Summer Games Challenge 2014

[Retrogamer0001]

1. Mega Man 2 (NES) Beaten
2. The Legend of Zelda (NES)
3. Star Tropics (NES) Now Playing
4. Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (NES) Beaten
5. Earthbound (SNES)
6. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn)
7. Metroid: Other M (Wii)
8. Silent Hill 3 (PS3 HD Re-release)
9. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) Beaten
10. Final Fantasy 9 (PS1) Beaten

Completed Shadow of the Colossus earlier today and found it to be a pretty unique and enjoyable experience, with a few noticeable flaws. I had played the game up to the final colossus a few years ago, got frustrated, and then stopped playing completely, so it feels good to have finally beaten it.

Pros
1. Very unique gameplay (especially in 2005, when the game was released) that often had me frustrated but always involved.
2. Art style is fantastic - the bleak, lonely world, the harsh environments, and the protagonist and his horse are perfect for this kind of minimalist story. It makes a strong case for viewing video games as works of art.
3. The soundtrack is also very appropriate for the overall style of the game, and approaches levels of epic-ness at times. There is also some great orchestrated battle music that adds a lot of tension to the atmosphere.

Cons
1. The controls of the game are fine, for the most part, but that completely changes when controlling the horse. Attempting to do anything on the horse is a nightmare, especially shooting. Oftentimes the horse will hit invisible snags in the landscape or brush against the side of a wall, resulting in an immediate stop or awkward sideways movement, throwing your momentum off and forcing you to get up to speed again. This is annoying when just riding along but potentially deadly when fighting colossi. The camera angle also affects the controls of the horse - when the camera changes, the controls don't. Making the horse go forward is always up, even when the horse is going backwards or sideways. It's very confusing to be pressing up on the analog stick when the horse is going sideways.
2. The camera. The camera in this game is atrocious during some parts. Shooting the bow, riding the horse, and fighting colossi all seem to affect the controls and angle of the camera. I find the interactions between the controls and camera to have a very strange relationship, which probably made the camera seem worse than it is. Still, it seemed more of a hindrance than a help when fighting most colossi, and I always seemed to be battling it to stay focused on the main character and keep it from wandering off. A real drag.
3. As much as I liked the gameplay, it felt a little wore out by the 15th or 16th colossus, so it pretty much hit the mark. That being said, I was rolling my eyes by that time and just wanted the game to be over (the last colossus is also very annoying, so that probably didn't help either).

All in all, I really liked the game, and would consider it a classic on the PS2. Diving back into the NES with Star Tropics next!

[Retrogamer0001]

The original R-Type is gonna end up on my Summer 2015 list most likely.

If the zombie apocalypse doesn't happen before then, you mean.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Given the terrible controls and camera I really can't understand why SotC gets all the hype it does. I do like the game quite a bit. The atmosphere is incredible. But those two flaws drag it down considerably.

[dsheinem]

I'm to level 4 (of 12) in Eye of the Beholder and have commented a bit on it in that thread. Anyone else planning to jump in on this one?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Maybe eventually if/when I finish my summer challenge games. Having beaten it before, it didn't make my list.

[prfsnl_gmr]

The original R-Type is gonna end up on my Summer 2015 list most likely.

Nice. It is one of my favorite shmups, and the difficulty - while high - is manageable all the way up until level 6. (Sadly, however, there are 8 levels. )

Which version are you going to attempt? The "R-Types" version for the PS1 is closest to the arcade, but I have read that the SMS port and, particularly, the TG-16 port are very good. (The portable versions, while fun, are too easy.)

[ExedExes]

Nice. It is one of my favorite shmups, and the difficulty - while high - is manageable all the way up until level 6. (Sadly, however, there are 8 levels. )

It's not really too bad, but you have to have a bit of experience in it. It's one of the games we're doing at GameEx, and I just got the high score back on it. All that time playing Super R-Type helped a lot.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Which version are you going to attempt? The "R-Types" version for the PS1 is closest to the arcade, but I have read that the SMS port and, particularly, the TG-16 port are very good. (The portable versions, while fun, are too easy.)

Probably SMS. Though I'd be tempted to get the C64 version as well.

Of course I'm thinking really far ahead. There's a chance I could finish it in the next 11 months first.

[Retrogamer0001]

Star Tropics is...awesome?

[BoneSnapDeez]

It's pretty decent. Weird control scheme though. That's another one I still need to finish.