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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Dec 31, 2020 1:35:32 GMT -5
Hopefully at this level of competence the doctor has found a cure against Covid-19 when James & Mike again play Dr. Mario for the NES: -The main difference compared to when they played this game for the first time is that now James is doing the 1P mode and trying to beat Level 20 (the highest level you can choose) at low speed (because even medium speed is too fast for him).
-I think I remember owning that Tetris & Dr. Mario 2-in-1 game for the SNES because it certainly looks familiar.
-The return of that sage advice by Mike: "Don't buck up" and "Get guud".
-That really seems like a bit of an unfair game mechanic when you choose low speed and it still speeds up when you take too long. Because if you wanted to play at medium speed, wouldn't you choose medium?
-A question for the ages: how many levels are there in Dr. Mario for the NES? The world may never know.
-All in all, I would say that this is a good video because the fun is in watching whether James can pull off beating Level 20 and not so much in the discussions (which there are hardly none since James really has to concentrate). And I certainly had fun in watching him do this.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 1, 2021 10:53:13 GMT -5
It is time to equip your armor, learn your spells, sharpen your weapons and heighten your senses when James & Mike play Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara for the Arcade: -Just like with one of the recent games, it is not made clear by them how they play this game. From what I have seen, they either play it via the Dungeons & Dragons Collection for the Sega Saturn or via the Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles Of Mystara collection that is available via the various Nintendo, Sony, Playstation and Steam stores. Hard to say which version they play still. -Yeah, I agree with James that it is really poopy when you are timed on the character selection screen or when you are in a shop. While it does make sense when you are playing in a arcade, it doesn't really make sense when you are playing at home. -According to Mike, this is among his most favorite beat'em ups, simply because it adds a bit more compared to others by letting you do spells and adding some role-playing elements by getting experience points and gaining levels. He also likes that it is still a hidden gem compared to more well-known beat'em ups like Final Fight, the Simpsons arcade game etc.. Have to say that it really looks like a great game that I wouldn't mind playing myself. Neat that it also branches out, meaning you can do different routes on replays. Come to think of it, it does seem very advanced for an arcade game. -Even after listening to them, I am still not sure what the differences between dwarfs/dwarves and gnomes is supposed to be or how David The Gnome displays dwarvian behaviour and such. -So Mike's first experience with Dungeons & Dragons was the 1980s animated show and learning years later that it was based off of a tabletop game. He even tried doing it one time as a child with a friend but said friend got bored after five minutes and left, robbing young Mike of ever experiencing the joy of a tabletop RPG (and *gasp* Mike says that how he plays board games and stuff in real life is the complete opposite of his Motherbucker Mike persona). -Does anybody know the He-Man figure James describes that apparently can do the Bushwhacker march but is not Beastman? Or that dragon thing with a trapdoor in its stomach? That convo makes me realize just how popular He-Man figures were in the 1980s (and Mike apparently still has a big collection). -Have to say that the blue sorcerer looks way cooler than the green sorcerer with the head. I also kinda want to have a ride with the vehicle James describes in the vid. -Overall, perhaps among their most entertaining vids with lots of funny discussions about various 1980s topics while playing a great game. Looking forward to the second part.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 2, 2021 1:38:23 GMT -5
Let us venture on through these dark ages as James & Mike continue playing Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara for the Arcade: -What better way to start the game than to compare the Cleric player character to Mr. Clean? -As a German, I have no idea what Shrinky Dinks (sp?) are supposed to be but James & Mike seem to be pretty into them (also nice to hear a Maya The Bee reference on there since it is a show that I somehow think is not that well-known in the US). -Also love that they used the German version of Doggie Doo (which really is named Kackel Dackel) at first for the Board James episode until it broke (probably began to stink too much) and how they only had to use the German name to go on when trying to get a replacement at a shop, leading to confused looks by the store assistants. -We learn that Mike has finished the arcade version of the original Double Dragon in an actual arcade way back when (the way it used to be by inserting quarters). James has finished some on arcade machines but those were usually at places like Galloping Ghost and Funzone where you get an unlimited amount of free plays for one price so he didn't have to sink too many quarters into it. It also leads to a fun story with Mike being mesmerized by a certain picture on the wall at Funzone. -Going to the movies with them hoping that The Rock is not the one to play He-Man in the new Masters Of The Universe movie (which was in development at the time of June 19th, 2017...but is it still in development or has it been quietly released or abandoned?)...which leads to the highlight of the video for me with them doing amateur but still very funny impressions of William Shatner, Pee-Wee Herman etc. doing lines from different movies (where I also learned that Paul "Pee-Wee" Reubens played the Penguin's father in Batman Returns). Really laughed at that part of the video (and they really had fun too). -Overall, this whole 2-parter is definitely in my Top 10 of best James & Mike episodes. Just flat-out great and hilarious discussions over playing a really good, relatively unknown game. Excellent.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 3, 2021 1:32:38 GMT -5
Ahoy there, mateys, let's pick a seaworthy vessel and join James & Mike as they play Sailing for the Philips CD-i: -I agree, that turquoise loading screen looks ugly as sin.
-Both of them ask the right question: why wouldn't you just take a class on sailing instead of buying this for $30 (at the time) and watch all the info about Sailing.
-They do have one interesting point of conversation stating that it was kinda ambitious of the CD-i to be more than just a video game system but trying to be a multimedia platform in the days before DVDs. It was just a very brief period of time where it could have been successful but, as history showed, all it is known for is the Nintendo-based games and their cutscenes.
-They have to do a different game because they just cannot get any material out of Sailing because it is so boring. I can feel that since I also prefer things that are bad but hilarious to watch instead of things that are bad because they are boring.
-So they switch over to Tell Me Why, also for the Philips CD-i. At least that game makes you ponder stuff like what Daniel Boone has to do with camels or answers such hard-hitting questions like where does cabbage come from and it provides James & Mike with more laughter than they found in Sailing.
-As it turns out, the dinosaur with the trapdoor in its stomach came from He-Man and was called Tyrantisaurus Rex.
-Yeah, this one was weaker than I remember and it probably would have been better if they just did a short video on Tell Me Why instead. As it is, it is only a decent-meh episode.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 4, 2021 1:23:54 GMT -5
Simon Belmont has a wife? Huh, you learn something new everyday when you watch James & Mike play Haunted Castle for the Arcade: -They actually go into a sort of Chronologically Confused mode explaining where this game fits in with the Castlevania series (settling on it being essentially Castlevania 2.5)...yet they don't explain again how they play this game. Going by the controller they do play it via a Playstation console but whether it is the Playstation 2 or the Playstation 4 version (the latter of which the American version was still two months away according to Wiki with this episode being put up on July 3rd, 2017) I cannot tell.
-According to Mike, probably one of the hardest games ever made since they have a tough time even making it through the first stage past the skeletons doing the Genesis dance, the lower screen spontaneously bursting in flames killing them instantly, blocks randomly attacking them without them having time to react...and after using their continues, having to start all over again.
-Love them mocking how the grass at one point obscures the stage indicator for some reason.
-Also love their discussion how much easier it was to go by the numbered titles back in the NES days when you had Mario 1-3, Zelda 1-2 etc.. I guess in that regard only the original Mega Man games still follow the numbering invented all the way back in the NES days.
-Interesting feature that you can use "quarters" to refill your health...but it only works for 2 or 3 times even if you have 90 credits or so, really confusing and pissing them off.
-So, they make it to the second stage but don't get very far...and then having to start all over again with this game.
-Overall a good video due to seeing a lesser-known Castlevania game and funny in seeing James & Mike getting flabbergasted at it.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 5, 2021 1:48:57 GMT -5
The threat to the galaxy is not yet subdued which is why they have to help Samus again when James & Mike play Super Metroid for the SNES: -Although they don't mention it in this video, it has been mentioned several times in previous ones that for Mike, The Legend Of Zelda and DOOM are his favorite video games of all time while for James, those are The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past and...Super Metroid. -My brother and I rented it at one point but unlike the first two, my brother never bought or finished it because he died immediately after that boss you have to "push" into the acid and got so frustrated that he stopped playing it. I don't think I ever tried it out because it looked too complicated to me. -Something I find nifty is that they sum up the backstory and take into account both previously released games although they were released on different consoles. I liked that at the time you could have sequels of games released on different consoles (even handheld ones) and they would be canon. -So, Samus could have just finished the first game if she took the elevator up at first? What a rip! -Talking a bit about the twist of Samus being a woman (with James again mentioning that he originally thought Metroid was the name of the protagonist) comparing it to the Empire Strikes Back twist (which James had a hard time believing as a child). -I dunno if it was this video or a Nostalgia Critic countdown where I first heard about the originally planned ending to Little Shop Of Horrors but that was certainly an...interesting idea for an ending to say the least. This vid is also probably the first time I heard about Kingdom Of The Spiders with William Shatner. -Three things they don't like about Super Metroid: 1. The map not erasing the white dots indicating an item to be found, making you confused about whether you already collected that item or not. 2. A glitch that appears sometimes letting you fall through platforms. 3. After accidentally clicking "No" in a save spot, that you have to leave the room in order to save again. -The speed boost run animation looks really good and shows that the SNES was also capable of their own version of "blast processing". -Nice fake-out with the acid bath boss at the end there. -A very good episode that shows how this is a game that James & Mike both like to play featuring some interesting points of talking as well. Looking forward to the next parts.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 6, 2021 0:57:33 GMT -5
After a long, long, long time, it is time for another 2-for-1 special...sort of.
First, it is a special kind of video as it is a vid of them goofing around, mostly with James doing an impression of various celebrities doing the Vinz Clortho monologue from Ghostbusters: -Well, it is really only what it says above: James doing the monologue in various celebrity impressions like Jack Nicholson, for example. Your mileage may vary whether those are good impressions or not.
-Overall, a nice diversion in between. Nothing more.
Next up, we need to explore more of Zebes to progress when James & Mike continue playing Super Metroid for the SNES: -I know that feeling of OCD, James. I feel not satisfied, too, when I don't have every square in the map discovered.
-When they talk about what sequels to movies they would like to see, I cannot help but laugh that the two ideas they talk about ("The Karate Adult" and a Star Trek: TNG sequel) would come to fruition as TV shows down the line (this episode was still one year removed from the debut of Cobra Kai and last year saw the debut of Star Trek: Picard). Too bad this discussion keeps them from focusing on the Wrecked Ship boss (whatever his name is).
-James apparently having had a short e-mail exchange with Steven Spielberg via AOL back in 1997...truth or not? As in was this the real Steven Spielberg talking to him or just an impersonator. I like that James is certain that it really could have been Spielberg. Be it as it may, I like that it leads to discussing Spielberg's favorite James & Mike Monday episodes and what the favorite gaming consoles of other movie directors could be.
-That jump really looks like the epitome of frustration, making me wonder if that one led to many destroyed controllers in its wake.
-Also find it funny how they talk about how a possible Who Framed Roger Rabbit? sequel would look like with them having no problems with modern characters appearing (and agreeing on the idea that it should be a relative of Eddie Valiant since Bob Hoskins was already dead at the time of the episode's release).
-All in all, another very entertaining episode watching a great game alongside some interesting discussions.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 7, 2021 1:28:58 GMT -5
We are making good progress in cutting those pirate bosses down to size as James & Mike continue playing Super Metroid for the SNES: -Turns out that there are jumps that are equally as annoying as that legendary jumpin the first TMNT game for the NES.
-It appears that at this point the rumor mill only knew about Ivan Drago being in Creed 2 so, of course, James & Mike speculate whether it couldn't be his son that is in the movie...and, as it turns out, they were right.
-Interesting effect where a boss was seemingly easier to beat as a kid than as an adult...as seen here when James fights Draygon.
-Love them talking about how the boss name Ridley is to honor Ridley Scott just like the whole game is an hommage to the Alien movies.
-We learn that as far as what a majority of people consider the trifecta of SNES games (Super Mario World, The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past, Super Metroid), Mike admits that while he beat the first two many times, he is only beaten Super Metroid once in his life. I can see that since Super Metroid does appear to be a game you have to devote a lot more time to in game sessions compared to the others.
-Well, I guess they have more missile tanks to farm before taking on Ridley (despite a good first effort by James).
-While low on the discussion meter, it is really fun watching them play the game which makes this another good episode in my book.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 8, 2021 1:34:25 GMT -5
It is time to defeat the Mother Brain once and for all when James & Mike finish playing Super Metroid for the SNES: -Dangit, Ridley really takes a lot of hits to beat. -...what? Did James just say that he played this game for the first time on a medical monitor? Can you even play a game on such a monitor? -Oh my, are those two insect-like enemies some sort of mini bosses or something? Because James really did have a tough time getting them to turn yellow and shoot them. -Somedays you just can't get rid of a Metroid! -The final battle against Mother Brain is suitably epic though I wonder whether at that point (when she goes into her final form) that it is possible for anyone to die since after you lose enough life, you get a refill and a super laser to fight her. Then again, perhaps this was only easy because James & Mike collected enough energy tanks beforehand. -OMG, Mike and his Forrest Gump bench story! -So, I guess they did the second-worst time where Samus only takes off her mouth piece...I dunno, is there a worse time you can do where she doesn't take off anything at all? -Overall, a good fitting conclusion to this game which was again light on interesting discussions but was enjoyable as far as watching them play a legendary game goes.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 9, 2021 0:45:09 GMT -5
Sorry, no celebrity visits by Wreck-It Ralph and Fix-It Felix to be found here when James & Mike play Wrecking Crew for the NES: -I was wondering if there was some other meaning behind black box NES games but as it turns out, it is just referring to the classic NES box art all in black with actual sprites of the games that made it different from Atari in that it actually showed what the game really looked like. I thought it referred to it being another unlicenced NES game or something. -They also mention that the black box games usually are simpler games as in that they could have been also released on Atari compared to more elaborate NES games. -They do mention that this game was one of the inspirations for Wreck-It Ralph along with Donkey Kong and I can definitely see that, considering you play as a guy with a hammer and you wreck stuff essentially. -Interesting to note that you play Mario in this game so I guess this is one of the lesser known Mario titles compared to his other more famous appearances. Mike somehow thinks that Mario looks a bit older in this game compared to his other games (perhaps the portier physique has something to do with it). The game also features the appearance of that unknown Mario brother...Antonio (as named by James & Mike). -Of course, Mike is very into this game, being a fan of puzzle games and they do go into detail about the strategy to be used when playing the game. Mike is very adapt at it while James must give up after getting nowhere in one level before he gets stressed out. -The game has 100 levels (or "phases" as they are called here) and you can select them in the start screen at your leisure. They try out phases 99 and 100 and they are predictably complicated and insane . -All in all, a good episode featuring a classic puzzle game.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 10, 2021 1:01:42 GMT -5
Somedays you just can't get rid of monsters trying to keep you away from the key to exit the room, just like James & Mike experience with Solomon's Key for the NES: -Regarding the packaging, the sequel Fire'n Ice, which they show here, is really unique in actually having a disclaimer warning about the addictiveness of the puzzles in the game. -This is actually one of Mike's Top 20 favorite NES games of all time, so you can tell that this is mainly Mike trying to convert James to his point of view by showing him how to play the game. -It really looks like an interesting game where you have to use spells and stuff wisely to get the key to enter the next room, using your deductive and logical thinking skills. Too bad that Mike cannot help be a bit of a motherbucker when he foregoes telling James that there is a time limit in each room. -Who didn't have those times when you try to frantically concentrate on solving something while another person talks, leaving you to say "I have not understood anything you just said"? -Good to see that even James can teach new tricks to a puzzle expert like Mike. -Ah, ye olde "talking in gibberish yet your partner knows exactly what you meant". Definitely something a lot of us can relate, too. -Yeah, the past vids really didn't have any interesting or noteworthy discussions but the main reason why I still call episodes like this good is because the games are really interesting to watch and it is fun watching James & Mike play them.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 11, 2021 1:08:57 GMT -5
It is time for us to revisit Captain Falcon, Samurai Goro and all the rest when James & Mike return to playing F-Zero for the SNES: -Sweet that they actually give us a time frame, mentioning that it has been about two years since their first J&MM on this game where they did the Knight League. This time, they want to tackle the Queen and King Leagues in earnest. If you want to see how well they did in the Knight League, skedaddle back several pages on here until you hit the episode.
-Interesting to learn that there are two games that James used (or still uses?) if he has 20 minutes to kill...either F-Zero or Street Fighter II. Though I think this has not been the case for F-Zero in a long while since both do mention that they haven't played that game since the actual episode.
-Again reiterating how awesome the launch line-up for the SNES was offering a variety of games like a jump'n run, beat 'em up, racing game etc., providing something for everybody.
-Returning to a burger conversation they had in a previous episode (though I cannot remember off the top which one it was), Mike mentions that he tried the Umami Burger at the restaurant of the same name and it was good but not the best burger ever like James claimed. They also mention some other restaurants that had good burgers like a place called Good Stuff in Philadelphia and a place in Washington (dunno whether the state or the city) that had something called the Dungeon Burger. These convos make me long to visit my favorite burger place in Frankfurt again when restaurants will be allowed again to have sit-in.
-Talking a bit about the SNES and NES Classic and how the line-up for both are OK (though they wished that some games for SNES like Pilotwings could have been on there) but, of course, mentioning the hassle at that time in actually getting one of those. They do acknowledge, however, that it is a bit hypocritical of them to complain when they already have all the original games anyway.
-Well, James, both pronounciations of wind in Death Wind could definitely be correct.
-They actually do pretty good...although they do the Queen League on Beginner and the King League on Standard. Let's see whether they can pull those ranks off if they did Expert.
-Overall, another good episode that I liked more due to the conversations they had instead of the game.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 12, 2021 1:16:55 GMT -5
Once upon a time in the west, a lone gunman had to fight for what's right, assisted by James & Mike as they play Gun.Smoke for the NES: -And it starts with a mystery: why does this game have had two different cover arts? It is not the usual in that because it is a different game like with the Indiana Jones titles for the NES since it is the same game. Curiouser and curiouser...
-Sorry, Mike, but Andy Kaufman did the "southern hick" type voice much better than you. Though I like the Three Stooges t-shirt you are wearing.
-They do acknowledge how strange the title looks with the point in the middle. A way to avoid getting into problems with the makers of the TV show Gunsmoke?
-This does look like a very fun 2-D shooter, mainly due to it being not the regular sci-fi setting but something different. Though James & Mike do complain about it not being 2 players and go into a lengthy discussion about it (bringing up the interesting point that Konami did more 2 player games compared to Capcom, at least when it came to those types of games...then again, there's Legendary Wings as an exception).
-James does acknowledge that 2-D shooters have lost a bit of their luster for him, mainly because of the overabundance of them in Action 52. This is kinda a shame since those were bad games and it shouldn't deter you from checking out better 2-D shooters.
-Also love how the second boss using boomerangs and how weird it is to see a Western game use boomerangs leads into a discussion about Enter The Dragon and how weird it was to see the main villain attach a claw to his hand instead of a blade or something. Never heard that kind of comparison to it and I think the claw weapon was an awesome weapon.
-Also like the discussion about Star Wars Episode 8 and how James wants to go into it with a clean slate, not wanting to know anything that happens in it and just wanting to be surprised. I dig how it leads into a discussion about clean-cut western heroes and the rough bounty hunter type characters that Han Solo was based on and a short talk about John Wayne. Really love those varied discussions they have.
-James does seem to enjoy the game less in the last stage they do when the problem of not shooting backwards becomes apparent with many enemies coming up behind your character. Dunno if it completely ruins the game for him but he does seem less enthusiastic by the end of the video.
-Overall, a great episode featuring an entertaining game and some interesting and funny discussions.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 13, 2021 1:08:47 GMT -5
A rarity these days: another 2-for-1 special in a way. This should have been Asuka & Kairi's tag team name. What a shame that now we can only watch James & Mike play Kabuki: Quantum Fighter for the NES: -*Know-It-All Mode On*: Mike, Kabuki is not a Japanese dance. It is a form of Japanese theater like No, Bunraku etc.. Do your research correctly before the game. -I have to agree with them that the game looks kinda reminiscent of the NES Batman game despite being made by HAL (makers of Kirby's Adventure among others) instead of Sunsoft. Though it misses the wall jump kinda. -I wonder if a young couple by the name of Matt & Erin Bozon saw this game and said: "Attacking enemies by whipping your hair....That's a good idea we should keep in mind should we ever create a half-genie character for a video game." -I also like that your health gets refilled after passing a section and the game still manages to be challenging despite this. -Geezus, Mike really has quite a tough time with that ice platform. That whole area climbing up again reminds me very much of the NES Batman game with the church level. -Quotes to live by: "Live Like A Windrammer As You Buck". Love the anecdote by James that fans really make t-shirts out of some of the quotes they hear on his videos. Wondering if that mailbag video we get to see a snippet of is still available somewhere. -Going by their comments, this was also the time where Doug Walker released his NC editorial "Are Video Games Art?". And, of course, they wholeheartedly agree with this (leading to a pretty funny misunderstanding between them). -Another good episode with a lively discussion and an entertaining game. Next up, another bonus clip where James & Mike talk about Batman: -He is not the most likable person, but I can concur with Mike's opinion on who the best Batman is. -Gotta love how the whole discussion started from James confusing Mike with a terrible Batman joke (Mike's face afterwards ). -Nothing more to say about this: just a short video of them discussing Batman for a bit.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 14, 2021 1:08:06 GMT -5
Hopefully, we don't enter woods with tigers and lions and bears, oh my, when James & Mike play Wario's Woods for the NES: -As they mention at the start, this was the last officially-licenced game for the NES in North America and Mike actually procured a mint condition version still in the unpacked box for some reason. Wonder how much that cost him. -OK, it may be because they do the VS mode for the majority of the video but don't expect to see Wario at all in this video. I guess he appears later during the 1-player mode or something. -Some days you just can't figure out how to pick up a bomb! -Oh my, Mike at first comes across like such a know-it-all about this game...then it turns out that this is also his first time playing the game. -So yeah, this is basically another video with less discussion and more focus on them playing against each other. James sums up the gaming experience as thus: "Love the game, hate the controls." It makes me wonder whether the controls are really that difficult (at one point they even have to...gasp!...consult the instruction manual) or if they just suck at Wario's Woods (then again, this is both their first times playing this game). -Wondering if that was a prevalent sentiment when the AVGN first appeared: that the Nerd hates Nintendo (despite him saying in the very first video that Castlevania is a classic and good game). -Most hilarious moment in the vid is James going into a sort of overcomplicated explanation about the game mechanics and Mike just cracks up, comparing him to Doc Brown or Rick explaining things. -I wonder where that movie/series (?) quote came from: "I didn't know that they stack s*** that high!". -Overall, another very entertaining video mostly through watching them battle each other in those woods.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 15, 2021 1:11:24 GMT -5
Today, it is only a special video featuring James & Mike...and Wawa: -This is basically an extended take of their discussion on Wawa they had in one of the previous episodes, complaining about all the items that Wawa discontinued over the years (like the Thai soup, the creamy Chicken Noodle soup, the pizza etc.).
-We also learn that James used to work at one of those Wawas. For those that don't know, from what I get, Wawa is an east coast fast food chain "only in 3-4 states" but which has apparently many stores where James & Mike frequent.
-Also, the company president is named Dick Wood and James might have seen "Dick Wood come in and out"...resulting in the foreseeable reaction by Mike.
-Yeah, a cute little video to watch in between.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 16, 2021 1:12:24 GMT -5
Let's soar through the sky by way of modern technology when James & Mike play The Rocketeer for the NES: -Their opinions about the actual movie: mediocre. They don't think it was a bad movie but it was kinda unremarkable, therefore it was just mediocre. Though Mike admits that he saw it as a child so perhaps a rewatch might change his opinion on the movie. -The game is something Mike is actually nostalgic for because he played it a lot as a kid. Certainly a not very common attitude to be said about this game since I've never heard about it until this episode. -We actually get an interesting history lesson about the Hollywood sign (how it used to be Hollywoodland at the beginning and how it was in serious deterioration by the 1960s and it took an action by actors in order to preserve it). Definitely something cool to hear. -Always a fun time when your game freezes on you. Though it gives them a chance to show the innards of an NES box: while I remember the black sleeve cover, I cannot remember there being a plastic bag around it (I thought it was embedded in a cardboard casing, too, but that was for the SNES). And I still curse all those little boys and girls (including me because I was no better) who simply threw the boxes with the artwork away, leading to today's climate where a lot of barebones games float around. How stupid we all were back then. -Dust gnomes...I accept that explanation, James, on how the game got so dirty. -Farming...always a fun part in video games but only if the guys actually leave something behind (which The Legend Of Zelda was very good at). -It definitely looks like a fun game, especially once you get fuel for the jetpack and can just go bats*** crazy with it. I wonder if that was one of the reasons James liked Shadows Of The Empire for the Nintendo 64 as well. -Considering that The Rocketeer came out in 1991, it was already two years past Timothy Dalton's last assignment as James Bond so I think nobody got confused with him playing a villain here. -Highlight of the vid, as juvenile as that may be, is definitely James & Mike doing a theme music quiz via mouth fart noises. I cannot help but laugh along with how funny it is. -I don't think they ever got to play any of the Home Alone games but they sure had someone from them drop by to play with. -Also agree with James that time limits should be omitted in exchange for making the game a bit harder. I don't like being under a time limit as well. -Definitely a very entertaining episode with a decent-looking game but lots of very funny interactions.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 17, 2021 1:20:47 GMT -5
Let's help Cliff get Jenny back as James & Mike continue playing The Rocketeer for the NES: -And it already starts good with James uttering a ridiculous string of curses that shows to me that it may not be just his Nerd character that comes up with these vulgar comparisons.
-Yeah, remember the scene from the movie where Cliff has to go through the woods and fight off bats while watching out for falling branches? Me neither (then again I have never watched The Rocketeer so far). Love them mocking the fact that apparently every NES game has to have a bat enemy in it for some reason. They also mention that the stage looks like something from Castlevania III but to me it looks more like one of the levels from the first Bible Adventures game that James did.
-We learn that there is also a Rocketeer game for the SNES which they might do in the future. I hope they do because that one could be even better than this one...right?
-That last stage definitely looks like something that could lead to mass confusion but it also leads us to the final thoughts about this game from them in that it is an above average game. There are many better games on NES than this one but there are also many, many worse games than this on the system.
-They also mention that the reason that they finish this game in particular is that from experience, Mike knows that the game is almost over at this point and it has unlimited continues (compared to Gun.Smoke where you only have a limited amount of continues before you have to start the whole game over).
-Wow, that grenade weapon really is useless, I have to agree with Mike there.
-Yeah, the final boss is really underwhelming, especially considering that James & Mike mention that there could have been a much better boss fight in there if they stuck to the actual ending of the movie.
-Overall, another entertaining episode (though not on the same level as Part 1) with a fun playthrough by them.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 18, 2021 0:53:25 GMT -5
Let us go back to the stately estate of one certain count as James & Mike play Castlevania: Overflow Darkness for the NES: -If the title doesn't ring a bell, that's because it is another mod/hack of Castlevania. They actually explain (or try to) what the differences between the terms "hack", "mod" and "homebrew" are and the one I feel best about is that "homebrew" refers to an original game made at home (like Battle Kid) and "hack/mod" refers to an already existing game that was modded or hacked into. Dunno if those are the real definitions, but I think those are the ones that make most sense to me. -OK, first the Three Stooges t-shirt and now Mike flourishes a Full House t-shirt. Have to say I like his wardrobe choices. -They also get to talk a bit about the (then recent) Castlevania anime coming out and James going on about how he associates Castlevania mostly with classic horror like the Universal or Hammer films (which the original games paid homage too, going by mock names in the credits like Christopher Bee and whatever Bela Lugosi's mock name was) and not so much with anime which the games of the 32-bit era began to emulate. He is not against this but still, it is apparent that he prefers the live-action movie approach more. -Having apparently done a playthrough of Castlevania III recently, Mike says that that one screen in this game is the hardest Castlevania screen he ever encountered. In fact, most of the vid is just a comedy of errors of them failing at various screens in this game. -That really is an ingenious way of getting to those stairs. Too bad, it cannot be repeated probably. -To conclude, a fun video mostly for both of them failing at this hack.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Jan 19, 2021 1:04:22 GMT -5
Don't you hate it when an Italian mobster family invades your home? Well, guess it is best to get rid of them when James & Mike play Haunting Starring Polterguy for the Sega Genesis: -Of all the games they played for Halloween so far, this is the one that is the most interesting so far as gameplay is concerned. Being a ghost possessing objects in order to scare a family out of a house along with the neat animation used for the scares definitely sounds like a really fun game and James & Mike definitely enjoy it, too. -Well...except for the part where, after you run out of ectoplasm, you get sent to a dungeon and have to collect ectoplasm in order to go back to the house. It makes sense because the game would be too easy otherwise when there aren't any hurdles, but they could have done a bit more exciting way of doing it. -That was indeed a sweet set-up James had as a child when he again talks about his house being the Nintendo household while a friend of his had the Sega household so they could always play the games from the different systems there. -Dark Castle for James & Mike Mondays....That could have been an entertaining episode. -OMG, Mike's "Sylvester Stallone" mask! And then he does the rest of the episode in it, too! It certainly makes me agree that they should have done all the Halloween episodes in costume. -Overall, a good episode mostly for featuring a comparably original and funny game to look at.
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