The very idea of Black Friday sits wrong with me. But whatever, we all enjoy a good sale and, whilst many Black Friday deals have proven to be false over the years, I managed to get a couple of good ones here in Amsterdam.
Dishonored 2 tops the list. €35 on PS4. I've played the intro mission and so far it seems to be very much in the vein of the first. I've selected to play as Corvo for my first run, saving Emily and her different abilities for when I'm more familiar with the levels.
I also picked up Deus Ex Mankind Divided for €20. I haven't played it yet, but if it's anything like Human Revolution I'm looking forward to sinking some hours into it.
Digital downloads are not something I tend towards, except for smaller indie games that aren't available on disc. However I made two exceptions this weekend with PSN sales.
The first was Thief. I remember the first game, some 20 years ago, being quite impressive in its stealthy depth. Sadly this one has fallen into the rut of linear boredom. The characters are flat too. I'll give it some more time, but I'm not excited by it. €5.99 is the only reason I got it, but now I wish I'd bought a burger instead.
Also €5.99 was the full season of Life Is Strange. An adventure title akin to The Walking Dead or any other from Telltale Games, it begins with an interesting premise. Again I'm not far into it so can't comment in depth, but I look forward to playing through it in full.
Offers I noticed but didn't make the most of include a 1TB PS4 with two controllers for €280, Skyrim for €35, and Rise of the Tomb Raider for €30. Great prices, if I didn't already have them!
What about you? What bargains did you pick up for Black Friday 2016? Perhaps you spent some money on Steam's Autumn Sale, or cleared out your local retro gaming shop. Let me know in the comments!
Sunday, 27 November 2016
Thursday, 24 November 2016
Review: The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim Special Edition (PlayStation 4)
107 hours and 27 minutes. That's how long it took me to defeat the dragon Alduin and restore peace to the province of Skyrim. Along the way I became a vampire (whilst a member of the Dawnguard - a collection of soldiers devoted to destroying vampires), a werewolf, I became the leader of The Thieves Guild, a bard, took control of Winterhold College, destroyed numerous dragons and scored myself a good selection of >1% trophies.
I'm sure there's plenty more to do in Skyrim, and the game has the good grace to drop you back into the game after you "complete" it, to enable you to seek out and finish further quests. I don't think I will. I've had my fill, but I know some of you out there will want to go back and find every last piece of action you can, and head for the glory of 100% trophy completion.
I write this review as someone who dabbled with the game at its original release on PC in 2011. I had around 15 hours on that save, and didn't particularly enjoy it - leaving it behind for the faster-paced shooters I favoured at the time. I haven't had a gaming PC for a few years now, preferring to keep a PC for work and separate console for gaming. When the remastered Skyrim came to PS4 a month ago, I was in the UK and took advantage of the weak British Pound to pick it up for close to half price compared to paying Euros back on the mainland.
The initial impact of the graphics cannot be overstated - it is a beautiful world. Sometimes the colour palette can seem bland, a typical wash of browns so common in the last 15 years, but as you explore further you find such diversity in the landscape, from snow-capped mountains to lush forest, and fallen ruins. Heading underground into the many dungeons, you will find yet more variety, exploring stone sewers, natural caves, burrows lined with spider webs, and more. It always looks great, rarely betraying its age (things have improved in five years). Importantly, the land feels cohesive and there are no jarring changes as you cross into new areas, as you might experience in a typical MMO with its distinct zones.
The story and lore are deep and interesting. There will be repetition as you pass chatting soldiers, and your companions can grate after a while as they repeat the same remarks, but you can pick up a lot from overhearing NPCs in the world. There are books strewn throughout Skyrim, and you can read any of them. Some will upgrade your various skills, others serve to grant you insight into the lore that runs through the world. Whether or not you take the time to read them is up to you, there is no need, but if you are interested in a deeper understanding of what is going on, the books are short and only take a minute or two to read. Other books and, more importantly, journals left by NPCs can provide helpful hints to solving the puzzles that block progress through dungeons.
The dungeons themselves are often fun to go through, though they are always linear, and the scenery can get boring after a while. Enemies are varied enough, and some are deadly until you are able to level up sufficiently to face them. The aforementioned puzzles take the form of simple switches and traps, and are never terribly taxing. They reminded me of early Tomb Raider games at times - often sending you searching for a switch hidden behind a wall, or to find some clue of what three symbols must be activated to unlock a door.
As fun as the game is overall, there are a few problems. They tended to annoy me a lot at first, but once I accepted them as part of the experience they disrupted my enjoyment less. Graphical bugs are common, with trees and rocks floating in mid air - particularly on the side of mountains. People standing on steep slopes can slide away from you whilst talking, at one point a courier who was handing me a letter slid away then dropped through the floor to his doom. A different courier then ran towards me to start again, but luckily I'd jumped off the slope before he got to me. On one occasion I got into a fight with three Imperial Soldiers on the road (I don't know what I did to provoke them) and killed them all. As I looted their corpses, they vanished, and I heard them talking behind me, saying "When will we see some action out here?"
Another annoyance occurs when NPCs start a conversation while you are in combat - you will find yourself desperately trying to skip the conversation before you are bludgeoned to death, unable to fight back. One two occasions I was tasked with searching for an NPC, who chose not to spawn.
Besides these flaws, which in a game of this scope are expected and perhaps unavoidable, Skyrim Special Edition is a worthy addition to any collection. I can't see myself playing through the whole game ago (though I have played through Fallout 3 twice so who knows) but I'm sure in a couple of years I'll revisit it to seek out some more quests and associated trophies.
I enjoyed it, and whilst towards the end of my time I was starting to hope for it to end, it never really overstayed its welcome - even after more than one hundred hours.
The price is high for what is essentially just another remaster, but it will soon come down. Locally it is €35 down from €60 for the hideous evil that is Black Friday, and pre-owned it will soon be even cheaper, so you can always wait. It'll be worth it, if you have the time to play.
I'm sure there's plenty more to do in Skyrim, and the game has the good grace to drop you back into the game after you "complete" it, to enable you to seek out and finish further quests. I don't think I will. I've had my fill, but I know some of you out there will want to go back and find every last piece of action you can, and head for the glory of 100% trophy completion.
I write this review as someone who dabbled with the game at its original release on PC in 2011. I had around 15 hours on that save, and didn't particularly enjoy it - leaving it behind for the faster-paced shooters I favoured at the time. I haven't had a gaming PC for a few years now, preferring to keep a PC for work and separate console for gaming. When the remastered Skyrim came to PS4 a month ago, I was in the UK and took advantage of the weak British Pound to pick it up for close to half price compared to paying Euros back on the mainland.
The initial impact of the graphics cannot be overstated - it is a beautiful world. Sometimes the colour palette can seem bland, a typical wash of browns so common in the last 15 years, but as you explore further you find such diversity in the landscape, from snow-capped mountains to lush forest, and fallen ruins. Heading underground into the many dungeons, you will find yet more variety, exploring stone sewers, natural caves, burrows lined with spider webs, and more. It always looks great, rarely betraying its age (things have improved in five years). Importantly, the land feels cohesive and there are no jarring changes as you cross into new areas, as you might experience in a typical MMO with its distinct zones.
The story and lore are deep and interesting. There will be repetition as you pass chatting soldiers, and your companions can grate after a while as they repeat the same remarks, but you can pick up a lot from overhearing NPCs in the world. There are books strewn throughout Skyrim, and you can read any of them. Some will upgrade your various skills, others serve to grant you insight into the lore that runs through the world. Whether or not you take the time to read them is up to you, there is no need, but if you are interested in a deeper understanding of what is going on, the books are short and only take a minute or two to read. Other books and, more importantly, journals left by NPCs can provide helpful hints to solving the puzzles that block progress through dungeons.
The dungeons themselves are often fun to go through, though they are always linear, and the scenery can get boring after a while. Enemies are varied enough, and some are deadly until you are able to level up sufficiently to face them. The aforementioned puzzles take the form of simple switches and traps, and are never terribly taxing. They reminded me of early Tomb Raider games at times - often sending you searching for a switch hidden behind a wall, or to find some clue of what three symbols must be activated to unlock a door.
As fun as the game is overall, there are a few problems. They tended to annoy me a lot at first, but once I accepted them as part of the experience they disrupted my enjoyment less. Graphical bugs are common, with trees and rocks floating in mid air - particularly on the side of mountains. People standing on steep slopes can slide away from you whilst talking, at one point a courier who was handing me a letter slid away then dropped through the floor to his doom. A different courier then ran towards me to start again, but luckily I'd jumped off the slope before he got to me. On one occasion I got into a fight with three Imperial Soldiers on the road (I don't know what I did to provoke them) and killed them all. As I looted their corpses, they vanished, and I heard them talking behind me, saying "When will we see some action out here?"
Another annoyance occurs when NPCs start a conversation while you are in combat - you will find yourself desperately trying to skip the conversation before you are bludgeoned to death, unable to fight back. One two occasions I was tasked with searching for an NPC, who chose not to spawn.
Besides these flaws, which in a game of this scope are expected and perhaps unavoidable, Skyrim Special Edition is a worthy addition to any collection. I can't see myself playing through the whole game ago (though I have played through Fallout 3 twice so who knows) but I'm sure in a couple of years I'll revisit it to seek out some more quests and associated trophies.
I enjoyed it, and whilst towards the end of my time I was starting to hope for it to end, it never really overstayed its welcome - even after more than one hundred hours.
The price is high for what is essentially just another remaster, but it will soon come down. Locally it is €35 down from €60 for the hideous evil that is Black Friday, and pre-owned it will soon be even cheaper, so you can always wait. It'll be worth it, if you have the time to play.
Friday, 11 November 2016
Review: Nintendo Classic Mini
The Nintendo Classic Mini has landed in Amsterdam!
I received my text from Game Mania confirming it was ready for collection and headed out, expecting bedlam at the shop. Besides someone buying a PS4 and someone else buying some games, the shop was empty. I waited my turn, hearing one of the staff on the phone to a customer, telling them they would order them one, but that they may never receive it! Apparently I was one of only 17 in that shop to receive theirs today. The joy of an early pre-order.
So, the packaging... I was expecting (because I hadn't really thought of it) to receive a box similar in size to that which any modern console comes in. No... it was more like the size of a 3DS XL box. Designed after the NES box of old, and proudly declaring its use of HDMI, the back of the box shows 12 screenshots and a list of the remaining 18 games built into the system.
Yes, 30 built in games. As far as value goes, this is something special for Nintendo. Most NES titles available on their Wii, Wii U or 3DS Virtual Console service cost around €5, and we all know they sell for many times that in physical format - and that's assuming you have a working NES to play them on. €59,99 for 30 great games (and boy is the selection good) is a great price, especially given what we're going to discuss in this article. The selection is also very strong indeed with some of Nintendo's most famous and enduring series catered to. The inclusion of both Zelda games, and all three Super Mario Bros is welcome.
The unit itself is, as you've probably guessed, designed around Nintendo's first console in the West. It is almost exactly as wide as the NES controller and weighs considerably less than my 3DS XL. Like its grandaddy, it keeps input and output options simple. On the back a micro USB port to supply power, and a HDMI port for connection to your TV. On the front two Wii ports to connect either the enclosed NES controller, or a Wii classic controller. A power and a rest button complete the machine.
The box contains the mini NES unit, a replica NES controller with Wii Classic Controller connection, and USB and HDMI cables (no USB power supply). The power requirement is 5 volt, 1 amp power supply - so your iPhone USB adapter will work just fine, as will most smart phone or tablet power supplies - but not a laptop or PC USB port, which will only supply 500mA. The controller is a perfect replica (or reissue?) of the original controllers. They look the same, feel the same in your hand, and in use they feel much the same. If you want to play two player games, you can purchase a second controller for a very cheap €9,99, or use any Wii Classic Controllers you have lying around. The NES mini controller will also work for NES Virtual Console games on Wii and Wii U. I have not been able to test a Wii to something-else adapter to see if other console's controllers work, but I can only assume they would not.
Setup is simple - plug and play. Connect to your TV and a power supply, plug in a controller, and press the dinky little power button. A familiar red LED lights up, and a language selection screen appears in 720p. Language choice has no bearing on the games themselves, only on the system's menu. You will notice that the cables provided with the system are very short. This is fine for me - my gaming TV sits on a stand next to my desk, and I have simply used a longer HDMI cable than the one Nintendo provided so that the unit is on my desk next to me. This is basically a requirement - you will want access to the reset button to access the menu and change games. If you want the authentic experience - getting out of your seat to change games, you could place the NES mini under your TV and use Wii controller extension cables, or Classic Controllers with longer cables.
The menu is clear enough, with the games' box art presented on a horizontal plane. Move left and right to select the game you want to pay and hit A or start. Pressing Select will change the sorting of the titles between various standard options - defaulting to alphabetical. Press up on the menu to access some rudimentary options (no option for 1080p though). You can select the display mode between the default 4:3, Pixel Perfect which allegedly presents the image the developers intended, but looks weird to anyone who's been enjoying the games as they were enjoyed back in the day, and finally a CRT Filter which quite effectively recreates the fuzzy look of a CRT television. I tend towards the 4:3 option with its crisp look. You can also turn on or off a demo mode that will play as a screensaver over the menu, Auto-shutdown (after an hour it will turn off and save your position) and Screen Burn-In Reduction which, like the Wii, dims the screen if you don't press any buttons for a while. Finally you can read relevant legal notices, or see a link (and QR code) to take you to the game manuals online. It's a shame they couldn't include the manuals on the ROM chip, given that the game list is fixed.
Emulation is solid. Nintendo haven't tried to do anything too fancy with it, and there is slow-down and flickery sprites just as there were with the original hardware. The visuals are beautiful, just as you'd expect from a PC-based emulator, and Nintendo have thankfully fixed the strange issue where Virtual Console games on Wii and Wii U look too dark. If only they would also update those systems for those who still want to play retro on them. Sound is good too, though it is in mono as NES didn't support stereo output and the games weren't made for it, but you won't even notice as you enjoy the delights of the 8-bit music library.
The nature of emulation enables save states. Hit reset on the console, and you return to the menu. Hit down and you can save state in one of four slots, allowing you to return to the exact moment you left the game. The method is a little clunky, and it's easy to lose all progress when you accidentally hit A or Start over the game instead of pressing down to access the save menu.
All in all this is a fantastic machine, built with typical Nintendo quality. The controllers are a fantastic recreation of the originals, and to play the games within feels just like using a real NES, without the problem of hideous graphics using an RF lead into a modern, HD TV. The only downside I can think of, and it's not really valid, is the limit of 30 games. This is around the same that Sega tend to put on their various plug n play systems, and more than many others have. If it had a cartridge slot to accept NES cartridges would be a tremendous thing, but we can all dream.
Now, if only someone would take the license from Blaze/@t Games and make a Sega machine to the same standard.
Further reading (open in a new window):
NES Classic Mini Game Manuals
I received my text from Game Mania confirming it was ready for collection and headed out, expecting bedlam at the shop. Besides someone buying a PS4 and someone else buying some games, the shop was empty. I waited my turn, hearing one of the staff on the phone to a customer, telling them they would order them one, but that they may never receive it! Apparently I was one of only 17 in that shop to receive theirs today. The joy of an early pre-order.
So, the packaging... I was expecting (because I hadn't really thought of it) to receive a box similar in size to that which any modern console comes in. No... it was more like the size of a 3DS XL box. Designed after the NES box of old, and proudly declaring its use of HDMI, the back of the box shows 12 screenshots and a list of the remaining 18 games built into the system.
Yes, 30 built in games. As far as value goes, this is something special for Nintendo. Most NES titles available on their Wii, Wii U or 3DS Virtual Console service cost around €5, and we all know they sell for many times that in physical format - and that's assuming you have a working NES to play them on. €59,99 for 30 great games (and boy is the selection good) is a great price, especially given what we're going to discuss in this article. The selection is also very strong indeed with some of Nintendo's most famous and enduring series catered to. The inclusion of both Zelda games, and all three Super Mario Bros is welcome.
The unit itself is, as you've probably guessed, designed around Nintendo's first console in the West. It is almost exactly as wide as the NES controller and weighs considerably less than my 3DS XL. Like its grandaddy, it keeps input and output options simple. On the back a micro USB port to supply power, and a HDMI port for connection to your TV. On the front two Wii ports to connect either the enclosed NES controller, or a Wii classic controller. A power and a rest button complete the machine.
The box contains the mini NES unit, a replica NES controller with Wii Classic Controller connection, and USB and HDMI cables (no USB power supply). The power requirement is 5 volt, 1 amp power supply - so your iPhone USB adapter will work just fine, as will most smart phone or tablet power supplies - but not a laptop or PC USB port, which will only supply 500mA. The controller is a perfect replica (or reissue?) of the original controllers. They look the same, feel the same in your hand, and in use they feel much the same. If you want to play two player games, you can purchase a second controller for a very cheap €9,99, or use any Wii Classic Controllers you have lying around. The NES mini controller will also work for NES Virtual Console games on Wii and Wii U. I have not been able to test a Wii to something-else adapter to see if other console's controllers work, but I can only assume they would not.
Setup is simple - plug and play. Connect to your TV and a power supply, plug in a controller, and press the dinky little power button. A familiar red LED lights up, and a language selection screen appears in 720p. Language choice has no bearing on the games themselves, only on the system's menu. You will notice that the cables provided with the system are very short. This is fine for me - my gaming TV sits on a stand next to my desk, and I have simply used a longer HDMI cable than the one Nintendo provided so that the unit is on my desk next to me. This is basically a requirement - you will want access to the reset button to access the menu and change games. If you want the authentic experience - getting out of your seat to change games, you could place the NES mini under your TV and use Wii controller extension cables, or Classic Controllers with longer cables.
The menu is clear enough, with the games' box art presented on a horizontal plane. Move left and right to select the game you want to pay and hit A or start. Pressing Select will change the sorting of the titles between various standard options - defaulting to alphabetical. Press up on the menu to access some rudimentary options (no option for 1080p though). You can select the display mode between the default 4:3, Pixel Perfect which allegedly presents the image the developers intended, but looks weird to anyone who's been enjoying the games as they were enjoyed back in the day, and finally a CRT Filter which quite effectively recreates the fuzzy look of a CRT television. I tend towards the 4:3 option with its crisp look. You can also turn on or off a demo mode that will play as a screensaver over the menu, Auto-shutdown (after an hour it will turn off and save your position) and Screen Burn-In Reduction which, like the Wii, dims the screen if you don't press any buttons for a while. Finally you can read relevant legal notices, or see a link (and QR code) to take you to the game manuals online. It's a shame they couldn't include the manuals on the ROM chip, given that the game list is fixed.
Emulation is solid. Nintendo haven't tried to do anything too fancy with it, and there is slow-down and flickery sprites just as there were with the original hardware. The visuals are beautiful, just as you'd expect from a PC-based emulator, and Nintendo have thankfully fixed the strange issue where Virtual Console games on Wii and Wii U look too dark. If only they would also update those systems for those who still want to play retro on them. Sound is good too, though it is in mono as NES didn't support stereo output and the games weren't made for it, but you won't even notice as you enjoy the delights of the 8-bit music library.
The nature of emulation enables save states. Hit reset on the console, and you return to the menu. Hit down and you can save state in one of four slots, allowing you to return to the exact moment you left the game. The method is a little clunky, and it's easy to lose all progress when you accidentally hit A or Start over the game instead of pressing down to access the save menu.
All in all this is a fantastic machine, built with typical Nintendo quality. The controllers are a fantastic recreation of the originals, and to play the games within feels just like using a real NES, without the problem of hideous graphics using an RF lead into a modern, HD TV. The only downside I can think of, and it's not really valid, is the limit of 30 games. This is around the same that Sega tend to put on their various plug n play systems, and more than many others have. If it had a cartridge slot to accept NES cartridges would be a tremendous thing, but we can all dream.
Now, if only someone would take the license from Blaze/@t Games and make a Sega machine to the same standard.
Further reading (open in a new window):
NES Classic Mini Game Manuals
Monday, 7 November 2016
Wii U Might Be The Best Console Ever. Here's Why.
 |
| Nintendo's Wii U, seen here with its Gamepad |
Wii U is derided as a failure. 13.36 million sales as of September 2016 - Perhaps small compared to sales of Microsoft and Sony's competition, but damn, if I sold 13 million of anything I'd consider that a success.
I was late to the party for Wii U. I still played my Wii, and had a substantial library of PS3 and Xbox 360 games to get through, but in the end I caved when I could get a Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon pack. Bringing home Super Mario 3D World and New Super Mario Bros U also, I was instantly hooked. Gorgeous HD graphics, wonderful music, and of course great gameplay showed me what I'd been missing.
Sure, my PS4 performs better in general, and has a far broader range of available games, and I find the Wii U Gamepad troublesome to use (enough that I don't often pick up games that require its use), but there is a charm to the first-party Nintendo games that you can't find anywhere else.
"Best Console Ever" is quite an accolade though, so how have I come to this conclusion?
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| SM3DW - one of Mario's greatest adventures |
Wii U natively plays Wii U and Wii game discs, using a variety of controllers. The Nintendo eShop contains games from NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance and DS, as well as Turbo Grafx and Sega's early home consoles. The eShop also contains many great Indie games, including Shovel Knight and recently the awesome Super Meat Boy (which was initially pegged as a Wii exclusive, but never made it to that console). These games, and many Wii U games can even be played on the Gamepad's screen if someone else wants to watch TV. The Gamepad even has a Wii Remote Sensor Bar built in, so you can play classic Wii games without hogging the TV.
With an easily applied software mod to the Wii side of the operating system, the console can also be made to run emulators for all of the above consoles, and others including Playstation, with varying success depending on the title. Gamecube games are also possible, and run at full speed, with a piece of software cheekily called Nintendont.
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| Hori's fantastic Wii U Fight Pad comes close to the true Gamecube controller |
You can use a variety of controllers to play these - from the decent Wii U Pro controller to the Wii Classic controller and various other Classic controller versions, including an official SNES pad and soon official NES pad when the NES mini comes out next week. Original Gamecube controllers also work with the USB adapter. I use a Hori Fightpad, which is shaped as and functions as a Gamecube controller to play Gamecube games this way.
Whilst Wii U may not have the graphical power or the third party support of its 8th gen peers, it has the potential for backwards compatibility of every console back to the beginning of Nintendo, giving it a library of thousands of awesome games. Controller options are vast, and the general aesthetic of Nintendo is, of course, unadulterated fun.
So hey, Wii U, don't worry about the haters - I love you.
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