Summer Game Challenge 2013 - Begin when ready!

[Opa Opa]

Playing Silent Hill 2 (about six hours in) and wow...Konami really shit the bed with the camera. That thing is BAD. It actually detracts from the game experience, in my opinion. I sure hope they fixed it when they released the HD collection for PS3. I also have complaints about the insane amount of fog they put in when wandering about town - I can't see a damn thing half the time. Even worse, it usually has a reddish tint, so visibility is sometimes down to around 10%. I really like the game's atmosphere and overall creepiness, but the camera and fog really do brutalize the experience.

This your first Silent Hill or something?

[kelsoanim]

1. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
2. Chrono Trigger (SNES)
3. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (NES) (swapped)
4. Sonic the Hedgehog (Gen)
5. Super Mario Kart (SNES)
6. Double Dragon (NES)
7. Metroid Prime (GC)
8. Duck Tales (NES)
9. F-Zero (SNES)
10. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PS2)

My game time has been very random lately, I am seeing why the "Summer Game Challenge" has the word "challenge" in it. I finally took the time to beat Chrono Trigger over the weekend though. I had been grinding a lot at the end which I probably didn't need to do but I was enjoying it a lot. I've been rocking Chrono, Frog and Robo as much as possible in the game. I dig their abilities but more than that I just enjoy their backstories and situations the most. Frog is of course my favorite character in the game. The tragic yet heroic story is so damn endearing. He's the guy you want to be, even if he is cursed to be a frog.

The game was pretty damn easy to beat in the end. I had the most trouble fighting Zeal, but only because I kept being an idiot attacking her hands. I don't know how I lasted so long honestly, I did that for maybe 20 mins before I decided to lay into her head. After that fighting Lavos' forms was terribly easy. Seems like when you get past lvl 50 the game stops fighting back.

What more can be said about Chrono Trigger? I had a lot of fun. I may go back to a save and level some more and do some time travel

back to 600 AD and 12000 BC to grid through the Black Omen two more times

to finish off the game.

I decided to swap out the original Zelda with Link's Awakening. I realized I didn't have any handheld games on my list and all 3 GameBoy Zelda games were $5 each on 3DS eShop so I grabbed em all and started on the first one. Having a lot of fun with it. I can definitely see why some consider it the best Zelda game in the series. It's definitely competing with ALttP for me right now. We'll see how I feel when I finish with it.

[alienjesus]

1. Blaster Master - Wii VC (NES)
2. Cybernator - SNES
3. Super Aleste - SNES
4. Diddy Kong Racing - N64
5. Metroid Prime 3 - Wii - new!
6. Loco Roco - PSP
7. Final Fantasy VII - PS1
8. Metal Gear Solid - PS1
9. Tomb Raider - PS1
10. Pulseman - Wii VC (MD)
11. Bubble Bobble - SMS

5th game down. Almost at the half way point now!

Metroid Prime 3 was a great game, and dare I say it, possibly my favourite of the trilogy. It was certainly easier than other games (too easy in fact) and a lot more streamlined, but actually I felt it worked nicely this way - the 3D metroid games needed their pace picked up a bit anyhow.

There are some nice new things here, including greater usage of Samus' ship and grapple beam. The music is nice, but probably not as good as the first game. The graphics are very atmospheric too, but look distinctly rough around the edges. At first I thought I might just be too used to modern HD consoles, but actually, I genuinely think this might be a little rougher than the 2 Gamecube titles looked.

The controls took me a little while to get used to, and after using them for the whole game, I feel very undecided on them. They certainly worked well, but do I think they were better than the controls on the gamecube games? Sometimes would probably be my answer. Moving and strafing felt good, but the aiming felt strangely unnecessary and selecting visors and stuff was made awkward by the lack of buttons on the Wii remote.

Overall, I enjoyed this game, I'm glad I finally got around to it after all these years. The Prime trilogy as a whole has been pretty enjoyable, but it's never caught my attention in the way the 2D games did. That's not a slight against it, first person games always feel awkward to me, and its refreshing to find one that I enjoy well enough to persevere. Ignoring the stupid end game fetch quests retro like to add to ruin the pace, the 3 games in the trilogy are well made and fun, and rank somewhere above Metroid Fusion but somewhere below the original 3 games on my Metroid scale. I still need to play through Prime Hunters, Other M and Zero Mission mind.

Next up I plan to get stuck into those PS1 titles on the list - I was thinking Tomb Raider (Noise, are you still gonna play this one?). I might alternate between the longer PS1 games and the shorter Nintendo ones as I work through the remaining 6.

[noiseredux]

Next up I plan to get stuck into those PS1 titles on the list - I was thinking Tomb Raider (Noise, are you still gonna play this one?). I might alternate between the longer PS1 games and the shorter Nintendo ones as I work through the remaining 6.

lately my thing has been just playing whatever I get in the mood for. I've had trouble sticking with a 'gaming schedule.' That said, if I see you playing it/discussing it, there's a chance it'd be motivate me to play a long.

[Retrogamer0001]

Playing Silent Hill 2 (about six hours in) and wow...Konami really shit the bed with the camera. That thing is BAD. It actually detracts from the game experience, in my opinion. I sure hope they fixed it when they released the HD collection for PS3. I also have complaints about the insane amount of fog they put in when wandering about town - I can't see a damn thing half the time. Even worse, it usually has a reddish tint, so visibility is sometimes down to around 10%. I really like the game's atmosphere and overall creepiness, but the camera and fog really do brutalize the experience.

This your first Silent Hill or something?

Nah, played a few others, but this one was the worst for the fog and camera. I beat it a few days ago and think it's a fantastic game, but I feel they should have corrected those two things. I understand that the fog is part of the SH canon though.

[AppleQueso]

Yeah I can maybe give you the camera, but the ultra dense fog with low visibility is absolutely essential to the game I think. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[dsheinem]

1. Shining Force II (Genesis) *started playing*
2.The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC) *started playing*
3. MediEvil (PS1) *stopped playing*
4. Turrican (Genesis)
5. Duck Tales (NES)
6. Commander Keen: Marooned on Mars (PC) *beat*
7. Eye of the Beholder (SCD)
8. The Last Blade (Arcade) *"beat"*
9. Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SMS)
10. Zork (PC)

I appreciate the charm of Commander Keen, but the series isn't for me. It has aged horribly, as well. So, I finished off the first episode and that will have to be enough for the challenge.

[AppleQueso]

I have a gut feeling that you aren't going to be particularly fond of Alex Kidd, DS.

[dsheinem]

I have a gut feeling that you aren't going to be particularly fond of Alex Kidd, DS.

That's fine. The challenge is partially about actually spending times with classic games I've not played much of (if any), and a big part of the reason why I haven't played much of some of these is because I don't think I'll like them. Sometimes it turns out I was right to be skeptical (Ico, Oddworld, etc.), sometimes I find something I enjoy (FF4, Chrono Trigger, Adventure, etc.).

[Opa Opa]

Nah, played a few others, but this one was the worst for the fog and camera. I beat it a few days ago and think it's a fantastic game, but I feel they should have corrected those two things. I understand that the fog is part of the SH canon though.

I never had a problem with the camera in 2. Idk, I've played too many horror games to be bothered by a bad camera (unless it seriously hinders the game).