Retro Challenge
aka. A Walk Down Memory Lane
I mentioned this project in my last monthly recap, but it’s time to make a proper masterpost for it.
This all started late last year when I was sorting some boxes and found my old Gameboy. I was curious to see if it would still work, and surprisingly, it did. It ignited that nostalgia in me to revisit my gaming childhood. Then last month, I got an 8bitdo SF30 pro controller. Now having a decent d-pad, I contemplated the idea of playing those games once again. Finding that RetroAchievements was a thing was the last push I needed. And so it began.
So far, it’s been interesting to see how different some of those games are compared to what I remembered them to be.
The following list is a mix of games I played as a kid/teen/young adult, plus a few others that I was always interested in but were never released in Europe. It will be subjected to modifications, depending on how my interests evolve through the project. The list also contains several versions of the same games, which I only plan on replaying once but I haven’t decided on the version yet. It’ll be edited as I go.
| Game Title | Console | Cheevos | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros 3 | NES | 0/51 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda | NES | 0/69 | ||
| Kirby's Dream Land | GameBoy | 8/17 | Beaten | |
| Kirby's Dream Land 2 | GameBoy | 27/37 | Beaten | |
| Mario's Picross | GameBoy | 26/89 | Beaten | |
| Mario's Picross 2 | GameBoy | 32/32 | Completed | |
| Mystic Quest | GameBoy | 0/50 | ||
| Super Mario Land | GameBoy | 22/37 | Beaten | |
| Super Mario Land 2 | GameBoy | 13/28 | Beaten | |
| Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land | GameBoy | 21/26 | Beaten | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | GameBoy | 0/30 | ||
| Wario Land II | GameBoy | 16/20 | Beaten | |
| Chrono Trigger | Snes | 0/77 | ||
| Donkey Kong Country | Snes | 0/38 | ||
| Donkey Kong Country 2 | Snes | 0/46 | ||
| Donkey Kong Country 3 | Snes | 0/33 | ||
| Earthbound | Snes | 0/87 | ||
| Illusion of Time | Snes | 0/46 | ||
| Kirby Super Star | Snes | 0/58 | ||
| Mario's Super Picross | Snes | 0/77 | ||
| Megaman X | Snes | 0/56 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 1 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 2 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 3 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 4 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 5 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 6 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 7 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Picross NP Vol. 8 | Snes | 0/27 | ||
| Secret of Evermore | Snes | 0/47 | ||
| Secret of Mana | Snes | 0/85 | ||
| Super Mario All-Stars | Snes | 0/106 | ||
| Super Mario RPG | Snes | 0/63 | ||
| Super Mario World | Snes | 0/67 | ||
| Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | Snes | 0/33 | ||
| Terranigma | Snes | 0/99 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | Snes | 0/55 | ||
| Crusader of Centy | Megadrive | 0/59 | ||
| Landstalker | Megadrive | 0/50 | ||
| Quackshot | Megadrive | 0/31 | ||
| Sonic the Hedgehog | Megadrive | 0/24 | ||
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Megadrive | 0/32 | ||
| Chrono Cross | Playstation | 0/138 | ||
| Final Fantasy Tactics | Playstation | 0/121 | ||
| Vagrant Story | Playstation | 0/200 | ||
| Paper Mario | N64 | 0/66 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX | GameBoy Color | 0/36 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages | GameBoy Color | 0/55 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons | GameBoy Color | 0/59 | ||
| ~Prototype~ Pokemon Picross | GameBoy Color | 0/17 | ||
| Wario Land 3 | GameBoy Color | 0/106 | ||
| Advance Wars | GBA | 0/92 | ||
| Advance Wars 2 | GBA | 0/72 | ||
| Final Fantasy Tactics Advance | GBA | 0/135 | ||
| Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories | GBA | 0/89 | ||
| Kirby & The Amazing Mirror | GBA | 0/56 | ||
| Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland | GBA | 0/39 | ||
| Kuru Kuru Kururin | GBA | 0/64 | ||
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | GBA | 0/70 | ||
| Megaman Battle Network | GBA | 0/50 | ||
| Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team | GBA | 0/128 | ||
| Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World | GBA | 0/58 | ||
| Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island | GBA | 0/68 | ||
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario 3 | GBA | 0/94 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords | GBA | 0/55 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap | GBA | 0/67 | ||
| Warioland 4 | GBA | 0/35 | ||
| Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth | NDS | 0/91 | ||
| Advance Wars: Dual Strike | NDS | 0/75 | ||
| Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney | NDS | 0/74 | ||
| Final Fantasy Tactics A2 | NDS | 0/185 | ||
| Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time | NDS | 0/29 | ||
| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | NDS | 0/88 | ||
| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All | NDS | 0/70 | ||
| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations | NDS | 0/80 | ||
| Pokemon Conquest | NDS | 0/61 | ||
| Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky | NDS | 0/131 | ||
| Professor Layton and the Curious Village | NDS | 0/42 | ||
| Professor Layton and the Pandora's Box | NDS | 0/43 | ||
| Professor Layton and the Lost Future | NDS | 0/28 | ||
| Super Princess Peach | NDS | 0/61 | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | NDS | 0/70 |
//currently playing : #ffe599
Illusion of Time
I beat Illusion of Gaia several years ago, and I still remember that awful, mind-numbing, way-too-long raft segment (if the sharks weren’t hungry, why did they circle our raft in the first place??). Not too bad of a game otherwise, but my goodness, people who thought walking simulators were something novel back in 2012 clearly never played this game. I hope you’re playing it on emulator with a fast-forward hotkey.
By the way, are you gonna play Soul Blazer and Terranigma as well? These games are supposedly considered a trilogy, and also don’t have irredeemable trash raft segments.
Kirby Super Star
The Great Cave Offensive also has this one segment where (at least) one of the treasures is at the end of a several-rooms-long path, all without checkpoints (and you also need the right power to access the treasure once you make it there, so you basically have to start over if you get hit once). I’ve wondered if that part was changed in Kirby Super Star Deluxe for DS, but not enough to play what’s basically the same game again.
In fact, if you can, play the DS version instead; I heard that one has some extra content.
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario 3
As someone who played all three, I can go ahead and tell you right now: just stick with Advance 4. Besides the GBA version’s exclusive E-Reader levels, the only major difference is that the NES version won’t save your progress.
Advance 2 has no extra levels; just a couple little extra cut-scenes, like one for getting all the Yoshi Coins in every level (and new physics for Luigi). I never played Advance 3, so I can’t comment on it.
Oh, and if you’re not aware: Super Mario Bros. Deluxe has both the original Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels (renamed “For Super Players”), as well as some exclusive content of its own (e.g. You vs. Boo), so if you can get ahold of that (and Advance 1; same game as SMB2 but with Yoshi Coin sprite-swaps added), there really isn’t any reason to keep All-Stars on your list.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
Just stick with DX; it’s literally the same game, but with an extra, optional dungeon.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords
Again, just stick with the GBA version; it’s literally the same game, but with an extra, optional dungeon. Only difference between these games’ differences and the previous two is that this extra dungeon can only be accessed if you’ve beaten both A Link to the Past and Four Swords on the same save file.
By the way, are you gonna play Soul Blazer and Terranigma as well? These games are supposedly considered a trilogy, and also don’t have irredeemable trash raft segments.
Thanks for making me notice that I didn’t put Terranigma on my table (I have it on my list, I had it as a kid but somehow never realize they were in the same series. However I remember liking the game on itself so I wanted to revisit it too). It is now fixed. I’m gonna look into Soul Blazer, I actually never heard of it.
In fact, if you can, play the DS version instead; I heard that one has some extra content.
I’m currently in the process of fixing something on my DS lite so I might wait for this one and play it on there once it’s fixed.
As someone who played all three, I can go ahead and tell you right now: just stick with Advance 4. Besides the GBA version’s exclusive E-Reader levels, the only major difference is that the NES version won’t save your progress.
Thanks. I was more balanced between the SNES and GBA (because I thought I remembered the Nes version not saving) but no matter how much I love All-Stars (it was my first SNES game after all, and the reason it’s on this list) I HATE lost levels. With a passion. Fuck this game. Which means I don’t wanna replay it ever. I might replay the GBA version of SMB2 just for the sake of it though.
Just stick with DX; it’s literally the same game, but with an extra, optional dungeon.
Oh, thanks for the head’s up.
if you’ve beaten both A Link to the Past and Four Swords on the same save file.
Is Four Swords worth playing alone ? I remember it as a multiplayer thing, but I don’t remember it well.
I HATE lost levels. With a passion.
IIRC you don’t need to beat Lost Levels in SMB Deluxe to unlock stuff like You vs. Boo (in fact, I think you unlock that first).
Is Four Swords worth playing alone ?
I can’t say since I always played it multiplayer (and haven’t played it in years), but I can say that part of the fun is trying to get more rupees than your allies (not only are you ranked after each level, but I don’t remember dungeons having that many enemies and instead having billiards). Bosses would fare better, though they still require coordination (like the ice boss only showing you the weak spot for another player).
Also, IIRC this is one of those GBA games where you need another copy of the game to play multiplayer.
very interesting to see how SHORT some of those are when I remembered them being super super long…I’m putting that on the account that they didn’t have internal save
I’d also mention that all the ones you played in your last post are Game Boy games, so they might’ve felt longer if you only played them when you didn’t have access to any home consoles.
Also, the whole “being sent back to the beginning on Game Over” in stuff like Super Mario Land would also prolong them (or is that what you meant?).
EDIT: Oh, I guess another difference between the SNES and GBA Marios would be framerate since you appear to be using the PAL versions.
Also, the whole “being sent back to the beginning on Game Over” in stuff like Super Mario Land would also prolong them (or is that what you meant?).
Oh yes, there was that too. I just meant when you had to turn off the console. Not to mention the “I ran out of batteries and the console turned off” frequent occurrences.
Ah, so that’s what you mentioned on my A Journey Through Time post! This sounds marvelous indeed. I’m kinda jealous of everyone who played plenty of console games back then - I never had one (just PC) so I only had a chance to play some of console classics at friends’ places. It must feel great to revisit them. Good luck with the challenge!
I didn’t have my own PC til I was a teenager, before that it was very limited stuff once in a while on my dad’s work laptop… so the consoles were pretty much what my friends and I had access to. It’s actually nice to revisit them. Some of those feel like old friends since we had few of them that we played over and over, and it’s strange to revisit them so many years later. And thanks :) You can always make yourself a console retrospective once you’re done with your journey through time ;)
Ah, I imagine the friendly-strange feeling. I have 2 PC games, Jagged Alliance 2 and Heroes of Might & Magic III, which I played over and over as a child, and revisiting them feels surreal. Like I know everything already but at the same time it’s completely different now. As for console retrospective, I wish I could do that but I’m super bad at handling the controller, not having used to it as a child/teenager, so I’ll probably just do another run of the Journey and continue to be jelly for people knowing Super Mario by heart :D
If you go for the emulator versions, you can always decide to play with the keyboard instead of a controller ;)
There were Picross games on SNES and even a Mario Picross back in 1995 ! I had no idea the concept was this old ! (I found out about picross with NDS game.)
Anyway, nice challenge, I wonder what I would feel like if I tried playing with my old GB…
The Gameboy Mario Picross was my first ever picross game and it hooked me for life. It was actually really good value for the money too, I replayed it last month and there was SO MUCH content (especially when you compare to something like super mario land or Kirby)
When your Steam backlog isn’t enough! xD
QuackShot though! It was a pure gem, I hope it’s high in your play list, I totally loved this one very much.
:sweats: I knooooow…
I barely played Quackshot, as I didn’t have a Megadrive myself but the few times I had a try at it at friends’ places, it always made me wanna play more.
On what platform do you intend to play FF tactics? It’s one of those game that I’d love to play, but I have a hard time committing myself to playing on an emulator.
I’m not sure yet. I still have a working PS1 and the disc but I’m a bit lazy to play all of that on my TV. I also have the android version on my tablet, but my tablet is a very low end one so it’s lagging.
Oh, there is an android port? Didn’t knew that. I was hoping some sort of PC port was underway :D.
Actually the android version is a port of the PSP enhanced version but with some features removed. I think there is also an ios version in case you have an ipad. I’ve been hoping for a pc port but it’s been 10 years and still nothing so… Which is sad because FF Tactics is the best Final Fantasy game.
They released a remaster of the VIII in 2019, so all hope is not lost. But yeah it’s pretty sad :/
That sounds like a fun walk down memory lane! I hope you’ll have a blast playing them \o/
Thanks! So far it’s been pretty good. And very interesting to see how SHORT some of those are when I remembered them being super super long. As I said in my short reviews on my monthly post, I’m putting that on the account that they didn’t have internal save (so you had to restart from the start every time you restarted the console).