Together Retro November, 2020 - Games NOT Beaten

[prfsnl_gmr]

It’s almost the end of the year, the perfect time to...SETTLE THE SCORE WITH YOUR BACKLOG!!!

For this month’s Together Retro, we’ll be helping each other play through those retro games we just can’t beat. These are the games that you’ve started, and you really want to beat, but for reason...you just haven’t. So, for this month, you’ll be picking games:

1. That are at least 10 years old; and
2. That you’ve made at least one good-faith attempt to beat; and
3. That you are still interested in beating; but
4. That you have still haven’t beaten.

I envision a support group where we can support each other as we struggle through classic titles; giving each other tips; encouraging each other to push through difficult parts; reading each other complaints; sharing in our triumphs; and generally just being a really cool, supportive community.

Let’s have some fun!

[prfsnl_gmr]

I’ll kick things off...This month, I’d like to get through:

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom - I started this game last year, and I fought (and ground) my way through the first of the game’s three scenarios. Then, I just stopped...I lost my main character, who has to level up from Level 1 again, and getting some good equipment right at the start of the scenario is going to take some mindless grinding. The story’s also at a point where I’m not incred8bly motivated to see it through. I really want to beat this and move on to Phantasy Star IV, though. Help me!

Landstalker - I started this game earlier in the year, and I made it to the town and fought my way through a crypt full of puzzles. The game has some really good ides, and it is sort-of an ARPG classic. It’s marred by some infuriating design choices, though, and the difficulty spikes are really annoying. Also, it occasionally requires some really annoying grinding. I’m going to need some help pushing through this too.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father - I started this one for last month’s Together Retro. It’s a point-and-click classic, with a really grating protagonist. Moreover, it’s not always clear what you’re supposed to do, like in many point-and-click games. I put it down at the start of Day 3, but I still really want to push through it.

Streets of Rage 3 - I love Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2, and I just got a copy of Streets of Rage 4. This game is a major mis-fire for the series, and it is way, WAY too hard. I want to beat both it and it’s Japanese counterpart, Bare Knuckle 3, and I have both on the Switch Sega Genesis compilation. I anticipate abusing the hell out of save states, but a few pointers for this game would help me out tremendously.

Haunted Castle - Playing through every Castlevania game is one of my life goals, but, man, this game sucks! Even with its incredibly short length, I’m still going to need some encouragement to get this one.

What are the rest of you going to work through this month?

[Ziggy]

Hmm, maybe I'll try and beat Super Metroid. I've made two attempts at this game but didn't beat it either time.

Haunted Castle - Playing through every Castlevania game is one of my life goals, but, man, this game sucks! Even with its incredibly short length, I’m still going to need some encouragement to get this one.

That's awesome. I'm a huge Castlevania fan, but I just don't like Haunted Castle. I wish it was more enjoyable. It's wicked hard for all the wrong reasons, mostly because it plays like crap. But the thing I hate about it the most is how the sprite looks and how it's animated. It just looks like total garbage. I was thinking about grabbing that Arcade Archives version on the Switch, but I know I'll probably play it for 5 minutes and then never touch it again.

Anyway, I hope you beat it! Beat it for me, so I don't have to play it.

[MrPopo]

Here's what I'm thinking of:

Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict - I put this down a long time ago because playing on the Game Gear can be rough at times. But it shouldn't be too bad to get through; it was really me just getting distracted.

Cannon Fodder - This game got nasty when one of the missions was neigh unbeatable in the DOS resolution (it cut off some lines at the top which put me in a position where enemies could hit me but I couldn't hit them). I can't remember if I ever got past that mission or not, but it's a candidate. I'll probably have to do some abuse of the cycles to get past parts like that.

Wild Arms 5 - I know I'm nearish to the end of the game. I remember the boss fights just getting nastier and nastier.

Popful Mail - Another victim of me just getting distracted. I think I've only got two levels left, and I had been playing it while I was at a customer site for a couple weeks (yay for CDX). I finished the job before I finished the game, and when I got back I never finished it.

[dsheinem]

I will likely jump into a retro title or two this month and also hit up a few older PC games I've started in the past year or so but never finished.

Thinking:
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16)
Victory Run (TG-16)
Super Hang On 3D (3DS)
Painkiller Overdose (PC)
Far Cry (PC)

[Markies]

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom - I started this game last year, and I fought (and ground) my way through the first of the game’s three scenarios. Then, I just stopped...I lost my main character, who has to level up from Level 1 again, and getting some good equipment right at the start of the scenario is going to take some mindless grinding. The story’s also at a point where I’m not incred8bly motivated to see it through. I really want to beat this and move on to Phantasy Star IV, though. Help me!

Landstalker - I started this game earlier in the year, and I made it to the town and fought my way through a crypt full of puzzles. The game has some really good ides, and it is sort-of an ARPG classic. It’s marred by some infuriating design choices, though, and the difficulty spikes are really annoying. Also, it occasionally requires some really annoying grinding. I’m going to need some help pushing through this too.

Streets of Rage 3 - I love Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2, and I just got a copy of Streets of Rage 4. This game is a major mis-fire for the series, and it is way, WAY too hard. I want to beat both it and it’s Japanese counterpart, Bare Knuckle 3, and I have both on the Switch Sega Genesis compilation. I anticipate abusing the hell out of save states, but a few pointers for this game would help me out tremendously.

Phantasy Star III - Unfortunately, that happens a few times throughout the game. It plays up the Generations part. It's like 3 small games wrapped in one package. So, you do have to bite the bullet and do some grinding, especially at the beginning. It very much has the Dragon Quest level of progression and then grinding followed by a little bit of progression and then more grinding.

Landstalker - If you are good at Isometric Jumping without a shadow underneath you, then you will do good at the game. That is the most infuriating part of the game. The battles aren't too bad and the grinding helps in health, but the jumping is the worst.

Streets of Rage 3 - Play Bare Knuckle 3 first. That is the much easier game and it will help you hone your skills when you do the harder version. For the US version, trial and error are a major help. Also, your specials refill, so you keep using them as much as possible, especially against bosses.

For me, I have two games:

River City Ransom - I started this with a friend of mine, but we only got a few hours in. I'm going to start this solo and see if I can plow my way through it.

Strider - I might have to wait until December to play it, but I have gotten to the Amazon in the game. I really need to decided if I want to continue on with the game or just give up on it entirely.

[Ziggy]

I forgot to mention, I just beat Shining the Holy Ark about a month ago. That was right at the top of my list of games not beaten for many years, and it felt really good to finally beat it.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16)
Far Cry (PC)

I wasn't a huge fan of Rondo the first time I played it. Maybe it was because it had so much hype. But it's really grown on me over the years. Are you looking to 100% it, or just roll the credits? It's kind of a pain in the ass in that if you want to play every level you have to play through the game at least twice. There's a few levels that I can never remember which path goes to which route, so I end up having to play it more than twice to see every level. There's also a sort of hidden level that you can't access until after you beat the game. It's probably the most difficult level in the game. What platform/version would you be playing?

Ah, Far Cry. For some reason, I always forget about my PC games. For some time now I've wanted to circle back to Far Cry and beat it, which is easier now that I have it on GoG. I think what keeps me from it though is that I've read numerous times that the game starts off strong and then gets really weak about halfway through. Or am I thinking of another game?

[prfsnl_gmr]

The hype is real for Rondo of Blood. What’s been your hang up on it, DSH?

They hype is also real for Strider and River City Ransom. What versions are you going to play, Markies?

[PretentiousHipster]

This list is going to be huge. I obviously won't have time to play all of them, but perhaps you can can help me choose?

Battle Bakraid - Shmups are just too difficult for me. I did make it with only 15 CCs after a few attempts, and I wanna keep going until I have like only 5 or so, but it is discouraging.

Cannon Fodder - I love how it has a lighthearted tone in such a dark game, but it just gets way too difficult, and I'm only at the part where rocket launchers comes in so I can't imagine how it is later.

Dawn of Discovery - Anno for kids. I ended up loving it, but I stopped when the military part came in. It's such a romanticized look on colonization and capitalism, and I guess the military part is seen as me facing the realities of the romanticized look and having trouble with it.

Dragon Warrior - Way too much fucking grinding.

Earthbound - The opposite, not enough grinding which makes this quite difficult.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2: Was going to make a video of me going through the 10 best genesis games according to a website. I don't like how resetting the game means starting over, meaning you gotta beat it in one sitting. I made it to the casino level and it was impossible to determine what hits the boss vs when you take damage when hitting him.

Half-Life 2: Made it to ravenholm, and got too scared lol

Shadow of Destiny: I will play this one for sure. It's an absolutely fantastic time travel game but a bit illogical. I realized how much this branches out depending on what decisions you make. I realized how often I'll have to play some chapters (6 endings with 2 unlocked after getting those) and I simply got overwhelmed.

Space Colony 2: On one hand I absolutely love, but on the other I found the ship controls take some getting used to. I'm sure as soon as I get used to it I'll really enjoy it.

Super Mario Galaxy: Honestly have no idea why I stopped it.

[Nemoide]

I'd like to take a stab at Dig Dug: Digging Strike for the DS.
It's a cool little game that combines the original Dig Dug with Dig Dug 2. You're on an island with a giant monster and you need to sink part of the island to drown them (like Dig Dug 2), to do that you have to enter holes (causing the gameplay to shift to the original Dig Dug) and dig out space under massive columns.
I remember thinking this game was pretty cool and really liked the first couple levels before hitting a wall where I had trouble wrapping my brain around just where/when I should cause columns to drop.
But I know it's a short game, I'd like to beat it!