I’m about to get the third flame to enhance the Master Sword. It’s a really amazing game that I’ve written about at length in another thread. I’m savoring my experience with it since it will probably be another 10 years before I come back to this world so that it stays fresh.
Super Monkey Ball 2
I’m pretty deep into the story mode of this game. And I freaking love it! It’s so campy and non-sensical. And the level design is top-notch. One could easily make the argument that Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 are the best platformers on the GameCube, and I’d be inclined to agree with them at this point. Moreover, you can see the DNA of F-Zero GX in this game - it clearly uses the same engine to great effect to be one of the greatest racing games ever made. Honestly, I’m not sure how Amusement Vision could create 3 of the greatest games ever within one generation, only to get shut down, and reintegrated into the Yakuza team. With all due respect to Yakuza fans, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Super Mario 35
This is a really fun time waster that I wish were not coming to an end next year. I have already gotten first place 12 times so far and it may be the only Battle Royale game I ever feel dominant at haha. The physics are quite a bit different from the original (Mario is a tad slower and you can bounce high off enemies like in later games), but after you get accustomed to it, it plays beautifully. Enemies also behave quite a bit differently too. I’m not sure how it will feel to go back to the original Super Mario Bros. now that we have this - it may all seem far more pedestrian now.
Amusement Vision merged with the Smilebit team but weren’t shut down or reintegrated into the Yakuza team, they became the Yakuza team because that was the type of game that Toshihiro Nagoshi wanted to make. The real shame is that he no longer wanted to make those types of games anymore and has worked on nothing but Yakuza since.
Kind of bizarre that Yakuza comes from Smilebit and AV though. Like, it doesn’t have that smooth arcade feel. Smilebit and AV are probably the two greatest studios Sega ever had for my personal tastes, other than AM2.
Then again, I’ve only played a bit of the first game way back on PS2. I know it has its fans. Someday I’ll give it another chance.
Had to google DreamPi to even know what that was. Can’t help you with the startup sound but pretty sure Blue Burst still has a a few “private” servers running on pc. The benefit of it being the additional 4th episode that I don’t think was ever made available on Dreamcast, as well as all the updated stuff. But if you are only looking for the nostalgia of a direct time and place I can understand wanting to stick with the Dreamcast version. Your avatar is a good indication of your dedication to the game.
I’d describe it as a loot-focused, sci-fi action RPG. It’s not really an MMO in that the online part takes place from a lobby where you can form groups of 4 and head out. That might sound dull, but the Diablo-style loot hunting and overall gameplay are still really compelling. Play with a regular group of friends and it’s a great time. There is a bit of a learning curve playing with a Dreamcast controller, and the player movement can feel slow and clunky until you figure it out.
In terms of story, it’s not terribly complex but it’s told through a series of audio journals (ala System Shock 2) and the sci-fi/horror/mystery theme manages to draw you in. There’s a great vibe/atmosphere that I really love.
After playing a lot of Mario and racing games over the past few months, my wife asked me to playing more fun for her to watch. So I just started Fallout 4. I really enjoyed Fallout 3 and she liked watching it, so I figured this would be good. I know FO4 isn’t as highly regarded but having fun so far.
Speaking of Yakuza games, I finally started playing Judgement. Very enjoyable so far, I’m in chapter 2, although I’ve spent a lot of time doing side quests such as chasing down panty thieves and photographing cheating husbands. Also been spending a lot of time at Club Sega playing Virtua Fighter and Fighting Vipers. There are also some pretty fun drone races to compete in.
If you enjoy the Yakuza series, you’ll probably enjoy Judgement just as much. Part of the fun is just getting lost in the world of Kamurocho and soaking up the atmosphere. But underneath that is a compelling story that keeps me hooked.
@harborline_765 asked me if I’d played Digital Glider Airman (Japanese PS1) when he was buying his recent retro PlayStation Store purchases ahead of the “switch off”. I responded that I had and it was good but I couldn’t get very far for some reason I couldn’t remember. Spurred on by his feedback on the game I thought I’d give it another go.
It’s an odd one, a game where you spend most of your time doing nothing but waiting - gliding - and planning your next move. A thinking man’s Pilotwings, perhaps? There is almost zero margin for error in this game, it is unforgiving to the max. But as soon as you accept you need to do as little as possible to achieve the goals you’ll begin to make progress. You’ll still crash, of course, because no shadow is cast from the glider and the limitations of PlayStation 3D make it a little difficult to judge distances.
But it’s a rewarding endeavour. 6 stages, with three challenges each, and a separate Extra mode where you fly the same stages but with the goal of finding hidden diamonds that unlock new gliders when collected.
The music is another oddity, in that it’s quite good but the high BPM rock is at odds with the sedate pace of the action happening on the screen.
I can only find 3 videos of this on the whole of the internet, and only one of them manages to complete the first objective of the first stage - the other two give up after much trying.
I wondered if anybody has actually seen the credits of this game? Given it’s inaccessible nature and brutally difficult learning curve.
Yes! A Digital Glider Airman writeup! I’ve been waiting for this.
You really captured the game, there isn’t much for me to add other than I’ve been finding it irritatingly compelling considering how difficult it is, and how exacting it can be. Asides from the limitations of the PS1’s 3D rendering (lack of polygon sorting seems to be an issue) it’s good that it never really quite feels unfair since each attempt often plays out differently and there’s a wealth of customisation and glider options.
According to the guidance lesson there’s only 6 stages with the three objectives each, so maybe I shouldn’t be so disheartened that almost three hours of play has barely gotten me past the first two levels…
This is the game in a nutshell for me…
Okay not quite - I’ve had some victories!
I love the visuals, particularly the graphic design of the menus.
Playing the SEGA AGES version of OG Phantasy Star, and I love the colourful futuristic setting combined with dragons and swords and the like. It’s amazing!
So I died getting ending 3 on the PS2 game, losing my awesome Naginata in the process. But what better way to start another ‘fresh’ playthrough than to check out the PSP conversion?
It’s really good - real shame it never released outside of Japan. I’ll post more over at the PSP thread.
As for Way of the Samurai itself, I’ve been playing the PS2 original every evening for a couple of weeks. I’m convinced it’s one of the best action games ever made. It has incredible focus, just one small village and two days’ of unfolding events, but with plenty of choice in gameplay over how things unfold and enough randomness in the weapon drops that each playthrough can feel different even if you’re stuck going for a single outcomes/ending.
For an early PS2 game it’s beautiful, running at 60fps as well.
I’ve been playing PS1 game Wreckin Crew: Drive Dangerously recently, through emulation.
The game relies more on course memorisation than skill, though there are shortcuts, weapons and special moves for each car, plus unlockable cars. My only real gripe with it is that the camera doesn’t look in the direction you are turning meaning that you often have to corner somewhat blind.
It’s a bizarre game with a very PC feel, handling like the early PC Mario Kart clones: Skunny Kart, Wacky Wheels, BC Racers, etc. Which makes sense given that it is a port from a DOS game.
This also explains why the texture resolution is way higher than it needs to be for PS1. The benefit of this is that you play at 2x internal resolution using an emulator and the game looks absolutely perfect, the same VGA resolution as it had on PC. Looks great!
My first thought when seeing this is it’s some sort of lost racing game by CA Production on the Saturn, the use of 3D reminds me a lot of Bulk Slash which used VDP2 to render a flat ground and simple polys for fast performance above it.
Is the road surface flat throughout the entire game?
