J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Congratulations on the membership @frankcifaldi.bsky.social! That oil drum of macaroni pays for itself within 18 months. 000
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 20/09/2026#justbeatit 198X, a brief ode to ‘80s gaming genres, arcade culture, and teen angst, in the form of a narrative mini-game set. I would have liked two to three times as much of everything. More of each individual game, more games total, more story. But I liked what I got. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 070
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 05/09/2026#justbeatit I‘ve been taking my kids to arcades lately as part of my ongoing project to download the entirety of the ‘80s and ‘90s into their brains. So Arcade Spirits caught my eye. A straight visual novel, it’s about arcade vibes, not gameplay. Still fun, though. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 090
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 20/08/2026#justbeatit Zenonia, an action-rpg on 3DS (and elsewhere). I have some complaints: -unreasonable grinding -various mechanics are poorly explained -dumb meta humour that takes me out of the story -the story isn't great to begin with -it took longer than I wanted @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 050
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 12/08/2026First holiday #justbeatit: Mighty Flip Champs!, a sometimes tough puzzle platformer. I have let too much time go by this year without warming up my 3DS, so it's good to get back on the horse. Pictures courtesy of my laptop camera since my phone fell in the lake. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 150
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 10/08/2026@topspot123.bsky.social has been recently digging into the Pico-8 ecosystem, including my first ever Pico-8 title (from five years ago), Celeste (Classic). I’ve always planned to get through it with all 18 strawberries before claiming the #justbeatit. And now I have. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 070
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 05/08/2026I played along with @cartridgeclub.bsky.social’s August #gameofthemonth, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. A new IP that came out just after Skyrim, you could argue over which was the better open-world WRPG. I don’t really play these because they’re so long. #justbeatit. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 070
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 02/08/2026#justbeatit Pac Motos. Not a maze-runner; you have to push your enemies off a platform before they push you off. Constant new mechanics keep the game engaging for its two-hour playtime. As with Pac-Man Arrangement I find I love the idea of boss fights in a Pac-Man game. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 050
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 01/08/2026#justbeatit Pac-Man Arrangement, a delightful title that I hadn’t heard of until I unlocked it in Pac-Man Museum and played eight through. I’ve been loving this collection, and unlockables and game-specific challenges make it even more than the sum of its parts. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 15/07/2026I’ve been playing Mario Super Picross and I worry most won’t realize how difficult it was to #justbeatit. Its 300 puzzles took me three months and 100+ hours to solve without looking anything up. This one really forced me to up my game compared to the Game Boy original. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 090
Reposted by J.J.S. BoycePNP Games 🇨🇦 @pnpgames.bsky.social · 02/07/2026GIVEAWAY ALERT 🦇 REPOST, LIKE, AND FOLLOW PNP GAMES for your chance to WIN a Castlevania Requiem Classic Edition for PlayStation 4! Experience two of the greatest games ever made! 1/2 8166153
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 04/07/2026#justbeatit Citizen Sleeper. I went for the platinum and got every ending. But my initial blind playthrough was the most engaging. The game is well-balanced while you are still figuring it out and making mistakes; it becomes a bit easy once you see exactly how it works. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 040
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Thanks to @wiedo.nl and his free games list exposing me to Daniel Mullins’ early work I moved Inscryption to the top of my must-play list. I went in blind, and #justbeatit. It was a real journey. I could write an essay on the game but won’t as you should play blind too. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 072
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 05/06/2026#justbeatit Donkey Kong Jr. Math. I don’t think this is a good game or an effective way to practice math, the slow vine climbing sucked. But I’m glad when Nintendo puts historical curiosities like this on NSO for us to try. Perfect clears on every mode. I teach math. 🤷♂️ @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 040
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 31/05/2026#justbeatit Cattle Crisis, a short vertical schmup with gorgeous graphics and fun mechanics. One of my 2026 goals was to beat my first ever schmup. I’m not going to count this wiedo freebie as that but it’s a good warm-up; I had to practice and learn over many attempts. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 050
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 30/05/2026#justbeatit Alfonso’s Bowling Challenge. This is super short but very fun and everyone should play it. Strong “What the Golf?” vibes in the best way, easy to play in browser with keyboard only, so there’s no excuse. Credit as always to @wiedo.bsky.social for the rec. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 160
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 30/05/2026#justbeatit With the Last Moonbeam, a charming platformer from @wiedo.bsky.social’s list of free games. There’s some lovely world-building here for such a small game, I’d love to see it get expanded into a larger game or future titles. I’d shell out money for that. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 040
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 29/05/2026#justbeatit Feed It Souls (game jam ver). Where’s that one egg I missed? This is an excellent action platformer (I think the map is too simple to call it a metroidvania). I ran into tech issues it took a few attempts, but this is another good wiedo recommendation. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 050
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 28/05/2026#justbeatit Stormbird Song: The Iron Owl Tower. This is the new winner amongst @wiedo.nl free game recommendation picks I’ve played so far. I cannot find a fault with this Zelda-inspired metroidvania on Game Boy. And @freinicke.bsky.social is working on something new! @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 151
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 27/05/2026#justbeatit The Boons of Iiuir, an overhead-view adventure puzzler. This is my favourite @wiedo.nl rec so far. There is some room for improvement with regard to absent or misleading sign-posting, but the main mechanic is clever and the puzzles are well-designed. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 27/05/2026#justbeatit Hungry Harry 3D on PICO-8, a fantasy console not designed for 3D. This was apparently tougher for me than others, maybe because I was playing on keyboard, something I struggle with on games requiring movement and timing. Thx @wiedo.nl for the recommendation. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 050
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 26/05/2026#justbeatit Steps. Per @wiedo.nl it’s like Minit except instead of dying and after one minute of game play you die every ten steps. You need to unlock paths and find items so you can get farther in later lives, but unlike Minit there are checkpoints and step refreshes. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 040
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 26/05/2026#justbeatit Aglobo, the shortest of @wiedo.nl’s recommended free games that I’ve played so far but a very fun environmental puzzler. It packs more variety into its game mechanics than you would expect in such a small package. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 25/05/2026My next @wiedo.nl recommendation is Trash the Planet. I’ve only played a couple clickers but I’m discovering it’s an addictive genre for me. When I’m playing and get tired I go to bed. Unless it’s a clicker, then I need to #justbeatit. This one’s not overly long, though. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 170
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 25/05/2026I have been checking out @wiedo.nl’s list of free games worth playing. itch.io/c/6970638/fr... High Stakes is a card-based roguelike where you gamble for your lifeblood from vampires. I almost won on my first attempt but then got ten game overs before I #justbeatit. Fun! @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 170
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 03/04/2026#justbeatit The Hyperstone Heist. I rank this at the bottom of 8/16-bit TMNT beat ‘em ups. It’s the least polished and has somewhat of a thrown-together feel—like it was cobbled together on break using leftover assets. But even the worst TMNT Brawler is pretty decent. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
Reposted by J.J.S. BoyceBabybel Bandit @greblin.bsky.social · 29/03/2026wouldn't it be funny if EVERYONE blocked this Attie AI account @ bsky.app/profile/atti... before they could do anything with it 5401526212583
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 29/03/2026It took all of @cartridgeclub.bsky.social SNES March Madness but I #justbeatit, TMNT IV: Turtles in Time. @captainalgebra.bsky.social suggested switching to Leo. I did and made it to Super Shredder before using a continue. Then I beat him deathless with Raph. Cowabunga! @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 280
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 28/03/2026It’s late in the month but in honour of @cartridgeclub.bsky.social March Madness I just finished a playthrough of Killer Instinct. This blew me away when it appeared in arcades in the ‘90s, and the SNES port is, you know, not as good, but it’s how I learned the combo system with a million quarters. 040
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 17/03/2026#justbeatit Horizon: Forbidden West. I enjoyed the first game so much I was inclined to just leave it there and enjoy it for the complete experience that it was. But I didn’t regret finally checking out this next chapter. I hope they stick the landing with part three. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 0100
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 22/02/2026First question: why even make an NES TMNT: Tournament Fighters alongside the two 16-bit versions as late as 1993? Second, is this the only one-on-one fighting game on NES (Urban Champion doesn’t quite count)? Third, is it somehow the best version of the game? @polykillpodcast.bsky.social #justbeatit 160
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 19/02/2026#justbeatit Castlevania Legends, a 1998 release for Game Boy (GBC launched later that year). It came out after SotN and was so disliked by Koji Igarashi he made it non-canon. It‘s lacklustre in the context of when it came out; it would have been fine as a 1990 title. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 14/02/2026#justbeatit FFT: The Ivalice Chronicles has much to recommend it. QoL options eliminate the 1998 game’s awful softlocks and it’s worth experiencing a third translation and voice performance of the masterful story. I wish more character builds were viable…still, solid A. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 170
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 03/02/2026#justbeatit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournamen Fighters (SNES version). This was a weekend rental back in the day. It’s not a great fighter and the story is barely there. I’ll try the Genesis version and will report back if Sega won that battle in the console war. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 170
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 02/02/2026I had Shadowgate on NES as a kid and it was way too hard for me. Decades later I decided it was high time I pick it up and finish the job and it’s even harder than I remember. I looked so much up I can hardly be said to have #justbeatit. Sometimes you run out of steam. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 01/02/2026#justbeatit TMNT 2: The Arcade Game (NES). While the lesser-known TMNT 3 holds its place as my favourite classic Turtles game, TMNT 2 is solid, I even prefer it to the more powerful arcade original, as it’s balanced for home play, not quarter munching. Tough but fair. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 030
Reposted by J.J.S. BoycePhilip Summers @heyphilsummers.bsky.social · 16/01/2026How to beat Super Mario Bros. fast! 212126
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 16/01/2026Super Mario Bros Special, the other OTHER SMB1 sequel, was developed by Hudson for the NEC PC8801 in Japan in 1986. With all new levels it provided a unique opportunity: to play my very first game again, for the first time. I #justbeatit again, also for the first time. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 070
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 04/01/2026#justbeatit Zork 1. Of course, purists prefer the original version on a 1900 lb, 1152 kb mainframe computer. I got the 1981 release for QoL features such as compatibility with an electronic text display and standard household voltage. And the grues really pop in blue. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 070
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 01/01/2026I completed all my gaming goals for 2025: 1) Reduce my backlog (net change -14) 2) Watch my spending (total spend $150, well below my budget) 3) Beat a game on every system I own (done for nine handhelds/consoles, all backlog games) 4) Explore a totally new genre (text adventures!) Happy New Year! 120
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 29/12/2025#justbeatit Pushmo World, my Wii U game for the year. Its 120 platform puzzles were quite challenging; more than once I was tempted to look up the solution. Instead I stepped away when I got stuck and the next day it clicked. Fun; tough: you’d call a real Topper. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 070
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 23/12/2025I wanted to play a proper 3DS title before year-end and went with The Starship Damrey, a 2023 eShop rescue. It’s a modern point-and-click with some good dual screen use but also some annoying pixel-hunting moments. A decent game, even so. I #justbeatit, and guide-free! @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 21/12/2025This year I set a goal of beating a game on every system. My DSi had one final backlog game and I #justbeatit. Rhapsody is a NIS-developed RPG/musical. It’s as you expect, simple surface story, deep unexplained lore, weird Disgaea-like humour, and singing your feelings. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 170
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 17/12/2025#justbeatit Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (Rondo of Blood remake). I got the bad ending so I’ll try again, but credits are credits, and I can knock the PSP off my every-system-challenge checklist. Cool to play the last level of and it’s the first level of SotN. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 160
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 16/12/202518 for me. Everything but dial-up and an AOL address. That is, unless AIM counts, in which case, 19. 020
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 08/12/2025Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.media.tenor.coma man wearing a headband with a c on it talks to another manALT: a man wearing a headband with a c on it talks to another man 030
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 06/12/2025If you see this, repost with your model of positive masculinity.media.tenor.coma man in a suit and tie is talking about taxes with youALT: a man in a suit and tie is talking about taxes with you 030
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 23/11/2025This revival of a beloved franchise is marred by poor controls, doubly unfortunate given the level of precision some levels demand. Still, Donkey Kong Country Returns is not without its charms. A decent 7/10 experience even if I was hoping for better. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 180
J.J.S. Boyce @jjsboyce.bsky.social · 23/11/2025Yes, after winning a single game of RBI Baseball on my NES I am now claiming I #justbeatit. It’s still charming and fun but way harder than I remember. After dozens of failed attempts over the last few months I am clinging to any small victory I’ve been able to eke out. @polykillpodcast.bsky.social 060
