Random Retro Anecdotes

[Diff-chan]

He's right about unlimited continues, obviously. The problem is that he was completely blinded by the fact that he had a decently challenging arcade game in front of him and couldn't judge it in any way.

There are good arcade games and bad ones.

[GohanX]

I liked Strider 2, although it wasn't as good as the first and was ugly as sin. I've even got a Strider 2 shirt I wear from time to time.

[YellerDog]

The production art was really nice.

[gameoverDude]

I vividly remember Die Hard Gamefan devoting three columns over three months to talk shit about EGM for panning Strider 2. I vividly remember catching up with many of the games of yore Halverson et al praised and being like, "wtf is this shit?"

GF actually LIKED Journey From Darkness? JFD doesn't even deserve to be called Strider II. One playthrough was enough to decide that it sucked. EGM was right. OTOH I did think EGM was full of shit on their Mystical Fighter review. I remember the Review Crew giving it around a 4 average but enjoyed that game.

Super Thunder Blade is a retroactive disappointment. I was more tolerant back then but now gag at the choppy scaling. Retroactive disappointment indeed. I think it was rushed out to meet the Mega Drive's Japanese launch on 10-29-88. The Genesis could've done better, as later games like Road Rash and Street Racer pulled off decent software scaling. I didn't mind Galaxy Force II's Gen port at first but now find it rather repellent after having played the PS2 one. It's an improvement over STB, but still poor.


Too bad Genesis Super Hang-On isn't this fast.

You know, he's really kind of right, though. I'd see that complaint a lot around that time, and it's bullshit. Infinite continues in an arcade port doesn't make a game "easy." IGN's review of Gigawing 2 comes to mind as well. It's not a fair criticism. These are arcade games, designed to be played for score and survival.

If you continue in Strider 2, it hurts your rank at the end of the stage. IIRC you end up with an E rank, and your end of stage bonus goes down the shitter.

[Cheebs]

The good old days... I remember playing Tyson's Punch Out beginning to end without getting punched once. As soon as I was past Sandman I knew I had it in the bag, because Macho and Tyson had nothing on me. That little hitch in the razor uppercuts Sandman throws might catch me every now and then...