What Did We Play Yesterday?

Oh Daisy! I'm not sure why Daisy was cut off the second time! I've never seen that glitch before.

Defeated Kraid, moving up in the world. Can't figure out how to properly rebind my screenshot button so you just get random ones yay.

I'm setting up a new handheld device, and I had an urge to play SML again, so here we are. I am generally not a nostalgia player but I do find occasion to return to this one and sometimes enjoy running through the first few levels for the heck of it. I've got the DX version of this, which is also fun, but I was in the mood for some Retrocheevs so OG it is.

I've been playing the Live-A-Live remake, which is a vignette jRPG that features multiple short stories, essentially. The stories do not appear to be connected, and each puts its own twist on combat.

I heard about this game years ago and never got around to playing the translation patch. It's an interesting experience, and that's probably the best mindset to have going into it. The modern storyline was very short and linear, but I appreciated the ending. The Edo chapter was a bit longer and the map is really sprawling, so there are definitely things I missed. I think it ultimately depends on if you enjoy less straightforward jRPGs and are willing to try something different.

Well, M2 Shot Triggers has done it again. THIS is how you do a compilation! This collection includes arcade versions of Gradius I, Gradius II, Gradius III, Salamander, Salamander 2, and the new Salamander III. It includes multiple versions of some games with explanations as to how each version differs, and provides a practice, easy mode, and invincible modes. Salamander 2 had never been ported in English before, and after failing to run the arcade version I only recently tried emulating the PSP port. I greatly prefer playing this version on Switch.

I tried at least one version of all the games in the compilation but ended up fixating on the new Salamander III which is a great game. It has the bio-weirdness I love, including Maoi statues embedded in tissue and volcanoes that spew eyeballs. The difficulty level is manageable, and the game is fun to play.

I'm a latecomer to this series, but once I started playing the first game on NES I got hooked and I always enjoy my time with these games. If M2 releases a second collection with the later Gradius games I'll be all over it. Hopefully they'll release a console collection similar to the dual Darius Cozmic collections. Regardless, this is a fantastic way to experience these games and I'm psyched.

If you see a thing, and cannot interact with it, that means the thing is not for you. Yet. Continuing to bumble my way through this game and while I have done a little backtracking, the game largely funnels me where I need to go. MZM continues to be a solid, workaday Metroid.

Decided to go on a magical Metroid tour, and NEStroid is kinda rough, so I'm gonna play MZM instead. I played this game years ago and remember little of it, so I might as well be playing it the first time. So far, the usual Metroid fun and what you'd expect, but without the tactile feeling of Super Metroid's play control.

I completely forgot there's an event going on, but fortunately, have enough days to grind for the new goodies they've added. This is the pet themed one, and the most interesting is the unexpected blue grass terrain. Unsure what's going on there, or why, but I hope this means we'll continue to see different grass colors in the future.

The second Knightmare game (Majou Densetsu II: Daimashikyou Galious) is completely different. Instead of a shooter, we get a Zelda II-esque fantasy platformer. You can switch between two characters, Popolon and Aphrodite. Popolon can push through certain walls, and I haven't figured out what Aphrodite can do. Evidently there are 5 dungeons, and the map is no joke.

This is very playable, and the maze is very mazey. This is the famicom version with a translation patch, but the game was also released on MSX and the Sega Master System and I'm a little curious about the differences.

I went down a rabbit hole with this thing, as one does, and discovered Pampas & Selene: The Maze of Demons, which is a 2024 tribute to Knightmare II. For some reason, the creator doesn't actually name Majou Densetsu as the inspiration, and I wish they had because I think a lot of people would dig this if they knew about it.

Played a bit of SMB2. After playing both back-to-back, I prefer the Super Mario All-Stars version, both graphically and play-control wise.

Knightmare, also known as Majou Densetsu, is a MSX vertical shooter. It's a mythological fantasy themed walking auto-scroller like Dino Riki or Undeadline (which I don't have posts for, for some reason, wtf), with upgradeable weapons. You can shoot powerups and weapons to change the type, and the timed red orb that lets you set everything on fire was my favorite.

This game is freaking hard and it scrolls really slowly, but it's still compelling. The pseudo-ancient Greece theme is fun. It sent me down a wonderful retro rabbit hole because there are more games in this franchise and they're all completely different.

A little more Genesis Frogger today. I had an especially close call on this one and passed the level by the skin of my teeth, but I promptly died the next one when I got boxed in by a snake (did you know the snakes can spawn on logs? now you do!). Level 5 has been my maximum so far.

Playing Frogger on Genesis cause I do what I want.

I needed to decompress. The snake got me.