PixlBit

This is the blog from last week I couldn't get posted until now. I was snowed in on that Sunday the 31st [edit: 25th], but I made it to MK's place Mon-Thurs to play a ton of stuff as work was cancelled those days. Here's the lot. 

SNES on a Retron 3

Arkanoid: Doh it Again: This was my favorite of the few SNES games I own and played through. This is the sequel to Arkanoid on NES. It's more of the same but with better graphics and sound. Controls aren't too bad with the SNES d-pad but not ideal. I can't get very far in it, but I keep trying. 

Playstation on a PSOne of a Lovely, Snowy White

My favorites of my collection this time were Road Rash and the two Hot Shots Golf games. Road Rash improves mightily on the bike controls over the previous 3 Genesis games. I love the grunge era music and snarky characters you can talk to in the bar. I cleared all the level 1 races and saved for next time. 

The two Hot Shots Golf games are just as good as the PGA Tour series on Genesis/SNES but improve the formula with funny characters, character unlocks, and plentiful modes of play. I struggled with the hit meter, but I started to get used to the timing after a while. It's pretty hard to hit that sweet spot consistently. 

PS Classic mini deck

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4: Oh, I played this on a whim and discovered another great series to start collecting and playing. This is an excellent arcade racer! I beat the Gran Prix with the French team and almost played it again with a different team. Each team gives you a side story to follow between races. Fun!

N64 in an Original Carrying Case

Robotron 64: I enjoyed this a lot again and got a lot farther than ever before. There are dozens of levels with boss fights here and there. It takes a more 3D view of the play area and puts the shooting on the N64's C-pad (I found out later this is just the default control scheme and you can put firing on the stick and movement on the d-pad, which might be better for me next time). Too bad the system doesn't have two analog sticks to make it just like the original, but it works ok - just not as smooth shooting as with true twin-sticks. 

Hexen: Always a favorite of mine, but I've recently forgotten the solution to the Steel Dungeon. There's a timed 2 level pull and a dash to the opened area I think, but I can't get it to work. Next time I play it, I'll look up a solution and get farther in. I certainly knew the solution back in the day because I've beat the game back then several times both solo and co-op with MK. 

Extreme-G 1 and 2: I discovered this futuristic bike racer on the Switch sub and subsequently got these original carts for my N64. I love the speed even if it's hard to stay on the track. I'll get the feel for it eventually, but I just like the visuals of this series. 

Switch

Alleyway: Again because I can't get enough of brick breakers. This is in the Game Boy area of the Switch sub. I broke my high score and got over 4000 points this time. 

Knights & Guns: I got this on a sale and loved the graphics and interesting play style. It's basically like a fixed screen shooter of old. You can only shoot up but can jump, ground pound and get pickups that give you more powerful projectiles. Aliens pop out of the sky and bounce all around you as you take them out. Take a look. 

It reminds me of PopCap's Heavy Weapon a bit without the scrolling. I am bad at this game though. I need more practice to get the timing right. Darn I love that art style though. 

Hello Kitty Island Adventure: I love sandbox adventure games with lots of tasks and collectables. This is a good one too. Your airplane crash lands on an island and you have to find all the passengers and help them survive by crafting items for them and other tasks. The island is large and full of surprises. I liked it a lot but sort of lost the sense of overall direction after about 10 hours. I rented this and so I tend to be very impatient since I have to return it with a week or two. I moved on but I still think about it. I'd pick it up on a sale probably and get farther. 

Advance Wars 1+2 ReBoot: I returned to my old save and got surprisingly far in a short time. Although, battles are not short and I got fatigued after three campaigns that can last over an hour each. But, I won them all, which is a surprise because I generally get owned by this game. I played with wild abandon, choosing a style for each battle and not changing it win or lose. Always fun. 

PS4

Arkanoid Vs. Space Invaders: This is part of the Space Invaders Forever collection and was originally a phone game. You use the PS4's controller's touch pad to controll the vaus paddle. It's very accurate and fast but a little awkward holding the controller at an angle that my finger can span the touch area. I loved it and played deep into the levels, which seem endless. I think I was on level 40 or so when I paused. You can choose characters with special abilites to alter gameplay. You can buy buffs before battles as well. The screen has both Space Invaders and walls. You bounce back shots to destroy both within a time limit. Just take a look. 

F'n great!

Horizon: Forbidden West: Finally, I played this and got soooo hooked on it. Man does this game look great. At times it reminds me of Red Dead Redemption 2, like when I'm riding a robot horse across scrub deserts and fighting off tribes like in some old west Indian wars. This game has a very deep battle system full of upgrades, crafting and many weapon types; although, I mostly just used my bow. I did make traps for a bit though. 

Sections of this game turn to platforming, swimming, and stealth gameplay which always threaten to derail my fun, but which I found very entertaining here. I like the story too even if it's a little predictable at points. It feels a bit like Avatar in storyline now I think of it. I'd just like to say, all traditional societies aren't all peaches and cream and all techno cultures cruel and heartless. The game could be more complex in that area, but I'll take it. It's so fun to play. 

But, I died carelessly when I returned to it this week and stopped for now. I play permadeath most of the time now because I feel respawns are incredibly insulting and unrealistic. It's just my current mood and it enables me to sample a lot of different games right now. I've got a lot to get through to pair down my collection to the essentials. Then I can dig in a little more. That's not to say I'm trading Horizon: FW, oh no - an absolutely keeper and one I can't wait to return to. I think I'll play more of the side missions next playthrough. 

Well, I've got this week's games all ready to blog about, but it'll have to wait 'til tomorrow. Adios!