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All Robots Defeated - Now Wily!

Mega Man 11 might be a perfect game on the Switch. It's a fun platformer with a ton of charm and quite challenging in all the right ways. When I first started out with Mega Man 11 the style took some getting used to as I am most familiar with Mega Man 2. The biggest difference is Mega Man 11 isn't meant to be played start to finish in one sitting, it's a game that leans into longer boss stages and modern consoles ability to save your progress. Plus you start out quite underpowered and can gain screw currency to unlock abilities and items to make the boss stages much easier. Starting out, Mega Man 11 was so difficult I spent some time grinding to collect screws to... Read All Mega Man 11 might be a perfect game on the Switch. It's a fun platformer with a ton of charm and quite challenging in all the right ways. When I first started out with Mega Man 11 the style took some getting used to as I am most familiar with Mega Man 2. The biggest difference is Mega Man 11 isn't meant to be played start to finish in one sitting, it's a game that leans into longer boss stages and modern consoles ability to save your progress. Plus you start out quite underpowered and can gain screw currency to unlock abilities and items to make the boss stages much easier. Starting out, Mega Man 11 was so difficult I spent some time grinding to collect screws to unlock everything I could. The most notable thing this did was make the boss stages much easier and as such I completed them all last week. Each stage is quite unique and just like the bosses you fight, the robot powers you acquire are really unlike anything I've played in a Mega Man game yet. One of my favorite boss items is the Acid Shield you get from killing Acid Man. The Acid Shield surrounds you for a time and absorbs bullets and some enemy damage. If you do a power move each bullet that is absorbed into the shield is reflected as an acid attack which makes this item a must have for level segments where you have to jump on small ledges while avoiding enemy fire.

I was getting into a good rhythm with the Mega Man 11 boss fights and stages and thought that would translate right into the Wily stages. Good news is much of what you learned does translate but the first stage is SO MUCH harder than any before it. If you do make it to the end of the first Wily stage the Yellow Devil MK-III awaits which is a revision of the Yellow Devil fight from the original Mega Man. Not sure if this is harder than the original game but I haven't been able to kill it yet.

Mega Man 11 is the right amount of Capcom/Mega Man hard while also remaining fair. I'm not sure I could do well in the game without buying all the power-ups but then again, it's a fun way to play it and if I want more challenge I can do it again with stock Mega Man.

Konami Is Releasing Three New Incredible Retro Collections: Castlevania, Contra & Arcade Classics!

Starting April 18th of this year Konami is going to release three all new retro game collections to celebrate its 50th year anniversary! Kicking things off with an Arcade Classics pack taking them back to their early company roots they are including Haunted Castle, Typhoon, Nemesis(Gradius), Vulcan Venture(Gradius II), Life Force, Thunder Cross, Scramble and TwinBee. Each of these Collections are digital releases that will drop on PS4, XBox One, Steam and Nintendo Switch and the first pack is only $20!

They are continuing the hype train with two more releases in early summer of this year with the Castlevania Anniversary Collection as well as the Contra Anniversary... Read All Starting April 18th of this year Konami is going to release three all new retro game collections to celebrate its 50th year anniversary! Kicking things off with an Arcade Classics pack taking them back to their early company roots they are including Haunted Castle, Typhoon, Nemesis(Gradius), Vulcan Venture(Gradius II), Life Force, Thunder Cross, Scramble and TwinBee. Each of these Collections are digital releases that will drop on PS4, XBox One, Steam and Nintendo Switch and the first pack is only $20!

They are continuing the hype train with two more releases in early summer of this year with the Castlevania Anniversary Collection as well as the Contra Anniversary Collection. So far the announced games for the Castlevania Collection are Castlevania, Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, Castlevania II Belmont's Revenge on Gameboy & Super Castlevania IV. That Castlevania Collection is already incredibly good but they also have four more games they have yet to announce and as such I'm sure you have some games you'd like included so let me know what you'd love to see in the comments. The Contra Anniversary Collection is also coming and so far they have announced Contra, Super Contra, Super C and Contra III The Alien Wars and as with the Castlevania Collection they have four more games yet to announce.

If Konami keeps the $20 price point per collection, this might be one of the best retro game digital download values of the year. Castlevania and Castlevania II were included on the NES Classic but I felt like not adding Contra in favor of Super C was a missed opportunity so now you can relive the glory on your PC, PS4, Switch or XBox One!

"In celebration with the 50th anniversary since KONAMI was founded, this Anniversary Collection series highlights many of the iconic arcade games and classic console titles that have been loved by fans throughout the years, and are made available on many of the latest platforms. From the shooters to action, these collections are packed with beloved titles that are simple to play and yet addicting to the core.

KONAMI welcomes everyone, from those who were glued to their CRT TVs or the arcade machines back in the day to first-time players, to enjoy a part of our history. All collections will be digital-exclusive and can be downloaded from the various online stores. We give our utmost gratitude to each and every fan from all over the world for playing our games throughout the years!"

https://www.konami.com/games/50th/ac/arcade/us/en/
https://www.konami.com/games/50th/ac/castlevania/us/en/
https://www.konami.com/games/50th/ac/castlevania/us/en/

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 52: Super Mario Bros. 2

We're throwing vegetables at short guys in masks in this episode, as we review Super Mario Bros. 2 on the NES!

This is the second of a three-part series on the NES Mario trilogy. Next month we'll be finishing the series with Super Mario Bros. 3, so come play it and talk with us about it, and we'll include your thoughts in the next NES Classic review episode!

Join the event here: https://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/events/172/cheerful-ghost-games-club-super-mario-bros-3

Is The Future of Game Streaming Google Stadia?

Google unveiled its next gen video game streaming service Stadia today at the Game Developers Conference. The response on social media was pretty standard, lots of jokes about lag and a general "meh" attitude. The "who cares" attitude makes a lot of sense with just some basic information in hand, that said after I watched the above Digital Foundry Stadia spec explanation and comparison of it alongside current generation consoles it seems much more compelling.

Stadia First Generation Machine Specs

The first thing that's compelling to me about Stadia is that Google is focusing the first generation offering on a cloud system spec that blows current consoles out of the... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 03/20/2019 at 04:06am

I'm kinda all over the place on this. I don't know what to think. In terms of utility I don't see this being significantly different *for me* than PS Now (which I've played around with, and it works very well, but the cost put me off a bit). Now that said, people without gaming hardware or gaming-capable PCs could find a lot of utility in this, especially if it's a monthly fee.

On the tech side, though, I'm very interested. I can't wait for the inevitable comparison videos of all the different game streaming services. At minimum, a new major competitor will drive others to improve their services. Can you imagine paying a small monthly fee to Valve to be able to stream anything you own over the internet? That would be a different way to do it.

The service pricing and/or game cost is going to be the big thing here, plus controller performance. Streaming already introduces some lag and the Wifi controller will a bit too.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/21/2019 at 12:46am

When I heard what Google Stadia is and that it’s gonna be based on Linux and Vulcan I immediately realize why Valve might be working in that arena. Imagine a world where Linux and Vulcan powers the Valve game cloud and they use their fresh new Wine to emulate all your other games.

If Valve launched that with the ability to play all you existing games, it might be game over for everything else.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/21/2019 at 12:47am

Plus Steam can stream games around your house already. Step 2 might be out of their data centers.

Travis Admin wrote on 03/22/2019 at 08:55pm

Yes, that would pretty much be game over man. I'm drooling at the thought.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/23/2019 at 05:06pm

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/03/googles-multiyear-quest-to-overcome-ids-stadia-streaming-skepticism/

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Come play Super Mario Bros. 3 with us and pretend it's 1988 again!

It's that time again, Cheerful Ghost Games Club is back with Super Mario Bros. 3!

In season 3 of Cheerful Ghost Radio, we are starting our NES Classic reviews with Super Mario Bros. 1-3. We're finishing things off with Super Mario Bros. 3! Come play the game and discuss it with us, and we’ll include your thoughts in the episode!

And it's not like you need an excuse to play this incredible game, right!?

Super Mario Bros. 3 was the last game on the NES, and it pushed the system and the series to new heights with the new feature set, improved graphics, and new elements. The third game introduced some Mario series staples, like the overworld, power-ups you could use outside... Read All

Whatever It Takes: The Latest Avengers Endgame Trailer Shows More of The Story

Avengers Endgame is coming to theaters April 26th (yeah, it's that soon!) and to keep the hype train non-dusted Marvel has dropped a brand new trailer. It's a fun journey through the MCU starting with the first Iron Man and also shows clips of Captain America over the years. The trailer also shows a brief spoiler in that Tony Stark seems to survive being adrift in space.... which makes sense as killing off Iron Man by slowly suffocating doesn't seem like a fitting end to his character. The ending of the trailer has a fun moment you have to watch fresh so I won't describe it here, but it's something you should check out.

Travis Admin wrote on 03/15/2019 at 01:51am

Regardless of *how* they go out, this seems to be a send-off for Iron Man, Cap, and Thor. That could be a red herring but it's there.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/16/2019 at 03:46pm

Yeah, it seems that they are setting it up for that.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/16/2019 at 05:21pm

What if he does suffocate and the iron man we see walking with the avengers is one from a different universe?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/16/2019 at 05:22pm

BTW James Gunn back on Guardians 3.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 03/17/2019 at 03:22pm

I know all these clips are supposed to be from the first 20 mins, but Marvel lies lol. In the first Avengers movie, Iron Man guides a nuke into the wormhole to save New York, and thinks it's a one way trip. What if, at the end of the movie, Iron Man makes a similar sort of sacrifice (it rhymes!) and flies something out into deep space, so as to save everyone else. Maybe he has to take the Infinity Gauntlet (or some/all of the Infinity Stones) to a new hiding location, but again, it's a one way trip?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 03/17/2019 at 05:57pm

Interesting. That may or may not happen but now I’m thinking they might do that or something else to connect the films.

Really cool thought.

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Dwarf Fortress Getting Official Graphical Update & Coming to Steam and Itch!

To me, Dwarf Fortress is one of the most important pieces of art in our time. The level of sophistication of the game is astounding and Tarn and Zach consider it to be something they will work on... indefinitely. That kind of focus and passion is rare and because of the games lasting artistic impact Tarn is going to hand over the source code to the game to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) upon his death. I was lucky enough to meet up with him some years ago at PAX and talk to him about Dwarf Fortress as well as possibly releasing Dwarf Fortress as free software (not an idea he supported at the time, he'd rather hand it over to the MoMA). The only downside to Dwarf... Read All

The Halo Master Chief Collection Is Coming to PC!

Microsoft announced that the Halo Master Chief Collection is coming to PC via the Windows Store and Steam later this year. Frankly, this is very exciting news but nothing I actually thought they would do. Halo is one of the reasons to get an XBox and now that seems to have lessened a bit. All that to say, is this something you are looking to get? I played mostly the original Halo but not many of the other entries, the Master Chief Collection remastered the original games and brought new life to the multiplayer modes which is something I bet PC gamers will love!

"Later this year, these classic Halo experiences will start to arrive on PC via the Microsoft Store and, for... Read All Microsoft announced that the Halo Master Chief Collection is coming to PC via the Windows Store and Steam later this year. Frankly, this is very exciting news but nothing I actually thought they would do. Halo is one of the reasons to get an XBox and now that seems to have lessened a bit. All that to say, is this something you are looking to get? I played mostly the original Halo but not many of the other entries, the Master Chief Collection remastered the original games and brought new life to the multiplayer modes which is something I bet PC gamers will love!

"Later this year, these classic Halo experiences will start to arrive on PC via the Microsoft Store and, for the first time in the series - on Steam. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to bring the Halo Universe and Master Chief’s story to a new audience and to offer PC gamers a chance to step into the franchise on the PC platform of their choice.

The Master Chief’s arrival on PC will happen in stages with each title releasing one by one over time - giving the development teams the ability to ensure each one is right, while giving players a chance to jump in right away, rather than having to wait for the entire suite of games to be completed. Our current plan is for this journey to begin with the launch of Halo: Reach – the fictional beginnings of Master Chief’s saga – with the rest of the titles following in chronological order thereafter. Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST (Campaign), and Halo 4 will each be available for individual purchase within MCC as they become available. And each game will evolve and grow over time with community input.

For the team at 343 Industries, the most important and critical element of this project is ensuring that MCC delivers a true “first class” experience on PC. We’re embarking on a journey with our community to build a real PC experience that delivers on PC gamer expectations. The team is passionately committed to ensuring that all the features, bells, and whistles expected in a modern PC title are included with MCC. These features may vary somewhat by title, and we won’t get everything in there all at once – this is a product and an experience that will grow and evolve over time. We are laying the groundwork for PC native features such as excellent mouse and keyboard controls, support for multiple resolutions and aspect ratios, field-of-view sliders, and adjustable framerates, to name but a few. And yes, there will be support for Xbox gamepads and other PC controllers."

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/mcc-pc-halo-reach

The original Diablo is on Good Old Games!

Well, I did not see this coming, but the original Diablo is up for sale over at GoG.com, DRM free!
I missed Diablo during it's first run, is it worth looking into now?

Edit: It appears there are two versions available through GoG.

"Travelers looking for the authentic Diablo experience can play the game as it was in 1996, with period-appropriate 20 FPS SVGA graphics, and the ability to matchmaker through the classic version of Blizzard’s Battle.net online-gaming service.
For those wanting something a bit more modern, Blizzard and GOG.COM have collaborated on an updated version of the game tuned for today’s gaming PCs, which includes out-of-the-box Windows 10 compatibility,... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 03/08/2019 at 03:43am

Ha, I just came here to post this. DRM Free and FINALLY working on modern versions of Windows!

In addition, they're releasing Warcraft 1 and 2 later.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/11/2019 at 12:00am

"I missed Diablo during it's first run, is it worth looking into now?"

I'm going to answer this with another question. Did you play Diablo 2? If you haven't then I'd say skip Diablo and when the Diablo 2 remake comes out, get that.

Two reasons.

1. You move painfully slow in the original Diablo. It wasn't a problem at the time because Diablo was such a unique and fresh game but compared to anything more modern the movement speed is painful for many.
2. Diablo 2 improves on it in nearly every way and the remake will come out in the next couple years.

If you want to play a slice of gaming history OR you played Diablo a ton and want to relive it then i'd say it's an easy pickup. For me, Diablo is a classically incredible game and the $10 price tag is very cheap but certain aspects of it might not make for the most smooth play through. I never owned the original but had the demo and I played the HELL of out that demo.

Diablo sets a great dark tone and because you move so slowly the dread of having monsters swarm your is felt when you are caught off-guard.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/11/2019 at 12:01am

That said, I wish it had a Mac and Linux port. But you know... dreams

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/13/2019 at 03:12am

Apparently Diablo is now on Good old Games but also a good parent: https://twitter.com/GOGcom/status/1105591602351927297

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Octopath Traveler Review.

Timogorgon gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

Timogorgon gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

A love letter to the 16-bit era of JRPGs.

Octopath Traveler is a single player RPG developed by Square Enix and Aquire Corp. and released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Set in the world of Orsterra the game follows 8 protagonists through their own personal stories which eventually intertwine and form a larger overarching plot. Each character has a unique job with unique combat abilities. Each protagonist also has a “Path Ability” which can be used outside of battle to help the party complete side quests, access secret items/paths, or recruit NPCs to help the party.

The first thing you probably notice about Octopath Traveler is its “HD-2D” (as dubbed by Square... Read All A love letter to the 16-bit era of JRPGs.

Octopath Traveler is a single player RPG developed by Square Enix and Aquire Corp. and released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Set in the world of Orsterra the game follows 8 protagonists through their own personal stories which eventually intertwine and form a larger overarching plot. Each character has a unique job with unique combat abilities. Each protagonist also has a “Path Ability” which can be used outside of battle to help the party complete side quests, access secret items/paths, or recruit NPCs to help the party.

The first thing you probably notice about Octopath Traveler is its “HD-2D” (as dubbed by Square Enix) graphical style which combines traditional sprites with high definition effects and environments. The results are absolutely stunning. Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game. One of my only complaints is that the depth of field seems a little too shallow at times, obscuring some of the backgrounds. The 8 heroes are beautifully animated and the sprites for enemies are big and highly detailed.

Many Square Enix games are known for having amazing soundtracks and Octopath Traveler doesn’t disappoint. Composer Yasunori Nishiki doesn’t have many games under his belt, but if this game is any indication then his will be a career to pay attention too. (For an example, see: https://youtu.be/se4WxWXMBwE)

In terms of gameplay this is a very traditional JRPG with turn based battles and menu based combat. There are a few new twists to mix things up, such as each enemy having a defense (indicated by a shield with a number on it) that can be broken by attacking the enemy with weapons or elements they are weak to. Once their defense is broken the enemy is stunned for a turn and takes extra damage from all attacks during that round. Every turn your party members also gain a Boost Point which can be stored (up to 5) and used to boost the power of spells, abilities, or to attack multiple times in a row. These minor tweaks to an old formula keep the battles fresh and allow you to form strategies about when it’s best to burn through your boost points to quickly break an enemies defenses or store them up so you can drop massive amounts of damage when they’re weak.

Much like the JRPGs of yore this game is fairly difficult and there are times when you need to slow down and grind out a few levels before taking on the next boss or advancing to the next area. HP and MP are not restored between battles without items, using an ability or spell, or staying at an Inn. You will need to plan ahead and make sure you stock up on items whenever you’re about to leave a town. Characters level independently and only those in your group earn XP. So if you want to have a variety of characters available you’ll need to switch them out periodically. In time you will unlock the ability to assign each character a subjob based on one of the other protagonists, allowing you to mix-and-match their abilities.

JRPGs are also known for their plots and Octopath Traveler is no exception. Although I have yet to finish the storyline (I’m about 30 hours in) the plot so far is interesting and all the characters are likeable enough. The writing is acceptable for the most part. There is one area where all the characters speak in an exaggerated “Ye Olde English” that I found particularly annoying, but your mileage may vary. The voice acting is also hit and miss. Dialogue for the main story is fully voice acted, but side quests and minor plot areas only have an occasional gasp or “Ok!” which I could have done without.

If you are a fan of the genre then I would highly recommend giving Octopath Traveler a try. For one thing there is a demo available, so why not give it a go? If you’re new to RPGs and especially to JRPGs then there are more accessible titles you may want to try first. Overall I rate this game a Rad on the Ghost Scale.