Cabal (Arcade)

17th August 2018, is the 73th anniversary of my beloved country, Indonesia. Thus it's time for special article with militaristic-theme game to value our hero's fight. Last year is SNK's P.O.W, today is TAD's Cabal (1988).  

 

The skull is laughing at me. Freak you, skull! It's pure coincidence that i pick another game with same release year with last year ones. They're both about a lone soldier (because i play alone) against dozens of  enemy. You may know that Cabal is quite famous because it defines a genre of arcade-y gallery shooter really well. If you don't know about it yet, i'm more than happy to introduce you about it. So here we go.   

 

There's no backstory on both attraction mode and start of the game, so i have no clue about enemies or protagonist's raison d'être. So i can just insert his reason: to free his country here, to make the article more relevant to independence day celebration. Your control is quite simple. First button to shoot. Second button to throw grenade that deal moderate damage within small area. Third button to roll, so you can dodge bullets, and explosion. Destroy the enemies until enemy bars are all red then you will proceed to next stage to the same thing again. Left and right direction to move your soldier along with his crosshair but the crosshair have quite significant more sensitivity than him. Up and down direction to move the crosshair up or down. Hold shoot button to make the man stands still while you can move his crosshair freely. By the way, said crosshair doesn't present at this screenshot at the moment. Sorry!

 

There's also items that you can pick up like grenade and 500 score points here. They appear from destroyed sceneries or enemies. Sometime grenade item come from enemy's grenade that you shot. Yes, you can destroy enemy's projectiles by shooting at them. In fact, that's another defensive option you have beside rolling away from them. Your shoot is hitscan while enemy's is always in form of projectile. Some are slow, some are fast and some left temporary explosion trail. You tend to be outnumbered. Also you die in one hit, so be careful!

 

Beside enemy's footsoldier, you have to fight against tanks, treadless tanks or common called as panzers, choppers, and infantry trucks. Fret not! Your standard firearm can obliterate them with relative ease. If standard rifles and guns can be used to deal with any armored vehicle like here, our post-independence wars will be totally in our favor. =P

 

Attacking enemy's airfield, proves that our hero here has strategic thinking like guy in Gunforce. You probably think "Why destroy the plane when you can use it to destroy this place? Make our hero work easier". The reason is simple: he's just infantry, he doesn't have pilot license or any flight experience. Thus he resort by torn any planes in half. I mean look at that plane on right. It doesn't have whole integrity, it has separated ones instead.

 

Oh, there's elite kind of enemy's soldier who is in white uniform and can occasionally roll away from my shoot. And unlike his regular peers who immediately vanish once they're dead, he got carried by medics when he's goner. Shooting these red-cross guys will reward you with grenade pick up even though it's clearly against Geneva Convention. That's horrible military education, TAD.

 

There's weapon pick-up that improves your rampage, like this MP40 submachine gun. There's also the strongest weapon: BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) which i forgot to show you. Sorry! 3=

 

At the end of every 4th stage, there's boss fight. My attempt to mock on that chubby design of the chopper, is paid by my death. I keep missing its bullets. I think they're easier to hit when they're new from boss's cannon. Next time, i'll do better.

 

Some stage has pool. A portion of footsoldier is replaced by frogmen. Not much else i can say.

 

I manage to capture enemy's airplane that about to bomb me. But in return, my rib get shot. This shows how bad i am at playing the game much my dedication to you, reader.

 

Look at how beautiful this place is. I think this is enemy general's vacation place or something. So i have to lay destruction on this majestic place, which is kind of shame. Including this palm tree that has strange integrity. When i shoot its leaf part, it just falls down like rock fall from height. Weird, isn't?

 

Yet another stage with watery part. But this particular one has huge of it. It's like Whack-A-Mole but replace mole with frogmen, and hammer with automatic rifle.

 

Then a submarine appears as boss's stage. This one is easier because its position is relatively in the same spot and its bullets travel fast that i just have to focus on dodge than try to shoot them.    

 

Next stage takes place in warehouse, another vital spot to attack. Sometime piranha plant come from one of those pipes on the front (that act as my protection). No, of course not. I was lying. I have to spice things up on this repetitive gameplay. Even with enemies that sometime appear on that stairs in front of me, doesn't make it more interesting.

 

Surely, there's ship on waterfront. But said ship doesn't try to attack me with its battery cannons. It only serve as platform for some soldier who try to throw grenade at me. I don't know if that caravan/trailer is important or not, but i will destroy it anyway. Or maybe that's mobile portable potty. Great! My enemies will have really hard time to dig latrine once i destroy it.

 

My enemy's response of me blast their last personal-sanitary facility: sending a truck that constantly detaches cannon lorries. Yet another easy boss fight. The lorries are quite easy to dispose while the truck moves in fixed pattern: from right to left. They should starts that destroyer's engine and bombard me with those battery cannons. They really should.

 

This stage is specially lush green. The trees can't be destroyed but those sheds/huts can. I'm sorry to whoever own them. Probably some homeless or dark witchcraft practitioner.  

 

I have to admit that after 5th stage or so you don't get any more interesting in term of gameplay, except for the bosses. At least, the soldier jauntily prance each time he cleared the stage always amuses me. I mean, look at him! He's happily celebrating that he survives the battle and moves toward to fulfill his noble goal. Godspeed him!

 

I try to hit that old church's bell. But i destroy the building instead while the bell is still intact. Whooops! 

 

Another easy boss battle here. There's 3 cannon nests. They can close their nest to make them invincible but can't attack. They take not so many damage before destroyed. I kind of questioning the difficulty curve of the boss fights in this game. But should you die once, the boss's health bar is completely restored. So you have to finish every boss in one sitting. So there's that.

 

Is that building on the left made from cheese? Very strange architecture.

 

Middle-eastern mountains setting, tons of enemies, lone protagonist, tanks and helicopters. These reminds me of Rambo's movie. Too bad i don't have red headband.

The game is tired of me complaining about easy boss fight that it now throws the difficult ones: a main turret/cannon with 5 younglings. The young ones are easy to dispatch but they will respawn immediately. The only way to decrease Foe's health bar is to damage the main turret/cannon. The lower its health bar, the faster they shoots and respawn. Even though the little ones has fixed shooting pattern: diagonal left and right, this boss battle is really hard that i have to use savestate in the middle of it. After die and loadstate so many times, i figure that the best way to defeat this boss: stay in most left part of the screen, shoot the most left turret, then the second most left ones, then the main ones and repeat. Making triangle pattern of chain-shooting. Funny thing is i don't recall about this boss battle from my previous playthrough. But it's kind of reasonable to treat this battle as unmemorable because of how tedious it is.

 

Turns out, it's the last boss. The mountain that i assume is last enemy's stronghold, is falling apart for some reason. Transport heli come to pick me up then i can be titled as "War Hero that like to prance around", receive medal of honor, and get big fat reward. Happy End!

 

Or send to next dangerous mission. At least i have cigar break (even tough i don't like smoking). As i mentioned before that TAD's Cabal (1988) defines the genre of arcade gallery shooter. The gameplay is simple yet so full-of-action even though it gets repetitive because it don't feature new lesser enemies like its sequel Blood Bros. or the slightly altered version of it: Hard Times. But for 1988's game, Cabal's gameplay is interesting and fun (especially if you compare it with P.O.W). The music are grainy and relatively not good. Though i appreciate TAD for making different theme for each boss battle. The only good ones is the victory fanfare. I probably want it as my ringtone. The graphic are good though bit dry in color. The game can be finished in an hour or so but remember about the tricky part of boss battle that i mentioned. The enemies are fun to blast but the footsoldier's hitspot is small or loose, so i prefer destroying vehicles. Yes, they absorb more damage but at least they don't dodge and have bigger hitspot. Besides, they fill the quota more than the soldiers.

To sums my review: Cabal (1988) is quite tedious game, but magnificent game nonetheless and i love it. I can recommend you to play this game. But don't expect to live your dream of mowing soldiers with machine gun like John Rambo does. It only happen like 40% of the time especially if you keep using the standard rifle that i suspect to be rifle that player uses in FPS game 'Chasm'. But i can't confirm that as i never play it. Bye and Salam Merdeka!

The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (SNES) - part 2

Previously, Spike McFangs becomes fighter with legal diploma, banish invader's boss of his family castle, and travel to Ratville by foot. There he finds Camelia, his friend lays sick. He must find way to cure her.

 

Camelia needs water from Kalala Dessert but one of Von Hesler's man named Croc guards the water. Some ratman give me info about Croc's level: 7. That's nice and all but i wish something more useful like free health refill. But as we knew that Camelia takes all the beds. Let's see what's in next room.  

Indoor tomato plantation! This will do.

 

Twisters that are the little ghosts over there, are keen on pushing me to cliff (that only reduce some of my health instead of instant game over, thankfully). They can't harm me directly but i can't destroy them either. I can only pushing them away using my cape spin. Unlike the twister, flying jellyfish beneath my feet is helpful. It act as moving platform but it will frown everytime i land on him. Everyone will be pissed if some kid step on their head. I can understand that.

 

But this one turns red and drop me from very high altitude. Soldier_sf12_falling01.wav

 

I safe from the fall thanks to my nature as vampire. There's the two shops and a savepoint moaiman. How convenience!

 

"You thought i was that holed shoe-sandal, huh?" Joke on myself, i used to have it. True story. =p

 

Croc will thwacks me with his spear if i approach him carelessly. His shield can shoot orbs from its eyes but can be easily dodged if you're away from Croc. So keep distance from him and throw your hat will do the trick.

 

And Croc has same trick like Felina in which he powers up and restores his health to full when nearly defeated. Only for once, though.    

 

He also can casts lightning from the tip of his spear to keep me away from him. You can guess that move isn't effective because i always want to be away from him. In fact, he tend to be more standstill than before which makes him easier target for my hat throwing. Once he lost all of his HP, he goes "poof!" but the shield jumps around. Well, that's creepy.

 

But wait, it's not over yet. So i have nothing to do but to delve further in this desert temple/pyramid. But because i'm low on health, i will use "Transport" card which will summon a balloon that will transport me to...

 

...back to the Professor Steam. I see he has cleared the car wreckage. It's quite makes me wonder why talking to Professor replenish my health. Maybe he sneakily injects me with tomato serum while he's talking. The sneaky healer.  

 

There's this happy plant that serves as loot dispenser without bring you any harm. Well not really because sometime it emit flies instead of tomato or coin, The point is it doesn't attack you directly. Feel free to hit it with either your cape or hat. By the way, nice effect of moving cloud's shadow here.  

 

I'm sure now that this place is pyramid. There's mummies, you see. The brown ones only loitering around while the white ones is more aggressive and able to whip some of his bandage for ranged attack. We're in same level. I can do this.

 

Okay. I get over my head back there. Even though we're in same level 7, the mummy's bandage attack whips 16 hitpoints each which means very devastating! Also my attacks inflict really cheap damage to him. I will be more careful next time.

 

Pressing 'Select' button will pause the game and bring you this detailed status screen. You can switch trick card during this. Also you can see the explanation of your current trick card so you get the gist of what the card will do before you recklessly/accidentally activate it.

 

In some section, there's monkey in tree that throws prickly fruit at you. I think i have seen that kind of monkey outside of this game but i can't totally recall it. If you know about it, feel free to let me know!

 

Searching crook and nook in this game usually not rewarding. But in this pyramid and Ratville mountain, you can find the loot dispenser and this savepoint moaiman. I take it there's another boss nearby.

 

Yes, there's. When i first play this game, i thought defeating Croc will restore the water in this desert. Turns out, he just bodyguard or to be more precise partner with less level of this tree, Root. He's the one who hogs all water so defeating him is the real objective. It's bit plot twist because he's not mentioned before, not even once. So far i can dodge all of his attacks. Here he try to suck me and then unleash short laser from its mouth. That seeds on rightside will hatch blobs that are very easy to defeat. He can also unleash highly-tracking leaves and he tries to snatch me with his arms. I have to admit i'm defeated here as i'm underleveled. Maybe you can defeat him with this current level if you're really patience and willing to burn through your healing magic. I mean at level 7, you can only inflict measly damage to him and you got tremendous damage when he hits you. Thus i need leveling, first. I grinding experience from those mummies and get lots of coins from that plant. Then i will come back. 

 

How do you like my bat minions shred you, bastard. Yes, that's from my trick card. And no, i don't have it anymore. 3=

 

I'm back...as level 9. Yes, i overshoot my level but it's really worth it. In previous article i mentioned that everytime i level up, my attacks do more damage and i take less damage. To be more detailed, they're in factor of 2. Meaning my attack and defense are doubled from previous level. So i'm more than ready for this boss. Oh, and the monkeys helping him. The miserable sods, thinking they're cute and such.

 

I just remembered that his arms can't reach me if i go to most either left or right. Also his arm part is harmless. It's hand part that's lethal. By the way, you can only hurt him when he opens his mouth. So the safest way to harm him: by throwing your hat from the side. I should mention about my new hat here. This feather hat will flies in zigzag pattern and add magic trail to add damage ticks. It cost 400 gold but it's really worthy to add hefty extra damage on your hat throwing. I guarantee!  

 

Root doesn't have ability to level/power up like Felina or Croc. So he can't recover his lost health at all. Once he defeated he say that he will go back to jungle and return the water. Then water gush from below and i'm launched to the sky.

 

Meanwhile Von Hesler is annoyed by the news about Croc's and Root's defeat. But he has high confident with The Freezer that inhabits Vampra's kingdom.

 

Camelia is healthy again. She jumps around to test her condition. Without my explanation there, you can imagine that Camelia is under Kung-Fu/Jedi training by that elder ratman. That's more interesting/appropriate, right?

 

Professor Steam returns with newly-repaired car. It seems he's Batman fans and i suspect he lets that falling rock on purpose. I'm fine with that. As long as repair cost come from his own wallet and he doesn't ask for reimburse to my father. That big ratman has dug shortcut tunnel to Vampra's Kingdom. Demoman_thanksfortheteleporter02.wav

[Insert Yakety Sax music here]. Yes, we forgot about Rudy there.

 

He manages to catch us up way here. But he's really exhausted. So my companion this time: Camelia. This is her homeland, afterall.

 

The moment i saw "Kagome" signboard there, i recall an eerie song with that word. Luckily, the inside of that premise is friendly NPC lady. Not creepy or anything.

 

If you think that these snow rabbits are harmless because of their cute appearance. You're wrong, their mouth hide hideous sharp fangs. One of them want to bite my backside, see? By the way, Camilia has same function with Rudy. She bumps enemy occasionally and follow me around.

 

Funny, there's switch that moves this mountain's part. Camelia so happy with this so she spins around with her kali stick like magical girl/mahou shoujo. Whatever to make her warm. Don't blame her for wearing that short! This land used to be warm but since The Freezer rules here, it become snowy land like this.

 

Inside a cavern there's planted maces and electric eels. Both of them will stun you if you swipe them with your cape. In addition  the electric eels will shoot lightning ball at you. We learn that Spike has common skeleton anatomy as other anime young boy: skull that have bigger size than other bone. The more you know.

 

Some stranger gives me intel about The Freezer: he's level 11 and weak to Chicken Noodle Soup. Scout_thanks02.wav

 

Once i leave, the stranger uncloak herself to reveal the she's Colonel Hydra. Then i come back to ask her name. Then she shakes it off by saying that it's not important. Thanks anyway.

 

Look, Camelia! Your castle looks perfect for Tetris game's background. Oh, right!. You and Rudy can't jump like me. :3   

 

Behind cave's mouth there's crystal palace. In early section we encounter The Freezer...already? But we don't have chicken noodle soup yet. Quick, Camelia! Cook it! Don't stare his buttock for too long!

 

We don't have time and ingredient to cook it. Furthermore, Camelia can't cook *BOO!*. So fighting we are. Whatever we did to him, his hitpoint remain intact. After i survive his assault for quite short time he stop and mock me to fight me later in his chamber. That's relief.

 

Then i got freezed by Letty Whiterock's friends i mean Yuki Onna/Snow lady. I know that i'm beautiful when i become temporary ice cube but please do something instead of staring at me like that. At least avenge me, Camelia!

 

There's giant sparrow that flies above me and sweeps me in left-bottom direction. Making my movement harder than before. Did i ever mention that this whole ice palace has slippery floor? Because it is.

 

Then i end up in this dead end with 4 holes. I will jump to left-top ones...

 

...then we find The Freezer's lackeys (that looks like sentient spoons) eat chicken noodle soup! They're willing to give some of it (in form of trick card) but i mustn't tell The Freezer about them having this forbidden hot meal. Okay, sure! I won't tell him about this insubordination act of yours. I just want to beat him down, that's all.  

 

Yeah, that's right! Consider yourself lucky that i can't summon more than 3 bowls. Otherwise you will be fainted immediately.

 

Even with his invincibility is denied, The Freezer is quite tricky foe. As you can only harm him by throwing hat at his yellow core on his chest. Whipping your cape on ice giant, is stupid idea anyway. Thankfully i have the most expensive hat: Thunder Hat which add short-time homing movement after the zigzag pattern over. As for The Freezer. He mostly attack you with ranged mean like dropping ice rock from above, shooting yellow lasers, or shooting 3 tracking icicles. Also some of his attack will freeze you if you get hit. Again, he doesn't have ability to level/power up. Probably because he has "Chicken Noodle Soup weakness" gimmick already.

 

With The Freezer gone, his ice palace is destroyed. At his dying moment, he admires Spike a little and orders the giant sparrow to take Spike and Camelia to safety here. Later he said that The Freezer isn't bad guy. What's with him being sportive and fair fighter, yet very strong. We got deep moral lesson here, folks. Treachery (from your fellow rank and subordinate) can and will bring fall to even the mightiest warrior. Godspeed you, magnificent bastard.

As for why colonel Hydra help Spike. That's because she hates The Freezer and want to rule Vampra's land for herself. But now she and General Von Hesler are cornered without anyone else to back them up (Felina, Croc, and The Freezer are defeated, you know). Think before act, you subnormal half-wit!

 

Now that The Freezer is gone, Vampra's land become warm like usual. We can use the airship over there to Von Hesler's castle for final battle. It's common in every game especially RPG that you have to stock up before go to final battle as you can do shopping anymore in that point. That also apply here. But with the snow and ice dissappear, you can fight hostile no longer. Should you need intense grinding, you must do it before finishing The Freezer. As i have the most expensive hat which worth 800 gold, i don't need to worry about money much. By the way maximum gold you can have is 999. So i spend the rest for tomato card tricks and other ones. Don't hesitate to use save/load to obtain good card trick from the one-armed bandit. It's about gambling, afterall.

What kind of danger on Von Hesler's kingdom that we will encounter? How well Colonel Hydra fights us? Does Rudy have to kill his own father? Find out in the next article on 2 weeks from now. Because i have to write on special Independence-Day article next week. Cheers!