VideoGame_Discussion

Wait, so Y’all don’t like Dave Chapelle, or is it just his sassy portrayal of Rick James that is objectionable? Lol 😂

Okay okay

Dark Forces - 5
Shadowman - 5

And I was going to vote for Donkey Kong too but I really like Dark Forces.

Fine I will still give it something (though I may regret it later)

Donkey Kong Country - 3

@Renaissance2K would it be weird or unmanageble for you if we always had
Two games per month? Like the game that gets the MOST votes would still be the game of the
month but the runner up would also be a game of the month that we could all play
and converse about.

I know its extra work for you but I’ve noticed during slow months we have here
people just don’t talk very much and it almost always seems to be related to a game
people seem to have no interest in.

What do you think about that as a possibility going forward?

BleedingViolet wrote:

I've considered this before, but if it's a game nobody's interested in, why did it win the vote?

There have been plenty of times where folks will vote 5 on a game and not play it. We play games for fun, and even if were amped up to play Superman 64 or whatever game wins, maybe you want to finish your current game first. Maybe you get distracted by another game. Maybe real life gets in the way. Maybe you just change your mind for no particular reason.

I don't really think there's any changing that unless we incentivize playthrough with a raffle or something, like Frank does, but that's not really a can of worms I feel like opening on a regular basis. This was a pretty noisy month because the game we picked - for better or worse - had a lot to unpack.

If I've missed something here or if someone has other thoughts, please share.

One thing I've wondered (but have been too lazy to analyze properly) is if the switch to unlimited nominees (vs. the hard limit of "first five, one per person") impacted participation because, while more people nominated games, people played less overall because more people end up discouraged that their nominee didn't win the vote.

I also think availability is a huge factor. While we effectively (using that term extremely loosely) have access to every game released before 2005 with emulators, people are more likely to jump on a game that was just re-released or remastered over something that requires digging up an old console, finding a working ROM, or raiding eBay. I spent years hoping Unreal or some variant thereof would be a GOTM some day, but Epic killed those dreams when they delisted nearly the entire damn franchise for no reason last year.

DK - 5
Kirby’s Epic Yarn - 5
Rampage - 1

Renaissance2K wrote:

I definitely agree or “get” most of what you are saying here.

Most of my thought process about having a second or runner up game
of the month is making everyone who does or will participate happier hopefully.
When people have a game they don’t want to play as the only option it gives them
all the more reason to just say “fudge this thread, fudge these people” and maybe they
never come back. Even though when I finally played Shaq Fu I was really annoyed,
it didn’t deter me from being here or wanting to play something else every month,
all it did was make me want to double down on being more serious here.
I’m pretty stubborn like that.

I’ve said it before, this is the only thread I choose to participate in.

More than anyone else here I get the whole availability thing too.
Since I choose to play every game I can and I usually can’t emulate
I try to buy things legit wherever possible. And I also usually prefer
original games on original systems. But especially because of availability
having a second game might make it easier for more people to participate.
I can’t play everything legit so i may have to skip a month here and there
but I have spent a ton on games just to participate as well.

Mostly I’m thinking of Dynamite Cop on Dreamcast ($85 if I remember right) but I may have also
bought Zelda Spirit Tracks on DS because I do love Zelda anyways but also wanted
to play Zelda with Y’all. I think it was $50 though so I am committed to this thread
but most people may not be. Which is okay but I think an extra game might make
more people happier, and you could be right if people don’t give af now maybe they
never will. But maybe an extra game will help people feel more heard or more included.
I guess thats my hope, and maybe its naive but its still just a hope not a condemnation
of all the cool things we’ve already played together. Sometimes more is better.

Not to change the subject abruptly, but I'm super excited about this.

https://twitter.com/Akfamilyhome/status/1761805847...

I'm kinda surprised it took this long to develop, but better late than never. Nintendo had every opportunity to release a Virtual Boy collection, and they chose the ostrich approach, so bully for homebrew developers.

Awesome stuff! I find them fulfilling to play on real hardware, so I wouldn’t get much use out of it. But I’m glad others can experience the VB library in on a convenient platform, now in 3D!

That actually does look really cool. I remember thinking when Virtual Boy was first going to
release that it actually was a virtual reality system lol.

I still havent played any of these newer “actual” Virtual Reality systems like
the one for PS4. Has anyone here played anything on any of them?
If so, what are your thoughts and do you actually like playing that way?
I know its not retro but I guess at least its still veedjo games.

I have a Vive Pro and both PSVRs at home. And a Virtual Boy (lol).

I think VR is a blast and I love the additional immersion, but setup and space are always two big hurdles. All but the PSVR 2 is a tangle of cables and devices, and unless I'm in "seated" mode, I'm afraid of slamming into one of my screens with the controllers. I've moved my PS5 into the living room (out of the office / game room) where there's space to move around, but that's a common area, and I try to minimize gaming experiences that would make my wife question our marriage...

I'm crossing my fingers for PC support on the PSVR 2. If it's decent and compatible with Steam VR, I'd love to retire the Vive (and its creepy base stations) and go down to just the two Sony headsets. The OG PSVR isn't going anywhere unless WipEout gets PSVR 2 support, which is doubtful. That game's as close to my killer VR app as I'll likely ever get.

I tried out Red Viper this morning with Red Alarm. The 3D effect is "uncomfortable" like the actual Virtual Boy headset, which is pretty cool. There's no support for the 3D slider, though, so the 3D effect is either very on or it's off.

Theres a VR WipeOut game? Thats awesome! How is that?

I’m guessing if its why You are keeping both PSVRs it must be even better than I can imagine?

Thats it Im checking Youtube for a veedjo 😃

Also that is cool about the 3ds but I dont know how any of that works.
Does the system need to be modded first or something? (which I also know next to nothing about)

WipEout Omega Collection on PS4 has full in-cockpit PSVR support for all three of its sub-games, and it's incredible.

Unfortunately, Studio Liverpool (the developer formerly known as Psygnosis, for those of you eyeing the annual challenge) was decommissioned before the PSVR 2 was released, so we'll probably never see a patch for it.

DKC - 5

The video I saw was great well I watched two different ones, not all the way through mind you.

And it looks fantastic albeit probably stomach turning with a headset on.
It looks like I need a PS4 and a PSVR eventually now. I’m sure theres other great things to
play on it as well besides just that but Im sold on just that game already.

There are a few different display modes, and the UI calls out which of them is more prone to motion sickness vs. those that are more stable. The TL;DR is that the most immersive modes will pin your viewport to the rotation of your ship (for example, when you do a barrel roll, you do a fudging barrel roll) which is pretty barftastic, and the least immersive modes will pin your viewport so it's always parallel to your starting position.

Again, it's awesome. Compare that to GRIP, which does the bare minimum when it comes to orientation, making your position "snap" into place whenever you hit a surface. It doesn't feel great.

Rampage - 2
Kirby's Epic Yarn - 4
Donkey Kong - 5
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs - 2
Shadow Man - 2
Star Wars: Dark Forces - 0 played it way back and got stuck at some gate IIRC. I don't recall how I played it, possibly old school piracy or had the disk but don't recall where - not looking to buy the remaster right now.

I've false-started Dark Forces on a few occasions. As a Star Wars fan and an old gamer fart, it should be a perfect game for me. All the Dark Forces games are puzzle heavy, though, so I just end up lost and frustrated.

Insert a "Use the force" joke here.

After the Quake comes the aftershock. Quake II is done.

https://twitter.com/Renaissance2K/status/176251023...

Coming straight from the original Quake, all I noticed was how much slower the game felt. Weapon switching is slower. Many weapons have a fire delay. Enemies have more HP and dodge more often. Levels were larger and often required backtracking (or, at least, cross tracking) to move from one unit to the next.

Once I got the hang of how the game worked, though, I enjoyed myself a lot more. The Hyperblaster and Super Shotgun were more than enough for most enemies, so I didn't have to spend so much time micromanaging what weapon I was using. The tactical computer is actually super useful for determining if you're on the right track or on a wild goose chase. And God bless the run button.

I remembered reading in a game magazine about a salacious secret in the final level of the game that becomes accessible after you beat the final boss. I didn't bother to look it up but ended up stumbling upon it anyway.

I guess I'm done with Quake for the time being. As an Unreal Tournament snob, I never played much of Quake III Arena, and I only got halfway through Quake 4.

I’m still working on the first Quake game. I made the mistake of playing the second
set of levels on something besides easy and only just finished them maybe yesterday.
Now that I switched to Easy though I’ve quickly gone through the first and third
Episodes and was working on the fourth this morning.

Maybe I’ll finish by the end of the month? Idk. But at least its such a fun game.
Thats what is important. 😃

I played Quake II on Easy because I didn't have the patience to get killed over and over, but I played through the OG on Normal. I thought that was a good balance, but the last few levels got a bit rough.

I think my problem was having never played the original and not being very into most
FPS games it was just too much of a learning curve for me. Also when I first started out,
I forgot to save all the time and then tried the other “game” and stopped playing this
for way too long.

I just beat DKCTF last night. If DK wins, may I have that badge right off the bat? I realize it would be a few days before March, but that'd be nicer than needing to replay the whole game.

Donkey Kong Capture the Flag? Is that a Quake mod?

I finally finished Quake. That last level was weird. I died alot before it suddenly worked.
I have no idea how anyone would get through that on Nightmare with all those Vores and Shamblers.
Still it was alot of fun. I don’t wanna say its better than Doom but I thought its different enough
that maybe they can be in a tie. Almost everything about this game is great.

Last day for votes!

OP should be up to date. If I missed any badges, let me know.

Quakin’ B. Anthony.

Seeing your Donkey Kong barrel badge reminded me I need to complete MvDK tonight

Frank wrote:

MvDK.
MvDK...
Something about those initials is giving me flashbacks... hmm...
[imgt w=700 h=394]https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1842532...[/imgt]
Oh-NO.

Quick. Somebody replace the Gunter Glut model with Donkey Kong.

Rampage - 5
Kirby's Epic Yarn - 5
Donkey Kong - 0
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs - 5
|Shadow Man - 5
|Star Wars: Dark Forces - 5

Shaq Fu is headed to the library to write an apology letter to @BleedingViolet. Quake found an escape pod and is flying home... hopefully in one piece. Here are the results from this month:

benstylus image BleedingViolet image Kommie image image Renaissance2K image image image image image image image image image image image image image image image Slickriven image image SupremeSarna image

Many thanks to everyone who Shaq'd or Quake'd this month. If you finish any of these games later on, feel free to let me know, and I'll award an appropriate badge.

The final tally for March's Game of the Month is ready. And IT'S ON... LIKE...

1. DONKEY KONG franchise - 23 points
2. Kirby's Epic Yarn - 19 points
2. Star Wars: Dark Forces - 19 points
4. Shadow Man - 18 points
5. Battletoads in Battlemaniacs - 15 points
6. Rampage franchise - 11 points

Sometimes a villain and sometimes just another stupid monkey, Donkey Kong began as a means of recycling failed arcade cabinets and ended up launching Shigeru Miyamoto's career as a superlative game designer and laying the foundation for Nintendo's video gaming empire. Even before Mario became a household name, Donkey Kong starred in numerous arcade and handheld names, sharing the pantheon with other mascots of the arcade like Pac-Man, Q-Bert, and Frogger. Since those humble single-screen arcade beginnings, DK - and the entire Kong family - have reappeared in platformers, rhythm games, racing games, and even a... math quiz?

Recommended Games
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong III
Donkey Kong Jr. Math
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Konga
Donkey Konga 2
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong Land 2
Donkey Kong Land 3
Donkey Kong: King of Swing
Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Complete any Donkey Kong game to earn a barrel badge for the game that you played: Badges coming soon The three Donkey Kong games have been added to the RTT Arcade Back Room. Finish one loop in any Donkey Kong arcade game to earn the corresponding arcade cabinet badge. image image image

If you played through a version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong for Frank's February Game of the Month, please let me know, and I'll award you the appropriate badge.

He's bigger, faster, stronger too. Be the first member of the #BeatIt crew!

What's everybody going to play?

I played through the Switch version of Mario vs DK for Frank's thread. I'll probably try to finish the DKC sequels this month.

I beat Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze just a few days ago. Is that worth a badge?

I will prolly play DKC1 first on the Snes mini and see what I can get into after that.
Since I haven’t played the original in so long I’m expecting to like it much more
now than I used to. Kinda like I did with Snes Super Castlevania.
I guess the reason why is because when there were always games to compare
them to that I prefered its harder to see how awesome things were on their own.

Hey don't forget Donkey Konga 3! Sure it may be un-American but it exists!

The first barrel badges have been created, and the OP has been updated for folks that played through a Donkey Kong game last month.

image image image

Keep playing different DK games, and I'll keep having reasons to make some more.

That's a lot of games to choose from! We should do this more often, have an entire franchise to choose from instead of just 1 specific game. I like it!

I'm going to try to beat DKC1 with my son. We already have a playthrough in process. I'd love to get to DKC2 as well, but we probably won't have time.

Does anyone know if any of those other games are available on the retro apps on Switch? I've never played Donkey Kong Land but might if it's on Switch.

Scott wrote:

The Nintendo Switch Online apps contain:
Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3 (NES)
Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES)
Donkey Kong '94 (Game Boy)

I beat Donkey Kong Land. It's a decent game, but has some noticeable issues. The controls are passable, but you're very stiff and heavy. The sprites are large on a small screen, and the ACM graphics of the SNES make things difficult to see sometimes. There's also an annoying damage mechanic: You switch to your other Kong based on where the first one lands, so if he lands in a pit, you just lose your life and that's it. Couple that with Contra syndrome where the ground below you can turn into a pit as you ascend, and you've got a strenuous DK game.

That said, I appreciate DKL's originality. They made a wholehearted attempt to replicate DKC's graphics and challenge on an 8-bit, monochromatic system. There are plenty of new environments, hazards, and enemies, too. The later Land games borrow heavily from their SNES counterparts, but DKL1 is a new, weird experience. Why are there bouncy tornadoes in the sunken city of Kremlantis? Why do you jump into a portal to end each stage? Why is the final area a metropolis (the same one where the arcade game took place--don't listen to Mario Odyssey's propaganda) after the previous ones were fantastical? We may never know, and that's charming.

I beat MvDK on the for Frank's GotM in Feb. Will be looking to at least try and beat DKC2 this month. Might try to squeeze in DKC3 and maybe one of the original trilogy on or but right now Lies of P has my complete focus, fantastic title.

@Renaissance2K Did you/we forget the title - DK: King of Swing? I just tried it out, it's not directly from Nintendo or Rare (it's from Paon), but it certainly feels like it's a part of the DKC series with the King Croc-like dude and Kranky and music very similar if not directly from DKC. It does have some different mechanics though. I might try to play it anyhow, but I'd say it's firmly in the DK lineage.

Slickriven wrote:

It's in the list, but I pseudo-mistitled it as Donkey Kong: King of Swing. I'll update it.