Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

The Cave

This was a flash sale game on PS3 for 99 cents. Glad I grabbed it! It harkens back to the days of Maniac Mansion (for good reason, Ron Gilbert, creator of Maniac Mansion, helped develop this game).

You pick 3 of 7 unique characters to explore "The Cave." You swap between them similar to how you did in Maniac Mansion; needing to use one person to trigger a switch so that another person can go through a door, etc. I really liked the puzzle solving (simple as it was). It seems so far (on my 2nd play through) that you don't do the exact same play through each time. First, each character has a unique skill to use and they have their own quest to solve. So there's kind of a... Read All

Artists vs Turtles!

I feel like I'm 11 again and just automatically love anything TMNT related lol.

Granted, the Turtles get blown away by the real Leo, Don, Raph and Mikey, but it's still rad!

And I love the inside joke/puns throughout the rap.

Enjoy this Monday morning!

Did Blowing on Nintendo Cartridges Actually Work?

Joe Hanson of "It's Ok To Be Smart" takes on this topic, Mythbusters style. According to Joe, blowing into your NES cart didn't work at all and in fact, hurts it. The video answers the retro-mythical question "why did we all think blowing on our carts work, when it didn't?" It's a fairly in depth look at cognitive dissonance associated with certain actions we all do.

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/14/2014 at 01:38am

I dug through a lot of things like this when i picked up a couple non functioning NES consoles a few years back. I learned that pretty much everything i did to "improve" my games playing on my cartridge consoles was actually just destroying the games. Things like blowing on them, swabbing the contacts with rubbing alcohol, and smacking them against my knee turned out to be bad ideas. They seemed pretty good when i was six though.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/14/2014 at 02:30am

I did some research into this back in the day.

http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/1541/breathe-some-new-life-into-your-nes

Travis Admin wrote on 07/14/2014 at 02:34am

And to add to that, something I should have mentioned in the linked CG post-- I noticed when I was about 12 or 13 that blowing and trying again was about as effective as just changing the position slightly. You can just power off, push the cart left or right a bit, and try again, and it will work about as well as blowing.

I've replaced the connector in one NES, and bought a backup NES with a freshly replaced connector. I recently came into possession of a third, because you can never be too safe, and I need to replace the connector on it as well, but I've been testing the blow theory on it, and I have yet to get it to work on the first post-blow attempt, but just shifting it a bit works wonders.

So, in short-- when in doubt, just give it a little nudge.

JaBo wrote on 07/14/2014 at 03:36pm

We had one that would be fuzzy or discolored or wavy screen after you powered it on. The fix, every single time was to give it a smack on the right side after you powered it on. Worked every time and the picture was messed up like 90% of the time at least if you didn't do this. Maybe Rett can chime in if he reads this.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/14/2014 at 05:45pm

I bet the smack moved the game cart OR moved some faulty wire or something.

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/17/2014 at 03:47am

Or perhaps you got the haunted ghost NES! (limited edition). I believe at one point I had a haunted ghost Sega Genesis.

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The Destiny Beta Approaches - What You Need To Know

http://www.destinythegame.com/content/dam/atvi/bungie/dtg/media/mars-02-destiny.jpg

If you are a Playstation 4 (or 3) owner, or you have a really good friend who is, and have pre-ordered Destiny at participating retailers, in less than seven days, on July 17th, you'll no doubt be pacing in front of your console, waiting, what will feel like forever, for the Destiny Beta to download. Xbox users will have to wait a bit longer, till July 23rd. After that install, though, you will be knee deep in moon wizards and nothing else will matter. It's because of this euphoric tunnel-vision that I'm offering a simple guide of things you might want to look out for on this sweet, sweet journey.

Check your email! Before, during, and after the Beta, keep an eye on... Read All

If you are a Playstation 4 (or 3) owner, or you have a really good friend who is, and have pre-ordered Destiny at participating retailers, in less than seven days, on July 17th, you'll no doubt be pacing in front of your console, waiting, what will feel like forever, for the Destiny Beta to download. Xbox users will have to wait a bit longer, till July 23rd. After that install, though, you will be knee deep in moon wizards and nothing else will matter. It's because of this euphoric tunnel-vision that I'm offering a simple guide of things you might want to look out for on this sweet, sweet journey.

Check your email! Before, during, and after the Beta, keep an eye on messages coming from Bungie. Might want to follow @Bungie and @DeeJ_BNG on Twitter, while you're at it. Emails are going out now, requesting that you go to Bungie.net and lock in your console type and region, so that you get proper codes for access. They'll send the actual Beta download codes at a later date, which you will then enter into your console.

Three (3) codes incoming! When Bungie does send out download codes, they've noted that they will come in packs of 3, so you can bring friends along with you (same console type, same region) who haven't already pre-ordered and gotten their own Beta keys.

July 26th!(possibly the 27th!) This is an important date for two known reasons: 1) This is the final day of the Beta, and 2) Bungie has said they will be issuing special in-game emblems to Beta testers playing on this day, starting at 8pm PDT. Don't miss out on your due swag!!

Be alert for those sneaky, sneaky surprises! Bungie has also said that they will be "delivering some fun and unexpected surprises throughout the Beta!" Feel free to use the comments section of this post to drop knowledge and insight for the community if something pops up.

Be kind to your fellow Guardians! There is a puddle of animosity out there right now between Xbox and Playstation users over this Beta, and the whole Bungie playing for both teams thing in general. Two months from now, it won't matter to anyone, but in the meantime, do yourself and everyone a favor and be nice to each other. Exclusive content sucks, and we've all been affected by it in one way or another. This, too, will pass.

** UPDATE **

Beta maintenance! The Destiny Beta will be OFFLINE for maintenance on all systems from July 21st and July 22nd PDT.

For more information, check the Destiny Beta FAQ on Bungie.net: http://www.bungie.net/en/View/Bungie/DestinyBetaFAQ

Again, if you have any news or updates concerning the Beta, drop it in the comments. It would be nice if we could keep it all together under one thread, for the good of the many.

Be brave!

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/11/2014 at 04:48am

Wish I had a PS4 :( I'll definitely share the information with my not-close-enough-to-let-me-borrow-their-console friends though.

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 07/11/2014 at 06:05am

It's coming to PS3, as well. Sorry about that. I've updated the post to clarify. I'd actually be interested to know how it plays on the PS3 or Xbox 360.

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/13/2014 at 03:47am

I've got a 360 and a ps3 that gathers dust, i rarely use it. I'm very excited to see how it will play on either of them. I really just want to play it. I started playing Combat Evolved again and i'm pretty pumped.

to clarify, do you get the early beta on ps3 also or only on ps4?

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 07/13/2014 at 03:31pm

According to Bungie, "On PS4 and PS3, the Destiny Beta will begin on July 17th at 10AM PDT."

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 07/16/2014 at 06:46am

I'll add these here for now, a list of trading card codes that can be entered through the Redeem Code portal on Bungie.net:

Card 1: Titan: MVD-4N3-NKH
Card 2: Hunter: 3DA-P4X-F6A
Card 3: Warlock: YKA-RJG-MH9
Card 4: Rixis Archon Slayer: TCN-HCD-TGY
Card 5: Old Russia: HDX-ALM-V4K
Card 6: Hive: 473-MXR-3X9
Card 7: Moon: JMR-LFN-4A3
Card 8: Gjallarhorn: HC3-H44-DKC
Card 9: Duke MK.44: 69P-KRM-JJA
Card 10: The Tower: 69P-VCH-337
Card 11: The Hive 69R-CKD-X7L
Card 12: Valley of the Kings, Mars: 69R-DDD-FCP
Card 13: The Fallen: 69R-F99-AXG
Card 14: Red Death: 69R-VL7-J6A
Card 15: Los Cabal: 69X-DJN-74V
Card 16: La Costa Devastada, Venus: 6A7-7NP-3X7
Card 17: Vex: Minotauro: 6A9-DTG-YGN

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 07/20/2014 at 01:58am

If anyone is looking for Beta codes, I've got two that I'm not using. PM me here, or send a message on PSN if you're interested.

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 07/20/2014 at 01:59am

Sorry, codes are for US, on PS4.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/20/2014 at 04:15am

How is it so far? I've heard the improved Peter Dinklage audio. Kind of lame that they removed the "Wizard on the moon" audio though.

Curious how much of the game is included with the beta?

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 07/20/2014 at 04:54am

Today is my first chance to get on the Beta, and it seems roughly the same size as the Alpha, which Bungie has said is somewhere near 10% of the actual game! which I take to mean actual map space. The level cap so far is 8, which mirrors the Alpha cap. They've shown a couple more PvP maps, on Venus and Mars, which are quite cool. Peter sounds much better with the effected robot voice, which was expected. I'm kinda glad they took out the moon wizard remark, as it keeps the moment special for us Alpha testers ;).

Everything feels slightly more tuned-up from the Alpha gameplay, as it should. PvP feels a bit more balanced. It's nice to be back in the fray. The wait between Beta's end and the Sept 9 release will be unbearable.

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Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S2 E10 Freedom & Explosions

It's time to celebrate freedom and in this episode we do just that by talking about some of the most freedom loving games of all time. We also discuss some awesome video game explosions as well as Half-Life 3 (confirmed).

As with every episode we start out talking a bit about what we are playing and what we are drinking.

Game Jam: Distance - http://coffee_nat.itch.io/distance

Travis Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 01:15pm

Oh I realized right after I said "my internet sucks tonight" that I was blaming the wrong thing. I clicked the "hang up" button instead of the "unmute" button and thought that the call had dropped. So, the infrastructure was fine, it was a PEBKAC error.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 07/10/2014 at 05:30pm

40 mins of trying to sign off. Classic Jon.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/10/2014 at 06:21pm

NEVER ENDS!

Travis Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 11:16pm

OK, thanks for watching everyone. But before we go let me tell you how much I love Episode I!

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/10/2014 at 11:25pm

How did that happen?? How did we let that happen!? ;)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 07/10/2014 at 11:36pm

Jon is a force of... something

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/11/2014 at 12:23am

I will not be mocked!

PS I was wondering if you all know that Episode 1 is a superior film to 2 and 3?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/11/2014 at 12:44am

Don't engage. Do not engage...

Travis Admin wrote on 07/11/2014 at 02:10am

http://i.imgur.com/6bvx0MH.gif

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/11/2014 at 02:15am

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com

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Grim Fandango Will Come to Windows, Mac and Linux

In a recent Double Fine Adventure backer email they let loose that we all can expect Windows, Linux and Mac ports of the new Grim Fandango PC release.

"Double Fine is pleased to announce that, along with the console exclusive PlayStation 4 and Vita versions of Grim Fandango, Manny will also reap once again on PC, Mac, and Linux!

And that’s not all, folks! All versions will be launching simultaneously, so everyone can play on day one and not have to worry about those spoilers you’ve been successfully avoiding for the past fifteen years. (Pro-tip: stay off Twitter.) "

When they mentioned the Grim Fandango Sony exclusive I was a bit bummed as I took that to mean Sony only.... Read All

XBox One retail units will not double as dev kits [update]

In another change of course, Microsoft has announced that retail XBox One consoles will not be capable of converting to dev kits.

During a Q&A, Martin Fuller said that the plan was abandoned in the early stages, and that he really couldn't give any details as to why. He added that he knew of no future plans to develop the program further.

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a583173/microsoft-no-longer-plans-for-xbox-one-retail-units-to-double-as-dev-kits.html#~oJxRgD679LzzPh

Update: The story has now been updated to reflect new comments from Microsoft denying the comments from Martin Fuller, and promising more updates on the program to come in the future.

Honestly... Read All

New Game Genre: Hero Shooter

What do you get when you combine a FPS with a MOBA? Apparently you get Battleborn, the newest announced game from Gearbox Software.

http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/community/articles/1198/get-ready-for-gearbox-s-newest-game-battleborn
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/07/08/game-informer-august-cover-reveal-gearbox-battleborn-654814351318.aspx

Today we’re happy to announce our newest creation, Battleborn.

We’re calling Battleborn a “hero shooter” in that it’s a first-person shooter focused on characters above all else. No first-person shooter has ever had this much character variety, and we’re excited for you to see the first batch of heroes today.

Battleborn... Read All

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/09/2014 at 06:45pm

This is exciting for me on two levels. One, a first-person MOBA and the 5-player co-op campaign mode, and two, not another Borderlands game. Anxious to see more of this.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/09/2014 at 06:53pm

This needs to be out now.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 12:11am

I am with you guys, this looks really interesting.

Interested to see some gameplay footage.

That said, I like The Arcade Fire quite a bit and this song is pretty good, but it seemed a bit out of place for the trailer. That or i've heard it so much on the album it just seemed odd in this context.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/10/2014 at 12:23am

M83, not Arcade Fire. But still a great song ;)

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/10/2014 at 12:25am

Actually, I thought it was Band of Horses when I first heard it. Had to look it up :D

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 07/10/2014 at 12:29am

That wasn't New Kids on the Block?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/10/2014 at 02:38am

If they would have backed it with Hangin' Tough, I would have pre-ordered today.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 02:38am

DAMN IT M83. Right I have that M83 album too.

Anyways, well, for whatever reason it didn't seem to entirely fit the tone.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 02:39am

Honestly, Hangin' Tough would have made that trailer viral.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 03:01am

As far as I know I've never heard that song before, but I agree that it was kinda misplaced.

Hangin' Tough would have been the most logical choice.

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Found this interesting...

I can't say much about the Call of Duty series, i played it off and on from the beginning but never played it seriously until Black Ops II. However, i've been hooked on Dead Space since the first game, and i believe that the correlation between the two will make a very solid war game, as the guys in the video describe.

Plus the guys who do dead space obviously know what they're doing. I'm pretty sure the only survival horror game that compares to Dead Space would be Resident Evil: Directors Cut for the Playstation. The collaboration between the two should make a terrifyingly realistic war game that portrays the deepness of war while still being an edge of your seat... Read All

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/06/2014 at 06:52pm

Should change the category for this article from Dead Space to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, since that's the primary subject.

I am really interested to see how Sledgehammer handles a Call of Duty game. Bringing in Dead Space influence should only help to deepen (and darken) the experience, which should make for good fun and a nice change from the series' typical fare. I have kept my distance from Call of Duty since Modern Warfare 2, but I'm curious to check this one out.

Zach_Foster Post Author wrote on 07/07/2014 at 01:48am

I was going to post under call of duty, but couldn't find advanced warfare in the list yet. I agree the darkness should.. ahem.. brighten the game up a bit from the monotony of the series. I really want to believe that Sledgehammer will do a fine job with the game, and even if they don't, the series has already got such a strong following that I think the most it could do is slow it down. I have high hopes for it.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/07/2014 at 07:55pm

Looks like someone just added it to the database. We don't have very game in it, so if you want one added let us know!

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/07/2014 at 07:56pm

That said, as someone that is primarily not a Call of Duty fan I can say that anything they do to make the game appear to have more life, the better. If that is taking a few notes from Deadspace then that sounds awesome.

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Mighty No. 9 Shows New Stages and Boss Battles

Comcept is continuing to release new Mighty No. 9 gameplay footage and this time it features some new stages and boss battles. With each video drop I get a bit more interested and it keeps looking more and more like it might very well be the best new Mega Man game without actually technically being a Mega Man game.

The Cave

Artists vs Turtles!

Did Blowing on Nintendo Cartridges Actually Work?

The Destiny Beta Approaches - What You Need To Know

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S2 E10 Freedom & Explosions

Grim Fandango Will Come to Windows, Mac and Linux

XBox One retail units will *not* double as dev kits [update]

New Game Genre: Hero Shooter

Found this interesting...

Mighty No. 9 Shows New Stages and Boss Battles

XBox One retail units will not double as dev kits [update]