Rogmeister

Well, the Saturn is gone now...I did play a bit more of Duke Nukem 3D on it before saying sayonara. I don't think I will really miss it, though. I did manage to survive the first level finally...but after killing all the bad guys, I couldn't remember where to go to finish the level. I now am down to an even dozen systems.

I got a video game today in the mail...that was a bit surprising because I didn't think the mail would run on Election Day here in the U.S. but I guess I was wrong. The game I got is for the Playstation 2 and i t is LEGO Batman. I have one other of the LEGO games...LEGO Star Wars for the original Xbox but I never played it that much. I kind of got stuck early and it's for the second trilogy (but the one that takes place first...I know, I get confused, too). I never even saw the 2nd and 3rd films but I do like the three films Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford made so maybe I'll eventually get the LEGO game based on that one. But I always liked Batman (especially during the years he wasn't a crazed maniac) so this game should be fun. This puts my PS2 collection at 31 games currently but I have 2 more on the way.

I hooked up my Saturn to have one last go at it this evening. I was surprised...I thought I had more games for it than I do. I played some World Series Baseball 98 and Duke Nukem 3D...boy was I rusty on that game, couldn't even complete the first level, though I think I got close.

I actually did have a 3DO a few years ago...got it in a trade and then traded it away again. I forget if I traded it for another N64 or another Dreamcast, one or the other.

Regarding video games (and DVDs and audio CDs), I just have way too much stuff. Now I'm thinking of not only weeding out the lesser games but possibly also throwing out some complete systems (and, of course, the game libraries that go with those). Some would say I'm crazy and that I'll miss those systems. But in the last year, I've given away both my Atari 2600 and Sega Genesis systems and I don't miss them one bit. So I feel I can throw out a couple more systems I've never been into all that much and will never miss them. I have 13 systems and might try getting rid of at least 3 of them...maybe one a week for 3 weeks...until I'm down to an even 10. Here's what I currently own... 1. Atari 5200 (Atari's 2nd cartridge system) 2. Atari Lynx (Color portable unit) 3. Atari Jaguar (Atari's final system) 4. ColecoVision 5. Super Nintendo (SNES, Super NES, it goes by many names) 6. Nintendo 64 (Nintendo's final cartridge-based console) 7. Nintendo GameCube 8. Nintendo DS (Portable) 9. Sony PlayStation 10. Sony PlayStation 2 11. Sega Saturn 12. Sega Dreamcast 13. Microsoft Xbox So which systems will I be getting rid of? It's easier to begin by stating some systems I am definitely keeping...GameCube, Xbox, Playstation 1 & 2, Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo...after that, it becomes unclear. I do like the Atari 5200 though it's been a couple of years since I layed it...there are at least a couple games I have for it that I really like that aren't available on other systems (Pengo, Miner 2049er). The Jaguar has a couple games I love (Wolfenstein 3D, Tempest 2000, Alien Vs. Predator) so I want to keep pit, too...and the Lynx is a portable and doesn't take much space. So, for now, it looks like the ones to go will be ColecoVision, Nintendo 64 (which I never got all that into) and Sega Saturn. Subtract those from my collection and I'll be down to my goal of 10 systems. The funny thing is a relative of mine asks me once in awhile when I'll get a new gaming system...but that's something I don't see happening.

Today I got a package...it was supposed to be the GameCube edition of Fight Night: Round 2 that I had ordered through Amazon.com using their Marketplace program (3rd party sellers). So I open the package, take the case out, open it and...no game disc! I'd been anticipating playing this so obviously I was a bit miffed. I quickly sent off an e-mail to the seller asking about it...but since I had no new (okay, newly acquired) game to play, I decided to head off to Wal-Mart and pick up a game from their discount section I'd been thinking of getting...Bully for the PS2. I still haven't played it, though...maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, I did get an e-mail back from the seller of the GameCube title...she said to give her a few days and she'd see what she could do. Obviously, I'm hoping she finds that game disc and gets it off to me in fairly short order. I wouldn't want to send Mike Tyson after her...

Once I had about 45 games for the PlayStation 2...then I gave away most of them. At the time I thought I had indeed given all of them away but then I found a couple I'd misplaced and I got one as a Christmas gift last year...and then started buying them again and am now back up to 29 games for the system. Today, I wound up ordering the following trio of games... 1. LEGO Batman 2. Red Faction 3. Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection I bought LEGO Batman because it looks like a fun game and I wonder if this is going to be the last great PS2 game apart from the endless annual editions of Madden. Or will we get a LEGO Superman or a LEGO James Bond? That one could be fun if it ever materializes...but, of course, it may not materialize in the PS2's lifetime. The other two games I bought because I have only two FPS games for my PS2 and I wanted a few more. I've heard the Wolfenstein game isn't all that great, partly because it has no multiplayer to speak of, but I'm hoping I'll like it anyway. And it was cheap anyway. To me, my various video game systems become more real to me when I reach 30 titles for it in my gaming library so my PS2 is now definitely entrenched into Roger's Gaming Arcade. This leaves such systems as the Jaguar, Saturn and Lynx behind...at least for now.

Wow, this is an interesting topic...not sure if I ever replied to it (I didn't go back to check) but I don't think I have. So many games, so much to hate. Among those at the bottom of my barrel... Bubsy 3D for the PS1 (already mentioned)...and I really liked the first Bubsy game. Batman Forever on the SNES...the worst Batman game? CHeckered Flag on the Jaguar, control was absolutely horrible, non-existing, really. There are others, but those are among my prime candidates.

I guess mine is an original DS...it's not a "Lite" version as far as I can tell. It's metallic. I've never seen the need to get another version...I guess I figure as long as this works fine, why bother getting another? I don't use it as much as some do, probably. I think I have about 25 games for it...and about 4 or 5 GBA games (I've never owned a GBA unit0.

I'm not absolutely positive but I'm guessing it was 1998. This is based on the fact that my first DVD was the Jodie Foster movie "Contact" and looking at it, I see it has a copyright date of 1997...so I figure I must've gotten it in 1998 at the latest. That makes this my DVD Silver Anniversary! Interestingly, I finally threw that first player out just a few months ago as it was having a hard time playing certain DVD-R discs so I decided it was finally time to get a new one. And I couldn't believe how much smaller the new unit was!

My Jaguar collection has gone up and down...right now I think I'm down to about 21 titles. My favorites are pretty much the usual...Tempest 2000, Alien Vs. Predator, Doom (my favotire version of Doom...as with many earlier Jag games, it has no music during gameplay but I think in this case it makes it more effective and ominous), Wolfenstein 3D (I just wish there were more levels, the game seems a bit short), NBA Jam T.E.. I also like the pinball games and Pitfall. I just wish someone had come out with a baseball game for it.

Today I continued my ongoing project of playing all my games or at least as money of them as I can find...I really need to come up with a name for this project...Roger's Play 'Em All Project? Nah, I don't think so... 5. Black (EA) I'm not sure when this came out...I have a Greatest Hits edition and got mine last Christmas but today was the first time I actually got around to putting it in my machine. It's a modern warfare game (I think I heard Iran mentiioned in the live action opening) and has some really nice production values. The original score is performed by a symphony orchestra and sounds really nice and dramatic. Despite the fact it's modern warfare, the gameplay reminds me of Medal of Honor...go around, find weapons and pick them up as well as ammo for them...it seems you can only carry two weapons at a time, though. There are also first-aid kits you pick kup to replenish your health. You do see soldiers that are on your side as well as legions of enemy soldiers. You get to off them with a variety of weapons in this first-person shooters and it's very intense as they seem to be everywhere. I've not yet completed the first missiion but I'm not surprised...it takes a bit of time to get used to the gameplay and everything. All in all, I'm having fun. Roger's rating: 8.

I am continuing to play through my PS2 games and thought I'd go ahead and play my other 2 baseball titles yesterday... 3. MVP 07 NCAA Baseball 4. MLB 08: The Show Regarding the first, I'm not sure if the title is supposed to be MVP 07 NCAA Baseball as that's how it is on the front cover (and on the disc) or if it's supposed to be MVP NCAA Baseball 07 as that's how it is on the spine of the case. Since it's also the former on the instructiion manual, that's 3 of 4 places it has that title so I guess I'll go with that. EA Sports lost the right to make baseball games with the MLB license so they turned MVP into a college baseball game. It's an interesting idea but there are no real players here...you can use just uniform numbers or have generated names (which I assume are fictiional). For some reason, I find this game to be very hard, despite my years of playing the MLB version of MVP. I played two games yesterday and just couldn't keep the other team from scoring and only scored a few runs myself o n an error. You can play using either analog control (for instance, batting is done by swinging the right thumbstick) or go with classic controls using the regular buttons. It's kind of frustrating so I'm giving this a 6.5. I enjoyed MLB 08: The Show more though I've not played it much because I got MLB Power Pros right after I got this and that's been my game of choice. In this, you have a very nice presentation with real players. Interestingly enough, the game starts with live action footage of 2007 moments, calling it the Year of the Milestone...but the biggest milestone of all, Barry Bonds becoming the all-time home run king, is conspicuously absent. I am assuming that is because Barry has denied video game companies the right to use his likeness and name for the last several years. Control is pretty good though I've not spent enough time at this game to get really good at it. It has some nice touches which make it play like a real TV broadcast. So I'm giving it an 8 for my score and I hope to spend more time with it in the future. The players are definitely more realistic-looking than the caricatures of MLB Power Pros.

Introductiion--I recently ordered a GameCube game which will give me 151 games...I figured I needed to play through my GC games and decide which was the least of that collection so I could let it go...and keep my GC library at 150 titles. I've been thinking it over and have decided this might be the right time to start playing through all my games and write up my thoughts on each. I don't really consider these reviews but just some random thoughts once I've played them. Some games (like today's entries) are games I've been playing lately so I don't really need to play them much more to get some thoughts on them. Others I might need to devote some more time to them. But let's get started. I'm actually starting with my PS2 games since that's what I've been playing lately and, of course, I'll start with the specific games I've been mostly playing the last few months... 1. MLB Power Pros (PS2) 2. MLB Power Pros 2008 (PS2) For years my favorite baseball game has been MVP Baseball from EA Sports. Then they lost the rights to do an MLB game and I was without a good baseball game for a couple of years...oh, sure, EA continued with MVP for a few editions by turning it into a college baseball game but it just wasn't the same. So I played my MVP Baseball 2004 or 2005 with the outdated rosters until MLB Power Pros came along last year. I've now got both last year's edition as well as this year's 2008 title. The games are pretty much identical except that 2008 has added some new play modes but the experience is otherwise identical. They like some weird games in Japan and this is one of those cases...a baseball game where the players are short and dumpy, have no legs (but they do have feet) and round faces with no noses or ears (so how does Brandon League keep his glasses up?). Despite the look of the game, it's a very addicting one and has quickly become my favorite baseball title. It's easy to get into and each game is quick, usually taking less than a half-hour for each game. I like some of the touches, like balls glancing off a fielder's body or glove, foul tipped 3rd strikes being caught for a strike-out, and the occasional pitch that doesn't go where you want it to. It's not perfect (I wish some hitters would hit more homers) but all in all is a very fun experience. One thing I'm not crazy about is the single announcer. I enjoy him and all and he does get very excited but it seems he has a problem pronouncing several player's names. John Grabow, for instance...his last name should be pronounced as gray-bow...the two words. But the announcer says it like "grab-ow". Well, no game is perfect, I guess. But I do enjoy both editions of this game. If I had to give them scores, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably give the first an 8.5 and I might bump the 2008 edition up to an even 9.0 for the extra play modes, many of which I still haven't got to. I admit, I mainly just stick with the season play...

I have to get back to that...I have hardly touched it since getting MLB Power Pros. I will also have to try that mode you like...

2080 is indeed the only game I have that starts with a number. If I were to cross off the last game alphabetically, that would be Zoocube. Or I could throw out Fantastic 4 since that's the slot in the list where Fight Night: Round 2 would go. I will post my first marathon report later today. I played two games yesterday but haven't written them up yet and I could play and do a write-up for a 3rd today...

One of the gaming boards I visit has been having a fun thread about a GameCube game titled "Final Fight: Round 2". It turns out that the GameCube version of this title has the SNES edition of "Super Punch-Out!" in it so people have been posting new covers for the game with the Super Punch-Out characters as the cover models. I love Super Punch-Out! and it is, in fact, one of my favorite games on the system. So, after thinking about it for several days, I decided to get it and found it online for abot $5 plus shipping. The only problem is that I thought my GameCube collection had been set...I had reached 150 titles back in January and decided that was it for me. So getting this game would bring it to 151 titles which doesn't sound nearly as good as 150 titles. So now I will probably try to decide which other game will go to make room for the newcomer. I might try to do a marathon...start with 1080 Avalanche and Aggressive Inline and play through my entire collection alphabetically and mark down my thoughts and scores for each. Perhaps I'll do that here on this blog. It will obviously take awhile. I actually already have a few ideas on what might go...do I really need both MVP PBaseball 2004 and MVP Baseball 2005, for instance? And there are a few titles in my collection I haven't gotten to yet that I hear are less than perfect so this would give me a chance to decide for myself. I will probably finally do this marathon which I've thought of doing for awhile...I will plan on beginning the first of November. If I make it through all my GameCube games, then I might continue and begin doing it for other collections as well. Today GameCube...tomorrow, SNES!

I might actually get a video game for Christmas this year...maybe a couple. My nephew, a big gamer, has indicated he might want to get me a game for Christmas...and I could take part in a Secret Santa gift exchange. I've done that in the past at a gaming board...though I'm not sure we'll have one this year. If we do, I want to be ready. In the past, I've wracked my brain trying to think of games I'd like but this year I'm doing it a bit differently. I've gone to GameRankings.com and made up a list of the top 100 PS2 games based on scores they have gotten in various reviews. I've printed out that list of 100 games (I chose to start with PS2 games since I have fewer games for it than I do for the Xbox or GameCube) along with comments on several games. Some comments indicate I have those games (either for the PS2 or for another system) while in some cases I indicate I really don't want a specific game because the genre doesn't interest me (RPGs or certain sports games). I may go on to do this for other systems as well so that, when the time comes, I can offer up a specific want list. As far as the PS2 goes, here are the top 10 games I am left with...ones I don't have and which I would still like... 1. Grand Theft Auto III 2. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 4. Burnout 3: Takedown 5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence 6. World Succer Winning Eleven 7 International 7. God of War II 8. Okami 9. Devil May Cry 10. Guitar Hero If this want list is given any real thought, I guess I'll have a virtual steering wheel in my hand as the top 4 games in this list are driving games or involve a fair amount of driving. I will also mention in my list I wouldn't mind getting those Lego games...Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Batman...they look like fun but didn't get ratings quite high enough to make the top 100. Lego Batman, in fact, may be the last big PS2 game to come out...apart from Madden. If no one else gets me a Lego action game, I'll probably get one myself.

You are right...a 3.5 isn't good! I had heard at a forum that certain things repeated too frequently (a standard flaw with trivia games on the DS) but it sounds like other elements of this game aren't that good either. Thus, I guess I'll pass and just watch the show on TV when I need a Price fix...

Awhile back, I read that they were going to do some video games based on The Price Is Right...I'm kind of surprised they never did them before. At any rate, I understand they are out now...there's a version for the Wii, one for the DS and a version for the PC and Mac. I don't own a Wii, so I won't be getting that so I might consider getting one for either the PC or the Nintendo DS. I need to research this...and I know many games based on TV game shows, at least recently, have been rather lacking. I know one recent case was Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The problem with that one was that questions just repeated too much. In the case of The Price Is Right, you need to guess item prices in some cases and I'm already hearing that those repeat a bit often. Still, I enjoy The Price Is Right a lot so I'm considering it. Perhaps I'll start checking in at varioius places and watch for the DS version to come on sale really cheap...

I played three more PS1 games yesterday. After playing Hot Shots Golf Fore!, Hot Shots Golf 3 and Hot Shots Golf 2 (in that order), I finally got around to playing a Vs. game in the original Hot shots Golf. I did prefer the graphics in it to Hot Shots Golf 2. They changed the look of the characters, it seems to me. In the first game, they are big-headed short people but are taller and lankier (well, some of them) in Hot Shots Golf 2. I then played a pair of baseball titles. I played one aimed at kids, Big League Slugger Baseball. Despite the title, the game seems to be populated by younger players. Interestingly, it's from the same people who brought us Putter Golf which I talked about previously. I only managed to get through a few innings of this game because it has the most annoying soundtrack I've ever heard in a video game, a loud drum-heavy piece of music. Then I played Interplay Sports' Baseball 2000. That was kind of fun to see who the Pirates (my home team) had on their roster then...gus I'd forgotten all about: Turner Ward, Carlos Silva, Ed Sprague and Al Martin among them. They did have a few guys who are still around (but on other teams now): Brian Giles, Jason Kendall and Aramis Ramirez. It was an okay time though I lost big-time, 9-2. SOmetimes this happens when I haven't played a game in awhile and I have to get used to the controls again. I did get homers from Jason Kendall and Brian Giles, though. I'm enjoying my occasional foray into PS1 Land and will continue to sample PS1 games in the future.

I have continued to play my golf video games. Over the weekend, I had my first session of Hot Shots Golf 3...I had actually been playing the follow-up (Hot Shots Golf Fore!) first so playing HS3 was definitely like taking a step back. The game had some of the same players in it to use, but the game just didn't seem as polished as the latter game. I will probably return to Hot Shots Golf Fore! at least until I can unlock all the players and courses...then, perhaps, I will eventually return to HS3. I also pulled out a few PS1 golf games yesterday. I played Hot Shots Golf 2 and I was surprised at the graphics...I thought the first Hot Shots game had better graphics than this one, or is my mind playing tricks on me? After all, it's been a few years since I played the first. I also played a few games of Putter Golf which is all miniature golf and (as the title suggests) all putting. It seems to be aimed at younger players and I doubt I'll ever bother with it again. If I want to play some mini-golf, I'll just go to a Hot Shots game which includes some of that in par 3 courses.

I have never set foot on an actual golf course...I've never even played miniature golf...well, maybe once at a shopping mall. But I do like some golf video games. I guess my interests in types of games changes with my moods from time to time. Lately, I've been into golfing video games. I was playing Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour on the GameCube a fair amount earlier this year and lately I've been picking up a few golf games for the PS2. About a week ago, I got Hot Shots Golf 3 and Hot Shots Golf Fore! for the system and yesterday I got Swing Away Golf which is a fairly pleasant experience. Today I decided I needed to order a Tiger Woods game...I looked up a website to check out the ratings and decided to get the 2005 edition and found a used copy online for about $5 so I ordered that. Once that arrives, that will probably finish off m golfing collection for the PS2...unless it gets another edition of Hot Shots Golf for it...but I don't think that will happen as that franchise seems to have moved on to the PS3.

I think the Jaguar is the first system I actually played Doom on. I never played a PC version of it. One notable thing about the Jag version of Doom is that there's no music on it during gameplay. Some don't like that but I think it makes it more effective, especially when you hear your character's heavy breathing when he's injured. I also like Alien Vs. Predator a lot and would highly recommend that one as well. I also like Wolfenstein 3D though the game is a bit short for me.

A lot of people like to ask others what system they have the most for (for me it's either the PS1 or the SNES as I have about 200 games for both) but I thought I'd mention the system I have the fewest number of games for. For me, it's the PlayStation 2 though this will change by the end of the week. This is because my PS2 library is my smallest by a single game and I have an order coming with 2 games in it (the two Hot Shots game for the system). When they arrive, the PS2 will move up and my Nintendo DS will then be my system with the fewest games. But then, I plan to get the MLB Power Pros edition coming out for the DS at the end of the month and I'll have a tie. But, for today, the PS2 is alone as far as my smallest library for a system goes. Here are the titles I have for it... Black CMT Presents Karaoke Revolution Country (I bet no one reading this has this one!) Hot Shots Tennis Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Jak II Katamari Damacy Maximo: Ghosts to Glory Medal of Honor: Vanguard Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty MLB 08: The Show MLB Power Pros MLB Power Pros 2008 MVP NCAA Baseball 07 PopCap Hits Vol. 1 (A pair of puzzle games including Bejeweled 2) Ratchet & Clank Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Ratchet: Deadlocked Rumble Roses The Simpsons Game SNK Arcade Classics I seem to concentrate on one system at a time and I do seem to have been concentrating on the PS2 lately. Besides the two Hot Shots Golf games I have coming, other recent acquisitions above include Hot Shots Tennis and The Simpsons Game. I was glancing at a website an hour or two ago and noticed a new women's volleyball game for the system but I doubt I will get it. One website gave it a 20% out of a possible 100. Too bad, it could've been my 3rd all female sporting game, joining Rumble Roses (wrestling) and WTA Tour Tennis (tennis). The only other one I know of is a Mia Hamm (soccer) game which I understand didn't get such good reviews either. Added Note: After taking the trouble to post this, it suddenly dawned on me that while I have 21 games for the PS2 right now, I also have exactly 21 titles for the Atari Jaguar as well! Thus, when I receive those 2 PS2 games I have coming and it moves out of last place, my smallest library won't suddenly become the DS but will instead be the Jaguar which will remain at 21 titles. As Homer Simpson would say, D'oh!