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 On 11/10/2020 at 03:48 PM by Machocruz See More From This User » |
Long time, no blog.
Brutal Doom 64 - Doom 64 was already in contention for favorite Doom game, and the Brutal mod ups the enemy count, variety, and aggression. It also brings back the shotgun and super shotgun pump/reload animations that were in the first two Dooms but lacking in vanilla 64. Doesn't have the bugnuts energy and fatalities of the Doom 1/2 Brutal mod, which wouldn't fit 64 anyway. Of course there are graphical enhancements and new fx.
At times the game was like a survival horror when my ammo stocks got depleted and I had to be very tactical in how I navigate the map and engage enemies. Doom 64 already had a more horror tinged ambience than the previous games, with a darker, moodier color palette and ominous, ambient soundtrack.
Beat the game over the course of October and had a blast. I want to do it again or try some of the other Doom 64 ports
Shadowgate (NES) - Started it Halloween mid-evening, finished it in the early a.m. What a ride. I mean it's a humble little adventure game, bit I was engrossed all the way through it. Got stuck for hours at some points, because I wasn't fully aware of how the game operates, specifically the Move command, so was without necessary items to advance for a while. But it isn't a hard game to figure out, it's mostly obvious what needs to be done, and if not you can just try all your commands and items and you will eventually bypass the obstacle.
There are quit a few trial and error traps in the he game, but frustration is alleviated by the humorous death descriptions and the fact that the game puts you back into the room previous to the one you died in. Ahead of it's time in a way, as such quick and forgiving respawn is standard in games today
The soundtrack is a NES classic. I heard it once back in the 80s and remembered it all my life. Major nostalgia hit playing the game again as an ok boomer.
Had a lot of fun and good feeling after completing Shadowgate. Maybe I'll be back next year
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. - Still working on this one. For many people, this is the he best of the Metroid 'Vanias, or Igavanias, if you prefer. I don't feel the same way right now, but it is a solid entry. It's also the last one I didn't play. Of all of them, it feels the most like a follow-up to SotN in terms of structure and aesthetics (visual and aural), as far as the GBA can muster.
Apparently I'm only halfway through, so not much else to say about it. And honestly, I've already had my fill of these games, and this one feels a bit bog standard after the DS ones. Still fun, but won't be finishing it anytime soon.
non Halloween rundown:
Got first clear of This War Of Mine in September. Seemed a lot easier than my last couple attempts. Got gud? Excellent and artful survival game.
First win on Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. On one of the easier modes, but I want to learn all the mechanics without the other factions dividing my attention too much. This game was made by geniuses. Simply incredible thought and detail put into it
Dabbling with backlog, which includes The Messenger, Xanadu Next, and FF4 Complete Collection.
The roguelike Brogue. Simple mechanics compared to other traditional rl, but no less deadly. Getting my ass kicked and coming back for more.
More to talk about, but I'll save that for another post.
L8r
If Brutal Doom ever appears on consoles, I'll be all over that.
I played Shadowgate on the Mac back in the day. I beat it with a few friends while I was at school. I'd like the see the NES version. I think I owned it once. I want it back.
I want to play Alpha Centauri.
Did they bring the Brutal mod to consoles for Doom 1/2?
Only seen the Mac version in screenshots. From what I can tell, the NES version is definitive. Definitely try it wheyyou have the chance.
AC is bananas! Someone on another forum I used to post on maintained it was the greatest game of all time. Just an opinion of course, but I can see why he felt that way. It's definitely one of the greatest, and maybe the greatest in it's genre. But it's not for the impatient or people who need something flashing or exploding at all times. There is a lot to learn, but worth it imo.
Not that I'm aware of and I'm scanning the stores on Xbox and PS4 every week.
I'm curious about the latest Civilization because it's on consoles as well as PC this time. I'm going to try it when I can get it on a sale or if it appears on Game Pass.
I've always wanted to play Alpha Centauri. I bought it on GOG a while back, but still haven't touched it. Someday.
I bought it on GoG too...about 5 years ago. Just recently got around to playing. I tried a torrent before, just to see what it was like.
I downloaded Doom 64 on the Switch. Probably my favorite Doom game. It felt meatier than the first two games, the weapons seemed to have real heft to them and less like toys. Just wish they could have fit all the enemies. With thaf 3 of my favorite N64 titles are on Switch, the other two being Super Mario 64 and Turok. Right now I've been playing Super Mario 3D All-Stars more than anything.
Alpha Centauri sounds near. I didn't have a PC capable of playing it back then.
There is a remake of Shadowgate on Switch, which the original designers worked on. Not the same without the NES look, though.
Also been on a bit of a Falcom kick lately. Trails of Cold Steel 3, and Legacy of the Wizard became available on Switch as part of a recent Namco collection. Hopefully Nintendo or Konami will release Faxanadu.
Definitely my favorite Doom. My first experience with the series was the PS1 version, which also had an ambient soundtrack by the same composer as 64. It established what Doom is in my mind, and 64 takes it further. And what they did with the color palette is very cool, I love the look. The Brutal mod brings Revenants and Spider Masterminds back to it. No Arch Viles unfortunately. And it makes the weapons feel even beefier. It's the most fun I've had with an action game in a long time, unless you count Terraria.
I'm aware of the Shadowgate remake. It has a totally different feel. Not just the look but the music has been LotR-ified. Now it's like an epic fantasy adventure compared to the NES version's funhouse /hauntedhouse vibe, the latter being more novel in this day and age.
Falcom is forever. They always had a certain feel that was cozy. Big LotW fan, I was mesmerized as a kid. So much mystery in the days before online guides. Game seemed full of possibilities. I'm surprised no indies have tried Legacy-likes, or Faxanadu- likes. La Mulana is the closest I guess. More interesting than yet another Metroid or SotN wannabe.
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