Play This Set September 2022 - RetroAchievements/RANews GitHub Wiki

Play This Set is a showcase for our passionate community members to write about the games and achievement sets they love. Whether you're an achievement developer looking to promote your work or a player wanting to spread the word about your favorite hidden gem, we're always looking for new Play This Set submissions. If interested, submit your write-up as a private message to {% rauserpic RANews %}.

Game	Console	Genre
Avenging Spirit	Game Boy	Platforming (Side Scrolling)

• Set by: {% rauserpic coczero %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Lonoke31 %}

For a console overloaded with side-scrolling platformers, Avenging Spirit is one of the more unique renditions of it on the Game Boy. Playing as a spirit, you are summoned by a researcher (who studies "ghost energy") to save his daughter that was kidnapped and is now being held for ransom by an evil gang. Utilizing your ghostly powers, you must now traverse through six different stages (and be sure to collect three hidden keys along the way) in order to rescue his daughter and save the day!

There are two major facets of the gameplay in Avenging Spirit. The first one is playing as the spirit itself. As a spirit, you have two powers: 1) the ability to float and go through walls/floors (can literally go anywhere you want), and 2) the ability to possess an enemy. These powers may seem absolutely broken for a 2D platformer, but the game balances it with an energy meter that slowly depletes in spirit form (making it impossible to just fly straight to the end of the stage). Once you've possessed an enemy the game turns into your more traditional side-scrolling platformer. However, each character you possess will have different health, different modes of attacking (punching, shooting lasers, magic, etc.), different speeds and jump heights which makes it fun to experiment and try out new characters. At the end of each stage there is a boss, so possessing the right character will be key to winning the fight.

Now the set is kinda basic, but I do think it does a good job in showing everything the game has to offer. Besides the basic "beat x stage" achievements, there are achievements for possessing each enemy (which some are hidden well), defeating each boss without taking damage, and then two achievements for each ending. I could see achievements for specific challenges like "defeat x boss while possessing y character" or completing a stage without becoming a spirit again, but it isn't needed. Still, a great game and a great set. I strongly recommend everyone to check out this game at some point.

Game	Console	Genre
Super Block	Watara Supervision	Puzzle

• Set by: {% rauserpic SporyTike %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Akai %}

When I write things like this, I'm usually talking about a good game.

This is not a good game. At most, it's an ok game... but for a console with a sea of bad games, it might just be worth it if you're looking for something for a Daily Distraction, or a completion for CL4.

Super Block is a 3 in 1 puzzle game. The first mode, "Play Block", is by far the largest portion of the set, coming out with a total of 95 points. Its controls are fairly simple: you're given one of 4 marked block types (X, O, △, or □ - A PlayStation controller!) and fire them horizontally across the screen from the right side. The blocks you shoot will destroy blocks of the same type, and assuming you destroy at least one block, will swap with the next different block you hit. With your new block, you rinse and repeat, trying to get the stage down to a specified number of blocks. In the case of the early stages, that's 3. Blocks also behave with gravity, and you can use this to your advantage on stages to drop blocks down by firing at indestructible blocks at the top of the screen. The game ends when there is no valid block to hit, but you can simply restart the level at no penalty.

I know that might seem a bit confusing, but if you play the first few stages with this in mind, you'll get the mechanics pretty quickly. Fair warning though, there's no level select from what I can find, so if you have time I suggest going for as many of the 40 stages as you can.

The other two modes are "Hit Block" and "Fill Block". Hit block is a simple match game. You have a shooter at the bottom of the screen and you can cycle between the block types. Blocks fall from above, and you just need to hit them with the right type of block. "Fill Block" is a tad more interesting, as you no longer have types of blocks. Instead, various sets of blocks will come from the top of the screen, and you need to "fill" them in to make a rectangle or square. There's only 30 points of achievements with these two game modes combined, but they both can be done fairly quickly.

At least compared to other games in the console library, this won't give you seizures. Nor is this game made out of entire BS... and from my wanderings in the console I suppose that's the most I can ask for. :P

Just make sure to play this with the volume off.

Game	Console	Genre
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (CD)	PC Engine	Visual Novel

• Set and write-up by: {% rauserpic LordAndrew %}

While most games based on the Sailor Moon series are action games, this PC Engine CD title is a visual novel. An old foe has returned, and it's up to the Sailor Senshi to find out what their plan is and put a stop to it - if only Artemis and Luna can convince them to take the threat seriously. You can choose to play as any of the five original Sailor Senshi. The main plot remains the same no matter who you decide to play as, but each girl also has their own side plots. Occasional minigames and other diversions appear: can you beat the high score in the Sailor V arcade game? Thanks to the power of the compact disc, there are animated cutscenes and much of the dialog is voiced, with the original anime cast returning.

Thanks to the efforts of LIPEMCO! Translations, all text has been translated to English, with subtitles added to the cutscenes. An optional patch retains honorifics and some of the original Japanese terminology for those who who prefer it.

Game	Console	Genre
Gabrielle	Amstrad CPC	Platforming, Action-Adventure, 2D Platforming

• Set by: {% rauserpic TheMysticalOne %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Enagonius %}

Look up Boris Vallejo's artworks and be amazed with all the sword & sorcery tributes presenting the human body in all its glory; specifically, the piece called Siren Song, full of mysticism and eroticism in photorealistic painting art.

Now listen to the everlasting queen of pop: Madonna. Dance to the vibe of Like a Virgin.

Now that you did both, can you imagine these two separate forms of art together? Made by such different artists and aimed towards varied audiences. Oh, right, and in a different medium. Videogames. Computer games, if you will. Just put some jeans in that art girl and call her an angel, maybe introduce some nasty villains in the form of demon-robots, and of course fill the setting's lore with a post-nuclear apocalyptic Earth – which holds a portal to Hell, no doubt. Those are the ingredients of a truly brilliant game, made in a time when Ubisoft wasn't scared to innovate.

Gameplay-wise it is really fun and actually a bit addictive, since you must go through a whole lot of exploration to get to know the labyrinth (a masterpiece of level design). Even after you do that, replayability is guaranteed because you have multiple loops and it is so engaging to see your points go up as you improve your skills over the controls in the hopes of raising your survivability in this quest to save Heaven in all its cyberpunk-y glory. Given that you get accustomed to the controls, which are solid and tight but tampered with bad hit detection – honestly, a minor problem given the fact that the game is fresh and the set is smartly programmed to give you a nice taste of its fun.

Game	Console	Genre
~Hack~ Pokemon Unova Red	Game Boy	Role-Playing Game

• Set and write-up by: {% rauserpic affftedio %}

Yes this is another Pokemon hack, and not one that adds a ton of story or changes everything, just a chill hack to those that enjoy the usual Pokemon Red experience. The main feature of this one is that all Kanto mons have been changed for Unova mons (if it wasn't already clear by the title), but that in itself shakes things up really nicely. It's very fun to discover how they adapted gen 5 mons into gen 1 sprites and try to imagine what mons they gave the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four. Most of the achievements are your usual Pokemon ones, but this set take inspiration from the Gen 5 gym leaders and rival by requiring specific teams to beat them with. So if you're feeling like you want to play a game you already know front and back with a different look just go for this one. 😉

Game	Console	Genre
Super Star Wars	SNES	Platforming

• Set by: {% rauserpic Xunkar %}, {% rauserpic Tenkei %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic TheRealBillHicks %}

The original Star Wars trilogy needs no introduction. And this 16-Bit tribute to the original film was one of my absolute favorites as a child. This somewhat difficult 2D platformer takes a few liberties with the source material to provide a challenging, but fair Star Wars experience. You'll traverse the desserts of Tatooine as Luke Skywalker, clean out the Cantina as Chewbacca, and blast your way out of the Death Star as Han Solo. And if you're good enough, you'll survive the iconic Trench Run in your X-Wing.

If the game isn't already challenging enough for you, this set of achievements will certainly test your Jedi reflexes. With three different difficulty settings to conquer and a only a single time-attack style achievement, this set is pretty simple. There are several achievements that force you to use specific characters for certain levels, providing some variety and challenge to your journey.

To really test your abilities, completing Super Star Wars on Jedi difficulty and beating it without using any continues will earn you the two hardest achievements in the set, both worth 50 points each. Be sure to stay on the lookout for those bonuses such as extra lives and weapon upgrades! Good luck, and may the force be with you!

Game	Console	Genre
Yu-Gi-Oh! Nightmare Troubadour	Nintendo DS	Collectible Card Game

• Set by: {% rauserpic SporyTike %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Olafur %}

It's Yu-Gi-Oh, so not much to explain for it. But it's a fun one, with a super special awesome story. Unfortunately, there's no children card games on motorcycles for this one (CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES!!!). But still, watch out for Joey and his Brooklyn Rage, Tea and her constant friendship speeches, Tristan Timothy Taylor's voice that gives him super strength, and others.

Customize your deck the way you feel is best, but do make sure to keep a checklist of all the cards you've summoned and activated; getting all that done can be a pretty big hassle otherwise. Have fun playing Children's Card Games for the umpteenth time.

Game	Console	Genre
Conquest of the Crystal Palace	NES	Action, Platforming

• Set by: {% rauserpic televandalist %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic WanderingHeiho %}

The NES was known for many platformers, especially those with high difficulty. While this one might not be as hard compared to things like Castlevania 3 or Ninja Gaiden, it’s certainly more bearable thanks to infinite continues.

The game starts with you picking one of three permanent upgrades: more health, a higher jump, or an infinite supply of fireballs. Don’t worry too much about only getting one of these, as all of the upgrades and more are purchasable in the shops found throughout the five stages (although fireballs from the shop have a limited number of uses). Keep in mind, however, that purchased upgrades will be lost each time you lose a life. But even without upgrades, you still have your trusty sword, able to perform one of the most powerful attacks once you learn the timing of swinging it when turning around to perform a back slash.

While the stages can feel brutal at first, especially those with gimmicks like pits that warp you to an earlier part of the stage, or the final level designed as a maze, the game becomes very fun and rewarding as you slowly learn how to overcome the game’s many challenges.

Game	Console	Genre
Danganronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei	PlayStation Portable	Adventure, Visual Novel

• Set by: {% rauserpic blendedsea %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic StingX2 %}

In my late teens I got to experience the joy of the Phoenix Wright series, but after that mainstream visual novel-like games seemed to just not happen. Occasionally games like Time Hollow would drop on DS and be short great games, but mostly it was rather lackluster experiences.

Then in 2013 I heard about this game I just had to play. A crazy Phoenix Wright-esque game with over-the-top anime inspiration and on the Vita? I had to jump at it. What I found was a game I found very cringe at first, and almost nonsensical in an unfollowable way. And then as I kept playing I realized, "oh, that's the joke". Danganronpa is equal parts murder mystery as it is satire in the same way Jimmy Fallon cannot stop laughing at his own jokes in a skit.

The game is split into two sections: the murder mystery and free time. During a mystery you'll hunt for clues, piece alibis together, and go to a trial to find the murderer. During free time you'll hang out with the various cast members to learn some insight about who they are beyond being the Ultimate Swimmer or Ultimate Gambler.

The PSP version pretty much mirrors the Vita version, the difference really just being that Japanese audiences got to play this game much earlier than English speaking audiences. If you are willing to stick with it you will have an incredible experience, and the best part is, after this you get to play the even better Super Danganronpa 2.

Game	Console	Genre
Final Fantasy IV	SNES	Role-Playing Game

• Set by: {% rauserpic MrGauss %}
• Write-up by: {% rauserpic AngeloLeonhart %}

Final Fantasy IV had three different versions when it launched: the original JP one, the Easy Type which is also JP exclusive, and the "Final Fantasy II" which came to the west and was based on the Japanese Easy Type version, in which obviously battles were way easier and there was some cut content, like unique skills for each character. This set is based on the original JP version, which is the "definitive" SNES version of FFIV.

I really recommend this set, because on every boss battle you have a different challenge, and you must think outside of the box in order to earn the achievement. It also has Treasure achievements, to make sure you won't lose any chest or item throughout the game, and even character specific achievements related to their unique skills.

This is legitimately one the best sets I've played on RA. It's fun, it's challening but not hellish hard, and it's a total 10/10.