Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

JP LeBreton & John Romero Talk about And Play Doom

Spacebase creator JP LeBreton and John Romero play through Doom “Knee Deep in the Dead,” in its entirety. It's fun to watch John play through the game and talk about it as he was so instrumental in creating it.

Now can we get a Myamoto playing through the original Legend of Zelda video series?

Children of Morta Is A Beautiful Pixel Art Roguelike

Back this on Kickstarter!

"Children of Morta is a story-driven hack ‘n slash game incorporating the elements of the roguelike genre, where you will go on an adventure with the guardian family of Bergsons.

The family have lived on the outskirts of Mount Morta, guarding it for many generations. As a tragic event in Morta corrupts the roots of life deep in the mountain, all the creatures turn into furious, mindless monsters. Now the land’s only hope is for the Bergsons to find the seeds of life and use them to cleanse the corruption.

The game has a unique art style blending the old-school 2D pixel art aesthetics with a few modern lighting and rendering techniques, bringing to life a world of... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S3 E1 - The Newest Season Ever

We are back with the Cheerful Ghost Roundtable Season 3. We talk a bit about what we've been playing over the holidays like Shadows of Mordor, Destiny, Risk of Rain, Pokemon & Super Mario Brothers.

During the Roundtable I mentioned beta testing Half-life 3 for Valve and as I was talking script drew something that reflected what I was playing.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pWGPLx7kKj0/VMBhnWwMWwI/AAAAAAAAATw/H3R7igzOGI8/w395-h526-no/hl3.jpg

We also dig into what we are looking forward to with gaming in 2015 and more!

Fallout VS Skyrim - Which Main Character Would Win?

New video from YouTuber Andrewfilms that pits the main character of Skyrim VS Fallout 3. Interesting matchup and fun to watch. I kind of think the Fallout 3 character would win, but FusRohDah is pretty powerful.

WHO WON? YOU DECIDE!

The Stealthy Game That I Did Not Play Stealthily.

http://game-insider.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/deus-ex-human-revolution-wallpaper.jpg

This is a game that I will be talking about for a long time. I was not familiar with the series, and only ended up playing it because a friend badgered me to play it for several years, and I have to say, I am extremely glad I did.

I'd like to start by saying that I am absolutely terrible at stealthy games, and (shame) I did have to play it on the easiest difficulty setting for it to be enjoyable for me. However, it was extremely enjoyable and it is a game that I will be playing and recommending to people for a long time.

The game starts out fairly quickly with about ten minutes of instruction for people who have never played. Right off the bat, you see how much this... Read All

Heed The Magic Mollusk And Illuminate The Dark World!

Back this on Kickstarter!

Moonman is a really great looking new Terraria-esque procedurally-generated adventure game that looks too good not to share. They are on Kickstarter right now looking to raise 35K and if you want to get in on it, you should!

"In a strange, nocturnal world a moonman is summoned by an ancient mollusc. It sends him to the seven farthest corners of the land to search for fallen moon fragments -- that will power a great star-machine.

Explore a strange and vibrant world, harvest resources from the environment, craft and trade items, and have odd encounters. Each new game generates a unique world to explore.

You play as a happy green moonman whose quest is to search for... Read All

New Nintendo 3DS XL Release Date And More

Yesterday, Nintendo released information regarding the "New 3DS XL." Yes, that is the name of the new system. The new system includes amiibo functionality, a faster processor, face plates, and more. This new system will be available on February 13th for $200. Sadly, for some reason, it seems it will not ship with a charger. That bit of news really baffles me, but I haven't dived deeper into the news to see why that is.

Since I was a child, I've had almost every version of Nintendo's handheld system, starting with the original Gameboy. I still have many of them such as the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy SP, DS, DSi, and 3DS XL.. However, I am currently happy with my... Read All Yesterday, Nintendo released information regarding the "New 3DS XL." Yes, that is the name of the new system. The new system includes amiibo functionality, a faster processor, face plates, and more. This new system will be available on February 13th for $200. Sadly, for some reason, it seems it will not ship with a charger. That bit of news really baffles me, but I haven't dived deeper into the news to see why that is.

Since I was a child, I've had almost every version of Nintendo's handheld system, starting with the original Gameboy. I still have many of them such as the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy SP, DS, DSi, and 3DS XL.. However, I am currently happy with my 3DS XL, which I bought at the end of 2013. My son also has a 3DS XL he got for Christmas that same year. So, I am not planning on buying the new system any time soon. I may, however, purchase an expected amiibo adapter when that becomes available.

Nintendo also announced many games coming soon for the 3DS and Wii U. These include Fire Emblem, Majora's Mask, and a new free-to-play Pokemon game for the 3DS. The Wii U is getting some Wii games for the Virtual Console including the Metroid Prime Trilogy and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

For me, the most exciting news that was released yesterday was that Hyrule Warriors will be getting a new DLC. The Majora's Mask pack is scheduled to be released on February 5th. It will include two new characters; Young Link and Tingle. It will also include new costumes and a new Adventure Mode map. I am still playing Hyrule Warriors, trying to finish Adventure Mode. I have completed all Adventure Mode maps (regular and Master Quest), except for the Twilight map, which I'm currently working on.

Feel free to see the following link for more information: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-3ds-xl-release-date-new-fire-emblem-and-all-th/1100-6424655/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage

*Update 11/2019*
I bought a Legend of Zelda themed "New 2DS XL" last year and I really love it. I was out years ago that Hyrule Warriors pretty much required the "New" model with the better processor. If you play it on the old model, the game runs very poorly. I can't say personally as I don't have the handheld version of the game, but I do love the Wii U version. I got the 2DS instead of the 3DS simply because I don't really like the 3D functionality. I'm pretty sure this came with a power adapter as well. Sadly, I've only played one game on it and I think that was Pokemon Moon (the second version I think). I do strongly recommend this "New" 2or3DS model.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 01/15/2015 at 04:38pm

This sounds pretty rad. I owned an original Gameboy back in the day, but never owned a handheld system after that. I think I was taking myself too seriously.

But now, after owning a Wii U, and playing Mario Kart on the controller whilst having something else on the TV might have convinced me as to how great handheld gaming can be. I don't anticipate getting one right away, but I no longer rule out buying a DS of some form :)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 01/15/2015 at 04:39pm

(And what's funny is that the Wii U controller was the part I thought I'd hate about it. I do prefer playing games on the tv with Pro controllers, but the Wii U controller is super handy for multitasking)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/15/2015 at 04:59pm

Well, it's been a long time since a Nintendo console and handheld system were able to function together. The Gameboy Advance was able to be connected to the Gamecube and used in some games (like Animal Crossing). Recently, that functionality has come back. In Super Smash Bros, you can use the 3DS and Wii U together, or at least transfer data from one system to the other. Actually, now that I think on it, I think the Wii and DS versions of Animal Crossing also had similar functionality.

At first, I thought the Wii U gamepad was a bit bigger than I expected, when it used it at the kiosk in Gamestop. Since then, I've gotten used to it and I like it a lot. I now turn on the Wii U using the gamepad and I use the touch screen to select the game I want to play and log in under my profile (instead of my son's). I've been playing Hyrule Warriors a lot and don't usually use the touch screen in game, though. I did try to co-op the game with my son, which put him on the TV and me on the Gamepad. That was a bit disappointing since I'm used to playing on the TV.

I'm glad you're enjoying your Wii U.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/15/2015 at 08:34pm

I've enjoyed the amiibo functionality that's on the Wii U gamepad. I think it's interesting that it came with that functionality before the amiibo figures were released. Every day I use my Link amiibo and my son's Mario amiibo to give me something in Hyrule Warriors. I usually get a weapon using the Link one and just about anything with the Mario one. Sometimes Mario gives me gifts that aren't that great, such as one day I got 1 rupee.

I've used the amiibo figures once on Mario Kart 8, I can't even really recall how that functions, I think it just unlocks Mii costumes. I've used my Link amiibo in Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U a few times, usually putting us on a team. I still have hardly played Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U, but I'll probably play it more when I'm done with Hyrule Warriors, which should be soon. After that, I'll be waiting for the Majora's Mask DLC.

Nintendo also announced new amiibo figures coming out soon. Toad is among them because he has a new game (which I think is already out). The article (link) I shared also states that more Marth figures will be coming out along with a new Fire Emblem game (for the DS, I believe).

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/16/2015 at 12:25am

Hmmm no charger huh? Maybe they figure everyone already has a few previous DS systems?

Hey Greg did you see if this would be backwards compatible with regular DS games too?

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/16/2015 at 01:22am

I found a link explaining the lack of charger for the new system. It states:

Nintendo responded to our request for comment on why it was decided to leave the charger out of the box. According to Nintendo, it was a measure designed to save costs for consumers who may already own a 3DS or DSi system: "New Nintendo 3DS XL uses the same AC adapter as any Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo DSi system. Rather than raise cost of New Nintendo 3DS XL by charging consumers for a component they may already own, we are giving them the option to only buy if they need an AC adapter." http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/14/new-3dsxl-doesnt-include-charger-here-are-some-options

From another Google search, it seems that it will definitely compatible with all DS games, with some exceptions. See the following link: http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/324/~/can-i-play-nintendo-dsi-and-nintendo-ds-games-on-nintendo-3ds-family-systems%3F

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/16/2015 at 01:53am

Great, thanks Greg.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/16/2015 at 03:01am

(My first ever Emoji usage.)

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Grand Theft Auto V PC System Requirements and Release Date

Grand Theft Auto V is another great game in the series. I remember when I was eagerly awaiting the release for the PS3 version. My only disappointment with the game was that the story seemed too short, I completed it rather quickly. I spent very little time playing Grand Theft Auto: Online, the multiplayer part of the game. I was very happy with the character I created, thinking he looked very much like me.

Some time ago, I found out that the game would be coming out for the new consoles (PS4 and XBox One) and also the PC. Although I think the updated game would be a great reason to get a PS4, I have not done so. I figured that I'd wait for the PC release, which was... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 01/13/2015 at 06:57pm

I was coming here to post this! Those are really meager system requirements. I assume to play it like it was last gen it's pretty easy. but to really crank up the graphics to the way it looks current gen requires some beefy hardware. The good news is that it seems like it will scale, unlike the GTA IV port which wasn't stellar.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/13/2015 at 07:26pm

=) So, I beat you to a post! Hahaha. I'm not as up-to-date on hardware like I used to be, so I found some of this confusing, to a point. I re-checked my system specs and I'm sure my PC won't have any trouble with the game. I have an Intel Core i7, 16 GB of RAM, and a Geforce 690 (4GB). While my old PC was able to run GTAIV, it seems that it would not run GTAV, even if it wasn't dead. Speaking of GTAIV, I haven't tried playing it on my new PC.

I'm not yet done with Hyrule Warriors, so I'm not too concerned that GTAV won't be out until near the end of March. I feel like I can wait for it. Although, I'm eagerly awaiting for Terraria 1.3 and Starbound to update.

That said, I wonder how the PC version of GTAV might work with GTA: Online. Meaning, I wonder if PC users will be able to play GTAO with PS or XBox users. That would be really cool, but I kind of doubt it will happen.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/13/2015 at 09:50pm

Hahahaha

Hahahahahahaha

Your rig will murder this game. You don't have to worry.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/13/2015 at 09:59pm

Yeah, actually my "rig" seems about double the "recommended specs." I wasn't worried, really, but it pleases me greatly that my PC is still over-powered for an awesome game that's not even out yet. I seriously have no regrets about buying this awesome PC. For what I paid for it, it should be over-powered hopefully for a few years. It's really quiet, too! =)

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/16/2015 at 12:23am

This looks great. I don't mind Triple A studios releasing on PC later if the port is done properly. Since i'm not a huge GTA fan I may pick this up in some sale or not. Edging to "not" at this point.

That said I am looking forward to Rockstar dropping Read Dead Redemption out as that looks WAY up my alley. I have the GoTY edition on PS3 I just don't play a ton of console games these days and as such haven't started it. Read Dead on PC may be a day one buy for me depending on price.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/16/2015 at 01:27am

I think GTAV will be awesome on the PC. It was cool to see the changes that were made for the next-gen consoles (PS4 and XBox One). The article (link) I shared in this post states: "This PC release will bring all the benefits of the most recent PS4 and Xbox One versions. That includes the first-person mode and an expanded soundtrack, and, exclusively for the PC version, native 4K support." So, yeah it's going to be awesome on the PC.

As for Red Dead Redemption, I loved that game. It is sad that it hasn't come to the PC yet. However, I seem to recall seeing something about a sequel coming. Yeah, check out this link: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rockstar-teases-red-dead-2-explains-gta-5-heist-de/1100-6424277/

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/16/2015 at 01:54am

Making a game to look great in 4K is a good idea. I have a 2.5/3K monitor and really like playing games that way.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/16/2015 at 02:59am

Cool, I don't even know a thing about 4K (or any #K for that matter), except that it seems to be the new HD.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/16/2015 at 05:28am

HD is technically anything 720p or higher. I hate all the HD remasters of things, because I've been playing games in HD for 15 years. What they really mean is they made the textures look bigger.

Anyway, 1080p is 1920x1080, and 4k is 3840 x 2160. 4k is just a shorthand for roughly 4 times as many pixels as 1080p

Travis Admin wrote on 01/16/2015 at 05:28am

Clarified: I don't hate the HD remasters of games, I quite like them. I hate that they're called HD remasters.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/16/2015 at 05:33am

Cool, thanks for the info, Travis. It's crazy how technology is constantly improving, it's hard to keep up sometimes.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/17/2015 at 07:00pm

Travis: In many cases it's not just making the textures larger they actually increase the texture fidelity too. For instance, if they had to downsample the textures originally so they played well on really old hardware they can add the extra quality and some remasters do this. As far as I see it "HD Remaster" makes sense if they do, in fact, include higher resolution textures optimized for resolutions > 480p.

Plus some older games don't support higher resolutions without some hacking or simply don't work at all. Like Warcraft III, putting it into a standard HD mode stretches the image and looks bad as it was optimized for 4x3 monitors. Looking for some remaster of that to come out and according to Blizz, it will eventually.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/18/2015 at 03:35am

Last time I played War 3 it had been patched and supported 1080p without wonky stretching.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/18/2015 at 03:59am

Oh right, my monitor is 16x10 not 16x9.

Missile_Drop_Kick wrote on 01/19/2015 at 06:45pm

I played quite a bit of GTA Online. I got sick of being run over by random people who thought it was hilarious to not play missions and just troll everyone. It's been holding me back from getting it on PS4 or XBox1.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/20/2015 at 03:14am

I just restarted Steam because of an update and I found the following news:
"PRE-PURCHASE BY FEBRUARY 1 AND GET $1,000,000 IN-GAME PLUS A BONUS $300,000 AND A BONUS GAME
Pre-purchase and get $1,000,000 in-game ($500,000 for Grand Theft Auto V and $500,000 for Grand Theft Auto Online).

Pre-purchase by February 1 and get a bonus $300,000 for Grand Theft Auto Online and a bonus digital download of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on PC.

Grand Theft Auto V for PC will be available for pre-load prior to release."

Are you going to pre-order? I think it's tempting, but I'm not sure if I will.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/20/2015 at 03:17am

Actually, I think I probably will pre-order. Here's more info that I read more from Steam:
"EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FOR RETURNING PLAYERS
To reward loyal Grand Theft Auto V fans for playing on PC and experiencing a newer, more detailed version of Los Santos and Blaine County, Rockstar Games has an array of exclusive items specifically for these players returning from PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360 - with each of them connected to activities designed for them to experience the game's massive world in new and exciting ways. For more info about gaining access to exclusive content for returning players, please visit rockstargames.com/V/bonuscontent.

TRANSFER YOUR EXISTING GTA ONLINE CHARACTER
Existing players on PlayStation®3, PlayStation®4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One will be able to transfer their Grand Theft Auto Online characters and progression to PC. For more information, please visit rockstargames.com/gtaonline/charactertransfer"

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/20/2015 at 03:21am

http://store.steampowered.com/app/271590?snr=1_41_4__42

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/20/2015 at 03:26am

Oh and if anyone pre-orders the game (as I just did), here's a solution to the issue you will find when installing San Andreas. After pre-ordering the game, Steam will tell you that it wants to install San Andreas. However, if you're running Steam on Windows, you'll find an "invalid platform" error. To fix this issue, go to your Steam Library and click on San Andreas and click the "Install" button. It will work that way.

Sorry for the multiple comments that I could have posted in one or two.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/20/2015 at 08:56pm

No problem. I don't think i'll pre-order it but those are nice bonuses for people that want to play it day one.

Travis? Are you pre-ordering it?

Travis Admin wrote on 01/20/2015 at 10:06pm

I already have San Andreas ( and warning, the new updates to San Andreas on PC aren't really great.) but I might still preorder for that cash bonus.

Wait no, it's a full $60 for a game that's been out for a long time with a shiny coat of paint. I want it on PC badly, but not $60 badly. I'll wait for the price drop.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/20/2015 at 10:18pm

I don't even really care about the in-game cash bonuses. I think it's cool to have San Andreas on the PC now. I played it on the PS3 and liked it, with a couple of exceptions. I HATED the mission called "Supply Lines." Although, I think I did better at it the second time I played it. I also couldn't seem to get 100% gang owned area, I only got 99%. It would be cool to have all of the other GTA games for the PC, especially GTA3. I really loved that game when it came out on the PS2. I spent tons of hours playing it when I was at Radford University. I also later bought it for the original XBox and liked that it could use the music I had stored on my XBox at the time. I can't recall if I was able to use my own music on the PS3 or PC versions of GTAIV. I wonder if San Andreas is like that, too.

You have some good reasons for not pre-ordering, Travis. I have plenty of money in the bank, so I don't mind that it's a $60 game. I think it's worth it, even though that's what I paid for the PS3 version.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/22/2015 at 03:59am

Travis, did you play San Andreas or GTAIV with a controller on your PC? If so, did you enjoy it better than using the keyboard?

Travis Admin wrote on 01/23/2015 at 04:32am

I played GTAIV with a controller. Never tried it with KB+M. But I played it on PS3 first, so I was used to it.

San Andreas isn't very conducive to playing with a controller, but the first time I played it was back at RU with KB+M and I felt at home with it.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/23/2015 at 05:21am

Cool, thanks for the input (no pun intended). I know I played GTAIV a little bit on the PC years ago and I know that I had to have used the KB+M, though I can't recall that experience very much. Now that I have an XBox 360 USB controller for my PC, perhaps I'll give it a try while playing these games.

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80s Reruns: Super Mario Bros.

I have three functional NES consoles, and two of them are currently hooked up and ready to play. You could say I'm a fan. But nobody talks about these old games much anymore, even though the gameplay in many games holds up even in the present day. Let's do something about that. There's no better place to start than the game everyone played, Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. isn't the first appearance of Mario, or even the first Mario Bros. game, but it's the first introduction most of us had to the characters, and it's what most consider the first game in the core Mario series. It set the rules that platformers would follow even to the present day. There's no... Read All I have three functional NES consoles, and two of them are currently hooked up and ready to play. You could say I'm a fan. But nobody talks about these old games much anymore, even though the gameplay in many games holds up even in the present day. Let's do something about that. There's no better place to start than the game everyone played, Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. isn't the first appearance of Mario, or even the first Mario Bros. game, but it's the first introduction most of us had to the characters, and it's what most consider the first game in the core Mario series. It set the rules that platformers would follow even to the present day. There's no question about the influence this one game has had on the whole industry.

I used to love poring over instruction manuals for NES games, but one thing that sticks out for me with SMB is that it doesn't need one. In the first few seconds of the game, you learn the basics, and by the end of 1-1 you know pretty much all you need to know to get you through. If you run straight forward, you get killed by the goomba. Oh, you must need to hit one of these buttons. Whoa, A jumps, and jumping kills enemies, and makes things come out of these question mark blocks. And suddenly, you realize you've got the hang of it. But then the fun starts.

It isn't an incredibly easy game, but the difficulty curve ramps up nicely, and beyond being accessible, the mechanics are good. Even today, the physics in the game feel natural, and the challenges are well thought-out.

For the time, the graphics were decent, but they were impressive in how they convincingly made this world with such simple pixel art. And the music, especially that iconic theme, lives on in the Mario games even today.

Out of every game I've obsessed over since I first got my NES back in the 80s, this one still probably takes the record for most hours of my life taken up. Even the 550 hours I've put into Terraria or the few 200+ hour games I've put into Skyrim don't hold a candle to the hours I put into beating Super Mario Bros. over and over again. I was obsessed, and I still play it a few times a year.

I realized at some point in college that I almost always played it the same way, warp from 1-2 to world 4, and then warp from 4-2 to world 8, and decided to check out some speed runs. "I can do that," I thought. So for months, I rediscovered the game in a new way, trying to power through as fast as possible to get as close to the record as I could. I think the record at the time was around 5:30 (currently on SDA the world record is 4:58), and I was able to get down to around 6:30 before burning out. I never got good enough to be competitive with it, but it was a blast.

For this blast from the past, I decided to play through the game without warping, and I was surprised at just how much I had forgotten. 1-1, 1-2, 4-1, 4-2, and all of world 8 were still quite fresh in my mind, but especially world 6 and 7 were almost foreign to me. I could almost get through the 8-4 maze blindfolded, because I've done it so many times, but some of the later castle mazes are tricky until you learn the pattern. Overall, it struck me how great the level design was coming into it with fresh eyes. Like I said, I had forgotten so much so it all felt new again, and it was all well done.

This game is a classic for obvious reason. Even if it wasn't the bundled game for most of the NES's lifespan, it would have been huge. The technology available back in the mid-80s was limited, but Nintendo pulled off something truly special with what they had, and its impact can still be felt today.

Cheerful Ghost Speaks - Valve's Entrance To The Living Room

http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA5LzI1L2Y3L1N0ZWFtTWFjaGluLjUwMThkLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn/a3ff28b0/a3c/Steam-Machines.jpg

I can not tell a lie. I want Steam in the living room. After seeing what the Wii U, XBox One and Playstation 4 have to offer I am more interested in a Steam console than anything. Lately some news from Valve has surfaced that they are going to forgo Valve Developer days and instead have a large footprint at GDC as reported by Gamasutra.

"Steam Dev Days was a great way to brief a large number of Steam developers. This year our focus will be a bit different, so we are planning a larger than usual presence at GDC. So, there will not be a Steam Dev Days this year, but we will certainly consider doing it again in the future."

... Read All