So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

I'm surprised he managed to finish this one without selling it first

Pokemon Green (GB, 1996)


Due to a lack of 3DS, I ain't on the X & Y bandwagon, and in its place, opting to give a crack to what essentially is the beta to the Western releases of Red & Blue (The Japanese Blue, which followed two years after the Japanese Red & Green, in '98, became the template for what we got in 98/99 in US & EU).

Though essentially the same in terms of MO and presentation, it splits a number of differences with its Western counterparts. Most prolific of these is its outright glitchy-ness, and it ain't just a case of Missingno and its ilk. Two examples serving most demonstrative of it:

1. Most famous of which: you can clear the game in less than 20 minutes by exploiting warp glitches present in how the game loads data for an area; absurdly manifested in being entered into the end-game Hall of Fame with no badges or, more bafflingly, Pokemon.

2. By the pressing the 'select' button 3 times on certain menus, you can boost any Pokemon up to Lvl 100 by again exploiting data stored for move, item and evolution values. It comes at the expense of erasing a move; therefore you can have the ridiculous example of a lvl 100 Gyrados with no attacks, having evolved a level 10 Magikarp.

The sprites too got an overhaul in '98, redone from their primitiveness in the JP Red & Green. Though it's evident they're compromised due to the limitations of its system, and their reworking in Blue shows how the team had come to grips with the hardware, the pre-Modernized Japanese vibe they give off adds a brilliant bit of spookiness to game.

Couple of bits I'm looking forward to, namely the original Lavender Town soundtrack, which spawned a Creepy Pasta myth on infant suicides in Japan, and the original outline of Cerulean Cave, though it's less noteworthy, as it got reused and redone in the global release of the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes, instead of the one present in Red/Blue. I'd be further, but restarted from certain points to erase the impact of certain glitches, and to kick-in the now famous Mew-Glitch instead of having to wait 'til getting to Celadon.

Ultimately, it serves a fascinating insight into the development of an auld favourite/dependable, and adds a few new dimensions to what came later, and how it influenced design choices on the series as a whole going forward. Mind, the wife thinks it's pretty condemning of my use of free time when I can play a game in Japanese, despite having none at all, by using an over extensive knowledge of the game's format as cues.

TL;DR: You'd be amazed the lengths a man goes to avoid an essay given his lack of Pokemon X or Y.

Ikaruga in the cube. Trying to get them blasted chains together.

Now I know where that cap is.....

Andrew76 wrote: »

Managed a little time with ESP Ra. De. tonight, the shopping mall boss is tricky as his health decreases so slowly. Although it could be that I'm doing something wrong. That FrancoB headphone jack is brilliant, so handy for when everyone else is asleep.

Those headphone jacks are a feckin godsend. I've another one after arriving from FrancoB on Monday.

It's one of the fancy auto switching ones with a button plug. Really can't wait to set it up.

urbanledge wrote: »

Getting stuck into Espgaluda.
great game.Less stressful than Ibara thats for sure!
might have to add it to the collection at some stage!

Aye, I've heard it's more of a beginner shmup, have never played it myself. Might be good for a 1cc attempt.

By the way, do you find that many shmups come across as (dare I say it) 'easy' after playing Ibara for extended sessions?

I 1 cced the first 5 stages of XII Stag on my first attempt the other day. Never played it before. I'd been playing Ibara non stop before hand.

However, I have noticed something - I haven't been able to repeat that first attempt again. It's like Ibara boosts your shmups skills temporarily while you're playing and a little afterwards, but as soon as you stop, they begin to fade (

Was back at the cabs today for the first time in months, PGM mobo in the Aero and changing the four shmup carts fiercely as if it was a console :pac:

Got some good scores right of the bat :P

The Gladiator is stunning, it's the one cart I still want for PGM .