I didn’t intend to play this game, but every time I’ve turned my Xbox on this week it has decided to make me play it anyway. I’ve not been able to play anything else much, as each “level” of Progress Bar Champion is between 45 minutes and an hour long and I’m locked into the game until the level is complete. I have managed to reach level 4, but they don’t really get any harder. Or different, in fact. All …
Er, hurrah? I think? I’ll write more about the game itself at a later date when I’m in a more ranty, wordy mood, but needless to say it wasn’t great. There were great bits, and the idea was mostly sound, but the wrong physics and totally not-Sonic feel to it (despite visually being a clone of previous (better) Sonic titles just broke it. But I’ve completed it now. Sans emeralds, but the Special Stage is too ridiculous to attempt any …
Yes, I realise that not only have I already completed Peggle on both the iPod (nano) and Xbox 360, but completed Peggle Nights first despite being DLC. Anyway. It’s just Peggle. Again. And it’s as great as it ever was. And now I’ve completed it. Again. I’m not really sure what else there is to say?
I said I wouldn’t buy it. I wasn’t going to buy it. I really didn’t want to buy it. Really. But of course, I did. Rubbish. But is it actually any good? Could it be a surprise? In many ways, it does a lot right. Like, very right. Splash Hill, for instance – it’s ace. First level of Lost Labyrinth? Excellent. Mad Gear 3? Lovely. But some of it, like the nonsense of “get 100,000 points!” in Casino Nig^H^H^HStreet 2, …
Since I’d never played Peggle Nights, but have completed Peggle on both the iPod Nano and XBLA, I thought I’d play Nights first. And… it’s just Peggle. Only with different levels. After a couple of days play (doing levels here and there) I completed it. There’s not a lot to say, really, except that as before, it’s addictive and frustrating in equal measure. And is only 59p! Er, so long as you’ve already bought Peggle (which was also 59p) of …
T’other day, there was a big sale on the App Store, with loads of iPhone games reduced to 59p and £1.19. S:TSOBM was one of those, and I bought it. And so it came to pass, it was the second iPhone game I completed! Took about 3 hours in total, I’d say. Yes, I could have done it quicker, but I tried to get every insect on every level, so it took longer. So there. Perhaps I should explain the …
Another week of playing very little but this. After the stumbling block of getting the water sword, I’ve been progressing quickly – seeing off many of the 4* quests without any bother, including the Great Baggi quest, and the combo of a Great Jaggi and a Barroth – together. The Jaggi/Barroth quest was made somewhat harder by the mid-fight arrival of a Qurupeco, so I had to fight all three at once. I also saw off the Lagiacrus much more …
Hooray! I’m back in! After more than 70 kills or captures of Royal Ludroths, I finally got a crest drop! It came on a(nother) replay of the 3* Royal Ludroth hunt quest, appearing in the quest rewards after defeating him. Many many times I’ve already done this quest, and nothing. Gah! But I’m over that little hurdle now, and am well away again. With the crest, I forged a new sword with water powaz, which I used to slaughter the …
Tomb Raider Legend? Lovely. Tomb Raider Anniversary? Excellent. Tomb Raider Underworld? Meh. This, which happened about 10 minutes in, shows the quality of the game. It’s right up there with Angel of Darkness: I’m now up to the bit where you get on the boat after the first “tomb”. I’m not really enjoying it.
Unfortunately, I think I’m coming to the end of my fun with this. I’m stuck, or rather, the game is stuck. I’m trying to obtain a Royal Ludroth Crest so that I can create a water-affinity sword to enable me to defeat the Barroth. Problem is that despite the crest having a 60-odd% drop rate (so long as you smash the crest on the Ludroth’s head), after almost 60 kills or captures I just ONE crest. And that was from …
And so the final DLC, and the remaining achievements, finally fall in Fallout. Into The Pitt was a bit confusing, as part way through you have to make a decision, and it isn’t obvious which is the “good” choice, and which is the “bad” choice. I ended up doing both, playing a bit to see, then reloading the save of the better of the two outcomes. It’s a shame I’m so powered up now, as nothing – not even the …
Fallout New Vegas, the next Fallout game, is out soon. Just over a month, in fact. So I thought I’d best get back into Fallout 3 and mop up the two remaining DLC quests, the first of which being Mothership Zeta. I’d actually bought the downloads a while back, when they were on offer, but decided not to play them so that I could eke out the Fallout 3 “experience” over the course of the huge wait before New Vegas. …
I never bothered with the other Bioshock 2 DLC, as the online stuff never really appealed (although I did play online a few times). A completely new story, though? Couldn’t resist. Once more, they managed to find bits of Rapture that hadn’t previously been visited (it’s a big place, clearly), and like in the main Bioshock 2 game you’re a Big Daddy. It’s pretty much more of the same, really – just with new locations, story and some new weapons …
Amazing. Just utterly amazing. It’s a totally new, but totally retro, video game that plays fantastically, and is even better than the games it apes. I won’t spoil it all, but I do need to say how much I enjoyed spotting references to other games in this one – both in the levels, and the items you can buy. I love that sort of stuff. If you haven’t already, buy it now.
I’ve not read the comics. I’ve not seen the film. But, after seeing just a handful of screenshots a few weeks ago for the game, I knew I’d want it. So confident was I, that I didn’t even bother trying the demo – I stumped up my 800 Microsoft Moon Pounds and bought the full game. And I was right – I love it. It’s a great mix of River City Ransom, Guardian Heroes, Streets of Rage, and that Puffy …
