deKay

Puggsy (MegaCD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 02/04/2016 Written by deKay

Puggsy was probably my most played, and certainly one of my most enjoyed, MegaCD games. It was huge, and had even more levels and bosses than the plain Mega Drive version, some of which made use of the MegaCD’s hardware with sprite manipulation and FMV.

I’ve been picking away at it over the last couple of weeks, finding it generally easier than it ever was back then, but struggling to find the secret or alternative exits in some of the levels so progress was less quick than you’d expect. Some I could remember, some I could remember but not how to do it, and some I had no recollection of at all – the final boss for instance was not the final boss and I’d totally forgotten about the real final boss. Even though I remembered the really annoying level with the spiky ball you can’t pick up, which comes after what I thought was the final boss.

Anyway! It was a lot of fun to play again after such a long time, and I’ve completed about 45 of the 51 levels so may return to finish off the final few. There are some more secrets I’d like to re-see, like some of the bonus levels (I got the Jetpac one, but know I’m missing the Arkanoid one and at least one more) and the Wiz ‘n’ Liz reference. I found Galahad (aka Leander) in one level so that’s prompted me to add that game to the list of must-plays too.

Click to view slideshow.

The post Puggsy (MegaCD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS): COMPLETED!

Posted on 28/03/2016 Written by deKay

But you know this isn’t the end of Hyrule Warriors Legends, don’t you? Of course not. All I’ve done is complete Legend Mode, and even that still has Cia’s prologue yet to do – let alone track down all the hearts and skulltulas and stuff in levels I’ve already completed. Then there’s Adventure Mode, which I have given merely the briefest of touches, just to capture a fairy. I’m only 15 hours in, which is already much, much longer than many games but here I know there’s a good 100 more or so – at least – waiting.

As well as the main Legend Mode story, I’ve also played and completed all of Linkle’s missions which sort of intertwine with the main story. Not especially well, it has to be said, but the plot is totally irrelevant elsewhere in the game so it doesn’t matter. The bulk of the game is Adventure Mode anyway and there’s no plot there at all.

I mentioned it before, but it’s worth saying again: Linkle is superb. Her slightly ranged weapons, her speed, her aerial gunplay (crossbowplay?) all make her so much fun to play as. It felt a shame every time I had to play a level as another character after each of her missions, as although most of the other characters are great too, Linkle is best. Better than Link even. Hopefully unlocking her most powerful weapons isn’t too much of a task in Adventure Mode, as I want them as soon as possible!

Click to view slideshow.

The post Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS)

Posted on 25/03/2016 Written by deKay

The best game in all creation is HYRULE WARRIORS for the Wii U. Probably. It came out of nowhere, wasn’t my sort of game in either respect – not a musou fan, and not a 3D Zelda game fan – and I bought it mainly because I had a funny five minutes when I saw it on the eShop. Somehow, it was fantastic, I’ve spent over 130 hours on it, and it just kept giving with the content.

And now there’s a 3DS version, with all the content of the Wii U version (at least, it seems so) and then some more. Squeezed into a 3DS? Impossible. Or perhaps not so impossible when you hear about those poor folk with a normal Not-New 3DS who have stunted framerates and no 3D. Thankfully, mine isn’t one of them and so the game is astounding. A couple of slight control and camera niggles, but nothing terrible, and it’s just as much fun as it ever was. Only more so, because it has MORE! More characters (Linkle is incredible), weapons and modes. A new fairy raising feature. And the 3D shouldn’t be underestimated either – it looks and feels great.

I’m but a toe in so far, with just 3 or 4 hours on the clock, but I can see this running and running, just like the Wii U one.

The post Hyrule Warriors Legends (3DS) appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Some 3DS Demos (3DS)

Posted on 22/03/2016 Written by deKay

I’ve not looked at demos on my 3DS for a while, and there have been a few recently, so I thought I’d give a few a go.

Hyrule Warriors Legends
I’m a huge fan of the Wii U version, and the 3DS version is just as incredible – if the demo is to be believed. I’m playing it on a New 3DS, so I know the performance is better than on an “old” 3DS, but it’s just the same as on the Wii U. Maybe not as perfect graphically, and no multiplayer, but I can see that I’m going to need this now. Not least because it unlocks stuff in the Wii U version…

Yo-Kai Watch
It’s Pokémon, only by the Professor Layton people and with some bizarre method of doing attacks. And… I quite enjoyed it actually. This surprised me, as I wasn’t expecting it to be my sort of thing at all. Will I get the full game? Maybe?

Stella Glow
At first look, this seemed like it was going to be yet another JRPG. In fact, it’s a SRPG in the style of Final Fantasy Tactics. There’s a lot a chatting, there’s a witch who is virtually naked, and the voice actors seem to be the same ones in every single English dubbed Japanese game made in the last five years, but the battles are great!

The post Some 3DS Demos (3DS) appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.

Castlevania: The New Generation (MD): COMPLETED!

Posted on 20/03/2016 Written by deKay

Or Castlevania: Bloodlines, if you prefer. Personally, I think both names are rubbish, and pretty much irrelevant.

Castlevania: The New Generation — Castle? Tick. Whip man? Tick. Moon? Tick. CASTLEVANIA.

My experience of this game previously has been that I own it, I’ve played it a few times, but because it wasn’t a Metroidvania style Castlevania (which I used to prefer over the older linear type) I never persisted with it. Of course, these days I enjoy most 2D Castlevanias, and since I just read about Castlevania: The New Generation this week in the excellent Hardcore Gaming Castlevania book and remembered that I’d never finished it, I thought I’d give it another go.

It’s excellent. Perhaps better even than Super Castlevania IV on the SNES. The graphical tricks the game pulls (sprite rotations and so on) were very unusual for the Mega Drive, not least because – as SNES fans would gleefully remind Mega Drive owners – there was no Mode 7 on the Sega console. The music, a vital ingredient in the series, is also incredible although perhaps not as iconic as in other Castlevania titles. It’s also a lot easier than Super Castlevania IV, which surprised me.

I played through as John Morris – the guy who isn’t a Belmont in name but is by blood, apparently, so can wield the Vampire Killer. He was in the original Dracula book too, apparently. The other character you play as is Eric, who has a pike or something. So yeah, I didn’t bother with him. Why would you? Tch.

There were some great bosses, marred slightly by Death’s Tarot Wheel of SuckySuck(TM), most of which I don’t think I’ve seen in other Castlevania games. Dracula also suffered from Irritating and Unnecessary Gaming Cliché #3, which was a shame but pretty much expected. I’m tempted to play more CV games now, but there aren’t any on the Mega Drive and that’s what I’m focussing on right now. There’s a sort of clone on the Master System though? Hmm.

Click to view slideshow.

The post Castlevania: The New Generation (MD): COMPLETED! appeared first on deKay's Gaming Diary.