Would it shock you all to learn that John Sczcepaniak and his family were living in and beneficiaries of apartheid South Africa in his youth

To clarify a bit: I guess what I really mean to say is “I’ve rarely seen a game…”, etc. that’s also as *beloved* as this. I realize that part of that is being first (in the case of the source material), but few out there would go to bat nearly as much for, say, Mystery of Atlantis or Super Pitfall.

…in terms of what’s changed and what hasn’t (this chest no longer pops, but this one does, and this level suddenly has a consumable item chest that definitely wasn’t there before, etc.).

The Madness of Druaga

Ah, okay, I saw your more general post on the topic. I didn’t realize the whole thing could just be cruelty fro cruelty’s sake.

I’m sure there’s a way to still beat the game from that state, but it seems like such a convoluted road to figure it all out. There didn’t even seem to be any consistency…

Shhh! Don’t tell them! (No, not about *that one* either!)
Let them keep that magic alive inside their hearts while they still have faith in something.

The lyrics to Mambo No. 5 are perfectly fine for the music video, but on the record I think the line "If it looks like this then you're doing it right" should have been replaced by two, maybe three entire verses minutely describing what it looks like

Martin Short as the titular Clifford (1994)

It’s his favorite place!

Agreed, though what I really want personally is Zoo Keeper Championship Edition.

…original while also trying to satisfy its existing hardcore fanbase. I think it ultimately would’ve been better served with separate modes for each that play more to each group’s desires, but that’s just me.

Anyway, not unfun by any stretch means, but a bit too unkind in my opinion.

Well, I mean, not in this genre, at least. This sort of thing is typically more reserved for your average “screw you” Sierra Online graphic adventure. Fuck up once, and yer out!

I think the remake occupies an uncomfortable middle ground of trying to appeal more to those intimidated by the….

We all scream for ice slimes!

Too many of those 25% of the puzzles that verge into BS territory are 100% requirements for making it through the game. I’ve rarely seen a game that requires so many items to even be able to complete it while also hiding them behind puzzles of this nature, many of which you can screw up in seconds.

Hooray, I finally made i…what do you mean I’ve got to go all the way back down in the sequel!?

Final feelings on PCE Druaga for the night, now that I’ve finished it properly.

I think it’s about 75% fun/25% complete bullshit, which does put it well above what I’ve played of the arcade version.

However, that ratio kind of buries the lede in this case…

“I received か.” Yeah, I don’t get it either. 空っぽ? That’s what this section of the game feels like!

…items I needed.

After like 20 levels of this, it all seemed futile, so I began again from scratch.

But anyway, WTF happened here? Loop 2? And if so, what was the point? If I can’t even open the chests with the missing items, then what even is the point in making me redo all of this?

So I missed 1-2 critical items once I’d reached Lvl 59 and found myself booted back down to 23. Fine.

However, my keys were gone, and so apparently were the chests they were in. Chests seemed to be spawning either differently or not at all. And I had no keys, so I couldn’t unlock many containing…

This is a lie

So, spoilery talk on PC Engine Tower of Druaga in the next post. You can keep reading this one, just ignore the next 1-2 if you haven’t played through the game.

I want to hear from the old heads who’ve been down this road before: WTF happened to me? Read on….

E, LOOK TREE, TAKE BRANCH, CHEW GUM, ON BRANCH, LOOK GRATING, USE BRANCH, W, BUY TICKET.

Chris Stamper said it is vital to eat every Nibbly-Pibbly in the original Snake Rattle N Roll to fully understand the story of Snake Rattle N Roll Xtreme.

Same! I had four 5-star films that were a first-time watch for me in 2025, and Chuck was one of them!

Man, I loved this one!

…non-USPS warehouse for resellers with no phone number or owner listed.

They’re apparently going to try to retrieve it from this place. I’ll believe it when I see it.

I actually tried that and got a number with a “voicemail box is full” message.

Someone locally contacted me after I’d opened my case and told me it was mis-delivered to a business in yet *another* zip code. I actually got the address from them and looked it up, and it’s some kind of…

(No offense meant to anyone among my mutuals employed by them/with relatives employed by them. I know there are a few of you and I’m not mad at you! (Nor at the very nice 800-number contact helping me with this) But our local service has really gone to hell in recent years.)

Tracking info showing my package out for delivery to my zip code and then subsequently being delivered to a PO Box that’s not mine in a completely different zip code.

Last week, I deleted a post I’d made about the USPS: I was sleep deprived and misread some dates.

As it turns out, I was just being proactive with my original post.

I am in 43221. I do not have a PO Box in 43216.

This was for a Kickstarter project I helped fund a year ago. I am fucking livid.

The Pitt: The Video Game YouTube video by Hotel Art Thief

Oh this is excellent!

youtu.be/ML0L20VOE2g?...

I love them both, but (as mentioned above), I feel like the big difference was the need to buy a Turbo Booster and a Turbo Tap to get the base unit up to the functionality of the Genesis. An extra $60+ to do that back then was kind of a big deal.

We had a guy on the CompuServe forums in ‘89 who was fond of qualifying every mention of a TG-16 peripheral with “(slight extra charge)”. In light of the Genesis having two control ports and a composite output jack, he wasn’t wrong!

I feel vindicated that 90% of my blocks are this.

【ファミコン】ドルアーガの塔のBGMを乗っ取るずんだもん達【ファミずんだ】 YouTube video by しゅーそんじのいまなんじ

Also, can’t let this thread go on any longer without dropping a ファミずんだ link!

youtu.be/WieCeEnOqCE?...

…claiming your prizes, and bouncing the eff outta each level as quickly as possible. The clues are generally well written and help a lot. I’ve managed to find about 90% of the chests just by using my ol’ noggin. Pretty cool.

Putting a pin in it tonight, about halfway up. Seeya soon, Ki!

Okay, okay, I’m coming around on this one.

I still think the combat needs better indicators (visual, audio, or both) for when you’re doing damage. But beyond that, I’m definitely grooving on it far more than I did the arcade version. There’s some joy to be had for sure in solving the riddles,…