HammerGalladeBro

HammerGalladeBro

A goon that's gaming since 1996

Comments 157

Re: The Truth About Retro Game Hunting In A Post-Pandemic Japan

HammerGalladeBro

@jojobar One the one hand, I understand what you mean and where you're coming from.

On the other hand, I'd say it depends on the game.
Sure, text heavy games such as RPGs, VNs or Life Sims will most likely be avoided, but trust me a non-RPG/Party Mario game will never be a problem if it's in Japanese.

Most of my Japanese N64 games I can play without understanding what it says due to my little knowledge of Japanese and my previous experience with the western versions.

In the case of the Pokémon Stadiums, I cannot understand what it is being said/displayed, but with my previous experience with the western version, I can understand the Pokémon moves since I remember the animations, sounds, lightning, effects and types of the moves to know what is effective against who.

If I ever play any of the Pokémon versions in Japanese, I believe I won't have any issues, either.

One intance where language did put a stop on my playthrough was in the Japanese version of Banjo-Kazooie. I could play the game no problem, but once I arrived to Grunty's Furnace Fun (the last challenge before the final boss), I couldn't progress anymore.

Then, there's the Ouendan games on the DS, where I have no idea what the characters are saying on their stories, but the gameplay itself is not bound by language.

Re: The Truth About Retro Game Hunting In A Post-Pandemic Japan

HammerGalladeBro

I personally hope you’ll actually play what you buy.

The only ones I haven't played from my Japanese bunch are Shiren the Wanderer 2, Doubutsu no Mori and Doraemon due to the language barrier; ergo, I don't undertand the context of the dialogues, but I'm starting to learn Japanese slowly but surely.

I haven't played Hey You, Pikachu due to a lack of VMU, and when I do get one, I still probably won't be able to play it.

Re: The Truth About Retro Game Hunting In A Post-Pandemic Japan

HammerGalladeBro

Man, I miss the year 2021. That's the year my N64 collection grew from just Conker's Bad Fur Day and a busted Japanese Pokémon Stadium 2 (Pokémon Stadium 1 for the west) to almost 30 games in the span of less than 365 days.

Around February, someone was selling loose Japanese N64 games in my area, I got about 18 games for about 5000 Mexican Pesos (about $250 back then) in three different bunches.

I got Smash Bros., Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Kirby 64, Yoshi's Story, Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Stadium (the Japanese one that has only 41 of the original 151 Pokémon), Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin (Pokémon Stadium 2 for the west), Hey You, Pikachu! (no VMU), Mario Tennis 64, Doubutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing), Bomberman Hero, Shiren the Wanderer 2, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie and 1080° Snowboarding.

That same year I also found cheap American copies of GoldenEye 007 with some issues, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Blast Corps, Ridge Racer 64, an expensive copy of Banjo-Tooie and a Japanese copy of the first Doraemon game on N64.

Oh, and the guy who sold me the Japanese games was also a technician and fixed my Pokémon Stadium 2 and GoldenEye 007.

Coincidence or not, my N64 collection started to grow on January 2021 when I finally decided to get a working controller and give the system the attention I had neglected it all these years. That year I also got an Expansion Pak, a Rumble Pak with the battery cover and one of the rarities of my collection: the official N64 Game Drawer for 24 games. That's where I have my Japanese games.

Some Japanese games I regret not getting are the 2 versions of Super Mario 64 (the 1996 launch version and the 1997 Shindou Pak Taio version, which was the version used for Super Mario 3D All-Stars on the Switch), Mario Golf 64, the Mario Party trilogy, the Shindou Pak Taio version of Wave Race 64, Star Fox 64, F-Zero X, Star Wars Episode I Racer and Ocarina of Time.

But I suppose I'll get my chance another day.

Other retro gaming highlights of that year include getting the screws to open Nintendo games and systems from the same guy to fix my Gamecube on my own that was pending since 2006, finding copies of WarioWare: Twisted!, Banjo-Pilot, Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime 1 and 2, Smash Bros. Melee, Sonic Gems Collection and Sonic Riders GC.

Re: This Essential GameCube Upgrade Is Now Available "For Free"

HammerGalladeBro

I need to check, my GC is from Christmas 2001, so it has the Digital AV Out. Along my belongings there's also the black GC my cousin got in Christmas 2004-2005 (cannot remember the exact year, but I'm sure it was brand new as the box was sealed and had its manuals and pamphlets), and I'm pretty sure it also has the Digital AV Out.

Re: Arcade Archives' Nintendo eShop World Record Might Be Unbeatable

HammerGalladeBro

My collection only has the 20 Nintendo ones, the 2 Tetris: The Grand Master games, VS. Castlevania by Konami, City Connection by Jaleco, Qix by Taito, King & Balloon by Namco plus on the NEOGEO side I have Real Bout Fatal Fury 1 and 2 as well as The King of Fighters '97, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Not a bad collection and it will only continue to grow until that goal of 800 games is hit and new releases stop (hopefully not as there are a couple of games I'd like to see such as SNK vs. CAPCOM: Chaos or Sheriff)

Re: In Memory Of Memory Cards

HammerGalladeBro

How can I miss something I still use everyday? At the end of the day, SD cards and microSD cards are memory cards at face value. We just had to use proprietary ones back then, but not anymore.

Good thing my Gamecube Memory Cards are still operational after 22 years.

I had a Controller Pak for my N64, but never really used it, the only game I ever owned that needed one was Mario Kart 64 and even then, I couldn't care less about Time Trials.

Every other game in my collection saved to the cartridge itself.

Re: Poll: What Was Your Favourite Game Of Christmas 2013?

HammerGalladeBro

On Christmas 2013, it was my Wii U Mario & Luigi Deluxe Set (which means I was playing New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U), which I got funded by my savings and my dad's help.

And then a few days later I found Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition for about $25 and the Wii Remote Plus bundle of Mario & Sonic Soxhi 2014, which if I recall correctly, was actually cheaper than the standalone game or Wiimote for some reason, not that I'm complaining. Of course I also got funds for the eShop and got NES Remix and Kirby Super Star on the Virtual Console.

I was also playing some Wii games I got but couldn't play due to busted hardware, like Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Metroid Prime: Trilogy.

From there, I built my Wii U collection over the following months with Sonic Lost World, LEGO City Undercover, Game & Wario, Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros. for Wii U (GC Controller and adapter bundle).

No 3DS for me until mid-2017, though.

On an off-topic question, does this mean we can finally call the 3DS and Wii U retro?

Re: The Puzzling Legacy of Panel de Pon And Puzzle League

HammerGalladeBro

Just to add to the story:

Lip did make an appearance in Panel de Pon DS and Chotto Panel de Pon, the Japanese version of Planet Puzzle League and Puzzle League Express. Lip's Stage from the Super Famicom game can be unlocked, complete with an arrangement of the original song. I don't know how to unlock it in the Chotto version, but in the full game you unlock it by pretty much completing the game. In the western version it was dummies out but it's still accessible using a device such as an Action Replay DS.

According to a British magazine, the original game was gonna be rebranded as a Killer Instinct spinoff. Can you imagine the hotchpotch it would've been had it been released with the Killer Instinct characters and the announcer shouting "ULTRA COMBOOOO!"?
https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/5/50/NMS_UK_I40_P88.jpg

Re: "It's Like A Dream" - Hamster President Satoshi Hamada On The Success Of Arcade Archives

HammerGalladeBro

I gotta admit, as someone who at the arcades mostly played Pac-Man and The King of Fighters 2000 and 2002 (with KOF2002 perhaps being the most popular arcade game in Mexico aside from Pump It Up), I have a level of appreciation to the company whose efforts have brought us Sky Skipper, VS. Super Mario Bros., VS. Ice Climber, the Punch-Out!! arcade games and Tetris: The Grand Master 1 and 2 (and while we don't have any concrete confirmation, I'm convinced TGM3 is also coming).

I hope with their efforts we can have Nintendo's Sheriff and Popeye (I heard that apparently Popeye will be public domain in the near future), Namco's Gee Bee (Toru Iwatani's debut game), Bomb Bee (which had a Nintendo-published version, making it the of the earliest collaborations between both companies), Cutie Q and Warp & Warp, SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos.

Re: Henk Rogers And Alexey Pajitnov Pick Their Favourite Versions Of Tetris

HammerGalladeBro

Tetris DS is my absolute favorite Tetris, Tetris 99 and Tetris Effect: Connected are good runner-ups.

Come to think of it, what Tetris games have I played?
Tetris (GB), Tetris Worlds on the Gamecube
Tetris DS, An Andrioid game pre-installednon my phone simply called Tetris made by Electronic Arts, Tetris Axis on the 3DS
Tetris 99, Tetris Effect: Connected (I describe this one as Tetris on crack), Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and Tetris: The Grand Master (via Arcade Archives) on Switch, as well as the recent Electronika 60 replica.
I'm thinking about buying Japanese eShop credit for my Japanese account to add Tetris Diamond (via G-MODE ARCHIVES) to my Switch as well.

Re: Now's The Time To Hack Your 3DS

HammerGalladeBro

I intend to keep my original hardware free of mods, though I also intend to get another 3DS that's modded. Modded systems seem to be the norm around my area and they're not very expensive.

I plan to do the same with the Wii U.

Re: Anniversary: Mario Kart Wii is 15

HammerGalladeBro

As a Wii game, sure, I like it. But as a Mario Kart at the time, I much preferred Double Dash!!. Still, I enjoyed it when Blue Shells weren't involved

Toad Factory, Dry Dry Ruins and Moonview Highway need to make a comeback on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, though.

Re: Random: So, How Tall Is Metroid's Samus Aran?

HammerGalladeBro

@Guru_Larry The first Smash Bros. has models of skeletons when characters get electrocuted. In the case of Samus, it's the model of a woman with shoulders, arms and legs long enough to fit within the suit.

I'm assuming it's the same in Metroid. Or maybe not.

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Re: Anniversary: WarioWare Is Now 20 Years Old

HammerGalladeBro

Smooth Moves and Game & Wario (yes, it's a spin-off, but still counts) are my favorites in the series, but all of them always put me in a good mood.

Wish I had gotten Gold when I had a chance, though. Have played a bit of Get It Together!, my nephew has it but I want to save it for when I get my own copy so I can keep track of my progress without restarting.

Re: Poll: What's The Best Nintendo System Of All Time?

HammerGalladeBro

I think I already responded to this on NintendoLife: https://www.nintendolife.com/features/talking-point-which-nintendo-console-has-the-best-first-party-games-lineup#comment7440869

Only to add to that comment.
-After some consideration and with the exception of the Virtual Boy (which I do own), all Nintendo handhelds are kind of like peers or equals in my mind. When it comes to the games, the weakness of a system is the strength of another, if that makes any sense.

EDIT: I'm realizing it's not 100% the same question, but the answer is roughly the same for both

Re: Best Mini Classic Consoles

HammerGalladeBro

I only own the NES and SNES minis.

The thing I love about the SNES mini is that, while it may have less games than its predecessor, the ones it has are among the greatest of its console (perhaps even of all time). Only if I could, I would have changed Kirby's Dream Course for Kirby's Dream Land 3 or Kirby's Avalanche (essentially Puyo Puyo), Street Fighter 2 Turbo for Super Street Fighter 2 (like the SFC mini) and add Dobkey Kong Country 2 and Panel de Pon (which was also included in the SFC mini) instead of waiting until the latter appeared in Nintendo Switch Online.

Other than that, I consider the SNES mini superior to the Super Famicom mini. The SFC mini has Panel de Pon, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, Super Street Fighter 2, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Goemon) and Super Soccer while the SNES mini has Kirby's Dream Course, EarthBound, Super Punch-Out!!, Super Castlevania IV and Street Fighter 2 Turbo in their place.