2017 Game Completion Challenge

[jperryss]

Cool, first player to test the waters on an import alternative! The Valis feel is what drew me to Psycho Dream. Those have always been flawed, but I've always loved them warts and all (although I've never gotten anywhere on the Famicom Valis).

I've only played the TG/PCE Valis games, didn't even know there was a Famicom version! Need to check that one out eventually.

[celerystalker]

I've only played the TG/PCE Valis games, didn't even know there was a Famicom version! Need to check that one out eventually.

Yeah, I have it, and it's structured more like an action adventure game instead of having stages. It has a very strange map in the opening city area, and I usually fumble around in it for awhile before switching games. I need to just nut up and either map it out or use an FAQ sometime when I'm ready to seriously try to take it down.

[RP2A03]

Chiki Chiki Boys (Genesis) completed.


http://i.imgur.com/L9Mt8rPh.png (http://i.imgur.com/L9Mt8rP.png)

[celerystalker]

Chiki Chiki Boys (Genesis) completed.


http://i.imgur.com/L9Mt8rPh.png (http://i.imgur.com/L9Mt8rP.png)

How'd you like it?

[RP2A03]

How'd you like it?

I found it to be an easy but still fun hack 'n slash platformer. The easiness is balanced with being allowed only one death per stage which provided some tension in the latter part of the game.

[celerystalker]

Anyone considering Vanark? Star Fox fans who are in it for the combat more than the anthropomorphic critters will find some good stuff there...

[biofall]

Not sure how many games I will complete this week as I want to work on some personal projects of mine, which severely cuts into my game time. That being said I saw an opportunity for a quick point in this weeks players choice.

Prior to joining the game completion challenge I had been working on learning the crash: warped speedrun. Which lo and behold fits this weeks players choice perfectly. To make things even better I managed to get a pb time while playing through the game today (Not particularly hard considering I've only done 20 something runs).

So what do I think of Crash: Warped? Well I'm sure you could guess I love the game considering I decided to play through it over 20 times... However looking at it from a quality perspective; the game has several faults. The most glaring of which is the poor depiction of depth. It is very easy to accidentally walk off the front of the map because it looks like it should extend further. Additionally all of the medieval stages allow the player to run along the side walls and literally avoid every enemy and platforming jump; this is a great thing from a speed running perspective but not so much when it comes to quality game design. Additionally the game has some terrible controls in the flying stages.

Regardless it was definitely nice to do another run after a slight break from speedrunning.
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[celerystalker]

Crash is a franchise I never really got into, save playing Crash Team Racing with my sister, who got really into that one with her oldest son. I was working at a FuncoLand during its apex, but 3D platformers at the time were feeling a little ubuquitous to me, with Croc 2, Gex 3, Spyro, Rayman 2, etc. coming out at the time. Aside from Mario 64, I never really got heavily into 3D platforming... not even Mario's own sequels. I'm a 2D guy at heart. :)

Glad you have one of those comfort food games to turn to that always stay fun to you, though! It's good to have that group of special games that are always fun for you, and that you dig into enough to play them unconventionally for fun. Good stuff!

[FieryReign]

Think I'm gonna bow out. I lose interest in anything fast nowadays. Can't even muster up enough passion to finish a quick-point game.

Maybe videogames don't really interest me anymore and I'm trying to force myself to like them as a normal hobby? It's already happened with a couple other hobbies of mine.

Maybe I need to seek out other hobbies but I'm gettin too old for that shit. Maybe crocheting is my new stitch. What's the best yarn to use?

[Scissors]

Anyone considering Vanark? Star Fox fans who are in it for the combat more than the anthropomorphic critters will find some good stuff there...

I plan on giving it a go. It's yet another game I bought years ago but never got around to playing (you seem to keep choosing games that fall into this category).

[RP2A03]

For player's choice, I beat Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu (NES). It is a surprisingly good game. It has good graphics, excellent music, and fun platforming. Licensed dreck this is not.


http://i.imgur.com/isKqJ1ah.png (http://i.imgur.com/isKqJ1a.png)

[Aussie2B]

Hey, a week where I actually have the time to participate! For the Player's Choice, I beat the indie puzzle platformer Thomas Was Alone (on Vita), in which Thomas is literally a red rectangle, haha. I had been meaning to start the game anyway, and I knew it was on the short side, so it worked out perfectly. I would have snapped a photo of the ending, but it was over in the blink of an eye. Like, I was wondering if I somehow pressed a button and skipped it, but it seriously is over that fast.

[celerystalker]

Hey, a week where I actually have the time to participate! For the Player's Choice, I beat the indie puzzle platformer Thomas Was Alone (on Vita), in which Thomas is literally a red rectangle, haha. I had been meaning to start the game anyway, and I knew it was on the short side, so it worked out perfectly. I would have snapped a photo of the ending, but it was over in the blink of an eye. Like, I was wondering if I somehow pressed a button and skipped it, but it seriously is over that fast.

Hey, welcome to the scoreboard! I've not paid a ton of mind to most of the indie platformer scene, but after I recently finally played through Limbo and liking it a lot, I'm a bit more intrigued, at least by the physical releases. I need to take the Vita plunge... maybe this summer. I keep drifting toward arcade pcbs with my fun money, and haven't bought a new console in years. Maybe I'll do a Wii U as well. Captain Toad looks fun, and reminds me a bit of Hudson's excellent Cubic Lode Runner.

[celerystalker]

I plan on giving it a go. It's yet another game I bought years ago but never got around to playing (you seem to keep choosing games that fall into this category).

Heheh, I'm glad we're cutting into your backlog. It's fun to finally pull out a new old game and put it through its paces. One of the biggest reasons I started getting into making an effort to play my older games was around 2000 or so when I re-discovered shooters after playing Giga Wing. I hadn't paid much mind to shooters in ages then, as they were once a dime a dozen. When 3D games really took over, it made me re-evaluate my appreciation for a style of game I'd been ignoring for quite awhile, and I started to explore my collection harder. I found stuff I'dve never really given the time of day... light gun games that I didn't realize were gun games, weird modes like the tennis RPG in World Court Tennis... it made me want to really play my stuff to see what I really had beyond the cursory knowledge from testing a game or reading about it.

FieryReign-sorry you're getting bored, but I get it. I appreciate your playing and participating, and your points'll still be here if the mood arises again. Hope you find something fun to do in the meantime!!

[FieryReign]

^Not getting bored with the challenge. Just think games ain't fun anymore for some reason. Nothing is. Maybe I'm finally outgrowing them or am burnt out. Started playing through Axiom Verge and just lost interest. And those metroid-types are my favorites.

I have stacks of kung fu flicks just collecting dust. No interest anymore. It's weird

[celerystalker]

^Not getting bored with the challenge. Just think games ain't fun anymore for some reason. Nothing is. Maybe I'm finally outgrowing them or am burnt out. Started playing through Axiom Verge and just lost interest. And those metroid-types are my favorites.

I have stacks of kung fu flicks just collecting dust. No interest anymore. It's weird

Well, I hope you're able to find something that catches your attention. It's a tough go without a hobby. Ever consider something handy? Every now and then I'll go and find a piece of antique furniture at a thrift and restore it, and it's pretty satisfying. There's a curio cabinet in my living room my wife uses for her Willow Angels the I picked up at a Goodwill for $15 and restored over a couple of weekends, filling and mending cracks, sanding down old finish, and then re-staining, coating, and scraping/polishing glass. Re-upholstered an re-finished a full antique dining set for me dining room, which I wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise.

Anyhow, good luck, and I hope you'll still pop in from time to time, even if it's just to talk some shit in the Off Topic forum.

[Emperor Megas]

This used to be one of my favorite games when the Master System was current. I can't tell you how many times I've played through this game back in the day. Sadly, it's really a title that shows its age.

It's charming, but it's just so simplistic. There's just the illusion of depth, what with the vehicles and shop items, many of which are worthless, or pointless. When I was younger, I enjoyed memorizing the rock paper scissors patterns, navigating Janken's castle, and solving the floor tile riddle, but once it's first nature there's little there to keep you interested.

Playing through it actually made me more sad than anything. Granted, I've been pretty depressed the last few days because of some personal matters, so maybe that's colouring my experience. In any event, it's another point on the scoreboard. I very much doubt I'll have the time to complete another title this week and only picked Alex Kidd in Miracle World so the week wouldn't be a complete wash.

[RP2A03]

I just beat Psycho Dream, and I swear that there is something wrong with the collision detection. It made the last boss particularly frustrating.


http://i.imgur.com/YWrEtmUh.png (http://i.imgur.com/YWrEtmU.png)




Fun fact: Shortly before Telenet's demise, the Valis franchise was licensed to Eants to make Valis X; an eroge visual novel. With tentacles!

[jperryss]

Chiki Chiki Boys (GEN) completed

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Fun game, more challenging than I expected. I didn't get the good ending but hopefully it still counts. The enemy and level designs would've been right at home in an Adventure Island or Bonk game. The third-swing-is-bigger gameplay allows some fun timing strategies with the bosses. And I think Nintendo borrowed the coin-head idea for some of the recent Mario 3DS games. Also, Capcom pinwheel!





I just beat Psycho Dream, and I swear that there is something wrong with the collision detection. It made the last boss particularly frustrating.

Fun fact: Shortly before Telenet's demise, the Valis franchise was licensed to Eants to make Valis X; an eroge visual novel. With tentacles!

Agreed. I hated the last boss fight even on Easy mode and never did end up playing through again on normal mode.

And watch how easy (but still tedious) this longplay video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlKH1_estpw&feature=youtu.be&t=1760) makes it look. The flying head had a completely different attack pattern when I fought him.

[Emperor Megas]

Yeah, I have it, and it's structured more like an action adventure game instead of having stages. It has a very strange map in the opening city area, and I usually fumble around in it for awhile before switching games. I need to just nut up and either map it out or use an FAQ sometime when I'm ready to seriously try to take it down.Wow, I never knew this. Valis is one of only three Famicom games I own, all sealed in the plastic. I never new that it was an action adventure game rather than a 8-bit port of the first Valis title.

I doubt I'll open my copy, but I might emulate it or secure a loose copy.

[celerystalker]

Wow, I never knew this. Valis is one of only three Famicom games I own, all sealed in the plastic. I never new that it was an action adventure game rather than a 8-bit port of the first Valis title.

I doubt I'll open my copy, but I might emulate it or secure a loose copy.

Yeah, loose copies are pretty cheap, but it has an English patch nowadays.

Psycho Dream's boss fights are waaay tougher than the stages. There are some pretty great looking levels, though!

[Aussie2B]

Famicom games were never sealed in plastic to begin with. Sometimes resellers in the aftermarket like to wrap them in plastic, though. So, yeah, no need to hesitate in opening them up if they are in plastic. The only way to really tell a brand new Famicom/Super Famicom/Japanese N64 game from a used one (assuming the latter is in mint condition) is if there's a crease along the flap, indicating that it's been opened. But if you're super delicate about how you open a flap, you may even be able to hide signs of that.

[Scissors]

I played through Vanark. I wasn't crazy about it. The segments between the shooting stages were pretty pointless. It seems like they were just put in to make the game longer.

Also played through Super Mario Land for player's choice.

What is the official deadline for finishing a game? If it's not too late, I may give Chiki Chiki Boys a try tomorrow morning.

[celerystalker]

I played through Vanark. I wasn't crazy about it. The segments between the shooting stages were pretty pointless. It seems like they were just put in to make the game longer.

Also played through Super Mario Land for player's choice.

What is the official deadline for finishing a game? If it's not too late, I may give Chiki Chiki Boys a try tomorrow morning.

Sunday night at midnight is the deadline.

[celerystalker]

Normally I'dve posted earlier, but I fell asleep way early after working about 75 hours this week and being awake for about 2 days straight, so sorry about that. Anyhow, new games!

-Astal (Saturn)

-Any game in the Lolo franchise

-Player's choice: pick any game that has a double consonant pairing in the title. Examples might include Rolling Thunder, Super Princess Peach, Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventure, Bubba and Stix, Shatterhand, Space Harrier, etc.

-Import alternative: pick any version of Hebereke no Popoitto. It's a puzzle game that's heavily inspired by Dr Mario and Puyo Puyo featuring characters from Hebereke/Ufouria.

-One week left for the Vanillaware RPG challenge for March! Will anyone else wrap one up?

[Scissors]

I beat Chiki Chiki Boys this morning. I didn't get the good ending though.

[celerystalker]

I beat Chiki Chiki Boys this morning. I didn't get the good ending though.

That's ok. Good ending not required on that one. I just figured it's a pretty fun little game, and the good ending would give it some legs for people who end up digging it.

[Scissors]

That's ok. Good ending not required on that one. I just figured it's a pretty fun little game, and the good ending would give it some legs for people who end up digging it.

It is a pretty good game. So good, I decided to play it again and got the good ending.

[celerystalker]

It is a pretty good game. So good, I decided to play it again and got the good ending.

Nice! I bought that one in the '90s not knowing what it was, but thinking it was a funny title. I've been a fan ever since!

[Emperor Megas]

Normally I'dve posted earlier, but I fell asleep way early after working about 75 hours this week and being awake for about 2 days straight, so sorry about that. Anyhow, new games!

-Astal (Saturn)Heck yes! My first Saturn game, and still one of my favorites. Though interestingly, I've only beaten it a handful of times. I don't think this will be a zero hour run through. I'll actually have dedicate some time to tackling this one.

Man, I LOVE music in that game. Especially the synth heavy track that plays during the cloud stage, and that awesome, new agey, 80's electric guitar ballad in the crystal palace stage just after it.

Say, does anyone know if all copies of this game have a blank spine? It's the only Saturn game I've seen that does have the title on the side of the case. Was this an error, or what?

[celerystalker]

Heck yes! My first Saturn game, and still one of my favorites. Though interestingly, I've only beaten it a handful of times. I don't think this will be a zero hour run through. I'll actually have dedicate some time to tackling this one.

Man, I LOVE movie in that game. Especially the synth heavy track that plays during the cloud stage, and that awesome, new agey, 80's electric guitar ballad in the crystal palace stage just after it.

Say, does anyone know if all copies of this game have a blank spine? It's the only Saturn game I've seen that does have the title on the side of the case. Was this an error, or what?

Yep, all copies of Astal have a blank spine for the US version. It's one of those great games that was $5 for a good 15 or so years before it caught on, and now it's pricey. So good, though.

[RP2A03]

Question: is it acceptable to use the romanized title of a Japan only game for the player's choice? An example (although not necessarily the game I would pick) is Ultraman Club: Chikyuu Dakkan Sakusen

[celerystalker]

Question: is it acceptable to use the romanized title of a Japan only game for the player's choice? An example (although not necessarily the game I would pick) is Ultraman Club: Chikyuu Dakkan Sakusen

I'm gonna say yes on that, so long as the romanization is either official (printed on the case or in the manual/packaging/game) or from a reputable source (using the honor system there).

[Emperor Megas]

This MIGHT be the first week that I can sweep all three challenges. Knock on wood.

[RP2A03]

I'm gonna say yes on that, so long as the romanization is either official (printed on the case or in the manual/packaging/game) or from a reputable source (using the honor system there).

Would the file names of a ROM set count as a reputable source?

[celerystalker]

Would the file names of a ROM set count as a reputable source?

I'd just say type it into Google. If you get a ton of results, roll with it. What drives me nuts is when a game's title is clearly romanized on the packaging or game and in the game, but people decide to spell it wrong in spite of this. For instance, Shi Kin Jyo on Famicom. People always spell it Shikinjou, though it is right there on the cart. Same with Robot Poncots 64. It's spelled that way right in the manual in giant letters, but people only spell it Robot Ponkottsu.

[RP2A03]

I'd just say type it into Google. If you get a ton of results, roll with it. What drives me nuts is when a game's title is clearly romanized on the packaging or game and in the game, but people decide to spell it wrong in spite of this. For instance, Shi Kin Jyo on Famicom. People always spell it Shikinjou, though it is right there on the cart. Same with Robot Poncots 64. It's spelled that way right in the manual in giant letters, but people only spell it Robot Ponkottsu.

Interesting that people would choose to use their own romanization over the official one. Anyway, onto my player's choice victory.

_________________

While looking through the Famicom Disk System games I noticed that there are a number of interesting unlicensed games and decided that I should play one of these for research purposes. The game I chose is Comic Sakka Series Touma Senki 2 - Mermaid no Gyakushuu. For research, of course.


http://i.imgur.com/dR0Dsxxh.png (http://i.imgur.com/dR0Dsxx.png)


I'm not quite sure what the story is, but it involves getting in a ship and shooting aliens. There are four stages plus one final boss fight. The stages are all brief but fun for the short amount of time it lasts. At the end of each stage is a boss fight.


http://i.imgur.com/SSD4w6uh.png (http://i.imgur.com/SSD4w6u.png)





After successfully clearing a stage you receive encouragement from the mermaid to finish fighting for whatever it is that your supposed to be fighting for.











http://i.imgur.com/CNcxZnJh.png (http://i.imgur.com/CNcxZnJ.png)




After clearing the four stages you have to fight the final boss. After doing so the game is over and I guess the mermaid chick is all yours.




http://i.imgur.com/Oy0mDajh.png (http://i.imgur.com/Oy0mDaj.png)

[Aussie2B]

Japanese publishers are notorious for having a poor grasp on English, or even the Roman alphabet, and screwing up their own titles when transliterating, or being totally inconsistent with their transliterations from one product to the next, so that's why people tend to be pretty dismissive of questionable transliterations even when they're in an official product. I mean, they even screw up their own company names. tri-Ace spelled their company name as "try-Ace" on Star Ocean, and Natsume spelled their name as "Natume" in Harvest Moon 64. I guess some people may argue then that Star Ocean should be considered a "try-Ace" game and Harvest Moon 64 a "Natume" game, because that's what they say, but I just see those as mistakes.

The Robopon series has a number of games, so I'd be curious if they actually consistently use the "Poncots" spelling across the whole franchise, or if it was only in the Robopon 64 manual.

[celerystalker]

What, no tentacles?

[Emperor Megas]

I was going to post what Aussie2B did, more or less.

[celerystalker]

It's true that localization is imperfect, which is why I'm not putting a hard stance on romanized titles here. Just something that drives me a little nutty, mainly when a company prominently puts out there what they want a game's title to look like. I'm no authority on what proper romanization looks like. I just don't care for how some segments of the gaming community out there change things to what they want it to be, ignoring what the creators want it to be.

In the end, it doesn't really matter. Just my own preference to leave things as they are. I can say, though, that in the two cases I mentioned, they are intentional spellings. Robot Poncots even had a manga that spelled it that way. I don't care about typos, but what seems to be intentional stylistic choices, like the band the Beatles... I wouldn't correct that as a mis-spelling. However, if they accidentally spelled it "Betles" on one cover, then, yeah, it'd need correcting.

Edit: For the record, I'm perfectly willing to accept being the weirdo on this one. We all have our foibles. For instance, the color orange makes me kind of irritable to be around too much. When I bought my Japanese Dreamcast in 1999, the box went under my bed so I wouldn't have to look at it until I moved out of the place. It's dumb, but not much I can do about it.

[RP2A03]

What, no tentacles?

Apparently not, but I'm sure with a little more research I can find something that does.

[celerystalker]

Apparently not, but I'm sure with a little more research I can find something that does.

I don't doubt it in the slightest. For every Gradius or R-Type, there's a Divine Sealing or Steam Heart's...

[RP2A03]

-Any game in the Lolo franchise

Does Eggerland count?

[celerystalker]

Does Eggerland count?

Yes, it does.

[Emperor Megas]

Hmmm, no Lolo games in my collection. I figured I had at least one. Oh well, two out of three this week then.

[jperryss]

I'm trying to finish Dragon Warrior 2 for the player's choice this week. I know it's a long haul for a single point but I recently played through DW1 and wanted to revisit DW2 soon, so now it's a race.

I forgot how much of a grindfest this game was, even compared to the first one. May not finish it by the weekend, but damn I'm gonna try!

[celerystalker]

I'm trying to finish Dragon Warrior 2 for the player's choice this week. I know it's a long haul for a single point but I recently played through DW1 and wanted to revisit DW2 soon, so now it's a race.

I forgot how much of a grindfest this game was, even compared to the first one. May not finish it by the weekend, but damn I'm gonna try!

Oh, man, good luck! That's a toughie to get through quickly! I almost always quit that one about 2/3 in when I decide to replay it...

Sorry you don't have any Lolo games, Megas... you don't by chance have the black & white Game Boy cart? You may be the only Astal finish. I don't know many people who own that one. I like it a lot, even though the stage where you have to go underneath the giant beast with all those legs drives me nuts!

[Emperor Megas]

Sorry you don't have any Lolo games, Megas... you don't by chance have the black & white Game Boy cart? You may be the only Astal finish. I don't know many people who own that one. I like it a lot, even though the stage where you have to go underneath the giant beast with all those legs drives me nuts!Yeah, I'm fairly positive I don't have it on Gameboy. I only own about 6 original Gameboy games.

I had to think about what creature with the legs you were talking about, but I was only thinking about bosses. I just remember the creature in the volcano area that you have to walk under. Ha, I love that shit. You gotta love the bolder stage too, where he chucks the rock and literally caps the volcano with it at the end of the stage. It begs the question though, if he's THAT strong, why doesn't he just mercilessly tear his way though EVERYTHING in his path?

[biofall]

Well its taken me awhile to get around to posting my progress this week but I have in fact been playing games.

First off I beat the original Adventures of Lolo(NES). I was very glad to see a puzzle platformer in this weeks games. Being that I am currently developing a puzzle platformer of my own, I relish the opportunity to play through other puzzle platformers for inspiration.

I also must say I was very impressed with the game. Adventures of Lolo managed to do something that games rarely do for me now a days; the game managed to make me completely lose track of time. I played the game in two play sessions(planned for it to take more sessions). The first play session I played up to floor 5; the puzzles up to this point were fun, all be it rather simple, but they weren't anything that truly stood out. However, when I sat down for my second play session after work yesterday, I had intended to play for an hour or two before preparing dinner. This was when I ended up getting absorbed in the game. I found myself looking up to the clock, while struggling with a tenth floor stage, to find that somehow 4 and a half hours had passed and it was almost 9 o'clock. Well past my intended dinner time. Still I was so close to the end I simply had to finish that sitting.

The game did one thing I found particularly fascinating. They forced the user to use a mechanic that for half the game seemed completely irrelevant and possibly even unintentional. To prevent spoiling the puzzles for other players i will not go into too much detail as to what mechanic I am referring to, but discovering the usefulness of said mechanic was one of my favorite parts of the game.
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Earlier in the week I also complete my players choice game, "Parappa The Rapper"(PS1). I first fell in love with rhythm games by playing "Um Jamma Lammy"(Ps1) repeatedly. My love for Rhythm games stayed with me the rest of my life. However, despite loving Um Jamma Lammy and playing Parappa The Rapper 2; I had never actually played the original Parappa The Rapper. So I was thrilled to finally fire the original up this week.

Parappa The Rapper was a blast. It was a little bit weird to get used to the timing at first but after adjusting the game became relatively easy. It was a little disappointing that the game was only about an hour long; but the quirky characters and unique setting, coupled with amazingly unique music made every moment enjoyable.
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Also relevant with all the talk of name romatization; it was kind of annoying to me that the game had a different title in the menu than on the case. It was very minor but they remove the "The" on the menu screen.

[jperryss]

You should check out Gitaroo Man (PS2 or PSP) if you haven't already. Even with the annoying PSP analog nub it was a lot of fun.

[biofall]

You should check out Gitaroo Man (PS2 or PSP) if you haven't already. Even with the annoying PSP analog nub it was a lot of fun.
Haven't heard of it. I'll be sure to look it up.

[Scissors]

Nice! I bought that one in the '90s not knowing what it was, but thinking it was a funny title. I've been a fan ever since!

It was an impulse buy for me too. I saw it in a Funcoland and it reminded me of the Wonderboy games, so I bought it.


I played through the Sega Master System version of Sonic Spinball for player's choice this week. It's no where near as good as the Genesis version, but I gave it a shot since I had not played it before.

I may play a Lolo game this week, but I'm probably going to skip Astal. I played it once before and remember thinking it was a pretty dull platformer.

[brandon913]

Finally getting around to competing in these challenges. I just finished adventures of lolo last night and now working on the other 2.
http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/brandon91383/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/20170329_214113_zps8b9ucmaj.jpg (http://s930.photobucket.com/user/brandon91383/media/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/20170329_214113_zps8b9ucmaj.jpg.html)

[RP2A03]

Eggerland (FDS) is completed. A fun game for the most part, my only real complaint with this one is with the obtusely hidden guardians. Unless it is mentioned in the manual somewhere, there is no way to know that you have to re-enter certain rooms after solving them and move a specific block in order to reveal a cave. Do the other games in the series do stuff like this?



http://i.imgur.com/xhFiyIqh.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/xhFiyIq.jpg)




http://i.imgur.com/LHXREXnh.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/LHXREXn.jpg[/img])


A rousing game of janken makes for an epic boss fight.




http://i.imgur.com/Af13RbWh.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/Af13RbW.jpg)


*sniff*
This is the happiest day of my life.

[celerystalker]

Finally getting around to competing in these challenges. I just finished adventures of lolo last night and now working on the other 2.
http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/brandon91383/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/20170329_214113_zps8b9ucmaj.jpg (http://s930.photobucket.com/user/brandon91383/media/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/20170329_214113_zps8b9ucmaj.jpg.html)

Nice! You're on the board.

RPA203-The later Lolo games aren't as obtuse. You basically progress from puzzle to puzzle with no backtracking. That is a beautiful wedding... thanks so much for letting everyone have a glimpse into your special day. I like to think you had William Shatner doing a spoken word rendition of "Here Comes the Bride" to an accordion backdrop. The friendship that comes with marriage is magic.

[biofall]

To round out this week I played through the import alternative "Hebereke Popitto"(Super Famicon). It was a pretty standard Dr.Mario style puzzle game but was a nice change of pace from the many platformers I've been playing. Overall the game was pretty fun; granted the last two stages were a little annoying in that it was easy to make a mistake at the beginning due to an unexpected enemy move and end up with little to no chance of completion because of it.

1023110230

Out of curiosity, if you complete the import alternative instead of one of the games, do you still get the bonus points for completing all 3 games in the week?

[celerystalker]

To round out this week I played through the import alternative "Hebereke Popitto"(Super Famicon). It was a pretty standard Dr.Mario style puzzle game but was a nice change of pace from the many platformers I've been playing. Overall the game was pretty fun; granted the last two stages were a little annoying in that it was easy to make a mistake at the beginning due to an unexpected enemy move and end up with little to no chance of completion because of it.

1023110230

Out of curiosity, if you complete the import alternative instead of one of the games, do you still get the bonus points for completing all 3 games in the week?

Yes. The import alternate stands in for a game, allowing the bonus point for a three game sweep, but letting you skip something you'd rather not play or just try something new.

[celerystalker]

After some more new players scored some wins, it's a new week AND month. New games all around, and new scoreboard up tomorrow!

Week 14 games:

-Silent Bomber (PS1)

-Super Spike V'ball (World Championship) (NES, Arcade)

-Player's choice: pick any game based on a movie that had a theatrical release somewhere in the world. Examples might include Street Fighter: The Movie, Disney's Hercules, Goldeneye 007, Enter the Matrix, Darkman, The Untouchables, etc.

-Import alternative: Cyberbots (Saturn, Arcade)

-April RPG: Pick any game from the Lunar series. These include Lunar: The Silver Star (and its ridiculous number of remakes), Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (and its remakes), Lunar Magic/Walking School, and Lunar Dragon Song (ouch).

Good luck, and happy Wrestlemania!

[brandon913]

Just beat Battleship on the NES for the double consonant challenge. Gonna to try and get through Astal before the deadline tomorrow.
http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/brandon91383/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/snap0002_zpsfac3iw6v.png (http://s930.photobucket.com/user/brandon91383/media/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/snap0002_zpsfac3iw6v.png.html)

[celerystalker]

Just beat Battleship on the NES for the double consonant challenge. Gonna to try and get through Astal before the deadline tomorrow.
http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/brandon91383/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/snap0002_zpsfac3iw6v.png (http://s930.photobucket.com/user/brandon91383/media/Weekly%20Game%20Challenge/snap0002_zpsfac3iw6v.png.html)

Nice! Good luck on Astal. It's a fun one.

[Emperor Megas]

I completed Alex Kidd and the Lost Stars and realized it's another Master System game with wonky sound on the Retron 5. Not terrible like Fantasy Zone II, but definitely different.

Anyway, I didn't get to play Astal until around 1:00 am, and after 2 defeats (got to the stupid tangle boss that freezes Astal, then died on the Plains of Destiny the next game) I think I'll retire for a few hours and go at it again in the morning. I knew that I wouldn't breeze through Astal after so many years, but I sure enjoyed picking this title up again. It's such a gorgeous game. Anyone who's a fan of The Never Ending Story, and/or The Dark Crystal should enjoy this game.

[celerystalker]

I completed Alex Kidd and the Lost Stars and realized it's another Master System game with wonky sound on the Retron 5. Not terrible like Fantasy Zone II, but definitely different.

Anyway, I didn't get to play Astal until around 1:00 am, and after 2 defeats (got to the stupid tangle boss that freezes Astal, then died on the Plains of Destiny the next game) I think I'll retire for a few hours and go at it again in the morning. I knew that I wouldn't breeze through Astal after so many years, but I sure enjoyed picking this title up again. It's such a gorgeous game. Anyone who's a fan of The Never Ending Story, and/or The Dark Crystal should enjoy this game.

There really should've been a Dark Crystal game. I mean, we didn't even get the Famicom Labyrinth game...

[biofall]

-Player's choice: pick any game based on a movie that had a theatrical release somewhere in the world. Examples might include Street Fighter: The Movie, Disney's Hercules, Goldeneye 007, Enter the Matrix, Darkman, The Untouchables, etc.

Do games that aren't directly based on a specific movie but based on a film series count? For example Alien Isolation, Mad Max, Force unleashed?

[celerystalker]

Do games that aren't directly based on a specific movie but based on a film series count? For example Alien Isolation, Mad Max, Force unleashed?

Yep. Sure do.

[jperryss]

I finished Dragon Warrior 2 for the consecutive consonant challenge.

10235

10236

This was a terrible choice for a 1-week clear. As I mentioned the other day this is one I wanted to play through soon and ended up picking it for this week since the fit the player's choice requirement.

There's nothing quite like making a slow 30-minute trek towards the final boss and getting insta-murdered by a Defeat spell.

I don't think I've ever wished so hard for a throttle/FF button on the NES as I did playing through this one.

[biofall]

-Import alternative: Cyberbots (Saturn, Arcade)

Cyberbots also had a ps1 port. Not sure if there are any differences in the versions. Definitely going to do the import alternative this week. I'll take any excuse to play a fighting game.

[Emperor Megas]

http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u527/EmperorMegas/astal02_zpsvvteys0q.jpg

Forth time was a charm on Astal. Third play through I got to Jarado, but I didn't remeber his patterns, and I was being cocky, too, tossing the crystal dragons instead of dashing over them. I restarted immediately after and went straight through and played conservatively when I got to him for an easy win. After Muramasa: The Demon Blade, this was the best time I think I've had in the first quarter of the Game Completion Challenge.

I really hope I'm not the only one to tackle it this week. This game is the definition of an underrated gem, IMO.

[RP2A03]

Completed Star Trek Generations: Beyond the Nexus (Game Gear) for the player's choice.


http://i.imgur.com/8Du3Fv6h.png (http://i.imgur.com/8Du3Fv6.png)

[biofall]

Completed the import alternative Cyberbots(EU/Arcade). I played through the game using Fightcade, an arcade emulator that allows for online versus matches in fighting games, and broke out my fightstick to get that classic arcade feel. I found the game to be a somewhat interesting take on fighting games, using mechs for fighters rather than your typical combatants. The game was a 4 button fighter with one button used purely for (boost) which is the games version of a dash. Granted it could also be used to levitate. But despite all the fancy names and sprites, the game is an airdasher at its heart. Focused on spacing and aerial movement above all else. Personally I found the game kind of annoying to play, since everything seemed safe on block. I mean come on, safe supers? That being said it is definitely not a terrible fighter. After finishing the game I was lucky enough to find a couple of people playing against each other online and decided to spectate for a bit. While I'm not sure how I feel about playing the game, my god it is fun to watch. The massive amounts of mobility combined with very safe attacks and no real combo system(just multi hit basics and specials that claim to be "combos") make for an incredibly fast paced game. The speed makes watching knowledgeable players fascinating, even if I myself am not knowledgeable.

10246

[Scissors]

I played through Super Spike V'Ball on NES. It seemed pretty easy until the Brazil team, then it got kinda hard. Luckily, the next two teams didn't get much harder.

Silent Bomber is a lot of fun. I'll likely revisit it this week. I'm sure I could find a movie based game to play too.

I may try Lunar: The Silver Star on Sega CD. I've played through the PlayStation and Game Boy Advance versions before, so hopefully it won't feel like too much like a downgrade.

[Emperor Megas]

I think I'll tackle Lunar on the SEGA CD. I've never actually played a Lunar game despite owning two copies of the SEGA CD original, the sequel, and Lunar: Dragon Song on the DS. This is as good an excuse as any to jump in.

The fact I don't own either of the other challenge games is even more of an incentive to start an RPG now.

For the theatrical license player's choice I've played through a few stages of True Lies on the Genesis. I haven't committed to ending it, but I don't know if I would have ever played it were it not for the GCC. It's actually pretty fun believe it or not.

I swear, I've been playing more games this past few months then I have the past few years.

[jperryss]

I just started playing the Sega CD version also. Never played any of the Lunar games before this week.

[celerystalker]

Nice! Hope you guys enjoy Lunar. It's got a very early '90s anime flavor, and reminds me a lot of stuff like El Hazard and Slayers, but is a nice RPG package. I have some of the remakes, but I've only played all the way through the Sega CD versions (except Magic School, which I did on Saturn). The original Silver Star is my favorite.

Emperor Megas- glad you're having some fun playing! As much fun as it is to find a game at a store or whatever, the simple fun of just playing and beating them is hard to beat in my book. For several years, I kinda lost touch with what got me into games to begin with, and that's playing. Every now and then, when I'm staying awake all night to sleep through the day for work the next night, I just settle in in my couch while my wife and son sleep, and let myself get sucked in like I did when I was a kid. It just puts a smile on my face to feel that way for a few hours.

[Scissors]

I just played through Tom and Jerry: The Movie for Sega Master System. Despite the name, it doesn't follow the plot of the movie. Would it still count for player's choice?