What Turbo game are you currently playing?

[o.pwuaioc]

SMS shooters played: Power Striker, Global Defense, Bomber Raid, and Thunder Blade.

Re: Dragon Spirit and Cyber Core, both are really just building off Xevious, which pioneered that 2-level mechanic.

I own and enjoy Cyber Core, but I don't play it often because going through several levels uninterrupted isn't too much of a challenge. It's a nice, relaxing shooter, though, when I'm a bit tipsy at night.

If you like Dragon Spirit but find it too hard, the NES one is much easier in comparison.

[reno5]

I've just completed Dungeon Explorer for the first time even if i had the games for years.

[grolt]

SMS shooters played: Power Striker, Global Defense, Bomber Raid, and Thunder Blade.

Re: Dragon Spirit and Cyber Core, both are really just building off Xevious, which pioneered that 2-level mechanic.

I own and enjoy Cyber Core, but I don't play it often because going through several levels uninterrupted isn't too much of a challenge. It's a nice, relaxing shooter, though, when I'm a bit tipsy at night.

If you like Dragon Spirit but find it too hard, the NES one is much easier in comparison.

Good choices for the SMS.  I actually really like the Thunder Blade port, it retains the entirety of each level and deals with the lack of scaling during the After Burner-esque scenes pretty capably. Astro Warrior and Blade Eagle 3-D never really get talked about and are probably my two favorite shooters for the system.  I mentioned them in the SMS thread in Console Chat, but Astro Warrior is only a few levels but plays really well with some addicting music, and Blade Eagle 3-D has a really cool use of the 3-D that has you switching between the foreground and background of levels to attack (similar to Xevious except when you switch to the background nothing in the foreground can hit you and vice versa).

[EmperorIng]

Dragon Spirit and Cyber Core feel similar because everyone and their mother ripped off Xevious back in the day, not least of all Namco themselves.

[lukester]

Finally beat Dragon's Curse. I never finished the master system version, but then I tried this one. Very good game, though grind heavy at times.

[grolt]

Finally beat Dragon's Curse. I never finished the master system version, but then I tried this one. Very good game, though grind heavy at times.

That's a game that just keeps getting better and better the longer it goes, how the complexity of the level design keeps revealing itself as you traverse the same worlds with each new form. I haven't yet played the TG game in full, but the SMS game is one of my all-time favorites. I don't remember all that much about any grinding.

[lukester]

Dragon Spirit and Cyber Core feel similar because everyone and their mother ripped off Xevious back in the day, not least of all Namco themselves.

Let's not forget Twinbee!

[grolt]

Fired up some Air Zonk last night.  Pretty fun game that managed to make the leap from platformer to shooter pretty admirably while still retaining the charm and upgrade mechanics of the Bonk games.  All the characters tend to be a little too big which simplifies the gameplay a little too much, but it is a fun feeling when you go all giant and just decimate bosses.  Having different "friends" come along with you is a nice touch that adds a kind of marquee cast to the game so it's not just the B/Zonk show.  I love how quick the opening cut scene is at explaining the Bonk to Zonk transition - dude got sunglasses BOOM he's flying and shit.

[esteban]

Fired up some Air Zonk last night.  Pretty fun game that managed to make the leap from platformer to shooter pretty admirably while still retaining the charm and upgrade mechanics of the Bonk games.  All the characters tend to be a little too big which simplifies the gameplay a little too much, but it is a fun feeling when you go all giant and just decimate bosses.  Having different "friends" come along with you is a nice touch that adds a kind of marquee cast to the game so it's not just the B/Zonk show.  I love how quick the opening cut scene is at explaining the Bonk to Zonk transition - dude got sunglasses BOOM he's flying and shit.

I concur on most points.

Best thing you mentioned = cinema scene.

Origin of Zonk: Sunglasses

I know it would never have happened, but I wish the origin of Zonk was SUNGLASSES + CIGARETTES = ZONK

[grolt]

Fired up some Air Zonk last night.  Pretty fun game that managed to make the leap from platformer to shooter pretty admirably while still retaining the charm and upgrade mechanics of the Bonk games.  All the characters tend to be a little too big which simplifies the gameplay a little too much, but it is a fun feeling when you go all giant and just decimate bosses.  Having different "friends" come along with you is a nice touch that adds a kind of marquee cast to the game so it's not just the B/Zonk show.  I love how quick the opening cut scene is at explaining the Bonk to Zonk transition - dude got sunglasses BOOM he's flying and shit.

I concur on most points.

Best thing you mentioned = cinema scene.

Origin of Zonk: Sunglasses

I know it would never have happened, but I wish the origin of Zonk was SUNGLASSES + CIGARETTES = ZONK

No guns in the B/Zonk series, just transvestites.

[EmperorIng]

1ALL'd/cleared Kyuukyoku Tiger. I wish this game didn't take so long to get challenging. At least I was able to teach Taito/Toaplan something about courage, at least according to the credits screen. Good game, though I think Raiden is better.

[Damon Plus]

Finally beat Dragon's Curse. I never finished the master system version, but then I tried this one. Very good game, though grind heavy at times.

Unless they changed the gameplay, WB III wasn't grindy at all.

[nopepper]

Yeah, remember playing the SMS as a kid, and it never struck me as grindy in any way, shape or form. Now Phantasy Star, yeah, that was grindy, but not this.

Admittedly, I have not played the Turbo version, and time was much more "plentiful" during my younger years, so relativity might be influencing my perspective here...

Also, was is up with the horrible captchas in this site?!?

[grolt]

Finished NEUTOPIA yesterday. It was an enjoyable game and a fun quest, if a bit derivative, short and simplistic compared to THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, GOLVELLIUS and GOLDEN AXE WARRIOR.  The graphics were beautiful though, and the music catchy.  I liked how different worlds were all rooted from the save hub, making backtracking, which is usually a major gripe in these kinds of games, a virtual non-factor.  Cute game though, and it begs repeating that Hudson really knows how to put the polish on their games when it comes to visuals and control.

My one gameplay gripe with this game: The boss on the 7th labyrinth.  The fact that there's no way to kill him once 1/3 of your hit points are gone (and your fire power becomes too weak to reach him) is incredibly frustrating.  That's bad game design to force a player to die with the majority of their life still left over.  The boss isn't THAT difficult, but it's still the principle of the matter - even with two vitality potions, you're only able to beat the boss with effectively 2/3rds of a life bar when every boss prior has allowed you two full bars.

No matter, though.  Had a lot of fun with this and now the next question is...how can I find Neutopia II at a reasonable price?

[johnnykonami]

Finished NEUTOPIA yesterday. It was an enjoyable game and a fun quest, if a bit derivative, short and simplistic compared to THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, GOLVELLIUS and GOLDEN AXE WARRIOR.  The graphics were beautiful though, and the music catchy.  I liked how different worlds were all rooted from the save hub, making backtracking, which is usually a major gripe in these kinds of games, a virtual non-factor.  Cute game though, and it begs repeating that Hudson really knows how to put the polish on their games when it comes to visuals and control.

My one gameplay gripe with this game: The boss on the 7th labyrinth.  The fact that there's no way to kill him once 1/3 of your hit points are gone (and your fire power becomes too weak to reach him) is incredibly frustrating.  That's bad game design to force a player to die with the majority of their life still left over.  The boss isn't THAT difficult, but it's still the principle of the matter - even with two vitality potions, you're only able to beat the boss with effectively 2/3rds of a life bar when every boss prior has allowed you two full bars.

No matter, though.  Had a lot of fun with this and now the next question is...how can I find Neutopia II at a reasonable price?

This was probably one of my most replayed games when I had it, and that ending screen brings back some memories.  I'd like to play through it again sometime right before I tackle Neutopia II which I haven't at all played to completion.  The last level (Sky, right?) I remember had some of my favorite music.  Good luck on picking up NII for a good price!