For Adaptation August, the Retro Handhelds community is focusing on games that were adapted from some other medium over into a video game for you to play. From movies to TV shows, we were able to cover a number of different game genres just to bring you this trio of games that all ended up being towards the shorter end in terms of length.
GotX is the Retro Handheld Discord‘s version of a book club, and this month we’re playing some one-hit wonders. So come on in, sit down, and let’s play some games!
What is GotX?
GotX is short for “Games of the X“, which can be split into three categories: Game of the Month (GotM), Game of the Quarter (GotQ), and Game of the Week (GotW). Games of the Month are chosen according to a theme selected by community users who have previously beaten a GotM game for the prior month, aka “GotM Champions”.
Three games in total are selected, each falling within a range of release dates, nominated and voted upon by the GotM Champions. Winners each receive their own thread in the GotM channels in the Retro Handhelds Discord, where discussions, arguments, and ultimately fun are had by all.
Game of the Quarter and Game of the Week are selected independently in styles that are slightly different from Game of the Month, and they also don’t follow the same theme as the Games of the Month. Games in these two categories have either a runtime of under two hours (GotW) or a minimum runtime of 25 hours (GotQ), according to HowLongToBeat.
Completing a game (by posting a screenshot with ending credits, a date, and your Discord username) gets you an imaginary internet point that can be redeemed towards very real merch on the RH Store.
Game of the Month (Pre-1996) – Disney’s Aladdin
- System: Genesis
- Developer: Virgin Games USA
- Genre: Platformer
- Time to Beat: 2 Hours
Disney’s Aladdin is a game based on the hit 1992 Animated film well; Aladdin. You’re playing this side scrolling platform game where you’re making your way from Agrabah to the to the Sultan’s dungeon in an attempt to defeat Jafar.
Whether it’s jumping over enemies, slashing at them with your scimitar, or traversing the landscape, there’s a lot of land to cover, and a lot of enemies to avoid. If you’re into these classic side scrolling adventures this will definitely be a good month for you.
Game of the Month (1996-2001) – GoldenEye 007
- System: N64
- Developer: Rare
- Genre: FPS
- Time to Beat: 8 Hours
Jumping up the the era of 3D, the next on the list is GoldenEye 007. Originally based on the 1995 film of a similar name; GoldenEye: 007 is a first-person shooter where you’re trying to be the good guy, preventing your enemies from activating their satellite.
There are three different difficulty settings for this game, but you’re not required to do it in any one of them specifically. All you need to know is how to manage your weapons, your surroundings, and your enemies in order to get to the end and save the world.
Game of the Month (2002 and Later) – The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- System: PS2, GameCube, Xbox, PC
- Developer: Radical Entertainment
- Genre: Action Adventure
- Time to Beat: 10 Hours
Last up for the latest in the slate of Game of the Month winners is The Simpsons: Hit & Run which is an adaptation of everyone’s favorite animated series: Family G- wait; The Simpsons. It’s about what you’d expect for an early 2000’s open world game. Traverse the map, collecting coins, Buzz Cola, and trading cards, in an attempt to complete your goals, race your opponents, and beat the aliens in an attempt to save Springfield.
There may be four different versions of this game, but luckily you only have to worry about completing one of them. If you’re looking for a toonier version of GTA III, this could be the hit you need this month if you can run with it.
Game of the Quarter – Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
- System: Nintendo DS and Switch
- Developer: Game Freak
- Genre: Monster RPG
- Time to Beat: 41 Hours
If you’re looking for a longer game for you to dive into, Game of the Quarter may be more up your alley. GOTQ consists of a game that is a minimum of at least 25 hours according to How Long to Beat. Each quarter, there are four games that have been pulled from a list that meet the minimum threshold for gameplay time. The community then takes those games and vote on which they’d like to play for the next three months.
While completing this GOTQ will only net you a single point, you can still earn an additional two points if you were to complete the game with 100% Achievement completion through RetroAchievements, and post that as part of your timestamp.
This quarter is Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, but only one of those two. If you’re down to travel through the Sinnoh Region to capture you’re Pokémon this may be the game for you. As long as you don’t mind beating Team Galactic along the way. If you’re looking for more information on this game you can always check out the July GOTM update article for more detail, as this game runs from July to the end of September.
Game of the Week, aka RetroBits
If short games and easy points are more your speed, then each Saturday at 5 PM PST, a new GotW is announced. Each game comes with a completion time of 2 hours or less, according to HowLongToBeat, and must be completed before the new GotW is announced the following Saturday.
Completion of the GotM and GotQ will earn you one point (three if you 100% the latter), but GotW will only net you half a point. Unlike the aforementioned GotM and GotQ, the GotW is chosen entirely at random by the GotX overlord Rapid99, selected from a large database of sub-two-hour games.
Above is an example of the most recent Game of the Week in rotation over on the Retro Handhelds Discord. Echo Jr. is currently running from July 26th up until August 1st.
