True Reviews, Updates and Common Sense Opinions
In 2003, one of my favorite Sims games was released. With the 20th anniversary of the Sims franchise passing on January 31, 2020, let’s talk about why The Sims: Bustin’ Out is one of the best games of the franchise.
Continue reading “Why the Sims: Bustin’ Out is still amazing | Celebrating The Sims 20th Anniversary”
In my opinion, Fighting Force was one of the best games to be released on PlayStation. It had four main characters that played very differently and the campaign was simple, yet explosive. At least it was to me who at the time of its release was 7 years old.
I know the market right now is saturated with remakes, remasters, and reboots. But, I have a strong suspicion that Fighting Force may have a place in the current gaming generation.
Fighting Force initially came out in 1997. The graphics weren’t the best, but we didn’t know any better. But even though it looked like a modern-day Mindcraft world build, it still had fun story progression.
The campaign was about an hour and 30 minutes. You could play the game solo or with friends and the main goal was to make it from the city streets to the main boss, fighting your way through enemy waves in preparation to rid the world of Dr. Zeng who was to destroy the world.
My favorite elements of the game included being able to use your fists, soda cans, rocket launchers, trash can lids, guns, and knives that you pick up off the street to fight the enemies. It’s so simple and yet when you threw a soda can at an enemy it was so satisfying.
My favorite level was the elevator. You take it all the way to the roof of this high rise building where Dr. Zeng is supposed to be, but he gets away. But just having the enemies overflow on to the elevator while you have limited supplies and being forced to decide to fight bare-knuckle style or run for a weapon.
And you had a group of diverse characters too. It kind of played like an action movie, to be honest. You had Hawk, your lead role (handsome type). Smasher was the brute (all of the big enemies looked like him). Mace was cool and had a sassy walk (her kicks were the best). Lastly, Alana who seemed like a boxer type (she was ready to brawl).
All of these character types would fair well in a co-op game today. Think of how Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a co-op experience, only Fighting Force would be in third-person instead of first-person. You can match-make to a full team or play solo if you want, and maybe it could even have a 1v1 environment to go against your friends.
These are just my thoughts. Perhaps Square Enix could consider this. A sequal was made for Nintendo 64 and a third game was canceled in development. Unfortunately, Core Design (the developers) is unavailable at the time of this writing. But hey, Fighting Force could still be a viable option.
Sometimes when I log on to Netflix or any streaming service for that matter, I can get overwhelmed by making choice on what I want to watch. I’m not that old, but I am old enough to remember when the TV Guide channel had a set list of what was coming on that night.
And if you didn’t like it, maybe you’d read a book.
When I log on to my platform of choice now, unless I already know what I’m looking for, I need a magic 8-ball to tell me what to watch.
There are so many options and that’s great. But can somebody break things up for me?
I’m focusing on Netflix right now because I remember when the service offered Max.
Get the Max with Netflix!
There are so many options on Netflix. How am I supposed to find things when I don’t know what I’m in the mood for?
When I had my PlayStation 3, Max would always help me out.
Picture yourself on a lazy night. You want to relax so you turn on Netflix and prepare for a night of entertainment. But then, you see 18 different categories, a bunch of suggestions for shows or movies you’ve already seen, and stuff that you’re not even interested in.
Then you click on Max, artificial intelligence embedded in Netflix and ready to help make your life simpler. You hear a cute little jingle, he asks you a few questions and BOOM, you’re watching a Korean drama that you didn’t know existed and you’re having a great time!
That’s why Netflix should bring back Max! There are so many choices and those suggestion categories do not help, but Max can. My experience with Max always positive and helped pinpoint a show or movie that I give a try without having to surf for an hour before starting to watch something.
So Netflix, feel free to bring Max back at any time.
Do you remember the days of the PlayStation? Can you hear the very first boot up sound that the original PlayStation one made playing in your head? Can you feel the nostalgia?
Same.
The other day I was having a chat with my cousin about some of our favorite games from the PS one days. Please trust me when I say there are a lot of them. But, we harped on one game in particular.
Bust a Groove!
I have fond memories of playing Bust a Groove 1 and 2 on my living room floor. Hearing the 9-8-9 Studios introduction and tone that lead to an amazing dance montage video.
Playing Bust a Groove meant seeing a whole group of diverse characters with different dance styles. It meant experiencing an original soundtrack with songs and level designs specific to each individual character. It meant adapting to levels of difficulty with complex dance combos as you scaled the computer competition. Plus, you had to fend off dance rival attacks, whether you were playing against the computer or person over your house, while still keeping the rhythm!
Super hype!
I remember the day I “got good” enough to unlock the hidden characters. That was Robo-Z in Bust a Groove 1 and Panda in Bust a Groove 2. Both of those levels were the most challenging experience in the game and required attention to detail that, as an 8-year-olds, I really worked hard for.
Why am I bringing all of this up?
Because I think Bust a Groove needs to come back. We need a new opportunity to experience this type of creativity.
How could this game be brought forward? I hear you asking.
Think about this. What if we had the same uniqueness that this game exhibited in 1998 but with some added features of today? Think Jump Force but dancing. Keep the standard campaign mode and expand the player vs. player option online. There could be a tag team mode, character customization and ranked leader boards.
As you can see, I’ve thought about this. So Square Enix, formerly known as Enix, and Namco let me know how I can help!
-AM
A lot of anticipated games were shown at E3. And it’s expected for people to be excited about them. But, beyond the critically acclaimed franchises, there were some gems announced as well. I’ve listed a few games that have piqued my interest beyond the main titles that have been showcased.
Twelve Minutes:
Twelve Minutes was shown off at the Microsoft Xbox E3 conference. It has such an intriguing concept. You have 12 minutes to figure out how to not die while you’re stuck in a time loop. The trailer gives off this psycho-thriller vibe. While trying to figure out how to change the events predetermined in the game, I expect to have an intense experience filled with absolute concentration and frustration.
Another exciting thought about Twelve Minutes surrounds the distractions and roadblocks in the game. How will the game respond when the player almost figures out a way out of the loop?
Developer: Luis Antonio /Publisher: Annapurna Interactive / Platforms: Xbox One, PC
GhostWire: Tokyo
The GhostWire: Tokyo trailer debuted at the Bethesda E3 Conference. It was actually one of the most interesting upcoming games mentioned during the conference. It had a brand new feel without any preconceived hype. Planting its feet firmly in the horror genre, GhostWire: Tokyo looks like it will rival The Evil Within which was created by the same developer.
Players will roam a ghostly version of Tokyo after mysterious happenings force you to uncover the reason and purge the city of evil. This sounds like a great opportunity for those of us who faithful play Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and even Parasite Eve.
Developer: Tango Gameworks /Publisher: Bethesda
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Wolfenstein: Youngblood has the potential to be the best Wolfenstein of the franchise. Why? Because you are able to play in online co-op with a partner. It’s the first Wolfenstein with co-op. If this set up works well, I can’t see co-op not being an option in future Wolfenstein titles.
Another reason why this game is on the list is due to the release date. It comes out on July 26, so it’s an option for some summertime entertainment.
Developer: Arkane Studios, MachineGames /Publisher: Bethesda / Platform: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation
Death Loop
Death Loop seems cool. It’s two assassins going head to head to see who can get the kill first. The premise of the game is that you are at a constant loop to kill the other assassins while evading other enemies as well. I may have missed this in the presentation, but the trailer does not mention if this is a co-op experience. If it had a co-op mode, that would most likely be the highlight of the game.
Develper: Arkane Lyon, Studios / Publisher: Bethesda / Platform:
My Friend Pedro
My Friend Pedro is the most unorthodox game that I’ve seen so far in E3. Not only did Devolver Digital have the most memorable showcase, but this game developed by DeadToast Entertainment also stood out among everything else. It reminded me of Super Hot. If you recall Super Hot, you’ll remember its a game where you can slow down time to shoot your enemies. Well, this game reminded me of that, but on a train with parkour.
Developer: DeadToast Entertainment / Publisher: Devolver Digital / Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Which games stuck out to you?