still images, Double Hawk turned out to be a massive disappointment. Its a REALLY basic clone of Cabal, lacking any form of destructible scenery, variety of enemies, or anything in the way of fun. The graphics are OK, but its clear very little and time and effort was spent on this.
I guess its cool from a historic perspective, but Id have been really cheesed if Id paid money for this back in the day.
Chapters
TBC")
![Captain Novolin Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7qlVuhQ8FRo/hqdefault.jpg "Captain Novolin Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Sculptured Software
Publisher: raya Systems
Year of Release: 1992
Game Review & Impressions
Aliens disguised as sugary foods have captured the mayor of Pineville, and its up to Captain Novolin to rescue him! Leaping maniac donuts and dodging ice cream blobs, Captain Novolin must save Mayor Gooden while managing his diabetes with a good diet, insulin, and exercise. Its an action-packed adventure that teaches you about diabetes management!
Or at least thats how the blurb on the back of the box describes this really weird entry in the back-catalogue of Super NES games. Captain Novolin is an edutainment product, designed as an informational resource to help youngsters with diabetes manage their condition. Its very much centred on the importance on maintaining a healthy diet, insulin management and other diabetes-related information, wrapped up in a basic side-scrolling game. It stars Captain Novolin Crusader for Juvenile Diabetes , who must keep a close on his blood sugar levels whilst saving the mayor of Pineville from a bunch of aliens masquerading as sugary junk food. Novolin is actually the brand name for insulin, produced by Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, so Im guessing some form of sponsorship and cash changed hands as part of the development.
A number of sites and articles take a fairly snarky attitude to the game: while Superman can shoot lasers from his eyes and the Phantom has the power of 10 tigers, Captain Novolin has no discernible powers, only diabetes. The fact the first words out of Novolins mouth to practically everyone he meets in the game is I have diabetes also comes across as rather ridiculous, but to give the game credit, it actually does a good job at highlighting key points about living with and managing diabetes. Managing sugar intake, avoiding hypo and hyperglycaemic attacks, testing your sugar levels, the game covers it all. Im sure experts in the medical field can find all manner of issues, and its value as an actual game is questionable, especially when considering the cost of your typical cartridge-based SNES game, but at a time when games were cosying up to Chupa Chups and McDonalds, I cant help but admire Captain Novolins intent, even if it is a bit naff.
Chapters
TBC")
![Martial Champion Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7vwbtoVItvA/hqdefault.jpg "Martial Champion Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
Despite creating some killer arcade games throughout the 1980s and 90s, this clone of Street Fighter II is an uncharacteristic blemish on Konamis otherwise exemplary coin-op record. Martial Champion might look OK, and it features a decent soundtrack, but the uninspired roster of characters and limited set of moves and specials means the game is nowhere near as fun as Capcoms seminal classic.
Chapters
TBC")
