Its a rare shot and opportunity but when it happens I do feel a bit of the earth shake, and that is the reaction I got when I first heard this band Symphony of Metal from out of Indiana, USA. Its just ferocious and barbaric death metal with a very melodic and thundering approach, its got the departments of senses figured out, its up to you to get the music into your ears. I highly recommend it.
It wasn’t made aware to me, until I actually took a moment to evaluate myself and see the highly critical judgments I make, and all the while having myself openly online and being made suspect of the same things that I judge and analyze others for. It’s this critical and judgmental behavior that makes me very concerned, but almost a relief, that I have for once been able to see it for myself, from myself and not just the brash or offensive word of another person.
I think I have been being not hard enough on myself and have never been able to fully embrace my strengths and develop and help my weaknesses. It’s very easy for others to be some overt and forward with their intentions and me disregard their kindness and generosity and pursue selfish motives instead. But much like anyone else, it is up to the individual to change, it must come from within themselves, and nobody can make that choice for them.
I am 40 years old and while I don’t feel like I have much to say for myself, I do have a long laundry list of things that I need to do and accomplish. One thing I know for certain is that this time around, while I don’t have a lot of personal physical support, like before; whereas now I have the dependence and support of God, of whom I trust and rely with all my body, soul, spirit and mind.
Whatever circumstance, whatever hardship or struggles I confront, I do know that the scriptures and the life of the apostles and the living breathing Christ are strength and enough for me.
I write these words with hope and desire that they will resonate and stick with me, for many years to come. And I hope maybe they will help you as well.
this is unbelievable! and it’s no wonder that the internet is flooded with kamala and biden everywhere you look. It seems that some of the biggest giants in the industry are leader in feeding and keeping the kamala demon surviving.
Trump is not our Christ, he is not our savior, he is a man just like you and me… simply one who is going out on the line to try and make some order out of the disorder we have had with biden and kamala. The very fact that people defend kamala and oppose trump speaks gravity of their delusion and intention towards corruption and greed versus good morality and purpose driven living.
Be diligent and motivated in your work and your lifestyle to make it evident that our world needs a dramatic change and shift in leadership.
This person went and made millions on line by exploiting herself and making men fall under her spell. A disgusting miscreant, and a vile wench. She has demons in hell that are in agony because of her rebellion and degenerate lifestyle.
These vile miscreants that live and fester on platforms like twitch, youtube, kick and countless other avenues. Do not misunderstand me! there are plenty of good folks doing fine work and helping others with these resources, but these prostitutes in disguise are a disgusting bunch that need to be exposed.
I am a man an imperfect vile beast myself, I have the urges and pains inside myself its never ending, and doesn’t stop or quit. But I am seeing through lies, and for once things are crystal clear.
The Bible is historically accurate, and objectively conveys and shows the situation we are all in. Get yourself into Christ, and accept His gift of life!
Written By Craig The Megaman (or Rockman in Japan) series is one of the best and most famous videogame franchises ever. Capcoms’ Blue Bomber has spanned a variety of systems, the NES, Gameboy, home computer, SNES, Sony Playstation, Sega Gamegear, Sega Saturn and the Sega Genesis. The NES Megaman series was the pinnacle of 8-bit gaming, nothing came close.
In 1994 Capcom remade Megaman 1, Megaman 2 and Megaman 3 for the Sega Genesis and put them on one cart called “Megaman: The Wily Wars”. The remake was both graphical and aural, the improvements weren’t jaw dropping but they made the game presentable for a 16 bit system, think of Super Mario Allstars.
Even though its remade, the presentation of the NES MM games are emulated almost perfectly, it feels like going back to a familiar place, visiting an old friend, you cant help but feel the nostalgia. The gameplay however feels a tad different, the control can be a bit shaky at times, its not bad but you may find yourself under or over jumping at some areas. Also, I am not sure if this is because I have become better at playing games or not but the Wily Wars’ Mega Man 3 is a lot easier than its NES counterpart. There was also one new addition, Wily’s Tower, which is a special game that is opened up when you complete all three games included in the collection.
Like I said before, the graphics don’t take advantage of the Genesis to the fullest but it gives the game a more polished and colorful look. The stages keep the same NES layout but they are graphically redesigned. Even Megaman himself looks better than the squinty-eyed NES blue bomber.
The soundtrack is faithful to the NES style but is much higher in quality compared to the NES and the fact that its now in stereo also adds to the improvement.
Phantasy Star IV End of the Millenium is one of the best RPGs released for the Sega Genesis and wraps up the Phantasy Star saga (unless the Dreamcast PS continues the story) perfectally. The epic story (though not as compelling as PS2), cool characters, deep gameplay, techno soundtrack and great ending make this game a must own for Genesis owners. The story of Phantasy Star IV stars the rookie hunter, Chaz Ashley who gets involved into a quest that will determine the fate of the entire star system. Along the way you will come across old friends and foes and visit familiar areas from the first 3 Phantasy Star games. Even though PS4 has a good plot and memorable moments it doesn’t have the ”space opera” feel that Phantasy Star 2 had. PS4 has one of the most memorable endings I have ever seen and it wraps up the Phantasy Star saga with a bang.
Phantasy Star has always had great gameplay and the fourth installment in the series is no exception. The battles are the standard turn based style but you are also able to pull off combination attacks. If you like solid and fast gameplay then PS4 is for you. The graphics in Phantasy Star 4 are made up of incredible anime stills and solid sprite based areas. The anime stills are amazing and has the best detail of any Genesis RPG that I ever played. The sprites in PS4 are very colorful and solid, it may have the detail of a Squaresoft RPG but it gets the job done. Phantasy Star IV has a very good soundtrack, the techno/electric/rock style fits the game perfectally and it makes good use of the Genesis soundchip. The sound effects are also very nice and are a step up from Phantasy Star 3s beeps and bops.
Overall: 8 Overall, this game is a must play for RPG fans but I suggest playing through Phantasy Star 2 first if you want to fully appreciate Phantasy Star 4.
In 1995 Gamearts released a spin-off of the Lunar Series on GameGear entitled Magic School Lunar. Magic School was a solid rpg and was one of the better titles released for Sega’s handheld system. In 1997 Gamearts in conjunction with ESP released a Saturn remake of Lunar Magic School with better graphics, redbook music and anime, what could have gone wrong? Just about everything. The storyline of Magic School is nothing major or serious and it has that ”spin-off” feel, if you are expecting a deep and moving story like Eternal Blue then you will be disappointed. It’s a fun little story but that’s about it.
The graphics in Magic School are for the most part, horrendous. Its nothing compared to the detailed and colorful environments/sprites of SSSC and Eternal Blue. The battle graphics take the cake as some of the ugliest 2D that I have ever seen, the sprites are horribly detailed and have little animation and the magic effects look like they were drawn with a crayon, its THAT bad. The anime cutscenes are nothing to write home about either and they suffer from bad compression. The gameplay in Magic School is designed in the same Lunar fashion but unlike the other Lunar games the battles are sluggish, the AI is stupid and the encounter rate is as bad as Albert Odyessy for Saturn. The soundtrack for Magic School is very good but the problem with the soundtrack is that there are only about 15 music tracks in the game and most of them range from as little as 30 seconds to as long as 90 seconds.
Overall: 4 Overall, the remake of Lunar Magic School is a disappointing spin-off that should never have been made. Thank god Gamearts one and only mistake stayed tucked away in Japan because this game is a disgrace to the Lunar series. I know this was a short review but there is really nothing more to say about this piece of $#!t.
Written By Craig In 1992 Gamearts released an RPG for the Mega CD System, an RPG that would start one of most memorable RPG series ever, Lunar. Lunar The Silver Star became an instant hit with Mega/Sega Cd owners with its compelling plot, unique characters, memorable music and solid gameplay. In 1996 Gamearts decided that they would do it all over again and remake the already classic RPG for the Sega Saturn under the name Lunar Silver Star Story.
What did Gamearts change exactly? Alot. The plot was tweaked, modified and reworked, the graphics were completely redone and modified to take advantage of the Sega Saturn, the soundtrack was changed and the gameplay was also tweaked.
The plot of The Silver Star Story starts in the small village of Burg where a young man named Alex (Aresu) dreams to follow in the footsteps of the legendary hero, Dragonmaster Dyne (Dain). The plot may seem simple at first but it turns into one of the most memorable experiences that a videogame can give you. The modifications to the plot made it much more mature, added depth and even lengthened the quest a bit. The cast of Lunar SSS is filled with memorable heros and villians and the main characters go together perfectally. The gameplay in Lunar SSS is not anything new or revolutionary but it still gets the job done. The battle system is a traditional turn based combat with strategy which lets you move to different areas on the screen. The battle system could have used some more work though, some battles move at a very sluggish pace and you also would find yourself using the same battle technique over and over again. Fortunately this is fixed in the Lunar 2 Eternal Blue remake.
Lunar SSS’s graphics are completely oldschool but not in a cheap way, the sprites, towns and dungeons are detailed and colorful and some of the areas look like hi-res paintings (Burg Springs). The 50+ minutes of anime FMV in Lunar SSS is incredible and even has some CG intertwined with it. My only gripe about the FMV is that it had to be windowed because of the Sega Saturn’s poor FMV compression. The soundtrack for Lunar SSS has a more synthizsed feel to it compared to the Sega CD soundtrack but I still prefer the Lunar SSS soundtrack because it is a lot bigger and contains more memorable songs, even if the sound quality isn’t as good.
Overall: 8.5 Overall, Lunar SSS will always be a classic and memorable RPG that can withstand the test of time, no matter what console it is released on.
Written By Craig Grandia is the brainchild of Gamearts, a small (but growing bigger every day) RPG developer whose previous games included the extremely popular Lunar Series, Alisa Dragoon, GunGriffon Series and Silpheed. Grandia (and Eternal Blue before it) etched Gamearts’ name on the wall of great RPG developers due to its one of a kind style, amazingly detailed graphics, innovative battle system, epic story, colorful characters and rich soundtrack. Grandia also has its fair share of fame, winning the 1998 Videogame of the Year award in Japan (even though it was released in 97 but missed the cutoff date).
“There is a legend that speaks of a time long ago when humans received special blessing from a sacred power. Proof of this blessing came in the form of the sacred soul stones, given to humans by the ”Kouyokujin” or ”beings with wings of light.” It was said that as long as the light from the sacred soul stones shone throughout the world, humans would enjoy great prosperity. However, once humans reach the peak of their prosperity, the curtains would suddenly close on their golden era; after which, only 7 of the sacred soul stones shall remain and likewise, only a few of the Kouyokujin. It is from this tale that the myth about ”Enjuru” and the ”First Century” was born. On the eastern edge of the Meshna continent lies the harbor town of Pahmu, the site of an ongoing industrial revolution. In this town lives an energetic young boy named Justin, who dreams of one day becoming an adventurer just like his father. Before Justin’s father died, he left a keepsake for his son–one of the sacred soul stones. One day, Justin and his friend Sue decide to visit the Saruto Ruins north of Pahmu. Within the ruin’s deepest recesses sleeps a memory straight out of antiquity. It is in here where Justin witnesses an event that will change his life forever.”
Grandia’s story may not be as complex as Xenogears but it holds all the right elements to makes a story epic and memorable. Grandia’s theme is an adventurous story about the light and dark sides of the human spirit. Grandia feels like a combination of Lunar, Xenogears, Galaxy Express 999 and Indiana Jones. The cast of characters in Grandia contains some of the most likable and unique characters in any videogame and fans of Lunar’s cast will instantly see the same style in Grandia’s characters. My only gripe is with the long stretches of time Grandia can go without getting any plot development, sometimes for even hours at a time. Aside from that, the plot is a memorable experience.
Grandia features a fresh and innovative battle system that combines Final Fantasy’s active time battle system and Lunar’s battle system which makes for one of the best battle systems in a RPG. You are able to see your enemies in dungeons (ala Chrono Trigger and Lunar SSSC) and the way you encounter your enemy decides who gets the upper hand in the battle. The experience system is also innovative, in order to gain new magic spells and special attacks you have to gain a certain amount of levels using that weapon/spell, for example to learn Justin’s ”W-Slash” you have to have 6 sword levels and 4 mace levels.
Grandia has some of the best-designed graphics ever seen in a videogame, the detail used in the towns and dungeons show that Gamearts did not half-ass any part of this game. The town/dungeon graphics are fully polygonal and can be rotated 360 degrees ala Xenogears and are painstakingly detailed from the broom against the wall to the light shining off the coast, each town seems to have its own personality and style. The detail comes at a price though, the characters can be pixilated at times and some areas have some slowdown. The battle graphics are sprite characters on a polygon plane and feature fluidly animated sprites and solid magic effects. Grandia also has CG-anime FMV throughout the game but don’t expect it to rival Square or Namco’s FMV since Grandia is about 2 years old.
Grandia ST rivals Xenogears and Lunar 2 as one of the best soundtracks in a videogame. This is one of Noriyuki Iwardare’s best works and features a combination of orchestrated and synthesized tracks that span a variety of styles. The music quality alone blows away the competition and raises the bar for videogame music composers everywhere. Grandia is further proof that midis are not acceptable anymore. The Japanese voice acting in Grandia is some of the best and most emotional voice acting that I have ever heard (sure I don’t understand Japanese but I can tell if the voice actors put there blood and sweat into there voices). It’s too bad that SCEA didn’t leave the Japanese voices in the English release.
Overall: 9 Grandia is an epic RPG filled with great graphics, incredible gameplay, colorful characters and an adventurous story and it should be played by anyone who even remotely likes the genre. I suggest picking up the Saturn import and printing out the fan translation because the US PSX version suffers from a horrid translation from the masters of mediocrity, SCEA.
Written By Craig Tengai Makyo: The Apocalypse IV is the latest installment of the extremely popular Far East of Eden series (also known as Tengai Makyo) which spans from the Super Famicom (TM Zero), to the PC engine (TM Ziria, TM Manjimaru and TM Gaiden ~ Kabuki Klash) and the Sega Saturn (TM The Apocalypse IV). The Tengai Makyo series has a tradition of stunning cinematics, solid gameplay and its own original style of humor. The Apocalypse IV continues the tradition.
The Apocalypse IV is actually based on the writings of a fictional author called “P.H. Chada” who chronicles an over-the-top, bizarre and downright crazy version of 19th century America. This game is as historically and politically incorrect as you can get and it makes for an original and entertaining setting for an RPG. The Apocalypse IV is also one of the darker RPGs ever made, dealing with topics such as The Book of Revelations and Satanism. That, combined with the insane setting gave this title little chance of making it stateside (sadly).
The story of Apocalypse IV follows the story of a young Demon Hunter named Rizing and his quest to rid America of the plague of demonic evil that infects it more and more each day. Along the way Rizing will encounter memorable allies, insane, ominous villains and other characters that seem to be the product of smoking reefer and paintchips. The Apocalypse IV’s cast is incredible, from the colorful and deep main characters to the villains who range from hilarious to satanic. I enjoyed TA IV’s story from start to end and it had some very memorable moments that I won’t mention to risk spoiling the surprise for people who haven’t played it yet. The story is also pretty easy to follow even if you don’t understand Japanese (I know about 3 words of Japanese, heh) and combined with a game guide found at gamefaqs.com you’ll be all set.
The battle system in The Apocalypse IV is pretty traditional and basic in its scope, mirroring the battle system found in the Phantasy Star series with a few alterations. For instance, the time of day affects your enemies’ strength and your whole party uses one MP pool. You are also able to pull off combination attacks ala PS 4 and Chrono Trigger. As you progress in the story you receive more techniques and you earn new magic spells from various Indian chiefs spread throughout America. The gameplay offers nothing groundbreaking, but it provides a solid and fun experience.
The Apocalypse IV is a 2D lover’s dream, from the incredible anime to the colorful towns/battles, this is definitely one of the finer looking 2D RPGs on the market. The anime FMV in this game is amazing and pushes the Saturn to the limit. There is little to no pixilation to be found. Not only is the quality of the anime compression amazing but the art is great as well. Once you see the opening sequence with Rizing ice surfing through the Alaskan tundra you will know that you’re in for an anime experience that few games can compare with. The battle scenes are played out in interactive first-person anime scenes, think Phantasy Star with 100 times the animation and effects. The town and dungeon graphics are your basic 2D style but the attention to detail is very impressive, it may not be in the same league as some of the newer 2D RPGs detail-wise but it gets the job done.
The Apocalypse IV’s soundtrack is solid and has some of the best Saturn PCM I have ever heard. In fact the music played during the anime scenes is incredible. Toshiyuki Sasagawa’s score combines techno, rock and atmospheric tracks for a unique and above average soundtrack that fits the game perfectly.
The voice acting in this game is high quality and there are over 20 different voice actors used. This is usually a given in RED co. games since they take pride in top of the line voice acting.
Overall: 8.5 If you are looking for an original and fun RPG to eat up your time look no further. Tengai Makyo: TA IV’s original story, memorable characters, colorful graphics, great music, low language barrier and solid gameplay make it a good buy for Saturn importers. Lets hope we see Tengai Makyo on the Dreamcast in the near future.
Written By Craig Albert Odyssey: LoE was released in 1997 to hungry US Saturn owners who would take any RPG that was thrown there way. Even though Albert Odyssey LoE wasn’t what you would call an “epic” or “classic” RPG, it did have enough substance and Working Designs humor to make it a worthwhile purchase to Saturn owners who were desperately starving for an RPG that they didn’t have to import.
The story of Albert Odyssey: LoE is not what you would call “developed” or “original” but it still is a somewhat enjoyable quest even if it goes through a library of cliches along the way. AO:LoE stars the a generic hero named Pike who sets out on a quest to eventually save the world. Sure the plot is basically generic and cliche but Working Designs’ translation makes the plot much more enjoyable thanks to the added humor and well written dialogue. Some may say that the humor goes to far at some points and at times it does but it is still a lot better than the horribly translated RPGs that some US publishers crap out nowadays.
AO:LoE has one big fault, the battles. There is nothing wrong with the actual turn-based battle system but it’s the loading times in the battles that make them so horribly boring and slow-paced. Each command takes an eternity to pull off and it completely took all of the fun out of the battles. I still cant believe that the loading times in the battles were actually worse in the Japanese version of this game. I’m not one that usually complains about loading times but this is ridiculous. AO: LoE is also not that difficult and you wont spend much time planning strategy against most bosses. If you can stand the horrendous load times then you should enjoy the 25 – 35 hours of gameplay in AO:LoE.
I really liked the graphics in AO:LoE, the graphics were in the traditional 2D style but they were vividly colorful and very detailed. However, the overworld was done in full 3D and reminds looks exactly like the overworld in Tales of Destiny. Albert Odyessy LoE is one of the best looking 2D rpgs, even to this day.
Albert Odyssey: LoE has a solid soundtrack with its fair share of great tracks. The quality of the music is very high since most of the tracks were done in redbook audio that is playable via a CD player. The soundtrack may not be as well composed as Xenogears or Lunar 2 but it is still a solid soundtrack nonetheless.
Overall: 6.5 Overall, Albert Odyssey: LoE would be just an average RPG if it wasnt for the great translation by Working Designs. Sadly the horrible loading times in the battles brings this game down a lot and the cliched plot may bore some people. Its a solid RPG to add to your collection but I wouldn’t suggest going nuts to track it down.
I actually came across this game by accident but I am very glad that I was able to snag up one of the more original and cool 2D Fighters ever to grace Saturn. Atlus’s Groove on Fight is not your basic 2D fighter since it uses a tag-team style of fighting which enables you to alternate characters on the fly making for some great combinations and frantic battles. Fans of Marvel vs Capcom will have hours of fun with the huge special attacks that take up half of the screen. You get 10 characters to choose from at the beginning of the game along with characters you can unlock, and this is without a doubt one of the most unique cast of characters that I have ever come across, dont get me wrong, there are some basic style characters in GoF but two elderly woman tied together is anything but normal. The graphics in Groove on Fight take advantage of the Saturn’s 4 Meg RAM cart which enables GoF to have fluid character animation and cool special effects. Dont expect graphics on the level of Marvel vs Capcom but GoF’s graphics shouldn’t disappoint you at all. My only gripe with the Graphics are the somewhat stale backgrounds which could have been improved since this game does use the 4MEG cart.
The sound in this game is a mixed bag, the music is very good, ranging from gothic tunes to rock, not to mention being redbook audio. The battle sound effects are average but could have been clearer. The character taunts seem like there coming off a Genesis rather than a Saturn, but this shouldn’t really bother anyone. The length of this game for 1 Player is rather short (like most fighters) but the style of the game makes it perfect for 2 players. GoF is a cool game to break out when your just hanging out with your friends. Pulling off a 20 hit combo in the comfort of your own home, a fighter fans dream come true.
Overall: 7.5 Overall this is a very worthwhile purchase for 2D fighter fans thanks to the above average gameplay, graphics and style. You can find Groove on Fight at most import stores that still carry Saturn games, like buyrite1.com and ncsx.com. Lets hope we see Groove on Fight 2 soon.
Tokimeki Memorial – forever with you (aka TokiMemo) is a dating simulation game published by Konami of Japan for the Sega Saturn. It was what basically spawned the Dating Sim Genre in Japan, and gained massive popularity in Japan, not only TokiMemo, but the Dating Sim Genre itself. And if you haven’t guessed already the overall premise of the game is to date beautiful Anime girls, and no they don’t take their clothes off for you, or get raped by large tentacles. Sorry, you wont find any hardcore hentai here.You play as a teenage boy in Kirameki high school and your main objective is … well, to get a date, of course! One of the characters, Shiori, is the girl of your dreams, but if things don’t go well with her, you can always go for one of her twelve friends! In TokiMemo your attributes are measured similar to those in an RPG game, with stats for science, arts, athletics, stress, humanity, knowledge, etc. if, for example you spend too much time playing sports, your studying stats will decrease and all of the girls will think you’re a dunce. The key to success is to keep your popularity high without getting a “bad rep” amongst the girls. A girl’s feelings toward you can be gauged by her expression when she faces you. She can either be sad, indifferent, happy or just plain “sparkling”! With help and advice from your buddy, Yoshio, you strive to reach your ultimate goal: Love.The game play of TokiMemo as you might of already guessed, could be quite challenging, due to the language barrier, and although the game is entirely in Japanese (for the most part) it does remain quite easy to play, just not follow along with the dialogue. And most of the time it’s just point and click type playing, you simply access menus and what not. But something that made TokiMemo so much fun is all of the Mini games, that were thrown in along the way. For instance, during certain parts of the year they have you partake in the Annual School Athletic Meeting. And that ranging from activity’s like the 100m dash, 3 Legged Race and a quite challenging event where you balance a ball, on a tennis racket. Something else I found hilarious along the way, is that when certain events take place, it will trigger a fight, which is basically a huge Final Fantasy Spoof, got to love getting the chance to beat up on the school bully! And finally, something else that is added for enjoyment is a really fun over top shooter, that you can get by attending the Computer class long enough. So as you can see, the game doesn’t entirely remain a simple point and click game.The graphics in TokiMemo are very well drawn Anime styled pictures, and pallets. Although the anime sequence does remain to look a bit grainy on the Saturn it’s really nothing to complain about. You will not find any revolutionary 3D graphics displayed, it all remains in a classic 2D form, which moves very smoothly on the Saturn. I really enjoy the chibi style in Animations, and add’s that classic Anime feel to the game, which I for one enjoy.The sound and voice acting for TokiMemo, couldn’t have been better! even if you don’t understand a word of Japanese, just listen to the emotion and true vocal composites which were displayed in TokiMemo, at times, you might catch yourself off guard and really think you are talking to one of the girls. The music, was arranged superbly, if you let the game sit idle for a moment in the beginning you will be treated with a really catchy song, which was an A+ on my list, as well as a Video to include with. The in-game music, are definitely rpg influenced scores, which in all actuality go quite well with the pace of the game. I can’t really complain here.And now for the cash crop of the game, the Entertainment! yes, this is where the game scored the mother load. I myself only know a few simple Japanese phrases, and don’t know a single piece Kanji, but this game still stands as one of the most fun and addictive games, I have played yet. The idea of dating girls, and building up your character on the popularity chain is just too much fun to pass up. Although often times, you will be kicking yourself, wondering what the heck is going on, it still remains very fun throughout the whole game. SCORE:
Gameplay – 8 Graphics – 7 Sound – 8 Entertainment – 8 Overall: 8.5 Overall, I would highly suggest this game to anyone who fancy’s themselves in Anime, or Simulations. I can guarantee once you get started, you will not be able to put the controller down. The only gripe I can clearly point is the huge Language barrier, so if you think loads of Kanji, and Japanese dialogue will effect your gameplay, then stear clear of this title.
Remember that game called Centipede? You know, the quarter game sitting in the corner you don’t see many people playing? With the growing trends of classic Atari game updates, Hasbro Interactive brings yet another 3D update.
You play as Wally, a simpleton that is chosen as the Wee people’s last hope against Queenpede and her henchman. The short, slightly humorous movie introduction is enjoyable and gives you high hopes of fun in the game, but it just doesn’t deliver.
You zip around in your little spaceship designed by the scientist who recruited you, shooting the classic enemies you expect from the original Centipede all in 3D and rescuing the Wee people. You can jump and upgrade your shields and weapons, which does add a certain depth to the game. But, the game tries way too hard to keep the same idea of Centipede (shooting impeding centipedes and turning them into harmless mushrooms) and this turns this into a shooter with nothing much to expect. The levels are fun to explore, but there are boundaries, like the inability to go into water. Seeing what new level would pop up encouraged me to trudge on the mindlessness, but it did irritate me not to find anything new to do. Controls are simple and easy to pick up, much like the original Centipede. You can accelerate easily and decelerate with the same ease and shooting the multiple centipedes on the screen is easy, with three different views (over top, behind and in first person). In fact, the game’s controls are perfectly balanced and nearly redeem the otherwise redundant game play.
Graphics are adequate to say best, and doesn’t push the Dreamcast ability much, except for bright colors. The fog, way too close for comfort, isn’t used for effect, but instead a result of a quick port from the Playstation version of the game. The character models are detailed, buut the textures also appear as though they weren’t paid enough attention to. Sound is nothing spectacular, but not horrible either. The sound effects retro gamers have come to known are in here along with so ho-hum background music.
Maybe the most fun part of the game is the perfectly translated port of the original Centipede. Here, the game is how it was made in the first place with simplistic game play. Luckily, you have the ability to play the original addicting game right you pop in the GD-ROM in your Dreamcast. I’ll have to admit that I must have spent most of my time playing that instead of the main game and is a nice bonus.
Overall: 4.5 Centipede isn’t really a game to warrant your money and leaves you wondering why Hasbro couldn’t have done a great job like they did with the remakes of Breakout and Pac Man. The only game saving this from an even lower score is the inclusion of the perfectly emulated arcade classic, Centipede.
Am I the only one who thinks that the hockey games on PSX, Saturn and *laugh* N64 dont even compare to the EA NHL series on Genesis? Sure the graphics were plain and the gameplay allowed for some really cheap goals but the fact that the games were so fun to play made them timeless classics. Me and my friends would pop in the latest EA Genesis NHL game and play nonstop for hours. Since then I haven’t found a hockey game that was as fun or entertaining. However, Sega and Blackbox’s latest effort, NHL2K makes a solid attempt at capturing the oldschool feel while pushing the graphics and gameplay into the 21th century.
The graphics are clearly the best part of NHL2K, everything is detailed to a T, from the logos on the puck to the reflections in the ice to the indivisual mesh holes in the players jerseys. The player models have over a 1000 frames of animation which even surpases the player models in the PC version of EA’s NHL2000. The game itself moves at a steady 60 fps, there is no polygon clipping or popup to be found and the players have the most realilistic skating styles that I have ever seen in a hockey game.
The gameplay is very good in NHL2K, I expected Blackbox to shortchange on the gameplay but they actually took there time with the gameplay mechanics. The player AI is solid and for the first time in the history of hockey videogames the goalie does not have a “gimme” spot, for instance the “loop around the net trick” in NHL 96 for Genesis. A sign that the final product of NHL2K was rushed is the bad collision detection, shoddy stat tracking (just like in NFL2K) and the absence of practice, shootout and internet play modes. Aside from those minor faults the gameplay in NHL2K is some of the best ever on a home console.
The sound in NHL2K is a mixed bag. The sound effects are great and they really capture the arena feel yet they arent as accurate as the PC NHL 2000. The announcers are in no way bad but they leave alot to be desired and the constant repeating of phrases doesnt help either. The arena soundtrack is too low and muffled and doesnt really get you pumped at all. Oh yeah I almost forgot, where the hell is the goal siren!?
Overall: 8 NHL2K is a step in the right direction for Sega Sports and hopefully is a good indicator of what future hockey titles from Black Box will be like. To put it bluntly, even though NHL2K has its share of flaws its still a very good hockey game and should be purchased by every hockey fan with a Dreamcast.
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