Old Games: The Jeff Gerstmann Holiday Home Game: Final Zone II

Nice!

Yes!

Jeff remains one of, if not THE, only personality I can watch play videogames solo with any consistency.

I can't put my finger on exactly WHY, other than the fact that he never sounds like he's trying to have a conversation with no one, but it's more like a lecture from an interesting professor of videogame history.

Aaaaaaaaaaand another Telenet Japan joint.

They kinda got around.

holy shit that music effin BUMPS

I'm gonna leave this one right here.....

Well, we beat Final Zone 2. After all these years.

Man, something about that early 90's style of anime video game cutscenes and voice acting... it just warms my heart.

Final Zone 2 was my first CD ROM game. So many memories.

Sounds like? I cannot wait for the day Jeff is unironically awarded an honorary degree for his services to video games.

we live in a secret military weapons society

Holy slap, Batman!

The canonical best version of the Space Harrier theme, in my opinion. So fucking good.

Edit: I guess video embeds don't work on this site now, so https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZQjiHKhQg0

Chemistry club is the best club in any high school. Everyone knows this. I can make bombs. What are you gonna do? Twirl your pom-poms around? Pfft.

Jeff "Da Interesting Profezzuh" Gerstmann

The audio stretching really adds more dramatic tension to the Final Zone cutscenes, I'm on the edge of my seat watching this!

LET ME SHOW THEM SOME FANCY ACTION NOW

arrest him! don't let him get away

Alef Broomin

Everything like a dream

You always make me scream

Just like a shooting star

run through my heart

FUCK YEAH!

He hits a really good balance on solo streams where he's chill enough you can leave it on in the background, but has all those interesting nuggets from his history with the industry to make it engaging.

Thank you for your service in the name of Oldness, Jeff. As an old, I appreciate it.

When the 'bad boyfriend' slapped the woman....

I appreciate the Timbaland reference.

This. Forever.

Hey Corey, always enjoyed listening to you on the Comic Vine Podcast. Hope things are well!

Man, Bowie is a total shitbag.

I think you might be the baddy in this one.

@undeadpool: truth

Surrounded by cardboard boxes or not, Jeff's solo streams towards the end of the year are always a treat.

File this under Run or Gun because you can't do both.

@thefizz: Ahhh, that takes me back. Doing alright, and check out On This Very Screen to hear more from me.

@undeadpool said:

Personally I enjoy his streams because he paces himself and isn't fishing for attention. It's a nice break from the average streamer. Just like @gazoinks said, he's pretty chill on these.

Also I want to see him play Funky Barn again, one day.

@gazoinks: I think you hit it RIGHT on the head. He doesn't feel the need to fill every silence with meaningless chatter, but he doesn't go TOO long with just the game audio either. Almost like he's been doing this for something like 20 years.

I like how Final Zone 2 keeps adding all these playable characters stage after stage...and then ends like 2 levels after the roster is complete.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World was the first video game I ever saw, or at least remember seeing and conceptualising as a video game, and the first video game I ever played. This was the first time in about 27 years that I had seen it or heard those noises. I never owned it, nor a Master System - my childhood friend Ross did.

We used to pretend to be Clark Kent and Lois Lane. It all came flooding back. I have Brian Eno on in the background and 'Always Returning' is playing - which is so apt. But, yeah, I don't think it was ever a good game - just iconic and ubiquitous.

Thanks for the reclaimed memories Jeff. I feel like your streams are sojourns into your video game memories and it's rare that I get the chance to reflect on my own experiences during that process - mainly due to not really having much video game literacy during the years you often focus on - so it was a total delight to be able to do so.

Final zone 2 is pretty great! You can tell that the developers definitely put a lot of thought into the enemy positioning, there are barely any filler

I'm so glad Jeff is opening up to more anime games.

That melody that plays in 1:04:40, it sound shockingly similar to another tune from some popular anime or game and I just don't remember what it is. Do you guys have any idea?

@undeadpool: agreed. Jeff's home game streams are amoung my favourite and him being solo is all the better for it.

The only one who I'd say was his equal was Patrick back when he was creating things like Spookin and the spelunky runs. He too had a great voice to watch videos with.