FEATURE: The Games I'm Currently Playing - Volume 4!

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy HD
System: PlayStation 3

Fun Fact: The game was originally going to have a third main character

I played this game back originally on the PlayStation 2 (That seems so far way), and I instantly fell in love with it - the simple fact alone the game spawns from the offices of Naughty Dog made me instantly think that yes, this game is going to be incredibly fun and there's going to be a lot of laughs along the way.

So, thanks to PlayStation+, the original trilogy of the Jak series was released, I was ecstatic about this because it gave me a chance to play one of my favourite platformers of all time once again - this time in HD and with trophy support. I admit, I'm a sucker for trophies. 

Jak II HD

System: PlayStation 3

Since I have recently finished the first in the series, it would make sense to go straight on to it's sequel; Jak II Renegade. I have had the original PlayStation 2 version in my collection for quite some time but never really got around to playing it properly.

I'm about 25% into the main storyline and to be honest, this game has nothing on The Precursor Legacy. I do enjoy the gameplay and the narrative is entertaining enough, but something is missing - maybe it's the lack of collectibles and the linear mission system.

Of course, I'll still finish the game and I may even change my mind but at this point, I see Jak II as a downgrade from The Precusor Legacy.

Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters

System: MegaDrive/Genesis

Fun Fact: Lethal Enforcers I and II were bundled together on
one disc for the PlayStation release.

Lethal Enforcers is a series I've never heard of until recently when a friend suggested playing it, I'm aware their are many versions of the game - arcade, Sega CD, and so fourth but I'm playing the MegaDrive version currently.

The game is light gun compatible, but without having an actual light gun I had to play through it using a gamepad, which was quite awkward if I'm being honest, however I did finish it and still had a ton of fun. 

I'm currently in the process of  re-playing the game but this time with light gun support, with the use of an emulator and I can say it's so much more fun and a whole lot easier to play, the hit system is actually really well done.

It plays like most light gun games - shoot enemies, try to not shoot the innocents, and try not to get yourself killed along the way. Really nice game set in the wild west, but in no way a contender to the likes of Time Crisis. Feature1

FEATURE: HD Game Collections - Genuine Fan Gifts or Easy Money?

With HD gaming making its mark on the map in recent years, game companies are producing bundles of older games like there's no tomorrow.

Could Sony be working on God of War 4 instead
of spending their time remastering old games?

Now, I know the demand for past-favourites remastered in high definition is incredibly large, especially with the HD-obsessed world we currently live in - everything must be HD or 3D...or both. What is wrong with simply playing the original versions of these games like they were originally intended?
Have the "new generation" of gamers grew up with too much exposure to current-gen games; that they don't want to accept that some games were in regular resolution at one point? Either way, I do believe there are pros and cons in HD collections but I can also see why companies like Sony are so eager to put out as many possible.

The addition of Peace Walker is a nice extra in this collection,
 but how well will a PSP game convert to HD?

Don't get me wrong, the idea of playing classics such as God of War (PS2) and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2) is a very exciting thought and I'm sure it will be as pleasurable a gaming experience as it was the first time I played these particular games, it will also be interesting and enjoyable to collect the trophies in these games because obviously the PS2 didn't have virtual e-penis boosting trophies - seriously though, I consider trophies in these HD collections to be a major pro, it is genuinely fun to collect trophies and even more so in games we all loved and played years ago. Now I've babbled on about trophy collecting, here's my two cents on why I think a lot of games are being remastered in HD - all a company needs to do is edit the resolution of the original content and convert that into a higher resolution (there is probably much more work but still at a cheap cost), which really can't be that expensive, and then they can simply put these collections on shelves at almost-full price, resulting in the company gaining max profits for little effort at all. It's a genius idea from a business perspective but it does make me question if companies are simply doing these HD collections for profit or because they genuienly want the fans to experience classic games again in fantastic HD resolution.


Will gamers shell out the cash for essentially a game(s) they've already played and beaten years ago or pass on the HD hype and save money for an actual original title? Are these HD collections a good thing for the people who never played the originals and aren't willing to buy the original consoles? Evidently, it's all down to your own opinion, so comment below on your take on this. Feature1