I'm back working and whatnot so am too tired to do much else. But managed to get some classic gaming done via assorted means.
Duckstation: Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role
This was done in February 2025 prior to me knowing how to map the controls onto a controller, so I played this again with a keyboard. The first thing I did was create the Blacksmith and friends and then started the Season Mode.
I managed to clear the first year of the Season Mode. It was super weird. I was buried in various feuds with the likes of Val Venis, D-Von Dudley and xxx. I never feuded with any top talent at all until I deliberately won the World Title in Single Mode by beating the Rock in a TLC match. Then suddenly I was defending against the Undertaker over and over (losing once in the process) and despite winning the Royal Rumble I did not headline Wrestlemania 2000 or even defend my title. I wasn't even on the card!
It was a grand old time, nice to play the Season mode again. I had done like 4 years before in maybe... 2006? 2007? Idk. Apparently if you complete 5 years of the Season mode it unlocks everything. I don't know if I'll ever bother doing that, even though I can simply hold down Tab and 1000x speed through endless pointless cutscenes.
Duckstation: GTA 1
I had a hankering to play classic GTA 1 over the last few months so finally got around to it. I figured out how to map the controls of a classic PSX to the Xbox One/PC Controller I have here so was able to play GTA 1 again on my gigantic curved monitor. I cleared it for the first time a few years back but on the PSX; I could dig up the old console but eh, this is easier.
Not much to say except everything was fine until the 6th and final mission when it became glitch tastic. Like, I saw no issues until that point. Whatever. So I managed to clear the first 5 missions relatively easily despite all the driving and the final one is just a load of killing missions.
Holdfast segue
I briefly segued into Holdfast and played it a few times; always good fun, kind of mad seeing the same people playing it. Shoutout to Berry, have fought with them on either side at various points now and I am assuming that's a Sharpe reference.
Initially I was just farting around being a pure musician but then decided to try some trophies. They changed the achievements (sort of) but I managed to get 2 more: healing 1000 points worth of damage and killing 2 people with a blunderbuss blast. Was particularly happy with the second one, as it is both easy and difficult to do. Also, it's called Harper's Pride which is again a Sharpe reference. Sharpe's buddy Harper wields a volley/nock gun, a brutal looking 7 barreled weapon. God save Ireland!
Project 64: Majora's Mask
I had not played this since 2018/2019 when I infamously cleared as far as the fourth and final temple and decided to mess around with the cheats. I gave myself all the masks and items (just to see!) but then when I went to undo it it would not let me. So I lost all interest in clearing the game properly and stopped. I was also playing with a keyboard back then which was super tough.
So it was a billion times easier with the Xbox controller. My goals fluctuated a bit but I got set on: get all fairies, get all 24 masks, clear the game. Also, collect no heart containers and complete no heart pieces - just have 3 hearts.
All was well until what I dreaded was coming: the Goron race track on the moon. I fell off a couple of times but eventually managed to complete it. It was not essential but I was worried that maybe the controls were off and would prevent me from clearing the track. All was well in the end and I managed to finish the game easily with the Fierce Deity Mask.
I could go back now and attempt to clear the journal and get all the bottles, upgrades and heart pieces etc but that's enough for now.
