In Search Of... Old Arcade Game

Lork

There was this old arcade game that I played on a ferry back in the mid 90s. It was a linear action platformer where you're short, stocky knight in blue or grey armour - it vaguely reminded me of the action segments of Keith Courage in Alpha Zone. I think you went left instead of right as well, but I'm not sure.

It had roughly SNES level graphics.

Another thing, which sets it apart from most arcade games; it was long. Even though the machine was broken and permanently set to free play, and I had a full day to play it on and off (taking turns) we still never managed to beat it.

Does any of that sound familiar? I know it's pretty vague, but G&T does have a reputation, after all.

Werewulfy

Sounds like Ghosts n' Goblins with the exception of that left instead of right thing.

randombattle

Werewulfy wrote: »

Sounds like Ghosts n' Goblins with the exception of that left instead of right thing.

Yeah really sounds like GnG. Are you absolutely sure it was left scrolling?

Lork

It's not GnG.

I'm pretty sure you could take more than 2 hits and survive; either that or 1 hit killed you and I just jammed the start button. I'm almost positively sure that you didn't lose your armour when you were hit. The environments were decidedly un-graveyardish, too.

I'm not too sure about the left scrolling thing, so don't let it rule anything out.

Reynolds

For some reason, it's reminding me of a Genesis game. All I can remember is a knight and a princess on the cover, and they both have their mouths open (I think). And either the knight or his large dragon behind him are yellow. I searched for dragon and knight on GameFAQs, but got nothing.

Lots of Genesis games were arcade too, so I thought maybe it went from one to the other...

Squashua

I know which one you're talking about; it's not straight 2-d; it's vaguely 3-d esque.

Dammit. I don't remember the name.

Reynolds

Nevermind, I was thinking of this NES game. Played it a lot at my friends' house. It's awesome.

But I'm very anxious to learn what this mystery game is...!

BiggNife

Trojan, maybe? Thats my best guess. It was also made by Capcom, and has been compared to GnG many times. But it goes left to right.

Mordrack

BiggNife wrote: »

Trojan, maybe? Thats my best guess. It was also made by Capcom, and has been compared to GnG many times. But it goes left to right.

I don't remember it being very long. It's also post-apocalyptic and not standard fantasy fair. I would imagine that would be a stand out thing.

Squashua

Reynolds wrote: »

Nevermind, I was thinking of this NES game. Played it a lot at my friends' house. It's awesome.

But I'm very anxious to learn what this mystery game is...!

It was right-scrolling, I believe. Good sound fx too.

Lork

BiggNife wrote: »

Trojan, maybe? Thats my best guess. It was also made by Capcom, and has been compared to GnG many times. But it goes left to right.

I'm pretty sure that the player was fully encased in armour and very stocky. The backgrounds don't look right either; the setting was very different, I think, and I'm 100% sure it didn't have that isometric tilt.

Trojan article on Wikipedia wrote:

The arcade version supported two players, but only by way of alternating gameplay.

This sounds very familiar though.

Edit: I think you started in a cave and eventually moved outside, where the sun was setting and you walked on these Donkey Kongish girders - don't consider that last part law though.

Reynolds

ESWAT? No, you were a stocky guy in armor with a gun...

Rocket Knight Adventures? No, that's short possum in armor with rockets...

Do you remember what his weapon was? Powerups? Style of enemies? Joystick with two buttons?

Captain K

I don't think I've ever heard of any platformer where you go to the left instead of to the right.

Maybe you're dyslexic, or your long-term memory is.

Lork

Reynolds wrote: »

ESWAT? No, you were a stocky guy in armor with a gun...

Rocket Knight Adventures? No, that's short possum in armor with rockets...

Do you remember what his weapon was? Powerups? Style of enemies? Joystick with two buttons?

I don't remember anything at all about the enemies other than that one of the bosses was a dragon that shot fireballs at you, and you fought it from the right. That level might've been the only one to be like that; who knows. I think one of the powerups was a potion in a florence flask. The powerups were semi permanent in that the only way to lose them was to get hit/die, I think. That's it.

The game had a very dark pallete; you were always in a cave or a poorly lit room or outside at night or something. I think that should help.

The Sneak!

Uh... what weapon did you wield? A sword?

Lork

The Sneak! wrote: »

Uh... what weapon did you wield? A sword?

It might've been a sword or an axe, or maybe both. My memory of the period is pretty sketchy, as you might've noticed.

Reynolds

?

Or, for the arcade version...



Note that in the screenshot, you can see he has a life bar. More than one hit. There's also a spot for a powerup. And he's facing left (though the screen might not be scrolling left).

Or maybe it's all a coincidence...

Lork

Reynolds wrote: »

?

Or, for the arcade version...



Note that in the screenshot, you can see he has a life bar. More than one hit. There's also a spot for a powerup. And he's facing left (though the screen might not be scrolling left).

Or maybe it's all a coincidence...

That's not it.

Dee Kae

Could you be different characters?

Lork

DoNotPursueLuBu wrote: »

Could you be different characters?

No. Although I think there was a 2 player hotseat mode that allowed the second player to play as a slightly differently coloured version of the player 1 character.

Mordrack

Could it be Mega Twins? Nevermind, you said it had a dark palette.

Reynolds

http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=267

Is that is? I actually came to that second, after this one. http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=593

Dark, scrolls in lots of directions, really long. And I see a powerup that looks like a potion. Grey armor.

Actually, looks more like this version...!! http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=262

Well, any of those?

Lork

Reynolds wrote: »

http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=267

Is that is? I actually came to that second, after this one. http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=593

Dark, scrolls in lots of directions, really long. And I see a powerup that looks like a potion. Grey armor.

Actually, looks more like this version...!! http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=262

Well, any of those?

Nope, but you're getting close. Black Tiger/Dragon looks like it has a very similar platforming style to the mystery game although I don't think you went in multiple directions in the same level. Although I think the combat was pretty simple; not like something Capcom would make.

Now that I've thought about a while, I think the graphics might have actually been sub-Genesis level, but the darkness and other techniques were used to hide it well - sort of like Faxanadu. I know for sure that the sprites were reasonably large, so it wasn't like a NES game or anything like that.

Reynolds

I've been looking all around, but I've got nothing else that sounds appropriate.

I'm surprised nobody else is piping up. Like you said earlier, I thought G&T had a rep for figuring these things out in just a few minutes.

Zombiemambo

Reynolds wrote: »

I've been looking all around, but I've got nothing else that sounds appropriate.

I'm surprised nobody else is piping up. Like you said earlier, I thought G&T had a rep for figuring these things out in just a few minutes.

They do when such games exist.



There has got to be some flaw in your information, as it has been an entire day since this thread began and so far nothing has come close.

Reynolds

Wikipedia says http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Sword is similar to Black Tiger/Dragon. I remember it being a fun game. No dark armor, though.

I doubt it is Wardner, but those screenshots are hilarious. http://www.solvalou.com/subpage/arcade_reviews/77/392/wardner_review.html

Random game I don't think is it, but with a very large character, dark background, armor, and fairly bad graphics. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7950

There's a Nintendo game that sounds very familiar...I don't know if there's an arcade version of it, though. I do know that in the very first stage, you're underground in a castle with guys in grey armor with swords. You have to walk *LEFT* to get to the boss of that level, a dragon that spits fire. http://www.everyvideogame.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=22443

JLM-AWP

The first thing that came to mind for me was Wizards and Warriors:





Eh? EH?

Reynolds

Hmm...grey armor, powerup spots, life bar. I do vaugely remember a potion of some sort too. And you're in a cave at least a few times. Any arcade version of it...?

Neo Rasa

This sounds a lot like Trojan to me (a Capcom arcade game ported to several platforms). Magic Sword was the first game I thought of but I don't think that's it. Gladiator only scrolls right so that's out.

It also could have been the arcade-only game Legend of Makai. Or possibly Castle of Dragon.

JLM-AWP

Reynolds wrote: »

Hmm...grey armor, powerup spots, life bar. I do vaugely remember a potion of some sort too. And you're in a cave at least a few times. Any arcade version of it...?

How about listening to some of the music. For some reason, this game's music has stuck with me as much as Contra or Castlevania.

http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/nes/index-sz.html

Just scroll down.

Reynolds

I have W&W so I can hear the music whenever I want!

And I think he already said no to Trojan. I'm going to go look for pics of those other two...I don't think I've heard of them.

Maybe it was one of those arcades hooked up to an NES? A video store I used to go to had one of those.

Edit : Both of those do seem to fit several of the requirements...

Lork

W&W fits so well that it's very tempting to go with it, but I'm almost completely sure that the level design was linear, not open ended. Hell, I think it might not have even been possible to go back the way you came.

Dee Kae

Lork wrote: »

W&W fits so well that it's very tempting to go with it, but I'm almost completely sure that the level design was linear, not open ended. Hell, I think it might not have even been possible to go back the way you came.

Uh, that fits Wizards and Warriors completely now. ;3

Brigade

When I first read your description it reminded me of Rastan Saga. The guy’s not really a knight, nor is he short and stocky. But, he does have blue underwear and a sword or axe. You would go right mostly (although you could go backwards depending on the area) and occasionally enter a cave or other area.

It was mainly a side scrolling platformer where you would jump on platforms, swing from ropes, and get a powerful axe that you could use for a short time.

Ponge

I may be way off the mark here, but its not Altered Beast is it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Beast

I say that because im sure you could go leftwards at the very beginning of the game.

Mugenmidget

Did Wizards and Warriors even have an arcade version?

Reynolds

It'd be really sad if it ended up being W&W all along.

I think the first one was a platformer, but the sequels were all more exploration. Right?

jasongrvin

I just helped a buddy of mine find a game that's exactly like what you're talking about. He said it was Astyanax.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n13trK9t2g

I know this is an old thread, but still.

adracamas

Sorry for the tread rez, but I was looking for something of the same.. I remember it being a scrolling game that was kinda like a platformer but instead of scrolling left or right it was up and down. I think it was 2 player but not positive. I distinctly remember the hero (player) using a sort of whip that you could upgrade and at the end of the whip would be like an axe blade or something.
I used to pour all my moneys into that game. Sounds about right for the time frame too. I just can not remember the name of the game.

emnmnme

Whip with an axe blade sounds like Rygar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPuqr_aZZC8

adracamas

I know Rygar and it's not that. the character (hero) seemed more compact and mobile than that. Had a MetroidVania feel to it almost but the levels were linear. Items were hidden in the walls kinda like castlevania was, I think he had a super but can't remember (this was 25+ years ago) I want to say dragons were involved but not sure. This game seems to be pretty darn obscure because I haven't seen it anywhere but that one pizza place.