The Official Angry Video Game Nerd Discussion Thread

[Oobgarm]

You might as well be reaching into a dog's asshole.

[AB Positive]

Those of you who enjoyed the peek at Fighting Street may enjoy the Ashens review of an ST knockoff, "Human Killing Machine":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zUkK14bHDk


Ashen's TOGYPNHO (what an acronym...) is a great albeit short series.

I wonder how many of us watch a lot of the different game reviews... AVGN gets the main headlines but I'm a big fan of Spoony and Benzaie. Even if his "Incoming Mindfuck" moments make me want to scoop my eyes out with a melon baller.

[ShinobiMan]

Those of you who enjoyed the peek at Fighting Street may enjoy the Ashens review of an ST knockoff, "Human Killing Machine":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zUkK14bHDk

Holy Hell. That's an abomination of a game. Wow. Up there with "Plumbers Don't Wear Ties". Thanks for sharing? I think I'm going to be sick. :-)

[Soviet Conscript]

Hydlide is the game that almost single handedly turned me off of advneture/rpg games.

[Arkhan]

Hydlide is the game that almost single handedly turned me off of advneture/rpg games.

why does everyone hate on Hydlide!

:(:(:(:(:(

Those games are great

[Ruudos]

Well he actually called it mediocre, not bad.

[AB Positive]

Well this is what I thought while watching it - did the original japanese computer versions have an actual save function? That might have saved a lot of grief, because I know the hydlide series is considered a classic in Japan.

[Jorpho]

Everything you ever wanted to know about the different versions of Hydlide and its sequels:
http://hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm

(Y'know, I would have never caught on to the similarity with the Indiana Jones theme if it wasn't pointed out.)

[kupomogli]

That was a good video. Last line was the best.

However, I kind of like Hydlide. The music sucks balls and the game has its flaws but it's a decent game. It's similar to the Ys series(without the crappy music.) I wonder what James would think of the Ys series if he played it.

[Daria]

He reviewed Hydlide?

HE REVIWED THE SHITTIEST RPG EVER MADE?

...awesome.

Edit: You know... the save/load feature worked fine as long as you didn't turn off the system. So you could Save/Die/Reload without having to enter any passwords. I remember the last time I sat down and tried to really give Hydlide a fair go I was saving and reloading like crazy to level up.

[Jorpho]

Ashen's TOGYPNHO (what an acronym...) is a great albeit short series.A series, you say? Oh, rapture!

I do enjoy Ashens; he's like some suave BBC version of Yahtzee or something. It's just that there's only so much you can say about crappy LCD games.

[Soviet Conscript]

why does everyone hate on Hydlide!

:(:(:(:(:(

Those games are great

i think great is stretching things...

when your a little kid and this is one of your first games and your soooo excited for a great adventure and end up with....hydlide. needless to say i was pretty dissapointed. maybe others here are alot better at video games but i thought it was just to hard to figure out as a kid and it wasn't even fun to try to figure out. i remember telling my neighbor at the time about it who was a bit older then me and claimed "i like almost any game". i let him barrow it and it was back in my hands shortly after with his apolagise for doubting me.

i revisited the game about 2 years ago and ended up beating it with mininal refrences for help. i found it much more palitable the second time around and enjoyed the retro gameplay but being a great game......i have to dissagree.

i have 2 and 3 for the MSX i plan to eventually play. i think there is an english version of 2 for the genny though i may eventually pick up.

[guitargary75]

Great as usual!

[vivaeljason]

Hydlide is/was the reason I've always had a hard time getting into RPGs. Now I know that I'm not the only one in the world. *sniff*

(Good review, as always.)

[fairyland]

Hydlide was probably the very first game that I had detested EVER! I had seen the cover and I had thought, wow here is another Dragon Warrior/Final Fantasy type game that I can enjoy this weekend. So I rent it and discovered an unplayable piece of crap. You know those grocery store rental stores at the time usually only had a sticker in a plastic box type directions and usually that was never enough to really understand what to do in the game. I remember unfairly dying trying to kill the lowest level monsters and getting no where fast with it's save system. It was so frustrating that I actually drove back to the store within two hours of renting to it get another game, it was that bad for me.

It's a game that I still hate today and I mentally spit on copies whenever I come across them. I will always rant to whoever would listen about it, much like I'm doing now, it's that bad. In fact I begun my ranting to my friend all about it when he told me that the Nerd had covered it. After seeing the Nerd's video, perhaps it is not as bad as I had thought, much like how Milon's Secret Castle is really a good game if you can just figure it out and overcome it's cheap kill system, but it's more fun to keep my blind hatred for it rather than reevaluate it again some 20 years later. LOL! I think the trouble is that people see all that RPG-ness and they expect something in the Zelda or FF line of games, but but when you actually get to play it, it turns out to be a really bad version of Ys.

[ReaXan]

Hydlide was probably the very first game that I had detested EVER! I had seen the cover and I had thought, wow here is another Dragon Warrior/Final Fantasy type game that I can enjoy this weekend. So I rent it and discovered an unplayable piece of crap. You know those grocery store rental stores at the time usually only had a sticker in a plastic box type directions and usually that was never enough to really understand what to do in the game. I remember unfairly dying trying to kill the lowest level monsters and getting no where fast with it's save system. It was so frustrating that I actually drove back to the store within two hours of renting to it get another game, it was that bad for me.

It's a game that I still hate today and I mentally spit on copies whenever I come across them. I will always rant to whoever would listen about it, much like I'm doing now, it's that bad. In fact I begun my ranting to my friend all about it when he told me that the Nerd had covered it. After seeing the Nerd's video, perhaps it is not as bad as I had thought, much like how Milon's Secret Castle is really a good game if you can just figure it out and overcome it's cheap kill system, but it's more fun to keep my blind hatred for it rather than reevaluate it again some 20 years later. LOL! I think the trouble is that people see all that RPG-ness and they expect something in the Zelda or FF line of games, but but when you actually get to play it, it turns out to be a really bad version of Ys.

I have the same kind of loathe except for a game called Mystery Quest. People claim it isnt horrible but in the eyes of an 6 year old it surely was.

Some games can be horrible yet it might have been given to them by a special person or they played it during a really happy time in their life. I heard one person say on here that Mystery Quest was a Thanksgiving tradition for one posters family!

[elvis8atari]

Here's his top 10 list about the worst movie cliches. Though I liked the Hydlide video, I actually thought this was a lot better.

http://www.spike.com/video/cinemassacre-top-10/3327701

[vivaeljason]

Here's his top 10 list about the worst movie sequels. Though I liked the Hydlide video, I actually thought this was a lot better.

http://www.spike.com/video/cinemassacre-top-10/3327701

Okay...that was funny as hell AND true. However, I'm a little disappointed that in the #1 cliche, there was no mention of "The Incredibles" and "monologuing."

[Jorpho]

Here's his top 10 list about the worst movie sequels.See, I might have actually liked to have seen a top 10 list of worst movie sequels; there might be some insight in such a thing. But cliches have been very much done (http://www.tvtropes.org). Your linkage saddens me.

[elvis8atari]

sorry meant to say cliches

[Graham Mitchell]

Hydlide is a victim of circumstance. It was initially released for various Japanese PC's in 1984 I belive, and predated the Legend of Zelda by a few years over there. Despite it's limitations at the time, Japanese audiences had nothing to compare it to, and it was considered rather highly. It's considered a classic in Japan now, and an important influence on later, more cohesive adventures like Y's, Dragon Quest and Zelda.

However, when the game was released in the US, Zelda and Dragon Warrior beat it to the market by 6 months to a year, so yeah, it does look like shit in comparison to those games.

Hydlide has problems, but if you learn to work around the intricacies, it's kind of fun. (for example, the Nerd really didn't learn to use the save and load options properly. Either that or he failed to mention that they're actually useful on purpose for comedic effect.)

I actually really enjoyed the game when I was a kid, and when Virtual Hydlide was released for the Saturn, I had a great time with that as well. I always just viewed it as an ambitious remake of the original, because it almost follows the plot and gameplay of the source material to a T. Again, the game had problems, but it was pretty fun at the time. And the fogging effect actually made it a bit more atmospheric.

[squirrelnut]

is it just me or did the hylide video just not have the same amount of effort in it? maybe he was just burned out from all the other reviews or i've just been spoiled. I dunno i felt a bit disappointed. Still better than any other video reviewer though.

[Zap!]

Wasn't there a Super Hydlide planned for the Genesis early on? I remember hearing about it.

[portnoyd]

It was released:

http://www.digitpress.com/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=7041

[Nature Boy]

I wonder how many of us watch a lot of the different game reviews... AVGN gets the main headlines but I'm a big fan of Spoony and Benzaie. Even if his "Incoming Mindfuck" moments make me want to scoop my eyes out with a melon baller.

I tried another reviewer once and loathed it so much I haven't bothered trying anybody else since. AVGN does a fantastic job, and really I don't have the time/patience to keep on top of everybody that does video reviews (any more than I would have time to read every magazine).

Fired Hydelide up in an emulator (my favourite AVGN side effect :) ) and although I figured out the Save system better than he did (thanks to fellow posters!) I'm still not a fan of the game. The original Zelda does make me wonder how I figured out most of the tricks back when it was new, because playing it now I'm just as lost as I was in Hydelide. I know lots of gamers like stuff this way but I've *always* enjoyed games much more when I at least knew the general direction of my next objective.

[Graham Mitchell]

The original Zelda does make me wonder how I figured out most of the tricks back when it was new, because playing it now I'm just as lost as I was in Hydelide. I know lots of gamers like stuff this way but I've *always* enjoyed games much more when I at least knew the general direction of my next objective.

Don't ask me how, but I did beat Hydlide all the way through in 1989 when I was in 5th grade. This was before the internet and all the cheats. I have no clue how I figured this shit out. Nintendo Power I think helped with a few things, and I may have called gameplay counselors (885-PLAY!!! Who remembers that?) but I figured the whole thing out. I remember being real proud of myself when I figured out you're supposed to "defend" against Varlys instead of "attack". If you're in attack mode, he just hurts you. If you're in defense mode, you hurt him. These days, I don't think I could figure out a game that's this cryptic.

Truth be told, however, this game's insane difficulty and lack of direction is nothing compared to Deadly Towers.

[Zap!]

Nintendo Power I think helped with a few things, and I may have called gameplay counselors (885-PLAY!!! Who remembers that?) but I figured the whole thing out.

I called that all the time (wasn't the area code 206?)! My mom used to yell at me for cranking up the phone bill. I also constantly call 800-USA-SEGA, but at least that was free!

[VG_Maniac]

I called that all the time (wasn't the area code 206?)! My mom used to yell at me for cranking up the phone bill. I also constantly call 800-USA-SEGA, but at least that was free!

Yes, and it still is 206 (I live near Redmond where NOA is).

[Gentlegamer]

He should do Virtual Hydlide for Sega Saturn. Here's the Broken Pixels take on it from 1UP.com: http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/21739

[j1e]

Yeah, I STILL remember the game play line. 206-885-7529. I also remember calling 800-PLAY-SNK for help on Crystalis.

[Famidrive-16]

If you have an hour to kill, well:

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=4298

[elvis8atari]

I remember those books. I think a friend of mine had the castlevania one

[Jorpho]

If you have an hour to kill, well:My my, that's dedication to a bit.

The Worlds of Power books have been discussed endlessly already, of course, and 1Up published the definitive article at http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3152540 .

[Ryaan1234]

I remember those books. I think a friend of mine had the castlevania one

I have that one too, tucked in a dark corner somewhere in my Room of Doom.

I got my copy for like $0.37 at a thrift shop. I remember when I first saw it I was like "WTF?! O_o"

[Matt-El]

All I would need to complete the worlds of power set would be the shadowgate book and the junior bases loaded book. I really didnt even know the bases loaded one existed until i saw this video.

[Arkhan]

Yes what everyone forgets is that Hydlide came out BEFORE Zelda in Japan. by the time it got to the states, Zelda was out.

It even predates Ys. The original game used passwords as well, but the upside is you have a keyboard on the PC, so typing the PW in takes all of 10 seconds. They're also ridiculously small compared to the NES.

The PC88/MSX1 version is different than the NES. The NES one most closely resembles the MSX2 enhancement of Hydlide. The enhanced msx2 one features disk saving, very very very fluid gameplay, and pretty bright graphics..... its excellent

The Hydlide series really doesn't get the credit it deserves in the western world. It was defining the action RPG genre right alongside Dragonslayer 1 (which had it been released in the states would probably make most people cry for hours).

Hydlide 1 is a pretty straight forward action/adventure. The battle system is no better than Ys. It's downfall is the small dungeon sizes, repetitive music, and if you don't have a manual, a lack of clarity.

Hydlide 2: Shine of Darkness introduced good vs. evil alignment... the town/menu systems are nothing to complain about, and it has battery backed saves.... it basically fixes the shallow parts of hydlide 1....

then you have Hydlide 3: The Space Memories (Super Hydlide on the genesis)..... it had classes, alignment, day/night, exploration/investigating required..... nice cutscenes, story, and town interactions. and battery backed save....and some damn good music.


Hydlide 3 is extremely solid. Easily one of the most underrated games the western world has ever seen. Comparing it to Zelda: LttP is a skewed comparison (HL3 is older, and offers more depth anyways.). It has some interesting dungeons and scenery, some fun boss battles, and the different classes allow you to play differently (missile vs. melee)...


I wonder how many people would say OH HYDLIDE SUCKS ITS GARBAGE if they were originally exposed to it's Windows remake with nice high-res graphics and great studio music instead of the original mid 80s edition....

[Famidrive-16]

Ninja Gaiden:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/61549

[-hellvin-]

Funny review, loved Kev as the ninja. I used to be able to beat it without dying. No where near as hard once you know the tricks. He mentions the glitch on 6-2 which isn't too tough to trigger, then it's a jump slash through the bird and the soldier right after that. The 2nd boss is definitely sadistic until you learn the pattern and are able to dodge the fire balls.

[DuckTalesNES]

All I would need to complete the worlds of power set would be the shadowgate book and the junior bases loaded book. I really didnt even know the bases loaded one existed until i saw this video.

I would LOVE to know what that book possibly says. What could the story possibly be?

Also, the Ninja Gaiden video might be one of his best ever.

[Jorpho]

I would LOVE to know what that book possibly says. What could the story possibly be?There's a blurb about it (and most of the other books) near the end of that article I posted.

[megasdkirby]

The newest video was pretty funny, specially the ninja training.

Honestly, the hardest Ninja Gaiden is the first one. Part 2 was hard, but with practice it can be beat. It's no where near as difficult as the first game.

Ninja Gaiden 3 is the second hardest, mostly because of not only it's lack of unlimited continues, but because enemies take plenty of more damage than it's predecessors. However, just like Ninja Gaiden 2, with plenty of practice, the game can be beat. In fact, back in the day, I can easily defeat both part 2 and 3 without ever loosing a life. It's possible, but it does require plenty of practice. The first game I defeated was part 2, by the way.

Ninja Gaiden 1 would not be so hard if it wasn't for Jaquio floating on top of the screen, shooting "homming fireballs" at the player. With massive luck, I could defeat it, however, I would constantly hit the START button while moving in an attempt to slow down the action a bit, which helps manouver around the screen. I never used a controller for actual slow motion because this would hamper any attacks I would try to do against the enemy. However, the last boss (third encounter) was much easier than the second one.

Awesome series, and much better than it's Xbox counterparts. What bothers is how little kiddies think this game is not the original and that the Xbox version is. I always found the XBox games to be much harder for some reason, even the PS3 versions.

I will stick with the NES games.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Great review of Ninja Gaiden.

It wasn't easy, but I was able to beat it back then. One of the final stages (can't remember) made me die about 100 times, but I had better luck with the bosses than James did. I think if you get the "screw attack thingy" you can just into the Jaqiro (?) and kill him easily.

[-hellvin-]

Great review of Ninja Gaiden.

It wasn't easy, but I was able to beat it back then. One of the final stages (can't remember) made me die about 100 times, but I had better luck with the bosses than James did. I think if you get the "screw attack thingy" you can just into the Jaqiro (?) and kill him easily.

Oh yeah, that requires some amazing skill though as you can't jump slash when you have it and that attack is pretty essential on a ton of parts. I just played through it again...not as good, died 3 times =*(. Did manage a score of 312,900, not too shabby.

[megasdkirby]

My personal favorite was Ninja Gaiden 2.

The dificulty was set just right. Not too hard, but not easy either.

And it had some of the best tunes in the series my favorite being "The Parasprinter":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UBOsjIWR8U

However, part three has some wicked music as well, like Act 4-1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW0Db5HVEqU

Ancient Ship of Doom was a bit cheesy, but very good (very hard). Graphics were outstanding, too.

Still, the hardest was part one.

Too bad the SNES version made them all too easy.

[Gentlegamer]

This was the greatest AVGN review to date! A masterpiece!

[Zap!]

This was the greatest AVGN review to date! A masterpiece!

I am gonna have to disagree. I liked it, but something was missing. Does he think it sucked, or does he think it was just hard?

[megasdkirby]

Does he think it sucked, or does he think it was just hard?

My guess is that it sucks only because it's too hard. Everything else seemed to be perfect for him, except for the insane difficulty.

Yet I found the new Xbox/PS3 incarnations to be much harder!

Or maybe he wanted to point out that he sucked in the game,,,

...and that his Ninja friend sucked after all the BS he spewed at James.

At least the review did not suck, yet it was missing something. Can't pinpoint what it is, just seemed a bit incomplete...perhaps a tad emotionless (due to lack of swearwords that usually portrays in his videos)?

EDIT: Noticed you also noticed something was missing, so at least I know I wasn't the only one. :)

BTW, Dom says hi. :D

[Kitsune Sniper]

I liked NG1, I LOVED NG2, and I think NG3 was complete and utter garbage. Hay guys let's rehash earlier stories, make Ryu into an incompetent fuckwit who falls into the "take advice from the obvious villain" trope and add clones and alien technology to the mix!

NO.

What the fuck happened to the mysticism that the earlier games had?

[Gentlegamer]

I am gonna have to disagree. I liked it, but something was missing. Does he think it sucked, or does he think it was just hard?You don't play a game through to the end boss if you think it sucks; I know AVGN does in his reviews, but the way he played Ninja Gaiden it looked to me like it wasn't just to show how "sucky" the game is but to highlight the "stupidcrazyhard" end sequence that many of probably remember. It's a labor of love. :)

[megasdkirby]

I liked NG1, I LOVED NG2, and I think NG3 was complete and utter garbage. Hay guys let's rehash earlier stories, make Ryu into an incompetent fuckwit who falls into the "take advice from the obvious villain" trope and add clones and alien technology to the mix!

NO.

What the fuck happened to the mysticism that the earlier games had?

It's stupid, I admit. But if you can overlook the entire scifi theme, it's actually very good. Stupid, but good.



SPOILER!



Plus Foster dies, so that's a plus. LOL

[Press_Start]

I liked NG1, I LOVED NG2, and I think NG3 was complete and utter garbage. Hay guys let's rehash earlier stories, make Ryu into an incompetent fuckwit who falls into the "take advice from the obvious villain" trope and add clones and alien technology to the mix!


So, how are we suppose to figure out the greatest questions of our generation, such as....

Which is better: ninjas or aliens?

-or-

Which is better: ninjas or robots?

-or the easiest question of all-

Which is better: ninjas or ninjaalienrobotclones?

Ryu makes a strong case but can he, a ninja, answer the biggest question of all: How do you beat Spock in Rock-Paper-Scissors? ;)

[Ruudos]

Masterpiece!

[kupomogli]

Oh yeah, that requires some amazing skill though as you can't jump slash when you have it and that attack is pretty essential on a ton of parts. I just played through it again...not as good, died 3 times =*(. Did manage a score of 312,900, not too shabby.

Hold down while you attack to not do the spin slash when it's equipped.

--

Anyways. It seems James didn't play through Ninja Gaiden 2 because when dying at the last boss you get sent back to the beginning of the stage as well. He should have played through Ninja Gaiden 2 though as the game is far less frusturating than the first.

Honestly, while I do like the first one, the game isn't designed to be difficult, it's designed to be cheap. James pointed it out on his video, but those parts he pointed out are fairly easy to get past. The boss he got stuck at is extremely hard to get past without the fireball though as you can dodge the attacks by going in one direction and when the fire comes out go the opposite direction, but almost impossible to hit the boss like that as you don't have enough time to do it, meaning blast him with fireballs and take whatever hp off him you can while just taking hits from the fire.

I'm surprised James point out the entirety of Level 6-3(aside from the first room,) or the set of jumps with the bazooka enemies on them on 5-3.

Ninja Gaiden 2 is amazing. Rather than being based on cheap deaths the game actually has difficulty. They don't put a series of pits with five enemies coming from every which direction all at once against you. The Tower of Lahja is probably the area that falling off is the easiest and you might have at most two enemies at once during those parts(will always be a bird and either a humper, the scythe thrower, or the one part where the green jumping guy comes running from behind in the room with the spiders. If you're happening to question that no continue run it will still be recorded. Just going to be awhile before I attempt it(I'll also be restarting the game quite a bit. I can regularly beat it without continuing, it's the fact that I want it to look good. Repeated 20-30 minute playthroughs over and over I'll eventually hit one that I like a lot.)

[-hellvin-]

Hold down while you attack to not do the spin slash when it's equipped.

Damn...you learn something new every day. I've probably completed the game 100s of times and never knew you could do that.

[Greg2600]

That was a great AVGN show, the guy playing the ninja was very good. I remember the first was widely popular, a lot of people I knew had it. But nobody bought the sequels, I figure the difficulty being part of it. Was really a shame because the first one was an awesome game, but the stupid programmers never took that into account. One of the reasons Nintendo, Konami, and Capcom games were so popular on the NES was you could beat the damn things.

[Blitzwing256]

Play the japanese version of ninjagaiden 3, when they localized the game for the us they made some major changes to it making it much more dificult remvoing the password system and making the bad guys do more damage to ryu (mostly why it sucked) the japanese version is much more balanced and is fun to play(same thing happened to double dragon and bayoubilly/madcity)

[Graham Mitchell]

Yes, and it still is 206 (I live near Redmond where NOA is).

Ha! I'm from Bellevue so when I got home from school I redialing that friggin' number all afternoon trying to get help with Monster Party or some other ridiculously difficult game. Didn't cost me a thing. Lucky to be in the proximity, I guess.

I'm surprised that 206 number is still up, as I thought they converted it to a 1-900 number within the last 10 years or so.

[elvis8atari]

He's got a new video out Swordquest

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/61988

[Zap!]

He's got a new video out Swordquest
Waterworld is rare, but "Extremely rare" as he puts it? Let me shut up now, I'm still drunk. Good episode.

[kgenthe]

Decent episode. I loved the remade nerd theme playing in the background, very appropriate.

[scottw182]

So, have the talisman or chalice ever been sold? What became of them?

[Shadow Kisuragi]

The buffering keeps stopping at 6:43 for me. I want to know how the adventure ends!

[graciano1337]

I really liked that episode. He really made me want to play video games and geniunely enjoy them.

When AVGN finally does retire, that orchestrated version of his theme NEEDS to be in his farewell video.

[grolt]

That's been my favorite video in ages. I missed out on the Atari generation so all that stuff is new to me. I really like the videos where he's interested in illuminating the history rather than trying to be angry. This one also had a riling call to action that may perhaps give us some closure on what happened to the additional items. Hell, it may even get someone to pony up and make a fan made completion of the series. It's kind of heartbreaking that the series never went full circle - as the idea behind it is grand and epic, especially for an 8-bit video game series.

[Greg2600]

Great video, very informative.

[Snapple]

An episode like this is pretty much speaking to retro collectors.

And if any of the swordquest artifacts ever turned up for sale, they all just got a big bump in value for this AVGN video putting them over the top as holy grails.

[chrisbid]

http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_michael_rideout.html

dp interview with michael rideout, the winner of the fireworld chalice




http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/146539-swordquest/

atariage thread with newer pictures of the chalice

[Jorpho]

Imagine: Jack Tramiel is one day discovered impaled on the Swordquest Sword! He is surrounded by cryptic clues as to who the murderer is! The mystery fuels immense public interest into the case and that man's life! Movies and novels (and video games) are written! But little does anyone suspect that the man is still alive, and profits from the media enterprise are secretly being funneled into his offshore accounts while he retires to a tropical island under a different name, watching as his place in history is made!


So, have the talisman or chalice ever been sold? What became of them?The talisman was melted down, though the winner kept the little sword, as I recall. He needed the money for his education; you can hardly blame him.

[EDIT: Oh, I guess I remember that from the last time I read the interview.]

[Archimboldi]

I just started watching AVGN over the past couple weeks...I think I'm through most of them! The mixture of relentlessly juvenile humor and fun retro game history is perfect. I could watch this show on a daily basis if he put them out that fast. I like how so many of these games were games I rented or was given as a surprise gift...I remember X-men, Rambo, and Friday the 13th really pissing me off. My mom got me those thinking they were slam dunk gifts (can't blame her, I loved both of those movies and x-men.)

Not sure which episode is my favorite...the Nintendo Power one was really damn good. I also liked the Milon's Secret Castle episode. The codes section in NP for the game was "Getting Started" LOL I definitely rented that game once or twice and couldn't figure it out. It's hilarious how Zelda, a game that similarly plops you into a world and expects you to find impossibly hidden stuff, went on to be classic. I guess it's because entire towns of children were working in tandem to figure it out. But a game like Milon's was too obscure and uninspiring to get that same treatment (at least, in the U.S.)

[Tupin]

I need to find a copy of one of the Swordquest games complete and try to go through it. How hard is it to find with the comic/poster?

I always end up going back to playing the games after he played them. I tried the Swordquest series once, and had no idea what to do. The video does freeze for me, but it actually seems like he likes these games. I think it's kind of cool when games hint to things in real life to complete them, it's something you would never think of and you have to use your imagination do figure it out.

[Jorpho]

Oh, and I also want a game where I get to steer knives into a turkey club sandwich.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I need to find a copy of one of the Swordquest games complete and try to go through it. How hard is it to find with the comic/poster?

I always end up going back to playing the games after he played them. I tried the Swordquest series once, and had no idea what to do. The video does freeze for me, but it actually seems like he likes these games. I think it's kind of cool when games hint to things in real life to complete them, it's something you would never think of and you have to use your imagination do figure it out.

He does like the games. In fact, this video has literally no profanity on it. It's just him gushing over the games and the story behind the contest.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Imagine: Jack Tramiel is one day discovered impaled on the Swordquest Sword! He is surrounded by cryptic clues as to who the murderer is! The mystery fuels immense public interest into the case and that man's life! Movies and novels (and video games) are written! But little does anyone suspect that the man is still alive, and profits from the media enterprise are secretly being funneled into his offshore accounts while he retires to a tropical island under a different name, watching as his place in history is made!

That's awesome. Also throw out some stuff like Tramiel was inflicted with lycanthropy and the Swordquest Sword was actually forged in a rare cooperative action between dwarves and elves. With some implication that the 'silver' blade is in reality, mithril! Wouldn't hurt if it was a vorpal blade, a holy avenger, a multi-brand (i.e. fire and ice brand) and a bane of some sort... Sentient too! Elevate it to Legendary Artifact levels. Adds to the mystique.

[Snapple]

http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_michael_rideout.html

dp interview with michael rideout, the winner of the fireworld chalice




http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/146539-swordquest/

atariage thread with newer pictures of the chalice

It's kind of sad that the talisman is gone forever, but it makes me happy that the chalice is accounted for. If I had to guess, I would've predicted that all five pieces were gone, probably melted down or buried or mixed in with a non-video game collection of trinkets, its history vanished forever. To see that at least the goblet is still in the hands of someone who earned it and appreciates its value, that's good. And he's still connected to the gaming community to share his story.

The stuff about the sword and crown and philosopher's stone being with Jack Tramiel, I think that's probably folklore. I don't know why he'd care to hang onto stuff like that.

[Arkhan]

the swordquest games are OK. You have to have the comic and all of that. Trying to play them as a loose cart often results in the player deciding that the game is the worst thing ever.


Theyre all pretty fun adventure/puzzle solving games, especially for Atari. :)

I like Fireworld the most.