So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

Retr0gamer · 24-12-2013 3:30pm

The original Persona is kind of weird. It's very old school and along the lines of the SNES Shin Megami Tensei games being a first person dungeon crawler. Some people love it, mostly due to nostalgia though since it was quite a big RPG release on the PS1 just before FFVII threw the whole genre in the mainstream. The general consensus I've heard is that's not very good and what I played of it's it's a very slow game.

It does however have one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. It's unfortunate that Shoji Meguro recomposed the soundtrack for the PSP release because while it's not bad it's a no where near as good as the PS1 release.

On the other hand the PS1 release of the game has about 50% of the game content cut from it in English.

johnny_ultimate · 24-12-2013 3:40pm

I've tried to get into Persona 1 twice now, and while there were moments when it captured my attention, the pace was aggressively broken when I came up against another bland first person corridor full of seemingly endless random battles. The balance is just off, a fight taking place every couple of steps. When there's a corridor that could hold an item, it just boils down to 'Ugh. More fights. Is it really worth it?'. I know that's half the point, but christ it gets frustrating quickly. Of its time, no doubt, but nearly impossible to get into after the near perfection of the PS2 games.

Retr0gamer · 24-12-2013 3:46pm

I really don't mind first person dungeon crawlers, in fact since Etrian Odyssey I absolutely adore them. However for them to work they need a very fast paced battle system and the one in Persona really drags. It's a shame especially since it's an SMT game, a series known for fast paced battles (you aim to finish in one round otherwise you are in trouble).

CiDeRmAn · 24-12-2013 4:06pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Anyone ever try the original Persona?

94% reliable, much reassure!

I think Atavans wimmins go through a few of them.

Myrddin · 24-12-2013 8:13pm

Christmas eve, lashing rain, all is settled, all is well, a tipple at my side & I'm off to free Zelda from Turtle Rock, & then on to battle Ganondorf....ah yes, Christmas as it should be

Retr0gamer · 24-12-2013 10:17pm

I'm playing Tomb Raider 1. I bought the GoG 1,2 and 3 collection. It's a bit of a joke though because it didn't work for me straight out of the box, I had to do a lot of fiddling with it to get it working and can only get it working properly in a Window.

It's also the 3DFX version of the game which is far inferior to the Power VR version which is how I remember playing it. It had loads more subtle graphical effects.

osprey · 24-12-2013 10:29pm

My 7 year old and I played Monkey Island today, pretty cool fun.

CiDeRmAn · 24-12-2013 11:02pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'm playing Tomb Raider 1. I bought the GoG 1,2 and 3 collection. It's a bit of a joke though because it didn't work for me straight out of the box, I had to do a lot of fiddling with it to get it working and can only get it working properly in a Window.

It's also the 3DFX version of the game which is far inferior to the Power VR version which is how I remember playing it. It had loads more subtle graphical effects.

That's the one I had, the latter, not the former, very nice indeed.

STG.Otaku · 25-12-2013 11:36am

Spent some time last night playing Image Fight II. What. A. Game.

My God is it difficult but it is so rewarding. Fast becoming one of my favourite STG's ever.

eddhorse · 25-12-2013 2:49pm

At the parents house for crimbo, so got a gaming area setup. See attached.
Have the SNES with Mario Allstars, DKC, Zombie Ate my Neighbours and Sunset Riders.
Got The Last of Us on the PS3 for ~€25.
The 27GB download took 7 hours. Not bad for the sticks in Offaly.
Happy Xmas Arcade and Retro.

Call Me Jimmy · 25-12-2013 7:20pm

Realised the wii that I hadn't played in yonks has great games (I know :P). Got donkey kong country returns, it seems somehow even better than originals. It also has time trial features which I don't get the hate for, people say they are cheap way of gettin replayability but I like the specific challenge. Took me about 100 or so goes to get a gold on the first level but it was the most satisfying bit of gaming I've done in years.

Also super mario galaxy. Never was the biggest mario fan and it is quite straightforward but the artistic and game design creativity is an absolute master class. It inspires me to even want to make games again. Just pure ingenuity. I'm only a small bit into it as well so getting all the stars hopefully will be somewhat challenging.

These two games have made me want to game again. Maybe nintendo games have been my gaming-soulmates all along I just never really found them. They are making the most out of every bit of hardware without it being tacky or forced.

Really good stuff. Galaxy 2 will be a definite future purchase as I've read it improves on the first. Any other good shouts for wii? Never played zelda. I like platformers so Rayman Origins seems like another definite purchase.

CiDeRmAn · 25-12-2013 7:26pm

Galaxy 2 is the game no one was looking for but became an essential title in the Wii library.
No More Heroes is impressive.
Mario Kart Wii, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Excite Truck, Sin Vs Punishment, Rayman Origins, Zelda Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Pikmin 1&2 and that's just off the top of my head.

Andrew76 · 27-12-2013 5:14am

Decided to fire up the cab tonight, swapped out ESP. Ra. De. for Strikers 1945 II (o1s1n reminded me I hadn't played them in ages). Levels are short but great fun, the bullet patterns on some of the bosses really are lovely (and deadly! :pac:).

TechnoFreek · 27-12-2013 10:53am

Andrew76 wrote: »

Decided to fire up the cab tonight, swapped out ESP. Ra. De. for Strikers 1945 II (o1s1n reminded me I hadn't played them in ages). Levels are short but great fun, the bullet patterns on some of the bosses really are lovely (and deadly! :pac:).

What are you doing up in the middle of the night playing your cab? Couldnt sleep with the wind and rain?!!

Shapey Fiend · 27-12-2013 11:12am

I've played more Strikers I I than any shmup. It's nice and short so you can bung it in and get some satisfaction in 15 minutes. I can't loop it yet but I got to the last boss once I think.

Myrddin · 28-12-2013 12:14am

With LttP completed, I finally began LbW today...my god it's glorious

o1s1n · 28-12-2013 12:26am

Did you have a heart attack when you realized the house you were in at the start of the game and then looked at the map? I know I did!

Words cannot express my glee.

The Last Bandit · 28-12-2013 12:26pm

Finished Mass Effect 3 last night, can't see what all the fuss about the ending was about. Shoot aliens, blow up stuff, game over

Retr0gamer · 28-12-2013 2:14pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Finished Mass Effect 3 last night, can't see what all the fuss about the ending was about. Shoot aliens, blow up stuff, game over

Same here. It was a great game and despite the ending sucking the story wasn't any great shakes to begin with, it was just a bog standard fantasy story with a sci-fi reskin. Take away the sci-fi look and you've got the same story about the big acient evil that was sealed away coming back to destroy the universe but whis time with space elves, space dwarves and space orcs.

Steve X2 · 01-01-2014 7:01pm

I've moved to the dark side. I played basically no retro goodness over the Christmas and instead got stuck into Forza on the Xbox One

I've been away from my arcade machine so thats my excuse

Optimus Prime · 02-01-2014 12:15am

Ive been playing some DS games i never got around to before, New Super Mario Bros, i have the second one waiting to start when ive finished this. its alright, nothing amazing. Is there any 3DS games out there i should pick up? I have a few but looking on amazon there doesnt seem to be a whole lot of decent games for it that i can see?

o1s1n · 02-01-2014 2:51am

You mad!

Fire Emblem:Awakening
Kid Icarus Uprising
Zelda: a Link Between Worlds
Resident Evil Revelations
Luigi's Mansion:Dark Moon
Virtue's Last Reward
Super Mario 3D Land
Pullblox & Fallblox
All the Sega and Nintendo 3D Classics
Gunman Clive
Nano Assault EX
Zen Pinball 3D
Mighty Switch Force 1&2

And that's just some of the ones I like, I hear other people out there like Mario Kart 7, Monster Hunter, Etrian Odyssey, Bravely Default, Animal Crossing and that new Pokemon game...

o1s1n · 02-01-2014 2:58am

Started Illusion of Time this evening. Continuing on my quest to finish every Snes RPG worth playing.

Fairly sure I'm almost through most of the ones now which appear in 'top 10' lists.

Although I've still yet to play Shadowrun, Super Mario RPG, Terranigma, Breath of Fire, FF IV & V... damn, still a long road ahead it seems!

Mr.Saturn · 02-01-2014 3:21am

I'm flabbergasted that Mario RPG wasn't what popularized RPGs in the West; played it for the first time a couple years back, and it's top-notch gaming nosh from the get-go. The timing-mechanics really lighten up a lot of the more dry-sh**ey RPG tropes too, feels a less passive experience.

CiDeRmAn · 02-01-2014 3:39am

After a lot of hassle I got that game over the summer but have yet to play it, so many game, so little time, so it joins the queue behind Chronotrigger and Earthbound.

Shapey Fiend · 02-01-2014 10:43am

My girlfriend has fond memories of the Amiga so I got an emulator up and running (after a fair bit of hairpulling). Mostly played Rainbow Islands, which is a pretty smashing conversion with great music. We were also playing another game I'd never seen before called Magic Pockets. It's quite fun, I like the game mechanics, but the levels drag on a bit and it's pretty impossible to die.

Yesterday I picked up Portal 2 and Rogue Legacy. Put about an hour into each and I'm fairly happy with my purchases.

Optimus Prime · 02-01-2014 11:29am

o1s1n wrote: »

You mad!

Fire Emblem:Awakening
Kid Icarus Uprising
Zelda: a Link Between Worlds
Resident Evil Revelations
Luigi's Mansion:Dark Moon
Virtue's Last Reward
Super Mario 3D Land
Pullblox & Fallblox
All the Sega and Nintendo 3D Classics
Gunman Clive
Nano Assault EX
Zen Pinball 3D
Mighty Switch Force 1&2

And that's just some of the ones I like, I hear other people out there like Mario Kart 7, Monster Hunter, Etrian Odyssey, Bravely Default, Animal Crossing and that new Pokemon game...

Half the games there you mention i cant seem to find on smyths or argos, ill look online, there still isnt that many to be honest, i have about 4 of the ones you mentioned, the wife and kids play animal crossing and pokemon, i was a bit too old when pokemon hit so i never really was interested in it.

CiDeRmAn · 02-01-2014 12:05pm

A lot of them are bought through the eshop rather than picked up in Argos.
The likes of Luigi's Mansion is simply called Luigi's Mansion 2 here I think, the Dark Moon name is in the US.

Optimus Prime · 02-01-2014 12:20pm

ah ok, My oldest has Luigis mansion2 so thats grand i can grab that haha Must pick up Mario 3ds and maybe Kart, my Zelda 3ds XL arrived this morning, I wont be "allowed" have it until my Birthday in March, but at least i have the new Zelda game to look forward to.

J_E · 02-01-2014 11:02pm

Started Ys I last night and basically spent all night playing it from start to end. I really didn't like it at first but ended up really enjoying it! Started Ys II tonight, probably going to blast through the whole series one by one.

CiDeRmAn · 03-01-2014 12:50am

Mario Kart 7 is fantastic, as is Super Mario 3D Land.
I quite enjoy the charms of Bit.trip.saga, Cave Story and Pacman & Galaga

Jack burton · 06-01-2014 11:43pm

Just finished Metal Gear Rising

Really fun playthrough...well worth picking up for a go if you havnt yet. Even though I still think Raiden is a complete twat.

Now back to Dark Souls...

o1s1n · 07-01-2014 12:10am

Absolutely hooked on A Link Between Worlds.

Slowest I've played through a game in years. Putting off every single main quest for as long as I can and focusing on all the little side quests - I never want it to end

Donatron · 13-01-2014 1:17pm

Just started playing through Alundra on the ps1. Alot of similarities to A Link to the Past, particularly the sprinting animation and general shrubbery cutting! But it's looking very promising

Shapey Fiend · 13-01-2014 9:40pm

I've always meant to play that. I'm a big fan of Landstalker and I've often heard it namechecked as the true sequel.

Retr0gamer · 14-01-2014 12:42am

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

I've always meant to play that. I'm a big fan of Landstalker and I've often heard it namechecked as the true sequel.

It's definitely not the true sequel, Ladystalker and a weird saturn game I can't think of is far closer.

Alundra is a far, far better game than Landstalker so definitely find time to play it!

Hematocyte · 15-01-2014 1:28am

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

We were also playing another game I'd never seen before called Magic Pockets. It's quite fun, I like the game mechanics, but the levels drag on a bit and it's pretty impossible to die.

This tune may sound familiar to to you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM_9As_2VAg

Andrew76 · 15-01-2014 2:17am

Finished Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons earlier this evening. Fabulous game. Controlling both brothers at once made you connect with them more I thought, an excellent mechanic along with a great story. And that scene near the end was something else.

johnny_ultimate · 15-01-2014 2:39am

I just finished it yesterday as well actually. Just going to copy and paste what I wrote in games earlier about it:

I'd say the game's biggest problem is that it takes quite a while to get to the really good stuff. For the first I would say almost half the game I found it to be enjoyable but not particularly inspiring. The gameplay, outside of the main 'novelty' of getting to play as two characters at once, felt awkward - the human brain isn't quite wired to control two characters simultaneously, and although the game is generously easy, it all felt a bit messy in execution (on the other hand, the game gave me a newfound respect for those folks who can play Ikaruga with both ships). It also doesn't help that several of the game's less inspired setpieces are planted here - the

troll reunion and 'torchlight'

segments were far from highlights IMO. While the art design is regularly magnificent, for the longest time I felt it was limited by underwhelming graphical oomph - luckily, some of the game's wonderful later settings render those technical concerns negligible.

Anyway, the game does eventually get to the good stuff. While the gameplay doesn't necessarily become any more brilliant in and off itself (although I thoroughly enjoyed the rope climbing sequence), there are some truly beautiful visuals, landscapes and events -

the mountain climb, the haunting valley of fallen giants, the invisible monster, the Northern lights

. The second half is almost always imaginative, intriguing and mysterious. But most importantly the way it incorporates the gameplay and narrative towards the end is a major success. The story's 'literal' conclusion veers between overblown and moving, but the way it's executed is fantastic and instantly illustrates how a co-op mode would simply have completely undermined the whole point of the game. Like Braid's conclusion, the ending uses the very mechanics as a narrative delivery device, and the player is led to interpret the game's themes and character developments not via cutscenes but through subversion and recontextualisation of the game's control system: a smart and effective tactic. And, while I felt some of the cutscenes were somewhat melodramatic, having to

shovel in the grave was a genuinely devastating moment that powerfully indicated 'nope, he's not coming back'

Also, just as a further indicator that the game is heavily inspired by Ico, the

giant's house

was fairly reminiscent of a certain crumbling castle

Andrew76 · 15-01-2014 3:08am

Yeah just read your post in the other thread. A well written analysis as always JU and I don't disagree with it.

But I was able to get something extra from the game, maybe more than most - I let my two young sons watch me play it. They're too young for gaming at the minute, almost 4 and 5 respectively, but I figured we could all enjoy it hoping the content was fairly tame (and I was tired refusing to allow them watch me play Dark Souls!). Well they understood why the brothers went on their journey and easily identified with them, being brothers themselves. Watching the characters help each other climb, swing on ropes, sail a boat, fend off monsters etc was great fun but seeing my lads' reactions to those ending scenes, understanding what it meant, that was something else - extremely powerful. I didn't even get any awkward questions it was that clear.

Mr.Saturn · 16-01-2014 7:07pm

Found Metroid Fusion at a flea market last week, seemingly new, so that'll do nicely as an intro to the series and something handheld to keep me occupied between classes. Found the GBC version of Warioland II as well at said market, so have plenty to work with.

o1s1n · 21-01-2014 10:51pm

Anyone play through 'The Legendary Axe' games on the PCE?

I have to confess, I checked them out as a matter of interest to see if they were Golden Axe clones

Started with The Legendary Axe II - looks like Rastan, but plays a bit like a mix between Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden.

Was really enjoying it until I got to a midget boss who throws a huge metal ball thing at you. Couldn't get near him.

Interesting writeup on hardcoregaming101.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/legendaryaxe/legendaryaxe.htm

Second game looks a lot better than the first.

CiDeRmAn · 22-01-2014 7:55am

So, to be clear, not Golden Axe clones?
Good, I'll have to take a look so!

CiDeRmAn · 26-01-2014 9:12pm

I just spent the first good 2 hours of gaming with Super Mario 3D World and my glob, it's amazing.

MrVestek · 27-01-2014 11:54am

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I just spent the first good 2 hours of gaming with Super Mario 3D World and my glob, it's amazing.

Ordered one of those whilst drunk the other night after seeing your post.

Only remembered after checking my bank account. Not sure I even need one but you can't really go wrong for the price!

Star Lord · 27-01-2014 12:20pm

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I just spent the first good 2 hours of gaming with Super Mario 3D World and my glob, it's amazing.

It's just a remarkable game. Every level has it's own quirks, and though the game is (mostly) fairly easy, it's so much fun to play.

o1s1n · 27-01-2014 12:29pm

I keep getting confused between Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D Land

So is 3D World a sequel to 3D Land (and I take it that's why they've kept the '3D'?) Bit confusing.

I wonder was it originally meant to be on the 3DS?

CiDeRmAn · 27-01-2014 12:55pm

They share a game design style, a diorama type level, but instead of the camera typically behind Mario as in the Galaxy series here the camera is often at a distance.
3d world shares the Super Mario World style over world too, while 3d land has a linear level progression.
They are both like San Diego, that is classy!

o1s1n · 27-01-2014 1:06pm

Just looking at some videos now of 3D World - looks great!

So it's the whole isometric gaming thing from 3D Land. Excellent. That's tempting me to get a Wii U now.

/Trollface: Sure Sonic did that whole thing first anyway, even put 3D in the title :pac:

Retr0gamer · 27-01-2014 1:13pm

Boo! Dislike!

So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

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