(Retro) What have you been playing this week?

[dataDave]

Also started Resident Evil 2 on Gamecube yesterday. Clunky but still masses of fun.

Make sure you do Scenario B after A, it's much better.

I've been playing Double Dragon II (NES VC). It's amazing how playable it still is, especially after I caned the arse out of it back in the day. It was my first console scrolling fighter.

[davesol]

I've been playing Maximo vs the Army of Zin. Played it years ago but never got past the 4th or 5th level but am really enjoying it this time around. Completed the "Road to Hawkmoor" level last night which I thought was the best level of the game so far

[Kit]

I've done, and by that I mean completed all main missions and as many optional ones as I could manage, GTA III, GTA:VC and GTA: San Andreas. For me the series just got better, peaking with San Andreas. I went on an hour long revisit to GTA: San Andreas only last week.

I've spent so much time with those games, hundreds of hours each, yet there are still areas in all three and particularly SA I've only fleetingly viisted. I always enjoyed the optional Vigilante, Taxi, Ambulance, Fire Engine missions. Together they're a whole game in themselves yet in GTA are only a minor percentage of the provided gameplay content.

Some of the main missions can be a bit weak and samey but at their best they're both fun and often challenging. However for me with GTA it's the pure joy of the having the freedom to do almost anything your imagination can come up with within the capabilities of the game engine. Crazy stunts, driving carnage, parachuting off buildings, groteque and elaborate villiany, simple vehicle or item finding/collecting, provoking the police or just driving, cruising or flying around listening to the fantastic soundtracks, the peerless radio station scripts and/or your own music - just great.

When it comes to the the controls and camera I've never had much complaint. A simple, forgiving 3rd person system - it works well for what were designed to do. The animation and character models are not the great but, again, more than adequate and, of course, the graphics in general are below the best even of their generation. But balance that against the scale and design complexity and it is a trade off I have always been very happy to accept.

With the decent but not great reviews of GTA4 I've never been tempted to try the current generation stuff for fear they'd be a disappointment in comparison.

Never got on with San Andreas. I think I was just burnt out on GTA games then - GTA 3 and Vice City was enough GTA for one gen for me.

You should check out GTA 4, angel. It took itself a little serious for GTA game which I didn't like, but the combat was leaps and bounds better than previous games.

Make sure you do Scenario B after A, it's much better.

So you play as a tooled up leon in the final scenario? That's the way I always used to play - taking down mr x with Claire was a mare.

[acidbearboy]

I played my newly arrived G-Vector on the Saturn today. Got as far as the 2nd boss before getting a bit cheesed off with having to restart the whole level when you die. Music is alright. Graphics are a bit ropey. Gameplay is fine but like I said, too easy to die and no restart points makes for frustration not fun. At least there is a cheat for extra continues!

[Yakumo]

I used an action replay to complete G-Vector. It is hard but it's also quite rare so great for the collection.

[dataDave]

So you play as a tooled up leon in the final scenario? That's the way I always used to play - taking down mr x with Claire was a mare.

I used Leon on my very first play, then Claire vs. the big guy. I never really noticed Leon being more tooled up vs. him to be honest.

You had to do Leon-A, Claire-B, Claire-A and Leon-B to unlock the Hunk mission.

[dataDave]

Last night I started Majora's Mask (N64 VC) for my second play-through since I clocked it at launch.

I was going to save it for the 3DS re-release but I can't wait that long.

Every corner of the game is creepy as hell, and even though I was 19 when I played it the first time I think I'm going to appreciate it more now.

[nakamura]

The B missions on Resident Evil 2 are a superb way to increase replay value without spending fortunes in development.

[aticatac]

ShockTroopers (Arcade)
GreyLancer (MD)
SolDeace (MD)
Berzerk,H.E.R.O,Phoenixand Venture (A2600)
Xevious(7800)
IOand Catalypse (C64)
GauntletII,Beyond The Ice Palace and Intergalactic Space Rescue *homebrew*(ZX Speccy)

[Kit]

More Vice City Stories. Tempted to just cut my losses with this as I'm not having much fun.

Still chipping away at Locoroco 2. Best game on the platform? starting to think so.

Last night I started Majora's Mask (N64 VC) for my second play-through since I clocked it at launch.

I was going to save it for the 3DS re-release but I can't wait that long.

Every corner of the game is creepy as hell, and even though I was 19 when I played it the first time I think I'm going to appreciate it more now.

I found Majoras Mask to be a hell of a slow burn but those last couple of temples are just sublime.

[nakamura]

Feel the sports Driving Emotion!

Yes I like this game.

[Kit]

So I've stuck with Vice City Stories and it seems to be getting a bit better. Found a radio station I like and the missions are a bit more fun further in. Shocked to see I'm only 15% through though - feel like I've done loads!

Picked up the Metal Slug Anthology from Buster a few weeks ago so I'm going to give that a whirl later.

Feel the sports Driving Emotion!

Yes I like this game.

Just checked out a video of Driving Emotion. One word; 'Handling'.

[nakamura]

It's a strange game Luke. On one hand it is pretty ****e. Limited modes, naff visuals and weird handling. On the other hand, there was no game like it that really gave you the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of a car at the time and even few live up to it now.
The in car view is simply phenomenal, it's that good. Play the game from that view and it becomes extremely enjoyable because you can really feel the weight of the car shifting across the four wheels. Also the camera bounce when getting air or hitting a steep incline feels just right.

[mainvein]

i've just started to get stuck into mario picross 2 on the gameboy, love picross :-) makes the bus home feel like seconds instead of half an hour

[Matt~]

On the subject of gameboy, just whalloped King DeDeDe and beat Kirby's Dreamland's 'extra game' mode. The ending with the names of every enemy was cool. Feels nice to have completed all the games I currently own for it (besides unlocking Run! Run! Run! on the gameboy camera, as Space Fever II drives me insane)