Note: I previously published this on GamePro.com, so some of the content may involve that site, and some of the old links may not work anymore.
Welcome to issue number five of 2.5D. Those who have contributed, and I have spent quite a bit of time on this little blogzine you see before you, so I hope you enjoy it.
================================================
================================================
The Dreamcast
(by teh2Dgamer)
The Dreamcast was the breath of fresh air that gaming desperately needed while transitioning between two console generations. It showed us what next gen games could be, should be, and ultimately weren't. Launching near the end of the PS1, and N64's lifetimes, the DC was the perfect transition into the next gen.
Having the greatest launch in gaming history (some people claim the Xbox had the best, but they're wrong), the DC hit with a huge splash on 9/9/99 ( Sega's way of thumbing their noses at Sony who's PS1 had launched in America on that date in 1995) with 18 games available at launch, and many more released thereafter the DC was a force to be reckoned with. The north American launch alone earned Sega $98.4 million. They sold 500,000 systems in two weeks. The Dreamcast was hot, and it had the games to prove it.
Though it had plenty of the mainstream titles, and the best versions of the cross console games ( It wasn't exactly fair competition considering the age of the PS1, and N64), what really made the Dreamcast shine were it's quirky niche games. The DC's library is still completely unique, because of the number of games it has that either go off the beaten path, or that had an oldschool flair that only true hardcore gamers (and when I say hardcore I'm not using the crappy watered down term that is applied to today's gaming industry) could appreciate. Stuff that was so quirky, but that screamed innovation. The Dreamcast had a air about it at least in my mind where it seemed that Sega was open to just about anything on their console. Stuff like Seaman, Space Channel 5, Jet Grind Radio, Shenmue, Chu Chu Rocket, and just so many more. Sega was taking risks that today would amount to developer suicide. Plus, the DC was also a haven of oldschool niche titles like 2D fighters (may they rest in peace), Arcade ports ("Eck! they lack soo much depth" f*** off) and SHMUPS (shoot em' ups, or side scrolling shooters). The Dreamcast's library was a hardcore gaming dream come true. Mainstream casual gamers however weren't so impressed. I guess they were too damn "cool". Didn't want to tarnish their image by playing games that their friends would think are weird. That wouldn't be cool.
It's no wonder Sega had to pull the plug on the DC. The mindless mainstream drones were too cool to play weird games. I've heard some people say that the Dreamcast failed because Sega chose to push their quirky games over their mainstream titles (to the pre mentioned mindless drones), and perhaps that true, but there were other factors. First and foremost in my mind is that the industry had changed. The PS1 had brought gaming into the mainstream which was both good, and bad. Good because the industry had grown, and there was more possible revenue to be earned on gaming, but bad because many of the new gamers only gamed casually, and didn't really have a memory of gaming's past. Think of it like today's Halo generation who grew up playing Halo 2 online, and don't know their heads from their asses in videogames, buy into everything mainstream, and think that everything old sucks (With exceptions of course). The industry had changed on Sega. Arcades were dead or dying, and it was all about the mainstream. Quirky games just wouldn't sell, and many casual fans had gone what felt like an entire console generation without a Sega system due to the Saturn's failure, so while marketing might have been a factor, I'm not entirely convinced that choosing to market other games would have really had that much of an effect on the DC success or failure.
Another huge deciding factor was Sega's past. The 32X, Sega CD, and most notably the Saturn had left a bad taste in gamer's mouths. There was a certain uncertainty for some gamers. "Would they support the Dreamcast, or drop it the second the next big thing comes along?" was a big question that many gamers had. Whether this sentiment was spread by the gaming media, fanboys, or was just a case of everyone thinking the same thing I'll never know, but it did have an extremely damaging effect. Sega's past had come back to haunt them and would ultimately be their demise.
Some Sega fans I've seen have blamed Sony hyping the PS2 for the DC's demise, and to me that's a load of BS. While I'm sure the PS2 hype didn't help (especially with the mindless masses out there), it was really Sega's past that did the DC in. 32X, and Sega CD aside, Sega really pissed on American Saturn owners, and that's what ultimately did the DC in. If Sega had supported the Saturn on this side of the pacific as well as they did in Japan (the system was very popular in Japan, and sold pretty well), the DC would have had a bigger American fanbase with which to launch to. Instead the Saturn fumblings had left not only a stain on Sega's reputation, but doubt in the mind of gamers as well. So Sega fans who blame the PS2 need to smell what they've been shoveling. Sega's past mixed with the casual gaming crowd killed the DC. Sony was just competing.
In the end, I feel that despite everything that went wrong with the system, the Dreamcast still had a positive effect on all those who struck out and bought one. It showed us that wonderful things can happen when you go against the grain, and smash convention. Sega has always had the most testicular fortitude when it comes to taking risks on game design. The Dreamcast is a testament to that, and those of us who dared to dream with the Dreamcast will always be thankful to Sega for it.
================================================
================================================
The Blogzine Challenge
One of my reasons for creating 2.5D was to try and get other gamers interested in not only gaming's past present, and future, but to also get them writing about games. It's my own way of getting people involved on the site, and in videogames in general, and as proof by the many contributions I've had from my fellow GP users, I've been relatively successful. I've also been trying to get others to improve their own blogs in the process. Not that I'm trying to tell other people what to do with their own personal blogs (It's your space to put whatever you please in it), but I'd like to make a point that 2.5D doesn't have to be the only blogzine on Gamepro.com.
Though I'm the first person here to create a blogzine, I don't have to be the last. What I'm trying to say is that I'd like to encourage others to strike out on their own, and create their own blogzines on the site, and in turn, turn Gamepro.com into a mecca of sorts where gamers who are passionate enough to write about gaming can come and use their own creativity to make other finely crafted blog fanzines of their own. It doesn't have to be anything as large as 2.5D has become either. You can keep it a relatively simple affair. Something like a few personal gaming stories and a review, or just reviews, or anything else of your choosing. There is a world of options out there. Make it personal, make it your own. You won't be crafting a professional piece, so feel free to add personality to your pieces. Tell your own stories, from your viewpoint, and don't be afraid to say the word I. Remember, it's your own personal zine, and it's up to you what it has. If you're also a big anime fan, review your favorite anime shows along with your favorite games. The sky's the limit.
Also, as you can see from 2.5D, contributers are a godsend. They help you get your issue done faster, and give other viewpoints on various subjects. I'd be perfectly happy contributing articles to another blogzine on the site. I don't have to be exclusive to 2.5D. I'm trying to create a gamepro writers guild of sorts where everyone contributes to each other's work. I know that some of you may be interested in writing about games for a living in the future, and creating your own fanzine is a great way to practice and hone your writing skills. Writing is like anything els, the more you practice, the more you do it, the better you become. It also gets you familiar with working with others to get an issue out, and, if you're strict enough, writing under deadlines (I'm however not that strict as many of you may know).
I'm not going to lie to you, making a blogzine will be hard work, and time consuming, but how many easy things are worth doing? You're going to need a whole lot of patience, and a whole lot of passion. It won't be easy, and can often times be frustrating, but it's worth it. There's nothing like seeing your own creation come to life, and getting positive feedback from others who appreciate the time you've put into it.
My challenge to you guys it to create your own blogzines on Gamepro. Some of you may not have blogging abilities yet, but you can contribute to blogzines for the time being. So get writing, get blogging, and most importantly, have fun. It's a labor of love, but it's well worth it.
Here are two examples I cooked up (one of them for one of my old blogs, and the other for this story):
================================================
================================================
My top 10 Ugliest Game Characters
Mitsuko- This Bloody Roar character stands as one of the ugliest fighting game characters ever. She has all the looks of a female Russian bodybuilder, and worse yet, she morphs into a giant boar in her beast form. You almost want to believe that she's a man until you win a fight with here, and she says "Mother knows best." That guy must have been really drunk, or held against his will. Also another shocker for those who may have played the original BR, Fox is a dude. That's right. Shocking isn't it? So they've got a girl that looks like a dude, and a guy who looks like a girl in that game. I don't get it either.
Blanka- If the Incredible Hulk, and Wolfman had a bastard son, you'd get well...Blanka. An ugly green monster who looks like he goes and gets his chest hair done at the same place as Zangief.
Kefka- Kefka might be one very evil SOB, but he's also one ugly one at that. One look at him, and you'll be glad that the Snes wasn't capable of more lifelike graphics. He looks like a geisha girl on crack, and a damn ugly one at that. Plus he's really evil, so he doesn't even have personality working for him. Why don't you give him a chance ladies, if all else fails, you can always keep him as a friend to borrow his makeup, or his flamboyant wardrobe.
Abe- Abe might be a lovable leading character, but he's not exactly a pretty one at that. With his green complexion, starving Ethiopian body-type, and that wierd pinky toe/finger thing, abe's not exactly the epitomy of eye candy. Plus his head shape, and face kinda remind me of Sloth from the Goonies (but I'm wierd, so it could be just me). "Hey you guys."
Great Mighty Poo- It's a giant level boss that's completely made out of poo. As funny as it is to see a giant singing piece of poo, you've gotta admit that it's pretty foul. Especially when he pulls off pieces of himself to throw at you. "I am the great mighty poo" "And I'm going to throw my sh*t at you"
Raziel- It's a good thing that Raziel now feeds on souls, because he wouldn't be a very effective vampire without his bottom jaw. No wonder he's so pissed off at Kain for making him all shades of ugly. In the very least, he has the decency to cover it up. I guess he didn't like people staring, and laughing (behind his back of course).
Baraka- See why good dental hygiene is important kids? In Baraka's old pics he doesn't look that ugly, but his modern makeover makes him look like a fubar elf of some sort. This is a face for radio people.
Strogg Iron Maiden- Ok, the Strogg are a Borg-like group of baddies that grace the Quake series (well the Quake series from Quake 2 on that is), and the iron maiden in my opinion is the ugliest of the bunch. The Strogg, like the Borg, are a mix of flesh and mechanics that makes for some really ugly combinations as you can guess. You don't want to ask this girl to the prom any time soon boys.
Nemesis- With a face that not even a mother could love, and a creepy stalker personality, it's no wonder why Nemesis is considered one of the ugliest things to ever grace gaming. He's not just ugly, but clingy. He's got a nice big smile though, so that's one thing he's got going for him I guess.
Seaman- Seaman is by far the ugliest thing I have ever seen. The images of this hideous thing have been burned into my head forever. I mean, look at him. A human head on a fish body. He's just quite frankly, the ugliest thing in a video game that I have ever seen. I mean you just don't even want to look at him when you carry a conversation with him because of just how hideous he is. I tell him how ugly he is all the time, but he seems a little defensive about it, and makes a snide comeback remark. I don't know why he's so sensitive about his ugliness. Even he should know how damn ugly he is. In the words of the comicbook guy on the Simpsons "Ugliest Character Ever!"
================================================
================================================
Reviews
TMNT Turtles In Time
(System: Snes | Developed by: Konami| Published by: Konami| Review by: alexdudecrazy108 )
In Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles for the Super Nintendo you start out the game by picking 1 out of the 4 Ninja Turtles. From there on it is a side scroller action game which lets you face off against some of the enemies from the cartoon series.
You start out facing The Foot the army led by the evil-master mind Splinter. From there on you are on a mission to track Splinter down and destroy his big robotic plan. Other than that there is really no story except for a couple quick videos here and there. The graphics for this game are pretty good. Sometimes there will be a lot of action in on the screen. For variety of characters there are only a couple kind of Foot Soldiers minus the bosses you will sometimes encounter. Also the environments are pretty cool also. In instence you might once be in a secret lab, on top of a building in New York, back in the prehistoric time with some dinosaurs.
The controls are very well done in this game. With easy to use and pick up controls it really helps the game. Also the sound and music in this is great. The soundtrack is nice and keeps up with the action.
BOTTOM LINE: This is a good side-scroller for the SNES. It may not be the best but it is a great action game.
================================================
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
(System: Xbox360 | Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal | Published by: Ubisoft | Review by: captaininsano15)
This game is such a great game. Before i start talking about the good, let's get the bad out of the way. First of all, graphics are not the best. They should have spent more time on them. Second, in the beginning of some multiplayer matches(very few), there are graphics and texture popping. Third, they completely screwed up team sharpshooter. This is by far the biggest one to me being as it was my favorite multiplayer game. Now, to the good. The A.C.E.S system is fantastic. It really works with how you play the game, the only complaint is making it at least 30 levels and putting more unlockables with it. Some people within the games first week out are already got it all to level 20. A.C.E.S is divided into 3 different classes: CQB, Assault, and Marksman. CQB and Marksman are easiest to complete, but Assault takes some time. Each class has certain ways to kill others to get points. A short range kill results in a CQB kill and gives you 5 XP for that attribute. Ways to get the other two are headshots and grenade kills. The co-op is also fantastic. Now you can play the story with the full story line and everything, and the terrorist hunt is always a great way to get better and boost your rank. As bad as the graphics are, the detail in the camouflage and the way they move is very good and realistic, but the faces and things like that are bad. explosions aren't very impressive either. My new favorite mode is now Total Conquest which is pretty much like a better version of Domination from CoD4, and Team Leader is also very fun. It's pretty much like a better version of VIP. Despite the minor flaws of the game, it is still worthy of a purchase, and has taken the place of CoD4 for me.
PROS: Great gameplay, Co-op is fun, Multiplayer is very intense, A.C.E.S system is fantastic, single player stats carry over to multiplayer
CONS: Graphics aren't great, minor graphics popping, a little too much tinkering to the mulitplayer modes
4.75
================================================
Contra 3 The Alien Wars
(System: Snes | Developed by: Konami | Published by: Konami | Review by: FETALJUICE (for use only in teh2Dgamer's 2.5D blogzine))
Easily the best Contra in the entire series, this game is filled with loads of in-your-face non-stop action. You control Bill Rizer, our main hero of almost all of the Contra games. Your mission is to wipe out an alien invasion. Simple huh? Gameplay remains the same from other Contras: get hit with one bullet and you die. This game requires patience and skill to survive its unrelenting difficulty ever seen. There are 6 levels (They are pretty long). At the end of each level, you fight against a boss. 4 levels are side-scrolling and the other 2 levels are bird's eye view.
The Power-ups in this game are plentiful with such things like the infamous Spread Shot to the ridiculously powerful C Missile. You can store up to 2 powerups and can hold a backup weapon in case you get killed. You can use both weapons by holding the L and R buttons and start shooting. The only con about this is that if you get killed while duel-wielding, you lose both powerups.
If the game's initial Normal difficulty is too hard for you, you can choose from the game's options to tone it down on easy and you can choose the amount of lives to start out with. But you can't complete the entire game on Easy so it kinda forces you to play on either Normal or Hard to play stages 5 and 6.
You start out with the machine gun and 1 grenade. Grenades can kill anything on-screen when its used. There is a lot of carnage and there is significant slowdown when a grenade is detonated. The graphics are pretty good for its time. Some enemies can be annoying and frustratingly hard to kill.
If you own a SNES, you must play this game. This game is also available for download on the Nintendo Wii's Wii Shop Channel for 800 points. It is a game that everybody loves (except for the casuals because its too hard for them) Hardcore players take note! This game is for you.
My Score: 9.2/10
================================================
Sunset Riders
(System: Snes | Developed by: Konami| Published by: Konami| Review by: teh2Dgamer)
It's time to saddle up, and head into the wild west. There's baddies to dispatch, and bounties to be collected. Sunset Riders is based off of Koniami's arcade cabinet of the same name, and plays like a wild west version of Contra. You get your choice between four bounty hunters (Steve and Billy have the old reel gun revolvers, while Bob and Cormano go to town with their trusty shotguns) with which to tackle the game's eight levels, and claim the bounty of the game's eight bosses.
The game plays similar to Contra. You move from one side of the screen to the next dispatching enemies, and getting gun upgrades (one that give you double guns, the other that gives you rapid fire) in Contra eight way aiming fashion. The controls are smooth, and the levels usually offer two tiers with which to fight baddies on Shinobi style. In the similar Contra fashion there are one hit kills (on the regular enemies), and one hit deaths, and the bosses, who take quite a few shots to take down, are no pushovers. The game also contains stages similar to the vehicle stages in the Contra games where you'll hop on your trusty steed, and dispatch baddies on horseback while dodging their fire, and other obstacles they throw in your way. Each new level gets progressively more challenging as the game moves on, but don't worry, if the the task gets too daunting for one person alone to handle, you can always hook in a second controller, and get the help of a buddy. In fact, Sunset Riders is played best with a friend, and truly shines as a two player game. There's even a slight hint of competition, because the player who does the most damage to the bosses is the one who gets the bounty. There's a little shame in seeing your character keep his head down while your friend's character celebrates his victory in an "In your face" moment. There is also a special bonus mode that shows up twice in the game where you shoot enemies in a Lethal Enforcers fashion except the enemies don't fight back, and you can only aim in the eight directions of your D-pad. This mode also encourages friendly competition to see who can shoot the most in the time allowed.
The only flaw in the game that I could think of is that it may be too hard for people of the younger generation. The bosses and stages are quite challenging due to the one hit deaths, but Contra fans will feel at home. Other than that the controls are smooth. You'll have no trouble controlling your jumping, shooting, or the preforming slide maneuver. The soundtrack is rocking for a Snes game (minus a few muffled voice tracks from the boss characters). The graphics are clean, and the game runs smooth through and through.
Bottom Line: Sunset Riders is one of the best action games of the 16-bit era, and the Snes version is as close to the arcade experience you can get without shelling out the dough for the actual arcade machine. It's awesome whether going it alone, or with a friend. If you love Contra, but have somehow managed to overlook this game, then you owe it to yourself to play. It's one of the best in it's class. This is Konami at it's finest. You won't be disappointed. I promise.
Note: From what I hear the Genesis version only had four of the eight arcade levels, and wasn't as good as the Snes version. I don't have the Genny version to compare it to the Snes version, so I can't make a proper comparison.
================================================
Super Smash Bros Brawl
(System: Wii | Developed by: Nintendo / Game Arts| Published by: Nintendo | Review by: FETALJUICE (can only be used within teh2Dgamer's 2.5D blogzine))
After 7 years of development and 2 delays later, Super Smash Bros Brawl is upon us. And what a fantastic game it is. Lets take a look at what SSBB has to offer (huge understatement). Oh and this might be a lengthy review so consider yourself warned.
Brawl is a 2D fighting/party game for the Wii. Its original damage percentage icon replaces the age old life bar seen in countless other fighting games. The objective is to rack up as much damage to the enemy as possible and knock them out of the arena. It doesn't get any simpler than this.
There are 4 types of control which you can choose from the options menu. The Wiimote (held sideways), Wiimote + Nunchuck, the Classic Controller config, and the Nintendo Gamecube config (the best for veteran Melee players). The Wiimote config is too awkward to use and can lead to many self-destructs. The B button is used to block and its very uncomfortable to reach. Same thing with the grab button (the + button). The Wiimote + Nunchuck config is surprisingly good though players could get confused at what to press. The control stick from Nunchuck is to move, C button is to Jump, and the Z button is block. The A button from the Wiimote is used to attack and the directional pad can be also used to block. The 1 and 2 buttons are taunts. The Nintendo Gamecube config is the best (if you played Melee). It remains unchanged as it should be. I haven't tried out the Classic Controller config because I don't own one but I hear that its pretty good too.
Brawl offers multiple modes from the very beginning. You can play multiplayer brawls offline and online, customize your fights with choosing what weapons will appear, stages you want to fight in, the rules to fight under (Survival, Timed matches to see who gets the most KO in a limited time, and Coin Battle to see who gets the most coins in a limited time.) There is also an option for Tournaments for up to 32 players. Rotation is an option to choose when there are a lot of people trying to get a piece of the action. Special Brawl is completely customizable as it allows you to fight with HP, small, huge, invisible, in metallic form, and other crazy stuff.
The online portion is limited. As soon as you connect online, you have 3 options: Play With Friends, Play With Anyone and choose whether or not you want people to spectate in matches you play. When you play with friends, you first gotta register people with the infamous Friend Codes that everyone loves to hate. Once you do, you and your friends can play in 3 gametypes: Brawl, Multi-Man Brawl (the rules can be changed ex: 10-man Brawl, Cruel Brawl etc.) and Home Run Contest (can be done cooperatively or competitively). Brawl up to 4 friends can join while Multi-Man Brawl and Home Run Contest is limited to 2 people. You can customize up to four taunts on the directional pad of whatever config you're using and names will be displayed here.
Play With Anyone offers 2 modes: Basic Brawl and Team Brawl. Basic Brawl is just free-for-all. Team Brawl is just what the name says. Names won't appear here though. Spectating can be done. You can bet coins on the character who you think will win. There has been a problem with the Play With Anyone matchmaking service. Apparently, too many people want to play the game online and the servers crashed so good luck finding a game. Playing with Friends works crisply clean though.
Multiplayer aside, there are lots of things you can do in the Solo mode. Classic mode, Training, Stadium (which has Break the Targets, Home Run Contest, and Multi-Man Brawl), and the most important, the Subspace Emissary (Story mode).
The Subspace Emissary is a lengthy 8+ adventure that gives off a nostalgic feeling to past games. The situations are predetermined and you only get to choose the characters for that situation. I had a blast with the adventure mode. Many secrets are scattered for you to find. The cutscenes are awesome. It would've been nice to hear some voice acting. Basically the story revolves around the Ancient Minister blowing up Subspace Bombs to capture parts of the world to spread darkness and you must stop him.
Classic mode is pretty much the same from Melee. Fights are at random and there are 2 Bonus stages for you to complete along the way. Once again, you fight Master Hand (or Crazy Hand depending on the difficulty and circumstances).
The character roster is a whopping 35 playable characters that includes veteran fighters like Mario, Link, DK, Yoshi and newcomers like Wario, Pit, and Meta Knight. I forgot how many you start with but its still plenty. Sonic and Solid Snake are featured as guest characters (though you need to unlock them first).
Then there's the Vault, where you can view replays of your fights, view the trophies you've collected, stickers you've collected, play trials of certain Virtual Console games like Super Mario Bros and Star Fox 64, view the entire list of games made by Nintendo as of December 2007, view the Challenges board to see the requirements to unlock the next window, and even play a mini-game dubbed Coin Launcher to get more trophies and stickers.
In the Options menu, there is My Music, where you can select what music appears on a certain level.
Enough ranting, lets get to the point. The gameplay is a bit slower paced than Melee but still very enjoyable. The graphics are beautiful for a Wii game. All of the characters are balanced. There can be alot of carnage going on in the stage and the game itself won't be affected as it runs smoothly. The soundtrack to this game is massive and wonderful (314 songs!!) There are a lot more weapons this time that range from Bumpers, to Lightsabers to Hammers.
All of the characters have a "Final Smash", a move that is ALMOST unique to every character and can only be obtained by breaking the Smash Ball, the orb the flies around erratically. Some have devastating results like 1 hit KO's, devastating damage, and can even induce status ailments like sleep and poison. It all depends on the character though. The Final Smashes can turn the tide in a heated battle.
Finally, we have reached the end of this review (thank God phew!!)Sorry if it was too long but I wanted for it to be as detailed as possible. Brawl is a great game that should NOT be missed. It truly is Nintendo's masterpiece.
Final Score: 10/10
================================================
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
(System: Dreamcast | Developed by: Treyarch | Published by: Crave Entertainment | Review by: teh2Dgamer)
My first Exposure to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was via a demo I played of it off of the Summer 1999 Playstation Underground Jampack. It was that very summer that I watched Tony Hawk do the 900 for the first time at the X-Games. It's not that I was that much of a skating fan, but it was the most interesting thing on TV at the time. I didn't even know who Tony Hawk was until that summer, but that didn't keep me from logging on quite a bit of time on that simple demo.
So this is the part where I ran out and got the game instantly right? Well no. Though I enjoyed the demo, I still didn't get the game until a few years later on the Dreamcast when it hit the Sega All Stars price ($20). It's not that I didn't want the game, I just had other gaming priorities at the time.
Tony Hawk brought the extreme sports genre into the mainstream. Where games like Street Sk8ter failed to bring the genre into the mainstream limelight, THPS was the right game at the right time. At the time that THPS hit, skateboarding was becoming massively popular (well popular again, it had apparently almost died out for a while). Like video games, skateboarding was hitting it big in the mainstream, and Tony Hawk, who had always been a big name in skateboarding, had just made a huge splash by landing the 900 at the X Games. It just seemed like this game hit at the right time for gaming and skateboarding alike.
THPS isn't a skating sim. It takes a more arcadey, more playable, approach to skating, but for a non skating noob like me, that was perfectly fine, and from the huge waves that this game spawned in gaming, I'd say I'm not alone in that view. The game might be an arcadey experience, but that just means that it's easy to pickup and play without even knowing a thing about real skating. Even people who hated skateboarding loved this game, and fans of skating would have an extra treat of having nine other pro skaters besides Tony Hawk to choose from including the likes of Rune Glifberg, Bucky Lasek, and Bob Burnquist.
The game was simple. Players had two minutes to collect tapes (as in VHS tapes if that doesn't date this game for ya) by completing mission objectives while busting sick moves in a multitude of levels. the more tapes you collected, the more levels you unlocked. Occasionally you'd be thrown into a competition where you'd get three runs to bust out with some sick tricks to impress virtual judges. Also, the more tricks you completed in game, the closer you came to filling up your trick meter. Once the meter was filled, you'd then be able to do your character's special. Sometimes the objectives were a little stupid, but the game was such a blast, that stupid objectives didn't really hurt the overall experience like it has in the series since due to the rampant sequeling.
If the game has any flaws, it's due to it's age, and the series progression over any playability issues. You see, despite being a still very playable game, the original THPS has one omission that make it tread into a play for nostalgia only territory, and that's the fact that THPS doesn't have the manuel. The manuel was introduced in THPS 2 (as well as the create a park mode which was "borrowed" from Street Sk8ter 2), and made it possible to link huge combos together for massive points. The original doesn't have the manuel, and for that reason isn't as friendly for fans to go back and play. This means that only the nostalgic gamers will even bother with this game. Fans who have become accustomed to the series over the years however, won't be as pleased with it.
Bottom Line: Though it still plays perfectly well, it's lack of the manual maneuver really hurts THPS' replay value for anyone looking for more than nostalgia. THPS 2 is the better choice for those interested in going back in the series.
THPS brought extreme games into the mainstream, and spawned many rip-offs. Here are a few:
Grind Session- Sony's own personal THPS rip-off that was decent, but still pretty generic.
Thrasher Skate and Destroy- Many skating purists like this game better for being more realistic to skating than THPS, however, just watch out for those cops with tazers eh.
Street Sk8ter 2- Ok, so the first Street Sk8ter hit before Tony Hawk, but I truly doubt we'd have seen a sequel without the popularity of THPS. This game was the first to include a create a park mode.
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX- This is my personal favorite. I've put more time on this game that THPS. I just like BMX better, and it's modifier system made for some cool custom tricks. There is a reason why Activision bought up Z-Axis (Thrasher wasn't it) in later years, and that's because Z-Axis was probably the only company who could give them a run for their money.
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX- Tony Hawk with bikes is essentially what this Activision made game was. I played the demo, and that was enough to convince me that is was sub-par to Dave Mirra, and not worth my time.
MTV Sports: T.J. Lavin's Ultimate BMX- I've never played this one myself, but I don't remember it getting even remotely good scores. In fact I remember it getting terrible scores. I'm not one to let magazines do my thinking for me, but I don't have even the slightest with to ever try this game. I found it on the Gamepro site, and they gave it a 5.0. Actually that's because all the old reviews are messed up. The 5.0 review for Spriggan (whatever that is) got transferred to their review for this game, but it looks like they gave this game a great review even though the review is for something else.
================================================
================================================
Answers to Gaming quiz issue #4
1.B, 2.D, 3.A, 4.D, 5.C, 6.B, 7.B, 8.A, 9.D, 10.C
================================================
================================================
A look back.
Sonic and Knuckles
Something that has always struck me as one of the coolest ideas in gaming's past is the idea behind a little cart called Sonic and Knuckles. Sonic and Knuckles used something called, "lock-on technology" where you could plug another cartridge on top of the S&K cart. What did this do you ask? Well despite being a great stand alone game, Sonic and Knuckles acted as, I'd liken it to, an expansion pack of sorts for both Sonic 2, and Sonic 3. Plug Sonic 2 or 3 into the S&K cart, and you gained the ability to play through each of those respective games as Knuckles. So not only did you get a great original experience with the game S&K itself, but it also brought in new life to your older Sonic Carts. It was quite frankly the most innovative use of a cart I've ever seen. Also, you'll find that even if you plug another Genesis cart into the S&K cart, you get to play a bonus stage (It's the same setup as the bonus stage in the S&K game itself). I believe that different games let you play different stages. It's quite frankly, one of the coolest ides from gaming's past.
Here is the standalone S&K cart.
Here it is "locked-on" to Sonic 2. Get a room.
================================================
================================================
My gaming Life
I've been playing my Dreamcast a lot lately. For a while though I though my system died because it stopped reading disks, but it turns out that the lens was just dirty so I got a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol on it and cleaned it. Now it works good as new.
I've been playing my 2D fighters for the DC. I broke open The Last Blade 2, and The King of Fighters 99 Evolution last night. I've also decided to put some serious play time on on Street Fighter Alpha 3 which I've pretty much ignored since I bought it on the DC years ago. I've also been other Dreamcast games like Omikron (think Shenmue without, as Billlyb would say, your Blues Clues notepad to give you hints on where to go), and I'm still lost. I suppose it's time to pull up the old Gamefaqs. Slave Zero is another DC game I've been enjoying. It's a simple old school style action game where you move from one area to the next shooting sh*t, and rinse and repeat. There's a little story in there, but for the most part it's just pure unadulterated mayhem. Sometimes you just need a little simple mayhem to get by.
I also recently picked up Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 1 for the PS2. It's, I'd assume arcade perfect ports (in not arcade perfect, then that Neo-Geo is one kickass 16-bit machine) of Fatal Fury, Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury Special, and Fatal Fury 3. At first I thought the game wasn't optimized for use with a D-pad because I couldn't jump forward, but it turns out that the D-pad on the PS2 controller I was using wasn't working right. I played it with another controller, and it works perfectly now. My only complaint is that they switched the punch and kick buttons around. I'm not sure if that's more realistic to the Arcade version, but everyone knows that square, and Triangle are for punching, and X, and circle are for kicking. It was even that way on the Dreamcast versions of SNK games. Talk about messing with people.
Other than that, I've been playing a lot of Dead Rising lately. My 360 is having troubles loading disks lately. Suffice to say that I've taken to saving often while playing Dead Rising, but that doesn't make up for the fact that other games I have keep freezing up in the loading screens. The only game I can play now on The Orange Box is Team Fortress 2. The problem is, MS only covers read Ring for free. You have to pay for a screwy disk drive. That got me thinking, what happens when all the three year extended warranties run out? Will people then have to start paying for their console repairs, or will MS just rush another console out, and quit supporting the 360 by then?
I also played a little Socom 2 with FETAL JUICE recently, and captured some video of our match. Here is part 1 and here is part 2. I've got other videos of us playing as well, but I've yet to post them. Socom is still an awesome game to play. There are people still playing the first one online. There are around 100 people playing Socom 1 at any given time. Not a lot, but consider that it came out August 27, 2002, and has had three sequels since, that number is still pretty impressive.
Anyways, that's all I've got this month in this ever exciting piece I like to call my gaming life.
================================================
================================================
Underrated Gem of the Month
The Last Blade 2
(System: Dreamcast | Developed by: SNK | Published by: Agetec Inc. | Written by: teh2Dgamer)
This game no doubt will draw a comparison to SNK's other 2D weapons based fighter Samurai Showdown. Fans have compared it to being a mix between Samurai Showdown, and The King of Fighters. Taking place in 19th century (that's the 1800s for some of you uneducated GPers out there) Asia, The Last Blade 2 is a more artistic approach to the 2D fighter. While the fighters themselves seem standard variety for a game of this type, the backgrounds are artistic, lively, and soothing. You'll almost be able to feel the wind though the trees as you take your opponent on. The whole game has a more laid back feel to it in general. That's not to say that there's no action to be had. There's still plenty of good old fashioned 2D fighting to be had.
The game allows for three different modes of play or three sword types as the game calls them. Speed mode for not just faster speed, but give the ability to combo attacks better. Power mode like it's name infers allows you to take off more, and to also damage blocking opponents. EX mode is a combination of both speed and power, but opponents will take off more on you. Both Power and Speed allow for different super attacks.
The game has three attack buttons, and one Repel button. You've got a weak slash, strong slash, and a kick button. The repel allows you to parry enemies attacks and hit opponents with your own. This helps add a little more strategy into the bouts which is a good break from it's masher friendly brethren in the 2D fighting genre. What this means is that the matches won't be as fast paced as games of say Capcom's versus series, but 2D fighting enthusiasts will still be drawn in by it's more strategic approach to the fighting.
Bottom line: This overlooked gem might not be as flashy or as fast paced as many other 2D fighters out there, it makes up for it by requiring more strategy than many other fighters. Casual 2D fighting fans be warned, this is one for enthusiasts.
================================================
================================================
The send-off
Well that brings an end to 2.5D issue number 5. I'd like to thank FETALJUICE, alexdudecrazy108, and captaininsano15 for their contributions to this issue.
I'd also like to thank Gamepro for not only giving me a format with which to make this blogzine possible, but also for a lot of the screens I used in this issue. Other screens came from the Video Game Museum, or I captured them myself. The exception being The Last Blade 2 pics which I was too lazy to capture myself so I took from here. Also, for the ugly characters I went with google images.
Well that's it for this issue. Leave your comments in the comment area below.
Comments