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Last Notes

2026-08-14 12:32:09 GMT

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Oh, that looks awesome.
I have a couple of similar books from Bitmap books!
This looks like it would fit in with my collection!

2026-07-30 09:34:42 GMT

Faith has been restored in my love for 3D Platformers, especially those of a Collect-a-thon nature.
Well, the collecting portion was never in too much question.
After what was a personal disaster for me with Starshot: Space Circus Fever, i had a bit of down time. Some introspection and wondering if I really wanted to go through my list of 2026 N64 games... Knowing that at least two of them were First Person Shooters and then there was 3D Goemon, at least the latter promised me a good time.
It wasn't because I was particularly busy over the last couple of nights! It most certainly was a serene, reflection!
Anyway, Rocket: Robot on Wheels, within the first 15 minutes made me slap my hands on a table and go, "That's what I am talking about!"
Sure it has its quirks, it's not flawless. But Rocket has more enjoyment in its little finger than Starshot has in his entire body.
And Rocket doesn't even have arms!
God damn I am looking forward to playing more of this!
#N64 #RetroGaming

2025-06-28 18:44:04 GMT

By. The. Power. Of. The. Moon. I. Shall. Punish. You!
This is quite frankly my favourite move in the whole of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon for #SNES
The idea of Sailor Moon just going full ham, headbutting enemies into submission, is just amazing.
Admittedly, in the game, you only get two hits per grapple, so I made a nice little extended loop just to make me smile more than anything.
The best part is that this move is an effective strategy within the game.
#BishoujoSenshiSailorMoon
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2025-03-03 14:41:45 GMT

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The thing I find most wild about this mindset, imagine going into a work meeting and disagreeing on a strategy, and your reaction is that the other person needs to resign.
Why should party A be the person to resign and not party B?
In the case of this instance, I know why, but this attitude doesn't make sense.

2024-12-27 16:20:48 GMT

So, a game I played a lot as a kid and was probably my favourite game growing up was Super Mario Land 3, Wario Land on the #GameBoy
Similar to Mario Land 2, this is one of those games that really shows off how great the GameBoy was and proves a decent challenge, perhaps a little on the easy side. Doesn't stop it being a great adventure.
Little did I know, as a kid, there is a perfect game ending! I thought that the castle Wario receives as one of the endings was the highest tier ending. Turns out I was very wrong! So now I can finally say I have been able to 100% this classic game.
I need to get around to the other Wario Land games at some point as I only really jumped back on to this series on the GBA.
#Nintendo #Wario #RetroGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-12-21 14:42:35 GMT

So, probably much to my wife's frustration, I have been ploughing through the backlog until festivities will mean I will have to play host for a few days.
I have no idea how I stumbled on Arkista's Ring on the #NES, but I don't regret giving this a try.
From images, it looks like a Zelda Clone. But it isn't really. The game it split into 31 stages, which are 24 x 16 squares each. Your goal is to kill enemies with your bow, get upgrades, find a key, and progress through on your merry way. After you beat the final boss, the Shogun, the game loops another 3 times until you clear 124 stages and get your actual ending. With each loop, enemies move faster, making each loop much harder.
A full 4 loops of the game probably takes about 2 hours, and I must admit, I was amazed i managed a 1 continue clear here! It was honestly quite a fun time. Only a few stages prove frustrating, like the penultimate stage on each run with all those Ninja.
#RetroAchievements #Nintendo #RetroGaming
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2024-12-20 12:39:54 GMT

So, I forgot to mention there was another game I had beaten from my childhood recently.
Granada on the #SegaGenesis
This was an odd game, one I played at a friends. In fact, 90% of all Genesis games from my childhood were played at that particular friend's. I didn't inherit a Genesis until my early teens, and we left it at my Nan's to be played when we would stay there overnight.
Granada was one of those games that was a faint memory for me. Coming back to it, it is no wonder I didn't finish it as a kid.
The game is challenging, and the screen can fill up with bullets and enemies quite quickly. Thankfully, you can take a decent number of hits before you lose a life, and you can give yourself six lives per continue. With 3 continues, it is beatable under those conditions, but if you want a 1 continue clear, well, you are in for one Heck of a challenge!
#Sega #SegaMegaDrive #RetroGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-12-19 12:07:49 GMT

I have 11 games in my unfinished list right now. My plan is to get a couple more over the line before the end of the year.
Seems feasible.
Top candidates at the moment are
Doom (Atari Jaguar)
Buck Bumble (N64)
Burnout (Gamecube)
Alien 3 (Megadrive/Genesis)
Snoopy vs The Red Baron (PS2)
Going into the new year I think I will endeavour to keep the quantity of unfinished games below 10 at any given time, that should provide me a decent level of focus, just need to make sure I don't get bored and rapidly cycle through too many games.
Mastering games might be benched for a little while, unless the Mastery doesn't involve too many additional hours on it. Like having to do multiple playthroughs of a long RPG, looking at you Shadow Dragon DS!
#Retroachievements #VideoGames #RetroGaming #Emulation
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2024-12-18 22:01:00 GMT

So, originally, I was intending to record a Let's Play of this game, but I will probably do a second run for the channel, which will aim to get the 100% achievements.
The game in question is Disruptor on the #PS1, and honestly, I had a blast playing this. A terablast!
(What do you mean nobody will get that joke? It's funny because it is an in-ga- nevermind)
Released in 1996, this little shooter makes great use of the CD format by having FMV cutscenes! The perfect cutscene format for any game.
It feels a bit like Doom in the sense you have no vertical aiming, but you can jump, and the game engine allows for actual 3D environments.
It was fun and moderately challenging, but not too taxing on the hard difficulty. If you are looking for an alternative retro shooter, I highly recommend you give this one a look at!
#PlayStation1 #RetroGaming #FirstPersonShooter
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2024-12-17 16:28:19 GMT

So, on my quest to boost my game completions for this year, I recently beat #SuperMarioLand2
It was a game from my childhood that I didn't actually beat until I was probably in my mid teens. The game itself isn't too challenging. In fact, it is a somewhat cosy #Mario game until you reach the final stage Wario's Castle. It's quite a steep jump in difficulty!
Other than that, Mario Land 2 is a weird game in the best possible way.
In terms of #RetroAchievements, it isn't too difficult to master, though the speedrun challenges can be a tiny bit frustrating. Especially the Wario's Castle one, ideally requiring a tiny bit of setup before you attempt each run.
I am glad to add this to my mastery list as this stands as one of my favourite Mario games of all time.
#Nintendo #RetroGaming
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2024-12-16 14:26:25 GMT

So, I know it isn't the end of the year yet. There is still two weeks to go. But that annoying time-consuming beast, Christmas, threatens to eat up my spare time, with house tidying and family hosting.
But I crunched some numbers. This year, I have completed 98 games. 85 of them registered on #RetroAchievements and another 13 I picked up from my YouTube channel, like Crow Country and Fuga 2. This does not include indie games from itch.io
That's nearly 100 games this year. That's nearly 2 games a week!
I will see if I can eek out a couple more before the year's end.
Going into 2025, I might bring that average down to 1 game a week, because I could easily smash out some 8-bit or arcade games to keep the average high, but I want to try and do 52 meaningful completions next year.
Or maybe I can just see how many NES, SNES, Master System, Genesis/Megadrive games I can mark as complete by the end of the year. I have options.
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #VideoGames
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2024-12-15 16:33:14 GMT

Who remembers the #PS2 and original Xbox game Black?
Anyone? Come on. It's Black! Y'know. That game! It came out in, like, 2006 and made a splash with its cinema inspired action and destructive environments!
If you still don't remember, I don't blame you. I suppose in 2006 it was something to talk about, as Call of Duty Modern Warfare was still about a year away in 2007.
By today's standards, Black is a by-the-numbers modern military shooter. Though it does leave an interesting innovation on the cutting room floor going forward. When you reload, your screen becomes blurry as you focus on reloading and not all the goons shooting at you. I wonder why that never become a reoccurring shooter trope.
It isn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. It is quite fun but very short at 8 missions, though the game can be quite punishing as it loves to chuck lots of enemies at you! So whilst short, it still might take a while to beat.
#PlayStation2 #FirstPersonShooter #ConsoleGaming
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2024-12-11 10:22:09 GMT

I think enough time has passed since I last tooted anything #Aleste related.
Specifically, to gush about GG Aleste 3 on the #GameGear
Modern games on old hardware are a fascinating subject, and I should really should dive deeper into it.
Anyway. For #VGMWednesday, I present the track from stage 2 of GG Aleste 3,
『Last Messiah』
https://youtu.be/81vh9rYA47A?si=MY58gZQv_GoAROEU
This is probably my favourite track from this particular game, but the OST as a whole is pretty good. It really shows off the sound compabilities that the GameGear had.
If you like #shmups, you really should check out GG Aleste 3 and Aleste as a series, especially the GG games and Super Aleste on the SNES.
GG3, for me, was a tough but rewarding playthrough. It served up a decent challenge, but I am not a competent shmup player.
#Sega #RetroGaming

2024-12-10 16:32:40 GMT

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Hahaha, I feel called out in that video.
I don't HATE the SNES port of Doom. Yes, it is bad. Yes, it is janky. I did two playthroughs of it, one on Ultra Violence and one on Nightmare for RetroAchievements, and by the 2nd playthrough, I was like, "I don't hate this"
I can't explain it.
It is still a D tier port. The only thing I think is worse is probably Doom 2 on GBA, which was torture to play.
Honestly, most ports of Doom are not fantastic. They all have their quirks that make them kinda crappy. The PS1 port is probably the best, but it is just really bizarre when you play on UV, and they have Doom 2 monsters in Ultimate Doom, and Doom 2 has fewer of the new monsters. A lot of replacements, though this was much more apparent in the PS1 Final Doom port.
Also, Nightmare Spectres are the worst.
Coloured inverted Spectres that deal significantly more damage and cannot be put down with a single SSG blast makes for a bad time.

2024-12-10 16:04:54 GMT

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Oh yeah, I totally forgot I played Doom 64, on the N64 as well 😅
I played through it recently on the Switch. That was a blast! The new chapter they did for that was a little brutal at the start.
I spent a good few months of this year playing all the console ports of Doom.
So I did the SNES, 32X, 3DO, PlayStation, and Saturn ports of Doom. I'm still yet to finish the Atari one, but Jaguar emulation is really buggy.
I did a Let's Play of the Saturn Port as well. That was an interesting experience. It's a poor man's PS1 port, but the chainsaw is amazingly good.
I know what you mean with Thy Flesh Consumed. The levels are... Alright, at best.
Word of warning, Plutonia Experiment is brutal. The Casali Brothers love Chaingunners, Revenants and Archviles. TNT is more manageable in terms of difficulty.

2024-12-10 15:43:29 GMT

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I first played Doom on the SNES, I remember being too scared to do anything past E1M1 alone, in part due to the music and also because the enemies felt like they came from everywhere. My Dad and I did beat Knee Deep in the Dead on the SNES, and I recall thinking the ending was a result of a bad choice or something, not being aware that you are meant to die at the end of Phobos Anomaly. I was a stupid kid at the time.
After that, I played it on the GBA before I finally got my hands on a CD version of Doom that came with Ultimate Doom, Doom 2, and Final Doom.
Ultimate Doom is one of my favourite games of all time, and I make it a point to play it every year.
Since 2010, I have exclusively played Doom on Ultra-Violence or equivalent, depending on the port. In 2013, I beat both TNT and Plutonia on UV whilst I was abroad in Japan.

2024-12-09 13:56:20 GMT

Sometimes, I need to stop talking to my adopted online goblin daughter about craft stuff.
I am a very impressionable adult who is very likely to pick up craft ideas, and I am likely to throw money at things like this if I am not careful.
Quite recently, she showed me some #PerlerBead stuff she did for a friend.
It's Ness and co from Earthbound!
Seeing stuff like this really gets me thinking of what I would make!
#Earthbound #SNES #Nintendo
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2024-12-02 09:43:35 GMT

This is just a friendly reminder to everyone gaming out there.
Not hitting 100% completion is fine. Experiencing games to *your* fullest is what is important, and if that means you want to do everything the game has to offer, good for you, go for it, but don't force yourself.
There is a fine line between a game turning from fun to tedious or frustrating.
By and large, they are not meant to be frustrating experiences.
Also, note that challenging is not the same as frustrating.
Have fun out there, but know there is no shame in walking away from time to time.
#VideoGames #ComputerGames #RetroGaming #ConsoleGames

2024-11-28 21:40:42 GMT

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You can also check the walls of your nearest monster infested castle!
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2024-11-27 12:54:35 GMT

So, what if I told you there was a pretty decent FPS game on the #GBA and that it wasn't Doom! Obviously, subject to your thoughts on GBA Doom.
But were you aware that the king himself, #DukeNukem, had a pretty competent and enjoyable GBA adventure?! I knew it came out, I didn't give it much thought until i played it recently... And honestly, hardware limitations aside, it's good! It's fun. It feels quite DN3D, but unlike Doom, it isn't a port but its own game with its own story and levels.
Enforcer enemies can be a little frustrating with how tanky they are, and some of my keybinds didn't work as intended. So weapon selecting was a pain... But the latter could have been fixed with some tweaking my end, I am just lazy.
Considering this came from Torus Games, who delivered a poor Doom 2 GBA port, I was pleasantly surprised!
Worth the play in my opinion, even if the in-game brightness might blind you, possibly because it is compensating pre-GBA SP lack of back light.
#GameboyAdvance
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2024-11-27 09:40:23 GMT

It's the final, purposefully Nintendo first party #VGMWednesday for the foreseeable future for me.
We haven't touched on the main man himself, Mario, and it is mostly because I was struggling to find one track that I could elevate to be my favourite.
The Mario franchise has some great music, going all the way back to the original NES games and even modern games contain many quality tracks.
So what is it? Athletic Theme from World? Delfino Plaza from Sunshine? Gusty Garden Galaxy? Or could it be Jump Up Super Star?!
No, if I had to put my finger on a bit of Mario music I love. It is Princess Peach's Castle from #Mario64
https://youtu.be/s6e6kuIIuP0?si=QqK9meEyEVzMhk9A
Perhaps it is nostalgia, but I love the whimsical and somewhat calming nature of this tune. Considering that you are get to the castle in a state of peril, it still creates a welcoming atmosphere.
Sure, we could say this is more Princess Peach's theme, as it is probably more stylistic to her. But damn, I love this track.
#Nintendo #N64

2024-11-24 20:00:49 GMT

So, I seem to never learn.
On my list at the moment to play is a #Dreamcast classic that got, in my opinion, a great little #GBA port.
That game is Chu Chu Rocket.
It's a fantastic little puzzle game, and like all the best puzzles games, it is mechanically simple, and some puzzles require really thinking outside the box.
The thing that blows my mind, however, is that there are about 2,600 puzzles built into the game.
Admittedly, 2,500 of those are user puzzles from the old European, Japan, and US servers. But that is a ridiculous amount of puzzles to try to solve, and i recall when I had this on my old GBA, I beat... I think maybe, 60% of those?
Doesn't matter now anyway, I'm going to plug away for 100% of this game, which should keep me busy for the next month or so!
This will be a slow burn, much like Valkyria Chronicles 2, which I need to get back to at some point 🤔
#Sega #GameBoyAdvance
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2024-11-21 19:30:36 GMT

In honour of the #NintendoDS I need to also put out a shortlist of some of my favourite titles.
I don't want to go for obvious things, like your typical Nintendo first party stuff. So no Mario or Zelda or Pokemon. Let's try going for, not obscure titles but, some slightly different ones.
Etrian Odyssey 2: Heroes of Lagaard
Disgaea DS
Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Final Fantasy: The 4 heroes of light
That's a lot of RPGs... Let's add a few more for variety
Theresia: Dear Emille
Megaman Zero Collection
Custom Robo Arena
Scribblenauts
Taiko no Tatsujin!
#Nintendo #RetroGaming #Nintendo_DS

2024-11-19 09:05:22 GMT

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You raise very good points, and I must admit I have always considered that I used everything here incorrectly.
I stumbled into Mastodon and the Fediverse a year or so ago when I was looking for some kind of alternative social platform, and I believe it was my younger brother who mentioned this in passing. So much so in passing that he forgot he told me about it!
Honestly, I have no real idea of how I want to utilise this space I have around me, but for the time being, I am fine being unabashedly me 😆

2024-11-18 08:59:44 GMT

So, it should be noted that I am not a smart person. Despite being in the grips of illness, I still picked up something to play this weekend.
I need to thank Storster on YouTube for pointing me in the direction of the #Gameboy game Rolan's Curse.
A simple little action RPG that if I had it as a kid, I probably would have loved it. Especially the second one.
The first one is pretty distilled down to basics, but it is great for a short 30-40 minute play. Not difficult in the slightest, even the bosses aren't too taxing
The second game is where it is at, with multiple playable characters and a significant jump in difficulty, though I feel the design of some of the boss encounters are more designed unfairly, than actually being challenging.
#RetroGaming #Nintendo #ActionRPG #ConsoleGaming
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2024-11-14 08:56:26 GMT

So, if you hadn't of guessed. My recent talkings of #OcarinaOfTime is in part to me slowly plugging away at the remaining #RetroAchievements for this game.
This is the 3rd Zelda game I have mastered, and OoT will always, usually, be a good time for me. Beating the game with just 3 hearts was interesting, and I would say there is only a handful of stumbling points.
Namely, Forest Temple Fairy Bow room where you need to defeat the three Stalfos and the Barinade speedrun are tough but doable.
Honestly. For those who really enjoy OoT I would encourage trying the 3 heart run as it is more a challenge of playing neatly, you'll be surprised how little damage you will can when you actively try to avoid it 😂
Also, for the first time in my life, I actually caught the Hyrule Loach! For the longest time I thought that was a myth!
#N64 #RetroGaming #Nintendo #LegendOfZelda
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2024-11-13 23:46:03 GMT

I don't know about you, but I really think this gossip stone is calling me out...
#Nintendo #Zelda #LegendOfZelda #OcarinaOfTime #N64
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2024-11-09 19:35:05 GMT

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I haven't played Devil Survivor in the longest time.
It was such a good game 😁

2024-11-08 21:25:44 GMT

So, it got pretty brutal towards the end, but I managed to complete #FireEmblem Shadow Dragon on merciless difficulty. It is most definitely lacking in mercy during the last few stages.
The game gets heavy on the casters, and most characters have no resistance growth. So that's fun when they can throw down a long-range Nuke of 25 damage, and you'd be lucky to hit the max HP of 60 HP on any character during a run.
Shadow Dragon is not a terrible game. it's a remake of an NES game, and it does its best to stay true to its roots. Adding some minor adjustments and giving some of the characters a light coating of fleshing out. Though it really is just the major players, don't expect some of your chaff to have any personality.
Mastery is going to take some time here, as I need to get all characters levelled up to a certain point and do all the nonsense gaiden stages. At least I can play it on normal difficulty going forward.
#Nintendo #NintendoDS #RetroGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-11-06 14:35:45 GMT

One of these days, I will go back and finish Driver on the #PS1 and by finish I mean get the Mastery on #RetroAchievements . I completed this game earlier this year, but I haven't done all the missions, as the game has branching paths, though it all leads to the same ending point.
The thing about Driver, the game is... Kinda dull and frustrating. I think I had previously called it the GTA at home, but I think that is a little too generous.
I dunno. Maybe it is just me.
The game has all this stuff to watch your "epic" chases with the police. But, even fleeing the cops is all a bit meh. It's not like the game sets up cool set pieces for you to utilise, like jumps that are meaningful and helpful.
I mean, I guess you can go down that alley and go through some boxes or barrels.
That's pretty rad, right?

2024-11-06 13:36:01 GMT

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I noticed this when listening to tracks from other levels. I have listened to way too much Star Wolf in isolation, so I am used to it by now.
The track that is a really bizarre listen to is Zoness. It is honestly quite a beautiful track, but I am so used to hearing the chatter and Kat's little jingle whenever she appears.

2024-11-06 12:58:04 GMT

So, I need something to distract myself.
Thankfully, today is #VGMWednesday, and for this month, I will be going through some of my favourite Nintendo tracks.
To start the month off, let's get into my all-time favourite Super Mar-
"Can't let you do that, Star Fox~"
Oh great, Star Wolf, let's take care of these guys first.
The Star Wolf theme in all iterations is my favourite track from the entire #StarFox franchise. Whether it be the original from Star Fox 64, or those trumpets from Star Fox Assault, or the over the top dramatic choir in Star Fox Zero.
It is honestly one of the best character themes and always a joy to listen to. Even if you typically have to listen to it (in-game) with the non-stop chaos and chatter of the Dog Fight.
Star Fox 64:
https://youtu.be/o5ZBu3nHJkM?si=g_4PQJxkHPxU-sL2
Star Fox Assault:
https://youtu.be/zQl-xJwlIsA?si=sS1S5euZ424XS4G2
Star Fox Zero:
https://youtu.be/pdkqBOWgS30?si=BTVKd0gDIX89ugOe
#Nintendo #VideoGames

2024-11-05 23:13:25 GMT

So, a little progress report on #FireEmblem Shadow Dragon Merciless difficulty.
After strategising my way through the first few chapters and struggling with a few moments, I have made it past the first set of major obstacles. But I did lose Draug and Jeigan in the process. Sad face.
On the bright side, I have Wolf and Sedgar and reclassed them into Generals.
I maaaayyyyy have overdone it slightly on the power levelling of Wolf and Sedgar. They have 23 defense each and are about to curb stomp Minerva in the first encounter with the Whitewings. Not that I need to defeat Minerva. But I can 🤔
Merric and Lena are bringing up the rear with magical support and Marth.... Well, Marth exists. He will need to get some levels in him at some point, possibly after i forge him a decent rapier. I also need to give Ogma some love, as he is best Mercenary.
#Nintendo #NintendoDS #RetroGaming

2024-11-04 15:04:03 GMT

So, I downloaded the #Nintendo Music App. I mean. Why not? Might as well milk that subscription for everything I can get out of it.
It's a little bare bones at the moment, but at the moment, I was just looking for something to put on in the background.
I put on #StarFox64 as a soundtrack and... Well... For a lot of these tracks, this is the first time I am listening to them without constant chatter from the Star Fox squad mates.
No, "Fox, get this guy off me!" As I listen to Bolse or "Your Father helped me like that too!"
It's all very weird. Some tracks just don't sound right, like Sector X, without the dialogue.
Or Area 6, it's just not the same without the line, "The last line has been breached!"
Maybe it is just me 😅

2024-11-03 20:23:23 GMT

So, I have a problem.
Any time I play #OcarinaOfTime, I can not help but utilise some of the glitches, like Forest Escape, Navi Dives, Early Golden Scale...
If I could master Early Gerudo Desert, I probably would also do that all the time.
Some sequence break glitches or minot exploits such as these do help make revisiting old games a lot more interesting, some take a ridiculous amount of skill and patience to pull off and others are so simple you can't help but laugh.
So I suppose the question I have to put out there. What #VideoGame glitches do you look and can not live without?
This could be modern games or retro games, doesn't matter!
#Nintendo #RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #the_legend_of_zelda

2024-10-29 08:28:51 GMT

So, when I am not recording at the moment, I am playing the #GameCube game Mario Kart Double Dash.
Coming off nearly any other #MarioKart game, you realise this one is odd. It doesn't quite feel right. In my opinion, it is due to the lack of hop you do before you start drifting.
The engine classes/difficulties also scale in a weird way
50cc: Easy
100cc: Still Easy
150cc: Absolute Mayhem
I dread to think what Mirror Mode would be like.
Some of the #RetroAchievements for this game are absolutely evil as well.
Beating a cup at 150cc, with a specific pair and Kart with a perfect score (1st place in all races) doesn't sound that bad.
Until you realise the game is brutal in its item usage.
The number of times I was at the last stretch of Dry Dry Desert with a minor lead and a Blue Shell pipped me there. Sometimes, it was also followed up by a couple of red shells too.
Mushroom cup nearly took me 2 hours to beat. It's not my proudest moment.
#Nintendo #RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-10-27 22:47:04 GMT

So, I am going to say something slightly controversial.
I just beat #DOOM on the #SNES again, this time on Nightmare for that sweet #Retroachievements mastery ( thanks, @npub104z…xc3c your recent mastery of it inspired me), and I must admit...
I don't hate it. Actually, I really enjoyed it. Getting back into the groove of it for Nightmare difficulty wasn't as painful as I expected. Though the speed that enemies will close the gap on you makes the Rocket Launcher near pointless...
It's an impressive port, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good game. Even for the time, the other ports are probably more playable, but this is the only console port of its time that had the Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind.
Do I think you should go out and play it? Heavens no. Honestly, don't put yourself through it. It is very much a curiosity.
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2024-10-27 11:16:15 GMT

So, because I had some time, I decided I would check out the #PS2 game #TheThing
I knew this was a rough and disappointing game before I started, but man...
I think the ambition was way too high here, the squad and trust mechanics and not knowing who is The Thing is not executed in a fashion that works. Each named NPC, if they are the Thing, will mutate after set check points and predictably.
The games true biting points are that it is glorified escort missions for engineers, the only class that matters, though medics help. Larger Thing creatures need to be killed with fire, and the flamethrower is a miserable weapon to use. You will more likely drain your own health until you get a handle on how the flame based weapons work. Also, smaller enemies that can be killed with gunfire seem to be infinitely spawning at points, just drain resources. Thankfully, the shotgun is pretty overpowered
It's quite uninspiring and dull. Honestly, a remaster won't save this.
#RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-10-24 09:05:00 GMT

So, an idea for a horror game.
You and your buddies are sent to a remote research facility for reasons. Radio silence, concerning messages sent from panicked staff, doesn't matter.
You arrive, pretty much everyone is dead, and any survivors have just gone into a frenzy shooting anything that moves. Place looks like a war zone.
You explore for a bit, doing normal routine things to get base operational again.
But every time you reenter a previous room, things might be slightly different.
That plant wasn't there before!
I could have sworn that desk had a chair by it.
Suddenly, you are attacked by a vending machine, as it tries to crush you against a wall.
Welcome to the world of survival horror. Are you a bad enough dude to save the President's daughter from Mimics?

2024-10-24 08:38:14 GMT

Oh boy, 1,000 characters is not enough to talk about this one. But I will try to keep things brief.
#RuleOfRose on #PS2 is a wild, intriguing ride with a few pinch points that require some patience to get through. And at the end of it all, you might feel a little flat, like you missed something, and you probably did.
There is nothing light in this game, with its overarching theme of bullying, amongst a few other things. The game sparked moral panic in the UK based on speculation and rumour of the games contents. It is a nasty, uncomfortable roller coaster to be sure. The pre-title cinematic gives a pretty solid indication of what you are in for.
I didn't dislike the game, but the combat is quite wonky, and the pace can feel glacial, making wider exploration of the game's chapters quite tedious.
It's all grim, and many will probably not want to know how it ends, but for those who are interested. Well, this rose is thorns all the way down.
#PlayStation2 #RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-10-23 07:26:35 GMT

I probably should have saved this one for when I was going to be playing Tomb Raider 3... But my pick for this week's #VGMWednesday hits me right in the nostalgia.
The #TombRaider title music evokes such a sense of wonder and mystery. You're not embarking on a gun totting adventure. You are unlocking the secrets of the past.
Tomb Raider is the last series of games i properly played with my Dad. We'd sit there trying to work out the puzzles together without the help of guides, and I recall it took us days to figure out how to turn the lead blocks into gold blocks in Midas' Palace.
Such great memories, and all this comes flooding back when I hear those opening strings.
https://youtu.be/YaBvHqMWyxI?si=Ca1pj85Y471ZT4oY
#VideoGames #RetroGaming

2024-10-17 12:47:33 GMT

Kuon is an interesting, complicated #PS2 #SurvivalHorrorGame. The story feels a bit well trodden, someone unleashing an evil on a place to achieve a nefarious goal, but with a feudal Japanese themeing. My vagueness here is deliberate, as there would be too much to talk about.
There are two playable characters with going through the events of the game, but with noticeable differences. Equipped with a Melee weapon and magical cards to cast spells to fend off ghosts and some other monsters.
What makes this game complicated is the lack of understanding where you need to go. Especially during the first part of the game. Progression is locked behind easy to overlook documents, which you may have bypassed as you knew where you needed to go.
If you play a lot of classic Resident Evil style games, you'll probably be in your element here. It's not a bad game, with enough intrigue to make you wonder what the Heck is going on.
#PlayStation2 #HorrorGames #VideoGames #RetroGaming
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2024-10-16 07:33:10 GMT

I have managed to play through all four #HorrorGames I wanted to for the #PS2 ahead of schedule. I cheated somewhat and started in mid/late September 😅
They are all sitting there with beaten status. Kuon's beaten time is slightly incorrect as it only considers beating one of the stories modes as beaten, despite there being 3 scenarios in total.
All in all, these games have been pretty decent, good enough that I wanted to finish them, and I am aiming to master at least 3 of them. In the coming days, I will talk more about Kuon and Rule of Rose as there is a lot unpack with those ones. Especially Rule of Rose!
All four games do come with their awkwardness. So don't take it that these are absolute must-plays or that they are peak horror experiences. Extermination and Cold Fear are, in my opinion, action games, Kuon has more traditional horror vibes, whilst Rule of Rose is definitely more psychological and... Well... Just weird. Good weird.
#Retroachievements #RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-10-15 10:20:13 GMT

So, I recall a while back, knowing my luck about 10 years ago, someone on the Internet made a joke about what if the game #Uno had an anime that was akin to Yugioh...
Well, I recently learnt there was an Uno game on the #SegaSaturn and #PS1 that had an anime flavouring. It was never localised and I haven't taken the time to check if there is a translation patch for it because this game has STORY.
It looks and sounds ridiculous...
But it does have RetroAchievements...
I'll put this one on the backburner, I think, I have a month of Nintendo to prepare for, but I will definitely look to start playing this at some point before the end of the year.
Mostly because I seem to enjoy suffering...
#RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-10-12 19:27:28 GMT

So, I started playing #RuleOfRose today.
The pre-game opening cinematic had me asking myself what the Heck have I got myself in for?!
So far, the game has been very unsettling, not necessarily scary, I can see why it has the reputation it has.
The combat seems a little wonky in places, and the exploration is a little frustrating.
But I haven't been this intrigued by a story in a long time. Just what on earth is going on?!
#PlayStation2 #HorrorGames #VideoGames #RetroGaming

2024-10-10 18:45:11 GMT

So, this week I wanted to talk a little about the #PS2 #HorrorGame Cold Fear.
This one caught me by surprise, not because it was particularly scary, in fact it is more akin to an action game that is just quite gory, lots of head popping goodness in this game. It also looks pretty damn good, but that could be Emulation Renderers doing some heavy lifting.
This feels like a dry run of Resident Evil Revelations, mostly because they are both set on a boat and control in a very similar fashion.
My biggest criticism with the game is that saving is done after story beats, so not at dedicated save rooms like we are used to in other games, and sometimes these save points can be quite a ways off.
At least the game is generous enough to provide you with ammo refill stations that never seem to run dry! I suppose to compensate for that, most guns hold very little ammo in the grand scheme of things.
Not a bad time at all, not stellar, but worth a look at!
#VideoGames #PlayStation2 #RetroGames
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2024-10-09 07:40:49 GMT

So, last week, I missed out on #VGMWednesday because of a medical emergency and being just generally forgetful.
But today, I want to get in early and today's music of choice is, probably, my favourite track from #FireEmblem , 『Together, We Ride』the music that plays when you recruit characters on the map.
https://youtu.be/yERQqvP0598?si=ZoImvyORphVxmPRP
This is the GBA version from Fire Emblem 7, the first time i encountered this track.
Strictly speaking, the first time I encountered this music was in Smash Melee. But this is the first time in context.
I can't help but feel pumped by this, if some Prince approached me and asked me to join his army and this track was playing, how could I say no? Let me grab my sword and hurl myself into battle. This is clearly a track of champions!
#Nintendo #VideoGames #VideoGameMusic #GBA

2024-10-07 11:07:16 GMT

Not sure if I will be doing this for all subsequent videos for #Spooptober but I feel like I need to share something about this game.
Night Doner is exactly what you expect, not that that is a bad thing.
But I am very perturbed by one of the customers. She looks familiar and I can't put my finger on it...
I want to say she looks a little like Melissa Joan Hart of Sabrina the Teenage Witch fame.
What do you think?
Link to video:
https://youtu.be/OTC-tXtTspU
#YouTube #LetsPlay #HorrorGames
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2024-10-07 08:02:16 GMT

Something I realised over the weekend, I have an unprecedented amount of nostalgia for #MarioKart64
Is it a good game? For the time, yes. Playing it now, it certainly feels like it is held together with hopes, dreams and mushrooms.
I forgot how aggressive the rubber banding can be for the AI. Not only that, but they also super accelerate way into the lead with little hope to catch them.
There are clearly some processor saving techniques being used. Like removing collision from drivers out of view range, allowing them to fly through the walls and floors of Bowser's Castle.
I also noticed the AI doesn't seem to use shells as weapons, at least not that I had noticed, and I have recently sat through 50 to 150cc over the course of a couple of days.
Perhaps I am too used to the chaos of later Mario Kart games. But the 64 was just quite... quiet?
Still a reasonably fun time, but I feel the nostalgia goggles definitely cloud the judgement on this one.
#Nintendo #N64 #MarioKart
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2024-10-04 17:38:15 GMT

Let it be known that this was a miserable achievement for #MarioKart64 from #RetroAchievements
I spent the better part of 2 hours just trying to get through Bowser's Castle unscathed and in fourth or better.
Bowser's Castle N64 is a horrid track, with 90⁰ turns, narrows corridors, and a spiral tower too tight to just drift around.
All the while, you need to be cautious of bananas and other drives who could force you into walls.
One time, I was at the last corner and had to make a dramatic evasive swerve, which caused my wheel to clip the wall with the finish line on sight.
Each time you fail, you have to finish the race in 5th or worse to retry, potentially wasting time, especially if you fail on lap one.
Thankfully, the track can be beaten in less than 3 minutes.
But this was torture.
#RetroGaming #Nintendo64 #Nintendo #MarioKart
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2024-10-03 10:41:41 GMT

So, what would your expectations of a survival horror game called "Extermination" released on 2001 for the #PlayStation2 ?
No, this isn't some forgotten gem or absolute must play game. Let me just say that now.
But it certainly is a curiosity that I recommend. It's kinda fun and campy. It's not a long game. My first playthrough took about 6 hours.
There are no surprises in this game. Marines go to Antarctica base that is overrun by monsters. If you have seen Aliens, you know what to expect with the plot.
Enemies can be a little bullet spongy, with the expectation you hit them in the flashing, "my weak point is here" button. Alternatively, you can avoid everything and only kill the mandatory bosses.
My main criticism is that I hope you like backtracking. Sadly, the base layout is not quite as intuitive as the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil.
Honestly, it's worth a look! But don't have any lofty expectations.
#RetroGaming #HorrorGames #VideoGames
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2024-10-02 08:33:04 GMT

So, I'm taking a break from playing horror games for #RetroAchievements as I am also working on those for Spooptober.
I had decided to play something simple, something easy. Something I knew really well.
I settled for #SuperMarioWorld probably Mt earliest gaming memory.
Turns out, RetroAchievements doesn't have a lot of chill, and I decided to do the Mini-Mario vs the World achievements.
Incidentally, the first two and the special worlds were that bad. Some stages gave me grief.
But the final leg, from Chocolate Island to Bowser Front door... I can't remember how many times I restarted, or lives burnt, or how many times I beat Valley of Bowser 2...
Satisfied that part of the challenge is over, now it is just clean up. All the Dragon Coins and hidden one-ups/moons. Should be simple enough, right?
#SNES #RetroGaming #ConsoleGames
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2024-09-26 20:46:34 GMT

So, I decided to revisit #Goldeneye007 on the #N64 and I am not 100% finished with the #RetroAchievements on this game. I need to beat the entire game on Agent with Enemy Rockets on, and that scares me a little.
BUT, I did a thing I wasn't able to do in my #YouTube playthrough of this, which was the glass door skip on the Aztec stage, a trick that makes the hardest stage in a game... About 32% easier. It is not an easy trick to pull off, and on 00 Agent Aztec just loves to kick your butt. The opening to that stage is the WORST.
Anyway, just wanted to share this accomplishment, as well as unlocking all the cheats and the 007 difficulty.
Next step, rockets for everyone!
See below for the #LetsPlay I did of this game in 2023, this was done on the GamePass version via Cloud Gaming.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYFvRE88gc6g1x5vv0QRdAX98gwAECqc&si=5QVf0fGFPI0m3bIZ
#RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-09-24 08:05:52 GMT

So, this could be an issue with my memory or because i am not using an old school TV with a composite video cable or something more technical like the renderers used for #PS2 #Emulation, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how good some of the games from that generation look.
Obviously, this isn't the case with every game. But I recently booted up Cold Fear, which admittedly is a late era PS2 game (2005 release, PS3 released in 2006), and I have been quite impressed with how visually impressive it all looks.
Perhaps this is also a knock-on effect of playing way too much PS1/N64 stuff over the past few weeks. That generation has its charm, but it will always look quite rough.
#RetroGaming #PlayStation2

2024-09-22 20:50:13 GMT

We're a little over a week till the start of Spooptober, so here is a little advert for what I will be doing as part of the festivities at my #YouTube channel!
18 games and 5 demos during the month, every weekday for the whole month!
New videos will be uploaded at my regular upload time of 12pm BST
All games that will be played are available on #Itchio and download links will be provided with each game.
Myself and @npub1yqr…f9q0 will also be continuing a playthrough of #TheDarksideDetective whch we started last year will be uploading new videos each weekend through Spooptober!
So come join me for a month of potentially delightful horror games.
#LetsPlay #HorrorGames #VideoGames #PCGaming
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2024-09-14 15:44:50 GMT

I feel I am going to regret this.
I have set up the #SteamDeck downstairs on a make-shift work space for me, where I can use a monitor and plug the deck in or my laptop to work on writing or game design.
Today, I wanted to start an interesting journey. Playing tye #N64 #JamesBond game The World Is Not Enough.
I have already beaten both the PS1 and GBA versions, and that was a.... Journey, to say the least.
I am attempting to play this with a USB N64 controller, and I am immediately feeling very unaccustomed to the controller.
It's not a bad replica, even if the configuration process was janky. But the actual controller itself is a little on the difficult to use, I blame all those years of having a twin stick controller!
#RetroGaming #VideoGames #Nintendo64
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2024-09-12 20:31:43 GMT

I came out of my time with #Castlevania Circle of the Moon with a mixture of love and despair.
For a #GBA game, it's a really solid entry in the franchise. The DSS card system is interesting and creative, but also the games biggest weakness. Combining different cards gives you a wealth of abilities, from element attacks to different weapons and even summons and familiars. Really cool stuff!
But the cards have a low drop rate. We're talking 1/40 odds, and they are not always on common enemies. In fact, a good number of cards are on monsters that spawn late games in areas you don't backtrack to.
Ignoring that, for the most part, the game itself is great. Great visuals, great music, the remix of Vampire Killer in the penultimate area is 👌
My non-card based criticism is long corridors with the same enemy configurations are weirdly common and lack of warps between zones makes some backtracking a bit of a nuisance!
#GameBoyAdvance #RetroGaming #VideoGames
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2024-09-12 17:59:02 GMT

Not to throw too much shade on him. He's clearly going through a hard time.
But... Like... Death in #Castlevania Circle of the Moon...
This version of him is probably the least visually imposing I have ever seen him.
Perhaps when I get around to the other #GBA games, i will put a ranking of how threatening Death looks and also how tough he is to beat.
Circle of the Moon death at the moment is a very solid D tier Death, in my opinion, which is somewhat sad. I expect better from you, Mister!
#RetroGaming #GameBoyAdvance
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2024-09-11 14:31:31 GMT

*Shotgun pumping intensifies*
Though I will always remember that brief moment Steam told me this was not verified to work on the Deck.
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2024-09-11 07:47:36 GMT

"Wait, that Hyena has a god damn Musket!"
Considering my usual exclamations as I am playing games, this one tickled me significantly. I'm not sure why.
#Castlevania #GameBoyAdvance #GBA #VideoGames
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2024-09-10 11:01:37 GMT

So, for a game that has Racing in the title, #007Racing has very little racing in the actual game.
Conceptually, a #JamesBond themed racing game could work! But that isn't what we have here. This is more of a vehicle combat game, with a smattering of ideas for vehicle based missions.
There are some good ideas here for what could be vehicle based segments in other Bond games. Like using a laser to blow out tyres on a vehicle on a busy highway or planting explosives and making a hasty getaway.
If I had one word to summarise the game, it would be inconsistent. Everything feels off, from the difficulty, the damage you do and take, vehicle handling. Heck, the first missions are probably harder than the final ones.
The worst part though. I didn't hate it. For all of its faults, I still enjoyed parts of my time with and did challenge myself to get that RetroAchievements mastery.
Certainly not a glowing endorsement, maybe something for the morbidly curious.
#RetroGaming #PS1 #VideoGames
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2024-09-10 07:44:50 GMT

I'm quite pumped for Spooky season this year.
Outside of the Indie Horror game list I am putting together for recording, I have a handful of PS2 horror games that I am excited to play.
○ Extermination
○ Cold Fear
○ Kuon
○ Rule of Rose
The latter promises to be extra spicy, so I am looking forward to that!
#RetroGaming #PlayStation2 #HorrorGames #VideoGames
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2024-09-09 09:34:18 GMT

So... Ummm.
This was unexpected, and I couldn't keep silent about it for too long.
Who was aware that there was a #Snoopy flight combat sim, on #PS2 , based on Snoopy's WW1 ace pilot persona and his battles against the Red Baron?
My ignorance is showing here regarding Snoopy and Peanuts lore, as this element has some pedigree to it, and my exposure to Snoopy was limited at best. I vaguely remember watching a few specials as a child, and i was familiar with some of the imagery of Snoopy in his leather cap goggles and scarf.
I need to give the game a little more time, but my initial impressions of it...
Honestly, it seems like a legitimately fun game, and I might need to give this one the Let's Play treatment!
Won't lie, kinda hype for this.
#RetroGaming #VideoGames #PlayStation2
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2024-09-08 18:00:44 GMT

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Some of the pinch points that makes #TomorrowNeverDies on the #PS1 so frustrating is the game is... Kinda janky.
When you don't know about these things, they can really catch you off guard. The example below comes from Mission 9, but it does happen in numerous other spots in the game, but this one I could trigger.
Sometimes, enemies will only spawn in when they are off camera, which means they will often spawn behind you and riddle you with bullets before you turn yourself back around.
And trust me, that guy wasn't waiting around the corner and popped out as I panned the camera around.
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGames #VideoGames #PlayStation1
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2024-09-08 17:47:14 GMT

So, I am not that familiar with #TomorrowNeverDies it is a #JamesBond film i barely remember. But how does the #PS1 game fare?
Well, it's a 3rd person shooter, not my first choice, but workable. It is also a bit of a ball buster, and the game knows it.
The game gives you lives, that's quite a courtesy, so if something bad happens, you pop right back up and continue there, no immediate reset of the mission there. Courtesy 2, you can carry up to 10 health packs, and each health pack heals you by 1-2 health pips per use. Nice!
Now, the catch, you will haemorrhage hit points. If you don't get the first shots in and either get a lucky quick kill or stun lock, your health and armour will drain like no tomorrow.
First-time playthroughs will end in disaster as you wrestle with some of the nonsense, if you know where the enemies are and the extra lives, it can still be quite a frustrating play that borders a little on the unfair.
#RetroGaming #VideoGames #ConsoleGaming #PlayStation1
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2024-09-08 16:09:56 GMT

I have a lot of games to talk about at some point.
I will get around to them, as i have some ideas for supporting media to showcase some things.
This would mean booting some of these up again to capture screenshots and recordings. Thankfully, none of them have been too traumatic so far (Battle City excluded from that).
But it would mean capturing certain things about these games that bring me joy or frustration.
#Retroachievements
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2024-09-08 13:46:33 GMT

So, I talked a little about #BombermanQuest after I completed it recently.
But one thing I didn't talk about was the sound effect that places when you use the Tackle Belt, an item that allows you to charge at an enemy at speed to stun them.
It can also be used to activate switches, but... Ummm... I really think they could have gone for something a little more impactful, and I will not excuse that pun.
I still recommend that people give this a look at it. It's not a bad game, but perhaps a little on the easy side.
#GameBoyColor #Bomberman #RetroGaming
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2024-09-06 14:41:00 GMT

So, I got a bit of a #GameBoy gem today!
Something I wish I had picked up on the 3DS virtual console store when I saw it years ago, because honestly, this one is pretty good!
#AvengingSpirit is a pretty unique game, and this arcade port is quite fun. You play as a ghost, trying to rescue the girl, your former girlfriend, from the Mob who had previously killed you.
So how will you get your vengeance and save the girl? By possessing people and platforming your way to glory!
Honestly, the possession mechanic really makes this something special, allowing you to possess any non-boss enemy in the game. Each enemy has their own stats in terms of speed, jump height, and attack power.
It offers a pretty decent challenge and really deserves to have some kind of... Spiritual successor 😂😂😂
Also, that American box art, it really cracks me up and does no justice to this amazing game!
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #Nintendo
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2024-09-06 13:32:19 GMT

*Confused Doom Guy noises*
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2024-09-05 15:28:55 GMT

Omg, I finally did it!
I finally managed to get the 1 continue clear on #BattleCity for the #GameBoy
I am shell shocked, truly I am!
The thing that made this unbearable was trying to beat 50 stages in total without dying too many times or you base being destroyed. The latter stage bases (Change that to Latter Stages Basses, and you have an Indie Prog Rock group there) are challenging to defend.
If your base falls, that's it, back to stage 1. Forget the fact that you have 10+ lives stocked up! An entire run of this game takes, maybe, about 2 hours? That was a really tense 2 hours, I am not going to lie!
There are only two more achievements that will be challenging to get, but I only need to clear stages 31 - 40 without dying and 41 - 50 without dying, and I can use level select.
This has been the most taxing #RetroAchievements game I have played, and this is coming from someone who has got all the achievements in 007 Racing!
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2024-08-30 22:39:07 GMT

I held back a little bit this week as I was working my way through an additional game that, quite frankly, was a bit like pulling teeth.
I can now say that I have been able to master the #PS1 era #JamesBond games on #Retroachievements, something I didn't anticipate doing, but with some of the achievements, you almost might as well as you are already playing the game, learning the tricks and quirks...
Plus, it wasn't like *most* of them weren't absolute BS, as they were part of the in-game cheat unlocking mechanics (Tomorrow Never Dies aside), so surely these challenges are reasonable achievable.... Right? RIGHT?
Oh boy, yeah, I need to do something on these games to give them the proper chat about they deserve.
#ConsoleGaming #PlayStation1 ##RetroGaming
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2024-08-23 08:38:54 GMT

So, I am torn about calling this game a gem from my childhood, as it is... Not a bad game, perhaps a little undercooked.
That game is the #GameBoyColor game Bomberman Quest! One of the few GBC games I had, and I am not sure how or why my family was in a habit of picking up #Bomberman games 🤔 But we were.
Bomberman Quest is a strange game, with a bit more of a Zelda approach to gameplay, exploring a map and the dungeons, collecting items and upgrades to help with progression and additional things to find when backtracking.
The aim of the game is to venture through the 4 zones and defeat the Commanders to get Bomberman's ship's engines back so he can leave the planet, whilst also trying to recollect all the monsters he accidentally unleashed on tye planet when he crash landed.
It is not too challenging until you hit the final boss who can go [redacted], but it is still quite entertaining.
#RetroGames #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-20 12:13:34 GMT

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I think I have this because GOG gives it away for free 😆😆
Will need to check out this video!

2024-08-19 08:45:24 GMT

So, I was pushing the limits of my patience with this one. All for what was going to be a silly off-hand comment.
It has been useful to get an understanding of some of the limits of the #SteamDeck and the beta screen recording function.
Definitely seems more tailored to develop shorts, it would seem. This is a little frustrating, as I was hoping to use it for some clean gameplay footage that would be more suitable for reviews instead of Let's Plays. But oh well. I can work with this for the purpose of other things.
Anyway, on with the "joke"!
When you are too good at your job:
#RetroGaming #PS1
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2024-08-16 21:21:00 GMT

So, i said Shadowgate 64 had cheap deaths...
Well, sometimes the game does do you a solid.
Honestly, at this point, it should be natural selection, right?
#Nintendo #N64 #RetroGaming #ShadowGate64
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2024-08-16 08:26:26 GMT

So, usually, I will wait until I have finished a game to talk about it, but I think this game needs to be thrown out there right now.
#ShadowGate64 is a really fascinating game. It is the sequel to an old point and click adventure game. But what we have here is a fully 3D, first-person, adventure game on the #N64 complete with all the hallmarks of old school adventure games!
Cheap instant deaths ✅️
The world's deepest pockets ✅️
Getting lost and using inventory items on everything ✅️
Uses way more words than necessary to describe mundane things or actions, but you love it anyway ✅️
Honestly, I am finding this all quite captivating and fascinating, I am not sure what it is! It's certainly a game that requires some level of patience and could do with a something on screen to help you know what environmental thing you intend to interact with. Either way, I am definitely sticking around for the gothic fantasy atmosphere!
#Nintendo #AdventureGames #RetroGaming
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2024-08-16 07:21:52 GMT

Yesterday was a pretty good day for #RetroGaming , especially in the field of beat-em ups.
This is probably just me, but these games felt like THE beat-em up classics for the #SegaGenesis
#StreetsOfRage
#GoldenAxe
#AlienStorm
As a kid, my friend and I played these games countless amounts of times, and I don't think we ever once beat them. I always knew why. Being arcade ports, they were designed to be difficult and unfair.
Thinking on it, Streets of Rage was probably the closest we got to beating. We had reached Mr X once.
Since then, I had beaten Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, and as of yesterday, I can finally say I completed Alien Storm!
There has been something quite nice about putting these three games to bed!
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2024-08-14 15:53:37 GMT

So, I have a LOT of #SailorMoon games I need to talk about at some point. As I have only made a passing reference to the 16-bit beat em-ups and one of the Gameboy ones.
But this isn't either of those. We are back on the #GameGear for Sailor Moon S! A game that is equal measures very easy and brutally mean.
Whilst it is a simple 2D platformer, the game enjoys dropping hazards from the sky to knock you back into death pits, a bit like how Medusa Heads like to mess with you in Castlevania.
There is also this one enemy who will be your main adversary. They like to fly onto the screen, fly towards you, and bounce away. All other enemies are hilariously ineffective, including the bosses.
It is an experience that really is over before it begins. Which also made it a quick mastery, so yay for a nice shiny gold badge! But I would say it is less frustrating than Sailor Moon on the GameBoy.
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-14 07:37:38 GMT

I was really torn on what to put up for #VGMWednesday this week. But having a backlog of things to toot is never a bad thing, right?
Today, I want to appreciate a variant on a classic. At Doom's Gate, also known as E1M1 (For being the BGM for Episode 1 Map 1 of #Doom ), but let's not talk about the original. Let's take a moment to appreciate the 3DO version of this track.
https://youtu.be/AjEx292Ph8M?si=BdwbmdyoddZEBEH4
I first experienced 3DO Doom this year, and honestly, the soundtrack for this version is pretty damn cool!

2024-08-14 06:59:09 GMT

So last night, I got a version of the Dolphin emulator that supports #RetroAchievements working on my Steam Deck.
This is all kinds of exciting because the #GameCube was the last console where I was too young to just buy games I wanted. Sure, I had a paper round by 2003, which paid me about £13 a week, but I wasn't really in the habit of saving up for new games. Saving up for games was purely for ones I really wanted, like Metroid Prime.
So i am really looking forward to playing through some Cube games when I get a chance.
In case it isn't hugely clear, on the screen in the picture are:
Battalion Wars - A game I didn't give much of a chance as a kid because it wasn't Advance Wars
Burnout - A game I have some nostalgia for, and I am looking forward to playing the series again.
PN.03 - Something I remember seeing in the shops and the cover always intrigued me, but I never had a chance to try.
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2024-08-13 21:36:28 GMT

So, today I have spent the better part of my evening trying to beat the whole of #BattleCity for the #GameBoy
This has been to no avail, I don't think I have ever been this frustrated with a game as simple as this in a long, long time.
There are 50 stages to clear in a single continue, each stage has 20 enemies you need to destroy, all whilst defending your base in the bottom middle of the map. If your base is destroyed. Instant game over.
My first run tonight saw me get to stage 43 before this happened to me for the first time this evening, and I was mortified. Absolutely crushed. My second and third runs ended in a similarly spectacular fashion...
I think I need to put this one down for a while and come back to it. Otherwise, I might be hurling my Steam Deck across the living room 😅😅
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming
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2024-08-13 09:50:16 GMT

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The old Sierra adventure games really had no chill 😅
I think the Space Quest Collection was one of my first Steam purchases, fantastic games 😊

2024-08-13 07:11:42 GMT

So, based on my earlier toot, if you think I have beaten #DonkeyKong Land for #GameBoy, you'd be absolutely right!
I have a high level of appreciation for this game, it could have been a crushed and condensed port of Country for the SNES, but it was its own thing, with the game ending in a city environment as a throwback to DK's origins.
The physics and momentum take some getting used to, and I can imagine playing this on an original Gameboy's Dot Matrix would have been quite a blurry, hot mess because there is a lot going on visually. This is a game that really benefits from playing it in the Gameboy Colour's colour filter. Really helps things pop out a bit more.
Overall, it is a neat little game with a bit of a frustration point with some of the platforming and hit detection not being the greatest. I am definitely glad that I gave this game a look at! Going for 100% on this was also not a terrible time 😂
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-12 18:57:46 GMT

So, is it just me... Or is this a Nine Inch Nails reference in #DonkeyKong Land?
Now you might say, Ishambard, it is clearly NIN for Nintendo. Perhaps, but why is the second N backwards? Like in the Nine Inch Nails logo?
Makes you think, doesn't it?
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #Nintendo
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2024-08-12 12:00:48 GMT

Can't believe I never did an #introduction
I'm Ishambard, 34, from England.
Life-long gamer who is currently running riot on games from childhood and general oddities I find online. Will often toot about things I have recently beaten on RetroAchievements with my thoughts on them.
Massive Nintendo fan, 90s anime fan, and manga reader. Wannabe creative person of sorts who will sometimes bake or make something when time is available.
A lot of my personal time is taken up by recording low effort Let's Plays and uploading these to YouTube, as I don't have a consistent schedule to be a streamer. I mostly play things that are of interest to me and want to share, sometimes classic things and sometimes really weird obscure things.
My channel is here:
https://youtube.com/@ishambard?si=YzYtVaqGZeWhNyGP
Can be painfully shy and introverted, and not very good at the whole social media malarkey. But always down for a good chat on all kinds of things.

2024-08-12 06:54:07 GMT

#LinksAwakening stands as one of my favourite #LegendOfZelda games of all time. It is possibly a mixture of nostalgia, and it leaving an impression on me on how impressive it is visually as a #GameBoy game.
The difficulty for this game hovers between just right and a little obtuse at times, where throwing pots at doors is what is required to open them. But on the flip side some of the bosses are a little too easy.
The GameBoy Colour DX version is a better experience, but however you play this classic game, it will not disappoint. Unless you play the Switch remaster. That was always, in my my mind, the choicest of choices.
This was the first time, as well, that I got the good ending, which on the original GB really wasn't too special, almost a tad disappointing!
This game marks my 10th Mastery on RetroAchievements, which fills me with joy.
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-09 20:14:09 GMT

I am looking forward to making and sharing more little clips like this when I talk about some of the games I have been playing.
There are a couple of #SailorMoon arcade-y #BeatEmUps on the SNES and Sega Megadrive and something that has given me an infinite amount of joy, just watching Sailor Jupiter unload the pain on the baddies!
Clip from: Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon R for SNES
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2024-08-09 09:27:08 GMT

Why do you do this to me, Limited Run?!
I can only imagine Thy Flesh Consumed on SNES would be absolutely traumatic...
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/08/doom-is-getting-a-new-and-improved-definitive-release-on-super-nintendo

2024-08-07 17:03:13 GMT

I feel I need to get myself involved in #vgmwednesday and to start off my weekly contribution, I think we'll go with a track that I unironically love.
The main theme for Buck Bumble on the N64. I am lining this up for a let's play soon as I have been meaning to play this myself since I saw AntDude's YouTube video on it!
https://youtu.be/w8FQ-N0zb2U?si=vCYNDrjHMQh4FQPD

2024-08-06 07:47:28 GMT

Buckle your seat belt. This is a rough one!
The Driver series was always kinda the poor man's GTA. The GTA at home, if you will. #Driver2 on #GBA is probably a technical marvel, bringing open world 3D driving to a handheld, not really known for its 3D capabilities. They probably shouldn't have. It could have been a top-down perspective, but I appreciate the effort.
Everything feels so bad, the driving feels slow, the turning is clunky, the depth perception is awful, and damage dealt to mission targets doesn't seem right at all. Tanner and pedestrian sprites are horrific, vaguely, humanoid shapes.
And with all that, I weirdly enjoyed myself when I got into the flow of it. I hesitate to recommend it, as it is not particularly easy to stomach, but it does have a weird charm to it all. Personally, I found it a fascinating experience, but mileage will vary!
#ConsoleGaming #Retroachievements #RetroGaming
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2024-08-05 15:25:04 GMT

So, video games are weird. I think they are the only medium that can pivot wildly on setting/tone and can be met with a shrug (i say this with equal seriousness and sarcasm).
I say this because #Aleste / Power Strike 2 for #MasterSystem is set in the 1930s and has you fighting sky pirates! A long shot away from the pseudo futuristic setting of the original.
Power Strike 2 is hard, even on the normal difficulty, I hate to think how hard the two additional difficulties are! But what i will say is. It is quite a joy to play when it isn't murdering you.
The environments are incredibly beautiful when you get a chance to appreciate them. Powering up your weaponry is far less tedious than the first, with one button to fire all weapons, no ammo to worry about, and the second button to adjust your movement speed, which is probably more strategic than I gave it credit for.
I definitely encourage people to give this a look at!
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-05 13:12:11 GMT

So, I kinda wish I didn't experience #Aleste on the GameGear first, as it really set me up for the wrong expectations for the #MasterSystem games.
A port of the MSX version and by no means a bad game, but nothing special.
Both face buttons fire, one for your main weapon and one for your secondary weapon. But the secondary weapon is where I have the biggest issue.
Secondary weapons are in orbs that you need to shoot to release and collect them. Once released, they will float to the TOP of the screen. Considering that the top half of the screen is a contested mess of enemies spawning in, there is a massive risk to trying to get these items.
Not to mention, they also have an ammo limit.
Not that it matters too much as one mistake will cause you to lose everything! And those mistakes are easy to make, unlike later games there are no shields. At least you have unlimited continues! But some stages have some incredibly hot openings!
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-04 11:41:56 GMT

So, I have finally done it.
After playing it for a bit, getting angry, putting it down, picking it up again, and getting even angrier, before decided stuff it, it's rip and tear time. I finally beat #DOOM2 on #GBA. And for good measure, I mastered it on #RetroAchievements because I never want to play this game again.
Now, I am no Zero Master or Decino, but after playing through most of the console ports, I'd like to think I have a good handle on enemy and weapon behaviour. So why does Doom 2 feel so wrong? Because it isn't the Doom engine, but the Southpaw engine and everything that didn't make sense now made sense.
I feel I should be impressed. But it was just frustrating due to the limitations of the engine. Also, Revenants will just murder you if they fire their missiles. Since they always seem be homing missiles, move faster, typically do max damage and have better turning circles. And don't get me started on the Super Shotgun! Not a fun time at all!
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming
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2024-08-02 14:31:45 GMT

Let's take a break from the Aleste show and talk about something else I beat yesterday. Yes. I've been busy.
"In the name of the moon, I will punish you"
And by Lord, was this game punishing at times. Graciously short, because y'know #GameBoy, but #SailorMoon was rough. Especially without a translation patch, as this game has a lot of dialogue.
The game is split into two sections. What I can best describe as adventure game light, where you control Usagi and explore a small location, talking to people and finding the source of a problem. My Japanese is very rusty these days, so I can't tell you for the life of me what was going on in these sections, I just had to brute force my way through.
For anyone curious, who doesn't understand any Japanese, I implore you, find a translation patch/guide.
But if you talk to the right people in go into the right door, you will get to transform into Sailor Moon and the 2nd section of the game will take place.
(1/2)
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming
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2024-08-02 08:26:27 GMT

If you were expecting me to gush praise on #GGAleste 3, well, based on my last toot, yeah, you'd be absolutely right.
Sweet Jesus, I love GG3. It really is a marvel of passion and understanding the limits of the hardware. What could have been a simple HD #Aleste game as it was made to be packaged into the Aleste collection released on 2020, for Switch and PS4, was actually a game that was designed to be run on the #GameGear
I was blown away by GG2, and GG3 takes those graphical enhancements and cranks the dial way past 11. It is a beautiful game. It will also viciously beat you and make you want more 🤣
Sadly, I didn't 1CC this game under default conditions, I had to crank the initial lives a little higher, but I definitely want to try it, not just for that sweet RetroAchievement but for my own sense of accomplishment.
If you love shumps, I implore you to give this game a play! So far, my absolute favourite!
#ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-02 07:13:21 GMT

Y'know how I called #GGAleste 1 cosy? Well, GG2 is anything but that.
It features a brutal hot opening, first time you will likely lose a life or two at the mayhem that infests your screen in the first few moments.
Other than that, the game is great. Visually, it is a big step up from the first GG game, and your arsenal is improved. As an added bonus, collecting enough power chips will give you a shield that can absorb one hit at no cost. It's very generous, but you will need it as the enemies come thick and fast, and the bosses are not to be taken lightly. Especially that one is the pictures below.
The game also features two additional difficulties, one called mania... I dare not try that one... It was bad enough trying to one continue clear the game on normal! Perhaps I will give it a look at at some point.
For a #GameGear game, this is a treat to play and would probably be the favourite in the #Aleste series, but...
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming #RetroAchievements
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2024-08-02 06:43:25 GMT

So, the last week or so has been quite the quest to play through as many of the #Aleste games as possible. In fact, as of last night, I finished all the games that are bundled into the Aleste collection that came out on 2020.
Of these, the #GameGear games were my favourite. #GGAleste 1 (Galvanic Gunner, not Game Gear) is a pretty cosy SHMUP, which starts much harder than it ends. In fact I think the first level is the longest, and japes you with a mid boss that could normally be an end stage boss.
You are quite fragile in this game, with no safety blankets unlike later games. One wrong move and your weapon power level drops by one, which can be a slippery slope to game over.
But nothing that a small bit of practice can't solve, or using the D-Weapon which gives you an orbiting projectile that destroys some enemy bullets!
Seriously, this was an absolute joy to play! Even on the harder difficulty setting!
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGames #VideoGames #RetroAchievements
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2024-07-31 09:12:41 GMT

To say I was today year's old (34) when i discovered what the #SegaGameGear is all about would be... Slightly incorrect.
I knew about it, I knew it required a small power grid of 6x AA batteries to power it and probably at the time it was out, it would have been prohibitively expensive for someone who already had a GameBoy.
Heck, this thing is nearly as old as I am!
I am no hardware expert, so I can't talk about the specifications of the device with any coherence, but what I can do is talk about the games I have played, though not on original hardware.
My descent into the #Aleste series has yielded three damn good games on the GameGear, and I encourage others to check them out. But I will talk about those later when I finish #GGAleste3
I am currently in awe over this 'little' device and really looking forward to trying some of the other games. If anyone has any recommendations of other great GameGear games, i am all ears!
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2024-07-31 06:38:17 GMT

So, last night's game of choice was something that holds a lot of nostalgia for me. The #SegaGenesis port of the arcade game #BonanzaBros and it probably started my love of stealth themed games
I should use stealth in a much smaller font, as there is very little sneaking to be done here. It is also a much shorter game than I remember. You have three minutes to shoot and evade your way through 10 different locations and steal a certain number of items in the stage.
I used to play this with a friend when I was kid, and it is quite a riot when played split screen.
I also gave the #MasterSystem version a play as well, to compare how different they are. That version is much harder! With more varied enemy types and a tighter limit on extra lives.
Both versions are beatable in about 30 minutes, but still offer a decent challenge.
Heck, it took me several attempts to beat the Master System version, but I was trying to do that in one credit.
#VideoGames #RetroGaming #ConsoleGaming
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2024-07-30 06:36:11 GMT

So I was hoping to come back from Berlin with a long list of games I had beaten over the extended break... Not quite the case. But don't worry, I haven't been idle.
Recently, I had the joy of playing #ElevatorAction on the #Gameboy , a fun and challenging spy thriller where you search for secret documents in tall buildings. I mean, you don't need to search that hard. The doors have large '!' on them.
All the while, you are being hounded by goons, dogs, and robots.
Navigating stairs, chutes and eponymous elevators, you need to find all the documents and escape with your lovely get away driver. It sounds all simple, but it can be devilishly unfair at times, with enemies spawning right on top of you as you wait for that slow elevator to take to safety.
A game I am glad I have beaten, but won't be looking to master on RetroAchievements. Definitely worth having a play though! Need to see if I can get the Sega Saturn sequel working properly now!
#RetroGaming #ConsoleGames #VideoGames
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