MiSTer FPGA - Gremlins 2: The New Batch [No Miss] / NES (Famicom)
10I played through a couple Gremlins games to kick off Xmas weekend and this one is definitely the best of the bunch. Developed by Sunsoft; this features really nice graphics, music and gameplay. There are small touches like how you can see the electric gremlin trapped in the computer systems on the stage after you defeat him. When it came to movie licensed games, Sunsoft was a step up in quality compared to pretty much every other dev on the NES.
It took me 3 full playthroughs before I could nail a no-death run in this one, along with repeated practice on the final stage and boss via the use of the password system in the game. I also used the password to practice the 4th stage which can be somewhat tricky. The length of the game makes this a great option for a quick pickup-and-play session.
The only negatives here are the hit detection can seem wonky at times, but this seems to also affect the enemies so it never feels unfair. Also the platforming and enemy locations around them can seem somewhat unfair in some scenarios, until you figure out a path that works for you in a particular section. Luckily if you're at a particularly tough area you can usually find a way to skirt around some of the harder rooms and power your way through.
When at the shops, focus on purchasing health items and balloons, since they save you from taking fall damage and give you invincibility for a long while when you return to the screen. You'll want to grab the power canister as soon as possible to increase your firepower.
I learned to avoid the final tricky room before the boss with clever use of a balloon at a particular spot there. It really helps to get to the end boss with 2 or 3 hearts remaining to secure the victory. In this run I was able to get through the final boss fight without taking damage for the first time! Felt good to finally dodge it's rush attack properly without taking damage, but really its just down to RNG. A lot of things in this game are, which honestly keeps it pretty interesting. You can consider the final stage to be just as much of a boss encounter as the final fight, since there are no health powerups available and you will need to clear both without healing.
The annoying enemies that turn into whirlwinds throwing hats can be tough at first, but if you learn to stay at a diagonal angle from them it gets considerably easier to take them out.
The music in this game is excellent! It made practicing the stages a joyful experience to always look forward to the music, tapping my feet as I lead Gizmo through the gauntlet of challenging sections.
A+ effort from Sunsoft here- short but sweet.
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NES core 12-14-2021 build - Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Filter: Scanlines(Bright)\110_85_soft // Gamma: Off
Palette: Kitrinx27 // Hide Overscan: Off // Extra Sprites: On
Played using an OEM NES controller with Daemonbite USB adapter & 1000hz polling.
Settings: Integer scaled to 1080p // HDMI to Datapath e1s capture card
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|:=-Timestamps-=:|
00:00 - Settings
00:30 - Title / Intro
01:19 - Full Game (No Death)
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=---------------CONTRIBUTE---------------=
None of this would be possible without the constant hard work of Sorgelig. It cannot be overstated how much he has done and continues to do for this project, since its beginning. You can support him either at his Patreon in the link below, or on Paypal, depending on your preference. MiSTer is a paradigm shift in how we can experience these classic games. This is a long-term preservation project that will continue to grow so that gamers today and in the future can experience these excellent systems as accurately and lag-free as possible. Donating what you can will help keep the updates coming. Thank you.
Patreon: / fpgamister
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NOTE: I am not affiliated with Sorgelig and am only sharing these links as a fan of the project who wishes to see it continue to grow rapidly.
=-----------------INFORM-----------------=
SmokeMonster's overview video of this core: • The Ultimate NES Console built in FPG...
Github link for this core: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/NES_M...
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Worldwide list of sellers for MiSTer expansion boards: https://misterfpga.org/viewforum.php?...
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