Sorr mod - Golden Axe Arcade

Ok, first. For people who don’t have time (or just don’t want) to read everything just jump into the rules and warning section, is really important.
 
After my long trip with the Golden Rage mod, Golden Axe megadrive and pc version I finally step into the Arcade one.
I was surprise because the waves and the enemies appear different from the megadrive. I was aware that the arcade was sorter, but I wasn’t expecting a Red Long moan, a brown lond moan and a purple Heninger as part as the same wave.
 
So well… I did the mod. I wanted to try if this weird waves could be done into sormaker. With the exception of a green amazon in stage 2, all the waves appears exactly the same as the original arcade game.
 
-Scenarios:
Some scenarios use the diagonal scroll combined with yellow maps. I expect all to work well. There are music, custom palettes… you know, the basic. There isn’t any custom data yet.
 
-Roster:
In general the roster is the same as the Golden Rage mod. You know: the scenarios, waves and colours are a bit different but the enemies are the same.
However, I changed some enemies because I was searching for enemies which could knockout the player (later will explaing the reason).
 
-Health and food:
The enemies have an adapted health. A bit more that his original counterpart, but no so much as the golden rage mod. The game is supposed to length 15 minutes (or less), so I wanted to give it that feeling.
There is no preplaced food in mid-levels, but in the green thief parts there are food is to be sure that the player receive energy even when the thief gives you a candy.
 
-Add on:
The game includes a duel mode. This duel mode is not present in the arcade game, but the PC version has a completely different duel mode than the genesis one.
My guess is because between a green long moan and a goldie one, in the Pc version, behave the same.
 
The PC version has 15 rounds in total, but the 14º and 15º rouns is about 1 Death Adder + 2 skeletons and 1 Bringer + 2 Skeletons. Again, this is because in the PC version this two don’t have the special attacks (bringer use magic, but deals less damage that the megadrive version).
 
For my duel I excluded those 2 final rounds. Anyway, this duel mode have a very weard combination of enemies, never seen in the megadrive or arcade game.

There is 3 logos there, one per character. I used Tyris by default, but feel free to use the other 2 if you want (just rename the files).
 
Rules:
- Set the game in mania (or very hard at least). Of course, pro players already do this, but for new people should play in very hard. Like I said, the game lasts for 15 minutes at most, so if you die in half way you don’t feel like you waste 45 minutes or so. Just choose another guy and trying again.

-Active a cheat: the cheat that said that enemy beated don't disapear. Is not "a must", but if you use it is like the arcade game.

- 1 police call at a time: You have the right to use the call police once from the beginning. If you encounter a mini-car you can use it one more time. However, if you die after using it, just don’t use it again.
If you didn’t use early and found a mini police car, just still have just 1 police call.
 
- Wherever you have the special attack (“A” in megadrive), redefine this key and place it veeeeery afar. ¡Yes! I’m saying that you shouldn’t play at all with this feature (this is the main reason because I wanted enemies that knockout).

Although the player is boxed with several enemies, sooner or later they will knockout you. Even when this happen, the player is going to loose over 30% at most (but the player need to be surrounded and attacked by 3 guys at the same time, if not; the player will be knocked before reaching that damage).
 
-Other rules: well, is up to people to decide. The weapons shouldn’t have a health bar, but depending of the characters the weapons are too bad or too good. Feel free to choose what you want.
Same with pause delay, diagonal run...
Using a Sor2 character with his original delay, without diagonal run and weapons with health bar maybe you will die 2 continues, but the game still is beatable.

 
¡Warning!
In the last level, the player needs to go down from the eagle to a narrow bridge. This level uses a diagonal scroll, so the distance is too much (the screen doesn’t scroll enough).
To avoid that, I added a platform (visible). Even with that be careful.
- If you kill the 3 skeletons before locking the screen, there isn’t any problem.
- If you lock the screen and then kill the skeletons, approach the platform carefully and move your character up and down a bit to avoid e the character outrunning the screen (you will died).
 
Unused palettes:
There are include the black palettes from the Skeleton, both Biker and Slash. But they are unused in the mod. Feel free to add them in the game if you want to convert the 10-15 minutes run into a 40-60 minutes regular Sor longplay (or if you want to do your own duel mode).
 
¡A video!
In the video I copy the very same style that the arcade will do in a original cabinet. You know, the title screen appearing several time, a short demonstration of the game and the magic…
There is no reason (more that for show off) to use this 3 characters in the video.

In the game itselft, Axel, Blaze and Adam are used in some cutsecenes because I needed 3 guys, but again, there is no “Adam = gilius”. Adam is just Adam.

 
 
Download here:
https://mega.nz/file/6uZ00BoD#TPIBDgM-GJVQy3-WCFuTO6Dr4fjNHtlB5LKn0UKBHnM


More mods here:
https://mega.nz/folder/OywVSSiR#tJrB6EEqjO1P7c891mblng

Well, here it is, completed it with no death and in a single run captured the arcade version and the Duel mode.



As a quick summary of my review, the mod is light, quick but a really good technical made mod. The platforming, along with the diagonal stage usage was genius, also I praise highly the usage of the sunset effect, cuz it does feel like the arcade in that vibe.

Battle design was verbatim from the arcade, but, despite the enemies being with a nasty AI native from SORR, the game itself is still too easy even in Mania. However, it was still enjoyable nevertheless.

The intros, cutscenes and palettes, as always coming from a Cm_Blast mod, is absolute quality. Has all the bells and whistles and the best is the adaptation of all the SORR cast substituting the enemies even in the ending.

Duel was the extra part added to the mod, but... in all honesty, felt too bland and not really rewarding or challenging. In my opinion, this is where the modder would have brought something extra and creative to extend the life of the mod.

I think this mod, as it is, is just good, but too brief. The only true reward was the lovely ending of arcade, cuz Duel part was too meh. Wouldn't have been more epic to put together.... dunno, Golden Axe arcade and Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder? Now that would be incredibly epic.

Tip for further patch (if ever): remember those ghost skeletons that appear if idle? Why not adding them only for Mania players appearing as No Round enemies? I'm rather sure that would raise the challenge AND is still part of the game.

Nice mod, overall...

Don Vecta wrote:Well, here it is, completed it with no death and in a single run captured the arcade version and the Duel mode.

As a quick summary of my review, the mod is light, quick but a really good technical made mod. The platforming, along with the diagonal stage usage was genius, also I praise highly the usage of the sunset effect, cuz it does feel like the arcade in that vibe.

Battle design was verbatim from the arcade, but, despite the enemies being with a nasty AI native from SORR, the game itself is still too easy even in Mania. However, it was still enjoyable nevertheless.

The intros, cutscenes and palettes, as always coming from a Cm_Blast mod, is absolute quality. Has all the bells and whistles and the best is the adaptation of all the SORR cast substituting the enemies even in the ending.

Duel was the extra part added to the mod, but... in all honesty, felt too bland and not really rewarding or challenging. In my opinion, this is where the modder would have brought something extra and creative to extend the life of the mod.

I think this mod, as it is, is just good, but too brief. The only true reward was the lovely ending of arcade, cuz Duel part was too meh. Wouldn't have been more epic to put together.... dunno, Golden Axe arcade and Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder? Now that would be incredibly epic.

Tip for further patch (if ever): remember those ghost skeletons that appear if idle? Why not adding them only for Mania players appearing as No Round enemies? I'm rather sure that would raise the challenge AND is still part of the game.

Nice mod, overall...

Comparing megadrive and arcade. I will play the megadrive version once and don't play it again in a good while. However, when I played the arcade I though like you "danm, this is too sort", but being short allowed me to play the game 7 times in 7 consecutives days.

So, don't think "I played with Max and beated the game; time to move on to another mod", but "I defeat this game with one character; there are still another 18 more". 

I added the duel part just as a small tribute to the pc version, which give me lots of hours before playing the megadrive version. Be glad that at least you have a final screen.
My version (back in time with MS-Dos) after that round the game said "insert disk 2" and you couldn't done nothing more than restart the computer.
And even with the complete version, the game throw you directly into the "strength table" without a "congratulations" screen.

I just added this because I wanted to have it in somewhere. You can call it "nostalgia". Blame me for that xD.

About the "adding to mania". There is a huge problem with that.
You are saying that the game is too easy. Now think what will happen if I play it in normal (will say hard, but is almost the same).

Using Axel2, original slow delay, no run or roll, no call police, weapons with health bars, Special move "A" set to sor 2 (loosing life if you press the button)... you know, the worsts options posibles.
Well, playing any mod (mine or from other people) I am going to die some lives here and there, but no in this particular mod.

So, I didn't want to add more enemies to mania because I am suppose to play it in mania too.
I played this game in mania with Axel1, original pause hit (I use the "combined" style), no diagonal run (but yes run and roll), weapons with gauge and no police call. I manage to defeat the game in my very last continue. (I was killed a lot in the final battle).

Now I'm seeing your video, good but you cheated. You are using the "A" button. Is suppose those 2 guys in "5:55" hitting you until they knockout you. And yes, even for mania you shouldn't use the "A" button, is a single button but enough to make the player aproach the enemies without rushing battles. And for example, in "6.09" again, Shouter should hit you and you should loose a good portion in your health bar, just because you let them boxed you.

By giving the chance to the enemy to hit you more easily (not having the "A" to defend yourself) I'm sure that will force you to play a bit different, and if you really want to achieve the "no death" you need yo play my mod one more time and do it how it should be. <-- I'm not scolding you, i'm just saying if you really want to be proud and say "I get a no death" achievement you need yo play my mod one more time without using "A". And because the mod lasts less than 15 minutes if you fail to do it, you just need to repeat less than 15 minutes, isn't that nice =)?

I saw you with a bit of trouble to descend the platform, next try move your character up-down-up-down when you are in my extra platform. That will help the screen to move easily.
Is something tricky, but didn't want to split the scene in 2 or using a regular scroll left instead a diagonal.

By the way, thanks for playing.

Okay, okay... so, no special, huh? Right.

Don Vecta wrote:Okay, okay... so, no special, huh? Right.

Rules are in the first post.

Anyway, I'm glad someone took the time to take this approach as well.
The only gripes I have...
-Thieves need higher scores on kill
-Campfires need to be set to Elevator to remove the GO buzz and ensure only the exit has a GO on it
-Duel: Fuse rounds together (using Less Than 1 structure) or at least change the music to 'next scene'

If anyone ever does TRoDA well it's going to be Cm_Blast. If you decide to give it a shot, take your time!


Oh and... that ending.

CajNatalie wrote:Rules are in the first post.

Anyway, I'm glad someone took the time to take this approach as well.
The only gripes I have...
-Thieves need higher scores on kill
-Campfires need to be set to Elevator to remove the GO buzz and ensure only the exit has a GO on it
-Duel: Fuse rounds together (using Less Than 1 structure) or at least change the music to 'next scene'

If anyone ever does TRoDA well it's going to be Cm_Blast. If you decide to give it a shot, take your time!


Oh and... that ending.

In defense of Vecta: I first write the first post, and then Chrome give me an error and I lost everything.
Long post + not my language = More rage than Streets of Rage.

I edited the post several times because I forget to write this or that; Maybe he downloaded the mod before my edit... I don't know... I can't remember what I write the first time before the error and the second time before editing.

In Golden Age the Strenght is measured by the way you kill people. 1 for the normal way, 2 for throwing in a pit and if you kill someone and he rebound and die in a pit is 3 points or so... no wonder I never knew this... also I feel bad if I beat a game by throwing people... I am so weak, no extra points to me .

Oh, good point from the elevator thing. For some reason I totally forget about that.
I though in 2 ideas to make it more automated, but I didn't like the result and just leave the althenative path.

I went the easy way and forget about the regular "GO".
I will look into this

The duel mod is a bit of nostalgia plus "suffer what I suffered". The scenario being repeated and the music starting again over and over; and in the end, after all the effort, no even a single "congratulations". Suffer people! Suffer the mediocrity of the Ms-Dos games! Suffer and feel the pain!. Aaaah, sometimes I am so evil  ("is good to be evil"). 

I played once the Revenge of Death Adder; In general I like what I saw.
Will see; tecnically I was about to update some mods I have without cutscenes/endings, but for some reason the Golden Axe Arcade trap me.

A hilarious ending yes; the type of ending you never expect in "a devil is killing people and kidnapping the king". Is so out of place... that make it more funny.

I found some kind of bug (more like a weird behaviour) with sormaker.

Was changing the rest areas (thief's part) into a elevator but then, a problem.

The scroll of the layer (campfire) in the rest area after Turtle Village Is affected by the previous scene (Diagonal scroll).

The mod have been reuploaded. The link in the first post is updated.
I only did 3 things:
- The rest areas (thief assault) are set to elevator.
\-> as a result, the rest area after Turtle Village I triggers a new problem (if you change manually the scene to be elevator the campfire layer will move against your will). This is fixed in the downloable version.
-I added the black skeleton palettes. Both Biker and Slash can be the black skeleton from the game. However they still are unused for the main mod.