• Tag Archives PSX

  • Reel Fishing (PlayStation)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    gamepro_issue109_august_1998-107

    Source: GamePro – Issue Number 109 – August 1998

    I have a confession to make. I have never been interested in fishing simulations. Not even a little bit. Reel Fishing (Fish Eyes in Japan) is fairly typical of such games. Gameplay is relatively simplistic: hook the fish and reel it in. I may be simplifying somewhat but not by too much.

    Reel Fishing was released in Japan in 1996 and in the U.S. in 1998. It was the first in a series of games. The most recent was Reel Fishing: Master’s Challenge released in 2015 for the PlayStation Vita. As far as fishing sims go, Reel Fishing is a decent game and as a series it certainly has a long history. There are a surprisingly large number of fishing games and I don’t know if this one particularly stands out but it definitely got good reviews. It was popular enough to be re-released on the PlayStation Network and to reach Greatest Hits status. The only other particular item of interest is that the original game was released with a fishing controller that was also compatible with some of the sequels. For added realism I suppose.

    Like I said, I’m not a fan of the genre but plenty of people are. This seems like one of the more popular series so its work checking out if you are into fishing sims or think you might be. You might be better off skipping a couple of generations and going for the PS2 or Dreamcast release or if you have a Wii there is an even later release on that system. There are also releases on mobile systems including the 3DS, Vita and iOS. But if you want to check out the game that started it all, just plain old ‘Reel Fishing’ on the PlayStation is the place to start.





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  • Parasite Eve (PlayStation)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Parasite Eve (PlayStation)

    Square’s first Mature-rated game that blended Japanese RPG and survival horror elements.

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/167409922486/rpgsitenet-parasite-eve-was-out-today-in-america

    Parasite Eve is a survival horror game released for the PlayStation by SquareSoft in 1998. It functioned as a sequel to a Japanese novel of the same name. Parasite Eve was SquareSoft’s first mature rated game and also their first major collaboration with American game developers. In Japan, Parasite Eve was part of the J-Horror phenomenon that included movies such as The Ring.

    The game is set in New York City and starts with an NYPD rookie attending an opera. Everyone except the NYPD rookie and the actress on stage spontaneously combusts. The actress mutates into a beast, runs to the sewers and calls herself Eve. The rest is up to you, the player, as the NYPD rookie Aya Brea.

    The game had very good graphics and cinematics for the time. Complaints included long load times and a storyline that was too linear. Still, like most SquareSoft titles it is a quality game and worth playing if you are a fan of the genre.

    Two sequels have been released, Parasite Eve II in 1999, also for the PlayStation and The 3rd Birthday in 2010 for the PlayStation Portable though this game is more of a spinoff than a true sequel. Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II were also re-released in high definition via the PlayStation Network in 2011.





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  • PSM (December 1997)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    psm_004_-_1997_dec_001

    Source: PSM – Issue Number 4 – December 1997

    There was the Official PlayStation Magazine and then there was PSM who prided themselves on being “independent”. There were others too but I think these were the most popular by far. The December 1997 issue of PSM includes:

    Features

    • Cover Story: Tomb Raider 2 Strategy – Part One of a complete walk-through of the game. Useful if you are stuck…or to completely spoil the game.
    • Cover Story: Girls & Games – What do girls want in a game? Not sure why they seemed to portray this as such a novel thing. Even in the dark ages of 1997 there were plenty of girl gamers.
    • The PSM Holiday Special – A holiday buyer’s guide with a list of naughty and nice games broken down by category.
    • Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – Review of the 3D platformer Crash Bandicoot 2. PSM gives it 5 stars which is their highest rating.
    • Parappa Contest – A trivia contest in which you could win a Sony 200 Disc CD changer, PlayStation varsity jacket, a PlayStation T-shirt, and much more.
    • Street Fighter EX Plus Complete Special Moves and Super Combos – Special moves and combos for all of the Street Fighter EX Plus characters.
    • Test Drive 4: Producer’s Strategy – Detailed info on all of the cars, their difficulty level, tracks they are best on, and more. Plus, some general strategies for the game.
    • Colony Wars – A walk-through guide for the first five acts along with some general tips and strategies.
    • Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee – A strategy guide for this platform/puzzle game with an excellent atmosphere. How to rescue all 99 Mudokons.

    Monitor

    • Feature Story: Diablo Burns Up PlayStation – The classic action/RPG and one of the most popular games of all time comes to the PlayStation.
    • Yaroze News – Various web sites with info about the Net Yaroze, the PS development system anyone could buy.
    • Gossip – Square to publish its own games; Acclaim reorganizes; New Contra game on the way; development of Mortal Kombat 4 well underway; Crash 3 coming soon…
    • Nihon Game Otaku! – The latest out of Japan, including info on Chou Atsui!, Ore! Tonba!, Crime Crackers 2, Space Adventure Cobra the Psychogun, Konami Antiques – MSX Collection Vol. 1, Metal Gear, and more.
    • Other News – PSEmu lets you play PlayStation games on your PC but only Raiden Project for now; controller with vibration feedback may be coming soon; and more.

    Reviews

    • Crash Bandicoot 2 – See above.
    • CART World Series – A mediocre racing game.
    • NHL ’98 – The hockey game to have…if you wanted a hockey game anyway.
    • Nightmare Creatures – A beat-em-up 3D adventure with a horror theme.
    • Pandemonium 2 – A psychedelic 3D adventure on rails.
    • Test Drive 4 – A continuation of the classic driving game. I played the first one on my Commodore 64.
    • Jet Moto 2 – Hover bike racing game.
    • Mass Destruction – No complicated missions here. Just blow stuff up with your tank.
    • Need for Speed: V-Rally – Another entry in another racing game franchise.
    • Cool Boarders 2 – Snowboarding, including half-pipe and downhill.
    • Tomb Raider 2 – This sequel gets the highest possible score here. Tomb Raider popularity was at its peak.
    • Red Asphalt – Not much new here but if you like Wipeout and Twisted Metal then you might like this game.
    • Rampage World Tour – A port of the arcade Rampage sequel.
    • Fighting Force – A 3D beat-em-up.
    • MDK – Did this really stand for Murder Death Kill? I’ve forgotten…
    • MK Mythologies: Sub Zero – This seemed like an interesting concept. Take a Mortal Kombat character and throw them into a platform beat-em-up type game. The title seemed to also hint at future entries in the series. However, it wasn’t very well executed and sequels never came.
    • Flashback – A look back and previously reviewed games, including Epidemic, Assault Rigs, and NHL Face-Off.

    Previews

    • Breath of Fire III – Classic fantasy RPG for the PlayStation.
    • Spawn: The Eternal – A 3D adventure game based on the comic book character.
    • FF Tactics – A Final Fantasy game emphasizing the battles.
    • Auto Destruct – Inspired by Twisted Metal but with more of a story.
    • Skull Monkeys – Sequel to the PC game Neverhood. A 2D platformer that uses claymation styled graphics.
    • NCAA GameBreaker – For those preferring college football
    • Pitfall 3-D – One of many game that it was felt (by someone) needed a 3D remake.
    • Batman & Robin – Not the best Batman movie. Probably not the best Batman game either.
    • Super Motocross – Motorcycle racing game.

    …and much more!


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