Game Dungeon Wish List

[Pops1918]

I'd popped on to see what might be in the pipeline and wing in a few suggestions of my own, but three of my biggest suggestions have already shown up - and a reminder of a fifth I hadn't expected, but I guess this would be the place for it.

 

So, these are going to be more "I second that opinion!"s than "try this game!"s. Not being a game designer, programmer, or even more than an overcautious modder, I can't offer a huge amount of insight into the back end of the game, but I found these interesting. Make of these what you will.

 

First.. uh... Seconding: Call of C'thulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. A tense, tough stealth adventure game set in H. P. Lovecraft's most famous fictional universe, but with controls that make it play like a first-person shooter. It has some huge bugs that can make it almost unplayable (or in one instance, absolutely unwinnable) but probably nails the weird, hostile little town vibe Lovecraft seemed to love writing about better than any other game I've seen.

 

Second "me too!": Ares. A top-down space RTS with no voice acting, and I remember nothing about the music, but it has a dozen factions that all play wildly differently as you lead a galactic crusade to liberate Earth. The writing and the science-fiction world building they did for the game make it notable, at least, and they had decent two-dimensional Newtonian physics for the time. One interesting part of the plot, to me, was that you only left Earth at all because someone screwed up translating the message in a "Wow!" first-contact signal.

 

Third "try this game!": The UFO: After[blank] series. Three games - Aftermath, Aftershock, and Afterlight - that chronicle humanity's struggle against invading aliens. Having played Shock and Light, I can see how they get compared to X-Com a lot: you have a strategic resource and research management overworld game, a fairly brutal top-down squad-based tactical game, an almost endless amounts of customization, but it isn't turn-based. They managed to find one of the rare ways to make a squad-management game playable without forcing turns or leaving ally controls in the dubious hands of the computer.

 

The minor "try/remember this game!" entry was Hocus Pocus, a shareware side-scrolling action platformer from the mid-90's with DOS graphics and a Pratchett-like feel to the writing. You have to wipe out a bunch of interdimensional squatters charging tolls along the magic paths between dimensions. As the manual puts it, "especially the path to the Beautiful Amazon Tribes Before the Time of Clothes era. This bothered the [wizard] Council, who wanted the obstructions "removed" so they could get on with their Amazon studies."

Good game.

 

The first of the two remaining big "check this out" , and the first I haven't seen listed previously, and have been thinking about since the Test Drive 2 Game Dungeon: Chuck Yeager's Air Combat. An early 1990's flight sim with a fair* amount of realism, you fly selected German, American, and Russian fighters in historical missions from WW2 (the European theater, anyway), Korea, and Vietnam.

* "Fair" here means if you eject during career mode over friendly territory, you're probably fine, but bailing out over enemy territory means you might be captured, and get a game over. Also, exceeding your plane's maximum speed by too much can and will destroy the airframe. Probably not what Ross was thinking of when describing Test Drive 2's steering, since it isn't random, but a flight sim where your plane's wings fall off totally does exist.

 

Finally, there's Operation Neptune. It's a puzzle-type game with some arcade-like gameplay, where you guide a Deep Sea Research Submersible through dangerous trenches and around obstacles, collecting data modules from a crashed space mission that reveal the game's story. It's kind of unique (to me, anyway) in that it's an educational game: the puzzles are all math-based, and designed to be relevant to the situation. For example, to dock with an undersea base, you might have to solve a question about volume to counteract a minor flood, or about redistributing weight when you pick up a data module. It's aimed at (I think) a younger audience than most of the Game Dungeon, but definitely notable.

 

I dunno - while I have some details on these, what I've put here is all or most of it: what I remember of the game that isn't just rephrasing the wikipedia article, or finding new and exciting ways to say, "hey, yeah, I remember playing that game in middle school!". I think these games are worth a look, but what I have here is a bit light for six new threads.

[Binky The Rabbit]

I remember nothing about the music

I never managed to properly play Ares - I think I had a demo, or was too inept at computer games at the time to get anywhere - but the music at the start of the game stayed with me. It's a banger.

Xn-8SakE7gc

[BTGBullseye]

I remember nothing about the music

I never managed to properly play Ares - I think I had a demo, or was too inept at computer games at the time to get anywhere - but the music at the start of the game stayed with me. It's a banger.

The premise and style generally looks to be similar to the Homeworld games... (though technologically primitive in its implementation due to its release date)

[Trivlari]

CALL OF CTHULHU: SHADOW OF THE COMET

 

It's here if you want to buy it http://store.steampowered.com/app/389470/

 

The game takes place in 1910, and concerns the visit of a young British photographer, John Parker, to the isolated New England town of Illsmouth (an alteration on Lovecraft's Innsmouth) to witness and photograph the passage of Halley's Comet.

 

In 1834, on the last passing, Lord Boleskine visited the town after learning that certain conditions near the town would allow astronomical objects to be seen clearer and closer than on any other spot on earth. He decides to test this theory by observing the comet from Illsmouth, but something unexpected happens and he goes insane, spending the rest of his life in a London lunatic asylum. John Parker, learning of the 1834 incident and reading over Boleskine's papers, wishes to succeed where his predecessor failed.

 

When he arrives, Parker stumbles upon a sinister conspiracy and must survive the three days between his arrival and the comet's passage while finding out what happened in 1834.

 

If that doesn't sound like an interesting story then I don't think you read it right.

Anyways,it's a strange game that's certainly worth looking into.

If you want to,save it for October so you can get the scary vibe going.

[Dream_Soda]

I would love Ross to review Ace Combat 2 for the PS1 or one of the older Elder Scrolls (Arena or Daggerfall).

 

Ace Combat 2

- A very awesome combat flight simulator. It's made by Namco and was released back in 1997. It has an awesome soundtrack to boot. I would really love Ross to hear his opinion on this game.

[Selfsurprise]

CALL OF CTHULHU: SHADOW OF THE COMET

 

It's here if you want to buy it http://store.steampowered.com/app/389470/

This looks seriously interesting, combining two of my favourite things, Lovecraft and Point n' Click games.

I might have to check this one out, if only for the barmy trailer I watched on the Steam page. Thanks for

bringing it to my attention Trivlari! :3

[ThePest179]

I know this post will probably get lost, but... if you have a Game Dungeon suggestion that you think is good enough for community discussion + interaction, you don't have to put it here, you can create your own thread and I'd advise you do that.

 

Wouldn't that just clutter the board? Everyone think that "their game" is worthy of discussion after all.

[Jeb_CC]

I don't imagine so. And if I find a post that is nothing but a few lines, I'll just merge it into the Wishlist thread. IMO it's more annoying to see a huge Wishlist thread with lots of massive sized posts, rather than a bunch of smaller threads that you don't even have to click on if you don't want to see them.

[Mathadar]

I remember nothing about the music

I never managed to properly play Ares - I think I had a demo, or was too inept at computer games at the time to get anywhere - but the music at the start of the game stayed with me. It's a banger.

OH, thank you! thank you! thank you! You have no idea how long I have been looking for this game! I was glancing through "Top Down Space Shooter" "Tactical Space Combat" "Space RTS 1990's" I kept looking, but could NOT remember its name! I am so very glad you brought this up!

 

Ares gets my vote as well! That game is so obscure it took me over a decade to try and find it again, I played it back when I had an iMac, just the demo. Never could find the full version of the game, and the music is still amazing!

 

Related to that, it went open-source awhile back, but is in that magical zone where its starting to get very very obscure!

 

Ambrosia's main site

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ares/

 

Open Source info and download here.

http://arescentral.org/about/

 

A person who plays the tutorial.

hHGxoUPDd2g

 

One of the nice things about the demo, is if you knew how to make maps by altering gamedata you could get access to many ships from the full version that were not accessible in the campaign for single player included in the Demo.

 

Soundtrack, because why not include it. As well as my thoughts on it following each title. It is under CC and was created by Nathan and Owen Lamont.

 

Ares' Theme (Doomtroopers, Unite!)

This soundtrack made me want to buy the full version, but at the time I did not have an allowance, and was busy playing the heck out of Myth The fallen Lords, and Myth 2 Soulblighter.

Xn-8SakE7gc

Eyes of Fire

Its decent.

9_3b7fJKTow

Autoregret (Ares' Epilogue)

Decent, a nice way to end it, honestly, slow.

rYhlzlXwjTw

F.R.E.D.'s Theme (Ares' Prologue)

My favorite in game music, perfect for the fast paced combat!

WpSfIqWQjZI

Getalong

A good track, I love listening to this one, as it reminds me of some of Frank Klepacki's work on Command and Conquer (1995)

jff2VBTARQA

Moonrise Patrol

Eh... its... ok, not really my thing.

RGpTvL-WB9s

Targetron

I have listened to this way too many times, the demo has this as one of the most common songs to play during the levels, and I love it!

f-1F1lrdJjc

Technobee

I am young again, avoiding turrets and launching my fleet of ships at the enemy as they fire rockets at me, worried that their moving up towards my base, as I flank them. Oh sorry, this one brings me back.

x67xj-LsMac

Yesterday (the Doodly-Do song)

Almost forgot this one, but hearing it again brought me back into it. This song makes me think of a post combat review screen, time to revise strategies, and launch your carriers, get your biggest ships up, fleet building, and preparing to go into combat again!

5l1zZx0SYmc

Thats apparently it... I thought there was more in the soundtrack, but then again 9 isn't bad for a game soundtrack, its just that I always wanted the full game so I could get more music, didn't realize that was it. Apparently I could not find them making any other game music other than this.

 

[ScottD.Betson]

There was a game that was made by Activision that I dont think was reviewed by anyone or played by barely anyone: Spiderman 2: Enter Electro, another one I can think of is GUN

[ThePest179]

I think MUGEN would be a good choice for a Game Dungeon, seeing as how it isn't covered by any of the "mainstream" reviewers, and I'd be interested in hearing what Ross has to say about the game, seeing as how there haven't really been any fighting games on the Game Dungeon so far.

[ThePest179]

Ross, have you ever heard of the Karoshi series? The series would definitely be worth a review on the Game Dungeon, so please, keep it in mind.

[lurgertor]

I'm going to recommend the 1997 Grand Theft Auto, the original.

[Evil Jim]

Funny I should find Lord Ornlu's post today as just yesterday I learned about the game Abuse. A friend & I began the process of soft modding our Wii consoles & discovered a homebrew port of Abuse was available. My friend was excited & dropped everything to play it again for the first time in years. I made note to check it out on my own later.

 

So is this a suggestion thread? Does Ross read these? 'Cause I'd love to see his take on Dungeon Keeper. It seems like the type of game he would enjoy. Naturally, I'd be happy to donate a download code as I have one extra from Gog.

[BurningSnoMan]

I've been playing games new and old since I was about 3. Gaming is a big part of my life and always has been.

But nowadays I've been trying to find and even re-play all the old games I used to play when I was a kid.

Whether they were games from 2000 w/e or even games that were much older than that.

-

I guess the point of this post though is for Ross and his probable pool of games either people have request,

suggested, or games he just wants to play.

Here's my list of games everyone especially Ross should take a look at:

 

Stonekeep - Initial release date: 1995 PC

Quest 64 - NA June 1, 1998 64 (but you could probably find an emu)

Alpha Prime - Release Date: Nov 7, 2007

Time Crisis - Playstation October 31, 1997 Arcade December 1995

Time Crisis 2 - Arcade 1 Player March 1997 2 Player April 1998 PS2 October 1, 2001

-

(I can't fully remember all the games but I'll be sure to update when I remember more)

[BTGBullseye]

So is this a suggestion thread? Does Ross read these? 'Cause I'd love to see his take on Dungeon Keeper. It seems like the type of game he would enjoy. Naturally, I'd be happy to donate a download code as I have one extra from Gog.

We actually have a thread specifically for suggesting games... viewtopic.php?f=63&t=5959

[Jeb_CC]

Merged the posts into this thread.

[Selfsurprise]

 

Anybody else here remember a game called Shufflepuck Café? Whilst I technically never played the game, I fondly recall watching my older brothers

playing it on the Amiga and I recently stumbled upon it whilst looking up some other old games, PS1 titles strangely enough. To roughly sum up the game's premise,

it's a sort of air hockey simulator set in some seedy space cantina where you have to play matches of the titular Shufflepuck with an eccentric cast of aliens and sci-fi

stereotypes. Looking at some of the screen shots now it screams "prime Gaming Dungeon material" to me. Apparently there is some of rerelease/remake

on Steam, if one doesn't fancy performing a presumably hideous blood ritual in order to resurrect this mummified gem.

 

 

One of the most genuinely atmospheric and satisfying point n' click games I've ever played. An absolute must-play for fans of spooky British folklore,

vaguely threatening implications of conspiracy and stories about an eerie locale where nothing is quite as it seems. As well as solving puzzles and engaging

in a lot of conversations with the natives of Saxton (the oddly displaced coastal village that the game takes place in) you also have to detect proof of the

villages numerous ghosts and haunted sites, through a plethora of techy tools, including a night vision camcorder, an electromagnetic detection device and

a somewhat superseded type of tape recorder. The black n' white visuals with occasional evocative spot colour, collaged backdrops composed of CGI and

real photographic elements, a stirring soundtrack and haunting ambient sound design rates this one of my all time top ten.

[Archdeco]

In terms of music, the only one that comes to mind as something you may not have heard yet...

 

There's this song:

 

MFu66ye6YWM

 

Which got made into this song for Super Locomotive for the Sega Master System:

 

ZsmZ6wplXOU

 

I have no idea if they had permission. Probably not.

[PriestOfJudas]

http://mentalomega.com/

 

Mental Omega is a Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge unofficial expansion pack that is aimed at restructuring the game and making it more balanced and varied. It's the most popular mod in the Red Alert 2 modding scene (which is somehow still active). Version 3.0 is out and it's very much complete, with each factions having very in-depth storylines but with some absolutely brutal missions, even on Easy mode. After all the episodes where you touched on games, it would be a sweet change of pace to touch on mods.