Monthly Retro Game Club

killerstar · August 24, 2020, 2:15pm

I played a bunch, but last night for some reason RetroArch decided to change the way it recognises my unbranded bluetooth controller and it doesn’t work anymore. So, yeah, I’m also having tech issues.

But besides that, I think I was nearing the end? I’m on ancient China and the next mission is to catch the white boss monkey. I’m still missing two or three gadgets, though, so I fear it might be one of those false endings. I’m still done with it. I feel that I enjoyed the ride as much as I could and I’m ready to quit.

BMO · August 24, 2020, 6:52pm

Ironically Ape Escape 2 is on PS Now.

BMO · August 24, 2020, 6:52pm

I don’t know how you got your controller to work in the first place, so I’m still impressed.

killerstar · August 27, 2020, 4:59am

I got it working again. I needed fo reconfigure all keys. 🤷

I think I might be done with Ape Escape. This latest level was more long than challenging, but the most annoying thing was that it did one of the things I hate the most in videogames: it changed the main objectives (and without telling you!). I spent wa too much time trying to get the 20 (YES, TWENTY) monkeys and it turns out, even though every single level up until now was cleared by capturing the amount of monkeys listed at the start of the level, for this one, not only I needed to push some semi hidden button, but the 20th monkey was literally impossible to trap wihtouth a gadget that you only get after finishing the game!

Reset_Tears · August 27, 2020, 10:44pm

What level was that, out of curiosity?

At any rate I probably won’t finish Ape Escape before the end of the month (just have a lot going on IRL lately), but I do intend to get through it soon. Maybe this weekend I can really focus more on it.

I’ll throw out a few discussion questions in the meantime:

Ape Escape

favorite gadget?
favorite level?
favorite monkey?

You can share least favorites too, if you want…

Neo Turf Masters

any great moments you’d like to share? (impressive feats? surprises? anything funny?)
favorite golfer?
favorite course?

killerstar · August 28, 2020, 2:32pm

It was Trick Castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is0wocg9W5M

I think my favourite gadget is the rotor thingy that allows you to fly a little. I think the analogue stick works pretty well, the gadget is useful and fun to use. I sometimes just fly around just for the hell of it. The monkey radar is on second place because I love watching those monkeys and reading their little personality blurbs.
The worst for me is the hula hoop. I always feel it takes too long to start spinning and then your character runs almost uncontrollably. On top of that, every time I tried to use it to kill a monster, I ended up damaging me instead. Whatever. I don’t like it and never use it.

Reset_Tears · August 30, 2020, 2:31am

So I got through a couple more worlds in Ape Escape. I quite liked the ice age levels (I always love the “snow world” in video games), and the medieval era levels were pretty good too (though the last one, the European castle, was quite long). Though some stages can last longer than they should, the game at least is very forgiving when it comes to health – you can get more cookies easily in this game, either from enemies or from convenient cookie dispensers (I want one).

Perhaps what I like most about this game is when you’re presented with a situation, and you do some trial and error to figure out how to catch a certain monkey. For an example, at one point I saw a monkey riding atop a large wooly mammoth. I thought perhaps I needed to jump on it from a higher ledge – didn’t work. Perhaps I could grab on to the tusks? That didn’t work either. Attacking the mammoth with my light saber did nothing. So I thought, maybe I can just knock the monkey off the mammoth with my slingshot. That worked! And that felt good.

So to the game’s credit, the mission start screen (with the A.I. girl and the siren wailing) does specify you only need to find Specter (the monkey leader). There also aren’t any monkey + netted monkey icons in the bottom right corner when you press pause (just a picture of Specter), so the only monkeys you have to catch in that level are the five needed to open one of the doors. It’s still a pretty annoying and long level, but I’m sure it would’ve been a lot shorter if you just picked up the monkeys you needed.

Luckily after that level, you get a new gadget… which actually might be my favorite. An RC car! You move it about with the right stick, meaning you (the character) can move around at the same time too. Feels surprisingly satisfying to control.

Think I agree on the hula hoop being the most difficult to control. But I had trouble with the helicopter thing as well at times – the game makes you do some double-jumps + full rotor spin that I found some of the more frustrating moments of the game.

I think my favorite gadget might actually just be the net, lol. I just like sneaking up on the monkeys and catching them before they realize I’m there. (Or immediately before I nab them – that always makes me laugh, seeing them do their Looney Tunes-esque panicking when they see I’m directly behind them.)

killerstar · August 30, 2020, 3:15am

I actually like doing the double-jump + spin! You need to start spinning a bit before you even do the second jump.

So to the game’s credit, the mission start screen (with the A.I. girl and the siren wailing) does specify you only need to find Specter (the monkey leader). There also aren’t any monkey + netted monkey icons in the bottom right corner when you press pause (just a picture of Specter), so the only monkeys you have to catch in that level are the five needed to open one of the doors.

Yeah, I saw that after I finished it. The thing is, that nothing in the game lead me to the solution. I missed an out-of-the-way button that opened a door in another section of the map (usually door-button combinations are in the same room). Moreover, the monkey detector, which is the main guide of the game, the thing that points you to where you need to go, didn’t signal me to go to that gate, it actually pointed me to a caged monkey next to it. So they I spent some time trying to open the gate and catch that last monkey.

I think I will go in though. If only to then click to reveal the spoiler section of your comment xD

Reset_Tears · August 30, 2020, 11:38pm

Ape Escape Final Thoughts

Whelp, I finished in time after all. At least, I beat all the levels and got the ending credits.

The game does a “the battle isn’t over until every last monkey is caught, so go back to all the previous levels and nab all the remaining monkeys.” So I assume there’s a true ending that happens after getting 100% completion in the game. But while I’ve enjoyed the game well enough, I don’t care that much lol.

The city/factory world was fun, especially driving the tank, but I didn’t care for the grand finale as much as I would’ve liked. It was by far the longest stage in the game, and had the most frustrating platforming segments. Also the final boss straight-up attacks you with a seizure show, holy crap. I kind of wonder if that’s the reason the game’s no longer on PSN? They’d absolutely need an epilepsy warning for it nowadays. Then again, I think all games start with that? It’s way bad though.

All in all I found Ape Escape an interesting take on 3D platformers, and while it’s definitely not the most-polished title of its era, there’s some quirky charm to it and IMO there’s some good fun to be had catching (most of) those monkeys.

I plan to play through Neo Turf Masters again, then I’ll share some final thoughts on that too.

Reset_Tears · September 1, 2020, 9:08pm

I still have some final thoughts on Neo Turf Masters to write up, as well as an intro for this month’s games – but for now here’s what the retro games for September will be:

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure – 1994 – 2D platformer
Beetle Adventure Racing – 1999 – racing

BMO · September 2, 2020, 3:04pm

Genesis or SNES version?

N64?

BMO · September 2, 2020, 3:05pm

Can I nominate something for a future month? I plan to play Monster World IV for Genesis at some point in the near future, so I thought why not nominate it as a title for a future month of this group’s planned games.

Reset_Tears · September 2, 2020, 7:07pm

Either release of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure should work fine. It was made for SNES first, but there is debate on which version plays/looks/sounds best. The game was also ported to Atari Jaguar, Windows, Sega CD, and Game Boy Advance. I will probably check out both the SNES and Genesis versions to see which gels with me better.

Yup, Beetle Adventure Racing is a Nintendo 64 game, and as far as I can tell has never been ported or re-released anywhere else.

This is one I was thinking of too a while back, and could be an interesting one to discuss in light of the recently-announced remake. I might go ahead and plan on that one for December if that’s not too far away. (October will be spooky-themed, and November will feature another Grouvee member’s game suggestion.)

Reset_Tears · September 2, 2020, 8:18pm

And now for the full intro:

For September 2020, the retro games of the month shall be:

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure – 1994 – 2D platformer
Beetle Adventure Racing – 1999 – racing

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is a 2D platformer developed by Activision for various systems, first released for the Sega Genesis in 1994 (though it originally began its development as a Super Nintendo game). This is the fourth game in the Pitfall franchise – the original title was an Atari 2600 game in 1982 (and considered one of the most iconic titles of that era). The Mayan Adventure can be played on Genesis, SNES, Sega CD, 32X, Atari Jaguar, and Windows PC. Also, a Game Boy Advance port would arrive several years later in 2001. (The Genesis version would show up on the Wii’s Virtual Console as well.)

This game stands out first and foremost for its fluid animation. Similar to the popular Sega Genesis release of Aladdin, Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure’s artwork was handled by film animators – in this case, a team from Kroyer Films (perhaps best-known for their work on the movie Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest).

You play as Pitfall Harry Jr, who needs to rescue his father from a Mayan warrior spirit. Obstacles include dangerous jungle beasts and hidden traps, and levels are more maze-like than your average side-scroller (so perhaps comparable to Earthworm Jim). You have several different abilities in this game, such as a whip attack for short-range and a slingshot for long-range. There are items such as boomerangs and bombs at your disposal too.

I’ll be interested to hear what people think about this one, as it seems like one of those games that pretty much everyone knew about back in the day, but isn’t really brought up much anymore when discussions arise regarding its genre and era. Does Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure do enough to stand out from the pack? And is anyone out there clamoring for more Pitfall in a post-Uncharted era? Howlongtobeat dot com says it should take 4 - 5 hours to finish this one, though it’s likely just the game’s difficulty being the key factor of its length. Good luck against those jaguars!

Beetle Adventure Racing is a racing game developed for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, by Paradigm Entertainment and EA Canada. The N64 is largely remembered for its 3D platformers, but I feel the system’s arcade racers are where it’s really at. Cruis’n USA, Hydro Thunder, Star Wars Ep 1 Racer, San Francisco Rush… and of course all the kart racing games (Mario, Diddy, etc). So in what way does Beetle Adventure Racing stand out?

Well, every car is a Volkswagen New Beetle.

And that’s it?

Despite the silly gimmick, the game itself seems well-worth checking out just for the quality of its tracks and car handling. Like most arcade racers of that era, this is what I’d call plain simple fun. You pick a car, and you race. There are shortcuts to find (and repeatedly fail to take advantage of, if you’re like me), and nitro boxes to assist you with speed boosts. There are three main circuits (plus a fourth that appears afterward), as well as special cars and even cheats you can unlock. Smash through point crates in order to earn continues, as well as new arenas for the battle mode (which I presume is comparable to Twisted Metal).

I picked this game as the “arcade-ier” title of the month (as you can always just dabble in a few tracks), but if you wish to work your way through everything the game has to offer Howlongtobeat dot com says to give it 6 - 10 hours.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on either (or both) of these games as you play them over the course of September. If you finish, you can give a mini-review if you’d like. Let us know if you think these games stand the test of time!

BMO · September 2, 2020, 10:58pm

I was thinking of maybe doing the same and was curious if there were parameters to follow. Sounds good.

BMO · September 2, 2020, 11:00pm

Top Gear Rally for N64 was one of the games I poured hours and hours into. I loved that game to death. I have to agree, Racing was pretty good on N64 in general.

BMO · September 3, 2020, 4:46am

I’ve only played a bit of Pitfall so far but I did boot up both the SNES and Genesis versions. The difference is immediately noticeable:

Genesis

SNES

The genesis has lusher foliage and dynamic animated water that tends to look nicer than the SNES backgrounds. But the SNES pixels look less muddy than the Genesis version.

Screenshots don’t really do the game justice, but the Genesis version feel more alive, more dynamic and appealing. The SNES version is a little flat. However the SNES has a practical advantage over the Genesis’ graphical one: support for more buttons. You have to cycle through your weapons on the Genesis and you have only three buttons. The SNES has four face buttons and two shoulder buttons, which means you have your entire arsenal available at your fingertips on the SNES which improves reaction time when fighting enemies.

Lastly movement feels better in the SNES version. Tighter platforming with on the dime turning. The Genesis feels more floaty and imprecise. This might be another reason to pick the SNES version for anyone wanting to push further into the game.

One negative about the game is that it’s a product of the era of limited lives and continues, an unfortunate holdover from arcade design influence.

killerstar · September 3, 2020, 11:03pm

I got the RC car and it’s great! It really is satisfying to use and surprisingly intuitive! Yes! This is my favourite gadget now.

I took a peak into Bettle Adventure Racing and Pitfall. My first impressions were: 1) A whole racing game with identical cars? Seems boring! and 2) Damn those animations are fluid AF.

I might still post about Ape Escape, though. I’ve been chipping at it slowly and the more I play it, the more I like it.

killerstar · September 4, 2020, 5:04am

Just finished it. I agree that the last area was too long and too frustrating. A lot of the platforming was based on the wonkiness of the camera and the controlls. Fighting the robots is uninteresting and repetitive.

BMO · September 4, 2020, 7:05pm

So, Beetle Adventure Racing. It’s not as bad as I thought it might be, but it’s not stellar either. It’s a perfectly adequate racer. A bit too forgiving when it comes to driving off-road or on the shoulder, but I suppose that’s because of its many shortcuts and hidden paths. It’s also not a very hard game, even on the most difficult setting. As I mentioned, the racing is adequate. It feels good and you have quite excellent control over your car. It might even have been a game I poured a number of hours into as a teen, although it does pale in comparison to things like Top Gear Rally.

Its two biggest drawbacks are the lack of vehicle variety and the excessive length of each track. Yes, I recognize that the gimmick is that every car is a New VW Bettle. But once you’ve driven that one car (in various colours and performance load outs) for a few races, the thrill of driving a VW wears off. This is squarely for fans of the VW Battle who want to drive that car constantly. I have favourite cars in other racing games, so I get gravitating to a particular car. But I find it grows old and there is not much to keep me coming back when I have but one car to choose from.

The second issue, track length, really comes down to the fact that the tracks are far too uneventful to be as long as they are. Sure, there are shortcuts and hidden paths to discover, but even that does not make up for how absolutely long it takes to make one lap. Couple this with the relative lack of difficulty and you find yourself driving solo around a barren lap most of the time. And by solo I mean alone, because I’ve stopped my car several times and no one ever seems to catch up. So I drive alone, along a track that simply overstays its welcome. Fortunately the last lap always has a surprise detour to the finish line, but even these could have been spiced up a bit more.

Do I hate Beetle Adventure Racing? No. would I have bought it back during the N64 era. Maybe, there were really never enough N64 games to play. It is a great game? No. Is it passable for a few hours of fun? Sure, but it wears thin pretty quickly.

One thing I have to ask everyone else playing it, are the other cars supposed to shatter when you rear end them, or is that just an issue with my emulator?

Speaking of emulators, emulating N64 is still pretty rough, eh?