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SNES Game Club - May 2021: Super Metroid

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Month 2 Winner:
Donkey Kong Country Trilogy.

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The Challenge:
Completing all three of these games will be a challenge for many already but for those who want that added challenge there is the 101, 102 and 103 percent completion.

Donkey Kong Country 101% requires the player to complete every level and enter every bonus level.
Donkey Kong Country 2 102% requires completing every level and bonus level but adds the requirement of collecting every DK Koin and visiting all of the Kong Family members once.
Donkey Kong Country 3 103% like its predecessor requires the completion of every main and bonus level along with collection all of the DK coins along with bonus coins and banana birds.
 
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jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Been playing DKC1 on Retroarch on my phone (with Razor Kishi). Man, this game has brutal difficulty but the first few levels I'm doing from muscle memory.

1) I hate that your progress doesn't save automatically after each level.
2) I hate that you can't exit a world until you reach the Funky Kong's flying barrel travel
3) The combination of both 1 and 2 makes it difficult to play this game in short bursts because if you start a new world, you are usually in for 3-5 levels before you either reach a save point or flying barrel to reach a save point in another world.

I realized earlier that I have done 101% on DKC before, as back when I had a SNES and few games this was one of them. I believe I got it for Christmas or a birthday one year, and since I was a poor broke lad I played the hell out of it over and over again. I also realized I never beat the sequels. I'll probably rectify this at some point, but probably not this month. I'm on the ice world now (world 4 of 7) so I'm a bit over half way done but probably not by overall playtime.
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Been playing DKC1 on Retroarch on my phone (with Razor Kishi). Man, this game has brutal difficulty but the first few levels I'm doing from muscle memory.

1) I hate that your progress doesn't save automatically after each level.
2) I hate that you can't exit a world until you reach the Funky Kong's flying barrel travel
3) The combination of both 1 and 2 makes it difficult to play this game in short bursts because if you start a new world, you are usually in for 3-5 levels before you either reach a save point or flying barrel to reach a save point in another world.

I realized earlier that I have done 101% on DKC before, as back when I had a SNES and few games this was one of them. I believe I got it for Christmas or a birthday one year, and since I was a poor broke lad I played the hell out of it over and over again. I also realized I never beat the sequels. I'll probably rectify this at some point, but probably not this month. I'm on the ice world now (world 4 of 7) so I'm a bit over half way done but probably not by overall playtime.

Game is kicking my ass so far as well. WOrk has been nuts so I dont know how far I will get with the challenge of all 3 but we will see. I will admit I am cheating because of your third point. SNES Classic uses save states and sometimes I am playing a level or 2 only.
 

MacReady13

Member
I actually think the original is somewhat manageable. Part 2 can get quick brutal, especially the later level and Lost World levels, and part 3 is even harder! I 101% the original on the SNES when it 1st came out, and 102% part 2 after launch on SNES as well. Part 3 I have never fully finished. Some of the levels really fucked with me but I will get there soon...
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
I think I'm going to have to put this game away without finishing it, I just don't have the patience to play games like this that I did when I was younger.

I spent an hour today playing - went back to run through the first level a few dozen times to build up to about 30 extra lives - then proceeded to the industrial level. Lost all my extra lives trying to beat the first three levels which are brutally hard and require a lot more muscle memory and dexterity than this old person has. Since I didn't make it to the save point or the flying barrel, it was game over and my progress was lost.

This was me trying not to break my phone / Kishi controller

gvHlJfN.gif
 

#Phonepunk#

Banned
i recently played through 1 + 2

loved 1 as a kid. i had that Nintendo Power VHS and everything.

never got to play much of 2 until recently. it's good! i would still put 1 over it.

the level design felt a bit random for 2, like they made some extra bee levels and just threw them in. i appreciated the thematic cohesion in the first game.
 

itsbabadookusir

Neo Member
I have such a nostalgic attachment to DKC since I actually owned it as a kid. But I can now acknowledge the criticisms of it rationally.

I'm farther in to DKC2 than I ever have been before; I'm at the level where you get the parrot and have to fly through the prickly vines. There's so much to like about this game. Even my girlfriend has commented on the music while doing her own thing, totally unengaged. Some of these tracks are real bops. And it's still a real treat for the eyes imo.

But it feels sadistically hard. I... I think I'm just going to stop playing it. And I just beat Super Ghouls'n' Ghosts (without savestates), so I think that says something about how unfair some of these levels in DKC2 feel.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
I could get through D. K. Country with one life, easy!

Back in my day, we used to have real game play...

3 lives and 3 continues, that’s all we had!

You wouldn’t last two minutes in a real game!

I’ve got more game play in my little finger than you’ve got in this entire game!

We never had movement like this when I was in video games!

All this fun can’t be good for you!

The trouble with you kids, is that you’re all too soft!

We used to have to survive with a two frame walk!

Sometimes our sprites would change for no apparent reason!

I could tell you yarns about the old days all day long!


-Me, getting schooled by Cranky Kong
 

JimiNutz

Banned
I'd already been playing DKC1 on Switch so knew how difficult it was, much respect to people that played this game back in the day and beat it!

I on the other hand have been making generous use of save states and have been save scumming my way through - and even then it's still kind of challenging!

I appreciate that this is not a shared view by many but I think I actually prefer DKC style games over 2D Mario games with DKC:TF probably being my favourite 2D platformer of all time. I didn't grow up with 2D Mario games and just generally prefer the feel/physics of the DKC games.

Hopefully they get DKC3 on Switch soon and then also eventually port DKC:R as well so that all the mainline DKC games are playable on Switch.

Oh and how could I forget the music! Fucking brilliant.

P.S. Bring back Diddy Kong Racing!!!!
 
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swarley64

Member
I played the first three worlds of DKC yesterday. It was a little easier than I remember but I attribute that to being able to put the Switch on sleep mode (on SNES you’d reset to 5 lives when you loaded your save file).

The ice world is fucking hard though!
 
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SpiceRacz

Member
I would rate the difficulty of the trilogy

2 > 3 > 1

DKC2 is punch a fucking hole in the wall level of difficult in spots, but it's forgiveable because the game as a whole is nearly perfect.

These games require too much patience though. Patience that I don't have and I'm still pretty fresh off completing the trilogy last year. Instead, I decided to replay Mario RPG and Shadowrun for November.
 

itsbabadookusir

Neo Member
I decided I at least wanted to see the rest of the game and started savestate scumming. Got to the bee boss and... You're supposed to shoot its tiny little stinger how many times?? Nope! Imma take my DKC1 nostalgia goggles and go home, tyvm. But seriously I might just see if there are some cheats for this game because I really do want to take in the atmosphere.

On that note... What are some other good 16-bit platformers that are must-plays?

I've done...

DKC (Obviously...)
Super Mario All-Stars + SMW
Sonic 1 and 2
Super Castlevania IV
+Rondo of Blood (Maybe even better than SOTN!)
+Bloodlines (haven't finished it yet due to Castlevania burnout, but it's pretty awesome)
Super Ghouls'n' Ghosts
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Contra III
Aladdin (Genesis and SNES)
Curse of the Moon 1 and 2 (Okay, okay... They're not 16-bit but damn they're good!)

I've tried...

Yoshi's Island (I know there's a rom hack to shut baby Mario up, but I really don't dig the aesthetic)

Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3 (It just looks kinda weird after playing the first two)

Super Metroid (I will eventually do this one but it's just got such a dour, lonely vibe)

Dracula X (the background art is beautiful, but the level design is so meh)

Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 (I want to like these but I'm worried about frustrating difficulty)

I am interested in...

The Terminator (Sega CD)

Mega Man (The entire franchise is totally foreign to me... Where to begin??)

Ninja Gaiden/Shinobi (Never played any of these, either)

Anything based on Disney or WB, I guess...

Cinematic platformers... (I've played a bit of Prince of Persia SNES, but there are a handful of these. Which one is best and on which platform?)
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
I decided I at least wanted to see the rest of the game and started savestate scumming. Got to the bee boss and... You're supposed to shoot its tiny little stinger how many times?? Nope! Imma take my DKC1 nostalgia goggles and go home, tyvm. But seriously I might just see if there are some cheats for this game because I really do want to take in the atmosphere.

On that note... What are some other good 16-bit platformers that are must-plays?

I've done...

DKC (Obviously...)
Super Mario All-Stars + SMW
Sonic 1 and 2
Super Castlevania IV
+Rondo of Blood (Maybe even better than SOTN!)
+Bloodlines (haven't finished it yet due to Castlevania burnout, but it's pretty awesome)
Super Ghouls'n' Ghosts
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Contra III
Aladdin (Genesis and SNES)
Curse of the Moon 1 and 2 (Okay, okay... They're not 16-bit but damn they're good!)

I've tried...

Yoshi's Island (I know there's a rom hack to shut baby Mario up, but I really don't dig the aesthetic)

Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3 (It just looks kinda weird after playing the first two)

Super Metroid (I will eventually do this one but it's just got such a dour, lonely vibe)

Dracula X (the background art is beautiful, but the level design is so meh)

Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 (I want to like these but I'm worried about frustrating difficulty)

I am interested in...

The Terminator (Sega CD)

Mega Man (The entire franchise is totally foreign to me... Where to begin??)

Ninja Gaiden/Shinobi (Never played any of these, either)

Anything based on Disney or WB, I guess...

Cinematic platformers... (I've played a bit of Prince of Persia SNES, but there are a handful of these. Which one is best and on which platform?)

MMX1-4 are fantastic. 1-3 are on SNES.

I am sure we will get to MMX in this journey at some point.
 
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Cutty Flam

Banned
DKC = treacherous difficulty

Think I’ve died well over 200 times by now. It’s almost like every time you land, it would be better to immediately jump again 1/3 of the time bc there are so many crazy unexpected enemies ahead
 

swarley64

Member
Got to 101% in DKC yesterday. I really enjoyed going back to it, and it holds up better than I thought it would.

It’s unfortunate that there’s so many mine levels in the late game... 8 of the last 10 levels are underground themed, not enough visual variety there.

I’m looking forward to DKC2. I’ve beaten it before but never got 102%
 

Yumi

Member
Halfway through world 2 in DKC. Played a bunch as a kid. Definitely still difficult, but the levels are so small it doesn't feel to bad to die. Glad I remembered the skip in stop and go station:)
 

SpiceRacz

Member
I decided I at least wanted to see the rest of the game and started savestate scumming. Got to the bee boss and... You're supposed to shoot its tiny little stinger how many times?? Nope! Imma take my DKC1 nostalgia goggles and go home, tyvm. But seriously I might just see if there are some cheats for this game because I really do want to take in the atmosphere.

On that note... What are some other good 16-bit platformers that are must-plays?

I've done...

DKC (Obviously...)
Super Mario All-Stars + SMW
Sonic 1 and 2
Super Castlevania IV
+Rondo of Blood (Maybe even better than SOTN!)
+Bloodlines (haven't finished it yet due to Castlevania burnout, but it's pretty awesome)
Super Ghouls'n' Ghosts
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Contra III
Aladdin (Genesis and SNES)
Curse of the Moon 1 and 2 (Okay, okay... They're not 16-bit but damn they're good!)

I've tried...

Yoshi's Island (I know there's a rom hack to shut baby Mario up, but I really don't dig the aesthetic)

Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3 (It just looks kinda weird after playing the first two)

Super Metroid (I will eventually do this one but it's just got such a dour, lonely vibe)

Dracula X (the background art is beautiful, but the level design is so meh)

Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 (I want to like these but I'm worried about frustrating difficulty)

I am interested in...

The Terminator (Sega CD)

Mega Man (The entire franchise is totally foreign to me... Where to begin??)

Ninja Gaiden/Shinobi (Never played any of these, either)

Anything based on Disney or WB, I guess...

Cinematic platformers... (I've played a bit of Prince of Persia SNES, but there are a handful of these. Which one is best and on which platform?)

Skyblazer and Hook for SNES (yes, Hook, the movie). Skyblazer is the better game, but they play very similarly. Same developers and it shows.

I'd also highly recommend Run Saber.
 

sol_bad

Member
I finished DKC 1, 101%. I have 1 final retroachievement to get though so I'll work on that tonight.
And yeah, the game isn't THAT hard, yeah, I lost many lives but I never reached a game over screen and didn't need to farm lives at any point. The snow themed levels were the hardest for me.

There is an exploit to gain 99+ lives though if anyone needs it.

*EDIT*
And DKC1 is complete.
5pjOu0E.jpg
 
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Cutty Flam

Banned
Finished DKC, this is my first time playing and it was an incredible experience. I would have been playing this all year long as a kid if I had bought it for the old SNES that I bought at Game Land during the N64 + GCN days

My favorite character is Diddy Kong and Cranky Kong that fool is hilarious

David Wise killed it with the music as well. Great OST as far as SNES goes. Aquatic Ambience is a perfect track
 

SpiceRacz

Member
Did anyone end up finishing the trilogy? Curious about people's thoughts, particularly DKC3.

I played through Super Mario RPG this month instead. Perfect game imo. All the qualities of Square RPG condensed in a shorter, tighter experience.
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Did anyone end up finishing the trilogy? Curious about people's thoughts, particularly DKC3.

I played through Super Mario RPG this month instead. Perfect game imo. All the qualities of Square RPG condensed in a shorter, tighter experience.

Nah only go through one. Clearly the longer months of multiple games failed a lot of us haha.

I'll likely throw DKC 2 and 3 at some point in the future as a lot of us didn't get to em.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned


Did anyone end up finishing the trilogy? Curious about people's thoughts, particularly DKC3.

I played through Super Mario RPG this month instead. Perfect game imo. All the qualities of Square RPG condensed in a shorter, tighter experience.

I finished DKC but DKC2: Diddy Kong's Quest I only started, I think I have like 9%
Don't even have DKC3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. But if I did, I would definitely finish it within probably a few months
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars deserves to be on the SNES Online, I think a ton of people would love to try it out and would likely finish it. Pretty much a perfect game
 

jaysius

Banned
I have a SN30 Pro, SN30 Pro+, and the Switch SNES controller. If you can only get one, make it the SN30 Pro+. It’s the most comfortable and versatile of the bunch. But if you can afford (and find) one, Nintendo did a great job with the SNES controller.

The SN30 Pro was good for it’s time, but if you have the other 2 there isn’t much reason for it to exist.
People say there’s input lag using the sn30pro+ on Switch has firmware fixed it?
 

jaysius

Banned
If there is I haven’t noticed it. For reference I played Celeste using it the whole time and it was great. I did notice input lag on iOS while using Mac mode but switching it to xinput resolved it completely.

Right on, Celeste is an intense game, so that sounds great. Do you have the latest firmware installed too?

Also thank you for the Ipad tip too.
 
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jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
What is the December game (or games) gonna be?
 
Right on, Celeste is an intense game, so that sounds great. Do you have the latest firmware installed too?

Also thank you for the Ipad tip too.

Not 100% sure what firmware I’m running but it was the latest at the time (early this year, Q1). They stopped dating the versions and I can’t remember the version number. The good thing is you can always reflash the firmware to a previous version with their upgrade tool if you find a newer release isn’t working out well.
 
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