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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 9, 2021 1:04:40 GMT -5
*sings* My Little Pony, My Little Pony....oops, looks like this is the wrong type of game and not at all what I imagined when I see James & Mike play My Horse Prince: -Going from the screen, I guess they play this game on Android or iOS (mainly due to them doing it on a smartphone).
-A game that Mike got the suggestion for when he attended the PAX convention the year before. No more visits to that convention for you, Mike, when all you bring back are games like this.
-OK, you have anime characters like a normal (and rather cute) anime girl, a ranch owner that either looks like a Crayon Shinchan character (or, as Mike says, Mario drawn in MS Paint) and a horse with a handsome bishonen face...yeah, this game is definitely weird.
-It also doesn't help that James & Mike do voice overs for their characters.
-Well, at least the girl in-game is aware on how creepy and weird this is when she sees this horse with a gorgeous male face.
-There's really not much to say because it is just James & Mike playing this game and the fun emanating from how terrible and weird this game is (though their crack-up during the onion feeding scene is definitely one of the highlights of this video).
-OK, in order to sometimes talk to the horse, you have to either watch an ad or wait sometimes for up to 25 minutes to do it again? That is definitely sucky.
-At the end, they do acknowledge some fans asking why they "waste" some episodes on playing bad games instead of only playing good ones. It is the easiest answer possible: because it's fun.
-To conclude, a good episode due to the horribleness of the game and their reactions to it, but not on the same level as the Goat Simulator episode.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 10, 2021 0:43:26 GMT -5
Finally, they decided to do the most classic game of all and the one that started the most well-known video game franchise. So let's join James & Mike as they play Super Mario Bros....for the Atari 2600: -Or rather as the cartridge says, Princess Rescue (which has them understandably confused because since it is an unofficial release anyway, why not just call it Super Mario Bros.).
-A very faithful recreation of Super Mario Bros. for an older console (neat info they mention is that the Atari 2600 didn't have much in the way of Jump'n Runs in its library) which is very clean without any flicker (unless it is to emphasize something like Star Mario).
-Kinda wonder whether Mike is right that Atari has kind of a stink attached to its name nowadays (or at least at the time of this episode's release back in Feb. 2018).
-The fireball function fascinates them here since they activate it by using the C button on a Genesis controller, meaning that somehow the console (since they actually play it on an Atari 2600 console) knows that there is a third button input. They try it again with the classic Atari 2600 controller and another one but on those, they cannot activate the fireball. They ultimately guess that this game was just made in the mindset that you would play it with a Genesis controller.
-All in all, a decent episode featuring a neat look into what Super Mario Bros. could have looked like one generation before its actual release.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 11, 2021 6:16:59 GMT -5
Sometimes, you have to use delicacy as well as possessing strong wrists to overcome a high obstacle, as evidenced by James & Mike when they play Getting Over It: -Another episode where I have no idea whether they play it on PC or on a console. Though I think that since they mention using a mouse later, I tend more towards them doing it on a PC. -Too bad that they don't explain the origin story of the game like how did that guy get stuck in a pot and why does he have to go to the top of the mountain by using a hammer? -An alternate title for the game: "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The Game". -Interesting take by James in that unlike other games where the control frustrates him, here he really wants to figure out the controls and get good at it. So, I guess it is unlike Batman Forever on the SNES. -Oh my, Mike's screams and yelps watching James play! Even getting a "Could you try to not scream at me?" from James. -Have to say though that they take it relatively in stride when they make it up high only to fall all the way down again. -Yeah, I really wish to play that game as Uncle Scrooge, too (because then pogoing up would be far easier). -Ultimately, they conclude that they like the concept of the game but they will probably not continue with it because it really hurts their wrists playing it. Taking into the effect that they were guys nearing the 40s at the time and also that it seems that James has some sort of ailment in his left hand, I think it is understandable. -To conclude, a good episode with an unusual game and it was fun seeing James and Mike trying to "get over it" aka the mountain in question.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 12, 2021 1:15:22 GMT -5
Some days are just easy-peasy and some days are just brutal...like when James & Mike play Brutal Super Mario World for the SNES: -A very interesting looking hack taking elements from various different Mario games (like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Yoshi's Island for example) but also from non-Mario games (I know that one stage as being from Mega Man X2 since I played that game recently and also having King K. Rool as a boss in it).
-As they mention, it is nice that the difficulty level gradually develops here and it is not immediately hard from the start. It does bring them to mind that the real Super Mario World is among the easier Mario games in the series (compared to Super Mario Bros. 3 and especially to the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2).
-Love their reminescence about the game they played called Super Mario Dare (exemplified by Mike having to progress through the level 5 seconds with his eyes closed). That's certainly a way to make the game more interesting.
-Glad to hear that the fireballs don't run out in this game. Though it reminds me of certain moments when I play games where I died due to the buttons deciding not to work...grrrrr.
-OK, that underwater castle stage is really a pretty creative level for how to progress and how you have two weird bosses to fight (like the aforementioned King K. Rool and...whatever sci-fi action game the mid-boss came from. Anybody know where he came from?).
-That ghost house using the transparency switch to progress is also pretty neat.
-Overall, it is a fun video that is light on discussion but is interesting due to them playing a really entertaining and exciting Super Mario World hack with some creative level design.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 13, 2021 1:03:28 GMT -5
Four years without an Atari game compilation...it's a long time. So what better way to reheat it than by watching James & Mike play some more Atari 2600? -For those of you who remember the very first pages of this thread, in the early days of this show James & Mike did several compilation videos of doing a poopload of Atari 2600 games (as evidenced by a flashback to the last one they did, back when they hadn't yet figured out the ideal game/them playing the game screen composition). Now they get back to that by playing movie-based games for the Atari 2600 with the exceptions of those that they already covered during various AVGN episodes. -First up, it's Alien which is essentially a poopier version of Atari 2600 Pac-Man (yep, poopier than ATARI PAC-MAN) with a gun that doesn't work and having a time limit on the second stage that doesn't give you enough time to figure stuff out. Yeah, this is a game that they definitely agree on it sucking. -Next one is King Kong based off of the 1976 movie. Just like Alien was kind ripping off Pac-Man, this one is blatantly using the Donkey Kong gameplay with King Kong either looking like a giant turd or a gingerbread man (makes me wonder if they went through with the idea of doing King Kong gingerbread men for Christmas ). Though it actually plays pretty good even if I wonder what exactly comes at your character in this game (it looks like birthday cupcakes for some reason). -Following that it's Gremlins which is also a neat game being a combination Kaboom!/Space Invaders type game. I am actually surprised that Mike never once mentions that the first level is similar to Kaboom since he is a big fan of the latter one and this is the connection that immediately came to mind for me. They also get into how many people are still surprised to hear that Atari still existed after 1983, thinking that they were essentially gone after the Video Game Crash and not that they were only not as big as they were before. -After that, it's Flash Gordon after the 1980 movie (giving them an opportunity to do some bars of the Queen theme song). Similar to Defender and actually one of the best Atari games they have played so far. We even learn a neat fact about Mike in that he was inspired to draw and do art because of the 1930s Flash Gordon comics he found. -In succession to that, we get Krull where we get into a bit of discussion about the movie...and also not being able to figure out how to get past that spider area. -Finally, we get Adventures Of Tron...though they are not really interested in the game but in the title screen which...apparently leads to a pretty trippy effect after you stare at it for long time and then look somewhere else, eventually leading to talking about the essential 1980s item: Shrinky Dinks. -Overall, another good video with lots of entertaining games being played.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 14, 2021 0:40:25 GMT -5
Sometimes, when you race and you crash, you just get into the mood to punch the other driver. Luckily, there's now a game to act out these moods as James & Mike play Kart Fighter for the NES: -Basically a fighting game using the characters from Super Mario Kart for the SNES but which actually look like originally designed versions of the characters, i.e. not ones taken from other games. Sure, the backgrounds are probably from other games (I recognize one from the Little Nemo game) but otherwise it looks like this is a genuine homebrew.
-James & Mike reveal the reason why they did a video looking at hacks the other day: so that the viewers could comment on which ones they should play. Since the voting came down to the weirdly colored cartridge (which is just the Japanese version of Zombie Nation) and "just play them all", they decided ultimately to choose the game themselves. Not really a democratic voting system you got going on there, guys.
-Unfortunately, the game comes with James's biggest pet peeve for fighting games: a time limit that you cannot disable. Add to that that your health goes down relatively slow and you have more point decisions rather than genuine knockouts.
-Geez, somebody needs to make a flip chart of the Donkey Kong family tree. Makes me wonder if it would be any more complicated than the Anoa'i family tree.
-Where do you stand on the Princess Peach/Toadstool name debate? And I really hope that was just a joke by them and not that Shigeru Miyamoto really said that about the name Princess Toadstool.
-Hmm, Sylvester Sherlock....it does have a nicer ring to it than Snidely Whiplash, I guess.
-Love that at one point they completely blank out and not realize that they went to a point decision draw and, thus, have had to battle it out in a fourth round.
-To conclude, an entertaining video with some funny discussions peppered throughout.
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,332
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Feb 14, 2021 2:04:39 GMT -5
Four years without an Atari game compilation...it's a long time. So what better way to reheat it than by watching James & Mike play some more Atari 2600? -For those of you who remember the very first pages of this thread, in the early days of this show James & Mike did several compilation videos of doing a poopload of Atari 2600 games (as evidenced by a flashback to the last one they did, back when they hadn't yet figured out the ideal game/them playing the game screen composition). Now they get back to that by playing movie-based games for the Atari 2600 with the exceptions of those that they already covered during various AVGN episodes. -First up, it's Alien which is essentially a poopier version of Atari 2600 Pac-Man (yep, poopier than ATARI PAC-MAN) with a gun that doesn't work and having a time limit on the second stage that doesn't give you enough time to figure stuff out. Yeah, this is a game that they definitely agree on it sucking. -Next one is King Kong based off of the 1976 movie. Just like Alien was kind ripping off Pac-Man, this one is blatantly using the Donkey Kong gameplay with King Kong either looking like a giant turd or a gingerbread man (makes me wonder if they went through with the idea of doing King Kong gingerbread men for Christmas ). Though it actually plays pretty good even if I wonder what exactly comes at your character in this game (it looks like birthday cupcakes for some reason). -Following that it's Gremlins which is also a neat game being a combination Kaboom!/Space Invaders type game. I am actually surprised that Mike never once mentions that the first level is similar to Kaboom since he is a big fan of the latter one and this is the connection that immediately came to mind for me. They also get into how many people are still surprised to hear that Atari still existed after 1983, thinking that they were essentially gone after the Video Game Crash and not that they were only not as big as they were before. -After that, it's Flash Gordon after the 1980 movie (giving them an opportunity to do some bars of the Queen theme song). Similar to Defender and actually one of the best Atari games they have played so far. We even learn a neat fact about Mike in that he was inspired to draw and do art because of the 1930s Flash Gordon comics he found. -In succession to that, we get Krull where we get into a bit of discussion about the movie...and also not being able to figure out how to get past that spider area. -Finally, we get Adventures Of Tron...though they are not really interested in the game but in the title screen which...apparently leads to a pretty trippy effect after you stare at it for long time and then look somewhere else, eventually leading to talking about the essential 1980s item: Shrinky Dinks. -Overall, another good video with lots of entertaining games being played. THanks to the crash and lots of the above games being cheap I had most of them as a kid. ALien was actually a better game than Atari Pac Man.The second level played a bit like Frogger. Flash Gordon and Krull were too I loved back then but play now and just get bored fast with them. Tron is a blast. The best of the movie/tv to Atari games had to be Raiders of the Lost Ark.Yea you had to actually read the manual to figure out how to play it. But I was at the most 10 when the game came out and over the course of a month one summer myself and 2 friends figured out how to beat it.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 15, 2021 1:21:45 GMT -5
Well, we recently had Atari 2600 games and also looked at some hacks for NES and SNES...so what better way to combine them than watch James & Mike play some Atari 2600 hacks? -First up, Ladybug. *sings* Miraculous, simply the best....oops, sorry, wrong Ladybug here. Apparently, Ladybug was a real Arcade game (probably would have been Princess Twilight's least favorite Arcade game) but it never got a home console release (or on Atari 2600, at least). From the looks of it, a fun variation of Pac-Man with interesting twists (like having doors that you can use to change the layout, skulls that enemies can run into to kill themselves etc.) though we never find out what the carrot's supposed to stand for. Both of them certainly like it.
-Next, The Legend Of Zelda for Atari 2600. I'd rather not say what connotations the Link sprite reminds me of (surprised that James & Mike never make the connection). Despite James saying that he has more trouble with it than Mike (which would make sense since Mike is the resident Legend Of Zelda fan), he actually makes it up to level three. Ultimately though, it is a frustrating game and they find that the Super Mario Bros. game they played (found right up here on this thread page) was way better than this deep sea-diving Zelda game.
-Following that it is a game that I didn't quite get the name for but which is a rhythm game similar to Guitar Hero, Rockman and other games. Simple but still something you might have seen on the original Atari 2600.
-The line continues with Crazy Balloon. Interesting that the arcade version was part of a recent AVGN video when he went through an Arcade Classics Collection from some company. There, the Nerd was not too impressed with the game but here James & Mike have a lot of fun with it and it is easily the highlight of this video (especially when they talk about the elusive pixel and James becomes a metronome to better help Mike as well as the fallout of that afterwards).
-Finally, it's...AVGN Vs. Mike aka the game everyone dreamed about where finally they can shoot Mike all they want. Curiously it comes with the Power Strip, a motion-controlled add-on for the Atari 2600; a second-generation Power Glove so to speak. Though in the years since they owned it, one of the strips got busted so all James can do is go to the left and go up and down there while shooting. Strangely though, this doesn't give Mike any particular advantage. Have to say a mind link add-on for any console would be pretty spiffy and interesting to see that despite Mike appearing as many different characters on AVGN over the years, he only once appeared as himself (though I cannot remember the episode where it was from). Finally, James simply wins by dropping his gun, proving that he is better than Mike once and for all.
-All in all, another entertaining compilation video mostly through the interesting hacks they played.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 16, 2021 6:47:44 GMT -5
2-for-1! 2-for-1! 2-for-1! First up, a compilation video of moments during the show where James & Mike just cracked up, i.e. just guffawed out loud at the ridiculousness they played through: -Contains scenes from the following episodes: 1. Amazing Frog 2. Who's Your Daddy? 3. Abobo's Big Adventure 4. Atari 2600 hacks (making this the newest episode in this compilation) 5. R.C. Pro-Am (making this the oldest episode in this compilation) 6. Goat Simulator (though of all the great crack-ups that episode had, they chose a fairly innocuous one...and not even one from the time they created their abomination). 7. My Horse Prince -Overall, this is another video I throw in from time to time because hearing other people laugh just makes you laugh along with them. But your mileage may vary. Next up, it is time for a true NES sequel to Mike Tyson's Punch-Out (not that Power Punch II crap) as James & Mike play New Punch Out for the NES: -But, to bring your intrigue down, it is just another hack of the original Punch-Out using new sprites for the arenas and fighters (while keeping their patterns) and you having Von Kaiser as your trainer instead of the original one (don't know his name). -OK, either James & Mike have never played Super Punch-Out for the SNES or played it a long, long, long time ago. I cannot explain otherwise why they see fighters like Gabby Jay, Aran Ryan and Heike Kagero as original characters. -Pete Pasta? Is that a relative of Jimmy Pesto? -Love how they still have an intense dislike of Power Punch II even after several years of the original episode's release. Guess that really struck a mark with them not getting a true successor to Punch-Out. -They also bring up stuff that they like about the original Punch-Out like it is in this goofy cartoony style, how it is kinda like a puzzle game (figuring out the different patterns of the boxers) and also the music and the sound effects being great. -T.V. Hippo....nice. Though I'd say the Captain N Hippo was more turquoise than really blue. -Wow, that's certainly a better fight against an alien than anything that they found in Power Punch II. -They do try out the Mike Tyson stand-in in this game, The Sandman. Mike cannot beat him since he has been a bit out of practice since that video with Bootsy a few years previous. -Overall, an entertaining vid with a funny hack version of Punch-Out to be found. They also really liked that it was something different than the millions of Mario or Castlevania hacks you find for the NES.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 17, 2021 1:08:48 GMT -5
It's time for Haggar to move out again to stop the terrible Mad Gear Gang as James & Mike play Final Fight 2 for the SNES: -After a long while, another game again that I rented quite a bit as a kid and actually beat alongside my brother (in comparison to the first Final Fight where I only made it up to the final stage at most). Really enjoyed this one a lot.
-I guess when Chun Li wants to take a break from Street Fighting she does stop by a street noodle shop and samples the local noodles.
-James...you had a really perverted friend as a child, you know that?
-Interesting to hear a bit more about Final Fight (as in this one being a console exclusive game and not one based off of an Arcade game). I am wondering if anything similar exists today like them mentioning that Final Fight: Guy (or Final Fight Guy as James calls it) was a Blockbuster-exclusive game...though I guess with games being more available digitally, I think it would be a dying breed.
-You have to ask yourself...would you eat a lobster that you found off the floor in an abandoned house?
-Interesting to hear that James as a child was not that interested into games like Street Fighter 2 or Mortal Kombat since he was used to games like Final Fight and Streets Of Rage where you beat many people up instead of just one. It just didn't appear to be as exciting to him.
-Well, James & Mike, there were actually chances for Jackie Chan to be in The Expendables 3 and 4 but it didn't came to be.
-I agree with them. That clown boss looks more like he would belong in that Batman Returns beat 'em up for the SNES.
-They have lots of problems beating Rolent...come to think of it, wouldn't he be a playable character in the Street Fighter Alpha series?
-Appreciating Michael Keaton at one point with his then more recent roles in The Founder and Birdman. It also leads to their most feared scenes they had as children with Mike being afraid of the vacuum cleaner scene in Mister Mom while James was afraid of Roger Moore dressed as a clown with balloons around him in Octopussy (due to a balloon going off near him as a child).
-Warning: Gory story content when James recalls how he cut his finger off when he was three years old and how Mike touched the glass panel of a burning chimney stove.
-BTW, do you remember Birdy the Early Bird from the McDonalds commercials?
-Overall, a very fun video with lots of entertaining discussion and a nice trip down memory lane with a good game.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 18, 2021 1:31:20 GMT -5
Huh, never thought I would get a 2-for-1 so soon again. First up, the evil alien forces have decided to make things harder for our heroes as we see here when James & Mike play Super C for the NES again: -Now, this is a game that they already did in the earliest days of this show (might be even on the very first page in this thread). The reason they do it again is that Mike found the glitched cartridge that James used in that legendary convention playthrough where his hand was bleeding all over the controller (covered in an episode a while ago). Certainly an interesting way to revisit a game. -The main glitches here are with the bosses whether they themselves are invisible or part of their weaponry is invisible, making it harder to dodge or shoot exactly at the bosses. Invisibility goes also to the floor but luckily it doesn't seem to happen with floors that have holes in them. It is certainly a way to enhance the difficulty in a game. -They are getting old when they cannot remember that they did Super C previously already as well as the PS2 Rocky game (though, to be fair, it was about five years previously at that time). -There are some glitches even Mike doesn't know about like the edge glitch, i.e. dying when you touch an edge on a floor in specific way. That is certainly one that really pisses him off. -They do mention that this run they do is pretty bad because, according to James, he can go up to Level 6 without dying once on a good run and even the convention one was a decent one (though it could be because they are playing this now as two players). -I agree, LJN probably should have stuck with toys mostly instead of distributing video games. They might have had a 100% perfect reputation then. And I agree with Mike that Silverhawks was a good show. -This time, they beat the game...although in reality James beat it and Mike just jumps in right after James gave the final boss his last rites. -To conclude, an entertaining and different take on playing a video game and certainly a good episode. Next up, we will see James & Mike get loaded off fumes as they sniff their way through the Earthbound Scratch N' Sniff Nintendo Power Magazines: -That's certainly something I could not emulate since my sense of smell is very underdeveloped and I couldn't even distinguish anything that they mention here. -I am actually surprised that these things still work (unless James & Mike play us for fools here), considering that those magazines were over 20 years old at the time of the episode. -Interesting thoughts by them regarding that this "advertisement" in Nintendo Power might have negatively affected Earthbound sales in the US (or the rather virtually non-existant advertising at all). though they mention that gross-out humor was very big in the 1990s, so this might not have been the sole reason. -Ah yes, the big box SNES boxes containing player guides which I mostly remember from Mario Paint, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Secret Of Mana. I dunno whether with the latter ones that it was done because they thought that those games would be impossible to figure out for US players otherwise. Perhaps this rumor is true, perhaps it is not, who knows. -And for some reason, Ness smells the worst for them. -Definitely a different kind of video but entertaining nonetheless mostly due to their reactions to the smells they encounter.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 19, 2021 1:23:07 GMT -5
Oh no, the government has finally gotten to James & Mike! Because why else would they play Polybius for the Sony Playstation 4? -As the video warns you, I should also warn that this is not a video for people who easily suffer from motion sickness or are photosensitive to flashing and strobe lights and those persons should probably watch something else. -This game is definitely something and, as Mike puts it, might be one of the best games to watch other people play because it just draws you in somehow. -Interesting to hear that back in college, Mike would have thought James to one day make a big horror comedy movie instead of being the AVGN because James was really into horror at that time. James also makes the statement that every great horror movie has some sense of humor to it (like Halloween with Dr. Loomis in the bushes or Nightmare On Elm Street with Freddy Krueger) so it would be natural to embed some humor into a horror film. -This episode is also quasi an insight into the making of the AVGN Polybius episode. Now, this is the only AVGN episode I haven't seen yet (mostly because I heard the phrase "it contains jump scares" and then I was already out because I hate jump scares. Also the reason why I don't like horror movies that much or playthroughs of Five Nights At Freddy's) so I cannot say anything about the quality of that episode. James considers it to be one of his best episodes and that makes me think if his fans think so too or if this is another Doug Walker situation, i.e. the creator thinks it's the greatest episode ever made while the fans would not even put it in the Top 50 best Nerd episodes. Also 2017 appeared to be the Polybius year regarding coverage for some reason and it was apparently also referenced in The Goldbergs and The Simpsons at one point. -Another topic is the story of E.T. for Atari 2600 and how James only learned in college from Mike about that game's legendary story with the landfill and all. This also leads to some insight about the AVGN Movie (like how James originally wanted the movie to be a Revenge Of The Nerds-type movie and how E.T. was originally slated as the 100th AVGN episode) which I found interesting. Now, I have seen the movie and thought it was a decent time-waster. Nothing special but I didn't feel like I wasted my time watching it. -Mike is apparently better than James at this game because he made it to Level 2 earlier than James. -Another discussion relates to monsters that never gained much traction or weren't used in the early monster movies from the 1930s like the Devil (with The Black Cat being perhaps the closest thing to a devil movie in that area) and the Witch (where the most famous witch depiction came from The Wizard Of Oz although that one is not a horror film, of course). It is also interesting to see how there were still many monster movies in that time that were not made by Universal (like King Kong, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde etc.). -Oh no, James found the sensory overload item because the game just goes bonkers from that point onward. -Your choice: Does that loading screen look more like the Cheshire Cat's tail or the tunnel where Michael Jackson was once filmed in? -All in all, a very entertaining episode with a fascinating game to watch them play and some neat and interesting discussions featured.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 20, 2021 1:28:39 GMT -5
Oh no, Donkey Kong's been kidnapped! Better save him by watching James & Mike play Donkey Kong Country 2 for the SNES: -Just like with the rest of the DKC trilogy for the SNES, this was also a game I owned and played fairly often. Though I was more focused on playing through the game, my uncle (who loved the Mario and DKC games) was actually more focused on getting all the bonus rooms and stuff.
-As for James, this was a rental game for him and his tale of returning the game and hoping that his save slot still remains feels so familiar as that was something I also hoped for the games I rented (my favorite moment was when I rented Mischief Makers for the Nintendo 64 at one point and someone played through the whole game and saved it, meaning I could play through the rest of the levels all I wanted). I wonder though whether it would have helped naming my save state "Please Don't Erase This Save State".
-A nice discussion about the various pros and cons of the NES and SNES with James feeling that there weren't really that many notable bad games for the SNES (or at least not as many he came across when he was a kid) compared to the NES which makes it the console to choose for him if he had to choose between one or the other. Mike would prefer the NES personally (neat to see that when they compare it to Star Trek, James prefers TNG while Mike prefers TOS) but they come up with the conclusion that there is really no reason to not like both of them equally.
-A lot of Dixie focus here since she is the one with whom they finish all the levels in the first world.
-Speaking of Dixie, it leads in a roundabout way to Mike showing James something he found somewhere: 30-year old Pac-Man Chewable Vitamins that now look like coal and smell like dog farts according to James (at least they don't eat them). It also leads to a neat story of why they renamed Puck-Man to Pac-Man when they released him in the US (you can probably guess the reason).
-We learn that as far the SNES is concerned, Mike's favorite game is Final Fantasy III and that is a game that James wishes to play but it would take too much time with his busy family schedule nowadays and they would have to devote probably 50 James & Mike Monday episodes to it.
-Oh my god, that lens flare effect in the underwater stage. As James said, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.
-I am wondering how they bucked up the saving at one point in the video. They were already in the third world but then we somehow jump to them still being in World 2 and not having beaten the boss yet (which we saw them do before). Since they don't explain what happened, it is left to us to figure out how they bungled up this badly.
-I would assume the reason why James wasted coins so much is because he is so used to the PS4 using a button to return to the previous selection. Certainly a reason why he had a hard time figuring it out.
-Regarding cereals, they bring up a good point: There is a Dracula cereal (Count Chocula) and a Frankenstein's Monster cereal (Frankenberry) but was there ever in existence a Wolfman related cereal?
-It certainly looks like they had the most problems with the hot air balloon level at one point.
-Well, honey certainly looks like liquid gold so it makes sense that one could compare it to the treasure room in Super Castlevania IV. And I agree with James: that idle animation where Dixie takes a lick of the honey is pretty neat.
-Also agree that the cart levels are much more entertaining than in the first Donkey Kong Country.
-Overall, a fantastic first part bringing the nostalgia with a game I really liked and some really entertaining discussion topics. If the other parts can keep it up, this might be another Top 10 episode in the making.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 21, 2021 0:55:02 GMT -5
Let's move on in our quest to save Kongo Bongo's hero as James & Mike continue playing Donkey Kong Country 2 for the SNES: -They mention that before they did this second part, they did play the third one...and, hoo boy, that's gonna be a video for another day. I only mention..."Buck the elephant."
-Geezus, they really spent almost 45 minutes on the Mudhole Marsh level in the fourth world? Was that level always that difficult?
-Though the reason for that is that they get into a whole "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" discussion talking about various points in the movie (like how the movie should not have ended with the kid in the broom but instead with the focus on the main cast group, how good Mark Hamill was despite the material he got, how his last stand was awesome, how terrible the casino scene was etc.). Given that this was the most recent Star Wars film, it makes sense though the movie had already come out for a few months by that point.
-Huh, that's certainly a trick I never knew about: Just staying in the hole and shooting the large wasp's stinger from that vantage point (though it is probably only good for the first few hits).
-Seeing as James is the horror expert, I guess he has a point saying how the spooky forest BGM would be more fitting in a underwater stage than for a haunted setting.
-Hmm, would you like to possess a treasure chest? And if yes, what would you put in it?
-Another good video although not on the same level as the first part.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 22, 2021 1:22:36 GMT -5
Gotta save Donkey Kong before Cranky gets mad that nobody's watching that Crystal Coconut! So let's finish watching James & Mike play Donkey Kong Country 2 for the SNES: -Well, when all other topics fail, one might as well talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although their discussion eventually turns to the then upcoming Venom movie and whether it will be part of the MCU or not and just getting to talk about the Venom character in general and how he was used in Spiderman 3 and such. They do mention that they are not that much into comics (with Mike it is just that he is more interested in the Duckburg universe rather than anything superhero related). -After a while, it turns to Indiana Jones and the fifth part. I don't know whether the fifth movie was supposed to come out earlier or if they are talking about it in general but I had a look and the fifth Indiana Jones movie is scheduled for 2022. Of course, they get into how it was based on old movie serials and how nowadays everyone sees it as just the Indiana Jones series rather than an hommage to something earlier. Also James would really love to interview George Lucas someday. -Hmm, that A Link To The Past randomizer sounds really interesting. -Oh, Mike has started reading The Cat In The Hat. Hopefully, he doesn't keep us waiting on his thoughts what he thinks about when the cat finally appears . It leads to the adult jokes in the live-action movie (which they didn't really see at the point) and also remembering how many adult jokes were in Pee-Wee's Playhouse (which James watched over the course of a few years with his oldest daughter). -Also talking about the old Muppet Babies and how he only can watch it with his daughter on bootlegs and being really surprised how many clips from Star Wars they used for this show. There even was an episode referencing Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (though I don't whether I should trust them when they say that the heart-ripping scene was shown in Muppet Babies). -Yeah, nothing much to talk about with Donkey Kong Country 2 here because they are in the final world and get stuck for some time in the castle levels especially (the ones with the elevator bottom and the chainlink fences). At one point, they die and you see them having this really done look on their faces like they just want to stop but they are just so far into the game that they cannot stop. -Finally, they made it and beat King K. Rool and despite the hardships think that it is a really good game (though the saving systems suck). -Overall, a good conclusion to this game although both the second and the final part don't come close to the first part, so all in all the Donkey Kong Country 2 playthrough was just a good episode and not really a Top 10 classic in the show.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 23, 2021 1:38:11 GMT -5
Didn't we already do this game?...Oops, sorry, my mistake, that was for the NES. So let's see what a newer system can do with this when James & Mike play The Rocketeer for the SNES: -I am actually surprised how they appear to have a low opinion of the NES Rocketeer in this one. I seem to remember when they did their episode on it that it was a lot more positive than this (I mean it couldn't have been too bad, otherwise they wouldn't have played through the whole game). Or am I misremembering it that wrong? -Oh boy, James's glee when he lets Mike have a go at the first level (since he already tried the game out). Joke's on him though because Mike is the first to figure out how to get good at this stage. -Still, this has to be among the worst first stages in video game (or at least the SNES) history. You thought you would have a cool sidescroller in the Rocketeer, blasting baddies and flying around in a jetpack? Wrong, instead you have to fly in a race with a biplane, doing lots of laps while having to contend with poopy controls and stuff. -Oh my, their exclamations of horror when they realize after the first stage, they have to do another, longer race! -Certainly some interesting comparisons made here with Mike comparing this to Atari 2600's Kaboom! (due to having your eyes at two places at once) or that Spirit Of Speed 1937 game because this race is equally as boring as that one. -Finally, they get through the race part and are now in a Shooting Gallery-style level that looks pretty choppy and disorienting. They mention that while they don't have problems with this type of game, enjoying Wild Guns and all, this is really not that good to play. -Another race, this time playing as the Rocketeer instead of a biplane? Joy. -Next up, a flying stage similar to that Bartman level in Bart's Nightmare though I guess worse than that. I mean when you can accidentally destroy your health pick-ups, that is just sad. -Going by James, this game is similar to The Karate Kid on NES (though I would probably compare it more to Back To The Future III for the Sega Genesis) as in it doesn't have many levels but they made up for it by making it extra hard. -Finally, they come to the conclusion that this may be among the worst SNES games ever. Worse than Batman Forever and Lester The Unlikely even. I cannot remember off the top of my head whether James actually did an AVGN episode on The Rocketeer but I could see it being a worthy contender to be featured there. -Overally, a very funny episode mostly due to James & Mike's reactions to this really bad game.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 24, 2021 1:19:20 GMT -5
Let's check in with our good friends Ryu and Ken again in their ultimate adventure as James & Mike play Super Street Fighter II Turbo for the 3DO: -As they say, this is the final updated version of the original Street Fighter II featuring the characters from Super and also being a Turbo game. With it being on the 3DO, it is also as close to the arcade version as possible on a home console back then (at least until the PS3 generation rolled around). The only gripe is that you have to play it with a 3DO controller which is not the best for a fighting game due to its lack of buttons. I don't know if the 3DO didn't allow for arcade controllers or if it is just, as James said, that he dislikes playing with the joystick on an arcade controller but that's what we have to deal with. -They try out the Propad controller but they find one fatal flaw with it: one of the buttons in the area where the punch/kick buttons are located is the start/pause button which you cannot change in the options since it always sends you back to the title screen. Thus, while you play, you have to be careful not to push that button in order to not accidentally pause the game. They certainly tell it like it is in how poopy this is...so much so that they eventually get back to the original 3DO controller (though they wished that they could just plug in the SNES controller to play it). -We learn that James is more familiar with the Super Street Fighter II version of this game while Mike is much more familiar with the original Street Fighter II. -Yeah, when we start questioning why Fei Long can do a fire kick, we might as well question why Dhalsim can stretch his limbs, Blanka can generate electricity etc.. -Wow, giving you a sort of time limit on the player selection screen...that really sucks. Sometimes you just don't want stuff to be too much like the arcade. -James...Mike...that is a water bucket with a towel on it in E. Honda's stage. -I do think that it is a bit jarring when the color of the character picture and the fight picture are different. -OMG, imagine playing as Super Mecha Death Christ and just annihilating all the Street Fighter characters. -Thawk, truly a name that would strike fear into the hearts of all his opponents. -According to James & Mike, it appears that a guy with MC Hammer pants and Hitler are in the background of Balrog's stage. -I love how in this version there are different endings you can choose for the character you played through as...or so I hope unless Chun Li was just the exception in this case. -Since they wanted to fight Akuma, they use a code to at least play as Akuma in the Versus Mode. Although they are a bit disappointed that he is smaller than Bison and Sagat and just looks a bit like a Ryu/Ken sprite swap. -For the first time, Mike does an advertisement in the end for his Twitch channel which will become a bit more pronounced in some ways as we move along. -Overall, another good episode due to watching one of the best fighting games ever as well as featuring James & Mike's colorful commentary.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 25, 2021 1:34:59 GMT -5
Egads, what sorcery is this?! A 2-for-1 post that actually features two games?! First up, we need to use the Beta Capsule to change to giant size to cut down some monsters as James & Mike play Ultraman for the SNES: -The first weird thing they notice is that you have to use the X button to jump instead of pressing up on the D-Pad which they describe as weird more than downright bad. Certainly not something on the same level as with the 3DO controller in the last episode. -No comment by James about the time limit which I assume is due to it making sense in this game because of Ultraman's Color Timer. Though I imagine not liking it that when the monster's energy bar goes to FINISH and you have to wait for your Spacium Beam to charge in order to kill the monster because the monster's energy might have recharged in the meantime. -This finally gives James some time to talk about Ultraman, basically going over info I knew already but which might have been new to Mike, i.e. how the first series, Ultra Q, was sort of a Japanese Twilight Zone with monsters, how they used a Godzilla suit at one point that they only changed marginally by putting a frill around his neck and how it was basically a predecessor to what we know as Masked Rider, Power Rangers etc.. -They even mention some other shows like the Japanese Spiderman show, Spectreman and even the Inframan movie. Regarding the latter, Germany got a sort-of sequel with a movie called War Of The Infras, a Taiwanese movie that blatantly used footage from the first Kamen Rider series. I wonder if he would find that funny as well. -I also wonder whether those monsters in the game were originally made for this game since I don't recall them from the show (and I have seen the show last year). -All in all, a decent video if you want to hear a bit of James's thoughts about Ultraman (and I like the Mike Matei Live ad at the end showing him dying various times playing the first Mega Man on the NES). Next up, it's WELCOME TO DIE!...Oops, sorry, wrong game but you can still be ready for some Marvel action when James & Mike play X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse for the SNES: -Outing myself as not much of an X-Men fan as in I have seen the animated show a bit when it first came out and saw X-Men 1 and 3 in theatres. Mentioning this because I have no idea who Psylocke is and whether she is an obscure member of the X-Men or a more well-known one. All I know is that I would personally have put either Storm, Rogue, Jubilee or Jean in her spot instead. -Kinda like the Mega Man style in that you get a stage selection and also that each character has its own amount of lives (i.e. Cyclops has 2 lives, Wolverine has 2 lives etc..) so that you don't have only 2 lives in total. Though it hurts a bit that you only get a password after you beat all five levels (or missions as they are called here). -It definitely shows that James & Mike have not played this game before, trying out every level once at first but failing to complete any of them. -This video also gives them some opportunity to talk about the X-Men, how the 1960s comics were really colorful but were no comparison to their 1990s design, how they mostly liked the later X-Men movies rather than the trilogy in the early 2000s (with Mike mentioning that he really enjoyed the Logan movie), thinking about what Wolverine's comic costume would have looked like in live-action etc.. It also leads them into harping about how the X-Men movies and the DC movies are in dark colors while the MCU movies are quite colorful in comparison which they personally like more. -Hey, they do eventually finish the Wolverine stage and they even fulfil James's wish about it having a (well, kinda) big explosion at the end (although at first it doesn't look like it). -One part that they really hate is the fight with the speeder bikes in the Cyclops stage which they can't figure out how to beat. -Love how James finds the one good joke in Batman Forever being that Holey Rusted Metal scene while decrying that Batman & Robin really went overboard with the bad puns in comparison. -They also beat the Gambit stage (where I like that they joke about Gambit having beaten up the Ninja Turtles in an alley and getting April O'Neil's coat and Donatello's bo out of it ). -Overall, they like the game. It is a bit challenging but it controls good and it is fun to play so they will get back to it in the free time. -Holy bleep, that's a lot of physical media with James material on it. Not just the J&MM Blu-Ray they released a long time ago but also Board James, the completed series; AVGN Episodes up to the Game Boy Accessories one; Even the AVGN movie with lots of bonus material. Certainly a lot of interesting stuff. -To conclude, a good episode with some fun X-Men discussion while playing an entertaining and great-looking game.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 26, 2021 1:14:53 GMT -5
Oh, my spidey senses are tingling. That could mean that there is a Spiderman game about to be played...and it's true when James & Mike do Spider-Man And Venom: Maximum Carnage for the SNES: -Neat that they give a brief introduction to the comic story that this game is based off (where Spider-Man and Venom have to team up to stop Carnage who, I guess, is another symbiote? I am not that familiar with Spider-Man comics to know who or what he is).
-One of the few (perhaps the only?) LJN games that was, as the AVGN put it, "not s**t". Apparently, it was part of the AVGN Wish List episode (which I watched but cannot recall much of) where the Nerd found out that it was not good but also not bad either...it was average which is the highest compliment he has ever given an LJN game making it a bit notable. Nice that they also include a clip from that episode.
-Interesting that it got a red SNES cartridge. I know all about the different colors for NES cartridges but I am surprised that they still did it for the SNES as well (do Nintendo 64 cartridges like this also exist)?
-Another Final Fight-style beat 'em up where your main enemies are apparently exhibitionists, 90s kids, Curly from the Three Stooges and Poison and Roxy's New York cousins. Not exactly a fearsome array of Spider-Man enemies.
-They do bring up their dislike in those beat 'em ups that you lose energy when you use your special move. They much prefer the way they did it in the SNES Power Rangers game where you get a stamina meter you have to build up in order to use your special move. I have to say I like the latter method way better as well.
-Shriek, Doppleganger, Cloak, Dagger....certainly not names from the Spider-Man world I could recall off the top of my head.
-Hehe, like that "Now it feels like an LJN game" when they get to the climbing section. Though they do figure it out quickly.
-Anybody had one of those silly string web shooters that were sold as toys?
-I am a bit disappointed that there is an enemy that is rotund, bald and is named Coley...and they don't even make a Three Stooges joke. I guess now James & Mike are getting old.
-Would be interesting to know whether you can earn additional continues or if you are stuck with one continue until the end of the game. At least they made it so far so that they could play as Venom.
-It is actually weird that this is just a 1-player game. Did the same limitations as for the first Final Fight game apply here?
-Overall, a decent episode with a nicely looking game and some fun commentary.
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Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Feb 27, 2021 1:12:47 GMT -5
Dangit, now Donkey and Diddy have been kidnapped? Lousy security measures on Kongo Bongo, methinks. Alright, let's let James & Mike have a go as they play Donkey Kong Country 3 for the SNES: -Just like the other DKC games, a game that I owned and enjoyed playing a lot though I had more fun with the other two. -Bewmm? Interesting name for a save state. And now I wonder whether those other save states are from previous owners or if they are playthroughs James had with his wife/daughters or something. -And very early we get to the breaking point for them in this game: Ellie the Elephant (or Dumbo as they call her). They really dislike the Murky Mill stage for its gimmick that Ellie gets scared of the mice when they come into the light, calling it stupid. At least them naming her Dumbo gets them going on a talk about Disney movies and how the stories they were based off were much grimmer than what Disney turned them into (like The Little Mermaid). At the end, it does make me wonder what a Hansel & Gretel Disney version would have been like (though wasn't there a Silly Symphony of that?). -OK, can't they figure out that you can hold the things you can carry longer if you hold the button? You don't have to immediately release it. Otherwise, I cannot explain why they have so much trouble with the barrel boss (besides being completely unable to not kill the bugs after hitting them once). -At least they have some fun with the tree level with the acorn-throwing monkeys by going bananas. -OMG, they have way too much fun with the idea of an electric, racket-shaped bugzapper and all the uses it could bring (not only using it against bugs, but cockroaches, fireflies etc.). Now I have this image of them going crazy with it in the summer like Spongebob and Patrick when they go jellyfishing. -We also learn that the Earthbound episode of AVGN took a lot of work, including finding that bouncing sound effect for S**tpickle again. He does mention that it took almost a year to make that episode which shows his dedication that I can appreciate. -Now we have come here: the Bouncing Barrel Barrage level (or something). When I first watched this episode, this part was so painful to watch because of James & Mike's ignorance in realizing that Ellie can squirt enemies (I mean they don't even seem to notice the water fill appearing in the lower right corner or that LR formed by bananas at the very beginning). I am sure there have been moments in other games that others here have played where they questioned what the buck they were doing, but this was my personal moment for me since I owned that game and even at 10/11 years old I had no trouble figuring that out (though I cannot recall whether it was written in the instruction manual or not). To see them completely failing that part was not that funny and I wanted to scream sometimes at the screen why they are that dense. At least, eventually they figured out the squirt function. Hoo boy, at least the video doesn't go until the waterfall boss because I would have hated to see them fail at that too. -Mike does mention that it is sometimes easier playing through games via livestream because of tips being given by your viewers which he uses aplenty. Don't know if that is the usual M.O. for live streamers but if he feels fine with it, it's cool. -Wait, they needed almost an hour for the spider boss?! Geez louise, did they have a really off day or something? -In the end, their opinion aligns with mine that this is the least of the three DKC games on the SNES...though I guess my reasons are different from theirs. -Overall, a decent-good episode because some discussions are funny but the parts described above are really painful for me to watch.
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