Summer Games Challenge 2017 - Begin when ready!

[prfsnl_gmr]

I am very close on Mario Kart 64 and Day of the Tentacle. Both are great, particularly Mario Kart 64. The racing in that game is just so good, and I see why it is so revered. Day of the Tentacle is charming and has a great sense of humor. It struggles with Lucasarts puzzle logic at times, however. (Also, the remastered version is excellent.)

[Sarge]

I never did make a list for this, but I reckon those legit wins in Contra III, Contra: Hard Corps, and Ghouls 'N Ghosts count.

[Key-Glyph]

It seems a day like any other. The moons are at home in the sky, undisturbed. Town life goes on in its usual unremarkable way. You trace your customary erratic path through the grassy commons, paying absolutely no heed to path nor pavement. For an NPC, life is calm.

Then, eight figures in the distance. Their flowing white robes stand out against the hills. You watch the leader stagger ever forward; the others take wearily determined strides. When the party is close enough to distinguish details, you are overwhelmed. It is Key, the aspiring Avatar -- and her eyes are filled with suspended tears.

You remember Key. The first time you met her she had but two companions in her wake and asked you a slew of questions, politely leading with an inquiry about your health. The second time she crossed your path it was from above in a strange floating machine, flailing and shouting frantic commands to her rather capable-looking, but extremely harried, mage ("Cast! Mariah! Wind! Annnnddd... EAST! ...Wait no, not FROM the East, I want to go EastWARD! TO the East! That way! Ohh noooo castmariahwindWEST oh crap that took too long we missed the mark! DESCEND! Descend Descend Descend wait why can't we land here?! NOW WE'RE OVER THE OCEANNN--").

Now she approaches you with seven companions in tow, the last of whom looks pretty useless. As you find yourself staring, this unfamiliar companion anticipates your thoughts and offers, "I am Katrina. I am useless." Oh, the humility! But when you meet Key's gaze and ask your other unspoken question, she nods. She has become an Avatar.

But she looks oh so weary. Any traces of jubilation you expected have long since disappeared; she wants only a hot meal, and to explain.

TO BE CONTINUED.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Day of the Tentacle is down! It is a charming adventure game, but my critique a few posts ago still holds. As much as I complained about Broken Sword last year - and as much as I think it is way too long - it is clearly the better game from a design perspective. Day of the Tentacle I much funnier, however, and it is loaded with better characters. Those qualities go a long way in point-and-click adventure games; so, I would probably give it the edge.

[Ack]

So what mod(s) should I install to play STALKER: SoC at the default gameplay/difficulty but with better graphics and stability?

Install all patches and then the community patches. I would just begin there and not worry about other mods just yet.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Mario Kart 64 is down! The 50cc and 100cc races were very easy, but the 150cc (and , particularly, the Flower Cup) drove me to distraction. I lost a lot of races by less than 1/10 of a second, which is incredibly frustrating. Nonetheless, I think that this is one of the best in the series. All of the racers feel distinctive, and I can win races with any of them (even the heavy racers, like Wario and Bowser). Moreover, the tracks are all very well designed, and I understand why the game is so revered. (At some point, I really should play through the rest of the Mario Kart games so that I can compare all of them. The only ones I haven't beaten are Mario Kart Advance and Mario Kart DS.)

I fired up Banjo Kazooie this morning. It feels...dated...

[Markies]

Mario Kart 64 is down! The 50cc and 100cc races were very easy, but the 150cc (and , particularly, the Flower Cup) drove me to distraction. I lost a lot of races by less than 1/10 of a second, which is incredibly frustrating. Nonetheless, I think that this is one of the best in the series. All of the racers feel distinctive, and I can win races with any of them (even the heavy racers, like Wario and Bowser). Moreover, the tracks are all very well designed, and I understand why the game is so revered. (At some point, I really should play through the rest of the Mario Kart games so that I can compare all of them. The only ones I haven't beaten are Mario Kart Advance and Mario Kart DS.)

I fired up Banjo Kazooie this morning. It feels...dated...

I have so much nostalgia for Mario Kart 64! That is the game that got me into the series and I used to play it continuously. Overall, I think it's really good. However, I think Double Dash past it for me. I think it is a more balanced and better version. Mario Kart 64 will still hold a special place in my heart and is one of the best in the series, but it's also hard to go back to after newer entries.

Banjo Kazooie can be very frustrating in that 'Rare' sense. And it feels very much like a N64 platformer, but it is one of the better ones. Give it some time and let it grow on you. It took a while for me to really understand and really enjoy the game!

[Xeogred]

What version of Banjo Kazooie are you playing?

[Key-Glyph]

HEAR MORE?: YES

That night, Key tells her tales in the local pub over a steaming mountain of waffles (she is done with PopTart rations for at least a decade). You hear of her adventures mapping the depths of Britannia's dungeons. Of carrying Iolo's body, a third time, out to safety. Of Julia, the Tinker -- another companion you had not yet met -- and her remarkable talent for striking down enemies from day one (Shamino and Iolo fidget with their soggy pancakes, embarrassed). Of Mariah the Mage, holding down her own rising anxieties at Key's magical ineptitude until each inevitable breaking point, at which moment Jaana the Druid would take the relaxed lead. Of that one time Key let Dupre do something awesome and trusted him to cast Dispel. And maybe something about Shamino.

And then, the Abyss.

What you hear truly horrifies you. Of the eight companions descending five floors into the bowels of Britannia, only to be depleted beyond recovery by a single room of half a dozen enemies spamming Sleep spells. Then of a second attempt, upon which the heroes made it to the heart of the Abyss... only to have Key inadvertently jumble the syllables in the word of passage. Her misspoken word ejected the entire party out to the overworld again, their four hours of work crumbling instantly before their disbelieving eyes.

This was a pivotal moment in the Avatar's progression. From that ejected moment onward, Key was set upon by fear, paranoia, and frustration. She broke down and consulted a few friends who had once become Avatars themselves. She realized she her mistake -- she had possessed all the pieces, just in the wrong order -- but nothing could unshake her core. When she finally forced her way to the final confrontation once more, she confirmed every step with a trusted advisor before uttering anything into the void, terrified she might once again lose all.

Thus, when she finally looked upon the Ultimate Truth, she felt neither proud nor entirely satisfied. She felt broken, foolish, and cowardly.

And yet, she goes on -- draining her flask of Diet Coke -- perhaps this was just another essential experience in maintaining her Avatarhood. When friends began approaching her with congratulations, Key initially felt hollow, as if her imperfect victory was an embarrassment. But one friend said to her, "This does not diminish your achievement. Even heroes need help sometimes." Upon hearing those words, Key recalled something from her journey that she had tried so desperately to remember:

"Pride is NOT a virtue! It exists without truth, love, or courage."

Thus, Key concludes, relying on others for help was not shameful; in fact, it is exactly what an Avatar should do. And thus, even post-adventure, she is still finding new lessons in being a better, kinder, humbler person -- if even just to herself.

1. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (AppII)

[Xeogred]

You make Ultima IV sound so epic haha. Was also cool hearing the updates on the Jukebox.