Blog Posts from "Big D's blog"

TOP 10 Games that NEED a Sequel

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:52:42 -0500

Hey g1's and welcome to a very special episode of TOP. Now I usually don't do a different TOP list when I'm in the middle of one already (TOP 100 Game Characters of All Time - http://screwattack.com/node/12599), but I felt like this list HAD to be made. Now I actually came up with this list WAY before Screwattack ever made there's (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42939.html), but they beat me to the punch. So I decided not to delay this list any further and go ahead and get it out there for your viewing pleasure. So without further delay here is my TOP 10 Games that NEED a Sequel! Alright, one rule before jumping into this bad boy. This list will only include sequels for games that HAVEN'T been announced. So no Uncharted 2 or Dead Rising 2 love here, sorry you two sure to be great games. Now lets get this ball rolling! NUMBER 10 Manhunt 3 While Manhunt 1 and 2 were absolutely incredible games, I can only imagine what Rockstar would pull with a third installation. It did seem fairly odd that Manhunt 2 was released on a last generation console, current generation handheld, and only on the Wii for current generation consoles. It didn't bother me too much however because the game was amazing. What did seem weird to me was how badly the ESRB wanted this game censored. Especially because the kills, in my opinion, were a lot more violent in the first game which didn't have any censoring. While I'm sure the third installation into the Manhunt series would be infected with controversy, I would LOVE to see what Rockstar would end up with. Manhunt 2 was an awesome game that many people ignored, so hopefully a third game on the 360 and PS3 would bring more people to the series. NUMBER 9 Metal Gear Ac!d 3 I know many people hated both of the Ac!d games, but I actually found them very fun and entertaining. I was against the idea just as much as any MGS fan, but once I got my hands on the game I changed my mind. While it would've been nice to have a cannon MGS game on the PSP, these games were still fun and entertaining. Eventually gamers got their wish with Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, but I still had WAY more fun with these two games than I did MGSPO. These games were fun because they were something different, and they didn't push the card based battle system too much. While I was limited by the cards I had in my hand, I never felt limited by them. There are some games on the PSP which are absolute classics, but these two are probably two of the most fun games on the handheld in my opinion. I would be STOKED if a third game was announced. NUMBER 8 Mega Man 2 Powered Up I haven't met many gamers or g1s who got to enjoy this absolute masterpiece only available on the PSP, but man I feel bad for those who haven't. This game is really amazing and a great remake to a classic CAPCOM title. Before Mega Man 9, before Bionic Commando Rearmed, before Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix...there was Mega Man Powered Up. The game plays like a classic MM game, but with 2.5D visuals. While the graphics are in 3D, the game is a 2D platformer. Throw in some amazing visuals, remixed music, near perfect gameplay, a level creator mode, and even good voice acting and you've got an awesome experience. I can't believe they HAVEN'T made Mega Man 2 Powered Up yet! The closest they've come is by remaking the original Mega Man X with Mega Man X Maverick Hunter. Are you listening CAPCOM? I'm still waiting for my Mega Man 2 Powered Up! NUMBER 7 Virtua Fighter Kids 2 Now I know for a fact that a TON of g1s haven't even heard of this game due to some of the comments on my TOP 100 Games of All Time List (http://screwattack.com/node/8406), and it's a real shame. VFK is one of the coolest ideas SEGA has ever had and was really quite a unique game. It took their serious fighting franchise and threw a spin on it. Check it out: That video is enough proof that this game was definitely something different, and it felt absolutely at home on the SEGA Saturn. I remember walking into Funcoland and seeing this game on display on the Saturn, with Tekken 2 on display for the PSX. There was NO competition, I picked up the Saturn controller. The game played flawlessly like the original Virtua Fighter games, but the new character models were hilariously entertaining. Doing all of their awesome moves and winning poses but with a hysterical high-pitched, all Japanese voice acting cast. We've had 8 characters added to the series since this game came out, and I think it's about time we get our hands on Virtua Fighter Kids 2. NUMBER 6 The Warriors 2 The film was a childhood memory for me, believe it or not, and I've been wanting a Warriors game since the days of the Super Nintendo. Thankfully Rockstar would answer my prays...YEARS later! I'm extremely happy that this game eventually got made, but what was even better was what Rockstar did with the movie. They actually created a plot that took place three months before the movie and actually built up to when the movie took place and finished. With that said, I don't see why Rockstar couldn't make a sequel to the cult-classic film and game and branch out on what happened to the Warriors after the movie took place. While I'm sure many fans would be upset if this took place, I'd actually be incredibly pumped! I hear there's a remake of the movie in the works, but a Warriors 2 game would have me so much more pumped than a remake of the film. Please Rockstar make this happen! NUMBER 5 Maniac Mansion 3 Anyone who has played either of these games know exactly why a third game in the series would be absolutely amazing. Maniac Mansion was one HELL of a point-and-click adventure. Many refer to it as one of the best of all time! My fondness for the series came after I played the sequel. Day of the Tentacle was a hilarious games, and extremely creative for a point-and-click game. It was made by the same people who made Escape from Monkey Island, Sam and Max, and many more funny games. A third installment in the series would be much appreciated, as long as they don't screw it up. NUMBER 4 Beyond Oasis 2 Anyone who has read a handful of my blogs should know that I LOVE this game. I've even touted it as the "Better than Legend of Zelda" game. I honestly believe that Beyond Oasis took the same idea as Zelda and bettered it in EVERY way. I enjoyed this game more than ANY Zelda game I have ever played, and that says a lot considering how enjoyable Zelda games are. Beyond Oasis is a fantastic over-heard adventure game on the SEGA Genesis that WAY too many people missed out on. If you own a Wii, then you've GOT to download this game on the VC. You will NOT regret it. Now some may say there was already a sequel, only under a different name. Story of Thor...right? Wrong! Story of Thor is the same game, but on the Sega Saturn and with a drastically different look. The basic storyline was still intact, or so I hear, but the gameplay and look was very different. While Story of Thor received a sequel, no proper sequel for Beyond Oasis was ever released. While I'm sure a 3D version of this game would feel like a Zelda rip-off, I'd still kind of like to see it. While I'd prefer a 2D sequel, we all know that would never happen. A boy can dream can't he? NUMBER 3 Shenmue III It's no doubt that us Shenmue fans have been waiting ages for the final installment of the franchise. Unfortunately, waiting doesn't always mean that a game is actually coming out. It seems that not only SEGA but Yu Suzuki as well have both decided to never give us the final closing events to this series. Shenmue was an amazing game when it first came out, and even ranked in at the TOP 10 of my TOP 100 Favorite Games of All Time. This game was a SERIOUS look at the future and a huge step for free-roaming games. Back then, this seemed like such a huge advancement for video games. By the time the sequel reached the states, we had already seen what a "real" free-roaming game was and hardly anyone accepted the sequel. Not to mention, it was released exclusively to the XBox, a really bad move by SEGA. If the game had been on the PS2, I definitely think it would've received a better reception. Needless to say, we NEED Shenmue III. It's been a long time coming, and a lot of waiting, but no one has forgotten. Shenmue III please....PLEASE! haha. NUMBER 2 Freedom Fighters 2 Here's a game that not enough people have played. The game was incredible, it had everything! Decent graphics, addictive gameplay, original concept, good story, good acting, awesome soundtrack, and replayability. This game was cool because what you did on one battlefield would directly effect another. Say there's a stage you go to where they have helicopters protecting a bridge you've got to destroy. What you do is go to the other battlefield where the helipad is and blow the sucker sky high. When you return to the original battlefield, there won't be a helicopter anymore. That's just one example of many. The game was completely original but had a concept and controls that people could grasp instantly. It really was an awesome game. Not long after the game's release, we were teased with news about Freedom Fighters 2. Even this concept art popped up on IGN: Since then though, we haven't heard much else. It's a shame really. I really hope EA hasn't completely forgotten about this game, but they probably have. They have so many other licenses under their belt, it wouldn't surprise me if this is a game that never sees the light of day. NUMBER 1 Jet Set Radio 3 Oh yeah sucka, my third favorite game of all time right here! Jet Grind Radio is such an awesome game, and enough reason to own a Dreamcast. It's sequel is also pretty damn cool, and enough reason to go out and buy an XBox. With that said....whatever console the third game would be released on (the Wii more than likely), is DEFINITELY worth owning just for that game as well! JGR and JSRF were two awesome...AWESOME games, so a third installment seems like a no brainer. The sequel was released exclusively to the XBox, a definite bad move by SEGA, but the fans are still here! We're still dieing for more, and praying that a third game is released. I'd love to see Gum, Tab (or Corn), Beat, and Yoyo get together all over again and cause mayhem on the streets of Tokyo-To! I don't care what they call it either. The first game was Jet Grind Radio in the States, but Jet Set Radio in Japan. The sequel was Jet Set Radio Future in the States, but Jet Set Radio 2 in Japan. I could care less if it's called Jet Set Radio 3 or Jet Set Radio some stupid tag line name, whatever! We...nah screw that...I, ME, Big D, NEED this game. I wouldn't even care how much they charged me for it....$100? Fine! Here's my money, now give me the greatness! Hahaha....okay that may be pushing it. Seriously though, this game would be awesome and a much appreciated game from SEGA. I KNOW I'm not the only one who thinks this. Well that sums up my TOP 10 Games that NEED a Sequel right there. Hope you guys enjoyed the read, and thanks for sticking around until the end. Make sure you rate, leave a comment, or digg. I always appreciate feedback g1s, so don't be shy people. See you guys next time...on TOP.

Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 4

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:09:45 -0500

Hey what's going on g1s, Big D here with another installment of Forgotten. Now I've known it's been a long wait, and thanks to PMs, comments on other blogs, and a few conversations in the chatroom, I have finally decided to continue this series and get one step closer to the finale. While I was planning on doing it anyway, the motivation by my readers is enough to get the ball rolling a bit sooner. So here it is guys, Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 4. On today's installment I'm going to cover some of the final details of RE1.5. I'll show you all comparison photos of RE1.5 to RE2, a few items that were taken out, and couple of more animated gifs displaying a difference between RE1.5 and RE2. That's today...on Forgotten. In case you've missed the last three installments to this series of Forgotten, here are the links: Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) http://screwattack.com/node/8255 Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 2 http://screwattack.com/node/8883 Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 3 http://screwattack.com/node/11706 One last thing before we get started, I would like to thank Bio Flames dot com for all of their help and information during the production of this series of blogs. For more information regarding RE1.5, make sure you check out their site. While it isn't where I got ALL of my information from, a majority of it DID come from that site. Please check it out: http://www.bioflames.com/ While I've covered a TON of information about Resident Evil 1.5, there is still much more left to get to. I'll begin with a few items that were removed from the final version of Resident Evil 2 and even an entire area that was taken out of the game. It's a shame really because the area and items that were removed were both things that really made this game seem like something special. While RE2 turned out great it still would have been nice to have these extra features, the missing area especially. So I'll begin by showing off a few sceen-shots for the missing area in the game, The R.P.D. Jail: I'm sure once you saw the name for the area, if you've played RE2, a chill ran down your spine. Can you imagine how awesome this scenery would have been? In fact, if you bought a PSX around the time this game was in production, there was a screen-shot on the back of the box that had Leon running through a hall with zombies reaching at him between the bars. When RE2 became a reality, and this area of the Police Station wasn't included, needless to say, it was quite the disappointment. There are a few things I'd like to talk about in this pic: - The top-left image is very similar to the one found on the back of the old PSX box, but there were a few differences. For one, the quality was a heck of a lot better. And two, Leon was running towards the screen not away from it. - The bottom-left image shows Leon standing inside one of the cells. It's pretty neat to think about exploring an entire jail. THAT would've been creepy as hell. At least better than the lame third floor on RE2. That area was so pointless. I would've appreciated a prison a heck of a lot more. - The image on the right is a bit closer to the same quality as the image found on the back of the old PSX box. However, the area wasn't nearly as dark. It's pretty obvious that this image was made around the time leading into the final version of RE2. RE1.5 was fairly bright, and when it was dark, you at least had a bunch of blue to look at. Meanwhile, RE2 was pretty much grays, browns, with a few colors here and there. Sure some rooms were brighter than others, but it felt like RE1.5 was more unique as far as visuals go. Next up, the removed items from the game. Some may find this as a bit of a shock but body armor was taken out of the game. In fact, body armor wouldn't make it into ANY of the Resident Evil's until the most recent Resident Evil 4 with the Tactical Vest. So here's the official concept art of Leon wearing two different types of body armor, and Elza wearing her only type: While there were never any official screen-shots released showing character models wearing the body armor, it's clear from this concept art that the idea did at least occur in this game. Leon Body Armor A - I'm assuming this would be a body armor he would come across much later in the game due to the Umbrella logo on the chest plate. Elza Body Armor - A simple bullet-proof vest found in the R.P.D. station. Leon Body Armor B - Almost resembles Jill Valentine's shoulder pad armor in RE1, but with a chest and back cover added. I'm assuming this is a bullet-proof vest, but I have no idea why it would be orange. Now lets move on to some comparison photos. You'll quickly see how this game drastically changed it's scenery and character models during development. So we'll first begin with a picture that compares the RE1.5 R.P.D. Lobby to the RE2 R.P.D. Lobby: The top left and top right images are the original concept art for the areas and the bottom left and bottom right images are the finished pre-rendered backgrounds. Notice the difference in quality and colors. In RE1.5, the area was stained in blue to signify the darkness, however in RE2 the graphics are much more in-depth and don't have to rely on one color. As far as graphics go, during development, the game went from leaps to bounds and quickly became one of the best graphical accomplishments on the Playstation. Here are some images that compare the original Leon character model and concept art to the official Leon character model and concept art: Notice how almost everything between the two has changed. From the style and design of clothing, his vest, and all the way to his hair. Leon definitely evolved quite a bit during the production of this game. Next up, we've got some interesting stances that were eventually removed from the final version of RE2: Not only would the characters stand this way when idle, but when they would walk, they would continue this stance. Here is an animated gif of Leon walking: This is one feature that, to this day, I still have no clue why it was removed. In fact, this feature wouldn't be featured in a RE game until the remake of Resident Evil for the Gamecube. REmake took it a step further by including the stance while running as well. It really adds to the realism of the games, and it's a shame it was removed from the official release of RE2. It seems like such a step backwards. Another MAJOR difference between RE1.5 and RE2 was the level of blood and gore. While it was eventually toned down, believe it or not, the original ideas they had for the blood and gore effects in RE1.5 were way ahead of their time. While one was pretty basic idea, just adding more blood and gore from wounds, one of the others was pretty revolutionary for it's time. First I'll cover the extra amount of blood and gore. Here I have an animated gif showing Leon blasting a zombie in half with a shotgun and Elza blowing the legs off of a zombie with the same weapon: Notice just how much blood and gore spray all over the place. While RE1 and RE2 had a pretty big amount of the messy red fluid, RE1.5 took it a step further that was never matched. From RE1 to RE4, no game in the series had a blast quite like these shown here. Another cool feature that I have still not seen in any game, or at least...no game pull it off right, is blood stained clothes. After killing enemies from a close range or even taking damage, your clothes would be stained by blood. While I'm sure this feature was removed for technical reasons, it would have been awesome if they could have pulled it off: Well guys, I regret to inform you but I will be ending this for now. Make sure you check back for the last and FINAL part in my Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) series. Next time on Forgotten, I'll be showing all of the video footage I have found concerning this game and point out interesting facts about each. So make sure if you want a notice Personal Messaged to you when the next and final installment is out that you leave a comment on this blog. And of course, if you've got anything to say make sure you leave a comment, rate, or digg. I always love to see what you guys think of my work. I'll see you guys next time....on Forgotten.

Collections: Metal Gear Solid

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:57:39 -0400

Hey g1s, after a long hiatus it is time for the triumphant return of...Collections. That's right g1s, it's been awhile since I've sat down and made one of these happen but today is a special day. While I've been saving this specific collection for one of my later entries, I decided to go ahead and give you guys a little treat. The way I see it, it's been so long since an entry in this series has taken place that you guys deserve to see one of my most favorite collections. So today, we're going to be checking out my Metal Gear Solid collection. Alright, so we'll get this bad boy started with the likes of my newest edition to the collection. While I already own all three of these games, I couldn't miss out on the chance to get them all in such an awesome package. Not only are they packaged together in PS2 boxes, with a kick ass box to hold them, but they also have crazy awesome new cover art. Oh yeah, the Metal Gear Solid The Essentials boxset! Check it out! The coolest thing I found about this collection is the packaging. I just love ALL the cover art for each game, but I was really excited to get another copy of Metal Gear Solid. PSX disc scratch fairly easy, so I assumed I'd eventually have to replace my old copy. No longer do I have to worry about that thanks to this collection. I'd pay $30 alone just for the original Metal Gear Solid. The real selling point in this package though is that Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance on the PS2 was a VERY rare game before this bundle. It was selling for over $100 on eBay. Talk about a deal! Of course it doesn't stop there, I've got bigger and better pieces to this collection. Before that though, lets get some of the less impressive, but still rare, pieces out of the way first. While these next two games aren't rare by any means, they're actually two games that I had a TON of fun with. While they don't offer the same Metal Gear experience we're used to, they still have some of the most fun gameplay available on the PSP. I'm talking about Metal Gear Ac!d and Metal Gear Ac!d 2. I often feel like people don't give these two games enough credit. Sure they're nothing like the other MGS games, or even a part of the storyline, but they're still fun games in themselves. I enjoyed both games quite a bit, and I always suggest them to anybody who is planning on getting a PSP. I preferred both of these over Portable Ops actually! So next up on the list are two games that are fairly rare. You'll find them selling for a decent price on eBay most of the time, and they're both considered collectors items at this point. One game was just a money grabber for hungry Metal Gear Solid fans, while the other was a solid game in itself that many people passed up. These games are Metal Gear Solid VR Missions for the Playstation and Metal Gear Solid for the Gameboy Color Now don't worry guys, that tag has been taken off of the game LONG AGO, this is just an old picture. Onto the games, I wasn't the biggest fan of VR Missions, it just wasn't my thing. My game of the two would HAVE to be Metal Gear Solid for the GBC. It felt like one of the old MSX Metal Gear or Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake games. It was 2D from a top-down perspective, and it just felt right in the palm of your hand. The game played pretty well considering the lack of buttons. This is a game that ANY MGS collectors have GOT to get their hands on, or at least play! Okay so that's enough of the side-stories and spin-off games, now lets get into the juicy stuff! Now I will admit, I don't own any of the original NES cartridges, but I do plan on picking them up when I come across them. I've seen them once or twice, but people are usually selling them for WAY more than I'm willing to pay. So we'll kick things off with my Metal Gear Solid 1 collection. Here it is! This is every version of Metal Gear Solid available today, or at least as far as I know of. I'll go ahead and talk about them game by game. Metal Gear Solid - PSX (top-left): This was the game that got MANY people into the series. This game, single-handedly, revolutionized the stealth game genre. Before this, the genre wasn't really relevant and barely existed. After this, many games would be struggling to copy it's glory. There isn't much to say about Metal Gear Solid that hasn't already been said. I'll just leave it at this...if you haven't played this game yet...THIS is the way to play it. Pick up The Essentials, or better yet...go on eBay or Amazon and hunt-down one of the original PSX copies. You WON'T regret it. Metal Gear Solid - PSX in PS2 Case (top-middle): This is the same game as the one on the top-left, just in a PS2 style case. Not much to say about it, but it comes with the Essentials boxset pictured above. Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes - Gamecube (top-right): If you've played the original game to death, than this version is worth a try. I don't think it's nearly as good as the original, but it's okay for a distraction. The game is an interesting look at the PSX title from a different point of view. While it's essentially the same game, as far as storyline goes, the gameplay is completely revamped. They've taken the gameplay from Metal Gear Solid 2, and applied it to the areas of MGS1. In my opinion, it didn't work out very well. MGS2 was designed with that gameplay style in mind, but in the MGS1 areas...it just doesn't work. I'd still suggest getting it for any collectors out there, or Gamecube owners. Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel - PSP (bottom-left): This was an interesting twist to MGS1. They took a graphic novel and animated a few scenes of it. Talk bubbles pop up at a specific time, music plays, and there's even sound effects. It's fairly entertaining, especially if you haven't played the original title in quite some time. It's a nice way to get re-acquainted with the series. bleemcast! Metal Gear Solid - Dreamcast (bottom-right): This is probably my most rare piece of my collection right here. There was a company that made a boot-disc for the SEGA Dreamcast that would allow you to play certain PSX games on the DC. The cool feature of this is that it actually improved the visual and audio of the game. I recently replayed the original game on my Dreamcast, and I've got to say...it was better than playing it on my PSX. The blocky texture mapping is smoothed out, you barely find any jagged edges on any of the character models, and the music has never sounded better. Besides one or two small environmental related glitches I saw during my playthrough, THIS is the best way to play the original MGS in my opinion. If you don't have this disc or a Dreamcast, but you're a HUGE fan of the original MGS. I'd suggest getting one. So the next stop on this massive collection of MGS greatness is, of course, the sequel. Metal Gear Solid 2 is my favorite in the series and I'm especially proud of the size of this piece of my collection. It's cool to know that I own 2 of the rarest pieces of Metal Gear collection material. Enough talk though, lets get into it! Alright, like last time...I'll go game by game. The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 - PS2 (top-left): This item has become pretty damn rare as of late. It's a pretty cool PS2 game/DVD. It's got a ton of information about the making of MGS2 and even some fun character models you can mess around with. There's a music tester, and all kinds of fun stuff to get any MGS fan excited. I actually get more enjoyment out of knowing that I own it and that I purchased it for $15 than actually playing it. Nowadays it runs from $30 to over $100. Sorry collectors. Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty - PS2 (top-middle): What...a...classic. I LOVE this game. I remember getting this for Christmas and being SO excited. A friend of mine had rented it, so I had only played a bit of the Tanker part of the game. In fact, after we beat the Tanker, and I saw Raiden swimming in the water...I left his house. I didn't want to have ANYTHING spoiled for me, knowing I was getting the game that coming Christmas. This game is epic in every sense of the word. While there are many who love it, hate it, and meh it...this really is my favorite game in the series. Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance - PS2 (top-right): This is my favorite version of this game available. In fact, it ranked in at number 10 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list (http://screwattack.com/node/8406). The extra content in this game was pretty damn cool, and totally worth waiting for. You've got a ton of VR missions, 5 new Solid Snake missions (not story related), Skateboard mini-game, Demo Theater Mode, and a few other extras. Good stuff. While this game DID sale for a TON of dinero on the internet (used to be over $200), I got my copy for a mere $25 at a Game Stop. They obviously didn't realize what they had their hands on. Metal Gear Solid 2 - PS2 (bottom-left): While it doesn't say Sons of Liberty, or Substance on the cover, the game is actually the same as my original copy of Substance. When the Essentials boxset was released, the eBay prices for MGS2S plummeted. So when you think about it...that's even MORE reason to go get the Essentials boxset if you still haven't yet. Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance - XBox (bottom-right): Yeah, this was the original version of MGS2S. It came out on the XBox first, and the controls were pretty cruddy. While they worked, and it was playable, the game just wasn't meant for the XBox controller. Not to mention, it's missing the Skateboard mini-game that made the PS2 version unique. Too bad. Only get this version if you don't own a PS2. Otherwise, you've got NO excuse! Well that was fun, but it's time to move on. Next up on the list, Metal Gear Solid 3 stuff! This game stands, in the eyes of many, as the best MGS game. I've got to disagree, besides MGS4 and Portable Ops, I've liked every other Metal Gear game more than this one. It was a good game, but...well...enough about that...lets move on to the games! Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater - PS2 (top-left): When I first played this game, I loved the story and the cut-scenes. However, I found the gameplay quite frustrating, and I just couldn't get into it. Shortly after playing the game, I sold it. I knew I'd just pick it up one day down the road when I felt like playing it, but I could tell that wasn't going to be anytime soon. Thankfully, this next game came out and saved the day... Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence - PS2 (top-right): A few minutes with this version of the game, and I was hooked. The new camera angle SERIOUSLY makes a different. It's like taking a game that's completely unplayable and making it...well...playable. While Snake Eater was, in no means, an unplayable game...it definitely wasn't the most enjoyable experience. Subsistence changed that. The best thing about Subsistence though is that it came with a second disc that includes both the original Metal Gear games. Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake from the Japan-only MSX computer system. Those 2 games alone are the best reason to hunt this game down. These 2 games are only available in America in this package. This game can be pretty pricey, so expect that if you're planning on picking it up any time soon. Sometimes you'll get lucky and run in to it at Game Stop. I got mine for $30, and I don't regret a single penny of it. Metal Gear Solid 3 - PS2 (bottom-left): Unlike Substance, this version of the game isn't equal to the original version of Subsistence. While MGS3 adventure is enhanced like it is in Subsistence, there is one HUGE downfall of this version of the game. It does NOT come with the second disc that includes both the original MSX games. That is the ONLY downfall of the Essentials boxset. Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops - PSP (bottom-right): This game is an interesting experience, and a must-own for any PSP owner...but it's really not that great. I definitely won't ever play this game again, but I'm glad I did. It does show a lot of key points for Big Boss, but other than that...it isn't that good of a game. Well that sums up all of my Metal Gear Solid 3 stuff, so now we move on to the final piece of the collection. This...ladies and gentlemen...is my overrated...Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots stuff. Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots - PS3 (top-left): This is the game that caused a lot of problems on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list (http://screwattack.com/node/8406). It ranked in at number 94, and our fellow g1s just could NOT believe it. Honestly people...this game was NOT that great, it was fun sure...but it was not even close to the best game on the PS3 or the Metal Gear Solid series. The cut-scenes, storyline, and presentation are all great, but other than that you're not gonna get much more from this game. Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition Box (top-middle): This kick ass box came with my Limited Edition version of the game. Unfortunately there wasn't anything really Limited Edition about the game itself...I was hoping it would at least include a gun you don't get on the regular version of the game or something, but oh well. Inside this box was the game and the Blu-Ray Bonus Disc for the game. Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition Hard Back Players Guide (top-right): I bought this thing simply because I thought it looked incredibly cool, plus it was a collectors item. I'm a sucker for things like that, haha. This guide is pretty good, and has all the information you'll need. It was pretty useful when it came to trying to unlock certain items and such, especially since there weren't any guides available online due to the games simultaneous release date. Good stuff, and totally worth it. Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2 DVD (bottom-left): This DVD was given to anyone who reserved MGS4, whether it was the regular or Limited Edition package. The first volume came with the Limited Edition version of Subsistence, which is INCREDIBLY rare and cost an arm and leg on eBay...doesn't seem worth it to me. In this Volume you get a deeper look at all the Snakes of the series. From Naked to Solidus, from Liquid to Solid, they cover all of these Snakes. It's a pretty cool DVD, and definitely a collectors item. Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots Blu-Ray Bonus Disc (bottom-middle): This is basically a "Making of..." documentary. It also includes all the commercials you can view at the beginning of MGS4. It was an okay extra, but the menu options are almost illegible with a Standard Definition Television, but I guess that's a minor complaint. Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots Book (bottom-right): This was also given to anyone who reserved MGS4, whether it was the LE version or the regular version. It's a pretty cool book that has a ton of character art and information about the game, characters, and a deeper look at the Beauty and Beast squad. Good stuff, and very rare at this point. Well guys, that sums up my entire Metal Gear collection. Now I know I'm missing some games...and I do plan on owning them all one day. In case you're wondering, here's the list of games I am missing: Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty Demo - PS2 (Zone of the Enders) Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence Limited Edition - PS2 Metal Gear - NES Metal Gear 2 Snake's Revenge - NES Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + - PSP While I do plan on getting MGSPO+, both the NES games, and even the demo that came with Zone of the Enders, the limited edition version of MGS3S is still up in the air. The game usually runs for over $200 so I doubt I'll ever be willing to cough up that much dough for a game I already own. I've seen the DVD that comes with it on Youtube already, and I'm not missing much. In the end, I'm VERY satisfied with my collection, and I'd honestly be perfectly fine if I didn't get any of those games I listed above. The only one I would definitely get is Portable Ops + because it isn't even rare, so there's no excuses there, haha. Anyways guys I hope you enjoyed taking a look at another one of my collections. Make sure you leave a comment, rate, or digg. Do whatever is easier for you, just give me some feedback. I love to see what you guys think of my work. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys next time...on Collections.

Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 3

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:05:11 -0400

Welcome back to the LONG awaited episode of Forgotten. Today we'll be further indulging ourselves into the mystery behind Resident Evil 1.5, the Resident Evil 2 prototype. In my last two installments I gave you a look at the characters, enemies, some bios, and information about the game. Today we're finally going to be going a bit deeper into what this game really had to offer. I'll be showing you screen-shots of many different places, characters, and enemies in the game. All of that and more, today...on Forgotten. In case you missed the first two parts of this series, here are the links: Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) http://screwattack.com/node/8255 Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 2 http://screwattack.com/node/8883 Before we get started, I would like to (once again) give a special thanks to bioflames dot com for all of their help. Not to mention, all of the youtubers out there who posted up all of these amazing videos for our viewing pleasure. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have a blog. Here's a link to bioflames if you're interested in checking it out for yourself: http://www.bioflames.com/ So we'll begin with a few of the very first screen-shots ever revealed for this canceled gem. They all take place in a location we are all very familiar with by now, the R.P.D. lobby. The stain blue, signifying a power outage, has become all too familiar to those who were following this game up to this point. However, this time we actually get to see some action taking place in these shots. Notice that the character model used for these images is the original design for Leon S. Kennedy. This is also the first we get to see an actual character model for the Fat Zombie, an enemy that was originally planned for this game but didn't appear until Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. Here's a gif of Leon in the same situation you see in the picture above. You may notice the smoother animation of the zombies. They definitely moved A LOT less robotic in RE1.5 than they ended up in RE2. As you can see, Leon is actually firing his gun in this shot and makes contact with a zombie. The blood animation or appearance had not really improved from the first game. It was much too bright, but at least it wasn't spraying out of the wound as it was in the original Resident Evil. Leon begins to be overrun by zombies, in a location we hadn't quite seen before. It was obviously a hallway leading away from the R.P.D. lobby, and it shows that they had definitely put a lot of work into making the areas a bit larger then one square shaped room. As you can tell, there are way to many zombies for Leon to handle at this point. Death is just around the corner, and it's interesting too see how many zombies there are on screen at once. It wasn't very often that the final version of RE2 took advantage of this. While there were one or two areas where there were 5+ zombies on screen, this is very impressive for so many zombies in such a small hallway. I believe this shot is a little further into development for the game because the zombies contain a bit more detail on their body, and Elza's character model looks a bit more advanced than Leon's. There are many shots that take place in other rooms of the R.P.D. station. You've got the parking lot, the chief's office (which is COMPLETELY different from how it was in RE2), the firing range, the jail cells (these are the famous images that many people relate to when they see this game), some random offices, and even some outside images. Here they are: FIRING RANGE: There's obviously something going on in the background. It appears that the back wall of the firing range has been destroyed and that you can leave the building from there. Pretty cool actually, and kind of reminds me of the exploding hotel in Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. OFFICES: PARKING LOT: This is the first shot of the Gorilla enemy in the game. These guys look vicious, and I bet they were a real problem to take down. Maybe they were removed from the game so that William Birkin would be the only big and strong enemy around. This is a shot of the Mother Gorilla, one of the bosses in RE1.5. It's a shame that at least the boss didn't make it into RE2. It would've been better than the lame G boss. CHIEF'S OFFICE: As you can tell, the chief's office is completely different than it was in the final product of the game. He had a large window in the back of his office, signifying that the R.P.D. building was several stories tall. Also, he had a model of the city in his office. No taxidermy in sight. OUTSIDE: This shot shows Leon wielding a flamethrower, signifying that the weapon still existed in this version of the game. It's good to know that such a powerful weapon wasn't scraped. Although he does seem to have the weapon way earlier in the game as well. This doesn't seem to resemble the Umbrella lab at all. UMBRELLA LAB: This is the only shot really available for the Man-Spider right now. You can't get a good look at it, but you can definitely tell which enemy this is. The Man-Spider wouldn't make it into a game until Resident Evil 3 Nemesis, where it received two-forms, new names, and different style entirely. This is a shot of the back of William Birkin. This game didn't hint at him evolving at all really. It appeared that this hulking, pipe-wielding, version of William was the final product you would face in RE1.5. JAIL CELL: Unfortunately I was only able to come across one image of the jail cell scene, but it was definitely epic. All of the prisoners have transformed into zombies, and reach out for you when you run by. Scary! FIRE AREA: RANDOM AREAS: This screen-shot is of the roof of the R.P.D. building. There's an obvious marker for a helicopter landing. There was an area similar to this in the final product, but it was WAY smaller. This is a room that everyone who played RE2 should remember. Not much changed except in the final version they added many more gurneys to the front of the room. This also hints that in RE1.5 there were plans to include the basement area of the R.P.D. station. Here we see the sewers. It's pretty neat to see the similarities between the games. Not only was the parking lot, and basement two areas that were originally planned, but so were the sewers. Although the sewers look a tad more realistic with the way they're set up in this game. Instead of one big long tunnel, they've actually made areas for the people to walk on. Well that finishes up my screen-shots for certain areas in the game. Next I have three very interesting screen-shots that raise a good question about a certain enemy in the game. DEATH SCENES: Here you see Claire being mauled to death by some of the zombie dog enemies. At first this seems normal enough, unless you take a look at the next photo. Now you see Leon facing the same fate, but instead of the German Shepard type of dog, you see a Doberman Pincher. At first glance the answer seems simple, there were two different dog types in the game. However, if you look closer, Elza is being mauled in her original character model form. Leon is being mauled in his final character model form. So did they scrap the older character model for the dogs, and change it into the same model from the first game? Unfortunately, we'll probably never know, but I found this very interesting. That pretty much sums up all of the screen-shots, but I've still got a ton more to show you guys. I've got comparison photos, items that were taken out of the game, more animated gifs, and even...video footage. So as always, if you enjoyed this blog, PLEASE leave a comment and I will send you a Personal Message when the next and final installment is up. Also, leave a comment, rate, digg, or personal message if you enjoyed this blog or just feel like you have an opinion to express. I love to chat with you guys, and your feedback is what really keeps me going. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time...on Forgotten.

Remakes & Ports: Thoughts on the Trend

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:33:00 -0400

Hello g1s and welcome to a new episode of Thoughts. It seems for awhile now that remakes and ports of older video games have become more common. Many people are worried that this may become the new trend, and that the already low amount of fresh games will deplete even more. However, I've got a different outlook on this whole remake and port trend that is happening. What do I think of this trend? Is it good for the industry? How about gamers? How are these remakes and ports effecting current video games? All of that and more, today...on Thoughts. So lately the gaming industry has had a slew of ports, remakes, or games returning to their roots. The most recent port that is being highly discussed is Chrono Trigger for the Nintendo DS. There are tons of remakes everywhere as well, but Final Fantasy IV and Bionic Commando Rearmed are probably the most relevant as of right now. As far as games returning to their roots, people can't seem to get enough of Mega Man 9. With that said, what is the deal with all of these old games either returning, being reborn, or their series coming back to their prime? As far as this trend goes, I honestly really like it. It's cool to see a bunch of games that I used to play as a kid make a comeback. Probably the best part about it is that I won't have to buy the original now and spend an arm and a leg. There is a couple of issues I have though for certain games in certain genres. The one that immediately comes to mind is Chrono Trigger. While it's cool to be able to get this game for cheap and on a handheld, I really doubt I'll play an entire RPG again just because it's ported. I hear there's one extra dungeon, a few new weapons, and dual screen shenanigans, but that isn't NEARLY enough to make me play an entire RPG all over again. Then again, I wouldn't have any problems with it if Square would've just called it a port and not a remake. I still wouldn't play it, but at least this problem wouldn't have been born. A remake is a game like Final Fantasy IV on the DS. This game has remixed music, 3D visuals, voice acting, a new dungeon, and from what I hear new weapons and enemies as well. Not to mention I hear it's a bit harder than the original. Now THAT'S a remake! The PSX and GBA versions were ports, but the DS version is a real remake of the classic SNES game. I wish Chrono Trigger would have received the same treatment. Especially after seeing this fan-made project, I was REALLY hoping for a 3D Chrono Trigger one day. Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE 2D games, especially 2D RPGs. It's just when a game is remade, it needs to be visually better in my opinion. If it's called a port, than fine. In Chrono Trigger's case, it is being presented by Square as a remake, but it isn't. It's merely a port, and I don't understand why it's so hard for Square to admit that. I'm fine with remakes being 2D. Have you seen Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II on the PSP?! They are, SERIOUSLY, some of the best looking 2D games I have EVER seen. What's really sad is that these games are often referred to as ports when, in reality, they are both remakes. Enhanced visuals, remixed music, gameplay that's been tinkered with, extra dungeon, and so on and so forth. Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II on the PSP are definitely some of the cooler remakes available on the market today. So as far as remakes go, yes, I do like them. Most games that come out today are either uncreative, or just flat-out bland. Remakes of classics are usually what I want to play anyway. I'd rather pick up a copy of Final Fantasy on the PSP then Final Fantasy XII on the PS2. I'd rather play Resident Evil Deadly Silence, then play Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition. In this day and age, I'm not really being satisfied with what the game industry is offering. Remakes, however, are something that I enjoy quite a bit and hope they continue to be released. As far as the industry goes, I believe remakes and ports contribute to the industry quite a bit. People love to play old gems either remade or ported. So they'll throw their dollars at a game that they've beaten years ago just to give it another whirl and take a stroll down memory lane. However, is this REALLY good for the industry? While it fills the developers pockets full of dough, what is this really fueling? It's almost as if buying these remakes will just send a message to developers to make more remakes instead of working on newer, more creative projects. Proof has been shown in Square. While they are working on the new Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIII, all of their other projects have been focused on the DS revolving around their Final Fantasy's of old and past Dragon Quest titles. We'll be seeing a remake of Dragon Quest IV, V, and VI. Also, there's a rumor that a remake of Final Fantasy VI is in the works. Does that mean Square will completely skip over V, one of their most disliked FF titles on the GBA, in order to grab more dough from Final Fantasy fans? Hopefully this rumor isn't true and we'll see a remake of Final Fantasy V before Final Fantasy VI. While Square is also working on Dragon Quest VIII for the DS, they aren't really releasing much information on that game. For the industry, remakes and ports may not be the best thing. For me, I love it. I'm not enjoying the newer games we're getting nowadays, and I miss playing some of the older games from my childhood. Right now, Square is the king of bringing old games back and giving them a whole new style. You can't argue with that. I can't speak for all gamers, but it seems like pretty much everyone is satisfied with this new trend of remakes and ports. I haven't really heard too many complaints from anybody. Remakes are awesome, ports are...meh okay I guess. It really depends on the game and the genre. Some games work better in ports than others. For example, a port of Resident Evil is cool because the experience is in-depth but short enough to enjoy again. A port of a RPG isn't such a great thing. RPGs require a lot of time and attention in order to get your characters strong enough to complete the game, and doing that more than once for the same game isn't exactly the most entertaining thing in my opinion. It seems that this new trend is even effecting new games coming out, the best example being Mega Man 9. People are absolutely pumped about a new Mega Man game. No, not Mega Man ZX or Mega Man Battle Network, or that crappy Starforce whatever it's called. Ordinary Mega Man greatness. One would assume that they would either pick up the old PSX engine or they would start from scratch. I don't think anyone expected CAPCOM to make their newest Mega Man game to be made with the 8-bit NES engine. CAPCOM has the right idea, they're taking this new trend and inventing it into something new. Making new games, with older video game engines. It's almost like WiiWare, PSN, or XBox Live games. The smaller video game types are becoming the next "It" in gaming, so hopefully we'll see more companies head in this direction. Mega Man 9 isn't the only game to do this, even Konami did this same thing with Contra 4. Instead of making the next installment on next-gen consoles (which they had already tried a couple of times), they stuck with the DS and it's older hardware. People fell in love with Contra 4, much like they will with Mega Man 9. Remakes and ports seem to be almost a genre in itself in gaming nowadays. While they all have their specific genre like RPG, platformer, or action, there seem to be so many they they deserve their own subcategory. While gamers and myself seem to be a fan of this new trend in the industry, is that really a good thing? We've got to hope that developers won't rush to cash in on this profitable market and will continue to try and think of newer and more creative ideas. As of right now, I own 8 current generation games. One of them is a port, so in reality, that's only 7 current generation games. They sprawl over the Wii, PS3, and the 360. That's a problem. It's pretty sad that the only games I'm really excited for are mostly remakes of classic games. The one new game that I am excited for is on current generation consoles is Street Fighter IV. Yet, it's trying to appeal to Street Fighter II fans. This game follows the trend I mentioned above, much like Mega Man 9, it's trying to return to it's prime. Not entirely though, they'll leave that up to Hyper Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, if it ever sees the light of day. The only new game I really want is SONIC Chronicles The Dark Brotherhood. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy it yet, I'm a bit skeptical, but hopefully it'll be a great game. To sum this up I'll tell you guys the game that I want the most in 2008. While there are a few contenders...VERY few, there is one that stands light years ahead of them all. Kirby Superstar Ultra! It's a remake of the classic SNES game. For those of you who don't know, my number one favorite video game of all time is Kirby Superstar for the Super Nintendo (http://screwattack.com/node/8406). I'm honestly disappointed that there isn't some BIG, blockbuster game coming out that is hogging all of my attention. It's cool that I enjoy the simplicity of old-school games, but it kind of feels like I'm missing out on an entire generation of gaming. I just wish today's consoles had more to offer. Thanks for reading my latest installment of Thoughts! If you enjoyed this blog, please comment, rate, digg, or drop me a Personal Message. I love to see what you guys think of my work, so any input is appreciated. Just please don't be a complete douche. I don't mind negative feedback, but no reason to be a dick about it. Make sure you check back soon when I post up my next installment of Thoughts, Today's Games: Thoughts on What's Good and What's Not. If you want a personal message when the next installment is out, please make sure you leave a comment on this blog. I'll see you guys next time...on Thoughts.

TOP 10 Badasses in Gaming

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:13:21 -0400

Hey what's going on g1s, Big D here with another installment of TOP. So now that I'm FINALLY done with my TOP 100 Games of All Time list (http://screwattack.com/node/8406), we can finally move on to some shorter but still satisfying lists. So today I've got a TOP 10 for you, and I think you're going to like it. Once again, I'll reiterate, all of these choices are MY OPINION. So if there's a choice on the list you don't like, go ahead and express yourself. Just don't be a complete douche about it, speak knowledgeably. If you disagree with one of my choices, tell me why, don't just insult me for my opinion. I wish I didn't even have to say this, but some people just can't take seeing other's opinions. So it's time to get this going, today...on TOP. For this installment of TOP, I've got a couple of rules I need to follow. First, no character can be from movies or animes that were made into games. For example, no James Bond or Naruto. Even if I could choose them, I still wouldn't, haha. Second, only one character per franchise. You can bet there will be some controversy at least somewhere in this list. One last thing, there will be some video clips for some of the characters as well. There will definitely be some spoilers not only in the clips but in my writing also. So if you plan on playing a game that this character is from, you may want to skip over my description. The spoilers range from minor to major, so don't say I didn't warn you. Enough talk, lets get this ball rolling! NUMBER 10 Christopher Stone - Freedom Fighters Chris started off as a very sceptical hero of choice in Freedom Fighters, but soon grew to be one of the bravest badasses of all time. This guy pretty much took on the entire Soviet army all alone! While he did have a few helping hands, it was Chris who led the American resistance to victory. What was once a plumber, ended up being one incredible soldier. His evolution was legendary. From rescuing the resistance leader, to avenging his fallen brother, Christopher Stone is one hardcore badass. He lead the brigades of American resistance soldiers to the front door of the Red's bases, and blew them to pieces one base at a time. It's too bad there wasn't a sequel. The game states that by the time this game begins, Soviet Russia has control of all of Europe, Asia, and most of South America. Imagine globe-trotting with your band of freedom fighters taking on Soviets all around the world. The idea alone is something that makes my mouth water. We must have Freedom Fighters 2, but what we NEED to have is some more BADASS Christopher Stone! NUMBER 9 Tommy Vercetti - Grand Theft Auto Vice City While many would argue that Carl Johnson (C.J.) or Niko Bellic are more badass than Tommy Vercetti, I'd have to disagree. Tommy was sent to Vice City with absolutely NOTHING to his name, but he was expected to take control of the entire city. C.J. was only trying to bring his neighborhood gang back to it's prime, and Niko was really only trying to make money. While all three of these men ended up in situations that were way over each of their heads, it was Tommy who really had the cojones to handle it all. When Sunny, the man who had sent Tommy to Vice City in the first place, came down to Vice City to take credit for all of Tommy's hard work. What do you think Tommy did, just hand the city over to him? Hell NO! Tommy gave Sunny the big "screw you" and blasted him away. Tommy Vercetti is the true badass of all Grand Theft Auto characters. I've got to wonder though...after he killed Sunny, wouldn't the family Sunny was associated with come hunting for Tommy? I guess we'll never know. NUMBER 8 Red - Red Dead Revolver This guy is half Native-American and half Caucasian, but he's ALL cowboy! From the very start of the game he's a pistol swinging maniac. We're first introduced to him when he's a kid, and his father gives him a pistol to go play with. Moments later their land is invaded by bandits, and guess who comes to the rescue? The father? Nah, he's too busy getting his ass handed to him. It's Red who steps up and blast away every bandit who gets infront of his crosshairs. By the time Red reaches his father, he's dead. Red then reaches into some fire and pulls out his father's powerful pistol, and blast off his fathers killer's arm with one single shot. Red is able to get away with a scarred and bloody hand, but this wasn't the last of good ol' Red. He eventually is grown up and has one of the best occupations for a badass...a bounty hunter. Red eventually avenges his father's death and puts down the one-armed bandit for good. Red is by far the most badass cowboy there is. NUMBER 7 Created Character - Def Jam Fight for NY I'm sure many of you may be confused by this next choice. For those of you who have played Def Jam Fight for NY, you all know why I chose this character. And those who haven't, well here's a little video clip showing how badass this guy really is. This clip is from the ending of the game, where the main character finally meets up with the man who has been putting him through hell. Here's the layout. You (the created character) come into the room ready to break the face of the man who has kidnapped your girl, ordered a drive by on your boss, and had your best friend beaten an inch from his life. Suddenly a gun is pointed to your head, and his number one man is behind the trigger. You've met up with this guy a couple of times in the streets, and have beaten his ass each time, so you know he is just dying to lay you out. After a short discussion, Crow (the enemy leader, a.k.a. Snoop Dogg) orders him to pull the trigger. Magic (Busta Rhymes) has been screwed over and talked down to MANY times by Crow in the past, so he decides to make something different happen. That's all the build up you need, watch the clip. Probably one of the most badass features about this character is the character himself! Besides his personality, you literally build this guy from the floor up to be whatever you want him to be. You choose his fighting attributes, fighting style, clothing style, voice, girlfriend, and overall appearance. Add in the solid gameplay and awesome story (especially coming from a game that revolves around rappers beating the living hell out of one another) and you've got yourself one badass character. If you haven't played this game yet, it's definitely worth your time. Not only is it an amazing experience, but you'll just LOVE how your character expresses himself and the path he takes. NUMBER 6 Nathan Drake - Uncharted Drake's Fortune Nathan Drake is awesome because he is a different kind of badass. He isn't the normal muscle bound, scruffy face, raspy voice badass portrayed on most games, movies, and television. He looks and sounds like an average guy, but can do things that many average males can not. Such as his acrobatic and scaling abilities to climb almost anything, and his amazing shooting skills. Not to mention his way with the ladies and witty one liners. Probably his biggest feature that makes him such a badass is his ability to keep a cool head in an not so cool situation. While you may catch him freaking out once in awhile, like when he's falling from an airplane with a parachute that's got some holes in it. He's usually the one guy who can stay calm, cool, and collected while everyone else freaking out. Nathan Drake is one of, if not the best, badass of this console generation of gaming. NUMBER 5 Albert Wesker - Resident Evil franchise It's hard to find a TOP coolest or most badass characters list without Albert Wesker appearing on it. Just look at the guy, just one glance and you can see how badass he really is. While he may have started off as a power-driven traitor, he has now become the icon of the Resident Evil franchise. Nearing the end of the first game, he was murdered by his very own creation, the Tyrant. Before hand, he had injected himself with some type of virus that would resurrect him and provide him with super natural powers. Our first time witnessing this was in his triumphant return in Resident Evil Code: Veronica where he beats up Claire, Alexia, and, who many consider as their favorite Resident Evil character, Chris Redfield. He even beats the crap out of Chris on two different occasions. The second time, Chris may have got the upper hand and escaped, but he was nowhere near close to defeating Wesker. It wasn't until Resident Evil 4, when we got to play as Wesker in the mini-game Mercenary Mode that we REALLY got to see his power. This guy can send enemies flying 30 feet with a thrust from the palm of his hand. Now if that isn't badass then I don't know what is! Wesker belongs on this list, end of story. As a special treat, here is Wesker absolutely owning an already mutated Alexia. Enjoy! NUMBER 4 Revolver Ocelot - Metal Gear Solid franchise I'm sure many of you began this list under the impression that Solid Snake would make an appearance on here sooner or later. Well if you read the rules before reading, you would know that I am only choosing one character per franchise. That's right, I believe Revolver Ocelot (not Liquid Ocelot...ugh) is more badass than Solid Snake. From first glance, I knew I loved this character. I was fairly young at the time, somewhere around 10 or 11, and this was my first time being introduced to the franchise. Besides Psycho Mantis, there wasn't one enemy in Metal Gear Solid that I enjoyed more than Revolver Ocelot. He was just so...badass. It is this scene that I always think of whenever I hear his name. Since then the Colt Single Action Army Revolver has become my favorite gun, and I am actually looking to obtain one in the near future. This guy reaks of badass appeal. He's got a classic cowboy get-up, and even wields a six-shooter. This guy can even make his bullets ricochet off of walls! Before Ocelot, I had never seen that done in any video game. Revolver Ocelot is definitely a badass, and I doubt anyone will disagree. NUMBER 3 Lan-Di - Shenmue For anyone who has played Shenmue, this man needs no introduction. He is the reason the entire series even exist. The first time we see Lan-Di, he is standing toe-to-toe with our main character's father. You can tell that both of these guys are martial arts experts. What, I believe, no one saw coming was how badly Iwao Hazuki was defeated by the great Lan-Di. This man is absolutely cold and shows no remorse in murdering Ryo Hazuki's father. If you haven't seen this before, you're about to witness one of the most epic moments in video game history. Enjoy! Lan-Di is absolutely cold blooded and emotionless. Not to mention, his fighting style is incredibly deadly, dangerous, and can't be pin-pointed to one style. No one knows what the name or origin is of the style that Lan-Di performs. The man is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is VERY clear about this martial arts master. He is one true badass. NUMBER 2 Kefka - Final Fantasy VI Anyone who has played Final Fantasy VI MUST admit that Kefka is an undeniable badass. Up until the end of the game, he pretty much gets away with everything he wants to do. What's really awesome about Kefka is that he wasn't some ultimate being, or some crazy monster. He was just an insane man with a twisted soul. This guy does some really messed up stuff during FF6. He enslaves one of the main characters and uses her power of magic to burn many soldiers to death, he physically abuses many MANY espers, he poisons the water of an entire town which kills many people, he murders several of his "comrades", he becomes God to a world that he destroyed, and then decides that no one living is worthy of life and he plans on killing every living being on the planet. Kefka is one evil dude, and one hell of a badass. He is the thorn in your side throughout your entire quest of Final Fantasy VI, and you can't help but despise him as you play. He screws you over again and again, and all he ever really has to say about it is his signature cackle. NUMBER 1 James Earl Cash - Manhunt None can deny the pure badassness that radiates from James Earl Cash. This guy defines the word badass. He was sentenced to death by injection in prison, but is "saved" by some random director who makes snuff films. He decides that Cash is going to be his next big star, and then sends you through areas filled with gang members who are desperate to kill you. You must murder almost every man in your path as viciously as possible to satisfy this director in order to proceed forward. While this may be one of the most twisted video games ever made, Cash does what he has to do in order to escape this nightmare. You know someone is a true badass when they introduce a weapon that even Screwattack gives props too. Cash gave us the plastic bag, which seems harmless enough, but when used right can be a perfect murder weapon. Here's the link to the episode of "The Armory" that was dedicated to this amazing instrument and a picture of it in action. http://screwattack.com/Armory/PlasticBag Are you still questioning how badass James Earl Cash really is? Maybe this video will change your mind. WARNING! The following video contains SEVERE graphic content. If you are under 18, please do not watch this video. Enjoy! At 2:00 to 2:07 you can really see the pure badassness in James. He blankly stares at a man, choking him to death, while the victim grabs at his arms and stares into his eyes. That is something that no other video game character has ever matched. James Earl Cash is my NUMBER 1 Badass in Gaming. No questions asked. That sums up my TOP 10 Badasses in Gaming. I hope you guys enjoyed my list, and the descriptions I provided for each character. If you've got anything to say, agreements, disagreements, comments, rates, diggs, anything at all. Please don't hesitate to state your opinion. Just don't be a douche about it please, Screwattack and myself don't have time for those kind of comments. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next time...on TOP.

Daily Game Fix_12

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:13:19 -0400

Hey g1s, it's time for the return of YOUR Daily Game Fix. Now if you didn't see it last time, the show has changed a little bit. When I talk about a game now, I do a bit of a mini-review over it. I also provide a numerical and alphabetical rating. So if a game gets an 9.0, that translates into a A-. I think the new style for the show is something that'll bring more traffic to the series, or so I hope. So with that said, lets get into today's game. Today I'm going to talk about a game that I believe wasn't given a good enough chance by many gamers and reviewers. I'll explain more below. The game I'm talking about is Jackass the game for Sony's Playstation Portable. Now to start things off, probably one of the best features of this game is you go in with low expectations. That way the somewhat decent experience can catch you by surprise. The game is compiled of over 50 mini-games and only one or two of them feel like the same game all over again. The game basically consist of stunts that they could have never pulled off in the show, and a few that probably could be done but wouldn't be as fun. The graphics aren't good, but that really isn't an issue since we're talking about the PSP version of the game. From what I've seen, this version looks just as good as the PS2 version, so really it's the PS2 version that has bad graphics...NOT the PSP version. The characters look like their real-life counterparts, so they get the job done. Not to mention, the game is voiced entirely by the Jackass cast. All of your favorites are there except for Bam Margera, I really don't know why he doesn't appear in this game. Instead you get Jeff Tremaine and Dimitry Elyashkevich (director and director of photography), which is cool, I'm glad they're in there, but where is Bam? He isn't even my favorite jackass, but he still belongs. He invented the idea of the show jackass with his CKY videos. Ah well. The music in the game does what it's supposed to do. They use some music from the show, and a few tracks exclusive to the game, that really give you the jackass feeling. You feel like you're playing a stunt that, if it wasn't so insane, could've appeared on the show. Not to mention the sound effects are good, and it's awesome to hear the actual jackass you're playing as grunt or swear when he gets hurt. The gameplay is hard to explain since the game does mainly consist of mini-games, but a ton of them are very fun. A big plus is you can go online with the PSP version of the game and play against players from around the world. You can also record multiple gameplay footage and put them together to make your own jackass episode. If that isn't enough, you can even download episodes made by other people and watch what they've done. I never got the chance to test this out (because my Adhoc switch broke on my PSP), but apparently as time went by, more stunts were made and released via download. If you enjoyed this game, they already gave you a reason for replayability. One of the things I liked most about this game was the ranking system. It reminded me of the old Tony Hawk games. There were 5 challenges you could complete in each level. If you completed 3, you got a bronze score. If you completed 4, you received a silver score. Or if you finished all 5, you got a gold score. It makes you want to play each game until you master it, because some of these challenges can be pretty damn hard. Graphics: 6.5 Music: 7 Sound: 9 Gameplay: 7 Replay Value: 8 TOTAL: 7.5 FINAL GRADE: C Now a C isn't really a bad grade. That means the game isn't a must play, but it is still a good game. It may have it's problems, and not appeal to everyone, but the game is mostly an enjoyable experience. I've heard the DS version is incredibly bad, but I haven't played it just yet. I'll say this...if you're looking for another game to play on your PSP, or on the run, I'd say pick this game up. It usually runs for $30 or less, so it isn't a big investment and provides a few hours of entertainment. Go for it, you may just like it. Well that wraps up today's episode of DGF. I hope you enjoyed the read and make sure you comment, rate, or digg. I always love to see what you guys have got to say. Catch you guys next time...on YOUR Daily Game Fix.

Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) Pt. 2

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:13:02 -0400

Welcome back to another episode of Forgotten. Last time I spoke about the concept art for Resident Evil 1.5, the Resident Evil 2 prototype. Many people were excited to see what I had found, but it's about to get a lot better. In this entry I will show off some character bios along with some information on each character that were put together by bioflames dot com. All of that and more, today...on Forgotten. In case you missed part 1 of this series, here's the link: Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype) http://screwattack.com/node/8255 Before I begin, I'd like to thank bioflames dot com for providing almost all of the information I was able to dig up. This is an awesome site dedicated to RE1.5, and they are constantly sending an updated petition list to CAPCOM asking for this game to one day be released. It's been rumored that a Resident Evil Collection project is in the works, so many are expecting this game to be available on it. Keep in mind the game was around 80% complete when they scrapped this project. In case you wanted to check out the site, here's a link: http://www.bioflames.com/ Alright, it's time to get this show started. I'll go ahead and proceed in the same order I did in the last blog. I'll be showing off the characters, along with a short bio, in the same order they appeared in my last installment. Keep in mind, the bio I'll be describing is their character from RE1.5, not RE2. So some facts may be a bit different. Enjoy! Leon S. Kennedy has been with the R.P.D. for a few days when all hell breaks loose. He is able to remain as calm, cool, and collected as any veteran officer, but does show the tentativeness of a rookie at times. He proceeds to the police station in hope for safety... She is a motorcycle enthusiast, who hopes to form her own racing team with fellow motorcycle fans from Raccoon City. She came to Raccoon City alone, her only companion being her trusty bike. Being from the big city, she can keep a level-head in some of the most scariest of situations, and can be aggressive when needed. Little did she know, when she came to this suburban town of Raccoon City, was that the dead were already awaiting her. She proceeded to the police station in hope that someone there would be able to help her... Linda seems to be a scientist for the Umbrella Corporation that you run into while inspecting the police station. Her main role in the game is Leon's sub-character, much like in the final version of RE2. Not much information was released on her character. Marvin Branagh is Leon's survivor character. You find him in the police station, and he follows you through out the game. Marvin is a veteran officer and Leon's partner. His role wasn't completely destroyed in the official release of RE2. You find a file on top of Leon's desk informing Leon of a party he and the rest of the cops were going to throw for him. Sherry was Elza's sub-character, and still played the same role that she did in RE2. She was still the daughter of Anette and William Birkin, but not much can be said about her significance to the story. While she did help you solve a few puzzles, it was never officially released on how important she really was. John was Elza's survivor in the game, and definitely played a much larger role than he was given in the final version of RE2. He followed Elza to the end of the game, but apparently would end up sacrificing himself in order to save her life. Not much is known about this character other than he was a rookie cop. Apparently he was a lot like the final production of Leon. He wanted people to take him seriously, but no one ever did. He is found wounded in the R.P.D. building. Not much else is known about his character. Even the room he is in is completely white with no texture mapping anywhere. Anette played the same role she played in RE2, except she wasn't really an enemy. She wanted the G-Virus, and was still the wife of William, but she wasn't out to kill you. It appears as if she even assist Leon in a few of the screens featured in her bio. Cheif Irons was to be the complete opposite of what he turned out as. He was found injured, and dieing and would attempt to help you before he turned into a zombie. The mayor's daughter was nowhere in sight, nore was the feeling of a man who had lost his mind. Now onto the bios for the enemies. Much more can be said for most of the enemies, thanks to video footage. I'll give you a quick rundown of the enemies: The Zombies in RE1.5 are probably some of the most creative in any of the RE games. You had fast zombies, fat zombies, many variations of the female zombies, acid spitting zombies, and ordinary zombies. The fast zombies moved much quicker than ordinary zombies, fat zombies moved a bit slower but took a lot more ammunition to take down, instead of one character model for the female zombie like there were in RE2, there were many. There were also acid-spitting zombies where that was their only attack. An interesting thing to mention, is that all of these zombie types made their debut in Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. The giant spiders were pretty much the exact same as they were in RE1 and RE2. They would spit venom at you from a distance, and would climb the walls. There isn't much more to say about them. Originally there were more than one crocodile in RE1.5. That is, there was the big momma croc, and the smaller baby crocodiles. You came across the mother in the sewers, much like RE2, but the battle was way different. You were stuck in a circle shaped room, with no flammable barrel in sight. It was up to you to take out the mother crocodile. The babies were all over the sewer section of the game and would leap in the air and attack your torso. It's a shame they didn't make it into the final cut, I would have loved to experiment with them. Before the Licker, there was the Man-Spider. It would break out of vents and sprint towards you. It would than attempt to grab a hold of you and attack your face. From the way they appear, to their way of attacking, the Man-Spider is the obvious predecessor to the Drain Deimos and Brain Suckers from Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. William Birkin only appeared in one "monster" form in RE1.5. He did however get a hold of his signature metal pipe. There isn't much known about the future of his character, and wether he had several encounters or not. It seems he played a much larger role in Resident Evil 2, then he was originally planned. Here's probably one of the most interesting enemies to appear in Resident Evil 1.5. I say this because not only is it entirely unique, but it has yet to appear in any other Resident Evil game (besides maybe Outbreak). There were two forms of these gorillas, much like the crocodiles, the boss gorilla and the peons. The boss gorilla was huge and the fight took place in the parking lot of the R.P.D. building. The peon gorillas were throughout the basement area of the police department, and were a tough bunch to get rid of. They were quick and agile, and could knock you several feet away with a single blow. I would have LOVED to see these enemies one day, but it appears as if we never will. Thank you for reading Part 2 of this amazing series of Forgotten. Make sure you check back next time when I unveil what many of you have been waiting for, screen-shots. I'll point out the differences in setting, character models, and some very neat features that were either different or never made it into Resident Evil 2. As always, make sure you leave a comment if you want a Personal Message for when Part 3 comes out. And of course, please comment, rate, digg, whatever. Just give me some feedback, I love to see what you guys have got to say, and it's always fun talking with my fellow g1s. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys next time...on Forgotten.

360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 4

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:01:47 -0400

Thank you for joining me on my last installment of 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles. I've already expressed my opinion and feelings on the 360, PS3, and Wii. So on today's episode, I'll discuss what gaming is for me to today, how the industry effects me as a gamer since the NES, and my future in gaming. I'll give you a hint, it doesn't look bright. All of that and more, today...on Thoughts. In case you missed the first 3 parts of this series, here are all the links. Get caught up: 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles http://screwattack.com/node/7388 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 2 http://screwattack.com/node/7608 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 3 http://screwattack.com/node/8189 With all the current-gen consoles aiming at separate markets, (Wii has casual, 360 has everyone ((now with their casual projects)), and PS3 with the foolish) it may be a bit easier to stick to one console. So when I got my PS3, I knew I was making a commitment. While no one was forcing me to stick to one console, the $500 REALLY needed a reason to be justified. While the PS3 is VERY slowly doing that, it's having an effect on me that I couldn't of planned on. Most people who don't play video games view gamers as either nerds, losers, people who need to grow up, or a waste of money. They'll justify their nerdiness (such as being obsessed with cars or sports) because it is more socially acceptable. They'll call a gamer a loser because he sits inside and, once again, doesn't do something socially acceptable like playing sports. They'll say we need to grow up, when for men (using the car example again) have just stopped playing with toy cars and upgraded to real cars, or girls stop playing with Barbies and now try making themselves into one. Us gamers are the kids who played with action figures, and used our imagination as entertainment. We grew up, and our toys advanced, to video games. Their final insult is usually that we're wasting our money. Like that $600 iPhone, $300 iPod, $35 Blu-Ray movie, $9 movie ticket each weekend, or countless dollars spent on cloths you'll only wear once aren't a waste of money. Although...I'm beginning to see where they're coming from on that last part. Gaming today has become (for most) a financial nightmare. Game prices are at an all time high (that is from the last two generations), and the consoles aren't cheap either. While the Wii is the cheapest, at $250, last generation the Dreamcast was $199. Not to mention the Gamecube, which is basically what the Wii REALLY is, was also at $199. So Nintendo increased their price by $50, right? Well by the end of the Gamecube's life, it was at an amazing $99 for quite awhile. So many felt like the Wii was $150 more than their Gamecube, since most people didn't get a Gamecube until the $99 price tag. At release, the XBox and the PS2 were both $299. So the 360, at release, was $399! People were in shock for awhile, but quickly dished out the cash. The gaming worlds biggest shock, and probably the main reason for the PS3's struggling existence, was when the PS3 was unveiled for an astounding $599! So the XBox increases by $100, and the Playstation increases by $300?! Sony did have something that made it, almost, seem worth it. Their history. The Playstation and Playstation 2 stand as many gamers favorite consoles of all time, so we all expected great things from the Playstation 3. While we've received a few cool games, or features, here and there...they haven't done anything yet to justify the price tag. Sorry for rambling, but here's my point...gaming for me today is a lot of money for little pay off. Even if you're a 360 owner, $300 is not something to laugh at, so you expect a lot of good stuff from your console. For the most part, 360 owners get what they want, except for one thing. The most expensive piece of their hobby breaks! It almost feels like PS3 owners had to spend another $200 or $100 more just to own a console that may not have as many great things for it, but at least is reliable. Meanwhile, satisfied Wii owners (not all, but the satisfied ones) are laughing at us because they all saved more money than any of us. Not to mention, their games are at the widely accepted price of $50, while PS3 and 360 owners are dishing out an extra $10 a game. Not to mention, you'll see tons of LIMITED or COLLECTOR'S edition versions of games on the 360 and PS3 ranging from $70 to over $100. Controllers also match the same price as games. The PS3 and 360 controllers will easily cost you $60, while a Wiimote goes for $50. You've also got to pay for your online service on the 360 (not Silver accounts, but who honestly wants those nowadays). When you add it all up, none of the systems really feel justified. Sure you could go the cheap route and get a Wii with $50 games and controllers, but good luck finding games worth owning. While it's cheap, hardly any games exist that you'll even care to buy. You could take the middle route and buy a 360 with it's $60 games and controllers. Although have fun replacing your console when the damn thing breaks. At least the 360's biggest downfall won't really effect you financially. And then you could go the extra expensive route with the PS3 and spend $400 to $500 on your console and buy $60 games and controllers. While you do get a reliable console, there isn't really anything that justifies your HUGE purchase. Now I've been playing games since the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, more widely known as the NES or Nintendo. Games back then were bright and colorful, and provided entertainment fixes. If you were bored, chances are the blocky gray box could fix that problem. Since the jump to 3D, games have become a lot more than what they once were. It's no longer a case of, buy a game, go home and play, rinse, repeat, finally get bored, buy another game. Nowadays, with all the choices of genres and consoles, we've got to be positive before a purchase. Many of us (including myself) will usually wait until after the release of the game in question, and read reviews. While you may love the Sci-Fi genre, and First person shooters, was Haze good? No, it wasn't. While graphic ****** minds were blown by Assassin's Creed, and the idea of free-roaming, did they get what they were expecting? No, they didn't. You can no longer buy a game at random, play until boredom, and get another game. You've got to be absolutely sure on your purchase, which kind of reflects back on my financial issue with gaming. I'm no longer confident in a, look at the cover and read the back of the case, type of purchase. The last time I did that I was screwed over with a crappy game (PoPoLoCrois for the PSP). Nowadays I've got to read reviews, watch video footage, demo the game, before a purchase. It's almost become a hassle just to find a form of entertainment. Back in the day it was kind of hard to make a bad game, but nowadays it is entirely too easy. Survival horror is my favorite genre, but usually it's only Resident Evil and Silent Hill providing the games worth playing. I'll try a random game once in awhile like, Obscure or Cold Fear, but be completely disappointed. Back in the golden age, you could usually buy a platformer and be pretty satisfied (while Bubsy was bad, it was at least entertaining). With problems like crappy controls, or glitches, you just can't trust a single genre of gaming for entertainment. With prices going up, and games not being what they used to be, the future of gaming for me looks bleak. I've stated more than once to my older brother ,"I think the PS3 will be the last console I'll ever own." Not because the console is amazing and great...far from it. It's like I said before, gaming has become extremely expensive with little pay off. While I still plan on getting a Wii someday, (because, quite honestly, I have GOT to play No More Heroes) there doesn't seem to be any purpose to move forward. Games aren't providing the same kind of experience they were 2 generations ago, or even last generation. They're something different now, and I don't know if it's something I'm really enjoying enough to keep moving forward. While I love the world and industry of gaming to death, the games and consoles are all unjustified purchases in my opinion. You want to know the REAL reason I own a PS3? Here it is: - I couldn't miss out on Resident Evil 5, I choose the PS3 over the 360 because I knew it wouldn't break before I got to play this game. - I didn't want to get SO far behind like I did last generation buy purchasing the console and then having to play catch up. What I mean is, having to buy and play all of the games I missed out on by holding off for too long. - From the outside looking in (basically seeing my friend's consoles and not owning one personally) the games looked great. Too bad once I really caught up with this generation, and bought a console, I realized there wasn't much here. I hope the statement that I've made to my brother won't come true, I really do hope the consoles get better. Not only that, I hope the next generation of consoles are bad ass pieces of hardware and something worth going after. As of right now, I really don't know what to say. While I'm not going to sell my PS3, because I do have a small glimmer of hope for the industry, it's really sad what the gaming world has become. I'll end this blog with these few words. Hello, my name is Big D and I am Playstation 3 owner. The games I play most on my PS3? Playstation One games.

Collections: DS and PSP

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:02:24 -0400

Hey g1s, Big D here with another episode of Collections! Now last time I showed off 3 collections in one episode, my Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance collections. So today, I thought I would go ahead and finish up my handheld gaming collections with my Nintendo DS and Sony PSP games. You'll notice that these two collections are definitely bigger than the three featured in my last blog, so I hope ya'll enjoy it. Alright so to kick things off we're going to start with my Nintendo DS collection. I've had the DS Lite almost since it's release, so you would think my library of games would be huge. Well it isn't too big because there just aren't that many games I want for the DS. That number is increasing though, so my collection will probably almost double within the next year. Trace Memory: This was one of my first DS games, and still the only original copy that I own. I began my DS collection with Super Mario 64 DS, Animal Crossing Wild World, and Trace Memory. My brother lost SM64DS, and I lost ACWW (it and my entire original blue DS fell out of my pocket while riding a bike, and disappeared into the sunset). Trace Memory is the only survivor left. This game tells a pretty cool story in an interesting way. For the most part it's a mystery/puzzle game, but a little different. Using the DS's unique capabilities, this game offered something that had not been done before. While the style may have been improved in Hotel Dusk (made by the same company), Trace Memory holds a special place for me. It was my first DS game that I was POSITIVE I would never sell. I played this game from start to finish, enjoying every second. The music was cool, the graphics were great, the setting was gripping, and the story was decent. My only real complaints is the story was a bit wonky with a few unanswered questions, and that the game was way too short. The Sims 2: It may be hard to believe, but this game is INCREDIBLY fun on the DS. Reason being? They didn't try to recreate a Sims game on the DS. Instead they created an entirely unique game. Your car breaks down in the desert, the manager of a hotel in a random town has run off leaving you a note. He gives you the hotel to make successful. The game contains the same crazy characters and sense of humor of other Sims games. The gameplay is ENTIRELY different though. There's a story to follow, and missions to do. You slowly unlock new rooms in your hotel allowing more mission access, more ways to make money, or just new rooms to decorate. I really enjoyed this game a lot, and it's a shame not more people have played it. It really is a great game for the DS. Kirby Squeak Squad: I've gone to, and joined, many sites in my lifetime and I still haven't found a gaming site that appreciates this pink puffball of wonder. Kirby is featured in some of the best 2D platformers of all time, but still people don't give him credit. Kirby Superstar for the Super Nintendo is even my favorite video game of all time (TOP 100 Games of All Time: 10 through 1: http://screwattack.com/node/8349). So when I heard a new platforming style Kirby game was coming out on the DS, I got pumped. When I finally got my hands on it, I wasn't disappointed. It was another GREAT Kirby game, maybe a little on the easier side than some past games but still awesome. The game has it all, the graphics, music, gameplay, and addiction. I seriously couldn't put this game down until I completed it 100%. Animal Crossing Wild World: Aaah, number 44 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time. If you wanna check that out, here's the link: http://screwattack.com/node/7128 While the game is EXTREMELY similar to it's predecessor on the Gamecube, it does have it's differences. The core of the game, for the most part, remained in tact. All they really added were further ways to customize your character, house, and town. You could argue that the game is the exact same, but why fix something that isn't broken? When ACWW came out, I was still playing Animal Crossing on my Gamecube, so I STILL wasn't bored with the formula. While I believe the new game, City Folk, may be pushing it I still pop this game into my DS more than any other game I own. It's incredibly addicting and a blast to play with friends. The World Ends with You: There are a ton of RPGs available on the DS, from original titles, to remakes, to ports, there is no shortage of RPGs available on the DS. So why do I only own one? Because if you own this game, you don't NEED any other RPG! The World Ends with You is a completely original idea by Square Enix using the DS touch-screen AND dual screen functionality. The only thing I haven't seen them use so far is the microphone. The World Ends with You is an incredible game with a killer soundtrack, addicting gameplay, deep and thought provoking storyline, and some serious graphics for the DS hardware. For more on my thoughts on The World Ends with You, check out my Daily Game Fix dedicated to it: http://screwattack.com/node/5588 Resident Evil Deadly Silence: Easily the best game available on the DS, but also my second favorite game of all time. For more on that, follow this link: http://screwattack.com/node/8349 Resident Evil Deadly Silence is an absolute flawless remake of the original PSX game, Resident Evil. While many consider the Resident Evil on the Gamecube as the perfect remake, I think it's almost a completely different game. This game feels like the original, but with all of its flaws fixed. It handles so perfectly on the DS, and the dual screen comes to use by providing a map that also displays your health. It kind of reminds me of the VMU on the Dreamcast version of Resident Evil Code: Veronica. During gameplay, it would show your vitals on the VMU screen, letting you know your health condition at all times. Adding in simple gameplay mechanics, and giving you the choice between Rebirth or Classic mode makes this game an absolute MUST HAVE for any DS owner. RUMBLE PAK: It was $10 on clearance at Walmart, so I bought it....that's pretty much it, haha. Alright, so that sums up all of my Nintendo DS collection. Now keep in mind, all of these collections I'm showing are all still expanding, but here is a rather large one. My PSP collection is pretty big now, and there are still a few games I plan on getting for it. I really like my PSP, even more so than my DS, and I think my selection of games shows it! Def Jam Fight for NY The Takeover: This game is meant to take place before Def Jam Fight for NY for the PS2, Gamecube, and XBox. As far as the story goes, it doesn't really portray this very well. It almost feels like this game was the prototype that became the console games. It's still a fun game, but it takes a more Arcade style on this version. Adding in a few new ways to do damage like, mounted attacks and throwing sand makes the game a different experience. While the previous title really focused on using all of your attack methods, this one really sticks to mostly striking. If you liked the original, you'll enjoy this game, but not nearly as much. MTV jackass the game: I'm a HUGE fan of the Jackass show, Wildboyz show, Viva La Bam, the movies, all of it! If it's Jackass related, chances are I like it. So when I heard a game was coming out, I was skeptical, but I knew I had to play this game. It turned out to be an absolute blast! While it is a bunch of mini-games, some are based off of real stunts from the show. You actually get rankings in each mini-game by trying to pull off 5 different challenges. It's a lot of fun trying to get 100% on this game, and a challenge too. This game is perfect for the PSP, but I hear the DS version is pretty bad. I'd suggest this game for portable gaming, but it isn't worth playing on your PS2. Darkstalkers Chronicle The Chaos Tower: When I bought this game, I only had one thought in mind, "Oh crap, this game is rare!" It's a bit hard to find, but isn't worth too much money yet. I don't really care for this game, or this franchise, but it's still fun to play once in awhile. That is...it WAS until I got Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max. That game blows this one away, but hey...I don't really own this game to play it. I'll probably sell it sometime in the future for a quick buck. Manhunt 2: Before making the decision to get this game, I did my research. After a ton of reading, I realized that this game could work perfectly fine on the PSP. I was worried that the PS2 version would be the only way to go, but I was wrong. This game doesn't need a L2 or R2, works great on a handheld, and almost feels like it was built for the PSP. The levels usually aren't too lengthly, and the game has just the right amount of cinematics for a portable game. After buying it I was planning on getting the PS2 version, but I quickly was satisfied with this version. If you've been looking for a game to play on your PSP, I'd strongly suggest this title. It's got a cool story, good graphics, fun gameplay, and a creepy atmosphere. This game rocks! Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories: When I got this game, I already had it for the PS2. So why did I get this version? Well two reasons really. I wanted to play this game on the system it was originally made for, and also the multiplayer. I'm not big on multiplayer, but my girlfriend and a friend of mine both had this game, and I wanted to try it out. The game was cheap, so I picked it up. The multiplayer was an absolute blast, and for some reason I'm incredibly good at it. I eventually decided to replay the game so I could unlock all of the multiplayer extras. I found out that I prefer the PSP layout of controls for this game WAAAY more than any of the console versions. It's so simple on the PSP, it fits the game perfectly. PoPoLoCrois: I bought this game because of the quotes on the back: ,"A fun, old school RPG with the quirky look of 16-bit sprites fancied up with modern technology" - Game Informer Magazine ,"I couldn't put the game down...There is a slew of console RPGs released every year that aren't nearly as good as PoPoLoCrois." - Game Informer Magazine These quotes are entirely false. The game is extremely bland, and feels incredibly rushed. The only reason I haven't traded it in yet is because I payed $10, and they're offering me $1. Screw that. While the battle system is fun, I wouldn't suggest this game to any RPG fan or PSP owner. Maybe I needed to get a bit further for the game to improve, but from what I had played it doesn't seem like there is much there. Mega Man Powered Up: Mega Man Powered Up, also known as number 96 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list (http://screwattack.com/node/6611), is definitely one of the best Mega Man games out there. While I prefer Mega Man 3, X, and X4...I've gotta say Powered Up is definitely the best Mega Man title in recent history. I'm surprised with all the PSP to PS2 ports (yes, I said PSP to PS2...not PS2 to PSP) that Powered Up hasn't made it's way over yet. I would sell a TON of copies. My only problem with this game, isn't even with this game. I'm just pissed Powered Up 2 isn't out yet! Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX: I knew I wanted this game once it was released. Not because it was SFA3, because I don't really like that game (I prefer the second one more), but because it's awesome to have a SF game with ALL the characters on a handheld. And it's true. I've had tons of fun playing this game so far, and what's the best part? I got it for $10 NEW at EB Games. Heck yeah, totally worth it. Power Stone Collection: This is another game I bought, not so much because I wanted it, but because it's rare. While I did actually want this game, I bought it more due to it's rarity. It's a fun game, and the Power Stone style of fighting actually works EXTREMELY well on a portable device. The action is short and sweet, and perfect for on the run gaming. Not to mention the game looks great, and doesn't seem to be any different from the original games. If you can find this game, pick it up, it's worth whatever you pay (Unless it's above $30). For more on this game, check out the episode of Daily Game Fix dedicated to it: http://screwattack.com/node/4749 Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel: This isn't a game, but an interactive graphic novel. There isn't much to say besides I got it for my Metal Gear Solid collection, and that it's a graphic novel of the original MGS. It's cool, but I haven't sat through the entire thing yet. The Silent Hill Experience: I bought this for collection purposes as well. There are two graphic novels on here, neither of them are that good. A cool thing available on here are about 20 or 30 songs from the games, hand-chosen by the directors of the games as their favorite pieces. Also, they've got several interviews with the creators of the Silent Hill franchise and Silent Hill movie. It's pretty cool, but probably could have been extras on the Silent Hill DVD rather than a separate UMD. Silent Hill Origins: Aaah...the BEST Silent Hill Game of all time. While it isn't my favorite, SHO provides the best way to play a Silent Hill game. The controls are smooth, the game is scary, the gameplay is awesome, the music rocks, and the storyline is great. This game is so good that it ranked number 30 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list, which you can find here: http://screwattack.com/node/7429 In my opinion, this game is enough reason to own a PSP. It really is THAT good. Although, with it available on the PS2 now, it kind of makes this version of the game a little less valuable. Metal Gear Ac!d: This game is very interesting, especially for MGS fans. This game has almost no connection and is nothing like ANY other Metal Gear game. I still liked it though. Somehow this game was able to take card-based strategy, and strategy RPG elements, mix'em together, and produce something that I actually like. Both of those genres aren't my preferred game types to play, but they blend beautifully in this title. I feel like these games are ignored by too many people, and really deserve a lot more attention than they are receiving. MGA and MGA2 are both awesome games. For more on this game, check out this Daily Game Fix episode: http://screwattack.com/node/6318 Metal Gear Ac!d 2: There isn't much to say about this game that I didn't say above. This is definitely a more comic book feel for the series, especially with the cel-shaded graphics. The game is awesome, and it's a real shame so many people choose not to play these games. They're seriously awesome. No replay value, but the games still rule. Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops: I'm a little torn on this game. It wasn't bad really, but it definitely wasn't that great. I feel like they took MGS to portable very well, but I'm not sure I agreed with other aspects of the game. Capturing soldiers, traveling to locations, the drawn cut-scenes...none of that really sat well with me. I felt a yearning for something more the whole time I played this game. While the final boss battle was cool, and the storyline of this game was good, it just felt like it was never 100%. A decent PSP game, but I'd choose many titles over it, including the Ac!d games. HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER! I decided to go ahead and feature this "collection" in this blog as well. My VIRTUAL BOY COLLECTION!!! Oh yeeaaaah, hahaha. I only have one game, and I haven't even played it. Red Alarm: All I know about this game is what the Angry Video Game Nerd spoke of it in his Virtual Boy review. My cables for my Virtual Boy have gone missing, so I haven't even been able to test the game out. My girlfriend gave me this game after finding it laying around, and admittedly said she was never going to play it. So that's it, hahaha. Oh yeah, sorry that the picture is so blurry. I tried several times, and it wouldn't come out NOT blurry. I guess the Virtual Boy game was hurting the camera. Well that wraps up this episode of Collections! I hope you enjoyed my DS and PSP collections, and if you've got anything to say, PLEASE feel free to do so. Also, I'd love to see what you guys have got, so make a blog of your own collections as well. Make sure you tune in next time to Collection when I show off my collections for my current gen consoles. That's right, I'll show off my 360, PS3, and Wii collections. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time...on Collections.

TOP 100 Games of All Time - The Compilation

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:42:05 -0400

Hey g1s, I decided to make this blog for future references. This is the entire TOP 100 Games of All Time list in one solid blog. Thank you to all of the g1s who have supported me since day one, or whenever they started reading. I hope you enjoy this "one stop shop" blog. You no longer have to go through link after link, all you need is this one blog. So, here it is, my TOP 100 Games of All Time. NUMBER 100 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell While I do know the XBox version is far superior graphically, it wasn't until I bought the game for my Gamecube that I played through the entire thing. It was a lot of fun, and definitely an experience I'll never forget. Too bad I can't say the same for the follow-ups. NUMBER 99 Manhunt Manhunt for the Playstation 2 was a fun game, and will never be forgotten for it's extreme condition. Not only was the game horribly violent, but the vulgar language was taken to a new extreme. I'll never forget when I was hiding in the shadows and an insane person runs passed me screaming ,"COME OUT, YOU LIMP DICK ******!" It blew my mind. NUMBER 98 Max Payne Max Payne was pretty revolutionary when it was released. While the bullet-time gameplay was a lot of fun, that wasn't what really put this game on my list. It was the story. The narrative was amazing and very unique for it's time. No other game has ever really attempted to tell a story as this one did, besides Max Payne 2. NUMBER 97 WWE SMACKDOWN! Shut Your Mouth When I was younger and a professional wrestling fan, this game marked the turn for the series SMACKDOWN! Before this, most of the games had a very arcadey feel to them. It wasn't until this game where THQ really developed a grapple system, not to mention the extremely fun and lengthly season mode. NUMBER 96 Mega Man Powered Up Imagine the original Mega Man game, but with updated visuals and sound. Then imagination fleshing out the story with voice acting, and even readjusting some of the levels to add a smidget bit more of challenge. You get Mega Man Powered Up. A PSP exclusive that represents what Mega Man games should be today, side-scrolling action! A real Mega Man fan puts down his DS and gets a PSP! NUMBER 95 E.V.O. Search for Eden This is a game that a lot of people haven't played actually. It's an interesting concept in which you start off as a small fish and slowly evolve into a land creature. Which slowly but surely takes you to becoming a dinosaur. You kill enemies for experience and then spend it on different evolutions for your body parts. It's an interesting concept, and deserving of a sequel. NUMBER 94 Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots I'm expecting a lot of heat from PS3 and MGS fanboys from this one, but hey this is my list. I thought the game was good, but only for the story really. While the gameplay was okay, it just didn't feel like MGS to me. The best thing about this game was the closure it gave me on the series, but the ending wasn't good at all! It's a good game, but just not a good Metal Gear Solid. NUMBER 93 The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time I'm also expecting heat for this decision too. I never found OoT as epic and revolutionary as everyone else had. I will admit it did single-handedly create the adventure genre in 3D, but that doesn't mean it was necessarily a good game. I thought the story was forgettable and the gameplay wasn't that amazing either. What really shined in this game to me was the music and presentation. NUMBER 92 Starfox 64 ,"DO A BARREL ROLL!"...need I say more? Adding voice acting, enhanced graphics, and more balanced gameplay to an already stellar experience provided by the original Starfox makes an incredible experience. Starfox 64 should not be missed by any N64 owner. NUMBER 91 Parappa the Rapper 2 While Parappa the Rapper on the PSX was an...interesting experience. It wasn't until the sequel that the game became a bit more bearable. The original game was incredibly challenging so tweaking the controls just a little bit in the sequel was an appreciated change. Not to mention the story in the sequel was even crazier then the first installment. Parappa the Rapper 2 is a game that was missed by too many gamers, I'd suggest it to any PS2 owner. NUMBER 90 Spider Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety When I was young there were two Spider Man based beat'em ups on the Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis. One was Maximum Carnage, which was incredibly challenging. The other was Separation Anxiety which included a bit easier gameplay and an awesome story. You had to take on several other people that had received different versions of the same virus that Venom acquired. It was a lot of fun and a precious game from my childhood. NUMBER 89 Dynamite Headdy Dynamite Headdy was an interesting platformer only found on the SEGA Genesis. It was one of those games that comes every few years that just has something about it. Maybe it was the crazy enemies, or insane stages but there was just something so cool about Dynamite Headdy. NUMBER 88 Metal Gear Solid If you've ever played the original MSX Metal Gear or Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake, you can understand why this game is such an accomplishment. Both of those games were on a far superior console, yet the Gameboy Color exclusive of Metal Gear Solid is indeed a better game then it's older brothers. If you haven't experienced this yet, pick it up whenever you get the chance. NUMBER 87 James Bond 007 Take the Legend of Zelda and mix it with James Bond and you get one of the best 007 games to date, James Bond 007. It's an incredibly addicting game only available on the Gameboy. If you're a Legend of Zelda fan, this one's for you. I only recently discovered this game, too bad I didn't have it in my childhood. NUMBER 86 Zone of the Enders The Fist of Mars The Zone of the Enders series is pretty ignored by the gaming public, and this GBA exclusive was no exception. It's actually the only installment in the entire franchise that I really enjoyed. The story and gameplay are very good for the GBA. It's the music though where this game shines like no other. NUMBER 85 Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution While each installment in the VF series is always better than the last, I still find myself having more fun with VF4E than VF5. VF4E was an experience unlike any other VF game previous, even VF4. NUMBER 84 Tony Hawk's Underground The only Tony Hawk game to have an actual decent storyline and create-a-skater. The gameplay in this installment was enhanced too by allowing one to jump off of your board and climb to higher locations. Not to mention create-a-trick and the new heights you could leap from which added up to incredible stunts. THUG is by far the best game in the series. NUMBER 83 Wario World It's sad that Wario World wasn't played by more people. It's one of the few games to take on the 2.5D approach which is when you travel left and right like a side-scroller, but in 3D environments. Wario World felt like a labor of love and there aren't many games like it anymore. NUMBER 82 Super Punch-Out!! Punch-Out!! on the NES was good, but Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES was even better. Enhance the graphics, gameplay, music, and sound from the original and you've got yourself a bomb that's ready to explode. Adding voices to some of the characters really made them come alive and made the game an experience that you couldn't get anywhere else. NUMBER 81 Resident Evil Code: Veronica X While I do have special memories of RECV on the Dreamcast, RECVX on the Gamecube is just a superior version. The GCN controller fit the RE games very well, and RECVX was no exception. Add in the extra scenes and the extended ending that you couldn't find in the original release and you've got yourself a hit. RECVX may go down as one of the most challenging RE games, but the pay-off is very satisfying once completed. NUMBER 80 Street Fighter Alpha 2 I remember the first time I got my hands on this awesome 2D fighter was on the SNES. I thought it was the best thing in the world, but it wasn't until I played the PSX version where I learned what this game was really about. The sprites were smoother, the music was better, and the stages looked amazing. I was blown away. NUMBER 79 Super Star Wars Return of the Jedi This may be one of the most challenging platformers I've ever played, but man was I addicted to this game back in the day. I remember renting it twice in a row, just so I could beat the game. I never did pull it off, but I was at the second to last level when I finished. Funny thing is I try playing the game now, and I suck horribly! NUMBER 78 Knights of the Round This is a beat'em up that a lot of people haven't heard of. The game was great, plain and simple. The music was awesome and the enemies were vicious. A neat feature this game included was as you progressed your character would "level-up". Really all that would happen is your weapon and armor would change. It would slowly turn gold, then go back to silver and be larger, then work it's way up to gold again. It was a ton of fun, anyone who is a beat'em up fan should try this one out. NUMBER 77 Pac-Man 2 The New Adventures While I own the Genesis and SNES version of this game...I'd have to say the SNES version is superior. The sound quality is just a tad bit better, and you've got to love the feeling of that SNES controller in your hand. This game was a major departure for the series, and it's a shame they didn't make any direct sequels of this style. NUMBER 76 The Granstream Saga An action-RPG that not to many people have played. I'll be honest, the story was a bit wocky, but that was one of the things that made this game so charming. While the graphics weren't exactly mind-blowing, it was the gameplay where this game really shined. Full 3D battles took place with your enemies. Basically take all the action-RPGs from the 2D era of gaming, and this was their first try on a 3D scale. NUMBER 75 Dead Rising This game is a classic, and is actually the only 360 game I own. I don't own a 360, but I don't really find the point to buying one when the only exclusive that really matters so far is this game and maybe Left 4 Dead. Dead Rising gave zombie horror fans exactly what they wanted, basically a chance to play a video game of Dawn of the Dead. NUMBER 74 Phoenix Wright Ace Attorny While I haven't played any of the other games in the series, and I hear they're better, so far I think the first game was extremely fun. I don't know if I'll ever play the sequels seeing as how I pretty much had my fill after this game, but it is definitely a must-own for any DS owner. NUMBER 73 Genma Onimusha A remake of the classic PS2 title, Onimusha. This XBox exclusive added a bunch of harder enemies, and some new armor. The story remained intact, but this time the difficulty level was sent pretty damn high. You could tell Capcom assumed that whoever was playing this game, had already played the PS2 version. It was relentless, but a lot of fun. NUMBER 72 Jet Set Radio Future I'm a big fan of the Jet Set Radio series, even if it only consist of two games thus far. JSRF was an interesting direction to take the series after the terrific first game. While it may not have been as good as the previous title, it still stood on it's own and held it's own weight. To a degree they're almost completely different games. To bad XBox owners didn't really buy this game, I doubt we'll see a third installment. NUMBER 71 Grand Theft Auto Vice City After GTAIII not much could be done to make the GTA series stick out, except maybe a more fleshed out story. That's exactly what Rockstar did with GTAVC. They also added a couple of other features that helped the game out quite a bit, like motor cycles and the ability to dive out of moving vehicles. GTAVC is a great game, and pretty much the only GTA game with an even close to interesting storyline. NUMBER 70 Mega Man X4 When I first saw MMX4, I was in shock. The animated cut-scenes were something to marvel at, especially then because anime was extremely popular. None of that mattered though once you got your hands on the gameplay, spot on Mega Man X. The game just felt right on the PSX controller. Unfortunately, this was the last good MMX game in my opinion. NUMBER 69 Donkey Kong Country SNES was never short of platformers, but the one thing it had most of was games starring it's popular Nintendo characters. So when DKC was announced as a platformer starring Donkey Kong himself, I wasn't too surprised. What did surprise me was how great the game looked! It was in 3D! Or what we considered 3D at the time. With tight controls, decent difficulty, and an unforgettable soundtrack, DKC lives on to this day as many gamer's favorite game. NUMBER 68 Goldeneye 007 Many people say that Goldeneye is arguably the best FPS ever. I won't say it's the best ever, but it is definitely up there. Goldeneye was revolutionary for it's time and a huge step forward for all FPS games everywhere. Not to mention the multi-player was an absolute blast, and this is coming from someone who is NOT a fan of multi-player games. NUMBER 67 Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories Perhaps the perfect blend of both worlds. The awesome city of GTAIII, mixed with the great gameplay of GTAVC. Unfortunately, we were given a pretty lame story to deal with though. One thing though that made this game stand out was the multi-player. It was actually more fun than it probably should have been. Not to mention the GTA games feel at home on the PSP, and I actually prefer the PSP controls to the console controls. NUMBER 66 Def Jam Fight for NY A fighter that really didn't get the attention it deserved. Since many dismissed this game almost immediately due to it's urban appeal, they missed out on a very deep fighter. Not only that, but the story mode was actually pretty good, with some decent actors as well. It's a shame that Icon had to be such a piece of garbage, ending this series. NUMBER 65 Final Fight 3 The best game in the Final Fight series. While the original was a lot of fun, and had Cody, it was just too hard for me to get anywhere near the end. At least in FF3 I could at least beat it. I would still get that feeling of challenge, but not so much to where I couldn't beat the game. NUMBER 64 007 The World is Not Enough If you're paying attention at all, than you just realized that I ranked this game higher than Goldeneye. Unfortunately for this game, a lot of people didn't really play it, and the people who did played it on the PSX. The PSX version was missing something incredibly vital to the game, multi-player. Once again I am not a multi-player fan, but this game took it to new heights. It took all the ground work that Goldeneye had layed out and built on top of it. It's a shame not more people have played this game. NUMBER 63 Donkey Kong Jungle Beat If any game from the GCN library deserves a remake for the Wii, it would be this game. DKJB was an absolutely amazing platformer. Another game to take on the 2.5D aspect of platforming, and worked it out beautifully. This game is actually more fun to play with the DK Bongo Drums than you would imagine. If you're a GC or a Wii owner, I strongly suggest this game. It's an absolute blast and definitely one of Donkey Kong's best games ever. NUMBER 62 Final Fantasy II While many people, and even myself, refer to this game as Final Fantasy IV now, I still see the original SNES version as FFII. This RPG set the bar for what a RPG could strive to be in the 16-bit era. Awesome story, music, characters, and gameplay make this game stick out like a sore-thumb amongst other RPGs at the time. NUMBER 61 Virtua Fighter Kids I had such a blast playing this game when I was a kid! I still consider this as the best way to get the VF experience. The humor in this game was overwhelming. The only real explanation I can give is this video...check it out. NUMBER 60 Bonanza Bros. Bonanza Bros. was in an interesting game. Your object was to play as one of two criminals and break into certain locations and steal stuff. You had to either avoid cops or knock them out, sometimes in hilarious ways. At the end of the mission you had to escape to the roof of the building and escape in your giant blimp. Crazy, but FUN! NUMBER 59 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV Turtles in Time Rated as the number 1 best Beat'em up on Screwattack's top list, TMNT4 is definitely one of the best 2D beat'em ups out there. Quoting Stuttering Craig ,"You had full control of your turtle!" It's true! Konami did a beautiful job getting the controls spot-on for this game! Add in some time travel, and you've got yourself one hell of a fun experience. NUMBER 58 Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence Not enough people have played this pimped out version of Snake Eater. While the core game itself remained pretty much the same, adding in a controllable camera and you've got yourself a hit. Or one would have though. MGS3S didn't sale nearly as much as it should have, this really was the only way to play Snake Eater right! NUMBER 57 Joe & Mac When I was a kid, one of my first games for the SNES was this caveman platforming adventure. Joe & Mac was a very interesting experience. Mix in the platforming of Mario, the weapon choices of Contra, and throw in some multi-player bliss and you've got yourself a wonderful game. While there were other versions of this same game, the SNES version is the only one I've played. So therefore, it's on the list. NUMBER 56 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX Now here's a game that fans of the Tony Hawk series have to play. DMFBMX is the BEST experience of extreme sports. Originally on the PSX, DMFBMX took the controls of the THPS franchise but switched your board and wheels to a BMX bike. The gameplay was smoother, the tricks were cooler, and the game was better. Too bad the same thing can't be said for the rest of the franchise. After this first installment, the series began to go downhill very quickly. While there was a follow-up known as Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX Maximum Remix, I still found myself having more fun with the original. NUMBER 55 007 Everything or Nothing Yes, I rated this game higher than Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough. This third-person James Bond adventure was absolutley amazing. The superior version was definitely on the XBox due to the enhanced graphics and better control layout. The gameplay in this game is incredibly addictive. A cool feature was if you were able to get the highest score on certain levels, it would unlock levels that took place inbetween certain levels. So you could play levels one through five, but if you got the high score on some of them you could unlock a secret level 2.5 for example. It was a neat feature that made you want to get the high score. NUMBER 54 Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition While Resident Evil 4 is one of my least favorite RE games, it is still an incredible game in it's own right. If you don't compare it to it's predecessors, RE4 shines. The gameplay was unmatched at the time, and is still pretty fun to pick up and play today. That is what made this game stand out, the gameplay. The music and graphics were great, but the gameplay is what caught everyones attention. NUMBER 53 Super Street Fighter II Now I know many people aren't going to understand this decision, seeing as I'm sure many people's favorite SF2 is Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Well, the game I owned and played constantly with my older brother was Super Street Fighter II. It was my first time playing as Fei Long, which in my opinion was the only new character worth playing as. NUMBER 52 Double Dragon II The Revenge I've never played the original Double Dragon on the NES besides emulation, but I still didn't have as much fun with it as I did DDIItR. Maybe that has something to do with nostalgia, but I doubt it. I feel like DDII is a much smoother experience, plus I enjoy the music more and boss fights. NUMBER 51 Final Fantasy VII It's hard to find a Top list that doesn't include FF7 in it, well mine does but probably nowhere near people expected it to be. FF7 may not have made the top 50 of my list, but that is no reason to count this game out. If a game makes this list, that means it's an awesome game. FF7 is no exception and is definitly one of the best RPGs available on the PSX if not the entire genre. NUMBER 50 NiGHTs into Dreams NiGHTs was an incredible experience on the Saturn, but unfortunately didn't get nearly as many people playing as it deserved. Sadly for this game, it was put on a console with pretty much no future. While it did receive a sequel/remake for the Wii, nothing can match the amazing experience the first game offered. Just hearing ,"There can be only one...NiGHTs!" sends shivers up my spine. NUMBER 49 The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker Yes people, I rated Wind Waker higher than OoT. Not only that, it's almost 50 games away! Wind Waker took the foundation OoT had layed out and built on it to make one of the best 3D adventure games of all time. Wind Waker also included an amazing story, something I feel OoT didn't. The cell-shaded art style was beautiful in this game and fit the world perfectly. Wind Waker stands as my favorite 3D Zelda game, no doubt in my mind. NUMBER 48 Kingdom Hearts There isn't much to say about this game. For those who played it know how great it is. Many people saw this as the best example of an action RPG, that was until... NUMBER 47 Kingdom Hearts II Kingdom Hearts II, much like Wind Waker to OoT, took what it's previous installment had layed out and built on it. KH2 had a more epic feel than the previous title, storyline and otherwise. The soundtrack was amazing, but where this game stood out was the gameplay. The last game focused more on either physical attacking, defense, or magic offense. KH2 mainly focused on physical attacking which evolved into incredible battles taking place almost everytime the battle theme kicked in. KH3 is going to have it's hands full when it attempts to be better than KH2. NUMBER 46 T.R.A.G. T.R.A.G. is a game that I absolutely fell in love with as a kid. I could understand how people could not like this game, or even hate it. It plays like the original Resident Evil games but with a much more interesting way of attacking. In this game you can pull off combo attacks. While one of the main characters does use a gun, he can also attack with his fist. The other main character attacks with her dagger but will actually kick during her combo too. It's an interesting concept and definitely had potential, but didn't deliver in the eyes of many. NUMBER 45 Starfox When I was young, and I first saw Starfox, I was blown away. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was truely 3D graphics on my Super Nintendo, or so I thought. When I finally got my turn to play (my older brothers NEVER shared with me), I felt like I was playing a game that was from the future. It looked amazing, controlled beautifully, and to this day still has some of the best presentation I think I've ever seen in a game. Starfox is a classic, and I actually own 2 copies for my SNES. NUMBER 44 Animal Crossing Wild World The sequel to the smash hit on the Gamecube, Animal Crossing Wild World took what was great about it's prequel and made it better. It was one of the first games I got with my DS and is really the only game I am still playing today. ACWW is incredibly addictive and a lot of fun. Add in Wi-Fi for visiting other people's towns and you've got a hit. NUMBER 43 The Lost Vikings While I was a huge fan of Lost Vikings on the SNES, there is one thing the GBA version has that the SNES version didn't. The ability to save. While passwords weren't too bad on the original SNES and Genesis version (only 4 characters long), being able to save and the game displaying the percentage of the game you've completed is just relieving. NUMBER 42 Chrono Trigger Considered by most as one of the best RPGs on the SNES and best of all time, Chrono Trigger was definitely an amazing experience. From the music, to the gameplay, to the story, Chrono Trigger delivered. The battle system was like nothing we had seen thus far. Square really used all the power of the SNES to produce this historic game. While a DS remake is planned, nothing can beat playing this game the way it was meant to be played with a SNES controller in your hands. NUMBER 41 Mega Man X By far the best Mega Man X game in the entire series was the first installment for the SNES. MMX took the Mega Man series in a more mature direction. Characters would hold conversations, cheer each other up, and eventually die. This game introduced one of Mega Man's most beloved side kicks. No, not Rush. I'm talking about Zero. Zero stands to many as the best character in the Mega Man franchise, and actually began his own spin-off of games on the Gameboy Advance. The death of Zero on Mega Man X was definitely one of the most emotional moments in gaming. That moment, mixed with the incredible gameplay, gives Mega Man X the number 41 spot on my list. NUMBER 40 Metal Gear Solid What can I say about MGS that hasn't already been said? I mean honestly! It was the first game I beat on the PSX, and back then beating games was a BIG deal for me. I actually beat it twice in one sitting. The game was incredibly addictive, and even with long cut-scenes, it would still keep you sucked in. If you own a PSX, PS1, PS2, or PS3...why don't you own this game? Seriously, go buy it. NOW! NUMBER 39 Resident Evil 3 Nemesis While RE3N was awesome on the PSX, I enjoyed the Gamecube version a little bit more. The Gamecube controller just feels perfect for almost every Resident Evil game, and RE3N is no exception. A good move by CAPCOM was porting the Dreamcast version, and not the PSX version. This way it sported updated visuals, and one or two extras the PSX version didn't see. This is the best way to play this game. NUMBER 38 Tetris I really see no point in writing anything about this. I mean seriously, all I need to say is it's Tetris. I will clarify this though. My favorite version of the game was definitely the one that appeared on the Gameboy. Making Tetris portable was one of the smartest moves ever made in gaming history. NUMBER 37 Star Wars Shadows of the Empire This is a personal favorite of mine that I don't expect many people to agree on. This game was the first game that I had ever beaten as a kid. Not to mention, it belonged to my older brother. Back then it was BIG to beat a game in my house, not to mention if you beat a game that belonged to a sibling before they did...it was HUGE bragging rights. Sure I beat it by hogging the Nintendo 64 for about a whole week, but hey I pulled it off. Not to mention I really did enjoy the game, it isn't just nostalgia that got it this high on my list. It's one of the few Sci-Fi or Star Wars games that I've actually enjoyed. NUMBER 36 WWF Wrestlemania 2000 I'm sure many would argue that No Mercy was better than this game, but I've got to disagree. I felt more comfortable with this game, and played it a heck of a lot more. Not to mention, I loved the Create-A-Wrestler feature in this game, strongly due to the ability to create your entrance. No Mercy took almost the entire entrance creator away. Also they went for a bit more of a realistic look, which reminded be of the inferior SMACKDOWN! series. I also hold a lot more memories with WM2000. I remember pasting my created wrestlers over the actual wrestlers, then watching the beginning cut-scene play with my wrestlers instead of the WWF's. Good stuff. NUMBER 35 Grand Theft Auto III What can I say? GTAIII revolutionized the gaming industry. That isn't what makes me love this game so much though. When this game was released, it's formula was fresh. Either do the missions or run around and cause absolute mayhem. While the formula is stale now, back then it was awesome. I also really enjoyed the city in this game, and I still know it better than my home town. GTAIII holds so many memories for me, it's insane. NUMBER 34 Castlevania III This was the first NES game I ever owned...so basically, it was the first game that was actually mine. I had tons of fun with this game and would actually love to get myself another copy. I haven't played this game in years but I can still remember the fun I had with it. I remember playing as the little midget pirate guy and climbing the walls. This game is a classic in my eyes, and I'm still hunting a copy down. NUMBER 33 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 By far my favorite Sonic the Hedgehog game, especially since it is the only one on the list! Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was absolutely great, in every sense of the word. It was a huge improvement over the first game. The controls were tighter, the music was better, and the graphics were brighter. This game is a CLASSIC on the Genesis, and enough reason to buy the console if you don't own one already. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a must own for any classic video game collector, and luckily is easy to find and won't cost you too much. NUMBER 32 Startropics Startropics is a Zelda-esque adventure game for the original NES. This game was a very interesting concept. Take the overworld of Final Fantasy, mix in the gameplay of Zelda, but make the main character a child using toys as weapons. Seriously, your main weapon was a Yo-Yo! Who would have thought that a common household toy could be so deadly. If you're a Zelda fan and haven't played this game, you MUST play it. It has some of the best graphics, music, and gameplay available on the NES. That's saying a lot considering the NES has a library of over 800 games. NUMBER 31 The Day of the Tentacle This is the only PC title to appear on my list. So yeah, I may have spoiled that there won't be any PC games higher on the list but I was never into PC gaming anyway. I absolutely LOVE this game and want to play it again SO very badly. I found a downloadable version, but I can't get the sound to work. This game is one of the funniest games I have ever played, and definitely the best point and click adventure out there. A true classic in my eyes. NUMBER 30 Silent Hill Origins While I knew I wanted a PSP to play the PSP exclusive Metal Gear Ac!d games, it was Silent Hill Origins that sold the system for me. This game is easily the best in the Silent Hill franchise, and I can only hope the fifth installment of the series follows the path that this installment created. The gameplay is perfect for a Silent Hill game, not to mention the weapons. You could literally find weapons everywhere, it really felt like a survival horror game. With this game now available on the PS2, many gamers have no excuse to not own it. It's absolutely awesome. NUMBER 29 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune While many say that either Metal Gear Solid 4 or Blu-Ray is the reason to own a PS3, I believe Uncharted is the best reason to go dish out the cash. This game is absolutely AMAZING! The game plays fantastic, looks GORGEOUS, and has some of, if not the, BEST presentation in any game I have ever had the honor of playing. It's a fun ride from beginning to end, and leaves you wanting more. For more on this game, check out my Daily Game Fix episode dedicated to it at this link: http://screwattack.com/node/5922 NUMBER 28 The Warriors While the cult-classic film from the 70s is NOT meant for a child, it is one of my favorite childhood movies. I remember praying for a Warriors game on the N64, then the PSX, then the Dreamcast, then the PS2. I didn't realize the movie was from the 70s, and that it was extremely unlikely. When Rockstar announced The Warriors the game, I almost crapped my pants. It was one of my favorite childhood memories, favorite movie, and favorite style of game (beat'em ups) all being mushed into one! Quoting AVGN "...it shoulda been like bread and butter..." AND IT WAS! The game is AWESOME! The soundtrack for the game matches the soundtrack of the movie flawlessly. You can really tell this was a labor of love for Rockstar. I recommend this game to ANY PS2, XBox, or PSP owner. It really is THAT good. NUMBER 27 Kirby's Nightmare in Dreamland A game that I constantly played on the original NES, probably more than any other game, was Kirby's Adventure. So when I heard the game was being ported with updated graphics and sound to the GBA, I got extremely excited. Kirby's Nightmare in Dreamland is definitely the best way to play the original console adventure of Kirby. While the game is fun in your GBA, GBASP, GBA Micro, or DS...I personally enjoy the game the most on my Gameboy Player. It's like I'm playing the old Kirby again, still on my TV, but revamped. This game is awesome. NUMBER 26 PoK'eMoN Blue Who didn't love the original PoK'eMoN games? I'm actually hooked on it all over again right now. I recently got a Gameboy Color and a copy of the game from my girlfriend, and have been leveling up my Bulbasaur and Pidgeotto ever since. While I did also own the Yellow version as a child, the Blue version was the first I played and preferred. While they were the same game, it just felt more right on the Blue version. NUMBER 25 The Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past A Link to the Past is by far my favorite Zelda game. I still feel like this game is lightyears ahead of any of the 2D games (this includes the NES and Gameboy games). While I did enjoy Wind Waker, I still feel that this Zelda game represents what a Zelda game is about. Over the head adventuring, puzzle-solving, and absolute action. This game holds many memories for me. Me and my $5 copy that I picked up the other day have been having fun since it's purchase. I love this game. NUMBER 24 Starfox Adventures My little sister and I often refer to this game as the greatest 3D Zelda game of all time. Starfox Adventures took the same gameplay style of Ocarina of Time (this is before Wind Waker and Twilight Princess) and perfected it. While Wind Waker was an AWESOME 3D Zelda game, I still found myself enjoying Starfox Adventures a little bit more. While it was a bit on the easy side, it just had a special charm about it. The music, graphics, gameplay, presentation were all very high in this game. NUMBER 23 Super Mario Land 2 6 Golden Coins While this game was fairly short for your average Mario game it is still one of the best platformers of all time. Not to mention, one of my favorite Mario games of all time. This game felt like a miniature version of Super Mario World on the Gameboy. While it could have been a bit more challenging, and longer, this game holds many memories. NUMBER 22 Resident Evil 2 Who wasn't impressed by Resident Evil 2? When the game came out, there was nothing like it. It took everything about the original game and either improved or built on it. The music was better, the graphics were improved, the controls were tighter, and the storyline was fleshed out even more. Resident Evil 2 stands, easily, as many fans favorite in the series. It was lightyears ahead of many PSX games when it was released, but is a must own for any PSX collector's library. RE2 may have been a bit better on the Gamecube, but the memories I share playing this game and switching disc on the PSX can't be matched. NUMBER 21 Harvest Moon 64 Now here's a game I don't hear people talking about enough. Harvest Moon 64 is not only easily the best game in the series, but easily the best game on the Nintendo 64. For any N64 fans, be known that no more N64 games will appear on this list. HM64 constantly made me come back for more. This game was incredibly addictive. I loved the graphics, music, gameplay, and I even loved the glitches. One thing that all HM games share are glitches and this game was no exception. Even so, it's a classic in my entire household. Never has a game brought my family more together than HM64. My older brother, my younger sister, my youngest sister, my niece, and myself all played this game constantly. If you haven't played it yet, you need to. Only downfall of this game...it required an Expansion Pak to play. NUMBER 20 Evolution: The World of Sacred Device There were a good amount of games on the Dreamcast that kept me coming back for more, but I probably didn't devote as much time to them as I did Evolution. This was the first, and only, dungeon crawler RPG that I really enjoyed. The characters were incredibly lovable, the storyline was entertaining, the graphics were good and colorful, and the battle system was incredibly addictive. This is definitely a gem on the Dreamcast, and it's a shame not more gamers got their hands on it. While the sequel was ported on the Gamecube, known as Evolution Worlds, it was pretty much ignored by all Gamecube owners. I always found that funny because many complained that the Gamecube didn't have enough RPGs, yet there was an awesome game available that they just chose to ignore. None the less, Evolution on the Dreamcast is an absolute classic, and lives on as one of my favorite RPGs of all time. NUMBER 19 Shining Force While this is a fairly basic RTS, it's still my favorite. I first experienced this game via SEGA Channel, and was absolutely hooked! I dreaded the end of the month when SEGA would take down all of the games available and replace them with a whole new line-up. I never did finish the game, or get too far, but I had a blast while playing. While at the time, I probably couldn't appreciate how great this game really was because I couldn't even read. While I could read a little, I never fully understood what I was taking in. Even with that though, Shining Force had such amazing gameplay and music that none of that mattered. I had a blast doing battles over and over again to make sure I made it through without loosing a single soldier. I refused to let my men die! I actually cared for my characters, that I knew NOTHING about. That's the sign of a good game. NUMBER 18 Chip'n'Dale Rescue Rangers I've stated several times in my blogs that I've never been big on multi-player, that is except for a few select games. This is one of them. I had fun playing this game alone, but it was a blast playing it on 2-Player mode. Usually me and my older brother were the two that would tackle this game. We would make it all the way to the end before I lost my final life, and he'd have to tackle the last boss on his own. Unfortunately, we were never successful. Even so, this game was an incredible amount of fun and a sign that the NES was the king of platformers. I recently bought my girlfriend a Nintendo, and the two games she wanted for it. Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3, but I couldn't resist getting her Chip'n'Dale also. I knew she'd love it. While she has had some fun with it, she just can't get the hang of the fast paced action. Too bad, I guess this game isn't for everyone, but it is definitely one of my favorite games of all time. NUMBER 17 Gunstar Heroes Yet another game that I first experienced thanks to the awesome SEGA Channel. My house was such a gaming household that we actually gave up three of our cable channels to have this produce. HBO, HBO2, and HBO3 were a sacrifices, and well worth it. Gunstar Heroes is one hell of an incredible platformer. It has a Contra-esque type of gameplay style, but a little bit more slower paced. Which was just right, I never could get the hang of the Contra games. This game added a little twist to the formula though. You could mix and match the power-ups! You could combine homing missiles with the flame thrower to make flaming homing missiles. Or double up on homing missiles to make an even stronger version of the power-up. This, along with stellar gameplay, great music, and wonderful presentation all added up to a kick ass experience. For more on my thoughts of Gunstar Heroes, you can check out the Daily Game Fix episode dedicated to it, here: http://screwattack.com/node/6631 NUMBER 16 Guardian Heroes This game is easily the best beat'em up off all time, and even ranked number 5 on Screwattack's Top 10 Beat'em Ups. I was just happy to actually see it make the list, and I'm glad to know that my older brother and I aren't the only two who had played this masterpiece. The art style was unlike anything seen in gaming at the time. It felt like you were playing an anime, and at that time anime was HUGE. My older brother and I were pretty much hooked on the cartoons from Japan, so this game was perfect. While I eventually grew out of the whole anime phase, this is still one of the best looking 2D games that I've ever seen. Followed up by some awesome gameplay, music that would get stuck in your head, and multiple endings. Guardian Heroes is one of those games that only comes every few years that can really make you feel like you are back in the time period when it was released. If you sit and play Guardian Heroes now, it's 1996 all over again. NUMBER 15 Super Mario 64 DS When the original Super Mario 64 was released, people were blown away. At the time, it didn't seem like you could find a 3D platformer better, and for years to come it would remain so. That was until the same game would dethrown itself. The port of Super Mario 64 to the Nintendo DS is the best way to play the game. It's essentially the same game, but with a few differences. With enhanced graphics, new stages, more stars to collect, and 4 playable characters with their own special abilities, you really couldn't go wrong. The game played a lot better than one would have thought, and turned out to be a lot more than a port. While it was essentially the same game, this was more of a remake if anything. Providing multiplayer, touch-screen mini-games, and plenty of other features that you could only find on this version. Super Mario 64 DS is by far the best 3D platformer available today. NUMBER 14 Street Fighter III 3rd Strike The number 1 best fighting game according to Screwattack and myself. I remember reading articles about this game in GamePro, waaay back in the day. Little did I know I was reading about the original Street Fighter III that was exclusive to arcades. So when my brother picked up Third Strike on the Dreamcast, I felt like I was playing the original SFIII. It was my first time with the game, and I wasn't disappointed. I quickly grew attached to the character Sean, and began whooping ass everywhere I played. While I'm far from the best player, I'm nowhere near the worse. To this day one of my fondest video game moments was getting a Double S Double Plus Platinum Red rating on this game with my favorite Street Fighter character, Sean. NUMBER 13 Final Fantasy X What a great game. While many hate this game solely for the voice acting, I feel like even with the sometime poor voice acting that is NOT nearly enough reason to hate the entire game. The game was beautiful and colorful, the battle system was awesome, the sphere grid was a lot of fun, the music was some of the best in the series, and the presentation was off the charts. This is definitely my favorite RPG of all time. NUMBER 12 Freedom Fighters Not enough can be said to express how good this game really is. The story is a bit wonky, but it's at least original. Year after year we get the same FPS or same War simulator, but it was Freedom Fighters that really did something different with the genre. Making it a third-person shooter was a good start, but then adding in elements like what you do on one battlefield will directly affect another. That's a feature that I hadn't seen in any game previous. I choose the XBox version of the game because the control scheme of the XBox controller favored this game the best, not to mention the slightly better graphics. NUMBER 11 Mega Man 3 Everything about this game defines the word, classic. This was my first real Mega Man game that I played when I was a kid. Many declare Mega Man 2 as the best Mega Man game of all time, with MM3 coming in at a close second. I, however, never really played MM2 when I was younger and when I play it now I wish I was playing MM3. Something about this game takes me back to a time when things were much simpler and video games were my only worry. I recently got an original copy of both Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3, yet all I've been playing is the third game. This game has my favorite music, favorite bosses, favorite power-ups, favorite everything! Mega Man 3 is easily my favorite Mega Man game of all time, and number 11 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list. NUMBER 10 Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance While every Metal Gear Solid game has made it onto this list, it was Metal Gear Solid 2 that would walk away the champ. Now I didn't just choose Sons of Liberty, I went with the far superior version, Substance! MGS2 was already a great game, I had played it several times and was fully satisfied. So when I heard they were re-releasing it with a TON of extras, I was full of joy! It was the great game I know and love, but in a prettier package with a lot more goodies to hold me over until the next installment. Everything about this game is awesome, the presentation, the music, the gameplay, the story, the characters, the atmosphere, EVERYTHING! That is except for one thing...the love drama with Rose and Raiden, but even with that it doesn't take away from this game. While many were disappointed to not play as Solid Snake, I was fine with it. Maybe I just took it better than most people, but I didn't really care. I thought Raiden was awesome, and I couldn't wait to play as him again in MGS3. Instead we didn't get Raiden or Snake, we got Big Boss. It sucks that we'll never get the chance to play as Raiden again, but he went out PERFECTLY in Metal Gear Solid 4. MGS2 stands out as one of my favorite Playstation 2 games and easily takes the place as the best Metal Gear Solid game ever. NUMBER 9 Shenmue When this game was released it was absolutely EPIC! Nothing like this had been done before, and wouldn't even be attempted until Grand Theft Auto III. The world this game took place in felt like a breathing, living world. Much like the rest of the games on my TOP 10, this game had it all. There is one place where this game soared above any other, the presentation. To this day I have never seen a game draw you in like this one does and show off the beautiful world it takes place in so perfectly. Shenmue wasn't without flaws, but half of the time your breath is taken away and you don't even notice them. The music was great, the storyline was full of action and mystery, the gameplay was enjoyable, and the combat was intense. This game offers you an experience that no game has come close to since. While Shenmue II (which I've only just begun) may attempt to create the magic that Shenmue did, it won't be able to pull it off quite as easily. With the Grand Theft Autos, Assassin's Creeds, Saints Rows, and tons and TONS more of free-roaming games, many have forgotten about Shenmue. For more on Shenmue, check out my Daily Game Fix episode dedicated to it: http://screwattack.com/node/5272 NUMBER 8 Super Mario Allstars + World While some may call this cheating, it really isn't. Why choose one Super Mario game when I could have them all? I couldn't find a picture of the case for the version I'm speaking off, so I'll just provide a screen-shot of the title screen. Super Mario Allstars + World was the first game I owned on my Super Nintendo. When I was younger, I was hit by a car. The car slammed on it's brakes and stopped onto of my foot and ankle. Not only that, but I fell back and slammed my head on the road, cracking the back of my head open. While I don't have a scar, I do have a small dent in the very back of my head (covered by hair usually). My mother wasn't planning on suing at the time, until the woman who had hit me changed her story about 3 times. My mom got all the money she could (since I wasn't fatally injured, or dead, the most we could get was $5,000). I had insurance, so only a little bit of the money was for the hospital bills, the rest was for repairs on the house, and one present for me. Now my parents knew I loved video games, and was constantly trying to play my older brother's SNES but to no avail. So they got me my own SNES with a free game from Toys R Us. The game? Super Mario Allstars + World. This game holds so many great memories for me. Laying on the couch, healing, while playing this game. I'm honestly surprised this isn't my favorite game of all time, because it has so many memories for me. I'm still hunting down a copy today. NUMBER 7 Earthbound Can you say, the best RPG of all time? Earthbound EASILY takes the cake for that choice. This game was unlike ANY RPG to have ever been released before it. It was in a modern setting, starring a young boy. Many who played this game felt like it wasn't starring Ness, it was starring yourself! I was the boy in this game, running around, and saving the world. Your enemies were dogs, crows, ants, and thugs, any enemy of a young kid. Later on the game took a different direction, fighting aliens, mushrooms, giant man-eating plants, and even Egyptian signals. This game had amazing graphics, awesome music, and an incredibly entertaining battle system. The game would poke fun at itself and other RPGs by having some enemies "Hide in fear of their life" and such. I have still not played a game quite like this, it just offered such a different experience. Much like Super Mario Allstars + World, I am still hunting down a copy that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg. NUMBER 6 Beyond Oasis While Earthbound is easily the best RPG of all time, this is my favorite action-RPG of all time. Beyond Oasis took the 2D Zelda formula and perfected it. Adding in combos, inputting different attacks, running and jumping, this game took Zelda-esque gameplay to a whole new level. While the story was forgettable (much like the Zelda games), the music, presentation, and graphics are great. The gameplay is on a whole different level than the Zelda games. Even 2D Zelda games today haven't caught up to this classic. Beyond Oasis is the kind of game you've got to play to understand, video footage just doesn't do this game justice. This game also offered something that not many games did at the time, cut-scenes. As you saw in the video footage, it was absolutely breath-taking for the time. This game really pushed the Genesis to it's peak for visual and audio. If you're a Genesis collector or just a Zelda fan, I'd strongly suggest this game. NUMBER 5 Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island Many years ago this game was my second favorite game of all time. It hasn't moved to far from that spot though. Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island actually has 2 bad memories for me. My older brother kept telling me that he had played the game at his friend's house and it was great, so I should ask for it as one of my Christmas presents. Back then I would do anything for my older brothers to like me, so I did, I asked for it. Come Christmas day, I had opened all of my gifts and it was nowhere in sight. I was happy with what I had received, but was really sad that the gift I stressed the most wasn't under the tree. Suddenly my brother reaches behind the tree and said, "Look, Andrew has one more gift!" so I opened it, and there it was. I popped the sucker in and started playing. The game was breath-takingly (word?) beautiful, and looked like no other game on the SNES. While I was playing, my brother sat next to me in awe, he couldn't believe how awesome this game was. That's when he told me that he had never played it before, and just told me to get it so he wouldn't have to waste one of his gifts on it if the game wasn't good. I felt betrayed. I had gotten this incredible game, but for all the wrong reasons. So I sat there and kept playing, not giving him a turn to make him pay for his betrayal. You can all see why this HAS to be one of my favorite games now? While the game is great, wonderful graphics, awesome soundtrack, near perfect platformer gameplay, it was making my brother feel like a douche that stands the highest. I love this game! NUMBER 4 Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams Now some may find it odd that I call this game Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams, yet I've got the PS2 game displayed. Well after SH2RD was released on the XBox, every PS2 produced version included the extras from the XBox version. So you can actually play SH2RD on the PS2, but it is incredibly rare to find nowadays. This game was my second or third game I got for my PS2, and stands today as my favorite PS2 game of all time. The storyline was absolutely epic, and the acting from the characters just sucked you in. The atmosphere was beyond creepy, and the gameplay worked for what the game was trying to pull off. I personally like the style of gameplay that the original Resident Evils and Silent Hills offered, and I felt like this game displayed it very well. The graphics were top notch at the time, and it's great that this game was made on the PS2 instead of the PSX. This game needed the stronger graphics to show off how creepy it really is. While all of that is great, the music in this game has to be one of, if not my favorite soundtracks of all time. There are so many tracks in this game that will stick with you. Silent Hill 2 stands as not only my favorite Playstation 2 game, but my favorite Silent Hill game of all time. NUMBER 3 Jet Grind Radio The BEST Dreamcast game of all time stands in at my number 3 choice. Jet Grind Radio has it all, the music, the gameplay, the story (kinda), the presentation, THE GRAPHICS, everything about this game is top-notch. I honestly don't have one complaint about this game, I love everything about it. The soundtrack is absolutely awesome, and while it isn't a genre I really listen to, I'll find myself blasting some of this music in my room while I'm hanging out. The graphics are absolutely awesome and match the funky attitude this game is going for. The colorful world of Tokyo-To is my favorite place that any video game has ever taken place in. It's just so jammin'! You've got funky colors everywhere, funky music, funky skaters goin' around sprayin' their funky graffiti all over the place. The story was off-beat, and funky just like the rest of the game, and kept you coming back for more. You had tons of characters to choose from, that all had their own personal graffiti and tricks to do. This game is an absolute BLAST and a must have for any SEGA collector, Dreamcast collector, or video game collector. If you don't own Jet Grind Radio then shame on you! NUMBER 2 Resident Evil Deadly Silence While the first Resident Evil has gone through many different ports and remakes, Resident Evil Deadly Silence stands on top of them all as the best version of the game available. Not only is this awesome PSX classic portable, it's got the classic mode and a rebirth mode. You can either play the game the old-school way or take on the newer and better version exclusive to the DS. They've added a few touch-screen controlled knife fights, that really are enjoyable. Also they've added a few touch-screen controlled puzzle, and even a puzzle that involves the microphone. A few tweaks were made to this game that REALLY took it to the next level, like the 180 turn, holding down L to ready your knife, new animations, and new character models. While many would argue that the Gamecube version of Resident Evil is the best remake of the classic PSX title, I've got to disagree. I did enjoy the GCN version of the game, but it didn't feel like the same Resident Evil to me. It's almost like a completely different game, which isn't a bad thing. REDS is an absolute perfect port/remake of the original. It stands for what companies should strive to do when remaking their games. Provide the original version, and a remade version all in one awesome package. Not to mention, this game had multiplayer that is incredibly fun and addicting. While many are blown away at the Co-Op in Resident Evil 5, REDS was ahead of the trend and providing it years before RE5. If you're a DS owner, you better own this game. I've thought of selling my DS on several occasions, but always end up keeping it for this game alone. That was fun, but now it's time to show off my NUMBER 1 Game of All Time! NUMBER 1 Kirby Superstar This game is an absolutely perfect platformer. I've played, and listed, many 2D and 3D platformers in my lifetime, but none can compare to this masterpiece. This game includes 8 games inside one SNES cartridge, which was absolutely amazing back then. Especially since one of the games is a remake of the original Gameboy title. This game has amazing graphics, music, gameplay, presentation, and believe or not...story. Yeah there are several games in this package that include stories that fit the Kirby universe PERFECTLY! While many complained about the lack-luster storyline in Squeak Squad, this game more than makes up for it (with at least 3 games with decent enough stories). Also 3 or 4 of these games are almost long enough to be their own stand alone games (can you say Milkway Wishes, and the Treasure Hunt?). For those of you who have played this awesome game, I'm happy for you. We both have experienced an amazing game. For those of you who haven't, I truly feel bad for you guys, because you missed out on something incredible. In an earlier blog, a fellow g1 (cobrastarshipfan) commented that a list like this is meaningless because your number one game of all time will probably one day be replaced. He's right, eventually all of our list will change, that's how things work. My day may be coming sooner than later, because in September 2008 this game is being released onto the Nintendo DS. It's a port of the original SNES title with updated visuals, cut-scenes, and even 4 new games. That's 12 games in one! If they keep the same music and gameplay from the original, this could very easily be my new favorite game of all time. So for all of you who missed out on this game the first time around, don't go breaking out the dollars for the SNES version. Wait about a month, and you'll be able to play this awesome game on-the-go! While Squeak Squad was a great game for the DS, Superstar Ultra is going to be absolutely incredible! I can NOT wait! To those who have stuck with the list since it began, thank you for reading. For those who just now saw my huge amount of work, while you may not like my decisions at least respect them. I believe my work speaks for itself, and you can see the amount of time and effort I put into this list. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time...on TOP.

Daily Game Fix_11

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:54:28 -0400

Hey g1s, and welcome to a brand spankin' new episode of YOUR Daily Game Fix. So I'm fresh off the 10th Anniversary of this series, and I've gotta say that it's time....for some change. I've decided to go ahead and cook up a nice little logo for the show, not to mention we're going to be viewing the games a little differently now. While I'll still give ya'll a few key points about the game, we're gonna crank it out to be a little more rounded now. I've even added a grading system. So lets go ahead and get this thing going, WELCOME...to your Daily Game Fix. Alright g1s so today we're going to be talking about an absolute CLASSIC game. I first got my hands on this when it became available on SEGA Channel, and it wasn't until recently when I spotted it at a flea market when I finally got a copy. The game? ZOMBIES!!!...Yeah, blood-thirsty, flesh-eating, ZOMBIES...Ate My Neighbors. Now Zombies Ate My Neighbors was ahead of the whole horror-genre fiasco that began on the Playstation. While this game was a bit intense, it wasn't really aiming at scaring the player. Instead you were faced against classic movie style monsters, and your only weapon of survival. A water gun. While you eventually got your hands on some other awesome weapons (popsicles, cans of soda, etc.), your objective always stayed the same. You were a kid whose occupation was to save your neighbors before they were gobbled up by the baddies. Now the list of enemies is endless. You've got zombies, giant bugs, slime, fishmen, werewolves, mummies, chainsaw wielding and hocky mask wearing maniacs, and even a giant....BABY! There's also a huge variety of stages, such as your neighborhood, the mall, inside a pyramid, an ancient castle, some random islands, a toxic wasteland, etc. This game is FULL of character and actually kind of pokes at American stereotypes. Whoever was behind this game at Konami, I'm sure they couldn't wait to make the character sprite for the fat guy in the pool or the man flippin' burgers. The music in this game is top stuff, and you'll probably find yourself humming some of the music while you're at work. After I've played this game for an extended period of time, I can't help but find myself singin' the first levels music. Also the sound in the game on both the Genesis and Super Nintendo version is very good. Most of the enemies will have a sound effect they make, like these little crazies carrying knives that have a cackle laugh. The graphics on this game are actually very good. It's nice and colorful, something you don't see anymore, and along with the funky music and quirky weapons it all just blends together perfectly. So now I'll introduce the new rating system. I'll be using a letter rating system, and a 1 out of 10 rating system. Graphics: 8 Music: 9 Sound: 8 Gameplay: 7 Replay Value: 6 TOTAL: 7.6 FINAL GRADE: C+ While some may say a C+ game isn't that good, that's almost a B! And anything that isn't under 7, usually means it isn't a bad game. So, to sum this all up, if you're a fan of classic gaming, you outta check this one out. It isn't too hard to find, and usually doesn't run for too much. It's a blast to play, and has TONS of levels. Thankfully, there's a password system, so no worries there. Thanks for reading g1s! Make sure you leave a comment, rate, or digg. I love to hear what you guys say. I'll see you guys next time on YOUR Daily Game Fix!

Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1.5 (RE2 prototype)

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:28:33 -0400

This is my third Resident Evil based episode of Forgotten. While the first two entries focused on three canceled handhelds ventures for the series, today's episode is all about a canceled prototype of one of Resident Evil's most popular games. Resident Evil 2 is often referred to, by many, as the best game in the entire series. What many don't know is that the original concept for Resident Evil 2 was almost entirely different. The prototype that is now known as Resident Evil 1.5 was 80% complete when the plug was pulled. Why was this project scrapped? What kind of differences were there between the original and final concept? Was the original idea a better approach then the final result? All of those questions, and more, will be answered here...on Forgotten. Due to the enormous amount of images and video footage I was able to scrap together, this blog is definitely going to be more than one part. While I'm still unsure on how many parts it will have to be broken into, I can guarantee it'll be more than two. I'll try to cram as much information into one blog as I can without overwhelming you too much. So on today's entry we're going to focus on the very beginning of this project, concept art. Now before I begin, let me give a TON of credit (almost all of it) to this wonderful web-site dedicated to this game. While you could go there and look up all of this information, it's like eatting a cookie off of the floor. You get the delicious cookie, but without my pretty wrapping around it keeping it in rows (organized) and clean. Here's the link for the site where most all of my information came from: http://www.bioflames.com/ When Resident Evil 2 was announced in Japan, only a small handful of screen-shots were available. Unfortunately they weren't even screen-shots, they were just concept art for unspecified areas. While Bioflames has done all of us a favor and marked each area, before people were unsure what they were looking at. Here are the first 3 concept arts for RE1.5. Notice the completely different atmosphere this game offered. The areas are stained in a dark blue, due to the power being out. Also take notice at the almost blinding red in the morgue, definitely a creepy place for a zombie showdown. Eventually fan's prayers would be answered when concept art for the main characters in the game were released. Leon S. Kennedy was always the idea for the lead of this game, but originally there was no Claire Redfield. The original female lead went by the name of Elza Walker, and had no connection to any past RE characters. Here is the original concept art for Leon: Leon fan's will notice the differences immediately. The only thing even somewhat similar is the blue clothing and bangs in the face. Other than that he is almost a completely different character, as far as appearance goes. The original idea for Leon was that he was, indeed, a rookie police officer. As time slowly crept by Leon began to go through TONS of different outfit choices, but it seems the designers had at least decided upon his hairstyle. It seems from the start they were pretty sure they wanted Leon to be wearing a jacket of some sort. I believe the reason is (this is purely assumption), that they wanted an explanation for the motor cycle that was lying in the police lobby. While Elza would eventually be the answer to this question, my idea is they hadn't thought of her yet and were going to let Leon be the motor cycle rider of the game. The idea was eventually scraped and they took a different approach to his uniform. Coming close to the final concept art of Leon, he almost completely resembles what he turned out being. It seemed like they had finally reached an idea on what they wanted their main hero to look like. His final concept art work would be the final version of Leon we would see. This would not only be the style of Leon that would be in Resident Evil 1.5, but also the official style of Leon in Resident Evil 2. Our second main character, Elza, didn't go through NEARLY as many outfit swaps as Leon. She did however go through a few minor changes. The first few concept art released of Elza showed a young girl wearing a motor cycle jumpsuit. This would be the final explanation for the motor cycle in the R.P.D. Lobby. She was not only wearing a jumpsuit, but the color scheme of both the suit and motor cycle actually matched. Elza's style was pretty much complete, all there was left to do was to get the final concept art made up. While her hair does appear brown, it was still blond for the final version of the game. They took a darker approach in the concept art to match the darker feel the game gave away, but she still remained a blond. That wasn't the only concept art released for the game. All of the sub-characters were given their share of concept art as well. An interesting fact is that the RE1.5 was going to have a ton more survivors. The final idea seemed to be, you would play as one main character and have a sub-character to play as, but would at least save one survivor. Leon had Linda for his sub-character, who eventually became Ada, and would save Marvin Branagh (the dieing officer who gives you the card key in RE2). Elza's sub-character was Sherry Birken, and her survivor was John Kendo (eventually changed to Robert Kendo and was killed at the beginning of RE2 when a pack of zombies breaks into his gun shop). Not to mention there was another character named Roy, also known as DJ, who's role was never fully utilized in the game. He was another rookie cop, much like Leon. Also Annette and William Birkin, and also Cheif of Police Brian Irons were given concept art. The following is the concept art for all of the characters in the order I mentioned above: Ada, or Linda, was originally planned as an Umbrella Corp. employee. She is shown wearing two different coats with the Umbrella emblem on either the front or back. She was also dressed a lot less slutty, haha. Marvin went through a few different concept arts, but for the most part remained the same. Even in the final version of the game he came out looking pretty much the same way he was originally planned. Too bad he suffered an entirely different fate. Sherry's original concept art resembles a punk kid, which I'm not sure I would have preferred personality wise, but appearance wise it would have been a better choice. I never understood her Japanese school girl outfit, it just didn't work over here in America. It doesn't really work in Japan either seeing as how these games take place in America. John, or Robert, pretty much resembled the same character as the final version, minus all of the bandages. There isn't much we can say about Roy other than he looks like a wussier version of Leon, and was probably the character that ended up dieing within the game. An interesting thing about his other picture is, he appears to be with Chris Redfield, Joseph Frost, and Forest Speyer of the Alpha Team. A neat little picture. There's no word yet if Annette was originally planned to be an enemy or not, but William Birkin was always destined to become a monster. Apparently the original plans for Chief Irons was that he was going to be found injured and try and help you escape. The entire cast of the final product of Resident Evil 2 would appear in RE1.5 except for one character. While there is Roy, who doesn't appear in RE2, we are missing Ben. For those of you who may have forgot Ben, he was the reporter you found in the jail cell during Leon's scenario in Resident Evil 2. Here's a picture to refresh your memory. That wasn't the only concept art released for this game. Many enemies were displayed in concept art. There were the obvious zombies and dogs, but later on more elaborate creatures were revealed that didn't even appear in the later version. There were many more varieties of zombies available in RE1.5. You would run into many more female zombies for example, not to mention there were fat zombies. It wasn't until Resident Evil 3 Nemesis when CAPCOM had to reveal that there are many overweight Americans and would introduce fat zombies in that game. While zombies had been using a vomiting attack since the first Resident Evil, RE1.5 had plans for a zombie type where that was their main source of attack. The zombie dog and giant spider would make their return for this installment, and RE1.5 would introduce a new enemy. Instead of a large snake in this game, we were treated to an enormous crocodile. William Birkin only showed one form of transformation in RE1.5, and apparently there weren't ever any plans on giving him any different forms of evolution. Also notice one enemy that, once again, didn't appear until Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. The Man Spider was a lot like the giant spiders, but it would run at it's enemies. Eventually they were changed a little bit, given 2 different forms, and 2 different names for RE3N. Here are some pictures of what the Man Spider eventually became: Drain Deimos Brain Sucker Is your curiosity tingling yet? I sure hope so. That sums up all of the concept art for Resident Evil 1.5. Make sure you check back in a few days when I reveal Character Bios and maybe even the very first screen shots released of the game. If you're interested, make sure you leave a comment and I'll be sure to send you a Personal Message (with a link) when the next installment is out. Until then, make sure you comment, rate, or digg. I love to see what you guys have got to say, so don't be shy, speak up! I'll see you guys next time...on Forgotten.

360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 3

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:52:06 -0400

Hey g1s, Big D here with the third installment of my Thoughts on Today's Consoles. Now I've already talked about the 360 and PS3, so all that leaves is one more. It's Nintendo's money making machine, the Nintendo Wii. But before we get started I wanted to clear a few things up. A few g1s were bothered that I was stating my opinion on the 360 and Wii when I don't own them. Here's the thing, my father, older brother, and former best friend all own a 360. I've played many games on it, and for awhile I had a 360 in my room for about a 2 month period. I've played the thing to death to know I'm not that fond of it. As for the Wii? My girlfriend, one of my good friends, and my former best friend all own a Wii. I've played enough to know that I....well...you'll just have to wait for my opinion now won't you? In case you missed Part 1 or 2, you may wanna play catch up. Here are the links: 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles http://screwattack.com/node/7388 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 2 http://screwattack.com/node/7608 The time has come to let ya'll know how I truly feel about Nintendo's latest console, the Wii. That's today, on Thoughts. So I'll go ahead and kick this off the same way I did the past two parts...my first impressions. Who wasn't skeptical at first? I mean wailing your arms around to play games, it didn't really appeal to me. Yet, I'd be lieing to say I wasn't at least a little bit intrigued. If anyone could pull it off it would be Nintendo, but to me this felt like they were trying to make Virtual Reality a reality. That whole phase died out in the 90s, and I was no longer interested in FEELING like I was in the game. Initially that's how the Wii was advertised, to make you feel like you WERE the main character. Red Steel was really the only attempt made at this, and after that they kind of realized what the Wii could and could not do. So very early on the Wii totally switched gears on it's consumers. I wasn't really interested in the launch games besides maybe Wario Ware, which is a bit sad really. Not too big of a deal though because not to many systems have a solid line-up of launch titles, especially no time recently. Last console to really pull that off was the Dreamcast, but that's another story. I wasn't really looking at the Wii for the next Zelda (it was coming to Gamecube anyway, which is what I was originally looking forward to it for), I didn't care about Mario, Metroid Prime never held any interest with me. So what was there? Not even any of the future titles sounded appealing to me! It took awhile, but eventually a few games came out for the Wii that I was interested in. Unfortunately, a few of them were either ports or planned releases for the Gamecube. Such games as Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, Super Paper Mario, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, No More Heroes, Bully: Scholarship Edition, NiGHTs into Dreams, and...that's pretty much it. RE4, Bully, and NiGHTs are all available on other consoles, Super Paper Mario was originally planned for the Gamecube, and REUC and No More Heroes are the only Wii exclusive titles I really want. Also, before people ask, I have played Super Mario Galaxy many MANY times. While it is a fun game, the whole spherical thing seems like it should be all one stage. For example, in Mario 64 you go into worlds via paintings on the wall. Well, these spherical levels feel like they should've just been one of those worlds. To me, it doesn't hold strong enough to entertain or not frustrate for an entire game. Now the plus about the Wii is one thing that EVERYONE thinks is an awesome feature, the Virtual Console. This is the biggest selling point for the Wii for me. I've never been one to enjoy using emulation and roms, I just don't feel right doing it. I personally feel like I'm ripping off the creator of the game, so when I heard about the VC I got really excited. There are a ton of awesome games available on there for cheap prices. Some of which actually appeared on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list in some way shape or form. So now that brings me to the next issue, the online. While I don't dislike a console more if it has good online, it is a bit refreshing to see a console that cares about online about just as much as me. Which is, not very much. While I like having internet on my consoles, playing games online isn't something I enjoy very much. So usually the focus on a Wii game is either single player or multiplayer with plans on having people play together in the same room. For example, Wario Ware does include a multiplayer mode but it only requires one Wiimote. While that isn't the most convenient way to handle things, it at least shows that plans were NOT meant for online. I will admit though it would be nice to have at least some features Live and PSN have for online gaming, for those few games that may entice. In the end though, my favorite thing about online on consoles is the interface and browsers. I may not use the browsers, but it's good to have them there. Also, while I do like what PSN and XLM offer, it's the Wii that wins as far as online material goes. With the Virtual Console, Wii Ware, and a ton of other channels (Weather, Vote, Mii) the Wii's online interface definitely wins for me. I will admit though, I do miss the free wallpapers and themes you can get from the PSN though. The appearance and controller of the Wii are definitely the biggest things that make it unique. The console is EASILY the smallest available, and while that may have to do with the past-generation hardware or external power block (as I like to call them), it's size is something that I really like. Now obviously the Wiimote is NOTHING like any other controller ever in the history of consoles, but I don't really have anything bad to say about it. It's extremely comfortable in your hand, and so is the nunchuk. Not to mention, it does it's job very well. I do feel like the - and + buttons are a little uncomfortable to reach to at times, and the 1 and 2 buttons aren't doing anyone any favors, but usually the game that requires these makes sure it uses them for a distinct purpose. Something you won't have to do often, or if you do, you hold the controller a little differently. The Wii's appearance and controller are both pretty cool in my book, especially when the disc drive glows blue when you insert a disc. Good stuff. So the worse part about the Wii? Well that's easy. NO GAMES! People want to complain about the PS3 not having any games, they obviously aren't looking at the Wii. If you're not a gamer, it's easy to get lost in the piles of crap in the Wii library. Whenever I go to a game store to look around, I always find myself completely skipping over the Wii section. The amount of sheer casual, or crappy games is astounding and isn't even worth my time to look for a gem or two. It's sad really, while I would like to own a Wii one day, just finding games worth buying isn't going to be easy. It seems maybe every two months an at least decent to good game is released. All the Wii seems to be so far is a Gamecube with third-party support. Basically meaning, Nintendo still releases some good games, but THIS time they DO have third-party support...and it's CRAP! Another thing that I can really complain about is the lack of Wiis produced. While they do seem a bit more common lately, there still isn't enough supply to meet demand. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be this way for another half a year to a full year, so Nintendo can milk this console for ALL it's worth. Not to mention, I think it's about time for a $50 price cut. If you put in an extra $50 you can get a 360 now. So I think Nintendo should further themselves away by lowering their price, although they do claim they aren't competing with Microsoft or Sony. Lately another problem has arisen, space issues. A complaint I had for the PS3, haunts the Wii as well. People are now complaining that there isn't enough space on their Wii for all of their Virtual Console games. I can relate to this problem, and I just KNOW it has got to be incredibly frustrating. Especially since, by the looks of things, Nintendo has no plan on releasing anything to help with this space issue. It's a shame really, because the VC is by far the coolest feature available on any of the three consoles, and due to lack of space you can't even use it to it's full potential. While that was fun, it's time to go ahead and stop beating around the bush, and tell you what I think about the console. Take a small handful of worthy games, cool internet features, but add-in space issues, the console itself being hard to fine, and price tag that really needs some adjusting, and you've got...an okay system I guess...yeah, it's okay. I don't hate it at least, or dislike it. Right now, there isn't any reason to replace my Gamecube with a Wii. It doesn't have any games that make the console itself worth owning, and has it's issues that could easily be fixed. Wow, to be honest, going into this I had no clue that if you were to view this as a contest between the consoles, that the Wii would have...won. Not by much, but hey at least it got an "it's okay" rating compared to my now notorious "I don't like it. I don't." rating. The Wii is something that is FULL of potential, but so are the other two console choices. While I do believe 360 has found it's potential and even peaked in most cases (online is simply FOR the 360), the Wii and PS3 have yet to recognize what they could truly accomplish. I'm looking forward to the growth of all three of these consoles, and hope that they will all one day change my opinion on all of them. So you would think that this series is done huh? Well not really, I've actually got a bit more to say. Make sure you keep an eye out for 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 4, where I'll discuss my feelings on what gaming really is today, and how it effects me as a gamer who has been with the industry since the NES. If you are to read ANY of these blogs in this series, I'd strongly suggest Part 4 be the one you don't miss. I've got a lot of things to say, and I'm sure I'll even learn a few things about myself that I didn't even know before. So thanks for reading, make sure you leave a comment. Especially if you want a Personal Message sent to you when Part 4 is ready. So stay tuned for all of that and more. Next time...on Thoughts.

Collections: Gameboy, GBColor, GBAdvance

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:18:37 -0400

Hey what's going on g1s, Big D here with another episode of Collections! Now this time on Collections I'm going ALL out! I've got the official Collections logo out and ready to go. To top it all off I'm showing off 3 Collections in one episode. Granted...they're not my biggest or best collections, but they're still in development. Today we're going to be checking out my Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance games. Lets do this! So we'll kick things off with my Gameboy collection. I'll go ahead and apologize for the size. All 3 of these collections aren't as big as they could be, but that is why they are all featured in one entry. SUPER MARIO LAND 2 6 Golden Coins: This is my favorite Gameboy game and it holds TONS of memories for me. The only game that can really come close to it, I don't own. That would be Donkey Kong for the Gameboy, an absolute classic. I plan on getting that one day too. This game has a bright future on my blog, expect a Daily Game Fix episode dedicated to it pretty soon. Not to mention, this game ranked number 23 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time. If you want to check that out, here's the link: http://screwattack.com/node/7429 The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening DX: While not my favorite game, it was necessary for my Legend of Zelda collection, which can be found here: http://screwattack.com/node/6753 Now A LOT has changed since the last time I showed off my Zelda collection, but I'll get into that in a later blog. I was never a fan of this game growing up, but my older brothers adored it. I never saw what was so great, but than again I'm not the biggest Zelda freak out there. I preferred Oracle of Ages and Seasons over this game anyday. PoK'eMoN Blue: An addiction from many years ago, and an addiction to today. My girlfriend gave this to me, along with a Gameboy Color, not to long ago and I've been hooked ever since. This game brings back tons of memories from when I used to be glued to the TV playing this in my Super Gameboy. While it's fun on the Gameboy Color, I still prefer to play it on the big screen. It gives this game the epic feel it deserves. Still one of the best RPGs you can play. Also this game ranked number 26 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list. If you're interested, here's the link: http://screwattack.com/node/7429 Now it's time for my Gameboy Color games. The Legend of Zelda Oracle of Seasons: Yet another piece of my Legend of Zelda collection, check that out here: http://screwattack.com/node/6753 While not my favorite Zelda game, it is definitely my favorite handheld game so far. I haven't played Phantom Hourglass yet, but as of now I've quite enjoyed Oracle of Seasons. It's pretty cool changing between seasons at will, kind of reminds me of the Shadow and Light worlds in A Link to the Past. The Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages: My final piece of handheld collection material for the Legend of Zelda. Check that out here: http://screwattack.com/node/6753 This game is a little less fun than Seasons, and I'm not exactly sure why. Whenever I play it, I find myself wishing I had Seasons inside the Gameboy Color instead. I still prefer this game over A Link's Awakening though. Resident Evil Gaiden: This game holds much frustration for me. I've reached the end about 3 times and my game gets erased. The game isn't that good, but I've always wanted to beat it. The only reason I even own it now is because I needed it for my Resident Evil collection. While I do plan on playing it again one day, it won't be anytime soon. Metal Gear Solid: This game did something that seemed absolutely impossible, it took MGS and put it onto the Gameboy Color. While some people may find this as an amazing task, it actually kind of makes sense. If you've played the original MSX Metal Gear or Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake, you'd see how Metal Gear Solid for the PSX is the same game. Only it's in 3D, so basically this is more of a sequel to the original MSX titles. The game is amazing and any GBC fan should own it. Also it ranked number 88 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list. For more on that, here's the link: http://screwattack.com/node/6611 Much like the last two collections, my Gameboy Advance collection isn't much bigger or smaller. It's pretty much the same size. The Lost Vikings: The game that was an absolute classic on the Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis is only made better on the Gameboy Advance port. This game added one thing, and one thing only. It was all that was needed to make this game a much more enjoyable experience. The ability to save. That alone makes this game stand taller than the original two. Not to mention it fits perfect on a handheld. This game was also number 43 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list, so if you're interested in that follow this link: http://screwattack.com/node/7128 LUNAR LEGEND: A remake of the remake of the original SEGA CD game, LUNAR Silver Star Story. While the remake of the original SEGA CD game, LUNAR Silver Star Story Complete, was good I actually prefer this version. Simply known as LUNAR LEGEND I feel like they cut out exactly what wasn't needed and changed what needed to be changed to make this game better than the PSX version. This is an awesome RPG to play for any Gameboy Advance owner. It's semi-rare, but you can still find it for a decent price. I'd suggest getting it. Zone of the Enders The Fist of Mars: Here's a game that not many people have played from a series not many people have played. Zone of the Enders is Hideo Kojima's other series. Yeah, that's right, Kojima makes more games than Metal Gear Solid! I wasn't a fan of the PS2 games, but the GBA game has a special charm to it. The story is decent, the combat is alright, but the music in this game is absolutely amazing. It stays in your head and won't leave, but that isn't a bad thing. This game also ranked in at number 86 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time list. Here's the link for that: http://screwattack.com/node/6611 That sums up my collections for the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance. Thanks for reading guys and make sure you leave a comment, rate, digg, whatever! I love to see what you guys have got to say, so express yourself. I'll see you next time on Collections!

Daily Game Fix_11 - Assassin's Creed

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:16:08 -0400

FOR AUDIO VERSION: http://www.soundupload.com/audio/zcgfqub9l3xz8595 Hey what's going on g1s, it's Big D here from Screwattack dot com and I've got another case of your Daily Game Fix. So today we're gonna hit up a game that is a little more recent than some of the other games I've talked about in the past. It's on the PS3 and 360, but today we're going to talk about the PS3 version of this game. It's often been referred to as a "hit or miss" title, mainly because many have liked it and disliked it. Well, it hit with me, I REALLY enjoy this game. I've only had it for about 4 or 5 days but all of the things people claim get repetitive haven't yet. So with that said lets introduce the game, it's Assassin's Creed for the Playstation 3. What's interesting about this game is that it's one of the few free-roaming games that I enjoy. What I mean is, I enjoy this game because it IS free-roaming. I haven't enjoyed a game for it's free-roaming style since Grand Theft Auto Vice City. Not to mention, I usually don't like games that take place in this kind of atmosphere, fantasy driven. Although this isn't really fantasy driven, it's in the 3rd Crusade. While I'm not to big of a fan of this kind of genre either, it helps that I'm an assassin rather than a knight. So Assassin's Creed has a ton of things to do, but unfortunately many people claim that they do get repetitive. While I could understand where everyone is coming from, I actually enjoy the simplicity of it. It's a breath of fresh air after so many games trying to be "in-depth" when all they really do is over complicate certain things. So you can pick-pocket, intimidate, save civilians, eavesdrop, and a few other things here and there to get information on the person you're trying to assassinate. I find all of these VERY fun and usually do each one that is available even though it isn't required you do so. While all of that is fun, what really keeps me going is the story. I really like the story of this game, wether its in (SPOILER!!!!) the present or during Altair's time. To sum it all up, I think Assassin's Creed is a pretty damn good game. Since it runs for a little under $20 USED at most places, I don't see any reason to not pick it up. The game is solid, and for $20 you'll at least get your moneys worth, even if you don't fully enjoy it.

360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles Pt. 2

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:42:38 -0400

Hey g1s, I'm back with my second edition of my Thoughts on Today's Consoles. Now like I said last time, I know this subject has been done to DEATH, but ya'll haven't heard my opinion and who knows...maybe I'll say something you haven't heard anywhere else. Last time I spoke about my opinion on the 360, so if you're interested, here's the link: 360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles http://screwattack.com/node/7388 Alright so on today's episode I'm going to talk about my opinion on the PS3. So let's get to it guys! My impressions of the PS3 when it was first announced was probably the same as everyone elses, is Sony serious? While the graphics were awesome, they weren't really better than the 360. When the 360 came out, the graphics were okay, but by this time they had fully learned how to utilize the 360 and produce some incredible graphics. So basically, the year old 360 graphics and new PS3 graphics were on the same level. Sony had something that Microsoft didn't though...it's last console wasn't complete crap. The PS2 is easily one of the best game consoles of all time, and is actually the best selling console of all time. PS2s are still selling today, you don't see any XBoxs being sold anywhere, unless used or refurbished. So already Sony was a little ahead, since they had a better history. Unfortunately for the PS3, the released titles and games they showed at E3 were all laughable. Much like the PS2, the launch titles were all complete jokes. I expected as much as most consoles (except for a small handful) never really have incredible launch titles. It wasn't until about half a year into the PS3's life when the exclusive bombs began to be dropped. Such heavy hitters as Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy XIII, Virtua Fighter 5, Killzone 2, and many others were all announced exclusively for the console. Too bad almost all of them but 2 or 3 are actually still exclusives! While some may argue that I didn't mention Resistance, but hey if you read my last issue you would know that I don't like FPS games. They just don't interest me. Now I'll go ahead and get this out of the way, I do own a PS3. It is the only current-gen console I own. When I had the money to purchase it, I was actually thinking about getting a 360 previously. It wasn't until I really thought about the games that made me change my mind. I could live without the exclusives on the 360, especially since almost none of them appealed to me. However, if I was to miss MGS4, Kingdom Hearts 3, and even Final Fantasy XIII, I would never forgive myself. I knew I didn't want to own BOTH a 360 and PS3, so I had to choose. I chose the PS3. Now, knowing this, ya'll can all imagine how pissed I was to hear that FF13 is coming to the 360. It, literally, brought my piss to a boil...well...maybe not literally. Its pissed me off so badly that I am no longer buying ANY new Square Enix games. Maybe I'll buy a used copy, since they won't receive a profit (and if this isn't true, someone please correct me). I don't think they deserve my money after screwing me, and pretty much EVERY PS3 owner, over the way they did. We spent a lot of money on our console and we are expecting a lot of good things, but when developers start jumping ship after promising us an exclusive, that's just...bull****. I usually don't curse in my blogs, but it's true. Even Kojima, with a game that could have EASILY sold millions of copies on the 360, stuck with the PS3. Since FF13 has jumped ship, I just KNOW Kingdom Hearts 3 will follow. If anything, that game relates to 360 owners even better than FF13. It's an action-RPG, and almost all 360 owners love constant action in their games. So I pretty much bought a PS3 just for MGS4, and if any of you have read any of my other blogs, you'll know that game wasn't too great in my opinion. It ranked 94 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time List, which I got A LOT of heat for. I will say though, there is one series that makes my PS3 worth keeping. It's a game that should make any 360 owner jealous, Uncharted Drake's Fortune. This game is EASILY the best game I've played of this generation. From what I heard Uncharted 2 is in the works, and that just makes owning my PS3 much more worth it. For more information on my thoughts of Uncharted, check out these two blogs: It ranked number 29 on my TOP 100 Games of All Time: 40 through 21 blog: http://screwattack.com/node/7429 And it had it's own Daily Game Fix episode: http://screwattack.com/node/5922 Now enough about the games though, lets move on. Next up, the online. If you read my last installment (I can tell this statement is going to be used a lot so....just read the last blog.) you'll know that I'm not too big on gaming online. There is one thing that the PS3 has over the 360 though that actually does make me check out the online stuff quite often. IT'S FREE! And rightfully so. Playstation Network (PSN) may not be on the same level as 360's Live, but it does get the job done. Not to mention I can download as many themes and wallpapers that I want without spending a single dime. As I said in my last blog, THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE FREE! Seriously, I shouldn't get charged for a wallpaper that I can only use on my console. Maaaybe if I could transfer it to things like my PC, Cellphone, iPod, or in this case, PSP (which I can!) it would be worth some money. As far as gaming online goes, the only game I really experimented with was Call of Duty 4 and I didn't really enjoy myself. I, personally, like hearing people talk during the games. Not all the time, but if I kill someone, I like to hear them swear in anger. It's fun. Unfortunately, not too many PS3 owners have a Blu-Tooth headset for gaming. So to sum it up, I like PSN, but I'm still not a fan of gaming online. Time to talk about the console's appearance and controller. It's alright I guess...the thing is HUGE to say the least, but hey so was the PS2. It's convenient that it can stand on it's side, like all consoles nowadays. I have mine standing so it'll take up less room. Other than that, I think it looks okay, I never notice how huge it is until I pick it up. As far as the controller goes, I like it. I really do. I don't have a Dualshock 3, and don't plan on getting one until I get Street Fighter IV (maaaybe) and I still think it's cool. While the lightweight feel of it made me nervous at first, it grew on me. I love wireless controllers, and since I never was a big fan of rumble, it doesn't bother me not having it. I like the new trigger buttons, they feel comfortable and a bit natural. My only real complaint is that the battery dies quite often, but not enough to REALLY be an issue. Also I kind of wish the PS logo in the middle lit up, but that isn't too big of a deal. I've got three big complaints, but this is probably the third I'm the most angry about. Backwards capability. While some of the versions (I think just one actually) are able to play PSX and PS2 games, pretty much all the rest cannot. I just recently found out that my model CAN play PSX games, but not PS2 games? What it is up with that?! From what I heard and read, when this model was released, they were going to release a firmware update to make PS2 games compatible. Well not too long ago, Sony announced that they weren't really worried about backwards capability and they weren't pursuing that. Now this may not have been a complaint in the 90's, but backwards capability has become the standard for any console. The PS2 was backwards compatible, the Wii is, the 360 even is, but the PS3 is so special that it can't be? That doesn't even make sense! I was hoping to retire my PS2 once the PS3 came out, but they're telling me that I'm going to have to always have my PS2 and PS3 out if I want to play their entire library of new and old games. If I get a Wii, I can put my Gamecube away. If I get a 360, I can put my XBox away (all the games I own are on the list of backwards capability). So what makes the PS3 so special? Nothing. The only conclusion I could come to is that they're just being douches. I think any PS3 owner can agree. Now we're down to my two biggest complaints about this console...and they are BIG! Now I own a 40gb model of the PS3. Which basically means I own a 32gb model. Once you start this bastard up, 8gigs of memory are already being used to store console data. Now at first, I wasn't too worried, but that soon changed. I like taking videos from my computer and putting them on my PS3, I enjoy watching them on my TV a hell of a lot more than watching them on my computer. Such things as Gametrailers.com Retrospectives, or Screwattack Top 10s. I have a decent amount now, and with my saved and installed data, I'm down to 13 to 14gigs of space. Now I only own 6 PS3 games, so how in the hell am I so low on space? While I could delete some of my videos, and I'm sure I probably will, it's frustrating to think that I haven't even had the console a year yet and I'm already dealing with space issues. Not to mention, I've got to worry about what new games I want and the size of the install file they'll have. I'm extremely happy I'm not a fan of Soul Calibur, or else I would have been screwed with Soul Calibur 4. It requires a 6gb installation, and 2gb save file. That's a total of 8 freakin' gigs! FOR ONE GAME! Now I've heard it's easy to take out the hard drive and insert a laptop hard drive into the thing, but I shouldn't HAVE to do that for more space. This is supposed to be THE gaming console, and I can barely have enough room to actually GAME on it. Even if I did delete all of my videos, it's just an amount of time before I run out of space due to games. The install files only seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Not to mention, like I said about the laptop, while it may be easy to replace the hard drive, I hear it's a ***** to get your data from your old hard drive to the new one. I don't know how true that is, but I have a friend who's console died from that messed up update thingy, and he told me it took him awhile to figure it out. Now I'm sure you already know my next complaint, and it is indeed my biggest problem with this console. INSTALLS! What in the hell is up with installs? Blu-Ray technology is supposed to be this incredible piece of equipment with no setbacks. Yet we have to install our games? Seriously! While for some games this isn't an issue, like Uncharted. Others are just bastards about it! In Metal Gear Solid 4, you have to go through 5 installs throughout the game. Not to mention, if you play a previous act in the game, it has to REINSTALL the same damn thing! How much sense does that make?! Not to mention, the entire MGS4 install file takes up a little over 4 gigs of memory. And then we've got Soul Calibur 4 that takes up 8 gigs...and GTA4 which I believe takes up almost 3 and a half gigs. When does it end?! I'm worried that Resident Evil 5 and Silent Hill 5, the two games I'm really waiting for, are gonna take up an unfair amount of space as well. The installs are ridiculous, I can't stand them. I'm glad Sony finally pulled their head out of their ***** and released the final 80gb hard drive as the ONE model to buy. It also comes with their "best" controller available, and it's just a shame this package wasn't out sooner. So that's it, that sums up my thoughts on the PS3. There aren't really any games besides Uncharted 1 and 2, and maybe MGS4, the online is okay, nothing special, but at least it's free, and the console itself is full of space issues and no backwards capability. So with all that said my opinion on the PS3 is...I don't like. I don't. So next on the list is probably the console I'll have the most interesting things to say about. The Nintendo Wii. So make sure you check back, and if you're interested just comment on this blog and I'll send you a Personal Message when the next installment is up. And just like I said last time..., if you've got anything to say, ANYTHING! Disagreements, insights, Agreements, anything at all. Feel free to comment, rate, digg, whatever. I love to see what you guys think, so come on. Speak up. Thanks for reading guys, and I hope to see you again on my next episode of Thoughts.

Forgotten Project - Resident Evil 1 & 2 on GBA

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:14:07 -0400

Last time on Forgotten I covered the Resident Evil port to the Gameboy Color. This time, I'm going to cover two other projects that never saw the light of day. They were only really mentioned once in an issue of Nintendo Power, and after that they never really received any acknowledgment. I never saw more than the three screen-shots that were in that issue. It wasn't until recently when I was able to hunt down video footage of one of these projects, and it wasn't until today when I found footage for the other one. These are two canceled projects by CAPCOM and a company called RayLight Studios. They are, Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 for the Gameboy Advance. While scavenging for some screen-shots or anything related to these two games, all I found was 2 pictures and one video. I know it's lacking from my last entry, but then again I don't think production on these games got nearly as far as they did for RE on the GBC. I'm not even sure if this was an actual cover, it is probably fan made. Before I continue, let me show you the one screen-shot I found and the video. Now unfortunately, due to the lack of image or video proof, I'm going to have to progress through this episode in an odd way. I'll point out several points of this video, and the times they occur, that may seem a little interesting. From: 0:09 - 0:17 These are the screen-shots from the Nintendo Power I spoke of. Back then, the article was mainly about the RE port, but they did mention that a RE2 port was being worked on as well. 0:18 - 0:48 This is the first video footage I have ever seen of the RE port. It shows how BlueRoses 3D Technology was used to create 3D models with the GBA hardware. It must not have been good enough to get the job done I guess. Too bad. 0:49 - 0:53 Displays Chris doing a spin kick, very interesting. Before this melee attacks had never really been a part of the RE universe. In fact, it wasn't until RE4 when spin kicks became possible. 0:54 - 1:04 Chris dieing from, I'm assuming, a poisonous gas. 1:05 - 1:19 The first display of a 3D model in a pre-rendered background. The game looks incredible for a GBA game. 1:25 - 2:03 The beginning of RE2. You can tell by the audio that the files had to be extremely compressed. They just sound...well...crappy. I'm surprised they could fit an audio file of that size into the game anyway. 2:04 - 3:09 From the start of this video, you can tell there are audio problems. Also the hit detection of the zombies on Leon is flawed. The speed in which Leon moves seems to be a bit slow as well. The game definitely had a lot more work that needed to be done. 3:10 - 3:51 More audio problems continue, and pop-up issues occur. Also, notice Leon can't progress to the next screen while running on the outside of the basketball court. Obviously an issue there. 3:52 - 4:01 The menu...several times. Displays the "Resident Evil" voice. 4:02 - 4:40 Leon running around free space. This really displays how slow he runs, and that the speed of him progressing on screen definitely needed to be increased. Obviously these games were cut off way sooner in production then Resident Evil on the Gameboy Color. Still, it's a shame that CAPCOM didn't embark further on this project. I'm guessing what was impossible with the Gameboy Color hardware, was still impossible with the Gameboy Advance hardware. It seemed like the Blue Roses 3D technology was a newer version of the FX chip from the old SNES days. As mentioned in my last entry, it wasn't until the Nintendo DS when Resident Evil would finally be ported to a handheld. Thankfully they waited so long, because it is definitely one of, if not the best, way to play the original Resident Evil. CAPCOM would continue to cancel Resident Evil projects during the life-span of this franchise. Next on Forgotten, the canceled Playstation project. Some may not know this, but the original plan for Resident Evil 2 was nothing like the final product. While they do share some similarities, it was almost a completely different game. Join me next time on Forgotten, when I discuss the canceled project now known as Resident Evil 1.5. If you've got any comments to make on this blog, feel free. Comment, rate, digg, anything. I love to hear what you guys say. Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya'll next time.

Daily Game Fix_10 - SIREN

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:57:39 -0400

HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY to Daily Game Fix! In honor of the new SIREN game, SIREN: Blood Curse, I've decided to feature the first game of this horror series on DGF today. Now for those of you who haven't heard of, or played, this game before you may be surprised what you're missing. There's a lot of original stuff in this game, and it's a shame it didn't do better in the States. So much so that there was actually a sequel that didn't make it here called SIREN 2 Forbidden. I think the producers of this game had a good idea it wasn't going to do that well here in the U.S. because they didn't even bother giving us American voice actors. Instead you are treated to VERY looking Japanese people (it's spot-on), with British accents. It's quite funny actually, but it does make it harder to take some of the scenes seriously. So the game features something that I hadn't really seen in to many games previous to this, enemy sight-jacking. You can actually see through your enemies eyes. That way you can follow their path, or at least see what direction they're facing, and make your next move accordingly. This game feels like a mixture of Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill. The combat is a bit wonky like Silent Hill, but you're usually trying to sneak through the levels without detection like in Metal Gear Solid. That's another thing, this game actually has levels, but they're referred to as missions. Usually it's getting to Point A from Point B, or make it to the exit with this character with you. It's pretty fun, and would actually work well on a portable like the PSP. Most of the levels are fairly short, but even some of the shorter, smaller, levels can be challenging. To sum it all up, if you're a fan of stealth or horror games than this one is for you. It's a nice mixture of the both and I'd suggest it to any PS2 collector. The game is like no other, and it's a shame the sequel never made it over here. I would have loved to play it.

Collections: Silent Hill

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:30:14 -0400

Hey g1s, it's Big D here with another episode of Collections. Now this time I'm going to be showing off my Silent Hill collection. While it isn't as big as it could be, and is missing a couple of things, I'd still like to show it off. I'm a big fan of the Silent Hill series, and I can't wait for the fifth installment of the franchise. So besides Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, this is probably one of my favorite collections I've got. As I said, it could probably be bigger and is definitely missing a couple of things, but it's still important to me. With all that said, lets get into it shall we? So I've got the movie on DVD, it's about the only video game movie worth owning really. I've also got the original PSX title, but unfortunately I lost my instructions and back cover. My little sister was borrowing the game when she spilt water all over it, completely ruining both of them. I was a little upset, but I was just happy it wasn't one of my Resident Evil games. Then I've also got the semi-rare UMD Silent Hill Experience. It's an interactive graphic novel. It's okay I guess, I mainly got it for my collection. Other than that, I never really looked at it more than the one time it took me to read the whole thing. If you're one of my usual readers you may be wondering ,"Why does he have SH2 and 4tR on the XBox? I thought he hated the XBox?" Well that's a good question. I do indeed hate the XBox, but the superior versions of each of those games are, unfortunately, available on the console. While I do plan on getting the PS2 version of SH2, I'll probably just leave SH4tR on the XBox...that game is just horrible. As you can see, I've also got SH3 on the PS2, and it's too bad it isn't the Soundtrack version. When I originally bought the game, before I sold it, I had the version that came with the soundtrack. I've also got the best SH game, Silent Hill Origins. The controls are phenomenal, and I loved the story, weapons, stages, everything! SHO is the best Silent Hill experience out. I do plan on getting it for the PS2 so I can enjoy the better sound and better graphics. I just hope they don't screw the gameplay up with some random stupid PS2 control settings. Well it's time for my last stop on my Silent Hill collection. I know this one went by VERY fast, but there really isn't much to collect when it comes to Silent Hill. Not to mention, I did group the games together in only 2 pictures. This is probably the most rare piece of my SH collection though, and definitely one of my favorite. It's an official movie poster for Silent Hill. I got it while it was still in theaters from a friend of mine who worked at AMC. Pretty cool huh? Unfortunately, as time has gone by, it has received a few tares and knicks in it but it still looks great. Sorry for the short entry this time, but don't you worry. Next time on Collections I'm going to be showing off my Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance collections. So stay tuned for that. If you enjoyed my blog, make sure you comment and rate. And, hell, if you didn't enjoy it, comment and rate anyway. I love to see what you guys think. Thanks for reading and make sure you check back for my next episode of Collections. See you guys there.

360, PS3, Wii: Thoughts on Today's Consoles

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:45:34 -0400

Hey what's going on g1s, Big D here with another entry of Thoughts! Now this subject has been done to death, BUT...you haven't heard my opinion. So stick around I may say something you may not have heard anywhere else. Not to mention, I've become pretty popular for doing things a little different around here. Just check out my TOP 100 Games of All Time list, people are still in shock of some of my choices. So anyway, we're gonna get this bad boy started by going from numerical to alphabetical order. So that means I'm gonna begin with the 360. This outta be good... When the 360 was released I found it absolutely meaningless to buy. The graphics, at the time, were okay I guess. I wasn't blown away by any of the launch titles. Not to mention, the first XBox was a complete load of ****! So why in the world would I want Microsoft's second console? The 360 really didn't have any titles that interested me until about a year into it's life, and by this time the PS3 and Wii were right around the corner. After a year, I was pretty sure I was going to get a 360. Even though it really didn't have any games besides a small handful I wanted (to date: Dead Rising, Condemned: Criminal Origins ((which is looking A LOT less appealing after the horrible sequel)), Left 4 Dead, and Vampire's Rain ((which is soon being ported to the PS3))). Now some may say, "Big D you're forgetting Halo, Gears of War, Bioshock, Fable II, Too Human, MASS ****IN' EFFECT!" Well my answer is, No...I'm not forgetting them. They don't matter to me. Unfortunately, I've been cursed with the personality trait of someone who doesn't enjoy the Sci-Fi genre. Even if a game is amazing...which apparently Mass Effect is, it just doesn't appeal to me. I find myself bored, and wishing I was playing something else...ANYTHING else! Not to mention, I don't like First Person Shooters. They just aren't my type of game. Everything after Timesplitters 2 has just been boring to me. Bioshock was okay I guess, and it is coming to the PS3 afterall....so maybe I'll get it. Who knows. So when you combine my dislike for FPS games and the Sci-Fi genre...you pretty much kill off ANY heavy-hitters that the 360 has to throw at you. But wait a second. What about Fable II? Yeah, the game that should've been out on the XBox. I've got a real bone to pick with this game. Everything they're saying that is so "cool" about this one, was pretty much promised for the last game. My brother bought the first game thinking it was going to be revolutionary. Somehow I knew it was nothing special, and I tried my hardest to convince him to stay away. Well...he didn't, he bought it, and was disappointed. Now they're trying to say they got it right this time? No, I'm sorry. Too little, too late. I'm not interested in the game itself, not to mention I don't like the fantasy genre. Games involving wizards and dragons, just don't interest me. That spans as far as books and movies too (Yes, I'm talking to YOU! Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Harry Potter, or any other freakin' fantasy movie that revolves around magic, special jewelry, or short people saving the day!). So Fable II is out. For most gamers the big selling point for the 360 is Live, right? Well I, once again, have another bad personality trait. I don't like online gaming. I've never been big on multiplayer in games anyway, but online gaming is just NOT appealing to me. I can understand why people like it, but it just isn't for me. I've only played one game where I honestly enjoyed the online gaming and that was SMACKDOWN! versus RAW 2007. I can guarantee though that the reason I enjoyed it was because I would play it at my friend's house and we would take turns. It was fun talking to each other while playing, not AGAINST each other, WITH each other. No some may say I should try Co-Op in online games. That isn't the point I'm trying to make. I enjoy multiplayer games when I'm in a room with some friends, not on the telephone while playing (I know it isn't a telephone but it's pretty much the same experience). In fact, when I first played Call of Duty 4, I had TONS of fun! But I was playing it on 4 Player Split-Screen with a friend of mine and his two brothers. We were all talking smack and running around gunning each other. It was a blast! So I bought the game and found out the hard way that online just isn't the same. Not to mention, if I have ONE game that I want to play online with...I've got to pay for it? No thank you! And if I want a wallpaper for my console it's gonna cost me around $2? Yeah right! That kinda crap should be free. In the end, I am NOT a fan of XBox Live. It doesn't appeal to me at all. As far as the console's look and controller go. They're pretty good. The controller is comfortable, pretty snug, but there are definitely other controllers I'd prefer over it. On a top 5 list, it'd probably be number 6. The console's look is okay. The first model of any console on released is usually lack-luster. The remodeled PS2 is WAY better then the original. Same goes for the second and third model of the Genesis, or the second model of Super Nintendo. So maybe one day they'll remodel the 360, I doubt it, but for now it's okay. I can't believe I've gotten this far without mentioning the worst part of this console. The console itself! Why, oh why, does the thing have to break? I mean seriously, I know people who have gone through three 360s already! That's ridiculous. I know some consoles aren't as reliable as others, but the 360 TOPS the list of the most unreliable console of all time. My oldest brother, who owns a 360, actually bought a Gamecube and a few games to play for whenever his 360 craps out. That's ridiculous. What's even more crazy is that Microsoft hasn't fixed this problem yet. It's mind-blowing really. The fact that these things break for no reason, is probably the strongest reason of why I don't own one. Maybe if it receives another price cut, I'll get one. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. What happens in 5 or 6 years when the XBox 720 is out, and you've got tons of 360 games. Suddenly your 360 breaks, and Microsoft won't fix it anymore. So instead you've got to find some random site online that knows how to fix it, probably pay a TON of money too. I mean in a few years, a working 360 is going to be worth TONS on sites like eBay. Unless the 720 is backwards compatible, we're going to have many MANY angry gamers. Well that pretty much sums up my opinion on the 360. It has no exclusives worth buying the console over, the online serves no purpose especially because I have to pay, and the console itself is unreliable. So to sum up my entire opinion,...I don't like it. I don't. So what's next on the list? The PS3?! Oh God...well I had to talk about it eventually right? Well not right now at least. I'm known for not making my blogs run on and on for too long. I know you've got better things to do, as do I. So I'm gonna save my thoughts on the PS3 for my Part 2 of this episode of Thoughts. If you're interested, just leave a comment and I'll send you a Personal Message as soon as it's out. Also, if you've got anything to say, ANYTHING! Disagreements, insights, Agreements, anything at all. Feel free to comment, rate, digg, whatever. I love to see what you guys think, so come on. Speak up. Thanks for reading guys, and I'll see you again next time.

Daily Game Fix_09 - Clockwork Knight

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:13:54 -0400

Hey what's going on g1s, Big D here with another case of your Daily Game Fix. Alright g1s, so last time I spoke of a cult classic on the SEGA Genesis, right? Well this time I'm gonna talk about a cult classic on the SEGA Saturn. It was an interesting platformer, with TONS of character. If you don't believe me, just watch this video! Ooooh man, that was great! This game I'm talking about is Clockwork Knight! Clockwork Knight was to the Saturn what Crash Bandicoot was to the Playstation. It was a new face for a new generation. It, unfortunately, wasn't as well received as Crash though. It did, however, receive one sequel Clockwork Knight 2, also for the Saturn. So, as I said, it was a platformer with amazing character. There hadn't really been anything like it before. You played as toys that came to life, the only thing really similiar was Toy Story or Army Men. This game offered some decent gameplay, cool music, and fun atmosphere. The game just reaked of creativity, and really was ahead of it's time. The boss battles were a lot of fun, some of the bosses would tower above you. The last time I played this game was years and years ago. I do remember enjoying it a ton, and having loads of fun playing through the first levels over and over again. I wasn't very good at the game, but that didn't take away from how much fun it was. Back then, platformers were slowly becoming a thing of the past, so it was nice to see SEGA still trying to keep it alive. One thing I found pretty humerous about this game was that it introduced the Keyblade. Many people give credit to Square for that "clever, NEW idea", but it was SEGA that invented the weapon. To sum it all up, if you're a Saturn owner or a platformer fan, this game is meant for you. It was extremely charming and was one of those games that was unfortunately on a go nowhere system like the Saturn. I'm a bit confused that SEGA doesn't even give this game fan-service like they do NiGHTs in almost all of their games. You don't even find a Clockwork Knight toy in, the Dreamcast classic, Shenmue. Regardless, I suggest it to ANY Saturn owner, it's definitely a must-have for the console.

Forgotten Console - SNES 2

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:13:55 -0400

Hey g1s and welcome to my new series called Forgotten. On this show we'll be discussing several forgotten games, peripherals, consoles, and pretty much anything video game related. On today's episode we're going to be focusing on a forgotten console, the Super Nintendo 2. What happened to this console, and why'd it faid away so quickly? All that and more, on Forgotten. As many of you probably know, I got my own SNES 2 quite recently. It's actually what inspired this new series of mine. Enough about that though, lets get some of the details on this collection item. In 1997, Nintendo decided to launch the SNES 2 to help prolong the life of the Super Nintendo, much like they did with the NES 2. It was only available in the U.S., probably because it was modeled after the PAL and Japanese versions of the SNES. It was smaller, more light-weight, and a lot more sleek looking. While all of the hardware remained intact, the expansion and RF ports of the original model had been removed. You could probably complain about that back then, but now it actually isn't much of a problem. It did keep the Multi Out port for your audio and visual AV wires. It's actually compatible with the same AV wires from the N64, GCN, and Wii. It was missing something else, much like the NES 2, the SNES 2 didn't have a LED light in the front. The only way to know if the game is working is to wait for it to appear on the TV. It wouldn't surprise me if many owners forgot it was even on! Eventually production of the SNES 2 halted in 1999, it was just simply outclassed by the newer 32 bit consoles out there. So why wasn't the SNES 2 a hit? The first reason is an obvious one, the late release. The console was released in 1997, by this time the PSX had been out for almost 3 years. Not to mention Nintendo's third console, the Nintendo 64, had already been out for a year itself. People had already moved on to the next generation of gaming. Not to mention, the console wasn't really that much of an improvement over the older model. The best thing about it was the size, but besides that if you already had a SNES you really had to reason to upgrade. Also there wasn't really a big hook for trading up like the NES 2. On the NES 2 you could put the games on the top, which was mind-blowing at the time. The original SNES was already a top-loader, so there really wasn't anything special the SNES 2 could do to make it stand out. FINAL WORDS: If you own a SNES, there really isn't any reason to upgrade unless you need the space or are a collector. This thing is pretty rare now and runs for a fair amount of money. My girlfriend actually came across this one for me. I was lucky enough to get mine at a garage sale, with 2 controllers, and 3 games for $20. So don't worry guys, there's a SNES 2 out there for you also. Well, that was my first episode of Forgotten. If you liked what you read, comment on my blog. I'd love to see what you guys think of it. Thanks for reading and keep on gaming.

Collections: Grand Theft Auto

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:23:35 -0400

Alright it's time for another installment of Collections, this time on the Grand Theft Auto series. Much like my Legend of Zelda collection, this one isn't complete just yet. I'm really not that big of a fan of the GTA games, but I do own most of them. I don't ever plan on owning the original PSX, London, or GTA2 games though. I was NOT a fan of the over-the-top camera angle. So with that out of the way, I'm only really missing 2 games I need to get. Now lets get this thing started! So we'll start it off with the spin-off sequels. GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas are usually referred to as the best games in the franchise. I personally did not enjoy San Andreas nearly as much as I did Vice City. In fact, I wasn't really a fan of San Andreas at all. It was okay, but not really what I was looking for in a GTA game. It was too massive, and the hunger and muscle stats weren't necessary. I'm still missing a case for the game, but I do plan on picking one up very soon. Vice City was simple like GTAIII, but with motorcycles and a good story added. Liberty City Stories took what GTAIII and GTAVC did right, and mixed it together in a great game. While the storyline may not have been up to par with Vice City, this game included the best city to appear in any GTA game. I bought the PSP version for the multi-player, but found that I actually enjoy the game more on a handheld. While many bashed the PSP versions for their controls, I actually prefer them over the console versions. I can't say much about GTAVCS because I haven't really played it yet, but I do plan on picking up the PSP version sooner rather than later. Last, but not least, the most fulfilling and disappointing GTA games. GTAIII really set the standard for what these games could be, not only that but it revolutionized gaming today. While GTAIV brought a more realistic look to this series, it really was kind of disappointing in the gameplay department. Maybe it was just me, but I find GTAIV pretty boring. I much prefer III over IV anyday! Well that wraps up my GTA Collection, thanks for reading. Next time on Collections I'll be touching down on one more series, Silent Hill. After that expect a special episode where I talk about my Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance Collections. 3 Collections all in 1 Episode. So stay tuned to Collections, and make sure you leave a comment or a rating. Once again, thanks for reading and I'll see ya'll next time.

Forgotten Project - Resident Evil on Gameboy Color

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:52:30 -0400

Welcome to my second episode of Forgotten. This time we'll be covering a game that never saw the light of day. While many different ports of this game have been released throughout the years, this was definitely one of the most intriguing. Resident Evil for the Gameboy Color was definitely considered an ambitious move for CAPCOM. Trying to scale down an entire 3D game into a small 2D producing cartridge was quite the challenge, and actually proved to difficult to accomplish. Lets take a look at the game that never was, Resident Evil for the Gameboy Color. Now before I get this started, I don't want anyone to mix this game up with Resident Evil Gaiden. Gaiden was a completely unrelated project that was a side-story of the Resident Evil franchise, and doesn't even follow the same storyline as past installments. So now that that's out of the way, I can get onto what Resident Evil for the Gameboy Color (REGBC) was really about... CAPCOM wanted to make a breakthrough in handheld gaming by providing the first real 3D experience on a handheld console. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, it never came to be. You can simply look at the game and understand why this would be impossible. People who have played the original Resident Evil, may find it easier to understand. Resident Evil was a rather large game, especially on a 3D scale. While technically it was pre-rendered backgrounds with 3D character models moving around it's space. Resident Evil was, indeed, considered a full 3D gaming experience. While it seemed like they were pretty far along, CAPCOM definitely could not have fit the entire game into one cartridge. After looking at some screens, it seems they may have been able to pull off the entire mansion. Enemies on the other hand just didn't seem to act right in the GBC project. Not to mention, they even attempted to fit an entire Jill storyline in the game as well. Death animations weren't complete, lack of musical variation, graphical limitations, all of these contributed to the fall of this project. Here are some screens so you can judge yourself if this project ever stood a chance: This video footage shows that CAPCOM definitely planned on fitting the entire game inside this one little cartridge. Here's footage of Chris meeting up with Wesker, and then going to check out the mansion for the second time. You can definitely spot a few places where they either cut out some areas, or just hadn't developed them yet. Also, notice the lack of Hunters. I've also got two other scenes you can take a look at. One includes the game running on the actual Gameboy Color, but with no sound. Notice how Chris starts off with a Shotgun in his inventory, and can actually travel past a previously locked door. In the other it shows the beginning of the game if you play as Jill, with sound. Pretty cool footage. CHRIS with NO SOUND JILL with SOUND Here is a video of Jill inside the Umbrella lab. It shows her attacking with the knife, an enemy that doesn't attack her, and a lot of inventory related screens. Check'em out. So now there lies one question, what could CAPCOM have done to make this game work? The answers are pretty obvious. Cut down on some of the less important rooms (such as the bathroom). Maybe even relocate some items so that the rooms they previously existed in could be cut out. Not only that, make it to where you only play as Chris or Jill. Hell they could've re-released it with you playing as the opposite character, just pull a PoK'eMoN and release 2 games at once. If that wasn't enough, maybe make this game only involve the mansion and guardhouse, but not the sewer or lab. Save those for the next installment. If you were worried about player's items not carrying over, use a password system, or better yet use all the advice I gave above. Continue to cut screens, and you may just be able to squeeze the sewers and lab in. Still, keep Jill and Chris on separate cartridges. It was all very simple really. I think in the end, CAPCOM looked at the project, the amount of dedication it would require, plus the limitations of the hardware, and they pulled the plug. It's a shame really, it would have been the first time we would see this game on a handheld. Who knew we would have to wait until 2006 to play it on the Nintendo DS for the first time! CAPCOM's original attempt was on the Gameboy Color, but then they skipped over the Gameboy Advance, and waited until the DS to make this project happen. It almost makes you think what CAPCOM was thinking when attempting this game on the original Gameboy Color! This wasn't the end of canceled projects by CAPCOM on Nintendo handhelds though. Next time on Forgotten I'll cover the attempt to bring this same game to the Gameboy Advance, but not only that the attempt to bring Resident Evil 2 to the Gameboy Advance. I hope you enjoyed this blog. If you've got any comment, positive or negative, please express it. Rate or Digg this blog, I love to see what you guys think. Thanks for reading and make sure you check back for my next episode of Forgotten. P.S. If you comment this blog, I'll make sure to send you a private message informing you on the next entry. That is unless you ask for me not to.

Collections: The Legend of Zelda

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:29:22 -0400

Hey g1s, Big D here with a brand spankin' new episode of Collections! While this collection is incomplete by two or three games, I've decided to go ahead and give ya'll a look at it. I'm not the biggest fan of the series, but I always check out each game of this series. I'm talking about, The Legend of Zelda. Now I know many hardcore fans of the Zelda series will probably call this cheating, but I consider owning the Collector's Edition disc as owning both the original NES games. They're both on there, and they both work flawlessly with the Gamecube controller, so why not? Not to mention it also comes packed with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. I got my gold copy of Majora's Mask on the side there for free, believe it or not. Pictured here I've got the, what I consider superior version, of Twilight Princess. I wasn't a fan of this game actually. Wind Waker felt like such a huge leap forward for the franchise, and this game felt like it took it back to Ocarina of Time. Also pictured I've got all three of the Gameboy and Gameboy Color games. Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are both a lot of fun, and it's a shame not many Zelda fans have really played them. Link's Awakening DX was purchased mainly due for collection purposes, I wasn't that big of a fan of the original. Some may find Ocarina of Time on the N64 as the best part of this picture, while others may find the semi-rare Master's Quest disc the best part of this picture. However, I find the Versus Books players guide as the best part of this picture by FAR! Versus Books made the BEST guides back when they were still in business. All their guides now run for a decent amount of cash on sites like eBay. They always included hand-drawn maps, exclusive character art, and literally every single secret in the game it was covering. Well that pretty much wraps it up for my Zelda collection. Now before any of you start pointing out my missing games, I'll go ahead and tell you my future plans. I do plan on getting Wind Waker and the Four Swords Adventure for the Gamecube within the near future. Also, yes I do plan on getting either the GBA or SNES version of a Link to the Past. I'll probably go with the GBA version solely due to the packed in Four Swords game, and because the longer battery life. I could totally see me getting the SNES version as well though, as that is my favorite Zelda game. Thanks for reading this entry guys. If you've got any input, opinion, or comment to make please feel free. Comment, rate, digg, do whatever! I love to see what you guys think, so don't feel shy. Once again, thanks for reading and I'll see ya'll next time.

Daily Game Fix_08 - Gunstar Heroes

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:22:18 -0400

Yo what's going on g1s, Big D here with another case of your Daily Game Fix. So today on DGF I've got a classic Genesis game that is absolutely amazing. I never actually got my hands on a copy but I was able to experience this game on the SEGA Channel, and for those of you who don't know what the SEGA Channel is...I feel bad for you. So lets stop beating around the bush and get right to it, today on DGF I'll tell you guys about Gunstar Heroes. Gunstar Heroes was a platformer for the SEGA Genesis that revolved around gun-slinging. It was a pretty cool concept, you could get different power-ups for your automatic pistol. The special thing was you could mix and match the power-ups to make more unique abilities. Such as a Flame Thrower mixed with Locked on Bullets, which creates a flame thrower that directly attacks the enemy by honing them out. Not only that but the game included a downward slide, some grappling moves, a jump kick, and a standing kick move as well. This game was all about combat and ways on taking your enemies out. The story is there, but isn't that important to enjoying the game. It was pretty much overshadowed by the amazing, hectic gameplay and the epic boss battles. Not to mention the music in the game which was awesome as well. This game, from the bottom up, is single-handedly one of the best games you can get on the SEGA Genesis. There was a sequel made for the Gameboy Advance, but it didn't nearly live up to the original. I guess if you can't get your hands on the Genesis original though that the GBA sequel would be the best way to go. To sum it all up, if you're a platformer fan, a Contra fan, or just a Genesis fan I'd suggest this game to almost anyone. With it's non-stop action, kickin' soundtrack, and gameplay that you've got to play to believe. Gunstar Heroes is an unforgettable game. Once you've played it, you'll be coming back for more.

Collections: Consoles & Handhelds Pt. 3

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:13:09 -0400

Well g1's I'm back with the third and final installment of Collections: Consoles & Handhelds. In this blog I'll be showing off the remainder of my consoles and handhelds, but I'll also show my surprise that I've been speaking about for the last couple of days. Expect another blog soon after that is entirely dedicated to this new console. With all that said, lets get into it shall we? So my first console I'll be showing off in this installment is a classic for many people. It still lives on in my house and I'm proud to say I'm an owner. It was the host of great games like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy. I'm talking about Sony's first video game console, The Playstation. This PSX pictured is the first PSX I ever bought. It still works, and is in great condition. I've got two off-brand memory cards for it, I never could find any Sony brand memory cards. These work fine anyways. So I recently got the controller for it, believe it or not but I had broken my old controller a long time ago and was PSX controller-less until this past weekend. My girlfriend also gave my a PS1 controller she wasn't using, just to add to my collection. Isn't she just great? And oh yeah, I got that stupid driving controller from this garage sale where I bought another PSX for my older brother. It's stupid so I just own it for collection purposes. Next on the list is what introduced U.S. gamers to the world of 16-bit gaming. When I was younger I hated this company, I felt like they were trying to destroy my beloved Nintendo. But with games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Gunstar Heroes, and Vectorman you couldn't help buy enjoy this console. I'm talking about the SEGA Genesis. I finally got this bad boy from, once again, my girlfriend this weekend. She owns 3 and decided to give me one. I hadn't had a Genesis for many years before this. We did own one in my house many years ago, but we mainly used it for SEGA Channel and that was about it. She didn't have the cables or controller to give me, but that was okay. I bought a bag of random games and SEGA cables from a lady at this flea market while I was over there. Not to mention I had a controller at my house. I'll never invest into the 32X or SEGA CD, but it's cool to finally own this console again, it's been too long. Alright now it's time for my last handheld. Well...it isn't really handheld, but it IS "portable". That's how it was advertised anyway. This is one of the most hated handheld or console, whatever you want to call it. It's considered by many as Nintendo's greatest failure. This is the epic fail known as, the Nintendo Virtual Boy. The Virtual Boy is an interesting piece of hardware. It was supposed to make you feel like you were in virtual reality, which was all the rave in the 90s. Well it failed at that horribly, it didn't even come close. It only had a library of about 15 games, and I only own one game for it that my girlfriend gave me. I haven't played it because the Virtual Boy I found didn't have any controllers or cables. I got a controller with the game from my girlfriend, but I still haven't come across any cables anywhere. I got the thing for $5 at a retale shop near my house. I don't ever really plan on hunting down the cables unless I can find them for a couple of bucks, or maybe some substitute cables. To make up for the embarrassment of the Virtual Boy, I'll give ya'll my favorite console of all time. If you've been following my blog up to this point, you should know exactly what I'm talking about. It's SEGA's finest piece of hardware and the end of the golden age of gaming. None other than the SEGA Dreamcast. If you've read my Thoughts blogs on the SEGA Dreamcast, you would truly know how much I love this console. Here though I'll explain how I got my own Dreamcast. My brother had owned 3 previous to be getting my own. For some reason his kept breaking down, even more often then 360s these days. I ran into my own at a local game store called Game Crazy. They used to sell old school games and systems but were selling everything they had in stock and not buying anymore. When I walked in there was only one thing left in the entire glass display case. A SEGA Dreamcast. I had been wanting one pretty damn badly for a few months previous to this and I threw down all $30 in my pocket for it. It was all I had! I walked out of the store with 16 cents. But I had my SEGA Dreamcast with a controller, a memory card, and a rumble pack. What a great deal, looking back on it. I would've done it all over again, no doubt it my mind. So now it's time for what you've all been waiting for. About a week ago I posted a blog stating that I would have a surprise for you guys, and I do indeed have it. It's a console that up to the point of my purchase I had never heard of, seen, or had ANY knowledge of it's existence. The same goes for anyone I know in my life, personally or on the internet. I'm excited to present ya'll with this. Hopefully it'll be a surprise, so here it is...The Super Nintendo 2 This is a second model of the Super Nintendo that was released for a very short time, only in the U.S. Join me here in a few days where I discuss the history of this item and my own personal input. Thanks for checking out Collections and keep an eye out for future blogs. I plan on presenting my video game collections for each console and handheld I've listed above. Not to mention a few non-gaming collections I've got going on. Thanks for checking in guys!

RESIDENT EVIL: Thoughts on the Direction of the Series

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:49:34 -0400

The Playstation era helped begin a genre beyond anybodies most wildest imaginations. A genre that to this day stands strong and is still producing game after game. The survival-horror genre. One game single-handedly invented this genre, birthed an array of sequels and spin-offs, and inspired other series. I'm talking, of course, about Resident Evil. While the series remained on the Playstation, it began a following unlike any other series in gaming. It wasn't until the 4th installment in the franchise when things began to change. The same fans were given a sour taste in their mouth, while new fans were pulled in by action-based gameplay. Suddenly, my favorite video game series of all time was taking a crazy turn. What exactly happened to this series? Where does this series stand in my eyes today? Will Resident Evil 5 change the direction of this franchise at all? All of this and more on this episode of Thoughts. In 1996 the gaming world got their hands on something awesome, and it was when I had my first scare from a video game. It didn't take very long for Resident Evil to become my favorite video game on the console, it soon became my favorite series of all time. I had to wait two long years for the sequel and it was definitely worth the wait. Luckily for me, the third installment was released only a year later, the smallest gap in between releases for this series. I was able to play Resident Evil Code: Veronica on the Dreamcast as well, so I didn't miss one second of this series. Eventually we had to wait 5 years for the next installment. We were given a half-hearted RE installment known as Resident Evil Zero, but it wasn't what the fans wanted. Finally, Resident Evil 4 was released in 2005 and the wait was finally over. Suddenly the series took an almost complete U-Turn. Instead of fighting zombies, you were fighting people. Instead of creeping through a scary environment, fearing what's around every corner. You were thrown into a battlefield, blasting at everything in sight. I enjoyed the game, and played through it several times. For some reason it wasn't until around my third-run when I realized something. This wasn't Resident Evil. This game introduced a boss character, gave them some back story, had you play through their area, and kill them. Meanwhile you were talking on your Codec...I mean Radio, to your partner over in the States giving you hints on what to do and where to go. You're on a rescue mission trying to save someone of high political status. While all this time, there is the major enemy with an overwhelming strength that you must destroy before it's too late. Sound familiar? It's Metal Gear Solid. Yeah, Leon is Snake and Saddler is Liquid! Ada is Ninja, and all of the bosses are Fox Hound. If you think about it, it all makes sense. This isn't Resident Evil, it's a rip-off of one of the most popular action games of all time, Metal Gear. Now with that out of the way, what direction will RE5 be taking us in? Well it doesn't seem like RE5 is planning much different in terms of gameplay, but it does seem like a much more original story this time through. I will say that I am excited about the release of this game. While it may sound like I was ripping RE4 apart, don't get me wrong. I like RE4, I really do. It was a great game, just not a great Resident Evil game. This seems to be the case with RE5. It looks more like RE4.5 to me. Not much has changed by the looks of things. Wether that is bad or good, only time will tell. Now for the final part of this blog, my thoughts on the Resident Evil series. For anyone who is questioning my loyalty to the series, or think I may not be full-hearted when I say it was my favorite series. I got a blog in the Collection series that'll make you change your mind. And oh yeah, I did say WAS my favorite series. After RE4, I couldn't look at the series the same. While everything before RE4 stands as my favorite series, it's obvious that CAPCOM has no intentions on sending this game back in the direction it began in. I don't know what my favorite video game series is now, but it isn't Resident Evil. Maybe RE5 will be something great and will fix all of this for me, but until March 19th...or whenever they push it back too, we'll never know.

Daily Game Fix_07 - Metal Gear Ac!d

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:22:48 -0400

Hey, what's going on g1s? While you wait for the third installment of Collections, wouldn't it be nice to have something to pass the time with? How about a nice dose of your Daily Game Fix. That's right guys, DGF is back with a new installment and this time I'm giving you a lesser played title of a blockbuster series. The fourth installment of this franchise was just released on the PS3 a couple of months ago and left it's mark on all PS3 owners. So what do they do now since they've finished it? Well, hoping that they own a PSP they can pop in a copy of Metal Gear Ac!d. While the game is pretty popular, many gamers and PSP owners haven't played it. It's an interesting idea for a MG game actually. Instead of being a stealth action game, it's a stealth strategy game. Kind of like...Shining Force for the SEGA Genesis. Actually beside the card-based battle system, it's a lot like Shining Force. Yeah that's right, I said card based battle system. So basically you get a bunch of cards and you can choose to either use them for their ability or use them to move your character. You'd be surprised on how simple this can be. What seems to be a complicated system at the beginning turns out to be quite easy. So the story doesn't have anything to do with the main plot, but it will still keep you scratching your head. Snake is apparently some scientist named Hans Davis, and was behind something evil. If I remember correctly, it was the creation of Metal Gear. So anyway the game takes you through plenty of different environments and you get a huge variety of weapons to use. Flamethrowers, FAMAS, silenced SOCOMs, the choice is all yours. I enjoyed this game throughly, but it doesn't provide much as far as replay value goes. Once you beat it, you probably won't play it again. That's why Metal Gear Ac!d 2 exist though. To sum it all up, if you're a fan of strategy based games or even a MGS fan, check it out. While it may feel a little slow or bland to most MGS fans, give it a chance. It may just warm up on'ya.