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[How to Record Gameplay and Applications on Mac]

For retro-gamers, there are no centralized servers keeping record of peoples gameplay achievements.  Often retro gaming accomplishments are written off as fish stories. Recording gameplay is the only form of evidence available. On a Mac, running OS X Lion or newer, this task couldn’t be easier. No slimy freeware apps or costly software packages are required. At fthisga.me, we want as much video documentation possible for each gaming achievement. This guide will show you how to easily, and quickly record high def, in-game footage of any application running on mac - whether it be boring spreadsheets, retro gaming emulators, or the high end aesthetics of modern indie games.

Launch QuickTime Player, a native app to the OS X operating system.  Select, File > New Screen Recording.

Press the record button and select the screen area you want to capture.  Be sure to get the entire screen of the game you are playing.

In order to record audio, you will have to take some extra steps.  Select the audio channel you want to record.  There are typically two options, the internal mic, or the sound input from an external device.  The best way to do this is by using a cable with two 3.5 mm audio jacks and connecting the audio output of your Mac to the audio input.  Then select 'Built-in Input: Line In' from a dropdown menu of the Screen Recording box of QuickTime Player.  Yes, perhaps I was misleading about everything being free, but if you really want to save money there are ad-hock solutions to avoid purchasing a $5 cable - but I will not detail them here.

In conclusion.  This is a great way to record any application being used on a Mac in high resolution.  For gamers, we recommend a second camera to record the gameplay.  We are at a point in gaming where tool-assisted gameplay is extremely common, so it is important to record the person playing the game.  Ideally, both an high quality screen capture and a low quality video of the player are taken simultaneously.  Best of luck.

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Welcome to our first Thumbs-down challenge.  We hope this will become a new series of challenges that we would like to never see anyone complete.  A thumbs down challenge is made by picking bad games and combining them with hard challenges.

Game: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1989 US release for the NES. Challenge: Complete Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with only Raphael. Prize: $20 and certificate of disappointment

Written by, Ryan Weaver

Released for the NES in 1989 by Konami/Ultra Games in the US, the first installment of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was well-received by virtually no one. The game play and graphics were mediocre to be generous and the sound effects were synonymous with fingernails on a chalkboard (particularly that annoying alarm clock sound when your life gets low). Attention to detail and knowledge of the franchise were certainly not the designers’ strongpoints. You don’t even need to turn on your NES to notice this; there are four Raphaels on the front cover of the game’s box.

Anyone who knows anything about this game knows that Donatello and Leonardo were the most valuable turtles because of the range of their weapons. That’s why, as part of this challenge, you aren’t allowed to use them. You have to complete the game using only the Raphael. As Raphael, you will be armed with only sai and sarcasm. Neither of which, as you will find out, go very far in this game. Sure, we could have made a challenge out of the second Ninja Turtles game. You know, the cool one. The Arcade Game. With the much-appreciated multiplayer capability lacking in the first game, you could play the sequel with your friends and kick the asses of actual characters from the show(s) and movie(s). Instead you have to fight clay people and mummies with chainsaws and random shit like that. But sometimes glory isn’t about fun. Was running the Boston Marathon fun? No. You had to go to the hospital for dehydration and your nipples were bleeding through your tank top. Was it fun summiting Mount Everest? No. Half of your party died on the way up and you had to eat one of them just to survive. You do it for the glory, not the enjoyment. Ninja Turtles is a difficult game and it’s not even enjoyable. That’s why only the most masochistic of gamers need attempt this challenge.

Reward: We will send you $20 cash and a certificate expressing our disappointment of your dedication to this game. Prop the certificate on your mantle with pride, it’s the only one of its kind.

Rules: You are not allowed to switch to other turtles at any point throughout the game. You may only use Raphael. There were various releases of the game for the US, Japanese, and European markets. We are referring to the version released in the US. Obviously, no cheats, warps, game genies, etc. There is a video of this being done on YouTube but it is a screen capture - which we will not accept. In other words, after you complete this challenge, we want to see the look on your face.

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Read about us at PikiGeek.

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Game: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, 1987 US release for the NES. Challenge: Complete Punch-Out with only first round KO’s and no unblocked hits. Prize: $50 and certificate of accomplishment.

The 8-bit Punch-Out released for the NES (1987) was a near perfect game. The only unforeseen flaw was the professional endorsement of Mike Tyson. To this day, the game play stands out as one of a kind. Combine that with good music, politically incorrect racial stereotypes, and high replay value – we highly recommend this challenge. Beat the original Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (not the lesser known Punch-Out version featuring Mr. Dream) with all flawless first round knockouts and claim victory as a Punch-Out professional. Yes, by getting paid, you are able to make that claim. KO’s are acceptable; TKO's are preferred. We also add the caveat that you cannot sustain a direct hit – blocks are acceptable even though a little life is lost.

This challenge may seem hard, but this game is too much fun. You should play it regardless. There are a seemingly endless number of tricks to master for each opponent – adding a lot of strategy to this challenge. Sure, many may get stuck at King Hippo, but they are amateurs. Experienced players know Soda Popinsky is the first formidable challenge. And For the pros that have mastered this game, first round KO’s is a manageable task. So dust off this old classic and play on.

Reward: You will earn $50 cash (or money order) as well as a custom certificate denoting your victory. A video of your accomplishment will be posted on the website.

Rules: You must complete Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, released in 1987 (US) for the NES with only first round KO’s and no unblocked hits. It is not possible to block every punch thrown by opponents in the game, so by simply blocking you are not immune from taking a direct hit, and in some cases getting knocked down. Sustaining a small amount of damage from blocks is acceptable. However, the recommended solution: bob and weave. We’d love to see someone avoid using blocks all together. You are not permitted to use cheats or tool assists of any kind. The game can be played on an emulator, although playing on the original consol is much cooler. Save states or any other feature the emulator provides that is non-native to the original console play is not permitted. The goal here is to prove that you undoubtedly beat the game as it would have been done when it was first released. We look forward to the strategic first round KO’s and awesome in-game music.

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Game: MegaMan, 1987 US release for the NES. Challenge: Complete the original Mega Man (NES) without dying. Prize: $100 and certificate of accomplishment.

Mega Man, a franchise so great that it has extended over 15 consoles in over two decades. The original 8-bit series started with the 1987 release of ‘Mega Man’ for the NES. Unlike future releases, the original game did not allow players to enter a password and return to a current position. This made the game substantially more difficult, as a player had to beat the game in single sitting. So, in this challenge we ask the same thing - only with perfection. Play through all of the original Mega Man without dying once, and without cheats of any form.

The original Mega Man is quite possibly the series hardest game. Including the much later (2008) 8-bit release of Mega Man 9. So this challenge is straight forward, but hard. Mega Man is notoriously unforgiving with its sparse but frustrating glitches and instant death spikes, lava, and crevaces. Fortunately, the game is fun as hell. We will even cut a break to those playing on the original console. If you use an original NES to play the game, you can take advantage of any autofire capability an advanced controller offers. This should save you’re fingers the added stress of rapid shot as well as provide us the coolness factor of seeing the game played in its most authentic form.

And yes, the ugly guy in this challenge’s banner is from the original box art depiction of Mega Man! His blaster was not even connected to his arm.

Reward: You will earn $100 cash (or money order) as well as a custom certificate denoting your victory. A video of your accomplishment will be posted on the website.

Rules: You must complete the classic Megaman, released in 1987 (US) for the NES, without dying. You are not permitted to use cheats of anykind. The game can be played on an emulator, although playing on the original consol is much cooler. We will only permit rapid fire, if the game is being played on an original NES console using an controller with the rapid fire capability. Save states or any other feature the emulator provides that is non-native to the original console play is not permitted. The goal here is to prove that undoubtedly beat the game in a manner that would have been possible when it was first released. Video footage must be continuous (see submission guidelines), so your lunchbreaks during play will be limited. This task has been reported on other versions of MegaMan, but we are yet to see anyone report a flawless victory for the original. So we look forward to your confident introduction and flawless playthrough.

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Game: Contra, 1988 US release for the NES. Challenge: Complete Contra (NES) under 15-min in 2-player mode without weapon upgrades. Prize: $50 and certificate of accomplishment.

Contra, the game which made the Konami Code famous. Providing 30 extra lives, for many, it was the only way to beat this 1988 release for the NES. Players can only sustain one hit before losing a life, making Contra unforgiving to those without lives to spare. It has been claimed by multiple magazines, blogs, and forum posts that this game ranks in the top 10 most difficult games for the NES. To complete this challenge, you are given no extra lives. Think speed run - so, no deaths are permitted nor play time exceeding 15 minutes. Oh, and it needs to be completed in 2-player mode and without any weapons upgrades.

Let's discuss why the specific rules. Well, to start, Contra is not THAT hard. The game has a long history of people who have mastered it, even without dying. However, what is yet to be seen is conclusive evidence of two individuals playing simultaneously and completing the game flawlessly. This means that this is a co-op challenge - two independent players with two controllers required. So, why no weapons upgrades? Everyone knows spread shot is God. Advanced Contra players will tell you: life is easy with spread shot. So, to make this a real challenge, spread shot is off limits. From videos already circulating the interweb, we are fairly confident such champions of Contra already exist.

Reward: You will earn $50 cash (or money order) as well as a custom certificate denoting your victory. A video of your accomplishment will be posted on the website.

Rules: You must complete Contra, released in 1988 (US) for the NES, in two player mode and under 15 minutes. You are not permitted to use cheats of any kind nor weapons upgrades. The game can be played on an emulator, although playing on the original console is much cooler. Save states or any other feature the emulator provides that is non-native to the original console play is not permitted. The goal here is to prove that you – and your partner - undoubtedly beat the game as it would have been done when it was first released. We’ve seen some pretty incredible playthroughs already. But none show two players actually playing the game. So we look forward to your confident introduction, flawless playthrough, and victorious high fives.

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How many controllers have you slammed against the floor, quoting this very url? No longer must you do so in vain. Here you will face the toughest challenges in gaming history. Here you can stand victorious.

For fun. For money. For glory.

-f this ga.me-

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Game: Battletoads, 1991 US release for NES Challenge: Complete ALL levels of Battletoads (NES) without continues or cheats. Prize: $100 and certificate of accomplishment. Battletoads, released in 1991, was a tough game. Really tough. The game, developed by Rare, was well received - winning many awards for its graphics, sound, and gameplay. For a game so well put together, one must wonder why it was designed to be nearly impossible. Most players will not make it past level three. And only a precious few have ever beaten the game – even with gamegenie. All of which makes this challenge pretty straight forward: playthrough Battletoads, without cheats, level warps, or continues. It seems presumable that most games should be beatable without using a continue, or even dying. In theory, the perfect gamer could read the instruction manual, pick up the game, and play it through on his first try. However, we are less than perfect and we make mistakes. So with practice, we advance the learning curve - learning the controls, mastering our reflexes, and anticipating things to come. Eventually, we hope to master the game. Unless it’s Battletoads. The first person to playthrough every level in Battletoads in one sitting, is no doubt a champion. In fact, there is still question to whether it is possible. So, for those retro beat-em up gamers, this challenge is for you. Make history, stake your claim as the master of Battletoads Reward: We will gladly send you $100 cash (or money order) as well as a custom certificate denoting your incredible victory. A video of your accomplishment will be posted on the website. Rules: You must complete Battletoads, released in 1991 for the NES, in one sitting. You are not permitted to use level warps, continues, or cheats of any kind. The game can be played on an emulator, although playing on the original console is much cooler. Save states or any other feature the emulator provides that is non-native to the original console play is not permitted. The goal here is to prove that you undoubtedly beat the game as it would have been done when it was first released.

There are multiple versions on the game for US, European, and Japanese markets. The version which we are referring to is the US release. Many consider this version as being more difficult. Sorry. Playing the game in two-player mode is permitted and encouraged. To claim the prize, be prepared to [record your gameplay].