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Game Of The Year 2017

Posted in Best / Worst, Games, Lists, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Uncharted on January 1, 2018 by slateman

A few months ago I listed the games I’d beaten in 2017 but of course, not all of them were actually from last year. In fact, a majority of them weren’t. While my trophy list shows a varied year with a fair share of games, very few were 2017 titles. Here is the brief list of games I played last year:

  • Horizon Zero Dawn
  • Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
  • Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite
  • Nex Machina
  • Nier Automata
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
  • Tekken 7
  • Uncharted: Lost Legacy

Now, it’s easy to whittle down some items. Neither fighting game will win, Nier Automata didn’t convince me in the few hours I played it so far and FFXII is a decade-old remake. That doesn’t leave much else. Oh, Nex Machina was fun, but by no means was it the year’s best.

So we’re down to Horizon Zero Dawn, RE7 and UC. The latter was fun that trimmed a lot of excess out, but UC4 won GotY in 2016.

Horizon Zero Dawn already not once, but twice. The open-world, third-person genre may be overdone, but I’m rather selective in the games I end up playing. Therefore, I’ve skipped out on a lot. In any event, the entire game was a remarkable experience. Its deep gameplay, gorgeous world and genuinely-interesting story kept me intrigued and curious up until the very end. Aloy was well-written and likable and the support cast was fun. I loved getting this game’s platinum trophy.

However, Resident Evil VII: Biohazard was an insane experience. Its claustrophobic first-person view created a tension unrivaled in most games. The entire Mia introduction was insane, gloriously unsettling and most-importantly, memorable. It joins my other favorite moments in gaming and my review began simply with my repeated sentiment, “This is terrifying.” None of the game’s follow-up DLC really compelled me to return and beating Mia is the only thing between me and the game’s platinum trophy, but that’s OK. RE7’s experience was a worthy follow-up to the series’ legacy while not suffering from that loyalty to its history. The game was a phenomenal addition to the convoluted canon and represents my 2017 Game Of The Year.

It’s worth noting in my full listing that Horizon Zero Dawn still received the New IP GotY recognition.

It’s also worthy of mention the games I missed in 2017. Chief among them is Super Mario Odyssey which, according to reviews, looks like it’s right up my alley. I may have to come back to remedy this list at some date in the future. It may be a few years though.

Finally…2018. Here’s a list of potential GotY winners based on hype alone. I’ll put them in order too of potential best-to-worst, with no basis whatsoever. Wow…there are some good games coming up!!!!!

  • God Of War?
  • Red Dead Redemption 2?
  • Ghost Of Tsushima?
  • The Last Of Us: Part 2?
  • Days Gone?
  • Far Cry 5?
  • Metal Gear Survive?
  • Crackdown 3? (Haha, we all know that’ll never come out)
  • Darksiders III?

SF 30th Anniversary Collection: Thoughts & Speculation

Posted in Blog, Games, Street Fighter on December 26, 2017 by slateman

My excitement level for the SF30AC release is enormous but I must temper those expectations with a reality check. I’ve already written about these concerns, but I wanted to take the time to give an in-depth look at what these “arcade perfect” releases might contain. I truly believe this is one of Capcom’s greatest chances here. This could be a collection to remember forever, but a few missteps could leave us with a very empty feeling.

To start, we should look at the late ’90s. After a long wait of high expectations, Playstation and Saturn owners were treated to the first Street Fighter Collection, a disappointing two-disc compilation which was lacking the initial three releases of SFII. Of course, they would be issued later, with a few perks, as Street Fighter Collection 2. These were mostly bare-bones releases that left a bad taste in the mouth of fans even though the latter set the stage for Hyper Street Fighter II and HSF Zero.

We can fast-forward to 2006 when Capcom put out Street Fighter Zero: Fighters’ Generation. Unlike the former collection, this was utterly packed with modes, features and perks. Its sound test featured virtually every SF song ever. There were training modes in all games and dynamic battle was also present. It also featured Pocket Fighter! But the most impressive and most important part of this collection was the ability to play alternate versions with dip-switch access. The base roster of games (Zero, Z2, Z2A and Z3) exceeded the American and European versions by including a few items. It came with the American version of Alpha 2 (which had Evil Ryu) and the arcade version of Zero 2 Alpha (in addition to Z2’/A2G). It may be minor, but that attention to completion and to detail is just wonderful. Dip switches helped change every portion of each game. It changed the number of Vega’s Psycho Shots, it changed voices, dizzy effects, animations…Very infrequently are more options worse than fewer.

And that’s not even getting to Hyper Street Fighter Zero, a holy shit package that is fun, over-the-top and utterly broken. But that’s not a bad thing. I’m not even going to speculate about a MUGEN-inspired SF mishmash that simply will never happen in this collection.

And this leads us to SF30AC. The game promises arcade versions of twelve games, online support for four of them.
It also features:

  • Interactive Timeline – Could be cool for a visit or two.
  • Concept Art – I love art galleries.
  • Music Archive – How complete will this be? Can we change the soundtracks in each game?
  • Sprite Viewers – This could be really cool.
  • Background Wallpapers – There appears to be a ton of these.
  • Save States – Good for short sessions.

But the announcement doesn’t say anything about:

  • Training Mode – This is a must, this collection needs this!!!
  • Dramatic Battle – This was in all the Zero games.
  • Achievements & Trophies – Will these be like SFIII:3SOE and MVC:O?
  • Alternate Versions – Read more below.

I don’t particularly need dramatic mode, but the idea is that merely having arcade and online modes will feel a bit empty. I’m not expecting SFZ3UU Mode Mania or anything, just hoping for more than two basic modes.

More importantly, training is a necessity and easily implemented. All of these games have had a training option in a home conversion in the past.

Most importantly is finding that one tr00 arcade version to play as. Some of these are going to be very simple choices. However, for others, like Zero 3, it’s not an easy choice. For this title, we know we won’t be getting the bonus characters found in the GBA or PSP port. That’s fine. But will we see the original arcade release with 25 base fighters? Or are we looking at the Naomi version of SFZ3 Upper which, with its 33 fighters, many feel is less “pure”. There’s no real right answer here, but I would be disappointed if it were the former. Certainly Capcom has to choose one to represent the online mode, but one must hope that both would be available for offline play, much like they were in SFZFG.

And to me, this is the biggest question about the upcoming compendium of fighters. Which versions will we get? So, for completion purposes, I wanted to look at which is which, assuming we don’t get a true compendium like Fighters’ Generation was.

Street Fighter

Only one version really exists for this game, outside of its prototype. This has been included in other collections over the past few years, on a bevy of platforms. I expect very little out of this one but its inclusion is nice.

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior – 22nd May, 1991

Initial boards were issues in February with its final release in May. The 910522 ROM is certain to be used. I believe this fixed some of the early glitches (particularly with Guile). Either way, it’s classic and performing some of Guile’s heavy combos are incredibly impressive!

Street Fighter II’: Champion Edition – 3rd August, 1992

Nine months on, the first CE board was issued and later saw two revisions. The first cabinets were shipped in March, an updated ROM was seen in May and a final version came out in August. These fixed various bugs.

Street Fighter II’ Turbo: Hyper Fighting – 9th December, 1992

Due to the sheer number of bootleg ROMs, SFIIT came out merely months after CE’s final update. There were no revisions to this release. I don’t know how authentic the Xbox 360 version was, but this won’t be the first time Hyper Fighting will be online.

Super Street Fighter II – 5th October, 1993

The first SF CPSII board was issued in several regions. Though dated separately, there appears to be only two main versions, one in September and another in October of 1993. We’ll be seeing this version of SSFII.

Super Street Fighter II X – 23rd March, 1994 / 29th May, 1994

The final major SFII entry arrived merely five months after SSFII. The U.S. only received one update to the February 1994 ROM. However, the Dreamcast version in 2000 listed a different date (the second above) and also got an updated revision (00/12/22) which is likely the source of Tien Gouki. That title also shows a ??/??/?? revision which, well, we don’t know much about.

In addition, it’s all but certain we won’t see any changes found in the multitude of other versions of the game, in particular HD Remix and this year’s USFII. Considering its long-revered status, staying true to the final arcade revision is hardly a bad thing and it’ll be the first time the original version will be playable online.

Street Fighter Zero – 27th July, 1995

There were up to four different versions of SFZ though certain territories, like the U.S., only received one. On SFZFG three were selectable, the last being just seven weeks older than the first. Oh, I remember the summer of ’95 well. I thought being able to play as Adon was so cool. It’s going to be nice having this game playable. Outside of the PS1 version being made available on the PSN, SFZFG is the only release in the last 20 years.

Street Fighter Zero 2 – 30th April, 1996

Several revisions exist to this game. The last, which arrived in Brazil, is likely just the 30th April version. Recall that Evil Ryu was playable in the U.S. version and not in the final Japanese revision. Considering the game’s popularity, this may be the game we receive.

Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha – 5th August, 1996

Z2 may be popular, but this title is the best of all the SF games IMO. It was issued in four different territories on three different dates but all are likely the same version. The date above is the Japanese date.

This game was later modified for the home version of the aforementioned Street Fighter Collection. There it was given the title SF Zero 2′ (JPN), SF Alpha 2′ (EU) and SF Alpha 2 Gold (US). These home versions are not the same as the arcade version, however. The differences are minor, but each is better than the base Z3.

The real question is whether any of these games will be featured at all in the SF30AC. I genuinely feel no collection is complete without them, as they have some functional and substantial tweaks to the game system. This really is the main reason why I am hoping Capcom gives this collection the love that SFZFG received.

Street Fighter Zero 3 – 4th September, 1998? 2001?

A full two years after Zero 2, we got the finale, an over-the-top kitchen-sink version of the Zero series. Several iterations of this title were issued as well, of course, but that’s not truly the concern.

In SFZFG, Z2A was an entirely separate game. However, for this collection, it could be considered an alternate to Z2. If that were the case, it would be awfully nice for the Naomi version of Z3 Upper to be considered an alternate of Z3.

Long story short? Will we see the CPSII version or the Naomi board replicated in this collection? Whatever your preference, I think we can agree having both would be ideal! Unfortunately, the real question is which will be online?

Street Fighter III: New Generation – 4th February, 1997

Heading back in time a little bit, SFIII:NG came out just six months after Z2A. It was a particularly prolific era in Capcom fighting history, with Pocket Fighter, Street Figther EX, the Marvel VS. series, Zero entries and SFIII all being issued within a few years.

I believe there was only one arcade ROM for SFIII:NG and we’ve only ever seen one home port of it, 1999’s SFIII: W Impact. It’s OK that this won’t be online, it’s just gonna be good to have this available.

Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact – Giant Attack – 30th September, 1997

Just half a year after NG, its successor arrived in arcades, again with no ROM upgrades. As Hugo was not complete for the February release, he arrived here in what, nowadays, would simply be a patched update. Taking a note from the Vampire series, EX moves were now available as well as Gouki’s arrival. Again, this only ever saw one home port but I look forward to playing this.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike – Fight For The Future – 8th June, 1999

More than a year-and-a-half later, we got 3S, what is now considered one of the most highly-regarded SF games ever. At the time, though, SFIII wasn’t particularly loved outside of the hardcore fighting community and 3S added some rather unmemorable characters.

While we saw a release on the DC, PS2, Xbox and later the PS3 and Xbox360 in the form of Online Edition, they all were essentially the arcade version. A Japanese ROM was issued a month before it was in the west and a final revision came in June. This fixed Urien’s unblockable attacks and was the basis for virtually every port moving forward (I believe).

As this will be online, it’s pretty straightforward. I’m hoping this is the ultimate version of 3S.

So, that’s that. There are a lot of questions about what exactly SF30AC will look like and what it’ll contain. Capcom can really make this a collection to remember, much like SFZFG before it. I just hope they give it the care it deserves and don’t cut corners. The $40 price tag makes me a little worried, but I’m trying to remain optimistic. We’ll find out in May!

Games I’ve Missed In 2017

Posted in Blog, Games, Lists on December 17, 2017 by slateman

With the imminent arrival of Best of 2017 lists, it’s a good time to look at what I didn’t get a chance to play. Since my end-of-year chronicles are inevitably incomplete, I wanted to see which have eluded me that are the year’s best (or potential best). Some of these I’m not too worried about missing. Others very well could be this year’s GotY.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

While I did play a portion of this game, I didn’t get too far. I got stuck and wasn’t impressed like the rest of humanity was. Taking pictures of the world truly doesn’t interest me. The visuals were just obscured by fog and I grew tired of getting new swords all the time. It’s one of those things where I know I should play it. Perhaps when I get a Switch, though it doesn’t appear to look much better than the Wii U version.

Super Mario Odyssey

Speaking of the Switch, a new Mario! Since naming it my favorite game series ever and after cataloguing my recent Mario runs, this is simply a must-play game. I don’t know when or how…but I will play this. Could it be 2017’s GotY? I may not know for a few years!

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana

After doing some major Ys catch-up this year (beating II, Felghana, Oath and starting Seven), I didn’t play the one Ys game actually from 2017. This is another must-play but I only expect a fun romp, not a GotY contender. That’s OK. I love Ys!

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

I only just played through the first Wolfenstein reboot this year but I quite enjoyed it. The game was pretty standard but it was done rather well. There’s very little chance this could be the best of the year, but I sure as hell want to try this out!

Nier: Automata

What is this even about? *Shrug* I just know that it’s being praised. It sounds like a game worth playing.

Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War

After naming the original my favorite of 2014, it surprises me how little interest I have in this one. The game got good reviews and the third-person action genre is easily one of my favorites. Given the frequency of PSN’s sales, this one will eventually be pretty cheap and this one will be played, probably sooner than the new Mario.

Notable Mentions

I’m curious to try Star Wars Battlefront II and Call Of Duty: WWII, though neither is too compelling. Games I have played will come next!

Uncharted: Lost Legacy – Why Writing Matters

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Uncharted on December 4, 2017 by slateman

As I play through Uncharted: Lost Legacy, I find myself enjoying yet another UC romp with all the ingredients of a great game. The action is fun, the vistas are beautiful, the setpieces are impressive. It also shipped at a budget price, fair for its shortened campaign, and I got it on sale for even cheaper.

However, it is just yet another Uncharted. To be fair, it’s simply an expansion that ended up being a lot larger than anyone really thought, so it fits right in with what it intended to be. But as the gorgeous game goes on, there’s little we haven’t done before. The only difference is now we’re controlling Chloe. Ah yes, the dirty Chloe who we first saw doing the tango with our hero Nathan several games ago. She is coupled with Nadine who was a mostly-forgettable character in last year’s Game of the Year, UC4.

While the game never strove to be UC5, what we’re greeted with is an entirely-competent title which draws strength from its namesake’s heritage. But what is easily the game’s greatest accomplishment is the chemistry between our two heroines. Much like Sully’s relationship with Drake, it feels as if there’s a lot going on here and with each chapter unfolding, more is revealed about their backstories. The dynamics between the two bounces between sarcasm, humor, anger and the bantering feels right at home in an Uncharted tale. The story itself, well, that’s nothing particularly noteworthy, mainly because we have done all these things before. Retread or not, Naughty Dog has once again crafted a game that is solid in virtually every way, that looks and controls beautifully and has a duo I genuinely care to hear about. This can’t be heralded as a triumph but only because its legacy has already paved that trail.

Like UC4 and The Last Of Us before it, the developers have shown their ability to weave a narrative that is both serious and aloof. Though the gameplay has worn itself a little thin over this past decade, it’s certain the studio will have great tales ahead and I, for one, cannot wait to indulge!

Ys: Origin Completed: Thoughts & Images

Posted in Artwork, Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Ys on November 1, 2017 by slateman

After finishing up Ys II and Ys: The Oath In Felghana, I picked up Ys Origin, a game I’ve been meaning to play. Its arrival on the PS4 this year gave me the perfect chance! In addition, I just grabbed Ys Seven so that may make another title beaten in 2017, we’ll see.

In any event, the game was pretty fun though I rued the lack of voice acting like the other two titles I played. The story was fun enough and the gameplay solid. Therefore, with yet another Ys title under my belt, I thought I’d share some more images, replete with spoilers, of course! There are two more campaigns but I can’t say I have much interest in doing them, although I’d like to see how the third one pans out; I think that one is canon.

And so, here are some images from my runthrough of Ys Origin which really offered some fan-service about the…ahem…origins of Ys and the games I’ve been playing for over 25 years! Enjoy!

Cuphead: A Work Of Art

Posted in Artwork, Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Screenshots on October 14, 2017 by slateman

This game is insane. It’s weird though. In no way is it new. The visuals hearken back to nearly a century ago and the tough-as-nails platforming isn’t far removed from my own youth. However, it is gorgeous and one of the more refreshing titles I’ve played in years. In an age when everything feels like it’s been done before, Cuphead comes along and tells you that old can be new again. I’ve opted to share some screenshots, but they simply cannot do this game any justice. The silky-smooth animations and impressive boss battles can only be appreciated by watching it in action…something I highly recommend anyone doing.

This last image is one you’ll see a lot of. It taunts you with showing your level progress, thus inciting another retry. And another. And another.

Clicker Heroes: The Stupidest Game…

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games with tags on October 2, 2017 by slateman

…that I can’t stop playing. After picking this free title up months ago, I was enthralled by its mathematical crack, constantly beckoning me to return. Long sessions weren’t required but a consistent minute here or nine there fed the need. Then I hit a wall.

For some reason, I returned recently and figured out a way past the barrier. It could’ve been a few months of idle coin harvesting. And then I ascended again. Now, with dozens more hero souls, things were going by so quickly. I managed to reach level 100, a feat that took days, easily, in about six minutes. Madness!

And as I reached the lofty level 360-whatever, I ascended yet another time, relishing in the hundreds of hero souls. And on the next playthrough, making it to level 150 or so in mere minutes, I accidentally scrolled to the right, revealing Transcendence as an option. Hmmm…should I? Shouldn’t I? Typically I’d read up a bit: what to do before, should you transcend, etc. This time, however, I just said, “Screw it,” and clicked it. “You will lose this and that,” “yeah, yeah, yeah.” Clicked. Done.

Then, back at level 1, now with absolutely nothing, I instantly regretted my decision. I have to actually click again? No idle bonuses? Umm, what is the benefit to this again? Well, things aren’t quite back to square one, but they’re close. I understand that there will be incredible perk to my idle build…once I have unlocked my Ancients. But, with too few rubies, waiting for level 100 is the only option.

So, after this useless game took away everything, why do I still play? No clue. It’s a strange active-passive experience based on saving money, spending it, calculating and…waiting. Very strange indeed.

Ys II: Completed! Thoughts

Posted in Artwork, Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Screenshots, Ys on September 20, 2017 by slateman

Ys Books I & II remains among my favorite games ever. That’s partly tied to the time of my life, about 13. However it is also tied to its innovation, its technological prowess (CD quality!) and its music, which is still remarkable. But now having finished the remake of Ys III and my save game but a few hours into Ys II, it was time to complete this retelling. And now that I’m done, I realize…It’s dated.

The game was still great, with the familiar faces of Feena and Reah bringing a smile to mine. However, its source material is almost 30 years old and it shows. The labyrinthine level layout was needed with limitations of the ’80s. Now it just feels empty and repetitive. A guide helped me through this journey and I’ve no shame in that. In addition, Felghana’s remade soundtrack may very well be superior to the PSP iteration of Ys I & II. In fact, the former may be the best the series has ever seen.

As Ys VIII hits shelves this week, my return to Eresia will have to wait. Until then, here are some snapshots from the last hour or so of Ys II – spoilers, quite obviously!!!

Ys II: Hello Zalem!

Posted in Artwork, Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Ys on September 17, 2017 by slateman

This is a totally unnecessary post – but I found it humorous. Having gone back to beat The Oath In Felghana, I figured why not polish off Ys II as well. I abandoned that title at around the same time as Felghana. Well, once you land in Ramia village, you can go upgrade your equipment by meeting Zalem. Well, turns out if you talk to her before trying to do any business, then give her three herbs, then visit her bed, you’ll be given an option to join her there. It’s entirely juvenile and silly, and I certainly don’t recall this option back in the TurboCD days!!! In any event, here’s some visual evidence. Warm and sinful indeed.

Ys: The Oath In Felghana – Revisited!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Screenshots, Ys on September 15, 2017 by slateman

After putting in 15+ hours in early 2014, I abandoned Ys: The Oath In Felghana, the remarkable remake of the legendary Ys III: Wanderers From Ys. The latter, a game I played waaaay back in the late ’80s/early ’90s, was an amazing game with an even better soundtrack. Just why I quit is unclear and returning to games, especially any type of large-world titles, is never easy. However, after doing book research and poring through the excellent Castlevania book I have, I was inspired to return to the other excellent game, Symphony Of The Night. I tinkered for a bit before pondering that very question of why I bailed, more than three and a half years ago.

And so here I sit, at the very end of the game, in the very week that Ys VIII ships. Reviews are positive and of course I’d like to pick it up. But now isn’t the time. Hell, if I could wait almost four years to finish this, I’m sure Lacrimosa Of Dana, which itself is over a year old, can wait a bit longer. Come to think of it, I never finished Ys I & II Chronicles on the PSP either. Backlogs aren’t so bad, maybe! For now, a pretty decent screenshot of Adol before the setting sun in anticipation of that annoying-as-hell Chester fight.

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