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!