Pick 5: Hateful Games

In this Pick 5, I’ll be calling out five games that hate me. For whatever reason the following games don’t want me to play them despite that I really want to like them. My reasons will be quick and to the point.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (PS2)
Dying is much easier than in the GBA game and that’s with the addition of co-op play.

Batman Returns (SNES)
If battling Catwoman and the Penguin twice isn’t bad enough, you also have to deal with the extreme range of Catwoman’s whip.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (PS2)
Your AI allies don’t do much to help out whether it’s fighting the enemy or completing the objectives.

Sonic Riders (PS2)
This game is just too easy and too difficult at times. Plus, the player is expected to be perfect on later tracks.

Sonic Advance 3 & Sonic Rush (GBA/DS)
My problem with these two games are the same. I can’t pass the second set of stages. If I remember correctly both problematic areas consist of mainly under water levels. The first time I realized that I have trouble with these types of levels in Sonic games was, I think, Sonic 2.

Now Playing: August ’07

The game of the month this time, and the only one that I finished, was also the one that was voted on. It was Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando. The final boss was much easier than Drek was at the end of the first game.

Once I was done with the above game I moved onto Sonic Riders (read my review here). It was supplemented with Super Stardust HD and Super Mario Advance, which is the updated Super Mario Bros. 2 for the GBA with added annoying voices and it made an easy game even easier.

Now comes the more difficult games for different reasons, though Sonic Riders wasn’t easy after the Sand Ruins track.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary was the next major game that I played. Because it’s a remake of the first game, it’s much more organic looking environments made it harder for me to know where to go or what to do at times. I enjoy it when I figure out a puzzle, but it does get bothersome how frequently I get stumped.

I played Gunpey DS to help to break up some of the problems with TRA only to jump into another in-depth adventure in the GBA port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. My progress in these games comes very slowly as it is, but then this game shows me how little I’ve played the Zelda series by killing me off many times already. And I don’t even have the Master Sword yet. Oh well. I’m sure I’ll get through the game eventually. I just be taking a break from it first.

I’d end with asking what’s the one game you’re really into right now if I didn’t already know that it was Bioshock. :P

Sonic Riders

Sonic Riders review by Hart704
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Curve: 0 to 30 Minutes
Time Spent: 10 to 20 Hours

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 8
Sound: 7
Value: 6
Tilt: 6

7.0 good

“Almost, but not quite”

Loved it and hated it.

A couple of weeks ago I was told that I’d either love or hate Sonic Riders. After playing it for the last few days I’ve found out that I love and hate it.

So what do I like about Sonic Riders? Overall, I enjoy the unique racing mechanics that are in the game. The tricks are very easy to pull off and fun to perform. I use the “Speed” characters (ie: Sonic, Amy, Jet, etc.) the most because of the ease of grinding the rails on the certain parts of the track. I originally thought that the rings were useless other than being the game’s currency. As it turns out collecting 30 and then 60 rings will replenish the “air” meter and makes the boost last a little longer.

Here’s what I dislike about Sonic Riders. The “Power” characters (ie: Knuckles, Storm, etc.) aren’t that interesting to use because they’re only for knocking enemies and obstacles out of the way. The “Flying” characters (ie: Tails, Wave, etc.) are difficult to get though their designated rings. I don’t understand how to do it at all and that’s after reading the manual. The rubber band AI is really annoying. I don’t feel I have a chance in hell of beating the sixth track in the story mode. “Riding the turbulence” is an interesting idea, but it doesn’t work so well in the game. It feels like you’re trapped in a smaller track within the track if that makes any sense in the way I worded it. Also, jumping up to a higher part of the track is extremely hard to do and I’ve only done it by accident.

With all of the complaints that I have I don’t feel that the game is a total loss. Some excitement can be had. I enjoyed the time trail mode the most.

I really feel that improvements can be made in a sequel if Sega, and specifically Sonic Team, wanted to go that route. With that said, I found it ironic that Play magazine has a “first look” at Sonic Riders 2 in their September ’07 issue. Here’s to hoping that the potential that I see in the current game comes about in the possible sequel.

Recommend this review.

Sega Nerds:
Sonic Riders Zero Gravity maybe coming to Wii and PS2
Sonic Riders sequel… For real

Next I Will Play…The Sequel

I’ve put together a list of eight games that I’d like to play next. But, as you know it’s difficult to do them all at once. So I’ve decided to put them up for a vote just like I did about six months ago.

Here’s how it’ll go. Out of the following eight games, the three with the most votes will be voted on a second time. The winning game will be the one I play next. However, if one game gets a majority of the votes right away, then that’s the only time that the second voting period would not be needed.

Call of Duty 3
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Contra: Hard Corps
Fire Blade
Gungrave: Overdose
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Sonic Riders
Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Thanks aspro73 (and recent purchases)

As I do every so often, I’d like to tell you about the game purchases that I acquired more recently.

But, first I must thank everybody of the Candid Collectors’ Union for voting in the banner design contest. There were some pretty good ones and in the end my design (and its nearly 1,000 variants) won. I want to give a special thank you to aspro73 for supplying the prize for the contest. The oh-so-awesome-looking PS2 RPG Odin Sphere.

As for the rest of the games that I bought. Here we go.

2 6-button Genesis controllers – eBay; new; .01
Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs (GEN) – local store; used – complete; $2.95
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PS2) – local Best Buy; new; $19.99
Sonic Riders (PS2) – local store; new; $9.99
Sonic Heroes (PS2) – local store; new; $9.99
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (SNES) – eStarland; used – game only; $6.47
NHL ’94 (GEN) – eStarland; used – complete; $1.50
Revenge of Shinobi (GEN) – eStarland; used – game only; $8.36
WWF War Zone (PS) – eStarland; used – complete; $2.95

Trade-ins:
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA) – complete; $14.00
Xbox 360 Wired Controller – complete; $12.00