Games Beaten 2015

[ExedExes]

I actually think that Super Punch Out!! is harder than Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!

Aw hell naw son. I've beaten SPO and yet still can't get the Bald Bull pattern down on the NES. Perhaps a lack of effort/pattern studying? Maybe.

[Sarge]

I actually think that Super Punch Out!! is harder than Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!

Aw hell naw son. I've beaten SPO and yet still can't get the Bald Bull pattern down on the NES. Perhaps a lack of effort/pattern studying? Maybe.

The timing is really strict. He's not too bad the first time, but the game forces you to get it down for the second time, because you can only knock him down with Uppercuts or during the Bull Rush.

[MrPopo]

The nice thing on the second fight is you can dodge the Bull Rush; he'll just go back and try again. You can keep doing that until you're confident you know when to smack him (also good if you're out of hearts and need to recover).

[Sarge]

Yep. He also likes to get tricky and shorten it up, I think by default it's three bounds forward, but he shorten it to two to throw your timing off.

[MrPopo]

I think it's always three bounces; the difference comes in how often he shifts his legs before moving and he'll start at different vertical points on the screen, but it's always three bounces.

[Exhuminator]

Honestly I think Super Punch Out is harder than Punch Out in every way except the final boss. I have no problems reaching Tyson, but the difficulty spike once you reach him is utterly insane. Although that's probably how most boxers felt in real life when they went against him so I guess it's accurate.

I have the Wii version too, but I haven't played it yet. I even bought a cordless Wii Nunchuk so I wouldn't beat myself in the face with a cord while I played the game. But then I read that the motion controls aren't precise enough in Title Defense so you should just stick to the d-pad and buttons on the Wii Remote. I guess I will go with motion controls until they start being too unresponsive and cost me a fight.

[Markies]

I completed Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES this evening!

Man, that is one tough game. It is a different kind of tough though as none of it feels cheap or unfair. The game is just tough. I would die constantly, but I always felt like I was making progress. I feel like the limitations of the console really held the game back as the game has some great ideas. I love the leveling system and the overworld/town mechanic was really interesting.

The platforming can be rather infuriating. Medusa Heads have nothing on Horse Heads over lava pits. It is an interesting experience and unique concept for the Zelda formula. It is a rough, but still rewarding experience. Expect a fight, but it is still quite doable with a little time and perseverance.

[alienjesus]

I actually think that Super Punch Out!! is harder than Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!

Aw hell naw son. I've beaten SPO and yet still can't get the Bald Bull pattern down on the NES. Perhaps a lack of effort/pattern studying? Maybe.

I feel like the NES game is more about twitch reaction times, whereas the SNES one is more lenient on reaction time but requires you to memorise patterns more as just dodging in one direction (like I do on the NES) is a good way to get knocked out in the SNES one, especially against the likes of Hoy Quarlow who require specific blocking and dodging patterns. They're slightly different skill sets

[prfsnl_gmr]

I guess I will go with motion controls until they start being too unresponsive and cost me a fight.

It takes a long time to get used to the motion controls in that game, and they will wear you out. (FYI...It supports the balance board; so, if you really want a work out, hook that up too.) They are fun for a while, but they are not accurate enough for success. Accordingly, if you are playing the game to win, go with the "NES controls" set up.

I feel like the NES game is more about twitch reaction times, whereas the SNES one is more lenient on reaction time but requires you to memorise patterns more as just dodging in one direction (like I do on the NES) is a good way to get knocked out in the SNES one, especially against the likes of Hoy Quarlow who require specific blocking and dodging patterns. They're slightly different skill sets

I think that's it. I have logged way more hours into Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!; so, I think I try to play Super Punch Out!! just like its NES predecessor (and end up getting my ass kicked by an old man...).

.....

I completed Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES this evening!

Congratulations! That game is definitely the hardest in the Legend of Zelda series, but it is one of my favorites. I would love to see Nintendo revisit the Zelda II formula sometime, pehaps with a little "metroidvania" flavor thrown in for good measure.

[Sarge]

Zelda II was my first NES game. Still have a soft spot for it, even if I did get stuck for years at one spot. Nintendo is usually quite deft with keeping their internal logic consistent, but this one spot wasn't. In most of the game, hidden areas can be found by walking over them on the world map. But when finding the hidden village, that doesn't work. You have to "chop" the trees down with the Hammer (yeah, right!) to reveal it. As someone who'd lost their manual when they lent it to a friend at school (life lesson there!), I had completely forgotten the Hammer could do this. Bleah. Thanks to reading Jeff Rovin's How to Win at Nintendo Games 4 while in the bookstore, though, I figured this out. Yay!

As for something I've beaten, went through Pirates of Dark Water for SNES. It's a passable beat-'em-up that's not afraid to throw tons of enemies at you. There's a little bit of Final Fight and a little bit of Golden Axe in the combat, but really doesn't bring much new to the table, other than the slightly-more-diverse moveset than normal.

I should also note it's pretty easy. I finished it the first time through, and still had six lives left. I started with three.