Developer: Argonaut Software
Publisher: Fox Interactive
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation, Saturn, PC
Released: 29th September 1997
31 December 2019
18 October 2019
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus | Video Review
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Publisher: GT Interactive
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation, PC
Released: November 17th 1998
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee | Video Review
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Publisher: GT Interactive
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation, PC
Released: September 19th 1997
22 March 2019
Demo 1 | Video Review
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation
Released: 1997
17 November 2018
MediEvil | Video Review
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation
Released: October 1st 1998
22 September 2018
Spyro: Year of the Dragon | Video Review
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation
Released: October 24th 2000
19 September 2018
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! | Video Review
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation
Released: November 2nd 1999
Spyro the Dragon | Video Review
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation
Released: September 9th 1998
Lucky Luke | Video Review
Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: Infograms
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation & PC
Released: 1998
22 April 2018
Crash Team Racing | Video Review
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation
Released: October 19th 1999
30 January 2018
Hugo: The Evil Mirror | Video Review
Developer: ITE Media
Publisher: ITE Media
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation & PC
Released: May 2nd 2002
Well, I've finally finished reviewing every single Hugo game available for the PS1, it's taken well over a year, but it's finally done. With this review of Hugo: The Evil Mirror, I've reviewed a total of six Hugo games which are: Hugo, Hugo 2, Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones, Hugo: Black Diamond Fever, Hugo: Frog Fighter and this one.
None of the past Hugo games have been particularly good (in fact some have been absolutely dreadful), but hopefully the series will end with a bang instead of a miserable fizzle. Have ITE Media learned anything from their past endeavours? Or will all of their past games have been leading up to nothing? Give the video a watch and find out!
Well, I've finally finished reviewing every single Hugo game available for the PS1, it's taken well over a year, but it's finally done. With this review of Hugo: The Evil Mirror, I've reviewed a total of six Hugo games which are: Hugo, Hugo 2, Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones, Hugo: Black Diamond Fever, Hugo: Frog Fighter and this one.
None of the past Hugo games have been particularly good (in fact some have been absolutely dreadful), but hopefully the series will end with a bang instead of a miserable fizzle. Have ITE Media learned anything from their past endeavours? Or will all of their past games have been leading up to nothing? Give the video a watch and find out!
22 December 2017
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?
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?
26 November 2017
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?
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?
27 October 2017
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).
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).
22 September 2017
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!
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!
8 September 2017
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.
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.
5 August 2017
Hugo: The Quest for the Sunstones | Video Review
Developer: ITE Media
Publisher: ITE Media
Reviewed on: PlayStation
Available on: PlayStation, PC
Released: November 3rd 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!
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!
20 June 2017
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped | Review
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios
Reviewed on:
PlayStation
Available on:
PlayStation
Released: October 31st
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.
1 June 2017
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.
4 May 2017
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 5th 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 30th 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.