Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

The Emperor's New Games

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    The Emperor's New Games

    I was just looking back over some of my retro purchases throughout the years and I started thinking about all those titles that everyone seems to refer to as 'best game eva OMG!!1!' but you yourself don't own. Then, after years of searching, you eventually track down a copy only to discover that it's complete plop. However, due to everyone else's insistence that it is the 'best game eva OMG!!1!', you carry on playing so as not to look a fool. After years of perseverance you eventually see the light and come to the conclusion that it is not the 'best game eva OMG!!1!' but in fact a steam pile of Peter Andre.

    With that in mind I've compiled a list of games whose almost universal appeal completely baffles me.


    Alien vs Predator (Jag)

    I bought an Atari Jaguar purely to play this and even had to suffer the ignominy of the shop assistant laughing at me and saying 'good luck finding AvP. Hahaha.' It took me about a year to find a decent one and I couldn't wait to play it.
    I was told by those in the know that it was as tense and atmospheric as the movies and twice as scary but it turned out to be a complete mess. Whichever character I chose I just seemed to spend hours wandering aimlessly around bland mazes with nothing to do. Every now and then a gun fight would break out but these were totally chaotic and, if playing as either the marine or the predator, it seemed impossible to avoid the puddles of acid spilled by the aliens. These fights also had a completely disorientating meaning that I was even more lost in the dreary maze.
    It was scary at times but those were few and far between and the overall malaise and ambiguous purpose made me wonder where all the hype had come from.


    Sonic CD

    Another mess of a Game
    I met someone at university who, upon seeing my games collection, refered to me as 'the geek I've always wanted to be.' I didn't know whether to laugh or cry which was exactly how he felt 20 sconds later when he booted up Sonic CD for the first time. He was a big Sonic fan and had spent years dreaming of playing the ultimate Sonic game. Much like myself he'd been wooed by endless gaming sites and magazine reviews that claimed that this was a game like no other, a gift from the gods and, more importantly, the 'best Sonic game eva!!1!'
    However, neither of us could see what all the fuss was about. As with AvP the level deisgn is a hideous mess. It seems as though someone at Sega was told to just cram as much colour onto the screen as possible in a Mega Drive vs SNES willy waving exercise. It's also hard to imagine these levels being designed at all as springs, traps, enemies etc appear to have been strewn about with little to no thought or reason. Compared to the carefully crafted and purposefull layout of Sonic 1 the Mega CD game seems a complete shambles. Also, despite playing the Jp version, I just didn't appreciate the supposedly brilliant soundtrack.
    It's a shame as I really was looking forward to this one but I just don't get it.


    So, has anyone else had any similar experiences? If so please share.

    #2
    Spent lots of money on Zanac X Zanac on the ps1, a 8-bit vertical shooter and a modern remake, it was utter **** imo, boring as hell. Id been led to belive it was the bees knees. It wasnt.

    Comment


      #3
      Totally with you on that ZxZ choice. Really quite dull. But it's r@re.

      I was told The Sentinel on the C64 was the best game ever. However it just confused the hell out of me.

      Not tried AvP or Sonic CD.

      Comment


        #4
        3D games, at least 'early' ones, rarely age well. I remember AvP being pretty amazing but I'm sure its rather unplayable now. Never tried sonic cd either but I'll second Zanac being quite overrated.

        Now for me, I'll stick my head out and say Thunderforce 3. It's not rare or anything (though it didn't get a Pal release) but I've never understood why people hold it in such high regard, and I love shooters, lots of old ones too

        Comment


          #5
          Gley Lancer and Musha on the MD.

          Never played them first time round but both a considered good shooters and they're pricey to boot!

          Got them on VC, didn't like either of them!

          Gynoug, Gaiares, Thunderforce etc. all kick the sh!t out of them IMO.

          Comment


            #6
            delete, double post
            Last edited by kyo_244; 25-07-2008, 14:06.

            Comment


              #7
              Hey there mate.

              Right I myself havent played AVP either so no comments on that.

              Sonic CD however is still (in my eyes) a true masterpiece, only bettered by sonic 3 & knuckles. So unfortunately I can't say that I share your thoughts and have to say that they are the complete opposite to yours

              Stunning visuals, amazing music, a 3d special stage, full FMV sequences (on a 16-bit sonic game for christ sakes!!!) and time-travel elements just made this game an absolute stunner and must-have for me! I bought a mega cd just to play this game! I even bought the game before the actual console haha
              ..and I wasn't dissappointed

              Actually it was my first ever game on a CD-rom.. Ah.. fond fond memories!!

              The level design, if anything, probably added to the challenge for me.

              Mind you I did play it while it was in its prime (mid 90s) You might've so things differently if you did aswell..

              But there you go.. that was my 50 cents.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by kallbrand View Post
                Now for me, I'll stick my head out and say Thunderforce 3. It's not rare or anything (though it didn't get a Pal release) but I've never understood why people hold it in such high regard, and I love shooters, lots of old ones too

                Have to agree with that. I love shooters too and I've got Thunder Force 3 and 4 and really can't see what the fuss is about. Maybe I've just got bad taste in games lol.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by kyo_244 View Post
                  So unfortunately I can't say that I share your thoughts and have to say that they are the complete opposite to yours

                  Then we shall be sworn enemies for ever more.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by kallbrand View Post
                    3D games, at least 'early' ones, rarely age well. I remember AvP being pretty amazing but I'm sure its rather unplayable now. Never tried sonic cd either but I'll second Zanac being quite overrated.

                    Now for me, I'll stick my head out and say Thunderforce 3. It's not rare or anything (though it didn't get a Pal release) but I've never understood why people hold it in such high regard, and I love shooters, lots of old ones too
                    I used to think the same about Thunder force 3 but I love it now. Brilliant music, beefy weapons, great level design and backgrounds. Initially I just thought it was cheap and frustrating but it plays more like R-type in that reflexes aren't as important as memorising the traps to avoid the cheap deaths. It's my favourate game in the series by far. Here's hoping the new TF6 will be more like 3 than the lamentable fifth instalment.

                    I also love both Gleylancer and Musha Aleste and would disagree that they're overrated. Musha can get a little dull due to the very long levels but all these games have some of the finest music the 16 bit era has offer and why I'll always prefer the Megadrive to the SNES.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by BigDeadFreak View Post
                      Then we shall be sworn enemies for ever more.
                      Haha. Don't be silly mate.

                      We're all entitled to our own opinions.. however lame they may be!!

                      I'm the same with the zelda series. Never had a chance to get into it back in the days.. was always more of a sonic and mario person. Never really got the whole zelda thing..

                      The only one I could actually get into was phantom hourglass.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Another Zanac X Zanac hater taken in by all the hype. And also Nights on the Saturn. (Runs for cover)

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Nakano View Post
                          Another Zanac X Zanac hater taken in by all the hype. And also Nights on the Saturn. (Runs for cover)
                          Oddly enough by brother hated Nights when we got it, took him a year before he liked it.

                          Almost every PS1 game on the market, really do wonder what people saw in it, games like Tekken 1,2 and 3 where all just crap compared to VF2.

                          Streets of Rage, the first game in the series really is an example of how not to do scrollling beat'em up's. Slow gamplay, overly long levels with boring background with about three enemies types. Final Fight and the Turtles Arcade game just wee all over it.
                          Last edited by S3M; 27-07-2008, 12:20.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by S3M View Post
                            Almost ever PS1 game on the market, really do wonder what people see in it, games like Tekken 1,2 and 3 where all just crap compared to VF2.
                            to be fair you are in a severe minority with that comment, maybe not here though but definately mainstream

                            i understand about the mechanics behind VF2 and i thought it was pretty good, but in a room of other people they generally played the Tekken series and you could have more fun with the Tekken games

                            You could watch in astonishment when a VF grand master played the game, but you could all have a laugh playing Tekken

                            entitled to your opinion, but Tekken 2 and 3 at least are great games, pulling of King's, Nina's and Anna's combos were still pretty technical

                            Also are you stating that almost every game on the PSone was crap or just the fighters?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by S3M View Post
                              Oddly enough by brother hated Nights when we got it, took him a year before he liked it.

                              Have to say the same about Nights. I really couldn't see what all the fuss was about but for some reason I kept coming back to it and one day it finally clicked. It was quite a strange experience actually as it happened half way through one of the levels. I went from think 'meh' to 'this is one of the best games I've ever played' in the blink of an eye.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X