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Post by Rastanfarian on Aug 1, 2017 2:26:57 GMT
Here we go again, another blast from the past for you game club junkies! Quartet or better known as Double Target in the Japanese version. One of my favorite games for the master system (but far too easy). Our first two player co-op since the game club relaunch   Looking forward to some discussion! www.hardcoregaming101.net/quartet/quartet.htm |
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Post by Kaunisto on Aug 1, 2017 13:16:54 GMT
Our first two player co-op since the game club relaunch Well, to be exact Super Kick Off has the co-op mode where second player controls goalie  Once again emulator for me. But here's some nostalgia: back in 1990 when I got my Master System, I didn't have any sources of information about games. None of my few friends had Sega and the pretty much only computer/game magazine here barely included any console stuff. So I would have to make my judgement by back covers of what ever games happened to come to the small local stores and the catalogue images. I have a magazine ad from that year, into which I had marked ten games of interest. And for some reason* one of those ten games was Quartet. I never got it, haven't really played with emulator, so this'll be interesting for me. *=I had to go through all my catalogues and dig out the console's box (I though it might've had pictures of some games in the back but remembered wrong - hadn't taken it out for years) to come up with one picture of Quartet. Can't tell why the 12-year-old me found that image cool enough to choose Quartet to top 10 of the about 70 games listed. |
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Post by Stan on Aug 5, 2017 0:22:30 GMT
Nice because I just got all my SMS ROMs ready for full HD gaming.
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Post by Rastanfarian on Aug 6, 2017 23:09:31 GMT
I recommend using the cheat code for this at least until you get used to the controls. Press the pause button 14 times before pressing start to get a wider laser beam.
I believe there is also a way to change the music...press the pause button eleven times before starting.
I wonder who made the decision to have Mary's look "westernized" for the US/Euro release. Did they really think it would have an effect on sales or reception of the game?
This is one of the games my youngest daughter will play with me. Of course she has to be the one to get the jetpack, which can be challenging as only one is available. The flying player can easily "pull" the other player forward on the screen often off a ledge to their death.
Although it is a two player co-op (which I think the master system needs/needed more of), the game is better played as one player IMO.
Anyone else have some thoughts?
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Post by ian on Aug 7, 2017 22:45:35 GMT
This was never a game I played growing up, so don't have any nostalgic feelings towards it.
However in recent years I have come to really like it. It's a fun and challenging game and even better when played in co-op. Finding all the stars is pretty tough and there's some intense boss fights in there.
At the meet-up this year Phil and I actually played the arcade version of this game together and to be honest, I much prefer the SMS version.
I'd highly recommend people give this one a good go. It's not the most instantly playable game, but keep at it and you'll enjoy it's nuances.
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Post by Centrale on Aug 8, 2017 2:20:49 GMT
I first encountered Quartet as a coin-op cabinet circa 1987. This was an era in the US after the video game "crash" had diminished the home console market (obviously it was on the cusp of a major revival), but also a time when arcades were still going fairly strong and coin-ops could even be found in non-arcade-places. In my case, this meant finding a Quartet cabinet in the entrance to a grocery store. I was instantly charmed by the anime-style character designs and the soaring arpeggiated synth soundtrack (it has to be a Hiro composition, right?). Soon after, seeing that Quartet was available for the Master System was another point in its favor during the holidays of 1987 when I pored over pages in the Sears and JC Penney catalogs and tried to decide between the SMS, NES, and 7800.
The home version pares down the Quartet to a duo but keeps the name. (It also features some seriously questionable lightening of Edgar on the cover and during gameplay). Character sprites have a cute chunkiness and are animated well with a nice bounce while running. The game seems somewhat re-imagined but overall it maintains the art direction of the arcade, replacing the System 16's lovely pastels with the Master System's more primary-colored palette. It's from an early era of platformers in which many of the enemies are abstract geometric shapes rather than representative illustrations of real or mythical creatures. A lot of the enemies behave more like moving obstacles than pathfinding AI, so the player has some options for how to progress - engage with them all to rack up points, or skip past many of them to forge ahead more quickly. There's some light exploration and the game mixes things up a bit with some areas that are filled with cells that the player has to shoot to carve a pathway through.
I spent a lot of time playing Quartet as a kid and remember really enjoying it in that brief time before platformers became relatively more realistic. I can't remember if I beat it or not... my impression is that maybe I did beat it, but the ending is not particularly memorable. I'll have to see how far I can get now that I'm an incredibly clever and well-coordinated adult with catlike reflexes.
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Post by mrsmith89 on Sept 22, 2017 16:38:00 GMT
Sorry for being slow with game club recently! First time I have played it and for a newbie, I found it hard, so much going on, however will be trying those cheats you listed! Loved the bold graphics and of course the character  Definitely looking forward to spending more time on this game and actually getting off the first level- might be easier playing two player, then it's not completely down to my rubbish gaming skills. Great game choice |
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Post by Rastanfarian on Sept 23, 2017 16:45:55 GMT
Loved the bold graphics and of course the character I didn't even think about that 😋 Definitely give the cheat a try. The game is much easier with the wider laser beam. Focus on getting to next level, the more time you spend killing aliens the more your life meter decreases. Keep an eye out for the "jars" which will increase your life meter by 10,000. There is one hidden on the first stage under the bat/boss all the way to the right of the screen, under the walkway to exit door. Good luck! |
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Post by mrsmith89 on Sept 23, 2017 17:09:51 GMT
Brilliant, thanks for advice- I definitely needed some! I can imagine it gets quite addictive, once you get the hang of it. Who knows I might go pro and add it to my completed games list |
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Post by Rastanfarian on Sept 23, 2017 18:00:05 GMT
You can do it!
I suck at gaming compared to most (except Madden on any platform, must be the football coach in me 😉)....I have barely beaten any SMS games, but this is one of the few. With the wider laser beam, and focus on time not kills you can beat this game. Only level 4 or 5 is a challenge, can't remember which right now.
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Post by mrsmith89 on Sept 23, 2017 18:17:09 GMT
Second try and got to round 3 (with no cheats as I'm on the emulator and my pause button isn't working!) but the other advice has helped a lot, thanks  |
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Post by Transatlantic Foe on Oct 28, 2017 13:44:30 GMT
As I'm next I thought I should catch up on game club goings on...
Made it to stage 4 which is pretty punishing, you can see its arcade roots:
* Limited time, carries over to next stage
* Short recovery window
* You're screwed if you lose the jetpack (very easy done if you're hit high up the screen)
* Relentless enemy spawns
Yeah you pretty much need the jetpack because the platforming is stiff and unresponsive. As a very early title, it's a bit too simplistic for my tastes - while entertaining enough, I probably wouldn't pick up a copy now.
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