Echarin wrote:I'm creating a game with a friend of mine and I'm looking for inspiration / reference material. The game is a 2D side-scrolling action platformer and has you controlling a ninja down a straight path (so more Alien Hominid than Castle Crashers) through the levels slicing enemies with your sword.
At the moment I'm playing Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid, but there are a few similarities in the design of the games and I'm wanting to look at as wide a spectrum of gameplay as I can.
I've also got Gunstar Heroes, Castlevania IV and the original Ninja Gaiden on my Wii which I dip into every now and then.
And now the question: What games, other than the ones listed above, would you recommend I play through?
Off the top of my head: Protector/Contra. It's got that "you get hit, you die" approach that appeals to me* more than the energy par powered shennagins of Alien Hominid or Gunstar Heroes.
Probably the classic Castlevania games as well, and maybe ActRaiser on the SNES, which has enjoyable platform segments interspersed with gentle god-sim puzzle sections.
Oh, and Strider is a fine Capcom classic in that mould, though I'd probably recommend the arcade version over the Megadrive port.
I'm focussing on the games here that have strictly linear progression. If you want a fine example with somewhat more of an exploration feel, any of the later Castlevania games would do, but the source of that gameplay mechanic is the legendary Super Metroid.
*
I know some prefer that approach though, which is fair enough. It just feels irritating to me though.