J-Chiptunator's recent activity
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )Link ParentChameleon Twist If there's one N64 title I'd pick to describe an "underappreciated gem", then Chameleon Twist arguably fits the bill nicely. It's the kind of game you might have seen floating...Chameleon Twist
If there's one N64 title I'd pick to describe an "underappreciated gem", then Chameleon Twist arguably fits the bill nicely. It's the kind of game you might have seen floating around 90s video rental stores, maybe even played and enjoyed at the time, only to forget about it later.
Released very early in the platform's lifespan, its cartoonish, low-poly, sparse 3D models and upbeat soundtrack give it a charmingly unassuming, kid-friendly early-3D vibe. Most striking are the
four playable characters, or, more accurately, choices of skin color and few simple textures, which look nothing like their real-life counterparts.Funnily enough, in the first game's introductory cinematic, a realistic-looking chameleon jumps into a vase portal just to follow the mysterious rabbit, and emerges as a rather generic big-headed humanoid. By the sequel, the developers had finally settled on a more fitting protagonist: one much closer to the reptilian creature, albeit in an anthropomorphic fashion.
Taking a page from Super Mario's green reptilian friend, Yoshi, the main gimmick of this oddball 3D platformer is the extendable tongue, whose tip you can also directly guide. It can scoop up multiple critters at once and fire them out rapid-fire like a machine gun, quickly dispatching enemies and solving certain light platforming puzzles.
The tongue can also latch onto poles, pulling the character toward them or swinging them in a full horizontal 360-degree arc. Pulling off the latter is rather tricky, though: you have to factor in the distance between the character and the pole to reach a specific spot, and then requires properly holding A along with the desired direction to execute it. That's a lot to ask of children, the game's intended audience, given how complex the move is.
The tongue has one more purpose as well: it effectively works as a vaulting pole, granting extra jump height. To get the most out of it, you need to press the jump button just as the tongue is about to form a straight vertical line, a very tight timing window.
Despite the unorthodox tongue mechanics, the game compensates with generally forgiving level design, a generous amount of hit points, and plenty of replenishable health. On top of that, there are only six moderately long levels, each ending with a boss fight, making Chameleon Twist beatable within an afternoon.
It even offers a training mode dedicated to helping players acclimate to the chameleon’s full moveset. Sadly, beating the record times doesn’t unlock anything, not even a small acknowledgment, for some reason.
What bugs me most about the gameplay is the weird, isometric-like tilted camera angle. It can make depth perception a crapshoot and obscure important set pieces that aren't directly in front of the camera. Moreover, when the camera zooms out, the character's already-small tongue becomes so tiny that it's much more likely to whiff right next to a pole by mere pixels.
All things considered, the unique tongue mechanics and charming, kid-friendly early-3D vibes make me want to push all the way to the credits, especially given its relaxing, easygoing difficulty and short runtime. If I end up beating one of the nine games on my Backlog Bingo before boarding a plane, Chameleon Twist will definitely be that one.
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )Link ParentOkami HD Ah yes, Okami, the adventure game that shows up in numerous Backlog Burner events, partly because it's so frequently on sale across modern platforms (including the one happening on Steam...Okami HD
Ah yes, Okami, the adventure game that shows up in numerous Backlog Burner events, partly because it's so frequently on sale across modern platforms (including the one happening on Steam right now!). Apparently, it also
has a fishing minigame, but I'd need to progress much further than my current hour or so to experience it, so I have nothing to say about that yet.I first learned about the game roughly two decades ago, either through Official PlayStation Magazine around its original PS2 release or through Nintendo Power ahead of the motion-controlled Wii version. We passed on it at the time because we already had several Legend of Zelda games on GameCube, and Nintendo Power Issue #228's surprisingly low 7.5/10 score didn't help.
Much of that criticism seemed to stem from the enforced, imprecise motion controls for the frequently used Celestial Brush. That wasn't much of an issue when I briefly tried Okami HD on Switch: the motion controls felt responsive enough for me to use reliably, and they were much faster and more seamless than the glacially slow control-stick method. Apparently, the Steam version also supports mouse pointing for the same purpose.
Outside of the Celestial Brush, which adds some welcome variety to otherwise straightforward combat and puzzles, the other thing that stands out is how the game blends Japanese mythology and folklore with its cel-shaded, ink-wash-painting (aka sumi-e) art style. From what I've seen so far, it remains beautiful without compromising the visibility of important setpieces, even in 2026.
My main gripes so far concern pacing and presentation. Issun, Amaterasu's bug-sized artist companion, frequently interjects with quips, often outright gives away solutions, and functions as a read-only tutorial. The camera isn't perfect either: it can get pushed into walls in tight spaces, and triggering events or dialogue often resets the useful zoomed-out top-down perspective back to the behind-the-player view.
Less patient players may drop the game before reaching its best parts, but none of these flaws have seriously dampened my curiosity, especially given its reputation over the decades. I'm only about an hour in, and another playthrough is already in the cards so I can get the full picture of Okami. Part of me also wonders how its art style holds up on an actual CRT, but I lack both an original PS2 copy and a Wii copy to find out.
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentPlaydate Mirror is also what I'd use to get the device's video displayed on my desktop. While it has its own video recording software, the recorded footage definitely isn't lossless. For that, I'd...Playdate Mirror is also what I'd use to get the device's video displayed on my desktop. While it has its own video recording software, the recorded footage definitely isn't lossless.
For that, I'd have to boot OBS Studio, pick the lossless option or its codecs in the streaming/recording settings, crop the windowed Mirror portion to only show the native Playdate video output area, and finally hit Record. That way, the produced pixel-perfect video will let me take screenshots at any point during the recorded gameplay through VirtualDub, like those crispy ones I brought up on my latest writeup.
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )Link ParentCrankin's Time Travel Adventure Let's kick off my bingo card with another Season 1 Playdate game as my wildcard pick, one that can figuratively and literally turn anyone into a cranky person the...Crankin's Time Travel Adventure
Let's kick off my bingo card with another Season 1 Playdate game as my
wildcardpick, one that can figuratively and literally turn anyone into a cranky person the further they progress.The premise of Crankin's Time Travel Adventure is that the titular protagonist must meet his date at 3 PM. Unfortunately, he always wakes up from his nap at that exact moment, so he must hurry, without a care in the world, to reach his loved one.
If he hits any obstacle along the way (including butterflies), she outright rejects him for the rest of his life and forces a do-over. The Playdate's crank doesn't directly control him; instead, it rewinds and fast-forwards his timeline with granular precision while everything else remains bound to the uninterruptible flow of time.
Dodging properly requires a high degree of finesse to set the right frame of animation so he doesn't collide with a moving object. The birds are a good example, they fly straight at you, often in formations where precise body positioning becomes mandatory.
While this isn't inherently a problem with the control scheme itself, the looseness of the device's tiny crank can very easily overshoot the desired frames. Some sections also require rapidly rotating the lever nonstop, which is a concern given how pricey Playdate is, let alone during this age of semiconductor shortages.
Each date is built from a small pool of setpieces that demand some figuring out of how to manipulate the protagonist. However cleverly placed they are, this doesn't stop the levels from eventually devolving into thinly veiled, lengthy trial-and-error sequences where rote memorization becomes the bulk of the challenge.
Is it worth persevering through roughly three hours of frustration just to see what little content the game has to offer? I'd say it ain't all it's cranked up to be.
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Comment on November 2026 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkJ-Chiptunator's Speedrun Backlog Bingo Flux Custom bingo 4/9 ✅ Okami HD ✅ Chameleon Twist Owned for more than 3 years Has permadeath ✅ Crankin's Time Travel Adventure ✅ The Legend of Zelda: Echoes...J-Chiptunator's Speedrun Backlog Bingo
Flux Custom bingo 4/9 Has a fishing minigame
✅ Okami HDHas multiple playable characters
✅ Chameleon TwistOwned for more than 3 years Has permadeath ★ Wildcard
✅ Crankin's Time Travel AdventureReleased in the year you joined Tildes
✅ The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomHas great reviews, but not your usual type Has a campaign longer than 9 hours From now-defunct dev studio This is what I've got as my Backlog Bingo. It's not much, but I've already got the gist of one game in under 15 minutes, which bodes well considering I've only got one week to do the rest.
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentThat would've made for a JC-ception, if it wasn't for the fact I land at Narita airport a bit after the coming weekend. Whoops!That would've made for a JC-ception, if it wasn't for the fact I land at Narita airport a bit after the coming weekend. Whoops!
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkAnother Backlog Burner event, another solid opportunity for me to flex my writeup game skill up! Problem is, my month-long trip to Japan is due early next month and I don't want to be distracted...Another Backlog Burner event, another solid opportunity for me to flex my writeup game skill up!
Problem is, my month-long trip to Japan is due early next month and I don't want to be distracted too much from the joys of exploring such an interesting country. The excruciatingly-long flights and certain train rides are where I'll feel confident carrying on with my backlog-crushing journey, without taking my focus away from planning my travel ahead.
That leaves me about a measly week to work with before my departure, to which I fortunately came up with a plan on how to tackle the event. This time around, I'll be picking a 3x3 Bingo Card filled with Flux categories, so I can speedrun my way through a handful of games and write up with decent initial impressions, as opposed to attempting to beat them.
See you guys in a few days!
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Comment on CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎♂️🛹 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkCGA Announcement: We have officially ejected the cartridge for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. No worries if you're not done -- there is still some time left in the month to play! This topic is for...CGA Announcement: We have officially ejected the cartridge for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. No worries if you're not done -- there is still some time left in the month to play!
This topic is for people to share their parting thoughts and experiences. Spoilers are NOT required to be hidden for this topic, so if you're reading this before you've finished, be careful about reading any comments here.
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CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎♂️🛹 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
So I've heard that (at least some of) you have, trounced every park's leaderboard, cleared all goals (including the cash ones), and racked up 3 gold medals from the occasional competition stages....
So I've heard that (at least some of) you have, trounced every park's leaderboard, cleared all goals (including the cash ones), and racked up 3 gold medals from the occasional competition stages.
If that's true, then congratulations! You're basically legend-level; Tony Hawk himself would be impressed.
But what if I told you there's more to do after a full Career Mode clean sweep? Shocker, I know. Here are two hints:- Land a successful trick in every gap on every Career Mode park (ideally in Free Skate)
- Spend an absurd amount of time 100%-ing every skater's Career Mode
Sounds simple, right? But it's also... an absolutely herculean task. I won't blame you if you reach for the cheat codes hidden there to skip the grind. And for anyone on the N64 or GBC versions of Pro Skater 2: tough luck, as no such things are available there to my knowledge.
Now the real question: where are you going to rest after all that? Blow your remaining hard-earned cash on some old, shady place you found on your dinky desktop out of pure desperation? Don't worry, u/CannibalisticApple will walk you through those sketchy mansions and manors on the next CGA month.
Until then, drop your feats and thoughts about your journey to becoming one of skateboarding's champions.
Later, gators!
Schedule
Month Game Host October 2026 Spooky Mansion Adventures
Alone in the Dark
5 Days a Stranger
Maniac Mansionu/CannibalisticApple November 2026 Mother 3 u/kfwyre December 2026 Sonic the 3D Hedgehog
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2u/J-Chiptunator January 2027 Resident Evil (REmake) u/sotix February 2027 Another World u/CannibalisticApple March 2027 The Grue That Binds
Border Zone
Twisted!
Zorku/balooga April 2027 Crystalis u/zod000 May 2027 The Genesis of Treasure
Gunstar Heroes
McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure
Dynamite Headdy
Alien Soldier
Light Crusaderu/J-Chiptunator 10 votes -
Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: October 2026 - April 2027 schedule in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )Link ParentI'd certainly like to host both Sonic the 3D Hedgehog and The Genesis of Treasure. For the former, it'll be a bit trickier, since I'll be traveling in Japan by the time this goes live, so I came...I'd certainly like to host both Sonic the 3D Hedgehog and The Genesis of Treasure. For the former, it'll be a bit trickier, since I'll be traveling in Japan by the time this goes live, so I came up with a workaround.
Since I'll be abroad between November 10th and December 8th, I shall cook up that Insert Cartridge thread well in advance and send a copy of it to u/kfwyre. That way, my writeup won't go to waste in case I forgot or couldn't find a Wi-Fi within my area. Bonus points if I receive and configure my Black Base Ayn Thor properly before I embark on a plane with it, so I can play both Sonic Adventure games during my long, long return flight.
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Comment on CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎♂️🛹 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkA little late of an advice, but nonetheless relevant if you want to fully complete Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 without being shred to boredom. Unlocking everything the game has to offer involve...A little late of an advice, but nonetheless relevant if you want to fully complete Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 without being shred to boredom.
Unlocking everything the game has to offer involve landing a trick on every gap with any character outside the hidden levels, as well of completing each and every goal and earning all 3 gold medals for each skater (including your custom-made one).
While reasonable with just one or two characters, the process of unlocking everything will feel much more tedious than challenging. What I'd recommend in order to get the most out of the game, is to pick one skater to 100% Career Mode, complete the remaining gaps in Free Skate Mode and then enter a cheat code to unlock the remaining stuff.
Yes, most versions also comes with a cheat code that will cut a lot of that fat when done on the pause menu. However, you'll still have to do every aforementioned gap, with the exception of Pro Skater 2x on the OG Xbox.
Unfortunately for owners the N64 version, you aren't spared from having to go through all characters' goals in Career Mode and successfully find every gap, unless you import a 100% save file.
Cheat codes
- PS1: Hold L1 and enter: X, X, X, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, UP, DOWN, LEFT, UP, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, X, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, X, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE
- PC: Hold [Numpad 7] and enter [Space], [Space], [Space], C, V, [Cursor Up], [Cursor Down], [Cursor Left], [Cursor Up], C, V, [Space], V, B, [Space], V, B
- Dreamcast: Hold Left Trigger and enter A, A, A, X, Y, UP, DOWN, LEFT, UP, X, Y, A, Y, B, A, Y, B
- OG Xbox: Hold Left Trigger and enter: START, A, WHITE, UP, RIGHT, DOWN, A, Y, B, A, B, Y
For the GBA version, the only things you unlock by 100%ing each character's Career Mode are cheats that can be toggled. Just make sure to use it after completing everything else in the game, as some can spoil the fun.
The code for that: Hold R, then enter B, A, DOWN, A, START, START, B, A, RIGHT, B, RIGHT, A, UP, LEFT -
Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: September 2026 voting topic in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentAs much as Crystalis is an intriguing game, please ensure no Single Game/Arcade Special is allotted more than 5 votes, or the ballot won’t be tallied.As much as Crystalis is an intriguing game, please ensure no Single Game/Arcade Special is allotted more than 5 votes, or the ballot won’t be tallied.
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: September 2026 voting topic in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkThe Genesis of Treasure (5) Sonic the 3D Hedgehog (5) The Grue That Binds (3) Mother 3 (3) Ratchet & Clank (2) Wizball (2)The Genesis of Treasure (5)
Sonic the 3D Hedgehog (5)
The Grue That Binds (3)
Mother 3 (3)
Ratchet & Clank (2)
Wizball (2) -
Comment on Nintendo - Customer appreciation sale in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentI haven't seen a single price drop on any of the Nintendo-published Switch 2 games since the hardware launch back in June 2025, too. Maybe a year and 3 months wasn't long enough for Nintendo to...I haven't seen a single price drop on any of the Nintendo-published Switch 2 games since the hardware launch back in June 2025, too. Maybe a year and 3 months wasn't long enough for Nintendo to consider having such sales.
After all the years I spent watching for sales since March 2017 for their Switch 1 games, I found out that these can start occurring at least 6 months after their initial release date and if their current secondhand market value sits at around 30% of MSRP or lower. And when they do, they only cut 30% of its MSRP.
The Switch 1 version of Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is part of the sale, since its Complete-In-Box condition fetches nearly half of its initial MSRP according to PriceCharting. Meanwhile, Kirby Air Riders goes for $44 USD (vs $70 USD MSRP), and hasn't seen any temporary price slash yet. Both of these titles launched nearly 10 months ago.
The only Switch 2-related product that's actually part of the sale is Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, but that's not what people are generally interested in. Also worth noting is that some webcams that aren't designed for the device in mind can still work well with it, like my Logitech C922 Pro.
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: September 2026 lobbying topic in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkSonic the 3D Hedgehog In the late '80s and early '90s, Sonic defined 2D momentum platforming: levels that mixed high-speed runs with careful platforming, using downtime to balance the pace and...Sonic the 3D Hedgehog
In the late '80s and early '90s, Sonic defined 2D momentum platforming: levels that mixed high-speed runs with careful platforming, using downtime to balance the pace and reward speed buildup.
When 3D arrived in the fifth console generation, SEGA's big challenge was translating that design philosophy into three dimensions. Needless to say, this was a lot harder than it sounded.
Amid executive tug‑of‑war between SEGA of America and SEGA of Japan, Sonic X‑Treme was meant to launch on the Saturn. It never did. What Sonic Team produced leaned more toward labyrinthine layouts and a fixed, front‑facing camera (closer to fan game Sonic Robo Blast 2) than the seamless, speed‑first experience fans expected.
That transition finally clicked in 1998–99 with Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast: the first proper 3D Sonic not hobbled by late, rushed 3D hardware. The generous draw distance let you see far ahead, making it actually possible to plan moves at speed.
What I love most about Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 (more than later entries) is how they deliver both freedom and speed without sacrificing tight, compact level design with some breathing room. Unlike the on‑rails Boost games, the inconsistent Lost World, or the sprawling Frontiers, you aren't locked into predetermined lanes. You can veer off the main path, explore a bit, and often find hidden shortcuts and rewards through keen discovery or mastery of character's physics.
And that's just from playing as Sonic and Shadow, the standout characters in both games. Sonic Team kept things fresh by adding more characters with very different roles:
- Gamma (SA1), Tails and Eggman (SA2): Bulky mechs that trade agility for ranged firepower. Shooting enemies along your line of sight is often required to progress.
- Knuckles and Rouge: As mobile as the hedgehogs, but focused on hunting three hidden items per large stage using an in‑game proximity radar. Gliding, wall‑climbing, and hint monitors keep the search from dragging.
- Amy (SA1 only): A chase stage where you flee a big robot without Sonic‑level speed, but can gain height with hammer swings while running.
- Big (SA1 only): Essentially a fishing minigame. It's intentionally slow and clearly the least engaging of the cast.
On top of all that, Sonic Team included a surprisingly deep pet‑raising sim: the Chao Garden. You could:
- Use a VMU or GBA to take your Chao "on the go" or raise it in a smaller, portable garden.
- Win battles and minigames, feed fruits, and train stats.
It's rare to see that much care poured into what could've been throwaway side content, especially by today's AAA standards.
To further seal the deal, Jun Senoue's score ties everything together. Both games, especially SA1, have a cool, dreamy, energetic vibe that perfectly captures that early‑2000s "bold new future" feeling.
Put it all together and you get a duology whose charm and earnestness left an optimistic and lasting impression on my younger self for years after finishing them. Will they stand the test of time? Maybe. But what they set out to do, and largely achieved, is what matters to me.
The Genesis of Treasure
A little over six months ago, I posted a brief overview of why nearly all of Treasure's high‑energy, inventive Genesis/Mega Drive titles, the ones that helped the studio step out of Konami's shadow, deserve your attention. Since that post was easy to miss, I'll bring those writeups back here:
Gunstar Heroes
Treasure's debut title, Gunstar Heroes, regularly appears on lists of the best Genesis games, and for good reason. While it takes cues from Contra with its run-and-gun gameplay and classic power-ups, it also pushes the genre forward through clever stage design and inventive mechanics rather than relying solely on punishing difficulty.
At the start, you choose between two characters: one can shoot while moving, and the other can aim freely in eight directions. You also select one of four weapon types: rapid-fire, laser, homing, or flamethrower, and later combine them for stronger or hybrid attacks.
The arsenal doesn't stop at guns. You can perform sliding kicks, body slams, and even throw enemies (or your co-op partner!) for explosive damage.
The early game lets you tackle four opening stages in any order, each with its own unique twist. The Strange Fortress, for example, features a creative board-game sequence where dice rolls determine what type of challenge or mini-boss you'll face next.
Despite the Sega Genesis's technical limitations, Treasure found ingenious ways to push its hardware. By stitching sprites together and using rotation effects, they created massive, articulated bosses that felt alive. One of the most famous is the humanoid form of the Seven Force boss, an impressive showcase of both creativity and technical mastery.
If you only have time for one title from The Genesis of Treasure Arcade Special, make it Gunstar Heroes. It perfectly captures the balance of challenge, spectacle, and inventiveness that defines Treasure's best work.
McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure
If you thought Grimace's Birthday, that charming free Game Boy Color game from the 2020s, was the only good McDonald's console title, think again. Back in the early '90s, McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure proved that even a corporate mascot could star in a genuinely fun platformer.
Commissioned by Sega, the project gave Treasure a chance to show off their game design chops under a familiar brand. It was meant to be a safer, attention-grabbing debut, but Gunstar Heroes' huge success quickly made that safety net unnecessary.
What sets this seemingly standard platformer apart is its clever HP system. Throughout the journey, Ronald McDonald can spend some of his health gems to unlock new areas or even damage bosses, adding a light strategic layer to an otherwise straightforward adventure.
While it's much easier than Treasure's usual fare, it still delivers the studio's signature mix of lively setpieces, imaginative stages, and tight mechanics. It's the perfect entry point for players who found Gunstar Heroes a bit too intense, offering a gentler taste of Treasure's creative spark.
Dynamite Headdy
This is Treasure at their most chaotic, colorful, and completely unrestrained. Dynamite Headdy bursts with theater-inspired visuals, hyperactive sound design, and wild gameplay that never lets up.
As the name suggests, Headdy literally fights with his head, tossing it in eight directions to attack enemies or latch onto nodes for platforming tricks. Throughout the adventure, you'll collect more than a dozen alternate heads, each granting unique abilities like the powerful Hammer Head, the Vacuum Head that pulls in enemies and items, or the Invisible Head for stealthy moments.
The real magic, though, lies in its variety. Nearly every stage introduces fresh mechanics or visuals without ever feeling disconnected from the core gameplay. Whether you're in a side-scrolling shooter segment or an offbeat platforming challenge, the game's consistency in physics and control keeps the mayhem manageable.
Take one standout sequence: during a tense fight with Trouble Bruin, Headdy must keep attacking while restrained by his foe's grip, a claustrophobic twist that still feels true to the game's logic. Moments earlier, you were navigating a swaying 3D-like platform section, showcasing Treasure's boundless imagination within Genesis hardware limits.
With its dazzling creativity, strong level design, and dynamic pacing, Dynamite Headdy is a highlight of The Genesis of Treasure Arcade Special lineup. For the best balance of challenge and fun, stick with the Japanese version; it avoids the artificial difficulty spikes added to the Western release to deter rentals.
Alien Soldier
Arguably the toughest game of the bunch, but also one of the most exhilarating. Alien Soldier takes the intense 2D run-and-gun formula of Gunstar Heroes and distills it into a near-endless parade of boss battles. Most stages are just a short prelude before you’re thrown into another showdown against one of 25 strikingly designed foes, ranging from the cool to the downright grotesque.
At the start, you choose four weapons from a set of six for your bird-like super-soldier. Each has different ranges, spreads, and strengths, and taking duplicates increases ammo reserves. You can swap weapons mid-game whenever you find a pickup, and matching icons refill your ammo while boosting capacity.
Survival hinges on mastering two key mechanics: the counter and the teleport. The counter (performed by double-tapping the shoot button) absorbs enemy projectiles and converts them into health pickups, occasionally deflecting attacks back at the boss, a lifesaving move since most bosses fill a third of the screen and can shred your HP bar in seconds. The teleport lets you zip across a quarter of the screen in an instant; when your health is full, crashing into a boss during a teleport deals heavy damage at the cost of some of your life.
For your own sanity, it's worth switching from Superhard to Supereasy mode in the Options menu. You'll get unlimited continues and a password save system. It won't make the fights themselves much easier, but at least you won't have to start all over every time Alien Soldier humbles you.
Light Crusader
Did you know Treasure also made a top-down, isometric dungeon crawler for the Genesis? Light Crusader is the oddball in their otherwise explosive action catalog, and all the more interesting for it.
You play as Sir David, a knight investigating a sprawling underground crypt linked to mysterious disappearances in a nearby town. The sparse storytelling does its job, leaving most of the focus on exploration and gameplay.
Unlike many isometric games of the era (like Landstalker) that restrict movement to four diagonal directions, Light Crusader lets you move freely in all eight. Sir David feels nimble, with snappy walking speed and long, floaty jumps that make navigation smooth and responsive.
Combat, however, can be awkward. His short sword forces you to get uncomfortably close to enemies, relying on hit-and-run tactics unless you use your limited stock of magic. Fortunately, the spell system adds some depth; you can combine up to four elemental spells for unique effects, like mixing fire and earthquake to create a devastating meteor strike.
The game's physics engine also adds charm and personality. Pushable blocks follow gravity and can fall off ledges, and yes, you can cheekily shove around townsfolk too.
While Light Crusader doesn't rank among Treasure's best-known titles, it's a fascinating experiment that proves the studio's willingness to step outside their comfort zone. It's a solid, imaginative dungeon crawler that shows even Treasure's lesser-known works were brimming with creative curiosity.
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: September 2026 nominations topic in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentSonic 3D Blast is a bit of a misleading title, not gonna lie. Despite the name, it isn't a true 3D platformer; it's a top-down/isometric platformer that uses pre-rendered 3D sprites (similar to...Sonic 3D Blast is a bit of a misleading title, not gonna lie. Despite the name, it isn't a true 3D platformer; it's a top-down/isometric platformer that uses pre-rendered 3D sprites (similar to Donkey Kong Country) instead of real 3D environments.
That's why I haven't included it in the Arcade Special so far. The two games already in the list each take a fairly substantial amount of time to finish. If both of them ends up in the top 6, I'd encourage players to beat either Sonic Adventure 1 or Sonic Adventure 2 whenever that month arrives, depending on whether you prefer more oddity or more refinement.
That said, both Adventure games have fantastic soundtracks in their own ways. The first one, in particular, has a cool, dreamy, and energetic vibe that really captured my early-2000s feeling of a bold, new, and energetic outlook on the future, something I couldn't ignore for the rest of the decade.
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: September 2026 nominations topic in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkNomination: Sonic the 3D Hedgehog Sonic Adventure Sonic Adventure 2 Despite playing a lot of these two 3D platformers from the GameCube era, I never reached the true endings for both. The CGA...Nomination: Sonic the 3D Hedgehog
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2Despite playing a lot of these two 3D platformers from the GameCube era, I never reached the true endings for both. The CGA event would be a great chance to give them a proper whirl, and it could spark some interesting discussion about Sega's early, notable take on 3D Sonic gameplay in light of later installments.
Also, you can still buy these two games on Steam, and mod Sonic Adventure DX to smooth out many of its rough edges.
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Comment on CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎♂️🛹 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentI was toying around with a similar idea earlier, except mine was a contest about whoever hold the highest amount of top records in this CGA. But my overly ambitious self overlooked the fact...I was toying around with a similar idea earlier, except mine was a contest about whoever hold the highest amount of top records in this CGA.
But my overly ambitious self overlooked the fact certain versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 have differences in gameplay mechanics, like the 2020 remaster and Pro Skater 2x. That would require having separate leaderboards in order to even the play field, yet unfortunately not all of us have access to each and every version that's part of the contest.
So, simply posting high scores just for fun might be the better approach for this event.
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Comment on CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎♂️🛹 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentI didn't realize that the topic's title has the wrong date in it earlier, and now I can't modify it after it's posted. Whoops!I didn't realize that the topic's title has the wrong date in it earlier, and now I can't modify it after it's posted. Whoops!
J-Chiptunator's Speedrun Backlog Bingo
Has a fishing minigame✅ Okami HD
Has multiple playable characters✅ Chameleon Twist
★ Wildcard✅ Crankin's Time Travel Adventure
Released in the year you joined Tildes✅ The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
From now-defunct dev studio✅ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Turns out that due to some unfortunate circumstances, I got some extra time to get around trying a couple more games, enough to win at my bingo card before heading to Japan. Getting the writeups done is still a challenge, since I've only got one day to them alongside finishing up my CGA Insert Cartridge draft that shall be posted next month.