My new stupid project: Reviewing and collecting EVERY SMS GAME IN THE US.

[BillyHW]

The only thing I disagree with you on is FMV. I am a huge, HUGE FMV fan, maybe the biggest one here. No, not interactive games (like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace), but FMV games that use video with actors instead of CGI. I absolutely despise CGI. Oh what I would do if they decided to use humans again. Loved Sherlock Holmes! Phantasy Star IV was originally supposed to be on the Sega CD, and use FMV cutscenes. It was to be called "The Return of Alis" and would have been the best game ever. What pretty girl would have played Alice in 1994? My pick would have been Alicia Silverstone. Instead it was canceled and we got more of the same.

 

Getting back to Sonic, he was a waste of a mascot. They should have stuck with Alex Kidd and put him in a high-budget game. Or even Opa-Opa. And the "Sega Scream" sucks too.

 

You must be the only person on planet Earth to like FMV games.

[Zap!]

You must be the only person on planet Earth to like FMV games.

No, there's quite a few actually. One notable one is Vampyre Mike from SegaCDUniverse (YouTube fame). I don't prefer FMV games like Night Trap (although I like those too), I'm talking FMV cutscenes. It was short-lived, but was a total blast while it lasted. You didn't like Phantasmagoria, Sherlock Holmes, or It Came From the Desert? You didn't want to see a real Alis?

[Bloodcat]

Another game is reviewed! This time the legendary CHOPLIFTER. Sadly I forgot to try it out with the Epyx 500xj but eh most people won't have that controller anyhow, right?

 

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/03/game-twelve-choplifter-1986.html

 

Plus my main blog (wargamedork.blogspot.com ) is about to have a tribute to 2nd edition Warhammer 40K so I gots some other creativeish things to do tonight besides giving myself hand cramps with that thing.

(Its so precise but I just give it this damned DEATH GRIP that makes my hand sore very quick.)

Edited March 20, 2015 by Bloodcat

[Bloodcat]

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/04/game-thirteen-rocky-1987.html

Its been two weeks and I have to waste valuable time reviewing this terrible, terrible game. I hates it forever like Bagginses.

And with my Warhammer 40K shenanigans going on right now I haven't had any real time for Atari 8 bit games. Good games.

Games like Rocky are prime examples of why being a completist is a thing only the stupid, wealthy, or insane should do. IT IS ME, I AM THE APRIL FOOL.

[high voltage]

Man, totally agree on Dragons Lair. Also agree that Sonic is overrated.

And Mario

[Bloodcat]

Curse you forum post program setup thingie!!! See me next post, yes.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Bloodcat

[Bloodcat]

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/04/game-fourteen-heavyweight-champ-1991.html

 

It has been another two weeks and now we have moved on to another boxing game. Is this one better? Man I hope so because hoo boy was Rocky a terrible awful and no good game of buttastic lameness.

[Papa]

To truly experience all that the U.S. library has to offer (and, strangely enough, what the Japanese never got!) one must have a Japanese Master System with an adapter to plug U.S. games into the back! This enables never-before-heard FM music that was programmed into many games but never experienced. I really enjoy most Master System games, although I play any Japanese version over the U.S. one unless there is FM music to be unlocked as they often sound better and there are more games to choose from. I also use a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive pad (one with a raised thumbpad, not the stiff ones) for my Master System games, or an arcade cabinet with switch controls. I always play better with an arcade stick and buttons and find that Master System games have a lot to offer.

 

The adapter can be easily made and allows you to plug U.S. games into the back and play them on the Japanese system! I feel that the Master system was pushed out of the light by the NES and really deserved more positive attention than it got. I also have never really bought into the idea that the SNES was superior to the MD. They had newer games and a cool controller design. Most of their games were very difficult (Super Ghouls and Ghosts comes to mind). The MD can display more than 64 colors at once!! I felt that the gameplay suffered on many SNES games. The best titles were Square games and Nintendo exclusives, in my opinion..

 

Edited April 17, 2015 by Papa

[Torr]

Why were so many North American games designed with YamahaFM sound if there WAS no YamahaFM expansion available here?

As well, I find the YamahaFM expansion a mixed bag... it provides MUCH nicer music, but the sound effects suffer GREATLY. It puts me in mind of playing old DOS games without a Soundblaster, but just an Adlib soundcard. You got great music, but the sound effects were just... weird... completely out of place.

 

Some games, like Space Harrier (IMO Space Harrier 3-D has been ruined for me after hearing it's FM soundtrack, I'd be willing to mod a system for that game alone) and Outrun, that have very few sound effects and rely on a great soundtrack to carry the game work well with the YamahaFM, but a game like say After Burner gets a mixed bag in the audio... The music is of course superior but the sound effects? Not that After Burner had sound effects that TRULY sounded like machine gun fire or explosions, but with the YamahaFM, the sounds effects get even REALLY odd and are just... too weird to me... maybe if I grew up hearing the games with FM sound effect instead I'd think different.

[Bloodcat]

I don't understand it either Torr. I am not a big game music guy but sometimes the FM music is really nice. Also I should have another SMS review up this week but I have been super busy and Aztec Adventure hasn't been thrilling me at all. Its not bad enough to rage about but not good enough to have anything to talk about. its just not a game to write home about, and moves slow enough that I don't really feel like spending time to get further along so I can consider it properly reviewed. (I try to give every game at least an hour, though ideally 2-3 hours.)

 

Hell, I got a complete loose Atari 8 bit computer Mig Alley Ace with manual for 5 dollars shipped and I haven't even had time to do more than look at it. Tried to go out and run my errands early today but I still was out and about for 7 bloody hours. :/

[Bloodcat]

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/05/game-sixteen-montezumas-revenge-19831989.html

 

Is it time for another review? I do say that it is! And its a review of a game whose original version was created on the mighty Atari 8 bit computer family!

Edited May 21, 2015 by Bloodcat

[Bloodcat]

It is June and thus it is time for another Master System review: Ys is up! http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/06/game-seventeen-ys-vanished-omens-198788.html

 

I meant for this to be a quick one but well.. I kind of got carried away because I really like Ys.

[BillyHW]

Your link isn't working.

 

Here:

 

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/06/game-seventeen-ys-vanished-omens-198788.html

Edited June 4, 2015 by BillyHW

[TheObscureGamer]

This is what I like to see, a 40-something reviewing games. I got hammered on Digital Press for saying I don't normally like 20-somethings reviewing games that were around before they were born. Too bad. I prefer my reviewers to have enjoyed the game when it was new, and I'm not apologizing.

 

Now, with that off the bat, I wish you luck!

Honestly i don't care what age group reviews a game but with older folks, since they may have grew up with the game, they'll say it's good even though it's bad because of nostalgia sake while the younger person will have a more unbiased opinion.Just some Food for thought.

Edited June 4, 2015 by TheObscureGamer

[Zap!]

Honestly i don't care what age group reviews a game but with older folks, since they may have grew up with the game, they'll say it's good even though it's bad because of nostalgia sake while the younger person will have a more unbiased opinion.Just some Food for thought.

 

That also works in reverse. I have seen many young people that say Phantasy Star wasn't all that special. They have no idea of the amount of shock and just how much my jaw dropped when I first experienced that game on Christmas Day, 1988. I strongly prefer that the reviewer played the game in its day.

[BillyHW]

That also works in reverse. I have seen many young people that say Phantasy Star wasn't all that special. They have no idea of the amount of shock and just how much my jaw dropped when I first experienced that game on Christmas Day, 1988. I strongly prefer that the reviewer played the game in its day.

Definitely Zap!

 

Also to add to this, a lot of games came late in a system's life cycle, when most people had moved on to the next generation. These games didn't matter as much back in the day.

 

For instance, Kirby is great, but if you weren't already playing SNES and Genesis by the time it came out it meant you were either 5 years old, or poor. So Kirby just doesn't matter much to me. I don't think we should exaggerate its greatness.

 

7800 Donkey Kong might be better than ColecoVision Donkey Kong, but the 7800 version came out in like 1987 so it doesn't matter. The ColecoVision versino came out in 1982 and it changed home video gaming.

 

And anyone who thinks Phantasy Star wasn't groundbreaking just doesn't get it.

 

So the point is, you had to be around to understand.

Edited June 5, 2015 by BillyHW

[Bloodcat]

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/06/game-eighteen-phantasy-star-1987.html I was delayed but I still have my second review for the month up! This time the legendary PHANTASY STAR.

[BillyHW]

Phantasy Star was such an awesome game. Ahead of its time.

[78001987]

Honestly i don't care what age group reviews a game but with older folks, since they may have grew up with the game, they'll say it's good even though it's bad because of nostalgia sake while the younger person will have a more unbiased opinion.Just some Food for thought.

ive seen way more young people dismiss older games and systems in reviews with very limited exposure, than I have seen older gamers give glowing reviews to games that suck. In fact, I've seen the vast majority of younger gamers outright mocking old games and systems on the Internet because they just want to be smug and look cool in front of others.

 

Gaming used to be a "weirdo" thing only computed nerds and geeks were into. Now it's so popular, the culture is dominated by ultra competitive jock types who like to pick on people and things they think aren't cool.

 

Food for thought: with age comes wisdom. Opinions change as you get older because you have more experience and a greater appreciation of perspective. Sometimes you have to come back and give something another chance to really give it an unbiased and honest review.

[CatPix]

And you have the case of peopel that grew up in the era, yet, never saw any of the games.

I knew only one guy that used to have a Master System, and only some that had a Megadrive. All other had Nintendo consoles and later PS1, only one had a N64.

 

Plus there was only one video gaming magazine available to me.

While I'm the perfect age to discuss and review Master System and Megadrive games, I'm totally oblivious to most of them.

 

Also, there are games we liked as youngsters that we liked despite being mediocre, just because something tickled us, or that we just had this one, or we had good memories of it.

Younger people might be biased toward retro games because they don't know the background behind, and even if they know it, it's hard to "catch" the spirit.

But they avoid the nostalgia look that older games might have as well.

 

And even trying hard, it's hard to not get unbiased in one way or another.

 

I grew up with the PC as well, played the first Alone in the Dark, lots of isometric 3D games on the CPC464. I got to try Mario 64 only very recently. I like Mario games, and it's said to be the best game ever made!

I still wanna throw out the cart, the pad and the console from playing it. The camera is broken beyong belief and it make the game much harder to play that it should be.

And it's nothing to do with the N64. I tried the DS version and the same camera problem is back (along with the non saving life issue : what is the point of a save function that doesn't keep your lives? Just save it or ditch the lives count).

So, it is because I have been used from the Playstation era to get games with much more sensible control schemes (tank controls in Resident Evil and silent Hill) or even Gamecube/PS2 (2D controls works fine in games like Zelda and GTA where the camera is always behind you by default).

It's hard for me to tell who's to blame here: me, the game, both?

 

It's all a matter of preferences indeed.

[+pboland]

This is what I like to see, a 40-something reviewing games. I got hammered on Digital Press for saying I don't normally like 20-somethings reviewing games that were around before they were born. Too bad. I prefer my reviewers to have enjoyed the game when it was new, and I'm not apologizing.

 

Now, with that off the bat, I wish you luck!

 

(yes, I know this is an old comment)

 

It really has nothing to do with the age of the reviewer. What's really the issue is context. Anytime some one reviews something from past it is necessary to place it in proper context (Through the lens of history as they say).

 

This is true for any type of review. Not just video games. Either a 40 something or 20 something should be able to give a proper review assuming they do their research. For some one who lived through it, this will be much easier to accomplish (first hand info is always easier to recall than second, third or X hand info). It just means that the 20 something is going to have to work a lot harder to place himself in context of history for what he's reviewing.

[Bloodcat]

I honestly don't think age has anything to do with if a review of a game new or old has anything to do with it.

 

IS THE GAME FUN FOR THE REVIEWER? Yes or no? Why does said reviewer think so? Even if you disagree with the reviewer if they give their reasoning it might be an interesting read even if you don't concur with their statements.

 

That is kind of what I am aiming for in my reviews. Why do I personally like or dislike a game? What is the game about? What could be done differently? What did it do that I liked?

 

I try to bring these things up in my reviews. Like Shinobi which should be up sometime this week, probably Wednesday. The lack of any continues and the POWER UP DEATH SPIRAL it has going on really hurts it for me, especially with a couple of the bosses and the control issues that require near pixel perfect jumping or DEATH in a couple spots. It ruined what could have been an excellent game that was almost better outside of graphical issues than the arcade game it was spawned from!

 

I also bring up what is important to me which is why sound and music are barely even mentioned. I usually have a podcast playing in the background and have the sound turned down low. (In games that allow it I usually turn music OFF but have sound effects at maximum along with speech. And subtitles on where allowed. Its not that I don't like a good soundtrack its just I enjoy podcasts too! Then there are games like Raiden Project on PS1 where when I emulate it I have music on Remix but have my mixer settings at like 10% for audio so I can hear the sound and music but as a minor background to the podcasts.

 

But to each their own which is why my reviews have basically three or four different loose ratings.

 

General score of Good, Ok, or Bad. (Sometimes with an Asterisk as say on an emulator with save states it might actually be a better game. Or a remake version might be superior. Or the original if its an arcade port though I rarely give asterisks for that one.)

 

How much money I would spend on a complete copy. (For me 20 bucks is about maximum I spend on ANY physical copy of a videogame nowadays, with the odd exception as high as 60 but that is EXTREMELY rare. Needless to say the complete House of the Dead on the Saturn I saw at a Game Exchange today for 190 was laughable. Even for 90 it would be a joke. I doubt I would even drop 50 and that's acknowledging its a very rare game! Now 50 for maaaybe Popful Mail? Possibly! But its also a longer game and not an arcade shooter.)

 

Have I completed it? Do I want to?

 

These things give folks an idea what I actually think without being some set in stone score ala Videogame Critic or whatever. Plus some people think you have to totally 100% complete a game to give it a proper review so I might as well let them see if I did or didn't finish it. (Though in many many many 8-16 bit era games completing it requires tons of memorization and replaying the same sections over and over and over again. I wasn't big on that when I was 15 and had no life. I still have no life at 41 but I GOT STUFF TO DO. Like the big foundation cement crack that was leaking water into my basement and bedroom. Sucking up all the water off the carpet, fixing the crack from leaking, and filling in the crack with a mixture designed for such things is a butt ton more important than properly beating a game on original hardware! Also 95 shipped for the repair kit is more important and worth it (because itll save me THOUSANDS long run) than spending 50+ dollars for bloody ALF. ALF.)

 

But I am an oddball who likes discovering new games and old games and look at it as a "stranger is a friend you haven't met yet" as opposed to some odd nostalgia or brand religion nonsense.

 

I don't care if a game is on a Sega, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Commodore, Apple, Atari, TI, Tandy, or whatever platform. I just want to experience new and fun games!

 

Ideally for less than 10 bucks a title because Steam and GOG have friggin SPOILED me.

 

(I did spend 15 for a loose SNES Tetris Attack game today though. This way I don't need to pull out my N64 to play Pokemon Puzzle League. I don't really like the N64 outside of Paper Mario which is a MASTERPIECE. And Doom 64 I just play it source port. I really ought to get the manual to Ogre Battle 64 so I can figure out how the hell to play it though. I already sold off Conker and Perfect Dark and Harvest Moon along with a couple of loose carts because bleh. I kind of want Robotron 64 though. And apparently Donkey Kong 64 has FULL 4 LEVEL DK ARCADE on it which is like the only reason I would want it. I like legit copies of things. And the big N made the 3DS release exclusive because REASONS.)

 

So yeah. That's my basic views on reviewing stuff.

[Bloodcat]

http://masterratings.blogspot.com/2015/07/game-twenty-shinobi-1987.html

 

First SMS review of the month is up and ready to go!

[BillyHW]

Shinobi was an awesome game back in the day.

[Zap!]

What happened to this? Why did you stop?