If you missed #2 clickhere. We're finally here. What is my favourite PS1 game? Before I reveal that, let's have a recap from #50 to #2...
#50 Spiderman ***1/2
#49 Sled Storm ***1/2
#48 Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling 2 ***1/2
#47 Kula World ***1/2
#46 Destruction Derby ***3/4
#45 Hogs of War ***3/4
#44 Tekken ***3/4
#43 Team Buddies ***3/4
#42 Psychic Force 2 ***3/4
#41 Crash Bash ***3/4
#40 Lego Racers ***3/4
#39 Bust a Move 2 ***3/4
#38 MediEvil ***3/4
#37 Tekken 2 ***3/4
#36 Tombi! ****
#35 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ****
#34 WWF War Zone ****
#33 Wu-Tang: Taste the Pain ****
#32 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee ****
#31 Driver ****
#30 Soul Blade ****
#29 Parasite Eve II ****
#28 Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring ****
#27 Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko ****
#26 Rage Racer ****
#25 Street Fighter EX2 Plus ****1/4
#24 Crash Bandicoot ****1/4
#23 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 ****1/4
#22 Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer ****1/4
#21 WWF Smackdown! ****1/4
#20 Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories ****1/4
#19 Jade Cocoon ****1/4
#18 FIFA 2000 ****1/4
#17 Spyro the Dragon ****1/4
#16 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ****1/4
#15 Gran Turismo ****1/4
#14 The Legend of Dragoon ****1/2
#13 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back ****1/2
#12 Silent Hill ****1/2
#11 Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon ****1/2
#10 Final Fantasy VIII ****1/2
#9 Resident Evil ****1/2
#8 Worms Armageddon ****1/2
#7 WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role ****1/2
#6 Crash Team Racing ****1/2
#5 Tekken 3 ****3/4
#4 Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped! ****3/4
#3 Final Fantasy VII ****3/4
#2 Resident Evil 2 ****3/4
So my favourite Playstation 1 game is...
#1 - Final Fantasy IX
Released: 2000 Genre: RPG Rating: ****3/4 stars
Best Moment: The ending. For me, this is possibly my favourite ending in video game history. It gets reduces me to tears. Every. Damn. Time.
Well, if you know me personally, you probably knew more than 50 days ago that my #1 game was going to be Final Fantasy IX. It would possibly top my favourite games of all time list, if I were to ever make one, which I may well do one day. FF9 to me is everything. Sure, I didn't give it a perfect score of 5 stars, but I don't think a game has been released that I'd rate a perfect score. FF9 has some flaws, some frustrating moments even, but it has HEART. It has more heart than any game I've ever played, period. This game makes me emotional in so many different ways. The story is perfect, the characters are just a great bunch, the music is timeless, the graphics are beautiful in their flawed way. I just have so much love for this game it's unreal. I even named my daughter, Vivi, after the black mage in this game. That black mage is, one of the best characters in video game history by the way.
FF9 is not the first Final Fantasy game I played. It's not even the first Final Fantasy I'd suggest people play. It's for a very particular audience. It has an old school, nostalgic, poetic feel to it. It does play like the classic Final Fantasy games but it's also harder than other games, probably intentionally as a nod to the very classic FF games on the NES. But the way the story is told, the twists and turns, the excellent cast of varied characters, and, for me, the most perfect ending, is what makes this game truly special. I do struggle to put into words why I love this game so much, but this has been my best effort. I just love this game with all my heart, and for me, undisputedly, is my Favourite Playstation 1 Game.
So Final Fantasy IX, congratulations, you've earned this prestigious trophy!
Here's some nerdy stats if you're into that thing!
Video Game Series With Multiple Entries
Crash Bandicoot - 5 (Crash Bandicoot #24, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back #13, Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped! # 4, Crash Team Racing #6, Crash Bash #41)
Final Fantasy - 3 (Final Fantasy VII #3, Final Fantasy VIII #10, Final Fantasy IX #1)
Spyro the Dragon - 3 (Spyro the Dragon #17, Spyro 2: Gateaway to Glimmer #22. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon #11)
WWF Smackdown! - 2 (WWF Smackdown! #21, WWF Smackdown 2: Know Your Role #7)
Best PS1 Game Per Year
1995 - Tekken - ***3/4 #44
1996 - Resident Evil - ****1/2 #9
1997 - Final Fantasy VII - ****3/4 #3
1998 - Resident Evil 2 - ****3/4 #2
1999 - Crash Team Racing - ****1/2 #6
2000 - Final Fantasy IX - ****3/4 #1
Total Games Per Year
As you can see, the year 1999 dominated my list. It's one of my all time favourite years in video game history. Crash Team Racing, Worms Armageddon, FF8, Silent Hill, Legend of Dragoon, Resi 3, FIFA 2000 all are in my Top 20!
Best PS1 Game By Genre
Party - Crash Bash - ***3/4 #41
Puzzle - Bust a Move 2 - ***3/4 #39
Action - Driver - **** #31
Strategy - Worms Armageddon - ****1/2 #8
Sports - WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role - ****1/2 #7
So Platformers, Fighting games and Sports games dominate the list. Despite RPGs being my favourite genre, there were only 5 in the list, compared to the 9 Platformers in the list.
So... that's pretty much it from me! Thanks for reading my Top 50 Favourite Playstation 1 Games list. To go back all the way to #50 click here!
For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!
20 down, 30 to go. I hope you’re enjoying the list so far!
#30 – Golden Axe
Released: 1989 (1990 in the UK) Genre: Beat ‘em Up Rating: **** Best Moment: The magic sequences, as I said for the entry for GA3, they’re just so cool, even by today’s standards.
I’m sure a lot of you would rate Golden Axe higher than the 30th best game on the Mega Drive. I suppose in an unbiased list I would put this game higher. I do really like the Golden Axe series, but I prefer other games, that’s all. One thing that’s not for dispute is how legendary this game is; only the Streets of Rage games can compare in the beat ‘em ups on the Mega Drive. And I don’t think they’ve ever beat the original, all three games are good but I think this one is simply the best.
#29 – Mortal Kombat
Released: 1992 Genre: Fighting Rating: **** Best Moment: A bit of an odd one, but just booting the game up! I love the music and intro section, it’s perfectly done and it’s just so cool.
Well, what can I say about Mortal Kombat that hasn’t been said already? It’s just simply one of the best fighting game series of all time. Not bad for a Street Fighter ripoff huh? Mortal Kombat was so influential; it pretty much started horror and gore in video gaming. Not many games really did it, or at least, brought it to commercial gaming until Mortal Kombat did. But even taking the controversy away from the game, it’s still fantastic. The fighting was decent, the music absolutely brilliant, and the fatalities are just well, iconic. Mortal Kombat is a true classic.
#28 – Splatterhouse 3
Released: 1993 (Never released in the UK) Genre: Beat ‘em Up Rating: **** Best Moment: Putting on the Terror Mask and using your
superpowers, it’s just really cool if not a little gruesome, or it by 1993
standards anyway!
Yes... I emulated this. How else could I play it? It was
never released here in the UK. The Splatterhouse series was one I discovered
only a good three years ago I’d say. They’re pretty good; combining horror and
beat ‘em up elements made a great game. I’ve heard the Splatterhouse remake was
pretty poor, but the three Splatterhouse games were all good, and the third was
probably the best. Why? Because of two things; firstly the horror. This is a
really horrific game, especially for back in 1993. Some of the things that can
happen are pretty grim, and some of these things weren’t really done in such
detail back at this time in video game history. And secondly, adding a time
limit to every level anted up the panic levels somewhat. You really wanted to
get to the end of each level in the time limit as you knew there would be
horrible consequences if you failed. Splatterhouse 3 was a really awesome game,
it really should be ported to the UK sometime in the future; I’d love to
download it on Xbox Live Arcade!
#27 – Sonic the Hedgehog
Released: 1991
Genre: Platform
Rating: ****
Best Moment: Believe it or not, getting a Chaos Emerald!
They’re really hard to get in the first game, it’s always an accomplishment to
be honest.
There will be mixed reactions to Sonic being
only at #27. Some of you may not understand, while others will. If you don’t
understand, there’s a very simple reason – Sonic got far better in its sequels.
The original Sonic is a classic and it’s brilliant, don’t get me wrong, but if
you’ve played any of the sequels on the Mega Drive it’s amazing how much better
they are than the original. Sonic 1 is a great game however, hence the 4 star
rating, and it did transform the platformer genre dramatically at the time,
only to trump itself over and over again with its sequels. That’s my take on it
anyway. One thing is for sure, is that Sonic 1 is a game you must play before
you die. It’s still more than playable now, I still play it once in a while and
it just never gets old.
#26 – Theme Park
Released: 1994 Genre: Simulation Rating: **** Best Moment: Building a full park, full of awesome rides and other bits and it being really full of customers... when business is really booming.
Do-do-do, do-do-do do do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do do do-do, do do-do do do... okay it’s not that fun writing that out but that tune really sticks in your head when you play this game... or even think of playing it! If you’ve played this game before I’m willing to bet money that the tune is in your head right now! Theme Park was awesome, it was such a different game at the time being a simulator, and a Theme Park simulator at that! It was just so awesome at the time, building your own Theme Park, and it felt quite realistic and ground breaking for its time. It’s a shame other versions of Theme Park did very little to add to the formula and only really updated the graphics, and the series has been pretty much lost to obscurity since. But it was still a great game, and is still good to put on once in a while!
We’re at the half way point now in the Top 50. Here’s a recap from #50 to #26...
#50 - Columns III – 1993 - ***1/2
#49 - World Cup Italia '90 – 1990 - ***1/2
#48 - Virtua Fighter 2 – 1996 - ***1/2
#47 - Jurassic Park – 1993 - ***3/4
#46 - Road Rash III: Tour de Force – 1995 - ***3/4
#45 - FIFA International Soccer – 1993 - ***3/4
#44 - Mega Bomberman – 1994 - ***3/4
#43 - Golden Axe III – 1993 - ***3/4
#42 - Micro Machines – 1993 - ***3/4
#41 – Columns – 1990 - ***3/4
#40 - Zombies Ate My Neighbours – 1993 - ***3/4
#39 - Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers – 1993 - ***3/4
#38 – Flicky – 1991 - ***3/4
#37 - Taz in Escape From Mars – 1994 - ***3/4
#36 – Aladdin – 1993 - ***3/4
#35 - Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle – 1989 - ***3/4
#34 - Sonic 3D Blast – 1996 - ****
#33 - Streets of Rage 3 – 1994 - ****
#32 - Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II – 1992 - ****
#31 – Lemmings – 1992 - ****
#30 - Golden Axe – 1989 - ****
#29 - Mortal Kombat – 1992 - ****
#28 - Splatterhouse 3 – 1993 - ****
#27 - Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991 - ****
#26 - Theme Park – 1994 - ****
Up to date? Cool. Well let’s start the second half of my countdown of my personal favourite Mega Drive games!
#25 – Ghostbusters
Released: 1990 Genre: Action Rating: **** stars Best Moment: The bosses. They’re a lot of fun and challenging in different ways.
What a game Ghostbusters was. I don’t know anyone else that’s played this personally, the Mega Drive version of Ghostbusters was different to the more popular versions released on the NES and Game Boy, but I really liked this. Really liked it. It was quite a hard game but challenging enough to be more than enjoyable, and the different guns you can buy were a lot of fun. The levels were usually harder than the bosses, which were really entertaining to go against and were animated incredibly well. I’d highly recommend you play this.
#24 – Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96
Released: 1995 Genre: Racing Rating: ****1/4 stars Best Moment: Constructing a really well designed track. I remember making a really awesome slippy slidey track that was tough as nails but was a lot of fun to race on.
Calling this game an update on Micro Machines 2 is a little unfair. The tracks are different and the custom track builder makes this a separate game on its own in my eyes. They really did pull all the stops to make this the most complete Micro Machines game ever back in 1995, and boy it was fantastic. Making your own tracks was just such an awesome tool, I loved trying to make tracks on this game. And the character roster was pretty big too. Micro Machines 96 packs a mean punch, and is probably the most complete Micro Machines title ever released... just not the best.
#23 – Blood Shot
Released: 1994 Genre: FPS Rating: ****1/4 stars Best Moment: Destroying an armed plasma node at the end of a
level, and getting back to the start of the level in the time limit given.It gets harder and harder as the levels go
on.
I don’t know how many of you have played Blood Shot, which
was also known as Battle Frenzy. It’s a British FPS game. I don’t think you
realise how rare that is. Not only is this a Mega Drive game that’s a first
person shooter, but it was made in Britain. Not many FPS games existed at the time, and as Blood Shot goes, it’s a pretty damn good FPS. Some say that Doom
was THE first person shooter for the early nineties, and I don’t dispute that.
But Doom wasn’t a Mega Drive game. What was the best FPS for the Mega Drive? We
got Blood Shot. Not as good, but it’s pretty solid, and well worth a play if
you haven’t played it before.
#22 – Super Hang-On
Released: 1988 (1991 in the UK)
Genre: Racing
Rating: ****1/4 stars
Best Moment: When you approach a tough turning with three
other motorbikes in front of you, and you take them all on in one go. It’s a
difficult and risky manoeuvre.
I never knew Super Hang-On was released in 1988,
well even earlier, in 1987 if you include the Arcades. It’s a lot older than I
realised, and it makes me respect the game that much more. Sure, there might be
far more technical motorbike games out there. Road Rash for instance, combines
the blueprint Super Hang-On brought forward, and added violence to the mayhem.
But... I don’t think there was a motorbike game in the 16-bit era that replaced
Super Hang-On. And this game came out in 1988, three years before the Mega
Drive truly boomed as a force to be reckoned with, after Sonic made the console
so attractive to video game makers. Even by 1996, when the console pretty much
died, no motorbike game that was released since on the console replaced it.
That’s eight glorious years of gaming. That’s impressive, and it shows you how
good this game was. And is. I still play it once in a while, it’s still
playable now. It’s just a great game; it just has to go down as one of the most
important and best motorbike games ever made.
#21 – Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Released: 1994
Genre: Platform
Rating: ****1/4 stars
Best Moment: Hydrocity Zone Act 2. I named my Top 10
Platformer Levels of all time on this site (go here to read it) and that was
rated at #1. It’s truly the best platformer level of all time; an absolute
blitz of pace, beautiful scenery, awesome music and it epitomises what’s so
amazing about the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
You may be equally as surprised to see Sonic 3
as low as it is as you may have been of how low Sonic 1 was. Why is Sonic 3
rated out of the Top 20? Well, as much as I love Sonic 3 (and trust me, I love
Sonic 3) I prefer other Sonic games on the Mega Drive. Do you know what the
main problem with Sonic 3 is? It’s too short. It’s the shortest Sonic game on
the Mega Drive; it only has 12 levels. That’s just ridiculous really. And there
are some awesome levels on here (Hydrocity as mentioned above being absolutely
amazing) but is it really that good a game, when Sonic 2 and Sonic and Knuckles
gave you far more bang for your buck? Sonic 3 as a game is truly incredible;
it’s one of the best Mega Drive games ever. But it is just too damn short.
Sorry.
Welcome to the second edition of the “Old School Game
Review”. Last time I covered the classic Sega Mega Drive title, “Streets of
Rage”, and you can read that review here. But while I’m sticking with the Sega
Mega Drive, I’m taking a different route this time. I’m going to review a game
you might not have heard of. This is a game called Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe.
Not familiar with the “Old School Game Review”? It’s
basically a gift wrapped game review so in theory it’s nothing new. But what is
different is that before I divulge into the review I talk about what makes this
game so good, and some facts and memories the game gave me. Oh and what counts
as an old school game? My ruling is the game has to be at least ten years old.
When did this game come out? 1990
What console was it released on? Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
What else was it released on? Atari ST, Amiga, Amiga CD32,
PC, Commodore 64, NES, Sega Master System, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance.
Compilations? None really.
Other interesting facts? Quite a lot of people who have
played this way weren’t actually sure if there was an original Speedball game.
The original didn’t sell well outside the UK at all despite being well
received. There in fact is a Speedball one although the game was not quite as
good as this sequel. Speedball came out on the Amiga but was also ported to the
NES, the Master System and the PC.
Best memories? I love the fact that I borrowed this game
from a friend, and that friend aside (who I haven’t spoken to for years), I
have yet to hear one person hear of this game personally. I loved taking my
team which was slowly built up through the season, kick some ass and struggle
to win the league with a patched up side. Then if you won the league or won the
playoff, you’d do it all over again but it was even more difficult in the first
division!
Now onto the review!
Speedball 2 is a forgotten relic; a fictional sports game
that’s solid and has more depth to it than most genuine sports games can
capacitate.
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe was released in 1990 on the Sega
Mega Drive (or Genesis for you Americans). It’s the official sequel to the
sparsely heard of “Speedball”, which was released a year earlier on the Amiga,
that was well received in the United Kingdom but barely received attention off these
British Isles. Speedball 2 was released on the next generation Mega Drive,
which naturally had improved graphics and the game took advantage of this and
the other components that made it a much more powerful game console.
Speedball 2 is a fictional sports game set in 2105, and
takes place ten years after the beginning of Speedball as a ‘sport’ where there
is violence and chaos everywhere, the game is abandoned to the underground. In
2105, they try to revive the sport and all its vicious and bloody glory. The
game has two divisions of eight teams and you take control of Brutal Deluxe, a
new team on the scene just starting out. Your team is the weakest of the bottom
division and it’s your job to either boost your current squad’s abilities to
compete with the rest of the division, or to replace them with already
established players that are available randomly on transfer.
So what type of sports game is Speedball? Well, in a
nutshell, it’s a mixture of handball, hockey, rugby and football. It’s 9
players against 9, which consist of a goalie, two defenders, three midfielders,
two wingers and a forward. The idea is to throw the ball in the other team’s
goal. Sounds easy, but this is a game where violence is at the essence and is
also rewarded. You can violently tackle other players and punch them, and if a
player gets injured you get the points equivalent of a goal. The best way to
pass the ball around is by throwing it from one player to another, although the
opposition can easily intercept. You can run past players if you’re fast enough
but they can tackle you. It’s a tough game.
You get points for injuring the opposition. He's bleeding by the way. Brutal.
Scoring starts at 10 points per goal but there are perks
across the field that affect your scoring. On the two sides of the middle of
the arena are multipliers, putting the ball through it once multiplies scoring
by 150%, a second time will boost it to 200%, totalling at 15 and 20 points per
goal respectively. On the sides of the arena are five stars, one side belongs
to one team and one to the other. If you throw the ball at a star, you get one
fifth of a goal (2 points, boosted to 3 or 4 with multipliers. Getting all five
starts gives you the full equivalent of a goal, and the stars reset. Also note
that if your opposite player throws the ball at your stars, or in the
multipliers, it retracts the last bonus. Near both goals is a green circular
object that each time you hit, gives you one fifth of a goal (once again 2, 3
or 4 points depending on the multiplier) but these points cannot be retracted
unlike the stars and the multipliers. To emphasise the violence of the game,
towards the end walls of the goal are buttons that heat the ball up intensely
and you can throw it at your opposition, scorching them (for some reason it
doesn’t scorch your players, but that logic can be overlooked). Also to
reiterate, you get a goal equivalent of points if you injure an opposition
member, so that can be a tactic if your team is strong enough to break the
opposition down.
So with all these methods and perks to attempt to increase
your score, you simply, have to score more than your opposition to win. But
Speedball is hard. It’s a very hard game, especially as you start as the
weakest team in your division. To make matters worse, you have to score
quickly; the game is two halves of 90 seconds. While Speedball is a hard game
it’s thoroughly enjoyable. I find it a lot more fun to play this game than most
real life sports games. And while it’s violent, it doesn’t do it in a way that
is tasteless, because the game is 2D and is viewed from above the arena; you
see very little of what happens on the field that way.
There are other perks to. Randomly, items will be placed on
the field that can temporarily boost speed or power, give the ball to your
forward instantly, give the ball who got the item instantly, freeze all players
on the spot temporarily, or instantly make all players fall over on the spot.
Lastly, you can find coins that is used to purchase players in the League or
boost your current squad’s abilities.
The main game mode is the league, as explained above. You
start off as the weakest team and can build your players up to be competent,
or, as a quick fix, purchase players on transfer. Either way you have to build
your team to be competent and quickly – if you don’t place in the top two at
the end of the season it’s game over. It’s hard but it’s a great challenge if
you’re willing to take it. To get coin, you have to collect coins that are
randomly placed on the arena floor in the match. I believe there’s a coins
boost for winning matches too, although I’m not too sure about the
technicalities of that. Either way, you find coin on the arena, collect it.
You’ll need it to boost your team. Trust me, you don’t want to try and take on
the league with your team the way it starts. If you get to second place at the
end of the season, which is 14 games (you play all the teams twice, like in
football), you’ll have a playoff match with the team that finished seventh in
the top league. The team placed seventh in the top league is usually a tougher
team that won the league, so it’s a tough match to go through. Winning the
league is the easier route, as you then automatically gain promotion to the top
league. The top league is much harder than the second league, all the teams
play at a high tempo and hit you hard. You’ll once again be the weakest team in
the division, but you’ll have the chance to further boost your squad again and
have access to even better players than you did in the bottom league. You’ll
have to win this league or its game over. Either way, the game ends at the end
of the second season. You can also play the League mode like a manager; watch the games unfold and purchase or build your team up yourself, although this is no where near as fun (and it's much more difficult) as playing the game itself.
Playing League mode is a lot of fun, this is your starting line up, but you can buy better (and cooler looking) players later on.
The points structure in the league is quite simple. If you
win a game you get ten points in the league. But you also get bonus points
based on your tally for each match, you get one point for every 10 points scored
in the match. For instance, if you win a match 52-16, you get 10 points for
winning that match, and 5 more points for scoring more than 50 points. The
opposition would get 1 point for scoring more than 10 points in that match. So
basically it’s okay to lose matches, providing that you score a lot of goals.
The top sides in both divisions score loads against the weaker sides, so you
need to be capable of scoring high against these sides to compete as well.
Winning 14 games out of 14 games doesn’t mean you win the league, because that
will give you 140 points, but if you win each game 8-0 rather than 80-0, that’s
a large difference (140 points, where as 14 x 8 is 112, giving you a tally of
252 points, a lot more). So win games and score lots, and you’ll be fine.
Scoring lots and not always winning is also fine, but don’t depend on just
winning.
There are other modes as well. There’s the Cup, which puts
you in two legged matches against random teams from the second division. Other
the course of these two matches you need a better total tally than your
opponent and then you’re through to the next round. You take on three second
division teams and then a team from the top division, usually one of the elite
sides of that division. In these matches you also have to collect coin,
although you can’t purchase players in this competition, meaning you have to
boost your players with the coin you collect on the field. The Cup mode is
okay, but it’s not a very balanced competition; you have three relatively
decent sides and then put against one of the best sides in the game for the
final. You’ll find more balance however, in the Knockout mode. In this mode you
basically take on each side individually in order of difficulty, and if you
lose once you’re out. Once again you cannot purchase players in this game, but
have to boost your original squad with the coin you find. This game is arguably
harder than the cup because of the fact that you’re depending much more on the
coin you find than in the league. But it’s a thoroughly rewarding game mode as
well. Lastly there’s a practise mode, which is not very good, as there’s no
opposition. You take to the field on your own and can pass the ball around and
score in an empty net.
The controls of Speedball are very simple. You only control
one player at a time. All the other players are controlled by AI. If your
player is off screen, you’re in control of another player afterwards. So if
you’re in midfield and the opposition have the ball and start to attack your
defence, you’ll probably start controlling a defender or a goalie. You can
press any of the action buttons (A, B or C) to tackle if you haven’t got the
ball. Once you have the ball, you use the D-pad to move and pressing any of the
actions will throw the ball. You can throw it low or high, a low throw is quick
but easy for an opponent to intercept. A high throw can take out an entire line
of formation if thrown forwards, and your player (or an opposition player) can
catch it on its way down to the ground. So you simply throw the ball to
players, to arena perks or to the goal. If you haven’t got the ball you tackle
the opposition, or if the ball is thrown into the air, try to catch it. As I
said, the controls are very simple and easy to learn, but the game itself is
difficult to master. Also be aware that the arena is closed off, there’s no out
of bounds area and throwing the ball at the wall bounces it back into play and
can be used to your advantage.
For its time, the music, while not having many songs, is
quite good. The songs are basically some techno beats, to emphasise the
futuristic setting of the game. The sounds are also fine, the tacking songs
sound harsh, the throwing of the ball sounds reasonably realistic and because
the players are all wearing metal protection and the walls and floor are metal,
there are a lot of metallic sound effects which all add to the atmosphere
nicely. Also you have an announcer saying “Get ready” after a goal has been
scored, or the start of a new half, which is nice, and when you score you get a
buzzer noise, followed by the same guy saying “Replay!”, and the build up and
goal done in slow motion, which all add to the game. There is a multiplayer
option available on the game, but it’s just a simple match between you and a
friend. You have a certain budget of coin to spend to boost your players’
skills to, and you and your friend can do this in your own ways. Otherwise it’s
just a plain one on one match between you and your friend; there are no league
or cup options or anything like that, which is a shame.
I love the celebration guy. It's the same guy. With the same palette colour. Every time.
Overall Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is an often overlooked
game that deserves more merit than it has. I’m not saying it’s the best sports
game of all time, but I will however say that it’s possibly the best fictional
sport game ever made – there aren’t many of them around and this game does a
solid job of making a fake sport interesting. I always thought that the
premises for Speedball 2 would make a very good film; it has the violence, the
passion, the energy and believability of a real life sport and would make a
fine story to be told on a cinema screen. The game being done in the
underground would also add to the dirty, filthy almost coliseum-like element
the game has.
This is true praise of the game. For a game that came out
over 20 years ago on a console limited in comparison to today’s standards,
Speedball 2 does a lot. It’s frenetic, it’s difficult, it’s a tough game but
it’s more than playable. It’s a great game. It’s such a shame that reboots of
this game have been unsuccessful, it’s not because it’s a bad game (although
the reboots have never touched the quality this game had), it’s because, well,
how do you market a fictional sport? People aren’t interested in these type of
games, not anymore. In the Mega Drive/Genesis era people were interested in
innovation and ‘different’ games, nowadays all people want to do is shoot
stuff. If they like sports games they’ll pick a replica of a real life sport
done on video game. Speedball 2 is lost as a forgotten relic and it’s a damn
shame.
If you have your old Mega Drive/Genesis and have never
played this game and enjoy the sound of it based on this review, seriously, get
it. In the UK at least you can find copies very cheap on Amazon, and I doubt
it’s much different in other countries. The game sold relatively well back 21
years ago, so that’s not an issue. Sustainability is. But if you’re bored, want
to play a retro game that you’ve never played before, give it a go. I implore
you. Because to me, Speedball 2 is a forgotten relic; a fictional sports game
that’s solid and has more depth to it than most genuine sports games can
capacitate, and it simply doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
Rating: ****1/4 stars
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Hey there, I found two game reviews on my GameSpot account, horribly named "TheManThatYouFe", I didn't even post these on GameFAQs which is bizarre. I'm not going to post it there now either, I'm not satisfied with my older work, I'd rather re-review it. Anyhoo, this is the first one, my review on Final Fantasy 8, an interesting read nevertheless. I did this review in February 2006, that would have made me 16. Enjoy.
"It's one of the best games out there, and some might say better than VII."
Introduction Final Fantasy games have been going since 1987. They have been very successful every since its first release. However its major breakthrough was in 1997, when Final Fantasy VII was released. This game, Final Fantasy VIII followed. After a dramatic change of style, graphics and sound from VII, which was the first Sony Playstation release of the series, people wondered what Final Fantasy VIII was going to be like. Was it going to be like the old games? Or like Final Fantasy VII? The answer was, neither.
Gameplay First of all, unlike the previous Final Fantasy games, there is a minimum of characters available to play. Final Fantasy VII had nine characters, where VI had too many to count. Final Fantasy VIII has only six characters. However, the six characters have all got a strong personality and presence throughout the game. Maybe having only six main characters in a game, could be in a negative view a little tedious and not as in depth as other games. However, having a minimum of characters concentrates on these characters individually, and lets you get to know them a lot more than twenty. Every other Final Fantasy before VIII had many shops, selling weapons, armour and even magic. This is completely different in VIII. Yes, there are still item shops in the game. However there are no magic shops, or armour shops. There isn’t even any armour in the game at all. As for weapons, there is a junk shop, where you can remodel your current weapon, to a stronger one by getting items. Some of these items are hard to get, so it adds complex searching in the game. As for magic, another new addition to the series is the ‘Drawing’ system. This new command allows you to extract different magic from enemies. Also draw points are scattered around the world. The magic you receive can be cast on the enemy, however more importantly you can ‘Junction’ your magic. The new Junction system is essential to Final Fantasy VIII. The stocked magic can be stored on a characters stat. An example would be your ‘Strength’ stat. You can put a magic (example, Bio) to your strength stat and your strength will increase, depending on how much of that certain magic you have stored. Another change in the game is the monsters. As you level up throughout the game, so do the monsters, so the fights will become more difficult and more in depth. In Final Fantasy VII, there was a limit break bar, which increased as you got attacked. This has also changed in VIII. The lower your HP (hit points), the higher the chance you can use your limit breaks. Limit breaks are special moves that can be used only at rare times. Each character has their unique limit break, like the other Final Fantasies. In general, the gameplay is magnificent in Final Fantasy VIII. Final Fantasy VII is a very different look at basic FF gameplay, which is very effective from start to finish.
Gameplay: 24/25
Story This is another epic storyline from another Final Fantasy game. Many twists and turns during the whole game. Square Enix developed the characters perfectly. The main character is Squall, a student in Balamb Garden (kind of like a fighting school), who is completely isolated from everyone else around him. He meets Rinoa, and falls for her, with her free attitude and social life sharing her emotions. These two are the main characters throughout the game, along with four others. The love story, like in every Final Fantasy is very emotional with a twist around each corner. In the start of the game, not much depth is in the characters. However you get to know them more and the story gets bigger and more complex the more you play it. I can’t really explain the story too well, as the first disk isn’t very deep. Disk two is when the game starts to blend in. In the end you have an amazing story, full of realistic characters, interesting events and it will make you feel emotional throughout. A masterpiece.
Story: 20/20
Graphics The Playstation at the time had the best graphics a console could get. Before Final Fantasy VII, the Nintendo Company had the Final Fantasy games, on the NES and SNES in particular. The graphics on these consoles weren’t as strong, as it wasn’t as developed. Then, the Playstation came out. The graphics improved immensely, and Final Fantasy VII was one of these games that had an amazing improvement. However, even Final Fantasy VII can’t compare to the graphics Final Fantasy VIII has. Final Fantasy VIII has quite possibly the best graphics on any game on the Playstation console. The characters look very realistic, and the FMV’s are totally mind blowing.
Graphics: 15/15
Sound The music blends in perfectly with each location, and event. As soon as you press the ‘New Game’ button in the start, the music draws attention. The fight between Squall and Seifer, who is Squall’s rival in the game, fits in perfect with the classical music in the background. The whole musical score is an instant classic. The music is another brilliant aspect of Final Fantasy VIII. 'Liberi Fatali' is the name of the song played in the start of the game. As for other small things, while fighting the weapons clashing against the enemies fit in perfectly. Unlike Final Fantasy VII, the sounds of footsteps are heard as you walk and run. The audio and sound in the whole game is completely perfect.
Sound: 10/10
Controls The controls aren’t that much different from Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII had very unique controls, as the circle button on the Playstation control pad was the main action button, and the cross was the cancel button. Most games on the Playstation use the cross as the action button. This is what Final Fantasy VIII uses. The flow of the buttons is quite impressive, and every button on the whole control pad is used throughout the game. Zell’s limit break ‘Duel’ makes you press certain buttons in an order, before the time runs out. The more advanced you are with the control pad, the more moves you can fit in the timer. If you don’t like the controls you can always change them around in the ‘Config’ menu anyway. Overall the controlling system is very good, not many negative aspects in the game.
Controls: 4/5
Extras The side quests in Final Fantasy VIII are immense, like every other Final Fantasy. The series have always let you access the world map, and navigate and search around it for side quests. There are both obvious side quests, and rare ones that are very hard to find. The most fun side quest would be ‘Triple Triad’, a card game. You can collect cards in the game by beating certain enemies or winning games against other people in the game. ‘Triple Triad’ is addictive, fun and complex all in one. There are other side quests in the game, but I’ll let you find them out for yourself. The extras in the game are ranged, and there is almost always something to do.
Extras: 10/10
Challenge I don’t really consider Final Fantasy VIII a difficult game. Once you have found out the easiest way of playing, you can develop your characters very easily. The side quests can be difficult, however the main plot of the game is very easy, if you collect the correct magic and Junction them to the right stats. The challenge in the game is probably the downfall, as it should have been a lot harder. Final Fantasy VII and VI have a stronger difficulty level, and probably more ranged.
Challenge: 3/5
Replay Once you have completed this game, I’m almost certain you will want to play it again. Unlike other genres, RPG’s are very long and enduring. Once completed, you will probably not play that certain game for a few months or years. When you feel like playing the game again, you would have missed the game and want to play it all again. This game will stick with you for years, as one of the best classic Playstation games of all time. You might have mastered the game by then, but even so, you would want to do it all again.
Replay: 10/10
Overall In the end, it’s all the matter of opinion. The Final Fantasy series is one of the most popular RPG series’ out there, and probably the best. Final Fantasy is like no other. The gameplay is completely different, the sound is perfectly matched, the graphics are beautiful and there is always something to do. The story is worth following, as it twists a lot during the game. Getting everything in the game will take along time, as it took me nearly 80 hours to do so! The card game is one of the best side quests in a game, and there was nothing like one at the time. This game is definitely worth the money, and if you have played Final Fantasy VII and thought about getting VIII, then do so! It’s one of the best games out there, and some might say better than VII. As the game has been out for a few years now, the prices are very cheap, and its definitely worth getting to add to your vintage collection. A Final Fantasy in perfection.
Overall: 96%
Posted: 4/2/06
I was very particular about how I reviewed games back in the day. I like the star system much more, I don't want to get too technical when reviewing now. I just want to think of the pros and cons of a game, and think also outside the box, about how other people would view the game. FF8 was a very good game, but I prefer other FF games to it, those being 6, 7, 9 and possibly 13. I think I was too nice in this review, if I re-reviewed it now I'd rate FF8 as ****1/4 or ****1/2, but I don't see me re-reviewing it for a while. I'll post the other retro review tomorrow.
Well, if you know me personally, you probably knew more than 50 days ago that my #1 game was going to be Final Fantasy IX. It would possibly top my favourite games of all time list, if I were to ever make one, which I may well do one day.
