Category Archives: Forgotten Treasures
Forgotten Treasures
Forgotten Treasures – Peter Jackson’s King Kong The Video Game
Back in 2005, there was no doubt that Peter Jackson’s King Kong was a box-office success. The film grossed over $50.1 million during it’s opening weekend, and over $100 million when it released on DVD. To be honest though, I was quite torn on the film; I thought it was a technical masterpiece for it’s time, but found the movie too long, too slow, and too over-simplified (aka popcorn-ized) for the audience. Whatever happened to the original’s invitation for audience interpretation?
On the other hand, I absolutely loved Peter Jackson’s King Kong The Video Game. Released for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC, King Kong was a fun interactive tie-in to the 2005 blockbuster film of the same name. King Kong’s fantastic production values ensured that players felt like they were Jack Driscoll (voiced by Adrien Brody) as he fought for survival on Skull Island whilst searching for Ann Darrow. Conversely, it also allowed players to take control of the mighty King Kong as he protected Ann from the most dangerous hunters on the island. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Freedom Fighters
Available for: Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, PC
People who loved THQ’s more recent first person shooter Homefront will definitely find a home in the forgotten classic Freedom Fighters.
If the Action motion picture classic Red Dawn had a video game, Freedom Fighters would be it. Published by EA Games way back in 2003, Freedom Fighters was a squad shooter that tasked the player in building a guerrilla fighting army to fight and help liberate New York from an invading Soviet Union. The game is designed to be easily accessible and fun, yet it can also be challenging enough that it keeps you going until the very end. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Scarface: The World is Yours
For a long time, it was quite rare to find quality, licensed games on consoles and on PC. Gamers knew that whenever a blockbuster film would arrive, so did the crappy videogame tie-in. However, midway through the PS2 and the Xbox’s life cycles, a couple of film-licensed games (The Godfather, Scarface The World is Yours) launched and did right by their source material. Not only were they excellent games, they also re-introduced iconic characters and films to a new generation.
Developed by Canadian developer Radical Entertainment, Scarface: The World is Yours is an open-world shooter that cast players as Cuban immigrant Tony Montana in a “what-if” scenario. What if Tony Montana wasn’t killed in the final firefight in his mansion at the end of the film? What if he survived and embarked on a violent quest to rebuild his lost cocaine empire?
Read more about Scarface: The World is Yours after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
SMT: Nocturne or, what I like to call Devil May Cry: Nocturne, is a traditional, turn-based JRPG that deals with mature content. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne casts the player as a nameless high school student with an unhealthy interest in the occult. Unfortunately for him, his hobby results in him getting caught in the “The Conception,” an event that signals the end of the world as he knows it.
Luckily the silent protagonist escapes death, and Lucifer himself transforms him into a demi-fiend (heart of a human, body of a demon) and he is then given a great power to arm him in his journey. This JRPG also built a strong cult following because of it’s deep recruitment system, fun combat, and a unique crossover with Capcom’s Devil May Cry.
Hit the jump for more information on Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and its crossover with Capcom’s Devil May Cry.
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Forgotten Treasures – Alien Vs. Predator (Arcade)
Growing up, I did most of my gaming on my Famicom and SEGA Mega Drive. However, I’d occasionally go to the arcades with friends to play Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, TMNT, and even X-Men. They were great games no doubt, but none of them had me scrambling to get more quarters to avoid a game over. Once I died, I moved on to another game.
Then I discovered Alien Vs. Predator; a beat-em-up arcade game released by Capcom in 1994. This arcade game was so good and so addictive that I once spent my entire week’s allowance trying to beat it. Not only did the game allow me to play Dutch Schaefer (he’s based off of Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Linn Kurosawa (as Colonial Marines); Alien Vs. Predator also featured two kinds of playable Predators (Hunter and Warrior) ready to make a last stand against the invading Xenomorphs.
Learn more about Alien Vs. Predator (Arcade) after the break.
Forgotten Treasures – Deadly Premonition
The Original Japanese title was Red Seeds Profile. Which one do you prefer?
I’ll say it right now, this week’s Forgotten Treasures - Deadly Premonition - is a game that you’ll either love or hate. Originally an Xbox 360 exclusive in North America, Deadly Premonition divided both critic and consumer opinions. While some absolutely hated the game because of it’s outdated graphics and horrible voice acting, many more loved and swear by it even today. It’s also been affectionately called by many as the “Twin Peaks of gaming” and even holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Critically Polarizing Survival Horror Game.”
Learn more about Deadly Premonition after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Mighty Final Fight
One of my favourite beat-em-up games on the original Famicom (NES in North America), Mighty Final Fight was perhaps one of the hardest games to find. Not only because it’s a rare 8-bit spin-off of the arcade classic Final Fight, but because it’s one of the select few beat-em-up’s in the 8-bit era that featured a leveling system that was mostly seen in RPG’s at the time.
Learn more about the rare Famicom/NES Mighty Final Fight after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Lifeline
Anyone who has ever caught themselves yelling at fictional characters on their TV screens should have Lifeline on their “must find; must buy” list. Lifeline’s game design is reminiscent of classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill games in that the players must control their character through environments as shown through static camera angles.
However, these static angles actually make sense in the game as players don’t actually control the protagonist directly. Instead they play as a civilian who gets sealed inside the space station’s main control room during a violent and bloody alien invasion. There, players can see every nook and cranny of the ship thanks to strategic cctv camera placements. There they also meet the protagonist and provide voice orders for her to follow if she is to survive the invasion. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr
When The Blair Witch came out in the theatres, it shattered a lot of horror movie conventions. It managed to scare people without actually showing anything scary onscreen; rather letting the viewer’s imagination run wild, thus scaring themselves. Blair Witch Vol. 1 Rustin Parr for the PC treats it’s players the same way, using the movie’s mood, macabre legends, and bleak appeal to scare the living hell out of them.
Hit the jump to find out more about the first volume in the Blair Witch origins game franchise. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Way Of The Samurai
Forgotten Treasures – Way Of The Samurai
Available for: PlayStation 2
Imagine yourself in Feudal Japan; a land where the traditions of the east and technologies of the west are meeting for the first time.
Imagine yourself a Ronin (masterless) samurai searching for a path in life. Will you be honorable or will you use your deadly skills to strike fear into the hearts of everyone who hears of your name?
Then, imagine all that and put it into a game. That’s what Way of the Samurai offers its players, an open sandbox world that allows players to carve (pun intended) their name into the annals of Japanese history. More on Way of the Samurai after the break. Read the rest of this entry
