What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[soprano1]

awesome Eldricht Horror (voiced by the late Tony Jay <3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4GuHcZW2cc

[Sumez]

Wow. So my latest discovery of underrated classic titles is none other than Startropics...

Yeah, everyone knows about this one. It's one of the most common NES carts out there, and one has even been sitting in my collection for at least 15 years without getting played. I remember seeing it as a kid and being kinda fascinated with it, but later on I would just dismiss it as a subpar Zelda clone, never actually playing it myself.

But picking it up last weekend I'm really surprised just how competent this game is. Except the overworld of course, which is beyond crappy, but man, the dungeon gameplay is really, really well done. If nothing else, then at least in how much it's unlike anything else!



Looks like the Zelda concept in principle, which I guess it is, but the unique tile-based control scheme (which is really hard to pick up on just from seeing videos of the game) makes it play much more like a fast paced, tactical puzzle game. The dungeon puzzles and themes are extremely creative and incredibly varied, and the enemy patterns and AI is really well designed all around, with a strong focus on how they impact gameplay and the rooms they are placed in. On top of that, the game is challenging as hell, and the controls are some of the most solid I have ever seen in an 8-bit game, with every input being bufferable to constantly keep you on top of things and enforcing the aforementioned tactical gameplay. So far I've had to replay most dungeons at least a few times, and every time has been fun due to learning more about how to properly master the game.

This is, in my opinion, a way better game than the first Zelda for the same platform. Though a direct comparison is a bit unfair as this came out four years later, not long before A Link Before Past. But I'd say it's definitely a must-have title for the NES if only for the unique way it plays.

[Durandal]

I Am Punching Thru [Descent 1, Insane Difficulty, full rescue, no deaths, no mid-level saves, cold start] //Level 18
Maneuvering Past Spazeroid Defenses, bLow the Nucleactor Up (30x), Injecting Fire In The Corpo BattleStream for the Goddamn Lord In Six-Double Dimensions
The Dodge Deck Is Ever-Expanding, Blitzing Tunnels Like Brain Synapses, I And The Pyro Are One
Class 1 Driller, Red Hulk I WILL GET YOU!!

[dan76]

I just finished Until Dawn after getting it for free on PS+. It was ok, glad I didn't pay for it. Fairly easy as well, only had one person die and that seemed into be pure bad luck. It was one of those "run" or "hide" sequences. Who knew. Sure is a fine walking simulator.

I won't be playing it again.

[soprano1]

Returning to Monster Hunter Generations on 3DS, my dodging skills are shitty. I'm trying Dual Blades now, until i get materials to build a decent Insect Glaive.

[null1024]

Drill Dozer [GBA].
Pretty damn cool and I'm still a bit amazed I haven't picked it up before now.

I also started Mega Man Zero [GBA] but it's pissing me off in general [namely, the buster sucks ass and continues to prove itself much more of a situational weapon... but your sword feels so short and stubby now compared to in X].
also the way it handles lives is pretty obnoxious for a portable game

[Mischief Maker]

Just got the evil ending in Star Crawlers.

It's like they crossed Etrian Odyssey with the Genesis version of Shadowrun. I mean the latter in both the good and the bad ways. It's a bottomless cyberpunk mission generator if you want it to be.

Interestingly, the combat mechanics became more interesting the higher my levels because the numbers generated for equipment made heavy armor worth it compared to the early game where the time penalty of heavy armor isn't worth the 2 extra points of damage mitigation. I suspect the real life of this game lies in the new game+ with the level caps removed.

My one complaint is this game has a huge menagerie of enemy types, but keeps them segregated by mission type. You're never going to see pirates fighting alongside corporate security drones and while that makes sense from a lore perspective it makes the battles more repetitive within a single mission.

Gonna start a goody-two-shoes party next. I suspect the game has four endings, maybe five.

[null1024]

Wasn't going to post so soon, but I started playing Mega Man Battle Network [GBA].
It's fun. Didn't really know anything about the series going in, but I like the fairly action-oriented pace of things.
I'm not too far in. I think I'm about halfway through dealing with the attack on the blackboards right now.

[Doctor Butler]

TEKKEN 7

[NYN]

I also started Mega Man Zero [GBA] but it's pissing me off in general [namely, the buster sucks ass and continues to prove itself much more of a situational weapon... but your sword feels so short and stubby now compared to in X].
also the way it handles lives is pretty obnoxious for a portable game

Uh, what about the Triple Rod, then? The Shield Boomer may be regarded as a playful frisbee, but the rod is our friend. It goes all 8 ways and is extendable two times the size. Not trying to sound too Freud here, but man-o-man that's a manly weapon. Oh boy.
I'm in the planning stage of doing an all out run with my friend th 'rod (and maybe we skip afterwards).

[Marc]

Ultimate Ghosts n Goblins
Recently secured a cheap PSP (if fact, the one I sold on almost ten years ago), with a decent bunch of games. Remembered enjoying this a ton last time around. I must have had far more patience then. Nah, it’s great, but my god, even amongst a series known for being sadistic, this is bloody hard. Everything seems placed to knock you into something else, or down a bloody hole, enemies thing nothing of spawning directly on top of you, stationary enemies now take pot shots before appearing on screen properly…. Ouch. Bit of practice managed to see me to the second level on one life, after which I had to think of my blood pressure, save, and leave it for now.

OverTop
The very definition of ‘shit, but fun’.

Nex Machina:
I’ve only had the quickest of goes, but those 15 minutes just made me go ‘fuck yeah’. It gets what makes Robotron such a great game to this day, and it just feels incredibly satisfying to tear through hordes of grunts with even the base weapon, in a way that escapes similar games like Enter the Gungeon. It’s a bit busy visually though, hope that doesn’t get too intrusive once things really heat up.

Wild Guns Reloaded
Again, only a quick play, but I loved Cabal, so I can’t see any reason why I won’t love this. Had some fun with ‘Nam 75, but that was balls hard, this seems a bit more approachable. Still not sure I could have justified £25.00 for a tarted up SNES game, but at the £11.00 I picked it up for, I’m happy.

[Sumez]

I've gone back and forth on Ultimate GnG, but eventually I've come to the conclusion that it's a horrible game, both the original and the Kai revision.

[Immryr]

i haven't really been playing video games for the past couple of months, which is very odd. i've been getting more into playing board games with my gf though, which has been great. agricola and twilight struggle are our favourites currently.

[Skykid]

I've gone back and forth on Ultimate GnG, but eventually I've come to the conclusion that it's a horrible game, both the original and the Kai revision.

Nah, Kai is beautiful viciousness. I love it because I hate it. So close to the 2-ALL too many times and the failure is bittersweet.

[Marc]

I've gone back and forth on Ultimate GnG, but eventually I've come to the conclusion that it's a horrible game, both the original and the Kai revision.

At this point, after just spending my lunch hour trying to make my way through Storm Castle, I'd be inclined to agree.
There's simply so much random, stupid bullshit, that learning a level is no guarantee of anything.
I've been knocked into weapons that have then rendered the rest of the run useless, knocked into pits by instantly spawning enemies, hit by enemies that have dropped from the top of the play area while I've already been mid jump, just.....
Enough is enough. Until tomorrow lunch time at least.

[FinalBaton]

Wow. So my latest discovery of underrated classic titles is none other than Startropics...

Yeah, everyone knows about this one. It's one of the most common NES carts out there, and one has even been sitting in my collection for at least 15 years without getting played. I remember seeing it as a kid and being kinda fascinated with it, but later on I would just dismiss it as a subpar Zelda clone, never actually playing it myself.

But picking it up last weekend I'm really surprised just how competent this game is. Except the overworld of course, which is beyond crappy, but man, the dungeon gameplay is really, really well done. If nothing else, then at least in how much it's unlike anything else!



Looks like the Zelda concept in principle, which I guess it is, but the unique tile-based control scheme (which is really hard to pick up on just from seeing videos of the game) makes it play much more like a fast paced, tactical puzzle game. The dungeon puzzles and themes are extremely creative and incredibly varied, and the enemy patterns and AI is really well designed all around, with a strong focus on how they impact gameplay and the rooms they are placed in. On top of that, the game is challenging as hell, and the controls are some of the most solid I have ever seen in an 8-bit game, with every input being bufferable to constantly keep you on top of things and enforcing the aforementioned tactical gameplay. So far I've had to replay most dungeons at least a few times, and every time has been fun due to learning more about how to properly master the game.

This is, in my opinion, a way better game than the first Zelda for the same platform. Though a direct comparison is a bit unfair as this came out four years later, not long before A Link Before Past. But I'd say it's definitely a must-have title for the NES if only for the unique way it plays.

I still haven't gotten around to playing this... nor Blaster Master

Btw, did you play the physical copy? If so, did it come with the letter, and did you dunk it in water? ^_^ I always thought that was so cool!

[Sumez]

No I didn't learn about the letter until I started playing it. Thought I had a complete copy, but it doesn't have a letter. To be honest I don't even remember how I came to own the game.

Also, I only ever play console games on physical format.

[Mischief Maker]

Dragon's Dogma has really sunk its claws into my heart, so to speak.

It's like a conglomeration of all the best console gameplay ideas. There's a little Dark Souls, a little Shadow of the Colossus, a little Devil May Cry, a little Elder Scrolls, a little Republic Commando, and just a pinch of Dragon's Age omnisexuality.

I think the thing that decides whether people fall on the love or hate side of the spectrum with this game is whether they're willing to work with the pawns as a party.

[null1024]

Crazy Taxi - Catch a Ride [GBA].
It's a trainwreck, but it's almost endearing.
Almost.
The default control mapping is awful for whatever reason -- for some appalling reason, drive/reverse is a toggle instead of mapped to specific buttons. At least they provided the correct mapping [the third control setting].
However, for whatever reason, you don't even need to shift into reverse first to do a crazy dash, you just need to press the drive shift button and then hit the accelerator. Convenient, I guess. All the timings are super loosened to make things less frustrating [in fact, there's basically zero timing required now], so that fits.

collisions really suck, the frame rate kind of sucks, and the most annoying thing is that unlike basically every other version of Crazy Taxi, you need to be fully inside the drop-off area for it to count
also, even if you're in the area when the game time runs out, you don't get the customer

The graphics are... ambitious? I've been spoiled by the late Fernando Velez's excellent work for the machine [V-Rally 3 is ridiculously good looking], so Catch a Ride looks kind of terrible. Not the ugliest 3D game on GBA, but it's super fucking jank.
Also, it has load times. Kind of long, too.
The soundtrack sounds like junk, but seems to fit and it seems to be dynamic depending on your crazy dash speed or something.

[Sumez]

I really love Dragon's Dogma. It has a lot of flaws, but it's in no way broken or kusoge as a lot of people seem to make it out to be. It's genuinely well crafted throughout most of the parts that really matter, and the combat is great.
I especially love the (sadly missable) story segment with the duchess and the duke. That shit is right out of Berserk. Also, the completely left field "twist" in the ending that extended the length of the game caught me totally off guard.

and just a pinch of Dragon's Age omnisexuality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUbLL3J0__o

[null1024]

Tales of the Rays [Android].
It's an F2P Tales of game. For mobile. Was just released in the west, it's been out for like half a year in Japan.
I've only just started, did a few of the quests in chapter 1.

It's supposed to get harder later on, but right now, it's very easy early-game stuff. Story's a bit lame so far [our world is screwing up, let's pull things from other worlds, and thus provide a convenient vehicle for crossovers between games], but again, I've just started. Maybe it gets more interesting.
Controls are surprisingly decent, it's a fairly standard free-run LMBS. Works ridiculously well so far. Left side of the screen is used for free-run, you make a virtual joystick appear wherever you put your thumb. Right side of the screen is for attacks, you swipe diagonally to perform artes, and tap to do your normals.
Your artes are based entirely on what weapons equipped that you have that's compatible with your character [you can still get the stat bonuses even if the arte is incompatible].

at the moment, there's zero actual pressure from the game to get me to spend money, and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop

[Leandro]

Just finished Fallout 4 main quest after 185 hours... Great game. Now I need a light old school game to cleanse myself

[Stevens]

Just finished Fallout 4 main quest after 185 hours... Great game. Now I need a light old school game to cleanse myself

I felt that way after spending 100 hours on Dark Souls. Great game and I'm glad I played it, but right now I'm done.

Back to shooters:D

[BulletMagnet]

Took a chance on Sundered, a "metroidvania roguelike" in which the larger "zones" remain constant but the individual rooms within them shuffle around every time you die. If you've read any reviews of this, I can confirm two things most of them say: one, the game looks quite nice, a definite improvement over Jotun. Two, yes, the enemies in this game Zerg rush the living HELL out of you. I'm talking several dozen of them attacking you all at once, before you even reach the first mini-boss.

To your advantage, you get a regenerating shield and dodge roll, the rooms tend to be relatively large so you have some room to maneuver, and most of their attacks can be interrupted if you get a shot off at them, but it's still a huge pain to whittle down the hordes, which respawn out of nowhere in the midst of battle (literally, you can move to a different section of a room, come back and now there'll be a bunch of new monsters there with no warning) until the game somehow decides that's enough. You also get very little invincibility after being hit and enemies can both be obscured by foreground elements and attack from offscreen, just to add to the sense of chaos; at times I was reminded of the worst parts of Muramasa.

On the bright side the controls feel pretty good, and you get the ol' "spend souls to get stronger after dying" thing going on to help you progress, but wandering through several near-empty rooms in a row only to suddenly be accosted by an overwhelming RNG mob, though I suppose an argument can be made from the "tension" and "sense of accomplishment" angles, honestly feels more sloppy than anything else (and reminiscent of the most complained-about aspect of Jotun). I'm not terribly far in at the moment, but I'd generally encourage anyone interested in this one to proceed with caution.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Drill Dozer [GBA].
Pretty damn cool and I'm still a bit amazed I haven't picked it up before now.

One GBA cart I've been eyeing up, but hot damn expensive video game buys are out of the question right now (loose Fire Emblem US was about as posh a get as I allowed myself lately, and haven't even really played that one yet! Been a month or so now).

WipEout HD Fury (PS3) every now and then, but little gaming in general anymore.

a little Republic Commando

Was reminiscing about it the other day, how oddly forgotten it seems for a game that feels more fresh toady than it used to seem back when (at least to me). Even the squad comes as a would-be mascot "character" like no other. Just DON'T save anywhere as you play it, anyone. The default checkpointing makes plenty of sense.

[BurlyHeart]

Guilty Gear Xrd: Rev 2 - 2 years playing the Xrd series and I'm getting better. Still lose more than I win, but the game is fun. Luckily, where I am I can easily get matches anytime of day.

Unchartered 4 - Came free with my PS4. It's good...I guess. Was a bit of a grind to finish the game though, and I'd given up caring about the characters. Feels like this may be my last so-called "AAA" game....just don't have the time nor the interest.

[Stevens]

Has anyone here played Psychonauts, if so what are your opinions of it?

[BulletMagnet]

Has anyone here played Psychonauts, if so what are your opinions of it?

It's been a handful of years since my playthrough on the original XBox, but I personally enjoyed it quite a bit; the platforming wasn't perfect, but the unusual stage themes/gimmicks and sense of humor more than made up for any such shortcomings in my book. In any event you can get the game for a song on Steam/GOG whenever it's on sale, and the PC version runs at 60 FPS, unlike the console versions; I say if you're down with 3D platforming in general you ought to go for it.

[wgogh]

The Red Star
Playstation 2 mix of beat em ups and shmups based on a comic book. All the information you have about the story is given only by hints in the briefing beetween stages. Pure arcade fun. Its getting harder each stage, and Im in the 17, near the end (19th)

Makita is the right choice.

[Mischief Maker]

Aztez

An indie brawler/strategy game (ala. ActRaiser 1) heavily influenced by Devil May Cry where you expand the Aztec empire in the 15th century conquering Mexico and eventually driving off Cortez and the conquistadors.

It's very, very good.

https://youtu.be/EVNsimgJYrA

Edit: This is a much better video showing off the depth of the combat system.