Kraut Buster New NGDEV - 2015

[TMOSteel]

A package from Germany just arrived at my house...

 

[Reclaimer]

A package from Germany just arrived at my house...

Ahhh shit.

Did you ever get a tracking number?

 

[TMOSteel]

No, looked for one in my order info but only the carrier was listed.

Off now to see what we've been waiting 4 years for, will post update afterwards.

If it helps anybody with logistics I'm in New York.

 

[massimiliano]

 

[wyo]

I don't think NGDev gives out tracking numbers.

 

[GadgetUK]

Anyone with standard mvs edition had a shipping email yet?

 

[Day_Man]

Mine is a standard MVS and it shipped.

 

[Almightyburner]

A new level of shit getting real.

 

[TMOSteel]

Apologies for the poor picture quality, was not planning on a photo shoot yesterday:



My brief take on the game:

Very enjoyable, very fun two player co-op game. Despite its Metal Slug homage for some reason it reminded me a lot of Cyber-Lip.

The soundtrack is fantastic in my opinion, definitely adds to the game. One of the songs has what sounds like someone whistling and it is definitely stuck in our heads.

Played through the game with my Son in about an hour. We played with both "T-mode" and "C-mode" as well as changing the difficulties from "medium" to "hardest".

When the game boots, holding Start loads the setup menu where you can change everything from game parameters to enabling cheat codes.

Even a setting for "nudity" but if there are any 24 bit ta-tas in there we didn't see any.

Graphics wise, I was hoping for things to be a little more polished. The graphics are good, but not quite Metal Slug quality.

Take note: I'm playing this on an LG 86" 4K TV on my OMEGA using the component out, connected to a RetroTINK-2X that upconverts to 480P. While games like Metal Slug look fantastic, no Neo Geo game was meant for 4K, including Kraut Buster. That, and despite what your significant other may tell you, size does matter: 86" is going to make any retro game look a little distorted, so keep that in mind.

I am in no way knocking the graphics, I just wanted to point this out.

Backgrounds are good but multi-level foreground/background scrolling could have used some more work. Some character animation on the animals seems static, like those old Marvel cartoons ("When Captain America throws his mighty shield" cartoons). Didn't really see much of a difference when you have a mask on other than it takes one hit instead of you dying. Yes, your grenades change but I'll have to put more time in to see what's what.

Overall I am satisfied and I think its a great achievement for the DEV.TEAM and Timm and his associates should be proud.

I would definitely like to see a sequel, and without giving too much away it has a very wink-wink type of MS ending that leaves the door open, but thats up to Timm and company if they plan on making a sequel.

 

[kitkit.com]

Thanks for the quick review! I am still waiting for mine. It's exciting to be able to play a new game on the Neo in 2019!

My brief take on the game:

Very enjoyable, very fun two player co-op game. Despite its Metal Slug homage for some reason it reminded me a lot of Cyber-Lip.

The soundtrack is fantastic in my opinion, definitely adds to the game. One of the songs has what sounds like someone whistling and it is definitely stuck in our heads.

Played through the game with my Son in about an hour. We played with both "T-mode" and "C-mode" as well as changing the difficulties from "medium" to "hardest".

When the game boots, holding Start loads the setup menu where you can change everything from game parameters to enabling cheat codes.

Even a setting for "nudity" but if there are any 24 bit ta-tas in there we didn't see any.

Graphics wise, I was hoping for things to be a little more polished. The graphics are good, but not quite Metal Slug quality.

Take note: I'm playing this on an LG 86" SUHD on my OMEGA using the component out, connected to a RetroTINK-2X that upconverts to 480P. That being said, games such as Metal Slug look amazing, so I can't really say its the TV that's making Kraut Buster look the way it does.

I am in no way knocking the graphics, I just wanted to point this out.

Backgrounds are good but multi-level foreground/background scrolling could have used some more work. Some character animation on the animals seems static, like those old Marvel cartoons ("When Captain America throws his mighty shield" cartoons). Didn't really see much of a difference when you have a mask on other than it takes one hit instead of you dying. Yes, your grenades change but I'll have to put more time in to see what's what.

Overall I am satisfied and I think its a great achievement for the DEV.TEAM and Timm and his associates should be proud.

I would definitely like to see a sequel, and without giving too much away it has a very wink-wink type of MS ending that leaves the door open, but thats up to Timm and company if they plan on making a sequel.

 

[Mr Morden]

Sounds good perhaps someone could post a play through?

 

[GadgetUK]

Sounds good perhaps someone could post a play through?

Yeah, dieing to see some game play! Surprised NGDEV haven't uploaded a "final trailer" or something.

 

[zouzzz]

Thanks TMOSteel for this little first review.

 

[Mr Morden]

Yeah, dieing to see some game play! Surprised NGDEV haven't uploaded a "final trailer" or something.

Yes I am would love to see this in action.

 

[theMot]

Backgrounds are good but multi-level foreground/background scrolling could have used some more work. Some character animation on the animals seems static, like those old Marvel cartoons ("When Captain America throws his mighty shield" cartoons). Didn't really see much of a difference when you have a mask on other than it takes one hit instead of you dying. Yes, your grenades change but I'll have to put more time in to see what's what.

I purchased both Gunlord and XYX and that was the feeling I was left with both of those too and it's why I don't buy their games anymore to be honest. The gameplay itself is fairly good, music was great overall presentation of the product as in the packaging is top notch but the lack of polish in the graphics really lets them down. It's almost like they try to do too much but their ambition gets ahead of their ability.

 

[Mr Morden]

I purchased both Gunlord and XYX and that was the feeling I was left with both of those too and it's why I don't buy their games anymore to be honest. The gameplay itself is fairly good, music was great overall presentation of the product as in the packaging is top notch but the lack of polish in the graphics really lets them down. It's almost like they try to do too much but their ambition gets ahead of their ability.

In fairness its a small indie team trying to compare them to Nazca Corporation is understandable but unrealistic.
Its a tribute to metal slug it was never going to be a rival to metal slugs quality.
They did the best they could and their earlier efforts look far better than most fan games.

 

[theMot]

In fairness its a small indie team trying to compare them to Nazca Corporation is understandable but unrealistic.
Its a tribute to metal slug it was never going to be a rival to metal slugs quality.
They did the best they could and their earlier efforts look far better than most fan games.

Disagree. You let them off the hook too easy. If you can’t make Metal slug, don’t try and make Metal slug.

There are many indie games out there that are very polished and made by small teams. Games made back in the 90’s didn’t have a cast of thousands working on them and they didn’t take over 4 years to make either. NGDEV have found a cosy niche here where people give them multi year interest free loans to push out mediocre games in pretty packaging for $500. What they produce wouldn’t survive anywhere else.

 

[oliverclaude]

Disagree. You let them off the hook too easy. If you can’t make Metal slug, don’t try and make Metal slug.

There are many indie games out there that are very polished and made by small teams. Games made back in the 90’s didn’t have a cast of thousands working on them and they didn’t take over 4 years to make either. NGDEV have found a cosy niche here where people give them multi year interest free loans to push out mediocre games in pretty packaging for $500. What they produce wouldn’t survive anywhere else.

Very on point. Manfred Trenz made Rendering Ranger as a one-man team and it's brilliant, polished and surpasses every expectation you could have about a 3,58 MHz console -- it's practically a Neo-Geo game that got lost and reappeared on the Super Famicom. The two men plus musician team behind The Misadventures of Flink are another example, sure, they had a major publisher behind them, but the game was still just Kloibhofer & Nieborg.

Skills over ambition, that's true, but it's also not the first game from the DEV's, so one could expect their skills to finally grow more and improve. Maybe they did, but apparently not into decisive directions. Well, we'll see, every new game needs time to be fully appreciated.

 

[Mr Morden]

Its a matter of perspective they are a relatively skilled group who did their best.
They are not as good as the savant who created rendering ranger but most programmers are not.
I see it like this we have a few indy teams who put out their best efforts for the neo geo.
We do not have a choice between them and high level professional teams and savants.
Its niche in the extreme to produce for neo geo aes and we have to accept the results are not going to be triple A.
I would likely buy the game if they did a second run.

 

[theMot]

Its a matter of perspective they are a relatively skilled group who did their best.
They are not as good as the savant who created rendering ranger but most programmers are not.
I see it like this we have a few indy teams who put out their best efforts for the neo geo.
We do not have a choice between them and high level professional teams and savants.
Its niche in the extreme to produce for neo geo aes and we have to accept the results are not going to be triple A.
I would likely buy the game if they did a second run.

If they had nothing to do with the Neo Geo and they just randomly released it on PSN or XBLA would you buy it? Would you really give a shit?

 

[Mr Morden]

If they had nothing to do with the Neo Geo and they just randomly released it on PSN or XBLA would you buy it? Would you really give a shit?

This is a fair question for 5.99 or 9.99 perhaps I would I like run and gun games.

 

[Hasuki-san]

If they had nothing to do with the Neo Geo and they just randomly released it on PSN or XBLA would you buy it? Would you really give a shit?

I thought about that while thinking of Legend of Success Joe, Gururin or Ninja Combat and how much money this games cost and still cost. Even original neogeo games were partially a piece of crap. I don´t think it has much to do something with XBLA or NeoGeo.

 

[Gaston]

Disagree. You let them off the hook too easy. If you can’t make Metal slug, don’t try and make Metal slug.

There are many indie games out there that are very polished and made by small teams. Games made back in the 90’s didn’t have a cast of thousands working on them and they didn’t take over 4 years to make either. NGDEV have found a cosy niche here where people give them multi year interest free loans to push out mediocre games in pretty packaging for $500. What they produce wouldn’t survive anywhere else.

Totally agree with this post yet I still bit the bullet on this game. Guess it's more of a curiousity thing to see what they can come up with on the ol' ng. But you're absolutely right, €500 is insane for a piece of mediocre software.

 

[Clear Paper]

Thanks for the pictures and quick review, TMOSteel!
Do let us know your further impressions of the game and if possible, some videos.

PMed you.

 

[DevilRedeemed]

I thought about that while thinking of Legend of Success Joe, Gururin or Ninja Combat and how much money this games cost and still cost. Even original neogeo games were partially a piece of crap. I don´t think it has much to do something with XBLA or NeoGeo.

That's not great logic. Those early Neo Geo games where also arcade games, litterally, and their higher price reflected this and what they cost to make. Good or not, these where arcade games you could access for the home. This not the case at all today