Games Beaten In 2024

[Mad-Mike]

Dragon Warrior II for the NES - for the second time (the first time was when I caught COVID in 2022 and was half-asleep).  Everyone says this game is super hard, but I never had much of a problem with it to be honest.  Of course, I tend to treat "Grinding" as a relaxation activity rather than a serious burden, so that probably helps, especially near the end, and on my channel, I like to show ALL of my work.  Again though, I forgot to double check the audio the first few videos out.  I tend to work like a chaotic artist on my videos.

 

I'm a huge Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior fan, and I've been LPing those games on my channel.  They don't get the most views or comments, but I don't really mind since it's kind of cool to go back and watch myself play sometimes and see where I messed up or really cut-through fast, or play it in the background as ASMR.
 

 

[+wongojack]

I completed the final mission on both the Atari 8bit and C64 versions of Blue Max on the hardest difficulty.  The 2 versions give several options for difficulty and different play styles.  I played on the highest of 3 difficulty options with pilot controls turned on, but I did not activate "gravity" which is more of an annoyance than a challenge.

 

Blue Max is a scrolling shooter that requires the player to fly a World War I style biplane.  You can shoot or bomb targets, and when you destroy a number of randomly generated special targets, you advance through a series of 3 (and a half?) different procedurally generated maps.  If you fail to hit the special targets, you repeat the previous map with a different procedurally generated set of enemies and random targets.  I first played this game on the C64 as a child of likely only 7 or 8 years old.  Playing so many years later brings back some foggy thoughts and memories that only such a long gap of time can generate.  This may have been the first game that introduced me to the concept of pilot controls.  Down IS up after all in a cockpit - right?

 

I didn't know back then that there was an ending for this game.  I just played it blindly shooting and crashing.  The game's complexity put me off back then, or maybe it was the difficulty, or that I just had no patience for learning how to play this game as an 8-year-old.  Even so, I have very fond memories of this game.  It is a classic of the era, and while I'm not a "shooters" guy, this one should probably get a bit more attention for furthering the genre.  From '83, the isometric point of view is somewhat unusual, but the theme and gameplay certainly fit with other influential titles.  The combo of bombing and shooting was made popular in games like Xevious from the same year and the "war sortie" as levels concept was used in the following year's 1942.

 

Overall, the game is definitely above average in my opinion.  I like the combination of action and light simulation, and the historical setting gives a sense of importance to each game.  The procedural nature means that each game is different, and the difficulty is enough to give you a sense of accomplishment without discouraging you.

 

As for differences between the versions, the C64 version shows a bit more detail on the plane controlled by the player.  It also offers similar extra details on the enemy planes.  I suppose this is due to the way sprites are used on the two different systems, but I don't really know.  Sounds are slightly different on the C64 but not by much.  The only music in the game is played at the intro screen and after completing the final mission.  Rule Brittania sounds about the same on either computer and doesn't invoke much of what makes the C64's SID unique.  The tune is Predictably a bit slower in PAL environments.  Notable from my time with the C64 version is that I repeatedly encountered multiple crashes in NTSC no matter which version (cracked, uncracked) I played.

 

 

The A8 version was the original.  Besides some graphical differences, things are almost the same.  I do think that executing the down+button mechanic to drop a bomb is a bit harder on this version which leads to some frustrating moments.  There're also fewer ground targets which makes strafing less meaningful.  You'll eventually notice that the enemy planes behave differently and give the player fewer chances for air-to-air kills which sometimes feels a bit unfair or just kinda like your job is to avoid getting hit as opposed to getting your chance for a kill.  I experienced no crashing or game-ending bugs on the A8 version, but some report that bombing the friendly hanger crashes the game.

 

 

Both of these games are similar enough to get a 4 out of 5 from me.  I had a lot of fun going back and playing the C64 version and then comparing it to the A8.  There's plenty of challenge and the variation of maps and targets means you'll never encounter the same mission twice.  The advancement of the shooter/SHMUP genre has of course left this game in the past, but a player in 1983 would likely have been very impressed with the combination of different enemies, mission objectives, and light simulation.  If I had to rank the two against each other, I'd put the C64 slightly ahead due to graphical details on the aircraft and the more responsive bombing controls.

[newtmonkey]

On 10/20/2024 at 5:11 AM, Mad-Mike said:

Dragon Warrior II for the NES - for the second time (the first time was when I caught COVID in 2022 and was half-asleep).  Everyone says this game is super hard, but I never had much of a problem with it to be honest.

Nice job!  I'm glad to see another fan of this game.  I know that Dragon Warrior III mostly does everything this one does but better, but I think I actually prefer Dragon Warrior II due to its somewhat darker atmosphere and because you get access to open world exploration much sooner than in the sequel.

[Punisher5.0]

Finally finished the 5 episodes of Blood tonight. Post Mortem was pretty difficult but so satisfying to finish. I'm looking forward to nostalgia for this game!

[Yakumo1975]

Grandia on the Sega Saturn.  (with English patch) 

Took me about 35 hours. 

[zylon]

SNES Lufia & The Fortress of Doom 

[+wongojack]

I knocked out a pair of games recently.  I played through levels 1-20 in a single game of H.E.R.O. and the more recent H.E.R.O. II from the Brazilian homebrewers Game Select.

I first played HERO on the Commodore 64 when I was probably around 9 years old.  The concept of piloting your own helicopter apparatus and flying through dangerous caverns to rescue miners was fascinating to me right away.  The controls help to add a sense of inertia that gives a very slight touch of simulation and seriousness to an otherwise almost entirely arcade-like experience.  This makes your first few moments with the game feel quite exciting and give the impression that you are about to start a fascinating adventure of exploration with a touch of sci-fi action.  The mystery of the game doesn't last very long as you quickly start to see the boundaries of the game around you.  However, that doesn't detract from the enjoyment as it is still quite fun to fly from screen to screen while avoiding (or destroying) the various enemies and obstacles in your way.  Eventually, you'll realize that some repetition and memorization is required which is probably where the experience bogs down and stops for a lot of players, but those who continue and manage to save all 20 victims are treated to a very nice sense of accomplishment for your time and effort.

 

I personally love the original HERO.  As a 2600 game, I think it manages to offer a unique combination of action and exploration, and while some of the enemy patterns and obstacles can require many practice sessions, none of the levels are built to deliberately frustrate the player (not like those dang birds in Pitfall II).  The game also gives the player a sense of freedom on how to approach the various obstacles.  It's no "Metroidvania."  You cannot just go wherever you want, and you won't be backtracking or following paths to dead-ends, but you will get an increased sense of freedom when compared to action/platform games of the era like Miner 2049er, Jump Man or Lode Runner that often required very specific movement patterns to complete a level.  The added element of performing a rescue instead of collecting gems or coins also adds a bit of realistic role-playing that makes it just a bit more intriguing of a concept.

 

As for H.E.R.O. II, the game falls somewhere between a remake and full sequel.  Here's how the creator described this game.

On 8/29/2022 at 8:12 AM, Ricardo Pim said:

We had access to the original source code of Activision's H.E.R.O. . . .  We studied the code and we changed almost everything except the gameplay . . .

 

So the engine is the same, meaning you'll feel like you're playing the 1984 original. We've changed the entire Map, it's a whole new Mine. Forget what you memorized from H.E.R.O., we changed everything, the enemies, one of them has a prank, which due to its characteristic, sometimes the shot goes through and doesn't kill. Now there are hidden passages, some walls open holes in the ground, some stages due to different path options, you can get lost among other things.

Once again, we get 20 levels, but every level is updated from the original.  All of the gameplay elements that make HERO special are here.  In fact, I would say they did a masterful job of capturing the same pacing and mix of discovery and danger of the original HERO.  There are no new weapons or power ups, but there are some new patterns to discover and some of the tricks you learned in the original game will not help you as you find your way to each trapped victim in need of rescue.  The main character and the enemies look different, but they behave the same as they did in 1984.  Some of the changes may be unwelcome to new players as the sense of "fairness" takes a bit of a hit.  There are a few more moments where death isn't your fault, or the controls aren't quite precise enough.  In this way, the game will probably be enjoyed most by those who are firm fans of the original.  Those who didn't enjoy HERO or were even only moderately impressed will likely see HERO II as simply a harder version of the original.

 

Since I'm quite the fan of the original, I absolutely loved HERO II.  I've played many of the clones and different versions of the game over the years, but this one definitely comes the closest to the original experience without changing it or becoming somehow disappointing.  It is a bit harder, and the difficulty and the new appearance are different enough to stop me from saying it is a better game than the original, but I still give both of these games a resounding 5 out 5.

 

If you want to play it, H.E.R.O. II is a little hard to find, but you can see the release announcement and download a demo in this thread right here on AtariAge:  

 

[newtmonkey]

Tojin Makyo-den Heracles no Eiko (Famicom)

This is a Dragon Quest (1) clone released back in 1987 on the Famicom, in which you play as Heracles and are tasked with rescuing Venus from Hades and saving the world.

 

I went into this expecting a lame clone, but ended up really enjoying the game!  It indeed plays a lot like Dragon Quest, but offers a large world to explore and a somewhat open-ended structure.  You can also almost always run from battles (even bosses!), which gives you a ton of leeway to push through difficult areas ahead of time and pick up powerful equipment, eliminating the need for any grinding early on.  It's also got interesting quirks like how equipment has to be repaired over time, but you can hire an armorer for a flat fee to travel around with you and automatically repair your stuff.

 

Although definitely "inspired" by Dragon Quest, the game actually plays more like the first two Ultima games, as the focus is on traveling the world and gathering information instead of sneaking through dungeons slaying monsters.  You do have 12 boss monsters to defeat, but they aren't like your typical console RPG bosses that block your progress between towns.  Instead, you have to hunt them down by gathering information on where they are and (in some cases) what their weaknesses are, or just exploring.  They typically drop quest items or powerful weapons, and it's this that gives the game its structure rather than the typical town>dungeon>boss>repeat structure of many console RPGs.

 

One thing to note is that the game uses a password system to save your progress instead of a battery, and the passwords only save your character's state and not the world state.  Restoring from a password resets the world state, which means all bosses and treasure chests regenerate.  This is actually a good thing, because you'll often have to sell quest items to make room in your inventory, but can always restore the world state and find those items again if you need them.  Even if you're playing on an emulator and using save states, you'll still have to save and load from passwords now and then just to do this.

 

Overall, this game was a lot of fun and I enjoyed figuring it out!  I'm looking forward to playing the sequel, though probably not until some time next year.

Edited November 10 by newtmonkey

[+thegoldenband]

Have I really not posted in this thread at all this year? Man, has my life changed. (Parenthood.)

 

Anyway, I'll post the few I have done:

 

1. Star Voyager (NES)

 

Yep, yet again. No comment. (Except maybe, at moments: why do I do this to myself?)

 

2. Cosmic Climb (Game Boy Color)

 

A free-to-download game with a Nike tie-in. It's slight but provides a bit of amusement for its duration. n/a

 

3. Super Mario USA (Genesis)

 

Janky pirate garbage, with staggering flaws that are much less charming than Super Mario 4/Odyssey. At least it's got infinite continues. D-.

 

4. Dungeons of Daggorath (browser-based implementation)

 

It's better on a real CoCo -- the speed of the game becomes downright unfair when lag is removed -- but still, a classic is a classic. I had ambitions of a 1CC but just surviving Level 4 with that game speed was barely possible, even with saving/loading permitted anytime. A.

 

5. The Chessmaster (Genesis)

 

Thought lost forever, this Sega Channel-exclusive was recently salvaged from an old CD-R: a nice victory for game preservation.

 

So am I the first person to beat the Genesis port on Infinite difficulty with the Black pieces, ever? Maybe, or probably: it did take over 20 hours, after all, even with sporadic use of emulator speed-up. The CPU clock counts upward, and rolled over twice at the 10-hour mark!

 

But even for a downloadable game, you have to think something went wrong when the interface and responsiveness are a notch below the NES and SNES versions. Also, some absurd time management issues creep in, even on low difficulty levels: the CPU will play the whole game at a blithe speed, then suddenly slow way down when it's losing, completely flouting any sense of the time control meaning anything.

 

In my winning game, the pace was slow, then suddenly quickened at a critical juncture, then got slow again right when the CPU had absolutely zero hope of salvation (or anything other than arbitrary moves, really). C.

 

I've also beaten the platformer "Lilo & Stitch: Stitch's Search for Paradise" in the Jakks Plug & Play TV Games Disney 5 in 1 plug-'n-play a ton of times for my kid, which I reviewed last year. A no-collectibles run of this one could get interesting.