There's a trick in the first stage, right after you descended. You grab the option hold, then have player 2 join for dual play. (Make sure not to have more then 2 options at the time, or you won't be able to get the 4th option until an Option Stealer grabs one.) Next, have the 2nd player die. Farm the energy, then let him die again and again :D When all is said and done, you will have unlocked all the weapon powerups and the options will be permanently locked. With the 3rd laser upgrade, you will fire a beam half the size of the screen :D I discovered this trick by myself, back in the 90's. Slightly annoying was, that you couldn't get the happy ending unless you had Nemesis 2 in the other cartridge slot to unlock the secret level.
I used to do this too, what was also annoying was that you couldnt actually get the arming ball power up when the ships were in dual mode, there were never ever enough power ups to activate it.
Thanks a lot for Salamander-longplay! I was crazy for it as a kid and managed sometimes to see the ending... only to see Venoms laugh. Great to see there was still a good ending. I want to mention that big eye - it scared the shit out of me when I saw it first time and I barely avoided it.
@@Mr_x_19922 Yes, it is very hard. And usually one death is same as "game over" as you lose all powerups. Using trainers has never been an option for me, it takes away all the challenge that I like the most.
I will not forget this game. Really Konami was the power behined the MSX ! When Salamander was released in 1988 I thought it Nemesis 3 , but N3 came after. Salamander was very hard , I could not exceed level 2 ! Thanks for Konami chip they mounted in the MSX2 games cartridges that produced these beyond future sounds !
Interesting how Gradius actually has a reoccurring main protagonist/hero throughout several of the games and spin-offs in some form. James Burton (the old dude in the intro. Also known as Lars XVIII, a title given to rulers governing the planet). Gradius (1985), Gradius 2 (MSX), Salamander/(MSX), Nemesis 3: Gofer's Ambition - Episode 2, and Gradius Rebirth.
Indeed! With Gradius Rebirth I was hoping we would get more games or remakes in the MSX timeline. Rebirth takes place in the year 6664, 6 years after Gradius MSX and 2 years before Gradius 2, so we got to see a new entry in the timeline with the ending setting up Gradius 2. It even said "to be continued" but sadly it wasn't.
@@christopherchasteen4990 I'm aware but still forgot to mention him. I wonder if the nameless character in Gradius V, pilot of Vic Viper T-301, is also a descendant of them?
1:02 : BIGIN CRUSH BLOW OPERATIONS! SPACE FORCE GET SET! 32:40 : CONGRATURATION! YOU ARE GREAT STAR FIGHTER! Aaaaaah.. European MSX konami games..! :)))))
I have to say I am impressed with this version of Salamander on the MSX considering the offerings on other 8 bit home computers at the time. Unfortunately I recieved a Famicom as a present and jumped ship. I reguarded the Famicom version to be graphically the best and sound too at the time but uopn hearing the sound track of the Msx version , it is by far superior with the added FM chip in the game cartridge and am glad to have the opportunity to enjoy it with my own ears. I remember buying Konami's Road fighter which was one of the first games to have this chip. Thank you for the upload.
Some stuff you only realize as an adult: - Hyper Space Fighter - Sabel Tiger (likely named after legendary Japanese heavy metal band "Saber Tiger"). - Pilot: Iggy Rock (clear pun on "Iggy Pop" :)). - Hyper Space Figher - Thrasher (Neil Young's song by the same name). - Pilot: Zowie Scott (Zowie, likely refers to David Bowie (Ziggy + Bowie) and Scott likely refers to Jeff Scott Soto, singer of Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums released in 1984 and 1985).
There's more - in the manual, all of the enemies have names of actual '80s heavy metal bands, like "Iron Maiden", "Nuclear Assault", "Black Sabbath". Seriously. Also, the (at some point) MSX exclusive "Nemesis 2" has all the big core enemy crafts named after the more heavier rock/punk/metal bands as well, such as Venom, Riot and Misfits (also Mayhem, but it's a far stretch that they would know about such an obscure band back then). A pseudonym of a Konami staff member back then was "Metalslave", and it was a password for Hi no Tori (Firebird) as well. Long story short, there were obviously some huge metal fans in the Konami staff back then.
I believe that this game was the introduction of Hawk Wind missiles and Formation Options (in the form of the Option Hold power up). I love using them in Gradius 3 SNES. Always amazing to see when one of the 8 bit games can support 4 Options as well, alongside Gradius 2 Famicom.
This game uses SCC sound extension cartridge, which is similar to PC Engine wavetable synthesizer minus DPCM capabilites. No wonder it sounds better than standard 3-channel PSG.
Played the european verion "Lifeforce" on the NES a lot when i was young, the difference is extreme, im quite confused, the organic theme is there, all the enemies are the same, but the stages differ so much, just how many versions did they release.
None of that. It was just by word of mouth. We had a pretty active MSX community here in Spain back then. I don´t think I could have ever figured it out on my own in a million years! :D
Amazing music, cool art style, cutscenes, this is a dang good experience, rivals the NES version for me, but the nes version wins slightly in my books due to just feeling so great to play
Guillermo Sempron r-type was better for me, salamander drove me crazy as it was so frustrating, I don’t remember the scrolling to be that bad as I watch this video.
Cool! How did you get clued in as to what you were supposed to do? Did the manual hint at the whole "cart combining" thing, or did you have to figure that out on your own?
Believe it or not it some people knew about it! I was in middle school early 90s when I used to trade MSX game cartridges with my friends back in Baghdad. 2 different friends that I traded with told me about the good ending and how you needed the Nemesis 2 ROM in the second slot. I have no idea how they knew about it. Ah...good times. EDIT: forgot to add back then we had no access to internet or video game magazines because of the embargo imposed on Iraq back then.
@@meganecro well I played this game 22 years ago, but I knew about the good ending only few months ago by this video. بالمناسبة اني همين من بغداد 🙂🙂🙂 تحياتي الك
Nes version is a simply low quality arcade porting, the MSX version has only questionable scrolling, but has better color, and more the MSX version is ad original and exclusive episode ov gradius saga, that NES never to see.
it was a stellar japanese 8 bit machine back on those days. I had an Spectrum at home but when I went to my friends house and watched these graphics and the sound, especially the sound.... I was amazed a whole world opened to me (msx and japanese -specially Konami- games)
Sheesh... I am gonna be controversial here and say that the MSX Nemesis games peaked at the very first - a very good variation on the already really good first Gradius game, and just like the first Gradius game itself, it's actually fair and fun even for normal players. The second game already had a ton of "unique" design decisions, like forcing the player to beat what is essentially almost two loops just to access the final stage, because screw you, and the upgrades extending the power bar to an absurd level, but it was still a fun game, even if I'd say really flawed and worse than the original, but that's the usual at this point. But THIS? So much ambition and they even got a better powerup system, but this game really, really hates your guts. And the bad ending is just a cherry on top.
I love MSX, but these computer series missed totaly the time. MSX2, MSX2+, etc, where projects enhancing just a little bit a Z80, 8 bits, machine, already absolete when 16 bits 68000 where the last word in home computing these days. MSX2 computers where obsolete in many ways even to NES video games. The scroling control is absolutely ridículous even in MSX2+. Too much pretensious for the low power and not a low budget machine. I am thinking what could be happened if Amiga computer have had the partnership with japan game softwarehouses like Konami, Namco, Capcom, like MSX had. The Sharp X86000 was proibitive. Ridiculous prices and not available outside japan. I ignored totaly it existence. Being realistic, Amiga had the hardware, the price,, but not the software. What a dream all these good MSX2 games in a real “overclocked” hot 16 bits machine.
Are you serious? MSX in far time it isn't to max of his power. Look now new software from MSX Dev. A shooter like this Salamander now on MSX1 has also smoth scrolling. NES better than MSX2??? No dear, you haven't any info on MSX system. Amiga is an totally illusion, an handicap 16bit with many limits that now some good game required AGA card. The japanese software house knewn good amiga, for this they haven't never developed games, too many limits. Also they have better system like PC Nec 9801 and FM Towns. The Amiga is a ridicolus system. Many advertising, but also a Master System has better games. Bah!
![Salamander 2 / サラマンダ2 (1996) Arcade - 2 Players 1 Loop [TAS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-94KvfEnnng/mqdefault.jpg)
![Salamander 2 / サラマンダ2 (1996) Arcade - 2 Players 1 Loop [TAS]](/img/tr.png)
![MSX Longplay [008] Parodius](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8IIHEIOiUBg/mqdefault.jpg)
The music is incridebly awsome for 80's game
Changed my mind gradius and salamander are amazing but the misk doesn't rlly sound as good
There's a trick in the first stage, right after you descended. You grab the option hold, then have player 2 join for dual play. (Make sure not to have more then 2 options at the time, or you won't be able to get the 4th option until an Option Stealer grabs one.) Next, have the 2nd player die. Farm the energy, then let him die again and again :D When all is said and done, you will have unlocked all the weapon powerups and the options will be permanently locked. With the 3rd laser upgrade, you will fire a beam half the size of the screen :D
I discovered this trick by myself, back in the 90's.
Slightly annoying was, that you couldn't get the happy ending unless you had Nemesis 2 in the other cartridge slot to unlock the secret level.
I used to do this too, what was also annoying was that you couldnt actually get the arming ball power up when the ships were in dual mode, there were never ever enough power ups to activate it.
Thanks a lot for Salamander-longplay! I was crazy for it as a kid and managed sometimes to see the ending... only to see Venoms laugh. Great to see there was still a good ending. I want to mention that big eye - it scared the shit out of me when I saw it first time and I barely avoided it.
Fucking liar! nobody can beat this game, but yeah cheating like you did, anybody can!
@@Mr_x_19922 Yes, it is very hard. And usually one death is same as "game over" as you lose all powerups. Using trainers has never been an option for me, it takes away all the challenge that I like the most.
I will not forget this game. Really Konami was the power behined the MSX !
When Salamander was released in 1988 I thought it Nemesis 3 , but N3 came after.
Salamander was very hard , I could not exceed level 2 !
Thanks for Konami chip they mounted in the MSX2 games cartridges that produced these beyond future sounds !
Absolutelly fantastic !!! This is EPIC 👩🚀🤙✨
OMG the sound track is awesome!
Jup, and this is emulated and thus a lot worse. Try actual hardware :). Far more oomph :). It actually beats the Arcade Music IMO.
@@DehnusNorder And where is he gonna get the money to buy actual hardware? This stuff doesn't come cheap
Interesting how Gradius actually has a reoccurring main protagonist/hero throughout several of the games and spin-offs in some form. James Burton (the old dude in the intro. Also known as Lars XVIII, a title given to rulers governing the planet). Gradius (1985), Gradius 2 (MSX), Salamander/(MSX), Nemesis 3: Gofer's Ambition - Episode 2, and Gradius Rebirth.
Indeed! With Gradius Rebirth I was hoping we would get more games or remakes in the MSX timeline. Rebirth takes place in the year 6664, 6 years after Gradius MSX and 2 years before Gradius 2, so we got to see a new entry in the timeline with the ending setting up Gradius 2. It even said "to be continued" but sadly it wasn't.
@@AaronJLongwell nothing of note would really happen in those 2 years before venom breaks out I suppose
Also of note is that he has a descendant.... David Burton, protagonist of 'Nemesis 3: The Eve of Destruction'.
@@christopherchasteen4990 I'm aware but still forgot to mention him. I wonder if the nameless character in Gradius V, pilot of Vic Viper T-301, is also a descendant of them?
The music in the 3rd stage is superb!
Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I think that good old japanese engrish adds some nice touch to these classic games
-r/engrish-
1:02 : BIGIN CRUSH BLOW OPERATIONS! SPACE FORCE GET SET!
32:40 : CONGRATURATION! YOU ARE GREAT STAR FIGHTER!
Aaaaaah.. European MSX konami games..! :)))))
bad translations.....
You missed 'then dicide' at 14:10. ;)
Wowh that takes me back a long time.
I never noticed that it says 'congraturation' at 32:40. Haha!
I have to say I am impressed with this version of Salamander on the MSX considering the offerings on other 8 bit home computers at the time. Unfortunately I recieved a Famicom as a present and jumped ship.
I reguarded the Famicom version to be graphically the best and sound too at the time but uopn hearing the sound track of the Msx version , it is by far superior with the added FM chip in the game cartridge and am glad to have the opportunity to enjoy it with my own ears.
I remember buying Konami's Road fighter which was one of the first games to have this chip.
Thank you for the upload.
one of my favorite msx games of all time right along side with metal gear 2 and la mulana. instant classic.
Some stuff you only realize as an adult:
- Hyper Space Fighter - Sabel Tiger (likely named after legendary Japanese heavy metal band "Saber Tiger").
- Pilot: Iggy Rock (clear pun on "Iggy Pop" :)).
- Hyper Space Figher - Thrasher (Neil Young's song by the same name).
- Pilot: Zowie Scott (Zowie, likely refers to David Bowie (Ziggy + Bowie) and Scott likely refers to Jeff Scott Soto, singer of Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums released in 1984 and 1985).
There's more - in the manual, all of the enemies have names of actual '80s heavy metal bands, like "Iron Maiden", "Nuclear Assault", "Black Sabbath". Seriously.
Also, the (at some point) MSX exclusive "Nemesis 2" has all the big core enemy crafts named after the more heavier rock/punk/metal bands as well, such as Venom, Riot and Misfits (also Mayhem, but it's a far stretch that they would know about such an obscure band back then).
A pseudonym of a Konami staff member back then was "Metalslave", and it was a password for Hi no Tori (Firebird) as well.
Long story short, there were obviously some huge metal fans in the Konami staff back then.
"1P captured Hawkwind"
I believe that this game was the introduction of Hawk Wind missiles and Formation Options (in the form of the Option Hold power up). I love using them in Gradius 3 SNES. Always amazing to see when one of the 8 bit games can support 4 Options as well, alongside Gradius 2 Famicom.
Oh man did the MSX have trouble with scrolling. The music is incredible though.
Best soundtrack of presentation of a game of all history.
one of my gaming achievements: finished this game with just ONE life. Once you were killed you lost all upgrades and became terribly difficult
No kidding, first stage alone made me mad
"CONGRATURATION! YOU ARE GREAT STAR FIGHTER" ~ r/engrish, 2021
Given the limitations of the MSX systems, this actually doesn't look or sound too bad!
For an MSX1 game it's pretty much the very best it can do. These programmers and designers must have been a bunch of wizards to pull this off.
This game uses SCC sound extension cartridge, which is similar to PC Engine wavetable synthesizer minus DPCM capabilites. No wonder it sounds better than standard 3-channel PSG.
That opening is badass
Played the european verion "Lifeforce" on the NES a lot when i was young, the difference is extreme, im quite confused, the organic theme is there, all the enemies are the same, but the stages differ so much, just how many versions did they release.
None of that. It was just by word of mouth. We had a pretty active MSX community here in Spain back then. I don´t think I could have ever figured it out on my own in a million years! :D
Nemesis saga was awesome, but Salamander was my favourite. Always got stuck in level 5, back then you coudn't save your game.
past memory
Sslamander such nice memory
Amazing music, cool art style, cutscenes, this is a dang good experience, rivals the NES version for me, but the nes version wins slightly in my books due to just feeling so great to play
I must insist that this is better to play!
12:57 So, Only the Meteor Laser can destroy blue dots?
Gradius-like
초등학교 2학년때, ZEMMIX V로 처음 접해봤던 게임이네요. 당시 저용량 롬팩게임만 해보다가, 부잣집 친구집에 있던 큰 화면의 TV로 이 게임을 틀었던 순간... 엄청 충격이었어요.
Best MSX game ever made.
Guillermo Sempron r-type was better for me, salamander drove me crazy as it was so frustrating, I don’t remember the scrolling to be that bad as I watch this video.
good old days.
crazy play man, just wow
so asum music ^___^
:D
great Run
CONGRATURATION! YOU ARE GREAT STAR FIGHTER
If I'm not mistaken, this is the game that became "Life Force" in the West.
That remake for NES, yes. I grew up with this particular version and was surprised when seeing the Western NES one at a toy store.
The memories... :)
get the freakin spring breezee!shingi kun!
Crystal ;)
ah...opps....
Cool! How did you get clued in as to what you were supposed to do? Did the manual hint at the whole "cart combining" thing, or did you have to figure that out on your own?
26:53
6 to 1 Lives?
Also it WAS 6666 VIEWS.
6666 is the G-year of Venom's Attack.
26:53
Coincidence.
cause many japanese people has MSX home computers , SONY for example build their own MSX series.
i have to wonder how many players saw the good ending before the internet came about...
Those 'secrets' like these were shared in computer magazines and later through "Bulletin Board Systems", so they weren't that obscure.
31:18 Holy shit, that is new to me!
Well that's cool to know, i was actually considering buying one of Sony's brand MSX2 computers.
This sounds like it could be on GBA.
What triggers good and bad endings?
Good ending: Nemesis 2 cartridge is in slot 2.
The most extreme thing to do, especially in the late 80's where the internet's still rare.
the end made me remember AVGN :D "Congraturation"
AAAASSSSSSSSSSSS!
How could someone know about that "good ending" before the internet era??
Believe it or not it some people knew about it! I was in middle school early 90s when I used to trade MSX game cartridges with my friends back in Baghdad. 2 different friends that I traded with told me about the good ending and how you needed the Nemesis 2 ROM in the second slot. I have no idea how they knew about it. Ah...good times. EDIT: forgot to add back then we had no access to internet or video game magazines because of the embargo imposed on Iraq back then.
@@meganecro well I played this game 22 years ago, but I knew about the good ending only few months ago by this video.
بالمناسبة اني همين من بغداد 🙂🙂🙂 تحياتي الك
Want to impress me? get the "arming ball" lol.
What is the benefit of TWIN and TRIPLE..????
Yesss...
Joguei muito!
Graphics and animation were better on the the NES, but the music quality is on par if not slightly better.
"Slightly"
Nes version is a simply low quality arcade porting, the MSX version has only questionable scrolling, but has better color, and more the MSX version is ad original and exclusive episode ov gradius saga, that NES never to see.
I prefer MSX Version than NES.
金網レーザー、懐かしい。
The msx version is even better than the arcade/nes ones!
I'm curious, why did Konami like the MSX so much?
(I like it to, but I'm just wondering why Konami took such a shine to it.)
it was a stellar japanese 8 bit machine back on those days. I had an Spectrum at home but when I went to my friends house and watched these graphics and the sound, especially the sound.... I was amazed a whole world opened to me (msx and japanese -specially Konami- games)
Eh, I'll stick to the arcade port available on the Sega Saturn.
CONGRATURATION! ^_^
Time to bigin
Sheesh... I am gonna be controversial here and say that the MSX Nemesis games peaked at the very first - a very good variation on the already really good first Gradius game, and just like the first Gradius game itself, it's actually fair and fun even for normal players. The second game already had a ton of "unique" design decisions, like forcing the player to beat what is essentially almost two loops just to access the final stage, because screw you, and the upgrades extending the power bar to an absurd level, but it was still a fun game, even if I'd say really flawed and worse than the original, but that's the usual at this point. But THIS? So much ambition and they even got a better powerup system, but this game really, really hates your guts. And the bad ending is just a cherry on top.
pause at 1:02, BIGIN CRUSH BLOW OPERATIONS! SPACE FORCE GET SET!. anyone didnt notice the word "BIGIN"?
I preffer the NES version but this is badass.
Where's the fire stage
Count one here! : D
Congraturation 32:60
I prefer Life Force but this is different enough to be quite enjoyable.
Looks kinda of the little brother of gradius ._.
Nice something like Zybex or Zynaps ...
Assess arms Supply...... O_____O just think about it.
The music is better on this version compared to the nes.
However this version runs awful and is very choppy.
I love MSX, but these computer series missed totaly the time. MSX2, MSX2+, etc, where projects enhancing just a little bit a Z80, 8 bits, machine, already absolete when 16 bits 68000 where the last word in home computing these days. MSX2 computers where obsolete in many ways even to NES video games.
The scroling control is absolutely ridículous even in MSX2+.
Too much pretensious for the low power and not a low budget machine.
I am thinking what could be happened if Amiga computer have had the partnership with japan game softwarehouses like Konami, Namco, Capcom, like MSX had.
The Sharp X86000 was proibitive. Ridiculous prices and not available outside japan. I ignored totaly it existence. Being realistic, Amiga had the hardware, the price,, but not the software.
What a dream all these good MSX2 games in a real “overclocked” hot 16 bits machine.
Are you serious? MSX in far time it isn't to max of his power. Look now new software from MSX Dev. A shooter like this Salamander now on MSX1 has also smoth scrolling.
NES better than MSX2??? No dear, you haven't any info on MSX system.
Amiga is an totally illusion, an handicap 16bit with many limits that now some good game required AGA card. The japanese software house knewn good amiga, for this they haven't never developed games, too many limits. Also they have better system like PC Nec 9801 and FM Towns.
The Amiga is a ridicolus system. Many advertising, but also a Master System has better games.
Bah!
One of the worst versions of this game! this version is 100 times harder than the already insane nes version, which makes the game nearly unplayable
Too bad the NES has a shitty sound chip.
Any decent player knows not to use homing missile in this version of the game.
this version is jerky
If this msx version is great, then it is boring
Nice hacks brah you died about 20 times but nice video