superjoe

This was a free game on the Japanese PSN store. I bought a PS3 for MGS4 which didn't have trophy support at the time.

Black Adam (1/5)

First thing that struck me is that it has a ton of onscreen violence (it preaches the necessity of justified killing) yet it feels like a children's movie (narrator is a skater kid wearing a cape). It mainly exists to setup a future "The Rock vs Everyone" movie. Not the best timing to needle drop a played out Kanye track in the climax, however the Paint It Black setpiece in the opening 30 minutes is the high point of the film. Everything that follows is a shoddily edited, orange saturated mess. The skater kid sidekick has a cringey scene that made me not want to rewatch the movie ever again. Disclaimer: I saw it pre-release so who knows if they made changes for the official release.

Which is scarier - ghosts or goblins? Also, what exactly is a ghoul?

@zombiepie: Actually I take that back -- Rygar (NES, 1987) was the first game that I remember grinding for XP. I specifically remember it being the first game where I was conscious about certain enemies dropping more XP than others. But given the popularity of Zelda I'd imagine it would be the first RPG for many others, although I don't know how popular Rygar was in '87.

Another thing I just remembered -- Zelda II was released in Japan in 1987 but didn't arrive in the US till late 1988 (I didn't know about release date discrepancies till the 90s). In between this time, Rambo for the NES was released in the US which played very much like a bootleg Zelda II with bad level design. So this contributes to part of my disappointment in Zelda II because me and my classmates were instantly reminded of that crappy Rambo game we rented first. And since the Rambo IP & Stallone were very big at the time (the film Rambo III was released around the same time as the NES game), it's funny to think that Rambo (NES) could be many people's first RPG in the US.

I forgot all about Maze Island in the northeast! Mind blown since that was expanded upon in BotW.

Owned this on release but haven't replayed it since, mainly because of the BS you mention. Being the first RPG-like game I ever played, it taught me the concepts of grinding, defensive combat, and running away from combat. Me and my classmates would draw & share maps (that my teacher confiscated) to valuable health upgrades not shown in the Nintendo Player's Guide. My memories of this game, moreso than the actual game, are the reason why I really want another 2D Zelda.

While the original is far more polished and has aged better, Zelda II always had a dreadful vibe about it. The dungeons were sparse but had enemies with more intelligent AI, compared to Zelda I which would have 10+ enemies mindlessly patrolling a room. Bosses now had patterns which would become a series staple, vs the tanky or gimmick bosses in the original. You mention the Great Palace's difficulty, but I recall the trek to the palace being far more difficult with that Castlevania flying cyclops who would instadeath you into the lava. But yeah, that final palace has its share of BS like invisible fake blocks, dead ends, and those eagle knights with high mobility & damage.

• Civ 6 complete bundle - $29.20
• Drug Dealer Simulator - $7.39
• House Party - $14
• Lego Builder's Journey - $9.99

I started a second playthrough on Ronin difficulty and noticed they patched the “Back + Heavy, Light” stun close to the beginning of the game instead of the end which trivializes much of the game. Also found a secret ending where I beat the Chapter 3 boss and it rolled credits without having to go to Yomi.

I still enjoy this game despite the shallow combat. It reminds me of the NES games I played a lot as a kid like Rush N Attack, Kung Fu, and Kid Niki where there was endless fodder coming at you. But I agree that it’s way too parry dependent. There’s a missed opportunity to take advantage of 2D high/low attack & defense a la Viewtiful Joe.

If today's Bombcast were any longer Dan would've been the first person to die of a Sprite overdose. On his first day at work, no less.

I installed Lovers Lab sex mods to Skyrim VR 😳 The more subtle mods make the game more immersive, like integrating a "sex" option into questlines along with the usual intimidate/persuade/bribe. Or hearing random NPCs going at it at an inn. Or turning The Battle Of Whiterun into a violent orgy by casting "sex magic." Some things you just can't unsee, especially in VR. I could blog about my experiences but I'll probably get banned.

Can I substitute 100 containers of Chicken McNugget Ranch dip or will that alter the flavor profile?