Archive for the ‘Playstation’ Category
Head Off #3 - Mind-Blowingly Good Games
Usually Alex will send me some crappy and beaten up games to review for this column. Other times, rarely, the games are only one or the other. It’s why I’ve tried selling a few of the junky titles (they’re complete, and maybe someone out there WANTS to be the manager of a Japanese “boy” band made up of thirty-somethings), and it’s also why I have some pretty cool games in my collection that aren’t in a condition I’d normally accept them in if I were buying them. Today we’re going to do something different here at Head Off. Instead of reviewing junk in the poor-game-design sense, we’ll be looking at some junk in the beaten-up-and-missing-parts sense. All the games talked about today will be good ones.
Vampire Savior (The Lord of Vampire - yes the cover says this like it’s the subtitle) - Sega Saturn - Darkstalkers, as Capcom saw fit to rename this series in the West, is one of my favorite fighting games. In fact, I only really like two fighting game series: Darkstalkers and Tekken. That’s mostly because I suck at fighting games. While Darkstalkers isn’t the button-masher that Tekken is, I still find it much easier to pull off (and stumble across) combos and special moves. The thing that really endears me to the series, though, is the cast of characters. In what other game can you play as a homicidal, machine-gun-toting LIttle Red Riding Hood? Or an ancient Egyptian mummy complete with sarcophagus? Or a bee girl that shoots… bees… out of her… beehive? Okay that one is just plain weird. But that’s really the charm of the game. You have no idea what you’re going to experience. The backgrounds, art direction, character design… pretty much every gameplay element contributes to making this amazing fighting game come to life. The level and attention to detail that Capcom invested in this game is pretty staggering (they tend to be known for that, particularly with their fighters, but this is the only one I’ve ever been able to get into). So why did Alex give this one away? The copy he sent me was disc and manual only. This wouldn’t be too bad except that Vampire Savior requires a RAM cart. I actually had to trade for another game just to be able to play this one. (I traded for X-Men vs Street Fighter, another Capcom fighting game, and one which I played for all of ten minutes before turning off in frustration and boredom. See? I’m just not a fan of fighting games.)
Head Off #2 - With The Lid Off
Welcome to another installment of Head Off, where we look at games so bad, bizarre or beaten up, you just might flip your lid! These are all titles that Alex has graciously provided me with in order to tortu in order for me to review them. And I have to say, I really did flip my lid over this batch, since not only were there some incredibly bad and incredibly weird games, but he even included a few decent titles whose only problem was incompleteness. There were so many extra games, though, that we won’t have time to look at them all at once. One game, Switch for the Mega CD, I’d like to devote a full review and walkthrough to (but it won’t be a Head Off article since the reviews featured in here are really just first impressions… because I can’t stand to play most of these games long enough for a full review). Likewise, I’ll be holding off on reviewing the decent titles for now. This time around, I’d like to focus on the good old crap! So what are we waiting for? Let’s dig in!
Head Off Part One: Hard Off Trash Is Treasure But Head Off Junk Is Junk
This is part one in an ongoing series of reviews looking at freebie games from the good folks at Rising Stuff. Alex, being a kind and gentle soul, decided to send me some free games with my last purchase, games which were given to me with the directive that I had to review them for the blog. Hearing this, I knew I was truly blessed, for Alex was my friend and comrade; whatever he had in store for me had to be something worthy of review, but not just that, it had to be a wonderful, marvelous creation, so good it had to be shared amongst friends. Or, you know, it could just be some junk that Alex knew he’d never be able to sell in the store. It could always be that. When the package arrived, I tore it open, eager to see what untold treasures awaited me. I was, for a brief moment, no longer the cynical, jaded pessimist that adulthood had turned me into. I was transported back to a wondrous time of my childhood where everything was fresh and new and exciting. I was a kid at Christmas, unwrapping a delightful present. Then reality sunk in, and I became the jaded pessimist once more. This present from Alex was worse than Grandma’s package of socks! In fact, the only present I could think of that was on par with this was the one our dog Koy liked to leave in the yard! However, a promise was a promise, and I’m determined to review these so-called games. So hit the jump if you’re the kinda person to watch Hostel with one hand on the pause button and one in the pants, ’cause these games are the worst kind of torture imaginable.
Famicom Dojo: Midwest Gaming Classic 2009 Special
Zac (of Powet.TV) and I got the chance to go to the Midwest Gaming Classic this year! What follows is each of our perspectives about the event: Zac, able to roam freely, and me? Stuck behind a table vending for RisingStuff.com!
A Look At Midwest Gaming Classic 2009
Famicom Dojo - Midwest Gaming Classic 2009 Special
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Powet.TV at Midwest Gaming Classic 2009
Friday Masochism: Buta ge de iinjyanai?
Game: Buta ge de iinjyanai? (Wouldn’t A “Pig Game” be Great?)
Year: 1998
Platform: Playstation
Company Responsible: Shangri-la
Arbitrary Rating: 2 trotters and a waffle
Summary: This is by far the worst game I have ever played.
The In Depth: One of Shangri-la’s finer productions, Sensei first attempted to play it with a Gamecube controller he mistakenly picked up. It took him a few minutes to realize this strategy was not for the best but once he did he was super sorry about it.
Starting the game you get to choose your pig. He went with the ugliest one because he remembered Charlotte’s Web was a really good book. The pigs name was “BuuBuuZ” which translates to “Oink Oink Z”. That’s a pretty good name if you ask me.
Starting the game you receive 2000 yen (About $20) to live out your wildest pig fantasies. You may not think that’s much money but for a pig in today’s economy everything counts.
Friday Masochism: “Nyan To Wonderful”
Game: Nyan to Wonderful
Year: 1996
Platform: Playstation
Arbitrary Rating: 7 scoops
Summary: This is by far the worst game I have ever played.
The In Depth: Pet simulations. All the work of owning a real pet but without the any of the love or warmth. I still don’t know if there is such a thing as a great pet simulation, but know I sure as heck know there is a horrible one.
