Weekly Roundup

[famicommander]

The Simpsons Road Rage - PS2
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - Game Boy
Puzzle Bobble - Neo Geo CD

 

[Hot Chocolate]

-PS5-
Stellar Blade
- got the platinum so I can lay this one to rest

Deathwish Enforcers
-having wanted to play this for sometime....this is a let down. The homages and references are fun but this game is broken af.

Double Dragon Gaiden
- got the platinum in this as well so unless it gets another dlc update it is done.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
- been meaning to finish this since it came out so I can play the other two games.

 

[wataru330]

Work was a little slower than usual this week so got a little more relax time in

Also did get to the local pinball place (a lot of arcade games like Point Blank were down unfortunately)

Switch
Retro goal

PS1 on PS3 Harmful Park

PS1
Dead of Alive
Street Fighter Ex Plus Alpha
Street Fighter EX 2

Genesis
Magical Tururuto Kun

Arcade
Atari Crossbow
Atari Star Wars
Zookeeper
Ultra man Pinball
Kiss (newer one) Pinball
Donkey Kong

What Pinball place?

 

[wataru330]

More Minnesota Fats Pool (Saturn) and some Valis on Switch.

 

[Ralfakick]

What Pinball place?

Pinball Gallery in Malvern

 

[Ralfakick]

More Minnesota Fats Pool (Saturn) and some Valis on Switch.

I played some Side Pocket myself recently, maybe we need to get a tournament going sometime or we need to hustle @gusmoney for some $$$

 

[LoneSage]

Journey to Silius - the best Terminator game that exists and it doesn't even have the IP. Music still holds up but the character's floaty, moonjump-esque controls hold the game back from being great. I remember liking the game as a kid despite never making it past level 2. Feels good to finally beat the game after so many years. Frustrating but good simple fun.

 

[fake]

I played through TMNT: Fall of the Footclan. It was very difficult.

I also finished the PS4 version Gravity Rush. It's...not as good as it should have been. I really like the main character and her cat, and the main idea is cool; you can redirect gravity and fall in whatever direction you want. Except you can stop mid-fall and redirect again. So, in effect, you're just flying. Something more restrictive would have been more interesting.

 

[terry.330]

I also finished the PS4 version Gravity Rush. It's...not as good as it should have been. I really like the main character and her cat, and the main idea is cool; you can redirect gravity and fall in whatever direction you want. Except you can stop mid-fall and redirect again. So, in effect, you're just flying. Something more restrictive would have been more interesting.

Have you played the sequel? It's an improvement but it still never feels quite fully realized.


PS4

Picked up the Castlevania Advanced Collection a little while ago.

Circle of the Moon- Hadn't played this since it came out back before the GBA was backlit, it looks pretty good on a big screen. Much more sluggish and difficult than I remember but I'm still pretty early so I haven't gotten many abilities yet. Not sure I'll stick with it as I'm more interested in replaying HOD and AOS.

 

[LoneSage]

Have you played the sequel? It's an improvement but it still never feels quite fully realized.


PS4

Picked up the Castlevania Advanced Collection a little while ago.

Circle of the Moon- Hadn't played this since it came out back before the GBA was backlit, it looks pretty good on a big screen. Much more sluggish and difficult than I remember but I'm still pretty early so I haven't gotten many abilities yet. Not sure I'll stick with it as I'm more interested in replaying HOD and AOS.

I just read this interview with Iga and the director of Harmony of Dissonance a few days ago: https://shmuplations.com/harmony/

I enjoyed Circle of the Moon when I played it. As a launch title, it was fine. But HOD just kinda renders it moot. I guess that's how a lot of people feel the same with Mega Man 2 and 1, why go back to 1 when 2 exists.

 

[fake]

Have you played the sequel? It's an improvement but it still never feels quite fully realized.

I haven't. I was kind of planning to, but I think the first one was just too meh for me to sink my time into a sequel.

 

[terry.330]

I haven't. I was kind of planning to, but I think the first one was just too meh for me to sink my time into a sequel.

The second one is more fleshed out, there's more of a world and stuff to do but the actual gameplay isn't much better and the combat is fairly repetitive.

 

[Syn]

Hades

Way too much Hades.

Game is a time vampire.

I only picked up a PS4 Pro recently and decided to grab Hades. Yes it is addictive.

 

[pixeljunkie]

I hooked up the Dreamcast [coughs from dust] - I loved the system when it came out, but recently when I revisit I'm kinda' like, "meh". But not so much now, I am finding some of the titles that had 16x9 support, and have been replaying Rayman 2 with a Kaico HDMI adapter and DAMN! this game holds up well.

Rayman 2 - holds up great, hard to believe it's as old as it is
Hydro Thunder - putting some heavy time into it, still damn fun
Ghost Blade - playing with the green goblin, this game isn't bad at all
Fighting Force 2 - I literally played the first level for a good hour+, was so close to the finish line and BAM! instant death when I fell off a ledge (clunky controls don't help) I feel like From Software played this

 

[HellioN]

I just read this interview with Iga and the director of Harmony of Dissonance a few days ago: https://shmuplations.com/harmony/

I enjoyed Circle of the Moon when I played it. As a launch title, it was fine. But HOD just kinda renders it moot. I guess that's how a lot of people feel the same with Mega Man 2 and 1, why go back to 1 when 2 exists.

Mega Man 2 is best Mega Man

 

[Taiso]

This past week:

PS5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge-Quite simply the best TMNT BMU of all time. Six player drop in/drop out, unlockable Casey Jones, DLC Usagi Yojimbo, all four turtles, April and Splinter. A leveling system, side quests and the ability to go back and replay stages to 100% mission content. And it's an absolute love letter to the Konami BMUs while being better than any of them.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree-See the thread for Souls-like for the discourse on this one.

Streets of Rage 4-I'm revisiting this one on PS5 as I already played the crap out of it on Switch. Still a ton of fun and really, really great.

Those are the main ones I can think of right now.

 

[fake]

I am elbow deep in Final Fantasy XII. I started it when it first came out, but that coincided with a traumatic event in my life and I put it aside…for 17.5 years.

I hate that mainline FF games are basically action RPGs now, but this (and XIII) are a solid middle ground between action and turn based. The gambit system is pretty limited until you open up a bunch of slots, but after that it’s very satisfying to see your plan unfold.

 

[Syn]

Still playing Hades on the PS4 but my SAROO arrived yesterday and I'm loading games on a SD. I think it will fire up but there's only one old tutorial on YouTube and what I downloaded looks different.

0.6v dropped yesterday.

 

[LoneSage]

All Game Boy:

Mega Man - the first Game Boy Mega Man. Seemed impossible when I was a kid, but now I feel the difficulty is perfect. As with the NES games, the first Mega Man on GB is also my favorite despite having fewer levels than the sequels.

Mega Man II - compared to the first, this is a cake walk. You can run through it in half an hour no sweat. Plenty of health drops from enemies. And easily, easily the most incomprehensibly lamest final Wily boss in the series ever.

Mega Man III - better than II, and a big improvement in throwing out the Wily teleport pods and putting up a stage select for the second half of Robot Masters. Difficulty is harder than II as well, which is welcome. Still prefer 1.

Mega Man IV - funny, just like with the NES games this is where I kind of noped out of the series. Can't be arsed to play through it. I did 15 years ago but meh.

 

[fenikso]

Been playing my Steam Deck more:

Balatro - A recommendation from my youngest sister. It's a lot of fun and a definite time sink. If you want something to kill a few hours and like poker, give it a go.
SFV - I haven't played much, but I find it enjoyable.
Puyo Puyo Tetris - I'm pretty good at Tetris, but I absolutely suck at Puyo Puyo, so progress on the 'story' mode has been stalled. I also got hooked on Balatro after starting this and haven't been back for a while.

 

[Taiso]

PS5

Elden Ring-Took my DLC toys back to the Lands Between and am doing NPC quests that I never completed.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail-NGL, this expansion is dull, just like the last one was. This 'game' isn't engaging me right now. It's basically a walking simulator story game with an occasional fight once in a while. The endgame is pointless in my opinion, just more widgets to chase that you absolutely don't need to play the game at any level. As a tank, all better gear does for me is allow healers to disregard their primary role (fucking healing). And there is no penalty for losing other than time lost. I miss the days of FF XI when you lost XP when you died and potentially deleveled and had to earn it all over again. I'll stick with my sub because I've had it since day one but I think the gas has gone out of the tank with this game.

MOBILE

Street Fighter Duel-They brought back all the characters from the Devil May Cry events so I'm going to focus on leveling them up as much as possible. As gatcha games go, this is the only one that's kept my attention.

Gonna get back to Sea of Stars on the Switch soon. I also redownloaded Altlibra and Brigandine. I'm almost done with Elden Ring but I'm still jonesing for fantasy games.

 

[fake]

I'm in what feels like the final act of FFXII. I'm really enjoying it, but I think the story is too complex for its own good, and the wrong character is the protagonist. After working the the gambit system for a while, it kind of became second nature. You just kind of have to resign yourself to a lot less control, which is offset but more abundant MP and whatnot.

 

[RBjakeSpecial]

MiSTEr Saturn Core / Panzer Dragoon Saga: I’m finally playing this game for the first time and really loving it. I’m on disc 3 outta 4 and really find the combat and story to be quite good.

 

[fake]

Swith
Final Fantasy XII - Finished this after putting in about 55 hours. I have a lot of thoughts, most of them good. But a few things really stick out, mainly in the subject of the transition of XII to XIII. People shit on XIII for being linear and not an open world. I think XII is nearly as guilty as this and, like XIII, I don't mind it at all. I also like the gambit system, but think XIII really simplified and streamlined it, which made for both a more interactive and exciting system.

Another thing is the lack of a protagonist. Vaan was framed as the hero, but...is just a passive observer in most respects. I'd say all but Bash and Ashe are, actually. This is very strange to me. I wonder if S-E was too scared to push Ashe, a female, as the protagonist of their flagship series.

And finally, of all things, why take visual inspiration from the Star Wars prequels?

Overall, 9/10. Loved it.

Fantasies Finalized: I, II, III, IV, VI, VII, X, XII, XIII

Fantasies Not Finalized: V, XIII, IX, XI (not gonna bother), XIV, XV, XVI

Next Fantasy to Finalize: V or XIV

 

[Lastblade]

What is your thoughts on XVI? I am playing it now and really enjoying Clive's adventure. It almost doesn't feel like a FF game since you are only controlling 1 character.