Summer Games Challenge 2014

[Sload Soap]

Maxed out at level ten and got up to the bat boss in Ys. Damn is he cheap as fuck. I'll come back to him tomorrow. Generally really enjoying this though.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Library cards? What am I supposed to do - check out books? How about Bram Stoker's Dracula? Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

They actually warp you back to the library in the "regular" castle. I forgot what the meal cards do, however...

[TSTR]

1. Final Fantasy (PSP)
2. Half-Life (PC)
3. Mike Tyson's Punch Out (NES)
4. Alone in the Dark (PC)
5. Golden Axe (Genesis)
6. Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
7. Tomb Raider (PS1)
8. Legend of Zelda (NES)
9. Ys I & II (PSP)
10. Deus Ex (PC)

Told y'all I'd finish it this week. (I'm still awake, so it counts.) Crushed through Mirage Tower to the end this evening. Just about 19.5 hours of playtime. What an awesome game. I love all the neat extras you get on the PSP version afterward too.

Now to pick one that I can knock out before I go on vacation Friday, which will likely be the start of my Ys journey (probable 5 hour layover in Atlanta, gotta take the PSP for that). Maybe one of the 8/16-bit games.

[alienjesus]

Anyone know why the fuck the game designers of Star Tropics decided to only refill three of your hearts upon continuing? I'm starting to realize that this otherwise fun game suffers from the same problems most NES-era games do - mean-spirited and highly frustrating design. I really doubt I'll be able to beat this thing without murdering at least one kitten.

And now you understand why I didn't enjoy the game.

Couple that with deaths which are LITERALLY down to an unlucky 50/50 choice and you have a recipe for frustration.

What the hell is up with some of these items in Symphony of the Night?

A meal ticket? Is there a cafeteria in the castle?

Library cards? What am I supposed to do - check out books? How about Bram Stoker's Dracula? Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

I didn't try out the meal ticket, but library cards take you back to the library so you can visit the shop.



I'm still on Shantae right now, and I'm not getting it so far. The first two dungeons were fun enough, if nothing truly special, but every single overworld section is awfully designed - blind jumps, unavoidable or cheap enemies and bugger all of interest between point a and point b.

Shantae so far is just reinforcing my opinion of WayForward - they make pretty games with good sound, but the gameplay always feels lacking, and I'd rather be playing whichever games they've used as inspiration than whatever they've cobbled together.

[darsparx]

Anyone know why the fuck the game designers of Star Tropics decided to only refill three of your hearts upon continuing? I'm starting to realize that this otherwise fun game suffers from the same problems most NES-era games do - mean-spirited and highly frustrating design. I really doubt I'll be able to beat this thing without murdering at least one kitten.

Zelda 1 has that problem sadly...I never did understand why it only refilled 3 hearts from what I've managed to play when I do get around to playing it. Zelda 1 is up next once I finally beat final fantasy 1...gotta find more time to play and stop playing assassin's creed or watch_dogs

[BoneSnapDeez]

I didn't try out the meal ticket, but library cards take you back to the library so you can visit the shop.

I didn't notice a shopkeeper in the inverted library. Unless it warps you back to the regular one? I haven't found much to buy yet anyway. Hell 90% of the items I'm picking up seem to be superfluous.

149% through the game now. Just beat some bat boss who was easy as hell.

[alienjesus]

I didn't try out the meal ticket, but library cards take you back to the library so you can visit the shop.

I didn't notice a shopkeeper in the inverted library. Unless it warps you back to the regular one? I haven't found much to buy yet anyway. Hell 90% of the items I'm picking up seem to be superfluous.

149% through the game now. Just beat some bat boss who was easy as hell.

Takes you to the regular one I think.

I found most weapons to be useless, and most items to be crappy too.

The weapons I used in game:
The crappy starting knife you get very early on
Holy Rod
Shield Rod (this one stayed useful right through to the end)
Combat Knife
Alucard Sword

It didn't seem worth using the bigger longer weapons because they attack so damn slow. The knives killed things much faster.

The shield rod is an exception - those buffs are really helpful on bosses. If you haven't used it before, equipping the shield rod and a shield and then hitting both attack buttons casts a spell, most of which give you status buffs. The leather shield defence bonus, knight shield's attack bonus and various other elemental resists from other shields make most bosses a breeze. Except Garamoth, fuck that guy.

[Retrogamer0001]

Anyone know why the fuck the game designers of Star Tropics decided to only refill three of your hearts upon continuing? I'm starting to realize that this otherwise fun game suffers from the same problems most NES-era games do - mean-spirited and highly frustrating design. I really doubt I'll be able to beat this thing without murdering at least one kitten.

Zelda 1 has that problem sadly...I never did understand why it only refilled 3 hearts from what I've managed to play when I do get around to playing it. Zelda 1 is up next once I finally beat final fantasy 1...gotta find more time to play and stop playing assassin's creed or watch_dogs

Hearts are MUCH easier to find in Zelda though - in this game, hearts are a rarity.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Shantae so far is just reinforcing my opinion of WayForward - they make pretty games with good sound, but the gameplay always feels lacking, and I'd rather be playing whichever games they've used as inspiration than whatever they've cobbled together.

Play A Boy and His Blob (Wii). IMO, it is one of the best games on the Wii, and it is much, much better than David Crane's original.

Except Garamoth, fuck that guy.

I love the fact that the hardest boss in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a reimagining of the final boss from Kid Dracula.

Also, I should note that it is worth playing back through the game as Richter. It is a significant change, and it is interesting to see how the game plays as a "traditional" Castlevania vampire hunter.

[alienjesus]

Shantae so far is just reinforcing my opinion of WayForward - they make pretty games with good sound, but the gameplay always feels lacking, and I'd rather be playing whichever games they've used as inspiration than whatever they've cobbled together.

Play A Boy and His Blob (Wii). IMO, it is one of the best games on the Wii, and it is much, much better than David Crane's original.

Except Garamoth, fuck that guy.

I love the fact that the hardest boss in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a reimagining of the final boss from Kid Dracula.

Also, I should note that it is worth playing back through the game as Richter. It is a significant change, and it is interesting to see how the game plays as a "traditional" Castlevania vampire hunter.

I have played a boy and his blob. It's pretty, the music is amazing, and the gameplay is often boring because most of the level designs are finnicky and irritating. Like most of WayForwards stuff, it's alright. I don't get why everyone loves them so much tbh.

I think it's a shame that Garamoth is so much harder than Drac. Seriously, the final boss of Symphony was a joke, but Garamoth kicked my ass sideways for a while/