The Legendary Title? Nightmare in the Dark - What Makes it Special?

You have noticed the decline of prices in the homecart and MVS market lately, but aside from the usual titles, there is one that is always in demand although there is no hype surrounding it.

That game of course is Nightmare in the Dark, or NitD as some refer to it as...

This game is an underdog in the Neo Community, and it bothers me that not everyone knows about it or has played it.

The game is a lot like Zupapa and plays almost the same.

The graphics are very true to an Arcade feel and the controls make great use of the STD Stick Kidney Stick or CD Pad... very well balanced...

Currently, I hold the second highest score for this title in the world and it bothers me that I have no recognition for it... I even tried to get into a magazine but was denied because of some reason... (BBH, help me here)

I practiced this game for about 9 months straight before posting the score thats in my sig...

What are your high scores? Do you like/own this title? Why is there no hype surrounding the game?

TonK said:

You have noticed the decline of prices in the homecart and MVS market lately, but aside from the usual titles, there is one that is always in demand although there is no hype surrounding it.

That game of course is Nightmare in the Dark, or NitD as some refer to it as...

This game is an underdog in the Neo Community, and it bothers me that not everyone knows about it or has played it.

The game is a lot like Zupapa and plays almost the same.

The graphics are very true to an Arcade feel and the controls make great use of the STD Stick Kidney Stick or CD Pad... very well balanced...

Currently, I hold the second highest score for this title in the world and it bothers me that I have no recognition for it... I even tried to get into a magazine but was denied because of some reason... (BBH, help me here)

I practiced this game for about 9 months straight before posting the score thats in my sig...

What are your high scores? Do you like/own this title? Why is there no hype surrounding the game?

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I played this on MVS in a now defunct arcade. I never knew it was really special other than the fact that it was a new MVS title after what I assumed was the deminse of the Neo.

I've never played it so I can't comment on how well it plays or why it isn't recognised but I've always thought it looks wicked. I hope to get a conversion someday so until then...

Great game, with great visuals as well.

I was always a Snow Bros fan -- NitD is basically the same formula.

A good game, I would guess that it is as popular as it is in the general Neo because of the fact that it is so different than the norm on the Neo. It plays like a classic arcade era game more than a Neo game and I'm sure there are lots of people that like Neo that also like earlier arcade offerings, but they are less likely to give them as much attention as they might get with fans of Atari, Namco, Williams, etc. and NitD fits in with those games (in its game play at least) more than it does with most other Neo games.

I really think it's the price that is keeping many away. That's the reason it isn't at the top of my to get list. I really want to try it, but there are a few other big name titles with a similar price that I would rather get first. SSV Special or NitD? Most would probably go for NitD last. (It may be a stretch, I'm just trying to make a point.

It really IS a great game.

You should all get the roms.

Thats right, roms.

I am looking forward to my 'ARCADE' NitD being delivered next week...i have heard many mixed feelings over this title...and i feel i will like it, as im told it plays a lot like Snow Bros...& i owned that on PCB & loved the game...wish i still had that...yes i feel this chrimbo is a NitD fest of mass proportions!!....anyway my fingers are getting too sore playing all these beat-em-ups.....so i need something different to chill out to....i think this is just the ticket.
Btw...TonK...i respect that dedication for nine months practice!!..hell thats hardcore....& that score is something to be proud of for sure...i don't expect to get anywhere near it anytime soon.

Tonk, how do you like NiTD compared to Zupapa!? That's a bad question everyone asks in some form or another. I've played Zupapa a *slight* bit longer than NiTD (which I think means I played it twice compared to once). NiTD seemed "easy". Zupapa seemed to have a bit more thought involved in getting the highest combos. Were my initial impressions incorrect? Does NiTD have a hidden gem inside it that sepparates it from all the other similar games in the genre? The "clear the single screen" genre is a tough one to compete in - most all the games are so similar. I remember seeing a slight spark of uniqueness in Zupapa, but not so much in NiTD. Hope I'm wrong!

ForeverSublime said:

Tonk, how do you like NiTD compared to Zupapa!? That's a bad question everyone asks in some form or another. I've played Zupapa a *slight* bit longer than NiTD (which I think means I played it twice compared to once). NiTD seemed "easy". Zupapa seemed to have a bit more thought involved in getting the highest combos. Were my initial impressions incorrect? Does NiTD have a hidden gem inside it that sepparates it from all the other similar games in the genre? The "clear the single screen" genre is a tough one to compete in - most all the games are so similar. I remember seeing a slight spark of uniqueness in Zupapa, but not so much in NiTD. Hope I'm wrong!

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Good questions. I'm a huge fan of both Snow Bros. and Zupapa! and have always looked at Nightmare in the Dark as the next title to purchase but I definately think the price has been what's kept me away. It's definately high priority on my to buy list.

I have no idea about the price of NitD, but I like the art. Having the roms actually helped me see it was a good game, because when I played it in the arcade it looked like shit - now I realize that was the fault of the cab.

Prehistoric Isle 2 looked like shit in the arcade and at home though...

High price??? I have seen the game go for around 40$. Hell I got mine free -- all I had to pay was shipping due to 2 previous ebay auctions being bootlegs being sent when listed as "original w/new labels" (thanks yaton). Probably a bootleg, but I don't care. I love the game. Simple yet addictive with great graphics. Worth buying if you can find it.

Well, personally I enjoy Zupapa better because of the colorful appearance and the gameplay...

NitD is great in the graphics department and has a great gameplay element as well.

Both games allow 1 hit screen clears... in which a large gem will fall in NitD and a giant Zupapa will fall in, well, Zupapa...

Both games are available in MVS kit form and have an UNOFFICIAL AES release:

Below you will find my market analysis of the titles.

• Zupapa MVS Kit: $60 - $120
• Zupapa MVS Cart: $30 - $60
• Zupapa AES: (Snake Grunger makes a FINE AES conversion of this title complete with manual, contact him for more info) $80 - $400
• Nightmare in the Dark MVS Kit: $90 - $300
• Nightmare in the Dark MVS Cart: $80 - $180
• Nightmare in the Dark AES: $80 - $400 (I was very lucky and purchased a NitD AES for $80 3-4 years ago)

Now these prices are NOT what you should pay or expect to pay for these titles.

These are examples of prices that I have paid and have seen others pay over the years - and I personally wouldn't pay more than $400 for a perfect complete AES conversion of either title, but some folk might demand more out of their copy, or offer to make you a Plain Jane copy (Just a bare AES cart, no case or artwork) for much less.

Take these quotes with a grain of salt, but I have to say I have NOT seen the price lower or higher than what I posted.

therage.com

oh that was a treat for the eyes.

wasabi said:

therage.com

oh that was a treat for the eyes.

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Didn't they have KOF2000 for $179?

Still my fav neo game, music is fantastic.

TonK said:

Currently, I hold the second highest score for this title in the world and it bothers me that I have no recognition for it... I even tried to get into a magazine but was denied because of some reason... (BBH, help me here)

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?? to explain why your score wasn't in a magazine (I don't even remember which one?) or just to back you up in the rest of the thread?

It is kinda odd because pretty much NOBODY talks about NitD. I was pleasantly surprised when an arcade around here got it (although they don't have it any more, they put Metal Slug 5 or something in that cabinet), and played it quite a bit. It's a great game with a nifty spooky theme that does one of the old-school genres you never really see any more - the single-screen platformer. And I love the fact that it places so much emphasis on scoring, in an age when most people care about nothing other than "beating" a game.

I wouldn't say it's the best game in its genre, it is somewhat slow at times. And if you're going for a high score, you'll always feel like giving up after losing your first life since it takes so long to get all the multipliers and score power-ups again. And don't get me started on how annoying those bosses on 4-5 are... (Was it 4-5 or 3-5? I can't even remember now hahah). Overall I'd still say Zupapa is the better game because the action is a bit more faster-paced, plus it's fun getting the single-screen clears by causing one big explosion with all 4 Zupipi's, then throwing them onto another enemy before that explosion causes another, making a chain reaction that covers the screen.

As for why you get no recognition for that score TonK... it's because it's an obscure game that hardly anyone has played, much less for score. Most gamers of today don't appreciate the art of the high score, so when you get a fantastic score that you worked hard on and nobody seems to acknowledge how good it is, it's frustrating. <brag> I know this firsthand from having what's undoubtedly the highest score in the world on Shock Troopers. </brag> I spent so much time figuring out that game, pushing it as far as I can go with nobody else competing for the high score. Occasionally someone here wil play the game and express interest in the 1CC, and then realize how insane my 37 million is compared to the scores they get playing through the game... and I try to help people out too, I've explained the ins and outs of the scoring system, in the hopes that it will help other people improve their game. But they always seem to lose interest, and I have yet to find anyone else willing to take the game to the 30 million level (other than the Japanese guy who had the Gamest/Arcadia record). Maybe if you started a thread with some in-depth strategies such as the best way to group enemies for the single-screen clear, it would rekindle some interest in the game and get people playing for score again? (the people who actually have the game/play the romz, anyway)

so yeah, speaking as somebody who's been playing arcade games for around two decades and still appreciates the worth of the high score... I do have mad respect for your high score TonK and wish I could have seen how it was done. But I was mostly done with it once I got to the point where I could 1CC it... it's a good game and all, it just doesn't hold up as well for repeated playthroughs to me.

TonK said:

Currently, I hold the second highest score for this title in the world and it bothers me that I have no recognition for it... I even tried to get into a magazine but was denied because of some reason... (BBH, help me here)

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... Tonk, you crack me up.


Anyway, yeah, it's a fun game - good to take your mind off of things. I'd pick up a copy if I could snag one, but I'm not going to pay a mint for it.

BBH said:

Overall I'd still say Zupapa is the better game because the action is a bit more faster-paced, plus it's fun getting the single-screen clears by causing one big explosion with all 4 Zupipi's, then throwing them onto another enemy before that explosion causes another, making a chain reaction that covers the screen.

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Sorry to take the topic of Nightmare in the Dark, but..

You're saying you can score full screen clears by throwing 4 Zupipi's onto another enemy before the first 4 Zupipi explosion has finished?

I thought a full screen clear bonus was only available from clearing all enemies from one explosion.

If my initial question is true, then I have another urge to play this game.

BBH said:

As for why you get no recognition for that score TonK... it's because it's an obscure game that hardly anyone has played, much less for score. .

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quote...

this is a fulcrum of the discussion. NitD is not famous and appreciated, and for this, is diffcult find other good players in hi-score.

Is the same for shock troopers and aliens, I have see gamest magazine of that period (1990 for aliens and 1998 for shock troopers) and I read very little score for these games...

If little players play a game, hi-score result are not high usually

Pando said:

Sorry to take the topic of Nightmare in the Dark, but..

You're saying you can score full screen clears by throwing 4 Zupipi's onto another enemy before the first 4 Zupipi explosion has finished?

I thought a full screen clear bonus was only available from clearing all enemies from one explosion.

If my initial question is true, then I have another urge to play this game.

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yeah. note of course that this only counts if the initial explosion makes contact with another enemy pinned down by the Zupipi's. You can't touch the second pinned down enemy yourself while the first explosion is going on, or else you won't get the bonus.

BBH said:

yeah. note of course that this only counts if the initial explosion makes contact with another enemy pinned down by the Zupipi's. You can't touch the second pinned down enemy yourself while the first explosion is going on, or else you won't get the bonus.

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I can back BBH up on this, because I used this technique to get my 10 million...

Its very hard at first to do... but if you see all of the enemies in what looks to be close range, you can succccccessssssfully pull this off...

I wish there was a high score archive on this site!

Yo TonK, are there any videos of NitD (or Zupapa for that matter) that you're aware of? I was a huge Snow Bros fan and kept thinking about getting one of these for my MVS. I'd like to see both of these games in action. Also, the pictures on N-G.com in the NitD review don't make the game look at that great, but I realize those are low-res shots. Is the actual game more colorful than those images would suggest?

Yep, alot more colorful and good animations. A fun spooky themed game. I play it for at least a half hour a day...usually more. It does suck when you lose your first guy though. Could someone tell me exactly how the multipliers work. Haven't paid enough attention to that to figure it out. I try to go for the one shot clear for the big diamond drop to little diamond breakup (big diamond is only 10,000 points??? when it breaks to small diamonds + multipliers = >10,000 points).

Well after recieving this excellent title in a condition less than stated!! ...i really cannot stop playing Nitd...
A truly addictive gem...the score multiplier is cool & encourages the higher score chasing...until you lose your 1st life!..lev-3-5 Boss is repeatedly kicking my butt.
My high-score so far is only 4,165,600....so i still have a fare way to go for legendary status!!...heh he.