Summer Games Challenge 2014

[pierrot]

So, I'm getting farther in FFV than I ever have before in the numerous attempts I've made to play through the PS1 version in the past. Usually I would get the Water Crystal jobs, then stop. This time, I've gotten the third set of jobs already, and I'm very much enjoying the game. I feel a little bit unstoppable, even though I wasn't able to acquire Aero and DeathClaw blue magic abilities, or the Esuna in the castle.

One thing I distinctly remember about my prior attempts was getting extremely frustrated by how difficult the optional fight against Shiva was. It felt unfair to me, but that was probably 8 years ago. This time I crushed her with a Knight, Thief, Magic Knight w/ !BlueMagic and Time Mage w/ !WhiteMagic. I had stolen some Mythril swords from the guard enemies in that tower, and proceeded to beat the living piss out of everything with a Two-handed Mythril Sword on my Knight, and the Fire Sword ability on my Magic Knight. Cure Rod-ing with my Time Mage, and and Hasting when necessary.

I'm still using the same basic setup now. I plan on switching Galuf to Ninja once I get Mug, and I think I want to start using Summoner pretty soon.

[alienjesus]

So, I'm getting farther in FFV than I ever have before in the numerous attempts I've made to play through the PS1 version in the past. Usually I would get the Water Crystal jobs, then stop. This time, I've gotten the third set of jobs already, and I'm very much enjoying the game. I feel a little bit unstoppable, even though I wasn't able to acquire Aero and DeathClaw blue magic abilities, or the Esuna in the castle.

One thing I distinctly remember about my prior attempts was getting extremely frustrated by how difficult the optional fight against Shiva was. It felt unfair to me, but that was probably 8 years ago. This time I crushed her with a Knight, Thief, Magic Knight w/ !BlueMagic and Time Mage w/ !WhiteMagic. I had stolen some Mythril swords from the guard enemies in that tower, and proceeded to beat the living piss out of everything with a Two-handed Mythril Sword on my Knight, and the Fire Sword ability on my Magic Knight. Cure Rod-ing with my Time Mage, and and Hasting when necessary.

I'm still using the same basic setup now. I plan on switching Galuf to Ninja once I get Mug, and I think I want to start using Summoner pretty soon.

Someone nearby gives you a fire rod if i recall correctly. You can break it to cast Firaga and kill Shiva in one hit.

[pierrot]

Oh. Yeah, I probably did have a fire rod that I could have used, but didn't really think of that. I don't really like using weapons as single-use damage items. I was never really in any danger during the fight this time around, anyway.

[Sload Soap]

Just got through the super-twisty maze that leads to Poseidon. Monster World definitely seems more linear in comparison to Dragon's Trap and is closer to Monster World IV. However, it isn't quite as refined or pretty as MWIV so it is stuck in the middle. It's still pretty great though.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Here is my list for summer 2014:

1. Dragon's Lair
2. Final Fantasy Tactics
3. Flashback
4. Halo 2
5. Jumping Flash! 2
6. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
7. Military Madness
8. R-Type Delta
9. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
10. Virtual Boy Wario Land

I knocked out Dragon's Lair over the weekend. I played through the "home" mode included with the very solid Nintendo DS port. (In the "home" version, you play through every scene in the game - including the "mirrored" scenes - before reaching the Dragon's Lair.) After many, many attempts, I finally turned on the cues so that I could see what buttons I was supposed to press during each scene. (The Robot Knight was just too hard without them...) I found that attempting to play through the game without cues is like playing through a series of QTEs without knowing what button to press. While the death animations are half the fun in Dragon's Lair, frustration will set in pretty quickly without some sort of cue.

In any event, I thought the game looked amazing when I saw it in arcades back in the 1980s, and I am glad that I finally beat it. It is fun for what it is, and I see myself returning to it like any other classic arcade game.

.....

I started Flashback: The Quest of Identity Last Night. I decided to go with the Genesis original, and I am enjoying it so far. Hopefully - and with the help of my newly modded PSP - I should be able to get through it by next week.

[Luke]

I started Flashback: The Quest of Identity Last Night.

First timer?

Flashback is a game I've been beating on an annual basis for well over a decade. After all, it was "the first cd-rom on a cartridge". Or so they tout. If it is your first go through, prepare to become hooked. It's a fantastic game from beginning to end.

It's also worth your time, when you get around to Wario, to find all the hidden treasures. The game is such a joy to play, and taking the time to explore is worthwhile.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I started Flashback: The Quest of Identity Last Night.

First timer?

Flashback is a game I've been beating on an annual basis for well over a decade. After all, it was "the first cd-rom on a cartridge". Or so they tout. If it is your first go through, prepare to become hooked. It's a fantastic game from beginning to end.

It's also worth your time, when you get around to Wario, to find all the hidden treasures. The game is such a joy to play, and taking the time to explore is worthwhile.

Yep! I have made several attempts at Flashback in the past, and while I recognize the game's greatness, I generally quit after encountering a bit of resistance. (The parts on the floor that kill me instantly have resulted in the near destruction of a few controllers.) Although I own copies of the game for the Genesis and SNES, I will be emulating the Genesis version on my PSP. That should make my first run through the game more manageable, and I should be able to use save states both to replace passwords and as a "quick save".

Also, I will be sure to get the hidden treasures in VB Wario Land. I have completed every other game in the Wario Land series, and I well know that finding all fo the hidden treasures is the best, most challenging part of any Wario Land game.

[dsheinem]

Dammit, reading the progress reports so far...I think I am going to make a list

[prfsnl_gmr]

Dammit, reading the progress reports so far...I think I am going to make a list

Do it!

Also, we are going to have to agree to disagree on Jumping Flash! 2, but I will probably end up replacing Uncharted 2 with something else. (After 20+ years of gaming, however, I am quickly running out of "undisputed classics" to place on my list... )

[dsheinem]

After 20+ years of gaming, however, I am quickly running out of "undisputed classics" to place on my list... )

You say that, but I doubt it. My guess is there are a lot of classics in genres or on systems you've neglected...