To be forthcoming, I'm a huge Simpsons fan. I have been since the very first episode. I still watch it every week. But by far my absolute favorite episodes are the "Treehouse Of Horrors". As a horror movie fanatic, how could I not enjoy these EC-Comic-esque spins on both classics and cult-classics? So I have to tell you that I was big-time excited about the release of a Game Boy Color cartridge based entirely on the these annual Halloween specials. Which is probably why it bothers me so much that the game just really isn't that good.
  
Obviously the one thing that I feel that THQ got right was coming up with a concept for a game based on the Treehouse Of Horror. It's also quite commendable that each level plays differently and is based on a different horror motif. But now let's look at everything they got wrong. First of all, on the platforming levels the B-button jumps and the A-button shoots. Do you all know how wrong that is? It's terrible. Likewise, the hit-detection and reaction time to button presses leave much to be desired. The worst offender in this game is its music though, which is just completely piercing.
I really can't recommend this game to anybody, no matter how hardcore a fan. Although I can never seem to get rid of it personally. It's almost as if I keep waiting for the cart to magically just get better than it actually is.
Accessory Snapshot | Monoprice 8X1 Enhanced Powered HDMI Switcher
High Def Switching Station | | |
I jumped on the HDTV bandwagon relatively early with the purchase of my Toshiba 52HM84 DLP television set back in 2004. At that time, the war for a standardized digital input was still raging and HDMI was not yet an industry standard. Not willing to sink a great deal of money into a fledgling format, my set came equipped with just one (1) HDMI port. With today's gaming systems (and other HD devices) fully embracing High Definition technology, I am once again begging for more television inputs. The Monoprice 8X1 Enhanced Powered HDMI Switcher (Monoprice 8X1) was the answer I was looking for. This externally powered device features a robust eight HDMI 1.2 compliant inputs. This easily accommodates my current set up (Xbox 360, PS3, Cable Box), but more importantly allows plenty of room for growth. The unit is self-aware and will automatically switch to the active HDMI device (a definite plus). I have not experienced any freezing of images when switching (manually or device driven) between connected systems, though there is around a 5 second delay for the Monoprice 8X1 to determine/display the correct source. The performance is exceptional - the quality of picture and sound is unaffected by the use of this switcher. A RS-232 serial interface is also provided for controlling this device from your computer. I have not messed around at all with this feature (RS-232) so I can not comment at all on its ease of use or performance in this area. 
The black matte, solid steel casing of the Monoprice 8X1 is exceptionally sturdy. It is packaged with mounting brackets to easily place this switcher within your existing A/V cabinet. The front facing is elegant and simple, but the red and green LED lights to indicate the active device are truly abrasive. They are so bright that it is rather bothersome when you are in a gaming session. When all HDMI devices are inactive, the LED board is fully alit (pictured below) and so luminous that I could actually read the manual in an otherwise completely dark room. Now if this isn't overkill, I don't know what is. The Monoprice 8X1 also is accompanied with a bank of various electrical convertors, which enhances this product's attractiveness to those outside North America. The plug itself is mounted on a convenient swiveled pedestal allowing you to customize the electrical connection (a.k.a. squeezing it into your surge protector). Installation and set up is a breeze - plug it in and you are all set to go. This unit does come with a small remote, but I have yet had the need to use it due to the HDMI auto-sensing capabilities of this device. Prior to purchasing this unit, I did a great deal of research on HDMI Switches. The general consensus was that, as of today, all of these are basically toasters - the brand doesn't really matter for basic HDMI switching. One has to be aware of potential compatibility issues, signal "freezes" and ease of RS-232 support, but price overall is the determining factor in one's purchasing decision. Similar Monoprice products had been rated well by CNET and other independent review sources, especially when evaluating the value quotient. I purchased this unit around four months ago (July, 2010) and have been very pleased thus far with its performance. Pros | Significantly increased High Def ports on your TV by providing eight HDMI connections for your gaming systems | Auto-sensing capabilities basically eliminates the need for further interaction once you have all of your HD devices connected | | | Cons | The LED indicator lights are abnormally intense and somewhat distracting when gaming | Externally powered by an included AC adaptor, so you will need to free up a spot on that surge protector for this unit |
| | | What HDMI Switcher Do You Utilize?
Share Your Thoughts & Suggestions with the RFG Community!! | Coming up next on the Accessory Snapshot:
The Logitech Cordless Action Controller |
Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare is a rather ambitious port of the fourth title in the Alone In The Dark series. Usually when a 3D game is ported to a Game Boy system, really the only thing that stays the same is the title. This is surprisingly not the case with The New Nightmare. The game actually contains some rather impressive pseudo-3D graphics that really must be seen to be believed. The graphics utilize pre-rendered environments, and some pretty ingenious trickery that involves changing the size of the main character sprite to imitate parallax. It's somewhat hard to describe, but it's really a game that every Game Boy fan should play just to see exactly the kind of impressive feat that can be executed on such limited hardware. Pro's of the series may be a bit let down however when they realize exactly how short this port is in contrast to its console counterparts.
  
I personally have never played another other installments of the series, so I really don't have much to compare this one to myself. I can only say that beyond the impressive graphics, the game is a pretty fun title that mixes a bit of adventure in with a little bit of action. What did the rest of you think?
Accessory Snapshot | The Pelican System Selector Pro
Switching Station | | |
If you are an old school gamer like myself, it goes without saying that there is a significant need for additional standard def television inputs due to the large library of systems requiring this type of A/V connection. Typically I'll play games across a variety of consoles - the last thing I want to do is mess around behind a TV switching out cords and the like. The Pelican System Selector Pro was/is my salvation. This device features an impressive 8 A/V (Composite / S-Video) and 3 Component inputs. Additionally, there are three Ethernet ports for sharing a broadband connection between systems that utilize this technology. One of the best features is the convenient front A/V ports (hidden by a concealed door) which allows quick access to plug in and play those 'occasional' systems in your collection. 
The performance is exceptional with both CRT and HD television sets. I have never experienced degradation of signal nor lag time regardless of the what system(s) I have hooked up. Newer models come with a remote, but in all honesty I think this is pretty useless. I greatly prefer the simple push-button method of selecting a system on my older model rather than trying to fuddle around looking for a remote. 
The Pelican System Selector Pro is not a small unit. Measuring in at a healthy 9.5" D x 17.0" W x 2.5" means that you will have to allow some space in your display. The design does meet industry standards, so this is a stackable unit with other components in your A/V rack. Contrary to what may be initially communicated by the feel of the rather light weight, hard plastic chassis, this switcher has been extremely durable over the nine years that I have had it. A customizable, lit name plate is located directly above each console/device that is connected to the Pelican System Selector Pro. Overall this is highly recommended for any gamer that has multiple systems they want to have connected to their TV. If you want to spend more time on gaming rather than jockeying cables, the Pelican System Selector Pro is for you. Pros | Significantly frees up those precious ports on your TV by providing 8 A/V connection for your gaming systems | Built-in mini 'router' is extremely convenient for those that do not have access to a wireless environment | | | Cons | Plastic construction feels a little fragile, but I have had no issue with it at all over the 9+ years that I have had it. | Externally powered by an included AC adaptor, so you will need to free up a spot on that surge protector for this unit |
| | | What Switcher Do You Utilize?
Share Your Thoughts & Suggestions with the RFG Community!! | Coming up next on the Accessory Snapshot:
The Logitech Cordless Action Controller |
Because of the Game Boy Player Land blog I get a lot of emails asking me for suggestions of obscure games to try. A few times I've been asked to list what I would consider a true Hidden Gem of the console, and inevitably the first title that pops into my mind is Bubble Ghost. The game is so extremely original. You control a ghost who lives in a mansion. His goal is to guide his only friend (a bubble) from one end of the mansion of another by blowing, through each room with its own set of obstacles.
  
The game is wonderfully paced. Each stage gets progressively harder as you're introduced to new obstacles and ways to get around them. For instance, early on you have to cross a candle. It seems no matter how you try to guide your bubble over it the flame is too hot and the bubble bursts. Once you figure out that you can simply blow out the flame of the candle, that particular obstacle becomes far easier to surpass. The game is full of fun challenges like this, which leads me to again mention that Bubble Ghost is an absolute must-have for all Game Boy enthusiasts. Seriously.
Thought that the Halloween month would be the perfect time to bring this topic up.
Gaming, like most entertainment media, is usually centered around conflict. Be it the two colors of Chess, mute crowbar wielding theoretical physicists against the oppressive Combine, or tetrominoes versus gravity, ours is a hobby always searching for good antagonists to toss against our Hiro Protagonist.
Now that our little Pongs and 2600s have grown up into PS3s and 360s and Grandpa has a Wii at the nursing home, the larger public conscious has honed in to the fact that us gamers have been shooting, stabbing, eviscerating, decapitating, exploding, maiming, impaling, jumping on, poking, and sticking our tongues out at a variety of things for decades. Our preference tends to go in waves; we've seen the loose Cold War allegories of space aliens, the patriotic duty to eradicate the Nazi regime, the ever present threat of technology turned bad in evil robots, the popular and topical terrorist scum, even the role reversal of revolutionary or anti-hero. With high-def digital representations of human faces to shoot/hit/punch/kiss replacing solid blocks of single color and a lot of imagination, our industry is now having to take greater care in literally choosing our targets for fighting.
EA's new Medal of Honor game recently came under fire for offering the ability to play as the Taliban against the U.S. military in the multiplayer element of the game, causing a name change to "Opposing Force." This is a pretty interesting development; while other games such as Counter Strike (released originally in 1995) allow you to specifically select 'terrorist' as the faction team to play on, in recent years our western mainstream media sensitivity has heightened so much that the U.S. military refused to sell the future Medal of Honor title at military bases. (As far as I could research, there was no such ban on Counter Strike or other similar games, past or current.)
Us gamers have mowed down countless men in uniform both online and off since before the days of Wolfenstein 3D, and while criticism of simulated violence is once again a hot political topic contested in court, the industry is always searching for the next perfect, generic, we-can-all-agree-to-kill-these-guys adversaries. Each classic set of virtual villainy has its baggage:
Space aliens can come in a wide variety of flavors, but often degenerate into cliched generic evil doers who have little connection to our reality and therefore become uninteresting. Or, they represent some human-themed agenda that reduces them to simply different people groups who are actually like us and we need to learn from (our generation can call this the 'Avatar Syndrome'. Our parents could have called it the 'Star Trek Dreck.')
The classic evil regime, such as rogue Russian militias, Nazis, terrorist factions, or demonic cults (or any combination!) can help with the overall 'obviously these are bad guys' mind frame, yet the recent push for realism in gaming demands that either this direction addresses our current world mentality in some fashion, or risks being dumbed down to nonsense or unattached silliness. The new Medal of Honor will likely fall somewhere in between these, as do the Call of Duty series.
With the ethical challenges opened by our rampant technology growth state, unfeeling robots and extermination-minded AIs are a ripe candidate for adversaries, even obvious given the very nature of our hobby. Yet while the meta-themes of humanity's own poor choices are often the real backbone of these narrative elements, the theme has waned in recent years because the very technology we would fear has become so comfortably entrenched into daily life. It becomes too much a stretch to wonder if our microwaves are really sentient machines planning world domination; more likely the burrito inside is the one with the sinister plot about to unfold.
Fantasy genres tend to give us good epic potential between worthwhile oppositions, but as with sci-fi, where there is an enormous potential for originality we are all too often given the same few characters, events, and battles repackaged with a different set of pointy ears, wings, or skin colors. The motivations behind our enemies are all too often either 'we didn't know you were actually doing this for the greater good' or 'wow, you're just an evil power-monger.'
I'm not griping about having to replay the same stories: we all know there's nothing new under, around, on top, or inside the Sun. Except Noby Noby Boy. But that becomes a particular challenge for game developers:
Who are we fighting, and why? Its a question most of us gamers have probably never really cared much about. Sure, we can get into a good story, maybe even invest in some of the characters, but more often than not the game simply has to point out that the other guy will shoot you if you don't shoot first. Most of the time we're fine with that. Some games are far more intriguing for making that mindless acceptance an introspective point to the game narrative (BioShock and the Metal Gear Series come to mind) but most games just except that gamers are more interested in the action in the conflict than the reasons for the conflict.
After all, it's just a game, right? Who cares?
Well, more and more people, in fact. Many of whom don't play games. It may have been fun to use good old Jack Thompson as a whipping boy, but now that his personal crusade has done about as much good for his cause as the actual Crusades, the vacuum created in his absence combined with the continuing mainstream acceptance of video games has brought our apathy of digital empathy to the limelight. Now gamers are being asked, as we blast away at the Locust Horde, slam sports cars off the road, and run over prostitutes in a stolen Hummer, what is the context behind our actions? And the common gamer answer of, "uh, I don't care, it's just a game!" is unlikely to hold up in the currently debated California bill that judges our industry's content as completely different than movies, music, and other media. An examination of the domino effect of that bill or the eleven other states that formally support it is way outside of the scope of this post, though I always welcome such discussions.
What piqued my thoughts on this actually stems from my gaming purchase last week. Without much thought about the related source material, I picked up Dead Rising 2 and Plants Vs. Zombies. It literally didn't cross my mind until I got home that I, a person who has absolutely no consistent enjoyment, fear, or real interest in zombies just bought two games in one day that featured said creatures as the antagonists.
You see, despite my absolute love of the Castlevania franchise and a few other 'horror' gaming staples, I've never really been a fan of werewolves, vampires, 'creatures of the night/darkness', or the undead. They just don't do anything for me; I have to overcome a certain mental apathy to them to enjoy the media containing them. Oh, there have been plenty of media featuring such things that I enjoy, but often that enjoyment is in spite of, or at least indifferent to them. The psychological underpinnings of a Silent Hill interest me far more than the camp-scare of a Fatal Frame, and I get much more out of the crisis survival piece of Left 4 Dead than the weird critters those survivors are pitted against. Which is why I'm beginning to theorize that zombies may be the perfect video game bad guy; if a person like me can have fun with pop culture's recent zombie fetish, it says a lot about their staying power.
And boy, is our pop culture going through a zombie phase. Resident Evil (films and games), 28 Days/Weeks Later, Zombieland, Romero's recent set, Planet Terror, Colin, Fido, Shaun of the Dead, World War Z, Monster Island/Nation/Planet, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising/2, Plants Vs Zombies, the list just goes on. We now have fast zombies, shambling zombies, biting zombies, mutating zombies, Nazi zombies, Hazmat zombies, zombonis, zombie meals with fries and a diet Coke. We're so obsessed with zombies we shoehorn them into completely different properties like Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption. We even put them into space and call them strange names like 'the Flood.'
They seem like the perfect enemies, don't they? No nationality to object to, no reason to sympathize, no moral issue with destroying what's already dead to begin with. That last attitude is a far more recent development; whereas the dead and things related to them were once treated with a great deal of dignity, respect, and cultural or religious sensitivity, our modern era has come to view corpses as biological shells and meat bags we medically treat to last for three quarters of a century or so. Upon release in 1968, Romero's Night of the Living Dead was unnerving and shocking, and still remembered today as a landmark horror film that pushed past taboo. Nowadays, we watch open heart surgery on daytime television that includes a thoughtful text blurb about content that 'some may find objectionable', and news affiliates paste up graphic crime and accident footage that 'may offend some viewers.' I wonder sometimes if the Roman Coliseum had the same warning billboards over the entrance, but I digress. :p
The cultural acceptance of the zombie concept is no more obvious than my recent purchases, Dead Rising 2 and Plants Vs. Zombies. Many gamers are somewhat familiar with these games: one of these allows the player to use everything from projectile weapons to lawnmowers to crush, burn, freeze, dismember, and decapitate a zombie horde. The other is Dead Rising 2. And while the latter is certainly far more gory, graphic, and easily offensive, Plants Vs. Zombies makes the onscreen action of similar events so goofy, sanitized, and endearing that it's hard to remember both games contain themes of cannibalism, heads popping off, limbs falling off, and eyeballs hanging loosely. It's just so darn cute.
The kicker? Plants Vs Zombies is rated E10. And I haven't heard anything about Congress putting publisher PopCap up on the stand to defend itself. (Not to imply I think they should.) If the cartoony presentation of Plants Vs Zombies were replaced with a different art style and the trademark humor replaced with a dour presentation, the game couldn't get by on that rating even if it remained relatively bloodless. Compare that with Dead Rising 2, whose M rating would be guaranteed just due to the violent content alone. Please don't think I'm picking on either of these excellent games, just pointing out that zombies are so ubiquitously accepted in our culture that these extremes exist in the first place. Parents flipped at the Atari 2600 VCS version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, yet now mommy giggles at the crunchy eating sounds (complete with screaming) coming from the house in PvZ.
So for now, it appears that zombies have earned their rightful place as our bad guys of choice, standing in line with Nazis, Russians, Space Aliens, and Congress. They can be ultra gory to satiate bloodlust or be cleaned up and painted in day-glo colors to hook housewives into spending countless hours on the family PC. We have our safe villain of the day, until the next wave crashes over and we forget why zombies were so big before, because obviously Corporations were our worst enemy all along.
Me? I'm just glad we're past vampires as the 'in' thing. Oh, hello new Castlevania...
I don't know what Capcom was thinking when they thought that gamers would want to suddenly have one of the biggest jerk in videogame history as their hero. But for some reason it totally works in Gargoyle's Quest. In this Ghosts 'N Goblins spin-off you control Firebrand. The game combines on over-world map RPG element with side-scrolling platforming levels. Luckily Firebrand can (kind of) fly and cling to walls. It's really quite awesome to see the amount of ability that his little 8-bit sprite is capable of.
  
As is to be expected from most Capcom Game Boy releases, there's an impressive level of attention paid to the graphics (both sprites and backgrounds) as well as the music. It's easy to see that Capcom tended to favor original games on the Game Boy because they actually believed in the possibilities of the hardware. Gargoyle's Quest is definitely worth checking out for Game Boy enthusiasts that are fans of platformers or a bit of the macabre.
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Accessory Snapshot | Energizer Power & Play Charging Station
For the Sony Playstation 3 | |
Keeping your controllers fully charged is obviously important in today's age of wireless gaming. Of equal importance is having an organized, spot-on display within my Room of Doom. The Energizer Power & Play Charging Station was just what the doctor ordered for this gamer. I have never been a big fan of the USB method utilized by Sony to charge standard issue controllers and certain peripherals. Though thoroughly effective, it is not the most convenient process known to man. The Energizer Power & Play Charging Station eases this process considerably.  This handy, compact device can simultaneously charge up to four (4) standard DualShock 3 or Sixaxis controllers in around 2.5 hours. Two are easily docked directly into the station while two additional USB ports provide access to charge other peripheral accessories (i.e. microphone). The station alerts you to the charging status or each via the not so subtle lighting display (red = charging; green = complete). The performance is outstanding - I have not experienced any decrease in game play time as compared to controllers charged through conventional means. This excellence is also reflected in its overall design.
The oval, classic black chassis of the Energizer Power & Play Charging Station is nicely accented with a mirrored-silver front nameplate. The lighting indicators are extremely vibrant but not to the point of being offensive. The end result is an extremely clean, modern look that will not only compliment your Playstation 3 system, but will enhance your general display. Overall the Energizer Power & Play Charging Station truly delivers on all accounts by providing exceptional functionality in a sleek, contemporary presentation. Pros | Reliably charges up to four (4) USB devices at once | Compact yet stylish design compliments any Room of Doom | Cleans up that mess of mini USB cables hanging off your PS3 like umbilical cords | | | Cons | Plastic construction feels a little fragile | The base could be a bit heavier to provide better stability when docking a controller | Externally powered by an included AC adaptor, so you will need to free up a spot on that surge protector for this unit |
| | | Coming up next on the Accessory Snapshot:
The Pelican System Selector Pro |
I know many of you assume that I'm only interested in Game Boy games, but the truth is I grew up on many different games from many different consoles. And yet I'm pretty sure I may be the only person out there who would say that A Nightmare On Elm Street is in my Top 10 NES games of all time. In fact, it's probably one of my favorite games of all time -- period! I say that because truthfully, I play it a lot. I mean a lot. I always have. It's just one of those sort of "comfort games" to me. I almost can't see what most people seem to think is so bad about it.
 
One thing we need to get out of the way is that the game was published by LJN. That (apparently) turns off most people. I've never been bothered by LJN. Certainly they've made some bad games, but at the same time they've made others that I've enjoyed immensely. Major League Baseball on the NES is still my favorite baseball game of all time. And although I don't love it as much as A Nightmare On Elm Street, I am also a big fan of the Friday The 13th game for NES as well.
 
So what is it that I like about A Nightmare On Elm Street so much? For starters: the music. The music is my favorite soundtrack of any NES game -- challenged only by Mega Man III. The score is a wonderful, moody piece that takes full use of the NES' sound capabilities and goes through various sections. It's somber, scary and awesome all at once. I could listen to the music all day long.
The game is also extremely original. There are two plains of existence in this game: the regular world and the dream world. This means each levels has two different ways of being experienced. You can choose when and if to wake up by finding coffee or loud music. Although the nightmare world is harder, it does allow you to experience it as one of the Dream Masters (ninja, athlete, wizard). It's this sort of open-ended choice of how to complete the game and as who that is extremely interesting for a "crappy LJN licensed title."
But above all that, the number one reason to love A Nightmare On Elm Street is the amazing 4-player co-op. This game rules with three friends. Growing up this was my party game. And everyone had a blast. Trust me. You need to give this one another shot.
This month the Game Boy Player Land blog will be heavily focusing on the macabre. As a huge horror movie fan, I've always had a soft spot for horror-themed games. And though I've wanted to write about them in spurts all month, I thought it would make for a really fun October if I just saved all the posts up for this 1st annual Spooktacular. All month long I'll be bombarding the blog with posts relating to ghosts, goblins, witches and the like. This month on the Game Boy Player Land blog, everyday is Halloween.
Continue reading Unloved #18: Fire N Ice
Last July, I went to Brazil to discover the country, meet friends, and have a great time. It gave me a great opportunity to learn about a different culture, different people, etc. But, as a video game collector, I HAD to check what's special about the Brazilian market. I first searched online and I found out that the main video game company in Brazil is Tec Toy.
Continue reading What Brazil has that you don't and probably never will
Recently the really great blog http://isitaboutmygamecube.blogspot.com put a post about the GameCube Shmup library. Fellow blogger lisalover did a great job outlining them, though what's odd is that even though he likes all five he seems to rank them completely different than I do. So as much as I encourage you to visit his blog and check out his thoughts, I'd also like to offer you some alternate thoughts on all five of these gems. Now it should be noted that although there are other Shooter games for the Cube, the library is really rather small if you're a fan of classic 2D Shmups like myself. However, I honestly think all five of these games is absolutely must-own if you are a fan of the genre. And of course I can't picture playing any of them without an arcade stick myself.
Now on to the games...
 
Chaos Field tends to be one of those games that you either love or hate. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of in-between for some reason. Personally, I love the game. It has a fantastic techno soundtrack and features beautiful graphics that truly showcase the colorful bullet-hell patterns of the game. If you've never played Chaos Field then what you need to know about what makes the game so unique is that there are no levels to shoot your way through. Instead, Chaos Field is just a series of boss battles. Generally speaking this is what most non-fan gamers tend to hate about the game. But to me, this is what makes it so special. Shmups as a genre tend to be very zen-like in a strange way. Although they are often constantly high-tension games, the ability to control the situation by understanding bullet patterns is almost relaxing. In fact, fellow RFGen blogger Crabmaster2000 once wrote that Chaos Field was like Shadow Of The Colossus in space. With that in mind, I'm not sure any Shmup fan could not adore this one.
 
What can I possibly say about Ikaruga that hasn't already been said a million times? Not much really. Of course everyone knows the gimmick about the white-vs-black polarities. Generally this is one of those games that everyone knows is a great game (regardless of the inevitable backlash that's starting to present itself). In fact most gamers will consider this one an essential title in any GameCube collection regardless of genre. So having admitted that I can't shed any new light on the game, I will surely just say that I do Ikaruga. I can't picture owning a Cube without this game myself. I still play it often, still find myself astounding by the graphics, and still think it's just as challenging as ever.
 
Radirgy GeneriC has a huge cult following, as well as a bit of an interesting story. It was originally released in Japan and was actually brought over to the US as Radio Allergy toward the very end of the GameCube's lifespan. In fact, the game could have possibly been the last officially released GameCube game as the Wii was already in full swing. The US packaging was even set to have a "compatible with Wii" logo on the cover as a matter of fact. In spite of glowing reviews from gaming publications, the game ultimately never materialized in the US market. Indeed, I can't help but wonder how many promotional copies are out there, as obviously the reviewers had to have something to review. I also wonder if any copies were ever pressed. Certainly Milestone could have distributed them directly through their website. But perhaps they ended up in a landfill which has since been paved over. Oh well.
Radirgy is a great game, and it's certainly understandable why it would have such a dedicated following. It's definitely unique in its presentation with its cell-shaded appearance. As great as it is, I still don't rank it quite as good as Chaos Field, Ikaruga or Shikigami No Shiro II (I'll get to that one in a second). But that just comes down to personal taste. I just don't really enjoy the cell-shaded graphics as much for Shmup. I will say that the soundtrack is great, and I guess I should mention that if you don't want to spend the high premium for the GameCube import, the game was actually re-released (along with Chaos Field on the Wii's Ultimate Shooting Collection.
 
Shikigami No Shiro II is by far my favorite GameCube Shmup. In fact, it's probably one of my favorite Shmups ever. The soundtrack is incredible, the graphics are stunning, and the variety is astounding. Indeed there are seven characters to choose from, each of which has their own shooting style and special weapons. What makes the game standout is that instead of spaceships, you control little flying people. The level of the detail put into these characters is insane. I personally use Fumiko the witch, and you can even see how her robe flows through the wind. I could go on and on about what a fantastic game this is, but ultimately I feel like you just won't get it unless you try it. There's certainly a small but dedicated following to the series. I myself plan to pick up the third installment that was recently released on the Wii myself based solely on the merits of this one.
 
The GameCube version of the classic Star Soldier is actually an enhanced remake that was part of a series that Hudson released. Graphically, it's incredible. It certainly blows the original away, while retaining the classic gameplay style. But perhaps that's to its detriment. While I do think this is a game worth playing, it's also a lot less deep than some of the other Shmups I've mentioned above. However, the intention of these 2.5D Hudson remakes was that they were budget titles. At least in Japan they were. So while 3,000 yen was a small price to pay for what was essentially a prettier version of a simple Shooter, it's a bit pricier for the rest of us to import the game. Having said all that, the game is still certainly worth playing through and very enjoyable if you can track it down at a reasonable price.
Of course these are all just my personal opinions. As I mentioned earlier, lisalover had a completely different take on most of these. So what are all your thoughts on these titles? Oh! And one last thing -- if anybody wants to trade or sell me the Fumiko figurine at a reasonable price, please let me know!
I've really enjoyed Halo Reach lately. Going through the campaign with friends is a lot of fun. Even better, the co-op Firefight mode is a perfect blend of do-or-die, cover-me-I'm-going-in tension, with our LAN crew covering each-others backs. Each of us tends to pick a specialty, like sniping, defending, or vehicles, and we enjoy combining our practiced strategies against the survival situations the AI aggressors constantly dish out. There is a great thrill that comes from a few friends teaming up to tackle such a challenge, especially when said challenge can be customized and tweaked to almost any preference.
I have yet to touch the traditional competitive multiplayer, the feature suite that many (if not most) in the gaming community consider the main, if only 'real,' reason to buy a Halo game. And I may not.
This can appear befuddling if you know my history. I was one of the original Halo CE LAN enthusiasts. A four television, 16 player Halo game party was a staple at my home for three summers straight. I could snipe, drop an opponent with an AR from mid-range in one clip, and splatter an entire opposing team if I got my hands on a Ghost. The skill level in our group of a dozen and a half friends ranged from 'Help! I can't stop staring at the wall!' to 'Look, I killed him from across the map by shooting the pistol at his toe.' We developed balanced teams, and had the gaming time of our lives.
Then Xbox Live happened. Now, I'm not knocking Live, and previous blog entries have gone into detail about what it brought to the industry, warts and all. But Live very nearly ruined Halo multiplayer for me.
Oh, I hung on for a few weeks in Halo 2. My victories, once placing me within the top four or five, slowly slipped into the mid range of the team, then lower. I wondered if I simply was not as good at the game as I thought, and that perhaps was part of it. But after awhile, and chatting with the 'l33ts' that pwned me, I realized a bit of the reason for the discrepancy:
Playing for a few hours (at most) a week simply would not allow me to compete with those who could play for twenty hours or more, weekly, sometimes in one sitting. Some of my LAN friends admitted to putting even more time into it. Before, we really only played when we could play together. Without the limitation of approximately equal game-time, the balance was forever shifting, and I would not, could not, catch up.
And would I want to? I mean, even if my Beloved, my kids, my household responsibilities, and my other social outlets somehow allowed me to have a full day's worth of game time a week, and I used it all to play games, would I want to play one game all the time? I have a backlog that hovers around a few hundred deep. I want to experience them, have fun with them, play them. Sure, I want to play Halo. And Alan Wake. And Demon Souls. And Super Mario Galaxy 2. And Contra III, Castlevania Bloodlines, Space Dungeon, Return Fire, Shining Force III, Raiden IV, Rondo of Blood, Tempest 2000, and Jenga. No, not video game Jenga. Real Jenga.
My point? I like to play a game, have fun, and move on when I want. Right now I love Firefight, in part because I know I can tweak the difficulty to an appropriate challenge with my friends, we can play out that beautiful survival tension, and be done. It's addictive, and I don't have to spend a part-time job's worth of hours just to maintain my ability to compete. The new 'Horde Mode' game-type, recently popularized (though not invented) by Gears of War 2, feels like it was catering to me. And with Left for Dead, Left for Dead 2, Borderlands, Lost Planet 2, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Castle Crashers, ODST, and now Reach, our LAN party is once again just as fun for those of us who only get a few hours of real game time a week. Some of us may miss a headshot, forget to reload, or accidentally drop a grenade at the foot of a teammate. But we're all having so much fun, it doesn't matter. And as a bonus, we don't have to reach for the mute control to avoid ridiculous language, singing, or random noises from online players.
I'm all for online gaming, and of course not everyone can set up a home LAN. But if you and a few friends have a way to make it happen, you may discover my favorite way to play modern gaming.
And still have time left over to play Tetris. Hey, I love me some Tetris.
Well, this one is much longer than the first episode, we cover some recent and some retro, and the audio, well, it's clear! Thanks to den68 for the iTunes logo! Here's the breakdown:
Introduction
Topic List
Our Gaming Past
What's New On RF Generation?
Anniversary Spectacular
Brand Old Game - Gate of Thunder
Top 5
Outro
Catch it here: http://rfgeneration.podomatic.com or subscribe to us on iTunes!
As always, we're happy to hear from you guys about topics, questions, comments, suggestions, etc. either here in the blog comments or in the RF Generation Podcast thread found here: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=10730.0
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