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Quick Review #3: Retro Arcade Adventure (XBLIG)

Image source: gamergeddon.com

Time for yet another quick game review! This time, I'm reviewing the Xbox Live Indie Games title (yes, another one), Retro Arcade Adventure. It was developed by Siactro and the game is available for 80 Microsoft Points.

This game is reminiscent of those "one against many" games, and is set in a fantasy world. All you have to do is defeat the waves of enemies with your sword in the same kind of way like the original Zelda on the NES.

The coolest bit in the game is where your character turns into a fire-breathing dragon and you get to wipe out lots of the enemies. Be aware that you only get to be a dragon for a limited amount of time, though.

As you can see, the game looks very retro and it is. I think it's great to see there's still fans of retro graphics. That's probably why the developer named the game "Retro Arcade Adventure". The developer has done an amazing job with the sprites, making it very old-school.

Is there anything wrong with this game? Well, not really. I could say that the only problem with Retro Arcade Adventure is that it does get a bit repetitive after a while.

Despite it being a bit repetitive, it's still a great little retro-style game. For that asking price of 80 MSP, it's still worth a download.

Overall rating: 8.5/10 

Quick Review #2: Gentlemen Start Your Engiiines (XBLIG)

Image source: marketplace.xbox.com

Time for another review! This time, I'm going to review another Xbox Live Indie Games title that I've been playing recently. This is Gentlemen Start Your Engiiines (yes, they used the letter 'i' three times!), developed by the one-man French team Maximinus. It is available to download for 240 Microsoft Points.

As you can obviously see, it's a racing game. When I played the game, I thought "Hmm...is it me or does this game look kinda similar to that Sega classic Daytona USA?". I think it is. Not visually, but the controls feel pretty much the same.

All you basically do in this game is you're racing in the kind of way that feels a bit like NASCAR. That isn't really a bad thing.

I would say that the only problem this game has is its price. You might think 240 MSP is alright, but the thing is that there isn't a lot of content and I think 80 MSP would've been a better price. Despite the price, this NASCAR-style arcade racer is still decent to play.

Overall rating: 7/10

Quick Review #1: MiG Madness (XBLIG)

Image source: marketplace.xbox.com

I thought I would now start a new series on my blog with little reviews of games I've been playing recently.

This first game actually caught my eye when I was on my Xbox 360 last night. This is MiG Madness, an Xbox Live Indie Games title from Bionic Shark Studios.

As you can see from the screenshot, it is an arcade-style aerial combat game. If you've played Konami's 1982 arcade classic Time Pilot, then you should know what to expect. In reality, MiG Madness is really just an re-imagining of Time Pilot. The premise of the game is that you have to destroy waves of enemy aircraft.

The controls are simple: use the left stick of your Xbox 360 controller to move your plane around, and use the right trigger to fire your machine guns. Be aware that your plane's machine guns can overheat and you won't be able to use them for a relatively short period of time.

Visually, the game looks fine. I wasn't expecting much in terms with graphics, but the developer still did a great job. The sound in this game is what you would usually expect from the kind of game it is.

There's some flaws in MiG Madness, though. You can't always see the bullets you're firing, but you can't see your enemy's bullets at all. There's isn't a lot to do in the game, it's just going through those waves of enemies and trying to beat your previous high score. It could've been better if the developer tried to be more original and added some more modes.

As it is, it's still a decent little shooting game for just 80 Microsoft Points. For that low price, it's still worthy enough for you to give it a try.

Overall rating: 7.5/10 

Why I love: Samurai Shodown II (Neo Geo)

Image source: techmynd.com

Here's another Neo Geo classic! This is Samurai Shodown II from SNK. It was first released in 1994 and it's the sequel to the original Samurai Shodown that came out the previous year.

Like the original Samurai Shodown and the games that followed this sequel, it is set in feudal-era Japan. As you can obviously see from the screenshot, it is a fighting game. However, you have to fight your opponents with bladed weapons like swords.

The fact that you have have to fight with weapons is the thing that made the Samurai Shodown series really stand out from other fighting games at the time.

You can get the game from the Virtual Console section of the Wii Shop Channel for 900 points. It is also available on Xbox Live Arcade for the slightly cheaper price of 800 points.

Why I love: Metal Slug (Neo Geo)

Image source: ign.com

When this game was released in 1996, the 16-bit era was ending as we were about to go into the new era of 32-bit gaming. Most developers were starting to get used to the hardware from consoles like the original PlayStation (or PS1 for short) and the Nintendo 64. Some developers though, they decided to continue making 2D games. This is one of those...

Today, I'm going to talk a bit about Metal Slug for the Neo Geo. This run and gun classic was published by SNK and developed by Nazca Corporation.

What you basically do in this game is that you have to continually shoot at a constant stream of enemies in order to get to the end of the level (or mission as they called them). There is six levels in this game which range from forests to military bases. I know that amount of levels isn't a lot, but it's still a blast to play.

You can now play this SNK classic by downloading it from either the PlayStation Store on both PS3 and PSP, and also the Virtual Console service on the Wii.

Why I love: Twisted Metal (PS1)

Image source: en.wikipedia.org

Today, I'm going to talk a little bit about Twisted Metal for the original PlayStation (or PS1 for short). It was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by SingleTrac. The game was originally released on November 5, 1995 in North America, January 1996 in Europe, and November 15, 1996 in Japan.

Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat game where you control one of the twelve unique vehicles, such as an ice cream truck, a monster truck, and even a motorcycle. All of the vehicles have machine guns mounted on them, which is a key part of the game. The guns can overheat, which means you won't be able to use them for a short period of time.

Even though the game might not have aged as well like some other PS1 games, it's still an enjoyable classic. You can try this game by downloading it from the PSone Classics section of the PlayStation Store. 

Why I love: Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Master System)

Image source: allaboutsymbian.com

I know what you're thinking, "Scott, why are you not talking about the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis one?". Well, everybody knows how great that game was and still is. I decided that I want to talk about its overlooked 8-bit cousin instead. This is Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Master System.

It was released by Sega (obviously) in June 1991, the same month as its 16-bit counterpart. The Master System version was developed by Ancient. It has also been ported to Sega's handheld, the Game Gear, in December of that same year.

The premise of the game is basically the same as its 16-bit cousin, where you get Sonic through the levels (or stages as Sega likes to call them) and collect as many rings as you can.

Even though that might sound similar, the Sega Master System isn't completely the same to the much superior Mega Drive/Genesis classic. Sonic doesn't run as fast like he usually does, but that's not entirely a bad thing. Visually, it doesn't look as great as the 16-bit game, but it does still look lovely.

I think the Sega Master System version is a nice slice of 8-bit goodness, so why not grab the game from the Wii's Virtual Console service today for just 500 points? It may not be as good as the more familar Sega Mega Drive/Genesis version (which is also available to download on the Wii for 800 points), but it's still a nice little game to play.

Why I love: Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)

Image source: nintendoeverything.com

Despite the fact that the Wii is supposed to be aimed at families with its casual titles (which it is), but there's some great games that are aimed to an audience like mine. This is one of these great games.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a 2D action role-playing game (or ARPG for short), developed by Vanillaware. It was released in 2009 by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Ignition Entertainment in North America, and Rising Star Games in Europe.

You play as one of the two characters, Kisuke and Momohime. You use swords to fight and defeat the enemies. The swords are split into two categories: Blade, and High Blade. Overuse of the swords will eventually break the blades, so you have to swap them from time to time.

What I absolutely love about this game is how gorgeous it looks with its ancient Japanese art style. I also like how intuitive the controls are. You can use the Wii Remote (with Nunchuk), the Classic Controller (which I use to play the game), and also the GameCube controller.

The game should be cheap enough to buy now, so why not try this gem from the Nintendo Wii today?

My E3 2012 preview

Image source: pastemagazine.com

We're only a month or so away from this year's E3 show in Los Angeles, I thought I would put together a little taster of what we could expect.

First, let's have a look at the first-party companies:

Sony:
- God of War: Ascension (PS3) - A prequel to the God of War franchise, with added multiplayer.

Image source: gameinformer.com
- Sly Cooper: Theives in Time (PS3/Vita) - We haven't a lot from this game, but fans of the original games on the PS2 should still be excited about this one.

Image source: shacknews.com
- PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3) - It's basically Sony's equivalent of Super Smash Bros.

Image source: g4tv.com
- LittleBigPlanet Karting (PS3)

Image source: shacknews.com
- The Last of Us (PS3) - The next game from Naughty Dog, the creators of Uncharted.

Image source: t3.com
- New PlayStation Vita games

Microsoft:
- Halo 4 (360) - There's a lot of anticipation for this one. It's the first one in Xbox's popular shooting series to not be developed by its original creators Bungie. Out in November.

Image source: gamezone.com
- Fable: The Journey - A lot of people criticised this game when it was first revealed at last year's E3, but this could be one of the first proper games for Kinect. It's due to be released in September.

Image source: gamesindustry.biz
- Forza Horizon - This isn't actually a screenshot from the game because there hasn't been any released yet. It's going to be an arcade-style spin-off of Microsoft's racing simulation series.

Image source: gametestlab.com

Nintendo:
- Animal Crossing (3DS)

Image source: 3dsbuzz.com
- Luigi's Mansion 2 (3DS) - The sequel to the GameCube classic.

Image source: gamerant.com
- Paper Mario (3DS)

Image source: destructoid.com
- Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

Image source: wii.ign.com
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)

Image source: geeksugar.com
- Wii U

Image source: techrader.com

That was the first-party stuff, but I also want to mention games from third-party companies:

2K:
- BioShock Infinite (PS3/360/PC)
- Borderlands 2 (PS3/360/PC)
- Spec Ops: The Line (PS3/360/PC)
- XCOM (PS3/360/PC)
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PS3/360/PC) - A re-imagining of a classic strategy game

Activision:
- 007 Legends (PS3/360)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (PS3/360/PC)
- Skylanders: Giants (PS3/360/Wii/3DS)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (PS3/360/Wii/3DS/DS/PC)
- Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (PS3/360)

Bethesda Softworks:
- Dishonored (PS3/360/PC)
- Prey 2 (PS3/360/PC)

Capcom:
- DmC: Devil May Cry (PS3/360)
- Lost Planet 3 (PS3/360/PC)
- Resident Evil 6 (PS3/360)

Codemasters:
- F1 2012 (PS3/360/PC)

Disney Interactive Studios:
- Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Wii/PS3/360) - The sequel to the 2010 Wii exclusive game.
- Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (3DS) - Companion game for Epic Mickey 2. It's very reminiscent of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis classic, Castle of Illusion.

EA:
- Command & Conquer: Generals 2 (PC)
- Crysis 3 (PS3/360/PC)
- FIFA 13 (PS3/360/PC/Mac)
- Madden NFL 13 (PS3/360/PC)
- Medal of Honor: Warfighter (PS3/360/PC)
- NBA Live 13 (PS3/360/PC)
- Overstrike (PS3/360) - The first multi-platform title from Insomniac Games.
- SimCity (PC)
- The next Need for Speed game

Konami:
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengence (PS3/360)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 (PS3/360)

Namco Bandai:
- Ni No Kuni (PS3)
- Star Trek (PS3/360/PC)
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (PS3/360)

Sega:
- Aliens: Colonial Marines (PS3/360/Wii U/PC)
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (PS3/360/3DS/Vita/PC)

Square Enix:
- Heroes of Ruin (3DS)
- Hitman Absolution (PS3/360/PC) - The fifth game in IO Interactive's stealth game series.
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
- Quantum Conundrum (PSN/XBLA/Steam)
- Sleeping Dogs (PS3/360/PC)
- Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS)
- Tomb Raider (PS3/360/PC/Mac) - The reboot of the series with a younger Lara Croft.

Rockstar Games:
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS3/360/PC)

Tecmo Koei:
- Dead or Alive 5 (PS3/360)

THQ:
- Darksiders 2 (PS3/360/Wii U)
- Insane (PS3/360/PC)
- Homefront 2 (PS3/360/PC)
- Metro: Last Light (PS3/360/PC)
- South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS3/360/PC)
- WWE '13 (PS3/360)

Ubisoft:
- Assassin's Creed 3 (PS3/360/Wii U/PC)
- Far Cry 3 (PS3/360/PC)
- Killer Freaks from Outer Space (Wii U)
- Rayman Legends (Wii U)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online (Wii U)
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Patriots (PS3/360/PC)

Why I love: Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox)

Source: thegamingonline.com

I was having a look at the some of the games in a shop called Cash Converters just recently. When I was looking at some of the games for the original Xbox, I found a copy of a game that I've been wanting to try for a little while. That game is called Jet Set Radio Future.

I've just started playing it, and I already love it. I now realise that this year actually marks the 10th anniversary of the game. So this is why I decided to talk about this cult classic from the original Xbox's back catalogue today.

Jet Set Radio Future was published by Sega and developed by Smilebit. It was first released for the original Xbox in 2002. It is the sequel to the original Dreamcast game that first came out in 2000. Both the sequel and its predecessor were revolutionary for using cel-shaded graphics. Without the Jet Set Radio series, games like Borderlands could've looked different visually.

Here's a little fact for you: the development team behind the Jet Set Radio games later went on to develop the Mario & Sonic games for the Wii. Quite a departure for the team, isn't it? The team is now known as Sega Sports R&D.

The basic premise of Jet Set Radio Future is that you have to rollerskate around a futuristic Tokyo and graffiti certain parts of the city. The controls are really pick up and play, which makes the game really enjoyable to play.

This game is compatible on the Xbox 360. Why not try and find a copy of this amazing Sega classic today?