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Developed and published by Kaneko in 1992
If you're looking for a game that combines rap music and street brawling, this is the game for you. B. Rap Boys is totally bonkers, and for the first few levels, was a genuinely refreshing, if slightly bonkers experience.
The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, a world away from the type of music that typically accompanies coin-op games; it's amazingly polished for the time. The fact YouTube content ID didn't complain about it means I can only assume it was recorded for the game, rather than being sampled from elsewhere.
Sadly, the experience really deteriorates after the opening stage; it's just too damned hard. I guess it was tuned for multiple players, which means a lone player really has their work out.
Even so, I definitely recommend checking the game out because, let's face it, it's delightfully ridiculous.
Chapters
00:00 Attract Mode
00:44 Stage 1
09:40 Stage 2
21:14 Stage 3
33:15 Final Boss
#retrogames
#arcade
#longplay
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Ha-xziW4c
Follow me on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Al82_Retro
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Developed by Beam Software and published by Firebird in 1988
One of the most ambitious and beautifully designed games on the C64. It's just a shame it's not longer.
This new video recording features better colours, 1440p resolution, and showcases an alternate route through the game.
Credits
Coding: Doug Palmer
Graphics: Russel Comte
Music: Neil Brennan
#usagiyojimbo
#c64
#retrogaming
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZyePcbQtXQ
Developed and published by Jaleco in 1989
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Chapters
00:00 Attract mode
00:14 Stage 1: In the Forest
02:57 Stage 2: In the Cave
07:09 Stage 3: On the Lake
10:23 Stage 4: On the Lift
11:55 Stage 5: In the Castle
16:11 Stage 6
17:59 Ending
#jaleco
#retrogaming
#arcadegames
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtKCZgJSS7o
Developed and published by Sega in 1989.
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Another classic game released by Sega into the arcades in the late 80's, I'm almost certain that anyone who watches this video will have played the game in arcade, or most likely, one of the home console/computer versions.
Paying homage to action movies such as Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja, the game tells of a land besieged by the evil Death Adder, wielder of the titular Golden Axe, slaughterer of innocents and generally unpleasant sort of person.
Fortunately, there are three bold adventurers who are prepared to put their lives on the line in an effort to take the fight to Death Adder and his minions. The objective of the game is to fight through a series of horizontally scrolling levels on a journey to the castle where Death Adder holds the King and his daughter hostage.
The player must first choose which fighter to choose in the fight against Death Adder: Ax Battler the barbarian, Tyris Flair the amazon and Gilius Thunderhead, the dwarf. Each of the characters differs in striking distance and possesses differing levels of magical power.
On the subject of magic, this is one of the key features of the game. Small impish thieves will occasionally appear during play and will drop magic potions when attacked. Collecting these potions will fill the player's magic bar located to the top of the screen. The more potions the player carries, the more powerful the spell that can be unleashed. The artwork used in the spell casting looks truly excellent, even to this day; the massive fire-breathing dragon that Tyris Flare can summon is both devastating and brilliant to behold! Casting the spell will consume all of the potions currently held, so the player must make a considered choice regarding when to cast magic.
The game mixes things up by introducing beasts that can be mounted and used in combat. Capturing a dragon from an enemy quickly gives you the advantage, although taking damage will will instantly dismount you and gives the enemy the opportunity to steal the animal back. Unfortunately, the beasts can only be used on the level where they were found and will run off between levels.
One unusual thing about the game is the level of difficulty, which is relatively low. The purpose of coin-op games was to keep the player pumping money into the slot in a bid to reach the end of the game, yet Golden Axe can be beaten relatively easily providing that the player doesn't get surrounded by enemies or takes undue risks.
Although it might be something of a disservice to describe the game as Double Dragon with swords, the tried-and-tested beat 'em up mechanics and high fantasy setting combine to deliver one of the best ar
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQgHoshKghg
Developed by Irem and published by Data East in 1984.
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One of the early arcade classics, Kung-Fu Master was one of the cabinets that I remember finding in most arcades as a child and was one of the few that was always ten pence a go even when arcade games reach the stage of charging fifty pence for half a credit...seriously, why would anyone buy half a credit??!
Anyway, the games plot sees a master of Kung-Fu, Thomas, fighting his way through five levels of the Devil's Temple in order to rescue his girlfriend, Silvia. Anyone who has watched the film, "Game of Death", starring the late, great Bruce Lee, will notice the game follows a very similar premise.
Each floor of the temple is guarded by hoards of opponents, each of which must be despatched with a swift punch or kick before they can get too close. Opponents that get close enough will grab hold of Thomas, immobilising him and quickly sapping his energy; the player must quickly waggle the joystick left and right in order to throw off any of these so-called Grabbers.
Other enemies feature throughout the other levels, including knife throwers, exploding bombs, snakes, dragons and what appear to be butterflies. All are equally deadly and should be avoided or killed as quickly as possible. Although the combat is simple, the player can decide to play it safe by relying on the kick to knock out opponents at range, or risk using the punch for additional points.
Before Thomas can ascend to the next floor, he must defeat the a boss who guards the stairway. All of the bosses can require a certain strategy to beat and some are vulnerable only to certain moves.
There's something about the slightly gaudy colour palette, art style and audio that makes the game so memorable. This was an early precursor to the side-scrolling beat 'em up and, despite it's age, is still a fun game to play. If you see this in an arcade, be sure to drop some money in the slot and have a go for old time's sake.
#retrogaming
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzHaFyj37KI
Game Info
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Developer: BlueSky Software
Publisher: Sega
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
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With its ground-breaking visual effects and dynamic cast, Jurassic Park is one of the landmark movies from the early 1990s. The success of the movie spawned multiple sequels, which continue to be created to this day. Jurassic Park was a big deal, so it's unsurprising that a slew of video game tie-ins were made, to varying degrees of success. My only reference point had been the Commodore Amiga version of Jurassic Park, developed by Ocean Software, which was totally different to the Genesis game. I was curious to see what console owners had received back in the day, so I decided to give the Sega Genesis version a try.
The first curious thing about this game is the fact that players can choose to play either as Dr. Alan Grant, portrayed by actor Sam Neill in the movie, or as some random velociraptor. The fact that both characters play through levels using the exact same background graphics suggests that the developers were trying to bulk out the amount of content present in the game, but neither game mode is particularly enticing.
As Dr. Grant, you have to run and jump through levels that are sort of inspired by locations from the film, although the game references precious little from the film itself. None of the other members of the cast are even mentioned, and aside from the briefest of moments inside the park's visitor centre, there's little to distinguish this from some random jungle-themed platforming game. As for Raptor, the levels are practically identical, except you're trying to hunt down Dr. Grant, killing a bunch of park security guards along the way.
If I'm being totally honest, the game is a bit of a disaster. The gameplay is boring, uninspired platforming with dull levels and little to get your teeth into. The control system is abhorrent, featuring a glitchy animation system which makes precision movement and jumping extremely hard to achieve, which is especially frustrating when playing as Raptor, who controls more like an oil tanker, rather than the super-agile predator its meant to be.
In terms of bad design, a special mention must go to the the third level, where Grant has to pilot a gas-powered raft down a series of waterfalls, which is made virtually impossible by the presence of spikes and other hazards hidden out of sight, and only become apparent once the player is committed to travelling in a certain direction. Grant has to hop out of the boat to collect gas cans to keep the motor running, but merely coming into contact with the apparently ankle-deep streams on which the boat somehow manages to float results in instant death, kicking the player back to the start of the level.
The bottom line is that Jurassic Park on Sega Genesis sucks. The various glitches and quirks make it feel like an unfinished product, and makes for a disappointing experience. The fact that BlueSky developed and released an updated version -- Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition -- a year later suggests that they tried to fix some of the issues present in the original. I've yet to try it, but from what I can see Rampage Edition features different levels, and comments suggest the problems present in this version were resolved, or at least ameliorated to some extent; I'll definitely be checking it out in a future longplay.
Information & Trivia
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- Lead artist was Doug Tennapel, creator of Earthworm Jim
Video Notes
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- Includes complete playthroughs using Grant and Raptor characters
Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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00:00 Grant playthrough
28:11 Raptor playthrough
#jurassicpark
#segagenesis
#retrogaming
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt-BK21VgfM
Game Info
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Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Year of Release: 1988
Game Review & Impressions
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Not much to say about this, other than it's a decent top-down racing game with some cool sprite scaling and rotation effects.
Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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#f1 #retrogaming #longplay
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnHpAO3spo
Game Info
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Developer: SNK Playmore
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Year of Release: 2006
Game Review & Impressions
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The fifth game in the long running series of run-and-gun shooters is something of a return to form. The weird Metallish system that featured in its predecessor is gone, and in its place...nothing. I think the key strength of Metal Slug 5 is it goes back to what the series was all about to begin with, which is some great shooting action, with varied locales showcasing some of the best 2D sprite-work to have ever existed.
In terms of new stuff, players get to pilot a new variant of the Special Vehicle, namely a squat bi-pedal mech equipped with minigun and pneumatic ram. This rotary cannon-packing refrigerator with oversized turret can even deploy a set of tank tracks for speedier movement when the need arises.
Overall, I feel Metal Slug 5 is a decent game. It still doesn't quite manage to capture the magic of the original, at least for me, but I had a good time with it, all the same.
Chapters
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TBC
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJQKab64iXw
Game Info
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Developer: Technos
Publisher: Technos
Year of Release: 1993
Game Review & Impressions
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Shadow Force is another game by Technos, creators of Double Dragon, which I'd never heard of before.
The really cool thing about this particular coin-op is the way you can take over enemies and use their powers against them. Sure, you can absolutely kick butt in your default form, but hijacking a bit with a plasma sword or heavy-hitting brawler droid is tons of fun and gives you plenty of options in terms of play style.
If you're looking for something a bit different, give Shadow Force a try!
Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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#retrogaming
#arcade
#ninja
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iETTJOyH7xA