Huzzah for a Room Mate with a discount. As you have probably read in an earlier post, I am flat out addicted to cheap games. If it is ten bucks or less, it might as well already be in my collection. It is with that in mind that games have been added to said collection. I don't know when I'll actually get around to playing them, since I've started a bunch of games already, but rest assured, sooner or later, I shall have them beat.
Jeff and I are going to be recording yet another version of Episode Two. For those of you that missed out on the first one (shame), here is a link:
Download E1F.mp3 from FileFactory.com
Enjoy, and don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Metroid Prime Conclusion
Metroid Prime 2 is, in this big return to the Metroid series, the most fascinating to me. As I previously blogged, it did not appeal to me that much at first, due in parts to my playing World of Warcraft as well as its labyrinthine light-dark structure. I will be honest, I believe I got stuck at the same place that I originally did. Torgus Bog, the one place where the Hint System could kick in faster.
Having just finished Prime 3, I realised that Metroid was the game of the summer for me. I definitely could have chosen worse. Although I will admit that Prime 3 starts too slow and not mysteriously enough, the second half of the game is an epic conclusion to a fascinating iteration of a fantastic franchise.
If you have not had the pleasure of playing any of the Prime titles, you owe it to yourself to play at least one of them, especially if you enjoy Metroid and exploration games. Ideally, get your hand on the Trilogy.
Playing these games again has made me realize that I have yet to play in as fascinating environments as those of Tallon IV, Aether, and those of Prime 3.
This has been a fun ride that will come to its conclusion soon with a new title to boot. Incidentally, I also have not player Super Metroid yet... Keeping the best for last I guess.
Next post will not be about Other M, that's going to be on the podcast.
Until next time... the galaxy is at peace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Having just finished Prime 3, I realised that Metroid was the game of the summer for me. I definitely could have chosen worse. Although I will admit that Prime 3 starts too slow and not mysteriously enough, the second half of the game is an epic conclusion to a fascinating iteration of a fantastic franchise.
If you have not had the pleasure of playing any of the Prime titles, you owe it to yourself to play at least one of them, especially if you enjoy Metroid and exploration games. Ideally, get your hand on the Trilogy.
Playing these games again has made me realize that I have yet to play in as fascinating environments as those of Tallon IV, Aether, and those of Prime 3.
This has been a fun ride that will come to its conclusion soon with a new title to boot. Incidentally, I also have not player Super Metroid yet... Keeping the best for last I guess.
Next post will not be about Other M, that's going to be on the podcast.
Until next time... the galaxy is at peace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, August 28, 2010
To Shank or... definitely to Shank
This weeks brainstorming session went pretty well. Jeff and myself are ready to get started on making episode 2... again... FOR THE LAST TIME!!!!.... sorry 'bout that.
Not only did we come up with some stuff for our future podcast, we also played a little game called Shank. In what I would describe as Double Dragon with blood, guts, and more blood and guts, fun was had by all. The cool thing about Shank is that not only is there a regular single player mode like most games, this one has Local Co-op, a dying breed of multiplayer games. Rather than just mashing together a second player on the screen for what would essentially be the Single Player campaign just with more enemies, the Co-op campaign acts as a prequel to the events of the main game.
The game itself revolves around two dudes that are... well, I'm not sure what they are, but they seem to be pissed off at anything that moves that isn't themselves, so it's your job to murder everything. There are tag-team style grapple throws and combo's that just look sick. Not only do you just massacre the little minion dudes of the bad guys, but the boss fights are brilliant as well. Instead of just hiding, or rushing up and mashing the attack button, you have to plan out when to attack, who does what, and get the timing down pretty damn fast.
For example, there was a boss near the end that throws grenades, attacks with a stun gun, and random slash-fodder pops up to crap in your cornflakes. There is a part where he glows yellow for about half a second, then charges you. In order to do any kind of significant damage, you have to dodge all of the aforementioned attacks (minus the minions which you should kill, because killing is fun), get in the way of his charge so you can perform a counter attack. THEN, after you counter attack, your partner has to rush up and perform a grapple attack which will actually damage the guy. It sounds like nothing in text, but when you're actually playing, it's fun as hell. I'm glad that there are co-op modes that actually feel like you are working together as a team, rather than just be thrown together haphazardly.
This week (actually yesterday) I also picked up Blazblue: Continuum Shift on PS3. The art style is slightly different, everyone got some tweaking, and there are a few new characters thrown in there as well. To top it all off, there will also be some DLC Characters available over the next few months. It was easy for me to pick up the game, it was only 45$ as opposed to the usual 70, and I enjoyed the first one. I don't appreciate having to pay that much for extra characters, but that's the beauty of DLC: I can choose to ignore it, and for the moment, that's what I'll do.
Until next time, I'm Chris Taylor wishing all a good Gammage.
Not only did we come up with some stuff for our future podcast, we also played a little game called Shank. In what I would describe as Double Dragon with blood, guts, and more blood and guts, fun was had by all. The cool thing about Shank is that not only is there a regular single player mode like most games, this one has Local Co-op, a dying breed of multiplayer games. Rather than just mashing together a second player on the screen for what would essentially be the Single Player campaign just with more enemies, the Co-op campaign acts as a prequel to the events of the main game.
The game itself revolves around two dudes that are... well, I'm not sure what they are, but they seem to be pissed off at anything that moves that isn't themselves, so it's your job to murder everything. There are tag-team style grapple throws and combo's that just look sick. Not only do you just massacre the little minion dudes of the bad guys, but the boss fights are brilliant as well. Instead of just hiding, or rushing up and mashing the attack button, you have to plan out when to attack, who does what, and get the timing down pretty damn fast.
For example, there was a boss near the end that throws grenades, attacks with a stun gun, and random slash-fodder pops up to crap in your cornflakes. There is a part where he glows yellow for about half a second, then charges you. In order to do any kind of significant damage, you have to dodge all of the aforementioned attacks (minus the minions which you should kill, because killing is fun), get in the way of his charge so you can perform a counter attack. THEN, after you counter attack, your partner has to rush up and perform a grapple attack which will actually damage the guy. It sounds like nothing in text, but when you're actually playing, it's fun as hell. I'm glad that there are co-op modes that actually feel like you are working together as a team, rather than just be thrown together haphazardly.
This week (actually yesterday) I also picked up Blazblue: Continuum Shift on PS3. The art style is slightly different, everyone got some tweaking, and there are a few new characters thrown in there as well. To top it all off, there will also be some DLC Characters available over the next few months. It was easy for me to pick up the game, it was only 45$ as opposed to the usual 70, and I enjoyed the first one. I don't appreciate having to pay that much for extra characters, but that's the beauty of DLC: I can choose to ignore it, and for the moment, that's what I'll do.
Until next time, I'm Chris Taylor wishing all a good Gammage.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Secluded in a Varia Suit
Metroid. A series about being lost and alone, trying to find your place in the world. As you explore this alien world, you grow in strengths, powers and abilities. The usual hero story in other words. In Metroid, however, a lot of emphasis is put on making you uneasy about the setting. Lost, confused, disoriented. Most of my previous posts have been about this series, mainly because that is all I have been playing (with a few StarCraft 2 games in-between). Having recently cleared Zero Mission, Fusion, Prime 1 and 2 (as well as being 30-40% into Prime 3), I thought I would present my thoughts on these perticular titles, especially regarding the Hint System featured in these titles.
I will start with Metroid Prime. One of the great Gamecube games, Prime was the 3Dfication of Super Metroid. Beautifully realised by Retro Studios, it truly captured the feeling of isolation and desolation found in the previous titles. It also introduced the Hint System that would follow in the other titles. The hint system basically showed you where you were supposed to go next, but not as soon as you picked up the latest upgrade. The hints are very well timed and pop up usually when you've been spending maybe too much time walking around, grabbing Missile Expansion. Furthermore, the hint usually was a room in the middle of the map, isolated, with no connections to where you were.
To make your way to this room, you had to explore the environment, scan almost everything to pierce some of the mystery that surrounds Tallon IV, Phazon and the Space Pirates. It is a minimalist system, that you can turn off. Still, the environments being quite massive (especially when you consider their verticality), it is nice to have a little beacon telling at least in which direction you should go. All in all, the introduction of a hint system in the Metroid series was nicely done. Subtle, not too intrusive, and well, the game is not holding your hand.
Moving onto our second game, Metroid Fusion came out at the same time as Prime. It also features a hint system, but this time it is in the form of mission objectives. You do not have much in terms of choices when you enter or exit a section, you MUST access that Navigation Station, which will tell you more about the story as well as where you need to go next. Here, it is an integral part of the game and although the exploratory aspects of the game are not as interesting as those in Prime (it is a 2D game after all), at least it makes sense within the context of the story.
My gripe about Fusion is the difficulty. The boss encounters are mostly about blasting a big baddy as fast as possible with missiles, before he kills you. I will admit that there is definitely something old school about those encounters, but it doesn't mean that they have aged well. My memory of Fusion was distant and I am glad to have re-explored it, unfortunately it will most likely be a long time before I do so again.
Zero Mission, a retelling of the first Metroid game, is an interesting hybrid of Metroid 1 and 3. Sadly, it incorporates Chozo guides that tell you your next destination and the game lacks most of the sentiment of isolation found in its roots. It is still worth the few hours it takes to finish and the end should surprise you.
Speaking of end, I think I've typed enough about Metroid for one day. Next post, my thoughts on Prime 2 & 3 (which hopefully I will have finished by then). Until next time, grab those Missile Tanks!
I will start with Metroid Prime. One of the great Gamecube games, Prime was the 3Dfication of Super Metroid. Beautifully realised by Retro Studios, it truly captured the feeling of isolation and desolation found in the previous titles. It also introduced the Hint System that would follow in the other titles. The hint system basically showed you where you were supposed to go next, but not as soon as you picked up the latest upgrade. The hints are very well timed and pop up usually when you've been spending maybe too much time walking around, grabbing Missile Expansion. Furthermore, the hint usually was a room in the middle of the map, isolated, with no connections to where you were.
To make your way to this room, you had to explore the environment, scan almost everything to pierce some of the mystery that surrounds Tallon IV, Phazon and the Space Pirates. It is a minimalist system, that you can turn off. Still, the environments being quite massive (especially when you consider their verticality), it is nice to have a little beacon telling at least in which direction you should go. All in all, the introduction of a hint system in the Metroid series was nicely done. Subtle, not too intrusive, and well, the game is not holding your hand.
Moving onto our second game, Metroid Fusion came out at the same time as Prime. It also features a hint system, but this time it is in the form of mission objectives. You do not have much in terms of choices when you enter or exit a section, you MUST access that Navigation Station, which will tell you more about the story as well as where you need to go next. Here, it is an integral part of the game and although the exploratory aspects of the game are not as interesting as those in Prime (it is a 2D game after all), at least it makes sense within the context of the story.
My gripe about Fusion is the difficulty. The boss encounters are mostly about blasting a big baddy as fast as possible with missiles, before he kills you. I will admit that there is definitely something old school about those encounters, but it doesn't mean that they have aged well. My memory of Fusion was distant and I am glad to have re-explored it, unfortunately it will most likely be a long time before I do so again.
Zero Mission, a retelling of the first Metroid game, is an interesting hybrid of Metroid 1 and 3. Sadly, it incorporates Chozo guides that tell you your next destination and the game lacks most of the sentiment of isolation found in its roots. It is still worth the few hours it takes to finish and the end should surprise you.
Speaking of end, I think I've typed enough about Metroid for one day. Next post, my thoughts on Prime 2 & 3 (which hopefully I will have finished by then). Until next time, grab those Missile Tanks!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Holy Cow!!?! Chris has played games this week!
... But not many. Again, with a busy work schedule, and with the creativity juices flowing like Niagara Falls, not much game time has been had.
I did spend a few more hours in the 360 resetting of Prince of Persia. The storyline is really what's keeping me into the game, as is the platforming. There isn't a whole lot of combat there to really stick with, but as a whole, the game is fun, and isn't that the whole point of playing games to begin with?
I've also been playing more of Loco Roco 2, and I'm hoping to beat that in the next few days... If I ever play my PSP instead of using it as a glorified MP3 Player. There is just something about listening to music that keeps me actually using my PSP.
Jeff has been kind enough to show me what Eternal Darkness on Gamecube is like. I've had the game in my collection for a while now (lucky for me, when I worked at EB games I got it for like ten bucks) but never really worked up the drive to play it, mostly because me and my gamecube have a neglecting relationship. I never use the gamecube, and it accepts that. We've tried couples therapy and everything, but it's just not working.
Regardless, Jeff should be in the second half of the game by now... I think, and I'll put forth my thoughts on it when he has finished it. Until next time, may the tidings of the gaming gods never leave your controller hands empty.
I did spend a few more hours in the 360 resetting of Prince of Persia. The storyline is really what's keeping me into the game, as is the platforming. There isn't a whole lot of combat there to really stick with, but as a whole, the game is fun, and isn't that the whole point of playing games to begin with?
I've also been playing more of Loco Roco 2, and I'm hoping to beat that in the next few days... If I ever play my PSP instead of using it as a glorified MP3 Player. There is just something about listening to music that keeps me actually using my PSP.
Jeff has been kind enough to show me what Eternal Darkness on Gamecube is like. I've had the game in my collection for a while now (lucky for me, when I worked at EB games I got it for like ten bucks) but never really worked up the drive to play it, mostly because me and my gamecube have a neglecting relationship. I never use the gamecube, and it accepts that. We've tried couples therapy and everything, but it's just not working.
Regardless, Jeff should be in the second half of the game by now... I think, and I'll put forth my thoughts on it when he has finished it. Until next time, may the tidings of the gaming gods never leave your controller hands empty.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A Short Sunday Post about my love for technology
So guess what, I had to fight with my PS3 last night. It would appear that the latest firmware update makes it difficult to play the first disc of the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother, on Blu-Ray. After looking online, the solution was the spam L1 + R1 + X. Luckily, that worked. Reminds me of a modern day "NES Blowjob"...
Speaking about TV, I recently watched the first episode of the relauched Futurama. I laughed, quite a bit. There's also a Nintendo reference at some point.
I'm still playing Scott Pilgrim VS The World - The Game. My character is now strong enough to kick some tails. Goody! It is a fun game and well worth its price (a mere $10, that's twice the price of Trash Panic and more than a hojillion times the fun).
Is there something you would like to read about? Conversations you would like to see? Things you liked? Do not hesitate to comment. Chris and I are looking at a few things to do close to Episode 2. Anywho, you can always e-mail me at jeff.pstplay@gmail.com with any criticism, comments and the likes. We want this to become a fun blog/environment and that's only possible with you guys.
Until next time.
Speaking about TV, I recently watched the first episode of the relauched Futurama. I laughed, quite a bit. There's also a Nintendo reference at some point.
I'm still playing Scott Pilgrim VS The World - The Game. My character is now strong enough to kick some tails. Goody! It is a fun game and well worth its price (a mere $10, that's twice the price of Trash Panic and more than a hojillion times the fun).
Is there something you would like to read about? Conversations you would like to see? Things you liked? Do not hesitate to comment. Chris and I are looking at a few things to do close to Episode 2. Anywho, you can always e-mail me at jeff.pstplay@gmail.com with any criticism, comments and the likes. We want this to become a fun blog/environment and that's only possible with you guys.
Until next time.
Magic is Fun
You know what's really sad, ladies and gents? For a long time, I used to play Magic. A lot! Every lunch break at school me and a bunch of friends would spend time playing, and it was awesome.
Time passes, and suddenly there are no more games of magic. Sure, every once in a while I'll buy a box, people I work with say they'll play, and we do, one game or two. But after that? Nothing.
Tonight that changes. Me and two other friends got together and played. I made two decks, one for me, and one for one of the others. You know what's really sad? It was her deck that keeps winning. I don't like it.
I do like the game however. I don't care that I don't win (although getting mana screwed is always embarrassing), I just love the mechanics of the game. I could play for months, never win a single match, and still feel good.
That being said, I will be using her deck as my own from now on. I want to win.
Next post should be more video game related, just wanted to share the wonderfulness of actually getting together and playing stuff. Thanks to online gaming, getting together and actually seeing the people that you're playing with seems to be a lost art, one that will be sorely missed.
Time passes, and suddenly there are no more games of magic. Sure, every once in a while I'll buy a box, people I work with say they'll play, and we do, one game or two. But after that? Nothing.
Tonight that changes. Me and two other friends got together and played. I made two decks, one for me, and one for one of the others. You know what's really sad? It was her deck that keeps winning. I don't like it.
I do like the game however. I don't care that I don't win (although getting mana screwed is always embarrassing), I just love the mechanics of the game. I could play for months, never win a single match, and still feel good.
That being said, I will be using her deck as my own from now on. I want to win.
Next post should be more video game related, just wanted to share the wonderfulness of actually getting together and playing stuff. Thanks to online gaming, getting together and actually seeing the people that you're playing with seems to be a lost art, one that will be sorely missed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)