A Winner Is You! (2012)

30. USCF Chess (Intellivision)

Significantly faster and stronger than Atari's offering, this program plays a pretty decent game of chess. I'd beaten most of the difficulty levels on real hardware a while back, but when I took on the highest difficulty, Level 6 -- which takes hours and hours, though not as long as the Atari -- I ran into a game-breaking bug. And in fact, the bug was reproducible in emulation, so that put me off for a while.

But today I tried again, and finally beat Level 6 with the White pieces, and then again with Black. For whatever reason, my opening choices didn't put the game onto a bug-triggering track. I was using emulation with a 20x speedup, so the games went along fairly briskly -- 80 minutes realtime for the first one, 140 for the second game. My win with White was fairly routine, but the Intellivision had me on the ropes in the second game, and probably had a near-winning position before it lost the thread. Still, it took 81 moves to earn the victory.

This is another case where giving a grade seems silly, but then again it's a pretty admirable effort, so 8/10. (One point off for the game-breaking bug, and one point off for being fairly deterministic.)

31. Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (Game Boy)

When you're stuck on a motionless train, and the power and AC go out for an hour, then Mega Man will keep you good company. (At least, he kept me good company, in four sessions over two train rides.) Unfortunately I don't have a headphone adapter for the GBA SP so I've scarcely heard a note of the music, but one must balance one's own sanity with that of one's neighbors.

Given that the original NES game is still my favorite in the series, this entry is right up my alley. Heavy on memorization, yes, but it's the kind of memorization I (mostly) don't mind. 8/10.

I FINALLY played through Sonic 1 on the Genesis.

See my signature.

32. Ren & Stimpy: Space Cadet Adventures (Game Boy)

Slow, frustrating, full of cheap shots and low-margin platforming, and it basically expects you to memorize large swathes of the game. Plus it ends each level with a timed section that sends you back to the very beginning of the stage if you don't complete it on your first try. And it doesn't have much to do with the show.

Yet for some reason, I enjoyed Ren & Stimpy: Space Cadet Adventures -- I even found it mildly addictive. I guess it's my weakness for methodical platformers; I was strangely reminded of Shadow of the Beast for some reason. Or maybe it's just that, if a game consistently gives me a health powerup just in time, I'll absolve most of its sins. 6/10.

#13 Serious Sam 3: BFE (PC)- No, not Bum Fuck Egypt (though you are in the latter part of that phrase for the entire game), but rather, Before First Encounter. Yes, part three is a prequel to the previous games, using a further tweaked version of the engine that debuted with the two HD remakes of TFE and TSE. The game didn't have that huge sense of scale that the first two entries had, though it did have some huge battles that stomped all over Serious Sam 2. Some cool music, a fun final boss, and so forth made it enjoyable, but it didn't feel as sprawling or big is scope as it should have. There was a lot more cussing in this game for some odd reason. I guess once Sam went back it time, he forgot how to swear or something.

#14 Max Payne 2 (PC)- I finally sat down and played this one. Not a bad game at all, and a worthy followup to the first game. Interesting plot, the same nice film noir cinemas, and finally, Max doesn't have a character model that looks constipated all the time. It was also an interesting twist to let you play through some missions from both Max's perspective, and Lona's, even if it did create a kind of "been there, done that"-vibe as you went through the same basic level a second time. Even so, a solid game.

#15 Zombie Driver (PC)- A game that went on sale on Steam for cheap the other day, so I grabbed it. Simple, short, but enjoyable enough. It's not a complicated game, or one with much variety to its missions (save survivors, and survive), but was a fun little diversion for a couple of days.

33. Skate or Die: Bad 'N' Rad (Game Boy)

My penchant for memorization-dependent franchise platformers on the Game Boy with (implicit) colons in their name continues unabated! But this one's false advertising, because it's neither bad nor rad, falling instead into the "pretty good" category.

Or maybe "very good": and were it not for a few control quirks and the unfortunate lack of a much-needed password system, it might even make "excellent". But I dunno about "rad". 7/10.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goldenband

31. Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (Game Boy)

When you're stuck on a motionless train, and the power and AC go out for an hour, then Mega Man will keep you good company. (At least, he kept me good company, in four sessions over two train rides.) Unfortunately I don't have a headphone adapter for the GBA SP so I've scarcely heard a note of the music, but one must balance one's own sanity with that of one's neighbors.

Given that the original NES game is still my favorite in the series, this entry is right up my alley. Heavy on memorization, yes, but it's the kind of memorization I (mostly) don't mind. 8/10.

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Dr. Wily's Revenge was totally solid. In my opinion, only IV and V surpass it (III was cheap and frustrating and II was just awful).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

Dr. Wily's Revenge was totally solid. In my opinion, only IV and V surpass it (III was cheap and frustrating and II was just awful).

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Hmmm, I was planning on taking on the GB games in order (though I don't own the others yet), but you're one of several people to say that MMII GB was a disaster. I guess if I see an opportunity to buy II/III or IV/V, and can only afford one of 'em, I won't be a slave to chronology in my choice. :D

34. Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break (Game Boy)

Another franchise platformer avec colon bites the dust! But unlike the last few, this one's quite an easy game, and I suspect it's targeted at kids in the 6-12 age range.

Even so, it's got a few tricky spots, and I didn't quite beat it on my first try. I burned through most of my lives/credits trying to figure out the Elmyra chase (it wasn't obvious to me that tapping the B button increased your speed), and though I made it to the final boss (Montana Max), both my extra lives and my batteries were depleted, and I wasn't able to figure out his pattern in time. (The lives ran out first, thankfully.)

But the second attempt, no problem, and I think I could probably 1LC this game. Montana Max actually offers to let you buy him out at the end of the game if you have 500 jewels, which you pretty much need to 1LC in order to reach that amount. I might even try it if there were an alternate ending -- bribing your way out of a conflict is a great idea that hasn't been used enough in platformers -- but apparently he just takes your money and fights you anyway.

As for the quality, I'd give it 7/10 or so, which I'd bump up to 9/10 if you evaluate it as a game for kids. The fact that it's slow, short, and easy becomes irrelevant then, and otherwise I have no complaints.

BTW this cutscene from the final level almost made me do a spit-take:

http://i46.tinypic.com/2zqqvig.png

I assume, though, that Steve Jobs wasn't holding a snowglobe when he died.

Contra again. Tried to film it because I was in my groove but my camera hates me. lol However I did make it to level 5 and 97200 points before dieing for the first time. Oh and that's all button smashing no turbo controllers here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mXy3...ature=youtu.be

Got level 3 to upload after that I stopped trying to start it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3AiypLwDmY&feature=plcp

32. 3D Classics: Kid Icarus (3DS): Essentially an enhanced port of the NES original with prettier backgrounds and the 3D effect. They must have done something with the difficulty as well, since I sat down and played through the entire game in one sitting. Or maybe I'm just awesome.

35. Heiankyo Alien (Game Boy)

It took only two attempts, and 40 minutes of gameplay between them, to beat the 12 levels of "NEW" mode in this cute Lode Runner-esque title. Actually, I shouldn't say "Lode Runner-esque" since the original game (of which this is an updated port) actually predates Lode Runner, so Lode Runner is arguably "Heiankyo Alien-esque". But either way the gameplay is the same -- dig a hole, trap an enemy, fill the hole, repeat -- though here there's no treasure to claim.

I like the feel of the gameplay quite a bit, more than most other "trap-'em-ups" I've played. But they could have done a lot more with this concept, and 40 minutes ain't much. Then again there's always "OLD" mode, which looks it, and apparently doesn't have an ending (but loops after 20 levels).

So, I don't know...6/10?

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# 16 - Twinkle Star Sprites (Saturn)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oFsvgE23iK...prites_Box.jpg
Beat both the Arcade and Saturn modes with Nanja Monja and Meirin, respectively. Fun game to play with a friend, but a bit frustrating to play solo.

# 17 - Heavy Unit (PC Engine)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXOLXjrLUx...vyUnit_Box.jpg
Better than the Mega Drive in terms of gameplay alone, but pales graphical and aurally. There are suicide bullets in the second loop.

# 18 - Donpachi (PS1)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Kr4Nuav25...npachi_Box.jpg
Finally got me a TATE setup to play this on the PS1. Awesome feel after so many years, a good introduction to Cave as well.

# 19 - Over Horizon (NES)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nM5dZ5VOqZ...orizon_Box.jpg
A very charming bi-directional horizontal shooter that resembles Zero Wing and Gradius. Suggested by forum member Starmist.

# 20 - Section Z (PS2)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ST1PjJHOx...ction1_Box.jpg
Great old shmup from Capcom, with a nice progression and awesome premise. Looped it until section S.

# 21 - MechFish (XBLIG)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3QOQMBKWe...chFish_Box.jpg
Kinda unique horizontal shooter with methodical gameplay and some tense moments in between. A bit repetitive but worth one's time if you crave a different challenge.

# 22 - Magic Carpet 1001 / La Alfombra Magica / Aladdin III (NES)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lt2PGZZdZ0...Magica_Box.jpg
Unlicensed crap that does nothing terribly wrong besides being too short and having no scoring system at all.

# 23 - Prehistoric Isle 2 (Neo Geo)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jf0XkeZvtC...cIsle2_Box.jpg
Played on a conversion cart. Vibrant colors, mild difficulty and awesome music, but above all a LOT easier than the first game.

# 24 - Varth - Operation Thunderstorm (PS2)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aWsHzA80dj...ction2_Box.jpg
Very long WW2 themed game that's very close in spirits to 1943. It's also quite punishing, I'm very proud of this accomplishment.

# 25 - Space Harrier II (Mega Drive)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rblgM_7hNI...rrier2_Box.jpg
A lot easier and lighter than the first one, but still fun regardless. Beat it on hard after being drawn to it by forum member Quickscifi.

# 26 - Dragon Spirit (PC Engine)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XT5plVLsg4...Spirit_Box.jpg
Decent conversion from the arcade game, but it lacks two stages and has an unfair final boss (tougher than the original IMO). Dragon Saber is next!

Played through the entirety of Sonic 2 as Sonic, beat the final level of Zero Tolerance and also completed the second Episode of Doom 1.

Rampage World Tour (PS1)

Finally did it, on Day 128. It did get kinda tedious, but I did it.

After destroying each and every one of the ScumLabs headquarters the ScumLabs CEO for no reason turns into some giant monster that looks right out of Smash TV and starts going around the levels. Then you go to the MOOOOON and destroy the shit out of some buildings there. After that the female doctor that appears between levels appears in a spaceship and captures George, Lizzie and Ralph and probably takes them back to ScumLabs. And that's it.

But then you get a little FMV of the developers running around a street with the Rampage trio destroying some stuff and eating a few of them. For no reason. And it's good.