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Memories of where and when you first played/saw this game


retrorussell

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Next: 

NARC (1988, Williams)

Holy cow was this game hilarious!  I didn't really play this back in the day but I was sure missing out (started playing it when MAME was pretty new).  Wall-to-wall gore in this run and gun game as you roam the streets on foot or in vehicle laying waste to junkies, drug dealers and crime bosses, blowing them to bloody bits (QUITE literally) with various destructive weaponry.  Famed designer Eugene Jarvis helmed this.

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I think I first saw it at a nickel arcade (Electric Castle's Wunderland) in my neighborhood.

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I saw this in the wild before in North Carolina but never actually played it.

 

I was more familiar with the NES port as well as Max Force (one of the game's characters) being feature on the Power Team cartoon that used to run on the syndicated show Video Power.

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One I guess I did not cover:

ASTRO BLASTER (1981 Gremlin/Sega)

Man did I love this game!  Creepy voice synthesis informing you of impending alien attack, counting down your warp time, telling you your fuel status, and how many ships you have left (or none).  The sound effects and action were great too.  I could never beat Sector 4.  So many hidden bonuses in this game!  I was crazy for this when I first saw it at my dad's bowling alley in Milwaukie OR (Kellogg Bowl).  One of the all-time ultimate come-ons during the attract mode: "Fighter pilots needed in sector wars!  Play Astro Blaster!"

1181242049117.jpg

 

220px-ARC_Astro_Blaster.png

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Added note: I guess some cabinets had a slightly different order of enemies than others.  In most I see the pink birthday cake enemies (at least that's what I call them) as the very first enemies, and one other cabinet I saw the first enemies from sector 5 somewhere in sector 1, if I remember correctly.

Somebody who donated the cabinet to Ground Kontrol (an arcade I'd been to multiple times in Portland) commented on an Astro Blaster video I did on YouTube and told me about it being there, so I went and played it.  Cool!  Had my best score on an actual machine.

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1 hour ago, retrorussell said:

One I guess I did not cover:

ASTRO BLASTER (1981 Gremlin/Sega)

Man did I love this game!  Creepy voice synthesis informing you of impending alien attack, counting down your warp time, telling you your fuel status, and how many ships you have left (or none).  The sound effects and action were great too.  I could never beat Sector 4.  So many hidden bonuses in this game!  I was crazy for this when I first saw it at my dad's bowling alley in Milwaukie OR (Kellogg Bowl).  One of the all-time ultimate come-ons during the attract mode: "Fighter pilots needed in sector wars!  Play Astro Blaster!"

1181242049117.jpg

 

220px-ARC_Astro_Blaster.png

 

It was AWESOME!

 

Our mall had it (Time-Out),  so,  fond memories there...I never went as often as I'd have liked back when they had the Best games. 

 

The fact I probably only went a handful of times,  probably made it more Amazing (in my mind I mean)...

 

Seems like within  6 months to a year they had replaced Rip Off, Star Castle, and Astro Blaster,  with newer stuff and they never got them back  :( 

 

PS:  Very Glad I own this on 7800!   (Thanks Bob!!)

 

 

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On 5/25/2022 at 7:38 PM, retrorussell said:

Next: 

NARC (1988, Williams)

Holy cow was this game hilarious!  I didn't really play this back in the day but I was sure missing out (started playing it when MAME was pretty new).  Wall-to-wall gore in this run and gun game as you roam the streets on foot or in vehicle laying waste to junkies, drug dealers and crime bosses, blowing them to bloody bits (QUITE literally) with various destructive weaponry.  Famed designer Eugene Jarvis helmed this.

maxresdefault.jpg

 

I think I first saw it at a nickel arcade (Electric Castle's Wunderland) in my neighborhood.

The image looks like a fancy MAME cabinet! The original cab is kind of unusual - it almost looks modular in the way it's assembled:

 

narc-cab.gif.8975171d91d20d2918da70a9828a9d4d.gif

 

I saw NARC all over the place... it was a big hit. I think I first saw it at Rivergate Mall outside of Nashville, and then at a downtown mall that I can't recall the name of right now. Digitized graphics from this era could often be noisy and ugly (Pit Fighter) or just mediocre and stiff (Mortal Kombat), but NARC is really nice to look at.

 

Years later, playing it on MAME with unlimited continues, I still couldn't beat the final boss, Mr. Big.

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1st time I played NARC was at an Aladdin's Castle arcade in the mall while at college. Loved the pace and gore in it. They had the audio cranked on it so you could hear someone playing it before you even entered the arcade. My friends and I got a good laugh at the "say no to drugs" screen since a good portion of the arcade clientele looked like they hadn't slept for days and were wired on something.

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Next:

THE COMBATRIBES (1990 Technos Japan)

Way cool, very violent multiplayer beat-em-up that's sort of like Double Dragon/Renegade meets Final Fight.  You get plenty of brutal moves to finish off your enemies, including swinging them by their legs into their buddies, smashing their face into the ground, picking them up and tossing them, charging at them, and bashing their heads together!  This is one of those "buy in" life bar games where you add credits to increase your life meter (in digits).  Have 2 other friends play at once for the maximum experience.  I first saw this at a nickel arcade in Tigard OR, I think.  I love the varied stage designs and colorful enemies.

Combatribes-e1599461532787.jpg

 

ctribe-210428-102300.png

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  • 2 months later...
On 5/30/2022 at 2:16 AM, retrorussell said:

One I guess I did not cover:

ASTRO BLASTER (1981 Gremlin/Sega)

Man did I love this game!  Creepy voice synthesis informing you of impending alien attack, counting down your warp time, telling you your fuel status, and how many ships you have left (or none).  The sound effects and action were great too.  I could never beat Sector 4.  So many hidden bonuses in this game!  I was crazy for this when I first saw it at my dad's bowling alley in Milwaukie OR (Kellogg Bowl).  One of the all-time ultimate come-ons during the attract mode: "Fighter pilots needed in sector wars!  Play Astro Blaster!"

1181242049117.jpg

 

220px-ARC_Astro_Blaster.png

It was one of the first games I remember being a regular of mine. In 81, there weren't the sheer variety of game that there were a few years later.  I first played it at a local entertainment spot here in Overland Park, KS called King Louis West.  It was a bowling alley, ice rink,  with a bar/short order restaurant and pool room.  That pool room transitioned to pinball then arcade games during my childhood from the late 70's to early 80's.   

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Next:

MAGIC SWORD (1990 Capcom)

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Fun little hack and slash adventure where you can open treasure chests, get potions, new weapons, unlock prison cells to free additional team members, etc.  Good sound effects and music, typical of Capcom.  I first saw this at the Tigard Cinemas, I believe, in Tigard, OR.  TONS of levels and multiple endings.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Next:

IRONMAN IVAN STEWART'S SUPER OFF ROAD, 1989 Leland Corp.

 

Fun overhead racing game featuring the 7-time SCORE International Driver of the Year Ivan Stewart and up to 3 other drivers trying to beat his grey truck in a race of 4 laps on a fixed screen track filled with potholes, jumps, bumps, and water traps.  Upgrade your truck after a race at the "Speed Shop" with better tires, shocks, acceleration, top speed, and best of all, NITROS that give you a big speed boost.  Extra money (used towards the Speed Shop purchases) and extra nitros can be grabbed from icons appearing on the track intermittently.  7 different tracks, and a ROM upgrade kit called IISSOR "Track Pak" has more tracks.  I believe I first saw this at an Oregon coast arcade (still in operation).  I cracked up at the super busty models in the (naturally) skimpiest of bikinis in this game.

super_off_road_arcade_game.gif

 

ivan-iIronman-stewarts-super-off-road.pn

 

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Edited by retrorussell
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1 hour ago, retrorussell said:

IRONMAN IVAN STEWART'S SUPER OFF ROAD, 1989 Leland Corp.

Wow, I saw it in so many places I actually am not sure where I first saw it! I want to say it might have been in a Pizza Hut in Nashville..? I remember it in just about every place that had games, at one point.

 

I found that one of the keys to getting farther in the game was to try to avoid using Nitro's as much as possible. As soon as you use a Nitro, in the next race all the CPU opponents are going Nitro crazy. If you hold off on using them, they will too. But of course, they are cheap compared to most of the other upgrades.

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2 hours ago, Zoyous said:

Wow, I saw it in so many places I actually am not sure where I first saw it! I want to say it might have been in a Pizza Hut in Nashville..? I remember it in just about every place that had games, at one point.

 

I found that one of the keys to getting farther in the game was to try to avoid using Nitro's as much as possible. As soon as you use a Nitro, in the next race all the CPU opponents are going Nitro crazy. If you hold off on using them, they will too. But of course, they are cheap compared to most of the other upgrades.

Yeah, the good times to use it are on ramps or straightaways.  And it's good to get good tires early on so you can make those tight turns after a boost.  It seems as long as you don't hit a wall after a boost you can still stay at a high speed for a little while.  Or that's been my experience at least.  I'm no master at this game by any means.

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21 hours ago, retrorussell said:

Next:

IRONMAN IVAN STEWART'S SUPER OFF ROAD, 1989 Leland Corp.

 

Fun overhead racing game featuring the 7-time SCORE International Driver of the Year Ivan Stewart and up to 3 other drivers trying to beat his grey truck in a race of 4 laps on a fixed screen track filled with potholes, jumps, bumps, and water traps.  Upgrade your truck after a race at the "Speed Shop" with better tires, shocks, acceleration, top speed, and best of all, NITROS that give you a big speed boost.  Extra money (used towards the Speed Shop purchases) and extra nitros can be grabbed from icons appearing on the track intermittently.  7 different tracks, and a ROM upgrade kit called IISSOR "Track Pak" has more tracks.  I believe I first saw this at an Oregon coast arcade (still in operation).  I cracked up at the super busty models in the (naturally) skimpiest of bikinis in this game.

super_off_road_arcade_game.gif

 

ivan-iIronman-stewarts-super-off-road.pn

 

118124212393.png

Well, this is definitely one that I saw and played.  I can't recall the "first" time I saw it because it was everywhere.

 

It's funny because back then I didn't even consider playing an arcade game to master it.  I just put two quarters in, played and moved on.  Today I approach them much differently, but this is a game that is hard to go back to.  Infinite quarters and single player mode don't really do this justice.  If I'd only known then what I know now, I could have had a lot of fun with this.

 

And yes - the bikinis worked on me

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Next game:

WWF SUPERSTARS, 1989 Technos

Wonderful arcade wrestling game (one of my personal favorites) with several top names in the world of pro wrestling-- Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Big Boss Man, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, The Ultimate Warrior, Andre The Giant, The Honky Tonk Man and The Million Dollar Man.  The character sprites are very similar to the look of Technos' later THE COMBATRIBES.

I think I first saw this at Funland at the Oregon coast.

BGZZ1WRCcAASFBR.jpg

WWF-WrestleFest-Rumble-962x600.png

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10 minutes ago, retrorussell said:

Next game:

WWF SUPERSTARS, 1989 Technos

Wonderful arcade wrestling game (one of my personal favorites) with several top names in the world of pro wrestling-- Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Big Boss Man, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, The Ultimate Warrior, Andre The Giant, The Honky Tonk Man and The Million Dollar Man.  The character sprites are very similar to the look of Technos' later THE COMBATRIBES.

I think I first saw this at Funland at the Oregon coast.

BGZZ1WRCcAASFBR.jpg

WWF-WrestleFest-Rumble-962x600.png

Never played it. It came out the year I graduated high school and left for the Navy and was sort of a terrible time in arcade games in general and I was sort of out of the loop for a year or two in regards to gaming/pc's/consoles/etc.  I do recall seeing this game however at a place called Manatee's...it was sort of the default snack shop/bar/arcade outside the gate at Naval Station Orlando where I was in nuke school. It was a regular hangout for young single sailors with no car.   The place is long gone to the sands of time as is the naval base itself.  

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On 9/21/2022 at 1:59 PM, retrorussell said:

Next:

IRONMAN IVAN STEWART'S SUPER OFF ROAD, 1989 Leland Corp.

 

Fun overhead racing game featuring the 7-time SCORE International Driver of the Year Ivan Stewart and up to 3 other drivers trying to beat his grey truck in a race of 4 laps on a fixed screen track filled with potholes, jumps, bumps, and water traps.  Upgrade your truck after a race at the "Speed Shop" with better tires, shocks, acceleration, top speed, and best of all, NITROS that give you a big speed boost.  Extra money (used towards the Speed Shop purchases) and extra nitros can be grabbed from icons appearing on the track intermittently.  7 different tracks, and a ROM upgrade kit called IISSOR "Track Pak" has more tracks.  I believe I first saw this at an Oregon coast arcade (still in operation).  I cracked up at the super busty models in the (naturally) skimpiest of bikinis in this game.

super_off_road_arcade_game.gif

 

ivan-iIronman-stewarts-super-off-road.pn

 

118124212393.png

Wow...did this not come out until 89?!  I could have sworn I remembered playing this much before my senior year of high school.....

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1 hour ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

I didn't see Super Off-Road in arcade form until the late 90s when I saw one in the local restaurant in town here. I did play the hell out of the NES version... which is one of the best 4 player games on the system. 

Was it though? Isn't M.U.L.E. better (although a800 is the best version), Gauntlet II, or Superspike V Ball or World Cup?

69uh99n7ykf11.jpg

 

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14 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

Was it though? Isn't M.U.L.E. better (although a800 is the best version), Gauntlet II, or Superspike V Ball or World Cup?

69uh99n7ykf11.jpg

 

I loved Excitebike and Vs. Baseball.  Two of my arcade favorites and really enjoyed having the exact same experience at home.  I loved when you'd hit a home run sometimes and the ball would basically hang in the air at about the equivalent of 2500 feet and for about 30 seconds....

 

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Next: 

MIDNIGHT RESISTANCE, 1989 Data East

HOLY S**T was this game cool!  A very well-done Contra-like run and gun, but with not only a rotational knob to turn your guy's firing arm in 8 directions but also you get to BUY weapon upgrades by collecting keys from certain fallen foes.  Homing missiles, bombs, spread shots, etc., you name it; this has tons of cool weapons.  A drug kingpin kidnaps your family (your father is a scientist working on a serum that makes people resistant to drug addiction), and you must rescue them solo or with a partner.  Saw this at a movie theater lobby, and can't recall if I saw it elsewhere.  Got it for my Genesis and thought it was a terrific port.

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Midnight-041.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Next game:

STRIDER (1989 Capcom)

Woah.. what a kick the graphics were at this time!  Beautiful, big, smooth, shiny characters and landscapes.  Multiple appearances by the wavy-haired ninja protagonist would be seen in the Capcom fighting games.  Multiple followups and sequels also materialized, including a visually arresting arcade sequel in 1999.

Take a ninja through various locations, including Russia, a space station with zero gravity, the Amazon jungle, an airship, the Arctic, and others.  Fantastic Genesis port!

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I think I first saw this at a Circle K while I was living in Auburn/Federal Way, WA.

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  • 1 month later...

I mainly liked Super Off Road for the bikini ladies on screen.  😁

 

That game was almost everywhere as was WWF Superstars.  I played both.

 

I know quite a bit about WWF Superstars; I wrote the TV Tropes entry for that game!

 

WWF Superstars (Video Game) - TV Tropes

 

Did you know the game reuses the Double Dragon II arcade engine?  That was due to its rushed development.  In fact, due to the schedule, Rick Rude and Brutus Beefcake were dropped from the game roster as they were meant to be playable characters.

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