January Together Retro: Konami Loves Genesis

[pierrot]

Morris doesn't have a super jump like Lecarde, but he does have the whip swing where he can whip the ceilings, and bottoms of platforms, and it will act kind of like a rope swing. You have to use it in the Morris specific sections in Stage 3, and Stage 5, but it works a lot of other places too.

[MrPopo]

Morris hits harder than Lecarde as well.

[lordb0rb4]

Thank you guys for all the answers!
These 2 games alone show how monster Konami was in the 16bits era, does TMNT The Hyperstone Heist bears the same polish?

[pook99]

Hard Corps is a great game, I grew up on Contra 3 so that game has a special place in my heart but after recently playing through hard corps I think that, objectively speaking, it is a better game than Contra 3. All the differennt characters, different paths, amazing set pieces, it really is a fantastic game and I will revisit it at some point to learn the different paths and characters.

On a more negative note, I just don't get the love of bloodlines. IMO, it is the worst 16 bit castlevania game, not to say that it is a bad game, but it just doesn't compare. To me the 16 bit heirarchy looks like this

Castlevania 4 >>>>>>>>Rondo of blood > Dracula X >>>>> Bloodlines

Thank you guys for all the answers!
These 2 games alone show how monster Konami was in the 16bits era, does TMNT The Hyperstone Heist bears the same polish?

Hyperstone Heist is a great game but is nowhere near as good as turtles in time, it is fun to play but it is on the short and easy side. Worth checking out if you like beat em ups but does not achieve the greatness of some of konamis other entries in the 16 bit era.

[lordb0rb4]

Hard Corps is a great game, I grew up on Contra 3 so that game has a special place in my heart but after recently playing through hard corps I think that, objectively speaking, it is a better game than Contra 3. All the differennt characters, different paths, amazing set pieces, it really is a fantastic game and I will revisit it at some point to learn the different paths and characters.

Contra 3 has a place in my heart as well since it was my first Contra ever and i'm almost frightened to admit that Hard Corps is even better in all but one aspect:
Control, i mean, damn, Snes controller and it's scheme is perfection for this game.
Dracula X was also my first castlevania ever and experiencing Bloodlines for the first time it is clear that everything down from not featuring a true Belmont to it's faster and lighter gameplay screams a deviation to the formula.
It's a lesser castlevania but a better action/platformer game than Castlevania IV and X IMO.

[marurun]

So, for this month’s together retro I am playing Konami’s port of Lineage 2 Classic on the Genesis. By which I mean I took a retail Lineage 2 Classic box, taped the word Konami in it, and placed it on top of my Genesis. So far I cannot get the game to boot up, but I am enjoying pressing buttons on my controller and trying to figure out what game function might be indicated by “no signal”.

[pook99]

It's a lesser castlevania but a better action/platformer game than Castlevania IV and X IMO.

What makes you feel that way?

Just curious because I think 4 and X are so much better than bloodlines and would like to hear from people with a different opinion, which there seems to be no shortage of on this thread.

[Gunstar Green]

I've always been the odd one out in my dislike for Castlevania 4. It's got a strong opening and an excellent finale but most of the levels in the middle are brown and unexciting. The whip is overpowered which makes the items sort of an unnecessary afterthought which I get is a plus for a lot of people but it simplifies the gameplay a bit too much for me. Everyone always goes on about the atmosphere but outside of the music I always thought the game was sort of dull next to Rondo and Bloodlines.

[lordb0rb4]

It's a lesser castlevania but a better action/platformer game than Castlevania IV and X IMO.

What makes you feel that way?

Just curious because I think 4 and X are so much better than bloodlines and would like to hear from people with a different opinion, which there seems to be no shortage of on this thread.

I can't point out exactly why but i think i'll always associate classic castlevania with clunky and heavy gameplay and a stronger gothic presentation, Castlevania Bloodlines deviates this in a lot of ways, the character feels floaty and agile, the setting involves even WWII.
Do not get me wrong, i LOVE Castlevania IV and X but i can't put Bloodlines among them.

I've always been the odd one out in my dislike for Castlevania 4. It's got a strong opening and an excellent finale but most of the levels in the middle are brown and unexciting. The whip is overpowered which makes the items sort of an unnecessary afterthought which I get is a plus for a lot of people but it simplifies the gameplay a bit too much for me. Everyone always goes on about the atmosphere but outside of the music I always thought the game was sort of dull next to Rondo and Bloodlines.

You got to analyse it by it's time of release and because it was the dawn of a new generation, although carrying the template set by the NES' trilogy they had to enhance in some way not only the visuals but gameplay as well.
The opening stage is a stand-out exactly for those reasons, the WOW factor had to be presented the very first moment.

[pierrot]

These 2 games alone show how monster Konami was in the 16bits era, does TMNT The Hyperstone Heist bears the same polish?

It does, and it's also the best TMNT beat-em-up on consoles. If you enjoy the first two arcade games, Hyperstone Heist is a must.