![]() ![]() The arcade game played like a side-scrolling beat-em-up, sort of like a combination of Spartan X and Double Dragon (or Streets of Rage). Now I will turn to games that had a (usually exclusive) NES version based off the arcade version, but not a direct port. Up to this point I have been comparing arcade ports to their originals. And this is playing it in MAME, never mind a loud arcade! In Life Force, there is a fair amount of digitized speech, but it intrudes far too frequently and it is often difficult to make out the words. All these arcade games use FM Synthesis for their music, but I find the FM synthesis for most of these games to be underwhelming compared to the more distinct PSG-based NES music. Contra is an exception and its arrangement sounds very good. Usually the sound effects in Konami's arcade games are good, but they often drown out the music. The Famicom version, Salamander, allows you to have three option pods whereas the NES version only allows two. In the NES version, you can save power up levels and choose how you want to upgrade your ship. It can be difficult at first to distinguish the various powerup icons. In the arcade, if an enemy leaves a power up, you have to take what is given. One other advantage the NES has over the arcade is the use of the Gradius-style powerup system. The arcade version has a nice mini-boss homage to Gradius lacking in the NES. The final boss for stage 6 is far less menacing than the NES version of this boss. Arcade stage 5 is really short and non-descript. Arcade stage 2 becomes the first half of NES stage 6 and arcade stage 4 becomes NES stage 2. The NES version relegates the less impressive bosses in arcade stages 3 and 4 to mini-boss status in NES stages 3 and 2, respectively. Their bosses have no counterparts in the arcade version. ![]() They are two of the most impressive stages as well, as stage 4 sends you through what looks like a living entity and stage 5 sends you through an Egyptian pyramid. The two versions have a nearly identical first, third and last stages, but the NES version's stages 4 and 5 have no arcade counterpart. ![]() The NES version took it as a template and improved on it quite a bit. Life Force for the Arcade has some very nice graphics. Metal Gear for the NES is a mess, Metal Gear 2 looks the part of a sequel but that is about it, and TMNT for the NES just did not leverage the license very well and was unfairly difficult to boot. When Konami does not do things in-house or hands a project off to the B-Team, the results are often disappointing. Its NES equivalent, Rush 'N Attack, has some difficulty balance issues. Green Beret on the Famicom Disk System is a very good port with very catchy music lacking in the arcade version. While the NES version has more stages, it has a severe limit on the number of enemies on the screen and the stages get monotonous. However, I do not consider it as superior to its arcade original because the arcade original is extremely colorful like the TV show, well-animated and supports four players. TMNT 2 - The Arcade Game for the NES is without a doubt the best contemporary port of the arcade title. When they do things in house, the results are usually pretty amazing. While I am here, I would like to praise Konami for handling its ports. The Famicom Disk System version of the game, Final Commando, is not quite as impressive as the NES due to the vertical-only scrolling and lack of the first mission. NES Jackal is another great Konami game, and like Contra and Super C and Life Force is a two player simultaneous game. Arcade Top Gunner (Jackal in World versions) is one long stage, no breaks, no bosses (except at the very end and its pretty underwhelming) It gets very repetitive after a while. Jackal for the Arcade came earlier (1986) than either Contra (1987) or Super Contra (1988). The NES version gives you a break, and the Famicom version has short scenes that propel the story. Also, the last four levels in the arcade progress without a break. The level 5 and 6 bosses are treated more like the level 5 tanks. The NES's Level 3 boss is much cooler than the arcade's. ![]() The graphics use many more colors but everything appears small. Enemies are on top of you without fair warning. Using a vertically oriented monitor as the arcade original did makes sense in an overhead shooter but not in a sidescroller. The bosses are great (except level 7, which is something of a let down, but is non-existent in the arcade version.)Ĭompared to the NES version, the arcade original has very short stages and they are very simplistic. It has good graphics (especially the Famicom version, which has animation inthe backgrounds in level 1, 5 & 8) and excellent music for its time. Contra is widely recognized as a classic on the NES. ![]()
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