[EVENT] The Sonic Stadium 52 Game Challenge 2024! - New Prizes every week! Current Prize: Sonic Heroes Profile gift!

[Stasis]

"It's true what they say: the grass is always greener, and you don't really know what it is you have until it's gone. Gone."

Way back in my teens, I had 2 friends who I'd have gaming nights with. Both Nintendo guys with N64's and me, only playing Pokemon Nintendo wise, I'd bring the Dreamcast for some SA2 races. No knowledge of the gaming library, one of my friends pulls out a converter cart and a game the world can not know by now 'Conkers Bad Fur Day'. Crude, obscene, off the wall insanity! If not Pokemon Stadium, this was the game that made me want an N64. While I didn't play much of the single player and mostly watched, I've always remembered the key story beats and randomness to this tale of drunken shenanigans. The multiplayer is where we sank most of our time and it was a blast.

Thinking of games to play for this event, CBFD popped in to mind. now was a good a time as any to fully involve myself in this wonderfully British masterpiece. Thinking back, I'm not sure why my friend imported it unless it was actually hard to get in the UK? No idea.

This game gives you everything you could ever want to experience. A unique nonsensical world where the tropes of fire, water, ice etc are tossed aside for bee hives, dung heaps, bunkers, prehistoric regions all populated with a diverse cast of misfit characters... and it just works. Getting to experience these scenarios while collecting 'the green stuff', forgetting what the narrative actually is but engrossing yourself in what's currently occurring and enjoying every minute of it, makes this so much fun. While the references are pretty on the nose, they inject charm and humor to make them a part of this whacky world.

The soundtrack is your cutesy and catchy general platformer style with a vintage cartoon style that sets a tone you for what you expect but don't actually get. It's fantastic and has certainly been made with love. Playing this at night with headphones on, the mansion area alone is up there with the best horror games in the genre if only for a short time with help from the sound department. The atmosphere, the intensity of the undead only killed by headshot, the unsettling noises they make, turning the corner and coming face to face with one actually had me on edge. It nailed a horror trope perfectly.

.

The endgame does become linear while providing some interesting twists, but it's the ending that hits the mark and certainly feels odd but respectable. Yes you've been playing a game, but also so much more. Give it a go if you haven't already as it's definitely one of a kind. 

Edited February 18 by Stasis

[Ryannumber1gamer]

32 minutes ago, Stasis said:

"It's true what they say: the grass is always greener, and you don't really know what it is you have until it's gone. Gone."

Way back in my teens, I had 2 friends who I'd have gaming nights with. Both Nintendo guys with N64's and me, only playing Pokemon Nintendo wise, I'd bring the Dreamcast for some SA2 races. No knowledge of the gaming library, one of my friends pulls out a converter cart and a game the world can not know by now 'Conkers Bad Fur Day'. Crude, obscene, off the wall insanity! If not Pokemon Stadium, this was the game that made me want an N64. While I didn't play much of the single player and mostly watched, I've always remembered the key story beats and randomness to this tale of drunken shenanigans. The multiplayer is where we sank most of our time and it was a blast.

Thinking of games to play for this event, CBFD popped in to mind. now was a good a time as any to fully involve myself in this wonderfully British masterpiece. Thinking back, I'm not sure why my friend imported it unless it was actually hard to get in the UK? No idea.

This game gives you everything you could ever want to experience. A unique nonsensical world where the tropes of fire, water, ice etc are tossed aside for bee hives, dung heaps, bunkers, prehistoric regions all populated with a diverse cast of misfit characters... and it just works. Getting to experience these scenarios while collecting 'the green stuff', forgetting what the narrative actually is but engrossing yourself in what's currently occurring and enjoying every minute of it, makes this so much fun. While the references are pretty on the nose, they inject charm and humor to make them a part of this whacky world.

The soundtrack is your cutesy and catchy general platformer style with a vintage cartoon style that sets a tone you for what you expect but don't actually get. It's fantastic and has certainly been made with love. Playing this at night with headphones on, the mansion area alone is up there with the best horror games in the genre if only for a short time with help from the sound department. The atmosphere, the intensity of the undead only killed by headshot, the unsettling noises they make, turning the corner and coming face to face with one actually had me on edge. It nailed a horror trope perfectly.

.

The endgame does become linear while providing some interesting twists, but it's the ending that hits the mark and certainly feels odd but respectable. Yes you've been playing a game, but also so much more. Give it a go if you haven't already as it's definitely one of a kind. 

Just to check, is this regular finished or 100%?

[Stasis]

18 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Just to check, is this regular finished or 100%?

I believe completing the story is 100%. Can't see anything else online that goes towards it on the N64 version.

Edited February 19 by Stasis

[Emperor Robrainiac]

Didn't get a whole lot of time to get started on anything shorter or simpler, so I decided to continue with Xenoblade 2 a few times this week. 

I've been bouncing between this game and Kirby Superstar. Interesting thing about this game is that I actually got this game for my birthday but I didn't play it right away as I hadn't finished Xenoblade DE. I've made good progress (Note: my playtime also accounts for time where I went AFK, so my actual playtime probably isn't as long lmao) and I'm really enjoying this game.

I really loved Xenoblade 1 when I first played it and I had some high expectations for 2 and so far it's not disappointing.  This game goes for the Final Fantasy way of doing sequels, where they don't take place in the same universe but still share certain themes, creatures and elements from the previous game. In this case, rather than taking place on the body of seemingly deceased gods, they take place on the backs (Or in once case, inside the body) of giant creatures known as Titans. as expected, the scenery is otherworldly, and very fun to explore. basically, places I would love to visit... I mean if not for the giant killer creatures lol. 

Gameplay is similar to the first, but now they include a new battle feature called "Blades" characters you can "equip" and harness their weapons and powers to fight. You have ones that are important to the story like Pyra/Mythra (The ones in smash bros lol), and give the main character Rex the power of Fire/Light magic respectively. In addition to the main story Blades, you can also get ones from a sort of Gatcha type system. While the Gatcha system is annoying, it's always a delight when you get a unique, rare, Blade.

Although I'm having a great time with this game, there are a couple of minor things that bug me about it. One being the gatcha system which makes it very annoying if you have your heart set on rarer blades. 

Another thing that's kind of off putting is how much more "anime" the game is. While it's definitely not a gamebreaker and I've seen certain tropes used in a much more annoying way in anime and games that I like, It's still very bizarre to see after the more serious tone of Xenoblade 1. For example, there's a running gag of certain characters having a maid fetish, even to the point where one of the bosses a giant chibi maid mech which just feels super out of place and random with this game. There's definitely some "lol bewbs" moments with its fanservice which wasn't as prevailent in Xenoblade 1.

But as I said, it doesn't really hurt the experience overall and I'm still really interested in seeing where the story is going, I still really like the characters, and I can't wait to see where this game takes me next.

I think I might be through the halfway point of the game, and if that's the case, I may have to juggle this and another classic game or shorter game to have more variety in this posts.

But yeah, I really, really like this game too. So much, that I actually bought Xenoblade 3 today from amazon! I might take a quick break between 2 and 3, but I can't wait to see this series to the end!

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

@ShadowXeldron

Just wanted to do a quick check - I saw you submittted Ys 2 Chronicles, have you also submitted the first game? I just want to be sure I haven't accidentally missed anything.

[SgtBloxx]

Progress Report:

Not much progress has been made lately due to college and a Hackathon event. Though I have been playing Helldivers 2 whenever I can, and I am thinking of playing Split/Second as one of my 52 games.

[KingSonicFan134]

Game Number 6/52: Mega Man 5 (MMLC Version) (100% Complete)

MM 4's the best out of all original mega mans, but 5's a good second. Level designs overall pretty solid, with a fun collectible in all the Master Stages. Music was absolutely spectacular as usual, and the graphics continue to impress. Found the Wily fight to be a tad underwhelming, but it was a great time as per usual with a Mega Man game.

Game Rating: 5 Out Of 5:
 

Game Number 7/52: Mega Man Zero 3 (Finished)

Another fantastic Mega Man game completed. This was an excellent experience with solid level design, complex game mechanics, great graphics for the hardware it's on, outstanding soundtrack, a somewhat advanced narrative for a Mega Man game, and plenty of content compared to the previous entries. Not as good as MMZ2, but very, very good nonetheless.

Game Rating: 5 Out Of 5:

Games Finished: 5

Games Completed: 2

[Winston]

This is a big update so it took me a while, so here goes nothing. 

GAME #8 - Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 - Completed

I finally got the Fortnite season fully completed. This is the first time I've ever actually completed a Fortnite season completely, bonuses and all. I have finished the basic battle pass but never the bonus rewards. I have been playing Fortnite for about a year now, or something around that, but have gotten far more active lately thanks to various of my friend groups giving it a chance. It's been a lot of fun for all involved, and of course, with the inclusion of Peter Griffin and Solid Snake, I couldn't let them escape my grasp. There was also Raiden, Ninja Turtles, Invincible, and the Giant Chicken is altogether made for a pretty decent selection to me this season. I never thought I'd really enjoy Fortnite all that much, but it's a lot of fun, and the battle pass grind is not as bad as I expected. It's actually pretty good compared to most other games with battle passes, and the various rewards you get on each page makes progress feel pretty steady. 

GAME #9 - Sonic Colors Ultimate - Finished

I've always been a pretty big fan of this game, and still am, even upon probably my fifth or sixth playthrough of the title. The story isn't anything to write home about, but for when it came out, it was fine enough, and it was cool to have Eggman as the final boss of a 3D Sonic game for once... even if they kept reusing that boss fight for practically the next decade. Regardless, I love this game's music and the levels are pretty fun. Not every level is great, mind you, and if you want more of a 3D Sonic game then this probably isn't for everyone. I also really do dig the Color powers, even if they got pretty old after a bit in the series. But for the first time they came around, I had some fun and they didn't intrude on the gameplay too much.

I did play Sonic Colors Ultimate, the PS5 version, and I can see why people don't really enjoy this game as much as the original Wii version. I do think the visuals are a bit worse, and the extras here are nothing too special, but it's a perfectly fine way to play the game. It's not as good as it could've been but if you really want Colors outside of the Wii, it's not a bad deal on sale. I do think the remixed music is a bit worse, but I am happy they allowed you to switch back to the original soundtrack. That was a nice addition. But yeah, this was a fun time and I look forward to when I eventually replay Colors again.

GAME #10 - Punch-Out!! (Wii) - Finished

With that done, the Punch-Out series has finally come to a conclusion for me. It was fun while it lasted, and I enjoyed slowly conquering each and every boss. I definitely love this entry a lot. I think it's far more fair in fighting the bosses, aka easier, and it took me far less time to actually get to the end. I did struggle a bit with Mr. Dream, but he wasn't as bad as the other games bosses. The art style and music here is especially great. Next Level Games did a really good job modernizing Punch-Out, and I really love the amount of effort they put into the cutscenes here, giving a look into the personality and background of each boss more than the original ever could aside from if you read the manual or Nintendo Power.

I also applaud this game for bringing back the referee and making him feel fair. Mario was originally planned, but Nintendo said no, which is for the better because Mario was an awful referee. This one actually feels fair when calling the shots, and I especially really like that it doesn't feel impossible to actually just KO an opponent after multiple rounds. One thing I always struggled with in the NES and SNES games was winning a match without a TKO. I'm sure maybe Glass Joe and some of the earlier bosses in the other games could be if you got like, two knock downs per round, but here it actually is far more consistent. I even defeated later stage bosses with just simple KO's because I continually tired them out. It's also really cool to see the physical damage represented on both them and Mac, showing how much fight they have left in them. There's also a mechanic now where if you're about to get TKO'd, if you mash enough, sometimes, you can actually have Little Mac refuse to go down, basically one last push to the finish! It's a great idea and I'm glad they included it.

This is also the first one I didn't get full completion with, and I didn't really feel like playing the game all over again with harder bosses. I also heard there was a mode unlocked after it that you get only one shot at, and if you fail, you have to start a whole new game file to attempt it again if you fail after three tries. Maybe I read it long, but I certainly do not want to waste all that time to fail. I also enjoyed myself enough as it is already, and left satisfied. 

I can definitely recommend this game to anyone I feel, it's the best of Punch-Out all put into one package, and motion controls aren't entirely forced for gameplay. Sure, menus, but it basically adopts the controls of the NES original, but with much needed polish to the gameplay. A really great game, and I would love if Next Level gave us another one eventually. 

GAME #11 - WarioWare: Touched! - Finished

It's always fun taking a picture of a Wii U game pad. Anyways, Touched was actually my first experience with the Wario Ware series, and shortly after Smooth Moves. Touched was a strange game to me as a child, such as every Wario Ware is, but something about it just kept me pulled in. The minigames were fun, the characters were lively, I loved the weird sound effects and visuals that would play. It made me a life long fan, and I'm glad it did. Wario is one of my favorite characters in gaming, and I love the cast of characters these games get him to interact with. Of course, 9-Volt always has my favorite minigames since it's neat to see what kinda minigames they come up with based on other Nintendo IP's. I also love all the extra bonuses these games give you, with this one focused mainly on touch controls, and the DS mic. Some of them are just things like a Yo Yo, so nothing like too amazing, but for some reason I found it cool. Especially when I was like 7 years old and playing this game. I didn't choose to complete it because I wanted this to just be a short and fun breeze, and I'd like to play more Wario Ware games for this marathon, so I'll focus on doing those over trying to fully complete one of them. 

GAME #12 - Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Switch) - Finished

Now here is a brand new release, and it's actually quite a bit of fun. Is it worth $50? I guess it's up to the eyes of the beholder. I wouldn't really say it is, but with the voucher pass, I would get a bit of a discount either way and I got another game with it so why not. I really liked this game and it's original Game Boy predecessor. I really wish they included that too as a remake, as I think with two games, this would've been far more worth the money at $50. For what it is though, it's a close remake to the GBA game, almost to it's detriment, as I wouldn't have minded a bit more cutscenes and so on. But the cutscenes, for what are they and they animated, are pretty good and it's nice to see Mario and DK interacting in full motion, and hearing the original Martinet voicelines in better quality.

One thing I did have an issue with sometimes in this game is I felt the enemy hitboxes were a little off sometimes? Maybe I was just being bad, but I swore I would land on an enemy's head and it would just count as a hit. Not that you'd ever really risk running out of lives in this game, they shower you in plenty of them and those bonus minigames each world has with like eight mushrooms are not as hard as they seem to beat. I did them all first try without any struggle. The music in this game is also great, loved the remixed soundtrack here. 

I also didn't feel like completing this one just because I already beat the whole game, and it wanted me to go back and do every world again with remixed and harder stages. No thanks. At least, not right now, maybe later on I'll come back to this and mark it as completed, but as of now, I'm perfectly fine with where I ended things off at. There's also extra hard bonus levels even after that. So especially no thanks lol. I guess it adds some replay value, but to me, I don't really want to go the extra mile like that. But yeah, if you like good puzzle platformers, this one is for you, but maybe wait for a sale or get a game voucher and another game you really want. It's not quite as good as the '94 GB game to me, even still, and if you've already played this game on GBA, this doesn't do much different. Heck, it even removes some of the animations from it. For what it is though, it's a fun and serviceable way to play a GBA classic. 

GAME #13 - Kirby's Dream Land - Completed

Alright, finally, here is the last game for the week. I figured I'd throw in Kirby, since it's a fun and short platformer that is relatively easy to complete. Just gotta beat the game twice. I always really loved this game. It's just really sweet, even if the power-ups aren't quite here yet. They sorta are, I guess, but they're like limited time abilities and there's only like two-three of them. There's no sucking up and copying abilities, just sucking things up and shooting them back out. The extra game mode here isn't really much harder either, like yeah, enemies do more damage but it's nothing like so frustrating you'll be screaming at the game. There isn't really much more to be said here, but there's a reason why Kirby has stuck around for so long. His games are adorable, sweet and can be for anyone. This may be the only Kirby game on my list so far, but I doubt it'll be my last. I've been really wanting to replay Nightmare in Dreamland, which is a remake of Kirby's Adventure. It would be a good thing if I wanted to go in chronological order, but I'm not sure if I want to commit that much yet.

And there we go. Another check-in, even if I'm cutting it close. I had to work quite a bit this weekend and I wanted to fit in as many games as I could, because I feel like next week will be a week without a game added. I could be wrong though, maybe I'll try to knock out some more NES and Kirby games. But yeah, six whole games! I don't think I'm ever going to be able to do this many games again in a week, but who knows what the future holds. 

Edited February 19 by Winston

[Agie]

Games beaten so far.

Spoiler

1. Super Mario RPG Remake

2. Kaze and the Wild Masks

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (100%)

4. Mega Man 1

5. Mega Man 2

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

7. Twinkle Star Sprites

8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (100%)

9. Sunset Riders

10. Mega Man 3

11. Mega Man 4 (sequel wars version)

12. Terminator Salvation (arcade)

13. Roll-Chan 5 (hack of Mega Man 5)

14. Kiki KaiKai

15. Roll-Chan 6 (hack of Mega Man 6)

16. Beeny

17. Roll-Chan World (hack of Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge)

18. Roll-Chan: Mini World (hack of Game Gear Mega Man)

I got a double whammy today. Sadly, while I can take screenshots on the Steam Deck now, my Super Pocket and some other devices remain having to settle for crappy photos for the time being.

19. Duke Nukem 1

Dr. Proton was once a respected scientist, until a radiation accident altered his brain. He decided he wanted to take over Earth, and has taken out every hero who ever tried to take him out, including Commander Keen! The last hope to save the day is Duke Nukem, who's none too happy about being interrupted when watching Oprah. Nonetheless, he makes it his mission to take out Dr. Proton while still having time to watch Oprah afterwards. Along the way, he deals with aliens, robots, and all sorts of obstacles, including ACME weights.

I found this to be a charming little game. Yes, even with the enhancements in the Evercade version, this game very much shows its age, and while it has none of the more controversial elements the series would become known for, it does contain some bullshit design, including a point where it's impossible to avoid getting hit in the final level. Even so, I found this to be a fun game, and in fact, I was having so much fun, it was over before I had my fill. Thankfully, the cartridge includes the sequels. Plus, well, it's fun just to start from the very beginning of this franchise.

I dunno if the sequel will be the next game, but I enjoyed this one. The Evercade version does add enhancements, including a modernized HUD, changed color pallet, and better framerate, but you can go with the original HUD, colors and the janky framerate as well if you so wish. But I stuck with the enhancements. You can even mix and match if you like some enhancements, but want other things to be the original.

So go check it out. But no, I did not get 100% completion; the game itself says so.

20. Roll-Chan World 2 (hack of Game Boy Mega Man II)

Dr. Wily is back at it again. Once again, he largely reused Robot Masters, but this time, he went into a future and reprogrammed a future Roll to be evil. He called this new evil robot Quart, and she has a pogo stick jackhammer...thing she uses. It's up to present day Roll to once again save the day and fight enemies.

Developed by Biox rather than Minakuchi Engineering, who handled Dr. Wily's Revenge and would do the remaining Game Boy games, this is often seen as the black sheep of the Game Boy series. Does it live up to its reputation? Well, the music is kinda grating even for the Game Boy, and there is no denying this game is easy. But I do admit, I had some fun with this one; I remember looking at the unaltered version for the first iteration of this challenge all the way back in 2015, and my feelings...pretty much remained the same, surprisingly. Maybe some differences.

Though I will say, most of the more difficult parts, I felt were hard for the wrong reasons, since it's hard to avoid some obstacles. But it feels like that was slapped in at the last minute. Still, all things considered, I would call this...not as bad as everyone says it is. It's easy, yes, and the music is grating, but I dunno; maybe every time I play this one, I just happen to be in the mood for an easier game.

I also wanna add a note specifically for the hack; the most significant thing in the unaltered game is the introduction of Quint, a reprogrammed future Mega Man, who is easy peasy. The hack could've gotten away with leaving Quint as he is, but the hacker went out of his way to replace him with a reprogrammed Roll, and called her Quart. It's not much, and she functions exactly the same as Quint, but I have to appreciate that little detail.

Would I recommend trying this one out for yourself? Well, yeah, but expect an easy Mega Man adventure, and be ready for some awful music.

Edited February 19 by Agie

[ShadowXeldron]

5 hours ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

@ShadowXeldron

Just wanted to do a quick check - I saw you submittted Ys 2 Chronicles, have you also submitted the first game? I just want to be sure I haven't accidentally missed anything.

No. I completed the first game before this challenge started and Ys 2 was me cleaning up. They're separate executables on Steam as well.

Ys 1 a short game anyway so it shouldn't be too much effort to replay if need be.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

8 minutes ago, ShadowXeldron said:

No. I completed the first game before this challenge started and Ys 2 was me cleaning up. They're separate executables on Steam as well.

Ys 1 a short game anyway so it shouldn't be too much effort to replay if need be.

Nah, it’s no worries unless you want to do so. I just thought I had missed a entry, but you’re all good.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Weekly Check-In:

In addition to the other games I am currently running, I've added Transformers War For Cybertron to my proverbial arsenal.

Other games I'm currently doing would usually be over by now, but I am trying to go fro completion on them along the way.

[FReaK]

Since it's monday already I'm probably too late for my update, but to be honest - I totally forgot to write that down BECAUSE I was hardcore gaming this last week, lel.

So, what happened?

1. Sonic Superstars PS4

I did the PS5 version when it released and usually do the PS4 version for Sonic games some time after. So after the Shadow Skin dropped I started the run.

I'm not done yet, I'm 7 hours in and only miss the trophies for the last story and trips story, as well as 100 enemies as Tails and a few golden Badniks.

Overall it is MUCH easier on the second go. I still like the game overall, but you all know about the bosses. I'm still not looking forward to Trips final boss, but since Sonics final boss went very easy I'm quite optimistic I won't need 4 hours to beat him this time around.

I'm having fun with the game, that's all that counts. :D

2. World of Final Fantasy

Oh boi, what have I gotten myself into with this one.

What do you get when you combine Pokemon and Final Fantasy? this.

I'm having way more fun then I have expected, I grinded like a maniac the last few days.

I'll give an in depth look on my thoughts when I'm done 100%. I'm shortly before finishing the main story, then I'll go into endgame. Hope to get this finished before FF7Rebirth launches, which is my highest anticipated game this year. :)

 

Hope you guys are having fun, too! :D

[Polkadi~☆]

Well well, let's check in, shall we?! It's been... a painful week for my 100% path.

3. Neon White (Completed, but...)

Spoiler

Just the Mikey's Hell Rush and White's Hell Rush to do! Which is REALLY FAR FROM EASY. All 96 levels from the main game must be completed in a single sitting, and a single death nullifies the whole run.

With Mikey's rush, it should be easier, since all cards are replaced with the rocket launcher card, but not all levels become so easy to complete even then, for not being designed around that one card after all.

I only try again every now and then. A good run takes around 80 minutes, meaning it's a serious time investment to keep trying over and over.

4. Sonic Adventure 2 (Completed, but...)

Spoiler

I completed this game again! Well, yeah, of course... That's not really anything special to note here.

What IS something to note, is that I'm trying for 100% again, and have gotten even further than I ever did before! Got the Hard Mode missions of the Speed and Mech stages left to do, then I'm gonna spend all my time in the Chao Garden! I'm even thinking of turning my Chao Garden adventure into a video, once I get to that point.

The Mech Hard Mode missions aren't fun. Some of them are easy enough to do, while most others just toss loads of enemy attacks at you to throw off your combo, while you're struggling to dodge the attacks because you move too sluggishly. It sucks.

5. maimai (OG)

Spoiler

42 songs?! And oh god, it gets WORSE in later versions?!

Unfortunately, I don't know how many songs I've cleared from the first version of maimai so far. The online network doesn't keep track of this information, only the game does. Last I saw, it looked like 8/42, but I know I cleared more after I checked...

I'm also only counting 97% scores as a clear, as that's the minimum for an S rank. And while I was going to clear all the songs from one difficulty, it seems like the game doesn't care which difficulty you cleared the song on to count, as long as you cleared a song in that category. So, it's a mix of Expert difficulty and Master. The first version of maimai happened to have some level 10+ Master charts, of which there have only ever been 6 10+ Master charts in the game's total lifespan. So alongside clearing all OG maimai songs, it's a minor goal to also clear all of maimai's 10+ Masters too.

Oh, I also got my 10k DX Rating back after the Buddies update wiped off 2k points, so I get my purple banner back. Next rank up is at 12k and I'm already at 10849, so I might hit that milestone pretty soon, since later rating levels require higher level clears to award more points and I'm practicing getting into Master charts.

Rooftop Run Act 1 is a deceptive track... Of all Sonic songs in maimai OG, this chart pulls some dirty tricks to trip you up. But I still got my 97% clear after a few tries. And after playing Reach for the Stars many months ago and struggling to hit even 90%, I can happily say that I can now clear 97% with ease, and can keep practicing to hit 100% or more. Might even get my first ever All Perfect clear, eventually...

 

Edited February 19 by Polkadi~☆

[CharDragoncaster]

While I have nothing to properly show regarding games, I've been working on making time to play Superchargers before the WiiU servers shut down. I'm also working on 100%ing Dragonvale too, since it's a childhood favorite of mine!

[Failinhearts]

WEEK 6:

Now this is more like it in what makes a week. Get ready for a hearty helping of Super Fighting Robots... Which a lot of people seem to be doing.

individuality, what's that

But first, some other games!

GAME 25: MARIO PARTY STAR RUSH (3DS): 100% COMPLETED

That... sure is a Mario Party, alright. This game was released in the era where Nintendo is going through this strange identity crisis with Mario Party, thinking that in order to keep the series fresh, it is to completely redefine how it is played. We saw it with Mario Party 9 with the car, and we see it again here in Star Rush... a lot of "it again".

Mario Party Star Rush feels like a tech demo, a proof of concept of sorts. It's Nintendo throwing a ton of ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks. And none come close to the traditional experience in terms of enjoyability. Toad Scramble tries to add a real time aspect to dice rolls, Coinathalon focuses more on the race, there is one mode that is solely about amiibo, it's all a lot of gimmicks but not a lot of substance to them.

Like, they're fine? The minigames are also fine? They're all inoffensive. They're pretty fast paced which suit the portability factor than say, a long 20 turn board in Island Tour. But you can tell it's more of an experimental training ground of a game than a fleshed out Mario Party experience.

So why did I play this? Cause I'm an amiibo shill, that's why. This game takes advantage of amiibo in interesting and unique ways I have never seen a game do until like, Splatoon 3? I love weird and obscure ways to make use of my extensive figure collection.

In Star Rush's case, its the first game to use amiibo where it actively awards you for having saves from a completely different game! Remember the days where having a Mario Galaxy save file unlocks Rosalina in Mario Kart Wii? This is like that, but FAAAR more broken.

Having amiibo before playing a game already provides an extra perk, usually having a companion player by your side to skew the game in your favor. But if your amiibo has Mario Party 10 data? You get even further gameplay advantages, from golden dice to more coins. It sure did wonders to help me beat the game faster and with less hassle, but imagine facing someone IRL with an amiibo by your side?

Guess that's the way of the game bringing over the ol' Mario Party tradition of ruining friendships.

If you got amiibo burning a pocket in your shelf, waiting to be used, and you got Mario Party 10 data for some reason, you fellow freak, guess this game is for you?

Glad at least I satiated my raging curiosity, at least.

GAME 26: SONIC RIDERS (PC): 100% COMPLETE

Yes, the PC version. The version with the fixed eyes in cutscenes.

I love Sonic Riders DX and Tournament Edition, amazing mods that make the game more fast and engaging on a meta perspective. With all the new characters and texture packs, it really brings to light how fun of a game the original Riders is.

But what happens if I take that away? And just play Riders as a vanilla experience?

I mean, its still a ton of fun. But the con of playing a mod for so long after going back to the original is, man, this game is a lot slower. And the balancing for some of the characters and Extreme Gears off.

Still, it doesn't change the fundamental fun of Riders. Its not your average kart racer. There's tricks, and resource management, and combat, and levelling up. It may seem overwhelming at first, especially cause the game sends you into the deep end with hardly a tutorial, but once you get into the flow, it is downright addicting.

I hope one day, Sega wises up and realizes Riders is like, friggin' sick and everything. But until then, I'm going to be BUIIIIILDING MOMENTUM with the original classic.

GAME 27: MEGA MAN (NES): 100% COMPLETE

Well... you gotta start somewhere, am I right?

You can't knock Mega Man too hard. It's the foundation on which the franchise is based on, and there is a lot of it to love as a result. The customizable runs where you choose who to tackle first, the weakness systems, jumping and shooting, the bullshit level desi-

It's got what you expect from Mega Man, is what I mean.

But there is also a lot of jank, and the endgame especially I think is very cheap with what it expects of you. How was I supposed to know about the magnet beam?

Its the endgame that ultimately soured me on the experience, sadly. Like, the game's fine. But it's very clearly Capcom needed to iron out a few kinks in order for the Blue Bomber to reach his true potential...

...Speaking of which.

GAME 28: MEGA MAN 2 (NES): 100% COMPLETE

Muuuuch better. Just all around. Normal mode is a blessing, solid level design, Metal Blade, better balancing, banging soundtrack, Metal Blade, cooler designs, and Metal Blade.

There are some very annoying sections in the game, no doubt. Especially when we once again reach the endgame, like with that horrid turret boss and Crash Bomber's crappy ammo cap. But it's also something I can't get too mad at thanks to Normal mode's generosity. I can see why this is not just a classic, but the game that ultimately defined Mega Man as a mascot that is here to stay.

...No matter how many times Capcom tries to bury him now.

GAME 29: MEGA MAN 3 (NES): 100% COMPLETE

Want a somewhat spicier take though? From a level design standpoint? Mega Man 3 I might like even more than 2. I found myself really enjoying the stages, even the endgame fortress this time around! This especially is thanks to the wonderous addition of the slide, Rush Coil and Rush Jet.

I don't even have that much of a problem with Doc Robot. Granted, all these games are done with that good ol' Legacy Collection rewind but shuuuuuush, let me pretend I know what I'm doing.

The only issues I found in Mega Man 3 is the pretty underwhelming weapon selection (Top Spin should NOT exist), and the sheer amount of jank in the game. I didn't know Legacy Collection had a fix for the slowdown, but it is everywhere in 3. Especially when you have the Gemini Laser, which might as well be called Time Stopper.

My BIGGEST issue however is how unresponsive the game is. I have faced many cases where I'm hugging a wall, am cornered, and need to jump out of the way... and I don't jump. I slide when I jump and I jump when I slide. I don't know if its a result of the game's hasty development cycle, Legacy Collection, the Steam Deck, analog controls, or what have you. But I never faced that in my other Mega Man playthroughs, so I don't understand why the game was battling me.

But overall, I still had a lot more fun, and great games to crank out on long train commutes. Bring on 4, and the rest.

GAMES FINISHED: 29

GAMES COMPLETED: 26

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 
Apologies about the late update everyone, but it’s a brand new week, and that means a brand new profile gift to go with it! 

Do a check in this week (Monday 19th February to Monday 26th February) to earn yourself a Sonic Chaos profile gift on us! Anyone who has already done a check in today (Again, Monday 19th February) has automatically been noted down for the gift. If you haven’t received last week’s gift when you should have (Sonic Spinball), be sure to let us know!

[Endoian]

Game 5.- Hello everyone, I know this is very late, but I had other things pending and I was not aware of the community, but I'm back and with my times better managed. I just finished this game that really entertained me a lot despite not being one of the most beloved "Sonic 4 episode ll", in a moment I will do my Check-in for this week, see you in a while, bye.

[Stasis]

Spent most of my day killing badniks and collecting medals... but Superstars is 100% complete.

[Agie]

Not the way I wanted to do a check-in, but it seems EmuDeck decided it doesn't like the blue PS5 controller I got. I decided to see if updating the controller with my PS5 will help any.

In the meantime, been making progress in Duke Nukem II, and I wanted to play Roll-Chan World 3, but well, EmuDeck said "not on the TV you can't!"

[castell-neath]

Ok, so for week 6, and sticking to my list,its Sonic 2 (8 bit), completed 100%.

Again, I find this version tricker than Sonic 2 (16 bit) and the first boss can just go to hell and never return straight away. The GG and as such, Sonic origins version makes it one of the most difficult bosses ever seen in the franchise due to the screen crop and lack of rings. Its literally reduced to a guess and get lucky game as opposed to relying on skill and routine. I really do hate it and I'm sure it has killed this game off for many before its started.

Further to this is the trickness that is the Sky High Zone chaos emerald in act 2 and having to perfect successive bounces to reach it, and the maze of insta death that is scrambled egg zone. The reward here is of course getting the first battle / appreance of a mecha sonic in the franchise. Crystal Egg by contrast is a lovely level to explore! 

Again,a nice nostalga run and I really appreciate the graphic and animation models used in both this and Sonic 1. From Sonic Chaos onwards I feel the 8 bit models just look horrendous and were almost Boomesque in thier uglyness and bastardisation of Sonic.

Check in for the week is with Horizon FW again. Completed a few side quests following on from getting the breathing mask and  have just completed the side mission where I must stop a rebel attack on the base / take down a Behemouth in the lowlands and have risen to level 31 as a result. Am now trundling north to obtain DEMETER.

Edited February 25 by castell-neath

[WorksOfMagic]

Not much has been going on this week. Played a bit of everything, from good games like Sonic Unleashed (PS3) to questionable ones like Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (PS2). I may finish and complete both campaigns of Super Mario Bros. (NES) this week. Maybe not. I'll see which game I could potentially 100% complete the quickest this week. Depending on if SMB1 has one for that, I'll probably send a picture of one of the RetroAchievements as proof that I beat New Game+.

[Salamander]

Game 8: Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 (Switch) - And that's a wrap.  This was a ton of fun; challenging, perhaps slightly easier than the first game but with considerably deeper gameplay and a plot which pushes its themes much harder and makes the stakes more personal.  Far more twists and turns this time.  It's almost enough to make me want to play New Game+ to complete all the files and continue improving my tank... but frankly, I don't think I have it in me (and outright 100%ing the game would require at least three, maybe four playthroughs total).  So I'm content with a winning true ending run - and to look forward to a possible Fuga 3 sometime in the future.  The game leaves a bunch of loose ends and stingers, and its hidden 100% secret movie (yes, I looked it up) looks bonkers - which is saying something, considering that Fuga 1's secret movie was pretty much straight-up a trailer for Fuga 2 which was right about almost everything.  Here's to the completion of the promised trilogy!  And here are a pair of screenshots, from the game's ending and the updated post-ending title screen.

Spoiler

 

[Rabid-Coot]

Moving Out 2 Platinum https://psnprofiles.com/trophies/23131-moving-out-2/Rabid-Coot

Classic bigger better more sequeling, the additional level gimmicks help keep things fresh and the 100% has some generous leeway.

Finished: 12 Completed: 12

 

Other

Pokemon Violet DLC Part 1, 2 and Epilogue Complete

Definitly worth having built a new team for even if its level curve got a bit ahead of my team at one point. Really nice to face some battles that are challenging.

Edited February 21 by Rabid-Coot

[Agie]

Games beaten so far.

Spoiler

1. Super Mario RPG Remake

2. Kaze and the Wild Masks

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (100%)

4. Mega Man 1

5. Mega Man 2

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game

7. Twinkle Star Sprites

8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (100%)

9. Sunset Riders

10. Mega Man 3

11. Mega Man 4 (sequel wars version)

12. Terminator Salvation (arcade)

13. Roll-Chan 5 (hack of Mega Man 5)

14. Kiki KaiKai

15. Roll-Chan 6 (hack of Mega Man 6)

16. Beeny

17. Roll-Chan World (hack of Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge)

18. Roll-Chan: Mini World (hack of Game Gear Mega Man)

19. Duke Nukem 1

20. Roll-Chan World 2 (hack of Game Boy Mega Man II)

Yet another double whammy. One is a game where I didn't find out about a controversy until after I got it all the way back in 2012 (and I will leave it at that), and the other is ironic is that it took until now to finally put a Sonic game here. I decided to play these on my 3DS while I was waiting for my PS5 to update...and yeah, I guess I could've played the unaltered Game Boy Mega Man III, but I didn't want to.

21. Earthworm Jim

Jim was once an ordinary earthworm, until one day, a super suit fell on him. He then learns that Queen Slug-for-a-butt is holding Princess What's-her-name hostage, and Jim, being the nice guy that he is, decides to go out and save her. But he faces off against various foes who either want that super suit, or just plain hate him. He will fight angry dog-things, lawyers in Heck, and floating...whatever they are, in his quest to save Princess What's-her name.

I remember finding this to be a charming game when I first played it in 2012. It's dated in many aspects, and the DSi port I played probably isn't the best version by a long shot, but it is, if nothing else, easier than the original, even on "original" difficulty. I will say the game is very strange, but that's why I like it. Plus, how could you hate a game where you can launch the cow?

This version of the game also uses the DSi/3DS camera for a minigame where you have to imitate Jim's facial expression. If you're successful, you get a bunch of bonus plasma lasers, which, honestly, breaks this version a little, but hey, I like it.

Some versions of the game have bonuses for beating the game on a harder difficulty, but this doesn't seem to be one of them; I saw no real requirement for 100%, so I guess, at least for this version, 100% is beating the game at all. Also, for whatever reason, the secret level, Who Turned Out The Lights?, was removed entirely; considering this is the same developers as the HD version, which also removed it, I wonder if Gameloft either didn't like the level or weren't aware of it.

I think it's a good game. But considering...things I don't wanna talk about here, I will leave it up to you if you wanna check it out or not. If nothing else, the specific version I played can no longer be bought, though there are other versions still available.

22. 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 1

The original plan was to play this via Sonic Origins for the challenge, but since I was already playing my 3DS, I decided "why the heck not?" I don't remember why I bought this version of the game all those years back, but I guess it helps with convenience.

We all know the story; Sonic sees animals getting hurt by Eggman, and decides he won't stand for it. He goes through various levels to defeat Robotnik and his badniks. Along the way, he also has to find six (not seven) Chaos Emeralds, which I guess helps flowers grow.

This game is the very definition of "we all have to start somewhere." Green Hill Zone remains iconic to this game for a reason, but most of the game punishes you for going fast, and often forces you to be slow and cautious. Being one of, if not the first crack at a speedy platformer, it feels like it was designed with a slower character in mind a lot of the time. It's not until later Sonic games where it felt like he could even begin to use his abilities to their full potential.

Even so? I still think it's a good game; the graphics are nice for 1991, and it is good to see where it all started, if nothing else. Plus, this version adds the Spin Dash, which, yes, Origins does as well, but I like this version too. If Origins is my preferred version of the game, this is in second place for me.

This specific version of Sonic 1 can no longer be bought, but considering this game was basically ported to almost, if not quite everything since the Gamecube days, there's absolutely no shortage of options for Sonic 1. I'd say give it a go.

I did get all six Chaos Emeralds, and got this ending to show it.