JUMP INTO THAT HOLE!!!

After the drill breaks through, I like to hang around and keep shooting grievers just so I can hear Sgt Duke get frustrated because we won't jump in. In this game, I stayed on the surface for 5 mins just blasting then Duke yelled at Samus--"JUMP-INTO-THAT-HOLE!" I would have sworn I heard him add a "...goddamnit!!!" at the end! LOLOL

I'm going to play it again and this time I'm not going to jump in at all--just to see how the game reacts!!

u/CleanAd8632 — 6 days ago

I Need To Grow Up!

I never played "video games" as a kid. In 1989, at 31, I was introduced to Nintendo by my 11-year old with the NES.

This is me today, retired and 70-years old: Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Wii-U, Switch, and in January, a Switch 2!

(...and the PS3 is in the closet!) LOL

My wife of 48 years and my 47-year old keep telling me: GROW UP! Maybe I will...one day!

u/CleanAd8632 — 7 days ago

Getting Early Screw Attack: One Way Or Another Way

SPOILER!! SPOILER!!

** [NOTE: I don't know how to "spoiler mask" this video--so, if you don't want to know how to do it, don't watch it!!!]

I found the alternate method of getting early Screw Attack (SA) without the frustration of the extremely cumbersome underwater bomb jump. With this alternate method, you get the Gravity Suit as intended, then you maneuver through frozen Artaria to get the upgrade. And this method is MUCH, MUCH easier!!!

With that, I'd like to revisit my earlier comment on the value of getting SA early and ask you a question.

It seems a lot of players put a lot of stock in getting this capability earlier in the game than intended. I'm not convinced that getting it early is "all that."

For those who disagree, is the benefit/goal/desire of getting SA early for the purpose of defeating the bosses "Experiment Z-57" and/or "Escue" faster?

I ask because getting SA early doesn't help with Kraid (you can kill Kraid in 15 seconds without SA) or Drogyga (you can skip this fight altogether); and in order to get SA early you should have Space Jump (if using the bomb jump method), and you probably already have:

  • Spin Boost

  • Super Missile

  • Ice Missile

  • Plasma Beam

By the time you get early SA, you're almost at the end of the game and Samus is pretty "swole" with "kick-ass-ability." And since you can't use SA on an EMMI (Purple), and Escue is an easy fight without SA, Z-57 seems to be the only objective remaining for "battle" purposes. If you click the link below, here's my Z-57 fight with SA, and you'll see it doesn't really give you an advantage--Samus still takes major damage by hitting it in the face (with SA); the only real use was defeating the "eyeball" door and using it against its arms when he attaches to the wall (and in truth, Storm Missiles work better on the arms than SA, IMO).

Finally, since you would have gotten SA immediately after beating Z-57 anyway, what's the real benefit of getting it early??

[My fight with Z-57 with Screw Attack]

link

[EDIT]: In this battle, I had:

  • Speed Boost *
  • Super Missile 
  • Plasma Beam 
  • Spin Boost 
  • Ice Missile 
  • Cross Bomb * 
  • Space Jump * 
  • Storm Missiles 
  • Gravity Suit 
  • Screw Attack *

(* Got these early)

u/CleanAd8632 — 15 days ago

Early Screw Attack: Underwater Bomb Jump (2)

Okay folks, I have good news and bad news about the necessary underwater bomb jump to get the Screw Attack early:

GOOD NEWS: On my second day of practicing this trick, I GOT IT!! And after only 10 attempts. "Yay!" for me. But...

BAD NEWS: I don't really know what I did--it was a fluke! And in my excitement, I completely forgot the part about space jumping across the water. Instead, I immediately space jumped up the wall, thinking the Screw Attack was right there, but that was the Blue Teleportal!!

Damnit! I soft locked myself!!

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!

You know that scene in "The Da Vinci Code" where the naked monk starts whipping his own ass with a cattail whip? That was me! I cursed myself, called myself a stupid MF, and punched myself in the head 20-times because after restarting the game, and for the next 3.5 hours of trying, I couldn't repeat my success.

Disappointed, angry, and in tears, I just gave up on it. I ran over, grabbed the Gravity Suit, beat up on Z-57, THEN got the Screw Attack the "normal" way and beat the game.

I'm 70 years old. At an early age, I resigned myself to never understanding trigonometry, I'll never fly a plane, I won't hit the Powerball...and I'll probably never get that underwater bomb jump again which means I'll probably never get Screw Attack early!

Oh well!

C'est la vie! I guess half a victory is better than no victory at all.

u/CleanAd8632 — 17 days ago

Take Away One (1) Ability

You "HAVE" to play with a handicap! Which one (only 1) of these abilities do you lose?

(Choose only from this list):

- Spider Magnet

- Morph Ball

- Grapple Beam

- Diffusion Beam

- Super Missile

- Ice Missile

- Cross Bomb

- Space Jump

- Gravity Suit

- Screw Attack

- Wave Beam

reddit.com
u/CleanAd8632 — 23 days ago

Boss Escue: Redo

u/baasbennie

It's not as elegant as your video, but I got to the same result!! Thanks for the inspiration!

u/CleanAd8632 — 23 days ago

Escue Boss Fight

This is my attempt to show my Escue boss fight after hitting it with an initial shinespark. I tried to kluge together three clips to show the battle.

I don’t know how much life the spark took away from Escue, but the entire fight was short, only about 90 seconds.

In trying to fight while also trying to hit the video button, I missed one 4-missile shot between the 2nd and 3rd clip, but this vid captures about 95% of the fight.

u/CleanAd8632 — 24 days ago
▲ 102 r/70s

Things You No Longer Find On Modern American Cars

From my memory, this list is from the viewpoint of cars built starting from the 1970s to today (e.g., I don't include things like rubbet tire inner tubes, which were no longer standard in the 70s):

  • Bench Front Seat
  • Carburetor
  • Cassette Player
  • Chrome Trim
  • Cigarette Lighters
  • Dash Panel Choke Cable/Knob
  • Distributor
  • Door Window Handle Crank
  • Full Spare Tire
  • Generator
  • High Beam Foot Switch
  • Lap Seat Belts
  • Mechanical Fuel Pump
  • Metal Hub Caps
  • Points and Condenser
  • Radiator Fan Belt
  • Rear Seat Ashtray
  • Sealed Beam Headlights
  • Vent Windows
  • Voltage Regulator
  • White Wall Tires

What am I missing?

reddit.com
u/CleanAd8632 — 24 days ago

Samus' Breastplate (Pt. 2)

I recently started a discussion about the purpose of the overly large breastplate on Samus' suit in "Dread" (see link below).

Many respondents commented on it having a direct relationship to Samus' anatomy--"protecting" her breasts. I stumbled upon this image that might give that argument some context.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MetroidDread/s/EqoPE8SG6w

u/CleanAd8632 — 26 days ago

(Finally!) Success With Burenia "String" Shinespark

Of all the "trickiest" shinesparks, that 3-spark "string" in middle of Burenia ate my lunch for a long time. I eventually got it but used the space jump in the 2nd spark to get over the incline. That process (a bit unconventional) is now second nature to me.

I could never successfully execute the method where you ignite the 2nd spark while falling, then the third at the top of the ramp.

That is until today! This is the second difficult spark I'm now able to execute!

I've joined two videos to illustrate this. The first clip is my new success from today. I always went brain dead and finger-fumble trying to get that 2nd spark, but today it just came to me. I did it 4 consecutive times just to be sure it wasn't a fluke.

The 2nd clip is my original ("go to") method.

Which is the way you do it--"1" or "2?" Is there a third variant I can try?

u/CleanAd8632 — 28 days ago

I Finally Did It! I Killed Experiment Z-57!

Okay, I've killed Z-57 many, MANY times, but this is the first time I was able to pull-off the shinespark kill. Everytime I play, I try it and fail, but I finally got it tonight! I think I've increased my Metroid shinespark cred by a factor of .001! LOL YAAA for me!!

u/CleanAd8632 — 29 days ago

The Ends of Kraid

The fight cut scenes with Kraid. You'll notice a slight variance in how Kraid reacts in the two edits where Samus parrys his punch.

Are there other Kraid fight cut scenes other than the flash, the parry, and the morphball bomb? Can you Phantom Cloak or Grapple Beam shoot him? I'm gonna try those next...

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago
▲ 26 r/Pikmin

I Hate These Guys!!

Of all the Pikmin 2 enemies, I hate these guys the most:

• Burrowing and Pileated Snagrets

• Empress Bulblax / Bulborb Larva Combo

• Man-at-Legs

• Dirigibug

• Gatling Groink

Now, I know when you take them on individually, they're "relatively" easy to defeat, but they're still problematic in getting in position to knock them off. Of this group, I despise the Pileated and Burrowing Snagrets the most because their attack is so erratic. They're really easy to target and defeat (with spicy spray) in Pikmin 1, but they're really agile in P2.

My second worse nightmare is the Empress Bulblax/Bulbord Larva combo.

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago
▲ 50 r/Pikmin

I Like The Way They Walk

I just love the way Louie, Olimar, and the Boss walk/run--so cute!!

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago

Samus' Breastplate

Is there some utility or power storage in her breastplate? Or, is this a part of her back thruster pack, or is it simply protection (a "second chance" vest)? The breastplate looks so imposing, I'm curious if it has some other purpose.

[EDIT: I never gave her breastplate much thought until now, since most of her body has no "armor," per se. And when you think about it, the vast majority of her enemies in Dread don't shoot projectiles at her--they just body charge at her. And we know the breastplate gives her no protection from the EMMI's spike.]

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago
▲ 20 r/Pikmin

What Is Your Strategy For This Level (Pikmin 2)

How do you manage Level 4 in Wistful Wild ("Dream Den" hole)?

I've played Pikmin 2 a gazillion times since 2002 (on both Switch and GameCube), and each time, this level gives me great anxiety--it feels like virtual acrophobia!

The way I handle it is very deliberate:

• My platoon: 50 Blue, 20 Red, 20 Yellow, 5 Purple, and 5 White

• I leave everyone at the top and cull out my 20 Yellow and 5 White

• I and the Boss use the one Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae to kill the other, then we punch out the surviving Beetle.

• Then I take the 20 Yellow and attack the electric Anode Beetles. I need to be careful because they sometimes bounce off the Beetles and fall over into the abyss--I sometimes verbally gasp(!) when that happens!

• Then I take the 5 White and destroy the toxic gas pipes.

• Lastly, I grab everybody and collect the treasure coin and all the carcasses (for points)!

The whole thing takes me 15 mins because I'm so scared of accidentally getting myself or my guys bowled over or tossing them over the railing!

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago

"Hadar... sen olmen!" (Power... is everything)

(Is it really, though?) ;-)

Okay, one more question (not promising it'll be the last):

In this video, what's happening to Samus in the moment when her visor goes dark--right after Raven Beak says the "...power is everything..." bit? Is she being "injected" with the "X" through RB's grasp? Has she been killed in that moment--either by the "X" or the strength of RB's grip, but rejuvenated when she's infected by the "X?" If she's immune to the "X" then what's happening here? Why does her suit change here, but unchanged in all previous contacts with the "X?"

I'm only asking about the 15 seconds when she appears to have expired.

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago

Samus in Hanubia: What's Happening Here?

I  have a question--I'm looking for some clarity in what's happening with Samus when she gets to Hanubia.

When she first enters the lab in Hanubia (I assume this is Raven Beak's Metroi/"X" lab), she encounters an "X"-infected creature.  Before it attacks, they stare at each other. 

Later in Hanubia, she encounters the Orange EMMI.

In both encounters, Samus has this "crazy" look in her eyes (for lack of a better word) and she contorts her facial expression.  Except for her encounter with RB at the start of the game, this is the first time we see her face (in this game), and her expression comes off (to me) as fear...or "dread."  In the encounter with the creature her body language also seems to express anxiety.

When she encounters the EMMI, I no longer sense fear and I understand by now she's beginning to realize she has a power beyond her weapons, but what's really happening in her head--especially when she encounters the creature?

I've attached links to two videos of the encounters to refresh your memory, and the attached screen capture from the creature encounter is an example of what I think is fear in her body language.

Am I misinterpreting this?


u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago

NPC's Military Affiliation

I have a couple of questions:

  • Is the "Galactic Federation" a military organization or a police force?

  • If "military," are they the "Galactic Federation Army" or the "Galactic Federation Marine Corps?"

  • What is Nora Armstrong's rank?

I ask these questions because the rank insignia icon used in Beyond to identify Armstrong appears to be that of a "corporal." In the game, she is referred formally as "Private Armstrong" and Tokabi is referred to as a "Corporal."

When in Chrono Tower, the game displays the group's rank insignia. Excluding VUE, MacKenzie and Tokabi are displayed by their "rating" or their jobs (technician (a wrench) and sniper (an aiming reticle)), while Duke and Armstrong are displayed by their ranks (or "rate") using traditional chevrons.

Traditionally, many "marine corps" are part of a country's naval organization, as with the U.S. In the U.S. Navy, enlisted personnel are referred to by their function--their jobs (e.g., "boatswain" or "machineist"), but in the Army (and Marine Corps) they're referred to only by their ranks (e.g., "private," "corporal," "sergeant," etc.).

In many world armies and marine corps, "chevrons" are used for enlisted personnel, where 3 stripes generally represent a "sergeant," and 2 stripes are a "corporal." And in both services, a "private" (or "private first class") is represented by a single stripe.

Both the MP4 game and Wikitroid say Armstrong is a "private," so what is this icon from the game at Chrono Tower?

u/CleanAd8632 — 1 month ago