r/retrogaming

Hey guys, have you heard that they announced Golden Axe animated series? Isn't it ... not brutal enough? In my childhood it felt like true grim dark...

Pardon me for making a new post here because I didn’t know where to talk about the new TV series coming out since the game series ended so long ago that I was wondering why a new TV show is suddenly being announced.

Maybe the whole thing is a hoax as I keep hearing about how there is going to be a brand new series coming out as the thing that puzzles me is what led to a demand for a TV show based on an arcade game franchise that ended such a long time ago.

Since Disney now owns 20th Century Fox including The Simpsons and Home Alone, Disney also has licensed multiple retro games like Disney Afternoon Collection and Toy Story, do you think they will license The Simpsons and Home Alone to maybe Limited Run Games to re-release the retro games from the 8 bit and 16 bit eras? I know the games are not considered very good but I would love to see a retro games compilation for them.

So how do I put it? Well lately I was fascinated at how some old games back in the day would use a particular gimmick as a huge selling point as what I mean is how some games would over the top violence to draw people into the game.

Like what I was recalling was how the original Mortal Kombat was a game that used violence as a big selling point since the game was one of the most violent arcade games ever made that if it weren't for the gore factor, the game would have underperformed back then.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I just find it interesting the way older games used to operate since I sometimes wonder how modern gaming could use those kind of gimmicks again such as violence to sell units since I wanted to look into the older days of gaming to better understand what some developers used to help their game get mass attention back in the day regarding the concept of gimmicks.

I have a game doctor in my snes which can read and play games from floppy discs. Where could you theoretically download the game files and how would you transfer them to the floppy discs in a way that make them playable. Sometimes you also have to split the file into separate parts but I don’t know how to do that. If someone could help me out that would be very appreciated. I do have access to an old computer with a floppy disc reader.

What are your favorite (or least favorite) alternate ways of displaying health in games? Anything that isn't some kind of meter or numbers (but it's okay if the game uses both)

Two that pop into my head are Cool Spot, with the character slowly peeling off the display, or Aladdin on Genesis, with the smoke coming out of the lamp.

Who not knows me. I actually use all 10 numbers. A 5 of 10 is already a fun game. just not outstanding.

Toy Pop (1986): A surprisingly complex game for its time. Not only does it have actual stages, but it also features multiple weapons and a large variety of different enemies, each requiring a specific weapon to defeat. It also has a quite catchy jingle.

The problem: The game is not balanced at all. While the idea of using different weapons for different enemies is cool on paper, the stages are poorly designed. Since you cannot switch weapons without picking up a new one, you frequently have to dodge enemy types you cannot currently kill. The stages are often too narrow to properly dodge enemies, making it a game of pure luck whether you get the correct weapon drop at the right time. Additionally, because there are no continues, beating all 42 stages and the overturned boss as intended is basically impossible.

Conclusion: 4/10

Bosconian (1981): This game was actually a technical milestone being the first game that allowed 8 direction of movement. While it has no music the sound effects are cool and it has a few elements of stylish voice over.

This game is brutally hard but fair for the most part. It just has the tendency to spawn enemies right in your face. Else it's cool that you have to use the force here to hit the core of space stations.
But seriously... This game is hard as hell.

I mean... How hard can a game be. It's already hard to get in your shots. But the constant spawns of enemies and later Bosconian's starting to protect their core makes this a game where a split second decision can cost you a run.

But hey. The game actually gives you a fair amount of lives I think. You will need them... Because did I mention that this game is dificult. i do think I should, just to make sure. (I'm actually one of 5 people that got the beaten Retro Achievement for this one.)

Conclusion: 5/10 (barely missed the 6)

Pac-Man (1980): I never was a big fan of the classic Pac-Man gameplay. While I like some of the later games that add some more creative labyrinth and power ups, I think the original game just isn't that much fun. The game has one stage with the only difference between level being that everything moves quicker and more points for special items.

Moreover the port that is on this collections just isn't good with the ghosts often time resetting their AI making them move in unpredictable patterns.
Of course the Pac-Man jingle is still very good though.

Also despite my dislike for Pac-Man I can't deny that it has it's moments of fun if you get into a flow and manipulate the ghost like puppets.

Conclusion: 4/10

Galaga (1981): Oh yes Galaga. I do see the appeal of this one. The game can quickly get very hectic. One problem I see though is that their are moments where you absolutely HAVE to hit enemies, or you run into unwinnable spots. This is hard to do as you are only allowed to have two bullets on screen at once. Miss twice and you are screwed.

I'm also not a big fan of the bonus stages. Not only do you have to play perfectly, you also need to perfectly memorize them. I never think that "memorization" is that fun of a skill check.
But it did create the bullet hell genre so I'm thankful for that.

In some stages the enemies start to move ridiculously quickly. I would recommend using the good old pause trick to actually see where you can dodge. On Retro Achievement you have to beat 16 Stages of this. So it is harder as it seems at first.

Conclusion: 5/10

Pole Position (1982): A game that was the inspiration for many very good speed racer in the Nes and Snes era. It's easy to see why. Even though the game has only one track and a simple one at that, it is just extremely fun. Learning how to perfectly take the corners needs quite some training and good timing, and I love the transfer challenge of getting this while dealing with more and more cars on the track. It also doesn't overstay its welcome. One qualify lap for warm up and then 4 laps in the race.

I don't think there was music in this one, but the cars actually sound very nice. Despite being completely 2D and drawn, it does feel 3D somehow. It is the best-looking game on this collection. There is not much bad I could say about this one. Yet, obviously it's a game you beat once and then you are happy.

Conclusion: 7/10

Rally-X (1980): Oh boy. If you look up "unfair" in a dictionary, you will see a picture of this game. This game is not just arcade hard; it's basically unplayable without abusing pause buffering. Its main obstacle, the red cars, follows the same principle as the Pac-Man ghosts. But take away the rules that sometimes make the ghosts predictable and any power-up to deal with them. Also, every single one of the cars acts like a combination of Blinky and Pinky. Oh, did I also mention that the cars are not just quicker than you, they are much quicker?

While you have to deal with this madness, you have to collect 10 flags that spawn completely randomly in a complex labyrinth you have to fully memorize if you want any hope of getting through. But don't think memorizing it is enough. There are also some random rock spawns that create unexpected dead ends that can completely mess you up.

Of course, the labyrinths are also extremely badly designed. There are plenty of spots where you are always dead if the cars force you inside, or where you have to make a kamikaze commitment. Because you also have a very short time limit in this game, and the only weapon to fight back eats away at it. There were plenty of moments where the enemy cars camped the last flag and I died due to not being able to get there.

The first round of this starts with 3 cars. There are already 7 cars at stage 6 (the amount I had to beat). Just imagine how fun this is. Even with pause buffering, the enemies are moving so chaotically that you need luck to survive.

All of this is supported by horrible controls. In Pac-Man, if you hit a wall without steering, you just stop and lose a little time and likely distance to the ghosts. In Rally-X, the car just automatically turns - always directly into death if possible. Oh, and the game also loves to eat inputs. So be prepared to deal with a lot of random turns.

If this were not enough, the game tortures you with an ear-bleeding OST that does not fit the game at all. It also looks bad compared to Pac-Man.

I oftentimes made the joke "that winning is not a mechanic that is intended in this game."

Conclusion: 1/10

New Rally-X (1981): This game is an update to the original that tries to fix every issue the original has. It starts with only 1 enemy car and slowly builds up more. They took the original levels and created more pathways in them for less kamikaze commitments. They placed less rocks. They zoomed the vision more out. The cars move somewhat slower and try to be a little more predictable. They added a map marker for the flag you should get first for extra points. They also added a "last" flag that just straight not works and only slows the game down. They give you 1 more life and allow the player to get 2 instead of 1 extra lives. LUXUS!

Yet, it just shows how bad the original Rally-X is that it is still a bad game despite everything they tried. The controls are still bad and the overall problem with the enemies is still there. It just gives you a little more of a warm up. Even the levels are still bad despite being improved.
But the worst part is. They somehow managed to make the game even more ugly and the sound effects and OST of this one should be forbidden by the Geneva Convention. How can you make a game sound this bad? This has to be on purpose!

Conclusion: 1/10

Overall: I do like the museum part of the collection. it's quite cute and need. But if I look at this one as a collection then Rally-X really pulls it down. You have to consider that they make 2/7 of this package. Also most of the game just aren't that much fun nowadays anymore. I can see that some people might still enjoy Pac-Man and Pole Position is cool. But else as a overall package I have to give it a 3/10. I don't think their is that much value for people to play this nowadays unless they have nostalgia for Arcade games.