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[Dark Schala]

Good. Didn't think Huelen's perma was deserved in the long run based on his post history.

I have never played a Ratchet & Clank game before.

I know someone who platinumed DMC2

But never finished the first DMC

Probably because DMC2 is ridiculously easy it's so easy to platinum. -_-

edit: Also another GAFfer's done clean rips of Mario & Sonic 2014's Sonic mixes. The three Advance mixes are delightful, but someone please keep Senoue and his Sonic 4 synth away from Diamond Dust.

This is good. I want something to listen to in order to wash away how flabbergasted I feel towards another soundtrack (this doesn't mean the other soundtrack is bad, but it's just... interesting how... nevermind).

The Advance tracks are really good! I'll listen to these later.

So... you don't like Rare games in general, or just the music?

I could play Goldeneye back when I was a kid in multiplayer (while feeling a little dizzy w/motion sickness) with my friends in high school, but overall, Rare games and I don't jive well much. I could play Jet Force Gemini, and maybe Conker, but otherwise I don't have much of an attachment to their games. As for the music, I ain't saying anything because Nocturnowl will be all like, "NO. *digs up old damning post*"

To be fair, though, I have never played a single Banjo game so maybe I would like those if I ever did play one.

 

[Dario ff]

To be fair, though, I have never played a single Banjo game so maybe I would like those if I ever did play one.

I liked the first Banjo Kazooie a lot, don't really like Banjo Tooie tho (too much backtracking/padding/gimmicky skills). I would try out the XBLA remake for the Widescreen, and I heard it's 60 fps? I don't like much of Rare's games either other than Conker as well.

Anyway, I just grabbed my ticket for the Persona 5 Hype Train. The OST from the stream is good ambient music for working.

 

[Nocturnowl]

I could play Goldeneye back when I was a kid in multiplayer (while feeling a little dizzy w/motion sickness) with my friends in high school, but overall, Rare games and I don't jive well much. I could play Jet Force Gemini, and maybe Conker, but otherwise I don't have much of an attachment to their games. As for the music, I ain't saying anything because Nocturnowl will be all like, "NO. *digs up old damning post*"

You still paint me a scoundrel who went digging for dirt, I merely stumbled across something I shouldn't have (In a Sonic thread no less) and needed to know the truth of what I saw that day, damn my delightful curiosity!

But you wont find me sticking my curious beak into any of your musical musings ever again, nope, never....

Spoiler

flabbergasted you say?

 

[Shadow Hog]

I heard it's 60 fps?

30, but it's more steady than the N64 versions - particularly Tooie, which dipped WAY down originally.

Also, musical notes stay collected; you don't have to grab all 100 in one run. YMMV on how good a change that is.

 

[Noi]

Probably because DMC2 is ridiculously easy it's so easy to platinum. -_-

DMC2's bloody palace says nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope

 

[Tizoc]

My ranking of the R&C games is sorta like this:
CiT and ToD>R&C 2 and 3, Nexus>A4O, QfB>R&C1

 

[Lightning Lord]

30, but it's more steady than the N64 versions - particularly Tooie, which dipped WAY down originally.

Also, musical notes stay collected; you don't have to grab all 100 in one run. YMMV on how good a change that is.

I think overall I prefer BK over Tooie, but collecting everything isn't nearly as much of a nightmare in Tooie. I can't believe I actually 100%'d BK, because I will never bother to do it again.

 

[Shadow Hog]

100%ing it's a lot less of a pain when you don't have to do the "grab all the music notes in one go", honestly. 100%ing the XBLA version felt totally fine.

 

[BHZ Mayor]

I haven't played a crack in time yet, but it's refreshing to see someone else who considers Going Commando better than Up your Arsenal. I've only ever seen the opposite opinion on GAF. The gadget (see: platforming) sections are better from what I remember, the upgrade system being just one straight transformation is better in my eyes than the levelling up stuff in UyA, and I find the pacing just better in general. Not to mention that GC introduced most of the best elements of the series on top of the first game's base gameplay. The arenas, crystal/gem hunting worlds, the aforementioned upgrade system... So many good ideas in this game. And the selection of weapons is great to. Most weapons after this game were essentially just versions of what was found here. Of course I'm rambling at this point as it is one of my favourite games of all time haha. Killer soundtrack too.

Edit: Oh yeah strafing was another great addition. God I love Going Commando.

From recently playing GC via the collection, I felt like it had kind of a 'kitchen sink' approach to it. It didn't really take away from the overall quality, but did we really need two flying upgrades, two platform manipulation gadgets, and two unlocking gadgets? And the lava gun upgrade, wow. But like I said, still an excellent game with a lot of good ideas.

I have never played a Ratchet & Clank game before.


To be fair, though, I have never played a single Banjo game so maybe I would like those if I ever did play one.

Worse leader than Beef confirmed.

 

[Razzer]

The thing about combat in R&C is that it isn't about the actual shooting. It's about weapon management and being effecient with your ammo, using the appropriate weapon for the situation. Some are good for crowd control, some for taking out super dangerous targets from a distance, some are all about defense, giving you time to recover from being surrounded and on low health. If you don't cheese it and buy full ammo at every vendor the struggle to keep up can be taxing and thus extremely satisfying. This is why the arenas are a perfect addition to the game as you are often put in situations with an handicap so this part of it is highlighted more. Similarly, the wasteland planets that have a bunch of crystals or gems to collect will have you out on your own for long periods of time so you have to be very efficient. Obviously this won't appeal to everyone but this I why I enjoyed the shooting at least. The platforming and gadgets are a whole different ball game though.

Edit: I agree on the lava gun downgrade, what a joke haha. And yeah there was some repetition of gadgets, though things like the slingshot from the first game returning and the thermogun thing that I can't remember the exact name of make up for it. Good puzzles and platforming. And I just remembered the space combat as well. That was a little rough around the edges due to the controls but was just good enough to make for a fun distraction from the main gameplay.

 

[BHZ Mayor]

On the subject of Banjo. I also prefer the first. It's a lot more balanced in terms of its collection to exploration ratio. Tooie suffers from its levels literally being too big for no reason. Consolidating the notes into groups of 5, with one worth 20 per level, and having to only collect one glowbo per magician rather than a number of Mumbo tokens, means that you're actually collecting less stuff in Tooie in worlds that are at least 3 times as big as the ones in Kazooie. It's padded with a lot of small tasks to do just to get from point A to point B.

Even with all that, most of the jiggies aren't arbitrarily placed behind some of the worst minigames in platformer history, so it's still automatically better than Donkey Kong 64.

 

[Shadow Hog]

The thing about combat in R&C is that it isn't about the actual shooting. It's about weapon management and being effecient with your ammo, using the appropriate weapon for the situation. Some are good for crowd control, some for taking out super dangerous targets from a distance, some are all about defense, giving you time to recover from being surrounded and on low health. If you don't cheese it and buy full ammo at every vendor the struggle to keep up can be taxing and thus extremely satisfying. This is why the arenas are a perfect addition to the game as you are often put in situations with an handicap so this part of it is highlighted more. Similarly, the wasteland planets that have a bunch of crystals or gems to collect will have you out on your own for long periods of time so you have to be very efficient. Obviously this won't appeal to everyone but this I why I enjoyed the shooting at least.

Honestly, this just sounds like Doom.

• Chainsaw and Fist for saving ammo. Particularly Berserk fist, if you find the pickup in the stage, which lets you punch absurdly powerfully - although being close-range to most enemies is asking for death, making it risky.
• Pistol for sniping weak enemies at a distance or as a fallback weapon when you lack any other.
• Shotgun as a great close-range weapon, provided you can line up your shots so you're not wasting ammo because an enemy moved while you're reloading.
• Chaingun for groups of enemies, or strong enemies that are prone to entering their "pain" state (preventing them from attacking).
• Rocket launcher for groups of enemies at a distance, or particularly strong enemies (although the Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind are immune to splash damage, so it works less on them).
• Plasma gun for the same uses the Chaingun has, only stronger (balanced by the fact it's projectile-based instead of hitscan, so you can miss more easily, and by the fact plasma ammo's much less common).
• BFG9000 for really strong enemies, or those times that you really just can't be assed to fight groups of enemies with anything weaker (balanced by having the weirdest mechanics for a gun I've ever seen - the ball doesn't do nearly as much damage as these hitscan rays that shoot from the player, parallel to the direction the ball was fired in, at the time the ball hits something).
• Super shotgun for throwing off the balance entirely by practically giving you the power of a rocket launcher without the blast radius, only it uses shotgun shells which are insanely common. Reload time is really slow, and the spread is insane, but the amount of damage you do with each shot at close range more than offsets that.

To play well, you have to use the gun that works the best for a given situation; you can get by by just shooting everyone with the SSG, but you'll do better if you mix it up with the chaingun, rocket launcher and two plasma weapons as the situation demands.

 

[Razzer]

Honestly, this just sounds like Doom.

• Chainsaw and Fist for saving ammo. Particularly Berserk fist, if you find the pickup in the stage, which lets you punch absurdly powerfully - although being close-range to most enemies is asking for death, making it risky.
• Pistol for sniping weak enemies at a distance or as a fallback weapon when you lack any other.
• Shotgun as a great close-range weapon, provided you can line up your shots so you're not ammo because an enemy moved while you're reloading.
• Chaingun for groups of enemies, or strong enemies that are prone to entering their "pain" state (preventing them from attacking).
• Rocket launcher for groups of enemies at a distance, or particularly strong enemies (although the Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind are immune to splash damage, so it works less on them).
• Plasma gun for the same uses the Chaingun has, only stronger (balanced by the fact it's projectile-based instead of hitscan, so you can miss more easily, and by the fact plasma ammo's much less common).
• BFG9000 for really strong enemies, or those times that you really just can't be assed to fight groups of enemies with anything weaker (balanced by having the weirdest mechanics for a gun I've ever seen - the ball doesn't do nearly as much damage as these hitscan rays that shoot from the player, parallel to the direction the ball was fired in, at the time the ball hits something).
• Super shotgun for throwing off the balance entirely by practically giving you the power of a rocket launcher without the blast radius, only it uses shotgun shells which are insanely common. Reload time is really slow, and the spread is insane, but the amount of damage you do with each shot at close range more than offsets that.

To play well, you have to use the gun that works the best for a given situation; you can get by by just shooting everyone with the SSG, but you'll do better if you mix it up with the chaingun, rocket launcher and two plasma weapons as the situation demands.

I haven't played Doom (don't hurt me) but the footage I've seen makes it seem as though it's a more intense version of R&C shooting, yeah. The big difference being that one is an FPS where you aim with the crosshair, whereas the other is still controlled like a platformer but with strafe and auto lock on (for some weapons not all). I guess you could say it's more like the old-school shooter some crave than modern shooters, haha. Obviously though the other differences mean that the two feel different.

 

[Sciz]

I haven't played Doom

Here's some advice:


PLAY DOOM.

 

[tiggerkiddo]

I'm struggling to keep playing Nexus, that framerate is killing it for me and it seems to lack the charm of previous entries. Q4B was miles shorter but that was really well done. And it felt more like a R&C title...=(

 

[Shadow Hog]

That top ten not-Square RPG thread Schala brought to my attention via Twitter actually has me wondering what mine would be. Here's what I'm thinking:

For sure:

• Panzer Dragoon Saga: I learned of this one back in high school, when I was starting to revisit my neglected Saturn console. I'd obtained PD Zwei alongside a copy of Clockwork Knight 2 I had sought out (one of the first Saturn games I'd bought since receiving it as a birthday present back in the late '90s), and while I wasn't a huge fan of the shmup style (it's really damn hard, and death means you have to do the stage all over again), the world was quite impressive - so an RPG felt like the perfect way to expand upon that. It took me until the middle of my college years, in 2008, to finally obtain a copy (for $160 or so - the most I'd spent on a game, until I went to buy Earthbound just before the VC announcement).
  
  The game, while extremely short (I beat it in 12 hours or so), definitely felt like it lived up to the hype. I really liked how the combat system felt more like an action game than it did a standard RPG's; it expands on Final Fantasy's ATB system, in that, while you only have to worry about the HP and BP of your dragon instead of 3-5 party members, you get three bars and can choose to delay your attacks until more than one's full, thereby letting you chain 2-3 moves together in quick succession (some moves requiring more than one bar to begin with anyway). Normal attacks are divided between a medium-strength attack that focuses on a single target (Edge's gun), or an attack that does really strong damage against one target, but really weak against multiple targets, and opts for multiple targets if at all possible (the dragon's homing lasers), adding a little depth to the base combat. Adding more depth to the combat is how you have to position yourself in one of four quadrants around the enemy party, either to dodge extremely damaging attacks, or to attack weak spots (which can very likely be in the same quadrant those damaging attacks are present); however, changing quadrants takes (a very brief amount of) time, and your bars don't build up during that interval (while your enemies' do), so changing quadrants like you're Little Mac dodging Mike Tyson's fists is disadvantageous. All-in-all, great stuff.
  
  That said, the really short length is a flaw, there aren't many places to explore on-foot, and some places close off permanently due to plot events, making the end-game part feel a little dead. I'd still recommend a run through. If only it were cheaper...
  
• Skies of Arcadia: I actually wanted PDSaga much earlier on, but since this was before I had a debit or credit card, I had to bid through my mother, and she refused to abet me with that one. So, with a ton of money and nothing to spend it on, but still in the mood for a good RPG, I went for the Gamecube version of Skies. Don't regret that in the slightest (not least of which is because the port's price has skyrocketed since); I thought this was a great, upbeat, meaty RPG to sink my teeth into, as well as a relatively laidback experience (since there's no active-time battle system, I can still play it even if I was feeling sleepy; just put in the commands, not too much need to pay attention while they're being executed). Really loved the soundtrack and setting. I know there are rumors that Sega wants to port this to digital download services; I rather hope they do, because it's worth giving some more limelight to.
  
  I do recall it being prettier than it actually is, though. Ah, well.
  
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga: Well, a Mario RPG had to make it on the list, because they're all so good. However, I think I'll give this one the nod over the Paper Mario games (which, while also very good, weren't as good in my opinion as the first M&L game was). I love the zaniness of it all, and they come up with a lot of really inventive ways to play up the partnership of the two brothers. Also, it features Luigi really prominently, which I like since Luigi's been my favorite character since SMB2. Haven't played most of the series, however; only really Superstar Saga. To my understanding, that's okay, since (aside from maybe Bowser's Inside Story), they're all inferior in one way or another.

Haven't finished yet, but look likely to go on the list:

• Earthbound: I really like how quirky the whole thing is. An RPG basically about being a kid growing up in America, albeit looked at through a distinctly Japanese lens. And with psychic powers and aliens. Also, it's damn hard at points, but never unfair (you never lose EXP, and only lose what money you're carrying on you, so just never carry money on you :V). I've only got five of the eight melodies, but I've definitely been enjoying my time with it.
• Xenoblade: I'm probably gonna forever associate this game with moving out of my parents' place, because it's basically all I would do while waiting for Verizon to set up Internet at my condo. Either way, it has another really unique combat system that I wound up getting enamored by. I know a few friends who say they couldn't get into it because your characters attack automatically, but I've found the best way to play it - for me, anyway - is to just take those for granted and instead start belting out Arts like a madman. Line up your characters as needed for the desired effect, and then let loose. Chain together multiple effects to get certain desirable statuses on enemies - like, Shulk can inflict Break, which Reyn can use to induce Topple, which Shulk can use to inflict Daze, which Sharla can use to do an instant kill (I almost never get this to happen but it's possible).
  
  In addition, I really like how I can choose most of my battles - battles are done seamlessly in the world proper, no cutting to an external "battle arena" like most RPGs, so the enemies I see in the game world are the same ones I'll be up against, meaning I can plan my approach to any given area accordingly - try to not aggro a really strong enemy that'd attack on sight or sound, while I'll decide to initiate the battle against an enemy roughly my level that would be unavoidable - at least by initiating it on my end instead of letting them do it, I can try for the "heat" bonus.
  
  Love the setting, too. Living on a giant's body, fighting against those who live on another giant's body? I'm sure it's been done, but it's not done that often.
• Shining the Holy Ark: Okay, this one's probably the most generic of this set, but hell, I'm a fan. There's something I find oddly appealing about the first-person dungeon crawling. The addition of an automap puts this one up over Shining in the Darkness, as well, and the fact it's using proper 3D graphics (or at least what passes for them on the Saturn) means they can get a lot more creative with the dungeon designs; less flat and boxy, notably. It's not the most remarkable RPG in existence, but one I feel very comfortable playing in.
  
  I actually got this (missing box, but with manual) alongside Guardian Heroes (with box, but missing manual) for $60, back in 2006 or so. My main goal was to get Guardian Heroes, in actuality, but I think I wound up liking this game more of the two.

This really shouldn't count, but it might:

• Deus Ex: Well, it's kind of an RPG, I guess. Admittedly it's more of an FPS, except the shooting mechanics are affected by how much you've levelled up in various stats; most pertaining to how proficient you are in certain guns (which affect your aim, how much wobble you get in sniper rifles, etc), but some pertaining to other skills like hacking into computers or breaking locks. Something I really like about it is how the plot accounts for player agency; you can do some tasks in multitudes of different ways, and the game somehow manages to fit all of them into the plot correctly. You can go around killing nobody, and the game will acknowledge it. You can go around killing everybody, and the game will acknowledge it. You can completely ignore a character who's supposed to be an informant, and the game will acknowledge you having never met the character if you stumble on him later on. You can kill off an ally, one that'd turn into a boss battle later on, much earlier than that would happen, and the game both acknowledges that you did so, and removes the boss battle when it'd have normally happened.
  
  So it's not very RPG-y, but it does some really cool things that typically only happen in RPGs like that, and it's one of the reasons Deus Ex is one of my favorite games.

Games I wish I'd spent more time on, since they look like they'd go here:

• Mother 3: I recall dropping this one because the rhythm-based "timed hit" mechanics weren't playing too well with the emulator/computer combination I was using (it was struggling to keep a steady 60FPS, which is kind of key when you want your button presses to register at the appropriate times). It's a shame, because the game's plot looks like it's one of the absolute best in the industry. I mean, that scene near the end of Chapter 1, with Flint at the impromptu campfire. That music, combined with the amazingly well-done sprite animations for him losing it... that captured the moment far better than most games - hell, most media period - handle learning something like that.
  
  Unfortunately, I dropped it not long after that; as I recall, I was Duster, running into a mansion filled with relatively-friendly ghosts. It's been so long now, I'm probably better off just restarting the game entirely.
  
  That said... the Japanese don't like this one, apparently? I'm kind of surprised. I mean, I know they consider the Famicom game to be the best of the series and the SFC game to be a great follow-up but not as well-loved, while in the West (due to the circumstances around their releases) the NES game is considered kind of antiquated in mechanics and the SNES game is the beloved classic, but even still, it's surprising to consider that there are those in the country the game was released who think Mother 3 is the weak link, while those in the countries Mother 3 wasn't released in think it's the greatest one. Weird.
• Planescape Torment: I keep hearing great things about this one. About how it's more forgiving that most WRPGs, on the grounds that you come back to life in the morgue every time you die instead of, well, dying (unless you're killed in such a way that your body isn't intact, like disintegration or something), and how it has some of the best writing in the entire genre. I've played a bit of it, and from what little I played, it was enjoyable, but the combat made little to no sense to me. Just getting by by talking, however (made easier by me putting most of my EXP into the stats that expand upon that aspect, like Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma), made it feel kind of like a rather esoteric adventure game, and a fairly enjoyable one. I haven't touched it in a while, but I'd like to see it through at some point; it looks like it'd be an interesting ride. Just kinda need to figure out how the hell the combat works, because I still don't quite get it.

Ones I can pick from to round this up to 10:

• Mega Man X: Command Mission: Somehow, they turned Mega Man X into an RPG, and it works. Didn't finish it, though, and I frequently forget that it existed, which doesn't speak hugely in its favor.
• Mega Man Battle Network 2: Pretty fun game, but I was starting to feel really worn out on it by the time I finished it. Didn't actually own the game; borrowed a friend's copy.
• Pokémon Yellow or Blue: These are the only games in that series that I've played. They were fun! But it's been so long since I've played them that my memories are fuzzy at best. Not sure I'd want to include it, as such.

If Square were actually allowed...:

• Chrono Trigger. Do... do I even need to justify this one? It's goddamn Chrono Trigger. Practically everyone knows why this one is so acclaimed. Epic time travel plot, memorable characters, multiple endings, a length that's neither so short as to feel like a waste nor so long as to outstay its welcome, basically codifying the New Game+ feature... it's basically the ideal RPG.
• Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars: I've found this isn't as popular as I thought it was in the years since joining GAF, but it still holds a special place in my heart for one simple reason. There was a lengthy period of my life for which I refused to give RPGs a go at all. Then I listened to some of this game's soundtrack, falling in love with some tracks like "Let's Do the Fluff-Fluff!". So, I basically said "well, I guess I can try this...". And thus, I did.
  
  And I really, really liked it.
  
  This game basically was my gateway drug into the entire RPG genre. So, for all its shortcomings, for all the things other RPGs (including the other Mario RPGs) have done so much better... this is always going to be a favorite of mine.
• Final Fantasy VII: ...is not even remotely the best RPG I've played. I think it's one of the most overrated games in existence. However, even in spite of that, I have a blast playing it. It keeps up a fairly good pace throughout, and has just the right balance of goofy shit and serious moments that it all evens out (as opposed to some later FF games that, to my understanding, take themselves far too seriously, or pull out the goofy moments at precisely the wrong times). So, yeah, I still really like this one.
• Final Fantasy (the first): It's mechanically basic and has almost no plot to speak of to keep you going, but for some reason I still enjoy playing around with it now and then. I like the idea of choosing a party of four classes that fits your playstyle best. I like that they have the Black Belt/Monk, a character who seems completely useless when you first choose him, but winds up doing more damage than the Fighter by the end-game.
  
  That said, I don't like the flat usage of spells (X number of times per the spell's level, instead of using a pool of MP), don't like not knowing the stat changes equipment gives me, don't like "Ineffective" attacks because another character killed the target beforehand, don't like forgetting where the heck I'm even supposed to be going... There was a lot of room for improvement. They definitely did improve on it over the years, though, and the game's still pretty fun in spite of these issues (ignoring that many were fixed in the Origins remake), so I can't be too down on it.
• Kingdom Hearts: ...is very love-it or hate-it. I didn't much care for it at first, but it wound up growing on me after a while (mostly after the Tarzan jungle), until I found myself oddly compelled to play the entire thing - something I was rather proud of, since that was when I started to notice I wasn't beating all the games I bought. That said, I know of people who wound up giving up after the point I wound up liking it (Mystic played up until the Little Mermaid segment, getting lost, and ultimately deciding he didn't care enough about any of the game to keep playing in spite of that), and I think the plot's completely incomprehensible beyond the first game (I don't think I ever really understood what Organization XIII was trying to do in KH2). I think the first game's better, too, since the combat's less "press Triangle to win", and the playfields are much less flat (outside of the Tarzan world and the jungle vine segments, I actually really like the platforming).
  
  If I had one regret, though, it's that I never really understood the magic system. Apparently it really breaks the game, but the spells I tried never felt strong enough to me for me to feel compelled to keep experimenting with it. As such, I beat both the two mainline games by just whacking shit with my keyblade instead. My loss, I suppose.

So, there. My entry into a (locked) list thread, but with the explanations that such list threads typically are utterly devoid of.

 

[qq more]

Here's some advice:


PLAY DOOM.

DOOM da best FPS

 

[Nocturnowl]

On the subject of Banjo. I also prefer the first. It's a lot more balanced in terms of its collection to exploration ratio. Tooie suffers from its levels literally being too big for no reason. Consolidating the notes into groups of 5, with one worth 20 per level, and having to only collect one glowbo per magician rather than a number of Mumbo tokens, means that you're actually collecting less stuff in Tooie in worlds that are at least 3 times as big as the ones in Kazooie. It's padded with a lot of small tasks to do just to get from point A to point B.

Even with all that, most of the jiggies aren't arbitrarily placed behind some of the worst minigames in platformer history, so it's still automatically better than Donkey Kong 64.

A rare case of me going to bat for DK64 over Banjo for a minute regarding Tooie and minigames. Despite the abominable Beaver Bother minigame I'd say DK had the more inspired minigame selection since almost everything in Tooie runs off the same formula, that being colour coded objects of 1 point red, 2 points green and 3 points blue which is just so boring. Of course Tooie itself is still miles better than DK64 otherwise.

Anyway I agree with the rest about Tooie, it does make me wonder if initially it had more collectables in it to fill the large stages but the response to DK64 had them tone down the notes, except they then went way too far in the opposite direction. Tooie often requires you to do so much just for a single jiggy, things are never to the point and often require a lot of legwork, it's not necessarily an overly bad thing but it's a point that stuck with me over the years, never forget the Triceratops family jigsaw piece.

 

[Razzer]

Here's some advice:


PLAY DOOM.

I knew someone would say this

As soon as I can I will though.

 

[BlackJace]

I haven't played DOOM either.
Despite my love for the industry and everything, I haven't actually PLAYED all of the classics.

 

[TheOGB]

But you can play Doom on everything

I played it on a calculator

 

[AniHawk]

good insight, I might try the 1st then.

i haven't played the first one in a decade, but it's really kinda basic compared to what comes next. going commando is excellent, and i highly recommend it.

I haven't played a crack in time yet, but it's refreshing to see someone else who considers Going Commando better than Up your Arsenal. I've only ever seen the opposite opinion on GAF. The gadget (see: platforming) sections are better from what I remember, the upgrade system being just one straight transformation is better in my eyes than the levelling up stuff in UyA, and I find the pacing just better in general. Not to mention that GC introduced most of the best elements of the series on top of the first game's base gameplay. The arenas, crystal/gem hunting worlds, the aforementioned upgrade system... So many good ideas in this game. And the selection of weapons is great to. Most weapons after this game were essentially just versions of what was found here. Of course I'm rambling at this point as it is one of my favourite games of all time haha. Killer soundtrack too.

Edit: Oh yeah strafing was another great addition. God I love Going Commando.

the only thing uya added that really mattered was the dual analog controls. it was hard to go back to going commando after playing uya. i put 60 hours into going commando though, to the point where i did absolutely everything and i was kind of sick of it.

 

[BHZ Mayor]

A rare case of me going to bat for DK64 over Banjo for a minute regarding Tooie and minigames. Despite the abominable Beaver Bother minigame I'd say DK had the more inspired minigame selection since almost everything in Tooie runs off the same formula, that being colour coded objects of 1 point red, 2 points green and 3 points blue which is just so boring. Of course Tooie itself is still miles better than DK64 otherwise.

I'd much rather deal with Tooie's samey games than Beaver Bother, the minecart minigame, the fly swatting one, or the two nearly impossible slide races.

Anyway I agree with the rest about Tooie, it does make me wonder if initially it had more collectables in it to fill the large stages but the response to DK64 had them tone down the notes, except they then went way too far in the opposite direction. Tooie often requires you to do so much just for a single jiggy, things are never to the point and often require a lot of legwork, it's not necessarily an overly bad thing but it's a point that stuck with me over the years, never forget the Triceratops family jigsaw piece.

Or the cavemen that need to be warmed up, then have food brought from Witchyworld, or Canary Mary's races in Cloudcuckooland, or so many jiggies being locked behind moves you get way later than you encounter them, or just getting into Grunty Industries period.

 

[Sciz]

DOOM da best FPS

I go back and forth on whether or not it's the best or Quake 1 is. They're cut so closely from the same cloth that it's hard to decide.

I haven't played DOOM either.
Despite my love for the industry and everything, I haven't actually PLAYED all of the classics.

I knew someone would say this

As soon as I can I will though.

guys it's like five bucks on Steam

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Fuck Canary Mary

that is all

 

[Razzer]

I go back and forth on whether or not it's the best or Quake 1 is. They're cut so closely from the same cloth that it's hard to decide.





guys it's like five bucks on Steam

Is it the one that says Ultimate Doom? If so I'm gonna buy it.

 

[qq more]

Ultimate Doom is the definite version of Doom 1 because it includes the bonus episode, go for it!

I really recommend downloading a fan doom engine called Skulltag or something and place the Doom.WAD file (which contains everything about the game but its engine) in its directory.

I do not like the engine that the Steam version comes with... it lags whenever a SFX plays for some reason. wtf

 

[Shadow Hog]

I go back and forth on whether or not it's the best or Quake 1 is. They're cut so closely from the same cloth that it's hard to decide.

I think Doom's weapon selection and bestiary are the superior of the two. A lot more variety all around, there.

However, the fact that Quake has a proper 3D engine to make levels out of is a huge boon. The level design tends to feel more inventive, as such.

guys it's like five bucks on Steam

Or $15 for the whole trilogy. Trust me, you want both Doom (aka The Ultimate Doom, which is Doom with an extra fourth episode) and Doom 2; Doom's the better official campaign, and Doom 2's the one with all the mods. Final Doom's good too, particularly The Plutonia Experiment, but those two are the must-haves.

Alternatively, there's this free fanmade alternative. It doesn't beat the real thing, obviously, but for trying mods out until you can buy the IWADs off of Steam or elsewhere, it's good enough.

In the meantime, at least play the shareware version, since it's free. Episode 1's easily got some of the best levels out there, anyway.

Is it the one that says Ultimate Doom? If so I'm gonna buy it.

I'd recommend the package linked above more, just because you want both The Ultimate Doom and Doom 2 (again, reasons listed above).

I really recommend downloading a fan doom engine called Skulltag or something and place the Doom.WAD file (which contains everything about the game but its engine) in its directory.

I do not like the engine that the Steam version comes with... it lags whenever a SFX plays for some reason. wtf

Don't use Skulltag anymore, it's deprecated. The team that made it moved on to Zandronum, I believe.

And even then, I only recommend that for multiplayer; for single-player, ZDoom (or its OpenGL variant, GZDoom) are better options.

 

[Razzer]

I think Doom's weapon selection and bestiary are the superior of the two. A lot more variety all around, there.

However, the fact that Quake has a proper 3D engine to make levels out of is a huge boon. The level design tends to feel more inventive, as such.

Or $15 for the whole trilogy. Trust me, you want both Doom (aka The Ultimate Doom, which is Doom with an extra fourth episode) and Doom 2; Doom's the better official campaign, and Doom 2's the one with all the mods. Final Doom's good too, particularly The Plutonia Experiment, but those two are the must-haves.

Alternatively, there's this free fanmade alternative. It doesn't beat the real thing, obviously, but for trying mods out until you can buy the IWADs off of Steam or elsewhere, it's good enough.

In the meantime, at least play the shareware version, since it's free. Episode 1's easily got some of the best levels out there, anyway.

Just bought the trilogy. Good deal so why not. Installing now.

 

[Sciz]

I do not like the engine that the Steam version comes with... it lags whenever a SFX plays for some reason. wtf

DOSBox is great for the most part, but the default config they packaged it with isn't set up too well, and there's no reason not to use ZDOOM or Chocolate DOOM anyway.

I think Doom's weapon selection and bestiary are the superior of the two. A lot more variety all around, there.

However, the fact that Quake has a proper 3D engine to make levels out of is a huge boon. The level design tends to feel more inventive, as such.

That's basically my thoughts on the matter. As great as DOOM's mazes are, Quake has true architecture and took advantage of the vertical space in a way that most games still don't.


pre-edit: wait, did we just get someone to play a good game in this thread? That can't be right.

 

[BlackJace]

I bought DOOM just for you, Sciz.
Seriously though thanks for the heads up about the price. It's total impulse buy.

 

[qq more]

Have fun guys. It's absolutely my top favorite FPS game of all time. Half Life can't even touch it!

Spoiler

It's really damn close though.

 

[Sciz]

I bought DOOM just for you, Sciz.
Seriously though thanks for the heads up about the price. It's total impulse buy.

daaaaw

At least this improves my track record for "games I've convinced people on GAF to buy" up from Sonic '06 and M&S 2012.

 

[FYC]

Probably because DMC2 is ridiculously easy it's so easy to platinum. -_-

I wasn't tryin' to be mean or nothin'! Just thought it was kinda funny

Have fun guys. It's absolutely my top favorite FPS game of all time. Half Life can't even touch it!

Spoiler

It's really damn close though.

I have to go with Quake 3 myself. If I had to pick one multiplayer game for the rest of my life, that'd be the one. DOOM and DOOM II are certainly up there though. I'm hoping Quake Live switching to download(meaning a good chance it'll end up on Steam) helps revive the playerbase a bit.

 

[Razzer]

Played the first 3 levels. Very fun, was strafing in and out a lot, they did a lot of damage but so did I so it seemed to be a matter of outskilling the AI to always get in the first shot, and make it count. The aiming is very generous though. Got 0 secrets so far haha. As usual I'm just gonna blitz through the game first then go for secrets and item percentages on my second run.

 

[Tizoc]

I WAS JUST GOING TO SLEEP THEN SUDDENLY CRASH!

So here's my pitch for a new Crash Bandicoot game-
Yo just do a PSVita+PS3/4 Crash Bandicoot game ala Crash 2 and 3, stages would resemble similar structure to Super Mario 3D World, being 3-5 minutes to complete each stage, Main 25 stages+crystals, hidden warp room for the Colored Gems, Time trials and all that good ish.

Spoiler

THIS IS THE VITA GAME I'VE BEEN WANTING FOR SO LONG!

In fact just do a remake of Crash 1 with stage structure similar to how Super Mario 3D Land did it, put it on the Vita give Crash some short but satisfying victory animations of the sort and you're golden.

 

[TheOGB]

Heh, yeah, 25 stages...

Spoiler

then a busted down warp room leading to an open world and more levels

 

[Spinluck]

That's silly. Can you call Sony and say that you're a primary owner of your PS4 and maybe they can probably change what your account is like?

Added you, btw.
PSN/SEN: Dark_Schala

NNID: SchalaAsha

Add away if any of you'd like.

No you cannot :-(

They told me to make a new account in the meantime LOL. I invested way too much into this account to do that now.

 

[Seven Force]

Though I only have two games for it, (both of which are ports of PS3 titles I already own) and a bunch of PS1 titles I've already played the hell out of, I've actually been having fun with my Vita. Glad I made that purchase after all.

Didn't know Dragon's Crown was on Vita, either! Is there a physical version, or is it digital only? If it's the former, I'll definitely have to snag it.

 

[Noi]

There's a physical version (I own it!). Has cross-play with the PS3 version now too.

 

[Seven Force]

There's a physical version (I own it!). Has cross-play with the PS3 version now too.

Well shit, I know what I'm buying next week.

Edit: Holy damn, forgot Jet Set Radio was on PSN, too. There goes my productivity down the drain.

 

[Secret Fawful]

I like both Tooie and DK64 more than Kazooie. For one, Tooie's levels are way more atmospheric and inventive than Kazooie's, and the bosses are amazing. Both DK64 and Tooie have amazing bosses and boss music. DK just has gorgeous music in general. The worlds might be huge, but I just enjoy exploring them.

Kazooie just seems so....empty. Both DK and Tooie have much more interesting NPCs and enemies. And that's a big part of enjoyment in games for me as well.

I love Conker too, although I don't like some of the gameplay design.

 

[Seven Force]

Add me to the list of people that prefer Kazooie to Tooie. I actually like Tooie a lot, but some of those worlds are just way too big and confusing for their own good, at least in my experience with the game. Terrydactyland, Grunty Industries (Still never completed this world and fought Weldar, actually) and Cloud Cuckooland in particular stand out as levels that are a pain in the ass to get your bearings in.

I prefer the tighter, more compact worlds present in the first game. Gruntilda's Lair being one of the best hub worlds in gaming certainly helps matters, too.

 

[Razzer]

I haven't played enough Banjo to truly comment, having not finished either and only gotten to something like the third world in Tooie, but I remember getting lost in Tooie (I was young) but not in Kazooie, if that means much.

 

[Lightning Lord]

Add me to the list of people that prefer Kazooie to Tooie. I actually like Tooie a lot, but some of those worlds are just way too big and confusing for their own good, at least in my experience with the game. Terrydactyland, Grunty Industries (Still never completed this world and fought Weldar, actually) and Cloud Cuckooland in particular stand out as levels that are a pain in the ass to get your bearings in.

I prefer the tighter, more compact worlds present in the first game. Gruntilda's Lair being one of the best hub worlds in gaming certainly helps matters, too.

Gruntilda's Lair > Isle O' Hags

dat theme

 

[Sciz]

Tooie's levels are so big they had to implement teleporters to save your progress and make backtracking the slightest bit tolerable. It does not have a particularly higher content density than its predecessor.

That game is boring on a fundamental level.

Played the first 3 levels. Very fun, was strafing in and out a lot, they did a lot of damage but so did I so it seemed to be a matter of outskilling the AI to always get in the first shot, and make it count. The aiming is very generous though. Got 0 secrets so far haha. As usual I'm just gonna blitz through the game first then go for secrets and item percentages on my second run.

Sounds right for a first run. id's designers were brilliant, devious bastards.

 

[AniHawk]

I have never played a Ratchet & Clank game before.

the first is really the last of its kind. it's not a straight up collectathon, but it has those elements (from what i recall). it felt more 'spyro with guns' in a way. unlike jak ii, while it had darker moments, it was generally lighthearted and had fun with itself. there was a purpose to collecting pretty much everything, and it's something that carried over into the rest of the series. some of the platforming/puzzle sequences are kinda wonky, but if you played through any version of sonic lost world, then rest assured that this is 100% better.

going commando is what made the series what it is today. it not only refined a lot of elements- better platforming through an increased moveset, more variety among levels, more creative weapons, but it also introduced a leveling system that was later adapted by first-person shooters this generation. it might not seem cool now, but in 2003 watching your gun level up into superkill gun was enormously gratifying. and the more you killed things, the more your base hp went up as well. i was blown away by it when it came out. i still consider it one of the ps2's very best.

up your arsenal is where the fandom generally goes when it considers the best of the series. it introduces dual analog controls (the first two games play like super mario sunshine with a similar camera), and implements a new, longer leveling system. it also introduced online multiplayer- something i indulged in quite a bit back then. unfortunately a lot of levels are broken down to an insane degree. about 30% of the game is just selecting a level where you have to protect a thing from being attacked, or survive waves of enemies. yeah... the pacing isn't the best.

tools of destruction is the first ps3 game and it feels like it. insomniac actually put in way more motion controls than they needed to, a move i feel was mandated by the higher ups at sony. the level design isn't anything special and it's pretty boring overall.

and then there's a crack in time, a game that feels like the first honest sequel to going commando (there had been a psn release, 'quest for booty,' and a multiplayer-centric 'deadlocked' in between). wonderful platforming segments, a fun saturday morning cartoon story (featuring charles martinet!), and tons of little extras and secrets. it's a standout in the ps3's library for sure. i highly recommend it (and going commando).

 

[BHZ Mayor]

Ratchet summary

This is pretty much spot on. I'd just like to add a few things. Much like how Jak X is The Racing Portions of Jak 3: The Game, Deadlocked is basically the objective based levels (the 30% of Up Your Arsenal Anihawk talked about) made into an entire game, and Clank isn't on Ratchet's back this time, so his moveset is a little gimped. It's also a bit darker in tone, but not to the extent of the Jak games. It kinda feels like this game was made to ride the Halo/Xbox Live wave.

As far as Tools of Destruction, fortunately the motion controls can be turned off, although doing so gimps a particular weapon (I don't remember if you can turn off the motion for separate aspects. I think you can but correct me if I'm wrong.). I liked it better than Anihawk seems to, but it's basically just the basic gameplay from 2 and 3 in HD.

Quest For Booty isn't anything special. It's basically a playable "here's the story so far" with the new thing being wrench puzzles. I enjoyed for what it was, but it's perfectly skippable.

A Crack in Time shakes the formula up bit. The main levels are spread out through open-worldish hubs which include a lot of "mini" levels to explore. I felt the weapons were a bit disappointing, but the overall game is still the best in the series. There's a bigger focus on Clank this time around, and it shows. His levels are amazing, especially the bonus ones.

 

[PhantomOfTheKnight]

Im-Penders-ing doom begins on Black Friday...

 

[Regiruler]

Why is there a Windy Hill remix in Mario and Sonic Sochi Olympics, and why is it better than any version of the song in Lost World?

EDIT: Oh, boy.

I don't really like this version IMO.

Had a version of starlight road that I liked but I couldn't find a HQ version of it.