Each month, the members of the RH Discord select games united by a common theme and play through them together. Sort of like a book club that also gives us a good excuse to actually use our Retro Handhelds. We call these games GOTX or “Game Of The X” since some are selected per week, some per month, and some per quarter.
In Europe, where I live, May is a month of celebration for many since it’s Eurovision, a time when each country enters increasingly more over-the-top musical acts in a song contest. Coincidentally, the theme that the RH Discord selected for this month’s games is “Musical May” — games which either have a musical theme or which have an impressive soundtrack.
New Here? Wondering What GOTX Is?
GotX started off as Games of the Month (GotM), where members of the RH Discord would play 3 games together each month. Since its popularity has grown, it now includes categories for both longer and shorter games (Game of the Quarter and Game of the Week, respectively). Eventually, GotX (Game of the X) was developed as a shorthand to lump these all together.
GotX is open to anyone who wants to join the RH Discord and play along. The largest focus of GotX is GotM, where nominated games are selected by Discord members who have been active enough, with each nominated game following an agreed-upon theme. Games are selected for 3 time periods according to their original release date: 1995 and earlier, 1996 – 2001, and 2002 and later. Anyone who demonstrates that they have completed a GotX game (by posting a picture of the end credits) will receive an RH point. These points can be converted into RH merch, including the coveted RH Bag.
I say this every month, but GotM is one of my favorite corners of the internet and was my gateway into this hobby becoming more than just a passing interest.
Game of the Month: Musical May
GotM (1995 and Earlier) – The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
OLED Game Boy Color and Miyoo Mini Plus playing Link’s Awakening
- Systems: Game Boy, Game Boy Color & Switch
- Genre: Action-Adventure
- Time to Beat: 15 hours
In Link’s Awakening, Link wakes up on the mysterious Koholint Island, a place inhabited by creatures from other Nintendo franchises. In Link’s Awakening, the aim is to collect all of the instruments required to play the music which will wake the Wind Fish, who can help Link escape the island: the goal of making music gives this game eligibility for Musical May.
Link’s Awakening is widely accepted to be one of the greatest Game Boy games released, and was one of the very few examples of Nintendo releasing an original Game Boy game that approached the quality of their Home Console titles of the time.
As well as the original, both the “Link’s Awakening DX” remake for Game Boy Color and the 2019 remake for Nintendo Switch are eligible for a GotM completion.
GotM (1996-2001): Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
- Systems: PS1, PS2 & GameCube
- Genre: Sports
- Time to Beat: 9 Hours
Some games get selected for GotM due to a shared urge to replay a treasured childhood memory, some out of curiosity for a game never before played, and some are selected when a member of the RH Discord does such a masterful job of promotion that “they deserve it”.
For THPS3, RH Discord member Teehawkgo created a diss track targeting the other games in this month’s voting, the people voting for them, and weeaboos in general. You can listen to it here
After this was shared, THPS3 immediately took a commanding lead in the voting. The quality of the soundtrack – including The Ramones, Alien Ant Farm, House of Pain, and, of course, Motorhead — can’t have hurt either.
GOTM (2022 or later): Patapon
- System: PSP
- Genre: Rhythm
- Time to Beat: 15 hours
As Retro Handhelds get more and more powerful, the community has access to more and more systems, and accordingly more and more games get nominated for the more modern era, and systems like the PSP, which historically lost out to easier to emulate consoles like the GBA, are now able to win GotM voting more regularly.
In Patapon, the player plays as the Great Almighty Patapon, a god who commands an army of tiny Patapon followers. Commands are issued to your subjects using a combination of the 4 face buttons, and the correct combination must be entered in time with the rhythm for it to be actioned. Once the commands — such as Attack, Defend, and March — are mastered, your task is to help your followers rebuild their civilisation, defeat their rival tribe, and fulfil their prophecy by reaching the ends of the earth to gaze upon “IT”
The game is essentially based around music, making it a perfect fit for this month’s theme.
Game of The Quarter: Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire
- System: GBA
- Genre: Monster RPG
- Time To Beat: 36 hours
All of this month’s GotM games are predicted to take between 8 and 15 hours to complete. Anyone who’s looking for a longer game can pick up the current GotQ. Pokémon Ruby (or Sapphire) should need no introduction. It’s a game where you play as Brendan (or May) in the new Hoenn region as they strive to defeat to become a Pokemon master, defeat the Final Four and become the Hoenn League Champion.
Pokémon Ruby (or Sapphire) can be played for a GotX point between now and the end of June. Completion of all the game’s retro achievements will earn an extra 2 points (making 3 in total).
RetroBits – Game of the Week (GotW)
If all of the above games seem too long, then a shorter game, which should be able to be completed in under 2 hours, is available in GotW. A new GotW is announced every Saturday around 5 PM Pacific Time. Each GotW game will be announced in the “GotX Announcements” channel on the RH Discord. Completion of each GotW game will earn half a GotX point.
Join In
Anyone interested in playing along can find us in the Game of the Month section of the RH Discord. Come in and say “Hi”!
GotX Randomiser
As well as the structured GotM activities, RH also hosts the GotX Randomiser. This is a site which lists all of the games ever nominated for GotX, allowing a nomination history to be searched, as well as the selection of a random game, to help with those situations where Decision Paralysis hits while faced with an Emulation Station menu.
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