What Are You Playing? (Winter, 2015-2016)

Real men use their fists.
We should have a pay per view.
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I think Thunderblade (SMS) was on of the only games my brother and I didn't beat for that console (of the games we owned). Lord of the Sword being the other one I can think of.

Dracula X.

Though I've owned this game several times over the last two decades, I've never really played it too much. I always found it too cheap/hard. Well, today I'm determined. I've made it farther than I ever have before (Shaft), and even found a level I'd never found before (stage 1 secret area I think, you smash through a rock wall, then jump on a floating platform until it disintegrates and you fall down). I liked that I found it on my own (accidentally, mind you. I couldn't believe there'd be nothing back there except a few candles, so I kept jumping back and forth and then the platform gave way and I thought I was going to die).
But there's a lot I don't like. My most hated Castlevania trope has always been the medusa heads. So I'm incredibly not fond of the fleamen riding eagles and the floating skeleton heads or the flying skullopedes that are always just out of whip range. I'm also not fond of the not overly precise jumping.
I know it's me because everyone and their mother loves this game. But I really don't feel it. I'm not enjoying myself in the least. But I'm going to keep whacking at it, hoping it clicks sooner or later.
But I'd love it if someone could tell me what makes it so great. The graphics and music are super awesome, no doubt about that. But it's not that fun to play.

The whip is a clunky weapon. It is in every CV. It's what makes the flying enemies you talked about so scary: when you can only slowly control a little chunk of horizontal space, something that quickly controls vertical space is threatening. Parabolas like the Medusa heads are downright terrifying. The slowness and limited range of the whip aren't design flaws, though; those are what make it feel powerful and satisfying. It's something the newer games lost with their fancy swords.

What I love about X is that it lets you turn that slow little horizontal chunk into a wrecking ball once you get a feel and an eye for how and when to back flip and back step. Something just out of jump, whip's vertical range is just within backflip, whip's vertical range. Those moves aren't superfluous. The enemy placement likes to see them as much as X lovers like to do them. That matters.

The back step is especially useful for flying guys like the watery skull things at the end. You watch them spawn, wait them out, then back step right as they're coming up under you, crouch, and whip 'em.

It was kind of a slow burn for me, too. Once I started working those moves in, I saw the light.

(Today was the first time I ever did a backflip. Never knew about it before. Was too embarrassed to mention it.):sweat:

It must be something with me and Castlevania. I used to rent an NES on the weekends sometimes when I was a kid. Played Castlevania 3 for months even though I'd never get too far into it. I'd always reach an area with too much water for me to jump over.
Years later I found out about switching characters via the select button. All I had to do was turn into Alucard and fly over the gap.
Back when having (and reading) instructions mattered, lol.

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Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name

Sega Master System!

Had a CIB Master System with a bunch of mint CIB games traded in yesterday. Considered keeping the stuff, since I sold off my collection a while ago and this stuff is in as good shape as what I had.
I've spent the day playing Time Soldiers, Thunderblade, R-Type (kudos to anyone who beat this without the invincibility cheat, I don't think it's possible), Golvellius, and Double Dragon.
I'm glad I did, because I've killed any urge to keep the stuff. I just don't have the patience to relearn the patterns and shit. I never beat Thunderblade when I was a kid, but I could easily get to the third stage (it's always the forward scrolling stages that trip me up). Farthest I could get today was the 2nd part of the 2nd level. Same with Time Soldiers. That game is tuff as balls.
I played about 15 minutes of Golvellius before I popped it out because of the horrible overworld controls. I thought maybe there was something wrong with the controller because instead of going down it would pause for a sec and then move right or left. Then I tried other controllers and it was the same. But everything responded perfectly when I tried other games. So it's just that game. I don't remember it being that awful.
I wish I had a copy of Rastan as I've really been hankering to play that again. But I'm sure the result would be the same. My skills would suck and I'd get frustrated replaying the first few stages over and over again.
Oh well, it was a nice trip down memory lane. But I don't need this stuff. I'll never play it.

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Time Soldiers was one I could beat pretty consistently. I do recall that the level order was random and some levels were harder when you got them later than others though (bosses especially).

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

Thunderblade is terrible, I tried to like it as a kid but just couldn't.

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Still better than the Genesis version, somehow.

I've been having fun with the 3DS one. I really do like the arcade version, it's just too bad it took so long to get a decent home port.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Time Soldiers was one I could beat pretty consistently. I do recall that the level order was random and some levels were harder when you got them later than others though (bosses especially).

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Big blue tank always gave me problems. Rest of the bosses were cake.

If Drac X is too hard for you choose Maria. Look up how to do her special attacks and the game is effectively on easy mode. Then go back and get better with Richter.

IMO the only flaw with the game is that it's too easy. The only stage that gets really tough is the alternate Stage 5.

What special attacks? The animal buddies?