Messages

31

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 24, 2025, 01:02:51 am »

62. Vanark (PS1)

A long time ago, I remember someone saying that part of the reason the NES library was so good was because it had so many weird, obscure, and odd games released for it, in additional to all the classics like Super Mario Bros 3 and Contra of course. However, I would argue the PS1 was even more chock full of strange, obscure releases, as well as a ton of games that are now considered iconic classics. One of those strange games that I would even consider to be a borderline gem was 1999's Vanark. Vanark is essentially the PS1's answer to Star Fox 64 and Panzer Dragoon, with a very light dash of Resident Evil thrown in. Yeah, I told you this game was freakin strange!


Vanark is a rail shooter at its core, which means you'll be blasting through seven stages in your X-wing style ship, that is also modestly customizable with different weapon loud outs. Be warned, however, this customization system is far less deep and interesting than it sounds, and more or less you'll fair about the same no matter how you equip your ship before a mission. The same goes for the selectable pilots; they each have their own stats, but honestly picking one pilot over another seemed to do absolutely nothing compared to the others. Even the ship looks exactly the same with one exception in a single stage, but this is more of a scripted event rather than something that occurs because of what character you picked. The controls and combat in Vanark are actually surprisingly good. It's easy to steer your ship where you want and also to shoot down enemies too. I will say that some of the enemy balancing a game design is a little suspect, but for the most part this is a pretty competent rail shooter as far as the late 90s are concerned. There are a few stages that feel a bit too similar in my opinion, but things are mixed up enough between the stage designs and themes, as well as there being unique objective and gameplay experiences for certain stages. Bosses come in the form of mid level sub bosses and final bosses. I actually found most of the boss fights to be one of the weakest areas of Vanark's gameplay, but with a couple of exceptions, none of them are really annoying to fight and are decent for what they are. Before moving into Vanark's visual and auditory presentation, I can't not mention the "Resident Evil" influences of this game. While you're not going to find zombies lurking in rooms or hunting down keys that look like figurines or anything like that, there is a mothership where you'll interact with the other characters and where the story is mostly fleshed out between missions. While there isn't a ton to look at, you'll be exploring the mothership with third person tank controls seemingly ripped out of RE. Albeit, the devs of Vanark somehow made the tank controls in this game even trickier to control, but the mothership portions are so brief and fairly inconsequential to the game that it isn't too much of a hassle to get around during these parts. A will say, these mothership story exposition and exploration parts do more to harm the game than help it, mostly with how they really kill the pacing of the game despite how interesting the whole third person on foot hub portions are as a concept in a game like this.


The visuals of Vanark are actually pretty good for a PS1 game. By no means if Vanark as visually captivating or good on an artistic level as Star Fox 64 or any of the Panzer Dragoon games, but it still holds up particularly well for a game from this era. There are some genuinely memorable and interesting stages, and some of the bosses were pretty cool too (some were also pretty lame as well). There is a lack of variety when it comes to some of the enemies and the first two levels in particular feel fairly similar, which is a bummer. Visual effects and attacks are pretty good for the most part. Certain ships will show of some fairly cool destruction animations when destroyed by your various weapons. The mother ship hub sections are probably the weakest looking parts of the game, with characters looking fairly bland and generic against mostly bland fixed backgrounds. There are a surprising amount of cutscenes in this game, which definitely add to the visual charm of this game and give it an almost movie like quality. Unfortunately if Vanark were a movie it wouldn't be very good given how bad and confusing its writing it, but luckily that's not why you'll be playing or enjoying this game.


The music in Vanark is pretty good for the most part. The various tracks that play while you're on the mothership were the most enjoyable, with a few of the stage songs being good, but not as well. Unfortunately, the audio design of Vanark isn't the best as the sound of your weapons being fired will often drown out the OST playing in each stage. Vanark is also a game that would have benefited from voice actors, however given the budget feel this game has, I doubt that was within the dev's means to afford. But even some crappy, non-professional voice acting would have gone a lot further than none at all. I definitely think it would have gone a long way to improve the buzz kill the mother ship hub sections are in this game.


While I found my copy of Vanark many years ago for real cheap, it's hard for me to recommend this game for anywhere close to its current going rate (around $150). While Vanark is a decent 5th gen rail shooter that does a lot of things right and has some very interesting ideas, it is in no way as good as almost all of its rail shooters contemporaries. Star Fox 64 can be bought for nearly a fifth what Vanark goes for and is way, way more enjoyable and well made. Outside a curiosity and being one of those odd ball games that almost never get made anymore, Vanark is definitely not worth paying over a hundred dollars for, however I will say it's still a decently fun game and certainly a unique one from one of my favorite eras of gaming. (5/23/25) [31/50]

32

General / Re: May 2025 - Recently added to collection/recently purchased

« on: May 18, 2025, 09:33:38 pm »

Picked up Capcom Fighting Collection 2 on Friday. Thank goodness for the retro game compilations or else there'd be barely any reason for me to buy new games lol.

33

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 16, 2025, 10:58:27 pm »

61. Power Stone 2 (PS4)

The original Power Stone holds a very special place in my gamer heart. My first experience playing a Dreamcast, which would become my favorite console of all time, was playing the first Power Stone on a kiosk at my local Hollywood Video rental store. I was so obsessed with that Power Stone demo that I'd deliberately ride my bike over there just to play the demo they had set up. Shortly after that, I'd eventually get a Dreamcast along with Power Stone and it would become one of my favorite games to play on that console back in the day. While I have a deep nostalgia and fondness for the first game, Power Stone 2 just never really did it for me in the same way despite renting that game back around the time it was brand new. Unfortunately my affinity towards the first Power Stone still rings true to this day.


It has been a long time since I played through Power Stone 2. In some ways it's an improvement over its predecessor. You have more characters to choose from, new stages you can select between matches, and play with up to four players at once. While at its heart Power Stone 2 is still a fighting game, Capcom definitely made this more of a party game where friends can get together and unleash absolute mayhem on each other. Beyond the power stones you can collect to transform your character into a much stronger version of themselves, and also giving them the ability to unleash unique supers on the other characters, you have a ton of items at your disposal to damage your enemies with. Power Stone 2 definitely has more items to fight with and also introduces vehicles and stationary weapons too. You'd think with all these additions I'd love Power Stone 2 way more than the first, but instead of being more fun, the game just ends up being more imbalanced, frustrating, and sort of difficult to play at times. Don't get me wrong, it can be fun when things get sort of chaotic, but whenever I play Power Stone 2 I typically just feel like turning it off and playing the first game instead. One other addition that I actually do like more than the first game are the giant bosses they added to the game. The first Power Stone does have one of these, but the ones included in Power Stone 2 are definitely better and more enjoyable to fight.


From a presentation point of view, I have to give Power Stone 2 credit for its greater abundance of characters, stages and other obstacles which all look pretty good for the most part. I'm not as big of a fan of the larger stages, but I get that these were necessary to fit four players playing at once, as well as all the other stuff thrown in to make matches more chaotic. In all, I don't think Power Stone 2 looks better than 1, but it does have some flourishes that definitely make it look just as good overall. The audio in Power Stone 2 is also on par with the first game, with some new tracks to listen to as you play. Albeit none of them are that catchy or memorable for the most part. Each character is also uniquely voice acted which is also a nice touch.


While Power Stone 2 is not too far off from how much I enjoy the first Power Stone, it definitely lags behind, especially in my own personal enjoyment. I could see someone who actually has a few people to play with maybe liking this game more, but for me I preferred the smaller, more intimate fights of the first game and less reliance on the chaos factor present in the sequel. (5/16/25) [31/50]

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Off Topic / Re: What Was The Last Movie/Anime You Watched?

« on: May 13, 2025, 01:06:50 am »

I've been in the middle of completing a bucket list goal of mine I've had since I was a young adolescent. I got super into Dragon Ball Z back in the late 90s thanks to Toonami. And when I say I was really into it back then, I actually mean I was OBSESSED with DBZ from the time I was about 12 until I was 15 or so. Unfortunately during this time, the US hadn't even got the whole Frieza Saga yet, which for those that don't know is not even halfway through the series. By the time I started getting into DBZ, Japan and various other countries had already got all of Z and GT at that point. I both was tortured and hyped beyond belief to see pictures, short video clips, and screen captured images of these yet to be officially released DBZ and DBGT episodes and it just fed my obsession even more. Unfortunately DBZ in the late 90s and early 2000s was released at a snails pace. By the time my DBZ fandom had started to falter, the Buu Saga episodes hadn't even been released officially in North America yet, and the Cell Saga was barely up to the Cell Games. It was beyond frustrating, but eventually I sort of got out of DBZ and anime for the most part by 2003 or so.


Fastforward to the early 2010s and I started buying the DVD box sets for all the DBZ and DBGT episodes and was finally going to watch all the episodes I longed to see when I was a 13 year old kid. It literally took me a decade to finish all 291 episodes of DBZ, and about a year and a half ago I started watching DBGT, a show I never got to enjoy when it was first coming out. I'm only a little over halfway through DBGT, but I have some thoughts.


It has really been a rollercoaster in terms of subjective enjoyment of GT. Unlike a lot of fans, I actually enjoyed most of the Dark Star Dragon Ball Saga where Goku, Pan, and Trunks travel across the universe to collect the scattered balls. It gave me massive Dragon Ball vibes, but on a much grander scale. Unfortunately these early episodes were a big reason why DBGT was almost cancelled and the whole Baby Saga was created in order to save the series and also make the show more like DBZ instead of Dragon Ball. This transition has some of the worst writing and editing I've ever seen in an anime. It's like reading a book that's missing random pages and chapters and you literally have to piece together those missing parts to create a cohesive story. Also around this part in the series, the action and some of the ideas start to get really, really good. The crappy part is as soon as I feel like the show is starting to get really good, it takes me out of it again by getting really terrible once more. There are so may great ideas in GT, but the execution on most of them is flawed at the best of times, and absolutely awful at the worst. DBGT also does the opposite of Z where things happen way to quickly, leaving no time to develop anything naturally and everything just feels super rushed. Compare that to DBZ taking three episodes of almost nothing happening before a little bit of something occurs. A healthy median would be nice. But overall, I'd rank DBGT a 4/10 series so far. I still have to get through the Super Android 17 Saga and the Shenron Saga, which I've unfortunately heard mostly negative things about, but then again the whole series is generally despised. What's funny, and a little sad is I've actually enjoyed GT more than everything in the Buu Saga after Majin Vegita dies while fighting Buu. Let's see if I still feel that way once I finish DBGT. At the very least, I'm very happy to finally be watching a show I probably would have killed someone if it meant I could own and watch DBGT back in the late 90s lol.

35

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 11, 2025, 11:58:27 am »

60. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PS5)

Toonami and Dragon Ball Z were my gateway drugs into anime back in the late 90s. I was OBSESSED with DBZ, as well as Dragon Ball and DBGT from about 1999 until 2002 or so when I started to lose interest. Back in the early 2010s I rekindled my fandom of the Dragon Ball franchise, albeit at about a quarter the intensity it once was. During this time i discovered many DBZ games that I probably would have had an aneurysm over if they'd existed at the height of my adolescent Dragon Ball fanaticism. One of those games in particular, DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (BT3) was one I sunk a ton of time into and thoroughly enjoyed around 2010 when I first played it. Over the years, I bought various other Dragon Ball games, none of which did it for me like BT3 did. Finally, after all these years when I found out Bandai was releasing an actual sequel to BT3, Sparking! Zero, I completely lost my mind in a fury of hype. Unfortunately, while Sparking! Zero is enjoyable no doubt, your mileage will vary dramatically depending on how much of a fan of the series you currently are.


 Sparking! Zero has a ton of content in it. Between many different modes and the fact that this game has by far the largest roster of characters to choose from, it's all hard to fault this game for not giving the player a ton of value for their purchase. Not only that, but I have to give Namco Bandai massive props for making the vast majority of this content accessible without the need to purchase additional DLC or season passes. You can unlock almost every character, stage, outfit, mode, or item just by playing the game and leveling yourself up. I miss when more games did this and it was truly a breath of fresh air to experience this in a fighting game released in 2024. The best part of all this is, if there's a Dragon Ball character you can think of, there's a good chance they're available to play in Sparking! Zero. Unfortunately, the original Dragon Ball series is sorely under represented in this game, probably to make way for inclusion of a ton of DB Super characters, but it's a fairly minor grip on the whole. Unfortunately the main thing holding Sparking! Zero's gameplay back isn't the lack of certain characters or content, but rather the experience of actually playing this game. While Sparking! Zero's gameplay isn't egregiously broken or flawed, it's a game that leans on emulating the flash of the anime series more than on making this a well balanced fighting game. And in making you feel like you're playing inside an episode of the show, the game absolutely succeeded. It's just too bad that getting locked into unavoidable special attacks and an over reliance on said attacks to win, make the game feel a bit one note to play. I also found battles to be a bit on the clunky side at times where my character wasn't doing exactly what I wanted to, causing me to get punished by my opponent. One other thing that can be seen and either a positive or negative depending on your point of view is how accurately the game scales the difficulty of characters based on their strength in the show. While you can technically have Nappa defeat Super Saiyen 4 Goku in a match, it's going to be way more difficult than if you chose SS4 Vegita instead. In all, the gameplay of Sparking! Zero is definitely enjoyable, but absolutely flawed.


Both Sparking! Zero's visual and auditory presentation are pretty damn good. Characters, stages, and everything else nearly perfectly capture the look and feel of the show. Aside for a few dull stages and the occasional character model looking the same as they have for a decade now in other DBZ games, there is little to complain about here. Most characters are voiced by their anime voice actors which really lends itself to how authentic this game feels. While I didn't mark the game down objectively for this, but on a subjective level, the changing of certain memorable character voices like Frieza and kid Gohan from the old Funimation dub I grew up with was a bit jarring, but I completely understand why they weren't able to reuse these voice actors in a game released long after those actors last reprised their respective roles. The music in Sparking! Zero also fits in well with the look and aesthetic of the game, although I didn't find any of the tracks particularly memorable or catchy.


Once again, I sorely wish Sparking! Zero had been around in the late 90s and early 2000s. It probably would have become one of my favorite games of all time, at least back then. Unfortunately as someone who still enjoys the Dragon Ball franchise, but on a far more casual basis, this game just didn't do it for me like I was hoping it was. If the gameplay had been a bit better, I might feel a little different, but even so, I still think my waning fandom for the series over the years impacted my subjective enjoyment of this game more than anything. In other words, if you adore the Dragon Ball series, I can almost guarantee you'll love this game. If you're just kind of a fan, or not a fan at all, this game is probably not going to win you over. (5/11/25) [34/50]

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General / Re: May 2025 - Recently added to collection/recently purchased

« on: May 07, 2025, 03:59:11 pm »

I've been on a Metal Gear Solid kick since beating MGS1 late last month. I picked up the Master Collection Vol 1 on the PS5 and MGSV Definitive Edition on PS4 last week.

37

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 07, 2025, 01:02:04 am »

59. POD Speedzone (Dreamcast)

The only reason I own a copy of POD Speedzone is because I remember it being plastered in so many gaming magazines in the early 2000s. One is particular featured a very attractive girl that 13-year old me kinda had a thing for, but I digress. Years ago when I found a cheap copy of POD Speedzone while hunting for games, I decided I was finally going to play this game and see if it lived up to its memorable advertisements. Aside from knowing it was a racing game, I had no idea what to expect going into POD Speedzone. While some Dreamcast games have unfairly been forgotten over time, POD Speedzone is not one of those games.


POD Speedzone has to be one of the most poorly designed racing games I've ever played, which is saying something since I've played some truly awful raving games in my day. The track design is pretty terrible in every course. There are multiple branching paths in each course, with some being fairly intuitive and obvious, while others are poorly marked and very confusing as to whether they are part of the track or not. I can't tell you how many times I found myself accidentally driving the wrong way or wondering if I was even still in the race with out confusing some of the courses are. The game will often tell you which way to go, but the way the track is laid out barely makes that useful. There are also a decent amount of unavoidable obstacles, jumps that you'll often miss even at full speed, and weird track topography that will cause your vehicle to flip or crash into a wall frequently. Like many futuristic racing games from the era POD Speedzone came out, there are various powerups at your disposal to help give you an edge in each race. Unfortunately there are only a few of them and none of them are particularly useful or just redundant as is the case with the boost powerup that doesn't seem to help you anymore than your vehciles built in boost which you can use at will until you've used it all up. Your vehicle also gets damaged for hitting walls, flipping over, or getting hit by opponent power up weapons. If your vehicle takes too much damage it will force you to retire from the race. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, tracks are so large that you'll often forget you are racing against other opponents seeing how only 5 racers can participate, including you. The end result is a dull, lifeless, and and annoying experience while playing POS...woops, I meant POD Speedzone.


It's not all bad though. POD Speedzone does have a few redeeming qualities particularly in its visuals and audio. POD Speedzone was essentially Ubisoft's late 90s/early 2000s attempt to cash in on the futuristic racer sub genre. Similar to games like Extreme G or Wipeout, you'll be racing on various futuristic tracks. POD Speedzone's tracks are no different and for the most part look pretty cool for the most part. Unfortunately there are so few of them (six I believe) that you'll quickly get bored with racing through them over and over again. Likewise, there are also only a few vehicles to choose from, most of which look like incredibly ugly futuristic dune buggies. Despite their questionable art design, the vehicles actually show of a fairly good amount of detail, including some damage effects if your racer takes too much abuse during the course of the race. If not for how little content there is to look at in PD Speedzone, I may have thought a little higher of the visuals, but as is, this game will not capture your attention for long given how little there is to see.


Last, but definitely not least is the games audio which stands as POD Speedzone's best quality. Sound effects are nothing special, however the soundtrack is a fairly catchy late 90s techno score which actually kept me going in the game despite wanting to quit after only about 10-minutes of playing. Once again, there are only a few songs to speak of in POD Speedzone, but for what they are, they're pretty good.


There is no question whatsoever that POD Speedzone is a crap game, however despite that, there was a subjective charm this game had over me as I was playing through it. The game definitely represents that amazing late 90s/early 2000s video game zeitgeist when even big name studios like EA and Ubisoft released jank like this game that might as well have been developed by some independent team in eastern Europe inside a canning warehouse. Between the soundtrack and visuals, and even to an extenet the sub par gameplay, this game just feel so representative of its time, which is a period of gaming I deeply cherish. Still, if you asked me if I'd ever want to play POD Speedzone ever again, even many years from now when the taste of its terrible gameplay finally left my mouth, I'd still tell you absolutely not. Beyond my own weird minor satisfaction with this game, it's not a game I'd recommend anyone play, even if it's short as hell due to its very limited content. Pass on this one, you aren't missing out on anything...mostly. (5/6/25) [22/50]

38

Modern Video Games / Re: 2025 Games To Watch For...

« on: May 06, 2025, 06:19:31 pm »

https://youtu.be/VQRLujxTm3c?si=eEDKZr0NiWAKEk8f

Although technically 2026 now. I cant find a thread for that. But

Well safe to say Rockstar games is the really gorgeous cheerleader in a class full of introverts that so desperately have crushed for a decade but keep getting curved last minute lol.  But it doesnt stop her from flirting casually and snatching your breath...   that's this trailer. Anotjer hype magnet. The trailers are becoming painful lol.

Maybe 2026 the popular crush GTA 6 will finally take the proverbial class clown (the gamerverse) to prom.  And all the dreams come true.  Until then. Metaphorical butterflies and staring from down the hall way for the gamers of the world. 


My wishes are

1. Its under 100 dollars (unlikely)
2. It has cross play online
3. It has a collectors edition that is readily available at launch
4. No more delays


Loved this trailer. Absolutely adored this trailer.  Definitely feels like Lucinda and Jason have a very bonnie and clyde vibe. I do love the differing ethnic backgrounds of florida. Seems to be done tastefully like gta 5. And not poorly like disney.  It gives it a real feel.

I like GTA, but am by no means one of those people who obsesses over it like it's part of their personality. With that said, I definitely will not buy this game if $100 at launch, or even the usual $70. Like GTA5, I'll wait to buy it used a year or so later for way less. I feel like my top dollar on this game is probably $50. With that said, the second trailer definitely caught my interest more than the first. It should be a good game.

39

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 05, 2025, 12:09:12 am »

58. Yu Yu Hakusho Makyo Toitsusen (Genesis)

Being a big fan of the company Treasure and their games, I've come to expect when I play one of their games I've never tried before that I'm probably really going to like it. While I have played a few disappointing titles for them, overall they've had a pretty good track record in my book. Hell, two of their games, Radiant Silvergun and Sin & Punishment are some of the best games I've ever played. So a long time ago when I discovered they made a game based on one of my favorite 90s animes, I figured I was guaranteed to like it. Unfortunately that really didn't end up being the case.


Yu Yu Hakusho Makyo Toitsusen is a pretty boring, generic fighting game outside the appeal of its IP. Had I played this game back in the early 2000s when I first got into Yu Yu Hakusho, I probably would have got a lot more out of the game, however, even with my budding enthusiasm for the series, I still don't think I would have enjoyed this game very much. Makyo Toitsusen doesn't do anything particularly wrong, but it doesn't really do anything really right either. It's probably one of the most okay 16-bit fighting games I've ever played. Visually, the game looks pretty good for the most part aside from mostly bland stages and there not being a ton of them. The character models all look like their anime counterparts as you'd expect and they do have some of their more iconic moves for you to perform which kinda look cool. The audio does have some ripped tracks from the show, but for the most part it's all original. It isn't a particularly good OST, but not terrible either. There is also limited lines the characters call out when performing moves or when they get hurt. Gameplay is also just okay with controls being fairly responsive and accurate, and also special moves being fairly easy to pull off. This game borrows Fatal Fury's multi plain fighting mechanic, but unfortunately it's just as useless in this game as it is in most Fatal Fury games that utilize it. As far as character balancing or anything that might set this game apart or make it competitive, I wasn't able to identify anything; this game just sort of feels like a battle of attrition to see who can KO the other player faster. This is a large part why Makyo Toitsusen is sort of boring despite being decent enough not to be considered a bad game.


Your mileage with Mayo Toitsusen will vary greatly on how much of a fan of Yu Yu Hazkusho you are, but even if you're a super fan of the series, it's hard to imagine anyone enjoying this game for more than a single playthrough, which was the case with me. I use the word "enjoying" very loosely too. This is definitely one of Treasure's weaker offerings as well, at least of their games I've played. (5/4/25) [27/50]

40

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 04, 2025, 04:06:39 pm »

4. The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare (Genesis) - ABANDONED

Being a Simpsons crazed child back in the 90s, one of the highlights of my day was catching Simpson's episodes on Fox at around 5pm every evening. I was in elementary school throughout most of the Simpson's golden years (1992-1997) and even though a lot of the humor went totally over my head, I still loved it. Of course, also being in love with video games during this time too, knowing games based on the show existed had me beyond excited ti rent and play them whenever I could. The Simpsons game that I had the most couch time with, even to this day, was Bart's Nightmare on the Genesis.


To put it bluntly, Bart's Nightmare is not a good game. I do have to give some credit to the developer for pretty accurately distilling the feel and humor of the show into a 16-bit video game. Many of the characters you're probably familiar with if you watched the show are present in one way shape or form, and the content of Bart's nightmares definitely seem on brand with the character. The audio, while nothing special, also fits in with the zany nature of the game's premise which has you playing through Bart's nightmares as he attempts to collect pages of a homework assignment that flew out his window after falling asleep at his desk, and somehow ended up in his dreams where he must retrieve them. There are even pretty good voice clips from variopus characters that definitely add to the authentic feel of the game. Looking at Bart's Nightmare's presentation alone, one might think this game was pretty good, or at least decent. That is until you actually start to play the game.


Bart's Nightmare is more or less a collection of mini games that represent Bart's various nightmares where he must beat in order to collect pages of his homework assignment. There are several of these including Bart flying through the sky above Springfield as a super hero, Bart being a city destroying Kaiju monster, and Bart getting trapped inside an episode of Itchy and Scratchy. There are several other level types as well, but most levels come in two forms; once you've beat the first form of the level, you'll need to do it again, however this time it'll be different, but based on the same premise. There is also an overworld where you have to find pages of Bart's homework floating around so you can enter these mini games while also avoiding various obstacles that can give you a game over if too many of them hit you. While I could discuss each individuals mini game or the overworld gameplay, I'll just be short and say none of them are well made or really that enjoyable. The most competent of the mini games stages are the Super Bart levels, but even those kinda suck. The worst are the Indiana Jones tomb themed levels that have you platforming on sinking blocks while contending with various obstacles. Other mini games you can cheese really easily making them super easy for all the wrong reasons. The overworld is also a fristrating mess that will have you getting hit by speeding busses or other obstacles you won't see until it's too late. There isn't many positive things to say about Bart's Nightmare's gameplay, which is also a big reason why I don't think I've ever got more than a B- grade by the time I hit a game over. Despite the game sucking, however, I don't actually hate this game.


There are various games from my childhood that while I've come to terms with them being awful or at least mediocre, I still mostly enjoy playing them. Bart's Nightmare firmly fits in this category. While I will probably never be able to beat this game, nor do I care if I ever do, I still enjoy at least trying every few years and reliving a period of my life where the Simpsons was a near flawless show and some of the games for it, including this one, distilled that essence fairly well into a video game. (5/4/25) ABANDONED

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Modern Video Games / Re: What are some older IPs you would want to see brought back as a remake?

« on: May 03, 2025, 08:55:31 pm »

Shenmue: I know we got Shenmue III in 2019, but the only way this franchise will ever have any future is if it gets remade. This might sound lack blasphemy to some, but I'd be willing to give it a chance if it means getting some conclusion to this franchise.


Zone of the Enders: I think with modern tech, this game could potentially be twice as awesome as it was in 2001. I imagine Konami working with Platinum Games like they did with Metal Gear Rising and making something special here.

42

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 03, 2025, 02:07:01 am »

57. Unreal Tournament (PC)

Occasionally I'll play a game that I knew of from the 90s or early 2000s, but never played back when the game was relatively new, yet the game hits a nostalgic nerve. In the late 90s, my goto arena FPS was Quake III Arena. I never owned it, nor would it have even run on my PC to begin with, but my best friend at the time had it and we played it regularly for about a year whenever I'd come over on a Friday or Saturday night. Whenever I'd hear about Unreal Tournament at school, I always dismissed it, mostly due to my unfamiliarity with the series. It actually wouldn't be until the mid-2000s and watching various Gmanlives videos that inspired me, I bought Unreal Tournament off of GOG and decided to see what all the fuss was about. Funny enough, in recent years I've come to actually prefer Unreal over Quake III despite having that connection to Quake growing up.


Unreal Tournament is just an amazing game all around. The gameplay is fast, fluid and ridiculously addictive. I've admittedly not been a fan of mutliplayer focused FPS games, especially when played online, for the better part of 20-years. However, the matches with bots is so amazing that it's easy to just lose yourself in this game for multiple reasons. There are a bunch of great and unfortunately not so great weapons at your disposal. Weapons have multiple fire modes and can do different things too if you hold the left or right mouse button down before firing. It really gives this game a lot of depth and allows you to strategize about how you'll take our your opponents. There are also certain weapons better suited to certain stages. Speaking of stages, they are a fairly mixed bag with some being incredible and others being absolutely terrible. I'd say on average the stages are typically about a 7 out of 10 in terms of their layout, balancing, and enjoyability. One issue I did have with some stages more than others was having a hard time finding guns despite all the gun pickups spots respawning every 20 seconds or so. Unfortunately, in a game where you're constantly having to move in order to stay alive, this can be problematic. For the most part, it wasn't too big of an issue in what is overall an excellent gameplay experience. The shooting in Unreal Tournament feels very precise and smooth, which is a big reason why this game is so hard to put down. This is complemented even more by the game's various modes which will give you hours of additional entertainment. In fact, some maps are exclusive to specific modes like capture the flag. I personally love Domination and Deathmatch modes the most, but it's nice Unreal gives you other options as well in case you get bored of one mode.


Beyond just the look and feel of Unreal Tournament, its soundtrack is undeniably a product of the late 90s. The combination of drum and bass and trance music dominates the OST, but there are also a few rock inspired songs thrown in for good measure. It all just sounds so period appropriate, but beyond that it's just freakin awesome! Playing a game like this on PC while chill drum and bass music plays in the background just takes me back to being 12 on a Friday night and just gaming until my eyes wouldn't stay open anymore. Outside its amazing OST, the sound effects of the weapons, explosions, and some environmental sounds here and there all definitely fit in well with the action going on. There is also some limited voice acting in Unreal Tournament as well, but beyond being called a bitch every other time you die, there's not much to say about it. Really, the OST is the bread and butter of Unreal's audio and what you'll remember possibly even more than the excellent gameplay.


Finally, Unreal Tournament is a great looking game. Obviously, the Unreal games have always been a showcase for Epic Games' new engines and at the time, the Unreal engine was about as good as it got in terms of graphics. There are a decent amount of characters you can choose from and also do things like customize their appearance with different heads or body types. Really though, it's the stages and action taking place that are the main visual focal point while playing. Just like some stages are better than others when it comes to gameplay, some of Unreal Tournament's stages look way more appealing than others. While I commend there being a decent variety of stages to choose from, there are maybe a few too many industrial looking stages that this game would have benefited from giving a different style. Oddly enough, however, these industrial themed stages are some of the best in the game, but from a visual standpoint they can get kinda old after a while. The visuals effects from the various weapons all look great for the time as well. Overall, Unreal Tournament is just a great looking game from top to bottom.


Again, it really is remarkable how much Unreal Tournament takes me back to the late 90s and early 2000s despite it not being a game I played until years later in the mid 2010s. The game just so accurately nails the vibe and zeitgeist of what it was like to be a young gamer nearly three decades ago. It reminded me of all those weekend sleepovers I used to have with friends where we'd gorge ourselves on Doritos and Soda all night and try and stay up until the sun came up the next morning. Or going to a friend's birthday and playing laser tag somewhere (almost like real life Unreal Tournament...minus dying off course). While the game isn't perfect and I've also somewhat outgrown arena multiplayer shooters at this point, I still really enjoyed playing through the various different modes of Unreal Tournament and would absolutely recommend anyone play it that wants to know how amazing the late 90s gaming scene really was. (5/2/25) [38/50]

43

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: May 02, 2025, 02:50:09 am »

56. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS5)

When I beat Metal Gear Solid late last month, the first thing I wanted to do was jump into its sequel, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, as fast as possible. I more or less did this and experienced what was technically the first Metal Gear game I ever played. A good friend of mine growing up bought or rented Zone of the Enders which included a demo disk of MGS2 in it. I fell head over heals in love with ZOE, but at one point I wanted to try this Metal Gear Solid 2 game that was bundled with it. MGS2 couldn't be more different than ZOE despite both being Kojima games. I remember struggling with the stealth, but did end up getting to the Olga fight where I eventually turned the game off and decided it wasn't my thing. I'd carry this sentiment towards the MGS series, and stealth games in general, up until recently when I decided to set my expectations right and attempt one last time to get into the MGS series which is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Luckily, I was successful and having now beat the first two MGS games, I have some thoughts.


In some very big ways, MGS is a definite upgrade over its predecessor. Beyond the obvious of it having better graphics due to originally being developed for a way more powerful hardware (the PS2), its visuals aren't actually an area I think it's better than the first MGS game. MGS1 was not only iconic and groundbreaking in its cinematic presentation, but also in just its overall look and feel. That game had such an amazing presence and vibe to the whole game, which while MGS2 absolutely has its own look and feel too, it's just not on par with MGS1. Big Shell, a giant structure in the middle of the ocean similar to an oil rig, just didn't do it for me like Shadow Moses did. Too much of Big Shell looks somewhat bland and uninteresting and this is despite part of it being under water and it having a decent variety of settings within each of its parts. The character models, while technically more detailed, just weren't as interesting to me either, with a few exceptions. Don't et me wrong, MGS2 was one of the best looking PS2 games and one of the best looking video games when it came out, but so was MGS1 when it came out. I just wasn't as impressed with MGS2 from a visuals standpoint as I was with MGS1.


One area where MGS2 is not lacking compared to the first game is its audio and gameplay. Like the first game, there is a ton of excellent voice acting, some of which is appropriately over the top, but still very good. I'd say there are actually fewer spotty performances in MGS2 than there was in MGS1. I will say, however, Rose who you speak with quite often due to her saving your game, annoyed the ever loving hell out of me and made me think twice about saving sometimes. Other than that very minor gripe, I still really loved MGS2's voice cast. The soundtrack was also excellent with there being a lot more jazz and early 2000s sounding drum and bass music that really helped give this game a very cozy vibe. Of course with MGS2 being an action game, there were also plenty of high energy tracks to compliment the craziness occurring in front of you. Sound effects and design were also pretty top notch with weapons mostly sounding good, the sound of guards and footsteps depending on the surface, and a multitude of other audio delights made MGS2's overall audio quality near perfect in my book.


While I'd say MGS1 and MGS2's audio is about equal in terms of quality, one area I will say was noticeably better than MGS1 was in MGS2's gameplay. I'm not going to deny the fact that a lot of MGS1's gameplay annoyed me despite it being more enjoyable than not. The controls just felt clunky, many of the baked in mechanics felt not fully realized, and the shooting, which you had to do quite often, just felt like crap for the most part. Luckily nearly every mechanic from MGS1 got better in MGS2, sometimes way better. While this game doesn't suddenly turn into Unreal Tournament or Half Life, the shooting in MGS2 is remarkably better thanks to a first person aiming mode with all the weapons, which easily allow you to aim your weapon and enemies and fire where you want. Not only did this increase my immersion in MGS2, but also just my overall enjoyment of knowing I could fairly easily hit my target with little to no issues. Other returning mechanics such as sneaking, hiding, and melee combat all got noticeably better despite none of these systems being executed perfectly either. One new mechanic, swimming, did feel a bit awkward, but luckily outside one particular part of the game, it's not heavily used. Boss fights in MGS2 were mostly better than they were in the first game. There were a few exceptions to this, particularly the final boss which has you using a specific fighting mechanic you don't learn until later on in the game, that like swimming, was not implemented as well as it could have been. Some other bosses like a Metal Gear Ray fight later in the game, are definitely more enjoyable and well implemented than a somewhat similar Metal Gear fight in the first game. Overall, the gameplay is just a way better experience despite it being far from perfect and having its own new unique frustrations still.


MGS2 might be one of the most U-shaped gaming experience I've ever had. The game starts out really good with Snake infiltrating a large sea tanker that is housing a new type of Metal Gear, but then when the game fast forwards two years later and you're playing as Raiden, infiltrating the Big Shell base, my personal interest and enjoyment somewhat cratered. It wasn't until about 4 or 5 hours into playing as Raiden that the game starts to really pick up after a specific event occurs, and it just never lets up after that. And trust me, that 4 or 5 hour dip was brutal to the point where I actually wanted to be done with the game so I could move onto something more enjoyable. Thankfully, the last third of the game is very good, not to mention bat shit insane! The amount of twist and turns the story and plot takes towards the end would make a pro rally car driver projectile vomit as just when you think you know what's going on, the game flips everything on its head...again. It honestly felt like a bit too much actually, but overall, the story and what the game is trying to say is so fresh, unique, interesting, and eerily prophetic that I couldn't help but love it. It was so good that I had a hard time deciding who I sided with in the end, but I just recommend playing this game to see for yourself how insane and oddly relevant to the real world the ending is.


There is no doubt in my mind that I liked MGS2 more than MGS1, despite MGS2 having lower lows than the first game, but also way higher highs. I'm still going back and forth as to whether I want to jump into MGS3 sometime this summer, or just wait a few more months and experience that game for the first time thanks to MGS Delta. Regardless, you can now consider myself a fan of this franchise and one I hope as a future just as bright as its unique past. (5/2/25) [38/50]

44

General / Re: VGC's Anonymous/"General" Topic:

« on: April 28, 2025, 07:14:58 pm »

Did anyone try for a Switch 2?  Anyone hit? 
I got a preorder at Walmart. Hope they come through.

I didn't even try. I'm definitely going to have a wait and see attitude of how things go with it. The news that most third party games will be key card games and not game on card has me on the fence about getting one at all.

But really, who buys Nintendo consoles for 3rd party games?

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but here it goes.

Modern games are moving toward all digital. If I want to play new games, I’ve got to move with the industry. It’s not ideal, but I like playing new games.
The only way to keep the games you buy is to stick to pc gaming. Steam is the only platform that hasn’t changed.

I'd say at least 2/3 of my Switch games are third party, so it's a fairly big deal to me. Of course, I could buy some of those for other consoles, but I have chosen the Switch since they seem to match Nintendo's ethos more than Sony's.


People can spend their money however they want, however with the inevitable march towards digital only gaming, I have chosen to dramatically change how I game in the future. I'm not paying full price for digital games, not even close. I may buy some when they go on sale for $20 or less, but I'm not giving money to a company while they essentially hand me a license to play their product. There is no ownership and I'm only willing to make that concession if the amount of money I've paid is pretty low.


As for what Marvelvscapcom2 said, I completely agree. The video game industry has essentially done the boiling frog thing to us for the past 20 years. I remember when gamers used to be livid about Day 1 DLC and cutting content from the disk. People used to fight back and make companies that did this infamous, but of course enough people bought it to where companies no longer felt any fear about putting DLC and micro transactions into their games. We're literally at the point where people get hyped for DLC now, or with the Switch 2, physical games that don't even have any of the game on the card/disk. It's all very scummy and anti consumer. I can't tell other people what to do, but I choose not to support it and if that means I no longer buy or play newer games then so be it.

45

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: April 26, 2025, 11:01:16 pm »

55. Dead or Alive 5: Last Round (PS4)

2025 is certainly shaping up to be the year of Dead or Alive for me. This year alone I've played through the majority of the franchise, at least belonging to the fighting genre, and honestly I'm having so much fun that I'll likely play another two, maybe even three DOA games before we hit the end of the year. But anyhow, this time I got to return to DOA5, and entry I haven't touched since around the time it came out in 2012. I remember thinking DOA5 was a good game back on the PS3, but I guess I forgot just how good it was since aside from going out with my wife for a while this afternoon and taking our dogs on a walk, I pretty much played this game all day long. After I'd finished Story Mode, I then played arcade mode with nearly every character in DOA5's impressive roster before fiddling around with a handful of other modes too. In short, this is a fun as hell fighting game and another excellently crafted game in this criminally underrated franchise.


DOA5's gameplay is tight, fast paced, and fun. Like many previous DOA games, it is very combo focused and being successful at this game is very dependent on your ability to rack up crazy combos and pull off combo chains. Chip damaging your opponent can work to an extent, but you'll really want to stun lock your opponent and continue to pummel them with DOA5's impressive array of moves that each character posseses. There is a lot of depth to be found in DOA5, but some of that depth is lost in the flashiness of this game, which while it makes for an entertaining experience, it probably detracts somewhat from this game being as competitive as some of its late 2000s/early 2010s rivals. DOA5 Last Round's roster is very impressive with it containing a ton of DOA characters, but also several characters from Ninja Gaiden and also SEGA's Virtua Fighter. Even Mai for the King of Fighterrs series is playable, assuming you purchased her as paid DLC. Unfortunately, even though this is the final, presumably ultimate version of DOA5, there is still surprisingly a lot of costumes and several characters that you don't get by default. Holding back content as DLC in fightng games has been abused way worse in various other fighting games since DOA5's release, but it still annoys me every time I see it. Luckily, there are still a bunch of costumes to unlock by completing various modes and challenges within DOA5. There is also a pretty robust story mode which will cover the events following DOA4. While it's nothing groundbreaking or riveting, it's still entertaining and fills you in on the DOA universe.


DOA5 Last Round's presentation is excellent. Character models have been updated from their DOA4 counterparts to look slightly less animeish and a bit more realistic. Gravity defying jiggle physics are still as crazy as ever, and the majority of the female roster is still scantily clad in many of their outfits, but they all look and move a little more realistic compared to previous entries. Male characters have also been updated and look better than they ever have in DOA5. There is also some pretty cool perspiration and dirt effects that occur during each mach that make characters look like they've been getting a workout while fighting, as well as maybe getting knocked to the ground one too many times. This definitely makes DOA5 Last Round one of the best looking fighting games of its time and one that still looks pretty impressive even today. DOA5's stages encompass some of my favorite and least favorite in the franchise. Certain stages are absolutely awesome and over the top as you'd expect them to be in a game that allows you to knock your opponent off a ledge or through a wall as they fall 40 feet to the ground below. There are a few stages like the Oil Rig however, which are boring and unremarkable in nearly every way. Luckily, the goos stages definitely outweigh the bad ones, making DOA5 a blast to play no matter what level you're fighting in.


Finally, DOA5's audio is pretty good for the most part. The Japanese voice actors are absolutely better than the english ones, but that's not to say there isn't some talent on the English side of things as well. There aren't any egregiously bad performances, and while the dialogue is often cheesy and melodramatic, it's all pretty entertaining thanks to that aforementioned voice acting. The OST is good as well, with some new tracks being combined with various classic DOA songs as well. I'm definitely more of a fan of those older songs they included, but the new tracks are mostly enjoyable as well, maybe minus a couple. Sound effects of punches, slamming characters to the ground, hitting an energy forcefield, or some other explosive object all sound great and really give a weight to the combat of DOA5. The audio is awesome and I have few complaints about it.


At the end of the day, I felt torn about whether I prefer DOA4 or DOA5 Last Round as my favorite DOA game. Both games look, sound, and play very well, and are highly entertaining. However, I felt like I connected just a tiny biy more with DOA5 which is why, at least for now, it's my favorite DOA game. I cannot stress how enjoyable and crazy the DOA games are, and its a series I have come to love and appreciate more and more this year as I've spent a good chunk of time with each installment. There are still a few DOA games that could give DOA5 Last Round a run for its money, but it's going to be hard to beat, that's for sure! (4/26/25) [37/50]