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alternatingminds

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Yesterday was my birthday! 🥳

Now that I'm done reflecting on and celebrating another year gone by, I can also look back on the games I beat in August. And no, you're not imagining it - I didn't do a July summary because I didn't complete any games that month! I was too busy binging a lot of shows I wanted to catch up on.
I wasn't able to play and beat 31 games for each year of my life leading up to my birthday, but I came pretty close with 6 😜 Here are my thoughts on them:

-256 - Free on Steam - A retro, pixelated first person mystery game in which a blogger gets a cursed game file emailed to him, which of course he gets sucked into and wakes up turned into a Staff Bot at a hotel. All the menial tasks his manager needs him to do will help him (you) escape the game. This game has a great start and hooks you immediately. For such a basic game, there is a lot of care put into the details. The walking is a little too floaty for me, and the songs in each area get repetitive, but the seemingly insignificant tasks you have to do are in fact quite entertaining, and talking to the NPCs leads to some downright funny interactions. So have fun and wait some tables, lick up puddles of blood, keep an eye out for the rubber ducks, and see if you can escape back to your real life. Definitely worth a play. Just don't do rat mode! 🐀

Aerial Knight's Never Yield - Was free on Amazon - Your standard runner. You sprint through cities, forests and buildings, dodging obstacles by performing tricks based on color coded prompts tied to inputs on the D-pad. I had no attachment to my character because I didn't know anything about him. The story, what little of it there was, is that you're some experiment(?) named Wally that broke free from a lab that promptly sent Asset Recovery teams and a dark clone after you to retrieve the evidence you stole. Evidence of what? I didn't find out, but I did find out that the version I got through Amazon was missing "Da Update" that the current version of the game has. It includes gameplay & graphics improvements, bonus levels, new music, an endless mode, and story & level updates, including a post-credit scene. So, pretty much everything I disliked about the game (boring environments, boring gameplay, boring story) was addressed by Da Update. Because of that, I feel like I can't give a fair assessment 🙄 but I can say Da Update has to be damn good in order to make this game worth playing. Dope soundtrack though...

Green Reaper - Free on Steam - A DigiPen student-made hack'n'slash game in which you play as a tiny rose spirit, Rubin 🌹, who must traverse a giant greenhouse and destroy the fungi creatures leeching away the life of all the plants and the goddess statue that sent for you. I got some "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!" vibes while playing this and wandering amongst the super-sized snake plants, monsteras, pots, trowels, and more. The environment is beautiful, but I found that the camera was too zoomed in to fully enjoy my surroundings. The camera movement was also a little too slow for my taste during combat, which led me to back away from the combat, rotate the camera until I could focus on more enemies, and then continue my assault, rather than have it be one seamless experience. Rubin's attacks are also kind of slow and weak for a hack and slash. The character models are neat, the Latin name of each level is a nice touch, and I can tell the game was made with love and care, so I commend the students, but I will admit that this short game could have been better.

Need for Speed Heat - Was free on Origin via Amazon - @whatnitrus and my fellow racing fans - this ain't it🙅‍♂️ What made the best NFS games so good was their simple plots and gameplay - "I'm a street racer and I love to go fast!" "I'm a cop who's gonna fuck up some Bugattis!" "I gota race across the country!", etc. Heat is way to convoluted. It felt like there were two stories - one in which you're a racer trying to get the attention of (and eventually join) the top racer gang The League by besting showcase events. The other half of the story is some kind of cheap bad cop takedown plot where only you are able to expose and dismantle the corrupt Palm City Police Department's high-speed division, run by the mega dickwad duo Mercer and Shaw. It's obvious they were going for Miami Vice vibes in this game, with sexy cars racing sexy streets, but for such a huge map, it felt wicked cramped. Most races were confined to tight circuits, and sprints constantly lost momentum with the incessant switchbacks and 90 degree turns. In free roam/pursuits there were maybe two roads where I felt I could just open it up flat out and really feel some speed. But even those moments were fleeting because of the bullshit NPC car spawning that was some of the worst I'd ever seen in a NFS game. Pro tip - ALWAYS expect a friggin' box truck in the intersection 🖕 The soundtrack was abysmal compared to previous games, too, and felt like the same 5 songs on repeat. Worst of all was having to constantly shift parts or cars in order to handle rallys, races, sprints, pursuits, drifts, time trials, off-roading, etc... Just let me race, man! It felt like Heat was leaning too much into simulator territory than the ol' choose a car and drive fast NFS vibes I was hoping for. I still made it to the top of The League, beat those dirty cops, and rode my Koenigsegg Agera off into the sunset, but damn was it underwhelming 😟

Once Upon a Jester - Was free on Amazon - I really liked this game :LOL: It's a musical comedy where you play as a theatrical duo, Sok and Jester, who are competing to earn the right to perform at the Princess's Royal Theatrical Spectacle. During which, they plan to steal the giant diamond that the King keeps in his castle where he stares and drools at it 24/7. The writing is so witty and packed with humor that I found myself laughing my butt off watching the performances I put on devolve into hot messes. You perform these shows across 4 towns, starting in Dorp Town, and earn roses by presenting a story in the genre the crowd is in the mood for (environmental clues will point you towards each night's preferred genre). There are about 5-6 branching opportunities in each skit that can take you in hilarious directions. The game is jam-packed with funny accents, fantastic background music, and hilarious cameos and side stories. I loved all the characters in this story, as they were each individually memorable. A wizard with a pinata for a head, a goat that can play piano, talking ice cream cones, pesto-control, and a tree spirit trying to find his roots are but a few of the goofy ensemble you'll meet along the way. Once Upon a Jester is a comedy wrapped in action, love, horror, drama, and song... and it is totally worth a play 🎭

Samoliotik - Free on IndieGala Client - This game sucks. I suck at this game. Both statements are true. This top-down pixelated shooter could have been fun thanks to the uniqueness of each level (each is like its own fever dream), but I personally felt that it all fell flat. Bosses don't explode, they just sort of float off screen, so there's no satisfying victory or way of really knowing you beat them. The absurdity of the levels would have been fun if it wasn't for the inconsistent hit boxes. The rate of bullet fire is beyond sluggish, which leads to many, many deaths unless you are able to dodge enough enemies and snag a power up. If you do enjoy pain and misery enough to make it to the end, you are then greeted with a level that has a color scheme that will make your eyes bleed. The creator was obviously hoping that the meme vibes of shooting a giant Hitler face or blasting away at Cthulhu would distract players from the otherwise downright turd that he laid :poop:
Happy belated birthday 🥳 🎉 Hope you had a good time!

Thanks for the game reviews!
 

Eldi

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TANKS (Retro as hell)
Hi WhatNitrous, a few days ago I was talking with friends and I just remembered Battle City. What great memories! 👴 Straight to the Library!!! Thank you very much!!! :love:

Greetings.
 

Buhroobee

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You don't need to tell me that, if you beat it you have alot more patience than I do. I never even got to a box truck or the cop part :LOL:

I actually had some hope for this one...thanks for saving me the download.
And thanks for the reviews (y)
I dunno if 'patience' or 'unhealthy completionism' is more appropriate lol 😅

And thank you for the gift of your reviews!!! ;) :love:
Thanks Buhroobee for your reviews.
Great as ever!
Cool reviews! :) (y)
Thanks for the game reviews!
Thank you for the reviews!(y):love:
As always, I appreciate you all reading them! I enjoy reading everyone else's reviews that are shared here, so I'm happy to share mine!
They benefit us all, right?
If we continue sharing reviews here, only one of us suckers has to sit through the bad games, and we can spread awareness of the good ones. Like the cavemen who had to go eat random berries so the tribe knew which ones were safe and which ones made your digestive system tie itself in a knot 😬 🫐

Lastly, thank you so much for the happy birthday wishes @whatnitrus @ivo-ivic @contdejocuri-ded @eldi @kid-kidding @valike13 @henry-hunry @slurredprey @burningpixel82 @bumbarash84 @meguminshiro @ctpax001rus @aquamusingsdancing @strawbearry 😁🎂
I had a wonderful weekend celebrating with friends and family, and enjoying all the food and drinks I was treated to 😋
 

WhatNitrous

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I dunno if 'patience' or 'unhealthy completionism' is more appropriate lol 😅
True, you did finish aeiral knights after all :ROFLMAO:
Like the cavemen who had to go eat random berries so the tribe knew which ones were safe and which ones made your digestive system tie itself in a knot 😬 🫐
I have a key for a game like this...you interested? :ROFLMAO:


More birthday punishment? :LOL:
 

WhatNitrous

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I just tell it like it is dude...and idrfc which side of the fence that throws me on...or under.

That thing is like a dead rat waiting to infect people, it doesn't even deserve to be called a rabbit.

The very first three posts they made were to advertise a steam bot thats likely a scam, start a crusade against russia or just you in this case, and then start a nonsensical black and white debate with me about programming when I told them they were an asshole...which is the opposite way any good programmer should think.

I have never once heard them speak about gaming...now I may not talk about games all day long because I'm usually here instead of playing them heh...but they have literally never mentioned a single game except to request or give one away, not even a preference. Just steam and how it works if you wanna get fucked up the ass.

How can you believe anything from someone who can't see past their forehead even in something they supposedly consider their main field? They obviously have no opinion of their own past a news channel or past someone else stolen code.

No skill.
No idea.
No personality.
No game talk.

What are they doing in any fucking forum? Forget this one out of all of them :LOL:

EDIT: (long one too, sorry)

I don't agree with the war.
I don't agree with your love for your president.

I certainly don't agree your some kind of threat or a warmonger just because you do love your country and president.

I've told you as much, I've told you your blinded by your love of russia to a terrifying degree...and your a stereotypical russian hardhead....that doesn't make you the cause of the suffering in Ukraine and these stereotypical fucking haters who can't think on a broad enough spectrum to see either of those facts need to go take it up with a russian soldier if they want to start a fucking crusade. But they can't because they'd swallow their balls after having them handed to them in a paper bag. its fucking pathetic.

Let them love their country, let them express their pain and suffering, I feel that...even their dislike of russia or russians in general. But they don't need to target someone who is basically expressing the same thing and has no ill will towards their country or them whatsoever unless they do. Your not here all day speaking of how many Ukrainians your country killed, how many bombs were dropped, maybe mourning what your country considered a terrible tragedy....and there is nothing wrong with that anymore than them doing it.

Your nothing like the monster they seem to want to make you out to be and this shit needs to stop.
 
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DanteFromHell89

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May I ask why its quoted under my name and shows his picture? :LOL:
Oh, shit, missfire I guess. 😅 🤦‍♂️
I mean, first, you didn't know Bruce and Iron Maiden and then you dissed Judas Priest and Rob Halford... You dissed two out of three greatest and most important heavy metal bands in history and I'm a metalhead, so... 😜
Well, I'm sorry, but I was rised on different kind of music.
It's not that I direspect them, no, but I dislike their sound (and I don't really love heavy metal as a genre, even though I'm a metalhead too, it's just that I'm more of a newwave metalhead, I guess..? 🤷‍♂️).
The Queen on the other hand...🤘
Also, which's the third one? Black Sabbath? Then I have some bad news for you😅:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
Yeah-yeah, I know already, dude...
Hi btw, long time no see.✌️
this is clearly inspired to Battle City for Nes, and I added it :)
Yeah, INSPIRED... XDDDDD
Welcome back Dante! :)
thanks for the Ga and free games I added those from Komodo looks really nice!
Thanks, it's good to be back!))
Also your welcome, mate. Always🤗
first song is plagiarism lol
I hope you're joking 'cause there're clearly HUGE differences between those tracks, even though there's indeed a mere single similarity between Metalica's song and TFIV's intro.
Also game was released before Doom))...
Paint Chips
Claim this, now it is free on 1th October will turn into paid game.
Oh thanks, looks interesting))
It looks like Splatoon but 2D.
Indeed:unsure:👍
mah gosh XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
 

DanteFromHell89

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Your nothing like the monster they seem to want to make you out to be and this shit needs to stop.
Its funny, because your more of a terrorist toward russians than he is a terrorist because he is a russian.
That one doesn't make any sense, 'cause the word "terrorist" has a certain meaning.
And don't forget, CTPAX still lives in Russia and pays taxes which goes to the army needs, which in turn indeed attacking my country for no reason at all (the original "reasons" were "denazification" and "demilitarization", both were proved multiple times to be false one way or another).
I don't agree with the war.
I don't agree with your love for your president.
I've told you as much, I've told you your blinded by your love of russia to a terrifying degree...
mhm-mhm, good...
and your a stereotypical russian hardhead....that doesn't make you the cause of the suffering in Ukraine
...actually it does.
If there were MORE open-minded fair people in Russia this war could have ended in one day with a huge people outrage on the streets of an agressor country. Government just couldn't jail 'em all. But those were scarce and few, unfortunatelly.
And I'm really glad that there were any at all, who oposed themselves to that government and those actions. Those are the decent human beings, period.
 

BurningPixels

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I hope you're joking 'cause there're clearly HUGE differences between those tracks, even though there's indeed a mere single similarity between Metalica's song and TFIV's intro.
Also game was released before Doom))...
Master of puppets 1986
Thunder force IV 1992
Doom 1993
MetallicA's song came before both games: for me they are pretty close music and we can both agree those games are not 100% original they got inspiration from Metallica older song.
It is not easy to declare if it is music plagiarism or not, we need the courts opinion.
Music plagiarism could be even made with similar songs played with notes with similar accent, tone or could be only if they they just give similar "feeling" to the listener.
DooM is clearly inspired to MetallicA and MegadetH, just look at DooM moniker it is made with first and last capital letters as both bands.
listen to this
 
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silent_passenger

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Btw. I really like reading game reviews of all of you but I feel lazy to say "thank you" every time someone wrote something.

So, I'll give you my review without spoilers of the game most of you probably never played:

That's the intro of Divi Dead, a 1998 adult horror visual novel and, to this date, the best game in that genre in my subjective opinion.

Our hero is Ranmaru Hibikiya, who just got transferred into an exclusive and secluded elite academy run by his uncle. Ranmaru was very ill throughout his childhood but it seems he's getting better in the past few years. While he came to this elite academy in the mountains to study, he was also invited by his uncle as a sort of spy/investigator because weird things were happening in the academy.

As I said, this is an adult horror visual novel so there are lewd scenes and there are horror scenes. Music really brings tension and suspense to those scenes and although the game is 25 years old, you don't notice that because it's a visual novel and visual novels either have or don't have a great art style and good stories. While the story looks simple, NOTHING is as it seems.

There are also a few slightly negative sides of this AVN - the first is - you can't buy it anywhere (at least the English version) but there are a few places where you can play it. The second thing: the game was notorious for its 3 possible endings that you can't get without a walkthrough (at least not the 2nd and 3rd) and do you know how painful was to find walkthroughs in the 1998 era of the Internet? The last problem is translation. While it's not "All your base are belong to us" bad, it's obvious that translators didn't know how to translate some things so they either skipped some sentences or they felt awkward. So, to fully appreciate the story, you'll probably need to replay it 2 or 3 times or read some online reviews/explanations. But, since there are 3 endings, you'll probably replay it anyway (or save a lot). Also, if you're not a fan of reading, Visual Novels are not a genre for you.

The game can be found on F95 or played in a browser at The Asenheim Project - Nostalgic Visual Novels on-line. The game has voice narration (which is something most games of that time didn't have) and to play it in the full-screen, you need to change the exe properties - Compatibility - Run in 640x480.
 
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