Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Sonic KaBoom
Following on from the problems I've had with Sonic CD on the XBLA, I did some research and it turns out that both the Japanese and US releases of the original game had different music. And the subsequent XBLA re-release has the original music restored. Thus, whereas I was expecting to hear something I was familiar with (the US music) what I'm hearing is the original (Japanese music).
But the promised switch between the two soundtracks has yet to be found.
Needless to say, the change from familiarity - even if it's completely wrong - is indeed jarring. Still there is the possibility that the Japanese soundtrack may grow on me...
Other than that, I'm really astonished how Sonic CD looks on the XBLA. I've said before that many games from previous generations look dumb now when we're all using very powerful TVs but here Sonic CD looks incredible - and indeed hard to imagine it being a Megadrive game (albeit one with great music). I've heard that this revamp for the XBLA was done by one guy and I'm astonished by the quality of the finished product - somehow one thinks this was Sonic CD, often regarded as the strongest of Sonic's offerings, with the red-carpet treatment it thoroughly deserved. .
But the promised switch between the two soundtracks has yet to be found.
Needless to say, the change from familiarity - even if it's completely wrong - is indeed jarring. Still there is the possibility that the Japanese soundtrack may grow on me...
Other than that, I'm really astonished how Sonic CD looks on the XBLA. I've said before that many games from previous generations look dumb now when we're all using very powerful TVs but here Sonic CD looks incredible - and indeed hard to imagine it being a Megadrive game (albeit one with great music). I've heard that this revamp for the XBLA was done by one guy and I'm astonished by the quality of the finished product - somehow one thinks this was Sonic CD, often regarded as the strongest of Sonic's offerings, with the red-carpet treatment it thoroughly deserved. .
Monday, June 25, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Something Fishy
Last weekend I went to a LAN - whilst I was there, I was able to play, for the very first time, Call of Duty no.4.
I personally have no love for these modern shooters. Most of them due to the following reasons:
1) They all the seem the same. There are so many of them available and so many of them have similar sounding names and it's no increasingly difficult to tell them apart.
2) Pretensions of realism. So many games claim how they are well-researched and so forth that it's something that, for me, is somewhat tiresome. Personally if I were to do a realistic-shooter, I would incorporate elements like soldiers being panicked and frightened under fire and the cost of lives that goes into fighting a war (can you say Cannon Fodder?). Or better still, ditch the realism and concentrate on the bizarre and unreal and see how many LAN-tales it inspires. But I digress...
3) The people who play these games. I've never been a big fan of these types of shooters and have been especially reluctant to play them with anyone else. Reason being, more often than not, you find yourself playing against someone who KNOWS what they're doing. As such, you get shot down repeatedly by someone who relishes in shooting the unfamiliar simply because it's the only way the ace player can get it up. And they take it so seriously too! Therefore, as a golden rule, if a computer/video game stops being fun then then would be a good time to quit.
Grumbling aside, it did take a lot of coaxing for the other LAN participants to get me to try CoD4. And after the initial awkwardness and stupid learning curve (ie kill them before they kill you!) I did find some enjoyment out of CoD4. Sure it was stupid that I got killed so easily but I played it enough times (and shoot so many dudes) to make to the rank of Lance Corporal no.1.
Indeed, once I unlocked the class of Sniper I really went to town through being able to claim a high possie and take out anyone in sight. And it was that point that I went from 'hopeless' to being 'a pain in the arse'. A true advancement and it's funny how a game becomes more enjoyable once you make some degree of headway in it.
So yeah, after some skepticism, I tried CoD4 and found it quite enjoyable. It hasn't changed my distaste for the modern shooter but hey, I can certainly the appeal of that this game has had over many a LAN.
I personally have no love for these modern shooters. Most of them due to the following reasons:
1) They all the seem the same. There are so many of them available and so many of them have similar sounding names and it's no increasingly difficult to tell them apart.
2) Pretensions of realism. So many games claim how they are well-researched and so forth that it's something that, for me, is somewhat tiresome. Personally if I were to do a realistic-shooter, I would incorporate elements like soldiers being panicked and frightened under fire and the cost of lives that goes into fighting a war (can you say Cannon Fodder?). Or better still, ditch the realism and concentrate on the bizarre and unreal and see how many LAN-tales it inspires. But I digress...
3) The people who play these games. I've never been a big fan of these types of shooters and have been especially reluctant to play them with anyone else. Reason being, more often than not, you find yourself playing against someone who KNOWS what they're doing. As such, you get shot down repeatedly by someone who relishes in shooting the unfamiliar simply because it's the only way the ace player can get it up. And they take it so seriously too! Therefore, as a golden rule, if a computer/video game stops being fun then then would be a good time to quit.
Grumbling aside, it did take a lot of coaxing for the other LAN participants to get me to try CoD4. And after the initial awkwardness and stupid learning curve (ie kill them before they kill you!) I did find some enjoyment out of CoD4. Sure it was stupid that I got killed so easily but I played it enough times (and shoot so many dudes) to make to the rank of Lance Corporal no.1.
Indeed, once I unlocked the class of Sniper I really went to town through being able to claim a high possie and take out anyone in sight. And it was that point that I went from 'hopeless' to being 'a pain in the arse'. A true advancement and it's funny how a game becomes more enjoyable once you make some degree of headway in it.
So yeah, after some skepticism, I tried CoD4 and found it quite enjoyable. It hasn't changed my distaste for the modern shooter but hey, I can certainly the appeal of that this game has had over many a LAN.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Trail of a Badman
Whew - bashing out 300 posts (and on a regular basis may I add) is certainly something to be proud of. But is it any reason to stop? Of course not! I still have plenty more to say and as long as I continue to do so, this blog may continue to thrive.
But what you may not know is that the list of 300 posts was not my original choice for the 300 post milestone. What happened is that my original idea didn't turn out as well as I hoped and it had to be scrapped - and the list of my 50 best games was a late-hour arrival. Now personally I find that the posts I put a lot of thought and effort into, turn out to be my best ones so in a way my fifty best games post seems rather anticlimactic.
But I digress. So what was the original post I had in mind? Well, the follow on from my best heroines and heroes posts, I felt it was fitting to continue with the theme with some of my favorite villains.
However once I took up the task, I soon faced a problem: I was having a really hard time trying to come up with eleven of them.
You see, the main difference between video games and books/films/TV series, is the principle of interactivity. And somehow that lessens the impact of a villainous presence.
Allow me to elaborate: I can think of many villains in books/films/TV series that have made an impression on me: Darken Rahl, Emperor Palpatine, Nurse Ratchet, Joffrey Lannister, David Xanatos, Mr Blonde, Lijah (FETHING!) Cuu, Gaston, T-1000, Makato Shishio, Dilandau, General Melchett, Discord and the Queen of the Changelings. These are characters who are made out to be nasty - true they may also be of a complex personality, have a decent motivation and may even be sympathetic. But in the end they are the villains and their ultimate role is to enough bad stuff to make you, the viewer, want them to get their just desserts from the protagonist. Indeed, I personally feel the mark of a good villain is the type that makes you want to reach into the pages/screen and wring the asshole's neck.
But therein lies the key difference with video games - the interactivity. You, the player are there to kill the bad guy. You aren't relying on someone else to do it. You are doing the same thing that countless heroes in books/films/TV series have done before you. And somehow, such knowledge lessens the impact a villain should have. The viewer finally can make a difference to the drama before them and go one on one with the once seemingly untouchable villain.
Therefore, whilst it's easy for me to think up many fictional villains, it's not so easy when it comes to video games. Very few video game villains I can think of have generated such an impact that equals, or even surpasses, the rogues gallery listed above.
In addition, in an attempt to find some inspiration, I read several gaming villains lists and I found they all said the same thing - Namely, GLaDOS and Sephiroth. But somehow I don't buy that because a) what, did all the other gaming villains pack up and leave? and b) it seemed to me that these two do something (Sephiroth killed Aerith! GLaDOS made me laugh!) and people are willing to spend many hours write down many an essay to back up their decision. But anyone could do that to any villain so why should these two get the red carpet treatment?
Grumbling aside, the idea of compiling a list of my favorite video game villains is still there and may be one that I may return to one day. I have my own ideas on what makes a great villain and upon seeing so many lists on what makes a great villain, somehow one gets the feeling an alternative view could be necessary....
But what you may not know is that the list of 300 posts was not my original choice for the 300 post milestone. What happened is that my original idea didn't turn out as well as I hoped and it had to be scrapped - and the list of my 50 best games was a late-hour arrival. Now personally I find that the posts I put a lot of thought and effort into, turn out to be my best ones so in a way my fifty best games post seems rather anticlimactic.
But I digress. So what was the original post I had in mind? Well, the follow on from my best heroines and heroes posts, I felt it was fitting to continue with the theme with some of my favorite villains.
However once I took up the task, I soon faced a problem: I was having a really hard time trying to come up with eleven of them.
You see, the main difference between video games and books/films/TV series, is the principle of interactivity. And somehow that lessens the impact of a villainous presence.
Allow me to elaborate: I can think of many villains in books/films/TV series that have made an impression on me: Darken Rahl, Emperor Palpatine, Nurse Ratchet, Joffrey Lannister, David Xanatos, Mr Blonde, Lijah (FETHING!) Cuu, Gaston, T-1000, Makato Shishio, Dilandau, General Melchett, Discord and the Queen of the Changelings. These are characters who are made out to be nasty - true they may also be of a complex personality, have a decent motivation and may even be sympathetic. But in the end they are the villains and their ultimate role is to enough bad stuff to make you, the viewer, want them to get their just desserts from the protagonist. Indeed, I personally feel the mark of a good villain is the type that makes you want to reach into the pages/screen and wring the asshole's neck.
But therein lies the key difference with video games - the interactivity. You, the player are there to kill the bad guy. You aren't relying on someone else to do it. You are doing the same thing that countless heroes in books/films/TV series have done before you. And somehow, such knowledge lessens the impact a villain should have. The viewer finally can make a difference to the drama before them and go one on one with the once seemingly untouchable villain.
Therefore, whilst it's easy for me to think up many fictional villains, it's not so easy when it comes to video games. Very few video game villains I can think of have generated such an impact that equals, or even surpasses, the rogues gallery listed above.
In addition, in an attempt to find some inspiration, I read several gaming villains lists and I found they all said the same thing - Namely, GLaDOS and Sephiroth. But somehow I don't buy that because a) what, did all the other gaming villains pack up and leave? and b) it seemed to me that these two do something (Sephiroth killed Aerith! GLaDOS made me laugh!) and people are willing to spend many hours write down many an essay to back up their decision. But anyone could do that to any villain so why should these two get the red carpet treatment?
Grumbling aside, the idea of compiling a list of my favorite video game villains is still there and may be one that I may return to one day. I have my own ideas on what makes a great villain and upon seeing so many lists on what makes a great villain, somehow one gets the feeling an alternative view could be necessary....
Monday, June 18, 2012
Personal Best
Well well well! Look at me, I've made it to 300 posts in this blog! Woot!
Now it's become something of a tradition that whenever I reach 100 posts I have to do something special. Previously I've talked about my favourite heroes so what to do for this time around?
Well, I decided what the hey - I'll compile a list of my favorite games ever!
Yes I' decided I finally sit down and decided which games I've enjoyed in many years of gaming - indeed, this was made to produce a definitive list and not because I had nothing better to rattle on about for my 300th post.
So how I decide upon this list? Well, how many hours I may have sunk into the game, how good a game it was and how big an impact it had upon me. Note that there may be some exclusions (ie Chrono Trigger, Deus Ex and Half Life) which can be explained by a) I have yet to play the game in question or b) I have the game but I have yet to play it enough to form an opinion.
But as always, with this kind of list, this list is based solely on my opinion - ask someone else to compile a list of their favorite games ever and they'll most likely produce something completely different. And as always, I thrive on being different.
Anywho, enough preambling - let's get to the list. So sit back, relax and enjoy.
And I'll hope to see you again when this blog hits the 400 post mark - who knows? Maybe I may have played enough games to build a list of a hundred games....
----------------------
The 50 best games I've ever played:
50. Burnout 3
49. Soul Calibur 3
48. Cannon Fodder
47. Chaos Engine
46. Raiden 2
45. God of War.
44. Final Fantasy 9
43. Final Fantasy 7
42. The Dig
41. Actraiser
40. Bubble Bobble
39. Final Fantasy 10
38. Ogre Battle 64
37. Doom
36. Vendetta
35. Last Ninja 2
34. Command and Conquer: Red Alert
33. Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
32. Bioshock
31. Dragon Age Origins
30. Metal Slug
29. Alien vs Predator Arcade
28. Pool of Radiance
27. Phantasy Star 4
26. Pharaoh
25. Super Mario bros
24. Sonic the Hedgehog
23. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
22. Shining Force 2
21. Resident Evil 4
20. Skies of Arcadia
19. Super Mario bros 3
18. Heroes of Might and Magic 2
17. Sid Meier's Pirates!
16. Rock Band 2
15. Starcraft
14. Okami
13. World of Warcraft
12. Super Mario World
11. Secret of Mana
10. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
9. Super Metroid
8. Final Fantasy 6
7. Shadow of the Colossus
6. Civilisation 2
5. Red Dead Redemption
4. Mass Effect 2
3. Baldurs Gate 2
2. Metal Gear Solid
1. Ico
Now it's become something of a tradition that whenever I reach 100 posts I have to do something special. Previously I've talked about my favourite heroes so what to do for this time around?
Well, I decided what the hey - I'll compile a list of my favorite games ever!
Yes I' decided I finally sit down and decided which games I've enjoyed in many years of gaming - indeed, this was made to produce a definitive list and not because I had nothing better to rattle on about for my 300th post.
So how I decide upon this list? Well, how many hours I may have sunk into the game, how good a game it was and how big an impact it had upon me. Note that there may be some exclusions (ie Chrono Trigger, Deus Ex and Half Life) which can be explained by a) I have yet to play the game in question or b) I have the game but I have yet to play it enough to form an opinion.
But as always, with this kind of list, this list is based solely on my opinion - ask someone else to compile a list of their favorite games ever and they'll most likely produce something completely different. And as always, I thrive on being different.
Anywho, enough preambling - let's get to the list. So sit back, relax and enjoy.
And I'll hope to see you again when this blog hits the 400 post mark - who knows? Maybe I may have played enough games to build a list of a hundred games....
----------------------
The 50 best games I've ever played:
50. Burnout 3
49. Soul Calibur 3
48. Cannon Fodder
47. Chaos Engine
46. Raiden 2
45. God of War.
44. Final Fantasy 9
43. Final Fantasy 7
42. The Dig
41. Actraiser
40. Bubble Bobble
39. Final Fantasy 10
38. Ogre Battle 64
37. Doom
36. Vendetta
35. Last Ninja 2
34. Command and Conquer: Red Alert
33. Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
32. Bioshock
31. Dragon Age Origins
30. Metal Slug
29. Alien vs Predator Arcade
28. Pool of Radiance
27. Phantasy Star 4
26. Pharaoh
25. Super Mario bros
24. Sonic the Hedgehog
23. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
22. Shining Force 2
21. Resident Evil 4
20. Skies of Arcadia
19. Super Mario bros 3
18. Heroes of Might and Magic 2
17. Sid Meier's Pirates!
16. Rock Band 2
15. Starcraft
14. Okami
13. World of Warcraft
12. Super Mario World
11. Secret of Mana
10. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
9. Super Metroid
8. Final Fantasy 6
7. Shadow of the Colossus
6. Civilisation 2
5. Red Dead Redemption
4. Mass Effect 2
3. Baldurs Gate 2
2. Metal Gear Solid
1. Ico
Friday, June 15, 2012
Eulogy for a TV
Earlier this week I got a brand new HDTV. It’s welcome addition to my
gaming den and it’s a treat to see my favorite games in HD. Of course, it also
means my previous TV has been retired so for today I’ll talk about the outgoing
TV.
I purchased this TV back in the days of 2004. Prior to that,
I had a succession of hand-me-down TVs from my father. Thus, whilst my Old TV wasn’t the first TV I owned
it was the first time I paid for one – fittingly it was purchased around the
same time one of the hand-med-downs finally bit the dust.
Compared from what I had previously this was a step up – I had
a digital flat screen and my own remote! From here I spent many a late hour
watching some nonsense in an attempt to beat insomnia. At first I didn’t think
of getting a game console but eventually it happened – that fateful day in 2006
when I shelled out for a PS2.
From there, my Old TV was a constant companion to the PS2 –
through them, I was able to experience many games and see many fine worlds. I
played many games and loved every minute of it. My Old TV even opened up to accommodate
the needs of a Dreamcast.
Eventually, in 2009, I moved into a flat in Melbourne – and my
TV went with me. Again it was relied upon for television, PS2 and Dreamcast – only
now in even greater demand. It even grew to welcome to more additions: An Xbox
and, eventually, a Wii. And if that wasn’t enough, there was also the rare occasion,
when it became acquainted with an Xbox 360. An acquaintance that eventually grew
into something more permanent.
However in recent months, My Old TV seemed to slowing down:
There were times that the screen dimmed and the sound was breaking down. It
seemed my loyal friend was failing – but it still went out in grand style, being
my means of playing various 360 games. Indeed it seemed a grand way to bow out of
a journey that started with Final Fantasy X.
So here’s to my Old TV – we had many a good time together and
it was a friend to others as well. Rest in peace.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Shadow of the Beast
Last week I heard that there is a Shadow of the Colossus movie in development and it has a director, Josh Trank, attached to it. Normally I don't pay much attention to game-to-film adaptations as they tend to have a rather terrible reputation (one well earned mind you). But SotC is a favorite game of mine and, as a result, this is the first I've heard of such an adaptation.
So in order to talk about this, let me share my thoughts on video game-to-film adaptations: It is something I have mixed feelings about. Sure they nearly always turn out to be terrible movies but consider this: Any movie can work if the effort is put into it - even to the point where any dubious origins can be ignored. Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie - great movie but looking at now, one wouldn't think that it was inspired by a theme park ride in Disneyland.
But ultimately though, unlike movies, books or TV series, video games hold the unique position of being a form that entertainment that requires participation form the viewer. As such there are many scenarios in a game that will never work in a movie.
Having said that however, it also works the other way. I never liked how games bill themselves as movies, or on par with movies, because that really defeats the purpose of it being a game. If you're going to make a game that requires the player to sit quietly when the action is being played out then why are you making a game? If you're billing movie-like quality to a game then why isn't it a movie? As such I have seen some games that present scenarios that could work great as a movie but fail when placed in the context of an actual game. Having said that, when is a Dreamweb movie going to get made, hrmmm?
But having got that off my chest, let's talk Shadow of the Colossus.
How on earth can one hope to make a movie out this scenario? There's only three characters in the entire game: One of which is in a comatose state and another one is an equine. There's the colossi true but whereas the game was sold on the seemingly insane principle of sixteen boss fights, making a movie out of that principle sounds impossible.
And that's not even considering the ambiguous nature of the game: When you think about it, Shadow of the Colossus presents a story but only half of it - or even less than half. So what would the movie hope to achieve with half a story? Will it explain the origins of Dormin? Describe the exact relationship between Wander and Mono? Illustrate how Emon knows Wander? Somehow having such mysteries explained for me loses their allure.
Personally if I were to make a game based movie I would do one based on those Space Marine combat games (ie Gears of War). But I'd take one of the macho space marines and then place him in a world AFTER victory has been achieved and he must learn to reconnect with the real world and function as a proper human being :)
So in order to talk about this, let me share my thoughts on video game-to-film adaptations: It is something I have mixed feelings about. Sure they nearly always turn out to be terrible movies but consider this: Any movie can work if the effort is put into it - even to the point where any dubious origins can be ignored. Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie - great movie but looking at now, one wouldn't think that it was inspired by a theme park ride in Disneyland.
But ultimately though, unlike movies, books or TV series, video games hold the unique position of being a form that entertainment that requires participation form the viewer. As such there are many scenarios in a game that will never work in a movie.
Having said that however, it also works the other way. I never liked how games bill themselves as movies, or on par with movies, because that really defeats the purpose of it being a game. If you're going to make a game that requires the player to sit quietly when the action is being played out then why are you making a game? If you're billing movie-like quality to a game then why isn't it a movie? As such I have seen some games that present scenarios that could work great as a movie but fail when placed in the context of an actual game. Having said that, when is a Dreamweb movie going to get made, hrmmm?
But having got that off my chest, let's talk Shadow of the Colossus.
How on earth can one hope to make a movie out this scenario? There's only three characters in the entire game: One of which is in a comatose state and another one is an equine. There's the colossi true but whereas the game was sold on the seemingly insane principle of sixteen boss fights, making a movie out of that principle sounds impossible.
And that's not even considering the ambiguous nature of the game: When you think about it, Shadow of the Colossus presents a story but only half of it - or even less than half. So what would the movie hope to achieve with half a story? Will it explain the origins of Dormin? Describe the exact relationship between Wander and Mono? Illustrate how Emon knows Wander? Somehow having such mysteries explained for me loses their allure.
Personally if I were to make a game based movie I would do one based on those Space Marine combat games (ie Gears of War). But I'd take one of the macho space marines and then place him in a world AFTER victory has been achieved and he must learn to reconnect with the real world and function as a proper human being :)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Planet of Sound (no.6)
Name: Spike
Birthdate: 11th June 1982
Instruments: Lead Guitar / Vocals
Affiliations: Dire Tribe / Demon Flower / Tension Heads
Bio: Spike was the youngest child in a middle-class family. His musical education came from his family, being raised on a diet of melodic guitar pop and, through his brother, a love for loud, crunching guitar riffs. Indeed, this period brought forth a long standing admiration for Pearl Jam and the Beatles.
It was during Spike’s childhood that Seattle became legendary for Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the birthplace of the early nineties grunge/alternative rock explosion. Having come from a city holding a distinguished place in the history rock and roll music, it didn’t take much for Spike to realise that he wanted to form a band and spend his life playing music and winning fans the world over. Well, it was either that or facing lifetime of being broke and unemployed.
At first Spike was a musician for hire, playing through various bands and building up numerous contacts. Eventually however he decided to try leading his own band. This led to the formation of Demon Flower. When Demon Flower had some breakthrough success, Spike decided to put his fame to good use and encourage a new band, Dire Tribe, and assemble a group of musicians for his friend Rick. Later still, when Demon Flower achieved a degree of comfort and stability, Spike formed a new band to work on some new songs that wouldn’t have fit in with the rest of Demon Flower’s repertoire - hence the Tension Heads were born.
Spike is the leader of the Planet of Sound collective. Whilst there are three bands currently in functioning within it (Demon Flower, Dire Tribe and the Tension Heads), Spike is the focal point gathering all the musicians under his banner and having a hand in each band. Through the collective Spike is able to keep track of the contacts he’d built up over the years and find anyone to play with when he needs to get out of a rut. He is the leader of Demon Flower, advisor of the Dire Tribe and, more recently, progenitor of the Tension Heads. Having passionate love for music in all forms, Spike is keen to try new things but is smart enough to set up various avenues to do such a thing.
Despite a dictatorial role in his collective, in what music is played and what his bandmates should do, Spike does however possess a lighter side with him being humorous and of an easy-going nature. And he still plays some mean guitar.
Friday, June 8, 2012
XBLAndering forward
Some more recent acquisitions for my Xbox (courtesy of XBLA):
Tetris Splash
What can I say? It's Tetris - however with a nuatical theme - and it's still as timeless and addictive as it ever was. My previous version of Tetris can't run on my computer (curse the 64x transition!) so this is a welcome addition in my book.
Daytona USA
The presence of this game seems a bit redundant as I'm not a Xbox Live user but it's still a great game to play - the HD revamp looks great too. And let us not forget that unrelenting refrain of : "Daytooooooonnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
Sonic CD
Again, this is nice to have in HD but there's something about this that rubs me the wrong way: Where is the original music?! The original soundtrack to Sonic CD was wonderful enough - which coming from a Mega CD game was hardly surprising - so to hear something completely different is indeed a surprise and an unwelcome one at that. Apparently there is the option to switch between soundtracks but I have yet to find it.
Tetris Splash
What can I say? It's Tetris - however with a nuatical theme - and it's still as timeless and addictive as it ever was. My previous version of Tetris can't run on my computer (curse the 64x transition!) so this is a welcome addition in my book.
Daytona USA
The presence of this game seems a bit redundant as I'm not a Xbox Live user but it's still a great game to play - the HD revamp looks great too. And let us not forget that unrelenting refrain of : "Daytooooooonnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
Sonic CD
Again, this is nice to have in HD but there's something about this that rubs me the wrong way: Where is the original music?! The original soundtrack to Sonic CD was wonderful enough - which coming from a Mega CD game was hardly surprising - so to hear something completely different is indeed a surprise and an unwelcome one at that. Apparently there is the option to switch between soundtracks but I have yet to find it.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Cereal Killer
In amongst my big collection of PC game discs lie these four titles:
I picked these up some years ago and have had them ever since. And as you may have guessed, these were freebies, found within boxes of cereal - the presence of the 'Kellogs' and 'Nutri-Grain' logos may have been a giveaway.
What I find strange though is that Nutri-Grain is promoted as 'Iron Man Food' and marketed with appropriate sporting images. Thus, having computer games as freebies is quite puzzling - as computer games is an indoor activity and a universe apart from the sporting image that Nutri-Grain relies upon.
Also confusing is the presence of Age of Empires. Whilst it makes sense for the other games to be sport games, one would think sport jocks would care less about ancient history/conquest. For me, sporting games don't do a lot for me (sorry but it's true) so Age of Empires is the pick of the bunch for me - and I'm not the type to whom Nutri-Grain is marketed to.
Needless to say, this is the oddest promotion I've ever seen in gaming - and years later I'm still scratching my head over it.
Still, who am I to say no to a freebie?
I picked these up some years ago and have had them ever since. And as you may have guessed, these were freebies, found within boxes of cereal - the presence of the 'Kellogs' and 'Nutri-Grain' logos may have been a giveaway.
What I find strange though is that Nutri-Grain is promoted as 'Iron Man Food' and marketed with appropriate sporting images. Thus, having computer games as freebies is quite puzzling - as computer games is an indoor activity and a universe apart from the sporting image that Nutri-Grain relies upon.
Also confusing is the presence of Age of Empires. Whilst it makes sense for the other games to be sport games, one would think sport jocks would care less about ancient history/conquest. For me, sporting games don't do a lot for me (sorry but it's true) so Age of Empires is the pick of the bunch for me - and I'm not the type to whom Nutri-Grain is marketed to.
Needless to say, this is the oddest promotion I've ever seen in gaming - and years later I'm still scratching my head over it.
Still, who am I to say no to a freebie?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Claiming the Iron Throne
Just a quick post to say that following the troubles I was having last week with Baldurs Gate 2, I have since downloaded the game a second time and this time it worked :)
Hopefully this buries my long standing curse (if you can call it that) with Baldurs Gate 2. Don't you just love a happy ending?
Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue having my thief hit on Jahiera....
Hopefully this buries my long standing curse (if you can call it that) with Baldurs Gate 2. Don't you just love a happy ending?
Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue having my thief hit on Jahiera....
Friday, June 1, 2012
Digging a Trent
Whilst digging through more old files I came across this pearl of wisdom:
I remember drawing this: It was around the release of Angel of Darkness and, from an outside perspective, I could see what was trying to accomplished with the presence of Kurtis Trent: Another playable character in Lara's universe - no doubt in an attempt to pull in some female gamers.
Perhaps it is fitting that the only Tomb Raider game I have is Angel of Darkness - because I'm really fascinated by the presence of Mr. Trent. After having some many Tomb Raider games based around this one character, Lara, we finally get to see an equivalent. We have another playable character moving in on Lara's turf of being an action hero(ine) and looking awesome whilst doing it. He even gets to do the impossible in having some sort of relationship with the seemingly untouchable Miss Croft.
But most of all, what fascinates me most about Trent is that the idea turned out be a huge failure: Aside from the fact that Angel of Darkness was a flop and the proposed trilogy never went ahead, the fact that Trent has inspired some contempt among Tomb Raider fans says a lot - not to mention the fact that the character has never been seen since. I do like the idea of introducing some new to the Tomb Raider formula and to have something of a mirror/partner/lover to Lara but it would seem that no one else would think so. What, did the idea of controlling someone in a Tomb Raider game who isn't Lara just simply unacceptable for her legions of fans? Oh well....
I remember drawing this: It was around the release of Angel of Darkness and, from an outside perspective, I could see what was trying to accomplished with the presence of Kurtis Trent: Another playable character in Lara's universe - no doubt in an attempt to pull in some female gamers.
Perhaps it is fitting that the only Tomb Raider game I have is Angel of Darkness - because I'm really fascinated by the presence of Mr. Trent. After having some many Tomb Raider games based around this one character, Lara, we finally get to see an equivalent. We have another playable character moving in on Lara's turf of being an action hero(ine) and looking awesome whilst doing it. He even gets to do the impossible in having some sort of relationship with the seemingly untouchable Miss Croft.
But most of all, what fascinates me most about Trent is that the idea turned out be a huge failure: Aside from the fact that Angel of Darkness was a flop and the proposed trilogy never went ahead, the fact that Trent has inspired some contempt among Tomb Raider fans says a lot - not to mention the fact that the character has never been seen since. I do like the idea of introducing some new to the Tomb Raider formula and to have something of a mirror/partner/lover to Lara but it would seem that no one else would think so. What, did the idea of controlling someone in a Tomb Raider game who isn't Lara just simply unacceptable for her legions of fans? Oh well....
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