Hi, I'm Dranzerstorm
Welcome to the Video Game & Music Lounge
This world is dedicated to Video Games and Music as I'll be showcasing the following.
Video Game Reviews set to the same tones as Retro Retrospective's Anime Reviews
Music reviews of Anime Openings & Closings
Western Cartoon music
Vocaloid Classics.
We may even have some Top Tens
I hope this World entertains you.
The Amiga doesn't get much love but it produced some fantastic games.
Chaos Engine released in 1993 is a top down shooter set in Victorian Age Steampunk era in which you control two of six mercenaries for literal hire (you have to pay your in game money to use them) in order to stop the creations of the dreaded Chaos Engine. You achieve this either as two player Co-op or single player with CPU Co-op
It was known as Soldiers of Fortune in the States which sounds less epic than Chaos Engine.
Pros
Works it's Co-op mechanics well.
Works in effective puzzle mechanics.
Great setting.
All round good shooting game.
Cons
Money becomes an issue when working with a crap teammate.
In game money system means game over if you run out.
FOR THE LOVE THAT ALL THAT IS HOLY, NEVER RELEASE THIS AS A MOBILE GAME!!!!
Verdict
The in game money system is probably the earliest example of pay to win without actual money so you can see why this would be a disastrous mobile game, the original however is a fantastic game worth playing with your friends.
One of the things I miss about gaming in the 90s is that everything felt fresh and what you saw is what you got, just like today's subject.
Released as a sequel to the original Skidmarks in 1995, Super Skidmarks is a crazy isometric top down racer in which you drive everything from Minis to Buggys to Cows on Wheels. The game was packed with wacky content and game modes that you'll never be bored.
One of the first games to ever be produced in New Zealand.
Pros
The Amiga version offered up to 8 player multiplayer practically unheard of in that era.
So many possible cars, tracks and mode combinations.
Somehow makes towing caravans/trailers fun.
Cons
Isometric view is not easy to control at high speeds.
Some tracks are very confusing.
The Megadrive/Genesis version lost some of the features the Amiga had.
Verdict
Definitely worth your time if you own a working Amiga and still a decent play on the Megadrive/Genesis.
If you were to pinpoint the beginning of the FPS craze, you'd have to go back to your Doom's and Counterstrike but I argue this title was better at showcasing the future.
Released in 1999, Quake 3 Arena took everything it learned from it's previous games and turned it into a multiplayer deathmatch experience, like any good deathmatch it's all about the weapons, the environment and the gameplay balance which this game achieves well.
It's still required playing at Quakecon
Pros
All the modern FPS tricks came from this game.
More accessible than most modern games of equal genre.
Without this game, the modern FPS would not dominate the market
Cons
Poor colour palette
No story plot.
Has been surpassed by everything that followed it.
Verdict
The problem with being one of the originals is that you won't be remembered when a Halo or Call of Duty comeout. Still a game that holds up today.
The 360 and PS3 era showed us a glimpse of what the trends were becoming, nothing but shooters, so standing out was the key to being remembered.
Released in 2011, Bulletstorm is an FPS with emphasis on style as it gives you over hundred ways to kill your enemy and keeps score, the tone matching other high octane classics like Duke Nukem and Serious Sam.
You play Grayson the leader of a former black ops team who seeks out revenge on his commander for being framed for war crimes, in a drunken rage, Grayson attacks his former commander only to be stranded on an unknown planet with most of his crew dead. Upon meeting another Black ops soldier, Grayson acquires a special leash for yeeting enemies and blasting them to bits.
Speaking of Duke Nukem, he turns up in the remaster.
Pros
Amazing how much you can do when you get creative with the genre
Game has a balanced difficulty
Works well with the edgy humour
Genuinely fun to play if only to experiment and achieve every skill shot
Cons
Missed a chance for a decent multiplayer
Hard to see myself playing it again after completion
Way too easy to mix up controls during skill shots
Verdict
Among other FPS games, it stands out yet still can't surpass the main players like Call of Duty, yet I feel that in the end this title will be remembered for reminding us to have fun.
The puzzle crown has always been hard to win with Tetris still very much ontop but there were a few worthy challengers.
Released in 1999 as a launch title for the Dreamcast, Chu Chu Rocket has you place arrows on a checkerboard in order to guide mice to their rocket all while avoiding the cats, among the regular puzzle mode there is a battle mode for up to 4 players which supports local and online play, one of the earliest examples of online gaming.
You can still play it online through private server rental.
Pros
Works best as a multiplayer
Puzzle mode is decent length
In most cases, this game was free
Cons
Limited appeal for solo players
Unless you're Japanese I doubt anyone had that much success with the Dreamcast online system.
Verdict
Chu Chu Rocket is well missed and I'd welcome it back with open arms
