The Speccy Arcade 100

[blucey]

Cabal was great but I don't remember doing all that well at it and certainly never got anywhere near finishing it.

I might give it a go now before my next meeting.

EDIT: bloody hell. Even harder than I remember. The hard to see bullets and slightly dodgy collision detection are a problem.

[Joefish]

I can never get the hang of the controls in this style of game. I either want the gunsight to move left and right in line with the player, or have a separate control for them like mouse + left/right keys. Even just playing gunsight games with a joystick or any digital controls is hard enough.

Or maybe a joystick for movement, then three keys for firing slightly off to the left, slightly right, or dead-ahead (Gunsmoke style), with vertical SHMUP style bullets that just go up the screen until they hit something? Otherwise, it just seems too much to keep track of.

I get it, that the idea is to move your player to a safe position, then stand still and kill as many baddies as possible, then only move when you have to, to dodge a bullet. But I just feel that that robs you of a lot of freedom in how you play.

[Swainy]

It’s probably worth pointing out that the 128k version of Renegade didn’t just include AY music but it also played differently to the 48k version. When you knock the bad guys over in the 128k version, they fall back a bit as they drop to the floor rather down straight down like they in the 48k version (it’s more noticeable when you knock the bad guys off the platform) Plus there is the throw move which is missing from the 48k game and also the 128k version has the 4th stage background which again is sadly missing from the 48k version.

Also if you played the 128k version on a +2A or +3 the in game music didn’t work (as we see in the video above).

My very old video review of it:

https://youtu.be/Z-Q2J7yZKyU

[toot_toot]

Renegade was one of those games where you had no idea there was a 128k version hidden in there as it used the same loader as the 48K version. So imagine my amazed surprise when I upgraded from my rubber key 48k to a +2 and loaded this bad boy up. WOW. You got a great little 12 bar blues song plus the gameplay was enhanced! Unbelievable!

Oh, talking of unofficial sequels, yeah The Vindicator was originally promoted as Vindicator: Green Beret II (although I’d say the game is more like Gryzor than Green Beret) Duet was also originally previewed as a sequel to Commando (Commando 86) and I’m sure Beyond the Ice Palace was originally touted as an unofficial sequel to Ghosts and Goblins. You’ve also got Strider II as one of those sequels that weren’t in the arcades.

Bomb Jack 2 is an interesting one, it’s very likely a Thundercats game that was rebadged to be a Bomb Jack sequel, well check out the C64 version. That sure looks like Lion-O as the main sprite… and whats that in-game music????? lol

https://youtu.be/Ff_qqr-e1Aw

[blucey]

11?!

Renegade is a top three Speccy game, let alone being one of the very best coin op conversions.

Also, it's one of the few that is better than the arcade game.

[catmeows]

Renegade is a top three Speccy game, let alone being one of the very best coin op conversions.

You are factually wrong. It's QUITE CLEARLY number 11.

I must admire how Hardcore Gaming 101 podcast (while on insane quest to complete Top 47858 Games of All Time list) stated "[...] we objectively, definitely and above all scientifically rank the games [...]".

[Daveysloan]

11?!

Renegade is a top three Speccy game, let alone being one of the very best coin op conversions.

Also, it's one of the few that is better than the arcade game.

I can only assume Target Renegade is 1st or 2nd then.

A most amazing pair of games though, & two of the very few scrolly beat em ups on the Speccy that stand the test of time. Shame they never made a 3rd Renegade game. I'm sure it would have been great.

[blucey]

I can only assume Target Renegade is 1st or 2nd then.

But of course as everyone should know, Renegade is much better than Target: Renegade.

Target: Renegade is like playing Renegade with better graphics and music but with a cheat mode on that makes it basically impossible to lose.

[Daveysloan]

I think that's why I like it so much.

[blucey]

R-Type is so good technically that it probably deserves the number ten spot but it's based on an arcade game that really one has two good levels.

[Joefish]

But the shot noise in that R-Type GT adaptation is so awful and intrusive it completely ruins the music. I'd rather go without than suffer that cacophony.

[Daveysloan]

Really looking forward to the 9 Speccy arcade conversions that are better than R-Type & Bubble Bobble.

[RWAC]

R-Type is so good technically that it probably deserves the number ten spot but it's based on an arcade game that really one has two good levels.

I've never got passed level 2 so that's not a problem

[MrCyan]

For the best of both worlds, run a music player in the background and switch tracks with keyboard shortcuts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWVdU3EJoe4

[Daveysloan]

Really looking forward to the 9 Speccy arcade conversions that are better than R-Type & Bubble Bobble.

It's your lucky day - there are actually 23 better than Bubble Bobble

I know they are going to be awesome. But nothing beats Bubble Bobble for me.

[Van_Dammesque]

R-Type is so good technically that it probably deserves the number ten spot but it's based on an arcade game that really one has two good levels.

Which two, out of interest?

Level 3 has to be one of them right?

I thought the speccy (and probably the arcade) version after lvl 3 were really difficult that they spoil the game.
(Coming from how completed Zynaps and Project X 4 disk version on the Amiga!)

[5MinuteRetro]

Right. Apparently my "tone" is a problem on this forum, and life's too short, because I came here to have a bit of fun and chat and knockabout banter about something we all love, not to be fighting with abominable pearl-clutching whiners who think being disagreed with is an assault on their very existence and that typing random numbers of asterisks in the middle of an all-caps joke rant is "swearing". I can get that sort of crap pretty much anywhere else, and I guess I hoped that since we're a bunch of middle-aged men playing silly videogames we wouldn't take it all too seriously and it'd be different here, but there you go. Snowflakes abound, I'm more a flamethrower sort of guy, and that's a bad combo.

So for the purposes of the contest here's the full chart, and I'm flouncing off before I cause any more offence. I'll probably get round to posting the text of the last nine entries on Wings Over Sealand at some point if anyone wants to read it, along with what's already been published here, but formatting it for WordPress is a huge arseache - sorry, a bottomache - so it might be a while. Sorry for spoiling the suspense, hope you enjoyed the preceding 32,000 words, see you all around sometime.

Wow. I don't know what happened to lead to this but this is very sad. I think [mention]Rev_Stuart_Campbell[/mention] can be a pr*ck in all sorts of ways -- both here and in the real world -- but, man alive, I agree with his sentiment here. He's been rude to me at least once here; possibly more. Who cares? It's saloon-bar nonsense.

If we're getting into a situation where smart, intelligent grown-ups that have contributed hugely and entertainingly are being warned for 'tone' then I'll be off too.

L8rs.

[PeterJ]

Just to be clear, I asked [mention]Rev_Stuart_Campbell[/mention] to tone down some of his 'banter / language' this morning for want of a better term. I thought I did it in a friendly way. I also complimented him on many of his threads. I've personally had at least two people complain previously. I'm trying to keep everyone happy here, and sometimes that just isn't possible. There were no warnings or even talk of warnings, nor did I in any way ask him to stop posting. I just asked him to try and meet me half way.

It's very simple. Just stick within the broad area of the site rules that you signed up to when joining and everyone is happy. Whilst in the majority, the audience is not all middle aged men.

I don't want to loose anybody, but if you feel that strongly, and think I'm being unjust, then there are other channels you can use.

I've said this before, but it's my name on the domain and web hosting, and in the area I work in I can't afford to have anything that could be construed in a certain way. It's unfortunate that, this is how society has become over the last 10-15 years, but that's how it is, and we have to live with it

[TomD]

Got a clue what went on here, but personally have been really enjoying this top 100 and thanks to Stuart for pulling it all together. Also honoured to see my game at #2

TomD

[Mousey]

Ah this is a disappointing note to end what has been a fantastic thread. Pretty much the first thing I'd check each morning was what the next game was, and it was getting more exciting as the top 10 was drawing nearer.

As I've said before, I don't even care that Stuart's top 100 is nothing like my top 100. I know what my top 100 is* so why would I want to read a list of someone who is in complete agreement with me? The enjoyable thing was seeing another person's perspective and reasoning, and finding a few gems along the way.

But there we go. All I really want to say is a big thank you [mention]Rev_Stuart_Campbell[/mention] for the time and care you've spent compiling this entertaining list.

*This is a lie - I have no idea what my top 100 would be; it would take me ages to figure that out!!!

[+3code]

I'll probably get round to posting the text of the last nine entries on Wings Over Sealand at some point if anyone wants to read it, along with what's already been published here, but formatting it for WordPress is a huge arseache - sorry, a bottomache - so it might be a while. Sorry for spoiling the suspense, hope you enjoyed the preceding 32,000 words, see you all around sometime.

Yes, I want to read it
To come here to read the next in the countdown was really fun, but too without the suspense will be an interesting reading.

[Daveysloan]

Ah flip. I was really enjoying this top 100, the best thread I've read on an internet forum in years. Even though I disagreed with a good part of it... actually it was so good BECAUSE I disagreed with a good part of it & it's caused me to dig out some corkers I'd never have otherwise played.

Gutted it's ended like this.

[Nitrowing]

I don't even...
Just WTF???

[RR7]

*sigh*

[RWAC]

Suprise Ending!

Didn't see that coming