Post here the recent retro game(s) you have played on the original console they were designed for (no save states and "suspend" feature here - just good ol' fashioned battery back-up or passwords) and beat! Feel free to write your impressions about your awesome (or not so awesome) experience about it too!

Demon’s Crest!
Released: 1994 by Capcom for the SNES!

I consider Demon's Crest to be one of the best hidden gems on the SNES. You are anti-hero Firebrand, a red gargoyle who starts out with a shard from the Crest of Fire (which has been broken into many pieces) thus giving you the ability to shoot fire out your mouth and can be upgraded as you progress and find the other shards out and about. The abilities that you gain throughout the game are very cool and add great new gameplay mechanics which do take some time to get used to and perfect. Originally you can only fly, well, more appropriately hover and move left and right from a jump. Other abilites from crests include the Air Crest which when equipped will allow you to fly around infinitely and upwards. The Crest of Water, not hard to guess what this ones does - allows you to swim underwater. The Crest of Earth provides a smashing good time as you use your massive shoulders to plow through seemingly unmovable objects.

This game looks fantastic. Well into the SNES lifecycle, this game is a shining example of what the SNES can display. Levels that consist of things like flying through a burning forest, swimming through a submerged acropolis, and sliding across ice in the mountains all look great. The animations are not smooth like butter however, which is noticeable really only during the big boss brawls but I excused this in my mind as these were just ancient creatures and therefore cannot move around all agile like a galloping gazelle.

Demon’s Crest music is fantastic and unique. Yuki Iwai composed an amazing pipe organ almost church-like soundtrack; fits the atmosphere and the mood perfectly. Memory of the Fallen Ones is a standout song to an outstanding score that you get to enjoy as you watch the ending. I also enjoyed Metropolis of Ruin which plays during your frequent visits to town and practice your headbutts (trust me, you will have to “practice” your headbutt timing too if you want 100% completion), collecting gold, and shopping at the magic and item shop.

Make sure to find everything 100% (vials, talismans, vellum, secret paths) in this game because it has multiple endings because not only do you need it to face the final form of Phalanx and get the “good ending,” but the game has a surprise for you if you are gargoyle enough to accept the challenge. Regarded by some as one of the most difficult bosses in all of video games, the Dark Demon will be there just waiting to test your ultimate power and skill.

It is a dang shame that not many people got to experience this great game. Demon’s Crest is supposedly known to be the only game that had negative sales for a week because more people are said to have returned it for being too hard than actually bought it! That maybe helps explain why we have unfortunately not seen a 4th game. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good challenge and searching out items in a non linear fashion. A great game overall and definitely worthy of the relatively high price to add to your video game collection.

Wow, good job. Sounds like a really interesting game. I never played Demon's Crest. I've only heard about it a little so I didn't really know anything about the game either. Sounds really tough Maybe after all my zillion other SNES games I want to buy I'll look into it.

I've recently beat Megaman 2 on the original NES. How recently? Literally about 10-20 minutes before typing this,lol.
It was such a great game! From the second the title screen comes up you know it's going to be a great game because of the music. Then you press start and the good music only keeps on coming. This game probably has one of my favorite soundtracks ever. Not the best, but pretty close.
The controls are great. I can't say how much I really like them. They're so responsive. I give one little tiny tap on the D-pad and Megaman barely moves, just like I wanted him too. In fact only his toes seem to move, lol. It's so simple too. Just jump run and shoot. When I died on any level that involved platforming I knew it was my fault! Unless I got hit and Megaman jumped backwards. That's one complaint I have, but that's pretty basic with any NES/SNES game.
The difficulty is just right. It's hard enough in certain spots to make me cuss, but not quit. Some levels are easier than others and same with bosses.It makes you even more eager to see what the next level is going to be like. Speaking of the levels. I loved them. The levels are so great. Woodman's is so diverse. First you're in the woods, then under ground, and finally up in the trees. The designs are all really good and nice to look at. At least they definitely were back in the NES days.
The final boss fight was just great. Like any classic Megaman game you can't just fight one guy and be over with it. No, there has to be more forms. The final form was a pain for me. I had no idea what to do. But when I figured it out and beat him, it was so satisfying.
Speaking of the final boss fight if you're a fan of Scott Pilgrim. The final boss fight in the game is a reference to the final boss fight in Megaman 2. Just another reason I adore Scott Pilgrim.
Overall this is a great and timeless game. I can replay this multiple times and not get bored.
I'd give it a score of 9.9/10.
I'm so, so, SO, tempted to give it a perfect score, but it does have some flaws and while they're not too bad they're there and can get annoying for some people I imagine. Still one of the greatest games I've played though.

aw heck lets see...
King Of Demons aka Majyuuou for Super Famicom
Ghost Sweeper Mikami for Super Famicom
Soldiers Of Fortune for SNES
Soldiers Of Fortune for Genesis
Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti for Famicom
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist for Genesis
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time
Growl for Genesis

Today, I beat the GCN edition of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Considering that I wasn't the hugest fan of Ocarina of Time, this game blew me away. It seriously has the best plot, overworld, items, and mechanics of all the Zelda games. The music is perfectly atmospheric, the graphics are great (for N64 standards), and the controls are near-perfect. It ends on a very high note, and you truly feel accomplished when you beat this game. Although the 3-day time limit might set some off, the GCN porting had some slowdown and freezing, and there is one or two frustrating moments, this game is amazing through and throught.

9.75 out of 10
_{I think I should have a full review up in the future though.}

im working on Splatterhouse 3 im at the end and i saved my wife and little boy...ill try and tackle it again this weekend.
i shall dominate!

I'm going to fire up Castlevania for the NES which will be one of the 3 or so Halloween Horror titles I'll be playing for this October Halloween. I need to toss the 3DS aside for a bit and get my Retro on. Then again, I have been using my 3DS mainly for the GameBoy Virtual Console.

I can't say I've beat it yet, but I just got Pikmin 2 from GameStop the other day, which they mislabeled as 10 dollars, which was a complete steal... I'm already 3/10 of the way done with this game. It's just so great. Unfortunately, I just got the yellow pikmin, and they all died in a... tragic accident... and I'm not sure if I can get more. I hope so. :/

Peachy's Guide to Pikmin 2 part 42

Breeding Pikmin

Step 1 Find an onion
Step 2 find the Pikmin
Step 3 Order those lazy walking carrots to kill enemies and know the numbered pellets off of flowers
Step 4 Get their attention with a quick sharp whistle and guide them to a bug carcass or fallen pellet
Step 5 Make sure you have enough pikmin to carry it and make them haul it away to the onion
Step 6 Watch as the onion magically levitates the item and basically makes it disappear
Step 7 Watch the onion make weird movements and sounds eventually splurting out seed which then bury themselves in the dirt
Step 8 Stare at the buried seeds
Step 9 When you see the sprouts yank em all out
Step 10 Repeat

FAQ

Q. What if all my pikmin die and none are left?
A. Well first of all you should apologize profusely to those poor dead pikmin and their empty onion for murdering all those alien. You'll have to live with that shame for the whole day and night. Next day the onion will forgive you and spurt out one lonely little seed which you'll have to take better care of and rebuild the whole population with.

Q. Why are my Pikmin just staring at me all sad?
A. The first conclusion you might come to would be that they're upset you've killed too many of them but this is actually not the case. They're just sitting there because you forgot to call them over with a whistle.

Q All my pikmin are dying when they carry food to the almighty onion, what gives!?
A. They are probably out there all alone in a dangerous area with huge beasts nomming away at your hard earned group of pikmin. Hurry over and have them kill anything in the path and next time make sure the area is clear.

The Battle of Olympus!
Released: 1990 by Brøderbund for the NES!

When Orpheus starts out on his mission impossible to find his love somehwere in Ancient Greece you can’t help but first notice that the game resembles the platforming stages of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. There is no time to sightsee while Hades has unleashed all of hades to prevent you from rescuing the zebra chiton wearing Helen though. At your immediate disposal you have a basic shield and a club. A club... What does the fairest maiden in all the land see in a guy that carries a club I can’t help but wonder? Anyway, like most games you start out with a weak weapon and progress by exploring the world to upgrade your weapons, strength, and abilities. Destroy the enemies and they may leave you either a red olive which is used as currency to bribe the gods for weapons or items along with purchasing things from the townspeople or a glittering shiny bay leaf which replenishes your health and goes great with your favorite Jambalaya recipe.

The wonderful bright and colorful 8-bit world that the NES resides in is fully present here. The colors are popping out at you like a hypercolor t-shirt and a pair of acid wash jeans. But just because color is used brilliantly here in this game does not mean that everything is well detailed. Some of the buildings looked like they were designed with a 1st grade level imagination; the homes in Paperboy for the NES were created with more detail.

The Battle of Olympus has some of the most annoying enemies I have seen. Bats are back in this game so if you didn't like bats in Castlevania or eagles in Ninja Gaiden be forewarned because the annoying flying creatures are back! And these bats are some of the smartest bats I have ever encountered! My goodness, it is like they minds are connected to your NES controller and know when and how you are going to move next. For a large part what makes a lot of the enemies so maddening is that you have these dinky weapons that can be a real pain to try and it hit the enemies. Take the slimes for example, you can't even hit them when you are crouching. You have to wait until they jump which isn't very predictable or slice them when they are falling from above. Sure, you do gather stronger weapons but even your strongest sword just seems like its range is that of a hunting knife. This game seems simple at first glance but the combat is actually pretty strategic and success is predicated on good timing.

I have this love/hate attitude for the music of The Battle of Olympus. To begin with, the tunes to each level are no doubt more crisper than a pair of your dad’s freshly ironed polyester pants. Turn the volume up and your NES will be pumping out the chip tunes that would make even Hades jealous. Fan of classical pipe organ music? Well, you are in luck because when you visit a Temple of the Gods you are treated to chip tune version of Johan Sebastian Bach’s: Toccata & Fugue in D Minor. But, I will tell you what, the music most certainly got on my nerves hearing the same 20 second segment repeat over and over again which happened frequently enough especially when entering the new Greek lands and facing unknown threats that just kicked my tail while searching my way through the maze.

This game is a mix of good and bad for me which is disappointing because I was actually really looking forward to this one. Overall, this game felt like more of a chore to get through then entertainment. It gave me a great sense of accomplishment to find items and discover their use and then eventually defeating Hades but it had more than its fair share of controller-throwing moments. I can’t ever see myself pulling The Battle of Olympus Game Pak off a shelf to pop in the old NES again in the future though I will visit the NES Greek world again but with Pit instead.

Just beat Mega Man 1-7 in the past couple weeks for about the 10th time on each (except 7, only beat it twice so far). The experience was a lot better than if I had used emulation, or even the VC. Sticking each individual cartridge in the systems was fun in itself, and it makes me feel good knowing I have them all in their original format. Now on to the mini-reviews:

-Mega Man (NES, 1987)
The evil Dr. Wily has stolen Dr. Lights robots and is using them to wreak havok on the world! Only Mega Man, a fighting robot created by Dr. Light, can stop him! As the game that launched the Mega Man franchise, it naturally isn't a perfected gameplay experience. It's also one of the hardest in the Classic Mega Man series, which is partly because of the fact that it's the first entry and not everything has been finalized/perfected. The graphics and animation were considered great at it's release, but they look very simple compared to other games on the NES as well as other games in the series. The music is still great to listen to even to this day, as is the case with most of the Mega Man games. The gameplay itself is entertaining and was unique for the time because it allowed you to select what order you play the stages in. Naturally, playing some stages before others can give advantages, which leads to the rock-paper-scissors style of defeating the initial 6 Robot Master bosses. Each boss you defeat allows you to use his weapon as you like for the rest of the game. Each of them has a specific weapon they are weak to, so what weapons you have can change the difficulty of each stage/Robot Master. Using the Robot's weakness will take them down faster than with your standard weapon, so it's generally a good idea to go in a specific stage order. This system was continued in every game following this one, so I needed to explain in case you're not familiar with the series. The most negative part about this game is the lack of a password or save feature, meaning you have to beat the entire game in one sitting. All in all, decent graphics, good music, and unique gameplay make this game a classic, even with it's many flaws.

-Mega Man 2 (NES, 1988)
Dr. Wily is back with his own set of Robots in another attempt to rule the world! Talk about good sequels! This game added so much to the already enjoyable formula, including more bosses, more stages, and a soundtrack praised by many gamers. The Password feature was introduced with this entry as well, making it easy to pick up where you left off up until the final stages in the game. Energy Tanks, items that let you refill your energy meter at any time, also made their debut here. The graphics also received an upgrade since the first game, and are much more detailed then before. The difficulty was also decreased a bit, as well as having a choice between "Normal" and "Difficult" modes. Mega Man 2 is what many consider the best of the series, and while it deserves that title, it's not my personal favorite.

-Mega Man 3 (NES, 1990)
What's this? Dr. Wily is reformed and is working with Dr. Light on a peace-keeping Robot? Unfortunately, 8 other robots have gone berserk and stolen some crucial elements needed for the peace-keeping robot. It's up to Mega Man to retrieve the stolen items and thwart the robot menace. This is another fan favorite in the series, and rightfully so. The quality is just as good as the 2nd game when it comes to music and graphics, and it has even more levels. The color scheme seems to be slightly darker and less colorful overall, and there were some odd color choices, but it's not a big deal. This title introduced Rush, Mega Man's versatile robotic Pooch, who can transform into different utilities to help Mega Man cross gaps and hazards. Also introduced is a mysterious Robot by the name of Break Man, who intercepts Mega Man for a fight now and then. It's later revealed that Break Man is actually Mega Man's brother, Proto Man, whom he just discovered existed.The difficulty went down slightly more than the 2nd entry in the series, mainly because there's pretty much always an easier way of doing everything, usually involving Rush to just bypass all the more difficult obstacles. However, some of the Robot Masters are nastier than ever, and will possibly take a few lives or Energy Tanks to beat without the Robot's weakness. With practice, though, this game (especially some of the bosses) is a piece of cake. Good game in terms of Music, graphics, and gameplay, but a little too easy with practice.

-Mega Man 4 (NES, 1992)
A new scientist, Dr. Cossack, has created 8 powerful robots and challenged Mega Man! Will he be able to stop the Russian scientist before it's too late? This one is actually my favorite of the 8-bit games, but it's also the one that started the love-it or hate-it trend with the games. What I mean is that some dislike Mega Man 4, while others love it, and the same goes for the rest of the games. The first 3 are usually considered good games by most, but with the rest there's so many different opinions that it's hard to say. I personally love this one, and it carries on the good graphics and music tradition of the first 3 games. The visuals here are even more detailed than ever, which goes for every game following this one. They just kept getting better and better graphically with each game. The music is one of those split opinion things, but I think it's just as catchy and fun to listen to as the music in the previous games. The difficulty has been raised a bit since Mega Man 3, and I'd have to say it's most like Mega Man 2's "Difficult" setting in comparison. A new feature of the game is Mega Man's ability to charge up his arm cannon to produce a more powerful shot (equal to three normal shots). You don't really have to use this new ability, but what's unfortunate is that the game was basically designed with the charge shot in mind. Not using the charge function basically puts you at a slight disadvantage, mostly when fighting a boss. Mainly because they have a small window of invincibility after you hit them with any effective weapon. So trying to rapid fire them to death isn't as useful as simply charging up and hitting them with triple strength every time. If you play the game enough you end up not caring and just using the Charge Shot all the time, because that's what it's there for. No big deal, really. It doesn't matter if you use the special weapons to beat the bosses, since those can't be charged up. You have to play it to get your own opinion, but I think it's a great entry in the series

-Mega Man 5 (NES, 1992)
Proto Man has assembled a robot army and kidnaps Dr. Light? Wasn't he a good guy?.Continuing the increase in detail of the graphics, comes the fifth NES Mega Man game. That's right, 5 on the same system, even though the Super Nintendo was out by now. Still, it's not a huge disadvantage, since the gameplay is still great. There are a few more negative aspects about this one, though. It's even easier than the other games due to the abundance of 1-ups and the somewhat overpowered revision of the charge shot. It also doesn't help that most of the weapons you steal from the Robot Masters are terrible and have very few uses other than to use against the other bosses. The music also isn't as good in this one. Very few tunes stand out and most sound too similar to the other songs to be memorable or catchy. Rush is also a bit harder to use here, as the operation of his abilities has been changed a bit, and the most basic one you'll use (Rush Coil) uses more energy in this game than the previous ones. However, if you're a fan of the series, it's a must play. If you're more casual, then stick to the other games.

-Mega Man 6 (NES, 1994)
The first annual Robot Fighting Tournament is underway! Eight robots emerge victorious, when Mr. X, a mysterious bearded man, reveals his plot to take over the world with the 8 champions. What will Mega Man be up against this time? This game was actually published by Nintendo in North America, since Capcom choose not to publish it outside of Japan. Being released near the middle of the Super Nintendo's lifespan, not as many people played/were interested in the game, which is a shame because it's better than Mega Man 5. The graphics are extremely detailed in this game, and it actually looks quite beautiful, for the NES anyway. The music is a step up from 5, as there are many catchy tunes, all of which sound very appropriate for the stage they are featured in. The Charge Shot isn't as overpowered here either, and the weapons are actually pretty decent overall. Rush also has somewhat of a new feature in this game. Instead of being a separate platform or vehicle, he combines with Mega Man to form 2 entirely different suits: Jet Mega Man and Power Mega Man. The names are self explanatory; Jet Mega Man can fly for short periods of time, and Power Mega Man has more brute force than normal Mega Man. These two suits are fun to play around with and use, and it's a great addition to the same Mega Man formula used since the first game. Better music, weapons, and a few changes to the classic formula allow me to recommend this one more than 5, but really I consider them to all be good.

-Mega Man 7 (SNES, 1995)
As the first game in the Classic series on a 16-bit console, it does the job well. The main downside of the game is the larger sprites, which results in less room to move around on screen. Other than that, there isn't much to complain about. The Graphics are just as colorful as I would have imagined in 16-bit, the music is great, the weapons are good, and it's not too hard or too easy. It has a bunch of collectibles (ex. Energy Tanks, Weapon Tanks, Upgrades, the Rush Abilities, etc) all of which can be bought at a shop run by one of Dr. Light's newest robots, Auto, who exchanges bolts Mega Man finds for useful items. It's Fantastic entry in the series with great music, plenty of secrets to find, and the timeless Mega Man gameplay now in 16-bit.

There, took forever and I might have gone a bit overboard, but it was fun to say all this stuff.

Other than sports games, I think the only ones I've managed to beat on my own without cheating from lower than 32 bit systems are:
TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist
TMNT: Tournament Fighters
Streets of Rage 1, 2, & 3
Final Fight 3
Super Mario RPG
Pokémon Yellow and Silver versions
Sonic 3 & Knuckles

i finally beat Splatterhouse 3, but i used a Game Genie for the last level. ive never done that before but the game was a little brutal towards the ending.

Gah, this reminds me of Chrono Trigger. 2 years and still haven't beaten it.

Beat the MSX, true version of Metal Gear (part of MGS3 on Metal Gear Solid HD Collection). Funny to have Big Boss order me to turn off my PlayStation 3 (so, they even took the time to customize the text to the system I'm playing on... admirable attention to detail). I never have been good at following orders. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is next! May take a while, splitting time between it and Super Mario 3D Land I'm getting tomorrow!

Booooo, i want to throw down my current Retro games I've beaten on this thread, but they're on the VC...Yet the Wii VC thread is kind of shall i say daffy duck dead as nobody seems to be playing much VC games considering the state of the Wii's VC since it's infected with gaming Rigamortis and is on Molly Ringwald life support

Ugh, I mean i can't stand playing my NES or SNES on my 42" 1080p LCD, not only because of the motion handeling, but because NES games just don't look good on the big screen, let alone a 1080p display for the most part, plus the composite connection for the NES doesn't quite blast out poppy colors on my LCD no matter how far i max them out, i mean it does but not quite as good as my CRT plus it ends up crushing a bit of detail.

Aghhhh, i so need a game room for my 27" TUBER. I've got no room currently. eek!
What's a radical retro rooster to do!? I'm itching to play the horribly awesome Back to the Future, Amagon and TMNT III: The Manhattan project.

Then there's my gameboy color which is putting me off for Wario Land 2, Wario Land 3 and Contra: Super C because of the horrible lighting on the screen. The only way it's playable if you have a lamp hovering over the screen, but that's just annoying and makes things uncomfortable and akward. Those snake lites and magnifying lights suck harder than being trapped in a doggy cage with Sir Didymus from the Labyrinth. My only option is too maybe drop $100 for a custom back light screen, or play my GB games on the GBA SP, which for some reason just doesn't feel right....That headphone dongle adapter hanging out the end, plus the GB cartridge sticking out the bottom is a Don Flaminco eye sore.

I know what you mean. I still use a standard def TV for all of my gaming until the HD Wii U comes out next year.

@WaveBoy
Amagon was cool just hard...im workin on Earthbound right now, i played like 5 hours thursday, 7 hours friday and 8 1/2 hours tonight
so i wont be taking it out the ol mini snes until it gets beat

@Waveboy, You sure have a way with words.

That is so awesome. I was going to put these two games off since I haven't played PW, but I think I might play the MSX2 games now D:

How would the difficulty rank up against something like Adventure Island or Ghosts 'n Goblins? I honestly don't think I'll play a harder game in my life after the grueling mega tropical ordeal i had with Adventure Island. I mean I wouldn't mind, but it would be tough to find some. Even the mighty and challenging Ghosts 'n goblins doesn't match it's difficulty, Ninja Gaiden III and Castlevania III i found were even tougher than Ghosts 'n goblins, mind you NGIII had unlimited continues but even if it didn't i'd still rank it as the toughest NES gaiden.

The original TMNT and Blaster Master however have defeated me and it completely pisses me off beyond Bowser belief! lol
I can't make it to shredder during the final stage, but i blame this on poor game design.lol And Blaster Master's final battle is balls to the walls insanity(So is that blue lobster that hurls ice at you, almost next to impossible without using that pause glitch), made it to his 3rd form while it felt like i was just about to take him down when i got axed at the last minut. I made it to the final boss 3 more times, but i called it quits because i got sick and tired and bored to tears of the game since i had to restart and listen to those repetitive grating tunes over and over.