• 21Dec 09

  Games Everyone Hated (But I Really Kind of Liked)

  We all have them, games that got panned by reviewers or were generally disliked by the gaming public but when you played them they were actually a lot of fun. Here's a few of the ones I like, despite what anyone else says, in no particular order.

  Conan

  Gamespot Score: 7.5

  Uesugi-dono's Score: 8.5

  

  -I don't think I've ever been on such a devisive forum as the Conan boards. It seems people either love or hate this game... and often for the wrong reasons. Conan had some camera issues, like its forebearer God of War, but overall it was a really enjoyable game. Granted it had some really awful cutscenes and Ron Pearlman was a poor choice for the voice of the Cimmerian himself. Many of its detractors were rabid GoW fans who felt that Conan was unoriginal and a ripoff of their beloved series and those people really missed the point. If it's familiar then isn't it easier to play? With many trueisms held to the original novels and comics Conan was actually pretty authentic... and Kratos owes the Barbarian a pretty big debt; his creator R.E. Howard practically invented the sword and Sorcery genre.

  Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Vollyball

  Gamespot Score: 6.0

  Uesugi-dono Score: 8.0

  

  -O.k., many of you will stop reading now! I do have a caveat to add to my love of this game: I played on a modded Xbox and had a pirated nude version of this game! With that admission out of the way I'm sure you can understand how this game was a great way for me to relax and smile after a long night of work! Beneath its shallow exterior though was a pretty decent volleyball game, once you found a control scheme that worked. Otherwise it wasn't really a bad dating simulator either! This game is a guilty pleasure. Hate it if you want; it always makes me smile.

  Heroes Over Europe

  Gamespot Score: 5.0

  Uesugi-dono Score: 8.5

  

  - Man, do I ever disagree with thereview score of this game. Arcady? Yes. Poor environmental graphics? You betcha, but man is this game fun. Largely ignored by players with a non-existent online community this game nevertheless kept me glued to it for hours and hours. I loved the Ace Kill feature. Granted you won't be steeped in realism or gripping character interaction but for a simple dogfighter this game is a blast.

  Kengo

  Gamespot Score: 5.9

  Uesugi-dono Score: 8.5

  

  -I think the outstanding nature of this game's predecessor (Bushido Blade) kind of ruined this one's chances. Kengo remains one of my favorite games because it really put you in the role of a Kensai, forcing you to train and challenge rival schools. If they were to accurately update this (I'm pointing at you Kengo: Legend of the 9) I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The only games that come close to this one in Japanese swordfighter simulation are the Way of the Samurai games.

  Speaking of which...

  Way of the Samurai 2

  Gamespot Score: 6.3

  Uesugi-dono Score: 8.5

  

  -WotS 2 was nothing if not a faithful update of WotS (GS scored 7.1) so pardon if I'm a little confused by the hate for this title. I played it even longer than I did the first one and I am seriously looking forward to WotS 3. (GS scored 5.5) This could never approach the game of the year but these choose-your-own-adventure st(y)le games are crazy fun to play.

  Mirror's Edge

  Gamespot Score: 7.0

  Uesugi-dono Score:9.5

  

  -This was another hit or miss for players. Either they loved it or it was too short with not enough shooting. There was also alot of rancor over the female lead: either she was beautiful or fugly. I fell into the former group on both counts. The exiliration and the feel of speed was unmatched in this game. Yes, it was short, but it was meant to be. It was fast, intense, and satisfying. It needed a 3rd person review so you could see your awesomeness and it needed an open-world MP parkour mode but barring that ME was an absolute blast to play.

  Rise of the Argonauts

  Gamespot Score: 6.0

  Uesugi-dono Score: 8.0

  

  -Plagued by goofy running animation, crappy camera angles, and novel-length dialogue, Rise was praised by the GS reviewer for its combat. Ironically the combat was my least favorite part. I enjoyed the dialogue tree, the gripping story, and the characterizations. I heard complaints about their depiction of Hercules being an overgrown, Andre-the-Giant-like figure but for me it made perfect sense. Yes, it was laugh out loud funny to watch Jason run down stairs but the game itself was pretty tight. I put it in to play it and didnt come out until 4 days later.

  Rocky: Legends

  Gamespot Score: 6.8

  Uesugi-dono Score: 10

  

  -Obviously I loved this game. I gave it a 10, which is a far cry from what nearly anyone else gave it. I gave it that score because this game is everything it claims to be. An excellent boxing game, a huge roster of Rocky-world boxers. This one was easy enough to pick up and play at a party and in depth enough to foster a challenge between two serious veterans. The career mode was one of the best I've ever played. All this and I wasn't even a fan of the Rocky movies until I played this game. We all have our inexplicable favorites; this is one of mine.

  Suikoden

  Gamespot Score: 6.5

  Uesugi-dono Score: 10.0

  

  -I don't know what the reviewer was smoking but by fan reaction I think it's clear that Suikoden was one of the best RPGs to ever occur. This title, along with its famed successor, were simply the best of RPGs in my opinion. I loved both more than even Final Fantasy VII. The series has been on a steep downhill slide since but the epic story that drove this title and Suikoden 2 will be with me forever.

  Well thanks for reading, those of you who didn't disagree with me long about number one or two and stop reading!! I'm sure we all have our unpopular favorites. What are yours?

  • Posted Dec 21, 2009 11:44 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 14Dec 09

  Thoughts and Demos

  The Dante's Inferno demo has thrown me off. See, I read the Inferno about, hmm, 5 or 6 times. I really liked it. So when I learned that suddenly measly poet Dante was Kratos reborn I was a little disappointed. I really wanted to explore Hell via a video game, but I wanted it to be more like a puzzle solver, kind of like how The Inferno really was. The demo, however has left me wanting MORE. Although I still disagree, vehemently, with the portrayal of Dante Alegheri as a crusader who was strong enough to kill Death (would have been better as an original character) simply the visuals alone are enough to make me want to delve deper into Hell. I won't be buying this at 60 bucks, however, but maybe as a weekend rental or a bargain bin buy I would happily play this game. Whilst I never found a fondness for God of War I did really enjoy Conan, and that's what this makes me think of.

  Bayonetta is like an anime come to life. I really want to play this game but I never played Devil May Cry, so I kind of suck at it. In my friend's hands, however, it became an exceedingly beautiful and chaotic game that was a sheer delight to watch. Again, I won't be paying full price but a weekend rental this is definately worth.

  I'm closing in on the end of Assassin's Creed 2, which is both good and bad. I LOVE this game, but I really want to get back into Dragon Age. My PS3 problems also mean that I've lost save data on Uncharted 2, and UFC 2009, which makes me wanna play both again. I'm not sure if I lost Valkyria Chronicles but I sure wouldn't mind playing that again as well. I may even hit Red Faction once more.

  Yakuza 2 is still on hold, which MUST be remedied. I've also still got Persona 3 on hold. I may have gone over my statute of memory limitations there... which sucks.

  I hope all your holidaze are swell. I'll be getting The Saboteur and Way of the Samurai 3 so Ill review those early next year.

  • Posted Dec 14, 2009 9:05 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 8Dec 09

  A Compelling Reason...

  With the fantastic news that Yakuza 3 has a March 2010 release scheduled Stateside that means I either need to finish Assassin's Creed 2 quickly or puch it to the side and finish Yakuza 2.

  Poor Dragon Age.

  • Posted Dec 8, 2009 9:42 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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