Now playing: classic, non-vector games

[TrekMD]

May 25, 2014 23:14:47 GMT -5 VectorX said:

May 25, 2014 22:17:45 GMT -5 TrekMD said:

My tape player appears to be having issues, so I'm getting a new one.

Something you don't hear people say nowadays!

LOL True. But they do sell these tape players that are intended to be used for converting tape audio into MP3 files, so they still do exist! Good thing because I would not be able to play my Starpath tapes otherwise!

[wyldephang]

I continued to chip away at my Resident Evil 2 playthrough today and ended up beating the game with a respectable but improvable B grade. Not bad for my first playthrough in several years, but I'm definitely capable of cleaning up all the backtracking I did. My completion time was 2 hours 49 minutes with six save files, but I know I can chip away at least two saves in the future and possibly get my time under 2:30. The grade at the end of the game is compiled after measuring how many times a player used a healing item, how many times he or she saved the game, and how long it took to beat the game. Now, after beating RE2, I'm leaning toward Final Fantasy VII. I definitely can't beat that game in just a few hours; it'll take me at least 30 or 40 hours to get all the items I want. But I can guarantee it'll be a fun 40 hours.

[wyldephang]

I'm not sure why I continue to play Resident Evil 2, but I just dusted off the N64 version of the game and played through it. For a game that originally spanned two full CDs on the PS1, the N64 cartridge performs admirably well in all the trials set against it. The sound effects and voice-overs are compressed, and the FMV sequences look grainy, but the character models look sharper and more detailed than the original version of the game. There were a few instances of slow-down, whereas I don't remember there being much lag in the PS1 version, but overall the N64 port ran without any problems. I died a few times trying to conserve ammo, so I was definitely thankful for the faster loading times of the cartridge.

Remember that I recorded a completion time of 2 hours 49 minutes with a B rank last month. This time around, I was able to shave off almost an hour of play time and completed the game in 1 hour 51 minutes with an A rank.



Last time, I had saved the game six times; this time, only five. Also, because I beat the game quickly, I was rewarded with a rocket launcher for my efforts.  This is my best result for a RE2 playthrough.



Edit: Just for my own reference, I'm going to include a list of the major mistakes that I made during the playthrough.

• grabbed by zombies twice in the B4F Experimentation Lab while collecting M.O. Disc
  
• used unnecessary mixed herb (three green) just before final save
  
• grabbed by Marvin in the RPD West Office (tried to turn rather than back up and create distance)
• led Birkin G2 around to far side of elevator, rather than kill him near entrance
• used Modified Handgun to kill G-Adult, but had enough Magnum ammo to spare
  
• recommend collecting Shotgun Parts (Leon A) to dispose of Mega Lickers in Lab
  
• grabbed by Ivy in B4F West Passage while trying to exit back out to Main Shaft

[TrekMD]

I've played some Sega 32X in the past couple of days:

• After Burner
• Blackthorne
• Kolibri
• Shadow Squadron
• Space Harrier
• Star Wars Arcade
• Virtua Racing Deluxe

I'll be posting reviews for these games on RVG in the near future. We are creating a new page for Sega CD and 32X games.

[VectorX]

Let us know when they go up, as I'll be interested in your opinion of some of them (especially S. Squadron).

Lately I've been doing stuff for highscore.com (including the Vectrex, but we're not supposed to mention that in this thread ), mainly for the Genesis, such as Gods and Sub-Terrania. Also started on a new game of Shining in the Darkness (nothing to do with a high score, but I go through that game occasionally over the years).

[TrekMD]

Feel free to check out the Genesis page we have there already, including some I wrote: Sega Genesis Reviews on RVG.

[wyldephang]

Jun 13, 2014 13:05:13 GMT -5 VectorX said:

Lately I've been doing stuff for highscore.com (including the Vectrex, but we're not supposed to mention that in this thread ), mainly for the Genesis, such as Gods and Sub-Terrania. Also started on a new game of Shining in the Darkness (nothing to do with a high score, but I go through that game occasionally over the years).

Good luck in Sub-Terrania! It's always fun, but I find myself ricocheting off walls or becoming cannon fodder anytime I play it. I own a copy of Shining in the Darkness, but I haven't progressed very far into the game. That must be your favorite RPG, as everyone has at least one game they'll revisit every year or two. For me, it's Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation. I've been meaning to play it again, but I abandoned Final Fantasy V a few years ago, and I'm thinking it's finally time to finish my playthrough.

[VectorX]

Thanks Trek, I checked out several Genny reviews.

Jun 14, 2014 1:50:34 GMT -5 wyldephang said:

Good luck in Sub-Terrania!

I'm done with it actually, as I got to the second to last level and figured that was good enough. It wasn't in the database until I requested it. If someone comes along and beats my score, then I'll come back and beat the game, which will raise my score as well with that one additional level's worth of points.

Jun 14, 2014 1:50:34 GMT -5 wyldephang said:

I own a copy of Shining in the Darkness, but I haven't progressed very far into the game. That must be your favorite RPG, as everyone has at least one game they'll revisit every year or two.

Yeah, since it's the only one I have...

[TrekMD]

Here's what I've played this weekend...

Atari 2600

• Army of Darkness
• Candy Catcher
• Dawn of the Dead
• Dig Dug Arcade
• Ghost Manor
• Gremlins
• Halloween
• Ms. Pac-Man Multicolor
• Project Z
• Skeleton+
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Sega 32X

• Spider-Man: Web of Fire
• Toughman Contest
• Virtua Fighter
• Primal Rage

[wyldephang]

After much deliberation, I finally completed Final Fantasy V. It wasn't easy; I had to relearn the elaborate job system, which is a focal point of the game mechanics. In simple terms, if you don't assign your characters to different jobs, then you can't diversify your party tactics and you'll miss out on the best spells, moves, and attacks in the game. I had drawn up a blueprint a few years ago to develop a well-rounded party, but I had forgotten the specifics, so it took some time to get things started. When I finally set out to conquer Exdeath, the arch-nemesis, I had an aching suspicion that I was dangerously underpowered for this point in the game, and I soon found out that my instincts were correct as I endured a veritable bludgeoning only a few steps into the final dungeon. Unable to match my foes tit-for-tat, I had to resort to playing defensively and using safer tactics; even then, certain battles left my party absolutely drained, and I found myself scraping my way to the next save point. The final battle against Exdeath was rough--he had two forms, and the second one was capable of landing an "instant kill" attack--but I fought very cautiously and decided to minimize risks to ensure a victory. It was a relief to finally sink the killing blow, as it was two or three years in the making. That's one more Final Fantasy game beaten, and it was definitely a good one.

[TrekMD]

Congratulations on beating the game. From what you describe, sounds like this was quite the effort!

[TrekMD]

As requested, I'm letting you know that the 32X reviews have been added at RVG. You can check them out here: Sega 32X and Sega CD Reviews. There's only 13 right now but that's a start.

[wyldephang]

I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed Blackthorne enough to give it a perfect score, Trek! As I said before, I have the SNES version and I like it a lot. The art style and music really compliment the grittiness of the plot and the game. The cover system is very practical and easy to use. I'm also pleased to see that you reviewed Mortal Kombat II on the 32X. The Genesis version was lacking something in the soundtrack and animation--at least, I felt the SNES version was the better port of the two--but it sounds like the 32X version sort of equalizes things for Sega. I'm glad you liked Virtua Fighter, too. That game was groundbreaking for its time; it came well before 3D fighting games became the norm in arcades.

I noticed that quite a few SNES titles are absent from the review section at Retro Video Gamer. Are readers like myself allowed to submit reviews, or is there a process for that?

[TrekMD]

Thanks wyldephang. When we rate the games, we rate them relative to games within the system. If you look on the main reviews page, we do have an explanation of the ratings also.

We would certainly welcome more SNES reviews! We just have certain guidelines for word count, etc. Would you be interested in joining the forum? PM me.

[wyldephang]

I didn't realize so much time had passed since my last update. Despite being preoccupied with preparing for my final semester in graduate school, I've actually kept myself busy getting caught up on my games. I'll start out by quoting a post I made last year in a different thread:

Dec 28, 2013 0:21:16 GMT -5 wyldephang said:

As the PS2 games start to pile up, I think about all the games I've started but never completed. I have a terrible habit of putting an earnest effort into finishing a game only to be sidetracked by something else. On the NES, for instance, I put several hours into playthroughs of Crystalis, Final Fantasy, and Metroid, but they're still sitting on the shelf waiting to be finished. On the Sega Genesis, I need to beat Shining Force II and Phantasy Star II. (My original PSII save file was corrupted, though, and I'm hesitant to start a new one.) On the Super Nintendo, I still want to complete my playthroughs of Breath of Fire II, Secret of Evermore, and 7th Saga, though the latter one started to get a little difficult for my tastes. I'm nearly finished with Final Fantasy V on the PlayStation; for some reason, I set the game down near the end. (I did the same thing with Final Fantasy X ten years ago.) Other notables include Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask on the Nintendo 64, Resident Evil on the GameCube, and Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii.

I've got winter break to make a dent in the collection, but who am I kidding? There's only so much time. How about you guys? Any games you've been holding off on finishing?

Since making that post, I've completed Final Fantasy V, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Resident Evil (GameCube), and I'm halfway through The 7th Saga. I've also beaten Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country 2, and I started a new file on Phantasy Star II, even though I said earlier that I was reluctant to do so. I'm making progress here and there.