Games Beaten In 2024

[newtmonkey]

Great post!

18 hours ago, wongojack said:

As a showcase of the movie, Ghostbusters is a success.  As a player, I get to interact with the characters and activity in the movie, and I can reminisce about my favorite parts while seeing symbols and icons from the film on my computer/tv.  The equipment even deepens the content a bit and lets me imagine what other things the ghostbusters might use or encounter in their day to day life as ghost exterminators.

This sums up what really fascinated me about this game back in the day.  It's like something that kids would do after watching the movie, pretending to run their own Ghostbusters franchise, but in video game form.  Some of the Ghostbusters games that were released later might be better games (such as the Sega Genesis game and the third person shooter that came out a while ago), but they are still just "2D platform game" with Ghostbusters elements or "3D third-person shooter" with Ghostbuster elements, instead of an imaginative expansion on the concept of the movie.

[+wongojack]

All right, how about 2 more versions of Activision's Ghostbusters?!

 

Amstrad CPC - This was my first time seriously playing the Amstrad version (or any Amstrad game), and I wasn't impressed.  Some basic gameplay elements are different or just not here.  For example, missing a ghost does not raise the PKE level 300pts in this version which contributes to long stretches where the player is just sitting and waiting for something to happen.  It is a really slow pace.  On the positive side, the graphics and sound on this version are nicely presented with plenty of color and full soundtrack and sounds (except the ghost vacuum sound).  Despite the nice colors and perfectly decent artwork, they seem to have only created two building facades.  Even the end sequence to sneak your ghostbusters past the Marshmallow Man uses a recycled building.  That seems like a signal that this version just didn't get very much attention.  Gameplay suffers too.  There are jumps and jerks in the vehicle stage, and there is considerable flicker on the ghost catching screen.  This is also the only version where the ghost seemed to be able to "flicker" his way through your proton beam and escape capture - grrr. 

 

Marshmallow Alert - once I got the PKE level up to 5000, the Marshmallow Man did appear.  The animation for stopping him was sooo slow that I almost thought the game had crashed or something.  Well, he never appeared again.  I waited in one spot, went to various buildings.  I tried to milk the clock, but he never came back.  This may seem like a small issue, but it fundamentally changes the flow of the game and removes a lot of the excitement of the final moments before the Keymaster and Gatekeeper make their way to Zuul.  I played around with this version for about 100 minutes to try and see everything it had to offer.  At first, I was pleased with the presentation, but as I dug in, it seemed worse and worse.  I went back to start a new game and the slow pace just killed it.  I couldn't even get through another game with one of the other cars and just had to quit.  I haven't decided yet if this is the worst version of Activision's Ghostbusters, but I am definitely giving it a 1 out of 5.

 

 

 

The MSX version, felt like a nice cool breeze after playing the Amstrad version.  The game plays nice and fast.  There's not too much waiting for buildings to turn red, and the actual ghost catching is pretty challenging.  I tried a new strategy here where I basically just parked in one spot and waited to see how many times I could stop the Marshmallow Attack and get the big points bonus.  This strategy didn't coax the Marshmallow Man to appear, instead the Keymaster and Gatekeeper went to Zuul and ended the game around 7,700 PKE.  I guess there's some logic in the game to make this happen if the player isn't moving around and catching ghosts?  If I mixed in a few trips to buildings, I could still catch the Marshmallow Man 4 times, but Keymaster and Gatekeeper still entered Zuul a little before 10k in this version.  I went back and tested a similar strategy in other versions and the PKE energy seemed to always reach 9999.  In general, I like the variation and plan to test other versions to see how unique it is to the MSX.

 

Gameplay here is the star as the ghosts move quickly and often avoid capture when using techniques I've developed on other versions.  This was a positive for me but could make the game feel unfair to newer players.  The presentation is above average but not the best.  There seem to be some sprite limitations with the car that prevent showing your equipment.  This changes the initial loadout screen and the ghost vacuuming animation.  Those are noticeable but don't detract much.  I did find the lack of detail on the actual ghostbusters to be underwhelming, and a heavy reliance on gray in general makes the game seem a little "drab" when compared directly to others.  It tends to contrast a bit too much with the green used quite often as well.  Something of note for this version is that Colecovision homebrewers and frequent internet forum site visitors Team Pixelboy have adapted it for the Coleco. 

 

As a final verdict, I'm giving the MSX version a 3 out of 5.

 

 

[+wongojack]

These are not "games beaten" per se, but they are some pretty neat achievements and trophies that can give you a certain sense of completion.  Among all the various compilations and collections out there, I found these challenges on the Flashback collections to be particularly satisfying:

 

Indy 500 (aka "Race").  This was a great goal to go for on a game that is known for mostly being a 2-player affair.  I liked this challenge so much that I did it on the Xbox, and I dusted off my driving controllers to do it on original hardware.

 

Sprint 2 arcade (score 156)

 

 

The next 3 are all paddle games.  I was able to hook Atari paddles up to my Xbox using the Adaptive Controller.  I think I'm one of a very few who have ever done that because it was very easy to break the all time top 10 on the leaderboards for some of these.

Pong arcade

 

Super Breakout arcade (score 600)

 

Avalanche arcade (score 713 - #1 on Xbox leaderboards)

[Punisher5.0]

After finishing Duke 3D I was interested in trying out other Build engine games. I came across one I never heard of before called Shadow Warrior. It's free on GOG so why not? Overall I liked it, definitely worth another play through in a few years. Next up will probably be Powerslave or Blood to continue with Build engine games. RE2 is releasing next week on GOG so I have to fit that in too.

[newtmonkey]

@Punisher5.0

Shadow Warrior has some really excellent level design, though I find it to be somewhat unfair if played saving only between levels.

 

I absolutely love Blood (probably the best level design in an FPS ever), but it really plays more like a survival horror game than your typical FPS, especially during the first couple of levels in each episode.  You really have to take it slow and conserve ammo, and learn the ins and outs of all the weapons and the alt fire modes, too.  Once you do, though, the game feels so awesome to play.  It can be very frustrating at first, but it's really quite fair once you learn how to play it.

 

If you are playing the DOS version, do note that the difficulty settings are messed up.  If you save and restore, it actually flips the difficulty (so, if you are playing on the easiest difficulty level, restoring will flip it to the hardest level).  The only difficulty level that's not affected is "Lightly Broiled," which I would recommend playing on anyway.  This of course does not apply to the "Fresh Supply" version that was released a few years back.

 

If you get frustrated, let me know!  I've got a couple of tips to reduce the early game frustration.

Edited August 23 by newtmonkey

[Punisher5.0]

9 hours ago, newtmonkey said:

@Punisher5.0

Shadow Warrior has some really excellent level design, though I find it to be somewhat unfair if played saving only between levels.

 

I absolutely love Blood (probably the best level design in an FPS ever), but it really plays more like a survival horror game than your typical FPS, especially during the first couple of levels in each episode.  You really have to take it slow and conserve ammo, and learn the ins and outs of all the weapons and the alt fire modes, too.  Once you do, though, the game feels so awesome to play.  It can be very frustrating at first, but it's really quite fair once you learn how to play it.

 

If you are playing the DOS version, do note that the difficulty settings are messed up.  If you save and restore, it actually flips the difficulty (so, if you are playing on the easiest difficulty level, restoring will flip it to the hardest level).  The only difficulty level that's not affected is "Lightly Broiled," which I would recommend playing on anyway.  This of course does not apply to the "Fresh Supply" version that was released a few years back.

 

If you get frustrated, let me know!  I've got a couple of tips to reduce the early game frustration.

 

I played SW through Raze and was able to save whenever. I could definitely see it getting annoying without having that ability. Enemy fire is pretty strong in that game.

 

Your description of Blood sounds right up my alley. I hoard ammo in every game I play and usually finish with most of the good stuff untouched. It will be the Fresh Supply version but I'll stick with the Lightly Broiled difficulty. 

[+wongojack]

2 hours ago, Punisher5.0 said:

 

I played SW through Raze and was able to save whenever. I could definitely see it getting annoying without having that ability. Enemy fire is pretty strong in that game.

 

Your description of Blood sounds right up my alley. I hoard ammo in every game I play and usually finish with most of the good stuff untouched. It will be the Fresh Supply version but I'll stick with the Lightly Broiled difficulty. 

What is Raze?  Is that a DosBox front end or something like that?

[Punisher5.0]

1 hour ago, wongojack said:

What is Raze?  Is that a DosBox front end or something like that?

 

Pretty much but it's dedicated to Build engine games only. It gives you more graphics and control options. Its night and day compared to playing in Dosbox. It's the same type of program as GZDoom.

[+wongojack]

10 minutes ago, Punisher5.0 said:

 

Pretty much but it's dedicated to Build engine games only. It gives you more graphics and control options. Its night and day compared to playing in Dosbox. It's the same type of program as GZDoom.

Do you have a link?  I tried to search for Raze Game and found some stand alone game.  Raze Front End didn't get me what I wanted either.

[Punisher5.0]

1 hour ago, wongojack said:

Do you have a link?  I tried to search for Raze Game and found some stand alone game.  Raze Front End didn't get me what I wanted either.

 

https://github.com/ZDoom/Raze/releases/tag/1.10.2

 

Have fun!

[Punisher5.0]

I misread your DOSbox post. Raze completely replaces it and just plays the DOS game through itself. It usually automatically finds your games and puts them on the main screen. If it doesn't then just put in the Raze folder and it should add it automatically 

[Razzie.P]

I've been playing through the Shining Force games lately.  I've finished -- 

 

SF -- Love it.  Damn near perfect and this is probably the 20th time I've played through this one throughout my life, including played as a kid in real time back in the day.

 

SF2 --  I never played this in real time, but played through for the first time a couple/few years back, and now finished a second time.  I think this one is "better" overall than part 1, but I still like 1 quite a bit more.

 

SF CD -- played all 4 books.  Liked them a lot, and really enjoyed the 1st 2 books nearly as much as the originals.  Some really lame ass maps held them back though, where they add terrain with limited moves that bog down the whole battle. Absolutely loved Book 3.   4 was a bit of a bust and felt like an afterthought.  I was also a little soured by the fact that you couldn't carry over your character stats/progress from one book to the next unless you have a save cart.  "Buy this cart, or be forced to grind for hours!"

 

 

SF 3, Scenario 1 -- Eh, this one.  Same core gameplay, but everything just got worse somehow thanks to the whole "we gotta force 3d because it's cool now!" type of nonsense.   Graphics were ugly.  Movement and placement was a bit of a struggle.  Sometimes even something like "walking through a door" fought you.  Maps felt constrained and way too many moments where there's a bottleneck (bridge, door, etc) and you can only use a single character.  Some levels felt more like puzzles than actual strategy.  Story was probably the best of the bunch though, but I dunno... it's killed my motivation to continue at the moment since the next 2 are on Saturn as well, and I'm sure it's gonna be more of the  same.  I liked it overall, but I don't feel like I would have missed out on anything if I hadn't played it.

 

 

 

 

[+wongojack]

Yep - More Ghostbusters.  These are two versions which I won't rate out of 5 because they are in different stages of development or neglect.

 

The new TI99 homebrew version is shaping up to be quite impressive.  It is based on the MSX version but features lots of music, voice and graphical enhancements.  The voices are sampled from the iconic song and often use the "chorus" to shout out "Ghostbusters."  Slimer appears on the map in this game (the only version where he does) and the ghostbusters are nicely drawn in correctly colored uniforms.  The city looks a bit different, but I like it, and there are many different building facades to visit.  Even the end game screens of the bouncing marshmallow man and the ghostbusters closing the gate get an upgrade.  The game is truly shaping up to be a genuine treasure for the TI99

 

|

 

The PC version wasn't a DOS game.  Instead, it contained files on the disk to load without an OS.  PC Booter is what this type of game seems to be referred to, and I have no memory of loading any software of the type in my life.  This makes the game a little difficult to run in DOSBox, but it does work.  Shout out to The King of Grabs for helping me get it running. Playing in PCJr mode gives the best experience with full color graphics and a great rendition of the theme song.  There are no vocalizations, but the game plays nice and fast with all the elements in place compared to other examples.  The biggest drawback here is that you have to slow DOSBox down so much that there are some graphical glitches, and the game still runs a bit too fast to be played accurately.  Even so, I had fun with this version, but it would have been really nice to see it running natively on the PCJr bitd.

 

 

[+wongojack]

Another game beaten, AND it's . . . NOT Ghostbusters

 

I know you're disappointed.  I still have a few more Ghostbusters versions to review (I think I've beaten them all), but I'm going to give the remaining ones a little more playtime before I post on them.

 

Instead, I ended up reaching the end of Mr. Run and Jump for the Atari 2600.  I recently purchased my copy from Woot (where they have reached an even lower price since I ordered).  It seems hard to mention this game without talking a little about the release and the inconvenience experienced by those that purchased the collector's edition.  In most circles, it wouldn't matter, but here on Atari Age there were plenty of pre-orders for the limited edition which did not end up shipping until a year after it was initially sold (standard edition shipped quickly).  When it did arrive, many reported that the box was slightly damaged/folded.  Seemingly in the same way on multiple copies (post | vid).  This combined with the VERY carefully worded claim that Mr. Run and Jump is Atari's first official cartridge release since 1990 may have created a bad impression with some crusty old Atari folk.  I might have been in that category myself especially when confronted with the original $30 price tag for a game that didn't look so great from the initial media and previews.

 

Well, the price dropped, and I decided to give the game a try.  My initial reaction to Mr. Run and Jump was fairly harsh.  The game uses basic graphics even by 2600 standards, and it seems that the creator did not do as much to avoid sprite flicker as some other games.  The game has such a minimalistic style that I suspect that flicker was left in as an artistic element.  It gives the player something else to look at.  I have to admit that once you get used to it, it kind of works.  The style is definitely not going to be for everyone however and a more critical gamer might refer to the look as "empty," "bleak," or "hard to look at," but I wouldn't say those things .  As for sound, there's not much of it.  There's some nice intro music but other than that, I think the only sounds are from our titular character jumping and from 2 or 3 of the enemies who move in a pattern accompanied by sound.  Otherwise, the soundscape is as minimalistic or "bleak" as the visual style.

 

The gameplay of Mr. Run and Jump is quite different from most 2600 games.  You begin with a set score that decreases gradually as you play.  Score subtracts at a slow rate almost constantly, but also at a set amount for individual deaths.  You have unlimited lives, so the goal of Mr. Run and Jump is to complete all 6 levels in as short a time as possible while dying as few times as possible.  You do this by advancing each screen from left to right while jumping over or avoiding the various obstacles.  Any death returns you back to the beginning of that level.  The obstacles in the game range from barely even there, to suddenly appearing surprise-death magnets as well as a fair amount of timing-based falling, spinning, bouncing type enemies.  Because of the precision required and sometimes unfair introduction of new mechanics, you'll die a lot.  That means you'll wind up playing some parts of each level many times before reaching the end (at least I did).  For the most part, the game functions very well.  Jumping actually jumps and your control over Mr. Run and Jump is more than adequate.  There are a few stray points where a button press seems not to register or grabbing a ladder is harder than expected, but usually the deaths were easily explained from the environment or gameplay (and not the controls). 

 

Even so, the first few hours with the game will probably frustrate most people who once got an Atari 2600 for Christmas in 197x or at least consider themselves 2600 fans.  I would recommend playing for 30-90 minutes at a time until you get to level 5 (the black level).  At that point, you are almost at the end, so resist destroying your controller by throwing it into the TV and take the time to watch a walkthrough of the game.  You'll see that the game can be completed and - like most games - it is just a matter of analyzing or planning your stops and starts to get to the final level.  Keep watching as you'll see that the final level is not only black, but all the environment structures are now completely invisible.  I have mixed feelings about this choice because it is something that a lot of 2600 games also did - "Let's turn the maze invisible on the hardest difficulty!"  So, while this fits in from the standpoint tradition and era appropriate design, I never really liked it.  This is what really drew me to watch a walkthrough as I was enraged to find the final level was a trial and error filled patience-testing simulator.  I probably just needed a break.  You may too.

 

With all that being said, once I sort of gave myself over to analyzing the gameplay (example - "jump on the 9th or 10th time that the two skulls go through the gap on level 5 screen xyz") I was able to appreciate this game much more.  Knowing the end was in sight actually made me feel a little nostalgic for the first few hours when it seemed a dauntingly hard and difficult journey was still ahead of me.  Basically, I liked it more as I played it, and the novelty of having this type of game on the 2600 really started to appeal to me.  There are pros and cons, and it was a really hard game for me to rate, but Mr. Run and Jump lunges his way just over the line to a 4 out of 5.  I think the dog really helps.

 

[+sramirez2008]

Thanks for the write up. I’ll admit that I played this a bit, didn’t think much of it, and put it away. I’ve been playing Atari since 1977, so I don’t mind the bland graphics and SFX, but IMO, it’s a “meh” game.

Guess I need to give it another go.🙂

[newtmonkey]

Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II (PC Engine)

I completed the first game about a year ago (I posted my thoughts on that game on AA here), and while I had some fun with it, I found it to be mediocre overall, with a ridiculously grindy beginning and a somewhat dull story, but some excellent dungeons to explore and a great soundtrack.  I was therefore looking forward to seeing what issues, if any, were addressed in the sequel.

 

The game takes place several years after the end of the first game, with you controlling the son of the hero from the first game.  This means that the game takes place in the same world as the first game, and actually reuses many of the same maps.  This sounds cheap, but it's actually handled quite well and it's a lot of fun to travel around the world catching up on what's happened since the last game.  However, there's a great twist at the end of Chapter 1, where you discover a massive Zork-esque underground empire consisting of several towns connected by cave systems, and most of the rest of the game actually takes place here.

 

The game at first glance it doesn't look or play much different from the first game, though the characters are slightly larger now and the backgrounds slightly more detailed.  The biggest change is how magic works.  Instead of the standard Magic Point system from the first game, each character now has seven spell slots.  You can assign any spell you want to any slot (even the same spell to multiple slots), and you "learn" spells by purchasing spell books, which can be used an unlimited number of times.  Once you cast a spell once, that slot is exhausted but slowly refills over time, with more powerful spells taking longer to recharge.  It's a cool system that lets you customize your spell loadout for specific situations.

 

The biggest issue with this game is the unbelievable grind for EXP and gold that is required during the first chapter.  Mandatory grinding in RPGs is actually very rare (I've completed 70+ console and PC RPGs over the past 5 years or so, and can count the number that required grinding on a single hand), so it's always a bit of shock when I run into it.  Fortunately, once you get to Chapter 2 the enemies start giving out respectable amounts of EXP and gold, so you never have to grind again.

 

Otherwise, the game was a lot of fun!  The characters and plot are much more interesting than the somewhat dull first game.  You have some fun companions and recurring characters, and some great story developments (including a major twist that brings to mind games like Might & Magic and Phantasy Star III).  Most of the major story events are told through cinema scenes that are unfortunately only barely animated, though you do get a nice ending scene upon completing the game.

 

Although it took me just under 30 hours to play the game from start to finish, I actually spent 50 hours on this game because a crash caused my Super SD System 3 to somehow delete the save files from the SD card, forcing me to start over from the beginning!  I guess it says something about how much I liked this game that, after a break of a few weeks (while waiting for my Turbo Everdrive Pro to arrive and replace the SSDS3...), I started the game back up and blasted through it over a week or so.

 

Overall, a fine game (except for that awful grind during Chapter 1!). 

Edited September 1 by newtmonkey

[Punisher5.0]

Finished my first play through of GOG RE2 tonight. Played with Leon and did it in 2h42m (in game time) with 3 saves for an "A" rating. Have to do Claire next. 

 

Also been playing Blood quite a bit. I'm on the second episode right now and wow where has this game been all my life? It would've been awesome to have on the N64.

[newtmonkey]

49 minutes ago, Punisher5.0 said:

Also been playing Blood quite a bit. I'm on the second episode right now and wow where has this game been all my life? It would've been awesome to have on the N64.

I'm glad to hear you're liking it!  The Cryptic Passage expansion is also worth playing once you've completed the (massive) main game.  There are also some excellent fan-made episodes (Death Wish, Bloody Pulp Fiction, Legends of the Iconoclast 1/2) that work perfectly fine with Fresh Supply, if you want even more.

Edited September 3 by newtmonkey

[+wongojack]

Hey guess what?  I played some more Ghostbusters!

 

All right, I've been saving these two for the end as they are probably the best versions of this old classic.  First up we have the Atari 8bit version.  This version stays away from mistakes and offers a complete package of graphics, music, gameplay and charm.  Some of the sprites and other art is redone with a distinctive Atari slant and the sounds and music also exude Atari sensibilities.  I love the sound of the ghosts being vacuumed up in this one and the sound when a ghost is being trapped definitely sounds like the POKEY.  The gameplay doesn't disappoint although catching ghosts seemed to be a little too easy, and I racked up quite a high score with minimal attempts.  The bouncing Marshmallow Man looks absolutely huge in the last segment, and you can even continue your game with your existing balance with just a simple keypress.  The only thing notably missing are in-game vocalizations.  In versions where your Ghostbusters talk, it really makes a difference.  Some other nitpicks include the depiction of the ghosbtusters themselves who are noticeably out of uniform and maybe the look of the trap and slimer.  He looks a little off somehow.  This version delivers a great experience but doesn't quite do enough to differentiate itself from the middle of the pack.  The Atari 8bit version gets a lot of praise from me, it but doesn't quite force its way among the best with a 3 out of 5.

 

 

 

And now, we get to the Commodore 64 version.  This was my very first version of the game so many years ago, and as soon as I started playing it this weekend, the nostalgia came flooding back.  It kicks off calling to the player with an opening squawk of a voice announcing Ghostbusters Ah Ha Ha Ha.  The vocalizations might sound strange today, but in the 80's they were quite impressive.  In fact, I bet plenty of people who were around back then could recall Ghostbusters as one of the first memories they have of any computer talking.  While the few simple words the game says definitely sound like computerizations, they are quite clear and used very well throughout the game.  The music is just absolutely oozing with SID charm.  Having heard so many versions of the song at this point, I thought the C64 would just blend in with the rest, but the distinctive sound from Commodore's Sound Interface Device really sets this version apart.  The arrangement is slightly different on some other versions (MSX for example), but this one is absolutely great.  The graphics on the C64 are also quite excellent.  While other versions make mistakes like the Ghostbusters in the wrong colors or a lack of detail on Ecto 1, the C64 version seems to get everything right.  I even like the renditions of the roamers on the street and slimer when you catch him at the various buildings.  There also seems to be just a few more touches on the short animations we see.  Vacuuming a ghost is nice and smooth, catching a ghost in a trap shows a clear image of our friend slimer in a futuristic proton bubble, and the little dance the Ghostbusters do when you catch him fits perfectly into the scene.  There are even a few times when you've caught a ghost when the timing of the music, the little dance/shuffle, and the subsequent vocalized Ghostbusters match up as if it was just part of a little music video.  It usually happens once or twice a game and always makes me smile.

 

Negative things about this version might be that after a while, it seems like a lot of the buildings are not very colorful.  Many are mostly gray or white while a small number mix in blue, red, and green.  It makes me think that perhaps there was a choice to use neutrals to seem more like an ugly city (or something).  Perhaps the most negative thing about this version is how it highlights just how simple a game that Ghostbusters really is.  After all these years, I wish there were more challenges to master and more details to discover, but once you've figured out how to win, there's not much stopping you from winning every time.  Maybe a Marshmallow Attack sneaks past you, or you can't quite earn all your money back with an especially expensive loadout, but you won't lose very often.  I even managed to win with the compact car and the laser confinement system this time which is typically the hardest starting scenario (slow car with lots of debt). 

 

After having played more than 14 versions of this game, I've saved giving this version a score until the very end.  My general reaction is that this version was made with the most love and care.  The details are spot on, and it does the best job of making you feel like you are part of the movie.  My own nostalgia pushes me to rate this game very highly, but I can't deny that some additional features and gameplay elements would have helped to give the player more of a sense of accomplishment and more of a challenge.  Taking everything into consideration, I'm giving C64 Ghostbusters a very loving and heartfelt 4 out of 5.

 

Some will be interested to know that there was a 40th Anniversary hack created for C64 Ghostbusters.  It comes with a new theme song, unique opening menu, instructions and a password generator.  Strangely it also seems to change a simple game mechanic.  In this version, the city's PKE Energy did not passively increase as the game was running.  I'm not sure if this is intentional, an oversite, or a bug, but the slower pace is definitely not welcome.  If I'm playing C64 Ghostbusters, I'll avoid this edition.

 

 

Well, this rounds out all the full versions of Ghostbusters that I was planning to play.  Wanna know which version I think is the best or worst?  In the coming week(s), I plan to create a dedicated thread to gather all of these reviews and comments.  I'm also anticipating getting a physical copy of the Intellivision Ultimate Edition, so I'll go back and play through a few of the versions and post a final ranking.  Stay tuned for my next update.

[Punisher5.0]

21 hours ago, newtmonkey said:

I'm glad to hear you're liking it!  The Cryptic Passage expansion is also worth playing once you've completed the (massive) main game.  There are also some excellent fan-made episodes (Death Wish, Bloody Pulp Fiction, Legends of the Iconoclast 1/2) that work perfectly fine with Fresh Supply, if you want even more.

I have Cryptic Passage so I'll work on that after Im done with the main game. I'll look into the fan made one's at some point. Thanks for the recommendations

[Punisher5.0]

Finished RE2 with Claire today. Got an "A" rating with 1 save and took 2h17m. I was on pace to finish in less that 2 hours but forgot about all the anti virus stuff at the end and added a lot of time figuring it out. I did get the rocket though so that should be fun for the next play through.

[+wongojack]

All right, I have a non-Ghostbusters related post for the thread.  I got a "Perfect Game" over the US Labor Day weekend on Circus Convoy.  JIC you don't know what Circus Convoy is, you can check it out on the Audacity Games page.  It seems two programmers from the fabled golden era of Atari/Activision got together over the pandemic to develop a new game for the 2600.  And what a game it is.  Apparently, David Crane and Garry Kitchen used a larger ROM than any 2600 game before it, and you can read a bit about the development on two different threads on AtariAge that were active at the time of its release in 2021.

 

• https://forums.atariage.com/topic/318076-ex-activision-designers-launch-retro-game-publisher-audacity-games™/
• https://forums.atariage.com/topic/318208-qa-for-world-premiere-of-circus-convoy-interview-with-david-crane-garry-kitchen-dan-kitchen/

 

There was a little drama around the release of the game.  In the above referenced Q&A Crane and Kitchen weren't very accepting of the term homebrew.  They also weren't that delicate in describing the differences between what they do and what homebrewers do, and while I can understand that professionals don't want to be confused with hobbyists, there are a lot of very professional homebrews for the Atari 2600.  To add a little more fuel, the release of Circus Convoy didn't go too well.  Buyers were unable to secure a copy of the most expensive and exclusive edition due to website issues.  I don't know if these got resolved and everyone who wanted one got the VIP edition, but I do know it sold out quickly.

 

Besides some friction around the release Circus Convoy has sorta dropped under the radar a bit.  The high price tag and lack of an inexpensive download option has probably kept a lot of gamers away.  I myself didn't purchase until they started to sell the game on Amazon, and I could justify the purchase with some Amazon credit.  However, once I did get the game, I was very pleased.

 

I actually went in skeptical if I would like Circus Convoy.  At such a high price tag, the game needs to be sort of amazing to justify its existence.  I also am aware that while David Crane is a brilliant creator of content, not all of that content is fun.  Most people know about the Pitfalls which are undisputed classics. His games like Canyon Bomber, Freeway and Dragster are nice but not my favorites.  He also created Ghostbusters which I've covered to death in other threads.  I love Ghostbusters, but it isn't exactly the most "fun" game.  Finally, there's A Boy and his Blob which may mark sort of the end of the David Crane as a high-profile auteur period.  ABAHB got some positive critical acclaim but was/is praised mostly for its uniqueness.

 

Anyway, I wondered if Circus Convoy would end up being a very polished experiment or something that I would actually enjoy playing.  I think in the end it is more on the "fun" side, but there is an experiment in here too.  Playing Circus Convoy really feels like playing a game in 3 stages.  In the beginning you are learning and probably a little confused and frustrated.  The inventory system (which works incredibly well) isn't like anything on the 2600 and the core concept of traversing trailers of a road convoy just seems like something kinda made up.  You'll probably find yourself stuck in the first hour wondering what to do to progress.  However, once you get past that initial stage, the game opens up and introduces you to some solid item-combo style puzzles as well as some very light action-oriented "sideshows."  The game is at its best as you begin to discover how to make progress along the 10 trucks in the convoy and how to unlock all of the sideshows.  Some puzzles require you to visit one of the trucks in the convoy and obtain an item before using that item on a different truck.  This borders on what some might call Metroidvania gameplay, but I'd stop short of calling it that.  As you play, you'll find the connections between the trucks are complicated enough that you'll probably want to jot down a few notes as you play, but in the end, things are straightforward enough that you probably won't need to.

 

There is a third stage in your journey to finish Circus Convoy and that's collecting the last few stars to get a "Perfect Game."  I think I spent as much time in this endgame phase than I did actually solving the puzzles and discovering the sideshows.  Perfecting your performance in the sideshows and tracking down all of the game's stars takes quite a bit of repetition and a little bit of blind experimentation.  Some solutions just aren't obvious and require generous expansion on the very few hints you are given in the game or the manual.  I was at a point for more than a few hours where I needed to find the last 3 stars, and it took quite a bit of time and effort to come up with some hints that wouldn't spoil the game but would still get me the perfect outcome.  To facilitate the next player on this endeavor, I created a no spoilers thread for the game that hides various hints behind spoiler tags.  Check it out if you find yourself scratching your head while playing this game.

 

The graphics in Circus Convoy are quite excellent.  The main protagonist is decked out in multiple colors and a variety of cleverly drawn background animals and enemies are used on each screen.  In fact, I think they may have developed some new kind of trickery to display so many colors on the same line without any flickering at all.  It is truly an amazing looking 2600 game.  The sound might be a little disappointing to some players however.  There's only a very short tune that plays when the game starts and then no music at all during the various stages.  The sound effects themselves are nice and very Atari-TIA-esque, but there could have been a few more of them.  Ah well, we're not usually coming to the 2600 for music and sound.

 

Overall, I'd say I really enjoyed Circus Convoy.  The gameplay feels like a mix between an adventure game and an action puzzler.  In trying to find a game to compare it to, I found myself naming things like Oddworld or even Gameboy Donkey Kong.  The puzzles are satisfying to solve and the action sequences are not too difficult to be frustrating.  The presentation is quite good overall, and I didn't even mention the QR code generating high score system which is truly impressive.  I still haven't decided if the game is worth the price tag, but it is worth a 5 out of 5 from me.  If you have a chance to play this game, you definitely should.  It is bigger and more complicated than almost any 2600 game I've ever played but still manages to streamline the experience and high score saving in a way that needs to be seen to be appreciated.

 

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[newtmonkey]

Ys IV The Dawn of Ys (PC Engine)

  In the last of the "classic" Ys series, wandering swordsman Adol finds himself in yet another new land, and of course it's up to him to save the world from a nearly unstoppable evil, again.

 

  Ys IV takes the template established by Ys I/II and turns everything up to 11.  The graphics are a major upgrade, with larger sprites, impressive effects, beautifully drawn and animated "full-screen" portraits for all major characters, and highly detailed background tiles.  The soundtrack is also excellent (with some minor letdowns, such as the embarrassing 70s disco funk remix of the Darm's Tower theme).

  Most importantly, it plays much better.  Adol is much more agile and can move diagonally, which allowed the developers to design some really great boss battles that rely less on your level and more on pattern recognition, equipping the right stuff, and reflexes.  Although you do need to be a certain minimum level to even land hits on the bosses, you typically will be at that level or above at any time just through normal exploration.  If not, the game almost always places a nice grinding spot full of monsters that award tons of EXP near boss rooms.  And the game is even considerate enough to send you back to the previous room if you die at a boss, and will even skip over any pre-boss cinemas or dialog scenes you've already watched.

 

  Although the games is full of mazelike dungeons and castles, most can be easily solved by picking a wall and following it to the end.  However, the last couple of dungeons are ridiculously large and complex, and since there is mostly nothing to find in them (the lack of cool treasures to find in dungeons is the one major flaw of the game), I resorted to downloading some maps. But even with these maps in hand, getting through the last dungeons was a baffling and frustrating experience.  I cannot imagine having to manually map these things.

  Ys IV was developed by Hudson Soft based on an outline provided by Falcom, and while the game looks and feels like a true follow-up to Ys I/II, it features some very un-Falcom-like characters: the Clan of Darkness.  Adol is harassed throughout the game by by these three goofy buffoons, who feel less like threatening antagonists and more like Saturday morning cartoon villains (or perhaps more appropriately, the Doronbo Gang from the Yatterman cartoon).  They feel completely out of place with the otherwise serious plot and setting.

 

  Overall, the game took me around 12 hours to finish, and I enjoyed most of it.  Although the game does not require grinding at all, I ended up spending a tiny bit of time (10 minutes?) at the end to grind up to maximum level, which made the last boss pretty easy.  Once you finish the game, a fun bonus awaits!  Reset to the title screen from the "The End" screen, select "Continue," and then press button II to access the Developer's Room.  Here, you can talk to all the people who worked on the game (represented as monster sprites), replay the major animated cinema scenes, and view the portrait graphics for each character.  You can also access a "New Game+" mode that starts you off from the beginning of the game with silver and gold bracelets that double the gold and EXP you earn when equipped.

Edited September 13 by newtmonkey

[newtmonkey]

Ys V Ushinawareta Suna no Miyako Kefin (Super Famicom)

Wandering swordsman Adol is back, and this time he must discover and explore a lost city under the sands.

 

This is quite a departure from the classic Ys formula, and in many ways it neither looks, sounds, nor plays like an Ys game.  It's much less colorful than the previous Ys games, and the soundtrack is moody and atmospheric rather than rocking.  The "bump" combat of Ys I/II and Ys IV is gone, replaced with standard action RPG jumping and slashing.  It's also missing a lot of small things that made the previous games all feel connected somewhat, such as using rings to cast spells, amassing a collection of items and equipment all with their own little icons (and the immense satisfaction of finally filling each spot in your list by the end of the game), and even the character of Dogi smashing through a wall to save you.

 

Besides the combat, the biggest change is how magic works.  Instead of equipping magic in the form of rings, you use alchemy to combine elemental essences you find throughout the world to create stones that you can attach to your sword, with each stone having its own unique attack spell.  You can attach up to three stones to your sword and can cycle through the stones by pressing the L button.  The problem here is that killing an enemy with magic levels up your magic ability but earns you no experience or gold... and you cannot cast spells against bosses.  This means that alchemy is completely pointless, and so its a good thing that the whole system is completely optional.

 

The story is alright, but the dialogue is awful, with characters often repeating important story points two or three times in the same conversation.  The game feels kind of rushed, especially toward the end, as you are often warped instantly from location to location to follow the story.

 

The biggest letdown, however, is how damned easy the game is!  The game gives you a bunch cheap healing items, but you hardly ever need to use them.  The strategy for most boss fights (including the last boss) is to just stand next to the boss, jump up, and slash his head, over and over.  You'll almost always do more damage than you take, but if things get close you can just go into your item menu and heal yourself instantly using one of your many inexpensive healing potions.

 

Still, it's not a bad game, and at less than 10 hours to complete, you can blast through it over a weekend if you've got nothing else going on.  Somewhat recommended!

[newtmonkey]

Valis II (PC Engine)

  Although this appears to be a somewhat mediocre but promising side-scrolling platformer at first glance, with some "90s anime cool" characters and artwork, it is actually complete trash and suffers from terrible level design, floaty and slippery controls, and annoying enemies that take way too many hits to kill.

  The "correct" way to play the game is to collect a few powerups early on to max out your sword damage and then never die, because the entire game is balanced under the assumption that you have a maxed out sword.  Otherwise, it becomes nearly impossible at times to keep up with the near endless flow of damage sponge enemies.  In other words, it's like losing your ship halfway through a game of Gradius; you might as well just start over.

  On the other hand, the game saves your progress in between stages and gives you a full stock of two lives when you load a game.  Unfortunately, it also starts you off with the default sword at the lowest level of power.  However, the boss fights are unbelievably easy, since if you die at a boss and have any lives remaining, you are revived immediately at full health but the boss retains any damage you've done to it!

  My "strategy," then, became clear: I would do whatever I could (without cheating) to get to the stage boss with at least one life in reserve.  I would kill myself each time I reached a new stage so that I would have two lives to work with.  I also did everything I could to maximize my score and earn extra lives.  Finally, I minimized damage in the more difficult stages by s-l-o-w-l-y inching forward and making sure no more enemies were coming before continuing.

  With this, I was able to complete the game, though it was a miserable experience from start to end.  Most of the stages are just flat corridors you run down as the same two or three enemies swarm you from both sides.  The game finally throws some actual platforming at you during the next-to-last stage, in the form of highly damaging traps and conveyor belts... but thanks to the floaty and slippery controls, avoiding some of the nastier traps is nearly impossible (certainly not on your first try!).  It also throws a ridiculously powerful mid-stage boss at you, who rolls back and forth and then randomly either leaps at you or continues to roll when he gets close.  That means you have a 50/50 chance of guessing wrong and eating some damage, so if you're unlucky you just eat hit after hit and die.  This guy was the single most difficult part of the game.

  The game doesn't even look good!  The backgrounds are ugly with little detail, and the characters don't look much better.  I mean look at this:

  This looks like something the Master System could easily handle (and the background looks like something out of a NES game).  The Yuko sprite is also really awkward looking, like she's a hunchback holding a fluorescent tube light.

  The "saving grace" would be the cinemas, but even they are weak, being tiny still images in the center of screen with no animation whatsoever that the actors talk over.

 

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Anyway, I'm glad to get this one over with, because Valis III seems to be a massive improvement in every way, from what I've played.

Edited Friday at 12:25 PM by newtmonkey