Boss Fights
A necessary evil, or can it be done properly?
Boss fights are a common element of most games, but are something that I frequently find frustrating. I’d like to take a moment to look at some great (and truly terrible) boss fights to look at how they should be done.
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Sonic 4 vs Sonic Generations
Can Sonic be saved?
I know I’ve already talked about Sonic recently in my Retrospective, commenting on how terrible most of the games have been since the Genesis/Mega Drive era, but pointing out that there were some saving graces amongst the terrible decisions… but that was before I had properly played either Sonic 4 – Episode 1 or Sonic Generations. Both of these games seem to be shedding some of the stuff that has made recent games so bad and trying to take Sonic back to his roots, but have either of them succeeded?
Assassins Creed Restrospective
Doing nothing for the reputation of Hoodies
The Assassins Creed (should there be an apostrophe in there somewhere?) series has become one of the most popular series of this gaming generation and one of my favourite games… in some ways. I haven’t reviewed any of the games yet, so I thought I would take a look back at the series and offer some opinions.
Online Dating – Getting Started
Talking to new people? Eeek!
In the second entry on online dating I’d like to talk about how to get started using these sites. It can be quite daunting to log in for the first time and its not always clear what you are supposed to be doing…
Review: Portal 2
Science is Fun! [Originally Published - 24/04/11]
The original Portal was basically just a tech demo, included in Valve’s Orange Box alongside other titles like Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress. And this was all it needed to be. This being Valve, however, they injected plenty of dark humour and made the game’s AI character into one of the greatest villains and characters in a video game… ever! Not to mention spawning various memes around the internet (most of them involving cake) and making an inanimate object (in the form of the companion cube) another of gaming’s most beloved sidekick characters (or maybe that was just me…).
Now, though, Valve have produced Portal 2. The sequel aims to have twice the content in the single player campaign as well as an additional cooperative campaign. This is probably the most anticipated PC game of the year, and if any developer can live up to that hype, its valve. But have they done it?
Sonic Retrospective
Could Generations be Sonic’s last hope? [Originally Published - 17/04/11]
With the release of yet another attempt to bring Sonic back to his roots, I began to wonder if going back to the beginning is really all the Sonic can hope to achieve?
I should probably reiterate that I always preferred Sonic to Mario (at least, back in the days when Sonic games were still good). I realise that the Mario franchise has been much better managed, with games like Smash Bros and Mario Kart amongst them, and that there hasn’t been a really good sonic game in recent years, but is Sonic’s future really so bleak?
Maturity and Video Games
Tehe, Boobies! [Originally Published - 10/04/11]
I’ve mentioned before that I have no particular problems with sex, violence and gore in games. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of it, any more that I am a fan of violent films. I’m not going to try and stop people making/buying them, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to buy them either…
I was reading an article today about the latest round of ‘M-Rated’ game controversy, which it occurred to me that something is very wrong with the M (standing for ‘mature’). This is not a rant against ‘mature’ content in games, but rather against the use of the word ‘mature’ in this context. Look up the definition of the word and you will find various descriptions including “grown up in terms of physical appearance, behaviour or thinking” and “behaving in a rational adult way”. Does that sound like most M-Rated games to you?
Online Dating – Sites
Yeah, I know, but being antisocial is a requirement for a nerd…
I would never pretend to be any good at dating, or indeed at social interaction in general for that matter, but I have recently branched out into the world of online dating. I thought it would be interesting to chart my experiences and share some of the insights I’ve gathered along the way.
In this first instalment I would like to discuss the sites that I’ve been using and my impressions of them.
Predictions: The Next Console Generation (2)
640kb ought to be enough for anybody [Originally Published - 03/04/11]
I have once again decided to potentially embarrass myself by making some more predictions about what the next few years in the games industry. This is a follow on from my previous predictions.
Review: Gran Turismo 5
Six Years…? Really?! [Originally Published - 20/03/11]
Now, I am very much aware that much of what I am about to say will be controversial, even if it is the truth. Lets just say I don’t intend to spend the next few hundred words complaining about this game just to give it the equivalent of an 8 or 9 out of 10 as many other (terrible) reviewers have done.
I am also aware that there will be a lot of Sony and GT fanboys who will object to this content. They will no doubt want to go into a rage and write the sort of offensive, stupid nonsense they did on reviews such as Justin’s from GamesRadar (in fact this is the main reason I don’t have a comments section anywhere on this site!). No one is interested in your opinions and I fully understand that you may not be interested in mine. If so, here’s the door: [Google]. Otherwise, read on.
