super weird to think of how barren the GB was at this point
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pokemon was a massive ressurection for the game boy, yeah
i think i got my game boy around this time, pre-owned. i remember seeing the games listed in magazines, and even owning a few.
there was a gb version of harvest moon, which is a surprise. that’s a series i strongly associate with the game boy color, and the post-pokemon rush a lot of publishers seemed to have to publish anything that had a similar look or theme (harvest moon, legend of rivier king, monkey puncher, etc.)
naxat soft released something called “collection pocket”, which seems to be a compilation of a stg, a racing game and a card game?
oh shit, pocket bomberman! it’s bomberman, but in a 2d platform game! and there’s a weird mode with vertical stages where bomberman is constantly jumping!
i have really fond memories of this game, specifically playing while watching police station soap opera the bill.
has anyone played the game boy tamagotchi game? i think it comes in an oversized cartridge, possibly because there’s a real time clock in there?
game boy wars turbo got a translation patch in 1999?! that’s crazy~
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Actually after the rush in 96, 97 is remarkably bare of pokemon clones in Japan now that you mention. Will look over that list again.
Dino Breeder
Animal Breeder
Medarot
Huh.
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It’s a good time to read this interview with Yokoi
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Right? In this context, without the second wind from Pokemon, the GAME BOY pocket seems like a final model for sunsetting the platform.
Finally, I’ve been waiting for 1997 for a long time!
WEL
COME to the farm, it’s Harvest time!
So I’m cheating a bit because the US release was Aug '98 but Bokujō Monogatari GB came out just in time for Christmas '97 in Japan.
Here’s a taste of what happened this year on the farm, or rather, from Summer onwards when I started taking screenshots.
This is my dog, Jeff. Work isn’t work if you’ve got your best bud alongside you. Jeff keeps away the moles. You also have the choice of picking a cat but, true to life, the cat won’t do anything to help you, he’s just another mouth to feed. To optimise watering I planted crops in C shapes rather than rows or 3x3.
This is our humble abode. I like the cosy Super GB colours here. We’re blessed with the same SNES translation for the stove as well.
At the end of the game you are rated on various invisible stats, one of which is happiness. I would love to know what happens if you decide to keep the change, but I am too scared to try.
The tomato racket is working out. Farmin’ is hard work, but we can now afford saddlebags for my horse Jet which let’s us ship tomatoes even faster!
Check out my latast funds. I spent the rest of my money on supplies and managed to plough the entire field whilst hopped up on green tea and croissants.
Eventually the weather turns. Hurrican Bob is just around the corner.
Always brush your cow before bed! I hate the chickens, they are constantly in your way and eggs sell for pennies.
Before you know it autumn is here.
The tomato racket was so successful it turns out that after upgrading to the Ultra Deluxe Wood House I now have more money than I know what to do with. I’m declaring myself Ranch Master grandpa.
My beautiful cow gave birth this winter and we only have four characters to work with for names so I called the calf Snow. On her first day in the world Snow went for a walk and gave me a little smile. This sure beats the hell out of Pokemon, Pikachu can do one.
This game got me through some tough times. I used to have bad insomnia and without fail this helped ease that anxiety. If you want to recreate this experience for yourself at home, lay in bed, unmoving for several hours whilst listening to Blues Run the Game and playing this wonderful game. You can unmute the game on rainy days.
Until next time, please continue to enjoy Bokujō Monogatari GB. Thank you!
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Gunpei is absolutely horned up in this interview:
how people with wealth and power want to have harems, acquire women… that kind of thing is at the root of humanity.
There’s a similar line of thinking in the entertainment world—using soft focus lenses when women are filmed, for instance. When that is done, each person can project their own conception of “beautiful” onto the woman being filmed, and everyone will see their own personal Venus.
Or to use another common expression, it’s actually more erotic when a woman leaves some skin covered.
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This is an all time fav post for me.
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Donkey Kong Land 2 is better than oen by a lot in that it is playable.
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You’re too kind! This is a great thread, I love these explorations into console libraries sequencially.
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how sick are those tunes tho
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The soundtrack is trying it’s very, very, best
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DKL2 is a lot better by virtue of it being something more like a down-scaled port of DKC2 as opposed to whatever the hell the first Land game was
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hell yeahhhhh that’s what i’m talking about
when the drums kick in? golden
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Did you know that Game & Watch Gallery is actually the third collection of Game & Watch collections for the GAME BOY? There was a precursor called the GAME BOY Gallery. It released in Australia but not the US. I swear I’m not making this up.
I play these games too much, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. 15 minutes is too much.
One of my favorites is the Fire escape one because I played that in the version that came out on the GBA. There is a sick joy in reading which tumbling baby is going to hit the ground first. Tapping one button to move two spaces isn’t fast enough, both the AB and directional buttons move Mario. This means I can tap my fingers at a gallop and scoop the kiddies up. It feels so good to do it, I’m ashamed.
The octopus game is really good because I can just keep filling my backpack until I’m practically crushed by its weight. The grab sound gets lower and lower the heavier the bag gets and it’s very satisfying to hear the chime turn into a deep glug after picking up more than ten bars.
Will I play the second gallery this month? Probably!
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One more thing, let’s all take a moment to really soak in what’s happening in Oil Panic. Bowser is pouring oil or tar through the roof of a castle. This is dangerous because the floor is a little bit on fire. Mario’s plan is to catch the oil in some cups and then feed it to Yoshi. Luigi and Donkey Kong Jr will not stop enjoying the summer day even though the castle is on fire and Bowser is hellbent on burning it all down. Because they’re reclining right outside of the tower, Mario has to make sure Yoshi is going to eat the oil, otherwise they’ll get doused.
I really don’t know how Bowser or Mario get locked into an eternal struggle this complicated. All I know is that Yoshi will make POW blocks if I feed him two full jugs of oil in a row.
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the soundtrack to G&W2 is absolutely incredible btw
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i can’t remember which gallery it’s on, but one of them has a remake of the game and watch egg, that goes really fast, and which i got addicted to twice
(once on an actual game boy, then a few years later on a gp32)
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Game & Watch Gallery 2 is great. Playing a GAME BOY COLOR game feels luxurious after making due with simple color schemes until now. I mean, look at that sky! Look at the rolling waves! It’s beautiful. On top of that, meauxdal is right. The music is absolutely incredible. When this title track came on, I felt like I was sitting in a theatre, and the force of a whole band was enveloping me.
Gallery 2 is a big love letter to the first Game & Watch game, Ball. It’s a secret game that unlocks after getting a certain amount of stars. More stars, gets me even more versions of Ball. Here’s the thing though. Most Game & Watch games are some variation of Ball. They’re usually all about waiting at the right place at the right time for something to bounce into your hands. It really drives home the Watch-half of this machine. The buddies march at a constant tick-tock and we all must make our appointments.
Imagine saying this to your son, handing him Ball.
I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it.
I also played a lot of Kirby Star Stacker. As always, the cartooning is really fun and expressive. I love Dedede’s smug personality. It feels good to put him in his place. Really makes my day.
There’s a mode called Line Clear and there are some nice Pac-Man-like cutscenes after every few boards. After completing all the boards at a difficulty level, I get treated to some nice portraits of Kirby having fun with his animal friends.
There is also an endless mode and a timed mode. Both of these make me feel like a Star Stacking God.
This was my first try.
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