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AI Learning Donkey Kong

This Youtuber recreates Donkey Kong, then runs uses 3 different types of AI to see how good they can be at it.

It's a fun look at different types of AI, and how each one "learns."

What Are Your Top Switch Games Played By Hours?

Metal Jesus dropped a video recently where someone asked him what his top played Switch games were. It's an interesting question as it's not a best of or favorites list, it's just the top games you've played on the system. I was curious what my top Switch games were and I suppose it's not too surprising:

Link's Awakening Remake: 30 hours or more

Diablo III: Eternal Collection: 25 hours or more

Super Mario Maker 2: 20 hours or more

Fortnite: 20 hours or more

Minecraft: 15 hours or more

Minecraft Dungeons: 15 hours or more

New Super Mario Bros Wii U Deluxe: 15 hours or more

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 10 hours or more

Shredder's Revenge: 5 hours or more

Super Mario 3D World +... Read All

Mighty DOOM Drops on Mobile Next Month!

Mighty DOOM is an all new top down mobile DOOM game coming to iOS and Android March 21st. Frankly, shooter games that are translated to mobile using tap to aim controls always feel a bit wonky to me. I appreciate that Mighty DOOM looks to change up the traditional shooter gameplay and feature a top down sort of bullet hell approach using a more animated style of graphics. As with all mobile games, the devil will be slayed in the details of how the free to play aspect will work. I imagine this won't be a pay for mobile game and in some way we will be buying skins or using some kind of currency to purchase timer unlocks. Either way, it's awesome Bethesda is continuing... Read All

New Gritty Video Game Show on HBO

Turns out, Pedro Pascal was *born* to play Mario!

ARK: The Animated Series First Trailer

There's a trailer for ARK: The Animated Series, which is based on ARK: Survival Evolved. One of the most notable aspects of the trailer is the cast, which includes very many recognizable names such as David Tennant, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Crowe, and Karl Urban. Vin Diesel is in the cast as well, but he's actually playing a much larger role in the development of ARK 2 and likely this as well. His likeness is used as one of the main characters, Santiago.

This looks really interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing it. The game's lore is actually hidden throughout the game in Explorer Notes. These are hidden throughout the ARKs and easy to miss out on. You can also see... Read All

The Cowabunga Collection Is Totally Tubular!

jdodson gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

jdodson gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Right now, my 6 year old son and I are re-watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon bit by bit. The show starts incredibly strong with a first season that is basically a mini-series origin story that is way better than it has any right to be. After that, season 2 keeps incredibly strong and now I'm in season 3 which is where the shows writing, animation and such starts to really wane. It's a great show still, but the quality has backed off considerably and even many of the original voices of the Turtles change from episode to episode. This original cartoon show was the base for how we look at the Ninja Turtles now and nearly all the games in the... Read All Right now, my 6 year old son and I are re-watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon bit by bit. The show starts incredibly strong with a first season that is basically a mini-series origin story that is way better than it has any right to be. After that, season 2 keeps incredibly strong and now I'm in season 3 which is where the shows writing, animation and such starts to really wane. It's a great show still, but the quality has backed off considerably and even many of the original voices of the Turtles change from episode to episode. This original cartoon show was the base for how we look at the Ninja Turtles now and nearly all the games in the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection pack of classic Turtles games.

The Cowabunga Collection features 13 classic Turtles games but for the sake of this review, I've only really focused on two games. The original Ninja Turtles arcade game and the Capcom NES Ninja Turtles game. To me, both are retro classics and the NES game being hard as hell and the arcade game being of the best brawlers of all time that served as the base for last years Shredders Revenge.

Firstly, the presentation of the Cowabunga Collection is top notch. Each game is easy to flip through on the main menu, I just wish the game had the system the game was from listed with the game. For instance, there are two versions of Turtles in Time for the Arcade and SNES. I get that the 4 player version is the Arcade version but a tag saying that could help clean up any confusion.

The emulation used is perfect and I noticed no input delay or lag when I played the game. In playing the original Capcom Ninja Turtles NES game, the emulation keeps the original NES lag when they are too many enemies on the screen and they also offer an option to hack the game to fix all of that. That said, the games feel perfect and that's not something we can always get with these re-releases.

I picked up the Cowabunga Collection on Switch and X-Box and so far I've only played it on Switch and it's damn near perfection. Getting these classic games collected all in one place is really awesome if you want to re-live these with friends and don't have 50 bucks in quarters and a local arcade handy. Now if they just release all the old Simpsons games on one pack, including the Arcade game I think I'll be all set.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/16/2023 at 04:52am

Thank you for inadvertently clearing up some confusion I didn't realize I had until now. You helped me remember that this is different than Shredder's Revenge. Now that that's cleared up, I got it back on my wish list. LOL

I grew up watching TMNT, I was around 9 I think. This was also about the same time when I got into Nintendo, since my cousin had an NES and we both eventually had Gameboys. I played the original TMNT NES game briefly while I could. I found it for PC in '95, but didn't get it. I had the Gameboy game instead.

I'm glad it sounds like the collection is good. I look forward to getting it sometime.

There is recent TMNT content AFAIK. There's a newer movie I believe I'm aware of, but haven't seen yet. It's on my 2 page double-spaced "to-watch" list. I think there maybe more on the way, too.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/16/2023 at 05:53am

I tried the first Turtles Gameboy game for a minute and it was WAY better than I thought it would be. Going to come back and play it again.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/16/2023 at 07:08am

I remember Shell Shock too well. LOL

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/16/2023 at 06:55pm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qLqVVxVhUtU

🤣

jaelte wrote on 01/21/2023 at 07:09am

I played the original arcade as much as I could when I was a kid. I even briefly remember joining a "secret" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles club in third grade and in order to join I had to tell them who the first boss of that (brand new) game was.
I never owned the NES game, but I know I rented it a few times. I also know I owned the Tournament Fighters game for SNES, but I can't find it now. It either got lost in a move in college or is buried somewhere at my mom's house.
Anyway, thank you for the hit of nostalgia. Maybe I'll pick up for PC.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/24/2023 at 02:19am

SECRET CLUB? That’s pretty incredible. Bebop?

jaelte wrote on 01/28/2023 at 04:24am

Indeed. Those were the days.
Rocksteady. :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/29/2023 at 06:14pm

I always confused them. Too bad I wouldn't be able to get in to the club.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/29/2023 at 07:21pm

So, I mentioned a "new" movie. Turns out it's for a series. Both are called Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/10/2023 at 11:36pm

Huh. Interesting art style. Glad the turtles are still kicking shell.

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Some Kind of Top 20 List for 2022

After the jingle of the bells quiets down the fresh new year is upon us. As part of the glow of the new year I always think a bit about the previous year. As part of that, it's fun to consider what things I enjoyed that bubbled to the top of the rest and since lists are fun, here we go. It's not a top 20 gaming list(as in I don't have 20 things), not sure I played that many games but a list of all the stuff I enjoyed in the book, movie, music and game space.

Feel free to drop your lists in the comments.

Andor: It seems Star Wars life is now lived as a series of Disney+ TV shows. Most of them have been fine, some have been pretty good (Obi-Wan) but one show punched out... Read All

Risk of Rain Returns!

Risk of Rain Kickstarted back in 2013 and at the time I called it "An Interesting New Platformer" and since then Risk of Rain became on of the most popular Indie Rogue-likes and got a sequel that was published by Gearbox. Since then the Risk of Rain devs have sold the IP to Gearbox and have recently dropped the news that Risk of Rain is getting a re-build / re-master / re-release.

"Carefully designed, beautifully remastered, and loaded with new ways to play—Risk of Rain is back and better than ever! This remake of the classic Risk of Rain packs enhanced visuals, an updated codebase, and tons of new content.

No two runs in the iconic roguelike are the same, and that has... Read All

Vampire Survivors Is Out On Mobile!

jdodson gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

jdodson gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Earlier this year Vampire Survivors blew up on Steam due to it being a fresh take on the Rogue-like that feels incredible on the Steam Deck. Since then it's been ported to all the XBoxes and recently came to iOS and Android phones and tablets. I've played Vampire Survivors on the Steam Deck and it shines in that format but when I played it on the Deck I wondered if it would work on a phone. Needless to say is that it's a great phone port but It's not quite as good as playing on the Steam Deck but it's still a great way to play. Vampire Survivors is currently free to play on mobile and if you want, you can watch an ad to get a few more gold than you obtain normally in... Read All

The Story of Super Mario Kart

Apparently there isn't any world where there are too many video game documentaries about video games I love. Video Game Historian is back with a nod to the history of Mario Kart and you should click play. You know, in between Andor, House of Dragons, The White Lotus, Wednesday, Handmaidens Tale, Yellowstone, 1899, Willow, Warrior Nun, Tulsa King, The Peripheral, Pepsi Where's My Jet, Walking Dead, The Crown, The Tim Allen Santa Clause Show, Manifest and that billion dollar Lord of the Rings show on Amazon.