Sunday Roundup: 11/27/16

Waaay back in the early 2000s I remember picking up the first Fear Effect on PS1 and trying to give it a shot, based off the recommendation from a high school friend. It was a cool game, no doubt, but I never got around to finishing it’s 4 discs. Anyway, this sequel follows the same main character, and features the same third person stealth/action gameplay. I think the storyline and visuals were big drivers for these games back in the 2000s, and cel-shaded graphics still look good today. To me, at least.

The Metal Slug franchise has always had a place in my heart. When I was a child the visuals and comedic style always resonated with me, even though I’d only ever see a NeoGeo machine with Metal Slug in it at Pizza Hut or some other arcade. Despite this when the Metal Slug Anthology came out on the Wii back in, what, 2006, I jumped all over it. If you haven’t played a Metal Slug game, MSX here included, you really should seek one of them out and try: the one-hit-kill system and semi-punishing difficulty is tough, fair, and well worth your time!

I only really picked this one up because it was one I didn’t have, and it was all kind of lumped together into one big package. Anyway, this one is an FPS that follows the plot of the fourth Alien movie. I’ve seen the movie, but I haven’t played this game. Apparently the game is halfway decent, whereas the movie, as far as I can remember, wasn’t all that good.

For all the recognition given to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater franchise, it’s no wonder this one, which came out around the same time, is barely ever discussed. That being said, I… don’t really remember much about this game, haha. It’s supposed to be a good skateboarding game, and anything that’s not THPS and considered good is worth a look.

My brother either had this one or rented it, because I remember seeing this chibi version of Jackie Chan running around on screen beating up bad guys. The legend Jackie himself provided motion capture for the game, ensuring the gameplay was authentic to his films. If I remember correctly this was supposed to be a good game, but also a rather difficult one.

A few things about this game make it interesting: in North America it’s a third person shooter game, but in Japan and Europe it’s a third person light gun shooter. The light gun compatibility was removed from the US version after video games were in the news for the Columbine High School shooting. Unrelated but also worth noting, the Survivor spinoff line of Resident Evil games continued in many ways, including the Dead Aim series on PS2, the Chronicles series on Wii, and even in the form of a Dino Crisis spinoff light gun shooter called Dino Stalker.

One of the more illusive Capcom fighting games on the PlayStation one, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure features characters from the anime/manga series duking it out in insane and outlandish fashion. The game has received several sequels outside of the US, but only the more recent Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle on PlayStation 3 made it to our shores. I think the battle system is quite different from other fighting games, and because of this my limited time with the game wasn’t too great.

I had the opportunity to pick up this game from a store years back and had to pass, instead grabbing some other game (I don’t know which one). I’m happy to say I’ve finally reconciled that issue. King of Fighters 95 is the second in the KoF series, which is still going to this day. Often regarded as one of the better games in the series, I’ve always felt like the idea of The King of Fighters was cool, but the gameplay failed to compare to really anything Capcom put out at the time. Still though, a good game and a good series.

When picking up this lot, the friend I bought it from specifically commented that he would be missing his copy of Guilty Gear. While I assured him it would be going to a wonderful home, I could relate to that difficult feeling of letting something go. For me, I think I could never get rid of my copy of Phantasy Star Online on the Gamecube. I just spent so much time with that game, and it wasn’t even that good of a game, but because it means so much to me it has to stay. So thank you for your baby: I’ll be sure to take care of it!

Oh man, what a great addition! The side scrolling shooter has been a niche favorite of mine ever since playing Gradius and Life Force with my older brother on the original Nintendo. Those games and their upgrade system made me fall in love with character progression and action in games. This PS1 game is a small compilation of the original two R-Type arcade games. It’s rarity is thanks to low production numbers…

… but it’s got nothing on R-Type Delta! Only on the PlayStation and with no re-releases or ports to date, R-Type Delta regularly appears on lists for more obscure or hard to find PS1 games. Making the situation worse (better, depending on how you look) is the fact that the game is considered one of the better side scrollers out there. Again, really happy to have this one!

What better time to pick up this one than with the live action film right around the corner! Based on the anime/manga of the same name, Ghost in the Shell on PS1 is an action game with some minor RPG elements. Think of a mech shooting game with some stealth elements thrown in. I really don’t know too much about this game, and I saw the anime back in 2000 or something, so I’m not too familiar with the source material, but it’s a solid addition to the library!

Here’s a game I’m very familiar with. My brother had this game when it came out, and we played the hell out of it. Capcom and SNK were the two biggest names in fighting games at the time (just look at the other games here on this list!) and pitting their heroes together in one game seemed like a dream. Well, it happened, and the combination was wonderful. This is the game that actually got me into the other, older SNK games. While I think the sequel is way better than this original version, it’s still a great crossover and very fun to play!

Moving on from the PS1 games we have the sole Wii title. I have been looking for this game pretty much since it came out, and I never had any luck finding it. I had a hard time believing that many people picked up this game, considering it’s a collection of games from the NES era that I’m sure not too many Wii players liked. Despite all this, the game had remained illusive for 5 years, and now I’ve got it!

The first new console this week is none other than Nintendo’s Virtual Boy! When I payed for all the PS1 and Wii games, I didn’t expect to get the Virtual Boy and any of these following games. Needless to say, it was a very pleasant surprise. Wario Land on Virtual Boy is often regarded to be one of the better games on the ill-fated system, and currently the only game I’ve actually played on the Virtual Boy itself. There’s some cool foreground/background gameplay twists so far, but nothing too crazy by today’s standards. Maybe back in 1995 it was more impressive? Haha, either way, cool addition!

So pinball on the Virtual Boy seems like a bad idea to me, and apparently it was an okay idea back in 1995. I think it’s kind of tough to mess up a virtual pinball game, but I feel like having to have your head stay stationary isn’t all that great an idea. But this one is in space!!

Bomberman is a great series, and it’s one that I’m sure will be fun on the Virtual Boy. As with many Virtual Boy games, it didn’t receive too great reviews. As far as Virtual Boy games go, this is one that I didn’t even know was on the system.

These last two Virtual Boy games are a couple that I actually know. Mario Clash is essentially a 3D version of the original Mario Bros. but with some twists. You still have to throw shells and stuff at the enemies, but now you can throw them toward the screen to attack the foreground foes. There are only a couple Mario games on the Virtual Boy, and I would definitely seek them out as a Virtual Boy owner.

And we have Mario’s Tennis, the launch game for the Virtual Boy, and the final game from my huge lot. I remember playing a demo of this in Toys R Us or some other store and thinking it was a pretty cool game. If nothing else, this was the first game in the Mario Tennis series, which includes the awesome Nintendo 64 game as well as the Gamecube follow-up. Leave it to Nintendo to release the best game for their console with the console itself, a tradition that continued with the Wii U and Nintendoland!

I’m not sure yet if this one is going to be my own game, or one for Laura for Christmas, but either way it’s in the collection now. I’m not too sure about the quality of this game, but a lighthearted RPG with Pokemon-like creatures and battles seems like a winner to me. The back of the box says the game is overloaded with cuteness, and you apparently fight with stuffed animals and plushies. Sweet!

I haven’t touched the Etrian Odyssey series for quite some time, but I think it might be nice to go back. Does anyone know if they’re making an Untold 3? I’ve heard that the third game, The Drowned City, is the best in the original DS series. Well anyway, I’m hoping I don’t get to a point with this game where I suffer such a major loss that I have to straight up stop playing the game. Haha.

Well, our second system isn’t much of a surprise, but here are the first set of PS Vita games on this site! While there have been lots of games that I’ve seen that I’ve been interested in getting (many are here this week!) there just wasn’t a good sale. But with a Black Friday sale of Buy 2 Get 1 Free at GameStop I was more than happy to drop the cash to start my collection! Muramasa: Rebirth is an enhanced port of the Wii game I’ve reviewed here. This PS Vita version has improved visuals and retranslated dialogue.

The only reason I really got excited about owning a Vita was Persona 4: Golden, and this was honestly the only reason I went out to GameStop to buy games. I played Persona 3 on the PS2 and then again on the PSP, but I somehow never played Persona 4. A few of my friends swear Persona 4 is better than Persona 3, but I’ll have to be the judge of that myself.

Coming in as the only real exclusive game that I wanted when the PS Vita was still a new’ish system, Uncharted: Golden Abyss is the only non-console Uncharted game. Still following series protagonist Nathan Drake, this mini-adventure was considered good, but not as good as the PS3 games. With so many games being ported from the Vita to the PS4, and with the popularity of the Uncharted series, I’m surprised this one hasn’t seen a re-release yet.

The PS Vita is home to many excellent RPGs and visual novels, and this one is no exception. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and it’s sequel are considered one of the best games on the system. Unlike Uncharted: Golden Abyss, this one actually is coming out on the PS4 next year too. so if you don’t have a Vita you can pick this one up on the consoles soon!

My brother will be proud that I’m picking up yet another Earth Defense Force game. Honestly I only got this one to complete a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale, but I do at least have an interest in the series. This game is a remake of the PS2 version of Earth Defense Force 2, which was never released in the US. Thanks XSEED for giving us another Japanese gem!

I’ve only heard excellent things about this PS Vita RPG. The battle system, the story, and the characters all stood out to reviewers, and when the sequel came out earlier this year it only increased my interest in this long-standing Japanese series. Seeing as I’m playing Skyrim right now, and I picked up Persona 4: Golden this week as well, I’m not sure when I’ll get to start this one. But believe me, I definitely do. And I need a reason to enjoy my Vita!