Random Gaming Thoughts

[prfsnl_gmr]

Playing through all of the Pac Man games and spin offs would be an admirable goal for someone to take on in 2019. Not me...but someone should do it.

[Nemoide]

I was thinking recently that I ought to try some of the Pac-Man spinoffs from the 2000s-10s. I have a deep love for the original Pac-Man (the concept of pattern-play appeals to me on some weird level) and am already a defender of Pac-Man 2.

I should also buy a copy of the Pac-Man board game. I had one as a kid that one of my parents bought in a garage sale; the box/board was thrown out but I still have the pieces stashed in one of my Pac-Man lunch boxes.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Playing through all of the Pac Man games and spin offs would be an admirable goal for someone to take on in 2019. Not me...but someone should do it.

That'd be a tough one given all the retro arcade exclusives and modern digital exclusives.

Related, the other day I was trying to think of what the best possible series to "marathon" is. Ideally it'd be something with 5-6 games, all in English, each game having one version (no arguments about ports or "definitive" releases), and physical releases. Something like Lufia comes close, the only snag being that the fifth game is a retelling of the second, though the gameplay style is completely different.

The worst type of option would be something that's incredibly convoluted with multiple ports, localization changes, ambiguous sequels. Something like, I dunno, Wonder Boy or Double Dragon.

[pierrot]

The worst type of option would be something that's incredibly convoluted with multiple ports, localization changes, ambiguous sequels. Something like, I dunno, Wonder Boy or Double Dragon.

Daaaaaaaaaamn--.

[prfsnl_gmr]

The worst type of option would be something that's incredibly convoluted with multiple ports, localization changes, ambiguous sequels. Something like, I dunno, Wonder Boy or Double Dragon.

I agree completely. Those series are beastly. Tracking down some approximation of the digital-only Double Dragon games is going to be tough...

I think Lufia would be a good series option. Even there, though, there are multiple versions of one of the game (and RPGs are so loooooong.....). Some other series I’m considering (after I finish up Wonder Boy and, maybe, Double Dragon):

Bionic Commando
Bubble Bobble
Buster Bros. (a/k/a Pang)
Crazy Castle
Contra
Fantasy Zone
Gradius
Metal Slug

I have also considered playiing through some esoteric sub-genres (e.g., isometric games developed by Rare, etc.). I think that the key is picking a series with enough entries to make it a series endeavor - sorry, Kid Icarus - but that doesn’t get any new releases (or gets them only very infrequently).

[BoneSnapDeez]

Crazy Castle? Like, the Bugs Bunny games? Didya know the first one was actually a Roger Rabbit game in Japan (and on the FDS). I wonder why it was altered for the US release - maybe because of the Rare Roger Rabbit game??

[prfsnl_gmr]

Crazy Castle? Like, the Bugs Bunny games? Didya know the first one was actually a Roger Rabbit game in Japan (and on the FDS). I wonder why it was altered for the US release - maybe because of the Rare Roger Rabbit game??

Some are Mickey Mouse games, and the last one was a Woody Woodpecker game for the GBA. I think that Kemco took whatever license it could get...

[pook99]

Playing through all of the Pac Man games and spin offs would be an admirable goal for someone to take on in 2019. Not me...but someone should do it.

The worst type of option would be something that's incredibly convoluted with multiple ports, localization changes, ambiguous sequels. Something like, I dunno, Wonder Boy or Double Dragon.

I kind of did this last year with double dragon in anticipation of double dragon 4, I did attempt different versions of each game but some of the games in the series are downright unplayable, double dragon on master system is abyssmal, double dragon on atari 2600 is a legit contender for worst game of all time, every version of DD3 except for the nes one are horrendous, most of the portable iterations are terrible as well save for the amazing double dragon advance.

I did play all of these versions, I did not finish most of the bad ones, but my advice is for everyone to just stick to the good double dragon games which IMO are:

Double dragon 1-3 (nes)
Double dragon 1-2(arcade)
Double dragon advance (gba)
Double Dragon Neon (digital)
Double Dragon 4 (digital)
Super double dragon (snes)
Return of the double dragon (super famicon)
Double dragon (neo geo)
Battletoads and double dragon (I played the nes version but they are all pretty comprable, but they are far more like battletoads games than double dragon games)

Did I miss any good ones?

[marurun]

I really liked Double Dragon 2 on PC Engine Super CD. It feels like a midway point between the arcade and NES versions.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I really liked Double Dragon 2 on PC Engine Super CD. It feels like a midway point between the arcade and NES versions.

This. Also, the first two Gameboy Double Dragon game’s are pretty solid.