#1. March 1, 2015 Winning Game Playthrough/Discussion

[ctrl-alt-delete]

I'll be out of town for the beginning and I have to be up in three hours so I'm posting this in a hurry. If you guys have any issues you can hash them out amongst yourselves. If you have a copy of the original game or have it on virtual console or the like, feel free to play along with us and discuss without earning the achievements.

1. Make sure you've setup an account at Retro Achievements. (http://retroachievements.org)

2. Download the emulator via their website or download retroarch. (http://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.4.1/) If you use retroarch, within the program you can download the core you need. If the game is NES, use FCEUMM. (Do NOT use Nestopia as the achievements don't work with that core. If the game is SNES, use BSNES Mercury Accurate, Balanced(recommended), or performance depending on the specs of your computer. You should test these cores in advance.

3. If you have any achievements already for the game that is winning, you should delete them. You can do that here. (http://retroachievements.org/controlpanel.php) Scroll down to the bottom and select the winning game and delete them. @Gleeok (http://www.armageddongames.net/member.php?u=42714), this means you.

4. Decide whether you will be using hardcore achievements or regular and act accordingly. Hardcore blocks save states for those that want to play the game the way it was meant to be played. You'll also get double achievement points at RA.

5. Discuss the game here. Use spoiler tags if necessary. Feel free to link to any streams you will be hosting.

6. When you have completed the game with 100% achievements post here with a screenshot of your RA profile for verification. Feel free to link to your profile also.

7. There will be two awards given for 100% completion: First to finish, and first to finish hardcore. If you finish hardcore before anybody else finishes regular, you earn both awards. There will also be awards for anybody who streams the game and reviews it afterwards for AGN.com.

8. I'm thinking 10am Eastern/9am Central is a fair start time. I'll let you guys discuss the start time here since I won't be available. Feel free to adjust it in any way necessary.

Sorry if this is in any way confusing. I'm pressed for time and I promise next time I'll make sure it's edited properly and more organized. I'll be home March 9th at the very latest. I can't wait to get started myself. Good luck and have fun, everyone!

[Chris Miller]

Also, if you don't want to/can't use Retroarch, you can download the individual emulators from Retroachievements' site here (http://retroachievements.org/download.php).

They're based on FCEUX for the NES, snes9x for SNES, Gens for Genesis, VBA for GB/GBA, and Ootake for the PC Engine. I've actually found it quicker and easier to use the individual ones, but it's all up to personal preference.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

Tomorrow is the big day! I hope you're all prepared and have fun.

[War Lord]

Excited for this.
I played the AI games as a kid, but not a ton, just random rentals or at friends places. Never owned one to play a ton.

[Chris Miller]

Okay, time to play Adventure Island 2! Get to it.

[MasterSwordUltima]

Just got back from surgery and ready to get my dino on.


Woah - just be sure to check your roms folks - mine came up with 0 achievements at first, had to get another.

Hudson's Adventure Island II (E) - has 0/0 achievements. Just a heads up!

Hudson's Adventure Island II (U) [b1] - worked for me. :O

[Anarchy_Balsac]

The Sans Hudson Bee Acheivements will probably be gotten only by those who have played the game plenty of times. Basically, you can't continue, ever, if you don't get the bee. So I probably won't get far, but I'll make an attempt.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

MasterSwordUltima seems to have an early lead with 50% completion. However, Tim and War Lord seem to be playing the game on hardcore mode and are hot on his tail.

Would anybody like to share their early impressions on this classic?

[Tim]

Since I've only played the SNES ones, this is a change for me. I have one gripe and it's the flying dinosaur. It seems to be useful mostly for low fruit speed runs, more than for actually playing the damn game. That is unless you can stay low and fly dodge everything. ;_;

[mrz84]

Haven't even started yet because I slept in yesterday and today and had about 1-2 hours before work to get ready and eat...Gonna be at a big disadvantage because of that and because I've never played any of the games in the series. I'll try to get some time in tonight once I'm off of work.

[War Lord]

@MasterSwordUltima (http://www.armageddongames.net/member.php?u=38763) had achievements before we started, he's a phony.

Game is great, solid platformer.
Not terribly difficult yet, but I'm sure it'll get harder.

I do agree about that flying dino, he sucks.

PS - Save states are for pussies.

[MasterSwordUltima]

I've been trying to do a no-dino run to get those achievements out of the way first and foremost; but the two spots where it's difficult to avoid getting them screwed me over so I had to restart.

[Chris Miller]

So far I'd say he controls like I expected a barefooted fat guy with oiled feet to control. I did knock out a few achievements though.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

After checking, I'm happy to report all of the achievements MasterSwordUltima has we're earned after the start time. But yes, save states are for pussies.

Seeing everybody participate makes me jealous. Can't wait to join in.

[mrz84]

I was able to get all, but the boss level for the first island done before going to work. I save stated so I could continue (since I have no idea how the continue option on the title screen works for saves/whatever and is the only way I would think a save state should be used really ie: for games without some sorta save file/password system that you will play in small doses. But enough about that)

So far my impression of the game can be summed up in about the same way Chris Miller said it. Gonna see what I can get done before I call it a night and then try some more before work tomorow (no sleeping in for me this time!)

[MasterSwordUltima]

It's called Nintendo hard, boys. Surely we haven't forgotten?

With that being said, fuck those pink frogs.

[mrz84]

Maybe modern gaming (or liking to save my progress) has made me soft. Took an hour of game overs to get through the first island. The boss wasn't very hard. Getting through the levels without starving was (though I only died from starvation once, the rest were from poorly timed jumps and not knowing my surroundings).

[MasterSwordUltima]

The more I'm talking to people playing, the more I would like to suggest everyone who at least completes the set (regardless of anybody else) should still get an AGN award/trophy bit.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

Maybe modern gaming (or liking to save my progress) has made me soft. Took an hour of game overs to get through the first island. The boss wasn't very hard. Getting through the levels without starving was (though I only died from starvation once, the rest were from poorly timed jumps and not knowing my surroundings).

When I was playing the original, it took a while to realize you can run by holding b. Maybe that's the problem?


The more I'm talking to people playing, the more I would like to suggest everyone who at least completes the set (regardless of anybody else) should still get an AGN award/trophy bit.

This was always the plan. One for participation to commemorate, one for completion, one for first/hardcore, etc. Itll be a bit before I can get them setup though.

[MasterSwordUltima]

This was always the plan. One for participation to commemorate, one for completion, one for first/hardcore, etc. Itll be a bit before I can get them setup though.

Ooooooh, I misunderstood then. Nevermind that comment then.

[edit] Woah, just saw War Lord 's post. I started Adventure Island II way after the start time of 10:30am :) Granted I've had Adventure Island I completed a day or two before to get me ready. I'm not a phony :O I'm a real boy.

[Gleeok]

Am I the only one who has gripes with the game mechanics so far? I might not finish this one even though I'm about halfway through.

-Music is terrible.
-Player movement is clumsy.
-Collision rectangles are larger than the sprites.
-I find the level design and enemies shallow and pedantic.

Maybe it's just the fact that I've never played any AI games before, but it feels like a crappy flash game to me. Maybe it's just that this game formula hasn't aged well, which is why you don't see many like it post-NES.

[mrz84]

When I was playing the original, it took a while to realize you can run by holding b. Maybe that's the problem?


I found that I could run by doing that (if anyone here has ever played a Mario game - and who hasn't? - then that should be NES control 101 for them), but it was a bit of a trade off as the B button is also your axe/dino attack button. So in order to attack, you can't run without stopping briefly for a second to toss an axe/dino attack before running again. I aminly only attacked if something was blocking my path and going around it would take more time than it was worth doing so. Makes me glad I got the pacifist achievement outta the way on the 1st level (before I even knew there was an axe powerup, I had assumed you only could attack with dinos.)

[mrz84]

Completed the second island. The crab boss was easier than the plant boss of the first island. Also found out the hard way in one of the second island's water levels to avoid big bubbles floating around as you get immobilized for an unknown amount of time and they are usually in the path of an enemy (so basically you touch a bubble, you lose a life). One usually sees a big bubble in underwater levels for a other games, and they think "AIR! SWEET AIR!", but not in this game. Though the fact you can't drown should have been a hint to me (or least I'm sure you don't need to worry about it as I didn't notice any difference in hunger gauge decrease when underwater)

[erm2003]

So a few things I will note. I got through what I think is most of the first island. One of the stages gave me a really rough time but I am also not sure if that's partially a function of my controller or not. I know I have an older laptop and sometimes I end up with a delay in my inputs. That's no excuse, I am way out of practice for a real NES challenge game (minus the original LoZ).

I also didn't realize you could hold B to run right away. It was definitely one of those smh moments since that's commonly how other NES games control and I have no clue why I didn't try it for the longest time.

I am hoping to get back to it again for another try but I may have to switch to using save states to progress far into the game. Yes it's kinda shitty but I am looking to get further into it and spend some time getting to know Breath of the Wild too!

[mrz84]

Third island is kicking my ass (the first level of it is fairly easy, but not too easy) however I feel like I'm not gonna make any progress for a bit on (it keeps sending me to the same damn cave for the second level, and the jumps are Castlevania style ie: medusa heads just off screen to hump your face) it so I'm trying to get some of the other achievements from the first and second islands while honing my skills. Clearing the first island without dying is the hardest one so far as I've gotten to the point I can go with the axe from level 1 and a fire/thunder dino to the boss level, only to screw myself over by miss-timing a jump or something that should be fairly simple.
Found the Hudson Bee though and got a complete set of dinos.

Also, does anyone think that the blue dino's attack makes look like its crapping lightning? Or is it just me?

[Tim]

So how is everyone doing on AI2? I honestly haven't played since my initial try. I have to say I got pretty far on a first blind session.

[mrz84]

http://retroachievements.org/user/AuthorNumber2

My user page. Also I forgot to send friend requests to the others over there yet from AGN (I've got erm and one other - whoever is diffikolt) though if you want you can shoot one over to me first (I'm tired and not feeling well, gonna do it in the morning before work)

I only found the Hudson Bee by "accident" as I found that in some levels my attacks would vanish at certain areas and make odd sounds., Jumping in the general area reveals an egg that usually contains a key to a bonus stage. The Bonus stage for the first island in a certain level goes to a chamber with a dragon who gives you the Hudson Bee. I had no idea what it is supposed to do until I looked it up (and its the only thing I looked up, everything else I've done so far is either blind or comes from platforming experience from other games such as Super Mario Bros)

So if ya want the cliff notes version, I am at 40% (non-hardcore)

[Chris Miller]

I'm up to 90% in hardcore mode, so really about 45%. It's pretty rough. If it weren't for the sloppiness of the controls, I'd have knocked them all out by now.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

Ended up having to deal with a few things like a blown out tire on these days off.

Also been pretty busy celebrating my birthday, my daughters, and playing a bit of BotW.

I'm sure I'll still get through it but it won't be in the timeframe. Next time I'm home I'll work out achievements and whatnot. Hope you guys had fun.

[Gleeok]

I rage quit this game in island-world 4. :P

Definitely should of used save-states every now and again, but that's kind of lame if you are going for achievements, but whatever.

[Anarchy_Balsac]

I rage quit this game in island-world 4. :P

Definitely should of used save-states every now and again, but that's kind of lame if you are going for achievements, but whatever.

You did better than me, I tried it in a non-RANes emulator then shrugged after 10 minutes.