Resident Evil 5 (Switch)

Back with this game again

So when everyone else is playing the Resident Evil 3 Remake and quarantining from the Covid-19 epidemic I played Resident Evil 5 on the Switch instead. Five years since I wrote about it last time and the game itself is 11 years old. Story-wise and such is still the same, it just about the differences from the older versions... and now I had to boot up my PS3 copy and boy, even though I played through the game on amateur and normal, I didn't play as much as the Switch version. I've already got all BSAA emblems, all figures and every weapon, I farmed gold and points and have pretty much everything done already. I cleared amateur and all chapters on Platinum. Somehow it was more fun to play it through this time... and the reason is probably since they changed a couple of things.

First, amateur allows you to insta-succeed on the quick-time events meaning you don't die as often to cutscenes. Also, they downed the difficulty for amatuer even more. I recall that I constantly was run over by the damn truck in chapter 2-1 and now I never got run over on amatuer (on normal it's a different story). I also noticed they changed the layout of the menus as well. Also, the default controller setting is so much better in this version than the PS3. I just tried to play a quick level to see if the auto-function was exclusive to the ports or if I misremember, but it was a bit of confusion to recall how to just aim since instead of the L1 (aim) and R1 (fire) it was like R1 (aim) and Square (fire). Glad they changed it to standard FPS controllers so you don't have to relearn it every time  (We will get more into this when I finish Resident Evil 6 that I play through at the moment). 

Overall, it's a fun game, now even better for casual players. Compared to Resident Evil 4, not as good, but still fun and the co-op really makes it more fun to play with friends. The inventory system isn't as good, but it works for the quick change system and the fact you play as two characters. Not as much horror and RE4 was a bit more unnerving when playing, but the chapter select system and the easy overview of what collectibles you got and such is fantastic (again. talk more about this after RE6). Miss the combining treasure system, but since you can replay any level again and again it's no problem. Wish RE4 had it since the island portion and final levels are boring compared to the village and castle. A boring thing though is the bosses that in the end just turns into puzzle bosses (lucky the infinite rocket launcher take cares of most of the problems), but Wesker and Jill is the big offenders. But since the chapters are between 5-20 minutes if you run through them to 40-80 minutes does you take a long time finishing. One thing though that really bothers me is the load times between scenes. Why are they that long? They even had the brilliant idea to put all the information on the load screens in the files archive so you can read them at your own leisure, but they haven't optimised the loading times? Come on!

Tetris (Sega Mega Driva Mini)

You can just hear the music

So feeling a bit tired of all the action, rpgs and platformers I decided to take a closer look at the Tetris game for the Sega Mega Drive Mini. Apparently not released officially until this release so that interesting. Seems to be a port of an arcade version. I of course have played tetris before. Both on original Game Boy at my cousins place, on computer and of course Puyo Puyo Tetris. Really, not much to say, it's Tetris, but there is some problems I feel with this version. First, there feels to a bit of lag with the controls, making it not as responsive, which can be rather crucial when the speed kicks in. Number 2, it isn't the Tetirs music but some other song playing... and really you can't have that... or if it is it sound so different that I can't hear it. 

You can play two players though. Overall, it got me so hooked I started up Puyo Puyo Tetris and just played the Tetris mode again. And the fun thing is that I never knew it had an end, but it looks like after 150 lines the game ends and you sum up your high score. Currently I've got a high score of above 230 000 points and I know that some people probably have a lot higher, but for me it's kinda impressive. Overall, play Puyo Puyo Tetris for a better experience, it even have the right song. Of course, it's not bad for what it is, but it's easier to put in the Switch.

Sega Mega Drive Mini

Sega Does What Nintendon't

Here is the real deal, the Sega Mega Drive Mini (Genesis for the Americans). 42 games, 2 controllers, lucky for Nintendo this came a couple of years after their consoles so that they won't have to be ashamed about their product. So this was probably the mini console that made me get the others out of nostalgia and really wanting to get my hands on some of the games that haven't been released in any other way. The Mega Drive was the very first console I personally owned and I got it from my parents by learning to ride a bike... which I pretty much stopped doing after getting the console to play games... they didn't think that through all the way I feel. All in all I got five games for it, Sonic 2, Dynamite Headdy, Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mania and Empire of Steel (Steel Empire in America). Sonic 2, Dynamite Headdy and Castle of Illusion is on this console with Castle of Illusion being the one game that haven't been released in its original format before except as a bonus for the 3D remake of the game for the Playstation 3 (which I missed). 

Most games I already owned either as part of the Sega Mega Drive Collection for the Playstation 3 or downloaded for the Wii Virtual Console. Only ones I see that haven't been released before are the Disney games, the Mega Man Collection (which contain a new mode so it isn't completely reselling me Mega Man 1-3 yet again without anything extra, and for those wondering I've gotten those games 6 times now). There are also 2 unreleased games so Sega went double on the SNES Mini. The games are Darius, a shooter and Tetris. Castlevania: Bloodlines would have been special if the Switch didn't get in on the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. 

Overall a great package, I even enjoy the specially composed menu theme that just ooze the Mega Drive. I guess some complained that the controllers weren't the 6-button ones, especially if you where gonna play a lot of Street Fighter II (which I probably won't). The one thing that also makes it stand out is that you can access the menu from within the games by holding down the start-button for a couple of seconds... genius! Some of the complaints I would personally express is that it's a model 1 Mega Drive. I got the Mk II so it's not hitting all the nostalgia components it could have. That also includes the fact that the controller isn't completely black as my controllers. Of course, last I tried the original console at my parents one of the controllers wasn't working... so this is probably the best alternative. Really, out of the three the Mega Drive is the one I have played the most so far, but it could also be due to not having that many experiences with all the games, I mean, how many times could one play the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past anyway?

So I've bought this game... 6 times as well, but played oh so many times more.

SNES Classic Mini

Can't stop with just one!

Of course, the SNES Classic Mini was probably more valued right from the get go with both Star Fox and Yoshi's Island being part of the package together with the never released before Star Fox 2. Star Fox and Yoshi's Island where games we got for the SNES back home but never was rereleased on virtual console. We got Yoshi's Island from the Game Boy Advance port released on the Wii U virtual console as well as the ambassador program for the 3DS and it has its merits, but it just feels nicer to have the original. All in all 21 games and two controllers in the package. No need for an extra product to buy to enhance the experience. The only games I haven't bought and played before is the 2 Kirby games and Street Fighter II. Of the games we had as a kid the only one missing is the Super Mario All-Star (the others being Zelda, Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island and Star Fox called Star Wing in Europe). Games I would like that isn't here might be the other Donkey Kong Country-games, Chrono Trigger, Actriser, Illusion of Gaia... well, rather many fantasy JRPG that would really tick off some people I guess. 

We got the SNES back in 1998 as dads 40th birthday come... mostly due to him complaining that I got a Mega Drive instead when I got the chance and on one hand I had a bit of buyers remorse since I'm more of a Nintendo player, but it was black, had Sonic and probably the first sign of independence for myself. Still, this one was the one I was intended to get anyway. Same problem as the NES Classic and that is that the Classic Controller is preferable when I can switch games without leaving the couch. And yet, the controllers are really nice.