VideoGame_Discussion

Nicely done @BleedingViolet and @Slickriven for earning more badges. I'll update your cakes this evening.


Reposting this, in case it got buried by cake updates.

I’m nominating Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (both the original and 2023 remake).

I’ll nominate the original

The Legend of Zelda

On Nes, Nes Classic … and almost every other console made by Nintendo at this point.
I saw the preview one day in between Mega Man sessions and really wanted to play
it again.

Oh and also the

The X-Files

On the original Playstation and I think PC as well.

I also really gotta get on the Shining Force games too. The year is almost over
and I barely started SF2 on the genesis mini 2.

BleedingViolet wrote:

I'm happy to hear this is on someone else's radar. I've taken a big bite out of Shining in the Darkness, but I think I still have a bit of grinding to do before I get close to finishing it.

Well I do love Shining Force and I did nominate it so I need to play through at least one or two games.
Its a great series. I don’t know if I've ever played Shining in the Darkness so let us all know if you
like it and I will try to play it too if I have some access to a copy. I prolly do but I’m just responding before
I go out so before I forgot I wanted to say something about it too.

I like it a whole lot more than I expected it to, but I'm using maps, which bypasses a lot of the tomfoolery that the game throws at you to waste time.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Okay I will try to play it too then, also I effed up on the days, Happy Belated Birthday Good Sir!

I thought today was like maybe the 21st or something, but I’m just a slowpoke I guess. D’oh!

Renaissance2K wrote:

Any other nominations?

November is a HUGE month in the game industry, so if we pad our list with big anniversary games, there's going to be some heavy hitters up for play.

F.E.A.R.

We had four nominees for the November 2023 Game of the Month. As we did for July, I picked two heavy-hitting games that are having an anniversary next month. There were a ton of great choices, but I tried to pick games that were a bit different from what was already nominated so we have a variety.

Nominees
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
The Legend of Zelda
The X-Files
F.E.A.R.
Beyond Good & Evil (released for PlayStation 2 and PC in November 2003)
Mario Kart: Double Dash (released for GameCube in November 2003)

Either publicly in this thread or privately in a PM to me, give each nominee 0-5 points. Omitting a nominee is equivalent to giving it a vote of 0. The game with the highest score by the end of the month will be the November 2023 GOTM.

Here are my votes:

Super Mario RPG - 3 The Legend of Zelda - 5 The X-Files - 4 F.E.A.R. - 3 Beyond Good & Evil - 4 Mario Kart: Double Dash - 5

Go vote!

Mario RPG 5
Zelda 5

Fear - 5
Gut und Bose - 4

Kommie wrote:

Wha...?

*goes to Google*

Ohhhhh...

Renaissance2K wrote:

You didn't know?

Jenseits von Gut und Böse - 4

Of course Mario Kart Double Dash gets nominated right after I sell my copy.
But then again I’m not sure if I even have a working Gamecube to play it on.
Its not playable on Switch or anything is it?

Super Mario RPG: 5
Zelda: 1
Mario Kart: 2

Should SMRPG win, I suggest using a gif of Geno nodding.

BleedingViolet wrote:

Not currently, no.

SupremeSarna wrote:

Yeah I did a little research after. Apparently its considered by lots of people
to be the best entry in the series. I’ve only played it a little but for me it is much better
Than MK64 and the original. I think my favorite was the one they had at Disneyland.
I dont know if they had more than one Arcade game out but that one was pretty amazing.
I also loved the original Wii game. I used to really want to get the exercise bike that
worked with that version. Im sure that bike is way too expensive now though.

Okay I looked on eBay, someone is selling one for 100 missing a brake handle.
And theres a new (other) one for 2000. Nope.

Okay so I tried Twisted Metal 3 again today.
Idk maybe Flower Power is the worst character/car I can pick
or maybe if you dont have an “Ally” you cannot win with her.
I do not care, I’m not trying to play it anymore.
Thats it, I’m done and I officially do NOT like this game.
If I cannot have fun with her and eventually win then
I'm over it.

Not trying to be a jerk or a quitter but games are supposed
to be fun, which this game with this character (or hell maybe all of them)
is at least for me not fun.

I know I should have played a different Twisted Metal
game but I already have and own this game so I tried to play it. (TWICE!!!)
The computer gangs up on me and I feel like
not only can I never win but I can not get one of them off my ass.
WTAF is this BS?
Anyways I tried but this game is literal garbage.
Or maybe I cannot win with this character, either way
it was a literal waste of my time. Sorry but also not Sorry.

I will vote like this

Super Mario RPG - 2
The Legend of Zelda - 4
The X-Files - 5
Beyond Good & Evil - 1
Mario Kart: Double Dash - 3

I know I can’t play Mario Kart but its prolly the best game nominated,
So I had to give it some points.
If it wins at least other people will have a fun month with it.

Last day to deck our your cakes, and last day to vote. It's another close one, as they tend to be these days. You folks love nailbiters and photo finishes.

Zelda 5

Time to put away the Halloween decorations, the birthday cake, and the rest of the mess left behind by R2K's Birthday Extravaganza and all six franchises we covered. Here's a look at everyone who built a cake this month:

BleedingViolet image Renaissance2K image sailorneorune image Slickriven image SupremeSarna image

I said it in the main thread, and I'll say it again here: many, many thanks for indulging me on a milestone birthday by diving into a number of special games from my past. I know for a fact that some of the playthroughs were more enjoyable than others (Jinkies!), but I appreciate everyone who gave it a try, from those who just dipped their toes in the pool to those who grinded out a whole adventure.

Everyone who participated will have a cake icon next to their name moving forward.

Here's the final tally for November's Game of the Month:

1. The Legend of Zelda - 20 points
2. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - 15 points
3. Mario Kart: Double Dash - 10 points
4. The X-Files - 9 points
4. Beyond Good & Evil - 9 points
6. F.E.A.R. - 8 points

Introducing The Legend of Zelda is almost a silly proposition. The humble top-down adventure game, which began life as a Famicom Disk System launch title before porting to the Nintendo NES as the first ever cartridge with a battery save - introduced the world to the silent protagonist link, the eponymous Princess Zelda, the mysterious Triforce, and the land of Hyrule, all of which are now synonymous with Nintendo's legendary (no pun intended) tentpole franchise. Many series tropes - the treasure chest chime, life-refilling fairies, a gauntlet of eight hidden dungeons - began here, and the game's very first line of dialogue is iconic enough to deserve it's own Wikipedia page. Unsurprisingly, while the original The Legend of Zelda has never been remade or remastered, it has been ported to nearly every iteration of Nintendo's classic games library, got its own cartridge re-release for the Game Boy Advance, and even its own Game & Watch-styled modern handheld.

Play The Legend of Zelda on
Nintendo NES
Game Boy Advance (Classic NES Series)
GameCube (via The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition)
Wii (Virtual Console)
Wii U (Virtual Console)
3DS (Virtual Console)
Switch (Nintendo Switch Online)
NES Classic Edition
The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch

Personally, I will be playing through a native port of The Legend of Zelda for the Super Nintendo by Infidelity. I played through his Mega Man 2 port last month and appreciated the performance and audio changes, so I'll give this one a shot as well.

Finish any version or port of The Legend of Zelda to earn the 8-Bit Link badge: image

It's dangerous to go alone. Take a #BeatIt screenshot.

Guess I'll take this opportunity to finally use my Zelda Game & Watch.

Haven't checked this thread in a while. I missed out on the voting, but I probably would have voted for Zelda anyway. Maybe I'll finally get around to doing either a 3-heart run or a swordless run.

Scott wrote:

Is a 3-heart run possible? I remember starting one myself, and I recall at least 1 boss heart container appeared in a narrow 1-square path to the triforce room…

dunno001 wrote:


Get behind it and kill it from there maybe?

I played through this for the first time a few years back when the NES Mini came out. Having a much easier time so far - I don't know if it's because of the better setup or having done this before - and made it through the third dungeon last night.

I think it's wild that, if you take the scenic route, you can get a ton of really awesome equipment before you even enter the first dungeon.

dunno001 wrote:

The level 1 boss starts in a 1 square path, but he'll move out if you don't kill him right away. That's the only one I can think of that could be an issue. The Gleeock hearts spawn down in the bottom corner of the room, not where it's standing.

"Hey, this is going swimmingly. I had some trouble the first time I played, but I guess I've learned a lot and am having no trouble this time around."

*encounters Wizzrobes*

"OH GOD THE PAIN"

Renaissance2K wrote:

You think they're bad now, wait til you try the no sword run.

Can they be killed without a sword?

I got to play yesterday. I forgot how much fun this game was.
Only passed the first dungeon (I think it was the first), so
far but even just wandering around and collecting items and rupees
is really fun. I found the fifth dungeon and couldnt get anywhere since I hadnt
gotten whatever I needed first to progress. But yeah this game is really
good after all these years.

I don't know if it's a bug with the Infidelity port, with the MiSTer core, or what, but a bug corrupted the graphics in a few of the dungeons yesterday. Among other things, it replaced all the non-boss enemies in the dungeon with colored old ladies.

image

I'm going to call this one a win.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Yup. Only with bombs though if I remember right

Had trouble sleeping overnight on Friday, so I took that as an opportunity to raid Death Mountain and finish The Legend of Zelda.

I really had a blast with this. When I played on the NES Mini a few years back, I remember being happy that I was finally playing such a classic, but I was really frustrated with the controls and some of the enemy behaviors. This time around, I enjoyed myself a whole lot more. I don't know if it was because I had a better idea of what to expect, or if the SNES port was working its magic, but it was just awesome old school fun.

About that Infidelity port... It has a very light touch against the original gain, and the goal was simply performance improvements, which it achieves splendidly. However, being able to save without plugging in a second controller is great, and being able to rotate through special weapons with the L and R buttons is amazing. Such a minor little feature that makes gameplay so much more smooth.

And then, finally, late last night, I finished Shining in the Darkness.

This was my first Shining game, and another entry into a very small pile of non-Square JRPGs that I've played. The game didn't sell itself on me well - a first-person dungeon crawler for the Genesis with a steep learning curve - but I wanted to start with the beginning of the series. I decided to just muscle through it.

It was a lot better than I expected. The dungeon crawling was less janky than I expected. Battle moves more crisply. And for a game that supposedly takes place entirely underground, the character portraits and NPCs are really well drawn and have a lot of personality. I genuinely enjoyed working my way through new dungeon levels, as long as I had a map.

I also never want to play this again, unless it's like the Sega Ages re-release of Phantasy Star which integrates a map and some simple quality of life features. After half my game sessions, I felt like I was wasting half of my progress because I had to warp back to town for some reason - out of resources, left nearly dead after opening a trapped chest, or my personal favorite, the only character with Revive got killed - and that's the only place to save your progress. The game finally throws you a bone near the final boss fight and gives you an easy way to grind to power your team up, but if you want ot save that progress, you have to warp back to town, warp back to the start of the level, and then worm your way back to where you left off, fighting a whole bunch of unskippable, annoying monsters along the way.

I had access to save states, which let me pick up the game on my Nomad, save my progress, and pick up again later on. I don't know how people managed back when this was first released on Genesis. I imagine a bunch of consoles were left on overnight because of it.

But that all said, with a map and save states, this can be a fun one once the ball gets rolling. I'd really love to see what my actual playtime was; I feel like I was playing it forever.

That satisfies the Annual Franchise Challenge, so I've earned a Max icon next to my name. If you want one of your own, you still have almost two months to play through a Shining game.

It's been pretty quiet here, but hope everybody's got a good game or two to keep them warm as the weather starts to cool off. Who else is still working their way through The Legend of Zelda?

I'm about to start travelling for Thanksgiving, so I wanted to kick off our plans for next month a little early. As we talked about before, in the spirit of holiday redemption, end of the year crunches, and other time-honored traditions, December will be a redemption month where we give games that finished in second place throughout the year another chance to be in the spotlight. That list is below.

Nominees
Duke Nukem 3D
Pikmin 2
Shadow Hearts
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Blaster Master: Enemy Below
Cold Fear
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Either publicly in this thread or privately in a PM to me, give each nominee 0-5 points. Omitting a nominee is equivalent to giving it a vote of 0. The game with the highest score by the end of the month will be the December 2023 GOTM.

Here are my votes:

Duke Nukem 3D - 4 Pikmin 2 - 3 Shadow Hearts - 2 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - 5 Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - 5 Blaster Master: Enemy Below - 4 Cold Fear - 2 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - 3

Submit your votes, and let's see who gets a second (or third) chance.

Blaster Master 5
Super Mario RPG 5

Super Mario RPG: 5
Kirby 64: 5
Zelda II: 4

Had a great trip to the game store here for their annual small business Saturday sale.

image

Gypsy wrote:

Dang, how much did you spend in one weekend? Those price stickers don't lie.

SupremeSarna wrote:

Was like $360 on store credit. Definitely discounted from the sticker price. Overall pretty decent. Especially since most of the N64 carts are in good shape and not having to deal with shipping.

Gypsy wrote:

Awesome haul. In the hey day of game stores, nothing beat coming home with a big stack of new stuff to mess around with.

So I finally defeated Ganon in Zelda 1 tonight.

I wanted to finsh it faster but I couldnt remember stuff and I was only playing
Sporadically this month.

Also I wanted to vote for these games for next month.

Zelda - 5
Pikmin - 4

We have a few days left in November. Anybody want to vote on what second place games they want to redeem for December?

Last day for votes! It's been a quiet month. Anybody up for some last second election interference?

Renaissance2K wrote:

Can I give SMRPG a 6?

Idk about all that but I did start on Shining Force 2 again so even if I have no way
to play the December game of the Month I have three different Shining games
I can play.

I'm sorry, I've just been too busy playing the best single retro-themed game I've played in years.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2575900/Corn_Ki...

The Legend of Zelda has blown the whistle and ridden a whirlwind to parts unknown. Here's a look at everyone who saved Hyrule this month:

BleedingViolet image image Renaissance2K image

Many thanks to everyone that dipped their toes into this classic Nintendo title this month. If you started your journey but didn't manage to finish before the end of November, feel free to let me know when the credits roll so you can receive your badge.

It was a quiet month, but here's the final tally for December's Game of the Month:

1. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - 14 points
2. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - 13 points
3. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - 10 points
4. Blaster Master: Enemy Below - 9 points
5. Pikmin 2 - 7 points
6. Duke Nukem 3D - 4 points
7. Shadow Hearts - 2 points
7. Cold Fear - 2 points

Remembered often as the "black sheep" of the Zelda franchise, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link continues the story of Link's first NES adventure and frames it with more RPG-leaning features. Link traverses Hyrule via a sparse overworld map, visits towns to speak to Hylian townsfolk and gather resources, and explores wilderness and temples via new side-scrolling action segments. Like its predecessor, Zelda II has been ported to nearly every iteration of Nintendo's classic games library, got its own cartridge re-release for the Game Boy Advance, and even its own Game & Watch-styled modern handheld.

Play Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on
Nintendo NES
Game Boy Advance (Classic NES Series)
GameCube (via The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition)
Wii (Virtual Console)
Wii U (Virtual Console)
3DS (Virtual Console)
Switch (Nintendo Switch Online)
NES Classic Edition
The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch

Finish any version or port of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link to earn the Zelda II Link badge: Badge coming soon...

Don't be Error. Share a #BeatIt screenshot.

December is also the last month to complete the Annual Franchise Challenge and complete a game in the Shining franchise to get an icon next to your name. Between bursts of holiday shopping, there's a lot of gaming to do. Have fun!

Might I suggest using the “full-figured woman” NPC as the badge? She’s friggin’ adorable, and she knows the behaviors of the River Devil. If not, sleeping Zelda would be a more fitting second option.

Also, which version should I play? I’ve got most of the ports listed, and they’re all on the table.

I'm the first to clear Zelda II: The Adventure of Link , beaten on Wii U. I got 14 game overs, so I'm rusty.
[imgt w=2048 h=1536]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GAm31xPXQAAINLG?format...[/imgt]

SARNU saved Zelda the First from her 100-year slumber. He killed a River Devil with a flute, chopped down trees with a hammer, and cheerfully held aloft weird dolls of himself some anonymous figure spread across Hyrule. He recovered a guy's idol, found a lady's handmirror, and gave a thirsty woman a handful of stagnant fountain water to drink. He is a hero to all.

If anyone needs tips to get through the game, just ask! I might be able to help with strategies and general advice.

Nicely done, @SupremeSarna

I started the game and made it through the first dungeon, but not without a lot of death, trial, and error. The combat in this game has definitely earned its reputation.

As an aside, it sounds like December 2023 is the 35th anniversary of Zelda II's release, so have a cupcake, everyone!

Renaissance2K wrote:

Having trouble with Iron Knuckles?

SupremeSarna wrote:

Yeah, among other things.

It seems like some combination of hopping and slashing helps, but I can't seem to kill them consistently. Sometimes, they're down in a few hits. Sometimes, they kill me from full health.

Renaissance2K wrote:

If an enemy has a shield, always go for forehead stabs. Down thrusts won't work, so stick with the forehead technique.

Did you collect any Heart Containers or Magic Containers? There's one of each before Parapa Palace (dungeon 1).

Zelda II is growing on me. I got the hang of the jumping slash, and I've leveled up enough now that I don't feel like I'm dying instantly. Still feels like the odds are stacked against me, though....

...which is actually pretty similar to how the latest Zelda games make me feel.

Wait, the latest Zelda games are as hard to you as Zelda 2?
I have the first one on Switch but after booting it up once
I saw the graphics of the intro and was like nah ….
But if its difficult then maybe I should try it again?

I havent even started on Zelda 2 this month and have not gotten too
far into Shining Force 2 ….. I’ll have more time after this season of MK1
is over on Thursday I think though.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Ooh, you're at the Maze Island? I trust you've been getting all the spells and the Down Thrust?
And of course, if you manage to finish before the end of the week, message me.

oh man, been waiting a long time for this release.

Taito LD Collection

image

I've had the special edition ordered since it came up, and I can't wait to get it! It should be shipping any day now.

I used to own the Time Gal & Ninja Hayate set when I owned a Saturn, and I really enjoyed these games.

SupremeSarna wrote:

Down Thrust is when things started to really click. Being able to Scrooge McDuck some of the more persistent buggers instead of poking them to death made things a lot easier.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Down Thrust is what makes the game, really. It also makes Bubble grinding easier, if you want to go that route. (They're worth 50 points each, so they're useful before your EXP requirements skyrocket.)

I did the thing and poked some guys.

https://twitter.com/Renaissance2K/status/173553521...

Man, that was one heck of a difficulty jump in the last temple.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Did you fight Link's shadow like a man? Or did you do the knee-stabbing trick?

One of my proudest gaming accomplishments is beating Zelda II when I was 7 years old. My dad recorded a short video of me sitting in front of the tv as the credits roll. I have the video, but it's not great quality, sadly. Oh, and I beat Dark Link like a man, didn't know about the trick until years later.

SupremeSarna wrote:

I took off three of Dark Link's health bars before he (it?) backed me into the corner and I just started smashing the attack button.

You also asked me about death count... I honestly don't know. I died a ton at a first because I simply didn't know how to kill anything, so I shamefully just started from scratch and did much better the second time around. Once I learned the Life spell, I didn't die much at all until I started heading to the last temple.

I also used a patch that lets you save/quit at any time without having to kill yourself or swap controllers. If I hadn't, I'd probably have a pretty high total just from cutting my sessions short. No save states, though!

I'm a day late from my usual "20th of the Month" update, but in any case, here's a look at the tired and the few who managed to brave Zelda II this month:

SupremeSarna image image Renaissance2K image

There's still another ten(ish) days until the ball drops on 2024, so see if you can... ahem... take a stab at it before then. Otherwise, the badge will remain available for perpetuity.

Don't forget about the Annual Franchise Challenge! Can you finish a Shining game before the end of December?

Let's start taking nominations for 2024's first Game of the Month.

We'll start voting on December 26 and call the winners in January. What does everyone want to play?

I'll nominate Ikaruga.

I nominate two:
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (AKA Fire Emblem GBA)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl's The Subspace Emissary mode

Hey, everyone. For those of you that celebrate, Merry Christmas! And for everyone else, Happy Monday!

As 2023 wraps up and I put together our usual "year in review" post, I have a couple of todos for you folks to think about over the next few days.

What are we playing in January?

Starting with the easy one. We have a couple of (awesome) nominations already, but we've got room for plenty more. I normally pad a short list with games that are experiencing a milestone anniversary that month, but the list is surprisingly small for January 2024. The post-holiday lull is probably partially to blame for this, but it was still unexpected.

What should we do differently in 2024?

We didn't make any big changes this year. We removed the cap on number of nominations - both per person and during voting - at some point in 2022. We had quite a few theme months this year - FPS February, a music month in June, Arcade August, and of course, the Birthday Extravaganza in October - with varying degrees of awesomeness (DAYYY-TO-NAAAAAAA) and participation. Does anybody else have anything else they want to try this year to keep people involved, or any new ideas to keep things interesting?

Does anybody else want to take a shot at running things?

As I said at the end of last year, I'm happy to keep this thread running until the wheels fall off, but I also don't want anyone to feel like I'm having all the fun, especially if they think they could do better. I'll also admit that I've done a terrible job stirring up engagement on retro topics that aren't Game of the Month related. You can blame that on a radically different work dynamic this year that ran my dad-ass into the ground. If somebody wants to try driving next year, I'm happy to hand over the keys. Otherwise, I'll do my best to keep things on the road.

Thanks to everyone for playing along, and for giving me reasons to dive into other gaming hot tubs that I would have otherwise ignored. It's been a blast, and I'm sure it will continue to be a blast as well.

I have no idea how to get more people involved, but when it comes to having someone else
“Take over”, fudge that. I think youre doing a great job, you’re super fair and listen to everyones input.

When Lunar first wanted to step aside and you took over I wasnt happy because I had no
idea how it was going to go but I think its been way better than expected and you always
have great ideas and badges and now I think no one else could host it better.
If its a hassle or you dont have the time then no worries but if it still makes
you happy I hope you keep running it.

There arent a ton of people on this site anymore, and many people who are here,
I don’t feel like they are as invested in the site the way people used to be.
Alot of people seem to only want to take advantage of how kind people on this site
can be like with the Gametz discount and whatnot. Not that we don't all have some selfish
reasons for being here but I feel like many older members of the site pay it forward
more and most of the older bad traders have been removed, though now there are still
some newer members that took their places. That being said, for the most part
this site is still one of the best places on the internet for people looking to feel
like they are part of a better place where people aren’t just looking
to take advantage all the time. I also dont see a lot of trolling or bullying anymore
which is also great. (I mean the site overall, this thread never has had bullying
or trolling).

This is also literally the only thread I actively participate in on this site,
so maybe I’m missing other cool threads or conversations but I don’t care.
This is a positive and kind thread, I’m happy to be a part of it.

Oh and also before I forget, Merry Christmas Y’all 😃🌲

BleedingViolet wrote:

If you beat a lot of games, might I recommend joining the Beat a Game thread? I’m looking for more participants in 2024, and I’m happy to welcome dedicated gamers.

BleedingViolet wrote:

Not going to lie... This both made me LOL and felt super good. I appreciate the feedback.

I'm sure everyone have been pleasantly distracted over the past few days, so let's give nominations another day. Anybody have anything else they want to add to our list?

You all nominated three games for our next Game of the Month round. Normally, to bring us to our five game minimum, I'd hit up Wikipedia and look for big games that are celebrating milestone anniversaries.

With one notable exception*, January 2024 is a dead zone for big retro games with such anniversaries, probably because most titles squeaked in before the end-of-year rush so they didn't have to languish in the aftermath of the holiday shopping season. To remedy that, I took a step back and looked at December 2023 instead, which I didn't get to research because of Redemption Month. And yeah, that dossier of releases is packed to the brim.

Here are next month's picks:

Nominees
Ikaruga
Fire Emblem / The Blazing Blade
Super Smash Bros. franchise*
Sonic Adventure
Doom (I'm not even going to try to list all the platforms here)
Mega Man X

* The original Super Smash Bros. was released in January 1999, making next month its 25th anniversary. @SupremeSarna nominated Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Rather than nominate two games from the same franchise, which just felt icky for no particular reason, I made the franchise itself the nominee, which throws Melee into the mix as well.

Either publicly in this thread or privately in a PM to me, give each nominee 0-5 points. Omitting a nominee is equivalent to giving it a vote of 0. The game with the highest score by the end of the month will be the January 2023 GOTM.

Here are my votes:

Ikaruga - 5 Fire Emblem / The Blazing Blade - 3 Super Smash Bros. franchise - 5 Sonic Adventure - 5 Doom - 5 Mega Man X - 5

Vote!

Ikaruga 5
Fire Emblem 3

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade - 5
Super Smash Bros. series - 3
Mega Man X - 3

Sonic Adventure - 5

I've either recently beat (Doom, MMX), suck at (Ikaruga, Smash) or just aren't 'into' the other choices.