The Mame Club! - This Week's Game Is Penguin-Kun Wars

[zektor]

This week's game was chosen by ddockery. The next person on the Mame Club list will get to choose their game the coming week and must PM me with the chosen title by Monday night at the very latest.

http://www.digitpress.com/dpsightz/arcade/pkunwar.png

When writing your review, post it right here in the sticky topic and include any thoughts you have about the game. It would also be nice to let us know other aspects of the emulation. Here are some things that would be good to know:

Did you like/dislike the game? Why?
What type of machine are you running it on? Specs?
What version of Mame?
How long did it take you to beat it? Score?

Again, YOU are the reviewer. Let us know anything and everything you think about the game!


This week's game will be uploaded shortly for all to enjoy!


Club Members

Gamereviewgod
Wisesalesman
scooterb23
ddockery
AlanD
digitalpress
IntvGene
NE146
jonjandran
Flack
IGotTheDot
zektor (me!)
buttasuperb
chadtower
Sotenga
Stark
ECWSandmanECW
christianscott27
TripppsK
vespertillio
ghsqb
TheSmirk
anotherfluke
BHvrd
ManekiNeko
MarioAllStar2600
Ze_ro


AlanD is next in line!

[ddockery]

Well, since I picked the game, here's a bit of explanation. I first found this game a couple of years ago through MAME, and I like it for several reasons. First and foremost, you get to pelt Panda and Koala Bears in the head… what could be more fun than that? The bonus stages, that's what! Whack-a-mole with bombs? Sign me up! I also love that you can play a quick game for a few minute and still enjoy it, as it's rare that I have much time on my hands lately. And since we've already had 2 schmups, so I figured I'd let those sit for a while. I look forward to getting everyone else's take on this one.

[WiseSalesman]

Thank you ddockery, I love this freaking game so much. I didn't even know it was on mame. A friend had it for gameboy and we used to play it all the time.

[Ze_ro]

I like this game, but am I the only one who finds it extremely frustrating? I always feel like I'm doing so badly... I can beat the first level really easily, but everything sort of goes downhill from there... I get poor scores in the bonus levels (at least, they seem like poor scores to me), and I find it amazingly annoying the way the computer will repeatedly pelt you with balls if you get hit just once :angry: Is there any way to avoid this other than inching left or right to try to get out of the way?

My high score so far is 90100, and I think I was at the third round when I was finally beat. Other than repeatedly smashing them in the face with balls when they get hit, does anyone have any tips for this game?

--Zero

[Ze_ro]

This week's game will be uploaded shortly for all to enjoy!

Since it hasn't been posted yet. I'll provide a download for it... just click right here (http://supernova.ath.cx/pkunwar.zip) (Verified with XMAME 0.70... I haven't updated in a while).

--Zero

[MarioAllStar2600]

I found this game a couple of months ago with a friend. We play it all the time, so fun. The computer annoys me sometimes though.
How do I join the club?

[digitalpress]

@MA2600: Zektor will initiate you. Are you sure you're ready?!

@everyone: I tried to upload this last night but of all things my INTERNET connection was whacked out, I'm assuming that things are back to normal so I'll post it to the usual page when I get home later.

[Ze_ro]

@MA2600: Zektor will initiate you. Are you sure you're ready?!

I'd very much like to join too, if there's still room on the roster... I'm a total MAME junky.

--Zero

[ddockery]

Personally, I can get to the final match on the bracket consistently, but can never beat it. I used cheats to pass it just to see what happens, and you restart, but things get CRAZY. Very fun the second time around. I broke the stick off of my Gravis while playijng this last night... talk about a cheap piece of crap!

[Gamereviewgod]

This is on the Game Boy??? @_@ I gotta get a copy.

Anyway, this one is a blast. Hard as hell though. I haven't won a match yet. :embarrassed: Is there any way to shoot these things off in another direction or can you only shoot them straight?

[WiseSalesman]

This is on the Game Boy??? @_@ I gotta get a copy.

Good luck. I've seen it ONCE and was dumb enough not to pick up a copy.

Oh man, only two more days till classes end and I finally have some time to devote to playing and writing revies. Then I can be an active member of MAME club, finally.

[ddockery]

You can toss them diagonally, but only as the time running out. I believe it varies a bit from game to game as to exactly when this starts.

[IntvGene]

This is a fun game.. I'd love to see a game like this be made on the Colecovision (don't know if it is technically possible)..

My only problem is for some reason, I keep trying to catch the balls. Don't ask me why. Perhaps it's the years of air hockey (same sort of perspective) that's crossed some wires in my brain. @_@

[BHvrd]

Ah, now this is a great reason to be in this club!

I've never played this game, but if I had ever seen this in any arcade back in the day I would have been all over it!

The game has a frustration factor, but it makes the game great, it's heart pumping good fun! The game is fast and furious, and keeps you addicted if you can overcome the frustration of being hit when you're down, cause the game can be unforgiving if you miss a ball, or hit another one, or the worm thing that bounces around the middle of the board. :)

I also really love the bonus stages where you must whack the moles and the bomb the other opponent stages, they add a nice mix.

My first time through I scored like I think 100 or so points, lol, but the second time through I scored 128,650. I plan on playing this much more! I got to the end tournament and lost to that damn Beaver, he takes the phrase "kick em when they're down" to a new plateau! *Beaver holds ball, waits till BHvrd is just gonna get up, and lets him have it* <---repeat---> :angry:

This game is an addictive frustration that will keep me coming back again and again! Thanks to the person who supplied us with this great little gem, you have definetely introduced a winner!

Btw, is it just me, or is the enter your initials part very hypnotic...

[Astro Lad]

My only problem is for some reason, I keep trying to catch the balls. Don't ask me why. Perhaps it's the years of air hockey (same sort of perspective) that's crossed some wires in my brain.

The exact same thing happens to me. I was playing some Pong-type games on MAME earlier (mostly Bang Bead and its, imo, superior predecessor Battle Flip Shot) and I am like a MAGNET to those stupid balls. I just slowly gravitate toward it, my mind clicks "haha, deflect right back at ya, hyper-speed" and then a split second before it hits my poor animal my mind goes "uh-oh, wrong game" as the little guy lays there helplessly. Heh, good fun.

[Astro Lad]

My only problem is for some reason, I keep trying to catch the balls. Don't ask me why. Perhaps it's the years of air hockey (same sort of perspective) that's crossed some wires in my brain.

The exact same thing happens to me. I was playing some Pong-type games on MAME earlier (mostly Bang Bead and its, imo, superior predecessor Battle Flip Shot) and I am like a MAGNET to those stupid balls. I just slowly gravitate toward it, my mind clicks "haha, deflect right back at ya, hyper-speed" and then a split second before it hits my poor animal my mind goes "uh-oh, wrong game" as the little guy lays there helplessly. Heh, good fun.

[Sotenga]

I just played it... cool game. Any game starring a penguin is automatically a classic (Yume Penguin Monogatari, for example.) That f**king Koala is evil, though. I thought that the object, at first, was to pelt the opponent with the balls, kinda like a cross between table tennis and dodge ball. It's a pretty tricky game, and an underrated one at that. UPL also made another great game, a shoot-em-up called Omega Fighter. I imagine that these guys are dead now... that's a shame. :(

[Sotenga]

I just played it... cool game. Any game starring a penguin is automatically a classic (Yume Penguin Monogatari, for example.) That f**king Koala is evil, though. I thought that the object, at first, was to pelt the opponent with the balls, kinda like a cross between table tennis and dodge ball. It's a pretty tricky game, and an underrated one at that. UPL also made another great game, a shoot-em-up called Omega Fighter. I imagine that these guys are dead now... that's a shame. :(

[Gamereviewgod]

was to pelt the opponent with the balls,

It's not????? :hmm:

[Gamereviewgod]

was to pelt the opponent with the balls,

It's not????? :hmm:

[Sotenga]

It's part of the strategy, but the main objective is to get all ten balls to your opponents side. If not that, then at least try and get as many balls on their side as you can before the time runs out. Hitting them constantly with the balls you have will make it easier for you to win. Likewise, you get hit, and you keep getting hit, you're bound to lose. Friggin' Koala... vicious little bugger, innit? :angry:

[Sotenga]

It's part of the strategy, but the main objective is to get all ten balls to your opponents side. If not that, then at least try and get as many balls on their side as you can before the time runs out. Hitting them constantly with the balls you have will make it easier for you to win. Likewise, you get hit, and you keep getting hit, you're bound to lose. Friggin' Koala... vicious little bugger, innit? :angry:

[MarioAllStar2600]

The game becomes pretty easy if you just get oen hit on him. Once he falls you get anotehr ball go to him and chuck it. Keep this up and you have teh level beat. You just have to get teh pattern going.

[MarioAllStar2600]

The game becomes pretty easy if you just get oen hit on him. Once he falls you get anotehr ball go to him and chuck it. Keep this up and you have teh level beat. You just have to get teh pattern going.

[Ze_ro]

The game becomes pretty easy if you just get oen hit on him. Once he falls you get anotehr ball go to him and chuck it.

Of course, the computer knows this strategy all too well. Not only that, but he intentionally throws each ball at the last possible second so that it hits you right as you're getting up (For some reason, prolonging it makes it even more frustrating).

Once you get to the third level or so, getting hit once pretty much guarantees that you will lose that set. Your only real hope is to frantically tap the joystick to move out of the way, or if you're lucky, that worm thing will get in the way of one of the computer's shots, or a stray shot will knock his shot off target.

I also find that it's quite hard to avoid balls that are coming in on steep diagonals... I get hit by these all the time. I really wish there was some way to catch balls, like in Super Dodge Ball... I think it would really add something to this game.

--Zero

[Ze_ro]

The game becomes pretty easy if you just get oen hit on him. Once he falls you get anotehr ball go to him and chuck it.

Of course, the computer knows this strategy all too well. Not only that, but he intentionally throws each ball at the last possible second so that it hits you right as you're getting up (For some reason, prolonging it makes it even more frustrating).

Once you get to the third level or so, getting hit once pretty much guarantees that you will lose that set. Your only real hope is to frantically tap the joystick to move out of the way, or if you're lucky, that worm thing will get in the way of one of the computer's shots, or a stray shot will knock his shot off target.

I also find that it's quite hard to avoid balls that are coming in on steep diagonals... I get hit by these all the time. I really wish there was some way to catch balls, like in Super Dodge Ball... I think it would really add something to this game.

--Zero

[scooterb23]

Good game...very colorful, good controls. Plays quickly, my kind of game.

As a minor brag, I actually won a tournament just now (swept the Koala and Gopher...booyah!!!)

I like the little mini-games between levels...air hockey, bomb-a-mole, and the all bomb mini-level are good fun :)

My high score is 417,850.

My technique is to play slowly, and carefully until there are about 15-20 seconds left, at which point I speed up, my ultimate goal is to be have the winning ball on the way as time runs out, so the opponent can't throw it back :)

Most of my wins were 6-4 :)

[Raccoon Lad]

This is a fun game.. I'd love to see a game like this be made on the Colecovision (don't know if it is technically possible)..

There's a port of it on the MSX-1, so a Colecovision port may be possible.

[IntvGene]

This is a fun game.. I'd love to see a game like this be made on the Colecovision (don't know if it is technically possible)..

There's a port of it on the MSX-1, so a Colecovision port may be possible.

It really felt like something that I could see being on the MSX. Thanks for the info... and let's try and encourage Opcode.. :)

[zektor]

This is a fun game.. I'd love to see a game like this be made on the Colecovision (don't know if it is technically possible)..

There's a port of it on the MSX-1, so a Colecovision port may be possible.

It really felt like something that I could see being on the MSX. Thanks for the info... and let's try and encourage Opcode.. :)

I think he may be kind of busy with his other workings for now :) I'm not saying a thing!