Critical Acclaim +: Open Mic

[Sly Reflex]

Because Hendo ended up hating it, I ended up loving it due to him passing his copy over.

It did take awhile for me to get into though. It seems super convoluted until you've played for a bit and gotten your head around it. I liked it a hell of alot once I got into the groove. It actually has a sense of getting on your feet and becoming powerful.

In general I really like the tone of the game. I can totally imagine the human race reacting like that should those events happen. I mean obviously the fantasy shit probably wouldn't happen, but the communities and trading caravans would. The segregation and tribalism that inhabits the game makes me believe in the world they have created. Even the locations stick in my mind because they made sense. Pretty much all the areas make sense because they are not too far out, they are feasible ideas that don't reach too far. Using caps as currency totally works too, I mean as American culture stands now coins aren't really used, paper money would get fucked after changing hands often, it really stands to reason that using a bottle top would be a more robust option.

The cobbled together weapons were also great, it actually made you look at what you presumed as junk in a different light. When the world is as fucked up as it is in Fallout 3, everything needs to be recycled somehow. My favourite weapons was one that let you fire all the crap you salvaged out of a homemade cannon. You've not lived until you've exploded the head of a Raider by shooting a empty bean can at his head. I tried making all the blueprints that I found. Sadly I missed out on some of the blueprints, I never got to make a lunchbox full of cunts.

Fallout 3 is probably the finest single player game out this generation. Immersive with plenty to do. The open endedness of it means talking about it with friends about how they went about business is almost as good as playing it yourself. I sort of pity the people that played it with a wiki open or an achievement guide as they sort of ruined it for themselves. It's definitely a game where cutting your own path defines the experience.

Does Fallout 3 deserve the hype it gets? Without a single doubt.

[radiofloyd]

Yep, best game of this gen for me. Ridiculously addictive to play. The exploration, looting and combat (interior and exterior) were all brilliant. In fact the interior sections of the game were really brilliant whether it was the subway or some abandoned factory or museum.

The core "quests" in the game (the ones that rewarded achievements) were all well designed. You could never visit an area without finding something interesting, it was always worth your while. The various pockets of civilisation you would come across were always interesting.

I suppose that was the core of the game really - exploration.

And of course you'd have to mention the amazing art direction and the soundtrack.

Easy 10/10.

[Craymen Edge]

I played Fallout 3 on Xbox 360 for a little while not long after it came out and it just didn't grab me. It felt oppressive and depressing. I was constantly struggling against enemies, running out of ammo, or having weapons and armour break and be unusable. I gave up after a little while and didn't go back to it.

After constantly hearing a lot of people talking about the positives, I saw the GOTY edition going cheap on PC and decided to give it another go. I loved it. It turns out I was doing it wrong before - I was playing it like I would an Elder Scrolls game; as soon as I got out into the open I struck out in my own direction and just wandered into difficulty. After I realised you couldn't really do that, and had to follow the story for at least a few hours, the game was so much better. I was eventually able to go off and explore on my own, and did I ever. I pretty much saw everything, and got all 1550 gamerpoints in the process.

It had me engrossed as much as any game has this generation, and is definitely one of my all time favourites. Quite a turnaround.

[DANGERMAN]

I never finished it, not entirely sure why because I really enjoyed it. It nailed character progression, not story wise but in terms of making you feel like levelling up meant something without making you hugely overpowered (or at least I never felt like that)

[Sly Reflex]

Advance Wars.

[DANGERMAN]

what a game! When I got my DS I picked up the GBA version cheap to have something to play. I remember starting it whilst watching some football on a sunday morning, and was still there at about 1 am, I only stopped because the battery died. It's balanced absolutely perfect, it's just a really simple strategy game, and every Advance Wars since has been trying to live up to that (with the first DS one failing miserably)

[retroed]

Yeah, it's pretty much as near as you can get to a perfect game. I'll be adding it to the 'Your 10/10 Games' thread when I update my list. I went through a spell of carrying it around with me all the time, cartridge wedged into my Game Boy Micro. It's the perfect portable game, but one that is incredibly difficult to put down.

As mentioned, Advance Wars is definitely a case of the original is best. Dark Conflict/Days of Ruin is a good game, though. After playing Fire Emblem: Awakening, I'd love to see an Advance Wars on 3DS.

[Sly Reflex]

I got Advance Wars with my black GBA when it came out, it was bundled with Super Mario World and Advance Wars. We all know SMW is a stellar game, but Advance Wars totally blew it out of the picture. I played it so much that I broke the in game coin counter as I'd bought everything in game. I'd love/hate to know how many hours I spent on this game, it's going top be some obscene hour as I really couldn't put it down until there was nothing more to do. I even made my own maps to play where the odds were stacked against me. I think I actually had to buy rechargeable batteries because of this game as I was spending more on batteries playing the game than I did on th actual cart itself.

It's certainly the best 'Wars' game I've ever played. I know the game existed on the NES and SNES but I never got to play those. The games that came after Advance Wars spoiled the formula by adding unnecessary shite which spoiled the balance and flow of battles. Advance Wars Dual Strike was an abomination of a game to me, full of gimmicky nonsense that tainted a perfect formula.

Advance Wars is one of the best games you're likely to play from the 00's. It looks amazing, it sounds amazing and it plays amazing. It's solid like a diamond. Hopefully Intelligent Systems turn back to the series for the 3DS.

[Craymen Edge]

I liked advanced wars up to a point. That point was when each stage became a puzzle requiring you to figure out the "correct" solution in order to get through.

I loved the presentation, the awesome graphical style, and playing it for the first few hours. My enthusiasm just petered out after a while.

[Sly Reflex]

Final Fantasy IX.

[Sly Reflex]

Nobody has anything to say about this then. I'm going to go with my gut reaction and say it's shit, even though I've never played it. Take that shitty Final Fantasy game. How do you like them apples?

[radiofloyd]

A long time ago (2009) in a galaxy far away (Gamestm forum) I wrote about why I loved FFIX:

http://www.gamestm.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=280492#p280492

It's my favourite game.

For the pleasure it will bring you, I also wrote about Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King.

Ah that was a good thread. This one's alright too Sly.

[Sly Reflex]

Super Metroid.

[dante76]

I also agree word of word with Radiofloyd regarding FFIX. Best of all of the Final Fantasy games, and the hero wasn't an idiot or emo, or misunderstood, or brainwashed.

[Sly Reflex]

I'll tell you how amazing Super Metroid is. Even if you've never played it, you've played it numerous times. A lot of games borrowed it premise but never got it quite as good as Metroid. It's about as perfect as you can get design wise. 10/10 easily, you can still see the influences this game has even now with games like Batman Arkham Asylum.

[retroed]

Mr Reflex has said what I would have said. Amazing intro, too. 10/10 no doubt.

[Sly Reflex]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

[TromaDogg]

Agree about Super Metroid. It got pretty much everything right, and had replay value in spades. Without Super Metroid, there might not have been Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night or Shadow Complex, at least not in the format we know them. Think about that for a second.

Before I rip into Sonic 2, I'm just going to say that I do still enjoy playing the Sonic games for what they are (well, most of them if you know what I mean *cough* Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 *cough*).....that being said, I can understand the frenzy over Sonic 2 at the time as it is an improvement over the first game, but neither of the first 2 games are as good as what Nintendo were offering with Mario for me. I think it's just down to what kind of gamer you are....I prefer slower paced games that make you think and explore a bit more whereas Sonic just always seems to be geared towards 'hold down right on the d-pad and try to get through the level as quickly as possible' and doesn't really give you much room to backtrack if you think you missed something. The variety of levels in Sonic 2 was much better than the original game, the music was better and they added Tails, which was a big plus point for me, plus the Chaos Emeralds actually did something in the sequel rather than just changed the ending screen very slightly. Perhaps it's biggest failing for me is that it's very, very easy. I really don't know anyone at all who didn't breeze through it all on their first or second go.

I was much more of a fan of Sonic 3 though....well more specifically Sonic 3 and Knuckles as Sonic 3 feels a bit half finished if you play it standalone. I didn't have a Mega Drive until about a month before the Sonic and Knuckles expansion cart came out, and bought it on the same day I got Sonic 3 so I was able to play Sonic 3 as it was meant to be played, with all the bigger/extra stages, extra set of Chaos Emeralds to find and option to play through it all as Knuckles. And it was wonderful. Still the best game in the series for me.

[DANGERMAN]

whereas Sonic just always seems to be geared towards 'hold down right on the d-pad and try to get through the level as quickly as possible' and doesn't really give you much room to backtrack if you think you missed something. The variety of levels in Sonic 2 was much better than the original game, the music was better and they added Tails, which was a big plus point for me, plus the Chaos Emeralds actually did something in the sequel rather than

I know this is a criticism that gets levelled at Sonic a lot, but like I said when Sonic 1 was in this thread I think it's more true of the later games than the first. Sonic 1 was actually quite slow, there's only really Green Hill where you can rush though it. Sonic 2 though has it more with the first level and Chemical Plant. So that's my thoughts on Sonic 2 really, it's the archetypal Sonic game, it's the game that every other Sonic game seems to be using as a jumping off point, and while I still think it was good, I think it's the wors of the main line Megadrive ones (Sonic 3D Blast being the worst MD Sonic game)

[illdog]

I found Sonic 2 a little flat after Sonic. Despite all my mates telling me it was the superior game i never discovered its charm. The biggest problem i ever had with Sonic 2 then was that it wasn't the original Sonic, a game I spent untold hours on. I did love the introduction of revving up for speed though.

Oh, and Super Metroid. The first game I remember that affected me with its tone and soundtrack. I remember being blown away by how the game made you back track and the millions of hidden secrets and how thrilling it was to finally be able to access an area that had been teasing you since near the beginning if the game. A true masterpiece.