Incline Revisiting Old Games (Again)

[Unkillable Cat]

Ghostbusters - Master System

Are there actually any notable differences between the various 8-bit ports of Ghostbusters, gameplay-wise?

 

[Falksi]

Ghostbusters - Master System

Are there actually any notable differences between the various 8-bit ports of Ghostbusters, gameplay-wise?

Yes mate, personally I think the Master System version is the most well rounded & polished. Each has their different strengths & weaknesses, but this is the one I'd go for.

 

[Falksi]

Coach K Basketball - Megadrive

Read a lot of praise for this but never played it. Despite being a bit of a midget (5'8") I used to play basketball as a kid and excelled at it because of my ability to jump really high (couldn't slam it in but could touch the ring rim and tip it in, just like a dwarf homo), yet I could also retain the ball well because of my low center of gravity & physical strength. So I used to take a lot of interest in Basketball, and it's amazing that I never got to playing this before.

Having played it now though, it was no great miss. I get the praise, it's done really well & holds together as a basketball "sim", but as a game itself it's just not that much fun tbh. Traffic is often too one-way in favour of whoever's on offence, and the way your computer controlled teamates interact with you feels off at times.

I think a lot of people will actually like this, but after years of playing NBA jam & getting used to the OTT gimmicks which came with it, this just feels flat to me. I want those balls to slam against the rim, and with this you ease it in softly instead. Meh.

 

[Grotesque]

Chosen one? Here we go again, Oblivion & Skyrim gets slated for such cliched dross, but that's where FO2 starts you.

we had the best RPG of 2019 contest

now can we have the most retarded statement of 2019 contest?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Chosen one? Here we go again, Oblivion & Skyrim gets slated for such cliched dross, but that's where FO2 starts you.

we had the best RPG of 2019 contest

now can we have the most retarded statement of 2019 contest?

You can check both the GamerGate thread and the Epic Games Store thread to find statements that make this one sound quite run-of-the-mill.

 

[Tel Velothi]

Boomers destroyed by Zoomers

Zoomers acutally showing Boomers how shitty their game is

 

[Falksi]

Choplifter 3 - SNES

^"Hey! Look at my chopper!"


The original Choplifter was a bit of a fave of mine back in the BBC Micro days. Rather unique for a shoot 'em up, it certainly stood out.

Playing Choplifter 3 now and it's a very Marmite game. The strength in shooters of this, and most, eras is the intensity & hi adrenaline fueled thriveathon. Choplifter works well in itself, it's just quite awkward really. Progress tends to be made by repeatedly flying at an enemy & shooting them, pulling back for another run, and then having another go. It's just a bit repetitive and boring.

I gained more enjoyment from thinking of it as a neat upgrade on a BBC game which I used to play. But once the novelty factor had worn off, the repetitive structure, repetitive combat, and general lack of punch and umph lost me.

Not one for me anymore though I'm afraid.

 

[Falksi]

The Combatribes - SNES

Big fan of this back in t'day. I never owned it on cart, instead it was one of the first pirated games which I owned on the SNES copier the UFO. It was one of the few which loaded fully too. Bit apprehensive returning to this, really didn't want it to be shit.

And it wasn't. In fact it's still fairly fucking brilliant. Even though the basics are the same fundamentals at the core of most side scrolling beat 'em ups, and even though there's a lack of additional moves to use like grabs & specials etc, it's still got enough unique elements & is done well enough to suck you in.

Firstly the action itself is done superbly. It's very fast & you're constantly at it. There's none of this chase enemies off screen as they back off slowly bollocks, it's a constant exchange of blows, with positioning & re-positioning key to success. You also have some great moves to use when an enemy is downed, including smashing their head into the ground several times & grabbing them by the ankles & spinning round with them, the latter is particularly useful for crowd control. Then you've a VS mode which, whilst nothing spectacular at all, just adds that little bit of extra spice once you've finished the games. It's a good touch being able to play as stage bosses, and get a feel for them too.

It's also SUPERBLY paced. Levels are relatively short, but it works so well in this context. You probably fight around 8-10 enemies, then on to the boss, no fucking about. And HP bloat only becomes apparent late game too. These small details, combined with the constantly full on fighting action really make for a great intense beat 'em up, with some rocking tunes too.

Quality bitesized scrapping.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I'm not seeing Sunset Riders or Turtles in Time in there

That's essentially a joke, it sets up a bunch of scenes with characters across the wasteland who will basically just mock, patronise, scam or insult you when you boldly announce yourself to be The Chosen One. That's in combination with the fact nobody seems to have heard of (or care about) Arroyo, and your quest isn't really that important to anyone outside Arroyo (until the final act, anyway). No one's interested in helping you find a GECK, and most people don't even know what it is you're asking for if you try to question them. I always took it to be actively parodying chosen one plots. Try introducing yourself as The Chosen One of Arroyo to the first people you meet in Klamath and see what happens. EDIT: Just noticed this was already pointed out a few posts above

To enjoy Fallout 2 to the max, remember that it doesn't really want you to take it seriously at any point. Even the more interesting and and well-written areas like the NCR and New Reno are meant to be jokes to some extent.

More or less, it's not uncommon in chosen one type stories for the hero's chosen one status to be ignored or mocked by most people. And you're genuinely the chosen one of Arroyo, passing an actual test (instead of being the loser in a game of chance) and awarded the "armor" from the legendary hero. Later the home town is destroyed (as is tradition) and you have to save them from the evil empire. The joke is that your character can be an arrogant idiot about this for once, with the expected results.

 

[Falksi]

I'm not seeing Sunset Riders or Turtles in Time in there

Both on their way soon mate, I'm just going through the current library in alphabetical order to make it easy to keep track of things.

Although, having played Sunset Riders recently anyway, if that doesn't get a 5/5 I'll be amazed. Fucking awesome game.

 

[Falksi]

Contra 3/Super Probotector - SNES

^ One of the biggest "wow!" moments in gaming of my life

A big fave of mine from back in t'day, Contra 3 really blew my socks off as a kid. One of my all time greatest gaming memories was watching that bomber dive in and scorch the ground. Fucking awesome.

So playing it now it still carries a lot of that impact. One of the things which it does incredibly well, is constantly throw new things at you, but purposeful things which present both a familiar & yet different challenge. You drive a tank, you jump over scorched earth, you ride a bike, you hang from missiles in the sky etc. All of them are done superbly and, coupled with distinctly different enemies & levels, it provides a stream of constant freshness & excitement.

Within 2 minutes of playing this it was easy to see why I much prefer it to Contra Hard Corps. In comparison to Contra Hard Corps, the weapons feel more satisfying, the game actually gives you a chance to evade enemy fire even if you don't know it's coming, enemy mid-bosses are dispatched swiftly enough for the game not to drag, you're actually given space to assess enemies & situations, and the music is actually pretty banging too.

Each set piece & section is paced superbly all round in fact, and the individuality each carries adds to that constant stream of freshness too. There's also an underlying tactical elements to the game, as most bosses or mid-bosses can be dispatched in different ways depending on which weapons you are carrying. There's not so much a "wrong" weapon, as just a different one which forces you to approach certain enemies differently.

But those overhead sections. Uggggh. They aren't awful, but they are definitely the game's weakest point & each level sees a dip in the fun. If the game was made up of those alone, it'd be pretty poor. Thankfully they're short lived.

It's a much better paced, better rounded experience than Hard Corps, but it's just such a shame that they didn't trade those 2 overhead levels for another side-scrolling one.

Great game, just falls short slightly due to said overhead levels dragging it down.

 

[JDR13]

I'm pretty sure I broke several gamepads back in the day because of that game.

 

[Viata]

Choplifter 3 - SNES

^"Hey! Look at my chopper!"


The original Choplifter was a bit of a fave of mine back in the BBC Micro days. Rather unique for a shoot 'em up, it certainly stood out.

Playing Choplifter 3 now and it's a very Marmite game. The strength in shooters of this, and most, eras is the intensity & hi adrenaline fueled thriveathon. Choplifter works well in itself, it's just quite awkward really. Progress tends to be made by repeatedly flying at an enemy & shooting them, pulling back for another run, and then having another go. It's just a bit repetitive and boring.

I gained more enjoyment from thinking of it as a neat upgrade on a BBC game which I used to play. But once the novelty factor had worn off, the repetitive structure, repetitive combat, and general lack of punch and umph lost me.

Not one for me anymore though I'm afraid.

Damn, I used to play this game a lot. I loved it.

 

[Falksi]

Choplifter 3 - SNES

^"Hey! Look at my chopper!"


The original Choplifter was a bit of a fave of mine back in the BBC Micro days. Rather unique for a shoot 'em up, it certainly stood out.

Playing Choplifter 3 now and it's a very Marmite game. The strength in shooters of this, and most, eras is the intensity & hi adrenaline fueled thriveathon. Choplifter works well in itself, it's just quite awkward really. Progress tends to be made by repeatedly flying at an enemy & shooting them, pulling back for another run, and then having another go. It's just a bit repetitive and boring.

I gained more enjoyment from thinking of it as a neat upgrade on a BBC game which I used to play. But once the novelty factor had worn off, the repetitive structure, repetitive combat, and general lack of punch and umph lost me.

Not one for me anymore though I'm afraid.

Damn, I used to play this game a lot. I loved it.

I'd still say give it a go. Like I say it's a bit Marmite, and I can see some folk still liking it. Just wasn't for me.

 

[Falksi]

Golden Axe Warrior - Master System

^ What Ever Shit I Post Here, It Doesn't Load

SEGA's answer to Zelda on the NES, they took Golden Axe's story and Zelda-fied it. I wasn't even aware that this game existed until the says of emulation came along, which is staggering thinking how few Master System games there were, and how much I was obsessed by gaming in my pre-teens

Playing it now and......it's just too dated unfortunately. It's got lots of charm, is well structured, and does what it sets out to well enough. The trouble is that by now we've all played a ton of games that mimic this formula far better. Going back to old games should put us in touch with quality elements that were lost in the ebb of time, but this puts you in touch with elements that were built upon & bettered significantly.

The movement controls themselves feel slightly off, combat lacks any real satisfying feel, many a screen is fairly bland (although most do contain secrets) and it's just lacking overall.

Nice effort, but in the grand scheme of things just a blueprint of better things to come.

 

[Falksi]

Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine - Megadrive

^Flick your beans

Single player puzzle games can fuck off for me, but I love a good Vs puzzler like Bust A Move, Bombliss or Baku Baku. This was one I played more on emulation as an adult, so I'm cheating a bit reviewing it now, but I don't really care coz I'm a cunt.

Just one more go. Just one more go. In one phrase, that's this game. I can't put the fucking thing down. I put it on with the intention of playing for 5 min, and before I know it an hour's gone. When the AI is thrashing me, I force the missus to play it so I can kick her ass (although she is rather good at it). When I need a go-to game for mates coming over, and one that everyone can have a go on & enjoy, this is it.

What's there to say about it? It's lining up blobs so you have less than your enemy, and so you set traps which fuck their plans up too. It;s devious, it's risk Vs reward balance is spot on, and it's crazy that such a simple game can be so addictive.

But it is. Still to this very day. An absolute must own.

 

[Viata]

That is just puyo puyo with sonic's theme on top of it. I used to play it online with gf, it's quite fun.

 

[Falksi]

That is just puyo puyo with sonic's theme on top of it. I used to play it online with gf, it's quite fun.

I was gonna review it as Puyo Puyo, but I prefer the "Bean" reference, as it makes me think of clitoris'.

 

[Machocruz]

which is staggering thinking how few Master System games there were, and how much I was obsessed by gaming in my pre-teens

But far too many garbage games at the same time. I don't have many good memories with that system. The only reason I even owned one was NES were sold out that Christmas but I was too impatient to wait to play some video games.

 

[samuraigaiden]

Chrono Trigger - SNES

I agree with this. I didn't get a chance to play it back when it was new, but I did try to catch up to it via emulator roughly 15 years ago.

It has a lot of things going for it... but also a lot of things that are off-putting.

For example, anyone doing a background check on the game before firing it up will do a spit take on the "13 different endings"-thing. The "New Game+" concept is also a huge turn-off. If you're gonna do that, do it right. Very few people liked the fact that they had to play Ghosts 'n' Goblins (or Ghouls 'n Ghosts) all over again to get the True Ending. Offer something good and tasty for the second run, not some warmed-up leftovers. Chrono Trigger failed at that.

Chrono Trigger did succeed in making very memorable characters, having minor actions have major consequences and rocking a super soundtrack.

Well... maybe not a super soundtrack. Can you imagine my reaction when I realized that "Robo's Theme" is Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up"?



Still, some memorable tunes in that soundtrack.

CT's new game+ gives the player a door to the last boss accessible right from the beginning of the game. You can see all endings in a single playthrough. I don't understand the comparison with GnG.

 

[Falksi]

which is staggering thinking how few Master System games there were, and how much I was obsessed by gaming in my pre-teens

But far too many garbage games at the same time. I don't have many good memories with that system. The only reason I even owned one was NES were sold out that Christmas but I was too impatient to wait to play some video games.

See I thrived on the the Master System, but get where you're coming from. There was a ton of crap on it, but it also had a certain charm which just sucked me in big time. I think a part of that appeal was simply being able to play big name arcade hits at home, like Space Harrier, Double Dragon, Afterburner etc. Most were pretty shit conversions, but I guess at that age it didn't matter.

 

[Falksi]

Cybernator/Assault Suits Valken - SNES

^Moby's a dick

Back in t'day this was one of those rare gems which you'd find buried beneath a load of trash which the mobile game swapper would take round. "Am caming aaaahhhht eer fa facking chicken feed!" ours would say, as he fleeced the gullible lads for £60 for something like Golden Fighter. "Everyone's buying this daaan taan" he'd say. Meanwhile we'd unearth Cybernator, and be met with a game of wonder. This hit the spot back in the day because it was so different to most other shooters. But has that stood the test of time?

Yeah kinda. It's certainly not as awe-inspiring as it was, but it does enough well to be enjoyable. Movement is spot on. You feel weighty enough to feel like a badass stomping giant Mech motherfucker, but it's also fluid & fast enough to keep the game playable & enjoyable too. The combat is very considered, and it makes for quite a unique experience for a game of that era. There's great level design, with each stage encompassing the feel of what it sets out to, and the story flowing nicely through each too.

Sadly, the more considered pace also makes the game feel somewhat laboured at times, mainly when you have to repeat sections because of losing a life. Running through it once feels great, but second time round I felt myself wanting a bit of a fast forward button.

Plenty to enjoy though.

 

[Falksi]

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle - Megadrive

^No, that's not true.....that's impossible!!!!


I was quick to pan this back in t'day. It was a cutesy game with little action, and as a spunk fuelled teen held absolutely no appeal to me amidst the glut of arcade hits which were released with the Megadrive.

Returning to it now and even as an old, handicapped man it still plays at a pace which sends me to sleep. In fact it's a pretty dire game all round. The first 3/4's of the game are a total walk in the park, with a bizarre emphasis on gaining money & items. Bizarre because it's often more dangerous & more hassle to mess about with said money & items than it is just to blast your way through to the end of the level. The difficult ramps up steeply towards the end-game, and becomes really cheap, repetitive & annoying. It's also got sloppy controls as Alex slides all over, poor collision detection with his punch, and to top it all off boss fights are a guessing game (albeit ones which repeat themselves, so you can memorize).

Throughout the entire playthrough I think I enjoyed only one level, and only got semi-excited once. The items you do get are crap too. If you want to play an Alex Kidd game, The Master System ones are better than this. It's odd just how poor this is considering it was made after most of those.

 

[Grauken]

Contra 3/Super Probotector - SNES

^ One of the biggest "wow!" moments in gaming of my life

A big fave of mine from back in t'day, Contra 3 really blew my socks off as a kid. One of my all time greatest gaming memories was watching that bomber dive in and scorch the ground. Fucking awesome.

So playing it now it still carries a lot of that impact. What it does so well is constantly throw new things at you, but purposeful things which present both a familiar & yet different challenge. You drive a tank, you jump over scorched earth, you ride a bike, you hang from missiles in the sky etc. All of them are done very well and, coupled with distinctly different enemies & levels, it provides a stream of constant freshness & excitement.

Within 2 minutes of playing this it was easy to see why I much prefer it to Contra Hard Corps. In comparison to Contra Hard Corps, the weapons feel more satisfying, the game actually gives you a chance to evade enemy fire even if you don't know it's coming, enemy mid-bosses are dispatched swiftly enough for the game not to drag, you're actually given space to assess enemies & situations, and the music is actually pretty banging too.

But those overhead sections. Uggggh. They aren't awful as such (well maybe the second one is), but they are definitely the game's weakest point & each level sees a dip in the fun. If the game was made up of those alone, it'd be pretty poor. Thankfully they're short lived.

It's a much better paced, better rounded experience than Hard Corps, but it's just such a shame that they didn't trade those 2 overhead levels for another side-scrolling one.

Great game, just falls short slightly due to said overhead levels dragging it down.

Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX for GBA is basically a Contra 3 port with the top-down levels replaced with 2d levels from Contra Hard Corps. Personally, I never liked the top-down levels much either

 

[Falksi]

Alien Storm - Megadrive

^You can play as Elvis Presley

Golden Axe goes Sci-Fi. Always one of those games which got a 70%-ish review back in t'day wherever you looked.

Meh, it's still OK I guess. It's strength lies within it's pacing. One min you're fighting, the next you're in a FPP shooting gallery, the next you're running full speed at aliens. It's portioned very well, and keeps thing fresh throughout.

However, the actual fighting itself is quite repetitive, and the enemy variation leaves a lot to be desired. There's a lack of moves, which isn't too big a deal, but whereas the likes of Golden Axe has other elements which carry it, Alien Storm doesn't, and the levels are fairly bland too.

A decent but forgettable little blast.