It's been a while since I wrote one of these. With another Call of Duty on everyone's radar and various holidays all over the world celebrating the brave sacrifices of those who fought for our values and freedoms in armed conflicts generation after generation, I thought it appropriate that as a former soldier and a gamer, I offer my own salute to those brave men and women past and present.
So this List 'em is all about games based on world wars and multi-country conflicts from the last 150 years or so. As usual, feel free to list as many or as few as you wish. With a genre certainly showing it's age after so many games being released in a short span of years there are certainly plenty to choose from!
It's hard to believe that I've been doing this feature for well over a year now. July 18th 2007 was the date I published the first entry in this feature (Vol.1 Racing Games). Even harder to believe that I've managed to stretch out the most popular or expected genres this long without using them all up. So I thought this time around I'd spoil myself and write a List 'em for my top 5 favorite platforming games of all time.
Now I admit that I had some difficulty in choosing my top 5. Not only because there are so many good platformers out there, but also because sometimes the line blurs on what does and doesn't make a platforming type of game. Rastan is a sword swinging platformer/action adventure of a sort, Contra could be argued as a platformer along with being a side scrolling shooter. So I narrowed it down to games of dexterity with minimal graphic violence and a small amount of puzzle solving or exploration. Of course interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, so feel free to list whatever you feel you think a platformer is and as always, as many or as few as you wish.
Yes that's right, it's time to "gather ye around the fireplace" and swap stories of powerups, gigantic bosses and bonus stages. Or maybe just big rocks you destroyed. You know, asteroids and those types of things.
Shmups, specifically spaceship based ones, have a long and illustrious history. From games like Spacewar! in 1962, to Galaga Legions and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, we've had the pleasure of playing these games for 46 years. Imagine that, in four years Shmups will be celebrating their Golden Anniversary!
With 2008 being another big year for Shmups with games like 1942: Joint Strike, Aces of the Galaxy, Galaga Legions, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Ikaruga (re-release), Space Invaders Extreme, Thunder Force VI, shumps seem to have started yet another re-birth for new systems. Not to mention the dozens of great indie-made ones and even those that can be found on our very own Arcade here at RF Generation!
So as usual, feel free to share your list of favorite shmups or your criticisms of them for everyone else to read and comment on. This is and has always been, a group feature! Without further ado, here's my top 5 space shmups in no particular order:
In the last decade or so, custom soundtracks in video games have increased in popularity both due to the digital age as well as advances in game systems and personal computers. Of course there are also the memories and nostalgia of times when one would have their 8-track, LP, Cassette, or CD playing in the background. Add digital files to that and you've come all the way across 30+ years of gaming. Any of you listen to Pac-Man fever while chasing ghosts? Or "Gangsta's Paradise" when Ridge Racer came out for the PlayStation and you found out you could take the game disc out and pop in a music CD? No shame in that, we've all made mistakes in the past. Hell I remember when "U Can't Touch This" was all the rage a few months after Super Mario Bros. 3 came out 18 years ago. Did that make you feel old, or maybe really young? Just wait until the 25th anniversary of that song and the game when you, or one of your parents, break out the elephant pants and make an ass of you/themselves, hopefully all in good fun. Maybe Fred Savage will reprise his role in the sequel: The Wizard II: Arthritic Speedrun Pwnage.
That's not to say the default game music that is included in a title is bad, in fact in many cases far from it. It means that if a game's soundtrack doesn't suit you, you can always change it. So if your willing, feel free to share with your fellow RFGen members, your favorite custom music you listen to while gaming. Everyone's tastes are different and it's always great to find new songs or albums that may make a particular game that much better, or a song that really suits a genre perfectly. So here's a few favorites of mine and the games I like to play while listening to them:
To follow up on last week's weekly poll, I thought I'd make this edition of List 'em another Most Wanted Edition. Like last year, feel free to list the most anticipated games on your want list and feel free to explain why each one is important or interesting. Holiday 2008 promises to cram everything good in a 2-3 month span, doing 2D8 damage to our wallets while overwhelming us with so many games to choose from at the same time.
Now I have to admit, this year doesn't feel as exciting in terms of huge releases as last year did. The DS and PSP seem to have quieted down a bit. The PS2 is slowing down in new releases of note and first party titles for the three current systems seem a bit scarce for the second half of the year. With over 40% of our voters suggesting they'll only be getting 1-5 titles, I think it's safe to say many of you feel as I do. Or is that a sign of the economic downturn which has affected just about every corner of the globe?
In any case, here are my personal top 5 most anticipated titles of 2008:
Samurai Shodown Anthology - I like SNK, always have. While I may still be trying to track down a copy of SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1 without resorting to buying online, I'm very much looking forward to yet another compilation, this time my beloved SS series. I've been playing SS since II came out 14 years ago. I still pop a few quarters in when I spot a cab in the wild. With 3rd party arcade sticks for home consoles being of comparable quality these days, it'll be great to finally have a nice setup in my living room without using MAME. Available in a few months for the Wii, PSP and PS2, it's supposed to contain Samurai Shodown, I, II, III, IV, V, V Special and VI. Yep that's right, SSVI as well! That's a lot of bang for the buck and a lot of nostalgia all in one package.
Viva Piņata: Trouble in Paradise - Those of you who have played or beaten the original VP, can attest to just how special and addictive this deceivingly childish looking game truly is. Micromanagement on a scale that rivals any of the Tycoon series of games while being something anyone regardless of gender or age can enjoy. It's actually one of the few X360 games I have every achievement for and a testament to how good RARE still is despite the biased criticism from longtime Nintendo fans who downplay their departure even to this day. While not on my top list, I'll also mention there's a DS version coming as well which may be a getter if it's anything like it's console counterpart. Candy incest and cannibalism runs rampart sometime in September is all goes on schedule.
Two Worlds: The Temptation - Despite general scorn by gamers and reviewers alike who couldn't see past the bugs this game had (since been patched BTW), I enjoyed it tremendously. It rivaled Oblivion but in some ways was even better. It had a level of humor I found refreshing and was fun to go questing for hours on end (as long as you didn't use a horse lol). Ask Tynstar about that, me kept me amused to no end with his frustrations and curses at his horse's inability to even walk in a straight line while on XBL. Well the sequel promises to address many issues the first game had right off the bat and from the screenshots it looks a lot more fun with the added gameplay elements like boating and interacting more with the environment. This game may actually be my most anticipated of the year. But then again I'm always a sucker for "Western RPGs".
Fallout 3 Oblivion with guns? Well that wouldn't be so bad now would it? I've been on a bit of a post-apocalyptic kick lately. Between re-watching Jeremiah again and reading novels from the Deathlands / Outlanders series, I've gotten a taste for a new game in that genre. Now I won't go out and buy that survival edition for $120 but I will probably get the next limited edition down. As usual Bethesda is sparing no expense for this title and voice acting is no exception. Ron Perlman and Liam Neeson are among those signed for major roles in the game.
Just Cause 2 That screenshot at the top of this article, is courtesy of Avalanche Studios and their upcoming game Just Cause 2. It's a sandbox type game that takes place in South America and in my humble opinion, an easy source of mindless relaxing fun on so many levels. The first title lets you do so many things that I couldn't adequately describe it in a paragraph or two. Everything from racing, to urban assault in tanks, to paragliding and flying jets, airliners and helicopters. Base jumping, watercraft & boats, assassination and high speed chases you name it. A mix of Hitman. Crackdown and Vice City all in one. Sometimes I just like to fly around for hours in an aircraft, just because it's that fun. All that in a last gen game ported to the X360. So you can imagine how good a ground up new game for the same system would be! My only concern is whether that same freedom of movement in a non-linear environment will be in the second game. Some sources have said there will be no side missions. That may or maynot be a good thing.
So that's my top 5. But on the periphery of my gaming radar, the following games also interest me on a smaller scale: Zoids Assault, Fable 2, Spore, the various band/guitar games, Banjo Threeie, Sonic RPG and prob more I'm forgetting right now.
So now it's your turn folks! Name your "big list" and then in say 7 months or so, we'll revisit our choices like a cyber time capsule and see how everything turned out!
Posted on Apr 15th 2008 at 10:47:39 PM by (Tan) Posted under List em, FPS, IDDQD
Let's face it folks, there's no genre in gaming more loved and hated at the same time than First Person Shooters. Just about everyone has played an "FPS" at one time or other and owns at least one in their collection.
Debates have raged across BBSs, forums, discussion panels and living rooms since the early 90's. Sure they've been around much longer but how many of you can honestly say you've played Maze War anyway? Keyboard/Mouse versus controller, LAN versus TCP/IP, PC versus console, single analog versus dual, CTF versus Deathmatch, the debates rage on and on year after year.
Throwing my hat into the ring, I'll list 5 of my favorites and perhaps a few others as runner's up. Feel free as always to comment and/or list your own favorites here.
In no particular order:
Dead Man's Hand (Xbox/PC) - Did you know that a "Dead Man's Hand" is a poker term for a 5 card hand used when one has aces and eights of spades and clubs? "Wild Bill" Hickok was murdered in a saloon with these cards in his hand the one and only time he ever sat with his back to the door, hence the name. It also happens to be the name of one of my favorite FPS's which falls under the rarely used "Wild West" theme.
At the time of it's release, game reviewers really shat on this game and concentrated solely on it's shortcomings. The truth is, DMH is a lower budget game with a unique charm and a unique way of approaching the FPS market. Trick shooting, playing poker between levels for ammo and health as well as the simple ferocity of it's authentic era weapons make this game stand out. The music and sound effects are great and it's quite literally a blast to play. In a subgenre of cowboy shooters, it's stands more or less alone but that's also an advantage because it's different.
Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (PS2/PC) - Wait, I know what some of you are thinking, "ugh, a Star Trek game?" But this is no ordinary Trek game, far from it. It is in fact possibly the best Trek game ever made and one of the best uses of the Quake III engine ever developed.
Excellent level design, eye/ear candy for it's time and plenty of replay value. Even without the franchise license this game would stand out. If you happen to be a Trek fan, even better. One of my favorite areas of the game is when you get to play an area that resembles the mirror universe from the old 60's series, in all it's deco and nostalgic form. It's also a great game on the PS2 because it supports keyboard/mouse for those of you inclined to that option instead of the dual shock. The polar opposite of Dead Man's Hand, it takes place nearly 400 years in the future and also offers something different from the norm.
Doom II:Hell on Earth (Every system known) - Now why did I choose Doom II instead of Doom? Simple, it has the double-barreled shotgun, 'nuff said. No one needs to hear the praise of this game for the 1000th time. It rocks, we all know it, simple as that. We can hum the tunes and play it in our sleep it's so familiar. So moving on...
Prey (X360/PC) - This game has a long backstory spanning a decade. Too far ahead of it's time for the technology available, it took 10 years for PC's and consoles to do it justice. Average Joe fights alien invaders. Sound pretty cliche doesn't it?
What you probably don't know, is that the game has many different spatial & gravity puzzles as well as portals and other mind boggling science fiction. All of it wrapped in a rescue/revenge story with a Native American twist. I've actually seen people get motion sickness when watching or playing the game because of the use of gravity manipulation. One minute your on the ground, the next walking upside down or up a wall in the same level with the push of a button. The spirit mode is fun too, its basically an out of body experience where you become a non- corporeal entity with a bow who can do things and go places a physical body cannot.
Contrary to popular belief, the Xbox 360 library has a humble percentage of 17% First Person Shooters. Not only does that fly in the face of haters of that system, it also means believe it or not, that there isn't quite the variety of FPS's to choose from that so many erroneously believe. To me PreyIS the best FPS on the Xbox 360 hands down, though I suspect the bazillion Halo 3 or CoD4 fans would disagree!
Medal of Honor (PS1) - Nearly 9 years ago before the big craze that followed, Steven Spielberg had an idea to mix a WWII FPS with a documentary of sorts. Medal of Honor is a standard FPS that mixes cinematic flair with ambience. The sound effects are truly fantastic as well as background ambient noise like planes, artillery etc etc. Each mission is accompanied by actual footage of the Second World War that relates to the mission in question. It serves as both a narrated mission briefing and as a cool reward for game progress. To top that off, it took advantage of the Dual Shock controller and heralded the era of dual stick FPS gameplay, a staple that exists "en masse" to this very day.
Simply put, no one to date has made a war shooter that has as much character, polish and presentation as this one does. It's multiplayer kind of sucks, but it's single player really has to be seen to be appreciated. A fun game that's still fun even now, worthy of any gamer's attention be it war buff or FPS fan.
So that's my list, like it or lump it. I had thought of putting Goldeneye on that list, but to be honest, it hasn't aged well for me. It still brings back many fond memories, but it no longer has the same appeal that others do. Unfortunately that's mostly due to the N64 controller. While I was used to it at the time and didn't mind it at all, the single analog is a hard thing to go back to these days. Same can be said for Turok 2 which almost made the list as well but didn't much for the same reason. Don't read that as a jab at the N64 or it's hardware, I find the same thing when playing Quake III on the Dreamcast as well. At least the DC had a keyboard/mouse to offer an alternative, good thing too!
Although I don't play a lot of FPS's on a consistent basis, I still had a hard time whittling down this list to 5 singular stand out choices. There are a lot of classics so in the spirit of giving due credit to those games that almost made it, I'll name a few runners up:
Blake Stone, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Rise of the Triad, Alien versus Predator (Jag), Quake I/II/III Arena/IV, Counter-strike, Star Wars Dark Forces, Star Trek Elite Force II, Area 51, Serious Sam, Painkiller, Unreal Tournament.
This week in the latest installment of "List 'em", we'll tackle beat 'em ups. The ass kicking, bat/whip/barrel/fist swinging goodness that's all in the fingers, not the brain. If you care to indulge me for a moment, try to imagine a day when shooters weren't the dominant genre in multiplayer or gaming in general. No I'm serious! Beat 'em ups were popular in both the arcades as well as the home consoles as one of the most prominent genres during the late 80's to mid 90's.
It's also one of those genres that's hard to define. Everything from 2D side scrolling, to fighting action RPGs to super hero and TV licensed titles fall under the banner of beat 'em ups. The one thing they all have in common is that they are fast, require a lot of skill to master, and have plenty of on-screen baddies for you to pummel.
So this week, I present to you my top 5 beat 'em ups of all time as chosen by me. All of these titles bring fond memories both old and new, most of them I still play regularly today. So without further ado:
Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Genesis) - Ok I lied. I wasn't going to rank any of these over one another but this to me is the best beat-em up of all time and is number one on my list. I'm sure many of you would agree that it is both among the best of it's type and is part of one of the best series of beat 'em ups of all time as well. Awesome music, fantastic controls and some of the best 16 bit console gameplay ever made, this game has it all and stands out in the Sega Genesis library. If you haven't enjoyed this game yet or were too young when it was originally released, do yourself a favor and track down a copy or download it from Xbox Live or Nintendo's Virtual Console, you won't regret it.
River City Ransom (Nintendo Entertainment System) - Now I freely admit, I'm not a huge NES fan. Sure I grew up playing the classics on that system and like everyone else I have my favorites. They just happen to be fewer and farther between for that system than most others. Even so, once in a while I'll find a game that I've never played before that may be "old hat" to most of you but is new to me. A few years ago purely on impulse I bought a CIB copy of River City Ransom having never played it before. Sometimes you just have to follow your gut instinct on an unfamiliar game, this time it paid off well.
What I like about this game is that it feels like Double Dragon, has a good sense of humor and has depth in that it's more than just a punch/kick side scroller, but a "Lite" action RPG as well that gives it more replay value. Awesome game and one of the best for the system.
X-Men (6 player Arcade cabinet) - Now what would a reputable top list of beat 'em ups be without mention of this gargantuan machine? Well it would probably be something like ScrewAttacks top 10 list as seen below. In any case this is both a memorable game and a memorable machine. Six player controls side by side on an arc with 2 large screens also side by side. Let's forget that most of the X-men characters have abilities in the game they don't in the comics, because this game kicks so much ass we'll forgive them for it. Sure you could play the game by yourself, or settle for those lowly 2 or 4 player versions instead, but where's the fun in that? Six players side by side can lay waste to anything on screen and it's a game as fun to watch as it is to play. Just ignore the bad "engrish" and you'll be fine.
My Hero (Sega Master System / Arcade) - Of all the games on my list, this is by far the most simplistic. Being a Sega Master System game and one of the "Sega Cards", I don't expect a whole lot of people will share my appreciation of it. One might call this a Double Dragon ripoff, but in fact it preceded it by a good two years or so and was a port of the arcade version from 1985. Simple controls and only one level that just gets progressively harder, the game never stops pummeling you until the game over screen. It makes for a fast, fun and furious session that can test the mettle of anyone who plays it. The Sega Control Stick is recommended for this game over the digital game pad. Believe me you'll need it for those high scores.
Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (SNES / Sega Genesis) - This game fancies itself so special it had to have a red cartridge! Well to it's credit it is an awesome game and one of the best super hero titles ever made in my opinion. How many of you can still hum along to the "Green Jelly" soundtrack used in this game? The story actually follows a major plot being written in the comics at that time and Carnage was one of Spider-Man's nastiest foes that he had ever faced. So nasty in fact, that he has to team up with his former nastiest foe to deal with him. Great controls and variety in gameplay that makes each level feel new. It also has many peripheral characters on both sides of the conflict that serve both as boss and ally. A great game from a day when the name Acclaim actually meant something.
So that's my list folks, now it's your turn. Feel free as always to list as many or as few as you wish. For your viewing pleasure, here's the ScrewAttack top 10 list of beat 'em ups according to them:
Last year, specifically last August, I wrote a "List 'em" of my most wanted titles for the latter half of 2007. Now that the last one (Twisted Metal) has been released, I thought I'd revisit this list and see how things turned out for myself and everyone else who had listed theirs as well.
Mass Effect - Fantastic game! Better than my most optimistic hopes could have imagined. The story and backdrop of the future was great, the whole experience felt like I was rewarded with 2 seasons worth of Babylon 5 or Stargate. The game did have a few bugs and framerate problems, but I couldn't care less, everything else overshadowed that. Best X360 game so far in my opinion, and one of BioWare's best ever. Hell I'll even buy the PC version, just because it's so good. Click the name if you want to check out a couple reviews on it.
Twisted Metal Head-on (PS2) - This one was a bit slow out of the gate. Having been delayed until February 2008, it put a damper on my plan to do this list at the beginning of the year. In any case, it's out now and well worth the wait. This port of the PSP version brings the Twisted Metal series back to it's roots. Colourful, addictive and fun, it has all the feeling of Twisted Metal 2 and some of it IS Twisted Metal 2, albeit enhanced and remade for a modern audience. This was a great buy and one of the last great PS2 titles for that system this year. Well worth the $19.99, even without all the bonus features and documentary.
Time Crisis 4 - The first of two on my list I didn't get. I had hoped the PS3 would have had a better selection of exclusive titles by now, but alas it does not. As much as I joke about the PS3 sucking so hard, I know someday it won't. When that day will come? Who knows. Could be this year, could be 5 years from now. The game didn't turn out quite as good as I had hoped, but still good enough to buy it if I had a PS3. I'm torn between getting it now and waiting for a PS3 or looking later on and hoping I'll find it. Time Crisis titles CIB are difficult to find on the best of days, this one will be no exception I'm sure.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - With the Zelda series, I find it's really hit or miss. Some I like, some I don't but I do own most of them. After finding out that you'd be able to use the stylus for everything in-game, I knew this would be a fun game and a memorable one. When I got it, I played it every night for an hour or two until I beat it. Great game, easily among the best Zelda titles in the series. I even went so far as to get the registration bonus and limited edition strategy guide. The love child of Animal Crossing and Wind waker (which I ironically don't care much for) is among the best games the DS has to offer.
Project Gotham Racing 4 - Somewhere down the line I lost interest in this game. Not sure where or for what reason, but I suspect it was the holiday rush and it kept being put lower and lower on my gaming priority list until it seemingly fell off the map. To it's credit, it looks like a nice game, and I'll probably buy it eventually when it reaches an agreeable price point. For now, we'll just chalk this one up to the increased trend to market games during the holiday season, which seems worse than ever. How does one buy half a dozen $60 games in the same week and still buy others that come out in the same month as well?
So overall I think the last half of 2007 ended well. Two Worlds and Front Mission DS get mentions here because they turned out to be pleasant surprises as well and were both on my "most wanted radar". Both excellent games in their own right that would make my top list for '07. So to everyone who posted a list in the original post and those who had their own list elsewhere, how was your fall/holiday 2007?
Somehow in the craziness of the busy summer we had here at RFGen, the Atari 2600's 30th anniversary and the non-stop big title releases that are making this a gaming season for the record books, we missed out on an important event. Namely the 25th Anniversary of the release of the ColecoVision!
In August 1982, the ColecoVision was released and it immediately began attacking it's competition with well thought out planning and innovation. In it's first year or so it had an Atari 2600 adapter which gave it an instant 5 year game library, a steering wheel peripheral, and a third expansion module which turned the console into a home computer. This coupled with superior versions of arcade games like Donkey Kong which outstripped that of the Atari or the Intellivision all helped it sell an incredible 6 million (unconfirmed) units in just three years.
Even today the CV has a homebrew scene releasing games that started back in 1997, a sign that it has been accepted as a classic and will live on....assuming you can find good working hardware for a decent price!!!
Much of the gaming community overlooks the CV in favor of the 2600, 5200 and Intellivision. There are always stories of how impressive the ports of titles looked on a CV versus the competition. Also how the system tends to be remembered as a "rich kid" console and was commonly played alongside one if it's earlier competitors, a trend of having multiple systems that didn't really take off until 20 years later.
So to give a salute to a quarter century of gaming goodness, I present to you my top 5 ColecoVision games based on my admittedly limited experience with the system over the last 25 years:
Frogger - The very first CV game I ever laid eyes on while at a cousin's house back in 1980-something. The first thought that had crossed my mind was how clean and crisp the game looked. Nice tight control and good sound effects, this to me is my favorite version of Frogger. It left such a lasting impression that I had never forgotten the experience even though I never personally owned a CV until just a few years ago.
Turbo - To many gamers now, the CV Steering wheel known as the Expansion Module #2 probably seems like a cheap plastic kids toy or one of those generic plug 'n' play devices with it's instrument panel stickers, tiny gas pedal and little wheel, but at the time it was a really cool device. Turbo, an arcade conversion by Sega was the driving force behind the wheel's development. In it's day, it looked incredible. The Intellivision version doesn't hold a candle to this in any capacity, even setting aside the obvious advantage of having an actual steering wheel.
Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator - Say what you will of Star Trek games, they are certainly hit or miss at the best of times. This particular version kicks ass! From it's Trek theme music to excellent visuals this game is yet another faithful Sega arcade port, and notable as one of the truly good Trek games at a time when Kirk and Company were still wowing us in theatres.
Donkey Kong When the ColecoVision was released, DK was the killer app everyone wanted. Coleco smartly made it a pack-in title which no doubt went a long way towards the 550,000 systems they sold between August and December 1982. It also went a long way towards making Nintendo a big name in gaming which came in handy a couple years later. Of the early systems, it has the best home version of the game which at that time was the hottest arcade title around. Smooth graphics and sound with good control, it definitely sits in the top 5 pack-in titles of all time ( a future List 'em feature perhaps?).
Bump 'n' Jump - Yes I know, yet another arcade port, but damn did this system ever kick ass when it came to saving you quarters with great conversions! The great part about the CV version is that it's compatible with the Steering Wheel, something not even the original arcade version is capable of. This game is fun enough on it's own but add the Wheel and you have an addictive game that's still just as fun even today!
So there you have it, my top 5. If I had to choose a runner up or two I think Pepper II and Miner 2049'er easily make the list. It is a shame that there seems to be so few CV's in great shape or unmodified condition these days. Anyone with an affinity for classic gaming or arcade gaming should really seek one out, you won't be disappointed.
So the few of you who can actually make a list of your own, I'll be interested in seeing it. We seem to speak so little of the CV in favor of other systems of the day. I personally have only had experience with 20 or so titles but to it's credit I enjoy all of them. The rest of you, take a moment and recognize how truly impressive the system was and how high the quality of it's software library of 170+ titles really were.
Here's to 25 years of history and loose change savings.
30 years ago this month the first of the Atari VCS systems started rolling off the factory lines in time for the holiday shopping season. The Atari VCS turned out to be the first "popular" cartridge based game system that families could play in the comfort of their own homes. With a lifespan of 14 years and a library of nearly a thousand titles, surely there is something for everyone.
Reviving a dead feature, this is List 'em. I list my favorites and you list yours. Here's my top Atari 2600 games:
Asteroids - An arcade favorite that also hit it it big at home. The gameplay is simple; fly your spaceship in any direction trying to clear out the Asteroid field. Fly too fast and you crash, and shooting larger asteroids makes them break into multiple smaller ones. I think most people will find this one to be fun with an easy difficulty level.
Space Invaders - Fortunately in the 1980s there were two "baddies" in gaming, film, and comic books that were impossible to be politically incorrect as the arbiters of leading world faiths hadn't covered them... Aliens and Zombies. Well, here's another mindless alien blaster that needs little introduction. Move your ship along the base of the screen shooting vertically, and taking cover as needed behind destructible shields. The invading ships are arranged in a grid with the higher ones being worth more points for scoring. Occasionally, a bonus ship will chirp and fly across the top of the screen for big points and maybe extra life. The sprites are not the same as the arcade, but the spirit is there and it feels much alive. "INCREASE SPEED, DROP DOWN, AND REVERSE DIRECTION!" -Lrr (Futurama)
Pitfall! - Play as a jungle explorer, Pitfall Harry, in search of untold fortune. Obstacles along the way include scorpions, crocodiles, and quicksand, so you better be ready to jump into action or else you'll fall short. Activision (the first "third-party" developer) really nailed it with this one. Unfortunately the difficulty level eventually plateaus, and the only world records to be had are timed "perfect play" runs.
Adventure - Wander the world from a top-down viewpoint through mazes and castles. Find keys to unlock newer areas to explore and slay dragons that stand in the way of progress. This game was truly revolutionary in terms of mechanics and general scope and size. A similar but far more refined game titled The Legend of Zelda came out on the NES a few years later and blew the world away. To this date I still enjoy playing both games.
Missile Command - Move the cursor to trigger a mid-air explosion. Use this to destroy all incoming missiles heading towards your bases. This game gets to be tough after a while, with a fair, but gradually increasing difficulty with each wave.
Wow, five is too short for listing all the great games for such a classic system. There's always other goodies like Q*Bert, Pole Position, Breakout, , Yars' Revenge, Frogger, Combat, and multiplayer sports games like Basketball. Expect simple gameplay and don't forget the RF switch. Stay tuned on channel 3.
So as a sort of experiment and a blog-esque time capsule, I thought I'd do a one-off "List 'em" and list my 5 most wanted games that should/will be coming from now until the end of the year. Four and a half months from now I'll re-visit this post and see how things turned out as opposed to how I had expected them to. Gaming industry analysts and journalists have been saying that this year's lineup will be one of the strongest in recent memory. Which means those with multiple new systems will be faced with some hard choices to spend their hard-earned cash this Christmas. So feel free to list as many or as few as you wish, or comment on the ones listed. It'll be interesting to see the scope of what people want this holiday season. So here goes (in no particular order after Mass Effect of course ):
Mass Effect - Oh boy, where do I even begin to put into words how excited I am about this game? First off, it's a Bioware title. That alone ensures a purchase in my book. Secondly, it's a non-linear RPG with choices that affect the outcome of the game. Which means it has more replay value than you can shake a stick at. I recently watched a 15 minute preview of it, it took another hour afterwards to get my jaw off the floor. I also have the first Mass Effect novel sitting beside me as I write this. I also seen the listing in the local bookstore's system for the second novel in the series called Mass Effect: Revolution. #1 most anticipated game for me, not only this year but perhaps the most important Xbox 360 title I may ever get.
Twisted Metal Head-on (PS2) - Sorry no official website for that yet, that's a link to the original PSP version. It's a port of the PSP game from 2 years ago that will include material from the cancelled TW: Black 2 title. Always love playing Twisted Metal games. Although I share in the opinion that 1 and 2 are the best in the series to date, I do like all of them, yes even 3 and 4. Not a whole lot of info for this game yet, but regardless it's still very much on my radar.
Time Crisis 4 - Always a fan of this series, it's the first PS3 game I actually have an interest in so far. The idea, is that they'll make the GunCon3 with two analog sticks for controlling your character while holding your handgun at the ready at all times. Newer TV owners will also be pleased to know that the GunCon3 uses motion sensors not scan-lines to detect signals. I have a standing rule that to me, a game system should have at least 6 great titles for me to buy one and validate the cost of a new game system. Well here's possibly the first one for the PS3, we'll have to wait and see.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - The DS is a funny system to me as far as control. You've got stylus games, stylus/buttons, buttons, and many other configurations. I enjoy the games that use one type of control for everything. Clubhouse games, Kirby Canvas Curse and Animal Crossing to name a few all use the stylus exclusively to excellent effect and with little learning curve. This also seems to be the case for the latest Zelda. It seems like it's got all the fun and story of a handheld Zelda game, but with the ease of use that the DS's "Touch Generation" has. I wasn't a big fan of Wind Waker, but that visual style of game seems to work well for this one and really makes the DS look superb in it's capabilities. I suppose I could've imported it, but I can wait the 5 months for a localized release, especially as it comes out within a week of my birthday.
Project Gotham Racing 4 I've been a fan of this series from day 1. I remember playing this when the Xbox first came out, I had a helluva time with the kudos modes. Rewarding reckless driving after so many games rewarded precision driving seemed a stark contrast and something to get used to. It was also one of the first games to offer custom soundtracks, a feature that has been a staple of Xbox games ever since. PGR4 seems to be upping the bar in all areas and the weather effects look phenomenal. To top it all off it has a Canadian track!
So we'll check back at around January 1st and see how things turned out. In the meantime feel free to post your own either here, or by starting your own blog.
Posted on Aug 9th 2007 at 11:44:56 PM by (Tan) Posted under List em, Top 5, RPG
This week's List 'em is going to turn it up a notch. RPG's are one of the most popular genres in video games that seems to only get more popular as they become more complex. I myself played very few until the last 10 years or so when 3D gaming really took off. My list will be a bit biased as my tastes in RPG's are very specific. But that's why you should list yours as well. RPG's can really tell a lot about a gamers tastes and habits. So here's my picks in no particular order:
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition, The - I have yet to write a review for this game because I wouldn't even know where to start. The first time I played this when it came out I was blown away. The sheer amount of things to do is enormous. You can repair weapons, trade, hunt, make potions & spells, enforce the law, preach faith, travel, the list goes on and on. Have a house or two, join nearly a dozen guilds all with different quests, goals and story-lines. That's all on top of playing the game's main quest!! Never mind the fact that this version has both expansions which double the game's size and depth. Many people complain this game is too big, but to me it raises the bar on how big an RPG can be. I've logged more hours into this game than any other RPG, probably top 5 all-time in terms of hours spent playing.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - I'll be honest, me and Nintendo have parted ways a long time ago. Few games from the "Big N" catch my eye anymore. Most of them just don't jive well with me as a gamer or suit my tastes. The Paper Mario series is one glaring exception to this rule. I could've put the N64 Paper Mario in place of the Gamecube one and I would've been satisfied with my choice. I chose this one because it's longer, has a better story with more humor and feels more polished and deeper as an RPG. Where the N64 one provided a light-hearted laid back experience, this one provides a more strategic game with more exploration and environmental puzzles to figure out. Crisp graphics and sound, creative ways to use the menus and battle system and a more varied world to explore, if you don't own this game for your Gamecube or Wii, then get it. Your missing out on one of the best Nintendo games in the last 10 years in my opinion. If your on the fence and need more evidence, do check out the game page by clicking the name listed above, it's one of RF Generation's most comprehensive and complete game pages in the database.
Front Mission 4 - How would you like an RPG featuring giant robot fighting machines? How about customization of each character and "Wanzer" (name used for mechs) that rivals any RPG out there? Two different story-lines that twist and merge together later in the game into one big epic? How about if all that is neatly wrapped into an 80-100 hour turn-based strategy game with plenty of re-playability from the makers of Final Fantasy Tactics? If any of that appeals to you, then perhaps FM4 is up your alley. Different Wanzers that have different tactical roles make it possible to build your team from the ground up and play how you choose. Be it close combat, long range, medium range or a combination of those. Excellent battle animations, camera angles and sounds effects. It's very challenging and very involved and you get to know and like the characters so much that you immerse yourself in the storyline, even if there's a lot of scrolling and reading. If you've played FM3 on the PS1 you'll like this one too, and if you've played this one then try FM3 as well.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Let me say a few things first. Bioware rocks. Everything they touch has so far turned to gold from Shattered Steel 11 years ago to the upcoming Mass Effect this fall. They are everything EA is not and they are Canadian. Now that's out of the way I'll say my piece on KOTOR as the acronym for this game is known as. I'm not a big Star Wars fan. Sure I've seen the movies once or twice and I love some of the games, but nothing prepared me for the experience this game offered. Traveling planet to planet, carefully molding your character and embarking on an incredible story with an all-star cast of voice actors. Puzzles, exploration, great graphics/sound all in a turn based combat system that if you tweak the options doesn't pause at all. I say that because default settings the game will pause to wait for you to complete any given action so your not overwhelmed by the speed and ferocity of some of the battles. Change the settings and it's all in real time and very intense. Any game with a character like HK-47 is a winner in my book. He's the Star Wars equivalent of Bender from Futurama but much more maligned and violent.
Neverwinter Nights - I had a hard time choosing my final pick for this list. There's a good dozen or so games across many platforms that are worthy which I'll mention in my "Runner Up". This one gets my vote because not only is it based on the Forgotten Realms novels I love so much, but it truly is a fantastic game. It took everything that made Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale great series and tweaked it. Being able to identify characters, factions or places from books I've read makes it a game easy to become comfortable with and instantly familiar. Gameplay is smooth and the amount of content that expansions, modules and user made through tool-sets will keep you going for years to come. Another interesting piece of trivia is that the game engine Bioware built for this game was modified for KOTOR I & II. You want a PC game that will keep on giving? Well this is it!
Runners Up: - So many games to list here, I really should have done a top 10 or 20, but I'm sure your eyes are already bugging out with all this reading, so here goes:
Jade Empire, Fable, Rogue Galaxy, D&D Heroes, Icewind Dales I & II, Baldur's Gate I & II, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance I & II, KOTOR II, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Bard's Tale, Front Mission 3, Fallout 1 & 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shining Force Neo, Paper Mario, Suikoden IV and Tales of Symphonia.
Oh there's more, but that's just off the top of my head. Now it's your turn. If you don't care for RPG's then maybe your Top 5 hated ones instead just to be fair and allow participation.
From the Microvision and Mattel sports toys from the late 70's to the DS and PSP, handheld gaming has been around in one form or another for 30 years. In this week's List 'em, we take a cue from the weekly feature and bring attention to favorite handheld toys and games from the past and present. How many times Tetris will show up on lists, no one could guess. Without further ado, here's my top 5:
Tetris DX (GBC) - As with most "DX" versions of Game Boy games, it was much improved. Easier to look at, colourful, and had a faster pace which I prefer over the original. This game still gets played on an almost daily basis. In fact my cart is so worn out I may have to buy another copy that doesn't look so shabby.
GO Raceway (Misc. Handheld) - I suppose you could substitute this game with any one of the hundreds of generic LCD racing games. Gameplay was simple: Move left, right or back to center to avoid traffic as the game speeds up and increases difficulty. Fancier versions have a pit-stop or even a turbo button as part of the game. I chose this one because I have it CIB and it'll remind me to submit pictures of it this week.
Clubhouse Games (DS) - An awesome compilation of games ranging from Koi Koi, Backgammon, Chess, Solitaire even parlour games like Darts and Bowling. With 42 different games on one cartridge and the ability for multiplay using local Wi-Fi and a single copy, this is probably the best bang for buck deal the DS currently offers. It has mission Modes, unlockables, even customizable settings for each game. I could go on and on about this game but instead I'll tell you to buy this game immediately. In fact this game for the right person could be worth buying a DS for alone.
Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) - I could have chosen any of the Zelda Game Boy games and it would've made for a good list. The GBA port of Link to the Past is every bit as good a game, but I play that one on the SNES and the new grunting noises they added to Link when he swings his sword in the GBA version seem a bit out of place to me. In any case Minish Cap is my choice because it takes the formula of LttP as well as Link's Awakening, polishes the gameplay and makes for a good sized adventure longer than most while somehow managing to keep the franchise fresh. It even adds collecting elements to the game that for perfectionists add extra hours to the game after they had beaten it and between dungeons. If you haven't played this yet and are looking forward to Phantom Hourglass this fall, I suggest you buy this one as well. Any Zelda fan will not be disappointed.
Batman Returns (Lynx) - The first Atari Lynx game I had ever played, it left a lasting impression because of it's quality and presentation worthy of any handheld game I have played since then. Games like this always remind me of how much of a shame it is that the Game Boy had such a lead over the market. The potential for superior systems like the Lynx and even the Game Gear was sadly under-used. Even beat-em ups on the GBC have a hard time comparing to this game. An excellent use of a license, this game is fun, has good sound and great animations, a worthy title to add to anyone's collection and a good reason to buy a Lynx.
Runner up:Karnov (Tiger Handheld) - I have no idea how I got this game as a kid, but I played the hell out of it. It always seems like someone has a Tiger Handheld story, well this game would be mine. Soon I'll be tracking down a copy again and it may be that if I had posted this a year from now it would be a top 5 game in place of one of the one's already there. But sometimes nostalgia plays funny tricks with your mind and I have no idea if I even like this game anymore, guess I'll find out soon enough.
Generally within the collecting community, sports games receive very little attention or credit and are more often than not considered worthless. Also it's a genre that just about everyone has represented in their collection. Yet it rarely shows up on top lists and "best game" lists. So this weeks "List 'em", we send a little Channel 3 love to those games that are often overlooked, but loved nevertheless.
Here's mine in no particular order:
Links 2004 (Xbox) - I've played this series of golfing games since PC's still had Turbo buttons on them, but for some reason this one really sticks out. The ease of control with a dual-analog, the menus, graphics, sound, custom soundtracks and customization of your character's clothing and skills makes this a well rounded game. Playing this with friends can be both challenging and very fun and it has a very deep single player experience. Also of note is the amount of quality downloadable content this game has which can significantly increase it's playability.
NHL 2K2 (Dreamcast) - Besides it being the last North American Dreamcast game released which gives it a bit of status, it also raised the bar on how good a non-EA NHL game could be. This game just does everything right while looking good and sounding good when doing it. I love many hockey video games from many different systems, but this one stands out not only for the reasons I've stated, but also because it plays so well and has depth without complicated controls or a steep learning curve.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast) - There's been many of these games in the Tony Hawk series over the years but 2 is always the one I come back to. I think the levels that are specific to this game plus it's soundtrack are what puts it a bit higher on my list than say TH 3 or 4. Even though it was initially the Playstation version I played so much of, the Dreamcast one with it's better resolution and texturing is easier on the eyes and I like the DC pad a lot more.
NBA 2K (Dreamcast) - Surprise!! Another Dreamcast game! I think looking back, the Dreamcast was indeed the sports game successor to the Sega Genesis even though it had fewer titles to choose from. NBA Jam: TE comes really close but NBA 2K just has that special something about it that attracts a gamer like me who doesn't play, watch or otherwise have anything to do with the actual sport. Great game and can be had for cheap, also fun to play even if you don't know basketball's rules or court strategy.
Triple Play 2000 (Playstation) - Baseball to me is even less interesting than basketball, yet I play and even enjoy this game. I enjoy it enough for it to earn a place among my list above the other 9 hockey games I own from various systems. It's easy to play, has a simple interface and doesn't complicate me with all kinds of rules and terms I have no clue as to what they mean. Simply put, I can sit down and enjoy this game without being a fan of the sport.
Runner's up: A tie between NHL 2004 (PC) and NHL 2K6 (Xbox 360). For over 76 years the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had broadcast a show every week called Hockey Night in Canada across the country, 55 of those years have been on television. The fun of PC games is that you can get your hands dirty and modify files and such. When NHL 2004 came out, I changed the theme to "The Hockey Theme " which has been the theme for Hockey Night In Canada since 1968. Wikipedia's section on that theme doesn't exaggerate, every Canadian born or living since 1968 has heard that song whether they like or watch hockey at all. So you can imagine how awesome it was to have that song on a NHL game for a Canadian.
NHL 2K6 also has a HNIC connection. The commentators in the game (Bob Cole and Harry Neale) have been the voice of HNIC broadcasts since I was a kid, and although their first time voice acting was a bit stiff, it still holds plenty of nostalgia and an atmosphere unlike any other hockey game I've played. To top it off, the Canadian cover of the game has Mats Sundin, my favorite current player and Captain of my favorite team the Toronto Maple Leafs. That alone would have assured it a place among my collection.
So now it's your turn my fellow RFGener's, post away!
The thrill of competition. The satisfaction of victory. The sense of speed and the intense action. All reasons why racing games appeal to so many people. Whether it be in the air, land or sea racing comes in many forms and has been a staple of gaming since the 1970's. This new feature I call "List 'em" will be for me to list my top 5 games of a particular genre and all members are encouraged to respond in kind with their own top 5 list. Rebuttals, commentary and criticism are all welcome and I'd like to read your thoughts on them as well as add commentary of my own so list away ladies and gentlemen.
Here's mine in no particular order:
Outrun 2019 (Sega Genesis) - A game I've only recently come to appreciate, it's got all the bells and whistles that the outrun series is known for, yet tackles that futuristic racing genre few games seem to pull off well. Check out my review HERE.
Need for Speed: High Stakes (PlayStation, PC) - One of my favorite all-time games, this one takes high speed chases and offers you the keys to fast exotic cars or fast police interceptors and puts your into large tracks from around the world with car damage, lighting effects and Dolby Surround sound. It also has a mode called "High Stakes" in which you can race a second player for the pink slip to a car on your memory cards. The winner gets the data from the loser's memory card an they lose that car from their profile.
Diddy Kong Racing (N64) - You can Mario Kart me this or Mario Kart me that, but to me this is the pinnacle of Kart racing. Even to this day I still enjoy this game and I have many fond memories of all-nighters spent in multiplayer matches or beating the single player mode. It's also a very easy game for new players or non-racing game fans to get into because it doesn't have the level of complexity that the other kart racing game has. The DS remake isn't bad either but it's still not as good as it's N64 counterpart.
Hang-On (Sega Master) - A low budget arcade port, this motorcycle game makes up for simple graphics and gameplay with an addictive need to rack up points and embark on an endurance marathon every time you play it. A game every SMS owner should have.
Gran Turismo 2 (PlayStation) - No racing game has ever given me so much replay value nor offered many car owners the opportunity to modify and race cars they can actually afford and may even own. The limit of customization this game offers and the default list of cars is unmatched by any other game including it's own successors.
Runner-up: Hard Drivin' (sit down arcade cab). An awesome driving simulator, this game raised the bar for both arcade driving games and simulation racing games in general. One of the first racing games that had a clutch and a manual transmission that actually uses a proper shift pattern. It also has a "force feedback" steering wheel that has plenty of resistance when your driving and also rips out of your hands when you crash. Crashing also "cracks" your windshield and when the dust settles you get to watch a instant replay of your crash. I loved the stunt track and well...the whole game in general. I've even broken a couple machines with my brutal handling of the controls. Believe it or not this game is a great way to introduce someone to the practices of driving a manual transmission without risking a real car. If you get a chance check out the www.klov.com listing for Hard Drivin' HERE.
Those are my top 5 my fellow members, now it's your turn.
It's been a while since I wrote one of these. With another Call of Duty on everyone's radar and various holidays all over the world celebrating the brave sacrifices of those who fought for our values and freedoms in armed conflicts generation after generation, I thought it appropriate that as a former soldier and a gamer, I offer my own salute to those brave men and women past and present.
Yes that's right, it's time to "gather ye around the fireplace" and swap stories of powerups, gigantic bosses and bonus stages. Or maybe just big rocks you destroyed. You know, asteroids and those types of things.
As a sort of unofficial part II to a great blog entry Dave wrote in January called "
To follow up on last week's 
Let's face it folks, there's no genre in gaming more loved and hated at the same time than First Person Shooters. Just about everyone has played an "FPS" at one time or other and owns at least one in their collection.
This week in the latest installment of "
Last year, specifically last August, I wrote a "List 'em" of my most wanted titles for the latter half of 2007. Now that the last one (Twisted Metal) has been released, I thought I'd revisit this list and see how things turned out for myself and everyone else who had listed theirs as well. 
Somehow in the craziness of the busy summer we had here at RFGen, the Atari 2600's 30th anniversary and the non-stop big title releases that are making this a gaming season for the record books, we missed out on an important event. Namely the 25th Anniversary of the release of the ColecoVision!
30 years ago this month the first of the Atari VCS systems started rolling off the factory lines in time for the holiday shopping season. The Atari VCS turned out to be the first "popular" cartridge based game system that families could play in the comfort of their own homes. With a lifespan of 14 years and a library of nearly a thousand titles, surely there is something for everyone.
So as a sort of experiment and a blog-esque time capsule, I thought I'd do a one-off "List 'em" and list my 5 most wanted games that should/will be coming from now until the end of the year. Four and a half months from now I'll re-visit this post and see how things turned out as opposed to how I had expected them to. Gaming industry analysts and journalists have been saying that this year's lineup will be one of the strongest in recent memory. Which means those with multiple new systems will be faced with some hard choices to spend their hard-earned cash this Christmas. So feel free to list as many or as few as you wish, or comment on the ones listed. It'll be interesting to see the scope of what people want this holiday season. So here goes (in no particular order after Mass Effect of course 
This week's List 'em is going to turn it up a notch. RPG's are one of the most popular genres in video games that seems to only get more popular as they become more complex. I myself played very few until the last 10 years or so when 3D gaming really took off. My list will be a bit biased as my tastes in RPG's are very specific. But that's why you should list yours as well. RPG's can really tell a lot about a gamers tastes and habits. So here's my picks in no particular order:
From the Microvision and Mattel sports toys from the late 70's to the DS and PSP, handheld gaming has been around in one form or another for 30 years. In this week's List 'em, we take a cue from the weekly feature and bring attention to favorite handheld toys and games from the past and present. How many times Tetris will show up on lists, no one could guess. Without further ado, here's my top 5:
