ThatDonParker

Ahh man. Here we go again. For the last time though, because we are finishing the controversial Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Definitive Edition released in 2021. I didn't really have any issues with the first two. They are about the same as I remembered it. Fun but flawed. But it's a new game to me, so we'll see how the whole thing holds up for a pass/fail rating.

To all who come to this happy place, welcome. "Hey! What happened? I thought he was going to do San Andreas this week!" Yeah, I was supposed to. But my vacation plans changed. I am Walt Disney World this week (because I hate money) and today in particular I will be in Animal Kingdom, so come say hi if you see me! And I figured what better way to spend some vacation time than playing a video simulating theme park attractions! Adventures in the Magic Kingdom was released in early June in 1990 and the rest of the world in 1992. It did not see a Japanese release but they did get some Disneyland Tokyo-themed games later. It should also be noted that famed composer Yoko Shimomura did some composing for this game. Some of her notable works include games in series like Street Fighter, some Mario RPG games (Like Super Mario RPG and Mario & Luigi), and Kingdom Hearts! Plus it was also developed by Capcom! I still love the Disney Afternoon games like DuckTales and Chip and Dale! This one has a lot to live up to. But anything can happen with a pass or fail rating at the end of two good hours.

I thought we were close there with "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa" but that barely squeaked out a "PASS" right at the end when the story was getting ready to pick up. But I think I can confidently say when I first got the idea of Two Good Hours and the pass/fail ratings, I knew where this would land. WWE's first game since on a Nintendo platform since WWE '13 for the Wii, had a lot to live up to. Does it do that? Let's find out. Stop snickering. I'm going to ask you to hold your comments for those not in the know. Let them experience this organically. The way we all did back in December 2017. I explain my backstory with this game. Truly, it was THE WORST gaming experiences I've ever had. Top to bottom. It had everything wrong with modern gaming ancapcillated in this one title alone. You know dang well what rating I am giving this. But join me for the ride. The multi-man matches are truly a sight to behold.

At the time of this streaming, I was celebrating my newly released book, TAKE YOUR SHOT, and its bestselling status on Amazon. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than to play one of my favorite games from my childhood, Donkey Kong Country. Developed by Rare in 1994, it is widely considered to be one of the best platformers on the SNES, even though it is surpassed by its predecessors. I want to say it was the summer of 1996 or 1997 when we first got this game. It took me the whole summer just to beat it. I was about 11 at the time. I distinctly remember going to a sleepover and we all were terrible at the first minecart level. We tore through dozens of lives and ultimately failed, but it was still a good time. If only young Don could see me now! We were going to take a break at Gorilla Glacier but we just kept right on going, playing this in one sitting. I kept saying I've "never played a game in one sitting before on stream", but that is not actually the case in retrospect. There's a deep cut of my very first time streaming on Twitch that I have yet to post. Maybe when my streaming anniversary rolls around in October, I'll post it, but we'll see. But for now, let's enjoy Donkey Kong Country in its entirety

Special thanks to Mike Eckert and Eckert Financial Services for sponsoring Season 3 of Two Good Hours. Mike's services ranges from tax preparation, investing, long term/life insurance. For a more secure financial future, send him an e-mail at eckertm@hdvest.net. Not sure what to ask? Ask him simply what he can do for you. Colonial America. What an interesting time. How did a rag tag group of farmers beat the world's greatest Army and Navy and kick off contribute to the American Experiment? Unfortunately we won't find that answer here. Assassin's Creed III is really a convoluted sci-fi game about a "first civilation" of humanity and artifacts with immense power, and I just don't have time for that. So we just take a look at the meat and potatoes of this game. Stealth, running and jumping across buildings, combat. Lots and lots of combat from all the stealth I failed to complete.

Special thanks to Mike Eckert and Eckert Financial Services for sponsoring Season 3 of Two Good Hours. Mike's services ranges from tax preparation, investing, long term/life insurance. For a more secure financial future, send him an e-mail at eckertm@hdvest.net. Not sure what to ask? Ask him why companies like Netflix are not worthwhile investments. You'll be shocked by the answer. According to this Forbes article in 2022... https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2022/01/01/the-ten-games-with-the-most-goty-awards-in-2021/?sh=5abb5e7d63bc in 2015, The Witcher 3 claimed 281 Game of the Years awards. A record setting number. But when your sponsor for a season casually drops in a meeting amongst prospective clients and those looking to build a durable portfolio (literally just weeks ago, another seminar is taking place in regards to him and other professionals talking about taxes) saying that the only thing worth watching on Netflix is The Witcher, you don't have a choice to review any other game! Regardless if he asked you to or not! This one is for you, Mike! Despite not getting far into the game when originally it released for the Switch in late 2019. (I believe I got this game around early 2020, guess why I didn't play much of it) We are playing it now and giving it the Two Good Hours treatment. Alright, Witcher, do we toss you a coin, or run you out of town?

Feeling a bit nostalgic. And hungry. I want to talk about some of the food I liked... that I can't get anymore.

Special thanks to Mike Eckert and Eckert Financial Services for sponsoring Season 3 of Two Good Hours. Mike's services ranges from tax preparation, investing, long term/life insurance. For a more secure financial future, send him an e-mail at eckertm@hdvest.net. Not sure what to ask? Ask him about Crypto and NFTs. Disclaimer. I not responsible for you feelings getting hurt, if you don't like his real answer. I played GTA Vice City back when I was in high school in the early 2000s. To be honest, I don't remember much of it. I remember liking Vice City and loving the 80's aesthetic. But this isn't the PS2 version. This is the much more controversial Definitive Edition made in 2022. Crazy, we don't even bat an eyelash to how controversial this game was when it first came out. Now everyone lost their minds, probably more now, that this remastered edition doesn't hold up! But that's what I am here. Does it get a pass or fail rating?

Special thanks to Mike Eckert and Eckert Financial Services for sponsoring Season 3 of Two Good Hours. Mike's services ranges from tax preparation, investing, long term/life insurance. For a more secure financial future, send him an e-mail at eckertm@hdvest.net. Not sure what to ask? Ask him what is his experience and investment philosophy? He's an interesting guy who's led an interesting life. So I bought this game a while back on Limited Run. Wasn't sure what I was expecting. Perhaps maybe more of a game and not the experience like it is. Play around and figure out the world. That's literally what this game is about. But I'm writing this after Two Good Hours with The friends of Ringo Ishikawa. But this first hour... woof.

Originally recorded on 05/16/2022 Special thanks to Mike Eckert and Eckert Financial Services for sponsoring Season 3 of Two Good Hours. Mike's services ranges from tax preparation, investing, long term/life insurance. For a more secure financial future, send him an e-mail at eckertm@hdvest.net. Not sure what to ask? Ask him what you can do to build a durable portfolio during a market recession. You'll be glad you did. I am. Fitting in with a theme of business, to kick of Season 3, we are taking a look at Going Under from Aggro Crab, a rogue-lite (Rogue-like? I never know.) that pokes fun of corporate culture as well. Does it synergize or will it circle back to you later with an answer. Well, yeah, it'll circle back to you later with an answer. It's Two Good Hours. Not One Good Hour. My answer of a pass/fail rating will come at the end of the second hour. Obviously. Like it always has. Here's a link to the developer's website - https://aggrocrab.com/

Originally recorded on 03/30/2022 I said in the video that Coffee Talk was always on the list to get the Two Good Hours treatment, but with the unfortunately passing of its creator, Mohammad Fahmi, I decided to bring this game right up to the front of the line and have it wrap up season 2 of Two Good Hours. Here's an article linking to the story about Mohammad Fahmi https://www.gameinformer.com/obituary/2022/03/28/coffee-talk-creator-and-writer-fahmi-has-passed-away I also mention in this video that I became mesmorized by the recent story of a developer trying to get SEVEN games listed on the 3DS and Wii U eShops. Let's just be a little nicer to people and show them some love. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/03/eshop-closure-be-damned-this-dev-is-bringing-seven-new-games-to-3ds-and-wii-u

Originally recorded on 03/18/2021 Have you ever been nostalgic for a time you weren't around to experience first hand? I kind of feel that way with Rare. With the exception of the Donkey Kong Country series and a small handful of NES titles. I feel like I missed the boat on this developer in its heyday. So I wanted to see what its most popular game was like. Hoo, boy. Buckle up!

Originally recorded on 02/25/2021 "Yeah! I liked the GTA series when I was younger. They're bringing 3, Vice City, and San Andreas back? Great! What do you mean no one likes them? 49 on Metacritic? I'll be the judge of that. They can't be that bad." "Can't be that bad" seems to be the phrase you say before something really bad happens. Like "Hold my beer" or "Relax, I saw this on TV once." But really, the bare minimum I have for these three games is 1) Run decently 2) Be better than the mobile ports. Look, I just want to be in the middle of a major American city playing these games as well as I did at a friend's house on the PS2 in 2002. This is precisely what I intend to find out. And my conclusion shocked me. Starting off with GTA 3.

Originally recorded on 02/18/2022 With the recent news Wii U and 3DS eShop closing in late March 2023, I felt like I needed to bring the spotlight to this often ridiculed system. I agree that the Wii U simply just didn't have the library, but what we got was some unique games in a neat little system. A pretty good, bordline great Virtual Console lineup (the Wii U had GBA and DS games when the 3DS didn't). The concept of "asymetrical gaming" should have been explored more. TVii was way ahead of its time. Miiverse! I also feel like one of the gems of the system is hidden gem in plain sight. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario 3. I know what you are saying. How can a GBA remake of one of the best, if not THE best, NES games be considered a hidden gem? What if I told you this version of the game had e-Reader support. Cards you would use to swipe to unlock games and content in GBA games. And new levels that were locked behind the e-Reader functionality were now available to play? We take a look at those new levels in the second hour, but we also take a look at the original Mario Bros and the first three worlds before we take a look at the "new" content. (This version is almost 20 years old after all, but the Wii U version will go away if you don't pick it up on the Wii U eShop!) What's "Two Good Hours"? I give you two hours with a game, along with a binary rating system of "PASS" or "FAIL" while you decide if a game is worth your time! NintendoLife - When Does The 3DS And Wii U eShop Close? Nintendo eShop Closure Guide https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/when-does-the-3ds-and-wii-u-eshop-close-nintendo-eshop-closure-guide NintendoLife - Feature: 23 Best Wii U eShop Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever https://www.nintendolife.com/features/23-best-wii-u-eshop-games-you-should-get-before-theyre-gone-forever NintendoLife - Feature: 29 Best 3DS eShop Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever https://www.nintendolife.com/features/29-best-3ds-eshop-games-you-should-get-before-theyre-gone-forever

Wait. What do you mean Guts? In what context does that mean? Let GTV Japan explain what exactly that is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I02u8Br0yhs&t=52s Big shout out to our special guest, Bobby Bonilla! Be sure to check out The Wonderful World of Don every other Sunday on Rumble! https://rumble.com/c/c-5555261 In the off weeks where a new episode of my podcast, The Wonderful World of Don, DOESN'T go live, I decided to post these small videos instead.

Originally recorded on 02/15/2022 When Wrestling Superstar, Virgil, makes a request to you to play his game, Meatsauce Madness, you have no choice but to go big. And what better way to do that than bringing back "Two Good Hours" for its second season! What's "Two Good Hours"? I give you two hours with a game, along with a binary rating system of "PASS" or "FAIL" while you decide if a game is worth your time! Not gonna lie. I play a lot of mobile games. I love my Switch but I can't really bring that bad boy out whenever I want. Sometimes, all I can do is just pull out my phone whenever I need a quick break. I may play a lot of mobile games, but this is my first "Two Good Hours" episode on one. How well does this one stack up compared to most other games on app stores right now? Does it get the sauce? Or does it sit all by itself in a restaurant, waiting to place your order, because the waiter just forgot you were there? In this episode, we take a look at Meatsauce Madness and give our first impressions. **This is a non-paid review** https://meatsaucemadness.com/ On the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/meatsauce-madness-the-game/id1575299716 On Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magenboys.meatsauce&hl=en_US&gl=US

Originally streamed on 07/06/2021 Developed by Ludosity back in 2013. We take a look at this charming game considered to be the flagship for this Swedish developer. Is it one of the best Zelda clones or is it one of a million?

Originally streamed on 06/30/2021 Before Sega was a power house with its mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega had a mascot named Alex Kidd way back in 1986. 35 years later, Merge Games and Jankenteam released a remake of the original game. Does it rock? Does it make the cut? Or is the margin for error tight? (Paper puns are hard. I hope you see what I was trying to do there.)

Originally streamed on 06/26/2021 Welcome to the first half of the first blind playthrough of "Two Good Hours"! For Breath of the Wild and Golf Story, I had experiences with those games. But with Mario Golf Super Rush? It was an all-new, first time experience right here. Does the game live up to its predecessors or should you be dusting off those old consoles? Now, before you say "Hey, games are complicated pieces of media! You can't give me a rating with decimals, or a letter grade. That's barely enough time to critique it." We get acquanted with Mario Golf Super Rush's mechanics and physics. Does it get a green jacket or does it have poor form? And to that I say, you're right! Two hours is barely enough time to adequately rate a game. I give you two hours with a game, along with a binary rating system of "PASS" or "FAIL" while you decide if a game is worth your time!

Originally streamed on 06/22/2021 I give you two hours with a game, along with a binary rating system of "PASS" or "FAIL" while you decide if a game is worth your time! In this episode, we spend two good hours with Golf Story in a live-streaming review.

Originally streamed on 06/15/2021 Welcome to the first episode of "Two Good Hours" with Don Parker! A live-streaming review/initial playthrough of a game done in two hours. Now, before you say "Hey, games are complicated pieces of media! You can't give me a rating with decimals, or a letter grade. That's barely enough time to critique it." And to that I say, you're right! Two hours is barely enough time to adequately rate a game. I give you two hours with a game, along with a binary rating system of "PASS" or "FAIL" while you decide if a game is worth your time! In this episode, we spend two good hours with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in a live-streaming review.

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Lots of stuff to talk about this evening. Sting's last match. Akira Toriyama. And I also impart some wisdom on how to ring announce Was I ready for tonight's show? No. Is that going to stop me? Again. No.

Originally streamed on 01/10/2024 A New Year, and a new holiday event in Eorzea! (Or at least when I write this. At the time, I thought it would be a good idea to stockpile videos). This is the New Years event, Heavensturn, for 2024.