Yep here we go again. Used game racks at Gamestop are like strawberry-kiwi flavored crack to me.
Spy Fiction - From the makers of Deadly Premonition!...yeah. Apparently this game is a Metal Gear Solid rip with maybe some good ideas floating about. If I can find the early PS2 launch title Extermination I'll have the DP developer's entire library...unless of course they did work on a dozen other games in the past.
Time Shift - I heard some good things about this FPS, it was cheap as all hell, and I even got a making-of DVD! Yeah I dunno why this was done either. Granted every third-rate movie manages to get a DVD with making of featurettes and other nonsense but it's still an unheard of thing for games. Yeah I'm getting sidetracked here. I should be way more interested in being able to control time and stuff while shooting people.
----
Now then I've already put about five playthroughs into Deathsmiles(that's one for each playable character). People weren't kidding when they said it was one of Cave's easiest games. However that's not accounting for the interesting way difficulty is handled. The player chooses the next stage and they can also choose the rank setting, which affects things like the difficulty of the boss and so on. After so many ranks enemies start to produce suicide bullets and this is where it tends to get insane.
Still in my first hour I managed to get a 1CC though I pretty much ignored things like the EX stage(a completely optional stage for those looking for some challenge and big points) and I stayed at the first rank for the entire playthrough. It's definitely a load of fun and I expect it to get better when I can get more comfortable with the harder ranks.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
New game pick-up
This time it's....
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs King Abaddon - Whew that's a mouthful ain't it? I'm not 100% sure why I bought it because I've already got quite the backlog and currently I'm waist-deep in Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War but eh it was $20 and I got this sweet plushie.
And uh..yeah that's it.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs King Abaddon - Whew that's a mouthful ain't it? I'm not 100% sure why I bought it because I've already got quite the backlog and currently I'm waist-deep in Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War but eh it was $20 and I got this sweet plushie.
And uh..yeah that's it.
Friday, June 18, 2010
PS3 Look - God of War 1 & 2 Collection
On one hand I'm supposed to say "Wow this is great you get two highly-rated games with a bunch of extras at a cheap price" but on the other hand I'm going to say "Wow these games might have been fun when I first played them but today they bore the crap out of me." No I didn't make this blog so I can talk bad about mainstream games and brag about whatever obscure nonsense I just played through. When a game like God of War Collection rolls around though I kind of get that feeling. While the both of these games get a lot of things right in terms of presentation and value it may as well be meaningless when I couldn't even get myself through one of them.
Actually that's not entirely accurate. I played through both God of Wars when they came out on the Playstation 2 and in fact I enjoyed them. Thing was however is that I played them to see what would happen next. Even though it's been several years I still have faint memories of the events of both games and even particular areas/battles are still remembered. In a sense I know what to expect but if the games were fun replaying them still wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately that's not the case.
Let's start with God of War 1. Kratos is an angry guy who was wronged by a huge jerk named Ares. The best idea for dealing with someone that wronged you is to kill them but since Ares is a God it'll take a bit more than a knife and vengeance to do the deed. The entire game is a mix of Devil May Cry-styled 3D action and Zelda-esque block-pushing and puzzle-solving. While the full game only clocks in somewhere around ten hours it is an adventure of grandiose quality and remarkable design.
Problem is the developers were more obsessed with creating something of artistic merit rather than a good game. This game has a fondness for manipulating the camera to create memorable scenes and building levels that complement it. This somehow leads to tons of long hallways, a lot of pointless meandering, and after awhile I just wanted to see some action.
Problem is I get to the action and suddenly I feel like I'd rather stare at pretty pictures some more. The fighting in God of War simply isn't fun. Kratos wields a pair of swords attached to chains which can perform a sizable variety of moves. It's pretty cool but there's no feeling to it at all. By this I mean when the sword makes contact with the enemy I feel like I'm playing some older game where enemies flashed to tell the player they were hit but otherwise they just kept doing what they're doing. These days I tend to expect a bit of reaction. When I swing a sword the size of a pig at someone I expect them to react accordingly, I should not have to look at some combo counter at the top corner of the screen to confirm that "Yep I hit him". Most of the time enemies ignore my attacks and just keep on going, which means I don't even get the opportunity to use some of the stronger and more entertaining combos. If it's something like a minotaur or other very strong foe well forget it, I can hit him twice, roll out of the way, and repeat until they fall down.
Fighting is an absolute constant in this game. Even when I'm traversing areas I just cleared a minute ago it's expected that a new batch of enemies will show up. Most of the time these encounters aren't harder or even show any thought or importance at all. It's just one nuisance after another as a bunch of the same dregs roll in for me to effortlessly waste. It's fighting for the sake of fighting and since I don't have any fun with this game's combat it's just boring.
This game also has an obsession with creating terribly un-fun scenarios. Early on I'm expected to push an easily-destroyed crate to the other side of an area so I can use it as a stepping stone. All the while there are archers taking pot-shots at me and my weak crate. Moving forward I have to drag a cage up a hill while bad guys get in my face. These guys spawn to the point of near-infinity but if I ignore my cage to deal with them it'll slide to the bottom of the hill. Yes I'm well aware there are places on the hill where the cage won't move but that doesn't excuse such a stupid concept. There are a number of these moments throughout the game designed solely to test my very limited patience. They're not challenging, they're not rewarding, and they're certainly not fun.
Looking back I realized I could stomach maybe an hour of this game at a time. Sometimes it would take days or even weeks for me to put forth the effort to spend another hour on such a dull adventure. God of War 1 really hasn't held up well at all. Thankfully the sequel is a textbook example when it comes to making a game that's better in every way than the first.
To start with the most important addition is fun combat. Moves were changed, properties were adjusted, a handful of new items and abilities were added in and changed around, basically everything has been made to be more entertaining. I could go on for days about what moves in God of War 1 simply didn't work and in the sequel all of them were fixed. Unfortunately the game never really fixed that hollow feeling I get when I kill someone. There's no thrill to it, no reason to play stylishly, and eventually I just wish I could skip the fights and move on. For me there is simply no satisfaction to be had from killing in this game.
Which is a shame cause it's obvious the developers went all out in terms of Greek Star-power. I meet and most likely kill everyone from Jason(sans Argonauts), to Perseus, to Icarus, and all of the freaks and monsters in-between. It's quite a trip going through the rogue's gallery of Greek Mythology and yet it's all wasted because I don't have the urge to continue. Then again this also might be because the boss-fights don't really manage to be all that compelling. There's a number of factors that go into this and not all of them involve the game itself. I will say though is that there just isn't enough in the way of strategy or creativity when it comes to dealing with these bosses. For the most part I can treat them like any other strong enemy, I hit them a couple times and then block or roll out of the way.
Some of the puzzles are really cool as well as they tend to involve aspects such as manipulating time. In some ways though this feels like a glorified "switch" as the mechanics don't seem all that different than if I were to throw a switch that could only stay on for a limited amount of time before a platform disappeared or a door closed. It's neat the first time around but it's only a visual and doesn't hold up to repeat play.
In a way it's one of those "it's not the game, it's me" situations. In a lot of ways God of War 2 turns out to be a legitimately good game. I probably should have spent more time talking up what makes this game good and an improvement over the first one but uhhhh I just don't have the heart for it. For any game I feel a certain level of "connection" is necessary to get the maximum possible enjoyment. I've talked about this before in the past regarding games that wouldn't be considered by most to be anywhere near the level of God of War. It is kind of strange how that works I'll admit but eh hear me out.
The greatest problem I have with the God of War games is that I simply don't care about them. There is nothing to Kratos' story that makes me feel for his situation and want to involve myself in his trials and tribulations. When I kill some old foe or a good friend I don't feel anything and I don't care what commentary(if any) Kratos has on the matter. I certainly don't appreciate the moments where Kratos takes a break from murder to enjoy the pleasures of women and hell it doesn't look like he appreciates it either. Maybe if the dude didn't take everything so seriously and didn't consider rage or complete silence an acceptable response to every event I'd probably develop at least a semblance of an attachment to him. As it stands though I feel nothing but emptiness when I play God of War and even during its best moments all this game gets from is a shrug.
Game Rating - 2.5 stars out of 5
I'm not sure how I came up with this rating, in fact I don't even care if it matters. I guess the very presence of the poor first game brings the entire package down and while both games support multiple difficulties and a mission-mode I doubt most anyone that picks these games up plays through them a bunch of times. Then again what do I know? Last time I played through either game it was years ago and I'm a different person now.
My Rating - 1 out of 5
The only thing keeping me from giving this game a zero is the fact that I played through both games before so at the time they were enjoyable enough for at least a single playthrough. I don't know whether it's myself or the times that have changed but there it is.
Actually that's not entirely accurate. I played through both God of Wars when they came out on the Playstation 2 and in fact I enjoyed them. Thing was however is that I played them to see what would happen next. Even though it's been several years I still have faint memories of the events of both games and even particular areas/battles are still remembered. In a sense I know what to expect but if the games were fun replaying them still wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately that's not the case.
Let's start with God of War 1. Kratos is an angry guy who was wronged by a huge jerk named Ares. The best idea for dealing with someone that wronged you is to kill them but since Ares is a God it'll take a bit more than a knife and vengeance to do the deed. The entire game is a mix of Devil May Cry-styled 3D action and Zelda-esque block-pushing and puzzle-solving. While the full game only clocks in somewhere around ten hours it is an adventure of grandiose quality and remarkable design.
Problem is the developers were more obsessed with creating something of artistic merit rather than a good game. This game has a fondness for manipulating the camera to create memorable scenes and building levels that complement it. This somehow leads to tons of long hallways, a lot of pointless meandering, and after awhile I just wanted to see some action.
Problem is I get to the action and suddenly I feel like I'd rather stare at pretty pictures some more. The fighting in God of War simply isn't fun. Kratos wields a pair of swords attached to chains which can perform a sizable variety of moves. It's pretty cool but there's no feeling to it at all. By this I mean when the sword makes contact with the enemy I feel like I'm playing some older game where enemies flashed to tell the player they were hit but otherwise they just kept doing what they're doing. These days I tend to expect a bit of reaction. When I swing a sword the size of a pig at someone I expect them to react accordingly, I should not have to look at some combo counter at the top corner of the screen to confirm that "Yep I hit him". Most of the time enemies ignore my attacks and just keep on going, which means I don't even get the opportunity to use some of the stronger and more entertaining combos. If it's something like a minotaur or other very strong foe well forget it, I can hit him twice, roll out of the way, and repeat until they fall down.
Fighting is an absolute constant in this game. Even when I'm traversing areas I just cleared a minute ago it's expected that a new batch of enemies will show up. Most of the time these encounters aren't harder or even show any thought or importance at all. It's just one nuisance after another as a bunch of the same dregs roll in for me to effortlessly waste. It's fighting for the sake of fighting and since I don't have any fun with this game's combat it's just boring.
This game also has an obsession with creating terribly un-fun scenarios. Early on I'm expected to push an easily-destroyed crate to the other side of an area so I can use it as a stepping stone. All the while there are archers taking pot-shots at me and my weak crate. Moving forward I have to drag a cage up a hill while bad guys get in my face. These guys spawn to the point of near-infinity but if I ignore my cage to deal with them it'll slide to the bottom of the hill. Yes I'm well aware there are places on the hill where the cage won't move but that doesn't excuse such a stupid concept. There are a number of these moments throughout the game designed solely to test my very limited patience. They're not challenging, they're not rewarding, and they're certainly not fun.
Looking back I realized I could stomach maybe an hour of this game at a time. Sometimes it would take days or even weeks for me to put forth the effort to spend another hour on such a dull adventure. God of War 1 really hasn't held up well at all. Thankfully the sequel is a textbook example when it comes to making a game that's better in every way than the first.
To start with the most important addition is fun combat. Moves were changed, properties were adjusted, a handful of new items and abilities were added in and changed around, basically everything has been made to be more entertaining. I could go on for days about what moves in God of War 1 simply didn't work and in the sequel all of them were fixed. Unfortunately the game never really fixed that hollow feeling I get when I kill someone. There's no thrill to it, no reason to play stylishly, and eventually I just wish I could skip the fights and move on. For me there is simply no satisfaction to be had from killing in this game.
Which is a shame cause it's obvious the developers went all out in terms of Greek Star-power. I meet and most likely kill everyone from Jason(sans Argonauts), to Perseus, to Icarus, and all of the freaks and monsters in-between. It's quite a trip going through the rogue's gallery of Greek Mythology and yet it's all wasted because I don't have the urge to continue. Then again this also might be because the boss-fights don't really manage to be all that compelling. There's a number of factors that go into this and not all of them involve the game itself. I will say though is that there just isn't enough in the way of strategy or creativity when it comes to dealing with these bosses. For the most part I can treat them like any other strong enemy, I hit them a couple times and then block or roll out of the way.
Some of the puzzles are really cool as well as they tend to involve aspects such as manipulating time. In some ways though this feels like a glorified "switch" as the mechanics don't seem all that different than if I were to throw a switch that could only stay on for a limited amount of time before a platform disappeared or a door closed. It's neat the first time around but it's only a visual and doesn't hold up to repeat play.
In a way it's one of those "it's not the game, it's me" situations. In a lot of ways God of War 2 turns out to be a legitimately good game. I probably should have spent more time talking up what makes this game good and an improvement over the first one but uhhhh I just don't have the heart for it. For any game I feel a certain level of "connection" is necessary to get the maximum possible enjoyment. I've talked about this before in the past regarding games that wouldn't be considered by most to be anywhere near the level of God of War. It is kind of strange how that works I'll admit but eh hear me out.
The greatest problem I have with the God of War games is that I simply don't care about them. There is nothing to Kratos' story that makes me feel for his situation and want to involve myself in his trials and tribulations. When I kill some old foe or a good friend I don't feel anything and I don't care what commentary(if any) Kratos has on the matter. I certainly don't appreciate the moments where Kratos takes a break from murder to enjoy the pleasures of women and hell it doesn't look like he appreciates it either. Maybe if the dude didn't take everything so seriously and didn't consider rage or complete silence an acceptable response to every event I'd probably develop at least a semblance of an attachment to him. As it stands though I feel nothing but emptiness when I play God of War and even during its best moments all this game gets from is a shrug.
Game Rating - 2.5 stars out of 5
I'm not sure how I came up with this rating, in fact I don't even care if it matters. I guess the very presence of the poor first game brings the entire package down and while both games support multiple difficulties and a mission-mode I doubt most anyone that picks these games up plays through them a bunch of times. Then again what do I know? Last time I played through either game it was years ago and I'm a different person now.
My Rating - 1 out of 5
The only thing keeping me from giving this game a zero is the fact that I played through both games before so at the time they were enjoyable enough for at least a single playthrough. I don't know whether it's myself or the times that have changed but there it is.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
PS1 Look - Gaia Seed
From the outset I've had one mission for this blog and that is "Play Anything". I enjoy games and I also enjoy talking about them. Unfortunately the biggest problem I face with this ideal is that there's just not enough time for all of it. At times sacrifices are made and most of the time I simply won't talk about the game or I didn't play enough to form a decent opinion. There are also those games that I really enjoy but I've already written about them so they get shuffled away until one day when I have the time I can jump back into them (though chances of that day ever coming are nil). Which is why I'm thankful for games like Gaia Seed because I can get through them quickly and they offer so little depth and/or entertainment value that I have no reason to ever play them again.
For the non-connoisseurs of the rare and expensive Gaia Seed is a Japanese Playstation 1 game that goes for quite a bit of money. I'm not sure how this came about yet surprisingly despite being released by a publisher nobody has even heard of this game saw fit to make an appearance on the Playstation Network. That means this $150-300 game can now be had for about $6 to $8. Needless to say this is a very good thing since more often not collector's value isn't impacted by the availability of cheap re-releases and more importantly it means we can judge the game without saying things to justify how much was spent on it.
Gaia Seed is influenced by a handful of notable 2D shooters like Metal Black and Darius Gaiden. The storyline is a bit difficult to understand since while it is spoken in English the speaker has a heavy Japanese accent. In short Earth has seen much better days and a project has been put together to save it. How this translates to destroying aliens and their motherships is something I probably should have paid more attention to.
Over the course of seven stages the player will deal with all manner of alien formations, larger foes, and a variety of extraneous enemies that crawl along the floor as well as perform other actions that aren't that easy to explain. There are bosses of course and aside from the rare mid-boss they stick to their place at the end of each stage.
Taking these guys out is a simple affair due to the very basic weapon system. The player can pick up weapons that either allow for a spread that covers a wide area or a narrow laser with extra power. There are sub-weapons available that fire off to the sides or straight ahead for minimal damage. They're nice to have but otherwise fairly useless. There is also a special attack that is tied to whatever the main weapon is. It does good damage and nullifies enemy bullets but is limited by a bar on the bottom of the screen which can take a long time to refill.
This standard assortment of weaponry is overshadowed by one of the more unique additions I've seen from the genre. The ship actually has a shield. This isn't one of those "one-hit-and-its-gone" types either. There is a shield meter at the bottom of the screen that drains whenever the player takes damage and refills slowly when they're not getting hit. The only other game I can think of that uses this system and came before Gaia Seed is Target Earth. The difference here though is that while the shield-recharge was essential to even surviving that game, with Gaia Seed it makes everything just a bit too easy.
While there are no extra lives to get in Gaia Seed the shield renders a good majority of the situations completely ineffective. At times the shield is almost balanced out by the enemy firing away with tons of attacks but these only crop up towards the end of the game. Aside from the handful of serious situations (which are all tied to a couple bosses) much of Gaia Seed's time is spent dozing off while the pitiful enemies explode.
There are difficulty settings but the only difference between Normal and Hard is less continues. Since the player has turned to the Hard setting it can be assumed that they mastered Normal and got bored with it. There's no incentive to playing the harder setting and the only replay value comes from seeing all of the endings. The scoring system is very mundane as it involves destroying enemy formations for bonus points as well as some other bonuses tied to performing simple actions.
Another aspect that doesn't work is the weapon balance. The spreadshot is the most effective weapon for the entirety of the game and even seems to be a better fit for taking out bosses quickly than the laser. It's already a better weapon for destroying regular enemies since it requires less maneuvering from the player so it really seems like the laser has no advantages at all.
To top it all off this game is just completely uninspired. For a developer that was inspired by some brilliant games with stunning art direction it's a real shame that this game is so dull and ugly. There are a few interesting moments but none of them have any effect on the game's design and much of the unique attributes of a level involve something as bland as falling rocks. I'd say this was the kind of shooter that would have fit in during the 16-bit generation but that would be unfair as I'd feel it necessary to compare it to excellent titles like ThunderForce IV. Shoot even Axelay has more going for it than Gaia Seed. There is absolutely nothing special or creative about this game and while now it might not be a huge waste of money it's still a huge waste of time.
Game Rating - 1 out of 5
The word that best describes this game is in-offensive. It carries with it basic competency and anything that might have actually pushed the limits of the game is glossed over due to the inclusion of the shield. Its dime-a-dozen game design might appeal to someone not interested in the more complicated 2D shooters but if that's what they're after they could just play something like Twin Cobra.
My Rating - 1 out of 5
Gaia Seed has a decent soundtrack I'll give it that much. Otherwise all it provides is a novelty experience that one can only get from playing a game that costs so much to procure a copy. It's sub-standard in every aspect, has no replay value, and even the first couple play-throughs nearly left me too bored to continue.
For the non-connoisseurs of the rare and expensive Gaia Seed is a Japanese Playstation 1 game that goes for quite a bit of money. I'm not sure how this came about yet surprisingly despite being released by a publisher nobody has even heard of this game saw fit to make an appearance on the Playstation Network. That means this $150-300 game can now be had for about $6 to $8. Needless to say this is a very good thing since more often not collector's value isn't impacted by the availability of cheap re-releases and more importantly it means we can judge the game without saying things to justify how much was spent on it.
Gaia Seed is influenced by a handful of notable 2D shooters like Metal Black and Darius Gaiden. The storyline is a bit difficult to understand since while it is spoken in English the speaker has a heavy Japanese accent. In short Earth has seen much better days and a project has been put together to save it. How this translates to destroying aliens and their motherships is something I probably should have paid more attention to.
Over the course of seven stages the player will deal with all manner of alien formations, larger foes, and a variety of extraneous enemies that crawl along the floor as well as perform other actions that aren't that easy to explain. There are bosses of course and aside from the rare mid-boss they stick to their place at the end of each stage.
Taking these guys out is a simple affair due to the very basic weapon system. The player can pick up weapons that either allow for a spread that covers a wide area or a narrow laser with extra power. There are sub-weapons available that fire off to the sides or straight ahead for minimal damage. They're nice to have but otherwise fairly useless. There is also a special attack that is tied to whatever the main weapon is. It does good damage and nullifies enemy bullets but is limited by a bar on the bottom of the screen which can take a long time to refill.
This standard assortment of weaponry is overshadowed by one of the more unique additions I've seen from the genre. The ship actually has a shield. This isn't one of those "one-hit-and-its-gone" types either. There is a shield meter at the bottom of the screen that drains whenever the player takes damage and refills slowly when they're not getting hit. The only other game I can think of that uses this system and came before Gaia Seed is Target Earth. The difference here though is that while the shield-recharge was essential to even surviving that game, with Gaia Seed it makes everything just a bit too easy.
While there are no extra lives to get in Gaia Seed the shield renders a good majority of the situations completely ineffective. At times the shield is almost balanced out by the enemy firing away with tons of attacks but these only crop up towards the end of the game. Aside from the handful of serious situations (which are all tied to a couple bosses) much of Gaia Seed's time is spent dozing off while the pitiful enemies explode.
There are difficulty settings but the only difference between Normal and Hard is less continues. Since the player has turned to the Hard setting it can be assumed that they mastered Normal and got bored with it. There's no incentive to playing the harder setting and the only replay value comes from seeing all of the endings. The scoring system is very mundane as it involves destroying enemy formations for bonus points as well as some other bonuses tied to performing simple actions.
Another aspect that doesn't work is the weapon balance. The spreadshot is the most effective weapon for the entirety of the game and even seems to be a better fit for taking out bosses quickly than the laser. It's already a better weapon for destroying regular enemies since it requires less maneuvering from the player so it really seems like the laser has no advantages at all.
To top it all off this game is just completely uninspired. For a developer that was inspired by some brilliant games with stunning art direction it's a real shame that this game is so dull and ugly. There are a few interesting moments but none of them have any effect on the game's design and much of the unique attributes of a level involve something as bland as falling rocks. I'd say this was the kind of shooter that would have fit in during the 16-bit generation but that would be unfair as I'd feel it necessary to compare it to excellent titles like ThunderForce IV. Shoot even Axelay has more going for it than Gaia Seed. There is absolutely nothing special or creative about this game and while now it might not be a huge waste of money it's still a huge waste of time.
Game Rating - 1 out of 5
The word that best describes this game is in-offensive. It carries with it basic competency and anything that might have actually pushed the limits of the game is glossed over due to the inclusion of the shield. Its dime-a-dozen game design might appeal to someone not interested in the more complicated 2D shooters but if that's what they're after they could just play something like Twin Cobra.
My Rating - 1 out of 5
Gaia Seed has a decent soundtrack I'll give it that much. Otherwise all it provides is a novelty experience that one can only get from playing a game that costs so much to procure a copy. It's sub-standard in every aspect, has no replay value, and even the first couple play-throughs nearly left me too bored to continue.
PSN Look - Gundemonium Recollection & Gundeadligne
Recently the Playstation Network added a collection of shooters known as the Gundemonium...Collection. This selection features the inclusion of two horizontal and one vertical shooter and includes everything we've come to expect from the genre. By that I mean gobs of bullets, countless complicated scoring sub-systems, and a penchant for featuring little girls and/or women in tiny outfits. These games were originally developed on the PC and have made the jump to the PS3 quite well. There are a handful of bugs and some minor errors like the music-skipping (which may be attributed to that I was downloading something while playing) but nothing anyone would notice if they didn't look up some forum posts.
Gundemonium Recollection has one of those incomprehensible storylines doujin shooters are typically known for. There are these girls, there's some war over alchemy or something, and it involves a bunch of things like angel wings, bunnygirls, a great train robbery, and busty women straddling gatling guns. It's a very moe affair and really kind of creepy cause when there isn't a hail of bullets and stuff blowing up every which way I tend to see things I wish I hadn't. For example I'm quite sure I saw more than a few women shooting at me while not wearing any underwear. So yeah needless to say I try to ignore everything and just focus on living and killing.
This game takes place over a number of stages that are broken up into multiple sections. Unlike most horizontal shooters there's nothing in the way of walls to crash into or traps to evade, thus variety in each level is handled by creative bullet patterns. It's a bit hard to explain but there are sections of the game where narrow corridors or similar areas are created through the use of large swaths of bullets. Most sections tend to end in a boss and they tend to go down pretty quickly, not before filling the screen with a hundred thousand bullets of course.
There are two playable characters in the game though it's a bit odd how it works out. The first character uses dual pistols that fire forward constantly. The other playable character actually has an assortment of weapons to choose from and as a nod to fanboys a few of them even change her attire(like one of the weapons leaves without shoes on...ugh). Both characters also have access to a Mana attack that when it connects with the enemy time everything slows down from bullets to the enemies while doing damage. Recharging for these specials is as easy as putting the player in danger. Like many other modern shooters while the playable character is very large their weak-point is very small, allowing for tons of maneuverability through the most absurd of bullet spreads. There are also bombs which are always nice in that provide a way out of a bad situation. In fact even if the player takes a hit they can use a bomb to hang on to their life. This requires a full bomb gauge though.
For best results in figuring this game out it would be wise to seek out a guide like say one in the Shmups Forum. I say this because even after a couple playthroughs I still don't have too good of an idea about what's going on. This game gets pretty relentless with its spreads as the player progresses and there are a number of unique systems to make the game more challenging. First off difficulty is governed by a phase system. Basically the higher the phase the harder the game gets. Think of it as a rank system only easier to manipulate and understand. Grazing a lot of bullets triggers a phase levelup, dying can cause a phase leveldown, and so on. Higher phase levels mean more danger but it can also mean more points if the player knows what they are doing. There's also a demonic shift that can make the game harder or even easier depending on the phase level.
Granted you could just as easily ignore all of this like I did and focus on simply dodging everything and responding with a ton of hot death. The game could stand to use a little more punch as enemies just don't provide a sense of satisfaction when they're destroyed. Maybe this is more attributed to the odd-ball enemy designs (bunnygirls? really?). It's always fun to see bullets turn into gems and seeing the screen fill with 16x bonuses is really cool as well. Overall it features a good bit of depth and once I get over the fact that I can only play this game when the doors are locked and nobody is home I think I might grow to like it eventually.
Next we have Gundeadligne and forgive me for getting side-tracked but if you remove both G's from the title you get Undeadline, a shooter notable for being one of the hardest in the genre. I dunno how that's relevant to this article since Gundeadligne is actually a sequel to Gundemonium. It is a continuation of everything we loved about the first game which includes more creepy pandering, more bullets, and some changes that make for a different game.
To start with the player can now switch directions. This is handy for a number of battles since the enemies can head to the other side of the screen or even occupy both sides at once. This isn't exactly Forgotten Worlds though so don't expect to have to cover your rear all too often. The bombs have also been revamped to include multiple kinds of bombs as well as a new bomb gauge that empties and refills depending on what's happening. There's also a gem-limit to account for that can allow the player to enter Afterbreak. This is the only way to complete the entire stage and I assume get the best ending (as well as amass a lot more points in the process). Everything else from phase level to mana returns.
Needless to say there's a bit more to account for and the enemy doesn't make it easy by throwing around more bullets than ever thought possible. Still like most other doujin shooters on the normal settings it's not too difficult. I have a ways to go just to reach veteran-level in shooters and I was able to nearly 1CC this game on my first attempt. The hitbox is still tiny, the bombs and bullet-slowing mana are still plentiful, and bosses tend to give away a lot of extra lives. Unfortunately most of these extra lives tend to only be good for points since as far as I can tell the game maxes out at only three of them. Sure it'd probably be too easy otherwise but hell I don't know maybe tack on some kind of multiplier for having a ton of lives left?
The Mission Mode is a pretty nasty affair since it sets the Phase Level at 21 and expects the player to beat bosses with one life and no bombs. Mana is still usable and its practically required because bullets are extremely fast and absurdly patterned. Still it can be really good practice if you have the patience for the game constantly saving data after every attempt.
At times the bullet patterns get just a bit too ridiculous for their own good. What it comes down to is rather than provide something clever to dodge it tends to involve navigating a sea of death while eking out survival. It reminds me of certain encounters like the extra form of the final boss in Mushihime-sama's original mode. I hated that fight because all the bastard did was turn the screen purple until I died. It's sort of the same thing here only with a bronze finish. Still with more bullets comes more bonuses and for me the screen filling with huge amounts of points is a scene that never gets old.
There's a lot of other content between both of these games ranging from trophies and special challenges, to even a handful of ultimate final bosses provided certain conditions are reached. Hitogata Happa (the third game in the set) is a different beast entirely and has a bit of a learning curve to it. I'll look at that one later. There are demos for the PC versions of these games floating around and the requirements aren't bad at all. You may as well give them a look yourself if you have the time.
Gundemonium Recollection has one of those incomprehensible storylines doujin shooters are typically known for. There are these girls, there's some war over alchemy or something, and it involves a bunch of things like angel wings, bunnygirls, a great train robbery, and busty women straddling gatling guns. It's a very moe affair and really kind of creepy cause when there isn't a hail of bullets and stuff blowing up every which way I tend to see things I wish I hadn't. For example I'm quite sure I saw more than a few women shooting at me while not wearing any underwear. So yeah needless to say I try to ignore everything and just focus on living and killing.
This game takes place over a number of stages that are broken up into multiple sections. Unlike most horizontal shooters there's nothing in the way of walls to crash into or traps to evade, thus variety in each level is handled by creative bullet patterns. It's a bit hard to explain but there are sections of the game where narrow corridors or similar areas are created through the use of large swaths of bullets. Most sections tend to end in a boss and they tend to go down pretty quickly, not before filling the screen with a hundred thousand bullets of course.
There are two playable characters in the game though it's a bit odd how it works out. The first character uses dual pistols that fire forward constantly. The other playable character actually has an assortment of weapons to choose from and as a nod to fanboys a few of them even change her attire(like one of the weapons leaves without shoes on...ugh). Both characters also have access to a Mana attack that when it connects with the enemy time everything slows down from bullets to the enemies while doing damage. Recharging for these specials is as easy as putting the player in danger. Like many other modern shooters while the playable character is very large their weak-point is very small, allowing for tons of maneuverability through the most absurd of bullet spreads. There are also bombs which are always nice in that provide a way out of a bad situation. In fact even if the player takes a hit they can use a bomb to hang on to their life. This requires a full bomb gauge though.
For best results in figuring this game out it would be wise to seek out a guide like say one in the Shmups Forum. I say this because even after a couple playthroughs I still don't have too good of an idea about what's going on. This game gets pretty relentless with its spreads as the player progresses and there are a number of unique systems to make the game more challenging. First off difficulty is governed by a phase system. Basically the higher the phase the harder the game gets. Think of it as a rank system only easier to manipulate and understand. Grazing a lot of bullets triggers a phase levelup, dying can cause a phase leveldown, and so on. Higher phase levels mean more danger but it can also mean more points if the player knows what they are doing. There's also a demonic shift that can make the game harder or even easier depending on the phase level.
Granted you could just as easily ignore all of this like I did and focus on simply dodging everything and responding with a ton of hot death. The game could stand to use a little more punch as enemies just don't provide a sense of satisfaction when they're destroyed. Maybe this is more attributed to the odd-ball enemy designs (bunnygirls? really?). It's always fun to see bullets turn into gems and seeing the screen fill with 16x bonuses is really cool as well. Overall it features a good bit of depth and once I get over the fact that I can only play this game when the doors are locked and nobody is home I think I might grow to like it eventually.
Next we have Gundeadligne and forgive me for getting side-tracked but if you remove both G's from the title you get Undeadline, a shooter notable for being one of the hardest in the genre. I dunno how that's relevant to this article since Gundeadligne is actually a sequel to Gundemonium. It is a continuation of everything we loved about the first game which includes more creepy pandering, more bullets, and some changes that make for a different game.
To start with the player can now switch directions. This is handy for a number of battles since the enemies can head to the other side of the screen or even occupy both sides at once. This isn't exactly Forgotten Worlds though so don't expect to have to cover your rear all too often. The bombs have also been revamped to include multiple kinds of bombs as well as a new bomb gauge that empties and refills depending on what's happening. There's also a gem-limit to account for that can allow the player to enter Afterbreak. This is the only way to complete the entire stage and I assume get the best ending (as well as amass a lot more points in the process). Everything else from phase level to mana returns.
Needless to say there's a bit more to account for and the enemy doesn't make it easy by throwing around more bullets than ever thought possible. Still like most other doujin shooters on the normal settings it's not too difficult. I have a ways to go just to reach veteran-level in shooters and I was able to nearly 1CC this game on my first attempt. The hitbox is still tiny, the bombs and bullet-slowing mana are still plentiful, and bosses tend to give away a lot of extra lives. Unfortunately most of these extra lives tend to only be good for points since as far as I can tell the game maxes out at only three of them. Sure it'd probably be too easy otherwise but hell I don't know maybe tack on some kind of multiplier for having a ton of lives left?
The Mission Mode is a pretty nasty affair since it sets the Phase Level at 21 and expects the player to beat bosses with one life and no bombs. Mana is still usable and its practically required because bullets are extremely fast and absurdly patterned. Still it can be really good practice if you have the patience for the game constantly saving data after every attempt.
At times the bullet patterns get just a bit too ridiculous for their own good. What it comes down to is rather than provide something clever to dodge it tends to involve navigating a sea of death while eking out survival. It reminds me of certain encounters like the extra form of the final boss in Mushihime-sama's original mode. I hated that fight because all the bastard did was turn the screen purple until I died. It's sort of the same thing here only with a bronze finish. Still with more bullets comes more bonuses and for me the screen filling with huge amounts of points is a scene that never gets old.
There's a lot of other content between both of these games ranging from trophies and special challenges, to even a handful of ultimate final bosses provided certain conditions are reached. Hitogata Happa (the third game in the set) is a different beast entirely and has a bit of a learning curve to it. I'll look at that one later. There are demos for the PC versions of these games floating around and the requirements aren't bad at all. You may as well give them a look yourself if you have the time.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
XBL Indie Look - Prismatic Solid
Another day another XboxLive Indie game gets pushed through the machine.
Read what I think about trippy 2D shooter Prismatic Solid over here.
Read what I think about trippy 2D shooter Prismatic Solid over here.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Got a Japanese PSN account!
Now why would I bother with something like that?
Well it's simple really. The Japanese PS-one library is really impressive. There are tons of games available and the prices are great. Granted in order to buy these games I have to order a point card from Japan but all things considered the prices aren't too bad. Usually I can find 3,000 yen cards for about $40 which works out to an extra $2 a game.
Anyway I don't know what to do about my fifth purchase but for now I've picked up
The Adventures of Little Ralph - I never heard of this one before. It's a platformer starring a guy who swings a sword and jumps around. It's a very traditional game but with some neat ideas. It's pretty tough partly because the main character is one of those "one-hit-and-he-dies" chumps and the other part involves some pretty nasty traps.
Rakugaki Showtime - As a Treasure fan I've got to play all their stuff. This game sort of reminds me of Powerstone in that players run around, throw stuff at each other, and run after a deadly smile that destroys everything.
Gaia Seed - One of those ultra-expensive rarities that..well..kind of stink. I'll have a full review out in a bit.
Gunners Heaven - One of the early PS1 titles which tries oh so hard to be Gunstar Heroes. It's um...yeah I guess it's alright. I'll talk about it more in the near future.
So anyway no idea what to do about the fifth game, there's so much to choose from. Raycrisis, Dodonpachi, Einhander, and so on and so forth.
Well it's simple really. The Japanese PS-one library is really impressive. There are tons of games available and the prices are great. Granted in order to buy these games I have to order a point card from Japan but all things considered the prices aren't too bad. Usually I can find 3,000 yen cards for about $40 which works out to an extra $2 a game.
Anyway I don't know what to do about my fifth purchase but for now I've picked up
The Adventures of Little Ralph - I never heard of this one before. It's a platformer starring a guy who swings a sword and jumps around. It's a very traditional game but with some neat ideas. It's pretty tough partly because the main character is one of those "one-hit-and-he-dies" chumps and the other part involves some pretty nasty traps.
Rakugaki Showtime - As a Treasure fan I've got to play all their stuff. This game sort of reminds me of Powerstone in that players run around, throw stuff at each other, and run after a deadly smile that destroys everything.
Gaia Seed - One of those ultra-expensive rarities that..well..kind of stink. I'll have a full review out in a bit.
Gunners Heaven - One of the early PS1 titles which tries oh so hard to be Gunstar Heroes. It's um...yeah I guess it's alright. I'll talk about it more in the near future.
So anyway no idea what to do about the fifth game, there's so much to choose from. Raycrisis, Dodonpachi, Einhander, and so on and so forth.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Gamecube Look - P.N. 03
In the future there is a woman who holds a grudge against robots. Her name is Vanessa Schneider and it's your job to guide her around monochrome hallways getting combos, blowing stuff up, and looking stylish. I don't like this game and even though I didn't complete it I have zero interest in ever playing it again.
Yeah I figure it's best to just get it all out of my system early. There are those out there who actually enjoy reading reviews where the author's thoughts don't make their appearance until towards the very end. As far as I'm concerned this review is over and all anyone needs to know is that I don't like this game. Actually wait I have to explain why I don't like it eventually right? Yeah whatever let's get this over with.
This game takes place over multiple levels that are broken up into dozens of rooms. These rooms run the gamut of hallways and arenas. Some feature a bit of light platforming, others might have checkpoints for the player to purchase items and restore health, but most contain enemy robots. These guys are arranged so that the optimal means of scoring is by destroying them in a certain order. When a robot dies a countdown appears. Destroy another robot before the countdown ends and it results in a combo. The amount of time available on the countdown is determined by the strength of the enemy. Each room is ranked according to how well the player performs and I think all of that is fine. It's a solid system and while it gets repetitive(thanks in part to the ridiculous number of free missions available) it serves as a good basis for the rest of the game.
For a game that emphasizes style I gotta wonder why the controls and mechanics are so clunky and boring. The thing with Vanessa is that in order to dodge attacks she has to move when the enemy fires. A number of action games allow the player to dodge bullets even when they're on-screen. In PN03's case however it's best to get out of the way before the light show begins. This is mostly due to the fact that Vanessa's dodging is not a free pass for avoiding damage. If I happen to dodge into the path of some lasers even if I'm still in the animation I'm going to take damage. For some this is a good idea since it lends the game a bit of an identity. I really don't care for it myself though. The lack of an invincible dodge means even for the most basic attacks I have to play it very safe, spend a lot of time behind cover, and focus more on choosing the right enemies to kill in order to get a good combo.
This probably wouldn't be so bad if I had more combat options. There's the regular attack and the energy draining special attack. There's no crouching attacks, jumping attacks, or even dodging attacks. Being able to move around while firing would have done wonders for this game. Instead combat usually involves Vanessa standing still while plinking away at whatever she's locked on to. With additional freedom the developers could have ratcheted up the intensity of the game with more enemies and attacks. This would require a bit more work to balance out but I think most of the scenarios in the game would be bettered with more involved combat. If the dodge was invincible then apply some limiting factor it like Vanessa tires out if she dodges too much. Make standing attacks the strongest and keep jumping/dodging attacks for weak enemies as well as enemies that are close to death so Vanessa can keep moving.
There are other issues like enemies having too much health which breaks up the pacing and the absurd trial mission setup. Surely it would have been better if we had gotten 10 good trial missions over 50 mediocre ones. There are a number of hallways that involve dodging wall lasers which really did nothing for me. It felt like something out of an NES game yet the level-designers felt necessary to include these sections so players could gain a better grasp of the control scheme. In a way this highlights an issue with the control scheme. Rather than use the controls to develop some new and exciting situations never seen before in a game they're put towards the kinds of things I got bored of over a decade ago. It feels like a bunch of needless complication for little result.
Game rating - 2 Stars out of 5
In conclusion I don't think of P.N. 03 as a bad game, I just don't like it. It's not exactly a sensible conclusion but I've always tried to take the path of least resistance when reviewing. The game succeeds in everything its sets out to do but I don't find any of all that compelling. It's certainly unique at least which is not something one can say about every 3rd person shooter.
My rating - 1 Star out of 5
Awhile back I read a number of forum posts that described this game as a "Modern Shmup" or something else to that effect. The comparison is sort of valid I guess cause it reminds me of Space Invaders. There's a lot of moving in one or two directions, some bits of cover to hide behind, and the game remains a consistent challenge even when only one or two enemies remain. Or maybe I just like this comparison because as it turns out I hate Space Invaders. Then again at least that game offered players the ability to move while firing.
Yeah I figure it's best to just get it all out of my system early. There are those out there who actually enjoy reading reviews where the author's thoughts don't make their appearance until towards the very end. As far as I'm concerned this review is over and all anyone needs to know is that I don't like this game. Actually wait I have to explain why I don't like it eventually right? Yeah whatever let's get this over with.
This game takes place over multiple levels that are broken up into dozens of rooms. These rooms run the gamut of hallways and arenas. Some feature a bit of light platforming, others might have checkpoints for the player to purchase items and restore health, but most contain enemy robots. These guys are arranged so that the optimal means of scoring is by destroying them in a certain order. When a robot dies a countdown appears. Destroy another robot before the countdown ends and it results in a combo. The amount of time available on the countdown is determined by the strength of the enemy. Each room is ranked according to how well the player performs and I think all of that is fine. It's a solid system and while it gets repetitive(thanks in part to the ridiculous number of free missions available) it serves as a good basis for the rest of the game.
For a game that emphasizes style I gotta wonder why the controls and mechanics are so clunky and boring. The thing with Vanessa is that in order to dodge attacks she has to move when the enemy fires. A number of action games allow the player to dodge bullets even when they're on-screen. In PN03's case however it's best to get out of the way before the light show begins. This is mostly due to the fact that Vanessa's dodging is not a free pass for avoiding damage. If I happen to dodge into the path of some lasers even if I'm still in the animation I'm going to take damage. For some this is a good idea since it lends the game a bit of an identity. I really don't care for it myself though. The lack of an invincible dodge means even for the most basic attacks I have to play it very safe, spend a lot of time behind cover, and focus more on choosing the right enemies to kill in order to get a good combo.
This probably wouldn't be so bad if I had more combat options. There's the regular attack and the energy draining special attack. There's no crouching attacks, jumping attacks, or even dodging attacks. Being able to move around while firing would have done wonders for this game. Instead combat usually involves Vanessa standing still while plinking away at whatever she's locked on to. With additional freedom the developers could have ratcheted up the intensity of the game with more enemies and attacks. This would require a bit more work to balance out but I think most of the scenarios in the game would be bettered with more involved combat. If the dodge was invincible then apply some limiting factor it like Vanessa tires out if she dodges too much. Make standing attacks the strongest and keep jumping/dodging attacks for weak enemies as well as enemies that are close to death so Vanessa can keep moving.
There are other issues like enemies having too much health which breaks up the pacing and the absurd trial mission setup. Surely it would have been better if we had gotten 10 good trial missions over 50 mediocre ones. There are a number of hallways that involve dodging wall lasers which really did nothing for me. It felt like something out of an NES game yet the level-designers felt necessary to include these sections so players could gain a better grasp of the control scheme. In a way this highlights an issue with the control scheme. Rather than use the controls to develop some new and exciting situations never seen before in a game they're put towards the kinds of things I got bored of over a decade ago. It feels like a bunch of needless complication for little result.
Game rating - 2 Stars out of 5
In conclusion I don't think of P.N. 03 as a bad game, I just don't like it. It's not exactly a sensible conclusion but I've always tried to take the path of least resistance when reviewing. The game succeeds in everything its sets out to do but I don't find any of all that compelling. It's certainly unique at least which is not something one can say about every 3rd person shooter.
My rating - 1 Star out of 5
Awhile back I read a number of forum posts that described this game as a "Modern Shmup" or something else to that effect. The comparison is sort of valid I guess cause it reminds me of Space Invaders. There's a lot of moving in one or two directions, some bits of cover to hide behind, and the game remains a consistent challenge even when only one or two enemies remain. Or maybe I just like this comparison because as it turns out I hate Space Invaders. Then again at least that game offered players the ability to move while firing.
Youtube Recommendation - HideofBeast's channel
With the Megaman Zero collection hitting this week I've gotten slightly hyped about Megaman again. No that doesn't mean I plan on buying the MMZ set any time soon because I value my sanity. Still there are few things more impressive than to watch somebody ace a Megaman game like it was nothing at all.
HideofBeast is always pushing himself with brutal challenges for the toughest Megaman games. At times he also provides commentary. It's a nice touch though kind of disconcerting when on-screen he's absolutely destroying a stage but in the commentary he's talking about how much of a badly designed mess it is. Needless to say watching the Megaman X6 vids has me thinking I won't be playing that one again anytime soon.
Anyway I should probably get back to playing a few games myself. I'll probably focus on trying to get my money's worth out of ESP Galuda 2. Deathsmiles will be out by the end of the month and I have to accomplish at least something of merit in Galuda 2 before I can move on(a review couldn't hurt either).
I'm also embarrassed to admit that Super Mario Galaxy 2 has already collected a thin layer of dust. I think I mentioned before my TV is pathetic and just not fit for a game of SMG2's caliber. A new TV would be ideal but unless I stumble upon some large sum of money that's just not happening.
I finished Bionic Commando(that new one on the PS3 & 360) and honestly it's not even worth a review. It's not terrible or anything but there's just nothing worthwhile about it. Even if it was a horrendous game I'd at least have something to talk about Noooooooo it's just some merely adequate fluff that's good enough to kill a weekend and nothing else.
BTW Snoopy's Flying Ace is really good. Shame my XboxLive Gold Account just ended.
HideofBeast is always pushing himself with brutal challenges for the toughest Megaman games. At times he also provides commentary. It's a nice touch though kind of disconcerting when on-screen he's absolutely destroying a stage but in the commentary he's talking about how much of a badly designed mess it is. Needless to say watching the Megaman X6 vids has me thinking I won't be playing that one again anytime soon.
Anyway I should probably get back to playing a few games myself. I'll probably focus on trying to get my money's worth out of ESP Galuda 2. Deathsmiles will be out by the end of the month and I have to accomplish at least something of merit in Galuda 2 before I can move on(a review couldn't hurt either).
I'm also embarrassed to admit that Super Mario Galaxy 2 has already collected a thin layer of dust. I think I mentioned before my TV is pathetic and just not fit for a game of SMG2's caliber. A new TV would be ideal but unless I stumble upon some large sum of money that's just not happening.
I finished Bionic Commando(that new one on the PS3 & 360) and honestly it's not even worth a review. It's not terrible or anything but there's just nothing worthwhile about it. Even if it was a horrendous game I'd at least have something to talk about Noooooooo it's just some merely adequate fluff that's good enough to kill a weekend and nothing else.
BTW Snoopy's Flying Ace is really good. Shame my XboxLive Gold Account just ended.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
PS2 / AA look - Taito Legends 2
Oh whoops yeah I actually posted this look over at Giantbomb. You can check it out here.
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