J-Chiptunator's recent activity
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Comment on CGA-2025-12 🏴☠️🏝️🍌 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkJ-Chiptunator's Final Bingo Card (Standard/Form, Completed in 11/18) Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 25/25 ✅ Weapon Shop de Omasse ✅ Metroid Primer Hunters ✅ Hypnospace Outlaw ✅ Gran...J-Chiptunator's Final Bingo Card (Standard/Form, Completed in 11/18)
Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 25/25 Job simulator
✅ Weapon Shop de OmasseFPS
✅ Metroid Primer HuntersPoint & click adventure
✅ Hypnospace OutlawSim racing
✅ Gran Turismo 3: A-SpecCard game
✅ Vegas StakesDungeon crawler
✅ Enter the GungeonVisual novel
✅ Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the WitchScore attack
✅ Liberation MaidenSandbox
✅ Grand Theft Auto VSimulation
✅ Rune Factory 4 SpecialCozy
✅ A Short HikeCreature collector
✅ Pokémon Ultra Moon★ Wildcard
✅ Untitled Goose GamePuzzle platformer
✅ Oddworld: Abe’s OdysseyHack and slash
✅ Hyrule WarriorsAction-adventure
✅ Long PuppyMetroidvania/search action
✅ Animal WellShoot 'em up
✅ ResogunJRPG
✅ WitchSpring RPuzzle
✅ The WitnessThird-person shooter
✅ SplatoonDigital tabletop game
✅ Crimson ShroudRun and gun
✅ CupheadBeat 'em up
✅ Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game - Complete EditionMatch 3
✅ Tetris AttackDuring November's Backlog Burner, my plan was to sample 25 games in 20 days or less, spending up to a few hours with each one and using a 5×5 bingo card of genres as a guide. The card kept things varied enough that everything wrapped up two days early, which left the rest of the month open to breathe a bit.
That extra time went into some relaxed Kirby Air Riders sessions, finishing Portal's main campaign, and playing all of Tales from Toyotoki. That last one was quite a surprise: what looks like an unassuming coming‑of‑age boy‑meets‑girl story ended up hitting hard enough to make a usually stoic grown man tense up and cry, particularly during the final stretch.
Playing 25 games in 18 days didn't leave much room for deep writeups, so most of the writeups are short impressions with a bit of personal experience or historical context. Often, it took a round of online research just to fill in the gaps that a few hours of play couldn't cover.
That pace still works well for giving a broad overview of each game, but it inevitably flattens the nuance, especially for anything longer than five hours. Most of those titles in particular ended up with writeups that felt a bit more like rough, low‑budget Wikipedia summaries than insightful commentary.
Next time, the plan is to cut the number of games way down to make space for more detailed coverage. There will be a twist to go with that new approach, but that will have to wait until the next Backlog Burner in about five months.
Standouts (6): Animal Well, Hypnospace Outlaw, Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the Witch, Untitled Goose Game, Tetris Attack, Enter the Gungeon
Good enough to continue (14): The Witness, Hyrule Warriors, Cuphead, Rune Factory 4 Special, Liberation Maiden, Grand Theft Auto V, A Short Hike, Resogun, Crimson Shroud, Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Long Puppy, WitchSpring R, Pokémon Ultra Moon
Shelved (5): Splatoon, Vegas Stakes, Weapon Shop de Omasse, Metroid Prime Hunters, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game - Complete Edition -
Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentThis month's Backlog Burner had me play much fewer platforms than May's one, largely because I focused on games released beyond the 6th video game generation. Here's what I used to run on:...This month's Backlog Burner had me play much fewer platforms than May's one, largely because I focused on games released beyond the 6th video game generation. Here's what I used to run on:
- Nintendo 3DS
- Nintendo DS
- Playdate
- PlayStation 1
- PlayStation 2
- PlayStation 4 (PS4 Pro)
- Steam (Windows 11 PC)
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Famicom)
- Switch 1 (Switch 2)
- Wii U
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentMy progress in Enter the Gungeon is still pending; I've only reached right before Floor 2 in my first and only run so far. Since I don't really know what to expect beyond Floor 1 yet, I'm treating...My progress in Enter the Gungeon is still pending; I've only reached right before Floor 2 in my first and only run so far. Since I don't really know what to expect beyond Floor 1 yet, I'm treating this as a casual run with a focus on exploration.
For this playthrough, I chose The Marine as my Gungeoneer because of his high accuracy and quick reload speed, especially with his starter gun. The extra armor that absorbs one hit also helps a lot. He feels like the most reliable choice for a first-time run.
As for beat 'em ups, I haven’t played many, so I can’t really make recommendations. The ones I own are mostly on the Sega Genesis.
Next on my list is probably one of the first two Streets of Rage games, or one of the first two Golden Axe instalments. Neither has an EXP system, which helps; I mainly want to clear out more of my backlog, especially since I'm tightening my budget lately.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 4 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkJ-Chiptunator's Blackout Bingo Card (Standard/Form, Completed in 11/18) Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 25/25 ✅ Weapon Shop de Omasse ✅ Metroid Primer Hunters ✅ Hypnospace Outlaw ✅ Gran...- Exemplary
J-Chiptunator's Blackout Bingo Card (Standard/Form, Completed in 11/18)
Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 25/25 Job simulator
✅ Weapon Shop de OmasseFPS
✅ Metroid Primer HuntersPoint & click adventure
✅ Hypnospace OutlawSim racing
✅ Gran Turismo 3: A-SpecCard game
✅ Vegas StakesDungeon crawler
✅ Enter the GungeonVisual novel
✅ Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the WitchScore attack
✅ Liberation MaidenSandbox
✅ Grand Theft Auto VSimulation
✅ Rune Factory 4 SpecialCozy
✅ A Short HikeCreature collector
✅ Pokémon Ultra Moon★ Wildcard
✅ Untitled Goose GamePuzzle platformer
✅ Oddworld: Abe’s OdysseyHack and slash
✅ Hyrule WarriorsAction-adventure
✅ Long PuppyMetroidvania/search action
✅ Animal WellShoot 'em up
✅ ResogunJRPG
✅ WitchSpring RPuzzle
✅ The WitnessThird-person shooter
✅ SplatoonDigital tabletop game
✅ Crimson ShroudRun and gun
✅ CupheadBeat 'em up
✅ Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game - Complete EditionMatch 3
✅ Tetris AttackLast October, I set a goal to publish my write-ups for three consecutive weeks. Things changed, though, I decided to save the final eight games for Week 4, hoping this would help reduce my stress and stop me from rushing posts at the end of Week 3.
The best news? On November 18th, 2025, at 5:30 PM EST, I blacked out my bingo card, with Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game - Complete Edition as the last title. Doing this in just 18 days and keeping my write-ups meaningful was a real challenge. Some write-ups were shorter than others, since a lot of the games needed more than an hour to really grasp.
Soon, I'll post in the final Backlog Burner thread further detailing my experience with the event and plans for the next round. For now, let's dive into the list of games.
Tetris Attack
Writeup
So, imagine this: you grab a Super Nintendo cartridge labeled Tetris Attack. Naturally, you expect falling Tetrominos, right? The familiar gameplay loop: drop, rotate, and line 'em up for that satisfying clear.
But after booting it up, there's something off. No falling blocks. Instead, there's a rising stack, and you're moving a cursor around matching colorful squares that vanish when you line up three or more. "Wait. This isn't Tetris!" you think. "Am I playing some sort of reverse Kirby's Avalanche?"
That confusion was pretty common among 90s gamers. Back then, just about every puzzle game with blocks was tossed under the "Tetris clone" label. What we didn't know at the time was that Tetris Attack is actually Panel de Pon, a Japan-only title rebranded for the West. Nintendo swapped out the original fairy-themed visuals for characters and backgrounds from Yoshi's Island. The result? A strange but fun mashup with zero relation to the Tetris brand, something its co-founder later expressed they regretted approving.
Unlike traditional
Match-3games, where you wait for pieces to fall, Puzzle League titles (the series this game belongs to) give you constant control. You can swap panels horizontally even while others are clearing, allowing you to chain combos back-to-back. That non-stop interaction makes the gameplay feel faster and far more intense than your typical puzzle fare.Matching more than three colors nets you combos, but building chains and triggering consecutive clears, is where the real fun (and big damage) lies, especially in VS mode. Blocking your opponent with waves of garbage blocks while racing to clear your own stack is thrilling and chaotic in the best way.
Tetris Attack offers a nice selection of modes:
- Endless Mode: The rising stack never stops—just see how long you can last.
- Stage Clear: Clear the stack below a marked line to move on.
- VS Mode: Either 1P vs the AI or 2P competitive battles.
- Puzzle Mode: Solve specific clearing challenges with a limited number of moves.
Endless Mode can be surprisingly addictive, though mastering chain setups takes some serious practice. Puzzle Mode, on the other hand, is a fun brain workout that helps you recognize patterns and refine your chain-making instincts.
Because of licensing restrictions, Tetris Attack never saw a re-release. Thankfully, its original counterpart, Panel de Pon, is available in the SNES library on Nintendo Switch Online.
If you want to dive deeper into the Puzzle League lineage, check out the Nintendo Puzzle Collection for GameCube (Japan-only). It includes the previously unreleased Panel de Pon N64 (basis for Pokémon Puzzle League) with four players VS mode, Dr. Mario 64, and even a brand-new Yoshi’s Cookie instalment.
Whether it's called Panel de Pon, Tetris Attack, or Puzzle League, this series stands out for its quick reflexes, sharp thinking, and endless replayability; a must-play for any puzzle fan.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Writeup
Christmas 2001 was unforgettable. I finally got my long-awaited GameCube with Super Smash Bros. Melee and Luigi's Mansion. Meanwhile, one of my relatives must've thought Nintendo's library might end up just as small as the N64's, and with VHS tapes slowly fading away, they decided to cover two needs at once.
They gifted a PlayStation 2 bundled with the
sim racinggame, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec to my sister. Suddenly, we had access to a huge lineup of games and a new way to watch movies. The PS2 quickly became the living room centerpiece, unfortunately shared space with my parents' cable TV habits. Let's just say "who gets the TV" became an ongoing family debate.Eventually, my dad solved the problem by upgrading our old CRT to one with DVD support for the basement. He even installed a separate VHS/DVD player upstairs for the rest of the family. Problem solved, and the perfect environment for long gaming sessions was born.
Released in 2001, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec showed what the sixth generation of consoles could really do. From the moment the intro rolled, it was clear the focus was all about realism. The car models looked almost photo-realistic for the time, with lighting and reflections so detailed that, on a CRT, they could easily trick you into thinking it was a real race broadcast.
And that realism extended to the gameplay. Unlike Mario Kart, where sliding around corners is part of the fun, Gran Turismo 3 demands precision. Rear-wheel drive cars accelerate faster but are prone to fishtailing if you take corners too aggressively. Front-wheel drives handle turns more cleanly but don't pull as hard on straights. Every type of car teaches you something different about handling, speed, and balance.
Arcade Mode gives you the basics: single races, time trials, free runs, and two-player battles. But the heart of the game lies in Simulation Mode. Here, you buy, tune, and maintain cars that wear down over time, with oil changes and wash cycles.
At first, you can only enter beginner-level cups. Soon, though, you'll face tougher leagues that demand specific cars, upgrades, or licenses. That means grinding for credits and taking on the notorious License Tests. These exams are no joke; tight time limits, sensitive controls, and unforgiving cars make every gold trophy feel earned.
I remember one in particular: test B-8. It took me at least five tries to finally nail it, barely squeezing under the 46-second limit by 0.018 seconds for the required bronze trophy. It's intense, but also satisfying once you start improving.
The License Tests might be a little too strict, but they're a solid skill gate for the rest of the campaign. Once you're in the groove, Gran Turismo 3 becomes one of the most immersive and rewarding racing experiences of its era. The handling, visuals, and sense of progression still hold up, making it worth revisiting even today, a textbook example of when "real driving simulator" truly meant something.
Metroid Prime Hunters
Writeup
When the dual-screen Nintendo DS launched on November 21, 2004, in North America, it came with a pack-in demo titled Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt. This proof-of-concept
FPSshowed off what the new handheld could do. While Super Mario 64 DS might have been a better showcase for content, First Hunt offered an ambitious look into the DS's potential, proof that the system wasn't just a market experiment but a serious platform. For years to come, it would go on to sell over 150 million units.The demo offers three single-player training stages:
- Regulator – Destroy all hologram targets before time runs out
- Survivor – Defeat as many Xenomorphs as possible before dying
- Morph Ball – Navigate an obstacle course before the clock expires
There’s also a Multiplayer Mode where up to four players, all as Samus, can face off in deathmatch battles across three different arenas.
First Hunt includes three control styles:
- Stylus Mode: Aim with the stylus, move with the D-Pad or face buttons, shoot with either shoulder button, and double-tap the screen to jump.
- Dual Mode: A more traditional setup where the D-Pad or face buttons handle both movement and aiming.
- Touch Shoot Mode: A demo-exclusive layout similar to Stylus Mode but swaps the jump and shoot functions.
Stylus Mode offers the most precise aiming, though the lack of auto-aim and occasional touch-screen misreads can be frustrating, especially during platforming sections. In the full Metroid Prime Hunters game, additional button options for jumping help reduce this issue.
The single-player campaign captures the tension and atmosphere of Metroid Prime, but hardware limitations hold it back. Levels are more linear, boss fights repeat too often, and there's less variety in both exploration and story lore. Platforming sections can be punishing; instant-death pits warp Samus back to checkpoints, a contrast to the mainline Prime titles. Thankfully, this is rarer in multiplayer's compact arenas.
Because of the game's age, finding real opponents today is difficult. However, it's still possible to set up bot matches and experiment with the game's other hunters. Each has unique weaponry, Morph Ball traits, and abilities. For instance, Spire wields the Magmaul, which leaves lingering flames on enemies, and can climb walls with his Dialanche form, giving him a serious mobility edge.
Metroid Prime Hunters is an impressive technical feat for early DS hardware, even if it can't quite match the depth or polish of the numbered Prime games. It's worth a look as a historical curiosity, but most fans will probably prefer revisiting Metroid Prime proper. Maybe someday it'll be worth finishing, but for now, it sits comfortably in the "nice experiment" category.
Long Puppy
Writeup
Part of Playdate's Season 2 bundle, the
action-adventureLong Puppy starts as a simple story about a boy and his dachshund but quickly turns into something much stranger, and stretchier. Across 13 levels, you toss a ball for your pup to fetch… though getting it back isn't as straightforward as it sounds.The ball often lands in unreachable spots, forcing your loyal dog to stretch his body to snatch it. Using the Playdate's crank, you aim his head, then press up on the D-Pad to extend his body or down to pull his paws back in line. It feels odd at first, but the mechanic soon becomes surprisingly intuitive.
When a gap proves too wide, the pup can eat food items to boost his maximum stretch length. These collectibles are hidden around the level; you can sniff them out with the A button or use the radar (activated with B) to display a map with every item's location.
Each time your dog grabs the ball, a ghostly rival appears to chase him. If it bites you, it’ll steal your toy, though you can reclaim it shortly after. It's more an inconvenience than a punishment, but it keeps the tension high.
There's also a level timer that, by default, applies to nearly every stage. If it hits zero, it's game over. The countdown adds pressure but can feel restrictive, so disabling it might make exploration more enjoyable.
Complete a level successfully, and your canine friend rewards you with a rather… aromatic display. The resulting "mountain" marks your completion percentage for the stage. Each level also hides a secret "pee spot" that reveals a bit of lore, though those seem pretty well hidden, still no luck finding one yet.
So far, I've cleared two levels, and Long Puppy has been a charming surprise. Its crank-based stretching mechanic is playful, inventive, and surprisingly skillful once mastered. I'm looking forward to digging deeper into it, hopefully without too many ghost dogs interrupting fetch time.
WitchSpring R
Writeup
If not for getting into Hololive streams in the early 2020s, especially Takanashi Kiara, one of the five founding talents of Hololive EN, I never would've stumbled upon WitchSpring R. The cute outspoken phoenix VTuber got so deeply into the game that she finished the main campaign and the new DLC across eight streams; a fun binge that sold me on giving the game a try myself.
After doing some research, WitchSpring R stands out as far more than a standard remake. It's a thorough revamp of WitchSpring 1, which originally launched as a mobile-only game. The remake enhances the visuals and music, expands the lore in light of later series installments, and makes the mechanics deeper overall. This isn't just a glow-up; it's a redesigned experience much improved over the mobile version.
Since I'm not a fan of touchscreen-only gaming, I discovered the original WitchSpring only after learning about the remake. So all my impressions come directly from WitchSpring R.
The main character, Pieberry, kicks off her journey scouting for potion ingredients around her forest home. After returning, she's ambushed by human soldiers; a persistent threat that makes her realize she needs to train harder to restore her former powers. Pieberry's obsession with pies (especially berry pies) shapes a lot of her personality; she'll even barter shiny valuables for a slice of pie, so she's earned the nickname "Pie Bandit" in my playthrough.
WitchSpring R is a
JRPGat heart, but with a twist: stat growth comes not from traditional EXP, but by training through activities like gathering, battling, and minigames. The training gauge fills as you play, unlocking training choices that boost stats based on what you select. Some training sessions include fun minigames; ace them, and you'll get bigger stat rewards. There's an option to skip minigames too, which nets basic stat boosts plus a chance for bonuses.Defeating enemies and exploring unlocks more ways to upgrade Pieberry. Victories reward stat boosts, and there's a system for upgrading weapons, equipping new gear, and customizing her skill build for your play style. Crafting is central, with recipes (usually from defeating bosses) allowing for permanent stat-boosting items and new spells.
Even after about three hours in Chapter 1, progression can feel slow at times. On Normal difficulty, mid-level enemies can hit hard, and Pie Bandit's low starting HP means you'll need to grind for better stats before tackling tougher foes. For a smoother ride, I'll consider dropping to Easy at first and then switching back later to help with pacing.
Pieberry isn't alone; she can recruit a range of pets, each with unique abilities for combat and exploration. These companions add depth, letting you tailor Pie Bandit as a magical powerhouse or focus on physical combat. The customizable builds are extensive, thanks to the crafting system and item collecting.
WitchSpring R offers an endearing JRPG adventure, enhanced by substantial upgrades in graphics, worldbuilding, and gameplay. The quirky pie-loving Pieberry and her training system stand out, though pacing and difficulty can require some adjustment. Above all: never utter the word "pie" and "berry" in the same sentence; she might just snatch your pie before you know what hit you!
Enter the Gungeon
Writeup
Originally, I wanted to tackle Crypt of the NecroDancer, but a Switch 2 firmware update crashed the game on load. So I switched over to Enter the Gungeon, another roguelike
dungeon crawlerinstalled on my system.Enter the Gungeon puts you in control of one of four Gungeoneers, each with their own starting loadouts. Gameplay is classic twin-stick shooter: use one stick to move and the other to shoot, all while dodging waves of bullets fired by enemy Gundead and bosses. You get a limited number of Blanks each run that instantly clear the room of projectiles when used; a lifesaver for hectic moments.
The challenge starts fast and ramps up quickly. The penalty for dying is harsh but fair; you lose all items and weapons found during your run and have to restart from the beginning. However, procedural generation keeps the dungeon layouts, items, and boss fights fresh in every playthrough. Along the way, you'll meet NPCs who set up shops or offer quests, and eventually expand your options back in the Breach hub as you unlock new items and services.
Controls are tight and responsive, making movement and aiming intuitive even in tense boss fights. The game's addictive risk-reward loop makes each run exciting, and the sheer variety of guns and items means there's always something new to discover. Despite some initial setbacks, it's easily the standout title for burning through my backlog right now.
Pokémon Ultra Moon
Writeup
Returning to Pokémon after a long break since the early 2000s, I wasn't sure what to expect from Ultra Moon. Like many who started with Gen 1, I drifted away around the GBA era and mostly ignored the series as it continued onto new systems.
Pokémon is still a JRPG at its core, letting you build a team of six battling and
collectable creaturesfrom an ever-growing roster. Each game generation usually comes in two versions with version-exclusive Pokémon to promote trading. Moves are capped at four per creature, and the classic type-matchup system is very much alive; team synergy does matter, but honestly, difficulty isn't much of a concern until late-game challenges like the Elite Four.Ultra Moon tries to break the mold a bit. Gone is the traditional gym badge structure; instead, you face island trials and Totem Pokémon, which are beefed-up versions of the regional creatures. The Alolan setting stands out with its tropical vibe and regional Pokémon variants, making the world feel fresh. This is the first time since the series' beginning that the formula felt shaken up for me.
I picked Litten as my starter, and it steamrolled the early game with its powerful fire attack that also inflicts a burn status. The replenishable move uses meant I rarely had to swap out for any of my backup Pokémon, even when I had solid type coverage.
What really surprised me were the production values. The sheer amount of cutscenes, the dynamic camera angles, and the more lifelike 3D character models are a huge leap over the older chibi sprite look. In fact, it puts the Switch Pokémon releases to shame in terms of presentation.
The slow-paced opening barely scratches the surface, but I'm intrigued enough to keep going. Ultra Moon may not be the traditional Pokémon structure I grew up with, but the new ideas and quality-of-life improvements accumulated over the decade and half are making it worthwhile so far.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game - Complete Edition
Writeup
Scott Pilgrim vs The World is infamous as a warning about digital-only releases and delistings. Originally launched for PS3 and Xbox 360, it vanished from online stores less than four years later, before finally returning in 2021, Complete Edition and all DLC included, on all modern platforms.
Despite having never played this game, it still left a strong mark on me since 2010, partly thanks to its ties with the movie, such as the memorable Fairy Fountain cover reminiscent of A Link to the Past. The entire franchise oozes love for 80s and 90s gaming, blending endless references into both the movie and the game. It even features an original chiptune album by Anamanaguchi, which fits perfectly with its energetic style.
Unlike most
beat 'em ups, Scott Pilgrim stands out for having a full RPG-like experience system. Gaining EXP means raising stats and unlocking new skills, with most basic moves being locked behind higher levels. Oddly, low attacks only unlock at Level 5, which slows early progression and adds to the challenge. Even on the easiest difficulty, "Average Joe", the learning curve can be steep.Stage 1 alone was a slog. It took nearly 30 minutes to clear, mainly thanks to long stages, limited early moves, and enemies that soak up a lot of damage. Enemies tend to block a lot and often jumps at you with little warning. Money drops are low, so stat-boosting items from shops are hard to afford, making upgrades feel out of reach early on.
One odd quirk: the AI is bad at tracking movement along the Y-axis, so repeatedly using jump kicks can let you cheese through tougher enemies and even bosses. Having to rely on this exploit to avoid frustration didn't feel rewarding.
Overall, my first impression wasn't positive. Supposedly, things improve with better stats and moves unlocked later, but the grind to get there turned me off. There are plenty of great beat 'em ups out there now, and slogging through Scott Pilgrim's punishing early hours just didn't feel worth it. Disappointing, given the game's legendary status and cool style.
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Comment on CGA-2025-11 🔴🟡🔵🟢 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ PlayStation WHAT? in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentI've tried a bit of PaRappa the Rapper 1 and 2 through real hardware coupled with Morph 4K upscaler. With under 8ms of combined input lag (1/2 of a 60FPS frame), I was able to consistently press...I've tried a bit of PaRappa the Rapper 1 and 2 through real hardware coupled with Morph 4K upscaler. With under 8ms of combined input lag (1/2 of a 60FPS frame), I was able to consistently press the button at the correct times.
1 is a tad stricter with its timing window compared to 2, presumably due to the lower frame rate. I had to press the button when the protagonist's head is pretty much in the centre of a command icon.
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Comment on CGA-2025-11 🔴🟡🔵🟢 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ PlayStation WHAT? in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentI believe that the closest representation to that would be Muscle March. It's a runner from WiiWare released in Japan and the rest of the world, where you chase after a thief while avoiding some...Pepsiman was also a standout and it reminded me of something that I can't put a name to. I feel like I saw a Japanese Wii title that starred the muscley dudes from Cho Aniki and featured the same gameplay. Does anyone know what that is?
I believe that the closest representation to that would be Muscle March. It's a runner from WiiWare released in Japan and the rest of the world, where you chase after a thief while avoiding some obstacles and performing poses to fit through broken walls, all with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentBeyond key scenes like Hikaru and Lilun's first meal together, it's clear that Fragaria used filtered photographs for the backgrounds, giving even ordinary places like the port a rustic, homey...Tales from Toyotoki looks really solid, and I'm surprised it slipped so far under the radar. The backgrounds definitely have a comfortable feeling to them. I do wonder if it's the lower-fidelity imbuing nostalgia, as you suggested. And if so, would younger folks who grew up on high-def feel the same way?"
Beyond key scenes like Hikaru and Lilun's first meal together, it's clear that Fragaria used filtered photographs for the backgrounds, giving even ordinary places like the port a rustic, homey feel. The darker outlines, washed-out pastels, and subdued lighting balance realism and stylization without distraction. The characters' flatter-shaded 2D look contrasts just enough to stay visible while still belonging to the same world.
I do think younger players, used to high-definition detail, might be more thrown off by noticing the photographic base than by the filters themselves. A fully hand-drawn style in the vein of Ghibli could enhance cohesion, though given the indie team's scale, that may not have been realistic.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkJ-Chiptunator's Winning Bingo Card (Standard/Form, 17/25) Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 17/25 ✅ Weapon Shop de Omasse FPS ✅ Hypnospace Outlaw Sim racing ✅ Vegas Stakes Dungeon crawler ✅...J-Chiptunator's Winning Bingo Card (Standard/Form, 17/25)
Mode: Standard Winning Bingo! Finished 17/25 Job simulator
✅ Weapon Shop de OmasseFPS Point & click adventure
✅ Hypnospace OutlawSim racing Card game
✅ Vegas StakesDungeon crawler Visual novel
✅ Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the WitchScore attack
✅ Liberation MaidenSandbox
✅ Grand Theft Auto VSimulation
✅ Rune Factory 4 SpecialCozy
✅ A Short HikeCreature collector ★ Wildcard
✅ Untitled Goose GamePuzzle platformer
✅ Oddworld: Abe’s OdysseyHack and slash
✅ Hyrule WarriorsAction-adventure Metroidvania/search action
✅ Animal WellShoot 'em up
✅ ResogunJRPG Puzzle
✅ The WitnessThird-person shooter
✅ SplatoonDigital tabletop game
✅ Crimson ShroudRun and gun
✅ CupheadBeat 'em up Match 3 Another week down, and with it comes another mix of video game genres I've uncovered. This time, I managed to finish eight more games, one fewer than last week's nine, but still enough to score a Bingo on my card. That didn't take long, which works out nicely since I want to dedicate more playtime to Kirby Air Riders when it launches next Thursday.
I've been trying to get most of my writeups done at least a day before the next Backlog Burner Week starts, so I decided to skip one game from my final list. Starting this Friday, I'll be tackling the remaining eight games to get a bit of a head start, and hopefully make some progress on CGA's November selections too.
With all that said, here's a look at the games I played this round.
Vegas Stakes
Writeup
Let's be clear: I've never been a fan of pure gambling games, especially the kind that were common on consoles before the 2010s. Once you figure out the optimal way to win in those simplified setups, reaching the end goal becomes a matter of patience, not skill.
In the SNES version of Vegas Stakes, that goal is turning a modest thousand dollars into ten million across five casinos. Unfortunately, even HAL Laboratory, the same developer behind Kirby, does little to expand beyond the basic gambling gameplay or enhance it with much flair.
The game features five casino classics: Slots, Roulette, Craps, Poker, and my personal favorite, Blackjack. Two of them involve
cards, though they're definitely not the collectible kind.Each of these games works exactly as expected, for better or worse. Back in the day, Vegas Stakes offered a simple and affordable taste of casino fun without real-world risk. But after the 2000s, free digital casino games made that appeal feel outdated.
One of the standout aspects, for its time at least, is the presentation. HAL made good use of digitized character sprites, semi-realistic casino backdrops, and a catchy soundtrack to sell the Las Vegas vibe. That said, a few of the music choices border on grating, thanks to some questionable instrument samples.
The NPC interactions add some extra flavor. You pick one of four companions to join you, each offering advice and commentary while you play. Other NPCs wander the casino, occasionally giving tips, making requests, or just being unhelpfully rude, which is all part of the charm.
At one point, a regular in the sci-fi-themed casino told me to bet based on "feeling vibrations". That's... not how roulette works, but his advice on betting red or black is still among the safest options. Since nearly half the wheel is covered by each color, with two green spaces excluded, it's pretty much a 50/50 shot to double your bet.
If you're aiming just to roll credits, you could save after every win and reload after each loss. The casino you choose determines the bet limits, and the pricier ones yield the largest payouts. Of course, that's where "playing your cards right" really matters.
Or, if you use a software emulator and prefer brute efficiency, there's even a way to "cheese" the roulette: savestate before a spin, then memorize the number and reload to pick that one instead. The outcome is predetermined when the round starts, which makes it possible to game the system completely.
Overall, Vegas Stakes isn't a bad collection of casino games. It's fun in small bursts or when playing with a friend, but grinding through the single-player campaign feels more like battling against luck than actually winning.
Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the Witch
Writeup
Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the Witch (aka イハナシの魔女, lit. The Witch of Ihanashi) might be one of the most obscure games ever played during a Backlog Burner event on modern platforms. Despite being nominated for several Japanese indie game awards in 2022 and getting an official English translation in 2024, this slice-of-life visual novel has flown almost entirely under the radar in the English-speaking community, save for a few scattered reviews and YouTube playthroughs.
The story follows Hikaru Nishime, a boy who lost his parents at a young age. On his aunt's advice, he travels to live with his grandfather on a remote Okinawan island called Toyotoki. When he arrives, he discovers his grandfather has already moved overseas. To make things worse, he can't reach his aunt, and the local school claims to have no record of him. Stranded without survival skills, Hikaru ends up wandering the island's sugarcane fields at night, searching for shelter.
That's when he meets Lilun Jaminthida, an engimatic girl who defies normal Japanese conventions. She agrees to team up with him, and together they try to figure out how to survive, and, along the way, learn more about themselves and each other. Why she came to the island remains a mystery, though it's clear to me she has her own reasons.
The visual novel deals with some surprisingly heavy themes beneath its gentle tone. Namely...
Spoilers
...The fact that both main characters face emotional scars from their pasts. Hikaru endured bullying and parental neglect on the foster family's part in Tokyo, while Lilun was exiled from her homeland's rampant slavery society because of her magical abilities, which earned her the title of "witch".
Hikaru's adjustment to quiet, rural Toyotoki life serves as a contrast to his stressful city upbringing. The island's peaceful rhythm gives him a chance to slow down and rediscover a more grounded way of living. Lilun, on the other hand, struggles to adapt to Japan's more structured and sedentary society, especially given her rough, self-sufficient background. Her slow adaptation to modern Japanese and Okinawan culture adds another layer of charm and complexity to the story.
Visually, the game's backgrounds resemble real-world photos, sometimes with soft cel-shading and grainy textures, creating a relaxed, nostalgic atmosphere. The character designs are simple yet expressive, fitting the tone of this quiet, heartfelt narrative.
I picked this one up on Steam for about two-thirds of its original $29.99 CAD price, after reading a few positive impressions. About three hours in, I'm already convinced that this tender coming-of-age, boy-meets-girl story might end up being my sleeper hit of the decade.
A Short Hike
Writeup
A 3D platformer that's
cozy? That's not something you see every day.You play as Claire, a black anthropomorphic bird exploring an open-world park in search of tools and collectibles to help herself and other animal residents. She can run, jump, climb, swim, use tools and even glide across the landscape; mobility that feels refreshing in such a small, relaxed setting.
Can't reach a high ledge? No problem. That's where golden feathers come in. Each one you collect adds another jump and extends Claire's climbing stamina, letting her scale even higher cliffs with ease.
With just seven feathers, I managed to reach the mountain peak using one of the alternate routes, and then glided all the way home after finally getting a cell signal. Thanks to a bit of platforming intuition (and maybe a lucky shortcut or two), I wrapped up the game in under 45 minutes, about half the time it takes for the average player according to HowLongToBeat.
The short length and gentle difficulty, combined with the crisp, pixelated flat-shaded visuals, give A Short Hike its unmistakably peaceful identity. It's cozy and uplifting, perfect for anyone wanting to relax without diving into the long-term commitment of a life sim like Animal Crossing.
As for me, I'll definitely be revisiting it later. I've still got plenty of the island left unexplored and a few mini-games untouched, which probably explains all the collectibles I missed. Fortunately, A Short Hike makes going back just as enjoyable as the first climb.
Resogun
Writeup
When the PlayStation 4 launched on November 15, 2013, Finnish developer Housemarque released one of its strongest launch titles right out of the gate: Resogun, a fast-paced 2D wraparound
shoot 'em upthat still stands as a Sony console exclusive.You pilot a ship through five cylindrical voxel-based stages, blasting waves of enemies across three phases before facing a boss at the end of each level. It may sound like classic shoot 'em up fare, but where Resogun really shines is its intricate scoring system built around precision, risk, and timing.
To rack up big points, maintaining your chain multiplier is key. You'll do this by collecting green orbs from destroyed enemies, while avoiding unnecessary bomb use and rescuing humans for additional end-stage bonuses.
Rescuing humans is the real heart of the scoring system, and it's trickier than it sounds. Some appear after defeating specific sets of "Keepers", while others spawn when your multiplier is held high enough to glow green. Once freed, you need to rush them to an escape pod before they're caught by Abductors, vanish from the stage, or fall victim to a poorly timed wave of fire.
A fun quirk: you can actually juggle multiple humans in the air to chain bonus points, tossing and catching them repeatedly to score millions. The throwing mechanic even reacts to your ship's momentum; boosting helps you toss them farther, which is great for sliding them straight into escape pods while dodging onslaught of bullets and foes.
It's a hectic system with plenty of room for failure, but the game's dual-direction firing helps balance things out by letting you shoot left or right instantly without turning around. Between enemy swarms, rescues, and tight scoring mechanics, there's a constant sense of flow that keeps the experience engaging.
The base game includes two main modes: Arcade, which strings all five levels together, and Single Level, where you can tackle any individual stage. Several DLCs later expanded the package with extra modes, though I haven't picked them up yet, and probably won’t.
Even so, what's here is more than enough to keep me coming back. I shall finish all five levels across both modes and push for higher scores.
Untitled Goose Game
Writeup
You know what's funny? Untitled Goose Game, a game where you stealthily prank unsuspecting villagers as a mischievous domestic goose, ended up being both my
wildcardpick and the title that clinched my Backlog Bingo win this event. Convenient, right?The game takes place in a quiet English village, where each zone presents a fresh set of environmental puzzles designed to spark chaos among the locals. One of my favorite tasks was staging a perfect picnic. It sounds simple; just gather a few items, but things got messy once the portable radio came into play.
To actually complete it, I had to move soil bags and the shovel a bit away from the garden gate, toggle the water valve to activate the sprinkler, and drag the radio across the yard onto the picnic mat. The trick was the timing: the farmer always rushes toward whichever object is triggered last. Moving everything else out of place buys you just enough time to pull off the prank.
Structurally, it really does feel like a wholesome, nonviolent take on the Hitman formula: just with a honking bird instead of a bald assassin. House House, the developer, clearly took inspiration from that series when designing these mini stealth-sandbox challenges.
If you ever get stuck, the pause menu's checklist gives helpful nudges on what to do next. Completing certain objectives eventually unlocks the next area.
Spoilers
One memorable example is when the farmer ends up knocking himself out, right after the goose honks during his hammer swing, sending him stumbling into a locked gate that opens the path forward.
So far, Untitled Goose Game has been delightful with its clever puzzles, dry humor, and charm packed into just an hour of playtime. I'll definitely be finishing this one soon.
Crimson Shroud
Writeup
Crimson Shroud is one of the four titles included in the Guild01 compilation, alongside others like Liberation Maiden, which I talked about last week. Think of it as an offbeat throwback to the late SquareSoft-era JRPGs you might have seen on the PlayStation 2, except scaled down for the Nintendo 3DS' low-resolution screens.
The development team involved several well-known names from that golden era of Japanese RPGs. Most notably, Yasumi Matsuno, famous for Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, was given complete creative freedom here, handling both the story and overall game design.
In Crimson Shroud, every character appears as a miniature game piece moving across static, diorama-style environments. Dice rolls determine certain battle outcomes, blending traditional JRPG combat with
tabletoprole-playing mechanics. Combined with its lengthy, selectively narrated story sequences, the game feels like an imaginative Dungeons & Dragons session told through text and visuals rather than full animation.The story takes place in a world where magic is only just beginning to emerge. Interestingly, the game avoids a traditional experience-level system. Instead, character progression comes entirely from gear, each weapon or accessory alters stats and may grant unique spells. Choosing the right equipment for each fight becomes as strategic as the combat itself.
Outside of battle, MP slowly drains as you explore, though it can be restored with items or by attacking enemies. Both skills and spells consume MP, but the system encourages smart cycling of physical attacks and recovery between magic bursts. The mage Frea, for example, has a Focus skill that quickly regenerates her MP, a necessity given her high spell costs. With just a few turns of recharging, it's possible to cycle through most of her abilities even early on.
Bonus dice occasionally drop during combat and can be added to future rolls. These give you extra chances to land critical hits or increase damage output, handy when a fight starts getting too close for comfort.
After about an hour of play, I'm still in the first area, partly because of how text-heavy and deliberate the pacing is. Yet despite that slow start, the worldbuilding and unique tabletop-inspired design have me hooked enough to keep going.
Weapon Shop de Omasse
Writeup
Another Guild01 entry on the Nintendo 3DS, Weapon Shop de Omasse is a rhythm-based comedy JRPG that flips the usual fantasy adventure premise on its head. Instead of playing a hero, you're the blacksmith's apprentice, whose
jobis helping your father forge and rent weapons to aspiring adventurers embarking on quests.Each weapon you forge has its own stats and damage type, sword, spear, or club/axe, and, every customer has proficiencies ranging from level 1 to 3. Matching the right hero with the right weapon boosts their chances of success, which means a better payout and a nicely returned weapon for you to rent again later.
The heart of the gameplay lies in its rhythm-based blacksmithing minigame, best experienced with the 3DS stylus for tactile precision. You strike the glowing metal to the beat of the music, shaping weapon parts and maintaining the heat at optimal levels. Perfect timing rewards you with stronger stats, bonus durability, and the satisfaction of watching your creation come together before quenching it in water. You can also polish finished or returned weapons to squeeze even more performance out of them.
Unfortunately, that's where the fun starts to wear thin. The core loop promises charm but ends up repetitive, with the same few forging tracks and limited management mechanics. The shopkeeping systems are barebones, leaving little room for strategy beyond basic matching and timing.
The in-game "Grindcast" (basically a medieval parody of Twitter) injects some humor by letting you read your customers' updates and rants about their adventures. While it delivers some amusing moments, it doesn't make the core gameplay any deeper or more rewarding.
After giving it a fair shot, I did a bit of research and found that many players shared my impression; the novelty fades long before the credits roll. As much as the premise and humor appealed to me, Weapon Shop de Omasse just doesn't hold up next to deeper or more dynamic shop simulation games. Might be time to hang up the hammer on this one.
Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey
Writeup
Back in the late 90s, I remember playing Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee on my PS1 hooked up to a chunky CRT TV, with a rented disc spinning away. As a kid, I pushed through dozens of areas without paying much attention to the worker Mudokons and eventually gave up when the puzzles became too tough. More than two decades later, the game's dark yet strangely hopeful atmosphere has stayed with me. That lingering impression finally pushed me to revisit it, this time with a secondhand copy of the original PS1 version.
This 2D
puzzle-platformerbegins with Abe, a modest employee of the month at RuptureFarms, a grim meat-processing factory. Early on, he overhears his boss, Molluck the Glukkon, discussing a new product line meant to save the company from declining profits: Mudokon Pops, made from the factory's own workers. Horrified, Abe sets out to escape and rescue his 99 brethren from becoming raw ingredients, while dodging Sligs, armed enforcers tasked with keeping the laborers in line.One of the first things I tackled was a secret area I remembered watching in a 100% walkthrough. Even within just two screens, the puzzle's complexity instantly reminded me of why this game's level design is so genius, and occasionally brutal.
Abe's movement and the environment are both grid-based, which means everything behaves consistently and predictably. It's ideal for a puzzle game that relies on precision, but it also makes movement feel stiff during intense moments. Many times, Abe met an untimely end simply because a small input mistiming caused him to run off a ledge. To move effectively, you really have to let him fully transition to the next grid space before performing another action, no rushing allowed.
The New 'n' Tasty remake addressed this by making the controls analog and physics-based, but that change didn't come without issues. The puzzles weren't redesigned around the new movement, which means some sequences actually feel harder to execute cleanly than they did in the original.
One feature that still stands out today is Abe's GameSpeak system. By saying commands like "Hello!" followed by "Follow me!" or "Wait!", Abe can guide or halt fellow Mudokons. Lead them to a bat-shaped portal, chant to activate it, and they'll leap to safety, counting as an official "Escapee". It's an optional task, but one that the game encourages through visual reminders and on-screen signs.
Chanting also allows Abe to possess other creatures, provided there aren't any red orbs blocking him. Taking control of a Slig, for example, lets you use its firearm to clear paths or scout areas safely, adding another layer to the puzzle-solving.
Aside from the secret area, most puzzles leading up to the second level do a solid job of teaching mechanics through gameplay rather than text. Challenges ramp up steadily, especially in rooms where you rescue enslaved Mudokons, but they rarely feel unfair once you understand the puzzle's logic.
So far, this odyssey has been well worth the return. The puzzles remain clever and rewarding, balancing tension and humor in a way few games from that era did. I'll definitely continue playing this one.
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Comment on CGA-2025-11 🔴🟡🔵🟢 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 PlayStation WHAT? in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )Link ParentDuckstation can read .chd image files. With that in mind, any music CD that contains a .cue and multiple .wav files, can be converted directly into that format. Thysbelon's Convert2VibFormat...Duckstation can read .chd image files. With that in mind, any music CD that contains a .cue and multiple .wav files, can be converted directly into that format.
Thysbelon's Convert2VibFormat scripts can pull the feat. If you're curious or stumped about the process, give this page a read for more details on how this work.
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Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkJ-Chiptunator's Bingo Card (Standard/Form, 9/25) Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 9/25 Job simulator FPS ✅ Hypnospace Outlaw Sim racing Card game Dungeon crawler Visual novel ✅ Liberation Maiden ✅...J-Chiptunator's Bingo Card (Standard/Form, 9/25)
Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 9/25 Job simulator FPS Point & click adventure
✅ Hypnospace OutlawSim racing Card game Dungeon crawler Visual novel Score attack
✅ Liberation MaidenSandbox
✅ Grand Theft Auto VSimulation
✅ Rune Factory 4 SpecialCozy Creature collector ★ Wildcard Puzzle platformer Hack and slash
✅ Hyrule WarriorsAction-adventure Metroidvania/search action
✅ Animal WellShoot 'em up JRPG Puzzle
✅ The WitnessThird-person shooter
✅ SplatoonDigital tabletop game Run and gun
✅ CupheadBeat 'em up Match 3 So, I've started playing through the first nine games for my Bingo Card, using the Form categories as a guide. It naturally pushed me toward an even more diverse mix of genres compared to my previous Backlog Burner, which focused heavily on retro titles.
I had to take a few creative liberties when assigning genres, though. With over 600 games left to finish, with most of them being platformers, it felt necessary to stretch some definitions just to keep the lineup interesting.
Without further ado, let's get to the writeups, shall we?
Animal Well
Writeup
Remember Jason Gastrow, better known as videogamedunkey? He's the American YouTuber famous for his funny skits and sharp video essays about games. Back in September 2022, he and his wife Leah started Bigmode, an indie-focused publisher that would go on launching their first big release in 2024 with Animal Well.
Developed by Billy Basso under his studio Shared Memory, Animal Well is a 2D pixel art
Metroidvaniapuzzle-platformer. You control a nameless, defenseless yellow blob, dropped straight into an eerie underground world the moment you start a new game. It's a masterclass in "show, don't tell" design, as everything from the controls to the story is learned through visual and audio cues. Your goal is to extinguish four colored flames scattered across a vast, water-filled cave. The result is a seamless and haunting journey of discovery.There are only three main buttons, but the level design makes smart use of limited items, creatures, and environments. For instance…
Spoilers
For instance, the frisbee, one of the most useful tools, can break certain objects, hit side switches, help you cross gaps, and even distract an aggressive dog-like spirit. Fittingly, that frisbee comes from the mouth of a large dog statue whose ghost keeps chasing you until you hand over the real or fake disc. Just like in real life, no dog seems able to resist a flying frisbee.
Your only other means of defense, aside from quick thinking and platforming skills, are firecrackers. Found growing like plants, these can scare off animals or temporarily dispel ghostly enemies when lit.
What really sells the eerie atmosphere, though, is the interplay between light and darkness. The CRT filter that's activated by default adds scanlines and glow every single dot, making the colors pop like an old television screen. It perfectly captures the feeling of playing in a dimly lit room, staring into the glow of a vintage display.
Short, clever, and atmospheric, Animal Well delivers a surprisingly deep adventure, one that has well-earned its spot on my to-do list.
Splatoon
Writeup
When was the last time Nintendo launched a brand-new, genre-defining AAA franchise that went on to sell millions, spawn multiple sequels, and even a few spinoffs? About a decade ago, the answer was Pikmin on the GameCube, which held the "newest IP" title for nearly 14 years. That's quite a decline in Nintendo's original IP output compared to the pre-2001 era.
Fast-forward to today, and Splatoon, first released in 2015 on the Wii U, still stands as Nintendo's most recent big-budget debut. Over a decade later, we haven't seen another new AAA series from them.
But let's focus on what made Splatoon stand out.
Splatoon isn’t just a friendly take on a
third-person shooter. The hook is the ink; covering the ground (and walls) with your team's color while swimming through it to gain speed, stealth, and tactical advantage.Turf War tasks you with painting as much ground as possible.
Splat Zones focuses on holding a marked area by keeping it covered in your ink.
Tower Control is about escorting a moving platform toward the enemy base while preventing them from taking it back.
Rainmaker is Splatoon’s twist on capture-the-flag, whoever carries the Rainmaker can unleash powerful ink tornadoes but loses the ability to Super Jump.The game offers a wide range of weapon types, each serving a specific purpose.
*The Splattershot Jr. is beginner-friendly, firing erratically but covering wide areas with ease
*The Roller trades range for power and coverage, making it ideal for players who like to move and paint aggressivelyEach main weapon also comes with a sub-weapon and a special ability. The Splattershot Jr., for instance, includes timed paint bombs and temporary invincibility, while the Roller comes with a small insta-kill paint shower and a much more powerful squid variant when charged.
Your gear, hats, clothes, and shoes bought in Booyah Base, features ability slots. Primary abilities are fixed, but secondary abilities can be customized. These provide perks like faster movement or reduced ripple effects when swimming in ink.
When Splatoon first launched, I tried the early demos and was instantly hooked. I spent a good amount of time in online matches before eventually moving away from competitive multiplayer. For this revisit, I decided to focus on the single-player campaign, Octo Valley, as part of my Backlog Bingo challenge.
On its own, the campaign is a solid pseudo-platformer that carries over the core mechanics of the main game. However, as a complement to multiplayer, it feels disconnected.
From what I've seen with four stages and one boss, it's clear that the single-player levels emphasize setpiece platforming rather than arena-style encounters. For example, Stage 4 introduces Gushers, the ink fountains you can use as temporary barriers against Octotroopers. It's a neat idea, but largely irrelevant to multiplayer tactics, since the mechanics and how most enemies move and attack, never appear in online play.
As a result, what you learn in single-player doesn't translate to competitive play that favors improvisational playstyle. Combined with thin lore and an improved sequel that already does everything better, Splatoon 1 doesn't offer much lasting value for me. It's going back on the shelf.
By the way, if you plan to try any Splatoon game, use motion controls. Tilt the controller for Y-axis aiming while using the right stick for X-axis rotation. With a high enough sensitivity, it's one of the smoothest control systems for precision aiming in a shooter.
The Witness
Writeup
It never really occurred to me that Jonathan Blow, the genius behind the influential indie platformer Braid, would go on to make something as equally impactful as The Witness. If I recall correctly, I picked up the PS4 version at a discount sometime late in the previous decade.
If you've ever scribbled through those little maze
puzzleson the backs of cereal boxes or in kids' activity books, you'll instantly recognize the core idea here. The Witness takes that simple concept and blows it up into something far more complex and rewarding.Don't expect this game to just be about tracing lines to the exit, though. Once you emerge from the starting bunker, the puzzles quickly introduce rules and constraints, but the game never explains them outright. You have to experiment, observe, and figure out each rule for yourself.
Some puzzles can't even be solved right away. They require you to explore the colorful island and learn what each symbol or mechanic means elsewhere. A few of them are so mind-bending that even when I understand the logic, I can feel my brain overheating trying to apply it.
Now, I do appreciate that satisfying "Aha!" moment when everything finally clicks. But there have been times where, no matter how long I stare at the screen, the solution just won't come. When that happens early or too often in a game, I either give in and look up a guide, or quit for good.
Fortunately, The Witness avoids that pitfall. Even its trickiest puzzles tend to be self-contained, so progress feels steady and satisfying. Compare that to something like the obscure DSiWare game Snapdots, which throws convoluted puzzles at you very early on and completely kills the pacing. That one wasn't fun at all.
All things considered, I still plan to go back and chip away at The Witness some more. It's the kind of game that rewards patience, and I’m not done with it yet.
Hyrule Warriors
Writeup
With all the hype building around the recently released Age of Imprisonment on Switch 2, I found myself revisiting the game that started it all over a decade ago: the vanilla Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U.
At its core, this is Dynasty Warriors, a
hack-and-slashaction game where powerful heroes mow down hundreds of enemies within seconds. Only this time, it's fused with The Legend of Zelda universe: iconic characters, familiar locations, classic sound design, and selective gameplay elements. Surprisingly, the blend works far better than anyone expected, spawning multiple ports and follow-up entries.After playing through the first two levels of Legend Mode on Normal difficulty, it's clear that Hyrule Warriors focuses far less on puzzle-solving than your typical Zelda title. Most missions revolve around capturing outposts and clearing areas of enemies to progress. It's simple, but it helps you ease into the rhythm of a traditional Dynasty Warriors battlefield before introducing more complex objectives.
There's a lot to process; setting up your warriors, keeping track of objectives, and managing the flood of on-screen prompts mid-battle. It can be overwhelming at first, but most alerts don't require immediate action. With generous mission time limits (usually triple the completion average of 20 minutes), you have plenty of room to recover from mistakes.
Combat mainly involves chaining light and heavy attacks while strategically unleashing special moves. Some abilities are great for clearing nearby crowds, while others excel in straight-line assaults. Leveling up heroes, crafting items, and customizing character builds feels like a solid mix of modern RPG progression systems. The weapons your characters wield also affect their move sets and abilities.
Outside Legend Mode, Free Mode lets you replay any cleared mission with any character or setup. It's perfect for grinding materials or hunting achievements. Adventure Mode shakes things up by letting you navigate a recreated map based on the NES Legend of Zelda overworld, unlocking panels one by one through themed challenges. Each mission imposes specific rules and time limits, keeping things fresh. Challenge Mode offers a more condensed approach, a straightforward list of tricky missions rather than a map, but still packed with unique scenarios and tactics.
According to its HowLongToBeat page, fully completing Hyrule Warriors can take up to 230 hours, especially with DLC included. That’s a staggering amount of content for such a repetitive gameplay loop. Still, for those times I just want some flashy, mindless fun, I'll happily dive back in to see more of what Legend Mode and Adventure Mode have to offer.
Cuphead
Writeup
If I judged Cuphead purely by its
run-and-gungameplay and brutal difficulty, there wouldn't be too much to say. But the story behind its creation deserves some attention, it's a testament to how an impossible dream from a small Canadian indie team, Studio MDHR, became a modern classic.Chad and Jared Moldenhauer grew up loving early golden-age cartoons and video games. Back around 2000, they first tried making a game inspired by those animations but had to shelve it due to limited resources. Years later, after Super Meat Boy proved indie games could thrive commercially, the brothers revived their idea in 2010. That's when they nailed down Cuphead's distinctive design and pushed themselves to emulate the 1930s hand-drawn animation style.
Creating that kind of authentic, high-quality animation turned out to be an exhausting and expensive task, especially as a project for many weekends. To keep things manageable, they started small: just a few bosses and core gameplay mechanics. Their work paid off when they showed a polished prototype at E3 2015. The reception was overwhelmingly positive, prompting them to go all in; quitting their jobs, remortgaging their homes, and expanding the team to bring Cuphead to completion.
All that risk and passion eventually paid off. Cuphead launched on Steam and Xbox One on September 29, 2017, instantly earning critical and commercial success. More recently, Studio MDHR has been teasing what might be a follow-up; they even announced new job openings for senior Unity programmers in May 2025.
Gameplay-wise, Cuphead is a masterclass in tough-but-fair design. It channels that old-school "NES Hard" spirit, but without most of the frustrating inconveniences from that era. The difficulty ramps up immediately, dozens of projectiles, constant movement, and towering bosses, but you get infinite lives, no upgrade loss, and quick reloads between failed attempts. Each battle becomes a mix of memorization, reflexes, and pattern recognition. Many bosses even change tactics mid-fight, keeping you on edge.
One critical tip: minimize your input delay. For precise parrying and dodging, your total input lag (monitor plus controller) should stay at 8ms or below. I learned that firsthand, both my EX2780Q monitor and wireless-mode Switch 1 Pro controller totalled around 19ms of lag, which made timing parries a nightmare. Switching to a Reflex CTRL-equipped SNES controller brought that down to about 5ms, and the difference was immediately noticeable.
If you're curious about how your own hardware stacks up, there's an input latency chart by MisterFPGAAddons (a bit dated, but still informative). For example, a wired PS5 controller paired with a fast display can easily achieve under 8ms total latency, ideal for Cuphead's demanding precision.
It's been years since release, but Cuphead is one of those games that I plan coming back to. Its distinctive art, jazz-soaked soundtrack, and relentless but rewarding gameplay make it an experience unlike anything else.
Rune Factory 4 Special
Writeup
Before the 2010s, Harvest Moon (now known as Story of Seasons) was already an established farming sim series. But when Rune Factory came along, it added a medieval fantasy twist; introducing combat, crafting, monster taming, and dungeon crawling. The result was a hybrid experience blending farming
simulationwith role-playing adventure.Even though the series has been around for years, Rune Factory 4 Special was my first real hands-on experience with it. I've only played about two hours so far, most of which was spent navigating endless dialogue and exploring the main hub. Based on what I've read online, it seems the additions and changes in this entry are generally more incremental than revolutionary, except perhaps in how much it leans into its "passionate love, sweet marriage" theme.
That direction aligns perfectly with producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto's stated goal: to deepen relationship-building and family interactions within the game. There's a noticeable boost in romantic variety; more dating events, heightened emotions, and even the ability for your family to accompany you on adventures.
The addition of Newlywed Mode, exclusive to Rune Factory 4 Special, makes that focus crystal clear. After marrying one of the eligible characters, you can play a dedicated scenario featuring your spouse, complete with voice lines, custom naming options, and unique dialogue. It's a charming expansion of the game's romance mechanics.
As for me, I've already set my sights on one character: Forte.
But why exactly do I feel that way?
She’s a serious, duty-bound knight who hides a sweet tooth and a fear of ghosts. There's something irresistibly endearing about that contrast between her stoic chivalry and her softer side; it's classic gap moe, and it got me right away.
Beyond the romance, the usual Rune Factory gameplay loop of farming, battling, and crafting seems like it'll easily hold my attention rent-free once I really dive back in. For now, though, I've got a towering game backlog to clear before I can give it the time it deserves.
Liberation Maiden
Writeup
Level-5 isn't just the studio behind AAA franchises like Professor Layton, Yo-Kai Watch, and Fantasy Life. During the early 3DS era, they also experimented with smaller, quirkier projects; titles that were later compiled under the Guild01 and Guild02 collections.
Among them is Liberation Maiden, a short but stylish shoot 'em up with a strong focus on
score attack. The project was directed by Goichi Suda, best known for No More Heroes, and features character designs by Yūsuke Kozaki, the same artist behind several Fire Emblem titles on 3DS. You can immediately recognize his touch in the sharp, seinen-style design of the white-haired protagonist, Shoko Ozora.Control-wise, it's quite different from most shooters. If you haven't played Kid Icarus: Uprising, Liberation Maiden might feel unusual at first. Shoko pilots her flying mech suit, Kamui, which doesn't fire in the traditional sense. Instead, Kamui uses floating barrier fragments that act both as defense and offense. By sliding the stylus across enemies on the touch screen, you lock onto multiple targets, and lifting the stylus unleashes a barrage of lasers or missiles from those fragments. The more targets you tag in a single motion, the more powerful and expansive your attack becomes.
It sounds overpowered, but Kamui's defensive power is balanced by the chaos around you. In my playthrough of the first stage on Normal, the sheer volume of enemies and projectiles forced careful timing; recklessly launching your barrier pieces leaves you exposed. Every move becomes a trade-off between offense and survival.
Movement comes in two flavors. During exploration, you freely fly around stages, dodging and countering enemies from every direction. But when facing a boss, known as a Spike, the battle shifts to a confined arena where you strafe around the screen, gradually descending as you whittle away its health through hitting weak points in a certain order. Certain boss phases introduce the dramatic "Sacrifice Drive", where Kamui pierces through a Spike's shield by circling the stylus around the touchscreen. It's a simple gesture but it certainly adds gravitas while finishing off a boss.
So far, I've only cleared one of the five stages, but it's already left a strong impression. Liberation Maiden is short, sleek, and packed with energy; a perfect example of how smaller 3DS titles could shine through unique mechanics and creativity. Definitely something I plan to continue soon, only on the 3DS.
Hypnospace Outlaw
Writeup
Before the rise of cable internet in the early 2000s, connecting to the web meant enduring the ritual sounds of dial-up modems and crawling through pages that felt more handmade than programmed. It was a time when imagination filled in the gaps; sites were mostly plain text, sprinkled with MIDI tunes, blinking GIFs, and grainy compressed images.
Hypnospace Outlaw captures that era perfectly, but with a surreal twist. It’s a
point-and-clicksimulation game that doesn't just pay homage to the early internet; it builds a whole alternate version of it. Here, you explore a dream-based network through a trippy operating system that looks part Windows 9x, part fever dream. The game nails every nostalgic detail, from clunky interfaces to communities full of personality and strange in-jokes.As an Enforcer, your job is to patrol Hypnospace, keeping it clean from infractions like copyright violations, defamatory posts, and malicious software. But it's hard to stay focused when every page oozes creativity and weird charm. I kept finding myself wandering off-mission, lost in nostalgia as I browsed through joke websites and pixelated fan pages.
After about two hours in, I’d only tracked down one obvious violation because I was too busy reminiscing about those simpler, weirder corners of the internet. And honestly, that's part of the magic. You don't need endless scrolling feeds or algorithms dictating your experience here; just curiosity and a sense of discovery like the good old days.
To my surprise, Hypnospace Outlaw also weaves a story within this strange web, building a sense of mystery and history that gives context to all that digital chaos. It's both a satire and a love letter to an internet experience that's long gone.
It's easily one of my standout Backlog Burner titles, and I can't wait to dig deeper into its bizarre, nostalgic dreamscape soon.
Grand Theft Auto V
Writeup
My first exposure to the Grand Theft Auto series came during the PS2's golden years in the early 2000s. I never played it back then, mainly out of (probably exaggerated) fear that my parents would punish me for touching an M-rated game. The themes were tame by today's standards, but at the time, it felt like forbidden territory. Still, I caught glimpses of GTA III gameplay from my relatives and got to play friendlier alternatives like Jak II and The Simpsons: Hit & Run, essentially "GTA-lite" versions for younger players.
Even then, it was clear that GTA III was groundbreaking. Having a character who could freely explore an entire 3D city was mind-blowing back then. Sure, missions were necessary for story progression, but the real magic was in the open-world
sandboxfreedom; the sheer fun of roaming and causing chaos at your own pace. That sense of unstructured play remains a cornerstone of the series, still inspiring others today (I've even seen Japanese VTubers streaming heavily modded GTA Online campaigns like MadTown).Of course, running around freely is only part of the appeal. The series is also infamous for letting players commit crimes that gradually raise their wanted level. Thankfully, traffic violations don't count, or otherwise the game would grind to a halt with constant police chases. And speaking of chases, they're one of the best parts of GTA gameplay. You have to think fast, using creative escapes or hiding spots to shake cops off your tail. Lower wanted levels are forgiving; police will try to arrest rather than kill you. But things can escalate fast, from armed pursuit cars at level 3 to full-blown military response at higher ranks.
Then there's Grand Theft Auto V itself, played on PS4, where all my screenshots are taken from. More than a decade after its release, VI still hasn't arrived. And understandably so, given the astronomical production values of today's AAA industry. The leap from GTA IV on sixth-gen hardware to V on the seventh and eighth generations was astonishing. Somehow, even the Xbox 360's modest 512MB of RAM handled near-photorealistic environments, fluid lighting (better than 8th gen consoles), and incredible water and character models. You can see why Rockstar Games is taking its time perfecting VI.
The most notable innovation in V is its three-protagonist structure. You start with two during the opening heist, then fast-forward to the third soon after, and finally all three of them reuniting at some point in the game. Beyond the initial hours, there's also the ability to switch between all of them. Story-wise, it’s a clever way to weave multiple perspectives into one cohesive narrative.
If there's one element that felt like a slight downgrade, it's how the vehicles handle. GTA V leans toward realism instead of the looser, more arcade-style driving of older entries. It's not bad, just less snappy and less purely fun. The more simulation-like feel takes some getting used to. It also took me a bit to realize that hiding from the police in secluded spots works better than endlessly outrunning them across the map, especially since cop cars seem to spawn constantly no matter how far you flee.
After only an hour in, I can tell there's a lot more to GTA V than what I've seen. Since I tend to prefer structured progress, I'll be focusing on clearing missions first, with the goal of rolling credits. But even so early on, it's easy to see why V has had such incredible staying power; it's as much a living city as it is a game.
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Comment on CGA-2025-11 🔴🟡🔵🟢 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 PlayStation WHAT? in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkOver a week ago, I made a reply to the CGA schedule thread about how to get into playing this month's games through real hardware, giving the opportunity for tilderinos to gather the required...- Exemplary
Over a week ago, I made a reply to the CGA schedule thread about how to get into playing this month's games through real hardware, giving the opportunity for tilderinos to gather the required materials ahead of time. While pretty much everything I said there is correct, I omitted which software to download and its instructions, and erroneously overlooked the fact that UDPBD superseded the SMB protocol when it comes to security and read speed.
I managed to get my SCPH-50001 PS2 running PS1 and PS2 games off from HDD, this time using the most straightforward method in the entire PS2 hacking scene, the English patch for the Japan-only PlayStation BB Navigator (PSBBN). I thought this was the way to go for everyone's interested in playing two generations of games on a single original hardware...
...Until I attempted to reach the main menu in Vib-Ribbon, to which the screen unfortunately freezes during the loading screen. Irritating Stick works fine but has some audio playback issues at the title screen, and the rest of November CGA games run nicely according to my first few minutes of cursory gameplay.
All that's left for reliable ways of playing PS1 games with real hardware is running the physical PS1 discs on PS1/PS2. Or, acquiring a PS1 console with either XStation or Terraonion's MODE installed like I did years ago, which can cost just as much, if not less, than all 5 CGA PS1 games combined.
I tried these on my PS2, booted via the POPSTARTER homebrew software. For the only PS2 title, PaRappa the Rapper 2, I ran it nicely with neutrino outside the intermittent barely noticeable microstutters, so I'd imagine the feature-packed Open PS2 Loader with Mode 1 enabled would yield similar results. Which is how I'm going to play the PS2 game for this month's CGA.
It goes to show that while there's a plethora of ways to get your stock PS2 hardware to run PS1 and PS2 ISOs, picking the right one for the situation is much easier said than done. Which is why I'll be bringing up the simplest and most reliable ways to get the PaRappa the Rapper 2 ISO up and running for tilderinos who prefers real hardware.
Playing games off from internal HDD (no exploited PS2 Memory Card required)
Required materials
- a fat PS2 model with expansion bay (SCPH-3000x, SCPH-3900x, SCPH-500xx)
- any official PS2 network adapter (third party alternatives won't work)
- a 200GB or higher capacity SATA hard drive
- a way to connect the SATA drive to a computer, such a SATA adapter with two USB plugs and a desktop with a free SATA slot
- an IDE to SATA conversion kit for the PS2 network adapter
- a small screwdriver with cross-shaped tip
- a coin
Tear down the original PS2 network adapter using a screwdriver with cross-shaped tip until you can reach to the IDE connectors board. From there, disconnect the board and replace it with the SATA board.
Make sure the hard drive is visible on your OS before proceeding with the PSBBN installation. Formatting it might be required in some cases.
Once that's done, you can now proceed to follow CosmicScale's PSBBN Definitive English Patch instructions on the Internet. I won't provide the link for this one, given that some of the involved files (such as the official PSBBN and POPS binaries) are copyrighted materials.
What this does, is formatting the hard drive of your choice and installing the translated Japanese-exclusive PlayStation Broadband Navigator. This is where you'll be able to play all your soon-to-be-installed PS1 and PS2 games, homebrew apps, media, and even browsing channels through a replica of the official defunct PSBBN server purely for fun.
At least 4.8GB of storage is required to house the PaRappa the Rapper 2 ISO. You will also need to install PlayStation 2 Basic Boot Loader (PS2BBL) in order to boot straight into PSBBN. Reassigning X and O for Confirm and Back respectively is also possible during the installation process, but this setting won't apply for the in-game reset menu for POPSTARTER-loaded PS1 games.
The PSBBN installer will also automatically add the most recent version of OPL, Neutrino, NHDDL, Retro GEM Disc Launcher, and wLaunchELF_ISR file browser. It's all there for those who only wants to play games, while also leaving the door wide open for more homebrew options easily accessible in the future.
Protip: If you want to access a game much quicker in PSBBN, highlight the game in the Collection submenu of Game Collection, press Triangle button and select Add to Navigator Menu. Pressing the Select button at any point in PSBNN will bring up the Navigator Menu and launch the game from there. Keep in mind that you're allowed to have up to 4 shortcuts.
Playing games off from local network
Required materials
- any PS2 console
- a PS2 Memory Card with Free MCBoot installed (or OpenTuna in SCPH-900xx)
- any official PS2 network adapter for non-slim models (third party alternatives lack the Ethernet port)
- a PC with either Windows 10/11 or any Linux OS
- any internal and external drive with exFAT file system connected to the PC
Required software
- wLaunchELF_ISR, specifically the BOOT-EXFAT.ELF for exFAT support
- The latest version of nhddl
- The latest version of neutrino
- a compiled UDPBD Server application (One exists for Windows, and the other for Linux)
If you can't get your PS2 to access the internal HDD and a memory card with Free MCBoot install, you can try some of the many exploits that don't require these materials. Or simply purchasing a PS2 Memory Card with either Free MCBoot or OpenTuna already installed.
The BOOT-EXFAT.ELF file needs to be renamed into BOOT.ELF and placed in either
mc0:/BOOT/ormc1:/BOOT/, depending on which slot the exploited PS2 Memory Card is put in. Once that's done, you'll be able to boot to wLaunchELF_ISR and read any media that's formatted with FAT32 or exFAT file system.Make sure that both the PC and PS2 are connected to the same network (e.g. Wi-Fi router) for UDPBD to work. For the latter, if nhddl cannot find the udpbd_ip flag in nhddl.yaml file that's found within the same folder as the executable, it will look at
SYS-CONF/IPCONFIG.DATin the media where you're booting wLaunchELF_ISR from for the IP address.On PC, run the UDPBD Server application through a command line interface using a specific line command.
Windows:udpbd-server.exe \\.\[insert drive letter]:
Linux:sudo ./udpbd-server /dev/[insert drive letters]Once the server is up and running, nhddl should be able to scan the networked drive and get neutrino to launch a PS2 ISO of your choice.
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for November 2025: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkI'll be participating in the upcoming Backlog Burner event with a bingo card again, this time with Form categories. Unlike last May, where retro games from 6th generation and prior took the bulk...I'll be participating in the upcoming Backlog Burner event with a bingo card again, this time with
Formcategories. Unlike last May, where retro games from 6th generation and prior took the bulk of my card, I tried reducing that number as promised earlier this year.With Backlog Bingo's randomizer, I ended up with 20 games out of 25 that were originally released between 2010 and all the way up to 2024! That should give me a solid taste of modern gaming that I mostly missed out from being disappointed at the mediocre state of gaming industry for the past 15 years.
Don't get me wrong, games themselves aren't the problem, as I had absolutely no trouble finding more than enough worthwhile ones to play. Perhaps my joy of gaming was being diluted by the hobby's late-stage mainstream-ification, but that's a discussion for another day.
On top of my Backlog Burner games, I also plan to play five more from the next CGA event, separately from the bingo card. Add my unfinished Chrono Trigger playthrough from October CGA, and the much-anticipated upcoming Kirby Air Riders, and I've got a whopping 32 games to play in total for this month. Oh my!
So, here's my ideal way to tackle all these, hoping I'll stick to it...
- I'll tackle 9 games within the first 2–3 days of each week, to give myself a lot of headroom for writing fairly detailed write-ups weekly
- 2 CGA games will also be played the same way in Week 1, then 2 more in Week 2 and finally PaRappa the Rapper 2 in Week 3
- Squeeze in some Chrono Trigger whenever I got time to spare
By Week 3, I should be able to black out my bingo card, churn out all my Backlog Burner writeups and maybe the November CGA ones. A good chunk of progression shall be achieved in Chrono Trigger, if not reaching to the end credits.
Once that's all out of the way, I shall be able to dedicate my time with Kirby Air Riders around its launch day, depending on when I grab my physical copy of it. Either Chrono Trigger will be resumed, or another game will take its place, but we shall see.
Until then, see you guys in Week 1 of Backlog Burner!
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Comment on Colossal Game Adventure Schedule: September 2025 - March 2026 in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkWe're less than two weeks away from November, so heads-up on how to prepare your gaming setup if you're going to play on real hardware, especially when it comes to gathering the materials. First...We're less than two weeks away from November, so heads-up on how to prepare your gaming setup if you're going to play on real hardware, especially when it comes to gathering the materials.
First off, if you don't have a functional CRT TV, you'll want to get a good upscaling device like any of the RetroTINK device, an OSSC or Morph 4K with Analog Bridge and its connector card. That way, you won't run into added frames of input lag and poorly-processed video, commonly experienced with cheap upscalers.
For $100 USD, a RetroTINK-2x Mini gets you up and outputting at 480p60 with minimal setup, even with just the composite cables that came with your consoles. It comes with a decent SNES/N64/GameCube S-Video cable as a bonus, too!
As for the games, be prepared to dole out $400 CAD for all these 5 working loose copies according to PriceCharting, just so you can play them all on PS2 natively. It's expensive, but it's also the simplest and most authentic way of playing games like you would in the 00s.
Or perhaps the easiest, safest and most economical way to experience these games on real hardware without relying on the aging discs, is to play them off from a SATA hard drive or through SMB network.
Both of these methods require a PS2 Memory Card with Free MCBoot installed, which can be purchased online or created from an already modded PS2.
If you're going through the internal hard drive method, get the following materials:
- a fat PS2 model with expansion bay (SCPH-3000x, SCPH-3900x, SCPH-500xx)
- a PS2 network adapter (preferably the official one for reliability)
- a SATA hard drive (be careful at picking the right SSD/HDD model, just so the console can recognize it)
- a way to connect the SATA drive to a computer, such a SATA adapter with two USB plugs and a desktop with a free SATA slot
- an IDE to SATA conversion kit for the PS2 network adapter
- a screwdriver with a cross-shaped tip
If you prefer the SMB network method, then any device that can act as an SMB device and any PS2 model will work, although the slim ones are ideal just for having a built-in Ethernet port. I strongly recommend the SCPH-700xx model in particular for best PS1 and PS2 game compatibility down the road.
However, that won't improve POPSTARTER compatibility with PS1 games in any capacity, since that homebrew software relies largely on software emulation as opposed to just partial emulation for graphic rendering when PS1 discs are involved. Pepsiman is known to work through SATA (and likely SMB), but a certain Vib-Ribbon feature won't be available through homebrew due to the way games are loaded. As for the rest of November's CGA PS1 games, I don't know if they run well enough.
If you do get a SCPH-3900x, SCPH-500xx or SCPH-700xx, avoid using scratched discs and burned CDs and DVDs, as it'll raise the odds of triggering a MechaCon crash, significantly so in the latter two models. Said crash can damage the lens coil and permanently diminish the drive's reading capability, if not outright rendering it useless.
And that's pretty much the gist of how to get the games running on PS2. For more information about the aforementioned methods as well as PS2 quirks, mods and whatnot, then this page from ConsoleMods.org is a good place to start.
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Comment on CGA-2025-10 🕹️⏰ 🗺️ 🐸 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Chrono Trigger in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )Link ParentI played on the original 1995 version using the final SD2SNES revision cartridge (renamed as FXPAK PRO for avoiding legal issues) on an RGB-bypassed 1CHIP Super Famicom (the same hardware as the...I played on the original 1995 version using the final SD2SNES revision cartridge (renamed as FXPAK PRO for avoiding legal issues) on an RGB-bypassed 1CHIP Super Famicom (the same hardware as the American SNES, under a different shell).
The video signal is then output to Lotharek's W-Hydra2 SCART switch, using Retro-Access's Nintendo RGBS SCART cable. The switch then splits the signal, one of which goes through Morph 4K's VGA port using Retro-Access's custom-made SCART-to-VGA adapter cable, so I can play on my 1440p monitor and have my GC573 capture the video from the video upscaling device.
The other signal goes to OSSC Pro, with its Extra AV out add-on outputting that video signal through VGA, so axunworks's RGB-2YC device can transcode it for my composite-only CRT TV. The audio is routed directly to mono-only audio jack using 3.5mm cable and an AUX-to-RCA adapter to mix two channels into one.
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Comment on CGA-2025-10 🕹️⏰ 🗺️ 🐸 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Chrono Trigger in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkSince I've never properly played Chrono Trigger before, I figured I'd share my personal history with it and how I plan to finally make up for that missed opportunity. Back in the 90s, I briefly...Since I've never properly played Chrono Trigger before, I figured I'd share my personal history with it and how I plan to finally make up for that missed opportunity.
Back in the 90s, I briefly tried the SNES version through a local video game rental service. My strongest memory is loading an existing save file, wandering around an area...
Spoiler I guess?
...that looked like a dark, flooded city alley,...
...with no idea how to progress. Between my limited English skills, little RPG experience, and starting a new file that only got me wiped out by weak enemies soon after (since I didn't understand the real-time battle system), I quickly gave up.
Still, I vividly remember parts of the background music from that gloomy spot, it gave me the eerie feeling that the game itself didn't want me to play it. Not the best first impression, especially knowing how much praise Chrono Trigger has earned over the decades for its adventure, pacing, and design.
Although I bought the game on the Wii Shop Channel before it closed, I never actually dove in, mainly because I've long avoided turn-based RPGs outside the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series. I worried that once I saw the credits, replaying wouldn't feel meaningful if I already knew all the "right" moves. On top of that, the heavy time investment, often reduced to repetitive grinding, felt more like a chore than a challenge.
For most of my gaming life, I've preferred action and adventure titles where reflexes, timing, and navigation matter more than stats or turn orders. Graphics, sound, and story never mattered much to me compared to gameplay itself. But over time I've come to appreciate how those other elements can really enhance the experience. Based on what I've read from fans, Chrono Trigger seems to balance brisk pacing, clever real time position-based combat, and presentation so well that I might finally get hooked.
So for this month's Colossal Game Adventure, I'm giving the SNES version a serious shot. I'll be playing it on a 1CHIP Super Famicom with an RGB-bypass mod. Its video signal splits through Lotharek's W-Hydra2 automatic switch, one going into my Morph 4K's Analog Bridge (with a preset I tweaked myself) and the other into an Axunworks' RGB-2YC for converting it into a composite signal on my grandmother's hand-me-down CRT. The TV sits awkwardly on top of a rolling shelf in my apartment bedroom, which forces me to tilt my head up when sitting on the couch, but it feels fitting for a game about time travel to be played on period-appropriate hardware.
Even through composite, the visuals look great, especially when zoomed out at 10% or lower. The way CRTs blend pixels sells the sprite art in a way modern pixel-style games can't fully replicate. Of course, going this route isn't cheap, a loose cart alone runs over $200 USD, nearly as much as the FXPAK Pro flash cart I'll be using. Retro gaming hasn't been a budget hobby for a long time, but for me, experiencing the game "as it was in 1995" is worth it.
One technical recommendation: set the pixel aspect ratio (PAR) to 8:7 if possible, since the developers designed for that specific dot clock rate. You'll notice a perfect round moon in-game at 8:7, whereas with square pixels (1:1 PAR) the moon looks skinny, and at 4:3 PAR it looks a bit stretched wide. Also, when scaling, enable interpolation on noninteger values to avoid shimmering effects during screen movement.
This time, I'm determined to see what so many people love about this timeless classic, and hopefully make it all the way to the credits, if not uncovering all the endings.
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Comment on CGA-2025-10 🕹️⏰ 🗺️ 🐸 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Chrono Trigger in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentPlaying DS games on 3DS doesn't require having the game card inserted, if you install Luma3DS, TWiLightMenu and nds-bootstrap. All you need is to place that .ds ROM file in the correct folder, and...Playing DS games on 3DS doesn't require having the game card inserted, if you install Luma3DS, TWiLightMenu and nds-bootstrap. All you need is to place that .ds ROM file in the correct folder, and you'll be able to play it off from the SD card.
This method also works with DSi and DSi XL/LL models, albeit with a different exploit, instead of Luma3DS.
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Comment on Dear Nintendo, please bring back the Wii Remote in ~games
J-Chiptunator (edited )LinkAren't current-gen gyroscopes still not achieving the same high precision level as the Wii Remote's combination of motion sensor/gyroscope and IR pointer does? Good luck trying to aim quickly and...- Exemplary
Aren't current-gen gyroscopes still not achieving the same high precision level as the Wii Remote's combination of motion sensor/gyroscope and IR pointer does? Good luck trying to aim quickly and accurately at the onslaught of foes in the challenging rail-shooter Sin & Punishment Star Successor with a Joy-Con!
At least up to the early 2020s, I remember experiencing and hearing among peoples how often the gyroscope's calibration would easily go off-centre, especially when rapidly tilting the device. So in practice, you'd need to recalibrate it every so often, or rely on a joystick to move the reticle quickly and then tilt the controller for fine-tuning the aim like in some of the Wii U and Switch Nintendo-published games.
The Wii/Wii U IR sensor bar not only serves to bring up the cursor on screen exactly to where a Wii Remote pointing at, but some games also use it as a way to automatically recalibrate the motion sensor. It's all done by lighting up one set of LEDs at each side of the screen, to which the IR pointer will rely on.
Embedding that technology above the screen like the Wii U GamePad did while not requiring to have the handheld tethered to an AC adapter can also enable the use of pointer control even in portable play. That, however, still takes more room between the player and the handheld than usual in order to use pointer control more effectively.
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Comment on Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 getting rerelease on Nintendo Switch, bundle for $70 or standalone for $40 each in ~games
J-Chiptunator Link ParentI feel like it's important to note that even the older flat panel TVs aren't great at processing retro video game video inputs. If your game can output at least 480p through component cable, you...I feel like it's important to note that even the older flat panel TVs aren't great at processing retro video game video inputs. If your game can output at least 480p through component cable, you can get away with just a supported TV and avoid display lag.
240p/480i, on the other hand, is where it gets messy. These TVs, alongside with cheap AV2HDMI converters, introduce a significant degree of display lag that can make controlling anything feels more sluggish, if not outright unplayable. These devices also incorrectly treat 240p as interlaced content, and adds even more visual artifacts after deinterlacing a non-interlaced video.
For those reasons, I would recommend not cheaping out on a retro video game upscaler when you can. Even the $99 USD RetroTINK Mini linedoubles the input for a decent 480p video outputted via HDMI, all while adding less than a frame of display lag.
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Comment on Nintendo adding Virtual Boy to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, with Virtual Boy replica accessory to play games in 3D in ~games
J-Chiptunator LinkI'm amazed that Nintendo overlooked the opportunity to re-release Virtual Boy titles on the Nintendo 3DS, further evidenced by the Red Viper homebrew software being perfectly capable of running...I'm amazed that Nintendo overlooked the opportunity to re-release Virtual Boy titles on the Nintendo 3DS, further evidenced by the Red Viper homebrew software being perfectly capable of running them even in 3D, especially with the New 3DS models.
But at the same time, the "à la carte" approach of selling each retro game individually back then wouldn't be ideal, given most people would only stick to popular franchises like Mario and Zelda and ignore the more obscure titles. Accessing much of the retro game library through Nintendo Switch Online subscription is a logical decision, given the higher likelihood of people stumbling across games they never knew of without the need of coughing up money on the spot.
Getting either the $110 CAD Virtual Boy replica or the $30 CAD cardboard counterpart to view them in 3D, though, might pose some friction to that curiosity. Part of me is wondering if it's even possible to play them in 2D instead, despite it not being ideal for some of those.
The first time I ever heard about the Monkey Island series was when my younger self was messing around with my uncle's unattended beige desktop computer in his living room. Among the installed games was Curse of the Monkey Island. But even though it was in my native French, the amount of text was overwhelming for a kid back then.
What stuck with me was the art style. The pirate-themed visuals looked more like an interactive cartoon than a typical 16-bit game, and it even had voice acting! Because of that, I assumed its sequel, Escape from Monkey Island, was just a 3D remake of the same game.
Years later, a bit of Googling proved me wrong. I found out that The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge were originally sprite-based and silent. That wouldn't have stopped my younger self though; I grew up on cartridge Nintendo games and those classic Humongous Entertainment titles that came in cereal boxes, like Freddi Fish 3 and Pajama Sam 3.
That was my introduction to the Monkey Island series. Outside of seeing the PS2 port of Escape from Monkey Island at my local movie and game rental store, I never came across the earlier games. My general aversion to PC gaming after the early 2000s didn't help either. It wasn't until much later, over a decade and a half, that I finally grabbed a discounted Steam bundle.
For this month's CGA, I'm planning to give The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition a proper try on my Windows 11 desktop. There's not much to say about setup; it runs smoothly right out of the gate on my modestly powerful machine.