MegaMan52

Beat Winnie the Pooh's Rumbly Tumbly Adventure. Thought I might as well. The credits don't appear after beating the game. The only way to view them is by going to the options screen.

Not surprisingly it is basically like Piglet's Big Game, except Pooh is the protagonist (like he usually is). Instead of cookies, there are honey pots hidden in every area of the levels/stories. I found every honey pot, as shown in the pics.

Piglet and Tigger are occasionally playable, and they do what they did in Piglet's Big Game: Piglet scares Heffalumps and Woozles, and Tigger sneaks by them without being noticed. Eeyore is also playable in this game (with Pooh riding on him).

Instead of having clips from a movie, this game has unlockable minigames. I unlocked those too, and beat the game 100%. Roo is playable in the minigame mode.

The game is overall shorter and easier than Piglet's Big game, with only five levels/stories.

BTW @Jeevan, the list could use an update.

Taking a break from the awesomeness of the consoles' T and M rated games, I beat Piglet's Big Game.

There are cookies hidden in every area of most of the levels. As you can see in the pics, I got all of the cookies. The cookies are used as money to unlock different faces Piglet can make to scare Heffalumps and Woozles.

If you re-visit a level, you play a sort of minigame called "The Bravest of them all". Normally, when visiting a level, Piglet has to face his fears and scare Heffalumps and Woozles. When re-visiting a level, the enemies become afraid of Piglet and all you have to do is run up to them (but within a time limit). After clearing the enemies, a bottle appears. After clearing all the enemies and collecting all of the bottles, a message saying "YOU ARE THE BRAVEST OF THEM ALL" appears indicating that the level is complete.

So yeah, in other words, I beat the game 100%.

Clearing levels unlocks the games' cutscenes. There's also a Projector that includes some clips from Piglet's Big Movie.

Played and beat several original Game Boy games this year. Played them on the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Player, Switch Game Boy App, and a compilation. Beating the Extra Game mode in Kirby's Dream Land, getting 100% in Kirby's Dream Land 2 (both on the original cartridge played on the Game Boy Player, and on the Switch), beating Mega Man III, and beating all of the levels and getting all of the secrets in Donkey Kong Land 3 were probably my best Game Boy accomplishments this year.

Beat Splinter Cell: Double Agent, so all of the Splinter Cell games released for the console are completed. Mission complete.

As expected, it is very similar to Chaos Theory. Most of Chaos Theory's added features, such as the OCP on the Pistol, being able to save anywhere in a level, EMF vision ("blue vision"), and a Co-op mode, are included in this game. There are, of course, some new features.

The first new feature is that, in some levels, Sam Fisher has partners. They can give him boosts (or he can give them boosts) to reach higher areas. 

Then there's the Trust Meter. In addition to the NSA, Fisher also works for the JBA (John Brown's Army) in this game. Completing primary, secondary, and opportunity objectives causes the meter to move either left or right. If it's in the middle, both employers will be neutral. But if the meter is closer to the left or right, then one of them will think you're suspicious. If the meter is all the way the left or right, then one of them will think you can't be trusted. If that happens, you'll have to complete an objective within a time limit and get to a certain area in the level you're in (this area is highlighted on the level's map, which can be found on your Opsat). Make it before time runs out, and you'll be trusted again.

Sometimes, the game requires you to make some big decisions. The decisions you make can change certain things. They don't just affect the Trust Meter, but can also change the story or make missions easier or harder.

While Double Agent is a good game, I don't like it quite as much as the previous three games. And, honestly, it seems like less effort was put into this port compared to the previous three games. The first three Splinter Cell games have Progressive Scan support and GBA Connectivity, and Chaos Theory also includes widescreen support. This game doesn't have any of those. There are no exclusive weapons like the first Splinter Cell, no added sections to any of the levels like Pandora Tomorrow, and no Collector's Edition release like Chaos Theory (the Xbox 360 version did get a Collector's Edition release). Despite that, it is still fun and a reasonably good finale for the console. In my opinion, it is the last really good game in the series. I even prefer this version over the 360 version, because it is closer to being like the previous three SC games.

There is a secret music track in the first level that is not in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Check out my video above if you want to listen to it. Also, if you have the patience to sit through the credits, a cool video plays showing the game's levels and some of Fisher's moves. 

I have Splinter Cell: Essentials on PSP and Splinter Cell: Conviction on PC. I like those games too, but the series changed after Double Agent and those games just aren't as fun as the first four games. Conviction, for example, has less stealth and more action. Irving Lambert, Fisher's boss and best friend, dies in Double Agent. And Sam Fisher himself is just different in Conviction. But of course, I'll eventually play through those games as well. I've beaten the first four Splinter Cell games multiple times, and I should probably play through the others soon.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is complete.

This is probably my favorite game in the series. They took what was great about the first two and basically perfected it. Sam Fisher now has a knife, which can not only be used on guards but also to break open locked doors. There's a new water kill move. If you stand in some water, you can grab a guard standing at the edge and drown him. The Pistol now has an OCP, which replaces the Cam Jam from the first two games and allows you to temporarily disable cameras. With the Cam Jam, you needed to keep facing a camera. With the OCP, you just point the Pistol at a camera and press the L button to temporarily disable a camera. You can then safely move past the camera and not make noise. The OCP can also be used to disable lights. There's also EMF vision, a.k.a. "blue vision", that allows you to see cameras and lasers more clearly, making it more likely you'll aim your Pistol right at them and not miss them with the OCP. The other big improvement is that you can save anywhere in a level, instead of just at checkpoints or after completing a level. By pausing the game and choosing the save option, you can start exactly where you left off when you load your progress the next time you play. There's also a Co-op mode in addition to the main Solo campaign. The game has both Progressive Scan (yes, I actually have the GameCube's Component Cable) and Widescreen support, and looks reasonably good even on an HDTV. 

As in Pandora Tomorrow, your goggles vision can be changed by pressing a direction on the Control Pad. This is more convenient than cycling through them with the Z button like the first game. You can also still whistle to get a guards' attention.

Amon Tobin's soundtrack is pretty much perfect. The music is so good, I actually got the soundtrack on CD.

The GBA Connectivity is included again, and it was updated.

I like that Ubisoft gave the GameCube version a Collector's Edition release like the other versions. They cared.

12 minutes ago, MiamiSlice said:

My dude the amount of driving you did and time spent.... that's gotta factor into your cost somehow

I had a feeling someone was going to say that. At least I had other things to do to make my trips more worthwhile (Monster Jam, for example). No way I was doing all that driving just for a Funko Pop figure.

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is complete.

Since first playing this game in 2006 or so, I've appreciated the many new features and improvements it has over the first Splinter Cell. There's the SWAT Turn, being able to draw your weapon while hanging upside down pipes, and whistling to get guards' attention. Night Vision and Thermal Vision are now activated by pressing a direction on the Pad, which is more convenient than cycling through them with the Z button in the first one. The GBA Connectivity from the first Splinter Cell is also included. I also like that Ubisoft added a section at the beginning of the jungle level (Kundang Camp) to this version. The GBA pic below shows a map of the added section of that level.

It took a lot of looking around to find this. Oh sure, I could've easily bought it on eBay. But I would've had to pay $45-$50 because of the shipping.

I checked over fifteen stores and three malls in two months. First place I went to was Walmart. They had a very small selection. It didn't surprise me that they didn't have this one. Then I went to Toys 'R Us. They have quite a large selection of Funko Pops, but don't have this one. The guy I talked to wasn't even aware that Chuck E. Cheese is still around in Canada. I noticed Best Buy had some Funko Pops online, so I went there next. They didn't have any at the store, but the guy I talked to suggested I try GameStop and Hot Topic. I went to GameStop. They too have a lot of these. I talked to a lady and asked her if they had this one, but Chuck E. Cheese wasn't even on their Computer. 

I decided that I needed to drive to some larger cities. After two hours of driving, I went to a mall and found some stores that sell Funko Pops. I asked the lady at the first place I went to in this mall, and she said they actually did have the Chuck E. Cheese Funko Pop but only got about three of them and sold out quickly. I went back to this store recently; I'll get to that in a minute. I went to another store in the same mall. There were two guys there. They had probably the largest selection I had ever seen up to that point, but the guy I talked to didn't know there was a Chuck E. Cheese Funko Pop. The other guy told him "yeah, there is." They didn't have it, though. Darn. That was last month.

I went to a different mall recently, and found Hot Topic. Their selection was kind of small. Didn't see Chuck E. Cheese. I didn't ask about it and just left the mall, because it was very busy. There was another Hot Topic location about an hour away. Instead of driving all that way, I just decided to call them. I talked for a little while and they checked their inventory. They didn't have it. Good thing I called instead of driving all that way.

I went back to the mall I went to last month and went to the store that got three or so of the Chuck E. Cheese Funko Pops. I asked if they had gotten more in, and was told they didn't. The guy there knew what I was talking about, though. This store had another location down south, and the guy asked me if I wanted him to call the store and find out if they had the Chuck E. Cheese Funko Pop. I said yes. The person at the other location said to the guy that they don't have any, but that this location (the one I was in) had one left. So the guy looked in the back. He couldn't find it. He then looked underneath the counter, and found it. One left, and it was hiding. I wonder if it was there when I visited last month. Anyway, I bought it. It was less than $20. I saved $25-$30 buying it at that store instead of on eBay.

I assume this Funko Pop is easier to find in the U.S.

Making use of a Summer Pass I got earlier in the Summer, I went back to Chuck E. Cheese. I've been collecting Chuck E. Cheese character cups for a while now and only needed the Helen Henny and Pasqually cups. The Chuck E. Cheese location I visited is one I've visited many times since last year. Some of the staff recognize me and know I like going there, playing games and buying merch. I brought my collector's cup (the plastic cup in the picture), but the lady, knowing that I've bought a lot of Chuck E. Cheese goodies there, gave me the Helen Henny and Pasqually cups. I now have a complete set.

Even though I have a complete set of Chuck E. Cheese character cups, it still seems a bit incomplete because there are actually six main characters now. The sixth main character is a bunny named Bella.

After playing some games at Chuck E. Cheese, I noticed they had some Sonic the Hedgehog toys in their Gift Shop. This one cost 1500 Tickets. When I got the Summer Pass earlier this year, I got a gift of 500 Tickets. I hadn't redeemed those yet, so I opened up the App and noticed I had less than an hour left to redeem them. So I got the Tickets and used them on this toy (which also includes two collector cards). I didn't have 1500 Tickets, so I used cash and got the toy/cards for $5 off thanks to those Tickets.

Beat the PAL release of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell on GameCube. Made use of the GBA Connectivity feature (which shows maps and guard locations) and weapon that are exclusive to the GameCube version of the game. The GBA Connectivity can also be used to unlock levels in the GBA version.

Beat Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Origins Plus on Switch (played the Anniversary mode) and unlocked the Mirror mode. I like the added cutscenes that play at the beginning and ending, and the addition of not only the Spin Dash but also the Drop Dash.

I buy bootlegs because some of them are cool while others are just plain weird. I've gotten some bootlegs in the past, AFTER buying the real thing, knowing they are bootlegs.

Bootleg

Official release

Haven't been fooled. Look how cheap looking the bootleg is, and how the art on the label is zoomed in/cutoff. Oh and look at the top of the bootleg cartridge; it says "GAME". Also note that the bootleg has the "Official Game Boy Game Pak" symbol on it. I still knew it was a bootleg. Bought the bootleg after buying the official release.

I remember seeing a GBA DKC2 repro/bootleg on eBay a decade or so ago with a blue label. Didn't buy it. It was the only one with a blue label on eBay at the time, so I knew it couldn't have been a real one. Still could've bought it anyway, but didn't and just got the official release instead.

One of the repros I bought was Resident Evil 2 on GBA. I knew before I bought it that it was a repro, not just because it doesn't have the Nintendo Seal of Approval but also because the GBA version was canceled (like the GBC version of the first Resident Evil). I bought it anyway because the prototype is obviously hard to come by.

Still, I look closely before buying games. If it's a released game and looks basically identical to an official copy on the outside, I may ask sellers to open the cartridges before buying. Some sellers already open cartridges and provide pictures without being asked.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is complete.

Last year, I played through the American release (backlog challenge). This time, I decided to play through the PAL release for something a little different (not a whole lot different, but a little). I made use of the GBA Connectivity (which shows maps and guard locations, and beeps to warn you that a guard is nearby) and weapon that are exclusive to this version of the game.

Guess I might as well beat the sequels (Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory, and Double Agent) if no one else is going to. I've beaten those games before, and I know I can beat them again. Just hope I have the time. Took me a while to play the first one again, due to my busy schedule.

Got Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Local purchase.

Got Little Big Planet on PS3, with case, manuals, and guide.

Got Killzone 2 for free from the same seller who sold me Little Big Planet.

Downloaded Orn, a Game Boy Advance homebrew from Tom Happ (Axiom Verge) that is based on the original Metroid for NES.

These posters aren't new additions to my collection. I was looking through some issues of Nintendo Power that I've had for over a decade and decide to put up these posters: Jurassic Park (NES. SNES, and original Game Boy), Street Racing Syndicate (GameCube), and Spider-Man 2 (GameCube).

Went to Monster Jam. Watched the entire show, and also got a Grave Digger toy.

I'll remember it as the first Nintendo console that disappointed me somewhat, despite having a handful of good games (Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3). It's full of shovelware, more than a lot of other Nintendo systems. I was very disappointed by the lack of a Star Fox, F-Zero, and all-new Pikmin game on the console. I didn't care for the flipped environments in the Wii version of Twilight Princess, and got (and still have) the GameCube version. The console was so underpowered compared to PS3 and Xbox 360 that it either got completely different or heavily watered down games, or missed out on certain games entirely. The Pac-Man World games on GameCube are pretty good, and I was hoping for something similar on the Wii. But nope. A whopping four years after the console was released, the Wii got Pac-Man Party (as if it didn't have enough of those kinds of games already). Sonic 4 Episode 2 and Sonic Generations were planned for the Wii, but the Wii versions were canceled. Disappointing, since Sonic was a huge deal on the GameCube.

Like the Wii U, many of the Wii's better games are on the Switch or 3DS with added content. Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda: Skyward Sword, Sonic Colors, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Okami, Mega Man 9, and Mega Man 10 are all on the Switch. Heck even some of the Wii's more gimmicky games were ported to the Switch and remastered in HD, like Pac 'n Roll Remix and Pac-Motos (from Namco Museum Remix) which are included in Pac-Man Museum +. The 3DS got Donkey Kong Country Returns with more levels. It also got Kirby's Epic Yarn.

I beat Super Paper Mario last year in the Spring, and haven't played the Wii since. It's one of the least played consoles I have.

I'll always prefer the NES, SNES, N64, and GameCube, and despite some flaws I believe the Switch is also a far superior system than both the Wii and Wii U. I liked the Wii enough that I eventually bought one in 2012 and don't hate it, but I don't go back to it as much as most other Nintendo consoles.

On 8/4/2023 at 8:54 AM, drxandy said:

Thrift finds: the pacman ghost lights up / color changes and has a party mode that changes color to the beat. Thought it was cute for the game room.

Is that a Pixel Pals figure?

2 hours ago, drxandy said:

This week's gets!

A PS2 package from pup came through, with more fart! Added Shepard's crossing, taiko drum master(finally got the game since I found the drum thriftin a while back, heck yaaa), la pucelle tactics and samurai legend musashi (heck ya cel shaded styyyyle). Stellvia anime cards (had to Google to learn, haha) thanks again doooooood

Thrift stuff:

PSP go cable minus the figure 8, pacman ghostly adventures 2

Can't go wrong with Pac-Man. Haven't played the Ghostly Adventures games, but remember Pac-Man looked basically like that in Pac-Man Party for Wii.

2 hours ago, drxandy said:

don't let the clowns getcha.

Playing through the PAL release of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell on GameCube. Played through the American release last year (backlog challenge).

Also playing Sonic Origins Plus on Switch. I found Hidden Palace Zone in Sonic 2. Almost missed it...I got hit by that spiked ball and fell down to what is actually the entrance to Hidden Palace.

"Hey yo, who gave this guy a ****ing Bob-Omb?! You're in 1st place, where are you getting s**t?!" - Our "Great" Leader

"MegaMan's rude. He just...he's the worst." - Our "Great" Leader

"Ugh, MegaMan's always so good at this!" - FireHazard

"Everybody get MegaMan!" - FireHazard

"F**k off, MegaMan!" - Jeevan

"Dammit, MegaMan!" - Megamanfan

"MegaMan is so far ahead!" - drxandy

"Somebody get a Blue Shell!" - drxandy

"Screw you, MegaMan!" - SailorScoutMandy

"MegaMan, do you ever get tired of winning?" - SailorScoutMandy

Good times.

I was going to say Ristar, but since that has already been mentioned I guess I'll say Kirby Air Ride.

To critics, it was considered mediocre. However, many now believe it is a good game. It's worth mentioning that there is a Kirby Air Ride comic in an issue of Nintendo Power, two episodes of the Kirby: Right Back At Ya! anime (which are part of the Kirby: Fright to the Finish DVD) have vehicles from Kirby Air Ride, and there is a cool Kirby Memory Card that came out in Japan. And the game hasn't been forgotten, as music from the game is included in several Smash Bros. games (including Ultimate) and there are also Kirby Air Ride "treats" in Kirby's Dream Buffet.

Other games that I wish would've gotten sequels are Diddy Kong Racing (Donkey Kong Racing and Diddy Kong Racing Adventure were canceled, while Diddy Kong Pilot was turned into Banjo Pilot), and Mega Man Battle & Chase. At least Diddy Kong Pilot repro cartridges exist.

Here are some more codes. Again, some of these were found by others but the videos are mine. Also note that these codes are NTSC (U.S. and Canada).

NES 

Game Genie

Mega Man 3

I don't have any codes for this, but my video here shows an unused version of the Dr. Wily escape scene in Mega Man 3 which has more detailed backgrounds than the used version. Also note that the full version of the Dr. Wily Fortress map music plays. The scene is used the Mega Man 3 Improvement hack, which I have a playthrough of on my Channel.

Super Mario Bros. 3 

Map codes for Super Mario Bros. 3. Codes are shown in the video. Video recorded in 2008 (re-uploaded in 2009).

Original Game Boy

Game Genie 

Mega Man V

Unused Stage Music 1

5F0-BAB-3B3

11D-18E-4C2 

An unused music track that would've played in one of the game's stages.

Unused Stage Music 2 

660-BAB-3B3

11D-18E-4C2 

Another unused stage music track.

Source: The Cutting Room Floor

The game also has some music tracks from Mega Man IV (likely placeholders), and some cutscene music that is used but part of it is not heard normally. These music tracks can be heard in my video above. The game also has a Debug Mode that includes a sound test with all of the music including these unused music tracks.

GameCube

Action Replay 

Sonic Gems Collection

(Must be on)

(m)

MN0H-7NWM-W77V1
WNFM-3QFG-3DJA5
0JAW-RAVH-DE51A
GDZT-UH6W-A53CX
QE4M-MCM8-UYHKU
0W5Q-PPH2-UZV12
497M-M0CD-K5HBB
32WD-3B7R-0Y9Q1
W61M-TWWN-WV4MX
GHNZ-13X5-6DRFP
WHC0-3704-M47M2
QF1U-219N-Y0WNG
FXNA-XP9V-WXYWQ
72EJ-QC4T-7Z5VN
RRAH-D5YH-XB5JY

Japanese Soundtrack in Movies (Sonic CD)

MU4D-A3M5-DWN6M
35FX-F0CU-VK5YF
QEP0-8DW9-Q1KWC 

With this code, some of Sonic CD's Japanese soundtrack plays: "You Can Do Anything" plays in the opening, and "Cosmic Eternity - Believe in Yourself" plays in the ending.  

Source: Sonic CulT (http://web.archive.org/web/20070701024724/http://www.sonic-cult.org/dispart.php?catid=3&gameid=14&subid=4&artid=1)

Animal Crossing 

(Must be on)

(m)

5GRJ-4WPJ-P2B7F
0Y21-R1ZM-JAY4Z

Get Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda 

KACQ-Y14W-28PPX
7Y9B-5XMK-9A2XQ
GPG1-G8VJ-XK46C
08KK-BVZ6-1UTJF

Source: Code Junkies (http://web.archive.org/web/20031003095848/http://us.codejunkies.com/article.asp?c=US&cr=USD&cs=$&r=0&l=1&i=5362)

Got Tomb Raider (2013) on PS3.

Killzone 3 Helghast Edition on PS3.

Here are some Game Genie (NES and Game Boy), GameShark (Game Boy), and Action Replay (GameCube) codes I've used over the years. I also have videos of these codes in action. Some of these I found myself, while others are from The Cutting Room Floor. All of these videos are mine.

NES

Game Genie Codes 

Super Mario Bros. 

Note: The codes are listed in the order used in the video (recorded in 2009).

High jumps:
ZEVLGK

Code #1:
EIGPSK

Code #2:
OGOPOK

Code #3:
VGKOKK

Code #4:
ZAGPSK

Super Mario Bros. 3

Map, Level, and Music Codes

The codes are shown in the video.

Glitch Music

OOOVYU

Causes the game to play glitched level music. One thing I like about this code is that it kind of gives the spiked ceiling room in the World 1 Mini-Fortress its own music.

Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project

Japanese Mode

PEVNNYAA

Both the American and Japanese releases have both English and Japanese modes. When using this code, the title screen has a "2", the options screen (which usually requires a button code) is selectable on the title screen, and the text changes. Despite being released later, the American release is actually an earlier version of the game and lacks Japanese text. The Japanese version has both Japanese and English text.

Source: The Cutting Room Floor

Battletoads

Unused Music

YAOVYIAP

TTEEIYVT

Plays an unused music track on the title screen. May have been intended for the ninth level, Terra Tubes.

Mega Man 2 

Glitched Music

I've known about this since the early '90s. And if any of you have used the Game Genie with either Mega Man 1 or Mega Man 2, then you probably know about this too. Simply using the Game Genie and using one code (any code) causes the music to glitch. I recorded the soundtrack this way if anyone wants to have a listen.

Original Game Boy 

Game Genie

Donkey Kong Land

Unused Skyscraper Music

0F8-3EF-E62
9F8-40F-E6A
C18-41F-6EA

Unused Final Boss Music

128-3EF-E62
9F8-40F-E6A
C18-41F-6EA

Source: The Cutting Room Floor

GameShark

Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge

Unused Fireman Stage (Also Plays Unused Music)

01088CDF

GameCube 

Action Replay

Luigi's Mansion

Unused 2-Player Co-op Mode.

Resident Evil 4 Preview Disc

Debug Mode 

The newer Action Replay discs from 2007 include this code. Just select it, then swap the disc with the Resident Evil 4 Preview Disc. The Debug Mode has a lot of features, which are shown in the video above.

For more codes and unused content, check out these playlists on my YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@MegaMan52/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=8 

I may also post more codes here later.

Usually the Game Boy Player. I have the GameCube's Component cable and run the GBP in Progressive Scan. My GameCube is also hooked up to a Sound Bar, and many Game Boy games sound reasonably good on it. Like using the Wavebird Controller, and sometimes use a Hori Digital Controller or a GBA SP as a Controller.

However, occasionally I'll play original Game Boy games using a Game Boy Pocket or on the Switch via the Game Boy App (either TV mode or handheld mode) or in compilations like TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection. I prefer looking at most games, even Game Boy games, on a TV, but don't mind playing Game Boy games on a handheld once in a while.

The weather was decent, so I drove to a campground and roasted wieners. Also had S'mores.

Been about a year since I last bought any games for my GameCube(s), mainly because I already have 200+ games for it/them. Even so, it is an awesome console and I continue to buy games for it on occasion.

Got Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction, complete and in near-mint condition. While the main mode of this game is basically a battle mode, it also has a Mini-Game mode with Freestyle and racing. You know, the kinds of things you expect to see at Monster Jam.

Also got Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. I already have the full game of GT5, and decided that I might as well add Prologue to my GT collection.

(2022 pics, for those who don't believe that I have the full game of GT5)