Critical Acclaim +: Open Mic

[Sly Reflex]

Wow, OK, nobody went for it.

Space Invaders. It's pretty crappy in all honesty. It was a revelation when it came out though, although that's totally lost on most people here, except for you fuckers that were born before the Iron Lady took office and decided to to make every working man hate her.

I think what stands out is the legacy it left on history. The iconic space invader has got to be one of the most recognisable things in gaming hasn't it? It's pretty synonymous with gaming isn't it? I mean it's use is so far spread within gaming. The idea is probably used because it's easily identifiable even if it's modified. I think that's a pretty impressive feat, although they probably didn't realise it'd snowball into that. Simplicity at its best.

Space Invaders might not be the best game to ever come out, but I think it has a cultural importance akin to the Fender Stratocaster's role in rock music.

[DANGERMAN]

I think Space Invaders still holds up fairly well tbh, I've got a version on my phone (unofficial, slightly different) and it's fun enough

[Sly Reflex]

Rachet and Clank: Tools of Destruction.

[Bob]

It is awesome. I have more. But first, how many are on the list?

[Bob]

Ratchet and Clank is probably my favourite games series (although there is always an internal conflict between MGS, Final Fantasy and This). I am actually replaying them at the moment and got up to Tools of Destruction yesterday. It looks incredible, the amount of 'splosions on screen and just the overall prettiness of the design. The series has always brought together excellent design and beautiful graphics and as the first PS3 game, ToD didn't disappoint at all.

It is kind of hard to talk about just one of them which is where the main criticism of the series comes from I think. The jump in terms of gameplay from R&C3 to this isn't all that vast. In fact the only real difference from game to game is the balance between action, platforming and puzzles. ToD has a great balance, giving players a bit of everything they love about the series. The upgradeable weapons are there, this time they can be upgraded further with an additional resource called Raritanium. The space sections handle really well, although they have always been my least favourite part. There is plenty of platforming and grinding, and Clank's sections are some of the best in the series.

The story is really funny and a lot more emotionally charged than previous games in the series as it deals with Ratchet's race and Clank becoming more distant. It isn't exactly edge of your seat stuff but for someone like me, someone that the series means a lot to. It is still a very touching experience. Though not quite up there with A Crack in Time which turned me into a weeping girlyman.

[Sly Reflex]

It is awesome. I have more. But first, how many are on the list?

Talk about the series in general, as it's the only game on the list.

[Sly Reflex]

Global Defence Force. This game claimed a spot on the list due to cult status.

[Jimboxy]

I've literally never heard of it.

[Sly Reflex]

Wow really? I knew it was underground but I thought all gamers knew about GDF or at least the EDF series.

[Hendo]

Played EDF but I've never heard of GDF.

[Sly Reflex]

Talk about the series in general, there's no games on the list that have more than one entry so I'm going to scrap that no talking about other games rule.

[Craymen Edge]

Global Defence Force is pretty obscure. It didn't get released in the US, and only on a budget label in Japan and UK. It probably only got 4 or 5 reviews in total.

I played Earth Defence Force 2017 pretty early on in my 360 ownership. It was incredibly low budget, but a lot of those early games looked like up-rezzed PS2 games (especially the ones from Japan), so it didn't really look out of place. I only ever played it in single player as it was local split-screen multiplayer only.

It was silly over the top fun. Shooting massive creatures, and levelling buildings with a single mis-placed rocket was very funny for a short while. But eventually the lack of variety drags it down - there were only a few enemy types, 4 or 5 different locations for missions, and only a couple of different mission types. And there seemed no end in sight. I don't know how many missions there were in total, but it was too many. I'd seen pretty much everything in the first couple of hours, and was bored of it by then.

[Hendo]

Same as Nag and Craymen - I found the whole thing really boring after a couple of hours. And I played it in co-op which is always meant to make everything better but me and my co-op buddy were bored to tears.

My reaction to that game after all the fapping over it made me incredibly cautious over low budget games that people went mental for, nearly made me avoid Deadly Premonition.

[Sly Reflex]

I remember going halves on this game when me and my mate saw it in Morrisons after dropping in to pick up some snacks. I think it cost us £17 or something daft, it was a budget game and boy did it show when we started playing it.

I loved it. The cheesy B-movie feel to it really won me over. I mean it was total crap, but it was enjoyable crap, the constant slowdown used to bring lots of moments where we'd make up reason to why the engine was struggling, one often excuse is the game was going into poetic bullet time as building collapsed around us and armoured vehicles blew up. It actually took over the usual games of PES that went on around my mates as everyone liked it. It offered something different that wasn't replicated anywhere else. Where else can you shoot down endless hordes of ants and UFO's while speed moonwalking? Nowhere, that's where.

I'm actually thinking this is the last game we ever played communally all in the same room, by the time this was doing the rounds we'd all moved onto playing online. What a way to top off that era, I couldn't really think of anything better to replace it. I actually think it was the game that killed the last PS2 we used to use too.

[radiofloyd]

Never heard of it.

[HandsomeDead]

I like Earth Defense Force. I get it. It's not just the kitsch-ness of it, though that is an attraction, too, but it is a pretty fun game overall. I never got into Dead Rising at all, but I suppose this was my Dead Rising. I would look at that game and just not find any appeal but I found a similar kind of appeal in Earth Defense Force.

I love how the game looks, especially the robots. Those are my kinda robots. And while it is budget game I think it does have a strong 'feel' as a shooter, you know, the guns feel good to fire and stuff. There is a weight to it, the rocket launchers feel good. I guess that's because of everything flying around in a comical way. It's just a primal game. It's like a modern Smash TV (maybe not as good, but similar).

People do get excited about these games so they do perhaps have a better reputation than they deserve but I suppose this kinda stuff is rare these days so i can see why loads of people love it. Smash TV games used to be common but not so much now. Though I would like to see a better 3D large scale take on the genre.

[Sly Reflex]

Virtua Fighter 4.

[Jimboxy]

I can't remember which one I had, but it was on the PS2. I'd really enjoyed Tekken 1-3 and Soul Calibre on the DC so foolishly thought I was a fan of fighting games, turns out I'm a fan of button mashing. Virtua Fighter doesn't seem to like this approach.

I spent a lot of time trying to get to grips with the fighting method, which seemed for more intricate than any of the other games I'd played. You had to go in knowing how to counter peoples moves to play it effectively (which is something other fighters do as well, but are more forgiving), and I didn't have the patience for that. I imagine if you're a fan, it would be good, but give me Tekken 2 any day of the week.

[Sly Reflex]

Flower.

[Hendo]

Wonderful game.

Looks and sounds absolutely stunning and controls fantastically too, which is a surprise considering I had no faith in the Sixaxis as a motion controller.

No fat on it either - doesn't outstay its welcome.