Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
AL82 Retrogaming Longplays
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The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
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![The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEVi4hF6rCg/mqdefault.jpg "The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]
The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]")
![Kamikaze Cabbie Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oGhQ00x-1nk/mqdefault.jpg "Kamikaze Cabbie Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1984
Game Review & Impressions
It could be simply circumstance, but Im sure a lot of you watching this video will be scratching your chins and making the same comparison I did when I first played this game. It might look very primitive by comparison, but you have to wonder whether Kamikaze Cabbie was in potential influence on Sega when it created its arcade classic, Crazy Taxi.
The parallels are obvious. You drive around the city in search of fares, then drive them to the designated destination before your available fuel - effectively a time limit - runs out. You earn bonus points by ramming other vehicles off the road, and generally keep on playing until you run out gas.
Unlike Crazy Taxi, which always had an arrow guiding you towards your destination, the same does not exist here. Not only must you learn the layout of the city and navigate by instinct, but the same applies to finding your potential customers. Much like a London cabbie must do The Knowledge, you to must build a mental map of the many intertwining streets, back alleys and off-road cut-throughs to deliver your fare to their destination in the shortest amount of time possible. Furthermore, you need to remember where the gas stations are located because youll need to frequent them often to top up on gasoline to keep you on the road.
Filling up at the pumps actually drains your score, so its far more economical to acquire fuel via a cheaper yet infinitely more dangerous method battering red fuel trucks until they explode. Hitting one of these beasts head on is pure folly, so youll need to shunt another vehicle into the truck to destroy it. Succeeding will award you a generous amount of gas, and can keep you in the game indefinitely if you master the technique.
Ultimately, Kamikaze Cabbie is a basic and somewhat limited game, but the open map would certainly have been a new concept for 1984. Progressing through the different stages and experiencing the city in different seasons and at night are a neat touch, even if it can confuse the heck out of you. Its a neat title, one thats worth checking out, especially if youre curious about what a progenitor to Crazy Taxi might look like.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:10 Stage 01
04:25 Stage 02
07:56 Stage 03
12:26 Stage 04
18:24 Stage 05
24:52 Game over")
![SkyRoads Longplay (PC DOS) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oHMMfdOceF4/mqdefault.jpg "SkyRoads Longplay (PC DOS) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Bluemoon Interactive
Publisher: Bluemoon Interactive
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
One of the earliest games I played when I got my first PC in 1994, SkyRoads is an arcade-style reactions/memory test in which players must guide their spacecraft along series of platforms, pads and tunnels suspended in the midst of deep space, attempting to reach the end of the course before either fuel or oxygen supplies run dry. Its an evolution of Bluemoons earlier game Kosmonaut, released in 1990, itself inspired by the likes of Trailblazer and Cosmic Causeway, released in the late 1980s.
The retail release of SkyRoads contains a total of 30 levels split across 10 different planets, considerably more than the Shareware release, and youll spend quite some time trying to master all of them. None of the levels are what Id call easy, but the difficulty increases substantially beyond the first couple of planets, with the game introducing new platform types, more elaborate level layouts, as well as requiring more stringent timing when it comes to jumping between platforms. The game also has a tendency to sucker-punch the player by placing walls inside of tunnels, which you wont know are there until you slam into them. Although you generally wont make the same mistake again, its a rather lame design choice, given how tough the game is to begin with.
SkyRoads isnt a triple-A mega game by any stretch of the imagination, but it captures the essence of what Shareware was truly about. Smaller developers could ship a slice of their game in a try-before-you-buy format, with the full release available via mail-order or BBS. Its one of the reasons why the PC gaming scene in the early 1990s was so exciting, and I suspect those of you watching may feel a pang of nostalgia for an era of gaming now forgotten.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:00 Red Heat - Road 1
02:25 Red Heat - Road 2
02:52 Red Heat - Road 3
03:12 Into the Sun - Road 1
03:39 Into the Sun - Road 2
04:09 Into the Sun - Road 3
04:27 Blue Planet - Road 1
04:47 Blue Planet - Road 2
05:13 Blue Planet - Road 3
05:36 Satellite - Road 1
05:58 Satellite - Road 2
06:42 Satellite - Road 3
07:19 Misty - Road 1
07:48 Misty - Road 2
08:37 Misty - Road 3
09:21 Asteroid Belt - Road 1
09:53 Asteroid Belt - Road 2
10:29 Asteroid Belt - Road 3
11:09 Crab Nebula - Road 1
11:47 Crab Nebula - Road 2
12:32 Crab Nebula - Road 3
13:04 Over the Base - Road 1
13:41 Over the Base - Road 2
14:28 Over the Base - Road 3
14:53 The Earth - Road 1
15:29 The Earth - Road 2
16:09 The Earth - Road 3
16:51 Druidia - Road 1
17:49 Druidia - Road 2
18:30 Druidia - Road 3")
![Die Hard Longplay (PC Engine) [QHD] [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oHq8QKhdgqM/mqdefault.jpg "Die Hard Longplay (PC Engine) [QHD] [English]
Game Info
Developer: Pack-In-Video
Publisher: Nihon Bussan
Year of Release:
Game Review & Impressions
Based on the 1988 movie, the PC Engine adaptation is most definitely not going to elicit and whoops of Yippy-Ki-Yay. Its a terribly boring and rote shooter in which the player, in the guise of a sprite which looks very little like John McClane, wanders around bland and featureless levels shooting equally bland and featureless bad guys. It loosely follows the plot of the film, with McClane ascending the various floors of Nakatomi Plaza, but its so generic that the devs could have slapped any label they liked on it.
Safe to say, I wasnt very impressed with this, and would much rather watch the movie than play this any day of the week.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:06 Stage 1
05:00 Stage 2
08:01 Stage 3
13:11 Stage 4
16:44 Stage 5
20:32 Stage 6
24:09 Stage 7
27:36 Stage 8
29:41 Stage 9
33:04 Stage 10")
![Jail Break Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/okDyNG5DFZw/mqdefault.jpg "Jail Break Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Year of Release: 1986
Game Review & Impressions
Delving back into the archives of Konamis coin-op classics, Jail Break is classic run-and-gun territory,. Players assume the role of a police officer tasked with unedifying prospect of rounding up and bringing a bunch of escaped convicts to justice. As the title suggests, the bad guys have busted out of jail and are wreaking havoc across the city.
Judging by the amount of military-grade hardware this cop has access to, non-lethal clearly isnt something this guys precinct is familiar with. Justice is meted out by the smoking end of a gun or bazooka and youll need to keep the lead flying to keep the perps under control. Innocent bystanders crop up from time to time, and these arent merely collateral; they need to be rescued, and youre awarded bonus points for doing so, although it is worth noting theyre not impervious to your bullets, so you need to be especially careful. This is especially true of the last level, where you return to the jail to quell the continuing riot within its walls, discovering the warden has been strapped into a chair, wrapped up with explosives - taking out the rush of thugs without hitting your boss makes for some particularly sweaty-palm moments.
The graphics and audio for Jail Break are pretty good. The sprite design is very similar to that of Green Beret, but theres a surprising attention to detail, despite the small size of the characters. Theres also synthesised speech and digitised samples used throughout, which would have been really cool for the time of release. Therere even a couple of easter eggs to discover, such as the weird Batman dude you find when breaking open certain barrels, or the scantily-clad lady hostage who pops up at the windows of certain buildings to show her gratitude for being rescued from the bad guys.
Jail Break is undoubtedly a classic coin-muncher from this era of gaming, and its still good fun. Its tough, but the non-stop action is the main hook, and I reckon youll enjoy this if you decide to to give it a go.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:40 Stage 1
02:41 Stage 2
04:49 Stage 3
06:26 Stage 4
08:20 Stage 5
10:00 Ending
11:39 Bonus: Bad ending")
![Exzisus Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ouHzs6h3-Qk/mqdefault.jpg "Exzisus Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1987
Game Review & Impressions
Taitos back-catalogue of arcade games seemingly has no end, and for this video, I decided to take a look at what might be considered a lesser-known horizontal shooter.
Set across four stages of non-stop blasting action, Exzisus sees you skimming over the surfaces of planets in distant galaxies, pounding alien lifeforms and their overlords into space dust with an assortment of high-powered weaponry. The game has no ending and loops back to the beginning on completion, but with a new loop comes increased difficulty, making the game as serious test of endurance. It pulls absolutely no punches either, subjecting you to multiple waves of rapidly-moving enemies, meteor showers, not to mention end-of-level bosses that fill the screen with projectiles.
You start the game as a small dude in a space suit carrying a ray gun, and youll want to destroy some enemies and grab some much-needed power-up tokens as soon as possible. These tokens will give you extra weapons, but more importantly, transform your puny astronaut into a sleek and gleaming space fighter equipped with better weaponry, and whose profile is much more suited to slipping between enemy projectiles and avoiding danger. Subsequent upgrades include a go-faster fin, triple lasers, and vertically launched rockets. The token which grants your ship an outer barrier shield is particularly useful, because it will protect you from damage; this is significant because getting hit will cause you transform to a previous, weaker form. This can make certain boss fights even tougher than they already are, so you cant afford to lose concentration.
Im not sure how well-known Exzisus is, but if youve never played it before, I would recommend giving it a try. I was impressed with the overall presentation, which features some cool parallax effects between the background and foreground layers, and the way enemies burst forth from the planets crust in the background and fly off the screen, only to reappear as an attack wave, is really cool. Its certainly on the tougher end of the shooter spectrum, but if you dont mind a challenge, go check it out.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
01:05 Stage 01 - Loop 1
03:54 Stage 02 - Loop 1
06:31 Stage 03 - Loop 1
09:21 Stage 04 - Loop 1
12:45 Stage 01 - Loop 2
15:27 Stage 02 - Loop 2
18:20 Stage 03 - Loop 2
21:32 Stage 04 - Loop 2")
![BioMetal Longplay (SNES) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ouXTl78JwpM/mqdefault.jpg "BioMetal Longplay (SNES) [QHD]
BioMetal Longplay (SNES) [QHD]")
![Captain Silver Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pI7shOguBko/mqdefault.jpg "Captain Silver Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Year of Release: 1987
Game Review & Impressions
Its time to grab our cutlasses and swig some run, as we set off on the high seas in search of adventure and booty in Captain Silver. This piratical-themed side-scroller by Data East predates Ataris Skull and Crossbones by a couple of years, and is something of an oddity.
With a title like Captain Silver, I certainly wasnt expecting an opening level that involves killing a bunch of dapperly dressed werewolves, avoiding haunted pumpkins and facing off against cackling witches on broomsticks. The pinnacle of this absurdity has to be the Cheshire Cats and a brief showing by the Pied Piper of Hamlin! It would have made more sense if this stage had come later, perhaps as a location the player comes across in their travels, but its thematic incongruity makes this quite jarring.
Things return to more familiar territory once you finally reach the pirate ship itself, fighting scurvy sailors and salty seadogs on-deck and up in the rigging, cutting a swathe through many a foe. Defeating the ships captain unlocks the way to the mysterious island where fame and fortune await.
That is until you reach the final boss and discover that, much like Ghosts n Goblins, it sends you back to the beginning of the game to play through all the stages a second time on a harder difficulty. Captain Silver also contains similarities with Data Easts own Karnov, which would release the same year.
Mechanically, the game is reasonable enough. Enemies often leave behind letter tokens, and collecting the letters to spell out Captain Silver at the bottom of the screen rewards you with an extra life. Temporary power-ups like super jumps and invulnerability can be collected to improve your chances of success, or you can spend your score points at one of the shops found in each stage on improved weapons and other bonuses. The combat is hardly revolutionary, but its okay for a game of this type.
Being honest, Captain Silver is a forgettable experience. Its obviously drawn on the likes of Robert Luis Stevensons Treasure Island for inspiration, but theres not enough fighting of pirates or sailors in it for one thing. What is curious about the game - which could be pure coincidence - is how much the artwork of the town, main character and final boss reminded me of The Secret of Monkey Island. That aside, the game is just a tad bland.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:48 Stage 1 - Loop 1
05:45 Stage 2 - Loop 1
08:07 Stage 3 - Loop 1
15:24 Stage 1 - Loop 2
19:40 Stage 2 - Loop 2
21:40 Stage 3 - Loop 2")
![Dark Edge Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pRiLY1NWzOA/mqdefault.jpg "Dark Edge Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
Certainly one of the more obscure Sega Super Scaler games, Dark Edge used the sprite scaling technology in an attempt to create a pseudo 3D fighting game with X, Y and Z axes, allowing players to move in and out of the screen, as well as circle around behind each other. It features the typical fighting moves and mechanics of traditional 2D fighters, just with the extra dimension added.
Although the 3D effect is actually pretty convincing, the fact Sega brought Virtua Fighter to market the very same year, Dark Edge feels somewhat redundant. With no release beyond the arcade, it has little significance, other than being a curio in a genre that was about to be turned on its head by the likes of Tekken and Virtua Fighter.
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:10 Character select
00:25 Gameplay
09:57 Final Boss
10:50 Ending")
![Hang-On Longplay (Sega Master System) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pSGEd0BJmw0/mqdefault.jpg "Hang-On Longplay (Sega Master System) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1988
Game Review & Impressions
In fairness, this conversion of Segas first super scaler game to the Master System hardware isnt a bad effort. The original arcade games graphics were relatively minimalistic to begin with, impressing viewers with its raw speed and sprite scaling, rather than fidelity. Sega produced an 8-bit conversion which whizzes along at a fair lick, which captures the essence of the original.
My chief gripe is the lack of grip your bike has. You have to break for practically every corner and bend the game throws at you, which breaks the pace somewhat. Trying to maintain a consistent speed in the bends using a D-pad isnt easy, to say the least.
Overall, this is a passable conversion, albeit awkward to control and devoid of long-term appeal.
Chapters
00:00 Course 1
04:58 Course 2
09:39 Course 3
14:22 Course 4
19:39 Course 5
23:55 Course 6
28:42 Course 7
33:28 Course 8")
![Bionic Ninja Longplay (C64) [QHD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pabJQ26Ltrs/mqdefault.jpg "Bionic Ninja Longplay (C64) [QHD]
Game Info
Developer: Shock Developments
Publisher: Zeppelin Games
Year of Release: 1989
Game Review & Impressions
To say ninjas were popular in the 1980s is an understatement. The clandestine assassins had permeated every avenue of popular culture, with no less than 30 Ninja related games gracing the C64 games library alone.
One game bearing the ninja moniker which most definitely should have stuck to the shadows is Bionic Ninja, a budget game published by Zeppelin Games. Zeppelin had a solid reputation for publishing decent quality budget games at pocket money prices, but this represents an uncharacteristic misstep for the company.
The game itself was created by Rob Toone and Simon Phipps under the guise of Shock Developments. Although I have much respect for the pairs later work at Core Design, it would have been more apt if theyd have called themselves Shocking Developments, because Im afraid thats what Bionic Ninja is. Its a dull and uninspired clone of Shinobi thats clearly unfinished, or at least thats the only explanation I can think of for why theres no sound in the main game at all. The only audio at all is a bit of gurgly white noise on the main menu, but thats your lot.
So, the crux of the game itself is move the titular Bionic Ninja to the right and punch, kick, stab, or throw shurikens in the face of the enemies blocking your path. I found it preferable to navigate between upper and lower levels to avoid combat where possible because it was the least boring option available; not exactly a ringing endorsement for a game whose raison detre is destroying things.
The only redeeming feature this game has is the graphics which, I have to say, are really rather spiffing. Even the incongruous inclusion of the ever popular, not to mention copyright-infringing, representation of H.R. Geigers famous xenomorphs in the last couple of levels look really impressive. Simon Phipps definitely showcased his talent as an artist here, but its a tragic shame these visuals should have been lumbered with this cackhanded bore-fest masquerading as a game.
Despite being released in 1989, the game wasnt reviewed by Zzap!64 magazine until late 1992, where it showed up as part of Zeppelin Games Combat Pack 3 bundle. The fact Zzap awarded this poop 82% doesnt say much about the mags journalistic integrity, and does much to explain its waning popularity. Bionic Ninja should never have been released, and anyone who paid actual cash for this would have been sorely disappointed.
Chapters
00:00 Intro & credits
03:43 Stage 1
06:54 Stage 2
10:15 Stage 3
15:31 Stage 4
10:15 Stage 5
24:29 Ending")
![Change Air Blade Longplay (Arcade) [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/piYG2yRGHXs/mqdefault.jpg "Change Air Blade Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
Developer: Sammy Corp.
Publisher: Sammy Corp.
Year of Release: 1999
Game Review & Impressions
Its not often you see genuine innovation in a genre such as this, but Change Air Blade has a refreshingly different take on things. Released exclusively in Japan, the game is a combination of boss rush and versus deathmatch, with one combatant located at the bottom of the screen and the other, the top. The objective of single player mode is to defeat all 8 of the different ships, in order to be crowned the victor.
The sole purpose of each round is to destroy your opponent by chewing through their armour bars, located in the top right of the screen. You also have a set of armour bars located top left, although Im not sure why. Whoever built your ship certainly cheaped out on the plating by using tissue paper, because you can only take a couple of hits before your toast. Your opponent sends waves of smaller craft to attack you, which drop bonus items and power-ups when killed, but will also dock periodically with much larger craft during the fight, bolstering their offensive and defensive capabilities.
In single player mode, the player always takes the place at the bottom of the screen. Your ship is equipped with a cannon, a shield, and the ability to activate any special weapons collected during play. Tapping the A button shoots a volley of cannon fire, whilst holding it down charges up a more powerful volley, although this slows down your overall movement when engaged. The shield is activated by pressing B, but can only be activated when sufficient charge is available. Collecting the B tokens dropped by enemies charges the shield and, when the gauge is full, will unleash a devastating explosion when activated.
The special weapon tokens are where things get interesting. The blue chevron token will spawn a pair of front-mounted mini-cannons when activated, while the green crosshair fires out a radar ping that unleashes a volley of micro-missiles against your opponent, provided theyre marked. These two power-ups are plentiful and readily dropped from the smaller swarm enemies you destroy, or dropped by your opponent when taking damage.
However, the third token is way more elusive. It looks like a pair of yellow arrows, and will swap you and your opponents positions when activated. Not only are your positions switched, but it also changes your weapons and abilities. I really wish this hadnt been quite to rare to find, because I really didnt get much time to check out the differences. The effect only lasts for the current round, and I suspect its main purpose is to screw with a human opponent in two-player versus mode, and is probably a more common occurrence.
Change Air Blade is a really cool concept, and a game that tries to bring something new to an exceptionally crowded genre. The visuals and sound effects are great, and the whole concept is just refreshingly different. I think it probably has more currency in multiplayer, where swapping positions is a major gamble that could turn the tides in your favour, or screw you over completely, but the single player is still entertaining enough to make this worth your time.
Information & Trivia
- Released exclusively in Japan
Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
02:02 Stage 1
02:58 Stage 2
04:04 Stage 3
05:40 Stage 4
07:06 Stage 5
08:41 Stage 6
10:35 Stage 7
12:20 Stage 8
14:03 Ending")
![The Last Blade Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD] @AL82RetrogamingLongplays](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEVi4hF6rCg/hqdefault.jpg)
