Originally posted by Xkeeperit is no longer 2020 or the holidays, so back to the usual scheme we go
I actually just switched back to it. It was pretty pleasant looking and felt nice to change schemes for a change. But I noticed the old classic theme is gone .... I think it was called the Daily Cycle? It would change colors depending on the time of day. Any chance to get that back?
FieryIce Luigi
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So I have this vague memory of a game I played probably around 1994-1995. The game was (likely) top-down view but it might have been a side-scroller (I'm leaning toward top-down view though). It was some kind of adventure game. The scene I remember had a brown-ish palette that reminds me of this scene from Golvellius but it's not that game (https://imgur.com/Gwn5wLm). I remember there were some items to use, or some kind of icons at least, I have tried very hard to remember what the icons were but the image in my head is very vague now.
In my head, this was "the last game I played before I started playing SNES games." So I'm very confident it's not an SNES game. It's for whatever system we had before that. We had a Sega before that, but it might not even have been a Sega game as it's possible someone brought in some other console for a short time for us to play back then and that's why I never played it again....
Europe and Japan-only games are extremely unlikely. PC games are extremely unlikely as well (we didn't have a PC back then).
Games that have been suggested that I have confirmed via gameplay videos are not it:
Hydlide
Golvellius
Startropics
Crystalis
Adventures of Lolo
Nightshade
Clash at Demonhead
Magic of Scheherazade
Willow
Gremlins 2
Ys
Faria
Arkista's Ring
Grand Master
Faxanadu
Blaster Master
Penguin Land
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (although some parts of this really did look familiar, but still not quite...)
Battle Master
Legacy of the Wizard
Beyond Oasis
Robo Warrior
Solomon's Key
Times of Lore
Ultima Exodus
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics 2
Aztec Adventure
Alien Syndrome
Rambo
Maze Hunter 3D
Rescue Mission
Spider-Man
Time Soldiers
Rambo III for Genesis
Apr 6 Edit: My sister has told me that our neighbor at the time had an NES, so it's possible the game was an NES game I played on a borrowed NES!
FieryIce Luigi
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Originally posted by Jillunfortunately you've only narrowed the possibilities down to like a few thousand, as you may as well be describing The Legend of Zelda or its sequel.
Yup, I know it's going to be nearly impossible to find considering how little I remember. I was hoping that looking at similar games might trigger more memories, but so far it hasn't. I've been searching for a while, because it's annoying to have something figuratively at the "tip of my tongue", but I've had no luck.
Of those games, Adventure of Lolo feels the most similar visually, but it's none of those. I do think it's more likely to be a Sega game than an NES game but I'm not sure either way.
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Originally posted by nymMight it have been Faxanadu? That's a very brown game. It's sidescrolling, but there might have been some top-down portions.
Sorry, that's not it either :/ I couldn't find any top-down portions on a gameplay video, but also I think the brown palette was due to outdoors mountain areas similar to the screenshot from Golvellius rather than castles and inside caves like that game (I don't remember any castles...)
FieryIce Luigi
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Originally posted by Reaper ManFuck, I dunno, Blaster Master?
Doesn't look like it either.
I talked to my mom and she thinks we only ever had a Sega before the SNES and *probably* (no guarantee about this) no new games for it after 1990. So I think it's likely this was a Sega game from the 80s rather than anything from the 90s or from Nintendo, but I can't be sure and my mom's memory of all this was very hazy too.
FieryIce Luigi
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Originally posted by RaspberryMaybe Battle Master for the Genesis, then?
No I definitely don't remember the big UI on the right. I added Wonder Boy in Monster Land to the list as well, while none of the gameplay in the video I watched clicked, it did have certain scenes that kind of remind of the game: https://i.imgur.com/Jd2X56y.png
Although, I still feel like the game was top-down view rather than a sidescroller (but again, I can't be sure ). I'm going to call my older sister tomorrow and nag her to try to remember something lol
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Originally posted by PeardianI checked Wikipedia's list of Master System games and found one that fits your description: Aztec Adventure. It's a top-down adventure, has usable items, and primarily features brownish desert levels past the first level.
Hey Peardian, thanks for helping! That game definitely fits the aesthetic, but it's not it. I don't think the character was as big as that (at least with the little I remember...).
I'd say the art style was closer to Startropics https://i.imgur.com/R8qNdbb.png (but again, I only remember so little .... )
This is driving me nuts and I can't stop trying to find the damn game
FieryIce Luigi
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I feel so bad that you guys are trying so hard to help me with this and I am being so unhelpful because I remember so little
I have updated the OP; after a call with my sister, she told me that our neighbor back then had an NES and he used to hang out with us, so it's possible the game is an NES game instead...
Originally posted by 7HeroesForceBattlea curious dilemma. You're not certain whether you had a Master System or a Genesis?
If not, maybe you could tell by looking at pictures of the hardware, especially the controllers.
The Master System "control pad" had a compact, rectangular design that resembled an NES pad, but only two buttons and a square directional-pad rather than the cross (that Nintendo had patented).
The Genesis/Mega Drive had the thicker, curved, 'fat boomerang' design with three circular buttons, a thin Start button above them, and a cross-style d-pad standing out slightly from a circle, which itself is ever so slightly recessed into the pad.
If you close your eyes, can you remember the feeling of the controller in your hands?
Do you remember what buttons you found yourself pressing as you played this game?
If you can remember the controller and identify the system from it, that drastically narrows the number of games this could be.
Unfortunately I was way too young when I played this. I don't really remember much about things like what the controller felt like. The only detail I can vaguely remember is that the cartridges had art on them, which seems to contradict it being a SMS game but at the same time, I might just be misremembering.... We did have a neighbor who had an NES, so it's possible I was playing his NES instead but again, I really can't be sure.
When I close my eyes and try to concentrate on the game, I see brown palettes, some card-like icon(s) that may/may not be an item(s) or power, and the perspective feels top-down.
Originally posted by LunariaThis playlist might be worth taking a look over? metroidvania works. It's a series that goes over games that kinda laid the groundworks for the genre, so some of the earlier stuff there might be what you're looking for.
I think besides Zelda 1 there wasn't anything there that had a similar feel to the game, unfortunately :/
Originally posted by andlabsFor American Master System I see several possibilities:
Rambo III for Genesis might also match, and if that seems more like it, then we can start looking in an entirely different direction.
I'm confident it's none of these. I feel like the direction has to be something more like Golvellius (shown in the OP), Startropics, and probably Zelda 1 (the mountain areas come to mind...).
FieryIce Luigi
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Originally posted by zodi second what kaj said but dinner? i can't imagine what you have for dessert
That's the point It was so big, that I skipped dinner to be able to eat it. There's no way I'm going to have a regular dinner and then have *that* for dessert lol
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I can't believe it's been 14 years ... back then was such a completely different era to me.
). I'm going to call my older sister tomorrow and nag her to try to remember something lol
button and join them memes here 
