So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

Retr0gamer

I do love Wipeout (well ok Fusion was crap) but it's nothing compared to F-zero.

justbrian

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I do love Wipeout (well ok Fusion was crap) but it's nothing compared to F-zero.

My secret shame: Well ex secret now, never ever played F-Zero. Ever.

NeoKubrick

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Nearly finished Mass Effect 2 by the way, very good stuff, don't want to wait another 2 years for Mass Effect 3 though!

I found the combat to be a poor man's Gears of War, but the story was great up to the point of the meeting with Archangel; it felt like the best part of KOTOR2 which was going back to the universe and meeting all the characters that moved on after the events of KOTOR1. After that, Mass Effect 2 was uninteresting.

I'm playing God of War at the moment, after finishing Rogue Galaxy. God of War is a disappointment. It's a slog on Spartan difficulty: more complexity than depth. No great boss battles, but I'm only after gaining the ability to breath underwater.

Rogue Galaxy was a disappointment too. A poor man's Final Fantasy XII. It had a hybrid of random/real-time battles. Nothing more required to finish the game than to use the abilities which is triangle to bring up in-battle menu, directional pad to shift through the list, X to choose, triangle to skip cut-scene. Level 5 do like their items and menus, but I wasn't bothered combining weapons or the factory. The factory looked fun, but finding the materials to make objects didn't look fun at all.

Retr0gamer

So should I tick Rogue Galaxy off my backlog since it's not worth finishing? I heard people say it's good but not great and the 100+ hours of gaming could have been spent better.

CiDeRmAn

Regarding Wipeout, the first was good but doesn't compare to the glory that is Wipeout 2097, that game was such a phase shift is quality in every respect, the tracks, the music, the graphics still look great and the Designers Republic really did themselves proud.
Wipeout 3:SE is also very good, not the step up that 2097 was to the original, but the more muted visuals, the addition of classic tracks make it a must have, if you can find it.
Wipeout Fusion was an isolated misstep, given that everything else in the series, on the PS anyways, is great, Wipeout Pure and Wipeout Pulse are superb as well, I must get the latter for the PS2.

I also have the Saturn version of Wipeout and Wipeout 2097, best not to mention them really, you can tell they did their best, but......
I've got the N64 exclusive Wipeout 64 (see what they did there?), basically a "greatest hits" selection of tracks, but in different enviroments with some changes, to take into account the hardware capabilities of the N64. It's not bad, feels odd though to play the game with anything other than a PS pad.
That said my best times and results were logged playing Wipeout with a NeGcon controller.

Not really fair to compare Wipeout to F-Zero, given the very different roots of both games, the influences on Wipeout were the likes of StunRunner and Powerdrome.
The influences on F-Zero seem, in the primary Snes game for sure, some sort of tech demo for Mode7, and then making a game out of it, never really enjoyed the Snes title at all, however as soon as it went to proper 3D on the N64 it all changed, great stuff, and as for the Gamecube game F-Zero GX, that game still takes my breath away.

Retr0gamer

I can tell you now what your problem with the original F-zero was. It's because your experience with it is the PAL version. Slowed down to 50Hz the game is like a stroll in the park compared to the blistering fast way it's meant to be played. For a racing game the difference between 50 and 60Hz is a massive difference. F-zero is a different game on in NTSC.

NeoKubrick

Retr0gamer wrote: »

So should I tick Rogue Galaxy off my backlog since it's not worth finishing? I heard people say it's good but not great and the 100+ hours of gaming could have been spent better.

I would agree with that. I put around 75 hours into it, and I tried to like it, but it was a shallow experience. It wasn't first time I tried hard to like a Level 5 game, Dark Chronicle, but the material/item-centric shallow-combat design keeps putting me off. The story was typical childish-fare. I only endured it because Steve Blum was voicing Zegram, and I pretended he was Spike from Cowboy Bebop. I don't think I'll ever play another Level 5 game.

Retr0gamer

Ah I wouldn't let it put you off Level 5. Dragon Quest VIII is an amazing RPG and one of the best of last generation. They also made the stupidly good Jeanne D'Arc on the PSP and the Professor Layton games. I still think they are a great devleoper and feel Rogue Galaxy got a bit overrated due to coming in off the back of the spectacular DQ8. I think the HG101 article on rogue galaxy probably sums up what went wrong. They tried to cram in every idea they had from their other games but the entire experience ended up diluted and they forgot the story so just robbed it from Star Wars. Jeremy Parish points out that when Level 5 are working for some one like Square, Sony or Nintendo they make superb games but when they make their own like Rogue Galaxy it tends to be disappointing.

Retr0gamer

Not retro but a retro remake. I finally picked up a Boy and his Blob yesterday with Mario Galaxy 2 and it's fantastic. It plays brilliantly, the 2D art and animation is absolutely stunning and the soundtrack is really relaxing. It also has so much charm due to the inclusion of a 'hug' button that does nothing except make your character give Blob a big hug! Should be going for really cheap, picked mine up for 17.99 in Gamestop santry.

Augmerson

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I do love Wipeout (well ok Fusion was crap) but it's nothing compared to F-zero.

I might be the only one who really enjoyed Fusion, I picked it up for about 4 euro in Gamestop 2 years back and played it non-stop. The game definitely has it's limitations like the lag when there is alot going on on the screen and it's a different beast compared to the other games in the WipEout series before it because of the emphasis on combat, but I really enjoyed all of that. It was gritty and frustrating, but when you cleared a race intact and in first place it was awesome

Some of the levels were good too, the one on the moon with the crazy steep drop, you just plunge off it and it gave me vertigo. My favourite in the series.

/2 cents.

Mcjmetroid

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I do love Wipeout (well ok Fusion was crap) but it's nothing compared to F-zero.

F- zero gx just kills every futuristic racing game really. Hard as nails but fantastic, i'd like a sequel but I can see nintendo themselves making a balls of it for some reason.

I'm playing through oddworld:strangers wrath for the xbox. Not really sure you'd count it as a retro game yet but it's amazing.

CiDeRmAn

Boy and his Blob is brilliant, it's gorgeous looking too, beautifully animated as well.
I must get back to it soon

Augmerson

This week I have been mostly playing:

Red Star (PS2)
Metroid Prime, Bomberman Generation, Resident Evil (GC)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War (Xbox)

CiDeRmAn

Finally finished Mass Effect 2!
I have my life back at last!
Now, what next?
Metro 2033?
Cronicles of Riddick?
Pacman 2600?
Go out and meet some actual real people and interact (ah, who am I kidding!)

James Howlett

I am currently playing Super Mario Galaxy (the first one) on the Wii... does 2007 make that a retro game?:D

Myrddin

James Howlett wrote: »

I am currently playing Super Mario Galaxy (the first one) on the Wii... does 2007 make that a retro game?:D

Ill save you there, Im playing through Alan Wake. First game Ive really enjoyed in ages, its brilliant. Up next is Deadly Premonition but then I wanna hit something retro - maybe Mario Galaxy 2 :D:o

CiDeRmAn

I bit the bullet and got Red Dead Redemption, I loved the first one, Red Dead Revolver, but I don't know anyone else who played it, never mind finished it!
It was great by the way, all the best bits of your fave westerns condensed into one game, brilliant. It came out between GTAIII and GTA:VC.

Atavan-Halen

Currently playing GT4 on the PS2. It's back from being on loan and I forgot how great it is I should get some component cables for the PS2 as GT4 supports HD.

CiDeRmAn

atavan-halen wrote: »

Currently playing GT4 on the PS2. It's back from being on loan and I forgot how great it is I should get some component cables for the PS2 as GT4 supports HD.

It is a very good game, although a little "sterile", as car collections go though it's amazing.
Closest thing, for me, to GT2, where you could buy your own car, and with some tuning see if it can win the championship!
Of course, I found out the hard way that no matter how much you want it to happen, there is simply no way to turn that a boat like the Citroen Xantia into a winner

Can't wait for Gran Turismo 5 though!
(a new PGR would be nice too, please?)

o1s1n

Decided to change the battery in Zelda:LTTP earlier today and start up another new save. Tried to do a bit of a speed run. Managed to get the Master Sword in a little over two hours. I'd keep playing all night and try to finish the game if I didn't have work tomorrow! (boo!!)

Retr0gamer

Started playing the wiiware version of Cave Story today and it's absolutely brilliant. It was originally a freeware indie game made by 1 person and I heard itwas one of the best games ever made and from the bit I played it seems to be really damn good. Ifyou like super metroid it's one to check.

mondeo

Rick Dangerous on my lovely new zx spectrum +2a

Atavan-Halen

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

It is a very good game, although a little "sterile", as car collections go though it's amazing.
Closest thing, for me, to GT2, where you could buy your own car, and with some tuning see if it can win the championship!
Of course, I found out the hard way that no matter how much you want it to happen, there is simply no way to turn that a boat like the Citroen Xantia into a winner

Can't wait for Gran Turismo 5 though!
(a new PGR would be nice too, please?)

I seen the trailer for GT5 and it is the reason I was going to invest in a PS3. The way I sees it is that if you had the cars from GT2, handling from GT3 and graphics from GT4 (well at the time anyway) It'd be perfect.

Retr0gamer

Not surprised you like GT considering it's Pokemon with cars

Atavan-Halen

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Not surprised you like GT considering it's Pokemon with cars

Haha! Actually I think I've been playing GT longer than Pokémon! Well you know me, any game with over 450 characters is ok in my books

Seriously though, GT5 may be one of those very few games I get on release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxfNb4d3bPY

o1s1n

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I bit the bullet and got Red Dead Redemption, I loved the first one, Red Dead Revolver, but I don't know anyone else who played it, never mind finished it!
It was great by the way, all the best bits of your fave westerns condensed into one game, brilliant. It came out between GTAIII and GTA:VC.

I have it myself and it's not a bad game.

If you enjoyed that then you are sure to love Red Dead Redemption. All I can say though is don't fly through the main quest like me. Do as many of the side missions and quests first. I finished the game really quickly and feel like I've been left in this void with not much to do (Even though there are a good few stranger quests left)

CiDeRmAn

Yup, will do, of course I seem to have so many games with long campaigns to complete, I don't know how if I'll get to them all, before they get relegated to "The Press", a terrible dungeon from where few games ever return!
Gran Turismo 5 will be a must have, at least I hope Sony and Polyphony don't screw it up!
I may try to call in a few favours and buy it early!
Now where is Gamestop head offices phone number?

Myrddin

atavan-halen wrote: »

Seriously though, GT5 may be one of those very few games I get on release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxfNb4d3bPY

Eugh - Vettel has something to do with it :mad: Boo!

Professey Chin

atavan-halen wrote: »

Haha! Actually I think I've been playing GT longer than Pokémon! Well you know me, any game with over 450 characters is ok in my books

Seriously though, GT5 may be one of those very few games I get on release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxfNb4d3bPY

They khow to make things look very sexy alright

Retr0gamer

I never liked car simulator games. Never so the appeal in driving real cars when I cold be doing 2000km/hr in a hover car in F-zero. My daily commute to DCU in my Clio is enough for me.

CiDeRmAn

Couldn't be any worse than the "classic" Race Driver: GRID, everyone raved about it and when I played it on my 360 it was awful, sure looked nice but the cars handled like toys, all the character of driving leeched away and replaced with, well, nothing. Dirt2 was the same, except there you got lots of XTREEEEMMMMEEEE!!!!! race cars and tracks instead of the rather more mainstream, and for me enjoyable, rally variants of the first Dirt game.

o1s1n

Argh! Went to finish off Zelda:LTTP this evening and it turns out I forgot to save before switching off the console the other day! :mad:

I tried to fly through it again but kept dying on the third pendant boss. That stupid catapillar thing that keeps knocking you off the edge. I wouldn't mind but he's normally piss easy.

RAGE!!!!

Banjo Fella

Playing through all of the Donkey Kong Country games again at the moment. Finished DKC a few days ago, and just completed Diddy's Kong Quest today! Utterly fantastic games, and they still look as gorgeous as when they first came out. Amazing music too, just listen to this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qp0_NE8M1c

Anyway, Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is up next.

Retr0gamer

Must resist urge to rant!

Augmerson

Banjo Fella wrote: »

Playing through all of the Donkey Kong Country games again at the moment. Finished DKC a few days ago, and just completed Diddy's Kong Quest today! Utterly fantastic games, and they still look as gorgeous as when they first came out. Amazing music too, just listen to this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qp0_NE8M1c

Anyway, Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is up next.

My favourite Snes game for sure

Jimbobjoeyman

im playing metal slug ......hooked

CiDeRmAn

Lets all hear it for the Donkey Kong series on the Snes, surely one of the most complete and wonderful games anywhere.
The graphics, the levels, the music and the characters, all timeless and all wonderful.
These games have it all and perhaps are the best platformers to ever appear on the under appreciated console.
And, perhaps, it also acts as an indicator to the sanity and maybe even sexual orientation of anyone who disagrees with me!

Faith+1

Road Rash 2 at the moment. Love beating the s**t out of PE. No1!:cool:

CiDeRmAn

Love that game!
Always a pleasure to lay hands on the chain and smack PE No.1 around with it alright!
Then a quick kick into the path of an oncoming truck to close the deal!

chopperbyrne

Pokemon Blue

Think I'll either do a mono type run or unevolved only.

Atavan-Halen

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Pokemon Blue

Think I'll either do a mono type run or unevolved only.

Could also give the Nuzlocke challenge a shot.

NeoKubrick

Just finished God of War, God of War 2, Far Cry: Instincts and Persona 4.

I regretted choosing 'Normal' difficulty on Persona 4: utter 120 hour timesink for the true ending. A very good story, but

I preferred the first ending and the game should have ended at that climax and I wasn't convinced or satisfied by the true ending at all

, and the combat is nothing special from what has come before. That said, overall, it was a great JRPG, and I'd recommend anyone planning on playing it to choose the 'Beginner' difficulty though.

God of War 1 & 2 are competent well-made games let down by very poor game design, which frustrated me a lot, especially playing through the games on the harder difficulties.

I just raced through Far Cry. It was fun. I think I just imagined I was playing Serious Sam 2.

On Persona 3: FES now: I prefer the combat to Persona 4's, but I haven't been engaged in the story as I was with 4.

Faith+1

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Love that game!
Always a pleasure to lay hands on the chain and smack PE No.1 around with it alright!
Then a quick kick into the path of an oncoming truck to close the deal!

My style exactly!:cool:

CiDeRmAn

I'd love to see a proper sequel to Road Rash on the 3DO, my fave Road Rash game of them all and nicely put together.
Instead of the arcadey sequels we did get, on the PS1 for example, I'd love to see a Test Drive Unlimited style game with biking around the Californian coastline, the forests of Montana, maybe Chicago for the city and suburb scenes.
Hmm, could be nice.

Josey Wales

I was playing Destruction Derby last night. I downloaded it on the PSN as part of the PSN+ promotion.

It has actually aged better than I expected. It was funny to hear that commentator again after all these years. DD was the first game I played on my newly purchased PlayStation so I have always had fond memories of it.

CiDeRmAn

The first one was great, I remember being goggle eyed at the screen shots, ahead of the consoles release, that and Twisted Metal looked like something from the future!

But Destruction Derby 2 was sensational, I have it somewhere and still play from time to time.
1997 was such a good year for games on the PS, a real golden age.

Retr0gamer

I think 1997 was the beginning of when developers got their heads around 3D gaming and started churning out great titles. Destruction Derby 2 was indeed amazing but was sorely missing a 2 player split screen mode. There's another destruction derby title I've forgotten the name of but it had 2 player split screen which made all the difference and i ended up preferring it far more than DD2.

Josey Wales

I would like to play DD2 again. I have it at home but don't think I have a way to connect my PSOne to the TV.

Retr0gamer

PS2 and PS3 (not HDMI or component) will work.

CiDeRmAn

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I think 1997 was the beginning of when developers got their heads around 3D gaming and started churning out great titles. Destruction Derby 2 was indeed amazing but was sorely missing a 2 player split screen mode. There's another destruction derby title I've forgotten the name of but it had 2 player split screen which made all the difference and i ended up preferring it far more than DD2.

Is this the one?