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Comment on CGA-2025-11 π΄π‘π΅π’ REMOVE CARTRIDGE βοΈ PlayStation WHAT? in ~games
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CGA-2025-11 π΄π‘π΅π’ REMOVE CARTRIDGE βοΈ PlayStation WHAT?
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
Hey! You wanna know why we're here? Go read this. It's because Sony UK's marketing department misappropriated Β£100k for random campaigns they couldn't possibly get in front of higher execs in time, which they used to make cardboard flyers saying the PS1 was "more powerful than god" and had perforations in the perfect size to roll up as roaches for people to toke up in the Playstation room at your local club. Yeah, baby.
They also mention the same T-Rex that Rodney Greenblat saw! That had to have been one rad fucking dinosaur. Anyway.
We've had more than our fill of rapping, bunnies, crises, electric shocks, and Pepsi this month. Outside the novelty, why do these crazy-ass games matter? WELL:
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It's great upheaval! CDs weren't just a major shift in storage, but production and cost. CDs took something like a week to order instead of two or three months. Imagine you have an extra eight weeks or so to develop an idea and put it in front of an exec, and they're not spending buckets on the cartridges. Why not accept those ideas? Why not take the risks? We're not quite at the indie boom and the internet, but it was certainly quite a step in development and risk-taking for the end product.
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Fuckin' money! Much like Nintendo's infamous war chest, Sony firmly planted themselves at the top of the pole for a long while. All this speed meant that - per GamePro's approximation in 1997 - there were 400 PlayStation games were in development by the end of 1996, whereas the Saturn had ~200 and the N64 had ~60. That variety lead to something like a 4-game attach rate to people buying a PS1 console, and the games themselves cost less because the CDs were cheaper. I was an N64 kid, but those cartridges were expensive. (Plus all the rando peripherals - the transfer pak? Expansion pak? The VMU for Hey You Pikachu!? Jesus, my parents were good to me.) The PS1 probably gave people leeway to take a buying risk on a zany idea. Even from more conservative spenders, it had to have been way more appealing to anyone on the fence.
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Music games! We had two here, and the Playstation was the home of Bemani for quite a while. Not much question why for the developer of the Walkman...
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That T-Rex! Golly!
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Age! Mascots and color grabbed kids, but kids aren't necessarily attracted to cool vector line art and an outlet for enormous CD collections. (They also, hopefully, weren't rolling too many joints at the club?) There was plenty of room to attract kids with Spyro or Crash - why not push the median age up at the same time? One study estimated that the "average gamer" was something like a 30 y/o woman in the 00s; nudging that number up and broadening the appeal had a lot to do with Sony's aggressive marketing. Another neat idea I saw mentioned was that the number of extreme sports games being produced gave video games another angle as a sort of lifestyle machine; Tony Hawk's Pro Skater itself was just as skate-punk as its people and bands. It sounds like a lofty thought, but THPS2 got me to pick up a skateboard, sooo...
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Finally, Japan! Obviously the 80's and early 90's brought so many mascots and characters out of Japan with enduring appeal, like Mario and Sonic, but their impact was very often with localization or marketing crews adapting that. Here we have stuff that's very distinctly Japanese making its way over here, rather than getting edited in trepidation over the original idea attaching. Why not? Throw a couple CDs our way, see what sticks.
And as a reminder, we're only scratching the surface! This console is a trove. I wanted to wait until the Remove thread to discuss more games, so the biggest one I'd leave everyone with is LSD: Dream Emulator, which is as much an art installation as it is a "game". You wander around randomized environments and "wake up" after 10 minutes or by being killed by things like lions, cars, or giant dudes coated in kanji characters. It's pretty fucking weird, and it was a fairly obvious point of growth from other projects like Yume Nikki, itself a springboard for dozens of ideas in games like Doki Doki Literature Club and Undertale. More recent popular projects like hypnagogia ε¬η θ‘ and Ena: Dream BBQ have obvious lineage - the former was from an LSD-themed game jam!
There are SO many others. Gaball Screen, a shoe-flying simulator (??) released by a music label where you collect music videos produced by Tetsuya Komuro. There's Heart of Darkness, a puzzle-platformer and influence for contemporary "gore game" horror titles. Its greatest puzzle is perhaps its absolutely baffling E rating! And No One Can Stop Mr. Domino... Really? No one?? Who possibly can???
We're left a neat legacy of ideas, experiments, and a time capsule for the advent of the CD-ROM, to those brave enough to dig through the library. Nintendo may leave a creative mark of their on their games, but the marks all over these games are maybe left by the machinery itself. A console that was willing to foster weirdos and prop up their chance to shine? The Playstation was radical.
Yo, and that T-Rex tho?
That concludes this month of our COLOSSAL GAME ADVENTURE! I imagine this was a less-accessible month, so for those tenacious enough to get the games running I salute you!
This topic is to share your thoughts on our selection, and weird shit on the Playstation in general:
The good The bad The fun The interesting What ideas aged well What ideas were total crap The things it reminded you of Other games that belong here And absolutely anything else!We've got an extra ten days. so feel free to keep playing or to throw other PS1 curios at the group.
Next month, December 2025, will be The Secret of Monkey Island, hosted by the esteemed u/balooga! Thankfully that should be a MUCH easier game to get running than Vib-Ribbon, so be ready to walk the plank! (For less than twenty bucks!)
Month Game Host December 2025 The Secret of Monkey Island u/balooga January 2026 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker u/datavoid February 2026 Racing Lagoon u/Kawa March 2026 Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru
(The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls)u/J-Chiptunator 15 votes -
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Comment on PSP: The rise and fall of Sony's first portable in ~games
Lapbunny Link ParentComing across this on forums was how I learned the phrase viral marketing! Back then, as a DS fanboy, I thought it was extremely stupid. Unfortunately now I find it worked - the rap pops in my...Coming across this on forums was how I learned the phrase viral marketing! Back then, as a DS fanboy, I thought it was extremely stupid. Unfortunately now I find it worked - the rap pops in my head 3-4 times each Christmas season.
Shoutouts to the squirrels, too. That marketing was nuts. (you could play, NSFW audio warning, outside!)
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Comment on Best recommendations for PC couch multiplayer games? in ~games
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Comment on Giant mirrors in space to reflect sunlight at night? No thank you, astronomers say. in ~space
Lapbunny Link ParentAlso the exact thing that spawned the phrase "Simpsons did it!", for anyone who didn't know!Also the exact thing that spawned the phrase "Simpsons did it!", for anyone who didn't know!
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Comment on What makes a game, a game? in ~games
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Comment on DM-ing with a stutter? in ~games.tabletop
Lapbunny LinkSomething I've considered before to DM is, in an online group or via Roll20 even in person, writing out a close-ish transcript of what the NPCs are saying while I say it. I tend to trip over...Something I've considered before to DM is, in an online group or via Roll20 even in person, writing out a close-ish transcript of what the NPCs are saying while I say it. I tend to trip over myself talking, and I think it'd double as a good way to just have the dialogue accessible to the players. AI would help, but I'd want to be able to correct myself if I misspoke so there's no ambiguity. Might also be too much work.
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Comment on CGA-2025-11 π΄π‘π΅π’ INSERT CARTRIDGE π’ PlayStation WHAT? in ~games
Lapbunny (edited )LinkSorry for the late post! I had this all written up, but life happened and suddenly this was the busiest day of the last couple months for me. Part of that was being home with my kids, so I'll tell...- Exemplary
Sorry for the late post! I had this all written up, but life happened and suddenly this was the busiest day of the last couple months for me. Part of that was being home with my kids, so I'll tell them to host CGA sometime. Maybe right after potty training.
Since these games are all pretty odd, and pretty short, I very strongly suggest trying 'em out as blind as you can. But for someone who wants a little extra history, or nudge, or a bit for those who already played these, I've made some write-ups collecting various trivia and stories behind development to set the scene. Read at your own peril!
PaRappa the Rapper 1 + 2
Here's one I wanted to put effort into, because it's easily the best documented one of the gang and an anchor of sorts.Sony Computer Entertainment had more than one production division helping devs crank out games. One of these divisions isn't division two, or five - it's literally Division Zero, according to artist Rodney Greenblat. In his words, they "just make whatever".
Greenblat, too, just makes whatever. Sculptures, children's books, and... Dazzeloids, a sort of interactive book in the very '90s CD-ROM multimedia way. It turns out Japan really likes Dazzeloids, and Sony pulls him in on licensing projects. They jive, making t-shirts and whatnot.
At the same time, ex-pop star Masaya Matsuura is done with his pop group Psy-S and turns to multimedia projects. He starts a video game development company, NanaOn-Sha, and gets a very Mario Paint-like project Tunin'Glue on the Apple Pippin. Then he's got another crazy idea, which somehow ends up at Sony.
His wife likes Greenblat's brand of just making whatever, so she recommends Matsuura pull him in for this project. Greenblat goes to Division Zero, which looks like a secret laboratory to him. They also jive.
The team doesn't think it's going to make any money. They do anyway, and they make a little more than whatever.
PaRappa the Rapper
What is this?
Wikipedia is purporting PaRappa to be the "first" rhythm game. This seems a little off; Dance Aerobics used the NES Power Pad to hit buttons on beat, and it docked you points for missing in step, so, ehhh. I also found some other stuff - Rock'n Bark had you shooting targets to an 8-Track in the '70s, of which I cannot find a single video for the life of me. Simon may not require you to be on the beat, but rhythm is certainly at the heart of it. As we really know em, though, PaRappa certainly popularized the shit out of rhythm games as A Thing. beatmania would come about a year later.
PaRappa started off as a synthesizer/sampling program for kids, really a toy rather than a structured game, but the project shaped itself into a narrative. Even though he was "just" doing the art, Greenblat had a significant amount of creative input, as Matsuura and the team would find ways to incorporate his drawings into the story and lyrics. They asked for a karate master, he gave them a fucking onion-dude. The team loved it, so they leaned in on the whole onion thing.
From what it sounds like, the game was extremely fun to make. Everyone was focused on making the thing feel like something fresh, even if it wasn't going to sell. But it did! PaRappa was a de facto mascot for PlayStation for a while due to success in Japan. Greenblat says Sony of America never really got the game, but it got its cult following. Here we are!
Playing PaRappa, you can tell they had fun. It isn't very much, taking a step back and looking at it strictly as a game or a product - you get a call, you respond with the button presses, and it's only six stages. It's not particularly robust, and replayability is nonexistent past figuring out the system and high scoring. But christ, there is little else so willing to be itself in the medium like this with the level of risk involved with '90s video game publishing. It's bursting with untethered fun; colorful, funny, catchy, wild, and a beautiful fusion of American and Japanese pop culture. It's also ridiculously short! And that's not a bad thing, as it doesn't overstay its welcome.
What do I need to know?
I don't want to spoil much about the game itself, so I'd suggest jumping in. There's a little something extra, but it's more fun to stumble on rather than talk about.
The game is also a little harder than it looks! Since it's a pretty early rhythm game, the input timing is a bit tight. Certain versions and digital setups make that even tighter due to lag, so for those wondering how to play it, I'd suggest OG hardware or emulating the PS1 version on a setup with less lag if possible. (ie NOT your digital TV.) The PSP release is unfortunately somehow worse, and I don't believe the Remastered version didn't provide any options to adjust input lag? If you have trouble, a common suggestion is to ignore the track on-screen for timing and go with the music. Feel the rhythm! You gotta belieeeeve!
Also, funny story: this nomination was originally submitted as PaRappa the Rapper 2 under the pretense that @kfwyre thought it was a PS1 game. (Whoops! Who-whoops!) So we've got a PS2 game in here. These games are so short that I'm taking a little artistic liberty to loop in 1 as well, but let's talk about 2!
PaRappa the Rapper 2
PaRappa the Rapper 2 is more PaRappa! Call and response. Help PaRappa figure out a noodle epidemic. Get funky.
The first game is and was so wacky and new that it was a bit disappointing to some that there wasn't a big creative shift. In the interview which I'm using for a lot of history here, Greenblat - who I'm sure is biased - mentions that PaRappa 2 totally burnt him out, as a project that went through the motions when the spark wasn't quite there anymore due to production problems with Um Jammer Lammy. He says he considered himself done with the video game industry after that.
(Except, he forgets that he wasn't! He made Major Minor's Majestic March on the Wii, which was a collaboration with Matsuura again. It, uh, bombed. Hard. No wonder he forgot.)
PaRappa was pushed by Sony as something that could be a flagship series. Even in the US, they did a tie-in with McDonald's for 2, and there are some Happy Meal demo discs which have a McDonald's in the beginning burger-related song. We also get a motherfuckin De La Soul tie-in music video out of it. They tried! But the niche it dug for itself just wasn't deep enough, and PaRappa's been dormant since 2002.
That all said - aside from one recent particular critical review about the lack of creativity, I see VERY little opposition in retrospectives about 2, and I'm excited to play it myself. If you like 1, and you want more, then spin 2! It tightens the system up - better timing, lines change on multiple playthroughs to add some replay to the linear structure, and there's a multiplayer mode. Also, the SOUNDTRACK! unga bunga. The original is great, mind you, but it's very colorful, bouncy, MIDI stuff. These backup tracks in 2 are some crazy acid jazz shit.
Anything else?
Oh, yeah. Multiplayer! For this month's extra credit, we're totally gonna do a rap battle tournament. Ping me in the comments if you want to join in! I'll try to figure out a date and a quick tutorial to set it up. We'll all need to figure out PCSX2 netplay to make it work, but like, we can't not do this. I hear the multiplayer is totally, wonderfully, bullshit.
...Also I had to put this somewhere - Greenblat casually put a fucking sheep giving birth in Dazzeloids, which seems to be a core memory for a few people in the comments. Thanks, Rodney.
Irritating Stick
You know those carnival games with a metal stick? And you have to get it to the other side of a maze without touching anything?
No? Okay, maybe you've played The Impossible Game on Newgrounds like two decades ago? albinoblacksheep? Ebaums? Kids these days.
Operation! Like, the board game. But a maze.
Yeah.
Irritating Stick
What is this?
You have a time limit to get to the end of a maze, only using your directional input. This is supposedly based on a particular game show, so there are plenty of wacky obstacles and an announcer eggs you on. If you touch the side or an obstacle, your controller jumpscares the living shit out of you with max vibration.
You may be wondering why this is a game. But if you've ever played a precision platformer, or threaded needles, or done anything which required precise hand-eye coordination and you keep fucking up but by the grace of your cramping flexor pollicis brevis you are GOING TO DO THIS , this is about as distilled as it gets. You're either going to hate this, or you're going to get obsessed with it and you're going to hate this.
I know who you are. We're gonna have f u n . Also, potentially, RSI. Stretch and take breaks!
What do I need to know?
There's a speed changing mechanic, so you won't be entirely lost without an analog stick. But, friends, use a controller. Don't hurt yourself.
The announcer straight-up catcalls you in the Japanese version, and isn't much better in the American one. So if he's annoying the piss out of you, you can turn it off in the options.
Anything else?
@kfwyre is a sadist.
Pepsiman
PEPSIMAAAAAAAAAN!
What is this?
DUN! DUNNNN DADA DUN! DUNNNN DADA
What do I need to kn-
PEPSIMAAAAAAAAAN!
[trumpets blaring]
...Anything else?
Alright, alright. This is Pepsiman. It's a 3D runner, in the vein of Temple Runner and Subway Surfers. But Pepsi.
Aaand that's all you should really know before you start this, for full effect. Really, I think the trivia behind it is about as effective as any actual history:
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It's definitely not the first runner game, as there were a decent number of 2D examples and some Mode 7-style examples on the Genesis and SNES. But Pepsiman might just be the first full-3D runner..?
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You had to pay for this! It's no Chex Quest. Thankfully it wasn't full price; looking around, I saw a 2800Β₯ label on a wrapped copy from ebay? But still, it's like a $20 USD advertisement, in 1999-bux...
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Despite being in full English VA, and despite featuring an American actor in the FMV, this had no Western release. It's Japan-only.
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That actor is Mike Butters! He leans into having done this on his Twitter, and he showed up in the Angry Video Game Nerd video on Pepsiman, joking that he doesn't remember the shoot. He's also the dude from the razor wire scene in Saw, if you, uh, somehow recognize him in that state.
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What a coincide that we're talking about death game scenarios ran by megalomaniacal killers, because - hey, don't you fucking leave - this was Zero Escape writer Kotaro Uchikoshi's first game! Pepsiman developed and published by KID, where he would eventually work on the Out of the Infinity series, but his first job was 3D modeling for this. For the fences and garbage cans and whatnot, though, not anything particularly important. This year he egged Pepsi to get the band back together.
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The talking guy in the first 3D cutscene is Dr. Light. Like, that Dr. Light.
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The game is fairly hard! If you do ollie outie, check out the legendary GDQ 2016 run for maximum APM.
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Alternatively, turn RTX ON.
DRINK! SCCCHHHHLLLLUP
Vib-Ribbon
In the mid-'90s, Mercedes-Benz had a new, quirky A-class city car. Perhaps predicting the bangin' cult success of PEPSIMAAAAN, they also figured they'd jump on the PlayStation as an avenue to advertise, and hired a development studio to help them figure a game out. The gameplay would involve driving an A-Class along a line. Unfortunately for MB, one [rolled over in a moose test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzGsvZLT3tE), prompting recalls that cost the maker a couple hundred million DM. (I can't find an actual rollover, but there are certainly enough videos of it on two wheels.) I've read that VW was gearing up to eat MB's small car lunch with the Mk4 Golf moving upmarket, so a PlayStation game dropped off the car exec priority list. The game got shelved.Of course, the game was being developed by - who else? - NanaOn-Sha. Fortunately for us, free of advertisement tethers, Masaya Matsuura took the concept and started cooking again.
Vib-Ribbon
What is this?
Instead of an unstable subcompact, Vib-Ribbon has you pilot a rabbit, named Vibri, walking through stages set to music. You press buttons to obstacles in the ground as you walk along. That's it!
The game is heavily stylized, and the graphics are all pseudo-vector lines in an extremely minimalist style. It only contains a few songs by indietronica pop group Laugh & Peace. The engine is so small, in fact, that the game runs entirely in the RAM without reading from the disc.
Why? Because you can load your own music! Throw in a CD and Vib-Ribbon will generate a course to anything you put in. Supposedly it was geared towards pop, if that helps you think of something you'd want to play. (Or, exactly what we shouldn't play...)
What do I need to know?
How to load CDs! If you're emulating, what you'll want to do is find an audio program which is capable of turning a list of MP3s into a cue format. I believe foobar is able to, but I found this utility that may be easier to use. Let us know in the comments if you have any problems.
Also, there wasn't a US release! They figured it wouldn't do well.
Anything else?
Not really! It's very straightforward, go try some tracks. But if you want a little trivia, Vibri showed up in one of the Astro Bot games. Also, Vib-Ribbon is in the MoMA's video game collection, between The Sims and (fittingly?) the Nokia Brick version of Snake.
Incredible Crisis
You ever have a bad day? THINK AGAIN.
I don't have much of a snappy intro here, because I don't think I could possibly add any spice to go along with what's already in Incredible Crisis.
Incredible Crisis
What is this?
It's about a family dealing with an incredible crisis!
...Yeah?
Okay, it's a series of incredible arcade-style minigames. About... a family, dealing with an incredible crisis. It's incredibly Japanese. Also, it's all set to ska. Incredible ska.
Like much in this collection, the less said before you dive in the better.
What do I need to know?
The Japanese relase had two extra games taken out from the Western release: a very Parappa-y karaoke game (too hard to localize to new music) and a quiz game (incredibly Japanese, reliant on kanji). Honestly you take a look at this game and it's a wonder it made it over here at all. There's a particular minigame that has a completely unbeatable pattern in the original release, so just stick with the Western release.
Enjoy the ride! The best analogue I can think of is Feel the Magic XY/XX on the DS, where it's throwing you into random shit and you go along with it the best you can.
Oh, also, speaking of minigames with erotic themes, I saw a suggestion - when you get to the ferris wheel and the married man starts giving the sexy lady a """"back massage"""", for the love of god put headphones in.
Again - I have no idea how this made it over here.
Anything else?
There are a couple Takayuki Watanabes on MobyGames; the only other game that the Incredible Crisis director is credited to is the PS1 game Vs. (which is an insanely un-searchable title on YouTube). It's odd, because that's a version of the Japanese game Fighters' Impact specifically rewrapped for Western release. The primary designer for the game, though - Kenichi Nishi - has an incredibly ecclectic rap sheet: Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Moon, L.O.L.: Lack of Love, Chibi-Robo, and... This.
That about wraps it up from my side! Or at least, until you fire these up and the sparks fly. And until I figure out PS2 netplay.
Something funny to think about with a menagerie like this: nowadays you just push an APK and call it a day to get your weirdo idea out to the public; congrats, now you're up against everything else. But back when, this stuff had to have a full retail release to get in the hands of most people and make money out of it. Production, art, manuals, getting the game to gold... No patches! So, here we are, with everything and a can of Pepsi having been put out against Gran Turismo, Spyro, Final Fantasy... And some of them did aight! Go figure. It's an odd era, so enjoy the oddities!
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CGA-2025-11 π΄π‘π΅π’ INSERT CARTRIDGE π’ PlayStation WHAT?
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
COLOSSAL GAME ADVENTURES PRESENTS:
πΆοΈβ‘οΈπ₯€πΌπ€ PlayStation WHAT? π€οΈπͺ΅ππ°π
Introduction
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is a 2003 Metroidvania, developed and published by Ko-
Wait, that didn't make it? What am I presenting?
Oh. Oh boy.
Here's my dirty little secret: I've only played one of these games! But I know all of 'em, at least, and I'm just as excited to play them too. So! Let's set the scene a few years back.
It's the mid-'90s, and Japan's '80s economic bubble burst due to some sick gamer-level capitalism exploit bullshit going awry. But good news! Its most successful tech megaconglomerate exports are still chugging along on good brand recognition. You go, consolidation of wealth.
Sony is riding high, and running on pure anger from their infamously botched plans for a SNES CD add-on with Nintendo. Despite some internal mix of interest and doubt, they release the PlayStation in 1994. It's selling like gangbusters, and they're in a position to take risks.
Well, sorta. They direct a production arm, Sony Computer Entertainment, to throw money at different development teams; those devs fill in to help make PlayStation hits. Ridge Racer, Crash, Tekken... Look, just check this list and peep at how often SCE pops up here. Sony wanted to make sure their library was rock solid: 14 out of the 22 of the games within the first two years had SCE's hands in the cookie jar. To sell over a million... Cookies. With a dozen genres of cookies covered. The PS1 outsold the PS3!
And we all know, the PS3 had no cookies.But you can't just live on expectation, or the big fish, or cookies. (The big cookie?) Look at the Xbox right now! You'll get stagnant and supplanted by The Bigger Thing. You need funk to stand out. Variety. IP. Je ne sais cookie. Something no one else has. Sony knew this, and a lot of Japanese creators are ready to make some reeeal fresh games.
Here's where we come in. CDs suddenly enable crazy multimedia opportunities for artists and musicians to get their ideas across, and 3D environments are the hot new thing. Myst is just a bunch of pictures, videos, and audio strung together, and people are still caught up in how immersive that PowerPoint can be. So come on, this should be easy! Slap something together - an idea, your brand, a simulacrum of this dumb thing you like. Maybe it works, and congrats, you're a cult artist! Maybe it doesn't? Give it 20 years, and congrats! You're still a cult artist. What can go wrong?
Sony enables some of these ideas themselves through SCE; others do it on their own. Either way, some very original stuff is thrown at the PlayStation. Some of the pasta really sticks to the wall. ...Or, some of those cookies stick to the jar? I'm bad with extended metaphors.
Anyway, these games speak for themselves. Let's play them!
I've got a separate post which I will keep down in the discussion for some fun context, history, and trivia about the games, for anyone who would like them. But overall, my advice: just play 'em. Most of them you'll get within five minutes, or they may already have you hooked by then. Some games are about the shock of an idea, the opportunity and newness driving them to fruition over polish, implementation, even thought. It's about the feeling.
If you haven't played some of these, promise me you'll ignore any write-ups, screenshots, videos, anything, and try at least one fresh, without any prior knowledge. I think we'll all be a little better for it!
Or, traumatized!
Here are the games:
Parappa the Rapper
Info
Versions: Original (PS1 - 1996, PSP - 2006), Remastered (PS4 - 2017)
Genre(s): Music / rhythm
Stores:
PlayStation Store (Remaster)How Long To Beat:
2-4 Hours
Not much to replay!Parappa the Rapper 2
Info
Versions: Original (PS2 - 2001, PS4 - 2015)
Genre(s): Music / rhythm
Stores:
PlayStation StoreHow Long To Beat:
2-5 Hours
A little more replayable!Irritating Stick
Info
Versions: Original (PS1 - 1998)
Genre(s): Arcade, precision
Stores:
Generally unavailable! ~$30 on ebayHow Long To Beat:
4.5 hours, according to a single dude on howlongtobeat
Years of therapyPepsiman
Info
Versions: Original (PS1 - 1999)
Genre(s): Arcade, runner
Stores:
Generally unavailable! Uhhhh, $286 on ebay secondhand? $900 for an unopened copy?? Holy hell.How Long To Beat:
2-4 hours
Additional hours of working off those Pepsi caloriesVib-Ribbon
Info
Versions: Original (PS1 - 1999), Ports (PSP, PS3, and PS Vita - 2014)
Genre(s): Music / rhythm
Stores:
~$40 secondhand
Technically I think you can still load money to your account via an active PlayStation Store and then buy it on the Vita..?How Long To Beat:
30 minutes - 1,349 years?Incredible Crisis
Info
Versions: Original (Arcade, PS1 - 1999)
Genre(s): Arcade, music / rhythm, puzzle, shooter, etc, etc, etc...
Stores:
Generally unavailable! ~$30 secondhand. This CGA is expensive!How Long To Beat:
3 hours
1 explanation to your partner about that "back massage"
Important
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Yes, these games are weird and rare! But any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.
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Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.
<details> <summary>Spoilers</summary> Spoiler text goes here. </details>
Game Setup
The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the game. As such, it's recommended that you:
Share which version of the game you're playing Share what hardware you're playing it on Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game Ask questions if you need help Ask what the hell is going on in Incredible Crisis Get checked for RSI after Irritating StickAnother purpose of this topic is to revisit the game and its time period:
Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself? What about its system or era? What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time? What other games from the same time period are you familiar with? What are you expecting from this game in particular? U rappin' good?Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:
Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play. Ask for help if you get stuck. Offer help to others. Share some sick beats for Vib-Ribbon.It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.
FAQ
What is CGA?
Colossal Game Adventure (CGA) is Tildes' retro video game club.
Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!
Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.
What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!
It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.
Do I have to sign up?
No. Participation is open to all.
There is a Notification List that will get pinged each time a new topic goes up. If you would like to join that list, please PM u/kfwyre.
Are there restrictions on what/how to play?
Each month will have a focus game or games that will guide our discussions. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. The philosophy of CGA is to play in a way that works for you!
This means:
- Choose whichever version of the game you want.
- You can use cheats, save states, mods, etc.
- You can watch a streamer or longplay instead of playing it.
If you have already played a game and want a different experience:
- Try a randomizer or challenge run.
- Play a different version of it.
- Play a related game (sequel, spiritual successor, something inspired by it, etc.)
There is no wrong way to participate in CGA, and every different way someone participates will make for more interesting discussions.
What is the schedule?
Each month the Insert Cartidge topic will be posted on the 1st, while the Remove Cartridge topic will be posted on the 20th.
Nomination and voting topics will happen in March and September (every 6 months).
Schedules are also posted then.
All CGA topics are available using the
colossal game adventuretag.What do Insert and Remove Cartridge mean?
Inserting and removing cartridges are our retro metaphor for starting and stopping a given game or games.
The Insert Cartridge topic happens at the beginning of the month and is primarily about getting the game up and running.
The Remove Cartridge topic happens toward the end of the month and is primarily about people reflecting on the game now that they've played it.
There are no hard restrictions on what has to go in either topic, and each can be used to discuss the game, post updates, ask questions, etc.
One last parting thought til the 20th when we eject: there are so many games for this system that are completely out of the ordinary. But for now, let's keep the conversation on these until we hit the Eject thread on the 20th! And then I'd suggest we open the floor for more weirdo shit to ricochet off the walls.
25 votes -
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Comment on D'Angelo, Grammy-winning R&B and soul star, dies at 51 after pancreatic cancer diagnosis in ~music
Lapbunny LinkFuck. Voodoo was my bridge to Neo-Soul when I started really engaging with music; I don't know how I'd have jumped to dozens of other bands and musicians without him. Good previous tildes...Fuck.
Voodoo was my bridge to Neo-Soul when I started really engaging with music; I don't know how I'd have jumped to dozens of other bands and musicians without him. Good previous tildes discussion about the album over here. Brown Sugar and Black Messiah are also fantastic in their own, different ways.
He was working on an album with Raphael Saadiq, so selfishly I hope his estate does good by him if he was cool with them releasing any of his unfinished work. Either way, this just sucks.
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Comment on Earth, Wind & Fire - September (1978) in ~music
Lapbunny LinkEternal yearly reminder of Demi Adejuyigbe's 9/21 videos.Eternal yearly reminder of Demi Adejuyigbe's 9/21 videos.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Lapbunny LinkI pepper my writing with adverbs and get sick of editing them quick.I
liberallypepper my writing with adverbs and get sick of editing them quickly. -
Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirkβs outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
Lapbunny Link ParentHonestly speaking here: NorthernLion? I feel like any time people talk about why this isn't working in a liberal realm I think about him, he's speaking in a very recognizable code for youth and...I've been thinking for a while about how I can't really think of any positive male influencers who aim their content and messaging at young men, both in and out of the political realm.
Honestly speaking here: NorthernLion? I feel like any time people talk about why this isn't working in a liberal realm I think about him, he's speaking in a very recognizable code for youth and seems to get his sound bytes out well.
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Comment on 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' review: Change is afoot (again) in ~movies
Lapbunny Link ParentMy wife saw it. Said it was good! Much better than the second, nice send-off.My wife saw it. Said it was good! Much better than the second, nice send-off.
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Comment on Dear Nintendo, please bring back the Wii Remote in ~games
Lapbunny LinkDon't worry, they'll bring em back to use with their next console's subscription VC at $120 for each throwback Wiimote-Nunchuck pairing. They'll have a shitty print run, though, because some exec...Don't worry, they'll bring em back to use with their next console's subscription VC at $120 for each throwback Wiimote-Nunchuck pairing. They'll have a shitty print run, though, because some exec insisted the next console had to be called the Switch 2-II: Switch 2 Da New Console!. When pressed, the exec tells media "a bad name really worked out well for the Switch after the Wii U". They never get around to porting Radiant Dawn, causing used copies to skyrocket to $500.
This is my plan to afford the Switch 2. Thanks, Nintendo.
(Not joking about the VC, hopefully joking about the price. Probably not.)
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Comment on Is Tildes protected from malicious actors, aka paid trolls, aka bots? in ~tildes
Lapbunny Link ParentSitting on the beach bench, dunnnn da dunnnn... Eyeing little sharks with bad intent πΆSitting on the beach bench, dunnnn da dunnnn... Eyeing little sharks with bad intent πΆ πͺ
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Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk
Lapbunny Link ParentYes, most definitely add Steamshovel Harry. :^)Yes, most definitely add Steamshovel Harry.
:^)
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Comment on Give us your hot takes on the latest Nintendo Direct in ~games
Lapbunny Link ParentWE ASKED FOR HOT TAKES! I'M GONNA DISH EM! Seriously though, I hope it's integrated well but it just does not feel like Metroid at all to me with a big hub of some sort. I didn't like the...WE ASKED FOR HOT TAKES! I'M GONNA DISH EM!
Seriously though, I hope it's integrated well but it just does not feel like Metroid at all to me with a big hub of some sort. I didn't like the disjointed nature of Corruption, but I guess we'll see.
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Comment on Children's music suggestions in ~music
Lapbunny Link ParentMy kid is obsessed with Bananaphone by Raffi. The reason being, I am obsessed with Bananaphone from a decidedly-not-child-friendly flash animation...My kid is obsessed with Bananaphone by Raffi. The reason being, I am obsessed with Bananaphone from a decidedly-not-child-friendly flash animation...
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Comment on Give us your hot takes on the latest Nintendo Direct in ~games
Lapbunny LinkSamus's bike is something you'd see Spider-Man riding in the Target toy aisle with little missile launchers that don't go far enough.Samus's bike is something you'd see Spider-Man riding in the Target toy aisle with little missile launchers that don't go far enough.
Yup to everything you said! Morality aside - and I didn't really have enough to say about it besides "wow it stinks" to bring it up - this month is a good case for attention to game preservation. Vib-Ribbon is weird to get going! Pepsiman is such a meme that it's literally hundreds of dollars for a copy, and the weird legality issues probably have it in a mire! The digital ports of Parappa weren't well-received without lag adjustment! And we didn't even try to play something with a Guncon, which is impossible on a modern digital TV. Old games are a mess.
We'll probably run into all of this with Racing Lagoon again, too. But hey, it ain't a Colossal Game Adventure without some conflict, right? Actually, don't answer that.