Section-Z (1985)

Preliminary: I really wanted to shower after a long day, it's so humid out, but I figured I'd quickly playtest this game--I only have 4 more games of 1985 maybe I could finish 1985 finally this weekend, right?! Welp, sure enough I see this is for the NES and even more intense, originally for the arcade. We all know I can't just playtest an arcade game, since 9/10 are high-quality for their time. So, I jump in... already finished Section J lol. Looks like I'm commited. I'm a bit irritable cuz haven't been able to game today, very busy, and hot/humid. I know I would feel better after showering. But every time with these shoot em ups, I get this OSRS-esque drive to finish. Despite the usual shmup insane difficulty, despite the odd button-to-turn-around mechanic, and despite it really just being another shoot em up (tho of course high quality being an arcade shoot em up, with a nice pre-Metroid Metroid look, and nice use of power ups... still, dare I mention 1942 again haha)

Look: 8/10 Now that I've settled into commiting to this game, I gotta admit the Look really is ahead of it s time. Lots of shoot em ups had done sci-fi/space, but I hadn't seen such tunnel-esque Metroid style spaceship looks like this. Moon Patrol is, of course, one of my all-time favorites so you know I love the Moon Patrol-esque UI/checkpoint system. Omg, and I love the organic elements to this spaceship setting!!! I couldn't get a good screenshot but uh, just play it to see it properly. It's a quick play.

Sound: 9/10 Wow! The gameplay jingle was good and all, but the hiscore jingle! Omg! Giving me RPG/Final Fantasy vibes!! I love arcade games. I'm nervous cuz I really need to add all interesting arcade games after 1986, but my backlog is already so long. Only complaint is some of the sound effects aren't great, but none sully out the overall good Sound and I kept it unmuted throughout the playthrough. Also cool there isn't just one jingle for all the gameplay, as it gets more tense and dark--the music got more tense and dark! Kinda off the music got more playful and nicety in the last segment lol, but I still loved it

Play: 9/10 (Sorry for swearing, but) I fucking love Moon Patrol style checkpoints!!!! This game is misleadingly called horizontal scrolling on the wikipedia, here, and elsewhere. Yes, it starts that way but parts are vertical scrolling? Or do I misunderstand what defines scrolling, and instead it's based on the directions you shoot? Heh. Nah, I'm always right ^.^ lol.

Pro-tip: hit the little, uh, dome phallic looking things that stick out of walls or grounds/ceilings to get essential power-ups to your Power and Speed.

Another pro-tip: spin those little sign looking things that come out of the phallic things, don't worry they aren't an enemy, run into it back and forth and you get more and more points!

I did not love the pinball segment as I approached O... Maybe if I could shoot away the thing spawning the balls, or the balls bounced off my shots or something? Instead I was just dodging. Someone, feel free to correct me, but everything seemed invincible in there... Kind of a lame part, tho the idea was potentially cute. After that, though, it was right back to high-quality! The enemy AI seemed so advanced! Not Ghosts n Goblins annoying advanced, but actually thoughtful like how close you are, when you come by, etc. encouraging fast reactions and fun duck n dodge moments. It made me proud to figure them out. Oh, speaking of, another pro-tip: the ball thing falling during Section O-to-T, it seems to be invincible, so just hug a corner as it falls down to the next platform and you're safe. A lot easier than trying to outrun it with this slow scrolling ha.

Now, as I approach the end, I do say this game gets as crazy hard as other shmups always do, but I didn't feel like it devolved to complete bullet hell and utter onslaught of enemies (well, it kinda did), it didn't feel like my gameplay just fell apart--like all vertical scrollers apparently--into simply dodging bullets while spamming shoot and having no strategy left (well, except that lol). Instead, I felt like there was always strategy, new clever enemies and AIs, a change from the perspective/scrolling, and other new mechanics. Always increasing difficulty, but without devolving into tacky utter chaos and just dodging-spamming. Love it!

Feel: 9/10 Aw, cute alien enemies. But they are enemies. Wow as the game got much harder after 0, with the vertical scrolling part where you really need to work the bomb-throwing mechanic, and keep track of enemies coming from both directions, the music got more tense! In some ways I wish the bomb throwing was separate from shooting but at the same time, I prefer simpler controls. As frustrating as some of the tough enemies' AI and mechanics were, every death felt valid and like a learning experience (unlike, sayyyy, Ghosts n Goblins! haha).

Attachment: 9/10 Ugh, how did I love yet another shmup. Apparently shmups are up there now with platformers and action-adventures (and, I thought, RPGs but not lately) as my favorite genres. I would love to play this on an original arcade machine. And curious about the NES version, tho it sounds way shortened. People said Baraduke was better--psh posh! Both are great games, but this has the Moon Patrol checkpoints; the much better Sound; and unique, epic Look.

Needless to say, I did not get to my shower till I finished this whole game LOL! Now, we are late for relax/movie time before reading/bed ha, but it was worth it! At last, I defeated the boss (aim at his center, but really just dodge bullets and try to return to the center to hit his eye as much as possible).

Boooo that it resets to the beginning at higher difficulty, but makes sense for an arcade game and I still consider it a set ending (sorta like Moon Patrol). Great game! I know I'll be showing my brothers and stepdad this (who loves Moon Patrol) and know I will return to it!

Completion: Through Section Z and Final Boss, Score 188,030 (using savestates, would be curious to play on proper arcade machine with the Moon Patrol checkpoint system/coins) Playtime: 1h 10m

It's like Gradius but it feels like you're more involved and in more control than just speed and avoiding projectiles. There is a sense of platforming, kind of Run n gun but not Run n gun, and more of a Shoot'em up.

honestly, It's hard to describe but it feels good to play and feels like you're more in control unlike Gradius.