From Genesis to Revelation

So The Megadrive Mini is now ready for pre-order. Which is a surprise to me as I'd thought it had already been released.
Perhaps my indifference is due to dreading seeing the same collection of games in yet another iteration of Genesis/Megadrive nostalgia. But so far, things look promising with Shining Force 1 and Castlevania Bloodlines but of course, this is only the beginning....

One more for the Road

Yesterday the announcement was made that a new-mini console will be rearing it's head: A Mini-PlayStation will be coming out loaded with games.

I suppose this shouldn't come as a surprise as clearly people will buy things that are already easily available elsewhere Nostalgia sells. What is equally unsurprising is that Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid are present and accounted for.
The real surprises however are a) the third of the 'Big Three', Castlevania Symphony of the Night is absent and b) there were actually enough PS1 games to fill out the rest of the console beyond the 'Big Three'.

Okay, okay, sarcasm aside, Having the PS1 re-released as mini-console shouldn't come as a surprise considering the success of the mini-SNES, Megadrive/Genesis and NES but exactly what does a new Mini-console bring to the table? Okay so not all of these games listed are available on the PSN but, lest we forget, this is a field that is advancing at a rate that is so rapid, it's alarming. Subsequently, many old games can get lost by the wayside and, unfortunately, claimed by the ravager that is time.
People lament about games you can no longer play. Games that, even not reaching enough people, presented new ideas that drew some attention. So why leave such iterations forgotten and unplayed? Why abandon such historical documents?

Of course, even as I type these words, i already know the answer: The four consoles that did get the mini-console treatment were all big sellers. Proof that, if anything, history is written by the winners.
Eventually however, the mini-consoles will run out of winners to rehash so what will happen next? Will they start focusing on the losers of the console war? Will we see rehashes of the Mega CD? Or the Saturn? Or worse?

It may not happen which is a shame: The above mentioned consoles may be mocked as failures but it does have it;s supporters that contend that both consoles had some diamonds in the rough. And I would like to see those diamonds given new light and show current gamers some noteworthy titles that they may not have been aware of.
I mean, you don't want the pirates to win, right?

Castlevania Right There on my TV

News has been circulating recently on how Castlevania will be made into a TV series with the producers behind it talking up how it will follow the gritty path set by Game of Thrones.

Well at least they're admitting they want a piece of that pie...

But seriously though, I have my doubts about this. Castlevania is, for me, a superb slice of gothic horror that, as a series, is played across different eras and generations of the Belmonts. It may seem presumptuous but the former will most likely be one this proposed TV series latches onto. Meaning that the 'generational' aspect may be left by the wyside.

Which is funny because Game of Thrones does the generational thing......

I mean I can see each episode having a different Belmont in a different era but I still don't still it working - even as i type it out.

Half a world away

I find a fascination with gaming in the Eighties. History will declare that the decade was defined by the Great Gaming Crash that took Atari under and created an opening for Nintendo to storm in with the NES. Nintendo becomes a big deal and Mario, Link, Samus, Mega Man and Simon Belmont all become icons beyond reproach.

But this scenario, which has been told many times before, is viewed from the perspective of the U.S. - and as they say, history is only told by the winners. Coming from the perspective of someone outside the U.S., a different story is told and the contrast between within the U.S. and without the U.S. is astonishing to say the least.

To begin with, being in Australia, places one riding off the coattails of what was happening in the U.K. and Europe (as is often the case in Australia). If there was anything happening in the U.S. it had little to do with us - which is surprising considering the geographical location of Australia places in between U.S. and Europe. But I digress.

So yes, the choices of we Australians made was a replication of what was happening half a world away. Thus, whilst having a NES was commonplace in the U.S., that wasn't the case in Australia. Indeed, at the time, I remember more people I knew at school had a Master System than a NES and I noticed at the local toy store that the Master System had a more prominent place than the NES (indeed, that's a funny thing to look back on when one considers how things turned out for both Nintendo and Sega). So when the SNES finally showed it's face, there was indeed a sensation comparable to descending down from atop Mount Sinai and a sign that Nintendo suddenly was a big deal. Hard to imagine I know, right?

But the true victor in the Eighties gaming arms race in Australia was neither Sega or Nintendo. Nope: It was Commodore. I've lost count on how many people had a Commodore 64 when they were young and/or knew what one was. They were more commonplace than a NES or a Master System and many people point to it as being a starting point towards their interest in computers. And, much like the U.K., the Commodore 64 had a long and fruitful life in Australia that lasted well into the 16bit era.

This, in turn, would seem strange to the those in the U.S. as we in Australia (and the U.K.) had our own gaming culture develop separately. Whereas they had a rivalry between Sega and Nintendo, we Commodore 64 users had our own mortal enemies with the Spectrum users. When they were exchanging password codes, we were applying cheat codes. When they had Mario, Link and Samus, we had Armakuni, Turrican and Rockford.

Funny thing how cultures develop independent of each other. Naturally you wouldn't have that now when everyone and everything is linked online but looking at the same era from two different perspectives is an eye-opener to say the least.

What foul sorcery is this?!

 Here's something i came across during my travels on Youtube: A complete playthrough of the Commodore 64 game Sorcery:

 Original video located here. Accessed 22nd August 2016

You hear people of today describe the 8-bit era (or the 3rd console generation if you prefer) of gaming as being populated by games that are of brutal difficulty. People talk of the Mega Man games and the original Castlevania as being really tough, much like how Dark Souls is described today.
Mind you, that kinda does make sense from a designer's perspective because whatever the game may lack from a technical standpoint, it makes up for in offering a challenge. Make the game too easy and people won't have any reason to play it beyond the first successful completion.

Which now brings me to Sorcery. I played a lot of games on my C64 as a kid and this was indeed among the hardest I've played. This down to two factors: Firstly, this game was nothing short of vague in exactly what is trying to convey. Looking at the video over two decades later however and it seems clear: The player is required to pick up certain objects and use them in a particular combination. And, naturally, there are numerous red herrings abound which makes success in the game more a case of trial and error.
Secondly, there is a time limit that is nothing less than punishing: As established above, the player would need to apply trial and error to find the successful path to victory but the time limit does not allow for such experimentation. Thus it would seem multiple attempts would be required to find the successful path.
Make no mistake: there is little room for error. As indicated by the video ab0ve, the player would need to rush through the game and have their health drained with the dangers lurking at every turn. There are potions that can restore the player's health but they are more a hindrance when the greatest enemy is the clock. If anything I'm surprised someone actually managed to beat this game.

Mind you, when I originally played this, I figured that the vial of poison would be the item that would secure victory. I tried to persuade my brother but he was unconvinced.
Now, years later, it seem that I was right :)

Castlevania: Ten Years On

Lately I've been playing a lot of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It's a classic game I played to death back in 2006 during the glory days of my PS2 era but now I'm enjoying it on the XBLA and in full HD.

So how does the game look from the distance of ten years since I first played it?

To begin with, let's establish what Castlevania: Symphony of the Night meant for me: As you may have guessed from the years listed, I came to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night nearly a full decade after it was released. My reasoning was simple: I finally got a PS2, it could play PS1 games so why shouldn't I indulge in games that passed me by the first time around?
But really what I can say about Symphony of the Night that hasn't been said already? It completely revamped the series, it took steals from Metroid, it was a definitely 2D platformer when everyone was heading into the realms of 3D, and it boasts, without question, one of the finest game soundtracks ever conceived.

But what I will say is that game has aged remarkably well - and that's a statement I do not give out lightly when discussing the fifth generation. Symphony of the Night's 2D nature has served it very well: Whereas many 3D models of the fifth generation look blocky and hideous nowadays, the 2D graphics of Symphony of the Night look simply beautiful. And that certainly was a HD revamp highlights: Why, thanks to the HD graphics, I'm now picking up I never noticed before: I'm noticing just how detailed the animation for the Swordmaster power (Iron shield+Shield rod) is. And to apply such detail in a 'blink and you'll miss it' animation is something to be commended.

Other than that, the game is still as fun as ever and the soundtrack is still fantastic. Not much else i can add expect to say I guess this would be a textbook example of how to make a game that lasts.

You're not the PS1 for me

When I was in High School (1994-1997) I wanted a PlayStation. Who didn’t? It was a big deal to have a genuine third contender to the Sega vs Nintendo conflict. And there were a lot of unique and impressive games on the console. Of course, I never got to own a PS1 – and it was only after I got a PS2 that I made an effort to seek out, and subsequently enjoy, some of the games that escaped my notice the first time around.

However with the passing of years, the fifth console generation grows further and further away. And in that time, my perception of the PS1 has grown from a tantalizing goal to a something more disdainful. Why the change? Well for one thing I find that a lot of games in the fifth generation have aged quite badly (especially considering I find many games of the fourth generation still appealing two decades later). But the main reason I have grown disdainful for the PS1 is this:

Ask anyone what the defining game on the PS1 and they’ll say one of the ‘Big Three’: Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII and Castlevania Symphony of the Night.  Beyond that, anyone may find coming up with another game something of a struggle. And it’s always this ‘Big Three’. Whilst another console may have a number of great games spread across it’s lifespan, it always this ‘Big Three’ that everyone keeps coming back to. It’s as if this ‘Big Three’ were the only games made for the PS1 and the console’s lifespan pretty much started and ended with them.

So for today, a little experiment: I want to tally up my collection of PS1 games and match their years of release against each other. And as I live in a nation situated in a PAL region (read: a place that doesn't matter), the years listed will be based on PAL release dates.

So here we go, by order of year:

1995    Doom
            Raiden Project
1996    Darkstalkers
            Loaded
            Return Fire
1997    Castlevania Symphony of the Night
            Final Fantasy 7
1998    Ghost in the Shell
            Metal Gear Solid
1999    Wip3out
2000    Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
2001     Final Fantasy 9
2002     Final Fantasy Anthology
             Final Fantasy 6

Looking at this list, it seems that my hypothesis was correct: The PS1 era pretty much began and ended with the 'Big Three'. Based my collection, before the Big Three there was conversions of well-known games and attempts to get an IP going. And after the Big Three, not a lot else happened. Why, back in the day I recall seeing Final Fantasy 7 and 8 in stores but never 9. And the most recent games I have for the PS1 arrived when the PS2 had well and truly touched down and even those games are SNES conversions!

So maybe it is indeed true: The only games everyone remembers on the PS1 are the ‘Big Three’ and everything that came before and since was of little to no matter. All I can say is that I’m glad that the PS1’s successor, the PS2, boasted a wide and diverse gaming library that left PS2 users spoilt for choice.

Saturn V

This weekend, I was at AI-Con - Tasmania's prestigious anime convention. As well as engaging in the usual convention trappings such as cosplay, gameshows and talking to other nutters, I did spend some time in the games room - where lo and behold I stumbled across a Sega Saturn.
I've said a lot about the Sega Saturn before - mostly wondering why Sega aren't doing anything with the games that came on it. I've heard no concrete evidence as to why: some say source codes for certain games were lost and others say the Saturn's complex technology is too difficult to emulate.
But I digress: Over the course of the weekend I got to play Nights and Panzer Dragoon for the first time in a long time.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Many of the games of the fifth generation may have looked impressive at the time but now they seem to have aged rather horribly. Granted there are one or two exceptions (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night being one such example - and maybe Final Fantasy IX) but many fifth generation games, I find, don't look great at all - to the point one can only wonder what the big deal was originally. And the same can be said of my experience playing the Saturn. I have been interested in Panzer Dragoon series for it's ideas, art direction and Saga's status of being the holy grail of gaming - playing it, the graphics look too pixelated that was often hard to see what was happening. And Nights didn't fare much better: The lack of the 3d controller made it had to get into grips with and the game graphics looked pixalated, again, and nowhere near the intro I feel in love with back in 1996.

Mind you, I've always wondered why Sega doesn't dust off the Saturn titles like they have done with the Megadrive and the Dreamcast but I think I see why: I've seen firsthand that many Saturn titles look like arse now - when compared to the Dreamcast and even some Megadrive titles. It's equally possible that maybe Sega would like to forget about the consoles that didn't work out for them.

Funny how things seem daft the further you get from your teens.....

But here's a thought: The Virtual Console, PSN and XBLA have really gone to an effort of making old games accessible to many people - some of whom may not have played the titles in question, It makes me wonder how many other games have been passed over for release and will thus forever remain unplayed.....

Inner Your Head

Don't have much to say for today's post. As has been the case for millions before me, I've been so much WoW to the expense of a whole lotta other games. So for today I'd like to take the time to talk about a game that I played many moons ago and remember quite fondly.

As established earlier, there was a time, late nineties to mid-2000s, when I wasn't really that interested in gaming. That's not to say however that the interest had completely died off - I still got some use out of an Atari Lynx and I was still playing DOS games on my PC. One such game was one I remember playing extensively and enjoying: Inner Worlds.

Like many DOS games of it's era, Inner Worlds was made up of three installments. The first one was freeware, available for free distribution, but in order to get the rest of the game, players had to pay for the other two installments. I however managed to get my claws on all three and play through them.
Although not well known as other DOS games of the early to mid nineties, the development of Inner Worlds is well-documented: It was made a group called Sleepless Software - a team of three people which, through the magic of the Internet, grew into twenty seven people from nine different countries. In addition, the music was provided through an Internet contest where musicians from separate corners of the globe could submit their work for a place in the game.

But onto the game itself: It was a platform game where the player controls a werewolf by the name of Nikita. She is able to change between a wolf and a human at will and she goes on a quest (at least in the first installment) to defeat an evil demon....thingy within a castle. Throughout the quest Nikita gradually grows stronger, obtaining spells, status upgrades and weapons to use. And in the next two installments, Nikita goes outside and beyond the castle to face more demonic forces before eventually heading into a volcano for the final showdown with the imaginatively named baddie Claws.


The first level!

When I first played this game I was unimpressed: It looked like a relic from the by then obsolete 16 bit era, there were a lot of goofiness about it (like the text that randomly appears), the exposition seemed somehow forced in and it didn't really seem to be that interesting. But for some reason I still don't understand I decided to stick with it (maybe because there was little else to play at the time) and somehow the game won me over. Whilst there were some slow parts of the game I did find myself enjoying the music and finding the bad guys to have some really inventive designs.
The game however really kicked into high gear when Nikita leaves the castle. The music got even better , the bad guys got scary, the settings show a diversity and the goofiness takes a back seat for a more serious tone. As such, it was enough to keep me hooked right until the end of the game - alas I was unable to beat Claws in the final confrontation (damn!)


A location from the second world (I love this level's theme)

Looking back over a decade later, there certainly was a lot going for this game. Having learned about the diversity involved in the development phase, one would expect this game to be something of a Frankenstein's Monster with a lot of elements held together with a lack of cohesion - and it does show. I made mention of the change between the first and second installments and it really shows: it was as if the developers had some really good ideas but they put them all in the second and third parts, thus leaving the first part lacking in comparison. It does seem an odd move seeing as the first part was freeware and was, essentially, a hook to get players interested in the rest of the game.
Aside from that, there are some miss fitting graphics that looked like they'd stepped out of an entirely different game, ideas that appear only once & never after and exposition that seems merely dumped into the game as if it was there through obligation - most of it comes via a wall of text at the beginning and seems forced and trying it's hardest to be something epic and grandiose. Particular elements are also reused to underwhelming effect: By way of example there is a the huge spider in the third installment. It comes after the end of a huge build up to it and is definitely a tough boss character. But in the next level, that intimidation factor is undermined through Nikita having to defeat some clones of the spider! Take about running a well-executed idea into the ground.


And here's what the third world looks like

But what I find particularly engaging about Inner Worlds is that the gameplay seems to be the most compelling element. Whilst the graphics lack cohesion and the exposition seems laughable in it's attempts to make the player care, the gameplay alone is enough to carry the game. The platforming is great fun and the werewolf idea is a strong one indeed. In addition, the RPG elements is well integrated - I always found it great to get a new spell and how it changed my perception of the the game and how to beat it. In retrospect this combination of platforming and RPG was something of a new idea: Yes it was still following Super Metroid's lead but it was before Castlevania Symphony of the Night which is at least worth something. Indeed, I can imagine PC owners would've been delighted to have something like the great Super Metroid to call their own.
But what strikes me most about the gameplay is that there are times when it seems the development team put more thought into it than the rest of the game. It does make for a fascinating oddity in this day and age when gameplay is often shafted aside for telling gripping stories and having mind-blowing visuals. Thus it does feel that Inner Worlds has done the exact opposite - it's like a visitor from a parallel dimension where game technology went the other direction from what did happen in this world.

In addition, the music was great. It may have come from diverse sources but never once does it get dull. Okay sure the first part had some limp moments but the rest of the music was both moody and atmospheric and even, at times, hectic. It does seem a shame a CD was never released because damn I'd buy it!


One of the many enjoyable themes in this game

Alas, the game wasn't really that big a hit: The development took three years to complete (instead of the intended one) and as a result, it came out looking dated to the games of the, by then, fifth generation. As such, Sleepless Software never made another game.
Still, Inner Worlds was a fun game and truly a lost gem in the history of gaming. Sure it may not work in some places but when it does it works a treat.
It a great game to me and that is indeed enough.

31 Songs (no.3)

And welcome to part 3 of this ongoing series of video game music. Today, we head into the fifth generation. Now things are a little different than before: In previous posts, I made mention that I grew up with the games of the previous generations. But during the fifth generation of consoles, my interest in gaming was being directed away and I missed out on a lot - much of which was eventually rediscovered years later. Thus, this post is going to be based on looking through a past generation through a perspective both new and adult.
Will it make a difference? Let's find out...

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Dracula's Castle

Well when you call your game a Symphony it’s kind of expected that the music be top-notch right? Well not only does Symphony of the Night achieve this goal but it surpasses it many times over.
Symphony of the Night is often considered one of the finest soundtracks ever made in the history of gaming and rightly so. Whilst many other soundtracks may age with time and technological advancements, Symphony of the Night is in a class of its own. It has a timeless quality that can proudly hold up some fourteen years later. And it certainly has a lot of variety and colour throughout, touching many styles and succeeding: Choral voices, classical pieces, rock guitars and even a dancey number – it may sound cluttered but somehow it works and even maintains the gothic horror mood that made the Castlevania series famous. In fact, I could say this is one of the few soundtracks that could actually work without the game: on it’s own it sounds dark, sinister and strangely beautiful. Much like Symphony of the Night itself.
Thus I, once again, am spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting one piece for the purposes of this list. Requiem for the Gods, Abandoned Pit, Lost Paintings and Heavenly Doorway are all beauties but I’ve decided to go with Dracula’s Castle. It is the first theme heard when the player enters the castle as Alucard and pretty much sets up the mood for what’s to follow. It’s nightmarishly scary but at the same time, wonderful.
You know, I recall playing Symphony of the Night at a friend's place and someone heard Lost Paintings and said: “That’s nice music”. And this was without looking at the TV screen. Sometimes moments like that can count for so much.


Chrono Cross - Unsealed Jewel

It seems that each time I do a post to this series I must, at some point, break my own guidelines. Yes this game wasn’t released in Australia, yes I never played it, and yes I’m basing this theme purely on what I’ve heard but damn is this a sweet theme.
For me, I have no idea what this song is implying: I don’t know what the singer is singing, I don’t know what context this is being used in the game (okay I do: it’s the ending cinematic) and I have no idea what the point, if any, is trying to be conveyed. But you know what? I don’t care. This is such a simple song and it works well. I love the singing, the guitar playing and the peaceful mood this song manages to project. And that’s the beauty of it: It doesn’t need the game to work for me. I can listen to this and still enjoy it without playing the game. And for a game theme to do that is indeed a substantial accomplishment – and an accomplishment that happens much rarely than one would realise.
In fact, as I found out, it’s quite nice to listen to when you go outside in the morning and watch the sun rise. It’s also nice to listen to when you wake up in the morning nursing a large hangover.


Command and Conquer - Act on Instinct

I must say I’ve always had a soft spot for the work of Command and Conquer composer Frank Klepacki. It's a great combination with the metal guitars and industrial beats – even to the point that when I play the previous Command and Conquer games now I’m still impressed that the music like this was still being made in the mind-nineties. It was as if someone decided that music in computer games was going to get serious and, years later, it would seem they were successful.
So what can I say about Act on Instinct? Well not a lot really: There’s a lot going on in this song with the bass, the pounding drums and the sound effects. But honestly what makes this theme for me is that four note keyboard part that appears halfway through the piece. It’s the dealmaker for me, even to the point that I rewind those parts of the song just here it again. Although I’m not entirely sure why I like to so much – but then again, there is the fear that if I try to explain it may not work in the same light ever again.
So yes, Act on Instinct is a rockin’ theme. And this must rank as one of the few game themes that can actually work outside the game: As I found out, this is actually a really good theme to listen to in the car.


Command and Conquer: Red Alert - Hell March

Die Waffen legt an!
Well it was hard to choose one piece from the repertoire of Frank Klepacki so I went with his other best known theme. And could I not? This is a theme with plenty of bite and perfect for charging into battle with guns blazing. Or behind the wheel of a tank.
This is pretty much a battle theme – even to the point of being shameless in its intent. It’s loud, powerful and pretty much just the thing to get one’s blood pumping. It may have been intended for a strategy game but it could work equally well for a shooter. Or a death match LAN. Open fire? Hell yes.
Everything here seems to work: The rumbling bass demands attention before the drums kick in and the guitars come charging in. And it must’ve succeeded so well because it’s been remixed for the Red Alert sequels
Now I’m not a big fan of metal music – I do enjoy it yes but I’m nowhere near the hyper serious fans that flock to it’s banner – But I have to say this works for me far more than a lot of metal bands I’ve heard. And all for a computer game no less! And if such a theme can cross such barriers then you know you’ve done something right.


Deus Ex - Opening Theme

Yes it’s another no-brainer but its inclusion is there for a reason. For one of the main goals for any opening theme is to pretty much establish the mood and establish a line of thinking that the player must abide to. And this theme is shining example of that principle. I hear this now and I immediately think cyberpunk, X-Files-esque conspiracies and saving the world from catastrophe – pretty much what Deus Ex is all about. I can picture all of this is achieved even without a single image being shown. In fact I bet you could play this to anyone without a prior knowledge of Deus Ex and they'll pick it up straight away. And if your opening theme can do that then you're onto a winner indeed.
I also like the orchestral arrangements and the pounding drums throughout. And let us not forget: At the end of the day is a pretty damn good tune.
Not much more I can say except, I must confess that nowadays I, unfortunately, can’t hear this song without thinking: “Put on a trenchcoat, and fight some conspiracies, Get experience and level up abilities…”


Final Fantasy 9 - Crossing The Hills

You know what? Of all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played, I would have to say that no.9 has the strongest soundtrack of all. And I’m not the only one: Nobuo Uematsu himself has even ranked no.9 as his favourite. So who am I to argue?
And once again I face the difficult process of selecting one track on a soundtrack that’s packed to the gills with gems. I love The Place I’ll Return to Someday. I love Awakened Forest. I love Freya’s theme. I love Burmecian Kingdom. I love You Are Not Alone!. Much like Secret of Mana, in the previous post, if I could the entire soundtrack on this list I damn well would’ve. But no, I’ve broken enough of my own self-imposed rules already so we must go with one. And the lucky winner is Crossing the Hills.
One thing I like about this, and this may sound kind of bizarre, is whilst this used as a world/journeying theme, it doesn’t sound anything like an atypical journeying theme. I wouldn’t associate this with exploring a world – I would think it more a theme to a storybook being read than a game.
And that’s what’s kinda cool about it. I mentioned in my best endings post that Final Fantasy IX does come across as taking the storybook approach – perhaps more so than it’s brethren – and this theme really is representative of that intent.
But this is just me rambling. Simply put: I like this song, I think it’s great so just listen to it and draw your own conclusions.


Metal Gear Solid - The Best is Yet to Come

Well seeing have I’ve spoken at length of the emotional impression Metal Gear Solid’s ending had on me having The Best is Yet to Come on this list shouldn’t come to a surprise to the regular viewer of this blog. But who am I kidding? It’s a great song and one of those rare songs that still sound great no matter how many times one hears it.
Mind you, Celtic folk isn’t something you’d hear in any video game at all, let alone a military drama but here it works. And as the title suggests, the Best is Yet to Come: Snake completed his mission and ultimately found himself and a new purpose in life and hearing this haunting tune only adds to that truth. The fact that it is accompanied by the footage of the Alaskan wildlife, where life truly does go on, only adds more to it.
But again, this is one theme that exists freely beyond the confines of its original purpose. I can hear this when I’m feeling low and it helps. For tomorrow is another day. The problems that came before are meaningless. Things can get better and every moment in this life counts. It may sound cheesy but to find a theme that can work without it’s accompanying game is a rare thing. But to find such a life-affirming theme in a video game is certainly an achievement in itself. Who would’ve guessed that video game music could do such a thing?!


Shining Force 3 - Scenario 1 opening theme

I’ve played the Shining Force games that came out on the Megadrive and I enjoyed them very much. But I have issue with the music: It sounds ghastly and has aged rather horribly. So much so I can barely listen to instead preferring to mute it and put on some Dragon Force.
Thus hearing this, the opening to Shining Force 3 (scenario 1) on the Saturn, comes largely as a shock: Instead of some Megadrive ditty, we get a full orchestral piece accompanied by the rapping of military drums. It sounds epic, heroic and more representative of the game, a strategy RPG, as a whole. The fact that this is playing during the opening cinematic – which features the unforgettable image of two warriors facing off against each other in a crumbling fire-ravaged city as a giant mech approaches – is the icing on the cake.
Indeed, listening to this theme now to me sounds like the composers finally had an opportunity to work beyond the technological restrictions previously presented to them and are relishing it for all it’s worth. As such whereas the previous Shining Force games have had soundtracks consisting of rather chirpy sounding little ditties, this, along with the rest of the soundtrack, sounds much more serious and indeed more befitting of an army fighting its way through countless battles. Indeed one feels that this is the soundtrack that the Shining Force games deserved all along.
Not much else to say but there have been many heroic themes throughout fantasy games but none of them can match this: More than anything that came before it, or even after it, this is the sound of an army marching to war.


Starcraft - Terran Theme 1

It’s the Korean National Anthem!
Okay seriously, much like the Command and Conquer themes, this is pretty much a battle theme, designed to get the blood pumping and create the mood of building an army, storming across the battlefield and annihilating anything stupid enough to get in your way. Whilst the first part, the orchestral arrangements that came with the UED campaign in Brood War, is impressive by it’s self, the real meat comes in the rock part. I love the moody bass and the guitar work but the real treat comes in the keyboard work (Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-Bah, Bah, Bah bahhhh!!!). In any case, this theme works as being many parts being put together to produce a compelling whole.
Of course the rest of the soundtrack to Starcraft is pretty cool in itself. But what I find particularly interesting is that this theme, and indeed the rest of the Terran music, is more akin to conventional music from a strategy game. Thus the themes to the Protoss and the Zerg are less about convention and more building a mood to go with the race in question. Thus the Zerg get themes with industrial electronics, squealing guitars and a sense of being evolved to destroy. And the Protoss get orchestral themes, a sombre mood and the sense that a once glorious civilisation is pretty much on it’s knees. It’s an unusual move for a strategy game but in my mind, makes it all the better for it.

So that's it for the fifth generation. Already, game music was evolving at an impressive rate and delivering some unforgettable tunes. So what can the sixth generation do? Tune in next week to find out...

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….

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….

10 Best Intros of the 4th Generation

It would seem that concocting an introduction to a video game is no easy task: You have to grab the viewer's attention immediately or else they won't give you the time of day. Indeed, with the lack of restriction that modern consoles offer in processing power, many games have bowled people over with a ferocious rush of an intro - and suck enough people in only to realise that less effort went into the game design itself.

Not for me though: The best intros for me came from the 16-bit era: 1990-1995. You know, a time when games knew they were games as opposed to movies. A time when developers embraced their limitations and acted smart in order to get their point across. You may bitch about me being old but for me, intros of the 16-bit era offered more atmosphere, more grabbing of the attention and more establishment of drama than many of their more recent contemporaries.

So for today, I present my list of the 10 best intros of the 16-bit era. These may be old games but they are memorable for a reason: They all worked in some way that they managed to grab my attention and urged me to take up the game controller in hand.

So here we go:

10 - Shining Force 2 (Megadrive)

And the list commences with a burglary that goes horribly wrong.
The key purpose of an introductory sequence in any game is to set up a setting and introduce both important characters and key elements. And Shining Force 2 pulls this off with flair: some key characters are established (not least of which Slade), drama and a sense of quest are both set up and a general mood of spookiness is maintained throughout - in the form of the lightening flashes, the weird music and the eventual appearance of the demonic figure. Indeed, the strongest element at work here is the suspense and the gradual sense of approaching calamity.
In this list, this introduction is the longest - and could very well be the longest introduction ever of the 16-bit era. It may seem nothing special to someone from the current area where ultra-long introductory sequences are commonplace but less has been said in eight minutes. In Shining Force 2, we see something so simple that eventually triggers a massive adventure. Every quest has to start somewhere.....


9 - Darkstalkers (Arcade)

Erm..... Morrigan.....
Seriously though, Attract Modes are integral to Arcade games: You need a decent intro to make yourself stand out from the other arcades alongside and make sure it is the gamer's money going into you - not the others. So what does Darkstalkers do? Offer up a topless chick. Well, as they say, sex does indeed sell: One can only how many people would've been sold over seeing Morrigan's curves.
Other than that, there are some nuggets of interest that maintain attention throughout the intro: I like the title appearing over the thunder effects, the panning shot of the genuine freak-show of fighters, the title's eventual appearance with the descending text, the movements of Morrigan's gaze and, of course, the silhouetted Dimitri.
So in the end, this intro won me over with some rather subtle use of imagery. And Morrigan.


8 - Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TurboGraphix)

The Castlevania games have a reputation for building a degree of spookiness onto the player - you are, after all, traversing through a haunted castle so anything less simply would not have done at all. And the intro to Rondo of Blood establishes this spookiness right from the word go: We see a bunch of knights sacrificing a maiden which subsequently resurrects Dracula. I downloaded Rondo of Blood for the Virtual Console and I was surprised to see such a macabre intro - I never knew one such existed in the 16-bit era.
Indeed, a sense of unease is established with the toiling bell and the narration making it clear that people are rejecting peace and prosperity in favor of chaos - even to a point of going to an effort to end the peaceful age.
Of course, as made clear in the translated video above, the translation is peculiar and the German narration sounds ridiculous in it's sternness. But in the terms of spookiness, unease, drama and general macabre, you can't go past this.


7 - Chaos Engine (Amiga)

Sometimes, simplicity works best. Through text and minimal imagery, this intro introduces the characters who make up the game: Thus we meet a monster and learn just how big a threat it poses. We also meet six gun-totting mercenaries, all geared up to take on the titular baddie. And...that's pretty much it.
The reason why this intro works is that it establishes the six selectable with a portrait and passage of text. And within the confines of these two elements, the mercenaries certainly show plenty of character - we may not be presented with much more in the way of information about these dudes but what there is, is indeed enough. Perhaps maybe modern game developers should take note? Indeed, I for one would like to see how these six mercenaries would last in a current-generation game where fully-realised scripts and voice acting are the norm....
So yes, I like this intro for the way it introduces it's cast - the accompanying music, provided by the late great Richard Joseph, is a treat too.


6 - Jungle Strike (Megadrive)

Intros need to establish a sense of drama in order to grab the player's attention and to provide them with a sense of purpose for the action ahead. And this is shining example of that principle.
Two dudes blow up an island in the Pacific and immediately afterwards state their intent for revenge on the US: one for his father's death and the other for interference on their drug trading. Thus we meet the bad guys and learn their motivations - who are, of course, pissed off enough to use nuclear weapons upon Uncle Sam. Further drama is established through then cutting to a news broadcast and finally settling on the player character swinging into action. Thus, we see a chain of events which explains everything - all held together with some great music which furthers the sense of urgency. I however like the imagery which are made to resemble that of a comic book. I also like the laid-back attitude of the player character responding to things as they unfold before him.
See? This is how it's done: In a few short minutes we meet the bad guys, we see what they are capable of, we see what has inspired them to do what they are doing, we see the effects and then we meet the player character and see just what type of character he is. No in medias res, no unnecessary padding, no complexity and nothing coming all out at once. See? Simplicity works for a reason!


5 - Alien vs Predator (Arcade)

Again, an arcade game providing an attract sequence that demands attention - and again, provided by Capcom no less. Immediately, the first thing that grabs attention is the music: A theme that suggests the mood of the game without a single image: Impending doom, invasion from an unstoppable foe and unexpected help from what could be the lesser of two evils. Indeed, I remember being a kid and hanging around the cabinet just for the music itself.
The images also work great: I like the changes of perspective going from lunar orbit, to a computer screen before ending to a battlefield. I also like seeing the hordes of Aliens, the sense that the two marines are the only opposition left standing and the sudden arrival of the Predators.
Indeed, what makes this intro work is the drama of encountering an unstoppable foe who outnumbers you a hundred times over and, generally, being part of a battlefield where the main combatants are two intruders to your planet leaving you, the human cyborgs, caught in the middle. In fact the use of the sentence 'A Living Hell' on it's own, says a lot.
And the fact that I was willing to use so much coinage on this game in my teen years suggests the mission of the attract mode, a well and truly successful one.


4 - Super Metroid (SNES)

Whilst the pre-game set up of Super Metroid with Samus' narration is an impressive sequence by itself, the part I will forever remember is the title screen. In such a short space of time, we see three corpses - one clearly being a child - and the Metroid linked up to a machine, being the only light source in an otherwise darkened room. As a result, a sense of drama is established in the most subtle of ways: we the audience are left wondering who are (or were) these people? What happened to them? What is the Metroid doing there? Throw in some extremely creepy music and we have a degree of interest triggered within the player and just what awaits them ahead. Its a triumph of subtlety - and the best bit of all is the pay off: In the first location, Samus encounters the machine but this time, the Metroid is missing.
Super Metroid may be best remembered as a game of subtle moments and a sense of unease - but the most memorable moment of all is when all of these are established masterfully at the very beginning. No wonder many modern game developers keep looking to Super Metroid for inspiration.


3 - Final Fantasy 6 (SNES)

The first five Final Fantasy games (hurrah for alliteration!) had a deceptive undercurrent: It all looked bright and cheerful ate first glance but underneath there lurked some sinister elements: Somber musical pieces, as many sad endings as happy endings and permanent deaths of party characters. Thus, the sixth Final Fantasy immediately announces it's intentions from the start: Through a dramatic organ and a drab colour palette, it becomes clear that the seriousness has come to the front and the colourful back-drops of the past have been placed aside. It is interesting how such a change in mood can be pulled off so well - indeed, one can only wonder the sense of surprise on one who'd been weened on FF4. Indeed, seeing as FF is a game series that provides variations on a theme, when they do something completely different it is worth sitting up and taking notice.
And that's not the only FF convention turned on it's head: In the expository text that follows, we see magic, one of the FF hallmarks, has been discarded and technology has taken it's place. Further drama is established with certain people wanting recover the forgotten art of magic and the potential threat of repeating a previous calamity. No doubt about it, FF6 certainly adds a lot of conflict right off the bat.
However, the most memorable aspect is the credits sequence, where we see a trio of mechs advancing through the snow, accompanied by a haunting rendition of Terra's theme. This is indeed, one of most memorable images of the 16-bit era and, I for one, certainly had it burned into my mind the first time I saw it. I guess it must be one of those videos where everything clicks together to produce a solid whole - I can't really describe why it's so memorable: I guess it's one of those perfect moments that everyone has to see it for themselves.
All in all, the march sequence is truly a shining example of how music and imagery can join forces to produce something that could only be described as unforgettable.


2 - Terranigma (SNES)

Whilst the US got Chrono Trigger, the UK, Europe and Australia had to settle for Terranigma. A forgotten gem yes but what an introductory sequence! In terms of presentation, this one leaps ahead of the rest. It utilizes some stunning graphics and a great choice of music, ranging from the heartbeat at the beginning to the restrained music throughout. Everything is handled in a subtle manner (an alien concept to many JRPGs) and the effort gone into it shows. The text is also compelling describing a planet from birth and the trials and tribulations of the people on it, accompanied by the brilliant use of time passing on a pocket watch. Also of particular interest is the use of Biblical motifs - which of course leads to my favourite moment: The watch ticks to twelve o'clock, the hands fall off and a numbers shift to make way for a Thirteenth hour.
Some say JRPG's are all bombast and lack subtlety but then they decide to do things differently, it succeeds with flying colours.
Terranigma may be disregarded as some to be a poor cousin to Chrono Trigger - but it sure has a lot going for it with it's use of history, it's glorious music and it's ideas. All of these are brought together to bring the finest introduction ever on the SNES.


And my favourite intro of the 16-bit era is....

1 - Moonstone (Amiga)

So what makes a memorable intro? Awesome visuals? Unforgettable music? The establishment of what must be done in the game itself? The setting being built up? Or the creation of unease towards the viewer? How about a combination of all of them?
Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner: May I introduce Moonstone. A game from the Commodore Amiga that never went any further. Maybe it was the blood and gore that predated the sensation caused by Mortal Kombat. Maybe it was made in a place that wasn't the US or Japan. Or maybe the game wasn't that remarkable. Whatever: The intro itself was enough to make the game. Indeed, I remember being twelve years old and thinking this was actually quite a freaky intro - In fact at the time, I never thought it possible that someone was actually doing this type of thing. Moonstone is a game that has a sense of dread lurking throughout and this intro encapsulates it perfectly. Throw in a perfect mix of graphics, unsettling music (again provided by Richard Joseph)and impending doom and you've got a winner.
So many memorable moments, I don't know where to start: the music that comes creeping in, the pan down from the moon to the forest floor, the sudden clash of multiple drums, the druid's chanting, the knight's hand moving with nervousness and the concluding piece of text where the target in spelled in a single, capitalized word. It's amazing to think the developers accomplished so much with such, by today's standards, limited hardware. I don't know how many times I've seen this intro but it still works everytime.
I recall the first time I played Moonstone: I was blown away by the intro but never got any further due to my A1200 frowning upon A500 technology. It was only many years later that I managed to play the game but, with high expectations brought by the intro, I came away disappointed. Still, at least there's always the above video.....

So that's my list of best 16-bit intros - artifacts from an era where people know what they wanted to get across and did it using the tools at their disposal.
So what I do think of modern game intros? Not much I'm afraid: If the serial Unskippable is anything to go by, they just keep growing increasingly ridiculous: It's all about the spectacle, where generating gamer interest is through flashy graphics and creating confusion - interest that ultimately leads to mockery.
Some people got it right the first time - now it's a matter of time before we suddenly remember how it's done properly.

Spike vs Final Fantasy 7

Final Fantasy 7. There I've said it. It must be one of the biggest, most acclaimed, most best-selling and indeed, most enduring game ever made. It sold the Sony Playstation, introduced many to RPGs and, thirteen years on, still has more staying power than many other games/franchises.
Yet to the newcomer, all of this may seem intimidating. It has, in recent years become a trend to dismiss FF7 with spinoffs that didn't quite work, the entire franchise being milked for all it's worth, age being quite clear and many of it's devotees no longer in their teens.

So last year, I actually sat down and played FF7 with fresh eyes.



So why has it taken me this long? Well, personally I have been suspicious of anything attracting a large following as a) I feel that people should find things in their own time and come to their own conclusions, b) if experience has taught me anything is that anything supposedly awesome can easily turn out to be a massive disappointment and c) following a crowd like a sheep would rob me of my identity and individuality. That being said, I paid little attention to FF7. Additionally, I felt that i had picked up all I needed to know about the game through, by chance, reading an article on Advent Children in Anime Insider. Finally, it became all too clear that the game's reputation seemed to rely solely on one moment (I think you know what it is)

For many, Final Fantasy 7 was the first RPG their ever played - which in effect contributes to the never-wavering devotion form the fans. And in that sense, I am an interesting candidate to play FF7. You see, the first Final Fantasy I played was number 10 - a great game yes but it's not my favorite. The first JRPG I played was Secret of Mana which I think is one of the best games I ever played (I am so looking forward to having a three player game of it on the Wii). BUT! The first RPG I played on ANY computer/video game system was Pool of Radiance on the Commodore 64. As such, I find western RPG's a more attractive prospect than JRPGs (Baldurs Gate 2 FTW!!!!). So there is indeed a lot of truth to the notion that the first time you encounter something new is the most memorable.
Similarly, I don't consider myself a Final Fantasy fan: In my mind there are fans, those who have played EVERY FF game made, and non fans, those who played none of them. This places me in the middle - yet out of all FF games I have played, I have found something to enjoy: 10 was great, 4 was great, 5 and 9 were both fun to play even if underrated, and 6 is the one where they got everything right and is thus one of the best games I have ever played (in case you haven't heard those words a thousand times before).



But in the end, it was my own principles that got me: Everyone should discover something in their time and arrive at their own conclusions. I sought the negative opinions and, although a minority, I felt they brought up something interesting points. But no matter, I should least play it enough to form my own opinion. I had the game lying untouched on my shelf for Lord knows how long so there is no point in talking about something I haven't even played. Also, I have a Cloud cosplay planned (Kath's idea) so I may as well conduct some research. Who knows? I might be surprised....

At this point in time, I am halfway through the game and, surprise surprise, I am actually having fun.

Yeah I couldn't believe it myself. Try as I might to find an excuse to hate this game, I couldn't help but actually enjoy it. Sure the graphics looked antique by today's standards, sure the music sounds horribly midi for a Playstation game (or maybe that's me being biased after spending many hours playing Castlevania: SOTN), sure the character have little in the way of actual distinction, sure there are too many villains sure Sephiroth has got NOTHING on Kefka (don't like it? Bite me) and sure the story is absurdly complex, leaning on incomprehensible.
But you know what? That doesn't matter. I am willing to ignore all of the above when one considers the game's strengths: The backdrops and settings still manage to hold up pretty well - even if the rest of graphics don't. I also really like how the cyperpunk setting works wonders in a game where it's predecessors have all been based on a medieval/fantasy setting. The ideas that drive the game are compelling with the theory that the planet would be much better off without us humans (perhaps more so considering Al Gore's environmental campaigning has gathered more attention in recent times than ever before). The mini-games have been fun and the tasks to find some of the bonuses have so fun been enjoyable rather than frustrating *coughFFXcough*. The game seems less interested in forcing story progression onto the player and simply steps back and lets them go and bonk some heads - and that's what matters: The game is FUN.



There is a lot of joy to be had in going around and killing some monsters. It doesn't get tedious and the player is allowed to progress the story at their own pace. I thought I would abandon the game once my fav character was out of the picture but somehow I feel compelled to keep going onward (and whatever feelings of bitterness spawned from my paranoid mind (I might elaborate on this in a later note)). There is much to enjoy this game, and in a way it seems like an accumulation of all the elements spawned from previous FF's - but still making room for FF7 to say something of it's own. Now I'm not going to going to declare it one of the best I've played (Ico, Metal Gear Solid, Baldur's Gate 2, Civ2 and FF7's younger brother FF6 are still rated higher) but FF7 in it's own right turns out to pretty damn good.
In short, I came into FF7 with an open mind and I found it really fun to play.
Which is what a video game should do

So in the end, I played a game I have been reluctant to play and it turned out to be pretty damned good. Sure this opinion may be subject to change as my progress continues but ultimately what this goes to show that sometimes finding something out on your own, when thousands have come before you, can actually turn out some magic in it's own way.