Treasure Likes and their 1 Black Sheep

Knowing how popular Treasure is amongst members here I thought I'd ask everyone what 1 game from another developer they think most resembles a Treasure creation. Use your own judgement. If it's not on the MD specify the system with your game, as some members may not be aware how extensively Treasure published for other systems.

Also, name a Black Sheep from amongst Treasure's oeuvre. The title that least befits their style and standards. Let's try to avoid titles they had little involvement in though, ie Silpheed 2.

Mine = Rocket Knight Adventures. This game feels and looks entirely like Treasure to me, particularly with its abundance of blonde, its cute character, its pretense of a quick pace whilst actually being slow, and its difficulty.

My Black Sheep = Gunstar Heroes. It's really their only sloppy game I know of. The rest are methodical (AS, Bangai-Oh), if not altogether slow (Headdy, Ikaruga). Sure Yuu Yuu Hakusho and Rakugaki Showtime are all wild, but there it comes with the genres. Gunstar Heroes is more of a button masher than Golden Axe, and very easy.

Thanks for participating.

Gunstar Heroes is a classic, dude! It's a little rough around the edges, but it more than makes up for it, in other areas.

Strangely, I just started a thread on Guardian Heroes, and having problems with it. I wouldn't say that's their black sheep though. They have some weirdo games, that I have seen(not played), that would seem to fit that bill a lot more. I didn't like that fighting game they had on the MD. I can't remember the name of it.

A game by another developer, that plays like a Treasure game? You have a VERY good point with RKA. And of course, there's the independent game "Noitu Love 2", but I think it's kind of a tribute to Konami and Treasure.

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Originally Posted by evil_ash_xero

I didn't like that fighting game they had on the MD. I can't remember the name of it.

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That's the Yuu Yuu Hakusho I mentioned.

Black sheep? Easy, Stretch Panic. I loathe that game.

It's hard to pick a game that resembles Treasure, because Treasure's work is pretty varied. But I think I'll say Muramasa. That's more "the cut of its jib" than any concrete similarities.

Black sheep? Light Crusader. But it's my favorite Treasure game :)

Black Sheep - The macdonalds game, it's still a damn good game but... It's a macdonalds game.

Similar to their work?... Hum... tough one. I guess RKA and Contra:HC are similar but that's to be expected.

Black sheep is easily the Macdonalds(sp) game. While it does have some of the signature Treasure quirkiness, it's simply too much of a "by the book" platformer and you can tell it was just them cashing in.

I liked Stretch Panic, well the idea of it anyway. It's just too bad they didn't put any more work into it, as-is it's more or less just a tech demo. Back in the day that was the only Playstation 2 game I remember that was on sale for $15 new in stores.

Most similar games? Hmmm. There is Panzer Bandit on the PS1, which was very obviously inspired by Guardian Heroes.

Definitely think Contra Hard Corps took a lot of cues from Treasure. It's like Konami felt jealous of Treasure completely upstaging them.

Alien Soldier, the fuckers made such a master piece making such a game. I salute you Treasure developers!

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Originally Posted by GeckoYamori

Definitely think Contra Hard Corps took a lot of cues from Treasure. It's like Konami felt jealous of Treasure completely upstaging them.

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Except that the Contra series existed way before Gunstar Heroes.

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Originally Posted by Bastardcat

Except that the Contra series existed way before Gunstar Heroes.

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But Contra: Hard Corps isn't much like the other games of the Contra series. It's a more frantic Run N' Gun.

As for the black sheep, I'd go with Guardian Heroes. Can't stand that game.

Treasure’s black sheep is easily Light Crusader.

I agree with the examples of Rocket Knight Adventures, Hard Corps, Panzer Bandit and Naitu Love 2 being Treasure like games. I guess Rapid Reload / Gunner’s Heaven for the PS1, as a Gunstar Heroes clone, belongs among them as well.

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Originally Posted by Kamahl

Black Sheep - The macdonalds game, it's still a damn good game but... It's a macdonalds game.

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That is what makes me sick! I think imma puke now.

Let's be honest. In terms of quality with respect to it's own time period, I'd say their black sheep has got to be Sylpheed: The Lost Planet.

As far as games that look like treasure games, it'd be a bit too obvious to pick any Konami venture, since Treasure = The Pissed-Off Child of Konami.

While I fell that GH is very overrated it's not a black sheep now Light Crusader while not a horrible game it's just to mediocre. And I feel that the game was really made for the Western Audience anyways.

I think Panzer Bandit and Rapid Reload were the worst offenders that swagger jacked the hell out of Treasure.

I am not really familiar with any Treasure offerings outside the Genesis, but the Genesis black sheep has to be McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure.
I think that RKA is too accessible to be a Treasure-like game, although quality-wise it's similar enough. Most of their games are pretty hardcore.

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Originally Posted by Baloo

But Contra: Hard Corps isn't much like the other games of the Contra series. It's a more frantic Run N' Gun.

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Contra Hard Corps is exactly like other games in the series, it even lifts entire levels from Contra III and expands on them, its just faster and harder, and has loads of new improvements to the gameplay, narrative, and structure.

The Noimon Cascade boss, and some other elements are definitely inspired by Treasure games like Gunstar Heroes though.

Contra HC was almost all boss battles, very unlike the rest of the Contra series before it. Not as bad as Alien Soldier, but still..

Black sheep or not, the McDonalds game is still a lot of fun. And I always thought their masterpeice was Alien Soldier. As far as non-Konami games similar to Treasure games, I'd say maybe Ristar for art and atmosphere and Demolition Man for gameplay and level design, but not visuals.

I have a side question about Treasure though.
I know that they broke off from Konami in 92 and that Gunstar Heroes was their first game, but does anyone have a good link to their early history. I'd like to know which Konami games they were most responsible for before going solo.

I've always been of the opinion that Detana Twinbee Yahoo has some feeling of Treasure-ness. It has been a while since I played it, but the character artwork in Detana Twinbee Yahoo feels very much like some Treasure designs. One boss is very similar to a boss in Silhouette Mirage if I'm not mistaken, and the main male character in Detana Twinbee Yahoo and some other characters remind me of the characters from Radiant Silvergun.
The manner in which the backgrounds scroll and scale to move the action or perspective from one area to another also reminds me of Radiant Silvergun. Also some boss encounters remind me of Radiant Silvergun.

Keio Flying Squadron 2 on the Saturn is my pick for Treasure-like
Black sheep is Yu Yu Hakusho Sunset Fighters. It looks good, but there's something not quite right about the gameplay.

Come to think of it, I never ended up liking Alien Soldier or Ikaruga very much, and the PS1 version of Silhouette Mirage left me very bored. Now that Radiant Silvergun is on XBLA I finally get to check it out too.

I can't think of any Treasure-like games. Treasure always seemed to pick established genres and then bend them into magnificence or pure hardcore madness.

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Originally Posted by Monkey

Contra HC was almost all boss battles

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Exactly like half the levels in Contra III then :ok:

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Originally Posted by j_factor

Black sheep? Easy, Stretch Panic. I loathe that game.

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This!

Stretch Panic is not only a bad game for Treasure, it's one of the worst games on the PS2.

Not the best example out there, but Cave Story might be inspired by Treasure in one way or another.

I've never played a bad Treasure Game.
Or Sunsoft.
Two of my favorite developers.

The only non-Treasure game that felt like one that I could remember was Rapid Reload. Such a blatant Gunstar Heroes rip-off, but not as fun as that. It's not as great, either.

As for Treasure's black sheep, from their games that I've played IMO it's McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure.

Another one which I haven't played but heard it wasn't that great was Tiny Toons Adventures: Buster's Bad Dream for the GBA. One thing that's interesting about it is that it's basically a precursor to Treasure's GBA Astro Boy title, gameplay-wise at least, except it features a partner system.

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Originally Posted by Thenewguy

Contra Hard Corps is exactly like other games in the series, it even lifts entire levels from Contra III and expands on them, its just faster and harder, and has loads of new improvements to the gameplay, narrative, and structure.

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Ironically enough, the GBA version of Contra 3 had levels from Hard Corps replacing the top-down Mode-7 stages.

Just turned on my 360 to find Radiant Silvergun being adertised; never played it before, but much just 'pick it up' at the end of the week.