AAA looks at: Rastan

Developed by Taito in 1987 Rastan is one of many titles developed to gain some success from Conan the Barbarian which was a big hit at the time. Rastan is your typical loincloth-wearing barbarian with a broadsword and he must cut a bloody path through six rounds broken up into three parts each.

Progressing in the game is simple. You move forward, cut through foes which usually take one hit to kill, engage in quite a bit of platforming(the standard fare of moving platforms, swinging vines, bouncing fireballs, etc) avoid the usual assortment of traps(falling rocks, rolling rocks, spears, cascading water, you get the idea) and take out a boss at the end of each round.

While the game is simple enough and the platforming is handled well the game starts to fall apart in terms of combat mechanics. Most of the time combat is simple as you can cut through enemies with ease(you also can find better temporary weapons lying around as well) but things start to become problematic when it comes to foes that take multiple hits. All of the bosses and a handful of regular enemies require more than one hit to take down. However the game introduces an interesting design decision where if you strike the enemy in a particular place(like the head) they'll go down much quicker if not instantly. The problem is this never feels to be quite 100% and at times you can find yourself jumping right on top of an enemy and taking damage. It's a cool idea to be sure but it doesn't work well enough to be relied on.

However the biggest issue with this game is it simply gives no quarter to the player. What I mean is while some enemies enjoy safe areas where your weapon can't damage them(like the legs of gargoyles) no matter where you get touched you will take damage. Even supposedly safe moves like Conan's downward thrust can lead to a bit of damage since the enemy is more likely to touch your boot before they touch your sword. Thus the mechanics for this game are terribly frustrating and lead to a lot of nonsensical damage. There are times when some attacks won't damage you at all or other times supposedly weak enemies(bats) will take nearly half your life. 

The thing about mechanics is that the player should always be granted some lee-way. In 2D shooters it's expected for the player to have some room to dodge the hundreds of thousands of bullets that fly at them. Sure this may involve shrinking the size of the hitbox so that it's smaller than the actual ship but at the same time elements like bullet-shaving(getting as close as possible to a bullet and gaining points: the game Psyvariar pretty much revolves around this design) so that players will seek out risk-taking opportunities to better their score. In an action game if the attack looks like it'll hit something negligible like the feather in the hero's cap or the tail on their scarf it simply shouldn't count. The game being made in 1987 holds no argument either as companies like Namco and Sega had a great understanding of mechanics even back then.

Other frustrating aspects of Rastan are the powerups. There is little rhyme and reason to them. Though they aren't doled out randomly(some enemies are guaranteed to drop the same thing every time) they may as well be since they're so improperly dispersed. Important items like healing potions could drop by the dozen in one area yet at other times you could go long stretches without anything. In one inexplicable area I've stumbled over two full-health items within two screens of each other. 

At one time I considered Rastan to be one of the 50 best arcade games one would ever play(at least in my opinion) but playing it again I've realized there are simply too many glaring faults and in the end it's little more than an interesting curiousity. The worst part is however the sequel Nastar is even worse...but I'll get to that later.

Not a AAA look: Final Fantasy Tactics A2 review

For awhile Final Fantasy Tactics was the game of choice for Strategy RPG fans. However when the much anticipated sequel(?) Advance hit on the Game Boy Advance a little title called Disgaea came out around the same time. Fans quickly tired of Advance's childish story and frustrating game design issues like the whole Judge system that punishes players for "breaking the law" during battle, and tying lots of great items to a poorly constructed map where adding locations in the right order required an FAQ to figure out. Disgaea on the other hand kept it simple but provided gamers with wacky storylines, tons of classes/abilities to master, and a lot of depth to uncover and numbers to raise. 

Several years later after a remake of the original Tactics and countless S-RPGs by the Disgaea developers Nippon Ichi, as well as a number of one-offs from a 1,001 other teams we have Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Like the previous game a young man finds himself tossed into the world of Ivalice(which as you know was the location for the original FFTA, as well as FFXII and a handful of spinoffs) and quickly joins up with a clan. While seeking a way home the young man also seeks adventure, meeting a myriad of heroes and villains along the way. The storyline has your typical fare of twists and turns but it's nothing terribly good(and in some cases it's terribly terrible).

Most of your progress in A2 is spent taking on quests from a pub. Jobs are posted constantly and there's almost always one available that furthers the story. By completing these the game progresses and you earn necessary things like money, ability points for learning abilities and thus mastering jobs, and item components(the game uses a quasi-crafting system where necessary components are required in order to make all of the weapons/armor). 

Like the other games A2 features a map. As one wanders around they're likely to stumble over enemy encounters and potential recruits. However most of the time you'll be looking for quests at the pub which will determine where you're supposed to go to complete it. A2 also features a calendar. Depending on the day and month new jobs and occurences are made available. This is an interesting feature though it's not a stretch to say that at times you'll find yourself wandering back and forth trying to move days along(the game also provides locations where the play can "rest" and pass a much greater number of days at a time). 

For Tactics fans the battles are pretty much the same. They take on an Isometric view and outside of any exceptions it's 6 party members vs X number of foes. Turns are decided by the speed of the characters and constantly changes depending on what commands they use(characters that don't take an action are more likely to have another turn before characters that do for example) and whether if they've been hasted/slowed or whatever else. In each turn the character can move as far as they're allowed(depending on job and other factors) take one action(whether this is fighting, casting spells, or any other ability) and then wait. When a character waits they pick a direction to face. Getting attacked from the sides and back causes significant more damage than from the front, so obviously the importance of facing the right way should never be overlooked.

For players sick of fighting quite a few of the optional missions one can undertake in this game can be handled with the dispatch command. The original Tactics had a similar feature where you could send your non-story related party members out to do quests and gain ability points and items(not to mention a few secrets). In A2 it works pretty much the same way though this time party members that take on the quest can also gain experience levels and unfortunately they don't give a detailed report of what went on in the mission(so if you don't actively partake in the missions you won't be able to see how they went aside from hearing that it was successful). 

The back of A2's case boasts about having over 56 playable jobs. They aren't kidding either as there really are a ton of jobs spread among multiple races. While it is unfortunate that a number of them share the same abilities at the same time they have their own minor differences that makes each battle interesting. Furthermore like previous titles one can take mastered abilities from other jobs to use with their current job in order to cover more situations(even basic stuff like giving a fighter the ability to cast healing spells can make a huge difference).

The controversial Judge system is back in A2 but thankfully the punishments for breaking the law are a lot less severe. While in the previous game one could potentially lose characters or pay heavy tolls all that is lost in A2 is their benefit(an ability given to them at the beginning of each battle like regen or ATK power up), the ability to raise characters from the dead during battle, and bonus items at the end of the fight. It's also nice that before each battle and after the Judge points out what the player can't do the player has the chance to change their party(even their job/abilities/equipment) before they send them out to battle. This game shows exceptional foresight for everything that the player may stumble upon. 

It is unfortunate to note however that for anyone interested in this game I highly recommend that above all you play the game on the Hard difficulty setting. Normal is simply too easy after a certain point and I'm really finding it difficult to continue with the game. Granted it is normal for many SRPGs to become very easy when the player has gathered enough equipment/jobs/exp but A2 is simply too easy overall on normal. It would have been great if an option to change the difficulty at any time was included(especially for a game that could potentially take over a hundred hours to find everything) but as it stands go with Hard or you will regret it like I did.

All in all A2 is a more than worthy sequel and improves on every aspect of the first Tactics Advance. I definitely recommend checking out if SRPGs are your thing. Just don't be like me and start the game on normal.

50 Great Arcade games #6 - Metal Slug 3

Metal Slug 3 was an easy choice to make when I considered this list. The Metal Slug games are spectacular so why not go with the best of them? Though personally I favor Metal Slug X because it's a fair bit easier MS3 is without a doubt the most polished and features the most variety of any game in the series. 

Probably the biggest inclusion to this entry is the numerous multiple(and even optional) paths you can take throughout the game. Like many other games that offer multiple paths you can expect to find some are harder than others, while some might have more prisoners to rescue. The optional paths are also very interesting as you may find yourself fighting enemies you wouldn't see otherwise while riding some unique vehicles.

The basic mechanics are just as solid as any other Metal Slug. You jump, you shoot, you throw grenades, get more powerful weapons with limited ammo, and die in one hit. Unlike most arcade games you can't get any extra lives no matter where you go or how many points you score. This coupled with the fact that you lose all of your prisoners(thus costing you major end of stage bonuses) when you die makes this a difficult game for scoring.

The Metal Slug series shows an astounding mastery of the mechanics of a game. Everything is sensibly designed and every encounter is crafted perfectly. Though a stray bullet is enough to do you in no matter where you're at the environment is designed to provide you the best chances of survival. Getting through fights unscathed despite the enormous odds really shows just how well designed this game is.

Tough game though, really tough, I still suck badly at it.(to put it into comparison I can one-life the first four stages of Metal Slug 2 quite easily but I'm lucky to one-life the first stage of Metal Slug 3)

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My opinion hasn't changed much on this game. Though I will say bossfights run a bit too long if the player is stuck with the default weapon. Sure the obvious answer to that problem is to simply not die but c'mon...it's Metal Slug 3. Oh and I still suck pretty badly at this game. 

50 Great Arcade games #5 - Robotron 2084

The spiritual prequel to Smash TV and one of the most influential games of all time(well at least for the "twin-stick shooter" genre) is Robotron 2084. In a predictable future mankind has developed machines that are superior to them in every way. Needless to say the robot masters decide it's best to take control. You the genetically engineered error(GEE?) are mankind's only hope.

When you pick up Robotron really all you can do is hope for the best. This game isn't about survival because in the end you will be overwhelmed and you will die(in XX number of waves). Each wave usually consist of five things: Drones that home in on GEE till they bust his head open, Bigger dudes who are invincible but more intent on killing humans than crushing the hero, humans who are worth from 1,000 to 5,000 points depending on how many GEE collects in the same wave(though the values reset if you get killed), landmines(the game calls them electrodes, they kill GEE and drones though you can shoot them to get rid of them), and worst of all the jerks that summon tons of ships that fire homing shots all over the map. Unlike most(or should I say most console twin-stick shooters) titles that take several waves before the game becomes challenging, most players will find themselves in over their heads by wave 9. Getting to wave 9 takes less than 5 minutes.

So how does one survive in this game? Well there's a very generous extend system in place. A measly 25,000 points grants you an extra life. Sure lives can go in seconds(especially if you're really unlucky) but every life lost is a chance re-assessing your priorities.

Priorities is the biggest part of Robotron. What should you focus on everytime you spawn into being? At the beginning of each wave or whenever GEE is killed a brief moment is spent materializing all of the objects in the wave whether that be enemies or humans. With this moment comes decision making. Should you try to grab any nearby humans? Should you focus on the badguys spawning those ships? Obviously this is not the kind of game where you can constantly die and plan out your next move but it's still something worth considering as you always have to factor in what you need to accomplish to survive for as long as possible. If you go into every life and every wave simply shooting at random things you'll find yourself swarmed and looking at a Game Over screen quite quickly. Unlike Smash TV there are no powerups(though your cannon is sufficient since everything dies in one hit) and there's no clear indicator of where you should try to go to survive for just a bit longer. 

Luck plays an element in this game. It's not something to rely on as it mainly affects object placement at the beginning of every life/wave. Usually I frown on games that rely on an element for survival/scoring but in Robotron it's really nothing truly important(though I guess it is beneficial to spawn with a number of humans very close by).

Robotron 2084 is an excellent title and I think it's required playing for anyone who considers themselves a fan of arcade games.

50 Great Arcade games #4 - Smash TV

Smash TV is a game of excess. You've got excess violence, excess prizes, excess cheese, and most of all excess difficulty. In fact I'll say that Smash TV is one of the hardest games on this list. From the outset the odds are stacked against you and your main weapon is only good for so long. In order to survive you've got to keep moving from one powerup to the next. Luck plays a factor but even the world's luckiest person won't last long no matter how many extra lives they pick up(yes 1ups are quite abundant in this game). This is also one of those arcade games that really benefits from having two players and IMO is what makes the game really entertaining. 

Despite the proliferation of Twin-stick shooters on XBLA/PSN I continue to find Smash TV appealing because of it's focus on powerups. It's important to be able to create a path anywhere you need to go(since an extra life won't do you much good if you have to kill yourself to get it). The random nature of the items keeps each playthrough so you can't always fall back on the same patterns to survive(And you should always keep an eye on the doors to see where enemies are coming from next, last thing you need is to be sitting next to a door when it opens). Also mowing down hundreds of guys in a bloody fashion is a bit more satisfying than blowing up polygons.

I guess the best thing that can be said about the game is that despite the balance obviously being skewed against you it's still possible to eke out of even the nastiest situations with enough skill. Best I can do on one credit so far is get through one and a half levels(and by levels I mean beating Mutoidman and getting halfway to Scarface).

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There's not much I can add to this except I've picked this game up again and I really don't see any reason why it doesn't deserve to be one of my top picks for arcade gaming.

AAA looks at: Top Hunter

The NeoGeo is known almost entirely for its great selection of fighting games but what of the few games from other genres? Top Hunter starring Roddy and Cathy is one such game. It's a dual-plane action game with a number of interesting ideas. 

The game itself is an interesting hybrid. The levels are split into two planes. You can jump in-between them at will provided there's nothing in your way (Enemies will also do the same). Everything from progressing through the levels to the boss fights makes use of the two-plane mechanic and knowing how to properly use it to your advantage can make all the difference and blah blah blah you get the idea. Your main attack as Roddy is your stretchy arms which can be used to grab enemies, items, switches, and so on(unless of course you're player 2 as Cathy will use a hook & chain). 

Now what's neat about this game is that you have a surprising amount of variety in your attacks. You can smack enemies to dizzy them, then either you can give them an over-the-shoulder slam or you can toss them at other bad guys. You can also snatch guns out of their hands or grab bombs out of midair. Also you get a handful of special attacks that are performed by doing controller motions like a quarter-circle forward or even a dragon-punch motion along with the attack button. To add to this sometimes the enemies are riding mechs which you can steal. Though they're not terribly effective they do give you a bunch of extra hits(which definitely helps because it only takes 2-4 hits to kill you). On top of all this you can even jump on enemies' heads to take them out.

The levels themselves are really beautiful. All of them feature an impressive amount of background animations and some really creative designs. Coupled with a very nice soundtrack(the music on the wind planet is awesome) this makes for a great showpiece as far as Neo Geo games go. The animation isn't as strong as say Metal Slug but it manages to fit in well with the rest of the atmosphere. 

Looking past the audio, visuals, and unique abilities, the game is standard fare for the genre. You move from left to right through four planets with three stages each(along with the obligatory final area after finishing the planets) punching/tossing enemies, grabbing lots of coins, looking for bonus areas(which are easy to find but are nice for getting more points/time/health), throw in some mid-bosses, some sections that require just a wee bit of thinking, and a surprising amount of relevance on how much time you have left(get this..an action game where running out of time actually happens? shock!) and you have a well put together if not incredibly new game.

Unfortunately the game isn't all great as there are a few issues. Most annoying is the jump. Unlike many action games that give you full control over your jump even while still in mid-air, Top Hunter gives you very limited maneuverability. This can prove to be a real nuisance when you're trying to jump on enemies or dodge certain attacks. The grab move can also be tricky to work around as while you're stretching you are unable to move. This can be pretty lousy when you miss something important(like say an incoming bomb) cause there's nothing you can do to get out of the way. Also unlike similar action games you can be damaged simply by bumping into an enemy(even if they're not performing an attack).

Other than that the only other thing I don't like about this game is that at times it can be difficult to make out what's happening on which plane. Either way however this is a huge improvement over Magician Lord in that it's much easier to pick up and play. Unlike Top Hunter, ML requires that you know exactly what to do and when to jump every second of the game. TH on the other hand gives you plenty of freedom to move around and play the game your way(also the more generous continue system makes the game way more friendly for gamers of all ages)

In the end aside from some minor issues Top Hunter is one of the best games out right now for the NeoGeo VC. It's easy to get into, provides a decent challenge(in some ways it isn't terribly hard but don't expect to beat it without continues as soon as you pick it up either), and it boasts some impressive audio and visuals. 

Next time I should look at Magician Lord. I'm absolutely terrible at this game though.

50 Great Arcade games #3 - Elevator Action Returns

Elevator Action had an interesting concept in that you progressed through stages mostly by elevators. Unfortunately it really wasn't very good. Thankfully Taito saw fit to take a second look at the game and put out this excellent sequel.

The storyline isn't really worth bothering with except it showcases some very impressive in-game cutscenes. Some eco-terrorists or something want to start a new world order and your job is to make sure that doesn't happen. You start off by choosing from one of three characters who all have varying stats and abilities and go through six stages that range from apartment buildings to sewers to an oil refinery and of course the villain's hide-out. The objective typically boils down to finding red doors which hold bombs or some other related plot device though there are certain encounters that are sort of like boss-fights. 

The first thing I should point out is there are a lot of ways to kill your foes. You can shoot them, smash them from above or below with an elevator jump and/or ram into them, pistol whip them, set them on fire with rockets, bombs, or exploding barrels, clip them when they're close to a ledge and watch them fall to their death, catch them in their own traps, and so on. An important tactic for scoring in this game is to kill everything after knocking out the lights because it doubles the point value of everything you do(including going through red doors and collecting items). 

However everything you can kill the bad guys with can just as easily kill you. You have a health meter capable of taking a few hits(and health-restoring food is readily available) but getting crushed, falling a certain height(which is typically about one floor), and in rare cases taking an elevator to a certain spot before getting the red door(this has happened to me) can take you out instantly. With only two lives and no hope for extends you can't really afford to screw up. Thankfully this game is has very strong mechanics. It's entirely possible to duck, jump over, and manipulate elevators to dodge bullets. Also your character is more than capable of out-shooting any foe and with three flavors of bombs for those rough scenarios you have more than enough to survive with. To add to your hopes of survival you can find a machinegun or rocket launcher(which doubles as a bullet-canceler) as well as additional bombs and computers/diskettes for points.

Possibly the most interesting aspect of Elevator Action Returns is the behavior of the enemy and the environment. This is not like most action games where enemies appear and gun straight for your character. These guys will arrive via the many doors dispersed around the area and wander around, only attacking if you happen to be in sight. These guys will also ride elevators if they have to realistically behave depending on the situation. For example you can sneak up on people who haven't spotted you(maybe they're facing the other direction). Obviously something like this wouldn't fly in a Metal Slug or Shinobi but these aspects unique to EAR are what gives it its' identity.