A Video Game Odyssey

In this episode I take a brief look at how and why I have chosen to do away with the 10-point review score in favour of a label-based review score. Enjoy!

Below is a list of my review history thus far, in chronological order, complete with their original score out of 10 and their newly updated score.

-- Tomba, was a 7/10, now a good quality game

-- Resident Evil 4, was a 9/10, now an excellent/masterful quality game

-- Comix Zone, was a 5/10, now an average quality game

-- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was 4/10, now a poor/average quality game

-- Alien Soldier, was an 8/10, now a great quality game

-- Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game

-- Klonoa, was a 7/10, now a good quality game

-- Grim Fandango, was an 8/10, now a great quality game

-- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, was an 8/10, now a great/excellent quality game

-- Ufouria: The Saga, was an 8/10, now a good/great quality game

-- New Super Mario Bros. 2, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game

-- Half-Life 2, was a 10/10, now a masterful quality game

-- Metroid Prime, was a 9/10, now an excellent quality game

-- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, was a 7/10, now a good/great quality game

-- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game

-- Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow Versions, was a 7/10, now a good/great quality game

Thank you very much for listening! Please let me know what you think of the new review system!

Developer: Game Freak // Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: Turn-Based RPG / Shooter // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Above Average // Length: 27 - 32 hours.

Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow mark the beginning of the phenomenon known as Pokemon. Known by fans simply as Generation 1, or Gen 1, these games introduce the first 150 Pokemon and establish the progression system of the mainline series games: wherein the player must choose one of three starter Pokemon, acquire 8 gym badges, challenge the Elite Four, become a Pokemon Master and, in the postgame, catch optional Legendary Pokemon.

Music was sourced by:

"Perspective" and 'Odyssey" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“Pokemon - Title Screen”, “The Road to Viridian City”, “Cerulean City Theme”, “Lavender Town Theme”, “Viridian Forest”, “Rival Appears”, “Pokemon Gym”, “Battle vs. Gym Leader” and “Oak’s Laboratory” were sourced from the Pokemon Series OST.

I do not own the rights to any of this music.

If you are or know the copyright owner please do contact me via Twitter, SoundCloud or YouTube.

Metroid Prime 3 is a first-person action-adventure game that rewards precise observations, combing the environment and revisiting old areas with new abilities.

The game follows a simple repeating formula of (a) enter a new area, (b) come across out of access areas, (c) find a way forward, (d) be confronted by a boss encounter, (e) unlock a new weapon or ability, (f) use new ability to enter either a new area or allow access to new regions of existing areas.

The Metroid franchise influenced many games including many of the post-1997 Castlevania games, Guacamelee, Tomba as well as others.

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“ Metroid Prime 3 - Title Screen”, “Bryyo Cliffside”, “Samus vs Rundas”, “Skytown”, “Gandrayda” and “Underwater Frigate Reactor Core” were sourced from the Metroid Prime 3 OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

This is a review of the single-player game. The multiplayer aspect is completely separate to the main game, is offline-only and of a generally poor quality. Those wanting a multiplayer first-person shooter should look elsewhere.

Metroid Prime 2 is a first-person action-adventure game that rewards precise observations, combing the environment and revisiting old areas with new abilities. The game follows a simple repeating formula of (a) enter a new area, (b) come across out of access areas, (c) find a way forward, (d) be confronted by a boss encounter, (e) unlock a new weapon or ability, (f) use new ability to enter either a new area or allow access to new regions of existing areas.

The Metroid franchise influenced many games including many of the post-1997 Castlevania games, Guacamelee, Tomba as well as others.

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“ VS. Emperor ing 2”, “Submerged Temple”, “Light Temple”, “The Ing”, “Luminoth Sotyr Amos Account” and “Underwater Frigate Reactor Core” were sourced from the Metroid Prime 2 OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

Developer: Retro Studios // Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: First-Person Adventure // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Average - adjustable // Length: 12 - 16 hours.

Metroid Prime is a first-person action-adventure game that rewards precise observations, combing the environment and revisiting old areas with new abilities.

The game follows a simple repeating formula of (a) enter a new area, (b) come across out of access areas, (c) find a way forward, (d) be confronted by a boss encounter, (e) unlock a new weapon or ability, (f) use new ability to enter either a new area or allow access to new regions of existing areas.

The Metroid franchise influenced many games including many of the post-1997 Castlevania games, Guacamelee, Tomba as well as others.

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“Metroid Prime - Main Menu”, “Tallon Overworld”, “Magmoor Caverns”, “Ridley’s Battle” and “Underwater Frigate Reactor Core” were sourced from the Metroid Prime OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

Review #12: Half-Life 2 (2004 / PC, et al.)

Developer / Publisher: Valve // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: First-Person Shooter // Players: 1 (also includes mutliplayer mode - not reviewed) // Difficulty: Adjustable at any point in-game // Length: 14 - 18 hours.

Half-Life 2 is the culmination of immersive story-telling, an innovative use of physics and technical achievement in terms of texture detail and facial animation. It is also an enjoyable, serious, sometimes solemn, occasionally humorous adventure through a dystopian land. Half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter that is not about shooting: think Deus Ex or Metroid Prime rather than Halo or Call of Duty.

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“Hazardous Environments”, “CP Violation”, “Apprehension and Evasion”,“LG Orbifold” were sourced from the Half-Life 2 OST, available on Steam.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

Developer / Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: Platformer // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Average // Length: 6 - 10 hours.

it is very easy to be cynical about New Super Mario Bros. 2. Not only does t borrow heavily from the Mario Bros. archive in terms of music, art assets, levels, themes and map layout but the new gimmick of turning everything into gold, and subsequently asking the player to feverishly collect coins, feels more than a little telling of a developer wanting to chain in with their biggest franchise.

This scepticism stems further as just one year prior Mario made his debut on new hardware in Super Mario £D Land, a game that takes far more chances with the Mario formula all while perfectly integrating the unique features of the 3DS. With that in mind, what does this game have to offer?

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“Title Screen”, “Underwater”, “Desert Overworld” and “Athletic” were sourced from the New Super Mario Bros. 2 OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

Ufouria: The Saga is an adventure-platformer developed and published by Sunsoft and released late in the NES’s life cycle. The game takes heavy inspiration from Metroid, Super Mario Bros. 2 and early Mega Man games.

What separates Ufouria from other NES platformers is the emphasis on exploration and the utilisation of four characters, wherein certain regions cannot be fully investigated until the player has acquired either the correct character or power-up. This means that, like many of the adventures games of the time, (now often referred to as “Metroidvania” games) a large amount of back-tracking is required.

However, like the best adventure games, Ufouria curbs repetition through intelligent map design, whereby shortcuts occur naturally and a steady stream of rewards are available for those curious enough to wander off the beaten path.

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“Hehe’s Adventure”, “Hebe in the Sky”, “Hebe Underground”, “Hebe in the Cold Area”, “Decisive Battle”, and “Continue” were sourced from the Ufouria OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

Developer: Level 5 // Publisher: Square Enix // Status: Somewhat Cult // Genre: Japanese Role Playing Game // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Above Average // Length: 75 - 85 hours.

Dragon Quest VIII is a turn-based traditional Japanese role playing game developed by Level 5 (makers of Ni No Kuni, Yo-Kai Watch and the Professor Layton series) and published by Square Enix. The game does not seek to “reinvent the wheel” as it where, instead setting it’s sights at elegantly blending RPGs of yore in a way that accentuates the genre’s more earnest and addictive qualities and getting rid of the everything else. The game’s narrative is very loose and not particularly intrusive, with emphasis instead being places on battle mechanics, grinding, exploration and the thrill of entering a new town or village. As a final word, I would like to mention that both the orchestral soundtrack and all-British voice cast are by far some of the best either this or any other genre has seen.

Music was sourced by:

“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.

“Overture”, “Strange World Marching in the Fields”, “War Cry” and “Sky, Ocean and Earth” were sourced from the Dragon Quest VIII OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

Developer / Publisher: LucasArts (Remastered by Double Fine Productions) // Status: Cult // Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Above Average // Length: 10 - 14 hours.

Music was sourced by:

"Odyssey" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Other music includes "Manny and Meche", "Gambling Glottis", "Mr. Frustration Man", "Bone Wagon" and "Blue Basket Bop" found on the Grim Fandango OST. I do not own the rights for the OST, if you are the rights owner or know the rights owner please get in touch.