sparky wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 6:07 am I have not played the original Bangai-O - apart from the Switch, 2DS, and PS5, I have a Mac laptop - I might be able to find it through some venture through the emulator and rom worlds, but my backlog of books, games and videos probably already exceeds my lifespan!

That's an equation that keeps looking worse and worse, I agree. Still, Bangai-O is one that stands out in my memory, although I did play it (on the Dreamcast) before I played Spirits. The sense of humour on display in that game is bizarre. I still need to go back and finish it one day...

I've been playing some Warioware: Get It Together on the Switch today. I dig it. Quality update to the Warioware formula. Played it co-op with my daughter and that was excellent.

Bangai-O Spirits has a unusual sense of humour, most apparent in the training dialogue scenes, but more deeply in the level design, which is full of non-sequiturs and ingenious gimmicks that last a level before being blithely thrown away. "Brain training for God", as Tim Rogers put it.

I am playing Radiant Silvergun through the story mode, which adds lives and retains your weapon level whenever you save after a run. I now have 36 lives and weapons that obliterate early bosses in seconds, and I am not sure I have hit the halfway point. I am rubbish at it, but still enjoying it.

"Return to Monkey Island" felt like a compulsory buy; looks fun from the first few minutes with it.

The story mode is a bit longer as well, since you play through all the stages, whereas in the arcade mode a couple of them are either/or. IIRC the story mode is about 45 minutes to get through; definitely long for a shmup.

Sleeping Dogs, a GTA clone set in Hong Kong. I dig the mood and its fun to drive about and mess around. I have to visit that city.

You can buy different clothing and some of them give you bonuses. So the dilemma is then: Do I max the stats or go for style?

Lately when hanging out with my brother I've enjoyed watching him play Yakuza Like A Dragon. I think the series used to be more of a beat em up, but this one works like a jrpg. Jrpgs are not my jam, but this game is so goofy and charming I like it. The first several main characters are a bunch of middle aged misfits and they run around doing quests that are a great mix of mundane, silly, and sincere. Once it gets going it's a surprisingly positive and optimistic little adventure.

Mech warrior online.

Finally fucking beat (not finished, 96%) Hollow Knight. 59 hours. Overall it’s good, but I hate when there are alternate, supposedly more satisfying story endings that are locked behind ultra difficult stuff. I guess I’ll never see those.

Friends are suggesting I try Heroes of Hammerwatch.

biscuitdough wrote: Wed Oct 19, 2022 7:25 am Finally fucking beat (not finished, 96%) Hollow Knight. 59 hours. Overall it’s good, but I hate when there are alternate, supposedly more satisfying story endings that are locked behind ultra difficult stuff. I guess I’ll never see those.

At 96% you should be pretty close, depending what you haven’t gotten yet. Did you fully awaken the Dream Nail and go to the White Palace?

Adam P wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 1:12 pm

biscuitdough wrote: Wed Oct 19, 2022 7:25 am Finally fucking beat (not finished, 96%) Hollow Knight. 59 hours. Overall it’s good, but I hate when there are alternate, supposedly more satisfying story endings that are locked behind ultra difficult stuff. I guess I’ll never see those.

At 96% you should be pretty close, depending what you haven’t gotten yet. Did you fully awaken the Dream Nail and go to the White Palace?

Yeah. Can you even fight the "final" boss without the awoken Dream Nail? Or do you mean I need another upgrade beyond that?

Anyway, I have been to the White Palace, realized it would take months to handle all the crazy platforming there. I know that there's a charm you get for finishing it and beating the Traitor Lord, who I've tried dozens of times without success.

I saved Cloth on this run, unfortunately, so I can't cheese the Traitor Lord. If it was just the White Palace it might make sense to give it a shot.

Part of my 96% might be that I did some of the Grimm Troupe stuff, but not much. Just the first two missions.

I think I burned myself out doing the DLC content along the way, since it's all incorporated into the main game and makes it longer.

By the time I'd wasted enough of my life on the last colosseum fight and the fucking White Palace, I didn't have the will to go fight the final boss. Not to mention the game was strongly hinting that the ending would be sadcore.