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Puggsy (MegaCD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 02/04/2016 Written by deKay

PuggsyPuggsy was probably my most played, and certainly one of my most enjoyed, MegaCD games. It was huge, and had even more levels and bosses than the plain Mega Drive version, some of which made use of the MegaCD’s hardware with sprite manipulation and FMV.

I’ve been picking away at it over the last couple of weeks, finding it generally easier than it ever was back then, but struggling to find the secret or alternative exits in some of the levels so progress was less quick than you’d expect. Some I could remember, some I could remember but not how to do it, and some I had no recollection of at all – the final boss for instance was not the final boss and I’d totally forgotten about the real final boss. Even though I remembered the really annoying level with the spiky ball you can’t pick up, which comes after what I thought was the final boss.

PuggsyAnyway! It was a lot of fun to play again after such a long time, and I’ve completed about 45 of the 51 levels so may return to finish off the final few. There are some more secrets I’d like to re-see, like some of the bonus levels (I got the Jetpac one, but know I’m missing the Arkanoid one and at least one more) and the Wiz ‘n’ Liz reference. I found Galahad (aka Leander) in one level so that’s prompted me to add that game to the list of must-plays too.

Click to view slideshow.

The post Puggsy (MegaCD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Mega Drive, megacd, Post, retro

Castlevania: The New Generation (MD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 20/03/2016 Written by deKay

Or Castlevania: Bloodlines, if you prefer. Personally, I think both names are rubbish, and pretty much irrelevant.

Castlevania: The New Generation
Castle? Tick. Whip man? Tick. Moon? Tick. CASTLEVANIA.

My experience of this game previously has been that I own it, I’ve played it a few times, but because it wasn’t a Metroidvania style Castlevania (which I used to prefer over the older linear type) I never persisted with it. Of course, these days I enjoy most 2D Castlevanias, and since I just read about Castlevania: The New Generation this week in the excellent Hardcore Gaming Castlevania book and remembered that I’d never finished it, I thought I’d give it another go.

Castlevania: The New Generation
Nice doggie.

It’s excellent. Perhaps better even than Super Castlevania IV on the SNES. The graphical tricks the game pulls (sprite rotations and so on) were very unusual for the Mega Drive, not least because – as SNES fans would gleefully remind Mega Drive owners – there was no Mode 7 on the Sega console. The music, a vital ingredient in the series, is also incredible although perhaps not as iconic as in other Castlevania titles. It’s also a lot easier than Super Castlevania IV, which surprised me.

I played through as John Morris – the guy who isn’t a Belmont in name but is by blood, apparently, so can wield the Vampire Killer. He was in the original Dracula book too, apparently. The other character you play as is Eric, who has a pike or something. So yeah, I didn’t bother with him. Why would you? Tch.

Castlevania: The New Generation
Now… kiss!

There were some great bosses, marred slightly by Death’s Tarot Wheel of SuckySuck(TM), most of which I don’t think I’ve seen in other Castlevania games. Dracula also suffered from Irritating and Unnecessary Gaming Cliché #3, which was a shame but pretty much expected. I’m tempted to play more CV games now, but there aren’t any on the Mega Drive and that’s what I’m focussing on right now. There’s a sort of clone on the Master System though? Hmm.

Click to view slideshow.

The post Castlevania: The New Generation (MD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: castlevania, completed, Mega Drive, Post, retro

Batman (MD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 19/03/2016 Written by deKay

This used to be one of my favourite Mega Drive games, not least because of the tiny Sunsoft box it came in, but over the years time has not been so kind and it isn’t as good as I remember it being.

Batman
You’re going down, I’m yellin’ timber.
Batman
That’s how it starts, but later there’s running and screaming.

Part of the problem I’ll say upfront: I totally forgot, until the final level where I did it by accident, that it was possible to double-jump. This afforded Batman a bit more height, a bit more distance, and the ability to damage baddies on contact as he somersaults into them. The other problems were things that have worn me down in more recent years, like bosses that require you to repeat the same action, in exactly the same way, over and over again and leaps of faith. Or grapples of faith, on some of the levels – there’s no way of knowing if you’ll grapple up into a baddie or some spikes until it’s too late. And there’s a SuckySuck(TM) bit, only made worse by the repetitive boss fights. The batmobile and batwing levels should have broken up the mostly dull platforming sections, but the former was way too long and easy, and the latter way too hard and frustrating.

Click to view slideshow.

I suppose not all games I loved when I can younger can still stand up these days, unfortunately.

The post Batman (MD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: Batman, completed, Mega Drive, Post, retro

Strider (MD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 17/03/2016 Written by deKay

Strider
This also happened in parliament after this week’s budget.

Strider was always a nonsensical game. Set in 2046’s Russia but with giant robot gorillas, Amazonian warriors, wolves, an entire senate which transforms into some sort of caterpillar, and dinosaurs. There’s no cohesion, and levels flit from organic to techno and back with gay abandon. It’s utter nonsense.

The Mega Drive version, which was the first Mega Drive game I ever bought having received the console for Christmas a couple of months before, was fun at the time but still a bit janky. The collision detection is miles off, Strider himself has about four frames of animation, and the sound effects randomly vanish. Periodically, usually as a giant boss is about to appear, the screen just pauses. I’d like to say it’s crap, because all signs point to crap. But it’s not.

Click to view slideshow.

There’s just something about Strider’s acrobatic prowess and the baffling list of baddies that makes it enjoyable. Even if there’s the SuckySuck Bit(TM) to end all SuckySuck Bits(TM) on the final level. Heavy boss after heavy boss. That was tricky.

The post Strider (MD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Mega Drive, Post, retro

Mega-lo-Mania (MD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 12/03/2016 Written by deKay

Mega-lo-Mania
Winner of Everything.

Another 18 months have passed, and once more it was time to play and complete one of the very best of all Mega Drive games – Mega-lo-Mania. It’s such a great game, and I could probably play it over and over until the end of time and never get bored.

As usual when I play, none of the AI players bothered to put any people into suspended animation for the final level, meaning instant win when I got that far. It’s a shame really, as I much prefer to actually fight on it.

Click to view slideshow.

The post Mega-lo-Mania (MD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Filed Under: Gaming Diary Tagged With: completed, Mega Drive, Post, retro

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96: Magic Beans
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What is this word “late” which you are saying? I do not recognise it and I do not understand it and I do not wish to believe it exists! Episode 96 cannot be late, for it was never scheduled. Sir, you embarrass yourself.

Arguments about timetabling aside, we would like to invite you to enjoy this most recent (at time of typing) episode of your favourite podcast! deKay, Kendrick and Orrah huddled round a warm bucket of cocoa and discussed, to varying lengths, the important news of our time – including Nintendo’s Mario Direct, more unfortunate developers losing their jobs because Money, Microsoft increasing the price of Game Pass (again, because Money) and Starbreeze getting several years into developing an eagerly anticipated Dungeons & Dragons game before pulling the plug because, well, Money. Thankfully, there’s some Good Stuff too, like chat about these games.

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