#gamer 4 life

[retrogamingloft]

Beamrider is an arcade-style shooter developed by David Rolfe and published by Activision in 1983. Originally designed for the Intellivision, it was later ported to a range of systems, including the Commodore 64. The game offers a unique take on the genre, combining fast-paced action with a visually striking pseudo-3D perspective.

In Beamrider, you pilot a spacecraft tasked with defending Earth from alien invaders. The action takes place on a grid of beams stretching into the distance, giving the illusion of depth and setting it apart from the typical flat 2D shooters of its era. Your ship moves horizontally along the bottom of the screen, firing lasers at enemies advancing along the beams. The goal in each wave is to destroy a set number of enemy ships to progress to the next "sector," with the game becoming more difficult as you advance.

The Commodore 64 version captures much of the original gameplay’s intensity, offering smooth graphics and responsive controls that make it enjoyable to play. The grid design is well-represented, though slightly less vibrant compared to the original Intellivision version. Enemy movement and animations are fluid, and the pseudo-3D effect remains intact, albeit less pronounced. The sound effects on the C64 are simple but effective, with crisp laser blasts and explosions enhancing the action.

Gameplay in Beamrider is highly challenging. Enemies appear in increasingly aggressive waves, and the player must react quickly to dodge attacks and destroy threats. Strategic use of the ship's limited torpedoes is essential, especially against certain enemies or obstacles that are resistant to the primary laser. Each sector introduces new challenges, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging for those chasing high scores.

Personally I've always appreciated Beamrider for its innovative presentation and addictive gameplay. While the Commodore 64 version is faithful to the core mechanics, I feel visual impact was slightly diminished compared to the Intellivision, which had leveraged its unique hardware to create a more pronounced sense of depth. Despite this, the C64 port stands out as one of the better home computer adaptations, maintaining the speed and intensity of the original.

Today, the game is still remembered as a hidden gem from the golden age of gaming. Its combination of skill-based action, unique visuals, and escalating difficulty ensures it remains a favorite for fans of classic shooters. The Commodore 64 version, in particular, is a testament to how well the system could replicate an arcade-like experience.

PS. 

Once again, the game is extremely challenging. Based on what I’ve seen on YouTube, I highly doubt it’s possible to progress beyond a certain point without using TAS or similar tools. For the record, I don’t use TAS, so my longplay showcases me clearing the first 10 sectors, with the 10th completed on the hardest difficulty. The game features three difficulty levels, and the 10th stage marks the beginning of Difficulty 3. In games with endless or a very high number of repetitive levels, most longplays focus on showcasing at least one level completed on the hardest setting—and that's exactly what I achieved.

[always-a-joyful-note]

Enstars sure is an experience. Did I miss anything?

[this-is-z-art-blog]

[ID: digital drawing of Sam Manson sitting in a black and purple desk chair at a pale purple desk with a black monitor displaying purple text reading 'Chaos Wins!' She's holding a purple game controller and wearing purple headphones with a large Star of David on the ear covers. She's wearing light purple tights, a green and black plaid skirt, gray belt, chunky black bracelets, a black Star of David choker necklace, and a black tank top with purple text reading 'Gamer 4 Chai'. Her expression is fiercely focused, sticking her tongue out a bit in concentration.]

It has been twenty or, more accurately, zero days since I last saw this canonically Jewish character depicted with a cross

[awkwardgamergirl]

Best games for mental health&relax?

As someone who deals with anxiety and depression when I want to relax or am just feeling low and drained I’ll usually choose what others would consider “cozy games” because I don’t want any stress from shooters, strategy games, or anything that has a lot of stakes. I’ll do switch games for now since it’s my main console but I do have a 3ds, psvita, and my computer so I’ll make a list of those games later 💕

So my favorite games to relax to are:

~ stardew valley~ (you already knew this was coming) it’s just a really cute game with lots of options on how you can spend your time. You can farm, fish, forage, travel the mines, talk to the towns people, interact with love interests. There is just a lot to do in it and it has a really cozy small town cottagecore vibe that a lot of people find relaxing. Amazing replay value. I have like four different lives just so I can choose different farms, partners, things like that.

~ animal crossing~ (second most obvious answer) we all know animal crossing is a chill low stakes game that has a lot of similar elements I listed for stardew valley. You get to interact with cute little animals, decorate your house and character, forage, fish, find fossils, shop. It’s just a relaxing and positive game and is very popular for a reason. Idk about replay value because I really couldn’t imagine deleting my island tbh.

~ fashion dreamer~ if you like cute dress up type games this one is a decent lil game. It’s got lots of different styles for whatever your lil fashion heart desires and you basically walk around dressing up characters and they rate your outfits. It’s from the creators of style savvy and while it’s super cute I would wait for it to go on sale because it’s a bit overpriced imo. Style savvy is definitely the way to go if you have a ds/3ds. Still cute though. Don’t know about replay value because I’m fairly new to the game and haven’t come close to finishing or restarting anything.

~ unpacking~ this one is pretty cute and definitely a game that helps with anxiety. It’s a relaxed little puzzle game that unlocks parts of the story as you go along organizing each room to your home. You can try to solve the puzzles or you can just organize the furniture to your liking. Either way you want to play it’s super cute and relaxing and has some decent replay value after you complete it.

~calico~ super cute game where you run a cat cafe in a magical town with unique characters, little missions, and lots of cats you can pet and play with. There is magic, desserts, and you can ride giant cats like horses. Super soothing game. Character customization and decorating your cafe. The only drawback is it can get a bit glitchy but for the cuteness and the price I have no complaints. The music is really cute too. Not sure about replay value because my cafe is so cute I wouldn’t want to start over.

~coffee talk~ you run a coffee shop in the future and talk to all the incoming guests and learn their stories as you give them their coffee. This one is super relaxing and how I like to spend my evenings before bed if I want that extra cozy time to destress and relax. Cute art as well with different species and how they interact. I haven’t restarted yet but I’m sure there will be replay value with just how cozy and in depth the story is.

~rune factory 4 remastered~ this was originally a 3ds game they remastered for the switch and it’s so amazing that they did. One of my favorite 3ds games that is an offshoot of the harvest moon series with very pretty art, farming, cooking and crafting, romance, monster fighting, and just really fantastic story telling. Very cozy and hard not to get sucked into. Such a gorgeous game imo. Fantastic replay value.

~good pizza, great pizza~ you run a lil pizza shop and upgrade it to get better ingredients and equipment. Super cute chill game to pass the time and hard not to spend hours mindlessly making pizzas. Haven’t replayed it because I haven’t completed it but I imaging replaying it would be fun because you’re just making pizza and unlocking different ingredients. Relaxing game with cute art.

~monster prom~ cute game where you have to convince one of the monsters to go to prom with you. Funny writing, pretty art, and the ability to romance any gender while choosing your pronouns. It’s funny, the game play is question based, and it’s like little rounds of 15 mins and either you get them to go to prom or you get rejected. Then you get to try again. Replay value is obviously strong because I keep playing it no matter how often I’m rejected 🥲 being real though this game is funny, unique, and worth the price. I just have to beat the first one so I can try the second.

~what comes after~ you play as a character on a train of ghosts and you process the grief of passing to the afterlife and try to learn and console the other ghosts on the train who are passing. Pretty game that is mostly story based and worth a try. I haven’t finished this game so I’m not to sure on the replay value.

~little mouse’s encyclopedia~ a cute little game where you play as a little mouse exploring the outside and the dirt and you spend your time finding other little animals and bugs and plants and you read about them and what they are. Cute little educational game I purchased because I loved the art that ended up being super cute in the long run.

Honorable mentions:

- speed dating for ghosts (cute funny little game where you go on dates with ghosts. Short, sweet, and to the point. Decently priced for how quick you get through the game)

- cattails (you play as a cat that travels through its little territory you that you share with your other cat group. You gather little things, complete missions, scrap with rival cat gangs, and just walk around as a cat. Cute but a bit slow for my tastes.)

-rune factory 5 (don’t get me wrong, I love the fourth one and I’m sure the more I play this one I’ll learn to love it to. The gameplay is just set up a bit different and is a bit more similar to the harvest moon style than the fourth rune factory. The art is gorgeous though I was just hoping for more rune factory and less harvest moon when it came to the actual playing)

Games I’ve wanted and heard amazing things about:

The only reason I haven’t purchased and played these games yet is because games aren’t cheap and I need to finish the ones I’ve already purchased. That being said I’ve been looking at a lot of these for a long time and they are definitely going to make this list. I’m sure some of them would be ranked very high in the favorite games category as soon as I actually start playing them. Here’s the list:

* Spiritfairer

*Bear and breakfast

*Creepy tale

*Cozy grove

*Witchy life story

*Potion permit

*Hoa

*Littlewood

*Potion craft

*Gris

*When the past was around

*strange horticulture

*Lemon cake

*Wytchwood

*How to say goodbye

*Dreamlight valley

*Storyteller

*Cult of the lamb

*Little misfortune

*Night in the woods

* Sally face

And that’s it 🎉 sorry for such a long list but I wanted to include a bit of everything so you had lots to choose from. These are the games I play when I need a comfy happy place to go when life gets to be a bit too much to handle. I enjoyed making this list to be honest so there will most likely be more lists in the future. Maybe I’ll make a list of favorite otome games, anime/manga, kpop groups. Things like that. Anyway, hope you enjoy reading the list as I enjoyed making it 💖

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Volume 2 features landscapes on episodes 3 and 4. Kazuki and Miri walking along the Naka Riverbank. It includes the first CD drama episode about Kazuki and Rei’s first meeting courtesy of Kyutaro. (—>> Part 2)

[Rei ran away from the organisation and then the hotel staff after finding out that his credit card was rendered “unusable.” [Probably because of his father.] He was homeless for a while and able to dodge a kidnapping/murder from other syndicate members [Something to do with ransom money, Rei as the hunted?]. Then Kazuki appeared per Kyutaro’s order. [It was, according to Kyu, K’s “last chance.”] K and Rei fought until the latter passed out because of hunger. Kazuki brought Rei food, who couldn’t guess what he was eating … In the end they introduced themselves like we heard them in the beginning. Kazuki: “Nice to meet you, Hikikomori”; in which Rei replied: “Nice to meet you too, Couch-crasher.” {Take note of the background graphics, I am seeing blueprints/stamps of musical notes, checkered sheets, French dictionary highlighting entries on philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau }Waiting for @marcarella-pizza’s translation if some of my hunches are correct.]

Here is Volume 1

Note: Please link back when using the pics for editing or other purposes and they stay on Tumblr. Thanks.

[sunbloomdew]

i was reminded of the existence of this post so i made a meme

(i'm pretty sure i haven't seen this specific one before but baxter's meme potential is incredibly high so i might be wrong. don't kill me pls)

[mongoliannomad84]

Brody and Summer, a beach-loving couple, trade their ocean views for the city’s vibrant downtown every Saturday night. Under the glow of bright lights, they dive into the energy of the streets, creating unforgettable moments together in their urban escape.

[cherrygummycandy]

ATTENTION SIMS, LORD OF THE RINGS AND STARDEW VALLEY FANS!!!!

Here's is an article I'm hyped for, which is a stardew-valley inspired life sim taking place in a hobbit shire styled after LOTR. I just read abo7t it and the trailer drops April 22nd. Here's the cover art and an article! AND ITS OFFICIALy LICENSED

[vv-ispy]

If decarabian was a gamer he would have the most decked out setup imaginable. 2000+ dollar custom keyboard where nearly everything but the internal components are made of solid gold. Top-of-the-line pc entirely encased in various ornately decorated gemstones. He would have at least five monitors (bonus points if they also double as surveillance monitors.) His gaming chair would in fact be a literal throne. At times he thinks that video game logic must surely apply to real life mortal human logic as well and vastly overestimates how durable most humans are.

Someone save her

[rontra]

sorry the dalamud mention in the outfit one hit me like a brisk smack to the face i can't believe i never put 2 and 2 together but she would totally have been on ffxiv 1.0... may not be a question you have an answer for so apologies, but do you think there's any particular job she prefers playing as?

1.0 gamer toriumi is like my favorite joke KJSJHBFD i actually made it here first (but im gonna keep making it)

it would be so funny if 1.0 was her "home game" after ISO closed. shes like im never getting attached again fuck this 😭

evidence in the comic suggests she does still play xiv though. and i feel like shes enough of a level grinding enthusiast to have every job maxed. but i dont know what her main would be at all. so i'm opening the floor to my followers

[fogaminghub]

https://www.fogaminghub.com/post/journey-to-gudju-uncovering-secrets-in-visions-of-mana

🌟✨ Ready for an adventure? 🌟✨ 

In our latest blog post, we dive into Chapter 4: Back with a Vengeance of Visions of Mana! Join Val and the Alms as they traverse the dangerous Zawhak Desert to reach Gudju, the Village of Earth. Learn about the challenges that await and how to prepare your heroes for this epic journey!

[retrogamingloft]

Bubble Burst, released in 1984 by Spinnaker Software for the Commodore 64, is an action-arcade game where you must prevent creatures called "Zeboingers" from popping bubbles in a bathtub.

You control a target to shoot bubbles at these bird-like Zeboingers as they approach the bubble bath. The game becomes more challenging as the Zeboingers can open windows or turn on showers, which further reduce the number of bubbles. Additionally, you have a limited amount of "bubble juice" each round to defend the bath, adding a layer of strategy.

The game offers two difficulty levels: Level 1 starts from the beginning, while Level 2 lets you begin at the 11th stage. I chose to start at Level 1 and managed to progress well beyond stage 11.

[hourcat]

am i the luckiest piarlie of all time. be honest

[potionio]

Growing up eating delicious baked goods was one way to spark your interest in cooking, and your parent(s) always encouraged you! Your cooking skills flourished by the time you were a teen and you had only one goal in mind: becoming a celebrity chef. You work hard to achieve that dream.

Aspiration: Master Chef Traits: Ambitious, roll/pick the rest. Buy the Stoves and Grills Master reward trait. Skills: Cooking and Gourmet Cooking. At least level 4 in Mixology. Any required skills from career.

Reach level 10 in the Culinary career (Chef branch), open a restaurant (achieve 3-star restaurant), OR become a freelance chef.

You must achieve at least a 3-star celebrity level, after all, you are a celebrity chef.

Have a "controversial" relationship. Either date/marry a fellow celebrity (maybe they have a bad rep?), get into a relationship with someone who works for you at your restaurant, you decide! Be creative with it.

Throw at least 5 dinner parties throughout your life. No need to go for gold, but hey, why not?

Create your chef's dream kitchen in your home. You sim needs a beautiful place to cook!

[iidsch]

I never participated in the tlou discourse because I hadn't played any of the games, but now that I've watched someone play the first game I gotta ask........ why was everyone so mad about the plot of part II when part I is far worse. Like I'm sorry wdym Joel escapes with Ellie, completely ignoring her autonomy to decide wether she wants to do this or not, kills her mother's friend and former guardian and lies to her, dooming all humanity, just because he wants to be a dad again and he's too much of an asshole to get a new wife? Fuck this guy fr, glad he gets killed in part II!

[belongsinthetrash]

I have an imbalance of the humors and my medical professional requires me to take my doses.