Last Retro Game You Played? What Retro Game Are You Currently Playing?

There's a really interesting youtube video I'll try to link you sometime about how different languages, no matter how unrelated, always name the colours in the same order.

I took my daughters to this neat arcade in Bristol - you had all the consoles there and a bunch of old arcade cabinets. Paid a fee and you could play all day. We had a bash on Wind Jammers, Rave Racer, Pop n' Music 7, Dance Dance Revolution 2, and they had a go on Sonic 2, Super Mario World, Virtua Tennis...

I'd heard about some of these arcade clubs in places like Bury, Manchester and Birmingham, but nice that there's one in the South West too

I like that so many of these arcades, barcades and exhibitions are popping up nowadays. I live in a seaside town where most of the nearby amusements closed down a couple of decades ago. But trends like that give me a bit of hope that we’ll see the likes of those again, even if they’re only in the cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh.

~

I’m off work with two weeks of annual leave to use up, and among other things I was hoping to pay a bit of attention to my backlog. There’s two DS games I’ve been playing since Sunday morning, Meteos and Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Meteos is Meteos, it’s a class game with a brilliant concept that’s excellently pulled off.

Hotel Dusk is maybe a bit more interesting. I think I’d mentioned recently that I’ve never played it before. I’m sure Buskalilly reviewed it somewhere recently, and I’d seen that gjones put it’s sequel in his top thirty list. Those put Hotel Dusk into my head, and now here I am. I’ve just finished Chapter 2.

It was the sequel I finished recently, but I did finish Hotel Dusk only a year or two ago as well. Both highly recommended by your boy.

I've not played the first game, but Last Window properly sucked me in. Whatever you do, don't play it on a 2DS, as there's a folding the screen puzzle in it. I still need to go back and complete it.

Jay was talking about playing 999 but was doing it on PS4, the game has some puzzles/story elements using the DS much as you say about Last Window that I wonder how it translates to the single screen?

Last Window is one of a few DS games I always look out for in a CEX etc

We've still got the arcade in bridgwater, not been in for years though, I should see if any new machines in there.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

I’m off work with two weeks of annual leave to use up, and among other things I was hoping to pay a bit of attention to my backlog. There’s two DS games I’ve been playing since Sunday morning, Meteos and Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Meteos is Meteos, it’s a class game with a brilliant concept that’s excellently pulled off.

Hotel Dusk is maybe a bit more interesting. I think I’d mentioned recently that I’ve never played it before. I’m sure Buskalilly reviewed it somewhere recently, and I’d seen that gjones put it’s sequel in his top thirty list. Those put Hotel Dusk into my head, and now here I am. I’ve just finished Chapter 2.

What a double! Both of them really special games. Keen to read those Dusky thoughts when/if you finish it. Meanwhile I ought to give Meteos another go.

gjones wrote:

I've not played the first game, but Last Window properly sucked me in. Whatever you do, don't play it on a 2DS, as there's a folding the screen puzzle in it. I still need to go back and complete it.

Would you presumably not just put the machine into sleep mode, and trick the console that way?

Played the first two chapters on Radiant Dawn, it doesn't look bad for its age but is a tad grey & dull in places.

What is even more grey is PS3 launch game Resistance Fall of Man, which is now back online. I decided to play some of it, and umm the default controls are awful, then playing everything is grey or beige that it's ridiculously hard to tell who or what anything is as it all looks that dam same.

For all that us Nintendo fanboys slagged off the BBoP games of the era for looking grey-brown while we were stuck with the SD Wii, occasionally we had a point. Usually by accident, it feels like.

I'm going to give the PS3 the benefit of doubt seeing Resistance Fall of Man is 16 years old and launch game. Plus I played Journey on it last year and that looks fantastic still.

Same with the Wii even with its SD'ness and Radiant Dawn being rather grey, hopefully much like Journey stuff with great artstyles hold up well.

John Woo's Stranglehold

I spent two hours in this early Xbox 360 action game and quite frankly, I enjoyed every minute. It's a ludicrous sequel to the batshit John Woo classic Hard Boiled, whereby you mow down hundreds of enemies with Chow Yun Fat flying across the screen dual-wielding massive pistols. It's a run-and-gun game that's not far from being an on-rails shooter. You work your way through linear levels in a similar manner to the Max Payne games, except here you are rewarded for "stylish kills". This could be you shooting a piece of the level on to them, sliding across a table in slow motion and nailing a headshot, or literally grinding down a railing in your shoes and picking off enemies. It's quite a unique little game, with simple missions like "blow up all the drug supplies" or "collect all the items" and there's a nice special move that lets you go on a rampage once you fill up a meter. The game is visually of its era: washed out and a little fuzzy on a 4K TV but it's not the visuals that demonstrate its appeal, it's the completely destructible scenery. If anyone remembers utter shite like Super Runabout or Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions from the Dreamcast/Gamecube era, this is essentially the next step. The game itself isn't much to write home about, and the plot is largely irrelevant, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. If you like combo-driven shooters like The Club or the Mercenaries mode in Resi 4, but with the style of Max Payne and the setting of Sleeping Dogs - I'd suggest getting out more, but you also are guaranteed an evening of OTT action. A bit like a John Woo film then.

8/10

I remember reading about this game in the likes of Edge back in the day and thinking it sounded exciting. I'm really glad to hear there is fun to be had with it.

I went looking for that around the town's second-hand shops after reading that, but with no joy. I'll keep an eye out for it, it sounds great fun.

Funny you should say it reminds you of "utter shite" like Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions - that's another game I've been looking for!

You should give Outtrigger on DC a bash

Played a couple of games recently:

Theme Hospital

After a certain podcast did a Best 90s PC Games episode, I checked out GOG.com and picked this up. A childhood favourite that is in my All Time list, it's still an absolute blast. As a youngster I would get halfway through and then struggle, but I'm a good two-thirds through it after a few evenings. Perhaps its systems aren't as complex as I once thought but it's still a great little strategy/god sim/whatever the kids are calling them game. Building up a hospital from scratch is still a great feeling, especially when it's all working and the money starts piling in. Given it's a British game, I'd always overlooked the whole business aspect that's clearly riffing on the American health system. Did anyone try Two Point Hospital? I think I'd only like that on a PC but not sure mine can handle it. 9/10

Spelunky

Is this a retro game? It's certainly retro in that it's a 2D platformer and is punishingly difficult. I imagine everyone is aware of this title by now, but I will add to the critical acclaim it has garnered over the years. What a game! I've been hopelessly addicted to it for weeks now - not since Advance Wars have I looked at a clock and wondered where the time went. Procedurally generated levels ensure it's constantly fresh (along with the daily challenges) and the way things just happen organically in a level means it always throws up something fun. Annoying the shopkeeper with his shotgun is a big risk/reward system, basic enemies like bats and spiders always remind you not to take them for granted, and the way the little explorer fella moves and controls is delightfully precise. The checkpoint system is just the right level of difficulty to keep you pushing through and I've found myself getting progressively better to the point where I'm pleasantly surprised to find myself at the end of the mines. The jungle is a tricky blighter, but the ice level isn't so bad. I have no idea how to get through the temple at the moment though. The "just one more go" mantra has never been truer and I can now see what all the fuss is about with Spelunky. 10/10

My partner is currently addicted to Two Point. There's the odd British-alike system, where you have to meet objectives set by the Health Secretary to get any money. The rest is all her experimenting on patients for the greater good (of her finances). Watching her play, I can see why Tories who don't consider poor people to be 'real people' might run the system the way they do.

I will keep mum about Spelunky.

Picked up a few PS2 games recently, mostly from charity shops, and had a quick lets see if it works play.

Project Zero, was a great in terms of what I paid and what it's worth, but damn it has aged, even from the 5mins I played.

Tomb Raiders, so 1st one Angel of Darkness (I bought on launch day and watched Hulk in cinema that day as well) which I think looks good still, yet Anniversary & Legends look great maybe even pass for 360 games as they're actually 480p, they even seemed to play quite well still.

Then GT4 which does look good and play well still, yet as it is a PAL version it doesn't have the 1080i option like the NTSC one as I loved to see how it holds up in the best possible light.

I also sorta played PS2 on my PS3 with Tekken Hybrid. Which contains the movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance that can be watched in 3D as my TV is a 3DTV, I got my 3D Glasses out and watched about 5mins and the 3D is kinda good, then most computer animated stuff does tend to be good in 3D. Hybrid, also has a prologue for Tekken Tag 2 which is also playable in 3D and I got to say it does add to the game, as the fighters do look like they're at the front with the crowd at the back. What is the PS2 connection is Hybrid has PS2 launch game, Tekken Tag on it in HD, which plays fine still, and I wouldn't mind a Tekken Tag 3 now.

Anyone play much 3D gaming on console?

I had a brief go of Arkham Asylum when they released that GOTY edition back on PS3, it was as you'd expect, a fun novelty which didn't blow me away but was definitely that little bit nicer to look at.

Nah if I can play Res Evil in VR, that's nothing.

I had a lovely session on my odd little collection of Gamecube games last night.

Starfox Assault
First level is so good! Glorious over-the-top Fox action! Then you're into level 2 and. . . on foot sections and a slow tank. Why can't they just make another Lylat Wars?!?

Wario World
This is surprisingly obscure for essentially a Nintendo 3D platformer. It feels a little like a precursor to the 3D Land/ World template, with an even greater emphasis on sniffing out hidden treasures. It even has cubic camera-rotating puzzle rooms! I only played the first level, but it was lengthy. I'll go back to this for sure.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
I had very fond memories of this and the sequel.
It ... hasn't aged well.

Mario Kart: Double Dash
Still ace. Surprisingly weighty cars, I'm not sure about the no-jump powerslide, still looks great.

F-Zero GX
GGGnnnnggg this is still so goooood. Why won't they just do this again? Like, literally re-release it with online multiplayer and I'll be happy.

I didn't play my Donkey Konga or my Jungle Beat because it was getting late and my neighbours probably hate me enough.

I remember Wario World being quite frustrating back when I played it, the levels definitely drag on too much and I wanna say it felt a bit imprecise at times when you had massive waves of enemies to defeat.

I'd need to play it again but I think Double Dash could be my favourite behind MK8, I felt like they really nailed what a good course is (minus Baby Park natch) and the animation was on point.

I remember contemporary reviews saying WW was about four hours long, so if that's true I'll stick with it.

My second-favourite Mario Kart is probably DS, but I'll gladly admit I have rose-tinted goggles and the game has big flaws.

Wario World only has eight levels, so even if they seem long the game as a whole is pretty brief and breezy. I've got good memories of it: good, slightly odd memories. You wouldn't see any of this in a Mario game!

Buskalilly wrote:

F-Zero GX
GGGnnnnggg this is still so goooood. Why won't they just do this again? Like, literally re-release it with online multiplayer and I'll be happy.

Haven't you been listening to Nintendo Buska? They don't want to just do the same things again! (looks at the myriad of old game ports we've had on Switch)

I'm growing increasingly suspicious of the fact that everyone always brings up that one quote, which was probably originally in Japanese, and is stripped of context.

It was probably more along the lines of "F-Zero didn't sell all that well, so we won't do another one until we come up with a new idea people actually buy"