Aldynes is excellent

[SamIAm]

I've been playing it for a few of hours a day since I got my Supergrafx last week. At first, it was a love-hate thing, especially since I felt like maybe the only reason why I was giving it so much of a chance was for a hipster-playing-obscure-game factor. Now that I'm getting close to a 1CC, though, I think I've got a good handle on what it is that makes Aldynes so good. Here's my full take on it.

Let's talk about what kind of game it is. Aldynes is R-Type style shooting, and there's no beating around the bush - it's downright cruel with its difficulty. I bet that as many people give up on it out of resignation as anything else. A Japanese review I read about it aptly pointed out that if you can't enjoy strong feelings of irritation as part of your overall gaming experience, you really shouldn't bother with Aldynes. The enemies aren't designed to get in your way; they're designed to kill you. All of them are. Then it's back to a restart point without a single powerup.

I've felt like giving up more than once myself, but I've recently come to realize something important: the game is extremely fair. Once you've truly cracked a pattern, you're going to make it through as long as you can stay on top of it. After accepting this, I persevered until I learned the first four stages to the point that I (usually) don't die in them anymore. And that's when I got it. Aldynes isn't just hard-but-fair - it's actually wonderfully varied and stimulating, and the pacing is just right.

When you're not dying every 30 seconds, you're really looking forward to what's right around the corner. There are plenty of sub-sections in each stage to keep things interesting, but there's more to it than that. Each stage as a whole requires you to approach it in its own way. Without breaking down each one of them, I'll just say that you'll need to move your focus from working around the environments to working with your ship itself, then on to disciplined aggression and restraint, and eventually to precise rhythm and ship placement. The difficulty is always high, but the design of each facet is solid, and the progression through them is very sensible.

I noticed something that I think is pretty funny. Every time I've started learning a new stage, I've thought to myself "OK, this is it. The last one wasn't so bad, but here's where the game gets tough." I'd die like crazy, but then I'd learn it, and I'd say, "Actually, that was an easy one. It's this NEXT stage that's tough." This has gone on for 6 stages now. There are only 7 in the whole game.

Anyway, to wrap things up, the graphics and music are cool all around. The inorganic greens mixed with lots of black leave an impression on me. The songs were composed by the same guy who did Soldier Blade, and the quality level is the similar if not the same. I could listen to stages one and four all day.

Of course the control, the hit area, the weapon system and all that is good (par for the course, really). That they gave you unlimited continues to practice with is a nice bonus.

If you can enjoy old-school horizontal R-Type style shooters at all, even just a little, I really recommend you give Aldynes a proper shot. If you aren't having fun by stage 4, then fair enough. But if you're like me, you'll be hooked.

PS: There is a safe spot to kill the stage 2 boss. You don't have to touch the d-pad if you don't want to. You do have to have certain weapons, though.

[shubibiman]

Aldynes is one of the best shooters of all time. As it was released on a system like the Supergrafx, it didn't get the recognition it deserved.

[kamiboy]

Putting my game design hat on I have recently reached a conclusion as to why I generally dislike punishing Arcade Shooters when enjoying punishing action games like Castlevania, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Donkey Kong Country, Demon's/Dark Souls etc. which feature a very similar design philosophy.

The design philosophy of play it, again, again and again until you've memorized every part of the level ahead so that you can run through it without making a single mistake.

The issue boils down to the whole level layout memorization. I've discovered that while I can easily memorize the level layout and enemy patters for side scrolling platformers I cannot do the same for arcade shooters.

As you may well imagine the differences in the ways each game type works changes the mental markers that your brain latches onto in order to memorize what happens or what to look out for at an exact point in a level.

Since platformers have you slowly navigating a complex landscape your brain has a easier time committing it to memory. The human mind has facilities for memorizing landscapes for the purpose of navigation.

Arcade shooters one the other hand have fast scrolling mostly repeated backgrounds monotonically going in one direction. So you have to try and memorize enemy spawning patters and other standout details which I find is not at all intuitive to how my navigation memory works.

So it takes a lot, lot, lot more tries before I can get a good grasp of a Arcade Shooting level.

What I hate most then is those that do not offer unlimited continues to try and get it right.

I can get by trying to pass level 4 after 30 tries, but lord, if you give me only 5 tries then it is back to the start of the game and 20 minutes before you can have another go at it then forget it.

I will have already forgot all the finer details by the time I make it back to that point. I honestly cannot fathom how people put up with it.

[SamIAm]

I think you're right about the brain's ability to memorize platformers vs shooters. Here's a twist for you: how easy do you find this stage?

Aldynes having unlimited continues is one of it's better design choices. I don't want a game to be too easy, but I don't want it to get in the way of my learning of it, either.

Aldynes is one of the best shooters of all time. As it was released on a system like the Supergrafx, it didn't get the recognition it deserved.

I'm honestly enjoying this more than I ever enjoyed R-Type, or anything from Irem for that matter.

[kamiboy]

That level is hard to memorize, but the way it is designed does not necessitate it. On every platform you only have two things to worry about, the jump to the next platform, which you can see in front of you, so it is a matter of skill, and the mole pipping out once you are there which it does so in a predictable pattern.

Speaking of R-type, now there is an old wound I do not want to go picking in.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Its a bonerfied shooter hit!

[soop]

I think you're right about the brain's ability to memorize platformers vs shooters. Here's a twist for you: how easy do you find this stage?

Aldynes having unlimited continues is one of it's better design choices. I don't want a game to be too easy, but I don't want it to get in the way of my learning of it, either.

Aldynes is one of the best shooters of all time. As it was released on a system like the Supergrafx, it didn't get the recognition it deserved.

I'm honestly enjoying this more than I ever enjoyed R-Type, or anything from Irem for that matter.

Well, I'm currently playing through Yoshi's Island on my Gameboy Micro, and While some of the later levels require memorisation, the selection between twitch reflexes, memorisation and puzzles is frankly incredible.  I have to say, it's probably one of the best games ever made.

I can deal with memorisation sometimes, like Mega Man games, but honestly, why should I bother?  I don't think it's necessarily a very good mechanic.

Plus, I don't think GnG is really that much about memorisation.

[kamiboy]

I have to disagree on GnG. That series is built around memorization by failure. You cannot just reflex your way out of trouble. Knowing what to do and what not to do at each section is key to survival and obtained through practice memorization. Especially since you cannot control Arthur in the air and he has a pretty wide jump curve. Recklessly leaping out of the way will get you out of the frying pan and into the fire.

In fact that whole pattern of game design was a staple of Arcade games and has all but gone away since they phased out of importance. Personally I find it to be frustrating but also addictive and satisfying at the same time. Really rare to find a modern game offering such an experience.

[Arkhan Asylum]

GnG is like Dragons Lair.

It fuckin ate a lot of quarters, and charmed the living fuck out of everyone that played it.

[soop]

I have to disagree on GnG. That series is built around memorization by failure. You cannot just reflex your way out of trouble. Knowing what to do and what not to do at each section is key to survival and obtained through practice memorization. Especially since you cannot control Arthur in the air and he has a pretty wide jump curve. Recklessly leaping out of the way will get you out of the frying pan and into the fire.

You can - a lot of the time you need to jump forward, then quickly face backwards to kill something behind you.

Add to the fact that enemies constantly spawn randomly (but by area) and it's far more twitch than memorisation.  Only exception is the bigger enemies and bosses.  And maybe some terrain.

[kamiboy]

I played through GnG on the Genesis about a year back after not having touched it for over a decade. I never did count the number of deaths but I am certain it was to be counted in the hundreds instead of tens.

A few years before that I tried my hand at the PlayStation port of R-Type which netted me more deaths and ended up with me giving up on it, which is a rare occurrence for me.

Playing those makes me think, imagine the people who played through these on Arcade machines, constantly feeding them tokens. You could easily burn through the price of a new console for the amount of tokens it would take to beat one devilish classic.

Where did these kids find the money? Thank god for console ports and unlimited continues is all I say.

[soop]

I played through GnG on the Genesis about a year back after not having touched it for over a decade. I never did count the number of deaths but I am certain it was to be counted in the hundreds instead of tens.

A few years before that I tried my hand at the PlayStation port of R-Type which netted me more deaths and ended up with me giving up on it, which is a rare occurrence for me.

Playing those makes me think, imagine the people who played through these on Arcade machines, constantly feeding them tokens. You could easily burn through the price of a new console for the amount of tokens it would take to beat one devilish classic.

Where did these kids find the money? Thank god for console ports and unlimited continues is all I say.

Someone posted up an article, (I think it was here) about the ethos of Japanese Arcade-going which seems to be that you only play one credit at a time, and see how far you can get with that credit.  I don't think it's just ettiquette if there's a queue, I think it's actually a belief that if you're not good enough to get past that point without dying, you should start again and figure out what you're doing wrong. Sounds kind of tortuous to me.

[spenoza]

Someone posted up an article, (I think it was here) about the ethos of Japanese Arcade-going which seems to be that you only play one credit at a time, and see how far you can get with that credit.  I don't think it's just ettiquette if there's a queue, I think it's actually a belief that if you're not good enough to get past that point without dying, you should start again and figure out what you're doing wrong. Sounds kind of tortuous to me.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the whole trend of beating an arcade game via quarters by the handfuls is a US thing. I did that a couple times. It was pricey.

[SamIAm]

Arcade games are basically meant to be 1CC'd. Aside from being a holdover from a simpler time, continues are for practice. Most games don't even let you record your score if you continue, and sometimes you can't fight the last boss or see the ending that way either.

I can certainly say that I've seen people in Japan continue, either because they seem to want to practice or because they want to see the whole game (which is often part of practicing anyway). People spend most of their time trying to beat their own personal high-scores, though, and it follows that they'll play without continuing to do so.

The "practice" mindset and the "going for a high-score/1CC" mindset are pretty different. When you screw up a score/1CC run and die, you usually want to cool off for a moment, then try again. I rarely feel like turning a real attempt into an experimental practice run even after I die, unless I did so poorly leading up to my death that I wasn't feeling much involved anyway.

Not to mention, if you always continue well beyond where you're able to play on only one credit, you'll lose focus on the specific area you should be learning first and foremost.

[kamiboy]

I was raised on consoles so the 1CC concept never held any appeal for me. I play to see the ending. If I make it that far I get closure and move on to another game.

I'd prolly die of a burst vein if I every try to actually 1CC an arcade game like GnG or R-Type.

[SamIAm]

It's frustrating along the way, yes, but smashing a high score or finally getting that 1CC is downright orgasmic, especially after all the tension leading up to it.

[roflmao]

Arcade games are basically meant to be 1CC'd. Aside from being a holdover from a simpler time, continues are for practice.

I don't think that's necessarily the case.  There are lots of arcade games that just (seemingly) go on forever, such as Gauntlet. 

Does Gauntlet have an ending?  I once played the Arcade version on my PS1 once for hours, continually dumping more credits in as needed, and reached levels in the hundreds I think (this was many years ago) and finally gave up. 

Even though the game is seemingly endless, it didn't stop me and my buddies from dropping lots of tokens at a time into it (in one sitting) back in the day. 

[SamIAm]

If you can't clear it, then you obviously can't 1-credit-clear it.

[Arkhan Asylum]

There is no ending to Gaunlet from what I remember.

NES one has an ending though.


Not all games are designed to be 1CC'd

How do you 1CC Asteroids or Defender? lol

[SamIAm]

In Asteroids and Defender, you're supposed to get as high a score as possible with 1 credit, aren't you? That's the same principle at work.

Are there any arcade games in existence that have a real ending but could still be described as NOT designed for a possible 1CC? Is it for a reason besides incredibly shitty game design that makes said game impossible to 1CC?

[spenoza]

In Asteroids and Defender, you're supposed to get as high a score as possible with 1 credit, aren't you? That's the same principle at work.

Are there any arcade games in existence that have a real ending but could still be described as NOT designed for a possible 1CC? Is it for a reason besides incredibly shitty game design that makes said game impossible to 1CC?

A game like Final Fight isn't necessarily designed for a 1CC. I don't think the ending changes if you continue. There's a score, but it is largely superfluous. Not only that, but your character never powers up in any way. So in that sense, I think that sort of game design is basically open to whatever play style you choose.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Sure, you're never SUPPOSED to continue, but most people will enjoy the game just the same with 3 continues used as if they cleared it with 0 continues.

Most arcade games are designed to only award 1CC to the most skilled gamers.  The rest, quarter munching.


It's not expected that everyone get that good.

[soop]

In Asteroids and Defender, you're supposed to get as high a score as possible with 1 credit, aren't you? That's the same principle at work.

Are there any arcade games in existence that have a real ending but could still be described as NOT designed for a possible 1CC? Is it for a reason besides incredibly shitty game design that makes said game impossible to 1CC?

A game like Final Fight isn't necessarily designed for a 1CC. I don't think the ending changes if you continue. There's a score, but it is largely superfluous. Not only that, but your character never powers up in any way. So in that sense, I think that sort of game design is basically open to whatever play style you choose.

Exactly Sam.  I's also say the Turtles Coin Op and the Simpsons were highly polished methods of taking quarters.  When a game has the Mechanics of Final Fight, Where when you get to your last 25% of health, the game gets harder to kill you off, you know it's designed to get your money rather than be difficult-but-beatable.

[SamIAm]

I can agree that it's not so important for some games. Good old-fashioned button mashing (which I enjoy sometimes) and seeing an adventure through to an ending is fun pretty much regardless. Basically, though, I think that if the first point is to get better at a game, then the ultimate point is to 1CC it. I guess I'm drawing a line between action games that focus on skill and others that focus on...well, action.

The money-milking issue just makes things complicated. Let's not even talk about 2D fighters, either.

1CCing a good shmup is like playing a song all the way through without making more than one or two little mistakes, at most. A continue, though, is like a great big ugly mistake. Beating a shmup in MAME on your first try by continue-spamming is like playing random notes the whole way, or like playing each measure one at a time until you get it right and then moving on to the next one. I'm not going to tell you you can't do it, but that just ain't how the song is supposed to go.

[Arkhan Asylum]

You've also got games like D&D.  You aren't really going to 1CC a game like that, or say, Gaiapolis. 

You could maybe do Gaiapolis, but it's a steep learning curve. 

[SamIAm]

Well, I'm currently playing through Yoshi's Island on my Gameboy Micro, and While some of the later levels require memorisation, the selection between twitch reflexes, memorisation and puzzles is frankly incredible.  I have to say, it's probably one of the best games ever made.

By the way, you should listen to this. It will make you happy.

The links to the other takes are really good, too. In fact, everything Tom Brier touches seems to be awesome. Click on anything by Keeper1st.

[SMF]

Good to know about Aldynes, I just recently got a small lot of games and I've been meaning to give this a go.

[esteban]

So, the ultimate consensus of this thread is that Aldynes, is, indeed, a decent game.

I remember getting stumped at the ending (?) of the game, with the lightning bolts (you can just barely dodge them if you have good reflexes) and glowing orbs and phallic prods.

I never could figure out what I was supposed to do... I cried several times.

The experience was similar to getting to (nearly) the end of Ninja Gaiden (NES) and not knowing I was supposed to slash at the mask on the wall (instead I was slashing at Jacquio...and he was invulnerable).

[shubibiman]

Decent?!

[soop]

The experience was similar to getting to (nearly) the end of Ninja Gaiden (NES) and not knowing I was supposed to slash at the mask on the wall (instead I was slashing at Jacquio...and he was invulnerable).

OMG, the time I spent all day playing Ninja Gaiden (damn you, awkwardly placed bird!) and I couldn't beat Jacquio at the end  Anyway many years later I looked up the ending on VGendings.  Great game.

[SuperDeadite]

Overall I like the game quite a bit, but the first stage is just terrible.  After one credit I switch the game off because I just can't stand having to go back to that borefest again.

[Arkhan Asylum]

but the music is bitchin.

worth it just for the music.

[SamIAm]

My honest guess is that they added a couple of spaces in between the action in stage one in order to make the music line up a little more dramatically to when the first boss appears and when he starts firing missiles.

It is some sweet music, though.

Also, I wish I could have been in the room when they planned the first boss.

"Our gloomy futuristic alien invasion shooter on premium hardware with an 8mb ROM is going to feature a massive multi-jointed animated robotic boss in the first stage that has a head sticking out of its butt."

[Joe Redifer]

I was raised on consoles so the 1CC concept never held any appeal for me. I play to see the ending. If I make it that far I get closure and move on to another game.

I'd prolly die of a burst vein if I every try to actually 1CC an arcade game like GnG or R-Type.

Be prepared, you may get ostracized for this.  I can't remember who, but someone around here said that continuing is cheating, using a bomb is cheating.  Hell, powering up your weapon is probably considered cheating.  You're supposedly not experiencing the full game or some shit like that.

[NecroPhile]

Be prepared, you may get ostracized for this.  I can't remember who, but someone around here said that continuing is cheating, using a bomb is cheating.  Hell, powering up your weapon is probably considered cheating.  You're supposedly not experiencing the full game or some shit like that.

I'll only ostracize you if you're so stupid that you whine about a game being too easy when you're credit spamming or similarly taking the easy way out.