Has anyone completed Shinobi?
I loved the arcade original and bought the Speccy version. What a disappointment. However, I am now trying to complete it in order to send the ending to Speccy Spoilers (is that plug okay, Jim :) ).
The boss on Mission 3 has lots of blocks which you have to shoot, then a head which you destroy. In the arcade version you could walk up, time it and use your magic to bounce through them or just magic and shoot them the normal way (this was the only time you HAD to use magic in the game).
On the Speccy version, I can get it down to one block left, but I cannot destroy it before I am pushed back jerkily and die by dodgy collision detection.
Has anyone passed this boss? Has any conversion got what I call the "hiff bonus" (you punch/kick the baddies and don't use your shuriken or gun for a 20,000 bonus; 100,000 in Shadow Dancer)? Will I stop asking questions?
Anyone?
Regards,
Phil
The boss on Mission 3 has lots of blocks which you have to shoot, then a head which you destroy. In the arcade version you could walk up, time it and use your magic to bounce through them or just magic and shoot them the normal way (this was the only time you HAD to use magic in the game).
On the Speccy version, I can get it down to one block left, but I cannot destroy it before I am pushed back jerkily and die by dodgy collision detection.
Has anyone passed this boss? Has any conversion got what I call the "hiff bonus" (you punch/kick the baddies and don't use your shuriken or gun for a 20,000 bonus; 100,000 in Shadow Dancer)? Will I stop asking questions?
Anyone?
Regards,
Phil
Post edited by Fil on
Comments
[ This Message was edited by: Swainy on 2004-08-19 12:09 ]
So it is possible to complete, then? I'll have another go. Can you remember how you passed the blocks?
It is a poor conversion, I agree. Imagine what Joffa could have done with it.
Joffa or Graftgold..
Unless I used a poke or cheat then I'm pretty sure it's possible. The best thing about the game is the 128k music.
I wouldn't say it's terrible conversion (it's certainly better than DD) but it could have been better.
_________________
it smelled like slow death in there.
[ This Message was edited by: judasEZT on 2004-08-20 16:01 ]
I completed it last night. Here's how to pass the blocks (formatted nicely in case Gerard wants to add it to the Tipshop :) :
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To pass the blocks on the Mission 3 boss, you have to be very accurate with your timing. When Joe (the protagonist) fires, he has an animation frame where he sticks his arm up and fires. Because there is so much going on in this boss, the game slows down and this animation is slowed down, making the controls less responsive.
What you have to do is to fire, wait until the firing frame has gone, and then fire straight away again. Repeat until the blocks are all defeated. Move nearer the blocks as they are destroyed, but don't walk into them while shooting - this slows you down. You can walk and shoot, though.
Then just deal with the head by avoiding the projectiles and shooting it in the eye.
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The ending is rubbish too - pretty much non-existent. The end boss is terrible - the arcade boss used all the different magics that you had at your disposal - the Speccy version has a messy blob that jumps lethargically!
Have you played the Speccy version of Shadow Dancer? If so, what did you think of it?
A better conversion than Shinobi, for sure. I've completed Shadow Dancer on the Speccy (I could complete the arcade versions of Shinobi and Shadow Dancer on one credit :) ), and as a conversion it's not too bad. There are fewer bombs, some missing enemies and no 'grappling with dog' animations, but it's an above average conversion.
Shadow Dancer was a much more difficult game to complete than Shinobi (even when Shinobi was set on the hardest setting and fast bullets) in the arcade, but the Speccy version is easier to complete than Shinobi!
The jerkiness of the Speccy version of Shinobi coupled with dodgy collision detection makes it more (unfairly) challenging.
Cool! Any chance you could record your achievement as an RZX file and send it in to www.rzxarchive.co.uk ?
Daren
and where did you hear this ?????
From multiformat mags at the time. I know, I hate it when C64 versions are better too :)
To cut a long story short a few weeks ago I had a phone call from an old mate of mine who had found a tape with my name on it up in his parents loft. It was just some old graphic files and one of them was this:
A mock up of what I thought Shinobi might look like on the Speccy before the game was ever announced for the Speccy. Basically it was my mates favourite arcade game and he kept pestering me to draw it. This was done back in early 1988 when I was just 13 :)
simon pick (who did the c64 version.. did some other games I like ) and yer it's a very nice version..
BUT I'm taking a guess that is partly down to the hardware (being objective) and the sheer amount of data you need to scroll with such a game.
pc engine version is nice also from what I recall.
I did the Speccy version in about 1996 on my +3 not long before it died, the last boss on the Speccy version is nothing like the actual last boss on the other versions funnily enough like a lot of Speccy arcade conversions (It's like they put the whole game in there apart from the last boss with a load of them, as if they decided well the game's rock hard, sod the last level nobody will finish it anyway).
The hardest versions of Shinobi are by far the Master System and the PC Engine versions. you'd think the PC Engine version would be really easy since it has a whole level missing, but no they difficulty is through the roof.
I won't spoiler the last boss on the Speccy version for those who may still be wanting to attempt it, but if you've finished any other version of it, you'll see what I mean when you get there, he's a bit of a pushover. With the Speccy version though the true challenge is actually getting to him, the last level is effin' ridiculous.
yer well hu-cards aren't cheap.. so you need that extra lastability :)
Which isn't totally bad by the way. Well Spectrum version of Shonobi is average. It's a good word for it.
By the way while I was checking the game and comparing it with your screenshot, I have noticed that the 1st level game graphics are probably wrong at some places:
Don't you think that the marked parts of the buildings are out of place? They use the graphics of the roof.
That looks fantastic! I demand you make it now! :p
Master System version was the best of the 8bits
Yes I agree with you on both counts. It's not a bad game, just could have done with a bit more time spent on it. A couple of things that nagged me was that firstly you couldn't see where the enemies were on the upper/lower levels until you jumped and also that the top of Shinobi's head was taken off when you crouch whilst holding the gun (well its more of a cannon in the Speccy version).
BTW, Shinobi on the Spectrum was more than a decent game, I would say a notable game, the same for its sequel, "Shadow dancer", both enjoyable games for the ZX, although, of course, improvable!
Ha, that would be a lot of work and I highly doubt that there's any coders out there willing to take on yet another massive project.
I got stuck in the level at 10:58. I'd never finish it :D
Shadow Dancer is the White Ninja + White Ninjadog version? Really cool game.
I remember the arcade version.
I think that those strange rectangulars in the pics you've posted before are HOLES. Try to look 'em as holes. Cya! Gotta sndtrack for MM Project.
O_o Never seen it.. Gotta play it!!!!