Shatterhand - Holy shnikes this game is good

[Zing]

I have spent the past week playing this game and it is amazing.

The music is outstanding. I am thankful for 6.5.0.Tunes allowing me to listen to the soundtrack outside of the game. There are really only five different tracks, but each one is highly listenable.

The graphics are probably some of the best on the system. Plenty of well-done parallax scrolling. One boss fight has heat haze distortion in the background! Most impressive! Sprite flicker and slowdown is minimal.

The gameplay reminds me of Sunsoft's Batman. Jumping over gears and flame/water jets, punching enemies. The challenge level is perfect. The game is moderately difficult, but only to the point where a few attempts result in success. I tried to get through the entire game without continues, but only made it to the very last section of the final level before "game over".

I can't say enough good things about this game. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the next game I tried, Vice Project Doom. What a mess. I felt like I was playing a Chinese homebrew game after my Shatterhand experience. It truly does feel like a poor Ninja Gaiden clone.

[Crabmaster2000]

Shatterhand is wicked! Glad someone else knows that too.

[EllertMichael]

Yes! I love Shatterhand. Natsume 4 lyfe.
the famicom version (Solbrain) has an entirely different level

I can't say enough good things about this game. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the next game I tried, Vice Project Doom. What a mess. I felt like I was playing a Chinese homebrew game after my Shatterhand experience. It truly does feel like a poor Ninja Gaiden clone.

harsh.
VICE: Project Doom is a top tier NES title IMO. underrated beautiful game with plenty of variety (shoot 'em up driving levels and gallery shooting in addition to the platforming levels) and the gameplay is wicked tight. plus the music is cool. stage 6 music rules.

[Zing]

To be honest, the music sounded like noise after listening to so much Shatterhand.

The worst was how random the game felt. If you are going to go through the trouble of having a back-story and cut-scenes, at least try to tie it into the gameplay. I start out supposedly chasing someone and end up shooting up the streets and ramming through endless garbage on the highway. If I am just chasing after someone, why am I shooting up every car I see? Ok, so I blow up some guy that I never met and have no idea why I am chasing him. Great. Wait, there is someone hiding in the shadows. Why? No idea, but it leads into me running through Chinatown randomly slicing and shooting Chinamen that jump around like frogs.

I would normally excuse it because it is an 8-bit game, but Ninja Gaiden did it properly, so why can't its clone?

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Yup......in case you missed it, Shatterhand/Tokkyuu Shireri Solbrain fall into #33 in my top 100 NES/Famicom games list. Here's the entry in case you want a refresher to see how I feel about it. Natsume did some great stuff during the NES era.

http://satoshimatrix.wordpress.com/2011 ... ist-39-30/

[EllertMichael]

To be honest, the music sounded like noise after listening to so much Shatterhand.

music is noise. this game happens to feature some of the most action packed noise the NES has to offer

The worst was how random the game felt. If you are going to go through the trouble of having a back-story and cut-scenes, at least try to tie it into the gameplay.

Zig, you do know this game is from japan, right?

I start out supposedly chasing someone and end up shooting up the streets and ramming through endless garbage on the highway.

yeah! shit is flying everywhere and and you're all PEW PEW PEW! Awesome.

If I am just chasing after someone, why am I shooting up every car I see?

because they are in your fucking way!

Ok, so I blow up some guy that I never met and have no idea why I am chasing him. Great.

that "guy" was an evil drug-peddling alien

Wait, there is someone hiding in the shadows. Why? No idea, but it leads into me running through Chinatown randomly slicing and shooting Chinamen that jump around like frogs.

Sophia? She's a friend of yours. And those guys jump around like frogs because they are actually green slime eating aliens.

I would normally excuse it because it is an 8-bit game, but Ninja Gaiden did it properly, so why can't its clone?

sure the two games are similar and share those stupid fucking birds but it's not like they are made by the same guys. judge it on its own merits.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Yep. You should check out the Power Blade games, too. Those are also quite good/overlooked

[Zing]

judge it on its own merits.

I did. I said it had terrible music, disjointed story, and poor gameplay.

[Zing]

Yep. You should check out the Power Blade games, too. Those are also quite good/overlooked

I do have Power Blade, and I have played it for about five minutes. It felt similar to Shatterhand and I didn't have the immediate revulsion that I did for Vice. I think it will be next on my playlist.

Hmm. I just looked it up on Wikipedia and it is also developed by Natsume. That explains it. Meanwhile, Vice is made by the folks who did Amagon and Totally Rad. That is also enlightening.

[EllertMichael]

judge it on its own merits.

I did. I said it had terrible music, disjointed story, and poor gameplay.

you're wrong, man! you must not have spent much time with it.
if you don't like the story just push "A" and skip it
I can't find one bad review of the game. it's quality.
I'm sorry if you have some weird bias. you're really missing out.
oh, well. to each his own.

have you played Kick Master? I tried it at my friend's house and it was pretty cool. really nice use of the controls and it seems like the gameplay is pretty deep with leveling up and learning new abilities. i'd say check that out if you haven't already the NES is my favourite "hidden gem" consol. all these years later and i'm still discovering awesome games for it. so cool