Confessions and Impressions (and a mini-Mission)
August 31, 2007 by Tim
I’ve been playing video games for something on the order of twenty years now. While that serves to remind me that I’m getting older, that’s not all it means. It also means I’ve been around the block a few times and I know what I’m talking about when it comes to games. Name a classic game, and I’ve probably been-there-done-that, played it to death, right? Well, no, not necessarily.
If you think about it, how many video games have been released in the last twenty years? Thousand upon thousands for dozens of different platforms. And hundreds upon hundreds of those are good games that are worth playing. So in the end, how likely is it that I’ve played every game that a “true gamer” is supposed to have played? Apparently, not very. In fact, I have a confession. I’ve let several games slip through the cracks, and one of them… Well, one of them is a doozy. (But I’m making up for it, honest!)
Quick! Name a few of the best SNES games ever. Or better yet, name some of the best 16-bit games ever. Or hell, name some of the best video games ever… Did you include Super Metroid on your lists? I bet a lot of you did. But I didn’t. Why not? Because as of today, I am playing through Super Metroid for the very first time. Yes, 13 years after its release, I’m finally playing what many people consider to be the best game of all time. On top of that, I’m pretty much an all around Metroid newbie. I’ve played maybe a total of five minutes each of Metroid and Metroid II, as well. The only game in the series that I have spent any significant time on is Metroid Prime on the GameCube, but I still didn’t even get close to beating it.
Alright, so now that my confessions and rationalizations are out of the way, what does this neophyte think of Super Metroid? I think that I understand where everyone is coming from when they talk about how great this game is. I’m only about an hour in so far, but I’m finding the whole experience really gripping and satisfying. I especially like the fact that it strikes a very nice balance between exploration and action (which is nice, since I generally favor exploration while most games provide action). There is one thing I haven’t quite made up my mind on yet, and that’s the difficulty. I actually pretty much suck at the shooting sections. It’s because I don’t really bother to learn enemy patterns and avoid their attacks. I just charge right through with guns blazing. But when I say I’m not sure about the difficulty, it’s not because I think it’s too hard. I think it might be a little too easy. Since there are so many missile and energy refills popping up all over, there’s very little challenge, and not much incentive to get better at combat. What’s the point when you can just charge right in then get the energy refill the enemy drops? Anyway, maybe that changes as the game moves along.
So there it is, my first impression of Super Metroid, only 13 years late! But that’s not all. In the spirit of The Snatcher Mission, I’m assigning myself another mission — one that will be a little shorter term. This mission is “The Beat Super Metroid Mission.” It sounds very much like what it is. I going to make up for the last 13 years of negligence in not playing this game and I’m going to beat it before I allow myself to play anything else. Once and for all, I’m going to beat one of the games that people toss around as “The Best Ever.”
(P.S.: I’ve also never beaten Super Mario Bros. 3, Chrono Trigger, Zelda 1, A Link to the Past, The Ocarina of Time, or any of the 16-bit Sonic games. Oh god… At least I’ve played them all for hours on end! That counts for something, right?)
The spirit of classic games
August 23, 2007 by Tim
I’ve been posting to The Retro Review Project a little less lately, and that’s mainly because I’ve been playing fewer classic games, so I had less to say. My game playing goes in cycles, I guess you could say. Sometimes I buy and play a lot of games, sometimes I don’t buy or play any. But anyway, what I’m getting at is that I’ve been playing some newer games lately that don’t directly relate to the site. At least, that’s what I thought at first.
Specifically, I’ve been playing through Killer 7 on the GameCube, and I realized today that it reminds me a lot of classic games. Sure, the puzzle-solving aspect hearkens back to old adventure games, but it’s not just that. It’s mostly that it left me with the thought of “I have never played anything like this ever before.” I realized that’s something I don’t get to say very often anymore. But years ago, when I was new to games and the industry itself was still young, that’s something I was able to say a lot. It seems that genres and gameplay mechanics were being created on a much more frequent basis in those days. So in that regard, Killer 7 has captured an important element of classic games — it’s doing something different.
So I got to thinking. What other recent games have captured the spirit of classic games? I think Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are both similar to Killer 7 in that they give you that “Wow, this is different” feeling. Psychonauts has an undeniable classic game feel — not surprising, since it was created by Tim Schafer (of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, and Grim Fandango fame). What else? Maybe Hotel Dusk? Or Geometry Wars? Chime in if you’ve got other suggestions.
RetroTube: Classic Genesis Commercials
August 13, 2007 by Tim
Part of the reason I like old video games is the nostalgia factor. These games remind me of my childhood and bring about many of the same feelings I experienced back then. It’s probably for the same reason that I enjoy old commercials from that time, as well. So, let’s take a moment and combine the two, shall we?
I recently posted one of the worst game commercials I’ve ever seen, but let’s take things in a slightly different direction this time. How about some of those old commercials we remember so fondly? For people my age, the classic commercial battle was the one that was waged in the 16-bit era between Sega and Nintendo. Sega, especially, was known for their ad campaign, including a number of “inflammatory” commercials that attempt to trash the competition (i.e. Nintendo).
First up, let’s kick things off with the simple story of young Bobby Engles and how the Genesis “Fighting System” with Streets of Rage 2 earned him some respect at school, all while saving him $40!
But don’t forget that classic catchphrase: “Genesis Does…”
“…What Nintendon’t!”
And let’s not forget when Sega tried to use “Blast Processing” to pass the Genesis off as more powerful than the Super Nintendo…
Or when they tried to use the Sega CD and 32X as trump cards because the SNES didn’t have expensive, unused add-ons like the Genesis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blbVQTtWvLAWell, Nintendo has something to say to that…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTQj522ripcTons more after the break! Enjoy…
Latest Haul (and Impressions): Icebreaker II
August 9, 2007 by Tim
Well, what’s this? A new 3DO release? That’s right… As I mentioned on one of the first posts to this blog, OlderGames.com was planning to bring us several new 3DO games. Well, the time is now. The Classic Gaming Expo has come and gone, the games are officially released, and everyone that placed a pre-order has the game in their hands.
All of the games that OlderGames has released were incomplete works-in-progress and are at various levels of playability. Powerslide seems barely playable. Decathlon is playable, but with a fair number of bugs. Onside looks quite stable, but doesn’t interest me much. Icebreaker II, on the other hand, feels like it was very much ready for an official release, and that’s why it’s the only one I decided to buy. The only thing that indicates the game isn’t finished is that there is space on the level select screen for 150 levels, but only 118 are present. (Oddly enough, levels 149 and 150 have been created even though 117-148 don’t exist.) On top of that, there’s a whole collection of small tech demos to play around with, outside the scope of the game itself.
So how is it? Was it worth waiting 13 years after the origial release for the sequel? Well, I guess it depends on how much you were actually anticipating it in that time. For someone like me, that hasn’t played the first and only found out there was an unreleased sequel a couple years ago, it wasn’t a bad wait at all! But I pity those who were waiting with baited breath (if any of you exist). Not that it’s a bad game, but rather… Why would you be waiting with baited breath for any game for 13 years? (Says the guy waiting for the NiGHTS sequel. D’oh.)
For the unfamiliar, I think the best way to describe Icebreaker is as a puzzle-slash-shooter game. The object is, as a floating white pyramid, to float around each level destroying all of the other pyramids. Most of the pyramids are static and can be broken either by running into them or shooting them. Some take more shots than others, some take more rapid shots than others, some turn into pools of acid, some turn into pools of lava. On top of that, there is a constant onslaught of mobile enemy pyramids closing in on you, so you have to negotiate destroying them while destroying the static pyramids.
Though I haven’t played much yet, I think I can confidently say I’ve never played another game quite like this one (of course, like I said, I never played the first game). From what I’ve seen, Icebreaker II is fresh and fun. The concept is unique and I really like the colorful, cartoon-like graphical style. Naturally, I’ll have a full review sometime in the future…
It lives!
August 9, 2007 by Tim
As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, my trusty laptop that I do all my work from died. Well, I’m happy to say that it’s back in service! After a failed Craigslist deal and one bad replacement motherboard from eBay, I finally got a working part today. Now it’s good as new!
Funny thing is that I got so fed up with dealing with it that I went out and bought a new laptop over the weekend. But I hate it, so I think I’m going to return it. I can’t stand Windows Vista. Perhaps it’s fitting that I like my old laptop more than my new one. After all, I do enjoy old video games more than new ones…
(P.S.: More frequent posting resumes immediately.)
Library of Congress to preserve video games
August 6, 2007 by Tim
I’ve noticed a bit of concern amongst classic game enthusiasts about proper preservation of older games. Their concerns range from digital downloads replacing physical items (what happens when a download service is no longer available) to online games becoming unplayable (what happens when a company decides it’s not profitable to keep running servers) to hardware deteriorating over time (we’ve all seen what happens to an NES). Well, fear not. it looks like the good old Library of Congress is on the case. On Friday, the Library announced a new program to preserve digital media of many types, including video games.
The game-news circuit seems to have picked up on the story today, and I figured I’d pass it along as well, since I’m sure this is a topic of interest for many visitors of this site. Here are a few details:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2007/07-156.html
August 3, 2007
Digital Preservation Program Makes Awards to Preserve American Creative Works
Preserving Creative America Initiative to Engage Private Sector Creators of Films, Sound Recordings, Photographs, Cartoons and Video Games in Digital FormatsThe Library of Congress, through its National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), today announced eight partnerships as part of its new Preserving Creative America initiative to address the long-term preservation of creative content in digital form. These partners will target preservation issues across a broad range of creative works, including digital photographs, cartoons, motion pictures, sound recordings and even video games. The work will be conducted by a combination of industry trade associations, private sector companies and nonprofits, as well as cultural heritage institutions.
…
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Interactive media are highly complex and at high risk for loss as technologies rapidly become obsolete. The Preserving Virtual Worlds project will explore methods for preserving digital games and interactive fiction. Major activities will include developing basic standards for metadata and content representation and conducting a series of archiving case studies for early video games, electronic literature and Second Life, an interactive multiplayer game.
Judging by the press release, it seems they might have particular interest in Second Life and other virtual worlds. Let’s hope they give old video and arcade games their due, too!
What secrets CDs may hold…
July 31, 2007 by Tim
The Sega Saturn was my first CD-based console, and I remember being really intrigued by the format. Sure, I was familiar with CDs, but I thought it was really cool that I could take these games, which were meant to be played on a console, and explore them in a number of other devices that can also play CDs.
I’m sure most of us have put a game CD into a stereo to listen to its soundtrack, but how many have put games into a PC’s CD-ROM drive to explore its contents? Probably not quite as many. But for me, that was a fun experience. At the very least, it provides a little insight into the technical structure of the game. At the very best, there may be a secret or two to uncover.
Today, I remembered the way I used to check almost every disc-based game I had in my CD-ROM in hopes of finding a few goodies and decided to give it another shot, now that I have a lot more systems to explore. Unfortunately, my search was not particularly fruitful. It seems 3DO games are completely unreadable in normal CD drives, Neo-Geo CD games don’t have much of interest, and TurboGrafx CD/Turbo Duo games just show up as unplayable audio CDs.
But just as I remembered, Saturn (and Dreamcast) games are particularly fun to check out. Sometimes, you’ll just find the game’s files. Other times, there are text files with copyright information. Occasionally, you’ll find playable media files. You might even find HTML files full of Japanese text. But the best is when you find that bonus folder. It might be called “EXTRA,” or it might even be called “SECRET.” It’s a folder that was hidden away, just for the fans. Most people will never even see it, but I, since I took the time to look, got to find that little bit of extra fun.
My favorite disc of goodies? NiGHTS: Into Dreams for the Saturn. It’s nothing too special, but it’s like a hidden treasure. Cool not just for what it contains, but mainly just for the fact that it’s there.
Impressions: Populous, Killing Time, Landstalker
July 28, 2007 by Tim
I mentioned on the About page that I’m something of a lazy gamer. Or, at the very least, I’m not a very dedicated gamer. When I was younger, I could dedicate myself to a single game for hours on end, day after day. I just don’t have the attention span for that anymore. I think it happened when I started spending more time on the internet. So either the internet destroyed my attention span, or I just grew up a little, I’m not sure what it is. But either way, I play a lot of games, and I play a lot of games for a couple hours at a time.
Eventually, I’ll get around to playing each game long enough to properly review it. (After all, that’s the point of this site.) But in the meantime, I’m going to post quick impressions of the games that I’ve been playing lately but haven’t spent enough time with to properly review. So here goes:
- Populous (SNES): I’m not sure what it says about a game when its tutorial mode provides absolutely no instructions in any way. I bought the game used, cart-only, and was utterly lost. Shouldn’t a tutorial at least describe what all the buttons on the screen do? Once I found a transcription of the manual online, things fell into place. This is an unusual sim/strategy/god game where your main power is to raise and lower the land so your followers can farm, gain strength, and eradicate the followers of your rival deity. I’m going to have to spend a lot more time with this one before I really form much of an opinion of it, but I’ve found it intriguing so far.
- Killing Time (3DO): Another awkward early 3D game for the 3DO. It’s an FPS that does a few things right and a few other things horribly wrong. I love the seamless transitions between areas/levels, as if it’s one big environment I’m exploring, rather than segmented levels. I hate the ugly enemy sprites that repeat ad nauseum (there are only one or two different enemies per area). I’ve only played through the first few areas, but so far, it seems like a technically sound game with smooth controls being brought down by poor enemy variety and a total lack of ammo. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have to ditch my current save because I only have one bullet left and about four enemies to kill to advance any further. Argh.
- Landstalker (Genesis): Now this game is promising. It’s a fun action-adventure/RPG with platforming elements, puzzle-solving, and fantastic graphics that manage to look appealing despite the miniscule color palette of the Genesis. I was a fan of Dark Savior on the Saturn, so it’s no wonder I’m liking this one. I’m just having some doubts about the controls, though. It’s an isometric game, so you spend a lot of time moving in diagonals. I’m not sure yet if the controls are unresponsive or if the six-button pad that comes with the Genesis 3 just doesn’t do diagonals well. I think I’ll track down a different controller before making my final judgment, but so far so good.
What have you guys been playing lately? Have any quick impressions of your own to share? Hit the comments…
Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx-16)
July 25, 2007 by Tim
As your footsteps fall silently upon the floorboards of the ruined temple at which you were born and raised, you barely have time to contemplate the untimely and unjust death of your father and the vengeance which you have sworn to obtain. With swiftness and deftness that can only come with a lifetime of training, you dispatch foe after foe with ease. But they are relentless. Bombs, knives, and swords fly at you as your enemies swarm about, seemingly appearing from thin air. Where are they coming from? Why do they want you dead? Why did they kill your father? There’s no time to ask questions. There’s no time to think, only to react.
Your sword slices through your attackers and shields you from their bombs and knives, but it is becoming more and more difficult to handle each wave of aggression on your own. You defeat an unusual ninja in bright orange, and as if on cue, an apparition appears. But this apparition does not attack. Instead, you discover that it mimics your every move. You gracefully jump hundreds of feet into the air and drift softly to the ground. It follows you every inch of the way, without a hint of effort. You look closer, and on the face of this apparition, you see yourself. You see your anger, your hatred, your determination. This apparition is your spirit. It is invulnerable and has every drop of strength and skill that you have. It will protect you.
Sitegeist (7/23/07)
July 23, 2007 by Tim
Well, I’m back from my camping trip/mini-vacation, so that means I’m behind on my gameplaying. I also came home to discover that my laptop is dead. Hooray! So, that means I’m stuck on my old Pentium III desktop, circa June 2000. What’s all this mean for you guys? It means you get a half-assed update tonight! Hooray! I’ve had a Sitegeist post queued up for a while now, so here it is…
First of all, I want to point out that 3DOkid has been kind enough to reciprocate my link to him, so if you haven’t already, check out his blog for the most 3DO fanboy goodness you can find on the web.
Next, you might also notice the new Recent Comments section in the right sidebar. You can keep track of any new comments as they show up there. Thanks to those of you that have been commenting so far — I enjoy hearing from you! Everyone else, I’m severely disappointed in you for not participating… ;)
I also got FreeDO working on my computer, (The one that’s now broken… Oh, irony!) so that means I got some good screenshots for the Total Eclipse review. Unfortunately, I lost the first set of really good screenshots that I took to a Photoshop crash, (I guess that’s what happens when you open like 40 new images at once. Oops.) but the second batch was good enough, as well.
And one other really small update: I tagged Streets of Rage as a Wii Virtual Console game since I noticed it’s available there.
So, those are the updates. I’ve also been working on getting polls up and running, but I need to rewrite the CSS to get them to look right, and I haven’t felt like doing that! Also, if you’re the one that submitted a Time Capsule: The NES Network link to reddit.com, thanks! That resulted in a nice traffic spike for my humble abode. It’s making me think about adding digg links or something to the site… Anyway, that’s another possible change. Stay tuned!
- Currently Playing: Virtua Cop (Sega Saturn), Killing Time (3DO)
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