Trying to identify on which classics the games are based on

[American Dove Mitten]

1 - Okey, I think we can safely say this is Streets of Rage. Several direct references
2 - Maybe R-Type II?
3 - so many red car games and they are all kinda similar. Lotus II?
4 - never played a fixed runner ninja game, feels like some kind of bonus stage
5- played plenty of dungeon crawlers, not with that aesthetic though

[Valmar]

3- Probably Out Run

[Seiko Hirai]

I honestly got more of a Final Fight feeling from the first game. The train station etc. There's an almost exact copy of that scene in Final Fight.

The second one was definitely some R-Type style game.

3 was DEFINITELY Outrun. No doubt about it.

That's where my area of expertise ends though. The last 2 didn't really remind me of anything I have played before.

[Hi-Bit Studios]

(During development, we were all deeply fascinated by the original Phantasy Star first person dungeon design...)

[Shadrach]

2. R-Type sure, but also I think influenced by Project X (Amiga) which I believe was a Swedish game too?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjq-ONi3dZE

3. I think it reminds me more of Lotus Esprit on the Amiga, especially the car's design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLlWlsb9GpQ

[cloister56]

My immediate thoughts on playing through were:

1) Streets of Rage (1991)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrVMYd7MUzM

But that would be anachronistic so it must be Final Fight (1989)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wymIQ1FywrA

For some reason I always think Streets of Rage came first.

But to give it it's due there is Double Dragon (1987) which the others are heavily based on. Though I only ever played it in co-op so that's how I imagine it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTy6NS7Bciw

2) R-Type (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qXHicrtLJU

Perhaps given it's famous line Zero Wing (1989)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_WaqY7vMgw

3) Outrun (1986)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7tZFW4WedI


Although when you get close to the end and I think the black car is approaching I did think of Chase HQ (1988) and wondered if I was going to have to ram them off the road. (On Spectrum cause that's where I played it.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2aYrkofKHM

If you are ok with the future then:
My fondest memory of these types of games is Road Rash (1991) and it gave me the itch to play that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdhrDE5L7ds

Or if you prefer more wheels Skitchin' (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaTQ2b9Wypc

or perhaps give Road Redemption (2017) another try.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60HrxvTWc9g

[cloister56]

4) Shadow Dancer (1989)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAJs-D8hjKA

But that's cause I played the death out of that game. It does have a similar falling level as this game does. (4:04)

The most well known of the time might be Shinobi (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVhLpQtQcI

the one I remember best is Revenge of Shinobi (1989):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmylkABmNu0

but I think overall it's closest to Ninja Gaiden (1988):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueeKMQSS4bw

as in the other 2 you mostly throw projectiles (Shurikens) where as it both this and Gaiden you mostly slash.

5) Eye of the Beholder (1990) but a shade too late.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWC5tU3IONk

Dungeon Master (1987) looks similar and was earlier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VSVaJOemEU


I never played Phantasy Star but looking at the game play those mazes do look influential

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3P-3GsiRIw

Though I can't help but always think of this :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRL5durPleI

[Woody Alien]

The driving game is also similar to Taito's Top Speed AKA Full Throttle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN3-CJg3xxY

[The Rainmaker]

lol you guys. The "ninja" game is clearly based mostly on the Strider arcade game from the 80's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK8ZzfCZjNw

[Pabbles]

1 - Streets of Rage if no one cared about the Z axis

2 - everyone is saying R-Type but I'm feeling stripped down Gradius

3 - Outrun if Outrun had no drifting

4 - Shinobi 3 on the Genesis had sequences like that and Strider had swords like that but this feels more like a retro-ified modern runner game like Bit Trip but without syncing to the music

5 - Looks like the early Phantasy Star dungeons and fights but they are not arcade games