Webhead123

While on a roll, I decided to tackle Biolab Wars. Funny that I do this one right after Alien Splatter Redux because it does everything Redux tries to do but better. Better pixel art. More level variety and overall better design. More upgrades. More fun boss fights. Multiple characters. That's not to put down Redux...it's just that they are VERY similar games and Biolab feels much more lovingly-crafted. I'm pretty sure I paid less than a dollar for it as well and it was very much worthwhile. Like Redux, it's an almostly laughably easy game but it wins you over with its wacky charm. 7.5/10

Went ahead and blasted through Alien Splatter Redux at lunch today. I think I paid less than a dollar for it and at that price, I think it's worth a buy. It's very, VERY short and quite easy but it's a nice throwback to run-and-guns the likes of Contra. There are a few homages, like the wind from Ninja Gaiden 2 and the final stage is clearly a rip off of the final stage from Contra. There's only one part that's of any notable difficulty and it's when Stage 6 pulls out the Mega Man insta-death beams. It's just a bit of a road block that forces you to play the stage several times while you try to memorize the pattern before you can move on. So yeah, neat little time-waster with charming-if-unimpressive graphics and music that's pretty basic but still fun. 6.5/10

About to start up Psychonauts 2 but on the side I'm planning to knock out several indie side-scrollers that have been sitting in my Steam library for a while, including Alien Splatter Redux, Biolab Wars, Blasphemous, Clash Force, Huntdown, Insanity's Blade, JumpJet Rex and Super Cyborg.

Ah. Got it. Still...

Dude, I love Contra but playing it for 61 straight hours is just insanity.

Dusk complete. Pretty great little retro shooter that feels like Quake but also pays homage to many other games. I don't know that any of the levels are true duds but I definitely think Episode 3 is the best of the bunch. Some notables like E3M3 "City of Shadows" and E3M5 "Blasphemy" are probably my favorite levels in the entire game. The Jakob boss fight also made me laugh out loud when I first realized what was happening. While I generally prefer the feel of movement in the Doom Engine or Build Engine to the floaty feel of Quake-like games, that's a nitpick so minor that I can't hold it against Dusk. Pretty great adventure from start to finish and anyone that likes the retro FPS genre should check it out. 8/10

I grew up with the Mac release and, to this day, it's still my preferred version. It got colorized ports to various home computers over the next couple years and the popular NES port in '89 but even though having color was a nice touch...it most cases it really washed out the very finely detailed art design of the b&w original (I think the same is true of all the MacVenture titles). And it might just be me but there was something slightly creepier about playing it in b&w, alone and late at night. These were games that were developed for the Mac first, so it makes sense that they were stylistically optimized for that platform. I've played the Mac original, Apple II, MS-DOS and NES ports. All fine experiences in their own right but I like the Mac version. The MS-DOS port is just ugly, limited by CGA color. The Apple II is pretty close to the Mac but a bit blindingly colorful and the visuals end up kind of muddy as a result. The NES port is a decent effort but the clunky controls can get annoying, some areas were removed to save on memory and the music, while charming in a chiptune way, feels distracting to me.

The original or the 2014 remake? In either case, I'm curious to know your thoughts once completed as the original (Macintosh version) was a formative title for me in adventure gaming and I have great nostalgia for it and I have the remake in my GOG library but have never loaded it up.

I can't speak to direct comparisons to Death Loop but I do think both Dishonored and Prey are acquired tastes. I came to Dishonored from being a big, big fan of Looking Glass Studios' games, particularly the Thief series and while in some ways it feels like an homage to those titles...in other ways it is very (occasionally polarizingly) different. What I can say is that it feels like Arkane always starts with a high concept and then builds a sandbox to let the player explore those ideas. Freedom of player choice seems to be a big part of their style, letting you solve problems or approach situations they way *you* want to. If there's a downside to this, I think some of their ideas don't always come together as well in practice as they might in concept. I enjoyed Dishonored but also had some non-trivial issues with it. It's no Thief 2: The Metal Age but it was a solid experience and maybe a 7.5 out of 10. I haven't finished Prey but it's also a game that feels both compelling and frustrating at times. Prey seems like even more of a sandbox than Dishonored but there's something about it that feels just a touch...pretentious maybe...or perhaps obtuse for the sake of trying to be "psychoanalytical" or something. Not quite on the level of Jonathan Blow or anything like that but it still seems to have an air about it that is trying to be artsy-fartsy. Or, at least, that's the vibes I was getting.

That's what I was wondering. The other DLC, The Protector Trials, can be safely ignored unless you just want more Bioshock 2 gameplay. It's basically just a set of "Protect the Little Sister" challenges that don't add anything to the story and are honestly pretty forgettable.

Yeah, I took a second look at it as a result of this thread and I think I may have to pick it up when it goes on deep sale and give it a spin. It seems the initial negative feedback the game got on release was largely due to performance issues on some platforms, which has been mostly remedied now. The concept sounds interesting and though Arkane's outings aren't my favorite of the immersive sims, I have definitely appreciated their designs. If nothing else, they know how to expertly weave detailed settings with lots of interesting lore. I guess my one concern is about the Invader/Intruder mechanic where other players can drop in on your game. Is that a mandatory thing or can it be turned off to make the game strictly solo? I haven't come across a clear answer to that and yeah...I'd just prefer to play this style of game without the annoyance of dealing with other players.

I would play Minerva's Den first and then move on to Infinite, if that's what you're asking. I like Infinite quite a bit but I admit that it's a mixed bag. I think it has some of the grandest ambitions of the trilogy and I love many of the concepts that they play with in the game. The gameplay itself isn't bad but it isn't much to write home about either. Here's my nickel tour of the trilogy: Bioshock - Best atmosphere and most memorable plot twists; clunky and frustrating gameplay. Bioshock 2 - Best gameplay and most immersive story; setting and atmosphere feel a bit "been there, done that" Infinite - Most ambitious story and fascinating setting; muddled and slightly nonsensical plot and mediocre gameplay. Each game has its highs and lows. As a total package, Bioshock 2 is still the best, IMHO.

By far my favorite game of the trilogy. The story overall is much more nuanced than the original and I think it is the better of the two, although it lacks the same level of dramatic "sting" as Bioshock. I think it demands more from the player to truly follow the implications but the reward for paying attention to those subtleties is greater. And if you haven't played the Minerva's Den DLC...do so. It's probably the best and most interesting stuff the series has to offer.

I'm also a big fan of the original art design and I initially thought this remake looked a little too "smooth and plastic-y" but stepping back and viewing the whole of the trailer, I think there's a lot to look forward to. Seeing certain environments and character models rendered in high-poly 3D will be pretty spectacular, I think. Plus, it looks like we'll be getting a slew of new transitions and "cutscenes" for different dramatic moments in the game and that sounds pretty cool.

Wow! I never, ever would have expected to see this. Dammit. I was doing so well holding off on game purchases.

Ah. Okay. I'll have to take a closer look then, just in case. I heard some not-so-flattering opinions on Deathloop overall. If it's by Arkane, I wonder why that is. I know it's a niche genre and not everyone is cool enough to dig it but Prey and Dishonored were both mostly appreciated, even if not blockbusters. Curious.

I haven't played it (and not sure I ever will). Is Deathloop considered an immersive sim? That's one of my personal favorite genres (Ultima Underworld, System Shock 1 & 2, Thief 1 & 2, Deus Ex, Dead Space, Dishonored, Prey) but I guess I hadn't followed Deathloop closely enough to get that vibe from it.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet complete. A cute little indie Metroidvania. I think the visuals are stylish and the various upgrades and their uses are pretty creative. However, the game feels very short even for its own ideas. It also doesn't offer a ton of replay value, at least as far as the base game goes. Still, for the couple bucks I spent on it, it was easily worth the experience and as a game I've been curious about for going on 12 years, I'm glad I finally made myself play it. I think it earns a 7/10.

Yeah, I know I'll love it. I actually started playing the first game about 6 months ago but got sidetracked only 2 or 3 stages in and haven't returned to it.

I've taken enough time away from Gremlins 2 that I think I'm ready for another attempt. I'm also nearly done with my first pass (of what will undoubtedly be many) through the System Shock remake and once that's in the bag, I'm going to finish the final chapter of Dusk. Also, I was originally going to play through the first Psychonauts again as a refresher before I started Psychonauts 2 but I think I've decided against that. Not because I don't want to revisit the original (I do) but because I don't want to get into the trap that I sometimes put myself in where I insist on starting a series from the beginning only to burn out on the early titles before I ever get to the later ones that I haven't played. So, when Dusk is over, I'll just jump straight in.

Considering the limitations of the Game Boy, I found Metroid II to be a really solid experience and worthy follow-up to the NES original. There were only a few parts where navigation was an issue but otherwise I found it tightly-paced and fun to explore. It actually surprised me how much I enjoyed it, as I was expecting a quaint, little romp with a fair share of frustrations but ended up playing a solid, portable adventure. I've only just scratched the surface of Samus Returns and I'm torn on it. I like most of what they've done so far but there are some minor details that kinda bug me, like the parry system and some slightly fussy controls. But I suspect, once I just tell myself to get over it, I'll appreciate the remake overall.

Anytime I see a working Vectrex, I have to play it. I love that little console and it's so rare to actually come across one. Getting to play Berserk on a Vectrex...hell, getting to play anything on a Vectrex just brings a smile to my face.

Yes, the cyberpunk setting and the (for-the-time) more open-ended nature were part of what made Deus Ex so impressive and stand out like it did. Obviously, some 20 years on, a lot of that design has been overshadowed or made to seem quaint by comparison but that is the product of time and not any failing of the game itself. I played the PC original and not the console port but even that has been decades ago now. Even in its own day, I remember thinking that it wasn't perfect. The game was flush with inventive ideas but met various challenges in terms of creative control, budget, development schedule, etc. which left it with some wonky balancing in places and some concepts never being fully realized. I really should boot it up again to see how my feelings about have held up. Honestly, I'd love to see it receive a full remake treatment similar to what Nightdive has just done for the equally foundational System Shock. That's a case where they've managed to fully rebuild a classic game to make it playable for a modern audience without compromising the original experience.

I think that's probably right. I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to this, not the least of which being a larger body of experience to draw from and the simple passage of time. I imagine a lot of the people that play classic games "seriously" (meaning with interest to putting in effort to completing them, as opposed to just looking for 10 minutes of disposable fun) either have the benefit of previous personal experience with those games or are looking to the vast catalogue of lessons learned and tips given by the players that do. Even just the fact that game design is iterative and builds upon itself means that modern players have the advantage of perspective that those of us playing in prior decades didn't. I know that I'm personally a lot more "skilled" (if dare I call it that) at games in general today than I was in the '80s or '90s. Part of that is better spatial awareness, better problem solving skills, more developed hand-eye-coordination but part of it is also just that I've seen and experimented with so much more of the evolution of game design, so I better understand how video games work as a medium and how to better interact with them. I have to imagine the same is true for most of the people that are still invested in the old-school games.