Retro Rumble: Round 11

[Leon Retro]

Captain Commando
Mercs
Smash TV
Super Off Road
The Punisher
Thunder Force 3

Six random retro games face off against each other to see which ones are the most popular.

Choose 3 that you like the most.

[QualityChimp]

Tougher one this week, Leon!
I'll have a think!

[wheelaa]

Mercs - this is what I was imagining when I used to play Commando. I still remember buying the MD version on import from Barkman Computers in Kingston (when it had a small corner on the otherwise mostly empty first floor above Woolies). Cash in pocket, excited at what I might find, Mercs demo / attract is playing on one of the TVs, 'there's a whole new mode' the chap says, sold! Got in a game or two of Golden Axe on the cab at the side, head home, melt in delight!

Smash TV - Big Money, Big Prizes, I Love It!

Punisher

[phillv85]

Mercs, Punisher and Smash TV as well.

I had Mercs as a kid on the MD and it's phenomenal. I bought the arcade board a few years back.
The Punisher I feel is a little overrated as people go insane over it, but it's still a great game
Smash TV is classic mayhem. I played a lot of the gimped MD version when I was younger and liked that, but when you can play it with a SNES controller or joystick it's even better.

[Team Andromeda]

Mercs - I love this game and this game was also my very 1st import game from Dream Machines and the wonderful Lee.

Super Off Road - Loved this in the Arcades with friends and the Amiga part was amazing.

Smash TV - If only for it showed how sprite handling could be done on the SNES

[Atticus]

Smash TV, Mercs and The Punisher for me.

Never played the Smash TV arcade and the game had been out ages on the SNES before I tried it but I loved when I finally did. The Running Man style TV show presentation was class and the game played great thanks to an inspired control set-up.

[CAPCOM]

Mercs - The arcade version was awesome and even on the Amiga they did an okay conversion, played it again on my retro handheld this summer actually all the way through.
Smash TV - Super NES conversion was brilliant with the pad replicating the twin sticks. Mutoid Man!
Super Off Road - Loved this game on the Amiga, was so competitive and infuriating in equal measure, with that just one more go feel. The arcade cab was great with three steering wheels and pedals if I recall.

[Leon Retro]

melt in delight!

Great story.

but when you can play it with a SNES controller or joystick it's even better.

I'll always love the SNES version the most.

from Dream Machines and the wonderful Lee.

You've mentioned him so many times on the board... that he now has legend status.

Super Off Road - Loved this in the Arcades with friends and the Amiga part was amazing.

The first time I played the game was on the SNES, and I thought it was excellent. It's such a gem.

The Amiga port is also really good.

the game had been out ages on the SNES before I tried it but I loved when I finally did. The Running Man style TV show presentation was class and the game played great thanks to an inspired control set-up.

Yeah, great concept, design and gameplay. A tough game, but it's always fun to go back to.

Super Off Road - Loved this game on the Amiga, was so competitive and infuriating in equal measure, with that just one more go feel.

Yeah, it has that 'one more go' quality that keeps you playing and coming back for more. The developer did a great job in all areas to make the game feel really polished.

[Team Andromeda]

You've mentioned him so many times on the board... that he now has legend status

I'll always have a lot of time for Lee. Top bloke a SEGA man and back in the day the best import shop going. I used to use Krazy consoles and more so ICE for my import needs, untill Colin did a runner and that's when I found Lee and Dream Machines 1

The first time I played the game was on the SNES

I never saw or played the SNES version, but the game was like in every Arcade in Barry Island and Porthcawl. Would always be playing that along with Konami Main Event wresting game in the Arcades with a group of mates. I didn't like the game enough to buy it on the consoles, but one of my mates did and got it for the Amiga and we used to think it was Arcade perfect back then LOL.

[DeathAdder]

Captain Commando. Played this late, on a PSP compilation, but love it.

Punisher. The arcade game is fantastic.

Smash TV. Brilliant cheesy fun.

Only played the Lynx version of Super Off Road, and it's crap. Haven't played the other two. So an easy choice for me.

[QualityChimp]

Smash TV is good fun and a nice approximation of The Running Man film, but it's definitely into coin-guzzler territory and there's only so many screens you can face before it feels rigged just to get your money.

Super Off-Road is good, but I think I prefer that top-down F1 game.
Ivan "Ironman" Stewart is 75 now.

I love the Punisher, but can't choose them all. I feel Cap pips him with variety.

So Captain Commando is my first choice. Such a great Capcom "Belt Action" game.
Each character was totally unique and felt fun to play. Ginzu is one of my favourite videogame ninjas, he look so badass and Babyhead is such a bonkers idea, but really memorable! Loved the daggers on the mummy slicing enemies in twain.
The levels and enemies are really varied from Cavemen to henchmen to electric sai women.


MERCS is a great arcade experience with big graphics and hidden bonuses.
Fair play to the Mega Drive version that went beyond the arcade mode to add an Original mode too, to add longevity to the home version.


Thunderforce 3 isn't the best blaster around, but the games mags of the time (C&VG or Mean Machines) reviewed it and made me try a genre I wouldn't normally have tried and I really enjoyed it. Graphically, it was amazing, with playing areas bigger than what was on-screen and some excellent examples of parallax scrolling.

[Leon Retro]

I'll always have a lot of time for Lee. Top bloke a SEGA man and back in the day the best import shop going. I used to use Krazy consoles and more so ICE for my import needs, untill Colin did a runner and that's when I found Lee and Dream Machines 1

I mostly used small import shops around London, because the bigger shops charged around £10 more. I just went in the bigger shops to browse and play the latest games, but they didn't get my money.

There was a guy who turned his living room into an import shop, so you'd enter his house and the front room would be full of consoles and monitors, with stacks of games etc... I bought my import SNES from him. The prices were much better than in import shops.

but one of my mates did and got it for the Amiga and we used to think it was Arcade perfect back then LOL.

I haven't played the Amiga version, but it looks OK. The SNES version felt really special back in the day.

Captain Commando. Played this late, on a PSP compilation, but love it.

I really like the wacky characters and over the top design. It's always fun to go back to.

Only played the Lynx version of Super Off Road, and it's crap. Haven't played the other two. So an easy choice for me.

I can't imagine it working well on a tiny screen.

Smash TV is good fun and a nice approximation of The Running Man film, but it's definitely into coin-guzzler territory and there's only so many screens you can face before it feels rigged just to get your money.

Yeah, that's an issue. They should have refined the design a bit for the home, so it doesn't feel like such a slogfest.

Babyhead is such a bonkers idea, but really memorable!

Such funny design.

That's Thunder Force IV. TF3 isn't quite so impressive. Just look at that parallax.

[CAPCOM]

Speaking of old retro shops my one of choice was Shekhana Consoles.

I might did out an old Super Play, Mean Machines or CVG and see what adverts they had to jog the memory.

I also recall one called Skill that became popular during the later end of the SNES lifespan for its depth of choice as they always had full page adverts and that became a favourite.

[Leon Retro]

Speaking of old retro shops my one of choice was Shekhana Consoles.

I used to visit the Tottenham Court Road shop now and then. A friend bought a US SNES from them.

I also recall one called Skill that became popular during the later end of the SNES lifespan for its depth of choice as they always had full page adverts and that became a favourite.

I think it was called 'Skill Academy'. I bought an import Dreamcast from the shop in Ealing Broadway.

There was also Raven Games in Beckhenham, but their prices were a bit too high. An import shop in Feltham called TORC had really attractive prices. Import 3DO games were under £40 in 1994, so that's where I got my games for the system, seeing they were over £50 in CEX.

[DeathAdder]

I can't imagine it working well on a tiny screen.

The visuals are fine, but the collisions and controls ruin it. Apparently it's fine on Game Gear.