Kirk Foiden
James Tiberius,
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2002
- Posts
- 3,267
Well, not particularly being too selective on getting these classic game packs (given their prices keep them attractive), I've been getting just about all of them.
Anyway, I also nabbed the Tecmo's Arcade Classics pack and found it better than some sites had let on. I still agree that they should sell it $10 cheaper, which I believe most will want to pay for a collection.
In a collection, I always expect few games I remember well and enjoyed immensely, in the day (like Rygar, Tecmo Bowl multiplayer, Bombjack); a couple of games I had a strong feeling would be *new* classics to me(like Solomon's Key). (Games I missed out on, but would probably become a sleeper classic, for me.)
It's not uncommon. In Midway Arcade Treasures 1 and 2, quite a few people discovered Tapper for the first time, and became majorly addicted to it. Vindicators was a game that gripped me for a while (barring that you truly need the arcade controllers for the best feel. The consoles just don't do the game the full justice it deserves). APB caught me off guard, because I actually started to learn how to play it. Once you adjust to the way the game wants you to handle the car, things kind of *click* and the addiction sets in. And this is to just name a couple.
What I don't expect, is games I never heard of, with no expectations on, taking some of the gameplay crown from the rest of the collection.
Some of the games in here caught me off guard, most notably the shooters.
Pleids was the spiritual sequal to Pheonix that I never heard about. And I played quite a bit of Pheonix, back in the day. I'm always a stickler for shooters that actually play like multiple shooters before you go to the next Level. Kind of like Gorf, or more like games like I-Robot or Major Havoc, it feels like they add a bit of variety of game styles before it repeats with a harder and more aggressive group of enemies or layout designs. I'm always a stickler for these games, and their strange but cohesive mix of style changes seem to keep the gameplay fresh more than many of the other arcade games of their time.
Starforce is another surprise hit considering I really didn't expect much from it. In a way, it looks like it's trying to be Namco's top-down scrolling Xevious game, but in some ways, it plays better. What makes it work is its absolutely great speed and tight controls. It moves smooth as silk. It's not much for gun upgrades, at all, but makes up for it by giving your ship some great play-action from the start. You don't wait to get a ship you want to control, you control that from the get go. The main powerup speeds up your shots, making it easier for you to clear waves of enemies, plus there's some icons that you reveal that have something to do with end-level bonuses. However, if there's one thing Xevious may one up this game with, is the boss fights. Starforce seems to be lacking, in that area; and thus while better than expected, not a total classic. If anything, it makes you wish the Xevious ship could move and shoot with the same kind of authority.
The star of the shooters, thus my topic, is Strato Fighter. A game that somehow I've never heard of, nor walked into a single arcade that had this game. This is one of those games that one simply can't believe happened in 1991. Now the 16-bit consoles were getting some decent shooters, at the time. Some of them are classics to this day. But when you come across a shooter that goes well above and beyond them, is a real rare treat. Not only does it include much of the highly touted features that even today's more recently-released side-scrolling shooters have, it does so in a way as if these features are expected, and the norm. (Keep in mind, this game is from 1991, people)
- You want multiple layered weapon powerups? Check.
- You want options or guard fighters to patrol your craft (movement influenced by player movements)? Check.
- (going back to 16-bit) You want cool backgrounds, caverns to fly through, and some interesting 2D motion and effects? Check.
- You want Speed and shield powerups? Check.
- You want some challenging but fair attacks and bullet patterns? Check.
- You want 2-player simultaneous Co-op action? Check.
If you notice, the majority of these options above Strato Fighter has, are features people often look for in even the most modern of side-scrolling shooters. Normally the only thing past that is whatever gimmick the game uses to make it unique. Often it is a single gimmick, and for some it works better than others.
Strato Fighter's gimmick? It's a gimmick that seems so simple, but executed so well you have no idea why a whole line of shooters, after it, never copied it. A button to switch the direction your fighter was facing(either forward or backward). Even better yet, you have levels and Boss fights that completely work around this mechanic allowing players to use the full screen, facing forwards or backwards, dodging bullets, dodging vessels, all the while remaining on the offensive because you can finally shoot the other way with impunity. Not to mention, levels and bosses can attack in radial fashion without feeling like half the battle is done dodging with no way to attack. It's really freshing to see entire large things revolve around the screen, can come from anywhere, and you can do something about it. This game's simple premise really hit me harder than I thought. It helped that it also did the usual (modern side-scrolling) trappings well, as well. I do honestly think I want to conquer this one. Anyone for a little Strato Fighter high score challenge? Considering difficulty levels and such can be set, it would be interesting to do a challenge on one of the harder difficulty settings.
Of course, what blows my mind was how arcade operators missed out on this one. Maybe they knew that if they had the game, it would've been a possible threat to my study time, and avoided it. Of course, that excuse never stopped them from putting in Street Fighter 2 one year later, shortly followed by the likes of Samurai Shodown and Midway's forgotten classic (StrikeForce).
Anyway, I also nabbed the Tecmo's Arcade Classics pack and found it better than some sites had let on. I still agree that they should sell it $10 cheaper, which I believe most will want to pay for a collection.
In a collection, I always expect few games I remember well and enjoyed immensely, in the day (like Rygar, Tecmo Bowl multiplayer, Bombjack); a couple of games I had a strong feeling would be *new* classics to me(like Solomon's Key). (Games I missed out on, but would probably become a sleeper classic, for me.)
It's not uncommon. In Midway Arcade Treasures 1 and 2, quite a few people discovered Tapper for the first time, and became majorly addicted to it. Vindicators was a game that gripped me for a while (barring that you truly need the arcade controllers for the best feel. The consoles just don't do the game the full justice it deserves). APB caught me off guard, because I actually started to learn how to play it. Once you adjust to the way the game wants you to handle the car, things kind of *click* and the addiction sets in. And this is to just name a couple.
What I don't expect, is games I never heard of, with no expectations on, taking some of the gameplay crown from the rest of the collection.
Some of the games in here caught me off guard, most notably the shooters.
Pleids was the spiritual sequal to Pheonix that I never heard about. And I played quite a bit of Pheonix, back in the day. I'm always a stickler for shooters that actually play like multiple shooters before you go to the next Level. Kind of like Gorf, or more like games like I-Robot or Major Havoc, it feels like they add a bit of variety of game styles before it repeats with a harder and more aggressive group of enemies or layout designs. I'm always a stickler for these games, and their strange but cohesive mix of style changes seem to keep the gameplay fresh more than many of the other arcade games of their time.
Starforce is another surprise hit considering I really didn't expect much from it. In a way, it looks like it's trying to be Namco's top-down scrolling Xevious game, but in some ways, it plays better. What makes it work is its absolutely great speed and tight controls. It moves smooth as silk. It's not much for gun upgrades, at all, but makes up for it by giving your ship some great play-action from the start. You don't wait to get a ship you want to control, you control that from the get go. The main powerup speeds up your shots, making it easier for you to clear waves of enemies, plus there's some icons that you reveal that have something to do with end-level bonuses. However, if there's one thing Xevious may one up this game with, is the boss fights. Starforce seems to be lacking, in that area; and thus while better than expected, not a total classic. If anything, it makes you wish the Xevious ship could move and shoot with the same kind of authority.
The star of the shooters, thus my topic, is Strato Fighter. A game that somehow I've never heard of, nor walked into a single arcade that had this game. This is one of those games that one simply can't believe happened in 1991. Now the 16-bit consoles were getting some decent shooters, at the time. Some of them are classics to this day. But when you come across a shooter that goes well above and beyond them, is a real rare treat. Not only does it include much of the highly touted features that even today's more recently-released side-scrolling shooters have, it does so in a way as if these features are expected, and the norm. (Keep in mind, this game is from 1991, people)
- You want multiple layered weapon powerups? Check.
- You want options or guard fighters to patrol your craft (movement influenced by player movements)? Check.
- (going back to 16-bit) You want cool backgrounds, caverns to fly through, and some interesting 2D motion and effects? Check.
- You want Speed and shield powerups? Check.
- You want some challenging but fair attacks and bullet patterns? Check.
- You want 2-player simultaneous Co-op action? Check.
If you notice, the majority of these options above Strato Fighter has, are features people often look for in even the most modern of side-scrolling shooters. Normally the only thing past that is whatever gimmick the game uses to make it unique. Often it is a single gimmick, and for some it works better than others.
Strato Fighter's gimmick? It's a gimmick that seems so simple, but executed so well you have no idea why a whole line of shooters, after it, never copied it. A button to switch the direction your fighter was facing(either forward or backward). Even better yet, you have levels and Boss fights that completely work around this mechanic allowing players to use the full screen, facing forwards or backwards, dodging bullets, dodging vessels, all the while remaining on the offensive because you can finally shoot the other way with impunity. Not to mention, levels and bosses can attack in radial fashion without feeling like half the battle is done dodging with no way to attack. It's really freshing to see entire large things revolve around the screen, can come from anywhere, and you can do something about it. This game's simple premise really hit me harder than I thought. It helped that it also did the usual (modern side-scrolling) trappings well, as well. I do honestly think I want to conquer this one. Anyone for a little Strato Fighter high score challenge? Considering difficulty levels and such can be set, it would be interesting to do a challenge on one of the harder difficulty settings.
Of course, what blows my mind was how arcade operators missed out on this one. Maybe they knew that if they had the game, it would've been a possible threat to my study time, and avoided it. Of course, that excuse never stopped them from putting in Street Fighter 2 one year later, shortly followed by the likes of Samurai Shodown and Midway's forgotten classic (StrikeForce).
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