|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 17, 2020 23:53:19 GMT -5
We have to stop the terrorist threat as we continue watching James & Mike play Contra Force for the Famicom: -They finally made it past the frustrating elevator part...only to encounter another frustrating part involving chains, falling platforms and shooting enemies while hanging off chains. This is one of their major criticisms with the game that it gives you challenging parts to overcome and never doing them again (unlike Super Mario World where it introduces one thing to get good at so that you have to reuse the skills you've learned for later levels).
-I actually agree with Mike here as it goes regarding emulators and save states. During my emulator days a lot of years ago, I made it a vow to play the games as they were originally meant to be played (i.e. Mega Man in one sitting, Final Fantasy by only using the battery save) and not use save states. Though to be fair, he doesn't deride people who use save states, it is just not a thing for him.
-That part where you have to cross from one plane wing to another is kinda nifty. It also brings up Mike's opinion that games shouldn't be too realistic (like he doesn't like too realistic racing games, preferring ones like Burnout instead).
-Huh, actually, "off the chain" does exist as an expression so Mike was kinda right there, James.
-How many lives do they give you in this game? It appears that from the plane level until the end they must have had like 30 lives (and they didn't input a code).
-This makes them able to finish the game and come to the conclusion that while it is not as bad as they thought, it is still a frustrating at times game and doesn't hold a candle to the other Contra games.
-Overall, another decent episode mostly for seeing them go through the frustrating parts.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 19, 2020 0:05:27 GMT -5
We have to get stuff that belongs in a museum as we watch James & Mike play Indiana Jones And The Infernal Machine for the Nintendo 64: -Joined by Ryan this time who does a lot of stuff for Cinemassacre and also frequently does discussions, livestreams and LPs with Mike.
-Definitely agree that the 3-D graphics of the Nintendo 64 haven't aged that well in all their blockiness compared to the console generation following it.
-OK, that is definitely what I consider among the Top 10 worst gaming mechanics ever put in a video game: that you get poisoned once and then it "saves" the state of being poisoned over into your new life, making it impossible to do the game proper and meaning that you have to start over again. I cannot fault the three for not figuring this out at all until later in the video because that sounds like such a stupid thing to incorporate into a video game that you wouldn't think of that in a million years probably (their thought process of there being radiation due to the opening newspaper mentioning an atomic bomb seemed more plausible).
-Gotta love their enjoyment though of seeing the various clipping issues with the game (especially when Indy dies and apparently sinks into the ground).
-Yep, that control scheme in the upper right corner definitely looks really Ocarina Of Time-ish.
-Also don't fault them for giving up when you have to be so careful to not get bitten by a snake because it means you are bucked for the rest of the game due to having been poisoned.
-Overall, I enjoyed this vid for them riffing over such a bad game and the fun they had ridiculing it. But yeah, this game does look really sucky.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 19, 2020 23:43:29 GMT -5
We seemingly cannot get enough of fighting alien invaders as we watch James & Mike play Super Contra 7 for the NES: -Unlike last time where they actually played a real Contra game on a pirated cartridge, this time they are playing a homebrew/mod of a Contra game. -Most of the video can be summed up like this: "This is bad!" "S**t!" "So glitchy!" "This game is terrible!" and so forth. Yet as Mike ascertains later, you get used to its badness so that it somehow turns around to being alright again. -I liked that they mentioned the NES game The Immortal at one point and how they should try that one out some time. It would still be some ways away but little did they know what would await them. -I guess when bullets fly at ludicrous speeds across the screen you don't even realize it when enemies just go through a wall repeatedly. -Ultimately, I would still call this a good video. Sure, there's not much of interesting discussions or sidetracks here (most of the comments are of the above variety) but somehow it is fun seeing them getting frustrated at a game while still having fun if that makes any sense.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 21, 2020 0:06:59 GMT -5
Back to 2-for-1 for a bit! First up, we get to experience total chaos as James & Mike play Total Carnage for the Arcade: -To be exact, they don't play it on an actual arcade cabinet but rather via the Midway Arcade Origins game CD, containing lots of Midway arcade games on it. I guess they named the video that way because technically, the game is not an actual XBox 360 game so it would be a misnomer. This game compilation actually looks interesting, let's see...*looks it up*...dangit, no release on the PS4. -A top-down shooter similar to some of the levels in Contra which it reminds them of and which is really bloody and gory and really looks like total carnage...and which also has Hanna Barbera sound effects, it seems. -So you have a game where you bloodily shoot up guys and stuff...making it a perfect background to talk about the Three Stooges. Can't say that I have ever heard about this New Three Stooges Live-Action show from the 1980s that they are talking about (and they do clarify that they are not talking about the 1960s cartoon). -Oh my god, Mike's Three Stooges dream. -Also, that is really a long-ass boss fight, making me think how you were supposed to pull this fight off in the arcade? Having a million quarters at hand? -Overall, a fun video mostly for the Three Stooges topics they cover. And now it is time to do some wrestling action as James & Mike play WWF Royal Rumble for the SNES: -Joined by Ryan again for this (probably because he knows a bit more about wrestling in general). -What better way to segue into this game than remembering how hot it was the day that they recorded playing Battletoads with Bootsy and they were all sweaty? -Definitely a game I rented a lot as a kid and enjoyed although I was a bit confused at the time since it was kinda outdated (since games were usually released way later in Europe compared to the US), featuring Ric Flair, Lex Luger in his Narcissist phase etc.. -Always a joy to see some guys making comments from an outsider's perspective on the wrestlers (Mike being flabbergasted at Shawn Michaels's theme song lyrics, liking Yokozuna's theme to something you'd hear while getting a massage, Crush's theme sounding like some level music in Doom etc.). -James and Mike are surprised to not see Hulk Hogan in this though Ryan clears them up on why that is. -Yep, I remember too letting myself intentionally getting thrown out during the Royal Rumble match and just watch the remaining match play out with the CPU. -No, that guy entering the ring at the end announcing the winner is not the Micro Machine Man, you guys. -Overall, they had fun with the game and I liked the video and hearing their outsider's perspective on wrestling.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 22, 2020 0:11:24 GMT -5
2-for-1 sale again today! First up, let's mix up Bruce Lee and Buster Keaton by watching James & Mike play Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu for the NES: -That's a first: James reading the game's back story on the box it came in where he is mostly stumped by the villain being the "Prince Of Sorcerers". -While the title screen does feature a very Jackie Chan-like face, the actual game kinda reminds me more of a Ranma 1/2-style anime more than it does anything Jackie Chan does (though Jackie did lots of period pieces). -Reminiscing about Jackie Chan getting his US break through Rumble In The Bronx from 1995, it comes to mind that this game got released several years before that (since I doubt 1990 Jackie Chan was that well-known to US audiences back then). -Yeah, I vividly remember the Jackie Chan movies where he fought frogs, bats, fish etc., don't you? -Thinking about movies that could make for a good Jackie Chan video games, there are his modern movies but of his classical movies they think that Drunken Master could make for a good game...though Nintendo of America would have probably put the kibosh on that due to alcohol (on second thought, they could have just changed it to juice and explained that he gets a sugar rush). -Love how both of them randomly talk in Lylatese for a bit. -Yeah, Mike is not very good at these types of Hudson Soft games because they are pretty hard (actually preferring something like Milon's Secret Castle over this) but they are still good games overall. -A decent video, not the cream of the crop but not too shabby either. After this kind of hard work-out, it is time to kick back and enjoy a cold one while watching James & Mike play Tapper for the Arcade: -Again courtesy of Midway Arcade Origins for the XBox 360. Still sucks that this is apparently not available for PS4 because those simple arcade games look like fun. -To be precise, they are playing Root Beer Tapper and not the original that featured beer being served. I kinda like how they changed some details like how in the original Tapper your character looks like a saloon bartender while here he looks like a soda jerk. -I was actually really into watching the action on screen so I cannot remember a lot of what James & Mike said during the game (the colorful graphics assisted in that too). -Gotta love their short discussion about James possibly liking frontier music (like "Oh Susanna", "Camptown Races" etc.). -Overall, a short video not big on discussion but I loved watching the game and would really love for this arcade compilation to be available on the PS4.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 23, 2020 2:15:19 GMT -5
Let's hunt us down some space pirates as James & Mike play Metroid for the NES: -Sweet, I didn't know that there was a re-release of Metroid on NES with a different cover art.
-They actually pondered about whether to do Metroid: Zero Mission for the Game Boy Advance instead because of its map system and since it is essentially the same game but they said, buck it, let's do the original.
-Yeah, it kinda sucks that you cannot kill enemies on the ground at first until you get the bombs because Samus cannot duck.
-Getting into a bit of a discussion about how Metroid was one of the lesser franchises for Nintendo compared to Mario and Zelda since its games were pretty infrequently released over the years. James actually makes a good analogy about how AVGN is Mario while Board James is Metroid as in something that he really loves to do but it never caught on the way AVGN did.
-For Mike, Samus is the second-hottest character in video game history (though he doesn't mention who his No. 1 is). And there's an idea for a mod: beat Metroid in five minutes and get a naked Samus.
-Mike makes a good point regarding his complaint about Metroid that it doesn't have a map system as in sometimes he hears people complaining about The Legend Of Zelda not having a map system and somehow with Zelda (being his favorite video game of all time), he doesn't have as much of a problem with it. He ultimately comes to the point that both games ultimately are about exploring, getting better while going through the game and that it does not matter as much that those games don't have a map.
-...wait, there's a Shower With Your Dad Simulator? The buck? James's face sums up my thoughts about such a game really well.
-At one point, they declare the Ice Beam the worst weapon ever, but they turn around on it.
-Also like their brief discussion about farming and how that terminology entered gaming.
-It ends at the beginning of Ridley's lair when Mike has to go do some stuff, so James will finish the game alone (why Metroid has the distinction of being finished alone compared to other games is not that clear to me). Actually cannot remember the point in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde where James left but I remember him leaving during the Mario Paint episode.
-Still, overall a good episode for this show.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 24, 2020 11:40:00 GMT -5
Another 2-for-1 sale today!
First up, we still have to destroy that new found organism as we continue watching James & Mike play Metroid for the NES: -Although... kinda like in the tradition of "Garfield Without Garfield", we experience "James without Mike" as James continues solo in beating Metroid.
-Huh, always thought you had to beat Kraid before Ridley but apparently you can do it either way. Speaking of it, I actually had Metroid back then but never played it that much. My brother, however, was much better and actually beat the game.
-That's certainly a good spot to beat Ridley without getting hit. Only downside is that it takes a little while.
-Well, that's either the smart or the coward's way out: rather killing oneself than climbing the disappearing/reappearing colon of blocks.
-Love that small flashback to young James learning something about how to best beat the Metroids. 🙂
-James really has the patience of a saint:trying three times to beat Mother Brain and having to farm all the way after the first two times (taking approx. 30 minutes each time). Actually makes him about the one fatal flaw in the game:that it punishes you so much for screwing up.
-Things I learned:James stands up when a game gets too intense.
-Overall, a decent episode though it is obvious that James is not that entertaining without Mike.
Next up, we have to venture into the jungle to do something heroic probably when James & Mike play Super Morial Arms for the Famicom: -Another pirated game that actually has Jean Claude Van Damme on the cover and which is just a renamed Code Name: Viper.
-I wonder if Steven Seagal was ever unhappy about not being featured in a video game.
-Wow,those are some seriously poopy jump controls.
-Gotta love James & Mike essentially reenacting how an enemy kills the player in this game.
-Yeah,if I cannot go past a door without having to consult a walkthrough, I would call that a bucking bad game.
-Overall, another decent short James & Mike episode.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 25, 2020 15:27:39 GMT -5
Today's 2-for-1 special is kinda creepy. First up, we buckle up the terror mask again as James & Mike play Splatterhouse 2 for the Sega Genesis: -So yeah, while the first Splatterhouse (as seen in a previous James & Mike Mondays) only got a release on the TurboGrafx-16, the sequel was made available on a broader console in the Sega Genesis for some reason. -We do get a bit of an interesting history stemming from some fans seeing James as more of a Nintendo guy while Mike as more of a Sega guy. As it turns out, both mainly focused on Nintendo consoles as children (due to only having the money for getting one console) but Mike bought a discounted Genesis console in college and he became a big fan of the Genesis through this. -OK, the graphics don't look that much different from the first Splatterhouse and while it looks satisfying seeing the gory ways enemies die in this game, seeing the same enemies over and over and over again is a bit repetitive for me. -Geezus, those monkey mutants or whatever they are called are so annoying enemies and such a major hazzle. Considering that this is only the second level, this looks like a game whose learning curve looks to be a bit too steep. -Congrats to them for seeing the Level 2 boss once and then having to start back at the beginning of Level 2 brings out my own feelings in that same scenario: "Buck it, I'm done." -Only a decent episode this time, mostly because Splatterhouse just doesn't look or feel that riveting a game to play. Next up, we need to save Jennifer hopefully as James & Mike play Splatterhouse 3 for the Sega Genesis: -OK, a few things different with this game compared to his predecessors: Not quite as brutal and they have added a time limit (causing James to dramatically groan over that) though it doesn't seem to have any lasting effect going by this video as they can continue playing even after the counter has gone down to 0. On the other hand, this game is a lot easier than the other Splatterhouses at first. -They bring up a good point in that nobody really talks about these games anymore, mostly because people were up in arms over brutal games like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap (the latter being a major factor in bringing age ratings to games) yet such a gory and violent series of games as the Splatterhouse series went right past people's radars. -Dear lord, them liking one of the bosses to a part of your ass where maggots crawl out of...yuck. -We also learn that instead of a paddle-stealing ghost in Splatterhouse, Mike would like to be reincarnated as a bike seat on a woman's bicycle (James really pulls out a zinger in making that notion seem less attractive). -Further good discussions about how James & Mike like to start stuff from the beginning instead of the newer versions first which is why they cannot get that much into Doctor Who (where they know, of course, going back to the very start is very much a futile point due to all the episodes that are lost) and the similarities of that series to Bill & Ted. Also Mike doing the Tim Taylor grunt and them taking apart the "choked on his own vomit" idiom. -Yep, the teddy bear boss was well worth the wait for just how out of left field it came. -Overall, they think it is a great game (implying that it is better than its predecessors) and the discussions also make this a good and, therefore, better episode than the previous one.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 26, 2020 1:12:30 GMT -5
*sings* 2-for-1! 2 for love! First, we have to defeat Dracula for the umpteenth time as we watch James & Mike play Castlevania: Bloodlines for the Sega Genesis: -Mike's great-grandfather's house looks kind of cool. -I agree with them that the first level of the game (or at least the first parts of the first level) do look like the first Castlevania for the NES which is actually pretty neat in that they keep continuity throughout these games. -Of course, the game eventually gets compared to Super Castlevania IV they played the previous year and while they have fun playing it, they come to the conclusion that it is not as fun due to the lesser graphics and lesser play controls (not to mention not being able to whip your whip into eight different directions). -I like the idea of this being a kind of Castlevania: European Vacation, letting you see a variety of different locales compared to the previous games (though with Germany, of course, it is again visiting a military complex as if Germany has nothing else to offer. ). -Love James's bat stories he tells here. -Well, that's certainly an interesting advertisement for your game box cover: "Taste the sweat dripping into your mouth..." -The game portion is technically only about 14 1/2 minutes and the rest of the video is an ad for something we will get to in a bit. -Overall, a good video thanks to some really fun stories and an interesting-to-watch game. Next up, something a bit different: -It is basically the last 3 minutes of the above video where they do an advertisement for the "Best Of James & Mike Mondays" Blu-Ray featuring twenty of (in their opinion) best episodes of the ones released so far including four unreleased episodes. -Well, it is a neat idea for those wanting to have something on a digital medium, but I never got why I should buy something that they have available for free on their channel. Besides, all the unreleased episodes have since then been released and will also be covered here, so owning this Blu-Ray is even more obselete now. -Still, it is kinda good as an ad though.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 27, 2020 1:26:56 GMT -5
2-for-1! 2-for-1! 2-for-1! First up, there's something strange in the neighborhood...when James & Mike play Zombies Ate My Neighbors for the SNES: -A game I played only once but had fun with it...especially considering I played it with a fellow FAN, @fsin, when I came to visit in Canada. -But first, advertisement for the James & Mike Blu-Ray. I hope those ads won't last long. -It is always so weird for me at least to think that Lucasarts made something else besides graphic adventures and Star Wars games (though I could kinda imagine the setting of this game as a graphic adventure as well). -They mention that this is perhaps among the most fun co-op games for the SNES (besides Super Mario Kart at least...though that one is not a co-op game. I think they meant 2-player games) but they do criticize the poopy password system which gets you back to the levels but with no items so you are basically bucked and it is far easier to just play the game in one sitting. I guess in the case of this game it would have made sense but I imagine most games don't let you save your items when you use passwords (at least non-important items). -Also getting into a bit of a discussion whether the 2-players-on-screen function was better implemented here or in ToeJam & Earl (where the screen splits when one of the players leaves the area where the second player was, allowing the other player to roam different parts of the map instead of having to stay where the other player is). Ultimately, they think that both ways have pros and cons so there is no definite answer to that. -Yikes, that giant baby is definitely one creepy boss to fight. And where would you ever hear "Let's beat the s**t out of that baby!"? -Overall, a fun video mostly for the good game they play and the fun they have with it. Next up, we need to participate in Shang Tsung's tournament as James & Mike play Mortal Kombat for the Arcade: -Seeing the ad makes me wonder if James & Mike sold enough of this Blu-Ray to make a profit or if it was a failed venture for them. -They do not mention how they play the Arcade version of Mortal Kombat. After a bit of research, I imagine that they use the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection which was on the XBox 360 and I know that they own an XBox 360 at least. -Love James's story about his days at the arcade and seeing this game for the first time which just about blew his mind. -They like that this version gives the option of pulling up a moves list so you can try to use the special moves. -Regarding the graphics I like how they point out the copy-pasted background characters in one stage and also how one of their friends was really hot for the actress who lend her likeness for Sonya Blade. Also love James going into how this game was really influenced by the Bruce Lee movie "Enter The Dragon". -Overall, having to choose between Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, they would decide in favor of MK due to it being more brutal and the manlier sounding vocal effects (compared to the "pussy" ones in SFII). -Also love how they talk about how Reptile was created by putting Sub-Zero and Scorpion together (i.e. blue and yellow equal green) and how he was just a normal ninja in this compared to the reptilian creature he became in the later games. -They have to acknowledge though that the later games (II and III as well as Mortal Kombat X at the time) blew this one out of the water so it is not as great as the later titles in the series. -Oh my, how James must have felt when the MK creator approached him and told him that he is a huge fan of him. -To conclude, another entertaining episode.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 28, 2020 1:27:50 GMT -5
You get 2 videos for the price of 1 post! What a deal!
First, we have to represent Earth in the honorable sport of boxing when James & Mike play Power Punch II for the NES: -An interesting backstory to this game as told by James and Mike. Basically, it was supposed to be a sequel to Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! but due to them not renewing the licence (which is also the reason why re-releases of the original game were named Punch-Out! Feat. Mr. Dream), you play as a guy named Mark Tyler in this and it is also strangely named Power Punch II (leading to the question: why not just name it Power Punch?).
-Yeah, James and Mike do not like this game at all, especially compared to the original Punch-Out!. That you have to do a work-out before the match sucks (especially if it doesn't even seem like you can get any of your stats up), the first enemy in the game is already tough to beat (compared to Glass Joe in the original game especially) with both James & Mike not being able to knock him down once and instead getting their asses kicked by him, the "mat"'s green being so ugly compared to the lighter green in Punch-Out! etc..
-Nice rant by Mike about the renaming of the original Punch-Out! ("Who the buck is Mr. Dream anyway?")
-Have to say though I take issue with James saying that Super Punch-Out! for the SNES was a crappy game just for your character being invisible. That was one of my favorite SNES games.
-All in all, an entertaining episode mostly due to them s***ing all over this less-than-stellar "sequel" to Punch-Out!.
Next up, let's help a green amphibian activate all the TVs or something when we watch James & Mike play Gex for the 3DO: -Joined by theme song singer Kyle Justin for this (who, according to Mike, is an expert with the 3DO).
-A surprising game since I know Gex mostly from his 3D-platformer (a la Super Mario 64). I didn't know that he also had a Jump'n Run style game prior to this.
-Getting into a discussion about failed mascots and game characters that tried to siphon off the success of Mario and Sonic with this gecko and Bubsy among others. They also feel that they tried to get some of that popularity of green characters like the Ninja Turtles, Bucky O'Hare etc..
-A game so mondo-cool that they have to go through two s***y controllers to get to a working one. Guess those two are another case for James's scrap controller box (though we see him throwing at least one across the room).
-Not much to say about the game actually other than the cool wall-climbing move you can make (which is really lizard-like). This is mostly due to them being stuck in the same horror level, it seems (though we later learn that the game only gives you 3 lives and no continues apparently...this sucks).
-James makes a good point about why Donkey Kong Country is a better game than this...mostly because everything about it is better than Gex. Kyle also mentions that Gex is thematically all over the place with a horror theme, flying televisions, portals etc. yet he concedes that Mario is equally all over the place though for Mario it works for some reason.
-Quote of the video from Mike: "I have to get better using my tongue."
-Weird that this video just...stops. They were on another try just starting the game when the video ends. I guess they didn't have anything interesting to say anymore during that playthrough? Or rather they couldn't get anywhere interesting past that horror stage.
-Overall, a decent episode though not as funny as the last one.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 29, 2020 1:49:18 GMT -5
It is time to get the crystal coconut...um, I mean the lots and lots of bananas back from the Kremlings when James & Mike play Donkey Kong Country for the SNES: -A game I had on the SNES and also had lots of fun with though was always content with just playing it through instead of getting all the bonus rooms (my uncle on the other hand...). Of the three Donkey Kong Country games I would place it below the second one but above the third one (that's not to say that all three games were great to play). -Interesting to hear that at that point, the original Arcade version of Donkey Kong was not available to play. I always thought the one that got released on the NES was faithful to the Arcade version but apparently not? They also mention the Donkey Kong version that you could play in Donkey Kong 64 which was also different from the arcade version. I wonder whether that has been changed since this video's release (Nov. 2015). -Also a neat discussion about James being so much associated with Castlevania II due to it being essentially the first game he reviewed even though he likes it well enough although there are better Castlevania games than that. -Cue James being flabbergasted that a radio station apparently played video game music from time to time, including music from Donkey Kong Country. Though they have no problem with it, considering Donkey Kong Country to have one of the best video game soundtracks not just for the SNES but of all time. -They certainly consider these water stages to be among the best as far as video games are concerned...especially if you are riding the swordfish (with them laughing at the image of a monkey riding a swordfish). -Love their off-kilter discussion about some TV stations showing nothing but Golden Girls and Full House all day, neglecting other shows like Growing Pains or Family Ties. Not to mention Christmas where they play A Christmas Story 24 hours instead of something like Jingle All The Way. -Be distracted and you miss it moment: Them mentioning hoping that this new "Nintendo NX" console will be better than the Wii U. -Highlights of the video: James mentioning playing one stage in DKC while his dog was farting nearby making him associate this stage's music with farts and then later talking about Boo's (his cat) s***ing habits cracking both of them up...including me. -Dunno what to say about Mike's mini rant: "What do you want us to talk about? Algebra? Global warming? What do you expect from two assholes playing games together?" Given that he sounds a bit angry during that, I wonder if it is because he is genuinely pissed about some comments he heard regarding James & Mike Mondays? Or it could also be unrelated...who knows. -That fake-out when you beat K.Rool for the first time with the fake kredits was hilarious for its time though I wish they could have inserted similar creative ways for the other games. -Of course, no better way to end the video than with monkey noises. -To conclude, a wonderful video encapsulating what I like about this show: two assholes having off-kilter discussions while playing games.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 30, 2020 1:39:41 GMT -5
*sings* 2 times the fun wrapped up and rolled into 1! First up, we have to defend humans from an evil force when James & Mike play Resogun for the Sony Playstation 4: -But first up, unannounced, to prepare James for that game, they play a bit of Defender for the Arcade (via the Midway Arcade Origins compilation most likely). -James remembers playing this game when he was three but he could never quite figure out what exactly to do. Perhaps it might have had to do with the Atari 2600 port he played being a rather low-quality port. -Mike loves him some Pac-Man and all its incarnations (which he considers to be as much a part of 1980s culture as the Rubix cube, the color pink etc.). -Then we finally get to Resogun...and most of the video is essentially Mike explaining how to play the game and stuff which is not that exciting to hear (although the game does look awesome). -By my count, we only miss three more games to make that Top 10 List of games where you pick up people. -Overall, the game looks fun but it was just too much explanation of the game in it and I would have rather watched them play Defender for the whole video. Next up, may the force be with us when James & Mike play Star Wars for the Famicom: -So, if you are not a fan of Star Wars, tough luck because due to it being the month where "The Force Awakens" was released (December 2015), all episodes of James & Mike for that month will be Star Wars-themed. -But first...if you want to skip to the part where they actually start playing the game, skip to about 6:15. Yes, it takes about 1/3rd of the video for them to actually start playing the game, talking about the soon-to-be-released The Force Awakens instead and how Lucas sold it to Disney and what kind of ideas they would use blablabla. Look, I have nothing against them going into discussions about stuff (one of the reasons I like the show) but I prefer it if they start the game first and later get into a discussion. If I wanted to hear them just talk about Star Wars unrelated to that game, I would them rather have a "James & Mike talk about Star Wars" video. -Yeah, this is a pretty infamous game that was covered by James in his AVGN episode on Star Wars games. You only get three lives, no continues and it features fighting Darth Vader in a boss fight...who turns into a scorpion for some reason after the first hit. Definitely a case where the Japanese version is actually worse than the US version. -OMG, that Mumm-Ra song. -I like their discussion on The Phantom Menace being the worst of the Star Wars games released so far, criticizing how the movie starts with talk about trade negotiations and tax and s**t, the scenes with Jar-Jar Binks (as well as the already in a previous video mentioned Gungan leader spitting on everything) and the fact that Darth Maul is only in the movie for about 10 minutes or so despite them thinking that he might be the Darth Vader of the prequel trilogy. Mike says that even scenes like the Pod Race and the lightsaber duel cannot keep this movie from being the worst. -Like their justification on why Darth Vader turns into a scorpion in this game. -Getting to the top of the flagpoles in Super Mario Bros.? Buck that, James jumped over the cantina! Also love Mike implying that James always hands him the controller when it is time to do a flight simulator-style level. -The video ends on a high note with me learning what a floater is and a IMHO adorable story involving James, his daughter and Scrappy-Doo. -Overall, it turned out to be a decent episode despite the looooong beginning.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Oct 31, 2020 1:19:55 GMT -5
Hey, another 3-in-1 post today. And a themed one, too! First, let's solve the Rebel/Empire conflict strategically by watching James & Mike play Star Wars Chess for the Sega CD: -Ah, reminders of Battle Chess. I really loved that game as a child (though probably most of all for the animations when you take a piece). -Compared to that, the animations in Star Wars Chess are not too shabby either (and James & Mike really like them, too). Especially love how C-3PO basically takes away pieces by clumsily defeating his opponents (making them trip, accidentally causing them to shoot themselves etc.). The animations where Yoda causes a Storm Trooper to shoot himself is also funny and Darth Vader casually stabbing R2-D2 and Chewbacca looks pretty dark. -Yikes, that "Yoda Man" commercial sounds pretty cringey. -Also love how James and his friends' ideas for "Trek Wars" (a Star Wars/Star Trek crossover) never went past Luke Skywalker and Captain Kirk saying Hi to each other. -Comparing various droids in Star Wars to gaming consoles was pretty neat (comparing R2-D2 and C-3PO to the SNES and Genesis as well as that annoying robot on the first Death Star to the CD-I). -Overall, it was a fun episode mostly to seeing the various taking-a-piece animations and the two really liked this game (though I agree that it is a pity that Han Solo, for some reason, is not one of the pieces). Next up, we get a 2-for-1 Star Wars special in a video when James & Mike play Star Wars Arcade for the Sega 32X as well as Star Wars: Rebel Assault for the Sega CD: -Interesting game mechanic for Star Wars Arcade letting 2 players play at the same time with one being the pilot, the other being the gunner. Cannot think of many other games that used that type of gameplay. -Basically, it is the same type of game one played in a few levels in Shadows Of The Empire (which James offhandedly mentions by saying that SOTE blew this game out of the water). -I liked the short excurse into vector-based games though along with a few examples that looked awesome as well as explaining what vector actually means. -They find this game OK but there is nothing much to say about it. -Onwards to Star Wars: Rebel Assault which my brother actually had for the PC and which he found pretty decent. -Apparently the same cannot be said for the Sega CD version because both of them have trouble with the controls, never getting it to get full to the right. -That's actually a good comparison for the overhead level, looking like it was filmed upclose on a turd. -Yeah, they conclude that this might be the worst Star Wars game they ever played (and even among the worst video games they ever played). -Overall, a decent episode for them. Last, we finish with a rather blocky and rectangular take on Star Wars as James & Mike play Lego Star Wars for the XBox 360: -To be exact, they are playing "The Phantom Menace"...mostly because they have to to unlock the other episodes (admitting that they would have rather played the games based on the old trilogy). -Yep, another game where you can hurt your partner though they don't seem to mind as much this time. -Love the parts where they just laugh at the parts that they didn't apparently acquired in the first stage and the joy they have when trying to kill Jar-Jar Binks, the in-game character. They acknowledge that if Jar-Jar had just been in that one rescue scene, they wouldn't have any problem with him. But they just don't understand why he had to accompany them. -Also like the story of them abusing the Phantom Menace VHS tape. Also, apparently the Betamax format died in 2015 although, as Mike mentioned, it was already obsolete for over 30 years? Kinda curious about that part. -At least the part in the Gungan city omits Mike's favorite part with the Gungan leader spitting all over. -This time a short but sweet video with a game they really enjoyed playing.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Nov 1, 2020 1:36:34 GMT -5
Huh, guess it is my lucky day since I get to do another 3-in-1 today. First, who knew that a proverb could become a video game as we watch James & Mike play Killing Time for the 3DO: -I kinda like the "ghosts" that appear to give you tips or limit your progress through the game. Though I wonder why your only enemies in the first level are ducks (who don't even attack you) and duck hunters. -Wow, who wouldn't want those pieces of 3DO paraphernalia like the 3DO T-Shirt? That would make you the hippest cat in town probably. -James can do a good duck impression while Mike is pretty good at emulating Bugs Bunny from what I have seen in this vid (the latter is probably the reason why he played Bugs Bunny in those AVGN episodes). -Note: you can get rich by getting your hands on that elusive black disk version of Killing Time. -Love the story on how James learned what the BFG acronym for that gun from Doom stands for. -To conclude, they find this game kinda interesting despite its flaws and they might give it a shot another time. As for this episode, it is only a decent one. Next up, it's time for some of ye ol'-time racing when James & Mike play Spirit Of Speed 1937 for the Sega Dreamcast: -According to James & Mike, this was the last game made (or rather published) by LJN back in 2000. Thus, robbing James of many more games to feature in AVGN episodes. -The big problem with the game is that it's the game equivalent to movies like "Monster A-Go-Go" or "The Starfighters"...that it is so bad because it is just boring to play. I am happy to see that Mike at least has the same attitude towards bad movies that I have (bad movies can be stomached when they have something to make fun of but if they are just boring, it is basically hell to watch them), though I cannot speak for the Charlie Chan movie he refers to. A pity really because doing a racing game set in the 1930s could perhaps be a fun idea in the right hands. -Wow, a racing game where you actually have to drive stickshift aka using the various gears. An interesting mechanic but in this instance probably only another source of frustration. -Nice foreshadowing of the Rocketeer game for the NES which they will actually do down the line. -Otherwise, it is still a decent episode with some neat points of discussion but they are right in saying that this game is so boring that it doesn't provide many points of talking about it. Last, get ready for a different fighting experience when James & Mike play Supreme Warrior for the Sega CD 32X: -Mike's reaction at the beginning! "A first-person perspective fighting game?!?!" -Have to say that was a game I was kinda intrigued by when I saw it in the "slide show" during the AVGN episode on the Sega CD (or was that the 32X one?), though it seems I haven't missed much. -I guess that this was the lowest point for the Shaw Brothers studio being involved in everything? Surely they couldn't have gone any lower than that. -Highlight of the video is definitely them mocking the "moves" that your player character makes and how it would look like to the spectators watching the fight. -And we end the video with some food for thought: While James & Mike know that the old martial arts movies used strings to make the actors fly through the air, they are fascinated that one cannot see them at all because they have to be pretty stable to hold an actor's weight (i.e. they would require a certain kind of thickness) yet they didn't have the technology to digitally remove them in the 1960s/70s. Perhaps they did paint them some way. Guess we'll have to find out another time. -Overall, the highlight of the three videos today with a mockable game and James & Mike laughing their asses off.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Nov 2, 2020 1:13:03 GMT -5
Well, back to 2-for-1s for now. First up, we get either into one of Ned Flanders's kids' dream worlds or something completely different when we watch James & Mike play Rod Land for the NES: -According to them, it is a PAL game (i.e. a game released in Europe although they later show a picture of this game also having had a release in Japan...so I guess it was just never released in the US?) and given that they don't state anything specific, I assume that you can play PAL games on North American NES consoles (unless they have a European NES lying around and they just use that?). -Interesting stories here about how Mike visited the last Funcoland back in 2006 or so to get a lot of NES games for the Nerd collection (and getting quizzical inquiries from the clerks there) or how collecting games wasn't as big a thing in the mid-00s as it was ten years later. Also neat to learn that you were apparently the king of coolness in college when you brought out an NES or similar to play. Though they cannot help mocking those people a bit that call the Godzilla games fake and the 1960s Batman TV series campy. -They actually don't say much about the game, spending half the video on those stories above and only say pretty general stuff about it. -Overall, a decent vid because of the stories but I kinda wished they talked more about the game. Next up, we are gonna have a yabba-dabba-doo time when James & Mike play Flintstones: Surprise At Dinosaur Peak for the NES: -Apparently, a Blockbuster exclusive and, thus, a very rare NES game. -Love their talks about the Flintstones being perhaps the first adult animated sitcom (advertising for cigarettes for example) and going into a tangent on how Pluto is not considered a planet anymore...especially that the one planet James misses in his counting is Uranus. After checking it, I was actually surprised that Pluto was confirmed and named in the 1930s and that there is actually a point to be made that Walt Disney named Mickey's canine companion after the newly-discovered planet. -They find it a fun game with the only detriment being the weird control scheme for Barney hanging unto wires and climbing/dangling along on them which they have a lot of problems with (especially when there are apes flinging their stuff on you). -Yeah, Mike, that turd-looking rock really has Grade A shading on it. -Speaking of rocks, they actually get to talking a bit about Dwayne Johnson near the end...mostly remarking that he must have the best agent in the world to get cast into a lot of poopy movies and still make a killer earning. -Now there's an idea for a marathon: playing all the caveman-related games for any system including Joe & Mac (which we'll get to down the line)...though Mike's "Captain Caveman!" call needs some serious work. -Captain Commando...now there's a foreshadow for way, way, WAAAAAY down the line. -To conclude, a fun video and much better than the last one.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Nov 3, 2020 1:26:23 GMT -5
Didn't we already play this game? Yet, there's something different about it when we see James & Mike play Mega Man Ultra for the NES: -It's another homebrew NES game, this time starring Mega Man in a very different version of Mega Man 2. -Oh my god, the Wood Man stage is basically a Super Mario Bros. level...except that the goombas and koopas do Mega Man 2 enemy-style attacks. I think that this is really what makes this homebrew pretty neat: if you are familiar with Mega Man 2, then you probably won't have that much problems figuring out the attack patterns despite the enemies having designs from other Mega Man or NES games and the weapon order is still the same as it was, but the different level designs, different music etc. gives you enough new stuff to make this one a pretty worthwhile game to play through. -Geezus, their obsession with the "Make like a tree and leaf!" pun. -Based on this and some Mega Man live streams of Mike's that I watched: I wonder if he is the only player in the world that refers to Mega Man's normal power (designated as "P" in the menu) as "person". Because I have never heard any other player call it that (usually "normal" or "plasma" or something). -Yeah, those Proto Man enemies (based off the Sniper Joe enemies) with their stompers are quite the bitch (especially if they constantly respawn like that), making the Flash Man and Quick Man stages quite a hassle (so much so that they abandon the Quick Man stage to do Heat Man's first). -That poor couch gets quite the beating from James in this video . -Really like that 8-bit rendition of Blizzard Buffalo's stage theme from Mega Man X3 (among my favorite Mega Man X tracks). -They are really using No. 2 a lot...the item, that is (though surprisingly they don't make a joke with that in the whole video). -I kinda wonder what "Cheater!!!" would get you if you selected that after you beat a stage. -Love that the first Dr. Wily stage is inspired by Zelda II . Though Mike brings up a good point that most of the homebrews/mods are usually only of Mario, Mega Man and Castlevania. He kinda wishes for a bit more variety in stuff that people mod. -They have to stop due to being out of time (having played the game for three hours) but Mike will try to beat the game...which he did apparently. This marks, I believe, the first time that we get a look into a live stream by Mike in these videos (going by the ones I have watched so far, live-streaming was something Mike started in the summer of 2015, so after half a year, we get our first reference to it in James & Mike Mondays). -Overall, a very good video due to it being a very interesting game to look at and how much they get into it playing it.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Nov 4, 2020 1:44:55 GMT -5
Well, after a break yesterday, it is time for more 2-for-1 specials! First up, Nintendo characters take out their frustrations on each other again when James & Mike play Smash Bros. 64 for the Nintendo 64: -Huh, another video where they are joined by JonTron. I thought the ones from a while ago were the only ones but apparently there was one more visit left. -On a positive note, they give him a poopy controller where the Z trigger doesn't work and the design is weird. I am kinda curious what kind of controller is that: a second-generation type of N64 controller or something? -A game that they have to get re-acquainted with since most of them consider Melee to be perhaps the best entry in the Smash Bros. series while the first one was not a game they played too many times when it was first released. A fairly interesting discussion about the Smash Bros. series in general ensues. -The main reason JonTron didn't like Smash Bros. 64 was because it made him nauseous for some reason. Mike got the same feeling from playing Super Mario Galaxy while we don't get a definite answer from James (though I would assume some stages from games like in Silver Surfer or Super Mario Bros. 2 had that effect on him). -"Mario Fox Luigi", "Donkey Fox Kirby"...great 12-year old humor on display here, guys (though truth be told, I chuckled). -That's quite a surprise that all of them consider Ocarina Of Time to be the best Nintendo 64 game...or not because it is quite an awesome game. -So despite getting the poopy controller, JonTron actually manages to win most of the matches...necessitating him to change controllers with James...and still coming out on top. -Overall, a very fun episode due to the entertaining battles on display here. Next up, we do some aerial combat when James & Mike play Sky Kid for the NES: -The Sunsoft blue seal of approval lets you know that you are in for a good game...unless it is Fester's Quest. -Cannot see that I would have much fun with this game seeing that the way you shoot reminds me of Capcom's Talespin I played recently. Give me the shooting scheme of Gradius, Life Force, R-Type etc. any day over this straight and diagonal shooting. -The thing I will remember most from this video..."LOOPING LOUIE! LOOPING LOUIE!" -OK, you can shoot the dancing girls at the end of the stage and they turn into...maneki neko (Beckoning Cats) for some reason. Strange. Then again, why would you shoot the dancing girls anyway? -Love the self-deprecating talk about the AVGN in the video. -I think you should get some kind of points when you kamikaze bomb the target like that. That would only be fair. Also love that James has no trouble landing the plane in this game compared to Top Gun. -Overall, a fun video.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Nov 5, 2020 1:38:49 GMT -5
2-for-1 sale coming right up!
First up, this is not an order but the actual name of the game when James & Mike do Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes for the PC: -Joined by Ryan for this.
-...OK, since they jump right in and don't offer any explanation, I can only assume: a multiplayer game for minimum 2 people with one person being the bomb defuser looking at the screen and defusing the bomb while having to relay information to the other person who is the decoder. The decoder uses the information said by the defuser to guide him on the correct way to defuse the bomb by using the bomb defusal manual (which you can print out as they did or, I assume, can also just look at another screen to look it up).
-Weird setting they are in which I have not seen before (Ryan's house?).
-After watching them all in action, I think I would like to have Mike as my bomb defuser because he at least seems to relay things better compared to James and Ryan (with James especially letting the bomb explode on two tries before finally getting it right on the third try).
-I wonder why when it was Mike's turn, only James assisted as the bomb decoder (I guess Ryan took a leak or something?).
-Overall, not much to say, the game was interesting to look at but because the name of the game is that you have to talk about how to defuse the bomb, it didn't lead to any interesting discussions. So, only a decent episode.
Next up, after using it for a few games in the past already, it is time to look deeper into this peripheral as James & Mike dick around with the Super Game Boy for the SNES: -As some of you might know, the Super Game Boy not only allows you to play Game Boy games on the big screen, but also allows you to change the screen color as well as the outside frame.
-Of the selections available, James likes the movie theater frame the most (of course he does) while declaring that for poopy games you use the cat frame (though he says that the cat reminds him of his own cat Yeti).
-When there's something to draw, you don't have to wait long for Mike to start bucking around with it, drawing a relatively neat but vulgar Zelda drawing over the game screen.
-I like the short discourse into early coloring techniques for movies provided by James, really showing that his interest in movies is genuine.
-Both of them actually break a lance for MS Paint, saying that you can do some really amazing works with it (as seen here also in the WWE Year In Review threads) and saying that it is way better than what you can do with the Super Game Boy drawing tool.
-Neat that they dick around with the tinting tool for the game screen so much that at the end it kinda looks like it would look on the original Game Boy with the black, white and silver color scheme.
-They wanted to try Metroid II out with this but apparently the cartridge doesn't work correctly, so they cannot play the game for the time being...or can they?
-To conclude, a much funnier episode than the previous one.
|
|
|
Post by Mandarin Dessert Version 0 on Nov 6, 2020 1:26:48 GMT -5
After seeing how dangerous they are, it is time to rot them out when James & Mike play Metroid II: Return Of Samus for the Game Boy: -Yay, they found a working copy, so there's nothing stopping them from playing this game. Also going really old school by using the Nintendo Power maps to navigate through the game (sweet seeing that Super Game Boy guide in there which I also had as a child). -We actually had this game as children and my brother managed to beat this game. -Both of them find nothing wrong with using the Nintendo Power maps since they do consider it a fault in the early Metroid games that they don't have a map system to help you navigate. It's basically like using a GPS (that doesn't send you off cliffs or anything). -I kinda agree with them that this game is more cryptic than the first one due to having many more items that help you explore areas (like the Spider Ball and the Space Jump), making it a bit more confusing to navigate. -Mike really hates the Spider Ball item because of its confusing controls (which James can confirm). -After commenting about farming during the playthrough of the first Metroid, James actually learns from Mike what "grinding" means (besides the, ahem, other meaning). I am surprised that a gaming nerd like James actually hasn't heard the term grinding until this video. -OMG, how they bug out when getting the Space Jump! -Getting into Metroid jizz...ewww. At least Samus is not that icky about it. -I guess as a kid if you want to get coupons of some kind, you don't care about cutting up your Nintendo Power magazines. -Spazer...it's not a laser and not a phaser, it's just a spazer. At least it was better than the laser weapon they later got. -Also love how James has to silently squirm while Mike has to concentrate getting through a tough part. -To conclude, a good first part in this video game. Hopefully, the second part will be equally as good.
|
|