Game:

Bomberman 64 (1997)

Duration: 2:17:21

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Originally recorded: December 17, 2023 (Happy 36th Anniversary, MegaMan!)
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I'll be honest: when I first saw that the fourth world was going to be snow-themed, I was worried. I was expecting ice physics out the wazoo. But the game managed to give me untold horrors that I could have never imagined. The first level lulled me into a false sense of security, until it unleashed wind physics so strong, you can barely stay in place by going full tilt. Then, when the second stage finally did bring in ice physics, they also added some of the jankiest camera angles I've ever encountered in a fifth-generation 3D game. Oh well, at least the boss fight for the world was easier than the first three... once I figured out how to hit the damn thing.

The fifth (and as far as I'm concerned, final) world had its own share of tribulations as well. Seriously, forcing me to go through a gauntlet of cars a la Frogger with that camera was a nightmare. And don't even get me started on the world's mid-boss. Throwing out three attacks simultaneously like it's nothing -- what a load of crap. Fortunately, the other stage was easy enough... if not time-consuming. And the final boss ended up being a joke, honestly. Granted, if you collected all 100 of the golden cards in the first five worlds, it would've led to the sixth world and the true final boss. But looking at the crazy crap you have to pull to get many of those cards made me give up on that pretty early on.

Honestly, if anything, this session made me hate the game even more... to the point where it ended up with a failing grade. Not the worst score I've doled out this year: that dubious honor goes to Greendog, if only because I wasn't "allowed" to rate Chakan because I failed to beat it. Still, it kind of makes me regret backing Full Throttle as the tie-breaker in the final bonus poll of the year. It would've been nice to go out on a high note. Either way, at least I managed to beat all of the bonus games again this year -- even if that meant going way further into overtime than I wanted to. Oh well, at least I wrapped everything up before Christmas. And even if my little hiatus from streaming has been trimmed as a consequence, it'll be nice to have even a little time to recharge. I've got some special plans lined up for next year's main line-up, but you'll just have to wait until see.

See you in 2024!

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