Category: Classics

The Joy of Rediscovering Games

Halo: Combat Evolved PC Version

I was combing through one of the boxes I had been dragging around with me in my various moves in the past year and was pleasantly surprised when I found my copy of Halo: Combat Evolved for the PC. I have Halo for the Xbox, true, but this version of it is a little more rare, almost to the point of mythical status. I put that sucker in my laptop and found out that I can run it, so I’ve been playing through that the last couple of days and having a blast.

Previously, a similar thing happened when I found a GameBoy Color and a copy of Pokemon Red which rekindled my Pokemon obsession, so I was wondering if anything similar has happened to you guys. I know that in the day and age of digital distribution, where publishers pimp out older games to prey on our nostalgia, finding older games is easier than it has been, but happening upon a treasured game from your youth and the proper system to play it on is nothing short of a miracle.

So what about you? Have you stumbled onto a game that you thought was lost? What was it? Go!

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 26: Nintendo Power

Another week, another podcast. This week’s cast covers the big happenings from last week: namely, the rumors of Nintendo’s new console, as well as the massive-but-actually-less-massive-than-everyone-first-though Portal 2 ARG. We actually kick things off a little differently in this episode, starting first with the game of percentages.

After all of that riveting discussion (and my consequent victory), we dive into a lengthy conversation about our video game level bucket lists, and the levels we think everyone should play before they keel over. I’m curious to see if you guys like the format of the game first, or if you like it the way it’s been. Let us know!

No podcast will be out next week, since it’s a holiday weekend and all. Which saddens me, as it means we’ll have to wait that much longer before giving our Portal 2 impressions.

So, listen. Then rate. And of course, enjoy. Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 26: Nintendo Power

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The GamerSushi Show, Ep 25: Inspiring Gaming

Here’s Episode 25 of the podcast. Sadly, it was recorded a week ago, which means it doesn’t have any of the juicy discussion about Nintendo’s rumored new console or Valve’s ARG. But do not fret! Those issues are in next week’s podcast.

However, we do cover a host of wonderful topics in this week’s edition of the GamerSushi Show, including our most inspirational games, Sony versus Anonymous and sex in video games. Steamy.

Also, we tried to get through this podcast without making a “nice” joke – so I hope that makes SOME OF YOU happy.

So yeah. Listen up. Rate it. Like it. Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 25: Inspiring Gaming

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The Video Game Level Bucket List

Psychonauts

Is it just me, or do they just not make video game levels the way they used to? A big part of this comes from the fact that most modern video games work in very compact missions. While it makes for a mostly great experience, at times it’s hard to separate key levels that really stand out.

Everyone’s got their own list of favorite video game levels, and GamesRadar has pitched in with one of their old re-posts, 59 Levels to Play Before You Die. It represents a video game level bucket list, of sorts, and I have to say it’s a pretty good one. They cover everything from Assassin’s Creed’s Acre Cathedral to Chrono Cross, Symphony of the Night, Crackdown, Psychonauts and Twisted Metal 2. They’ve even got videos if you’re too lazy or unable to go play them.

We’ve talked before about some excellent video game levels on this site, but if you had a bucket list of levels to play before someone died, what would the top 5 or 10 be? Make your lists! Go!

Source – GamesRadar

Image Source – Ayem

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 24: Vestchewbacca

Gamers! Listeners! Friends!

Hey.

We’re back this week with Episode 24 of the podcast, which takes place entirely in real time. Sort of. We actually had a lot of technical difficulties with this one, but I think Nick did a great job of lessening the horrors that we faced.

Technical gremlins aside, this week we participate in the same tomfoolery that you’ve experienced from us every week, only this time we talk about Quantic Dream versus Rockstar, Square Enix’s fall into irrelevance, the most annoying fanboys in the world and Mass Effect 2’s Arrival DLC. After that, Nick drops a new game of Either/Or on us, and we hit up the PS3’s sales, Nintendo versus Angry Birds and the new trailers we got last week.

So, there you have it. Check it out. Rate it. Enjoy. Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 24: Vestchewbacca

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Gabe Newell’s Most Inspirational Games

Gabe Newell

When it comes to games, everyone’s got that list of a handful of titles that has influenced the way they view themselves as gamers, and to some extent individuals. I know that sounds a bit heavy, but I know that I have movies and music albums that have really affected me, and it’s just the same with games.

Have you ever wondered how your favorite developers feel are their most influential games? In a new feature titled Game Changers, CVG asks Valve founder Gabe Newell what his 3 favorite games of all time are. His answers? Star Trek on a Burroughs Mainframe, Doom and Super Mario 64, which convinced him that games are art (he still considers the controls to be unrivaled).

I’m glad that Gabe Newell and I are in total agreement about Super Mario 64, which still stands as probably the greatest platformer I’ve ever played. Other influential games for me as a gamer would happen to be KOTOR, Final Fantasy VII and Counter-Strike.

So what about you guys? What games have influenced you the most? What movies? Books? No holds barred!

Source – CVG

10 Great Gaming Years

Video Game Characters

We’ve said it a million times (and have even said that we’ve said it a million times), but 2011 is easily shaping up to be one of the best years in recent memory for gamers, if not ever. At least, that’s what we say, because gamers are a fickle bunch and have such a short attention span. It’s true. We’re quick to forget about how good previous decades were to us, because all of it blends together into this big retro blur.

To help jog your memory a bit, GamesRadar has a list of the ten greatest years in gaming history, and I kind of love it. They basically start back in the 80’s and pick out ten excellent years where gamers got spoiled. It’s actually insane to look back and realize that Mario 64, Panzer Dragoon II, NiGHTS Into Dreams, Twisted Metal 2, Resident Evil, Quake and Civ II all came out in 1996. Likewise, 1998 saw Metal Gear Solid, Banjo-Kazooie, Ocarina of Time, Grim Fandango, Baldur’s Gate, Half-Life, Starcraft and Final Fantasy Tactics. Crazy, huh?

One thing to keep in mind is that this list was written several years back, and recently re-published. Still, it’s interesting to look at, and definitely tickled the nostalgic parts of my brain. So what do you guys think? What were some of your favorite years in gaming? Go!

Source – GamesRadar

GamerSushi Asks: Best First Levels?

HL2 Combine

There’s nothing better than a video game that hooks you into its style and premise in its opening level. Well, I guess it’s better when the entire game can deliver on that promise, but you know what I mean. The first levels of video games in a lot of ways are a pitch for the entire experience. They teach you the rules, what to expect and tease some more of what’s to come. In fact, they can often give us the biggest “wow” out of any level in a game, if done right.

That’s why UGO has come along with its list of the best first levels in gaming history. They’ve got quite a few games on there, a few of which are a bit surprising, to say the least. If I’m being honest, I think it’s a decent list save for the fact that it skews a bit towards the last couple of years too much in terms of where it ranks the newer experiences.

As for my favorite first levels in video games, I’d have to go with a few of these: Goldeneye 64, Half Life (1 and 2), Uncharted 2, Sonic the Hedgehog and Medal of Honor: Frontline. Part of me is tempted to say Metal Gear Solid 2, because I just love the tanker section so much. However, if you consider the first level to be a promise on what the game wants to deliver, I feel like it’s more of a tease than something that the gamer actually gets. Just my opinion, though.

So what do you guys think? What are your favorite opening levels in video games? What do you think of the list? Go!

Source – UGO

Legend of Mana Springs to Life on PSN

Legend of Mana

I think Square Enix just got the Internet hooked up to their offices because they’ve been bombarding the PSN lately with classic releases, finally listening to what their fans have been clamoring for (Well, in some cases). Last week brought Parasite Eve and starting tomorrow another PS1 classic, Legend of Mana, will be available for download. Having rented Legend of Mana about 11 years ago, I am pretty excited to be able to play it again.

For those of you who don’t know, the game plays like the SNES classic Secret of Mana, but with a World Map, which involves you placing the locations and rebuilding the world. Depending on where things are placed in relation to each other, new secrets will be revealed. Also, the game is very side-quest heavy, so if you aren’t into that sort of thing, consider yourself warned.

What other classic games are missing from PSN, XBLA and Virtual Console? Hit me!

Source: Playstation Blog

Evolution of the Digital Man

Doom ManSaw this while browsing Maximum PC the other day. It’s a quick look at some essential games with 3D characters from the last 19 years (gosh I feel old now) The focus is on a picture system starting with Wolfenstein 3D from 1992 moving up to todays big hitter of Crysis 2. It’s a cool history of how 3D characters have changed over the years, giving you a good look at the evolution of character graphics.

33 Key Stages in the Evolution of (Virtual) Mankind

Just wanted to share this with the community. What do you guys think of this change over time? Any thoughts or complaints on how designs have changed?

Source – Maximum PC

Poll: Which HD Remake Excites You Most?

In case you’ve been holding your fingers in your ears every time we hit the topic on the podcast, you should know that I love Beyond Good and Evil. This past Wednesday the classic (although not commercially successful) title hit XBox Live Arcade, gracing player’s screens with re-done assets and a slick HD resolution.

As someone who’s had a soft spot for this game for years, I can say that it’s an excellent recreation of a game not many got to play the first time around, and so far I’m getting into it just as much as I did back then. The thing is, that’s not the only HD remake we’ve got on the horizon. We’ve discussed this before, but there’s also the Splinter Cell games coming, the Team Ico collection and Halo CE HD.

I thought I’d create a poll to find out which of these HD games you want to play most. Because I’m generous like that. Go!

Which HD remake excites you most?

View Results

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GamerSushi Asks: Best Looking Games Ever?

TF2 Pyro

I’ve never been one to call myself a graphics whore. In fact, over the years, I’ve taken quite a few shots at those friends of mine that I knew only cared about graphics. Oddly enough, the two types of people that seem to really love graphics fall on opposite ends of the spectrum, ranging from hardcore PC gamers that love their real time benchmark demos to frat boys who can not get over how good a game looks, bra.

However, even my elitist mind can get knocked down a few pegs when I see something truly stunning, something that makes my jaw drop until drool leaks out, and I’m left mumbling incoherently while watching awe-inspiring visuals. Over the years, games that have really stood out to me in terms of graphics have been Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2, Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Crysis. In terms of design, I’d have to say Shadow of the Colossus and any number of the Zelda games.

It seems that CVG has put together a list of what they consider to be the 9 best looking games of all time. That’s a fairly lofty claim, although I don’t know if any of you will be surprised by their list, save for one or two entries. I really do like that they included Team Fortress 2 and Limbo on the list though, because those two games have such unique looks that make them both iconic.

So what do you guys think? What games left you stunned visually when they came out, and what games do you think still rank among the best looking games of all time? Go!

Source – CVG

GamerSushi Asks: Top 100 PC Games of All Time?

Deus Ex

Alright, guys. Time to take the gloves off.

It seems that PC Gamer recently released a list of what their contributors feel are the 100 best PC games of all time. I know how riled up everyone here gets over these crazy lists, so I thought I’d bring it over to see everyone froth at the mouth.

All in all, I actually don’t think there’s much wrong with the list, although I’d probably move Counter-Strike into the top 10. Granted, I haven’t played a lot of these PC games, but there are only a handful of games that I feel define what made me a PC gamer back in the day: Myst, Counter-Strike, Quake 3, Doom, and more recently Team Fortress 2 and Portal. In fact, these games are the reason that I still maintain that bond with my PC gaming roots, and why I don’t know if I could ever turn my back to it completely. Even now, I’m infected with the bug of wanting to upgrade my rig in anticipation of some of the awesome titles coming out later this year.

So what do you guys think of this list? What titles define your PC gaming?

Source – PC Gamer

Remembering the Half Life 2 Heist

HL2 Source Code

If you recall, one of the most famous gaming heists of all time occurred back in October of 2003, when a lone hacker cracked into Valve’s servers and lifted all of Half Life 2’s source code in its entirety. Even in the days before sensationalist gaming blogs, this was a monstrously huge deal, and the news of it swept over the gaming community like a tsunami.

Several months later, German student Axel Gembe was arrested by police officers in order to keep the hacker from being picked up by the FBI in America, under a presumed trip to visit Valve for a job interview. That’s the part of the story you might not be aware of. Eurogamer recently did an interview with Gembe, who has set his life on a different path since all of that craziness went down. It’s one of the cooler gaming articles I’ve ever read, especially looking back on all that’s happened since then with Valve and its meteoric rise in the industry.

Anyway, give it a read if you think it’s something that would catch your fancy. Do you guys remember when this went down? What did you think of the article? What do you think of Gembe’s remorse and the changes he’s made in his life?

Source – Eurogamer

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 20: Hype Machines

Welcome to Episode 20 of the podcast, this time with bigger explosions, more sadness and lots of terrible burns. Mitch is absent for part of this cast, although Jeff is back. But worry not, for the fellowship will be re-united tonight when we record Episode 21 of the podcast, complete with drinking games.

In this podcast, we tackle a number of gaming issues, including the ridiculously good Dead Island trailer (and all they have to live up to), replaying classic video games and ten year console cycles. Nick also hits us with a mathematically stimulating game of percentages which has us battle about Marvel Vs Capcom 3, Video Games at the Smithsonian, and Bungie’s Space MMO. We also chat about Mega Ran’s Black Materia, the FFVII hip hop tribute which is seriously incredible stuff. I may post about it separately later, but for real, check it out if you love either hip hop or the FFVII soundtrack.

So, without further ado, here’s the podcast. Listen. Rate. Enjoy.

Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 20: Hype Machines

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Guinness Names Gaming’s Top 50 Video Game Characters

Super Mario 3

The Guinness Book of World Records recently released their 2011 Gamer’s Edition, and with it came a list that I thought you guys might find interesting. You see, the kind folks at the Guinness Book of World Records asked for video game fans to participate in a bit of a survey. Over 13,000 gamers voted for what they consider to be the greatest video game characters of all time, and now the results are in for the top 50.

Here’s a tip: Mario was number one, if you couldn’t tell from the image posted above. As much as I wanted to be surprised by the characters that rounded out the top 10, lists like this typically turn out the same. People really love their Nintendo staples, I suppose. And silent protagonists.

Hit the jump to catch the full list of names and games!

Continue reading Guinness Names Gaming’s Top 50 Video Game Characters

GamerSushi Asks: Classic Replays?

Final Fantasy 6

One of the frustrating things about loving gaming as much as we all do is that there’s no possible way to get through everything you want to play without becoming something of a loner or forsaking all social responsibilities. There are simply too many great games that deserve our attention, and we have to make sacrifices at times. I use the word sacrifice incredibly loosely here, because we are basically choosing between several awesome things.

A big check on my gaming “to-do” list over the last, I don’t know, decade has been to give Final Fantasy VI the playthrough it deserves. For years, I’ve been hearing that it’s considered the pinnacle of the series. Since I’ve been in the mood to play a classic RPG, what better thing to do than knock this towering colossus of gaming down from its judgmental perch and finally skin its hide.

In short, I have to say that I simply love this game. It’s got everything that I’ve been dying for in recent RPGs: memorable characters, turn based combat, a sweeping story, a fantastic world. It really is a testament to just how great the game is that eighteen years after its release, I can pick it up and enjoy it for hours on end. Considering you can grow a full fledged adult in that time, I’d say that’s impressive.

This got me thinking about the question of classic replays. What are the gaming classics that you recently played for the first time after neglecting them for years? What games are on your list that you’ve always wanted to try? Go!

Vote for the Art of Video Games Exhibit at the Smithsonian

Mario Art

If you haven’t heard, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is running a special exhibition next year, one that is relevant to our interests here at GamerSushi. The exhibition is called The Art of Video Games, and it will run March 16, 2012 through September 30, 2012. The idea behind the exhibit is that it will take people through 40 years of gaming and all of its wonderful evolutions throughout.

In order to narrow down the pool of the many games that the exhibition could showcase, the museum’s web site has a place for you to vote on the Art of Video Games. It’s divided into 5 separate eras that span the Atari up until the current generation. If you want to be a part of this awesome exhibition, head on over and vote. While the site is slow at the moment, if you’re patient you’ll eventually be able to do your thing.

As much as the “are games art” discussion is tired, I think this is incredible. Obviously, I don’t need something like this to validate a hobby of mine, I’m just excited to see a feature on video games at the Smithsonian of all places. Part of me wants to organize a vacation to Washington, D.C. just to see this next year.

Who else is excited about this? What games are you voting for? Go!

Source – Smithsonian American Art Museum

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 18: The Jam of War

Here’s the podcast. You know the drill.

The podcast is all grown’s up this week now that we’re on episode 18, so it’s legal. Jeff had to skip out on this podcast because he hates us, or was busy, I don’t really remember which. We recorded this last week, so our topics reflect that. We chat about broken systems, gaming innovation, Killzone 3 and more. Check out the list of topics below. Nick also brings us a game of fill in the blank, where I curb stomp the competition the way I always do in these affairs.

Give it a listen and please rate the podcast on iTunes as well. Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 18: The Jam of War

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Gaming: No Country for Funny Men

Portal 2

On top of being innovative and addictive from start to finish, one of the things that I loved about Portal was that it was devilishly clever to boot. This didn’t just stop at its gameplay, but carried over to its script, which was genuinely funny. As much as I can’t wait to see more of Aperture and its insane puzzles, one of the things that I’m dying for in Portal 2 is the sidesplitting humor that came from the writers at Valve.

Oddly enough, it’s not that often that we get to play funny games these days. That might sound strange, but it becomes more noticeable when you play games that actually make you laugh. Games like RDR: Undead Nightmare or Secret of Monkey Island. So why aren’t more games funny? One of the great legends of game comedy himself, Tim Schafer, has an idea.
Continue reading Gaming: No Country for Funny Men