PrinceWatercress plays The Blues Brothers (SNES) - Part 5 of 7

The electricity has now changed from green to orange...and it's a lot more prevalent at this point in the game, too! Better be ready to avoid it!

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Stage 21

Be ready to avoid the ceilings that move up and down as you jump the gaps and avoid the electricity, which you'll be doing constantly as you go lower and lower into the level. Be ready to run when the masses of electricity walls turn off. When you make it to the trampolines, get to the platforms above immediately and jump your way to the goal.

Stage 22

It's time to avoid more moving ceilings and electricity, and this time, you'll also be shooting bugs every now and then. You'll want to quickly run and jump to the right and get to the checkpoint. Thankfully, the ceilings are a tad slower once you travel left through the top of the level and shoot down the walls, and you won't have to wait too long if the ceilings get in the way of your shots. Thankfully, the level gets easier near the end.

Stage 23

You're riding the dragon again here. There's not much up or down, so just hold Right and get to the goal.

Stage 24

It's time for more chain grabbing as you run and climb through the level. If you see a checkpoint, grab it! There is invincibility left of the second checkpoint, but thankfully the rest of the stage is slow going as you only have the bear traps to deal with.

Stage 25

Grab the life as you start running to the right, and run to the right straight past the fallaway platforms. Stay on the outward edge of the swinging platforms and jump on the one in mid-air repeatedly. The narrow spike pathways are pretty easy to avoid the spikes in for the most part, but to get past the part with the swinging platforms where the spiky floors and ceilings are, you'll need to crawl from left to right on the platforms and move off the platforms (do not jump!). 

PrinceWatercress plays The Blues Brothers (SNES) - Part 4 of 7

There's lots of obstacle course platforming here! Amazingly, I was able to get everything to come together.

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Stage 16

Take the low road at the start to get that extra life. Just watch out for the spiked balls. Be sure to stand in the center of that wooden platform to drop down, then get ready to jump from platform to platform. Once you see the small heart, the worst is over. The goal is just ahead.

Stage 17

Get the cake for the extra hit at the start. From here, you'll eventually have to jump from swinging platform to swinging platform, but at least the platforms are slow. Pay attention on the way down with the platforms that are swinging in a circle so you don't fall into the spike pit. As for the lowest area, watch out for the enemies and the spiked ball, and watch your jumps after the big heart so you can make it to the goal.

Stage 18

It's back to running, jumping and throwing records at dogs on the way to the goal here. This is less of an obstacle course than the last two stages and is more of a "straight up" action kind of stage.

Stage 19

Get all the records as you can and break through all the walls that get int your way. The stacks of records seem tempting, but you'll find enough records out in the open. Be ready to make openings in the breakable walls in order to get away from all of the electricity and moving ceilings. You'll want to be careful with the last wall, because breaking the wrong row will send you falling into the electricity. Also, don't hold Y while bouncing around; you don't want to jump into the electrified ceilings.

Stage 20

Another vertical stage! This one doesn't have much in the way of enemies, but you'll still want to avoid the one bear trap that is there as well as the electricity. Hope you've mastered grabbing those climbable chains.

PrinceWatercress plays The Blues Brothers (SNES) - Part 3 of 7

It's time for some more obstacle courses. Don't worry, the difficulty's going to ramp up pretty soon.

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Stage 11

Here's another stage that you have to run through. Watch out for the bear traps and the crushing ceilings, and make sure you jump from crate to crate carefully. The walls with the yellow spots can be broken with the records that you can find throughout the stage, so blast through them and make a path.

Stage 12

Once again, you'll need to make your way to the top of the stage, then bounce off the mushrooms to the left to get to the goal. At least there aren't any enemies here.

Stage 13

A dragon (snake?) will be flying around you when you start the stage. Jump on its head, and you'll be able to fly around. The trick is to tap the direction you need to go instead of holding. Also, there are plenty of lives that you can pick up around here, and the best part about this is that if you lose a life for any reason, all the lives re-spawn, so you can pick up even more! Get as many lives as you need before getting out of here.

Also, if it lands on you, you can throw it with X. 

Stage 14

This is where the game starts getting harder. You'll want to get one of the cakes below where you start, so you can make the jumps over the electricity easier. Believe it or not, you jump higher when you're buff and you have the extra hit. As for the crate jumps, don't run. It'll make the jumps easier to pull off. At least the trampoline jumps near the end are easier to pull off than the ones at the start if you're holding the run button.

Stage 15

Take your time with your jumps at the beginning. You've got plenty of time to get through the stage, so watch where you're going as you're bouncing up and down off what look like bicycle pumps. As for the bear traps that are bouncing around, you'll need to time your record throws so that you can hit the traps and get them out of the way. Once you get to the top and reach the checkpoint, things get better. Don't forget that you can crawl on the way to the exit!

PrinceWatercress plays The Blues Brothers (SNES) - Part 2 of 7

These next five stages are all action, but if you know how to play, you can blast through these stages in a matter of minutes.

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Stage 6

For this level, your ability to do things is put to the test, and you won't have any records to use as weapons to back you up. You'll need to avoid the bear traps as they jump back and forth and avoid falling into the electricity in order to get through this level. Thankfully, it's not a long stage at all.

Stage 7

This level is completely vertical. Once again, you have no weapon. Be sure that you don't slide off while grabbing the chains, because there are still plenty of hazards in this stage that will hurt or kill you. Also, get to the gold jukebox as soon as you see it, because the crate near it falls if you stand on it for too long.

Stage 8

This one is just as action-oriented as the first two stages. You'll be avoiding swinging spiked balls, wall spikes and even snails as you run from point A to point B. At least you have weapons to pick up this time, and there's a 1-Up that you can get early in the stage.

At the top you'll need to run off the edge to get onto the first two swinging platforms as they move. For the next two singing platforms, you'll need to get to the right end and then crawl to the left with Down-Left on the D-Pad as the swinging platform heads that way. Do not hold Y while doing this, or you will hurt yourself on the spikes.

Stage 9

This stage is completely horizontal. Shoot down the bugs as you go and avoid those swinging spiked balls! Be sure to get the 1-Up near the end, just in case.

Stage 10

The dogs will chase after you, and you can shoot them down with your records. If a dog falls on you, you can carry it over your head and throw it away with the X button. Other than this, this is more running and jumping with the chain grab here and there.

PrinceWatercress plays The Blues Brothers (SNES) - Part 1 of 7

Hey, a Blues Brothers game! This game was as every bit as interesting as I expected it to be.

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This is a game that I've seen time and again on YouTube for years, and I've decided to take this game on myself. Interestingly, I didn't have as bad of a time as I thought I would, and I ended up completing it.

Stage 1

When you start the game, you can select between Elwood (the taller, thinner brother) or Jake (the shorter, rounder brother). Elwood runs faster, but Jake jumps higher. If you select both characters, Player 1 will be Elwood and Player 2 will be Jake. 

At the top of the screen is your HUD. The amount of records you have will be up there, and it will be different at the start of every level. By throwing records, you can defeat enemies. You'll also have your current amount of lives and health in the HUD. There is also a time limit, and you'll lose a life if you run out of time before completing a stage. You have three continues in case you lose all your lives, so be careful.

Left and Right move left and Right, Down ducks. Down-Left and Down-Right let you crawl. Y runs, B jumps, and A and X throw records. If you hold the throw button down, the picture of the record in the HUD will spin, and at the cost of five records, you can throw a super-charged record that can go through enemies and give you a more powerful attack. Collect more records to get more ammo. You'll need them to get past the bug enemies in this stage.

While running, you'll be a little more slippery than usual.

The red note is a checkpoint; grabbing one keeps you from starting the stage from the beginning when you die. The small red jukebox gives you temporary invincibility.

Spikes do not kill you upon contact, but they do take a lot of health away, so stay off of them.

For this stage, you'll need to avoid the spikes and the spinning spiked balls while jumping from platform to platform. Some of the platforms swing back and forth, but others spin in a complete circle. There are some stationary ones, and you don't want to dilly-dally on those as some of them will fall if you're on them for too long. You'll also need to take out the bugs, which fly in a circle at first and then track you when you get close enough. They only take one hit to kill.

The big gold jukebox is the goal. Touch it to clear the stage.

Stage 2

The mushrooms act as trampolines when you jump on them.

The cars take a few hits with the records to defeat, but a charged-up attack takes them down in one shot.

The cakes make your character super-buff and give them an extra hit. This extra hit keeps you from losing health, and can be quite useful. You can only have one extra hit at a time.

The small hearts refill one heart on your health, and the Blues Brothers dolls will give you extra lives. You'll need to be big to get the extra life here.

Stage 3

The snails take two records to defeat. 

The bear traps require you to duck to hit them, and they take multiple hits to defeat. They will repeatedly clap down, and while some of them will jump in place, others jump back and forth. They are among the enemies that you will see the most in this game, and you'll need to watch them to see where they go, as they are bad news.

There are mushrooms in the trees, and you'll need to hold B to jump from one mushroom to the next. Remember that you need to bounce twice for more height. When you reach the checkpoint, be ready to repeatedly run and jump to the left to get to the goal.

Stage 4

If you go to the left and follow the path at the start, you can get an hourglass. This will give you 50 more seconds.

The smaller, darker crates can fall if you spend too much time on some of them.

The electricity is instant death even if you have an extra hit! Don't touch it!

The bicycle pumps act as trampolines, much like the mushrooms from the earlier stages.

If you see a big chain, press Up while immediately in front of it to grab it. 

Be careful near the end. You do have knockback in case you get damaged, and while it's not Castlevania levels, it can make things a little dicey.

Stage 5

Once again, you need to get to the top and use the mushrooms in the trees to get to the goal. If you fall down near the end, head left to grab an hourglass for 50 more seconds. 

PrinceWatercress plays Quartet (SMS) - Part 3 of 3

This game is short, but it can be difficult.

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Round 5

Grab the medicine and get past as many of the balls as you can, and make sure you grab that clock to freeze the enemies, too. You need to get to the underworld as soon as possible.

The underworld is a maze. When you enter, keep jumping in place and shooting to the left. One of the blocks will contain the final star that you need to pick up to enter Round 6.

From here, fight your way to the jetpack and make your way to the left. You'll find the boss above the exit. You'll need to shoot him in the head while avoiding not only the projectiles that the boss spits out, but also the balls that are bouncing around. Don't be surprised if you lose a life here. At least you'll have 10,000 energy points again if you die.

Once you beat the boss and get the key, you'll then have to back up a bit and make a path to the exit below. With the balls from the high road bouncing around and the rest of the enemies moving about, that's not easy. You'll have to off-screen the walls that you have to shoot through on the high road just to keep the balls from chasing you, then fight your way across the low road to get there.

Round 6

There are four statues that you'll need to destroy in order to enter the boss door on the far-left side of the underworld. The surface world has a gray wall, while the underworld has a light blue wall.

There are two statues in each world: a left statue and a right statue. You'll need to destroy these statues in the following order:

1. Underworld, right statue

2. Surface world, right statue

3. Surface world, left statue

4. Underworld, left statue

When you shoot the correct statue, the head will fly off and fly around in a figure-eight like pattern while the body shoots flame projectiles that will track you. If you shoot the body six times, the head will freeze in place and the body will stop firing briefly, and you can take the opportunity to destroy the head. With all the enemies that are flying around, this isn't easy.

When you destroy the left statue in the underworld, go through the door on the far-left side of the underworld. Grab the jetpack if you don't have it and fly up and down on the right side of the screen. You'll need to keep firing at the security system in the center while avoiding all of the projectiles that fly to your current position when fired, and you'll also want to stagger your movements to give yourself more room to maneuver as well as avoid the projectiles.

Eventually, you'll destroy all five of the turrets and destroy the security system. You'll recover the princess'  casket (even though the princess is called the queen in the manual) and beat the game. You just beat Quartet!

PrinceWatercress plays Quartet (SMS) - Part 2 of 3

The second half of the game is where things get much harder.

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Round 3

In the regular world, you'll need to blast your way through a maze. Get the jetpack, then head all the way to the right. You'll need to avoid the boss' head as well as its shots as it moves its head around around wildly, which is easier said than done. You can use the platforms leading to the underworld as cover, but don't be afraid to get out of there to the other side if the boss gets too close. When you beat the boss here, get the key, then head to the underworld.

In the underworld, grab the clock to stop the enemies. The three black balls on top of the jars will shoot out in various directions if you shoot them. The Hyhofailokes, which are the skull enemies, take a lot of shots to take down and they will slowly fly towards you if you hit them enough times.

To get the star here, shoot twice at the top of the pot immediately to the right of the exit to the exit. 

Round 4

In the regular word, head to the right and get the jetpack; you're gonna need it. Make sure that you take as little damage as possible in this world, and take the upper part of the screen to the exit. If any enemies are chasing you, try to lose them; turning around to hit them will cost you energy.

The butterfly enemies with the faces in the middle are called Abukutsus. There are nine of them in the level, and you'll want to shoot them all down. They will fly around in a bit of a figure eight pattern when you attack them, but they can only go so far. If you can keep away from them, you can easily shoot them all down and get the Star that pops up in the middle of the first (regular) part of the round.

Be careful with the snail enemies, or Hodates. If you shoot them from behind, your shots will ricochet back at you off the shell and hurt you. Also, the turtle enemies, or F.T.'s, will rush at you at rocket speed if you shoot them once. Unless you have the distance to plug away at them with enough shots to defeat them, don't even bother fighting them.

Line yourself up with the yellow turrets from a distance before shooting at them. It will make it easier to avoid their shots.

In the underworld, which has a gray background instead of a blue, you'll want to stick to the low road. When you reach the boss, you'll want to stay low and close enough to it so you can fire at it and avoid the boss' projectiles while the boss itself bounces low. If it goes high, it will fly back and forth for a little bit before returning to where it was. If it does that, avoid it until it comes back, then start firing away and avoiding enemy fire again. When it goes down, take the key.

When you destroy all of the Abukutsus, take the doorway near where the boss was back to the surface world and head to the right. You'll find the Star.