Saturn's Metal Slug Slowdown Conparison

Here is a video I made that is meant to show the difference in slowdown when using the 3 main RAM carts for Saturn Metal Slug. Starting with the Action replay, 4mb Ram and the 1MB Ram.  Check it out.


Jump to about 10:50 for a direct comparison.

The joys of the Nemesis System In Shadow of Mordor.

Also, the Annoyances of the Nemesis System in Shadow of Mordor.

ThunderForce IV : Great Gaming Moments

Been a while since I've done one of these, so here's one that's been in the back of my mind for a while, it's the wonderful SHMUP, Thunderforce IV on the Megadrive.  I didn't own this game, I hired it and that's how much this one stuck with me! Wow!

Shadow of the Colossus - Aural Ambiance. Great Gaming Moments Ep:7

A look at Shadow of the Colossus and how it uses it's audio to enhance the game to be even MORE epic!

Great Gaming Moments Ep 6: Gran Chaser's Delightful Mediocrity

I think the title of this one summarises it up nicely.  Yup, somehow I am still going with Great Gaming Moments and Gran Chaser is featured today.

I picked this game up for 80Yen while cruising some local second hand shops.  I looked at the back and though "Haven't found any of the ones I am really looking for, and this one doesn't look too bad.  Why the hell not?"  Turns out that it's actually on OK racing game for the SEGA Saturn.  I believe that in places other than Japan it's called Cyber Speedway and had the story mode cut.  So to add to the glorious mediocrity, that's included too!

Raiden's BIG Guns : Great Gaming Moments Episode 5

This episode has a look at Virtual On and Raiden's lasers of death and destruction!  Note the snazzy new intro.  Oh I say! I've gone all classy!

Great Gaming Moments Episode 4: Fun with Puny Humans

In this Episode I check out the Incredible Hulk, Ultimate Destruction on the Playstation 2.  I could do at least  a couple f GGMs on this as I played the absolute bajingoes out of this game.  This episode looks at the Human element and the fun that can be gained from abducting them and just being Hulk-like!



Did you play this game and enjoy it?  What off-track amusement did you get?  Drop a comment below so I can check it out.

Great Gaming Moments Episode 2: Sonic 3d Flickies' Island

So, onward and upward.  In the intervening time, I managed to cobble together some footage and so I present the next episode in my Great Gaming Moments, Sonic 3D, Flickies' Island on the Sega Saturn.

Great gaming Moments Part 1 - Streets of Rage 2

Part One of a hopefully ongoing series of video features, cleverly called Great Gaming Moments.  This time I look at the one aspect of Streets of Rage 2 that I really loved and why.

Great Gaming Moments: Journey

Today I was cruising around the shops and saw some games on sale.  One of them was Journey Collector’s edition, which comes with a bunch of stuff as well as ‘Flower’ and ‘flow.’  I had already bought  Flower a while ago and found it a fascinating experience and knew that reviews of Journey were pretty good.

Crappy phone pictures inc.

Since I chase a different game experience, I decided to buy it for Journey.  Flow is a bonus.  When I got home, I booted up the PS3, played something on the hard drive to warm it up.  It seems to not read Blurays until it’s been on for a while.  Shame on you Sony.  My PS3 is only 4 years old and the bluray laser is a bit buggered.  My Sega Saturn on the other hand is 18 years old and works like the day I bought it…

Back on topic.

While playing, I think I got to the second level and there was another little fellow running around the place.  At first I thought that it was an NPC there just to help guide me along, I knew that the game was designed to have a bit of multiplayer and wasn’t too sure whether it was a real person or not.  It would make sense to have an NPC there though, just to guide you to things and let you know, exploration is one of the aspects of the game.

Turns out it was a real person.  With your limited communication abilities, which is essentially a ‘ping’ you go along helping each other through the level.  I came to the conclusion that my helper was another person, as they kept leading me to power-ups that would help my flying ability.  Curious.

Then the feelings that came with that realisation, I kept playing, I originally had no intention of playing for so long, but the thought of abandoning my companion was a tad distasteful.  Hell, I felt bad when I paused it to go boil the kettle and make a cup of tea…

Anyway, long story short, this other guy and I went along and he led me through the levels, it was strangely fun.  Occasionally his character would trip over in the sand, I’d hang around, ping him some help.  It was strangely fun.  No proper communication.  And yet we worked well. And Strangely fun.

We ended up finishing the game in that sitting.  The end, looked a bit bleak, but at a moment, you come good again.  My first thought was, “Where’s the other guy?  I hope he’s ok!”  Yup, he was fine.  We knocked off the final level and got to the obviously final point, and drew some thanks in the snow.  Then walked to the final gate together.

Game finished.  Now, it may sound a little bit drab as I describe it now, but I have to tell you, it was a rather moving moment.  Watching the credits, I sat through all of them thinking about the whole game.  It was truly something special! 

Amazing.

I haven’t had a game have such a profound effect since I finished Shadow of the Colossus. 
It’s interesting, as I think back on it, I suspect I wouldn’t have stuck with it so long in one go (because it might have been a bit samey) without meeting the other player.

At the end, it informs you of the the other players that you met on your journey through Journey.  I had such an enjoyable time, I felt compelled to send a little thankyou message to the other player.   Turns  out so did he.  I ended up playing through the game with a guy from Japan!

So the Great Gaming Moment of Journey is the Multiplayer.  Well implemented and it made the game!

I highly recommend this game, it is an amazing experience and despite it’s simple premise is pretty cool and very well done.  The graphics are pretty good and I was impressed that they managed to make various types of desert look so good.  Give it a crack!  Trailer embedded below for good measure.

Okami HD for Ps3 Confirmed!

At last! It:s here, it:s totally exciting!  I am a happy chappy.  Okami has been confirmed as having an HD update for the Playstation3!  Oh happy joy joy! My favourite game of all time in beautiful gorgeous 1080p

Check this out!


Rather annoyingly though, it's only going to be released on PSN for North America and European markets!  WHAT? Grrrrr! Give me a hard copy damn you!  The Japanese release has a blu-ray version available.  Normal edition and a ltd edition one, that is a little bit too expensive for my liking there playasia!

To keep mad people like me hanging on, here is a bit from Capcom

And a comparison with the PS2 version

Great Gaming Moments… Shadow Of the Colossus

I whipped out my PS2 recently to check on something in Okami, and while I had it set up, I thought I would play this game.  A mate dropped by and I showed him this game and he was mightily impressed.  As he played, I saw him go through the same feelings that I had. 

Hence this game makes into my great gaming moments section.

Great Gaming Moments… Ultima V

Ok, since I have had this little laptop handy, I thought it would be a good idea to get Dosbox up on it, so I can play some classic games.  So here i thought I would start with the game that got me into RPGs.  The brilliant Ultima 5. 

Reasons why I love my job.

Many many years ago, I made a vow to play Sonic the hedgehog on a screen so large he was the same height as me.  well thanks to my position at work, I can say that I have accomplished that.

Great Gaming Moments... Sonic & knuckles

I loved Sonic so much and my excitement for this game was reaching an almost zealous nature! After being introduced to Knuckles in Sonic 3, the opportunity to play as him was too much to resist!

Cool gaming Moments... Gunstar Heroes

Aah, Treasure, how I love your ways.  by far and away one of the best games ever made.  Treasure, the makers of this game and a couple of other faves of mine did really well.  The first time I booted up this game (back in the 90's) I was blown away by the fun, two player and flow of the game.  That's why it is in my great gaming moments!