Blaqthourne

Finishing off the game with a boss rush. Beating the game unlocks Professional mode, which has you play through all the action stages with no magic and most of the enemies taking one extra hit to kill. I finish the video showing what the last magic, Magical Light, does. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

I struggle mightily with the action segment, which has always given me trouble. I then max out Northwall, thereby maxing out my character, picking up the 4th and final magic type. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Before tackling the first action part of Northwall, I give the Compass to Fillmore. You can also give the Compass to Marahna. I don't know if you get anything different. I played until Northwall stopped growing. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Not wanting to go through the lead up to the boss another time, I defeat him with a rather cheap, no skill needed, strategy. Then, after maxing out Marahna, I use the Herb obtained after Act-1 to cure Kasandora and max out its population. I finish with picking up another magic type. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

I played until Marahna stopped growing. The maxed out town of Aitos added a little more to its population. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Heading into the active volcano after devastating the town with an earthquake -- I was thinking maybe I'd get another extra life, like in Kasandora. For some reason Aitos kept growing after indicating its population was maxed out. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

I played until the town of Aitos stopped growing. The townsfolk don't seem too concerned about the erupting volcano, as they continue to build the town with lava falling from the sky. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Kasandora gets hit with a plague after the 2nd action segment and does not grow, making this a very short play session. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

On to the desert town of Kasandora. I obtain the cure for what ails Bloodpool and then max out its population. In Kasandora, I kill every napper bat popping out of their lair before having the town seal the lair, if you're wondering what happens if you do that. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Just the 2nd action section of Bloodpool, as the town is unable to grow afterwords. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

I get the first of what could conceivably be called a quest in the town of Bloodpool. I played until Bloodpool stopped increasing in population. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Starting the game and getting re-familiarized with it. I played until Fillmore stopped increasing in population. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Heading into the depths of the Earth to defeat Minotaurus in Fillmore Act-2. I then played until Fillmore maxed out its population. This game is a major reason why I wanted a Super Nintendo. It's also the first game that I wanted the soundtrack to -- importing from Japan wasn't going to happen in the mid-1990s, but thanks to a re-release of the soundtrack by Wayo Records in 2021, I have the soundtrack. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card.

Playthrough of Ranger X on Hard difficulty. The Game Demo that plays by waiting at the Title Screen is also shown. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. The trick to getting past Stage 4 is crouching before jumping to give an extra boost. This vital piece of information is not given in the manual. I had never heard of this game prior to buying it in 2014. I found it to be rather easy on all four difficulty settings.

Playthrough of Ranger X on Heavy (the hardest) difficulty. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. The trick to getting past Stage 4 is crouching before jumping to give an extra boost. This vital piece of information is not given in the manual. I had never heard of this game prior to buying it in 2014. I found it to be rather easy on all four difficulty settings.

Playthrough of the Master System port of Double Dragon. Except for two accidental elbows, all damage is dealt via punches and weapons. It's a boring but viable strategy. I tried for a one life run, but was unable to pull it off after several tries, settling for a one credit run. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card. I played off the MicroSD card. While it doesn't support the Master System natively, it does support the Power Base Converter via the Genesis/Mega Drive slot. While the file lists it as a MKIII (Mark III, which is the Japanese equivalent of the Master System) game, it is the US release.

Playthrough of Ranger X on Normal difficulty. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card, which is shown. I played off the MicroSD card. I had never heard of this game prior to buying it in 2014. I found it to be rather easy on all four difficulty settings.

Playthrough of Ranger X on Easy difficulty. You can play through all levels/stages, but do not get to see the ending. I played this on a Retro Freak, which can play cartridges/cards from around a dozen systems. It has the option of installing the game to a MicroSD card, but I opted to play off the cartridge for this run. I showed off some of the Retro Freak's options at the beginning of the video. I had never heard of this game prior to buying it in 2014. I found it to be rather easy on all four difficulty settings.

A very good freeware Arkanoid clone with 50 levels, or tables. While the game is in French, the language barrier is minimal. It also includes a level editor, popgen.exe, although the 50th table cannot be changed. The game supports a mouse (souris), somewhat uncommon in 1988, which is what I used. The paddle only has one somewhat slow speed when using a keyboard (clavier), while it goes as fast as you can move the mouse. If you don't redefine the keys (définition clavier), J is left, K is right, and Spacebar is action. To reset the high scores, edit the file popcorn.hsc with a simple text editor. In order to play at a normal speed in DOSBox, while the ball is in play during the normal tables, I set the cycles to 800-1000; for the transitions between levels and when you lose a paddle, I set the cycles to 6000-10000; for the level skip tables, I set the cycles to 6000-7000. The scrolling banner on the title screen will eventually give an extremely long message, taking over 5 minutes, before starting a game demo. The entire text is: POPCORN est un FREEWARE qui vous est grâcieusement offert par LACRAL software. Ce programme a été ecrit entièrement en ASSEMBLEUR par LACAZE Christophe. Les graphismes et animation ont été réalisées par RAYNAL Frédérick grâce au programme NEO sur Atari ST. Venez nous écrire un petit mot sur le serveur POP au 55.74.42.71, Je répète, prenez un stylo, au 55.74.42.71 dans les BALs de CAZOU pour christophe, et SHIFT pour Frédérick. Aïe! non pas sur la tête!!! ... Bon d'accord je le dis: le serveur POP a été écrit par SHIFT en HEXATEL (Son Système et Langage 100% ASSEMBLEUR.). Maintenant qu'il a le dos tourné, je vais enfin pouvoir parler de mon jeu et de moi. POPCORN a demandé 4 mois de Travail où les nuits étaient plus longues que les jours. (nuits de Travail bien sûr, pas de sommeil.) Eh lui... Au passage, ayons une pensée émue pour le défunte Cafetière qui a craquée avant nous. La nouvelle vient de prendre le relais au doux rythme de 20h sur 24: Souhaitons lui une longue vie à nous faire un bon Café anti-Bugs. Les prouesses techniques que vous avez pu voir (Quoi? ce n'est pas encore fait?) sont la faute de SHIFT qui a toujours des idées "merveilleuses", oui merveilleusement chiantes à programmer (Eh oui! CHIANTES, il n'y a pas d'autres mots). Aïe! NON pas sur la tête!!!! Ouf, je l'ai échappé belle... Comme vous n'avez pas vraiment l'ambiance qui règne pendant l'écriture de ce message: Une phrase prononcée par CAZOU sera précèdée par >C: et >s: pour SHIFT. >s: Et le S majuscule pour moi, ca te dérangerait!!! >C: Ok donc: >S: Ah ca va mieux... >S: Eh réveille toi, c'est ton tour >C: Pfeuuuu, y a plus que lui qui parle maintenant... >S: D'abord son jeu a été pompé dans un bouquin, même pas de mérite... >C: Ouais c'est ca, et le bouquin c'est toi qui l'a écrit peut-être... Faites pas attention à lui, il a été gazé pendant la guerre. Et Toc!!!! >S: Bon, tu te calmes ou je te remets dans ta cage... >C: Si vous êtes encore là, vous êtes bien courageux ou aussi malades que nous. >S: Il faudrait peut-être qu'on se dépêche, il va bientôt faire jour... >C: Bref. So vous êtes venu jusque là, vous arriverez peut-être au bout des 50 tableaux... Et pour vous en donner un petit apercu, voici une petite démo. (non programmée), à bientôt, nous vous laissons découvrir les secrets de POPCORN...

The original Test Drive from 1987 on PC using keyboard controls. CGA graphics. Showing what happens when you're unable to outrun the police. You have to slow to a stop yourself to actually get the ticket. While behind the police car, all steering is done automatically and you can't accelerate. Also showing an alternate way to lose other than crashing too many times and/or blowing out the engine. This launched a franchise that had its last release (as of 2024) in 2012, according to MobyGames. It was one of the first racing/driving games I ever played and is still one of my favorites. If you want to clear the high score list, open the file SCORES (no file extension) in an editor, like Notepad, and simply delete all the text.

Playthrough of the original Test Drive from 1987 on PC using the Lamborghini Countach with keyboard controls. CGA graphics. This launched a franchise that had its last release (as of 2024) in 2012, according to MobyGames. It was one of the first racing/driving games I ever played and is still one of my favorites. If you want to clear the high score list, open the file SCORES (no file extension) in an editor, like Notepad, and simply delete all the text. On my 6th attempt at capturing video with OBS Studio, I finally got it in 800x600 resolution (the 5th attempt was at 1600x1000). This reduced the file size by about a third to almost half compared to the higher resolutions.

Playthrough of the original Test Drive from 1987 on PC using the Lotus Turbo Esprit with keyboard controls. CGA graphics. This launched a franchise that had its last release (as of 2024) in 2012, according to MobyGames. It was one of the first racing/driving games I ever played and is still one of my favorites. If you want to clear the high score list, open the file SCORES (no file extension) in an editor, like Notepad, and simply delete all the text. This was my fourth attempt at capturing video with OBS Studio. I was still trying to capture it in 800x600 resolution. I thought I figured it out, but, no. This is in 1600x1000 resolution, like with the Porsche.

Playthrough of the original Test Drive from 1987 on PC using the Porsche 911 Turbo with keyboard controls. CGA graphics. This launched a franchise that had its last release (as of 2024) in 2012, according to MobyGames. It was one of the first racing/driving games I ever played and is still one of my favorites. If you want to clear the high score list, open the file SCORES (no file extension) in an editor, like Notepad, and simply delete all the text. This was my third attempt at capturing video with OBS Studio. I figured out how to get good a volume level -- it dawned on me to crank up the PC volume and reduce the actual speaker volume. Hopefully it's not too loud. My next goal was to capture it in 800x600 resolution. This is in 1600x1000 resolution as opposed to the 1920x1080 resolution of my first two attempts.

Playthrough of the original Test Drive from 1987 on PC using the Ferrari Testarossa with keyboard controls. CGA graphics. I crashed too many times, failing to make it to the dealership. I then started another game to show that you can blow out the engine. This launched a franchise that had its last release (as of 2024) in 2012, according to MobyGames. It was one of the first racing/driving games I ever played and is still one of my favorites. If you want to clear the high score list, open the file SCORES (no file extension) in an editor, like Notepad, and simply delete all the text. This was my second attempt at capturing video with OBS Studio. I was still trying to figure out how to get decent volume. It's much better than my first attempt, but still pretty quiet.

Playthrough of the original Test Drive from 1987 on PC using the Chevy Corvette with keyboard controls. CGA graphics. This launched a franchise that had its last release (as of 2024) in 2012, according to MobyGames. It was one of the first racing/driving games I ever played and is still one of my favorites. If you want to clear the high score list, open the file SCORES (no file extension) in an editor, like Notepad, and simply delete all the text. This was my first attempt at capturing video with OBS Studio, so several aspects could be better, such as the low volume, off-center video, and the mouse pointer being visible for a while.