Ginga NinkyouDen Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]

Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: Jaleco Publisher: Jaleco Year of Release: 1987 Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- Do not your adjust your sets. The absolute lunacy you are witnessing is the subject of a genuine arcade game, a fever dream experienced under the influence of psychotropic substances, viewed through the lenses of some very large beer goggles. Ginga NickyouDen features a young dude called Yachtan, who is on a mission to rescue his girlfriend from entity called King Cobra. It plays out like some weird hybrid of Kung Fu Master and Wonder Boy, taking out enemies when they appear on the screen, grabbing power-ups along the way. You initially start armed with just your fists, but can earn a knife and sword by collecting the Kanji-style symbols left behind by defeated opponents. The sword has the longest reach of all the weapons, and although you'll certainly want to keep hold of it, taking any damage causes you to lose whatever you were holding. Each level becomes a frustrating exercise in trying to make some kind of progress while NOT losing your weapons. If you make it to the end of the level, you'll have to defeat a boss before you can travel to the next area. Your transport appears to be a flying sea turtle wearing a yellow helmet and goggles, and on occasion you'll take to the stars in a shoot 'em up section where Yachtan stands atop his steed, swiping at asteroids with his sword, whilst the turtle shoots phaser bolts from its mouth. Chances are you'll die while gawping in disbelief, but if you do somehow make it through, you get to tackle the next basket case of a level. I can't help but feel that Ginga NickyouDen is a massive meme. The enemy designs and backgrounds feel like could be satirical in some sense, although if true, would probably only be recognisable or make much sense to domestic Japanese audience. To an outsider like myself, the whole thing seems madder than a box of frogs, and certainly holds little merit as actual game. It's extremely difficult, possessing some less-than-stellar controls and collision detection, which are key ingredients in the recipe for frustration. I can't believe this was ever exported to foreign markets at the time of its release, and I would be amazed if it ever gets selected for inclusion on a modern re-release, which is probably for the best. It's a complete odd-ball of a game, one best viewed from a safe distance. Chapters --------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Attract mode 00:30 Stage 01 02:00 Stage 02 02:52 Stage 03 04:40 Stage 04 06:52 Stage 05 07:51 Stage 06 10:12 Stage 07 12:02 Stage 08 12:45 Ending