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

[Goemon]

Started the English translated version of Monster World IV on the MD. playing it on the Mega SG.

[Leon Retro]

Started the English translated version of Monster World IV on the MD. playing it on the Mega SG.

Nice graphics, really good music, and it's fun to play through. It should have got a Western release back in the day.

[Goemon]

Nice graphics, really good music, and it's fun to play through. It should have got a Western release back in the day.

I was just thinking this morning how cool it would be if they worked out a deal to get this on the MD mini.
I think the game is great from what I’ve played so far (just got to the boss of the 2nd area). Amazed that what is probably the best Wonderboy game from back in the day ISN’T available in the West.

[importaku]

Im all retro'd out, played so much at arcade club my hands and back hurt. both modern and old stuff the selection keeps getting more amazing. Listing stuff is boring when it comes to arcade club so you are getting it in pictoral form.

A bazillion vintage cabs


the modern floor



so many rhythm games and also 4 player modern bishi bashi. This was amazing fun, the green button now spins as it's using the same tech as musica. I swear the main mode lasts aaaages we were there for a long time. Crazy fun.

rhythm tengoku & toy march hiding in the distance.

My main goto when i go upstairs, a whole row of jubeat machines networked with the latest version.


Also finally got to try out the beatmania IIDX machine, it's fun but extremely hard to play in an arcade setting. The other games were drowning it out so i struggled to hear the tracks, but it is something i do want to get into at home.


Played the hell out of SDVX heavenly haven, finally gotten the hang of where i could start increasing the speed of the notes in standard mode. It's really fun to play in the arcade the sound track list is incredible.


Reflecbeat was fun too, i didn't expect to see it sat there but i could say the same with quite a few games like i had no idea theatre rhythm final fantasy got an arcade machine version.



And the machine i fell in love with, sometimes i click with a machine and i find i'm really good at it with not much effort put in. The machine was nostalgia, a piano game by konami oh god i love this one. By the end of the day i was already to the point i was doing 2 handed mode on hard and i can't even play the damn piano yet in arcade form i was a virtuoso lol. The sound track to it was amazing too, a wonderful game that seems to be overlooked in there as most people passed it by.

not be me though, my eamuse card was put to good use i now have 2 of the campaigns totally cleared and saved for when i next go back.

the keys light up, joy. And thats a touch screen too.

[Leon Retro]

And the machine i fell in love with, sometimes i click with a machine and i find i'm really good at it with not much effort put in. The machine was nostalgia, a piano game by konami oh god i love this one. By the end of the day i was already to the point i was doing 2 handed mode on hard and i can't even play the damn piano yet in arcade form i was a virtuoso lol. The sound track to it was amazing too, a wonderful game that seems to be overlooked in there as most people passed it by.

That's such a cool machine. As someone who enjoys playing around with a keyboard, I think I'd really like this. It's great how it made you feel like you're a virtuoso.

That arcade looks like an amazing place to visit.

[Leon Retro]

Today I played:

Nitro Ball - Such a nice looking game with loads of creativity to enjoy. It's a shame the 16-bit machines of the time probably couldn't have done it justice. It would have worked well on the Saturn.

Blue's Journey - It looks like a PC Engine game, so doesn't really take much advantage of the Neo Geo hardware, but it's such a charming game that's a joy to play through. I really like the colourful graphics and overall cutesy design. Such a gem within the Neo Geo catalogue.

[ZipZap]

Im all retro'd out, played so much at arcade club my hands and back hurt. both modern and old stuff the selection keeps getting more amazing.

I often notice new things, but both floors are so full now, I can never quite work out how they manage to fit anymore in! I was quite excited when they finally got Salamander. It's inspired me to go for a 1CC (my best is about 3/4 in to the final stage). They mentioned on Instagram that floor 3 is still coming at some point.

I'm about 20 mins drive away, so if I'm at a lose end on a Thursday or Friday evening, I'll often go down for a couple of hours. It never gets boring!

[samanosuke]

That's such a cool machine. As someone who enjoys playing around with a keyboard, I think I'd really like this. It's great how it made you feel like you're a virtuoso.

That arcade looks like an amazing place to visit.

I honestly don’t understand why you haven’t been yet?! Well worth travelling and booking a couple of nights in a hotel for.

[Super Grover]

This weekend I dusted down my PS2 and played Capcom Classics Collection vol. 1. Specifically, I wanted to play Super Ghouls and Ghosts, to show my son what ‘proper video games’ looked and played like. What I soon realised was how brutally hard the game is. As in, really, really hard! Struggled to get half way thru’ Level 2, much to the amusement of my son. In a fit of exasperation, we watched some twitch channel where some ‘pro’ did a speed run through it. It kinda put me off playing it straight after, as the practice to get very far in the game (or most games from this era I’m guessing), must be quite time consuming to say the least.

[Cepp]

Radio Free Nintendo are doing a retro active for Spirit Tracks so I decided to crack it open and give it a go. I'm on my way to the Fire Temple so I think I'm a good ways through it now.

Overall they seem to have done a decent job working around the stylus controls. Combat's a lot more simple as a result of having less control over your character but I've adjusted to it better than I expected.

Transporting people from station to station is quite fun but it really makes me want to play Densha de Go!

[Cepp]

I'm finishing up with Spirit Tracks and while the spirit tracks themselves are a cool concept, the gameplay isn't that great. Using the stylus with Link can be a little clumsy but workable; using it to draw lines and tell Zelda what to do feels tedious and unfun. The dungeons are designed around her and I just find them to be a chore as a result. I also found myself fighting with the camera when it came to using certain items like arrows as it snapped back and forth and messed up my aim. Using the magic wand to push boulders using sand would more often than not push them in the wrong direction as well.

I'm also playing Virtua Racing on Switch and getting my arse kicked. The first track is easy enough but I cannot get higher than 3rd on the second currently. I am improving though, 4th was my cut off yesterday.

Finally, I gave KOTOR a quick test on my recent media PC purchase and it runs perfectly maxed out with no graphical glitches! I'm hoping in the future someone fixes all of the glitches the game has with more modern hardware but for now at least I can play it again like I did at release.

[Goemon]

I finished Monster World IV, really enjoyed it.

Dabbling on a few things but actually find myself constantly returning to Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation.

Has anyone played it?

I hadn’t heard about it until I watched a Game Sack episode about 2D 32bit games. Anyway it’s cheap as chips to pick up and I’m finding it pretty addictive. Made by the guy who made Another World.
I think if it had come out when it was supposed to (1995) instead of when it did actually come out (1998) it would have made more of a impact, but I guess it wouldn’t have been anything like how ended up if it did come out in 95.

[Cepp]

I finished Monster World IV, really enjoyed it.

Dabbling on a few things but actually find myself constantly returning to Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation.

Has anyone played it?

I hadn’t heard about it until I watched a Game Sack episode about 2D 32bit games. Anyway it’s cheap as chips to pick up and I’m finding it pretty addictive. Made by the guy who made Another World.
I think if it had come out when it was supposed to (1995) instead of when it did actually come out (1998) it would have made more of a impact, but I guess it wouldn’t have been anything like how ended up if it did come out in 95.

I played it with a friend back in the day. From what I remember it was hard like most games in that genre but absolutely gorgeous. I don't think we ever got too far but what we played was great.

[Goemon]

Yea it’s tough for sure, you die a lot but you never seem to go more than a couple of screens back so progression isn’t too bad (so far).

The graphics are indeed great. It’s all pre-rendered backgrounds that have interactions on them, which is pretty cool. It feels very responsive too, which is great. I know some games of this type feel sluggish to respond.

[wakka]

I got that on PC near release and loved it but found it way too hard. I was only 8 years old and it was simply far too challenging. Great style and ideas though, the opening FMV was so cool and I was obsessed with Andy’s treehouse.