#0143 Galaga '88

So today I played Galaga '88, a remake of the original 1981 Galaga by Namco.

So before I get into the remake, just like with any sequels or remakes, I think I should probably go over what I thought of the original:

I liked it. Yeah. It was one of the first great SMUPS, but IDK, I think people overhyped it for me. It wasn't as groundbreaking as Space Invaders, and didn't have as big a "wow" factor as Galaxian did (which was the first Color game iirc) but it was a very tight and well designed game. For its time it was an amazing feat that perfected on what Galaxian started.

As for the remake? It's even better. Just like with Arcanoid remake of Breakout and the Blasteroids remake of Asteroids before it. Seriously, the graphics are improved, the sounds are improved, even the gameplay has tweaks that make it feel even tighter than the original. All the things you loved about Galaga are present here, but better presented and feels like a genuine update for the late 80s.

It DOES have a couple issues, but that mainly stems from the fact that it does try to be faithful to the source material. For example, you can still only fire one bullet at a time, there's still no upgrades, and there's really no continue system to speak of. Arcanoid and Blasteroids introduced these elements in their own remakes to keep the title from feeling dated the moment it hit the floor. It is unfortunate, in my opinion anyway, that they chose to keep these design choices, but  I could see some purists preferring this.

If you liked the original Galaga, this one's even better. It's one of the few remakes I've seen where not only is the new one better, but becomes the definitive version of the game. This is one of those games, the gameplay is still just as tight as the original, the sounds and graphics are absolutely amazing, I just wish they would have updated the mechanics to modernize it a little bit.

If you liked Galaga, you're going to absolutely love this game as it's the same thing only better. If you're not a fan of Galaga, this will be okay. I can't see anyone finding the game bad, but some might not like the lack of updated mechanics.

Next up: Maniac Mansion

#0142 Oids

So today I played Oids, a SHMUP developed by FTL Games in 1987.

So before I talk about the game, I wanted to talk about what I had to go through just to play it. See, this game originally only came out on the Macintosh and the Atari ST. I didn't want to have to download yet another emulator. So, I started poking around. Turns out, back in 2014, the game was actually ported! to the Amiga.

That's right, a guy by the name of meynaf on http://eab.abime.net the English Amiga Boards actually ported a 30 year old game to another 30 year old computer.

Admitedly I didn't really look too much into WHY it was ported to such an old computer but it got me thinking about The Amiga, and how people must have really REALLY loved their Amigas back in the day.

The thing was a BEAST when it came out though, so it's really no wonder why it was so beloved by all. It also helps that the Amiga's keyboard is starting to look something more like a modern keyboard. That was always something that's been difficult with other emulators. Emulating the keyboard, the Apple II and the ZX Spectrum's keyboards are almost nothing like IBM PC keyboards, so it's nice to have something that's emulated more accurately.

Anywho, onto the game itself:

It's okay.

For all the effort I put into playing this game in a version that was only released a couple years ago, it was pretty underwhelming. It's a Gravitar clone. It has better, more updated graphics, but I was never a huge fan of Gravitar or Lunar Lander to begin with. Honestly, it wasn't bad, the controls are just like I remembered them being, if you're into physics based SHMUPS, then this might just be right up your ally, but for me, I probably could have given it a pass.

Next up: Galaga '88

#0141 Nebulus

Today was a lot of fun. Today I played Nebulus, a 1987 puzzle platformer by John Phillips for various computer systems.

That's right, this was a puzzle platformer, not on the NES, not on Arcade, but on PC and it was AWESOME!  You play as this little alien dude and your goal is to climb this big ol' tower avoiding obstacles along the way. You get hit by a bad guy, you go tumbling down a couple of levels, fall all the way back down into the water, and you lose a life.

this game introduced a mechanic that I don't think I've seen on the list before, where the main character remains stationary, while the entire world moves around them. It helps you keep track of your character while you move around and the result is some very fun platforming action.

It's helped even more by the fact that the graphics in this game look amazing. It has this affect that you really can't see in the static screenshots, but the sides of the tower narrow and fade as you move around it, giving you this cool 3D looking affect.

If I had to gripe, it'd be about the controls, they're pretty stiff and slugish. Reaction time to jump is pretty slow and the result is not being able to perform the manuvers you'd LIKE to do as well.

but honestly it's just a nitpick, the game overall is pretty amazing, especailly for a PC platformer. If you're into challenging puzzle platformers, give this one a try, it was ported to NES and Gameboy as well as Commodore 64, Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST etc.

Next up: Oids

#0140 Head Over Heels

So today I played a kind of surprising game. Head over Heels, a 1987 Isometric Adventure game developed by Ocean Software.

I've played a couple of Isometric games on the list before such as Knight Lore and Fairlight, but this is the first game that felt like a complete and tested game.

You play as a duo, Head and Heels. Head can jump higher and can fire projectiles, heels is faster and can carry items. Together they can jump high, fire projectiles, is much faster and can carry items. See, you play as both, swapping between the two with the press of a button, unlike the other two isometric games, the controls felt tight, and intuitive, the gameplay and map layout felt clear and consise, I felt the challenge was much more manageable, and the two character gimick is actually a lot of fun. You'll run into puzzles where you can't do it as one of the characters, so you have to remember it and come back as the other. It's something modern games do with dungeon layout and it's great to see it here!

Next up: Nebulus

#0139 Double Dragon

Today I played Double Dragon. An arcade beat em up developed by Technos.

A spiritual successor to Renegade, which wasn't on the list, it's one of the most popular and influential beat em up games, and the first beat em up on the list!

You basically gotta save your smokin hot babe from bad guys and... That's it! Save your Girlfriend from bad guys!

The gameplay is pretty good. It's one of the first beat em ups and it shows. The hit box feels inconsistent, bad guys seem to be hit sponges, and the controls aren't super intuitive.

But it's fun! Picking up the bad guys weapon and using it against them is a good idea, and I love love LOVE the continue system. When you lose all your loves you have the option to jump RIGHT back in and keep going. Really gets you spending your quarters.

I feel it would have been even better two player. Overall though, if you're not a fan of beat em ups, this one isn't going to change your mind. But if you like beat em ups, this one's a dated, but still solid game.

Next up: Head Over Heels

#0138 International Karate +

Eh, it's okay.
I did a review of the original Karate Champ a while back, it's almost the same but with more movement allowed. The controls are stiff, and unresponsive still. I had a hard time making attacks flow.
So I did what all gamers do when they're playing a fighting game for the first time.
I button mashed.
I ended up doing okay after that.
It's okay, I suppose, foran 80s fighting game.
Still really not my cup of tea.

next up: Double Dragon