While I can't trace back when my love for handheld/portable gaming started, I can pinpoint the exact moment it took over the rest of my gaming existence. August 19, 2010. The day after I had triple hernia surgery. For those that haven't (and hopefully never will), the pain can best be described as having a wipe-bladed, jagged knife being twisted in your belly. Women who had experienced childbirth described the recovery from hernia surgery as worse. Much worse.
This immense and ceaseless pain drove me to an existence in a single chair in the living room of my house. Before this I hadn't spent much time sitting in this chair, though we've had it for years, as I had always preferring the couch which is seated by the window, though I only read there, and only in the spring. Luckily the chair is quite comfy, and with the addition of a blanket, paradise. Very slowly the pain lessened, and I was able to get up more easily, though I was still confined to the chair (full recovery would be three months). I needed something to pass the time, so naturally I turned to video games. Only problem: No television in the living room. Since my trash-pile of a laptop was more of less out of the question (though I managed to create my own website, which is very embarassing to view), I managed to find entertainment in my PSP and Gameboy SP. Somehow, amidst the haze of pain and drugs, I found more fun than my meager writing skills can describe. I was able to truly get into Pokemon Gold, Final Fantasy Legend III, Star Ocean: Second Story, Metroid Fusion, and many others. I fell in love all over again with Link to the Past and Daxter, I delved into the depths of Vice City Stories (leaving no stone unturned), and I was finally able to beat Link's Awakening. I also was still unable to figure out Legend of the River King.
Considering the amount of physical pain I experienced in the chair, it is no wonder that it took me so long to get back into it. But recently when I really opened my eyes to iOS games, I found myself sitting in the chair again. Sitting in it was like coming home. More than ever I was aware of how soft it was. There is a vent right next to it, and when the AC runs a nice comfy breeze wafts up and cools everything off. Just thinking about it makes me sleepy and itchy (to play games).
I think all of us has a man-cave (I do) or some other refuge for gaming where systems and games are piled high. But I think we could all use a Gaming Chair (though no one should have to go through hernia surgery to discover it).
Well, the Labor Day sale has come and gone (as well as my B Day) and I am spent. I picked up a lot of great games and am looking forward to many a long gaming session. However things certainly didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Hm, that was a bit ambiguous. Let me be more specific. While I did receive an iTunes card as a gift, it was a $25 card instead of a $15 card. Add that to the $8 credit that I already had and that adds up. Couple this with the awesome Labor Day sale (tons of .99 cent games) and I nearly had a brain hemmorage. Anyways, here are the games (in no particular order):
Paid Games
Across Ages - It's billed as a Zelda-clone, but is really just another KRPG. Fun, but not Zelda.
Silent Hill The Escape - a touch-centric title that I do not like. Out of the lot it is the only one I regret buying. Luckily, it was only .99 cents.
Zenonia Series (1, 2, and 3) - I had so much fun with part 3, I ended up buying the first two. All are fast-paced Secret of Mana-style games.
Illusia - another great Gamevil title, this one a Popful Mail-style game.
Dead Space - only .99 cents, and one of the best new gaming experiences I've had all year. It makes me want to grab the console titles.
Hyper Crush - A Mario-type platform based around an electronic band. I can barely describe it.
Zombie Infection - a Gameloft third-person shooter with zombies. I like killing zombies, and it was .99 cents.
Resident Evil 4: Platinum - I've read it's not the full game, more like a greatest-hits version. It controls well and was only .99 cents.
Vay - surprisingly, this was the only traditional JRPG that I picked up (and $5 at that).
Shadow Guardian - another Gameloft third-person game, this one clearly modeled after Uncharted. Fun, and .99 cents.
Gangstar: Miami Vindication - the second Gangstar game, this one quite good looking and fun. It was not on sale, but I had so much fun with the demo.
SNES Player - this isn't a game, but rather an app that allows you to listen to spc and rsn files (direct sound rips from SNES games). What can I say, I'm a dork.
Noise Entertainment System - plays nsf (NES) and gbn (Gameboy) sound files. Very cool.
Free Games
Aurum Blade Free - Yep, free. For the whole game. Cutesy-Diablo/Secret of Mana game.
Inotia 2: Eternity - Like Zenonia 3, there is a free and paid version of the game. Unlike Zenonia 3, there are a ton of ads in this game. If it turns out to be good, I'll buy the full version (like I did with Zenonia 3).
Guardian Saga - I must have picked this up the single day it was free, because it is now $1.99. It's basically a Dragon Warrior game, 8-bit graphics and all.
Fallen EP-1 - Third person survival horror with traditional controls and some touch-centric actions scenes (bashing open a glass window with a fire extinguisher). A bit annoying, but still fun.
Near Misses
GTA Chinatown Wars - Basically a port of the PSP version, but with touch. While I did buy both versions of this game (DS and PSP), I decided against this one. Not really for any problems with the game, but since I've already bought it twice...
Bug Panic - you wonder around a forest, blasting giant, cute bugs with bombs. Great controls, lock ons, and charging attacks make this game stand out. I would have bought it if was cheaper and had more content.
1112 - an episodic touch-adventure game. It was clearly made more for the iPad than the iPhone/iTouch, but it still looked nice. Far too short (from what I hear), a relatively large price tag, and the fact I kept getting stuck in the bathroom kept this one away.
Well, that's it (for now). I'm knocking around an idea for doing a semi-regular feature about iOS and Android games (I'll be getting an Android phone in October) to maybe give some more love to some of these great titles. I don't know. It'll depend on how bad my online class gets.
I feel kind of funny writing this. See, I started writing this article about six months ago, when I purchased a 4th Gen iTouch. At the time I was just getting dipping into that iOS had to offer and was not impressed. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing I was interested in outside of a few touch-centric titles (Angry Birds). My iTouch was used to stream podcasts, listen to audiobooks, and a few other choice utilities (organize grocery lists, alarm clock). I found myself disliking long-winded discussions about iPhone/iTouch gaming, and would skip entire podcasts if I felt they focused too much on the platform. Oh how things have changed.
I'm still not sure when it first started, but I found myself downloading random games, sampling them and (more often than not) deleting them, trying to find a happy medium between the style of game played and the offered controls. I felt like a velociraptor in Jurassic Park, attacking parts of the electrified fence to find a weak spot. Okay, that was a bad analogy. How about: I was trying to find my niche. That is better. Now to business.
The word is that I'm getting an iTunes card for my approaching B-day, which I want to spend entirely on games. The plan is to sift through the Games section of the App Store, buying those that catch my eye. I'll test when possible, and give precedence to those that are on sale (saving the names of those I'll have to pass up due to price). What I hope to have is a nice bunch of games to play along with a goodly amount of games to purchase later. I already have about $8 in Apple bucks, so I'll be able to get a few games if I so wish.
Now in the past week I've already picked two games (although I only paid for one). The first is Zenonia 3by Gamevil, an excellent Secret of Mana-type game with a ton of content (four character classes, items to combine, multiple quests, a multi-floor dungeon called the Execution Room, skill trees, and more). There were two versions, paid and free, so naturally I got the free. So far the game is excellent, and the amount of stuff to do is staggering considering the price of the game (.99 cents and free). I cannot recommend this game enough to lovers of the genre.
The second game is Aralon - Sword and Shadow by Crescent Moon Games, an Oblivion-style third-person action/RPG. Naturally with these types of games (as with all touch-screen games, I reckon) there is a question about the usability of the controls, but in this case it is all for naught. The controls are fine (though they would be better on an iPad), and more than enough to get one through the game (or at least the hour that I played). I have to be honest, while there are other Oblivion-style games on the App Store, this one was on sale for .99 cents (down from $4.99).
I've still got a couple bucks (and more coming) so I'll follow the breadcrumb-trail of App Store and Youtube links to find some great games.
[UPDATE] Apparently a bunch of companies in the App Store are having a Labor Day sale, so I'll check those out either tonight or tomorrow. Also, Aralon is back up to $4.99.
Bomba's List is just that: a list. It's not really dumber and certainly not smarter than other lists on the Internet, but it is the only one that is titled "Bomba's List." Also, there are more commas and parenthesis used in my lists. Welcome to Bomba's List.
Bonehead Moves has to do with stupid decisions. While all the following decisions were made out of ignorance, all were sufficiently dumb and embarrassing enough to be labeled "Bonehead Moves." I'd like to focus on games I played, rather than mistakes I made while collecting (which would be too numerous). Let's begin.
GTAIII - Remember the game you played for months on end, forsaking all others? GTAIII was mine. I played it (and it alone) for nearly eleven months, only stopping to pick up the next game in the series (Vice City). You'd think I knew the game in and out, right? I did. Well, everything in and out save the "X" button. Yep, that would be the run button (hold to run, tap to sprint). Guess what? This continued well into Vice City, until a good friend pointed it out, then pointed at me and laughed. Man, all those times I had to run for my life (slowly), jumping around like an idiota trying to dodge bullets. The moral: read the instruction booklet, for it contains many truths.
Dragon Warrior - This was the first RPG game I played (I've never counted Adventure), which I rented based on the great artwork featured in Nintendo Power. It came with no booklet, so I thought I could wing it, so to speak. How hard could it be? The good thing is I figured out the battle combos. You know, the combinations on the D-pad that allows you to do critical damage. I didn't the combo every time, mind you, but I did hit it enough to keep it going.
Final Fantasy - This remains one of my favorite RPGs. Not because it looks good, or did anything revolutionary, but because I played it a lot when I was a kid. I played it for months, all in one-hour increments (two one the weekends), all the way the end. However, in one section I was nearly reduced to tears, all over a simple misunderstanding. Take a close look at the picture below. See the prices, and how they smash together with the Level of the spell? Based on this picture (which comes from the Nintendo Power Final Fantasy Strategy Guide), I spend weeks working towards saving up to buy level 6 spells. I would still be doing it, had I not tried buying the spells without the required cash. Stupid, right? It should be my dumbest, but the next one takes the taco.
Simon's Quest - I received this game as an Easter present in 1990. It was a surprise, mainly because I normally didn't receive anything on holidays outside of Christmas. I never opened the game. See, I had another game in mind, one that was a port of an arcade title I had spent far too much change on. That game was Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road. Yep, I did that. This was the biggest Bonehead Move for two reasons, the first is I had Nintendo Power, so there can be no feigns of ignorance. Second, I stupidly talked the game up as my Mom drove me to Toy's R Us to exchange Simon's Quest for (ick) Victory Road. All I could think about was the tens of dollars of fun I had on the arcade version. For those who've experienced the travesty that is Victory Road, there need be no further explanation. I'd call it the E.T. of the NES, but that would be Urban Champion (duh), plus E.T. looked better than Victory Road. Hm. You'd think I would feel better after getting that load off, but I feel worse. I'm going to take a shower.
I really love the first Final Fantasy game for many reasons. First, it was my gateway drug into RPG games (not my first, but the first I liked). Second, it was the only Final Fantasy game for a long time (and this still stands) that doesn't succumb to the annoying number scheme (Final Fantasy III/6) or doesn't have an alternative pronunciation (Final Fantasy X-2/Ex-Two). Finally, while it has seen many upgrades and rewrites over the years, yet most of them managed to add something worthwhile to the mix. Because of these facts, Final Fantasy I is one of the few games (outside of the PS2 GTA games and the first Mario trilogy) that I've bought more than three times over the past twenty-one years. As you can see, I really do love this game.
Naturally, it didn't take long for me to find this game once I got an iTouch. I was extremely pleased to learn that this game was based on the 20th Anniversary Edition on the PSP (the only version of the game I never purchased), so I was stoked to try it out. What didn't please me, however, was the fact that the game was $8.99. This may not seem like a big deal (I did pay $29.99 for both FF Origins and Dawn of Souls), but considering that some of the best RPGs on the system are either free or less than $2.99, it seemed hard to swallow. Plus, I've already bought this game at least five times in the past. Luckily for me the game went on sale shortly after, so I snapped it up for only $3.99.
In short, the game is great, and entirely worth the $3.99 I paid. The visuals are great, the sound is great, and there is even a transparent D-pad with a single button that controls movement, interactions and running, and also manages to not get in the way too much. Menus can be reached by simply stopping movement for a moment and tapping the tiny stat box that pops up. A little strange, but not game breaking (or even altering, really).
However, there are a few niggles here, a few things that have the potential to annoy some of you out there in RFG Land. First, some of the controls. Remember the D-pad and single button I mentioned earlier? Those work great. What doesn't work great, however, is the touch control in the battle screens. That's right, no D-pad. To battle, you have to touch an icon, then touch an enemy. Doesn't sound bad does it? It does slow things down quite a bit, though, but in an old-school RPG like this it could sound a death knell. Fortunately, since this version is the easy-type, there isn't that much extra leveling involved (your Black Belts will hit multiple times right away instead of level 9, for example). This brings about my second complain. While I will never say I had fun buying 99 heals and 99 pures before the Marsh Cave, I would still have liked to have the option to choose either hard or easy. Lastly, I really hate the fact that exiting the game via the iPhone/iTouch's Home button resets the damn game! Luckily, I never lost a save because of it, but considering that many of my gaming sessions take place in the bathroom (at work), the ability to exit the game, listen to a podcast for a bit, then re-enter would have been nice (always assuming you are using a iPhone or iTouch v4).
In conclusion, I'd like to say that the game, despite my gripes, is still excellent, and if you never got to experience the visual glory of the PSP version, is a great way get do just that. While the price will make most iPhone/iTouch users narrow their eyes a little, it's still priced better than Final Fantasy III or Tactics!
Ah, the blessed silence. Relatively speaking, that is. While I do still have Life to contend with (which includes wife, kids, work, house, etc.), I now have a small lull between semesters. A week to be exact. In the past to celebrate this event I would typically pick a game from my backlog to conquer and not beat it (usually an RPG), I would outline several articles, write them, then stick them in my articles folder, then I would look through my collection (pause to think back to when it was larger), then pick out a few titles to play when I wasn't not playing the RPG I picked out earlier.
However, I've decided to try something different. Seeing that this coming up semester is my last, I am going to break tradition, first by not playing the copy of Final Fantasy IX that I brought up from the basement this morning. Next, I will look over the articles I've written, pick out a few and spruce them up a bit, them drop them in my blogs (not all at once, though). Then, I will start thinking about the speedrun I've been planning (with non-traditional games) and narrow down the list. Finally, I will change my RFG link from the boards to the main page, which will guarantee more comments on the blogs (which I've already started doing).
Don't call it a comeback (as I was never really here to begin with), but rather a slight refocus.
Happy Holidays everyone!
It has certainly been a long time, but it feels nice to write again. The fifty-plus hours of work coupled with the full time school schedule and the constant madness of dual-child rearing has paused briefly, allowing me to leave more than a fifteen word comment once a week. How do I spend this winfall of time? Do I update my own stale website or post a blurb on the myriad of gaming blogs on the Internet? No, instead I go to one of the precious few sites that shares my love of gaming, collecting, and general good fun. I'm talking about you guys. Seriously, I swear.
Like many of you fellow parents, most of my Christmas money goes to the Santa fund, which provides more entertainment Christmas morning than I can properly explain. The wife and I rarely exchange gifts, and when we do it's more likely to be something simple, like a night on the town. This year was different. Due to my new job (and the massive amount of hours I work) we decided to give each other $40 to do with as we see fit. I didn't even need to think about what I would spend it on, it was only a question of where. I saw the answer Monday night before bed - Steam.
December 20th saw the start of a game sale that rivals clearance racks. Nearly all the games on Steam (over 1,400 at this point) are at least 10% off, with many well over 30% and some 50% to 75% off the original price, and to top it off there are daily deals which often give ludicrous discounts. Any doubts I had about digital distribution went out the door instantly, especially since most of the games will work without an Internet connection (a fact I was unaware of). This afternoon I finally snapped up some titles, all which I will add to my collection soon. All the games are followed by the sale prices with the original in parentheses. They are:
Red Alert 3 - $4.99 ($19.99)
Far Cry 2 - $4.99 ($19.99)
Half-Life 2: Episode One $3.99 ($7.99)
Half-Life 2: Episode Two $3.99 ($7.99)
Red Faction: Guerilla $9.99 ($19.99)
Stalker Bundle (both Call of Pripyat and Shadow of Chernobyl) $4.99 ($39.99)
Sid Meijer's Pirates! $2.49 ($9.99)
Supreme Commander 2 $3.74 ($14.99)
X2: The Threat $2.49 ($4.99)
Commander Keen $3.74 ($4.99)
Sure, I went over a bit, but I was always the one to push things. Fortunately the wife just rolled her eyes and walked away. Now the only problem is the finding time to play them. Too bad I couldn't get some of that for Christmas this year.
It seems lately that the buzz in the industry involves the indie game, Minecraft. Nearly every podcast I've listened to has dedicated a third of their time relating personal experiences or talking about some fabulous building or contraption they built. Me, I tend to get rather cynical when I hear these "endorsements", and though I don't immediately dismiss a game that garners such attention, it certainly does count as a black mark. Or a yellow card.
I still don't know why I bought the game, though it might have had something to do with the 50% off if you buy it now sale, though I couldn't discount the whole "sandbox" feel that I heard described over and over. I mean, I never even watched a video or read a forum post about it, I just plunged and played.
When I started playing, I don't even know what my expectations would be. I thought that I would maybe build some stuff (maybe a giant pyramid) and quit. After all, the podcasts I'd listened to described users designing massive replicas of the Starship Enterprise and actual working computers. I started out on a beach and immediately tried to get a feel. After about ten minutes I had some wood planks, sticks, sand, and a lot of dirt. I had started on a grand dirt house when night fell. Then I was killed.
For those who don't know, after the sun goes down, monsters spawn everywhere. While there aren't a great variety, there are zombies (fast), giant spiders (jumping attacks), skeletons (shoots deadly arrows), and creepers (will detonate like a bomb when they get too close). When the sun comes up, the undead creatures burst into flames, but the others persist, leaving behind the danger of a creeper blowing up as you walk around.
So the first fifteen minutes of the game are spent (once you know what you're doing) scrambling to build a shelter for the night. You can dig down and close yourself in, you can build a shelter above ground, or you can make a high block tower away from the reach of the monsters. This survival dynamic makes the game interesting to me, and the building and creating keeps me going.
There is so much more to it, from the building of a first suit of armor (diamond, leather, or whatever) and to your first minecart with rails made from smelted iron (sort of), to the first time you learn to create TNT or start using magma in your home.
But of course, you have to make it through the first night.
I'd like to start off saying that this article was partially inspired by fastbilly1's article Netbooks the Gameboys of PC Gaming
[img width=640 height=480]http://a.imageshack.us/img295/5604/pafrontendsmall.jpg[/img]
The Puppy Arcade Frontend. Note the list of Emulators on the toolbar.
Due to a recent surgery I have been left with a large amount of free time. While I have been gaming, I've also been doing a good amount of research on emulation, with special focus on Linux. It was this that led me to this website, which finally led me to Puppy Arcade. Puppy Arcade is a modified version of Puppy Linux, a very small Linux distribution meant to run on old computer systems (minimum specs are Pentium 166Mhz and 128MB or RAM). Puppy Arcade ditches the "frills" or the regular Puppy release and fills the void with a variety emulators, from Saturn and Playstation to NES and Genesis. There are even DOS and SCUMM emulators, which is unbelievably awesome. And since Linux is already much more "lightweight" OS, the games will run faster than on Windows systems that have comparative specs. But there is another reason to consider Puppy Arcade: the delivery system. Like many Linux distributions, Puppy Arcade can be run as a Live CD (a way to test out the OS before installing for real) or on a USB thumbdrive as a persistent OS (on a drive as small as 128MB). By following the latter method, you can run Puppy Arcade without potentially messing up your computer, save any changes that you make, and add or delete games without burning a new CD. This is especially handy if you are in the habit of buying indie ROM games made for older systems, like the Atari 2600, Spectrum, or C64. It is clear that Puppy Arcade is meant to replace Windows as the cabinet arcade OS of choice.
So, there has to be a negative, right? Yes, but those problems are more indicative of Linux than of the quality of Puppy Arcade. For the uninitiated, Linux distributions come in a staggeringly large amount of variety, each with their own pluses, minuses, and general foibles. Puppy Arcade works well out of the box, but certain tasks (like copying games from USB to a hard drive) require a bit of patience. Of the two tested laptops (a Dell D600 and a Gateway ML6721), Puppy Arcade worked on each. On the Dell it worked perfectly (though we can expect certain emulated systems, such as the Saturn, to not function properly or at all). Puppy Arcade functioned doubly well on the Gateway (thanks to its dual core processor), though the wireless card went unrecognized and likely would continue without a deal of tweaking.
Regardless of these problems, I found Puppy Arcade to be a wonderful all-in-one emulation system with outstanding features and functionality, easily making it the OS of choice for portable gaming-style netbooks and laptops, cabinet gaming systems, or even just to play around a bit.
[img width=320 height=240]http://a.imageshack.us/img204/4746/scummvmcustom.jpg[/img]
ScummVM Console
[img width=320 height=238]http://a.imageshack.us/img291/5430/hungrycustom.jpg[/img]
Hungry are the Dead 3 running on the Gameboy emulator
In a move that has surprised many, the GTA 3 demake, Grand Theftendo, which disappeared sometime in 2006, has recently resurfaced at Gamescom 2010 as Retro City Rampage, an 8-bit style homage to not only GTA but Metal Gear, Back to the Future, Contra, Bionic Commando, and many others!. It is scheduled to be released later this year on Nintendo WiiWare.
About six months after the game disappeared, I started making a habit of searching Google for it every month or so. The problem was that I was searching for "Grand Theft Tendo" (which will only turn up questions about the game), instead of "Grand Theftendo" (the right spelling). So how did fix my problem? I'm recovering from multiple hernia surgeries, so I have an abundance of time. During one of the more slow periods, I mistyped "Grand Theft Tendo", but the right way. I feel like an idiot, but I'm stoked that the game is still around, and looking better than before.
What if someone handed you a disc and told you it is a game created by a studio named Artdink that is a caveman simulator? You eat, evolve weapons, sleep, kill animals, and eventually die. Would you hand it back, or would your curiosity perk up enough to play it?
[img width=320 height=239]http://a.imageshack.us/img146/1530/tailofthesun1custom.jpg[/img]
Tail of the Sun is a fun little game involving a tribe of cave people (you start out with 2) on a singular quest: to create a stairway of mammoth skulls to reach the sun. It's a 3D polygonal PSX game from 1996, which will tell you all you need to know about the graphics. The 3D isn't a true 3D, at least not in the sense that you will have control over the viewpoint (camera): you will always see direct north regardless of the direction your caveman (or woman) is facing. You can pan the camera up/down and left/right a bit, but you will rarely use this, outside of keeping watch on circling birds. The sound however, is quite nice. Lots of ambient noise and a techno music, which enhances the caveman atmosphere (?), I think.
In reality, calling this game a caveman simulator is a bit misleading. After all, if it were a real caveman simulator, you would likely spend your time scrounging for food, fornicating with whatever happened along, and trying not to die in any number of horrible ways, as opposed to running around aimlessly like a weirdo, hitting everything that moves and listening to techno music. There is a day/night cycle, and your caveperson will fall asleep automatically, which can result from anything to a short, harmless slide down a hill to a senseless death by drowning, or killed by a carnivore or bird. Sometimes you will come across some strange artifact, UFO, alien, or cave system. The world is fairly large (for the time period), and there is a great deal to see, though little to interact with (outside of killing it), but in this wide world you have one goal: make a tower of woolly mammoth skulls to read the sun.
[img width=640 height=413]http://a.imageshack.us/img825/9320/tail2small.jpg[/img]
Cons - The cons are glaring, so I will take care of those first:
- The camera is a horror from beyond time. It is 3D, but you can only see in one direction: north. You can use the shoulder buttons to look a bit up or down, but you are locked into the same perspective, regardless of running direction. This becomes fatal when you can hear a bird, but cant see the direction it is attacking from.
- While the weapons (fists on up to stone-tipped spears) are adequate for dealing with large prey (rhinos, hippos, or mammoths), you will find yourself dying often when being swarmed by smaller opponents, such as birds. This sort of relates back to the camera, I guess, as I am convinced that a manual camera would have eased, if not solved the problem entirely.
- The world is very large, and there are a great many points of interest to seek out, but ultimately nothing to actually do. Since the mammoths only live in one place (far north) you will only end up finding these spots once or twice, and spend the rest of the game (every time you play it) collecting those mammoth skulls.
- The last thing I think I'll bitch about is the sleeping thing. Your caveman needs to sleep once a day. If you let him get on with it when he drops down for the night and everything will be fine, but sometimes you need him to be awake. Once you wake him up, your caveman can and will drop off into a deep sleep randomly, which will place you in situations when the caveman will drown or die while hunting or trying to escape a predator.
[img width=640 height=413]http://a.imageshack.us/img834/5605/tail3small.jpg[/img]
Pros
- The game is refreshingly original, and a joy to behold for the first time (if you are open-minded, that is). It really makes me nostalgic for the "anything goes" mentality that dominated the minds of many game developers during this era.
- The sound is great. From sound effects to music, it all adds either immersiveness (birds chirping at dawn) or ambiance to the final package. The strangest part is when the techno music starts up, and it actually feels right, like it belongs. Also, much like the Castlevania SOTN disc, there are actual music tracks on it, so you can place it in a normal CD player and rock out. Or whatever.
- It just feels good, which is enough to warrant a purchase if you're a hedonist, I guess.
- The game is cheap to moderately priced. While there are a number of knuckleheads on eBay trying to cash in on the sad fact no one bought this game in the day, you can usually find a complete game for under $20 on eBay. Quite a bit less it you're only interested in the disc. Another alternative to Goozex, where it goes for 250 points (about $12.50, though they usually give you 100 points when you first sign up).
Looking back at the writeup it appears that the bad totally outweigh the good, but that is far from the truth. Sure, there are quite a few flaws (some easier to overlook that than others), but I think there is something special here. If nothing else, it allows one to see a bygone age of game design, where nothing more was needed than a silly (but unique) sounding idea to green light the creation of a game.
Transformers vs. Transformers
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The other day my brother called me to talk to me about the new Transformers game. He was apparently blown away by some game footage and wanted my opinion. Now, I wasn't ready to buy into his enthusiasm, as hes also tried to convince me that the Resident Evil movies are great cinema with the same amount of zeal, but I had to admit I had heard some positive things about the game, mainly through podcasts (which I listen to almost religiously). I decided to supplement this with a short trip to Giantbomb.com for a little look while we talked. I had to admit, it looked really good. I was on board until my brother declared it the best Transformers game ever.
Whoa. Put on the breaks, there. The best ever? How many Transformer themed games had he played? One: Beast Wars (2000, PSOne). Now, I really hate playing the role of the elitist, and I really hate slagging on new games in favor of older ones, but I needed to set the record straight. I wont say that I didn't slip my thumb behind my bracers and rocked back on my heals as I lectured, but I did get up on a box (it was a shoebox) to tell him about what I had considered the best Transformers game. I am of course speaking of Transformers (2004, Atari) for the PS2. I picked it up at the Gamestop sale a week ago (along with quite a few others) and had a chance to relive some of fun, and while it did show some signs of aging (it did not look good on my 40" widescreen), there is still a strong element of fun there. As I preached the virtues of the game to my brother, (I could actually hear his eyes rolling in their sockets), I thought to myself: What if hes right? That's when I decided to compare them once and for all.
Transformers (2004)
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What you'll love about this game:
- The explosions: when you blast Decepticlones, they burst into a miniature lightning storm. Its very satisfying.
- The openness: Okay, so this depends on whether or not you consider a well designed, open environment a boon or bane to the gameplay. Its not truly open world, but rather you select a level, and there are a number of things to do while you are here. There are mini-cons to collect (they give your Autobot powers), as well as extras like art and music to pick up and sift through later. While you move around (there is usually a cinematic direction the first time you travel each level) you encounter roving bands of Decepticlones to blast. The game also operates on the of you can see it, you can go there principle, though its not taken to any great extremes (such as in the early PS2 GTA games).
-Transforming: You can transform at will, and there is very little that is more satisfying than driving at full speed over a jump, transforming just as you leave the ground and blasting foes as your Autobot smashes into the ground. Great fun.
- Giant Robots FTW: Tidal Wave. Youtube it and enjoy. Even when you know whats coming it is still a bit of a shock at the size of him.
-Mini-cons: While not totally old school, these little guys give the game a lot of diversity. While mostly weapon based, they will allow you to gain a shield and even glide. As they have to be mapped to one of the trigger buttons and certain mini-cons require different amounts of slots, there is a bit of strategy here.
What you'll hate about this game:
- The graphics: It is a nasty shock when you realize how much PS2 titles have aged. I'm not saying that they look as bad as a PSOne game, but I can guarantee that you will do a double take in disbelief if you played it over five years ago. This game was once thought of as one of the best looking of the generation. It was even compared to Xbox (the first one) for its graphical beauty. While you can still see the shadow of what it once was, it is still just a shadow. Not unplayable, but no longer pretty. If you can play it on the PS2 emulator for PC (and you have a rig meaty enough to run it) it might look better
- The Autobots: There are only three to choose from, and none of them look close enough to the originals. There is a slight resemblance, but not enough to tickle the fancy of a fanboy, I think.
- The Decepticons: While there are Decepticons to fight (see Tidal Wave above), they are usually reserved for boss encounters. What you will be blasting for 9/10s of the game are Decepticlones. No need to even explain the name on that one. But they at least blow up nice.
- The controls: This one may not bother you. While they will take a few minutes to get used to (especially for taking cover and closing in for melee attacks), you will likely get used to them eventually. Or stop playing the game because of them. One of them for sure.
Transformers: War for Cybertron
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What you'll love about this game:
- Visual appeal: This game looks great. From the environments to the Transformers themselves, everything in this game stinks of this-generation polish.
-Old school appeal: This game was designed to tickle the fancy of fans of the original cartoon series (generally known as G1). Many of the Transformers are recognizable on sight (in their robot forms, not the vehicle forms), and they even got a hold of Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime. Even the transforming sound is the same. The story follows the events that happened up to the G1 cartoon, so anyone with a serious jones for original G1 story arcs (as each version of Transformers seems to have a different arc) can get it here.
-Transforming: It can pretty much be done anywhere, though there will be sections that you will do one or the other.
-The Transformers: not only do you get to play the Autobots, but also the Decepticons. So wicked.
-Giant robots: there are two giant robots in this game that you will fight. On the Autobots side is Omega Supreme (remember the one who changes into a city?), and on the Decepticon side there is Tripticon (I don't remember this one). While not as big as Tidal Wave (in my opinion), they are satisfying nonetheless, and make for better fights.
What you'll hate about this game:
-The explosions: This is purely personal. After watching every enemy in the previously mentioned game go up in a lightning storm of fury, it sucks to see them just, well explode. Not a big deal for many I expect, but still an annoyance to me.
-The ammo: There is ammo in this game, in the form of energon. You will run out of it and in turn have to resort to melee. This means that you will get shot at a lot and there is nothing you can do about it. Not bad, but not as good as it could have been.
-Old school appeal: If you love the new Transformers movies and hate the old stuff, you will loath this game. But then again, you likely have no soul either.
-Generic robots: Yes, you'll be spending most of your time fighting generic robots, though you will face actual Transformers more frequently than in the other Transformers game.
The verdict: Well I have to admit, some of my brothers hype was well placed. While nothing will ever replace the love I feel for the first great Transformers game, there is no doubt that the newest is a great title and should be sought out by all serious Transformers gamers. Once the price drops, that is.
Thought I'd try something new: Write medium length essays (which I love) about things other people might like, but have them be about something I like. Make sense? Sorry about the name, though. Got it caught in my head while I was on the can and couldn't shake it (sorry about the pun, also).
Whenever a top ten (or twenty) list of all time favorite games is started on the Internet, or during podcasts when gamers talk about gaming innovation, design, or just a fond childhood remembrance, Clash at Demonhead (CaD) is usually mentioned. Now I'm not calling it revisionist history or anything, but things weren't always like that.
In the halcyon years of my youth (and yours, no doubt), the NES was the talk of the playgrounds. Until junior high, video games would be the object of most serious talks, with the NES being at the forefront of many of these discussions. Strategies for Mario and Zelda were oft debated seriously, with secret tricks and special moves being coveted and closely guarded by their creators. However, in 1989, there was no talk of CaD. At this time, the gameplay (what Wikipedia calls an open platformer) was unique. Castlevania 3, which would become the closest comparison for gameplay was over a year away from release. The only proof that this game was real consisted of a small (in it even existed) two-sided flap at Toys R Us, and a small preview in Nintendo Power, but when you are sharing shelf (and page) space with games like TMNT and Ninja Gaiden, this effort was not enough to garner much attention.
As some of you know (the database says , the CaD is a wonderful game, and one of the many elements that made the game so enjoyable was its size. There were many other games that featured hubs (hubs being screens connected together to form a continuous world, with the ability to traverse backwards or forwards at will), but none that also featured exploratory gameplay elements last featured in Metroid. Nearly any body of water, lava, or a seemingly bottomless pit contained more screens. Simply buy a jetpack, scuba gear, or a lava suit from the merchant and you can traverse anywhere. And that brings about the items. While there certainly isn't a multitude, there were enough to keep a gamer satisfied throughout the length of the game. Mix in the afore mentioned suits and jetpack with three different weapons, a shield, power boots (for jumping), a few potions, and three special powers (earned after reaching certain parts of the game) and you have a real winner. If that wasn't enough, there are tons of enemies, with a larger than average amount of bosses to fight. The visual style of the game is definitely anime, with many of the enemies giving off a serious Mega Man feel. The main character, Bang, looks like he was lifted directly from an anime cartoon, and will even shout over his shoulder (at the player, maybe?) if you don't move him constantly. Really, there is just so much fun here, you even mine for gold at one point. Well, you shoot the wall, but you still get gold!
But as in any game there are a few cons. The first and foremost is that it is not always apparent that you are doing damage to a boss. Most have hitting animations, but they also sometimes look the same as a weapon having no effect at all. Also Bang's main weapon fires a small bullet, and since many of the enemies in CaD are moving through the air, timing can sometimes be difficult to hit them. While the game can be completed very quickly, the real fun lies in exploring every nook and cranny, and that is where the last complaint comes from. In order to get a password (unfortunately, CaD had no battery), you had to buy a Microrecorder, which is only available to buy in the Shop (though you start off with one). At the Shop you also have the opportunity to purchase portable Calls, which will summon the Shop should you need it. So what is the problem, you ask? There are only a few physical Shop locations in the game, and it is entirely possible for you to be out of microrecorders and in desperate need to leave the game. While this was a serious problem when we were young (and would have to leave the NES on; a dangerous prospect), it is alleviated some with the popularity of emulation (especially NDS and PSP emulation). But if you have some moral issues with emulators then...
In conclusion this is just a great game that every serious platformer fan or retrogamer should play. If you don't have it then eBay is a viable option (I notice that 4 of you have the game on their wishlist), but maybe you'll find it on a Hunt this year, and then you'll be in for a treat. With a game as good (and criminally overlooked) as CaD, there is a good chance that you may discover it for the first time, and that is something I think we can all be a little envious of.
What are your favorite systems to collect for? I know, I've said this a million times, but I don't consider myself much of a collector. Sure, I do buy and keep pretty much everything that interests me (when I've got the clams, that is), but I've never really went out looking for something in particular. NES, SNES, Genesis, it's all the same to me. But there is one particular kind of game that I enjoy finding more than another, almost to the point that I'd end up buying (relative) crap as long as the box is pretty.
PC games.
Like many of you, I am a child of two worlds: arcade games (mid-eighties to mid-nineties) and consoles (early eighties to current). Unlike in the UK, low priced computer systems never caught on past the C64, and even then that would be a hard sell to my penny-pinching parents. So finding PC software from ANY time period, be it eighties or current, is always thrilling for some reason. One of my favorite finds of all time was when I discovered that the local EB Games sold used PC games. This was just before they were sold to Gamestop, like around a month before or so, but nonetheless I managed to purchase well over 50 games during this period. Everything from the Crusader games to the Silent Hill games and even full boxed copies of the Baldur's Gate games! I must have drove my poor wife crazy, bringing home a couple bags of stuff every Friday for a month with a mad gleam in my eyes.
Well, what about it. Anything you guys tend to look for more than others? A guilty pleasure perhaps?
Well, it's nearly time for the Hunting season to begin. Not really (Michigan still has about 2 or 3 months of cold/snowy weather), but it's certainly not too early to start preparations. For me, diet and technique are key to a successful Score season.
I've honed my Hunting abilities over the years, and have augmented them with information I've gleamed from the original Retrogaming Times and the articles and forum posts from this great website. I'd like to share some of my advice, in the hopes that it can be further chipped, molded, and built upon. It all came out in a bit chunk, so it may seem a bit rambley. Please bear with me:
Diet: You have to be early and ready. This means a good breakfast, whether that be that morning, the night before, or a couple nights before. Daily vitamin supplements are also key, along with a carrot or two for supreme eyesight. There's nothing like the ability to spot items in a garage sale drive by, and carrots are the key to that. Every now and then I also enjoy a good chili. I personally make Goldstar with a few additions (cajun spices and more chili powder), but if I have some extra funds I'll visit a reputable Coney Island (Leo's, or Mr. Mike's) and take in a bowl or two. An energy bar would be great, but stay away from anything with an excessive amount of fiber. Trust me on this one, getting off the beaten path for a Number One is one thing, but having to stop for a Number Two is something else. And when you are on the hunt, bring plenty of water.
Technique: Basically you need a plan. Are you going to hit garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, or a combination of both? Which ones, and by what route will you take? These are all valid questions that must be addressed before leaving. Also think about money. If you plan on hitting a lot of garage sales, it pays to carry a variety of money on your person in various denominations. Nothing sucks more than finding a great haul for $5 and the person telling you they can't break a $20, which translates as either buy more crap you don't want, or give up your loot to the fool watching the exchange from behind the greasy George Formans. That actually brings to mind the other part of technique: the other folks on the Hunt. My theory is that there are three groups of people who get tons of good loot, and you should both familiarize yourself with each group, along with the individuals themselves. You should know and classify your competition, and learn their general look and exactly what to do when you spot one:
The first group are the Plunderers. These folk basically hit every garage sale/thrift store/flea market within reach, with no regard for the look of the place or reputation for items. The Plunderers are systematic and devastating; buying all good and interesting items in their path. If you see a Plunderer at work, I advise you take a quick inventory of the situation (pertaining to items) and exit rapidly. You need to get to the next place before they do. Plunderers can often be spotted driving either fuel efficient vehicles or pick-up trucks with caps on the back to put their phat loot in.
The second group I like to call Raiders. A Raider has a very specific game plan, and is a creature of habit. They will generally hit the same places, at the same times, during the same days. What makes these folk dangerous is their focus. They will know their territory so well that they can often walk very quickly through a store and take a accurate inventory without stopping. While you will not likely be able to outrun one, you can beat a Raider by just going back a different day. It sounds too easy, but it will work. Raiders can be easily spotted by their quick walk (almost a walking-run) and their confident look.
The last group are Tourists. These folk leisurely walk about garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets, often appearing to be casually taking in the sights. They never start early, never go on the prime days (such as Wednesday for garage sales), and will, at any time, quit and go to lunch. Nevertheless, you need to watch these ones. Why? Many Tourists have a large amount of luck, almost to the point that I will postulate that many of them are latent psychics. They can be spotted by their out-for-a-stroll-on-Sunday look, and can be seen pulling complete Vextrexs' and CDXs' out of giant cardboard boxes filled with shoes. The only consolation here is that if they hit one too many bad sales or empty stores, they will give up.
Well, that's it for now. I'm off to bed, but first a bit of unfinished business: I've discovered that many old games can be played on PC using Virtual PC 2007. Mechwarrior 3, here come!
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