Kuon is sort of a notorious game for gamers and collectors. Known as one of the rarest and most valuable games on the PS2, finding a copy of the game for a reasonable price is easier said than done. I was lucky enough to snag a copy a few years ago for a great price, but for most people, owning a copy of this elusive title means shelling out big bucks. As I'm sure we have all experienced, a game's value on the secondary market usually isn't a reflection of how good that game actually is, and Kuon is really no exception. In fact, prior to actually playing the game, I had heard from a few sources that Kuon was not a good game at all, as opinions typically ranged from mixed to negative. After hearing so much negative criticism about the game, I finally decided to play it for myself, and I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Since the beginning of role playing games, many details have been taken into account by everyone from the top tier game designers down to the dungeon or game master building their first campaign. However, few details are thought about as much as the design of the world the players inhabit. For most gamers, it is nothing more than passing scenery made to make you stop and enjoy the beauty before you move two steps forward and completely forget about it.
In modern video gaming, there are a few different kinds of world designs at play. Most Japanese developed RPGs, from the beginning to this day, are the world spanning epics. No stone is left unturned on these worlds as many are developed without the idea of direct sequels in mind. The juggernauts of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest almost always take place in a completely new world with linearity in mind. Dragon Quest I and II are notable exceptions to this, where the world of the first game is revealed to be just one small part of the full world that is revealed to the player in Dragon Quest II. This is the idea that Suikoden takes, as it will likely never will reveal the full world in one game.
We all have that one friend who likes to talk about hypothetical situations while the gang is hanging around, and inevitably they bring up the "What 5 things do you take with you if you were gonna be stranded on a deserted island?". My group, being generally nerdier than most but probably similar to yours if you are reading this, decided to discuss the 5 video games you'd bring if you were stuck and, with it being an interesting thought experiment, I thought I'd share my answers with you.
So I was playing a digital download game recently, and it froze up on me. I couldn't close out of game normally so I had to a hard shutdown. I had to do it a couple more times, and now my ps3 freezes shortly after it starts fixing issues due to the abrupt shutdowns. Will replacing the hard drive fix the problem, or is it a bigger problem? Or should I just buy a new ps3? I can't afford a ps4 right now.
I've been a casual fan of the modern variations of the LEGO games since the first LEGO Star Wars game. I love playing them with my wife and the easy, low-stakes gameplay makes for a balanced experience for players of differing skill levels. Last year I played LEGO Batman 2 on the Nintendo DS and I thought it was a fine hand-held counterpart to the console version of the game. I knew then that LEGO games on hand-helds had the potential to be great, and was looking forward to trying another one in the future. I recently played through another LEGO title on a more advanced piece of hardware. How did it stack up?
Oh Summer, you fickle maiden, how our relationship has changed. Once upon a time, we cavorted through the woods and meadows, looking for empty cans and bottles so we could thumb a few extra quarters into the Contra machine, or maybe rent an NES game again (for $3 a day). Now, I either pray for rain (figuratively speaking) so I can do work inside the house, or fix/trim/dig/clean things outside my house, while trying to keep one eye on my kids. Still, this is a big time of year for nostalgia, so I might as well pick up a summer-themed game. What do you all think? No? Really? Uh, okay. How about we meet halfway in between, then?
Continuing the grand tradition of pointing out nifty games that can fall under the radar, here's an update of some great and/or lesser-known games I've been playing while my Beloved and our oldest are outside causing traffic to swerve with Pokemon Go.
Quest for Glory is a hybrid adventure-RPG series from Sierra. In the first entry in the series, you find yourself in the Valley of Spielburg. The land has been cursed by an Ogress, the Baron's children are missing, and a band of Brigands terrorize the town. Can you solve all of these problems and become a hero?
[img width=320 height=318]https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KRjQ_J6QrBI/WK-pCOqBpCI/AAAAAAAAArI/5iKt_QJ-HQk1sh4Pkf7QLcxd_AnYYr4-gCLcB/s320/Jordan%2Bvs%2BBird%2BOne%2BOn%2BOne%2Bbox.jpg[/img] Box art scan shamelessly stolen from GameFAQS. Larry and Michael better watch out, lest they fall into the red abyss below!
I've mentioned before in other reviews, but I'm not really a sports fan. I don't hate sports, but I'm just not invested in them. I fancied myself more of a sports nut when I was a kid, and even had a few favorite athletes, including one basketball legend, Larry Bird. I suspect it was because he was a less than movie star looks average dude who just brought skill to the table, and I'm sure my dad had a bit of influence in terms of probably commenting to me here or there that he was a talented player. I never geeked out about stats or anything, just enjoyed the game as it was being played. My fascination with basketball was relatively short-lived, unlike my enjoyment of baseball, and my still-burning love of college football (Go Huskers!).
Let's face it. Fighting Games are becoming geared more and more towards people who play online, and to me, that's a problem. Don't get me wrong, if I'm playing with friends online, that's one thing, and not a bad thing at that, but when I'm forced to go up against random people who are likely cheating or do nothing else with they're time, it's just not fun anymore. So how do we remedy this? We go back to a time before things like Xbox Live or PSN existed (or when they were just coming into play).
Today, I'm here to talk about Fighting games with proper offline modes, or more specifically, Fighting games with a proper Arcade Mode. A proper Arcade Mode is defined by me as such:
-A mode where you battle CPU Opponents in succession, one after the other. -Individual character endings. -Difficulty selection.
That said, games like Street Fighter V and, sadly, Killer Instinct (2013) must be left out. While Killer Instinct's 1st Season does indeed have a proper Arcade Mode, it does not apply to every character in the roster, and therefore, I must leave it out. Don't get me wrong though, I still love the game. Let's begin!
Street Fighter II' - Champion Edition [img width=632 height=550]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/J-039/bf/J-039-S-01070-A.jpg[/img]
I'll be honest. I have very mixed feelings on Street Fighter II. As it's many re-releases came about, it got harder, and it took every fiber of my being to beat the Hyper Version on MAME, and when I finally did it (using M. Bison, who is all I'm good with), the game basically presented me with a "Game Over" Screen, not even allowing me to enter my initials, all because I used him. That made me mad, so to say. The salt was real. That's where the Champion Edition on PC-Engine comes into play. Not only can I beat it without getting mad, but the Character Ending for M. Bison isn't just the game saying "Great job, you beat it with M. Bison, so you still lose". If your gonna play Street Fighter II, and you don't want to lose your temper, this version is the way to go.
This is another one I have mixed feelings on. I have always loved SNK and they're Fighting games, but this one is a bit different. Rather than being developed by Capcom, SNK made this one, and it shows. That's not a bad thing, but it does have a problem. While it does qualify as having a proper Arcade Mode according to what I said above, you only get a Character Ending if you beat one of the two secret final bosses, both of which are extremely difficult, and both of which you can't continue against if you lose. While I can beat one of them, SNK's Athena, I have never managed to defeat the other one, Capcom's Red Arremer, who I still consider to this day to be the hardest boss I have ever fought in a Fighting game. Complaints aside, I still like this game, even if some of the opponents are a bit too broken.
The King of Fighters 2006 [img width=521 height=732]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-072/bf/U-072-S-12490-A.jpg[/img]
The King of Fighters 2006 isn't the most beloved game in the series, and I fail to see why exactly. It's one of my favorite Fighting games, and I can't get enough of it. It's just plain fun! It's 3D, has English Voice acting, and the move inputs are still the same. Besides that, it carries on the traditional SNK Challenge, and that prevents it from being dull. It's worth it if you like Fighting games, but I'm unsure on how hard it may or may not be to find these days, as I haven't seen a copy in a long time.
These days, it seems like the best place to find Fighting games as I've described them is on Steam, which still feels a bit odd to me, but hey, a fight is a fight, and I'll keep fighting until my reflexes can't keep up anymore. FIGHT ON!
From 1988 to 1993 the S.S.T. band or Sega Sound Team was Sega's in house band that performed rock versions of Sega's arcade hits for compilation albums or Japanese festivals. Join us as we take a look at at the S.S.T. band and their legacy.
We've all had that moment. You're reviewing your collection, maybe cross-referencing your database with the games you just pulled from deep storage. Maybe you're taking inventory of games, you're packing up to store in the attic, or maybe you're looking for one game in particular you have an urge to play for the first time in years. All of a sudden, you discover that a game your collection list (and your own memory) says you own isn't where it's supposed to be. Perhaps it's the one you've been wanting to play, or maybe it's the one that should be sitting right next to the one you're looking for, but isn't. To any serious collector, this is a heart-stopping moment of confusion, panic, possibly even rage.
Is there any better feeling for a collector than adding a new item to your collection? How about simultaneously adding a new item while helping a friend also get something they crave? Lately, I've seen the phrase "Trade is King" used quite often in game collecting groups. I really can't argue with it. Other than perhaps scoring a crazy good deal at a garage sale this is my favorite way to get new games these days. And honestly, it's a lot more likely to happen than a thrift store pick up nowadays.
Most everyone knows by now that I am a huge fan of the Resident Evil series, beginning with the first game some 20 years ago. Once the flagship franchise of the survival-horror genre, the series has seen some massive shifts in direction over the last several years, much to the chagrin of longtime fans. Although I have played and enjoyed every main entry in the series, even the oft-derided fifth and sixth entries, I agreed with the consensus that said Capcom should bring Resident Evil back to its horror roots instead of continuing with its newfound action-oriented direction. So with the surprise announcement of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard at E3 2016, a new game in the series that promised to emphasize survival horror over blistering action, I must have been stoked out of my mind, right?
We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy our entries, rantings, and completely unrelated series of thoughts. We write for you to read, so we certainly hope that you enjoy our material.
