Good Games In Retrospective

[HAMMER FRENZY]

I went to Borders last night to draw and drink coffee. Afterwards I drove around and stopped by at Wal-Mart to look around and waste some time. While I was there I was looking at the XBOX 360 section and at the PS3 section and found myself again, less than enthusiastic about my imminent purchase of a next gen system. I am positive I will get a 360 once I decide to get into this again, but even then, I am not terribly excited. I ended up going home and playing some older games and eventually threw in some Time Splitters 3 and immediately was reminded how much I freaking love that game. I know that compared to PC FPS it is not all that awesome or whatever, but damn is it a fun console FPS. It is fast, fun, funny and it has all kinds of crap to do in it.

I have unlocked such a stupid amount of crap in that game and still have like 30% more to go. I recently got back into making levels for multi-player, ( I still play it regularly with my son) and was freaking blown away. I was making some pretty cool stuff, pretty damn fast, once I remembered all my level design tricks I had found while making levels in it a while back. This got me thinking that I never really heard or hear of anybody talk about this game, even when it came out. The only person who I have heard even mention it here is Schild.

After playing it this long, I can honestly say it is probably my favorite console FPS. SO that is the point of this thread. Games you played and found to be really, really well done and fun, that no one else talks about or may have just let slip by. There is still a lot of fun stuff to play, and if there is more stuff that is that good I am more than willing to pick that crap up and play it. SO post about games you played that you liked so we can talk about it or go out and find ourselves a copy so we can play it.

[Murgos]

I went to Borders last night to draw and drink coffee. Afterwards I drove around and stopped by at Wal-Mart to look around and waste some time. While I was there I Was looking at the XBOX 360 section and at the PS3 section and found myself again, less than enthusiastic about my imminent purchase of a next gen system. I am positive I will get a 360 once I decide to get into this again, but even then, I am not terribly excited. I ended up going home and playing some older games and eventually threw in some Time Splitters 3 and immediately was reminded how much I freaking love that game. I know that compared to PC FPS it is not all that awesome or whatever, but damn is it a fun console FPS. It is fast, fun, funny and it has all kinds of crap to do in it. I have unlocked such a stupid amount of crap in that game and still have like 30% more to go. I recently got back into making levels for multi-player, ( still play it regularly with my son) and was freaking blown away. I was making some pretty cool stuff, pretty damn fast, once I remembered all my level design tricks I had found while making levels in it a while back. This got me thinking that I never really heard or hear of anybody talk about this game, even when it came out. The only person who I have heard even mention it here is Schild. After playing it this long, I can honestly say it is probably my favorite console FPS. SO that is the point of this thread. Games you played and found to be really, really well done and fun, that no one else talks about or may have just let slip by. There is still a lot of fun stuff to play, and if there is more stuff that is that good I am more than willing to pick that crap up and play it. SO post about games you played that you liked so we can talk about it or go out and find ourselves a copy so we can play it.

You were hit by a_wall_of_text01 for 542 damage.  You have died...
Loading, please wait.

[Pennilenko]

I went to Borders last night to draw and drink coffee. Afterwards I drove around and stopped by at Wal-Mart to look around and waste some time. While I was there I Was looking at the XBOX 360 section and at the PS3 section and found myself again, less than enthusiastic about my imminent purchase of a next gen system. I am positive I will get a 360 once I decide to get into this again, but even then, I am not terribly excited. I ended up going home and playing some older games and eventually threw in some Time Splitters 3 and immediately was reminded how much I freaking love that game. I know that compared to PC FPS it is not all that awesome or whatever, but damn is it a fun console FPS. It is fast, fun, funny and it has all kinds of crap to do in it.

I have unlocked such a stupid amount of crap in that game and still have like 30% more to go. I recently got back into making levels for multi-player, ( still play it regularly with my son) and was freaking blown away. I was making some pretty cool stuff, pretty damn fast, once I remembered all my level design tricks I had found while making levels in it a while back. This got me thinking that I never really heard or hear of anybody talk about this game, even when it came out. The only person who I have heard even mention it here is Schild.

After playing it this long, I can honestly say it is probably my favorite console FPS. SO that is the point of this thread. Games you played and found to be really, really well done and fun, that no one else talks about or may have just let slip by. There is still a lot of fun stuff to play, and if there is more stuff that is that good I am more than willing to pick that crap up and play it. SO post about games you played that you liked so we can talk about it or go out and find ourselves a copy so we can play it.

You were hit by a_wall_of_text01 for 542 damage.  You have died...
Loading, please wait.

I dont see a wall of text..........

[murdoc]

But I bet you see an edit.

Ultima Underworld and Mutant League Football were my two favoritest games ever, and I don't have a copy of either of them at the moment.

[schild]

« Last Edit: Today at 07:25:34 AM by HAMMER FRENZY »

Sneaky sneaky.

Timesplitters 1-3 is good.

Timesplitters 4 is for the Wii.

Series is dead to me.

:(:(:(

[MisterNoisy]

« Last Edit: Today at 07:25:34 AM by HAMMER FRENZY »

Sneaky sneaky.

Timesplitters 1-3 is good.

Timesplitters 4 is for the Wii.

Series is dead to me.

:(:(:(

Well, the TimeSplitters guys (Free Radical) are working on Haze for the PS3, so that may alleviate the pain some. :)

[schild]

Yes, I am stoked about Haze. But like Hammer Frenzy said, I might be the only one :(

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Schild: Yeah, I am pretty interested in playing Haze. Man I wish we would have gotten to play TS3 together, I freaking love that game. SO damn fast hahahah. Oh and the TS$ on the Wii thing was quoted from GI, it was a as well kinda thing. There is no specified system as of yet, but it most likely will be PS3 or all systems.

[Pennilenko]

One word for everyone:

Lemmings

[HAMMER FRENZY]

But I bet you see an edit.

Ultima Underworld and Mutant League Football were my two favoritest games ever, and I don't have a copy of either of them at the moment.

Man I love Mutant League Football. I actually am happy that EA has not done anything with it. They need to leave that one alone.

[Yegolev]

TimeSplitters 2 instilled a deep-rooted fear of red gloves in me.

[Mrbloodworth]

But I bet you see an edit.

Ultima Underworld and Mutant League Football were my two favoritest games ever, and I don't have a copy of either of them at the moment.

The first Ultima Underworld rocked! the second..not so much.

[Stormwaltz]

I may be the only person, but I've always loved Empire II: The Art of War. Aside from miserably stupid AI, it was a perfect, modest turn-based wargame. It could be played hotseat or email (real time internet gaming was uncommon in 1996, aside from the FPS crowd), and had IGO-UGO and simultaneous execution (a la the later Combat Mission series) modes. It had some "hardcore" details (line of supply, weather, normal vs. entrenched vs. transit modes), but nothing overwhelming to the player.

The game/art editors were easy to use. Editors are always a big draw with me. You couldn't change terrain types or muck with the code, but I was able to create everything from man-to-man SF combat to brigade-scale medieval to division-scale modern scenarios, all with their own unique unit icons.

I got years of play out of that game. I still have it installed, but the DVI monitor I got in January makes hash of the game.

[raydeen]

For me:

Kyrandia 1 (2 and 3 were ok)
Lands of Lore 1
Might and Magic 3-5 (had 2 on the Genesis)
Elder Scrolls Arena and Daggerfall
Doom (the original)
Ultima Underworld 1 and 2
Ravenloft
Cybermage
Populous 1 and 2 (had 1 on the Genesis)
Starflight 1 and 2 (1 also on the Genesis)

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Raydeen: Man I hear Star Flight love all the time... I own it on my Genesis, I need to play it.

[stray]

Tropico and all wrestling games (for realz).

[schild]

God bless Tropico.

Also, I don't understand this thread. All these games were good to begin with. Why do we have to look at it with retrospecTIVA.

Edit: Oh, Retrospective was just a bad choice of words.

I'm pretty sure The Schild Chronicles covered a number of good games no one noticed. Like Metal Arms. And Digital Devil Saga.

[Jain Zar]

« Last Edit: Today at 07:25:34 AM by HAMMER FRENZY »

Sneaky sneaky.

Timesplitters 1-3 is good.

Timesplitters 4 is for the Wii.

Series is dead to me.

:(:(:(

Can you like any game on the Wii?

Its not like Timesplitters is fantastic (and LIGHT YEARS better than the Halo  series...) because of its clever level design and sheer pile of fun content or anything.

I guess you need your FPSes to have HI DEF BLOOM LIGHTING and voice chat so "NI^$ER J^W C(NT FA&^OT *teabag emote*" or they suck.

Seriously dude.  Your irrational Wii hate is about as overdone as the FPS is.  Except you never added HI DEF BLOOM LIGHTING to your same old schtick...

[stray]

I think you guys are trying harder to defend the Wii than Schild is trying to hate it.

[UnSub]

I think you guys are trying harder to defend the Wii than Schild is trying to hate it.

I don't think that's possible.

[pxib]

Loderunner
MULE
Suspended

[schild]

Its not like Timesplitters is fantastic (and LIGHT YEARS better than the Halo  series...) because of its clever level design and sheer pile of fun content or anything.

Actually, yea it is. No one plays it though.

I think you guys are trying harder to defend the Wii than Schild is trying to hate it.

After Cannon Fodder, AVP and Flashback came out - I was a fan of the Atari Jaguar. I still have one and a Jaguar CD and about 40 games. It doesn't take much for me to like a system.

The Wii is not only a shitty system full of crap shovelware and absolute trash everywhere you look, that waggly shit is invading stuff I like. It doesn't take any effort whatsoever to hate.

[rk47]

Tropico is a fun city builder game. I really loved the sound track too. back in 2001 I used to play it a lot. I'm borrowing the CD from a friend this weekend to replay it. :-D

[CadetUmfer]

Age of Empires II
Quake III
Crimsonland

[Simond]

After Cannon Fodder, AVP and Flashback came out - I was a fan of the Atari Jaguar. I still have one and a Jaguar CD and about 40 games. It doesn't take much for me to like a system.

Why are you using two Amiga games to defend your love of the Jaguar?
Oh, and God Hand is criminally under-rated.

Off on a slight tangent, someone over on SA did a "Let's Play" thread for KOTOR2 including a bunch of the cut content and if Lucasarts hadn't pushed it out the door a few months too early I think it would have been ranking up there with Planescape: Torment. No, really.

[schild]

Well, you're wrong about KOTOR. The source material made sure of that.

It's not that it was 2 Amiga games, it's that it was the best two versions OF those games. Also, AVP.

Yes, God Hand is even more criminally underrated than you made it. It's the best beat-em-up since the mid 90s.

[rattran]

Master of Magic was one of my favorites. Kept playing it for ages, everyone else seemed to be obsessing over Master of Orion at the time.

[Sky]

Sacrifice. Best spells in a game EVER, really fun when the eqholic and I were playing 1v1 LAN. Rival wizards casting Volcano and Tornado is one of the most visceral experiences I've ever had in three decades of gaming.

Jagged Alliance, but I don't think that is an obscure or sleeper title.
Operation: Flashpoint.

[Merusk]

Master of Magic was one of my favorites. Kept playing it for ages, everyone else seemed to be obsessing over Master of Orion at the time.

Loved both of those.  Still play MOO2 from time to time, and I need to figure a way to get MoM to work on my machine once again.  Had it running on the old box just fine, but the new one's being flaky. Grr.  Both need a legitimate sequel, but I think it's never going to come to pass.

Still much love for Civs in all flavors, and SMAC.  Star Control and SC2 as well.

Console-wise Bushido Blade didn't get enough love.  It was also way too dumbed-down in BB2.   My budget's always been too (self) limited to pick-up obscure stuff "just because."  It also means I don't have a shelf full of shit I should trash/ sell back to EB games tho.. so I'm fine with that.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Schild: The reason I used Good Games in Retrospective was because I also want people to look back at games that were not great, but were really fun. Games they could recommend to other people who may like the same thing. A good example is God Hand. I fucking love that game, but it was way to hard for many people and the game was all over the place. About 90% of the people who played it never knew just how deep the fighting engine is and that alone is not reason enough for a game to be great. We ( you and I) like it so damn much cause t is clever and it plays well, but it has its issues. It is not  great game, it is a great game for people who like this sort of stuff, and that stuff is basass character design, fantastic fighting engines set to surf guitar....God damn... This game is like a set up... there was no way i could not have liked it....Anyway the levels were really bland (really bad!) and the fighting was very repetitive...If you sucked at the game...But I didn't so It looked and felt awesome when I beat droves of guys to shit.

Anyway, the point is this thread is for great games that got overlooked and good games that are good despite their shortcomings and bad games you played and enjoyed for some weird reason and that you would recommend to someone else if they fit specific criteria.

So yes, for many people, excluding myself and Schild and a few other of you, God Hand was okay, but looking back it was actually really good.

Games in Retrospective. Could have been games in retrospect too...hmmm.

Anyway...I love Red Dead Revolver. Everything about it. I love that game.

[Sky]

Sacrifice fits that. There was an annoying mechanism where you got these (fragile) little followers called manawhores (heh) that gave you your power, and they had to follow you aroung the map. But the game was fun enough to overcome the shortcomings. And the spells. Zomg.

I'd also say Daggerfall, because it was rambing and buggy, but I probably played it for a year. One of my favorite moments was falling in a well, swimming to the bottom of it and I was like 40 levels deep in this massive dungeon. Took me forever to finally get out, but it was in a good way.

[schild]

Guys, Phantom Hourglass makes the old GB/GBA Zelda's look like fucking masterpieces.

There is absolutely no reason to have a stylus in that game at all other than marking on the map :( :( :( and that could have been done with icons and the dpad on a grid.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Schild: I had a feeling that you would really dislike the Phantom Hourglass.    I am sure that it will be fun, everyone I know that has played it enjoys it.

[schild]

Oh, it's as close to a 16-bit Zelda we'll ever get.

But the stylus controls are COMPLETELY unwarranted. Which is a fucking shame. And some of the design is totally haphazard. Make little circles on the edge of the screen to roll? JUST MAP IT TO A BUTTON. DAMN.

[Rasix]

Almost there....