![Alpine Ski [Arcade] - Six Loop 1CC 162,876 pts (MAME) @psymagearcade](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gVqEh4i_DFM/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This is my new personal best run in Alpine Ski, as this is my first time getting to Loop 7 and my first time scoring more than 160,000 points. My previous commented run only got up to Loop 6 and also had a final score that was over 44,000 points lower.
This is also my first notable accomplishment on my new mixbox setup. I took my Qanba Crystal and modded with the T-Spin to turn it into a mixbox. I think it's better than playing it on controller, which is what I was doing prior. It's even better than your average keyboard since it uses mechanical key switches. I plan to use it a lot for non-shmup arcade games and games that I would normally play on D-Pad with a controller.
Also, there is some audio popping here and there, but that's from the emulator.
00:00 Intro
00:11 Loop 1
02:14 Loop 2
04:22 Loop 3
06:21 Loop 4
08:26 Loop 5
10:29 Loop 6
13:06 Loop 7 (7-1)
This is my new personal best run in Alpine Ski, as this is my first time getting to Loop 7 and my first time scoring more than 160,000 points. My previous commented run only got up to Loop 6 and also had a final score that was over 44,000 points lower.
This is also my first notable accomplishment on my new mixbox setup. I took my Qanba Crystal and modded with the T-Spin to turn it into a mixbox. I think it's better than playing it on controller, which is what I was doing prior. It's even better than your average keyboard since it uses mechanical key switches. I plan to use it a lot for non-shmup arcade games and games that I would normally play on D-Pad with a controller.
Also, there is some audio popping here and there, but that's from the emulator.
00:00 Intro
00:11 Loop 1
02:14 Loop 2
04:22 Loop 3
06:21 Loop 4
08:26 Loop 5
10:29 Loop 6
13:06 Loop 7 (7-1)
![Alpine Ski [Arcade] - Six Loop 1CC 162,876 pts (MAME)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gVqEh4i_DFM/mqdefault.jpg "Alpine Ski [Arcade] - Six Loop 1CC 162,876 pts (MAME)
This is my new personal best run in Alpine Ski, as this is my first time getting to Loop 7 and my first time scoring more than 160,000 points. My previous commented run only got up to Loop 6 and also had a final score that was over 44,000 points lower.
This is also my first notable accomplishment on my new mixbox setup. I took my Qanba Crystal and modded with the T-Spin to turn it into a mixbox. I think its better than playing it on controller, which is what I was doing prior. Its even better than your average keyboard since it uses mechanical key switches. I plan to use it a lot for non-shmup arcade games and games that I would normally play on D-Pad with a controller.
Also, there is some audio popping here and there, but thats from the emulator.
00:00 Intro
00:11 Loop 1
02:14 Loop 2
04:22 Loop 3
06:21 Loop 4
08:26 Loop 5
10:29 Loop 6
13:06 Loop 7 (7-1)")
![Shikigami No Shiro II [Gamecube] - Kuga2 1CC 3,552,501,510 pts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/guBR5QnH22M/mqdefault.jpg "Shikigami No Shiro II [Gamecube] - Kuga2 1CC 3,552,501,510 pts
Shikigami No Shiro II, also known as Castle Shikigami 2, is a bullet hell shmup created by Alfa Systems and was originally released in Japanese arcades in 2003 and was ported to the PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, Dreamcast, and PC soon after. The PS2 version was given an incredibly bad translation job when it was released in the West and was the only Western release until the PC version got a remaster and was re-released on Steam back in 2021. A Switch version based on this recent re-release will come out in April.
This game, like the first game in the series, known for its high tension system consisting of getting close to enemy bullets in order to increase your scoring multiplier and increase your damage output, i.e. grazing. You also have a sub weapon known as your Shikigami attack, which differs from character to character and scores more points because you get more coins. Also, the more coins you gather, the more each coin is worth.
The seven characters available have their own unique playstyles and also have an alternate version of their Shikigami attack to select if you like, adding more variation to the gameplay. You have to learn each characters playstyle in order to survive and score. Youll need to score a bit to get extends, which are offered first after 400 million and every other extend every 700 million points. Youll need the extends to make up for mistakes and get extra bombs, but you can only hold a max of 3 lives at a time and 5 bombs.
This game doesnt start out so hard, but it gets pretty brutal after 3-2 and demands nothing for consistency and good strategies in order to get to the end. The bullet patterns in general are very dense here, some of the densest youll ever see. Even playing with Kuga, who is known for being one of the best characters for survival and one of the easiest to score with, this is still one of the hardest clears Ive done yet. Because you cant stockpile extends like you can in many other shmups, you have to stay pretty consistent through your run in order to not run out of lives later in the game. I almost ended my run with a couple of mistakes in the second phase of the 5-1 boss.
This is definitely one of the most rewarding shmups Ive ever played, despite this clear taking a while to earn. The level design is absolutely superb and the amount of scoring depth is mindblowing. However, its also simple to understand because it mostly comes down to high tension grazing and killing as many things with your Shikigami attack as possible while getting really close to bullets. Its high risk, high reward gameplay and its absolutely brilliant.
One other thing thats not clear from this run that makes this game interesting is the amount of storyline in this series as a whole. Im playing this run without the dialogue because its in Japanese and I cant read Japanese, but there are storylines, which is unusual for the genre. If you play the Steam version, youll get the dialogue properly translated unlike the infamous English translation of the PS2 version. I already had the Gamecube version prior to the Steam release, so I just stuck to playing it in Dolphin.
00:00 Intro
00:38 Stage 1-1
02:43 Stage 1-2
04:56 Stage 2-1
07:07 Stage 2-2
09:25 Stage 3-1
12:07 Stage 3-2
14:47 Stage 4-1
17:12 Stage 4-2
19:42 Stage 5-1
23:33 Stage 5-2 (Final Boss)
26:44 Credits
28:38 Final Score and Stats")
![Elevator Action [Game Boy] - First Loop 1CC 111,250 pts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/guU-OXyOd8I/mqdefault.jpg "Elevator Action [Game Boy] - First Loop 1CC 111,250 pts
Did you know that Elevator Action got a sequel on the Game Boy, before Elevator Action Returns? Yep, and I just beat the first loop of it. Ill probably make a discussion video about this one in the future because theres plenty to say about this one compared to the arcade original, but it got bonkers near the end. I was down to my last life for the last part of the final stage, but I got through it somehow.
This playthrough was done on my MiSTER FPGA setup. The palette is Silver Shiro.
00:00 Intro
00:28 Stage 1-1
03:41 Stage 1-2
07:02 Stage 1-3
11:15 Stage 1-4
15:42 Stage 1-5
21:18 Stage 1-6
27:42 Final Boss (Clutch)
28:20 Stage 2-1 (Loop 2 Begins)
31:40 Stage 2-2
34:33 Stage 2-3")
![Mecha Ritz Steel Rondo 2.0 [PC/Switch] -1CC 17,475,952 pts (B2, Initial Rank: 100)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iVo6YJW4XnA/mqdefault.jpg "Mecha Ritz Steel Rondo 2.0 [PC/Switch] -1CC 17,475,952 pts (B2, Initial Rank: 100)
0:22. Stage 1
3:33. Stage 2-A
6:58. Stage 3-B
13:29. Stage 4-A
20:17. Stage 5-B
Mecha Ritz Steel Rondo got a big update when it came out on the Nintendo Switch on November 3rd, and Steam got the newest version of the game as well that day. It changes some of the routes, re-balances ships and adds new ones, and some other gameplay tweaks like the Sweet Bonuses you can obtain now, which stack as long as you do not get hit. Scoring is much higher overall in this version than the previous one.
For those who do not know, this is a doujin bullet-hell shmup created entirely by Japanese developer HEY that has been on PC for a while and is known for its dynamic difficulty through a rank system that gets higher if you play well and comes down once you get hit a lot. This makes it easier for newer players to not get overwhelmed while skilled players will be challenged as they push the rank higher. It also has a unique aesthetic and great FM synthesizer based soundtrack. Also, theres a time limit that affects whether you get to the TLB or not, and finishing stages quickly is better for your score overall as well. If you get to the last stage with time to spare, you get the TLB. However, there is a different version of the TLB if you choose 5-C. If you dont get to it on time, you get the teddy bear for the last boss battle.
For this particular run, I used the second Blue ship (B2). This ship does not have the fastest movement speed or a lot of shot spread, but the damage output is superb and killing bosses fast is good for score. This game has branching paths and I mostly stuck with Route A outside of going to 3-B instead of 3-A. 3-B is a lot of fun with plenty of Sweet Bonus opportunities and a ton of bullets once you push the rank pretty high.
Speaking of rank, I managed to push the rank all the way up to 482 in 5-B before it started tumbling toward the end of the last boss when I started dying more. Once this game gets to above 300, it gets pretty crazy and going into the 400s makes it downright ludicrous for trying to dodge dense bullet patterns. I got a nice bonus at the end for finishing quickly and without burning through that many shields and bombs since I still had three lives to spare at the end.
I may go for a full Route B clear at some point, as Route B does give you higher scoring potential.")
![Pole Position [Gamecube/Arcade] - ALL Clear 59850 pts (Namco Museum)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kRvcyg2SEEc/mqdefault.jpg "Pole Position [Gamecube/Arcade] - ALL Clear 59850 pts (Namco Museum)
Played on Namco Museum with default difficulty/time settings using the Dolphin emulator.
Pole Position is among the most influential racing games of all time. Without this, there would probably be no Outrun, no Super Hang On, no Ridge Racer, no Daytona USA, or any other famous arcade racing games that would come after it. I used to play it all the time as a kid as a kid on different Namco Museum collections, but I was horrible at it back then.
This port is overall pretty faithful to the original arcade version considering its part of a console compilation versus a sitdown cabinet. The developer did make an interesting design choice for this port by adding some tiny amounts of auto-steering on the slightest of corners, probably to compensate for the lack of a proper wheel. That still doesnt help you to get through the harder turns or dodge the other cars, but it works out quite well because it does not have analog turning even if you use an analog stick. Maybe this was based on the PS1 Namco Museum port, which I have not played?
This was my first time making pole position on a complete run, and Im pretty happy with this run considering that I played on D-pad. I only had one crash. There is some RNG in terms of where the other cars will be, which is not unusual for arcade racers as Super Hang On would do this later on as well for example. Of course, the handling is primitive and slippery compared to later arcade racers.")
![Castle Of Illusion [Sega Master System] - 1CC Full Game 128,480 pts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kbuDPqxz1IY/mqdefault.jpg "Castle Of Illusion [Sega Master System] - 1CC Full Game 128,480 pts
Castle Of Illusion wasnt just a Genesis game. It was also on the Sega Master System and a different game to boot. I beat this one on one credit and got just about all of the secrets, including plenty of 1-UPs and hidden treasure chests. This is definitely one of the better platformers on the console and would get an excellent sequel in Land Of Illusion, exclusive to the Master System and Game Gear.
Also, this and Land Of Illusion are the first two Sega Master System playthroughs Ive done on my QMTech MiSTER FPGA, which I got earlier this year. It feels extremely responsive playing on it and looks great with a little bit of scanlines applied in post-processing. The Land Of Illusion playthrough is coming soon, and there may also be a separate discussion video reviewing both games. I may also make another video just on my thoughts on the MiSTER FPGA so far.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Stage 1
04:22 Stage 2
07:35 Stage 3
12:26 Stage 4
18:51 Stage 5
24:49 Final Stage")
![Top Gear Rally [GBA] - Great Heights Plus All 1st Place Playthrough](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ksmBrptbwCk/mqdefault.jpg "Top Gear Rally [GBA] - Great Heights Plus All 1st Place Playthrough
Top Gear Rally on Game Boy Advance shares the same name as the N64 racer, but it is an entirely different game developed by Tantalus Interactive and released in 2003 for the GBA. This game is known for being the last game in the Top Gear Rally series as well as utilizing a 3D graphics engine. It is also one of the few traditional rally games on the handheld along with Colin McRae Rally 2.0.
The first thing that stands out when people play this game is the 3D graphics. While the graphics arent even PS1 quality, it was pretty impressive before the DS/PSP era to be able to play a racer on a handheld with 3D graphics, though it does use a lot of sprites and was quite pixelated even on real hardware. The game engine does have some limitations though like its field of view being a bit fisheye at times and the fact that you cannot turn around and drive backwards. The fisheye like view in particular occasionally leads to some issues running into objects along the road, which will slow you down. However, its not too hard to adjust to this and on some courses, you wont notice the effect much.
As far as the gamplay goes, Top Gear Rally on GBA plays pretty well overall. While I did mention the issue regarding the field of view just now, the cars do control surprisingly well and you have some basic tuning options appropriate for a rally game, like gearbox, brake sensitivity, and of course tire choices to name a few. Unlike in the original N64 game of the same name, this game features actual rally stages instead of rally-cross style tracks, so youll actually be going for checkpoint to checkpoint like in actual rallying. The cars have some weight to them though many of them feel pretty similar outside of top speed and acceleration, but thats understandable considering the limitations of the handheld it was made for. However, the handling is definitely better than the second Top Gear Rally game on N64, which suffered from an identity crisis overall.
The meat of the game is the Championship mode. The first two Championship leagues, Amateur and Professional, are not very hard. However, the difficulty does ramp up during the Top Gear World Series, particularly once you get to the mirrored tracks. Great Heights Plus is the last of the mirrored rallies and like the regular version, is set along a mountain road where one false move could lead to you falling off of a cliff. Its a great idea, though it may be partially inspired by the famous Pikes Peak International hillclimb course. I managed to get first place on all three parts of Great Heights Plus, which is what this video shows. Its not the hardest of the rallies in the Top Gear World Series despite being the finale, but it is one of my favorites. I especially enjoy the final part which features gravel instead of tarmac, as the gravel gives you less grip on the track. You also get a nice sense of speed on these courses.
Overall, this game is more than worthy of the Top Gear Rally name and may even be better than the two games on the N64.
Played in RetroArch using the VBA-M core and the NTSC-SVideo shader.
00:00 Intro
00:50 Stage 1
02:54 Stage 2
04:56 Stage 3
07:25 Ending")
