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    1. CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express

      Introduction July, 1914. Paris. Tensions are high all around the European continent. A long-growing discontent has reached a sharp peak not even a full month earlier with the assassination of...

      Introduction

      July, 1914. Paris.

      Tensions are high all around the European continent. A long-growing discontent has reached a sharp peak not even a full month earlier with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In the midst of these ever-uneasy days, a young American doctor by the name of Robert Cath gets a sudden invitation from his best friend, urging him to join him on the now-legendary Orient Express.

      As he boards the train, he cannot predict the chaos that will follow. Luxurious as the train may be, this will not be an idyllic trip, but the scene of a murder. Blood will be shed, conspiracies will unfold, secrets will be revealed and romance will have a chance to blossom. With the official beginning of the Great War only a matter of days away, he may be the last passenger to step aboard what will be...

      The Last Express


      Welcome everyone to the first month of the Colossal Game Adventure! I am sure most people reading this will know the details already given the activity on the setup threads. Just to reiterate though, the Colossal Gaming Adventure is a monthly event where we will be playing through older games together. While @kfwyre organized the voting and nomination phases, each month will have a different host. We have seven months' worth of games already scheduled through March 2026, and I have the honor of being the conductor for the inaugural round!

      As you saw above, our first leg of this grand journey will have us board The Last Express, a 1997 adventure game about a mystery on the Orient Express. I myself have not played it yet and will be experiencing it for the first time with most people here, because this game seems to be the poster child for hidden gems. A game that received critical acclaim and praise from critics and players alike, and clearly a work with serious passion and effort, but according to Wikipedia it sold only 100,000 copies on its initial release.

      Luckily for us, one of those 100,000 copies belongs to kfwyre, who brought it to my attention with this passionate recommendation back in May. That link has some mild spoilers for the very beginning of the game, so you may not want to read it, but here's the key takeaway that made this game so interesting: this game plays out in real time. As you explore the train, characters will go about their set routines and events will unfold off screen regardless of you being present to witness them. These events can set up unknown domino effects that will impact you, and your own choices can also have unforeseen consequences that won't come into play until much later.

      To that end, don't be discouraged by failure. Many adventure games of this era rely on trial and error but in this game failure is particularly integrated into the gameplay. Someone might somehow get the luckiest run ever and manage to complete the game on their very first playthrough without ever encountering a fail state, but ultimately, this game will call for a bit of patience. And maybe guides if you have the original version or the hints don't help. Which I personally think is pretty neat. Doesn't get much more classic/retro than looking up walkthroughs on GameFAQs!

      So all aboard The Last Express, and enjoy the ride.


      Game Information

      Versions: Original Release and DotEmu/Gold Edition. The DotEmu version is a re-release which has additional features such as hints and tutorials, which may make it easier.

      Platforms: Windows, MacOS, MS-DOS, iOS, Android

      Genre(s): Adventure, Mystery, Point-and-Click

      Links: Mobygames, Wikipedia

      Stores:

      • GOG, Original: The original 1997 release, in all its 1990’s glory for purists. (Also may come with some extras like a soundtrack and "making of" from a 2011 Collector’s Edition published by DotEmu, but which is now wiped from the internet...?)
      • Steam, Gold Edition: The remake/remaster released by DotEmu with added hints and tutorials, as well as interface tweaks. (Note: while it lists macOS, the game is 32-bit, which is unsupported by any macOS versions beyond 10.14 Mojave.) This version is on sale for only 11 more hours at the time of this topic being posted!! An extreme time crunch for sure, so if you see this message, now's the time to buy it!!
      • iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store). These ports are also by DotEmu and predate the Gold Edition.

      Game Setup

      The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the game. As such, it's recommended that you:

      • Share which version of the game you're playing
      • Share what hardware you're playing it on
      • Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend
      • Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game
      • Ask questions if you need help

      Another purpose of this topic is to revisit the game and its time period:

      • Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself?
      • What about its system or era?
      • What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time?
      • What other games from the same time period are you familiar with?
      • What are you expecting from this game in particular?

      Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:

      • Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play.
      • Ask for help if you get stuck.
      • Offer help to others.

      It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.

      IMPORTANT: Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.

      IMPORTANT: Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.

      <details>
      <summary>Spoilers</summary>
      
      Spoiler text goes here.
      </details>
      

      FAQ

      What is CGA?

      Colossal Game Adventure (CGA) is Tildes' retro video game club.

      Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!

      Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.

      What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!

      It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.

      Do I have to sign up?

      No. Participation is open to all.

      There is a Notification List that will get pinged each time a new topic goes up. If you would like to join that list, please PM u/kfwyre.

      Are there restrictions on what/how to play?

      Each month will have a focus game or games that will guide our discussions. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. The philosophy of CGA is to play in a way that works for you!

      This means:

      • Choose whichever version of the game you want.
      • You can use cheats, save states, mods, etc.
      • You can watch a streamer or longplay instead of playing it.

      If you have already played a game and want a different experience:

      • Try a randomizer or challenge run.
      • Play a different version of it.
      • Play a related game (sequel, spiritual successor, something inspired by it, etc.)

      There is no wrong way to participate in CGA, and every different way someone participates will make for more interesting discussions.

      What is the schedule?

      Each month the Insert Cartidge topic will be posted on the 1st, while the Remove Cartridge topic will be posted on the 20th.

      Nomination and voting topics will happen in March and September (every 6 months).

      Schedules are also posted then.

      All CGA topics are available using the colossal game adventure tag.

      What do Insert and Remove Cartridge mean?

      Inserting and removing cartridges are our retro metaphor for starting and stopping a given game or games.

      The Insert Cartridge topic happens at the beginning of the month and is primarily about getting the game up and running.

      The Remove Cartridge topic happens toward the end of the month and is primarily about people reflecting on the game now that they've played it.

      There are no hard restrictions on what has to go in either topic, and each can be used to discuss the game, post updates, ask questions, etc.


      With all the pleasantries out of the way...

      > PRESS START

      (Credit to @Boojum for the splash screen. It's too awesome not to include!)

      15 votes
    2. What did you do this week (and weekend)?

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do...

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do nothing at all? Tell us about it!

      13 votes
    3. Colossal Game Adventure Schedule: September 2025 - March 2026

      Schedule There was a three-way tie for 5th, so instead of scheduling the next 6 months, I scheduled 7. Bonus month! Month Game Host September 2025 The Last Express u/CannibalisticApple October...

      Schedule

      There was a three-way tie for 5th, so instead of scheduling the next 6 months, I scheduled 7. Bonus month!

      Month Game Host
      September 2025 The Last Express u/CannibalisticApple
      October 2025 Chrono Trigger u/ali
      November 2025 Arcade Special: Playstation WHAT?
      Incredible Crisis
      Irritating Stick
      PaRappa the Rapper 2
      Pepsiman
      Vib-Ribbon
      u/Lapbunny
      December 2025 The Secret of Monkey Island u/balooga
      January 2026 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker u/datavoid
      February 2026 Racing Lagoon u/Kawa
      March 2026 Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru
      (The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls)
      u/J-Chiptunator

      @CannibalisticApple will be hosting her nomination, The Last Express, for our first month. If you're interested in hosting a month, see the Hosting section below.

      Also, I selfishly scheduled PlayStation WHAT? during the Backlog Burner so I can use those games in my Bingo Card. :D

      For the rest, I tried to create variety in the schedule so that we weren't playing the same systems or genres back-to-back.


      Discussion Topics

      Each month will have two discussion topics:

      • "Insert Cartridge" - 1st of the month
      • "Remove Cartridge" - 20th of the month

      Insert Cartridge topics are primarily for getting the game set up and running. Remove Cartridge topics are primarily for reflecting on the game once you've played it. However, the game itself and anything else related to it can be discussed in either one.


      Hosting

      Each month, the discussion topics will be posted by a different "host" who will act as the emcee for that month.

      Hosting is not required, but it is encouraged that people host months for games that they are either already very familiar with or that they are strongly interested in playing.

      People who nominated a game will be given preference for hosting, otherwise it will be given to whomever claims it first.

      Required Hosting Responsibilities
      • Editing the templates for the month's "Insert Cartridge" and "Remove Cartridge" topics.
      • Posting the month's "Insert Cartridge" and "Remove cartridge topics.
      Optional Hosting Responsibilities
      • Talking up the game.
      • Giving tips/tricks/guides/cheats.
      • Sharing your own thoughts/memories/reflections.
      • Asking questions.
      • Anything else you feel like doing (e.g. setting up a multiplayer tournament, making game-related memes, sharing fun trivia, etc.)

      If you would like to host a month, let me know which one and I will add you to the schedule.

      Before your month begins, I will send you a "Hosting Package" featuring templates that you can edit to your liking.

      If no one claims a month, I will host it as a fallback.


      Voting Results

      The top 6 games from the voting round were chosen to be played.

      Of the remaining games:

      • The top 50% will advance to the next round. They will start the next round with a base score of 70% of their vote totals.
      • The bottom 50% will be removed from the list.

      Removed games will be able to be re-nominated in future rounds if someone chooses to do so.

      Tally List
      Game Votes Status Rollover Votes
      Chrono Trigger 55 Won
      The Secret of Monkey Island 47 Won
      The Last Express 40 Won
      PlayStation WHAT? 38 Won
      Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls) 34 Won
      Racing Lagoon 34 Won
      The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 34 Won
      Back in a Flash 32 Advances 22
      Sid Meier’s Pirates 30 Advances 21
      Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow 29 Advances 20
      Another World 27 Advances 19
      Metroid Prime 27 Advances 19
      Descent 25 Advances 18
      Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals 24 Advances 17
      StarTropics 22 Advances 15
      Behind the Wheel 21 Advances 15
      Crystalis 21 Advances 15
      The Colonel’s Bequest 21 Advances 15
      Threads of Fate 21 Advances 15
      Beneath a Steel Sky 21 Advances 15
      Metroid 20 Advances 14
      Scroll Lock-on 20 Advances 14
      Tetris 19 Advances 13
      Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist 18 Advances 13
      Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 2 18 Advances 13
      JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future 17 Advances 12
      Lode Runner 17 Advances 12
      The Grue That Binds 17 Advances 12
      The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 17 Advances 12
      Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden - Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa 16 Eliminated
      ActRaiser 15 Eliminated
      Resident Evil 15 Eliminated
      Sid Meier’s Covert Action 15 Eliminated
      Mr. Defaxxonobbleoid 14 Eliminated
      Sam & Max: Hit the Road 12 Eliminated
      Fighters Megamix 11 Eliminated
      Seaman 11 Eliminated
      Burnout 3: Takedown 10 Eliminated
      Duke Nukem 3D 10 Eliminated
      rOGuelikes 10 Eliminated
      Carmageddon 9 Eliminated
      Uplink 9 Eliminated
      Populous 8 Eliminated
      Hop Skip Jump 7 Eliminated
      Fixated on Fixed Screen Shooters 6 Eliminated
      The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening 6 Eliminated
      Lord Monarch 5 Eliminated
      The Way 5 Eliminated
      Recursive Repertoires 4 Eliminated
      Super Castlevania IV 2 Eliminated
      Star Wars: TIE Fighter 1 Eliminated
      32 votes
    4. Victories and challenges: An A[u]DHD community and support fortnightly thread #6

      I'm attempting to be more active on Tildes (after my last attempt), and I noticed that there hadn't been a new fortnightly thread, so here's my contribution!...

      I'm attempting to be more active on Tildes (after my last attempt), and I noticed that there hadn't been a new fortnightly thread, so here's my contribution!

      https://tildes.net/~health.mental/1oax/victories_and_challenges_an_a_u_dhd_community_and_support_fortnightly_thread

      23 votes
    5. Should C be mandatory learning for career developers?

      The year is 2025. The C programming language is something like 50 years old now - a dinosaur within the fast-moving environment of software development. Dozens of new languages have cropped up...

      The year is 2025. The C programming language is something like 50 years old now - a dinosaur within the fast-moving environment of software development. Dozens of new languages have cropped up through the years, with languages like Rust and Go as prime contenders for systems-level programming. Bootstrapping a project in C these days will often raise eyebrows or encourage people to dismiss you out of hand. Personally, I've barely touched the language since I graduated.

      Now, with all that said: I still consider learning and understanding C to be key for having an integrated, in-depth understanding of how computers and programming really works. When I am getting a project up and running, I frequently end up running commands like "sudo apt install libopenssl-dev" without really giving it much thought about what's going on there. I know that it pulls some libraries onto my computer so that another program can use them, but without the requisite experience of building and compiliing a library then it's kind of difficult to understand what it's all about. I know that other languages will introduce this concept, but realistically everything is built to bind to C libraries.

      System libraries are only one instance of my argument though. To take a more general view, I would say that learning C helps you better understand computers and programming. It might be a pain to consider stuff like memory allocation and pointers on a regular basis, but I also think that not understanding these subjects can open up avenues for a poorly formed understanding about how computers work. Adding new layers of abstraction does not make the foundation less relevant, and I think that learning C is the best avenue toward an in-depth understanding of how computers actually work. This sort of baseline understanding, even if the language isn't used on a regular basis, goes a long way to improving one's skills as a developer. It also gives people the skills to apply their skills in a wide variety of contexts.

      I'm no expert, though: most of the programming I do is very high-level and abstracted from the machine (Python, Haskell, BASH). I'm sure there are plenty of folks here who are better qualified to chime in, so what do you think?

      38 votes
    6. Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix 2025 - Race Weekend Discussion

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Dutch Grand Prix
      Circuit Zandvoort
      August 29-31, 2025


      Qualifying Results -- SPOILER
      POS. NO. DRIVER TEAM Q1 Q2 Q3 LAPS
      1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:09.338 1:08.964 1:08.662 18
      2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:09.469 1:08.874 1:08.674 18
      3 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:09.696 1:09.122 1:08.925 18
      4 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 1:09.966 1:09.439 1:09.208 18
      5 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:09.676 1:09.313 1:09.255 18
      6 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:09.906 1:09.304 1:09.340 22
      7 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:09.900 1:09.261 1:09.390 21
      8 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 1:09.779 1:09.383 1:09.500 18
      9 55 Carlos Sainz Williams 1:09.980 1:09.472 1:09.505 18
      10 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:09.950 1:09.366 1:09.630 17
      11 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:09.845 1:09.493 12
      12 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing 1:09.954 1:09.622 15
      13 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber 1:10.037 1:09.622 12
      14 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:09.894 1:09.637 15
      15 23 Alexander Albon Williams 1:09.792 1:09.652 12
      16 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine 1:10.104 9
      17 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber 1:10.195 9
      18 31 Esteban Ocon Haas 1:10.197 9
      19 87 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:10.262 9
      RT 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 2

      Source: F1.com

      Grand Prix Results -- SPOILER
      POS. NO. DRIVER TEAM LAPS TIME / RETIRED PTS.
      1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 72 1:38:29.849 25
      2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 72 +1.271s 18
      3 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 72 +3.233s 15
      4 63 George Russell Mercedes 72 +5.654s 12
      5 23 Alexander Albon Williams 72 +6.327s 10
      6 87 Oliver Bearman Haas 72 +9.044s 8
      7 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 72 +9.497s 6
      8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 72 +11.709s 4
      9 22 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing 72 +13.597s 2
      10 31 Esteban Ocon Haas 72 +14.063s 1
      11 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine 72 +14.511s 0
      12 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 72 +17.063s 0
      13 55 Carlos Sainz Williams 72 +17.376s 0
      14 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber 72 +19.725s 0
      15 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber 72 +21.565s 0
      16 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 72 +22.029s 0
      17 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 72 +23.629s 0
      18 4 Lando Norris McLaren 64 DNF 0
      NC 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 52 DNF 0
      NC 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 22 DNF 0

      Fastest Lap: Oscar Piastri // 1:12.271 (Lap 60)
      DOTD: Isack Hadjar

      Source: F1.com


      Next race:

      Italian Grand Prix
      Autodromo Nazionale Monza
      September 5-7, 2025

      12 votes
    7. Android emulators to actually use mobile apps in day-to-day life?

      My understanding is that Android emulators primarily exist for mobile development and app testing and such-like, and maybe secondarily, to play mobile games. I want to explore the possibility of...

      My understanding is that Android emulators primarily exist for mobile development and app testing and such-like, and maybe secondarily, to play mobile games.

      I want to explore the possibility of using them as a, basically, full-time replacement for installing apps on my phone. More and more apps and services have no "desktop/laptop" version, and no website version. Installing the app on your phone is starting to become a non-negotiable requirement ... one that I'd like to find a work-around to.

      So, yeah ... I guess that's the question. Is this a 'thing'? Has anyone experimented with--or flat-out used--an emulator on a desktop/laptop to run their banking app and the like? Is this even possible? Can you connect an emulator to an app-store and just start downloading/installing stuff?

      Thanks.

      16 votes
    8. Refusing LinkedIn's ID verification is costing me my job

      A long, complicated story, summarized: (apart from Tildes, on which I lurk) I swore off all social media years ago. Then my job required that I have an account on LinkedIn. I reconsidered, and...

      A long, complicated story, summarized: (apart from Tildes, on which I lurk) I swore off all social media years ago. Then my job required that I have an account on LinkedIn. I reconsidered, and attempted to make the least disclosive account possible in an effort to protect my privacy. Things aren't going well. Despite logging in with the correct credentials, on the same device, using the same browser; and with access to my signup email, and access to the phone I used to enroll, LinkedIn has flagged my account the second time I tried using it and now requires me to upload images of myself and my government ID to regain access to their cesspool. Are you familiar with their protocols and can share insights, so that if I start again I don't face the same problem?

      I have read what LinkedIn says and I have read discussions on Reddit on the topic. LinkedIn says you can opt to "use your work email" or mail them an affidavit. These options were not given to me. Everyone else I have seen reporting facing this seems to have triggered the system by losing their login credentials or moving countries; what brought this upon me and can I avoid it?

      1. Is it that I use a VPN, and it may have routed through a different IP address on the second login?
      2. I use an email alias. Is LinkedIn purging accounts with email domains that offer aliases?
      3. Is it a result of clearing cookies?
      4. Is it easier to maintain a Google account (!) which LinkedIn allows as login without this ID thing coming up?

      Please be gentle with your advice as I am kind of panicking.

      40 votes
    9. Tildes' Colossal Game Adventure: Inauguration and nominations

      Introducing: Colossal Game Adventure Colossal Game Adventure is Tildes' brand new retro video game club. Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the...

      Introducing: Colossal Game Adventure

      Colossal Game Adventure is Tildes' brand new retro video game club.

      Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!

      Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.

      What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!

      It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.


      Nominations

      In this topic we will be gathering nominations for games to be played.

      If you're looking for ideas:

      Importantly, not all games for CGA have to be "significant" games. Zany, offbeat, and experimental games are welcome too. Anything you think might make for good discussions.

      We will also have some "Arcade Special" months where we play several smaller/shorter games together in one batch (e.g. Pac-Man, Frogger, and Galaga). If you're not sure how big/long a game is, HowLongToBeat can help.

      Single Game Nomination Rules

      • Choose any game you feel is "retro" -- there is no hard and fast rule on what does or doesn't count
      • Maximum of TWO game nominations per person
      • Link to the game(s) on MobyGames

      "Arcade Special" Nomination Rules

      An "Arcade Special" is a batch of games that you feel could be played together in the same month.

      (They do not have to be proper arcade games and can be from any system or genre.)

      You might choose them because they're shorter or don't have as much staying power. You also might choose them based on a theme, series, or franchise. You also might do a completely random grab bag! There's no wrong way to make an Arcade Special (except for choosing games that are too big to fit in a month together).

      • 2-5 games per Arcade Special
      • Maximum of ONE Arcade Special nomination per person
      • Link to the games on MobyGames

      So, one person can nominate up to TWO single games and ONE arcade special (of up to five games).

      Optional Extras

      None of the following are required, but they make things more interesting:

      • Explain why you're interested in nominating the games
      • Explain why you think they'd be a good choice for the group
      • If the game has multiple releases or multiple platforms, you can choose to specify which release/platform to target if you feel it's important. (Note: participants are still free to play whichever version they want.)
      • For Arcade Specials: list why you think the games would be a good candidate to be played together.
      • For Arcade Specials: give the batch its own cool name!

      Next Steps

      Nominations will be open for 48 hours from the time of this posting.

      The voting topic will open on August 29.

      Once the voting is over, we will post the schedule for the next six months and start our first official month on September 1st.


      Notifications

      If you want to be added to the notification list for our Colossal Game Adventure, simply comment in this topic. I will add all commenters here to the list unless they explicitly mention otherwise.

      52 votes
    10. What programming/technical projects have you been working on?

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's...

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's interesting about it? Are you having trouble with anything?

      15 votes
    11. Colossal Game Adventure: Voting topic

      IMPORTANT We now have a splash screen. (Thanks @Boojum!) ALSO IMPORTANT Please read all directions for submitting a proper ballot. Any improper ballots will NOT be counted, but you will get a...

      IMPORTANT

      We now have a splash screen. (Thanks @Boojum!)


      ALSO IMPORTANT

      Please read all directions for submitting a proper ballot.

      Any improper ballots will NOT be counted, but you will get a polite message from me before the count asking you to fix them. XD

      • All ballots must be top-level comments.
      • All top-level comments should be ballots ONLY.

      I will be using the Collapse Replies button to tally votes, so any ballots not in top-level comments will not be counted.

      After you submit your ballot, you can respond to your own post in a new comment to lobby for your choices (which is optional but highly recommended). It's completely fine to have conversations downthread from the ballots, but please make sure that the top-level remains clean.


      Submitting Your Ballot

      • Each person has 20 votes to distribute among games they see fit.

      • Each person can allocate a maximum of 5 points per Single Game/Arcade Special.

      • Arcade Specials count as one block (do not vote for each game in them individually).

      • Votes should be listed as NAME (VOTES) -- e.g. Pong (3)

      • Voting closes 48 hours from the posting of this topic.

      Please ensure your titles match mine exactly (copy/paste highly recommended). I will be using CTRL+F to tally votes u/Spore_Prince has written a program to tally the votes, so any different spellings will not being counted. See examples below, as well as my actual ballot in the topic.

      Example Ballot 1 - Valid Ballot
      Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing (5)
      Portal 3 (5)
      Half-Life 3 (3)
      Team Fortress 3 (2)
      Night Trap (2)
      Xexyz (1)
      Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1)
      Left 4 Dead 3 (1)
      

      Uses 20 points total, and no game exceeds 5 points

      Example Ballot 2 - Invalid Ballot
      Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing (10)
      Protal 3 (7)
      Wand of Gamelon (5)
      

      Uses more than 20 points; games exceed 5 points; titles do not match


      Voting Outcomes

      • The top 6 games/Arcade Specials will become the next 6 months of CGA.
      • Of the remaining games, the bottom 50% will be cut from the list.
      • The remaining 50% will stay on the list and will enter the next voting round starting at their current point totals instead of 0.
      • The next round of nominations will happen in 6 months, and participants will be limited to nominating 1 new game OR 1 new Arcade Special.

      Nominees

      Single Games Column 1 Single Games Column 2
      ActRaiser Racing Lagoon
      Another World Resident Evil
      Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden - Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa Sam & Max: Hit the Road
      Beneath a Steel Sky Seaman
      Burnout 3: Takedown Sid Meier’s Covert Action
      Carmageddon Sid Meier’s Pirates
      Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Star Wars: TIE Fighter
      Chrono Trigger StarTropics
      Crystalis Super Castlevania IV
      Descent Tetris
      Duke Nukem 3D The Colonel’s Bequest
      Fighters Megamix The Last Express
      Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
      JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
      Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
      Lode Runner The Secret of Monkey Island
      Lord Monarch The Way
      Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals Threads of Fate
      Metroid Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 2
      Metroid Prime Uplink
      Populous

      Arcade Specials

      Arcade Special Games
      Back in a Flash Bloons Tower Defense
      Line Rider
      Motherload
      QWOP
      Stick RPG
      Behind the Wheel Lego Island
      Rally-X
      Sega Rally Championship
      Fixated on Fixed Screen Shooters Space Invaders
      Galaxian
      Phoenix
      Galaga
      Satan’s Hollow
      Hop Skip Jump Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
      Alley Cat
      Contra
      Flicky
      Prince of Persia
      Mr. Defaxxonobbleoid Arkanoid
      Bubble Bobble
      Defender
      Mr. Do!
      Zaxxon
      PlayStation WHAT? Incredible Crisis
      Irritating Stick
      PaRappa the Rapper 2
      Pepsiman
      Vib-Ribbon
      Recursive Repertoires Activision Anthology
      Midway Arcade Treasures
      Taito Legends
      rOGuelikes Beneath Apple Manor
      Scarab of RA
      Scroll Lock-on Einhander
      Ikaruga
      Paradroid
      Raid on Bungeling Bay
      Thunder Force IV
      The Grue That Binds Border Zone
      Twisted!
      Zork
      33 votes
    12. What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.

      If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!

      15 votes
    13. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any movies recently you want to discuss? Any films you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      9 votes
    14. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of August 31

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links

      If posting a sale, it is strongly encouraged that you share why you think the available game/games are worthwhile.


      All previous Save Point topics

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      9 votes
    15. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any movies recently you want to discuss? Any films you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      10 votes
    16. What have you been listening to this week?

      What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as...

      What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as well, we'd love to see your hauls :)

      Feel free to give recs or discuss anything about each others' listening habits.

      You can make a chart if you use last.fm:

      http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/

      Remember that linking directly to your image will update with your future listening, make sure to reupload to somewhere like imgur if you'd like it to remain what you have at the time of posting.

      13 votes
    17. Could a space traveler accelerate at 1g forever?

      I was reading this Reddit post and was curious about whether the passengers of this theoretical spaceship could experience 1g of acceleration forever assuming the ship has an infinite fuel source....

      I was reading this Reddit post and was curious about whether the passengers of this theoretical spaceship could experience 1g of acceleration forever assuming the ship has an infinite fuel source.

      They shouldn’t be able to pass the speed of light relative to an outside observer, but is there some phenomenon where the passengers can feel like they are accelerating forever?

      28 votes
    18. Fitness Weekly Discussion

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

      9 votes