5/12/14
Fallout: New Vegas
I admit my first impression upon playing this game was it was absolute trash, but this is not the case. When this game was released it was riddled with an untold amount of bugs and glitches, which prevented me from progressing anywhere. Luckily with several updates, Fallout: New Vegas now plays a lot smoother. At the time I first played this game, it had just been released and it was only a rental. Also I had not played too many open world games up to this point, so I was oblivious to the glitches in these types of games. Luckily I acquired this game again a year or so later after playing Fallout 3, then on I played it non stop. I actually could move around with little to no lag! From then on I played for countless hours.
New Vegas has a large desert wasteland to explore that will keep you occupied for sure. You also can design your character and assign him or her specific traits. Still, you can't make your face look as horrifying as in Oblivion. The game is filled with side missions galore, more than any game I previously played. Also the graphics and environment was so advanced compared to Oblivion. Also the game seemed more teeming with life than Fallout 3, despite being a post-apocalyptic wasteland and all. Some may disagree, but it is refreshing to have a world teeming with life. I did like that you felt alone in the world of Fallout 3 for the most part, but it did seem bleak and boring sometimes. Now you have a whole desert to wander around in, with more people to give quests. Most quests are so-so but others wield great weapons and items to collect.
I did not pay as much attention to the story in this game, but there are factions. You have a reputation with factions throughout the wasteland, which effects the path you take in the storyline, if you even play the story. It took me a while playing to even consider progressing the story. There really seemed like no goal to the story, with every faction basically wanting to rule the land. Also you play as a courier who was shot in the head, so some of the game is spent hunting down the gunner named Benny. Most of the time I was on bad terms with the factions, killing anyone to level up. As you level you get perks that help you in the game. Some perks are completely pointless, or crucial such as regenerating health. Other perks are just for fun, such as Bloody Mess which makes the game a whole lot gorier. A shot to the head could turn an enemies head to pulp with this perk. Limbs will fly off as you are able to target specific body parts in the VATS system.
The enemies you fight in New Vegas vary quite a bit. There are many creatures that are deformities due to nuclear radiation. Normal animals are now huge beasts due to radiation. There are scorpions the size of a human! You seriously have to watch out for these suckers early in the game, they will kill you in no time. You don't get much of anything to start off in the game, especially not health packs. There also are humans that are turned into zombie-like creatures called Ghouls. The mutants also return from Fallout 3, which have a community in the mountains, but are not hostile. You can also have companions in this game that won't die in your service like Fallout 3. I don't entirely trust companions with carrying items, because they may disappear in their inventory.
The weapons are another big aspect of this game. There are regular weapons that any old enemy will use against you, or the more powerful unique weapons. Unique weapons can be obtained through quests or simply lying around. I especially liked the unique bb gun that has a high critical damage. It is just ridiculous to be able to blow off limbs with a bb gun. Also there was an m1-garand type rifle I used quite often, and a scoped repeating rifle. One of the most powerful weapons in the game uses a huge beam from the sun to kill enemies, but can only be used once a day. Also this weapon is glitchy and can be rendered useless. You can find the various locations for these weapons online, or more can be obtained in expansions. The expansions felt weak to me, but add some interesting items. The expansions also seemed short, so you may feel ripped.
Overall this is a great open world game. I hope to see what the future brings for the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series. I am sure that you will see something amazing on newer consoles in the future. Don't let a few glitches get in the way of this great game, you will surely enjoy it. Even the little things in this game are fun, such as collecting armor or snow globes. I also recommend Fallout 3, but I will get to that eventually. No game have I played as much as New Vegas, other than Red Dead Redemption.
9/10
-Anthony
Fallout: New Vegas
I admit my first impression upon playing this game was it was absolute trash, but this is not the case. When this game was released it was riddled with an untold amount of bugs and glitches, which prevented me from progressing anywhere. Luckily with several updates, Fallout: New Vegas now plays a lot smoother. At the time I first played this game, it had just been released and it was only a rental. Also I had not played too many open world games up to this point, so I was oblivious to the glitches in these types of games. Luckily I acquired this game again a year or so later after playing Fallout 3, then on I played it non stop. I actually could move around with little to no lag! From then on I played for countless hours.
New Vegas has a large desert wasteland to explore that will keep you occupied for sure. You also can design your character and assign him or her specific traits. Still, you can't make your face look as horrifying as in Oblivion. The game is filled with side missions galore, more than any game I previously played. Also the graphics and environment was so advanced compared to Oblivion. Also the game seemed more teeming with life than Fallout 3, despite being a post-apocalyptic wasteland and all. Some may disagree, but it is refreshing to have a world teeming with life. I did like that you felt alone in the world of Fallout 3 for the most part, but it did seem bleak and boring sometimes. Now you have a whole desert to wander around in, with more people to give quests. Most quests are so-so but others wield great weapons and items to collect.
I did not pay as much attention to the story in this game, but there are factions. You have a reputation with factions throughout the wasteland, which effects the path you take in the storyline, if you even play the story. It took me a while playing to even consider progressing the story. There really seemed like no goal to the story, with every faction basically wanting to rule the land. Also you play as a courier who was shot in the head, so some of the game is spent hunting down the gunner named Benny. Most of the time I was on bad terms with the factions, killing anyone to level up. As you level you get perks that help you in the game. Some perks are completely pointless, or crucial such as regenerating health. Other perks are just for fun, such as Bloody Mess which makes the game a whole lot gorier. A shot to the head could turn an enemies head to pulp with this perk. Limbs will fly off as you are able to target specific body parts in the VATS system.
The enemies you fight in New Vegas vary quite a bit. There are many creatures that are deformities due to nuclear radiation. Normal animals are now huge beasts due to radiation. There are scorpions the size of a human! You seriously have to watch out for these suckers early in the game, they will kill you in no time. You don't get much of anything to start off in the game, especially not health packs. There also are humans that are turned into zombie-like creatures called Ghouls. The mutants also return from Fallout 3, which have a community in the mountains, but are not hostile. You can also have companions in this game that won't die in your service like Fallout 3. I don't entirely trust companions with carrying items, because they may disappear in their inventory.
The weapons are another big aspect of this game. There are regular weapons that any old enemy will use against you, or the more powerful unique weapons. Unique weapons can be obtained through quests or simply lying around. I especially liked the unique bb gun that has a high critical damage. It is just ridiculous to be able to blow off limbs with a bb gun. Also there was an m1-garand type rifle I used quite often, and a scoped repeating rifle. One of the most powerful weapons in the game uses a huge beam from the sun to kill enemies, but can only be used once a day. Also this weapon is glitchy and can be rendered useless. You can find the various locations for these weapons online, or more can be obtained in expansions. The expansions felt weak to me, but add some interesting items. The expansions also seemed short, so you may feel ripped.
Overall this is a great open world game. I hope to see what the future brings for the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series. I am sure that you will see something amazing on newer consoles in the future. Don't let a few glitches get in the way of this great game, you will surely enjoy it. Even the little things in this game are fun, such as collecting armor or snow globes. I also recommend Fallout 3, but I will get to that eventually. No game have I played as much as New Vegas, other than Red Dead Redemption.
9/10
-Anthony
5/12/14
Doom 2: Hell on Earth
The sequel to Doom still isn't as good as the original, but it still holds up with time. The game feels more like an expansion to the original Doom, but there are new monsters and the levels vary more. Other than that the graphics are pretty much the same as the original. The difficulty did feel a tad higher than the original, even on the lowest setting. It felt as if you couldn't take as much abuse in this game, maybe the monsters got stronger from last time, who knows. Like I said there are new creatures that you fight in Doom 2, such as a flying demon that looks like a meatball, also there are rocket-wielding skeletons, chain gunners, a huge blobby creature and many others. The bosses in Doom 2 are not as inventive as the original Doom, also some of the bosses from the first game you just casually fight throughout this one.
You pretty much do the same thing as you do in the first Doom. You are the space marine again fighting off hoards of demons and other creatures from hell. Now you have a double-barrel shotgun in your arsenal of weapons! This time you are actually battling demons on Earth. There are actually some levels that take place in the city, so the game has more variety than the first in this aspect. The depictions of Hell were better in the first Doom though. Something about Doom 2 lacks the charm of the first game, but that does not make it bad.
There is a lot of gameplay to keep you busy in Doom 2. This is one game you can casually pick up and play. It was sort of annoying that the levels are continuous, instead of split into episodes like the first game. You are left playing the game straight though without any segues, except for some text on the screen here and there. At least the save feature is the same, but having episodes appealed to me more.
The game designers did take a lot of time into the development of the levels in this game, but they still aren't that interesting. They possibly made the stages too complex to navigate. Sometimes it would take 20 minutes to a half hour to find a key to a door. Once you get used to the levels it probably won't be as difficult. At least you could have a friend playing cooperatively to help you out, if you have a version of the game connected to the internet or locally. Overall this game is worth playing. I would check out the first Doom first, because I prefer it over this sequel.
9/10
-Anthony
Doom 2: Hell on Earth
The sequel to Doom still isn't as good as the original, but it still holds up with time. The game feels more like an expansion to the original Doom, but there are new monsters and the levels vary more. Other than that the graphics are pretty much the same as the original. The difficulty did feel a tad higher than the original, even on the lowest setting. It felt as if you couldn't take as much abuse in this game, maybe the monsters got stronger from last time, who knows. Like I said there are new creatures that you fight in Doom 2, such as a flying demon that looks like a meatball, also there are rocket-wielding skeletons, chain gunners, a huge blobby creature and many others. The bosses in Doom 2 are not as inventive as the original Doom, also some of the bosses from the first game you just casually fight throughout this one.
You pretty much do the same thing as you do in the first Doom. You are the space marine again fighting off hoards of demons and other creatures from hell. Now you have a double-barrel shotgun in your arsenal of weapons! This time you are actually battling demons on Earth. There are actually some levels that take place in the city, so the game has more variety than the first in this aspect. The depictions of Hell were better in the first Doom though. Something about Doom 2 lacks the charm of the first game, but that does not make it bad.
There is a lot of gameplay to keep you busy in Doom 2. This is one game you can casually pick up and play. It was sort of annoying that the levels are continuous, instead of split into episodes like the first game. You are left playing the game straight though without any segues, except for some text on the screen here and there. At least the save feature is the same, but having episodes appealed to me more.
The game designers did take a lot of time into the development of the levels in this game, but they still aren't that interesting. They possibly made the stages too complex to navigate. Sometimes it would take 20 minutes to a half hour to find a key to a door. Once you get used to the levels it probably won't be as difficult. At least you could have a friend playing cooperatively to help you out, if you have a version of the game connected to the internet or locally. Overall this game is worth playing. I would check out the first Doom first, because I prefer it over this sequel.
9/10
-Anthony
5/9/14
Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
When I first heard about this game I don't believe I had an Xbox 360 to play it, only a PlayStation 2. So I rented the PlayStation 2 version of the game first and man was it complete crap! After finally playing the game on more modern consoles, I realized the PlayStation 2 version had little relation. I was surprised when I played Call of Duty 5 on the 360, because the graphics were so great and the gore was amped up more than any war game I ever played. You start the game off in the Pacific front of World War 2, playing as an American soldier. Later you alternate between the Americans and Russians, but I still prefer the Russian campaign. Anyway, you start the game off tied up on a beach, held captive by Japanese soldiers. You are rescued by your team, then the action begins immediately. You fight through hordes of soldiers, in that classic Call of Duty style, before the series got too cliché. This is the last of the World War 2 Call of Duty games as of now, which is very unfortunate. Further games in the series lacked the charm this game had.
The campaign is interesting, and you can actually play it with your friends online, which isn't present often anymore in new games. Co-op and multiplayer are really what made this game shine. It is too bad the multiplayer in this game was taken over by hackers, which tells you no one pays the game any mind anymore. The weapons are realistic for the most part in the game and period specific. You can even customize your weapons as you level up in multiplayer. I personally enjoyed using the rifles in this game, specifically the bolt action kind. The double barrel also was a great weapon, that tore through enemies and shot off limbs. This is still one of the goriest war games I played, and Brothers in Arms have never been able to match it. High powered shotguns and rifles blow off limbs, blow heads apart, and maim your enemies. It is also fun to use explosives against your enemies, such as mortars and bouncing bettys. I have been killed countless times being negligent with these explosive devices. You can also add some interesting attachments to your weapons in multiplayer. I added a scope on an m1-Garand for example, or a drum on a Thompson.
The levels in this game vary too, you never feel like you are in the same place. The Russian missions usually involve the city and countryside of Germany, as the American campaign is filled with jungles and foliage. I like how you can alternate in the game where you will be battling next. There are a few unique missions in this game, such as being the gunner on a fighter plane or controlling a tank. This Call of Duty also has quite a few epic and dramatic moments in the campaign, such as planting the Russian flag at the end of the game, which signals the end of the war. You get to see the butt end of the war in this game and watch as the buildings in Germany crumble. Really this is the best Call of Duty, in my opinion. You can still play Co-op or single player, but the multiplayer is dead for the most part.
9.5/10
-Anthony
Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
When I first heard about this game I don't believe I had an Xbox 360 to play it, only a PlayStation 2. So I rented the PlayStation 2 version of the game first and man was it complete crap! After finally playing the game on more modern consoles, I realized the PlayStation 2 version had little relation. I was surprised when I played Call of Duty 5 on the 360, because the graphics were so great and the gore was amped up more than any war game I ever played. You start the game off in the Pacific front of World War 2, playing as an American soldier. Later you alternate between the Americans and Russians, but I still prefer the Russian campaign. Anyway, you start the game off tied up on a beach, held captive by Japanese soldiers. You are rescued by your team, then the action begins immediately. You fight through hordes of soldiers, in that classic Call of Duty style, before the series got too cliché. This is the last of the World War 2 Call of Duty games as of now, which is very unfortunate. Further games in the series lacked the charm this game had.
The campaign is interesting, and you can actually play it with your friends online, which isn't present often anymore in new games. Co-op and multiplayer are really what made this game shine. It is too bad the multiplayer in this game was taken over by hackers, which tells you no one pays the game any mind anymore. The weapons are realistic for the most part in the game and period specific. You can even customize your weapons as you level up in multiplayer. I personally enjoyed using the rifles in this game, specifically the bolt action kind. The double barrel also was a great weapon, that tore through enemies and shot off limbs. This is still one of the goriest war games I played, and Brothers in Arms have never been able to match it. High powered shotguns and rifles blow off limbs, blow heads apart, and maim your enemies. It is also fun to use explosives against your enemies, such as mortars and bouncing bettys. I have been killed countless times being negligent with these explosive devices. You can also add some interesting attachments to your weapons in multiplayer. I added a scope on an m1-Garand for example, or a drum on a Thompson.
The levels in this game vary too, you never feel like you are in the same place. The Russian missions usually involve the city and countryside of Germany, as the American campaign is filled with jungles and foliage. I like how you can alternate in the game where you will be battling next. There are a few unique missions in this game, such as being the gunner on a fighter plane or controlling a tank. This Call of Duty also has quite a few epic and dramatic moments in the campaign, such as planting the Russian flag at the end of the game, which signals the end of the war. You get to see the butt end of the war in this game and watch as the buildings in Germany crumble. Really this is the best Call of Duty, in my opinion. You can still play Co-op or single player, but the multiplayer is dead for the most part.
9.5/10
-Anthony
5/8/14
The Thing (2002)
The Thing is a survival horror video game, based off the John Carpenter film of the same name. In the game you are stationed in Antarctica after the events of the Thing film. There are aliens that disguise themselves as humans, using the body as a host. I am not really sure where the parasite came from that infects the humans, supposedly from a crash landed ship or chemical warfare. Early in the game you find the crashed alien ship, also you witness some memorable places from the movie. You can also pick up recordings in the game, which will add additional information to the story. Also you can only save the game in the console versions at select locations, which is a huge pain throughout the whole thing.
You have a team that follows you in the game, which you control. There are many options of what you can do with your team. You can tell your group members to wait, follow, or you can swap ammo and weapons with them. Be careful who you give a weapon to though, because you can never trust your team members. At any time in the game your team members could be infected with the parasite, which turns them hostile to you. Most of the aliens you fight in the game are hideously deformed creatures similar to the movie. There are large creatures with tentacles protruding from their bodies, or small spider like ones. There are a range of weapons to fight off these creatures, but the aiming sucks for the most part. I did enjoy spraying the creatures with a flamethrower or blowtorch. Also another obstacle to avoid in the game is the risk of freezing to death, which limits your time outside. You can heal your body with medical packs you find along the way, which is probably the most needed thing in the game. There also is a needle thing you can use to test your team to see if they are infected, but this is useless most of the time and rarely works.
As the story progresses you also fight soldiers, which were contaminated with the virus. There are also large bosses in the game, which you definitely have to keep your distance from. At the end you fight a huge boss while in a helicopter, which towers several feet in the air. The horror elements work surprisingly well for a video game and a few times there was a jump scare. The game drags toward the middle when you start fighting soldiers, but it keeps you interested. The Thing also will keep you challenged and may seem difficult when you first play. The graphics and gore are also somewhat realistic I suppose, for 2002. There are only a few really annoying moments in the game I can think of, mostly when you have to search for a door key or something. The game also will keep you busy, since it seemed quite long.
PS2 and Xbox-8.5/10
-Anthony
The Thing (2002)
The Thing is a survival horror video game, based off the John Carpenter film of the same name. In the game you are stationed in Antarctica after the events of the Thing film. There are aliens that disguise themselves as humans, using the body as a host. I am not really sure where the parasite came from that infects the humans, supposedly from a crash landed ship or chemical warfare. Early in the game you find the crashed alien ship, also you witness some memorable places from the movie. You can also pick up recordings in the game, which will add additional information to the story. Also you can only save the game in the console versions at select locations, which is a huge pain throughout the whole thing.
You have a team that follows you in the game, which you control. There are many options of what you can do with your team. You can tell your group members to wait, follow, or you can swap ammo and weapons with them. Be careful who you give a weapon to though, because you can never trust your team members. At any time in the game your team members could be infected with the parasite, which turns them hostile to you. Most of the aliens you fight in the game are hideously deformed creatures similar to the movie. There are large creatures with tentacles protruding from their bodies, or small spider like ones. There are a range of weapons to fight off these creatures, but the aiming sucks for the most part. I did enjoy spraying the creatures with a flamethrower or blowtorch. Also another obstacle to avoid in the game is the risk of freezing to death, which limits your time outside. You can heal your body with medical packs you find along the way, which is probably the most needed thing in the game. There also is a needle thing you can use to test your team to see if they are infected, but this is useless most of the time and rarely works.
As the story progresses you also fight soldiers, which were contaminated with the virus. There are also large bosses in the game, which you definitely have to keep your distance from. At the end you fight a huge boss while in a helicopter, which towers several feet in the air. The horror elements work surprisingly well for a video game and a few times there was a jump scare. The game drags toward the middle when you start fighting soldiers, but it keeps you interested. The Thing also will keep you challenged and may seem difficult when you first play. The graphics and gore are also somewhat realistic I suppose, for 2002. There are only a few really annoying moments in the game I can think of, mostly when you have to search for a door key or something. The game also will keep you busy, since it seemed quite long.
PS2 and Xbox-8.5/10
-Anthony
5/7/14
Manhunt (2003)
There was a lot of hype around Manhunt when it was released, mostly due to its graphic violence. There have been many violent games before this was released, but maybe it was because in this game the killing is more sadistic. The gore isn't really exaggerated, but you can kill people in torturous ways. In the game you play as a criminal named Cash who is able to escape death row, because he has been chosen to appear in snuff films. You only are able to confront "the director" at the very end, he just instructs you for most of the game. Eventually Cash's family is threatened and kidnapped, so this makes you hostile toward the director I suppose. It was interesting how you can choose whether to help your family members in the game, but in a stealthy way or they will get executed. Most of the game you are hiding in the shadows, killing crooks and gang members, as the director watches in his control room. You also fight the disturbing boss toward the end called Piggsy, which is a psychopath wearing pig skin and acts like an animal.
The longer you hold the attack down, the more gruesome the execution on your enemies. There are a variety of everyday objects you can use as a weapon, such as knives, plastic bags, wire, and many more. You also can distract enemies by throwing items, you could even collect a severed head of your enemy to throw. There are some guns in the game but they don't appear that often, also firearms are not that stealthy and alert enemies quickly. This game can be quite difficult at times, especially if you are not used to stealth games. You don't get that much health in the game so you must be careful. Close encounters with enemies usually will lead to your death, but you can fight with your fists, which is almost useless. The level designs in the game are kind of boring and mostly its nighttime. Still the game has a dark and foreboding look to it.
There may of been a lot of hype over violence, but in the end this is just a really good stealth game. You finally defeat the director in the end, but you are left wondering if anything you accomplished really even mattered. Where will this criminal go next?, you are left wondering this. Also it is interesting when you wonder how someone could kill so many people and not even flinch, but this is still just a video game. I played mostly the PC version of the game, but the console versions are very similar, but I can aim better on the console versions.
8.5/10
-Anthony
Manhunt (2003)
There was a lot of hype around Manhunt when it was released, mostly due to its graphic violence. There have been many violent games before this was released, but maybe it was because in this game the killing is more sadistic. The gore isn't really exaggerated, but you can kill people in torturous ways. In the game you play as a criminal named Cash who is able to escape death row, because he has been chosen to appear in snuff films. You only are able to confront "the director" at the very end, he just instructs you for most of the game. Eventually Cash's family is threatened and kidnapped, so this makes you hostile toward the director I suppose. It was interesting how you can choose whether to help your family members in the game, but in a stealthy way or they will get executed. Most of the game you are hiding in the shadows, killing crooks and gang members, as the director watches in his control room. You also fight the disturbing boss toward the end called Piggsy, which is a psychopath wearing pig skin and acts like an animal.
The longer you hold the attack down, the more gruesome the execution on your enemies. There are a variety of everyday objects you can use as a weapon, such as knives, plastic bags, wire, and many more. You also can distract enemies by throwing items, you could even collect a severed head of your enemy to throw. There are some guns in the game but they don't appear that often, also firearms are not that stealthy and alert enemies quickly. This game can be quite difficult at times, especially if you are not used to stealth games. You don't get that much health in the game so you must be careful. Close encounters with enemies usually will lead to your death, but you can fight with your fists, which is almost useless. The level designs in the game are kind of boring and mostly its nighttime. Still the game has a dark and foreboding look to it.
There may of been a lot of hype over violence, but in the end this is just a really good stealth game. You finally defeat the director in the end, but you are left wondering if anything you accomplished really even mattered. Where will this criminal go next?, you are left wondering this. Also it is interesting when you wonder how someone could kill so many people and not even flinch, but this is still just a video game. I played mostly the PC version of the game, but the console versions are very similar, but I can aim better on the console versions.
8.5/10
-Anthony
5/6/14
Snake (1970s)
Snake is a relatively simple concept, but I got hooked on it recently. I don't have an exact date for the game, but it seems to have originated sometime in the 1970s in arcades. In the game you basically move around as snake-like line and collect dots, which is supposedly food for the snake. You try and avoid running into barriers and also your own tail, since you grow a bit every time the snake eats. This game sounds boring, but really it will keep you entertained, similar to Pong. There are many versions of this game, with varying levels of detail. There may be some versions that make the line look like an actual snake, but I have yet to play any. You probably could find this game anywhere, even a flash version online. I have read that this is one of the earliest games for mobile phones, which I would say is a milestone with all these apps like Angry Birds being so popular nowadays.
I really don't have much of a strategy to this game, but I usually choose the medium speed for the snake. There usually is a slow, medium, and fast setting for the snake. I really don't like the slowest speed at all. It seems like when the snake is at it's slowest your tail takes too long to catch up to you, which usually leads to a crash. The medium speed is just right, allowing you to react easiest when turning corners. The fast speed is challenging (called Python on the version I played), I have only been able to make it to around 800 without crashing into the sides. As of now my highest score on the medium speed is about 1,500, but that could change soon. When you get to about 1,000 you should vary your path more often. If you vary your path you can avoid the risk of hitting your tail, so try to move erratically when you get passed this point.
Versions can vary on this game, so it is difficult to rate. If I had to rate this I would say 8/10.
-Anthony
http://playsnake.org/
Snake (1970s)
Snake is a relatively simple concept, but I got hooked on it recently. I don't have an exact date for the game, but it seems to have originated sometime in the 1970s in arcades. In the game you basically move around as snake-like line and collect dots, which is supposedly food for the snake. You try and avoid running into barriers and also your own tail, since you grow a bit every time the snake eats. This game sounds boring, but really it will keep you entertained, similar to Pong. There are many versions of this game, with varying levels of detail. There may be some versions that make the line look like an actual snake, but I have yet to play any. You probably could find this game anywhere, even a flash version online. I have read that this is one of the earliest games for mobile phones, which I would say is a milestone with all these apps like Angry Birds being so popular nowadays.
I really don't have much of a strategy to this game, but I usually choose the medium speed for the snake. There usually is a slow, medium, and fast setting for the snake. I really don't like the slowest speed at all. It seems like when the snake is at it's slowest your tail takes too long to catch up to you, which usually leads to a crash. The medium speed is just right, allowing you to react easiest when turning corners. The fast speed is challenging (called Python on the version I played), I have only been able to make it to around 800 without crashing into the sides. As of now my highest score on the medium speed is about 1,500, but that could change soon. When you get to about 1,000 you should vary your path more often. If you vary your path you can avoid the risk of hitting your tail, so try to move erratically when you get passed this point.
Versions can vary on this game, so it is difficult to rate. If I had to rate this I would say 8/10.
-Anthony
http://playsnake.org/
5/6/14
Spider-man (2002)
This is another great video game adaption of a film. I remember playing this game constantly a while back. The plot loosely follows the film with Tobey Maguire and the main villain is still Green Goblin. You do fight a slew of villains that don't appear in the film such as vulture, scorpion, and the shocker. The easiest boss battle by far is with Uncle Ben's murderer, which only has a weak weapon and flash grenades. The only tough boss is the Green Goblin in my opinion, mostly when he is grounded. The green goblin would put you in an annoying choke hold, which would drain a great deal of health. Most of the time though you are fighting regular crooks and thugs. A "secret" boss in the game is Bone Saw, which you fight in a cage match. One annoyance about this game is that you can swing around, but can't land on the city streets. This game is more story based, then in Spider-Man 2 you finally were able to freely move about the city. This really doesn't bother me much about the game, since a lot of the time you are on the ground in buildings or sewers.
The levels in Spider-Man are interesting, such as the broken down clock tower where the Vulture resides. The city scape can be boring, but at least it is sometimes night or day. The most aggravating levels are in OsCorp, where you can constantly set off alarms, which would alert the robot security. I most enjoyed the sewer levels, and fighting the Green Goblin countless times in various locations. In the game you can also learn new moves as you progress. In the Xbox version of the game you get an extra boss battle with Kraven, which has an interesting jungle level with traps. You may be able to freely move around the city in the second game, but the battles did not feel as interesting as in this game.
I played the Playstation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions and all of them were equal in my opinion. The Gameboy version had little relation to the other versions, but was still fun. The Gameboy version had more of a comic style, also it was quite confusing to navigate levels. This was a great tie in with the Spider-Man film, unfortunately Spider-Man 3 doesn't fare as well.
PS2, Xbox, and GameCube-9/10
Gameboy- 7/10
Spider-man (2002)
This is another great video game adaption of a film. I remember playing this game constantly a while back. The plot loosely follows the film with Tobey Maguire and the main villain is still Green Goblin. You do fight a slew of villains that don't appear in the film such as vulture, scorpion, and the shocker. The easiest boss battle by far is with Uncle Ben's murderer, which only has a weak weapon and flash grenades. The only tough boss is the Green Goblin in my opinion, mostly when he is grounded. The green goblin would put you in an annoying choke hold, which would drain a great deal of health. Most of the time though you are fighting regular crooks and thugs. A "secret" boss in the game is Bone Saw, which you fight in a cage match. One annoyance about this game is that you can swing around, but can't land on the city streets. This game is more story based, then in Spider-Man 2 you finally were able to freely move about the city. This really doesn't bother me much about the game, since a lot of the time you are on the ground in buildings or sewers.
The levels in Spider-Man are interesting, such as the broken down clock tower where the Vulture resides. The city scape can be boring, but at least it is sometimes night or day. The most aggravating levels are in OsCorp, where you can constantly set off alarms, which would alert the robot security. I most enjoyed the sewer levels, and fighting the Green Goblin countless times in various locations. In the game you can also learn new moves as you progress. In the Xbox version of the game you get an extra boss battle with Kraven, which has an interesting jungle level with traps. You may be able to freely move around the city in the second game, but the battles did not feel as interesting as in this game.
I played the Playstation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions and all of them were equal in my opinion. The Gameboy version had little relation to the other versions, but was still fun. The Gameboy version had more of a comic style, also it was quite confusing to navigate levels. This was a great tie in with the Spider-Man film, unfortunately Spider-Man 3 doesn't fare as well.
PS2, Xbox, and GameCube-9/10
Gameboy- 7/10
5/5/14
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (2005)
Often video game adaptions of movies are pure crap, but King Kong is definitely an exception. The game has a similar plot to the film where a filmmaker named Carl goes to shoot a movie on the mysterious Skull Island. There are a few cut scenes from the film, but for the most part the story progresses in the game. I enjoyed having limited cut scenes instead of interrupting the game every few minutes. In the game you play as the character Jack, then later on you play as King Kong, alternating throughout the game. King Kong captures the actress named Ann, which is who you are trying to rescue most of the game. I personally preferred playing as a human character, but it was still fun to kill dinosaurs as the big ape. The weapons in the game are very limited on ammo, with a machine gun every so often. Most of the time in the game you pick up spears and bones, which are also set ablaze to clear out shrubbery.
The game has some interesting characters, with the same voices from the film. It varies who you follow around within the game. I liked how you could ask a friend to throw you a weapon when you ran out of ammo, also the game would be boring if you didn't have some characters fighting along side you. There are a variety of enemies in the game such as huge millipedes, dinosaurs, crabs, and also the natives of the island. Most of the time your allies are helplessly attacked by these creatures, which forces you to save them. You come across a large t-Rex type dinosaur in the game, which can't be killed by Jack, only King Kong. It is still intense when you are running to escape the jaws of the dinosaur, or trying to divert its attention from allies. There are no real puzzles or anything in the game, but it can be a pain sometimes to find a lever to open doors, especially with a giant dinosaur right behind you.
The setting in the game I also enjoyed, with thick jungles and realistic rain. The river rafting levels where always interesting to me, or sniping bird-like dinosaurs a top the cliffs. The game still looks gloomy for the most part, but this doesn't bother me much. One of the most intense parts of the game is when you are caught in a stampede of brontosaurus dinosaurs, as you try and look for fire. Often you get pinned by the T-rex creature, then narrowly escape, which is one of the highlights to this game. One thing that did aggravate me about this game was walking across platforms. You can only see in first person, yet you have to walk across a thin plank of wood in some levels.
I first rented King Kong for GameCube which I would say is the best version next to the Xbox 360. I eventually had to buy the GameCube version, since I played it so much. The game definitely had quite a bit of replay value for me. The PSP version felt stripped down and felt like a weaker port. Also the Nintendo DS version of the game was a disappointment, so I would stick with the console versions. To me the video game version of Peter Jackson's King Kong fared better than the actual film, also it's probably not as long.
GameCube- 9.5/10
Xbox 360-9.5/10
PSP- 6/10
Nintendo DS-3/10
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (2005)
Often video game adaptions of movies are pure crap, but King Kong is definitely an exception. The game has a similar plot to the film where a filmmaker named Carl goes to shoot a movie on the mysterious Skull Island. There are a few cut scenes from the film, but for the most part the story progresses in the game. I enjoyed having limited cut scenes instead of interrupting the game every few minutes. In the game you play as the character Jack, then later on you play as King Kong, alternating throughout the game. King Kong captures the actress named Ann, which is who you are trying to rescue most of the game. I personally preferred playing as a human character, but it was still fun to kill dinosaurs as the big ape. The weapons in the game are very limited on ammo, with a machine gun every so often. Most of the time in the game you pick up spears and bones, which are also set ablaze to clear out shrubbery.
The game has some interesting characters, with the same voices from the film. It varies who you follow around within the game. I liked how you could ask a friend to throw you a weapon when you ran out of ammo, also the game would be boring if you didn't have some characters fighting along side you. There are a variety of enemies in the game such as huge millipedes, dinosaurs, crabs, and also the natives of the island. Most of the time your allies are helplessly attacked by these creatures, which forces you to save them. You come across a large t-Rex type dinosaur in the game, which can't be killed by Jack, only King Kong. It is still intense when you are running to escape the jaws of the dinosaur, or trying to divert its attention from allies. There are no real puzzles or anything in the game, but it can be a pain sometimes to find a lever to open doors, especially with a giant dinosaur right behind you.
The setting in the game I also enjoyed, with thick jungles and realistic rain. The river rafting levels where always interesting to me, or sniping bird-like dinosaurs a top the cliffs. The game still looks gloomy for the most part, but this doesn't bother me much. One of the most intense parts of the game is when you are caught in a stampede of brontosaurus dinosaurs, as you try and look for fire. Often you get pinned by the T-rex creature, then narrowly escape, which is one of the highlights to this game. One thing that did aggravate me about this game was walking across platforms. You can only see in first person, yet you have to walk across a thin plank of wood in some levels.
I first rented King Kong for GameCube which I would say is the best version next to the Xbox 360. I eventually had to buy the GameCube version, since I played it so much. The game definitely had quite a bit of replay value for me. The PSP version felt stripped down and felt like a weaker port. Also the Nintendo DS version of the game was a disappointment, so I would stick with the console versions. To me the video game version of Peter Jackson's King Kong fared better than the actual film, also it's probably not as long.
GameCube- 9.5/10
Xbox 360-9.5/10
PSP- 6/10
Nintendo DS-3/10
5/5/14
Extremely Goofy Skateboarding (2001)
I am not a big fan of Disney cartoons, but for some reason this game appealed to me as a kid. I also enjoyed the Goofy movies, since there really was no annoying Disney characters. I first got a demo disk of this game in a Kellogg's cereal box, which was quite brief but still fun. The game is self explanatory, you can either play as Goofy or his son Max and skateboard, that's just about it. You can't do much in the demo except practice and do a few tricks. It was still pretty cool to see something like this in your cereal box, instead of a cheap plastic toy nowadays. I also got a demo of a roller coaster designing game, but never could figure this one out as a kid. Goofy Skateboarding probably is one of the first PC games I ever played.
I finally bought the full version of the game after playing the demo for a while. The full version has many different game modes, such as something called "trick tutor". The mode I played for the most part was the one where you collect items to complete levels. The items you collected varied upon what level or world you where in, for example beach balls on the beach. One of my favorite levels was one where you could skateboard on a roller coaster track. There were also beach, space, city, and western levels you could skate in. You can also customize what your character is wearing, which really effects nothing. Both Goofy and his son are equal in the game, neither has an advantage over the other. There is some freedom in this game to do tricks, or you can just collect items and progress to new worlds. Sometimes controls can be clunky, but easy for the most part, I would suggest wasd instead of using the arrow keys, which I always used as a kid.
This may not be the greatest game, but it is most interesting to children. I thought the levels were well thought out, even when I played it again years later. At least it still could work on newer computers, since it wasn't a DOS game. I would play it if you could even track it down somewhere.
8/10
-Anthony
Extremely Goofy Skateboarding (2001)
I am not a big fan of Disney cartoons, but for some reason this game appealed to me as a kid. I also enjoyed the Goofy movies, since there really was no annoying Disney characters. I first got a demo disk of this game in a Kellogg's cereal box, which was quite brief but still fun. The game is self explanatory, you can either play as Goofy or his son Max and skateboard, that's just about it. You can't do much in the demo except practice and do a few tricks. It was still pretty cool to see something like this in your cereal box, instead of a cheap plastic toy nowadays. I also got a demo of a roller coaster designing game, but never could figure this one out as a kid. Goofy Skateboarding probably is one of the first PC games I ever played.
I finally bought the full version of the game after playing the demo for a while. The full version has many different game modes, such as something called "trick tutor". The mode I played for the most part was the one where you collect items to complete levels. The items you collected varied upon what level or world you where in, for example beach balls on the beach. One of my favorite levels was one where you could skateboard on a roller coaster track. There were also beach, space, city, and western levels you could skate in. You can also customize what your character is wearing, which really effects nothing. Both Goofy and his son are equal in the game, neither has an advantage over the other. There is some freedom in this game to do tricks, or you can just collect items and progress to new worlds. Sometimes controls can be clunky, but easy for the most part, I would suggest wasd instead of using the arrow keys, which I always used as a kid.
This may not be the greatest game, but it is most interesting to children. I thought the levels were well thought out, even when I played it again years later. At least it still could work on newer computers, since it wasn't a DOS game. I would play it if you could even track it down somewhere.
8/10
-Anthony
4-31-2014
Donkey Kong Country-Gameboy Color
Let me start this review off by saying this game is amazing, one of the best Gameboy color games that was ever released for the handheld device. You play as Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong is this adventurous platfomer. In this game you encounter a tremendous amount of obstacles to cross to get to the end. You pass through glaciers, swim underwater, ride the train cart around and much more. This game has hours of entertainment. My favorite was always the train missions. I remember playing this game for a really long time before I could beat it as a child, I had to have my brother help me. There are a lot of challenging levels though one of my least favorites were the underwater levels, it was just so easy to die. Unlike game these days, this one was fun challenge. I never got bored and all around you receive hours of quality playtime.
10/10
Crash.
Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
This was a great game for SNES, with a lot of replay value. I played this game at a cousins house, since I didn't initially grow up with these classic systems. It is just fun to tag in and out with another player, you can either play as Donkey Kong or Ditty like Crash mentioned. I enjoyed swinging from vines, collecting bananas, and also fighting the killer bees. The mine carts definitely were a plus to the game too. I never really was that good at DK:Country but it helps to have another player. The bosses were inventive and If I remember correctly there was a rhino boss.
The graphics are impressive for a Super Nintendo game, despite it being cartoony in appearance. The sound is great too, and I thought the intro song was catchy. Like Crash I didn't like the underwater stages all that much, they were a pain in my opinion. I wish it could be ported to more modern consoles, but unfortunately it would be for Wii. Overall it is worth a try if you can seek the game out for SNES.
8.5/10
-Anthony
Donkey Kong Country-Gameboy Color
Let me start this review off by saying this game is amazing, one of the best Gameboy color games that was ever released for the handheld device. You play as Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong is this adventurous platfomer. In this game you encounter a tremendous amount of obstacles to cross to get to the end. You pass through glaciers, swim underwater, ride the train cart around and much more. This game has hours of entertainment. My favorite was always the train missions. I remember playing this game for a really long time before I could beat it as a child, I had to have my brother help me. There are a lot of challenging levels though one of my least favorites were the underwater levels, it was just so easy to die. Unlike game these days, this one was fun challenge. I never got bored and all around you receive hours of quality playtime.
10/10
Crash.
Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
This was a great game for SNES, with a lot of replay value. I played this game at a cousins house, since I didn't initially grow up with these classic systems. It is just fun to tag in and out with another player, you can either play as Donkey Kong or Ditty like Crash mentioned. I enjoyed swinging from vines, collecting bananas, and also fighting the killer bees. The mine carts definitely were a plus to the game too. I never really was that good at DK:Country but it helps to have another player. The bosses were inventive and If I remember correctly there was a rhino boss.
The graphics are impressive for a Super Nintendo game, despite it being cartoony in appearance. The sound is great too, and I thought the intro song was catchy. Like Crash I didn't like the underwater stages all that much, they were a pain in my opinion. I wish it could be ported to more modern consoles, but unfortunately it would be for Wii. Overall it is worth a try if you can seek the game out for SNES.
8.5/10
-Anthony
5/1/14
Mortal Kombat 2
I am a fan of Mortal Kombat, but I have to admit this game is extremely frustrating. I am of course referring to the arcade difficulty, which is downright ridiculous. You will be trying to button mash your way through this game. I never played extremely difficult games like Ghosts n' Goblins, but this one was a challenge to me. Mortal Kombat 2 is a way more updated game than the first Mortal Kombat, with new characters, secrets, and fatalities, especially updated graphics too. The new stages are classic nowadays, such as the bridge with the burning man in the background. This game also has more intense gore, and you can actually see bones in many fatalities. My personal favorite fatality is still scorpion's toasty fatality, which looks a tad more realistic. Reptile was also a great addition to Mortal Kombat, previously being only a secret character. The stage fatalities are pretty gruesome also, such as knocking someone into a vat of acid or into a spike on a ceiling. This game is way more interesting than MK3 in my opinion, which had way too many bones flying everywhere, and also some boring characters.
You must pick a character you know well in this game to be victorious. Like I said how I enjoyed using Scorpion, since I learned his moves and spammed them quite often. If you don't know a character thoroughly, you will have a tough time beating the game. Mortal Kombat 2 may vary between systems though, so on some the difficulty may be toned down. With the original arcade version it is just completely relentless. The bosses are the biggest pain, and I am certain you will get frustrated eventually. You could try to button mash, but it would make more sense just to learn the moves and keep your distance. I was happy at the moment I actually beat the final boss, after about 2 hours of frustration. So try this game out, but I might pass up the version on the Mortal Kombat Kollection on Xbox Live, this one isn't the best port. The SNES version looked decent from videos I have seen.
8/10
-Anthony
Mortal Kombat 2
I am a fan of Mortal Kombat, but I have to admit this game is extremely frustrating. I am of course referring to the arcade difficulty, which is downright ridiculous. You will be trying to button mash your way through this game. I never played extremely difficult games like Ghosts n' Goblins, but this one was a challenge to me. Mortal Kombat 2 is a way more updated game than the first Mortal Kombat, with new characters, secrets, and fatalities, especially updated graphics too. The new stages are classic nowadays, such as the bridge with the burning man in the background. This game also has more intense gore, and you can actually see bones in many fatalities. My personal favorite fatality is still scorpion's toasty fatality, which looks a tad more realistic. Reptile was also a great addition to Mortal Kombat, previously being only a secret character. The stage fatalities are pretty gruesome also, such as knocking someone into a vat of acid or into a spike on a ceiling. This game is way more interesting than MK3 in my opinion, which had way too many bones flying everywhere, and also some boring characters.
You must pick a character you know well in this game to be victorious. Like I said how I enjoyed using Scorpion, since I learned his moves and spammed them quite often. If you don't know a character thoroughly, you will have a tough time beating the game. Mortal Kombat 2 may vary between systems though, so on some the difficulty may be toned down. With the original arcade version it is just completely relentless. The bosses are the biggest pain, and I am certain you will get frustrated eventually. You could try to button mash, but it would make more sense just to learn the moves and keep your distance. I was happy at the moment I actually beat the final boss, after about 2 hours of frustration. So try this game out, but I might pass up the version on the Mortal Kombat Kollection on Xbox Live, this one isn't the best port. The SNES version looked decent from videos I have seen.
8/10
-Anthony
4/30/14
Blood (1997)
There were many Doom "clones" in the 90s, but this game shouldn't be called that. This is a great first person shooter, but probably is forgotten with time. There were more popular games like Duke Nukem 3D, but I personally enjoyed this game over Duke. The horror style is great in this game and it is unfortunate that its difficult to play nowadays. The game was one of the later Dos releases, but the source code was never released. If they would of released the source code this game wouldn't be such a pain to play on modern operating systems. You can download the DosBox program if you want to play these old games, unfortunately it still plays choppy.
Now on to the game itself. You play as some kind of undead gunslinger, who rose from his grave. I think you are trying to hunt down demons, but I really don't remember the exact plot. You fight zombies, bats, rats, flying gargoyles and any other horror villain you can think of. Don't think this is a cliché game though, it is far from it. The gore is much more intense then Doom, hence the name. You are even able to kick around zombies heads on the floor! There is a wide array of weapons also such as pitchforks, dynamite, voodoo dolls, and a tommy gun. A lot of the weapons are unique compared to many other first person shooters. The character you play as is silent for the most part, except for a few lines from horror movies and references. The sounds are realistic for the most part; it is especially gross sounding when a zombie gets blown apart with explosives. Blood also has a cool soundtrack, but I never got it to work on a Windows XP.
Hopefully this game will be ported to modern systems someday. I played the shareware version first, but also the full game on DosBox. I tried hard to get it to work, since the game is really interesting. Maybe you will have more luck if you are computer savvy. This is one of the best first person shooters I played, miles more interesting than COD. Also I wanted to point out there are expansions for the game, which make the game considerably tougher. I wouldn't really recommend the add ons, but try the game itself if you are able to.
9.5/10
-Anthony
Blood (1997)
There were many Doom "clones" in the 90s, but this game shouldn't be called that. This is a great first person shooter, but probably is forgotten with time. There were more popular games like Duke Nukem 3D, but I personally enjoyed this game over Duke. The horror style is great in this game and it is unfortunate that its difficult to play nowadays. The game was one of the later Dos releases, but the source code was never released. If they would of released the source code this game wouldn't be such a pain to play on modern operating systems. You can download the DosBox program if you want to play these old games, unfortunately it still plays choppy.
Now on to the game itself. You play as some kind of undead gunslinger, who rose from his grave. I think you are trying to hunt down demons, but I really don't remember the exact plot. You fight zombies, bats, rats, flying gargoyles and any other horror villain you can think of. Don't think this is a cliché game though, it is far from it. The gore is much more intense then Doom, hence the name. You are even able to kick around zombies heads on the floor! There is a wide array of weapons also such as pitchforks, dynamite, voodoo dolls, and a tommy gun. A lot of the weapons are unique compared to many other first person shooters. The character you play as is silent for the most part, except for a few lines from horror movies and references. The sounds are realistic for the most part; it is especially gross sounding when a zombie gets blown apart with explosives. Blood also has a cool soundtrack, but I never got it to work on a Windows XP.
Hopefully this game will be ported to modern systems someday. I played the shareware version first, but also the full game on DosBox. I tried hard to get it to work, since the game is really interesting. Maybe you will have more luck if you are computer savvy. This is one of the best first person shooters I played, miles more interesting than COD. Also I wanted to point out there are expansions for the game, which make the game considerably tougher. I wouldn't really recommend the add ons, but try the game itself if you are able to.
9.5/10
-Anthony
4/7/14
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
This is my absolute favorite western video game, even though I have only played a few. The premise of the game, and the open world make it great. I enjoyed this game a lot more than GTA 4, because there is so much more you can do. This game barely shares any connection with the previous game "Red Dead Revolver", and it is much more free and story based. I did enjoy the first game, but it has nothing that Redemption has, and you were quite limited in that game. I still remember playing this when it came out on Xbox 360, and then on I played non stop. I put more hours into this game than anything else.
The story is well written in this game, but isn't what makes this game great. Being able to do whatever you want is what really appealed to me. You can become an outlaw and become wanted, or you can follow the right path. I personally did a little of everything in this game and had multiple playthroughs, just to see everything. The main character John is pretty cool, but his son kind of is a bore. The rest of the characters are tolerable though. You basically spend the whole game trying to stop an outlaw, that was once your friend. I won't spoil anything, but the ending has an epic conclusion. Really, I mainly focused on free roaming the desert most of the time in the game.
The desert look authentic, and the train going around the map was a cool addition. Changing from night to day even looks cool. I enjoyed little side activities in this game, especially hunting and collecting treasure. For some reason, shooting the arms off cactus was a fun past time, even though it is pointless. I didn't have many glitches in the game, except for maybe a carriage falling through the ground sometimes. I only played this game on the Xbox 360, but on PlayStation 3 it looked just as good.
The multiplayer is another thing I put a lot of time into. Some people can piss you off online, but ultimately it is fun playing along with friends. You can clear out gang hideouts, or simply kill other players. I think the aiming in multiplayer is especially easy to master, but I am not trying to gloat. Flicking the joystick up a tad pretty much locks on for a head shot 90 percent of the time. The multiplayer is interesting, with the customizable mounts and characters, but it does get boring after a long while. When you get bored, just go back and do something in the story mode.
Redemption also has a wide variety of weapons. There are well known western revolvers and rifles to early 20th century guns. Semi-Automatic pistols, and sniper rifles were an interesting addition to a western game, but fit in with the early 1900s. This game has more action and gun fights than a western movie. It is always fun to mow someone down in a street duel, or to get a shot on an unsuspecting person in multiplayer. They even give you a lasso, so you can rope people and horses, which also allows you to leave a tied person on train tracks.
Little things are what make this game especially fun. I had an all together better time playing this than Grand Theft Auto. The only big complaint I have is about updates. I feel like updates caused some guns to become weaker, and lawmen more accurate. Other than this, the game kept me occupied for a long time. Try it out, if you have not already. On another note, the add on Undead Nightmare wasn't all that great. There are fun moments, but zombies in a western game didn't do it for me. The add on lacked what made Red Dead Redemption great, but still may be worth a try.
10/10
-Anthony
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
This is my absolute favorite western video game, even though I have only played a few. The premise of the game, and the open world make it great. I enjoyed this game a lot more than GTA 4, because there is so much more you can do. This game barely shares any connection with the previous game "Red Dead Revolver", and it is much more free and story based. I did enjoy the first game, but it has nothing that Redemption has, and you were quite limited in that game. I still remember playing this when it came out on Xbox 360, and then on I played non stop. I put more hours into this game than anything else.
The story is well written in this game, but isn't what makes this game great. Being able to do whatever you want is what really appealed to me. You can become an outlaw and become wanted, or you can follow the right path. I personally did a little of everything in this game and had multiple playthroughs, just to see everything. The main character John is pretty cool, but his son kind of is a bore. The rest of the characters are tolerable though. You basically spend the whole game trying to stop an outlaw, that was once your friend. I won't spoil anything, but the ending has an epic conclusion. Really, I mainly focused on free roaming the desert most of the time in the game.
The desert look authentic, and the train going around the map was a cool addition. Changing from night to day even looks cool. I enjoyed little side activities in this game, especially hunting and collecting treasure. For some reason, shooting the arms off cactus was a fun past time, even though it is pointless. I didn't have many glitches in the game, except for maybe a carriage falling through the ground sometimes. I only played this game on the Xbox 360, but on PlayStation 3 it looked just as good.
The multiplayer is another thing I put a lot of time into. Some people can piss you off online, but ultimately it is fun playing along with friends. You can clear out gang hideouts, or simply kill other players. I think the aiming in multiplayer is especially easy to master, but I am not trying to gloat. Flicking the joystick up a tad pretty much locks on for a head shot 90 percent of the time. The multiplayer is interesting, with the customizable mounts and characters, but it does get boring after a long while. When you get bored, just go back and do something in the story mode.
Redemption also has a wide variety of weapons. There are well known western revolvers and rifles to early 20th century guns. Semi-Automatic pistols, and sniper rifles were an interesting addition to a western game, but fit in with the early 1900s. This game has more action and gun fights than a western movie. It is always fun to mow someone down in a street duel, or to get a shot on an unsuspecting person in multiplayer. They even give you a lasso, so you can rope people and horses, which also allows you to leave a tied person on train tracks.
Little things are what make this game especially fun. I had an all together better time playing this than Grand Theft Auto. The only big complaint I have is about updates. I feel like updates caused some guns to become weaker, and lawmen more accurate. Other than this, the game kept me occupied for a long time. Try it out, if you have not already. On another note, the add on Undead Nightmare wasn't all that great. There are fun moments, but zombies in a western game didn't do it for me. The add on lacked what made Red Dead Redemption great, but still may be worth a try.
10/10
-Anthony
4/1/14
Mortal Kombat 4 1997
This was probably one of the first games I ever played, and first ever fighting game. I originally played it on PlayStation 1, with my brother. The controls are very easy, and you can learn them quick. The game though can be cheesy, because of the over the top gore, and sound effects. I was never able to perform a fatality as a kid, but I watched a compilation of them and it looked goofy. Despite this, it is an overall good fighting game. Also it is to be expected with a PlayStation game, that the characters have blocky heads. This Mortal Kombat was unique though, since it was the first in the series with 3-D graphics. I really can't comment on the other ports like Nintendo, since I haven't played them.
My brother would always play as the character Scorpion, and I would be Sub-Zero. Scorpion is the one everyone picks in all the Mortal Kombat games, because you can spam that spear move. Most characters return from previous games, like Raiden and Reptile, but there are some new lame characters. I think one new character was Reiko, who reminded me of Robin, Batman's sidekick. Also the main boss isn't very exciting, since you can play as him. The sub-boss Goro is cool though, but he can be tough and hits hard.
This was my favorite Mortal Kombat overall. The trilogy on PlayStation was the only fighting game that came close for me. I think I played this most out of any PlayStation game. The endings also made me laugh, it was like a low budget Japanese film. The weapons you can pull out were also a cool addition, but they would always get knocked out of your hand. So I would definitely recommend this game.
8.5/10
-Anthony
Mortal Kombat 4 1997
This was probably one of the first games I ever played, and first ever fighting game. I originally played it on PlayStation 1, with my brother. The controls are very easy, and you can learn them quick. The game though can be cheesy, because of the over the top gore, and sound effects. I was never able to perform a fatality as a kid, but I watched a compilation of them and it looked goofy. Despite this, it is an overall good fighting game. Also it is to be expected with a PlayStation game, that the characters have blocky heads. This Mortal Kombat was unique though, since it was the first in the series with 3-D graphics. I really can't comment on the other ports like Nintendo, since I haven't played them.
My brother would always play as the character Scorpion, and I would be Sub-Zero. Scorpion is the one everyone picks in all the Mortal Kombat games, because you can spam that spear move. Most characters return from previous games, like Raiden and Reptile, but there are some new lame characters. I think one new character was Reiko, who reminded me of Robin, Batman's sidekick. Also the main boss isn't very exciting, since you can play as him. The sub-boss Goro is cool though, but he can be tough and hits hard.
This was my favorite Mortal Kombat overall. The trilogy on PlayStation was the only fighting game that came close for me. I think I played this most out of any PlayStation game. The endings also made me laugh, it was like a low budget Japanese film. The weapons you can pull out were also a cool addition, but they would always get knocked out of your hand. So I would definitely recommend this game.
8.5/10
-Anthony
3/31/14
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing 2003
Big Rigs is a now infamous PC game, often sited as the worst video game of all time. It seems like literally nothing works in this game. You cannot even lose in this racing game, since the other trucker doesn't move. Literally every part of this game is broken, it is a shock this thing was ever approved to be released. Also you never deliver a load, despite this being the objective of the game on the back cover, but this game does deliver a load of poop. You can ride over mountains, and your truck never slows down for anything. Also you are able to drive through anything, such as buildings and light posts. You actually go faster in reverse! You must see Big Rigs to actually believe it.
Its hard to call this a game, since there is no way to lose. There has been some updates, but this has barely scratched the surface of the issues. When you win the race, it actually states "You're Winner!", which is such a blatant mistake. This whole thing is a blatant mistake, and obviously the designers couldn't use proper English. At least there is sound in the game now because of updates. Really though, was this thing actually released in stores? I downloaded and played this thing just for the laughs, despite hearing negative reviews. The funniest part of it, is that people actually paid money for this junk. I would be embarrassed to be on the game designing team for this. So maybe you can find it online somewhere. I would play the game just to see how horrible it is yourself.
2/10 Just because it made me laugh.
-Anthony
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing 2003
Big Rigs is a now infamous PC game, often sited as the worst video game of all time. It seems like literally nothing works in this game. You cannot even lose in this racing game, since the other trucker doesn't move. Literally every part of this game is broken, it is a shock this thing was ever approved to be released. Also you never deliver a load, despite this being the objective of the game on the back cover, but this game does deliver a load of poop. You can ride over mountains, and your truck never slows down for anything. Also you are able to drive through anything, such as buildings and light posts. You actually go faster in reverse! You must see Big Rigs to actually believe it.
Its hard to call this a game, since there is no way to lose. There has been some updates, but this has barely scratched the surface of the issues. When you win the race, it actually states "You're Winner!", which is such a blatant mistake. This whole thing is a blatant mistake, and obviously the designers couldn't use proper English. At least there is sound in the game now because of updates. Really though, was this thing actually released in stores? I downloaded and played this thing just for the laughs, despite hearing negative reviews. The funniest part of it, is that people actually paid money for this junk. I would be embarrassed to be on the game designing team for this. So maybe you can find it online somewhere. I would play the game just to see how horrible it is yourself.
2/10 Just because it made me laugh.
-Anthony
3/28/14
Toy Story 2 The Game (1999)
This is one of the first video games I played as a kid, along with Mortal Kombat 4. It was a pretty challenging game for even some adults. I am not sure how this game was even aimed toward kids. The only way this game appeals to kids is because it has the Toy Story name. I don't believe a small kid could really figure this game out, or even finish it. It wasn't until I was about ten, that I finally was a able to complete it.
Since I was a fan of the films I was drawn to this game. There is some resemblance to the movie, but it is mostly just the plot and custscenes. One of the toughest parts of the game was a slime monster boss battle in an alley way, which certainly didn't occur in the film. The slime monster was in a garbage can, and every time you thought you won he got even bigger! This level was so frustrating, and I think I threw the controller once. The boss battles overall though are easy, and the bosses aren't very inventive.
Basically the whole game you play as Buzz Lightyear trying to save woody; the plot is pretty much the same as the film. The graphics look cheesy( on PlayStation 1), but I suppose it was good for 1999. Also some characters that are in the movie appear, like Mr.Potato Head, who usually asks for little random tasks. I especially liked the task of finding potato heads' missing parts. Every level looks interesting, from an alley to Al's Toy Barn. The final boss battle with the prospector is pretty bland, and isn't very fulfilling. You do feel accomplished though, finally completing this game.
Overall it was a good game that I would recommend, if you can even find it somewhere. Of course since it is a PlayStation game, characters heads look like blocks, but the graphics I heard are better than the Nintendo version. This game was a challenge, especially if you didn't have a memory card like me. So I would recommend this more for older kids.
7.5/10
-Anthony
Toy Story 2 The Game (1999)
This is one of the first video games I played as a kid, along with Mortal Kombat 4. It was a pretty challenging game for even some adults. I am not sure how this game was even aimed toward kids. The only way this game appeals to kids is because it has the Toy Story name. I don't believe a small kid could really figure this game out, or even finish it. It wasn't until I was about ten, that I finally was a able to complete it.
Since I was a fan of the films I was drawn to this game. There is some resemblance to the movie, but it is mostly just the plot and custscenes. One of the toughest parts of the game was a slime monster boss battle in an alley way, which certainly didn't occur in the film. The slime monster was in a garbage can, and every time you thought you won he got even bigger! This level was so frustrating, and I think I threw the controller once. The boss battles overall though are easy, and the bosses aren't very inventive.
Basically the whole game you play as Buzz Lightyear trying to save woody; the plot is pretty much the same as the film. The graphics look cheesy( on PlayStation 1), but I suppose it was good for 1999. Also some characters that are in the movie appear, like Mr.Potato Head, who usually asks for little random tasks. I especially liked the task of finding potato heads' missing parts. Every level looks interesting, from an alley to Al's Toy Barn. The final boss battle with the prospector is pretty bland, and isn't very fulfilling. You do feel accomplished though, finally completing this game.
Overall it was a good game that I would recommend, if you can even find it somewhere. Of course since it is a PlayStation game, characters heads look like blocks, but the graphics I heard are better than the Nintendo version. This game was a challenge, especially if you didn't have a memory card like me. So I would recommend this more for older kids.
7.5/10
-Anthony
The Dreaded Slime Boss
Alien versus Predator was a game released for PC and Mac in 1999. I didn't have the opportunity to play the game when it came out, but I ordered it off Amazon a while back. The game is a first-person shooter, and there are three campaigns. You can play as a marine, and alien, or the predator. Overall my favorite is the alien since you can claw and whip your tail at people. The alien also is able to maneuver on ceilings and walls. Each character has its own advantages and disadvantages. The marine is my least favorite, since you are the most vulnerable. There are a few cut scenes, but not much story to this game. It is a pretty fun game though and is like a horror movie. AVP is pretty action packed, and the graphics were good for 1999. Unfortunately all three campaigns are brief. This is one of my favorite games, even though I am not much of a PC gamer. I played the "Gold edition" of the game which has updated features, like saving games. You can now get this game on Steam too and its called Alien versus Predator Classic 2000. I definitely recommend this game and I rate it 9.6/10.
DOOM
Doom is a first person shooter released in 1993. It was a great game, and in my opinion took more time and effort than many games today. You play as a marine who is stationed on Mars, and for some reason all hell breaks loose, literally. A portal to hell opens on Mars and you must stop the demons coming through it. Along the way you get a vast amount of weapons such as shotguns, chain guns, pulse rifles, and the famous BFG. You can pick a variety of difficulty settings, with Nightmare being the highest and most impossible. You basically have to just speed run in order to get through those Nightmare levels. I usually prefer an average challenge and pick the 2nd or third difficulty. There isn't much of a story with Doom except for what I mentioned, but the game is split up into episodes. The expansion for Doom added another episode called Thy Flesh Consumed.
The levels are large and open for the most part, as you run through stages fighting enemies and finding keys to progress. There are huge pits of lava, corpses strewn about, and an overall hellish appearance. The monsters vary such as zombies, imps, and Pinkies. This game did have quite a bit of controversy at the time, probably because of the amount of gore. Shooting enemies with rockets probably causes the biggest mess of all. The bosses are also inventive in Doom such as the Baron and Spider Demon.
What else can you really say about Doom? If it wasn't for this game many first person shooters wouldn't exist. Also Doom popularized modding due to WADs and also online gaming. This game originally was released to Dos, but there are too many ports to count nowadays. There really aren't many bad ports to Doom, so you could try it on any system and enjoy the game.
10/10
-Anthony
The levels are large and open for the most part, as you run through stages fighting enemies and finding keys to progress. There are huge pits of lava, corpses strewn about, and an overall hellish appearance. The monsters vary such as zombies, imps, and Pinkies. This game did have quite a bit of controversy at the time, probably because of the amount of gore. Shooting enemies with rockets probably causes the biggest mess of all. The bosses are also inventive in Doom such as the Baron and Spider Demon.
What else can you really say about Doom? If it wasn't for this game many first person shooters wouldn't exist. Also Doom popularized modding due to WADs and also online gaming. This game originally was released to Dos, but there are too many ports to count nowadays. There really aren't many bad ports to Doom, so you could try it on any system and enjoy the game.
10/10
-Anthony
Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies
Black Ops Zombies is one of my favorite parts to the Call Of Duty series with a simply objective survive. This is a great improvement to the WaW zombies. On all maps you are allowed to pack-a-Punch, and there are several new perks and weapons to use. Black Ops Zombies contains two maps with the disc purchase Kino Der Toten and Five. The DLC maps are Ascension, Escalation, Shangri-La, and Moon. These extra maps can catch your attention for hours, a game can easily last a couple hours playing with the right people. I myself am more of a solo player but most play this game in a party with several friends. On the downside the game can also become tedious and repetitive as you play. There have been several self suicides as the game was just lasting too long or I had to go out and do something. Overall I rate the zombies an 8/10.
I also enjoyed the Zombies, especially playing with my friends on Xbox live. There are many people that seem to take it too serious though, there also are some annoying little kids in the game. Other than that Zombies is pretty action packed, and very gory. I played Zombies for many hours with Crash. It does take some skill and teamwork, and Crash seems to have the game down pretty well, better than myself I would say. Zombies is a major highlight to the Call of Duty series, evolving quite a bit from Call of Duty 5: World at War. Zombies was way more enjoyable to me than other game modes like team death match. I did get bored with it at times, since it can be quite repetitive. I rate it 7.5/10.
-Anthony
Kino Der Toten- This map is my 2nd favorite map centered on a theater. It's a medium size map. it gives you just enough space to move around and maneuver around zombies. It's a medium to easy difficulty. The power and pack-a-punch making is relatively easy to activate.
Five- Is centered on the president JFK, you are in the pentagon in this map. The corridors are small the rooms are little and it's hard to move around let alone with 4 others. There are 3 floor plus the Pack-a- punch room. Its is easy to get stuck and trapped on this map. The pack-a-punch machine is a little harder to activate as you need to hit all the DEFCON switches after you find the power the first time it will be easy to find for the games to come. this map is small and is on the harder side.
Ascension- This map is by far my favorite. This a large map. You have plenty of room to move around. The Pack-a-puch machine take a little points as you have to ride all the Lunar Landers, to do that you pretty much have to open up the whole map. the
Black Ops Zombies is one of my favorite parts to the Call Of Duty series with a simply objective survive. This is a great improvement to the WaW zombies. On all maps you are allowed to pack-a-Punch, and there are several new perks and weapons to use. Black Ops Zombies contains two maps with the disc purchase Kino Der Toten and Five. The DLC maps are Ascension, Escalation, Shangri-La, and Moon. These extra maps can catch your attention for hours, a game can easily last a couple hours playing with the right people. I myself am more of a solo player but most play this game in a party with several friends. On the downside the game can also become tedious and repetitive as you play. There have been several self suicides as the game was just lasting too long or I had to go out and do something. Overall I rate the zombies an 8/10.
I also enjoyed the Zombies, especially playing with my friends on Xbox live. There are many people that seem to take it too serious though, there also are some annoying little kids in the game. Other than that Zombies is pretty action packed, and very gory. I played Zombies for many hours with Crash. It does take some skill and teamwork, and Crash seems to have the game down pretty well, better than myself I would say. Zombies is a major highlight to the Call of Duty series, evolving quite a bit from Call of Duty 5: World at War. Zombies was way more enjoyable to me than other game modes like team death match. I did get bored with it at times, since it can be quite repetitive. I rate it 7.5/10.
-Anthony
Kino Der Toten- This map is my 2nd favorite map centered on a theater. It's a medium size map. it gives you just enough space to move around and maneuver around zombies. It's a medium to easy difficulty. The power and pack-a-punch making is relatively easy to activate.
Five- Is centered on the president JFK, you are in the pentagon in this map. The corridors are small the rooms are little and it's hard to move around let alone with 4 others. There are 3 floor plus the Pack-a- punch room. Its is easy to get stuck and trapped on this map. The pack-a-punch machine is a little harder to activate as you need to hit all the DEFCON switches after you find the power the first time it will be easy to find for the games to come. this map is small and is on the harder side.
Ascension- This map is by far my favorite. This a large map. You have plenty of room to move around. The Pack-a-puch machine take a little points as you have to ride all the Lunar Landers, to do that you pretty much have to open up the whole map. the