Games You Have Beaten Recently?

[PII | 2,029]

51 minutes ago, Rhuno said:

Astyanax for the NES. I'd never played this game prior to picking it up recently. It feels like it wants to be a Genesis game with its large sprites and character designs. It's a fun game overall and one that I can see myself going back to repeatedly when I'm looking for something fairly short to play through.

I can't help noticing that "Astyanax" is an anagram for "A Nasty Ax."

... and Astyanax is given a magical ax to begin his quest...

Edited August 4 by PII

[NostalgicMachine | 324]

Mega Man 4 (NES)

Mega Man 5 (NES)

Mega Man 6 (NES)

Yes, we're doing Mega Man videos for The Gaming Manual .

[T-Pac | 7,855]

20 hours ago, Rhuno said:

Astyanax for the NES. I'd never played this game prior to picking it up recently. It feels like it wants to be a Genesis game with its large sprites and character designs.

I've never thought of Astyanax this way before, but it's SO TRUE!

[T-Pac]

[wongojack | 312]

I continued my tour of versions of 8-bit Ghostbusters last month. 

I picked up a copy of the Famicom version while I was in Japan and ended up playing that cart when I brought it back home.  The Famicom/NES version gets criticized often with AVGN giving it a lot of flak almost 20 years ago.  I was surprised to discover that while some of the criticism is true, the NES version offers some unique gameplay that deepens the experience and lets you enjoy the actual ghostbusting section of the game in a refreshing way.  It has the distinction of having the most compelling ghost catching gameplay loop and while the addition of a stairway section that requires button tapping might have been unforgiveable at one point, the prevalence of turbo controllers make it a minor complaint in 2024.  It might be the worst looking version of the game, but despite its flaws, I found a lot of compelling gameplay in this version, and I give it a 4 out of 5.

 

The 2600 version of Ghostbusters is one of those games that probably shouldn't exist.  I'm sure that if David Crane didn't have personal knowledge of the 2600 that this version would have never been made.  Did it really make sense for Activision to release it?  Well, it does exist, and it does a nice job of including all the basic elements of the original game.  There's no stair climbing or final battle with Gozer, but the ghost catching, driving, and bouncing Marshmallow Man are in here.  You can even continue with your earnings like the other versions, but there is no password this time.  The problem with the 2600 version is that once you get your strategy down for catching ghosts, the game offers no challenge at all, and the continue system lets you play and play and play until you max out the score.  Unlike other versions, there are no new cars to buy or advanced equipment to try.  The only challenge might come from severely limiting your equipment which is definitely less fun.  While this game is nice to have around for a few smiles, it is probably the least fun version of the game.  I give it a 2 out of 5.

 

Edited August 5 by wongojack

[Sumez | 3,152]

On 8/4/2024 at 2:41 AM, Rhuno said:

It feels like it wants to be a Genesis game with its large sprites and character designs.

It's a port of an arcade game

[NostalgicMachine | 324]

15 hours ago, T-Pac said:

I've never thought of Astyanax this way before, but it's SO TRUE!

[T-Pac]

Man, I need to play this one again. I remember getting a cart only copy back in like, 2012-2013, and not vibing with it. The sprites were huge (given it was an arcade port, IIRC), but I just didn't "get it". Most of the time when I play those types of games again at a later date, they "click".

[rdrunner | 444]

Just finished a 100% completion of The Talos Principle.  Really well-made puzzle game that felt like a much more serious take on the Portal series.  It's also quite long when going for all the endings.  I think I started this run back in January, though I was playing at a casual pace.

While not the main attraction, the best puzzles were the stars, which require a ton of outside-the-box thinking.  It took a ridiculously long time to figure these out (maybe 75% of my playthrough), but it felt great each time I did.  I admit that I looked up about 4 of them that were particularly hidden, but I balanced that out by finding a whole bunch of easter eggs.

The game also features a ton of philosophical dialogue, if you're into that sort of thing.  I personally didn't care for it, but I would still recommend opening all the files from the little computer terminals, so that you at least uncover the game's story.

Anyway, great game.  Giving it an S-ranking for the year!

[wongojack | 312]

Ok, I'm keeping the Ghostbusters tour rolling with the Apple ][ and ZX Spectrum versions.

The ZX Spectrum - boy is this computer a strange animal.  Sometimes when I play games on this thing, I wind up wondering "how'd they do that" and other times, I want to turn it off almost immediately.  Unfortunately, the version of Ghostbusters for the machine fits into the "when can I turn this off?" category.  The basics are all here and, in terms of game options, it manages to offer even more than the 2600 version, but they somehow killed all of the charm in the game.  The 48k version has almost no sound at all except for the intro screen - it is almost completely silent, almost.  The ghostbusters do have vocalizations when they catch a ghost or get slimed, and it is horrid to listen to.  I'll give them some credit in that I knew what the characters were saying, but it sounds awful.  In fact, everything about this version feels like it is about to break and make the spectrum burst into flames.  The driving segment is so painfully slow that it feels like a slideshow.  I tried in two different emulators, and the movement of the car was extremely choppy.  The ghost catching sequence is functional, and you can actually trap the ghosts in this version under your streams for a satisfying capture, but then you have to listen to the Spectrum blurt out a vocalized Ghostbusters which sounds like a nails on the chalkboard category punishment after about the 2nd time.  The 128k version adds music to the NYC map and driving which does help, but the slow-down (which is both constant and ebbs to even slower at times) is unbearable.  That reminds me that I skipped over the fact that as the game starts it writes the menus and instructions on screen like a typewriter.  This was kinda neat on the C64, but here it is so slow that you are just wondering if you'll catch cold and die before it finishes.  To deal with this, I had to speed up the emulation to even get through a play session.  While this game manages to retain almost all of the features of the C64 original, it begs you to quit from the first moments.  Even the start-up vocalization of Ghostbusters sucks.  1 out of 5.

 

The Apple ][ version is, well it's ok.  After playing the Spectrum or 2600 versions, you get back to an understanding of what this game was supposed to be in the first place.  The original intent of the game designer is back and easily identifiable.  There are no vocalizations, and the game is mostly silent (probably thankful for that). The sound we do hear is that pitifully basic Apple ][ sound.  The graphics are serviceable, and all of the game elements work and feel like they are worthwhile.  I know there were a ton of expansions and add-on cards for the Apple ][, but the version I played looked and was animated like a very basic Apple ][ game complete with ugly pallet and color clash in certain places.  That makes the graphics average for the time and pretty bad from a "looking back" perspective.  Thankfully the gameplay here is reasonably fast and the ghostbusting loop is satisfying to play.  If you wanted to play Activision's Ghostbusters in 1984 then this would probably have scratched your itch just fine.  However, knowing all the alternatives, I consider this game to still be a bit below average.  I give it a 2 out of 5.

 

[G-type | 2,796]

I don't think I've done more than just fiddle a bit with this game. I never seriously took the time to learn how to play it properly.

[wongojack | 312]

15 hours ago, G-type said:

I don't think I've done more than just fiddle a bit with this game. I never seriously took the time to learn how to play it properly.

The game was initially very complex to me.  I'd boot it up (c64) and catch some ghosts, but how to get the advanced equipment and earn enough money to win wasn't something my child-brain could handle.  As an adult, the game seems quite easy to understand and to play. 

 

The foundational premise picks up on the financial aspect of the Ghostbusters movie - the team is taking a risk on starting a new business.  So, you have to manage your money by buying your initial equipment and travelling around NYC catching ghosts to pay back what you spent.  While AVGN didn't like it, I think this is a perfectly fine thing to borrow from the movie and adds a very natural scoring system to the gameplay.  There's also quite a bit of creativity in the various items that you can purchase, and these items continue to get more varied and advanced in the NES and SMS versions.  In this way the game expands on the Ghostbusters lore and gets you excited about some of the things that could possibly exist in this fantasy world of ghost extermination.

The gameplay consists of strategizing how to travel around the city in the most efficient way and perfecting your ghost trapping technique to be the fastest possible (faster catch = higher $$/score).  Each version seems to bring something different to the ghost catching screen (which I think is the core of the game).  Some seem unfair, some more straightforward.  I don't think any of them are particularly easy, but if you think outside the box a bit then you can predict where the ghosts will go a bit better.  The segments where you control the car can be nice interludes that make you think about the car in the movie and the various upgrades you've applied, but even at their best, they feel like filler most of the time.  Older versions all include some screen where you have to "sneak" your ghostbusters past a bouncing marshmallow man.  Similar to the car, this serves mostly as a chance to put something from the movie in the game, but it provides a suitable end-game accomplishment before you can start over with whatever money you've made and try again with new equipment.  The SMS and NES versions add two additional segments, one where the ghostbusters climb the stairs of the building and another where they shoot at Gozer.  I think those extra segments do a nice job of integrating more of the movie with the game and giving the player a better sense of completion/accomplishment.

As a showcase of the movie, Ghostbusters is a success.  As a player, I get to interact with the characters and activity in the movie, and I can reminisce about my favorite parts while seeing symbols and icons from the film on my computer/tv.  The equipment even deepens the content a bit and lets me imagine what other things the ghostbusters might use or encounter in their day to day life as ghost exterminators.  If we take the experience away from the context of the movie and only consider its value as a game, then I think it suffers quite a bit.  If the designers had embraced the "high score" element of the game a bit more and tested ways to further challenge the player with higher difficulty, then it could have been really great.  As it is, I think this is an acceptable way to expand the experience of seeing the movie and have a little fun role playing running your own Ghostbusters business.  There is a little bit of challenge and re-play ability thanks to the inclusion of some extra vehicles and equipment, but most people will be done with the game once they sneak past Stay Puft.

[wongojack | 312]

All right, how about 2 more versions of Activision's Ghostbusters?!

 

Amstrad CPC - This was my first time seriously playing the Amstrad version (or any Amstrad game), and I wasn't impressed.  Some basic gameplay elements are different or just not here.  For example, missing a ghost does not raise the PKE level 300pts in this version which contributes to long stretches where the player is just sitting and waiting for something to happen.  It is a really slow pace.  On the positive side, the graphics and sound on this version are nicely presented with plenty of color and full soundtrack and sounds (except the ghost vacuum sound).  Despite the nice colors and perfectly decent artwork, they seem to have only created two building facades.  Even the end sequence to sneak your ghostbusters past the Marshmallow Man uses a recycled building.  That seems like a signal that this version just didn't get very much attention.  Gameplay suffers too.  There are jumps and jerks in the vehicle stage, and there is considerable flicker on the ghost catching screen.  This is also the only version where the ghost seemed to be able to "flicker" his way through your proton beam and escape capture - grrr. 

Marshmallow Alert - once I got the PKE level up to 5000, the Marshmallow Man did appear.  The animation for stopping him was sooo slow that I almost thought the game had crashed or something.  Well, he never appeared again.  I waited in one spot, went to various buildings.  I tried to milk the clock, but he never came back.  This may seem like a small issue, but it fundamentally changes the flow of the game and removes a lot of the excitement of the final moments before the Keymaster and Gatekeeper make their way to Zuul.  I played around with this version for about 100 minutes to try and see everything it had to offer.  At first, I was pleased with the presentation, but as I dug in, it seemed worse and worse.  I went back to start a new game and the slow pace just killed it.  I couldn't even get through another game with one of the other cars and just had to quit.  I haven't decided yet if this is the worst version of Activision's Ghostbusters, but I am definitely giving it a 1 out of 5.

 

 

 

The MSX version, felt like a nice cool breeze after playing the Amstrad version.  The game plays nice and fast.  There's not too much waiting for buildings to turn red, and the actual ghost catching is pretty challenging.  I tried a new strategy here where I basically just parked in one spot and waited to see how many times I could stop the Marshmallow Attack and get the big points bonus.  This strategy didn't coax the Marshmallow Man to appear, instead the Keymaster and Gatekeeper went to Zuul and ended the game around 7,700 PKE.  I guess there's some logic in the game to make this happen if the player isn't moving around and catching ghosts?  If I mixed in a few trips to buildings, I could still catch the Marshmallow Man 4 times, but Keymaster and Gatekeeper still entered Zuul a little before 10k in this version.  I went back and tested a similar strategy in other versions and the PKE energy seemed to always reach 9999.  In general, I like the variation and plan to test other versions to see how unique it is to the MSX.

Gameplay here is the star as the ghosts move quickly and often avoid capture when using techniques I've developed on other versions.  This was a positive for me but could make the game feel unfair to newer players.  The presentation is above average but not the best.  There seem to be some sprite limitations with the car that prevent showing your equipment.  This changes the initial loading screen and the ghost vacuuming animation.  Those are noticeable but don't detract much.  I did find the lack of detail on the actual ghostbusters to be underwhelming and a heavy reliance on gray in general makes the game seem a little "drab" when compared directly to others.  It tends to contrast a bit too much with the green used quite often as well.  Something of note for this version is that Colecovision homebrewers and frequent internet forum site visitors Team Pixelboy have adapted it for the Coleco. 

As a final verdict, I'm giving the MSX version a 3 out of 5.

 

Edited August 26 by wongojack

[wongojack | 312]

Yep - More Ghostbusters.  These are two versions which I won't rate out of 5 because they are in different stages of development or neglect.

 

The new TI99 homebrew version is shaping up to be quite impressive.  It is based on the MSX version but features lots of music, voice and graphical enhancements.  The voices are sampled from the iconic song and often use the "chorus" to shout out "Ghostbusters."  Slimer appears on the map in this game (the only version where he does) and the ghostbusters are nicely drawn in correctly colored uniforms.  The city looks a bit different, but I like it, and there are many different building facades to visit.  Even the end game screens of the bouncing marshmallow man and the ghostbusters closing the gate get an upgrade.  The game is truly shaping up to be a genuine treasure for the TI99

 

 

The PC version wasn't a DOS game.  Instead, it contained files on the disk to load without an OS.  PC Booter is what this type of game seems to be referred to, and I have no memory of loading any software of the type in my life.  This makes the game a little difficult to run in DOSBox, but it does work.  Shout out to The King of Grabs for helping me get it running. Playing in PCJr mode gives the best experience with full color graphics and a great rendition of the theme song.  There are no vocalizations, but the game plays nice and fast with all the elements in place compared to other examples.  The biggest drawback here is that you have to slow DOSBox down so much that there are some graphical glitches, and the game still runs a bit too fast to be played accurately.  Even so, I had fun with this version, but it would have been really nice to see it running natively on the PCJr bitd.

 

[wongojack | 312]

Another game beaten, AND it's . . . NOT Ghostbusters

 

I know you're disappointed.  I still have a few more Ghostbusters versions to review (I think I've beaten them all), but I'm going to give the remaining ones a little more playtime before I post on them.

 

Instead, I ended up reaching the end of Mr. Run and Jump for the Atari 2600.  I recently purchased my copy from Woot (where they have reached an even lower price since I ordered).  It seems hard to mention this game without talking a little about the release and the inconvenience experienced by those that purchased the collector's edition.  In most circles, it wouldn't matter, but classic gamers placed plenty of pre-orders for the limited edition which did not end up shipping until a year after it was initially sold (standard edition shipped quickly).  When it did arrive, many reported that the box was slightly damaged/folded.  Seemingly in the same way on multiple copies (post | vid).  This combined with the VERY carefully worded claim that Mr. Run and Jump is Atari's first official cartridge release since 1990 may have created a bad impression with some crusty old Atari folk.  I might have been in that category myself especially when confronted with the original $30 price tag for a game that didn't look so great from the initial media and previews.

Well, the price dropped, and I decided to give the game a try.  My initial reaction to Mr. Run and Jump was fairly harsh.  The game uses basic graphics even by 2600 standards, and it seems that the creator did not do as much to avoid sprite flicker as some other games.  The game has such a minimalistic style that I suspect that flicker was left in as an artistic element.  It gives the player something else to look at.  I have to admit that once you get used to it, it kind of works.  The style is definitely not going to be for everyone however and a more critical gamer might refer to the look as "empty," "bleak," or "hard to look at," but I wouldn't say those things .  As for sound, there's not much of it.  There's some nice intro music but other than that, I think the only sounds are from our titular character jumping and from 2 or 3 of the enemies who move in a pattern accompanied by sound.  Otherwise, the soundscape is as minimalistic or "bleak" as the visual style.

The gameplay of Mr. Run and Jump is quite different from most 2600 games.  You begin with a set score that decreases gradually as you play.  Score subtracts at a slow rate almost constantly, but also at a set amount for individual deaths.  You have unlimited lives, so the goal of Mr. Run and Jump is to complete all 6 levels in as short a time as possible while dying as few times as possible.  You do this by advancing each screen from left to right while jumping over or avoiding the various obstacles.  Any death returns you back to the beginning of that level.  The obstacles in the game range from barely even there, to suddenly appearing surprise-death magnets as well as a fair amount of timing-based falling, spinning, bouncing type enemies.  Because of the precision required and sometimes unfair introduction of new mechanics, you'll die a lot.  That means you'll wind up playing some parts of each level many times before reaching the end (at least I did).  For the most part, the game functions very well.  Jumping actually jumps and your control over Mr. Run and Jump is more than adequate.  There are a few stray points where a button press seems not to register or grabbing a ladder is harder than expected, but usually the deaths were easily explained from the environment or gameplay (and not the controls). 

Even so, the first few hours with the game will probably frustrate most people who once got an Atari 2600 for Christmas in 197x or at least consider themselves 2600 fans.  I would recommend playing for 30-90 minutes at a time until you get to level 5 (the black level).  At that point, you are almost at the end, so resist destroying your controller by throwing it into the TV and take the time to watch a walkthrough of the game.  You'll see that the game can be completed and - like most games - it is just a matter of analyzing or planning your stops and starts to get to the final level.  Keep watching as you'll see that the final level is not only black, but all the environment structures are now completely invisible.  I have mixed feelings about this choice because it is something that a lot of 2600 games also did - "Let's turn the maze invisible on the hardest difficulty!"  So, while this fits in from the standpoint of tradition and era appropriate design, I never really liked it.  This is what really drew me to watch a walkthrough as I was enraged to find the final level was a trial and error filled patience-testing simulator.  I probably just needed a break.  You may too.

 

With all that being said, once I sort of gave myself over to analyzing the gameplay (example - "jump on the 9th or 10th time that the two skulls go through the gap on level 5 screen xyz") I was able to appreciate this game much more.  Knowing the end was in sight actually made me feel a little nostalgic for the first few hours when it seemed a dauntingly hard and difficult journey was still ahead of me.  Basically, I liked it more as I played it, and the novelty of having this type of game on the 2600 really started to appeal to me.  There are pros and cons, and it was a really hard game for me to rate, but Mr. Run and Jump lunges his way just over the line to a 4 out of 5.  I think the dog really helps.

 

[Webhead123 | 739]

So, I finally got through the entirety of Alien: Isolation. Without intending to offend anyone...I don't really understand how this game became so critically lauded and so deeply beloved.

Okay, that's not entirely fair. I can understand that this game does one thing particularly well, which is recreating the look and atmosphere of the original Alien film to a tee. I love that the developers stuck very rigidly to that "retro-70s sci-fi future" in all of the art design. Monochrome CRTs with utilitarian user interfaces, bulky equipment, etc. There's no arguing that the game makes a fantastic visual companion to the world of Ridley Scott's film.

I suppose I can also respect that the developers had a specific vision: to recreate the experience of Alien in as detailed and immersive a way as possible in a video game. With that as their primary goal, I can say that they did a pretty damn good job of it.

My problem, then, really just comes down to how the total package just doesn't work that well as a game, at least not in my eyes. This is partly the fault of their particular choice of story, partly the almost certain pressures from their publisher and partly the execution of some of the game's systems.

Without spoiling anything (although I'd argue that their honestly isn't much to spoil here), the story feels like it's all fan-service and almost zero actual substance. We are in the Alien franchise, sure, so I don't think anyone expects Shakespearian levels of character development...but some amount of character would have helped. We're never given much reason to care about anyone we meet because there's almost never any window into who they are or what they've been through. Even our main character is more or less a blank slate and never really changes much. In truth, there's probably about 5 hours' worth of content here but the game seems obviously stretched to fill a 15–20-hour runtime.

The gameplay is also a rather manic up-and-down that swings between empty tedium one minute to sudden, lethal intensity the next, often at the expense of the player's frustration. You can be doing totally fine, minding your own business with various QTEs (oh, god, the QTEs in this game) when the xenomorph suddenly appears from a vent behind you and instantly knows where you are (I hope your last save station wasn't too long ago). Yes, I know that there's supposedly a sophisticated AI at work behind the alien that is intended to both keep the player in suspense while also allowing some room to learn its habits. Unfortunately, whatever algorithms are at work behind the scenes seem annoyingly inconsistent and can leave the player feeling like they just "got unlucky" in some way and now are forced to replay the last tedious 15 minutes since the previous checkpoint all over again. It feels like, for as ambitious as the alien AI design is, the game would greatly benefit from a little bit more clarity or consistency in allowing the player to learn and adapt to its behavior.

So, for all my bitching, what did I think of Alien: Isolation overall? Well, I will say that I'm glad in a way to have experienced its ability to create atmosphere and as a means to step into the world of Alien in an impressively immersive way. But I feel that, as a game, it was much, much too long and tedious, the story was very hollow and uninspiring and the game play was a slog to get through, either being repetitive and boring or being frustratingly obtuse. I really see no value to revisiting it again and consider even the first playthrough only barely worth my time.

Giving it a numeric rating is tough. Again, I can really see the passion behind this game in terms of the developers wanting to recreate what it would be like to be trapped in space while being hunted by a xenomorph. But although I can admire that ambition and appreciate the quite beautiful and haunting visual design and sense of immersion...the game itself just wasn't...fun. I don't know if I can give it more than a 5/10. Props for ambition and for being so faithful to the source material but if I ain't having a good time, all of that polish just isn't enough to keep me coming back.

If you want to play a dystopian sci-fi horror game about survival aboard a hostile space station just after the proverbial shit has hit the fan, I think you'd be much better off playing the System Shock remake. Sure, it doesn't feature the xenomorph or Weyland-Yutani but it otherwise functions better as a game than Alien: Isolation in just about every conceivable way.

Edited August 26 by Webhead123

[Webhead123 | 739]

On 8/4/2024 at 10:46 PM, wongojack said:

I continued my tour of versions of 8-bit Ghostbusters last month. 

I picked up a copy of the Famicom version while I was in Japan and ended up playing that cart when I brought it back home.  The Famicom/NES version gets criticized often with AVGN giving it a lot of flak almost 20 years ago.  I was surprised to discover that while some of the criticism is true, the NES version offers some unique gameplay that deepens the experience and lets you enjoy the actual ghostbusting section of the game in a refreshing way.  It has the distinction of having the most compelling ghost catching gameplay loop and while the addition of a stairway section that requires button tapping might have been unforgiveable at one point, the prevalence of turbo controllers make it a minor complaint in 2024.  It might be the worst looking version of the game, but despite its flaws, I found a lot of compelling gameplay in this version, and I give it a 4 out of 5.

Is there any genuine strategy to getting past the stairwell stage or is it truly just a matter of extreme patience and a bit of luck with the ghost pathing? I've attempted this game many times over the decades but I've always walked away convinced that the stairwell is basically impossible in all but the most rare circumstances. Just curious if there's some kind of actual trick to it besides waiting and waiting...and waiting.

[wongojack | 312]

22 minutes ago, Webhead123 said:

Is there any genuine strategy to getting past the stairwell stage or is it truly just a matter of extreme patience and a bit of luck with the ghost pathing? I've attempted this game many times over the decades but I've always walked away convinced that the stairwell is basically impossible in all but the most rare circumstances. Just curious if there's some kind of actual trick to it besides waiting and waiting...and waiting.

Turbo controller is a must, and then you have to experiment with the equipment that helps you on the stairwell.  There are 3 items that can help

• Ghost Food - absolutely essential, don't attempt stairs without
• Anti-Ghost Suit- really helps by giving you extra HP
• Sound Generator - you won't ever be able to afford this without a cheat code, but it makes the stairs easy

The other thing to note is you can open the doors on each floor and sometimes you will get your food replaced or some other benefit.  There's a chance you also get knocked down as well.

To equip your team for the stairs means you have to visit the shop and actually change equipment a few times during the map stage.  I actually kind of liked this because it forced me to experiment with different equipment and put an emphasis on catching ghosts quickly and with the max bonus points.  These little variations are some of the best gameplay elements in any version of Activision's Ghostbusters that exists.  Unfortunately, the NES/Famicom version also does not implement the account # and continue system and doesn't offer any cars to experiment with on subsequent playthroughs.  So, once you beat this version there's almost no reason to come back and play again.

 

Note - I've only played the Famicom version.  I don't know if there are variations in the gameplay on the NES version, but I will find out.

 

Edited August 26 by wongojack

[Rhuno | 163]

11 hours ago, Webhead123 said:

So, I finally got through the entirety of Alien: Isolation. Without intending to offend anyone...I don't really understand how this game became so critically lauded and so deeply beloved.

Thanks for detailing your experience and frustrations with the game. It's one I've been thinking of trying. I didn't know much about it other than the fanfare it's received. I'm not big on QTEs in general and the inconsistencies you describe with the xenomorph AI lead me to believe I probably wouldn't enjoy this one.

[Webhead123 | 739]

4 hours ago, Rhuno said:

Thanks for detailing your experience and frustrations with the game. It's one I've been thinking of trying. I didn't know much about it other than the fanfare it's received. I'm not big on QTEs in general and the inconsistencies you describe with the xenomorph AI lead me to believe I probably wouldn't enjoy this one.

If you ever do decide to try giving it a go, I would recommend starting with one of the lower difficulties and just treat it like an "experience" or "walking sim" type of game. Reason being, as myself and others have seemingly experienced it, the higher difficulties seem to tweak various thresholds in the AI which only magnifies a feeling that the AI isn't "playing fair", as it were, and you'll end up spending A LOT of time reloading saves from moments that feel like you couldn't have prevented them. An easier setting still doesn't make it a great game in my eyes but at least it should reduce frustration and speed up the rate at which you can make progress.

Again, if it's that kind of spooky atmosphere you're after, I think there are much better games for it these days, like System Shock, Sonar Shock and even Amnesia: The Bunker.

[rdrunner | 444]

Mole Mania (Gameboy)

I just finished a slow run through this game that I've been working on during trips.  Nice puzzle game with tons of content.  Liked the music and the fun cutscenes between levels.  It's also neat how the level map is connected differently underground, as a way to hide certain items.

I managed to get 100% of the points, but regret doing so.  Those "bonus" stages where you fight the farmer for 20 points on each level kinda mess up the pacing of the overall game by forcing you to play fast, where everything else is slow.  Plus, there is no apparent reward for getting all the points anyway.  If you haven't played this yet, remember it's more fun if you stick with just the puzzles.

I'll give Mole Mania a solid B for this year.

Edited September 3 by rdrunner

[wongojack | 312]

Hey guess what?  I played some more Ghostbusters!

All right, I've been saving these two for the end as they are probably the best versions of this old classic.  First up we have the Atari 8bit version.  This version stays away from mistakes and offers a complete package of graphics, music, gameplay and charm.  Some of the sprites and other art is redone with a distinctive Atari slant and the sounds and music also exude Atari sensibilities.  I love the sound of the ghosts being vacuumed up in this one and the sound when a ghost is being trapped definitely sounds like the POKEY.  The gameplay doesn't disappoint although catching ghosts seemed to be a little too easy, and I racked up quite a high score with minimal attempts.  The bouncing Marshmallow Man looks absolutely huge in the last segment, and you can even continue your game with your existing balance with just a simple keypress.  The only thing notably missing are in-game vocalizations.  In versions where your Ghostbusters talk, it really makes a difference.  Some other nitpicks include the depiction of the ghosbtusters themselves who are noticeably out of uniform and maybe the look of the trap and slimer.  He looks a little off somehow.  This version delivers a great experience but doesn't quite do enough to differentiate itself from the middle of the pack.  The Atari 8bit version gets a lot of praise from me, it but doesn't quite force its way among the best with a 3 out of 5.

 

And now, we get to the Commodore 64 version.  This was my very first version of the game so many years ago, and as soon as I started playing it this weekend, the nostalgia came flooding back.  It kicks off calling to the player with an opening squawk of a voice announcing Ghostbusters Ah Ha Ha Ha.  The vocalizations might sound strange today, but in the 80's they were quite impressive.  In fact, I bet plenty of people who were around back then could recall Ghostbusters as one of the first memories they have of any computer talking.  While the few simple words the game says definitely sound like computerizations, they are quite clear and used very well throughout the game.  The music is just absolutely oozing with SID charm.  Having heard so many versions of the song at this point, I thought the C64 would just blend in with the rest, but the distinctive sound from Commodore's Sound Interface Device really sets this version apart.  The arrangement is slightly different on some other versions (MSX for example), but this one is absolutely great.  The graphics on the C64 are also quite excellent.  While other versions make mistakes like the Ghostbusters in the wrong colors or a lack of detail on Ecto 1, the C64 version seems to get everything right.  I even like the renditions of the roamers on the street and slimer when you catch him at the various buildings.  There also seems to be just a few more touches on the short animations we see.  Vacuuming a ghost is nice and smooth, catching a ghost in a trap shows a clear image of our friend slimer in a futuristic proton bubble, and the little dance the Ghostbusters do when you catch him fits perfectly into the scene.  There are even a few times when you've caught a ghost when the timing of the music, the little dance/shuffle, and the subsequent vocalized Ghostbusters match up as if it was just part of a little music video.  It usually happens once or twice a game and always makes me smile.

Negative things about this version might be that after a while, it seems like a lot of the buildings are not very colorful.  Many are mostly gray or white while a small number mix in blue, red, and green.  It makes me think that perhaps there was a choice to use neutrals to seem more like an ugly city (or something).  Perhaps the most negative thing about this version is how it highlights just how simple a game that Ghostbusters really is.  After all these years, I wish there were more challenges to master and more details to discover, but once you've figured out how to win, there's not much stopping you from winning every time.  Maybe a Marshmallow Attack sneaks past you, or you can't quite earn all your money back with an especially expensive loadout, but you won't lose very often.  I even managed to win with the compact car and the laser confinement system this time which is typically the hardest starting scenario (slow car with lots of debt). 

After having played more than 14 versions of this game, I've saved giving this version a score until the very end.  My general reaction is that this version was made with the most love and care.  The details are spot on, and it does the best job of making you feel like you are part of the movie.  My own nostalgia pushes me to rate this game very highly, but I can't deny that some additional features and gameplay elements would have helped to give the player more of a sense of accomplishment and more of a challenge.  Taking everything into consideration, I'm giving C64 Ghostbusters a very loving and heartfelt 4 out of 5.

Some will be interested to know that there was a 40th Anniversary hack created for C64 Ghostbusters.  It comes with a new theme song, unique opening menu, instructions and a password generator.  Strangely it also seems to change a simple game mechanic.  In this version, the city's PKE Energy did not passively increase as the game was running.  I'm not sure if this is intentional, an oversite, or a bug, but the slower pace is definitely not welcome.  If I'm playing C64 Ghostbusters, I'll avoid this edition.

 

 

Well, this rounds out all the full versions of Ghostbusters that I was planning to play.  Wanna know which version I think is the best or worst?  In the coming week(s), I plan to create a dedicated thread to gather all of these reviews and comments.  I'm also anticipating getting a physical copy of the Intellivision Ultimate Edition, so I'll go back and play through a few of the versions and post a final ranking.  Stay tuned for my next update.

[NostalgicMachine | 324]

Friday the 13th (NES) for upcoming TGM video .

[wongojack | 312]

All right, I have a non-Ghostbusters related post for the thread.  I got a "Perfect Game" over the US Labor Day weekend on Circus Convoy.  JIC you don't know what Circus Convoy is, you can check it out on the Audacity Games page.  It seems two programmers from the fabled golden era of Atari/Activision got together over the pandemic to develop a new game for the 2600.  And what a game it is.  Apparently, David Crane and Garry Kitchen used a larger ROM than any 2600 game before it, and you can read a bit about the development on two different threads on AtariAge that were active at the time of its release in 2021.

• https://forums.atariage.com/topic/318076-ex-activision-designers-launch-retro-game-publisher-audacity-games™/
• https://forums.atariage.com/topic/318208-qa-for-world-premiere-of-circus-convoy-interview-with-david-crane-garry-kitchen-dan-kitchen/

There was a little drama around the release of the game.  In the above referenced Q&A Crane and Kitchen weren't very accepting of the term homebrew.  They also weren't that delicate in describing the differences between what they do and what homebrewers do, and while I can understand that professionals don't want to be confused with hobbyists, there are a lot of very professional homebrews for the Atari 2600.  To add a little more fuel, the release of Circus Convoy didn't go too well.  Buyers were unable to secure a copy of the most expensive and exclusive edition due to website issues.  I don't know if these got resolved and everyone who wanted one got the VIP edition, but I do know it sold out quickly.

Besides some friction around the release, Circus Convoy has sorta dropped under the radar a bit.  The high price tag and lack of an inexpensive download option has probably kept a lot of gamers away.  I myself didn't purchase until they started to sell the game on Amazon, and I could justify the purchase with some Amazon credit.  However, once I did get the game, I was very pleased.

I actually went in skeptical if I would like Circus Convoy.  At such a high price tag, the game needs to be sort of amazing to justify its existence.  I also am aware that while David Crane is a brilliant creator of content, not all of that content is fun.  Most people know about the Pitfalls which are undisputed classics. His games like Canyon Bomber, Freeway and Dragster are nice but not my favorites.  He also created Ghostbusters which I've covered to death in other threads.  I love Ghostbusters, but it isn't exactly the most "fun" game.  Finally, there's A Boy and his Blob which may mark sort of the end of the David Crane as a high-profile auteur period.  ABAHB got some positive critical acclaim but was/is praised mostly for its uniqueness.

Anyway, I wondered if Circus Convoy would end up being a very polished experiment or something that I would actually enjoy playing.  I think in the end it is more on the "fun" side, but there is an experiment in here too.  Playing Circus Convoy really feels like playing a game in 3 stages.  In the beginning, you are learning and probably a little confused and frustrated.  The inventory system (which works incredibly well) isn't like anything on the 2600, and the core concept of traversing trailers of a road convoy just seems like something kinda made up.  You'll probably find yourself stuck in the first hour wondering what to do to progress.  However, once you get past that initial stage, the game opens up and introduces you to some solid item-combo style puzzles as well as some very light action-oriented "sideshows."  The game is at its best as you begin to discover how to make progress along the 10 trucks in the convoy and how to unlock all of the sideshows.  Some puzzles require you to visit one of the trucks in the convoy and obtain an item before using that item on a different truck.  This borders on what some might call Metroidvania gameplay, but I'd stop short of calling it that.  As you play, you'll find the connections between the trucks are complicated enough that you'll probably want to jot down a few notes, but in the end, things are straightforward enough that you probably won't need to.

There is a third stage in your journey to finish Circus Convoy and that's collecting the last few stars to get a "Perfect Game."  I think I spent as much time in this endgame phase than I did actually solving the puzzles and discovering the sideshows.  Perfecting your performance in the sideshows and tracking down all of the game's stars takes quite a bit of repetition and a little bit of blind experimentation.  Some solutions just aren't obvious and require generous expansion on the very few hints you are given in the game or the manual.  I was at a point for more than a few hours where I needed to find the last 3 stars, and it took quite a bit of time and effort to come up with some hints that wouldn't spoil the game but would still get me the perfect outcome.  To facilitate the next player on this endeavor, I created a no spoilers thread for the game that hides various hints behind spoiler tags.  Check it out if you find yourself scratching your head while playing this game.

The graphics in Circus Convoy are quite excellent.  The main protagonist is decked out in multiple colors and a variety of cleverly drawn background animals and enemies are used on each screen.  In fact, I think they may have developed some new kind of trickery to display so many colors on the same line without any flickering at all.  It is truly an amazing looking 2600 game.  The sound might be a little disappointing to some players however.  There's only a very short tune that plays when the game starts and then no music at all during the various stages.  The sound effects themselves are nice and very Atari-TIA-esque, but there could have been a few more of them.  Ah well, we're not usually coming to the 2600 for music and sound.

Overall, I'd say I really enjoyed Circus Convoy.  The gameplay feels like a mix between an adventure game and an action puzzler.  In trying to find a game to compare it to, I found myself naming things like Oddworld or even Gameboy Donkey Kong.  The puzzles are satisfying to solve and the action sequences are not too difficult to be frustrating.  The presentation is quite good overall, and I didn't even mention the QR code generating high score system which is truly impressive.  I still haven't decided if the game is worth the price tag, but it is worth a 5 out of 5 from me.  If you have a chance to play this game, you definitely should.  It is bigger and more complicated than almost any 2600 game I've ever played but still manages to streamline the experience and high score saving in a way that needs to be seen to be appreciated.

 

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Edited September 7 by wongojack