Happy New Year!
2019 was such a great year for me - all the way around. From the retro scene, it was mind bogglingly good, too. I have no complaints. I can only hope 2020 continues at such a strong pace. Heck, even if I only hit ½ of the previous pace I'd be more than thrilled.
On the Commodore 64 front
so many great new games came out for our beloved machine.
If I had to pick 1 game as a "Best of 2019" I'd actually have to pick two, in a tie. My first pick would be
L'Abbaye des Morts, which to me is simply a masterpiece. And yes, I play it in NTSC mode which is even a bit faster than what many play it in.
The day I beat that game was one I won't soon forget. I played that game to death, and was proud when I finally got to the final screen (and was pretty stunned at what I saw).
My second pick would have to be the jaw-droppingly epic
Mario Bros 64. To think someone spent 7 years of their life to unwind that technical and artistic challenge fills me with awe and inspiration.
And those are just 2. There were so many others worthy of praise, too!
On the Amiga side, from a personal perspective,
finally beating Rogue is one of my most cherished gaming memories I'll ever have. Also, finishing
Ultima IV after all of these yes was a massive thrill, and huge achievement. That game nearly killed me. But I survived! Beating Elvira was a ton of fun, too, but I don't rank that experience nearly as highly as it's simply not as iconic of a title.
On the hardware side, acquiring and sharing an Amiga Development System, an A500 Chickenlips and some very cool mechanical keyboards for the 2000 was beyond special.
Finally acquiring not one but two Amiga 3000's has been a dream come true, too. Thanks, 2019! It's gotta be all downhill from here. Hah!
But at the end of the day, none of this matters without you all being here. It's the people - the sharing of experiences - that matters to me the most. Hat tip to all of you, and here's to the new decade together. I'm very excited for what's yet to come.