I've actually beaten this a few times, so here's some tips: 1. You can punch bullets. This is essential for dealing with basic enemies. 2. TAKE IT SLOW. As you said, most enemies take quite a few hits before going down. If you try to rush through the stages, you're going to get overwhelmed. 3. Always try to get the power suit before fighting a boss. It's tricky to keep ROB alive, and remember the same 3-letter combo, but it's a huge help. That stupid elevator boss is pretty much impossible without it. 4. You can use ROB as a jetpack to reach higher platforms, but it takes a lot of practice to get used to. You can also use the jetpack as a projectile, but it's not that effective.
@@BigOleWordsI've got some much better tips as I've beaten Shatter Hand more times than I can count. 1. The flamethrower bot is BY FAR the best helper in the entire game. There are many sections of the game, especially on the last level that you can get an enemy out on the screen just far enough and then proceed to kill him with the flamethrower and a little patience without risking personal injury. 2. The purpose of throwing your buddy is NOT to damage enemies. The purpose is to throw him off the screen for awhile to keep him from taking damage. Anytime you are not attacking an enemy with him you should be getting him off the screen, particularly in sections with environmental hazards such as those falling fire embers. Many enemies such as those guys on the hover copters are easier to kill by just jumping straight up when close to them and throwing a bunch of punches. 3. The elevator boss is actually one of the EASIEST. He has three attacks that he can choose from at random. Shooting an energy wave with his sword. Causing flames to shoot out of the ground around him. Jumping up high and landing where you were standing when he began the jump. Stand in close and punch him. Literally any of his three attacks can be thwarted by doing a full jump away from him. You'll leap over the energy wave, away from the flames coming out of the ground near him, and away from the spot he will land. He always stands in a spot the same amount of time before attacking too. 4. Get good at collecting BBL twice with the last one right before you enter the boss room. There is only one level that doesn't have enough to do this. As you get better at the game too you will be able to hang onto your double damage red jacket which will make things easier. Shatter Hand is actually my favorite game out of all of Natsume's amazing NES games. A little practice and you'll get good enough to start to appreciate why.:)
I remember buying a cartridge for my Famiclone, labeled Robocop 3, but when I got home, and popped it into the console, I was greeted with this game. It wasn't Robocop, but it was an extra game, and I wasn't disappointed.
Having never played this game, just sitting back and taking in all of your gameplay footage, I have to say that this is one of the most graphically impressive games on the system. This game reminds me more of Vice Project Doom than anything else.
The NES was capable of more graphically intense games than the later SNES, especially when it comes to enemies on screen, and most games that came out on both systems side by side are better on the NES. We tend to remember early shitty NES titles, like Zelda, Duckhunt and Super Mario Bros 1, but after the SNES came out, the second birth of NES games was really amazing.
I like the cinematic presentation of this one. Very unusual in an NES game. The robo-buddy is a great idea, like in a shoot em up, but in a platformer.
I noticed years back that no one ever talked about Shatterhand but whenever the term "hidden gem" finally started becoming more used I'd toss this game in. I was astonished not many gamers knew about it? I've always liked it especially the soundtrack yet this game is hard. Thanks for taking time out for this game.🙂
I got Shatterhand as a gift from my mom on the last day of 6th grade, and popping that cartridge in was as if my NES transformed and grew like, an extra couple bits or something. The graphics, music, and sound effects are honestly great... but yeah, actually playing the game can be very frustrating. It can take days of just force-feeding on it, and even then it just feels a little heavy compared to other games. Still beautiful to look at and listen to, though.
Another trick you can do that a lot of people don't know is when you encounter the A or B blocks you can sacrifice one for a coin if you punch it continuously. This can be handy sometimes when you're desperate for a health refill or power up panel. Another trick that's pretty much a requirement for any serious player trying to beat it is to punch bullets that are shot at you. There's no chip damage and you can do so an infinite amount of times. Another trick is if you crouch then hold down-forward your satellite will rotate to the rear so you can focus on pounding a boss or heavy enemy without them taking continuous damage by touching them. This is very helpful if you have the grenade bot so he can bomb their legs as you throw haymakers. I still think this is one of the greatest games of all time but you have to know what you're doing and you can't just rush through it 1-2-3...patience is the key to survival. 😇
You can use the robo-bro to lift you up, and you can also throw it as a projectile, or throw it out of screen in case you need to save its health for a second.
Oh my gosh! I've been playing this game for over 30 years and didn't know you had those extra abilities! Not even the instruction manual tells you that which is mess up. I'm about to look up a FAQ and try doing that next time I play. good look! 😎 edit: I don't know why I never thought to try that button combination but holding down and A will zip the satellite right above you before Steve grabs onto them from underneath. By letting go of down and holding A then he will float above. While Steve is latched on even before floating up if you hit B then he will toss them. They stay gone too for a good 5 seconds before coming back which is game changer. Thanks again!
Holy crap, you just unlocked an old memory. I barely remember Phar-Mor, and I remember them going out of business. The CEO or something got busted for embezzling like 10 million dollars. I think I got a VHS copy of Jean Cluade Van Damme's Kickboxer at their going out of business sale.
This game rocks, and I do feel like it gets overshadowed from the likes of Mega Man or Contra. And yeah, the original Japanese character looks sick, and I do like the music track that plays on the Japanese exclusive stage as well. I am liking these trips down memory lane!
I wonder how influenced by Batman they were actually... the most popular Sunsoft games in Japan are the ones we never got (stuff like Ikki, Atlantis no Nazo - which was supposed to come out as Pitfall 2 IIRC - and so on). I recall reading somewhere that Blaster Master and Batman sold poorly over there, which is a shame. As for Shatterhand - it's alright in my book, Natsume started with some adventure games, but later on found their niche with those solid action games. I like Shadow of the Ninja more, but at least this one isn't as hard as something like Holy Diver.
@@Gatorade69 It had a different plot entirely from the US release, that's true, but I don't think it was based on anything. Supposedly the team behind it was surprised how well it did in the US (in Japan it didn't do well at all). That's probably why they basically mixed up the plot of the NES version with the plot of the Famicom version and added some more stuff to the new entries!
These were great games. Wish they were more successful because they deserved to be and so they wouldn't become so pricey. All these games are really expensive to buy carts of and are not available digitally.
Oh! So many memories on this one! When I first met the game it was put on multigame taiwan bootleg cartridge as "Robocomp" - a weird version with some sprites changed. Still the gameplay was so addictive that this pirate version rocketed to the top of our personal rating. Then I found the same game but named Solbrain with more cyborg-like character that looked cool. Of course we didnt know about the TV show, but that still was a proper fun: cool graphics, nice music, great level design. A NES jewel indeed. The third time we made a blind buy - we were told by the game shop guy that he had "the game just like Power Blade 2, but better". So, being PB2 fans, we bought "Shatterhand" without hesitation and rushed home. What a surprise it was! 😂
@@BigOleWords Another bootleg version of the game was "Super Rescue Robocop 3"! That version was bugged! Second level with the elevator going up swtched to neverending sequence with just endless floors and enemies, some bosses were invulnerable. There are couple videos on youtube showing those bugs.
@@Jackrost01Yep. Anyhow, the game (under different names) was wildly spread across former USSR territories thanks to Taiwan/Chinese pirates, putting it on many multigame cartridges🎉
on my right, the closet door, i still have the original poster of the usa edition of this game, with that cheesy $1 sunglasses on that B action movie throwing a punch, and next to it is the KICK MASTER poster.....2 great games i must say.
Even with all my multi carts, I don't have this one :( It looks fun, I wanna play it!!! Also, very happy to have you back, James! Hope all the family stuff is going most excellent!
Oh, yeah. Also, James! When you find the time, throw Cybernoid into your NES. It is, in my opinion, the hardest NES game. Try it!! It's peer pressure, you have to do it!!!
@@BigOleWords try it on easy, you'll be like, "what's this guy talking about?" Then put the difficulty up and you'll be like "this game is f__king impossible, man!"
Sometimes I just really curse at myself for not having the skills to fully enjoy this kind of super stylish but super difficult game. (For reference, I can get to the final boss of Castlevania in one sitting - barely)
this was a top 3 game for me growing up. we had the japanese SolBrain. The OST is something else and stuck with me (I`m 40 and can whistle most tunes XD).
Great video! Before watching I thought to myself, "I bet he compares it to Powerblade"...There's an unwritten rule that if you talk about Shatterhand you must also mention Powerblade. They are basically the same game with slightly different weapons and powerups.
I think this game needs the ability to directly control your Option, like holding A+B making your character stand in place and the lil buddy move freely.
I played this obsessively as a kid for a long time, even though I never managed to beat it until I revisited it as an adult. I remember loving the robot helpers. I really wanted the ABA one, with the sword (or bat, as you put it) to be stronger than he was, because a flying robot sidekick with a sword should have been the coolest thing in the world! It took me a long time to admit that he just wasn't as good as the ones with ranged attacks. I think I wound up relying on ABB most, but I honestly don't remember. I only remember the heartbreak of sword-bot.
My brother and I were huge fans of Shadow of the Ninja so when I saw the graphics in this game I knew it was from the same team. I asked for it for Christmas and it has been one of my favorite games ever since.
This was the first nes game I beat as a kid. Brutal but it ended up being pretty easy once you learn your safe zones and what powerups to get and when. Getting the invincibliity before the boss made all boss fights easy. Mostly about memorization. This is a game I could definitely speed run. That sound track is one of the best on the system.
I have three rules of thumb for determining how well known an NES game is: 1) Was it published by Nintendo, Konami/Ultra, Capcom, Sunsoft or Tecmo? 2) Was it a port of an arcade game? 3) Was it released in the US before the SNES? If the answer for all three questions is no, then it is very likely that many people glossed over it when it appeared in magazines because most of us were drooling at the SNES coverage.
I'm more of a Power Blade guy but I can appreciate a decent enough platformer when I see it and if I'm being honest, find myself playing it from time to time. Great review 🙂👍
It's a shame that you were not overly impressed with this title, It looks pretty interesting And I think I agree with you At if some changes were made it could have been a much better game, Great video I really enjoyed yo opinions on this one
Weird, but I never found this one any tougher than the average Mega Man outing. The strategy of timing your super suit upgrade to just before the boss rooms works wonders.
This video was excellent. You never see a breakdown of all the combinations, and you never hear anything but blind praise for this game. I also didn't know Natsume coded all those games...Power Blade and ShatterHand...the Sunglasses Tough Muscle guys from the early 90s!
Sleeveless Shades McGee? LOL. That made me spit out my coffee...and I'm not even drinking coffee. I usually stick with bbb, although I never knew they were shurikens. I thought they were football shaped grenades.
This is an interesting take on the game. Retro gaming reviews and opinions tend to be pretty standardized and there's usually only praise for this title, as many others. Sometimes I feel it's because of either the game being uncommon and expensive or because the internet sort of tells you to/compels you to like it. I'm always more interested in this kind of approach. Having never played this one before, I feel this take is way more useful and entertaining.
Yeah there’s a lot of truth to that. I think people want to be the ones to bring a game to light and thus heap on the praise so it sounds like they’ve struck hidden gold. I’m always in awe when I see people put Krion Conquest in hidden gems lists just because of its visuals. That game is the real deal straight up awful.
@@BigOleWords I think the best way to play it is the way that you play some action platformers. Don't try and speed through it. Pace yourself and treat each level section carefully. Speaking of Wizards, have you played The Legacy of The Wizard? It's an awesome game but and emulator and save states is almost required because it's just so damn huge.
Super excited you are back ✌️ just throwing one game out there to maybe make a video on one day (that I think fits the vibe of the channel) and to me and some others is super underrated…KABUKI QUANTUM FIGHTER 💚
This looks pretty cool. I missed out on these late NES games as I had already moved on to the Genesis. I was probably playing Strider, which kicks this game's ass
Great game that I played many times. But to this day I still wonder about one specific spot in first level. In other levels you can find secret platforms with upgrade, they are just invisible before you sit down to buy upgrade. But almost at the end of first level you can find short breakable wall that have same tile as background. If you hit it - whole screen will shake. It's placed at corridor when you walking on platform and drop from it, and this short wall will be behind you. If you break it - ordinary money will drop from it and you can go left under platfrom but nothing will be there even invinsible upgrade. So why this wall so special I wonder?
aw, weird. sorry you don't like this one as much as some of us. :/ I do enjoy it much more than any of the castlevanias and ninja gaidens. I just never could get into those. At least the NES games.
I love this game, but it can be very frustrating. The music really puts it over the top. Loved watching you outline it’s good and bad points. I finished it for the first time last year. Can’t wait to revisit it I don’t know if I like it more than Dragon Fighter or Power Blade, but I’m definitely a bit more forgiving about it’s difficulty and mechanics.
Hey Bro! I love your channel!! I've watched your videos over and over again. It was cool to see your take on this game. I have Not played this game as many times as you have, but it's a game I love and have beaten a number of times. Three things I found are very helpful. 1. Push forward when you punch. 2. Try to get good at punching the enemies bullets. 3. Take your time with jumps. These three things should make the game more fun and less frustrating. Anyway, l hope this helps.. I look forward to your next video!!! 🤩👍👍👍❤️❤️👍👍❤️❤️
I (or possibly my roommate) bought Shatter hand my Freshman year of college. The SNES was definitely out as my across the hall neighbors had one & held baseball simulator tournaments. But being a late life NES owner we found a lot of cool titles fairly cheap; some good some meh. But Shatterhand was a pretty good buy. We were all Arnold Schwarzenegger fans & used to call it "Arnold the Game" 😅 Good times.
@@BigOleWords I had not played Power Blade at that point only heard of it. However given Arnold has punched things in movies but not flung boomerangs at enemies U might have still picked Shatterhand...or maybe just saw Power Blade as Arnold the Game 2
First of all, I really like your content. Second, where is that opening song from and where can I find it? I've heard it before somewhere but I can't seem to find it now. Thank you even if I don't receive an answer.
You need to wear a toque from now on. You will need new glasses but you need the toque first then get thw glasses to go with it. You also need a long sleeve shirt to go over the t shirt with a simple pattern like green plaid maybe, but more impotantly it needs a noticeable hole around where the pocket would be and frayed thready edges.
I dunno. Not keen on the more 'cutesy' look of the Shadow of the Ninja remaster. Most of the new graphics look decent but the big eyes and pillow-y shading of the player characters is a bit of a turn off for me. :P
i could not agree with you more regarding how shatterhand frustrates serious NES gamers including myself! hard controls, tough enemies, super strong bosses, thanks for the video reminding me of the shatterstruggle! gave me some ptsd from renting it from blockbuster one weekend! i regretted that choice even to this day!😂
I found shadow of ninja waay more fun then this game with fond memories of it back in the 90’s,i discovered this game back in 2015 and i was amezed by it’s parallax scrolling backgrounds at certain levels and i was rhrilled by it’s music and cut scenes as well,but that’s it.
This is a pretty good game that could have been better if it had done more with the concept of a guy with a comically devastating punch. There should have been more types of punches, they should have caused more damage, and they should have had slightly better range. I mean, it's called *Shatterhand*. Have him knocking down buildings with left jabs and uppercutting enemies into space. One thing that was awesome about the game, though, was the music. Every song sounds like it came from a high-tier Mega Man game.
More so than Batman (1989), I'd consider Shatterhand (1991) a successor to Kage / Shadow of the Ninja (1990). They were both designed and programmed by Kazuhiko Ishihara. He was one of the designers in Batman (credited as 'Kaz'), but he didn't program it. After Shatterhand, he created the excellent Kiki Kaikai - Nazo no Kuro Manto (known as Pocky & Rocky to baka gaijins) for the Super Nintendo. He was not involved in the 2022 remake, and it shows. Reshrined doesn't really do anything for me. It just doesn't have the blood-pumping action of the original.
I think the same about this as others: amazing graphics and music, but too hard for the wrong reasons, and obscure moves. And could just use a quick once over by capcom or konami to clean up those rough patches like the switch in gravity in the jumps. Its very good, but it could be great.
One of my favorite games as a kid, I remembered it so I looked it up to buy it and luckily it was only about 400$ hahaha. Nah I got that bitch on emulator! It is so dang good! Very strange graphics and nice sound.
I'm probably confusing it with other Nintendo games I loved as a kid and browsed online for haha. It's around 100$ right now but last year it was a bit more. Now cowboy kid on the other hand is ridiculous. But Shatterhand is so good man, thanks for the video!
I didnt have time to watch this when it dropped (I used my free time to watch someone cack it on adventure island repeatedly 😏) but I am here now. Haha, also you said side piece. I never played this one. The controls look shyte and when you go 'its hard to aim' on every single of the robots...thats kind of an issue. Why did they put the companion up and to the left and shooting at an angle? Why not in front shooting forward? It looks like it could be good, epic soundtrack. But, no. As an adult I have way too little free time to beat my head against a brick wall on a hard shyte control game. Im gonna go play powerblade or journey to silius instead if I want that.
Maaaan lol. Love your content a ton but you're surprisingly critical to some games I love a lot like this and Power blade 2. I can agree though that being botless is pretty rough in this game since your basic attack is a bit slow and tiiiiiiiiiiny in range, a terrible combination. I still think i'm charmed enough by the graphics, music etc. of this type of game that I kinda just zone out into it and feel so 'at home', plus i"ve spent way, way too much of both my childhood AND adulthood playing so many balls-hard retro and retro-styled 2d action games that even when a game like this gets ultra hard I just kinda... push through it, I guess lol.
The game is cool, but way overpriced. No idea why everyone today decides to demand 90€/$ for it, a bit like illegal price-fixing. You can get the very similar titles like Kabuki Quantum Fighter or Power Blade for 10-20 bucks, and these are totally on par. It's not rare either, there is always a decent amount of Shatterhands for sale.
Why are adults talking about a Nintendo game from like 30 years ago in detail, explaining exactly how the game plays as if it’s important??? I’m starting to realize all this nostalgia waxing is overboard. Preventing males from being proper men.
Because these games are still fun and worth playing. The fact that you even took time out of your day to come onto this channel and post that comment shows you don't even know what "being a proper man" means.
Strange that. I often seen republicans bragging about being 'alpha males'. When the whole alpha male thing is based on a myth anyways (including the alpha wolf. David Mech even admitted he'd got it all wrong)
I've actually beaten this a few times, so here's some tips:
1. You can punch bullets. This is essential for dealing with basic enemies.
2. TAKE IT SLOW. As you said, most enemies take quite a few hits before going down. If you try to rush through the stages, you're going to get overwhelmed.
3. Always try to get the power suit before fighting a boss. It's tricky to keep ROB alive, and remember the same 3-letter combo, but it's a huge help. That stupid elevator boss is pretty much impossible without it.
4. You can use ROB as a jetpack to reach higher platforms, but it takes a lot of practice to get used to. You can also use the jetpack as a projectile, but it's not that effective.
Hell yeah. Those are some SOLID tips!
@@BigOleWordsI've got some much better tips as I've beaten Shatter Hand more times than I can count.
1. The flamethrower bot is BY FAR the best helper in the entire game. There are many sections of the game, especially on the last level that you can get an enemy out on the screen just far enough and then proceed to kill him with the flamethrower and a little patience without risking personal injury.
2. The purpose of throwing your buddy is NOT to damage enemies. The purpose is to throw him off the screen for awhile to keep him from taking damage. Anytime you are not attacking an enemy with him you should be getting him off the screen, particularly in sections with environmental hazards such as those falling fire embers. Many enemies such as those guys on the hover copters are easier to kill by just jumping straight up when close to them and throwing a bunch of punches.
3. The elevator boss is actually one of the EASIEST. He has three attacks that he can choose from at random. Shooting an energy wave with his sword. Causing flames to shoot out of the ground around him. Jumping up high and landing where you were standing when he began the jump. Stand in close and punch him. Literally any of his three attacks can be thwarted by doing a full jump away from him. You'll leap over the energy wave, away from the flames coming out of the ground near him, and away from the spot he will land. He always stands in a spot the same amount of time before attacking too.
4. Get good at collecting BBL twice with the last one right before you enter the boss room. There is only one level that doesn't have enough to do this. As you get better at the game too you will be able to hang onto your double damage red jacket which will make things easier.
Shatter Hand is actually my favorite game out of all of Natsume's amazing NES games. A little practice and you'll get good enough to start to appreciate why.:)
I appreciate you gave each of the robots their own unique name 😂. With R.O.B’s full name being my favorite.
My favorite was Cyberkick the cyber sidekick :)
Mine was Optimus Subprime, I chuckled at that one.
I remember buying a cartridge for my Famiclone, labeled Robocop 3, but when I got home, and popped it into the console, I was greeted with this game. It wasn't Robocop, but it was an extra game, and I wasn't disappointed.
Way better than the real Robocop 3!
@@BigOleWordsYou got that right :D
@@BigOleWords and this is not a good game, this game in the Japanese edition could not be finished, the pirates corrupted the game code
Having never played this game, just sitting back and taking in all of your gameplay footage, I have to say that this is one of the most graphically impressive games on the system. This game reminds me more of Vice Project Doom than anything else.
It is a looker, plus great tunes, I really enjoy the game. Check it out if you can.
I used to get it and Vice confused all the time, but I’d say I prefer Project Doom
More like Kick Master
The NES was capable of more graphically intense games than the later SNES, especially when it comes to enemies on screen, and most games that came out on both systems side by side are better on the NES. We tend to remember early shitty NES titles, like Zelda, Duckhunt and Super Mario Bros 1, but after the SNES came out, the second birth of NES games was really amazing.
Great game and the soundtrack rocks
The robo-buddy nicknames were legit. Your efforts did not go unnoticed.
Thank you thank you ;)
I like the cinematic presentation of this one. Very unusual in an NES game.
The robo-buddy is a great idea, like in a shoot em up, but in a platformer.
Agreed, and that mechanic alone makes it amazing. The visuals and music are just icing on the cake!
I noticed years back that no one ever talked about Shatterhand but whenever the term "hidden gem" finally started becoming more used I'd toss this game in. I was astonished not many gamers knew about it? I've always liked it especially the soundtrack yet this game is hard. Thanks for taking time out for this game.🙂
I got Shatterhand as a gift from my mom on the last day of 6th grade, and popping that cartridge in was as if my NES transformed and grew like, an extra couple bits or something. The graphics, music, and sound effects are honestly great... but yeah, actually playing the game can be very frustrating. It can take days of just force-feeding on it, and even then it just feels a little heavy compared to other games. Still beautiful to look at and listen to, though.
Nice! And completely agree
Another trick you can do that a lot of people don't know is when you encounter the A or B blocks you can sacrifice one for a coin if you punch it continuously. This can be handy sometimes when you're desperate for a health refill or power up panel. Another trick that's pretty much a requirement for any serious player trying to beat it is to punch bullets that are shot at you. There's no chip damage and you can do so an infinite amount of times. Another trick is if you crouch then hold down-forward your satellite will rotate to the rear so you can focus on pounding a boss or heavy enemy without them taking continuous damage by touching them. This is very helpful if you have the grenade bot so he can bomb their legs as you throw haymakers. I still think this is one of the greatest games of all time but you have to know what you're doing and you can't just rush through it 1-2-3...patience is the key to survival. 😇
Those are some solid tips, thanks!
You can use the robo-bro to lift you up, and you can also throw it as a projectile, or throw it out of screen in case you need to save its health for a second.
No way! How did I not realize that?!
Oh my gosh! I've been playing this game for over 30 years and didn't know you had those extra abilities! Not even the instruction manual tells you that which is mess up. I'm about to look up a FAQ and try doing that next time I play. good look! 😎
edit: I don't know why I never thought to try that button combination but holding down and A will zip the satellite right above you before Steve grabs onto them from underneath. By letting go of down and holding A then he will float above. While Steve is latched on even before floating up if you hit B then he will toss them. They stay gone too for a good 5 seconds before coming back which is game changer. Thanks again!
I got this brand new at PharMor for $5 because they were going out of business.
Took me 20 years to beat it, though. lol
Holy crap, you just unlocked an old memory. I barely remember Phar-Mor, and I remember them going out of business. The CEO or something got busted for embezzling like 10 million dollars. I think I got a VHS copy of Jean Cluade Van Damme's Kickboxer at their going out of business sale.
That’s .40 a year!
Whats Pharmor?
This! Have you checked out Prison City? Basicly a new game blending on this and Power Blade and GI Joe on NES. I love it
Dude! Love Prison City!
@@DeusVults-1523 I know right
I have heard about it. Though my gaming backlog is far too big currently. Looks sick though.
I’ve seen some footage and it looks pretty dope!
Baby bender.....you know I loves the futurama. Good work man.
This game rocks, and I do feel like it gets overshadowed from the likes of Mega Man or Contra. And yeah, the original Japanese character looks sick, and I do like the music track that plays on the Japanese exclusive stage as well. I am liking these trips down memory lane!
I think I prefer the Solbrain sprite as well
Parents got me this as a kid. I was able to get a few levels down but never completed. It was a lot of fun though.
I do feel like Natsume is criminally underrated as a developer.
They never seems to get as much attention as Capcom, Konami, Sunsoft, Square, etc
Most definitely
This one kicked your butt during the stream you played it on. I've also never finished it, but man, it's so, so good. Amazing graphics and music.
Yea it did! I still can’t beat it without assistance
Awesome cover art, too!
This game is made for emulated save-states. I make no apologies.
That is 100% true
@@BigOleWords Hey! Always nice to hear from one of my favorite creators! Video quality has been on-point my guy, thank you for all that you do!
Maybe someone can make an infinite robo buddy mod.
I wonder how influenced by Batman they were actually... the most popular Sunsoft games in Japan are the ones we never got (stuff like Ikki, Atlantis no Nazo - which was supposed to come out as Pitfall 2 IIRC - and so on). I recall reading somewhere that Blaster Master and Batman sold poorly over there, which is a shame. As for Shatterhand - it's alright in my book, Natsume started with some adventure games, but later on found their niche with those solid action games. I like Shadow of the Ninja more, but at least this one isn't as hard as something like Holy Diver.
Blaster Master was my favorite. It's good to see the series still going actually. Wasn't the Japanese version based on an anime or something ?
@@Gatorade69 It had a different plot entirely from the US release, that's true, but I don't think it was based on anything. Supposedly the team behind it was surprised how well it did in the US (in Japan it didn't do well at all). That's probably why they basically mixed up the plot of the NES version with the plot of the Famicom version and added some more stuff to the new entries!
Hmmm you may be right! It just looks and feels so similar
I often confuse Shatterhand, Kickmaster, and the Powerblade games. All the solid, but hard, late system action/platformers.
I feel like they’d all either be best friends or bitter rivals
@@BigOleWords Prolly formed a hair metal band.
These were great games. Wish they were more successful because they deserved to be and so they wouldn't become so pricey. All these games are really expensive to buy carts of and are not available digitally.
Bubsy sucks, one of the worst games of all time, and has a digital release.
None of these great games are available for digital download.
@@AngryCalvin Ahoy, matey...might I interest ye in a spot of emulation? 🙂
Oh! So many memories on this one! When I first met the game it was put on multigame taiwan bootleg cartridge as "Robocomp" - a weird version with some sprites changed. Still the gameplay was so addictive that this pirate version rocketed to the top of our personal rating. Then I found the same game but named Solbrain with more cyborg-like character that looked cool. Of course we didnt know about the TV show, but that still was a proper fun: cool graphics, nice music, great level design. A NES jewel indeed. The third time we made a blind buy - we were told by the game shop guy that he had "the game just like Power Blade 2, but better". So, being PB2 fans, we bought "Shatterhand" without hesitation and rushed home. What a surprise it was! 😂
Awesome. And the name Robocomp is superb!
@@BigOleWords Another bootleg version of the game was "Super Rescue Robocop 3"! That version was bugged! Second level with the elevator going up swtched to neverending sequence with just endless floors and enemies, some bosses were invulnerable. There are couple videos on youtube showing those bugs.
@@Rustem_A_I have bootleg version but after I played normal version
@@Jackrost01Yep. Anyhow, the game (under different names) was wildly spread across former USSR territories thanks to Taiwan/Chinese pirates, putting it on many multigame cartridges🎉
I need to actually finish this game! It’s great!
on my right, the closet door, i still have the original poster of the usa edition of this game, with that cheesy $1 sunglasses on that B action movie throwing a punch, and next to it is the KICK MASTER poster.....2 great games i must say.
Sickkkk!
Omg! I loved this game growing up.. It was so fun figuring out the weapon combinations
The best part for sure!
Even with all my multi carts, I don't have this one :(
It looks fun, I wanna play it!!!
Also, very happy to have you back, James! Hope all the family stuff is going most excellent!
Oh, yeah. Also, James! When you find the time, throw Cybernoid into your NES. It is, in my opinion, the hardest NES game. Try it!! It's peer pressure, you have to do it!!!
That’s one I haven’t messed with too much, so maybe!
@@BigOleWords try it on easy, you'll be like, "what's this guy talking about?" Then put the difficulty up and you'll be like "this game is f__king impossible, man!"
The graphics are top notch! Also I love this channel, its how I found out about my favorite NES games Faxanadu and Crystalis!
Awesome, glad you’re digging it!
Missed you, dude! Glad to see you’re back!
Sometimes I just really curse at myself for not having the skills to fully enjoy this kind of super stylish but super difficult game. (For reference, I can get to the final boss of Castlevania in one sitting - barely)
Yeah that’s me too for sure!
this was a top 3 game for me growing up. we had the japanese SolBrain. The OST is something else and stuck with me (I`m 40 and can whistle most tunes XD).
It really is super catchy
Great video! Before watching I thought to myself, "I bet he compares it to Powerblade"...There's an unwritten rule that if you talk about Shatterhand you must also mention Powerblade. They are basically the same game with slightly different weapons and powerups.
Two sides of the same coin!
I think this game needs the ability to directly control your Option, like holding A+B making your character stand in place and the lil buddy move freely.
Oooh good call. In Over Horizon there’s an option like that and it rules.
Awesome video yet again BOW, thanks for highlighting amazing games!!
I played this obsessively as a kid for a long time, even though I never managed to beat it until I revisited it as an adult. I remember loving the robot helpers. I really wanted the ABA one, with the sword (or bat, as you put it) to be stronger than he was, because a flying robot sidekick with a sword should have been the coolest thing in the world! It took me a long time to admit that he just wasn't as good as the ones with ranged attacks. I think I wound up relying on ABB most, but I honestly don't remember. I only remember the heartbreak of sword-bot.
I respect your commitment to him though. He’s pretty fun if fleeting
My brother and I were huge fans of Shadow of the Ninja so when I saw the graphics in this game I knew it was from the same team. I asked for it for Christmas and it has been one of my favorite games ever since.
Y'all had a good eye for games then!
This was the first nes game I beat as a kid. Brutal but it ended up being pretty easy once you learn your safe zones and what powerups to get and when. Getting the invincibliity before the boss made all boss fights easy. Mostly about memorization. This is a game I could definitely speed run.
That sound track is one of the best on the system.
Props to you, this game is TOUGH
Definitely reminds me of Batman. I used to watch my brother playthrough the game, always dying at the cube boss and Joker.
Glad I’m not the only one!
I have three rules of thumb for determining how well known an NES game is:
1) Was it published by Nintendo, Konami/Ultra, Capcom, Sunsoft or Tecmo?
2) Was it a port of an arcade game?
3) Was it released in the US before the SNES?
If the answer for all three questions is no, then it is very likely that many people glossed over it when it appeared in magazines because most of us were drooling at the SNES coverage.
That’s solid reasoning. I’m actually working on a long essay that sorta covers this subject, so stay tuned :)
I'm more of a Power Blade guy but I can appreciate a decent enough platformer when I see it and if I'm being honest, find myself playing it from time to time.
Great review 🙂👍
Same here, Power Blade 4 evaaaa!
I’ve always wanted to play this. Jaleco made some decent games. Great video as always!
Thanks. You've renewed my interest in Shatterhand. Great review! 👍
It's a shame that you were not overly impressed with this title, It looks pretty interesting And I think I agree with you At if some changes were made it could have been a much better game, Great video I really enjoyed yo opinions on this one
Hey thanks! Yeah other folks love Shatterhand, it’s just not for me
I never played this one but judging by your vid it does look pretty hard
It most definitely is!
Weird, but I never found this one any tougher than the average Mega Man outing. The strategy of timing your super suit upgrade to just before the boss rooms works wonders.
That’s wild. I can breeze through Mega Man’s with half the effort as this
rented this often
This video was excellent.
You never see a breakdown of all the combinations, and you never hear anything but blind praise for this game.
I also didn't know Natsume coded all those games...Power Blade and ShatterHand...the Sunglasses Tough Muscle guys from the early 90s!
Thanks for saying that! I thought about discussing the cover but I feel like that something a lot of folks have ragged on (mostly AVGN).
🎼 How did I not check thiiiiis shiiiit ouuuuuut ?!?🎶🎶 🤔🤔🤔
Never too late!
Sleeveless Shades McGee? LOL. That made me spit out my coffee...and I'm not even drinking coffee.
I usually stick with bbb, although I never knew they were shurikens. I thought they were football shaped grenades.
I think they are grenades. And maybe the bat is a sword? I might be hallucinating
Great review, I'd like to say say the mini robo combinations breakdown is helpful but I doubt I'll ever beat this game.
Hey thanks so much! And yeah even knowing everything about Shatterhand won’t really help you beat it!
This is an interesting take on the game. Retro gaming reviews and opinions tend to be pretty standardized and there's usually only praise for this title, as many others. Sometimes I feel it's because of either the game being uncommon and expensive or because the internet sort of tells you to/compels you to like it.
I'm always more interested in this kind of approach. Having never played this one before, I feel this take is way more useful and entertaining.
Yeah there’s a lot of truth to that. I think people want to be the ones to bring a game to light and thus heap on the praise so it sounds like they’ve struck hidden gold. I’m always in awe when I see people put Krion Conquest in hidden gems lists just because of its visuals. That game is the real deal straight up awful.
Solbrain is what is called Toku, a style of Japanese media. Its also a decent show and part of the Metal Heroes
Ok cool!
Shatterhand is one of my favorite games. I actually beat it recently. The last level is hard but not impossible.
You’re a stronger wizard than I!
@@BigOleWords I think the best way to play it is the way that you play some action platformers. Don't try and speed through it. Pace yourself and treat each level section carefully. Speaking of Wizards, have you played The Legacy of The Wizard? It's an awesome game but and emulator and save states is almost required because it's just so damn huge.
Love this gem, thanks for the gameplay, Brother 👊🏽
You got it!
Super excited you are back ✌️
just throwing one game out there to maybe make a video on one day (that I think fits the vibe of the channel) and to me and some others is super underrated…KABUKI QUANTUM FIGHTER 💚
That is a very good one! I think it fits this series for sure
Your base weapon is your freaking hair 🤘😮💨
The nes may be the only console with such high highs and low lows. For every shatterhand, there are 3 Fester's quests
And there are far lower lows than ol Fester!
This looks pretty cool. I missed out on these late NES games as I had already moved on to the Genesis. I was probably playing Strider, which kicks this game's ass
Yes it does! And both beat the shit out of the NES Strider!
I love this game. This and Vice: Project Doom were my faves in the late NES time
Cyber Shadow is the Shatterhand/Nina Gaiden game made by the gods. Great retrospective.
I’m not familiar, but that’s a strong endorsement!
@@BigOleWords if you haven’t played Cyber Shadow, you’re in for the retro ride of your life! It is simply divine.
Great game that I played many times. But to this day I still wonder about one specific spot in first level. In other levels you can find secret platforms with upgrade, they are just invisible before you sit down to buy upgrade. But almost at the end of first level you can find short breakable wall that have same tile as background. If you hit it - whole screen will shake. It's placed at corridor when you walking on platform and drop from it, and this short wall will be behind you. If you break it - ordinary money will drop from it and you can go left under platfrom but nothing will be there even invinsible upgrade.
So why this wall so special I wonder?
I need to find this magic wall immediately!
Wow bro amazing NES collection!!
A lifelong journey!
i thought itvsaid Shatner Hands😅😅
That’s good
I own this and shadow of the ninja on nes. Nataume always brought some good stuff to the Nintendo
They were the best!
aw, weird. sorry you don't like this one as much as some of us. :/
I do enjoy it much more than any of the castlevanias and ninja gaidens. I just never could get into those. At least the NES games.
Interesting…
I feel the same way about this game. I feel like more conventional sub-weapons would make it perfect.
For sure.
I love this game, but it can be very frustrating. The music really puts it over the top. Loved watching you outline it’s good and bad points. I finished it for the first time last year. Can’t wait to revisit it
I don’t know if I like it more than Dragon Fighter or Power Blade, but I’m definitely a bit more forgiving about it’s difficulty and mechanics.
Those are both excellent games so it’s tough competition!
The big man is back!!!
HE'S BACK!!!!!
gotta be a game genie code to keep your robo buddy alive the whole time 🤔
Hey Bro! I love your channel!! I've watched your videos over and over again. It was cool to see your take on this game. I have Not played this game as many times as you have, but it's a game I love and have beaten a number of times. Three things I found are very helpful. 1. Push forward when you punch. 2. Try to get good at punching the enemies bullets. 3. Take your time with jumps. These three things should make the game more fun and less frustrating. Anyway, l hope this helps.. I look forward to your next video!!! 🤩👍👍👍❤️❤️👍👍❤️❤️
I (or possibly my roommate) bought Shatter hand my Freshman year of college. The SNES was definitely out as my across the hall neighbors had one & held baseball simulator tournaments. But being a late life NES owner we found a lot of cool titles fairly cheap; some good some meh.
But Shatterhand was a pretty good buy. We were all Arnold Schwarzenegger fans & used to call it "Arnold the Game" 😅
Good times.
That’s awesome, and funny that Shatterhand and not Power Blade was the Arnold game!
@@BigOleWords I had not played Power Blade at that point only heard of it. However given Arnold has punched things in movies but not flung boomerangs at enemies U might have still picked Shatterhand...or maybe just saw Power Blade as Arnold the Game 2
Shatter Hand got killer graphics also I will play it and I wish that a sequel would happen. 😀👍🎮
Maybe one day!
So glad ur back man :)
I forgot all.about this game. Man, thanks for reminding me that this game exists.
First of all, I really like your content. Second, where is that opening song from and where can I find it? I've heard it before somewhere but I can't seem to find it now. Thank you even if I don't receive an answer.
Thanks! It’s from Mr Show with Bob and David and a sketch called Jeepers Creepers
@@BigOleWordsThanks, I appreciate you answering my question.
You need to wear a toque from now on. You will need new glasses but you need the toque first then get thw glasses to go with it.
You also need a long sleeve shirt to go over the t shirt with a simple pattern like green plaid maybe, but more impotantly it needs a noticeable hole around where the pocket would be and frayed thready edges.
Boy the toque industry must be struggling if they’ve got you out here pushing fashion tips on TH-cam!
I know they're remaking a remastering shadow of ninja so I wonder if they'll remastered this game😊
I dunno. Not keen on the more 'cutesy' look of the Shadow of the Ninja remaster. Most of the new graphics look decent but the big eyes and pillow-y shading of the player characters is a bit of a turn off for me. :P
Whoa really?
i could not agree with you more regarding how shatterhand frustrates serious NES gamers including myself! hard controls, tough enemies, super strong bosses, thanks for the video reminding me of the shatterstruggle! gave me some ptsd from renting it from blockbuster one weekend! i regretted that choice even to this day!😂
Haha the shatterstruggle is real!
I found shadow of ninja waay more fun then this game with fond memories of it back in the 90’s,i discovered this game back in 2015 and i was amezed by it’s parallax scrolling backgrounds at certain levels and i was rhrilled by it’s music and cut scenes as well,but that’s it.
Agreed!
Awesome video! 🔥
This is a pretty good game that could have been better if it had done more with the concept of a guy with a comically devastating punch. There should have been more types of punches, they should have caused more damage, and they should have had slightly better range. I mean, it's called *Shatterhand*. Have him knocking down buildings with left jabs and uppercutting enemies into space.
One thing that was awesome about the game, though, was the music. Every song sounds like it came from a high-tier Mega Man game.
would love to see you doing super spy hunter for one of these!
That is definitely on my list
FunFact: he can punch projectiles🤜🏾
yaaaas new content! I've never played this game, though. Looks like a legit mega man or ninja gaiden clone.
Very close to those two in many ways
More so than Batman (1989), I'd consider Shatterhand (1991) a successor to Kage / Shadow of the Ninja (1990). They were both designed and programmed by Kazuhiko Ishihara. He was one of the designers in Batman (credited as 'Kaz'), but he didn't program it.
After Shatterhand, he created the excellent Kiki Kaikai - Nazo no Kuro Manto (known as Pocky & Rocky to baka gaijins) for the Super Nintendo. He was not involved in the 2022 remake, and it shows. Reshrined doesn't really do anything for me. It just doesn't have the blood-pumping action of the original.
That’s cool that he also worked on Batman!
aBB was always my go to
I think the same about this as others: amazing graphics and music, but too hard for the wrong reasons, and obscure moves. And could just use a quick once over by capcom or konami to clean up those rough patches like the switch in gravity in the jumps. Its very good, but it could be great.
Agreed!
One of my favorite games as a kid, I remembered it so I looked it up to buy it and luckily it was only about 400$ hahaha. Nah I got that bitch on emulator! It is so dang good! Very strange graphics and nice sound.
$400?!? No way!
I'm probably confusing it with other Nintendo games I loved as a kid and browsed online for haha. It's around 100$ right now but last year it was a bit more. Now cowboy kid on the other hand is ridiculous. But Shatterhand is so good man, thanks for the video!
It's good that you play these brutal and frustrating games, so I don't have to 😉
It’s all for you!
Im playing heavy barrel currently 💯
Hell yeah you are!
Love this game and all natsume games, but men, really hard, never could finished ir
So hard
Oooooh. Velvet rope.
Classy!
I didnt have time to watch this when it dropped (I used my free time to watch someone cack it on adventure island repeatedly 😏) but I am here now.
Haha, also you said side piece.
I never played this one. The controls look shyte and when you go 'its hard to aim' on every single of the robots...thats kind of an issue. Why did they put the companion up and to the left and shooting at an angle? Why not in front shooting forward?
It looks like it could be good, epic soundtrack. But, no. As an adult I have way too little free time to beat my head against a brick wall on a hard shyte control game. Im gonna go play powerblade or journey to silius instead if I want that.
What is this cacking you speak of? I remember a purely majestic performance
Totally looks like NES Terry Bogard
Maaaan lol. Love your content a ton but you're surprisingly critical to some games I love a lot like this and Power blade 2. I can agree though that being botless is pretty rough in this game since your basic attack is a bit slow and tiiiiiiiiiiny in range, a terrible combination. I still think i'm charmed enough by the graphics, music etc. of this type of game that I kinda just zone out into it and feel so 'at home', plus i"ve spent way, way too much of both my childhood AND adulthood playing so many balls-hard retro and retro-styled 2d action games that even when a game like this gets ultra hard I just kinda... push through it, I guess lol.
Compared to most games both are still very good. But I’d say compared to other Natsume titles they’re the most flawed.
People gush about this one too justify the price lol
Maybe!
Japanese version of this game is even better
01:28 I don't know this game. But it certainly copied a lot from Flappy Bird!
The game is cool, but way overpriced. No idea why everyone today decides to demand 90€/$ for it, a bit like illegal price-fixing. You can get the very similar titles like Kabuki Quantum Fighter or Power Blade for 10-20 bucks, and these are totally on par. It's not rare either, there is always a decent amount of Shatterhands for sale.
Yeah no idea why but it does seem less common than the other titles you mentioned
@@BigOleWords Maybe I need to look into fake Chinese copies. I rather play it on a real NES, but 30€ max.
Why are adults talking about a Nintendo game from like 30 years ago in detail, explaining exactly how the game plays as if it’s important??? I’m starting to realize all this nostalgia waxing is overboard. Preventing males from being proper men.
Because these games are still fun and worth playing. The fact that you even took time out of your day to come onto this channel and post that comment shows you don't even know what "being a proper man" means.
@@melchior2678 No. I’m right. I’m trying to help others realize the same.
All this talk of betas made me feel like you were talking about a Democrat convention (I say this as a Green Party guy, so it's okay)
Strange that. I often seen republicans bragging about being 'alpha males'. When the whole alpha male thing is based on a myth anyways (including the alpha wolf. David Mech even admitted he'd got it all wrong)
Beto O’Rourke?
@@BigOleWords have you ever seen the clip of his band invading a televangelist show? It's BonerTown.
@@BigOleWords Beta O'Dork