FLips

I've just beaten Bowser, with 91 stars at the end. Some I haven't got because I just haven't gone back for them yet, I need to find comet coins to open a few more up, and there's a couple that I haven't got because they were so infuriatingly tricky that I quit before ending up throwing the remote at the TV. I haven't done any of those cleaning jobs either, where you have to smash boxes using fireballs, because I really really hated those in SMG1. And I haven't found any of the elusive green stars yet.

 

So Bowser's dead but there's still plenty to do. It's a cracking game, but I'm not sure if it's as varied as the first one. It seemed quite a bit shorter, too. A very solid 8 out of 10, but on the high side of 8 (like an 8.8 or 8.9) if that was possible.

I finished with around 79/80 earlier, and the main reason I didn't get the rest of the stars before Bowser is that they were so shit to get that I didn't want to.

I love the game, and i'm up to 90 stars now, but it seems to me that the creators gave up towards the end as nothing in the final world or two feel like a final galaxy, and Bowser's level is easy and overall a bit poo. Not to mention his fight is yet again just a re-hash of the last 2 or 3 times you battled him.

I won't go into the positives of it, because what's left to say that hasn't already been said by everyone? However I have a few problems I have to get off my chest.

1. Some of the last levels are poorly designed, and pile on camera and control problems. Notably the let-down that is the Throwback Galaxy, and the Melty Monster Galaxy. On Throwback you play one of the early levels of Mario 64, except that because it's in Mario Galaxy the camera can't keep right up with it. The Melty one has a level where you jump across small planets whilst large magma monsters storm at you, but if you don't jump directly into the planets, you'll orbit them and spin out of control into the monsters.

2. The bird levels handle like shit, I don't want motion controls in a Mario game thanks. The stupid ball balancing levels are enough.

3. Spring Mario is still wank.

4. As Carebear said, the game itself from start to last boss is extremely short. It seems that the levels have sacrificed the length to add more of them.

5. Every star past the first 70 are all rubbish so far. Smashing boxes, doing speed runs, daredevil runs and the same level but being chased by shadows. Doing missions for the monkey that all involve jumping on things for points or skating.

It's far from the perfect game, but it's Mario. I can't help but feel let down though because the hype was worth it for the main brunt of the game, but there's 240 stars (120 proper ones, 120 green ones or something) and every one past 70 is a rubbish side mission.

Also been playing Mario Galaxy 2, it's not that it's the "perfect game", but i've yet to find fault with it (if that makes sense). Just finished the 1st Castle. My girlfriend has been playing with me on the 2P mode, which is really quite fun. There's nothing wrong with the controls.

I wish you could use the report button for people who just annoy the shit out of you. I hope he does buy Earthworm Jim because that game is solid, and when he gets stuck on the second level because he's wank at it, and then comes on here and slags it off, i'll get some pathetically small amount of satisfaction knowing he wasted 800 points on it.

Also, to answer your question, Ocarina of Time isn't the best game ever. Mario Galaxy 2 is, havn't you read the reviews? BEST GAME EVARZ.

I'm going to buy a PS3, are there any particularly great games I should look out for? I'm not after anything overly complicated or conveluted, in the past I've tended to get platformers, racing games and beat-em-ups. I'll be grabbing Little Big Planet 2, Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 and the AAA game when they're released. Is there a Theme Park game for it yet, I haven't been able to find one so far?

 

For your platforming needs, go for Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time. It's the better of the 3 on the PS3, so if you were to pick just one, get that. Katamari Forever is pretty amazing too. 3D Dot Game Heroes is pretty good if you're into the old Zelda games from the NES and SNES. Modnation Racers sorts your kart games out, and there's a ton of downloadable PS1 games on there including MGS, Crash Bandicoot 1 and 3, and Theme Park and Theme Hospital.

Cheers - are the downloadable games on the online network thing?

Yeah, the Playstation Store.

I'm going to buy a PS3, are there any particularly great games I should look out for? I'm not after anything overly complicated or conveluted, in the past I've tended to get platformers, racing games and beat-em-ups. I'll be grabbing Little Big Planet 2, Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 and the AAA game when they're released. Is there a Theme Park game for it yet, I haven't been able to find one so far?

For your platforming needs, go for Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time. It's the better of the 3 on the PS3, so if you were to pick just one, get that. Katamari Forever is pretty amazing too. 3D Dot Game Heroes is pretty good if you're into the old Zelda games from the NES and SNES. Modnation Racers sorts your kart games out, and there's a ton of downloadable PS1 games on there including MGS, Crash Bandicoot 1 and 3, and Theme Park and Theme Hospital.

Might as well not be - you disagree with pretty much everything that is generally agreed to be decent. I constantly find your opinions to be utterly bizarre.

I agree. ajmcstyles' "reviews" make my blood boil. I've yet to hear a positive review about any game at all, and would never expect one about any game that at least a dozen or more people enjoy. I wish he'd just trade in all his games and piss off.

Baraka looks a bit shite though.

gwah

Yeah ok Midas, the game is broken. It's not that you're obviously poor at it.

Saw Kung Fu Hustle last night. I'd never seen it before but I have to say it's one of the funniest, most entertaining things i've watched in ages. The comedy in it is just brilliant.

My mate who works in Liverpool text me and told me he went to the toilet and some bloke was sat in the cubicle next to him talking to himself and letting out weird high pitched noises. Some mental people about.

The one thing I didn't get though was

 

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when they go back to her parent's house at the end, why is the fruit on the tree not rotten? is it plastic? I missed whether they said that

 

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Aye, it's plastic. In the scene where she was talking about her parents, she said the first time she recalled her Dad roaring with laughter was when they went out and hung plastic fruit on the trees one day and when he came back from a trip, he was confused, then fell about laughing. She then mentioned that it became a regular joke that when he left the house, they'd keep putting random pieces of plastic fruit on the trees.

 

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Aye I know what the story behind them was, I just missed the key word

Watched "Away We Go" last night and was pleasantly surprised. It features John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a couple expecting a child. 6 Months into the pregnancy Krasinski's parents announce they're moving thousands of miles away a month before the birth of the child. With Rudolph's parents dead, the couple set off around the country visiting friends and family to see where is the best place to raise the child.

 

The film is really good, if a little linear. It all clicks together and there's some great characters (Maggie Gyllenhall's wierd sea-horse nature freak) but sometimes you never get to see enough of a character to care about them. Definately worth a watch if you like stuff like Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Sam Mendes directs.

I've mentioned this in passing in a couple of other threads on here, but I can't believe I haven't referred to it directly in this one. I loved it when I went to the pictures, but I've watched in half a dozen times since and it keeps getting better. Some very subtle humour, some very dark humour (the scene with the mumbling child talking about his baby brother) and some laugh out loud, blatant humour. It's very poignant at times too; I think Mendes has done a great job of blending the humour in with the touching parts of the film, some of which are seconds apart. The soundtrack is brilliant too.

The one thing I didn't get though was

Watched "Away We Go" last night and was pleasantly surprised. It features John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a couple expecting a child. 6 Months into the pregnancy Krasinski's parents announce they're moving thousands of miles away a month before the birth of the child. With Rudolph's parents dead, the couple set off around the country visiting friends and family to see where is the best place to raise the child.

The film is really good, if a little linear. It all clicks together and there's some great characters (Maggie Gyllenhall's wierd sea-horse nature freak) but sometimes you never get to see enough of a character to care about them. Definately worth a watch if you like stuff like Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Sam Mendes directs.

The boarding bits on Megaman are annoying, but they only take up 2 parts of the entire game and last about 30 seconds. I could do without them but they don't ruin the game for me.

 

Except the second is dumped right at the start of the first Wily stage, meaning one has to replay it, like, three hundred times by default. No thanks.

 

The ruined spin dash is the main problem in the game for me as Sonic games are known for the spin dash and the ability it gives you to get to places. It'd be like if they made a Mario game where he couldn't jump properly.

 

... assuming you're not a fan of Sonic 1, then?

 

I'd say a lot of people could name

 

 

over

 

 

That'd be since around five people owned a Mega CD.

You only have to replay it if you can't do it and I don't really like Sonic 1 no, but at least it just wasn't in at all and not a half working one.

What? I'd take Mega Man 8 over Sonic CD any day.

 

JUMP JUMP

 

SLIDE SLIDE

 

I honestly don't get the love Sonic CD gets, it's a dull, badly controlled, mess of a game.

 

It's perfectly ergonomic, accommodating well the shift in emphasis from speed to navigation. The spin-dash is gimped, granted, but it's worth taking into consideration the game entered development before Sonic 2. Besides, the super peel-out, with its greater efficiency and flexibility, more than compensates.

 

It has rubbish boss fights,

 

And Sonic 1 and 2's bosses are the stuff of legend, yeah?

 

a time travel system that just turns stuff brown

 

 

 

 

 

No.

 

and instantly forgettable levels and music.

 

Sucks to be you, then. CD's soundtrack is often ranked amongst the best in gaming history. Unless you're saddled with the US version, of course.

The boarding bits on Megaman are annoying, but they only take up 2 parts of the entire game and last about 30 seconds. I could do without them but they don't ruin the game for me.

The ruined spin dash is the main problem in the game for me as Sonic games are known for the spin dash and the ability it gives you to get to places. It'd be like if they made a Mario game where he couldn't jump properly.

I'd say a lot of people could name

over

Not saying the other Sonic games have epic boss fights or anything, but aside from the Metal Sonic race and the treadmill boss, Sonic Cd has awful bosses. Especially that pinball one that barely works because Sonic can't stay in a ball and bounces around uncontrollably.

Yep.

And I did have the US Version, I didn't think to download a Japanese ROM.

Sonic CD

 

What a poor game, and a bitterly disappointing Sonic game

 

Only one game for this so far. The pretty awesome Megaman 8.

 

Love this game. It's my favourite behind Megaman 2.

 

What? I'd take Mega Man 8 over Sonic CD any day. I honestly don't get the love Sonic CD gets, it's a dull, badly controlled, mess of a game. It has rubbish boss fights, a time travel system that just turns stuff brown and instantly forgettable levels and music.

That Simpsons thing is shite.

I'm kinda torn between Balrog and Dudley. On one hand Balrog has the experience, and i'm a bit better with him, but Dudley is pretty good too and seems to have a better variety of moves. It's a tough one but I think after a while using them both i'll sway towards Dudley.

Been watching The Office (US Series) and it is so much better than the UK one. The episode where Michael starts dating Pam's mum has had me in stitches.

Vampire's Assistant.

It's not as good as the books, but it's alright.

Can't you just use an old version of Cubase?

I know one of my mates still runs a rather old version of Cubase in Windows for all his recording..

Quite posibbley. I had a look around last night, and the latest Cubase looks quite daunting, and a bit similar to the M-Box2/Pro-Tools layout that I couldn't get to grips with.

There's the simpler Cubase Essentials, and there's also Sequel 2, which to me looks like more or less the same thing.

 

Also, would I need some kind of analogue to digital interface to plug a guitar into a laptop? If so, do they come as standard with the software? M-Box came with an actual box that went into the USB with XLR and line in sockets.

 

So, who here records with instruments? I'd love to have some licks to chop up and play around with and I think that would be a fun way to collaborate. Frank, you're a guitar player right? Surf, I know you play a couple instruments at least...

Like a sample/loop library of UKFF originated material? Got to admit I like this idea.

 

My keyboard playing ability is incredibly cackhanded at the moment (not played in about 5-6 years), but my guitaring is coming back quicker than I expected it to. Paradiddles on my steering wheel means I can still drum in time (maybe even using my feet too!), and I'm still passable on harmonica and recorder (sadly, to satisfy God's sense of humour, the recorder is probably my strongest instrument).

 

Also, how the fuck do you spell posibbley? Every fucking combination of letters I try today looks wrong.

 

Possibly.

That can't possably be right?

Opened up my Ps2 once again and I'm loving getting retro. Get paid on Thursday and will go through my local CEX, Game and Gamestation, as all there ps2 games range quite cheaply any recommendations..?

Timesplitters 2 and Future Perfect

Smackdown Here Comes The Pain

More on the emulation front. Quite a lot actually so i'll pop up a few short thoughts on what i've been playing.

Dreamcast:

Started with Street Fighter 3rd Strike and I have to admit I can see why it's such a highly recieved game. The controls are good, the movement is fluid and it has a really rubbish theme tune "May the best fighter win and win again. Battle to the top until his life ends" which follows behind only "Indeeeestructabllleeeee" as cheesiest fighting game tune of recent memory.

A good handful of the characters are a bit poo, such as Twelve, Q, Urien, Necro, and Oro, but there are some really good characters i'm disappointed aren't in the new SSFIV like Elena and Sean (who's basically Abel anyway) and Alex. Glad to see the top notch Ibuki made it in though. The last boss looks like Seth with blonde hair too.

The choice of special moves is good, with some that take more energy and do less damage than the weaker ones, but leave a massive gap open for slipping in a combo (Alex's Headbutts are a good example). Didn't get round to working out how to use parry and stuff which ended up being embarrassing when I had a bonus round with Sean chucking basketballs at my head and I didn't know how to parry them. Just stood and took it like a man.

Overall a good game, and was easy to pick up and play. Don't think i'll have a ton of time to get to grips with it though with SSFIV out at the end of the month, but i'll be back on it definately.

Next I downloaded Shen....Mue. Can't say I was swept in by it. Had massive expectations which were pretty much crushed straight away. He moves like a right gimp, and the first hour or two of the game are watching poor dialogue and running around talking to people. I did see the potential though with the collecting figures (I spent about 2000 until I got a figure I recognised, it was Eggman) and had a laugh in the arcades where every game was a quicktime event, then I went to play Space Harrier and the game crashed.

Didn't play it enough to say whether it was good or bad, but I could tell it wouldn't be my type of game after spending so long doing nothing and laughing at the poor voice acting. I also gave the orphaned cat tofu instead of fish because

Went out and bought two wired 360 controllers for Windows so I can use them with emulators. Got NES, SNES, and Megadrive/Sega CD. Visited a few top games from my childhood (Megaman 2, Mickey and Donald's World of Illusion, James Pond 3, Parasol Stars) and a few stinkers (Dragon's Lair on the SegaCD, Megaman 7 on the SNES, Ecco the Dolphin) but one game stood out as the worst of a bad bunch, despite being labelled the best game in the series, and getting rave reviews from everyone...

Sonic CD

What a poor game, and a bitterly disappointing Sonic game. Poor level design, a "time travelling" system that just turns whatever level you're on brown, rubbish boss fights, a load of trial and error, clunky controls (especially the spin dash) and instantly forgettable music. I have no idea how this makes it into a best Sonic game list at all, nevermind as #1. It's proper shit. They took away all the catchy songs, all the classic sound effects (when you get a 1up, Sonic now just goes "YEAH!" like he's Rayman or something). A run through of the first few boss fights goes like this;

Robotnik in a two legged pod with two pinball bouncy things as arms. He slowly walks towards you, you hit him once or twice and he runs off. You win

Robotnik at the top of a pinball machine, you clunkily flail around in it because Sonic refuses to stay curled in a ball so you end up landing on flippers and running helplessly back down to the bottom. You finally by luck bounce your way up and hit him once. You win

Robotnik floats left and right underwater with a sheild made of bubbles. Not only does he only shoot 3 little pellets that would only hit you if you were a retard, but you'd think he'd let you drown and not supply you with endless bubbles. Hit him once. You win

Robotnik just floats away from you. Hit him about 4 times, he runs further away and you just finish the level. No obstacles, just follow him. You win.

Then when you finally get to the bosses they've put any effort into, you've got so sick of the actual game that you can't be arsed. One he's in a metal cage dropping things on you from a crane, you have to run on the treadmill floor to grind the cage down till you beat him. Cool, if a little arsey.

Then a race with Metal Sonic which is quite good except it's all trial and error and just generally a pain in the arse.

The special stage is dreadful too, they've just lifted one of the Snes Mario Kart tracks and put UFOs on it that sonic has to jump into, but it's so shitly made that you end up just running in circles.