First Play, Want, Bin of July
The Rev
Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be writing
today. Anyway...
PLAY
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii) - See villagers. Point at villagers. Shoot
villagers. Kick villagers. Slash villagers. Get surrounded and run away from
villagers. Most games wouldn't be worth buying again just because of pointer
control, but this is RE4. Is already dated in visual terms, Leon really
controls quite poorly when running around, but it's still one of the best
games ever.
Flatout Ultimate Carnage (360) - Well, Blockbuster gave me lots of store
credit for some old games so I picked up a few new games, including this. I
didn't like the first one, ignored the second, but this one has been getting
lots of good feedback online. With good reason, it seems. The handling is
massively improved and the framerate, though very inconsistent, is much,
much better. The first game had sim leanings that I don't think worked too
well; this is an out and out arcade racer and really, really good. Gets hard
very quickly, but it's fun enough for that not to be an issue.
Tony Hawk's Project 8 (360) - Thought I might trade this in, but thought I
should play it first. Hated it at first - and I mean hated it - because I
couldn't do the tutorial. But after giving up on that I started off career
mode and I'm having fun. Not finding it easy to progress, because I am
really fucking rubbish, but I'm improving bit by bit and I'm enjoying it.
Went back and tried the tutorial after playing for a few hours and still
couldn't do it. Boo. Anyway, not binned.
Sega Presents Touch Darts (DS) - It's very good, but it wears thin after a
while. About half an hour at a time is my limit, before throwing darts
starts to get very, very boring. Doesn't help that it's so incredibly easy
right now. I'm not very good, but the computer players are just awful right
now. Must unlock the higher difficulties.
Carcassonne (360) - Played it enough to buy it, haven't touched it since.
Really should, but there are so many other games.
WANT
G1 Jockey (Wii) - Might have got this on Saturday, but they didn't have it.
GTA IV (360) - I've decided on the 360 version. Yes.
Super Stardust HD (PS3) - Will probably buy it at some point, but have got
enough other games to play now. Got Flatout, Harry Potter, Overlord, DiRT,
The Darkness and Call of Juarez on Saturday. No idea when I'll ever play
them. Six new games, five 360, one Wii, none PS3. Interesting.
BIN
Lots of old games. And some fairly new ones, like Sonic Wii and Koronipia,
or whatever it's called.
Lack of local import games shops. I just want to take all my old US games
and get rid of them. Selling online's a pain the bottom.
--
Xbox Live Gamertag: That Rev Chap
http://www.inverty.com
Zomoniac
> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see
> the Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be
> writing today. Anyway...
Was it as awful as it looked on TV? Terrible acoustics, shit
performances and entirely devoid of atmosphere due to the whole thing,
even the floor, being seated? And was it full of Daily Mail readers? I'd
have gone on a chainsaw rampage. And I know this sounds horribly
tasteless (and you're exempted, I like you), but if some psychopaths are
planning to target a big event and kill lots of people, last night
would've been ideal as it would've removed a substantial portion of the
country's scum in one go.
> PLAY
Virtua Tennis 3 (360) - YES! HUZZAH! I beat the cheating little fucker.
I've been hating this for so long, and on the $hlmunth attempt I am now
ranked number 1. All that effort and crying for 30G.
Open Season (360) - Really isn't that bad. But also really isn't very
good. Actually, it's shit and I'm trying to make myself sound less like
a whore.
Cars (360) - It's so easy, up until you get to a tournament GP, the
races for which 99% of the achievements are acquired, at which point it
suddenly becomes inexplicably difficult.
Forza 2 (360) - Still ace, but crap, but acer.
> WANT
More people to send me reviews of things...
> BIN
Smoking. Actually this time. I have no cigarettes, lots of silly lozenge
things, and no more refuges or the excuse of 'well, everyone else is'. I
have my concerns about the control freak attitude of this government,
but this is a very good thing.
Tim Henman's face. Why does it have to look so annoying?
Extremists. They're getting on my tits now.
--
Zo
Shak
news:5errdtF...@mid.individual.net...
> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see
> the Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be
> writing today. Anyway...
>
> PLAY
Mario Strikers Charged (Wii) - Had a good session of this with on Saturday -
even managed to squeeze in a few three player games. I really like it
actually, not least because the learning curve is such that new people can
do quite well against opponents more seasoned. Scoring goals are pretty
rewarding.
> WANT
FF12 and MGS3, just so I can finally put my time with the PS2 to rest.
> BIN
>
Zelda. But not till I finish the damn thing.
Shak
Chris Stevens
news:5ers8vF...@mid.individual.net...
> Open Season (360) - Really isn't that bad. But also really isn't very
> good. Actually, it's shit and I'm trying to make myself sound less like
> a whore.
It is what it is, really. A simple, kid-friendly movie tie-in without
anything really challenging or compelling to it. It's OK. It's the sort of
thing I'd play through with my kids, and rightly enough they're quite
enjoying it. Some of the badges are a bugger to spot, mind. Also, the
snowball level is near enough *impossible* to get maximum points on.
> Cars (360) - It's so easy, up until you get to a tournament GP, the
> races for which 99% of the achievements are acquired, at which point it
> suddenly becomes inexplicably difficult.
Ha-Hah. Beaten by a childrens game. ;)
> > BIN
>
> Smoking. Actually this time. I have no cigarettes, lots of silly lozenge
> things, and no more refuges or the excuse of 'well, everyone else is'. I
> have my concerns about the control freak attitude of this government,
> but this is a very good thing.
If it weren't for the lorry-load of cheap Polish cigs that I'm about to
acquire, I might be with you on this one. Everyone I know is nagging me to
stop, and maybe they have a point. However, the pub thing doesn't overly
affect me these days - if they'd introduced the ban 10 years ago I'm sure
I'd have been a lot more militant. Anyway, if you do go for stopping, best
of luck with it.
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
Sir Chewbury Gubbins
> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see the
> Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be writing
> today. Anyway...
Was too busy gaping in horror at psychotic religio-nutters driving bombs
into Glasgow airport to watch any of that.
> PLAY
Oblivion (360) - my gaming diary has more about it, but suffice to say I
really don't understand those people who hate this kind of game cos they
don't know what to do.
Viva Pinata (360) - I can't get to grips with this game cos I just don't
know what to do in it. Umm.
Defender (MAME) - tail end of retro week - best I could do was level 27.
I'm not as young as I used to be.
Gears of War (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to
Gamesfrenzy it goes.
Prey (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to Gamesfrenzy
it goes.
Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
Doctor Who season 3 finale. Bet. Doctor. Who. Evar.
> WANT
People who can't co-exist with our way of life to leave the country.
Now.
> BIN
Brainwashed idiots that think it's ok to drive a car loaded with petrol
into an airport full of families.
Choobs
--
Sir Chewbury Gubbins <chewbury...@nelefa.org>
http://www.nelefa.org
http://www.nelefa.org/spofnod/
Abu the Monkey was never naughty.
deKay
2007 09:30:50 +0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk The Rev
<the_rev_y...@hotmail.com> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see the
>Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be writing
>today. Anyway...
>
>PLAY
Fish! mostly. I'm past the first three warps, and now I'm actually a fish in
a fish's body, rather than a fish in a person's body. I think. It's all got
a bit complicated now too, and I'm losing the plot a bit, but it's still
hilarious. I must admit I've had to poke a guide a couple of times due to
complete stuckdom, but then I've always had problems with text adventures.
Also played a bit more Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, and I'm bloody excited
about the XBLA version coming soon. It's odd that three of the four Saturn
games I've played over Retro Week have remakes or sequels on the way - SPFIIT,
Saturn Bomberman and NiGHTS.
>Tony Hawk's Project 8 (360) - Thought I might trade this in, but thought I
>should play it first. Hated it at first - and I mean hated it - because I
>couldn't do the tutorial. But after giving up on that I started off career
>mode and I'm having fun. Not finding it easy to progress, because I am
>really fucking rubbish, but I'm improving bit by bit and I'm enjoying it.
>Went back and tried the tutorial after playing for a few hours and still
>couldn't do it. Boo. Anyway, not binned.
Did you get this because of the skateboard? I did. And I don't skate. And
own the game already. But I did sell the game for £10 within seconds of it
arriving leaving me with a nice £8 wall ornament :)
Want
----
My copy of RE4Wii, which is sat in Postal Hell due to both the postal strike
and the lack of staff answering phones even when not on strike. It was
actually delivered (i.e. note pushed through door) on Wednesday :(
Super Puzzle Fighter II HD
Phoenix Wright 3
>Super Stardust HD (PS3)
I realised that this *was* an updated version of the Amiga game! I want it
too now. But I don't have a PS3.
>BIN
NiGHTS (Saturn)
Yes. You heard. It's awful. Playing it last week left me sad and crying.
deKay
--
Lofi Gaming - http://lofi-gaming.org.uk
Gaming Diary - http://lofi-gaming.org.uk/diary
Blog - http://lofi-gaming.org.uk/blog
My computer runs at 3.5MHz and I'm proud of that
Zomoniac
> The Rev the Monkey was never naughty:
>> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see the
>> Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be writing
>> today. Anyway...
>
> Was too busy gaping in horror at psychotic religio-nutters driving bombs
> into Glasgow airport to watch any of that.
Bastards. Apparently Edinburgh Airport's a bit chaotic today. Is it
having any effect on day-to-day life?
> Gears of War (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to
> Gamesfrenzy it goes.
F? And you're wrong, just don't play it on easy, and ideally play it on
co-op to work it strategically.
> Prey (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to Gamesfrenzy
> it goes.
Agreed, except it's not that pretty.
> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
Now that's just wrong. It's a zillion times better than GTA3/VC/SA/IV.
By virtue of actually being fun. And howcome you have 3 games from GF at
once?
--
Zo
Zomoniac
>> BIN
>
> NiGHTS (Saturn)
> Yes. You heard. It's awful. Playing it last week left me sad and crying.
I never got it. As a Sega fanboi and whatnot I've been perplexed since
1996 as to why it is worshipped so much. I never thought it was a bad
game, but people spoke of it as a complete revolution gaming. It wasn't,
isn't, and never will be. It's an ok, vaguely interesting pseudo-3D
platformer. It's like Pandemonium with less variety and more collecting.
--
Zo
WCZ
"Chris Stevens" <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote in message
news:f6ael4$i1a$1...@aioe.org...
> "Zomoniac" <the_pro...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:5ers8vF...@mid.individual.net...
>> Open Season (360) - Really isn't that bad. But also really isn't very
>> good. Actually, it's shit and I'm trying to make myself sound less like
>> a whore.
>
> It is what it is, really. A simple, kid-friendly movie tie-in without
> anything really challenging or compelling to it. It's OK. It's the sort of
> thing I'd play through with my kids, and rightly enough they're quite
> enjoying it. Some of the badges are a bugger to spot, mind. Also, the
> snowball level is near enough *impossible* to get maximum points on.
>
You should be ashamed of yourself. Using your kids to justify your whoring
habit.
>> Cars (360) - It's so easy, up until you get to a tournament GP, the
>> races for which 99% of the achievements are acquired, at which point it
>> suddenly becomes inexplicably difficult.
>
> Ha-Hah. Beaten by a childrens game. ;)
>
I'm tempted to get this to play in my birthday 'how many gamerpoints can I
get in a day' challenge. What else would you recommend?
Zomoniac
> "Chris Stevens" <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote in message
> news:f6ael4$i1a$1...@aioe.org...
>> "Zomoniac" <the_pro...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:5ers8vF...@mid.individual.net...
>>> Open Season (360) - Really isn't that bad. But also really isn't very
>>> good. Actually, it's shit and I'm trying to make myself sound less like
>>> a whore.
>> It is what it is, really. A simple, kid-friendly movie tie-in without
>> anything really challenging or compelling to it. It's OK. It's the sort of
>> thing I'd play through with my kids, and rightly enough they're quite
>> enjoying it. Some of the badges are a bugger to spot, mind. Also, the
>> snowball level is near enough *impossible* to get maximum points on.
>>
>
> You should be ashamed of yourself. Using your kids to justify your whoring
> habit.
>
>>> Cars (360) - It's so easy, up until you get to a tournament GP, the
>>> races for which 99% of the achievements are acquired, at which point it
>>> suddenly becomes inexplicably difficult.
>> Ha-Hah. Beaten by a childrens game. ;)
>>
>
> I'm tempted to get this to play in my birthday 'how many gamerpoints can I
> get in a day' challenge. What else would you recommend?
If you're good at basketball games them you can get all of NBA2K6's
achievements in a single 48-minute match.
On NHL2K6 you can get 750 of them in about half an hour, but the penalty
shot one is an absolute bitch.
TMNT is about a 4-5 hour 1K. Eragon is maybe 8 hours, as
are Fight Night 3 and King Kong. FIFA 06 shouldn't take more than 5 or 6
hours for the full set.
Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a very easy 675 if you have 4 controllers, otherwise
you will break your 360 in frustration as you proceed to win every
mini-game but still lose the tournament thanks to the cards. I'm not
sure it's possible to 1K it anymore, the online appears to be completely
broken.
Open Season looks like it's going to be quick and easy. But a guide is
useful, the badges which make up the bulk of the points are often
obscurely hidden.
FIFA World Cup 06 will give you 500 points in a couple of hours play,
although if you get any more than 500 then you are a superhuman worthy
of respect. Same applies to Rayman Raving Rabbids.
If you really run through it you can get 600 out of Kameo in 6 hours. A
similar number in a similar time for Superman.
Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2 will net you 1k in number of hours.
--
Zo
hurricanepilot
>PLAY
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii) - I'd never played this game before,
so it was all new. I played through the first chapter and thoroughly
enjoyed it. The only thing I don't like about the control scheme is
that I really want to strafe around things and there's no button for
that. Shooting things has always been a pain in the arse on RE games
though, but this time around it's lovely. Lots of exploding heads.
The Darkness (360) - The more I play, the better it gets. I think I'm
approaching the end now though, so it's definitely a short game. When
I played it on thrusday, I wasn't overly impressed with the set pieces
and the graphics, but I'm not sure where I was coming from. The
graphics are excellent, save for the odd low res texture, and the
little in-game set peices are done really well.
Forza 2 (360) - I've completed all of the career races now. I got an
AI driver to do a lot of the final 2 sets of races, which technically
isn't cheating, but sure feels like it. I've got all the euro cars and
most of the asian cars, but I really don't feel like racing for the
money for the remaining few cars.
Flatout UC (360) - It's a shame that winning requires that you miss
out on the jolity of crashing into everyone else repeatedly, but
they've put enough destruction derbys in the game to appease all of
the crash gods at once.
>WANT
Call of Juarez - If I get through the darkness and RE before the
middle of july (odds are good ;o)
>BIN
Forza 2 (360) - I overplayed it and now I can't stand it. Something
like 95 hours in the driving seat according to my stats page.
deKay
uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk Zomoniac
<the_pro...@hotmail.com> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>> NiGHTS (Saturn)
>> Yes. You heard. It's awful. Playing it last week left me sad and crying.
>
>I never got it. As a Sega fanboi and whatnot I've been perplexed since
>1996 as to why it is worshipped so much.
I used to love it, but there was something hugely missing when I played it
last week. I couldn't find my 3D pad, so the controls were nasty. That can't
account for all of the problems, but it certainly didn't help. I'm still
getting the Wii one though. If they mess that up, however, Sonic Team are
right off my Christmas card list. Forever.
> I never thought it was a bad
>game, but people spoke of it as a complete revolution gaming. It wasn't,
>isn't, and never will be. It's an ok, vaguely interesting pseudo-3D
>platformer.
It's not a platformer. There are no platforms, for a start.
>It's like Pandemonium with less variety and more collecting.
You haven't actually played it, have you?
Zomoniac
> Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Mon, 02 Jul
> 2007 10:08:29 +0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
> uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk Zomoniac
> <the_pro...@hotmail.com> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>
>>> NiGHTS (Saturn)
>>> Yes. You heard. It's awful. Playing it last week left me sad and crying.
>> I never got it. As a Sega fanboi and whatnot I've been perplexed since
>> 1996 as to why it is worshipped so much.
>
> I used to love it, but there was something hugely missing when I played it
> last week. I couldn't find my 3D pad, so the controls were nasty. That can't
> account for all of the problems, but it certainly didn't help. I'm still
> getting the Wii one though. If they mess that up, however, Sonic Team are
> right off my Christmas card list. Forever.
>
>> I never thought it was a bad
>> game, but people spoke of it as a complete revolution gaming. It wasn't,
>> isn't, and never will be. It's an ok, vaguely interesting pseudo-3D
>> platformer.
>
> It's not a platformer. There are no platforms, for a start.
Except the one on which you start and finish every level.
>> It's like Pandemonium with less variety and more collecting.
>
> You haven't actually played it, have you?
To completion.
--
Zo
Chris Whitworth
> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see the
> Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be writing
> today. Anyway...
>
> PLAY
DiRTY COLIN (Xbox360) - This is rather good. It's like Forza's sillier, shinier
brasher younger brother. It's simultaneously not as serious as Forza, and yet
at the same time more hardcore (you can't ignore car setup anything like so
much as you can in Forza). Sure, the buggy races suck ass, but unless you're
points-whoring, you can miss them out and even the American commentator isn't
as annoying as he could be. If you haven't bought this from the Play.com sale,
you deserve punishment.
Picross (DS) - Conflicting. It's addictive and has the same sort of compulsive-
ness as all these logic puzzles, but the interface isn't as good as it perhaps
could be. Can't stop playing it, though.
A few retro bits and pieces (MAME, mainly) - deKay's raving persuaded me to
try Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, and... well, it's not as good as Puyo
Puyo or Meaty-Ohs, so I'm basically not interested. Guwange is still all
kinds of awesome. But my word, there's a lot of shit out there.
WoW (PC) - Um. Yes. Right, look, let me explain. I'm ill, okay? I was stuck in
the house on friday, I was bored, and I unaccountably purchased another month.
I've not resurrected my old character; I've started a new one - exploring the
druid questline from the Horde side of things, instead. Not planning to keep
it up, but then I didn't last time, either.
> WANT
I was going to say Wartech, except it just turned up. Woo!
> BIN
Having a cold, in July. My head feels lke it's going to explode :(
Chris
--
Gamertag: parm * BRING BACK BLUE SKY IN GAMES *
"Back when I was young, we had to travel back in time to put the tape in so
the game would load before we died."
The Rev
> The Rev wrote:
>> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to
>> see the Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll
>> be writing today. Anyway...
>
> Was it as awful as it looked on TV? Terrible acoustics, shit
> performances and entirely devoid of atmosphere due to the whole thing,
> even the floor, being seated? And was it full of Daily Mail readers? I'd
> have gone on a chainsaw rampage. And I know this sounds horribly
> tasteless (and you're exempted, I like you), but if some psychopaths are
> planning to target a big event and kill lots of people, last night
> would've been ideal as it would've removed a substantial portion of the
> country's scum in one go.
It was actually really very good. I only went because it was my Christmas
present to my wife - and if wasn't for the "walking through Whitechapel at
midnight" thing we did after the concert I'd have taken my DS, or at least a
book - but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Partly due to my wife's infectious
enthusiasm, partly because I decided trying to have fun would make for a
better day than being grumpy and cynical and partly because it was a
genuinely good event.
Good atmosphere in the crowd, with everyone being friendly and chatting to
each other. Lovely new stadium with lots of toilets, great organisation and
shockingly comfortable plastic seats. Sound quality very variable between
acts. Got to see Dennis fucking Hopper - Dennis fucking Hopper! - and Keifer
fucking Sutherland, so I was happy. Would have been excited about seeing
Gillian Anderson ten years ago, but I seem to be over that now. Very middle
class crowd indeed, but I can't really complain, being very that myself. I'm
republican enough that I didn't clap when the princes came on stage, but I
had a good time. I can imagine I'd have been bored shitless watching on TV,
but being there was pretty special. And being there made me feel young and I
love it when that happens. Acts -
Duran Duran - First song was shit, but they really did rescue themselves
with two old classics after that. Sounded far better live than the old
eighties records sound. If they were a game, they'd be Resistance: Fall of
Man, where if you get through the first level you're rewarded with a great game.
James Morrison - Even worse live than on record. Whiny, tedious, constipated
shite. Ugh. If he was a game he'd be something with such a horrible control
scheme that it would get binned before the tutorial was over.
Andrew Lloyd Webber - I'm sorry, but I really enjoyed the Joseph bit at the
end. Donny! Jason! Lee! Yay! The other stuff I wasn't much bothered by, but
it was good to see Connie. If it was a game, it would be Super Smash Brothers.
Bryan Ferry - Snore. Crowd loved him. I didn't. If he was a game, he'd be
Need for Speed Carbon. Twenty years at number one, but why?
Elton John - I don't care what anyone says, he fucking rocked. He's not
someone I own any records by, never really wanted to, but he fucking works
live. A surprise. If he was a game he'd be Flatout: Ultimate Carnage.
English National Ballet - Um, yes. Looked nice. Sometimes I almost felt like
I was close to getting it, to having ballet click for me, but the feeling
kept fading. If they were a game they'd be one of those arty freeware
shoot-em-ups that don't quite work, but which everyone regards in awe.
The Feeling - Sounded pretty bad, quality-wise, but were pleasant enough. If
they were a game, they'd be something charming with good design, but glitchy
and a bit broken.
Fergie - Meh. She didn't sing about her humps, so I don't care. If she was a
game, she'd be a Mario spin-off game, but not a good one.
Joss Stone - Fucking awful. Murdered Under Pressure. If she was a game she'd
be a scratched up second hand disc that refused to load.
Lily Allen - All right, I suppose. Sound was a bit of a mess, unfortunately.
If she was a game she'd be a nice colorful Live Arcade game, which you spend
800 points on but hardly play.
Kanye West - Another big surprise, he fucking rocked. I may investigate his
recorded works now. Brilliant. If he was a game he'd be some mega-budget EA
game that everyone expects to be rubbish, but which turns out to be one of
the best games ever.
Nelly Retardo - Ugh. If she was a game she'd be one of those small-label
budget titles with a generic titles like Bowling or Shooting, inexplicably
released at far price.
Natasha Bedingfield - These Words is one of the greatest songs ever written.
She didn't do that one. If she was a game she'd be The Legend of Zelda 2.
P. Diddy - Oddly impressive. Strangely commanding presence, given he was
about two millimetres tall and spouting shite. Must have some sort of
charisma thing going on, which would explain his success, given that he's a
terrible, terrible rapper and can't say I've ever been blown away by his
production. If he was a game he'd be one of those games you can't stop
playing, even though you're really not enjoying yourself.
Orson - Worst sound of the day. Huge slabs of noise crushing what may have
been a couple of their hits. If they were a game they'd be a half-decent
licensed platformer through an RF connection... while some workmen knock
down your house around you. Biggest walk out of the day.
Rod Stewart - I never, ever thought I'd say what I'm about to say. Rod
Stewart was great. I'd planned to get some food during his set. I went
hungry. Songs so over-familiar that under normal circumstances they make me
want to tear my ears off somehow became something special at the concert.
Weird, scary and awesome. If he was a game he'd be Resident Evil 4,
something that turns out to be a great game against all expectations.
Pharrell Williams - Despite being great he prompted the second biggest
walk-out of the day. I did despair of middle England at that point. "Listen
to the man! He's dropping it like it's hot!" I nearly shouted. But didn't.
If he was a game he'd be Giga Wing.
Take That - Very good and it was very, very funny when Gary asked the crowd
to sing along during Back for Good and was greeted with complete silence. If
they were a game they'd be Sonic Rivals.
Roger Hodgson of Supertramp - I'll be nice and just say that it was a good
time to take a toilet break. If he was a game he'd be one of those ones that
you never notice - you might download the demo, but you'd never get around
to playing it.
Status Quo - One song was enough, thanks. But it was fun - it was! - and
prompted the biggest crowd reaction of the day, I think, apart from David
Beckham's appearance as a guest presenter. If they were a game they'd be
Gran Turismo HD - short, sweet, but despite the fancy graphics very old up
close.
Tom Jones - Tom Jones. With Joe Perry on guitar. Doing the Arctic Monkeys.
Even inviting "Josh" Stone on stage didn't ruin his set. The man's a fucking
god. If he was a game he'd be Doom - iconic and aging well.
Will Young - Meh. Entirely forgettable, so it's a good thing I've got the
performer list page up in my browser. If he was a game he'd be something
you'd never play that gets six out of ten in the Official Playstation Magazine.
Zomoniac
'Classics'? DD have 'classics'??
> James Morrison - Even worse live than on record. Whiny, tedious,
> constipated shite. Ugh. If he was a game he'd be something with such a
> horrible control scheme that it would get binned before the tutorial was
> over.
>
> Andrew Lloyd Webber - I'm sorry, but I really enjoyed the Joseph bit at
> the end. Donny! Jason! Lee! Yay! The other stuff I wasn't much bothered
> by, but it was good to see Connie. If it was a game, it would be Super
> Smash Brothers.
>
> Bryan Ferry - Snore. Crowd loved him. I didn't. If he was a game, he'd
> be Need for Speed Carbon. Twenty years at number one, but why?
>
> Elton John - I don't care what anyone says, he fucking rocked. He's not
> someone I own any records by, never really wanted to, but he fucking
> works live. A surprise. If he was a game he'd be Flatout: Ultimate Carnage.
I saw him a couple of years ago and he was pretty good then. I love
CFATBDC, but he's done nowt good since (except the Lion King OST,
naturally).
> English National Ballet - Um, yes. Looked nice. Sometimes I almost felt
> like I was close to getting it, to having ballet click for me, but the
> feeling kept fading. If they were a game they'd be one of those arty
> freeware shoot-em-ups that don't quite work, but which everyone regards
> in awe.
>
> The Feeling - Sounded pretty bad, quality-wise, but were pleasant
> enough. If they were a game, they'd be something charming with good
> design, but glitchy and a bit broken.
>
> Fergie - Meh. She didn't sing about her humps, so I don't care. If she
> was a game, she'd be a Mario spin-off game, but not a good one.
>
> Joss Stone - Fucking awful. Murdered Under Pressure. If she was a game
> she'd be a scratched up second hand disc that refused to load.
>
> Lily Allen - All right, I suppose. Sound was a bit of a mess,
> unfortunately. If she was a game she'd be a nice colorful Live Arcade
> game, which you spend 800 points on but hardly play.
>
> Kanye West - Another big surprise, he fucking rocked. I may investigate
> his recorded works now. Brilliant. If he was a game he'd be some
> mega-budget EA game that everyone expects to be rubbish, but which turns
> out to be one of the best games ever.
Kanye West is fantastic. By and large I'm not a hip-hop/rap fan, but he
manages to do something infectiously brilliant to his music. Late
Registration is a masterpiece.
> Nelly Retardo - Ugh. If she was a game she'd be one of those small-label
> budget titles with a generic titles like Bowling or Shooting,
> inexplicably released at far price.
>
> Natasha Bedingfield - These Words is one of the greatest songs ever
> written. She didn't do that one. If she was a game she'd be The Legend
> of Zelda 2.
>
> P. Diddy - Oddly impressive. Strangely commanding presence, given he was
> about two millimetres tall and spouting shite. Must have some sort of
> charisma thing going on, which would explain his success, given that
> he's a terrible, terrible rapper and can't say I've ever been blown away
> by his production. If he was a game he'd be one of those games you can't
> stop playing, even though you're really not enjoying yourself.
I found myself shouting at my radio this morning, when Shiela Fohagerty
(or however you spell it) was summarising last night and said "P. Diddy
did I'll Be Missing You, a song he wrote for" and which point I
uncontrollably shouted "No, he didn't, Sting wrote it you stupid twat".
> Orson - Worst sound of the day. Huge slabs of noise crushing what may
> have been a couple of their hits. If they were a game they'd be a
> half-decent licensed platformer through an RF connection... while some
> workmen knock down your house around you. Biggest walk out of the day.
>
> Rod Stewart - I never, ever thought I'd say what I'm about to say. Rod
> Stewart was great. I'd planned to get some food during his set. I went
> hungry. Songs so over-familiar that under normal circumstances they make
> me want to tear my ears off somehow became something special at the
> concert. Weird, scary and awesome. If he was a game he'd be Resident
> Evil 4, something that turns out to be a great game against all
> expectations.
>
> Pharrell Williams - Despite being great he prompted the second biggest
> walk-out of the day. I did despair of middle England at that point.
> "Listen to the man! He's dropping it like it's hot!" I nearly shouted.
> But didn't. If he was a game he'd be Giga Wing.
>
> Take That - Very good and it was very, very funny when Gary asked the
> crowd to sing along during Back for Good and was greeted with complete
> silence. If they were a game they'd be Sonic Rivals.
Take That last year was one of the best gigs I've ever been to, I have
no shame in admitting that.
> Roger Hodgson of Supertramp - I'll be nice and just say that it was a
> good time to take a toilet break. If he was a game he'd be one of those
> ones that you never notice - you might download the demo, but you'd
> never get around to playing it.
This was one of the few acts I caught on TV. It was so bad that the
camera was cutting to people the crowd literally crying through
laughter, it was painful. If this was a game it would be Big Rigs.
> Status Quo - One song was enough, thanks. But it was fun - it was! - and
> prompted the biggest crowd reaction of the day, I think, apart from
> David Beckham's appearance as a guest presenter. If they were a game
> they'd be Gran Turismo HD - short, sweet, but despite the fancy graphics
> very old up close.
>
> Tom Jones - Tom Jones. With Joe Perry on guitar. Doing the Arctic
> Monkeys. Even inviting "Josh" Stone on stage didn't ruin his set. The
> man's a fucking god. If he was a game he'd be Doom - iconic and aging well.
>
> Will Young - Meh. Entirely forgettable, so it's a good thing I've got
> the performer list page up in my browser. If he was a game he'd be
> something you'd never play that gets six out of ten in the Official
> Playstation Magazine.
>
--
Zo
deKay
uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk Zomoniac
<the_pro...@hotmail.com> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>> It's not a platformer. There are no platforms, for a start.
>
>Except the one on which you start and finish every level.
"The floor" != "A platform".
Otherwise, 1942, Starfox, Choplifter and all sorts of other non-platformers
become platformers by your definition.
>>> It's like Pandemonium with less variety and more collecting.
>>
>> You haven't actually played it, have you?
>
>To completion.
NiGHTS, or Pandemonium? Because unless the later levels of Pandemonium (I
haven't completed it) heavily involve flight and chaining, they're not even
similar.
Zomoniac
> Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Mon, 02 Jul
> 2007 10:37:45 +0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
> uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk Zomoniac
> <the_pro...@hotmail.com> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>
>>> It's not a platformer. There are no platforms, for a start.
>> Except the one on which you start and finish every level.
>
> "The floor" != "A platform".
>
> Otherwise, 1942, Starfox, Choplifter and all sorts of other non-platformers
> become platformers by your definition.
>
>>>> It's like Pandemonium with less variety and more collecting.
>>> You haven't actually played it, have you?
>> To completion.
>
> NiGHTS, or Pandemonium? Because unless the later levels of Pandemonium (I
> haven't completed it) heavily involve flight and chaining, they're not even
> similar.
I meant the strange feeling of it being 3D, when in reality you're just
going right all the time.
--
Zo
roondog
> > I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see
> > the Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be
> > writing today. Anyway...
>
> Smoking. Actually this time. I have no cigarettes, lots of silly lozenge
> things, and no more refuges or the excuse of 'well, everyone else is'. I
> have my concerns about the control freak attitude of this government,
> but this is a very good thing.
>
Saying that I haven't had any drink either. Thankfully now you can't smoke
in booze houses that should help. I do know though that I will be smoking
like a chimney when reading weekend rolls round.
roondog
> > I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see
> > the Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be
> > writing today. Anyway...
>
Surely you mean the Express official paper of Princess Diana.
Zomoniac
Well I've decided to lay off the magic herb for a couple of months as
well, or at least if I do then to be antisocial and use a pipe,
otherwise I suspect it'll set me off again. Probably not a bad thing,
anyway. But the gum and lozenges and anything that contains nicotine
that isn't tobacco is so fecking horrible anyway that I think I'll
switch to just willpower myself.
--
Zo
Chris F
but it's still not a platform game, in any shape or form.
if anything, it's a score attack come racing game, just without the
actual racing.
i still think it's great, but it is frustrating as hell if you can't
get a decent chain going.
oh and i can imagine it is awful without the analogue pad too, since
it was pretty much the game the pad was designed for.
--
gamertag: Chrisflynnuk
http://live.xbox.com/member/Chrisflynnuk
Current eBay auctions: http://tinyurl.com/hutcb
360, DS, PS2 and Saturn Games For Auction.
Zomoniac
It would be so much better without the bosses as well. Twice as many
levels and no bosses and I would like it more.
--
Zo
Sir Chewbury Gubbins
> Bastards. Apparently Edinburgh Airport's a bit chaotic today. Is it
> having any effect on day-to-day life?
Not really, surprisingly. There was a brief moment of "what? You mean
it's not happening at the other end of the country?" but otherwise,
everything is normal. There's a few more policmen patrolling busy
places, though.
>> Gears of War (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to
>> Gamesfrenzy it goes.
>
> F? And you're wrong, just don't play it on easy, and ideally play it on
> co-op to work it strategically.
TPS then. Still dull as dishwater :)
>> Prey (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to Gamesfrenzy
>> it goes.
>
> Agreed, except it's not that pretty.
The bad language really pissed me off - there was just never any need fo
rit.
>> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
>> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
>
> Now that's just wrong. It's a zillion times better than GTA3/VC/SA/IV.
> By virtue of actually being fun.
Fun for values of fun including but not limited to "not". Follow the map
to some people. Shoot them. Do a race. Follow the map to someone else.
Shoot him too. Yawn.
>And howcome you have 3 games from GF at
> once?
Overlap.
Zomoniac
When you get the rocket launcher everything changes.
--
Zo
hurricanepilot
I found that standing in the shower for hours at a time helped me kick
the habit. I decided that everytime I got a craving, I'd do something
that I wouldn't ever associate with smoking, and that was all I could
think of. It took 1 week before the cravings turned into an easily
controllable want.
Sir Chewbury Gubbins
>
But then why persevere? I get the rocket launcher on level 1 of earth
Defen[c|s]e Force :)
Don't get me wrong - I can see why people like it - I just don't.
deKay
10:13:15 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do uk.games.video.misc,
yawatina tan reek esk Sir Chewbury Gubbins <chewbury...@nelefa.org>
fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>>> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
>>> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
>>
>> Now that's just wrong. It's a zillion times better than GTA3/VC/SA/IV.
>> By virtue of actually being fun.
>
>Fun for values of fun including but not limited to "not". Follow the map
>to some people. Shoot them. Do a race. Follow the map to someone else.
>Shoot him too. Yawn.
Ah! You had the same problem I did when I played the demo. The story is
*not* the fun bit. The fun bit is the orb hunting, the explosions, and the
Try To Reach Places That You Really Shouldn't Be Able To Reach Game (which
isn't actually a real part of the game, but anyway). Oh, and climbing the
Agency Building is EPIC, and made me feel sick.
Play it *wrong*, and it's 98325645237% the game playing it *right* is.
Incidently, I only ever did one race.
Chris Stevens
news:f6afc6$c61$1...@newsfeed.th.ifl.net...
> >
> > It is what it is, really. A simple, kid-friendly movie tie-in without
> > anything really challenging or compelling to it. It's OK. It's the sort
of
> > thing I'd play through with my kids, and rightly enough they're quite
> > enjoying it. Some of the badges are a bugger to spot, mind. Also, the
> > snowball level is near enough *impossible* to get maximum points on.
> >
>
> You should be ashamed of yourself. Using your kids to justify your
whoring
> habit.
Surely you should realise by now - I am completely without shame. :)
> >> Cars (360) - It's so easy, up until you get to a tournament GP, the
> >> races for which 99% of the achievements are acquired, at which point it
> >> suddenly becomes inexplicably difficult.
> >
> > Ha-Hah. Beaten by a childrens game. ;)
> >
>
> I'm tempted to get this to play in my birthday 'how many gamerpoints can I
> get in a day' challenge. What else would you recommend?
Sports games, and lots of 'em. The 2K Sports 06 games are known for their
generosity, but I'm not sure about the 07 ones. Also, the EA FIFA, NBA, etc
ones are typically generous.
I'm sure you know pretty well which ones to go for already, though, being
the dedicated whore that you are. ;)
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
Chris Stevens
> >> Smoking. Actually this time. I have no cigarettes, lots of silly
lozenge
> >> things, and no more refuges or the excuse of 'well, everyone else is'.
I
> >> have my concerns about the control freak attitude of this government,
> >> but this is a very good thing.
> >>
> > Good luck with this. I am nearly 3 weeks clean using will power alone.
> > Saying that I haven't had any drink either. Thankfully now you can't
smoke
> > in booze houses that should help. I do know though that I will be
smoking
> > like a chimney when reading weekend rolls round.
>
> Well I've decided to lay off the magic herb for a couple of months as
> well, or at least if I do then to be antisocial and use a pipe,
> otherwise I suspect it'll set me off again.
Personally, I don't find that the two interfere too much with one another.
At one stage I gave up cigarettes entirely for about 18 months without
changing any other habits, so it is do-able.
> Probably not a bad thing,
> anyway. But the gum and lozenges and anything that contains nicotine
> that isn't tobacco is so fecking horrible anyway that I think I'll
> switch to just willpower myself.
Last time I had a serious go at stopping I got one of those 'inhalator'
things. If you can get over the feeling that everyone is looking at you and
laughing, they're quite an effective substitute.
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
Chris Stevens
news:5ert6uF...@mid.individual.net...
>
> Gears of War (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to
> Gamesfrenzy it goes.
I never really got on with it either. It *is* very nice looking, and co-op
is fun, but it just didn't really grab me.
> Prey (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to Gamesfrenzy
> it goes.
I seem to be in a minority in having really enjoyed Prey (except for the
horrible, horrible Shuttle sections). How far into it did you get?
> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
Just plain wrong. :P Anyone not liking it should be forced to continue
playing until they've at least built agility up to 3 stars and had a crack
at climbing the agency tower, which for me was a truly great, breathless and
somehow slightly terrifying gaming experience.
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
Chris Stevens
news:l3fh831al43k1ae6e...@4ax.com...
>
> >WANT
>
> Call of Juarez - If I get through the darkness and RE before the
> middle of july (odds are good ;o)
This seems to have slipped out rather quietly. I picked up the box and had a
look whilst out round the shops over the weekend, and I'm tempted despite
having read no reviews. I like cowboys.
I've got this, Overlord and The Darkness on my rental queue, but I've also
got one game's worth of trade in crap and don't know which of them is likely
to be a 'keeper'. Any thoughts?
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
jochta
> Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des 2 Jul 2007
> 10:13:15 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do uk.games.video.misc,
> yawatina tan reek esk Sir Chewbury Gubbins <chewbury...@nelefa.org>
> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>
>>>> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
>>>> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
>>> Now that's just wrong. It's a zillion times better than GTA3/VC/SA/IV.
>>> By virtue of actually being fun.
>> Fun for values of fun including but not limited to "not". Follow the map
>> to some people. Shoot them. Do a race. Follow the map to someone else.
>> Shoot him too. Yawn.
>
> Ah! You had the same problem I did when I played the demo. The story is
> *not* the fun bit. The fun bit is the orb hunting, the explosions, and the
> Try To Reach Places That You Really Shouldn't Be Able To Reach Game (which
> isn't actually a real part of the game, but anyway). Oh, and climbing the
> Agency Building is EPIC, and made me feel sick.
>
> Play it *wrong*, and it's 98325645237% the game playing it *right* is.
>
> Incidently, I only ever did one race.
>
> deKay
Is this the same deKay who apparently only played it until he killed the
final boss and called the game 'completed'?
"Finished story = completed in my book" was roughly the quote I heard
from that deKay.
Sir Chewbury Gubbins
> horrible, horrible Shuttle sections). How far into it did you get?
Not very - I just passed the bit where I was shooting the ghost children
and realised that it really was quite unpleasant and tasteless :-/
>
>> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
>> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
>
> Just plain wrong. :P Anyone not liking it should be forced to continue
> playing until they've at least built agility up to 3 stars and had a crack
> at climbing the agency tower, which for me was a truly great, breathless and
> somehow slightly terrifying gaming experience.
Well, so it would appear. I'll give it another go and play it the wrong
way and see how I get on.
WCZ
> "Sir Chewbury Gubbins" <chewbury...@nelefa.org> wrote in message
> news:5ert6uF...@mid.individual.net...
>>
>> Gears of War (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to
>> Gamesfrenzy it goes.
>
> I never really got on with it either. It *is* very nice looking, and co-op
> is fun, but it just didn't really grab me.
>
>> Prey (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to Gamesfrenzy
>> it goes.
>
> I seem to be in a minority in having really enjoyed Prey (except for the
> horrible, horrible Shuttle sections). How far into it did you get?
>
Me! I really enjoyed Prey. One of the best games I've played IMO. Decent
storyline, some really good weapons and some totally excellent set pieces.
Shame the MP was utterly and totally broken.
deKay
2007 12:13:51 +0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk jochta <som...@someplace.com>
fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>Is this the same deKay who apparently only played it until he killed the
>final boss and called the game 'completed'?
Yes. And then I completed it twice more, 100%ed all my stats, found most of
the orbs, got several more achievements, and spent about 30 more hours on it.
>"Finished story = completed in my book" was roughly the quote I heard
>from that deKay.
Yes. But "completed game" != "I'm going to stop playing". Well, not always.
hurricanepilot
<ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote:
>"hurricanepilot" <a...@me.com> wrote in message
>news:l3fh831al43k1ae6e...@4ax.com...
>>
>> >WANT
>>
>> Call of Juarez - If I get through the darkness and RE before the
>> middle of july (odds are good ;o)
>
>This seems to have slipped out rather quietly. I picked up the box and had a
>look whilst out round the shops over the weekend, and I'm tempted despite
>having read no reviews. I like cowboys.
I really enjoyed Gun, and this looks like more of the same. It's got
an average score of 7.2 from 20 reviews on metacritic but they are
very mixed. Nothing else on my radar till Motogp next month, so I
reckon I'll probably grab this in the next couple of weeks.
>I've got this, Overlord and The Darkness on my rental queue, but I've also
>got one game's worth of trade in crap and don't know which of them is likely
>to be a 'keeper'. Any thoughts?
The Darkeness and Juarez both have multiplayer modes, but the reviews
I've read don't have much good to say about them. I probably won't be
hanging on to either game. I know absolutely nothing about Overlord as
I've not even played the demo.
If you're even remotely interested in arcade racers though, I can't
recommend Flatout UC enough. It's got tons of game types, and a very
solid online experience.
Chris Stevens
news:5errdtF...@mid.individual.net...
> PLAY
DiRT (360)
Lots and lots of fun. I played through all the events in the first tier of
career mode in one sitting, and loved every minute of it. Such a completely
different experience to Forza (much more forgiving, for a start), but
equally (if not more) satisfying.
One thing that sticks out, though, is the framerate. You really notice it
after playing Forza. I'm not sure that it really gets in the way, as such,
but it does take away slightly from the wow factor of the graphics, which
are otherwise quite beautiful.
Rayman Raving Rabbids (360)
Just in short doses. Almost done with story mode now. I'll probably hang on
to it for a bit (at least until my camera turns up ;) ), and have a bash at
the score mode. I reckon (without having looked into it in any depth) that
either the Bunny Hunt or Get Going achievements ought to be possible, though
everybody elses gamerscore seems to suggest otherwise.
Open Season (360)
Not a lot more to add to what I said earlier. Simple, moderately enjoyable,
worth having a go as a rental, but nothing really to recommend about it.
Furniture, Flooring and Fabric Shops (RL)
Amazing the fun you can have just stood around for hours on end (and it's
*absolutely* necessary that you are there, apparently) whilst your wife umms
and ahhs over two subtly different (but equally expensive) fabrics for
curtains. Still, the end result will make her happy, which makes me happy.
> WANT
Call of Juarez, The Darkness, Overlord (360)
But which one will it be?
A fag with my pint. (RL)
Sorry, but as much as the smoking ban is perfectly sensible, and no-one
could realistically argue against it, it's a sad day for us
beer-drinking-smokers. :(
> BIN
Duck-Egg (RL)
It's greeny blue, FFS. No amount of fancy name calling will make it anything
else.
Perfume (DVD)
I liked it for its style (and it had plenty), and the performances were
excellent, but the final outcome was just a little too much. I'm sure it had
an allegorical meaning that I was missing, but as it was it came across as a
little silly.
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
Zomoniac
I've tried them a few times, they just seem to make me choke and cough a
lot. Plus I saw a guy 'smoking' one yesterday, and looked and laughed :)
--
Zo
Paul Evans
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (PC): Is it an interactive story or is it a
game? I'm about half way through it and I'm leaning towards the former. What
little interaction there is at times seems to just involve moving from one
location to another, or solving a ridiculously easy puzzle.
You can tell this is an Xbox port. Only the main characters have facial
expressions, whilst secondary characters stand there, muttering entire
paragraphs without actually opening their mouths - Worse still, the main
characters actually opening their mouths to speak seems to be all they can
do. There are supposed to be dramatic moments where people are tense or in a
panic, yet they stand perfectly still looking more like gormless
supermodels, whilst the voice acting (which is pretty good, it has to be
said) carries the emotions for them. Their arms move... Rarely. And that's
about it.
Add to that the dodgy collision detection (my characters seem to get stuck
to the walls) and the fact that the main character, Zoe Castillo isn't
particularly likeable (you can only put up with her whiny posh Home Counties
accent for so long before feeling the urge to give her a slap), and you've
got a game that is often very frustrating to play, and yet I'm still playing
it. If only to see how the story pans out.
It doesn't help of course that the game also constantly refers back to the
prequel, which I haven't played.
Oh, and it won't work with Gamejackal. It insists on changing the DVD key
every time I start the game up. Bastards.
Retro stuff:
Golden Axe (Arcade via MAME): It. Won't. Work. On my old PC, it ran fine
with no graphical issues whatsoever. On my current PC, the sprites are
screwed. I don't know if it's the ROM, or the fact I'm running an older
version of MAME32 or what.
Wolfchild (Amiga): I used to really like this game. I probably would again
if I had a proper controller! Good graphics (with parallax scrolling - sadly
a rarity later on in the Amiga's life as developers moved to doing lazy
Megadrive ports to the Amiga with no efforts whatsoever to utilise the Amiga
hardware), good music and even good sound effects. Also one of those games
that had a fancy, fully animated intro at the start. 5/5 for nostalgia
value.
Rainbow Islands (Amiga): It's missing a few hidden levels (you'd think that
Ocean would've tried playing every aspect of the arcade game first, surely -
but in an interview I read back in the 90s, it turned out they were
oblivious to things like diamond combinations, hidden doors on boss levels
and so on because they weren't given much time to examine the arcade
version. A shame. 3/5
R-Type II (Amiga): Amiga Format said that this was a pixel-perfect
conversion of the arcade game. They weren't wrong. Even the audio is pretty
closely matched to the arcade game too, and it plays great. 4/5
Robocop (Spectrum +2 - Yes. I actually dug out my old Speccy for this one):
QAOPM - remember that keyboard control combination? Anyway, a far better
conversion of the arcade game than the dreadful Amiga version, and far
better controls too. Couldn't finish it though. It also reminded me that I
couldn't just go back later and play it again when I had five minutes. No
fancy things like save states and fast loading times. Twenty bloody minutes.
I'd really forgotten about that! 5/5
Robocop 2 (Spectrum +2): With the proper music (the first game used the same
music as the NES release rather than the film's, apparently)and more
colourful graphics. Didn't quite have the same feel as the first game
though. It seems a little odd that when it came to doing film licences,
Ocean were far better at doing them for the 8-bit computers than they were
for 16-bit ones. 4/5
Myth (Spectrum +2): I remember at the time being truly stunned by the
graphics and gameplay that Myth offered. I still am. When the Amiga version
was announced two years after the Spectrum release, I was expecting an
updated version of this version, but was bitterly disappointed. 5/5
WANT:
A job. This is why I didn't get to do any proper retro gaming until Friday
night. Been too busy sending off job applications and probably for nothing,
it seems.
My own place to live. I really need my own space, but I can't get a sodding
job that pays enough for me to do it. Bah.
BIN:
Doctor Who (TV): Worse. Ending. Ever.
Unemployment.
Not being able to make my mind up on what PC controller to buy for retro
gaming.
Not much else. Terrorists maybe? String 'em up by the balls.
Paul.
DBSnappa
> "Chris Stevens" <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote in message
> news:f6al0b$3r0$1...@aioe.org...
>> "Sir Chewbury Gubbins" <chewbury...@nelefa.org> wrote in message
>> news:5ert6uF...@mid.individual.net...
>>> Gears of War (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to
>>> Gamesfrenzy it goes.
>> I never really got on with it either. It *is* very nice looking, and co-op
>> is fun, but it just didn't really grab me.
>>
>>> Prey (360). Mehh - yet another pretty but bland FPS. Back to Gamesfrenzy
>>> it goes.
>> I seem to be in a minority in having really enjoyed Prey (except for the
>> horrible, horrible Shuttle sections). How far into it did you get?
>>
>
> Me! I really enjoyed Prey. One of the best games I've played IMO. Decent
> storyline, some really good weapons and some totally excellent set pieces.
I really enjoyed Prey as well, and I didn't even mind the shuttle
sections either.
>
> Shame the MP was utterly and totally broken.
Now that I didn't try.
>
DBSnappa
> On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 11:48:06 +0100, "Chris Stevens"
> <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote:
>
>> "hurricanepilot" <a...@me.com> wrote in message
>> news:l3fh831al43k1ae6e...@4ax.com...
>>>> WANT
>>> Call of Juarez - If I get through the darkness and RE before the
>>> middle of july (odds are good ;o)
>> This seems to have slipped out rather quietly. I picked up the box and had a
>> look whilst out round the shops over the weekend, and I'm tempted despite
>> having read no reviews. I like cowboys.
>
> I really enjoyed Gun, and this looks like more of the same. It's got
> an average score of 7.2 from 20 reviews on metacritic but they are
> very mixed. Nothing else on my radar till Motogp next month, so I
> reckon I'll probably grab this in the next couple of weeks.
>
hurricanepilot
<davidjREMOV...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Shame the MP was utterly and totally broken.
>
>Now that I didn't try.
>>
Prey had the misfortune to come out at the time when Game were still
offering 10-day no-quibble returns. Almost everyone I knew got it
delivered from game.co.uk on the thursday and took it in for a refund
on the saturday.
I enjoyed the game, it was just insanely short.
deKay
uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk hurricanepilot <a...@me.com> fornis
do marikano es bono tan el:
>I enjoyed the game, it was just insanely short.
After the crap that made up the latter half of the game, I'd say *mercifully*
short.
DBSnappa
>> Open Season (360) - Really isn't that bad. But also really isn't very
>> good. Actually, it's shit and I'm trying to make myself sound less like
>> a whore.
>
> It is what it is, really. A simple, kid-friendly movie tie-in without
> anything really challenging or compelling to it. It's OK. It's the sort of
> thing I'd play through with my kids, and rightly enough they're quite
> enjoying it. Some of the badges are a bugger to spot, mind. Also, the
> snowball level is near enough *impossible* to get maximum points on.
>
>> races for which 99% of the achievements are acquired, at which point it
>> suddenly becomes inexplicably difficult.
>
> Ha-Hah. Beaten by a childrens game. ;)
>
>> Smoking. Actually this time. I have no cigarettes, lots of silly lozenge
>> things, and no more refuges or the excuse of 'well, everyone else is'. I
>> have my concerns about the control freak attitude of this government,
>> but this is a very good thing.
>
> acquire, I might be with you on this one.
You could always sell them. I think having to finish a shed load of
cheap cigarettes as an excuse to not stop is indicative of the fact that
you /really/ don't want to ;) It was feelings of morbidity that
eventually stopped me - I was feeling unhealthy - that and the fact that
I gave it a considerable amount of thought and realised that much as I
enjoyed the occasional fag, I was a hopeless addict who smoked
considerably more than the occasional one and all other considerations
disappeared quite quickly after that. However, I've done this before, so
the test is not stopping for a few months, but stopping forever.
> Everyone I know is nagging me to
> stop, and maybe they have a point.
What, like it costs a fortune, ruins your health and is a singularly
ridiculous habit. If you can get into the habit of looking at people
smoking cigarettes and seeing idiots in motion, then that helps you stop ;)
However, the pub thing doesn't overly
> affect me these days - if they'd introduced the ban 10 years ago I'm sure
> I'd have been a lot more militant. Anyway, if you do go for stopping, best
> of luck with it.
He still has time on his side. Stopping <25 means that his system will
make a full recovery. Yours and mine won't ever fully recover,
particularly the undue strain on the heart caused by smoking.
>
>
> Chris.
>
> GT: SomethingWheezy :p
>
>
RichGK
>
> I found that standing in the shower for hours at a time helped me kick
> the habit. I decided that everytime I got a craving, I'd do something
> that I wouldn't ever associate with smoking, and that was all I could
> think of. It took 1 week before the cravings turned into an easily
> controllable want.
I cut out journey smokes first, then the pre-work post-work cigarette. Then
I was down to about 3 a day so it wasn't too difficult to quit. I found
that I really started to dislike smoking slowly.
I used to drink a glass of water, by the time I'd finished the craving had
gone.
Chris Stevens
news:dl8ii.127005$hj5.1...@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> >>> BIN
> >> Smoking. Actually this time. I have no cigarettes, lots of silly
lozenge
> >> things, and no more refuges or the excuse of 'well, everyone else is'.
I
> >> have my concerns about the control freak attitude of this government,
> >> but this is a very good thing.
> >
> > If it weren't for the lorry-load of cheap Polish cigs that I'm about to
> > acquire, I might be with you on this one.
>
> You could always sell them. I think having to finish a shed load of
> cheap cigarettes as an excuse to not stop is indicative of the fact that
> you /really/ don't want to ;)
That goes without saying, I suppose. I've got that conscious nagging voice
inside my own head telling me how fucking ridiculous it is that I keep doing
it, but somehow that's drowned out by the subconscious chorus line singing
about lovely, lovely fags.
> It was feelings of morbidity that
> eventually stopped me - I was feeling unhealthy - that and the fact that
> I gave it a considerable amount of thought and realised that much as I
> enjoyed the occasional fag, I was a hopeless addict who smoked
> considerably more than the occasional one and all other considerations
> disappeared quite quickly after that. However, I've done this before, so
> the test is not stopping for a few months, but stopping forever.
I know what you mean about the health side of it. Even at the most
superficial level, you feel a huge difference within days of stopping.
Unfortunately, I've gone through it all so many times that I know that just
that feeling isn't enough to keep me off them. I need some kind of massive
mental slap in the face to wake me up to the harm that I'm doing in a way
that overcomes all the self-deluding crap.
> However, the pub thing doesn't overly
> > affect me these days - if they'd introduced the ban 10 years ago I'm
sure
> > I'd have been a lot more militant. Anyway, if you do go for stopping,
best
> > of luck with it.
>
> He still has time on his side. Stopping <25 means that his system will
> make a full recovery. Yours and mine won't ever fully recover,
> particularly the undue strain on the heart caused by smoking.
Heh, you mean you haven't done that thing that's peculiar to smokers where
the age keeps slipping? I always used to say that so long as I stopped
before 25, no long term harm would be done. Over the years that's migrated
to 30, 35 and now 40. :\
I've already promised the people who matter to me that I'll have another go
at stopping this year. I really hope that I'm srong enough to see it through
this time.
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
WCZ
Well you could always wait until you have lung cancer I suppose. Would that
be a big enough slap?
Where do you smoke at home? What impact would you giving up have on your
home life, family etc. Your kids would be less likely to smoke if they
don't see how cool there Dad looks with a fag in his hand. Maybe thinking
outside of yourself would help you find reasons for stopping?
DBSnappa
> Zomoniac wrote:
>> The Rev wrote:
>>> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to
>>> see the Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code
>>> I'll be writing today. Anyway...
>>
>> performances and entirely devoid of atmosphere due to the whole thing,
>> even the floor, being seated? And was it full of Daily Mail readers?
>> I'd have gone on a chainsaw rampage. And I know this sounds horribly
>> tasteless (and you're exempted, I like you), but if some psychopaths
>> are planning to target a big event and kill lots of people, last night
>> would've been ideal as it would've removed a substantial portion of
>> the country's scum in one go.
>
> It was actually really very good. I only went because it was my
> Christmas present to my wife - and if wasn't for the "walking through
> Whitechapel at midnight" thing we did after the concert I'd have taken
> my DS, or at least a book - but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Partly due
> to my wife's infectious enthusiasm, partly because I decided trying to
> have fun would make for a better day than being grumpy and cynical and
> partly because it was a genuinely good event.
Positivity FTW.
>
> Good atmosphere in the crowd, with everyone being friendly and chatting
> to each other. Lovely new stadium with lots of toilets, great
> organisation and shockingly comfortable plastic seats. Sound quality
> very variable between acts. Got to see Dennis fucking Hopper - Dennis
> fucking Hopper! - and Keifer fucking Sutherland, so I was happy. Would
> have been excited about seeing Gillian Anderson ten years ago, but I
> seem to be over that now. Very middle class crowd indeed, but I can't
> really complain, being very that myself. I'm republican enough that I
> didn't clap when the princes came on stage, but I had a good time. I can
> imagine I'd have been bored shitless watching on TV, but being there was
> pretty special. And being there made me feel young and I love it when
> that happens. Acts -
I think with a lot of these programmes it's the OB crews who fuck up the
sound for the TV and that the actual event usually sounds a damn sight
more impressive. However, I was neither there in person nor on the sofa.
>
> Duran Duran - First song was shit, but they really did rescue themselves
> with two old classics after that. Sounded far better live than the old
> eighties records sound. If they were a game, they'd be Resistance: Fall
> of Man, where if you get through the first level you're rewarded with a
> great game.
I've seen Duran several times live and I don't care what anybody says,
they're awesome - I think this raises a valid point about having your
opinion changed about acts after you see them do their thang in the flesh ;)
>
> James Morrison - Even worse live than on record. Whiny, tedious,
> constipated shite. Ugh. If he was a game he'd be something with such a
> horrible control scheme that it would get binned before the tutorial was
> over.
>
> Andrew Lloyd Webber - I'm sorry, but I really enjoyed the Joseph bit at
> the end. Donny! Jason! Lee! Yay! The other stuff I wasn't much bothered
> by, but it was good to see Connie. If it was a game, it would be Super
> Smash Brothers.
>
> Bryan Ferry - Snore. Crowd loved him. I didn't. If he was a game, he'd
> be Need for Speed Carbon. Twenty years at number one, but why?
I can imagine - he's a lounge singer, not a stadium singer...
>
> Elton John - I don't care what anyone says, he fucking rocked. He's not
> someone I own any records by, never really wanted to, but he fucking
> works live. A surprise. If he was a game he'd be Flatout: Ultimate Carnage.
He is fucking awesome and he has a damned good back catalogue which I
highly recommend.
>
> English National Ballet - Um, yes. Looked nice. Sometimes I almost felt
> like I was close to getting it, to having ballet click for me, but the
> feeling kept fading. If they were a game they'd be one of those arty
> freeware shoot-em-ups that don't quite work, but which everyone regards
> in awe.
>
> The Feeling - Sounded pretty bad, quality-wise, but were pleasant
> enough. If they were a game, they'd be something charming with good
> design, but glitchy and a bit broken.
>
> Fergie - Meh. She didn't sing about her humps, so I don't care. If she
> was a game, she'd be a Mario spin-off game, but not a good one.
>
> Joss Stone - Fucking awful. Murdered Under Pressure. If she was a game
> she'd be a scratched up second hand disc that refused to load.
>
> Lily Allen - All right, I suppose. Sound was a bit of a mess,
> unfortunately. If she was a game she'd be a nice colorful Live Arcade
> game, which you spend 800 points on but hardly play.
>
> Kanye West - Another big surprise, he fucking rocked. I may investigate
> his recorded works now. Brilliant. If he was a game he'd be some
> mega-budget EA game that everyone expects to be rubbish, but which turns
> out to be one of the best games ever.
I'm now tempted to investigate this guy as I keep hearing good things
from everyone.
>
> Nelly Retardo - Ugh. If she was a game she'd be one of those small-label
> budget titles with a generic titles like Bowling or Shooting,
> inexplicably released at far price.
>
> Natasha Bedingfield - These Words is one of the greatest songs ever
> written. She didn't do that one. If she was a game she'd be The Legend
> of Zelda 2.
>
> P. Diddy - Oddly impressive. Strangely commanding presence, given he was
> about two millimetres tall and spouting shite. Must have some sort of
> charisma thing going on, which would explain his success, given that
> he's a terrible, terrible rapper and can't say I've ever been blown away
> by his production. If he was a game he'd be one of those games you can't
> stop playing, even though you're really not enjoying yourself.
He is literally about 5'2" and is allegedly quite a fan of the pink
oboe, which would do wonders for his reputation :p
>
> Orson - Worst sound of the day. Huge slabs of noise crushing what may
> have been a couple of their hits. If they were a game they'd be a
> half-decent licensed platformer through an RF connection... while some
> workmen knock down your house around you. Biggest walk out of the day.
>
> Rod Stewart - I never, ever thought I'd say what I'm about to say. Rod
> Stewart was great. I'd planned to get some food during his set. I went
> hungry. Songs so over-familiar that under normal circumstances they make
> me want to tear my ears off somehow became something special at the
> concert. Weird, scary and awesome. If he was a game he'd be Resident
> Evil 4, something that turns out to be a great game against all
> expectations.
He's doing a Greatest Hits tour, and even though I have none of his
records I wonder if maybe I /Should/ go and see him
>
> Pharrell Williams - Despite being great he prompted the second biggest
> walk-out of the day. I did despair of middle England at that point.
> "Listen to the man! He's dropping it like it's hot!" I nearly shouted.
> But didn't. If he was a game he'd be Giga Wing.
>
> Take That - Very good and it was very, very funny when Gary asked the
> crowd to sing along during Back for Good and was greeted with complete
> silence. If they were a game they'd be Sonic Rivals.
I do marvel at a lot of performers inability to intelligently interact
with their audiences - I know we're all capable of being unfunny and off
form on any given day - but we don't get up on stage and interact with
audiences for a living. I was at a UFO gig at Chepstow castle last night
(they were highly impressive, even overcoming the shit weather) - and
the support act though quite good though a little 'heavy' for my taste,
we're trying to do that one half of the audience trying to out shout the
other and I started thinking about nursery school and wishing the eejit
would shut up and get on with the fucking gig.
>
> Roger Hodgson of Supertramp - I'll be nice and just say that it was a
> good time to take a toilet break. If he was a game he'd be one of those
> ones that you never notice - you might download the demo, but you'd
> never get around to playing it.
>
> Status Quo - One song was enough, thanks. But it was fun - it was! - and
> prompted the biggest crowd reaction of the day, I think, apart from
> David Beckham's appearance as a guest presenter. If they were a game
> they'd be Gran Turismo HD - short, sweet, but despite the fancy graphics
> very old up close.
>
> Tom Jones - Tom Jones. With Joe Perry on guitar. Doing the Arctic
> Monkeys. Even inviting "Josh" Stone on stage didn't ruin his set. The
> man's a fucking god. If he was a game he'd be Doom - iconic and aging well.
You sound like a proper Taff now. Look yew!
>
[ste parker]
> Zomoniac the Monkey was never naughty:
>
>>> Crackdown (360). Cars and guns. GTA wannabe with jumpyness. Can't be
>>> arsed. Back to gamesfrenzy it goes.
>> By virtue of actually being fun.
>
> Fun for values of fun including but not limited to "not". Follow the map
> to some people. Shoot them. Do a race. Follow the map to someone else.
> Shoot him too. Yawn.
>
Yawn indeed. I totally ignored doing any of that for a good 15-20 hours
I reckon, and had bags of fun.
--
[ste]
hurricanepilot
>On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:18:11 +0100, hurricanepilot wrote:
>
>
>>
>> I found that standing in the shower for hours at a time helped me kick
>> the habit. I decided that everytime I got a craving, I'd do something
>> that I wouldn't ever associate with smoking, and that was all I could
>> think of. It took 1 week before the cravings turned into an easily
>> controllable want.
>
>I cut out journey smokes first, then the pre-work post-work cigarette. Then
>I was down to about 3 a day so it wasn't too difficult to quit. I found
>that I really started to dislike smoking slowly.
Every attempt I made to quit via rationing ended with my sly smoker
brain outfoxing my rather gullible non-smoker brain with blatantly
empty promises.
DBSnappa
You said it. The epiphany comes when you realise a few things.
Acknowledge that you do want to stop. Knock it off with the denial and
delusion and actually look your fears in the face, then in a fit of
positivity focus on all the benefits if not smoking (there aren't any in
it's favour). Then prepare yourself mentally to push aside the craving -
that isn't hard in itself as you well know - the dangerous time is a
couple of months down the line when you get to that 'just one won't
hurt' moment. This is where you have to have the mental strength and
fortitude to say no and remind yourself right there and then why you
bloody well stopped in the first place. Have a program to help with the
passage of time. Also, everytime you get a craving, acknowledge it, take
a deep breath and remind yourself it's better not to smoke.
Also, here's a biggie. Like being an alcoholic, even if you stop, you're
still an alcoholic. You will always be a smoker Chris, it's simply your
choice not to practice. This makes it easier to stay off them as you're
constantly reinforcing this mindset of being a non-smoking smoker.
Keep your fingers crossed that they invent 'while you wait' lungs heart
and artery replacements in our lifetime :p
>
>> However, the pub thing doesn't overly
>>> affect me these days - if they'd introduced the ban 10 years ago I'm
> sure
>>> I'd have been a lot more militant. Anyway, if you do go for stopping,
> best
>>> of luck with it.
>> He still has time on his side. Stopping <25 means that his system will
>> make a full recovery. Yours and mine won't ever fully recover,
>> particularly the undue strain on the heart caused by smoking.
>
> Heh, you mean you haven't done that thing that's peculiar to smokers where
> the age keeps slipping? I always used to say that so long as I stopped
> before 25, no long term harm would be done. Over the years that's migrated
> to 30, 35 and now 40. :\
>
> I've already promised the people who matter to me that I'll have another go
> at stopping this year. I really hope that I'm srong enough to see it through
> this time.
>
>
The right time is now. Give the fags to the local hoodies ;)
deKay
2007 16:19:26 +0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk "WCZ" <Dav1...@willnotwork.com>
fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>Your kids would be less likely to smoke if they
>see how stupid their Dad looks with a fag in his hand.
IFYP :)
Chris Stevens
> >
> > I know what you mean about the health side of it. Even at the most
> > superficial level, you feel a huge difference within days of stopping.
> > Unfortunately, I've gone through it all so many times that I know that
> > just
> > that feeling isn't enough to keep me off them. I need some kind of
massive
> > mental slap in the face to wake me up to the harm that I'm doing in a
way
> > that overcomes all the self-deluding crap.
>
> Well you could always wait until you have lung cancer I suppose. Would
that
> be a big enough slap?
That was sort of what I was getting at. Perhaps something a little less
fatal, but evidence up to this point in time suggests that it's going to
take something like this.
> Where do you smoke at home? What impact would you giving up have on your
> home life, family etc. Your kids would be less likely to smoke if they
> don't see how cool there Dad looks with a fag in his hand. Maybe thinking
> outside of yourself would help you find reasons for stopping?
To be fair, my kids hardly ever see me smoke. I smoke a lot during work
hours, and especially travelling to/from work, but at home it's fairly
limited. Also, I always leave the house to smoke, even if it's just outside
the back door (hence my occasional disappearences mid-session when playing
on live).
I'm not short on reasons for stopping, and can't think of a single one for
continuing. Unfortunately I'm not blessed with the rational type of
character that allows me to convert these reasons into action.
Reading back over this post, it strikes me how pathetic it all sounds. Hence
I will now shut up about it - nothing I can say justifies my position, and I
know that.
Chris.
GT: SomethingWitty
DBSnappa
thinking about it for a good while to get it clear in your head why -
then just stop - don't cut down - just stop.
Paul Tomlin
says...
> PLAY
Trusty Bell (360) - AKA Eternal Sonata.
Sod retro games. The demo and the online videos really, really don't
prepare you for exactly how pretty this game really is. It's not that
it's particularly acomplished technically - if you look carefully, you
can definately see a few corners being cut - but the visual design is
absolutely amazing from the start, and it repeatedly outdoes itself with
each new town.
Thats not to say that it's only got visuals going for it, mind you. The
combat does, perhaps, get a little repetitive early on, though they add
to the system spordically throughout that game, and the increased
variation in monsters later on improves things. I suppose it's no worse
than every other RPG around, but since it's a semi-active, semi-
turnbased set-up it is a bit more noticable, though by the same virtue
it doesn't really give you enough time to care too much since even when
you are being attacked you have to time your defence. Regardless, it
never really feels like a chore to play (unlike, say, Blue Dragon) and I
rarely avoid the easily bypassable encounters.
Everything else about the game is fantastic, though.
Also - Jouji Nakata.
> WANT
One of the US EB/Gamespot exclusive pre-order Eternal Sonata 360
faceplates. Bloody 'merkins and their sexy pre-order bonuses.
> BIN
Having to go to work, therefore having not played any more TB today.
Chris Whitworth
> In article <5errdtF...@mid.individual.net>, the_rev_y...@hotmail.com
> says...
>
>> PLAY
>
> Trusty Bell (360) - AKA Eternal Sonata.
>
> Sod retro games. The demo and the online videos really, really don't
> prepare you for exactly how pretty this game really is. It's not that
> it's particularly acomplished technically - if you look carefully, you
> can definately see a few corners being cut - but the visual design is
> absolutely amazing from the start, and it repeatedly outdoes itself with
> each new town.
>
> Thats not to say that it's only got visuals going for it, mind you. The
> combat does, perhaps, get a little repetitive early on, though they add
> to the system spordically throughout that game, and the increased
> variation in monsters later on improves things. I suppose it's no worse
> than every other RPG around, but since it's a semi-active, semi-
> turnbased set-up it is a bit more noticable, though by the same virtue
> it doesn't really give you enough time to care too much since even when
> you are being attacked you have to time your defence. Regardless, it
> never really feels like a chore to play (unlike, say, Blue Dragon) and I
> rarely avoid the easily bypassable encounters.
I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU.
That is all.
Chris
--
Gamertag: parm * BRING BACK BLUE SKY IN GAMES *
"Back when I was young, we had to travel back in time to put the tape in so
the game would load before we died."
James Sutherland
> PLAY
Megaman ZX (DS) - Despite the crappy map system, this is actually really
good. I've finished it now on easy, and I'm playing through again on normal
with the second character. The Metroid-like structure works very well for
Megaman, which has always had the idea of getting abilities from killing
bosses. Just now, they're used to get to new map areas as well as for doing
more damage. Really looking forward to Mega Man ZX Advent now, which sounds
like it fixes the main problems I had with the game. Hopefully, they'll
leave the voices in for the western release this time, too, rather than
stripping them almost entirely out (presumably to save on cart space).
Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - Though not much, as Megaman took over a bit.
> WANT
My DS flash cart to turn up. I might even do some homebrew stuff for it.
It's such a lovely system to develop for.
> BIN
The smell of floodwater.
RichGK
> A fag with my pint. (RL)
> Sorry, but as much as the smoking ban is perfectly sensible, and no-one
> could realistically argue against it, it's a sad day for us
> beer-drinking-smokers. :(
>
I buy a packet of nuts when out for a drink and eventually I went to the
pub thinking of a pint and bag of nuts instead of a pint and a fag :)
RichGK
> PLAY
Doom on 360 - it's still a great game.
Forza 2 - Only about a 1/4 of the way through but I don't want to sicken
myself of it too early!
Catalan
> WANT
Mass Effect
Sensible World of Soccer (360)
> BIN
Prince of Persia - The combat is simply random it seems.
Paul Murray
>> PLAY
Forza 2 (360)
Very very good, and much more appealing once you have a few people on your
friends lists to compare times against. Have to use a website to work out
what setup to use for each car though.
Enchanted Arms (360)
Which almost defines averageness.
A team have gone through countless other RPGs and pulled out what they think
are the important bits to put them all into this game, and somehow forgotten
any innovation or spirit. And yet I am still enjoying it.
However, the dialog and voice acting is possibly the worst in any game I've
played. This is a much better game when you set the voice volume to 0 and
mash A to get through all the cutscenes without reading them.
>> WANT
My first GamesFrenzy games to arrive. Following some recommendations here I
thought I'd try them out, hopefully to reduce...
>> BIN
Buying things for the sake of buying things.
I have over a dozen games I've never even put in the machine to play, and yet
I still can't resist buying more. Hopefully renting will take some of the
edge off this need.
Chris Whitworth
> On 2007-07-02, Chris Stevens <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote:
>>> PLAY
>
> Which almost defines averageness.
> A team have gone through countless other RPGs and pulled out what they think
> are the important bits to put them all into this game, and somehow forgotten
> any innovation or spirit. And yet I am still enjoying it.
> However, the dialog and voice acting is possibly the worst in any game I've
> played. This is a much better game when you set the voice volume to 0 and
> mash A to get through all the cutscenes without reading them.
I lost patience with it when it kept claiming my disc was unreadable. I
quite enjoyed it up until that point, though.
hurricanepilot
>Enchanted Arms (360)
>Which almost defines averageness.
>A team have gone through countless other RPGs and pulled out what they think
>are the important bits to put them all into this game, and somehow forgotten
>any innovation or spirit. And yet I am still enjoying it.
>However, the dialog and voice acting is possibly the worst in any game I've
>played. This is a much better game when you set the voice volume to 0 and
>mash A to get through all the cutscenes without reading them.
I recommend setting the audio to japanese and using subtitles, it
makes all the difference.
I think it's major flaw is that all the battles are over inside of
about 3 rounds. You get better attacks and more hitpoints as the game
goes on...so does the opposition...they cancel out. I'd have preferred
less fights with more strategy.
the middle section is quite boring as well, but the last 40% of the
game isn't as long as the percentage would suggest.
[ste parker]
> camera was cutting to people the crowd literally crying through
> laughter, it was painful. If this was a game it would be Big Rigs.
>
That's very harsh, I saw that bit and I wouldn't have said anyone I saw
was laughing at the performance.
--
[ste]
WCZ
I bet if there were 10000 gamerpoints for giving up you'd set fire to that
truck from Poland now. :-)
>
> Chris.
>
> GT: SomethingWitty
>
>
Paul Murray
> I think it's major flaw is that all the battles are over inside of
> about 3 rounds. You get better attacks and more hitpoints as the game
> goes on...so does the opposition...they cancel out. I'd have preferred
> less fights with more strategy.
I quite like the battle mechanic, the game it reminds me of most is
Xenosaga, but the frequency of random battles is completely over the
top, and the number of possible different encounters in each area is too
limited, so you end up fighting the exact same battle again and again.
With attacks always connecting, the the damage entirely deterministic,
the only variables become characters starting positions, which isn't
enough to stop the repetition becoming obvious.
Russell Marks
> PLAY
As I bought Atari Anthology and Activision Anthology (both PS2) last
week I ended up basically sticking with those, so it was all early-80s
arcade and 2600 stuff:
Black Widow (Arcade) - this is the first time I've been able to play
this with half-decent controls (though I can't think what the problem
was before), and it's definitely tough but quite a good Robotron
clone. Inevitably I could have lived without the player character
being a spider but it doesn't really bother me in this, probably
because it's a small indistinct green/red outline which looks more
like a squashed beetle. :-)
The game does suffer a bit from slowdown and some really strange
ideas, like varying barriers on the web which you can't move past but
baddies can, pushing eggs off the web before they hatch for a bonus
(fiddly enough that you can rarely manage it in time), and grenade bug
explosions which are far too big and will chain-react off each other
Missile-Command-style and often leave only a fraction of the screen
safe. It's also a bit frustrating that the attract mode instructions
explain so little of the game (unlike Robotron), leaving you to figure
out a lot for yourself. But the biggest problem I had with the game
was probably emulation-related - it seemed to limit the moving/firing
direction to eight-way (and I found the diagonals quite stubborn on
the sticks even with sensitivity at max) despite the attract mode
clearly showing analogue-ish control over both movement and firing.
Red Baron (Arcade) - another one I hadn't played with usable controls
before, and it's rather plain but reasonable enough for a crude 3D
shooter, a sort of Star Wars meets Battlezone with a hint of Scramble.
In fact I'm surprised this wasn't more of a hit than Battlezone, I
think they both date from 1980 and this seems like the better game to
me.
Yars' Revenge (2600) - I think I tried this briefly before but
couldn't really figure out how to play it. Having actually read the
instructions this time :-) it's not bad, certainly one of the better
2600 games. It needs more variety though, as it is it feels too much
like a weird version of Breakout or Warlords.
Space Duel (Arcade) - the two-ships-tethered-together mode is a bit
silly and doesn't really work. Playing it with a single ship instead,
it reminded me of Hyperoid. Well, to be fair it's not as good as that
really, but it's not bad for a basic Asteroids variant.
Tempest (Arcade) - a seriously good blaster which Tempest 2000 didn't
really add a whole lot to, though after a while it's hard not to miss
2000's jump powerup (and the music of course).
Major Havoc (Arcade) - strange combination of shooter and platformer,
unfortunately the platform bits quickly get far too hard. The real
killer problems with this are that you're punished for hitting the
walls/ceilings (which is more annoying than it sounds) and you get
sent right back to the beginning of the level if you lose a life.
Gravitar (Arcade and 2600) - it's not hard to see why this was a flop.
It mixed Spacewar, Joust, and Rescue (I think?) together and just
ended up as a crappy boring mess. The 2600 did get a good port, but
the game is still rubbish of course.
Centipede (Arcade and 2600) - not bad in both cases, but it's not the
sort of game that really holds your attention for long I'd say. And
while the single shot is understandable it quickly gets frustrating.
Millipede (Arcade and 2600) - an overcomplicated and unnecessary
sequel, and a bit too hard for its own good.
Missile Command (2600) - not the most exactingly faithful conversion
ever, but this was the first version I ever played and it's still
"real" Missile Command for me. Still a surprisingly good game too, and
IMHO more enjoyable than the arcade version.
Pitfall (2600) - not a bad platformer for the 2600 I suppose (if you
can call it a platformer) and the swinging vines are a nice touch, but
it's all quite repetitive and a bit boring really. And the time limit
was a stupid idea.
Pitfall 2 (2600) - completely new to me, I'd never played it before.
Despite looking similar to Pitfall this is quite an advance (shame the
vines are gone though) and it's a remarkably "big" game for the 2600;
the checkpoints and infinite retries are also very surprising for
something dating from 1984 and keep it really playable even now. It's
still a bit repetitive, not quite as big as first impressions suggest,
and I stumbled my way through to the end before long - but I did like
this one a lot. Easily one of the best 2600 games.
> WANT
Runabout 3 (PS2) to arrive.
> BIN
Point Blank 2 (PS1) - disappointing. It's annoyingly hard in a way I
don't remember Point Blank 3 being, and the story mode is weak and has
a very frustrating boss-like game which I just couldn't beat. Frankly
I can see why they dropped the story stuff for PB3.
The speccy version of Pitfall 2, which I tried briefly after the 2600
version. It looks like a bad-but-tolerable port at first, until you
actually try getting anywhere and realise just how broken it is.
2600 Pitfall 2 apparently being... well, maybe not rare as such, but
certainly a lot less common than I'd have liked. It's not like I ever
use my real 2600, admittedly, but if I ever did I'd definitely want to
have the cart. :-)
-Rus.
Toby Newman
> A few retro bits and pieces (MAME, mainly) - deKay's raving persuaded me to
> try Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, and... well, it's not as good as Puyo
> Puyo or Meaty-Ohs, so I'm basically not interested. Guwange is still all
> kinds of awesome. But my word, there's a lot of shit out there.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo For Matching Service is so much better
than Meteos it's almost unbearable.
--
-Toby
Add the word afiduluminag to the subject to circumvent my email filters.
Toby Newman
> Duck-Egg (RL)
> It's greeny blue, FFS. No amount of fancy name calling will make it anything
> else.
I bought some duck eggs last month as an experiment. I didn't enjoy them
because I couldn't shake the thought that I was eating the egg of an
animal that lives on mud from the bottom of a pond.
Toby Newman
> The Rev the Monkey was never naughty:
>> I'm very knackered after getting home very late because of going to see the
>> Concert for Diana thing. Dread to think what sort of code I'll be writing
>> today. Anyway...
>
> into Glasgow airport to watch any of that.
That wasn't the Concert for Diana? Dammit I was on the wrong channel
again.
Toby Newman
> deKay wrote:
>> Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Mon, 02 Jul
>> 2007 10:37:45 +0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
>> uk.games.video.misc, yawatina tan reek esk Zomoniac
>> <the_pro...@hotmail.com> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>>
>>>> It's not a platformer. There are no platforms, for a start.
>>> Except the one on which you start and finish every level.
>>
>> "The floor" != "A platform".
>>
>> Otherwise, 1942, Starfox, Choplifter and all sorts of other non-platformers
>> become platformers by your definition.
>>
>>>>> It's like Pandemonium with less variety and more collecting.
>>>> You haven't actually played it, have you?
>>> To completion.
>>
>> NiGHTS, or Pandemonium? Because unless the later levels of Pandemonium (I
>> haven't completed it) heavily involve flight and chaining, they're not even
>> similar.
>
> I meant the strange feeling of it being 3D, when in reality you're just
> going right all the time.
Aha, yes, like that great platformer "Border Down". ;)
Toby Newman
>> PLAY
> Centipede (Arcade and 2600) - not bad in both cases, but it's not the
> sort of game that really holds your attention for long I'd say. And
> while the single shot is understandable it quickly gets frustrating.
But it's so satisfying when you get close up to a mushroom and the rapid
fire kicks in! (I'm thinking of the "Sinister software" atari ST version
here).
Paul Murray
Forza 2 (360)
Very very good, and much more appealing once you have a few people on your
friends lists to compare times against. Have to use a website to work out
what setup to use for each car though.
Enchanted Arms (360)
Which almost defines averageness.
A team have gone through countless other RPGs and pulled out what they think
are the important bits to put them all into this game, and somehow forgotten
any innovation or spirit. And yet I am still enjoying it.
However, the dialog and voice acting is possibly the worst in any game I've
played. This is a much better game when you set the voice volume to 0 and
mash A to get through all the cutscenes without reading them.
>> WANT
My first GamesFrenzy games to arrive. Following some recommendations here I
thought I'd try them out, hopefully to reduce...
>> BIN
Buying things for the sake of buying things.
I have over a dozen games I've never even put in the machine to play, and yet
I still can't resist buying more. Hopefully renting will take some of the
edge off this need.
Newsgroups: rec.games.roguelike.misc
From: Paul Murray <pa...@murray.net>
Subject: YAVP: DoomRL 0.9.9 first win
Reply-To:
Followup-To:
Keywords:
Summary:
First win in any sort of roguelike, actually.
Final level came as something of a suprise, I hadn't realised
I was that far through the game. I had been collecting power
cells for the BFG, but never found one. Ammochain and a plasma
rifle mowed down most things.
Final fight was trivial, as I collected an invulerability globe
from the previous level just before descending and it didn't
run out.
A really fun little game, and suprising deep with the various
skills and weapon mods. The difficuly modes are a really good
idea, as it is satisfying to actually win, even on easy mode.
--------------------------------------------------------------
DoomRL (v.0.9.9) roguelike post-mortem character dump
--------------------------------------------------------------
Colin III, level 9 Former Human Private FC, defeated the Cyberdemon
on level 25 of the Phobos base.
He survived 121840 turns and scored 43392 points.
He played for 1 hour, 50 minutes and 32 seconds.
He was too young to die!
He killed 339 out of 363 hellspawn. (93%)
He held his right to remain violent.
-- Awards ----------------------------------------------------
UAC Bronze Badge
Scavenger Bronze Badge
-- Graveyard -------------------------------------------------
###########################################################
#..........................................................
#..........................................................
#...................................###....................
#...................................###....................
#............................###....###....................
#.............###............###...........................
#.............###............###...........................
#.............###......###..................###............
#......................###............#.....##.....###.....
#.....###..............###............#............###.....
#.....###............................##............###.....
#.....###..................................................
#..........................................................
#...........................|................###...........
#............###...........|.................###...........
#............###..........}.|................###...........
#............###....X......................................
#..........................................................
###########################################################
-- Statistics ------------------------------------------------
Health 86/50 Experience 39560/9
ToHit Ranged +0 ToHit Melee +0 ToDmg Ranged +2 ToDmg Melee +2
-- Traits ----------------------------------------------------
Finesse (Level 2)
Hellrunner (Level 2)
Son of a bitch (Level 2)
Whizkid (Level 1)
Triggerhappy (Level 1)
Ammochain (Level 1)
SoB->SoB->TH->Fin->Fin->WK->MAc->HR->HR->
-- Equipment -------------------------------------------------
[a] [ Armor ] red armor [4/4] (92%)
[b] [ Weapon ] advanced plasma rifle (1d8)x6 [40/40] (A3P1T1)
[c] [ Boots ] modified plasteel boots [8/8] (100%) (P)
[d] [ Prepared ] advanced rocket launcher (6d6) [1/1] (B1)
-- Inventory -------------------------------------------------
[a] modified rocket launcher (6d6) [0/1] (B1)
[b] modified plasma rifle (1d7)x6 [40/40] (A2)
[c] modified red armor [4/4] (174%) (B)
[d] red armor [4/4] (100%)
[e] rocket (x3)
[f] rocket (x10)
[g] rocket (x10)
[h] rocket (x10)
[i] power cell (x50)
[j] power cell (x50)
[k] power cell (x50)
[l] power cell (x50)
[m] power cell (x50)
[n] large med-pack
[o] large med-pack
[p] large med-pack
[q] large med-pack
[r] large med-pack
[s] phase device
[t] phase device
[u] agility mod pack
-- Kills -----------------------------------------------------
79 former humans
49 former sergeants
24 former captains
44 imps
36 demons
29 lost souls
21 cacodemons
14 barons of hell
1 Cyberdemon
10 hell knights
9 arachnotrons
5 former commandos
1 pain elemental
6 arch-viles
10 mancubi
1 revenant
-- History ---------------------------------------------------
He started his journey on the surface of Phobos.
On level 5 he stormed the Chained Court.
On level 10 he found Hell's Armory.
On level 14 he found the Plasma Shotgun!
On level 16 he found the AdvTech Weapon Pack!
On level 19 he entered the Vaults.
He came, he saw, but he left.
Then at last he found Phobos Arena!
On level 25 he finally defeated the Cyberdemon.
Chris Whitworth
> On 2007-07-02, Chris Stevens <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote:
>>> PLAY
Are you from the past?
Chris
--
Gamertag/Steam ID: parm PSN: PopeWiggles
Paul Murray
> On 2009-10-28, Paul Murray <pa...@murray.net> wrote:
>> On 2007-07-02, Chris Stevens <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote:
>>>> PLAY
> Are you from the past?
Ah, that's what happened to that post.
For some reason I am unable to post through my newsreader, so am doing
it directly through telnet. To get the headers and so on sorted out,
I attempt to post normally, then copy the failed post into the
telnet window. I must have pasted two posts in.
Toby Newman
> On 2009-10-28, Chris Whitworth <usenet...@parm.net> wrote:
>> On 2009-10-28, Paul Murray <pa...@murray.net> wrote:
>>> On 2007-07-02, Chris Stevens <ne...@thestevensfamily.plus.com> wrote:
>>>>> PLAY
>> Are you from the past?
>
> Ah, that's what happened to that post.
> For some reason I am unable to post through my newsreader, so am doing
> it directly through telnet. To get the headers and so on sorted out,
> I attempt to post normally, then copy the failed post into the
> telnet window. I must have pasted two posts in.
High five! That's dedication!
Your post confirms that Usenet will never die. :)