Summer Games Challenge 2017 - Begin when ready!

[marurun]

I didn't successfully beat Yoshi's Island, but my wife did and she is generally not as platformer savvy. Maybe there's just something about the game.

[alienjesus]

I think Yoshi's Island is a good bit harder than DKC.

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Donkey Kong Country is a breeze compared to Yoshi's Island.

I think there are a couple of difficulty spikes earlier in Donkey Kong that don't prepare you as well as Yoshi's Island does maybe? I definitely think Yoshi's Island is (quite a bit) harder, but I don't recall any early stages that caused people as much issues as the first Mine Cart level in DKC, or the infamous Snow Barrel Blast.

[laurenhiya21]

I think Yoshi's Island is a good bit harder than DKC.

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Donkey Kong Country is a breeze compared to Yoshi's Island.

Gah seriously?? It certainly doesn't feel that way because so far Yoshi's Island has been FAR easier than Donkey Kong Country. To be fair I got to World 3 in Donkey Kong Country and I'm still on World 2 in Yoshi's Island, so I'm guessing the spike is later in Yoshi's Island?

Right now I guess I'm having a hard time seeing how Donkey Kong Country is easier, since I did use over 30 lives to get past one level (Temple Tempest). I guess I'll see soon enough

Oh and I went to Yoshi's Island instead of an RPG just because I'm leaving for Europe on Thursday, and I didn't want to start something lengthy and have to pick it back up later. I guess Chrono Trigger would have been an ok pick, but I always forget that that's suppose to be pretty short for an RPG.

[dunpeal2064]

I think the bulk of Yoshi's Island's difficulty comes in trying to get perfect scoes in each stage. If you aren't concerned about this, you have a ton of health that regenerates constantly and keeps you at a healthy 10. It has a feel similar to Sonic, where taking a hit occasionally never really puts you behind at all.

Going for perfects, though, means you often can't take a single hit, and also have to do some more difficult things to get all the red coins and flowers. This does give you a sweet bonus level for each world you get all perfects in though.

[laurenhiya21]

I think the bulk of Yoshi's Island's difficulty comes in trying to get perfect scoes in each stage. If you aren't concerned about this, you have a ton of health that regenerates constantly and keeps you at a healthy 10. It has a feel similar to Sonic, where taking a hit occasionally never really puts you behind at all.

Going for perfects, though, means you often can't take a single hit, and also have to do some more difficult things to get all the red coins and flowers. This does give you a sweet bonus level for each world you get all perfects in though.

Well if that is the case, then that would explain it. I don't care about getting perfects, so I've just been trying to get to the end of the levels in one piece.

[Key-Glyph]

From the diary of Iolo the Bard

I have awoken, once again, in a healer's shoppe. I am told that this time our Avatar carried both myself and the fallen Jaana, one over each shoulder, back to Britain... but, I am getting ahead of the tale.

A few morrows past Avatar Key led our merry party into our first dungeons. The druid Jaana lights our way and tends to our poisons and wounds while Mariah the mage handles the heftier duties of dissolving magical barriers and transporting us through solid walls. Ranger Shamino unlocks treasure chests and occasionally takes bombs and acid to the face, poor bastard, while Dupre the drunk -- er, paladin -- carries giant venomous spiders to safety with his bare hands and develops rashes.

And I? I have no specialty. Except getting dead, if that counts.

All is done at the behest of our Avatar. In this way we found three stones of virtue.

After the third stone, our Avatar slept in the single bed we all share at a local Inn for two days straight. She woke only to grab my shirtsleeve and exclaim, "I know what the colors mean!" and "I know how the dungeons are connected!" Fearful she was in a spiritual fever, I alone stayed by her side, as in the earliest, graham crackers-only days of our adventures.

I can safely say that our Avatar is not what we expected. Loyal, faithful, and adoring of her as we are, her tactics are... let's say... "questionable." Upon finally spying the whirlpool we had been seeking for a week during a beachside stroll -- despite having already accomplished our goal without it and being without the protection of a ship -- we saw her chuck Shamino into the surf and run in after. When confronted with an entire chamber of Sleep Fields, we watched her repeatedly dive into them and slowly slumber her way across the room instead of dispelling them.

Fighters, it seems, have a tenuous grasp of magical matters. And self-preservation. They prefer bludgeoning their way through. Yet Key is changing on this point; on our most recent adventure she relied on Mariah much more, transporting us through walls and Blinking our way back to Britannia instead of risking more deaths.

We have just added into our possession a fourth stone of virtue. Once we have healed here, we shall seek the remaining. We are told the final stone is in an impossible place, but the Avatar says she knows what we need to get there. We never doubt her assertions, but we can't help but wonder what form the journey will take. And nothing surprises us anymore.

[Ack]

Cleared through level 12 in Descent 2 and now working on level 13, which means I am just over halfway through the game.

Every four levels, the planet I'm on changes, which causes a theme change for level design. Levels 5-8 were heavily water based, with some cool waterfalls I could travel through, a lot of secrets, and the occasional dirty trick with enemies hidden just through the water. Levels 9-12 were fire levels packed to the gills with lava, and they kept the waterfall effects, only now it hurts​ you. It was a nasty bit of level design, and by the time I got to level 12, weaker versions of previous bosses started appearing as common enemies.

So far, level 13 has started a run of ice levels, but many of the enemies are similar colors as the walls and fire projectiles that are tough to see coming. I'm curious if this pseudo-camouflage will be a recurring theme, or just a one-off in the first level I've encountered. I'm most of the way through it too; levels in the Descent series follow a general pattern a la Doom, where you seek first a blue, then yellow, then red key to proceed. I have the red key for level 13 and have located the exit for my escape run.

Also, the Gauss Cannon is my favorite weapon. It's a piece of rapid fire explosive brilliance.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I completed The Clash at Demonhead. It was awesome, and I am happy that I have finally beaten it. (It is also pretty easy, and I wonder why I didn't beat it earlier.) Once I got into it a bit, it actually felt pretty modern, and unlike other open-world platforming games of its era, it never lacks direction. One of the governors was difficult to find - there's one underwater on a Route 28! - and the medallion mini-game you have to complete at the very end of the game to get the best ending is pretty stupid. Otherwise, however, it was consistently enjoyable and deserves a place among the best games for the system.

Now, I am playing The Guardian Legend. It is one of the NES's best shmups, best overhead shooters, and best "Zelda" games rolled into one. It is also very tough, and I understand why I did not like it much when I was younger. I like it know, though, and I suspect I will be working through it for a few more days.

[alienjesus]

1. Bionic Commando (NES)
2. Blaster Master (NES)
3. Life Force (NES)
4. Final Fantasy III (SNES)
5. Bonk's Revenge (TG16)
6. Mario Golf (N64)
7. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
8. Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped (PS1)
9. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GC)
10. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (GC)
11. Devil May Cry (PS3)


Game 2 finished. Sands of Time was pretty decent overall, but it had a few moments that were frustrating, and the combat was pretty bad and way too frequent.

I started up Pilotwings 64 as my 3rd title. I beat the beginner class and A class levels, and the B class Hang-glider stages so far, so I'm about half way through. I'm a little disappointed so far though - the jetpack and gyrocopter stages are fun, but the hang glider stages have been pretty bad so far, especially the one where you have to play chicken with a mountain in the A class missions. The game seems awfully light on content too, although that's par for the course with the series I think.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I completed The Clash at Demonhead. It was awesome, and I am happy that I have finally beaten it. (It is also pretty easy, and I wonder why I didn't beat it earlier.) Once I got into it a bit, it actually felt pretty modern, and unlike other open-world platforming games of its era, it never lacks direction. One of the governors was difficult to find - there's one underwater on a Route 28! - and the medallion mini-game you have to complete at the very end of the game to get the best ending is pretty stupid. Otherwise, however, it was consistently enjoyable and deserves a place among the best games for the system.

Now, I am playing The Guardian Legend. It is one of the NES's best shmups, best overhead shooters, and best "Zelda" games rolled into one. It is also very tough, and I understand why I did not like it much when I was younger. I like it know, though, and I suspect I will be working through it for a few more days.

Oh man you picked some cool games. Dunno how I missed your list earlier.

I begin on Thursday!