Ratchet & Clank

The first time I played Ratchet & Clank was when I didn’t consider myself a gamer.  I would buy a console off the buy and sell ads for cheap, play the games it came with, and then sell the console right after.  During this period I must have played Ratchet & Clank because I always remembered how good it was.  But like I said, I wasn’t a gamer so I never beat the game and just sold the console right after.  Thankfully years later I came back to video games and I knew I had to have Ratchet & Clank in my collection.

As we’re currently celebrating the 20^th anniversary of this game (released on November 4, 2002), I decided to play it again.  This game feels like a N64 game such as Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day with their action platforming, comedy and puzzles.  It also has spaceship battles like the one’s found in Star Fox.  In fact some areas thoroughly impressed with what they were capable of doing back in 2002, such as walking up walls and upside down (similar to Super Mario Galaxy).  This game is near perfect, but my only complaint is that it requires some grinding to buy or upgrade certain weapons (thankfully you can remedy this with a lengthy cheat).  Other than that, this is a beautiful and fun game that every video game collector must own.

Ratchet & Clank Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratchet_%26_Clank_(2002_video_game)

Insomniac Games: https://insomniac.games/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvf1E2DsAdA

PlayStation Video Gaming Hunting

Last week I went to Winners (an off-price Canadian department store) and I found a cool looking PlayStation mug.  I bought it without thinking, and later on I felt a little weird because I’m not much of a PlayStation guy.  I do own a few consoles, and many games; but my love for PlayStation isn’t nearly as large as it is for Nintendo.  So, even buying a PlayStation mug felt weird to me.  Anyway, today I went out video game hunting and I went to a Goodwill that I usually look through but never find anything good inside.  I’m always jealous of video game hunting videos other people post and always seem to find treasure.  I always ask myself, why not me too? Lol

Yet today was finally my day (everything's coming up Milhouse!) and I finally scored an epic video game find.  Today I found; Resident Evil 2, Final Fantasy VII, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Tomb Raider, Die Hard Trilogy, and 2 on 2 Open Ice Challenge.  They were all on sale for $5, all complete with manual, and all were near mint condition with no wear or scratches.  I even used a coupon to get an even bigger discount on these games.  To be honest, I have never played these games nor do I know their current resale value; however I do know that they’re very popular and that I won’t be selling them.  With my new mug, and this new collection I figure this is the right time to start being a PlayStation guy (but Nintendo will always come first).

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUzXcRD4VwA

PlayStation Classic

Well I finally bought a PlayStation Classic today.  Initially I had pre-ordered one back in the fall, but as the negative reviews started pouring in I decided to cancel it.  Then something happened that I did not expect so early; a price drop.  Here was mighty Sony in 2018-2019, reducing the price of their newly released retro console so early.  As time went on and the PS classic kept going lower and lower, I kept waiting because the consoles were still collecting dust on store shelves (literally).  Until today I woke up to news that it finally reached the price of $19.99 Canadian, a price I obliviously couldn’t pass on.  Staples (formerly RadioShack) had them on sale for $19.99 and I was able to price match it at Walmart.  It turns out I chose the right time to buy because the PS classic suddenly became the hottest item to buy (after price matching at Best Buy and Walmart), causing it to be sold out in most stores.

PlayStation Classic:

https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/explore/playstation-classic/

Sony PlayStation Classic

I am so excited to hear Sony is making a PlayStation Classic mini.  Obviously they’re copying Nintendo after their successful Classic mini series, but honestly who cares.  The fans are the winners here because we not only get to play classic games we all love, but we also get to discover new games we never played (especially the younger generation).

I was hoping Sony would do this for years, because I feel it necessary that classic games should be persevered.  It’s kind of like old TV shows and movies, where they were only shown once and then never seen again.  Can you imagine a world where Disney movies or Warner Bros. cartoons were only shown once and then disappeared?  But then thanks to the VCR, DVD’s, TV reruns, and the internet we all get to watch classic movies and TV shows.  And so the Classic mini series now allows us to re-play all those games from the past and also praise and study them for what they accomplished.  Fingers crossed that we get a PS2 Classic mini one day.

PlayStation:

https://blog.us.playstation.com/2018/09/18/introducing-playstation-classic-with-20-pre-loaded-games/

Playstation VR

A few days ago I had the chance to try out Playstation VR.  While I do think virtual reality is fascinating, I have also been disappointed by past horrendous and expensive VR hardware.  There have been way too many let downs along the years that I wasn’t too optimistic about a Playstation release.  What tickled my interest in this new PSVR, was during E3 2016 when Sony released a trailer for Batman.  I’m a huge fan of Batman, especially of the Arkham games, so to be able to play a game like that in VR got me excited.  However I wasn’t about to drop $700 plus on a new console without first trying it out.

I’m not the biggest Playstation fan, so I wasn’t going to be the first to line up for a Playstaion experience tour.  I thought I would let time go by and wait until the hype had gone so I could try PSVR relaxed and without time pressure.  Thankfully I didn’t have to wait very long because the tour came to a city near me and it so happens hardly anyone was lining up to experience Sony’s VR.

For anyone that hasn’t tried it out yet, the tour staff asks you which game you would like to try out from the menu.  I of course asked for Batman.  They then ask you to put on the headpiece, some earphones, and to hold on to the PlayStation Move controllers (all of which have been sanitized).  The headset is adjustable and the display resolution is clean and impressive.  Once the game started it felt as natural as playing a game on TV.  After Batman I “played” The Deep, an underwater game.  I was totally immersed by that world, and felt like I was somewhere else.

My final thoughts of PSVR is that it’s an incredibly amazing console.  It’s as easy to use as an Apple product, which makes technology seem natural; i.e. you don’t need to read a manual to figure out how to do things.  The graphics are great, but the gameplay is what really absorbs you into the world of the video game.  My only complaint of PSVR is that the lens kept fogging up on me; though I’m sure the solution to that is easy to solve.  I now hope to get PSVR one day, and I hope Sony keeps releasing games and doesn’t abandon it like they did with the PS Vita.

Playstation 4 Pre-order

I did a pre-order today for the Playstation 4 (the Xbox One killer)

Playstation 4

So with Sony holding a major press conference on Wednesday, which everyone assumes will be the unveiling of Playstation 4; I decided to make a list of the things I would like Sony to include in this conference.  First off, I want them to focus on games and nothing else.  Going after the people that like social media, downloadable content, and Playstation Move is useless because only the hard-core gamers will be the ones watching this conference.  People that actually like those other features will probably wait until the console is well established before buying a PS4.  For now it’s all about the hard-core gamers that only care about playing good games.

With respect towards the games, I want them to launch PS4 no later than November because they can take advantage of the major title games that should release around that time; GTA5, The Last of Us, and Tomb Raider.  If there’s one thing I hate about a new console launch is when the developers promise good games to come, but you have to wait a year for them to release.  By launching around the Fall, they will have quality games to begin with and will give people a reason to buy the system.  This also gives time for games that aren’t quite finished, the time to properly complete such as; Star Wars 1313, Phantom Pain, and The Last Guardian.

While everyone expects Sony to also show next gen graphic games, I would prefer they just stick to the games that have already been mentioned.  Their selling point should be what will release and not what might release one day.  By focusing on the games that have been mentioned, Sony will then be able to just advertise products that people can actually buy.  What Sony needs right now is people buying their products, and not waiting until a certain game releases a year or two from now.  Obliviously they should show something next gen, but it shouldn’t take away from their launch titles.

Other things I would like them to mention in the conference is the price, around $300 to $500 would be ideal.  To have backwards compatibility for at least PS3 games.  While this feature might ruin sales for PS3 consoles, Sony is better off letting that horse die than to keep wasting money on it.  If they do mention downloadable content, it should be for PS1 and PS2 games that cost under $5 to $10.  I think they’re better off selling those games for cheap, than to not sell them at all.  Memory for the new console should be easy to upgrade and if it requires a Sony brand hard drive, it should be affordable to upgrade, so people can get use to downloading content without fear of taking out a bank loan to pay for an upgrade.  These are just some of the expectations I have for Wednesday, and if Sony does deliver most of what I have mentioned, I will be there on release day to buy a new PS4.

3DS vs. PS Vita

I bought the 3DS earlier this year because my DS had broken, and because I really wanted to play Mario 3D land.  Despite being a new handheld system from Nintendo, the 3DS feels like the DS.  The only improvements are the graphics, a sturdier frame, the position of certain buttons, and of course the option to play in 3D.   I will now go through each one of these details at a time.  Nobody buys a Nintendo expecting to get the most advanced graphics on the market, instead Nintendo focuses their attention on game play and innovated ways of playing a video game.  The result of this are games that require you to talk, blow, close the DS to transfer an image, take pictures, poke with your fingers, and to move around because of motion sensing capabilities.  I find these things to be fun because it gives me a more interactive experience than just button mashing.  The drawback of not having better graphics are that the majority of games are more cartoon like than reality based, which can occasionally leave me with the unfulfilled desire to play mature rated games.  Another drawback is that, since the graphics can only do so much, a lot of 3DS games will omit scenes that are included in other multi-system games.  Impressive cut scenes are the first to go.

The size of the 3DS is perfect for someone like me; an adult that takes the subway.  It’s small enough to fit in my coat pocket, light enough not to be a bother with weight, and when you unfold it the screens are big enough to see everything clearly.  The new frame is built stronger, and will not break as easily as the DS.  The button placements are a little bothersome because I would have preferred the home and power buttons in a location that wasn’t in the way.  The joystick is very responsive, and its design makes it comfortable to use; however you can develop a cramp after long term use of game play (which is normal with any handheld).  The 3DS allows you to adjust the intensity of the 3D graphics.  I like this feature because you will eventually stop using this technology along the way.   The 3D works well, but you just have to be facing the screen at a certain angel for it to work best.  So if you’re on the move, you really can’t use it.  I hope their next-gen handheld includes this feature because it’s useful in certain games that require depth perception.

I bought the PS Vita in the Fall because I was only interested in playing Uncharted.  The most troublesome issue with the Vita is the price.  Starting at $250, plus having to buy a memory card, carry bag, and games will prevent a lot of people from buying one.  I wouldn’t call it expensive compared to an iTouch, but the system is just not established enough in terms of games and applications for people to make that investment.  Unlike the PSP, the PS Vita is a much more advance system, and not just an update.  The handheld is bigger and more interactive, the screen is bigger, and the graphics are much more superior.  The drawbacks for the Vita are that its size makes it a hassle for anyone that is travelling.  It doesn’t fit in your pocket, so it’s best to bring along a backpack to carry it.  I also didn’t like how much time I had to wait for games to load.

Despite all these issues, the best selling point of the Vita are the graphics.  I was amazed beyond belief when I turned it on and saw the same quality graphics of the PS3 on my PS Vita.  They are simply stunning.  The superiority of better graphics means that little to nothing will be omitted from a PS Vita game compared to a PS3 game.  This impressed me the most in MLB 2012 the Show, when every part of the baseball game was shown, from pitching and batting, to fielding and physical features (you can recognize a player easily).  This also leads to a more engaging experience, because it makes you feel like you’re part of the game and not just a button masher.  Games like this is what I think makes the PS Vita worth every dime, because having such in-depth control will finally allow you to devote your time and skills to a video game that is worth investing your time.

Nintendo:

www.nintendo.com

Sony PS Vita:

www.playstation.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTQsdIvJwiI

GTA San Andreas: Learning to Fly

I finally beat the “leaning to fly” missions in GTA San Andreas.  This literally was a nightmare for me because I suck at flying games.  I started San Andreas earlier this year and thought I would beat it in a few weeks, but when I came to these missions I hit a brick wall.  I looked online for a cheat, but didn’t find any.  I looked for walkthrough strategies as well, but they seemed too complicated for me, so I gave up.  The only advice I took was to leave the game for a while and then come back later and try the missions again.  This had worked for another person in a forum, so I figured I’d do the same.

Sure enough, 4 months later I decided it was time to go back and try my luck.  Well luck was on my side because this advice actually worked for me.  I think it’s because I came back fresh and regenerated so that my reflexes were on-point and accurate.  I was so excited to beat these missions because I felt that if I didn’t I would give up on the GTA franchise and never play a game again.  Games aren`t fun when you suck at them.

So now I wanted to share some advice and write a walkthrough for anyone needing help in these missions.  I present to you my GTA San Andreas: Learning to Fly Walkthrough.  First off, if you are getting frustrated by these missions I would suggest taking some time off from the game.  When you come back, you should be relaxed and calm.  As you start to fly, you should ignore the missions and focus on actually learning to control your plane.  This means you will have to learn to use all the buttons on the controller that are necessary in flying.  I first made the mistake of just relying on the analog stick and X button, and would always crash.  Instead try to use the X button minimally, the analog stick for only sharp turns, and instead rely on the L2 R2 buttons to make your turns.  This will be necessary in circling the airstrip, the part I had the worse time in.  The key is to not worry about the time at first and instead focus on learning the course and how to glide your plan.  Make slight movements, and take it slow.  Eventually you`ll get the hang of it, and will have to also beat the clock in order to pass the mission.

The next missions in learning to fly were also difficult, but weren`t as tough for me as circling and landing.  The `destroy targets` mission would have to be the next toughest mission, but since I was on a role, it only took a few tries (about 20 times lol) to finally beat.  The secret there is to speed up, and fire rockets all the time.  In case you are having issues with the other missions I have also added a link to my favorite website for GTA San Andreas walkthroughs.

GTA San Andreas:

http://www.gtasanandreas.net

Playstation 2

A few months ago I bought a used PS2. The price was right (cheap), and it came with a lot of games included. The games I hope to play are the GTA series, god of war, and action adventure games. So far I have to say I am really impressed with this game system, and can see why it was such a huge success for Sony.

Playstation 3

One of my favourite stores to shop at is Shoppers Drug Mart.  Since the late 90’s it started a points program that lets you collect points to get free stuff.  Though it is a pharmacy, it also sells a lot more different kinds of items besides medicine, such as food (bread, milk, eggs), make-up for women, electronics (cameras), and seasonal items.  I usually plan a trip there on certain days when they give you more points for your purchases (20x’s the points).  The point of this blog post is that within a year I had enough points to get a free PS3. 

Now, I haven’t played games in years (only very causally).  However this year I did make an attempt to play because I bought a Nintendo DS.  I take the subway a lot, so I needed something to do on the train besides fall asleep, or read a boring book.  The DS became the perfect boredom-breaker for me because I was able to play easy and quick games such as Lego Batman, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, and of course all the Mario games.  Then when the opportunity presented itself this month for me to get a PS3 for free, I jumped at the chance.  I am excited I got it because I will finally have a Blu-Ray player, and also be able to play all the new games I have been hearing about for years.  Of course the first game I want to play is Batman.

Sony Playstation:

http://us.playstation.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNbKJkaeEt8