My Beginnings As A Gamer - Part 3

The last 2 weeks saw me writing about two games I owned for the Sega Genesis: NFL Football '94 and Virtual Bart. Both of these were horrid excuses for games, since either I didn't understand what I was doing or the controls were poor. Luckily enough, my childhood was spared with a third game: X-Men 2: Clone Wars.

This game was a great sidescroller. Both my brother and I ended up spending the most time with X-Men 2 out of the 3 games because we loved X-Men. Wolverine and Nightcrawler were my favorites.

Story-wise, I had no clue what was happening. Apparently these dudes called the Phalanx are out to get everyone on Earth. Don’t blame me for not caring, the story was presented as text on a screen, and I was a child. Let’s kill them already!

My brother and I had the game down pat for the most part. Through trial and error, we realized that each character was different. With time, we found that switching up the characters would make the game easier, because some were better than others for specific levels or bosses. For the most part, I ended up with Wolverine, but Cyclops was great as well, and Beast helped out a lot during boss battles.

The great part about the game is that Magneto ends up joining you, so you get to play as him. It was pretty cool for the time, but I never got the hang of playing as him, nor did I see any advantage in using him.

The game was fairly tough in my opinion. To this day, I have not beaten it. As a child, I was convinced that with time and patience, I would get through the most of it. Unlike Virtual Bart, the game was not frustratingly difficult because the controls were very tight. Each playthrough would see me getting slightly better, as I was just learning from experience.

As mentioned before, my brother and I also learned from trial and error. I guess that wouldn’t fly nowadays, but seeing as this was the best game we owned, we didn’t care about learning from the game this way. It allowed us to share more time together, as well as think of new ways to get past the tricky parts.

Sometimes we would just give up and put the game on hold because parts of the game were too hard to figure out, especially when you’re thrown into a boss fight. I knew there were cheat codes, and I was very tempted to skip a level or two, but oddly enough, the game would not accept the cheat codes. Even to this day, the cheat codes don't work on my hard copy and console, and I have no clue why.

Overall, X-Men 2: Clone Wars is a game I’ve always been fond of. It made playing my Sega Genesis worth it, despite lacking many of its must-own games (i.e. any of the Sonics, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker, Destiny). If you’ve never played it, definitely give it a chance.

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My Beginnings As A Gamer - Part 2‏

Asmentioned last week, as a kid I owned a Sega Genesis, but only had 3 games. Of course I rented a few, but the ones I owned made great memories. Today, in this 3-part post, I'll talk about Virtual Bart.

By definition, "great" doesn't necessarily mean good. By that I mean Virtual Bart was great in being horrible at game mechanics. As a kid, you’d just buy your games off cover art, and everyone was a fan of The Simpsons, so I figured, why not? And boy was I greatly disappointed.

The game presents itself as a set of minigames, 6 of them if I recall. Each is horrible in its own right, so I commend the developer in finding different ways of making bad minigames. The game starts off with Bart going to the school’s Science Fair and getting trapped in some spinning wheel contraption, which ends up being a random stage selection. The wheel spins randomly and chooses a minigame for you. Not having the choice already makes me angry.

Jurassic Bart

This was probably the best minigame out of the 6. Bart turns into some kinda dinosaur and your job is to get him out of the level safely. I never beat this one, but I had more fun with it than the other 5. The jump mechanics are poor and Dino Bart ends up sliding around the level. I mostly ended up dying from attacks from other dinosaurs. For some reason Lisa and Maggie are seen, in human form, throwing crap at you. I never understood why, but I hated them even more.

SpiderPig

In this minigame, Bart is now a pig. It’s pretty much exactly the same as the dinosaur level, with a different setting. I think it’s even worse, because pigs aren’t as cool as dinosaurs.

Baby on Board

Bart’s a baby. He jumps even more poorly than in the dinosaur level. You swing on branches and then end up at a carnival. Basically, you have to time and land every jump perfectly. This was easily the most tedious of the 6, and I hated getting stuck with this one. 

Tomacco

Bart basically has a sack of tomatoes, and he’s throwing them at school kids. You select where you throw and aim for someone. The point of the game is to hit everyone except Principal Skinner and maybe a few of the teachers (my memory here is hazy). The problem here is you can’t really tell if your aim will be on target because you can’t choose your distance accurately. Bart is standing, hidden behind a mailbox, and as such, he doesn’t move. This is fine, but what’s horrible is that you can’t determine the angle you throw at, only the distance (the yellow line you see in the pavement in the above image scrolls up and down to determine distance, but not angle).

Hell’s Satans

I guess this is a Road Rash clone. Bart drives a motorcycle and picks up fuel while defending himself from Jimbo and Kearney, as well as buses. I never finished the level because I found the controls too annoying.

Mount Splashmore

Bart goes on a deadly waterslide and you have to avoid people and traps. Again, the controls weren’t tight and the waterslide splits into different paths. Take the wrong path and you’ll either end up dead or the time will run out.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was disappointed with this game as a kid, which doesn’t say much because most kids wouldn’t fault the mechanics, but rather assume they’re not adept enough to beat the game. I knew the truth because I’ve played through that irksome Battletoads level and lived. Virtual Bart was and still is a giant piece of garbage.

All was okay though, since the 3^rd and last game I owned was the saving grace for my time with the Sega Genesis. 

Till next week.

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My Beginnings As A Gamer - Part 1‏

I was probably 7 or 8 when I got my first console: a Sega Genesis. I think I was even given the choice of either the Super Nintendo or the Sega Genesis, but that blue hedgehog reeled me in and I had my mind set on a Genesis. Unfortunately, I ended up getting 3 games through its lifespan, and none of them were Sonic games. I plan on talking about each one in the next few weeks.

 

The first game I ever got came packaged with my Genesis. It was supposed to be Sonic 2, but Toys R Us ran out of the bundle. I think my dad haggled for a game, I don’t remember, but he didn’t know what he actually got me. In fact, I try and block this game from my mind, but it usually comes back to haunt me. While cleaning up my room, I found this amazing gem:

Yup, I was 7 years old, playing NFL Football ’94 Starring Joe Montana. No disrespect to the sport, but I had no interest or knowledge of football, and I blame this game for feigning any interest in it now. I hated it, but it was my only game for 90% of my time with the Genesis as a kid. If you look carefully at the cartridge, you’ll even see I drew a smiley face on Joe Montana; this was because I got no happiness out of this game.

 

Ok, I lie: the intro song to the game is quite catchy, and possibly my favorite memory:

Besides that intro, I barely understood how to play. I remember seeing a lot of formations, which made no sense to me as a kid. They confused the crap out of me because all I saw were lines and circles, and then all of a sudden I was allowed to play again.

When it came to actually playing the game, of course I sucked. The only time I would get/score a touchdown would be if I was lucky enough to run from my end zone to the opponent’s. Again, I didn’t understand anything about the video game or the actual sport, so I would either fumble or get tackled incessantly.

My favorite team was the Miami Dolphins. Because come on, dolphins are cool.

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Incoming New Challenger

Hey basement gamers,

My name's Charlie and it looks like I'm the team's new rookie. I've been given the opportunity to write alongside these fellow game enthusiasts and hopefully I'll be half as entertaining.

So where to begin? I suppose the basics will do just fine. I'm nearly twenty-five and have lived in Montreal my entire life. I just recently graduated from Concordia University with a double major in English Literature and Classics (God of War fans brace yourselves, I'll be covering the franchise quite a bit) and currently combating with the fates for a half decent career.

Incidentally, being born in '89, I saw the emergence of the original NES. I feel like a bloody dinosaur. I remember gazing upon that Duck Hunt/Mario cartridge in awe. Here it was, presented to me in grey plastic glory, my first video game. Do you know what conclusion I came to after investing an hour or so into that cartridge? That I hated that nuisance of a dog. Subsequently, I began my quest to discover new pixelated adventures. Fast forward a few years, the SNES is released. Conversely, the NES was great, what with the golden Zeldacartridge and its Megaman "I die every 5 seconds" difficulty and what not, but holy Olympian gods did the Super Nintendo blow my mind. Especially in 1992 with the release of Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior. The moment I picked up the controller and mashed the buttons resulting in E. Honda's hundred-hand-slap, I knew I was in love with gaming. In '94, I was introduced to my very first video game crush, Cammy from SUPER Street Fighter 2. Interestingly enough, I still play as Cammy twenty or so years later.

You may have guessed it by now, but I'm an avid 2D fighter fan. Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Marvel Vs Capcom, you name it. However, recently I've started exploring outside of my comfort zone. Not that I exclusively played 2D fighters but those were the games that I excelled in (I'm decent, I guess?) and devoted most of my time to play. In fact, I skipped three days of college upon Street Fighter 4's release just so I can get some serious online crunch time. Nevertheless, I still played all your classic game genres and big name games such as: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, Call of Duty, etc. Besides gaming, I'm also a huge Transformers geek. Now, when I say Transformers, I don't mean the Michael Bay cluster-f*ck of machinery, but the 1984 G1 cartoon and toys and onwards. I've got a pretty ridiculous collection of Transformers figures alongside a modest assortment of He-man, G.I. Joe and X-Men. I feel like I'm rambling on; am I rambling on? I need to stop.

Above all, you must all be wondering why am I here and what you can expect from me. Well, even though I've got a super academic mind, I tend to enjoy the simple things when it comes to gaming. All I want is to be entertained when I play a game. I have certain criteria that I follow when I play but I don't expect award winning gameplay or narratives. I'll enjoy a Dynasty Warriorsas much as I enjoy The Last of Us, it simply depends on if it properly executes what I need at that given moment. I'm also very fortunate to have an incredible girlfriend who enjoys gaming with me, so I'll have the opportunity to discuss the couch-based multiplayer of games who have that criteria. Lastly, I want to bring a distinct, genuine and fun opinion to compliment this extraordinary team. 'Kay, it's over, I swear.

Cheers!

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Explosions In My Mind: My Early Memories Of Video Games

I came across an article yesterday posted onto Kotaku written by guest author Adam Sessler, a man recently divorced from the gaming press turned media and entertainment consultant. In brief, the editorial is aimed in part at chronicling Adam’s memories of games: his early life, his professional career as video game journalist and his repose from the industry and casual consumption of games. The article itself is touching, and should be read in full if you find yourself with fifteen minutes and a mind for sobering memoires.

After reading the article, I began to think about how I too often frame many of my memories in the context of video games. Accordingly, I’ve opted to detail 3 video games which helped to define my tastes in games during my formative years with them.

Mario 64 (1996)



Mario 64 reminds me of why I love playing video games. The game is inventive, challenging and fun. It is likely one of the primary reasons why I’ve become so enamoured with the medium.

I recall being in the first few years of elementary school when Mario 64 first came out. I did not yet own my own console, and would play this game at a neighbour’s house. I recall how fragmented my play experience was with the game. One weekend I would be playing around in the early stages of the game (Bob-omb Battlefield springs to mind immediately); and then next, I would be trying to muster up the courage to make it through Big Boo’s Haunt.

I really enjoyed how novel every stage felt, and how Mario’s limited skillset (walking, crawling, jumping, swimming, climbing, etc.) was used to its fullest and in varying ways depending on the level/land that the player found him/herself in, in addition to whatever powers were unlocked for use in those levels (being able to fly, vanish and/or become immune to damage and sink in water). Mario 64’s many secrets, high level of replayability, and sheer ambitious scope all culminated in a personal hunger to experience more of the medium.

Pokémon Red (1999)

Several years following the release of Mario 64, Pokémon was released on Gameboy. My first encounter with the franchise was with Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise, each presented as a card to be collected through a string cheese company I’ve long forgotten. The mystery surrounding what these creatures were came to head when several of my schoolmates began purchasing the game on their Gameboy. Soon enough, nearly everyone I knew owned a copy of either Red or Blue version. I found myself compelled to follow in tow. In the end, I chose Pokémon Red because many people I knew chose the Blue version.

Many of my memories of this game were entirely social: I recall linking with other friends on my block to trade Pokémon, I remember the thrill of making progress in the game only to tell my friends on the discoveries that I’d made, and I remember learning about some of the game’s many peak moments through other schoolmates’ experiences (how to pass the first sleeping Snorlax, having to choose between Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee, which Pokémon were exclusive to which version of the game, etc.).

Final Fantasy VII (2001)

Pokémon, much like Mario 64 before it, helped me to identify qualities I would later seek out in video games: namely, exploration-heavy experiences which tested my dexterity and wits in various ways. Interestingly, neither game was particularly story-heavy, which I feel is oddly ironic, given how each game played a major role in shaping my eventual tastes in JRPGs (which are usually as much about story as they are about gameplay).

As with many others, the first console RPG I played was Final Fantasy VII (FFVII). Though I had played several other console-based RPGs (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars comes to mind) FFVII was the first console RPG I played on a console that I owned, and for that reason deserves a special mention on this list.

Perhaps more importantly, FFVII introduced me to the two levels through which exploration is experienced in many RPGs. On one level, the story itself motivated me to continue playing the game, often serving as a catalyst for me to venture on, to strengthen my party by grinding out levels, and ultimately to earn further story exposition. On a second level, I found myself curious to see how I could incrementally improve my party through repetitive common encounters and cinematic boss encounters. Each of these levels of exploration (story and mechanics) helped reinforce my desire to play more games; a sentiment toward RPGs rooted in the strong sense of exploration adopted through my earlier experiences with Mario 64’s beautifully crafted levels, and Pokémon’s own RPG mechanics, in addition to the game’s strong sense of tangible progression.

In the end, my formative years with video games centered on many more games than the three I’ve listed here. That said, I find myself thinking about my time spent with Mario 64, Pokémon and FFVII with a fondness that has since been lost; with a nostalgic haze that has since been devoured by my adult responsibilities. The crystallization of these games in my memories, and the pillars they’ve contributed to which now prop my interests in RPGs, may very well become lost to other more pertinent memories eventually. In some ways then, this article is an ode to what may come to be replaced. Take care.

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No Tough Love

I've never been a huge fan of sports games but there is one that I can always play and that game is Mario Tennis. If you haven't gone back and played a N64 game since its heyday, then you probably don't know that the controls from that generation are pretty balls and most games haven't aged that well, or at all.

Unlike its fallen brethren, Mario Tennis doesn't suffer from the same issues as Goldeneye and Ocarina of Time—which make you question how you had so much fun playing these games while wrestling with the three pronged monster that was the "controller"—but it rises above all that and sits atop the pedestal alongside Super Smash Bros. and Diddy Kong Racing, with the other still playable games from that era in gaming not too far away.

I've owned this game since I was a kid but to be honest, I hadn't given it much thought until I played it recently with some buddies at a friend's apartment and it all came back to me. I realized that this game was a lot better than I ever thought it was; the controls were simple and you could pick up the basics within a round or two and after a few sets you've learned all the in's and out's. In the same vein as most Mario games, all the characters fall into different classifications—whether it be all-around, power, technique, or tricky—each brings a different strength to the table and are pretty self explanatory. The different stages also change the games ball speed, bounce and overall feel of the game.

I've spent many a night playing doubles with a bunch of friends till the wee hours of the morning, hurling insults and trash talk at one another during nail biting, tie breaker rounds. If you can round up four working N64 controllers I recommend getting this game, it is too much fun for its own good and I honestly couldn't recommend it more highly. The game is super solid and hours of fun. Also if you like drinking game the rules are simple: Miss a shot? Take a drink; Get a fault? Take a drink; Double fault? Do a shot cause you suck; Losing team finishes there drink, rinse and repeat.

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Bringing Justice To Fighters

I'm a pretty big fan of fighting games and I think the reason for this is rooted in my childhood. You see, I grew up with a lot of cousins who all happened to play video games; and because we were so many, instead of playing another type of game, we'd play fighting games and have the loser give up the controller allowing everyone to get involved. Of course I was the youngest and always sucked at them, so I didn't win too often and had to pass the controller all the time. I'm also a very competitive person see; there is no better feeling than to pound a worthy adversary into the ground.

Broadway Brawl

I recently picked up Injustice: Gods Among Us and I'm pleased that it has the same sort of production value as the most recently released Mortal Kombat game. I love what developer NetherRealm did with the story. Not necessarily what the story is about per se, but how it was presented—it's sort of like watching a movie.

In pretty much every single fighting game, the "story mode" is just a glorified arcade mode: you pick a character and then go through a number of seemingly random fights till the end, rinse and repeat. In the last few NetherRealm games, there is one story that encompasses most, if not all, the characters. Each chapter has you fighting with a different character, and control gets passed around like a relay race—have a few fights, get passed off to the next fighter in the narrative—and it works very well.

Personally I think every fighter should incorporate this type of story mode. You can articulate a coherent story this way and it is genuinely entertaining to not only watch but play. Keep arcade mode what it is, but add some value to the game with a great story mode.

Trials and Challenges

Too many fighters missing

The only trend I'm not sure what to think about is if I enjoy having all the characters unlocked at the get go or not. I guess it sort of boils down to how you start playing the game. If you invite a bunch of friends over for this sick new fighting game that has like 50 characters, then pop it in and there are only 12 unlocked...well you feel like ass and immediately start looking for cheats online to unlock everyone. On the flip side, if you just bought a fighting game on your own...*cough* Injustice...and want a menial task to do, that actually works towards and achieves something, then you get home and all the characters are unlocked already...well you also feel a little gypped; what am I suppose to do now? They add all this extra content outside of the story (challenge modes and whatnot), but give no real reason to play through these modes other than the fact that they exist. The only real incentive is if you want Trophies/Achievements...I personally would rather unlock characters.

By far my favourite fighting game is Guilty Gear. The series is just amazing: it's incredibly fast-paced, the music is awesome, and the characters are all original. In my opinion, developer Arc System Works also does unlocking characters right. When the player first starts a new game, they start off with 80-90% of the characters. In this way, it's the best of both worlds: you start off with a really good selection of fighters, and you have something to work towards by unlocking the last few.

The next installment in the series is Guilty Gear Xrd, it's actually already released in Japan in the Arcades (those still exist?), and will be released later this year on PS3 and PS4—I for one cannot wait. It's been a pretty long time since I've played a new Guilty Gear game, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the developers have come up with this time.

Final Thoughts

If someone could marry the experience of a NetherRealm's, story driven, fighting game with the sheer brilliance and originality in an Arc System Work's fighting game, I would be in heaven. Being able to unlock a few characters leaves me with something to look forward to after finishing an awesome cinematic experience that would be the story. One can dream.

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Illusions Are For Kids, Right?

Free for Playstation Plus users this month is Castle of Illusion—both the old 1990s version on Sega Genesis and the HD remake. I have fond memories of renting this game for the Genesis, and I also happen to own World of Illusion, which came out a little later in 1992.

Both the Genesis and HD remake follow the same general storyline: a witch called Mizrabel captures Minnie Mouse and, of course, Mickey is tasked to rescue her.

So I began playing the Genesis version, if only for a brief moment. My memory is hazy, but within the first few minutes, I realized you couldn’t simply jump on top of enemies to attack them (like most 2D platformers of this era). I found some jumps would register a kill, but 95% of the time, Mickey would get hurt. A few minutes later, I realized you needed to hit down on the d-pad before landing on an enemy to get the kill. This mechanic felt odd at first, but I continued playing and realized how jumping on some enemies would result in an even higher jump; a pretty smart game mechanic.

Move over New York, this is the real Big Apple

Just like games of its era, you learn from your mistakes as you go, so you generally feel some sense of accomplishment. There are a few cheap moments. For instance, I died at the first boss, which cost me all my throwable items (apples). As such, I had nothing to throw at the boss, which was kind of annoying, since my only option was to use a jump attack.  Also, from what I can tell, you can’t jump and throw your items at the same time.

What I really loved about this game was that I learned everything as I played. At first, I thought you couldn’t jump on your enemies, which made me think that I could only throw projectiles at them. You truly feel some sense of accomplishment, and this is coming from a 24 year-old game meant for children.

On the other hand, the HD remake makes life easier: you can jump on top of any enemy without any problems. No need to hit down on the d-pad, because you automatically bounce off enemies. The gameplay feels very gimped, and frankly too easy. I found it simple to bypass most enemies by jumping over them, which was much less possible in the Genesis version. The controls felt loose, and I found Mickey would slide everywhere. This made me feel less in control of Mickey and less satisfied overall.

What it does do well is re-introduce this game to a new generation of children. The game looks great, and I love how the soundtrack is updated yet remains faithful to the original.  It adds voice acting and a narrator, which adds some charm. It also allows you to jump and throw at the same time, which is a welcomed addition.

Final Thoughts
I highly recommend playing the original over the new version. It’s really great once you learn the controls, and you’re bound to sink a few hours into this game. The HD remake is somewhat forgettable because it sticks to the tried and true, offering very little to differentiate it from similar games. The remake works well, but the original allows you to learn as you play. I truly had a ton of fun, and I hope you will too.

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It Was The Best Of Times

Greetings fellow gaming enthusiasts, my name is Kyle, and video games have been a big part of my life since as far as I can remember. I have pretty fond memories of my little corner in the basement, with my foam Ninja Turtles chair in front of the little TV I had hooked up to my Nintendo.  Kicking some Goomba-ass or sucking horribly at Tetris. I grew up with games. As I grew older, they evolved with me and currently I’m not entirely sure if I’m happy with the way that games have turned out.

A little bit about me before I get started: much like the majority of our little blogging cast, I’m 25 and I’m born and bred in Montreal, Quebec. Back when I was younger I would’ve definitely labelled myself as a hardcore gamer; World of Warcraft (WoW), Counter Strike and Diablo 2 were most definitely responsible for my trips to summer school because, who needs to study when there’s raiding to do? Over the last few years gaming has taken a back seat to hockey, my true passion. That said, I still play enough games to stay relevant in these conversations... I hope.

These days, real life has taken its toll and I no longer have the vast amount of free time I used to. I often speed through games on their easier settings just so I can get the story faster, otherwise I’ll lose interest and never go back to it. Bioshock Infinite is a good example. I love the game and its main story but, once I played Episode One of the Burial at Sea DLC, I lost interest. The gameplay was way too glitchy and it took me out of the whole immersive experience that Bioshock offers. I haven’t touched it since I encountered a glitch that completely prevented me from continuing the level.  

Dropping back to my glory days of gaming: I miss the days where I could just sit my ass down with a bag of chips, a peanut butter sandwich, some chocolate milk and just bang out 8 hours of gaming in a sitting.  My “/played” on WoW still kind of haunts me to this day though. I probably could’ve used that time much more productively. The only current game I found myself dedicating copious amounts of time to was Skyrim. It gave me that vintage RPG feel that I missed so much. Yes, the main story is a bit brief and all over the place but, it still makes you feel like the character you’re playing. I’ve found that quality in games is a lot harder to come by presently.

Now, this brings me to my next nostalgic point about my “glory days of gaming”. Back when I first really got into online play through Xbox Live, I remember making actual new friends through Halo 3 or Call of Duty Modern Warfare (CoD4). The same thing happened with WoW and other major multiplayer games.  I had a friends list full of randoms from all across the globe who would just hop into a game with me and we’d play together. Now…gaming communities can be some pretty dark places. League of Legends comes to mind as one of the worst I’ve seen, CoD is a close second. Gaming, to me, used to be about Clans, Guilds and this random sort of virtual-camaraderie, but now it seems to have fallen into this really weird cesspit of horrific social warfare. Maybe I’m just playing the wrong games in the wrong places, or maybe I’m becoming an old man, but this is something that has turned me off from the online communities.

I’m hoping that I find a game soon that takes me back to those days. If anyone has any suggestions please share them with me in the comments. Hope you enjoyed my wistful rant as we sauntered down memory lane.

Later Days.

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The Best Dressed Games

Recently, Might and Delight released a trailer for Shelter 2. Having not known of the series or its prequel, I was really intrigued by the art style. It basically reminds me of a paper cut-out style taken to a level I haven’t seen in a game.

Instantly I was reminded of so many other games with original art styles. Here’s a few (in chronological order) that I believe are the cream of the crop.

Another World/Out of This World

To be honest, I’ve never actually played this game, but I’ve watched plenty of gameplay. This game is a platformer in which the character you play gets stuck in another world after a malfunction in his lab.

First thing to notice are the rotoscoped graphics, reminiscent of Prince of Persia. Also, I believe that it’s one of the first games to include cutscenes, which says a lot for such an old game. This alone made it stand out from the herd, but the game itself really looked great. It uses a very dull color palette, which creates a great mood that fits the tone of the game perfectly: you are essentially alone for most of the game, fighting off these giants. Despite a limited color palette, it manages to change things up with smaller details and a smart use of the color blue. 

Comix Zone

Now here’s a game I played extensively, given the fact that it’s available on PS3/Xbox 360/Wii. Comix Zone is a great 2D action game like many others from its generation (it came out on Sega Genesis) however, it excels in its presentation: the game is presented as if it were a comic book! You move from panel to panel, page to page, and fight various enemies. The art style is really eye-catching with its color palette, and the story is told through speech bubbles just like a comic book. The cartoony style works so well with the other aspects of the game. Overall, a gem for the Genesis. 

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

This wouldn’t be a good list without Wind Waker. I played this game countless amounts of times but have never finished it. Nevertheless, I can still appreciate the chance Nintendo took on this art style: moving from run-of-the-mill graphics to a vibrant, cel-shaded world was definitely a good move in retrospect. This game is timelessly gorgeous, and ahead of its time. It sparked a trend of cel-shaded games, which have become much more common nowadays – think of Ni No Kuni or Dragon Quest VIII.

Okami

I mean seriously: This is art

Sony was able to retaliate with Clover Studio’s Okami. The game initially went for a more realistic look, until Clover scrapped the idea in favor of a Japanese “sumi-e” look. Basically, every single frame of this game ended up looking like a piece of art, and I especially love the “inky” use of black. Also, instead of a color overload, we are treated to bright and dark colors fairly equally. Flowers grow with every step you take as the wolf/goddess named Amaterasu, adding extra pop as you move. Quite a distracting game, because it’s art style looks like a moving watercolor canvas.

The PS2 version of Okami, has shown its age – its 480i, 4:3 presentation doesn’t do it justice on newer televisions. More importantly, the HD release brings it back to life. Must buy. 

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Green is the color of Enslaved

I haven’t played through all of Enslaved, but it’s in my “to finish list”. Ninja Theory’s Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has you play as Monkey, who is stuck with another character named Trip. He is linked to her via this headband, and if she dies, so does Monkey. This game was released on PS3/Xbox 360 and ported to PC. At the time, so many of the post-apocalyptic games I played used tons of grey or duller colors. Enslaved was a breath of fresh air, which used a lot of green in its flora. It definitely fits the game well, showing the destroyed world, taken over by greenery. Much like Okami, sometimes it's great to just stop moving and look around.

Final Thoughts

Overall, art direction in videogames can make or break the game. Would Wind Waker be so highly praised and remembered had it looked more realistic? Would Okami see ports to the Wii and a HD release had it looked, well, normal? These games have made a mark in the gaming landscape on the basis of the artists’ choices in presentation. Had they not taken chances, they would have been much less memorable to me.

To end this post: What’s your favorite game, solely based on art style?

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Gamers Anonymous

Hi, my name is Brandon, and I’m a gamer.

A little bit about me: I’m 25, born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and have recently graduated. I have many hobbies, but for this blog I’ll concentrate on games.

I've never considered myself a casual nor hardcore gamer: I follow gaming news quite a bit, and love reading about and watching new games, be it indie or mainstream. On the other hand, I don’t play through too many games, and usually play them on normal. I have a backlog of at least 30 games that were never truly played, so most of them collect dust (I guess I like to collect).

I just recently beat Pokemon X, which oddly enough, I’ve put 80 hours into. I’m on a huge nostalgia kick, because I’m also wasting time on Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and Age of Empires II HD. I also have Zelda: A Link Between Worlds lined up.



I first played Pokemon when Pokemon Red/Blue came out. I didn’t even own a GameBoy, so I borrowed my friends GameBoy Pocket and he was nice enough to let me erase his file so I could play the game all the way through. I must’ve gone through a ton of AAA batteries. Besides Pokemon Red, I never played through and beat another game in the series until X. Post game and I’m still having a ton of fun with it. I’m not someone who cares much about EV/IV training or playing for competition, but I love the trading system itself. Currently I’m just breeding and trading for other starters from the past few games.

As for Zelda – same story. I only played through Ocarina of Time in full. All other games in the Zelda franchise seem great, but I half-assed tried playing them and never took much interest.

As for Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, I don’t remember winning all of the maps, but I loved drowning people! Anyway, I started playing it because I saw PeanutButterGamer play through it and it brought back good memories.  They should totally do a HD remake. Redo all the textures and add new maps, pretty simple. I would gladly fork over $20 for those minor improvements.

Speaking of HD remakes, Age of Empires II HD isn’t all that good. It doesn’t feel like much of an upgrade, but then again I don’t really remember. All I remember was that I was playing the free demo that came on my Windows 98 (second edition of course, i.e. the best version of Windows ever) when I was 12. I remember being absolutely horrible at it. Back on topic, I don’t feel like any textures were really upgraded, but rather upscaled and given widescreen support. I only paid $5 for it so I guess I can’t really complain. So far I’ve played about 5 hours of just random single-player maps, and it’s already paid for itself, in fun.

That totally reminds me: Red Alert 2 was amazing. I should totally play that next so that I can brush up on my Russian accent.

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