(Retro) What have you been playing this week?

[nakamura]

I got some raised eyebrows when playing Mario Bros G&W on the tube the other day. I guess G&W must be considered 'cool' retro, whereas GBC is not...

I must admit I never get anything out on the bus because I don't trust anyone. Not just for comments, I don't care about that but I don't trust a group of chavs to not get aggressive if you tell them you like playing retro games.

[cenobite]

Today I played some MegaDrive:

• Runark (aka Growl)
• Mazin Saga (aka Mazin Wars)

Two nice little Beat 'em Ups. Mazin Saga is especially noteworthy because of its very nice character animations.


ceno

[redstar_dan]

C'mon, were just getting started, please continue!

[Skull Commander]

Budokan and NHL 95 for me!

[Pikate]

I must admit I never get anything out on the bus because I don't trust anyone. Not just for comments, I don't care about that but I don't trust a group of chavs to not get aggressive if you tell them you like playing retro games.

Everyone loves Retro? I borrowed a Gameboy to play Dr Mario for a weekend trip home from Uni a few months ago and 3 guys (plus a train conductor) used it as an excuse to start chatting to me on the way from Liverpool to Altrincham...

Where is it you live? :| Are you that guy on BBC Three last night who carries around a rape alarm?

[Colin]

You're a girl though, aren't you? You could be holding poo in a bag and some guys would use it as an opener.

This week, I have mainly been playing, Matrimelee.

[JazzFunk]

Bit of Apocalypse on the PS1 (on PS3), managed to pick up a minty one today for a quid. It was always a fun game and despite the twunted framerate/slowdown at points, it's still refreshingly playable, though it looks like Lego made from dyed Shredded Wheats nowadays. Never realised it was by Neversoft, too.

Also been on playing a bit of Nuclear Strike, it feels loads better than it did originally, to be honest, Strike-type 2D games seem to have died a death and this feels very welcome indeed (even the corny, Mega CD-style FMV!)

[Skull Commander]

This week has been quite retro focused for me. Joe and Mac on the Snes, along with Aladdin have been providing my platforming thrills. Sega hasn't been left out with some playing of Sonic, Sonic 2, Comix Zone and Shadow Dancer. I'm useles at Comix Zone and have never been convinced it's as good as people make out, but I have felt compelled to try and master it.

In terms of newer retro (if there can be such thing) my love for Crazy Taxi has been re ignited thanks to the Dreamcast collection on Xbox360. I'm nowhere near my old standard of play on the Dreamcast, but I have still dominated all scores on my friends list already and now I'm working on increasing my position on the overall board. Original Mode is still pish though!

Lastly from the same disc I have finally had the chance to play Space Channel 5 part 2. It is clearly better than the first, but it's not as good as I wanted it to be. Having said that the first game is totally overrated as well (which isn't to say I don't enjoy it), but it is one of those rare games that makes up forlacking gameplay with charm.

[nakamura]

Everyone loves Retro? I borrowed a Gameboy to play Dr Mario for a weekend trip home from Uni a few months ago and 3 guys (plus a train conductor) used it as an excuse to start chatting to me on the way from Liverpool to Altrincham...

Where is it you live? :| Are you that guy on BBC Three last night who carries around a rape alarm?

I work in an area which is full of drunks, druggies and other very unsavory characters. I have been spat at, swung for, had stuff thrown at me, had my alarms sent off, had my shop machines smashed in. My staff have been subjected to racial abuse too.

After a while it puts you off trusting people, certainly in the evening.

[dataDave]

Chrono Trigger for the first time ever. It's good.

[tokyochojin]

Been giving the original Dino Crisis a play through on the Dreamcast and it is awesome; much more terrfying than the Resident Evil games and dinosaurs that can OPEN DOORS!!

[nakamura]

Chrono Trigger for the first time ever. It's good.

Wow! Surprised you haven't played it.

Yes, it is very good.

[Skull Commander]

Despite playing lots of Retro I always forget about this thread. This week there has been lots of retro action, so I'll go by format.

Snes - More Joe and Mac Caveman Ninja. Although it's a pretty simple game it always brings a smile to my face with it's big colourful graphics and typical 90's gameplay.

Final Fight 3 - I play this quite a lot and it's one of those games that seems to improve with every playthrough. Seems to take a lot of influence from the Streets of Rage series, but that tipped it's hat to a lot of the first Final Fight, so it's all good. I decided to pick Lucia (the token female) as she is my least used character, as I normally go for Haggar and his camp thigh slapping German style outfit. Think I may have another play though this later in the week as I enjoyed it so much.

Megadrive - Shadow Dancer is a game which I seem to have played lots of, but only the arcade version. I decided to devote some serious time to the MD version and despite reading it's inferior to it's coin operated brother (albeit different), I think I now prefer the console edition. I was always a fan of the first Shinobi and the levels of this version of SD totally remind me of it in a good way. I'd even go far to say that I prefer it to Shinobi III.

Golden Axe Trilogy - Golden Axe is a game which I play through at least once a month. I have always loved it and despite it not aging as well as I would have liked it will always be one of my top MD games. I also fired up the two sequels for a marathon of all three one after the other. I always thought the first was the best, then the third with the second being the worst, but after this most recent playthroughs I'm revising my opinion. I enjoyed the 2nd a lot more and the combat in the third felt a lot less responsive, despite having more moves. Plus the fact there is no Gulius type character saddens me.

Lastly I had a bit of a Dreamcast fest last night. A bit of Crazy Taxi, some Plasma Sword and Fighting Vipers 2. Despite owning Plasma Sword for a while I've never given it a chance. I enjoyed Star Gladiator on the PS1 but never thought so much of the follow up until last night. I think I maybe had too much expectation on it when I first got it, and there is no denying it does look a bit ropey for a DC game, but going back in with lower expectations has lead me to enjoy it for what it is.

As for Fighting Vipers, no one really seems to talk about it much, but it's a fast fun game, and any fighter that lets you use a BMX and a guitar as offensive weapons is more than welcome in my collection.

[dataDave]

I completed Golden Axe for the first time ever last night thanks to VC and its infinite credits.

...despite absolutely tanking it when I was a kid, pre-Final Fight days.

[Skull Commander]

IS the VC version the Mega Drive or Arcade version? You get an extra section on the MD version making it a bit harder.