Saturday, April 30, 2011

Pennypincher's Corner III: Tyrian 2000

Platform: PC
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Eclipse Productions
Publisher: Eclipse Productions
Release: 30 November 1999

Tyrian may be one of the greatest vertical-scrolling shoot-em-ups ever made. It is fun, challenging, and never takes itself too seriously (one of the unlockable ships is a carrot, for instance). It's far more forgiving than most games in the genre, but makes up for the slightly lessened challenge with depth. Similarly to Raptor: Call of the Shadows, you can purchase new weapons and upgrades between levels, customizing your ship to suit your play-style. And you will need to upgrade if you want to survive the later levels.
Tyrian 2000 has a decent length, consisting of five "episodes" that comprise the plot. Each episode contains several levels, some of which have branching paths. While the game may only take a few hours to complete, the sheer variety of weapons to use gives it high replay value for those who want to try out different strategies.
For a game originally made for DOS, the visuals are beautiful, and everything shows a remarkable attention to detail. There is little in Tyrian about which I can complain, and it stands as one of my favorite "shmup" games.
The version you can download from Good Old Games is already set up to play (with the DOSBox emulator included). At a grand price of $0, you can't refuse Tyrian. Give it a shot.

--Kotaro

Friday, April 29, 2011

.hack//G.U. vol.1: Rebirth

Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai
Release: 24 October 2006
Rating: Teen
Price: $20

While the first .hack series was decidedly mediocre, the G.U. follow-up trilogy is an excellent series of action RPGs. The premise of a game-within-a-game as a setting is brilliant. .hack takes place within an MMORPG called "The World." G.U. picks up several years after the origial series, in the sequel: "The World:R2." The aesthetic is steampunk this time rather than high fantasy, and it works very well. The cast is mostly new, but has many old characters returning--with new avatars in the game.
The plot is excellent, though following it in its entirety requires playing all three G.U. games and watching the tie-in anime ".hack//Roots," which functions as a prologue for the games (you can understand the games' plot without watching the anime, but it does answer a few questions).
As for how G.U. plays, it functions somewhat like a standard RPG, with towns and party members, and all the trappings. Combat, however, is in real-time, and is quite fun. There isn't very much variety in the dungeons, and the whole series reeks of repetitiveness, but the gameplay is still fun, and the plot is gripping enough to keep you playing.
While the first of the three, Rebirth, is very much flawed (swapping weapons mid-combat feels sticky, for example), the sequels improve on it. I would say that the third volume, Redemption, is the best gameplay-wise, but the story there isn't quite as good as it is in the first two (with a few plot twists coming completely out of nowhere). Averaging them all together, though, the G.U. trilogy is a landmark example of a fun, engaging action RPG.
Start off with the first volume, which GameStop offers used for $20.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Top Ten Weird Japanese Games

10. .hack//INFECTION
It's a game that takes place inside an online game. Hard to pull off, but the .hack series manages to do it well. We will never see anything else like it.

09. Kingdom Hearts
Disney + Final Fantasy = Crazy Awesome. Seeing Cloud Strife fighting alongside Mickey Mouse is just damned cool. Weird, but cool.

08. The World Ends with You
I think the gameplay alone is enough to warrant a spot on this list. You use pins (the kind you wear) to unleash psychic attacks on graffiti-looking enemies. And you control two characters at once, one on each screen of the DS. It's unique, and one of the best things Square Enix has ever made.

07. Ico
An escort mission that makes up an entire game sounds like a bad idea, but Ico makes it work. I can't say much about it, because the game is rather minimalist. But look up some footage on YouTube, or play it if you can find a copy. It's worth experiencing.

06. Katamari Damacy
I don't think anything needs to be said about why this is here.

05. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
CSI meets Judge Judy with a wacky cast and the most insane, mind-bending cases ever. More like an interactive movie than a game, but still very fun and worth a try.

04. Bayonetta
A game about a witch who straps guns to her feet and summons demons using her hair. Sure, why not?

03. No More Heroes
Simultaneously a celebration and parody of American geek culture, with no Fourth Wall, and some of the most insane boss fights ever. This game came from the mind of Goichi Suda, so there's no doubt about its strangeness.

02. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Think Final Fantasy Tactics, but even more so. The level cap is 9999. You can make your own overpowered gear. You can abuse any of the game's systems (and are even encouraged to do so). And did I mention the offbeat humor?

01. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
A group of high school students solve a murder mystery by visiting a world inside television. Yes, it's like that.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Mass Effect

Platform: Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Shooter/RPG
Developer: Bioware/Demiurge Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios/Electronic Arts
Release: 20 November 2007
Rating: Mature
Price: $15-19

It is hard to think of a game developed by Bioware that has not been excellent. While very different from their other fare, Mass Effect contains the same brilliant dialogue and world-building that all their games do. A hybrid third-person-shooter/RPG, Mass Effect shakes up even that formula, by emphasizing the RPG over the shooter aspects. Most are shooters with occasional RPG elements, but Mass Effect is more like an RPG that happens to have shooter combat.
The only complaint I have against this game is the awkwardness of inventory management. Swapping out weapons, armors, and upgrades can be rather annoying once you've built up a large stock, and the shopping system only services to make obtaining the items you want more aggravating.
Almost everything else about Mass Effect is excellent, however. A gripping plot, likable characters, an enormous and atmospheric galaxy to explore, and a well-made dialogue and choice system all make it a worthwhile game.
Mass Effect 2 is far more streamlined than this one, but one should definitely play the first game first, because every choice made here does affect the plot of the next game, giving an entirely different (and much greater) experience.
The original Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect costs $19, and the improved PC port costs only $15.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Gamers Without Borders: Episode Seven

Yes, I was on it again. This time, we discuss the rumored Wii-successor "Project Cafe," the Portal 2 ARG, and the recent Garry's Mod counter-piracy measures!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger

Genre: Platformer
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release: 10 September 2002
Rating: Everyone
Price: $3-5

Usually when I go back and play a game from my childhood, I turn it off in just a few minutes and say "I used to like this?" That's never really happened with Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. I have always been fond of a good 3D platformer, and Ty delivers. It's flawed, yes, but still a good time. The plot is cliche, and the characters shallow, but the setting is really nice; it actually feels like Australia, despite being highly fictionalized. Your main weapon is even a pair of boomerangs.
There's a rather cheesy humor throughout, which, while juvenile, manages to keep the game lighthearted and amusing. And sometimes all you want is a lighthearted romp in between other, darker games.
The gameplay is not without its flaws. Some of the puzzles leave you wondering how exactly a kid was supposed to figure them out, while others are no challenge at all. Combat can be frustrating, since a missed throw leaves you without your boomerang until it comes back (you can still bite, but it's somewhat unreliable). And there is a certain enemy which can only be hurt by a certain kind of boomerang, but is thrown at you right up until the end of the game, long after you have obtained more powerful boomerangs, leaving you mashing the button to change 'rangs until you get the one you need.
Despite its flaws, though, Ty is a decent game that speaks to the child in all of us. Besides, it will only cost you $3 on the GameCube or PlayStation2, and $5 on the Xbox.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro

Friday, April 8, 2011

Final Fantasy: 20th Anniversary Edition

Final Fantasy: 20th Anniversary Edition
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Genre: RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: 26 June 2007
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $10

Final Fantasy is undoubtedly the most classic of all classic console RPGs. Along with Dragon Warrior, it practically defined the genre for the next three decades. Surprisingly, it still holds up pretty well today, which is probably why it's been remade so many times. But the PSP version--releaed to commemorate the games' 20th anniversary--is by far the most definitive. Visuals that are more impressive than in any previous version of the game, some new animated cutscenes, a remixed soundtrack, and five bonus dungeons, one of which is exclusive to the PSP.
One thing that bewilders me, though, was the decision to release the 20th Anniversary editions of Final Fantasy I and II as separate games, when they could easily have fit on one disc. I guess Square just likes to milk us for our money. Though both of them are now ten dollars each, so it's not really a big deal.
If you own a PSP, then go out and get Final Fantasy now. For those that have never played the game before--though most people probably have--you really should. And if you're in the other camp, those who remember the original NES version from their childhood, you should still pick this up. It's a great nostalgia piece, and seeing an old 8-bit game come to life with modern graphics... That never gets old.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro

Friday, April 1, 2011

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness

Platform: PayStation 3/Xbox 360/PC (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Genre: RPG
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Hothead Games
Release: 21 May 2008
Rating: Mature
Price: 2 parts for $8 each

Penny Arcade is the original--and best--gaming webcomic out there, and their video game, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, carries the same brand of black humor that makes the comic such a hit. While the gameplay is rather hit-or-miss (essentially Paper Mario as an Active Time Battle), the plot, characters, and humor are enough to make Rain-Slick worth playing.The game throws our heroes, Tycho and Gabe (and the player), into 1920's America, as supernatural detectives fighting against evil gods. It may sound dark, but Rain-Slick never takes itself seriously. What kind of humor can you expect? The final boss of the first episode is a giant wooden statue of a mime with an octopus head that attacks you by dancing. Yes, it's like that.
There is bad news about this game, and it is very bad. It was intended to be released episodically, in four parts, but only the first two were finished. While this leaves the series without a real conclusion, it still should not be missed.
On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness can be bought on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, or Steam, for $8 an episode. The Steam version also has both episodes as a $12 bundle.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro