(Retro) What have you been playing this week? Vol.2

[QualityChimp]

I keep wanting to build a PC arcade, but every time I do, I go around in circles, so I just fired up the XBox to play a few arcade games.
It was on S.A.R., so I started on that - I really like this game, proper tense gaming and a brilliant score. Any other fans on here? I never really hear anyone talking about it.

I was around "S" on the title list, so also played Sengoku 3, Sexy Parodius, Shadow Dancer and Spider-Man: The Arcade.
Maybe it was Asura talking about the Marvel Capcom games, but this scratched an itch.

It's a weird title because it's part side-scrolling beat 'em up and part platformer.
There's a bit early on where you reach a truck and start battling Scorpion, then the side of the truck drops, revealing a muscly guy in glass chamber.
Then black goo oozes over him and he jumps out - it's Venom!
After beating him up, he grows MASSIVE, then the camera pans out and it becomes a platformer.

Honestly, it's not the best at either genre, but there's no denying the artwork and character roster.

There are some lovely graphical touches like speech bubbles, splitscreen cutscenes like a comic, the bad guys fedoras getting punched off and the sprite scaling.

There's a lovely section where you're chasing Venom up a skyscraper and you finish by jumping onto a blimp.
As you work your way through the blimp, in massive writing, it says "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" and Kingpin is the boss.
You escape the exploding blimp and land on a flying platform where a one-armed scientist turns into The Lizard, then the Green Goblin attacks.
As you battle, you see the BIG BROTHER blimp crashing down.

Just lovely little graphical touches that made it feel BIG in the arcade.

[dataDave]

Perfect Dark PDHP (High performance) hack, using the new overclocked MiSTer core.

60FPS.
Pin-sharp visuals, thanks to toggling all the aliasing off at the system level, coupled with peerless video out to a PVM.
Steel bowl controllers.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Well, it does, there's also the PC source port with uncapped frame rates and resolution, but I need a controller adapter for that.

[CMcK]

I really need to try this N64 turbo core. Super smooth Sin and Punishment sounds like a real treat.

[QualityChimp]

I was away last week, so dug out the Miyoo Mini.

Played some Punisher, which is another glorious Capcom side-scroller.
It's pretty brutal too, with Frank straight up executing thugs.

It's an outrageous coin-guzzler, though.
Some of the bosses are ridiculous, particularly Guardroid and the tank/cyborg.
Those lanky robots are a-holes too.



Still it was great fun to play through and see all the Marvel characters.

EDIT: looks like there was a bonus level cut from the final game:

https://tcrf.net/The_Punisher_%28Arcade%29

[wakka]

I've been continuing to enjoy some pinball with VisualPinballX.

I got really quite into Williams' Congo from 1995 over the weekend. This is based on the film, which is based on the Crichton book. I'd read on Reddit that it's quite an approachable table for beginners, which I'm finding to be true. My shot accuracy is starting to creep up ever so slightly, which is satisfying.

At the moment when I'm playing tables I've set myself a little goal of hitting the score which awards a free go. Not that I've actually hit any yet. But it's something to aim for!

I am going to head out and play some real pins soon. I'd like to play a Congo, but the only one I can see on the Pinball Map (https://pinballmap.com/uk) is in Birmingham. A bit far for one pinball table!

However there are quite a few places closer to me with some pins. I'm particularly curious to try some of the newer tables as these aren't available for emulation, and fortunately there are two (including the seemingly much celebrated Godzilla from Stern) pretty close by to me.

[QualityChimp]

I've not been to Tilt for aaaages, but I really liked it.
Slightly cramped, but nice beer and coffee with some tables.

I think I'd prefer a token option as it ends up being quite pricey once you've had a coffee, cake and a couple of games.

I think I played Jurassic Park last time.

[QualityChimp]

Look at this, wakka!

[wakka]

That's so cool!

Yeah the price is the one thing that gives me pause with IRL pinball. When you're bad at playing (like me), your game can be incredibly short. And yeah I think it was Tilt that was listed on the Pinball Map as having a Congo.

Ideally I'd be able to go to Arcade Club and play unlimited games, but that's even further...I live in hope of a London Arcade Club. One day!