Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Site Feature Update: Tech upgrades, some new design

Hi folks,

We have upgraded some of the frameworks we use on the site -- Bootstrap has a new major version that's been stable for a few months, and that required an upgrade to jQuery as well. As we plan out future changes to the site, these new tools make things easier for us and better for you.

Some of the tools from Bootstrap 3.x we were using are gone in 4, so we had to re-work things a bit. Fortunately, the tools that replace it in Bootstrap 4 are better, and it gave us an opportunity to improve those things with some redesigns.

For now, we just tried to make things look like the site pre-upgrade for the most part, but in situations where that wasn't possible we put... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/19/2018 at 05:28pm

Travis did the majority of the work here, so toss all the good will to him.

One problem I've noticed for a while now was that when you were on the game list each entry looked pretty bland and samey. Each game is different and some games have a pretty rich legacy and I wanted to differentiate them when you are look at the games list. So an idea I had was to put an icon next to each game depending on what console it primarily came out on. And in the case where we have an icon for the game, display that as some do. I like the way it turned out and Travis and I iterated on the algorithm to select the right icon based on the game for a bit and like what we came up with.

https://cheerfulghost.com/games/most_popular

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 05/19/2018 at 05:37pm

Thanks Jon!

And the games list changes Jon mentions carry over to viewing other people's games and your own game list.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/19/2018 at 06:23pm

Cool! Some things do look better, nice work! I like Jon's link to most popular games. It's actually kind of surprising to find out that some games have more posts than others, like Terraria isn't higher up on the list.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/20/2018 at 02:08am

Shut up and take my money! $$$

Thanks for managing the site Travis and Jon! It is an awesome site.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 05/20/2018 at 02:51am

Thanks guys!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/20/2018 at 02:57am

I'm pretty impressed, really. You know how frustrated I got with advanced programming. I can do simple HTML, but I'm clueless when it comes to more advanced web design. Good job!

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/20/2018 at 03:29am

Yeah. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been way better since I somehow convinced Travis to help.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 05/22/2018 at 12:14am

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Take A Look At The Grandfather To The Switch, The Sega Nomad!

I didn't know that Sega released the Nomad which was a full blown Genesis that you could play on the go or connected to a TV. It's a great idea and something that people love about the Switch but Nintendo wasn't the first to do it. DF Retro talks about what worked about the Nomad and other consoles that tried to do that before the Switch became so popular.

"Nintendo Switch is rightly lauded for its hybrid console concept - the idea of having a fully mobile console you can also use for living room play, with full multiplayer support. But whether through design or through sheer luck, Sega actually got there first with its Nomad, way back in 1995. John picks up the story.... Read All

Nintendo's New Switch Online Service Is A Step Closer to A Nintendo Netflix Subscription

Today Nintendo dropped the details of it's Switch online service and it looks quite interesting. I don't love that consoles charge you money for online play as that's typically included in the price of PC games. That said, the way Nintendo is rolling it out isn't too shabby because the first year of service will just be $20. But what do you get for that first year?

Online Play

20 NES games with added online play

Save data cloud backup

Nintendo switch online app & special offers

I haven't heard great things about the online app & special offers just sound like discounts on things we'd already get. The interesting part is the 20 NES games with added online play... Read All

Rage 2 Gameplay Looks Kill-tastic!

If there was any question if Rage 2 looked good that’s been answered in the gameplay featured in this new Rage 2 trailer. They are boasting a fully open world, something the original Rage lacked(it was more of a hub world system) as well as the ability to drive any vehicle you see. Visually this does look like the best kind of follow up to Rage and doesn’t look to entirely wipe the original game away as Rage 2 picks up 50 years after the events of the first game.

One part of the original Rage I enjoyed was the multiplayer co-op system. I played a lot of split screen co-op on the PS3 and then on PC online with Travis. Hopefully Rage 2 brings this back because it was a... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 23: Punch Out!!

Next month's Cheerful Ghost Games Club event is live! Come play Kid Icarus with us!
https://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/events/153/cheerful-ghost-games-club-kid-icarus

Punch Out, originally titled Mike Tyson's Punch Out before a bit of ear-biting changed Nintendo's mind, was ported from the arcade in 1987 by Nintendo R&D3. In Punch Out, players take on the role of Little Mac, fighting through three circuits and eventually facing the impossible Mr. Dream.

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... Read All

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 05/16/2018 at 01:35am

I think I'd give Punch Out a solid Rad as well. It's something fairly easy to pick up play (except for Tim) and not get to frustrated with at first. The difficultly definitely ramps up though. I don't recall how far I normally get, but I've never beat it.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/01/2018 at 04:26am

I finally hooked up my NES Classic and even having just played it last month, this is the first game I fired up.

<3 Punch Out

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/01/2018 at 04:51am

And then Super Mario Bros. which took me an embarrassing 9 minutes to beat. I'm rusty :D

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/01/2018 at 08:26pm

God, I've never beaten SMB and I've only made it to 5-1 or 5-2. I suck at it. I did find my Wii Classic Controller though. I did play some SMB, SMB2&3, Metroid, Dr. Mario, and Super C (I suck at that one, too).

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/02/2018 at 12:42am

I think Travis warped to complete it so quickly

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/02/2018 at 12:42am

That said I stared a no warp SMB run and I’m in world 6. It’s a fun game that holds up.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/02/2018 at 01:11am

I tried to see how far I could make it without warping and I believe I did make it to level 5. That's where my progress ends. I warp there now. I even had 5 lives going into level 5 and lost all of them. :( I suck at Mario. I get stressed out, too, and being to hate Mario. LOL I didn't grow up w/ an NES, my cousin had one and friends had one, but I only had the Gameboy and the Sega Game Gear. Later, I bought a SNES, but then lost it.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/02/2018 at 01:44am

I feel your pain with Super C. Wow that game is hard.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/02/2018 at 01:45am

And yes I totally warped for that time :D

I need to do a no-warp run.

jdodson Admin wrote on 07/02/2018 at 02:02am

I haven't really found a love for any Contra game outside the first one. If it's possible, they seem way harder too which might be why.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/02/2018 at 02:15am

I tried the Konami code, but it seems I failed some how. Maybe I didn't enter it in the right place or I missed something.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 07/02/2018 at 03:51am

Honestly I struggle to get into the first. That kind of grueling difficulty puts me off. It’s fun but a health bar instead of dying to one hit would make it so much more fun.

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Federal Law Prohibiting Sports Gambling

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/sites/csnma/files/styles/article_hero_image/public/2018/05/14/sportsbetting.png

There's been a federal ban on sports gambling (that excluded Nevada), but it was just struck down! This opens the way to any state deciding to make sports betting legal (and therefore taxable), with some states ready to quickly making it legal. As one who follows sports, and plays daily fantasy sports (which for whatever reason isn't considered betting in most states), I'm really looking forward to being able to place legal bets on games. I've tried some questionably legal off shore betting websites, and whilst they're ran well, it's always felt shady.

It's estimated that Americans illegally wager $150 billion a year on sports.

Here's more information:
... Read All

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 05/14/2018 at 07:38pm

(I know this isn't a typical Cheerful Ghost post, but it's gaming-related, in a way lol)

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/14/2018 at 07:50pm

Is Cheerful Ghost opening up a sports betting area?

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 05/14/2018 at 08:00pm

RAKE IN TEH MONEY

Travis Admin wrote on 05/14/2018 at 08:28pm

Haha, I feel like we’d be the wrong target audience for sports betting.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/14/2018 at 08:45pm

$5 on rollerball!

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/15/2018 at 03:03am

> Is Cheerful Ghost opening up a sports betting area?

No but oddly enough I've been approached to link to sites that provide the odds for certain scenarios like the chances the average gamer could pre-order a NES Classic. That said, I didn't do that and I don't think Cheerful Ghost will open up a sport betting aspect to the site. Interesting idea though.

That said, I heard about this today and apparently this was a unanimous Supreme Court ruling which, to me, makes total sense. I don't gamble really ever but the fact that it was outlawed in ever state EXCEPT Nevada seemed honestly like someone in Nevada paid someone off to exclude the other states. Not sure Oregon will allow sports betting, I hope they do, but this seems like a pretty good idea if you are for more states rights.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/15/2018 at 03:40am

Yeah I have mixed opinions about sports betting but it seems crazy for it to be illegal at the federal level with exceptions for NV.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 05/15/2018 at 04:01am

Time to open up betting on eSports!

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/15/2018 at 04:27am

> Time to open up betting on eSports!

Huh. That's not a bad idea.

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Rage 2 Reveal Trailer Brings Us Back To The Wasteland!

The new Rage 2 announce trailer dropped this morning and features a cacophony of visuals that are tonally similar to the original game. I don't love the live action parts of the trailer but i'm also not a marketing expert i'd just prefer to see gameplay. There are a few gameplay glimpses scatted throughout that look incredible and if you want even more of that Bethesda is launching a gameplay trailer tomorrow. It's a good idea Bethesda is releasing these Rage 2 trailers now before E3. There are a lot of games announced at E3 and doing this beforehand gives Rage 2 a chance to shine during a news lull. I think the original Rage game was way better than it reviewed and... Read All

Mega Man 2 & Mega Man X Get A New Limited Run Cart Release!

I should have posted this at the top of the month but somehow this news big got buried. That said, iam8bit and Capcom are partnering up to release two new repro collector carts for Mega Man 2 and Mega Man X for $100 each. I imagine a lot of Mega Man fans are pretty excited to get a new pressing of Mega Man and since these carts are in limited quantities what more could a collector want?

"Capcom and iam8bit are kicking off “Mega May” with the announcement of two nostalgic Mega Man collectibles: the Mega Man 2 - 30th Anniversary Classic Cartridge and Mega Man X - 30th Anniversary Classic Cartridge. These brand new, limited edition reproductions are now available for... Read All

Will Sony Make a PS4 "Switch" Console Hybrid?

After the Switch dropped and it was obvious that is was really popular I started thinking that Sony, Microsoft and even Valve might want to get into dedicated mobile gaming handheld market. With everyone having handy access to very powerful smartphones the market could get crowded but one thing Nintendo showed me that if you do something right, people will buy it. I'm not gonna lie, I've wanted a dedicated PC gaming handheld for a while and would love it if Valve made one. That all said the people over a Digital Foundry made a video recently wondering if Sony would make the Switch equivalent for the PS4. The long story seems to be no and if they did it would just be a... Read All

The NES Classic Returns June 29th!

Nintendo is finally bringing back the NES Classic as it promised and we now have a date to expect it.

"#NESClassic Edition will return to stores on June 29! This system and the #SNESClassic Edition system are expected to be available through the end of the year."

Good news to everyone that wasn't able to get a NES Classic or is having a hard time securing a SNES Classic! That said, I imagine you could take the "available through the end of the year" to mean Nintendo might discontinue them? I gotta think that they don't mean that but... well if you want one, now's a good time to get one. I know the NES & SNES Classics mostly sit unused for most but I play them a lot... Read All