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Game File

Gaming: Then vs Now

OK, this is going to be hard. I have to write this and not sound like I’m a great-grandfather, talking to a room full of small children about how back in the day everything was better. Here we go: back in the day, everything was better.  Seriously though, it was. I’ll break it down to a couple of different categories and then you tell me if I’m lying. Oh and just to specify, when I say “back in the day,” I mean Nintendo up to the PlayStation 1 cause I grew up on Jampack demos and Final Fantasy VII. I’m only 28, I’m not THAT old—geez.

Graphics: NOW

I’m going to go ahead and get this out of the way and give “now” it’s one point. The graphics on games these days are mind numbing. I can remember playing Madden ‘95 with my dad and thinking, “man, how can it get any better than this?” Flash forward to Madden 15 and there’s just no comparison. Everything from water effects in BioShock to creating detailed characters in the WWE series (not so much 2K15 but that’s neither here nor there) are light years ahead of what could be produced on the older consoles. Just as a point of comparison, consider this: going from PS3 to PS4, Killzone went from 10,000 polygons per character to upwards of 40,000 polygons. Gaming works in leaps and bounds.

Soundtracks: THEN

There cannot be an argument for this. Find the most digitally out of touch person you can and I bet they can hum the Super Mario theme. Check the CD cases of some gamers you know. I’ll bet money a majority of them have a Final Fantasy soundtrack in there somewhere. Games these days have music, but it’s just not the same. You don’t hum these new songs all day. You don’t know the names of the songs. Your mind doesn’t jump to that moment in a game when you hear these new songs, because they’re just cycled over and over. It’s not like “One Winged Angel” or the “Underwater Theme” from Mario. They’re just ambiance tracks at best, but usually nothing more than background noise.

Stories: TIE

The only reason I have to go with a tie here is because for as many amazing stories as there were in the Super Nintendo, Genesis, PS1 days, there were just as many ridiculous ones. Seriously, the story for Mario is just about as acid-trippy as you can get. On the other hand, even when more recent games have less than stellar stories—I’m going to call out Diablo III for this one—it still makes more sense than a plumber stomping on turtles for the sake of anything, much less a princess. At least Link was from that world. He has a sword and…just nevermind. Either way, THEN has Zelda, Final Fantasy and Suikoden and NOW has Mass Effect, God of War and Skyrim. I think we all make out pretty well here.

Gameplay: THEN

There was no better time for ‘easy to play, hard to master’ than back in the day. With the entire gaming world dumbing down to reach a wider audience, you see IPs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age start as dial based, hotkey games focused on strategy over flash, which become more streamlined with sequels built like an American action movie. Not that I don’t  enjoy all the iterations of those games, but they so clearly cut much of the details to get you to fight more and think less. There was no “think less” on SNES. There was no auto save on PS1. There was get it right or be stuck forever. Could most people beat Mega Man X? Sure they could. Could everyone get the Hadoken in Mega Man X? NO! You had to grind for that. You had to learn to use your powers, jump at just the right times, and search a little bit harder than you really needed to if you wanted it. There was no codex/journal/anything that told you to look out for these things either. You either looked or you didn’t. That’s the difference people. There was no dumb down for us. It was greatness or bust.

*check out Caleb Hart crush Mega Man X in this speed run*

Fun Factor: THEN

First of all, some of you may not recognize this category. It’s from a magazine called Game Pro and you missed out. Anyway, I play games for fun, not headaches. No matter what the genre, I feel like I should have fun. From Vandal Hearts to Motor Toon Grand Prix, WWF In Your House to Power Stone, Lufia to Joe Montana Football, I had fun. I was very rarely bored with a game I owned or even games my friends owned. Pit Fighter was a TERRIBLE game on both the Genesis and the SNES, but my friends and I had the time of our lives playing it. I have difficulty saying that about Def Jam Icon or Too Human. There was just a different vibe back then that the machine of consumerism has kind of sucked out of the creative process. Unfortunately, you won’t get another Bubsy 3D. It’s not unfortunate because it was a groundbreaking or amazing game; it was actually pretty bad, but my childhood was better for having played it.
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*Wallpaperflembot (what a name) braves through five minutes of gameplay from Bubsy 3D*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a1fYX7vvtM

 

Variety: THEN

Let’s take the genre of fighting games. THEN has Power Stone, Killer Instinct, Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and Bushido Blade. These are just off the top of my head and trying to pick games that have strong differences in gameplay (which is why Guilty Gear and Soul Caliber are not on the list). NOW has continuations of the majority of the aforementioned games and various copies (like Guilty Gear) or copies of copies (like BlazBlue). You want to find something interesting and unique? Check out a game on the PS1 called Evilzone. I’ve never seen anything like it since. What about Tobal #1 or Ehrgeiz, which fused an actual adventure mode into a fighting game instead of the traditional arcade mode story. They beat Tekken to the punch, that’s for sure. If all you played was a specific genre back then, you could be OK. You could see a wide variety of play styles, controls and characters without stepping out of your comfort zone. In sports, there was a time when Deion Sanders Primetime Football, Joe Montana Football, Bill Walsh College Football, Madden, Mutant League Football and Tecmo Bowl were ALL poppin’ at the same time, and when Quarterback Club came out, my brother and I got that too. NOW is too weighted down with legalities, deadlines and other soul-killing ‘machine’ jargon that most developers are afraid to take the steps into left field they once did. NOW can’t touch THEN on variety in any way, shape or form.

Licensing: THEN

It is generally understood that games based on licensed properties (e.g. movies, TV shows, etc.) are destined to bomb. This was not always a foregone conclusion. Debate me if you dare, but Aladdin on the SNES was high fun. As a matter of fact, most of the Disney games were fun. Space Jam, so good. That’s not to say it was going to replace NBA Live as a yearly series, but it was a fun game. Spiderman’s Maximum Carnage and Separation Anxiety are still two of the most fun beat ’em ups I’ve played outside of Turtles in Time (another solid use of licensing) and Streets of Rage (not licensing, but classic all the same). Compared to the flops we’ve seen in more recent years, like Aliens: Colonial Marines and pretty much anything that comes from Cartoon Network and hits consoles, we see that graphics can’t save everything.

Durability: THEN

Seriously, I can still plug in a Nintendo right now and it’s going to work. There are Xbox 360s that came out of the box broken. You just can’t compare the lasting ability of a cartridge vs CDs. I was the WORST at taking care of my games, but as long as I had strong lungs and—in extreme cases—a Q-tip, I was good to go. When we came to the disc era, I definitely had to tighten up because a scratch or two in the wrong place meant the end. No matter how skilled I was, if the game froze mid cut scene, I’m not beating that game. Even with the Dreamcast and PS1 being a part of THEN, it still doesn’t match up to the disc-read errors, red rings, yellow lights and internet outages of NOW.

kid blowing into a Nintendo cartridge
I later learned that I might be doing more damage than good, but who can argue with results. It worked EVERY time. *picture credit retrogamenetwork.com*

There’s so much more that I can get into, so many other games that I’ve played, so many more amazing childhood memories that we could be here all day. The point of all this is, THEN gets the W. Do we love the new technology of today with its fancy graphics and updated rosters and such? Of course we do or we wouldn’t still play them. Comparatively speaking though, it’s just not the same anymore, and it’s not simply because we’ve grown up. When anything creative, be it music, art, or gaming, starts to become a major industry, it has the potential to collapse in on itself. When money is the motive, as it understandably is for these Fortune 500 companies, there is less freedom in expression. Those who do leap, do so into the shadows of bigger marketing and development budgets. Could a small team recreate something like Bushido Blade in this day and age? Possibly, but that small team has to eat. It’s hard out here, and the harder it gets, the more likely it is to become uniform. Support those indie devs like Drinkbox Studios and Polytron, or the landscape of gaming could get pretty monochromatic.

So, now that I’m done with my rather morbid final word, I’m absolutely sure you’re either cheering with tears in your eyes, planning to dig up your old systems and hug them, or you’re foaming at the mouth waiting to systematically tell me how I’m wrong (you can reach me @AceofSpades1245). Either way, you’re right. I’m so clearly biased it’s almost painful, but I made some good points. Maybe made you look back and have a couple laughs; probably gave you a point of discussion for you and your friends. I’ll take that as a win. You’re welcome.

Gaming: I does this
Gaming: I does this

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Game File, Games and Software

The Hardest Video Games of 2014?

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Instead of doing the usual “Best Video Games of the Year” list, the people at Console Deals listed the most difficult games of 2014: Watch Dogs, P.T., Dark Souls, Destiny, Five Nights at Freddy’s and Mercenary Kings. A couple of the games listed (P.T. and Dark Souls) I agree with, but Watch Dogs? I guess being able to practice my getaway skills (GTA) beforehand prepared me. I would definitely add Rogue Legacy to the list. The game is hard, but so very addictive.

What do you think about this list? Did Console Deals miss any games?
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Infograph of the Hardest Games of 2014
Hardest Games of 2014

Game File, Games and Software, Random Giga

Is There Any Hope for Capcom?

Before I outline where Capcom has made mistakes, let me say just how big of a fan I am of its games. Some of my favorite games of all time were made by Capcom: Resident Evil 4, Megaman X, and Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse. Seeing the Capcom label makes me happy, and it is one of of my top five game companies.

However,  Capcom needs to reconsider a few things.

funny-street-fighter-ryu-cheat-codes-comic-pics
Every now and again Ryu needs a refresher I guess. Is this why there are so many games?

STREET FIGHTER

Being a huge fighting-game fan, there has always been a special place in my heart for Street Fighter. Unfortunately, recent games in the series seem to just repackage the game, while it still lacks the game modes, extras, and overall attention the franchise deserves. Fighting games have been lacking in these areas for the past seven to eight years. In fact, the last fighting game I considered worth full price was Soul Calibur 2, which had a great roster, unlockable weapons, and an abundance of game types. Hell, even Capcom knows this, which is obvious in the newest piece of downloadable content for Dead Rising 3.

To find Ryu, Chun-Li, and Blanka a new home would be strange, but there is one company that could do it best: Arc System Works, the brilliant minds behind Guilty Gear and Blazblue.

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They gave this partner a gun and it doesn’t make her less whiny?!

RESIDENT EVIL

Resident Evil has been plagued with a choppy plot, stiff gameplay, and terrible voice acting to the point that these features are almost a staple.  It’s surprising that these games were once considered revolutionary and scary. Probably the most aggravating part of these games are the fixed camera angles, often resulting with a zombie eating the player’s face unfairly. More times than not, the controls would not react as quickly and I would find myself battling the game’s mechanics rather than its monsters.

The last shining gem in the series for me is Resident Evil 4, a game that surpassed the expectations of pretty much every game magazine at the time. In typical Capcom flair, two games have been made in that style so far and they’re often put down. Proving that more of the same doesn’t necessarily work, especially when more action is added in a horror game. The last games felt more like a poorly made Gears of War.

From Software should jump on owning Resident Evil.  Opening up the world of Resident Evil and filling it with danger would return the game back to its scary roots, while adding a new level of challenge.

Fighting the Lagiacrus is like running head first into a brick wall.
Fighting the Lagiacrus is like running head first into a brick wall.

MONSTER HUNTER

Monster Hunter follows a simple, rather ingenious formula: players kill monsters, to get loot, to make better stuff, to kill bigger monsters, and so on. It’s a game that focuses on gameplay, letting everything else simply fall into place. Unfortunately, I’ve always thought Monster Hunter felt a little bare-bones. The world, while it looks vast, is actually small and contained in a few maps. The graphics are lacking compared to almost every other game on the market. Gameplay seems to be more hindering than innovative, probably because each game is released on a handheld or lacks an extra thumbstick. Monster Hunter needs to expand, without losing the gameplay that works.

Bethesda is one of the best companies when it comes to an open world. It would add so much to the Monster Hunter franchise.
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Hey, now here's an idea.
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MEGAMAN

Capcom’s flagship character Megaman was leaps and bounds ahead of other games. The NES and SNES titles were expertly designed in gameplay, visuals, and sound. The problem with this character was the over-saturation of titles. Capcom has a tendency to latch onto something that works and milk it dry. There were six Megaman games on the NES alone and way too many with Megaman’s name.

Sure, Capcom did play around with different game-styles for the Blue Bomber, and Megaman Battle Network redesigned the hero, turning him into a program and changing the game into a fairly interesting RPG; however, with so many sequels, versions, and translation errors, Megaman Battle Network didn’t have the energy to carry on.

So who would give Megaman the revival he needs? Considering Mighty No. 9 is picking up where Megaman left off, this team should want to put Megaman in the best possible light. Even though they also have a tendency to assault dead horses, Nintendo would actually be a good (but risky) fit.

Think about what system the cancelled Megaman Legends 3 was set to come out on: the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo does consider its fans, even as many still shout for Mother 3 or yet another Zelda. Nintendo could revive that project and bring a console-selling title to their library.

Capcom messed up, a lot. Mostly  due to them pumping out game after game of their major franchises without changing much. How many versions of Street Fighter 2 are there? Just counting different updates—not the spin-offs and whatnot—there are seven. Why Capcom does this is beyond my capacity to figure out. Sure, I love its characters and many of the games, but there’s a logical point to stop and try something new.

Capcom has what it takes to make great games, but instead chooses to ignore that more often than not. Hopefully whatever purchases are made will benefit each franchise.

Till then, I’ll happily fire up my SNES to blast away Chill Penguin.

Megaman_X_VS_Chill_Penguin_by_Dragonfly929

 

 

 

 

Game File, Games and Software, Tech World

Sigh . . . E3 2014

You may have noticed the  lack of E3 fan fair (unlike most geeky sites) on Giga. I must admit, it’s my fault. After covering E3 (from the comfort of my home) for the past two years, I have grown a bit numb and have lost much interest in the great spectacle that is the Electronic Entertainment Expo. No, I’m not jealous of the lucky people who get to peruse the upcoming games, take pictures with  booth babes, swim through crowds of people, and stand in long lines for hours, nor have I lost interest in my geekiness. I guess . . . I guess I just don’t care.

Or maybe I just don’t like to be repeatedly teased and roused for 30 seconds for games I may not see for years or ever. When a game is about a month away from its release, go ahead and announce it, get me excited, but if it’s still a year in the making, don’t make me hate you. If it sounds interesting, I’ll still try it out; I don’t need six years to decide whether or not I’m interested in a game. Don’t get me wrong, seeing an awesomesauce trailer or some great gameplay can be entertaining, but what if what you see is not the final product (i.e. Forza or Aliens: Colonial Marines)?

The drama, hype, and pageantry surrounding E3 isn’t very appealing either. Console against console, company against company, who had the best press conf—sigh. All this hype to watch a guy (most of the time) give a stiff delivery of a memorized script. The attempts to throw in an awkward joke or two makes me cringe. The press conferences are always so mechanical rather than being relaxed and fun, like a bunch of friends talking about cool sh**. Cheesy? Yes, but I’m sure it would be better than what we’re getting now. Even Aisha Tyler tried her best to pump some life into E3 2012.
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Checking my Facebook feed was enough for me, and I was still excited when something interesting popped up. Honestly, if someone stood on a stage and read a list of games along with headlines from any media outlet covering E3 (i.e. “Your PS4 Friends Don’t Need Far Cry 4 to Play Far Cry 4,” “The Last of Us: Remastered PS4 Release Date Announced,” “The New Zelda Is Open-World, Looks Absolutely Incredible,” “Bloodborne Is Coming to PS4 Straight From the Minds of Dark Souls”) I would be quite satisfied.

Maybe when I’m finally able to go, I’ll be more excited and understand the greatness of E3. Til then, I’ll continue to write about the indie games that deserve a moment in the spotlight.

Adventure, Game File, Indie Pennant, Multiplayer

Indie Game Alert: Keipr Online

p8c I am officially addicted to learning about new and upcoming indie games. They always have pieces of what makes video games great, then builds on them with new and great ideas. When I was introduced to Keipr (pronounced kai.per) Online, I was excited to see what new concepts this game would introduce. My first thought when I visited the Indie DB site was “I NEED this game.” The team at Goon Studios promises Keipr Online will be a completely open world where players can become and do pretty much anything they want.

This will be a MMO sandbox game: No mini map, no way point, just you and thousands of other players trying to create an adventure. Players start off as a planetary colonist whose star ship (Keipr) has crashed. After waking up from a cryo sleep, what you do with your life is completely your choice. You can start a business, become a criminal, or run your own town. If you like to live dangerously, you can become a bounty hunter and travel the world on your ship; it’s all up to the you. Keipr_City Players will also have some creative control by voting on what the developers should add into the game next. Submarines, space ships, castle sieges (yes, you can build a castle and be a king if you want), and alien invasions can all be a part of Keipr Online, if players want the tools to create them. Modders will also be able to contribute their skills.

KO

The world looks beautiful and the potential for this much freedom makes me so very happy, but I need to know more: How far will the Goons take it? Will players be able to start a family? If players decide to be shop owners, is that all they will do the entire game or will they have objectives also? How much freedom will modders have? Creating a completely open world is always tough—especially when there is a wide range of gamers developers have to to appeal to—and not everyone can pull it off (*cough* Rockstar *cough*). I really hope Goon Studios can keep its promise. If they do, this game will be epic. I can’t wait.

Keipr Online: Making of 3D Creature

Keipr Online is set to be released sometime in 2014. Unfortunately, there is no demo yet, but you can watch videos and see pictures of the game on Indie DB. On the Goon Studios website, you can get some tips on the indie process, learn about the team, and get up-to-date news on their blog. Make sure to show your support on Steam, Twitter, and Facebook.

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