Random Stranger
@randomstranger.bsky.social
I like obscure old video games and make a lot of videos about them. I've documented all of the Nintendo Famicom library and I'm currently working on the PC Engine.
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Famidaily: All of It - YouTube
All of the Famidaily videos in order.
www.youtube.com
Hello, new followers!
My magnum opus is Famidaily, a complete catalog of the Famicom library across 1065 episodes. Every cartridge is broken down with information putting it in context, how to play it, and what kind of response it got.
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
My magnum opus is Famidaily, a complete catalog of the Famicom library across 1065 episodes. Every cartridge is broken down with information putting it in context, how to play it, and what kind of response it got.
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Four out of five on the scale since it's a severe bug that requires that players take two steps to trigger it, but they are steps that a reasonable person might take. The Molyneux scale accounts for both severity and likelihood of encountering it.
January 13, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Four out of five on the scale since it's a severe bug that requires that players take two steps to trigger it, but they are steps that a reasonable person might take. The Molyneux scale accounts for both severity and likelihood of encountering it.
That and a lot of people just having no experience with computer games where "publish now and patch later" has been a common attitude since the early 90s.
January 13, 2026 at 4:48 PM
That and a lot of people just having no experience with computer games where "publish now and patch later" has been a common attitude since the early 90s.
I'd put it as a four with the original release. While most of the bugs players will encounter won't be things they'll spot, a data corruption bug that a reasonable player could encounter has to put it at least there. Five I'd reserve for "You *will* encounter things that break your game."
January 13, 2026 at 4:47 PM
I'd put it as a four with the original release. While most of the bugs players will encounter won't be things they'll spot, a data corruption bug that a reasonable player could encounter has to put it at least there. Five I'd reserve for "You *will* encounter things that break your game."
I feel like I could do a history of buggy games video and it would blow some people's minds.
There could be a whole categorization system of buggy games, we'll call it the Molyneux Scale with 1 being "doesn't affect regular game play at all" and 5 being Cyberpunk 2077 (or your favorite here).
There could be a whole categorization system of buggy games, we'll call it the Molyneux Scale with 1 being "doesn't affect regular game play at all" and 5 being Cyberpunk 2077 (or your favorite here).
January 13, 2026 at 4:09 PM
I feel like I could do a history of buggy games video and it would blow some people's minds.
There could be a whole categorization system of buggy games, we'll call it the Molyneux Scale with 1 being "doesn't affect regular game play at all" and 5 being Cyberpunk 2077 (or your favorite here).
There could be a whole categorization system of buggy games, we'll call it the Molyneux Scale with 1 being "doesn't affect regular game play at all" and 5 being Cyberpunk 2077 (or your favorite here).
Jantei Monogatari on the PC Engine was a real sign of where the mahjong genre was going. Get ready for a lot of stories where you have to play mahjong against teenaged girls!
youtu.be/offPZWLOh1o
youtu.be/offPZWLOh1o
Jantei Monogatari/Jantei Story (雀偵物語) - PC Engine Power 189
YouTube video by RndStranger
youtu.be
January 12, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Jantei Monogatari on the PC Engine was a real sign of where the mahjong genre was going. Get ready for a lot of stories where you have to play mahjong against teenaged girls!
youtu.be/offPZWLOh1o
youtu.be/offPZWLOh1o
I have been, but I acknowledged from the outset that there would be some where I'd just have to go with a flashcart or emulator. I don't have a SuperGrafx, for example, and I'm not getting Magical Chase.
Right now I have around 250 PC Engine games out of around 700 on the system.
Right now I have around 250 PC Engine games out of around 700 on the system.
January 12, 2026 at 11:06 PM
I have been, but I acknowledged from the outset that there would be some where I'd just have to go with a flashcart or emulator. I don't have a SuperGrafx, for example, and I'm not getting Magical Chase.
Right now I have around 250 PC Engine games out of around 700 on the system.
Right now I have around 250 PC Engine games out of around 700 on the system.
I think bits of pieces of my trade collection show up in the backgrounds of photos I've used. My library is extensive, though I haven't picked up anything beyond Carl Barks and Krazy Kat in a while.
January 12, 2026 at 10:34 PM
I think bits of pieces of my trade collection show up in the backgrounds of photos I've used. My library is extensive, though I haven't picked up anything beyond Carl Barks and Krazy Kat in a while.
When I needed footage from it a few months ago, I just installed it under Windows from my original CD. I didn't even have to use a compatibility mode or anything.
January 12, 2026 at 10:33 PM
When I needed footage from it a few months ago, I just installed it under Windows from my original CD. I didn't even have to use a compatibility mode or anything.
Lego has transitioned into being simple model kits with a stylized look. Unfortunately that has resulted in a lot of specialized pieces that are specifically for that model. They still have more flexible packages out there, but they're the ones that parents buy for kids and don't get attention.
January 12, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Lego has transitioned into being simple model kits with a stylized look. Unfortunately that has resulted in a lot of specialized pieces that are specifically for that model. They still have more flexible packages out there, but they're the ones that parents buy for kids and don't get attention.
I sold comics at the height of the 90s bubble. I know how impervious speculators are to anyone pointing out the basic flaws in their thinking.
It's also the reason why I say that if you collect something, just do it because you like it not for any future gain.
It's also the reason why I say that if you collect something, just do it because you like it not for any future gain.
January 12, 2026 at 10:20 PM
I sold comics at the height of the 90s bubble. I know how impervious speculators are to anyone pointing out the basic flaws in their thinking.
It's also the reason why I say that if you collect something, just do it because you like it not for any future gain.
It's also the reason why I say that if you collect something, just do it because you like it not for any future gain.
That SMB is a perfect example of what actually winds up mattering: it's verifiably from the test market and there's very few copies. That limited 1985 release is something that video game people know about beyond just the guys saying, "No, really, this copy is different!"
January 12, 2026 at 10:18 PM
That SMB is a perfect example of what actually winds up mattering: it's verifiably from the test market and there's very few copies. That limited 1985 release is something that video game people know about beyond just the guys saying, "No, really, this copy is different!"
And "first print" usually means a lot less for video games than it does for books. A valuable first print in a book usually means it was from a small publisher with a very small number of copies. There has to be something significant about that first run beyond changing the packaging.
January 12, 2026 at 10:14 PM
And "first print" usually means a lot less for video games than it does for books. A valuable first print in a book usually means it was from a small publisher with a very small number of copies. There has to be something significant about that first run beyond changing the packaging.
I am getting pre-emptively annoyed that it will trigger a fresh round of mass media "did you know your old games could be worth money?!" articles.
January 12, 2026 at 6:27 PM
I am getting pre-emptively annoyed that it will trigger a fresh round of mass media "did you know your old games could be worth money?!" articles.
I don't think very much of the high-end video game speculators; it's a lot of circle jerking that tiny differences that only matter to them are huge signs of value.
That, on the other hand, is exactly what a high-end collectable video game is: notable, great condition, and easily distinguished.
That, on the other hand, is exactly what a high-end collectable video game is: notable, great condition, and easily distinguished.
Latest thing to pop up in the high-end collector world is a really beautiful Super Mario Bros. with an intact 1985 first-run matte sticker seal. Unfortunately for the seller, it's not a sealed copy—it's actually open from the bottom—but will go for a lot anyway
www.ebay.com/itm/35810290...
www.ebay.com/itm/35810290...
January 12, 2026 at 6:26 PM
I don't think very much of the high-end video game speculators; it's a lot of circle jerking that tiny differences that only matter to them are huge signs of value.
That, on the other hand, is exactly what a high-end collectable video game is: notable, great condition, and easily distinguished.
That, on the other hand, is exactly what a high-end collectable video game is: notable, great condition, and easily distinguished.
I don't know if I have any that are about consoles, plural. I like the Complete Guide Deluxe line as a reference to all software and most peripherals (Famicom, PC Engine, MegaDrive). There's slimmer, B&W Complete Guides for GB and SFC. I like those better than the Perfect Catalog line...
January 12, 2026 at 5:13 AM
I don't know if I have any that are about consoles, plural. I like the Complete Guide Deluxe line as a reference to all software and most peripherals (Famicom, PC Engine, MegaDrive). There's slimmer, B&W Complete Guides for GB and SFC. I like those better than the Perfect Catalog line...
The Pro Yakyuu for the PC Engine is a baseball game.
Period.
End of story.
Okay, it also has a license from Japan's professional league which was uncommon at that point...
youtu.be/FWF_18yMtTI
Period.
End of story.
Okay, it also has a license from Japan's professional league which was uncommon at that point...
youtu.be/FWF_18yMtTI
The Pro Yakyuu/The Pro Baseball (ザ・プロ野球) - PC Engine Power 188
YouTube video by RndStranger
youtu.be
January 11, 2026 at 9:31 PM
The Pro Yakyuu for the PC Engine is a baseball game.
Period.
End of story.
Okay, it also has a license from Japan's professional league which was uncommon at that point...
youtu.be/FWF_18yMtTI
Period.
End of story.
Okay, it also has a license from Japan's professional league which was uncommon at that point...
youtu.be/FWF_18yMtTI
I want to refurb my Xbox 360 before I start proper work on my next bonus video, so I thought this morning I'd do some work on another topic that I was planning for later this year, likely toward the summer.
Anyway, I now have forty minutes of introduction material complete.
Anyway, I now have forty minutes of introduction material complete.
January 11, 2026 at 7:20 PM
I want to refurb my Xbox 360 before I start proper work on my next bonus video, so I thought this morning I'd do some work on another topic that I was planning for later this year, likely toward the summer.
Anyway, I now have forty minutes of introduction material complete.
Anyway, I now have forty minutes of introduction material complete.
It's likely either that or the GUE (Grand Underground Empire). Enchanter came out in 1983 as well and was part of Zork's setting. Obviously, GUE predates the Bungeling Empire by quite a bit, but Enchanter was the game that broke it out into a wider setting Beyond Zork.
January 10, 2026 at 8:47 PM
It's likely either that or the GUE (Grand Underground Empire). Enchanter came out in 1983 as well and was part of Zork's setting. Obviously, GUE predates the Bungeling Empire by quite a bit, but Enchanter was the game that broke it out into a wider setting Beyond Zork.
First of all, the comic really isn't good. So don't worry about missing out.
Second, there were only a handful of issues when the game was licensed and it was really obscure even then. There just weren't that many copies of it.
At this point, the comic is better known for the game connection...
Second, there were only a handful of issues when the game was licensed and it was really obscure even then. There just weren't that many copies of it.
At this point, the comic is better known for the game connection...
January 10, 2026 at 5:33 PM
First of all, the comic really isn't good. So don't worry about missing out.
Second, there were only a handful of issues when the game was licensed and it was really obscure even then. There just weren't that many copies of it.
At this point, the comic is better known for the game connection...
Second, there were only a handful of issues when the game was licensed and it was really obscure even then. There just weren't that many copies of it.
At this point, the comic is better known for the game connection...
For Random Game Daturday, I have Chakan the Forever Man, perenial punching bag of Genesis fans. It's based on a comic from the 1980s B&W boom and was one of those comics that looks like it came straight out of a 16-year-old's in class doodles. It was so *extreme*!
January 10, 2026 at 5:13 PM
For Random Game Daturday, I have Chakan the Forever Man, perenial punching bag of Genesis fans. It's based on a comic from the 1980s B&W boom and was one of those comics that looks like it came straight out of a 16-year-old's in class doodles. It was so *extreme*!
Yep. It is not a good experience.
January 10, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Yep. It is not a good experience.
In this game the sound of scifi warfare is smooth jazz. It might be the weirdest soundtrack choice I have ever encountered.
January 10, 2026 at 3:35 PM
In this game the sound of scifi warfare is smooth jazz. It might be the weirdest soundtrack choice I have ever encountered.
Whoops. There was more intro after the character select screen. It's a fifteen minute sequence. And there's loud pops at the end of every track of audio and inconsistent sound mixing.
January 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Whoops. There was more intro after the character select screen. It's a fifteen minute sequence. And there's loud pops at the end of every track of audio and inconsistent sound mixing.
10 minute intro that consists of the most flatly translated dialog performed by the best actors they could find around the office.
January 10, 2026 at 3:25 PM
10 minute intro that consists of the most flatly translated dialog performed by the best actors they could find around the office.
It's a Working Designs kind of day.
January 10, 2026 at 2:48 PM
It's a Working Designs kind of day.