A Return to the Era of Incline - Old Games Revisited

Nah, it's still fun.
 
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I didn't mind the long "trekkings" at the start of fights, my pet peeve with this game is more with how painfull it is to level up healers.
They really didn't think that through…

Good thread BTW.
I'm trying to write a mini review of Immortal (Megadrive/Genesis) for it.
 
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I didn't mind the long "trekkings" at the start of fights, my pet peeve with this game is more with how painfull it is to level up healers.
They really didn't think that through…

Good thread BTW.
I'm trying to write a mini review of Immortal (Megadrive/Genesis) for it.

Yeah, it's all those little things which stacked up for me & made it hard work. I'll be playing SF2 again soon, but I seem to remember that being more balanced with healers due to skills like Boost.

And thanks mate, great choice of game to review! Look forward to reading it.
 
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Loving this thread - thanks @Falksi;! I'll aim to contribute at some point. :)

I've still never played the Buck Rogers gold box games, it's been on my to do list forever. Guess I'll go with the PC version when I do!
 
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Loving this thread - thanks @Falksi;! I'll aim to contribute at some point. :)

I've still never played the Buck Rogers gold box games, it's been on my to do list forever. Guess I'll go with the PC version when I do!

No probs and thanks mate. Looking forward to your contributions :)
 
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Actraiser - SNES

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Well we started the thread with it's toss sequel, so let's head back to this bad boy and see if it's as glorious as I remember.

Yes, fuck YES. Jesus Christ this was when gaming was good, what an absolute masterpiece of gaming design. Where to start? Everything about the game is just fucking brilliant. A superb blend of action & RPG elements fuse together wonderfully to make a lush experience.

Don't get me wrong, it's simple. Both the platforming & creation sections are very consoley/arcadey, and the RPG elements are smatterings at best. But it just works SO well that it doesn't require any extra depth. The platforming sections are way more challenging than the creation ones, but it's all balanced & paced great to work well together, and moves at this sweet fast-but-considered speed.

The music, ye gads that fucking booming music. It's sex wee straight in the ears. The graphics, just rich, lush environments full of variety & splendor. The level design is awesome, learning as you go but never so unfair that you can't stop & try & guess what's coming. There's even the odd section where you can choose to travel a different route, and plenty of secrets.

The boss fights are full of character & individuality, the challenge needs you to be precise in execution of your moves and the gameplay is weighted in such a way to allow that but also punish you if you fail (not quite Dark Souls, but hints of that philosophy). In fact the whole package is a mastercrafted bit of gaming history.

This is the type of game which you enjoy playing so much it makes you hold a shit in for hours until you simply cannot hold it in any longer.

5/5
 
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Burning Force - Megadrive

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After the wonderful Actraiser playthrough, I decided to go for something I'd not played before. So here we have Burning Force, a clear Space Harrier rip off that I had heard of in the day, but never got around to playing as I was a bit of a Space Harrier fanboy, and this looked a bit shit anyway.

Well, looks can be deceiving, but in this case, they weren't. Burning Force is indeed shit. Now it's not woeful or unplayable by any means, it does a fair few things right, notably giving you some variety by switching between a grounded, speed controlled bike and a spaceship which allows you to fly.

But the problems start with the fact that, like Space Harrier, everything's just a bit too samey. Yeah the enemies all look at bit different, but nothing really forces you to change your approach. Which is odd, because theoretically it should. However the main problem is that it's just a bit of a mess. The enemies are choppy and seem to jump all over the screen, you're lucky if you see enemy bullets half the time, and yet it still remains easy & un-engaging.

It's like a someone's taken Space Harrier, had 10pints of ale, & then traced over it whilst trying to have a wank with the other hand. Poor.

2/5
 
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Street Fighter 2 Turbo - SNES

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Now if ever a game influenced my life as a whole, this was the one. It's impact on my social circles as a kid was umongi. Aged 12 it became THE game to play, and me & my mates would all pile down to the Cashade in Mansfield to await our turn against the 16-18 year old "king gamers" who you couldn't get off the fucking thing. It was mint, not only were you fighting them on screen, but very often that spilled over into real life with regular dead arms & elbows being dished out as you played. Half the fun was winding the fuck out of the older kids when you managed to get topside of them. Our entire social routine changed because of this game.

Anyway, when this bad boy came to the SNES it was game on. The bigger lads at the arcade always hogged the machine as much as possible, but now us kids who usually couldn't get on it as much could practice our asses off at home to kick their's in the arcade. And we did. The second this came out on import I begged, borrowed & stole to raise the £68 needed to purchase it on release day. When it arrived I faked being sick so I could have the week off school, and sharpen my skills big time. Into that week went a boy, from it emerged a Street Fighting master ready to conquer the world. OK, so maybe not, but I did dish out some good beatings amongst the locals. A year later & beer + fanny had arrived, so we departed as kings of the cashade to indulge our new passions, leaving behind us a trial of defeated & humiliated opponents. Perfect!

Going back to it now it's still good. It's great to play a Street Fighter game without the bullshit gimmicky power bar, and with the more weighty, deliberate feel. Fights are way more tit for tat than on some of the modern games, and they feel way more volatile too. Kicks & punches really connect and feel crunchy, and that core gameplay which so many sequels have been built upon still holds strong today.

However, it does feel a bit basic & slow compared to some of the more modern versions too. Back then I remember thinking how many different moves & options I had. Now it feels as if I employ the same 3 or 4 tactics in most fights. The controls are also a tad too unforgiving at times with the special moves. Not by much, but timing does have to be spot on.

To say this is so old it's aged incredibly well, and wouldn't feel out of place if modern day arcades still existed, as it still has those core explosive & exciting elements which make that arcade experience. Sadly though, it has definitely been bettered since and, even though you can enjoy playing it, you can't help getting the urge to play a more modern incarnation at some points too.

Still a great game, just finally starting to date though.

:4/5:
 
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Alcahest - SNES

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On initially playing I thought this was gonna be brilliant. It's so easy to pick up, and combat feels very satisfy. There's companions straight from the off, good graphics, and it's tightly woven.

But within an hour or so it soon becomes chore-like. The main problem being that enemies respawn constantly, and so when you're exploring it starts to feel as if it's taking you ages to just do basics like look around a room. Some enemies can take 7 or 8 hits to kill, then within a few steps they re-appear. It REALLY drags things down.

The dungeons are fairly repetitive too, all very basic in terms of visuals & content. You pickup items to progress, but you don't actually "use" them, they just stay in your inventory and just change a condition.

So I wouldn't really bother with it tbh. You might want to try it to see if you can bare with it's flaws, but I couldn't and it soon got binned off.

:2/5:
 
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Another World - Amiga

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Ah, a 90's look into the future.

Cinematic games are a weird breed aren't they? Another World is probably one of the better ones out there but, no matter how many I play, I just can't shake that feeling of the game playing itself.

Sure you action the actions, and to be fair to Another World there is a certain room for variance in there too. But the railroaded trial & error nature of the game soon becomes tiresome, and even though the nostalgic aesthetics are charming, I got fed up around 2/3rds of the way through and left it to gather dust.

Worth checking out if you like that type of game & have fond memories of it, it's a cinematic game done well, but not for me.

:3/5:
 
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I haven't played Another World since it first came out, and I can totally believe that the gameplay has dated. I remember some hard jumps with instant deaths attached, awkward controls, and some irritating challenges caused by moving between screens that wouldn't have been a problem with scrolling.

Having said that, I have extremely find memories of it. I played it over and over again when it came out, and eventually manaaged to complete it (something of a rarity in those days). There were lots of interesting ideas in it and character designs and the animation was really impressive back then. In particular, the monster who helps you was brilliant - I grew very attached to him, despite the fact that (as far as I remember) he didn't even really have much of a face and there was no dialogue. The interactions were you help each other out were beautifully done though and they managed to give him a personality somehow with very little.
 
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I haven't played Another World since it first came out, and I can totally believe that the gameplay has dated. I remember some hard jumps with instant deaths attached, awkward controls, and some irritating challenges caused by moving between screens that wouldn't have been a problem with scrolling.

Having said that, I have extremely find memories of it. I played it over and over again when it came out, and eventually manaaged to complete it (something of a rarity in those days). There were lots of interesting ideas in it and character designs and the animation was really impressive back then. In particular, the monster who helps you was brilliant - I grew very attached to him, despite the fact that (as far as I remember) he didn't even really have much of a face and there was no dialogue. The interactions were you help each other out were beautifully done though and they managed to give him a personality somehow with very little.

I'd say it's definitely worth a play still, I just found it's age to really show. The cool alien who accompanies still feels like a top bro and, even though I didn't finish it this time, I did do years back and won't ever forget that ending.
 
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I never finished Another World (or "Out of This World" as it was known to us North Americans), but I also have fond memories of it. I found it captivating. It was very clever how it encouraged experimentation within its simple framework. Simple moments like realizing that I needed to rock the cage back and forth to break it and escape are formative moments in my game playing life. Dated or not, most games don't have design that elegant. It's because of games like this and the original Alone in the Dark that make me associate French developers with action adventures to this day.

(Speaking of which, when the heck is Beyond Good and Evil 2 coming out?)
 
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Alien 3 - SNES

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In an era full of high octane arcade thrills & spills, and deep, substance-full cRPGs, we get Alien 3 - a game WAY ahead of it's time in that it has neither the excitement of the popamole games, nor the depth of the old era either.

See it plays steady enough, and the 8 way directional shooting is cool, but the actual game itself is as dull as shagging an unsalted bag of chips. Most of the time is spent walking, the aliens are more of an annoyance than a threat, and even then it's usually easier just to jump over them than shoot them (esp as it's a game with respawns & ammo). By the time you've done a handful of missions you've done them all, and once the novelty of the Alien vibe has worn off there's little else to enjoy.

Not an unplayable game by any means, but it grows tedious quickly, and is soon forgotten.

:2/5:



Alien 3 - Megadrive

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After playing the SNES version I had an Alien itch to scratch, so jumped back to the Megadrive and played that one.

Meh. S'Ok. Better than the SNES one for sure. Get's a real nice balance of tension going between the timer, the ammo, the alien placements & level layouts. Killing the aliens feel very satisfying, pulse rifle in particular, they have that spot on. Way more colourful & interesting vibe than the Snes one too.

Where it slips up is having the aliens often charge at you from out the screen, so - depending on where you are placed - they're often unavoidable. Again, depending on where you're placed, it can also be quite awkward to shoot them too.

Success more or less boils down to trial & error, & memorizing where everything is. No bad thing in itself, but it rarely deviates from that, and soon gets a bit tedious. Similarly to the SNES version, level after level of the same rigmarole doesn't help matters either.

Still, worth a go, especially for those into the franchize. Many a worse game Alien out there.

:3/5:
 
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Streets Of Rage - Megadrive

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Well this series certainly needs no introduction. I remember it being touted as the challenger to Final Fight's crown, and which reigned supreme was one of the burning questions of the day. With the recent release of Streets of Rage 4 I thought it'd be a good time to return to it.

Well returning now I still thoroughly enjoyed it. What it lacks in Final Fight's weight & meatyness it more than makes up for with it's slick, stlyish, fast paced gameplay and deliberate combat instead. You've a real nice feel to the movement, and you face intelligent & aggressive enemies which don't mess about and which go in for the kill from the off. By stage 4 gangs of 6 enemies upwards regularly attack you, and rarely do they hang off screen in a boxing ring style jab-off like in some beat 'em ups, they're always at it ready to snipe at you, so it keeps it frenetic and exciting.

The player's actions also really count, with skill & timing in certain situations the difference between seeing a full health bar depleted, and you wiping out a group of several baddies instead. You can proper have some mint Bruce Lee Kung Fu fighting moments where 5 enemies rush you, yet expert timing sees you twat each one off with split second moves. It's very rewarding.

And then there's that soundtrack. The whole series is praised for it's cracking tunes, but this one is my personal fave of the 3, with each tune capturing the vibe of it's respective stage very well too. Graphics aren't quite as impressive as the sound though, mainly due to the size of the sprites, but they're still good and the backdrops are really cool.

The only real criticisms are that firstly it's all played at that one, intense pace. It's fucking great, but come stage 7 I did find myself in need of a breather & change from it. Would have been nice to have had a bonus round or a well done vehicle stage or two in there somewhere. Secondly, there's very, very little new to see on a replay. Once you've finished it you'll feel a bit burned out by it, and there's no need to return any time soon. Still, that's the nature of these games, and it shouldn't really be about the number of hours you get out of it & replays, but the level of excitement & fun you get out the short, sharp blasts on them.

SOR's quality still shines through today. You'll feel a bit sick and too full to eat another portion for a while once you've finish it, but actually devouring it is a blast. People may talk about the sequel as superior, but that doesn't mean that this game should be ignored.

:5/5:
 
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Oh man, have you played Street of Rage Remake? It was made by spaniard fans in 2006 and it IS THE BEST.
Waaaaay better than that SoR4 that just been released.

here a link to the free download page:
https://www.myabandonware.com/game/streets-of-rage-remake-cma
Seriously, it's awesome.

Thanks mate. Totally agree, I downloaded it around a year or so back now, and think it's pretty damn groovy.

I've yet to play SoR4, but I really don't like the look of the new graphics, nor the new characters either. I'll defo play it at some point but, from what I've seen & heard about it, it looks as if the devs don't "get" the SoR franchize tbh.
 
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Yeah, SoR4 feels opportunistic.
Trendy "indy" retro pixel art game published by a big name? Gimme a break!
 
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Batman Returns - SNES

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Interesting little game this. One I remember liking, but strangely enough I don't remember that much about it, nor actually playing that much either.

Turns out there's a reason why. It's one of those games which gets the simplicity & playability spot on, but once you've seen it all, you've seen it all. And that point hits around halfway through the game. There's enough to carry you through until the end, but it does feel like one of those games which blows it's load then you need to sleep it off.

It's strengths lie in the faithfulness to the movie & enemy variety. There's lots of quotes, scenes, and characters featured in the movie incorporated here, and each bad guy attacks (and can often be disposed of) in ways more unique than you'll find in most beat 'em ups. The action switches from traditional BEU 8-way affair, to a slightly Castlevania-esq side scrolling section with platform elements. And it works well. There's even 1 level where you drive the Batmobile. It's pretty shit, but it's something different at least. Sadly, it's boss fights are a bit lacking and that repetition soon sets in once you have the enemy attack patterns down.

It's definitely worth a go, and if someone were to say to me "I think it's ace!" I can see plenty to like and why they might think that. But I won't be returning to it any time soon.

3/5
 
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