NES Club- First game is Codename Viper!

[Darth Sensei]

This week?s game was chosen by Cuewarrior. Next week?s game will be chosen by Oobgarm. Please PM me by Wednesday with your game so we can post screenshots and the rom. Also, include your challenge if you want to include one.

Codename Viper


Download the Rom: http://www.bagofjews.com/~dre/NES/rom/codevipr.zip Thanks Bratwurst

Please keep all comments about this game inside this thread and include the following:

Opinion: What did you like and dislike? Was it as good as you remembered? How does the game compare to arcade or other system if applicable?
Platform: Was it played on NES, emulated on PC, GBA, etc?
Progress: How far did you get in the game?
Challenge: If applicable, did you complete the challenge? Remember that those using emulators should not use built in features to make the challenges easier.

The Club Member list is below:
Cuewarrior
Oobgarm
Zubiac666
EnemyZero
Bratwurst
Icarwngs55
Gamemaster_ca_2003
Jive3D
Dr.Morbis
Nesman85
Ze_ro
Gideon
Portnoyd
Postermen
Kaine23
Goodwill Hunter
Damon Plus
Balloon Fight
Scooterb23
Sotenga
TRM
Alex Kidd
Spoon
Atariboy
Classicgamesdepot
adaml
TheRedEye
Goblin
slip81
Hamsnibit
AdamG
Qixmaster
DDCecil
ArnoldRimmer83
Brisco
whoisKeel
MarioAllStar2600
Quintracker
SniperCCJVQ
Needle
Sph1nx
swlovinist
ddockery
chrisballer
downfall
vintagegamecrazy
gamergary
jgenotte
supahzonik
8-bit Master
leonk
Captain Yashiro
jerkov
Sofa King Gud

[Darth Sensei]

My review:
Opinion: I enjoyed this game quite a bit. I never played this as a kid and I chose to play this game simply because the title caught my attention in a rom list. It is immediately apparent when you play this game that if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the makers of CV must worship Rolling Thunder. In fact, the game play is so similar that I am wondering if there was ever litigation surrounding it. The graphics and sound are very good for an NES game, and the game play is decent. I would have liked to have had access to a variety of weapons (instead of 2 offered) to add some spice to the game. The different backgrounds, different enemies, and attacking animals help to add some variety though.

Another thing I’d like to ask is why games like this feature not only lame dialog, but repetitive dialog. Repeatedly seeing the dialog:

Soldier: This is what I’ve obtained.
::shows more of the letter which I thought was a cool way of advancing the plot::
Soldier: Be careful.
You: Ok.

Couldn’t they have put in slightly different dialog at times or even skipped the dialog?

CV also has a password save game feature which many NES games lacked.

Platform: I played this on computer emulator, and GBA and GC via a flash cart.

Progress: I finished the game several times in both normal and difficult modes

Challenge: Here is my challenge. I tried being a pacifist and got through the first level on normal difficulty without firing a shot. I collected all ammo, saved the civilians, and wasn’t hit once. Can you do it?

Alright club members, share your opinions.

D

[Bratwurst]

Opinion:

I nearly always overlooked this one in favor of Vice Project Doom for some reason, nevertheless I gave it a go and it served as a good diversion for an hour.

I'm a visual person, and what impressed me most was that each level had cutscenes with varied graphics. Even the mugshots shown during dialogue bits are mixed up with expressions and different hostage faces so they don't get stale. The graphics on the whole look fantastic, with effective use of color contrast and tall, semi-detailed sprites. I imagine that the NES could get away with such tall sprites because it's easier to draw along a vertical line than it is on the horizontal (which creates flickering if there's too many sprites).

There's only one boss in the entire game and the plot twist near the end is amazingly retarded. But hey, all's good where Nintendo logic is concerned. The story is weak and gameplay can get repetitious. In other aspects it is refreshingly realistic (used in a loose sense) because you can very easily be killed by one or two bullets if you're careless and there aren't crazy enemies like flying monkeys milling about. I think the most outlandish enemy were rogue hawks, the rest were human terrorists, which was great.

Some of the sound effects seem to be shared on other Capcom games.. maybe Little Nemo the Dream Master.

Platform:

I emulated this one with FCE Ultra.

Progress:

I beat the game once with savestates at the start of each level.

Challenge:

Hell if I know, but CueWarrior's idea is pretty cool. I'm gonna try that by the end of the week.

[ManekiNeko]

I like to call this one "I Can't Believe It's Not Rolling Thunder". It's a pretty good clone of the Tengen game, and fares pretty well in comparison to Capcom's other NES games. The control is solid, the animation is impressive (just wait until you open a door, only to find a crumbling corpse hidden behind it!), and it's a real challenge, especially in the later rounds. Sure, it's a shameless rip-off, but you can't argue with the results... it's arguably BETTER than the NES version of Rolling Thunder. I recommend it.

JR

[Ze_ro]

I always liked Rolling Thunder myself, so this game is a pleasant surprise. I only tried it once, and I wasn't even able to beat the first level, so I'll have to spend some more time with this game later. Works perfectly fine on NesterDC 7.1.

--Zero

[sniperCCJVQ]

CV is quasi-clone of Rolling Thunder in which Capcom did a good job IMO.

- Graphics are good, bright and colorful for the standard for 1989.

- Sounds and music are OK.

- Gameplay is easy : walk and shoot, but can get repetitive after a while. You are limited to only two weapons (gun and uzi) but can get the grenades later.

One thing i didn't like about the game, it's jumping with the character. The jumping animation is not enough smooth and something frustrating because when you try do to a "diagonal jump" over an ennemy or an obstacle, most of the time, the character didn't do it properly and you get kill.

All in all, a good game that can be hard for some because you can get kill very fast (you have only to life dots).

6.5 / 10



I emulated CV with RocknesX.

[§ Gideon §]

Opinions - My favorite part about the game was the pistol. It had a good feel to it. My least favorite part was the music. I don't think it was very inspired.

The main character and the enemies had a good walking speed. Also, the hidden doors were fun to use.

However, the graphics were bothersome--a little too bright. It would have been nice to have an invisibility period after being hit by an enemy, too.

Platform - I played Codename Viper using NESticle with a keyboard as a controller... I know it's bad, but I don't have my NES with me during the school year.

Progress - Not far enough. I'll be back.

Challenge - Sounds pretty challenging! I may try it...

All in all, I think you've selected a good game to start of the NES club! I'd imagine that not many people have played this game extensively, and there are certainly some worthwhile features.

P.S. I think there should be a link in the main Video Game forum explaining that the NES club posts in the Emulation forum. I wasn't expecting to find it here.

[Sotenga]

Erm... the main character is lacking pants. Yeah.

Nah, his pants just happen to be the same color as his skin. Anyway, when I first played this game a while back, the first thing I thought, as many of you have, was Rolling Thunder RIPOFF! Only it's a drug-bust theme in South America instead of spies trying to tackle an underground organization. But plot isn't important.

It's got sufficient graphics. Nothing too pleasing to the corneas, but it'll do. The sound's good, with some catchy music and sounds that come right out of Bionic Commando, namely the pistol-firing sound. Challenging? Indeed. Like in RT, two physical hits or one bullet, and you be deceased. The gameplay is solid, as it is exactly like RT, only with some new things here and there, like revolving walls, hostages, and to exit each level, you have to find a grenade.

It's practically Rolling Thunder 1.5, but Code Name: Viper is a pretty good game overall.

...

I'm still convinced that the protagonist is lacking pantaloons.

[AB Positive]

Opinion: I never played this game as a youngster, but playing it now I'm glad I did. I can recognize that this is probably a great game but I really do suck with anything involving guns. I couldn't get past the first level on 'easy'

Platform: emulated, via FCE Ultra

Progress: Not far

Challenge: If I can't beat the first level -with- the gun, I doubt I can do it without.


-AG

[Darth Sensei]

Challenge:

Hell if I know, but CueWarrior's idea is pretty cool. I'm gonna try that by the end of the week.

I'm having problems being a pacifist on the second level as the guys who come out of crates always nail me at one point.

I added Captain Yashiro to the list. Note to Kaine123, you were already added to the list.

D

[gamergary]

Played this game as a rom even though I have it in cart form. If you like Rolling Thunder like I do then you should like this game too. (Unless you don't like the fact that main character is not wearing any pants.)

[ArnoldRimmer83]

This game clones Rolling Thunder so much, I'm suprised Namco didn't knock on Capcom's door with lawsuits. Clones everything from the doors, to the machine gun weapon, to even the way damage is dealt with. (Getting hit by enemies twice kills you, and getting hit by a bullet once.)

But Capcom did add their own features to this game to make it stand out from Rolling Thunder a bit. To finish the level you have to first find a comrade who has a grenade. Also throughout the stage are hostages to save. (Though how they get out of the enemy territory after you untie them is beyond me.) In later levels you can also find power ups to increase your life bar.

Play control also makes this game quite a bit easier than Rolling Thunder. You can now control the main character in midair after he jumps, as well as firing your gun. Two things which would've been very handy in Rolling Thunder. The game also has selectable difficulty settings, though the ending is exactly the same in all 3 difficulties.

Only bad thing is, the game doesn't really invoke the same kind of atmosphere as Rolling Thunder. RT had the cool hooded terrorists, who looked pretty menacing. Codename Viper just has some generic looking soldiers who deal in drugs. The plot twist near the end of the game makes no sense either.

Rolling Thunder fans should check the game out, even if they might find it too easy compared to the game it's mimicking.

[Kroogah]

Opinions - This is one of the only Capcom games on the NES I didn't like. But I never cared for Rolling Thunder very much...I seem to remember enjoying RT slightly more if that helps.

Platform - NES.

Progress - Played a little bit, then got bored...

Challenge - I died a few times. On the first level. Games like that have trouble drawing me in.

[Dr. Morbis]

I'm a big Rolling Thunder fan, so I like this game by default. I find it easier than RT, but it seems too homogenized for me. The story and situations are sooo run of the mill. One thing I really liked about RT was the kooky-looking bad guys who all wear KKK-style hats and the boss guy who mocks you often.

Anyway, I can beat this game (on a real NES) on normal, but I've never tried difficult mode, that would be tough. And there must have been a development agreement behind the scenes, or surely Capcom would have been sued.

Quick question: why is this in the emu forums? Emulation is only an option for people who don't own the game to participate. I don't really see the "NES Club" as an emulation club.

[Darth Sensei]

Nobody has achieved my challenge yet?

Jerkov has been added to the club.

D

[jerkov]

I haven't played this game in a long, long time, but it's even harder than I remember it being. I'm playing it on a real NES since I have the cart.

For some odd reason, the music (especially the in-between level music when you're having a fireside chat with that rescued POW and even the first level theme) really reminds me of the NES game Deja Vu. The melodies they use and the distinctive bass and drum noises just seem so similar to some of the music in Deja Vu IMO. Or maybe I'm just crazy.....

The main things about this game that I've remembered over the years (that most of you have mentioned already) are that it's a blatant Rolling Thunder copy, the main character does not like wearing pants, the music, its very high difficulty level, and the fact that you've arrived a bit too late to rescue some of the hostages (you know, the crumbling skeletons that come out of some of the doors). I always liked this game more than Rolling Thunder for some reason......maybe its because Code Name: Viper is a little easier and I think the play control in Code Name: Viper is a little bit better. Not to mention the fact that Viper is, graphically, a better looking game. I know someone mentioned that the music wasn't good, but I actually like it a lot. I'm not good enough to beat the game, but I liked all the music I've heard in the game so far (I think the third level theme is really cool, actually).

Right now, I can only make it to near the end of the third level, but I'll work on the game throughout the week. If my memory serves me correctly, I don't think I've ever even been past the fourth or fifth level; the game gets way hard in those levels. As it is, I notice there are a lot of cheap hits when you're entering or exiting doors, as the enemies tend to hover around the door while you're in there. No matter how I time my exit, I frequently get run into by an enemy who's right outside the door.

I've often wondered how Capcom got away with making this game so similar to Rolling Thunder, unless they did have some kind of agreement like Dr. Morbis mentioned. But I guess it's really no worse than Vic Tokai's The Krion Conquest being a complete Mega Man clone. I think The Krion Conquest even reuses some of the graphics in Mega Man.......how the hell did they get away with making THAT game?

Haven't tried the challenge yet, since I tend to just go in there and start blasting away, but I might give it a shot before the week's out.

[Balloon Fight]

I enjoyed this game quite a bit. I've never played it before, so it was fresh to me. I thought the game was great, especially with the hidden doors and rescueing hostages. I thought that it was a bit hard, but you get used to it.
The music does get annoying, as it is just the same thing over and over again, but I did like the graphics. They were bright and colorful, which is a great fit to the game IMO. The gameplay is a little repetitive, but I like how they throw in the new weapons and waterfalls. Overall I think it was a great game to start off the NES club.

Platform: I emulated this puppy with FCE Ultra.

Progress: Well so far I only got to level 2, but I think I'll go for 3 or 4 soon.

Challenge: I'll definitely try this later.

[Bratwurst]

I just completed the pacifist challenge on easy and normal for level 1. Well, give or take a case of ammo or hostage.

Anybody notice if the guys in black are supposed to be the meanest? They move the fastest, take multiple hits and shoot back. JUST LIKE NINJA

[Oobgarm]

Opinion: I actually played this one during the NES' heyday. I was a big fan of the Rolling Thunder machine at the local arcade, and Code Name: Viper was as close to a home port as I was going to get. I had no way to get Tengen games until late in my youth.

I also remember this game being quite difficult in the later stages, and my most recent playthrough backs that up. I've gotten to the final boss before, but I just couldn't do it this time. Of course, my perseverance isn't what it used to be!

Platform: Played on actual NES

Progress: Up to final level

Challenge: Completed that-couldn't do any later levels, though.

[jerkov]

OK, I've been playing it a little more now, and I've gotten to the fifth level, but damn this game is hard. One thing I've just noticed that I didn't see mentioned (maybe because a lot of you are using emulators) by anyone is that they don't give passwords out after every level.....only certain levels. I just beat the fourth level to discover that no password was given out to enable me to start out at the fifth level. So, I can use the password for the fourth level, but I really don't feel like going through it because it's quite difficult; I'd rather start at the fifth level with my 3 credits intact.

I'd like to beat this game, but it's certainly going to be an uphill battle. Congratulations to all those here who are good enough to actually have beaten this game.