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| New Layout |
| Monday, 29 September 2008 |
 Well here it is, the new layout. I hope you all like it, I definitely think that it makes Gaming Corner look a lot more professional and less.....bloggy.
Thanks to Rezourceman for the banner. The site may go through a bit more tweaking over the next few weeks/months while I see what works and what doesn't. Maybe I will be able to add a few fancy features, we'll see.
Anyway, enjoy the new layout!Labels: Site News
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posted by Happenstance @ 20:41  |
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| Review- Mega Man 9 |
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 Retro remakes are all the rage at the moment. With the recent Bionic Commando; Rearmed setting a very high standard for a retooled NES game can Mega Man 9 deliver in the same fashion?
The Mega Man franchise has in recent years become more famous for the way Capcom have milked the series over the years. Many old school fans of the series have become disillusioned as numerous spin offs have been born and the story has become more and more convoluted. Each of these new additions to the series seem to have added another layer or take on gameplay that simply wasn't needed. This however is a return to the principles the series built itself upon and is more like a direct sequel to Mega Man 2. It shares everything with it right down the same graphics, gloriously reimagined for todays consoles. No HD visuals, no hand drawn art style just plain old good 8 bit NES graphics. It would be incredible if someone could find a way to dump a ROM of this onto a NES cart and play it on the machine. (not that Gaming Corner condones piracy, this kind of experiment would purely be for fun!)
It can't be helped that there is this niggling feeling that this game could have used the kind of face lift that we recently saw in Bionic Commando. That helped the game to come kicking and screaming into the 21st Century world of HD. Purists will love the retro throwback whilst people will find the looks jarring and it may even make the game unplayable for those who don't wish to return to the days of old.
It is not only graphically where this title could be accused of coming up short. Whilst the music is fantastically retro and 8 bit it is not as memorable as the tunes from both Mega Man 1 and 2. There is something missing and none of the tracks are quite as catchy. Retro remixes of the old tunes may have been more preferable but would not have been in fitting with the graphics.
This all sounds very negative so far, but where the title really excels is the core gameplay. The basic premise is the same, work your way through 8 levels and beat the bosses. The clever part this system is you can tackle the bosses in order you wish, reach the end of their level and beat them and you will be rewarded with a power up that will help your adventure. Certain power ups help beat certain bosses, working out this order is an important part of the game. The platforming is as sweet as ever and those looking for a challenge will certainly be pleased. The level design is definitly up there as some of the best out there and is leagues above the most recent Mega Man games. The normal game is also supplemented with a smattering of current gen features such as in game achievements which help to increase the longevity of the title.
So which is the best version? Well purists would say that the Wii version is the best as it uses the classic patented D-Pad design that was present back in the NES days. Microsoft fans would argue that the inclusion of Xbox Achievements sets their version a cut above the rest, however the 360 controller does have D-Pad issues. Whereas the PS3 version with its own direction pad perhaps offers the best controlling HD smoothed version. Whatever the case if you are old school Mega Man fan you will find that whatever version you get this game will satisfy your need. There is set to be DLC for the game but so far it has only 100% been confirmed for Wii.
Mega Man is a NES game through and through it comes with a smattering of modern features yet it is clearly a product of the original era that the franchise was born during. Fans of the series will welcome the return a simplier day whereas casual gamers will be turned off by the decidedly ancient looking visuals and the difficult gameplay. One things for sure Mega Man has returned and is back to his best.
 Labels: PS3, Reviews, Wii, Xbox 360
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| posted by flameboy @ 19:34 |
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| Fanning the Flames - The Future of Gaming Corner |
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Since we first started up Gaming Corner the site has already been through very much. We have kept to our mandate of providing regular features each and everyday. So when each gamer takes time away from their Gaming Corner they know what features to expect.
At all times we try our best to ensure our features are diverse and interesting so that every week there is something for everyone We are currently hard at work trying to increase the number of reviews we get up on the site and hopefully the fruits of this increased input will start to flourish soon.
So what's coming in the future? We are currently hard at work beavering on a new look site that will help us move along to the next stage. We are putting the finishing touches to it which includes an exciting new logo which at the moment seems to have through a ton of revamps and revisits before we finally found one were happy with. In the mean time why not treat yourself to a tshirt made by staff member goaferboy? The shirt features the current old school style logo;
Gaming Corner Clothing Goodies!
Gaming Corner does not make any profits off this and they are at the standard Cafe Press prices.
Anyway hope you enjoy this weeks content and a proper Fanning the Flames will be back next week!Labels: Fanning The Flames
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| posted by flameboy @ 15:50 |
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| Retro Column - Good Old Games (GOG.com) |
| Thursday, 25 September 2008 |
After thinking for quite a while what to write this weeks Retro Column about I was directed to the "Good Old Games" website at http://www.gog.com
As my love for old PC games has been reignited lately after playing Diablo II on single player and over LAN with goaferboy this website came as a happy suprise, its nice to see that the old classics are still paid attention to.
Here are some of the questions they have posted on their site which can explain about them:
Who Are You Guys?
"Everyone at GOG.com is a gamer, just like you. We’ve combined our real-life love for classic games with the amazing virtual world of the intarnets to bring some of our favorite games to your PC, with nothing – except maybe our budget – holding us back from conquering the world through gaming."
Why do you sell old games? Are you stupid or something?
"Well, it looks like you haven't played the PC classics much. Maybe it's some sentimental attachment or maybe the games back then were different? Maybe a little bit of both; regardless, the truth is that the all-time classics never go out of style and we know that. So don't criticize; play the game like it's 1995."
GOG will be offering retro pc games to buy at either $5.99 or $9.99 DRM free. Once you have paid you will be able to download and redownload them as much as you like and play them without having to be on the internet. They have also had programmers working on these games so they will be playable on both Windows XP and Vista, great news for people with these Operating Systems who sometimes have trouble with the older games.
There will also be extras available after you have purchased your game, this includes wallpapers, walkthroughs, MP3 soundtracks, map editors and add ons just for starters.
They are currently in their "Early Access Beta" which apparently thousands of gamers have already signed up for.
I look forward to the full service going live as I can see myself using it regularly (once my internet connection is fixed so I can download at proper speeds!).
This is the first part of my article on GOG.com, I will write the next part once the site is up and running properly.Labels: Features, Retro
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| posted by Happenstance @ 09:00 |
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| Preview: Fallout 3 |
| Tuesday, 23 September 2008 |
 Fallout 3 has caused controversy amongst its fanbase by changing the classic top down, isometric viewpoint to a first/third person perspective. Fortunately, the changeover is being handled by Bethesda Softworks, the people that have already established themselves in the first person RPG genre with the Elder Scrolls series. Gaming Corner takes a look at why Fallout 3 is still a game to look forward to despite the radical change.
It's still the same eerie retro bleak future.
 "War....War never changes" The tone of Ron Perlmans voice captures the essence of Fallouts depressing setting. Set after a nuclear world war that has completely wiped the planet clean apart from those lucky enough to find shelter in giant underground vaults, the player explores the wasteland searching for his/her father. The world is littered with objects from the world before the war, a world fueled entirely from nuclear power. Retro, Monopoly style graphics litter the wasteland which gives Fallout 3 the same retro-future feel as the classic games.
Perks
 Perks have always been a feature of Fallout games and allow players to pick a special ability once they have leveled up a set amount of levels. Each perk grants a player enhanced stats in a certain area or a special ability depending on circumstance and has an accompanying story to explain why the player has that perk, for example the "Little Leaguer" perk has the following explanation: "Years as the Vault little league MVP have honed your hitting and throwing. With every rank, you gain 5 points of melee weapons skill and 5 points of explosives skill". Each skill also has its own "Vault Boy" icon adding to its usually comic nature.
V.A.T.S (Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System)
 In previous Fallout games it was possible to target and disable specific body parts. Bethesda have developed the V.A.T.S system to carry this over into Fallout 3. By pausing the gameplay, the player can target specific areas of the enemy and stack up actions. For example, on a humanoid character the player could choose to hit 7 different points: head, left arm, right arm, torso, left leg, right leg and held weapon. On mutated opponents the different areas vary. The number of actions the player can stack is determined by their characters action points (AP). Once the player has picked their actions, the character carries out the shots in a short action scene normally resulting in a lot of gore as the selected body parts react to the hits.
Custom made weapons
 Players are able to create and customize weapons by using items found in the wasteland. The example used in the gameplay trailers was the bottlecap mine. This is made by filling a tin lunchbox (the same design as the one that comes with the special edition) with bottlecaps and explosives. Once detonated the makeshift bomb sends bottlecaps flying, damaging enemies in a similar way to a ball bearing bomb.
It's looking pretty
 Exploring a wasteland full of rad-scorpions, super mutants and other freaks is bound to be a terrifying experience and Fallout 3 looks like it will be able to recreate the tension and atmosphere with its visuals. Shanty towns look rusty and make-shift, mutants look horrible disfigured and the nuclear blast in the gameplay trailers looks absolutely stunning. Bethesda have also improved on the friendly NPCs of Oblivion, making them look more lifelike and less like the warmed up corpses of their previous offerings.
 All in all, Fallout 3 is shaping up to be a promising addtion that the series needs after the mediocre Fallout Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. Fans of the series will no doubt complain about the change of genre, but as a game Fallout 3 will more than likely not disappoint.Labels: Fallout 3, Previews
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| posted by Goafer @ 23:00 |
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| Best and Worst Reused Game Mechanics |
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It has now become common place if one game introduces some new kind of mechanic a rash of titles will follow suit and add the same feature to their upcoming titles. However some become so rehashed and tired that they quickly become old hat. We take a look both at the best mechanics that have stood the test of time and truly innovated as well as the ones that have been overused and used far to much.
BEST
Geo-Mod
The Geo-Mod technology first rose to prominence when Red Faction hit Playstation 2. The technology in the game allowed for destructable environments. Whilst it was not the game that first demonstrated such ideas it was the first to use it as a central gameplay mechanic. Whilst the technology was by no means flawless as it severly restricted what you could and couldn't destory it is definitly a worthy forefather to a new generation of games that employ similar tech to their engines. Call of Duty World at War for example will include such destructive environments with huts able to knocked down and such like, their implementation looks like it will open all kinds of possibilities for both single and multi player modes.
Cover Systems
The recent trend for cover systems has revolutionised the shooter genre. Gears of War on the Xbox 360 showed the way with its cover mechanics which allowed for its Even games such as Uncharted and GTA IV which don't quite nail the perfection of GoW but still benefit from the cover system which allows for a newer and more innovative style of play. It helps shoot outs feel more cinematic (especially in GTA) and stops shooters from merely being run and gun.
WORST
Bullet Time
Ok granted it is a good feature when well used but it has been overused. Introduced by The Matrix the concept quickly caught on and when Max Payne made the feature an intricate feature of the game it showed how games could use the tech. Since then title after title has been inspired by both and it has become one of gamings most common features. Almost every shooter of a certain vine uses some kind of slowing down time mechanism. Recent examples include Resistances Sniper Rifle. So why is it one of the worst? Simply put it has crept into so many titles and even into genres it has no real place in. Whilst the mechanics may not be exactly the same there can be little doubt they were inspired by this single idea and its a bit wierd to find such things now cropping up where they should have been. It earns its place in the worst section simply for being overused.
QTE's
Or Quick Time Events to give them their full title. When used at their worst they make action scenes interesting and offer a diversity in play that would otherwise be replaced by with hours of cutscenes. They first famously featured in Sega's epic Shenmue which had QTE's as one of its major gameplay mechanics. However their over use and poor implementation has led to them becoming the buck of many a joke. At their worst they show off skills and movements that the player can't otherwise carry out and they only highlight major flaws in a game. They can be exciting at times, but for example in the recent Star Wars; Force Unleashed game there are examples of it used to finish off bosses with moves that are well beyond the games bland move set.
Labels: Best and Worst, Features
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| posted by flameboy @ 18:14 |
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| Fanning the Flames - The Great DLC Con! |
| Monday, 22 September 2008 |
Almost every developer is looking to get that bit extra of your hard earned cash. We take a look at the value for money the customer is getting and whether companies are exploiting the current market trend towards downloadable extras.
There can be no denying that in the right hands DLC can be a great way of adding value to a game. But it can also used for companies to get you to pour out even more on a title to get the most of it.
Burnout Paradise has been a joy from the word go, not only did the game move the franchise in a new and exciting direction but it has got DLC spot on. Free game altering updates that are coming thick and fast and helping the title to enjoy a much longer popularity window than it may otherwise have done. Unfortunately this is not the norm and is only possible because of the huge financial backing of EA. It's DLC at it's best. Other notable examples are Epic getting the Discovery Channel to sponsor Gears of War DLC meaning they could recoup the lost revenue. Bungie also have nailed it with Halo 3 offering the maps at a price for those hardcore players who must have them, whilst giving them away to the gamers who hang on and wait.
At it's worst DLC consists of features that simply put should be on the disc. Sonic the Hedgehog on Xbox 360 and PS3 aside from being a terrible game also has surely the most criminal example of DLC. Being offered the chance to pay to download additional difficultly settings is not on, when these options are included on almost every game under the sun. Square Enix are a company very guilty of overcharging for DLC. Space Invaders Get Even is a prime example with the game costing just 500 Wii Points for is essentially a glorified demo, it isn't until that part of the title is completed that you find the true points cost to gain the full experience. Also another gripe is games that offer the chance to purchase DLC only for the download files to be tiny and the downloaded file nothing more than an unlock key for content already on the disc.
Whilst there are success stories as far as DLC is concerned it is still a worry that companies seem to take for granted that gamers will cough up for content which could well have fitted on the disc. Companies bring out DLC the day or just a week after some releases, this means the extra content was developed as part of the regular games production cycle so why should gamers be forced to pay up for this? A trend also seems to becoming the norm for developers to announce DLC before a game has even been released. How about you wait and see if the game is a success and whether the market is there for expanding the remit of the title? No instead they would assume that they have enough power to make us need the DLC.
Unfortunately there is no real answer to these problems as there is no way to govern this. Neither is there really any justification to tightly control what publishers can offer as extra content and indeed what they charge. Microsoft are perhaps the company most at work with regards to this as they attempt to say what content can and can't go up on XBL and also to some degree dictate the price. This has of course caused runctions, most famously with Epic over Gears of War DLC. Sony seem to favour free downloads (Warhawk being a prime example, features adding patches are free whilst resources adding updates are charged for) and Microsoft seems to favour charging for everything, although both forms of DLC exist on both stores. This perhaps helps to demonstrate the best status quo as the two exist in harmony with players simple deciding whether they want to be taken for ride, snap up the value for money DLC or stick to the freebie add ons that publishers offer.Labels: Fanning The Flames
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| posted by flameboy @ 19:51 |
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| Another 'Videogame' Comic - I Fought the Force and the Force Won |
| Saturday, 20 September 2008 |
 New comic to celebrate the release of The Force Unleashed. I'm always mostly pleased with the way my comics turn out, but I don't think I've ever been more happy than I am with this one, everything just seems to work.
There won't be any more for two weeks as I'm off on holiday to Africa. So enjoy.
Labels: Comic
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| posted by not_so_tiny @ 20:07 |
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| Top Ten Reasons Nintendo Suck |
| Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
Put your tongue in your cheek and come in and read the reasons why Nintendo sucks as much as they do.
GameCube 1.5
That’s right, Wii graphics don’t match up to those on PS3 and Xbox 360 and neither do the DS graphical capabilities match up to the PSP. Gamers are a fickle bunch, if a game isn’t made on a blockbuster budget and doesn’t have impeccable photo realistic graphics then its automatically rubbish. When did we all become so shallow? There’s still plenty of power that can be squeezed out of the Wii and DS humble power, and far be it for me to say that games should try to be cartoony and creative. Who wants that, eh?
Waggle
Motion control? No you’re wrong there, that’s waggle you mean to say. Admittedly, shaking the Wii remote is used too much in games when pressing the A button would work just as well. That doesn’t mean to say that every kind of motion control in all Wii games is as boring as sitting and shaking the Wiimote. The remote has been intelligently used in plenty of games already; just because every single game isn’t revolutionary it doesn’t mean they all aren’t. Check out Zack and Wiki and see how varied the capabilities of the Wii are.
No DVD Playback
In this day and age, with the Xbox 360 pushing HD DVD and the PS3 pushing Bluray, you’d think that the Wii would at least side with one or the other- or even plain old DVD. But alas, no. In this day and age you would also expect that DVD players have been around long enough for anyone who wants one to have one already, but alas, no. Sure it might be nice for that extra bit of functionality, but this isn’t last generation anymore where the PS2 was popular as a cheap DVD player. The Wii doesn’t need to play DVD or anything other than games, and its doing fine as it is. Anyway, you’re bound to have a DVD player in your house or a computer that plays them.
Not Hardcore
Did you realise that just because your mum and sisters now actually fancy playing some video games with you, it means you are no longer hardcore? Uh oh, scramble! Move that Wii up to your bedroom, get the curtains closed, the lights out and play some Wii Sports alone. Yeah, now you’re hardcore again. How dare you play games socially- that’s so casual!
WiiConnect24…?
Friend codes, no voice chat, wait; does the Wii even allow you to play games online? Of course it does, and the system in place isn’t as bad as most would have you believe. So you can’t chat, so you have to trade friend codes, so it’s not Xbox Live, do we ever stop whinging? It seems not. Its all too easy to overlook Nintendo’s fatherly nature in that they always want to shield us from the big bad world, just because we have to input a friend code to add people to our friend rosters it automatically means playing the likes of Mario Kart online is boring. Just type in the code then play the games, I assure you they are fun. Go on, try it out.
No First Party Games
I said "first party games" not party games because we know fine well the Wii has its fair share of them. So then where are the games from Nintendo's big franchises? Well, take a look buddy- they are already released. Zelda, Metroid, Mario, all available and all damn good. But what’s next? Just Wii Music and Animal Crossing you say? I see your point now. Why would they announce games that are due out soon rather than tell us about other games that are still a year or more down the pipeline? I understand the mass panic now: we don’t care about what’s coming out in the short term but we’d rather sit and wait for what’s coming out this time next year. My mistake, carry on.
The Fridge!
They didn’t include a terabyte of internal memory with the Wii, how dare they. Actually this is the most valid argument on this list. The system of deleting data in order to make space to download new games is a bit of an obtuse decision. We do like to hoard our games and collect them all, so why can’t we do the same with our virtually bought ones? I just don’t know. But believe me when I say it is possible to make do with clearing out your fridge when need be- once you begin with it, you develop a ruthless streak that makes it easier to remove things from the fridge every time you need to do it.
Rare
Nintendo and Rare parted ways during the GC days and we still feel like we’re waiting for that space to be filled. During the N64 days Nintendo and Rare complimented each other perfectly and basically carried the machine through its lifespan, imagine that dream team at work on the Wii. Well atleast we can console ourselves with the fact that Rare have hardly set the world alight with their Xbox and Xbox 360 showings, but that isn’t to say that things would be so mundane if they were developing for the Wii. The Wiimote + Perfect Dark would blow anything out of the water (including Metroid Prime) and we would even get GoldenEye on the VC.
Too Much Success
The sudden turn of fortunes for Nintendo has caused them to rest on their laurels and just let the cash roll in. It’s a thought that lurks in the back of even the staunchest fanboy’s mind. So is it true? Well it’s true that Nintendo have changed, whether that’s for the better or worse is yet to be conclusively judged. In the meantime we should enjoy this new brand of gaming, if nothing else, the Wii has refreshed and reinvigorated gaming and has shown us that its really not just about upping the power of the consoles.
Nintendo Suck because it’s Cool to Hate Them
Just as it was cool to hate the N64 and GC for being kiddy, its also the cool thing to hate the Wii- if you are a “hardcore gamer.” Now that the Wii is the leading console and everyone and their grandmother is playing it, the machine can in no way be accepted by the gaming community. Rally the troops! We must change to supporting the PS360 and whatnot! Haven’t you heard, Wii Sports isn’t what real gamers play, you’re better sticking with the old ways of playing games, yeah, its all about the button mashing like it has been forever. Its cool to have to install your games, its cool to have to go through several SKU’s to find the one you think suits you best, its cool to own a machine which is guaranteed to break down on you rather than being guaranteed to last you long-term. If the Wii is apparently going to be outlasted by the other consoles predicted longer lifespans, then why is it that the Wii is the one that’s most reliable and most likely to last you a decade without breaking down? Ironic.
Labels: Nintendo, Top 10, Wii
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| posted by darksnowman @ 19:50 |
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| Best and Worst of Sonic |
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The Sonic the Hedgehog games have always been a mixed bunch. The dizzying highs, the shameful lows and everything inbetween. Sonic may not have had as much success as Mario in breaking into new genres and mediums but that doesn't mean the worryingly blue 'hog hasn't tried. Gamingcorner takes a look at which games have been a success and which ones should never have left the Sonic Teams office.
The Best
2D: Sonic and Knuckles (Mega Drive)
 Not only was it a good game in itself, it also allowed you to use Knuckles in the first 2 Sonic games on the Mega Drive. This essentially meant that you got 3 completely new games for the price of one. Plus the novelty of slotting a cartridge into another one was a novelty in itself.
3D: Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast/Game Cube)
 Sonic has always seemed to struggle when it comes to making the transition into 3D. The strange thing is that one of the first attempts actually got it right whereas most 3D Sonic games since have been dodgy at best. The 1998 game features multiple playable characters that are unlocked when they are met in the story. All characters stories run parallel with the other characters and reveal what happens when the characters are seperated. The game also adds RPG elements in its adventure fields by having items (some hidden) that unlock new abilities for each character.
Merchandise: Sonic Adventure Gamebooks
 The Sonic Adventure Gamebooks (no connection to the DC game) were released between 1993 and 1996 and were an interactive book. The player started at the beginning of the book and is given options at the end of the paragraph. For each choice there is a page number and the results of the choice are shown on the relevent page.
Cartoon: Sonic SATAM
 This cartoon got the nickname "SATAM" since it was originally shown on Satrday morning TV. The story was quite dark compared to other Sonic stories. Robotnik had established an empire and Sonic and chums were the last "freedom fighters". The characters ranged from an annoying cowardly French coyote to a Redneck half-robotic rabbit. Most episodes feature Sonic running around in Robotniks robo-city generally kicking arse and looking for his captured uncle. The awesome cartoon is made all the better by literally having the sun shine out of Sonics arse at the end of the intro.
Character: Super Sonic
 Everyone knew that some serious arse kicking was about to go down when Sonic went all shiny and yellow. Normally Super Sonic makes an appearance when all other characters stories have been completed and its time for the ultimate boss battle. Although in earlier games Super Sonic was available when Sonic collected all the Chaos Emaralds and gathered 50 rings. Players could then switch to him (which drained rings) to play through the normal Sonic levels.
The Worst
2D: Sonic (Game Gear)
 It's quite hard to pick a worst 2D Sonic game since they are all generally good. The Game Gear version is let down by flickery graphics and questionable gameplay elements. The main one being that Sonic is protected from pretty much everything if he rolls up into a ball. This doesn't work for real hedgehogs and it shouldn't work for falling spikes on the game.
3D: Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear)
 Another Game Gear blunder was Sonic Labyrinth. Featuring slow gameplay and sluggish controls Sonic Labyrinth recieved poor reception upon its release in 1995. Dr Robotnik has stolen Sonics famous red sneakers and replaced them with the "slow-down boots". This raises 2 questions: firstly if Robotnik has manged to sneak into Sonics house, why doesn't he just stab him or something? Secondly, why doesn't Sonic just take the shoes off? These shoes prevent Sonic from running fast and jumping leaving only the spin dash to harm enemies. This makes for excrutiatingly dull gameplay.
Merchandise: Sonic Ketchup
 Back in 1991 when Sonic was huge, Daddies Ketchup got the licence to make a Sonic the Hedgehog ketchup. Featuring a horribly deformed Sonic on the label, people unforunate enough to use this stuff were forced to squeeze red paste from a funny looking blue hedghogs head. Not the most apatizing image in the world.
Cartoon: The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
 About as funny as a knife wound and badly drawn to boot. The story revolved around Robotnik and his lackys Scratch and Grounder trying to capture the elusive blue hedgehog and his twin tailed friend. Naturally "comical" hijinx ensues. Sonic and Tails also seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with chilli "dawgs" and the phrase "lets speed keed". Awful.
Character: Big the Cat
 Some sort of giant retarded purple cat thing with no real part to play in anything. Big first popped up in Sonic Adventure. His story centres around him trying to find his frog friend who seems to have done a runner since he has swallowed a chaos emerald. Not only was his story a little boring, his levels were as well. All his levels involved fishing. No running fast in an adrenaline fuelled race to the end of the level, just fishing. No one goes to a racetrack to watch people walk around it. Likewise no one buys a Sonic game to kick back and enjoy a peaceful spot of fishing. And dull fishing at that. There's only so many times you can watch the "special" purple git lose a frog and catch him again. His end boss was a bit clever though but it was too little, too late.
Oppinions? Feel free to discuss it in our Forums.
Labels: Best and Worst, Features, Sonic
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| posted by Goafer @ 11:00 |
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| Another 'Videogame' Comic - Unleash the Beast |
| Friday, 12 September 2008 |
You might want to check out the two links below before you read today's comic..... yeah it's a 'thing'.
Link 1
Link 2
 Labels: Comic
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| posted by not_so_tiny @ 06:34 |
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| Retro Column - Penny Arcades |
| Thursday, 11 September 2008 |
 I had the pleasure of visiting Weston Super-Mare a few weeks back. The reason for the trip was to take pictures of the spectacularly burnt pier. Although all that went out the window once I had found a goldmine of classic mechanical arcade machines. Also known as a Penny Arcade.
The arcade in question doesn't just belong to any old pikey convention, but Carters Steam Fair. A professional group who tour the south of England with their immaculate classic vehicles, rides and attractions. They tour for 7 months of the year and then spend the remaining 5 obsessively restoring the rides and vehicles back to mint condition ready for the next years tour. To quote their website: "Some of the family have even been known to wander into the shed on Christmas Day just to finish some work off!!!"
Of course the main attraction for any retro gamer was the arcade. From the moment you set foot in the trailer-come-arcade the atmosphere was distinctly retro. Apart form the obvious classic machines there was retro sign writing on the walls and a quiet rock and roll soundtrack playing in the background. Other than the rocking sounds of classics such as "Tequila" and "Yakety Yak", the arcade was almost silent. No noisy arcade cabinets desperately trying to lure you in, just silence.
The machines still required an old skool penny and luckily there was a lovely lady in a booth who would exchange 4 penny shaped tokens for a pound. Now anyone expecting an epic storyline or complicated levels will be sadly disappointed since both of those things are beyond the capabilities of a humble ball bearing and various metal shapes. What the games do feature is more difficulty than Mega Man and Contra combined.
The games came with various goals. The first type required the player to use a flipper to hurl a ball round a loop and add just enough oomph to get it to drop into a hole. This requires a high level of judgement since the holes are quite small and the flipper is quite powerful for something that's older than most peoples dads. And at 4 goes for a pound, you won't get many attempts without spending a fortune. The second type of game requires the player to guide a ball bearing through a course by tilting the display. The player normally starts at the top and has to guide the bearing to a hole at the bottom whilst avoiding either falling off the track or falling into the wrong hole. The third type of game was more mechanically advanced than the rest. These normally involved shooting objects with a pellet gun or operating a crane of some sort. These games varied in their goals but were always pretty straight forward.
The games were all very difficult and have no "extra lives" or second chances. One coin, one try. I honestly don't know what happens when you manage to get the ball bearings in the right hole as I never actually managed it! If anyone has ever won a Penny Arcade game let me know what happens. Do you get your coin back or just the smug satisfaction that you have completed a "real game like what your granddad played"?
More information on Carters Steam Fair can be found at their website. To share your experiences of Penny Arcades visit the forums. Labels: Arcade, Features, Retro
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| posted by goaferboy @ 11:00 |
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| Top 10 - Best Console Add Ons/Accessories |
| Wednesday, 10 September 2008 |
This is a continuation from last weeks Top 10, The Worst Console Add Ons. I decided that if the worst ones were getting talked about, then the best ones should as well. Enjoy!
10 - Gameboy Player
Being able to play your Gameboy games on your television through the Gamecube was brilliant. Some people found it a bit pointless, arguing that you could just play them on the handheld but sometimes you just want to play games on a big screen.
9 - Headsets
I remember when I first used my Xbox headset, damn did I feel like an idiot! Still, it seemed like such a big leap from having to stop and type something to people while playing online or having preset things to say like I used to use in Phantasy Star Online. I'm not a big online gaming fan but with headsets and the ability to actually talk to team mates it definitely amped up the fun and team work.
8 - Steel Battalion Controller
I have to admit, I never actually used this controller because I just couldn't afford it! It was amazing seeing people pay £130 for a game and controller but I still wanted it for myself. Just the sheer amount of buttons and controls you could immerse yourself in the game more than most others.
7 - Dance Mats
I am not choosing a specific Dance Mat here as, to be honest I would not know which one to mention specifically. They started off a new craze with people, at home and in the arcades. Watching people play these games though, it is amazing what passes for dancing these days. I would love to see someone busting out some Dance Dance Revolution moves in a club to impress someone!
6 - Wii Fit Board
I may not use Wii Fit as much as I originally intended to when I first bought it but there is no denying that the Wii Fit board is very impressive. I am glad to see now that it is not just being kept with the Wii Fit franchise but branching out into new games. I look forward to trying the new Skate game on it. Hopefully I wont fall over as much as I did when I tried proper skateboarding!
5 - N64 Rumble Pack
Adding rumble to control pads was a stroke of genius. Now you could actually feel when you were shooting, getting hurt or generally interacting with the environment. These days I barely notice rumbles in the controller but back then it added so much to gameplay.
4 - NES Zapper
I could not tell you if the NES Zapper was the first lightgun on the market, I really do believe that it is the most important one. Shooting those damn ducks on Duck Hunt and furiously firing the Zapper in an attempt to kill the dog are burned into my memory.
3 - Instruments
I couldn't decide if I was going to include the Guitar Hero controller or the Rock Band instruments as this entry so as its my top 10 I decided to merge them together. I will admit I was very wary of playing these (worried I would look stupid!) and it actually took me until Guitar Hero III to play. They are just so fun, messing about with your friends in a totally different way than we had done before.
2 - Nintendo Wavebird
Once again, I could not say if this was the first wireless control pad but I think it was the first one to do it right. Finally getting rid of wires was a massive step for consoles, no longer having to worry about tidying them away, tripping over them or if they will reach to where you are sitting from the console.
1 - Sony Eye Toy
I never actually owned one but I used to go into Dixons with a group of friends and we would spend quite a while playing through the various games that came with the original Eye Toy. It was the first time you were properly added into the game and could interact with things on the screen. Brilliant fun.
 Labels: Features, Top 10
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| posted by Happenstance @ 08:59 |
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