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#31
Off-Topic / Goldeneye Dark License to Kill...
Last post by Princess Rescuer - February 23, 2022, 11:34:58 PMIn 2013, a popular gaming YouTuber named WhoIsThisGit made a video called "The Most Powerful Characters in Gaming Ever #12. In it, he went over two levels featuring extraordinarily durable characters in Goldeneye- Alec Trevelyan in Cradle, and Baron Samedi in Egypt, first going over how strong they are in the 00 Agent difficulty (the hardest regular difficulty) and then the special 007 mode with a new challenge where you drag the red crosshair all the way to the right of the screen while holding A to ensure that each of the four stats, Enemy Health, Enemy Damage, Enemy Accuracy, and Enemy Reaction time. The former two can go up to 1000% while the latter can only go up to 100%. Still, this creates the most deadly enemies in the game. After decades of James Bond audiences used to him easily taking down powerful bad guys and their minions, DLTK is an interesting role reversal.
In particular, Git greatly struggles with both levels, mostly Cradle. On both 00 and DLTK, he uses Invincibility. He has a sped-up video where he chases Alec around for nearly 20 minutes dual-wielding Magnums, only able to barely scratch him on every pass. Adam Bozon, earlier that year, has proof of being able to beat this challenge, without cheats, in less than a minute. Git would probably be convulsing on the ground if he saw it. And in (January) 2020, Eric Liikala improved the time even further with a new strategy that makes killing Alec with enemy grenades from below the control console room more consistent.
DLTK is a challenge that began to be taken seriously in 2004 (or earlier). Since then, all 20 levels have been completed on DLTK. Despite how popular of a game Goldeneye is, however, very few people care about it. Only 11 people have completed Train at the time of writing. Despite how much more there is to improve and how much freer the WRs are, DLTK remains unpopular because levels take longer, attempts can end with a death very easily, and well, it's boring. The levels on this difficulty require much more commitment.
DLTK has completely disappeared from James Bond games since. Even The World is Not Enough didn't have it, with 00 Agent as its highest difficulty. Perfect Dark did have its own DLTK, but with compromises. First off, in that game, headshots and unarmed beatdowns are instant eliminations. And there's also the fact that the pause system is more convenient... TOO convenient, allowing you to pause, unpause, pause, unpause, pause, unpause, pause, unpause to line up shots easily and with little urgency. I'm not even certain the upcoming remaster on the Switch and Xbox Series consoles will include it- despite the fact that it's an insignificant mode to the overall 100% completion and it was already included in the original. Maybe the XBLA one from 2007 just wasn't finished. Or maybe they'll patch it back in if it's not included in the initial release?
DLTK is only possible on all levels because of the dated, crappy AI, who you trick and exploit in order to win. Normally, you run past enemies or tear through them, but in DLTK, each enemy is a threat, so you must outsmart them. Stun-locking them with Slaps is one idea, but it leaves you vulnerable to an attack from one of his mates. Instead, you need to utilize blockades, explosions, throwing knives, enemy gunfire, and anything else you can use to your advantage without wasting too much ammo. And you will need to be VERY patient.
One way to get better is to practice with Enemy Damage at 0%. Or incrementally increase the Enemy Health and Damage until you're at 1000 at your own pace, then keep 1000 once you're capable of completing that level with it. Another way to practice is with cheats that enable weapons not available in the level, to get through it more easily and teach you things about enemy placement and behavior, which you gradually improve out of.
For example, in Bunker 2, you have the example of using barriers and explosions to your advantage. The jail that you are captured in is actually your friend. You can open it and the enemies can't, so you can throw knives at them from behind the safety of the barrier and they won't be wasted- you can pick them back up again. They won't become more dull either. Later on in the stage, you can utilize some stealth to trick guards into herding themselves together in a room full of explodable things by firing at the ground to create a bunch of noise, which they are alerted by. You don't even have to open the door, you can just shoot through the window!
Explosions do lots of damage and have good range. It'll take 10 well-placed headshots with any other weapon to kill a DLTK enemy. Not only does that require precise aim and take too long, that's too many bullets wasted, and you are in real danger of running out in DLTK mode. Instead, you need to learn how to lead enemies into explosions, farm grenades off of them, and even run right past them so far, they'll lose track of you. If you can complete DLTK levels without resorting to any Slaps, you're doing it right.
The enemies also have 100% Enemy Accuracy, so you need to learn how to mitigate it entirely. Enemies have aim and eyesight so poor, they can't see through barriers and even above open pits. Use this to your advantage. In addition to that, enemies will also have a hard time seeing you if you're crouching past them in an area full of obstacles. You most likely will have to deal with enemies at some point as they will follow you, but you can at least use this to gain a more advantageous position on them.
The Enemy Reaction Time? Don't worry- it's pretty glacial. Just stun-lock them with gunfire whenever other enemies are gaining or you have nothing else. Though there are some enemies with body armors on them already. They won't be stunned or thrown by explosions at all. You need to hide behind walls and make sure they can't get clear aim at you. Keep your distance so they can't reach you that easily. Make sure nobody is behind you. Make the most of explosives on these enemies as well, as they can at least clear the extra health granted by the body armors, even if it isn't visually represented that way.
Another thing is Control Styles. Use glitches involving Control Styles to your advantage (such as shooting in cutscenes). If you are more comfortable using the C-Buttons (On the N64 version, don't know if the Series will change this) then use them to move, then change the control style in the pause menu back to one that uses the Control Stick when you need to aim. After you're done aiming, change it back. You can also utilize partially opening doors and then quickly closing them to get some easy shots in, and the enemies won't bother doing something about it after seeing you there (because they likely can't and are dumb).
It will take you hundreds of hours to master DLTK. I don't just mean beat each level; I mean MASTER them. Learn plenty about the game's quirks and exploits, as well as polishing up your precision, and get the most optimized times you can muster.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing in any DLTK session isn't success- it's LEARNING. Experiment and fail faster. Try things that have never been done before.
If you have any questions or problems, contact an experienced Eliter on the subject. I would recommend Adam Bozon, Eric Liikala, Bryan Bosshardt, David Veach, or David Cliff. You may be able to find someone else... or keep on plugging away at figuring it out on your own.
In particular, Git greatly struggles with both levels, mostly Cradle. On both 00 and DLTK, he uses Invincibility. He has a sped-up video where he chases Alec around for nearly 20 minutes dual-wielding Magnums, only able to barely scratch him on every pass. Adam Bozon, earlier that year, has proof of being able to beat this challenge, without cheats, in less than a minute. Git would probably be convulsing on the ground if he saw it. And in (January) 2020, Eric Liikala improved the time even further with a new strategy that makes killing Alec with enemy grenades from below the control console room more consistent.
DLTK is a challenge that began to be taken seriously in 2004 (or earlier). Since then, all 20 levels have been completed on DLTK. Despite how popular of a game Goldeneye is, however, very few people care about it. Only 11 people have completed Train at the time of writing. Despite how much more there is to improve and how much freer the WRs are, DLTK remains unpopular because levels take longer, attempts can end with a death very easily, and well, it's boring. The levels on this difficulty require much more commitment.
DLTK has completely disappeared from James Bond games since. Even The World is Not Enough didn't have it, with 00 Agent as its highest difficulty. Perfect Dark did have its own DLTK, but with compromises. First off, in that game, headshots and unarmed beatdowns are instant eliminations. And there's also the fact that the pause system is more convenient... TOO convenient, allowing you to pause, unpause, pause, unpause, pause, unpause, pause, unpause to line up shots easily and with little urgency. I'm not even certain the upcoming remaster on the Switch and Xbox Series consoles will include it- despite the fact that it's an insignificant mode to the overall 100% completion and it was already included in the original. Maybe the XBLA one from 2007 just wasn't finished. Or maybe they'll patch it back in if it's not included in the initial release?
DLTK is only possible on all levels because of the dated, crappy AI, who you trick and exploit in order to win. Normally, you run past enemies or tear through them, but in DLTK, each enemy is a threat, so you must outsmart them. Stun-locking them with Slaps is one idea, but it leaves you vulnerable to an attack from one of his mates. Instead, you need to utilize blockades, explosions, throwing knives, enemy gunfire, and anything else you can use to your advantage without wasting too much ammo. And you will need to be VERY patient.
One way to get better is to practice with Enemy Damage at 0%. Or incrementally increase the Enemy Health and Damage until you're at 1000 at your own pace, then keep 1000 once you're capable of completing that level with it. Another way to practice is with cheats that enable weapons not available in the level, to get through it more easily and teach you things about enemy placement and behavior, which you gradually improve out of.
For example, in Bunker 2, you have the example of using barriers and explosions to your advantage. The jail that you are captured in is actually your friend. You can open it and the enemies can't, so you can throw knives at them from behind the safety of the barrier and they won't be wasted- you can pick them back up again. They won't become more dull either. Later on in the stage, you can utilize some stealth to trick guards into herding themselves together in a room full of explodable things by firing at the ground to create a bunch of noise, which they are alerted by. You don't even have to open the door, you can just shoot through the window!
Explosions do lots of damage and have good range. It'll take 10 well-placed headshots with any other weapon to kill a DLTK enemy. Not only does that require precise aim and take too long, that's too many bullets wasted, and you are in real danger of running out in DLTK mode. Instead, you need to learn how to lead enemies into explosions, farm grenades off of them, and even run right past them so far, they'll lose track of you. If you can complete DLTK levels without resorting to any Slaps, you're doing it right.
The enemies also have 100% Enemy Accuracy, so you need to learn how to mitigate it entirely. Enemies have aim and eyesight so poor, they can't see through barriers and even above open pits. Use this to your advantage. In addition to that, enemies will also have a hard time seeing you if you're crouching past them in an area full of obstacles. You most likely will have to deal with enemies at some point as they will follow you, but you can at least use this to gain a more advantageous position on them.
The Enemy Reaction Time? Don't worry- it's pretty glacial. Just stun-lock them with gunfire whenever other enemies are gaining or you have nothing else. Though there are some enemies with body armors on them already. They won't be stunned or thrown by explosions at all. You need to hide behind walls and make sure they can't get clear aim at you. Keep your distance so they can't reach you that easily. Make sure nobody is behind you. Make the most of explosives on these enemies as well, as they can at least clear the extra health granted by the body armors, even if it isn't visually represented that way.
Another thing is Control Styles. Use glitches involving Control Styles to your advantage (such as shooting in cutscenes). If you are more comfortable using the C-Buttons (On the N64 version, don't know if the Series will change this) then use them to move, then change the control style in the pause menu back to one that uses the Control Stick when you need to aim. After you're done aiming, change it back. You can also utilize partially opening doors and then quickly closing them to get some easy shots in, and the enemies won't bother doing something about it after seeing you there (because they likely can't and are dumb).
It will take you hundreds of hours to master DLTK. I don't just mean beat each level; I mean MASTER them. Learn plenty about the game's quirks and exploits, as well as polishing up your precision, and get the most optimized times you can muster.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing in any DLTK session isn't success- it's LEARNING. Experiment and fail faster. Try things that have never been done before.
If you have any questions or problems, contact an experienced Eliter on the subject. I would recommend Adam Bozon, Eric Liikala, Bryan Bosshardt, David Veach, or David Cliff. You may be able to find someone else... or keep on plugging away at figuring it out on your own.
#32
Off-Topic / Re: (Negative) Lasting Through...
Last post by Princess Rescuer - February 23, 2022, 05:28:46 PMFor me, it's less about the general consensus of "quality" and more about ownable, finished games for cheap that won't rely on things like Cloud Saves, at least a few of which will be good and up your alley.
I've found that it's not even classic games, or even hidden gems, that are preferable to the prices and rigors of modern gaming- even games with bad reputations and few defenders are preferable. For me, at least. I'm also FANTASTIC at coming up with new challenges and techniques to REALLY stretch a game out. I don't even NEED "long JRPGS". Though there are quite a few good ones that don't get enough attention and should be more than enough.
One HUGE problem, especially closing out with Nintendo, is the increasing reliance on "online" and subscriptions. The newly announced game in what is in my opinion the PREMEIRE Nintendo franchise, Wii Sports, will focus more on the online. In fact, the online option on the main menu is the biggest. It's a subtle change, but a bigger emphasis on the online mode hints at the desire for more subscriptions and less ownership. It's the perfect planned obsolescence where they can pull the plug on it as soon as the next console's been out for a while and enough people have bought it, like what they're doing for the Wii U's eShop (which I LOVED). The Switch VC is invariably the worse service and it's unlikely many of my favorites will make it back. It may not even have Turbografx-16. And then there's the fact that Nintendo's online is slow, laggy, and full of disconnects, and they expect you to pay for Cloud Saves which are more volatile and less ownable. Why bother?
When they announced that Mothers 1 and 2 were coming to VC, I ordered a Mother 1 cartridge. I own it and I will do the same for the other two on reproduction carts. I have it for when I'm interested.
I've found that it's not even classic games, or even hidden gems, that are preferable to the prices and rigors of modern gaming- even games with bad reputations and few defenders are preferable. For me, at least. I'm also FANTASTIC at coming up with new challenges and techniques to REALLY stretch a game out. I don't even NEED "long JRPGS". Though there are quite a few good ones that don't get enough attention and should be more than enough.
One HUGE problem, especially closing out with Nintendo, is the increasing reliance on "online" and subscriptions. The newly announced game in what is in my opinion the PREMEIRE Nintendo franchise, Wii Sports, will focus more on the online. In fact, the online option on the main menu is the biggest. It's a subtle change, but a bigger emphasis on the online mode hints at the desire for more subscriptions and less ownership. It's the perfect planned obsolescence where they can pull the plug on it as soon as the next console's been out for a while and enough people have bought it, like what they're doing for the Wii U's eShop (which I LOVED). The Switch VC is invariably the worse service and it's unlikely many of my favorites will make it back. It may not even have Turbografx-16. And then there's the fact that Nintendo's online is slow, laggy, and full of disconnects, and they expect you to pay for Cloud Saves which are more volatile and less ownable. Why bother?
When they announced that Mothers 1 and 2 were coming to VC, I ordered a Mother 1 cartridge. I own it and I will do the same for the other two on reproduction carts. I have it for when I'm interested.
#33
Off-Topic / Hydlide Special Permadeath%
Last post by Princess Rescuer - February 23, 2022, 04:55:26 PMHydlide. Ugh, HYDLIDE! It sounds so wretched and foul, like you're puking as you say it. HYDLIDE!
At least that's the impression one would get from the general consensus of Hydlide on the internet. This comes from a lot of it being from vocal Western gamers who got the game in 1989 rather than 1986, when it was already greatly dated compared to its contemporaries, especially The Legend Of Zelda 1 and 2.
There's a rumor going on around this small forum that I am hard to please. Not really. I've actually stuck up for some of the most maligned games ever in the past. It's not that my standards are high, it's that my tastes do not match most other people. Case in point, the Famicom game Hydlide Special. In North America on the NES, the game is just "Hydlide", though the Famicom version is Hydlide Special in order to differentiate it from the MSX version. I will be referring to this one specifically, using the "Special" title, the way modern Zelda fans add the subtitle "The Hyrule Fantasy" to Zelda 1 to make it more specific, or add "64" to the titles of N64 games.
One serious issue I have is not living up to my name enough with my tastes. I'm guessing it's because plenty of these games are already so popular as to not need my input. Hydlide Special is... still a popular game. Popular enough for NES cartridges to be cheap and Famicom cartridges to be dirt cheap. It's mainstream by my standards anyway. Probably one of the most mainstream (in East Asia at least) games I like, surpassed only by the likes of Wii Sports. It is not a "Zelda clone" but rather the entire Zelda series is a "Hydlide clone".
In Hydlide Special, you control Jim, one of the weakest characters in any action-adventure game. While he is a weakling (and a coward who's bad at fighting, which we'll get into), I find him far more compelling to play as compared to the overwrought power fantasies of today, and even ones that would come soon after. Having a main character who dies easily, even at max level, and doesn't have the most game-breaking abilities ever is REFRESHING. And completing the Permadeath challenge with such a vulnerable character, which I'll get into, is immensely empowering in ways that the game-breaking abilities in so many other games could only fantasize of being.
Jim's main weakness comes from the fact that he is terrible at face-to-face conflicts. Facing enemies head-on will most likely result in them biting off a large chunk of Jim's small, oh-so-precious amount of health, which he needs to stand in grass to slowly regenerate. The best way to deal with every enemy is to stab them in the back. I'm guessing that before Varalys's invasion of Hydlide, Jim was probably not a noble hero and more likely part of a craven criminal gang, which is where he learned such cheap and dishonorable battle tactics. When running behind an enemy and attacking, they are defenseless to counter him and will go down quick. You don't even need the back, you can just attack from the side. This is the strategy for every enemy in the game, regardless of strength, and given how tight some of the environments are, it's not always simple to do.
In addition to that, Jim also has five magic abilities, unlocked when he has enough magic power to use them. The most useful ability, by far, is Turn, which spins enemies around and sends them in the opposite direction. It sounds like the most useless ability in gaming history, but in this game, making enemies face the back so you can easily attack them unhindered is very important. It's the first magic ability you unlock and it's the least costly by far, which adds to its usefulness. The others are purely situational and there are two, Wave and Fire, that only need to be used once in an entire playthrough.
Despite the aforementioned problems, Hydlide is actually quite an easy game to beat normally. You have the greatest power of all: in-game savestates. Not only that, they're BETTER than normal savestates because they can reset enemy and item positions. They're quick and easy, and you can use them an unlimited amount of times. The only danger is hitting "Save" when you meant to hit "Load" or in reverse. Other than that, they're a potent tool for greatly reducing the game's overall difficulty.
That's why the new challenge, Permadeath%, which I'm not sure has been completed by anyone, is so compelling.
In Permadeath%, there is only one rule- no use of the Save command and no Passwords. No other changes than that, except that trivial challenges have now become sources of grave danger. Your health drains shockingly fast in battles, so one careless mistake can end your run. The game has suddenly gone from Agent to Dark License to Kill. It can be outright unfair sometimes as you can go into a cave, or a screen transition in a cave, and be cornered by monsters that eat you for breakfast. This can even happen with the final boss.
First off, un-plug your Audio cables and leave nothing except the Video cable in. Play the music or podcasts of your choice. If you are streaming the game, now's the opportunity for your viewers to Song Request.
Princess Ann of Hydlide has been turned into three fairies, rendering her ability to rid Hydlide of Varalys's armies of monsters completely useless. It's up to you to rescue all three. The first one can be gotten within seconds of starting, provided you search the correct tree. You should wait until you're at a high enough level to use Flash though. Also, you need to find a Cross in a treasure chest, which you will need later. It's out of the way, but out in the open and unguarded. You can now begin fighting slimes. I recommend grinding on the strip to the right of the screen where the Fairy 1 Trees are. It's small and manageable, with no rocks or Kobolds, not to mention there is only healing grass and no trees. Now, you're not completely restricted in what you can do. You do have the option to make the grinding much faster if you're capable of going into the Wisp Cave, collecting the Sword upgrade, and getting back out. Problem is, you'll need to be quick and have memorized the layout of the underground sub-area, as it's completely dark except for you and the enemies. I personally find it safer for players new to this game (and this challenge, basically everyone) to grind to Level 3 before battling the Vampire and then getting the Sword from the Wisp Cave.
As far as the Vampire goes, he's pretty simple. You should have the Cross by now, making him possible to defeat. Just wait and bait, and have a Turn at the ready to make him vulnerable. He should go down in a few hits. You'll have the Lamp, one of the most useful items. Before the Wisp Cave, you might want to go to the Armor Cave and get the Shield. You will need to kill 3 Lady Armors to get a Shield, which will make the Wisp Cave (and the rest of the game) much easier. You don't have to get them all in one go- you can kill one, go back out the bottom right exit you came in, and regenerate your health. If you're boxed in on the bottom right by a Gold Armor, you can leave the screen with the Armor Cave hole and come back to reset it. Make sure you kill 3 Lady Armors in a row- killing one other enemy will make you have to start over. Now for the Wisp cave. You have a tight and linear labyrinth to go through, meaning your dodging options are limited. In general, run in and out as quickly as possible and regenerate enough magic for a Turn in case you need it.
Now that you have the Sword, you can relax a bit more. Gain a few more levels on Zombies and use the Key to get the Jewel. Go into the Roper maze and make it into the cave with Gold Armors and Lady Armors. Defeat enough Gold Armors to make the Ring appear- one of the three items to make Varalys appear. You need more levels, in fact now is your opportunity to reach Level 9, which you will do by battling Eels. Wait in the water until an Eel comes up. And remember Turn is your friend. Once you're at the max level, you should have a Cross, a Lamp, a Sword, a Pot, a Key, a Jewel, a Ring, and a Shield. They Key will be in one of several chests, and you can't load savestates until the key is in the chest you start right next to, so save that one for later.
Now that you're nearly done, it's time to collect the Fairies. Fairy 1 is south of the starting screen. Search the trees and use Flash if the Wasps get too much. Fairy 2 is trapped in a random moving tree on one screen. It's obviously much safer to get it when you're this powerful. Fairy 3 is only obtained by defeating both Wizards on one screen with a single Wave, which shouldn't be too hard. You can stand in the canal or the land to the right of the canal to aim uninhibited. If you miss, you can just regenerate. Now you will fight the Dragon, one of the most surprisingly chill moments of the run. Run up, hit him, retreat, regenerate, repeat. After that, use Fire to burn the tree next to Varalys's Castle and go inside to break the Grave, which will drain the water in the water corridors. One more item to collect, a Ruby, and you're ready to battle Varalys.
Varalys is definitely intense in a Permadeath run, but not insurmountable. Even though you're probably desperate for this run to be over, take it slow and steady. Flash the enemies away, hit him a few times in defense mode, then go to back through the upper left enterance to regenerate health. This is a safe zone where no enemies can reach you. You are completely safe here because the enemies are so dumb. The Dragon gave you a Medicine, but try as hard as you can to keep it. Don't go into attack mode to get the battle done faster. Be as risk-averse as possible until you win.
After that, leave the TV and the Famicom on and don't press any button. Leave the game on the Congratulations screen with the reformed Princess Ann of Hydlide giving you congratulatory bows of gratitude for as many days as you like to remind yourself of your magnificent achievement.
At least that's the impression one would get from the general consensus of Hydlide on the internet. This comes from a lot of it being from vocal Western gamers who got the game in 1989 rather than 1986, when it was already greatly dated compared to its contemporaries, especially The Legend Of Zelda 1 and 2.
There's a rumor going on around this small forum that I am hard to please. Not really. I've actually stuck up for some of the most maligned games ever in the past. It's not that my standards are high, it's that my tastes do not match most other people. Case in point, the Famicom game Hydlide Special. In North America on the NES, the game is just "Hydlide", though the Famicom version is Hydlide Special in order to differentiate it from the MSX version. I will be referring to this one specifically, using the "Special" title, the way modern Zelda fans add the subtitle "The Hyrule Fantasy" to Zelda 1 to make it more specific, or add "64" to the titles of N64 games.
One serious issue I have is not living up to my name enough with my tastes. I'm guessing it's because plenty of these games are already so popular as to not need my input. Hydlide Special is... still a popular game. Popular enough for NES cartridges to be cheap and Famicom cartridges to be dirt cheap. It's mainstream by my standards anyway. Probably one of the most mainstream (in East Asia at least) games I like, surpassed only by the likes of Wii Sports. It is not a "Zelda clone" but rather the entire Zelda series is a "Hydlide clone".
In Hydlide Special, you control Jim, one of the weakest characters in any action-adventure game. While he is a weakling (and a coward who's bad at fighting, which we'll get into), I find him far more compelling to play as compared to the overwrought power fantasies of today, and even ones that would come soon after. Having a main character who dies easily, even at max level, and doesn't have the most game-breaking abilities ever is REFRESHING. And completing the Permadeath challenge with such a vulnerable character, which I'll get into, is immensely empowering in ways that the game-breaking abilities in so many other games could only fantasize of being.
Jim's main weakness comes from the fact that he is terrible at face-to-face conflicts. Facing enemies head-on will most likely result in them biting off a large chunk of Jim's small, oh-so-precious amount of health, which he needs to stand in grass to slowly regenerate. The best way to deal with every enemy is to stab them in the back. I'm guessing that before Varalys's invasion of Hydlide, Jim was probably not a noble hero and more likely part of a craven criminal gang, which is where he learned such cheap and dishonorable battle tactics. When running behind an enemy and attacking, they are defenseless to counter him and will go down quick. You don't even need the back, you can just attack from the side. This is the strategy for every enemy in the game, regardless of strength, and given how tight some of the environments are, it's not always simple to do.
In addition to that, Jim also has five magic abilities, unlocked when he has enough magic power to use them. The most useful ability, by far, is Turn, which spins enemies around and sends them in the opposite direction. It sounds like the most useless ability in gaming history, but in this game, making enemies face the back so you can easily attack them unhindered is very important. It's the first magic ability you unlock and it's the least costly by far, which adds to its usefulness. The others are purely situational and there are two, Wave and Fire, that only need to be used once in an entire playthrough.
Despite the aforementioned problems, Hydlide is actually quite an easy game to beat normally. You have the greatest power of all: in-game savestates. Not only that, they're BETTER than normal savestates because they can reset enemy and item positions. They're quick and easy, and you can use them an unlimited amount of times. The only danger is hitting "Save" when you meant to hit "Load" or in reverse. Other than that, they're a potent tool for greatly reducing the game's overall difficulty.
That's why the new challenge, Permadeath%, which I'm not sure has been completed by anyone, is so compelling.
In Permadeath%, there is only one rule- no use of the Save command and no Passwords. No other changes than that, except that trivial challenges have now become sources of grave danger. Your health drains shockingly fast in battles, so one careless mistake can end your run. The game has suddenly gone from Agent to Dark License to Kill. It can be outright unfair sometimes as you can go into a cave, or a screen transition in a cave, and be cornered by monsters that eat you for breakfast. This can even happen with the final boss.
First off, un-plug your Audio cables and leave nothing except the Video cable in. Play the music or podcasts of your choice. If you are streaming the game, now's the opportunity for your viewers to Song Request.
Princess Ann of Hydlide has been turned into three fairies, rendering her ability to rid Hydlide of Varalys's armies of monsters completely useless. It's up to you to rescue all three. The first one can be gotten within seconds of starting, provided you search the correct tree. You should wait until you're at a high enough level to use Flash though. Also, you need to find a Cross in a treasure chest, which you will need later. It's out of the way, but out in the open and unguarded. You can now begin fighting slimes. I recommend grinding on the strip to the right of the screen where the Fairy 1 Trees are. It's small and manageable, with no rocks or Kobolds, not to mention there is only healing grass and no trees. Now, you're not completely restricted in what you can do. You do have the option to make the grinding much faster if you're capable of going into the Wisp Cave, collecting the Sword upgrade, and getting back out. Problem is, you'll need to be quick and have memorized the layout of the underground sub-area, as it's completely dark except for you and the enemies. I personally find it safer for players new to this game (and this challenge, basically everyone) to grind to Level 3 before battling the Vampire and then getting the Sword from the Wisp Cave.
As far as the Vampire goes, he's pretty simple. You should have the Cross by now, making him possible to defeat. Just wait and bait, and have a Turn at the ready to make him vulnerable. He should go down in a few hits. You'll have the Lamp, one of the most useful items. Before the Wisp Cave, you might want to go to the Armor Cave and get the Shield. You will need to kill 3 Lady Armors to get a Shield, which will make the Wisp Cave (and the rest of the game) much easier. You don't have to get them all in one go- you can kill one, go back out the bottom right exit you came in, and regenerate your health. If you're boxed in on the bottom right by a Gold Armor, you can leave the screen with the Armor Cave hole and come back to reset it. Make sure you kill 3 Lady Armors in a row- killing one other enemy will make you have to start over. Now for the Wisp cave. You have a tight and linear labyrinth to go through, meaning your dodging options are limited. In general, run in and out as quickly as possible and regenerate enough magic for a Turn in case you need it.
Now that you have the Sword, you can relax a bit more. Gain a few more levels on Zombies and use the Key to get the Jewel. Go into the Roper maze and make it into the cave with Gold Armors and Lady Armors. Defeat enough Gold Armors to make the Ring appear- one of the three items to make Varalys appear. You need more levels, in fact now is your opportunity to reach Level 9, which you will do by battling Eels. Wait in the water until an Eel comes up. And remember Turn is your friend. Once you're at the max level, you should have a Cross, a Lamp, a Sword, a Pot, a Key, a Jewel, a Ring, and a Shield. They Key will be in one of several chests, and you can't load savestates until the key is in the chest you start right next to, so save that one for later.
Now that you're nearly done, it's time to collect the Fairies. Fairy 1 is south of the starting screen. Search the trees and use Flash if the Wasps get too much. Fairy 2 is trapped in a random moving tree on one screen. It's obviously much safer to get it when you're this powerful. Fairy 3 is only obtained by defeating both Wizards on one screen with a single Wave, which shouldn't be too hard. You can stand in the canal or the land to the right of the canal to aim uninhibited. If you miss, you can just regenerate. Now you will fight the Dragon, one of the most surprisingly chill moments of the run. Run up, hit him, retreat, regenerate, repeat. After that, use Fire to burn the tree next to Varalys's Castle and go inside to break the Grave, which will drain the water in the water corridors. One more item to collect, a Ruby, and you're ready to battle Varalys.
Varalys is definitely intense in a Permadeath run, but not insurmountable. Even though you're probably desperate for this run to be over, take it slow and steady. Flash the enemies away, hit him a few times in defense mode, then go to back through the upper left enterance to regenerate health. This is a safe zone where no enemies can reach you. You are completely safe here because the enemies are so dumb. The Dragon gave you a Medicine, but try as hard as you can to keep it. Don't go into attack mode to get the battle done faster. Be as risk-averse as possible until you win.
After that, leave the TV and the Famicom on and don't press any button. Leave the game on the Congratulations screen with the reformed Princess Ann of Hydlide giving you congratulatory bows of gratitude for as many days as you like to remind yourself of your magnificent achievement.
#34
General Umihara Kawase Discussion / Re: Umihara Kawase: The True S...
Last post by KawaseFan - February 23, 2022, 11:15:01 AMHere's a Wayback Machine link to the Degica article, since the original link seems to be dead.
https://web.archive.org/web/20190922154639/http://blog.degigames.com/story/umihara-kawase-story/
https://web.archive.org/web/20190922154639/http://blog.degigames.com/story/umihara-kawase-story/
#35
Off-Topic / Re: (Negative) Lasting Through...
Last post by Alc - February 06, 2022, 10:44:43 PMQuote from: Canvas on February 03, 2022, 01:11:11 PMIf you want to go original hardware, unless you are intent on being a collector, flashcarts are the best.Yep. Sadly the prices on (legit) retro games are just getting higher and higher. Princess Rescuer is right, it's generally wise to get a Japanese console as the cart prices tend to be much more manageable and the games are all 60Hz, no PAL slowdown. The language barrier can be a problem, of course, particularly with JRPGs.
QuoteI don't think there will be a crash because development is so accessible now that there will always be more names like Hollow Knight, Deep Rock Galactic, Risk of Rain 2, Sakuna of Rice and Ruin, and so on. If anything I am oversaturated in good gamesAgreed! For as long as I've been discussing games online there have been doom and gloom threads, predicting another market crash and so on. I really don't think there's any significant cause for alarm - gaming is more diverse and multifaceted than ever before, and consequently I can't imagine we'll see another '83-style "bottom dropping out of the whole market" situation, because there just isn't one single market in that way. That crash was the result of a very particular confluence of factors, tied to the fate of one particular company (Atari), and if we ever see anything like it again I suspect it'll be a part of a serious global economic downturn and we'll all have bigger concerns on our plate.
QuoteI think a lot of great games still come out, several not even indie.As far as I'm concerned, retro prices aside there has never been a better time to be alive and gaming than right now. As you mention, emulation has reached a really solid place, and devices like the MiSTer are fast closing the gap between real hardware and emulation. Modern AAA games aren't to everyone's taste but that's the beauty of the market right now - if you like 2D platformers (for instance) you have a vast array to choose from, with more seeing release every day. Nothing's stopping you from carrying on enjoying the SNES back catalogue if that's your jam.
QuoteDeath Stranding has an interesting focus on movement, though the start of the game must be intentionally annoying with drawn out story videos because they are so long and frequent that I cannot even call them cutscenes anymore.I got a reasonable amount of play out of Death Stranding. It has the usual caveats that come with a Kojima game - ridiculous narrative, inscrutable design choices, general auteur nonsense - but I got more out of it than I ever did out of any of the Metal Gear Solid games. Looks nice, too.
QuoteI actually just bought Metroid Dread yesterday and haven't opened it yet so would have to update on that, but to tie back into emulation, to my understanding if you bought the game, you can emulate your rip of the game, legally.Depends. If you're in America, you'd be guilty of circumventing a copy protection mechanism, which was explicitly banned by the DMCA (with some caveats for libraries and educational institutions, as I recall). Who gives a toss, though - you paid for the game so play it however you like. I can confirm that it looks significantly nicer running under emulation than it does on the original hardware, which unfortunately is really starting to show its age. I do wish Nintendo would get on with the New Switch Pro+ or whatever they wind up calling it. Even just a new model with a modest clock boost would be great, thanks to the Switch hacking scene we do now know that it's possible to significantly overclock the Switch and not have it burst into flames, and most games work just fine, with improved framerates and so on.
I liked Dread, anyway. Something of a return to form. It doesn't outstay its welcome and it doesn't attempt anything beyond its remit. There's something to be said for that.
#36
Off-Topic / Re: Super Mario Bros. 1 and Lo...
Last post by Alc - February 06, 2022, 10:11:24 PMThe one huge tip that I wish I'd had when picking up NES SMB1 for the first time is that you can press "A" and "Start" at Game Over to continue. Without that it's pretty brutal, you will be hurting for lives unless you really know the game inside out.
QuoteI am really interested in that and hadn't even considered the possibility but it makes sense.You might be interested to watch SummoningSalt's video on the history of SMB1 speedrun records - as I recall he goes into some depth about controlling enemy spawns, frame rules, and so on. What appears quite random at first glance is actually all deterministic and predictable.
#37
Off-Topic / Re: Super Mario Bros. 1 and Lo...
Last post by Canvas - February 03, 2022, 02:57:18 PMSuper Mario Bros really is hard, I tried again not too long ago. I get to world 8-3 and fumble every time. I think once I got to the castle but then there were more hammer bros waiting for me. Still haven't beaten it, or tried Lost Levels because I feel like I SHOULD beat the original first.
Quotescrolling things onto the screen at a certain time affects position and timingI am really interested in that and hadn't even considered the possibility but it makes sense. To think those assholes might even jump or throw at specific times too is crazy. I think this is the key I need to beat the hammer bros. I don't know when I will feel like trying again but I will keep this in mind, thanks
#38
Off-Topic / Re: (Negative) Lasting Through...
Last post by Canvas - February 03, 2022, 01:11:11 PMI agree with Alc. If you want to go original hardware, unless you are intent on being a collector, flashcarts are the best. However I am going to be 'that guy' and namedrop emulation. Something like RetroArch is easy enough to figure out and supports a ton of games and systems. To me the value of a game is directly supporting it's development and not necessarily to get something tangible. I will never pay scalper prices, because I don't want to support their 'development', but if an enthusiast offers me a good deal and I intended to play it I would snag it
This said I think a lot of great games still come out, several not even indie. Half Life Alyx is insane and getting a lot of mod support. Death Stranding has an interesting focus on movement, though the start of the game must be intentionally annoying with drawn out story videos because they are so long and frequent that I cannot even call them cutscenes anymore. Doom Eternal satisfies the autism of completing a situation as 'clean' as possible, with a BUNCH of fun movement options. I actually just bought Metroid Dread yesterday and haven't opened it yet so would have to update on that, but to tie back into emulation, to my understanding if you bought the game, you can emulate your rip of the game, legally.
Fuck I even preordered the System Shock remake because the recent demo sold me so well, which I normally don't do, but I just have not been very financially responsible in general
I don't think there will be a crash because development is so accessible now that there will always be more names like Hollow Knight, Deep Rock Galactic, Risk of Rain 2, Sakuna of Rice and Ruin, and so on. If anything I am oversaturated in good games
This said I think a lot of great games still come out, several not even indie. Half Life Alyx is insane and getting a lot of mod support. Death Stranding has an interesting focus on movement, though the start of the game must be intentionally annoying with drawn out story videos because they are so long and frequent that I cannot even call them cutscenes anymore. Doom Eternal satisfies the autism of completing a situation as 'clean' as possible, with a BUNCH of fun movement options. I actually just bought Metroid Dread yesterday and haven't opened it yet so would have to update on that, but to tie back into emulation, to my understanding if you bought the game, you can emulate your rip of the game, legally.
Fuck I even preordered the System Shock remake because the recent demo sold me so well, which I normally don't do, but I just have not been very financially responsible in general
I don't think there will be a crash because development is so accessible now that there will always be more names like Hollow Knight, Deep Rock Galactic, Risk of Rain 2, Sakuna of Rice and Ruin, and so on. If anything I am oversaturated in good games
#39
Off-Topic / Re: (Negative) Lasting Through...
Last post by Alc - January 19, 2022, 06:34:39 PMThe grind on SNES-era JRPGs is no fucking joke. If you're going to master a JRPG, I hope you like grinding.
Also take issue with your recommendations of sports games and shovelware. If you buy a console with a bunch of games you will be guaranteed a load of that shit. I don't know why you'd recommend it - shovelware is mediocre games by definition. Why would you want games that play badly and look like shit?
Get an Everdrive, play the best games on the system, and experiment from there, would be my advice. But I think if people have made it to this site it's safe to assume they're au fait with retro console, to be honest.
Also take issue with your recommendations of sports games and shovelware. If you buy a console with a bunch of games you will be guaranteed a load of that shit. I don't know why you'd recommend it - shovelware is mediocre games by definition. Why would you want games that play badly and look like shit?
Get an Everdrive, play the best games on the system, and experiment from there, would be my advice. But I think if people have made it to this site it's safe to assume they're au fait with retro console, to be honest.
#40
Off-Topic / Super Mario Bros. 1 and Lost L...
Last post by Princess Rescuer - December 04, 2021, 12:39:15 AMThe first two console 2D Mario games, 1 and 2 (Lost Levels) are very similar and challenging. It seems you are limited on options and can only run to the right and react to enemies. You have more options than that though- the game isn't exactly The Legend of Zelda, but it is more open than it seems. Despite being Baby's First Game, these old 2D titles are still too difficult for many people. These tactics will greatly leverage the games in your favor, giving you plenty of chances and benefits. Be patient in utilizing them to your favor, but don't hesitate to learn them- Peach is lonely and has nobody to kiss.
In any level with extra lives found in visible blocks, it's important to collect them, collect some coins in that attempt as well, and lose a life to repeat the level. The 1-Up will cancel out the death and you will have gained some coins to put towards your next life. As long as you're consistent and gaining faster than you're losing, you'll be slowly but surely gaining lives. This will also give you amazing practice as well.
In LL, backwards warp zones aren't the worst- you can use them to repeat easy early levels you've already mastered for numerous life gain. You will also have more opportunities to keep Fire Flowers as well.
Within the same level, some pipes might warp you backwards. You can use these to go into the bonus rooms over and over again. You can also go the wrong way in a looping castle and hit the invisible blocks over and over again for more coins.
You have a time limit, but not a strict one. Especially when visiting a level for the first time, you can take it slow. Levels are short and you have minutes to beat them. It's not as urgent as it seems.
In a level in the final worlds (8 or D) it's fine to forgo entering/completing them if you didn't keep the Fire Flower.
Be sure to study how scrolling things onto the screen at a certain time affects position and timing. Use this to your optimal advantage.
In any level with extra lives found in visible blocks, it's important to collect them, collect some coins in that attempt as well, and lose a life to repeat the level. The 1-Up will cancel out the death and you will have gained some coins to put towards your next life. As long as you're consistent and gaining faster than you're losing, you'll be slowly but surely gaining lives. This will also give you amazing practice as well.
In LL, backwards warp zones aren't the worst- you can use them to repeat easy early levels you've already mastered for numerous life gain. You will also have more opportunities to keep Fire Flowers as well.
Within the same level, some pipes might warp you backwards. You can use these to go into the bonus rooms over and over again. You can also go the wrong way in a looping castle and hit the invisible blocks over and over again for more coins.
You have a time limit, but not a strict one. Especially when visiting a level for the first time, you can take it slow. Levels are short and you have minutes to beat them. It's not as urgent as it seems.
In a level in the final worlds (8 or D) it's fine to forgo entering/completing them if you didn't keep the Fire Flower.
Be sure to study how scrolling things onto the screen at a certain time affects position and timing. Use this to your optimal advantage.