OMG

Now here's something that came past my way recently: Game Church a site aimed at breaking down the stuffiness associated with Christianity in favor of playing games.

I had a look at the site and they seem like a pretty cool bunch - what with being less concerned with religious doctrine and seriousness in favor of just kicking back and having some fun. Look at the 'church' option on the menu and it comes up: Yeah we hate religion too.
Indeed, a lot of Christians I've spoken to over the years aren't the type to take themselves seriously so it is indeed welcome to see an open declaration of this.

But what I feel is most important is that a lot of conservative Christians like to use games as being a corrupter of youth or some nonsense - so it's indeed a relief to see other Christians band together to counter these claims.

Mind you, if Jesus was a gamer he'd play in God mode.

Gold Mine

Well there's no escaping Minecraft: I've seen kids play it on the computers in my local library, I hear about friends playing it on Facebook and I've seen images of people using Minecraft to replicate the likes of the Starship Enterprise and the Kingdom of Hyrule. In fact such is this widespread use that it is arguable that Minecraft is less a game and more a building tool.

But what I find most interesting about Minecraft is that it's an unfinished game. Here we have a product that is notched thousands upon thousands of users and yet the game itself is still in development.
So I'll pause for a moment so we can all reflect on the irony that we have such a widely used unfinished game when the history of video gaming is littered with games that were released without being completed.















Anyway, an official release date has been issued for November of this year. But it makes me wonder: is there any point? Minecraft has already racked up plenty of users and has got a lot of mileage for an unfinished game. Will anyone buy the official release? Has everyone grown accustomed to those blocky/retro graphics that anything else wouldn't do at all? Indeed, considering the widespread use of Minecraft, it makes me wonder if anyone actually wants the game completed.....

Everything's Just Wonderful

Recently American McGee's Alice got dusted off and made into a new game - along with a HD revamp of the original. I do remember seeing the original back in the day and being unimpressed. True I never actually sat down and played it but first impressions last and if a game wants me so badly to part with my cash then it better do a damn good job.

What rubbed me the wrong way was this supposed 'edgy' take on Alice in Wonderland. Now if some twat at EA though it might be great idea to dust off American McGee's Alice then I can do the same: I can dust off my thoughts on the original idea and harp on about them in this blog. Don't like it? Tough: This is my corner of cyberspace and I'm taking you all along with me whether you like it or not.

Firstly I don't know about the rest of you but I'm tired of people constantly basing something on Lewis Carroll's creation. What's the matter? Is it so easy to treat a long-lasting literature classic as an idea bucket? Is ripping things wholesale from the text source just a result of a half-arsed writer who couldn't be bothered coming up with something of their own? Anyone can come up with crazy shit - or are people unwilling to accept it if it doesn't have the 'Wonderland' tag attached to it?
I don't see why writers don't stop raping Alice in Wonderland and instead make something creative and imaginative of their own. Look at the anime Spirited Away: true it follows the formula of Alice - protagonist goes to a bizarre fantasy world where she has numerous adventures - but it's done with it's own style and populated with it's own creations. True anyone can come up with a formula but to stray from the formula - and it make it work - is indeed a credit to one's creative genius.

Secondly, I've never quite grasped why people feel that Alice in Wonderland needs to have this 'edgy/dark' feel to it. The original text has nothing of the sort: It's more of a whimsical nature based around mathematics - but obviously someone felt those elements were boring.
So I never quite understood this need for this dark/edgy take on Alice. Introducing things that weren't in the original text like violence/blood/plot seems more like insisting it was there (when it wasn't). From what I've heard about American McGee's Alice, it has some elements that could work like the decent into madness, Victorian environments and really sinister designs. Good ideas yes but they seem like they belong to an entirely different game - to insert them into Alice in Wonderland is more akin to an alien invasion. To insist these things into a long-standing literature classic is like insisting the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is about LSD.

Thus I never played American McGee's Alice - nor do I intend to. For me, American McGee strikes me more as a guy who had some great ideas for a game but was terrified that building his own IP would result in zero sales. So what he came up with instead was a childhood classic invaded with alien concepts.

Which is a shame because I think the setting of Wonderland, with it's creativity and abandonment of logic, could make for a fantastic gaming experience. In fact I reckon if Mr. McGee just ditched the 'edgy' BS and just flat out replicated the story in gaming it could've turned out kinda cool. Who wouldn't want to explore this world for themselves without any regard to logic? Who wouldn't want to see fantastical things mapped out in a whimsical nature when very few games nowadays do so?

Now there's a challenge....

Game of Thrones

Last week I observed the enduring popularity of Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy 7 noting that both games are pretty much the pinnacle of a tried and tested formula. And once it’s made clear that the formula worked, the influence of such knowledge creeps into playing both the predecessors and the successors of both games.

But I want to talk more about this: namely the enduring popularity of Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy 7. Both games were released in the late nineties yet they’ve enjoyed a continued popularity and longevity that many other games would envy. Sure the likes of World of Warcraft and Minecraft may have racked up millions of users but even if those games have both revealed a surprising degree of longevity they have no hope in hell of catching up to OoT and FF7.

In a way the continued popularity/longevity of OoT and FF7 is surprising - surprising when you consider that no such thing exists in this industry where things tend to run at a sprint-like pace. Why is this attention and regard continually reserved for these two? I refuse to use the N-word because that is really more half-arsed excuse – and if N…Nos….Nostradamus is such a potent force then Final Fantasy 7 would be outpaced in acclaim and esteem by it’s younger brother Final Fantasy 6 and as we know this is not the case.

In addition, I refuse to believe that things from your childhood can still work in adulthood: More often than not, games one played as a kid look different from an adult perspective. The former is blinded by the enthusiasm of new discovery but the latter is has experience and the ability to think critically. By way of example, I recall playing Alex Kidd on the Master System when I was a little tacker but to play it now as an adult I’m wonder how the wonky controls and tough difficulty didn’t drive me off the rails. Besides, if I was recall games I played when I was ten years old, I would dust off games from the Commodore 64 era that I would rather much like to forget.

So it’s pretty much fair to say that the continued popularity of OoT and FF7 is that they are really good games. I will not deny that (even if I think the OoT camera is frustrating and FF6 was better) but here’s what I want to know: are OoT and FF7 the holy grail? The pinnacle of gaming? Irrefutable proof that things aren’t going to be better so it’s pointless to even try? How awesome does a game have to be that it can still be enjoyed no matter how much both time and technological advancements can throw at it?

It would seem to usurp the continued reigns of both OoT and FF7 a game would need to impossibly good. Is that even possible? Or even worth doing? Or do game designers have to do something different to grab one’s attention? True Portal did that with it’s black humour but that may have proven it’s undoing: Sure it made us laugh but it’s the laughter that people remember. Thus whilst everyone can recall the Cake Being a Lie, they are still none the wiser of how they came to that conclusion. Thus it becomes clear that if you make people laugh, they’ll follow you over a cliff. Why, I see GLaDOS being continually regarded as a memorable baddie but I doubt it is for any reason other than: ‘she made me laugh’.

But I digress. True playing OoT and FF7 may represent a point in time but ultimately it may be time to move on. More games have been released since and the latest gaming advancements mean that anything is possible – even that which was once impossible now being feasible. It may be unlikely that something mind-blowingly awesome will come storming in and usurp the throne held by OoT and FF7 but that is no reason to stop trying.

I mean, by way of comparison, it’s not like movies stopped being made for nearly seventy years just because Citizen Kane was made.

It's gonna rain

I recently found out that that Project Rainfall has, surprisingly, borne fruit: Whilst the campaign to bring The Last Story, Pandora's Tower and Xenoblade has not been heeded by Nintendo of America, it has however made Nintendo of Europe sit up and take notice.

Thus The Last Story, Pandora's Tower and Xenoblade will now all come out for Europe and Australia. Yet whether or not an American release comes about remains to be seen.

But for now, I'd like to take this moment to relish the fact that, for once, us Australians are getting something whilst the US has to miss out.

Does it feel good to be smug? Oh God yes.....

Degeneration (no.7)

And now we reach what could be the conclusion of this series. And where else could we go to but the current generation?

Nintendo Wii
Whilst I got my PS2 when the sixth generation was shuffling to an end, I was aware of the arrival of the next generation. Although I was far more concerned with my PS2, I did however become aware of the developments within the new generation: The hardware failures that plagued the 360 and the PS3 snubbing off backward compatibility. With such foolish moves, neither option seemed appealing to me. And then came along the old warhorse Nintendo: They came forward with their new console and the promise of having their old games from their previous consoles available for download. And from that moment on, it was all over for me. Of course there was some nonsense about motion controls but what did I care?



In fact that pretty much says it all for my experiences with my Wii: All the games I got for it were all for the Virtual Console (as well as a few Gamecube titles too). Sure I have a few Wii games sitting on the shelf but the number of games, and the hours spent playing them, is far outpaced by the ratio of games/hours invested in the Virtual Console. It may sound peculiar to have my eyes focused on the past but what do I care? Many of the games I downloaded for the Virtual Console are all games I enjoyed before or some that I missed out on the first time around. My goal to hunt down the IGN 100 best games got a shot in the arm and to have those games preserved and readily available is a coup to Nintendo. In fact I swear I’m not the only one who got their Wii just for the sole purpose of playing Virtual Console games (even if Nintendo seem reluctant to admit it).

But I’ve said plenty about the Virtual Console before in this blog so what about the actual Wii console itself? Well, take away the Virtual Console and all that’s left is an abundance of mixed feelings: Sure Super Mario Galaxy and Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess have held up well but beyond those two one would be hard-pressed to think up a game that defined the console. Indeed much of the Wii games were either shovelware, total tripe or split opinion (ie Metroid Other M, Super Smash Bros Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy 2). Were the developers even trying?

As for the motion controls, I’m not sure I see the point. Whilst it may have worked, Wii Sports being one such example, it does take away one of the fundamental connections between player and game. Jumping around to play games can be fun but it’s still no substitute for lounging on the couch with controller in hand. I heard Nintendo aren’t interested in competing with Sony and Microsoft in the hardware stakes so instead they’re looking to try new ways to play games. An admirable intention yes but I’m far from calling it a successful one.
So in the end, the Nintendo Wii, for me, is pretty much the thing that played Virtual Console games. So I guess this is where the long term affair with Nintendo ultimately led to: Eyes on the past glories with little concern to anything new on offer. So whilst the Wii may have kept Nintendo afloat it would be interesting to see what they come up with next. Sure I don’t have high hopes of the Wii-U but Nintendo have proven there is still life in the old dog yet. So what will do they do now?

Xbox 360
So with the Nintendo Wii being used for anything but Wii games how did I feel about the rivals? Well my long-time love with Playstation came to an abrupt end with Sony fiercely decreeing the PS3 to be non-backward compatible. And, like any spurned lover I packed up shop and moved away, never looking back once. So where to then? Well, to the third contender.



I still had my games I got to use on Kathleen’s Xbox so the gravitation towards the 360 seemed somewhat natural. Due to fracas over the hardware failures and the Red Ring of Death, I was skeptical at first but then along came a little came called Dragon Age Origins – and in an instant, whatever reservations I may have had, were immediately cast aside.

So yes, the 360 was my console of the seventh generation. As well as Dragon Age Origins, other games I enjoyed on the 260 included Rock Band 3, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 1+2. All great games in their own right but one thing I truly loved were the online capabilities of the 360. Sure the Wii had Virtual Console games ready for download but the 360 had the possibility to befriend other 360 users, dashboard decorations, lists to compare achievements and a wealth of DLC/expansions for games. And there were the achievements: An opportunity to provide evidence of doing something cool. I was skeptical at first as the achievements meant nothing beyond bragging rights but damn, it never gets dull comparing achievements with friends and gloating over the ones they haven’t got.

Conclusion
And that’s pretty much my lot on the seventh generation. True there isn’t a really lot to say about it as we’re still in the middle of it (for however much longer) but it is interesting to see that this is the conclusion (for the time being at least) of a journey that began over two decades ago.

I have grown up with gaming and it’s been interesting to see points of my life occur alongside the history of this medium. It’s is also interesting to see how gaming has evolved and which gaming technology has endured the test of time – more so when one considers that this is a field where things grow obsolete at such a breathless, and indeed alarming, rate.

True I may have been flexible in my loyalties but what do I care? Yes it can’t be denied that gaming loyalties are something you’re stuck with for life and must be defended to the end, but I disagree. You see, my gaming loyalties are to the games themselves – no better exemplified than my constant jumping from Sega to Nintendo to Sony and Microsoft. If a game looks good and shows promise then I will play it – why should I miss out? I don’t recall it being a law that you must like one or the other.
So do I like Sega, Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft? Answer: Yes.

Anyway, to wrap this up it’s been fun writing out this little recollection. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Until next time….

Secret to the Success

Last weekend a friend brought it to my attention, years later, both Final Fantasy 7 and Ocarina of Time are still as popular as ever. They’re still highly rated and this popularity shows no signs of abating. Some may say this is because both games are kept in public eye through the DS revamp (for Ocarina) and SqueeEnix milking Cloud and co for all their worth but others may attribute the principle that a game that has lasted due to it doing everything right.

Which now brings forth a new question: What do we do now? The enduring popularity of Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy 7 may suggest that the greatest game(s) of all time have been made and there’s little point trying to best them. And it would seem many other people agree.
Both games were essentially the end of a long period of evolution: Final Fantasy evolved over six games, developing things that worked and ditching things that didn’t. As a result, Final Fantasy 7 was the breakthrough hit and brought mass awareness to the end result. BUT! Whilst Final Fantasy 7 was a mass seller unlike any other, it also made millions aware of the formula. Indeed, once played Final Fantasy 7 one can’t really go back to the previous games as the formula is now obvious – and in the games since, the formula has been tampered with to mixed results. The evolution of the formula, and the pioneering spirit it comes with, is more or less now irreverent. Once you know what works, it kind of shapes the perception of future endeavors.

The same goes with Ocarina of Time. The original Legend of Zelda was, at the time, ground-breaking of it’s open-ended gaming. Link to the Past revved it up a notch with expanding the formula and introducing new concepts (not least the Dark World). Does this mean anything? Of course not. Why? Because the formula reached it’s zenith with Ocarina of Time. It made the formula work and sold like hotcakes. That’s not to say that both Oot and FF7 were doing anything new (the former expanded and improved the experiments of Super Mario 64 and the latter eschewed medieval/steampunk setting for cyberpunk) but in the end it was the result of years of evolution that nothing can possibly follow it. Thus every Final Fantasy game since has polarised opinions and people have been treating both Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess with more apprehension than eagerness. Maybe once people know the secret to one’s success the mystique surrounding the product tends to dissipate.

It does raise an interesting point though: Which is more important: The game that introduces a new idea or the game that actually make the idea work? Personally, my money is on the latter however reluctantly. It’s a fact true but not one I’m happy with. Think I’m wrong? Okay then: hands up who’s heard of Aerith Gainsborough. Right: now hands up who’s heard of Nei – yes all five of you.

Losing My Religion

Evil religions are easy fodder for JRPGs aren't they? Look at any JRPG and you see it's more or less all the same: There is some religion which everyone follows run by some corrupt officials who gleefully have the populace under their thumb - also these leaders have their hopes set on the the return of some messiah figure who ultimately turns out to be some kind of demon.
How many times has that scenario been used? In fact, very few in number are the JRPGs that portray religion in a more positive light (the churches in the Shining Force series comes to mind)

But when I consider the afore-mentioned scenario, what fascinates me the most is what happens next. In challenging, and subsequently defeating, the evil demon, the player character effectively destroys the influence of the evil religion and frees it's flock from it's grip. But then what? Exposing one's religion as a sham and then destroying it is a big thing - hardly the type one can walk away freely from. So what happens next? What do the followers do? Are they happy? Now that they have free will do they know what to do with it? Do they spend their days in confusion? Or do they form a big mob and go after the killjoy player character?

You know, as I type this I want to know what happens next. I would like to see an RPG (or indeed any kind of game) of two halves where the first half deals with the 'evil religion' scenario and the second half deals with the afore-mentioned 'aftermath' scenario. Why not? It would certainly make for an interesting twist to the tried/tested/run-into-the-ground 'evil religion' scenario. I know Final Fantasy X-2 sort of tried this but it didn't take the idea far enough (that and the rest of the game was total rubbish). I also know that Shadow of the Colossus sort of tackled this idea but that's more speculative.

The door is open so any takers?

Degeneration (no.6)

And this serial continues.
As stated at the end of the previous installment, my interest in video gaming was waning – but it was not out of spite or anything. No: It was a natural progression of life. Other things were demanding attention, not least of which the real world, and I wasn’t in a position to ignore any of them.
But that’s not to say that I was completely ignorant of developments in the gaming world. I knew about the Dreamcast being the last hurrah for Sega. I knew the PS2 got off to a rocky start and I knew about Microsoft bringing a console of their own, the Xbox, to the table. I even had an Atari Lynx during this stage: Hey, it was cheap and, as befit this blog, I wanted to see if the grass was indeed greener on the other side.
But ultimately, the period of 2000-2005 was one where I parted ways with gaming. But little did I know that gaming wasn’t prepared to let me go. The connection was there and there was some potential for us to continue. All it needed was a catalyst.

And one such came: In late 2005, I stumbled across a list made by IGN on the Best 100 Games Ever Made. Through reading it, I saw a mixture of the recognised and the unfamiliar. I saw some titles I played and some that escaped my notice previously. And most of all, I was impressed that someone had sat down and fashioned such an official-looking list, providing substantial reasoning of each games’ selection and saluting the efforts of various pioneers.

Needless to say I was blown away – so much so, I actually made it my goal to track down every last one of them and play them. And thus, dreams were dusted off and raised from their slumber, opportunities that had passed me by the first time were now possible, and a world of brand new discoveries waiting to be found beckoned. A trigger had been set off and I plunged headlong into the sixth generation.
True it may have been at the tail end, when the seventh generation dawned but who the hell cares? I had returned to gaming and was prepared to savor every last moment. And what better why to kick it off was to return my gaze to a voice that called once before….

Playstation 2
As mentioned before, I knew the PS2 got off to a rocky start and wasn’t really that big of a hit. Funny how this baby is now recognised as the highest selling console ever.
As mentioned above, I finally made a goal in mind. This now presented the new problem of deciding which console, out of Playstation, Xbox and Gamecube, to get. With it’s extensive library, certain exclusives and it’s access to the PS1 catalogue, the winner was the PS2.
I recall the first game I placed into the system: Final Fantasy X. This was pretty much a return to console gaming after nearly a decade of absence. To be honest I had been away for so long I really had no idea what to expect – I had no idea what the graphics would be like (seriously!) or what advances had been made since the days of the fifth generation. Needless to say, what I saw was more akin to waking up from a coma. I was astonished that graphics had grown so spectacular. I was surprised that 3D gaming was actually playable and fun. Okay so maybe Final Fantasy X isn’t quite the best in the series but in any case, it was what got me back to gaming and, eventually encouraged me to seek out other entrants in the series (one has to start somewhere I guess).



I may have been a latecomer to the Playstation but I have many fond memories of playing my PS2: Appreciating the creativity that went into Resident Evil 4, being impressed with the inventiveness and brutality that went into God of War, the satisfaction of coming back to a boss in Final Fantasy X having levelled up extensively and knocking him flat, and, of course, completing Ico for the first time and, much to my surprise, having an emotional response.
I even hunted down some old PS1 games, granting me the chance to dust off some old favourites (Loaded, Darkstalkers, Raiden Project, Return Fire) and the opportunity to hunt some games that escaped me the first time around (Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7).
Interestingly enough, I also discovered how the PS2 could work as a social device. True going round to a friends place to play games is nothing new but when you’re the one who owns the console, you really see how it the social aspect works. Indeed, I remember when I went to a small LAN with my PS2: It was with a small group of people who had far better computers than my POS computer so I brought along the PS2 so I could be part of the fun. And indeed it worked a treat to have the other people queue up to fight each other on Soul Calibur 3. And was indeed gratifying to hear someone else see my playing through the inverted library in Castlevania Symphony of the Night and thinking the music was pretty cool. And finally, there has indeed great fun to have a bunch of friends around for an evening to have a bash at Singstar.

In a way, PS2 represented the destination of a journey: After leeching off other people, I finally had a console to call my own. I had discovered new wonders in a field I’d been away from for so long. And I discovered the power of the social element that can lie with owning a console. After years of having an interest in video gaming, a breakthrough had come like no other. Perhaps it was fitting that I should get my first console when I was well and truly into my adult years – and that console should be a Playstation.
So yes, the sixth generation was more or less the second coming with my gaming career. And as one journey ended another began….

Dreamcast
Remember in the introduction how I made mention of having an Atari Lynx? Maybe it’s the Australian in me, but I’ve always had a fascination for the underdog. You know, the guy who has a go. That, coupled with my previously-established love for Sega, may have counted for me owning a Sega Dreamcast.



I’m still not entirely sure why I got a Dreamcast. Maybe it was indeed favouring the underdog. Or maybe it was a last gesture for years of loyalty to Sega. Maybe it was case of going out and exploring in the hope of finding some hidden treasure. Or maybe it was, at that point in time, case of having far too much money and not enough common sense.

Say what you like about the Sega Dreamcast but there’s no denying that there was a time when Soul Calibur looked mind-blowing (even now) and Sega looked likely to recover from the disasters from the past. But, as we all know, it was not to be and Sega’s reign as a console developer had come to an end.

In retrospect, we can all whinge about the faults of the system (no third party games, too many arcade conversions, no DVD capabilities, online features being overlooked, poor marketing and the impending arrival of PS2) but in the end, there was no denying the Dreamcast was a potent game machine and the potential to be great. Sure that potential wasn't truly realised but at least Sega were trying new things. Sure there was no third party support but at least Sega were trying to build up new IP and doing things that messed with the formula. Sure the Dreamcast wasn’t the hit it should’ve been but nowadays people treat it a reverence not seen for other failed consoles (maybe having no one to blame for the console’s shortcomings helps considerably). True the Dreamcast may have been the death-knell for the once glorious console giant but I still have mine and it still gets used.

But let’s drop the pretences: At the end of the day was buying a Dreamcast worth it just to play Skies of Arcadia?
Damn right it was.

Xbox
As with the other entrants in the sixth generation, I came to the Xbox at a rather late point in the console’s life. For a long time I got a lot of mileage out of my PS2 (and Dreamcast) but I didn’t care much for the seventh generation as it happened around me.
Then, in 2009 I moved into a flat with my girlfriend, Kathleen, and she brought along her Xbox. Curious, I decided to buy some games to use on it.



Of course at the time, I was still giving my PS2 a lot of attention so time on the Xbox was limited. But that’s not to say it was enjoyable: I have many fond memories playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Sid Meier’s Pirates. It was also fun to have someone watch me play my games – sure gaming has long been a solitary experience so to have a second person paying undivided attention to my progression through a game is indeed a welcome change (of course I had no idea how Kathleen really felt about my constant swearing through Burnout 3 but still….)

And I think that what I got the most out of the Xbox: After years of playing games in my room by myself, I finally felt that gaming had finally become a social event. Previously, I’d played games against other people on consoles but the game, so to speak, had now changed. The PS2 may have made me aware of the fun involved with playing games in the presence of other people but the Xbox expanded upon it. Indeed, it is fun to see someone else show an interest in the game you're playing and suddenly you don't feel like you're the only person in the universe who's enjoying it.

When I jumped on the PS2 bandwagon, it was after years of absence – and coming back from that time away I’d grown astonished by what games were accomplishing from the days of the 2nd and 3rd Generations. Games were now being marketed as experiences, offering social commentary, challenges of the relationship between the game & the gamer and triggering emotional effects one never would’ve thought possible.
And I got all that and surprised that gaming could do that. But that was all by my own in my bedroom – so to have someone else along for the ride playing just as much attention as you (the gamer) is particularly sweet.
And to have gaming be a contributing factor to a romance is also kinda cool too.

So that’s my thoughts on the sixth generation. In the terms of my gaming career it was more or less a Second Coming – the return after years of wandering in the desert. And when I came back, I’d seen how gaming had evolved beyond entertainment value. I had seen how gaming had now grown as a social event and more importantly, I see gaming from the perspective of an adult: Indeed, it’s great spending your own money on consoles and games without having to badger/explain to one’s parents. It is fascinating how something you liked as a kid can evolve to a point where you can enjoy it as an adult and not look silly (and having a partner who thinks the same is also pretty cool too). And I’m always amazed just how many people have played the same games I have – even when I thought I was the only on Earth who’d heard of the game in question. I even loved striking up conversations over games and sharing both opinions and solutions.

If anything, sixth generation got me wrapped up in the gaming culture like never before. Gaming had finally become the norm and was now taken seriously.
So where do we go from here?
Towards the next generation one would think….

Return of Saturn

Megadrive emulators are now a dime a dozen aren’t they? Frist there was the Megadrive Collection and then the Sonic Mega Collection and now, more recently, there’s Sega Megadrive Ultimate collection and the Sega Gold Classics Collection.

I was already suspicious with the presence Sega Megadrive Ultimate collection: Whilst the presence of a Hi-Def revamp is welcome enough, it begged the question of why the collection needed to exist: Many of these games are available for download on the Virtual Console, XBLA and the PSN and many of them appeared on the previous collection. But if the existence of the Sega Megadrive Ultimate collection is a puzzling one then what is the purpose of the Sega Gold Platinum Diamond Classics Hall of Fame Whatever the hell it’s called Collection? Many of the games featured on this monstrosity are already available elsewhere (and without much difficulty) and the actual differences to it and it’s predecessors are minor. So the question remains: why does this latest compilation exist?

Personally, I’m growing tired of Sega’s old games reappearing in these collections. True we can all agree that Sega’s defining moment came in the form of the Megadrive but the continual presence of these collections is more than beating a dead horse. Don’t get me wrong: I loved Sonic and the Megadrive when I was a kid but I don’t want the same games being churned out in a factory-like fashion. I don’t want the lesser moments of Sega trying to pass themselves off as a highpoint. I don’t want Sega to keep telling me: “Remember when we used to be good?!?!?”

Sure we may all agree that the Megadrive was Sega’s finest hour but this is what disturbs me the most: Anything else simply doesn’t matter. Now I can understand that re-releasing old games and making them readily available can inspire both old-timers, like myself, and entice the curious but why is this move confined to the Megadrive? Sega made other consoles but they are being shunned – but even before I complete typing this sentence I can already think of the reason why: The Megadrive sold and the others didn’t. Thus it seems possible that Sega isn’t willing to take such risks and, most likely, would rather their past mistakes remained buried. True the Dreamcast got a collection of it’s own on the 360 but most likely the console itself was a decent enough seller to warrant it (a worthy achievement in itself seeing how much vile is reserved for other failed consoles in the history of gaming).

But personally I would like to see Sega’s other consoles given a new lease of life: I want to see the Mega CD brought back into the light and maybe given the respect that eluded it the first time around. Forget the lousy FMV that plagued the system and one will find the system had some worthy games that are indeed worth a second chance: Android Assault, Eternal Champions, Final Fight, Lunar Silver Star, Popful Mail, Vay, Silpheed, Shining Force and Snatcher. Who knows? If you focus on the strengths, people may be willing to forget the faults.
And what about the Saturn? Some may claim that Sega maybe unwilling to touch it because of Saturn’s infamous complexity in programming the games for it. But most likely Sega may not be willing to return to a rather black spot in their history. However I think otherwise - I can think of some highlights that may surely warrant a second look: Burning Rangers, Deep Fear, Dark Seed, Dragon Force, Guardian Heroes, Radiant Silver gun and Shining in the Holy Ark. If they did a new version of NiGHTs for the Wii why not dust the original off? Who wouldn’t want to see the two unreleased chapters of Shining Force 3 finally see the light of day? And how many of you want the play the fabled Panzer Dragoon Saga (I know I do!)?
Hey if people can come with an emulator for the Saturn then it is possible to circumnavigate the complexity of the system, right?

Alas, as I said before, it seems that whilst the Megadrive was a big seller the other consoles in Sega’s history weren’t. Thus it seems clear that Sega aren’t prepared to take such a risk. And the mention of risks seems a bit strange since the Sega I grew up with wasn’t the kind to play it safe. Sure many of those risks didn’t exactly pay off but who was it that shrugged off the Mortal Kombat fatalities when Nintendo balked out? Sega. Who had the audacity to permanently bump off a character partway through their flagship RPG series before Aerith Gainsborough? Sega.

Okay so maybe Sega aren’t exactly in a position where they once were able to take chances but dammit, I would rather see a collection of Mega CD or Saturn games than yet another attempt to convince me Altered Beast, Bonanza Bros, Gain Ground and the Megadrive Virtua Fighter were any good.
And hey, I would’ve gladly played Knuckles Chaotix appear on the Sonic Gems Collection, as opposed to the lousy Game Gear games, any day

Mother's Day

I recently had a bash at Ms Pacman on XBLA. Still a great game that has emerged unscathed from the ravages of time. Plus you have give credit to the game's protagonist for pioneering female leads.
As mentioned in my list of 10 best gaming heroines there is a lot going for Ms Pacman, being a loving wife and a devoted mother. And now that I think of it, it does raise a question: Have there been any decent mother figures in gaming?

I honestly think a mother being a player character is an idea that has potential. This is not somebody who's saving the world or blowing shit up just for the sake of it: This is someone who's acting out of fear of their children and would do anything to keep any threat away. With games now having large scripts and attention to characterization, I can imagine a forty something who's not afraid to pick up a shotgun to save her teenaged daughter/son. Those familiar with anime would note the title Witchblade, wherein the main protagonist is super-heroine but, at the same time, a mother who wants to look after her daughter and make sure she doesn't grow up to have a miserable life. A scenario like that can work if handled right so why not apply it to games?
Indeed, I can imagine many game developers are people who grew up playing games and no doubt have children of their own. So why not?

Sadly, it seems nearly essential for a lot of female protagonists must have a) looks to draw in a male audience and b) fiery independent spirit to draw a female audience. Which such prerequisites, having a mother character is suicide. I mean can anyone imagine Lara Croft having kids? Of course not.
Indeed, I can only think of one other mother character and that would be Sophitia from the Soul Calibur games. Alas, I think Namco must've been frightened that making her embrace motherhood would turn a lot of players away so the poor gal has been sexed up with each passing game in the series. A move which, I feel, detracts from the more noble aspects of Sophitia's character.
Similarly, I've heard Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7 being the embodiment of a 'motherly' role but there is a part of me (the cynical one) that the only way SqueeEnix could've gotten away with it is to make her a) young and beautiful b) hopeless the minute Cloud leaves the room and c) in possession of a rack big enough to land stealth bombers on.
What is this meant to prove? You can only be a mother in gaming if you're hot? I know some women who are mothers and I can tell you it's near impossible to maintain an attractive appearance despite living with the various pressures motherhood brings.



Another such example of such mishandling is Wynne from Dragon Age Origins. She certainly passes for a motherly role with her wisdom, dispensing advice and making sure the [Grey Warden] stays on track (her healing prowess is also welcome). But whilst there are noble qualities, there is a part of me that makes me think that only a woman of an elderly disposition could do it. Granted an aged/experienced character is a familiar archetype but there's no reason to work against the grain: Personally, I wold like to see wisdom and experience put to work for a 'big sister' type character.
But it seems that wisdom and good looks don't walk hand in hand - but at the same time it places the likes of Wynne in the awkward position of both being wise and a nag - a real catch 22 (of course we could go with MY idea but still.....)

In fact I think the only parental player character that is both taken seriously and actually works would be John Marston from Red Dead Redemption. Whilst the player can do what they like with John, there is still no escaping the main plot of the game where John's actions are based on wanting to bury his past as an outlaw and ensure his son Jack lives in a better world.
A noble deed that could only be done by a father. Can a mother character do the same?

But you know maybe there is no need for a mother protagonist. Why? Because both Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor did the job and they did it so well.

Degeneration (no.5)

And here we go with the next installment in this series. And what a time the fifth console generation was: A new contender stepped into the field and everything was turned upside down. How did this affect me? Funny you should ask…

Sony Playstation
Well there was no getting around it. If anything, the fifth console generation will be best remembered by the arrival of Sony in the console race. And unlike other would-be contenders, like the 3DO or the Jaguar, the PlayStation had the support of a major electronics company behind it and a cunning marketing plan clearly aimed at young adults. Right from the word go Sony had become a force that was pretty much here to stay.



For much the mid-nineties I was in high school and as a result, my interest in video games waned – true I did get abreast of what was happening but other times my focus was elsewhere. Yet even with my aloofness there was really no escape the Playstation juggernaut. I was surprised to see familiar franchises like Castlevania and Metal Gear get a new lease of life. I recall seeing ads for Final Fantasy 8 on TV and I was equally surprised to see PS1 games appear in my local music store. But even if my interest in PS1 was limited at the time, I do recall visiting friends (again) and playing Tekken and Loaded. I also recognised conversions of favourite arcade games (Darkstalkers), Windows 95 games (Return Fire) and adaptations of ace anime (Ghost in the Shell).
True my interest in video games had hit a low point but I knew what Playstation was and it was reason enough to get excited. I recall thinking what games I’d get if I got one (although I’d only actually play them in the next generation…..more on that later) so that must make for a positive sign. I remember seeing some of the stunning game cinematic and being blown away.

In retrospect though, there is something about the Playstation that doesn’t sit well with me. Remember in my SNES review how people will struggle to come with a best game that wasn’t made by Square or Nintendo? Well, it’s the same problem here.
Allow me to elaborate: One of the key reasons behind the success of the Playstation is that it was able to offer a home to a lot of third-party developers who were angry at Sega’s missteps and annoyed Nintendo’s restrictions. Thus, it’s clear to me that whilst a lot of familiar IP got a new lease of life many attempts to come up with something new didn’t go anywhere.
Ask anyone which was the best PS1 game and they’d say either Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy 7 or Metal Gear Solid. Beyond those big three it’s a struggle to come up with something else. Aside from Gran Turismo and maybe Tomb Raider it’s a struggle to come up with any real franchise starters. Sure the afore-mentioned ‘Big Three’ may have gone their own direction but they still started from somewhere else nonetheless. Granted Sony may have at least tried to say something new with their blitzkrieg marketing campaign but in the end, what put them on the map was a bunch of old faces given a facelift.
But whatever misgivings I may have about the Playstation, there was no denying it was a hit and was here to stay. It got me excited and changed gaming forever. And that is indeed an achievement that can’t be ignored.

Sega Saturn
And thus the honeymoon ended….
Like most people, my status as a Sega fanboy pretty much died with the Saturn. As mentioned above, my interest were being diverted elsewhere and Sony was proving to be an attractive prospect. Plus I was aware of Sega’s failed add-ons, the Mega CD and the 32X, that didn’t really go anywhere. But even when I saw Saturn games in the stores, there was a part of me that realised that the Sega of then was different one to the Sega that gave us Sonic and the Megadrive.



Nevertheless I still kept an eye on things that were happening in the Sega camp. And in retrospect the Saturn did have some potential. Aside from the prospect of having conversions of then popular arcades (Virtua Cop 1+2 come to mind), at least Sega tried to bring new IP to the table. Sure not all of them were successful (ie Bug and Clockwork Knight) but in some cases it worked in their favour. I recall seeing Nights into Dreams and thinking it had a degree of beauty unlike anything I had seen before. I was also impressed with the creative designs that went into the Panzer Dragoon games.

Indeed much has been written about how complex it was to program games for the Saturn but it is only recently that I found out how many of the unique designs for some games came about only because the programmers were working within the limitations that faced them. And it’s interesting to see, in retrospect, the contrast between the Playstation and Saturn. Whereas the former favoured sci-fi-esque landscapes (Final Fantasy 7+8 and, to a lesser extent, Metal Gear Solid), the latter seemed to go in a direction leaning to fantasy/steampunk (ie Panzer Dragoon and Shining Force 3). This was indeed an idea, and an identity, that had potential so it’s indeed a disappointment that it wasn’t pushed further.
Ultimately, there isn’t a lot I can say about the Sega Saturn. I didn’t buy one and in retrospect, it proved to be a wise move. True it may have turned me off Sega for a long time, like most people, but it was more a natural progression of life than a betrayal. But now, like many historical revisionists, I have to give Sega some credit: They were trying something new. Through the complexity of the Saturn’s programming, they realised the necessity to build new IP and tried to say something new and unique with the tools they had at their disposal. True, a move like that would prove horrifically risky for any company – more so when said company is losing vital ground and left withering in uncertainty. But in the end, the Saturn ended up with a truly unique game library and that in itself is worth some credit.

N64
I hear people say today that the N64 wasn’t as big a seller as its predecessors. But most likely those people were from the US. During the late nineties I remember knowing many people who owned one of these – In fact now that I think about it, the people who owned an N64 outnumbered those who owned a PS1.
For many people, the N64 was another turning point in the history of gaming: It was the epitome of the fifth generation and many people today can recite tales of their childhood spent playing Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time. But I personally have a different perspective of the N64 – you see it represents me the things I didn’t like about the fifth generation.



Don’t get me wrong: I have fond memories of going to friends’ places and playing against each other in Goldeneye 007 and Diddy Kong Racing. I also played Super Mario 64 too. But for me the 3d age was here in full effect and the N64 represented the unease I felt at the time.
I recall playing Super Mario 64 for the first time and found it hard to get into grips with – the wonky camera didn’t really help much either. Most of the time I spent playing Mario 64 involved me running Mario around like headless chook wondering what the hell I was supposed to do next. During this time I played other 3D games, some before Mario 64, and at times I found them unwieldy and no fun at all to play. And such a disgust did indeed influence my playing of Mario 64.
Secondly, whereas I felt the SNES had beautiful graphics (and still do), much of the 3D graphics took a lot of getting used to. Compared to it’s predecessor, the models on the N64 looked hideous! They were badly constructed and looked less like proper graphical models and more like a bunch of random squares thrown in together. To me, this seemed an awful step backwards to what the SNES had accomplished and made me feel put off by the fifth generation and wondering if things had truly taken a turn for the worse.
Of course now, in 2011, such a contemptuous view has been softened (somewhat): Sure we can whinge about the camera on Super Mario 64 but at that point many of the developers were trying new things and coming into grips with this new technology. Indeed, it is interesting to see many of the things they tried in Super Mario 64 get reworked, and improved, with Ocarina of Time. And in a way, it could be said that both Nintendo and Sega were going through an experimental phase at this point in time, trying to find what works. But in that case, Nintendo proved more successful.
So in the end, despite my initial mistrust, I can now use the Virtual Console to download games for the N64 and can play them with fresh eyes. And despite my annoyance with wonky cameras, I can see there was some beauty within the beast.

If this write up seems a bit bland that’s because during the fifth generation my youthful enthusiasm for gaming consoles was in a period of remission. Sure much of it comes in the form of unease towards the innovations of the fifth generation (as with any new technology) but ultimately, it was more a natural progression of life: You find new things, you embrace them for so long until you then move onto other new things. And this case, the real world demanded attention: I had left secondary school and ahead lay college and, eventually, University.
And in retrospect, gaming of the fifth generation represented, for me, a transitional period. The seemingly untouchable Nintendo was beginning to try out new ideas and technology and, as before, everyone was taking note. The former heavyweight Sega had been crippled but was also in an experimental phase, trying out new ideas and ways to get the point across. And the newcomer Sony welcomed in many giants in from the previous eras to ride all the way to the top. The once, two-horse race had now opened up to three and, by the generations end, had revealed three very different outcomes for each contender.

But as I said it was a transitional period: Many of these changes I remained oblivious to with my attention being diverted elsewhere. Thus I went off gaming for a number of years. But little did I know, gaming itself wasn’t going to give up on me that easily….

Time to wake up

I recently had another bash at Dragon Age Awakenings. Now compared to the other DLC and the game itself, I think this had the best writing for the whole Origins experience.

Now don't get me wrong: I found the original game to have some great ideas at work, excellent characterization and enough to keep me going on with it just to see what happens next (not to mention it lasted a lot longer than Awakening). But when you've been playing Bioware RPG's as long as I have, you realise that it does seem a bit formulaic. Come on, a guy wants to do something to ensure his dominance so you have visit a variety of locations to build a method of stopping him? How much difference is there between Loghain and Darth Maul/Saren?

But I digress: what appeals to me with Awakening is the player character going to the effort of rebuilding the Grey Wardens. In Origins, the Grey Wardens are treated with a mixture of awe and fear as these people are the only one's capable of stopping the Blight. As the game progresses, it's made clear the Grey Wardens are mighty in battle yet go through terrible lengths for their role of Blight-Queller.
But in spite of this, the Grey Wardens have fallen into disrepute in recent decades and are looked upon with an anachronistic eye - matters aren't helped with the the order decimated and two new recruits are the only one's remaining: Alister and the player character.

But it's this idea of 'once-noble-order-now-fallen-into-disgrace' that fascinates me - and which is pushed to the front with Awakening. Now that the Grey Wardens have lands and a keep from which to rebuild, the player character starts actively recruiting party members. But what does he/she get? A fugitive, a drunk, a disgraced noble, an exile, a doom-seeker, and a dead man. Far from being recruits to a noble order but to me that's what makes the plot to Awakenings so compelling.
Being an experienced gamer I'm used to RPG's being full of noble heroes who save the world just for (seemingly) the sake of it. But the party members are far from [Lawful Good] material - no, they are a bunch of misfits and losers who really have nowhere else to go - except an anachronistic order dedicated to killing Darkspawn. They are to rebuild this order - and even then the survival of said order isn't really assured....

And that's what makes Awakening compelling. It takes a convention of the RPG formula and does things differently. Indeed, messing with a formula can indeed bear fruit and I wonder why this wasn't taken further in the main game...

Wii Like U!

Here's a little something I contributed to this site

With the announcement of the successor to the Wii, in the form of the Wii-U, many minds will begin to consider that now is the time for the seventh generation of consoles to stand aside and make way for the eighth generation. Hardly surprising since we gamers need a constant stream of technological prowess to keep our fleeting attention spans held – lest we find something else to blow our money on. I guess this is the end result of sixth previous generations of building powerful technology and mind-blowing graphics: Each successive console generation is ultimately a cycle that we’ve somehow become unflinchingly accustomed to.

But I digress. With the announcement of the Wii-U, all eyes now turn to Nintendo. The old war horse; the company that gave us icons like Mario, Link, Donkey Kong and Samus; The organisation that has pretty much become synonymous with video gaming; the survivor who beat off the upstart that was Sega and the company that wrote the rules of the game and before changing them all.
The question now is what can Nintendo do now?

In recent years, Nintendo have attracted disgust from many gamers – The Gamecube has never been able to escape the stigmata of being a ‘kiddie’ console having built a fanbase around Nintendo fans and younger gamers (whereas everyone else fled to the bosom of the Playstation and Xbox). The Wii hasn’t fared much better either: Being outclassed by it’s rivals, having games exclusively marketed at the casual fanbase and, well, not making games for the Wii. This, along with some baffling decisions (the response to Project Rainfall being one such example) has now placed Nintendo in a position where many of it’s fans are responding with either anger or defection to the PS3 and the 360). It’s indeed surprising that this disgust has come about considering that this was a company who everyone adored with unquestionable passion – even when a potential usurper arrived in the form of Sega.
So whilst the Wii may have made Nintendo enough money to stay float the question still remains: what can they do now?

One problem – and perhaps the most obvious one – is that Nintendo have been basing much of their strategy on familiarity (I refuse to use the N-word in this article). Sure the NES may have given us Super Mario Bros, legend of Zelda and Metroid but these franchises have turned up with each successive console (well maybe not Metroid for the N64 but whatever). The idea of using familiarity to sell something new is good in theory but now Nintendo have been reusing established franchises to the point where it is now expected. Sure some people may be a bit tired of Nintendo reusing their well-established franchises but to build new franchises isn’t that simple: The old guard have taken root and there’s no shifting them. Can anyone now imagine buying a Nintendo console without a Mario or a Zelda game? Of course not. People like familiarity and the comfort they bring so to introduce new faces would most likely send ripples of panic into the prospective buyers. Granted the roster in Super Smash Bros Brawl was a brave attempt by Nintendo to give new light to some forgotten franchises but I doubt anyone would’ve recognised half of them. Get past Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Zelda, Link, Ganondorf, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Fox, Falco, Captain Falcon, Samus, the Pokemon, Kirby, Snake and even Sonic and you’re left with a bunch of faces so unrecognizable you’d wonder why they bothered to show up.

And then there’s the Virtual Console. I thought this was a great idea as I thought it great opportunity for veteran gamers (like myself) to pick up great games they may have missed out on the first time around. Indeed, it can be argued that having games available for download may have inspired both the XBLA and the PSN. And I’m certain that I’m not the only one who picked up a Wii just for the Virtual Console. But that’s just it: The presence of these games and indeed the Virtual Console are nothing new and ultimately solidifying the perception that Nintendo are getting by on their established IP. Sure I may have spent more than few dollars on Virtual Console games but I can’t help thinking that I, if maybe, have contributed to the furthering of Nintendo’s current (and unwelcome) position of furthering familiarity and rehashing stuff that worked before.

Talk about shooting one’s self in the foot.

Also, whilst the Wii may have saved Nintendo and keep them in the game (so to speak) for a little while longer but it seems to have also made them too comfortable. I mean, are Nintendo actually putting out games with actual content? Sure Goldeneye 007, Smash Bros Brawl and Twilight Princess, may have been big titles but of those three, one’s remake, one’s a rehash made to fulfill fan desires and one was looking at Ocarina of Time’s blueprint. Again, it is this reuse of old ideas. Are Nintendo even trying any more? Sure the Wii may have been a big seller but there is not enough games for it to justify the big sales or its potential as a game console. Sure making games may be a job like any another but that’s no reason to stop caring and be half-arsed about it.

Indeed, it is telling that nowadays, Nintendo seem to be lavishing far more attention to the 3DS – perhaps far more than what is necessary. Indeed, the negative response to Project Rainfall may have been the final straw for most people and they’ve subsequently given up on Nintendo completely – many who’ve been unbending in nearly two decades of devotion. Why plug the Wii-U as ‘hardcore’ friendly when the snubbing of Project Rainfall says otherwise?

But this is what bothers me: A video game company that makes bad decisions? One that ignores it’s fanbase and makes games that is more or less shovelware? One that relies on past glories and makes almost exclusively first party games? One that introduces a new technology but is unable to make good use of it? One that is subsequently out classed by it’s rivals?

Didn’t all these things happen to Sega?

Whilst Sega’s days of a console developer have long gone, the memory of the once great console giant lingers – not to mention it’s ultimate downfall (one being even greater than that of Atari). As history has a nasty habit of repeating itself, it would be interesting to see whether or not Nintendo can avoid a similar fate.

So what can Nintendo do now? That’s a very good question….