Whatcha Been Playing?

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Magical_Isopod »

I played through Man of Medan, and despite that game getting pretty lousy reviews in the media, it's actually great. Like, genuinely great. Not quite as good as Until Daw, but as a half-priced, half-length anthology entry (think Tales From The Crypt instead of a Hollywood horror movie), it's definitely worth your time. Highly recommended.

Also started playing Trials of Mana (aka, Seiken Densetsu 3) and like... Holy shit, for a 25 year old game, it still holds up remarkably well. The story is interesting, the gameplay is tight and responsive (unlike Secret of Mana), the core mechanics are surprisingly complex... It's really a masterpiece, and it's a damned shame not many people have played it -- especially when compared to the lacklustre Secret of Mana.
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ColinAlonso
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Chopper wrote: September 1st, 2019, 4:23 pm
ColinAlonso wrote: August 31st, 2019, 10:03 pm I wouldn't quite describe the style as Spongebob-ish
I will bow to your greater expertise in this matter ;)

Just beat level 1-4. Steam says I have almost 8 hours played...this game is tough. It's probably a bit early for me to say it is very harsh, given that I am probably not fully understanding some of the strategies (for example, I can see the thing that doubles your poison at the expense of 24 points would be brilliant, but I can't accept the damage taken to get there).

Good game.
:D . Teenage me had a lot of time to flick through the 8 channels we had at home. I saw way too many clips of that sponge as Gaeilge. He was always on during the day.

On the difficulty, it may just spike in certain levels. I completed all the second episodes first time, except for the Robot which took 7 attempts.
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ColinAlonso
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ColinAlonso »

Magical_Isopod wrote: September 2nd, 2019, 6:31 pm Also started playing Trials of Mana (aka, Seiken Densetsu 3) and like... Holy shit, for a 25 year old game, it still holds up remarkably well. The story is interesting, the gameplay is tight and responsive (unlike Secret of Mana), the core mechanics are surprisingly complex... It's really a masterpiece, and it's a damned shame not many people have played it -- especially when compared to the lacklustre Secret of Mana.
Good to hear, I tried a bit of both on emulator back in the day and am tempted by Trials as I got a bit more into SD3 back then.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

I'm at the very end of Yakuza Kiwami 2. It's been brilliant, so much better than Kiwami 1, and I might even like it better than Zero. Had a complete turnaround on Virtual On as well, that game is so good once you get the hang of it! (I maintain Virtua Fighter is a shiter, though).
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Alex79uk wrote: September 2nd, 2019, 10:05 pm I'm at the very end of Yakuza Kiwami 2. It's been brilliant, so much better than Kiwami 1, and I might even like it better than Zero.
Haven't played the Kiwami version, but the original Yakuza 2 remains my favorite of the series along with Zero mostly thanks to its narrative. I think it's one of the most heartfelt crime dramas we've had in games with a surprisingly touching and genuine love story on top of all the usual high-profile gangster stuff. Fantastic antagonist and final boss fight, too. It's a real shame the soundtrack got nerfed in the remake, from what I understand.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Yeah, it's the story I'm really enjoying the most. The combat is better than the first one too, just a bit smoother and more refined. Never played the original, so don't really know about the old soundtrack, but I have caught myself getting in to some of the Kiwami tunes! Love this series - this game in particular has made me laugh out loud on a number of occasions. Just throwaway lines Kiryu says from time to time.
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Flabyo
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Flabyo »

A working Star Wars cab from 83? Those things are getting rarer and rarer as the parts to fix the vector displays when they die are thin in the ground. (And also a lot were changed into Empire Strikes Back ones with a conversion kit too)
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ratsoalbion »

There are two in Bury, a sit down and an upright. Loads of other vector cabs too.

Listen everyone, I implore you to check out Ninja Saviors on PS4 and/or Switch - especially if you’re hankering after (something like) SoR4. I’m doing a review for the blog (yes, we have one of those at caneandrinse.com), but suffice to say, I think it is the real deal.

A beautiful looking, deep and satisfying update/sequel/remake of the SNES update/sequel/remake of the 1987 coin-op, Ninja Warriors:

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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Nice, will have a look!
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Chopper
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Chopper »

The problem with all these PC games is that you have to spend several hours learning how to play them before you can make a decent fist of things.

Latest is Battle Brothers, an intriguing, but exhausting, turn based game where you build up a warband (micromanaging each of them via equipment and upgrades), keep them fed and clothed, and kill and be killed on the battlefield. It has a Mount and Blade-type overland map, a hex grid for fighting on, with elevation and terrain changes, and good in-game colour.

Image

Image

Image
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Simonsloth
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Simonsloth »

Playing DJ Hero 2 following in ColinAlonso’s footsteps. Whenever I start a new mix Colin’s score is my target.

Colin, you’ve turned into my DJ Hero 2 nemesis unwittingly haha!
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Suits
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Suits »

ratsoalbion wrote: September 2nd, 2019, 11:57 pm Listen everyone, I implore you to check out Ninja Saviors on PS4 and/or Switch - especially if you’re hankering after (something like) SoR4.
Cool man, will do.



I recently lent my Game Boy SP to a mate, so I've been stuck for a dedicated Game Boy suddenly.

So I built a backlit Game Boy Color and I've been using that to play old stuff.

I don't think I've ever beaten the Original Super Mario Bros. , so when I grabbed a copy of the "Colour Delux" version on the Game Boy Color for a few quid, it was sorted.

So I've been playing that and loving it, currently on World 6.


I've also been playing Astral Chain.

I'm only about 4 hours in and so far its cool, very cool !!


Oh, and Doom 3 on the Switch, to which I'm very close to the end now, very good. Playing that solely handheld, with headphones, it's making such a memorable experience playing it like that.
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ColinAlonso
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ColinAlonso »

Simonsloth wrote: September 3rd, 2019, 6:01 pm Playing DJ Hero 2 following in ColinAlonso’s footsteps. Whenever I start a new mix Colin’s score is my target.

Colin, you’ve turned into my DJ Hero 2 nemesis unwittingly haha!
Oh shit! I have to get serious! ;). If anyone else is playing on the PS3 before the podcast and wants some, quite beatable, scores to go up against, my PSN ID is also ColinAlonso.

I'm most of the way through Empire mode (which is basically the set mixes like in the first but with a small bit of dressing). Aiming for 5 stars on medium on all tracks in the mode. 5 stars is far easier than in the first game for some reason. Still think the tracklist isn't as good as the first, leaning too heavily on late-00s r'n'b and rap.
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Simonsloth
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Simonsloth »

ColinAlonso wrote: September 3rd, 2019, 9:38 pm
Simonsloth wrote: September 3rd, 2019, 6:01 pm Playing DJ Hero 2 following in ColinAlonso’s footsteps. Whenever I start a new mix Colin’s score is my target.

Colin, you’ve turned into my DJ Hero 2 nemesis unwittingly haha!
Oh shit! I have to get serious! ;). If anyone else is playing on the PS3 before the podcast and wants some, quite beatable, scores to go up against, my PSN ID is also ColinAlonso.

I'm most of the way through Empire mode (which is basically the set mixes like in the first but with a small bit of dressing). Aiming for 5 stars on medium on all tracks in the mode. 5 stars is far easier than in the first game for some reason. Still think the tracklist isn't as good as the first, leaning too heavily on late-00s r'n'b and rap.
They aren’t that beatable! I’m getting 5 stars and doing some 98-99% clears and just missing out on your scores.

I’ve done a few but it’s definitely made me up my game having your score taunting me on the left. It appears as a little yellow line as I fill up the bar to 5 stars.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Awwwwwwwwwwwww. :heart:

You guys are so cute! :P
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ColinAlonso
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ColinAlonso »

Simonsloth wrote: September 3rd, 2019, 9:50 pm
ColinAlonso wrote: September 3rd, 2019, 9:38 pm
Simonsloth wrote: September 3rd, 2019, 6:01 pm Playing DJ Hero 2 following in ColinAlonso’s footsteps. Whenever I start a new mix Colin’s score is my target.

Colin, you’ve turned into my DJ Hero 2 nemesis unwittingly haha!
Oh shit! I have to get serious! ;). If anyone else is playing on the PS3 before the podcast and wants some, quite beatable, scores to go up against, my PSN ID is also ColinAlonso.

I'm most of the way through Empire mode (which is basically the set mixes like in the first but with a small bit of dressing). Aiming for 5 stars on medium on all tracks in the mode. 5 stars is far easier than in the first game for some reason. Still think the tracklist isn't as good as the first, leaning too heavily on late-00s r'n'b and rap.
They aren’t that beatable! I’m getting 5 stars and doing some 98-99% clears and just missing out on your scores.

I’ve done a few but it’s definitely made me up my game having your score taunting me on the left. It appears as a little yellow line as I fill up the bar to 5 stars.
There are a couple of decks (e.g. the Tapmaster) that can be unlocked in Empire mode that give score bonuses. In the stats screen, or when looking at tracks in quickplay, the score shows up with a lightning symbol beside it to show that one of those decks were used. I've used it on some tracks but there are also some where I haven't. That will affect some score comparison. (And was probably a bad decision by the devs.)
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Chopper
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Chopper »

ColinAlonso wrote: September 2nd, 2019, 9:03 pm :D . Teenage me had a lot of time to flick through the 8 channels we had at home. I saw way too many clips of that sponge as Gaeilge. He was always on during the day.
Ha! I remember seeing that, now that you mention it. Good old TnaG. :lol:

Finally finished all the Warrior levels and have moved on to the Thief. You really have to optimise everything in the higher levels, and even then you can get screwed.
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stvnorman
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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I am properly engrossed in Castlevania Symphony of the Night on PS4. When I started (again) I thought it would never be my preference over the more linear games in the series, but once it finally clicked, after many false starts over the years, I wasn’t so sure. Then when I got through the first “game” and into the inverted version, I wasn’t so sure I even liked it at all any more. But about 15 hours in and at 150% completion I just don’t want it to end, though I think I’m probably not that far away now as unexplored areas in the map gradually disappear. And now I’m not so sure it won’t end up one of my favourite games ever!

Also started Celeste on Mac, which is one of the current Epic Games Store freebies. I’ve always intended to play this and always thought I’d love it, but after an hour or so I’m just not digging it. I think it’s the way it controls, which for whatever reason isn’t feeling natural, and my brain is spending too much effort on that and not enough enjoying the game. Weird, because it’s not exactly that complicated!
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hazeredmist
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by hazeredmist »

Super Mario 64

Going back to this for this week's Retro Game Challenge, playing on my Shield Portable when I can steal a few minutes of time. It's a lot of fun, and quite addictive. It does make you realise how far cameras and 3D games have come since this came out, but the fact it's even playable these days at all is amazing really. I've done 20-odd power stars, the variety and general fun of the game is just as I remember it. A great way to relax, particularly with the music on Jolly Roger Bay. Lush. Tempting the eel out without losing all your energy? Less so :D Got all the stars I can get there for the first area for now I think, including the Dave Perry star. Beat the first Bowser and now off to the basement.

Steins;Gate 0

This is my current visual novel game, the thing I always fire up for a few minutes in bed before my eyes close. Just as good as the first one so far, it's great going back to this world. Not much else to say without going into the plot.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

stvnorman wrote: September 4th, 2019, 10:17 pm

Also started Celeste on Mac, which is one of the current Epic Games Store freebies. I’ve always intended to play this and always thought I’d love it, but after an hour or so I’m just not digging it. I think it’s the way it controls, which for whatever reason isn’t feeling natural, and my brain is spending too much effort on that and not enough enjoying the game. Weird, because it’s not exactly that complicated!
Ah, I'm glad someone else has said that! After reading so much about how perfectly the game handles, I really found them quite awkward. Easily fixed since all the controls are customisable I think, so I'll need to have a play to find something that fits. Aside from that, I can see how it's a great game. I just died far too many times simply due to the controls and pressing a wrong buttton rather than anything else.
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