2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

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VideoGameCritic
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2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby VideoGameCritic » June 22nd, 2021, 4:59 pm

Check out these two new Game Boy Color reviews and let me know what you think!

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Atariboy
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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby Atariboy » June 22nd, 2021, 6:14 pm

While Moon Patrol sadly may not have been as visible in American arcades as was warranted (A favorite among many of us today that enjoy early 1980's arcade gaming), I think it's quite a stretch to describe Spy Hunter as second tier.

It was a very successful and popular game. Especially important at a difficult time for the American arcade gaming scene that was going through turmoil during the videogame crash at the time.

I wonder if you're perhaps jaded by years of seeing it pop up on compilations? Console gamepads simply don't do Spy Hunter any sort of justice, with the game often feeling one step away from being unplayable. Yet on the cabinet with the proper tools in hand, it still shines.

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GeoX
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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby GeoX » June 23rd, 2021, 2:00 am

VGG,
You didn’t tell us the most important thing about Spyhunter on GBC…
does it play the PETER GUNN theme?!? ;)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MIKSQT-oXfc

A couple of quick comments…

I agree with Atariboy that I would consider Spy hunter first tier though I agree that Moon Patrol was not but damn it deserved to be! I always found the Spy Hunter arcade stand up console controls hell on my wrists, they just seemed slightly off and my hands could never get comfortable. I felt like I had carpal tunnel after a few games!

The GBC was an underrated system, I was very impressed, especially by some of the later games, at just how good they looked and how well they played!

Thanks for another great set of reviews!

Eric

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MSR1701
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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby MSR1701 » June 23rd, 2021, 5:05 am

Game Boy (Color) Reviews!!!

I was always amused how Shantae was slammed in mag reviews back upon release (Game Informer gave it a whopping 3 of 10, if I recall), and I didn't discover the original game until well after the sequel was released on the DSiWare shop. Fun game, and very well written review!

Moon Patrol/Spy Hunter... While I enjoyed the Game Boy Arcade Classics set (Galaga/Galaxian and Defender/Joust specifically), the GBC "classics" games were okay at best. Also many of the GBC releases found "superior" versions released on the GBA a short time later ("Superior" in massive air quotes, we're talking releases published by DSI/Destineer games...).

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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby VideoGameCritic » June 24th, 2021, 9:20 pm

I'm actually surprised how excited people are about these Game Boy Color reviews!

As for the Peter Gunn theme, yes it is included in Spy Hunter, so it has that going for it anyway! Good catch Geo!

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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby ThePixelatedGenocide » June 25th, 2021, 4:15 am

VideoGameCritic wrote:Check out these two new Game Boy Color reviews and let me know what you think!


As welcome as these reviews are, the GBC port of Moon Patrol isn't doing anything that the arcade didn't. The parallax and level of background detail is all faithful to the original...except that Digital Eclipse is cheating a bit. The shaded areas never overlap, which is the only sign that the 8-bit cpu can't handle true parallax scrolling.

Meanwhile, the UFO enemies even lose a window to fit the screen crunch.

The soundtrack is also off in pitch...I realize that's a small nit, but it shows the lack of passion that went into this project. Until I read your review (and had it confirmed by Youtube's Battle of the Ports), I assumed the port was as sloppy as Spy Hunter.

It's a curious set of priorities.

As for Shantae...is it just me, or are these Wonderboy spiritual sequels in all but name?

I wonder how they'd compare in a head to head?

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MSR1701
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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby MSR1701 » June 25th, 2021, 5:02 am

ThePixelatedGenocide wrote:
VideoGameCritic wrote:Check out these two new Game Boy Color reviews and let me know what you think!


As welcome as these reviews are, the GBC port of Moon Patrol isn't doing anything that the arcade didn't. The parallax and level of background detail is all faithful to the original...except that Digital Eclipse is cheating a bit. The shaded areas never overlap, which is the only sign that the 8-bit cpu can't handle true parallax scrolling.

Meanwhile, the UFO enemies even lose a window to fit the screen crunch.

The soundtrack is also off in pitch...I realize that's a small nit, but it shows the lack of passion that went into this project. Until I read your review (and had it confirmed by Youtube's Battle of the Ports), I assumed the port was as sloppy as Spy Hunter.

It's a curious set of priorities.

As for Shantae...is it just me, or are these Wonderboy spiritual sequels in all but name?

I wonder how they'd compare in a head to head?

You are not far wrong on Shantae and Wonder Boy. Later Wonder Boy games were Metroidvania-esque, and Shantae games have always had that trait.

brendand
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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby brendand » July 1st, 2021, 10:35 am

Good reviews shame Shantae is so expensive these days ! if you like Shantae check out Wendy:Every Witch Way from the same dev on GBC it even has some GBA exclusive levels.

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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby MSR1701 » July 1st, 2021, 10:45 am

brendand wrote:Good reviews shame Shantae is so expensive these days ! if you like Shantae check out Wendy:Every Witch Way from the same dev on GBC it even has some GBA exclusive levels.

WHAT!!! I had picked up GBC Wendy from a game store a few years back after being told it was a good game (and a licensed GBC game being recommended was rare), and only 20.00. Played it on a GBC only, never thought to try on GBA....
Was very good, a hint of the quality Wayforward became known for...

brendand
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Re: 2021/6/22: Game Boy Color: Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol / Spy Hunter, Shantae

Postby brendand » July 1st, 2021, 2:26 pm

wow ummm yeah there is 3 extra levels if you put in it a GBA ,however it does not enhance the graphics but hey its a bit of a bonus!


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