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Key-Glyph
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Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by Key-Glyph Sun Apr 24, 2022 9:47 pm

All right folks, you know what time it is. It's time to start thinking about which awesome classic games you're gonna be playing this summer!

The Racketboy Summer Games Challenge has always been my favorite event on the forum -- something I would come back to year after year, even if I'd been otherwise inactive. @alienjesus put a lot of energy and time into running it for goodness knows how long, and I want to thank him for tirelessly building us a clubhouse and keeping the lights on for us each season. Although I can't possibly run as tight a ship as he did, he's letting me take the helm for 2022.

So, let's get packing, campers!

The Challenge: A Quick History Lesson

Over a decade ago a forum member named SnickerD00dle began issuing an annual challenge: play through ten classic games you've never beaten over the course of the summer. The genius of the challenge is that it gives everyone the freedom to pursue their own customized lists while still guaranteeing that conversation will be lively, since each game you pick will no doubt hold a place in another participant's heart (or nightmares). You'll find that folks are eager to share their memories and/or live vicariously through you as you play, as well commiserate and help you out if you get stuck. It's a blast.

Generally speaking and simply put, a classic is a "definitive" game (or game series) that many gamers have played. I am absolutely not going to police lists, but for the sake of generating community conversation, try to pick titles and/or series that a lot of folks have connections to. Capeesh?

Difficulty Levels

Now, SnickerD00dle's original rules have loosened over time, and I'm glad of it, because it makes me sad when people forgo the challenge because they fixate on the rules and get scared off by the perceived pressure and commitment. Thus, this year I am instituting difficulty settings. (This might be a stupid idea, but there's only way to find out, so I'm diving in and we'll see how it goes over.) Choose exactly how much pressure you want to put on yourself -- and yes, difficulty can be adjusted at any time during the summer!

HARDCORE MODE (SnickerD00dle's original stipulations):
  • Make a list of 10 classic games you've never beaten
  • Try to finish all of them before the summer's end
VETERAN MODE:
  • Make a list of 5-10 classic games you've never beaten
  • Try to finish 5 before the summer's end
PEACEFUL MODE:
  • Make a list of 1-10 classic games you've never beaten
  • Try to finish 1 before the summer's end
And hey, if you want to invent a Nightmare Mode and go for 10+ games, do it. We believe in you.

Season Dates
  • Season Start: May 2022
  • Season End: September 2022
Please note that the purpose of defining the season is just to give us a common window of time for hype and involvement. It's totally fine to start early or end late. Just do a bunch of talking between May 1st and September 30th!

So, pick a difficulty and let's get discussing our lists! Really looking forward to doing this again with you all.

Also, feel free to drop some nice comments about @alienjesus for carrying this challenge on his shoulders for so long. I'm sure he'll appreciate them as much as we've appreciated his efforts.
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o.pwuaioc
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by o.pwuaioc Sun Apr 24, 2022 10:29 pm

Welcome back, Key! Haven't seen you around these parts in years.

This might be my first summer in years when I actually have time to play a few games through to the end. There are some classics I stopped years ago that I've been wanting to pick up and finally finish, and this is a good time to do it.
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by dsheinem Sun Apr 24, 2022 11:22 pm

This year I will contribute more than snark to this thread.

I will supply snark, too.

I will be focusing on stuff I want to play through on original hardware, which gives me some fun newly acquired choices. My list will probably feature an 8 or 16 bit title or two, a PS1, PS2, and PS3 game, probably an N64 game, and maybe a few other arcadey-type games. Looking forward to it!
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Key-Glyph
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by Key-Glyph Sun Apr 24, 2022 11:44 pm

Hey Opwok! Nice to see you again too.

o.pwuaioc wrote:This might be my first summer in years when I actually have time to play a few games through to the end. There are some classics I stopped years ago that I've been wanting to pick up and finally finish, and this is a good time to do it.


Heck yeah, let's do it! I missed last year's challenge because 2021 was the absolute worst, but things have worked out and I'm feeling inspired again to get into this and enjoy myself. We got this.

Here's my tentative list, in no particular order:

1. EarthBound Beginnings (Switch)
2. Toejam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron (GEN)
3. Scribblenauts (DS)
4. Journeyman Project: Turbo! (PC)
5. Prince of Persia (ApplII)
6. Out of This World (GEN)*

My thoughts by game:

1. I'm gonna start on Peaceful Difficulty, because I've been wanting to play MOTHER for something like a decade now but I'm told it's an absolute grindfest. My main goal, then, is to focus on EarthBound Beginnings. If it's the only game I finish this summer, I'll consider the challenge well spent. If I wind up abandoning it, well, I'll decide what to move to next when I cross that bridge. :lol:

2. Panic on Funkotron was sent to me by a seller in error but they let me keep it, so it's just been sitting on my shelf unplayed. I'm a huge fan of the original game and figured the summer challenge was good inspiration to dig into it.

3. I'm not sure if Scribblenauts is lauded as a classic, but it was a Big Deal when it came out, and I never finished it. It's got a nice summery vibe to it, too. A nice, chill handheld option if I need it.

4. Journeyman Project: Turbo! is also probably not considered a classic, but it came as a pack-in title with our first Windows computer, won a bunch of awards, and had groundbreaking visuals for the time. It's also haunted me for my entire life, so it's a classic in my own head. I feel like that all counts for something. :mrgreen:

5. Prince of Persia needs no introduction and I'm a huge fan of Jordan Mechner. Karateka made a huge impact on me as a child, but I never played his most well-known title. It's high time I changed that.

6. Out of This World is a wildcard because I don't own it yet, but I'm super intrigued and will wind up buying it if the spirit moves me to tackle it this summer. I had never heard of this game until @BogusMeatFactory told me about it, and whenever I mention that to other people, they shout at me, "YOU'D NEVER HEARD OF IT?? IT'S A CLASSIC!!" So... basically the dictionary definition of what this challenge is all about. :lol:
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Key-Glyph
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by Key-Glyph Sun Apr 24, 2022 11:47 pm

dsheinem wrote:This year I will contribute more than snark to this thread.

I will supply snark, too.


Oh, yes. This is still a thing. The clubhouse has very lax rules this year, dsh, but I will gladly accept your traditional hazing. Nice to see you. :mrgreen:
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sevin0seven
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by sevin0seven Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:11 pm

Hmmm...I might join as well. There's also a few classic games I've always wanted to finish.

List pending...
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PretentiousHipster
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by PretentiousHipster Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:47 pm

I made a list last year that was the perfect list... and then I didn't play any of them :lol: This was the list btw

1. Super Mario World
2. Final Fantasy 7
3. Metal Gear Solid
4. Super Metroid
5. Resident Evil
6. Fallout
7. Silent Hill 2
8. Shenmue
9. Planescape: Torment
10. Panzer Dragoon Saga

I dunno, should I actually try this time?
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by MrPopo Mon Apr 25, 2022 8:24 pm

I might join you for Panic on Funkotron; I picked up a copy ages ago mostly because I was given to understand that a Genesis collection requires some amount of Toejam and Earl and I bounced hard off of the first game when I tried it on an emulator.
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Note
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by Note Tue Apr 26, 2022 9:54 am

Hey Key, thanks for hosting the Summer Games Challenge this year! I'm going to go for the Peaceful Mode, and make a list of 5 games to try to complete over that time. In no particular order, here are the games I'd like to experience and complete --

1. Resident Evil 3 (PS1) - Love the first two RE games, but I actually haven't played the third yet. I plan to play this game first, as I'm in the mood for another survival horror game.
2. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - I've been curious about this one for years as I heard great things. I haven't played too many PS2 games but I'd like play some of the necessary titles in the library.
3. Soul Blazer (SNES) - I'm a fan of Action RPGs and Enix's work on the SNES. Have a feeling I'll enjoy the first release in the trilogy by Enix.
4. Ratchet & Clank (PS2)* - I haven't played too many platformers this year, so this would be a nice way to change that and switch things up.
5. Shadowrun (SNES) - I grew up playing the Genesis release of Shadowrun at my neighbor's house but didn't realize there was a different SNES release until much later. This version looks fun too, so I'd like to finally dive in.

* I don't own Ratchet & Clank on PS2 just yet, but hoping to track it down in the next month or two.
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Re: Racketboy Summer Games Challenge 2022!

by prfsnl_gmr Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:24 am

If Key-Glyph’s hosting, then I’m in! Assuming I can Elden Ring to the side for a few days, here’s my list:

Bionic Commando (Arcade)
Contra (Famicom)
King’s Field a/k/a King’s Field II (PS1)
Metal Gear (NES)
Mysterious Murasame Castle (Famicom)
Shinobi (Arcade)
Summer Carnival ‘92 Recca (Famicom)
Super Baseball 2020 (Neo Geo)
Super Meat Boy (XBLA)
Vampire Killer (MSX)

I’ll turn the difficulty slider all the way up to HARDCORE, and try to get through all of these by the end of September!

…..

Expect comments on everyone’s list soon!
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