Auto-runners or auto-running levels on retro consoles

[toei]

I've played basically every auto-runner I know of on classic consoles in the past few weeks. I'm referring to gameplay like that of Atomic Runner Chelnov or the vehicle levels in Zillion 2 - side-scrollers where the screen scrolls automatically and your character is always moving forward by default (though you can usually still move forward and backward), and that incorporate both fighting and platforming. Games that are close enough to this description, like BC's Quest for Tires or the chase levels in Master System Aladdin, are also of interest to me, however I'm not looking for endless runners (I need levels and structure).

So far I'm only aware of:

Atomic Runner (Chelnov) - Arcade, Genesis
Edo no Kiba - Super Famicom (though sadly, some levels are more auto-walking than running)

Several levels of Zillion 2 (Master System) revolve around that sort of gameplay (it's also the earliest example I know of that fully fits my description, basically arriving there by setting a shmup in a ground-based vehicle and adding jumps).

Riot / Telenet's Psycho Dream features a level with that style of gameplay, as does Cyborg 009 on the Mega CD, in addition to two boss battles.

Not much of a genre, with less than 3 games' worth in total. I'm sure there are many traditional platformers with chase or escape levels beyond Aladdin Genesis (that lava stage) or the aforementioned Master System Aladdin. Anything I'm missing?

[windfisch]

Do the horse-riding and surfboard stages from Shinobi 3 count?

Edit: And let's not forget about the awesome Moon Patrol! (also: Super Turrican 2 does feature a brief section paying homage to it.)

[lurker]

I know several Kirby bosses are set up that way.

[mainpatr]

How about Mega Man 2's Dragon boss? There's also a similar boss in Wonder Boy in Monster World.

Oh wait!, there's also "The Collapsing Ruins" in SNES Jungle Book and the train chase in Tiny Toon Adventures:Buster Busts Loose!.

[toei]

Jan 24, 2019 20:10:28 GMT -5 windfisch said:

Do the horse-riding and surfboard stages from Shinobi 3 count?

Edit: And let's not forget about the awesome Moon Patrol! (also: Super Turrican 2 does feature a brief section paying homage to it.)

I hadn't thought of them that way, but I'd say they're close enough to deserve mention. I guess the surfing stages from the Turtles in Time & Hyperstone Heist are pretty close, too.

Moon Patrol is definitely in line with what I'm looking for! Looking at vids, it's basically Konami's Scramble on the ground instead of the air, replacing flying with jumping. I'm guessing it was the inspiration for Zillion 2's vehicle stages. Interesting that such a development took place this early in the history of both platformers and side-scrolling shoot-'em-ups (1982!). It's also a year older than BC's Quest for Tires, which both Wikipedia and The New Yorker credited as "the first endless runner", and it's blatantly obvious that it inspired it as well. Thanks for pointing it out. I've been meaning to check out the Turrican games, too.

[phediuk]

Wonder Boy 3: Monster Lair

[phediuk]

Kid Klown in Crazy Chase

[phediuk]

Pepsiman

[phediuk]

The skateboarding sections in T&C Wood and Water Rage

[phediuk]

3D Worldrunner

[ommadawnyawn2]

Wolf Fang (ARC/SAT/PS1)
Ransack (PCs, 1987)
Sonic Advance 2 (GBA) - Boss fights
Altered Beast (ARC/MD)

[phediuk]

Vib-ribbon is a cross between auto-runner and rhythm game:

[phediuk]

Jan 25, 2019 7:43:59 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Wolf Fang (ARC/SAT/PS1)
Ransack (PCs, 1987)
Sonic Advance 2 (GBA) - Boss fights
Altered Beast (ARC/MD)

Strictly speaking Altered Beast isn't an auto-runner since the screen scrolls independently of your character.

[phediuk]

Skyroads is an autorunner platformer in the skin of a driving game:

[dsparil]

Skyroads isn't an autorunner. You have full control over your speed from zero to full.