| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
I had a blast from the past this morning...
One of my all time favorite obsessions was WipeOut XL, back on the PS1. I played the hell out of the first game as well, but XL is generally regarded as on of the few outstanding exemplas of gaming perfection.
Just the other day I setup an HD setup for my PS3, primarily so I can put Yellow Dog Linux on it and start building some stuff... but I was a little disappointed there aren't really any full HD games for the PS3. So I started looking into what games are HD and I ran into WipEout HD, which seems to be billed more like a promotional release before an actual PS3 WipEout release to come, so it's just a 19.99USD download. What HD titles there are, are generally more toy/arcade type releases it seems.
I was really turned off of the franchise by the awfulness of WipeOut 3 (whatever it was called if not 3) ...but HD feels pretty close to classic play. Though gone seems to be the headlining electronic/techno soundtrack (whatever the diff between the genres) ..which is really unfortunate stylistically, but doesn't subtract from the gameplay I guess. I suppose it might be asking too much to license tracks for a download release.
My old XL fav AG Systems seems to have changed beyond recognition, so I'll probably have to find a new team. I kinda liked the blue dual engine car, forget the team name, but it looks like the Icarus team is probably the spiritual successor to the old AG Systems, but you have to unlock that team so I can't try it yet.
So whatever... I don't know what WipeOut has been doing since XL, but it was cool to find a nice little game in my budget range for my PS3. I also setup the Playstation Network for the first time, and tried Home (which I won't go into) ...I downloaded the WipEout HD demo last night while sleeping (1024MB) ...and was happy to learn purchasing just meant unlocking the demo rather than another large download.
All and all, it was all pretty neat to fool with 
« Last Edit: January 25, 2009, 04:08:46 PM by yksehtniycul »
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Actually here is the "soundtrack"
* MoveYa! & Steve Lavers: Chemical
* Stanton Warriors: Tokyo
* DJ Fresh: X-Project (100% Pure mix)
* Ed Rush, Optical & Matrix: Frontline
* Noisia: Seven Stitches
* MIST: Smart Systems
* Mason: Exceeder - Special mix
* Booka Shade: Steady Rush
* Kraftwerk: Aerodynamik - Special mix
After the power went out I've just gotten around to playing this one, and I'm really enjoying myself... the music isn't nearly as memorable as XL's was, and I think I preferred the industrial climes of XL more than HD, but it is pretty slick... which probably compliments the whole "HD" thing a little better.
You can even make a custom soundtrack by putting songs on your PS3 harddrive, but I haven't figured that out just yet.
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Here is another odd Castlevania I half-way didn't realize existed...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlevania_Chronicles
I've been playing this one lately (download-purchased it off the PS3 Network) and was pretty surprised when I first jumped in. I thought this game back when it was originally released was a faithful remake of the original Castlevania (Akumajo Dracula) but with new graphics, and an arrange version with pink hair 
But it turns out this is a remake of an odd Japanese PC version of the original, which was actually radically different from the original itself. In fact, it has more completely original levels than the original levels themselves (and I even believe leaves out a couple of the original levels) ...plus must larger/clearner graphics and is much more controllable. You can swing straight down and at a diagonal while jumping, and change directions mid-jump. And most valuable, you can swing much quicker... still I think the game is considered more difficult than the original. Oddly when hit, you plummet straight down. Which generally is a life saver if you're over something (versus being catapulted backwards) but often a pain when being hit mid-jump would've put you wear you started (and generally kind of unnatural) ...but some parts of the game, probably would've been unplayable if not for this.
All and all, it is one of my favorites. Especially the arrange mode. The black leather Simon with pink hair, extra levels, and the futuristic looking torture devices in the castle really give it a Vampire Hunter D / Rock'n'roll feel, more than with any other Castlevania (that would be a refreshing kind of Castlevania I think)
Also the arrange mode has a more experimental and more rock like soundtrack... surely just odd remixes of the original score. For Castlevania fans, you don't wanna miss this one. Check it out!
PS: The Laurel special weapon is kind of odd. But I'm pretty much unbeatable with it, short of the game timing-out (which you can disable for the arrange mode if you want) ...I couldn't imagine beating the Werewolf or Doppleganger boss on anything but easy. They're just insane. Otherwise it's not that hard, and Dracula seems easier than ever. You can save your game, change the difficulty, then re-load it on arrange mode.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2009, 08:06:01 PM by yksehtniycul »
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I remember I played that one on my PSX and yes, is really cool and like you say, it feels just like the original arcade. And I like the look of that Belmont with the Red/Pink Hair.
Signature under construction 'cause the last one died.
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Logged Emilio Morales has 1133 Posts (+25/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
I've been enjoying Mirror's Edge a lot lately. I would say more on the subject, but this thread is pretty dead anymore (for now)
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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I've been enjoying Mirror's Edge a lot lately.
Really? I haven't play it yet, but it doesn't attract me at all. 
Signature under construction 'cause the last one died.
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Logged Emilio Morales has 1133 Posts (+25/-0 Karma) |
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Megaman games were always a Pain in the ass, even the X series >_< I'm currently playing "Megaman X8" and I find myself stuck at the begining, I wasn't able to deffeat any boss, until I beat the first one, all began to fall preatty quickly.
Signature under construction 'cause the last one died.
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Logged Emilio Morales has 1133 Posts (+25/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
I was able to setup a second PS3 user and register it with the Japanese PSN by giving it a fake address I cooked up. Wasn't as hard as I thought it would be actually. I got the idea when I realized a lot of the stuff was free, so I shouldn't need a credit card anyway 
But I think I also just purchased a 1man (10000yen) PSN card for 108USD... which is actually incredibly lucky, as that is actually probably less than you could exchange 108USD for its yen equivalent!!
I found the lead on this Ebay "auction" ...
http://cgi.ebay.com/PS3-Japan-playstation-network-card-ticket-3000-PSN-PSP_W0QQitemZ260357743929QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item260357743929&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50
(4-4)Limited Offer : I would sell one person 10,000yen card for 108USD.Please contact me if you need 10,000yen card.
I guess it's a promotional type deal?? But anyway, the seller seems squeaky clean, so I went ahead and contacted him, and I guess I was the first. I was expecting to pay a lot for shipping, but they just wanted 108USD total.
That said... though there were a lot more games in the Japanese PSN, they were actually much lamer than the English PSN's lineup. Most of the games were by very lightweight companies with very trashy type games. Rock Man 9 wasn't even there. Most of Fromsoftware's PS1 games were there. A lot of the games were actually Western games... ie. games produced in the west. It looks like Japanese companies are not as quick to jump on the PSN bandwagon.
There is an HD version of classic Street Fighter 2 in the English PSN (but not the Japanese) I'm thinking about buying. It claims to be fully redrawn with HD artwork. Very little info is given about titles via the network though, and the cover art graphics are teeny-tiny... but I'm thinking about trying that one. Guess I'll have to do some online research.
It seems like the Wii, even though it's lineup is very small, has a much better "Virtual Console", because Sony doesn't seem to have access to anything before the 32bit generation games. All the old PS1 games are 600yen. Seems pretty crazy, but it's convenient at least.
Another cool thing is there doesn't seem to be region locks on any of the old PS1 games once you download them. I just wish there was actually an effort made by the console companies to fill out their back libraries 
« Last Edit: March 04, 2009, 09:29:25 PM by yksehtniycul »
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Hmmmm... I'm not so sure I'm sold on the Street Fighter HD sprites. They're ok, but a lot of the time parts of them are really crappy, so I'll probably pass. Probably why it hasn't been released in Japan.
The company responsible seems pretty weird?? It isn't even Asian....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UDON
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Here is maybe my new favorite game you probably have not heard of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cM75tkek2U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Imcc7p_3I
Most enigmatic title ever too 
There are actually a lot of interesting titles on the Japanese PSN. It's pretty perverted that I will probably spend most of my time playing PS1 games at 600yen a pop on my PS3. Either that or monkeying around with Linux / trying to build PS3 games
edited: http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/psx/weltorv/weltprev.html
PS: Also there are three screenshots for each game in the store, but they don't popup for a long time, and there is no indication of their existence until after they download 
Fortunately they popup faster after you've browsed the store once before (apparently everything gets more or less cached on your box)
« Last Edit: March 06, 2009, 06:37:07 PM by yksehtniycul »
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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Found these if anyone wants them:
Signature under construction 'cause the last one died.
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Logged Emilio Morales has 1133 Posts (+25/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
That is the wimpiest Dracula ever 
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
I gotta make a confession... Weltorv Estleia is definitely my all time fav rpg of all time, if you know what I mean. It has everything I've always wanted in an rpg that no rpg ever has!!
My only complaint is so far it is wayyyyy toooooo easssssssyyyyyyyy. It's been a perpetual tutorial, and I'm already like lv20. I know you're supposed to play the game thru multiple times, so it could be each round becomes more difficult or something. Also it seems so far you're stuck with the first two party mates you let into your party (P1 style) ...though I'm still looking for ways to replace them. You have other party members, but they're temporary slots (per adventure) ...I'm thinking one explanation for the easiness is I let the first two adventurers you find into my party, and that probably sets you on an easy route. Because if you did not let them in (so you could let others in later) the quests would be much more difficult to do alone.
The gameplay is perfect though. I can't shake the feeling there will be a Weltorv Estleia cult somewhere in my future...
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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