The Ittsy Bittsy Spider(s)

I wasn't sure if I was going to come back to this blog.  As much as I enjoyed the concept and making the posts, a different game every day became difficult with little time to enjoy the game and then no time to go into new ones.  When playing Double Dragon, I had the strong desire to stop playing new games for a while and just beat the game itself before moving onto another one.  There was the added problem that I had purchased other games and hadn't the opportunity to play them, as they continued to sit in their plastic wrapping.  So I decided to revamp the concept of the blog, from playing so many games to just playing games in general.  Hence I get to continue it and, while I may go back to doing many different games, I can actually take days off. 

So I start with spiders.

Yes, spiders.

I have this strong dislike of spiders, perhaps bordering on a phobia.  I'm not sure what sets them apart from other insects, but they simply mess with me in a way few other things do.  And video games don't really help this unreasonable dislike.  The number of games with spider enemies is vast, and though they are rarely difficult or intended to be intimidating, and they are always numerous and normally just creepy enough.  There are a few exceptions of course, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble as an example, but it is difficult to make anything in that game creepy.  But moving onto other games, one that sticks out in my mind is the Nintendo 64's Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  The first boss within the Deku Tree is Gohma the Parasitic Armored Arachnid.  The first boss is a spider, who really isn't that difficult mind you, but still a spider (it didn't help that my television when I first got the game was always dark, making him a shadow with a glowly eye). 

But I haven't been playing Zelda recently, the game I've been playing is a bit more recent:

Donkey Kong Country Returns.

The game is incredible fun, with some simple platforming and using a few moves for multiple creative uses.  The fifth world is the forest and the last level before the boss is called Muncher Marathon.  It originally made me feel like they are going to introduce a Klaptrap-type enemy and there would be a race against it or it would be chasing me.  So the level starts within a tree and with there is this bubbly yellow squishy stuff that you can bounce on...strange, but sure, why not?  I keep moving forwards until I reach some boards and I have to ground pound to break through them and continue...and learn I was wrong about my initial assumption of the level. 

The yellow bubbly stuff are spider eggs and the ground pound hatches them.....really?  And so for the remainder of the level, I am being chased by hundreds of tiny spiders which are falling over each other and filling the tunnel behind me.  There are regular enemies that impede your progress as well, but the spiders seemed more pressing.  There were also some pits to avoid, but as I jumped over them, more spiders erupted out and started chasing me. 

Now you remember me mentioning my fear of spiders?  Yeah...

And I pretty well hated the level until the end.  There are K-O-N-G letters and puzzle pieces to collect within the levels, and even though I love collecting stuff in games, I'm not even paying attention to the ones I'm passing.  I'm moving the Kongs with the only thought of doing my best to get out of there.  Needless to say I'm not going back to play the level again. 

So, glad to be done with the spiders, I am going to keep playing Donkey Kong Country Returns for a bit and then move onto something new.  I thought for a moment about playing Limbo, but one of the major enemies is a giant spider.... so, um, no.   But I'll figure out what to play when I get there.  Adios for today though. 

Jackal

Continuing alone the ages of the Nintendo Entertainment System I move to the action game Jackal.  Developed and published by Konami, Jackal was released in June 1986.  The game is a basic run and gun where you are dropped off to rescue prisoners from the enemies and then defeat the level boss.

So the game starts off with you being dropped off on the beach by a transport helicopter in your very well armed jeep.  You start driving in whichever direction with two different attacks: a gun that always shoots north as well as grenades that fire the direction you're facing. 

And I start to drive north, shooting at these planted cannons as well as random soldiers on the ground.  The cannons are more obnoxious because they usually come in pairs and they do their best by shooting at you to and they can only be defeated by the grenades. So moving further to the north I come upon an enemy base that is guarded by a few soldiers, after shooting some of them I am then able to just drive past. 

And further north I go, and it's basically the same, shooting or running over the soldiers and then tossing grenades at the cannons.  There is one section where you break into another base by destroying the large metal door at the entrance. 

And I keep moving north. 

So yeah, there really isn't much to say about this game except that you keep moving north and keep killing random soldiers and cannons.  It's fun to play but really boring to describe.  Nothing really distinct that happens within the level until the boss, which for the first level is just a few tanks that take two hits to kill. 

And so I've played another Nintendo game, and I think I'll move to another system tomorrow.  Perhaps one where I can write a little bit more so the posts don't seem so short.  Or maybe I'll move to a game with a bit more substance, away from all the arcade games.  But anyways, I'll figure out what game to play tomorrow and which system it will be on.  Adios for today though.

Amagon

So I'm moving along with more Nintendo games with Amagon.  Developed by Aicom and published by Vic Tokai, Amagon was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in April 1989.  The game is a basic action platformer.

You play as the the marine Amagon whose plane has crashed on some random island.  Amagon isn't very lucky, as his rescue ship has landed on the other side of the island, and now he must run across the entire island to reach it.  You travel across the island with your rifle, trying to reach your rescue ship.  There are power ups you can get to cause yourself to become much larger without the ability to use your gun but instead are given huge punches that do more damage. 

So I start running across the island to get through the level.  The enemies are very simple at the beginning with spiders who fall out of trees at you and some random jumping mushrooms that start to jump higher as you get closer.  The first level begins very simply as you keep going and it's just a matter of shooting the different enemies and not being hit.  A bit further in the stage your reaction is tested just a bit as some birds fly towards you, but then it's just a matter of shooting a few times as they fly straight at you. 

A bit after that there is a section where a flying beetle spits at you as a spider chases you from behind.  It is a matter of dodging the beetle's attack while still trying to turn around to kill the spider.  The game is a bit kind in that there are multiple checkpoints and an unlimited number of continues.  But as you continue you keep moving across the island, avoiding more birds and starting to jump across coral to get further towards your rescue ship. 

And so another game is played and I'm realizing how little can be said about some of these Nintendo games, but I'm still going to be playing them and getting through the games.  But this day is done and another game comes tomorrow.  Adios for today though. 

Mike Tyson's Punch Out

AMC is doing a Can't Get Enough Rocky week and keeps showing the Rocky movies and it makes me want to play one game: Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!.  Developed and published by Nintendo, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! was originally released on the Nintendo in October 1987.  It was again re-released on the Nintendo in 1990 as Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream after Mike Tyson lost to 'Buster' Douglas. 

Punch Out!! allows you to play as Little Mac, a small (one hundred and seven pounds) kid from Bronx, New York.  Little Mac starts in the ranks of the minor league in third place.  Each win advances him a rank until Mac becomes the number one contender for the title.  Once winning the title, Mac goes through a training run with his coach before moving to the next circuit (from minor to major to world).  Of course there is also the chance you'll lose the fight.  After the first lose you get a rematch, but the second loss pushes you down a ranking (a third loss is a game over). 

So starting in the Minor Circuit, Little Mac and I start off facing Glass Joe (the circuit is pretty empty for him to be third ranked contender).  Joe has one win, ninety-nine losses, and a jaw made of absolute glass.  Many of the opponents have ways to knock them down instantly, but Joe actually has a couple.  Any star punch knocks him down in an instant, and countering his special punch does it too. 

Anyways Joe takes most of the match taking punching to the face and gut.  He tries to start an offense at a few points, but his punches are so slow that I was able to counter hit them before even noticing that they started.  His big super punch was his "best" chance of doing actual damage.  Glass Joe steps back, taunts and then lunges forwards into a gut check.  Yeah, I've never actually been hit by that punch, but hitting him with the counter is an instant knock down. 

But Glass Joe is boring, the other fighters are so much more entertaining and personalized. There is Bald Bull, the Turkish brute whose Bull Charge is his greatest strength as well as his greatest weakness.  Then King Hippo from Hippo Island who does his best to hide the bullseye on his belly.  And finally, the champion of the world circuit: Super Macho Man, the narcissist from Hollywood that does incredibly well in the ring for all his posing.  But anyways, Punch Out!! is just one of those games that brings a smile to my face (I may have to play the sequels over the weekend). 

And another game is done and so is another day and I'm glad to have played a game I enjoy.  Tomorrow I may play another game in the Punch Out series but it's likely that I'll be playing something else, but I'll know what tomorrow.  Anyways, Rocky is fighting Drago on TV, I can't help but watch and I'll play another game tomorrow.  Adios for today though. 

Back to the Future

So I'm going to stay on the Nintendo for a bit again and finish off a series I started a while back with Back to the Future.  Developed by Beam Software and published by LJN Toys, Back to the Future was released in 1989.  I wish I could say this one was better then its sequel (which I had played as the first game of the year) but this one equally as bad.  

One of the ways Back to the Future is better then its sequel is the fact that it is straight forward, you simply run one direction in the level with no ability to turn.  You run through the game trying to avoid all the different enemies while a picture of Marty and his siblings fade at the bottom of the screen.  When Marty finally fades from the picture, the level ends and you lose a life.  Of course since the enemies don't actually kill you, they cause you to fall down while the clock keeps moving and the picture keeps fading, so avoiding them is still necessary to get through the level.  

So there are quite a few enemies to try and dodge, and while none of them are all that difficult alone, the level is also crowded by park benches and oil slicks.  The actual enemies include girls with hula hoops that throw balls at you.  Then there are bees that fly at you and circle around before leaving and the bullies that charge at you.  There are only two power ups, first the bowling ball which you can throw and defeat enemies and then the skateboard, which allows you to move faster through the level (a bonus and a hindrance as it is more difficult to dodge things). 

So as I moved through the levels I go to avoid all the different enemies while moving forwards towards the mall.  Avoiding the enemies isn't all too bad, but when you add in the timer it actually is a challenge.  So as I start moving though them, I run out of time a few times and it's really not all that entertaining.  Dodge a bee here, just an oil slick there, just keep running and collecting the clocks... meh. 

And so another game is played and I'm going to move onto something more entertaining tomorrow.  Moving away from the bad games and towards something I know I'll enjoy.  Adios for today though. 

Astyanax

I'm moving back to the Nintendo after all those football games and moving onto an action platformer: Astyanax.   Developed by Aicom and published by Jaleco, Astyanax was released on the Nintendo in March of 1990.  The game actually has an arcade version as well that was released in 1989, but the game hold few similarities beyond controls and appearance. 

So the story is a bit unusual as you play as a sixteen year old boy named Astyanax who is having strange dreams about this girl asking for help.  One day, while walking to school, Astyanax is teleported to the world of Remlia by a faerie named Cutie.  Cutie tells him that the girl in his dreams is the princess of Remlia: Rosebud, who is being held by the evil wizard Blackhorn.  Astyanax is tasked by the world of Remlia to save the princess and defeat the evil Blackhorn.  At that point he can go home because only the princess can send you back... sounds more like an ultimatum that a request. 

So the game starts you off in the castle and off you go.  The controls are simple enough: a jump button and an attack button to swing your magic axe.  Yes, you have a magic axe by the name of Bash.  The axe even has the ability to be powered up by collecting different items.  As you power it up, it actually transforms as well, the first time from an axe into a sword.

So I started to move through the level, facing the simple enemies: skeletons, floating germs and such as that.  Most of the enemies are a bit annoying but none are really difficult.  There are some plants that grow from the ground and spit out attacks, but they are easy to take out, just don't jump at them next to a pit.  Another obnoxious enemy is a this floating thing with a large eye on it; it drops these balls at you as they follow you around.

So the level isn't too long and eventually I got to the mini-boss of the level: the rock guy (none of the enemies have actual names so I'm just making stuff up).  He falls from the ceiling as a rock and starts to bounce around on the screen.  Once you hit him a few times, rocky lands and turns into a creature with two heads as he starts to stand up, but a quick spell takes him out.

And then right after him is the level boss: an armored skeleton soldier with horns on his helmet.  Doesn't sound too dangerous, but he comes in riding this dinosaur creature who attacks first.  You start off fighting the dinosaur thing which has two basic attacks: it shoots three fireballs at you and the its head splits off and goes in a circle trying to get you.  After beating on the head for a while the creature dies and his rider lunges off to fight, but he is pretty straight forwards as well. 

So another game is played and another day is done.  I'd go deeper into it, but it is just time to sleep, I'll worry about it later.  Adios for today though. 

All-Pro Football 2K8

So to prove that I'm not a dirty liar, I'm going to play the game I said I would this last Saturday: All-Pro Football 2K8.  Developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports, All-Pro Football was released in July 2007.  It is the successor the the ESPN NFL 2K series after Madden purchased exclusive rights to the intellectual properties of the NFL and NFLPA.  The game is incredibly fun and the large number of legends to build your team with. 

And speaking of building your team, it is the first thing you do when you start the game.  You get two gold players, three silver and six bronze to choose legends to build your team around.  After choosing your legends, you are given generic players under specifics (to benefit either your running game or passing game).  There are a lot of players in each position with the gold players being the most famous and skilled.  I want my team to be an offensive beast so I'm going to fill my stars with offensive players.  

So I'm starting with my silver stars so I can grab a few offensive players without having to use my top picks as of yet and as I start to look I see an easy first pick: at quarterback... Joe Theismann.  After that I decide that I need some good targets, so I grab wide receiver Charley Taylor and tight end Todd Christensen.   Now that I have my silver players I'll move up to my gold stars to get my all stars.  I first grab Jerry Rice to add to my receiving core and then give my running game a huge boost with Walter Payton.  I use the rest of my bronze picks to grab some good linemen as well as another wide receiver. 

So now that I finally have my team I can start and I'll be playing against the Detriot Firebirds.  I get a nice return to begin the game and am on the 35.  Starting with some running just to get used to the controls, I move up to second and seven, third and five... Payton is getting me there but not quickly enough.  I try to pass, but it gets batted down and I'm forced to punt away. 

The Firebirds are a bit more consistant on offense then I am (maybe because they have a defensive plan and I rely on luck) and are moving rather solidly.  They go to third and one before getting a first and moving even further down the field. I get a nice hit behind the line on their running back to force a third down and seven yards, forcing them to pass... and that's followed by a sack to push them to fourth down and fifteen yards. They are now out of field goal range and are forced to punt the ball away.

I retreive the punt on the sixteen yard line but start with a long bomb to Jerry Rice and I'm at the 48 yard line.  I attempt a run but lose a yard, then gain nothing passing to my fullback as he goes out of bounds.  I want a first down but I don't know who to pass for... so I throw to Jerry Rice for a first down.  But the red flag is thrown and a challenge is made and it is overturned and I lose the first down.  The Firebirds get a great run off though and I can't stop them from getting a touchdown.

But of course there are still a few minutes left in the half and I have the ball once again.  Jerry Rice starts me off (he is the blunt of my offense) and I am moving down the field.  I am held to fourth down, but no guts, no glory and I'm going for it and Jerry Rice gets me there again.  It's time to run the clock down by running with Walter Payton.  He gets me in the goal with very little time left and the half ends at seven all.

And so another game is played and another game is done.  I think I'm done with football for a while (I still have a few games left) so I'll move to something else tomorrow.  Perhaps an action game... or maybe an RPG... or maybe a platformer... I'll figure it out tomorrow.  Adios for today though.