Can't remember the name of that game from your past?

[gwardojones]

Alright, so this one's been in my head for decades and I'm finally going to put it forth to you fine people.

When I was a kid, my brothers and I had a babysitter who would bring her NES over to give us something to do while she watched us. She had a game that I've looked for over and over, but haven't found anything that fits.

The game I'm looking for was a 2D, side-scrolling action/action-adventure game. The spot I played might have been from my babysitter's save file, so it might have been further along in the game. I remember the background being covered in leaves as if the main character was in the branches of a giant tree. I also remember that you could choose the direction you wanted to go, sort of like Metroid, but much more limited (Blaster Master might be a better comparison). There was a left path that (I believe) progressed like a standard action game (move in one direction, enemies spawning in at the edge of the screen or in set locations), but the right path led to, as I recall, some sort of a dragon boss. I was really young at the time, so I wasn't great at playing, but I also remember that dragon beat the piss out of me over and over, as if it was something I was supposed to revisit after getting upgraded in some way. I can't remember if the main character shot projectiles or fought with a sword; I think the dragon shot projectiles, however. I also remember thinking the MC's sprite was kind of small compared to other games.

I'm not entirely convinced that I'm not mixing up games/imagining certain details, but I'd love to get this weird earworm of a game out of my head, and maybe even play it again. Can you set me free, RGT friends?

 

[bjork]

The Zone?

 

[Anoobis]

Alright, so this one's been in my head for decades and I'm finally going to put it forth to you fine people.

When I was a kid, my brothers and I had a babysitter who would bring her NES over to give us something to do while she watched us. She had a game that I've looked for over and over, but haven't found anything that fits.

The game I'm looking for was a 2D, side-scrolling action/action-adventure game. The spot I played might have been from my babysitter's save file, so it might have been further along in the game. I remember the background being covered in leaves as if the main character was in the branches of a giant tree. I also remember that you could choose the direction you wanted to go, sort of like Metroid, but much more limited (Blaster Master might be a better comparison). There was a left path that (I believe) progressed like a standard action game (move in one direction, enemies spawning in at the edge of the screen or in set locations), but the right path led to, as I recall, some sort of a dragon boss. I was really young at the time, so I wasn't great at playing, but I also remember that dragon beat the piss out of me over and over, as if it was something I was supposed to revisit after getting upgraded in some way. I can't remember if the main character shot projectiles or fought with a sword; I think the dragon shot projectiles, however. I also remember thinking the MC's sprite was kind of small compared to other games.

I'm not entirely convinced that I'm not mixing up games/imagining certain details, but I'd love to get this weird earworm of a game out of my head, and maybe even play it again. Can you set me free, RGT friends?

What was the theming? Sci-fi or fantasy, I'd imagine?

 

[gwardojones]

What was the theming? Sci-fi or fantasy, I'd imagine?

I believe it was fantasy.

 

[Anoobis]

Do Legacy of the Wizard or Faxanadu seem right?

 

[gwardojones]

Do Legacy of the Wizard or Faxanadu seem right?

It might actually be Faxanadu! That health bar in the top-left corner unlocked a core memory or something. I've gotta give it a try first, but I think you may have cracked case!

 

[Anoobis]

It might actually be Faxanadu! That health bar in the top-left corner unlocked a core memory or something. I've gotta give it a try first, but I think you may have cracked case!

I hope so. Glad to help, in any case.

 

[sandogma sandogma]

The Zone?

Hmmm this might be it! Since I played it on school computers, I don't think I ever had the sound on, so it doesn't sound recognizable but visually it looks familiar. The year it was released matches the time I was in school and the gameplay looks like what I remember (top down space shooter). I can't recall if the ship I was playing was red though. I'm going to have to try this out.

Thanks for the quick reply! Is this a game you've played before?

 

[bjork]

Thanks for the quick reply! Is this a game you've played before?

Nope, I just like trying to look for games when people ask. Sometimes I know right away, other times it's a chance to learn about something new.

 

[Vicozzy]

Asked Brave Browser AI, and below are the suggestion:

Top-Down Space Shooters for Mac (Late 90s)
Mars Rising / Deimos Rising: Often remembered as a quintessential, fast-paced vertical shooter with detailed graphics.
Super Ships II (1995-1997): A frantic, top-down, multi-player arena shooter featuring 20 ship types and a ship editor.
The Zone (c. 1995-1998): A shareware top-down shooter, often praised for its high replay value and intense, fast-paced action.
SubSpace (1997): A popular 2D top-down, multiplayer space shooter by Virgin Interactive.
Blobs (c. 1995): A shooter featured alongside other shareware, often in collections.
Swoop (c. 1995): Another shareware, arcade-style space shooter.

 

[Judier]

Ok guys, this is gonna be a bit of a pickle to find I believe. There was this game for mobile, a top down game that looked like a dungeon crawler game, that had a very interesting art design when it came to enemies and ambience and such. I think I remember the game was basically built to be around climbing up a tower of some kind, it had different floors and what not... I'd be glad to know just a name, or if possible, even some pictures.

 

[extermist]

The first game I ever saw was an Atari 2600 space game.
The screen moves horizontally and the ship can turn either left or right.
There's a map/radar either on top or at the bottom of the screen that shows your surroundings.
By all means, this sounds a lot like Defender, but what I distinctly remember is that there are horizontal lines across the screen.
The ship's movement isn't limited by these lines, it can move inbetween them freely, like they're no different from road paint that just guide you.
Just like defender, you can teleport to a random point in space.
There doesn't seem to be a clear goal or end to the space (as a kid I wanted to believe that it didn't have a limit, just like real life outterspace).
You can move the ship lower and the screen will scroll lower or higher down (maybe this is what the horizontal lines were for?).
The ship sprite also looked similar to Defender.
I don't rememember what the enemies look like or if it even had any.
I think you can fire? I can't remember that part.

For a long time, I've been thinking that I'm just mis-remembering Defender.
But I talked to some Italian guy (I'm from Asia) on another forum claming to have played the same game.
I said that it's probably Defender he's misremembering, but the guy claims it's a different game entirely, neither of us can find videos, images or any other mention of it anywhere else.

Does anyone know anything like this?

 

[Glimbo]

The first game I ever saw was an Atari 2600 space game.
The screen moves horizontally and the ship can turn either left or right.
There's a map/radar either on top or at the bottom of the screen that shows your surroundings.
By all means, this sounds a lot like Defender, but what I distinctly remember is that there are horizontal lines across the screen.
The ship's movement isn't limited by these lines, it can move inbetween them freely, like they're no different from road paint that just guide you.
Just like defender, you can teleport to a random point in space.
There doesn't seem to be a clear goal or end to the space (as a kid I wanted to believe that it didn't have a limit, just like real life outterspace).
You can move the ship lower and the screen will scroll lower or higher down (maybe this is what the horizontal lines were for?).
The ship sprite also looked similar to Defender.
I don't rememember what the enemies look like or if it even had any.
I think you can fire? I can't remember that part.

For a long time, I've been thinking that I'm just mis-remembering Defender.
But I talked to some Italian guy (I'm from Asia) on another forum claming to have played the same game.
I said that it's probably Defender he's misremembering, but the guy claims it's a different game entirely, neither of us can find videos, images or any other mention of it anywhere else.

Does anyone know anything like this?

There's Killer Satellites and Defender II. Could it be one of these?

 

[extermist]

There's Killer Satellites and Defender II. Could it be one of these?

I forgot to mention another distinction from Defender.
There isn't a ground to speak of, where defender has mountains or hills as backdrops to imply a ground, the game I'm looking for, just has space, with ocassional stars blinking.
And as mentioned, space has these horizontal lines across the screen.
Another difference is that where Defender has you saving humanoids, the game I'm looking for doesn't have any such objective or people.
Again, there doesn't seem to be a clear objective to it...

Unfortunately it couldn't be Killer Satellites either, as the game I'm looking for is purely black and white, no color what-so-ever.

But I trully appreciate your suggestions.

 

[downloadingshit]

RPG Maker Game made in either 2000/2003/XP that was about some drug going around that was giving people special powers that I downloaded randomly back around 2009-12. Scenes I remember was an opening scene taking place during a rainy night before the two drivers get stopped in the middle of the road by someone, I believe the MC getting yelled at over the phone by someone, and a scene of fighting someone in an auditorium I believe? I think she was like a popular cheerleader.

 

[hardcoretyphoon hardcoretyphoon]

Every time i mention this people tell me im crazy but I SWEAR. In the mid/late 2000s (probably 2005-2007) My dad had this device where you could hook up wires to your head and control games with your brain. It was a very messy system, there were a lot of wires and they attached to the head with adhesive, so you have to pull your hair back and stick them to your scalp. The game I played was top down and you played as an ant. I remember it controlling perfectly, i just had to think and it would move just how i wanted

 

[SoThankful]

It was a very messy system, there were a lot of wires and they attached to the head with adhesive, so you have to pull your hair back and stick them to your scalp.

Which one of these comes the closest?

 

[SoThankful]

To the people who brush off help attempts, I hope you never find your game.

 

[JuanMena]

I have two games in memory but can't find them.

NES: As a kid I had a Famiclone shaped like the N64 Controller. It had a Vertical Scroll shmup that I'm not sure if I'm confusing it or if I'm imagining it. It's not B-Wings, Xevious, Twinbee or Hector, but you flew across a blue background with islands and structures. Haven't found it. Probably a Chinese/Hong-Kong bootleg.

ARCADE: I remember playing a Horizontal Scroll shmup that had color labeled powerups. Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Purple. Each color had one type of bullet and you could mix two. I remember picking always Red + Blue which made the ship shoot homing missiles.
I've already went through the entire MAME 2010 and FBNEO Arcade Games (yes, literally checked every single shmup rom from both romsets) and never landed at that particular game. It's not Gradius, Darius, R-Type, Zero Wings...

 

[Snowboo48]

I'm trying to remember a game I used to play way back in maybe 1993. I'm 99% sure it was for the NES. My buddy was Chinese, so he might have gotten it from Hong Kong. It was a SWAT style game where you would have to enter a building from a window (I seem to remember an apartment building). I think you came down from the roof. Once you entered the building, you had to clear each room. I guess that was the first level. That's as far as I can remember. I don't think it was an official release.

 

[ZEGA ZONICZEGA ZONIC's icon]

Was it this?

 

[DanCalibur]

Maybe Die Hard for the NES?

 

[rollobobo]

Was it this?

Thats the game I immediately thought of.

 

[extermist]

I have two games in memory but can't find them.

NES: As a kid I had a Famiclone shaped like the N64 Controller. It had a Vertical Scroll shmup that I'm not sure if I'm confusing it or if I'm imagining it. It's not B-Wings, Xevious, Twinbee or Hector, but you flew across a blue background with islands and structures. Haven't found it. Probably a Chinese/Hong-Kong bootleg.

ARCADE: I remember playing a Horizontal Scroll shmup that had color labeled powerups. Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Purple. Each color had one type of bullet and you could mix two. I remember picking always Red + Blue which made the ship shoot homing missiles.
I've already went through the entire MAME 2010 and FBNEO Arcade Games (yes, literally checked every single shmup rom from both romsets) and never landed at that particular game. It's not Gradius, Darius, R-Type, Zero Wings...

The NES game, what did the islands and structures look like?

For the arcade game could you describe it more?

 

[JuanMena]

The NES game, what did the islands and structures look like?

For the arcade game could you describe it more?

The NES game looked a lot like "Xevious meets Twinbee".
The Arcade game looked like "Darius meets Cosmic Cop" but powerups where capsules.

Do not waste your time looking for it, I've been searching for them since 2008.