What do you guys do when you can't choose what to play?

[Opa Opa]

RFGeneration actually has a "random game" button which will pull up a random game from your collection. It's useful sometimes.

backloggery has that too. Except it is a fortune cookie.
I don't know about rfgen but on backloggery you can filter by beaten/unbeaten and filter by system.

[noiseredux]

Wow the rfgen random button is news to me. This is awesome!

[flex wood]

Two whole pages and no one said fap? I'm surprised.

When I can't decide on what to play or just don't want to start a time consuming game that I'll probably not finish I play battlefield 3 usually or else boot up mame and try to blast through a beat em up. Anything that can be played in bite sized increments really is what I end up looking for.

I definitely recommend Castle of Illusion. I grew up playing it and still fire it up every now and again. It has some of my favorite graphics on the system as well.

[J T]

I recognized that I spent a lot of time choosing games, and decided it was a waste. Now if I have time to play, I just jump on whatever I first have an urge to play and throw myself into playing that so I'm not thinking about whatever else I could be playing. I have so little time to play, I can't waste it on unimportant decision making.

[3DSStrider]

I usually have a round of Zen Pinball until I think of something.

[ZeroAX]

I tried out Castle of Illusion today, and god was it AMAZING. Thanks for the tip Ack. This game rocks.

I start out the game, and I notice right away that Mickey is kind of slow. I'm like "ok, this will probably suck cause it will be a platformer about pressing jump exactly where the level designer wanted you to, and not a game about flow".

I use bold for flow, because I think it's the most important part of a 2D platformer.

And then I jump on an enemy and I notice that I get pushed very high in the sky. And I'm like "omg this is great". The game's flow isn't about momentum like Sonic and Donkey Kong Country, it's about chaining enemy jump kills to propel you to even greater heights. This is an amazing simple gameplay idea.

And in my opinion, every GREAT 2D platform game should have some basic fun mechanics that can be used in many creative situations to solve different problems. And this method of movement for Mickey IS such a mechanic. Playing through the levels I noticed that the enemies are always strategically placed when there is a ledge to get to, or a hidden star (health power up), or a secret path which leads to bonuses.

This adds a risk and reward parameter in the game, because this move can be risky if there are bottomless pits below you, but the rewards you get are worth the risk.

Even the duck down move finds a use during a boss fight. This game manages to have only 3-4 moves and does soooooooooo much with it.


I really liked some sudden surprises too, like when I climbed to the top of one of the toy land stages, got the key, and then had a fun way down (not spoiling it for anyone who hasn't played it, I was very pleasantly surprised by it )


The only negative thing I can think of, is that with so much of Disney's and Mickey's old cartoons they could tap for level environments, they go with pretty generic stuff. There are some fun twists here and there, but I know that a stage based on steamboat willy would have been just so much more fun than "forest", "cliff", "toyland".


But that really is nit picking. I'd highly recommend this game to any platformer fun.

Just be warned that it does grow some teeth after the first few levels. Though I think I'll be able to beat it around the 3rd or 4th time I try.

[Stark]

Castle of Illusion is one of my most favorite Genesis games. Glad you're enjoying it Zero!

[Ack]

I tried out Castle of Illusion today, and god was it AMAZING. Thanks for the tip Ack. This game rocks.

Glad you liked it. I've never played it, but having spent time with several of the SNES Mickey games and having enjoyed myself immensely, I figured I would make the recommendation to see how they compare.

Oh, and over your complaint about levels: track down a copy of Micky Mania. There are four different versions, based on what console you try: Mega Drive, SNES, Mega CD, or PlayStation, but each one offers a bit of variety. Like the Mega Drive version is missing some of the secrets but keeps a level dropped from the Super Nintendo version based on The Band Concert. And yes, Steamboat Willie is the first level.

[alienjesus]

The only negative thing I can think of, is that with so much of Disney's and Mickey's old cartoons they could tap for level environments, they go with pretty generic stuff. There are some fun twists here and there, but I know that a stage based on steamboat willy would have been just so much more fun than "forest", "cliff", "toyland".

As Ack said, if you fancy playing a Mickey game based on his classic cartoons, try Mickey Mania. It's pretty good but really hard.

I'd also recommend Quackshot starring Donald Duck. It's pretty different to Castle of Illusion, but is often grouped with it as one of the defining Disney games for the Mega Drive. If you have't tried it, give it a go. It's a favourite of mine.

[Menegrothx]

I tried out Castle of Illusion today, and god was it AMAZING. Thanks for the tip Ack. This game rocks.

Glad you liked it. I've never played it, but having spent time with several of the SNES Mickey games and having enjoyed myself immensely, I figured I would make the recommendation to see how they compare.

Oh, and over your complaint about levels: track down a copy of Micky Mania. There are four different versions, based on what console you try: Mega Drive, SNES, Mega CD, or PlayStation, but each one offers a bit of variety. Like the Mega Drive version is missing some of the secrets but keeps a level dropped from the Super Nintendo version based on The Band Concert. And yes, Steamboat Willie is the first level.

Since he lives in Greece, I'd recommend getting the Playstation version (it's PAL only IIRC). It was my first Playstation game so I am biased, but I vastly prefer that games soundtrack to that of the MD/SNES version. I usually like catchy 8/16-bit music in platformers but the soundtrack in this game is just beautiful, it's amazing how a game so medicore and relatively unknown has such a high quality soundtrack. Even though I say the game is mediocre, I don't mean it's bad in anyway. In fact I'd consider this game to be sort of a hidden 2D platformer gem of the PS1 library. Oh and Quackshot on the Genesis/Mega Drive is worth a try too.

The PS1 version seems to be also technically the best version out there

Version differences

The four versions of the game differ greatly from each other. The Super NES version is missing the hidden Band Concert level and the staircase sequence in the Mad Doctor level, as well as a few special effects and some of Pluto's appearances and some ending-level sequences. It also adds loading time screens in between each area. In contrast, the Mega CD and PlayStation versions add a sequence near the end of the Prince and the Pauper level wherein Mickey must find pencils to call upon the other Mickeys from the six main levels to attack Pete, as well as giving Mickey an extensive dialogue relevant to situations throughout the game. The Mega Drive/Genesis lacks the hidden area near the end of the first level. The PlayStation version, meanwhile, enhances the graphics (all sprites are remade, notably the staircase sequences are rendered in 3D graphics and in the one in the Mad Doctor level, crates occasionally come from behind which Mickey has to dodge) and adds a sequence at the end of the Mickey and the Beanstalk level where Mickey must run away from Willie the Giant (Willie makes no appearance in any of the other game versions despite being mentioned in the manuals of all four versions). On the contrary the difficulty level is increased and badly balanced in respect of the Mega Drive/Genesis, Mega CD/Sega CD and SNES versions.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Man ... ifferences