• 14Dec 11

  A happy morning

  It's been a little while, but I am having a great happy morning for a change. This morning a small parcel marked Amazon arrived. Now this is nothing spectacular, many of us get those, but this one contains the actual Music score of Arkham City. Not the music that came with the game, but the actual game score. There is a HUGE difference. This score contains the music of Nick Arundel. Now, I have no idea who he is, but he clearly outdid many composers.

  The score is an immense part of the game, and the game is better for it. No game can survive without good music, and this game contained GREAT music. Listening to it without playing might seem odd, but it does give weight to the experience. It is also nice to just relax and enjoy the music.

  • Posted Dec 14, 2011 2:36 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 22Jun 11

  The timeless system

  It's another day and I have been pondering what to do. I have been pondering this ever since I got this Sony leaflet in regards to the new PSN. I have been a Sony fan ever since the PSX1 has been released. affordable games, the PSX was also a CD player (i only used that feature once, just to see how it was). So, the PSX changed the gaming map for ever. Then the PSX2 came, and even though they had a juumpy start, the PSX roved to go the way of it's ancestor and will likely remain one of the most succesful gaming consoles ever. The mere quality of games would be enough to keep an entire generation playing. So, then....what happened?
  First there came the PSP. It had a good start, but became a dismal failure after that, so basically the opposite of the PSX2. Why?
  the device, even though slightly flawed played good, was easy in hands, showed quality... so what? The simple answer is GAMES!
  I have seen less then 12 quality games on this system, that is a dismal failure for any console. And i am including Medevil (a psx1 relaunch), because it was heaps fun, and I was happy to play it again. also on this list is Echochrome, not because it was immensely great, but because it was definitely one of the most original puzzle games ever. and that deserves mention. Sure, you will not agree with the 12 games and will come up with several others, however, it is my list and I feel that PSP failed.
  The silly part is that they started really great. Medevil, Ridgeracer 6, Lumines, and this was launch day. So they had a good start, so why did they not persevere? I actually have no answer. I reckon relaunching more PSX1 games on the PSP would have made it a much better success. So did it stop? No, I was looking forward to Prince of Persia, only to watch a game with constant loading issues. There was the bright spot (God of War, Chains of Olympus) was way too small, but the part that was, was really good gameplay. Still, this is only my view.
  the next on the list was the PSX3. The start of that one, must have been a nightmare for many gamers. Broken promises, flat out lies. Let's face it, Japan doesn't even have a Nuclear reactor THAT unstable, compared to the PSX3 promises.
  Yet, after a rocky first year, the games started coming, and they were games worthy of praise. MGS4 will likely remain the very best tactical shooter ever. This game offers more on one disk then the combined abilities of the 5 best XBox360 games ever. And the graphics are still the best, even now 2 years later.
  So what am I steering to? Well, the new PSN. It seems to me, that Sony forgot that a console is only as good as the games they offer. new controls, slide thingies, better sound, all that is pointless without good games.
  So what should make it? Well this is where choices get dicy. One gamers delight is another gamers nightmare. It seems to me that the old games still have the appeal of not just the current players, but new gamers too.

  So here is my sample list, of golden oldies that are quite likely the essential good games to have. Of course without the loading issues.

  1. Ratchet and Clank collection (3-4.5 masters in one gamepack).
  2. Prince of Persia pack (the three initial games were magic, and would remain magic on a handheld).
  3. Tekken/Soul Calibur (no system is complete without one of these two).
  4. Diablo type RPG (whether you call it Baldur's Gate or so)
  5. Thief (1-4) (or Tenchu as an alternative)
  6. Ridgeracer. Ridgeracer 6 was awesome on the PSP, and many of us like to race.
  7. a Gauntlet type of game (X-Men, Utlimate Alliance).

  These 7, in addition to new games could keep gamers happy for at least a year. Now, this is off course my list, and most will have their own list, yet, the message is clear. we want good games, not just new games. good games are timeless.

  These thoughts were going through my mind when I reopened an old game on the GameCube. Metroid Prime! One of the most appealing first person Shooters EVER! It still captures me after 10 years and is still challenging to play. Even after 3 completes!
  A rare achievement for a game.

  • Posted Jun 22, 2011 9:09 pm GMT
  • Category: Opinion
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• 20Jan 11

  Visionaries are forever

  I have always said that a trendy game lasts a little while, yet the game from a visionary will last forever. I am not the first one to state tis, but I am happy to (again) see it proven. With the new Nintendo DS to launch, a myriad of games will reappear. Games that were truly visionary in their day.
  The Nintendo 64 was my first Nintendo, and they created games that would surpass consoles for over a decade.
  Mario 64, Goldeneye, Banjo Kazooie and Mario Kart. All these games would relaunch on next generation consoles a decade later. Most of these games all came from one visionary software house, the name is Rare, and they proved their name. Now upcoming is Pilotwings, Donkey Kong and the real heavy weight Zelda. Games that enticed my generation, and they will entice the next generation. That is one hell of an achievement. A truly visionary act! I wonder which other gems will reappear, let's face it, both the Dreamcast and the PlayStation both had their gems. Will we see them again?
  

  • Posted Jan 20, 2011 7:18 pm GMT
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