Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A playthrough of Electronic Arts' 1993 license-based racing game for the Sega Mega Drive, Lotus II RECS.
As was the case with youtu.be/jEjB1orZr1E, for this video, I'm playing the 50Hz PAL version of the game. The 60Hz NTSC Genesis version doesn't compensate for the timing differences between video standards and runs 20% faster than intended.
This playthrough shows all sixty-four races, split across two game modes, each with three difficulty levels:
3:04 Timed (Easy)
31:12 Championship (Easy)
59:17 Timed (Medium)
1:44:04 Championship (Medium)
2:28:31 Timed (Hard)
3:33:28 Championship (Hard)
4:46:40 "Pod", a secret bonus minigame
Lotus II RECS is a port of 1992's Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge, the final game in the Lotus trilogy of Amiga racing games from Magnetic Fields.
This Mega Drive/Genesis version was released in the fall of 1993, right around the same time that its cousin, youtu.be/8UJnmunH-qo, appeared on the Super Nintendo. Top Gear 2 later made its way Sega's console (as well as the Amiga and CD32) in the fall of 1994.
Lotus II RECS primarily reads as a remix of the first two games. It offers point-based championship races (based on those in Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge) and timer-based checkpoint races (from Lotus Turbo Challenge 2), and the modes each feature thirty-two unique tracks. Many of the tracks are direct callbacks to the previous games' races, but there are a few new ones exclusive to this entry (like the futuristic tracks with the turbo pads and laser cannons), and all of them have been unified though a shared updated art style.
The driving feels similar to the earlier games, but you can now freely choose between three cars, all with their own distinct handling profiles. The iconic Esprit Turbo SE has a ridiculous top speed but loose steering, the more compact Elan SE is slower but easier to wrangle, and the M200 prototype splits the difference.
The tracks generally look better than they did in the first Sega Lotus game while running at a comparable framerate. You also get in-race music this time, but since you can't have music and sound effects running at the same time, I usually leave the music off. It doesn't sound so hot in FM, and since the feedback from the engine and road noise is useful, I don't think it's worth sacrificing the effects for the tunes.
Finally, the game includes a track editor, dubbed RECS (Racing Environment Construction Set), which gives the game a potentially long pair of legs. I never spent much time with it, but it offers enough flexibility to satisfy anyone who really wants to dig in, with one important caveat - there's no way to save your creations.
Like Lotus Turbo Challenge, I really enjoyed this one, but this port has a couple glaring flaws that hurt the overall experience. There's the aforementioned speed problem that badly compromises the NTSC Genesis version, and the password system is broken. The codes the game supplies don't work, and in many cases, you can't even input them with the characters you're given. It's a ridiculous oversight, and it's one that seriously undermines the appeal of the track creator.
If you want a fast and fun arcade-style racer, Lotus II RECS fits the bill, but I think you'd be much better off playing it on the Amiga or the CD32.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
A playthrough of Electronic Arts' 1993 license-based racing game for the Sega Mega Drive, Lotus II RECS.
As was the case with youtu.be/jEjB1orZr1E, for this video, I'm playing the 50Hz PAL version of the game. The 60Hz NTSC Genesis version doesn't compensate for the timing differences between video standards and runs 20% faster than intended.
This playthrough shows all sixty-four races, split across two game modes, each with three difficulty levels:
3:04 Timed (Easy)
31:12 Championship (Easy)
59:17 Timed (Medium)
1:44:04 Championship (Medium)
2:28:31 Timed (Hard)
3:33:28 Championship (Hard)
4:46:40 "Pod", a secret bonus minigame
Lotus II RECS is a port of 1992's Lotus III: The Ultimate Challenge, the final game in the Lotus trilogy of Amiga racing games from Magnetic Fields.
This Mega Drive/Genesis version was released in the fall of 1993, right around the same time that its cousin, youtu.be/8UJnmunH-qo, appeared on the Super Nintendo. Top Gear 2 later made its way Sega's console (as well as the Amiga and CD32) in the fall of 1994.
Lotus II RECS primarily reads as a remix of the first two games. It offers point-based championship races (based on those in Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge) and timer-based checkpoint races (from Lotus Turbo Challenge 2), and the modes each feature thirty-two unique tracks. Many of the tracks are direct callbacks to the previous games' races, but there are a few new ones exclusive to this entry (like the futuristic tracks with the turbo pads and laser cannons), and all of them have been unified though a shared updated art style.
The driving feels similar to the earlier games, but you can now freely choose between three cars, all with their own distinct handling profiles. The iconic Esprit Turbo SE has a ridiculous top speed but loose steering, the more compact Elan SE is slower but easier to wrangle, and the M200 prototype splits the difference.
The tracks generally look better than they did in the first Sega Lotus game while running at a comparable framerate. You also get in-race music this time, but since you can't have music and sound effects running at the same time, I usually leave the music off. It doesn't sound so hot in FM, and since the feedback from the engine and road noise is useful, I don't think it's worth sacrificing the effects for the tunes.
Finally, the game includes a track editor, dubbed RECS (Racing Environment Construction Set), which gives the game a potentially long pair of legs. I never spent much time with it, but it offers enough flexibility to satisfy anyone who really wants to dig in, with one important caveat - there's no way to save your creations.
Like Lotus Turbo Challenge, I really enjoyed this one, but this port has a couple glaring flaws that hurt the overall experience. There's the aforementioned speed problem that badly compromises the NTSC Genesis version, and the password system is broken. The codes the game supplies don't work, and in many cases, you can't even input them with the characters you're given. It's a ridiculous oversight, and it's one that seriously undermines the appeal of the track creator.
If you want a fast and fun arcade-style racer, Lotus II RECS fits the bill, but I think you'd be much better off playing it on the Amiga or the CD32.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
![Final Fantasy III (SNES) Playthrough [1 of 3]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wpKEFXrkGzc/mqdefault.jpg "Final Fantasy III (SNES) Playthrough [1 of 3]
A playthrough of Squares 1994 role-playing game for the Super Nintendo, Final Fantasy III.
This video is part one of a three-part playthrough, covering the beginning of the game through reconnecting with Terra in Zozo and gaining control of the airship.
Part 2: https://youtu.be/tJQtMmT9VfE
Part 3: https://youtu.be/jxS32BHD6Xc
Please note that this is the original English-language localization of Final Fantasy VI.
Final Fantasy III was a huge deal when it was released. Square advertised it heavily in magazines, and it was immediately met with universal acclaim. The game represented a huge evolutionary step forward from 1991s https://youtu.be/zsPm6Tui7Ts. Dont get me wrong - I loved FF2, and I still consider it my favorite RPG ever - but FF3 was a clear upgrade in most respects, and was extremely popular despite the niche status of the genre on consoles at the time.
It featured a massive cast of characters and a plot that was far more mature in its nature and its writing than any of the previous games in the series. Regularly dealing with heavy-handed moral issues, it showed that Squares writing and design chops were growing with the genre in how they were becoming increasingly comfortable addressing things like identity, sexuality, and politics. I still remember how taken aback I was the first time I witnessed a video game character attempt to commit suicide in (one possible outcome) of one of FF3s pivotal plot moments.
The graphics and the music were absolutely gorgeous for a 16-bit RPG, the battle system had been sharpened to a razor edge, and with everything working to support one of the most intricate plots attempted in a console RPG, the game came together to present an unforgettable experience to anyone who has ever had the pleasure of playing it. And those set pieces! Who could ever forget the infamous opera scene (9:44:30), the minecart ride through the Magitek lab facilities (11:15:34), or the apocalypse?
The villain deserves a special mention, too. Kefka has to be one of the best villains ever in a game. He reminds me of Iago in Shakespeares Othello. His character works so well because he has no real justification for his cruelty. Hes power hungry, sure, but more than that, he enjoys inflicting pain on people. Hes unequivocally evil and makes no apologies for it. How much more frightening can a despot be than when he cares for nothing but utter destruction?
Final Fantasy III is rightfully remembered as one of the best RPGs, and one of the best games, on the SNES. Can you really call yourself a true JRPG fan if youve never experienced it?
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
![Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand (SNES) Playthrough [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xXT8GfaE1tQ/mqdefault.jpg "Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand (SNES) Playthrough [English]
Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand (SNES) Playthrough [English]")
![Castlevania II: The Seal of the Curse (Famicom) Playthrough [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xlcOtFgMDC0/mqdefault.jpg "Castlevania II: The Seal of the Curse (Famicom) Playthrough [English]
A playthrough of Konamis 1987 action-adventure game for the Nintendo Famicom, Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin (ドラキュラⅡ呪いの封印, lit. Dracula II: The Seal of the Curse).
Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin, released in the fall of 1987 for the Famicom Disk System, is the original Japanese version of Castlevania II: Simons Quest (https://youtu.be/HJ-wR_D48uE), which was localized and released for the NES in North America in 1988 and in PAL territories in 1990.
Simons Quest is my favorite game in the Castlevania series, and I wanted to do something special with it for this Halloween season. I havent tried any of the fan-made translation patches that are out there so I cant speak to their quality, but to give the game the royal treatment, I rolled up my sleeves and translated the entire thing myself. (Please note that this is not a game patch. All of the text was superimposed over the footage in a video editor.)
The official English version of the game regularly gets blasted for the quality of its translation, and while it does have its share of glaring errors and omissions, its more faithful to the original script than people give it credit for. I think what hampers it is how terse and literal it is, and how that tends to obscure important information. With this translation, I did my best to address those issues while staying true to the Japanese text. I hope you find it as interesting to watch as I did to work on.
The soundtrack in this version is also pretty neat. The music is the same, but the FDSs wavetable channel gives it a very different character to what we heard on the NES. I prefer the NES versions of the tunes - the sampled drums give them a lot of oomph - but the FDS music is very good in its own right.
(The loading screens are a bit of a pain, though!)
In this playthrough, I finished the game in seven days for the best ending, but I also included the normal and bad endings at end of the video, starting from 1:45:06. The endings were already in English, so Ive left them untouched.
I hope you guys enjoy the translation, and Id love to hear your thoughts on how this version compares to the NES game!
(And if you like Castlevania music, perhaps youd like to check out some of my arrangements done on original SNES hardware! You can find one of my SNES remixes of the town music at https://youtu.be/Yd4p2EX5WyM, and a compilation of several of my Castlevania SNES mixes at https://youtu.be/KQLqelPbwZc)
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
