Trip Hazard

I'd be well up for "Tales" if it's free. I apologise but I haven't gotten around to sampling Ms Splosion or Moon Knight yet, my baby son often scuppers my plans to play (in a cute, endearing way). 146 million on Sorcerer's Lair tonight! Shame I'm about a week late with this score

I don't have any of the PA tables They seem to seldom be on sale, and of course it isn't possible to just buy one of them.

I had a great time, prattled on quite enthusiastically about it (the table and the competition) at my bemused GF and her daughter. My score of 111mil is fairly respectable, I'd say? A shame that El Muerte nudged ahead of me at the end but I'll get him next time Tomorrow I'll have a try of those two tables and report back.

Argh, I am really struggling to find the time to play!

Wirelessly? Cos I'd heard otherwise, from several places. Edit: Just checked again and I'm totally wrong! I definitely read a few months back that it would only be compatible, wirelessly, with W10 To prove I'm not completely crazy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/21/xbox-one-controller-windows-wireless-adapter/

I just don't see why MS can't get it to work with any version of Windows except 10? Seems like a pretty transparent ploy to get people to upgrade. Also, they could stick a cable in the box, those cheapskates

The X1 controller is superb, and has the best d-pad I've used since the SNES. It does "just work" if you plug it in via USB, even if the micro-usb connection is incredibly flimsy and I go through cables like there's no tomorrow. I've heard that you have to buy an adaptor (pricey) and have W10 if you want to use it wirelessly though, which is shadey as fuck, Micro$oft. Edit: works fine on W7, 8.1 and 10 now, it seems Got a Steam pad for crimbo, and it generally feels good but will definitely take some serious getting used to and they still need to iron out bugs with the software

New high score for me: 111 million. Not sure what went right. Not sure what advances time on the table, but I managed to get to Midnight with one obsidian, and earn something like 60 mil points. Had a decent run where I managed to pick up not one but two extra balls, and that wasn't entirely by accident(!)

I think maybe O Brother is my favourite, closely followed by The Big Lebowski

I finally downloaded and played this tonight, and I think with a cool 26mil under my belt, we can pretty much call this competion ovewhoaaaaaaa 423 MILLION! How on earth...? I mean, I think I know how you did it, and I'm really impressed. It seems to me that, as Clyde says, the way to score big is to hit the three runes and get into the cellar. Completing those challenges consistently awards enormous point bonuses - and makes you feel more virile - but they're tricky and I only managed to do one in my 1h20minutes of playtime. It was the one where you have to shoo the ghosts away. Something I noticed about my own play is that very often, say seven out of every ten times, I will bin my first ball almost straight away. Just, right down the centre. I never remember to even attempt to tilt, which is screwing up my game so much. I have decided (and this will give you an idea of where I'm at ability wise) that I will restart the game if I don't get one million points with my first ball. Another, somewhat banal(?) observation I had is that even as a novice pinball player, idly knocking balls around the table, I can set up some impressive opportunities to score big. So, multiball, the angry tree, the "Citadel" etc. What this means is that my point scoring opportunities all seem to come to fruition with my third ball, and I can get 15mil points on that one without too much trouble, whereas the other two seem to be basically setting things up. It makes the game ramp up in excitement terms, certainly. Last thing is that the paddles on the Steam bat feel really good, nice click to them.

I'd be up for that Clyde, though I'm under no illusions that I could compete with your high score. Any pointers for a newbie?

Some cowardly milquetoast made a mod to make the monsters passive, you lucky thing https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/06/soma-mod-horror/

Ooh, I have a suggestion! A fun game which I haven't seen discussed here, and which doesn't cost the earth. Should I DM you Griddle? Edit: scratch that, not sure Super House of Dead Ninjas is a good candidate. But still y'all should play it

A good introduction to my new Steam controller, this one. I really enjoyed it, Amstell does a great job, and there were plenty of opportunities to get told off for pushing buttons and generally arsing about. Will probably show it to my stepdaughter

The Searchers is a great film if you haven't seen it yet

Have been listening to R6 all morning, in bed, feeling very sad. Powerful words, Mangela. I can't add anything to them, so here's a picture of my other half doing her best Bowie

I hope I don't have to redo that one, it was a fourth-tryer!

Y'see I thought, having finished the game without killing anyone and being told basically "no", that a pacifist run was not possible on the first playthrough. I remembered reading such on Eurogamer in Richard Cobbets retrospective Quoted: One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that the non-violence path, which isn't actually possible first time through... but now Twig says it is, which gives me hope. I definitely haven't killed or even wounded anyone (with one exception, who shall not be named), except out of frustration but then reloaded the game. Does that make a difference? I know Undertale tracks what you've done, even if you reload. I hope I've not screwed myself, 'cos I could not see how I could possibly NOT have injured that person. Anyway, Twig is on the money when he says the game lets you know about having missed things. I was told to go and make friends with a certain someone, which I did last night, so hopefully that's me all wrapped up, but then there's still the matter of the door. I just hope I don't have to do again, 'cos whilst it was interesting enough the first time, it's a bit drawn out and frankly tediously tricky

I think I finished Undertale, but possibly didn't get the best ending, despite shooting for it and believing I would. Anyway, it was good, and I understand there is plenty more to see on repeat playthroughs

I finished Strider after getting it in a Capcom bundle a while back. Short, fast, well-animated, it's everything my penis isn't.

I had some trouble with the horse at first. Basically, if you're galloping down a road, don't interfere with the stick at all. If you come to an intersection, push slightly in the direction you want to go. Also, there's an option to simplify movement, which I just now remembered about. Give that a go.

I'll defo watch Spelunky. Man, I was so pleased with myself when I got the speed run achievement, but the pros make me look like a beginner. I hope somebody runs Super House of Dead Ninjas. Recently rediscovered that game and it's so great, just perfect for speed running Edit: nobody doing SHoDN Castlevania IV tho, I'll tune in for that

Grow Home produced the most beatific grinning of the year, and not only on account of its being very cheap. Top game! I also have a sneaking suspicion that if I had played Undertale this year, it would be one of my faves, but alas, I only played the demo. The Witcher 3 was my biggest "I-wish-I-had-a-better-computer" game of the year. Even after much downwards tweaking, it only ever wavered around 30fps, thus impacting my enjoyment of both sightseeing and combat. Poo.

Is Tales from the Borderlands any good? Richard Cobbett says it is, and he knows his adventure games, but I so despised almost all of the characters in both BL1 and BL2. (special shoutout to Tina for most obnoxious character ever)

Why is nobody talking about Star Wars?! It's dead good. Probably joint best SW with 'A New Hope', maybe better than that.