Summer Games Challenge 2016

[Exhuminator]

Zaxxon has been vanquished twice. First, the arcade version (emulated on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection) and then the Atari 2600 port.

Bone, if you ever get a chance to play with this stuff:

You are in for a great time.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Ya know, it is probably time I got those glasses. I own a few games that are unplayable because I lack them. Same goes for that Master System gun.

Oh, and I believe it was prfsnl_gmr who told me that Moon Patrol wasn't that difficult. This game is kicking my ass!

[Exhuminator]

I want to be crystal clear about the SEGA 3D Glasses:

When used correctly (proper distance from CRT TV, low light environment) they perform amazingly well.

A surprising amount of games support them. My favorites were Zaxxon 3-D, Maze Hunter 3-D, Blade Eagle 3-D, Space Harrier 3-D, and Outrun 3-D.

Unfortunately there is no Ys 3-D. My apologies for your loss.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I want to be crystal clear about the SEGA 3D Glasses:

This is absolutely correct. When I tried them for the first time, it blew my mind that you could get such a great 3D effect from such a primitive system.

.....

Summer Games Challenge

1. Adventure - Broken Sword (PC/iOS)
2. Beat 'em Up - Guardian Heroes (SATURN/360)
3. Fighting - Virtua Fighter Remix (ARCADE/SATURN), Virtua Fighter 2 (ARCADE/SATURN/PS3), and Fighting Vipers (ARCADE/SATURN/PS3)
4. FPS - Perfect Dark (N64/360)
5. JRPG - Dragon Warrior II (NES/GBC)
6. Racing - Virtua Racing (ARCADE/PS2), Daytona USA (ARCADE/DREAMCAST), and Sega Rally Championship (ARCADE/SATURN)
7. Rail Shooters - Virtua Cop (ARCADE/SATURN) and Virtua Cop 2 (ARCADE/SATURN)
8. Run 'n Gun - Ikari Warriors (ARCADE/PS3)
9. Shmup - Galactic Attack/Layer Section/RayForce (ARCADE/SATURN/XBOX/iOS)
10. Sports - Decathlete (ARCADE/SATURN)

Another one down! I have been practicing Galactic Attack/Layer Section/RayForce for some time, and I have played around with it for years. Moreover, until last night, it had the distinct honor of being the one game my four-year-old son had beaten that I had not. (When I need to distract him in a restaurant, I let him play "the spaceship game" on my iPhone. I turn on auto-fire, and he credit feeds until the end!) I will write a little bit more about it in the "games beaten" thread, but I will say that Galactic Attack/Layer Section/RayForce is a pretty great shmup and the ultimate evolution of the "Xevious" shmup formula. The game even acknowledges its roots right before the third boss:

Finally - and while I did not 1CC the game - I think that RayForce is a great candidate for a 1CC. The last two levels are tough, but the game is always fair (and, really, not that hard overall).

.....

Up next...Dragon Warrior II!

[Ack]

Jack in the Dark

Actually the GOG release of Alone in the Dark includes Jack in the Dark in the first game. You're asked on startup whether you want to play Alone or Jack.

Anyway, I fired up the game and selected Edward Carnby as my playable character because the face of Emily's character model kinda freaks me out. Getting the hang of movement wasn't a problem, though I sometimes get stuck behind hidden objects due to the camera view. While this can be a somewhat frustrating experience when trying to figure out how to navigate an area, it can also be potentially deadly if there is something I'm trying to avoid touching.

Combat is another story. The variety of enemies I've faced from the get go is pretty astounding, though I find some much more tolerable than others. Some serve only as guardians, limiting my time in a room or operating like a puzzle to be solved. Others just show up from time to time, and while some aren't bad(zombies have been pretty easy to take on), the dog/bird/whatever things just absolutely suck. It's also taken a fair bit of getting used to the controls for me to handle combat, so I generally try to avoid it if possible. There are also a lot of things that will just flat out kill me, so...yeah.

What I really admire about the game is how much it obviously pulled from point and click horror titles. There are so many objects to interact with, some of which you can break to reveal new secrets or whatnot. Exploration is a must despite the tricks and traps surrounding you. I put in a good hour last night, and a big piece of that was just exploring new ways to die, such as a pit trap near the beginning or a ghost in an armchair. I expect there to be a lot of red herrings in the items too, just like there are occasionally with the audio, which queues up songs for monsters but also occasionally incorporates growls, howls, screeches, and other sounds to suddenly shock the player.

Either way, so far I like the game. The controls are a bit daunting, yes, but the experience beyond them has been worth it. Also, being able to save anywhere is both a boon and a curse, since I suspect I might be able to save in an unwinnable state.

[Exhuminator]

Up next...Dragon Warrior II!

Well you've force my hand. Looks like I'm starting on Dragon Warrior II tonight. I've been debating playing the Android, SFC, or GBC version. But the GBC version would be the most ergonomic for me right now (if I had a GPD XD it'd be the SFC one). Anyway, HLTB shows the GBC version to average 15h 55m to beat. And that works for me.

Also, being able to save anywhere is both a boon and a curse, since I suspect I might be able to save in an unwinnable state.

I don't recall ever saving myself into such a situation, but I guess it's possible. I'm glad you're playing through AitD without a walkthrough. It'll make the puzzles and sense of discovery so much better that way.

[Ack]

Also, being able to save anywhere is both a boon and a curse, since I suspect I might be able to save in an unwinnable state.

I don't recall ever saving myself into such a situation, but I guess it's possible. I'm glad you're playing through AitD without a walkthrough. It'll make the puzzles and sense of discovery so much better that way.

Yeah, I've got a method. Any time I come to a new room, I save outside and then run in and find what in the room can kill me. It's made things much easier to deal with.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Up next...Dragon Warrior II!

Well you've force my hand. Looks like I'm starting on Dragon Warrior II tonight. I've been debating playing the Android, SFC, or GBC version. But the GBC version would be the most ergonomic for me right now (if I had a GPD XD it'd be the SFC one). Anyway, HLTB shows the GBC version to average 15h 55m to beat. And that works for me.

I will be playing the GBC version too. I played through Dragon Warrior and Dragon Warrior III on the GBC; so, I might as well play Dragon Warrior II on that platform as well. Also, IMO, the GBC versions are the best versions. They retain the games' 8-bit charm while adding in player-friendly modern design. (Quick save, FTW!)

I will be traveling next week, and I suspect I will really dig into the game then. I plan on starting it ASAP, however. (I nonetheless suspect that you will get through it way faster than me!)

[Sarge]

I'd probably recommend the GBC version anyway. The SNES version looks a little nicer, but the translation patch is kinda sketchy in spots; there are also lots of little bugs that snuck in, like being able to find the Prince of Cannock... while he's still in your party. You can really bugger up your save game if you're not careful.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Another one down! I have been practicing Galactic Attack/Layer Section/RayForce for some time, and I have played around with it for years. Moreover, until last night, it had the distinct honor of being the one game my four-year-old son had beaten that I had not. (When I need to distract him in a restaurant, I let him play "the spaceship game" on my iPhone. I turn on auto-fire, and he credit feeds until the end!)

That's hilarious. I own the game on Saturn and have never made much headway, primarily because of the limited continues. I still need to get that Taito Legends import with the emulated arcade version.

Really awesome game. It's just hard.

(And don't forget, it's also called Gunlock! )

I played some Moon Patrol this morning and I actually prefer the game on Atari 5200 over 2600. I think that's the port I'll be sticking with.