Messages

1

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 14, 2025, 12:10:52 pm »

48. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 [PS5] - finished July 13th, 2025



The Hawk Flies Again!


I was hesitant when I learned that iron galaxy and parent company activision would be removing the story mode from tony hawk pro skater 4. It caused hysteria from fans of the original games. But then I realized that I much prefer the lay out of the timed challenges i'm already so familiar with. And for the most part they did a perfect job integrating the original story format into a timed challenge format! On top of that. Most people since reference just how aged the quality of the npcs were in the original thps4. And with such costs. It would have effected quality. The game also had an extremely fairly priced collectors edition with actual quality piece that I feel warranted support for the project and im happy I did! It's a rocking good time.  And the backlash is largely exaggerated.  You're basically only changing how challenges are delivered. Not the levels or challenges themselves. They all mostly remain in tact.   If you enjoy thps 1 + 2. This is much of the same.  But I think thats where it maybe needed to push the envelope just a tad. 


Control Schemes -  the skating is as fluid as ever.  Moves feel responsive.  Chaining combos at blistering speed feels organic. The haptic feedback is nice and reverting using the triggers is a satisfying sensation. It all works clean and achieves a nice framerate even on slim ps5.  Textures are gorgeous.

Graphics - the graphics are simply monumentous.  The lighting effects are dazzling and the colors vibrant. Character models are the same as thps 1 though. So again. Not much upgrade there. But it overall looks serene and lush.  No sepia filter. No ugly film grain.

Gameplay - many quality of life improvements have been made. Such as a camera mode that allows you hover a drone to look to see where your gaps are. What clearances you need to jump and where S K A T E letters are located.  Of course customizable characters.  And heres the big golden goose kicker.  NO MICRO TRANS.   Hot diggity dog.  A company not ripping people off post launch?  It would be easy to do with a game like tony hawk.  Add a couple of cheap levels for 19.99.  Demand a vitrual currency for cosmetics. Or even the cruelest. Charge for stat upgrade points.  Use a online skin model like fortnite. But overall. Nope.  It kept it clean again. Its just classic tony.  Throw it in.  A stale faygo on your bedside end table.  Smelling like after shave and slim jim meat from a 3 day tony hawk bender in 1998.  No micro this. And dlc that.  You just turn it on and combo chain till oblivion.  It is what it always was. 


The soundtrack was another source of controversy. Tony Hawk himself has spoken out as to why it was slimmed down. His intent with these games always was since the beggining to turn people on to new music. Not just new as in age. But new to them.  So he wanted a blend of old and new to form a hybrid of sounds. And it kicks ass.  Some were mad at tony for saying "if you want the old songs.  Open spotify" but I think his intent was in kindness. He clearly has minimum control in licensing and it prob boils down to licensing.   But thats not gonna take away from the soundtrack kicking wholesale ass!    Motorhead, kendrick lamar, Travis barker drums, denzel curry and acts like iron maiden and anthrax grace the game.  Among others.  It's still the cool kid in town despite growing up and putting on a new jacket.




GRIPES


The game is much of the same. It plays it safe. This is good... excellent. We know were safe from a shit tony hawk like pro skater 5.  But theirs something slightly sad about that trend.  I do know it largely has saved a dying franchise. But I do know the game is now without risks.  We may never get a game like tony hawk American wasteland. Or a new underground because its far safer to remaster the classics.  I like it. Its amazing. But I do wish they at least added modes.  A new mode where you gotta upgrade iconic skaters to unlock mini chapters based on each?  Maybe a retro mode that includes the original games in full?  Anything to spice it up. Make it off the wall.  But its sorta thps 1 + 2.   


And lastly.  The level zoo was botched. No way around it.  That level in the original was this sprawling metropolis of animals.  You could be chased by aggressive leopards and lions. Rail grind buzzards. Hitch a damn elephant.  Aquariums sprawling with life.  Now?? A defunct ghost town used only for a cheap lame comp with no goals or even animals at all.  That in itself is rough to overlook. Id almost rather they just removed the level.  Its that sad to me.  All the other levels have changed. Made omissions here and there but rarely.  But zoo?  It's nuetered. Its not really a fun level either.  It's just a shell of what it used to be.  And I can imagine that is harsher if you're nostalgoc for thps4.  Like a faded photo of the ex that got away. 


Overall - an amazing revisit to classic tony hawk games. Another home run for a consistent mission to keep all generations loving the good ol T Miester Tony Hawk.  It is perfect at its mechanics.


Rating - 95/100

2

General / Re: What are you playing?

« on: July 14, 2025, 11:36:15 am »

Not sure if I'll get back to Another Crab's Treasure or not, it's overall a decent game, but it wasn't clicking how I'd like.  For no real strong reason, sometimes games just don't play perfectly how I like and it's enough to mildly annoy me and the whole time I played I just wish some of the mechanics were a little smoother or tighter.  I do recommend it though and maybe I'll get back eventually, I just have Game Pass for now, so I got a bunch of stuff lined up to check out.

And the next I checked out is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4.  Big Tony Hawk fan and was glad they got another shot at the series.  And despite being another studio for this, it's so far decent, only half-way through THPS3 content at the moment.  I know some people weren't happy that THPS 4 isn't the same game it was, they are just putting the maps into the classic timer format instead of being more of a free roam game with story content, but I don't mind that.  I personally don't have the nostalgia specifically for that one and I honestly don't think they would've made THPS 4 in full anyways, so this is the better option.  The only thing I'm slightly disappointed by is that apparently most of the music in the game is new additions rather than the old soundtrack.  I don't know specifically what was cut, I remember a bit less from this time other than CKY a few others, but I still would rather keep it as close to the original as possible.  That being said, I've heard some songs that I believe are new and are pretty cool, so I don't mind it a ton.

This was exactly my take as well! No nostalgia for me. So  this game shreds majorly. I partially understand the distain for the switch of course but I think the story mode really removes the arcadey cohesion of it all.  When combined with 3.  But yeah. I think 80 percent of the original soundtrack was removed among both games. Its not a small chunk for sure. Which is sad. My biggest gripe more than that is how stripped 2 of the levels are. Especially "zoo" in thps4. Like you I never grew up with thps4. So their was no nostalgia there.  But after looking up the original zoo.  They definitely nuetered that level and removed all animals from it. It seems so bizarre to make that level the comp level.  It had so much to see with live animals and challenges. Most likely due to resource and budget constraints      Shame.  But still overall a fun time.


But overall its been a blast. And I do think the soundtracks are great.  I think a mix of old and new is healthy for remasters and remakes.  I Hope you're enjoying it!

3

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 10, 2025, 07:55:14 pm »

47. Who Pressed Mute On Uncle Marcus [PS5] - finished Jul 9th, 2025



47. Who Hit Mute On Uncle Marcus

This game is dank lol. Maybe dank is self described. Dank as in a moldy dish rag on a placenta dragon's door hinge. It's a silly flash in the pan that ends way too soon. It doesnt get where it needs to go. Like if someone double dog dared your crush to kiss you.  It's like your hearts racing, you dont know what to feel. It sorta was what you imagined, it sorta wasnt and in the end? You dont know what to do but hope for it to extend upon itself and it never does.  It's this FMV British comedy soup that is funny at times. But since its basically a 15 minute episode of Ricky Gervais's the office with half the humor and twice the amount to unpack. I personally think it needed more time to get into its footing. It's a clustered up little mess of amusement. Maybe worth 2 dollars. Heres the issue... I paid 4 lol.


So essentially you are Abby. A family outcast who I suppose is close to Uncle Marcus. It doesnt extend into why she is. Uncle Marcus confides in you the details of a big mystery of how he was poisoned by someone in the family. And you are tasked to interrogate a set of family members (aunt, mom, cousins and grandmother) to find evidence. This is not a spoiler because its literally the games title and description in store lol. Once you gather evidence you can hopefully save Uncle Marcus or unviel the truth.  Theirs most likely many different endings. The issue is the game is over as fast as it starts.  I mostly got this game because I was itching for another game like Erica.  Erica is also an fmv. The game is actually camera footage of real humans and actresses and that game was 10/10 incredible and I beat it 3 times it was so engrossing. Like an unraveling hbo max movie. It felt like I was digging into an actual mystery. Shutter Island style. And this game? Its something I imagine would come on adult swim at 3am when everyones off to bed. Something you watch only out of lack of options. It just doesnt have any major unraveling. Its too short. And it's rare I ever say that.  But it just is. You cant just put someone at the helm of a 30 minute murder mystery and rush that to that extent.  But maybe some will find enjoyment in its novelty.

69/100

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 10, 2025, 07:43:42 pm »

46. Taiko No Tatsujin: Rythym Festival [PS5] - finished July 7th, 2025



Taiko No Tatsujin Rythym Festival is a fun little (not so little) Japanese treat to grace American audiences in recent memory. (I know it did decades ago. But I mean how massively popular it has become has had a recent spike to it). You know those cute little Japanese candy poppers that explode? Or the sodas with the marbles in them? That Japan has had for decades but have now since become trendy in the states? That is this game. A hidden treat that I think is dabbling into a space in American gaming where guitar hero would have once lived. The rythym genre! And i'm happy its gained some cult like attention. Sorta riding along the lines of games like Dance Dance Revolution which were games that blew up to popularity in tokyo arcades and then made it to be ported to pretty much every worldwide form of delivering entertainment. Im surprised their wasnt a dance dance revolution on dvd players using a remote to play the darn thing. Oh wait....


There was lol.



However Taiko No Tatsujin at its greatest value NEVER waivers from what it is.  I played the vita version which was released almost a decade before Rythym Festival. Its the same exact game. Different songs and UI of course. But it doesn't play around with becoming too saturated or too ambitious. And I feel its such a delightful pick up and play game because of it.  Its just faithful and fun.  Colorful and cute.

Players must simply hit the outer rim of a drum (a taiko peripheral. Sold seperate) for blue notes. And center drum for red notes although the game can also be played via controller. This raises accuracy and easiness of the game.  But removes some of the immersive realism of drumming away. Which is a optional trade off for casual play on the couch.

The songs are mostly J Pop, but their are some K Pop (such as black pink's dudududu) and English songs such as Disney's frozen II and classics such a bethooven symphony no.5.  The set list is varied, juicy and ripe with fun. And even though I maybe know 5 words in Japanese. It's something that every song beems with life. They have different tones, poignant appeal and lush visuals that compliment the intent of delivery. Melodies. Rock, japanese techno. It all is a big rave in a world so foreign to me and I do love that.   It can also be noted that if you buy the japanese copy of the game like I did. And play it on an ntsc playstation 5. The ps5 will automatically translate it to the language on your ps5. Its no different than owning the american copy aside from paying 30 dollars less lol. 


Overall the controls are smooth. The character Don Chin that looks sorta like a spring roll with green outer skin is adorable.  He is accompnied by a cloud with yellow strings?  I honestly feel like being non lingual in the games language makes it more abstract. I cant tell what the creatures are. But based on what ive read online. Japanese speakers and natives also find the game fairly off the wall and wild in terms of what is going on.  Theirs a lot of colorful visuals. It's one of the most colorful games I have ever played. 

Overall its a concise rythym game that has a smooth UI. Fun tracks. However lack of vocals, guitar or synths make it one dimensional. So you have to love drums. And particular ONE drum. To enjoy it.  It was fun for the many hours I put into it. However I actually think my vita experience was even better.

87/100

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

« on: July 10, 2025, 07:34:51 pm »

Got my collectors edition of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 on the 8th.  I was worried the board included would be a cheap plastic eall hanger made for video game collectors and not an actual skate deck to save money. I was happily mistaken



In a world of 70 dollar games. The deluxe editoon is priced at around 69.99. Standard is 50.  So 70 dollars worth of the collectors edition is game alone. Which means this deck is 50.  That is a massive bargain for a birdhouse deck of limited run based on their website 52 to 72 is the average.  So i'm actually really stoked with the quality!

The orange amber wood grain is so sick. 


As for the game itself.  It's just like thps 1+2 but with 3+4 levels.  They removed the 4 story features but with nostalgia goggles taken off.  4's story elements were useless and unnecessary anyway.  I enjoy the streamlined experience. 

I think for the price this CE is tons of value and the deck is art gorgeousness on the other side.  I shoulda took a picture lol.   I think Tony Hawk made such a turn around.  From being borderline ruined as a franchise to redemption.  Cool to see. 

Happy gaming everyone

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

« on: July 08, 2025, 04:50:25 am »

Although I am attempting to slow down drastically on purchasing. Some amazon returns allowed for some foreign purchases.I have pre ordered some upcoming releases. One of which is set to come today. Which is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 collectors edition. Which comes with a birdhouse skate deck with a lithograph of Tony's autograph! Pretty pumped.

Also

PS5

Deliver at all costs [UK Only]
Tear Down [JP]
And
Planet Zoo

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 07, 2025, 05:30:54 am »

Platinum'd Jusant. One of the more enjoyable Platinums.  Boy this years "year in review" thread is gonna be very difficult for me. I feel like I've played at least 7 games that will stick with me for life.  Congrats everyone on progress at a little past the half year mark!   

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 06, 2025, 05:06:31 am »

45. Jusant [PS5] - finished July 6th, 2025




Jusant is one of those cute little indie "engines that could" games of the PS Plus games monthly world. But rarely do they throw a home cooked meal feel type of masterpiece like this. That I am honored to have grace my screen.  What a warm experience.  Take on traversals as you climb beautiful sun soaked mountain scapes, abandoned ruins and wild plants through gloriously beautiful open air.  The world becomes your playground with each trigger tap and it's quite BEASTLY.

You are accompanied by a companion called a ballast.  The sole way to describe them based on the letters you collect throughout the game are fabled demi gods that use sound waves to make mythical use of environments.  Plants respond to the cries of the blue ball of cuteness on your back allowing vines to pertrude and then you climb.   The backstory of the ballasts unravels itself as you read diary journals left behind and letters from a woman named Bianca. Who I suppose climbed the path you are before you did.  They act as a sort of guidance into the unknown. 


The climbing elements are similar to say Uncharted but far more quick, light and varied.  The game relies on environmental changes to vary the climbing.  Wind will blow a windmill that you are climbing changing its position.  Some plants wither in the sunlight meaning you must rush those sections. It's so fluid, it's non newtonian, the gentle breezes vibrate the dualsense.  It becomes intertwined in your fingers as you feel you and the main protagonist become one.  It's a zenful experience and doesn't do anything to sway your focus from its beauty. Its clean cut perfection in terms of 3d platforming.

Throughout the world are collectibles.  Cairns which essentially are rocks that someone decided should be stacked.  Letters from bianca.  Frescos. Which are pretty glow paintings.  And the spinny rock pillar things.  Shells to listen to echos from nature itself.  It all is so peaceful.  The earl grey tea of video games. A warm mid evening sip of a hot cocoa that leaves you wondering if a hot cocoa becomes cool is it a cool cocoa or does it remain hot in name despite coolness in it's tempatural existence.  Every plant, every rock. It all just feels booming with calm.  Which is neat considering the game is packed with action.  It's meditative beauty.



One of 12 Frescos in the game. Colorful murals for the player to find

The games soundtrack is very amazon nusic calming sounds sorta vibe mixed with games like Ori and the blind Forrest. And considering its free to play right now if you have the subscription for ps plus extra (I believe its for extra subscribers but it may be for standard ps plus members too) it's just impossible to not chase a platinum trophy on this one.  It's concise but not too much. It does just about everything right.  Tbh. One of my favorite games of all time.  Which is shocking but its just simple, quick, clean and perfect. Which is my favorite experiences now a days.

Rating - 100/100

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Off Topic / Re: How do you deal with getting older?

« on: July 05, 2025, 05:50:36 pm »

Idk if anyone else feels this but does it seem like time moves faster as you age?  Seemed like days were 2 days when I was younger.  Now it seems like no matter how much time I make. Plans I cancel. It's just wake up. And then its bedtime right after.  Theirs this sense of too quick. Idk.   Where it comes from.

It feels faster because the individual time amounts take up less and less of your overall life. Take summer vacation for example. To a 7 year old, that summer vacation is about 4% of their total life and all the memories contained. To a 37 year old, that same time period is now only 0.6% of their life.

Also, it doesn't help how much adulting can take out of your free time. Lawn needs to be mowed, laundry needs to be done, groceries need to be bought, etc., etc. So that 2 days off a week can wind up feeling like only a few hours free depending on how things stack up.

This makes a lot of sense. That 2nd part hits home. I was just saying I feel like I spend more time at Walmart than my home lol. It seems like every 2 days the groceries are gone. And if I buy in bulk then I need something else or it spoils. Then it's laundry.  Then it's car care. Then it's doctors, dentist or other health appointments.  By the time I actually sit down with a video game at the end of the night my eyes are heavy and i'm falling asleep.  Maybe get 2 hours tops.   

Perhaps that's the issue im having. The boring parts of life are taking up maybe a good chunk so it feels like the memorable parts are actually small and rushed.  I gotta try to time budget better.


But that other age correlation phenomenon is fascinating. It just feels wild lately. I feel like new years was about a week ago. Its that bad. Sorta out of body.   I'm gonna try to focus more on the scope of time and less about the movement of it.  Just another thing to add about how getting older sucks lol.   

10

News / Re: Official Fallback Forum

« on: July 02, 2025, 10:09:26 pm »

Joined!  I really like this idea.  I've grown to love the community here. At least theirs a chance to congregate if it all goes belly up again.

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General / Re: What are you playing?

« on: July 02, 2025, 07:53:09 pm »

Playstation's monthly game Jusant has proven to be massuvely epic so far.  Free to play if you are a psn member. 

The game is essentially climbing a beautiful mountain scape to uncover a mystery. Gorgeous art

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Classic Video Games / Re: New Haul Picked Up Today At TooManyGames

« on: July 02, 2025, 06:12:02 am »

Are those good prices? I stopped buying games and haven't kept up with the market. They seem ok for a couple.

About 10 to 20 percent over retail on each. Deduct 5 bucks from each and you get fair pricing. That adds up. But like NickAwesome said. Perhaps their was negotiating involved.  Really cool games though.


I loved that rampage as a kid!

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Off Topic / Re: How do you deal with getting older?

« on: July 01, 2025, 06:08:52 pm »

I recently had a birthday which puts me in my late 30s. I understand I'm still not old, and by conventional standards I'm not even middle aged yet, but one thing that has been on my mind a lot over the last year or so is how people deal with getting older.


it's a strange thing coming out of your late teens, 20s, and even your early 30s and most things are more or less as you remembered them, but then you realize one day they're not. Your relatives you've had in your minds eye as being around a certain age most of your life are now several decades beyond that, you start to hear more and more about people you knew personally dying, and even you aren't the same person anymore. You don't have the energy you once did, your body has all sorts of random aches and pains you never used to have, and you could have sworn you were just renewing your plates or paying your taxes a few months ago, when it's actually been a whole year already. I guess the passage of time and the reality of how much time has passed is starting to finally catch up with me. Does anyone else have feelings like this or have you dealt with this and somehow come to terms with it?

I think about it every single day when i'm alone. Damn... this hit the feels for me.  I actually been feeling sort of out of body lately. Almost existential crisis.  Like sometimes I just sit there and realize how finite life is...  it feels like yesterday was y2k.  Like monday was ps2 release date. it feels like Majoras mask. Where it's a game, all n64 and life as usual but then you look up and death is just there.  When you start the game. That moon is far away. Easy peezy.  No urgency or fear. You're a kid! But once you near 30, 40, 50 and I imagine especially 60 and 70.  That moon is not exactly where it started anymore.  And the reality of that is jarring.  And it jars you the more you look up.

And things have radically changed with the advent of internet dependency. Which has not helped matters. It makes us lead very centralized and introverted psuedo lifestyles of speed. I find myself saying "these kids today" like an old grandfather and i'm not even 30 yet lol.  It just has changed.  Complex stuff like learning how to work a check book.  Even something as simple as looking out the window every 30 seconds for a pizza guy.  The excitement.  Now we have an app to track it. Why wait at a mom and pop store. Amazon will do it quicker. Better. Theirs no effort required so I think life speeds up when theirs less to do. Less to see. It all feels like around 2010 or 2012. We all died at the same time. And everything after 2013 is just a bizarre dream. And this is a new life. Thats how different it is.  But I know thats not the case.


Idk if anyone else feels this but does it seem like time moves faster as you age?  Seemed like days were 2 days when I was younger.  Now it seems like no matter how much time I make. Plans I cancel. It's just wake up. And then its bedtime right after.  Theirs this sense of too quick. Idk.   Where it comes from.

I guess we just gotta focus more on what is changeable.  The quality of the life not the quantity.   I know death can only bring us the answers of whats next. But its human nature to ponder it.   

Sometimes the quote "dont be sad its over. Be happy it happened" make me feel better. 

14

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: July 01, 2025, 05:06:31 pm »

44. NFL Street [PS2] - finished July 1st 2025



My Childhood

NFL Street was a core building block of my childhood. Back in the days when AOL discs littered the carpets of the 1 bedroom apartments of gamers. The days of yellow pages ordering that meat lover pizza from the local joint Timmy's pizza. The soft buzz of a CRT.  Back when tvs were smaller yet weighed 200x more.  But what was big was what was inside the tv... EA Big.  A company that was a subsidiary of EA as an umbrella of sports dominance. Known for making the SSX games, and many other street games for each sport.  But NFL Street was the most critically beloved of them all.  This was very much a walk down the cobblestoned pavements of memory lane.


The games intro brings nostalgia right away.  But while I beat NFL Street 2 maybe 20 times as a kid.  I never beat NFL Street 1.  And now I know why.  The game is fun, a catalyst for the greatest arcade football franchise of all time but it's also so damn poorly paced.  And is riddled with flaws.  Which sadly knock it off its pedestal at the end. But otherwise its an epic epic game.

No pads, no rules, just backyard beef, as we stiff armed my homework into eternal grief.  My PS2 hummed like a streetlight fight, while Ray Lewis trucked kids into parental oversight.  From adolescence to adult essence.  We digress into what made it special and not so.

It was bling era. MTV. Mike Jones.  The game is a window into that simpler time. 

Premise

So you basically form a team of new comers. The intent is to build a squad good enough to challenge not only every NFL team (you'll see how redundant that is) but also every afc and nfc championship team (theirs and if you do.  You get privilege to face the NFL Legends. Who essentially are jacked up HOF athletes with higher stats than anyone else.

Where the game is bliss is its rpg element system and the challenges.   Challenges will be presented. For example "stiff arm 2 times and score on your first play" and if you do that. It awards you development points.  Which can be used to upgrade players.  This cycle always changes because the challenges vary so wildly.  Not as wildly as nfl street 2 which perfects this formula.  (Please always note that nfl street 2 is another league of game far greater than this one) but these rpg upgrade elements really allow for a fun time.  If the game were just these. Itd be flawless.  You get to watch your team develop from project kids to essentially better than nfl stars.  You can physically feel and see the impact your upgrades have on field.  If you max a speed stat. He will be lightning while your other guys are molases on grass.  This formula makes the game a wild arcadey blast of building up your squad.


Gameplay is smooth.  I actually prefer its simplicity over 2. 2 added gamebreaker 2. Which is unnecessary and redundant.  Otherwise NFL Street 2 added so much depth and trimmed the fat off nfl street 1.  But the game is good mechanics wise.  Just a bit hard.  But now heres the flaws of the game.


REPETITION

Howlongtobeat.com has this game pegged to 10 hours.  It seems users go on there to simply lie about how fast they can beat a game.  Semi annoying.  Here is the truth.   In order to face the legends. You have to beat 8 all star teams from each conference.  If that was it? Climb the ladder and beat the greats? perfection.  Itd still be a long grind.  But no..  you must beat all 32 nfl teams to even face the 8 conference all stars.  Thats 40 games.  The games are to 36 points. So thats not a short game.  It's roughly 5 to 6 touchdowns.  For lack of a better word.  This is just damn redundant.  You didn't need to beat 4 teams in a row to get the allstar battle.  The allstar battle is all the best players anyway. That proves you are ready for the legends.  The rest is pure bloat.   Even if you do these games in 15 minutes each (doesnt always happen) the game is at least 20 hours of bloat.  It gave me carpal tunnel lol.  And that is NOT including the hustle of the challenges.  Some of those are massively drawn out. Most include beating those very same teams in games to 36, 40 and even 100.   So what you get is a game that had potential to be borderline flawless. But made you go through a marathon where a sprint was more appropriate. It becomes so repetitive facing the same teams on the same fields with no mix up.  The challenges alone are 10 hours minimum of gaming if you seek to actually max your teams stats.  NFL Street 2 eliminates the team nonsense and keeps it just as I said. Challenges only. It's flawless. To beat the entire league 3 times over? Yeah im sapped out.

Overall the fun building style of nfl street 1 is a beauty. And without it crawling with that formula. Nfl street 2 wouldn't have been able to run with it. It's a colorful window in 2000w hip hop culture. But it needed brevity.

Overall - 85/100

15

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

« on: June 26, 2025, 06:55:28 am »

70. We <3 Katamari (PS2)

Back around the time We <3 Katamari first came out, I was working a crappy retail job. Two of my coworkers and I had bonded over our love of video games and anime, which led to one of them inviting us over to his apartment after work one night to play some weird game he had just bought. What ensued is the three of us playing We <3 Katamari until the sun came up the next day while listening to J-Pop and Dir En Grey. It was an excellent experience and beyond just the fond memories of that night, it also made me a fan of the Katamari series with We <3 Katamari being the came that started it all.

This was really a cool read! Reminded me of a simpler time back when late night, a PS2 and some Dominoes Pizza, the dim lit glow of the screen is all you needed. Carrying a gamecube next door after work. Gaming felt so social back then.

-----‐---------------------------------------------------------

43. Lego Rock Band [PS3] - finished June 24th, 2025


I think Chinese water torture and dog dander scented nasal drops are better than this game.  It is probably the worst rythym game ive played. And I didnt expect that.  But thats just the blunt reality of it.  So let's begin there lol.


Lego rockband is yet another rythym guitar/ instrument made by hermonix. Now with lego branding and you level up and basically play multiple different brick venues.  But where lego rockband shines in cute lego fun.  It dies in its complete disregard for the human soul, its incessant reliance on repetition, it's overwhelming need for bloat like a beached sun rotted Salmon and lastly. It's cliche plotless joke of a linear path that makes you feel like you're sitting through a spoken word circle at the local rec center.  It gets old so fast.


Lego Rockband.... ya know. What can be said truly other than it was like sitting at the dmv attempting to finish this game and I couldnt quite put my finger on to why. I'll explain why later. I almost felt the game itself ruined Rythym based games for me... I had lost it. The love for it all.  until I began Guitar Hero III right smack dab after. Guitar Hero III was the catalyst to show me what went wrong.  The legendary epicness of that game where not a single song feels out of place. Not a single fret wasted.  Shows in mirror contrast how bad Lego Rockband is.  I now realize I stuck out the bloated soundtrack not because I was bad.  The game had me tangled in stockholm syndrome missing what could be.  A life I never seen. 

Lego Rockband divides your playtime which is already incredibly bloated into forcing you to play the same songs 27 times to progress.  Some venues require 40 stars to proceed. Which means you gotta sit there and play the games setlist over and over.  The same "choose 2 songs" that become stale because the game unlike guitar hero 3 doesnt roll out a buffet for you. It basically leaves two bins of cold leftovers and recycles that for 2 weeks.  I played the song "boys and girls" by good charlotte solely because otherwise id be delegated to playing synthy pop music on guitar, dad rock songs that have aged like crud.  And even the songs that are fun. Like Sum 41's in too deep. Are mapped like shit.   The notes feel mundane.  The solos?? It will pop up on screen "solo time" and it will require you the player to nail these action sequences. Except you can tell they spent no actual effort to make the solo harder, faster, funner or more epic. It feels like a bridge. The notes are bland and lifeless. On hard difficulty it feels medium. 

Then the game gets the idea to make a set list that is required to beat to progress.  Guess what that entails? You must beat 5 songs in a row. All about 5 minutes each. Without stopping. By force. So I gotta sit here. For 30 straight minutes and play the lifeless dad rock. It doesnt even have the class to let you get bored in 4 minute increments at a time lol.   Guitar Hero yet again at its peak would never insist on a 5 song binge because 1. Its a terrible idea that adds nothing to the game.  And 2. Perhaps more obvious is that you cant stop. Some people dont play long game sessions.  Fingers cramp.  Ect.   I just dont get it.  I really dont. 

Then you got the longevity.  Theirs a certain tact in brevity.  A bit of love in simplicity.  The greats like Beatles Rockband knew how to do this.  Imagine if beatles rockband like a clingy tinder date demanded "nope. Beat helter skeltet 7 more times.  Because we didnt count the 1st one.  Oh and do all these yoko ono B sides.  These bizarre John Lennon unreleased solo tracks. And perform the entire Ed Sullivan show without taking a break.  It'd ruin it all. 


Even the lego concept isnt done great.  All that is lego about the game is you play as a lego toy character.  Id argue thats lamer.  Games like Forza Horizon 4 prove how massively special a lego experience can be.  Why not breaking fret boards? Blocks smashing? Notes that are lego bricks and as you play you build designs?   Something more than a skin?  It feels just cheaply pasted.

Also here is the sheer bloat im talking about. The game has 260 gigs covering over 1200 possible stars to collect and 10 vehicles to buy.  While the game has numerous venues, each one is essentially the same in terms of gameplay, with variations mainly in the visual decor. So you end up repeating set lists. Because the game only has 45 songs.  And of them songs. Maybe 30 dont fit the style of play to be considered good. So whatdaya got? Lol. 


All and all. Lego Rockband suffers from a lot.  Nothing is blaringly bad at face but it has maybe 10 bad things that make it overwhelmingly mundane as a cohesive unit.


Rating - 32/100