Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

The Humble Bundle 19 Kicks It Into LIGHTSPEED!

It doesn't feel like we've experienced 19 Humble Indie Bundles over the years but the fact is that we have. I remember when the Humble Bundle came on the scene with World of Goo, Aquaria, Gish, Penumbra: Overture, Lugaru HD & Samorost 2 and no Steam keys. In fact, getting Steam keys didn't make sense to me as why would anyone use Steam if they had a DRM free download? Times have changed but the Humble Indie Bundle is still going strong and the 19th edition looks to be quite good.

I haven't played any of the games in this bundle, which is good, but from what I know of the games included and what's more my style the top of the bundle seems to be Halcyon 6 Lightspeed... Read All

All Of The Ways You Can Play RollerCoaster Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon is one of the best Sim games to come out of the 90's. Created by Chris Sawyer it spawned a ton of sequels such as RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, 3, World as well as a 3D version and some releases on mobile and PC such as RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic which is a modern port of RollerCoaster Tycoon and it's sequel. Needless to say there are a lot of ways to play it and since I've been a longtime fan I've got my original RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 on CD from back in the day. RollerCoaster Tycoon was available for digital download first on GOG and later came to Steam and I got the original deluxe version as part of a Humble Simulator... Read All RollerCoaster Tycoon is one of the best Sim games to come out of the 90's. Created by Chris Sawyer it spawned a ton of sequels such as RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, 3, World as well as a 3D version and some releases on mobile and PC such as RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic which is a modern port of RollerCoaster Tycoon and it's sequel. Needless to say there are a lot of ways to play it and since I've been a longtime fan I've got my original RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 on CD from back in the day. RollerCoaster Tycoon was available for digital download first on GOG and later came to Steam and I got the original deluxe version as part of a Humble Simulator Bundle on Steam.

RollerCoaster Tycoon: Deluxe on Steam, GOG & CD

If you love the original game and want to play it the good news it still, mostly, runs on Windows 10. It's easy to find on nearly any PC digital store and it's cheap and comes with all the expansions. The only downside is that it doesn't run very well on Windows 10 as the game window only stretches so far and you can't mouse away from the game while playing it as it sort of locks up your PC from anything else. When I close the game my Windows 10 PC is unresponsive for a bit but after a minute things come back and all is well. Even though the original game runs strangely on my PC, for some people it doesn't run at all. Publisher Atari just took the original game and the XP update and packaged it up for release and while it still runs, it's not the best way you can play it.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic

Is a modern remastering of the best games in the series RollerCoaster Tycoon, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 and all of the expansions and ported to PC, Mac and tablets. I haven't played it but it reviews well and seems to be what fans have been wanting for quite sometime. That said, the PC version does use the same code as the Tablet version and as such the menus look at bit odd in that context but it doesn't seem unplayable because of it.

Open RollerCoaster Tycoon 2

Is one of those open source projects that make you happy that awesome people have free time. Meant to be a complete source recreation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, ORCT2 is a very well established project that is extremely faithful to the originals. It's a recreation of the sequel but you can point at your install of the original game to play the original park scenarios if you want. If you are looking for an amazing way to play RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 and the original scenarios on Windows, Mac or Linux and you have the original games you need to check this out.

One tip is that if you can find the original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 demo you can use that as the demo timeboxed you to 1 hour and the open source version does not. That said, getting RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 isn't hard and any version will do.

https://openrct2.org/

The Darkness II Is Free On Humble For The Next 24 Hours!

Humble is giving away The Darkness II on Steam for PC and Mac during the next 24 hours. I played the heck out of the Darkness II demo on PS3 back when I first got my PS3 and that one level was incredible, even after playing it 15 times. I imagine it ports over well to PC and Mac and since it's not quite a cutting edge game, I imagine it will run extra well on your gaming PC.

"Inspired by the popular comic book series produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc., The Darkness II is an intense first person shooter that delivers a twisted and gripping narrative of tragedy, modern crime drama, and supernatural horror.

Players will be taken down the brutal and personal path of... Read All

Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition Review

Azurephile gives this a "Meh" on the Ghost Scale

It’s not amazing, it’s not bad. This is ok but you may want to choose another title.

Azurephile gives this a "Meh" on the Ghost Scale

It’s not amazing, it’s not bad. This is ok but you may want to choose another title.

Review

DLC & Tutorial

Multiple AI controlled characters

Open-world, travel on foot or by car or chocobo

You can see enemies, no "random" encounters, seamless combat, everything happens in real-time

Final Fantasy X: Windows Edition was recently released. It includes some new features and currently available DLC. I was told that this is a short game, that is if you don’t do many of the side quests. I did some of them and finished in about 45 hours, the first time. I then unlocked New Game+ and finished a second time. After doing more side quests and the DLC, I now have over 100 hours into the game. I did play on easy, so I may replay the game on normal difficulty.

... Read All Review

DLC & Tutorial

Multiple AI controlled characters

Open-world, travel on foot or by car or chocobo

You can see enemies, no "random" encounters, seamless combat, everything happens in real-time

Final Fantasy X: Windows Edition was recently released. It includes some new features and currently available DLC. I was told that this is a short game, that is if you don’t do many of the side quests. I did some of them and finished in about 45 hours, the first time. I then unlocked New Game+ and finished a second time. After doing more side quests and the DLC, I now have over 100 hours into the game. I did play on easy, so I may replay the game on normal difficulty.

You are in control of the main character, Noctis. There are three other characters that are controlled by the AI and are almost always with you. Each character has their own specialization or skill. Noct is a fisherman. Ignis cooks at camp, which can provide temporary bonuses. He can also drive. Gladio “picks up” items at the end of a battle. His skill increases the more he walks. Prompto is a photographer. I think the characters are good and likable. I felt like they were true FF characters.

The demo and tutorial do a decent job of helping you figure out how to play, but they don’t dive too deep into things. It took me a while to realize that Tech abilities level up the more you use them. They do reach a max, but you can also switch them out outside of battle. Each AI character has their own Tech abilities, each with their own strengths or purposes.

I wasn’t too sure about the Ascension grid, so I looked up some helpful tips as it can be a bit overwhelming at first. The Exploration part of the grid helps you gain Ability Points, which you spend in the grid. You can gain AP by doing things such as making camp or making long trips via car or chocobo. These are good to have early on to help you gain more AP.

There was a patch released to fix the one main problem me and other players ran into, summoning destroyed your fps. After that, the game crashed on me a few times after playing for a while. Otherwise it usually ran pretty smoothly. The game is beautiful and it reminds me of many games, like GTAV and The Witcher 3. It’s nice to see such a beautiful open FF world. It makes me wish other FF games could look like this one.

I found combat to be a bit different than other FF games. You can see monsters, beasts, and enemies roaming around. You can try to avoid them or get within range of them to initiate combat. There is no separate combat screen like in most FF games, everything happens in real time. It also seemed that the game was more full of fetch quests than being in a state of constant combat. In the end, I think it’s not a bad FF game, but it doesn’t quite capture my heart like FFVIII.

Hardly Any Phones Destroyed Because Life Is Too Short

jdodson gives this a "Meh" on the Ghost Scale

It’s not amazing, it’s not bad. This is ok but you may want to choose another title.

jdodson gives this a "Meh" on the Ghost Scale

It’s not amazing, it’s not bad. This is ok but you may want to choose another title.

South Park Phone Destroyer was announced at 2017’s E3 and based on the good reviews of South Park Stick of Truth my interest was peaked. Even though I was really interested in playing it Phone Destroyer somehow the game launched and I didn’t hear anything about it. That changed when I recently saw it in the App Store and since it’s a free to play game I installed it.

Cowboys VS Indians

I’m going to start things out by noting that South Park gleefully revels in offense. At this point South Park has made fun of just about everything so saying that South Park might offend people isn’t really news. Some give South Park a pass because they spread out the satire and mockery... Read All South Park Phone Destroyer was announced at 2017’s E3 and based on the good reviews of South Park Stick of Truth my interest was peaked. Even though I was really interested in playing it Phone Destroyer somehow the game launched and I didn’t hear anything about it. That changed when I recently saw it in the App Store and since it’s a free to play game I installed it.

Cowboys VS Indians

I’m going to start things out by noting that South Park gleefully revels in offense. At this point South Park has made fun of just about everything so saying that South Park might offend people isn’t really news. Some give South Park a pass because they spread out the satire and mockery to everyone but that doesn’t get it off the hook for sometimes being a bit mean spirited. That said, when South Park is at its peak it’s witty satire is biting and contains a socially relevant message.

Phone Destroyer picks up right after the events in The Stick of Truth where the kids are done playing Elves and Orcs and want to play Cowboys and Indians. Whereas it was common for kids to play Cowboys and Indians in the 80’s, 90’s and earlier it seems like this form of play has lost fashion. Parly because other forms of pop culture are more popular such as Superheroes and Star Wars but also because of cultural appropriation and many Native Americans taking issue with it. Satire at its best has a larger message to inform the audience and in the case of Phone Destroyer it seems that Cowboys and Indians is merely a backdrop. If it’s some kind of political or social satire I didn’t get far enough in the game to see it so it just seems to be… offensive because it can be?

Get To The Gameplay Partner!

The core gameplay of Phone Destroyer kept my attention longer than something like Animal Crossing Pocket Camp but that’s not high praise. The game does feature ace voice acting and innovative story beats such as other characters calling you in game requiring you to turn your phone to actually take the call.

Like many free to play games you can buy in game currency in gold coins and cash. These can be used to buy in game card packs and give you access to materials to upgrade cards or buy new cards themselves. Advancement is through a PVP leveling system and a Candy Crush like set of game levels. You get free cards packs every couple hours so the free to play aspect of the game isn’t too punishing. In fact the game isn’t all that bad itself it just suffers because it’s core gameplay, like many free to play games, is repetitive and boring. Like, why do I care about PVP again? Come to find out I don’t and the most interesting part of the game, it’s character interaction and paper thin story beats don’t come enough to keep me interested. When I realized that I had unlocked all the base level cards and I needed to be PVP 5 to continue and i’ve mostly stopped playing because of it.

TLDR

Phone Destroyer is a fine free to play game and if you love South Park you should check out. I didn’t love it but it contained enough fun elements to keep me playing for a few hours.

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 18 : The Cloverfield Paradox

Netflix surprised everyone with the trailer for The Cloverfield Paradox during the Super Bowl, and released it that night! We were excited to see the next Cloverfield installment, and equally excited to talk about it.

Does Paradox live up to previous Cloverfield movies? Do we find out where the monster came from in the original Cloverfield? Did someone spill Slusho on the particle accelerator causing a dystopian reality where the Slusho Corporation controls the Earth? Find out in this episode of Cheerful Ghost Radio!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/20/2018 at 07:21pm

This movie sucked. Here is what I didn't like about it:

Bad acting

Pretty much all the characters are under developed/I didn't care for

Things that made no sense

Felt too rushed

It put me to sleep

I am pretty easy going on movies, but this one stunk.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 03/22/2018 at 11:47pm

For me, there's no movie I *have* to go see in the theater (other than Ready Player One. I think I do need to see that in a theater lol). Seeing Star Wars movies is about seeing the movie with friends, but we could just as easily meet up at someone's house if it first came out streaming somewhere. I love that movies are having more release options, and it doesn't feel like a "lesser" release anymore. It's not like the old days of "straight to video" releases lol.

I've not seen TCP, but I did really enjoy the original Cloverfield. Just never got around to 10 Cloverfield Lane. And after watching and really not liking Bright, when I saw TCP getting a lot of negative reviews, I've already forgotten about the movie (other than being reminded by your podcast). Some day, I might flip to it when scrolling around Netflix, but honestly, I doubt it.

And I really want to watch The Room sometime!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 03/23/2018 at 12:19am

You’ve gotta see The Room. It’s a sight to behold.

And The Disaster Artist, the story of how The Room was made, is pretty great too.

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/23/2018 at 04:02am

I’m watching The Room right now. Lots to say. Most of it negative and I love bad movies.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 03/23/2018 at 02:01pm

From what I've heard, it's best watched with a group of people lol

jdodson Admin wrote on 03/23/2018 at 07:15pm

I bet it is.

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Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress Review

https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/15693/608631-ultima2_big_1_.jpg

Will_Ball gives this an unfortunate "Skip it" on the Ghost Scale

There are some major issues that may make it hard for people to enjoy this.

Will_Ball gives this a "Skip it" on the Ghost Scale

There are some major issues that may make it hard for people to enjoy this.

I recently finished up Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, so it was time to fire up Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress. I knew before starting this game that this is the weakest of the Ultima games, but given that I am trying to play and beat them all, I had to put myself through it. So what did I think? Read on and find out.

Ultima II is a role playing game that was developed for the Apple ][ and released in 1982. It has similar graphics and features to Ultima I. In it you explore Earth from an overhead perspective, explore dungeons from a first person perspective and battle a bunch of monsters. The version I played was released for DOS in 1983. It featured CGA... Read All

Far Cry 5's Most Interesting Part Might Be Far Cry Arcade!

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Far Cry 5 is the upcoming Ubisoft shooter that is set in Rural Montana as you set out to take down a religious cult. The game premise has been controversial but the games most interesting element might be the inclusion of it's map editor, Far Cry Arcade. Map editors have been included in the Far Cry series for sometime but with Far Cry 5 it will be integrated into the main game.

"Far Cry Arcade is a chance for players to crack open the game and use its assets to build their own customized adventures and experiences. Far Cry Arcade's goal is to make these custom maps as accessible as the campaign, and one way to accomplish that is to integrate them directly into Hope... Read All

Site Feature Update: Comments, Posts & Profile Pages!

Travis and I have been busy during our spare time coding up new features on Cheerful Ghost and today are launching a new way to look at comments, posts and profile pages. Once upon a time Cheerful Ghost had a Membership system and it was a pretty good way for people that love the site to contribute to it but I always felt like it wasn't the best it could be. Because of that we're rebuilding the Membership system from scratch and it's starting today.

Comments, Posts and Profiles oh My!

If you click open a comment stream or look at a post you will see a new thing we call badges. Badges are a cosmetic thing bestowed on certain users for things like post authorship,... Read All Travis and I have been busy during our spare time coding up new features on Cheerful Ghost and today are launching a new way to look at comments, posts and profile pages. Once upon a time Cheerful Ghost had a Membership system and it was a pretty good way for people that love the site to contribute to it but I always felt like it wasn't the best it could be. Because of that we're rebuilding the Membership system from scratch and it's starting today.

Comments, Posts and Profiles oh My!

If you click open a comment stream or look at a post you will see a new thing we call badges. Badges are a cosmetic thing bestowed on certain users for things like post authorship, membership, site support and admin or mod status. These badges are shown on posts, comments and profile pages and can help give certain discussions some context. It's also a nice thank you to people that financially support the site or work closely with it.

If you have questions about what the user titles or roles mean, we have a handy page to explain it better linked below. If that doesn't work well for you drop your comments on this post.

Old Membership Is Dead, Long Live Memberships!

Since all former Cheerful Ghost site Members old memberships have lapsed they are now rolled over to supporters. We're still working on the new Membership system and process to become a Member again but the cosmetic enhancements were in place so we decided to roll those out now for comment. The new site Membership system should launch in the next bit the only real blocker here is me having enough time to come up with an interesting video about it. Right now we're thinking about using Paetron for site Memberships and we need to spend a bit more time to make that launch just right.

The Future

I don't want to talk too far in the future about what's coming but I do want to say that these changes are all in service of a larger goal that will become more clear later. When I think about what's the most fun about Cheerful Ghost for me trying to make that baked in to the DNA of this site sounds really interesting and hopefully these site updates get us there.

https://cheerfulghost.com/user/titles
https://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/3655/introducing-the-ghost-scale

Travis Admin wrote on 03/14/2018 at 03:46am

It’s been really fun over the past couple weeks making improvements to the site. And I’m excited about even more of it!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 03/14/2018 at 04:25am

Cool!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 03/14/2018 at 05:25am

Super interested in seeing how the site evolves!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/14/2018 at 03:52pm

Cool! Let me know where to send my money! :)

Travis Admin wrote on 03/14/2018 at 05:15pm

Check your private messages for my bank account info ;)

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 03/14/2018 at 10:51pm

@Travis, are you the Nigerian Prince?

Travis Admin wrote on 03/14/2018 at 10:59pm

Shhhhh. I don’t want everyone to know!

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Interview with Game Creator Brad Smith on His All New NES Game Lizard!

It’s a pretty special time when a new Nintendo games comes out and Brad Smith has something with his latest entry to the NES lineup with Lizard. After reading about the game, playing the demo and quite enjoying my time with it I decided to reach out to him and ask him a few questions about the game and his process of creating it.

“Choose your lizard carefully. You can find six different ones scattered across the land, each with its own special ability.

You'll need these abilities as you make your difficult journey through many dangerous places. Carefully hop your way to the top of an active volcano. Surf down a surging river. Swim an underwater lake. Ascend a snowy... Read All