General gaming discussion

[ItalAussie]

Oh, I really liked both Ronin and Gunpoint. There were a couple of levels in Ronin that I couldn't pull off perfectly, but it was always very satisfying when you did. It's one of the few objective-based games where I simply wrote some off as impossible. I have a feeling you need to power up certain directions of the skill tree in order to achieve some of them.

I would say that Gunpoint was the slightly better game though. It's a nice study on how a very similar mechanic can produce two totally different gameplay styles with only subtle differences in implementation and emphasis.

[phonics]

He just sold his millionth copy of Gunpoint. Bastard.

[Shindig]

Bloodborne's platinum is over. Pity the chalice dungeons are so samey because the two big defiled fights are awesome. The last dungeon was a stroll with the final boss effectively being Fool's Idol from Demon's Souls.

[Ian]

Owlboy is a terrific game but has a slightly rubbish ending.

Sigh.

Oh well, I've got Ronin on the go as discussed, Kentucky Route Zero I'll do the next episode at some point and I've also started Wolfenstein: The New Order.

[Ian]

It always amuses me when I'm playing a game that feels broadly similar (in my case, Wolfenstein: TNO is also an FPS after Prey) to one you've not long finished and it somewhat throws you. I keep looking about it's (lovely) levels looking for more alternate routes than the game has.

I am enjoying it though. I'm liking the stealth way more than I thought. That and dual-wielding auto-shotguns.

The restarting guns-wise every mission is a pain in the hole but I guess there is at least some logic to it in the case of the first post-resistance-base mission I'm doing.

[Boydy]

Oh, gonna have to get Ronin now. I absolutely loved Gunpoint.

Anyone played Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons?

[Ian]

I think I mentioned a Hotline Miami vibe for Ronin, and I'm definitely getting that as I get to the harder levels. Not because the gameplay is similar, just because there's a sort of puzzle element to it when you get into the tricky fights.

In Hotline Miami the solution to the "puzzle" would be "smash the door into that guard, steal his gun, shoot the dog, through the gun at the first guard who bursts into the room and then rush the next one-" etc. in this it's "Right, if I leap at those two through the glass then the others will start shooting before I land and miss, letting me take out the robocop-looking bastard and then jump again as the other bastards take aim and fire my ninja rope at the ceiling to avoid the gunfire and-"

Of course it then goes wrong and you try and work out if you took the wrong plan of attack or if you just got unlucky with the gunfire aims or whatever.

It's ace.

Anyone played Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons?

I haven't but RPS loved it. the developers are now working on some sort of split-screen co-op prison break thing which sounds interesting.

[Boydy]

I hated Hotline Miami.

[Disco]

Tricking one of those ninja bastards into jumping out of a window is the holy grail of Ronin, so satisfying.

[Ian]

It's pretty great. Got one to fall to his death, silly twat.

I hated Hotline Miami.

As I said, it's not like Hotline Miami. Just that I often feel like I'm trying to find a solution to the action sequences. As compared to just hitting / shooting walking health bars.

[ItalAussie]

In retrospect, I think Gunpoint is the better game taken as a whole, but Ronin is more fun to pick up and play a random level in a twenty minute session.

[Boydy]

It's pretty great. Got one to fall to his death, silly twat.



As I said, it's not like Hotline Miami. Just that I often feel like I'm trying to find a solution to the action sequences. As compared to just hitting / shooting walking health bars.

I know, I just wanted to put it out there that I hate Hotline Miami. My reactions just weren't quick enough for it. Nor was I ever accurate enough. It was just stupidly hard.

[Ian]

Oh, I see. I liked it once I got into the rhythm of it. I don't know that my reactions are that hot for a game like that either, it's more that you could start to game the layouts because you could see who was where in advance.

[wullie]

I'm the exact same as Boydy with Hotline Miami. Got so annoyed with it I didn't really bother persevering in case it all started to click.

[phonics]

I loved Hotline Miami, shame about the sequel. It felt like a rhythm game that instead of pressing buttons on a plastic keytar you smash someones nut in. Loved it. Avoid guns at all costs.

[Ian]

Yeah, the first gun you get in HM you're excited and then realise they're not the answer.

I heard the second one was a let-down but I got it in the Steam sale anyway.

[phonics]

It's crap, the maps are too big so you end up getting shot by someone you can't see constantly. Means you have to take things room by room rather than lookng at the situation and thinking 'You're getting battered, then it's your turn, then I'm going to chuck your gun at your mate and batter him etc.'

[Patje]

I like to use guns, just with a lot of strafing and such.
I'm now at a level in the hospital which DOES annoy me.

[Mike]

Pre-ordered this bad boy:

Two controllers will be included in the box, but you'll need an AC adaptor to use its USB plug.

For Star Fox 2, never released before anywhere, you'll need to complete the first level of the original Star Fox to unlock the game.

The full list of games included with the SNES mini in Europe lies below:

Contra III: The Alien Wars
Donkey Kong Country
EarthBound
Final Fantasy III
F-ZERO
Kirby Super Star
Kirby's Dream Course
The Legend of Zelda™: A Link to the Past
Mega Man X
Secret of Mana
Star Fox
Star Fox 2
Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting
Super Castlevania 4
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Super Punch-Out!!
Yoshi's Island

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I probably will too.

I want the NES one more but fuck Nintendo only making about 12 of them.

Might do this for the NES though:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NES-Inspire...7&keywords=nes

I'd fuck up the Pi more than likely though.

[Raoul Duke]

I'll be balls deep in an N64 if they make one. How they haven't figured out this is a license to print money I do not know.

[Disco]

Welcome to Nintendo, it wouldn't do to be too successful..

[ItalAussie]

Contra III: The Alien Wars
Donkey Kong Country
EarthBound
Final Fantasy III
F-ZERO
Kirby Super Star
Kirby's Dream Course
The Legend of Zelda™: A Link to the Past
Mega Man X
Secret of Mana
Star Fox
Star Fox 2
Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting
Super Castlevania 4
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Super Punch-Out!!
Yoshi's Island

That is one hell of a list of games. They didn't leave anything on the table, did they?

EDIT: Maybe Donkey Kong Country 2, if we're being particularly demanding.

EDIT II: Ah, they left off Chrono Trigger as well. Bastards.

[Shindig]

Super Mario Allstars.

[wullie]

All that's missing is ISS Deluxe and ropey Mario Kart knock-off Street Racer and that's my childhood revisited. I keep dropping subtle hints about someone getting me this for Christmas but with the NES being hard to get hold of I don't fancy my chances unless I buy my own Christmas present.

[phonics]

Wonder if they'll make the controller cables more than 7 centimetres long this time. Loved feeling the sensation of my retinas burning, sitting 3 inches from a 50 inch TV.

[Ian]

ISS Deluxe

Doing a back-heel chip to score a goal with your own goalkeeper.

And then one time when I fucked it up my own goalie catching the goal kick on the halfway line.

[wullie]

Balls to Christmas, I found that Smyths have them available to collect only and for some reason £10 cheaper than everywhere else. I'm waiting for an email where they cancel it or bum me on the price now

[wullie]

Doing a back-heel chip to score a goal with your own goalkeeper.

And then one time when I fucked it up my own goalie catching the goal kick on the halfway line.

I still remember the one long-range goal I scored as it was almost impossible to do, and there was a glorious goal where my centre back waltzed from the back through the entire Brazil side to coolly finish. It went down in legend as the Matthaus goal amongst the five of us who'd regularly play each other (even though I was Italy), which was made all the better by the fact 90% of my goals were tap-ins after a goalkeeper parry. I loved that game.

[Ian]

I dunno that I ever scored a long-range one but I did like the absurd backheel chips. I assume my team were wearing some sort of boot with a unique design at the back if even my fucking goalie could do it.

[Bernanke]

Okay, Hollow Knight is seriously amazing.

[phonics]

Really? Felt like just another one of those to me.

[Ian]

Really? Felt like just another one of those to me.

This is what Walker said on RPS and the comments section was ready to have at him with pitchforks.

[phonics]

I completed 3 levels and still hadn't found an air-dash or anything which is what makes these games fun so gave up. Ori wins.

[wullie]

Wonder if they'll make the controller cables more than 7 centimetres long this time. Loved feeling the sensation of my retinas burning, sitting 3 inches from a 50 inch TV.

UPDATE 11.05am: Good news, cable fans. Nintendo has confirmed that the SNES mini's controller cable is five feet long, up from the NES mini's too-short three feet.

I quite often use the PS4 controller while plugged in so if the same length as that cable I'm happy with that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I believe the PS4 one is 5 foot too.

[Disco]

Wonder if they'll make the controller cables more than 7 centimetres long this time. Loved feeling the sensation of my retinas burning, sitting 3 inches from a 50 inch TV.

For the longest time I thought this was some kind of Nintendo meme until I actually had a go with one.

[Dark Soldier]

The Golf Club 2 is OUT!!!

(On PC and in Murica on console, 30th for us consolers over here)

Pirated it to try it, looks like ass on my laptop but initial feeling is its much, much improved. New tempo swing is way more realistic.

[Shindig]

We've got a code. I'm utilising 'first come, first served' law of reviewing to the fullest.

EDIT: Oh, God. Hearing the caddy's voice is liking hearing a friend you haven't seen in years. Looks better but it's still very Unity.

[Pleb]

My copy of Crash Bandicoot is already in the post

[phonics]

Can't wait for everyone to realise those games were always shit.

[Shindig]

@Dark Soldier What were the load times like on Golf Club? I remember the first game being nice and slick but I haven't been back to it in ages. GC2 feels a little heavy on the loading. Unless there's just bother with the PS4 version.

[Dark Soldier]

@Dark Soldier What were the load times like on Golf Club? I remember the first game being nice and slick but I haven't been back to it in ages. GC2 feels a little heavy on the loading. Unless there's just bother with the PS4 version.

Depended on the course. Official courses were deliberately quick (so not much heavy planting etc), one custom course I played which was brilliant took nearly 10 minutes. The game is a bit of a mess currently, the servers are fucked going off what others have reported.

[Shindig]

Ah. It did seem like the original game was doing a lot of server-side stuff. Maybe the launch has knocked them. The tutorial was nice and it turns out I'm still gloriously bad at this. I need to know what the career mode is. Looks like a season thing you can knock together, rather than a rags to riches golfer thing.

[Dark Soldier]

Yeah its an improved version of the first's, which was added to that via DLC. Societies is the huge draw, join one, weekly tournaments, in game cash prizes etc. I'll report back Saturday with impressions as I'll be hammering it Friday evening.

[Ian]

The last level of Ronin is FUCKING HARD.

[Disco]

I was waiting for you to get to that

It's proper bullshit, I never managed to get through it unscathed.

[Ian]

I've managed to clear out two or three rooms of dudes without taking a hit but keeping your limit break points between rooms / floors is an absolute ballache.

I reckon the key will be saving the first guy in the last room until last so if you have taken a hit you may still be able to make it to the bike. I'll probably keep dipping into it but I can't envision a reality in which I get through the whole thing without getting hit at all.

[Disco]

I only ever concentrated on staying alive, bugger the limit break thing. It was the lack of checkpoints that did for me, the first few rooms weren't exactly simple to clear so I'd get a bit further, take a hit while working out how to finish a room then have to do the entire thing again. It's one slight redeeming factor is that it's not too hard to finish it once you've taken a hit.

[Ian]

Did you ever get through to the bike while still dying? Is that a thing? Does it have a third ending or is it basically dead or totally untouched?

The lack of checkpoints is the killer though I see why they did it / the damage mechanic for the last level. If I ever manage to finish it I'll feel like a goddamn sexual tyrannosaur.