To me, the Ace Attorney series is, by itself, more than enough reason to buy a Nintendo DS. I just can’t praise these games enough, with their quirky humor and old-school point & click adventure gameplay. It also helps that the western localizations are absolutely brilliant.

Now for one of the longest weeks of my life.

Possibly related posts:

1. Current stuff: DS games, Wii

From everything I’ve seen, this game has had very little promotion, and has been relatively hard to find. But most reviews have been quite good (either 8/10 or 9/10), and most people online speak highly of the game as well.

If I was to concisely explain to someone what the game is like, I’d say the following:

• 50% Bejeweled (the basic “match 3″ game);
• 30% Warlords Battlecry 3 (the setting, the RPG elements);
• 20% Magic: the Gathering (the accumulating of several colors of mana to cast spells, the damage system).

The game is basically an RPG, with classes, character progression, a fantasy world, monsters to fight, skills, hit points, experience, money, weapons and other items, NPC companions, trainable mounts, and a story. However, the battles are basically competitive Bejeweled-like matches. The main difference is, of course, the fact that you are battling an opponent, but sharing a board, so, while you want to play a good move, you have to avoid setting up good moves for your opponent, since you both take turns. And it’s a little more complex than Bejeweled, since, while you still have to match 3 pieces, they have several effects:

• colored jewels give you mana of that color;
• coins give you money (used outside combat, to buy equipment and improve your citadel);
• stars give you experience points;
• skulls damage your opponent.

Instead of switching two pieces, you can also cast a spell, provided you have the required mana. Each class has its own spells, and you can also learn additional ones from monsters.

The story is standard fantasy fare, neither very good nor very bad. The world, however, is quite detailed, since it has been used for several Warlords / Battlecry games so far.

The game is out for the DS (the version I have) and the PSP. Incidentally, there is a PC demo, but the game hasn’t been announced for the PC yet (though it probably will, in the future).

I recommend this game if you like either genre (RPG or “match three”). It has a huge “just one more battle / quest / level” factor, and it’s one you’ll probably play for a long while, even after you beat the main quest (both because there are other classes to try, and because instant battles are always fun).

Possibly related posts:

1. Back to Puzzle Pirates

After rumours that a Wii version of Resident Evil 4 was appearing on the release schedules of Japanese retailers, the latest issue of Famitsu has confirmed the tittle-tattle and gives a few details about the Wii installment.

Imaginatively titled Bio Hazard 4: Wii Edition, this updated version features new Wiimote-specific controls. These include using the remote to aim weapons, moving the control to reload and using a knife by waggling the controller.

According to Famitsu it also features Ada’s missions from Resi 4 on PS2 and comes with a trailer for the upcoming Umbrella Chronicles, which is also on Wii.

A Capcom representative was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

I hope it includes true widescreen support as well. This is a dream come true.

EDIT: More details (though no definitive confirmation yet) here and here.

EDIT2: According to Famitsu, it is indeed confirmed, at least in Japan… and does include widescreen. Yes!

Yet another EDIT: More info here.

Possibly related posts:

1. Dream game: Resident Evil 4 for the Wii
2. Nintendo Wii: first impressions
3. Current stuff: DS games, Wii

And Capcom could produce it in an instant. They’d just have to:

- use all the content from the GameCube version
- add all the extra content from the PS2 version, updated to have GC-like graphics and lighting (otherwise, the extras would look visibly worse than the rest of the game)
- add widescreen mode (I think the PS2 version already includes it)
- add wiimote + nunchuk support.

Advantages:

- it would look better than most current Wii games (including Zelda: TP and Red Steel)
- most of it is already done, so development time and costs would be low
- the game really begs for wiimote control.

Me, I’d buy it in a second, even though I already have the GC version.

Possibly related posts:

1. Resident Evil 4 for PS2 is out
2. Resident Evil 4 (GameCube, 2004)
3. RE4 for Wii: dreams come true?

Rake in Grass has just launched an expansion pack for their great game, Jets’n'Guns!!

More of a “ok, the game’s as it should’ve been now” than a “hey, new stuff!” package, the so-called Gold Edition brings new features (well, duh ^_^’) like:

1. the game now supports 800×600 resolution, which means more baddies on the screen, more items onscreen in the shop, etc.;
2. More weapons, more foes, more ships, twice as long story mode and more music from the norse gods Machinae Supremacy (among others)!

If you like side-scrolling, R-type-like shooters with very nice graphics, excellent gameplay and are known to have the occasional bit of spare time on your hands, make your way to the game’s website and indulge yourself on an early holiday gift.

Consider this though: if you already own the “not gold” version of Jets’n'Guns, the Gold Version will cost you $9,95. If you do not (and shame on you if you don’t!), then it’s $29,95.

(Should you find yourself thinking “Weren’t the ads supposed to be on the right?”, I apologize: it’s my fault. I just saw this and made it my immediate priority to share it with the world in the appropriate medium, this blog.

My next posts will be much better, believe me )

[it was already quite good, but... you forgot the link. Here it is: Jets'n'Guns. - Dehumanizer]

Possibly related posts:

1. Now playing: Jets ‘n’ Guns

No related posts.

As you may remember, the first Medieval: Total War is one of the “Games of my Life”, and, IMO, one of the best strategy games of all time. A second version of it (it’s Creative Assembly’s first sequel ever) should be really amazing.

Here is the MTW2 official page, with lots of great screenshots. Unfortunately, they still insist on showing only battle images, and I’m even more interested in the campaign – which sounds amazing, from the description, but I’d like to see some of it. It’s probably not coded yet, I guess.

The bad news: it should be even more demanding than Rome: Total War, which my puny PC already can’t handle decently. I really must get around to getting rich.

Possibly related posts:

1. Medieval: Total War (PC, 2002)
2. New games: first impressions
3. New games ordered

It’s virtually the same game as Path of Radiance, only with different characters, plot and world – and, of course, no 3D graphics, though I still think they’re great for a GBA strategy game. Of course, in this case, “more of the same” is a great thing – I really love these games, and must order The Sacred Stones soon.

To anyone who doesn’t know about FE, it’s a story-based tactical RPG, much like Shining Force. Characters gain experience by fighting, and any one who doesn’t survive a battle is really gone for good (though some characters who are essential to the plot just become “wounded”, meaning that you can’t use them anymore, but they still appear in cut scenes). With such fragility, added to the fact that they really have distinct personalities, backstories and such, you tend to get really attached to them. Which only makes it harder, when, in the last couple of turns of a long, drawn-out, tough battle, one of them dies. Do you continue the game? Sometimes, it has to happen, I think.

If you like tactical games such as Laser Squad or Advance Wars, and have a GBA (or a DS, where I play this game), trust me: buy both Fire Emblems soon. They should be relatively cheap, now, too. And don’t forget Path of Radiance, if you also have a GameCube.

Possibly related posts:

1. Second impressions: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
2. Now playing: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Beyond Good and Evil
3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: continuing impressions

This weekend, though, I finally had some time, and divided my time between 3 games:

• Jets ‘n’ Guns (PC)
• Advance Wars (GBA)
• Disciples 2 (PC)

So, 2 strategy games, and a shoot ‘em up. Not bad.

I really wish I had more time, though…

Possibly related posts:

1. Now playing: Jets ‘n’ Guns
2. Now Playing: Fire Emblem
3. Jets ‘n’ Guns: Gold Edition

It’s a mix between R-Type and Tyrian, being closer to the latter. Technically, it’s certainly the best I’ve seen, with fantastic graphics, sound, music (by Machinae Supremacy), and never slowing down in the slightest. It’s also extremely varied, with lots of different scenarios, levels, enemies, mission objectives, weapons, ship upgrades, and so on.

If you like shoot’em ups, you owe it to yourself to at least download the shareware version, from the official site. Me, I bought it in a second ($20), and I have zero regrets.

Possibly related posts:

1. Jets ‘n’ Guns: Gold Edition
2. Second impressions: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
3. Now playing: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Beyond Good and Evil

Anyway, Konami’s Lost in Blue is a very unique experience. To put it simply: you end up on a deserted (so far, at least – I haven’t gone far in the game, yet) island, and you have to survive, and eventually escape. Of course, easier said than done, as you have to rest, eat, drink, take care of yourself, and those are certainly not easy. In fact, I bet that you’ll starve to death a lot, when first playing.

Eventually, you begin to get your bearings in the island, and learn some ways of improving your situation – for instance, it wasn’t until I used a stick and a sharpened rock to build a crude spear, to use for catching fish, that I stopped being almost starving all the time. Of course, the situation still isn’t great. Plus, on the second day a girl also washes up at the island – while she offers a few suggestions, and can cook (much of the food can’t be eaten raw), she also has quite poor eyesight, and has lost her glasses, so you have to take her by hand even just to go to the nearby river and let her drink some water. In short, you have to take care of her as well.

From the manual, I see that there are other things I can do, such as lay traps, or even hunt animals. But I haven’t done that yet.

Still, the game is quite intriguing. And it uses the DS’s capabilities well – for instance, you have to use the stylus to dig in the sand and look for clams, and to build a fire, after you use the L and R buttons to turn a stick around, you then have to blow into the microphone. It works better than it sounds, trust me.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to play it more, in the following days. But I got Nintendogs as a present, 2 days ago… and there’s still Mario 64, and Meteos, and Mario Kart, and Metroid Fusion, and Advance Wars, and… so many games, such little time.

Possibly related posts:

1. First impressions: Mario Kart DS
2. First impressions: Meteos
3. Second impressions: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

I’ve never played Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64, only in emulators, but the DS port is technically excellent – the characters, in particular, noticeable have more polygons than on the N64, and the game is perfectly smooth and fast. Even though graphically it’s not a game on the same league as modern ones on “big” consoles (after all, the original is 9 years old), it’s still considered by many people (just google for it) as one of the best platform games of all time, if not the best. The game’s design is brilliantly original, and the game takes us to another world in a way almost nothing else can.

Is it perfect? No. I haven’t tried the multi-player modes yet, but reviews say they’re nothing special – basically, it’s the various players in an arena, competing to catch stars. It certainly won’t replace Mario Kart.

Somewhat more troubling are the game’s controls. The original Mario 64 was created for an analog controller – in fact, the N64 introduced the analog controller to the world (though they announced it too soon and Sony and Sega copied it before the N64 was actually released) because of that game – and suffers a bit because the DS doesn’t have one. Instead, the game gives you two options: use the D-Pad, which isn’t as precise and makes it so that you have to press a button to run; or use the touch screen, which I chose to do.

The control scheme is interesting – it reminds me of laptops’ touchpads, where you drag the finger to move the mouse cursor. Here, however, you don’t have to keep moving your finger to keep moving – when you touch the pad, a circle appears around your finger, and as you move your finger towards the outer end, the character moves – the more, the quicker.

The problem – which is solvable through habit, but it doesn’t happen immediately – is that you tend to keep moving the finger to move “faster”, even though you’re already at the end of the circle’s area, and thus running at maximum speed. That causes the circle to move (otherwise, you’d stop), to keep up with your finger. But then you move it more, and soon you’re reaching the end of the touch screen. You have to get used to staying in the circle, which isn’t immediate for touchpad users.

On the other hand, you get great precision, and are able to move exactly at the speed you want, in the direction you want. It just takes some getting used

Possibly related posts:

1. First impressions: Mario Kart DS
2. Second Impressions: Mario Kart DS
3. Nintendo Wii: first impressions

• It’s a puzzle game, as everyone knows. Reminds me of Bejeweled and Puzzle Pirates‘ bilging puzzle, with a little bit of Tetris added to the mix. Basically, pieces (called “meteos”) fall from the top, and you don’t control them there (unlike Tetris); instead, you have to move them, after they’re down, using the stylus, to make columns or rows of three or more identical meteos. When you do so, they “ignite” and move to the top, taking everything on top of them with them. The goal is to make them leave the screen (if you’re competing with another player, or a “bot”, it’s even more important, as they fall into their screen), but sometimes you need to make more than one column or row quickly so they have enough thrust to leave the screen.
• The graphics are really great. For some reason, even though it’s using the same screen(s) as GBA games, the game seems much more colorful and “hi-res” than them. The game’s presentation is fantastic – those guys have put more care into the game’s menus than many developers put into entire games!
• Music and sounds are excellent, too. Dozens of different tunes, in many separate genres – reminds me, in a way, of Star Control 2. I’ve heard techno, trance, rock, even something like country, there. And you can unlock many tracks to play in the “extras” section.
• Each “planet” has different graphic styles, different music, and different rules. Even though the game’s basic rules are the same, in each level you have to adapt to different conditions – for instance, gravity may be lowered (which means you have to make simple rows or columns really fast) or increased (forcing you to plan your moves and make big combos). This is only one example, there are many more variations.
• There are lots of unlockables. New planets, materials, items and tunes. You’ll have to play a lot to get them.
• Can be played with up to 4 players, though I haven’t done so yet.

So far, I’m happy.

Possibly related posts:

1. First impressions: Super Mario 64 DS
2. First impressions: Mario Kart DS
3. Back to Puzzle Pirates

Well, I only have one yet, Mario Kart DS, which came in the bundle I bought. And I haven’t played a lot of it yet (it was late yesterday, and now I’m at work).

Still, some first impressions:

• Graphics, sounds and music are fantastic. Doesn’t look like a handheld game at all. Trust me, screenshots don’t do it justice.
• It’s incredibly fast, with a perfect frame rate. I don’t think anyone can fail to be impressed with at least the technical part of the game, even if they don’t care for the genre.
• Not a lot of racers to choose from – just the “usual suspects”: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Toad, Yoshi, and some hidden, unlockable ones. Less than Double Dash on the GameCube, certainly.
• Back to 1 racer per kart.
• The bottom screen is used for the map, and some optional stats. It works very well, since the map is large enough to see everything, including other racers, obstacles, etc.. One of the items in the game is one that “sprays squid paint” on you, and the top screen becomes covered with dark paint, forcing you to “drive with the map” for a while!
• Lots of tracks, though a lot of them have to be unlocked first – except for multi-player.
• Half the tracks are in the “Retro” section, which means they come from past Mario Karts – the original SNES one, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA), and Mario Kart: Double Dash (GameCube). They come intact, including the original music for each of them.
• 8 players can play (using local wi-fi) with just one copy of the game (but with 8 DSes, of course), though the players without the cart have to play as “Shy Guy”, a character who wears a mask. I haven’t tried it, since I don’t know anyone with a DS… yet.

Now, what about playing online? Well, after some technical troubles, I was able to… and it’s hard to believe how easy it is. You select “Nintendo WFC”, then choose whether you want to play with people worldwide, or just for your region, or of similar skill levels, or you can use “friend codes” to connect with your friends. After less than a minute, it finds you opponents. Then you vote for tracks, and race in them.

That’s it. And it’s perfectly smooth, no delays, no pauses, no “other karts jumping as the game finally updates their positions”. If it wasn’t for the other people playing differently (one of them was easy to beat, but two of them were extremely good, and basically competed against themselves because no one else could challenge them), you wouldn’t be able to tell you were not playing offline.

Possibly related posts:

1. Second Impressions: Mario Kart DS
2. First impressions: Super Mario 64 DS
3. Mario Kart DS

Maybe it’s because it’s the only MMORPG where progress doesn’t depend mainly on time invested, but on skills.

Or the only one where almost everyone plays “in character”. Avast, ye landlubbers! Shiver me timbers! Yarrr!

What’s odd is that I don’t really like puzzle games (such as Tetris, Bejeweled, etc.) that much…

Possibly related posts:

1. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
2. Sonic Heroes: first impressions

Since I created this blog, U7 was always supposed to be one of the “Games of my Life”; however, I haven’t played the game since I finished it, which was more than 10 years ago. The fact that I still remember a lot of the game speaks volumes about how good it is; on the other hand, I’d still like to have a “fresher” memory about it, before writing its real entry here.

I’ll tell you this, though: even though Planescape: Torment is still my no. 1 RPG of all time, Ultima VII is probably my second favorite… and in its particular genre, there’s nothing like it. Torment’s strength is its characters, story and atmosphere; U7, on the other hand, gives you a world to explore and live in, like probably no other game. And the story is brilliant, too.

Too bad they ruined it in Ultimas VIII and IX…

Meanwhile, as I said, I’ve finally finished Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. I think I’ll tackle Beyond Good and Evil next.

Possibly related posts:

1. Now playing: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Beyond Good and Evil
2. Second impressions: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: continuing impressions

First, let me say that this is my first Sonic game since the original ones for the Megadrive (I have the 2 Sonic Adventures ordered, but one of them is back-ordered and so they haven’t arrived yet). This means that it’s also my first Sonic in 3D.

From what I’ve played so far: the graphics are good. Not great, but good. Voice acting is… OK. The levels themselves look very, very nice, and the sense of speed is absolutely amazing. The camera, however, is quite poor – quite often you have to use your memory about what you’ve seen earlier, because you’re not seeing where you’re going – the camera takes too long to turn.

Even though the game is fully 3D, it plays (at least, so far – I’ve just got past the first boss) much like the old 2D games, in the sense that it’s quite linear – it’s always obvious where you have to go, and there’s not really any exploration, except to look for hidden areas and items. In other words, instead of free exploration like, say, Mario 64 or the 3D Zeldas, Sonic Heroes plays more like an “obstacle course”. A beautiful and varied one, though.

As you’ll know if you’ve read any (p)review or seen any ad for the game, you don’t just play one character, but a team of 3. There are 4 different teams, with slightly different storylines, goals, game styles and difficulty levels. Basically, however, each team has one “Speed” character, one “Power” character and one “Flight” character (for instance, in Team Sonic, they’re Sonic, Knuckles and Tails, respectively). In many parts of the game, you have to use a specific kind of character, though many challenges can be overcome with different characters, and sometimes you even get to choose paths, such as one which requires Power and one which requires Flight.

So far, I’m enjoying it, and thanks to its being a Player’s Choice game, it was quite cheap, too.

Possibly related posts:

1. Sonic games ordered
2. Now playing: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Beyond Good and Evil
3. Tennis Critters (PC, 2003)

The story is really good, and actually quite mature, even though the game doesn’t have a drop of blood.

2 of my characters have died so far, which isn’t bad. I really prefer to play “realistically”, instead of attempting a “perfect game” – though I have reset and reloaded a couple of times, due to really stupid deaths.

Possibly related posts:

1. Second impressions: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
2. Now playing: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Beyond Good and Evil
3. Finished Path of Radiance; now playing…

• Sonic Heroes (yup, another one)
• Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
• TimeSplitters 2 (never played one of them, and this was the cheapest. )

I don’t know if I’ll get them before Christmas… I hope so.

I’m also struggling heavily with the tempation to buy Nintendo’s new DS/Mario Kart DS pack. Maybe I’ll do it in about two weeks, if money allows it.

Possibly related posts:

1. New games ordered
2. Sonic games ordered
3. Some games I want

The first of them is Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, on the GameCube, which I’ve already mentioned a couple of times here. It keeps getting better and better – good story, interesting characters, more decisions to make, and, best of all, the need for different strategies in every level – not simply “advance and kill everyone in your path”. It’s really a joy to play.

The second one is a bit older: Beyond Good and Evil, also on the Cube (this isn’t an exclusive, though, it’s also available for PC, PS2 and Xbox). I’ve had this game for about a year, but for some reason had never got around to play it… until now. And it’s brilliant.

IGN’s review, quoted on the back of the box, describes it as “Zelda for grown-ups”. While I don’t think that it’s a perfect description – among other reasons, because the Zelda games aren’t really for kids – it’s certainly a quick way to explain to people what the game looks and plays like. It’s an action/adventure game, with a great story (involving control of the media by the government – guess that’s where the “for grown-ups” bit comes from), and absolutely endearing characters. For instance, one of your “party members” is Pey’j, a pig-like humanoid – whose personality, voice acting and mannerisms make him more “human” and lovable than more than 95% of video game characters. Jade herself, the character you control, is one of the few female characters that is feminine without looking as if she’s just there for making male teens drool.

BG&E has been called “the best game nobody played”, as, while every review out there described it as brilliant, it almost didn’t sell. But you can probably still buy it, and cheaply, too. If you like the 3D Zeldas (Ocarina, Majora, Wind Waker), go buy it immediately; if not, or if you don’t know them, at least take a look at it; rent it, or something. It’s a work of art – so much that Peter Jackson recently contacted the main author, Michael Ancel, to create the game version of his next movie, King Kong.

Possibly related posts:

1. Second impressions: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
2. Finished Path of Radiance; now playing…
3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: continuing impressions

But in 2002, 14 years after Laser Squad, Julian created one of the best play-by-email games ever, Laser Squad Nemesis.

If you try out this game, it’ll seem overly complicated at first – so many options, so many buttons, and, truth be said, the game could really use some decent tutorials, and a help system. Not to mention better graphics and sound. Those weren’t the priority, obviously, but one thing doesn’t prevent the other.

Oh well… what remains is still a fascinating game, especially because you’re playing against other, living people (unless they’re dead, but then again, zombies can’t play games). Basically, each player has several points to “buy” the members of a team, choosing from 4 different races: the Marines (standard humans, mobile but fragile, need a lot of teamwork to survive), the Machina (slower but tougher, with a lot of ranged firepower), the Spawn (think the Zerg from Starcraft) and the Grey (Roswell-style aliens, with mind control, shields, etc., but very fragile). Then, each player must defeat the other one – either by killing the other entire team, by having more kills than the other if they reach the previously set turn limit, or by destroying some special Headquarters units in HQ games.

As I said, the game is turn-based and played by email (though there’s an optional web interface which allows playing without an email account) – you download a small file, open it (which fires up the game), see what happened in the previous turn, then set new orders, and send a newly created file to the server (which is an option in the game client, no need to do it by hand). When the other player does the same, both receive new turn files. Rinse and repeat.

A very interesting feature of the game is that, unlike in the original Laser Squad, or most similar games, in LSN every turn happens simultaneously. That is, you send your orders, the other player does the same, and then both happen at the same time – each turn consists of 10 seconds, and everything happens as the players ordered – though, of course, they don’t control what the other player does.

Try it. The game is subscription-based (very cheap, too), but you can try out some missions before paying. Here’s the link: Laser Squad Nemesis official site.

Possibly related posts:

1. Laser Squad (ZX Spectrum / Commodore 64, 1988)
2. Medieval: Total War (PC, 2002)
3. Sonic Heroes: first impressions

Let’s see. The game is, as everyone probably knows, a turn-based tactical RPG, where your characters fight several kinds of missions against several kinds of enemies, becoming more powerful, and can be customized (up to a point) however you want. There’s also a story, and the characters have some personality, which is good.

The music is great; however, the graphics are not. They aren’t “bad” in any way, but the Cube is capable of much, much more. Still, the graphics aren’t really the point.

Although the game itself seems fairly linear, there are many ways to influence what happens. For instance, if a character dies, he or she really dies – no Phoenix Downs or anything like that. Although you can, of course, reset the console and try again, later battles are long and hard, so you will probably have to make some sacrifices by then. Besides, it’s fun to see variations of the story without playing a “perfect” game where everyone survives.

Many characters are optional, and not that easy to recruit. For instance, in one of the first missions, where you’re attacking a pirate ship, a girl riding a pegasus is already there fighting them, and after the first turn you can easily see that she won’t last long. But… if you can quickly move through the rest of the pirates, reach her and talk to her, she’ll leave that battle, and come back a few missions later to join you. If you don’t get there in time, you can still complete the mission, but that girl is lost to you for good. Choices like this are common in the game.

Mission objectives are varied: they include killing every enemy, killing a particular boss, reaching a particular place on the map, or, some of my favorites, defending a position for X turns. In those, the enemies never stop coming, you simply have to endure, move wounded fighters to the back and replace them with other characters (assuming you have them, of course), heal the wounded, protect your mages and healers, and so on. Sometimes you can even use a couple of characters to run towards a boss and kill him – it’s risky, it won’t win you the mission, and you’ll have to run back to your battle lines, but bosses tend to have some good weapons…

So far, a very good game.

Possibly related posts:

1. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: continuing impressions
2. Now playing: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Beyond Good and Evil
3. Now Playing: Fire Emblem

Civilization IV

I love the new interface, presentation and music. And the new technologies narration by Leonard Nimoy is fantastic. However, I haven’t had much time to dwell into the game itself. Most of what I know about it is from reviews.

Civics come from Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, though it was called “Social Engineering” there.

Religion is a new concept in the Civ series, and it basically works these way: the first civilization to get to each of 7 particular technologies (e.g. Meditation for Buddhism, Polytheism for Hinduism, and so on) has one of its cities become a “holy site” for that religion (think Mecca or Jerusalem). The religion then spreads through trade routes, including to other civilizations. Cities can have citizens of several faiths, and you can build temples. You can also build missionaries to influence other cities (especially those of other players) more directly.

Both civics and religion are used in diplomacy – civs tend to like other civs with the same state religion, or using the same civics, more – and the other way around. They may even suggest changes to yours – such as Mao asking you to change to State Property. And you can also suggest changes to them.

Religions are, in game terms, the same. Political correctness and all that. Not like Europa Universalis 2, where each religion had particular bonuses and penalties…

Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion

Looks extremely promising, but my puny PC can’t really handle R:TW decently. Although load times are better than Medieval’s, the battles are much less smooth. And I have to lower the detail a lot for it to be playable – which, oddly enough, makes it look worse than M:TW (with maximum detail).

One to “devour” when I get a newer PC. Must… get… rich…

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Only played through the first 2 missions (including the training one), so I have seen virtually nothing of the game. It’s like Final Fantasy Tactics / Shining Force – either a tactical RPG, or a tactical strategy game with heavy RPG elements. Lots and lots of classes, weapons and so on, with a nice story, and turn-based. Looks great, but I’ll only have anything to “report” after I spend some more time with it. Work, work, work…

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That’s the problem. In almost every other respect, Medieval: Total War is virtually perfect.

M:TW, like its predecessor Shogun: Total War and its successor Rome: Total War, is a historical turn-based strategy game with fantastic real-time battles. These are really wonderful – no other game, except perhaps Close Combat, simulates a battle so well – and that one was squad-based. This one, though, can have armies of 10.000 men. On each side. And they all move, shout, fight and, possibly, die.

This engine is so advanced that people have used it to re-create real medieval battles. And it can be played against another person, on the Net.

Yet, M:TW is also more than fancy battles. The full strategic game is also great – especially if you like history. Many historical events happen, or can happen if all the requirements are met, at the proper times – such as the Inquisition, or the coming of the Golden Horde (which, historically, would have conquered most of Europe if it hadn’t been called back due to its Khan having drunk himself to death. Thank alcohol for not having a Mongol Europe! ).

And there are so many ways to play. Want to control the Spanish and launch crusades to the Holy Land? You can. Want to play as the French or the English and fight the Hundred Years War? Or play as the Almohads (who we called “Moors” some centuries ago) and stop the Iberian Reconquista? Want to change the fate of the Byzantine Empire, which was in fact the eastern part of the Roman Empire, centuries after the best known Western part had fallen? Or build a trading empire as Italy (except the Papal States – and beware the Pope in this game, believe me)?

Just writing this makes me want to play it some more.

And what about the expansion pack, The Viking Invasion? Not only does it add some more units and playable factions to the main game, it also adds a completely new campaign, set in about 900 A.D., set in the British Isles… but before there was such a thing as Britain, or even England. Technology is less advanced, most of the territory is still forest, there are small states such as the Scots, the Irish, the Welsh, the Mercians and the Saxons, and, of course, there’s the threat that gives the expansion its name: the Vikings! Which, again, play in a different way – while other factions must defend their territories, improve the infrastructure in them, deal with a few attacks while they get powerful enough, and them slowly expand… the Vikings, on the other hand, earn most of their money by pillaging other territories – invading, crushing any defenses, they demolishing any remaining fortifications and buildings for money… and then leaving, and attacking again, somewhere else!

Just yesterday I, with a 900-man Viking army, defeated an army of more than 4000 Irishmen. And I still remember some parts of that battle. They sure didn’t bother me again for a while…

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• Civilization IV (PC)
• Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion (expansion for R:TW) (PC)
• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GameCube)

Yes, I’m in a strategy mood.
They should be here next week or so…

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1. New games: first impressions
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According to reviews, it looks worse than the GC version, and has more slowdowns. Textures are simplified, and lighting is worse. On the other hand, it includes a lot of extras, including new missions and game modes, and it’s still one of the most impressive looking PS2 games.

If you have a PS2 but not a GC, I highly recommend this game – it’s fantastic. If you have a GC, on the other hand, you already have the best version of RE4 (I’m assuming that anyone with a GC but without RE4 is, well… intellectually challenged – or simply doesn’t like games at all, and bought the console “for the kids” – and RE4 certainly isn’t appropriate for them), though the PS2 version may still be worth a rent for the extras.

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One of his earliest games was Gridrunner, originally for the VIC-20, later ported to other systems. It looked like a Centipede (a really old arcade game) clone, but it had a character of its own – for instance, the game ensured that you couldn’t simply stay in a “safe” place and just shoot enemies as they passed in front of you.

About 20 years later, Jeff created the ultimate version of his classic: Gridrunner++.

Looks weird, doesn’t it? But it’s a shooter, played with the mouse (and that simple fact makes it one of the most playable shooters ever – you’ll never feel comfortable playing one with a gamepad, keyboard or joystick again). There are enemies (quite strange ones, too, such as plush toys, soccer balls and such) to shoot, and sheep to catch (they increase your firepower, just like in real life ).

What makes it so great? First, it’s really fast. Fast like you’ve never seen before – yet, as you get better at it, you still feel in control (due to using the mouse, as I mentioned). It’s also quite psychadelic, which you’ll either hate or love. The sounds are humourous, the gameplay never becomes boring, there are some levels that will make you want to destroy your PC… the game really feels like a labor of love, done by just one guy (except for the enemies’ sprites, which were contributed by fans).

And it’s ridiculously cheap. Just 5 pounds. Some of the best money I’ve ever spent. There’s a trial version with just 5 levels, too.

If you like shoot’em ups, play this game. There’s no other like it.

One warning, though: this game isn’t for everyone. I’ve seen people who simply can’t handle so much action on the screen – and I’m talking about actual gamers. GR++ really needs a lot of concentration, reflexes and eyesight, and the ability to spot and react to movement almost unconsciously.

Link: mirror of the original GR++ page, GR++ page on www.llamasoft.co.uk. The first one gives you a much better idea of the game.

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If I had to label it, I’d say it is an adventure game with some action parts. But I could also say that it’s an interactive movie. No, don’t go away yet – it’s nothing like the “interactive movies” of the 90s! Those were simply grainy cut scenes with bad actors, and you watched more than you played – there’s a reason those games aren’t made any more (though Gabriel Knight 2 was actually very good).

Fahrenheit is nothing like those. I’m sure you’ll agree when (and if) you play it – the game isn’t perfect, and it certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s innovative, unique, with a great story (although it loses some focus near the end) and fantastic presentation. I’ve played the PC version, but from what I’ve seen, the PS2 and Xbox versions are exactly the same.

Now, I don’t want to spoil the game for you, but I want to describe the game’s first scene. It’s the one included in the demo, which you can download from the official site, so you can see it for yourself today, if you want to.

You start by playing a 30-ish guy, who’s sitting in a toilet in a diner’s restroom. Then you get up, walk in an odd way to an older guy who is washing his hands, and stab him with a knife. Several times. The guy is dead. Then you regain control of your senses. The victim is a complete stranger. You have blood on your hands. There was a cop eating in the diner, and he slowly gets up and walks to the restroom. What do you do?

No, there’s not just one solution. You can panic and run (and get caught or not). You can try to hide the traces of what you’ve done – hiding the body, for instance, although with all that blood on the floor… You can phone your brother. You can get out without paying your bill, or not. You can walk out the door, or run.

Many options. And in the next part of the game, you play the two detectives who are assigned to investigate the murder. What you did in the first part affects the second. Did you leave obvious clues? Did people notice you as you were leaving? Are there any way for the detectives to re-trace your steps? Can they have a suspect soon?

And this is just the beginning of the game.

What got into you to make you kill a total stranger, by the way?

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What’s there to say? It’s a tennis game, but with chipmunks (and a penguin). It plays very well with one player on the keyboard and three using gamepads. There’s not a lot of customization (the chipmunks only differ in colors, they don’t have different characteristics), there are only two courts…

But it plays great. It’s fast, tough, and unforgiving, but when you begin to get good at it, the joy of beating another player, or, even better, of you and your teammate beating the other team, is a wonderful experience.

As I said, it’s not perfect – we haven’t played it any more since I bought Mario Power Tennis on the GameCube, since that one’s even faster, more involving, and, for a change, highly customizable, and the characters are actually different. But it’s still (along with Super Sprint, which I’ll write about in the near future, hopefully) possibly the multi-player game I’ve played the most.

Link: Official site.

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First, unlike previous Resident Evils, this one has a great control scheme, and a great point of view, which makes me wonder why it’s not used more often. The story is good, the game is creepy (almost scary, sometimes) from beginning to end. Great voice acting (again, unlike some previous REs… “master of unlocking”, anyone?). Some parts of the game are unforgettable: the big fight in the first part of the village… the first El Gigante… the “big fish” under the lake… the first time you fight a… oops, don’t want to spoil it for you. This time, there are no zombies… your enemies are human. Or at least, appear to be… They communicate among themselves, work as teams, go after you in several ways at the same time.

In RE4, you play Leon Kennedy, from RE2, who is sent to a mysterious rural area in Spain (it’s so rural that they still use pesetas instead of euros! ) to investigate a clue about the kidnapping of the U.S. President’s daughter. Of course, things aren’t as they seem… (are they ever?)

I haven’t seen a GameCube or PS2 game that looks nearly as good as this one. And believe me, it’s not just a graphics fest. Let’s put it this way: I can still remember how I played through several parts, even though it was months ago. It’s simply an experience you won’t soon forget.

Really, buy this game.

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Now, it wasn’t certainly as innovative as the first Max Payne – technically, other than improved graphics and sound, the only major novelty was the Havok ragdoll physics engine (it was one of the first games to use it, and it was certainly impressive). But it was also an improvement in other, subtler ways. Basically, it was the first Max Payne done right.

It had a much better story, and better writing (makes the first game sound like an amateurish Raymond Chandler imitation), although I miss the “The sun went down with practiced bravado” line. It used real actors, this time. The dream sequences were creepy instead of annoying. The sniper rifles were done right. Playing as Mona Sax was actually a different experience. The “reloading during bullet time” effects were out of this world. The “Address Unknown” theme park was a brilliant level. Even the TV shows inside the game were a pleasure to watch.

One of my favorite action games of all time, and one I am currently re-playing.

Official site: www.maxpayne2.com.

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