Retro Game Party: HD+ Remaster - May 2015 poll is up!

Kitsune Inferno

Hello, fellow gameophiles.~ When a new game comes out here on AP, it tends to spark real-time discussion as people post their progress and whatnot and share their thoughts as they play. There's usually pages upon pages of ripe discussion on the game in question. But then it drops off over time as everyone beats the game and goes on with their lives. Sure, SOMEBODY's out there playing Chrono Trigger right now, but there's a lack of any large-scale discussion to take part in. And I bet you've been looking for an excuse to replay Ocarina of Time, haven't you?

Enter the AP Retro Game Party:
1. Once a month, AP members cast their vote on a game to play from any era up to the N64/PSX/Dreamcast era for consoles, and GBA era for handhelds.
2. During the month, we will replay the game. Most of us will play start to finish, but you are free to load up past saves or play up to wherever you please, so long as your discussion is about what you've played during the month.
3. As we play, we simply post and share our opinions and thoughts, as frequently as we'd like. These opinions and thoughts are meant to be completely based off of this playthrough, though you may make comparisons to old opinions.

That's basically the gist of it. Everything else is discussed below in detail.

Mission

Encouraging and Promoting Discussion: We're here to promote discussion and thoughts on the game in real-time as you play it, much like in newer game threads as everyone gets a hold of a new game and plays through it. This is the perfect chance to schedule a replay of those dusty old classics, because we're all doing it! As for discussion itself, anything goes. Thoughts on plot, gameplay, presentation, design, whatever, it's all up for discussion!
Evaluating Prior Conceptions and Adopting New Perspectives: You might think Super Mario World was the best game ever last time you played, but how do you feel about it now? Do you feel like you enjoy the game more? Do you feel like you enjoy it less? We want you to share your altered or unaltered opinions and new perspectives as you play through the game! So come into the experience with an open but critical mind.
Experiencing Classics Again or for the Very First Time: While the idea is to relive games we've already played, there's still plenty of room here for first-time players. We want to see new players get to enjoy the things we did so many years ago! With that in mind, however, spoilers simply cannot be avoided within this discussion. Some of us know who is going to die at the end of Disc Five, and this particular death is probably going to play a pivotal role in the experience of the game.
Keep in Mind

1. If you're not currently playing the game as part of the thread, we don't care.
2. You are free to mention prior playthroughs and your thoughts on them, so long as you're primarily posting new material and new reactions AS YOU ARE PLAYING THE GAME. Old thoughts are meant to be simply comparisons only.
3. You are free to enter the discussion at any time, so long as we have not moved on to a new game. It's okay to start at the end of the month, just be warned you probably won't finish with the rest of us.
4. Be mindful of spoilers at your own discretion. Basically, anything you as a player think is best kept a secret for a new player should be tagged appropriately (or vague or something).
5. Golden Rings are not an acceptable form of currency in this thread. Sorry, Sonic fans, your money's no good here.

That's about it, really. If you have any questions, ask me or Wagomu.

–-

Now then, this month's adventure begins today!, and the game you guys chose is Banjo Kazooie.
Don't have a copy of Banjo Kazooie? You can play it on Xbox Live Arcader, or the original N64 version. Have access to neither? Emulation is an option.

I think that's about all I can say. The Party will begin on April 1st, but until then, I guess feel free to discuss the idea as a whole, and recommend some games for May.~ Remember, this idea only works if the games we play are games YOU want to play.

–-

Past Game Parties:
JUNE 2012: Final Fantasy VII - http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=35388
JULY 2012: Earthbound - http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=35664
AUGUST 2012: The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=35981
SEPTEMBER 2012: Spyro the Dragon - http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=36213
OCTOBER 2012: Sonic Adventure 2 - http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=36393
NOVEMBER 2012: Fire Emblem -

FEBRUARY 2015: Earthbound
MARCH 2015: Super Metroid

Galaxy 9000

First of all, gotta link one of the best tracks in the game (and its many variations).

I suppose I'll hook up the Xbox this weekend and start playing through the game, since I might as well play it properly on a system where I already own it.

Monkey King

Better than Mario 64.

captain usopp

i know this series is well loved, but I have no interest in it. I never got to play super metroid last month. I'll just crash the BK party when I have a chance.

Zack

@Monkey:

Better than Mario 64.

Damn! That's some serious praise there! I don't agree, but I still have a lot of fond memories of Banjo-Kazooie.

fedcom

Better than Mario 64

Huh, I'm gonna have to play this and see if that's true
To be bad it's not on Virtual Console

Also I still haven't finished Super Metroid lol. Just got sidetracked with too many other games.
I actually finished Mario 64 a few weeks ago. I never got 120 stars when I played it like a decade ago (also pretty sure I cheated to get to Bowser)

Nobodyman

It's like they took the basic SM64 structure and made everything perfect.

Wagomu

I've played this game way too much for it to be interesting anymore. I'll probably read the comments, though. It's a pretty good game.

Monkey King

@Nobodyman:

It's like they took the basic SM64 structure and made everything perfect.

Yup it's this.
It has also dated significantly better given the controls and camera are perfect, which can't be said for Mario 64. The graphics even still look nice and attractive.

C_uggs

WOW..this game brings me memories..My first N64 game..<3 At the time I was 8~9 years.

This is one of the games I couldn't beat at the first time, got tired of the game and after 4 years I went back to play and I managed to beat.

Also, the OST <333 One of the best soundtrack in video game history. I will love to discuss this game.

Panekai

Due to circumstances I can't replay this right now. But I would highly recommend it to those who can. This and Tooie are magnificent.

MetaMario

Ah, still got the ol' N64 cartidge. Guess I'll play around myself.

captain usopp

what exactly makes this game good. just looks like a run of the mill 3D platformer that were a dime a dozen during that era. not trying to be rude. that's just how i feel. i don't know what makes this so popular.

Monkey King

@Panekai:

Due to circumstances I can't replay this right now. But I would highly recommend it to those who can. This and Tooie are magnificent.

Tooie is just alright.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@captain:

what exactly makes this game good. just looks like a run of the mill 3D platformer that were a dime a dozen during that era. not trying to be rude. that's just how i feel. i don't know what makes this so popular.

So like in the 60's there were a lot of shaggy haired groups of young guys playing guitars. But that doesn't mean you should write off the Rolling Stones or Beatles lol.

All those dime a dozen 3d platformers were copying two games. Mario 64 and this one.

It's made by Rare btw, which should be evidence enough.

KageKageKing

I prefer Tooie cause Banjo-Kazooie scared me when I was a kid.

taboo

i loved this one but always stopped at the horror level on both my last play throughs, so i've never beaten it. i'd like to play it now but i'm a bit too busy

i love that it just has like.. hidden shit that does NOTHING

we should play Conker's Bad Fur day sometime though. i need to finish that one too

wolfwood

Man, it really bums me out how Rare just went completely to shit.

I really didn't see it coming.

Nobodyman

@KageKageKing:

I prefer Tooie cause Banjo-Kazooie scared me when I was a kid.

And Tooie DIDN'T?

captain usopp

@Monkey:

Tooie is just alright.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

So like in the 60's there were a lot of shaggy haired groups of young guys playing guitars. But that doesn't mean you should write off the Rolling Stones or Beatles lol.

All those dime a dozen 3d platformers were copying two games. Mario 64 and this one.

It's made by Rare btw, which should be evidence enough.

not writing it off. just don't get it. just want to hear some points of view from those who like it. and really, you perfer the first one? Isn/t the second more popular? (asking cause i don't really know)

wolfwood

That decomposing shark with visible flesh wounds takes the scary cake for me.

Nobodyman

@captain:

not writing it off. just don't get it. just want to hear some points of view from those who like it.

Let's see…

-Intuitive and fun gameplay (no matter how many times you do it, doing a ground pound is never not fun).
-Fantastic music
-Some of the funniest dialogue you'll see in ANY game
-It's just...ridiculously charming

And just to a name a few things it improved on from SM64:

SM64: You found a star? Well then, let's kick you out of the level so you can start over and get the next one
BK: You found a Jiggy? Well, by all means, continue exploring the level and find some more.

SM64: You want to fly? Well, here's a wing cap that will let you fly for an arbitrary amount of time that's impossible to keep track of. Please don't blame us if you fall into a pit of death as a result.
BK: You want to fly? Here's a launch pad and you can stay in the air for however many red feathers you have, which we'll keep displayed for you.

SM64: In retrospect, our graphics are kinda blocky and a lot of the levels seem kind of generic and beta-y
BK: Our graphics hold up splendidly, even by today's standards, and everything is stylized and feels like part of the same world.

and really, you perfer the first one? Isn/t the second more popular? (asking cause i don't really know)

Uhh, I haven't looked around extensively, but I think most people remember/prefer the first one.

@wolfwood:

That decomposing shark with visible flesh wounds takes the scary cake for me.

….Fair enough.

What the hell is Clanker anyway? A giant cyborg shark?

captain usopp

actually. those are some good points.

I never really got into N64 games. graphics were a big part of it. I went the PS route instead. And mario 64 doesn't interest me to this day.

Monkey King

@captain:

not writing it off. just don't get it. just want to hear some points of view from those who like it. and really, you perfer the first one? Isn/t the second more popular? (asking cause i don't really know)

I doubt the second one is more popular, it came out reeeeaallly late on 64 lifespan. I missed it completely as a kid, I played it like a year ago lol.

Kazooie is just…it's fun, it's charming, it's still kind of gorgeous on the art design front. Great music, controls, more immersive environments than Mario 64.
I know the dime a dozen type games you're thinking of, I remember all that too. Gex, Glover, etc. The also rans. Third rate fourth tier shovelware.
Kazooie is first tier.
Get this, they have a level where you explore the same region in four different variations, one for each season.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

@Nobodyman:

SM64: You want to fly? Well, here's a wing cap that will let you fly for an arbitrary amount of time that's impossible to keep track of. Please don't blame us if you fall into a pit of death as a result.
BK: You want to fly? Here's a launch pad and you can stay in the air for however many red feathers you have, which we'll keep displayed for you.

Let's just admit it, the Wing Cap sucked, it always sucked, the controls were and are garbage. Fuck the Wing Cap.

captain usopp

i guess that's all enough for me to give it a try some day. not now though. I don't have access and i'm busy.

C_uggs

@Nobodyman:

What the hell is Clanker anyway? A giant cyborg shark?

Clanker is just a garbage grinder, a friendly garbage grinder who is too scary to have friends.

I love the song that plays inside him. But the green jinjo…I was so scared.

Monkey King

one of the things that always bugged me about mario 65 was that like they increasingly made the level settings interesting in the middle? Which is great?
like the first area levels on the first floor is more basic stuffs as it should be, theres a field and fort and a water and a snow, that s fine
then you move into the second area basement stuff and they up the ante!! now your finding ghosts and lava and pyaramids and mines….
and then the final area? the third ine? fucking what
more snow, more grassy areas, nondescript rock mointain, random crap in the sky, watery blocks???
ok you can shrink in one and there is a clock but still???

banko jakoozi has a nice strong thematic idea for every level, yeah theres less but less is more!!! and it gets coooooler as it goes, the last three is monster house, cool industrial boat dock, and SEASON FOREST

KageKageKing

[hide][/hide]

taboo

@wolfwood:

That decomposing shark with visible flesh wounds takes the scary cake for me.

auuuuuugh that was the coolest fucking level to me when i was a kid because it took me so long to realize you actually had to go inside the fucking thing

Monkey King

@taboo:

auuuuuugh that was the coolest fucking level to me when i was a kid because it took me so long to realize you actually had to go inside the fucking thing

I had a kidgasm when I realized you could break certain windows on the rusty bucket boat, and likewise for certain windows on the ghost mansion.

Mr. Zoro

To me, flying is what made my day. Banjo Kazooie was one of the first games I rented for the N64, and just the concept of flying left me in such awe. It was just so real to me, despite it only being something I was controlling on the TV.

Panekai

Yeah, flying felt really good in banjo. And the world's just felt so vibrant and alive. I died all the damn time I wasn't even mad when I had to recollect notes. It was just a really fun game to play I could spend hours on.

C_uggs

The jiggies were a little too hard to find in the later levels, especially if you didn't know english. Rusty Bucket bay was a pain in the ass and Furnace Fun was impossible.

Treasure Trove Cove was the best stage to fly and explore.

To the question, the game says that Clanker is a whale.

KageKageKing

Treasure Trove Cove…Never had the courage to get that goddamn Blue Jinjo...
Curses you Chomper.

C_uggs

On the roof of the mansion on mad monster mansion there was two chimneys, one the size of Banjo and one small enough for the pumpkin, but you can´t reach the roof as the pumpkin, or you can ?

Also, the MMM theme song variation when you press the switch to open the church door..<3 Memories.

One last thing, it quite sad that Rare didn't make transformations for every level.

Monkey King

@Captain:

The jiggies were a little too hard to find in the later levels, especially if you didn't know english. Rusty Bucket bay was a pain in the ass and Furnace Fun was impossible.

Uh I don't think it's the game's fault if you can't speak the language being spoken or written.

C_uggs

Oh, I never said it was the game fault..I just said it was hard to do the tasks.

Insider2000

I'm probably not going to be able to play this one this month. Things are getting crazy in my personal life, and I mostly want to focus on Mortal Kombat X and Final Fantasy XIV.

fedcom

Just started playing this game. Went through Mumbo's Mountain and got seven jiggies, explored the hub area a bit and then got stuck in some water and I had to restart.

I guess the theme of this thread is now "Mario 64 vs Banjo Kazooie" and I can't help but play it with that in mind now. Just moving Banjo around is nowhere near as fun or responsive as Mario 64, that's for sure.
Also the game takes an annoyingly long time to start up.

On the flip side, the draw distance is much better, and so are the textures and environments in general. Trees are no longer just sprites!

Monkey King

@fedcom:

Just started playing this game. Went through Mumbo's Mountain and got seven jiggies, explored the hub area a bit and then got stuck in some water and I had to restart.

I guess the theme of this thread is now "Mario 64 vs Banjo Kazooie" and I can't help but play it with that in mind now. Just moving Banjo around is nowhere near as fun or responsive as Mario 64, that's for sure. It's crazy the amount of difference 60 vs 30 fps can make.
Also the game takes an annoyingly long time to start up.

On the flip side, the draw distance is much better, and so are the textures and environments in general. Trees are no longer just sprites!

How did you get stuck in some water lol.

fedcom

Umm lemme try and find it and take a screenshot

Edit: http://i.imgur.com/wlbxSJQ.png?1
Except I jumped in again and found a way up this time, was just being dumb

C_uggs

Maybe in the hub area with the waterfall (close to Treasure Trove Cove and Clanker's Cavern) ?. One thing I missed on Banjo Tooie was the "Witch Switch" that we had on Banjo Kazooie.

And one thing I liked in both games was the "If you go inside this world, a enemy from that world will come out to the hub world" idea.

Demon Rin

Aaaaaaand…. wow, ok, I've got problems. I just marathon played BK and I now have 100 Jiggies and 900 Notes, If it weren't so late I'd go straight into the Quiz and Grunty fight, but it's sleep time. Will do that tomorrow.

This game is apparently that amazing tho... I just got sucked in and could not stop playing.

.... Should I just move on and play Banjo Tooie? lol

C_uggs

So what songs you like the most ?

For me:
Clanker's Cavern (inside Clanker´s version)
Gobi Valley
Freezeezy Peak (when you turn the christmas lights version)
Mad Monster Mansion (when you press the switch to open the church door version)
Click Clock Wood (fall version and winter version)
Gruntilda Lair (Furnace Fun version)

Nobodyman

Click Clock Wood - Spring Version

Instantly fell in love with it the first time I heard it.

MetaMario

Freezeezy Peak and Gobi's Valley are my favorites.

Ooh, the final boss theme is great too.

Noqanky

There's about a week left in April. Should we be getting to the point where we nominate for next month?

captain usopp

I was just popping in to look for that.

Monkey King

@Nobodyman:

Click Clock Wood - Spring Version

Instantly fell in love with it the first time I heard it.

Click Clock Wood is so ingenius I haven't gotten over it even like 17 years later.
The way summer has this lazy hazy vibe, the slightly chilly but still kinetic vibe of fall, and the quiet simpleness of the winter music.
And yeah spring being full of life and punchy.

I also love how they made each one a different time of day that corresponds to the season. Spring is morning, Summer is midday, Fall is twilight, and Winter is night.

I LOVE shit like that.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@Noqanky:

There's about a week left in April. Should we be getting to the point where we nominate for next month?

Have you guys done Mischief Makers.

Panekai

@Monkey:

Have you guys done Mischief Makers.

Nope. Should probably get on that.

Noqanky

What if we just start nominations and then ask a mod to update the poll, since one has to anyway? I get the feeling kits might be busy but that doesn't mean the thread/concept has to collapse again.

Gives us a bit less than a week to get sorted for May.