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Retro Arena: Gory Games

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    #16
    I like Smash TV best of those games. No contest at all.

    I wonder how successful Mortal Kombat would have been without the gore. Much less so, I suspect.

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      #17
      Originally posted by Atticus View Post
      Smash TV for me too, and another one who only played the SNES ver. Cracking game ... loads of fun and a great Running Man vibe.
      That wasn't an accident, the designers were heavily influenced by movies of the time, and the Smash TV host says "I'd buy that for a dollar!" from Robocop.

      As you play, you're told that if enough keys are collected, players can access a bonus level called the Pleasure Dome.
      However, the arcade game shipped without the Pleasure Dome bonus level implemented, although there was text mentioning it in the game. The design team had not been sure that players would actually get to the end of the game, but players did finish the game and after arcade operators informed Williams of player complaints of being unable to finish it, the company sent out a new revision that included the Pleasure Dome level — a single room filled with hundreds of girls for players to "collect".

      I track down a minor anomaly in a game from 20 years ago, and learn a valuable lesson about getting my hopes up.




      Originally posted by Atticus View Post
      Gore isn't normally a draw for me in gaming but Manhunt is one of the best games I've ever played. It wasn't remotely on my radar but a friend showed me it round his house, an early level in a closed down zoo iirc. The bit I played I got chased and hid in a shadow, first getting stalked and then doing the stalking myself, feeling like I was in The Warriors. I was sold after 15 mins. It's even more impressive that the game shifts focus throughout, offering up different gameplay experiences. And is there a better line in a game than (paraphrasing) 'a bigot is guarding the gate'
      Manhunt is amazing and I keep meaning to replay it on my BC PS3.
      Those first few levels are so tense! The gore is a bit superfluous, tbh, because the game itself is really engaging. I guess it's all part of it as the host pushes you on. It's also the game that captures that 80s vibe like The Warriors, as you say, or a John Carpenter film.

      PS2 is definitely retro, Leon! Hint, hint.

      Originally posted by Leon Retro View Post
      I don't remember it being a common game in arcades, but when I did see it, I always had a go on it. My best mate loved gory stuff, so would always mention Splatterhouse and how he wished he had a home version.

      I remember it having sad ending. But some people say it shows the protagonist is actually a bad guy.
      Weird, it seemed to be everywhere in my youth!

      The plot is weird, ranging from he's a psycho chasing his victim, to school kids going to the mansion for a school project to them hiding from a storm. The girlfriend is kidnapped and Jason Rick is fused with the "Terror Mask", or in some versions, the "Hell Mask", a Mayan sacrificial artefact which is capable of sentient thought that looks like Jason Voorhees' hockey mask from Friday The 13th (Part III onwards, fact fans).

      When you rescue your girlfriend, she turns to a monster and Rick has to kill her and she returns to her normal self. Rick then goes on to fight the final boss. The sequel sees Jason Rick going back to the mansion to try and revive her. By part three they're getting married and getting a mansion of their own. Which gets invaded by monsters. Or something.

      Originally posted by Leon Retro View Post


      The arcade machine was really impressive, but it didn't get good home ports. Playing the game years later on MAME, I thought it's quite a fun game for a quick blast, but gets repetitive quite quickly. I'd definitely buy the proper NARC arcade cab if I had a mansion full of coin-ops.
      .
      NARC and Smash TV are excellent examples of an arcade experience.

      They have these big, brash cabs with bright lights and deafening speakers to lure you in. The gore and the graphics were also impressive for the time.
      Who wouldn't want to play Max Force and Hit Man a pair of twin-uzi toting Narcotics cops, blasting in on their heavily armed, bright red Porsche blaring loud rock music and blastin' drug dealers into smithereens with rocket launchers?!

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        #18
        Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post

        PS2 is definitely retro, Leon! Hint, hint.
        It's obviously an "old" machine, but still doesn't feel "retro" enough for me. I will probably start putting PS2 games in my Retro Arena threads in a few years. I still enjoy talking about 8 & 16-bit, with a bit of 32-bit thrown into the mix. When I start feeling a bit bored of talking about 80s & 90s gaming, I'll move on to post-2000 stuff. Probably when the PS2 is 20 years old.



        Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post


        NARC and Smash TV are excellent examples of an arcade experience.

        They have these big, brash cabs with bright lights and deafening speakers to lure you in. The gore and the graphics were also impressive for the time.
        Who wouldn't want to play Max Force and Hit Man a pair of twin-uzi toting Narcotics cops, blasting in on their heavily armed, bright red Porsche blaring loud rock music and blastin' drug dealers into smithereens with rocket launchers?!
        I remember when I first saw the NARC cab and being amazed at the loud boom box sort of speakers built into it. It was such an in-ya-face machine that compelled you to play the game. The actual game looked really good, and played well for its time. It really was crazy how over the top the gore and overall design was.
        Last edited by Leon Retro; 01-08-2018, 06:48.

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          #19
          Fair play! I'm loving the arcade stuff, so it's Kool and the Gang.

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