(3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Game of the Week: Silent Debuggers

[SamIAm]

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March 6 - March 12: Silent Debuggers
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(chosen by MNKyDeth)

"Players explore a large cargo station in search of treasure which then accidentally triggered the self-destruct sequence. The player must progress from level to level, killing every monster in order to advance. On the lowest level is a computer that must be "debugged" in order to stop a self-destruct sequence. The player is assisted by a fellow debugger named Leon who provides information and weapon and is also your buddy. The game featured a minimal ability to look up and down. Selecting a harder difficulty generated a blob-like monster that moved on the ceiling."

I always thought this game reminded me of Aliens the movie when I was growing up with the console. It always scared the crap out of me just like the movie did. The sound "atmosphere" of the monster sensor and the rushing around trying to memorize where you were so you could get back to the inner areas to protect it always made this game exciting to me. I feel this game is very underrated for the potential it has and showed. I hope everyone gets the excitement from this game like I did when I was young and scared of things that go bump in the night.

The 3d view to me was very impressive for the time and mixed with the objectives of destroying and protecting made the game even more frantic. It has been a while since I played it so hopefully it still feels the same way it did all those years ago as I remember it.

(First paragraph from Wikipedia)

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GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. (3/13/2016 - 3/19/2016) Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[o.pwuaioc]

I've never played this game, never even game it a thought. Sadly, I do not own it, nor have I any love for Data East, but it does look interesting. The 3D is, as you say MNKyDeth, very impressive.

[VenomMacbeth]

I love this game!  For very much the same reasons as you gave.

[MNKyDeth]

Well, I have not played this game recently. I have been trying to play the GOTW games if possible depending on my schedule.

I am going to play this game most of Wednesday I think as long as nothing comes up.



 o.pwuaioc - I think it's worth a try even if it's just a trial run on the first level of the game but I would do that on an TED if possible if the game doesn't look interesting to you.

[o.pwuaioc]

Well, I have not played this game recently. I have been trying to play the GOTW games if possible depending on my schedule.

I am going to play this game most of Wednesday I think as long as nothing comes up.



 o.pwuaioc - I think it's worth a try even if it's just a trial run on the first level of the game but I would do that on an TED if possible if the game doesn't look interesting to you.

No TED here, but it does look interesting! I suppose I could try emulation. I don't even know what to use as an emulator I haven't done that in so long.

[grolt]

Great pick, and I agree - underrated! The atmosphere is great, and the differing lighting conditions depending on the area or attack status really sets the tone. The lack of music during the main gameplay is a little bit of a buzzkill, but the longer you play it the more it feels deliberate as a way to make you feel isolated and heighten your other senses as you look for the bugs. At first I thought this game would be more like a sci-fi Double Dungeons, where you'd have to maintain these massive maps just to try to get through it, but to my surprise the game does a good job making it easy to maintain your direction with two separate maps and convenient labels on all doors. The manual even has a cheat sheet where all the special rooms are, too. That means no frustration, just a lot of frightening fun. In a way the gameplay is perfect - you can just jump right in and have fun blasting bugs, but the more you play it the more you realize there can be a lot of strategy to it utilizing different weapons and using your aim to target different parts of the bugs. I agree with nuldaddy, this game deserved more!

[Punch]

Thanks you secret santa for the hucard -- game is great! A tad bit on the easy side when you figure out how to minimize damage to your command area rooms, but the last level will be tense and hard enough!

No one has figured out if there is a secret corredor on the third level, yet. Probably not but it still feels like there is a secret ready to be discovered... if there actually is one, I bet that the slime enemy has something to do with it (the only different enemy sprite(!) and appears only in the first stage)

[Enternal]

Picked this up at the beginning of the year while stopping at a store in Georgia. Instantly the game reminded me of Space Griffon VF-9 (so if you're a fan of this game, check out that one). Going with the first person perspective pseudo shooter and applying it to a futuristic setting was a little ambitious for its time.

I feel that this may be why the game garners some negative reviews.

Although D&D gold box, Phantasy Star, Golgo 13, had similar game mechanics, it wasn't something the every day gamer was used to at the time. And many going back today will see moving the corridors as clunky/confusing so much that overlook the game and lose perspective of its time.

When I see SD or Phantasy Star (Sega master System) being played I'm thinking about how innovative they are for their time.

I know I'm just rambling, anyone feel the same 

[Dicer]

Super excellent game, will try to dig into it over the weekend with my kiddo, see if we can't kick it's ass