Game of the day-1/14/2016: Steel Empire

[celerystalker]

I thought it might be fun to have a game of the day topic for something to do every day; picking out an older game that doesn't get talked about all the time to discuss every day. If anyone else wants to pick a game some day, feel free.

I'll start with Breakthru on NES.

I first played this at a friend's house when I was about 9 years old. We'd take turns passing the controller each continue until finally beating the game a couple of hours later. I recently replayed it, and it holds up pretty well. If you aren't familiar with it, it's somewhat of a horizontal belt scrolling shooter where you crash a jeep that can jump through enemy lines to rescue a top secret air craft, shooting and dodging enemy obstacles through a handful of brief but tough stages. It's by Data East, and has pretty decent graphics and control. It has a steep initial learning curve, but when you wrap your head around speeding up and slowing down situationally, it gets pretty great. It's inexpensive, and even the arcade board is usually under $50. Anyone else a fan? If you haven't tried it, stick with it and you might have some fun.

Edit: That description I feel good enough about not to entirely re-write, but I wanted to come back and flesh it out a bit. Breakthru is fairly short, but it's one of those games I find tough to put down. A good deal of the challenge in this one comes from making you memorize its stages unless you have lightning-quick reflexes. Knowing when to slow down in order not to speed into a tight enemy bullet pattern or when to speed up so as to make a jump that requires top speed can make or break your level. It's a little less Contra and a little more R-Type in that regard, but the stages are brief enough that it doesn't become overwhelming.

Also, the graphics definitely have an earlier feel to them, with the tiny soldiers appearing like little stickmen due to their scale. It can also be tough to see where missiles and the like from above might land due to the belt scrolling perspective. This hardly breaks the game, as the primary method of avoidance is speeding up or slowing down rather than moving up or down into the back- or foreground, but it'dve been nice had some better shadowing been employed in order to relay a cleaner sense of perspective. The enemy tanks and helicopters look pretty slick for the time, though, and the pre-stage map actually gives you a fairly honest idea of what to expect as it progresses.

As I get older, I can't help but appreciate this game more and more. It's imperfect, but for action games, the belt-scrolling perspective and jumping with shooter gameplay feels unique and fresh. I hope some folks who haven't might try this one. It's way under-represented in NES circles.

[Tanooki]

I owned that one back in the 90s up through the selloff, and I had it again maybe about 5 years ago when I did that NES build up before going down to basics (for me.) IT's a solid game but I can't seem to play it a lot as I did 20 years ago. It's tricky but in an enjoyable way with the little cars and the terrain you have to deal with and what is thrown at you. It's like a more confined nastier version of Jackal kind of, more like Contra with cars. I also recall playing the arcade a few times back in the 80s somewhere and I think the NES game is a fair conversion.

[Emperor Megas]

We did something similar in another forum some years ago and it ran for about a year or two, but there wasn't much traffic in the retro section of the site. You may want to include the title of the game in the topic header if you want to make it a regular thing, and maybe the date as well. That was the format we used. We would mark the header with the RGD (Retro Game of the Day) along with the date and game title, and worked out pretty well.

Anyway, I don't think I've ever heard of or played Breakthru. I assumed from the name that it would be a Breakout/Arkanoid type game though. I guess I was way off. I'll kept an eye out for it if it's cheap.

[Emperor Megas]

SIDE NOTE: Because of that RGD topic in the other forum I ended up purchasing the single most expensive game I've ever bought, Keio Flying Squadron for SEGA CD. I'd never heard of it before, but it sounded awesome. I knew it was expensive but I never used to see them listen so when I was talking to the wife about it she said that she would split the cost with me, which was awesome because around that time I gave myself a monthly budget. It was just under a hundred dollars with shipping. I think it came to like $96.00.

Anyway, I'm glad that I bought it when I did, and that I heard about it at all in that RGD topic, because it's a great game and it's pretty expensive last time I checked.

...DEAR GOD! I just looked at what people are trying to sell this game for now. The first eBay auction for the US version is selling for $400 - $600!

I also read about Snatcher in a RGD topic and purchased that for $60 after reading about it. That's going for stupid money too. I only really cared about picking up great games. The going price for these now if just an insane perk. I'm having a hard time justifying keeping them.

[gjackx]

Only reason I'm chiming in here is because of the choice of game. I got Breakthru for Christmas one year (whenever it came out) and I remember it fondly. Pretty sure I got a handful of other games that holiday, but this one still stands out. I recall my brother in law wanting to play it some, after I messed around with it earlier in the day. He had never wanted to play any game of mine before, so this was extremely odd at the time. We sat there for a while, going back and forth on each other's turns...before, I eventually beat it (after many continues). I remember playing the arcade version on MAME not too far back and I don't think I liked it nearly as much as the NES version.

Good times

[celerystalker]

So, for today, 2020 Super Baseball, whether for Neo Geo, SNES, or Genesis.

My first exposure to the game was on an MVS cabinet at a skating rink when I was in junior high school. Everything seemed so flashy, and the ball bouncing around on the glass over the crowd was so different. The crackers (land mines) in the outfield were crazy, and I liked putting on batting armor and swinging for the fences.

Later that year, I got a used copy of the SNES version, and it was pretty accurate! The crackers were gone, but the stop and jump zones were there, as well as the (now static) close-ups on diving catches. The graphics were super close, and the batting and pitching felt just like the real deal. As a cheap alternative to the Neo Geo, this version's skills translate to the big, bad version.

Years later I picked up the Genesis version EA did, and holy cow is it crappy. So choppy, and the music's way off... nothing feels right, and it's all slow. Where all the smart cuts were made to keep the SNES version close, the Genesis version sacrifices gameplay for decent still graphics. Shoddy.

Anyone like this one? For whatever reason prefer the Genesis version?

Edit: I want to say a bit more about the game itself outside of my personal opinions on the ports, focusing primarily on the Neo Geo original.

Super Baseball 2020 is basically Baseball Stars set in the crazy cybernetic future that happens in about three years. Seems plausible. Its gameplay is closer to Baseball Stars 2 on the Neo Geo, with basically the same controls as the main series. The big differences between 2020 and Baseball Stars are as follows:

-Players are all either cybernetically enhanced humans or robots.

-You get money for every positive action like a hit or catch, and lose money for negatives like hitting a batter or getting out. There is a pool that also builds up for home runs.

-That money can be spent on upgrading players, buying them armor to enhance their skills... or you can buy a robot to outright replace them.

-Home runs can only be hit to dead center field. Otherwise, the ball caroms back toward the field off of the plexi-protected stands.

-The zone for foul balls is shrunk to only be outside of the infield.

-There are special zones on the field to cause exciting chaos. Jump zones let fielders soar hundreds of feet into the air to bring down big hits, stop zones will freeze the ball where it hits, and throughout the game, land mines are placed by the umpires in the outfield, and must be navigated by players lest they explode and allow extra bases or even blow robots up entirely and destroy human armor.

Pretty fun changes to your typical game! It plays quickly, and between games, you retain any leftover cash as well as a payout for winning, meaning you can start the next game loaded for bear. You need a memory card to save and continue, though, which is a hassle if you want to beat the game without playing it for an entire day. The SNES port offers passwords in between games, though, even if it sadly omits the land mines.

Super Baseball 2020 looks great, sounds great, and is a blast for a game at a time. I wish it included a mercy rule, as I do get bored when I'm winning 20-0 in the fourth inning, but that doesn't really matter for two player mode. It's my favorite of the three Neo Geo baseball games, and my favorite SNES baseball game as well. As I originally wrote, though, the Genesis port is dog shit, and EA should've been embarrassed. Criminally underrated in my book.

[celerystalker]

Phantom Fighter is an NES oddball about an exorcist who has to purge several villages of kyonshees and other evil hauntings. You explore towns much like Zelda II, walking on a horizontal plane and entering houses to get info, rest, get upgrades, or (more often) purge evil spirits and kyonshees. The kyonshees hop around with outstretched arms, and you generally fight them one on one not unlike a fighting game. You start with a very limited move set, but your arsenal of attacks grows steadily through the game as you clear houses.

There's a bit of a learning curve, but when I made up my mind one day that I was going to finish it, I found a cool, creepy atmosphere, neat enemies, and a fun game. There are passwords for each town, so it doesn't have to be beaten in one sitting, and the way you get scrolls by beating enemies to exchange for martial arts lessons gives a good sense of purpose and progression to each fight.

Anybody stick with this one to find out if they liked it?


Edit: To flesh this out just a tad, the game's basic format is that each stage is a separate village with a kyonshee infestation. You and your assistant go to each building as previously described, clearing hauntings or interacting with NPCs. After cleansing each little hamlet, you transfer to the next, rinse, and repeat.

The real trouble most people have in Phantom Fighter is that your character feels incredibly awkward and sluggish at first until you start getting upgrades to your fighting style. As you grow more powerful and versatile, the gane begins to feel tremendously better and more fluid instead of like some clumsy bush league fighter, and is really pretty fun... the game and manual just don't make it obvious that if you can suffer through the first town, it's going to get way, way better, so a lot of people who grab a loose cart or fire up a ROM get turned off right away, which is a shame.

Phantom Fighter's strength is that it has a pretty unique subject matter for a western release, and it gets its creepy atmosphere across really well if you stick with it. It was actually based on a movie, and that movie in turn got a sequel, which inspired its own video game adaptation on the Famicom, which has nothing in common with Phantom Fighter, playing more like a JRPG.

[celerystalker]

My familiarity with Steel Empire comes from the Genesis version. No neat story about discovering it; it was one of many shooters on the system I picked up around 2003. It's a good one, though.

Horizontally scrolling, Steel Empire has an interesting steampunk aesthetic that has caused interest in it to perk up in the lasy couple of years, and it allows you to fly a plane or a zeppelin, which feel quite different from one another. Add in an interesting level up system and tiny, detailed graphics, and you get a real winner.

Any fans? It's a good one.

Edit: Ha! I didn't write jack shit for this. I suck.

So, yeah, it is a horizontal shooter with a steampunk theme, and you do get to choose between a zeppelin and a plane. So freaking informative! The level-up system, which I barely mentioned, is at the crux of the game, and aside from the theme is the most unique thing about it for its time. Based on your scoring, you gradually power up, becoming both quicker and gaining more firepower. It's a pretty stark difference from the typical power-up based shooters of the era, and coupling that with its unique look (the tiny, detailed graphics really stand out and sell the steampunk aesthetic) really makes it feel special.

Also, Steel Empire is not at all a bullet hell-style shooter. Its slower, more methodical play has far more in common with something like Gradius than your modern danger gauntlets, and is slower than your Thunderforces and the like, which is nice in how it allows you to observe its small details while still maintaining intensity.

I personally like this one a lot. The Genesis is loaded with quality shooters, and Steel Empire is a great alternative to the faster futuristic stuff that's all over the place. Sometimes a change of pace hits the spot.

[Koa Zo]

Steel Empire was a game I always had my eye on back in the day but somehow never purchased.
Then in the early 2000's it was one of my first Genesis purchases from ebay.
But for whatever reason I didnt get into playing it.
Some years later (2006ish?) I grabbed the Japanese GBA version, and this was while I was really into GBA, like it was my primary game system. IIRC the GBA version has larger more visible bullets among some other subtle changes. I remember having some doubt about playing a shmup on the GBA, and there were some early deaths mainly because of distracted focus on the small screen or getting too sloppy with the dpad, but after a few concentrated sessions (I mainly recall playing it sitting out on a porch at a friend's (now deceased) beach house) the game became quite easy except for the last boss.

[fahlim003]

Steel Empire was a game I always had my eye on back in the day but somehow never purchased.
Then in the early 2000's it was one of my first Genesis purchases from ebay.
But for whatever reason I didnt get into playing it.
Some years later (2006ish?) I grabbed the Japanese GBA version, and this was while I was really into GBA, like it was my primary game system. IIRC the GBA version has larger more visible bullets among some other subtle changes. I remember having some doubt about playing a shmup on the GBA, and there were some early deaths mainly because of distracted focus on the small screen or getting too sloppy with the dpad, but after a few concentrated sessions (I mainly recall playing it sitting out on a porch at a friend's (now deceased) beach house) the game became quite easy except for the last boss.

You and others have been claiming the GBA game is easy while I contest otherwise. I had the Euro GBA game which I expect was identical to the original Japan release and for whatever reason could never clear stage 2. The environment (walls, ceiling/floor, &c.) seemed to be the greatest hazard but then its been years since I last played and further owned the game.

I never tried it on the Game Boy Player which may help seeing things but then my vision is not suspect as I've cleared Gradius Generation (Galaxies) on a GBASP2 without any major issues outside of practice.

As for Genesis Steel Empire I've been on and off the fence getting a copy for over 10 years but never bothered getting it. After selling the GBA game I was more interested in the Genesis game but only mildly. Recent checks see the price hasn't gone up as much as other Genesis shooters so there's a chance I could get it in the near future... that or a flash cartridge.

[Emperor Megas]

...? I'm confused. Are we just doing different games in the same topic and changing the thread title?

[Tanooki]

I had the JP GBA version, never played or owned the others. I'd like it back but GBA import trolls have a field day with both the EU and JP version, so I'm thinking cheap Genesis cart is the answer losing the portability of it.

It's far easier to play on the TV since bullets kind of blend in a bit on the small LCD. The GBA game isn't easy, even on easy it's not easy, and it's made less easy with the bullet issue playing it on the GBA and not the Retron5(me) or the GB Player (me too.) Since Gradius gba came up too, that game has the same blend in bitch slap of death problem on the little screen, but when done on a TV it's far more enjoyable there too (also own it.)

I enjoy the game, it has some good things going with it. The steampunk style with the rest of the design is quirky and unique but it blends well. Having the JP version on GBA I have no freaking clue what the story was so I'd just skip it, but even without it was plenty engaging enough I really didn't care.

[celerystalker]

...? I'm confused. Are we just doing different games in the same topic and changing the thread title?

Yeah. I didn't want to spam the most active forum section with a new one of these every day.

[FieryReign]

Beat the Genny and 3DS versions. One of my fav shmups. I like the fact you can shoot in both directions and it's not totally unfair. Level-up system is nice too. The speedruns through the tunnels are tough though.

[Emperor Megas]

Yeah. I didn't want to spam the most active forum section with a new one of these every day.

I think it's MUCH better to just make a new one each day. Recycling the same thread a hundred times over wont do anything but make one of those silly hundred page topics that no one actually reads if they didn't get in early. Plus it stifles conversation about the games of the day for people who don't check this forum every single day. This just seems like a confusing way to do it, and the RGDs won't be easily searchable using the search function where they would be neatly listed individually for people who wanted to browse them otherwise.

I doubt anyone would consider it spamming. I think the traffic would be WELCOMED. It's only a post a day after all. IJS.