Bubsy 3D | Video Review

Developer: Eidetic

Publisher: Accolade & Telstar

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation

Released: November 25th 1996

What is there to say about Bubsy 3D? It's well known as being one of the worst PS1 games ever made and some people even consider it to be among the worst games ever made across any console. It was created in the very early days of 3D gaming and because of a lack of substantial funding and resources (like other games released at the time such as Crash Bandicoot and Super Mario 64 had) Bubsy 3D hasn't aged particularly well.

It features terrible controls, horrible graphics, a bad camera, obnoxious sound design, a boring story and bland gameplay, so there's not much going for it when you look back on this game nowadays. However, what it does have is a legacy, and it's this aspect of the game that keeps people talking about it all these years later and has even resulted in a new Bubsy game (Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back) being released over twenty years after the last game in the series.

So, is Bubsy 3D as bad as people say it is? Is there a reason the series remained dormant for two decades? Is Bubsy's voice as irritating as you would expect? Let's take a dive into the game and find out shall we?

Hugo: Frog Fighter | Video Review

Developer: ITE Media

Publisher: ITE Media

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation

Released: 2001

Having now reviewed Hugo, Hugo 2, Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones and Hugo: Black Diamond Fever we now move on to the fifth Hugo game released on the PS1; Hugo: Frog Fighter. This one differs from the previous entries in the series because, rather than being a minigame compilation or a 3D platformer, it's a Frogger clone (meaning that it takes heavy inspiration from the 1981 arcade game; Frogger).

Rather than facing off against Scylla and her henchman Don Croco, this time Hugo is tasked with rescuing frogs from Don Croco's army and to do this he traverses several environments while hopping around like a frog. The question is, is the game any good?

Resident Evil: Director's Cut | Video Review

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation, PC

Released: September 25th, 1997

What better way of celebrating Halloween than to take a look at one of the first true horror games and the game that coined the term 'survival horror'; Resident Evil. But rather than taking a look at the original version (released in 1996) I want to explore the director's cut edition which was released a year later. This version offers some new modes, new camera angles, new weapons and a few more features too, thus making it the most complete version of the original game on the PS1 (at least in Europe anyway).

So, let's delve in and take a look at Resident Evil: Director's Cut and see if it still holds up today, or whether it's a dated relic and you should stick to playing the excellent remake (originally released on the GameCube but now available on PS4, PC and Xbox One).

SNES Classic Edition | Video Review

Developer: Nintendo

Distributor: Nintendo

Released: September 29^th 2017

After all of my anticipation and hypothesising, the SNES Classic Edition is finally here! It features twenty-one games (including the never before released Star Fox 2) and a new rewind function that wasn't present on the NES Classic Edition. Now I've had a chance to get past the hype and use the device for myself though, is the SNES Classic Edition worth your attention and money? Or does it fail in the same places the NES Classic Edition did? Well, in this video I give a throughout breakdown on all of the device's features and answer all of these questions and more!

Balloon Fight | Video Review

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Reviewed on: NES

Available on: NES, Arcade

Released: June 1986

Balloon Fight is a single screen platformer in which you control a boy with two balloons attached to his helmet which enables him to fly. The game can be played 2-player and is one of the finest co-op games available on the NES (along with classics such as Contra, Bubble Bobble, Ice Climber and more).

Despite it being an early release in the NES library I think the game has stood the test of time quite well, although it is lacking in certain areas which stop it being as fondly remembered as some games released later in the NES' lifespan. However, if you're looking for a way to kill an hour or so, look no further than Balloon Fight.

Hugo: Black Diamond Fever | Video Review

Developer: ITE Media

Publisher: ITE Media

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation, PC

Released: 2001

Hugo: Black Diamond Fever is the direct sequel to Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones which, while it was a terrible game, it was also the best in the series so far. Hopefully the developers learned from their mistakes and created something that's at least passable with Black Diamond Fever (but I wouldn't hold much hope).

Black Diamond Fever (like the game before it) is a 3D platformer which takes a lot of inspiration from Crash Bandicoot. However, I wouldn't go into this game expecting something anywhere near the same level of quality as Crash, because you'll most likely be disappointed. However, let's stop speculating and take a look at the game together to see what it's actually like!

Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando | Review

Developer: Insomniac Games

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Reviewed on: PlayStation 3

Available on: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita

Released: November 11^th 2003

Continuing on with the review marathon of the Ratchet & Clank series we're now taking a look at the sequel to the original game, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (or Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded for us Europeans). This game marked the beginning of the focus being taken away from straight up platforming and moved it more towards the shooting elements which were present in the first game.

I actually played this game for the first time for this review, so unlike with the previous game, I don't have any nostalgic attachment to the sequel. I don't know why I skipped this one and went straight to the third game as a kid, but let's take a look and see what I missed out on all those years ago shall we?

Bubble Bobble | Video Review

Developer: Taito & Probe Entertainment

Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: Arcade, NES, Game Boy, PlayStation, PlayStation 2

Released: August 1986

Bubble Bobble is a game I have a lot of pleasant memories of and nostalgia for. I never got the chance to play it on an arcade machine or even on the NES as a kid, but luckily it was ported to almost every system under the sun, including the PS1 which is where I first got my hands on it. Despite being minimal in terms of graphics, story and gameplay, it has a certain charm that I think still hasn't faded to this day which makes it extremely addicting even for people who aren't interested in retro gaming.

It's a single screen platformer which has a large emphasis on 2-player co-op play where you control a green dinosaur called Bub (and the second player controls a blue dinosaur called Bob). Your objective is to go through 100 levels to stop an evil wizard and rescue your girlfriends, to do this you must trap a variety of enemies in bubbles (using your bubble blowing abilities) and pop them in order to destroy them before moving on to the next stage.

Ratchet & Clank | Review

Developer: Insomniac Games

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Reviewed on: PlayStation 3

Available on: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita

Released: November 4^th 2002

The Ratchet & Clank series is one which I've always been quite fond of, but never delved into very much. Despite playing the Jak and Daxter games more, I always preferred the outings of Ratchet & Clank so I don't know why I didn't ever dive into the games properly. I've played the first game many times as a kid and I also loved the third in the series too, but other than those two games, I've never played any of the others (despite hearing very good things about the PS3 series).

To remedy this lack of Ratchet & Clank in my life, I've decided to play through all of the main series games and review them one by one (which will probably take me a while) and what better place to start than with the remastered trilogy on PS3 which includes the first three games in the series. So let's go back in time to 2002 and revisit the first ever adventure of Ratchet & Clank.

Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones | Video Review

Developer: ITE Media

Publisher: ITE Media

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation, PC

Released: November 3^rd 2000

Continuing with my marathon of the Hugo PS1 games, we find ourselves at the third entry in the series; Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones (following on from Hugo and Hugo 2). Unlike the previous games, this one is a 3D platformer which is structured similarly to the original Crash Bandcioot. This game acts as a sort of reboot for the series, not only changing the genre but the overall tone of the game too.

The question is; is this game any better than the ones that came before it? Or is it just as bad as ever? Let's dive in and take a look together!

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy | Video Review

Developer: Vicarious Visions

Publisher: Activision

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

Available on: PlayStation 4

Released: June 30^th 2017

The original Crash Bandicoot games, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation, are some of my favourite platformers ever made; so much so that I've reviewed Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped here on my blog. But this review isn't for those three games, this review is for the newly released Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy which is a remake of the aforementioned three games.

After having played all three of the original games recently, I was wondering how Vicarious Visions (the developer of the remake) were going to be able to modernise the originals with them still holding up so strong after all these years. Luckily, they did a great job in updating the games for PlayStation 4 systems, making them look crisper than ever before. But it's when you properly sink your teeth into the gameplay that problems start to arise...

Marble Madness | Video Review

Developer: Rare

Publisher: Milton Bradley

Reviewed on: NES

Available on: Arcade, NES, Game Boy, Master System

Released: 1989

I'm not entirely sure how I came across Marble Madness, but it's a game I've been wanting to play for quite a long time now. I'm a big fan of Super Monkey Ball and one of it's main inspirations is none other than Marble Madness. With me not having the money to get my hands on the arcade version of the game, I settled for the NES port which is considered to be a very faithful recreation of the original version of the game.

So, let's dive in and take a look at Marble Madness and see if it lives up to the positive things I've heard about it!

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped | Review

Developer: Naughty Dog

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation

Released: October 31^st 1998

Before reading this review I recommend you check out my reviews of the previous games in the Crash series, starting with the original Crash Bandicoot and moving on to Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. I'll also be making a video review of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy soon after it's released, so keep an eye out on my blog and YouTube channel for that if you want more Crash related content.

For now though we're talking about Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, released a year after Crash 2, this was the second time Naughty Dog had done a yearly sequel to the original game and looking at the reception it got from game critics at the time, you can see that it's considered to be the best in the original series. Not only did critics fall in love with the game though but audiences clearly did too, so much so that Crash 3 became the eighth best selling PS1 game of all time.

Despite obviously being a big deal at the time it was released, does it still stand up today and how does it compare to the second game in the series? Well, read on and you'll find out what I think to those very important questions.

My Top 10 Highlights of E3 2017 | List

The E3 2017 press conferences have come and gone and we've been given lots of new information on previously announced games as well as plenty of brand new announcements too. Overall it's been a good E3 event, however certain press conferences left me feeling slightly underwhelmed and there was a lack of games that I expected to see but that weren't mentioned at all (The Last of Us: Part 2 and a new From Software 'Souls-like' game being two of them).

EA's conference is never normally anything I get excited for but this year they actually had more content to my taste than usual. Microsoft had a much better year than usual because of all the indie titles being announced (a few of their AAA games looked quite interesting too). Bethesda was quite disappointing, there was no new Elder Scrolls or Doom and very little new announcements that appealed to me. Devolver Digital's presence at E3 was refreshingly entertaining (acting as an over the top parody of the major conferences) and even featured a head explosion and the removal of limbs, but had no actual games that looked all that great which was a shame. Then there was the PC gaming show which is the only conference that bored me, simply because they had very little to announce but dragged it on over a long period of time. Then we had Sony who had an amazing conference last year, which perhaps made this year's a little bit underwhelming. This is probably because of them mainly showing content from games we already know exist. Nintendo shared the same fate as Sony, being underwhelming overall due to it's major releases being available at an unspecific time next year rather than being available soon.

Little Nightmares | Video Review

Developer: Tarsier Studios

Publisher: Bandai Namco

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Released: 28^th April 2017

Cinematic platformers don't come by very often, so whenever one is released you can expect me to be trying it out. The newest addition to the genre is Little Nightmares, a game I've had my eye on for quite a while now and was looking forward to playing. You control 'Six'; a girl who explores a huge world, having to climb up bedside tables and use plates as makeshift ladders while also trying to avoid the many monsters who are out to kill her.

It's an interesting game which is worth playing if you enjoyed games such as LIMBO, Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty or INSIDE. It shares a similar tone to those games and is very often compared to them by people who are fans of this style.

Hugo 2 | Video Review

Developer: ITE Media

Publisher: ITE Media

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation

Released: April 27th 2000

Hugo 2 is a minigame compilation which features games from the Hugo TV show which was primarily broadcast in the 90's. The translation from TV game-show to console video game didn't go smoothly though and resulted in a sequel which is worse than the original game (which is also a minigame compilation).

Hugo 2 is a lesson in how not to create a game, it fails to be entertaining in almost every way and I consider it to be the worst game I've ever played (especially for a console game). The fact that it was released fairly late into the life-cycle of the PS1 makes it even more difficult to comprehend how this game was published as an official PlayStation game; and it's not even the last Hugo game to be featured in the PS1 library, there are four more after this one.

25 Games That Should be on the SNES Mini | List

It's heavily rumoured that a SNES Classic Edition (unofficially dubbed 'SNES Mini') is being developed by Nintendo for release this Winter. It wouldn't be surprising if they announced it at this year's E3 event for maximum exposure but we'll have to wait and see what they have up their sleeves. If such a device is in development then the discontinuation of the NES Mini would make slightly more sense from a business point of view, so the two 'Mini' consoles don't compete with each other or cause confusion as to which device is which.

Regardless of Nintendo's business practices, I can't help but be excited at the idea of a SNES Mini, the SNES library of games is huge, varied and features some of the greatest and most beloved video games ever made. As such, I've written a list of the top 25 games I would like to see featured on a SNES Mini, if most of these games make the cut, I think the device will sell extremely well (and hopefully this time Nintendo will see the demand coming and be able to make enough stock to satisfy everyone).

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | Review

Developer: Naughty Dog

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation

Released: November 5^th 1997

To celebrate the upcoming release of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on PS4 I figured I would go back and review the original Crash Bandicoot games to re-familiarise myself with the series' roots before I create a video review for the aforementioned remake trilogy which is due to be released on the 30^th June 2017. I've already reviewed the original Crash Bandicoot so the next logical step would be to move over to the next game in the series.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a game which I have a lot of nostalgia for, it was one of the games I played time and time again as a kid and I still find time to replay it fairly often nowadays too. The original Crash Bandicoot was very impressive when it was released and it received a lot of positive attention and acclaim from critics and gamers alike, but because of this success, Naughty Dog (the creators of the original Crash games) were given only a single year to develop a sequel.

Team Kirby Clash Deluxe | Review

Developer: HAL Laboratory

Publisher: Nintendo

Reviewed on: 3DS

Available on: 3DS

Released: April 13^th 2017

During the April 12^th 2017 Nintendo Direct, it was brought to my attention that it's the Kirby series' 25^th anniversary this year. From it's humble beginnings as a Game Boy title, Kirby has come quite a long way since then; he's had a whole eleven games in the main series and a huge number of spin offs on top of that. The series shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, with three brand new titles being announced in the aforementioned Nintendo Direct, two of which are coming out later this year and the third of which (that I'm reviewing now) was made available straight after the Nintendo Direct ended. I say 'three brand new titles' and what I actually mean is one brand new title and two 'Deluxe' versions of the two mini games from Kirby: Planet Robobot (Team Kirby Clash and Kirby 3D Rumble).

Team Kirby Clash Deluxe is a slightly strange title in the series due to it being a free to play game, meaning you can download it and experience the full game completely free of charge. However, as with most free to play games there is an incentive to give a payment for in game currency. This currency is called Gem Apples and these are required for pretty much every function in the game, but before I get ahead of myself, let's talk about the game itself.

My Game Reviews and Lists | List

In order to make it a little bit easier to find specific games which I've reviewed on my blog, I thought I would create a page where you can view all of the games (and consoles) I've covered and all of the lists I've wrote, all in one place. Below is a list of every article on this blog in alphabetical order, the section at the top is for both written and video reviews, then there's a second section where I've placed my console reviews and finally a third section where there's all of the lists featured on my blog. Clicking the title of any of the games, consoles or lists will take you directly to that particular article, so you could think of this as being a hub world for my blog!

Hopefully this makes things a little bit more organised and you might notice some games on here you didn't know I had covered. I'll be constantly updating this list whenever I write a new article, so be sure to keep coming back to it to see what new things I've been working on!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Review

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Reviewed on: Wii U

Available on: Wii U & Switch

Released: March 3^rd 2017

This is probably a bit of a strange thing to learn about someone who has a big interest in retro games but I hadn't actually played a Zelda game until very recently. The first one I tried out was Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS, before moving on to The Wind Waker HD, Majora's Mask 3D and Twilight Princess HD (which I happen to have reviewed), so I don't have the same nostalgia for the series that a lot of other gamers have. That being said, because I've only just got into the series it makes Breath of the Wild a particularly exciting game for me because it's the first of the Zelda series I've purchased on release and the first one I've been able anticipate and get hyped for with other Zelda fans.

There hasn't been a proper new Zelda game through the entire lifespan of the Wii U (Skyward Sword was the last major release and that came out on the Wii in 2011) and this has made Breath of the Wild one of the most eagerly anticipated games in a long time. Taking all this into consideration, the question is, does Breath of the Wild live up to the hype and does it deserve all the rave reviews it's been getting from major game journalism outlets? Perhaps a more important question is, how does Breath of the Wild compare to it's predecessors and does the new open world format work in the context of a Zelda game?

Bionic Commando | Video Review

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Reviewed on: NES

Available on: NES

Released: December 1988

Bionic Commando is an action platformer which stars Ladd Spencer as a soldier with a bionic arm who can't jump. His mission is to rescue Super Joe and defeat the evil Master-D before he activates a secret weapon known as Project Albatross.

Despite first being introduced to the Bionic Commando series with the 2008 remake; Bionic Commando Rearmed, I decided it would be a good idea to go back to the series roots and play the game that started it all. This review took quite a long time to create so I hope you enjoy it, let me know in the comments what you think!

18 Sub-Genres of Shooter Games | List

The shooter genre has been around almost since the birth of video games as a medium. The earliest examples were very basic but obviously appealed to a huge audience as they became one of the most prominent game genres and it remains as such today. Because the shooter genre has existed for such a long time, developers have changed the standard formula in many different ways, thus creating many, many different sub-genres of shooter games.

The shooter genre covers an extremely diverse range of games but to sum it up simply, a shooter is an action orientated game featuring guns or long ranged weapons which tests your accuracy and reactions. The objective of a shooter changes depending on the exact sub-genre but most consist of the player character needing to reach the end of a stage while defeating enemies before they defeat you.

My Top 10 Favourite Gaming YouTube Channels | List

Having started my own YouTube channel recently, I've been watching quite a bit of other people's content for inspiration. I've also been searching for different types of videos from the ones I'm used to watching and found quite a few new channels that I've become a regular viewer of. It can be difficult finding a new channel that you can get fully invested in, so I decided to write this list for others who want to find more to watch but don't know where to begin looking. Think of this list as my top ten recommendations for people wanting more game related YouTube content.

I'll be explaining what each channel does, who they are and why I like them, while also trying not to just gush too much. The only particular rule in this list is that there are no channels devoted to 'Let's Plays'. The reason for this is that I normally don't find this type of video particularly interesting, it's just something I've never really gotten into. The sort of content all the channels on this list create are reviews, documentary style videos and current affairs/gaming news. If you want to check out any of the channels, you can click their names and go straight to their YouTube page. I'll be starting at number ten and making my way to my favourite YouTube channel at number one.

Samurai Lantern | Review

Developer: AdventureBit

Publisher: AdventureBit

Reviewed on: PC

Available on: PC

Released: 11^th December, 2016

Samurai Lantern is a 2D single screen platformer developed by AdventureBit. Exterior help was given with the creation of the sound effects and music, but other than that, this is the work of a one man developer. If you want to try out Samurai Lantern it's completely free with the option of supporting the developer if you enjoyed the game.

I came across Samurai Lantern while searching for lesser known indie games to review which is something I'm looking to do more often. While certain indie games are fairly bare-bones, the experience you get while playing them can be fun and reminiscent of NES games in terms of minimal and simplistic graphics and controls. The question is, is Samurai Lantern an example of a good indie game or is it not worth your time?

15 Positives and Negatives of the Nintendo Switch Presentation | List

The Nintendo Switch has been officially revealed and a Nintendo Direct Switch presentation took place on the 13^th January to give fans and journalists an insight into what the console can do and what some of the upcoming games and features are. This list is a breakdown of 15 positives and negatives of the Switch presentation and will feature some opinions on what I think Nintendo could have done better and what they got right.

I had quite a lukewarm reception to the presentation itself, I think Nintendo could have gone into a lot more detail in some areas rather than spending so long explaining the gimmicks of the console. The first party games shown at the presentation look great and there are a lot of things to be excited for, but there are also quite a few disappointing aspects of the Switch too (a while ago I wrote a list of things I wanted from the Switch, so you can refer to that to see why I feel slightly let down in certain ways). Below is my breakdown of the best and worst bits of the presentation, starting with the positive points and then going into some negatives.

NES Classic Edition | Review

Developer: Nintendo

Distributor: Nintendo

Released: November 11^th 2016

Nintendo recently released the Mini NES (officially known as the NES Classic Edition or Nintendo Classic Mini in Europe) and just like what happened when Amiibo first went on sale, it went out of stock instantaneously. I must have been particularly good last year because I was given one for Christmas and after spending a bit of time with it, I wanted to share my thoughts.

This is going to be a slightly differently formatted review to usual as I'm used to reviewing games but this will be my first time reviewing a piece of gaming hardware. The reason I wanted to do this review is because you may want more information about the product before spending what could be quite a lot of money on it.