MegaMan52

Of course, now that I've said that, things could change at anytime. Even so, I still believe it is a decent game.

Interesting that most who have posted in this topic think the game is mediocre, yet 7/10 remains the more popular rating.

Introduction First-party/Third-party/Licensed/Official games (whatever you want to call them) aren't the only games I collect. When importing games, I also collect bootlegs that came from Brazil, China, Taiwan, Poland, etc. Over the last three decades, many of these bootlegs have found their way into the U.S. and Canada. I read about many of these and other bootlegs in the early and mid 2000s. In the last decade or so, I've managed to get some of them. Some were bought on eBay, some are from friends, and some I got from a certain Famicom enthusiast here on VGS. Heck, some of them could be found at retro game stores, mixed with licensed, unlicensed, hacks, and homebrew games. Of course, Rockman/Mega Man bootlegs were a priority, but I've also come across multicarts, Mario bootlegs, and Donkey Kong bootlegs. And then there are the systems, some of which are plug and plays that look like N64 Controllers. Here's my current top 10 for bootleg games and systems. Top 10 Bootleg Games/Systems 10.Super Mario Bros. 3 I thought I'd start off with a less exciting, yet still interesting bootleg. I found out about this cartridge on an NES site called NES Player (now Nintendo Player) in the early 2000s. Last year in 2022, one of my friends finds it from a nearby seller and decided to give it to me for free (knowing that I like collecting imports). This is the entire Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 3 on a bootleg cartridge. While the cartridge resembles an NES cartridge, the actual game is a Famicom game connected to an adapter. The game is identical to the official Japanese release, with one exception: the copyright info on the title screen was removed. Being the Japanese version of the game, there are some differences compared to the American release. After selecting a level on the map screens, there is a fade-in that was removed from the American release. The World 1 Mini-Fortress has a minor change in the room with the spiked ceiling. The Japanese version has an extra set of spikes after the door that were removed from the American release. The American release also moved the door slightly to the right, underneath the two higher spikes. World 5-1 has a different goal. A pipe was removed from the American release that leads to the goal in the Japanese version. It's still in the American version, and can be found by using Game Genie code AOSUZI and removing blocks from the wall in the room with the treasure chest. The goal from the Japanese version was shown in the movie 3 Ninjas. If you use a whistle while riding the World 3 canoe in the Japanese version, the game thinks you're still riding on it and you can move around the Warp Zone map screen. This glitch was fixed in the American version. There are other differences too, but these are some of the more notable differences. 9.Super Joy III A plug and play. This one looks like an N64 Controller. The analog stick can't be used. It's like a muliticart, in that it has a bunch of Famicom games. There are a lot of games included that can be found on multicarts, like Super Mario Bros. and Kung Fu. The highlight in this plug and play is Super C. There are about 50 or 60 different games, while the rest are repeats. There is a slot on the bottom for Famicom cartridges. Sound emulation isn't quite accurate. The music in Super Mario Bros. sounds different, and it's faster (wonder if they used the PAL version, with NTSC emulation). Most of the games sound a little different. At least the picture quality looks good. The games look bright, and the colors are vivid. 8.Rockman X3 A bootleg, Sega Genesis version of Mega Man X3 that I remember recording videos of in 2009 (2008, actually...they were re-uploaded in 2009). It's based on the Saturn version, believe it or not. The boarders around the screen are from the Saturn version. Also, the second option on the title screen says "CONTINUE" (instead of "PASSWORD") like in the PS1, Saturn, and PC versions. Two bosses/Mavericks were removed. Collecting all of the Heart Tanks causes the game to crash There are multiple versions. Music differs depending on the version, as well as the Emulator used. I remember in 2008, I played the game on GENS and Zero's theme played in every level. Then I played it on Kega Fusion, and other music tracks played but they were mixed up (the music for Blizzard Buffalo's stage played in the opening stage, while the music for Gravity Beetle's stage played in Blizzard Buffalo's stage). The videos I recorded of this bootleg got a fair bit of attention in 2009, and were mentioned in news articles on some sites such as Rockman Corner. Rockman Corner news article: https://www.rockman-corner.com/2009/07/mega-man-x3-snes-vs-genesis-bootleg.html Press The Buttons news article: https://www.pressthebuttons.com/2009/07/mega-man-x3-for-sega-genesis-tries-hard-bless-its-heart.html 7.Sonic 3D Blast 5 A game that I played with one of my friends a few years ago on a Game Boy multicart (note: I'm silent and off-screen the entire video). We also played the Rockman 8 Game Boy bootleg below. The game isn't really anything like Sonic 3D Blast/Sonic 3D Flickies' Island, other than the opening having pictures of the opening from the Saturn and PC versions of Sonic 3D Blast. The game more closely resembles Sonic 1, 2, and 3, though that's being a little too generous. It has several glitches, the music is annoying, sometimes you can get stuck, and it takes a little while for Sonic to speed up. Still, I thought it was kind of interesting. 6.Rockman 8 Oh yeah, this game. I remember it. I found out about in on a Mega Man site called The Mechanical Maniacs in the mid 2000s. I bought it on eBay in 2013 or so. The opening has pictures of Mega Man 8's opening. This is followed by a Rockman 8 title screen, then a stage select screen with pictures of Mega Man and four of the Mega Man 8 bosses (Tengu Man, Frost Man, Clown Man, and Grenade Man). However, the names of the bosses are mixed up and after selecting a stage you see some of the bosses from Mega Man 3. None of the levels are actually from Mega Man 8, though they do have similar themes. If you select Mega Man's picture on the stage select screen, you go to an island stage sort of like the opening stage in Mega Man 8. There is a sky level, an ice level, a carnival kind of level, etc. Also, none of the bosses are from Mega Man 3 or Mega Man 8, and you don't get their weapons. The game is full of glitches. You can fall through platforms. If you shoot too many enemies, the other enemies don't even appear (except for the bosses). 5.Super Donkey Kong 2 (Donkey Kong Country 2) This is another bootleg I found out about on NES Player/Nintendo Player in the early 2000s, and bought on eBay much later (2016 I think). It contains only three levels, and only Diddy Kong is playable (Dixie Kong only appears on the title and ending screens). The levels have basically the same layouts as their SNES counterparts. The last level has one of the animal buddies from the SNES version: Rattly the Rattlesnake. The music tracks are recognizable and translated well to the NES, for the most part. 4.64 in 1 Multicart I bought this multicart from a certain Famicom enthusiast here on VGS (along with King Kong 2). This cartridge has hacked versions of several well-known games. One of the games is Dig Dug, but with Hello Kitty. There's an Arabian game, which is actually one of the games included on the Caltron 6 in 1 cartridge for the NES. The sound effects on the game selection screen, by the way, are the same as Action 52 (which uses a modified version of a menu from a different multicart that also uses the same menu sound effects). 3.Donkey Kong Country The now well-known bootleg of Donkey Kong Country from a company called Hummer Team. I made a video of it in November 2006 (the original video from that time is included in my compilation video), and it was one of my first hugely successful videos. The video was successful because this bootleg was unknown at the time, and many were surprised that it was good. Both DK and Diddy are playable. A bunch of levels from the SNES version are included, though several were removed. The graphics are some of the best on the NES. The Bonus areas and animal buddies were removed. Pretty impressive overall, and the best Donkey Kong bootleg I've seen. 2.110 in 1 Multicart Another bootleg I got from a friend, who found another 110 in 1 bootleg around the same time (one of which was bought at a retro game store). It's similar to the 64 in 1 above and even has the same menu, but it has more games. This cartridge contains both original versions (with modifications to the title screens) and hacked versions of games. One of the games included is The Goonies for the Famicom, which only got an American release on some Play-Choice 10 Arcade machines but was never officially released on the NES. There's a hacked version of Super Mario Bros. that changes the graphics to that of the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, but is the same otherwise. A hack of the original Pac-Man called "Super Pac-Man" (not like the actual Super Pac-Man game) changes some of the colors, speeds up the game, and is somewhat harder. One of the highlights is Antarctic Adventure, a Famicom game released only in Japan from Konami featuring a Penguin and levels with a pseudo 3D look similar to Rad Racer. Some other games include Galaga, Dig Dug, Gradius, Adventure Island, Mappy, Milon's Secret Castle, and two versions of Tetris (the Famicom version, and Tengen's NES version). Some of the games have strange titles on the game selection menu, like "Din Dun" (Dig Dug) and "Mario Bors II" (Super Mario Bros., with the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2's graphics). 1.Zook Hero Z and Rockman DX3 (a.k.a., Zook Hero 2) Couldn't decide which one I like most, so they both place 1st. They are similar to the Mega Man Xtreme games for Game Boy Color, but have ideas and features from the original Mega Man series as well. They're from a well-known (among bootleg collector's) company known as Vast Fame, and are part of a series (which extended to the Game Boy Advance). Both games use sound effects from Mega Man III, IV, and V for the original Game Boy. The music seems to be original in both, but sounds similar to the Mega Man games for the original Game Boy (it sounds like they use the same sound engine as those games). The music in these games js actually pretty good; noticeably better than a lot of other bootlegs. Zook Hero Z has a Cop who becomes a robot (gee, I wonder where they got that from). Rockman DX3/Zook Hero 2 has two playable characters like Mega Man Xtreme 2, but they're not X and Zero. The characters have Mega Man's slide and X's dash, and can also jump on walls like X and Zero. I remember watching a video of Rockman DX3 in 2007. There are multiple versions of the game. The one I saw in the video had all of the stages already completed and the final stage already accessible, you started at a checkpoint in some of the stages, and it reused the music from Zook Hero Z. Some versions are also compatible with the original Game Boy. In the version I have (complete with box and manual), the stages aren't cleared, the music is mostly different, you start at the beginning of the stages, there's a save feature, and it's for color Game Boy systems only. One issue with the version that I have is that the collision during boss battles is broken, so you can sometimes take damage even if the bosses shots don't touch you. Regardless, the games manage to be more playable than many other bootleg's and seem more professionally made. Honorable Mentions Kool Kidz Another plug and play. This has 15 games that are rip-offs of well-known NES and Arcade games, like R.C. Pro Am and Space Invaders. One of the included games is "Big Racing", which is a rip-off of two games: R.C. Pro Am and Micro Machines. The title screen has the R.C. car from R.C. Pro Am II's title screen. The game has an overhead view like Micro Machines (rather than the isometric kind of view R.C. Pro Am as), and the score info and map look similar to the first R.C. Pro Am. The game uses sound effects from R.C. Pro Am and Micro Machines (NES version). One of the other included games is Space Castle, which is a rip-off of Space Invaders. It uses sound effects from the NES version of Gradius. Super Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong Land) A Famicom bootleg version of Donkey Kong Land. I recorded a video of it in 2007. There are five levels (well technically fifteen, but the other ten are repeats). The music is from Donkey Kong Country (first one). DK and Diddy are both playable, and they have their signature moves (roll and cartwheel). It looks and sounds reasonably good for a bootleg, but has some issues (besides the limited amount of levels). The game is kind of slow, When you climb ropes and move from one rope to another, there's a bit of a delay (DK also looks weird when moving to another rope). The animations are choppy compared to the official version of the game for the Game Boy. There's kind of a funny part in the second level. There's a kremling ("Kritter") who's just walking in one area. If you move away and just leave him, he just sort of walks out of the level. Conclusion There you go, I play and collect bootlegs too (and also have others not listed here). Which isn't too surprising, because I've been collecting imports for decades. That wraps up MegaMan52 blog #28. Thanks for reading. -MegaMan52

7/10 I've played it in Sonic Gems Collection (and still do on occasion), along with Vectorman 2. The actual game, honestly, isn't that great, but still reasonably good. It didn't really do anything new, and it can be a little frustrating at times. The default controls are a little weird (A and B to shoot and C to jump, X to jump in Sonic Gems Collection), but at least the game has an option to configure the controls. I don't know, I guess I just prefer pressing B (Genesis) or A (GameCube) to jump. I do like Vectorman's fluid animations, and the game has a cool soundtrack (especially the music in the first level; I can listen to that for hours). Also, I like that you can move Vectorman around on the Sega logo screen.

Drinking an Orange Soda and using my NES Coasters.

I don't collect for one system in particular. I mostly buy imported games and games for NES, GameCube, and Switch, but occasionally PS1, PS3, Xbox 360, Game Boy, and Arcade games as well (got a Pac-Man Arcade1Up machine a month or so ago). Some examples:

3>5>4>6>2>1>11>7>8>10>9>MM&B Game Boy games (cause I can): V>IV>III>I>II

Introduction I'm guessing most of you who have read my blogs think I only like console and handheld games. Not so. I've visited numerous Arcades since the late '80s/early '90s, including Arcades in Theaters, Bowling Alleys, Airports, and Ferries, playing most of the better Arcade games like Pac-Man, Street Fighter II (don't remember which one), Ninja Turtles, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Cruis'n USA, San Francisco Rush, Mario Kart Arcade GP 1 and 2, Luigi's Mansion, and Super Monkey Ball, as well as Pinball games like Super Mario Bros., Time Warp, Jurassic Park, and Star Trek. I've known about Arcade1Up since 2018 or so. Besides the Internet, I've also seen these machines at Walmart, Costco, and several other stores. I purchased a Super Pac-Man Arcade1Up machine. This machine has seven games: Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Pac-Land, Galaga, Galaxian, and Dig Dug. I thought I'd talk about this machine, and share some stories about where I found out about the more obscure games. Super Pac-Man Arcade1Up Machine Artwork and Controls Most of the art on the machine is from the original Arcade release of Super Pac-Man from 1982. The bottom front of the machine has the logos of all of the included games. The marquee lights-up. There's a joystick (obviously), buttons for Pac-Mania, Pac-Land, Galaga, Galaxian, and Dig Dug, and buttons for playing alone or with two players. Like the original release of Super Pac-Man, the boarder around the screen has instructions (even still saying to insert a coin) and game tips. Menu and Settings Turn on the machine, and a video showing the Arcade1Up logo plays. This is followed by the game selection screen. Every game has adjustable settings, including lives and difficulty. I can remember some people complaining about the Pixel Smoothing that these machines include. There's an option to turn it off if you want the games to look more like they did when they were originally released in the '80s. The Games Pac-Man We all know about this game. I don't have much to say about it. It appears to be basically the same here as in Pac-Man Museum +, with the title screen being updated to say BNEI (Bandai Namco Entertainment, Inc.) instead of "Namco" (or Bally Midway). Super Pac-Man \ The featured game on this machine, and a lesser-known game than the original Pac-Man. I found out about Super Pac-Man on a website called "The Pac-Page" (https://web.archive.org/web/20031204233134/http://www.classicgaming.com/pac-man/) in the early 2000s. Though it was released on some consoles in the '80s and later for the PS1 in Namco Museum Vol. 2, it wasn't released on nearly as many systems as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, or Pac-Mania. In the last decade or so, Super Pac-Man has been re-released more often and became more accessible, appearing as part of several Arcade 1Up machines, the Arcade Archives series, and Pac-Man Museum +. In this game, the goal is mainly to collect food instead of dots (though the Power Pellets are still in the game). Several keys appear in the mazes, which unlock rooms containing food and power pellets. Dots that transform Pac-Man into Super Pac-Man are one of this games' added features. While super, Pac-Man can pass through ghosts without being harmed and break through doors. After two or three mazes, a bonus round appears. These are like the regular mazes/rounds, except there's a time limit and there are no ghosts. Also, Pac-Man is already Super Pac-Man at the beginning. The more food you eat, the more points you get when the timer runs out. Collect all of the food, and you get even more points. The game also has some intermissions, like most other Pac-Man games from this era. Pac-Mania I rented the NES version of Pac-Mania in 1994 or so (still have the card from the store where I rented the game), and bought it years later. The first time I played the Arcade version of Pac-Mania was, technically, Pac-Man World 2 on GameCube (which I believe is a port of the PS1 version from Namco Museum Vol. 5 on PS1). I've also played it on various Namco Museum compilations, Pac-Man Collection for Game Boy Advance, and Pac-Man Museum + on Switch. This is another well-known Pac-Man game, and plays basically the same as the original except for the isometric view and the Pac-Man's added ability to jump. It's also one of my favorites. The version of Pac-Mania included on this Arcade1Up machine is the American release of the Arcade version, which has some differences compared to the Japanese release. For one thing, Jungly Steps is not selectable on the level select screen. If you choose to start on Pac-Man's Park or Sand Box Land, the game gives you a "Courage" bonus/extra points (which I remember from the NES version). The Japanese release has a few extra mazes that are basically repeats with the only difference being the addition of another ghost, which were removed in the American release. Another difference is that the American release adds a high score screen. I recorded playthroughs of the NES and Arcade version of Pac-Mania years ago. The latter was played in Namco Museum 50th Anniversary, and has over 200,000 views. Pac-Land Another lesser-known Pac-Man game, though it was released on more systems than Super Pac-Man. It predates Super Mario Bros. as the first side-scrolling adventure game. Like Super Pac-Man, I found out about Pac-Land on a website called "The Pac-Page." I was kind of surprised that the only Nintendo version of the game was the Famicom version, which I later bought. The Arcade version of the game wouldn't appear on a Nintendo system until 2022, when it was released as part of the Arcade Archives series and Pac-Man Museum +. Pac-Land, like Super Pac-Man, has also been included on various Arcade1Up machines. Pac-Land is unique in that it has some unusual controls. It is the only game included on this machine that doesn't use the joystick. The two buttons on the left move Pac-Man left or right, while one of the buttons on the right (the red "A" button) makes him jump. At the end of a level/round, you come to a screen with a Church and a sign that says "BREAK TIME." If you jump. you can get different amounts of extra points depending on how close you are to landing on the ground without touching it when the music stops. The maximum amount of extra points you can get here is 7650. At the end of every third round, Pac-Man enters "Fairy Land." Here, he's given some special shoes that allow him to jump in mid-air. Pac-Man Museum + (Switch) Super Pac-Man Arcade1Up Machine Oh and like the Arcade Archives release and Pac-Man Museum +, Ms. Pac-Man was changed to "Pac-Mom." The version of the game included in the Arcade1Up machine appears to be the American release of the Arcade version, which was slightly different than the Japanese release. The American release was based on the '80s Pac-Man cartoon, so Pac-Man looks a little different in the two releases. Pac-Man's nose in the Japanese release is bigger. The crosses on the Churches (shown in the "BREAK TIME" screens) were removed in the American release. The American release also added Pac-Man's two pets, shown when he returns home at the end of every fourth round. The version in Pac-Man Museum + appears to be the Japanese release, as Pac-Man's nose is bigger. Pac-Man Museum + (Switch) Super Pac-Man Arcade1Up Machine There's also an emulation issue in certain levels. The water appears blue and black, instead of just blue. This is not present in Pac-Man Museum +. Galaga Another well-known game, and the sequel to Galaxian. Galaga is the same here as it always was in Arcades, except for the title screen being updated slightly to say "BNEI" (Bandai Namco Entertainment, Inc.). In a sense, this Arcade1UP machine is like an Arcade version of Namco Museum. Like Pac-Man and Dig Dug, Galaga has been re-released so many times and there are so many versions of it. The NES version has appeared on bootleg NES multicarts, and the Arcade version has appeared on Namco Museum compilations, various Namco and Pac-Man Arcade machines, and the Ms. Pac-Man Plug and Play. Galaxian Galaga's predecessor, and Namco's (or Bandai Namco's) answer to Space Invaders. It too is well-known and has been re-released on numerous consoles, handhelds, and other Arcade machines. It's the same here as it's always been, complete with adjustable settings. Not much to say about it. Even if you haven't played it or don't remember it, you've probably seen Galaxians in other Namco games. They've appeared as items in several Pac-Man games, for example. Dig Dug I've played so many versions of Dig Dug. There's the Famicom version, Namco Museum compilations, NES multicarts, Dig Dug Arrangement, etc. I've even played a hacked version that has Hello Kitty on a 64 in 1 Famicom multicart that @fcgamer gave me. Because the Arcade version has a vertical screen, some versions have smaller screens or scroll vertically. The version included in this machine, of course, is the Arcade version and retains the original aspect ratio. I don't have much to say about Dig Dug either. It's still just as fun now as it was in the past. Conclusion For a little while there, Arcades seemed to be a thing of the past in the U.S. and Canada. Yet, they could still be found in Theaters, in Bowling Alley's, on Ferries, and some new Arcades have opened. And then Arcade1Up appeared, releasing numerous smaller Arcade machines and countertops, stools with Arcade art, accessories (like risers), and apparel. Then we get to the collector's, of which many are into Arcade games. Seems to me that Arcade gaming is still alive and well. Many '80s, '90s, and early 2000s Arcade games have been re-released on various compilations. This is good, because they're more accessible and people who play them on the Switch have the option to play them on the go. Some compilations, like Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, even have the option to play the Arcade Ninja Turtles games (as well as some of the console games) online. However, when it comes to Arcade games, nothing beats the authenticity of an Arcade machine, be it the original machines or these newer Arcade1Up machines. If you like Arcade games but don't have any Arcade machines, I highly recommend getting an Arcade 1Up machine (or multiple). Or, get one of the original machines if you're able to. -MegaMan52

Score: 23,600

Welcome. The NES is also my favorite game system. Nice Xbox.

Bonjour monsieur.

My Chuck E. Cheese "Chuck o' lantern." I'll take a better pic later, but you can click on the pic to see more details. Edit: Here's a better pic:

Beat Donkey Kong Country. Found all of the bonus areas in addition to beating all of the levels. This is a pretty impressive version of the game. All of the levels and bonus areas from the original are intact. The graphics are watered-down obviously, but are detailed for a Game Boy Color game. This version of the game is notable for its extra features. Among those features is an additional level called Necky Nutmare, which I recorded a video of and got through without getting hit (see video above). There are sticker packs hidden in some of the levels that unlock pictures, which can be printed with the Game Boy Printer (which actually works with the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Player, because they are compatible with Game Boy Pocket and Color Link Cables). Some levels have green bananas, indicating that a sticker is hidden nearby and can be found by using DK's hand slap. The game saves progress automatically, so instead of a save point Candy has Challenges that are basically variations of the bonus areas in the levels. You earn coins for winning these Challenges (I won them and got all six coins). There are some added minigames as well (one of which was updated and included in the GBA version). Many of the music tracks are from Donkey Kong Land, though they sound slightly different. Other music tracks, like the credits music, are Game Boy Color versions of Donkey Kong Country's music. The original music for the Stop & Go Station level (and similar levels) was removed, so the music from the Mine Cart levels plays instead. The snow levels play the "Ice Cave Chant" music, while the Slipslide Ride level plays the Kremlantis music from Donkey Kong Land. I had a lot of fun playing. Even in 8-bit, DKC is awesome (and so are the Donkey Kong Land games). Oh, and I played the game with a Hori Digital Controller. The controls are very similar to the SNES version. A is jump, B is for doing rolls/cartwheels, and X/Select are for switching between DK and Diddy.

I've been playing my Arcade1Up Super Pac-Man machine that I bought earlier this month. Pretty cool machine, but I noticed that the water in Pac-Land looks a little weird. Pac-Man Museum + doesn't have this issue. Arcade1Up Super Pac-Man 7 in 1 Pac-Man Museum + (Switch)

October is usually a very busy month for me, not only because of the usual things that I have to do (like work), watching horror movies, Halloween, and buying video games and related items, but also because it is the month of my Birthday. First, here are some things I've bought in the last few weeks: Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyeDrt5AyjZ/ Local purchase. I bought an Arcade1Up Super Pac-Man Arcade machine. It includes these games: Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Pac-Land, Galaga, Galaxian, and Dig Dug. There are options included for every game, including an option to turn pixel smoothing on or off. It looks basically new, and the seller included the box, manual, riser, and other parts. Got Season 5 of Cobra Kai. Also a local purchase. Got Top Gun: The Second Mission for the NES, fully complete and in near-mint condition (the styrofoam is inside the box). The box still has the wrapping and hangtab. While the game itself may not be that great, it is still nice buying something for my favorite game system again. An '80s Chuck E. Cheese Token. This one is Canadian; the other side of the Token is in French. And now, my Birthday... I contacted my family and told them I was interested in having my Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. This was my second time celebrating my Birthday there, as I had my Birthday there last year. This was the same location I went to last year. Since I'm in Canada, it still hasn't been updated to the 2.0 remodel that many U.S. locations have now. But, it still has modern features like cards and wristbands, E-Tickets, the option to order food from a table, etc. There aren't any Chuck E. Cheese locations near where I live, so it was kind of a long drive. But it was worth it, because I got to see my family. Also, like last year, I was there on my real Birthday (not before or after). Just a quick note, Chuck E. Cheese is fine for adults. They don't have an age limit for Birthday Parties, and if you don't believe me you can go to the FAQ section on their website and see for yourself: https://www.chuckecheese.com/faqs/birthday-parties/. They also serve Beer and Wine (which I don't drink; I had orange soda). Also, I don't believe adults are too old to play video games or eat pizza. I brought my card and blue Play Band that I got last year, but was asked if I wanted a new Play Band. They gave me a red one with points on it for playing the games. They made a pumpkin-shaped pepperoni pizza. The top has a "stem" crust, and the middle has eyes and a smiley face. I've noticed that the pizza at Chuck E. Cheese gets mixed reviews. Everytime I've been there, the pizza tastes and smells really good. Stuffed crust only makes it better. I got to sing, dance, and get a photo-op with the mouse himself (notice the fangs). I don't dance much, but the Birthday dance at Chuck E. Cheese isn't very difficult. I wore a Chuck E. Cheese Birthday shirt and hat, both of which I bought earlier this year. There were multiple cameras and phones being used, so sometimes I had to turn and didn't always know where to look. I bought some of their limited edition Halloween merchandise, including a Vampire Chuck E. Cheese plush and a light-up cup. I remember these were mentioned on the website last year, but they didn't have any left on my Birthday. Luckily, they still had some left this year. Got some cotton candy too. They also gave me a Birthday card. I was given two bonus tickets worth a thousand tickets each, and more tickets from using the Ticket Blaster (wind tunnel). I used the tickets on this Tails toy (which also includes cards), as well as the cotton candy shown above. I got a Knuckles toy there during the summer. I took home what was left of the pumpkin pepperoni pizza. We also ordered two other pizzas that my family took home with them. And, of course, I got a chocolate cake with a picture of Chuck E. Cheese on it (same as last year). Took home a few slices. For presents, I was given a book with a collection of some of the original Ninja Turtles comics from the '80s.

Beat Mickey's Chase. So it's pretty similar to Super Mario Bros. 2, M.C. Kids, and, of course, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers in that you throw blocks at enemies. The game is pretty easy until Stage 5-1, then it gets a little tough. However, the battle with Pete is pretty simple once you know the pattern. You just jump on the block, then jump over three balls, move underneath him to the right (don't jump), wait for him to jump to the left, grab a block, turn right, throw it at him, and repeat until he's defeated. Alternatively, you could try ducking instead of jumping but it doesn't always work (you can still sometimes get hit when ducking).

Beat Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. That's ten games in the last month or so.

Beat Tony Hawk's Underground 2. As a direct sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground, it features your created skater (now a pro) entering a "World Destruction Tour" with two teams: Team Hawk and Team Bam. You switch teams on occasion. The tour includes Boston, Barcelona, Berlin, Australia, and Skatopia, among others. Your created skater has his own set of goals, but they aren't enough to move onto the next level. You have to find your teammate (such as Chad Muska or Mike V, depending on who you choose at the beginning of a level) to unlock a new set of goals. There are also guest and secret skaters (such as Jesse James), some of whom use scooters, go karts, or other vehicles instead of skateboards and also have their own set of goals. Every level has an Arcade machine that allows you to get high scores within a time limit (the amount of points required to complete the goal gets higher with each level). The Arcade machines play sound effects from Pitfall on the Atari 2600. The high score list for Skatopia has a hidden message; the "initials" form a message that celebrated Neversoft's tenth anniversary at the time (their tenth anniversary is also mentioned in the credits). All of the create-a-modes from previous Tony Hawk games are included. This game adds create a graphic. Your created graphic appears when you spray paint walls, or do sticker slaps (wallplants). Other additions include Classic mode, Focus control, and freaking out. Classic mode has the same levels as Story mode, but the goals are from earlier Tony Hawk games like collect the S-K-A-T-E letters and find the Secret Tape. Filling up your special meter and pressing the L button activates focus control, which slows things down and makes it more likely that you'll pull off and land tricks more accurately. Pressing the Y button when you screw up fills up a meter, allowing you to get pissed off. Whether you're playing as your created skater or a teammate, their anger increases and they do different things depending on how full the freak out meter (like throwing their boards, or breaking them with their heads). The game also has a large number of returning levels and unlockable characters. Some of the returning levels include the Warehouse from the first THPS, and Canada from THPS3. One of the unlockable characters is Shrek. I am not making that up. The soundtrack has over 50 songs, including Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and Metallica's "Whiplash". I didn't really care much for the destruction or the Jackass vibe the game has. And sometimes the game is just plain ridiculous. In Barcelona, for example, you throw a tomato at a bull and then it escapes its cage, damages part of the city, and leaves piles of crap all over the place. These things don't ruin the game or make it less fun, though. Still fun after almost twenty years.

Downloads this week. I'm gonna receive some packages next month, so I'll add some more exciting stuff to my collection then. Downloaded F-Zero 99 near its release. Downloaded the newest update for Sonic Frontiers, which adds a ton of content and improvements. I need to get back to playing this before Sonic Superstars is released. It's been a few months. So I bought the physical release of Sonic Origins Plus on Switch in the summer. The physical release actually only contains the regular Sonic Origins on the card, with a code to download the Plus content. The Plus DLC adds the twelve Sonic Game Gear games. I don't really need these because I have Sonic Adventure DX and Sonic Gems Collection, as well as some of the original cartridges. Also, gotta love the inaccurate descriptions for some of the games. Sonic 1 on Game Gear is not a port of the Genesis version, it's a different game with different levels and (mostly) different music. The Plus content also adds Knuckles as a playable character in Sonic CD and Amy as a playable character in Sonic 1, 2, CD, and 3 & Knuckles, which were the main reasons why I downloaded it. A Sega Master System version of Mega Man 2 (homebrew). It has the opening and the first eight levels, but it wasn't completed. There are no enemies in the levels, and it's impossible to reach the end of some of the levels. For example, the blocks in Heatman's stage don't appear. On the other hand, the music is really good and some of it actually sounds better than the NES version (like Metalman's stage). For some reason, though, Airman's stage has the music from Spark Mandrill's stage (Mega Man X). Downloaded a proof of concept version of Sonic the Hedgehog for GBA. It has all of Green Hill Zone, part of Labyrinth Zone, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are playable, and the music sounds almost identical to the Genesis version. So what's the point of this? Well, it proves that Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (the official GBA version) could've been better. Downloaded Mega Man 3 Revamped. There's a hack called Mega Man 3 Improvement that adds a lot of things that were cut from the regular Mega Man 3, such as a planet near the beginning of Gemini Man's stage, an unused version of the Dr. Wily escape scene with more detailed backgrounds and the full version of the Dr. Wily Fortress map music, and the full version of Protoman's theme during the ending. Improvement also adds an opening, reduces lag, adds the ability to switch weapons on the fly, and fixes bugs. I recorded a video of Mega Man 3 Improvement and uploaded it on the day of Mega Man 3's 30th anniversary. Mega Man 3 Revamped is an updated version of Mega Man 3 Improvement, with most of the same changes. It makes some adjustments to the stage layouts, fixes more bugs than Improvement, and has some more detailed backgrounds. The background in Top Man's stage, for example, resembles the more detailed background that was used in beta versions of Mega Man 3.

Nice. So a few months before the slim PS one. Do you have the launch model (SCPH-1001)? That one really takes me back to that era, so I bought one several years ago along with a longbox copy of Rayman. If you don't have it, I recommend getting it. Or get the Japanese launch model (SCPH-1000).

Beat Deja Vu I & II: The Casebooks of Ace Harding. Deja Vu I: I usually play the NES version. This version has icons instead of text for its interface. The NES version was heavily censored, but this version is censored even more. Joe's Bar is called Joe's Place in this version. At the beginning of the game, the text about Ace being injected with something in the NES version was removed. That's not the only text that changed, though. There are text differences throughout. I do like the updated visuals. The GBC version has a darker, grittier look than the NES version. Most of the music is intact, and all of the areas and rooms have the same music that plays in the NES version. One difference I noticed, though, was in Ace's office (or when you're in front of the door). After shooting the guy behind the door, the same music keeps playing (the music that plays when you find the dead guy near the beginning). In the NES version, after shooting the guy in Ace's office, different music (the Deja Vu theme) plays. In the GBC version, the music in the section doesn't change after shooting the guy unless you leave and come back. So unless you know to do that, this version makes you listen to some obnoxious music while you gather files in Ace's office. The NES version's end screen showing Ace Harding was removed, unfortunately. Instead, there's some text on a black screen saying what happens after Ace's victory and then Deja Vu II starts. The ending music is still in the game, but it only plays in Deja Vu II. The NES version got me into detective movies and shows, such as Dick Tracy. Deja Vu II: I remember this was supposed to be released for the NES in 1993, under the title "Ace Harding: Lost in Las Vegas", and saw screenshots of it in Nintendo Power. It is the main reason why I bought Deja Vu I & II on Game Boy Color several years ago. Not surprisingly, the sequel is basically like the first game but with new places to go (as well as some locations from the first game). Near the beginning of the game, you can play Poker and earn chips. This is an easy way to make money for train rides. Riding in Cabs is free in this game. Train rides, as mentioned above, are another mode of transportation in this game. However, you can't just get on one. You have to read the schedule in the Train Stations to find out when the Train you need to get on is arriving (or if its boarding), and which track it is on. You get to see Ace's rundown apartment at one point in the game. You also get to visit some of the same areas as the first game. Like the first game, the GBC version of Deja Vu II is heavily censored. Joe's Bar is once again called "Joe's Place", for example. It wouldn't surprise me if this version is also even more censored than the unreleased NES version, like how the first game is more censored than the NES version. I hope the unreleased NES version is found someday. I wouldn't mind playing it.

I've seen all of them up to Casino Royale (2006), and have the 24 movie collection on Blu-ray that came out a few years ago. I also have GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough on VHS. As for which is my favorite, that was kind of a tough decision. Goldfinger is memorable for some of its famous lines, like "Do you expect me to talk?" followed by "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!". I remember Thunderball being longer than most of the others, running at about two and a half hours. It wasn't a bad movie, but kind of dragged on. On Her Majesty's Secret Service stood out to me because it was the first movie Sean Connery didn't play Bond, the only time George Lazenby played Bond, and Bond gets married only to lose his wife at the end of the movie. I enjoyed You Only Live Twice mostly for the fact that Donald Pleasence (Dr. Loomis from Halloween) played Biofeld. The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker were fun to watch because they have Jaws, who is probably my favorite of the Bond villains. Jaws also appears in Everything or Nothing for GameCube (which also includes both Brosnan's likeness AND voice). And then we get to the Brosnan era, with movies like GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough. Tough call, but I guess I'll pick GoldenEye as my favorite. It's a good mix of humor ("Beg your pardon, I forgot to knock!" WHAM!), action, and is long enough without being overly long like Thunderball. This was the era, in my opinion, where the Bond movies went from good to really good.

Don't think I've seen Somari with that label before. Nice find.

Beat Tony Hawk's Underground. I still remember all the hype this game had twenty years ago. I read about it in Nintendo Power (still have the issues that I read twenty years ago), as well as on sites like Planet Tony Hawk and the official Tony Hawk's Underground site (which had not only pics and videos, but also a music player with songs not featured in the game except for one). The series peaked with this game, and many were talking about it. The first major new feature this game has over previous games is the story mode (instead of a Career mode) that stars your own created skater (who is suppose to be you) going from a local unknown skater to a pro. Then there's getting off your board, allowing you to run and grab ledges and wires, or climb up ladders. In addition to having the Create-a-Skater and Park Editor from previous games (both of which are improved and have added features), this game introduced the Create-a-Trick, Create-a-Deck, and Create-a-Goal modes. You can also drive a bunch of vehicles. There are also some extra things you can do in the levels for fun. For example, Vancouver (Canada) has a skating rink with a puck and nets. You can get on the ice and kick the puck into the nets (the game will also let you know that you scored a goal). Also, you gotta love the logos and ads spread around in the levels. Like a McDonald's ad in the Hawaii level that shows a BIg Mac meal. Oh yeah, I remember the option to "super size" drinks and fries. I also remember Super Size Me came out the same year. There are eight main levels, and four unlockable levels. Three of the unlockable levels are from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2: Hangar, School, and Venice. The soundtrack has a whopping 77 licensed songs, two of which are unlockable KISS songs. Besides the THPS2 levels, there's also another secret level called "Hotter than Hell" (love that this game is mostly uncensored BTW, which further proves that the GameCube wasn't and isn't just for kids). There are letters in the level that spell "KISS". If you touch all the letters, a KISS music video plays. If you touch the letters again, the band will appear in the level (the level has a stage) and play "Rock 'n Roll All Night" complete with most of the things you'd expect from a concert (flames, cheering, etc.). I think the classic Tony Hawk games are still a lot of fun. The graphics in the game aren't the greatest (even for 2003), but I do like that the game has Progressive Scan and Widescreen support. It also sounds damn good on my Sound Bar and Subwoofer.