Can You Dig It?

Waaaaaaarrrriorrs... Come out to plllllaaaaayyy!!! 

The Warriors is a great PS2 title. Developed by Rockstar, it captures the violence, the gritty feel and accompanied by an epic soundtrack. It was released last year on the playstation network and I ended up buying it on my trusty PS Vita. 

The game takes places some months before the meeting with Cyrus. You play as all the Warriors throughout the game but start as Rambrant during his initiation. This phase is solely a tutorial of how to bop some heads. It has co-op and a rumble mode, but I never really played that mode. As a Warrior, you'll face off against The Turnbull A.C's, The Orphans (who are the worst gang in existence) and obviously... the 5-0! Can you survive the onslaught and make it all the way back to Coney Island? 

PLOT. 

If you don't know the plot to this...then you are a sheltered child. The game follows the Warriors on how they are invited to the meeting with the Gramacy Riffs. There's also historic mission on how each of the main members of the gang joined which helps the to give the game more layers and depth. The game also has side missions in each level which is usually to tag over that gangs colours. There is also bonus missions at the Warriors HQ which help boost stats.

GAMEPLAY.

The controls don't change much from the console to handheld, the only difference is to move the camera you have to hold a shoulder button and the left analog. I'm adamant it was the right analog for the consoles! X and Square attack, circle grabs, triangle picks up weapons and jumps and the left shoulder button lets you run. You can mix up the attacks to create different combinations. 

Each of the Warriors has their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Fox attacks aren't to powerful but he has a larger rage meter. The rage meter gets filled after landing so many attacks and allows the player to have stronger attacks. If you grab the enemy and use square and X together, the player will put together an head smashing combo. Ajax will gut punch, pick up and slam AND - as if that wasn't enough - stomps on their head! 

The health bar is shown by a small circle round the players feet and can be replenished by purchasing Flash - the quick fixer-upper. It's good that it doesn't cover the screen and is in view enough to see when your health is low. You can also use weapons which break after (roughly) 5 shots. 

The combat is some of the best I've seen for a beat-em up. Then Rockstar made it co-op. And blew my mind. There's something special about holding a Moonrunner as your mate throws a knee that would send a chimp into space! 

To give the game more depth and to add to your high score, you can rob people and steal radios you earn money. The money helps buy the Flash and spray paint. The game mechanic's for stealing or breaking into a shop are simple enough but still provide a challenge to the player. 

PRESENTATION.

Not much to say here and that isn't a bad thing. It's a PS2 title so think of Manhunt or San Andreas and you're on the right track. The frames and animation for the fighting have very few problems. I don't think I ever played this and seen it glitch. The presentation is always dark though but it's understandable considering this is a game about the armies of the night...

SOUND.

The classic songs and sounds from the film have been used. They even used some of the actors to re-record lines and to do additional ones also. It certainly captures the feel of the time and helps create the atmosphere. 

CONCLUSION.

For those that haven't played or seen The Warriors. You must. A free area beat-em up that works is rare and there is more to this game that meets the eye. Even after you complete the story, Rockstar added a side scroller - much like Streets Of Rage - and kept all the controls. It works. Incredibly well. The music from the 79' classic, transport the player into the shoes of one of The Warriors and some of the mission are memorable. The Warriors gets a 9/10. 


Cheers for Reading, 


O.E.G. 
@TheOEGamer
Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment. 

Naughty Dogs and Evil Weasels.

Last year I bought a PS Vita. It's a really good bit of kit and I enjoy playing and its design...oh and the games are pretty decent. So far I own four games for that system. I own two games from downloads. Now the problem with this is I prefer the games that I've downloaded. One being Final Fantasy 7 (http://theoptimisticenglishgamer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/memorable-memories.html ,mentioned in last month's blog) and the other being Jak and Daxter.
If you've noticed, I have a running theme with these blogs. Its that I love old school games. I do like new games as well, don't get me wrong. G.T.A. V and Red Dead are fucking awesome games. As well as Sleeping Dogs and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. But at the moment I'm stuck in this loop of playing older games. So without further adieu!

 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy! Released in 2001 by Naughty Dogs and one of the first games I bought/ got with my PS2. It gives me that same sense of innocence that games give you at a young age, as well as the exploration factor that comes with these open world games. Jak and Daxter opens with Jak (crazy haired boy) and his buddy Daxter traveling to the mysterious Misty Island, despite warnings from this old dude with clogs. They end up seeing an army of Lurkers (bad looking gremlin fuckers) and attempt to escape the place. But not before some plot happens! Jak's buddy gets knocked into some dark eco which transforms him into... da da da daaaaaaaa... a ferret with a mouth on him. Or weasel, whatever.
The player takes over after the duo get a bollocking from Clogs McGee (old man), and are told to collect power cells to advance and help the old man. From the get go the player gets a sense of how big the world actually is. Even the first area - where you're told there is more places to explore - is still pretty big. A little thing I like is if you try and swim off the island a giant fish comes and eats you. This idea is used in Banjo Kazooie and is much better than the invisible wall bullshit!
You can speak to the locals who have some fantastic accents and witty dialog, which I still find funny to this day (I am a big kid though...not fat. I meant in the mind). The locals give you tasks to do and in return give you a power cell. This can be anything from rounding up sheep, to bringing them 50 orbs (the egg thing on the box art).

Da Fuq is that Brah!!?!!?

The controls feel quite tight as well and has the usual controls you'd expect on a platformer. Jump, two types of attacks, sprint and you can launch objects during certain areas with the shoulder button. There is also a power up station, where you are able to run faster and do more damage to enemies. There's some boss battles as well which are well thought out and good fun. There's even a build up to them which makes it that more special! The main focus of the game is to collect things though. Now you may think this sounds a bit boring, but I enjoy it! Even playing it now I find a compelling urge to collect everything in an area.
In certain areas you have to ride a hover bike whilst attempting to collect orbs and not die (I suck at these parts and find some of them difficult or maybe its just me). This ranges from the grassy plains to skimming over lava and trying to keep the engine cooled at the same time by flying through water balloons...yeah...It's legit. You even ride a giant bird like thing (sort of ostrich-esque) which is epic fun!

"DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKK!"

Lastly is the graphics and how the game looks. Once again I have to mention the scale of the game. The vast green on the plains looks stunning. The vibrant blue and yellow of Jak stands out in all the backgrounds, even the underwater level. And the strong reds of the volcanic areas are lush. Essentially a good looking game, especially for its time. I don't remember thinking at any part that this game looks shitty and I was literally playing it five minutes ago (it was on the remastered edition though).
I have to admit I don't really pay attention to the soundtrack on this game so I can't comment. Maybe I'm too engrossed in the game. Or maybe I turned the music off, I can't remember.

For those that haven't played Jak and Daxter (any of them) you should! They just re-released it on the PS network. They're good fun and remind me of the old school bests like Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot! And I think they're up the top with them!

Like and comment and tell your friends!
Cheers.

O.E.G.

Memorable memories.

Oh boy! Do you like nostalgia? No? Well too bad! In this months post I will mostly be reminiscing about old school games I've had the most fun on and that I can easily remember. It's gunna be a top five maybe ten, depends how well my memory serves me!.....Turns out its ten!

10. Black and White- PC. 

This game I remember playing on our family PC in 2000/2001 (if - ironically -my memory serves me right). I remember thinking at the time the game was huge and how crisp the graphics were! I loved playing it and been given the ultimate dilemma... Monkey, tiger or cow? Naturally the obvious choice was the cow, I mean what's weirder than a giant cow throwing a villager into the sea? That's right, nothing. For its time, the games morality choices genuinely made me think about what I'd do. Trying to get that perfect balance of power and the love of the people is something I just couldn't master.   


 

9. Secret of Monkey Island - PC. 

 I remember unwrapping this game and getting a wheel where you had to match the face on the screen when you loaded the game to get the code/ password for making it start, which as a kid I thought was ingenious! I think this was one of the very first games I'd played on the PC and remembering it just brings back good memories and the trial and error of matching everything with anything since I had no idea what to do at that young age. Then when they re-released it as the special edition and you could select the original graphics was just awesome! And finally the best part was the witty dialog which all these point and click games seemed to have at the time.







 8. Dynasty Warriors 2 - PS2.

 I didn't actually own this game. When the PS2 came out this was one of the games my neighbour got and I spent many a night round his till stupid o'clock in the morning attempting to kill everyone on the map. It's more about the memory of playing this with my buddy or my brother and feeling like an ultimate force, wiping out everyone who stood in our way. But there was one thing that put the fear in me...Lu Bu. If anyone has played this version of Dynasty Warriors, you will remember that Lu Bu was fucking nails! At the battle for He Lao gate (once again, memory is probably wrong) is where you encounter him first. All I remember is trying to kill him, Lu Bu not even flinching by my feeble hits, and him chasing me round the map until I died. But let me tell you, a mass of fist pumps were thrown when I did kill him! Ya Done Son!

7. Tetris - Gameboy. 

  

Surely everyone remembers the first time turning this on and hearing that classic tune and watching the blocks slowly tumble down? I sure as hell do! It was like a family game, you could pass it round and see who could get the highest score on one of the fast levels. I can still image my dad screaming at the screen when his triangle piece ruined his entire game, ending his "perfect run". Here's a link to that amazing music that just fits perfectly into this gem. 





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFlN1NMua5o

 

6. Super Mario Bros - NES. 
Once again, those first seven notes that every child of this generation and more have implanted into their mind. This is one of the games that started it all. Its learning curve was just right and if you died you knew it was your fault. I liked accidentally finding one of the secret pipes and being happy with myself for my lucky stumble! I honestly don't know what else to say about this absolutely classic game. It is one of my favourites but the next five are the ones that I've spent the most time on.












  5. Fable: The Lost Chapters - PC.

 Whilst this was only released in 2004, and it is the most recent from all in the list, it still deserves to be in this spot. From the dialog that the N.P.C's say as you pass or during quests, to the combat system, to watching your hero grow and become either an angel or a demon of the world. It truly was, and still is an epic game (possibly still my favourite out of all the fables. Sooo happy the anniversary is this year!). Once again the choices in this made me think about what to do! And if my brother's reading this (which he should cause he's a fan!) it has one of the most memorable and annoying quotes in any game.
"Your health is low. Do you have any food? Or potions??" FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU...






 4. Pokemon - Gameboy.

 Pokemon is quite possibly the game I've spent the most time on as a kid. I remember my brother and I using the gameboy link to get all the starter pokemon and just fucking, shit, up! I think I even remember my team (Obviously first three, then Gyarados, Raticate, Pidgeot). Pokemon is one of those games where you can get lost in the world, trying to (pardon the cliche) "catch em all!" Then when you caught one that you thought was different you could test it. That sense of freedom in the game where the player makes the choices is a big thing for me. And when you own the gym badges, a sense of pride in yourself and your Charmander for clawing the shit into an Onix. Even after beating the Elite Four, the game still managed to surprise you with your Rival (Buttucks) turning up for one final battle. Honestly this game was, and still is, an epic quest, and definitely deserves this spot. The next are possibly my all time favourite games though and hopefully you'll agree. 

3. Final Fantasy 7 - Playstation.

 Final Fantasy 7 was the first game I'd had on my own Playstation waaay back in '97. The way the game opened up its world slowly but still managing to keep it story driven and is one of my favourite things in video games today. Once again, like Pokemon, the choice of who was on your team, was given to the player and each time I spoke to someone about FF7 the team always changed. The summons were something else as well. Admit it. The first time you used Odin or Knights of the Round, it blew your small mind didn't it!? OH or when you got the Golden Chocobo and wondered across the ocean to GET Knights of the Round and Mime. It felt amazing! Or when you eventually take down Ruby and Emerald, the sense of accomplishment is overwhelming. The list goes on. The story, granted, is long winded, but it manages to keep drawing the player in more and more as it goes on. Even the music, be it battle music or the boss fight music, is imprinted in my mind. Final Fantasy 7 definitely left a mark on my childhood and I still play it even to this day. For those that haven't played it...DOOOOO ITTTTTT!

2. Donkey Kong Contry - SNES.

  

For those who know of JonTron (which should be uuuurvybody!!) you know how much he loves this game. Well, he isn't alone...I fucking love this game! The SNES may be one of my favourite consoles I have owned. The colours were vibrant. The games were fun and original, and this is just one of those games. The introduction just brings a smile to my face. I loved the animals you could use to help with the levels. I loved and hated the barrels levels. Riding in a mine cart was a mass amounts of fun. The backgrounds for each of the different types of worlds were unique as well as the music, especially the eerie music when you were in the mines or tunnels. Then there was the boss battles, where the background was surrounded by banana's, were done as a steady learning curve. Finally there's King K. Rool, the final boss. It was a pattern boss but I didn't mind, I was young and it's aimed at kids so it makes sense to. The music that accompanied it was classic. Starting as a jaunty sea tune, then slowly turning into a serious battle theme. And you have to remember, this was made using very little space on the SNES cartridge. Donkey Kong Country is definitely one of my favourite childhood games, only to be topped by this....




....
Wait for it!



 
1. Super Mario World - SNES.

 That's right ladies and gentlemen! Super Mario World, once again on the SNES. The music. Perfect. The colours. Perfect. The introduction to Yoshi. Perfect! I spent a helluva long time on this epic. When you first get the cape and fly around the levels it is an awesome feeling. Fighting the bosses and watching the animation of how Mario destroyed the castle is witty and funny. When you finally found star road all by yourself, especially at a young age, you felt smart. The game is just full of memorable parts and seeing Bowser in a flying clown was unreal! Maybe I love this because I managed to complete it without any help from anyone at that age. Or maybe it's because it was one of the first games I actually completed fully. Whatever it is, Super Mario World is my favourite game from my childhood and has given me the most memories which make me feel young again. 


If anyone has any comments, maybe your team on FF7 or Pokemon, let me know! Or tell me what your favourite old school games are. Cheers!


O.E.G.

Insert Funny Comment...............

Random Nostalgia.

If there's one thing I love, its monsters. Another thing I love is wars...If these two joined forces in a video game I'd probably lose my shit...What? It's been done? You're shitting me!?! 

No I am not avid fans (all 3 of you) or random reader who enjoys monsters beating the hell out of each other through cities. Have I got a surprise for you! So after watching Pacific Rim a while back my love for monsters and giant robots was re-ignited, then like a light switch, my brain reminded me of a classic.

War of the Monsters! 

Look at that box art! I think that was actually the sole reason of my purchase as a kid. I'd heard nothing about it but the box art was so mesmerising to me I bought this instantly. A gorilla fighting a robot...what's not to like?! The initial cut scene is more or less shot like an old school sci-fi film, where aliens have invaded so them good ol' science like folk have made something which can make bugs and animals grow and use them to fight their battles! What ensues is ultimate carnage like that of a giant electric eyeball (legit) fighting a preying mantis in, what essentially is, Vegas!

So the fundamentals of this game is that its a beat em up. There's a single player where you play as each of the characters fighting all the others and when you complete it, you unlock a new character! After the single player we have multiplayer! Obviously the screen splits into two, or four if you had the adapter..and friends (I didn't) when the game starts. However when the characters get close to one another, the screen merges seamlessly into one. Now I'm sure this has been done this before in a game previous to this, but this was the first time I'd seen it and it blew...my...mind!

The graphics for a game which in now about 10 years old isn't that bad. The character models are well done and thought out and all different in their own way, just like us! You have eight characters to choose from, plus two unlockables. There is a few homages towards some classic sci-fi monsters, like Godzilla and King Kong but the developers manage to make them their own. Even the character select screen is well thought out. When you click on each character it appears as a movie poster. Then the loading screen IS a movie poster, accompanied by a witty pun. Where would a movie poster be without a pun? Am I right?!?

"Fus-Ro-DAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Another reason why I love this game, is the soundtrack. It's badass! It manages to portray the epic battle that is unfolding in front of you're very eyes! It uses the classic sounds from the movies but with a twist of electric guitar and other accoutrements. I'm actually listening to the soundtrack as I write this! The link below is just one of the songs which helps make the game awesome! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jopmhcK_TOY

Like most fighters, we have a jump button, a grab button, attack and a shoot. The player can combine certain ones to make a special move. You can also hold the attack button to charge attacks, which you can use to create combos (x, x hold x to slam for example...disclaimer: that isn't a combo...it's the jump button). You can also pick up objects and hurl them and a 110 ft insect until there's nothing left but guts and glory. But unlike most beat-em-ups, the player can move freely in the levels, to say, oh i don't know, climb a building, pick up a radio antenna and impale your foe! This used to be one of my favourite things to do. It also pissed off my brother and one friend when playing cause I used this tactic a fair bit. Another one of my favourite things in this game is the destructible environment. What would a monster game be like if you couldn't throw someone through a building? That's right, a shit one! There is nothing more satisfying than picking up a giant gorilla and launching it into buildings until they crumble.

So to sum this game up.

Monsters + Destructible buildings/ environments + impaling fools + kick-ass soundtrack = One sweet mother fucking game which everyone needs to play! I had so much fun as a kid and even 10 years later when I revisited (and re-bought) it, I still managed to have so much fun and not from nostalgic glasses. It's a good and well thought out game, one that needs to be done again!

O.E.G.