Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Micro Mages (Kickstarter)

Micro Mages is a new NES platformer that supports up to 4 players at once. This game looks awesome! Morphcat Games (the developer) wanted to challenge themselves to fit this entire game into 40 kilobytes (the size of the original Super Mario Bros). They have a great video on how they compressed some of the art assets to get more out of the game with a limited amount of space. Their kickstarter says that they have the game completed, now they just need to make the physical assets. Their plan is to release the first batch of games in April and the second batch in May. You can pledge for just a digital copy of the ROM or for a physical release.

Head Back To Hyrule With The Shotaro Ishinomori Link to the Past Comic Reissue!

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

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

jdodson gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

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

In 2015 Viz Media reissued The Legend of Zelda Link To the Past comic series that originally ran in Nintendo Power starting in January 1992 for 12 issues. A couple years ago I found it at a store for $20 and picked it up because I remember reading a few episodes in Nintendo Power magazines and quite enjoyed the story and art. I've never read it start to finish and recently sat down and read through the whole thing.

Nintendo Power Magazines were aimed at kids and these comics are too. It's fun reading them now but I never noticed how strange Link acts. I always thought the comics were fun adventure stories but the story is played mostly straight and Link brings all of... Read All

Is Duke Nukem Forever Guilty of Being a Bad Game?

Cygnus Destroyer takes Duke Nukem Forever to court and the results of the trial might shock you! Or it might turn out the way you'd expect from this notorious game in the Duke franchise. I always root for the underdog and Duke Nukem Forever is seen as a terrible game after it launched and it seems this video doesn't help it much. That said, if you want to know why this game is seen the way it is, Cygnus lays it out well and i've always wanted to play it as it's in my Steam back catalog but after watching this I'm having second thoughts.

Travis Admin wrote on 09/07/2018 at 03:52am

https://cheerfulghost.com/games/153/duke-nukem-forever

I did a few-part series on playing games perceived to be bad a few years ago. I didn't care for it. I love my Al Bundy analogy, I have no memory of writing it. :D

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/08/2018 at 04:58am

I just saw that after re-reading your review. From this video is seems like an apt analogy.

Good job 2013 Travis!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/08/2018 at 05:00am

Also, I was thinking about your review of this game while I posted this. It's cool getting into new YouTube personalities and see how they review certain games. I'm open to a new video review if it's additive to the discussion. Some games I might stop watching videos of entirely. Recently I saw yet another Link to the Past Retrospective (didn't post about it) and they are getting quite samey. Yeah, yeah Myamoto used to explore caves as a kid..... They all just kind of say the same thing.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/08/2018 at 05:00am

That said, this review seemed different and I appreciate Cygnus style and... here we are.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Download The Mega Man 11 Demo Now!

"If you’re eager to get your hands on Mega Man 11, you won’t have to wait much longer; a downloadable demo is available starting today, September 6th, for Nintendo Switch! The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One demos will also be available starting tomorrow, September 7th. Explore Block Man’s stage with Rush by your side, and check out three different difficulties that are sure to appeal to everyone from 8-bit veterans to brand new players. Read on for more info about the Mega Man 11 Demo, including a special challenge for all demo players. Plus, catch up on the newest Robot Master for Mega Man 11: Bounce Man!"

This seemed like awesome news and to my Switch owning friends I'm... Read All

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Review

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

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

Azurephile gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

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

Review

Recommendation: Kind of around "meh" and "rad" after 57 hours of game play

Visual style by Akira Toriyama, creator of the Dragon Ball series

Similar to Final Fantasy

Many of the same elements that are in other Dragon Quest games, but also containing some new elements such as characters and story

Really good initial reviews

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was recently released. I saw a commercial for it and read a review (that contained a few reviews) and decided to pre-order it. The pre-order bonuses looked nice, I got accessories that restore HP and MP each turn for the character that has them equipped. It seems different stores had different... Read All

Zelda Documentary Console Wars Act 2

I've shared a few AwesomeFaceProd Zelda videos before and thought his latest was worth sharing too. He's continuing his console wars series where he focuses on the shifts in gaming and how Zelda fit in to it all. In this episode he wraps up the Nintendo and moves in the Super Nintendo era cataloging each Zelda game to come out for that system. It's a fun look at the system, Link to the Past and the Zelda title that only was released in Japan Zelda Ancient Stone Tablets.

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 33: Kirby's Adventure

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

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

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

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

In this episode of Cheerful Ghost Radio, we're talking all about Kirby's Adventure!

Kirby's Adventure was the sequel to Kirby's Dream Land, and is the first game to introduce Kirby's copy ability. It was developed by Hal Laboratory in 1993, late in the lifespan of the NES. Come check out our thoughts on the game and the legacy of the Kirby series in this pink and puffy episode of Cheerful Ghost Radio!

In season two of Cheerful Ghost Radio we are doing bite-sized NES Classic review episodes. We want to make you all part of these episodes, so if you want to join in the fun, head here and join in the event for next month's NES Classic review, Metroid!

... Read All

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/04/2018 at 02:02pm

Another fun episode!

I'll answer your last question first before talking about Kirby and the review. I love that you're going through these NES Classic games. I don't think there's many "great" games on it, but it's been fun listening to you talk about all these old games, and it's basically a curated list for you, by Nintendo. I doubt many of these games would ever make a CGR podcast, but I'm enjoying the conversation around them.

That somewhat ties into this point about the ratings you guys have been giving the NES Classic games. First, I want to say that this is a critique on your scores, but I'm not lobbying you to change your scores. Everyone has their own reasons for scoring the way they do, and all of your reasons are just as legitimate as my own reasons. BUT, I've noticed that "historical significance" (or something along those lines) often seems to bump a game from one rating to the next. I have often heard the phrase "because of the historical significance of this game, I'm going to rate it _______". Again, all reasons are equally valid, but, it seems like these games are often recommended not because they're good games, but more so because they were popular games in the past. I should give Kirby a "Meh" because it's an ok game, but not one I'd ever recommend a friend to out and buy. And I can read an article (or listen to a podcast) to find out about the historical significance. BUT, I'm not everyone. I am sure there are people out there that do want to play historically significant games, even when they're not great, so your recommendations for those people are great. I do appreciate the context you give to your scores. Just something I've noticed on most of the Classic games. Hopefully 5his doesn't read too harshly; it's meant more as an observation and opinion than a criticism :)

Playing through Kirby, you're super correct that he's overpowered lol. The first time I played it, I just flew until I got to the tree boss. It took forever and I thought "Well, this is a super boring game!" Lol. But, I've recently put some more time into it, and learned the copy command, and it definitely was more fun playing it "properly." Not super challenging, but a decent game to try, since I have the NES Classic. Like I said before, it's only a "Meh" score for me though. (Oh, one last thing, and I'm on my phone, so I'm just typing here, rather than scrolling back before my eating lol. The controls are much better than a lot of NES classic games, but Up making Kirby fly was super annoying for me at the end of levels, trying to leave through the door, and not being in just the right space, so I fly away from it lol)

(And I'm looking forward to that Disenchantment discussion lol. I've only gotten through 5 or so episodes myself and haven't found a reason to go back)

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/04/2018 at 02:20pm

Hmm you make good points. I’d give this one a Must Play regardless of the historical significance because of the fun and polish. When I do use that as a deciding factor I’ll usually give two scores for it. But I think as a reason to play a game it is definitely a factor. It would be for me. I feel like the people who would seek out an episode about classic NES games would be more likely to care about that history.

And historical significance is the only saving grace for Ice Climber 😂

But I kinda agree with your last parenthetical. I think we are also 5 episodes in and I haven’t felt the drive to finish them. It’s not a bad show, don’t get me wrong. There’s humor and charm there but ... there are funnier things to watch.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/04/2018 at 02:26pm

And also yeah, having ⬆️ be the float button took some getting used to. I’m used to games where you can float having that mapped to holding the jump button (and I think later Kirby games added this).

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/04/2018 at 03:56pm

Actually I take back what I said in my first reply. I wouldn’t give Kirby’s Adventure a Must Play without the historical significance. A high Rad, but there’s enough to pull it down if you don’t take that into account.

But I do stand by considering it as part of the reasoning. I want to play a lot of these games but i wouldn’t without the historical reasons.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/04/2018 at 04:49pm

If you have a NES Classic, I think playing all of the games makes sense to me because they are all a piece of history. I'm not sure I recommend anyone go out and buy one if they don't care about that sort of thing.

Thanks for the comments, trying to keep these reviews fresh is something I think about quite a bit! Next time i'll recommend someone play the game based on the box art alone!

10/10 Metroid art is better than new game art therefore MUST PLAY

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/04/2018 at 06:14pm

Some sort of Metroid guide better be a Must Read then lol

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/04/2018 at 06:15pm

And I totally get adding in the historical significance. I'm glad you at least state that that's part of the score :)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/04/2018 at 06:54pm

Also, if anyone hasn't played Metroid, it would be interesting getting an opinion of someone who doesn't look up any tips online!

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/04/2018 at 07:31pm

I read it out of a book. Does that count?

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/04/2018 at 09:41pm

I have barely played the original. I remember nothing from it. I wonder if I'd be able to get very far without looking things up.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/04/2018 at 10:40pm

Ha. Yeah, good luck.

You can map it but even so it's fairly hard. Knowing where to go help me out a lot.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Graveyard Keeper is Like Stardew Valley with More Dead People... and That's Awesome!

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

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

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

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

Note: tinyBuild provided us with a copy of this game for review because they're awesome. Thanks tinyBuild!

I'm having withdrawal from Graveyard Keeper. It's the kind of game that gets under your skin and has you thinking about game logic when doing day-to-day things. The grocery store is a nightmare: "No, I don't need apples, I have about 50 of those in my trunk. Wait... that's not real life, Travis." According to Steam, it took 45 hours for me to beat the game but I could have happily gone another 45. I didn't intend to wait until I beat it to write this review, it's just that I couldn't stop playing it.

If you've played a farming sim, Graveyard Keeper will feel... Read All

Does Twilight Princess Running on the NVidia Shield Showcase What's To Come On The Switch?

If you didn't know, Nintendo is licensing some Wii games for release in China by Nvidia on it's Nvidia Shield system. Essentially these are emulation/rebuilds of the games running on modern hardware you can download to play on the Shield in China only. DigitalFoundry has been downloading these games and running them through the paces and it seems like Twilight Princess is a bit more than just a Wii port. It does show that these games run incredibly well on the Shield paving the way for a possible re-release on the Switch as both systems share very similar hardware.

I'd love to see a bunch of Wii games get ported to the Switch, what about you?

Where Have All The Demos Gone?

Game demos used to be a staple of gaming but in recent years are few and far between. Some live on mostly as console downloads and seem to have nearly evaporated on PC. Ben Paddon of PortsCenter takes a look at why and it seems to be because game demos ... don't really sell games. Still it's fun to look back at what game demos were and some good examples of modern titles that did well with releasing a demo.