Now playing: classic, non-vector games

[wyldephang]

Mar 6, 2014 14:34:29 GMT -5 gamezone said:

Good to hear Genesis talk. Sometimes the system gets overshadowed by the Super Nintendo RPG talk. I am not sure why the Genesis has some great RPGs. Most are from early in its life span but still fun to play.

I agree. Until I started collecting for the Genesis, I didn't know that such a large library of quality RPGs (my favorite genre) existed for the console. Still, I believe when you compare the two consoles, the Super Nintendo wins out in the overall quality of the RPGs. One reason is that the SNES supports a larger color palette, lending to the picturesque scenery of games like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. Also, the sound chip is perfect for the epic orchestral soundtracks you want to hear when cutting through a field of enemies, though Phantasy Star makes use of some good upbeat tunes. All that aside, my voyage through the Genesis library has been really rewarding. I'm like Trek in that I didn't have a Genesis until recently; a lot of these games I'm discovering for the first time.

[wyldephang]

The latest game to occupy my time has been Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy for the PlayStation 2.



Jak and Daxter is a 3D platformer that follows the story of an adventurous boy and his weasel sidekick/obligatory comic relief. The game utilizes an open-world design: different areas of the world are accessible by central hubs, but not every location is unlockable from the start. You'll need to complete various missions and perform favors for people to collect key items, open up new areas, and proceed through the game. Jak and Daxter was made by the same company that created Crash Bandicoot, so it contains a lot of the quirky and cartoonish style that defined the Crash series. But as a whole, I find the game has more in common with games like Donkey Kong 64 or Banjo-Kazooie; there's always something in the world to collect, and getting a 100 percent completion rate is a common goal when playing this game. Jak was one of the leading franchises on the PS2 and it's a shame that it has fallen into disuse in modern times.

[VectorX]

Another one that could use a modern day update, eh?

I have some Jax promo card of some sort. I forget what it is exactly. Might've been from Blockbuster or something.

[wyldephang]

I think so, although the original trilogy still holds up today. I think the game could benefit from current-gen technology to smooth out the FPS and improve character models and environments, but I wouldn't change anything else. But I'm doubtful that a modern studio wouldn't attempt to reinvent the formula, and end up failing miserably in trying to update Jak for current-gen sensibilities. When I stepped away from modern gaming in 2011, platforming games had come to a bit of a lull and most of the AAA titles were either Call of Duty or some other incarnation of the modern FPS war game archetype. Mainstream gaming culture is obsessed with their FPS games and online play. At the end of the day, I'd like to keep Jak the way it is.

[VectorX]

Mar 12, 2014 20:41:03 GMT -5 wyldephang said:

But I'm doubtful that a modern studio wouldn't attempt to reinvent the formula, and end up failing miserably in trying to update Jak for current-gen sensibilities.

Failure is usually imminent, like when they made things into 3-D (who prefers 2-D Sonic to 3-D? That's what I thought ).

[wyldephang]

Some more random thoughts on Jak and Daxter:

Jak can take three regular hits from enemies or hazards before he dies, though falling into a pit (as you'd expect) means instant death. Some of the platforming segments are challenging, and it's difficult to restore your health after you've taken damage, but you have unlimited lives to get through the areas and the checkpoint system is pretty generous.

Going through all the missions guarantees you a wide assortment of activities. At one point, I was playing a fishing mini-game that reminded me of Kaboom on the Atari 2600: line up the net to catch the good fish while trying to avoid the poisonous ones. Some time later, I was racing over a lava field in a hover bike. I will admit that the storyline is becoming a bit obscured by all these detours, but I'm having enough of a good time that it doesn't bother me. Besides, I'm sure everything will come together later.

[wyldephang]

Since starting Jak and Daxter, I've also begun playing a PS1 game called Chrono Cross.



Released in 2000, Chrono Cross is the follow-up to the 1995 Super Nintendo hit Chrono Trigger. (I did a write-up of that game on page one.) As such, it follows the same basic format of any '90s turn-based J-RPG, but there are a few elements that make the gameplay unique. In battle, you have a stamina system which limits the number of attacks you can perform each turn. If you execute a stronger attack, you'll use more stamina, and vice versa for the weaker moves. Normally when a battle starts, you cannot immediately use magic or items, known as "elements" in Chrono Cross. Rather, you need to build up what might be described as a "magic meter" by using normal attacks. If you chain together, say, two or three weaker attacks, then you can use spells and items up to a certain level. It's generally a good strategy to weaken the enemy with physical attacks and then finish it off with a powerful techniques. The abilities--especially the higher-ranked ones--can deal some impressive damage. And all the battle animations are expertly done to represent the scale and power of the spells. Cast Meteor Shower and the camera will pan out to the upper atmosphere, where you see a meteor careening toward earth en route to the enemy. (Yes, that's perfectly believable in a J-RPG.)

You control a party of three characters, and can choose from over 40 different characters with their own unique battle techniques and attributes. That's an enormous number of playable characters for an RPG, by the way, so it's a good idea to test the waters with each one. Also, like in Chrono Trigger, certain characters can perform "dual techs" with other characters to deal a lot of damage, so you'll need to experiment to find these combinations.

With so many characters competing for your attention, you'd think that the storyline would meander at some points, but you'll find all the characters fit within the story pretty well. They all have their purposes and functions, but they never interfere with the way the story is told. Part of the reason you're able to recruit so many characters is that there is a "dual world" system in the game, allowing you to transport your party to an alternate universe. This affects not only you and your party, but the other NPCs in the game: one woman in the protagonist's hometown had ambitions to be a poet, but in the alternate universe, she has given up her dream. You're eventually allowed to explore each world at will; characters who would've had some other purpose in the "home" world might offer to join your party in the other one. Of course, as you're switching back and forth between worlds, you'll run into many different situations when it seems the smallest decision can impact the storyline. If you recruit a character at the wrong time, you might lose out on two or three other characters. So, like Chrono Trigger, this is a game that rewards multiple playthroughs.

[wyldephang]

I just put the finishing touches on Chrono Cross. I would strongly suggest that any RPG enthusiasts with a PlayStation check it out. The storyline could be a bit contrived at times, but I'm willing to suspend disbelief if the game is fun to play and reasonably engaging. For me, the Chrono Trigger tie-ins were a plus.

Now, I've started playing Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, which could actually qualify for three different threads: this one, as I'm playing it right now; the "Gaming Hauls" thread, as I bought it recently; and the "Games Your Opinion Differs Over" thread, as I think LOTR: The Third Age tends to divide opinion pretty harshly. I can see why some people would be less enthusiastic about the game: though it doesn't lack in cinematic polish, the story is overly linear for an RPG, and too much of the adventure is spent on an invisible track of sorts with no leeway for exploration. The battle system is turn-based like the Final Fantasy games, and each character possesses his or her own abilities. Some skills are completely useless and others seem to work too well: one character has an ability that puts enemies to sleep with an almost 100 percent success rate. Later, this ability can be upgraded to attack all enemies on the field at once, so it makes things a little too easy at times. Maybe this balances out the less useful abilities.

Does it function well as a Lord of the Rings game? Sure. The battles are reminiscent of the Peter Jackson movies, and the developers were even able to work in some of the actors from the films to provide voiceovers. Apparently, EA acquired the rights from the movie studio to publish the game, but they weren't allowed to reference the books. In other words, the developers of Third Age could not consult the expanded Tolkien mythos for ideas, so everything from the plot to the characters was drawn up to support the movies. This works for me because I really liked the movies.

[TrekMD]

Spent some time playing today:

Sega Genesis

• Dynamite Headdy (US & Japanese versions)
• Klax
• Snow Bros Nick & Tom
• Ms. Pac-Man
• Pac-Mania
• Invasion
• Crazy Driver
• Coconut Cake Caper (really an SMS game)
• Toxic Crusaders
• Steel Empire
• Super Airwolf
• Super Donkey Kong 99

Atari 2600

• Acid Trip
• Cyplix Kepone's Revenge
• Cyplix
• A.I. Project
• Hack'Em
• Ms. Hack
• Space Rocks

[VectorX]

Apr 13, 2014 19:14:04 GMT -5 TrekMD said:

Invasion

I take it that's a homebrew?

[TrekMD]

Yes, it is a clone of Space Invaders. A homebrew with three versions: the original arcade, the Atari 2600 version, and a more modernized version.

[VectorX]

Oh wow! I'll have to get that one day then

[TrekMD]

Right now it is available as a free download but there are plans for a cart release: www.psycatic.com/games.html

[wyldephang]

Those are some Genesis classics, Trek. I've seen Steel Empire for sale a few times, but I've always passed it up because I've already got enough shooters in my collection that I can't beat. I love the design concept of Steel Empire, though, with that early 1900s steampunk aesthetic; it stands out in a genre populated by spaceships and fighter jets. Maybe I'll look into it one day.

I finished Jak and Daxter recently. I had set it aside for a short time to finish Chrono Cross, but I came back to it last week and made a solid effort to completing the game all the way through. I ended up with a 99 percent completion rate because I missed a few collectibles, but I finished all the missions and that gave me a good feeling of accomplishment. I was actually quite surprised to hear that the villain Gol was voiced by Dee Snider of Twisted Sister! Snider did a great job lending his voice to the project.

I started Jak II, which I can already tell is going to be a much more mature game than its predecessor. In the sequel, Jak and crew are transported to an alternate dimension where everyone lives under an iron-fisted dictatorship. Keep in mind that in Jak and Daxter, the protagonist Jak didn't speak throughout the entire game. Now, Jak has been imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on for two years, so when he finally grumbles his first words, it's no surprise that revenge and bloodshed is on his mind. His fun-loving, carefree demeanor has washed away in all those years of solitude, and he speaks in short, declarative sentences, preferring to get straight to the point rather than waste time with pleasantries. It's an interesting character twist, and he has some new abilities as well: As a result of heavy experimentation with dark eco, a radioactive energy source, he is able to transform into a hulking monster a la Jekyll and Hyde. I understand that Jak will acquire a gun in his travels, too, so I expect that the gameplay will change quite a bit at that point. Until then, all the platforming and action sequences are very familiar, with no significant changes in the button layout apart from a few minor tweaks to accommodate the new weapons in Jak II.

[TrekMD]

Thanks, wyldephang. Steel Empire is an interesting game visually. The intro is played as if you were watching an old movie reel. It is not an easy game either, so I'm far from beating it! LOL