What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[null1024]

Split/Second [PSP]. Lots of explosive fun here.
Last time I got to play this was through OnLive and its free 30min demos.

Also, I'm not a massive racing person, but I've noticed that 2/3rds of my PSP library is racing.

[Acid_Rain]

any no-shmup tips for my 360?

[Moniker]

any no-shmup tips for my 360?

Mmm... obviously there's a ton of stuff, but my all-time favorites have been:

(Disc) Orange Box, Dark Souls, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect trilogy, Borderlands 1/2
(Arcade) Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Hard Corps: Uprising, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Shadow Complex

Also, I'm not a massive racing person, but I've noticed that 2/3rds of my PSP library is racing.

Yeah there's lots of great racers on it, especially if you count PSX games. Also try the Burnout games (one plays like Burnout 2, the other like Burnout 3), and Initial D: Street Stage (JP-only). I think you mentioned you had Ridge Racer 2, but if not, it's quite good as well.

[Zeether]

Cortex Command, which a lot of people are mad about because the dev released version 1.0 with only minor changes on Steam. Price could be lower though. It's more of a "dick around" game than something you should play seriously.

[Obiwanshinobi]

My pal came over and we played some Super Monkey Ball. I was afraid revisiting the 'Cube version would spoil SMB Jr. (my most played GBA game these days) for me, but nope, even after 60 fps & analogue goodness, I found Jr. as good as it's ever been. Both games are equally indispensable.
In other news, I'm working on the Nocturne's (seemingly) very last boss (the one who didn't deign to fight me when my first playthrough came to an end). The rush DDS2's endgame on Hard gave me is absent, though.
I know people expected Strange Journey to be Shin MegaTen IV, but there's no wonder it took Atlus this long to actually announce the real thing. No wonder DDS got split into two volumes either. I doubt we'll see any second helping of their dungeon crawl variety on a home platform any time soon. For people with day jobs (or those who work shifts), it takes getting redundant or ill to play such a game at home (a bright side of becoming obsolete if I ever knew about one).
On a side note, I wasn't crazy about Disgaea while playing 1&2. Finished both, but it took some extensive level grinding on a certain map before the endgame of 1. At some point, however I had an idea that the system would make for a fine dungeon crawler... only to realise just recently that Item World is just that. Silly me. I knew it all the time, but not by heart (if it makes any sense).
I've been infatuated with dungeon crawling ever since I played the first Diablo, but it took years to bloom into awareness. Possibly because it's not really a genre; it's just that it makes everything better (if done well).
What was the first good co-op dungeon crawler? Toejam & Earl? (I know it was influenced by roguelikes.) Not sure if the original Gauntlet was really good (even for people rich in coins), and I'm not sure if Dungeon Explorer quite counts (that is, how labyrinthine - in broader sense - it is).

any no-shmup tips for my 360?

It's about as good on the PS3 and even better on the PC, but I say Burnout Paradise.

[shmuppyLove]

I really tried to like Dark Souls ... but I'm not really feeling it.

Then I played some Jet Set Radiooooooooooooooooooo looks fantastic at 1680x1050 and sounds amazing too.

Now I think I'm finally going to sink my teeth into Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Although I kinda feel like some kind of driving racing ... but I haven't got anything handy at the moment. Maybe a Wipeout on PSP, not sure ...

[mesh control]

any no-shmup tips for my 360?

EARTH FUCKING DEFENSE FORCE 2017
Deadly Premonition
Bullet Witch

[Ed Oscuro]

Now I think I'm finally going to sink my teeth into Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Looking forward to that - gotta slog through the first two first, though! Did you luck into the Steam Sale too?

[Obiwanshinobi]

Although I kinda feel like some kind of driving racing ... but I haven't got anything handy at the moment. Maybe a Wipeout on PSP, not sure ...

How about TrackMania Nations? Haven't played it personally yet, but it's freeware.

[null1024]

Not sure if the original Gauntlet was really good (even for people rich in coins)

Played the Genesis port with some friends recently, it's terrible without 3 or 4 people. Otherwise, quite fun, lots of teamwork and stuff, and loads and loads of shit to kill. Also, limited continues makes it much more interesting, but not too limited.

I think you mentioned you had Ridge Racer 2, but if not, it's quite good as well.

I have it, it's quite enjoyable.


Mega Man Powered Up [PSP]. Very nice. One little thing that bothers me is that there is a slight pause between being at a standstill and moving, and it seems like it's intentional.
Got lazy and downloaded a save with Roll and Protoman unlocked off of GameFAQs, but with none of the game cleared. Roll makes stages stupid easy with her very wide-angle broom, but is pretty hard to fight bosses with, and Protoman feels like easy-mode with his huge and pretty strong shots. Also, the shield.
I want to fiddle with the level editor, but my analog nub is broken [sends random inputs, so I disabled it], waiting for a new one to arrive in the mail.

[Acid_Rain]

any no-shmup tips for my 360?

EARTH FUCKING DEFENSE FORCE 2017
Deadly Premonition
Bullet Witch

EDF 2017 is a classic

What's Deadly Premonition about?

[Hagane]

Super Turbo on GGPO, every single night.

[Ruldra]

Been playing this game for a while:



Rally game for the TurboGrafx-16. I wrote an overview of the game at the Rolling Start forum: http://www.rolling-start.com/forum/view ... p?f=8&t=71

Just uploaded a playthrough of the game on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI-zk9Kuj-E

[Marc]

I got the itch for an old-style arcade adventure so I picked up Tomb Raider Anniversary. Bit of a mixed bag so far - it's stuck between old-school TR and trying to be more flashing like a PoP type thing. The atmosphere is there, but I've seen none of the old caverns of the PS1 game - the huge self-contained puzzles that had you scratching your head as you wondered how the fuck you were supposed to get up there. Early days yet though to be fair.

Also, sadly, JSR fucking blows in this day and age. It's a finnicky, frustrating, the camera is shocking, it's slow, it's aimless, and I really don't like it very much.

[BIL]

Virtua Racing Deluxe (32X) Honestly a little shocked at how damn good this still is - I figured it'd have aged horrendously with the lack of hardware power and analogue control. How wrong I was... this plays like a dream. The F1's sensation of dropping a gear, letting off the gas and steering through a corner to the edge of spinout, then straightening out and feeling traction return as you slam the hammer down is sublime. The powerslide-happy Stock and blisteringly fast Prototype are radically distinct additions, the original tracks are first-rate arcade standard, the AI puts up a mean but fair fight and the rich sound does a lot to counteract the chunky polygons (which are hard to dislike anyway - lovely vivid colours, even the browns and greys feel warm). The Japanese cart has SRAM for record saving too! An excellent package... no surprise to hear AM2 themselves developed it.

I only wish this had been on Saturn... not for performance reasons, but because then it wouldn't require a 32X.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Honestly a little shocked at how damn good this still is - I figured it'd have aged horrendously with the lack of hardware power and analogue control. How wrong I was... this plays like a dream.

Funny, pretty much my thoughts on Super Monkey Ball Jr.
Had the SCUD Race DC port evolved beyond that tech demo, I might just have got a DC. Didn't think much of the game when it was still around (wasn't into car games at the slightest), but certain Jak X tracks' visual resemblance to SCUD Race marks the point of my interest in the arcade variety blooming into affair.

[EmperorIng]

any no-shmup tips for my 360?

EARTH FUCKING DEFENSE FORCE 2017
Deadly Premonition
Bullet Witch

EDF 2017 is a classic

What's Deadly Premonition about?

Deadly Premonition is basically Twin Peaks, the video-game.

With really buggy, clumsy controls, the most laughably bad driving controls ever in a video-game, and some of the most questionable enemy design and item design choices in game history.

And it is a blast every single step of the way. The entire game is hilarious and memorable, and nothing is quite like bashing limboing zombies with an acoustic guitar while healing yourself with a "THE PICKLE" brand can of pickles.

The game needs more love.

[Marc]

This. The driving makes the section in Die Hard Trilogy look like fucking Forza, the soundtrack is totally unsuitable soft Jazz, the main character conducts conversations with his imaginary friend through half the game (including a memorable one about a murderer skull fucking his victims if I remember correctly), the combat is awful, and the whole thing is batshit insane, and not in a desperate 'look at me' kind of way. I honestly didn't think video games could do so-bad-they're-good till I played this. Best experienced drunk or high.

[sjewkestheloon]

I dearly wanted to like deadly premonition but just couldn't get over how shit it was. The characters were great, everything else was terrible.

Just got to the waterway in smt: digital devil saga and I am really enjoying it. Now I am trying to decide whether to start grinding and hunting for good ap spots or to press forward. I want to take out some of the bosses that I assume will be hidden away and don't want to do all my grinding at once so I think it might be a good idea.

[EmperorIng]

the crappiness of Deadly Premonition is part of its charm.

The game is barely-playable, meaning that things work just well enough to where you can power through the game. But the fun and humor comes from laughing at the game's bad controls, its bizarre unfitting music (which is also badass - gotta love sax improv solos at inopportune times), its totally insane story and characters, the sub-par graphics and jerky, unnatural animations, your main char's tendency to ramble about b-movies with his imaginary friend during car rides, the sinner's sandwich, being beaten by a large fat man in a race, and more.

Like Marc has pointed out, I never thought a game could be so-bad-it's-good, but DP is the b-movie of video-games, and in its badness (and sincerity) it's a lot more attractive than many more competently-made games.

[moh]

been playing a shit-ton of street fighter third strike, and garou: mark of the wolves.

I know a lot of people who say that playing fighters by yourself is pretty boring, yet i still find it fun. none of my friends are any good at arcade games, and I find it more fun to play with nobody rather than play a shitty opponent

[Hagane]

Play them on GGPO or Supercade. You'll have no problem finding opponents with those, and fighters are always much better against human competition.

[gabe]

been playing a shit-ton of street fighter third strike, and garou: mark of the wolves.

I know a lot of people who say that playing fighters by yourself is pretty boring, yet i still find it fun. none of my friends are any good at arcade games, and I find it more fun to play with nobody rather than play a shitty opponent

I'm with you... Except, I've never really dedicated enough time to fighting games to truly appreciate them. I recently obtained an SFII CE PCB and decided I should seize the opportunity to dig deeper into the genre. I suck terribly, so playing alone has provided plenty of challenge, and has been surprisingly addicting.

[Hagane]

The main problem of playing alone is that it won't really help upping your game at all except maybe for execution and it will give you bad habits that you will have a hard time getting rid off if you ever decide to start playing against humans.

[cj iwakura]

Finished Brutal Legend. I get the impression people who hated on the RTS gameplay didn't try past the first stage. The story was great, and the RTS stuff, jankiness aside, does grow on you.

Best licensed OST ever.

[null1024]

been playing a shit-ton of street fighter third strike, and garou: mark of the wolves.

I know a lot of people who say that playing fighters by yourself is pretty boring, yet i still find it fun. none of my friends are any good at arcade games, and I find it more fun to play with nobody rather than play a shitty opponent

Have them learn, damnit. That's what I'm doing with my friends that aren't good [although, I have a few friends that are actually pretty good].
Also, those are the two fighting games I've played the most recently, you have good taste.

Today, I've been playing The King of Fighters 11 [PS2].
Jeez, so many moves in this game that I wish made it to 13... blaaaah. Good fun. Played in standard KOF format instead of the switch-in style, especially since everyone wanted to be able to use leader supers with their whole team.

[EmperorIng]

Sorry man, but the award for best licensed soundtrack for a game still goes one and all to Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

WHO BAD?

[powersoul]

Right now, Empire Earth. The very first release of the series. I've heard a lot of negative stuff about the expansion and beyond though.

[Hagane]

Dead Island. It has a lot of really nice ideas and I have a weakness for exploration, so I'm enjoying it, but it's way too easy (kick / then crush heads when the zombies are knocked down works wonders), and the awful respawn system completely kill any survival horror feel. Needs more enemy variety too. But the exploration makes up for the downfalls so far.

[Obiwanshinobi]

So I finally started Rogue Squadron II properly. I agree there's some nitpicking to be rightfully done, but at the end of the day it's not a bad action game. If it makes any sense, I liked the system of Freelancer better (mouse and keyboard, though), but Rogue Squadron II feels less diluted and looks better.
I like the way it reminds me of Quake II engine (those pretty lights), much like Twisted Metal: Black (terrific sound too) before.

Finished Nocturne on Hard at last. The "DDS2's two last bosses on Hard were better" verdict stands valid. The very last boss in Nocturne can cast Dekunda and Dekaja in one turn on a whim. I struggle to believe anybody without the ultimate Magatama won that battle once it happened in the Root of Evil phase. It's like a lottery where you can win your death.
Furthermore, the game appears to break its own rules at that point. Those two bosses' normal attacks are almighty and I don't have a problem with it, BUT your almighty attacks (maybe only the HP-fuelled kind) are calculated like physical attacks out of a sudden. I don't recall piercing anybody's physical resistance with Freikugel before.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I did the job quite unlike the FAQ told me to. Girimehkala levelled up didn't obtain Pierce and I tainted my coolness with a sacrificial fusion for that? Debiliate came in handy, however, although I already had Rangda in Compendium. Didn't use War Cry in the end.