Video Games

[Brian SD]

This forum lacks a definitive thread about video games.

Right now I've been playing a lot of Ratchet & Clank for PS3 and Zack & Wiki for the Wii (highly underrated game, worth far more than its $40 price tag) in-between bouts of Virtua Fighter 5.

Games I'm looking forward to the most this november: SUPER MARIO GALAXY, Uncharted, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (not expecting this to be great but it should provide some fun), Mass Effect is really cool, and I might try Assassin's Creed (though from the gameplay videos it looks incredibly dull).

Anyone who enjoys puzzle games should check out Zack & Wiki for the Wii. It's a ******* amazing game.

 

[chronoaug]

As far as newer systems go i only have a DS and ps2. For ps2 there is nba2k8 (which kinda sucks on ps2. probably worse than 2k7) and i'll get guitar hero 3 over winter break when the semester is over and i have time.

On my DS i've been switching between Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest moon.

The new zelda game is actually a lot of fun. It's a sequal to Windwaker for gamecube and the game utilizes the features of the DS very well. Everything is done with the touch pen including walking, fighting, using items, etc... It's weird at first but then pretty easy. You also use the microphone by talking into it, blowing into it to turn windmills and stuff like that. I'm a only a few hours into it but it's fun.

Rune Factory is pretty good if you like that sort of stuff. If you've ever played a Harvest Moon game, you know that it's kind of a farming rpg. It's not a traditional rpg by any means. Rune Factory is different from other harvest moon games in that there are different caves you go through, fight monsters, level up and even bosses. You can still grow crops and mine though. When you gather enough materials and money you can add on to your house to have a kitchen, smithery, a bigger bed and eventually through developing relationships with people in town, propose to a girl and have a wife and later a kid. Each day takes about 20 minutes and you play through the seaons. It's a good game.

I'm desperately awaiting the full 3d remake (with new storyline as well) of Final Fantasy IV for the DS and Dragon Quest IX for DS. Also, those who are familiar with Earthbound and Mother 3 probably know about the epic starmen.net and mother3.org collaboration translation project of mother 3 that should be out in early spring hopefully. Mother 3 is supposed to be incredible and i can't wait.

I want to get a xbox 360 for the sports games(madden and nba2k) and Eternal Sonata which look absolutely incredible.

 

[kronik]

Games I'm looking forward to the most this november: SUPER MARIO GALAXY, Uncharted, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (not expecting this to be great but it should provide some fun), Mass Effect is really cool, and I might try Assassin's Creed (though from the gameplay videos it looks incredibly dull).

SAY WHAAAAAA? Anyways - I'm also playing R&C and Z&W currently - both are fantastic games. I look forward to the same games that you do, with some additions like Army of Two, Kane and Lynch, Time Crisis 4, SSBM, Link's Crossbow, an unlocked Manhunt II for the Wii (c'moooonn..), Rock Band, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, I could go all day. This is in conjunction with Crysis / The Orange Box for the PC as I just built a new box, allowing me to play the FPS that I've missed over the last 4 years. I also just got a huge MAME rompack, followed by Neo-Geo, SNES, NES, Saturn, Dreamcast, holy God, it's going to be a lovely winter. And I'll probably pop a WiiKey in my Wii, now that they've proven they can update the mod with the recent SMG debacle. Oh, and a 360 + a NME or something because they've shrunk the process as much as they are likely going to within the next year. And seriously, if you and Tokyo Slim gay up this thread, I will kill you both.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Originally Posted by chronoaug

I want to get a xbox 360 for the sports games(madden and nba2k) and Eternal Sonata which look absolutely incredible.
And Pac-Man: Championship Edition (2007 Game of the Year).

Awesome topic, Brian. I'm also playing Zack & Wiki and while it's a great old-school adventure game in the vein of the old LucasArts titles, and I love the Capcom fan-service, it is way too hard. I haven't been this angry at a game since Ninja Gaiden on X-Box. For instance, the new Telltale Sam & Max games are difficult, but you can complete the puzzles sans trial and error. I've pimped this game pretty hard, so I hope I warm up to it again but I haven't touched it in about a week. Also playing Virtua Fighter 5: Online, which is amazing. I'm a hardcore Virtua Fighter fan and definitely notice a difference in play between this and the PS3 version. It's much more polished. Playing Burning Crusade, of course (I just created a new character on Ravenholdt). I'm an old Team Fortress player so of course most of my free gaming time is taken up by Team Fortress 2, which is beautiful and incredibly balanced. And though I finished it on launch day, I went back to Portal yesterday to play the new level, Ren Test2, designed by Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3) designer Daryl Brigner. It's incredibly difficult but really rewarding. I think that's all right now (thank God). I have just re-purchased Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for Dreamcast as a birthday present to myself. It's my most played game ever (maxed out the game clock) and this is the third or fourth and last time I'm buying it. Have pre-ordered Super Mario Galaxy (which looks to be incredible) and Fire Pro Returns. Edit: I'm also (always) playing MLB Power Pros and Winning Eleven 2007 for Wii and PlayStation 2, respectively. Those are my go-to sports games, as the Japanese know how to do it right.

 

[Brian SD]

I'm also playing Zack & Wiki and while it's a great old-school adventure game in the vein of the old LucasArts titles, and I love the Capcom fan-service, it is way too hard.

Are you playing it alone? This makes a big difference. My friends and I play together and yes it's hard but it's a LOT of fun because if you keep starting over you can trade off who plays. Figuring out the really hard puzzles is super rewarding.

Kronik I want Assassin's Creed to be good but everything I've seen for it just looks so boring. I'll definitely rent it so I can try it, though.

Jon, I actually don't have a X360, so I've been playing the PS3 version of VF5. The X360 version is nice but god damn I hate the d-pad on the 360 controller. I do wish I could play it online though. Tekken 5 Online is MISERABLE for me to play since I'm used to a very high level of play (depending on single frames of animation, for instance), so even 20-30ms of lag, which is on the very good end, is too much for me to handle without getting extremely frustrated. I'm not nearly as good at VF5 so Online play would probably be much more tolerable to me. At least the PS3 version was only $10 for me (found a Gamecube game on sale for $10 and returned it to Wal-Mart for $40 credit, the PS3 version of VF5 is only $40).

Edit: I'm also (always) playing MLB Power Pros

I never heard about this until very recently but damn it got great reviews. I pretty much have to buy it now.

 

[TKDKid]

Playing Zelda: Phantom Hourglass at the moment, waiting for Phoenix Wright 3 and Apollo Justice to be released over here...

 

[Piobaire]

Waiting for the next big mmorpg to come along but currently playing nothing. Considering getting a Wii.

 

[Brian278]

Just bought the PC version of NBA Live 08, which is unbelievable bad. I also just finished Episode One, and I'm going to get the Orange Box pretty soon. I also want to pick up the Company of Heroes expansion/sequel.

This in between playing a game of Madden 08 just about every day.

 

[mrpologuy]

I have been on my Wii a lot lately. Guitar Hero came out last week and I have been playing that a ton. I also just beat Resident Evil Wii Edition and am playing some of the extras on it.

 

[j]

I just got a PS2 last week after becoming obsessed with getting Tourist Trophy. Got that, GT4, and Slim gave me all his remaining PS2 stuff since his PS2 broke, so I have The Getaway (a cult favorite of mine), Katamari Damacy, and Guitar Hero 1. TT is extremely hard so I've been mostly playing GT4 - I deleted our old save game so I would have something to do and I'm better at it than I ever was. We're going to have an epic GT4/Guitar Hero/malt liquor energy drink/The Getaway/cheapass pizza/The Streets bonanza this holiday season when all the old friends are back together again for a couple of weeks.

I just got my new Thinkpad and set it up yesterday - it has 256mb Nvidia discrete graphics and a 2.2GHz Core2 Duo with 2gb memory, so it should be considerably faster than my current desktop. I need to put some games on it to try out the graphics... all I have is Oblivion (which got boring and tedious), HL2 (guess I could give it another shot) and WoW (will not be installing this ever again). Since TF2 is FINALLY out and looks cool I may have to actually go buy that. I used to play TF all the time back when it was new (glover you were probably like 8 at the time, but who knows, we may have played at the same time). Do they have the classic maps? I have distinct memories of "being" in Canal Zone and 2f32 among others.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Originally Posted by TKDKid

Playing Zelda: Phantom Hourglass at the moment, waiting for Phoenix Wright 3 and Apollo Justice to be released over here...

Man, I'd hate to be a victim to the UK release schedule. At least you guys have the Tingle RPG.

Originally Posted by j

Since TF2 is FINALLY out and looks cool I may have to actually go buy that. I used to play TF all the time back when it was new (glover you were probably like 8 at the time, but who knows, we may have played at the same time). Do they have the classic maps? I have distinct memories of "being" in Canal Zone and 2f32 among others.

They have remade the classic maps, and while some old-school elitists cry foul, you could blindly join a server and know the map name as soon as it loads up. They've very much kept the spirit and flow of the old games while rebalancing for actual teamplay. It's amazing. And yeah, I wouldn't doubt it if we crossed paths. I got Half-Life the day it came out and Team Fortress Classic was the first online game I had continuous access to and therefor my first addiction. Blue team sniper ftw.

 

[Yaz]

Originally Posted by Brian SD

This forum lacks a definitive thread about video games.

Ah, video games...not much time for those with 2 little kids running around. Didn't even get a chance to finish Final Fantasy XII. In between diaper changes I try to squeeze in a little Warhammer 40K: Dawn of Wary - Dark Crusade every now and then.

Waiting for Starcraft 2 and Dawn of War - Soulstorm, as if I'll have time to really play anyway. I'd also love to check out Half-life 2, but I end up playing these types of games too long with my obsessive need to reach the next level Badly need to upgrade my computer.

 

[j]

Originally Posted by jonglover

They have remade the classic maps, and while some old-school elitists cry foul, you could blindly join a server and know the map name as soon as it loads up. They've very much kept the spirit and flow of the old games while rebalancing for actual teamplay. It's amazing. And yeah, I wouldn't doubt it if we crossed paths. I got Half-Life the day it came out and Team Fortress Classic was the first online game I had continuous access to and therefor my first addiction. Blue team sniper ftw.

I'm talking about TF for Quake 1. But I will have to check into TF2. And yes, blue team sniper, usually. Though I was an excellent engineer, spy, scout, and occasional demoman or pyro.

 

[Joffrey]

I'm done buying modern games. I want a super nintendo

 

[kronik]

Originally Posted by j

I'm talking about TF for Quake 1. But I will have to check into TF2. And yes, blue team sniper, usually. Though I was an excellent engineer, spy, scout, and occasional demoman or pyro.

2fort4 motherfucker. [Zzz] fo' life.

Brian, my girlfriend and I are playing together. 100% agreed with glover on the LucasArts/Sierra adventure correlation. I remember playing LSL and Dagger of Amon-Ra for the first time on my 286 with 640k of RAM... ahh, so.. so long ago.

Jodum, SNES games aren't that hard to find. Working on building the collection back up after an unfortunate run-in a few years ago which forced me to dump my .. archives.