Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Buckle Up For 21 Minutes of The LGR Gravis UltraSound Retrospective Review!

LGR is one of the more interesting YouTube shows I watch because he covers a pretty incredible topic: old school PC hardware. In his latest retrospective he looks at the Gravis UltraSound a piece of hardware WAY out of my price range for the time. In the 90's I didn't have the greatest PC hardware and remember when I was salivating over a 2X CD ROM so I could play Myst much less a super fancy sound card like the Gravis. Eventually entry level soundblaster cards were standard faire for PC's and we were able to buy a Packard Bell 486/SX 25 that came pre-loaded with Windows 3.11 for Workgroups. Even though great sound become a staple of all computers there was a time... Read All

No Man's Sky NEXT Trailer Released. The Update Releases NEXT Week!

I'm home sick with food poisoning but I set an alarm for 10:55 EST because I knew this trailer was coming out at 11. It was worth waking up for.

We've known for a little while that NEXT was coming, and that it was going to be the biggest update yet, and include more fleshed out multiplayer (the Atlas Rises update gave us a very rudimentary version with "glitches in the simulation" that were other players). This trailer is our first real peek inside.

The NEXT update is free, no paid DLC here, and it launches along with the Xbox One version coming the same day, July 24th.

UPDATE! I initially listed the changes I could see in the trailer, but Sean has posted some info on... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/17/2018 at 07:12pm

Ok at first, before watching the trailer, I wasn't too thrilled about the multiplayer, I just didn't feel like it was something I really needed. But after watching the trailer, I think it looks cool! In the first part, I thought (and hoped) that what the players were wearing was underwater gear, because the normal gear sucks underwater, at least swimming does. I knew this update was coming for a little while. I'm looking forward to jumping back in the game when this releases, I may start a fresh game again.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 07/17/2018 at 10:14pm

I might jump back in the game as well to check this out. We might have to set up a CG group in game!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/17/2018 at 10:42pm

Greg I agree that swimming always felt clunky but it also kinda makes sense that you move slower in water. Even if they do nothing else with swimming, I think the third-person camera will help. Seeing the swimming animation may make it feel less cumbersome.

But I’m hoping for some more water improvements too. It looks like you can build bases underwater now so I’m hoping that extra.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/17/2018 at 10:42pm

And Adam: yes. Most definitely!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/17/2018 at 11:34pm

I see that, Travis. I hope they fixed it, too, but it does make some sense as you say. Also, I hope you feel better soon! I overlooked that part when I left my first comment.

I agree with Adam as a CG group is great idea. I wonder how we'll go about meeting up. I wonder if they'll explain how to when they release the update, or if they're just going to leave it up to us to figure out (I kind of doubt that though).

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/18/2018 at 12:24am

I’m sure they’ll explain it somehow, and it’ll probably be pretty intuitive. As it stands right now, it’s kinda hard to find people but they haven’t had that focus before. The teleporters in stations and bases could have an option or something.

And thanks for the well wishes! Some bad shrimp.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/18/2018 at 01:51am

This update looks to fix nearly all the criticism leveled at the game at launch.

I imagine each person called this game "No Mans Lie" will retract their further statements and now call it "No Mans Actually The Full Game Will Come Two Years Later."

Jokes aside, this looks like they are getting ever closer to the 3D version of Starbound.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/18/2018 at 02:17am

I wonder what those bipedal mech looking things are. Are they things that we hop in and go walking around in or is it something that maybe we pilot remotely?

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/18/2018 at 02:47am

They look like larger sentinels. If you really anger the sentinels they send out walkers that look like that but they’re about 1/3 the size. Since there were a few people running with them, I’m imagining it’s something we can hack to work with us or something.

And yeah Jon, the SEAN LIED ABOUT MULTIPLAYER rhetoric was overblown but based in truth. Basically all the other launch complaints had been worked out except for this one.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/18/2018 at 03:02am

Check out this trailer mashup on reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoMansSkyTheGame/comments/8zmo0u/how_this_game_has_changed_3/

They basically re-created the original trailer with the new stuff. Interesting to see how far the game has come but... even still I'd love to play the game with that original art style/color palette. By the time the game released they'd changed quite a bit.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/18/2018 at 03:06am

Also Greg-- you mentioned how they might implement playing together. If you check this screen there's a clear portal placed on someone's base. That's absolutely new, and looks more like the portals you find out in the world and activate with glyphs, rather than the teleporters that are automatically in bases and space stations

https://i.redditmedia.com/zmP-UQpa9RJGYQgbSmhdSj3FB4citN5gaXHZowcFAM4.png?fit=crop&crop=faces%2Centropy&arh=2&w=960&s=bbc3a5d1fe97e32212e217c6a2e4603f

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/18/2018 at 03:41am

@Travis, oh yeah, I see it! I forgot about sentinels, although it did look like those were with the players. Perhaps, like you said, we can hack them and turn them toward our favor. What would they do for us? Scouting perhaps? Man it's been so long since I've played, it's been 10 months.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/20/2018 at 12:58pm

Wow here’s a list of some minorish changes coming.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/07/20/28-changes-coming-to-no-mans-sky-with-next

That sounds like they’ve made multiplayer very easy and added some depth to the game.

And not only that, NMS is getting free weekly updates from here on, with new missions and events each week.

And a new website is launching, Galactic Atlas. It will show in-game events on the map and let you warp there straight from the site. Somehow‽

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vqk3f4bL3E

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/20/2018 at 09:19pm

Man that looks exciting! I thought I saw on the website that it was coming on the 26th or 28th. Did you see this, too? I didn't see it when I went back to look. I want to know when it's coming.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/21/2018 at 04:53am

Tuesday, the 24th:
https://www.nomanssky.com/2018/05/no-mans-sky-next-multiplayer-and-release-date/

I should have put that in the post. On it!

In addition, since the Xbox version of this is a new release for the console, the new update is on the disc. There may be some updates on release day, but the core of it is definitely there. And as frequently happens, the street date was broken. So, if you want to search them out you can find videos of the new stuff.

A couple highlights I noticed:
The water is so great. It’s way improved over the current water. And it looks like it reacts to things. You can fly right over it and tip your wing into it and it will create a ripple effect.

Space stations have been heavily redesigned and kinda look like the Citadel from Mass Effect. There’s way more going on now. It actually looks like a space station instead of ... a boring place that people land.

Freighters have gotten a redesign and some new missions to spruce them up. You can build specific things for them to get new abilities.

We knew clouds would cast a shadow but it seems that storms actually follow cloud formations properly, and some really great weather effects have been added.

Building seems to be much easier than before.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/21/2018 at 06:08am

Thanks, Travis! I should have dug a bit more for that. I found it some time ago, but I guess I lost it. Anyway, all of that sounds really good, I'm looking forward to jumping back in the game.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/24/2018 at 08:31pm

It’s out! Yaaaaaayyy! Can’t wait to dive in tonight.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/25/2018 at 01:19am

I like how the scanner works now. I forgot about keys such as X and Z. If you want to change to first person you have to use the X menu, go to Utilities, and select the camera view option. Z is used to build things, although you can also pick some things back up and carry them with you. I tried numerous times to spawn a new game on a planet that wasn't hazardous, but that didn't work, so I settled. I eventually left the planet. Minerals are constantly changing names with these updates. They've added some things that make playing a bit more involved, like having to refine minerals. Building is different, you start out by building wooden things. For some reason I couldn't get through my door, or even find nearby ground that was flat enough for a building. In the end....things are different, although perhaps for the better overall.

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Samus Returns Is One of The Best 3DS Games I've Played

When I saw that Nintendo was releasing a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus I was very excited. I played a ton of the original Gameboy game and have very found memories of it. I'd argue the original Gameboy title is a good game but doesn't entirely hold up now but there is a lot there that's really fun and a remake seemed like a no-brainer.

I'd describe Samus Returns as the best parts of Super Metroid mixed with a fighting game.... sort of. The reason why the game feels like a fighting game is because Samus Returns includes a melee attack that is essential to progressing through the game. A lot of the time enemies will charge at you and the best way to kill them is... Read All When I saw that Nintendo was releasing a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus I was very excited. I played a ton of the original Gameboy game and have very found memories of it. I'd argue the original Gameboy title is a good game but doesn't entirely hold up now but there is a lot there that's really fun and a remake seemed like a no-brainer.

I'd describe Samus Returns as the best parts of Super Metroid mixed with a fighting game.... sort of. The reason why the game feels like a fighting game is because Samus Returns includes a melee attack that is essential to progressing through the game. A lot of the time enemies will charge at you and the best way to kill them is to do a melee counter and shoot them. Learning how to do this effectively takes some practice and if you're not in tune with it you can take a lot of damage and die. It's not an impossible skill to learn but it requires focus and if you are rushing and don't time your counter attacks properly the game punishes you for it without feeling too punishing even if you die because of it.

The graphics of Samus Returns look like one of the better 3DS games but i'll admit that the best the 3DS can do is starting to show it's age a little. With that I'm not sure the fact that the 3DS is starting to show it's graphical limits compared to modest PC Indie games or the Switch is a big deal, but it's something I noticed. That said, the art style of the game is top notch and the 3D is absofrickin' incredible. I can't understate how cool the 3D effect on the 3DS is and Samus Returns really pops in 3D.

If you have a 3DS and are looking for a game to buy to put some life back in your handheld get Samus Returns. As Nintendo looks for the best of the Wii U catalog to port to the Switch I hope they consider porting some DS & 3DS titles to Switch too and Samus Returns would be a great contender. I'm strongly hoping that they port Ocarina of time 3D to the Switch too but if they don't I think that further cements the 3DS as a must have system for Nintendo lovers.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/17/2018 at 03:26am

Cool! I still have a lost 3DS. I had (or still have) the original Gameboy cart of Metroid II. I remember playing it. I'm glad they did this remake and that you enjoyed it. I probably would, too.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/17/2018 at 03:34am

My brother had our Gameboy so when he sold it I lost all those games. I recently picked it up at a retro game convention for a pretty good deal and it runs great on the Gameboy Advance I have. The batteries on all the Gameboy carts are dead(as i've said in other comment chains) and haven't replaced them yet, but it doesn't seem to hard to do it I just haven't yet.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 07/17/2018 at 04:47am

I just started this game. It is a blast

Travis Admin wrote on 07/17/2018 at 03:53pm

> when he sold it

Has your relationship been able to recover?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/18/2018 at 01:32am

Funny.

I finally got the SNES back and it didn't work. That hurt more because it was our old family SNES but the Gameboy was always his. I need to find a local shop that does repairs, it's a great system and i'd love to see it light up again.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 07/19/2018 at 05:40pm

I like the sound design too! When I go into water everything becomes muffled. So cool.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/20/2018 at 02:34am

I didn't notice that, i'll pay attention next time I do that.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 08/15/2018 at 05:20pm

I just wrapped this up last week. Spent about 20 hours and made it to 100%. So much fun.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/16/2018 at 06:47pm

20 hours? That’s not too bad. Not sure how far I’m in but I don’t think I’m halfway.

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Get Historical With NESComplex and Mega Man X

Mega Man X is a well loved Super Nintendo game and as such has a dedicated community and was included as one of the games in the recent Super Nintendo Classic lineup. Because of it's status as one of the better entries in the Mega Man franchise, NES Complex dives in and takes another look in an all new retrospective video. The video briefly touches on the original NES Mega Man games and what X may have looked like if the series creator drew him the way he wanted. Spoiler alert, I like what they went with instead.

You Need To Watch This Uncharted Fan Film

Nathan Fillion stars in this all new Uncharted fan film that's one of the better fan films i've ever seen. It seems like a chunk taken directly out of a Uncharted movie that would be pretty fun to watch. As a lower budget film it has some rough edges but Nathan Fillion brings the charm. It also stars Stephen Lang as Drakes partner who really rounds out the treasure hunting team as Nathan gets the jump on the bad guys. Come for the Uncharted fan love and stay for Nathan Fillion getting punched in the face repeatedly.

Punch Club on the Switch is a Solid Port of a Fun Game

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

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

Travis gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

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

TinyBuild was kind enough to give Cheerful Ghost a key for this game for our review. Thanks TinyBuild!

In Punch Club, you play as a boxer trying to make his name in the ring, and in unlicensed fights. And you fight mutant alligators. But while it may seem like a boxing game, it's really not. It has more in common with tycoon games, and the old Dope Wars games that came out around the turn of the century.

You essentially have to manage your sleep/energy/hunger/etc while making sure you have enough time to get to matches, and making sure you have enough money to do what you need to do. You can select the stats you want to improve by the different exercises at the gym, and... Read All TinyBuild was kind enough to give Cheerful Ghost a key for this game for our review. Thanks TinyBuild!

In Punch Club, you play as a boxer trying to make his name in the ring, and in unlicensed fights. And you fight mutant alligators. But while it may seem like a boxing game, it's really not. It has more in common with tycoon games, and the old Dope Wars games that came out around the turn of the century.

You essentially have to manage your sleep/energy/hunger/etc while making sure you have enough time to get to matches, and making sure you have enough money to do what you need to do. You can select the stats you want to improve by the different exercises at the gym, and you need to pick skills for your fights that match well with the stats you're strongest in, but you don't actually get to control the fights.

And that gameplay loop really works. It's a satisfying resource management game. The only issue I had with it was that the default may be a *little* too taxing. There's an easy mode that's just way too easy, but the normal mode can get frustrating early on.

That frustration dies down after a couple hours, though, but crops back up sometimes when you really don't want it.

I also really wish we could actually control the fights. I feel that this addition would provide a nice action break between the grindy-by-design life sim parts. I'm not complaining about that grind, it's a fun game loop and it pays off, but some variety would help here.

Overall, however, this game really works and I definitely recommend it.

As for the port: I played this most on PC, as that was the original (along with smartphones) and I wanted to compare the two. But the Switch port really holds up. Everything runs perfectly smoothly, and looks as you'd expect. The controller mappings feel natural after only a couple minutes. The only issue I have with the port is that, while the game runs on iOS and Android with touch controls, there's no support in the Switch version for the touch screen. The controls are great but some repetitive tasks like moving around on the map and selecting your skills in fights could be greatly improved and sped up by using the touch screen.

This is, however, a minor complaint. I may actually prefer the Switch port because this just feels like a curl-up-on-the-couch-with-a-handheld game to me. This is odd, because I don't prefer handheld gaming, but I recommend playing this one in handheld mode. It's the same controls either way but it feels more personal and engaging that way.

If you have a Switch and want a fun, low-pressure game to play to take a break from stomping goombas and gliding around Hyrule, this is a great game to have.

The Lackluser AI in Aliens: Colonial Marines May Have Been Due to a Typo All Along

I did a quick review of Aliens: Colonial Marines a couple years back to see if it was as bad as people said it was. I didn't thik it was, but it did have some problems. Read more here: https://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/1538/aliens-colonial-marines-is-it-really-that-bad

That review wasn't a deep dive, nor was it meant to, but the biggest issue I still had with it was the buggy enemy AI. At least it felt buggy. The Xenomorphs just seemed to run around like morons. The embedded gfycat video above is an example.

Well, jamesdickinson963, a modder working on an unofficial patch for the game, may have found a very simple answer. As it turns out, that seems to be caused by... Read All

What Happened During That Mario 3 Race? - Summer Games Done Quick Wrap Up II

Here's another round of awesome SGDQ runs that you might want to check out. But... Jon why? Read on friends!

Super Mario Bros 3 All Forts Race of MitchFlowerPower v GrandPOOBear in 58:34 This run is embedded above and is not only an amazing test of skill by Mitch and PooBear but it also contains two really unfortunate soft locks. After Mitch's console soft locks the first time they are able to restart the run together but after that PooBear takes the win. It's hard to see this kind of thing happen in a race but both players are cool about it and you can see that in the interview afterward. It was reported that PooBear kicked Mitch's console but that's not quite what... Read All Here's another round of awesome SGDQ runs that you might want to check out. But... Jon why? Read on friends!

Super Mario Bros 3 All Forts Race of MitchFlowerPower v GrandPOOBear in 58:34 This run is embedded above and is not only an amazing test of skill by Mitch and PooBear but it also contains two really unfortunate soft locks. After Mitch's console soft locks the first time they are able to restart the run together but after that PooBear takes the win. It's hard to see this kind of thing happen in a race but both players are cool about it and you can see that in the interview afterward. It was reported that PooBear kicked Mitch's console but that's not quite what happened, it seems Poo stomped the ground as he was getting into the fun of the match and that may have rattled Mitch's console.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures by Zmaster91 in 2:08:59 I didn't know you could play Zelda Four Swords on Gamecube single player but Zmaster91 shows that you can and does it well. It's a really chill run to watch so if you're looking to relax and watch some Zelda, this is it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQvEQK8KMcU

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD by Linkus7 in 1:28:27 Linkus Wind Waker runs shows off just how crazy speedruns can get when the community finds amazing glitches. It's been recently found that if you pause buffer in Wind Waker that you can gain incredible swimming speed allowing you to swim to locations that previously required the boat. This allows runners to skip the first part of the game and other major parts making Wind Waker HD a run you can do in an hour and a half. If you watch anything watch Linkus setup the crazy pause buffering swim glitch then watch the rest because it's awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPLytsTfCcE

Kirby's Dream Land by eBloodyCandy in 12:51 Kirby's Dream Land isn't a very hard but BloodCandy's run adds quite a bit of strats to the game I wasn't aware of. I really love Dreamland and this was a fun run to watch because it's really quick and a fun game to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfQylC7rt2E

Travis Admin wrote on 07/13/2018 at 06:56pm

It was beautiful to see him just sit there and wait for Mitch to catch up and opt not to use an item just so they’d be even. And maaaaaaaan he felt bad.

That kind of sportsmanship is great to see. But unsurprising. Everyone in the speedrun community seems to be awesome.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/13/2018 at 07:16pm

Also I felt really bad for Mitch. He caught up and then luck of the draw knocked him behind in world 8. But both of them were amazing.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/13/2018 at 07:18pm

Oh man... ANOTHER soft lock at 55. This has been a roller coaster of emotions.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/13/2018 at 07:23pm

I'm now seeing that you said "two really unfortunate soft locks" in your post. I'm glad I missed that the first time through. I felt that emotion hard.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/13/2018 at 10:16pm

Yeah, glad you liked it. Mitch and Poo are both great Mario players.

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Anodyne 2: Return to Dust Is Coming In Early 2019

Anodyne was the Indie Zelda-like released in 2013 that was a fan favorite on Cheerful Ghost during that time. I love the game so much we did a couple interviews with the studio that made the game(linked below). They released a follow up to Anodyne called Even The Ocean to great reviews and recently dropped news of an Anodyne sequel Anodyne 2: Return to Dust. It looks to harken back to the Nintendo 64 3D era which really works for the tone of the game and feels like a proper Anodyne follow up.

For me Anodyne wasn't just an awesome Indie game it also contains one of the best game soundtracks around. I listen to it still and the music is so iconic to me it sort of... Read All

And I'm Out As Quickly As I Came In

When the last Hearthstone expansion The Witchwood dropped I opened the free packs and played the single player content. The single player missions were quite fun and if you completed them with the Witchwood quests you could get a few more free packs to open. I didn't open a ton of Witchwood cards but the single player stuff was fun enough to keep me playing daily. Then one day turned into another and I was back playing Hearthstone each day grinding dailies for gold. A while back I left Hearthstone because I was tired of the grind but things seemed fresh and playing it was fun again.

For the last month there was a special time event where they gave everyone a free arena... Read All When the last Hearthstone expansion The Witchwood dropped I opened the free packs and played the single player content. The single player missions were quite fun and if you completed them with the Witchwood quests you could get a few more free packs to open. I didn't open a ton of Witchwood cards but the single player stuff was fun enough to keep me playing daily. Then one day turned into another and I was back playing Hearthstone each day grinding dailies for gold. A while back I left Hearthstone because I was tired of the grind but things seemed fresh and playing it was fun again.

For the last month there was a special time event where they gave everyone a free arena run, made the quests easier and included dust and gold rewards for dailies. That free arena run was the best i've ever had and the deck I made took me to 7 total wins. Since i'm not a heavy arena player I thought that was a really reasonable showing as a perfect arena run is 10 total wins. Throughout the time I was playing Hearthstone I never looked up the current meta decks to see what the best decks to use were. I simply built my own decks based on cards I had and what I liked to play and what was good enough. One of my favorite classes to play is Hunter and I love beast decks so most of the time I was playing with a Beast Hunter sort of mid range deck and did really well with it. I played each day until the special event ended and the old quests came back and the daily grind just didn't seem as fun. I hope they bring back those special quests because, while easy, they changed up how I played the game. It wasn't about winning, it was about winning quests around really fun and stupid stuff like "Play 3 Dragons" and "Summon 20 1 cost minions" or "Summon 20 battle cry minions." Easy sure, but fun and why does grinding for daily gold have to be a chore?

The next Hearthstone expansion has been announced and the game is still just as expensive as ever and I plan on playing the new content but I don't think i'll stick around as long as I did for The Witchwood. Happy to have fun in Hearthstone again but getting back into the game again proved to me that the base grind is still around and still not something I want to do a lot of.