Grand Theft Auto for PSone Review

Before there was CJ, Niko or even Trevor, there was the original Grand Theft Auto! More of an arcade game than anything as points must be scored and only a limited amount of lives are available. However, there are more similarities to modern releases in the series than you would think.

Video: Lode Runner 3D for N64 Review

It's sadly been several months since I've released a review. Even though I started this review for Lode Runner 3D all the way back in early October, exams and general end semester wankery got in the way. That's all over now, though - so I was finally able to finish and release this video!

Lode Runner 3D, released in 1999 for the N64, is a classic example of a developer switching over a game series from 2D to 3D. What may work well in 2D may not exactly translate easily to 3D so it's always interesting to study those that failed and those that did well.

Retro Scan: Spyro the Dragon Has No Friends (PSone)

While I don't think that this advert means to insinuate that Spyro has no friends, it sure makes you feel sorry for the little tucker at first glance. This was scanned from issue 16 of the Official Australian PlayStation Magazine (which I recently found in an op-shop and posted on my Facebook and Twitter), and really, I don't think Spyro needs any further introduction. It's Spyro! Although Sparx does look a bit odd, I must admit.

This was actually one of my very first video reviews (#8 if counting from what I consider the official start of RGO's YouTube - Super Strike Eagle). If you want to see that, you can find it here. Be warned, though, it's pretty cringy. It is three years old after all, but I still couldn't watch all of it personally.

Video: NES Classic Edition Review

While this is a particularly hard item to buy right now, I was lucky enough to know someone who snagged one on launch day. He let me spend the afternoon with it, filming and recording footage, and this is the review that resulted (thanks, Jakob)!

For those not in the know, the NES Classic Edition (also referred to as the NES Mini) is a brand-new plug and play console based on the NES as the name would suggest. This is no standard plug and play, however, since Nintendo themselves are the manufacturer!

RGO Checks out the Perth Games Festival 2016

Being one who plays games (both new and old) and also one who once held the ambition to make games (long ago, with a diploma long unused) the concept of a festival all about the independent games scene in Perth enticed me.
The Perth Games Festival was a few weekends ago, and since the entry was free and I had nothing better to do (let's pretend I don't have my final set of exams in one month) I headed on down, camera in tow, to see what the good word was.

Sadly, I must stress (and get out of the way) that I did not play anything while there. I know that goes against the whole idea of attending and covering a games festival - but one of the oldest buildings in the Perth CBD was completely packed that day. It was difficult to even get near displays to take photos.
I thought rocking up at about 2.30pm would mean things would have quieted down a bit, but I guess everyone else had the same idea. That is also half the reason why it's taken me so long to get this post out. The actual festival its self was on the 1st of October, and I've been umming and arring ever since if I should post anything or not.

VR was on display, which was cool. Out of everything, this is what I would have liked to try since I'm yet to experience VR personally.

Luckily for me, though, a few of the games I took photos of are available to play right now. So because of those, I'm going to share my photos of the event and also my thoughts on a few of the games. It's still a bit of a lame effort on my behalf, I know - but there were 52 games on showcase overall. I don't think I'm even capable of writing about that much - so instead, I'm covering... two.
Better than no post at all, right? I'll try better next year, I promise.

First off, Blunder Down Under looks awesome. The premise is that you're stuck in the Australian outback and have to fend off drop-bears, boxing kangaroos and who knows what else. If fighting the wildlife with (what looks like) uzi's isn't Australian, then I don't know what is. Sadly, Concrete Games (check out their Facebook page here) hasn't made this game public yet so I can't try it for myself, but their other game, Corporate Combat luckily is (download it from here).

Corporate Combat is an arcade fighting game in the same vein of Street Fighter or something similar but is all about fighting you boss or your co-workers. The graphics are pretty slick and there are plenty of funny elements scattered around that gives this game a good vibe.
It's still in an early release at the moment, but coming soon are extra features like combos, special attacks and the ability to jump. It is two players only, though, so if you're like me and have no friends then playing this might feel a bit lonely. But the main game is there, and well worth it if you're into that type of thing!

Take that, defenseless blue man.

Next up, we have a smartphone game called Last Driverz.

Set in the zombie apocalypse, Last Driverz is an endless runner title with a few twists.
You control a vehicle down (what I assume) is a randomly generated road where you use left and right on-screen buttons to avoid crashing into debris. That's not all, though, as there will be certain locations along the road where you can pull over and loot for supplies. From this point, it turns into a third person shooting mini-game where you take down zombies while waiting for your partner to find goodies. The reticle jumps around the place but automatically aims at the closest zombie - so it's a case of waiting for the reticle to move over their big stupid head and then pulling the trigger.
There's also upgrades up for grabs the longer you play but I haven't really played enough to talk much about those at this point in time.

It's for the most part quite fun, but as it is in beta there are still some straggling issues that I hope get fixed. For one, the debris that spawns on the road is sometimes too close together. I know this sounds like I'm complaining about it being too hard, but there were a few occasions where they were so close together that I would have never been able to dodge them in time even if I was good at games. Besides from that, though, the core mechanics are quite well established and I did enjoy giving Last Driverz a go. The graphics are fun, the soundtrack is pleasant and the added twist of the looting sections are a nice addition to the tried and true endless runner genre.
Check out the games website here.

Very cool to see Nostalgia Box there.

So all in all, there were some great games on display. It's great to see that Perth's local games industry is so healthy at the moment - nothing like this existed at all when I finished my Diploma of Game Development all the way back in 2012. Back then, indie development was gaining the momentum to be the fully fledged industry it is today, however, traditional AAA studio jobs were all but gone in Perth by that point (thanks, 2008).

Does this make me want to get back into games development again? Hell yeah, it does.
I did create a small, basic stealth game using the Construct 2 engine earlier this year after all, but the project remains unfinished thanks to current study obligations. I did get the core mechanics of the game working after all - all I need to do is finish the art assets and then design all the levels. The fun part, really.
After that, maybe I'll give the Unity Engine a crack again. What I saw at the festival seemed to be mostly developed using that, so it will be interesting to see how far it's come since I last used it.

Micro Review: Driver: Renegade 3D for Nintendo 3DS

I love my pink 3DS and so should you.

 For? Nintendo 3DS    Who? Ubisoft    Year? 2011

Welcome to Micro Reviews - a new section of this blog where I briefly summarise and critique whatever I happen to be playing in the moment. No video, no recording software, no flashy lighting - just pure reviewing goodness.    

I've always been a fan of the Driver series ever since I first played Driver 1 and 2 years ago on the PSone - and even though it has been a bit hit and miss since then, my love of the first two always means that I will give a newer release a chance. Driver: San Francisco on the PS3 was quite an enjoyable game for instance, which was completely under my radar until I picked it up secondhand.

It's for that reason I felt compelled to give Renegade 3D a whirl - my childhood basically demands it at this point. Set in the modern day, Renegade 3D has you again playing as Tanner, but this time, he's left the police force because of his arsehole boss and general office politics. Wanting to still make a difference and take down the scum which plagues New York city, Tanner teams up with a Senator with the same ideals who protects him - gradually taking down each main crime figurehead in the laid-out story missions.

Unfortunately, the game foregoes an open-world level layout instead letting you choose each of the included 20 story missions from a menu. This is a little bit disappointing considering a reasonably large map of the city is included in-game (for a handheld release, anyway), but a more linear approach is what this game goes for.

There is no shooting or running around on foot in this entry to the series either, with all missions solely based around driving - much like in the first two Drivers. This isn't exactly a bad thing as it feels like it's going back to its roots somewhat - but you can't get out of your car. Instead, there are service stations scattered around the play area that will fix your vehicle if driven through.

The bottom screen is used as a map, which is handy to keep on eye on if you need to visit a service station.

The missions themselves are fairly bog-standard. In some, you must keep up with a foe (who are usually surrounded by guards who'd like nothing more than you to drive into a wall) while in other missions you must destroy either a main target or a bunch of smaller targets. This is achieved by either ramming straight into them - or by using a mechanic called The Rage Guage. This is filled up by running over objects or performing jumps - and allows a meter to fill up that allows you to either give your vehicle a temporary speed boost or smash into opponents on either side by using the back triggers.

It's a bit gimmicky but doesn't subtract much from the main gameplay. In fact, it even adds a bit of jest considering the missions are fairly bland anyway. 

I completed them all quite quickly. It was easy even on the hard setting, and I suck at games. The advantage of finishing a level on hard is that it unlocks vehicles to be used in the Career Mode. However, if you're finding a particular mission tough (you won't) you can switch the gameplay to easy at any time.

The Career mode is the other half of the game, and I recommend tackling this after the Story Mode so you have full access to the more powerful vehicles. These missions are more or less the same as the Story Mode. They have you completing missions like races, time trials and missions where you destroy stuff in a specified limit. To be fair it's nice they're included them to add a bit of longevity to the game - but they're kind of mindless and you won't be missing out on much if you decide to skip them.

Also tacked-on is a feature that allows your best times and whatever else to be transferred to other players via Street Pass. An okay idea in theory, but then again how likely is it that you'll walk past someone on the street who has this game in their pocket. In fact, does anyone even carry around their 3DS with them everywhere they go anymore? Hm. Probably not.

An example of a Career Mode mission

While the overall gameplay is sadly a bit dull, the visual presentation is actually of a reasonably high standard. Between each mission, you'll be treated to cutscenes. These are presented like an animated comic strip - much like what you'd see in the original Max Payne games. Even though the storyline is a bit generic - I still found the cutscenes enjoyable enough to not skip.

The actual graphics in-game are quite decent too and I found myself pleasantly surprised. The in-game world is lacking a bit of character, though, with there being no civilians wondering around and barely any traffic. The sections of the map don't differ that much either - you'll barely recognise that you're in a specific borough of New York, but what is there looks functional enough. The main highlight is the lighting engine - which makes the difference in some instances between plain and acceptable. 

As for the 3D effect the 3DS offers, I can't really add much. I'm one of the poor saps that get stupid headaches if I leave it on for too long. Sucks for me I guess, but on the upside, I save a lot of battery keeping it turned off.

The sound design isn't too average either, although sometimes the dialogue felt a bit forced. I must stress that it wasn't bad, though, and sometimes the game did extract a chuckle from me. The overall humour can be a bit lame a fair chunk of the time, however. For example, it's the type that throws in naughty words for shock value. It might appeal to some, but I saw it as a bit weak.

The cutscenes are worth not skipping - even if the dialogue can be a bit tiresome.

To conclude, Driver Renegade 3D isn't a totally terrible game but it's quite short and isn't exactly enthralling. It as its moments, but most of the time I felt a bit bored while playing. It is a Driver game, but it's missing the magic that some of the stronger entries in the series offer. 

If you're a diehard fan of Driver like myself then you'll probably feel compelled to try it. This is okay since it's not the worst thing ever, but I'd only pick it up if you can find it cheap and secondhand - which shouldn't be too much of an issue considering it's now five years old.

Video: The SEGA Channel: Wonders of the Retro Gaming World

It's time for another episode of Wonders of the Retro Gaming World, and after checking out the Satellaview and the Net Yaroze, today we're taking a look at the SEGA Channel. Released in 1994, this service allowed SEGA's Genesis to hook up to cable networks and temporarily download games to played at a moment notice. So yes, basically a game streaming service like PlayStation Now - but in the mid-nineties!

Video: Rescuing a Windows 98 Gaming Computer

Found last week on the side of the road in several pieces, this video follows the journey of myself getting it running back to 100%!

A Simple Fix to an Annoying Problem in the Games Room

The cabinet I use to store and display my games isn't exactly ideal. The shelves are nice and wide, but they're also quite high. Before my games collection slowly overtook 2/3 of the cabinet, it was used for books. It's not ideal for those either, though - so you have to wonder what it's originally meant for.

Stacking the games vertically has its problems. I've put up with them for the whole span of my collecting career, as removing a game lower down can cause the ones above (which were held up by the very game I just removed) to fall. As can be seen in the photos, though, I'd like to think that I've fixed this issue with planks of wood cut to size which act as dividers of sorts.

I had a ball of a time measuring up and cutting those pieces of wood to size - essentially creating mini shelves within shelves. I even cleared an old woodworking bench in my garage (once owned by my Grandfather) to carry out the deed - which made it quite a simple and fun exercise. I wish I used that when I attempted (and failed) to create a console shelf years ago. I probably would have finished the damn thing.

Talking about that shelf, I actually used the wood from that failed venture for these dividers. I got a real kick out of actually using that wood for my little retro gaming world - even if it wasn't its original intended purpose. Next on the list will be to varnish it up to somewhat match the finish of the cabinet. At least, I'll attempt to anyway. I've never done anything like that before - but hey, I'm sure Google will point me in the right direction. That and the 1960's book on woodworking I bought from an op-shop recently, anyway.

Video: Carmageddon for PC Review

Ever see the movie Death Race 2000? If so, then this might be the game for you. Do you also enjoy running over pedestrians and cows? If that's the case, then you're a sadist - but this also might be the game for you.

Retro Scan: Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PSone, PC, DC, GBC)

A slightly crumpled scan today as it comes from the back page of a Prima branded Driver 2 strategy guide (a well-used one at that, too). Regardless as to what you think about Prima today and the price they expect for their products (when online playthroughs are free and so readily available) Prima certainly had its day in the sun once upon a time. I should add that I only played a dollar for that guide too – so there’s that.

I certainly got my money’s worth for a dollar since I’ve probably played Driver 2 three or four times, but even more so now since I realised the other day it has useable retro scan material within.

This scan is for Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (also known as Alone in the Dark 4) which was released in 2001. The PSone box is prominent in the advert, but it was also released on the Dreamcast, PC and even the Game Boy Color. Later on, it was also exclusively released on the PS2 in Europe. 

Video: The Net Yaroze: Wonders of the Retro Gaming World

For my second video in the Wonders of the Retro Gaming World series, I take a look at Sony's Net Yaroze. Released in 1997, this was a one of a kind PSone development kit targeted at hobbyists and students that we have not seen the likes of since.

The Games Room - August, 2016

About a week ago, I uploaded new photos of my games room to Imgur for the sole purpose of posting them on one of my favourite subreddits, /r/retrogaming. While it received a moderate amount of attention on Reddit - gaining a lovely 40 upvotes, it unexpectedly went somewhat viral on Imgur. I say somewhat because 102 points and over 2500 views in a matter of days is still pretty small fry. However, it was a nice amount of attention regardless and filled up my internet ego-metre for the foreseeable future - and that's what really matters, doesn't it?

Anyway, I thought I mind as well post the photos here, but if you really want to see the post on Imgur then I guess today's your lucky day. Here you go.
For everyone else, though, look below...

All the consoles are connected up and ready to play at a moments notice. The cabinet was bought from Ikea for $115AUS. The TV and speakers/amp were free hand-me-downs.

My switching system - sadly everything is currently composite (that's all the TV supports) but I'll introduce VGA and component one day when I upgrade to a suitable set.

I went to town using zipties to clean up the back - it was pretty horrid before. Here's a before and after photo.

The games (the books aren't mine).

Handheld hidey-hole.

My ever increasing boxed PC collection. Still very much a work in progress.

The recording station for the game footage. I use an Elgato Game Capture HD. This is also wired in to be activated at a push of a button. If you want to learn more, check out this.

My super crappy way to store controllers. Once upon a time, these were organised by console in ziplock bags, but that's all gone to shit over the years. One day I'll figure out a better solution.

Note: I've actually since resorted the controllers and they now reside in a plastic container.

A spare Famicom and PSone, a broken 2600 and fat PS2, a Super Famicom floppy disc pirating device , various loose instruction manuals, a pair of fantastic casual pants and an oddly placed lens flair.

Some other stuff I don't have room for in the TV's cabinet. Seen here is my Famicom, my Japanese PSone, Atari ST and an Xbox setup for emulation. There's also another working Xbox, about three others which aren't (and in various pieces) and some other odds and ends.

My reel to reel player and vintage (and probably dangerous by now) 1960's step down transformer (the player is American). And don't fret, the light isn't always on the reels. The curtain was just open for when I was taking photos.

My American mechanical record player, although this is currently not working (a project for another day).

A bunch of console boxes elsewhere.

A bonus pic of my modern game collection.

Video: Crackout for NES Review

In my second NES review, I check out the Breakout/Arkanoid type game, Crackout.
Released in 1991, it was developed by Konami and published by Palcom. Palcom was actually just a subsidiary of Konami, though, since Nintendo only allowed up to five games to be published per year. Pretty cheeky really, since no doubt Konami had already reached their yearly limit!

Video: The Satellaview: Wonders of the Retro Gaming World

This is a new series of mine where I'm exploring cool aspects of the retro gaming world. First off, an awesome piece of tech that allowed games to be downloaded to the Super Famicom by using satellites - The Satellaview!

Games Room Update 18/07/16: Game Recording at the Push of a Button

Well, not quite the push of a button - but pretty damn close. 

Beforehand, setting up my Elgato Game Capture HD with a console was a wee bit of a chore. I'd have to manually unplug the composite cables from my tower of video and power and plug them into the Elgato's female jacks. This was kinda sucky, but I'd also split the Elgato's cables so that one set went to an AV input of my TV along with the consoles - so I'd have to unplug and replug cables on the TV's end too. 

While this doesn't take a stupid amount of time, it was plainly an inconvenience so I'm happy to finally be done away with it. I could try to explain how I fixed it to be better, but instead, here's a hastily drawn 'wiring' diagram. Enjoy!

There are two switch boxes because I'm utilising both AV1 and AV2 ports on my TV. This is also why I can't simply split the signal somewhere along the line, and have to use an additional switch box. 

Now, though - instead of swapping around a few sets of cables, I simply just have to push the button for which console I want on my tower of video and power, and then select which switch box that console is connected to on the Elgato switch box. Too easy! 

Talking of my tower of video and power, here's an updated photo:

Nothing really has changed there, but I replaced the AV2 box to be the same as the rest. Beforehand, I had a crappy blue one where the output plug was on the front but all the inputs out the back, which meant the output cable to the TV (and now the Elgato switch box) was all up in the grill of the rest (which you can see here). Now, all cables are nice and tidy out the back and that makes me feel really good.

Video: Truck Racing for PSone Review

Truck Racing is a budget game from 2002 by Midas. Budget games have a reputation for obvious reasons, but I've found in the past that this is not always the case (The Italian Job also on PSone springs to mind as a very playable title). Does this excel above what's expected of it? Or is it as average as you might think? I guess you'll just have to watch and find out ;)





Here's the review I mentioned from the Official UK PlayStation Magazine (issue 97) in the video for your reading pleasure:

Click me to read easily! 

Game City: Eat Lunch & Play Retro/Arcade Games Right in the CBD!

I must admit, I feel a bit embarrassed.
Usually, when something new that's retro gaming related opens in or around Perth, I like to think I'm pretty quick to react. There have been a handful of game shops and even a museum that I'm have checked out with my camera within the first week of opening or at the very least, within the first month - but Game City (for one reason or another) has completely flown below my radar since 2013. 2013!
On top of that, it's insanely popular. Like, really popular. Just check the review section on their Facebook page for one, and you'll see that it maintains a rating of 4.9/5.0 over 154 reviews. If you know anything about the reviews on Facebook (or any online rating place for that matter) you'll understand how good a score that it. People online, for the most part, are hard as hell to please - but Game City are just killing it.

I feel I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, though. I haven't even explained what Game City is yet, so before I praise it anymore, I'll describe it in a nutshell.
Game City is a cafe and a place to pickup some lunch - but with a very awesome twist. Venture inside from the small part of Game City that pokes out into Raine Square - and you'll instantly see arcade machines, pinball machines, retro consoles hooked up to TV's, modern consoles hooked up to TV's (and also a projector) with fighting sticks and even amusement machines!

And I'm sorry, no, I didn't embarrass myself on the Dance Dance Revolution machine.

There was even a Wii!

An accidental out of focus photo. The horror!

Game Citys location is absolutely central in Perth too. Entering the Perth Underground Train Station from the Murray Street Mall (down those huge escalators), it can be found immediately to the left before the turnstiles as you enter the adjoining Raine Square shopping complex. I must have obliviously walked straight past it at least ten or fifteen times since 2013, making me feel that my situational awareness isn't as great as I thought it was. Either way, I visited for the first time on Saturday and had a really enjoyable time.

Unfortunately, I did not get to try the food or drink. I should get that out of the way immediately.
It wasn't because I didn't want to, though, but because it doesn't open until 1:00PM on Saturdays. I had already eaten just before, and already had enough caffeine in my system to see me through all the games. I really should have planned it so I was there to eat, drink AND play games for the whole experience - but hey, I never bragged about having good organisational skills. If anything, I'm lucky Retro Game On even exists at all.

Regardless, all the positive reviews I've read by everyone else seems to indicate that they're doing the right thing - and there is a lot of those reviews to choose from. For those that are interested, here is their menu, which looks to be very reasonably priced. I cannot see anything much over $10 and that is a very rare price point right in the CBD unless you want McDonalds (and there are no arcade machines in there).
It is still a shame I didn't try anything, though - I do realise that, but this is a website about gaming after all, so let's talk about that.

All the games can be played with specialty tokens that cost a dollar each - so don't go plugging in real dollarydoos like one special specimen of the human race did with a Midnight Maximum Tune 5 machine - it will just get stuck and ruin it for everyone.
I didn't see anything that cost more than two tokens to play, and there was a fair amount that only cost one (for instance, the retro consoles could be played for ten minutes each on one token).
On first entering, I was drawn right to the pinball machines - mostly because they're something that I don't get to play very often. I played the Twilight Zone first out of the selection because The Addams Family machine was out of order and I’ve never watched an episode of Game of Thrones (go ahead, tell me I’m silly for not doing so). But surprisingly, my favourite of the bunch was one I’d never heard of: Medieval Madness.

This was first released in 1997 by Williams and was a whole bunch of fun. Trolls stick their heads out to be slain, there’s a castle to invade and at one point there were about five balls flying all over the place. I was trying to spread out my time across the whole of Game City to try everything out – but that’s easily the one I’ll be playing first upon returning.

The 'getting deathly serious about obtaining a high score' face.

From there, I checked out some of the other, more modern arcade machines. The Tekken 7 machines were occupied the whole time I was there (it seemed there was a quite competitive series of matches happening), so being a fan of racing games I jumped straight onto a Midnight Maximum Tune 5 machine. I’ve actually played something like this before, in an IMAX of all places. It's a story based arcade racing game where you basically pay to keep playing, but the upside is that you use a memory card of sorts that remembers your progress. I don't know much about it, to be honest, but if you don't want to commit to the storyline, there are plenty of time trial levels to play as well.

After kicking my girlfriend's butt on a two player Point Blank X machine, we then moved onto some PS3's with arcade sticks that play Street Fighter 5 where I got a royal butt kicking myself. I swear I was okay at SF, since I always go on about beating SF2 Turbo, but the day just wasn't mine I guess (we'll have to organise a rematch soon).

These were token powered too but lasted less time compared to the retro consoles (attributed to how fast you can lose to your better half supposedly). I also assume that they're in higher demand too because of their competitive nature and the fact they're right in the cafe part of Game City.
Also in the cafe part, but on the other side was the bread and butter of my visit: the retro consoles. I had saved these to last and was not disappointed. All lined up in a neat row along the counter was a Mega Drive, a SNES and surprisingly, a Sega Saturn! That excited me the most since it was the console out of the three which I don't own myself (one day) and I had a merry old time playing Bomberman on it. I played that for a few tokens and then moved onto the Mega Drive to play Earthworm Jim for another few tokens while my girlfriend enjoyed some Tetris on the SNES.
To say that these were my favourite part of Game City would be an obvious statement (read the name of this website) but it's all been set up in a comfortable and fun environment which makes it a true winner. And even if Tetris, Earthworm Jim and Bomberman don't interest you (which would be weird) there is a whole library of games available that a helpful staff member will happily swap to for you.

The large amount of Mega Drive games available to play pleased me, since I've become somewhat of a fanboy of the console over the years.

And on that note, that pretty much sums up the whole experience I had. The staff were super nice and helpful, the shopfront its self is inviting and on top of everything, you simply cannot have a bad time. There's so many different sounds, lights and even smells (thanks to the cafe) that makes visiting Game City a fantastic experience. If there was to be one negative, it would be that there is just too much to choose from. I walked in and it was pretty much like "Ohh look at the all the pinball machines, ohh look Tekken and Street Fighter, ohh A SATURN! etc. etc".

If you ever happen to be getting on or off a train in the city, I'd highly recommend giving yourself an extra 20 minutes (at least) and checking out Game City. You will not be disappointed.

Game City can found in Raine Square (in Perth) near the Perth Underground Train Station exit.

Website:      www.gamecity.com.au

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/gamecityperth

Phone:       0433 032 616