Your Gaming Diary 2022

[drahkon]

2 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

give Extinction a go

Bought it, played it for a few minutes and it already improves so much on the first game. It's great  

[Glen-i]

11 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Bought it, played it for a few minutes and it already improves so much on the first game. It's great  

H-o-T's comment on the visuals of the original made me laugh. It might look like a mobile game, because it is one. Extinction is a game made for consoles, and I imagine it shows.

You know with this sudden interest in these games, I'm gonna take the opportunity to plug the review for Extinction I did almost two years ago for any onlookers curious. It's certainly rough around the edges at times, but it's a great old-school take on a Pokémon clone.

Edited June 20, 2022 by Glen-i

[Hero-of-Time]

33 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

H-o-T's comment on the visuals of the original made me laugh. It might look like a mobile game, because it is one. 

I know it's originally a mobile game. Drahkon told me as such. A lot of games these days that are on mobile don't actually look like mobile games but this one certainly does with the visuals and UI it uses.

48 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

You know, if it was anyone else, I might have taken offense by the fact that I wrote an entire positive site review for the sequel, and no-one tries it, but @drahkon posts a few about the original game, and you immediately give it a go. But then, it's you, so it's more likely that you use my opinions as a red flag for what not to play. Which is fair.

That is correct.  

To be fair, drahkon was gushing about it to me and darksnowman via PM's, so it was more than a few posts in this thread that pushed me over the edge to buy it. The £4 price also helped.  

[WackerJr]

Disney Classic Collection (Switch)




Sorry, this could be a long post due to the number of games here… Nostalgia-filled fun (at times), with a whole lot of 8- and 16-bit versions of Lion King, Aladdin & Jungle Book.
I played the Master System version of Lion King back in the day and really enjoyed it. Shame that’s probably the one game not included!
These games are tough and I needed the rewind function A LOT! A quick run-down of each game in the collection:

Jungle Book
The weakest games in the collection.
* N version (i.e., SNES) - horribly unenjoyable. Really tough, not helped by only a few frames of invincibility when hit, so it’s way too easy to take multiple hits quickly. Rock solid bosses too.

* S version (i.e., Mega Drive) - Collectathon platforming where you need to find enough gems to finish a level. A more zoomed out view and clearer graphics help make the platforms more obvious. Still tough but not as hard/frustrating as the N version.

* Handheld (i.e., GameBoy) - I believe the handheld version is same game as NES version, just with more basic graphics. Explore levels and find all gems to finish a level, although the small viewing area can make this tricky. Still an easier game than the others and at least the bosses are much more bearable!

The Lion King
All look and sound good, although the compromise is a slow frame-rate and clunky controls.
* The N and S versions are essentially the same. The Nintendo version has more detailed graphics but a more zoomed-in view, making it slightly harder as a result.

* Handheld / Handheld Colo(u)r - similar to console games although generally easier apart from it being hard to make things out with the ‘handheld’ graphics.

Aladdin
By far the highlight of the package with the main games still playable.

* N-version - platform-based gaming with more focus on your acrobatic skills than fighting. The lack of recognisable music is a bit odd (considering the others all use the popular Disney tunes as background music) and some artistic licence with the story to create extra levels (do you remember that moment when Apu fell off the carpet & Aladdin had to hunt through pyramids to find him? No, neither does anyone else!).


Remember this scene from the movie? Anyone?

 

* S-version - more combat-focused, with great animation. Tough bosses though. Probably the most recognisable game.

* Final Cut - an updated S-version, fixing some bugs and other tweaks. Play this over the usual S-version.

* Demo version - a nice treat, this a 3-level demo from a trade show. Really interesting to see how this developed into the full Mega Drive game. It’s understandable very rough still, and very tough, with enemies taking a LOT of hits to defeat and characters missing graphics. Glad to see it here still.

* Handheld / Handheld Colo(u)r - a much slower and clunkier version of the Mega Drive game. The 2-buttons make weapon swapping slower too. Stick with the Final Cut.

Ultimately it’s a neat nostalgic package for those that remember the originals. The games are likely to be too frustrating for younger gamers. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, but don’t think I’ll be going back to it.

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by WackerJr

[Hero-of-Time]

Finished a couple of games.

Coffee Talk

I'm not big on the visual novel genre but I had heard good things about this and the other game that has you serve customers in a bar. Vall...something or other. Anyway, this one was on sale for a couple of quid and figured it was worth a shot at that price. Nah, not for me. I didn't realise the game was set in a world where spacemen, and mythical creatures are kicking about. I thought it was going to be a down to earth game where you helped solved people's problems while serving them a beverage. Certain political issues do come up in conversation but wrapping the game in a fantasy setting just felt weird to me. Had it been a normal setting then I think it would have resonated with me a little better.

The game had one of those stupid trophies attached to it where you have to sit on a certain screen for over an hour. Why developers put these type of achievements in their games is beyond me. 

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

I picked up another Shantae game recently. They very rarely go on sale on PSN and so I snapped the next one up while it was reduced in price.

Really enjoyed this one and found it more enjoyable than the last one that I played a couple of months back. What made this really fun and challenging were the trophies. Firstly, I had to finish the game and collect all of the health upgrades but not use a single one. This meant going through the game with just 2 hearts and this got really tricky to deal with towards the end of the game when enemies do stupid amounts of damage to you. I paired this run through the game with a 100% run and also defeating each boss, including the true final boss, without taking a single hit. That took some doing but by the end of it I was dodging it's attacks like a champ.

My next run had me finishing the game in under 2 hours but with any percentage of completion. This wasn't that bad. After playing the game a first time I was able to see where I could save time, especially when playing in Pirate mode where you start with all of the extra items. I managed to finish the game with a few minutes to spare.

All that was left was to finish the game 100% but under 4 hours. My original run was 4 hours and 10 minutes but I happened to have a save which was about 20 minutes before that one. I spent an hour shaving my time down and eventually got it to below the 4 hour mark. I finished the game and waited for the trophy to pop but it didn't happen. Turns out the trophy guide was wrong and you had to beat the game 100% but in under 3 and a half hours! Back to the drawing board I went. I started another run and ending up blitzing the game. Third time's a charm.  

It took just over two hours to do this run. Not surprising considering I knew the game like the back of my hand at this point.  

 

[drahkon]

First game with the new PS+ sub:

Minit

Short, old-school Zelda-style adventure with a 60 second time loop. A solid 7/10.

 

[drahkon]

Don't drink and drive, people.

My performance on Hotshot Racing has declined rapidly in the last two hours. 

[Hero-of-Time]

Just now, drahkon said:

Don't drink and drive, people.

My performance on Hotshot Racing has declined rapidly in the last two hours. 

How are you finding it? I played it briefly last year and found the rubber banding AI to be horrendous.

[drahkon]

Just now, Hero-of-Time said:

How are you finding it? I played it briefly last year and found the rubber banding AI to be horrendous.

I'm inebriated, so take this with a grain of salt (to the Tequila), but I like it.  

Been going for the most difficult trophies (that is win all 4 GPs on the hardest difficulty and win a GP on the hardest difficulty with all drivers) these last two hours and when I was 100% sober, it wasn't too bad. I actually liked the rubber banding. It made for some pretty intense racing and finishes.

Now...not so much. I still need to win with three drivers and I cannot for the life of me get it done. Much to the amusement of my friends sitting next to me  

I don't know what it's like on lower difficulties, but as it stands now: I thoroughly enjoy it. The driving/drifting is perfect.  

[Hero-of-Time]

Just now, drahkon said:

 The driving/drifting is perfect.  

I've always sucked at drifting in driving games. It's probably why I couldn't make any real progress in this. You really have to maintain your drift to order to keep your speed up. I just couldn't do it.

[drahkon]

2 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I've always sucked at drifting in driving games. It's probably why I couldn't make any real progress in this. You really have to maintain your drift to order to keep your speed up. I just couldn't do it.

Yeah, 90% of the corners require drifting, and you need to drift to gain boost. On Expert that is mandatory. And you need to use your boost strategically. 
It's not that easy.

But I like drifting in games, which is why I'm having fun.

I guess the game's not for you, then, as it relies heavily on drifting.

Edit: I'm just gonna say "drifting" again: DRIFTING!

Edited June 24, 2022 by drahkon

[Jonnas]

2 hours ago, drahkon said:

Edit: I'm just gonna say "drifting" again: DRIFTING!

I can see you're playing this on Switch Handheld mode...

[drahkon]

On 6/24/2022 at 6:25 PM, drahkon said:

Don't drink and drive, people.

My performance on Hotshot Racing has declined rapidly in the last two hours. 

Just gave the Extreme GPs another go and what do you know...first try. 
Being sober makes all the difference  

[Glen-i]

1 minute ago, drahkon said:

Just gave the Extreme GPs another go and what do you know...first try. 
Being sober makes all the difference  

I want to say that this isn't a revelation in the slightest.

[bob]

H-o-T be like:

[Hero-of-Time]

I've had a busy weekend.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge

GOTY material game right here. The game was a nostalgic blast from start to finish and has knocked SoR4 off my top spot for this genre. I love how right they got everything in this game. The look of the characters, the villains they used, the combat system, co-op play and length of the game were all perfect. I also appreciate that the game was actually finished and wasn't a broken mess. I know many are wanting DLC for the game but i'm more than happy with what's on offer here. I'm hoping this doesn't get forgotten when GOTY discussions are happening because I do think it deserves to be at least considered.

Ape Escape

This took some getting used to. The controls scheme in the Ape Escape games have always been unique and part of the game's charm but it still took some time to adjust to it all. The performance of the game was a little rough as well. Once I got used to both things I ended up having a really good time with the game. The sequel is a more polished experience but it was good to finally play through the original and see where the series started. As a youngster I only ever played the demo of this but never the full game. I can now cross that off my gaming bucket list.

Kurushi (Intelligent Qube)

This is a game I never really had any experience with. I know many were very happy to see it as part of the Playstation Classic but I couldn't see why everyone was so excited for it. After finally playing through the game I can now see why people gave the game a lot of praise. It's a fantastic puzzle game that has an amazing soundtrack that sounds very epic considering what's happening on screen.

The premise is simple, you have blocks heading towards you and you have to get rid of them before they fall off the edge of the stage. If too many fall off then you lose a section of your footing. If you manage to get rid of them all then you get a section back. The smaller the section is that you are standing on, the less room and time you have to clear the stage. At first I thought it was pretty tough and I couldn't grasp how to get past certain stages. I then looked at the tutorial videos and it turned out I was using one of the blocks wrong. Once I corrected this I was able to make progress much easier. Typical bloke attitude of not looking at instructions and then wondering why things aren't going to plan.  

For those who have the new PS+ subscription service, don't let this game pass you by. Give it a go ASAP.

Syphon Filter

Man, this was a rough experience. The controls for the game are pretty shocking, making the movement of Gabe very weird. The dude just doesn't run in a straight line and instead kinda moves from side to side when running. The first person aiming is also a little weird. The movement of it isn't smooth and you tend to keep overshooting where you need to aim for. It's definitely a product of its time and it will be interesting to see if these things improve in the two sequels. Hopefully they will hit the service and i'll get to find out for myself.

I find it hilarious that many gaming magazines at the time were comparing this to Metal Gear Solid. It's not even close to being on the same level as that game. 

Pokemon Snap

Spoiler

A month or two back I played through New Pokemon Snap and it didn't click with me at all. My main gripe was how long the stages were and I came away disappointed and thinking that the N64 version was the superior game. Having played through this again, my opinion remains the same. This is a much better game. Yeah, it's a shorter experience but I enjoy how fast you can get through the stage and how quickly you can unlock your items. It never feels overwhelming like the new version did.

It's been a while since I've played through the game but I still remember where things were and how to unlock the new routes. It was a nostalgic and cosy experience.

Monster Hunter Rise

Nothing much to say here other than I finally completed all of the event quests and i'm now ready for the expansion, if I decided to even buy the thing. At the moment i'm swaying to the side of leaving it for now. I'm just not that excited for it at all. It was nice to revisit this game though, even if a lot of the random people I played with did cause a bit of frustration at times

Spoiler

 

[drahkon]

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

It's a fantastic puzzle game that has an amazing soundtrack that sounds very epic considering what's happening on screen.

Just played the first stage and I thought: "This is gonna turn into a Star Wars game any minute"  

The soundtrack is waaaayyy too epic for a game like this  

Edited June 26, 2022 by drahkon

[Hero-of-Time]

7 hours ago, drahkon said:

The soundtrack is waaaayyy too epic for a game like this  

One of the trophies even says this in it's description.  

[drahkon]

12 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Kurushi (Intelligent Qube)

Gotta agree with you: It's a fantastic puzzle game. Well worth your time  

[Hero-of-Time]

36 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Gotta agree with you: It's a fantastic puzzle game. Well worth your time  

Glad you enjoyed it. I'm tempted to fire it up on the PS5, play through it again and earn another platinum.  

[drahkon]

2 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I'm tempted to fire it up on the PS5, play through it again and earn another platinum.  

Why not, it's an easy 1 hour Platinum  DO IT!

I can't be arsed to do that, though. One-and-done  

[Hero-of-Time]

Just now, drahkon said:

Why not, it's an easy 1 hour Platinum  DO IT!

I may very well do that this evening. However, I do want to finish Everybodys Golf though. I was hoping to get it done over the weekend but there are a lot of points that need grinding in tournaments in order to unlock the rest of the courses. Plus, I need to get back on Nexomon. There's also Wild Arms waiting to be played. Too many games and so little time.  

[drahkon]

3 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I was hoping to get it done over the weekend but there are a lot of points that need grinding in tournaments in order to unlock the rest of the courses

Good to know.

Wanted to give it a go today, but I may hold off on it. If I enjoy it and wanna go for the Platinum...don't have time for a grindy trophy thanks to Hotshot Racing. Holy hell, the grind is real.
I had to finish a GP with every car (32 - I've done that yesterday) and I'm not even close to the end of the grind. There's challenges for every car (they're all the same) and you need to acquire a lot of money to buy all the cosmetics. 

Got today off, but I doubt I'll be able to finish it  

5 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Plus, I need to get back on Nexomon.

Don't remind me. Thanks to PS+ Ultra Mega Super Edition, Nexomon: Extinction has left my PS5 main screen  

[Hero-of-Time]

8 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Good to know.

Wanted to give it a go today, but I may hold off on it. If I enjoy it and wanna go for the Platinum...don't have time for a grindy trophy.

It's a great game. It's not that grindy really. It's just a question of playing 18 holes in all of the tournaments. I'm going to assume that once the tournaments are complete that will give you enough points to unlock the rest of the courses. If not, that's when you will have to replay them again and grind some points. You unlock a couple of  courses anyway when you play 1 on 1 against each of the characters, which you need to do for trophies. 

You're probably looking at a 10 hour platinum.

Edited June 27, 2022 by Hero-of-Time

[Hero-of-Time]

Everybody's Golf

It's funny, at the start of the month I played through Mario Golf (N64 version) on the Switch and here I am at the end of the month playing the prequel to that game. I say prequel because Camelot clearly just stuck a Mario skin on this game and called it a day. Apart from the characters and look of the courses, the games are pretty much identical. This game even features Donkey Kong as well!

Just like Mario Golf, you unlock characters in the VS mode by beating them on a course of your choosing. More courses are unlocked by the points/exp you gain from winning tournaments and the harder the tournament, the more points you earn. It's hilarious how very little changed between this and Mario Golf.  

@drahkon I played through and won tournaments 1, 3, 4 and that was enough to unlock the courses. There was no need to replay any of them in order to grind points.