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So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Was playing a bit of Bangai O Missile Fury this evening. What a great game but I seriously feel like I'm not playing it properly!

    Actually figured out something with it that had been annoying me. The games is in widescreen 16:9 mode so you've black bars on a 4:3 tv. Makes everything absolutely tiny on a 14 inch CRT.

    If you actually change the Xbox display settings to widescreen mode rather than 4:3 mode then this game fills the whole display. Seems counter intuitive but there you go!



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    You aren't playing it properly.

    And I'm speaking from experience. You will fumble your way through the game and then the game will click. But then you won't be playing the game properly then either and get stuck on the final boss of the ordinary stages.

    So the secret to the game is about juggling i-frames. You keep dashing through enemies which has I-frames to build up the meter to unless a barrage attack. Each barrage attack has about a second or two of iframe. Fire off enough bullets and kill enough enemies and you will have enough meter to dash again.

    However the secret to those asshole bosses is to use a move you forget about, freeze. You need to freeze their bullets and, I can't remember how, send those bullets back at the boss (and make sure you freeze them as close to you as possible) for maximum damage.

    If you get to the final final stage it's about 5 minutes long of absolute insanity and three of these assholes at the end and I never want to play that level every again.

    Anyway once it clicks with you you'll have fun.

    Oh btw if you have trouble there's speed runs of every level by one user although there's a stage filled with boxes and you won't be able to beat it as he did. It took me ages to figure out but it's just a case of firing and moving g diagonally through them.

    It's an awesome game. I love how every stage plays completely differently and how it can feel so different despite using the same mechanics.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    So one thing I noticed about some PS2 games.

    I remember digital foundry talking about Wipeout HD on PS3 which maintained 60 fps by using dynamic resolution scaling, something quite common place now. They talked about it as some new fancy technique but two games I'm playing, Michigan and Digital Devil Saga quite clearly used dynamic resolution scaling when scenes get busy and will half the resolution.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    Making my way through Black Mesa on Steam for a break from retro. Been many moons since I played through the original game, so this is a nice way to revisit it with some modern shiny bits on. Enjoying it so far, but even with some spit and polish, you can tell it's a game of its era (a game that tremendously raised the bar albeit). Still an all time great though.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    An almost ten years old remake of a 26 year old game.

    Could probably still call that retro gaming ;)

    It's some game, made such an impression when it came out.

    Are you going to plow on through 2 once you're done?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    Yeah I think so. I'll use the Half Life 2: Update mod and the Mmod combined, and then do Episode 1 and 2…



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    I'm just disappointed they removed the chuckle brothers mugs from the original release.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    I've never actual run a single HL2 mod, didn't even realise there were any but of course there are.

    Fancy giving that a try out myself.

    I see there's a team looking into doing an RTX version 😮

    https://www.hl2rtx.com/

    Post edited by o1s1n on


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,218 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    I do like running the RTX mods for a while to have a gander but I do also think they tend to change the original look of games in quite substantial ways I’m not always down with. Portal in particular had a notably different vibe with the new assets and lighting profile.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Yeah I've only ever tried Quake II RTX but thought that looked fantastic. Didn't play it through mind you, was more looking at a tech demo really.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,218 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    Yeah I quite like Quake II and even Doom as they look enjoyably mad running with the RT effects. Again, would likely play the originals over them though - especially as they have fantastic modern ports.

    Maybe it’s because Portal is both more modern and so very specific in its art and level design that it feels more compromised - especially as redoing assets completely removes some iconic elements from the game.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Did the addition of raytracing render the cake no longer a lie?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    Inviere cries in GTX 1080Ti ☹️

    I really want to change my monitor before investing in a modern gpu. There's absolutely no point sticking a 4080 Super etc in my PC, and feeding it a Dell 1080p 60Hz monitor!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    That said, as above, I'd enjoy RTX as a tech experiment, and would probably still favour paying games as originally intended.

    The HL2 mods I mention, are very well regarded as a best way to enjoy the game these days. No massive shiny graphics etc, just some tasteful modern upgrades.

    RTX has a place, but I think I'd enjoy it more in games that were designed for it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Ever think of a less beefy RTX card? I have a 3070 mobile version in my laptop which seems to handle everything I throw at it maxed out, with raytracing. I think you'd get the desktop version for about 300 eurons.

    Saying that, the screen is only 1080p so perhaps things would be different if I stick a 4k one in there instead!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    I kinda look at GPUs these days as 5+ year investments 😔 I'll drop a few quid on a mid-high card and hope to get a good chunk of time out of it. My 1080Ti has long since served its duty at this stage



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,218 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    I have a desktop 3070 and a 1440p monitor and do find you have to choose between performance and RT on many titles. Only a handful like Alan Wake 2 are truly transformed with full RT, so will take the hit there. Others though I’d just rather the high frame rate.

    That said, DLSS is probably more of a selling point for RTX cards than Raytracing itself!



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Im in the market for a monitor but the one that suits me is a white whale. Would love 4K but ultra wide 3440p suits much better for work.

    Then there's the monitor type. IPS looks like **** with awful blacks, VA has great colour but the ghosting is awful as is input latency and OLED I'm afraid of burn in, especially as I'll be using it for work. I think what I need is micro LED monitor but those are at least 10 years out.

    Might just go OLED or QD OLED if I get a good price in the sales so that I won't mind if there's burn in after a while.

    As it stands I'm stuck with a 60hz IPs 3440p monitor and the colour and black levels are just awful on it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    I'm in a similar quandary. I want 4k,144/120Hz, VRR, FALD, and either OLED or Mini LED at 27" maximum size....which translates into a monitor costing around a grand.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,227 ✭✭✭SuperBowserWorld


    I think OLED LG TV for gaming, and cheap IPS monitor(s) for work. For me OLED HDR 4K is like experiencing high speed broadband or flat screen monitors or WiFi for the first time. It's just incredible. You can get previous year's models cheaper and in sales. And there are 40 inch ones now.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,168 ✭✭✭✭McDermotX


    Not much to compare with, but been very happy with the Dell AW3423DW over the last few years or so. One of the early QD-OLED options out there, but also G-Sync Ultimate enabled, so was the perfect UW 144Hz for my setup at the time. Near perfect black levels along with all the bells and whistles made it a solid investment. Was supplanted by the AW3423DWF a little while after, minus the G-Sync module, but is fully AdaptiveSync compatible, and retains all the extras.

    Do see the former popping up every now and then in foreign markets on sales, but not sure if the Irish market has reflected that, and TBH, there's probably newer, improved models from other manufacturers nowadays, but nothing to fear with the QD-OLED tech. Initially all the panels in use were the same, with just changes in the electronics.

    Think there were 27 and 32 inch options this year, with increased refresh, but haven't been on the scene so not sure how they were received. On the 4K front, the ASUS PG32UCDM and P are looking very nice, but not so nice on the wallet.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    The OLED LG TVs are just a little too big for a work machine.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,227 ✭✭✭SuperBowserWorld


    Yes, definitely.

    I was suggesting the TV for gaming/movies/streaming only. Keep an eye out for a bargain. Maybe around black Friday.

    But if you want one monitor to rule them all ... I dunno, there are OLED monitors but work content/desktop is very static and liable for burn in.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Could you use ye olde days trick of getting around work station burn in by having a screensaver I wonder?

    One that's on a very short timer so will activate as soon as you're away from your PC.

    Or even just have it switch to black?

    Edit - few ideas I'm reading now for using one for work:

    • Change desktop wallpaper every 1 min (have a folder of dark themed wallpapers)
    • No desktop icons
    • Translucent taskbar via TaskBarX
    • Screensaver to black after 3 min
    • Screen turn off after 5 min


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    With Spirit Tracks out of the way I've the analogue pocket out again and playing two games.

    First is Warioware Twisted which might be the best take on the Warioware formula. For a simple gyro they managed to come up with some really inventive uses of the tech. There's some real crazy stuff like a shortened version of super Mario Bros that rotates around a circle.

    My cart seems to be a bit busted as it's not holding save data at all. Pretty sure all GBA games use nram so no need for a battery. At least the pocket has save states although the gyro goes a bit funky after loading and needs about 2 minutes lying down to recalibrate.

    The other game is Dragon Warrior Monsters. This was very obviously put into production to ride the pokemon bandwagon but it's thankfully its own thing and quite different to pokemon. Dungeons are small but randomized and it's mostly about collecting monsters to take part in tournaments held in a central hub area. You can't really control your monsters, more just tell them what personality you want them to act as and they will grow differently depending on what personality you favour. It's a fun little game with lots of dragon quest whimsy and charm.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭Mr.Saturn


    DQV had collectible monsters in 1992 while Pokemon was still a twinkle in Tajiri's eye. Which makes sense as Dragon Quest Monsters is a more complete collect'em JRPG than anything Game Freak released between 1996 and 2003.

    Playing Shadow of War. The nemesis system is really engaging, but it's a bit reminiscent of Telltale of all things, as the strings become a bit apparent once you've racked up enough hours. The fortress gimmick is enough of a spin on its predecessor's deal to liven things up, at least, though I'm told it gets really repetitive in the late-game — which may or may not have been designed to drive you towards microtransactions to speed up the grind, though the MTXs have been removed entirely.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Playing some Batman Gameboy stuff. Forgot how good that 1990 Batman game is. So simple but still a blast with a cracking soundtrack.

    Also played some return of the joker. What a ball buster of a game. Plays great, has that sun soft NES Batman controls but they only give you 1 life and the constant blind jumps due to the smaller screen real estate is annoying. Ive gotten to the last boss when I played this back in the day but never beat it. It plays great but it's just so mean.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Im really enjoying how relaxing dragon quest monsters is but I've a problem. It's turned into a sausage fest.

    What I mean is I've got a load of monster all at level 10 and ready to be bred into new monsters but RNGesus has made it that they are all male despite it being a 50/50 chance. So I'm desperately trawling the land for females and they aren't showing up and I'm getting flashbacks to my teenage disco years.

    I'm kind of at a road block as I've only one bred monster but the next tournament is beyond my abilities. Bred monsters are way more powerful and level up super quick. I really should have games the system with reloading until I got some female monsters.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,431 ✭✭✭✭The Nal


    Lemmings. Still pound for pound one of the greatest.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭Mr.Saturn


    Shadow of War comes to an absolute crawl in the endgame, with Monolith severely testing the limits of the fortress gimmick. Fun game and all, but they could've cut the grind in half to achieve the same ends in terms of giving you something to do with the nemesis system.

    Edit it: Finished it. Turns out they did halve it and it helped. Bit of an anticlimax all said.

    Post edited by Mr.Saturn on


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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Im addicted to breeding new monsters in Dragon Quest Monsters. If it gets any worse I might be in danger of a massive grant from the Irish government.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭Mr.Saturn


    Moved onto Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and, even as such an avowed fan of the series, Arkane level design continually blows me away not only in terms of its creativity but also its open-endedness. It's pretty much the only design that can credibly outpace BOTW-era Nintendo's "if you can think of it and our engine can handle it, it's fair game."



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    It's kind of mental going back to games like Quake which I didn't think too much of back in the day and being blown away because they have some gods honest level design. We really lost something when every game went to corridor shooters. The only place you get good level design now are boomer shooters and immersive sims and it's insane to me how immersive sims still haven't found the audience they deserve.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,716 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    I played a couple of things again today, Outrun 2006 on the PS2, still completely sublime.

    Battle Gear 3, pushes the PS2 pretty hard and is probably the best hill climb/drift game I've played.

    And Raiden Nova, which turns out to be a combination of Raiden and Vampire Survivors, and is shite.

    What a pity!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22 BarnabyDoolally


    Way too much Quake 3 Arena on PC, with frequent bouts of Dead Rising on the 360.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22 BarnabyDoolally


    "Lemmings. Still pound for pound one of the greatest."

    Ooooh, you're not wrong 🙂

    Lemmings was huge when it came out.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Decided to take a break from dragon warrior monsters to play Batman Return of the Joker on the Gameboy. This was a bit of a white whale as I remember I got to the last boss but never finished it.

    Now I know why, the last boss is a bastard. The first phase is tough enough but he has a pattern you can exploit. The second phase he just throws so much garbage at you that it seems that you just have to out DPS him. Which I've not managed to do.

    It's a fun game but really short. There's only 4 stages with the first 3 selectable from the start. The third stage is incredibly short compared to the others and feels more like a tech demo. I've seen long plays that beat the game in about 15 minutes. However it makes up for it with a very high difficulty. Stage 2 is very difficult and I've already mentioned the joker boss.

    It's a sun soft Batman game and plays like a follow up to the NES Batman. The wall jump is here and feels great. It's a little too zoomed in though leading to a few unfair blind leaps until you know the stages. It's a gorgeous game as well. There's a great looking water effect in the first stage and the parallax on stage 3 is impressive. It sounds amazing as well with an excellent soundtrack by the same composer as Shovel Knight.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Theres a NES version too (I actually didn't know there was a Gameboy release) - I see they're both different games so you might want to check out the NES one too!



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    The NES game is amazing. It's the only western. Released game that used a non Nintendo mapper, it's the same mapper as Gimmick. The game really shouldn't be running on a NES.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭Mr.Saturn


    Was wondering about the differences as well, as the final boss in the NES version is incredibly cheesable with that ricochet gun and a blindspot.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Very different games. The Gameboy one is closer to the original NES Batman game.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    On another note, I might brave Batman the animated series on gameboy, a Konami Batman game that is very good but also legendarily hard.

    It's infamous in my friends group as one of my friend broke his gameboy when he headbutt it in frustration playing this game.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    Beat the two Sunsoft Batman games on Gameboy. Both feature incredibly tough and frustrating final fights against Joker.

    With world events yesterday I decided to install Return to Castle Wolfenstein last night for cathartic release. It's not aged well. I loved it on release but it's been surpassed by better games. It's kind of weird going back to this era of shooter and movement is incredibly fast.

    There's nothing really wrong with the game, there's some good level design as well. The feel of the guns however is just way off. A few months later Medal of Honor allied assault would arrive and really change how shooters felt. Saying that I also feel the earlier Half Life did gun feel an awful lot better.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Cant beat the double barrel blast of the Spaz 12 in Half Life. An absolute joy in multiplayer when you nail someone with it. Still one of the best feeling shotguns in a game to this day.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    I'm still playing through Black Mesa, and the right click with the shotgun is still just as epic in this remake 😎 I have to be near the end of the Surface Tension chapter now...



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Been playing a lot of Blazing Chrome the last few nights. It really is a fantastic game. Such a good Contra Hard Corps homage it should nearly be a considered a sequel.

    Gameplay aside, the way the bosses are put together are so faithful to how bosses look in Hard Corps it's actually quite something.

    Would be amazing to see some kind of Megadrive port.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    And done.

    Really enjoyed it, and the Black Mesa remake is a worthy version of Half Life to play. The final Xen section has been completely overhauled, remade, and extended. It's a much longer, more fleshed out experience of Xen compared to the original game. Amazing work considering this wasn't really an official remake. I'll take a little break and then plan to hit Opposing Force…



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,964 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    You picked the perfect time to play through it, have you seen the Half Life 2 Update that's been released for free on Steam for HL2's 20th anniversary?

    Just installing it now myself. Think I might play through Black Mesa first actually!

    Edit - really weird, I definitely played through Black Mesa before but it wasn't in my Steam Library. Do I remember correctly in that one of the first iterations of it didn't actually have the full game? I can remember playing through the first section but definitely not as far as anything Xen.

    Either way, it's under a fiver at the moment so no better time to nab a copy.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,898 ✭✭✭Inviere


    Yep gonna grab that doc to watch.

    Indeed, Black Mesa was originally launched on early access, with Xen not included as it wasn't finished at the time. I can see why now, they've essentially remade the entire Xen section and expanded it far beyond the original version.



  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 52,785 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    They made xen fun



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