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NBA Jam Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
Game Info
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Developer: Midway
Publisher: Midway
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
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Throughout the 90s, Midway was on the up. The coin-op developer had achieved global fame (and a degree of infamy) with its blood-soaked beat 'em up, Mortal Kombat, but that wasn't their only major success during this period.
NBA Jam, a hyper-stylised take on 2-on-2 basketball proved to be an equally iconic release, perhaps more-so for the slew of home console conversions than the actual arcade game. I never got to see the arcade machine back then, let alone play it. I rented the Sega Genesis version at some point, and I still have the original cartridge for my Sega Game Gear; that version was really good fun too, as I recall.
Trying the arcade version for the first time, it's remarkable just how well the game holds up. The control scheme is extremely simple to pick up -- there's even a brief tutorial the first time you play -- and the digitised graphics, now a staple feature of Midway games of this era, still look cool, even with the player's oversized heads stitched somewhat incongruously atop their bodies. Crucially, the decision to license the major teams and key players from the NBA at time was a big deal; being able to play as your favourite team and dunk some hoops, complete with over-the-top commentary was a major selling point. The machine also keeps track of your wins and losses through when registering your initials, which would have added a genuine sense of competition if you found a cabinet at your local hang-out.
As for the game itself, it's a slick interpretation of basketball, albeit with the limit of two players per team. It features most of the rules of the real sport, including shot clock, goal tending, 3-pointers and more. Fouls are most definitely allowed here, however, which is just as well - shoving really is the key to victory here, and players are encouraged to be as unsporting as possible.
By default, the CPU takes charge of the second player on the team, taking care of movement around the court. When in possession of the ball, you can instruct the CPU to pass or shoot by tapping the appropriate button. All too often, sports games fall down due to incompetent AI, but giving the human player a degree of control over their teammate makes a big difference here.
There's really little negative to say about NBA Jam, other than it would have robbed you blind on the stock settings. Costing 8 credits to play through a whole match, you'd need deep pockets if you wanted to play every single team in the NBA, that's for sure.
Aside from the unscrupulous shakedown, NBA Jam remains an excellent arcade title, and great basketball game - BOOMSHAKALA!
Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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#nbajam #arcadegames #retrogaming
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzQmf1edPkY
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Developer: Midway
Publisher: Midway
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
Throughout the 90s, Midway was on the up. The coin-op developer had achieved global fame (and a degree of infamy) with its blood-soaked beat 'em up, Mortal Kombat, but that wasn't their only major success during this period.
NBA Jam, a hyper-stylised take on 2-on-2 basketball proved to be an equally iconic release, perhaps more-so for the slew of home console conversions than the actual arcade game. I never got to see the arcade machine back then, let alone play it. I rented the Sega Genesis version at some point, and I still have the original cartridge for my Sega Game Gear; that version was really good fun too, as I recall.
Trying the arcade version for the first time, it's remarkable just how well the game holds up. The control scheme is extremely simple to pick up -- there's even a brief tutorial the first time you play -- and the digitised graphics, now a staple feature of Midway games of this era, still look cool, even with the player's oversized heads stitched somewhat incongruously atop their bodies. Crucially, the decision to license the major teams and key players from the NBA at time was a big deal; being able to play as your favourite team and dunk some hoops, complete with over-the-top commentary was a major selling point. The machine also keeps track of your wins and losses through when registering your initials, which would have added a genuine sense of competition if you found a cabinet at your local hang-out.
As for the game itself, it's a slick interpretation of basketball, albeit with the limit of two players per team. It features most of the rules of the real sport, including shot clock, goal tending, 3-pointers and more. Fouls are most definitely allowed here, however, which is just as well - shoving really is the key to victory here, and players are encouraged to be as unsporting as possible.
By default, the CPU takes charge of the second player on the team, taking care of movement around the court. When in possession of the ball, you can instruct the CPU to pass or shoot by tapping the appropriate button. All too often, sports games fall down due to incompetent AI, but giving the human player a degree of control over their teammate makes a big difference here.
There's really little negative to say about NBA Jam, other than it would have robbed you blind on the stock settings. Costing 8 credits to play through a whole match, you'd need deep pockets if you wanted to play every single team in the NBA, that's for sure.
Aside from the unscrupulous shakedown, NBA Jam remains an excellent arcade title, and great basketball game - BOOMSHAKALA!
Information & Trivia
---------------------------------------------------
Video Notes
---------------------------------------------------
Related Longplays & Videos
---------------------------------------------------
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
#nbajam #arcadegames #retrogaming
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzQmf1edPkY
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VIDEO
DRAGO
dragon-saber-longplay-(arcade)-qhd
Game Info
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Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Year of Release: 1990
Game Review & Impressions
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When I played through Dragon Spirit recently, I had no idea there was actually a sequel. Intrigued, I set about recording a longplay of Dragon Saber, only to find it's -- unsurprisingly -- more of the same, only MUCH harder. The game retains the same air-to-air and air-to-ground combat mechanics of its predecessor, but the number of weapons available to the player is expanded, although my personal opinion is that at least half of these are useless and more likely to get you killed if you pick them up.
For some added context, the game typically introduces a new weapon with each additional stage you reach. Each weapon can be fired in rapid succession, but it can also be charged up for a special attack, which, in theory, can be used to deal with some of the tougher enemies you'll face. On the default difficulty setting the enemies soak up a lot of damage, which means the weapon power-ups which focus on versatility, such as the screen-wide lightning attack, simply can't destroy enemies quickly enough.
On the subject of default difficulty, the version I played seemed to give the player a single life in which to beat the game, which is just crazy. Other videos online show the player with two lives from the outset, so this can obviously be configured. The sheer number of enemies, the end-of-level bosses, player sprite hitbox, not to mention scenery and associated environmental hazards that will kill you instantly only serve as a real turn-off.
Dragon Saber looks really cool and has an excellent electronica soundtrack, and I really wanted to like it, but aside from some enhanced graphics, it's both too difficult and too similar to its predecessor to recommend.
Related Longplays & Videos
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Dragon Spirit Longplay (Arcade): https://youtu.be/8Lw-vn1yyJ4
Chapters
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TBC
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjQ_B_DOYUI
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VIDEO
WARRI
warrior-longplay-c64-qhd
Follow me on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Al82_Retro
Get Great Retro Scene News @ http://www.vintageisthenewold.com
Developed and released by Living Colours Software in 1990
Ostensibly a Hawkeye clone, the objective in each stage is to collect the floating spheres to build bridges in order to reach (and dispatch) the end-of-level guardian.
Various minions and monsters will try to hamper your efforts, although these can be defeated by hitting them with your spear.
Unfortunately, this has a limited amount of ammunition, and with no way to replenish ammo you definitely need to conserve spears for dealing with the boss. A sword and axe can be collected on each level, although I couldn't work out what these were for (I had no instructions).
To my knowledge the game was never released commercially, but online sources suggest it was released as part of the Feb 1994 edition of Golden Disk 64 disk mag.
Credits
Coding: Andrew Miller
Graphics: John Almasi
Music: Péter Varga, Markus Müller
#c64
#retrogaming
#walkthrough
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CidHU3v7MIw
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VIDEO
ROME
rome-ad-92-pathway-to-power-longplay
Developed by Firstlight and published by Millenium Interactive in 1992.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Al82_Retro
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Released in Europe as "Rome AD 92" and in the US as Rome: Pathway to Power", you assume the role of Hector, a blonde-haired Roman slave who, through a succession of events, rises above his station to eventually become emperor of the Roman Empire.
The game bares many similarities to "The Adventures of Robin Hood", which is no surprise considering it was produced by the same developers and uses the same game engine.
Rome AD 92 deviates from it's predecessor by being more story-driven and less free-form. On each of the game's levels there is a distinct objective to achieve and must be completed within a certain time limit.
Due to the time limit, the actions I take in the video are done with prior knowledge of the story and may need explaining to those who are not familiar with it, or have forgotten; I've provided a brief synopsis of the game story here:
Hector starts out in the small town of Herculaneum, tasked by his master to deliver a message to one of Rome's consuls. Things quickly take a turn for the worse as Vesuvius erupts, threatening to engulf the town in lava and ash; Hector must quickly find a way off the island.
Having secured his way out of Herculaneum, Hector arrives in Rome and discovers that the consul to whom he delivered the message, is up to no good and is plotting to kill the the emperor. Hector must find a way to gain access to the royal palace and warn the emperor.
For saving the emperor's life, he is given the title of centurion in the Roman army and is dispatched to Britannia in order to subdue the hostile Celts living there. Hector must order his men to storm the enemy village and capture their war-standard.
Having secured victory, Hector returns to Rome to a hero's welcome. Not content to rest on his laurels, Hector decides to stand in an election to replace the traitorous (and deceased) consul who threatened to kill the emperor. Hector must canvas the the citizens of Rome, improving his reputation whilst denouncing his opponents in order to secure votes and win the election.
Hector is then sent to Egypt on a mission to guard Queen Cleopatra from assassination at the hands of her brother, Ptolemy. Hector must defeat all of Ptolemy's men in order to save Cleopatra.
On Hector's return to Rome, he finds that the emperor has become increasingly paranoid about Hector's rise in popularity and gone mad. Hector decides that the only course of action is to assassinate the emperor, but must also eliminate the rival consul in order to secure his position as future emperor.
I think that what is so remarkable about the game is amount of life that has been infused
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn8Ng38e-gI
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Created
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VIDEO
OUTRU
outrun-longplay-arcade
Follow me on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Al82_Retro
Get Great Retro Scene News @ http://www.vintageisthenewold.com
Developed and published by Sega in 1986
Route A: 0:00
Route B: 6:25
Route C: 12:35
Route D: 18:52
Route E: 25:03
Does this game even need an introduction?
When I complete a longplay video, I always try and write up a review about my experience with the game: the good, bad and anything in between. All of this seems somewhat pointless when it comes to the original arcade version of OutRun because you all know it's fantastic and is one of the greatest driving games ever made.
That last sentence is more relevant than you might think. When marketing the game, Yu Suzuki described OutRun not as a racing game, but as a driving game instead. Having played the game, you start to understand what he meant by this.
OutRun is a point-to-point race across the continent against the clock. The game takes you on a road-trip across five different stages in order to reach the end goal. You initially have seventy-five seconds to reach the checkpoint at the end of the stage, at which point your remaining time will be extended by a set amount, allowing you to continue playing; fail to make the next checkpoint before your time runs out and it's game over.
Setting the game on public roads rather than a race track means that there's plenty of traffic to avoid. Colliding with another car will result in you losing control of your car, as well as losing precious seconds from the already tight time limit. Worse still, hitting a roadside obstacle will cause you to crash, hurling your car into the air and catapulting your driver and passenger out in the process...these people have obviously never heard of seatbelts!
The game is famous for being non-linear in that it allows the player to choose which route to take to the finish line. The road forks at the end of the stage, allowing the player to choose which route to take to the finish line, which adds replay value to the game. Some stages are more challenging than others thanks to narrower roads, or more road-side obstacles, so players are likely to have their own preferred route to the finish line.
The game features absolutely phenomenal graphics for the time and displays them at a flawless 60 Hz refresh rate. This was made possible thanks to Sega's second generation Super Scalar technology and powerful hardware (2 x Motorola 6800 CPUs clocked at 12.5 MHz each). The only problem is that none of the home conversions really came anywhere close to recreating the arcade experience at home, although the Mega Drive version is probably the best of these. It wasn't until a version arrived for the Sega Saturn that you could play a 100% accurate version of the arcade game in the comfort of your own home.
For once, th
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELUl-cAtUIE
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VIDEO
ROD L
rod-land-longplay-(zx-spectrum)-qhd
Game Info
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Developer: The Sales Curve
Publisher: Storm
Year of Release: 1991
Game Review & Impressions
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Despite the lack of colour, this is an excellent conversion of the arcade game.
Information & Trivia
---------------------------------------------------
Video Notes
---------------------------------------------------
Related Longplays & Videos
---------------------------------------------------
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTEVlRhkQrs
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VIDEO
OUTRU
outrun-longplay-pc-engine-60-fps
Developed by Sega and published by NEC Avenue in 1990.
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Continuing my series covering OutRun, this review focuses on a version that Sega developed for NEC's PC Engine console. Considering that the arcade version is always considered the "master" version, a review of any other version will always seem like a comparison and a case of managing expectations.
By 1990 Sega had already launched their own 16-bit console, although the conversion of OutRun wouldn't appear on the Mega Drvice until a year later in 1991. I've recorded a separate longplay video showcasing the MD version, so I won't say too much about that version here, but I would have thought that the first rule of trying to market your own hardware platform was to ensure that it had the best versions of any game possible. Now, this is only my personal opinion, but I think the Sega programmers actually did a better job in converting OutRun to the PC Engine than they did for their own console!
The PC Engine version of OutRun is surprisingly polished. The graphics and artwork resemble the original arcade graphics pretty closely and, in some cases, are actually an improvement! The traffic sprites are a good case in point: check the tyres and, while they're not animated, the treads are clearly defined here, whereas they're quite blocky in the original arcade release.
The routines handling the game's scrolling effects are well done and manage to convey the correct sense of speed, whilst also being consistent. Despite having an 8-bit CPU, the dual GPU setup of the PC Engine manages to pack enough punch to keep things moving along at pace.
The music in OutRun is just as memorable as the graphics and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the music in this version. I'm no expect on the PC Engine, but instrumentation and quality is generally excellent and is a good reproduction of the original score. The only sore point about the audio is the terrible effect used for the engine noise, which is little more than graduated pitch shift - I've heard early 8-bit racers have more convincing engine noises than this! Fortunately, you can switch the sound effects off and just play with the music.
Of course, no game is any good if the gameplay isn't up scratch. Fortunately, the PC Engine is great fun to play and captures the feeling of the arcade game remarkably well. The car handling, acceleration and cornering feel close to the original.
The game features all of the stages from the original game and includes the famous fork in the road at the end of each stage that allows the player to choose their own route to the finish line. One omission is the stage map, so you have to memorise the route map if you're try
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psLioBTTs84
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VIDEO
ALIEN
alien-storm-longplay-mega-drive-genesis
Developed and published by Sega in 1991.
Alien Storm is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed and published by Sega and bears more than a passing resemblance to their own arcade hit, Golden Axe.
Earth has been invaded by a hostile alien race and it's up to a special task force known as, "Alien Busters", to sort out the mess. The game is played out over eight separate missions that involve a number of different game modes.
Much like Golden Axe, three different characters are available to play. Garth (analogous to GA's Ax Battler) carries a large laser gun whilst Karen, who bears a noticeable resemblance to Tyris Flare, carries a flame-thrower and UZI sub-machine gun. Adding a bazooka-wielding Gilius Thunderhead would have been too obvious, so the designers came up with a whip-wielding android called Scooter, who makes up the third and final playable "Buster".
One of the notable game mechanics in Alien Storm is the concept of limited ammunition/energy for the player's primary weapon. Attacking monsters will slowly consume energy and it's possible to run out. Should this happen, the player has to rely on running melee attacks to fight on and must hope to find energy pick-ups later in the game.
Each mission starts with a familiar side-scrolling section where the player's chosen "Buster" must attack aliens with a range of character specific combos and finisher moves; anyone who has played Golden Axe (or most other beat 'em ups) will be right at home.
The mission culminates in the player entering a building, at which point the perspective shifts to first-person in an on-rails shooting gallery. Tapping the fire buttons will launch a beam of energy from the player's weapon which can be used to hose the screen with electric death. Quick reactions are required to despatch aliens and to deflect the projectiles they fire at the player. The scenery is fully destructible and energy and health upgrades can be found inside containers and objects; shooting these will add them to the player's reserves and must be collected quickly, else they will disappear from the screen and be lost forever.
Occasionally, the player must fight a boss monster or engage in a high-speed shooting section. The chase scenes are inconsequential, but the boss fights are actually quite difficult as they require consistent running, jumping and attacking patterns within a confined space, all the while avoiding the boss's attacks. The conical, multi-eyed, explosive launching monstrosity that inhabits mission 6 is particularly unpleasant due to the fact that it's very easy to get hit by the explosives until you work out the best pattern of attack.
As for the aliens themselves, the designs range from cartoon-like beasties hiding inside bins and mailboxes, to pink, betentacled horrors that
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJlaqUc9c3o
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VIDEO
THE L
the-last-ninja-longplay-c64-50-fps
Developed and published by System 3 in 1987.
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Foreword: I split the title music out from this video since it's about 10 minutes in length. You can find it on my channel.
This has to be one of the most memorable games ever made for the C64. System 3 sold in the region of 4 million copies of the game; a staggering number. Considering that the game was released in 1987, it shows just how ahead of it's time in terms of production values it really was.
Armakuni, the last remaining ninja of his clan, must seek revenge on the evil Shogun, Kunitoki, for the slaughter of his brothers in the Shogun's quest to acquire the ancient knowledge of the ninja.
It's interesting to note that the C64 version has quite a number of additional screens when compared to the Amiga remix version. The controls are also less fiddly, the combat more challenging and it also manages to play better than it's 16bit counterpart.
The music written by Ben Daglish and Anthony Lees is, of course, excellent and one of the main reasons why the game is so memorable.
Anyway, enough superlatives. On with the game!
#retrogaming
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Ai_XNysV0
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VIDEO
RUSH'
rush-n-attack-longplay-nes-60-fps
Developed and published by Konami in 1987
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Time for another NES coin-op conversion and, this time, I decided to check out Rush'n Attack (AKA Green Beret) for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
As a child who grew up during the 1980's in Britain, my reference point for games of this particular generation has always been the 8-bit home computers available at the time. Sure, the Commodore 64 and Spectrum had some extremely talented developers working on those platforms, but arcade conversions were typically attempts to copy the game based on what the programmer could see and hear in the real arcade hardware, unlike the NES who had often had third-party support from the arcade manufacturers themselves.
Rush'n Attack is a side-scrolling platform game where the player assumes the roll of an elite special forces soldier en tasked with going deep behind enemy lines to destroy a doomsday missile (changed from rescuing hostages in the original arcade version).
Your commando is initially armed with a knife to defeat enemies, although heavier ordnance can be recovered from high-ranking officers on the battlefield. As with the original, additional weapons include the flamethrower, rocket launcher, grenades and, new to this version, a pistol! Unlike the other weapons which feature limited ammunition, the pistol has unlimited bullets, but limited time - make the most of it while it lasts!
Fans of the arcade will recognise familiar foes, ranging from regular grunts to high trained, hand-to-hand combatants who try to take you out with a well time flying kick to the face. Konami also decided to include a couple of new enemy types, including futuristic jet-pack troops and fortified guard towers, each manned by a machine-gunner.
The gameplay remains very much a test of timing and reactions, hardly deviating from the arcade version at all. I was very pleased to discover that Konami had been pretty generous in terms of how close enemies can get to the player before registering a collision - all to often, these types of games can have poorly implemented timing systems that require the player to attack at times that seem incongruous to the enemy's position on screen. Fortunately, this game suffers from none of that and it allows you to pull off last minute attacks that can save your hide at the last moment. This is most welcome, considering that the game introduces more and more obstacles and traps as the levels progress.
Having been released in 1985, the arcade version of the game was never the most visually attractive of titles in my opinion. Fortunately for home gamers, the NES was perfectly capable of delivering a similar level of visual fidelity and number of on-screen
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkoTj_ImVMQ
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