Game Club 199X #16 - Electro Man (PC-DOS)

[Snarboo]

So while I was digging around for the manual to Electro Man, I stumbled upon this remake instead. It doesn't seem to be entirely finished, but it does support custom levels, so I'm curious how big of a following this game has.

[muteKi]

Feb 4, 2013 21:10:19 GMT -5 Narushima said:

About the "Europeanness" of this game, am I the only one who thinks Electroman looks like it could have been on the Amiga? The colours, the big sprites, the overall look, simple controls...

The lack of BGM during gameplay...

It really does feel like an Amiga game by Epic. Like the whole time I'm playing it I can't help but think of Xargon, even though the two games have relatively little in common overall.

[kal]

The only thing Epic did was change the name and background graphic though. Maybe someone could play through both versions to be sure hah.

With Dr Chaos though there's no games specifically like it, except Goonies 2. Electroman is just a tiny bit odd in a hugely profilic unexplored field for GC9X but as long as everyone enjoys it that's what matters. Didn't find it remotely compelling when I played it years ago but in the spirit Ill try it again.

[muteKi]

Well yeah, I mean it doesn't have the layout or quite play like an epic game like xargon, but it does have the visual style, is what I mean. Just really big and shiny main character a la amiga.

[tengutenga]

Is there a way of crawling or crouching in this game?
Sometimes I find myself in a corridor without any room for a jump or a fall, and an attacking robot basically means death.
Sometimes I find myself stuck in an area where the only out is through crawling, or a conveniently placed suicide station.

[Narushima]

No, you have to find another way. With a well-calculated jump most probably.

[Weasel]

I decided to carry over some Kraftwerk influence.

[Snarboo]

Having made it up to stage 6, I've suddenly had Nam style flashbacks to the last time I played this game. It was at about this point that I quit playing the game, as stage 6 is a real doozy. I won't spell it yet, however.

Here are some tips for you guys:

• Most stages have landmarks of some kind, so pay attention!
  
• In stage 2 and 3, there are maps of key locations on the wall. Study these if you get lost.
  
• Around section B of stage 3, you will need a fully upgraded laser to destroy a couple of mines on the floor that you can't jump over. You'll know you're in the right spot if you have to fall down a great distance, then take a series of teleporters.
  
• Later in the game, you'll encounter robots that look like miniature tanks. These little guys are impervious to all weapons fire, so you need to avoid them and their shots to progress.
  
• SPOILER: Click to show
  Stage 4 consists of a large hub that you need to traverse in order to find the three keycards. However, you need to find a battery upgrade before you can proceed to any of the three major areas. This battery upgrade can be found by climbing the top of the stage from the first checkpoint. You'll know you're going the right way if you have to traverse a series of catwalks after taking a teleporter that you reach via a lower series of catwalks.
  
  
• SPOILER: Click to show
  Stage 5 is a confusing series of virtually identical mazes. There are more keycards than you need in this stage, some of which you can't reach. However, you simply need three to progress. Learn the basic layout of the maze while paying attention to the landmarks, and you can easily beat this stage.

[Deleted]

Weasel, that is brilliant.

I've beaten the first three stages so far and I'm having a good deal of fun with EM, but it does get tricky pretty quickly. Lemme see what general and specific advice I can throw out:

-Your platforming skills are put to the test at the beginning of the second stage, which is sort of like a proto-masocore mine-jumping session. Take this time to get the feeling of jumping, as you'll have to jump earlier or later than you may think to dodge certain hazards.
-Be VERY observant of your surroundings in each screen. The stages may contain mines that blend in well with the background, like in stage 3 where two mines are imposed in front of plants and it's hard to immediately notice them.
-You will have to take many leaps of faith in between the edges of screens. This game rewards you for being bold... most of the time.
-Get used to jumping over enemies, as there will be several points where you won't have any battery power when facing baddies.
-Unless you really need to take a break mid-game, I'd advise against saving in a mid-stage checkpoint, as it could be harder to start a level from there than starting over from the beginning depending on circumstances. Consider that you only have one save file, and... there isn't any point in this game where you can be forced into an unwinnable situation, is there? I sure hope not.

[thefunkyredcaboose]

Wow, I remember buying this game at CVS for 5 dollars. Had that cover and everything. I'm pretty sure I was expecting Jazz Jackrabbit or Duke Nukem II and got... this. I can't join in this month but I appreciate the reminder that this game exists!

[Deleted]

Quick tip for level 5: Go right the instant you start the level. The first chip is literally only one or two screens right where you start, and it would suck to miss this one early on. Also, yes, you do have to die on purpose after you get the chip. :V

[Snarboo]

I've complete stage 6! After getting stuck here years ago, I finally figured out a couple tricks:

• Teleports generally take you UP a screen or two. Pay attention to where you are when you teleport and you can get back to where you were before.
  
• The right most edge of the maze is a long shaft that is nothing but a long drop. There is no way to climb back up without using teleporters to get to other parts of the maze. However, this section is marked off by an orange hazard stripe.
  
• SPOILER: Click to show
  The real trick to finishing this level is to find the hidden map in the maze. From the start, jump down the pit, then head left until you reach a vertical shaft. Climb this shaft until you get to the top, then head left again. If you did this correctly, you should see a box made of crosshairs. Shoot all of them to reveal the map! You'll need at least a level one weapon to do this. This maps has locations for all the keycards as white dots.

Unfortunately, stage 7 seems to be even larger and more confusing than stage 6, but at least the landmarks are slightly better.

[Snarboo]

A revelation from NeoRasa in the IRC channel has revealed a potential source for the sample played when you revive after death: Buckaroo Banzai! Can anyone confirm this?

[Weasel]

Alright, three things for this post.

Firstly, here's what the Electro Body shareware version looks like when set up for a Hercules graphics card:


Secondly, the sound made when you reach a checkpoint is distorted in the Epic release, but this is what it sounds like in Electro Body.

Finally, I tracked down the website for Daniel Klyczynski, the game's music composer, which happens to have a contact form on it. Here is the email I sent him.

[kal]

Does NeoRasa actually have any evidence on that, I just watched the whole film while doing something (so I COULD have missed it) but I didn't hear that phrase pop up. And no that's not a coincidence, I put the movie on to check.