Essentials, PS2

PS2 Essentials: Ace Combat: Squadron Leader

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The Ace Combat series is a jewel in Namco’s crown that people sadly seem to forget about quite often — though hopefully the seventh installment due early in 2019 will rectify that to an extent.

The series mostly stretches across the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 eras, with a less well-received (but still enjoyable) spinoff installment in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 era. For most, the series’ peak was with its PS2 installments; opinion varies as to which one of these is really “the best”, but they’re all very much worth your time.

At the time of writing, we’ve already talked about fourth installment Distant Thunder (aka Shattered Skies), so today let’s take a look at the fifth game, known as Squadron Leader in Europe, and The Unsung War elsewhere. It’s a good ‘un.

Continue reading PS2 Essentials: Ace Combat: Squadron Leader →

Videos

Atari A to Z: Miner 2049’er

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“Platforms and ladders”. That’s what we used to call platformers before the more well-established, compact term we use today really took off.

Actually, there is a bit of a distinction; when one is referring specifically to a “platforms and ladders” game, one tends not to be referring to a side-scrolling title like a Super Mario Bros. game, but instead something that unfolds a single screen at a time, usually tasking the player with reaching a specific point or visiting every part of the level at least once.

Bill Hogue and Big Five Software’s Miner 2049’er is a great example of this format — and a game that remains one of the most enduringly popular titles in the Atari 8-bit’s library to this day.

Follow Atari A to Z on its own dedicated site here!

Podcast

The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 13 – Don, Don, Don, Don, Dodododododo KA

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It’s time for a new episode of The MoeGamer Podcast with me and my co-host Chris Caskie of MrGilderPixels!

The MoeGamer Podcast is available in several places. You can subscribe to my channel on YouTube to stay up to date with both the video versions of the podcast and my weekly videos, you can follow on Soundcloud for the audio-only version of the podcast, you can subscribe via RSS to get the audio-only version of the podcast in your favourite podcast app or you can subscribe via iTunes. Subscribe.

Or you can hit the jump to watch or listen to today’s episode right here on MoeGamer.

Continue reading The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 13 – Don, Don, Don, Don, Dodododododo KA →

Auto Modellista, Sunday Driving

Sunday Driving: If You’re Not in First Place, You’re Not Gonna Win – Auto Modellista #4

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Who’d have thought it, eh? It’s amazing the kind of inane stupidity that spills out of one’s mouth while attempting to concentrate on something else.

This week we continue our attempts to master Capcom’s visually arresting arcade racer Auto Modellista, and start to encounter some serious resistance. And, it seems, overcoming that resistance isn’t as simple as just picking the car with the best stats from the list…

Hit the jump to see how things went in this week’s races.

Continue reading Sunday Driving: If You’re Not in First Place, You’re Not Gonna Win – Auto Modellista #4 →

Announcements

Around the Network

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Whew, nearly went to bed without the weekly roundup. That would never do now, would it?

It’s been… a tough week, I won’t lie. Well, actually, it’s been a tough few weeks due to one thing or another, but this week in particular has been one of the worst for a while for reasons that are probably obvious.

Still, one of the best things you can do for your own sanity in trying times is attempt to cling onto at least one little piece of normality… so things have been ticking along here as usual amid numerous instances of uncontrollable crying and bleak depression. Let’s take a look at what you might have missed this week.

Continue reading Around the Network →

Dragalia Lost

Dragalia Lost: You Don’t Pay My Sub

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A while back, I wrote about how Granblue Fantasy spreads out what would be the “endgame” experience of a more conventional MMO throughout its entire duration. And, unsurprisingly, given the developer the two games has in common, Dragalia Lost works in much the same way.

Dragalia Lost doesn’t have linear progression. Sure, you have a player level, but that’s more a measure of how long and how much you’ve played rather than anything else. And sure, you have character levels — but there are numerous ways to build these up, plus a strong emphasis on building a selection of teams and characters rather than just one “main” group.

The nice thing about the way Dragalia Lost does this — much like Granblue Fantasy also does — is that it provides the fun, mechanical, progression-based aspect of MMOs without one of their most irritating aspects. Let’s take a closer look at what I mean.

Continue reading Dragalia Lost: You Don’t Pay My Sub →

Project Zero, Videos

New Game Plus: That One Perfect Shot – Project Zero #1

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Do you beat games? I do.

Speaking to a lot of game-playing friends in person and online, it transpired that relatively few people I know seem to start a game and see it through to completion in the same way as I do — either playing a bit and then endlessly starting again to try different character builds or starting conditions, or simply hopping from new game to new game as they’re released without ever really getting anywhere in any of them.

One of the things you miss out on if you don’t beat games is the fact that many of them have plenty more stuff to do after you see the credits roll for the first time. So, well, I figured given that my YouTube channel is settling into a nice rhythm with its Atari A to Z, Warriors Wednesday and Sunday Driving videos… why don’t we take the time to explore that aspect of gaming specifically?

Continue reading New Game Plus: That One Perfect Shot – Project Zero #1 →

One-Shots

Goodbye, Ruby

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It’s a personal post today. I’m not going to apologise for that, because it’s important to me, and I’m sure all of you reading this understand that too.

Today, we suffered a great loss in our family: our beloved cat Ruby was in an accident, and passed away. Thankfully we were able to say our goodbyes to her, and now she is resting peacefully.

I wanted to take the opportunity to leave a permanent (well, as permanent as anything on the Internet ever is) record of how much we loved her, and how much she will be missed. Please, join me in celebrating how much this beloved companion — no, this member of our family — meant to us.

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Atari A to Z, Videos

Atari ST A to Z: Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts

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We all have games that we enjoy a bunch, but are absolutely no good at whatsoever. For me, one of those games is Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts… in pretty much any incarnation.

The Atari ST version was a pretty great port that offered a convincingly “console-style” experience on home computers that were never quite able to match up to dedicated gaming hardware. I may have never seen beyond about halfway through the first level (including in today’s video) but I’ll still always have fond memories of it.

Join me as I wax lyrical on the game’s excellent use of the ST’s meagre sound chip, the novelty value of platform games with undulating landscapes and, once again, my brother’s girlfriend’s father.

Follow Atari A to Z on its own dedicated site here!

Hundred Honeys, Waifu Wednesday

Waifu Wednesday: The Hundred Honeys Project – Sitri’s Pick

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Well, it’s been a while since we last checked in with the Honeys, so by popular request (all right, one person asked) it’s high time we paid them a visit.

Today I decided to let in-game assistant Sitri do all the hard work in terms of character design, while I’d do “the easy bit” — posing them in a suitable environment.

Several hours later, I feel like I may have gotten the raw end of the deal here… but the results were worth it!

Continue reading Waifu Wednesday: The Hundred Honeys Project – Sitri’s Pick →

The best of overlooked and underappreciated computer and video games, from yesterday and today.