Somewhere Over the Jungle, the President's Plane Disappears! My Journey into Bloody Wolf on TurboGrafx-16

You were born to fight, and now your time has come. 

The latest game in my TurboGrafx journey is Bloody Wolf.

Starting with my last Turbo journey, into the bug filled madness of Cyber-Core, I altered the format of Turbo Times a little. From now on, I'm going to start playing each game knowing very little about it, other than reading the beginning of the manual, and then capture and write about my first impressions before reading anything else about it, or playing it any more. 

Then I will look up reviews on the game and any other feedback I can find before continuing to play it, including cheats and current pricing, and report on any differences in my experience between playing it for the first time and replaying it after knowing more about it.

This might extend the time it takes to play each game and write each article, but in the end I think it will be a more interesting and fulfilling way to approach it, both for myself, and for you.

So... let's jump in.

(VIEW MANUAL)

To start, let's review the story and overview from the manual, which is graciously hosted at tg-16.com

FROM THE MANUAL

Story

Somewhere over the jungle, the President's plane disappears. 

A crazed General, seeking wealth and power, orders his troops to kidnap him and hide him away. Now it's up to You to get him out!

You were born to fight and now your time has come. As a member of the special combat team, "Bloody Wolf," you were recruited from the best of all four branches of the military. Your partners are from the Seals, the Green Berets, the Marine Corps and the Air Force. But this time you'll have to go it alone.

ln order to prove yourself as a worthy member of Bloody Wolf, you've got to bring the President back alive even if it means your own life. lt will take everything you've got and more, so look yourself in the mirror and ask..."am I a man or am I a 'Wolf'!" 

A Bloody Wolf! 

 

Objective of the game

Rescue the President from the enemy stronghold after his plane goes down and he's kidnapped by a berserk military unit. Pass by enemy outposts, cross rivers, make your way through the jungle, defeat the enemy bosses and score points as you go. Besides the President, make sure you help out the other prisoners-you'll find they have important power-up items and information that you'll need to succeed. But if you do rescue the President, what then? Find out for yourself in this action-packed arcade hit!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

After reading the story and objective in the manual I decided to jump right into the game. Before I got into the game I thought it was going to be a lot like Ikari Warriors, a top down run and gun, but I was pleasantly surprised that it mixes things up quite a bit.

First of all, probably because of past trauma from playing a lot of Rambo First Blood Part II on the Sega Master System (which is like Ikari Warriors), I was thinking Bloody Wolf would look very similar with the same top down perspective, chunky characters and fat bullets. 

Rambo First Blood Part II on Sega Master System

Ikari Warriors on NES

I was very happy to see, however, that Bloody Wolf looks quite different, with character and bullet designs that almost look more at home in a Contra-styled game.

I really like the way the character moves and can jump over obstacles. It took me a minute to figure out, but I really like how you can climb certain objects and walls to get to higher levels (you'll see my struggle when I come across the first hostage in my gameplay video). 

I also really like how the character will pull out a knife and stab an enemy if you are right next to them. Not only is it a great way to structure the mechanic (without requiring complex button combinations to do it), but I like how you can get close and take down armored enemies. 

The game also has a bunch of boss fights which are cool and help break up the constant waves of enemy fighters coming at you. None of the boss fights were too hard or frustrating either. I could see some people complaining about that, but it didn't bother me.

I also really liked how you were able to ride a motorcycle at one point and take out a bunch of enemies, while dodging grenades and other obstacles. Was a nice change of pace and something I haven't seen in some other similar games, especially back in the day.

Like a lot of games on the TurboGrafx, the music is also really good. 

I didn't get a lot of time to play the game during my first run at it, but I like how you have unlimited continues to keep going if you want to, and the checkpoints when you die are very generous. 

The only reason my game session ended is I needed to leave and couldn't keep continuing (adulting, am I right?) 

You can see my very first time playing Bloody Wolf in the video below:

REVIEWS AND COVERAGE

Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine reviewed Bloody Wolf in their July 1990 issue (number 12) and generally gave it good scores.

GamePro magazine covered Bloody Wolf in their July 1990 issue, but apparently this was during a period when GamePro wasn't reviewing games and simply was covering them and offering gameplay tips. Their famous face-based score system isn't present in this issue at all.

 

Sinclair User magazine covered the European arcade version of Bloody Wolf, named "Battle Rangers", in their June 1989 issue, and gave it a 6 out of 10. Personally I think they were a bit harsh in their criticism, as they apparently saw it as a needless Ikari clone, but I think it's a much more enjoyable game than Ikari Warriors, and had several important gameplay enhancements. Still interesting to see some of the critical opinions back in the day. 

PRICING

According to the ProView for Bloody Wolf in GamePro, it retailed for $69.99 when it first launched. Now, according to the latest from PriceCharting.com, a complete-in-box (CIB) version of Bloody Wolf can cost anywhere from $100 to $150, while a loose copy generally sells for $50 to $70. 

Here is a current CIB listing on eBay:

CHEAT CODES

Sometimes it can be difficult to find cheat codes for specific games in old gaming mags, and I wasn't able to find any published cheats, however there are several on different websites, like GameFAQs, IGN and Planet Cheats. I wasn't able to try them all, but I was able to get the following codes to work: 

• Fast Mode: at the title screen press Up, Down, Right, Right, I, I, II, Select, Run

• Flying Mode: at the title screen press Down, Up, Left, Left, II, II, I, Select, Run

• Sound Test: at the title screen hold Up and II and press Select

• Level Select: at the title screen press II, I, I, II, I, II, II, I and then press one of the directions listed below on the D-pad to start at the desired Stage (there is no indication it works other than you will start at that level once you press Run and start the game):
• Stage 1: Up
• Stage 2: Up-Right Diagonal
• Stage 3: Right
• Stage 4: Down-Right Diagonal
• Stage 5: Down
• Stage 6: Down-Left Diagonal
• Stage 7: Left
• Stage 8: Up-Left Diagonal

I ended up using the Stage 8 code so I can verify that it works. I had reached Stage 8 during my Replay session and then had to take a break to go do adulting stuff, then when I returned the game was off and my progress was lost. So I used the code to at least restart from Stage 8 and not have to start over from the very beginning (the game is fun, but I wanted to get to the last boss).

ARCADE FIRSTPLAY

In researching more about Bloody Wolf, I learned that it started as an arcade game, so I wanted to try playing that a bit before jumping back into the TurboGrafx-16 version, in order to be able to compare the two. 

At first I was just planning to just capture a little gameplay, but then I actually ended up playing through the entire game, since I could just keep inserting virtual quarters whenever I died. There were certainly some challenging parts, but overall I found it very playable and not super punishing. 

Overall lots of fun. I did notice that when you die and continue in the arcade version, you simply pick right up where you died. 

In the TurboGrafx version, however, when you have to continue you restart from the beginning of the stage. This honestly makes sense, since you can continue infinitely and they have to make it a bit challenging when you die.

You can watch my full arcade playthrough in the video below:

TURBO REPLAY

After reading more about the game, and playing through the arcade version, I was ready to jump back into the TurboGrafx and see how my replay would compare to my first impressions.

It took me about a week to be able to get back to the TurboGrafx version after having played the arcade, and I'm glad because it gave me a bit of perspective.

The music is really badass in this game, especially the first stage's theme that recurs throughout the game. The action is also excellent and is a wonderful evolution of the Ikari Warriors-like formula. Where I never really liked Ikari Warriors and similar games, the changes made to Bloody Wolf feel like they were made just for me. The action is generally fast and enjoyable, and unlike the arcade version, I even enjoy the cheesy dialogue your character shares with each boss and some of the hostages when you rescue them. Really reenforces that cheesy 80s action flick vibe, which I'm not sure was totally intentional back when this game was created, but is excellent today nonetheless.

I'm also very glad for the unlimited continues they give you, and the fairly generous checkpoints throughout the game, except for in a few sections that felt difficult to get through. Making it to the end of the game becomes more a matter of perseverance than pure skill, but when you have adulting responsibilities pop up it can still put an early end to any gaming session, making faster playthroughs and less continues more necessary if you want to see the ending in a single sitting.

I was able to make it to the end boss, but I wasn't able to defeat him yet. He just kept killing me over and over, and eventually my life responsibilities meant I had to end my session and hopefully try again later. At least I can use the stage select cheat to go right to Stage 8, but I still have to fight my way to the boss, and that's easier said than done.

Compared to the arcade version, I really like the extra levels they made for the TurboGrafx home version, even though some of them are pretty insane. Feels like this is one case where the home port is actually superior to the arcade game, which is not something we used to encounter back in the day too often.

Overall Bloody Wolf was a bloody damn good time. I didn't know exactly what to expect going in, and I'm so glad I finally discovered it. Just surprised I hadn't run across the arcade version before this, but it was a happy discovery on both accounts.

I'll certainly keep playing more Bloody Wolf in the future, but I'm ready to move onto the next game in my journey.

The next game I'll be playing is King of Casino! ...um, yeah?

Certainly I can tell what this game is going to be about (would actually be awesome if it was nothing like I imagine). Hopefully it ends up being more fun than I fear.

Until next time!

Welcome Back Rad Ralph! Journeying into Cyber-Core on TurboGrafx-16

We Have a Little "Mission" for You! 

The latest game in my TurboGrafx journey is Cyber-Core.

I'm trying a slightly different format this month. I'm going to start playing the game knowing very little about it, other than reading through the manual, and write about my first impressions before reading anything else about it. 

Then I will look up reviews on the game and any other feedback I can find before continuing to play it, and report on any differences in my experience between playing it for the first time and replaying it after knowing more about it.

This might extend the time it takes to play each game and write each article, but in the end I think it will be a more interesting and fulfilling way to approach it, both for myself, and for you.

So... let's jump in.

To start, let's review the info in the manual, which is graciously hosted at tg-16.com

VIEW MANUAL

FROM THE MANUAL

Story

Welcome Back, Rad Ralph! We Have a Little "Mission" for You! After a hundred years in space, your expeditionary party returns to a horrible sight. Giant hyper-insects have taken control of the Earth! The United Force elects you, "Rad Ralph!' to face them. Fighting these bio-monsters with human strength alone would mean certain defeat. Your only chance to recapture the Earth is to merge with the ultra-life form "Chimeral' Half man, half insect, now you have the strength to fight back. But you also have another incredible power. Like the insects themselves, you have the ability to transform yourself-"metamorphose" into an ever more powerful creature. Use your powers wisely, Rad Ralph, for this may be the final battle of all mankind. 

 

Objective of the game

Defeat the hyper-insects by fighting your way through all 8 stages of the game. Begin your journey as a "Cyber Core" the lowest level of half man, half insect. Obtain further metamorphosis by acquiring the correct "powerup" items along the way. Earn extra lives by scoring points and collecting 1 UP's. Defeat gruesome enemy bosses and finally arrive at the underground tunnels. Then face the final challenge of the game-the giant 4-legged tarantula!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

After reading the story and objective in the manual I decided to jump right into the game. I did see a bit about how your "ship" evolves and the scan of the manual online has a bunch of handwritten notes in it with various tips. I didn't want to spoil too much of that for myself just yet, so I didn't read it in depth.

Like many of the games on the TurboGrafx I've played previously I was immediately impressed with the music in Cyber-Core. You can tell they really put effort into it and it's great overall. The graphics look really good too. 

I like the whole bug theme and it makes it seem a bit different than other shoot 'em ups. The way your "ship" or insect (or maybe it's you? hard to tell) evolve is also interesting. 

I saw briefly in the manual, in the handwritten notes, that there is an ideal way to collect the various power-ups to evolve your ship into a super insect or something. I'll have to give that a try when I go back to play the game again. 

I like the idea of having to collect items and evolve in a certain ideal order, but like many games back in the day, I don't know how anyone would be able to figure that out without some sort of reference.

During my first few attempts I was able to make it up to Stage 4, and at first I thought there might be unlimited continues (which would have been nice, but generally unrealistic for games back in the day) but it seems the game gives you three chances to continue before making you start over again from Stage 1. Honestly that's not terrible considering how brutal some old school games were.

Overall my first impressions of Cyber-Core are very positive and I'm eager to play more once I study the manual a bit more and learn how the power-ups work. I'm also interested to see if there are any cheat codes.

You can see my very first time playing Cyber-Core in the video below:

REVIEWS AND COVERAGE

Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine reviewed Cyber-Core in their June 1990 issue (number 11) and generally gave it good scores. The biggest criticism came from Sushi-X that the game is "too easy". LOL. I certainly didn't have that experience.

Video Games and Computer Entertainment magazine also gave Cyber-Core a good review with a 7 overall. Funny enough, their only real complaint was the opposite of EGM's Sushi-X, "...until you learn the enemies' attack patterns, even the first level will seem to require superhuman coordination and speed." I think my experience lies somewhere in the middle of these two reviewers.

 

(click an image to enlarge)

PRICING

According to the review in VG&CE, Cyber-Core retailed for $61.99 when it first launched, and according to the latest from PriceCharting.com a complete-in-box (CIB) version of Cyber-Core is going for about $80, while a loose TurboChip will cost about $40. 

CHEAT CODES

Luckily the same issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly that had the review of Cyber-Core also published a bunch of cheats:

I can't wait to try some of these out.

REPLAY

After learning a bit more about the game, and reading about the proper order to power-up your bug ship, I was ready to jump back in.

So, after a few attempts I found that the bug that gives you the power-ups actually gives you all the power-ups in the right order to get the ultimate weapon right at the beginning of Stage 1, provided you shoot it enough to get three power-ups each time it passes, and you pick up the power-ups in the order it drops them. 

The first time it passes, given you shoot it enough, it drops power-up orbs in the following order: Red, Blue, Green. Then the second time it passes, which is right after the first, it drops power-up orbs in the following order: Green, Yellow, Red. If you get the power-up orbs in this order, then get hit enough to go back to the first stage metamorphosis, you will have a combined ultimate weapon. If you pick up any additional power-up orbs you will lose it, and if you get hit then you die. Kind of a risk/reward setup. If you want the best weapon in the game, then you're essentially a glass cannon, able to do lots of damage, but not take any. 

Even though I thought it was cool to have the combined ultimate weapon, I actually found it difficult to see the enemy projectiles with so much happening on the screen at once. I think I much prefer having a fully upgraded single color power-up than the ultimate combined one. That way you can carry up to three shields as well, and you can continue picking up power-up orbs, given you pick up the same color as the one you've been using.

I also tried out a bunch of different cheat codes, including the "narrow screen" arcade-type view, warping straight to the end stage (which resulted in my very quick death - oh man that stage is crazy), starting with a fully upgraded bug (there is a code for each type), invincibility, and warping straight to the end credits. I also tried a code that EGM said was "hard mode" but it just seemed to drop more of the special orbs that clear all enemies on the screen, grant temporary invincibility, or grant extra lives. Didn't seem any harder. 

Overall, I think Cyber-Core might be one of my favorite games on the TurboGrafx so far. Music is great and the action is very well designed and just frantic enough to be fun, but not so overwhelming that it feels pointless to play. Even if I never beat the game, I can see playing it over and over to see how far I can get. Kind of like how I used to play Sky Shark on the NES back in the day. I sucked at it, but I didn't mind starting over and over again and seeing how far I could get. It's the journey that's the point, and having fun along the way.

You can see some of my Replay gameplay, along with trying out various cheat codes, in the video below:

Overall Cyber-Core was a lot of fun, and I'm very glad I discovered it. I'll certainly keep playing it, but I'm ready to move onto the next game in my journey.

The next game I'll be playing is... Bloody Wolf!

Seems like this is an Ikari Warriors-style top down run and gun game. I tend to REALLY suck at these, but we'll see how it goes.

Until next time!