gameplayandtalk

[gameplayandtalk]

TTX Tech “Classic Controller” Review (SNES)

When it comes to game controllers, I am usually a first-party, official-or-bust kind of guy. This is especially true when it comes to retro game consoles. Generally speaking, official controllers have had the greatest amount of research and development put into them, they feature the highest quality parts (relatively speaking) and they just feel right for the platform they were designed to be used with.

However, once in a while I get the urge to try a variety of third-party options. These are rarely up to the same standard as official controllers, often using cheaper materials, but they have the benefit of costing less for consumers. For players on particularly tight budgets, these can be perfectly viable options. Also, the fact is that in this modern day and age, finding used official controllers in excellent condition can be tricky, or the price higher than expected.

Browsing at one of my local independent game retailers recently, this TTX Tech Wired Classic Controller for Super Nintendo caught my eye. Costing just ten dollars at retail, I went ahead and purchased it, then proceeded to spend a night with it and a variety of SNES titles. I can confirm that while it does feature many of the same caveats you find with other cheap, third-party retro console controllers, it also manages to nail other aspects (arguably the ones that matter the most).

Please keep in mind that this review is specifically covering models for the actual Super Nintendo Entertainment System, not the SNES Classic Edition. Despite the words “Classic Controller” being plastered over the box, this is a controller that will work on an actual Super Nintendo, not Nintendo’s more recent, tiny emulation box.

Photo Gallery From Initial Unboxing

Getting the bad stuff out of the way first, this controller is in a lot of ways exactly what you would expect from such a low-cost product. Cheap looking and cheap feeling plastic, short length of cabling, a front facing label that is off-center and an overall lack of weight gives it the feeling of a typical knock-off controller.

That said, there are other aspects that let me see this thing in a more positive light. The face buttons actually feel pretty good and snap back well enough. This is often a problem with modern third-party SNES controllers, where buttons don’t feel particularly responsive or they actually get stuck, basically poor mechanical design that is thankfully nowhere to be found here.

The shell is also pretty decent for what it is. It features some nice, rounded edges, is roughly the same height as an official SNES controller and as a result sits nice and comfortably in the hands.

Some solid attention to detail is here as well, like concave buttons for X and Y, convex buttons for A and B, along with some nice indentations on the d-pad like on an official Nintendo-branded controller. Despite not being centered correctly, the face label also has a nice texture to it that adds positively to the feel when playing a game.

My single biggest issue with modern knock-off NES and SNES controllers are poor directional pad designs. They often let the player smash down on the d-pad, activating more than two directions at a time. This has the negative effect of your character stopping any movement mid-motion and can also trigger directions/actions the player is unintending. For instance, moving diagonally when all is wanted is to move right. This poses major problems in games that rely on precision and accuracy, like with shooters, action/platformers or fighting games.

Thankfully the directional pad on this TTX controller features a solid pivot and as a result feels much like an official SNES controller. I had no issues playing games relying on heavy eight-way movement such as Gradius III, UN Squadron, Super R-Type and Super Smash T.V. Fighting games requiring constant, smooth rotation motions, like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II, worked without issue. I was able to pull off my moves with ease while also still being able to move in simple, straight directions when I wanted without fear of going diagonally by accident.

When it comes to usability, my main complaint is the positioning of the shoulder keys. The shape of the controller makes them sit slightly higher than I would like and as a result my hands can feel a little cramped when needing to rely on them. I got used to it but your mileage may vary depending on the shape of your hands and length of your fingers.

The Insides of the Controller

For those curious about the internals, it’s pretty standard stuff here. The shell houses a single large PCB with two smaller boards slotted in for the triggers. The face buttons and directional pad both have sets of thin rubber contacts, and the shoulder keys have one of each as well them. It’s difficult to say how long these will last, but as of right now they seem to get the job done.

The start and select buttons are one single rubber piece like on an OEM SNES controller. The d-pad, as mentioned previously, has a nice, solid pivot allowing for precise usage. The shoulder keys are all one single piece as well which was standard for cheaper third-party designs from the 1990s (for those unaware, the OEM SNES controller design used a multi-part approach for the triggers, where the shoulder actuators sat on metal rods).

Interestingly, the face buttons aren’t keyed uniquely. One could technically swap the buttons around for a custom configuration if desired. For instance, the rounded, convex buttons for A and B can be moved to the top row for X and Y. Or, one could purchase a second controller, take the rounded buttons and make an all-convex layout like was standard for Super Famicom controllers.

In Conclusion

All in all, going in and expecting the worst, I was actually pleasantly surprised by this controller. For the price and functionality it’s hard to beat. I will always swear by official/OEM controllers, particularly when it comes to the Super Nintendo, but there’s something to be said for something as solid as this at as low of a price as it is.

If you’re someone with plenty of official controllers already, there’s probably little need to bother unless you simply want to expand your horizons. That said, if you’re a gamer on a budget, or if you’re someone needing a backup (maybe you want redundancy, or maybe you have the occasional friend over for some multiplayer Street Fighter II, Super Bomberman or NBA Jam sessions), then this TTX SNES Classic Controller will certainly do the trick.

Recommended.

[gameplayandtalk]

Tetris Effect: Connected - Review

2020 hasn't been the greatest year for... well, humanity. But it is shaping up to be a great year for Tetris players.

The last decade has had some ups and downs as well: Tetris Ultimate from Ubisoft was destined to be the new mainline Tetris game of choice, but was plagued by issues early on and failed to excite the fanbase. The popular “Tetris Friends” website was phased out in the middle of 2019, leaving a hole in the multiplayer online scene. Then there are some bright points: Tetris 99, the collaboration between Arika and Nintendo, brought Tetris into the battle royale scene for Nintendo Switch players free of charge (as long as you had an online membership.) Fan-made Tetris “inspired” clones (essentially Tetris in all but name) such as JSTris and Tetr.io have also sparked a resurgence in the online multiplayer scene with robust customization options and stat-tracking.

Another bright spot (like, REALLY bright — think lens flares and supernovas) was Tetris Effect, a VR Tetris experience. It’s safe to say nobody really asked for it, but there it was, and it was beautiful. It wasn’t simply Tetris with a new coat of paint though: Tetris Effect had plenty of new modes that kept veteran players coming back.

In Tetris Effect, the main single player campaign known as “Journey Mode” featured a new signature mechanic: the “Zone Meter”. This meter charges up as you clear multiple lines or perform combos, and once activated, the action freezes on-screen, allowing you to rack up as many line clears as you can before the meter runs out. Instead of disappearing, the finished lines sink to the bottom and glow. The resulting clears are named depending on the number of lines cleared, such as Octotris (8), Decahextris (16), Perfectris (18) and the very-difficult-to-achieve Ultimatris (all 20 rows). Unless you’re working your way from the bottom to the top, you will quickly run out of room as the clears push your board out of playable range, meaning your placement to achieve an Ultimatris must be perfect.

This board clearing mechanic, along with other great new single-player modes such as Purify, solidified Tetris Effect among fans of all types who had previously seen it all. However, Tetris Effect had no real multiplayer mode, and when Tetris 99 arrived on the scene about four months later (seemingly out of nowhere), it grabbed the spotlight in a big way.

Now, almost two years after Tetris Effect was initially released, Tetris Effect Connected brings back everything that made the original great, along with some of the most innovative multiplayer the series has ever seen. And the long wait was so incredibly worth it.

Let’s get the unfortunate news out of the way: People who already own Tetris Effect on PS4 or the Epic Store release on PC won’t be able to play Tetris Effect Connected on the legacy versions until the summer of 2021. In another casualty of timed exclusives, you will need to play Tetris Effect Connected on either Xbox One (and above) or on PC via the Microsoft Store, where Tetris Effect is appearing for the first time. Yes, just in time for the Xbox Series X/S launch.

I can’t imagine fans of this game will want to drop full price again to play it on a different platform, new modes or not. Luckily, the game is included with Xbox Game Pass as well as its PC counterpart. PS4 owners will likely be stuck shaking their fists until Summer, but for those of us who have already been playing on PC, I really recommend you go with this option and just install it again. Xbox One and new Series S/X users have absolutely nothing to lose.

Getting “Connected”

The centerpiece of Tetris Effect Connected is the new “Connected” mode. This mode actually isn’t competitive at all, but cooperative. While this isn’t the first time a version of Tetris has adopted a co-operative mode (Tengen’s version of Tetris for the NES and Tetris the Grandmaster 2’s Doubles mode come to mind), this mode is balanced in such a way that avoids that overbearing “too many cooks in the kitchen” feeling. Teams of three are matched together to take on several AI controlled bosses named after zodiac signs.

The action starts with each of you controlling your own boards, trying to charge a shared meter between the three of you by making clears. As you do this, the AI is charging its own meter that hits all human players with various status effects. These can range from things as simple as dropping random junk onto your screen, all the way to making your entire playfield temporarily invisible. Oh, and it is as hard as it sounds (Luckily, you can still see about where your piece will land in relation to the board thanks to the still visible “ghost piece”). Nevertheless, this is what tends to wreck most Connected players, if limited online experience up to now is any indication.

Your best chance against these zodiac-themed killer CPUs is to get your shared meter up to full charge and enter this mode’s spin on the “Zone” mechanic. The music motif will ramp up and prepare you to get in the zone, which happens automatically within a few seconds of maxing out the meter. Then, your boards collapse down, leaving no gaps in the columns, and all player boards are combined into one giant board.

The objective, much like elsewhere the Zone mechanic is used in the game, is still to clear as many lines on the board as you can, but this is much harder considering the now huge width of the board, and the fact that each player takes turns placing their own blocks. The first time you see it, you’re likely to feel completely stunned, but it’s important to keep dropping blocks. You’re likely to get a few third wheels on your team who take all the time in the world looking for the perfect spot, but the perfect placement rarely exists. The best strategy is just to keep moving, and if someone does accidentally foul up your progress placing over a gap, there are shining purple blocks randomly given out to the players that will push down all columns under them to iron out the kinks in the board. You’ll likely have to get your meter back up several more times to make each AI boss top out, so it’s important to stay diligent.

If that wasn’t enough, log in during what the game calls a “full moon” phase. Tetris Effect players might remember that on Saturdays, playing “Effect Mode” games online had a special collaborative leaderboard feature for a subset of the game’s many special modes, and if enough people sent in their high scores, a special goal would be met. Tetris Effect Connected also has a special feature for you on Saturdays: Connected Vs. mode. This time, a fourth human player takes the place of the boss AI character. Human bosses are even harder to take down, and there are special unlockable avatars for players who can rack up boss wins with the different types of zodiac characters.

Of all the modes on offer, “Connected” seems to take it home: Co-operative Tetris play has rarely been tried, and yet it just works here. The shared torment of all the status effects raining down on you and your teammates, combined with the rush of taking turns completing a giant board, brings about a feeling of camaraderie that is unmatched. That is, when you’re not yelling at the slackers to “JUST DROP IT SOMEWHERE!” You’ll also have, like in all modes, a letter grade and stats waiting for each player after the match, to show just how much you were carrying your team. It’s as competitive as co-op can get.

The game’s take on the standard “versus” mode is also something you can’t get anywhere else. You’ll be sending garbage to your opponent like usual, but you’ll also be building up a zone meter to use against each other. This mode is named “Zone Battle”.

Admittedly, the first time I saw the zone mechanic in single-player, it was charming but felt a bit supplementary. However, nailing a Perfectris in a match against another player (I’m sure some are crazy enough to try an Ultimatris in a heated match, too) is akin to the rush of pulling off a “Fatality” in Mortal Kombat. The feature makes so much more sense in this context. When you hear your opponent beginning a zone attack, going a note up the scale each time a line is cleared, you know something big is coming, and you’d better have something to counter it, preferably starting your own zone attack. Being a master at traditional versus Tetris isn’t a guarantee you will succeed here, as a well-timed and effective zone attack can quickly change the tide of battle.

The last two modes are Score Attack and Classic Score Attack. This might be what ends up sealing the deal for most Tetris maniacs. Amazingly, Classic Score Attack feels just like watching a match of Classic Tetris World Championships on Youtube. With the help of CTWC veteran Greentea, the developers were able to adapt the feel of NES Tetris to Tetris Effect, while still being its own thing.

It’s important to know just how different Tetris is between these two generations. In modern Tetris, the pieces are handed out in what is known as “7-bag”: You’ll get some configuration of the seven pieces randomly dispersed and then handed out again. This means another long block is never more than 12 pieces away. No such thing in classic Tetris: the pieces can feel truly random here, and you could be waiting forever in what competitors call “droughts”. Your longest drought will be counted up and presented at the end of the match along with your rate of “Tetris” clears as a percentage, among other info.

Obviously, there is no holding pieces, but also no hard-dropping (instantly dropping your piece), and your pieces will lock into place nearly as soon as they hit another piece. Most important to remember is the dramatic difference in scoring between “Tetris” clears and all other line clears. As the game gets faster, “Tetris” clears are worth more and more. It’s good to start stacking for Tetris’ early and often if you want to win. All of this is made even more foreboding by the spine-chilling remix of the classic theme.

If you wanted the feel of competitive NES Tetris at home, you would have to set up two systems and tube TVs back to back, whereas this mode truly brings the experience home by counting up the points for who is currently in the lead and by how much. It was wholly unexpected for Tetris Effect to try to tackle classic Tetris, but they completely nailed it. If this sounds like hell, and you’d rather be setting up Triple T-Spins, the regular Score Attack is also available to settle the score with other players.

As far as complaints are concerned, matchmaking in the “Connected” mode seems to have dropped off since launch. This is perhaps because tackling the hardest modes is best suited to a proven team of online friends.

Also, as of this writing, in both score attack modes, the game has been designed to let a winner continue playing even after the loser has topped out and is no longer able to play. This is leading to a lot of people closing the game out of impatience, as they have no other option but to let the winning player keep playing while they watch for the final results. If a topped-out player does this, the remaining player does not get credited a win, and their score ranking also goes down! I’m hopeful this will eventually be fixed, but in the meantime, be sure to top out once a losing player is no longer able to play. This is the best way to ensure that they will not try to disconnect and essentially take the win from you.

Another concern is more a request to developers for future updates than a warning for players, although it can be both. As I mentioned, it has become increasingly difficult to get matched up in the “Connected” mode. It’s easiest to find players at the first difficulty level, the only one available upon first entering the mode. However, some of these beginner players don’t seem to understand that your move once entering “the zone” isn’t complete until hard-dropping the block. I realize that some might not even know the default button for this, so from a design perspective it would be best to prompt players how to drop their block (along with the button assignment), especially if their move has taken an excessive amount of time. This will move the action along for the other players.

I would also like to have seen a multiplayer take on “Purify”, the game’s garbage clearing mode where you are tasked with clearing as many purple blocks as you can before the infection spreads. However, what is here is such a surprise.

Tetris Effect Connected is a labor of love by Tetris fans for Tetris fans, much like the many fan games out there. Certainly Tetris 99 was an upheaval of what people expected from Tetris, but thanks to this game and the popularity of CTWC and fangames, a complete resurgence of the game has finally been cemented. I may be preaching to the choir at this point, since most people reading probably already know of Tetris, but if it’s been a while, time to check back in. It’s better than ever to be a Tetris fan, and it seems we are here to stay. To those angry about double-dipping, yes, it is unfortunate. If you do take the plunge, however, I think you’ll be extremely pleased. I’m also confident the game will only get better from here on out!

See you on the battlefield. Thanks for reading!

Hi-Res Screenshots

[gameplayandtalk]

Retro Fighters StrikerDC Sega Dreamcast Controller Review

Recently I picked up a Retro Fighters StrikerDC controller for the Sega Dreamcast. Retro Fighters have released a variety of controllers in the past, with their Nintendo 64 “Brawler” controller being their most noteworthy (and seemingly most-liked among users). Never having used one of their controllers before, I went ahead and grabbed their Dreamcast variant to get some first-hand experience with their products.

The biggest advantage this controller has over the default Dreamcast controller is its shape. It is wider overall with more modernized grips and is more comfortable in the hands. No more sharp handles requiring cramped hand positioning. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end.

Let me preface this by saying nothing on this controller is truly awful in any way, it's just that few aspects of this controller surpass the functional quality of the stock, original Dreamcast pad. The StrikerDC is form over function, while the original Dreamcast controller is the other way around.

Starting with the face buttons, they are significantly stiffer than an original DC controller's buttons. They lack the same snappy, tactile feel of the originals, and this can actually cause issues in some games. When I was playing Giga Wing 2, the “A” button would often register longer than it should, causing my barrier to activate when I did not want it to. The buttons just don't snap back up as fast as the stock controller buttons do and this can cause problems. On the positive side, the buttons are larger and closer together, so some players will prefer these over the stock controller.

Moving on to the directional pad, this took some time to get used to. The pivot underneath feels tiny at best and you can press the entire d-pad down in the center. Third-parties never seem to get this part right, and being able to do this causes unwanted diagonal presses in games where accuracy is king, such as shooters and fighting games. I eventually warmed up to it after several hours, but I really struggled with it at first, jumping in Capcom Vs. SNK when I did not want to, and moving diagonally in Border Down unintentionally. After several hours, I found the d-pad really has to be treated lightly if you want to have any amount of success with it. I did adjust to it eventually, but users with heavy thumbs will undoubtedly struggle with this at first.

The analog stick on an original Dreamcast controller is often the biggest point of contention for players. Some find it too sensitive, while others find the grip too slippery. The Retro Fighters pad fixes the later issue with a concave stick and a nice textured ring that runs around the top of it. However, functionally speaking it’s a mixed bag. On some games the analog stick seems to have a large dead zone and it’s barely functional compared to the stock Dreamcats analog stick. For instance, in Tokyo Xtreme Racer, it was nearly impossible to do soft, finessed turns. Just to make sure it wasn’t just me, I plugged in an original Dreamcast controller for a quick comparison, and sure enough, I had no issues performing nice, fluid turns. Daytona USA however, with its more twitch-based gameplay, seemed to control fine with the StrikerDC analog stick. Like with the original Dreamcast analog stick, results may vary from game to game.

The analog triggers on the StrikerDC leave a lot to be desired. They have very little analog range, making it difficult to lightly let off the gas in a racing game. Using Tokyo Xtreme Racer as an example again, I attempted to lightly hold in the triggers to keep my RPM at 4,000. It was nearly impossible to do this on the StrikerDC controller. I then plugged in a stock Dreamcast controller, and as expected I was able to perform this task without issue. The stock Dreamcast controller's analog triggers are extremely smooth in comparison and have just the right amount of analog range, while the StrikerDC triggers are mushy and lack any meaningful range in its various analog states. They might as well be non-analog triggers.

Speaking of which, one nice feature is the inclusion of such buttons, much like on modern controllers. These can be useful in fighting games. While they seem to register fine, these probably should have been face buttons instead. This would have given players a decent alternative to the excellent (but expensive) ASCII Pad FT, a six-button layout controller tailored for the Dreamcast’s many fighting games. This is a major missed opportunity.

One other change that will excite certain players is the controller wire coming out of the top of the controller. For me it was a bit of a non-issue, as the original wire positioning never bothered me. In fact, I am so conditioned to the original Dreamcast controller wire that I kept trying to push the StrikerDC wire into a slot that doesn't actually exist. It’s going to take a while for me to get out of that habit.

For anyone wondering, VMU support is fine. Nothing special there, not that I expected there to be. There is also turbo functionality, but it’s not a feature I bothered to test. There aren’t a lot of games on the platform where ridiculously fast button mashing is a necessity, so I didn’t mess with it. It might be a neat feature for some of you reading. (Yeah, I know—I’m such a terrible “reviewer”.)

The only weird issue I had is the Dreamcast not recognizing the StrikerDC when I first plugged it in. It took three tries to get it to work, the third attempt being the time I plugged in the VMU to see if the controller was getting power. Sure enough, the VMU beeped and the controller started working. This was most likely just a conicidence, but it is something to note.

The StrikerDC controller does come nicely packed in a high quality box. It also comes with some added goodies, like a Retro Fighters keychain and some stickers. This is neat for collectors, but I would have rather had the cost of trinkets and packaging be put into further refinement of the controller’s mechanisms. If you’re not going to get that aspect right, then don’t do it at all.

Overall the StrikerDC is not a bad controller. I just think that if you're fine with the original Dreamcast controller, this is bit of a tough pill to swallow. Outside of basic comfort, you’re not getting a higher quality product, particularly for the $50 it will cost you. The original controller's analog stick, triggers, d-pad and face buttons are all of higher quality, not to mention those original controllers cost significantly less to obtain.

Ultimately, if you love the original Dreamcast controller, give this one a hard pass. If you absolutely hate the original Dreamcast controller for some reason (and I’m seeing there are many of you out there), then it’s probably worth the money. Otherwise steer clear.

[gameplayandtalk]

SCORCHER: Synopsis, Tips/Tricks, Box Scans, and more..

The Year is 2021.

The world has seen better days. War and pollution have eliminated large segments of the human population and have turned most of the large cities on earth into abandoned wastelands. To allow the survivors to travel between the remaining population centers, special speed bikes have been created to travel at lightning speeds along the highways. Equipped with a spherical force field, these bikes allow the rider precise control during extremely high speeds. This invention started a whole new sport known to some simply as Scorcher. You begin the game at the kids' track, and work your way through the championship until you reach The Spiral, the final race...

20 years before I started this website (gameplayandtalk.com), I dabbled with classic HTML and made a variety of websites based around gaming topics I was into at the time.

This "article" is more or less a modern regurgitation of the info buried in that old website of mine. Below you will find a basic synopsis of the game along with some brief tips and strategies for players trying to get the hang of the game. Continue on after for a brief interview with one of the game’s creators, various packaging and manual scans, an OST playlist and full playthroughs of each version of the game.

THE BASICS OF SCORCHER

In Scorcher, the player controls a rider on a bike wrapped inside a spherical forcefield. This sphere allows the bike to absorb large falls and impacts while keeping the rider upright the entire time. Specific types of energy also allow the bike to boost and jump with given powerups:

Scorcher is comprised of six deviously designed, obstacle-oriented courses: The Dump, The Suburbs, Tunnels, Radioactive Waste, Downtown, and the Spiral. Mastering these is key to not just finishing the game, but finding enjoyment in it as well. Scorcher has a steep learning curve and can be punishing on a first play.

In the championship mode, the player's goal is to complete each race to the best of their ability, gaining the lead and beating the clock.

Once a course is accessed in Championship mode, it can be accessed in the time attack and practice modes. This is useful for practicing the later courses in particular, as they are extremely difficult to overcome initially.

The game's setup is fairly straightforward: Race a handful of laps while catching each checkpoint before time runs out, otherwise it's Game Over. While placing in 1st is not mandatory to continue, placing in higher ranks awards the player more time at the start of the next race.

Beginning each course, bikes are allowed through the starting point one by one, with the player starting last. You must work your way up the ranks and into first, second, or third place through a race of four laps.

While the basic gameplay structure is standard, the game’s controls, physics and track designs are anything but. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Adjust to the game’s multiple levels of steering. In the Sega Saturn version, the d-pad defaults to light steering, while the triggers control heavy steering. The way this works is different from typical racers of the era. Hard steering is best used at all times, so you may want to re-map the trigger controls to the d-pad for a more natural steering feel.

Boost properly and jump selectively. Both boost and jump are limited use abilities, so it’s imperative you use these sparingly. Boost functionality is best used with light taps on the button. This uses a minimal amount of energy while also maintaining a high speed. Jumping should be used sparingly since there are many pitfalls in the game that will require the functionality to continue. Thus, during learning the game, only use it when you have to.

Know your tracks and your camera angles. Scorcher has a “Marble Madness” style obstacle system. Knowing what’s coming up is key to getting through the tracks without getting stopped by objects or falling off course. The game also has an automatic camera system in effect. If you jump too high into the air, the game tends to switch the camera underneath your bike, making it impossible to see where you are going to land. Switching the player viewpoint to first-person fixes this. Some parts of tracks are better played in first-person versus third, and vice-versa, making it optimal to switch between them at specific moments in the game.

Fun tip: When paused in Championship Mode, the player can choose to restart the current track with no penalty. This is great to take advantage of if you’ve fallen too far behind and know you won’t be able to finish.

TIPS FOR SPECIFIC TRACKS

THE DUMP

You can shave some time off the entire course by consistently cutting the first turn. When your momentum is high (particularly when coming off the boost trail right before the finish line), turn left off the track as you roll up the road into the first turn. If done correctly, you should glide over the gap, landing safely past the first turn.

For an even faster run of the track, use the same tactic as above, but rather than turning off the first hill, physically jump from it. If going fast enough, you will land past the initial break of the track that resides just after the first turn. Doing this should improve your track time considerably if done every lap. Best done in first-person mode.

THE SUBURBS

RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Just before the second-to-last tunnel, there are two rises in the track one after another. At the peak of the second rise, you would usually have to slow down a bit to get over the hole in the track, just before the entrance to the tunnel. Instead of doing so, take advantage of your boost power, and as fast as you can go, jump at the top of the peak. You'll fly to an extreme height and if done right, will land past the first few obstacles in the tunnel. When in first-person mode, you'll notice that the ceiling to the tunnel disappears. Position yourself to land either just before or after the first ramp in the tunnel.

DOWNTOWN

On the inside corner of the final turn you'll notice the large building on the left. Rather than taking the normal road and going around it, you can actually jump OVER it. On the split stretches of track before hitting the street, you should take the right path. Boost the entire stretch and jump at the very edge of it. Control your Scorcher bike towards the left in the direction of the building, going over it and landing on the other side past the turn. This is similar to jumping the gap of the first turn in the The Dump, but is a hell of a lot more stylish. It will improve your track time significantly if done correctly every lap.

Another trick is near the beginning of the course. At the very first turn, it’s possible to jump over the broken overpass instead of slowing down and going underneath it. The timing is tight, but if done correctly it is faster than going underneath.

Fun tip: It's possible to wedge your bike in the outside stairwell of the apartment complex directly to the left of the starting point. Best done in the Saturn version where you have unlimited time in the practice mode.

CONSOLE AND PC VERSION DIFFERENCES

The PC version has multiple video modes ranging from 320X200 to 640X480, while the Saturn game only supports 240p.

The PC version has options to turn off certain graphical effects, such as the moving 2D and 3D backdrops. There is also the option to play the game with flat-shaded polygons or completely in wire-frame mode.

In the Saturn's practice mode, the player is given unlimited boosts, jumps, and time, can drive an infinite amount of laps and is free of other drivers. In the PC game, the player drives with the same factors such as in any other play mode: Time ticks down, the player races four laps, etc. It's Time Attack stripped of it storing your track time.

The Saturn game features more camera distances to view the Scorcher bike at while racing, while the PC version features only two.

The Saturn version, due to its more inconsistent and sluggish performance, is considerably more challenging than the PC version. The bike tends to feel like it has more weight because of these performance issues and control is less responsive.

The soundtrack in the Saturn version is generated by the system's internal sound hardware, while the PC game features the use of CD audio tracks and can be listened to in a CD player.

The PC version has extra objects on certain tracks, making them slightly more difficult to navigate than their Saturn counterparts.

The PC version has the capability of running at over double the framerate of the Saturn version, making for a more responsive and fluid experience.

INTERVIEW WITH JESPER KYD (FROM YEAR 2000)

Below is a brief interview with Jesper Kyd, responsible for various aspects in the production of this game, including its excellent soundtrack. Don't mind the juvenile questions, this was from 2000 or so and I was just a middling teenager at the time:

First of all, what was your part in the development and production of Scorcher?

Kyd: I created the music and sound effects for Scorcher. Towards the end of Scorcher I was the producer on Scorcher PC, meaning I basically helped create the gameplay. I was also the game tester and spent an insane amount of time playing the game and finding bugs. I helped create and write the manual together with Sami Badawi.

When was the original idea for Scorcher conceived?

Kyd: Not sure exactly when. Red Zone (A game by Zyrinx/Scavenger on the Genesis) was originally a car game before it was turned into a flying game. We had been wanting to do a driving game for a while.

With mission-based action games such as Sub Terrania and Red Zone behind them, what led the development team (Zyrinx) to create, of all things, a racing game?

Kyd: After doing two mission based games we were ready for something new. With the newly developed Zyrinx engine for PC and Sega Saturn, we could do new things graphically that was just not possible with the Sega Genesis engine.

Could you tell me about the Zyrinx engine? How did it effect Scorcher, say, using the Zyrinx engine, as opposed to another (By you all, or someone else)?

Kyd: Well, at that time there were not a lot of engines being licensed like there are today. Zyrinx consisted of competitive coders and mathematicians from the demo scene, so we would never use someone else's technology, but invent something better by ourselves. We also created a great FM music program for the Sega Genesis, which used CD quality sounds, instead of horrible low quality samples which 99% of all Genesis games used.

Scorcher went through some name changes before coming to be what we know it as. What was or were it's name(s) before being dubbed 'Scorcher?'

Kyd: Vertigo was the only other name Scorcher went by.

After the PC Scorcher's release, what made you all want to do a Sega Saturn version?

Kyd: It was a natural choice going from Sega Genesis/32X to Sega Saturn.

In the Saturn version, certain video options seen in the PC version were taken out. Any reason? Just for kicks, I always thought it would be kind of cool to play it in wire-frame mode on my Saturn.

Kyd: Those options were included on the PC in order to make the game run faster on lower-end machines. It didn't make sense to have the ability to switch these on an off on the Saturn version.

After getting opinions from a few people, it seems a major drawback was the lack of more tracks and a multiplayer mode. Again, any reason for this?

Kyd: The track design in Scorcher was very complex for it's time. Scorcher came out at a time where all car games had repetitive textures. Recently most car games got rid of the repetition of track design, but Scorcher did this 4 years ago. As for the multi-player, I can't comment on that.

GAME CREDITS (TAKEN FROM GAME MANUAL)

Main programming: David Guldbrandsen & Karsten Hvidberg

Main graphics: Mikael Balle

Music & Sound Effects: Jesper Kyd

System programming: Jens Bo Albretsen

Mathematics: Sami Badawi

Additional Graphics: Jacob Anderson & Sami Badawi

Gametesting: Jesper Kyd Bike

Layout: Jesper Vorsholt Jorgensen

Team Assistants: Nicole Salem & Stacey Roberts

Manual: Sami Badawi & Jesper Kyd

Manual Layout: Jacob Anderson

PC VERSION PACKAGING (USA)

PC VERSION INSTRUCTION MANUAL (USA)

SEGA SATURN VERSION PACKAGING (USA)

SEGA SATURN VERSION INSTRUCTION MANUAL (USA)

MUSIC

LET’S PLAY WALKTHROUGHS (SEGA SATURN AND PC)

[gameplayandtalk]

PSA: Sega 32X Freezing Issues on VA0 Model 2 Genesis Consoles

The Sega 32X is an interesting piece of hardware. Opening it up reveals an unimaginable host of components crammed into a tiny plastic shell: Multiple PCBs, various forms of metal shielding, dual ribbon cables, a bunch of capacitors, hand-soldered wires connecting various points on the PCBs, not to mention processing units housed inside the cartridge end of the unit itself. Love it or hate it, there’s something impressive about smashing so much tech into such a small amount of space.

Unfortunately, over the years the 32X hasn’t garnered the greatest reputation, particularly in regards to its reliability. It’s not uncommon to hear end user reports of black screen issues, inconsistent video, noisy sound output and wavy video, to name a few problems. I’m not entirely sure if this is due to its crammed design, or simply the result of aging parts, but either way it doesn’t bode well for owners of the add-on.

This isn’t even taking into consideration issues new users might run into by simply not understanding what is needed to get a 32X to work to begin with. For instance, the A/V link cable that allows both the Genesis and 32X-produced visuals to appear on screen properly. Or, the metal clips that mount in the cartridge slot for shielding purposes (and to help keep the unit from shaking around in the Genesis cart slot, preventing unintentional bumps from freezing your games). These are examples of things that may not appear in system bundles for sale online, causing extra confusion for new buyers.

Some of these issues 32X users should be wary of are far better documented than others. One interesting problem that falls into the later category is 32X games freezing on VA0 revision Model 2 Sega Genesis consoles. Basically, any 32X game that is paired with this Genesis revision will result in a hard crash just moments into the game.

While this issue isn’t particularly well documented online, it is something Sega was aware of when the 32X was current. The “Extension Unit” (according to Sega’s Official Service Manual, which can be seen here at Sega Retro), is a part meant specifically for VA0 Model 2 Genesis consoles. It slots into the Genesis expansion port, correcting some sort of conflict between it and the 32X, fixing the crashing issue in the process. Those with a VA0 model Genesis 2 along with both the 32X and Sega CD attachments will never experience this issue, as the Sega CD populating the expansion slot corrects the problem entirely.

I experienced (and learned from) this issue the hard way after I received Analogue’s excellent Mega SG FPGA console in 2019. I migrated my Sega CD to that, freeing up my still-32X-populated Genesis Model 2’s expansion slot in the process. For those unaware, without Analogue’s DAC device, the Mega SG is not compatible with the 32X out of the box.

When my 32X games began crashing seemingly out of no where, I did just about everything I could to troubleshoot it. I first opened it up and re-seated the ribbon cables (something I had already done once with this specific unit many years ago). I then thoroughly cleaned the cart contacts on both ends of the 32X, along with my Genesis 2. I swapped A/C adapters, ordered a new A/V link cable that runs between the Genesis and 32X, and even purchased a new Model 2 RGB cable (the old one had been acting up, giving signal drops, so it was worth a shot).

I was about ready to send the system off to a repair shop to have a capacitor replacement done as a last resort, until I stumbled upon this video that demonstrated my problem exactly. The video creator showed a 32X game working with his Sega CD attached, but then showed what happened when he disconnected the Genesis from it. Just a few moments in, full-on game crash. He then showed where to find the console revision number, demonstrating it being a VA0 revision.

It was at that moment I opened up my Genesis system to verify my revision, and sure enough it was a VA0. Instead of moving my Sega CD back to my Model 2 Genesis, I dug out my 32X system box where I keep extra connectors and attachments I don’t use, such as the fabled Extension Unit (previously known to me as “the part in my 32X box that doesn’t do anything”).

This Extension Unit was bundled with various 32X system packages due to the VA0 incompatibility. Until now I had no use for it, nor had any idea what the part actually did. With the Extension Unit in place, my Genesis 2 and 32X combo has been working perfectly. No more games freezing!

On a side note, it is known that VA0 Model 2 consoles aren’t generally the best way to experience the Sega Genesis. These revisions are notorious for having a different sound chip, resulting in tinny audio. The video may also be iffy compared to other models depending on what video encoder it is using (you won’t know until opening it up).

For anyone curious on how to identify the various versions of the Sega Genesis, Sega-16 has a very useful guide on how to do just that. Another option is to physically open your console, which is the route I took. With Model 2 Genesis systems, there are only a handful of screws underneath the console. It comes apart easily and after that you will need to remove the metal shielding (this has significantly more screws). The revision will be listed on the motherboard itself.

An easy way around this for some is to simply buy another Genesis system. However, 32X users might not be able to justify investing extra money into another model console when they already have one. As long as one has the Extension Unit or a Sega CD attached, they can bypass this crashing issue completely. I do feel as more 32X owners begin migrating their Sega CD units over to the Mega SG (or users begin consolidating their Genesis and CD collections down into something like a MiSTer), VA0 + 32X incompatibilities are likely to become more common as time moves on.

[gameplayandtalk]

How to Beat the Bosses of Castlevania

This is Castlevania. Often looked upon fondly for its classic horror theme, enjoyable gameplay and memorable soundtrack, it’s a game that continues to stand tall among its peers from the eight-bit era. It’s also sometimes known for another thing: its difficulty. Not only do its stages feature dangerous, tense situations, but they often culminate in some of the most stress-inducing boss battles of the era. The goal of this article (and complementary video) is to help players with these specific parts--the bosses of Castlevania.

Make no mistake, Castlevania is a difficult game, but new players may not be aware of specific strategies that can make its boss encounters significantly easier. If you’ve never beaten the game and struggle with many of these fights, you'll find lots of useful strategies here to help you succeed on your journey. For more intermediate players that are comfortable enough with the game but haven’t played in a while, stick around for a refresher, along with new strategies you may not be familiar with. Even expert players may find some useful bits of information here.

So with that, let’s take a look at the various strategies, one boss at a time.

Stage 1 - The Bat

Castlevania’s first boss is typically a pushover even for first-time players, but it’s still enjoyable diving into the various ways of defeating it. The most obvious way to deal damage here is to wield the axe, dropped right before the boss fight. It covers a lot of horizontal and vertical screen space and it helps to deal with the bat’s tendency to stay higher up on the screen. Just remember to attack the rightmost block at the start of the fight to pick up the double-shot, a power-up that lets you throw two axes back to back.

A more advanced strategy is to use the stopwatch. This item can be handy at many different points in Castlevania, but it’s particularly useful on the first two bosses where it can freeze them in place. You have to ensure the bat is low and close enough to make this work, but with properly timed uses, you can keep the boss locked into place for the entire fight. Constantly mash up and attack during the freeze time to ensure you use the watch again the moment it becomes available, keeping the bat frozen in place.

Going beyond the watch is the fire bomb, or holy water as it’s known in later games. This requires placement somewhere on the rightmost platforms, but with the bat’s tendency to dive towards the player, dishing out damage is actually pretty consistent and easy to pull off. With the double-shot in hand you can keep the boss stun-locked for the entire fight.

Fighting this boss whip-only, or even with just the dagger in hand, requires you to play more conservatively. Wait for the bat to get near the middle of the screen and perform a forward jumping attack from the rightmost platforms. Constantly keep an eye out for the bat’s positioning, as you do not want to be jumping in its direction as it dives towards you.

Stage 2 - Queen Medusa

Medusa is another fight first time players typically don’t have issue with. Even if a player dies here, the holy water and double-shot are available in the lead-up to the fight, allowing the player to be upgraded enough to make this boss a breeze even on a failed first attempt. Simply drop holy water where the boss appears and watch its health deplete rapidly.

If you manage to make it to the boss with the watch, you can also keep medusa locked for the entire fight. Unfortunately, this is the last time in the game the stop watch is useful against a boss, so enjoy it while it lasts.

The difficulty of this encounter ramps up significantly if you decide to use more conventional methods, requiring you to know the flow of the battle. At the start of the fight, immediately book it to the rightmost platform. As medusa gets close, jump over to the left. Deal with any snakes by standing and whipping--there’s no need to duck thanks to the morning star’s large hitbox. Medusa also likes to hover at one of two levels near the bottom of the screen. At its lowest point you can jump over it, so watch it closely and as it approaches, jump back over once again.

The boomerang is by far the most useful of the traditional projectile weapons here, but each weapon still requires you to follow the initial pattern closely if you want to finish the fight while taking minimal damage.

Stage 3 - The Mummies

The mummies lay host to an interesting fight that I find many people make more difficult on themselves than necessary. While the left and right movement of the boss is erratic and their projectiles can be tough to deal with, there’s actually no reason to fight them head on. At the start of the fight, simply jump back on the platforms you came from and whack them in the head with the morning star, taking advantage of its massive hitbox. You will have to occasionally jump up further to avoid being touched by either mummies' head, but just wait for them to walk back over to the right and begin attacking them again.

Of course, if you have made it here with the holy water, the fight is made even easier. Simply drop these projectiles from the upper platforms and quickly call it a day.

If for some reason you grab the hidden health here and can’t get back up top, the boomerang is the best way to deal with these guys face to face. This is especially true if you can manage to get to one side or the other rather than being pinned in the middle.

Neither the stopwatch, axe or dagger are particularly useful here, so don’t bother.

Stage 4 - Frankenstein & Igor

Stage 4 in general along with Frankenstein & Igor is where the game really sees a considerable difficulty spike. One of the reasons for this is thanks in part to something I haven’t touched on yet: The dreaded Game Over screen. At any point you lose all of your lives, you get sent back to the very beginning of the stage. This is the most frustrating on Stage 4 where the trek to the boss is littered with loads of death-ridden water pits, surprise merman and bats that can knock you off platforms and ledges. All this culminates in one of the most difficult bosses in the game, and it’s often times here that players give up.

There isn’t a single surefire “easy” strategy to this fight, but your best bet is making it to the boss with the holy water in hand. Drop it on Frankenstein as soon as the fight starts while whipping in between to do maximum damage. If you miss or don’t get the timing right, Frankenstein will begin moving and Igor will bounce around the arena. The enemy health bar is depleted by hitting Frankenstein himself, but Igor can also be stunned by attacking him. Note that Igor cannot be hit again until his stun period ends, forcing you to time your attacks on him appropriately.

If you die at this fight without receiving a game over, your only recourse is to tackle it with the dagger, the only sub-weapon to appear at this checkpoint. While the dagger allows you to keep distance, it’s actually more effective to stay closer to Frankenstein, whipping him aggressively while also watching Igor’s jumps and projectiles. You will need to have some fancy footwork here to get through the fight, but if you can do it, it’s pretty satisfying.

You’re unlikely to get to Frankenstein & Igor with a boomerang or axe, as neither weapon appears in this level normally. However, you can occasionally get them as random drops. If you find yourself here with either of them, they can both be pretty useful by letting you keep a distance, deal with Igor’s projectiles and keep him stunned more often than not. The boomerang in particular seems to do big damage when used properly and is the easiest of the traditional three projectiles to use here.

Stage 5 - The Grim Reaper

Easily the most difficult battle in Castlevania, Stage 5’s Grim Reaper is an unpredictable and erratic fight. Preceded by one of the most infamous hallways in all of classic gaming, players will often times find themselves shaken up before they even make it to the boss. The fortunate thing is that you can simply use the holy water to breeze past this boss. Drop it on the rightmost platform at the start of the fight and continue to do so until the boss is defeated. If for some reason you die, upon receiving a game over there will be a holy water drop from a candle in the very first room of this stage.

Fighting this boss with any other weapon combination is where things start to go downhill. Death is massive and likes to fly around the screen in a fairly inconsistent manner. Sickles also appear at various locations, often times specifically targeting the player. While attacking death is an obvious goal, it’s usually best to focus on getting rid of the sickles first, otherwise they will stack in numbers and become too overwhelming.

The dagger isn’t the most useful at this fight and is generally best avoided here, but both the boomerang and axe are a step up when paired with a double or triple shot. The boomerang in particular is great for doing multiple hits with one shot while also clearing out some sickles in the process.

Ultimately this fight is all about multi-tasking. You have to focus not just on Death’s trajectory, but where the sickles appear and the direction they are moving as well. Keep in mind that if you are playing an early version of Castlevania, the game can crash if too much is happening on screen at once. This is most-likely to occur at the Grim Reaper with a triple-shot boomerang setup. It actually happened to me multiple times in my practice sessions for this article and video.

Stage 6 - The Count

Castlevania’s finale features the most lengthy boss fight in the entire game. While I don’t consider it to be as outright challenging as Frankenstein or the Grim Reaper, it does end up being the greatest test of endurance compared to any other fight in the game. The pressure to succeed isn’t quite as great either, thanks to this being the only part of the game where receiving a game over doesn’t send you all the way back to the beginning of the stage. Instead, you respawn at the bottom of Dracula’s stairwell.

The fight with Count Dracula comes in two phases. In the first phase he appears in vampire form and teleports around the screen at random. When he momentarily appears he will quickly shoot a spread of projectiles towards the player before disappearing once again. In this phase his head is the only weak spot and the window of opportunity to hit is small.

Dracula’s teleportation is completely random and so it’s important to remain in constant motion during this fight. His fireballs can also track the player in the air, so it’s best to stand on the ground, wait for the fireballs to appear horizontally, then jump and attack. Being moderately close to Dracula when he appears will help you successfully clear the fireballs while also making contact with the whip. If Dracula appears too far away and you think you may not be able to jump over his fireballs, you can destroy them with your whip or boomerang.

Dracula’s first phase can be tedious, but it’s possible to speed up the process by timing two attacks back to back. It’s difficult to get consistently due to Dracula’s erratic teleportation, but with the boomerang you can often get some extra hits on top. Other sub-weapons aren’t particularly useful on this first phase, nor are you likely to have them for this fight, so it’s best to stick a basic whip and/or boomerang strategy here.

..But Wait, There’s More.

Phase 2 sees Dracula turn into beast form. In this phase, it hops from one side of the screen to the other, while occasionally lifting its arms to throw projectiles your way. Its projectiles fire out in a similar spread pattern as his first form, and if timed properly, they can be destroyed with a single attack. Its short jumps can’t be passed under, but occasionally it will soar high into the air. When timed right you can pass under this safely. Interestingly, it’s actually possible to trigger this high jump by simply ducking in front. It’s important to utilize this trick during those instances where you are completely cornered and are bound to take damage.

While the boomerang is useful against Dracula’s first form, the holy water available in the far left candle proves most useful during his second form. This will stun the beast in place for a short moment, allowing you to attack his weak spot--his head--rapidly.

If you die at this fight you won’t have many hearts to work with upon revival. A good trick to take advantage of here is walking up and down the stairs repeatedly. Each time you do so the candles on the upper floor reappear, allowing you to gain more ammunition for this fight. Don’t worry about the timer, as the game gives you plenty to work with on this fight.

It’s also possible to make a double or triple-shot appear by destroying Dracula’s fireballs as long as you have enough hearts in your inventory. This can make life a lot easier on the second form where you can keep Dracula completely stun-locked for the entire fight.

Finale

So with that, you should now have a good (or better) idea on how to take out the bosses of the original Castlevania. If you found it useful in any way, please help spread the word and share it with other like-minded classic gaming fans that may be struggling with the game.

For those that need more of a visual aid to go along with this text, check out the video version of this guide, here:

[gameplayandtalk]

Zoop: An Unforeseen Favorite and a Worthy Puzzle Game

Zoop is a puzzle game developed by Hookstone Productions and published by Viacom New Media in 1995. The game features a unique look and feel while offering up a simple gameplay premise that is easy to learn, but difficult to master. It’s not one you hear spoken of very often these days, however, decades after its release, it remains one of my go-to games in the puzzle genre. Its bare bones package will admittedly leave a little to be desired for some in terms of content, but for fans of the puzzle genre, the addictive gameplay will more than likely make up for it.

At the time of Zoop’s release, Viacom New Media clearly had big expectations for the game. Quirky, full-page ads pushed the game in magazines; A crazy television commercial accompanied the release; and, even the game box itself featured some pretty bold statements (“America’s Greatest Killer of Time!”). As if that wasn’t enough, Viacom made Zoop available across a whopping nine different platforms in most major regions. This was unprecedented at a time when a multi-platform release this large was typically relegated to major movie or arcade tie-ins, not brand new IPs.

Unfortunately for Viacom, reviews upon release seemed to rate it average at best and it didn’t take long for the game to reach bargain bins at retail. Some reviews noted the game’s addictive nature, but others others talked about the blatant complacency many were feeling about the puzzle genre at the time. Several years prior, Tetris took the world by storm and many companies would try to cash in on this new puzzle trend for years, with many knockoffs and cash-ins that probably didn’t need to exist. By the time Zoop released in 1995, burnout had hit even the most devoted fans of the genre.

Despite seeing the ads myself, I didn’t take much notice of Zoop until I accidentally came across a friend’s Game Gear that happened to have the cart in it. When I gave it a try, I was immediately hooked. The concept was unique and was instantly fun. I played this scaled down version quite a bit when I had the chance and just a year or two later I would pick up a sealed copy of the Sega Genesis version. As a high school teen with little obligations and lots of time, I played it frequently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

One of the things that captivated me about Zoop is that it’s a puzzle game with action elements. Rather than focusing on the player dropping blocks, the game has you pinned in the center of the play field attacking outward at incoming objects. I’ve always been more a fan of fast-paced, arcade style action games, so this offensive style of gameplay clicked with me naturally.

There is of course the obligatory puzzle element that goes along with the fast action: Only objects of the same color as you can be cleared. Hit an object of a different color, and you will swap colors with that object. So for example, if an object was blue but you were green, you will turn blue, and the object will turn green.

Like many games in the genre, the puzzle element is further emphasized by a scoring system. Additional bonus points are given for clearing multiple same-colored objects in a single swipe and clearing an entire row or column of same-color enemies will award the most points. Much like clearing the maximum amount of lines at once in Tetris is called a “Tetris”, clearing a full row or column here is known as a “Zoop”.

Scoring the best means you need to follow the puzzle element closely and approach the game with a methodical play style, intentionally changing the colors of the foremost objects to match the ones behind them. This allows for longer chains to form and bigger points to be cashed in at a faster rate.

Zoop doesn’t require you to play a specific way though. You are free to play as fast or methodical as you want. Playing fast yields less points, but it definitely proves to be an energetic experience nonetheless and this may be more fun for some individuals.

The unfortunate thing about Zoop is that there’s just not much else to it. Two gameplay modes exist, but vary little in execution. There are some golden icon power-ups that help you clear enemies faster, and collecting springs on the play field will wipe everything off the board giving you a clean slate to work with, but there’s nothing else to fall back onto gameplay-wise.

Being the bare bones package it is, it’s a tough sell to someone requiring a more fleshed out experience. Surprisingly though, it remains an enjoyable experience at its core that is still a ton of fun to play. The clean visuals and chilled out music also help keep it enjoyable, despite there not being much to it.

As was mentioned earlier, Zoop was released on nine different platforms across varying regions. Here are some quick notes on the various versions:

Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis: By far the cheapest and most common to acquire for anyone that collects real cartridges and they are good ways to experience the game. The SNES version has a more “bombastic” soundtrack than the Genesis port.

Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Game Gear: Both versions replace the unique shapes for thin, rectangular blocks, but the gameplay remains the same and they both play well.

Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn: These versions feature pre-rendered graphics and an electronic (techno) soundtrack. The visuals are a little gaudy and the soundtrack doesn’t really fit the theme, so overall these are my least favorite versions to go back to.

IBM PC compatible (MS-DOS) and Apple Macintosh: These versions run at a higher resolution than the console releases (roughly 640x480) and as such they look the sharpest. The Mac version is similar to the IBM PC version, but sounds different due to the Mac’s different sound hardware and it doesn’t run quite as smoothly, at least in the Mac emulation I’ve tried it with.

Atari Jaguar: Features sharper visuals than the 16-bit renditions and it’s the only console version to feature high score saving after powering off the system. This is a great feature as it gives the player incentive to try to improve on old high scores when coming back to play at a later time.

Zoop may not be the most talked about puzzle game out there, but to me it’s an overlooked gem still worth playing--even if it’s a little bare bones in nature. The addictive quality of the gameplay, the clean yet abstract graphic style and the relaxing music still holds up well today. If you’re a fan of puzzle games or want to simply try something new, give it a try!

[gameplayandtalk]

A Beginner’s Guide to Ghosts ‘n Demons

This is Ghosts ‘n Demons, a 2015 fan made game for PC, created by BonusJZ. Being a remake of the Japanese-exclusive Wonderswan Ghosts ‘n Goblins, it follows the original game’s formula closely. It also adds many of its own new additions, including updated mechanics and a significantly steeper difficulty curve. The game as a result can be challenging for new players to adapt to, quite possibly more so than any other game in the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series. A key to succeeding at this game is getting in tune with its many game mechanics. For those trying the game for the first time, or for those that need a refresher, here’s a quick guide to get you up to speed with this game.

As with prior Ghosts ‘n Goblins games, you control Arthur, who has his typical left and right movement along with ducking and jumping. While there’s no vertical attacking as with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Arthur does retain his double jump from Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, activated by simply tapping jump a second time while in mid-air.

A ground stomp can be activated by pressing down + jump in the air. Landing next to enemies with this does a little bit of splash damage, hurting enemies on either side. Landing on top of enemies does considerable damage and bounces Arthur back into the air. Doing so successfully resets your double jump, allowing for some nice shortcuts through the game when used creatively, particularly halfway through Stage 2.

The downside to the ground stomp is that it can only be used with armor. However, even without it Arthur can hop off enemies when timed properly. This is risky, but can be used as a last resort if you make a jump in the wrong direction. It does considerable damage and you can keep hopping from enemy to enemy as long as you don’t double jump.

The backflip is a maneuver that is mapped to a third button. Arthur can use this to get to higher platforms easier or to avoid tricky projectile patterns. He can even perform the maneuver in the air to gain extra height. Smacking enemies in the face with a foot is also possible and does solid damage. This is risky but can be especially useful against the Red Arremers. On the Easy and Normal difficulty levels, the backflip also has a significant amount of invincibility frames at the start of it, allowing Arthur to pass through objects and projectiles when timed just right.

A key move for survival is pressing the jump button right as Arthur loses his armor. This makes Arthur shout aloud, giving you extra invincibility time. Normally when taking a hit you only have a second or two of invincibility frames. When performing this special trick, Arthur gets significantly more invincibility time. The easiest way to do this is to mash the jump button immediately upon taking a hit.

Much like previous games in the series, Arthur can uncover various chests in each level. These are typically activated by jumping at a certain position, sometimes by double jumping. The red chests encountered drop various types of items. Weapons are the typical fare, but a warlock or a goddess can appear as well. The warlocks can turn Arthur into various creatures like in previous games, but the effect stays significantly longer here, so be careful. The goddess will offer an invincibility power-up for a significant amount of time. Like the original Ghosts ‘n Goblins, warlocks can also appear by shooting specific objects too many times, such as tombstones, so be sure to be careful about shooting around randomly when there are no enemies on screen.

Unlike prior games in the series, the contents of the red chests are completely random. Under normal circumstances this means that there is no rhythm or rhyme to what appears. Sometimes you’ll get a weapon, sometimes you’ll get armor, sometimes you’ll get points. There is however a more advanced trick to guarantee an armor drop. This is done by uncovering four red chests and intentionally *not* opening them. Your fifth red chest will have armor in it guaranteed.

Green chests can also appear and each level has at least one or two of these. Green chests offer guaranteed armor drops. If Arthur has no armor, Silver will appear. If Arthur has Silver, then Gold will appear. If Arthur already has Gold, a 10,000 point item will appear.

Other hidden chests can appear for extra lives. These appear in most levels in the game and typically require Arthur to stand in front of a specific location for at least a few seconds. On Stage 1, it’s the tombstone at the beginning. On Stage 2, it’s the suit of armor at the bottom floor of the building. On Stage 3’s water level, it’s in front of the clam right after the mini boss. On Stage 3’s fire level, it’s at the end of the last vertical shaft. On stage 5, it’s to the right of the boss door (in front of the pile of skulls in the updated version). On the final stage, it’s right before the big drop to the boss. Stages two and four also have extra chests right out in the open, also giving extra lives. For stage 2 Arthur needs to perform a ground stomp an enemy and double jump over the last column on the top floor of the building. On Stage 4, it’s at the top left of the first major platforming section.

Due to the game’s difficulty, it’s recommended you start on Easy. Easy mode features slightly fewer random enemies and there are also added checkpoints. You will know you’re playing on Easy, as Arthur’s armor will be green. On Normal and King modes, checkpoints only appear at hard screen transitions. The final stage for instance, due to having no hard screen transitions, has no checkpoints. Easy also adds more continues over Normal, giving you more time to warm up to the harder parts of the game—nine continues, as opposed to Normal’s six. Money bags also increase the amount of credits you have on any given run, so in the early stages of learning the game, it’s good to grab as many as you can. For those curious, King mode offers zero continues.

Weapons have always been a huge part of the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series, and Ghosts ‘n Demons is no exception, with Arthur having a wide ranging arsenal to work with:

Lance: Arthur can fire this at a moderate pace, doing moderate damage.

Dagger: Relatively weak, but has the benefit of shooting multiple projectiles across the screen quickly.

Torch: Moderate strength with an arced attack that allows for more shot flexibility, not to mention large blasts of fire that erupt when landing on the ground.

Axe: One of the least useful weapons in the game, but it can be solid for enemies positioned higher up.

Arrows: These act much like they do in the Wonderswan and Super Nintendo games, firing in pairs of two angled upwards, offering poor damage output and being difficult to use against small enemies up close. Very efficient against Red Arremers.

Discus: Short-ranged weapon that packs a major punch when used right. It does multiple hits when colliding with enemies for long enough.

Sickle: Short range weapon that turns into a long-range one when it loops back around towards the player.

Shield: Great crutch for new players, going all the way across the screen and blocking most projectiles along the way.

Cross: Tricky to use but packs the biggest punch. Also absorbs projectiles and goes through solid objects.

Holy Flame: Randomly appears after reaching 300,000 points. This weapon goes all the way across the screen, destroys projectiles, and can even charge up two different attacks with the Gold armor. Charging makes you invincible for a second or two during and after the attack.

Weapons aside, the biggest upgrade in the game is the Gold armor. This allows Arthur to throw even more projectiles at a time. It also gives him some useful new abilities. Pressing up + attack while on the ground allows Arthur to stab enemies in front of him. Jumping and pressing down + attack allows him to downstab, doing tons of damage and pogoing off of enemies heads. Pressing up + backflip allows Arthur to perform an uppercut, a strong attack that can do multiple hits when used properly.

So with that, you should now have a good idea of the basics of Ghosts ‘n Demons. Get in there, search for hidden chests, learn the stages and bosses, and ultimately just have a good time.

For anyone curious about checking out this game, it’s a free download for PC. Simply click here to be taken to the developer’s site to download it.

I’d also like to give a shout out to Aquas who got me interested in this game, provided some extra details for my video version of this and let me use some of his stream footage. Shout out to Skipnatty as well who also helped with loads of tips on my initial stream of this game. Without this help I wouldn’t have gotten up to speed with the game so quickly. I’d also like to give a shout out to Solid Nate. He checked out the game after I initially streamed it and he has been hooked on it since. Him constantly streaming it motivated me to continue playing the game after my initial session with it.

So with that, thanks for reading! If you want to see all of these details in action, check out the video version of this write-up below.

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Join me as I stroll through the tedious and sometimes painful world of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In this playthrough I explain all the various mechanics and show you how to get the best ending.

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Beating the Bosses of Castlevania | How To Beat - Episode 1

This video covers beating the various bosses of the game. It's a new format for me but if people enjoy it, I could definitely see myself doing more of these in the future.

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Let's Play Forgotten Worlds for the Sega Genesis (Hard Mode playthrough)

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Let's Play Sub Terrania for the Sega Genesis [60fps]

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Let's Play Aladdin for the Sega Genesis ("Difficult" Mode)

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Let's Play Vectorman for the Sega Genesis [60fps]

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Let's Play Vectorman 2 for the Sega Genesis

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Let's Play Milon's Secret Castle for the NES

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QLy22yBhtk)