Monday, March 25, 2024

Easy, but not too easy.

Switch demos:

  • Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is not what I expected, and I like it.
  • Contra: Operation Galuga was kinda boring.
  • Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown feels better than I expected.
  • Princess Peach™: Showtime! is pretty sweet.
  • Swordship is really polished, but just didn't really do it for me.

3DS:

  • Ever Oasis is great; a true hidden gem. Challenging in more ways than one, but never too difficult or overwhelming; Grezzo did a great job making sure there're all kinds of options to streamline the game's various systems.

GBA:

  • Scurge was really fun, right up until the final boss; felt like such a chore that I figured I was missing something. Checked-out some walkthroughs and playthroughs and yup, it's just a chore.
  • Lady Sia really is better than what I'd thought of it in the past. It's rough around the edges, but it plays well and looks great on a proper display.

GB:

  • Fall of the Foot Clan was just as good as I'd rembered. Simple and fun.
  • Kirby's Dream Land 2 was kind of a slog, and unlocking the secret ending felt like another chore.
  • Gargoyle's Quest is brutal, but also really charming.

Also, my Pocket Adapter Set arrived, and they're almost perfect. Neo Turf Masters (NGPC) doesn't work, and PCE/TG-16 six-button support is a problem with the adapter blocking the shoulder buttons.

Thanks to those adapters, I finally played through my copies of Splatterhouse - which is still really solid - and Keith Courage, which... This was the pack-in, remember. Yikes.

Anyway, lucked-into free copies of Need for Speed Underground 2 (sweet!) and Most Wanted Black Edition (already had it) and they've aged pretty well.

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Yeah, I'm spending too much money.

Yesterday's finds:
  • Batman Returns (GG)
    • Good game.
  • Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter (PS2)
    • Weird game.
  • Children of Mana (DS)
    • Shop was trying to sell a loose copy with a "printed cover" for $65; this game has never sold for more than $40, even new. Also, their "printed cover"s are just generic store templates with the game's title in all-caps. I worked-out a three-for-two deal that got it down to a more reasonable price.
  • Coca Cola Kid (GG)
    • Gray cart. Saw it in a weird small-town pawnshop for $30 CDN. Yup.
  • Croc (PS1)
    • Black label, but just the cover of the manual :/
  • Orcs and Elves (DS)
    • Always wanted to try it.
  • Robocop vs The Terminator (GG)
    • Good game.
  • Thor: God of Thunder (DS)
    • WayForward!
  • Vampire Master of Darkness (GG)
    • Found a guy a few towns over selling his kids' collection; got it for under $100.