Posted on November 20, 2012
My Top 100: #49 – Little Big Planet
2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (PlayStation 3)
My relationship with this game didn’t start off all that well. I usually know within those first few minutes of playing a game, without a shadow of a doubt, whether I’ll enjoy it or not. I’m currently playing through Assassin’s Creed, wondering if it’ll get good any time soon… I’m guessing that it won’t.
In any case, Little Big Planet was one of those popular games that I was curious to see what the fuss was about (see AssCreed above). I knew the art style and Sackboy’s insane amount of cuteness and customizability would be right up Anita’s alley, but I wasn’t that convinced. I considered Sony to be the most “adult” of this generation of consoles, what with Microsoft releasing games like Viva Piñata and Banjo Kazooie, while Nintendo was being… well, Nintendo.
How was I supposed to believe the house that God of War built could make a solid light-hearted platformer?
I borrowed the game from a co-worker, and I was struck by how different the controls felt… much like the characters themselves, they felt cushiony. I’m not sure how else to describe it, but Sackboy really does control like he’s a hacky sack with arms and legs. This isn’t a major detriment, or anything, but if you’re used to the spot-on precision of the athletic speed and jumps in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, LBP‘s slightly slower (but every bit as challenging) pace will take a bit of getting used to.
Not only did I not get *into* it, but I don’t think I actually *got* it right away. It took me a couple playthroughs of the first few levels to really understand what they were trying to accomplish. The levels were a bit dreary, the music was decidedly quirky, and a lot of the online content I played was slightly uninspired.
I guess I was just being my typical impatient self.
Levels start getting pretty challenging a little later in the game. The whole “dragging” mechanic (where Sackboy can grab blocks or other things) combined with the game’s unique physics help create some extremely satisfying puzzles, and the co-op mode adds an extra layer of difficulty without making you want to chuck your controller at your wife in frustration!
I’m looking at you, Donkey Kong Country Returns…
The online content, if you look in the right places, is actually pretty brilliant. Aside from Sony’s costume and sticker DLC packages, which range from Disney to Metal Gear Solid and anywhere in between, the level editor allows for every Tom, Dick or Harriet to post and share their creations over the PlayStation Network. Even though I could probably try my skills at designing a fun level of my own, there are TONS of people out there that are more creative than I am. I was quite impressed by some of the levels I found online. The fact that it’s a Sony game doesn’t mean the online content can’t be jam-packed with references to IP’s from other companies!
Seriously, there’s tons of Mario, Mega Man, Zelda and Contra stuff on there. Not all of it good, mind you, but the game’s online level rating system should be a pretty good indicator. The best level I actually played was one that made reference to several pop culture phenomenons at once; Indiana Jones, Jaws, Star Wars, Star Trek and a batch of others. Pretty awesome!
Finally, the art style reminded me of a book I used to read when I was quite young, and although it was one I remember enjoying, it was one that also freaked me out a bit at the same time. I’m 100% sure that it wasn’t Veggie Tales, or whatever that popular kids series is called.
It was a collection of pictures (not drawings) of vegetables with eyes, mouths and noses painted on. Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms; you name a common vegetable, and it was more than likely a character in the book. Anyway, they were an adventurous bunch, and got themselves into a few pickles (HA!) along the way.
It was as though some guy was looking through his pantry one day, got bored and built “sets” for his veggies in his own kitchen, gave them faces and a story, took pictures, then sold it to a publishing company as a children’s book. The way the veggies looked actually made me want to never touch vegetables again…
That explains a lot, actually. Yay, meat!
Thanks to that book, this platter of beef tenderloin would be an acceptable meal, to me.
Also, once I find that book (it’s buried, but not buried too far), I’ll be sure to post pictures of it!
Posted on November 14, 2012
My Top 10: The Best of the Rest!
I’ve counted down my favourite 8-bit and 16-bit tunes, but there have been quite a few games since that have had very memorable soundtracks. The only “problem” is that they were across so many different platforms, I’m not really able to make a list for every console. It wouldn’t really feel right.
That being said, here’s the best of the rest. From Sega Genesis to PC, to PlayStation 1 and the Xbox 360, here are my favourites of the bunch.
10. Syphon Filter (PS1) – Rhoemer’s Stronghold
I think what makes this song memorable is actually the level that it plays in. Within the walls of a creepy old cathedral, Logan sneaks around to this music. It creeped me out back in the day, and I am greatly looking forward to going back to play this game, some day.
9. Super Mario 64 (N64) – Dire, Dire Docks
Of all the things that truly got me excited about Super Mario 64, it was actually the bleak setting for the Dire, Dire Docks level. It wasn’t a happy-looking place, and the music had that mellow underwater feel to it… it showed what could be done when 3D graphics came together with music to set a truly unique atmosphere.
8. Metroid Prime (GameCube) – Space Pirate Battle
Most of the music in Prime fits perfectly with the environments Samus finds herself in. When the proverbial poo-poo hits the fan and Space Pirates attack her from all sides, this tune has me calmly humming along through the craziness as I blast their hides into oblivion.
7. Mortal Kombat II (Arcade) – Prologue: The Battlefield
One of the things that always impressed me the most about arcade cabinets was the sound that came from them. Sure, the graphics always looked nice, but the way they cranked those sound effects, and the music… man. So great. I’d start playing other games in the arcade, but MKII had this epic “attract mode” music that always sucked me right back in.
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis) – Emerald Hill
I’m not sure why, but long before I chose to play the bass guitar, my ear was always trained to focus on the bass line in a song. Instead of the melody, I’d always hum the bass line. Weird. In any event, this is one of my favourites to hum along to, whenever I borrowed someone’s Genesis.
5. Half-Life 2 (PC) – CP Violation
City 17 is a creepy place… but when you’re walking down that railway tunnel and this techno-ey two-note tune comes on, you just want to start dancing. Well, after disposing of some flaming fuel canisters and angry guards, of course.
4. Doom (PC) – Episode 1, Mission 1
I can still picture our old one-piece 486 computer. It had those tinny speakers on each side of the “base”, just below the screen, and the volume controls were up and down buttons, not turnable knobs… so the sound was either on pretty loudly, or not on at all. Annoying for most things, but I liked the music and sound in that shareware version of Doom enough to crank it anyway.
3. Super Street Fighter II (Arcade) – Vega Stage
You know, I’m still not sure who is who (canonically) in the Street Fighter series. M. Bison, Vega and Balrog all had alternating names in various versions of the game, and I’m still confused. All I know is that the dude with the mask and claws will always be Vega to me, and he had the best stage music in the game.
2. GoldenEye 007 (N64) – Facility
Of all the levels I’ve played over and over when going through this game, the Facility is the one I’ve played the most. That friggin’ Invincibility cheat, man. I could never get it. I eventually did, but this music is etched into my brain forever.
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube) – Dragon Roost Island
Of all the 3D Zelda games, Wind Waker by far has the best music… this is the best song from an incredible soundtrack. Amazing!
Posted on November 14, 2012
My Top 10: Favourite Super NES Tracks!
My iPod is crammed with retro music, mainly from two consoles; the NES, which I counted down my fav’s for already, and the Super NES. They were the two consoles I spent the most time on, so the rest of the music on my playlist is a smorgasbord of music from PC, Genesis, Xbox, PS1, and other newer consoles.
That being said, here are my ten favourite Super NES tracks… again, only one entry per series. That’s the only rule!
10. F-Zero – Big Blue
This isn’t even a game I even played as a kid. I was actually introduced to it by Super Smash Bros. Melee, and that Adventure Mode Big Blue-inspired stage made me want to download F-Zero on the Virtual Console. I’m glad I did!
9. Donkey Kong Country – King K. Rool Theme
The rest of the music from DKC was either only slightly memorable or simply just light and fluffy mood music. With this epic final boss tune, they seemed to set the stage for considerably better music in DKC2.
8. Super Adventure Island 2 – Hiya-Hiya Island
There are some tunes you hear, and you just know what kind of level it is by the sound of it. This one captures the chill of the icy Hiya-Hiya Island palace quite nicely.
7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island – Big Boss Theme
The boss fight above is what I picture every time this tune starts. The boss fights in this game were really fun to begin with, and the way the music builds here is just perfect.
6. Mega Man X – Sigma Stage 3
It’s not the most complex tune in the game, but I found this little bass ditty to be the best of the bunch.
5. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars – Fight Against a Slightly Bigger Boss
Same franchise? Yes. Same series? No. Sneaky. This music really had me on edge during the big battles, since it was the first turn-based RPG I ever played… I honestly felt that I was in way too deep when I played this one, even though it’s considered easy by RPG vets.
4. Super Metroid – Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area
This is a tune that does a lot without doing much at all. Haunting and amazing.
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – End Credits
Ending music is supposed to wrap everything up nicely, and put a nice little bow on the gift you’ve just played (barf). In a game where you actually feel for many of the NPC’s you run into, this music (along with the visuals) still almost brings a damn tear to my eye… not gonna lie.
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time – Boss Music
Perfect boss music, if I’ve ever heard it. I can close my eyes when I listen to this, and hear that weird “hit” sound effect. *huh-whomp!* *huh-whomp!* *huh-whomp!*
1. Contra III: The Alien Wars – Road Runners (Stage 4)
There’s a whole lot of music in this game that I had to choose from. Every single stage has music that sets the tone perfectly, and to this day, I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a great soundtrack in a game.
Posted on November 9, 2012
And now, for a little break.
I’ve miraculously reached the halfway point of my countdown, and somehow, the verbal diarrhea hasn’t stopped. I’ve been weary of the quality of some of the posts, but I’m my own worst critic when it comes to that sort of thing. Time to take it easy on myself, and recharge my writing batteries for a week.
I’ll still be posting, though. I have gaming on the brain too much for me not to vent, somehow.
See you on Mardi!
Posted on November 9, 2012
My Top 100: #50 – Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
2002 – LucasArts (PlayStation 2, GameCube)
With all the demand for a TV series or video game based on the life of the morally ambiguous Boba Fett character, I’m kinda wondering why many people forgot about poor old Jango.
Why did people like Boba Fett so much, anyway? I’m the biggest Star Wars fanboy I know, and I’ve never really understood why he was so popular. Sure, his helmet was cool, but aside from it being green (my favourite colour, by the way), he was just a glorified stormtrooper. He barely had any lines, none of them particularly interesting, and he “dies” in the lamest way possible.
And another thing; were those pyjamas with armor plates on them?
Needless to say, though I didn’t flat out dislike Boba Fett, I didn’t particularly care about him as a character. His story in the Expanded Universe is cool, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read a novel about him, or anything.
Now, Jango… that’s a different story. I know the prequels were generally weaker than the originals, but Jango was badass.
If you can look beyond the fact that there now seem to be New Zealanders in the Star Wars universe, the introduction of Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones is almost the coolest thing about the whole prequel trilogy (everything going to crap at the end of Episode III being the coolest). Much the same as with Boba in Empire, Jango had that air of mystery about him. Unlike Boba, however, dear ol’ dad knew how to bust a move; it took a hell of a lot more to do him in than a clumsy, half-blind guy waving an amphistaff around.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter explores how Jango Fett becomes the template for the clones of the Grand Army of the Republic. Count Dooku (I accidentally typed “Dookie” three times, just now) has put some feelers out there, looking to see who was up to the task of tracking down a rogue apprentice of his. You travel to a bunch of places you’ve probably heard of, following leads, talking to shady characters, and slowly tracking down Jedi Komari Vosa as though on some cross-galaxy scavenger hunt.
It’s a third person shooter that takes full advantage of Jango’s wide array of weapons and gadgets. From his trusty jetpack to the poison darts seen in Episode II, you’ll get to make use of some pretty nifty items along the way. The shooting has been labeled as repetitive by some online reviews I’ve seen, but I see no problem with that. I’d compare it to one of those crazy action shooters like Serious Sam… there aren’t as many enemies as that, but you’ll find yourself hitting the fire button as quickly as you can to get out of sticky situations. I actually find it quite intense, and never dull.
In retrospect, some of the platforming elements remind me a bit of the Uncharted games. There’s quite a bit of dangling from ledges, and you get to scale big buildings and cliffs with the help of your trusty jetpack.
Throw in some collectable bounties, lots of bonuses for those who like to look around, and you’ve got a game tailor-made for the fanboy in you.
Oh, and in terms of memories gathered from this game, there aren’t that many that are interesting or unique. I just recall skipping class at University, waiting for a work shift at my new job to start, talking about the Star Wars Expanded Universe with my friend Phil… that’s it. Yay.
This is Montross, Jango’s rival… I believe Mandalorian translates to “identical armor, different colour”.
Posted on November 8, 2012
My Top 100: #51 – Gran Turismo
1998 – SCEA (PlayStation)
I’ve been reluctant to include racing games on here, mostly because they’re a dime a dozen. If it’s a NASCAR game, there’s been one released every year since ’97, and very little innovation seen from year to year. IndyCar and Formula One games are a little more sparse, but fell into the same funk where minimal additions were made to newer titles.
With Gran Turismo, we were promised that it would revolutionize racing games as we knew them. Though I was really into stock cars at the time, other types of full-bodied auto racing didn’t spark my interest that much. In terms of games, Ridge Racer and Rage Racer were the only ones I had played. Even then, the unrealistic drifting and temperamental controls made the games quite frustrating.
The sheer number of real life cars that were slated to be in Sony’s exclusive racer was mind-boggling, and that alone had me curious. Nevermind that it would have uber realistic physics, fully tunable vehicles and countless race modes. I wanted to race a ’91 Honda Civic Special Edition, a 1990 Nissan Sentra, or a 1994 Honda Accord!
It wasn’t every day that you got to race the cars sitting in your driveway!
During the summer of ’98 on our yearly trip to Connecticut and Pennsylvania, that was the only game purchase I made.
Aside from having my favourite NASCAR driver win pretty much every race during my summer break (not quite, but almost), that summer was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
To begin with, my great aunt was not doing so great health-wise. This is stating the obvious, but cancer sucks. She had gone from a joyful old lady who was always laughing, to weak and barely able to move within a month or two. As with my other great aunt who passed away a year earlier from the same thing, I didn’t want to see her in that state, or even admit that it could be happening. All I could do is stay behind at home, as my mom in Baie-Sainte-Anne would call with periodic updates. She ended up passing away that August, and that was quite a bit easier to deal with than her suffering.
Our house was undergoing renovations as well, and every window in the house was being replaced, along with our front door. There were loud mechanical saws going all the time, carpenters going in and out of the house, and even taking a poop was an ordeal. I enjoy my poops, dammit! I didn’t want some dude hovering around, waiting for me to be done to do his thing.
The one bright spot was the Gran Turismo-ing. I would tune everything out; the noise, the worry for Phine (Josephine, my great aunt), the people walking around the house… everything. I just sat on our living room couch, and played hour after hour of that king of all racing games. I only started with $10,000 in-game credits and a ’93 Honda Del Sol, but so much racing was had. I wanted to buy every car, get them all suped-up and as powerful as possible. I couldn’t wait to see what every car looked like with racing modifications.
Playing it put me into a weird, zen-like state. I’d still be playing this game today, had I not foolishly deleted my save file somewhere down the line… dammit!
The home run history chase was also… in full swing… that summer. That was cool, too.
Posted on November 7, 2012
My Top 100: #52 – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
2004 – Rockstar Games (PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Mac)
It seems a bit cliché to me, including this game on my list. After all, it seemed like it was the “cool thing to do” to like it at the time, and everyone just went crazy over it.
A good game is a good game, though, no matter how you slice it.
The hype surrounding the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was monumental. Rockstar started a trend that continues today, slowly teasing information for upcoming GTA games by releasing nothing but simple character art or nondescript screenshots. They end up releasing footage in due time, but for the most part, people are told so little about it before it’s released that they’re just dying to learn more. I’m no marketing guy, but that seems like an ingenious way to stir the pot without actually doing all that much work.
It was released to critical acclaim in 2004, but as usual, I bided my time. I knew it would eventually make its way to the Xbox, and when it did, I’d be kickin’ ass to whatever custom soundtrack I felt like on that given day. All the screenshots I saw indicated the Xbox version’s graphics would be superior anyway, so why not just wait a year?
I did, and I’m glad. The game was rad, and I was not sad.
My favourite memory of playing this game was actually not that long ago. Four years ago (whoa), my wife’s sister moved in with us after our initial roommate plan fell apart. We were still looking for one six months after moving into our awesome new apartment, which we didn’t want to give up. We thought it would be fun if she moved from the country to the city to live with us! She had graduated from high school earlier that year, and it would be a great way to get her used to (kinda, sorta) living on her own.
There’s seven years between us, so I thought it might be a bit weird to get used to the age gap. It wasn’t, and many great times were had!
One of the first things her and I did was do a thorough playthrough of San Andreas; I printed maps with unique jump locations, we tried finding every tag to spraypaint, every hidden horseshoe and every bonus mission. The sheer amount of content in this game still boggles my mind. Yeah, there may be games released nowadays with more content in general, but this was a pretty big deal way back in 2004…….. almost nine years ago……. gross.
Where do I begin, though? Well, you could swim now, so going over a series of crazy jumps and ending up in the ocean wasn’t fatal. Aside from a bevy of airplanes to highjack (still a touchy subject when it was released), a jetpack was made available in later stages of the game. You could go down every back alley and find something new, be it a shortcut or item of some kind. The missions were very rarely simple as going from point A to point B, and were so varied that one even had you flying a jet to a snowy Liberty City, the setting from Grand Theft Auto III!
Throw a bunch of features on top of that, like getting CJ in shape and awhole bunch of other RPG elements (YEAH!), and you’ve got yourself one helluva game.
“Damn… should’ve packed a jacket.”
Posted on November 6, 2012
My Top 100: #53 – Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse
Capcom was really on it with their Disney games. Aside from TailSpin, I played and greatly enjoyed all of the NES Disney games released under the Capcom banner. From Adventures in the Magic Kingdom to DuckTales (and even The Little Mermaid), they knew exactly how to take a brand name and run with it. You know, like LJN did, just the opposite in terms of quality.
By the time the Super NES came around, I had outgrown some of the cartoons Disney produced. Aladdin was the only animated movie of theirs that I showed interest in, since it had a cool setting, and Robin Williams was awesome as the Genie. There were two great (and very different) Super NES and Genesis games based on the movie, and I enjoyed them both tremendously. Aside from that, though, the house of Mickey had been dead to me for a while at that point.
Regardless of the subject matter, though, Capcom still knew how to crank out a great game. With Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, they did just that.
Although the game was an absolute masterpiece, it actually reminds me more of the 44th issue of Nintendo Power, which was their 1993 New Year’s issue. Aside from having the game on the cover, it was jam-packed with content, including a Mario Paint stamp guide, Star Fox paper plane cutouts, and best of all, a 16-page Mega Man spectacular!
I believe the Angry Video Game Nerd touched on that a bit in his Nintendo Power tribute episode… it was amazing. But, I digress. Back to the game!
Mickey, Goofy and Donald Duck are playing catch in the park one day when Pluto goes to fetch an errant ball. When he doesn’t come back right away, the group of friends find that the faithful companion has gone missing. It’s up to the titular hero to brave the elements, and save his best buddy from the evil Emperor Pete.
I guess Pete was just hanging around in the bushes, just waiting for his moment to pounce on poor Pluto. What a bastard!
Magical Quest plays like a basic platformer for the first little bit. Mickey can pick up items and toss them at foes, or jump and stomp on them for a quick kill. In the levels that follow, Mickey gains a few abilities that really change the way you play the game. A magician’s uniform allows him to charge and shoot magic (a nice little nod to Mega Man 4‘s Mega Buster), a fireman’s outfit gives him a hose to shoot water with, and mountain-climbing gear gives him a grappling hook, à la Bionic Commando.
The levels never get tiresome and offer lots of variety, and the game offers a nice, fun challenge. The graphics look great, and take on a style much more vivid and artistically interesting than Sony Imagesoft’s Mickey Mania, a massively hyped game released a few years later to coincide with Mickey’s anniversary.
I never owned this game, so aside from the magazine, my memories of this one are pretty limited. I’m definitely hoping to find a copy of it soon!
Best. Issue. Ever.
Posted on November 4, 2012
My Top 100: #54 – Berzerk
1980 – Stern Electronics (Arcades, Atari 2600, Atari 2800, GCE Vectrex)
This is guaranteed to be the oldest game on my list, bar none. There’s only one “first”, however, and Berzerk is the first video game I ever played.
Through your years of being, you know, a person who does things and goes places… have you ever gone to people’s houses and thought “This house is laid out all weird. It’s nothing like my house\my grandparent’s house\my friend’s house, and it’s all decorated differently. What’s up with that?”
If you don’t know what I mean, then you’ll just have to humour me.
We had family friends in the Baie that had a bungalow. I guess that’s the kind where everything is on one level… anyway, they lived across the street from a gas station they owned, and the glow from the Petro-Canada sign would always shine red and white into their living room. The kitchen, the TV room, the carpet, and every piece of furniture in the house was either brown or beige. The house had a 70’s vibe to it, which I found kinda weird at the time.
The couple had a son about five years older than I was, and he had some pretty cool toys. He thought it’d be cool if I played his Vectrex, a tiny television with a controller hooked up to it with (what looked like) a coiled-up telephone cord. I had never played a video game before, but it couldn’t be that tough.
I grabbed that brick of a controller, and I’ve been on a path of button-mashing ever since.
*Damn sticky buttons… oh well, at least it works.*
MineStorm is an Asteroids clone that comes loaded onto the Vectrex console, but Eric (the kid indroducing me to the thing) thought it might be a bit tough for a beginner like me. The controls for that game are a little funky, so he was probably right.
Instead, he popped in Berzerk, a game as simple as they come.
You play as a stick fella who shoots lasers out of his stick arms. Little R2-D2’s with stick legs walk around a room with walls, shooting at you whenever you’re in their line of sight. If you stick around one room too long, an invincible Evil Stop Sign of Death comes bouncing along, basically urging you to get the hell out.
The Vectrex controller has an analog stick for movement and four buttons, all of them with the same function – shooting. No wonder Eric thought I’d be alright with Berzerk‘s controls! I *still* don’t know for sure which button does what in MineStorm, aside from the one that shoots, of course.
Not long after I was introduced to it, Eric found a new console to quench his thirst for video games. The Commodore 64 had lots of cool games with colourful graphics, and he had graduated to that. No more black and white vector crap! The Vectrex was passed on to me, and I’ve cherished it as a part of my collection ever since.
Every once in a while, if I get a hankerin’ for an arcade shooter, I pop Berzerk in and shoot some tin cans into oblivion. Classic, simple fun.
Did some reorganizing yesterday, and the Vectrex is still front row centre. Great piece of gaming history!
Posted on November 2, 2012
My Top 100: #55 – Bioshock
2007 – 2K Games (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
I’m sure I might disappoint some (including my wife) that Bioshock is already making its appearance on my countdown, but I have my reasons. Too many great games to consider for my list, perhaps… I dunno.
2007 was an epic year in gaming; Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Valve’s epic compilation The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Assassin’s Creed, Gears of War… the list goes on and on. It was the first full year of the new era in gaming, and it seemed like the inspiration for creating new and exciting things was at its peak.
The big franchises were already established, and these new releases were sure to sell like hotcakes. Old characters and settings we’d come to love, just on a much bigger scale and a fresh coat of paint. It was a really exciting time for gamers!
But what about the new names that entered the fray? Assassin’s Creed and Gears of War had UbiSoft and Microsoft (respectively) behind them, so they got a bunch of hype because of it. This Bioshock game, though, I wasn’t too sure of. I mean, what had 2K Games ever done for us?
A bunch of RPG’s I didn’t much care for, the 2K Sports games (that had a rough time competing with the EA Sports powerhouse), and the Family Guy Video Game!… game. Yay?
Well, if the developer didn’t get our attention with its existing catalogue, the single greatest video game trailer ever made sure did the trick.
I like the sea. It’s cool. The bottom of it is particularly fascinating. I dig the whole art deco thing, and swing tunes from the 50’s. I also like first-person shooters. So, theoretically, Bioshock was right up my alley, and I should have picked it up on release day.
Not quite.
When the game came out in August of ’07, critics and fans alike were sucked into a world unlike anything they had ever seen before. They hitched a ride to this vast utopian city resting at the bottom of the sea, and when they got there, nobody was there to greet them.
Well, except for that crazy hook-wielding, wall-crawling zombie lady who wants to kill you before you even open the bathysphere door.
I didn’t experience it right away. I worked in a warehouse that year, zooming around on pallet jacks and piling stuff onto them. A co-worker played games, and though we didn’t have much time to chat, we’d get a few words in here and there. I was playing through The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess at the time, and let’s just say that that’s not the manliest game name to throw around a warehouse full of men. “Pft,” the guy said. “I’m playing through Bioshock. THAT’S a game you need to play. None of that Zelda poo-poo.”
He might’ve used another word for poo-poo, though.
I was a bit weary about it, because I had heard the term “RPG” thrown around when describing the gameplay. I thought “turn-based RPG like Final Fantasy, or strategic and point-and-clicky like Diablo”, not “RPG like any other game that has levelling up”. I actually rather enjoy the latter.
In any case, RPG is usually a bad word in my gaming vocabulary, so I waited about a year before picking the game up for cheap. I was blown away by the atmosphere, story and sheer intensity of the game. The controls could’ve used some work (it was all rectified in the sequel, anyhow), but like many other games before it…… it had me at “hello”. If a game can grab my attention like Bioshock did in the first few minutes of playing it, then I’m usually hooked, right then and there. My wife Anita has even played through it five times, and she’s not into gaming like I am.
So yeah, it’s pretty great.
Best. Cosplay. Ever.