So this evening I thought I'd update you all on my current Crash Bandicoot situation, and also tell you my plans for this weekend.
Last night, I am thrilled to say, I completed the first game of Crash Bandicoot!! It took me sooo many tries and I saw the 'Game Over' screen an embarrassing amount of times but I managed it in the end. For a long time I was stuck on the level 'Slippery Climb' constantly getting caught out by the fast moving and retracting platforms and seemingly impossible jumps on those irritating birds! I'd always get to a certain point having learned all the timings, then get caught on one fiddly bit before then dying countless times. After several 'Game Over's' I'd go back to the first few levels to farm lives but soon, even this wouldn't work as I'd have got myself so wound up, I'd end up dying on the easy levels too leading to the hilariously (well it wasn't at the time) ironic situation of me dying trying to gain lives!
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| photo credit: Youtube |
Soon I'd completed Slippery Climb and then Lights Out and was soon up to Dr N. Brio. What a tricky (and trippy) little bastard he was! Throwing green potions about that turned into blobs that would bounce around and kill you at even the slightest touch, and add to that, the purple potions that would evaporate you in a single throw! I say this doctor was trippy as, after a couple of rounds, he would go to throw the next round of potions and then glitch out suddenly, making him look like he's having some kind of fit! While this is somewhat amusing to witness, it is very irritating as you have to quit the level and start again, losing all the progress you'd just made. I didn't really notice a pattern to the glitch as thankfully, he only did it once and I managed to defeat him after a few tries (and 'Game Over's') While many newbies would think that the disc might have jammed, I didn't worry too much as I'd swatted up on all things Crash on Youtube so I knew this glitch was a well known thing in the gaming community.
Watch a video of all the glitches in the Crash game here!
The next level was 'The Lab' which turned out to be infuriating as I'd constantly die and 'Game Over' at the same point. I then admittedly relied on the game taking pity on me and starting me off from the checkpoint with 2 masks in order for me to have any hope of success. That weird man with the electrified hands, combined with the immaculate timing required to spin the door and floor boxes at the right time to get across the platforms led me to have a huge swearing fit of rage every time I missed the platform by millimeters. However, after a lot of dying, life farming, persistence and rage, I managed to land in that welcoming finishing platform. There's really nothing better than seeing that orangey tornado-like beacon in the distance when you've had a hellish time of it throughout the level. Unless, of course, you die within touching distance of the finishing platform, in which case you end up nearly throwing your controller across the room in pure, unadulterated rage. Speaking of rage, one guy called Jack has made a series called 'Rage Bandicoot' on his Youtube channel, JRC Gaming. It's hilarious to watch him rage out as he tries to get past the most difficult levels, namely 'Road to Nowhere.' It was also handy to see how others played certain levels as this gave me some tips for my own game play. I also enjoyed watching his series of Resident Evil 7 game play.
Check out JRC Gaming here.
The next level was 'The Great Hall' which is by far the easiest level in the entire game. Even I could do this without dying- anyone could really. Just jump across and run toward the orangey tornado of the finishing platform. Simple really.
The next and final boss level though took a few goes, however it wasn't as rage inducing as I thought it would be. I had to send Dr Neo Cortex packing by dodging his lazer beams and spinning the green beams back at him. It took me a couple of goes to really suss out the patterns and timings but eventually I got there and with 2 masks by my side, I soon reached the final notch on his health bar. The finale music was playing in the background which spurred me on further and shortly after, my final victory opportunity came towards me in the form of a green luminous orb. With one swift spin action, I got the last hit on Cortex meaning victory was mine. The finale music took over as Cortex fell to defeat, it was truly a glorious moment and I celebrated by.....looking around in complete shock with my mouth gaping open. Yes, I'd not got all the boxes, keys and gems but I had actually completed the game. A game that, back in the good old days, I never got past the second island of, so for me this was amazing!
Now speaking of gems, keys and boxes, there are several people in the gaming community that have not only completed the game, but have done it in world record beating times. There is one guy that completed the whole of the first Crash game in just over an hour! And even more amazingly, he did this without losing a single life. Incredible. Almost seems to good to be true but I've watched and witnessed this myself so I guess it is true. Oh and I also forgot to mention, this guy wasn't exactly 100% sober either. You can watch the world record speed run here.
Anyway, now that Crash 1 is out of the way and completed, I'm now cracking on which Crash 2: The Wrath of Cortex! And yes, I am already stuck. I think the level is Turtle Wood. An embarrassing thing really to admit that I'm already stuck on one of the first few levels of the second game, but I will persist and I will get through this game like I did the previous one; by swearing a lot, dying a lot and not giving up (well until its like 12am of course- I have an actual life to live as well)
So moving on from the world of Crash Bandicoot, I thought I'd give you all a little brief overview on what I have planned for the weekend. Me, Matthew, my mum and her friend Ann are going to Kent for the weekend to visit Hever Castle. I've always wanted to go as I have a fondness for learning all about the Tudor period. Hever Castle was once upon a time, residence of the second of King Henry the Eighth's wives, Anne Boleyn. From reading about her and watching various documentaries and of course the BBC2 drama 'The Tudors', I think she's my favourite of all of his wives. Yes, she had her flaws, but she was a very clever and witty woman who packed a lot of punch and of course, she was the mother of a very underestimated daughter, Elizabeth who grew up to be Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most infamous monarch's in history. I'm very much looking forward to visiting the castle and reading all about it's history plus, the castle itself looks like a lovely place to wander around. We're staying for 2 nights in Kent before coming home. On the Friday I'm driving mum and Ann to Abingdon and then Matthew is going to drive us up to Kent in his car. I'm looking forward to having a little weekend away and visiting a castle I've wanted to visit for years.
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| photo credit: www.hevercastle.co.uk |
I'll of course update you all on our Kent wanderings on Monday evening but for tonight I'm afraid this is it. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend but be sure to come back here on Monday evening for more from me.
Now then....of to do some more Bandicooting!
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