Tanooki

I'd put this up there with the N64 game in being debatably the best in the franchise.  One thing I look back on this one for and enjoy about it is the fact that it was a good split between solid driving skill and item use.  One really didn't trump the other which is how it should have stayed.  The stages are fun, the selection of drivers has enough variety to be solid too.  There are items, but not too many to get bogged down, and they all have a good equal fair use of some twist to either save or harm a driver.  Back then you really had to be pretty solid at both, as we got more to the present it turned into Mario Party on wheels, way too many overpowered and utterly abusive items that punished being good at driving changing the dynamic towards the worst.

But depending on how you interpret missing, is he really?  I mean will he feel a sense of loss if he's utterly unaware and doesn't care?  Definitely not, so not missing out.

Hana no Star Kaidou is just terrible, and I think it's damn near unplayable if you want to actually try and finish it.  I'm a bit more surprised to see a few on here, but maybe they took tag also as just tag as a more general sense to simultaneous play too, not just like wrestling.  The nekketsu titles fit you can tag people even with people in that one.   I have to wonder if it was trolling for fun or if they have such poor taste to put Kinnikuman (MUSCLE) there in the top slot by that wide of a margin.  Just wow.

Oh I know what you were doing, it was more for the historical accuracy impaired here.

1 hour ago, Link said:

So what does that make SMB3? 

A divergence in the time line like Doc browns chalkboard showed in back to the future 2 of course.

It is SMB3 because the development of that game is actually older than DDP, it started right after they finished the FDS game in 1986.  DDP was a Mario engine they had worked on, tabled, and came back to with the whole DDP story I'm not going to re-run through.  Both DDP/SMUSA and SMB3 were co-developed at Nintendo at the same time with large overlap in both teams, Miyamoto included, since it's his franchise.  While we got the game in early 1990, Nintendo screwed us some, they got the game back in 1988.

The same 1988 that gave us Mario Madness, our SMB2 (SMUSA) because we didn't have the FDS, know wtf DDP or Dream Machine was.  DDP finished under contract far faster than SMB3 did, but also was already developed as the engine existed and physics, so it got a nice coat of paint and music to fit and it releases far sooner.

Having enjoyed the development of both titles, Nintendo then saw how bad SMB2j really was for most players, so we know why we got our SMB2 to theirs.  But that enjoyment was so much, it then got the later release in 1992 in Japan just about when the FC was starting to wind down on yearly releases.  As a side note it's why Mario looks better in our 2 than 3, 3 started earlier so he has that more basic bland face, while SMB2 gave us the more rounded, colorized, and softer cartoon look which depressingly SMB3 lacks.

The thing to notice though is, SMB2 copium kids like to skip, SMB3 the co-developed title has the mechanics of DDP/SMUSA in there, and also enemy and mechanics overlaps.  It's a legit Mario game, end of story, it just took a round about way to be one in Japan because of the disk system title...that's it.  SMB2/USA is a legit Mario game, to debate it, is just to dig in and be obnoxious.

On 11/20/2023 at 10:41 PM, fcgamer said:

Are there any licensed Mario game which Shiggy wasn't involved in?

Probably the software toolworks edutainment stuff or the few Mario Teaches Typing games, CDi Hotel Mario.  They licensed out the name, world, likeness, but someone else did all the lifting.

11 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Some of these scrubs can't get past Tryclyde, so they have to justify their shortcomings somehow.

Nahh it's not that, it's that other boss, you know, klaptrap because well some just don't realize there's a cream for it that'll clear it right up, so it's flames are a bad reminder.

Same one for about 9 years now.  My last computer was a higher end gaming laptop (NP8278 / MODEL NUMBER: P170SM-A) and well you're kind of married to the screen.

I've been chewing on that new PC for a couple years now, been back and forward with one brand over another and a return to desktop or not, and ultimately I know that my needs would be well enough met sticking now to a laptop format still for a number of reasons.  I just like to go well into it, high enough, it'll last me a long time like this one has (and longer than intended) so yeah that.

Once black friday prices roll out here soon I'm going to be a return customer on my seller of this current machine and get another from the same family (Sager/Clevo) as they're solid.)  I've whittled the list down to 3 models, not close minded on it though, seeing where the deals slice but I'm keeping a set budget.

12 hours ago, fcgamer said:

You should focus your YT channel around this. I'm sure it would be a huge hit...

@Code Monkey I'd watch that.  I bother with a short list of YT stuff as far as subbing goes, they have to do something unique and entertaining, not just someone who spins the same stuff re-using other easily found stuff while coin begging.  Sharpolis does a dive, MVG(not subbed) does as well, Jeremy Parish, gaming historian, GTV Japan, RndStranger (Famidaily), and a few others are worth the look.  If someone focused around nothing but vintage game protos, differences from retail, just ones that didn't retail, and they didn't do it in some cry for attention and money format but presented things tightly like those types I listed do I'd keep up.

It's fine I didn't think it would hurt to ask.

The weird mix of gross arrogance and incompetence in airvillian is something I wonder is tempered a bit with medication acting like that.  I'd tell you what I think of you but I don't feel like getting another strike today, you're not worth it.

@Link don't bother, he's so high on his own warped sense of reality there's not point in arguing with s....d as that wins.

Are you breaking this up or trying to move a lot, and did you have an idea what you wanted to make per issue on them?  I may have a few holes in that range you listed towards the high end (over 76)

I saw that, I'm wondering if it's the same firmware revision because they're clearly seemingly working on it while selling it.  I want it, but I want to see how the updates roll out too.  The flash kit piece has been fairly debunked as a problem, those who have it already said the cheapo low rent ezflash jr and the ed knockoff they either work or they don't, seems to just be picky but that pickiness goes to real hardware too.  I think in the end right now the one damning problem is the off-speed issue.

Wow been awhile since they've had a more reasonable free shipping package.  Now I'm tempted to go peek around on the site a bit for Switch games we didn't get at all or didn't get physical.

16 hours ago, Brickman said:

Yeah it sucks that people who are actually just trying to get a Pocket are missing out because people are scalping them. They probably aren't making much on them once you factor in ebay fees and the high Analogue shipping price. 

Most likely but as sick as it is, some people get just so into scalping they get a high off just the fact they won the prize, and then won the reward, even if it's only maybe $50 on the back end after all the layers of bs they've paid out to get to that point.  Kind of like the clown who gets mad you tried to pass them on a road after going slow, so they jam down to keep you out just because...winning!

1 minute ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

The review I watched is those had the timing off by a considerable margin. I think those being 1/3 the price reflects the R&D cost put in

Maybe, it's why I have it bookmarked not bought.  I want to see the firmware update and others comments once they get them.  It could be too good to be true, or just needs more time in the oven.

NIce to see you're back, maybe a bit pedantic but no battle kid?

I'd try the swiss one at some rate, really need to find the basics of setting that up as I'm positive I remember I have a few of the discs that allow that exploit.  I don't care about the warez, just like to compare the GB player capabilities.

Well another week and I'd say clearly the last in a 6 week run of finds in the local area has come to an end, a popular one I buy off of won't be there next week and packing it in for the winter, and well that's how it is in freezing spaces.

This weekend I lucked into grabbing for $30 NES games: Godzilla, Bump n Jump, Excitebike, Tetris, and  Pac-Man(lic.-tengen, which I've had a manual for already.)  I'm familiar with all but the first, and wow that's a fun one and the game has some solid production values both in game and that awesome label art too.

And then the mail came for the FC side of things, got a Kaiser multicart, claims it's from Nintendo of all things, branded right into the plastic on the front, then in the rear with their typical warnings on handling/cleaning with a couple goofy hammering and water warnings and it came with a pretty pristine gold honeybee adapter.  And a day early, just arrived, the last of the FC more or less, Konami had 3 expensive FDS to FC re-releases and I got the one that mattered to me at least Moero Twinbee (Stinger) which has all the original cut out content and that'll be fun later but I have to run off to work.

I still wish some Nintendo titles would take a serious sales hit...  Love to get back New SMB Deluxe on Switch but not for the going rate.  Also need to quietly get back crash trilogy, kid gifted me it, I can't find it, she keeps bringing it up and I know I didn't sell the thing.

I always played to have fun, played as an escape.  The side effect was that I'd play to finish the game, then do it some more as I figured it out so I could just relax and do it again.  And this happened in a rotation around a rare buy, a super rare in year gift, or around b'day and christmas.  Little funds, more time, made for more play with friends and largely alone as friend time was usually toys and outside.  I never did it because I'm some 100% completionist or speed running psycho, that's nuts.

And with less time and the challenge of interest around jobS, home stuff, the toxicity of the market  ...I get what I get largely local (or largely imported online) and I play still to have fun, but finishing it is not in the cards and would just be a side effect of an easier and/or shorter game I can push my way through and that's fine too.

On 11/13/2023 at 8:17 AM, AirVillain said:

Watched the video. Well done. Well produced. However, I didn't quite get that from it.

Still.... Some random company (NOT Nintendo) made a prototype using the UPWARD scrolling and stacking blocks function and showed it to Nintendo (Miyamoto) and he said to make it better they should add side scrolling elements like Mario.

So later, the Mario team at Nintendo did exactly that for the promotional game. Then changed the characters later to make it into a Mario game.

Sounds like a not-Mario game prototype, made by not-Nintendo, got taken by Nintendo and made into a promotional game by the Mario team by adding side-scrolling "Mario-style elements" & promotional  logo's/etc. which then got made into a Mario game by inserting Mario characters/items by that same Mario team. 

Still looking to die on that cross of misinformation eh? Since when was a prototype made by Kensuke Tanabe a random company that's not Nintendo?  But hey, you know, maybe you'll get lucky and keep peddling that garbage you cling to enough you get the write the history books to fit your narrative.  That's how it usually goes, whoever wins calls the reality.  I still find it amusing this far along you dismiss key figures/creators of the franchise from Nintendo and what they said because you know better.  Good job.  I get you're a mario fan, but like the super mushrooms he eats I don't think are the same ones you're chomping as you're trippin'.

Like Link said it was a technological age of new ideas and approaches, growth given the open ended mapper business of the FC/NES side of things.  They had something working, shelved it due to other projects, X happens and DDP exists, Y then happens and returns to the root idea to a Mario game, then they re-enforce it as a Mario game as SM USA.  Back then you start with a concept, build out, and keep building.  Just like he said, really there is NO super mario bros by your lack of logic, because that was 'athletic game' not SMB that came after.  It's a fake Mario I guess not having shell creepers and freezies and rest let alone lacking the one screen mechanics too.

I find it amusingly timed a FPGA GBC kit drops for 3x less money (though limited to GB and GBC) and this appears with more colorways too.  Not that both don't have their place but... shenangans.

I can't say for sure it's the best time for gaming, but it's the best level for oversaturation of too much media in gaming and well beyond.  Before things were at least approachable and manageable but now you really need to cherry pick or forget it.

I've known of this for a bit, but finally some videos crept out and now the product itself, and largely I'm impressed, more so impressed by the price point for what you get out of this.

Welcome, the FPGBC KIT aka the FPGA Gameboy Color Kit.  If you don't want to read more, go here: https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit?variant=40858870284349

If you want the highlights.  $80 kit (sale for $70 for now) and it comes with everything you need but the shell, that's an added $10 with color choices.

The board itself, a solid high quality modern LCD, a 2w speaker, a 1800mah battery (no AAs) charges over usb-C, the housing again is the only added expense.

Is it 100% perfect?  Not yet, neither is analogue either.  Does it do anything but GB and GBC?  NO... no cores, no ROMs injected into it, no adapters, zilch... DMG and CGB only.

The thing has a nice options menu with variable tweaks you can do, the screen is high quality in line with the pocket, quality speaker, battery, etc.  The +10 for the shell has a glass lens as well.

I've been waiting on this to drop, then see some buyers feelings about it once they're breaking it in but it looks very promising.  It needs a few tweaks, but it's open to that over USB or likely a flash kit.  It works fine with flash kits, bootleg carts too, nothing seems to be a problem unless you just have a really crap quality flash kit then it's hit and miss.  Pocket has its place, its $250 place, but if you just want an 8bit color gameboy with some modern bells and whistles that doesn't over-reach, coming in at $80-90 is a sweet deal.  If this plays out well I'll restore my atomic purple back to factory, return that to its box once more, and grab this instead.