The Fall into Competitive Multiplayer Games.

As a child – when that first mighty controller was laid into my tiny hands – I knew from the moment that Nintendo jumped to life, games would play a huge part in my life. At the ripe old age of 26, I feel that as I have grown up, so has the gaming industry. The games released these days – obviously with a few more pixels – have more choice and variety to them. However, I must confess with you, dear reader... I used to detest playing competitive multi-player games.
That may seem like an alien sentence to some, but I've never been too keen on them. Let me just explain what I mean by my definition of competitive multi-player. This would be a game where you are pitted against the other team to a bloody battle to the death. Or perhaps you were flinging cards at an opponent who's deck consists entirely of Murloc's! But each time you play, it's ranked. This means that whatever the outcome, you have shown your worth to the rest of the world. Everyone can see how good (or bad) you are at the game. If you're at the top, you have to defend your honour and keep reclaiming that crown.
This to me didn't seem right. Gaming should be a way to unwind, relax or become enveloped in a whole new world or experience. Now don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed a friendly one on one in Street Fighter or caused havoc in Los Santos online, but never in a competitive mode. To me, a single player game has more to offer. You become immersed with the character you're playing. There's a deeper connection you get, and when it ends you feel like you've walked with them, through the terrors and faced each challenge in your own way. So when a friend asked me – nay, begged me- to download League of Legends, I was a little dubious.

Until August 2014, I had no idea what this League of Legends was. Never even heard of it. Impossible?! I hear you cry out. Well take my word reader, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between a Rabaddon's deathcap or a B.O.T.R.K. But after much persistence from a friend, I snapped and downloaded the phenomenon that is. And it has thrown my gaming world into despair! As I scrolled my cursor over the application and was greeted by a cute, furry animal chasing a firefly, I must admit I was curious and wondered further into the unknown. After completing the tutorial, a few custom and AI games, I felt I was ready to enter Summoners Rift against actual people and dived head first into my first match.
To say I was terrible, is an understatement. For those that play L.o.L regularly prepare for a laugh (and maybe some rage). For those that do not I will explain as best as I can:
* Each team consists of 5 members.
* On Summoners Rift there is three lanes, a jungle and a river in the centre.
* The object of the game is to destroy the enemy teams nexus (or base) and to get there your team must destroy the turrets of a lane, then the base turrets and inhibitor, and only then can you proceed to take down the main base.
* There is always an influx of minions on each lane, which when killed give you a small amount of gold. Killing an enemy champion gives you more gold.
* The baron and dragon give buffs (or advantages in layman terms) to your team.
* Buying items for your character is important, and depending on what the enemy team buys, may be situational to that game.
* The top lane - usually would be a bruiser or a tank, who can take and deal damage.
* The mid lane - would be a mage, that does very high damage and would have C.C (or crowd control) with stuns and the like.
* The jungler – is used to ambush the lanes and support them. This role can be a variety of types, from a tank who can soak up all the damage, or an assassin who is designed to annihilate targets quickly.
* Bottom lane – where one would usually have a support (to either heal or secure kills) and a marksman (also known as the attack, damage, carry or ADC for short) – I chose Nautilus, who has a giant anchor he carries with him everywhere which he can use to grab enemies and slow them.

Now he sounds like a perfect support. Except I wasn't playing support... That's right, this slow, meandering colossus was the ADC of the team. The player, who is meant to speed around the map and cause a whole lot of damage, was I...with Nautilus. I had a death from running into a turret with no coverage from minions. I died attempting to solo the dragon. I charged head first into a one on one with a Zed (a high-burst damage champion) and died spectacularly. But not all was lost. I secured a glorious 5 kills. They may have been kill steals but regardless they were mine (sort of)! After my team secured the enemies nexus (thanks mostly to the mid and top lane) I saw what all wish to see after landing into Summoners Rift for the first time: Victory.

Soon after I began to play L.o.L regularly. After meeting some friendly (and some not so friendly) people online, they began to tell me what I should buy for each character and pointed me in the direction of certain sites which I could use to help my builds. For example: if an enemy buys all attack damage, you buy armour to counteract it. If they buy ability power/ magic damage, you get some magic resist. This may seem like common sense but when you're trying to secure kills and find you take to much damage; don't you think its time to swap that long sword for cloth amour?
By the time November came I had a full grasp of how the game worked, how to win and what not to do. The core concept may sound simplistic but this is more than just taking down turrets and steam-rolling head first. It's about out-playing your opponent, guessing their next move and being three steps ahead. Its about contesting for that next dragon which will give you a 6% advantage in team fight, which could mean life or death. For those that say gaming is just going through the motions and childish has obviously not played something like this. And this isn't the only game. There's DOTA, which is much like L.o.L (I'll be hanged for that statement). You also have Counter Strike, the FPS competitive game. I did try and play that after playing L.o.L but as it turns out, I was atrocious. I felt comfortable with the League and after the 4.20 patch, when the graphics were updated, it seemed right.

But by then it wasn't just about playing the game. I had become obsessed with it to a degree. I would watch pro-matches. I would cheer when a team gained vision control. I would scream uncontrollably when a team fight ensued and laugh when the player named “Balls” was “on that Mega-Gnar” (actual quote). Then, as the sun rose on an icy January 21st, my friends and I created our own ranked team. Since then, before each match we'd consider what our strengths and weaknesses are. Which champions to ban and when to contest for an objective. And so far, we've lost all 4 of our matches. Now, to be fair, the “Flamboyant Peanut Xpress” is a new team and we are still in the provisional matches, and two of the loses were just unlucky, but each time before a match, I'll get nervous. It's like the feeling one would get before an important interview or stepping onto the field as you play in a league for football or rugby. You want to do well. You want to win.

Anyone can log onto L.o.L and look at the stats of “FbPnut” and criticize how our performance was. And this is where – before I began playing ranked – I wasn't keen on the idea. But, this is the difference a competitive game has to a single player. You may not be as immersed, and the story may be harder to relate to. But there is more of a thrill to it. You can gain more from it because of the thought process of how to tactically win a match. I like the feeling of the nerves and attempting to solve the puzzle during the game of how to win. It's not just about playing the game any more. In a sense, it becomes part of your life. For those that play competitively – be it DOTA, CS:GO or L.o.L – I guarantee that as soon as you lost, you'd be lying in bed pondering how it could have gone better; that if you landed that hook on their Ahri, would you have won the match?



Thanks for reading.

O.E.Gamer.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcqodAYWMcdUuL77AHbvXow

Oh Luigi!

Since I'm still loving my GameCube at the moment, I have thought of a new game to ramble on about.

Luigi's Mansion! Let me level with you here reader. I actually played this for the first time last week when I acquired said GameCube. I had only seen this briefly on adverts so everything I say about this is fresh and not from memory, unlike the former twelve posts. The game follows (if you hadn't realised) Luigi for a change instead of Mario. It turns out this lucky chap has won a mansion in the arse-end of nowhere! Scam you say? Probably. But an excited Luigi can't tell the difference and goes to rub it in his brother's small face, and asks him at the same time to come celebrate...Oh Luigi...that's low. Anyways, Luigi arrives at the mansion only to find its haunted by ghosts! And they've taken Mario! Enter the player to capture ghosts and solve the mystery of where the hell Mario actually is.

So the first thing I noticed and probably fell in love with is the music. Nintendo I don't know how you do it but keep pumping these tunes out! O.K. So Luigi's Mansion's main theme isn't exactly raising the roof but it manages to be quirky and creepy. This is done by just having Luigi - and only Luigi - whistle the tune when there's nothing going on or you are exploring the mansion.
Until you meet a spoooky ghost and the bass kicks in followed by the violins. This gives the sense that the player truly is alone in this gigantic house. Even the noise of the creaking floorboards, Luigi's footsteps and the occasional lightning strike manage to keep the game dark...for a Nintendo/ Mario game. Oh and another little cool thing is if you press A Luigi will call out for his brother. I think its cool!

 Who ya gunna call????

Next is the presentation. Let me tell you. It looks great. All the different coloured ghosts are neatly drawn. The backgrounds to each room are well filled. Obviously Luigi looks amazing. Seriously; Nintendo know how to make a game stand out. The best part of the presentation though seems to be the shadows. When you go into one of the rooms with the mini-bosses and see its shadow slowly floating on the wall, its creepy. BUT its the good kind of creepy where you can appreciate what the developers have done. The worst (not worst as in bad mind you!) is the baby though. With the combination of the quiet jingle of a creche, a calm wind blowing against the drapes AND a floating baby shadow...Yeah, freaked me out.

Trick Doors are uuuuuurvvvywhere!

 

Also for an old school game its has some good mechanics for gameplay. To my knowledge, this is one of the very few games (of 2002) that uses a vacuum/ hoover, where you can suck up sheets or balls. They integrate well into the game making the player use it at certain points to complete an objective. Or to use it to uncover a BOO! Now combine this awesome hoover sucking/blowing (phrasing) ability with a torch system...baby you got yourself a game! The player uses the torch to shine onto a ghost which will stun them, then uses the vacuum to suck the blighters up! Sounds simple yes. But trying running round a room sucking up ghosts when more appear...yeah. Like herding cats...with a hoover. When a room is cleared, the lights come on and give the player the sense of security, because lets be honest, when you were a kid and you couldn't sleep you either; a) had a night light or b) but the landing light on...just me?

Lastly there's a few things a missed which I think deserve some mention:
1. The trick doors are a clever way to make sure the player is using the map to navigate. Smart Nintendo.
2. The Way Luigi moves in the game is priceless. He walks on his tiptoes, he's constantly bricking it! And when you find a key/object his little spin is awesome (accompanied by some awesome music once again).
3. Using the Gameboy "Horror" as a Boo finder, coin counter, map and a plethora of others, is an extremely nice touch. 


Now I haven't played this all the way through but its definitely deserves a mention. This is one of the few games I've picked up and instantly enjoyed. From the music, to the gameplay and even the quirky comments made throughout. Nintendo surely know how to make an interesting yet addictive game. Its even fun to watch someone play this game as I find out when my buddy just sat and watched me play the first hour or so without moving. Or maybe he was watching me and planning to kill me??!!?


O.E.G.
@theOEGamer


P.S.
Comments would be appreciated and I'll get back to you all...you might even get a kiss.

My Top Five Games I Hate...With Additional Swearing

So I know I call myself optimistic and I suppose I am. But sometimes I lose my shit with games...like completely. Just to make you aware I am gunna be swearing my tits off here solely for the fact I'll wind myself up about each game. This was also a ball ache and took me ages because I was trying to rack my brain so I had to search EVERY game on the PS2 (yes every title AND I couldn't even find one!). Also you'll have to bear with me on some of them, I will explain! So... here we go. Hold on tight. (Warning: Spoilers).


5. James Bond 007: Nightfire - GameCube/ PS2/ Xbox.

This is only being placed at no. five because it came with the GameCube I acquired and I don't like trying to rate something without seeing/playing it all the way through...however. This game sucks. I could only withstand 15 minutes- TOPS - before I turned it off in a rage. The graphics are fucking awful! I've seen better Playstation games! And for that matter a SNES games! The cars look like literal squares. And the sounds....the FUCK!!!!! I'm done.

To sum up. It is awful.








4. Deus Ex. Human Revolution - Xbox360/ PC/ PS3.

Right. So Deus Ex. Its an awesome game. I loved upgrading my character into a stealthy dealer of death, and attempting to just ruin everyone's day by playing as a complete bastard. Whats that? You've been promoted to "crummy desk Sergeant?" GIVE A FUCK! So like I said its awesome. What isn't awesome and actually changed my entire perspective on the game was the ending. Eidos you cheap bastards. Instead of some brilliant cut scene where I thought I'd see Jensen killing himself or choosing whatever, I'm "treated" with black and white footage of Earth???? No no no. I play games to get away from this shit, not to be dropped right back in it during the fucking game!!!!!!
Ruined.







3. Rise of the Robots - SNES.

If you haven't seen any footage of this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYUeO_yk9To
Continue sum this up perfectly, "nothing about this game was entertaining or fun at all". Yup. I remember my dad getting me and brother this. The title screen had me super excited! We then had a fight and my smiling face went straight to a "da fuq is this??" The game uses pre-rendered C.G.I sprites rather than pixel art or digitized sprites. Essentially it just looks buals (balls!). There is limited moves and even then it feels super slow. My problem with this game is....why was it made?








2. Rage - Xbox360/ PC/ PS3.

 This follows the same trend as Deus Ex but it wound me up even more, if its even possible (hence why its no. 2). Same applies, this game is a sexy looking game and they even got some decent folk to do some of the voices (like John Goodman!) and considering it was sold as a similar game to Fallout and boasted about Mad Max style world, which it did. But in my eyes it fell short. Super short. Yes, there was opens worlds but they seemed linear. How do you manage to make something openly linear??? HOW? The game was put onto two discs which I expected to make the game huge, and it did. But wait, the player wants to go back and explore the first area? Na fuck that, limited freedom is where its at! Like I said, the game is amazing but like @mattaconda (https://twitter.com/Mattaconda) said,"there's only so much lipstick you can put on a pig."
When I finished it I just stared at the credits and genuinely thought,"well that was a fucking waste, think I'll go outside." And it didn't even take that long and I was attempting to make it last...Fuck you Rage. I'll show you some RAGE!!!!!





1. Red Faction: Armageddon - Xbox360/ PC/ PS3.

Here it is. Possibly my most hated game. THIS FUCKING GAME! I don't think I've ever been so disappointed at a game. This is probably because I was, and maybe still am, a huge fan of the first two on the PS2 and Guerrilla on the 360. The first two for the ability to smash the environment and getting the rail gun to shoot through walls and kill enemies. Guerrilla because they took the destroying environments to the next level. They gave you all of Mars to go crazy with. Here's a giant hammer. See that building? You can flatten it! One of my favourite things was just wielding this super hammer and just fucking shit up. Then they released this one in 2011. And ruined everything!!!! Why the fuck would you decide to put the player back in the ground on a linear path after giving them the freedom of the world?! I know the first two where underground but they worked because they probably didn't have the capacity on the PS2 to attempt what they did with Guerrilla. But seriously. Even at the start they give the player a little teaser. "Oh remember all that cool shit like blowing up buildings and smashing pipelines with hammers? Yeah none of that anymore." If I had to compare this to anything it would be a stripper. They both had me super excited when they started but at the end I'm left disappointed. And all alone...again.

Addendum: If you haven't notice I do like open games, so when a games is labelled as such, I will probably try it out. But when it undersells like the above, I tend to lose it.

Now I know the majority of the games on the list are from the "next-gen" era, but it's because I couldn't find many from the retro era that I hated. Maybe because there wasn't as much choice and the developers had to make sure the game was perfect so they could make a profit. Or maybe because back when I was a young'n, I thought everything was amazing and colourful (except Rise of the Robots). And now I'm older and wiser and can see more faults and I'm more skeptical. Or its that the game developers don't seem to spend as much time on certain games. Whatever it is these games above...pissed me off massively. 

If you have any different or agree with me let me know!

Cheers,

 

O.E.G.

@theOEGamer.

Oo There Goes Chicken Chaser!

So with the release of Fable Anniversary I thought it was only fitting to do a review/ blog/ ramble about how much I love this game. I'll mention the changes that I've noticed first then finish with some gameplay and story, considering not much has changed in those aspects.

Fable Anniversary is a reboot of the 2004 release of Fable: The Lost Chapters. Not much has been changed from the original in the way of gameplay but the graphics and sounds have all been upgraded. The story follows you, starting off as a young boy and slowly growing into a hero, either for better or for worse. The phase as a young boy gives you a feel for the game and what to expect (a tutorial if you will!) but the consequences of your actions do still appear later on in the game. 

From the get go one of the big stand outs of this game is the voice. It's clear, even back in 2004, that LionheadStudios spent time on perfecting the voices. And obviously they sound much clearer on Fable Anniversary. Even the villagers who mock or cheer for you as you walk past sound genuine. When you first hear the Guildmaster speak to you through the Guild Seal, the small reverb and echo makes it sound magical! He does still ramble though. I know my health is low, I'm aware of the blood loss! 

The music as well compliments each area as you'd expect. If it's a village or town the music is happy and joyous. A battle, the sound of a deep bass rumbles throughout. An eerie house, creepy violins. These little things helps make the game complete. 

Even the creatures sound larger than life. When I first heard the Balverine howl, it sent shivers down my spine! The squabbling of Hobbes in the caves is both humourous and terrifying! (N.B: I haaaaate Hobbes). But one of my favourite sounds is the torque of a bow being held. It just sounds right, and just as the shot is released, something is gunna die. 

The next big change is the graphics (obviously). All the character models are crisp. The armour, especially the bright and dark varieties, look magical! I mean look above at the small intricacies on the shoulder pauldrons! The green cloth even has patterns running through it! Another big change is the demons doors. They now look part of the wall and, dare I say it (DARE!) some sort of real. The environment as well has had a massive face lift! The shimmering water does look real, the ivy and moss actually seem like they've been there for years growing! Last thing I want to mention is the magic. My favourite is the force push. Remember that scene in Matrix where the helicopter crashed into the building? It reminds me of a sped up version of that when I use it! I could rattle on but as the old saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. It is safe to say though, all the models, be it the water, a Balverine or a fireball, look fantastic! 

 "Bandit...Meet Death!"

 

 "Pants...Filled!"

 So lets get down to it. The gameplay. Like mentioned, not much has changed. And honestly...thank Christ! It didn't need changing. X is attack, and the player holds it for a strong attack. Y is your bow. B is magic. The player can cycle through his magic by holding RT and unleash some destruction! For each type of kill you'll get additional XP which you spend to upgrade your character and make him a muscle bound freak. Because, if I'm honest, I wouldn't want some skinny little pushover arriving at my village if it's getting overrun by Balverine's! Get your ass to the gym and come back once your benching 220 (although...everyone would be dead...). When your not out saving the world you can do other things like; buy a house, get married, massacre an encampment. The list goes on!

I want to mention the story and tell you all how amazing it is! And that some of the choices make you put down the controller and phone a friend (no 50:50 I'm afraid). Or that some of the set pieces will leave you gobsmacked! But alas, I'm not going to. It would ruin the surprise and the story and I hate doing that! All I'll say though, out of all the Fable's, this is by far the best one, in my opinion. I like the second (third...not so much) but I don't think it'll give me the same amount of joy that this one has given me!


Comment and follow me a twitter and give me some love, @TheOEGamer.
Cheers.

O.E.G.

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.

Naruto vs Goku.

So I'm aware that it's been waaay to long since I last posted one up but I've been fairly busy with work and then it was Christmas and I spent two weeks completely intoxicated! But hopefully I can try and bang one out (phrasing) once a month from here on in! Anyways Enjoy!!

Rasengan or Kamehameha?

Personally for me...I'd probably say Goku but that was just because it was the first I'd seen and so its like a precious childhood memory for moi (plus he can destroy planets)! However a few years ago I started watching Naruto I gotta admit...It's pretty fucking cool! I started enjoying it so much I bought an old Xbox game called Naruto: Rise of the Ninja. It more or less went through the story of how Naruto came about and gives the player a good insight to the universe. Annnnyways, fast forward to last week, I'd been playing G.T.A. V religiously and instead of ruining the game by over playing it I went to my local Game shop and found Naruto: The Broken Bond. So Guess where this blog is going?!?!

Yes, you've guessed it! It's relatively cheap as well since its about five years old. The sequel to rise of the ninja takes place during the attack on the leaf village. Its starts with you fighting Orochimaru (big bad dude), whilst you play as the Third Hokage(Old lad legend). This is just a tutorial but an awesome one! The game does use quick time events throughout the game, however they are fairly sparse and I did find myself enjoying them. After the tutorial you end up controlling Naruto but are able to switch to the other characters who are on the squad too. This ranges from Sasuke (black haired boy on the box) to Choji (a small fat child). Each one of the characters has a special ability which can be used throughout the open world in the single player to unlock certain areas and rewards. For example you can use Kiba's ability and transform into his dog which can fit under certain areas to pull switches and collect coins (YAAAAS!).

The two main areas which the game shines the most is the combat system (obviously) and the graphics and artwork. The combat system works well. You have a jump button, light attack, strong attack, block and one of the shoulder buttons allows you to perform jutsu's (special abilities). The combat is well done I think, and using the block at the exact moment essentially turns into a counter. If you hit a combo the screen does this class thing where Japanese writing appears in red and the background turns black and white. Sounds strange but it works well, telling the player, "yeah! you landed a fucking sweeet combo brah!"
The special abilities in the combat system is where the player can use tactics. The player just holds down the left trigger and, using both analog sticks, matches a hand pattern to pull off one of the sweet ass moves! You can either charge it up making it stronger, or use it more or less straight away but still dealing a fair bit of damage. But your chakra (power gauge) is shared in the party, so if you use it all at once you kinda screw yourself over.

A snake, a snail and a frog walk into a bar...

So lastly we come onto where I think the game shines the most. Its art style. Like some of the D.B.Z games, I just love the art style used on these games. They're crisp. They're sleek. Just look at that slug! Fuck yeah! And it's in HD which makes it that more sexier. I would say more about it but I think the picture does it justice...you know what...here's another!

 Creepy Ginger Guy,"Come children...I won't hurt you."

Naruto whispers,"first chance we get...kick him in the balls."

I can't really find many faults with the game to be honest. The only one that creeps up is when you want to go from area to area you have to guide Naruto through checkpoints in the trees. It's cool at first but it gets extremely tedious I found. But to make up for it the music is straight from the anime and sounds well presented on the console. They've even done the Japanese and English voices for the characters so you can choose your preference if you can't be bothered reading.

So Naruto: The Broken Bond. If you're a fan of the show. This is definitely not to be missed! If you've played Rise of the Ninja this much like that, but better! So buy, buy, buy!


O.E.G

Top Five! Rockstar Characters

Yes! It's a top five! Rockstar have made some top characters throughout the years within their games and instead of me trying to decide on the top five games, It's going to be the characters. I have spent quite a bit of time going back and forth on this so without further ado....MY TOP FIVE! *There may be some spoilers, but I'm not going to say look away because that would defeat the purpose of said blog!*



No. 5 - 8 Ball

I think that 8 Ball deserves to be on the list. Sure, people will probably think of more deserving (Max Payne? see below), however, 8 Ball is the very first character everyone met when playing G.T.A. III and delivers one hell of a memorable line! I still remember to this day.
"I know a place on the edge of the Red Light district where we can lay low, but my hands are all messed up, so you better drive brother!"
8 Ball, you're a legend.










No. 4 - James 'Jimmy' Hopkins

This loveable little scamp is Jimmy Hopkins from Bully (or Canis Canem Edit). Whilst the game is somewhat like a G.T.A game, it manages to hold its own. Jimmy is dropped off at a new school, and is instantly the outsider. I felt I warmed to Jimmy because in certain ways I could relate to him. We've all been there, the new kid at a new school, new surroundings and that's where the attachment comes. But unlike us Jimmy created the gap of the things we all wanted to do at school, be it beating the tough jock, or stealing the girl from the greasers. However, I'm sure none of us as a kid had dared to think of scraping on the scaffolding on top of their school, in what seems like, a fight to the death!






No. 3 - John Marston

We've all played Red Dead Redemption, and Rockstar did a perfect job of capturing the feeling of the wild west. The grit. The grime. The shootouts. And then we have this gent. John Marston. He a perfect portrayal (in my eyes) of a man. He owns a farm. He has multiple guns, smokes and drinks like a boss, and has words of wisdom for every man! But the best thing about him and why he's earned this spot is his death. Like an ultimate man, he walks out of a barn towards an entire posse of armed men, accepts it with grace and even manages to take some to hell with him before being killed in a hail of gunfire. Look up man in the dictionary and this grizzled chap will be staring right back at you.





No. 2 - Trevor Philips

 Yes. Trevor's in the list people! We all know him from that new game G.T.A V, but does he deserve to be this high on the list? Fuck yes! Why, some of you cry? Trevor is that person who will act out what he's thinking, regardless of the consequence. There was never a dull moment whilst playing as him. Even when you switch to him from one of the other characters, he's doing something random. Dressed as a lady, drunk. Wandering round Los Santos in pants, drunk. Surrounded by corpses on an island, drunk. The list goes on. I was always intrigued to see what he would do next and lets face it, who hasn't wanted to just lose it sometimes?





Drum roll! 

No. 1 - Tommy Vercetti

That's right ladies and gentleman. Tommy Vercetti. I even managed to spell the name correctly on the first attempt. Voiced by Ray Liotta, this guy made some memorable times for me and I'm sure others. Tommy seemed to me like a larger than life character, always moving forward and making it big. His temper was something to note, especially at the end when all hell breaks loose in an ultimate royal rumble. And this victor? This macho mother fucker!









Honourable Mention

Max Payne.

Yeah I know I probably should have put him in, and if it was a top ten he'd definitely be number 6. But honestly, I've only played the third and felt I couldn't just use that version of Max. I remember how brutal the first and second were but I think I was more focused on the gameplay at the time and I was just watching a friend play bits! So apologies internet!





Right well there you go, my top five Rockstar characters. If anyone has any different leave a comment and let me know. Next top five? Suggestions welcome.

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.

The Beginning. (Warning: I shall cuss!)

The Optimistic English Gamer - The Beginning.

With a wide variety of games to choose from, be it a RPG or a first person shooter, its easy to criticise the work. These graphics! This gameplay! This fucking level!!!! What I notice is that people find it hard to appreciate a game. I mean, ok, I am aware that some games are just awful. An example I hear you cry. Very well, Bubsy 3D, is horrific. I'm not going to go into it, but just search some gameplay footage and watch. You'll be amazed at how bad a game can be made. Anyways, digressing away from my point, I want to mention games which I think are underrated but deserve some attention for the work that has clearly been put it. Most of them you may have heard of but probably refused to play, or even started playing and thought,"Well fuck this! This ain't nothing on Bubsy!" But stick with me and I'll try and change your mind. Alright lets get started.

So we're going to start with this beauty. Kane and Lynch: Dead Men. This was released waaay back in 2007, the same year as Halo 3 and Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol! Kane and Lynch got some pretty mixed reviews, ranging from a 3/10 to an 8/10. Now just to clarify I'll only be covering the single player and co-operative (I kinda suck at multiplayer games). I actually played this when it first came out round at a mates house, but the controls felt so awkward to me and the graphics are just so so, I only played the first level. But that was a mistake on my part. I was naive and young! Then a few years later someone recommended it to me when I was on an achievement whore binge (who wasn't, am I right?!) So I put on my big boy pants and set to it. From the get go I was slightly frustrated at the graphics and controls, again, but I buckled on down and went head first.

I now fucking, love....LOVE this game. OK yes, the controls suck, but my God! This has one of my favourite story lines in any game! Nay, Maybe in any film! Not exactly a unique story but it is told uniquely. You play as Kane, who's in prison for being a badass (well...manslaughter) and meets a fine gentleman by the name of Lynch, who is bat shit crazy. He does, however, inform our protagonist of a breakout.
After completing your breakout with Lynch you're taken to a construction site where you meet "The 7"! Cue dramatic music! They say you've stolen some money and have to get it back for them otherwise they kill your wife and daughter.
So you end up going to do a bank job and this is where I fell in love with the game. It all seems to be going well but Lynch ends up going mental and starts murdering all the hostages. Now at this time I was playing it through with my brother and he was playing as Lynch. He started freaking out saying the building was overrun with the police and started shooting EVERYONE! When I came upstairs from the vault, all I saw was all floor decorated with the bodies of the hostages, so naturally I thought my brother was just goofing with me. The ball starts rolling and you end up having a shootout through the streets, much like the film Heat (if no-one has seen this, please watch it). The game channels you along but in such a way it feels as if the way you're going is your only option. The rapport that Kane and Lynch have is very fragile through this entire scenario. The developers obviously put a lot of time and effort into this and you can tell from the dialog. At one point you cut through a pedestrian area, and once again my brother starts just fucking up everyone!
"What the fuck are you doing?!!", I screamed at him.
"Can you not see all the coppers?!". When I look over to his side of the screen, Lynch is seeing everyone as a policeman and so my brother starts taking names. Once again, I love this solely for the reason that it gives the player an insight into why Lynch is absolutely nuts, and it manages to bring over that craziness from the single player into to the Co-op seamlessly. From this moment on, I forgot all the negative points about the game. I was so enthralled to see how the rest of the game would pan out from here.

 "For the last time! Cut your fucking hair!"

Now without trying to spoil the rest, the story takes an incredible turn, and honestly I didn't expect it. This could be why I love it so much. It sucks you, the player, into the story, actually making you want to know whats going to happen and that's what a game should do. Entice the player into their world and I'm glad it did. Kane and Lynch are an odd pair but nevertheless you grow to love 'em. You end up in a wide variety of places, from Tokyo to Havana...and construction sites! Yeah!
The night club mission is awesome. Making you shoot your way out with civilians in the midst of it all, adding to chaos that already surrounds the characters. You start the mission by wandering through the club towards the managers office and its very well done. The player really get a feel for the environment and the change in atmospherics, from booty bouncing to guns blazing, seems to happen in an instance.
Even the ending (once again I'm trying my hardest to refrain from spoiling anything) has two different ways to be played out. Each one gives the story a different view (surprisingly) and after completing one of them I actually resented myself for the choice. The game in total is roughly about 6 hours long but its just right to convey the story across without being to long drawn. And just like the game I'm going to sum this up before it becomes the babbling of a mad man...more so than it is.

So there you have it. Kane and Lynch: Dead Men, a truly awesome game. There's even a number two (Dog Days) where you play and Lynch and get to do a mission naked...if that's your thing. But aside from that fact the story in that is once again a masterpiece, it works as an experience that you will have a plethora of emotions for. So I implore you, random reader! To play both games. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and much like a book, you'll be incredibly happy but upset that the game had to finish.


Thanks for reading.

More to come in the future . OEG.