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Command & Conquer Remastered Releasing June 5th (Pre-Orders Open)

Command & Conquer is a real time strategy game and was one of the most memorable games in my PC gaming life as a teen in high school in the mid ‘90’s. I had at least a couple of friends that played it. I remember trying to play it with friends, but we were never able to hook our computers up together to play. This game also came out some time after Dune 2, which was also a great RTS game, although it was based on the Dune novels (and movie) by Frank Herbert. Dune 2 later got a bit of a newer version as Dune 2000, but I didn’t play it. It is also very similar to the original Warcraft games. C&C was quite memorable, it has awesome music, cool cinematics and was... Read All Command & Conquer is a real time strategy game and was one of the most memorable games in my PC gaming life as a teen in high school in the mid ‘90’s. I had at least a couple of friends that played it. I remember trying to play it with friends, but we were never able to hook our computers up together to play. This game also came out some time after Dune 2, which was also a great RTS game, although it was based on the Dune novels (and movie) by Frank Herbert. Dune 2 later got a bit of a newer version as Dune 2000, but I didn’t play it. It is also very similar to the original Warcraft games. C&C was quite memorable, it has awesome music, cool cinematics and was just an all around great game. I remember how difficult the first expansion was, which was very off putting. I seem to recall a mission where you had to fight against dinosaurs, too.

Red Alert followed C&C, but was actually a prequel. While C&C’s timeline was present day, RA took place during the Cold War era. It was also based on a history that was changed with the removal of Hitler, which allowed Stalin to rise in power. It came with new units and continued to be everything great about C&C. It received some expansions as well.

Personally, I think it might be around here where the series started to take a bit of a nose dive. I did enjoy Tiberium Sun and it’s expansions while I was at college. I also did enjoy Red Alert 2 and it’s expansions. Everything after this point is a bit of a blur to me, regarding the history of C&C. I have Red Alert 3 on Steam and other C&C games I’ve played, like Generals, but they never appealed to me the same way the original C&C and RA did.

C&C came out in the mid 90’s. I remember when it was first a DOS based game, but then it got a Windows 95 version. Since then, there have been attempts by fans to make the original game(s) run on modern systems. However, those fans can now rejoice as EA is officially releasing the C&C remaster on June 5th. It includes C&C and RA along with their expansions. I watched a video recently that showed how they had to go about getting the cinematics, which were thought to be completely destroyed. The game looks greater now. I’m really looking forward to it. I just recently realized a release date was set and I might actually pre-order it, it’s only $20. However, you can spend more than double that and get an awesome hard copy edition that comes with a Steam download key and more. I’m really tempted to get this, mostly because I really love the soundtrack. You can buy a digital version of the remaster it on EA’s Origin or Steam, but you can also buy a hard copy on Limited Run Games (see link below).

This really has me very excited! Is anyone else interested in this, too? Are you going to pre-order? Digital or LRG? Let me know what you think about this in the comments!

Limited Run Games Pre-Order: https://limitedrungames.com/products/command-and-conquer-remastered-special-edition
FMV documentary (a recommended must-see for C&C fans): https://youtu.be/ikJLYYTrIxs
Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/command-and-conquer-remastered-collection-gets-rel/1100-6474598/

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/13/2020 at 03:32am

To me, the highlight of the Command & Conqueror series was Red Alert and Red Alert 2. The original is a classic and quite fun, but when Red Alert hit the scene the series was perfected.

This re-release is incredible and REALLY tempting I'm not entirely sure but I don't think I'm going to get this. The remastered edition is $20 on Steam as you say and the only other thing I'd want is that Soundtrack collection. I wonder if it will get a release outside of this?

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 03/13/2020 at 06:41am

Travis was my roommate when I was playing Red Alert 2. I remember playing a bit of Tiberium Sun at college, too. I'm not sure if I finished with it's expansions by the time Travis was my roommate. I'm eagerly looking forward to this remaster, more so than anything in a while, it's got me very exciting. Just hearing the music has me excited. I miss one of the first versions of the game where you could actually trap the AI in their base by using sand bags. This was later patched and vehicles are now able to drive over and destroy them. Some of the missions were tough, especially in the first expansion, so I'd love to see something like a mod that enables cheats some how. I'd love it if they'd remaster Tiberium Sun and Red Alert 2 as well.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/13/2020 at 02:32pm

I have Red Alert 2 and it’s hard to play. I imagine I could patch it up in some way but it’s a bit of a mess on Windows 10.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/13/2020 at 08:12pm

https://limitedrungames.com/blogs/news/the-same-but-better-inside-command-conquer-remastered-collection

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 03/13/2020 at 09:57pm

Cool thanks for the link. It didn't really provide me with any new information though as I was able to get all of that in the video I watched and linked in my post. I'm glad they mentioned Dune II. I think C&C was just the next step of that game. Mentioning Starcraft is only slightly odd. I don't really attribute the success of C&C to Starcraft, instead I attribute that to Warcraft. The two are separate, yet similar and different enough to be enjoyable unique games. I think I got started w/ Dune II, then C&C, then I either played Warcraft or Warcraft II and then Warcraft or Warcraft II. I'm not sure, I played all of those games around the same time in about '95 when my family got our first Windows PC, it was a very exciting time to be a PC gamer! I remember I even subscribed to PC Gamer, which not only sent me a magazine every month, but also a CD with game demos. Those were wonderful times, indeed!

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Ultimate NES Remix Is A Retro Geek Dream!

Ultimate NES Remix is a 3DS games collection of the "best of" remixed classic Nintendo games that came to the Wii U in the form of NES Remix 1 and 2. Basically if you love retro NES games and want a fresh way to play them, Ultimate NES Remix is the perfect game for you.

"Take on a rapid-fire onslaught of challenges and mash-ups from 16 of Nintendo’s finest 8-bit games! Test your skills on a gauntlet of quick, tricky challenges and remix stages that combine parts of different games. The best mix of titles from the NES Remix and NES Remix 2 games is on Nintendo 3DS. Now you’re playing with PORTABLE power!

Link vs. Donkey Kong! Kirby vs. Boo! It’s mash-up mania in this... Read All Ultimate NES Remix is a 3DS games collection of the "best of" remixed classic Nintendo games that came to the Wii U in the form of NES Remix 1 and 2. Basically if you love retro NES games and want a fresh way to play them, Ultimate NES Remix is the perfect game for you.

"Take on a rapid-fire onslaught of challenges and mash-ups from 16 of Nintendo’s finest 8-bit games! Test your skills on a gauntlet of quick, tricky challenges and remix stages that combine parts of different games. The best mix of titles from the NES Remix and NES Remix 2 games is on Nintendo 3DS. Now you’re playing with PORTABLE power!

Link vs. Donkey Kong! Kirby vs. Boo! It’s mash-up mania in this celebration of all things NES! Race through to earn stars on increasingly tough tasks, like beating Ridley from Metroid or making Princess Peach save herself! Compete in Championship Mode’s blitz of challenges from the Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Dr. Mario games, then compare scores with others in your region via online leaderboards."

As demand for the 3DS has gone down considerably I've been picking up 3DS games on the cheap such as a recent sale at a local store that had Ultimate NES Remix, Animal Crossing New Leaf and Pokemon Ultra Sun ultra-cheap. Since I don't have enough time to crack an Animal Crossing or Pokemon game right now I popped in Ultimate NES Remix knowing that it was a mash up of classic NES games and wouldn't require a massive time investment. Immediately Ultimate NES remix starts you out with a few classic games such as Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and Dr. Mario to ease your way into the remixed challenges starting with the easy "accelerate on your bike" in Excitebike to more challenging scenarios like completing a race without crashing. Each challenge can net you up to three stars and many are timed making them quite fun. I'm an avid retro gamer and so far, none of the challenges have stumped me beyond a handful requiring a few attempts. I'm also going for a completionist run making sure for each challenge I net 3 stars. I've heard from a friend something fun happens if you complete the game this way so it's what I'm going for.

Ultimate NES Remix is one of those incredible games that begs for a Switch port and considering Nintendo hasn't Remixed the Super Nintendo era it seems like rich territory for a sequel. I'm certain i'm never going to get tired replaying classic games and when Nintendo puts an entirely fresh spin on them i'm totally in.

I Beat New Super Mario Bros. 2

Today over lunch break I finally defeated Bowser in New Super Mario Bros. 2. I picked up New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 3DS back in September of 2018 and i'll clip a bit from that initial review:

"New Super Mario Bros. 2 takes everything that worked about the previous games and continues to do that while focusing on coin collection. You have a running tally of coins you can collect that unlock things in-game making progression tied to coins and continually completing stages."

Ever since picking it up back in 2018 I've played when I got the itch as it's a perfect game for that kind of attention. If you are a player that likes to play everything a game has to offer New... Read All Today over lunch break I finally defeated Bowser in New Super Mario Bros. 2. I picked up New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 3DS back in September of 2018 and i'll clip a bit from that initial review:

"New Super Mario Bros. 2 takes everything that worked about the previous games and continues to do that while focusing on coin collection. You have a running tally of coins you can collect that unlock things in-game making progression tied to coins and continually completing stages."

Ever since picking it up back in 2018 I've played when I got the itch as it's a perfect game for that kind of attention. If you are a player that likes to play everything a game has to offer New Super Mario Bros. 2 has a lot to do with re-playing stages to collect all the large coins, unlocking the Star World as well as the hidden Mushroom and Flower Worlds. When I started out I was quite attentive to finding all the large coins but as time passed I started spending most of my focus on completing stages. Leaving behind the large coins doesn't matter too much if you just want to defeat Bowser but you can only unlock the Star World if you collect 90 large coins and I'm a few short.

How Does New Super Mario Bros. 2 Rank In The Series?

Out of all the New Super Mario Bros. games I've played 2 feels the most accessable and fun. The attention to coin collection and the inclusion of the leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3 makes this entry fly above the rest. New Super Mario Bros. 2 never feels too difficult and this might turn off some hardcore platformer fans. That said the hidden stages might offer more of a challenge and the included coin rush mode literally allows players the ability to partake in challenging scenarios with others.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a great game and the saddest part about it is that it's a 3DS title and the system might soon be sunset by Nintendo. Many new fans to the Mario series might miss out because getting a 3DS isn't in the cards for them. As Nintendo ports the best of Wii U titles to the Switch I hope these best of breed Wii and 3DS games can get packaged for a newer audience too.

The 3DS Will Never Die - My First Impressions of New Super Mario Bros. 2

https://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/3871/the-3ds-will-never-die-first-impressions-of-new-super-mario-bros-2

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 76: The Post Holiday Update

The episode you've all been waiting for, the scheduling-around-holidays-is-hard-but-we're-back-now episode! It's been a little while but we're back to talk about all the cool stuff we've been playing and watching since we last graced your podcast app of choice. Plus our Christmas gaming loot, and an update on Tale of the White Wyvern development!

Tale of the White Wyvern Fishing Update Coming March 9, Season Two Coming Soon!

First off, Season One was a blast! Thanks to everyone who played! Without further ado, here are your winners...

Overall Winners

Saturday has won the season and brought peace to Wyrmdoor!

Declan

Quite Dapper

Azure Azul

Beo Rubirnen

Most Adventurers Killed

Nawt Wynnor: 10 kills

Quite Dapper: 9 kills

Bre Orgligrat: 4 kills

Azure Azul: 3 kills

Mystical Lord: 3 kills

Most Deaths

Nawt Wynnor: 27 deaths

Declan: 27 deaths

Saturday: 19 deaths

Bre Orgligrat: 17 deaths

Quite Dapper: 16 deaths

Looks like the developers die a lot! :D

Thanks to everyone who played our first season! Let us know what you thought about the season and things you'd like to see in future... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/03/2020 at 01:43am

Congrats to Saturday! Looking forward to the new stuff!

jaelte wrote on 03/03/2020 at 05:10am

What good is an RPG if you can't fish in it? I'm glad Tale of the White Wyvern won't have to answer that question anymore. :)
Congratulations, Saturday! I'll get you next time. ;-)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/06/2020 at 10:10pm

One thing made this season special for me and that is I made a new friend. Even though it sounds corny, I thought I'd share, because I think if you make a new friend by playing a game that just adds to the positive experience. So, even though this game was already great, it's also accomplished something greater that not every game can do.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/06/2020 at 11:32pm

That’s incredible to hear, thanks for sharing Greg!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/07/2020 at 12:09am

I thought you'd appreciate that.

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Diablo IV Quarterly Update

Looks like the development of Diablo IV is going well and as such Blizzard has released a few updates about what we can expect. A couple things I found interesting is that Blizzard is creating a more co-op friendly Diablo IV user experience. Before if you opened a menu in Diablo III co-op only one person could control their inventory at a time.
If you are playing with a friend on a console you might want to both open your inventories at the same time so they are working on providing a user experience where you can do that. Also, they are allowing controllers to be used on PC and be completely re-mappable, something Diablo III does not allow.

That a ton more is... Read All

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon Announced

Today Yacht Club Games announced an all new Shovel Knight game in development called Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeons.

"Delve with Shovel Knight into the depths of the Pocket Dungeon in an action-packed puzzle adventure mashup like none other! Join your mysterious guide Puzzle Knight as you shovel through scads of foes, procure new equipment, and battle bosses both familiar and new. Explore a tale with endless twists and turns, quest as your favorite heroes, and even challenge a friend for fast-paced head-to-head competition in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon!"

No release date or platforms are announced yet but I hope the pocket part means smartphones as Shovel Knight on a... Read All

The Witcher Netflix Season 1 Review (No Major Spoilers)

The Witcher is a new series on Netflix. So far, it only has one season, but it is apparently going to have at least one more. The show is based much more closely on the original literature than the game and there’s apparently a lot of material there which can therefore lead to a lot of episodes. I enjoyed watching season one, but there are some things I thought I’d also point out.

I haven’t read any of the original literature. My knowledge of the Witcher comes from the three video games. I wasn’t too fond of the first one, the second was better, and I really enjoyed the third. I really like Geralt in the game. I like his voice actor. I also enjoyed the collaboration... Read All The Witcher is a new series on Netflix. So far, it only has one season, but it is apparently going to have at least one more. The show is based much more closely on the original literature than the game and there’s apparently a lot of material there which can therefore lead to a lot of episodes. I enjoyed watching season one, but there are some things I thought I’d also point out.

I haven’t read any of the original literature. My knowledge of the Witcher comes from the three video games. I wasn’t too fond of the first one, the second was better, and I really enjoyed the third. I really like Geralt in the game. I like his voice actor. I also enjoyed the collaboration that was done to add him into Monster Hunter: World. That was quite fitting to put the two together.

However, the game’s voice actor for Geralt is not in the show. Although, Henry Cavill does a pretty good job of being Geralt, at least I think so. He speaks kind of like the voice actor in the game, giving Geralt a gruffy kind of sound. I’m pretty sure I read or saw something some where that said Cavill was actually a fan of the Witcher before taking the role and that he wanted to change his voice a bit to match. He is a gamer, actually.

Yennifer was one of my favorite characters in the game, so I was surprised to find out her origin story. I did not know it was so significant. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but you may not recognize her the first time you see her in the show, or at least until someone calls her by name. By then, you’ll wonder what the difference is, which you’ll learn eventually.

Triss Merigold is also in the show. She teams up with Geralt to solve a monster mystery. This episode reminded me of Game of Thrones. Speaking of which, the two shows have some similarities such as “adult” language and nudity. So, this show isn’t “for kids.” Triss later teams up with Yennifer and other sorceresses.

Dandelion is in the show, too, but I don’t think he’s ever called by that name. You’ll know who he is though, he’s the only bard that seeks Geralt’s companionship. I really love his song, "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher." I think it's quite catchy. Search for it on Google. Of course, Roach, Geralt’s horse is there, too.

Of course Ciri is in the show as well. The first season will help you learn about how and why they are bonded, which I thought was good. If I remember correctly, this story differed in the third video game. She's special, not just because she's a princess. You'll see (hint: and hear).

One of the most confusing parts about season one is the timeline. I watched one episode that had a character in it that died and then saw that character again in a later episode. I wondered if it was a twin, but I ended up finding out that we were shown timelines out of chronological order. You’ll see this happen more than once, but when it finally happens, you’ll pretty much understand it. It’s basically just there to give you the perspective of another character at that time, but that first time it happened was rather confusing.

Of course there are also monsters and magic. You get sight of a monster right off the bat, within the first ten minutes of episode one. You’ll see magic later, although it’s more focused around the sorceresses like Yennifer and Triss. Geralt does use it, but not very much. He also drinks potions some times. One thing to point out about magic, too, is the overall understanding that magical use comes with a price (not monetary).

I strongly recommend watching the video posted on the New Rockstars YouTube channel after watching season one. It will clue you into the timeline confusion and point out some things that you may have overlooked, including things that were in the game. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/EkZir-2mjf0

I am looking forward to seeing more of this series and I hope it does well. I think it could. I believe it was received well and I know for certain that it caused a spike on Steam of people buying and playing the third game.

The New XBox Series X Will Be Backwards Compatable

Microsoft unveiled a ton of new details on the upcoming next gen Xbox Series X today and one in particular caught my attention. Historically Sony has provided excellent backwards compatibility between the Playstation and Playstation 2 era of console to later drop it after a time during the PS3 and entirely on the PS4. It seems Microsoft has picked up the love for compatibility in that it seems the upcoming Xbox Series X will still be able to play some original Xbox, 360 and all Xbox One games:

"Four generations of gaming: Our commitment to compatibility means existing Xbox One games, including backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, look and play better... Read All

The Lineage of Shovel Knight Explained

Shovel Knight launched in 2013 and since then received a ton of free content updates. It might be a bit confusing what it all is so Noclip created this handy Shovel Knight Lineage video explained by Yacht Club Games David D'Angelo.

This last weekend I put Shovel Knight Showdown through the paces playing it with a friend. It's a fun addition to Shovel Knight Treasure Trove and is a worthy brawler game. I didn't quite get the feel for each of the Knights but I appreciate that they all fight very differently. If you have friends over and Treasure Trove is on tap, you should give it a go.