Pilotwings, a video LP

I'm not half as good at Pilotwings as I am at Super Mario Kart, but I like the game so I might as well show it off. More SNES Mode 7 Soyo Oka-composed stuff.

Pretty good first episode, dood. If your last LB is any indication, I'm sure you'll do swell in future challenges. [Insert cliche motivational line here]!

I adore this game. My favored technique for skydiving is to try to keep centered in front of the target on screen, then going a bit below it as you get closer to avoid having to flare too much and result in landing on your head.

Ever tried not opening the parachute? The instructors all have pretty funny reactions to not having any idea what you were trying to do.

I never got to play the original Pilotwings, but I loved the one for Nintendo 64. Good times with jetpacks!

Also, your voice is wonderfully pleasant.

I'm not half as good at Pilotwings as I am at Super Mario Kart...

You'd still be a pro if that's the case.

Looking forward to the rest of the LP.

Thanks! Years of chorus train the voice. If ever anyone commissions a radio LP I'll be first in line for auditions.

I've messed around a lot with not opening the parachute, flying out of bounds, running out of fuel, etc. I'll have a bonus episode with all those shenanigans.

Video 2 is up. I can't do spoken comedy but I figure I can put all the bad jokes in the video titles :)

Some of the folks at Something Awful are asking me to spice it up ("a plain video walkthrough will end up being pretty dry"). In this and my last LP, opinions were split roughly between "I like your calm voice" versus "It's boring". Do you guys have any suggestions on how to enliven the LP without losing any of the relaxing tone people seem to like?

Well, that Bonus Episode of shenanigans might bring a few laughs, dood. Other then that, maybe you should talk about what you think about the game, and not just the game itself? Maybe talk about how things went the first time you ever played, if you can remember that far. Bonus points if you were a Large Ham as a kid and thought that the graphics were awesome, or if there was just one challenge that you couldn't beat until immediately after you realised the one mistake you've been constantly making. While I have enjoyed your past videos, I admit that there should be a difference between an LP and a walkthrough presented via a series of videos.

Thanks for the advice. You'll see some of that in the next episode.

Sorry for the crap voice audio. More personal stuff and a few jokes thrown in—what do y'all think?

Didn't notice any problems with audio, actually.

Good as always, talking about your early experience with the game is certainly a good way to fill airtime.

What I liked about your Mario Kart review was how you'd also discuss the mechanics of the game, as well as advanced strategies and how the little tricks work. Though since you aren't as skilled in this game, I'm not sure if that'll be possible.

It's really bizarre how the manual plays up Lance as this very mysterious guy when that never has any impact on anything, even when it suddenly becomes an action game after Big Al.

Wow, I had no idea you could land the hang glider on the regular target, and I'd probably never be able to do it, either.

As a kid Lance's light plane easily gave me the most problems. It just took me forever to wrap my head around the idea that I really was supposed to take such a long path to circle back around and land, even with the rings right in front of me.

Funny you should say that about the light plane mission, as I did this video in two takes and a failure on Big Al's plane lesson is what ruined the first. The runway is shorter than it seems.

How's that for a Genre Shift? It really blew me away the first time I beat level 4.

I love Big Al's rocketbelt course. The way each of the three rings has its own gimmick shows some nice creativity.

I just love that old standby "Due to political concerns, our army can't intervene." Isn't that a trope?

You know, why are you sending ME? If you're the top instructor, shouldn't you be the one doing the rescue?

One of Al's responses in the But Thou Must! that follows is "I'm licensed for motorcycles, not helicopters." So apparently the most advanced instructor can't fly himself.

Yeah, the rescue mission's filled with all kinds of logic bombs. I run through a few of them in episode 5:

Outstanding job, Longfellow dood! Way to fly right into the middle of enemy territory without any backup, and...pick up your three pals...who apparently weren't being restrained by the EVIL syndicate in any way. Maybe they should've put more guards on the payroll, dood.

Love the new title screen; it really makes it feel like two games in one.

Damn, there were some very close calls there. My first time on this level, I just barely avoided being hit so many times that I was convinced I did get hit; it wasn't until it actually happened that I realized it was a One-Hit Kill. And the game is very cruel when you die in the helicopter, making you watch it spiral all the way down, completely helpless until it finally crashes.

All the guards were employed to hit down my plane. How much do you want to bet the instructors don't even so much as thank me for the rescue?

Here's a bonus episode with screens of what happens when you do something silly.

And more bonus content. Tonight I'll record a real update too.

If I recall, there's some vague handwave that the group has an agent in the compound that has released the captured trainers.

Though, naturally, this raises more questions of if the agent took out all the guards at the complex, or if they're just hiding and waiting close to the helipad...

Or why a pilot school has secret agents infiltrating evil organizations.

It's obviously a rival pilot school. Why else would such esteemed instructors as Tony, Shirley, and Lance be held captive?

Fun fact: the manual states that Shirley is somewhat of a flirt with her male students. And Lance speaks six languages.

I do recall the flirting line. What did it say about Big Al?