Tag Archives: retro

Gamer's Life

Revisiting Old Friends

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Image from Flickr User: lucy photography
Image from Flickr User: lucy photography

For the first time in my life, I have so many video games that I haven’t had need to replay any of them for quite a while.  And yet, for the strangest reason, I have recently had the urge to take a break from my backlog (which involves unplayed games I bought a year or more ago, mind you) and relive some of my older games.  The consoles I most want to revisit: the SNES and the GameCube.

It all began the day I found my Super Nintendo was dying, which I didn’t know until I decided I so desperately wanted to play Donkey Kong Country 2 again, after writing a post for my other blog on the top songs from the game.  Unable to play the game on its original console, I downloaded it onto the Wii and proceeded to enjoy some DK goodness.  After beating it (with 102%, proof that I still have mad-platforming skills), I then decided to play the original Pikmin again, and now I have a mighty urge to download and replay The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.  And it’s all very strange, really, because I have not been having much fun with my games lately.  I used to love playing new games, but, with the exception of Ni no Kuni on the PS3, the only fun I’ve had lately is when I decide to replay an older game from at least a decade ago. Continue reading Revisiting Old Friends →

Retro, Unforgettable

Unforgettable: Haunted Hall

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Screenshot by Flickr User: Nathalia Gotik
Screenshot by Flickr User: Nathalia Gotik

I recently had the delight of replaying one of my favorite video games, Donkey Kong Country 2, and I found it rather amusing that after all these years and after all these improvements in the world of gaming, none of the fun of DKC2 has been lost.  I don’t care if games nowadays are so much more advanced, the graphics are better, and we have nifty wireless controllers and giant, widescreen TVs.  DKC2, even compared to all the new technology we’re all so excited to try out, is still amazing.

And as I worked my way through the game, my response to it was still the same as when I first started playing it over a decade and a half ago.  The ghostly ropes in Ghostly Grove still freak me out.  The pirate-themed Kremlings are still pretty darn cool, and Dixie is adorable with her little juice box.  And I still feel the same rush of adrenaline when racing the Klanks in Rickety Race and the same tension when traversing, well, pretty much any lava level. Continue reading Unforgettable: Haunted Hall →

Console, Gamer's Life, Retro

The Fateful Day: What Happened to My SNES

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Image from Flickr User: lucy photography
Image from Flickr User: lucy photography

I was long proud to be one of those few lucky individuals who still had a working Super Nintendo.  The old gal served me for a good two decades before I started to notice something was a bit off.  The SNES was always a pretty reliable console.  It rarely froze.  On the large part, it just did what it was made to do.  (The only real issue was when I accidentally touched the cartridge while it was turning on and corrupted all my Donkey Kong Country 3 save files.  Woops.)  Until I started to notice it, this slight bounce in the picture.  Every few seconds, the screen would do a small bounce that I had never noticed before.  The games were still more than playable, but it was baffling.  And a bit worrying. Continue reading The Fateful Day: What Happened to My SNES →

Gamer's Life

If You Could Package Nostalgia

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Image from Flickr User: Shaunté Symone
Image from Flickr User: Shaunté Symone

I was recently introduced to Man Crates and tasked with writing a post about gaming nostalgia.  What is Man Crates, you ask?  Well, after checking out their site, I found that they sell some pretty cool gifts for dudes.  In crates.  That need to be opened with a good, old-fashioned crowbar.  Think of it like a hardcore gift basket. Continue reading If You Could Package Nostalgia →

Retro, Secrets/Extras

Overlooked: The Secret Krem Koin of DKC2

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Image from Flickr User: Lucas Matheus
Image from Flickr User: Lucas Matheus

You may have read a post I wrote about how I can be a naughty cheater sometimes. You may not have. Here’s a recap: I sometimes cheat at video games. Well, I once took my cheating to a whole new level in “Donkey Kong Country 2” many years ago, back when I was really cruddy at it (I mean, kruddy). For anyone who’s played this awesome game, you will know that there are these secret levels in the Lost World that can only be accessed by collecting Krem Koins and giving them to the buff and beefy (or beef and buffy, if you prefer) Klubba. Well, obtaining Krem Koins meant locating and completing all the mini games, which was just not an easy task. I mean, I might even go so far as to say it was downright difficult. Continue reading Overlooked: The Secret Krem Koin of DKC2 →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary

Retro Bound?

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Image by Flickr user kylebaker
Image by Flickr user kylebaker

As the beginning of 2014, you know how many games for which I was so incredibly excited I was counting down the minutes to the released dates? Exactly zero. That’s not to say I wasn’t looking forward to a few games (South Park: The Stick of Truth, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, and Fable Anniversary, for example), or that I was oblivious to the release of the likes of Titanfall, Thief, or other big budget titles. It’s just that nothing new really lit up all my gaming cylinders.

So here we are nine months later, and only one game has me all a’jittery – Dragon Age: Inquisition. It’s the only game this year that I’ve even thought of pre-ordering. And if I do get it, well…it’s still an if. (Though I probably will get it.)

Lately, I’ve been much more interested in less current games: older Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii games, as well many from generations long gone. It’s not that current games aren’t awesome and all, it’s just that…that…well… Continue reading Retro Bound? →

General Commentary

EGX Rezzed- My Highlights

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Screenshot by Flickr User: Alien: Isolation
Screenshot by Flickr User: Alien: Isolation

So over the weekend EGX Rezzed was held at the NEC in Birmingham and i was lucky enough to be able to get myself down to it on the Friday. For those who are unaware of what Rezzed is the way i describe it is like a more indie based Eurogamer, although this year for the first time they did showcase some more ‘Mainstream’ console games, I thought as a little summary of the event i’d talk about a few games that impressed me, and just my general impressions of the event.
The first game that i got to see in action was Hotline Miami 2, a game which is very hard to describe, in it’s most basic form it is a retro shooter which sees you going into buildings and flushing out the bad guys, and by flushing out i mean killing. There were a couple of things that made this game stand out a lot for me, firstly how simple the game was, it’s nice to know that the days of basic gaming aren’t over, there is nothing complicated here, just move around and attack, that’s all there really is to it. The next thing that i liked was the games ‘vibe’ they really have nailed the retro feel and the music matches this, i really did feel like i could have been in an arcade from 25 years ago, and that’s a good thing! The last thing that stood out to me was the unforgiving nature of the game, one shot and you’re dead, although this can be a bit frustrating it’s part of the games charm, and it means that when you do clear a zone it feels very satisfying. After the show when i got home i actually downloaded the first Hotline Miami and i can say that it also has all these qualities, if you’re looking for some old school, fun gaming this may well be a good shout.

Video from Youtube User: DevolverDigital

Continue reading EGX Rezzed- My Highlights →