Mirror's Edge - 8 Bit Version!

Mirror Edge is a nice game. Just look at that open space and freedom you get from hopping around buildings. Amazing. But after a while, the clipping, the quick but non-lasting euphoria, frustrating difficulty begins to appear and your reminded just how good Chuckie Egg was.

But wait? Mirror's Edge but in 2d? In flash?

one hour later...

Fun.

iPhone vs DS vs PSP - It's Not That Silly, if you think about it.

There isn't a single department where the games on the iPhone actually trumps the PSP or DS.

There are no killer games and that is what the games market is usually about. Nintendo and it's Super Silly Marios', PSP and it's constant milking of sports/racing games.

But then, I'm thinking in 8 bit terms.

The gaming world is now about multiplayer and online. Come to think of it, the iPhone just needs a killer app and then it's going to be a major player.

Imagine a mini WoW, Eve and Oblivion online for the iPhone / Touch. It has the graphics, the touch screen, the iTunes place to download, and it has the capacity to store whatever is needed for a massive online game, such as updates and upgrades.

But then again, we're still waiting for Gran Turismo Portable for the PSP and a decent online RTS on the DS.

So, the iPhone and it's online multiplayer games is probably not going to happen.

Gradius 4 - So Pretty.

Hi-Res, textures, lighting, all the things we take for granted, but for a shooter with difficulty bordering m*rder, there must be something to preserve for.

Gradius 4 is darn difficult. Even if you try to pattern read the bosses, you still need a fair bit of latent reflex to get through them.

Still, the difficulty is helped by the slow down, which I still think is a deliberate attempt.

Yet, I persevered through the series. After playing Gradius 4, I just cannot go back to the original Gradius. I wouldn't touch Gradius 3. Gradius 2 does have some warm, play me more music though. Nope. No more.

In fact, back to Chuckie Egg for me.

Gradius 3 - Just 8 Bit of Punishment

Unforgiving! Relentless! Punishing! Misery! What the devil! Should games like this be this difficult? Thank goodness for the slow downs. I wonder if that was a deliberate attempt by the programmers to say 'hey, we found it &$&%&$ hard too.'

That's it. I'm done with the Gradius series.

What the..? There's a forth one? Talk about pasteurization!

I'm certainly not going to punish myself with Gradius 4.

Gradius 2 - Simply Outstanding Improvement

From the flaming first level to the flaming end of level boss and the gorgeous feel good music! With a proper shield and gorgeous level designs, this obliterates the original.

But what the bacon?!

My Gears of War skills honed to a tee were not enough to reach further than a few levels of this game. Kept dying, and dying and dying. Of course I kept trying and trying, but there are limits that a person can take before it becomes punishment.

But hang on... another Gradius?

Gradius - Ports better than Original?

Difficult? Cumbersome? Lethargic controls? Speed ups that should not be an option but a requisite? Yes! For crying out loud! Even the graphics didn't boggle the imagination and the end of level boss variation was blasphemy!

Still, the music was all goodness and that's probably what's going to keep me persevering at the infuriating difficulty. Well, that is until I've learned the pattern of dodging impossible bullets without the help of options.

But wait.....what's this?

Pac Mania - Better than Pac Man?

Is this possible? Something better than pac man?

The graphics are updated and has a nice spacious feel to it. Probably because it's an Amiga Version. But wait! You can jump! ... Over the ghosts! What?! ... The ghosts can jump too?

The controls are silky smooth. This reminds me of a Super Mario 64 game. The controls feels great and the jumps are just the required addition that makes this better than the original.

Well, almost.

It does get boring after a few hours and after a mini marathon, I didn't have the urge to play it again the next day. I can't help but feel it has something to do with the original pacman's sound effects.

paku-paku-paku! Splat!

Pac Man - Could this be the best game ever?

Could this be possible? The Super Marios, the Metroids and the Contras! All the usual pile of poo that litter the top 10 best 8 bit games. Could Pac Man be the best ever game? I think so.

We're not talking about the insane amount of clones, but the classic original. So simple. It's so the type of game that you can pass the time with, oblivious to the world of HD and multiplayer.

Is it difficult? Kinda, but most who have played it have a pattern and stuck with it. Most give up when they reach the later levels. It's the simple eating the dot sounds, eating the big dot so you can eat the multi-colored ghosts that have been blue-ray-terrified that makes it so addictive. Not addictive like you have to play it day and night, but enough to warrant the odd fix.

But wait...

R-Type Dimensions - Xbox 360

Incredible! On the fly 2d to 3d graphics. Such a nice gimmick. Such a great way to lift that dull boring game that it has now become and given it a refreshing face lift. To be honest though. Although the lighting effects are nice, the 2d graphics update just seems like a hi res flash game. In fact, come to think of it, I much prefer the graphics of the original. It feels good. I think I'm going to give that old pc engine game another go and see if my muscle memory has improved. Nostalgia eh!

R-Type - PC Engine Arcade Perfect

R-Type, the game was so difficult and so slow paced that it's hard to see why I fell in love with it a long time ago. I guess it was the fact that I was duped by the words 'Arcade Perfect'. The PC Engine conversion was just absolutely amazing for an 8 bit machine. The graphics and the ... graphics. I guess, the words 'arcade perfect' was probably what started me on the road to being a graphic wh*re.

I kept persevering with it so I could be rewarded with the nice graphics on later scenes and levels. But what was frustrating was that until I learned the patterns, this game was punishing. One hit and your left with just a seriously basic blaster and then warped into a myriad of bullets.

It hasn't aged well. It's become a boring shooter. I blame the current generation of games with it's fabulously, jaw dropping graphics which has drained the gameplay and challenge out of me. But wait, what's this?