Download-only game will hit virtual shelves February 19 on consoles and PC.
Capcom has revealed the official release date of Strider - a remake of the 1989 arcade classic sporting the same name (or was that too obvious anyway?). When first released, the game became one of Capcom's most successful games and would go on to be ported to the likes of Sega Genesis / Megadrive, Amiga, Atari ST, and so forth.
On February 19, you'll be able to get your hands on the digital-only remake, which will release on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC. This time around, you'll be able to access two challenge modes known as 'Beacon Run' and 'Survival Mode'.
Beacon Run is described as "a speed run-style racing mode that challenges players to get from checkpoint to checkpoint in record time, slashing their way through enemies all the while."
Survival Mode will "test your combat skills", whilst "taking on progressively difficult waves of enemies while equipped with different ability loadouts."
Other new features include various costumes and a global leaderboard - check out all the latest screenshots on the official blog.
Continuing the battle against unfinished games from the past, here's volume 6 of the games I'm currently playing.
Far Cry 3
System: PlayStation 3
This has been on my PS3's hard drive for quite a few months now, and I've since finally got the chance to properly get into it and I'm so glad I did. Initially, I thought this would be a glorified open-world game filled with simple fetch quests, but to my surprise its full of variety and missions that are extremely fun and genuinely enjoyable to do.
It's a bit awkward as I'm in the process of writing a review so I can't actually say too much about what I think of the game as it will be in the upcoming review, but I can safely say this has to be one of the most satisfying game I've played in recent years.
I'm roughly 30% into the overall completion and I often find myself not wanting to come off it, which has lead to numerous late night sessions. Fantastic game - definitely recommend playing it if you haven't already, its really cheap these days, especially pre-owned.
Left 4 Dead 2
System: PC/Steam
I bought this during Steam's Autumn sale that took place last month, I absolutely adored the first Left 4 Dead so at a price of £3.24, I simply had to buy this. To be honest, I'm not sure why I didn't buy it when it originally came out a few years back. Either way, I have it now and it's just an immense amount of fun.
Playing with friends is definitely the best way to fight hordes of blood thirsty Zombies, there's something about playing with the A.I. controlled allies that takes the fun out of it, this is mainly due to the A.I. being incredibly stupid most of the time.
I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of content, included are all the levels from the first Left 4 Dead, bringing back brilliant memories. If you want to play, my Steam account is 'KeyranSolo' - let's kill some Zombies!
Quackshot Starring Donald Duck
System: MegaDrive/Genesis
With Castle of Illusion taking the spotlight back in the 90s, this game was easy to dismiss, and it wasn't until recently I actually discovered this gem through a friend of mine.
After initially playing, I thought this would be your run of the mill 2D platformer, however there's quite a bit more to it than that - collecting certain items to get into previously locked areas for example.
Its a nice addition and adds a unique sense of gameplay, which might not seem like anything special today but I imagine playing this when it was first released would've been a brilliant experience, so I'm just glad I got my hands on it finally. If you have a MegaDrive/Genesis, you should definitely check this out.
A
comprehensive look into the MegaDrive's complete history has been set for a
2014 release.
After
reaching its initial goal of £30,000 on the Kickstarter website, Darren Wall
has confirmed the project will be going ahead, whilst offering massive amounts
of insight into what the book will offer.
Although
the goal has been reached, the current total stands at £79,324 with almost
1,800 backers supporting the project. Depending on the amount pledged, certain
people will get special versions of the book.
Wall
claims the book, titled 'SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works [[ セガメガドライブ／ジェネシス：作品集成 ] will
"be the definitive volume on the landmark console", going on to say
"the book is officially licensed by SEGA and celebrates the 25th
anniversary of the console's release"
Over
20 interviews with the original SEGA team members will be included, in which
some have "never been interviewed before", as well as a 10,000 word
piece focusing on how the console changed gaming, which will be written by
Keith Stuart, the Games Editor for Guardian, who also contributes to Edge
magazine from time to time. Noticable interviews will include the likes of Naoto Oshima (Sonic the Hedgehog), Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage), and Toru Yoshida (Phantasy Star II).
Expect
practically every game to be covered in the book, as it will "showcase a
wealth of SEGA's 16-bit titles, from blockbuster games such as Bare Knuckle/Streets
of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, Gunstar Heroes, The Super
Shinobi/Revenge of Shinobi and Golden Axe through to cult gems such as
Rent-a-Hero, Vectorman and DecapAttack."
The
book itself will be published June 2014. This seems like an extremely
interesting read and a must for any gamer out there. Will you buy a copy? Leave
your comments below.
Whilst both games offer players an incredible gaming experience, which will come out on top in this brutal bout?
VS.
Its safe to assume each of these games are well known for something that defines them both as different games, yet sit comfortably together within the fighting genre. Mortal Kombat (MK) impressed gamers back in 1992 with its real-life actors who were then digitized into the game itself, MK was also the first game ever to receive a mature rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), due to its generous amount of blood and violence.
Street Fighter II (SFII) on the other hand would expand on the core mechanics of the first Street Fighter, and improve them immensely offering one of the most memorable and unique fighting game experiences to date. During the early 90s, these two games stood as the biggest rivals within the fighting genre, and are still compared to this day, not just in terms of these older games, but new releases too.
Graphics
Please keep in mind this retro showdown is based on the console ports of these games, not the original arcade cabinets.
Mortal Kombat features impressive sprites, which was due to the real-life actors who portrayed each fighter - as mentioned earlier, each character has been digitized into the game which was an astonishing thing to be able to pull of back then, especially on a home console such as the SNES. There is an old behind the scenes video showcasing the different actors performing their trademark moves, as well as demonstrations on how the digitizing process actually works. Check it out below.
A total of 7 stages make up for some very memorable environments, this game spawned the infamous 'Pit I' - the stage in which upon defeating an opponent, you can uppercut that fighter to a pit of spikes below, covered with blood and skeletons leftover from previous battles.
Well, that actually depends on which version of the game you're playing - the SNES port got rid of all the blood to ensure the game would suit Nintendo's 'Family Friendly' policy, replacing blood with sweat. It wasn't all bad though - the MegaDrive/Genesis version would let players use a code to allow blood in the game, also known as Blood Mode.
Each stage had its own unique look, like most fighting games do, for example 'Warrior Shrine' - statues of all the fighters in the game could be seen in the background, reminding you that you'll have to defeat them all eventually, although neither of the statues look particularly intimidating, still an incredibly detailed and illustrative stage though.
Home console versions lacked much of the mature content the original arcade cabinets contained.
Although SFII didn't use digitized fighters, it's graphics were nothing to be mocked - they were and still are quite impressive, considering the time it was released. Each fighter is highly detailed, creating a unique identity throughout the roster - all of the sprites are generally sharp and crisp, making for not only an enjoyable gaming experience but something that was really nice to look at - if you take the time to really observe a SFII character, you'll see the amount of sheer detail put into them.
Like MK,SFII had its fair amount of stages which were unique to a certain character's personality, narrative, and so forth - for example Dhalsim's stage was set in India, showcasing huge elephants and indian imagery on the walls in the background, things like this made for exceptional graphic design and shows Capcom put a lot of thought into how the game would look.
A perfect illustration of the graphics - vibrant with a lot of personality.
MK may have impressed us with the new technology of using real life actors, but the sheer charm of SFII's visuals take this one.
Mortal Kombat - 0 | Street Fighter II - 1
Music/Audio
Both games have their moments when it comes to the music used, MK had that memorable 'Select Your Fighter' track, which would set the tone for what the player could expect in the actual game, it was exciting and put you in the mood to beat down Johnny Cage over and over again. Of course, each fighter had their own respective themes, which were good enough and did the job at differentiating the roster, but in general these tracks always lacked energy and excitement.
Select Your Fighter (SNES version)
As for the sounds, every attack would give off this certain noise letting you know that whatever move you just did definitely did some damage to the opponent, this combined with the fighters grunts and groans as they fight makes for an awesome fighting game, which really utilizes different sounds to give players full satisfaction during a battle. On the other hand, there's 'Guiles Theme' in SFII - there's just something about this track that instantly puts you in the mood to play SF, it sticks in your brain like a pop song (then again, is that a good thing?). Take a listen to the song below.
Guiles Theme (SNES version)
Just like MK, SFII had its fair share of sound effects which were used when beating down your opponent - whether it be a simple punch to Blanka's electric-fuelled attacks, no matter what you were doing, you'd always get this incredible audio to aid the game's entertainment value. The rest of the roster had their own songs too, and although Ryu was essentially the game's mascot, his music was not on par with Guiles in the slightest.
SFII takes another point, the music is much better and enjoyable to listen to, its really as simple as that.
Mortal Kombat - 0 | Street Fighter II - 2
Storyline
You could argue that games within the fighting genre don't really need to rely on a good storyline to make the game good, what with the often quick playthroughs of the typical arcade mode - you choose a character, fight numerous opponents and it's game over. However, the narratives in both MK and SFII are nothing to be brushed aside, each character has their own unique backstory which if properly looked into, should improve your overall experience of the game.
Let's look at Scorpion for example - a resurrected Ninja who is now a hell-spawned undead who's goal is to avenge those who destroyed his clan and family members, things like this almost give you an extra reason to play the game as this certain character as you might want to find out more by beating the game to unlock further narrative.
The storyline throughout MK in general is that the original tournament named 'Shaolin Tournament' would promote healthy competition with the best fighters around, this was until the four-armed beast Goro invaded the tournament. From here, Goro would rule the competition for the next 500 years, not for bragging rights, but to aid Shang Tsung's thirst to conquer the Earth Realm.
The iconic logo symbolising the Mortal Kombat Tournament as well as the Elder God's in their dragon form.
SFII however, didn't contain such an exciting story - there's the on going battle between Ryu and M. Bison which is medicore at best. Before the events of SFII, M. Bison was defeated in the headquarters of his own criminal organisation Shadaloo, which leads to much rage and a need for revenge, so Bison re-enters the tournament in order to defeat his enemies and possibly take on new members to rebuild Shadaloo. It's all a bit wishy washy and doesn't promote much imagination for players. It does the job fine, but that's all it does.
The game centres around a tournament simply known as 'Street Fighter Tournament' - similar to MK, participants would have to prove their strength and abilities through a number of battles, and whoever came out on top would be crowned the winner and the best fighter around.
Participants would travel around the world to take on various opponents.
MK takes the point here due to its ability to immerse players into each and every character's storylines, which are all extremely interesting and bring more life to the game, as well as an extra reason to finish the game with all the characters to reveal the complete story.
Mortal Kombat - 1 | Street Fighter II - 2
Gameplay
Like practically every fighting game, a player usually chooses their desired fighter and utilizes various moves to deplete the opponent's health bar, often with a timer included. SFII and MK did just that, however each are significantly different, both providing a unique sense of gameplay that would define these games to what they are today.
The overall style of MK was generally quite slow-paced, often allowing yourself to tactically decide what your next move will be - there wasn't much variation either, each fighter would all share the same standard moves such as the classic upper cut, high kick, and so forth.
Saying that, a special set of moves would be applied to each fighter too, whether it be Sub-Zero's 'Ice Ball' or Scorpion's simply named 'Spear', which would drag an opponent over in a dazed state, using a spear attached to a rope which would disperse from his hand.
Whilst these special moves were extremely inventive and imaginative, the real focus had to be on the game's Fatality system - at the end of a bout, players could input a combination of buttons which would perform the fighters ultimate finisher if you will
You might remember Raiden's fatality, in which he would electrocute the opponent, leading to their heads simply popping off through the extreme amounts of pressure applied, of course this was followed with a fountain of blood from the now headless corpse.
Who really likes Johnny Cage anyway? Raiden applying his
deadly thunder-based fatality.
There was also the Test Your Might mini-game, which would allow players to take a break from the tournament, and well, test their might. You would have to build up enough power before a timer ran in order to break various materials, including wood right up to ruby.
Now, SFII - also very much like MK, you'd pick your fighter and away you go, it even had mini-games throughout the game, but this time much more fun. These included literally beating up a car, the more it was damaged by end of the timer, the most points you'd receive, another was the pummeling of a pile of bricks, again the more you manage to break, the larger the bonus score will be.
The pace in SFII was incredibly exciting, you'd always have to think of what to do next in mere seconds as the opponent would often come back even with very little health, proving for intense fights which would really test your ability of the game, something MK lacked a lot.
Each character would have their own distinguishable move set, for example E. Honda's 'Hundred Hand Slap' or Blanka's 'Electric Thunder', these types of moves were often very deadly and would consume much of a players health bar.
E. Honda performing one of his signature
moves - arguably a cheap way for an easy win.
Whilst SFII didn't contain the illustrative and very entertaining move sets contained in MK, the gameplay was much more fierce and competitive, offering lots of replay value - things like mastering the perfect combo's to quickly defeat an opponent, and so on. SFII takes this point.
The 3D remake has become available on iOS devices through the US Apple store.
Originally released earlier this year in September, the remake of the MegaDrive/Genesis classic; Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse became subject to positive reviews.
The game is now available on iOS devices and has been optimized especially for iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and anything above that.
It has been given a retail price of $9.99 and will take up 481MB of storage space. Just like the original narrative, players must navigate various stages in the Castle of Illusion to find Minnie Mouse and rescue her from the grip of an evil witch known as Mizrabel.
In a world addicted to the newest games, its easy to forget about the small guy producing some of the best (and worst) games of their own.
Firstly, let's distinguish the difference between homebrew games and hacked games - a homebrew game is the programming of new content for an existing system, mostly using that persons own content and possibly assets from an original game on that particular system. Homebrews are common on modern consoles i.e. programmers creating emulators to run on a PlayStation 3, Wii, and so forth, but people are still creating new content for the older systems such as the NES, and I personally find most to be very enjoyable, others simply ridiculous. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I'm here to discuss the good and bad of homebrew gaming. FEATURE1
As for a hacked game, this simply means the content within the code has been altered - these alterations can be as simple as changing a sprite in Super Mario Bros. or as diverse as completely changing the gameplay, level design, music, and even cut-scenes. In this post, I'll be looking through various homebrews and hacks to let you know what is actually worth playing and what is best left in a dark corner of the internet.
Worth Playing: Battlekid -
Fortress of Peril (NES Homebrew)
Battlekid - Fortress of Peril definitely reminds me of the earlier Mega Man games -
difficult, ridiculous enemies and a whole lot of fun.
Before starting, the game
allows you to choose from five difficulties, ranging from easy which gives the
privileges of infinite continues and the password feature, on the other
spectrum there's the unfair mode, which offers no help at all - no continues
and no passwords, this mode should only be played if you know the game
completely in and out, I do not so it was normal for me.
As soon as the game begins,
this great 8-bit music plays that get's you instantly pumped to play. When I
first played this, I died. A Lot. It seems
that every enemy or obstacle kills you within 1 hit, there is no health bar,
you have to rely on your memory to get around the patterns of enemies - a lot
of trial and error takes place, but it's actually extremely fun even if you do
find yourself constantly re-starting an area.
I get the impression Sivak
Games intentionally made this homebrew difficult, this could be a homage
to the retro days where video-games did actually require a lot of time and
effort to beat.
Avoid Playing: V.R. Fighter
vs. Taken 2 (MegaDrive/Genesis Homebrew)
On the other hand, we have
V.R. Fighter vs. Taken 2 - one of the strangest games I've ever played, this
homebrew pits Virtua Fighter and Tekken 2 together, but I imagine due to
copyright the game had to be called something different, which explains the strange
name of the game.
The music is actually good,
and so are the graphics - very impressive for the MegaDrive's hardware, but
don't let that fool you, they are the only good things about this game, which
proves once again if the gameplay isn't on par, graphics and other enhancement
mean nothing.
You are able to choose from 12
characters, including fan favourites Heiachi, Kazuya, Akira, and Wolf - you
essentially go through a number of stages like most fighting games, but its the gameplay itself that really lets the game down.
The whole thing feels laggy, each time you go to attack the opponent, its almost a gamble whether your hit will contact them or not as the detection is often very random, giving you an impression that this game is really not fun at all to play and unfairly difficult.
It's a real shame, this could have been one of the greatest homebrews to date, if more time was spent on the fighting itself instead of the visual aids, this game could have been really impressive.
There are plenty of homebrews out there waiting to be discovered, the majority are generally average in the sense they offer little to the gaming community, whilst others are complete gems, which could easily be mistaken for actual retail releases.
A total of eight classic Sega games will be remade in 3D for the Nintendo 3DS, including fan favourites Streets of Rage and Sonic the Hedgehog.
It was announced on the official Sega blog that throughout November and December of this year, a number of memorable Sega games will be remade in 3D to cater for the Nintendo 3DS - Sega said the following:
"Today we are very excited to announce details on the highly anticipated 3D remake of iconic and arcade classics for the Nintendo 3DS."
A full list of games and the release date can be seen below.
3D Space Harrier - November 28 (originally released 1985)
3D Super Hang-On - November 28 (originally released 1987)
3D Sonic The Hedgehog - December 5 (originally released 1991)
3D Altered Beast - December 5 (originally released 1988)
3D Ecco The Dolphin - December 12 (originally released 1992)
3D Galaxy Force II - December 12 (originally released 1988)
3D Shinobi III - December 19 (originally released 1993)
3D Streets of Rage - December 19 (originally released 1991)
Each game will retail at $5.99, €4.99, and £4.49 - are there any other classic Sega games you'd like to see on the 3DS? Comment with your suggestions below.
Honestly, I don't think the popularity of retro games has really ever declined, what with people actively going out of their way to create emulators, modded retro consoles, and ROM files - however, as "hollywood" budgeted games are being released more frequently, sometimes it's possible to dismiss the games that started it all.
However, even with games such as Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Ghosts, there still seems to be a generally large market for retro gaming, especially when it comes to the remastering or creating a completely new game using the ideologies of retro games.
Examples of this include:
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episodes 1 and 2
Megaman 9 and 10
Duck Tales: Remastered
Double Dragon Neon
Castle of Illusion - Starring Mickey Mouse HD
Street Fighter X Megaman
Sonic Generations
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I reminds me of
the old days playing MegaDrive, but with a modern twist.
I put Sonic Generations on there because whilst it still contains elements from the more recent Sonic games, it still has a lot of content that relates to the original games, which to me is something Sega should have done years and years ago before Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). I'm still waiting for Sonic Generations 2, Sega!
Games such as Duck Tales: Remastered and Castle of Illusion HD were a huge success, this is probably due to the older generation of gamers who remember playing the original versions who wanted to enjoy those games again, or it could have been that these games simply appealed to gamers in general.
With Duck Tales Remastered and Castle of Illusion HD, I'm sure Disney
will be bringing more games back to life in the future.
There are so many reasons but the success of games like these definitely reminds me that retro gaming is making a comeback and I'm sure they'll be many more remastered incarnations of our favourite childhood games, or even completely new games all together.
Let's not forget freeware gaming - Freeware Remakes specialise in creating new content that follows in the footsteps of true retro gaming.
As I see it, all of these games are completely free to download, however you can purchase the games in bundles to simply keep the website going but that's up to the consumer - my point is, people are willing to spend their own time creating retro-style games to distribute freely, which reinforces the fact that people are still heavily into the retro gaming scene, and I personally hope this will go on for a long time to come.
Above is a screenshot of 7th Swarming of the Machines, which
can be downloaded for free at the Freeware Remakes website, this is
just one example of what's available.
Will we see a remastered version of Super Mario Bros or Ninja Gaiden?, there are plenty of retro games I'm sure people would love to play again, whether it be if they're remastered or completely remade whilst maintaining that retro feel.
What games would you like to see again? Leave your comments below. Feature1
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
I'm aware this game appears on other consoles other than the MegaDrive, but the thought of going through each version makes my heart beat faster from panic. That's a bit drastic, the game is just not worth playing that many times. prettybad
Let's start with the story, this is something truly incredible - whilst Shaq is browsing the local sights in Toyko, he somehow stumbles upon a Dojo, here he encounters a mysterious old man who informs Shaq about a little boy named Nezu who was taken to "The Second World", where sorcerer Sett Ra rules the lands. It is Sett Ra's plan to carry his dominance over to "The First World", also known as Earth. Nezu's blood is pure, therefore he is the perfect candidate for the ancient ritual that will enable Sett Ra to end his exile from Earth. Either way, Shaq enters a portal that takes him directly to the second world, thus the adventure begins....
Whilst going through the story, there's this horrible music that keeps looping and it has to be one of the worst 16-bit audio tracks ever. Muting might have been the better option.
Shaq Fu is just a fighting game and nothing more, but in an attempt to add more depth to the game, you are able to choose your fights by using the world map, where you simply walk to each location and participate in a battle. It adds a tiny sense of freedom, but it just seems the developer was trying way too hard to make the game different to other fighters at the time.
There are 10 stages all together, 11 if you include the real final battle, each stage is differently themed to suit the appropriate enemy, for example the stage Gargoyle's Peak pits you against Mephis, a strange green monster woman, whilst the Vegabond Temple stage put's you against Ragah, the prince. Honestly, that's a nice touch - I know it's nothing new in fighting games to have each character have their own respective stages, but the stages in this game are actually really nice to look at, I can say a lot of bad things about this game but the graphics are fantastic.
When the game starts, the controls don't seem too bad, but that quickly wears off after a few fights where it becomes clear how awful the controls actually are, the actions just seem very delayed - when a button is pressed, it doesn't feel like you're actually doing much.
In the supposedly last fight of the game, you go against Beast - an assassin created by Sett Ra. Beast is one of the harder opponents, but he isn't the last, it turns out after Beast is defeated, the mighty Sett Ra makes an appearance, upon defeating him, Shaq is able to save Nezu and they both return to the Dojo. However, at the basketball game that night, Shaq spots Beast in the distance...Does this mean there's a Shaq 2? There's not thankfully. But deep down, I think I'd still play a sequel out of curiosity.
As well as the story, there are two other modes - tournament and duel, here you can try fighting using the opponents you fought in the story mode, you can also have 2 to 8 player tournaments, but I would personally find it almost impossible to get that many people to play this game.
Overall, the game is awful, there's no doubt about it. The fights are very basic and offer hardly any diversity, it seems the story overpowers the gameplay, which shouldn't really be happening in a fighting game. A shameful attempt of celebrity endorsement, Shaq Fu offers little gameplay value, and is only fun to have a good laugh at the storyline. Maybe one day I'll try the portable versions.... Feature1
I haven't done one of these in a while, so I am now planning on doing one each month. Either way, let's get to it.
Saints Row: The Third
System: PS3
I have never actually played the first two games in this series, but through nothing but praise for this game from a friend, I decided to give it a shot.
Initially, I thought this could be a Grand Theft Auto rip-off, but it's so much more. I fell in love with it instantly - the ridiculous gameplay, the fantastic humour, there's just so much to do in this game. A sandbox game that oozes fun at every corner, an absolutely must-play for any gamer.
I have finished the storyline and most of the other optional tasks to, all I have left to do are the vehicle thefts, then that platinum trophy is mine. Extremely fun game with a lot of depth, definitely going to be buying the first two in the future.
Krusty's Super Fun House
System: MegaDrive
An interesting game for sure - it's no secret the majority of The Simpsons games back in the day were nothing short of awful, but here's one that I am actually really enjoying.
A puzzle game with a nice Simpsons touch, whilst some of the levels are pure hell to solve, there's no denying that this game is really well put together with brilliant level design, a real challenge but one worth beating.
I'm on the fourth world out of five so far and the levels are getting really hard now, it doesn't help I'm not the best at puzzle games either, however I'm still really enjoying this title. A retro Simpsons game I'd happily recommend.
Halo 2 Vista
System: Windows
I have recently done a solo-legendary playthrough of this game, partly to get the 1000/1000GS, but also to prove to myself I could do it.
On the original Xbox version, I could never get through a legendary run by myself, so I'm extremely happy I finally managed to do it, even if it is the Vista version.
Either way, the main reason I got this game is because I wanted to play online again - the game has actually been installed on my system for months and I've been playing it since then.
Halo 2 is one of my all-time favourite online games, so to get a chance to play it once again was incredible. Having a massive amounts of fun with this game, I even have a montage coming up, watch the trailer HERE. Feature1
