Talking About My Generation Games

Since it's NBA Draft Night and I'm in the mood of compiling my own selection of picks, I thought I shared my choices for IGN Game of the Generation Poll. I loved taking part in these polls and finding out the results even though IGN tend to be doing these Best of list almost every other month.

Now I gave quite a bit of thought as to which three games should make up the top 3 but not nearly as long for the rest on the list. Mostly I just knew the other games had to be there no matter what the order were, most were really early in the generation so no game had the benefit of making the list just because I recently played it. Well, except The Last of Us but I don't think anyone would argue it isn't a game for the generation.

1. Red Dead Redemption - Playstation 3

I wasn't as hyped up for this game when it came out, in fact I patiently waited for the GOTY edition before picking it up and really took my time to play and finish this. But it's pretty apparent this game did everything right even down to the DLC and multi-player mode. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the writing was, now I'm used to playing Japanese games so most of the time the story is just serviceable or sometimes things get lost in translation. Red Dead may be about outlaws and lowlifes but the conversations are never random babbling or meaningless chatters, and you don't have sit through a long cutscene most of the time too.

2. Super Mario Galaxy - Nintendo Wii

Mario 64 was my first 3D Mario game but it was years after release when I finally played it on the Nintendo DS. Let's just say the controls on the DS remake are not nearly as accurate as the original without an analog pad on the handheld. So Super Mario Galaxy was more like my first real taste of 3D Mario platform and the game works so well because Nintendo didn't just do a 3D version of conventional Mario platform levels like how the early 3D Castlevania games were.

3. Catherine - Playstation 3

This was a first day buy for me despite not having played much of Atlus' previous games. I bought this game after being intrigued by  the premise and characters but the only reason I replay this game is solely because of the addictive puzzle/block-climbing. In fact, I wish you could just skip all the evening drinking session because once you played through it once, those nightly sessions can be a chore.

If you look at the rest of my picks, you may think I deliberately left out any Capcom's games but the truth is, most of their game released this generation just weren't very good though Dead Rising is noteworthy exception.

Blink Blink it's Foxdie

Here's the photograph of my playstation 3 system when I first brought it home from the dealer's shop. It was a great day, sometime four years+ ago despite paying a bit more for the Metal Gear 4 bundle but you do get your money's worth with the game and dualshock3 thrown in the package. Not to mention a coupon for free download of the PSN game PAIN which I never bother to claim.

Recently it just wouldn't start up anymore without any warning signs, it stop responding in the middle of my yakuza 4 grinding session. It's the sort of things you often hear about but never expect it to happen to you. Now the game disc is still stuck inside along with all of my precious save files which I forgot to transfer to thumbdrive.

I have since move on and got myself a Playstation 3 slim but there's this nagging feeling that I might jump into things a little too soon. Should I have gotten a Wii U instead?

Will the Playstation 4 announcement later this month cause the PS3 current price to drop?

Over the Hills for Trophies

Finishing Silent Hill Homecoming today seems a little less significant considering the game doesn't offer any trophy incentives. While trophy-less games like MGS4 and DMC4 compensate by recognising your in-game achievements with their own in-game ranking system Homecoming doesn't even track your gameplay statistics at the end of the game. A major blunder on Double Helix part considering every past game in the series had their feature even the Climax-developed installments.

Right now I only have four games on my trophy list but I intend to achieve Platinum on everyone of those games. The catch is not to over-do it and make trophy-hunting the primary aim of re-playing those game, I have a friend who grind many hours through Infamous on his way to his first Platinum trophy only to sell the game immediately afterwards because he was so sick of hunting for the final trophy. I certainly do not wish for the same to happen to me with my games but tendency to go all out on a trophy hunt is always there.

Integral Podcast

The last time I finished MGS4 at the beginning of 2009, Kojima Productions was just beginning with their integral podcast for the game. By then the game is already one and a half year old with myself finishing it twice, there was little desire to go back and play it again - podcast or not. Now that I'm playing Peace Walker, it seems like the perfect time to play MGS4 again. I'm sure that would raise more than a few eyebrows when my friends log into PSN then again I was never really the most up to date gamer anyway. When accessing the online portion of MGS4 I was overwhelmed with the sheer amount of content Konami added to the game since I last checked in 2009. Aside from the podcast, there are also remixes of classic Metal Gear tunes and new camouflage to enhance your Metal Gear experience.

The integral podcast is a lot of fun, it's like having a live walkthrough guiding you through the course of the game. Of course that's not the real purpose of the podcast but having to pay attention to the guys talking, it's nice that you don't have concentrate on slipping by the guards too much. I'm about two acts into the game and intend to keep my kills and alert record clean while at the same time, listening to these guys reflect on the making of the game via the podcast.

Evil Helping

Before my Resident Evil 5 Collector Edition shipped, i made a rather impulse purchase by pre-ordering the limited edition strategy guide for the game. If you haven't been keeping up to date with strategy guides like me, yes they come in limited edition version too now. I don't really know what possessed me to get the guide as well seeing that i don't normally use them, i guess i felt the Collector's Edition was lacking an art book and i have read that the Limited Edition Guide will include some behind-the-scene content. Well if it turns out to be anything like the one Prima did for Metal Gear Solid 4 then i should be pretty please with it.

I remember my first ever strategy guide being a gift from my sister, Tomb Raider 2 not the proudest entry into my collection but it was probably the only guide which i actually made any use of it as i used it quite a lot to collect all the dragon stones that i missed. My subsequent strategy guide to some of my favourite games had been pretty lacklustre, like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 2. Games have gotten much more complicated since then so i supposed game guide has also evolve with the time so it would be interesting to see if i'll make any use of it apart from the bonus content included inside the limited edition.

Are you Blu or Are you Blind?

Here's a good example why i loathe region 3 product, this is the back cover of MGS4 special edition cardboard case. Official konami product mind you, if you are a Sony enthusiast you will easily notice something is amiss. If you can't well there is nothing to worry about after all, ignorance is bliss right? But seriously once you do take notice of it, it does sticks out like a sore thumb doesn't it? Oh how i wish i had the US special edition with the yoji shinkawa boxart instead, sigh...

Into the Blu

Apart from the bonus blu-ray i received from the bundle and the MGS4 bonus disc, i don't actually have any blu-ray movies. This Stranglehold Collector's Edition which contain the full-length feature film of Hard Boiled will be my first though essentially it's not exactly a blu-ray movie disc.

I always made the excuse that i can barely keep up collecting games so that's why i don't collect blu-ray movies. Judging from my pattern of owning multiple copies of the same game, it's a probably good idea to keep away from the temptation of blu-rays. The truth is i used to be an avid collector of DVD during the DVD boom and it pains me to have to start all over again. Sure i'm sure many faced the same dilemma and i have seen some new blu-ray collector letting go of their old DVD collection to fund their new interest. I for one do not intend to do the same though it's not to say that i would completely ignore the format, the blu-ray version of newer films are still the most viable way to go. As for older movies, those that i already owned i intend to keep and won't necessarily upgrade to blu-ray unless the new version happens to have some new features.

High for Five

Good news, Play-asia has already started taking pre-orders for the upcoming Resident Evil 5 due for release on 13th March 2009 and it looks like they are bringing in the collector's edition too.

Now the past few collector edition has mostly been Gamestop/EBgames exclusive so naturally were very difficult to obtain especially if you don't live in the states. Metal Gear Solid 4 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma were the most notable examples though some were still able to buy it off eBay but not without paying an arm and leg for it. Since i already missed the Collector Edition for MGS4 and DMC4 (and Sigma while we are at it), there is no way i'm not getting this one ! As you know i'm an absolute RE nut and so that's why i think i'll pass on the upcoming konamistyle edition of Castlevania: Order of Eccelsia in order to save for this one.

Voice of Thunder

Looks like Metal Gear 4 is not the end of the Metal Gear Solid series on the Playstation afterall, there are more Metal Gears on the way.

In a recent post-MGS4 interview with voice talent Quinton Flynn who happens to voice Raiden, he discusses his experience with the series and portraying Raiden. He also goes on to reveal that he recorded some voice work for the Metal Gear Solid Digital Novel indicating that the fully-voiced iteration of the game is coming to Western shores afterall.Great news indeed, i could do with some more Metal Gear after finishing MGS4 and though it hasn't been announced yet I hope it's coming to the PSP instead of being a DVD release like in Japan.

That way i will be more inclined to pick it up again though i'm not sure if it will all fit onto one UMD with the inclusion of the voice overs.

MGS4 First Run Through

Looking back at my blog entries for the past month, June certainly belongs to Old Snake and MGS4, with more than half my entries dedicated to the game and record-keeping of my scores.
While i didn't exactly rush through the entire game i felt that the last two chapter didn't as long as i expected. Act 5 was a prime example, boarding the GW offers a lot of opportunity for stealth action in confined space but sadly, after the opening area on the deck the game quickly jump from one epic boss battle to another before arriving at the big ending which lasted for over an hour long of cutscene. Yes an hour worth of cutscene, sure nothing surprising seeing it's a Metal Gear game but a couple of old geezers bonding over at a cemetery sure isn't what i had in mind.

MODE : SOLID NORMAL
Total play time : 26'53"56
Continues : 17
Alert phase : 97
Kills : 306
Recovery items used : 79
Weapon types procured: 42
Flashback watched : 196
Special item used: Not used

Lost in Time

Ever had a moment in time when you see an old movie or song and realised how long has past since you first saw it that everyone has already moved on apart from you? I absolutely hate it and that's why i didn't really like Act 4 in MGS4 where Old Snake finds himself threading familiar grounds as he returns to Shadow Moses island for one final mission calling.

Shadow Moses island looks ancient in Act 4 perhaps due to the fact it's now an abandoned base but it felt like only a while back when i last visited it. Actually it was actually a couple of months ago when i last re-visited shadow moses island in Twin Snakes but it has certainly been years since i first step foot onto the base on the original PSOne version. I still plan on playing both the remake and PSOne original but i don't think i can go back to playing them without the heavy feeling of knowing how cold and empty the place will be in a couple of years.

Damn it, kojima quit messing with my mind....

MGS4 Act 4

MODE : SOLID NORMAL
Total play time : 22'41"15
Continues : 8
Alert phase : 93
Kills : 290
Recovery items used : 77
Weapon types procured: 41
Flashback watched : 143
Special item used: Not used

MGS4 Act 3

You don't need to read the interviews to know that Hideo Kojima likes the recent Jason Bourne series, Act 3 alone is a good enough indication. Act 3 comprises of pure stealth action and it's really a remake of the scene in Metal Gear 2 : Solid Snake where you have to tail the soldier to lead you to the hideout, albeit blown to epic proportions. Thankfully it's broken up into digestible chunks where you are able to save your progress throughout the chase, shame the motorbike chase that follows isn't as memorable as the one in Snake Eater.

MODE : SOLID NORMAL
Total play time : 17'14"54
Continues : 1
Alert phase : 59
Kills : 233
Recovery items used : 42
Weapon types procured: 37
Flashback watched : 112
Special item used: Not used

MGS4 Act 2

Looks like i was wrong, act 2 turned out to be better than i expected and in some ways better than act 1. The highlight of act 2 was the co-operative play between snake and the local militia, allowing the players to have the feel of actual combat in the battlefield as you work alongside with the local rebels to capture certain base in the area. Sure like most Metal Gear, it's not entirely essential to the core game or storyline but it makes a fun diversion from the usual sneaking mission.
The change of scenery between each act must have surey kept kojima productions busy and it certainly keeps the player busy as well because you constantly have to change your style of gameplay with the change of environment.

MODE : SOLID NORMAL
Total play time : 13'57"05
Continues : 1
Alert phase : 59
Kills : 200
Recovery items used : 36
Weapon types procured: 35
Flashback watched : 77
Special item used: Not used

MGS4 Act 1

The first act of Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the most thoroughly satisfying chapter of the Metal Gear series, in fact the first 10 minutes before the title screen rolls kinda reminds me of Resident Evil 4 it had the same kind of intensity and excitement to it. The excitement slowly wears out after a while so it's probably a good thing that Hideo designed a different set of scenery for each five acts. I can't wait to see what else's in store though i have a feeling the first act will likely remain as my favourite of the five.

MODE : SOLID NORMAL
Total play time : 06'26"01
Continues : 1
Alert phase : 22
Kills : 36
Recovery items used : 10
Weapon types procured: 20
Flashback watched : 28
Special item used: Not used

Snake for sale

There can only be one snake and one big boss, today i finally let go of my extra copy of MGS4 selling it to a local forumer from penang. It wasn't a difficult decision to make, after all apart from some slight font color change both copy are virtually identical even down to the save game file from what i heard. However the manual included in the asian region one appears to be somewhat thicker i believed but since i never open the copy before selling it i won't know for sure. Anyone care to indulge what exactly is included inside there?

Ashes to ashes

I was really looking forward to Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel 2 especially after Konami reveal that it will come with full-voiceovers accompanying the art. Somewhere along the way, Konami decided to release the game on DVD instead of coming exclusively to PSP and its release was coincided with the worldwide release of Metal Gear Solid 4, probably their last chance to release it since interest in Metal Gear is sure to drop after that.While i was a little disappointed that it's no longer on the PSP, i was quite relieved to learn that the voice bubble accompanying the voiceovers will still be retained in its original english form thereby enabling non-japanese speaking audience to understand the plot. Well it is certainly a rare occasion as never in Metal Gear history has there been such an import-friendly japanese release which retains it's original japanese voices while still being accessible to non-japanese speaking fans.

After getting seduced by Ashley Wood's artwork again on my second run through Portable Ops, i decided to finally purchase it. After all, there probably won't be any big Metal Gear release for a while so this will probably be kojima's last chance at getting my money. If only the DVD is not region locked so i could watch it on my Playstation3....

Patapon tee

Despite being an avid gamer, i have only got a couple of game shirts in my wardrobe. I wouldn't want a shirt screaming fanboy at everybody but this patapon tshirt is just too good to resist. It isn't official though, all part of the hard work and passion of a fellow gamer and he was nice enough to print a couple more for us gamers too. Thanks myxery!

Just the other day i was at Borders picking up my Nintendo Power cover story of Castlevania, a lady browsing at the same corner asked me for some help to locate the Metal Gear Solid 4 Prima strategy guide. I sure wasn't wearing a game shirt then so i wonder how she knew i would even have a clue as to what she was looking for. She sure didn't, seeing that she had to refer to her sms for help....

any ideas?

Portable Ops Speed-Run

Again, not much of a speed run seeing that i took over ten hours to finish and i actually skipped all the side missions and only played the key plot missions. I think it's partly due to boss fights as i spent quite some time figuring out their attacks as i have forgotten most of the strategy to defeating them.

Difficulty : Normal
Play time : 12' 56"
Times Saved : 24
Restart : 95
Times Alert mode Triggered: 98 times
Humans killed : 30
Comrades secured : 8
Comrades killed : 26
Rank : RABBIT

I think i better stop lollygagging around and really get started on Metal Gear Solid 4 because i don't know how long more i can keep up surfing the internet without running into spoilers. Granted, anyone with an interest in Metal Gear and have the means to play it would have at least started by now and i really don't know why i'm still prolonging it. Perhaps it's partly due to my friends who are also in no hurry to get started because they are still busy with GTAIV. While i admire their patience and resistance, i will surely kick myself if i were to discover any more spoilers before playing the game.

Devil's Temptation

My region 3 version of MGS4 SE came in today and I'm torn between watching the bonus blu-ray disc or holding off until finishing the game first, as recommended by the inlay sleeve found inside the blu-ray case. I tend to be a sucker for these making-of specials and this bonus disc happens to be extra special because it clocks in a running time of over 130 minutes long and also it's presented on a blu-ray disc, giving you the best possible presentation. The packaging is as good as it gets i suppose for a region 3 release but i would have preferred it if they included a special box art for the game like the japanese release.

Just the other week, my friend managed to score a copy of this for slightly less than what i paid, and the fact that he agreed to buy the game from me earlier certainly doesn't make me feel any better about it. Oh well, i suppose i can figure out what to do with the additional copy while playing through Devil May Cry 4 before deciding which copy of the game to play. Assuming that i don't give in to the temptation and end up playing this before finishing Devil May Cry 4 first...