Monster Island News
| Welcome to M o n s t e r l a n d F o r u m s! We are a growing, casual and friendly online community of movie fans who like to talk about giant monsters, horror and sci-fi in cinema, on television and on DVD. There are forums for sports, casual chat and video games as well. For those of you who like making art, writing stories and creating videos, our community includes a forum for these submissions as well. Check out our main index page and other board forums! Anyone is welcome to join our community! M o n s t e r l a n d F o r u m s was created on January 29, 2006 for the purpose of giving fans of giant monster films and other sci-fi/horror movies a friendly online meeting place to discuss all of their favorite films and other things of interest. -Lee "Packmule" Merritt Site founder |
| Josh's Retro Reviews; Random games from random years reviewed | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Nov 5 2007, 11:13 PM (1,296 Views) | |
| josh TX | Mar 26 2008, 10:43 PM Post #31 |
Monsterland Hall Of Famer
  ![]](http://209.85.117.197/static/1/pip_r.png)
|
Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the series. While this new Turok game doesnt quite bring the series back to the height of it's glory, it's still a competent title that's definetly a step above Turok: Evolution. |
| |
 |
 
|
| Slainmonkey | Mar 27 2008, 06:01 AM Post #32 |
Monsterland Technican
|
well better to have a step in the right direction rather then take more steps back |
|
|
|
| josh TX | May 12 2008, 01:45 PM Post #33 |
|
Monsterland Hall Of Famer
|
I know it's been quite some time since I've updated this thread, but I'll be back this week for a new review, I'm shooting for either Thursday or Friday. I finally got the time to play through Doom pretty thoroughly and at the request of GojiraMatthew I'll be posting a review for Doom soon. Thanks for reading! |
|
| |
|
|
|
| josh TX | May 15 2008, 07:00 PM Post #34 |
|
Monsterland Hall Of Famer
|
Review: Doom (PC, 1993) To say Doom took the PC gaming industry by storm would probably be an understatement. The brainchild of ID software's John Carmack, Doom was created using a new 3-D engine designed by Carmack himself and advanced greatly on the "FPS" style of play brought about by Carmack's own Wolfenstein 3-D. Released as shareware, Doom reached over 10 million homes and brought about the FPS phenomena that still rules gaming today. Needless to say, without Doom we probably wouldnt have Halo, Call Of Duty, or much any other first person shooters that gamers hold so dear today. Carmack's premise for Doom was quite simple. Basing his ideas off films such as Aliens, his team set out to create a 3-D gorefest of action and reckless splattering of hellish ghouls through the use of various weapons such as shotguns, chainsaws, gatling guns, and fictional ass-kickers such as the fan favorite BFG (Big F@#&in Gun) 9000. The gameplay is set through the eyes of the player, and involves exploring various maze-like Dungeons, all the while encountering the aforementioned ghouls, which come in a variety of zombified soldiers, floating one-eyed demon heads, and centaur-like horned beasts, to name a few. The goal was fairly simple: get from point A to point B of the maze without getting wasted by the enemy. In total the game included 10 different enemies, oftentimes appearing dozens at a time to throw players for a curve. The original Doom included a total of three episodes broken down into sets of nine levels apiece. Doom came heavy on gameplay, and understandably a lot lighter on story. The main protagonist, an unnamed Space Marine, was sent to Mars after disobeying his commanding officer and refusing to kill innocent civilians. While on Mars, a gate to Hell opens after an experimental mishap and the Base security on Mars fails to stop the onslaught of Hell's minions. Destroying everything in their path, the only man left alive is our unnamed hero. Simple but serviceable, the light story kept the emphasis on the gameplay and helped portray the protagonist as one hell of a kick-ass soldier. Playing Doom really gives you a feel for what was cool in the early 1990's...the indiscriminate riffs of hard metal music, exploding barrels and chunks of demon flying everywhere while the protagonist smiles on a below screen display. Doom was a pioneering title in more ways than one. If not the 3-D engine alone, the game was full of character and didnt hesitate to display the blood and gore which at the time was a surprising departure from the Nintendo dominated video game field, which never displayed blood or for that matter, much violence onscreen. Titles like Doom, and Mortal Kombat broke out of the "child's play" niche and became the controversial video games of the times, captivating gamers and pissing off Mother's everywhere. Besides the single player campaign, Doom included a very early multiplayer set. Networked computers could run a "deathmatch" mode (2-4 players against each other) or "co-op" (2-4 players vs. the hell demons). This simple bare bones multiplayer option has progressed into huge 32 and 64 player online battles in today's FPS games, and to many players has become an even greater experience than playing the regular game itself. Whether you like Doom or not, there is really no denying the innovations and accomplishments ID software achieved with this title. Few games have been as overwhelmingly popular as Doom and few games can claim the level of originality Doom can. The concept of the FPS itself started with Carmack's team and Doom had such an impact on the industry that similar title were simply dismissed as "Doomclones". Sequels, homebrew mods, and dozens of ports were released, landing Doom on just about every video game console, computer, and handheld gaming device known to man. The Doom engine remains popular today as a moddable tool for amateur developers, and the game itself will likely be remembered for years to come as the Father of FPS games. That's some legacy. My Score: 9/10    
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| packmule | May 16 2008, 07:02 AM Post #35 |
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
|
Another outstanding review, Josh! thumbs up |
 Packmule's Pen Latitude Zero(1969) The Relic(1997) | |
|
|
| gojiramatthew | May 19 2008, 05:23 AM Post #36 |
Fan Of The Evil Dead Trilogy
|
True, Doom is where the FPS genre kicked in, while Doom isnt the first one, its the one with a massive impact. B)
Its my favorite weapon out of every Doom game, its perhaps my most favorite FPS weapon, because its the big daddy of strong weapons IMO. :) Now to summon up my reply for the rest of the Doom review: Excellent, seems like you could be a great Game reviewer josh TX.   I wonder if you could review the Halo Trilogy next. 
|
|
My Youtube Account: http://www.youtube.com/user/gojiramatthew?gl=AU&hl=en-GB Enjoy the videos, that I made with my friends :)  | |
|
|
|
| josh TX | Jun 30 2008, 06:29 AM Post #37 |
|
Monsterland Hall Of Famer
|
Review: The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (XBOX, 2005) As a general rule, videogames based upon movies are usually bad, and videogames based upon comics haven't historically fared too well either. You could blame it on tight deadlines, cheap cash-in attempts, or just the inability of programmers to master the look and feel of a playable hero with extraordinary talents. The Hulk's track record over the years hasn't been pretty, with a forgettable SNES title and later, a bad videogame based on a bad movie from Ang Lee that marvel wants you to forget, apparently, with the release of the new Hulk film starring Ed Norton. What occured after The Lee movie based Hulk game, however, was one of the most pleasant surprises in superhero video-gaming history: A game that didn't suck. After the crummy Universal film tie-in, Sierra snatched the rights to do the next Hulk game and put it in the capable hands of Radical games, who built a Hulk title from the ground up based solely on the comic book itself. They take it back to the roots for the story, detailing Dr. Bruce Banner's initial struggles with controlling his rage after being exposed to gamma radiation. While searching for a cure with the help of Doc Samson, Banner is ruthlessly hunted by Emil Blonsky who wants Hulk's power for himself and eventually becomes the Abomination. Hulk also has to deal with General Ross and his army of planes, copters, tanks, and towering "Hulk Buster" mechs. The meat of this game and the most enjoyable aspect by far is the control. Never before in a superhero game have players been so empowered with a hero that controls so admirably and true to his actual superhuman ability. Players will love the sense of power and freedom that comes with performing all of Hulk's signature moves- smashing combos, ground slams, sonic claps, and the ability to traverse the free-roaming landscape through the use of huge leaps and bounds. Unlike past Hulk games, Ultimate Destruction allows players to do whatever they please GTA style- you can perform missions, side missions or just practice your moves terrorizing the city and military forces. The Hulk has so many abilities at his disposal that you'll want to take the time to practice and perfect the art of destruction, whether it be running up and down skyscrapers or using streetlamp poles as baseball bats. There are two basic mission types to tackle in Ultimate Destruction: Story missions, which progress the story through in-game events and cinematics, and side missions, which are more routine drills such as running races, rescuing citizens from a burning building, or smashing particular targets within a time limit. These side missions are an important way to earn smash points- credits which can be used to buy new moves and techniques Hulk will need for future enemies which will become tougher as the story mode progresses. Some of the side missions feel boring and repetitive, but it's a small complaint in contrast to the fun you'll have wreaking havoc. Ultimate Destruction looks and sounds great on an XBOX running progressive scan 480p on an HDTV. The explosions are huge, the hits are hard, and the music feels epic and fitting. I didn't notice any slowdown in this game, even when destroying a gas station causing multiple explosions at once. The city environment could probably use a bit more variety but still manages to feel wide open and fun to explore. The boss fights are one of the best parts of this game, with the Hulk taking on the likes of Huge super mechs and wicked supervillians in arenas that allow for plenty of smashed real estate. Balance plays a big part in Ultimate Destruction, and using smash points wisely is key to succeeding in missions and avoiding becoming frustrated because the game feels hard. The large variety of moves available for purchase for Hulk can change the tide of battle completely if the right moves are purchased for the mission at hand. Unlike some other titles where one or two techniques can carry you through the game, Ultimate Destruction makes you really rely on you whole arsenal of abilities for the varying tasks the game throws at you. In this sense, the game is far more well rounded and enjoyable once one learns to take full advantage of all the punishing opportunities. The variety is astounding- you'll have the ability to use cars as shields, perform grabs and throws while on the run without stopping, and take down enemy choppers by jumping and pulling the nose down to the pavement. For once, it really feels like you are a superhero, and you can do everything Hulk does in the comics, and do it well. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is a great game because it focuses the player on what really matters most- the gameplay itself. Once you pick this up, you won't be able to deny enjoying smashing the environments as you please or trying out one of Hulk's many supermoves on towering boss enemies. Plus there's plenty to see and do, with extra goodies to collect like bonus costumes, videos, and comic book covers to view in the gallery. Ultimate Destruction feels like the the kind of comic game we have all wanted to play- the time was taken to make this game right and the effort shows through it's superb gameplay values. My Score: 8.5/10     Edited by josh TX, Jun 30 2008, 06:41 AM.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| packmule | Jul 2 2008, 07:37 AM Post #38 |
|
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
|
Outstanding review Josh! 
|
|
Packmule's Pen Latitude Zero(1969) The Relic(1997) | |
|
|
|
| gojiramatthew | Jul 2 2008, 11:44 PM Post #39 |
|
Fan Of The Evil Dead Trilogy
|
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction was an incredible good game, nice review Josh. 
|
|
My Youtube Account: http://www.youtube.com/user/gojiramatthew?gl=AU&hl=en-GB Enjoy the videos, that I made with my friends :) | |
|
|
|
| josh TX | Aug 20 2008, 05:04 PM Post #40 |
|
Monsterland Hall Of Famer
|
Review: Mortal Kombat (Arcade, 1992) With the release of the 8th Mortal Kombat title, MK VS. DC Universe on the horizon, I decided to take a trip back to the early 90's once again, this time for a look at the Father of the franchise surrounded in buckets of bloody controversy, the original Mortal Kombat. After the popularity of Capcom's one-on-one fighter Street Fighter II cause arcades to explode with popularity, Midway's John Tobias and Ed Boon helmed what would come to be the 2nd big fighting franchise of the 90's - a violence driven martial arts slugfest that used digitized characters of real actors as opposed to drawn sprites for a more realistic look, and probably most importantly, the much ballyhooed "fatality" move- a simple combination of buttons that could be input at the end of a match that would allow one of the onscreen martial artists to "kill" another in a violent fashion, such as punching their head clean off or burning them to death. Needless to say, Mortal Kombat received plenty of attention from the kiddies and the parents alike, though their attitudes about the game lied on opposite ends of the spectrum. The characters of Mortal Kombat were loaded with personality and one of the main reasons this franchise really took off. Unforgettable characters such as the undead ninja Scorpion and the thunder god Raiden felt true to their likeness with fitting wardrobe choices and prop stunts. Characters such as Earth warrior Sonya Blade and Black Dragon gangmember Kano, along with the rest of the cast, offered up enough diversity to keep players interested in everyone. The playable character roster felt a little slim, even back then, with just seven characters, but the game included two great boss characters in the four-armed Goro and shape-shifting Shang Tsung. There was even a bonus character to fight if you could find him, the mysteriously elusive Reptile. With all the hype of blood and gore aside, the real question remaining is whether or not Mortal Kombat is really a good game. While Street Fighter II was well-loved for it's precise control and balanced gameplay, Mortal Kombat burst upon the scene based on a much more gimmicky concept of digitized violence. With the smoke cleared the answer to that question is a yes or no, but it's really a matter of preference. Mortal Kombat's fighting system was a lot simpler than that of most other fighting titles- there were four attack buttons as opposed to SF II's six, plus a fifth button used solely for blocking. The "high punch" and "high kick" buttons, accompanied by the "low punch" and "low kick" commands allowed players to change up their attacks and holding back or down on the joystick would allow for more powerful attacks such as a roundhouse or an uppercut. Of the seven playable characters in the game, all of these moves were shared amongst them all, so the in-game animations were very similar and there wasn't a lot of variation in strategy between the characters. What did differentiate the characters was their special moves - a combination of joystick movements and button presses that would allow character specific attacks relative to that fighter's personal style- Sub-Zero could throw a ball of ice to freeze his opponent, while Johhny Cage could unleash a mighty Shadow kick to knock opponents off their feet. MK's fighting engine was usually either loved or hated - it was a hell of a lot stiffer and slower than the smooth flowing SFII but many fans still enjoyed it for it's preciseness. The style was still very playable- so it truly seemed like a matter of taste. Many arcade junkies condemned it's lack of "flow" while the much slower pace appealed to some. The graphics of Mortal Kombat, as noted before, were created using lifelike digitized motions of real actors. While this factor could be to blame as to why the game was stiffer and more lacking in animations than other fighter's of it's time, it could also be credited for why the game seemed so realistic. During these early days of motion capture technology, the actors involved acted out each and every movement of their respective on-screen character, lending not just their body movements but their voices as well for all the yells and screams of battle. The practice of motion-capturing a real person for game animation purposes, was, at the time a relatively new concept that has since become the norm for many games on the shelves now. Sports games such as Madden or NBA Live have since adopted the methods of capturing an athletes real motion. By the time MK was released on home platform video game systems, most parents had become aware of the violence, and the resulting controversy only made the title even more popular in the mainstream due to national media attention. MK far succeeded and surpassed Midway's sales expectations, and the bloody fighting formula would be immortalized in the numerous sequels and home console varaiations played to this day. Unlike some gimmick-driven games which were all hype and no fun to play, Mortal Kombat actually came through and delivered with a decent fighting mechanic, memorable characters, and a plethora of blood-soaked images that kept kids feeling rebellious and cool while parents continued to keep the game relevant with all the extra attention. The original Mortal Kombat is still played today in many pro tournaments gaming circuits. My Score: 8.5/10   Sub-Zero's famous fatality   Promo poster for the arcade release Edited by josh TX, Aug 20 2008, 05:15 PM.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| packmule | Aug 24 2008, 02:19 AM Post #41 |
|
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
|
Another outstanding review, Josh! I'm going to "pin" this topic. 
|
|
Packmule's Pen Latitude Zero(1969) The Relic(1997) | |
|
|
|
| Syphen | Aug 11 2009, 02:03 PM Post #42 |
"War never changes"
|
really Nice reviews Josh. i read everyone. Good job |
  | |
|
|
|
| josh TX | Aug 11 2009, 05:32 PM Post #43 |
|
Monsterland Hall Of Famer
|
Thanks Napster. I just finished God Of War: Chains Of Olympus for the PSP. It will be the next review posted, hopefully by next week. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Syphen | Aug 11 2009, 11:38 PM Post #44 |
|
"War never changes"
|
I plan on getting it and can't wait to read it. If you like horror you should try the silent hill origins For the psp |
|
| |
|
|
|
| gvamp | Aug 12 2009, 12:58 AM Post #45 |
|
Monsterland Associate
|
Great game just really short. Glad this was a gamefly rental and I didn't pay full price for it. |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Toggle Up-Video Gaming · Next Topic » |
7:22 PM Nov 23
