Login
PSOne Backlog
Sort by:
Showing 23 items
Rating:
List Type:
474
8.6
0
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - PlayStation
STATUS: Unfinished
I remember this game- I liked it! I should finish it someday
I remember this game- I liked it! I should finish it someday
264
7.4
0
Dino Crisis - PlayStation
STATUS: Finished
TIME TO BEAT: 9h35m
I gotta say: Dino Crisis manages to put about as much 90's as you will ever cram into a single video game, between the dinosaurs, "exxxtreme" red hair dye on the protagonist, every computer's jumbo-sized CRT monitor, the tank controls... so much 90's
and boy, is it great!
TIME TO BEAT: 9h35m
I gotta say: Dino Crisis manages to put about as much 90's as you will ever cram into a single video game, between the dinosaurs, "exxxtreme" red hair dye on the protagonist, every computer's jumbo-sized CRT monitor, the tank controls... so much 90's
and boy, is it great!
voodoozen's rating:
53
8.3
0
Einhänder - PlayStation
STATUS: Unfinished
Too much shooting for me. Put it down after like 3 levels.
Too much shooting for me. Put it down after like 3 levels.
1237
8.4
0
Final Fantasy VII - PlayStation
STATUS: Finished
TIME TO BEAT: 50h or so
TA DA!!
I finally finished!
TIME TO BEAT: 50h or so
TA DA!!
I finally finished!
voodoozen's rating:
38
7.9
0
Intelligent Qube - PlayStation
STATUS: Unfinished
Quirky and sometimes very difficult, but it's certainly not like anything you've seen before. And that's a good thing.
Quirky and sometimes very difficult, but it's certainly not like anything you've seen before. And that's a good thing.
164
7.6
0
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes - PlayStation
STATUS: Unfinished
I bashed around for a long, long time on Marvel v Capcom. It'll always be fun
I bashed around for a long, long time on Marvel v Capcom. It'll always be fun
153
7.2
0
MediEvil - PlayStation
STATUS: Unfinished
Got the PSP version, so this guy might just stay in hibernation.
Got the PSP version, so this guy might just stay in hibernation.
469
8.1
0
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - PlayStation
STATUS: Finished
TIME TO BEAT: 7h59m
Decided to run through RE3 because a friend loaned me his 360 and RE5- seemed like I should know what happens to Jill Valentine, right?
In a nutshell, this is what comes after RE2. Nothing more or less. Tank controls? Check. Zombie hordes lurking in twisting hallways? You betcha. Campy Dialog? Every line!
It's basically a retread of RE2- which it's supposed to be, since it's taking place at the same time. The locations are nearly identical and there's even a few nice references to RE2 left lying around (at the ending especially).
I can't say RE3 was bad, or good for that matter, it just 'was', and that's fine- it gets points for being the last of the original formula Resident Evil's, but its apparent by the end that the developers were tiring of making the same game every time.
Creativity was obviously running low, and my guess is that playing through RE3 in the development stage, 'ol Capcom realized that regardless how hard they squeezed fan loyalty, the "mansion-cemetery-lab-monster-escape!" plot wasn't going to sell games, even a big, bad Nemesis wasn't a scary prospect any more. So, now that I think about it, thank goodness for RE3- it gave us RE4!
TIME TO BEAT: 7h59m
Decided to run through RE3 because a friend loaned me his 360 and RE5- seemed like I should know what happens to Jill Valentine, right?
In a nutshell, this is what comes after RE2. Nothing more or less. Tank controls? Check. Zombie hordes lurking in twisting hallways? You betcha. Campy Dialog? Every line!
It's basically a retread of RE2- which it's supposed to be, since it's taking place at the same time. The locations are nearly identical and there's even a few nice references to RE2 left lying around (at the ending especially).
For something that can find you seemingly anywhere and will open doors to chase you, I found it strange that he has a phobia of save rooms...
I can't say RE3 was bad, or good for that matter, it just 'was', and that's fine- it gets points for being the last of the original formula Resident Evil's, but its apparent by the end that the developers were tiring of making the same game every time.
Creativity was obviously running low, and my guess is that playing through RE3 in the development stage, 'ol Capcom realized that regardless how hard they squeezed fan loyalty, the "mansion-cemetery-lab-monster-escape!" plot wasn't going to sell games, even a big, bad Nemesis wasn't a scary prospect any more. So, now that I think about it, thank goodness for RE3- it gave us RE4!
voodoozen's rating:
547
8.3
0
Silent Hill - PlayStation
STATUS: Finished
TIME TO BEAT: 9h54m
[EDIT Jan 2012] Honestly, I got too scared to finish this when I originally started- I got pretty far, past the hospital and into the sewers, but things were getting really strange, nasty and creepy… and replaying reminded me that creepy is kinda what make SH such a solid horror experience, as well as how much PS1 gaming has aged (and not necessarily gracefully)
Finishing Shattered Memories, which might be the best horror experience in a video game yet, I was convinced to load this back up. I loved SM so much I need to know how it compares to the original.
I now absolutely get why this is a classic; it's a bit horror and a bit puzzler and a bit action, combined together in an amazing way that manages to balance the three genres throughout, even when focusing all your attention on one over the others. I'm always creeping around corners slowly, stumped by the puzzles, lost all the time, and basically feeling unnerved at every step. Perfect!
Yes, it's just a PS1 game, and yes, the aliasing is bad and the poly count is low, movement is robotic and and the textures are crappy low res and so on, blah blah blah, etc... but this game looks great for it's age!
The FMV cutscenes are truly amazing, plus the constant fog and darkness allow the game to seem higher res then it really is- because you don't notice blurry, pixelated textures in the distance. Particle effects like snow and rain, while primitive by modern standards, add a sense of realism to the game. Same goes for the lighting from your ever-present flashlight, which may be simplistic compared to something you'd see on PS3 or even PSP, but it adds a level of gameplay that makes SH shine. Only being able to see the area illuminated by Harry's flashlight makes the darkness that much more frightening, and immerse you as a player even deeper into the role of Harry Mason.
Voice acting is campy, and not on par with the fantastic Shattered Memories for PSP, but I barely notice those while in the game. In fact, it's just nice to have voice acting. As a guy who grew up with NES and Gameboy, that's my benchmark for gaming. Heck, even the majority of current Nintendo first party titles still don't feature voice acting. I realize that's a design choice, but doesn't mean I don't appreciate hearing my characters speak their dialog. Audio is also amazingly well done, ambient noise and spooky music through good a sound system ramps the creepy factor up to 10 and make it apparent how much time went into creating a top shelf stereo experience.
Perhaps the most nifty of all the audio wizardry is your radio, which acts as a sort of GPS-via-stereo, wanring you of enemies by ringing, increasing in volume as you're nearing a bad guy (something also greatly enhanced by wearing headphones). Music is creepy and fits the mood perfectly, sometimes setting tension with dissonant, cacophonous organ hits while your spine shivers and palms sweat, while quieter moments are filled with more melodic but uneasy, eerie overtures (my favorite has to be the "watery" music during the sewer sections, it blends so well with the other sounds you could mistake it as random drips). On the whole I wouldn't say SH's music is memorable so much as just fitting; save for the mandolin theme in the beginning I doubt I'll be humming any of these tunes like I still sometimes do with Super Metroid, but each bit of music is well crafted and accent the scenes well. Combined, the audio cues, sound effects and music add up to help really craft the town into its own character, with distinct personality and traits brought to life scene by scene. As so many have noted before, the world is as much alive as everyone you encounter in Silent Hill.
The only place Silent Hill shows its age is when characters are near the camera or during in-game cutscenes (mouths don't move and there's not a single facial expression to be found), and the camera, while mostly controllable, is rendered near-useless in later stages of the game where tight corridors don't allow for much visibility and the forced camera angles are constantly at odds with any looking around. Nothing game breaking (I think Mario Sunshine's camera and controls are far worse despite being much newer), but noticeable for sure.
But given the age of SH and the fact that 3D games were nearly brand new when it came out, this game stands the test of time; a thrilling mystery, tragic characters, frightening environments and tremendous gameplay make this a game I'm glad to have played, even if I was 13 years late to the party.
One semi meandering thought: Some of my favorite game experiences come from games carefully building a sense of security, only to later use that feeling to make an unexpected plot or gameplay element more impactful. Specifically, I love the twist of exploring every nook of a map, betting that you must be progressing quickly and working up to a big event… to then find a key or secret that reveals you're not even close to the end, just scratching the surface.
Metroid is the king of this: slowly gaining power ups, finally getting access to previously blocked areas, even defeating a big boss, just to find yourself looking at a new area to explore, one even bigger and more daunting then where you've already been. Zelda also does this well, and Resident Evil is a classic example, too (finally getting into the lab and realizing how much more is left is crushing and exhilarating). Having played about 5 hours into the game, SH joins those ranks and even adds a new dimension (literally)- by the time you lower the drawbridge you've already been through two Silent Hills, and now there's a whole new part of town to trek across… one undoubtedly filled with lonely streets and lurking monsters, vast, empty buildings filled with new, more powerful enemies and darkly twisted puzzles... and a hell world just as deep and twice as frightening ready to appear at any second. Awesome!
TIME TO BEAT: 9h54m
[EDIT Jan 2012] Honestly, I got too scared to finish this when I originally started- I got pretty far, past the hospital and into the sewers, but things were getting really strange, nasty and creepy… and replaying reminded me that creepy is kinda what make SH such a solid horror experience, as well as how much PS1 gaming has aged (and not necessarily gracefully)
Finishing Shattered Memories, which might be the best horror experience in a video game yet, I was convinced to load this back up. I loved SM so much I need to know how it compares to the original.
I now absolutely get why this is a classic; it's a bit horror and a bit puzzler and a bit action, combined together in an amazing way that manages to balance the three genres throughout, even when focusing all your attention on one over the others. I'm always creeping around corners slowly, stumped by the puzzles, lost all the time, and basically feeling unnerved at every step. Perfect!
Yes, it's just a PS1 game, and yes, the aliasing is bad and the poly count is low, movement is robotic and and the textures are crappy low res and so on, blah blah blah, etc... but this game looks great for it's age!
The FMV cutscenes are truly amazing, plus the constant fog and darkness allow the game to seem higher res then it really is- because you don't notice blurry, pixelated textures in the distance. Particle effects like snow and rain, while primitive by modern standards, add a sense of realism to the game. Same goes for the lighting from your ever-present flashlight, which may be simplistic compared to something you'd see on PS3 or even PSP, but it adds a level of gameplay that makes SH shine. Only being able to see the area illuminated by Harry's flashlight makes the darkness that much more frightening, and immerse you as a player even deeper into the role of Harry Mason.
Silent Hill launched in 1999, but damn if it doesn't still look pretty good (and still scares the crap out of you)
Voice acting is campy, and not on par with the fantastic Shattered Memories for PSP, but I barely notice those while in the game. In fact, it's just nice to have voice acting. As a guy who grew up with NES and Gameboy, that's my benchmark for gaming. Heck, even the majority of current Nintendo first party titles still don't feature voice acting. I realize that's a design choice, but doesn't mean I don't appreciate hearing my characters speak their dialog. Audio is also amazingly well done, ambient noise and spooky music through good a sound system ramps the creepy factor up to 10 and make it apparent how much time went into creating a top shelf stereo experience.
Perhaps the most nifty of all the audio wizardry is your radio, which acts as a sort of GPS-via-stereo, wanring you of enemies by ringing, increasing in volume as you're nearing a bad guy (something also greatly enhanced by wearing headphones). Music is creepy and fits the mood perfectly, sometimes setting tension with dissonant, cacophonous organ hits while your spine shivers and palms sweat, while quieter moments are filled with more melodic but uneasy, eerie overtures (my favorite has to be the "watery" music during the sewer sections, it blends so well with the other sounds you could mistake it as random drips). On the whole I wouldn't say SH's music is memorable so much as just fitting; save for the mandolin theme in the beginning I doubt I'll be humming any of these tunes like I still sometimes do with Super Metroid, but each bit of music is well crafted and accent the scenes well. Combined, the audio cues, sound effects and music add up to help really craft the town into its own character, with distinct personality and traits brought to life scene by scene. As so many have noted before, the world is as much alive as everyone you encounter in Silent Hill.
The only place Silent Hill shows its age is when characters are near the camera or during in-game cutscenes (mouths don't move and there's not a single facial expression to be found), and the camera, while mostly controllable, is rendered near-useless in later stages of the game where tight corridors don't allow for much visibility and the forced camera angles are constantly at odds with any looking around. Nothing game breaking (I think Mario Sunshine's camera and controls are far worse despite being much newer), but noticeable for sure.
But given the age of SH and the fact that 3D games were nearly brand new when it came out, this game stands the test of time; a thrilling mystery, tragic characters, frightening environments and tremendous gameplay make this a game I'm glad to have played, even if I was 13 years late to the party.
One semi meandering thought: Some of my favorite game experiences come from games carefully building a sense of security, only to later use that feeling to make an unexpected plot or gameplay element more impactful. Specifically, I love the twist of exploring every nook of a map, betting that you must be progressing quickly and working up to a big event… to then find a key or secret that reveals you're not even close to the end, just scratching the surface.
Metroid is the king of this: slowly gaining power ups, finally getting access to previously blocked areas, even defeating a big boss, just to find yourself looking at a new area to explore, one even bigger and more daunting then where you've already been. Zelda also does this well, and Resident Evil is a classic example, too (finally getting into the lab and realizing how much more is left is crushing and exhilarating). Having played about 5 hours into the game, SH joins those ranks and even adds a new dimension (literally)- by the time you lower the drawbridge you've already been through two Silent Hills, and now there's a whole new part of town to trek across… one undoubtedly filled with lonely streets and lurking monsters, vast, empty buildings filled with new, more powerful enemies and darkly twisted puzzles... and a hell world just as deep and twice as frightening ready to appear at any second. Awesome!
voodoozen's rating:
418
7.3
0
Tomb Raider - PlayStation
STATUS: FINISHED
TIME TO BEAT: 17h45m
Despite seeing and playing the game way back in the way back days (Wow, the 90's were a looong time ago, weren't they?), I never got very far into this game. Once I picked up Anniversary for PSP I honestly thought I would never go back, TR:A is just so darn good... and TR is dated at best... but nostalgia and the desire to make a 1:1 comparison brought me back, and I'm (sorta) glad it did. Tomb Raider really did change what adventure games were; after this one there was no going back, gaming was forever different. TR was a great game, introduced so many things into the 3D adventure genre and was a real daggone challenge to boot. FWIW, My time to beat is WAY below my actual time to complete- between deaths, retries, getting lost and having to resort to walkthroughs, I've put 25 hours+ into TR easy. I'll forever remember that but kicking last level... Not so much a "level" but just "try-die-repeat" practice. Ungh!
You almost can't compare the original to TR:Anniversary. Turns out TR:A improved everything without changing any of the awesome, which leaves the PSX version... well, largely lacking. Unlike SH, this is a game that has not remained untouched by its years of age. Not to say it's a bad game or unplayable by any means, but the lack of draw distance, basic audio improvements(no music at all save for cut scenes and a few enemy encounters), black emptiness instead of skies or ceilings, and the very touchy controls all add up to make the experience feel dated and rudimentary by the time you're mid way in. Didn't feel like that in 1996, but it certainly does now that all of those things have evolved into the amazing, almost cinematic games we have today.
I enjoyed the exploration all the hidden secrets a lot, and in fact find them to be much *harder* to find since the backgrounds tend to all look very similar, even getting a good look around with the camera doesn't instantly reveal every hidey hole and secret ledge that clue you into the presence of hidden goodies.
And the game does hold up from a 'fun' standpoint, its as good as it's remembered to be, and in a few places even better than I recall - The levels feel gigantic, the atmosphere is both suffocating and overwhelming simultaneously. Heck, when the camera pans out as Lara is walking in front of the Sphinx- I was floored (I'm also a sucker for perspective in games, though) like it was my first 3D game all over again. Remember this game was basically the first to have the huge, monolithic levels and true open 3D puzzling exploration. If I hadn't played anniversary before replaying this, I'd bet I'd feel different about the 'ol girl.
But despite being the architect of the modern 3D adventure, weak points are very weak. Controls are basically awful (4-way pad = bad, but even *attempting* to use the analog stick is even worse!), the pixelated textures make edges tough to see quickly, throw in the often wonky camera (I hated every hallway and going around corners) and the game really demonstrates how much polish we take for granted in modern games. Just little things, but when they're all added together it's a textbook example of how "games have truly gotten better every generation".
Pains me to say it, but really, other than nostalgia, there's no reason to boot this one up anymore... But nostalgia is reason enough to revisit a classic like this.
Side Note: I'll eventually play TR2 one of these days just to see how the games evolved in the series. I don't know that I'll ever play all 5 PS1 TR games, though. I can't imagine the games ever got as good as their modern remakes.
TIME TO BEAT: 17h45m
Despite seeing and playing the game way back in the way back days (Wow, the 90's were a looong time ago, weren't they?), I never got very far into this game. Once I picked up Anniversary for PSP I honestly thought I would never go back, TR:A is just so darn good... and TR is dated at best... but nostalgia and the desire to make a 1:1 comparison brought me back, and I'm (sorta) glad it did. Tomb Raider really did change what adventure games were; after this one there was no going back, gaming was forever different. TR was a great game, introduced so many things into the 3D adventure genre and was a real daggone challenge to boot. FWIW, My time to beat is WAY below my actual time to complete- between deaths, retries, getting lost and having to resort to walkthroughs, I've put 25 hours+ into TR easy. I'll forever remember that but kicking last level... Not so much a "level" but just "try-die-repeat" practice. Ungh!
You almost can't compare the original to TR:Anniversary. Turns out TR:A improved everything without changing any of the awesome, which leaves the PSX version... well, largely lacking. Unlike SH, this is a game that has not remained untouched by its years of age. Not to say it's a bad game or unplayable by any means, but the lack of draw distance, basic audio improvements(no music at all save for cut scenes and a few enemy encounters), black emptiness instead of skies or ceilings, and the very touchy controls all add up to make the experience feel dated and rudimentary by the time you're mid way in. Didn't feel like that in 1996, but it certainly does now that all of those things have evolved into the amazing, almost cinematic games we have today.
I enjoyed the exploration all the hidden secrets a lot, and in fact find them to be much *harder* to find since the backgrounds tend to all look very similar, even getting a good look around with the camera doesn't instantly reveal every hidey hole and secret ledge that clue you into the presence of hidden goodies.
We got us some streeeeetttcccchhhhed textures right here, Lara
And the game does hold up from a 'fun' standpoint, its as good as it's remembered to be, and in a few places even better than I recall - The levels feel gigantic, the atmosphere is both suffocating and overwhelming simultaneously. Heck, when the camera pans out as Lara is walking in front of the Sphinx- I was floored (I'm also a sucker for perspective in games, though) like it was my first 3D game all over again. Remember this game was basically the first to have the huge, monolithic levels and true open 3D puzzling exploration. If I hadn't played anniversary before replaying this, I'd bet I'd feel different about the 'ol girl.
This blew me away, even 16 years later. This kind of view simply didn't exist in a game before TR
But despite being the architect of the modern 3D adventure, weak points are very weak. Controls are basically awful (4-way pad = bad, but even *attempting* to use the analog stick is even worse!), the pixelated textures make edges tough to see quickly, throw in the often wonky camera (I hated every hallway and going around corners) and the game really demonstrates how much polish we take for granted in modern games. Just little things, but when they're all added together it's a textbook example of how "games have truly gotten better every generation".
Pains me to say it, but really, other than nostalgia, there's no reason to boot this one up anymore... But nostalgia is reason enough to revisit a classic like this.
Side Note: I'll eventually play TR2 one of these days just to see how the games evolved in the series. I don't know that I'll ever play all 5 PS1 TR games, though. I can't imagine the games ever got as good as their modern remakes.
voodoozen's rating:
174
6.8
0
Tomb Raider III: The Adventures of Lara Croft... - PlayStation
STATUS: Unplayed
Not sure I even care about Lara Croft anymore... got the last 3 games as a package deal, on a whim. Might play 'em someday. Might not.
Not sure I even care about Lara Croft anymore... got the last 3 games as a package deal, on a whim. Might play 'em someday. Might not.
I haven't seen the PS1 disc cover open in years, let alone attempted to start the huge backlog of games for to it. Wonder what magic I'll discover? (Answer: metric tons)
RSS Feed