As mentioned previously, Frightober died on the vine this year due to unforeseen circumstances. But, we promise to come back bigger and better next year. We also pledge to make Thankful for Gaming bigger than ever this year. I started with comics earlier this weekend. Now, today, I kick off the thankful with Thank you Atari.
Those who spend any time here know that both Chris and I are old men gamers. Me slightly older than him. As a result, I grew up with both the Atari 2600 and 7800 in the house. Whenever I get a new computer, the first thing I do is download the Stella emulator to play those games. A couple of years ago, I bought one of the Retrokin Atari systems. Just this year, I bought one of the 7800+ systems from Atari.
Okay, But, Why?
Aside from the obvious nostalgia and memories that the games bring back, they’re genuinely just fun games. When I first got the Retrokin to work, I spent a good half hour playing Frostbite until I achieved a score of almost 200,000. I then went on to time out in PItfall (something first accomplished while sleeping over my grandmother’s apartment when younger) and beating Superman, a game that I barely played when younger.
Sure, the graphics are terrible and the game play is repetitive. But, that’s why I love these games. You can have your speed runs. I want a good old fashioned high score battle any time. No pause button. Only one button and a joystick. So tests the mettle of a man. Okay, sorry, I got a bit carried away there. But, those are the reasons that I like the games. It takes away all the pomp and circumstance and gives you games stripped down to the simplest terms.
Doesn’t It Get Boring?
Well, sure, of course it does. But, you can say the same about modern games. How many times can you mine for diamonds or beat the other team in Madden by 75 before you walk away from those games? At least, in my case, I have these games to fall back on when the modern game becomes too much to bear.
Additionally, I don’t want to speak out of turn, but how many other systems will have a thriving homebrew community 40 years later? Command such respect that the company updates the software and recreates the hardware for a third generation? Granted, gaming changed and many developers release their own emulators to preserve older games. But, that takes the power out of the hands of the hobby programmers some. Plus, they continually attack those hobbyists and try to enforce decades old copyrights. How much longer until the emulation industry dies altogether?
Thank You Atari
Fun and engaging games that are almost half a century old. Homebrew games by the dozens. New releases even this year by some of the best and brightest programmers from back in the hey day. What more do you need to convince yourself that the answer to “Have You Played Atari Today?” is a resounding yes each and every day?
Along with Metroid, Castlevania ranks as one of the most iconic video game franchises in history. With every new game, it first revolutionized the side scrolling genre before redefining how an RPG looks and what it can do. Therefore, this Frightober, I bring you Noob’s history with Castlevania.
Hell, there’s even a genre of games called Metroidvania that highlights games that count both as inspiration. So, on this trip into gaming horror’s past, it makes sense to visit the Belmont family. As always on the page, I intend to introduce the games. Don’t take this, in any form, as a comprehensive collection or history of Castlevania. Additionally, I welcome any input for games that you enjoy that I missed.
The Origins: Birth of a Vampire Hunter
Castlevania got its start on the SNES in 1986. You take control of Simon Belmont, a member of the Belmont vampire hunting family. Like others before you, you take on the mission to find and defeat Count Dracula in his castle. No small feat, to be sure. Luckily, in addition to your impressive lineage, you also come equipped with a trusty whip.
As you play the game, you upgrade the whip to deal more damage. That allows you to more efficiently and effectively deal with stronger enemies. You also can pick up secondary weapons in the game that give you even further advantage against the more dangerous or devious of Dracula’s minions. As with the previous game in our trip to the past, Splatterhouse, the side scrolling nature of the game may turn modern gamers away. I implore you to try the game in spite of that.
Unlike Splatterhouse that only offers the side scrolling action, Castlevania (and especially later games in the series) allow for 2 dimensional motion by climbing stairs or descending into caverns. This added movement opens up new strategies for fighting enemies and boss fights. One of the things you need to figure out is when to ascend and when to crouch back on the ground.
Evolution of the Series on the NES and SNES
The second game previews some of the RPG elements further explored in future games. It gives you more freedom to explore towns and interact with the townspeople. They give you hints and point you along your way as you embark on your quest. I like the more open nature of this game, but understand the decision to make the next two games in the more traditional style of the first game.
Upon opening the third game, it gave me a familiar feeling. It looked and felt like the first game. Not a complete recreation. However, they took the Super Mario tact of going back to what worked in the first place after trying something new in the second game. I can’t argue with that decision. I like when people try new things. But, I also like the familiarity of knowing what to expect from a game when I start it. If I got deja vu from the third one, then Super Castlevania IV looked almost exactly like the first one with better graphics. That’s an oversimplification, because the game isn’t a shot for shot remake. But, it owes much to that first game.
A Brief Discussion About 3D vs. 2D
After being born on the NES, it grew up on other Super Nintendo consoles. However, unlike franchises like Mario and Zelda, Castlevania stumbled some on the Nintendo 64. I played through some of the first level (for the first time) to prepare for this article and I said to myself, “I can’t believe we ever though these games looked good.” The graphics are awkward, the animation is clunky, and it just doesn’t give off much of a Castlevania vibe at all.
Luckily, the Playstation version of the game, more than made up for that misfire. Symphony of the Night is considered by many to be the best entry in the series. Granted, it went back to the roots as a side scroller, but it brought in the RPG elements of the second game to give it a more robust feeling. What can you do? Some franchises just took longer to adjust to 3D. Some still haven’t.
The World of Castlevania
Music: From the first game, they enhanced the atmosphere of the game with unsettling and, sometimes, downright creepy music. Every time you load one of the games and hear that theme song start, you know that you’re in for an epic battle with the legions of undead and, finally, Dracula.
Aesthetic: Likewise, the graphics of the game evoke a particular style of horror. Drawing from the old monster movies of early Hollywood and the legacy of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley. The backgrounds, the monsters, and the weapons all add to that style. When you get that dagger or crucifix, again, you know you’re in for one hell of a battle.
Dracula’s Castle: The castle itself can be considered a character in the story. It shifts from game to game and, sometimes, level to level. This all adds to the unsettling feeling of the games. In addition, this offers new and different challenges in each game. For puzzle lovers like me, that’s probably the biggest selling point.
Where to Start
Depending on your preferred game style, the series offers many starting points. Retro gamers might just start at the beginning with one of the online emulators that offer the NES or SNES games, depending on how far you want to go back. Old guy gamers who remember certain systems but somehow missed the Castlevania games on that system can pick one of the games that I highlighted here. Or, you can jump on with the Game Boy Advance trilogy.
Even if you shun the old games for the new, there’s Castlevania for you. Unfortunately, though, the most recent console games released for the PS3 generation. However, they released a couple of games on mobile for those who want the familiarity of that particular gaming device. If you happen to start playing the series, let us know which game and if you plan to continue.
The Verdict
Hopefully Noob’s History with Castlevania gave you some idea of the scope and influence of the games. We didn’t even talk about the games in pop culture, including the Netflix series. Perhaps, we can revisit at some point and bring you some of that content and more. If we missed one of your favorites, let us know. We’ll cover it in a future article.
I tried to branch out with Marvel Strike Force this week. While that experiment ended in failure, thankfully I planned to discuss something near and dear to our heart here at 2 Generations Gaming. Marvel vs. Capcom collection brings together some of the most fun fighting games from my teenage years and young adulthood. While they don’t fire the same nostalgia synapses as, say Street Fighter 2 or Mortal Kombat, at least one of them holds a very special place in my heart.
The Others
I never played Marvel Super Heroes or X-Men vs. Street Fighter at the time. I think, by that time, my interest in fighting games waned and I moved on to other games, most notably Resident Evil. So, Capcom still took much of my money. This interest in horror games then extended to Silent Hill and Fatal Frame. That still ranks as one of my favorite games of all time.
I played both X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes in the arcade. Like Darkstalkers, I welcomed the new take on the Street Fighter fighting engine with more stylized graphics. They eventually gave me the best of both worlds with Street Fighter Alpha, a game that I only played on home systems. By that time, I moved out and owned a full priced PlayStation (those of you who know, you know that it dropped in price a month after I bought it, thereby guaranteeing that I’d never again pay full price for a console) and lived alone. Games like Street Fighter Alpha kept me company during that time.
Unlike Darkstalkers, both X-Men and Marvel Super Heroes featured familiar characters, so I gravitated towards them in the arcade. In X-Men, I played Wolverine, Psylocke, and Cyclops mostly. Then, in MSH, I mained Spidey, Hulk, and Cap. Those preferences ran deep and carried over into the other game in the series that quite possibly sits at the top of my favorite fighting games list. I never actually made such a list and Mortal Kombat 11 occupied an insane amount of my time. Well, I have an idea for a future article.
The One
While I played and enjoyed Marvel vs. Capcom, the second one captured my attention when I played it. Then, I introduced my children to fighting games with that very game. We played the game together daily, enjoying ourselves almost beyond belief. I’ve written on more than one occasion that becoming a dad changes you. Honestly, those changes mostly strengthen and solidify you as a person.
I gamed growing up because it gave me an escape from the crap I endured at school daily. It allowed me to spend some time with my brothers and have fun instead of being the butt of everyone’s jokes. When I played games with my kids, I hoped to give them the same feeling of belonging and happiness. I think I succeeded. All of them still, to this day, play together in Minecraft and The Sims. We all play Mario Party and Mario Kart as a family during school breaks. And, now, with this collection, we can relive those fun times with Marvel vs. Capcom 2.
The Verdict
I bought the street Fighter collection years ago and played it once or twice. I think Aiden played with one of his friends a couple of times. But, overall, it collects dust as a forgotten relic of a teenage me, not grown up dad me. I think that if I buy Marvel vs. Capcom collection, it will be worth it just for the laughs that the second MvC brings.
I meant to write this article last Friday to cap off my celebration of the new fighting games coming this year. Then I wanted to post it Saturday and again yesterday. Saturday, I took a nap and then went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Liam and Quinn for father’s day. Look for the review on Thursday. Yesterday, Christine took me into Boston to see the Alanis Morrisette musical “Jagged Little Pill.” Harder to maneuver that one into our aesthetic, so I’ll just say it was very good and I highly recommend it. And, so, on Monday, you get Noob’s history with fighting games.
Unlike my other histories (maybe I’ve only written one, Mario?), I won’t be traveling through the actual chronology of these games. I’m 47 years old and things that happened 20 years ago feel like they happened 3 years ago. Plus, Covid happened 3 years ago and that feels like a lifetime ago. So, my internal clock broke some time ago. As a result, this will read more like a list of games that I played and some stories about them.
BloodStorm
They hyped the shit out of this game. Loking back, I remember now that they even got the guy who played Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat as one of the spokepeople for the game. They promised ultraviolence and a way to improve your fighter by collecting powers and storing them via password. Then, the game never came to my arcade. I lived life thinking I imagined it along the lines of the Mandela effect. Then, i found a ROM of the game and played it a few times on MAME. Jesus, what a piece of shit.
Super Smash Bros.
I live with the shame of being terrible at Super Smash Bros. Moreover, I have no idea how to even play the game. I don’t know what the percentage means, can perform no moves on cue, and spend most of the time just hoping that people falling off the cliffs will kill them and give me the win.
King of Fighters
Unlike many of the games on the list, I have no idea when I started playing King of Fighters. I know it most likely happened like all of the others on the list and I met the game while waiting for the lines at Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter to calm down. Something about this game caught my eye. And, yes, I was a teenage boy, so it’s the thing you’d figure it would be. I was a Mai main.
Tekken
I never fell for the console wars. Likewise, I refused to pick a side during the Virtua Fighter/Tekken split between fans. With that being said, I preferred Virtua Fighter, espeically after Virtua Fighter 2. But, I enjoyed getting my ass handed to me in Tekken. I just returned the favor if they ever became foolish enough to challenge my Shun in Virtua Fighter 2.
Darkstalkers
I actually went through a phase where I preferred Darkstalkers to Street Fighter. Essentially a reskin of the game with horror figures, I liked the graphical style better in Darkstalkers. That all changed when I discovered Street Fighter Alpha and they brought this style to Street Fighter. Because, realistically, Street Fighter has the most polished fighting engine out there and everything else pales in comparison.
Virtua Fighter
I discovered Virtua Fighter when both the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter machines got buried underneath long lines of quarters. And, so I started playing Virtua Fighter. Similar to my experience with Street Fighter, I found the strategy of the game appealing. Also, no fireballs or dragon punches. The legitimacy of the fighting, no matter how actually illegitimate it might have been, brought me great joy. I peaked in the series with Virtua Fighter 2 and my drunken master Shun. I was unbeatable with that crazy old bastard.
Primal Rage
This game became my main after I bored of Mortal Kombat 2. Plus, the mall in Monroeville where I rode the bus after school got one of the massive screens and cabinets for the game. That made the dinosaurs seem that much larger than life. When the update hit (yeah, if you’re annoyed by waiting a few hours for a game to update online, imagine waiting weeks until they released a chip that needed to be installed in the game) and we got combos and finishing moves, I asbolutely lost it and deposited quarter after quarter until I got them all. Blizzard’s brain punch is still the best.
Killer Instinct
The game promised combos. And, wow, did they ever deliver. This game ushered in the era of mega combos and dimishing returns on the damage of those combos. Plus, the unique design of many of the characters kept me coming back for more. I started as a Glacius main, but switched to Spinal once I got better at the game.
The Verdict
This obviously represents only a portion of Noob’s history with fighting games. As I searched for videos from Primal Rage, it reminded me of another game that I played, Eternal Champions. Kevin was crazier than me and purchased all of the systems, the 3D0 included. Maybe I will do another version of this when Mortal Kombat releases. Look out for Noob’s History with FIghting Games Part 2.
I never played any Grand Theft Auto. Imagine my surprise then when GTA 3 released. I searched and found the first two games were top down racers. Then it made sense why I never played them. But, I played the heck out of 3 and then Vice City. I stopped playing during the San Andreas days. I actually forgot about Rockstar Games until the first Red Dead Redemption. Then, over Christmas break, I remembered that I owned Red Dead Redemption II.
I know the game doesn’t technically fit into the New Year, New Games theme of the month. Liam watched me play briefly and said, “This game looks really good. Makes me even madder that Pokemon is so buggy.” I replied, “Yeah, and it’s a four year old game.” But, I only recently discovered and started playing it. Plus, I needed another digital playground article for the month. And, so, Red Dead Redemption II gets included. Besides, it’s my page. I can do what I want.
Humble Beginnings
I thought I might not even get a chance to write this article. As I played through the tutorial and introduction, I got increasingly irritated and more bored. Then, during the chase quest, after I failed, I restarted the entire quest. Christine remarked when I said how much I liked the game, “Oh yeah, it sounded like it as you swore at it this morning.” But, once I figured out how to start the specific quest and not the whole chain, it got better.
Plus, I got to play with the lasso a bit more in that quest, so no harm, no foul.
I only finished a few more quests. I got to the part where the snow finally starts to melt before Aiden took the XBox back upstairs. As a result, I probably won’t play much more Red Dead Redemption II until Febrary break. Quinn and Aiden both have commitments (soccer for Aiden and swim and scouts for Quinn), so we won’t travel during that break. We planned on going to Niagara Falls for April, but nothing in February. I can come back then to update on my progress.
The Verdict
Initially, I joked that Red Dead Redemption was just GTA with horses. After playing it, I enjoyed it so much more than I ever liked GTA. Other than GTA 3, I never beat any of those games. I played the original RDR until I beat it and then I played after to finish up some other Easter eggs in the game. I probably bought RDR II shortly after that. But, with the XBox in Aiden’s room most of the time, I never played it until this past Christmas. I plan to bring the XBox back downstairs during February break and you better believe that I’m going to play cowboy during that week off.
And, so, we arrive at our last award, the 2021 Console Game of the Year. If you thought our other two choices (really just one choice) were farcical, this one will really blow your mind. Before we reveal the choice and get on with the Year in Review and Look Ahead articles, some background first. We promise to make it worth your time.
Are we going to pick some ridiculous retro Atari game? Stay tuned.
If you thought we might take the easy way out and pick some Atari 2600 or other retro themed game, you’re not right. But, you’re not wrong, either. If I remembered to set up my emulator earlier in the vacation, I might have been persuaded to cheekily choose “Frostbite” or “Pitfall” or even “E.T.” or whichever of the games I became addicted to over the last week. Alas, I only just hooked up the games yesterday and spent a half an hour or so this morning playing “Circus Convoy.”
We pick a game that I only recently played a couple of times with my family. Aiden discovered the games through his friends. I found it through a Twitch stream one night and it was a lot of fun to play Humble Bundle ran a deal for several of the games. Then, my laptop, as they tend to do, died on me. Also, our desktop memory fried. So, I downloaded the most recent version on the XBox in order to play. Our 2021 Console Game of the Year is The JackBox Party Pack 8.
Ta da!
2021 Console Game of the Year: The Jackbox Party Pack 8
In any other year, I played ridiculous amounts of Minecraft. Somehow, the XBox ended up in Aiden’s room again, so I never thought to load the game this year. I played some on my laptop, but solo Minecraft is boring. I suppose, then, that Minecraft is still a contender. But, having not played the new update, I wouldn’t do it justice.
Likewise, I haven’t played any Minecraft Dungeons in spite of the fact that Quinn and I planned to a few times. Mortal Kombat 11 died last year after I played through Kombat Pack 2. I received Hades for Christmas, so too late to give it any attention. Though, I asked for Hades for Christmas because Chris played and enjoyed it so much. Perhaps next year, we can have more variety in our game playing.
We played this twice as a family. The first time, we played “Job Job” by Liam’s request. Then we played “Wheel of Enormous Proportions”. Both got the family laughing and having fun. Then, I think I mentioned that we tried to play at Christmas, but a mishap with controllers prevented that. Finally, we played the other day. We played “Drawful” and “Weapons Drawn”. We actually played “Drawful” twice. We haven’t played “Roll Mine” yet. Christine didn’t like the “Weapons Drawn” game, but the others have all been a hit. If you want a party game that’s quick and a lot of fun, this fits that bill.
How weird is it that our console game of the year 2020 actually came out in March 2019? I mean, if you’re at all familiar with our page, it isn’t that weird at all. We are nothing if not unabashedly retro in our sensibilities. Something about this year dragged me kicking and screaming into a more modern gamer. Chris, however, remains steadfast in his commitment to retro gaming and I love him for it.
I know that “No H” is not cool anymore and I completely agree. Is bromance still acceptable?
True to gaming in 2020, MK11 reached its “final form” over a year and a half after being released. In April, Aftermath came out to continue the story, gave us friendships and new stage fatalities, and added three new characters. More recently, Kombat Pack 2 gave us 3 more new characters. So, you could absolutely argue Mortal Kombat was better to us this year than last.
It feels like I just wrote the article in that last paragraph. Well, I have a couple of days to rework this article and get it published.
Console Game of the Year 2020: Humble Beginnings
If you told me last year that I’d pick Mortal Kombat 11 for this article, I’d not have believed you. I received the game as a gift from a friend. In a true dink move, I didn’t touch it for the first few months I owned it. Actually, it wasn’t a dink move. Not consciously at least. The XBox was upstairs in the game room that became Aiden’s room. I was busy with school, too.
You’re probably tired of hearing that. But, it’s true.
Finally, after those few months of gentle reminders by said friend, I logged into the game. Not entirely understanding how the game might be different from the previous few iterations, I played a few games. Yep, this is Mortal Kombat all right. For good and for bad. Little did I know how much this game would come to dominate my life over the next two years.
Console Game of the Year 2020: Familiarity Breeds Contempt?
Not at all in this case. My friend gave me the version that came with Kombat Pack 1 already included. All the fighters were there for me. Sure, in some cases, I had to download them. Also, Shao Khan and Frost both cost and extra 5 dollars. Now that I think about it, the Frost thing had to be a classic Ed Boon MK troll because you unlocked her simply by playing through the story mode. Everyone was there, though. All the classics like Johnny, Sub Zero, Scorp, and my favorite Liu Kang. Throw in some Newbies like Kitana and Jax. Finish with a sprinkling of the next generation, Cassie and Jacqui. It’s all wheat and no chaff.
5 bucks for Frost? GTFOH.
Getting back to that story mode. Eventually, it hooked me on the game. I don’t remember how or why, but I moved the XBox into our bedroom and started playing the story mode. I wrote a review for the story. That’s how impressive I thought it was. Once the game got me hooked, my friend mentioned that you could “AI” the towers. Once I discovered that, I played the game daily to get those sweet, sweet cosmetics.
Console Game of the Year 2020: Aftermath
As happens with any game, I grew tired of beating the same towers over and over again simply to rise in the ranks and get a single new skin for being in the top 5%. I rediscovered Diablo 3. Quinn and I started an epic world in Minecraft. MTGA grabbed more and more of my attention. Because of Covid, I spent more time obsessing over online learning.
I simply had no time for Mortal Kombat 11. Then, Aftermath released. I did two videos (two of three or four this year, so more than recent years!) reacting to the trailer and friendships. The new characters got me playing towers again to get new skins. A weekly Kronika quest kept me logging in on a regular basis.
Console Game of the Year 2020: Summer Lull and Kombat Pack 2
Eventually, I tired even of the regular loot from Kronika and the towers started to repeat again at a nauseating rate. I played more Pokemon Go and went for 2 hours walks to kill the time. Don’t forget Diablo 3 and MTGA. There’s only so much Mortal Kombat one person can take. My limit is apparently a couple of months before I start to stray again.
Clearly, Ed Boon realized that and released Kombat Pack 2. I reviewed this last month. Ever since the release, I’ve played daily again to get the last month of skins on the Towers of Time. Except for yesterday, I’ve been grabbing the Kronika vaults again. It just completely slipped my mind. Damn, I’m sad now. Oh well, maybe there will be another way to get the items. Or, maybe I just won’t sweat it too much. Okay, what was I saying?
Oh yeah, it seems like every time I get bored with the game, something new comes along. It’s similar to the CCG treadmill. They can’t keep this going forever on MK11. And, it seems like this last Kombat Pack might be the last unless there is a surprise announcement early next year. However, it just feels like they’ve milked this cash cow dry.
The Verdict
Mortal Kombat 11 has some new strategies to it. I’m not capable of executing many of them. Hell, I’m still stuck on the Raiden combo in the tutorial. But, watching more and more streams lately, I can see that they’ve included a deep and rich fighting engine. It’s no Tekken or Virtua Fighter. But, it’s better than bully your opponent into the corner and juggle cheese.
The inclusion of new guest stars have kept the game fresh. Plus, I still have to play through the Aftermath story. There’s enough to keep me going in Mortal Kombat 11 until at least the spring when the weather starts to get nice or I buy a PlayStation 5. Even though I played much more Hearthstone, Mortal Kombat 11 is, by far, the most fun I’ve had with a game in the last year.
In our last article, we reviewed our 2020 in console and PC gaming. You probably noticed one big omission from our list. That’s by design. Every week, we’ve done a look back, a look ahead, and then crowned the game of the year for mobile, tabletop, and now console and PC gaming. This article will take a console look ahead 2020. Luckily, both Sony and Microsoft released new consoles recently.
Why doesn’t Microsoft just go with the traditional numbering?
That’s right. The long (?) awaited XBox Series X and PS5 hit the market last month. Before I go on, allow me some time to vent. Following up on my question in the image, “Why does Microsoft insist on such difficult naming convention for their consoles?” If they wanted to be different and pretentious, there are always Roman numerals. I wonder how many kids are going to get the wrong console because it’s the XBox Series X, but there is also an XBox One Series X. I found this out as I was researching this article. Okay, rant over.
Honestly, at this point, there’s no point in reviewing specs for the two. As my 13 year old has already discovered, both consoles are essentially the same in that regard. “Dad, why do people fight about Sony and XBox?” I’m not sure, Buddy, other than people just need to fight about things. I say, “Life’s too short. Enjoy all the things.” What, then, will I discuss? Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never been this close to actually buying a “next gen” console this close to launch date. Discover with me what this console look ahead 2020 is going to be.
Sony PlayStation 5
For the 5th generation of Sony’s famous PlayStation (I know that because it’s called the PlayStation 5), they’ve gone with a sleeker design than previous generations. I honestly have no idea why. Every other PlayStation has been a brick and we’ve liked it!
Dating myself with this reference. But, what else is new?
If I’m being honest here, I find the design off putting. I’m not usually much of a traditional American. However, when it comes to my consoles, I like them like I like my women. Thick and beefy like bull. Uh, I may have revealed too much with that comment. Forget it was ever said.
Moving on, Chris mentioned in one of our conversations that he prefers PlayStation to XBox. Because Sony is primarily a Japanese company, they give access to obscure Japanese fighting and RPG titles that he likes. I’m not as familiar with those types of games. However, there are some exclusive titles like Last of Us, Ratchet and Clank, and especially Spider-Man that I find intriguing.
Microsoft XBox Series X or S or SX or SSX Tricky (another timely reference)
I mean, seriously. Again, I’m not usually one to criticize a name (unless it is stupid, outdated, and racist). But, what the hell is that name? It makes it sound like there have been 10 of these things. Given all the redesigns and such, maybe there have been. Also, what is the S? Small? Who the hell knows?
That reminds me. I haven’t even discussed that aspect of the consoles. In addition to the “main” release, both companies have designed a digital only version of their consoles. Chris and I planned to get together to talk about this in the latest attempt at getting the podcast up and running. But, and check off this bingo square again, life got in the way. This time it is much more serious than anything in the past, but I do hope we get a chance to talk at each other more about this soon.
Regarding the Series X, look at that monster. It’s like Microsoft finally just shrugged and said, “F**k it. If we’re going to build a PC, here’s your PC, ingrates.” That thing is a monster. It will be the only thing left in your house with the cockroaches after the nuclear fallout or the supervolcano under Yellowstone finally blows. The Series S is much more dainty like the PS5.
Aw, who’s a cute widdle baby console?
Now, about those exclusives. It does feel weird having a console war about exclusive software. But, honestly, what other differences are there at this point? I bought an XBox one simply because at the time it had Minecraft because Microsoft had just acquired Mojang. They can no longer say that. I think you can play Minecraft on your toaster at this point.
And, this gives me the chance to share the Doom printer video once again.
That’s not to say that they don’t have exclusives. There’s Halo (shameful Noob admission here, I’ve never played it), Gears of War (which Chris and I love for couch coop), and Forza. I looked up Forza a few weeks ago when someone reminded me of Gran Turismo (my all time favorite racing game besides the one Chris showed me where you could pimp your car and street race). Honestly, though, that PS lineup looks stronger.
The Verdict (Console Look Ahead 2020 ended up just being a discussion of games)
Time to wrap up this console look ahead 2020. Technically, I guess it is for 2021 since the consoles came out for the Christmas holiday and, if I get one at all this close to launch it won’t be until February or March at the earliest, but we’re not much for technicalities around here. We are for run on sentences though and that one was a doozy. Sorry, focus, we’re almost done here.
Like I said, it feels weird to Bloods/Crips over software, but here we are. I do like Gears of War for couch coop like I said. I’m not a Halo guy and I tried Forza but it didn’t grab me. Sony has Ratchet and Clank, which Liam said he’d play. Last of Us is my FOMO game of the last two years. Plus, Spider-Man. Need I say more? I will. I just learned that Gran Turismo 7 is scheduled for next year. Sony it is. But, all of this conversation is moot because we all know Nintendo has the best exclusives by far.
In this “final” week of 2020 here at 2 Guys Gaming, we’re starting with a familiar refrain. Similar to mobile two weeks ago and tabletop last week, I’m going to do a console look back 2020. I put final in quotes because I currently don’t have anything planned for next week. That may change depending on how motivated I feel after the holidays. However, I’ve been really good about updating this page for this year and especially the last few months.
I deserve a little R&R.
Besides, I have to get ready for the re-relaunch of the podcast and the re-re-re(?)-relaunch of the YouTube Channel. Also, who else can stream myself playing terrible games while making equally terrible dad jokes? I know that some can do either, but I’m confident that I’m the only one who can do both. Be on the lookout. 2021 is going to be 2 Guys Gaming’s year. Oh crap, we weren’t supposed to say that. Never mind.
Ah, who am I kidding? I will get some ridiculous idea or another to fill next week and we’ll all be here to do it all again. Perhaps I’ll review some of the new games we get for Christmas (even though that is tentatively on the schedule for January). Maybe I will convince the family to try Dungeons and Dragons again (if I can ever find my adventure I wrote). Oh, actually, I’ve got it. But, now, you just have to wait in suspense to find out what it is. For now, let’s dive into the console look back 2020. Note: I’m going to include PC in this as well, but the titles are already getting too long for my SEO optimizer.
Diablo 3
Long time readers of th epage know that I have a love/love relationship with Torchlight 2. It is even the topic of a now lost (thankfully in retrospect) episode 2 of the original podcast. I played Torchlight 2 far more than any of the Diablo games. Until Diablo 3. I think I bought it after Chris and I did some couch co-op at his place.
At first, it took some time to get used to the XBox controls. I also played the Marvel ARPG, Marvel Heroes, a ton on the PC. The controls on the PC for these types of games are just so intuitive. Easily and fully customizable, too. You can customize your build on the XBox, but the controls are not. They take some getting used to. I nearly stopped playing the game altogether because of the controls.
I kept playing. The story hooked me and we all know I’m a sucker for good story. The loot impressed me. I’m not usually one for loot, but Blizzard does a good job with their loot and cosmetics. I kept playing. Then, one day, something clicked. I enjoyed the game. The controls no longer kept me from doing mega damage with my rotation. I still have to finish the game, but that’s only a matter of time.
Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons
These are two very different games. Minecraft is what it has always been. As I heard it described by some boomer reporter years ago, “You mine. And you craft.” As simple as it is, that’s literally all the game involves. How can it possibly be so popular then?
I can’t speak for anyone else. However, in my experience, the game is fun because it is one of the few modern games I can play with my kids. We have all spent countless hours on survival worlds mining entire mountains and crafting more than one nether portal. Sure, not that impressive to the Minecraft pros out there, but always an achievement when we finally get the experience of dying on another plane.
Quinn and I started a new world recently. Well, he started it and I joined it one day. Within the first hour of playing I had already fished up an epic fishing rod and several strong bows. We’ve both died in the nether and lost more than one of those epic rods in the weeks since. He built a villager farm that one day vanished. All in all, we are in it for the long haul on this one. In fact, he just ran another plan by me earlier this evening.
We haven’t played Minecraft Dungeons recently. For a few weeks over the summer, it hooked us both. I liked the Diablo like gameplay. He enjoyed the Minecraft setting. I logged in a couple of weeks ago to see they updated the game in many ways. We will be sure to play this one over break.
Hearthstone
What would a PC/console article be without me swearing about our favorite CCG that we all love to hate. Yes, it’s true that more often than not, the love/hate relationship is cemented firmly in hate. That is not the case this time. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t partially include Hearthstone on the console look back 2020 list just to make the mad nerds mad.
You might have heard about the kerfuffle surrounding the release of a “battle pass” for the game about a month ago. I, personally, didn’t see what the problem was. The mad nerds, though, attacked Blizzard, streamers, and even each other for not being mad enough nerds about it.
In spite of that, I come not to bury Heartstone, but to praise it. I genuinely like the latest expansion, Battlegrounds is a fun time waster of a mode, and I will even play a game of Duels now and then. Someone wrote an article that Hearthstone is the healthiest it’s ever been. Like Magic, you can argue if you want. But, I agree. The game is so much fun.
The Verdict
The console look back 2020 shows that this aspect of our gaming wasn’t as varied as mobile, certainly, but also tabletop. Nevertheless, the games I played were fun. Quinn and I have to continue that world we started. I need to finish Diablo 3. Hearthstone will continue to occupy my time until I finish the reward track. What about the new consoles? I’m glad you asked. Join me on Wednesday for that discusssion.
I watched “High Score” Episode 1 yesterday while I was working out. It was suggested to me by Netflix when I logged into the account to watch another docuseries I had been watching, “Champions”. Well, not one to pass up history of video games, I switched for the next week or so. Look, I realize that this isn’t at all related to Nintendo or Pokemon, as promised earlier in the week. However, TLDR, it was good enough to inspire me to write this review.
Space Invaders – “Grandpa”
There’s a reason that I went gender specific with the subtitle and it isn’t strictly personal bias. They mention in the episode that women felt left out of the realm of video games. I think the exact quote was, “There are no games for women.” That’s not a surprise. For much of the history of math and related subjects, women have been a footnote of that history. Unless, they are seen as consumers to be exploited. But, more on that in the next section.
My favorite part of the Space Invaders story is that a woman became the first Space Invaders world champion. And so, once again, a woman ignored the restrictions placed on her by society and proved herself as the “best man for the job”. Congrats, Rebecca Heineman, your story was inspiring and I genuinely smiled at the conclusion.
Before we move on, a couple of notable factoids. The game was so popular that arcades were often called “Invader houses”. Also, Japan suffered a 100-yen coin shortage because of that popularity. Crazy.
Pac Man Google doodle. Yes, it’s playable. Not here, but on Google.
Pac-Man – “A little somethin somethin for the ladies”
I will give the compsci nerds credit. When they realized that women weren’t playing video games, they tried to do something about it. Generally speaking, that segment of the population (be it women or men like me) aren’t attracted to games that are simply shooting at things. Enter Pac-Man.
The creator of the game insists that the iconic shape is, in fact, inspired by a pizza with one slice missing. No idea if that’s actually true, but it does validate years of speculation. During the segment, they talk to two teenage girls from the time that seem to uphold the theory that Pac-Man brought girls into video games. I’m not sure what it says about me that I’ve always preferred Pac-Man from that generation of video games.
I hadn’t planned on ending each section with a random factoid, but I have one for our round yellow friend. His name was originally Puck Man, which makes more sense. However, as Puck very easily becomes a well know obscenity, they changed it.
Father of the Cartridge – Jerry Lawson
They interviewed his kids in High Score episode 1. Unfortunately, he passed away about 10 years ago. However, when his son said his name, I paused briefly and said, “Hey, I know that name.” It’s no wonder why. For a generation of gamers my age, he revolutionized the way we played. No longer were consoles restricted to one game any more.
With cartridges, as his son says, your library increased exponentially. Alas, other than video game historian nerds like me, his name has been relegated to an afterthought. Once Atari got into the cartridge business, nobody else stood a chance. More on that 900-lb gorilla in the next section.
Random Factoid: When I was younger, I split my head open and had to get 14 stitches. My parents, so impressed by my handling of the situation, let me get a gift. I chose Jungle Hunt because I played the game in the arcade and enjoyed it so much. Incidentally, when we got the Atari 7800, I bought the game again, making it the first game I purchased more than once.
Atari – “Big Bad”
Like most people at the time, I loved Atari. Even after they crashed and burned with ET (see next section), I still loved the company and support them even today. I haven’t ordered their new console, yet. However, one of the first things I do when I get a new computer is download Stella and a few of my favorite games.
I probably should have, but I had no idea that they were such bullies in the industry. It started innocently enough as a bunch of guys making video games. Then, the company sold to Warner and its a tale as old as time. The suits tried to squeeze every last penny out of the company. They sued a bunch of college kids for making improvements to their games. They bullied Midway into allowing them to release a version of Pac-Man using pretty much the same technology that they attempted to end with the lawsuit. And then, their come uppance.
Random Factoid: I promised a conversation about ET in the next section. Before that, I did want to speak on the process. Apparently, the programmer had 5 weeks to program the game. At the time, it took anywhere from 6-8 months to develop a game. Also, when meeting with Steven Spielberg (after only 36 hours to develop a pitch), the programmer said that Spielberg wanted the game to be more like Pac-Man. See, it could have been worse.
ET – What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Apparently, you can’t have a video game documentary without mentioning ET. Hell, they made a whole movie about that single game. As is often the case, the story is a bit more complicated than just ET killed Atari.
But, for the sake of this article, I’m choosing to be poetic about it. Karma can be swift and furious vengeance. Atari paid for their hubris when they made the “worst game ever.
Random Factoid: I know I’ve told this story before, but here goes. I liked the ET game. Yes, the controls are frustrating. Sure, given more time, they could have polished it a bit more. But, I played the hell out of it and beat the game. Hell, it is one of the games that I download first after configuring Stella. It certainly doesn’t deserve the reputation it’s gotten. Alas, that’s how myths grow.
The Verdict – High Score episode 1 makes me want to watch the rest of the series
If you read the TLDR at the beginning of the article and you are still here, it bears repeating. High Score episode 1 is entertaining and engaging. I’m looking forward to watching the other five episodes. If you like human interest stories or video games, then I think you’ll like this series. Come watch with me!
