Why Am I Even Bothering? - CODWAW Veteran Difficulty
I think its due to me liking PS3 trophies a bit too much, cherishing a challenge and trying to prove to myself that I am at least half decent at video games. Maybe i'm even enjoying it. But i'm still not exactly sure. All I know is that im going to scream if I see another pair of grenades lobbed at my feet.
Then I will try again.
For the twentieth time.
An Ode To My Better Half - My Fiance & Video Games
She was good natured enough to laugh and make fun of me when I got drunk and bought an Xbox360. She drew the stunning likeness of me that is my current user profile at 1up.com. She can play up a storm on Puyo Puyo, and knows that there’s a part of me that isn’t really joking when I pretend to throw a fit whenever she beats me at Wii golf (it doesn’t happen that often!). She sat through 2 player Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles and she doesn’t mind when I farm her for PS3 puzzle game trophies (Trashpanic). She has partaken in countless drinking sessions with me and thedogbarks, which almost always descend into game talk, however hard we try to steer the topic elsewhere. She even claimed to like the 8bit Cafe, a retro game themed watering hole in Shinjuku. I have lost count of how many times she has accompanied me to Akihabara.
I realise that I am very fortunate. Thanks for having a sense of humour, and I promise I won’t buy any more games this week.
You lucky, lucky girl.
toomanywires vs thedogbarks - Metal Gear Solid 3 vs. Metal Gear Solid
In conjunction with my friend, thedogbarks, whose blog can be found here, I am featuring some versus articles, where each of us takes one side of a video game argument. These posts will be available on both of our blogs, and at 1up.com
For our third head to head, we turn our attention to the Metal Gear Solid series. We picked our favourites, Metal Gear Solid 3 (me) and Metal Gear Solid (thedogbarks) and compared them.
So read on, and let us know what you think.
Metal Gear Solid 3 & Metal Gear Solid
SPOILERS AHEAD
toomanywires -
Before I begin, just a quick disclaimer. I love the first Metal Gear Solid game, but it just so happens that I prefer Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. For me, Metal Gear Solid 3 is the defining moment of an outstanding series of games. Snake Eater represents everything that I like about video games; interesting characters, over the top story lines, pseudo-history, great combat, memorable boss battles and an outstanding theme tune. That’s right, I even love the James Bond inspired theme tune. It genuinely gives me goose bumps, even the part about eating a tree frog. So why is it that you prefer MGS1, thedogbarks?
thedogbarks -
I, like toomanywires, am a huge fan of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, so I’m not exactly going to slam Metal Gear Solid 3. However I do strongly feel that the Playstation classic was a far superior game for a number of reasons, not only related to its historical significance. However, seeing as that is the most obvious starting point, let’s kick it off from there. On its release in 1998 MGS created a genre, something that very few games can claim. I don’t necessarily mean ‘stealth’ as of course other games had incorporated such elements before, rather ‘tactical espionage action’… which is a fairly meaningless but accurate description of the experience. More importantly it was the first game to be a truly cinematic experience. Spectacular scenes, an intriguing story with plenty of twists, the best voice acting in any game to date; it had it all. The game could be completed in a matter of hours, but that was the beauty of the game. Once you got good enough at it you could play through the game as if it were an action movie. Thus, it was one of the first games that other people would sit down and watch being played all the way through, because it was that well a constructed plot. Oh, and Liquid Snake was incredible. His British accent practically dripped with honey-roasted ham, and that is something that MGS3 cannot compare to.
toomanywires -
I agree with your points, especially about Liquid. But, although Metal Gear Solid was a well constructed game, the gameplay had numerous restrictions that were overcome in MGS3. Shadow Moses, although a very memorable setting, was extremely limited. The Soviet jungles of MGS3 were a far bigger part of the gameplay and complemented the stealth mechanics of the series much better. As befits such a game, you were much more reliant upon your environment for survival, whether it was by utilizing your camouflage system to crawl though grass unnoticed, or hunting down a snake for a health booster. The environment actually affected how you played the game, in ways that Shadow Moses never did. Although your movements are still somewhat linear, you are afforded much more freedom than in MGS. The best example is The End, a 100 year old sniper who acts as one of the bosses Naked Snake has to subdue. Aside from being my favourite boss battle of the entire series, set across a huge area and requiring a great deal of strategy to complete, you are presented with numerous methods of besting him. The most unusual of which, and best representing the more open gameplay of MGS3, is the opportunity to snipe and kill The End much earlier in the game, ending his role prematurely and removing the need to fight him as a boss later on. Speaking of the bosses, how do you think they compare?
thedogbarks -
To take you up on the freedom that MGS3 provides, I have to say that I preferred the corridor style of MGS. With its (for the most part) fixed overhead camera, and confined geometric rooms it plays out more like a puzzle game wherein there is a perfect solution. Sure you can bungle your way through setting off alarms and gunning down genome soldiers, but for perfectionists finding the optimal route added a lot of replayability to the game. With its slow crawls through grass and the heavy reliance on switching camouflage for different foliage the stealth in MGS3 feels a little too laborious.
I do think the bosses in MGS are far more interesting than MGS 3, not necessarily in the way that the battles play out but rather because you have far more of a connection to them. The bosses are introduced early on and you really get a feel for their unique personalities before even meeting them. Also the fact that you face some bosses multiple times strengthens the bond between Snake and the Fox Hound members so that the combat has a deeper meaning, and their final words are more poignant. In MGS3 you meet a boss, defeat them and then move on. There isn’t nearly as much satisfaction in how these sub-plots develop. MGS also has the benefit of taking place later in the timeline than MGS3 and therefore is able to draw upon the history of the series in order to present more dramatic scenarios. Even if you didn’t know who Grey Fox was before you played MGS, his prior relationship with Snake carried more impact than any boss battle in MGS3. If you want to explain why I’m wrong, please try.
toomanywires -
Poor thedogbarks, you have walked right into this one. With the exception of the fourth-wall-breaking fight with Psycho Mantis, the boss battles from MGS3 far eclipse those of its predecessors. I have already talked about The End, so instead I am going to concentrate on another boss. The Boss. Has the protagonist of a Metal Gear Solid ever had a closer, or more emotionally charged relationship with an enemy? She is his mentor, his friend and mother-figure. And Naked Snake is the substitute for the son that was taken away from her. Yet she still makes the ultimate sacrifice, knowing that it will pit her against Naked Snake. Their eventual showdown to the death, set amongst a carpet of white flowers is a far more poignant moment than anything else seen in the series, before or since. You also mentioned timelines, and that MGS is better able to draw upon the existing history of the series. I would counter that MGS3’s importance lies in it being the creation myth, the point from whence all else comes. The seeds are sewn for the rise of Big Boss, the foundation of the Patriots, the role of Ocelot and the Les Enfants Terribles project. And we all know where that leads us.
thedogbarks -
Sigh. Wow, your little speech on the role of The Boss really had me in tears...cough. The scenery-chewing, pompous and grandiose final speech, all delivered with a plummy British accent (well we have to be good for something) by Liquid is more in keeping with the action movie analogy which I referred to earlier.
One of the reasons that these two MGS games are so comparable is because unlike the other games in the franchise they stand as complete stories where knowledge of the other games isn't necessary. As a single game the plot of MGS is an incredibly compelling piece of fiction. The nuclear plot (also present in MGS3) not only spells out concerns still relevant to the world today, the elements connected to gene manipulation and the use of viral warfare also ring true. But as a simple story of heroism, love, betrayal and war, which is told in a far more complex manner, it has rarely been topped in the medium. And unlike the other MGS games, it has two endings. Whilst for many games that could be perceived as a negative, the difference in their tones make them both thought provoking and evocative in their own way. The fact that whether you submit to torture or not directly affects if Meryl lives or dies is a weight of responsibility that few games can capture.
toomanywires -
I agree that both games do stand on their own outside of the series, and that is one of the things that make them so accessible. With that being said, as for the two endings, having any knowledge of the rest of the series removes any real weight of responsibility, as only Meryl’s survival is canon.
For me, one of the most impressive things about MGS3 is that it’s the only game in the series that nailed the balance between gameplay, dialogue and cut scenes. MGS is a little on the short side, and features far too much intrusive radio talk early on. MGS2, although an enjoyable game, is full of mind numbing babble, and MGS4, despite having a hefty amount of gameplay, relied on cut scenes far too much. Finally, MGS3’s Naked Snake remains the most enjoyable and sympathetic lead in the series. He seems a far more complex, believable and human character than the first game’s incarnation. This is further aided by your knowledge of what he is destined to become, and how the events of the game will irrecoverably change his life.
Last year I played all four MGS games back to back over a short period of time. By revisiting these classics, and playing MGS4 for a second time, I found that MGS3 was still an absolutely riveting experience and remains my personal favourite. And just for the record, in order of preference – MGS3, MGS1, MGS4, MGS2.
thedogbarks -
Whilst I have argued for MGS in terms of its appeal in terms of an action cinema experience, its canonical importance, and its bosses, perhaps the reason I am so enamored with the game is all the deft, genius touches that it introduced, and Kojima has never since managed to surpass.
Think back on MGS and rather than just Snake and the story, I remember flashes of the small moments in the game which challenged my own perception of what games are. Remember having to find Meryl's CODEC on the back of the game box? That was truly a moment that perhaps will never be topped in terms of originality. How about when you first sparked up a cigarette as Snake and wondered what was making a beeping noise, and then realized that smoking also had a practical use in the game? Everything to do with Psycho Mantis? Finding out that a dog urinating on you could have a positive effect? The FoxDie revelations? I could go on forever. When I think about MGS so many wonderful memories come to mind. So many memories that have changed the way I felt about videogames. Very few games could hold such esteem in my mind, so whilst I do love MGS3, it could never scale the heights of its Playstation forefather.
The Demise of the Launch Day Queue - Dragon Quest IX
Yesterday (July 11th) saw the Japanese release of the much anticipated Dragon Quest IX for the Nintendo DS. In Japan, Dragon Quest is huge, and any new release in the series is big news. From what I understand, the title achieved huge pre-order numbers, but if you went to a video game store yesterday expecting gigantic queues and festivities, for the most part you would have been sorely disappointed.
As has already been noted on numerous sites, and from what I saw for myself in Akihabara, there was no huge turnout of gamers. This is of course due to the aforementioned sheer volume of pre-orders, and I would imagine, the ease of ordering it online. But I have to say, it’s a bit of a let down. I was hoping to see legions of Dragon Quest addicts foaming at the mouth and scrambling for hard to come by copies of the game. But when I last looked, about 30 minutes before closing last night, there were no shortages of the game, and no more customers than any other Saturday evening.
It reminds me a lot of the February release of Street Fighter IV. Wanting to buy a copy of the game, and having a free morning, I decided to head down to Sofmap in Akihabara on the release day. I was outside the shop 10 minutes prior to opening, and I was expecting a strong show of people. However, I was one of maybe 10 people waiting outside. When the shutters finally opened, I was the only person to make a bee line for the pile of SF copies. A new PSP release seemed to be of more interest to the other customers. As a side note, I remember hearing claims of Tokyo-wide shortages of the game upon release, but I saw no evidence of this. I happened to come back from work via Akihabara later that same day, and the big shops were still selling it.
Along the same lines, and sticking with Sofmap in Akihabara, I have read a couple times about Suda51 and Yasuhiro Wada being greeted by zero customers during a game signing event on the day of release of No More Heroes.
I can of course understand why people would prefer to pre-order, or order online. But its does take away a bit of the mystique of a game release, and I cant imagine it looks good for the publishers or retailers when so few make the journey to pick up their own copy on the day of release.
Video Game Hall of Fame - 1. NBA Live 97
All comments are welcome.
So without further ado...
1. NBA Live ’97 (SEGA Saturn) (1997)
This will probably seem an unusual inclusion to most. The Live series has had a huge amount of success worldwide, but why would I nominate the 1997 incarnation? Well, quite simply because it has provided me with as much entertainment as any other game I have ever played.
I had NBA Live 97 on the SEGA Saturn. I remember buying it in 1997 from my local HMV. From the best of my memory, the release date was constantly being postponed and I had all but given up on having the opportunity to play it on my beloved Saturn. I remember calling game shops every week to confirm when exactly the game was coming. Then one day, when perusing the shelves of my local HMV, there was Mitch Richmond, the cover star, staring back at me. I almost lost control of my bowels. Even the £44.99 price tag didn’t dampen my spirits. I proceeded to play the game non stop for the next year. I remember doing little else that very summer, except playing basketball in the sunshine and then coming inside for some NBA Live action. It was an idyllic summer, and one that I perhaps now over romanticise.
My first venture into the game was a full 82 game season as my favourite team, the Phoenix Suns. It was in the days of Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd and Rex Chapman and I knew their stats off by heart. I played every single game, with each lasting around 40 minutes. As a stat geek, I ensured that each player’s contributions reflected their real life stats, with the exception of some stat padding for my favourite player, Kevin Johnson. We steamrolled through the playoffs and won the championship. Of course, the result was never in question. After playing that many hours, the reset button would ensure my eventual victory.
Once the season was over, and I had given myself a well deserved congratulatory pat on the back, I played yet another full season. I took the New York Knicks all the way in another 82 game marathon undertaking. The game enthralled me, and was the beginning of a long relationship with the series. I was so enamoured with the game, that when I finally sold my Saturn, peripherals and all my games a year later, I couldn’t bring myself to part with my copy. It still sits, obsolete, somewhere in my bedroom back in England.
Back in 1997, being an NBA fan in England was somewhat tough. I had to make do with an hour a week of Channel Four’s excellent magazine show, my basketball cards and Teletext! NBA Live 97 was the closest I could get to the game I loved, and I embraced it. I could control the players that I had seen so little of, but knew so much about. When I had time during my demanding regular season schedule (!), I would play my brother in an ongoing playoff style tournament. We argued almost as much as when we played a real game of basketball!
At the time, the game looked great. The level of presentation was excellent, the stats and rosters exhaustive and the difficulty was well balanced. You could also make custom players, which was the only way you were going to play as Michael Jordan. Earlier today, I checked out a contemporary review form gamespot, which claimed that “The animations are so smooth and realistic that you'd swear you were watching a real game”. Of course, considering what the NBA Live games look like nowadays, this quote seems absurd. But for its time, it seemed pretty special.
A month or so ago, I was rummaging through a bargain bin when I spotted a Playstation copy of the game. Although it was in Japanese, I couldn’t resist picking it up. I got home and loaded it up. The character models were horrible, the game mechanics were random and it looked very, very dated, in a way that only sports games can. Nonetheless, it brought a big smile to my face. I sat there and played a full game, and it reminded me of exactly why I love video games.
NBA Live 97, welcome to the Hall of Fame.
thedogbarks vs toomanywires - Video Game Fanboys
For our second attempt, we are looking at video game fanboys. We have also changed up the format a bit for this one. Writing a paragraph at a time, we are directly responding to each others points.
So read on, and let us know what you think.
Video Game Fanboys
"What did you say about the Virtual Boy?!"
thedogbarks -
Ah fanboys. Lifeblood of the industry, and the heart and soul of what makes video games so different to other forms of media. Yet tragically these champions of gaming are hated and derided by the world at large. It is true that often the venom with which they express themselves and the stubbornness of their beliefs can at times be trying but that merely speaks of the passion they have. We have much to thank fanboys for, no matter how we may try to deny it. They may be the minority, but they are a very vocal minority that can affect the industry in a positive way. Let’s take Nintendo as an example. This year they announced not one, but two Mario games, a drastic re-imagining of Metroid and overtures to a completely new motion-plus controlled Zelda. Why? The wrath of the fanboys. Last year’s E3 was so pathetic for them, was so casual focused, was so Cammy Dunaway’s family stories, that they took an absolutely pounding from the Nintendo faithful and had to reevaluate their approach this year. Reggie Fils-Aime said that Nintendo had listened to the concerns of the hardcore fans (probably out of fear of being stabbed) and responded, so you should be damn grateful to fanboys. Without them the only Wii game you would be looking forward to is Mario Party 15. Don’t you agree toomanywires?
toomanywires -
No I don’t. First of all, let’s make an important distinction between a fanboy and a hardcore gamer. I consider myself a relatively hardcore gamer, but I would absolutely draw the line at fanboy. A hardcore gamer is someone who plays a lot, has a certain knowledge and appreciation of the medium, knows what they like but is open to trying something new, as long as its not shite. Fanboys are spiteful beasts, more concerned with minute details, series continuity and giving everyone who doesn’t agree with them an earful. It’s an obsession that clouds the judgement and prevents one from seeing the big picture. And all of this is detrimental to their acceptance and enjoyment of anything new, which can have a profound knock-on effect upon other gamers, and even the quality of games. You say we should be grateful to the fanboys for Nintendo’s surprising announcements at E3. If Nintendo is truly catering to the fanboys, then can we blame them for a new Super Mario Galaxy that boasts 90% new levels? How is that acceptable? What happened to the other 10%!? I blame the fanboy influence and their inability to embrace change. Let’s hear it thedogbarks.
thedogbarks -
90% new levels is better than no new levels, but of course I agree with some of your comments about fanboys. But looking at the industry you have to be able to appreciate the value of fanboys. Let’s take the Left 4 Dead 2 announcement recently. The petition was started to boycott the game as people felt that Valve had moved on to a full sequel too quickly, and from a company which has always prided itself on free additional content and continued support for their products, it surprised many. In response to the petition Valve pledged its continual support and free content patches to the original Left 4 Dead as well as compatibility between the two games. Perhaps they would have done it anyway .Perhaps most ‘hardcore’ gamers or enthusiasts wouldn’t have bothered to raise a fuss. But fanboys are our industry watchdog, haranguing companies to ensure that we get more bang for our buck. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. As a ‘hardcore’ gamer have you done anything to encourage developers to give us a better deal?
toomanywires -
I can't say that I have been that pro-active. If I feel that a developer is unfairly over-charging for something, I make myself heard simply by electing not to buy it (RE 5 Versus mode). But, point taken about Left For Dead 2, though I get the feeling that Valve were always committed to the first game as well as the sequel. Still, do you equate that movement of gamers to fanboys? When I think of the term fanboy, I think of it as being a somewhat derogatory term. By making their voices heard and achieving something worthwhile, I do not think of the people who signed that petition as being fanboys, merely dedicated gamers who felt like they were being ripped off. They are a group of gamers displaying their passion in a constructive way. That’s something to be praised, so I don’t consider that fanboyism (is that a word?!). So where do we draw the line between being passionate about a game/console and being a fanboy?
thedogbarks -
Fair points but I think we are both getting bogged down in the terminology. So let me close by noting how fanboys have helped to elevate videogames. They lift them from entertainment into something far more cultish. In the same way that Star Trek and Star Wars can be enjoyed by many, even loved and appreciated by many, but only worshipped by a few, videogames can inspire the same loyalty that those two iconic franchises can generate. As well as the irrational hatred that comes with it. The frantic, unreasonable devotion or hatred is something that can almost be compared to how people feel about sports. You can love or hate another team unconditionally for no other reason than you are a fan. And in the same way that sporting heroes can inspire grown men to burst into tears, Miyamoto's mere presence reduces Nintendo fanboys to blubbering wrecks. And for those people who waited in line for a week to be among the first to buy a PS3, you brought media attention to our passion which is belittled and misunderstood by most of the mainstream press. Yes we are crazy, but seeing as videogames have surpassed movies in terms of revenue generated, you had better listen to our crazy. Whilst a neutral fan of football could enjoy a game between Man United and Man City, and appreciate both teams (like those of us who own multiple systems), we also need the madness of the fans who scream their lungs out. We need fanboys.
toomanywires -
I suppose fanboys are inevitable. I wouldn’t go as far to say that we need them, but they may have their place. For a start, they make the rest of us look far more reasonable and cognitive! And I like the football analogy. But, even with the popularity of online connectivity and massively multiplayer games, I still see gaming as quite a personal experience. In football, fans fully embrace a team to exist, bond and revel within that extended community. This may be for the better; that feeling when a country comes together during a world cup run, or worse; the violence that has become synonymous with European football. However, for most people video games remain an activity that largely involves sitting in your living room and interfacing with an inanimate entity. So, this “frantic, unreasonable devotion or hatred” is somewhat misplaced in the realms of video games, and I’m thankful for that. And part of the problem is that unlike football, there is no end in sight. We can’t put Mario and Sonic in a stadium and make them play each other in front of 40,000 fans. There is no closure. It’s an endless cycle that, I will admit, when done in good humour can be a great deal of fun. But when taking the “I’m right, everyone else is wrong” fanboy approach, it’s just a waste of time. Passion? Yes, the industry thrives on it. Fanboys? Not so much.
Why Do I Own These Games/Peripherals?
Vampire Rain – Altered Species (PS3)
Now, I know why I bought this game. It was ¥980 for a new PS3 game that I knew had English support. I also knew that the game was supposed to be really bad, so I thought just maybe I could get some sort of perverse enjoyment from revelling in its awfulness. But I had no idea that it was this abysmal. Its virtually unplayable, looks like a decidedly average PS2 game and most importantly, its bad bad, not good bad. It is currently taking up valuable shelf space.
Rise of The Argonauts (PS3)
I love video games. I love ancient Greek myth and history. I don’t love Rise of the Argonauts. An ill informed purchase. I played about an hour into the game and never turned it on again. It seemed a little bland, looked very unimpressive and the combat didn’t grab me. Also, there are no trophies.
Text heavy Japanese Saturn games
I have Policenauts on the SEGA Saturn. It comes in a nice black box and includes an art book and stickers. It’s supposed to be a very good game, so it’s a shame I can’t get past the first few minutes. My Japanese is nowhere near good enough to navigate this text heavy game. Instead of learning my lesson, I proceeded to buy Snatcher too. Same problem. I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing. I also have countless Saturn JRPGs and strategy games that I cannot play. They do look good on my shelf though. In my defence, most of them were really, really cheap.
Densha De Go and the train controller (SEGA Saturn)
I don’t like trains. I spend far too much time riding them to work during rush hour, which in Tokyo is a complete nightmare. So, playing a train simulator at the weekend is never a top priority. As I write this, I am using the train controller box as a foot rest. Still, it’s great for drinking games!
The Rez Trance Vibrator Peripheral (PS2)
Rez is an excellent game and in no way do I regret buying it. But did I really need the Trance Vibrator? For those who are unfamiliar with this lump of plastic, it’s about the size of a PC mouse and it vibrates along with the game. And it vibrates hard. It does nothing else. I have absolutely no idea what to do with it, and being a second hand pick- up, I’m a bit concerned about what the previous owner may have done with it.
Virtual On Twin Stick x2 (SEGA Saturn)
These joy sticks for the mech fighter, Virtual On, are hefty. I’m not really sure that I need one, let alone two of them, especially considering that I’m not a huge fan of the game. Even if I had any friends, it’s highly unlikely that they would be into playing Virtual On. I suppose I could battle myself.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who makes these kinds of purchases. Am I?
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